Rainy Day Tavern // A Chaeya Fic

And I Was Dancing in the Rain

Summary: In an act of procrastination, Ajax finds himself back in the tavern.

~

So as it turns out, getting recruited by the Knights of Favonius isn't as easy as rocking up and showing off your battle prowess. That was evident by the maid who had spent years trying to become a Knight but kept failing the entrance exam (Ajax didn't know why at first, she seemed way too strong to keep failing). There was a whole book that you had to memorise! It makes Ajax wonder why that little blond girl was able to get in.

Either way, Ajax had been sitting around at home trying to memorise the Favonius Rulebook (and honestly? Some of those rules were ridiculous). Their etiquette was nothing like the Fatui's... Though, that was mostly because they used brute force and aggression. No wonder why the Knights struggled with diplomatic situations with the number of rules they had...

There was also some rule that outsiders of Mondstadt weren't allowed any higher than a Captain position, which Ajax found stupid. Although, he supposed it was fair because of his background. Spies and all that sort of thing.

Ajax's mind wanders off to something else. Well, someone else. He looks over towards the umbrella he still had from the tavern. He could... use for a drink. Oh, wait no, his studies... Ajax looked down at the rulebook and noticed he was only halfway through. Yeah, no, it was time to get a drink.

He grabs his umbrella and the one he borrowed, heads towards the door, and walks out into the streets. Mondstadt at night was a lot prettier than in the day, in his opinion. The air was cooler and the lights from the taverns felt warm. You could hear the buzz of excitement from the Cat's Tail and Angel's Share, the faint music of a bard's song being carried into the wind, almost inviting.

Ajax runs past it and towards the back alley where he had gotten lost earlier that week. The water splashes at his feet, pitter-patters against his umbrella. The wind seems almost playful as Ajax nears the empty tavern like it knows something Ajax doesn't. Perhaps, it did, and this was Barbatos' message to him.

The tavern is easy to locate, being the only lit-up building in the desolate street. Ajax looks around for a moment. It seems there wasn't anyone living on this street. For a moment, the ex-Harbinger can't help but wonder what had happened for it to become abandoned like this. I mean, surely someone would've at least sold some property... A mystery for another time, he supposed.

The door creaks open as he pushes against it. He sees Kaeya flinch from his place behind the counter before he turns around and smiles. Ajax smiles back. "Kaeya," he says almost breathlessly (desperate much?).

"Tartajax," the bartender replies. "Not visiting Angel's Share?"

"I had a certain bartender I was hoping to meet," Ajax says with a grin. He returns the umbrella he borrowed to its respective rack and hangs his one by the door. "And thank Tsaritsa he's here." Kaeya scoffs light-heartedly, rolling his eyes.

"Flatterer," he mutters. "So what's it going to be? Dandelion Wine? Sparkling Wine?" The bartender leans against the counter, face held in his palm and a smirk on his face. Ajax replies with a shrug, not sure what he'll get. Dandelion Wine was a delicacy here in Mondstadt, but sparkling white wine was also a good choice...

"Surprise me," Ajax says instead with a challenging grin. Kaeya raises an eyebrow, but nods, moving away from the counter to start mixing his drink while Ajax admires how pretty Kaeya looks in his uniform. He knows that Kaeya knows that he's staring, can feel the creep of embarrassment appear on his face, but can't bring himself to look away.

Ajax sits on the barstool, awaiting his drink. It slides over smoothly and into Ajax's awaiting hand, nicely chilled (seems Cryo was great for mixing drinks). He smiles at Kaeya, eagerly taking a sip. It tastes a lot like the Chicken-Mushroom Skewers he had the other day, meaning this was likely the concoction he used to marinate it. Interesting... It tasted... Well, nice. Sweet, a bit fruity too. "Tastes good," he compliments with a grin.