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It had been an ordinary and peaceful morning so far.
Birdsong had sounded from outside, the weather forecast predicted sun for the majority of the day, and Kaeya had had a decent night’s rest for a change.
He should have known such a seemingly perfect morning would be disturbed by something.
Just as he was about to take the first bite of his breakfast, something loud made impact with his window, a thump and a crashing sound all he heard before any and all birdsong ceased for a few seconds, then turned into shrill screaming instead.
Kaeya knew he should have been more cautious, but curiosity got the better of him as it did most of the time, which meant he went to check out the cause of the noise without thinking much of it.
Of all things that could have been responsible for the noise however, he hadn’t quite expected it to be a bird that had flown against his window.
The poor thing was now sitting on his balcony wide-eyed and confused, with more than just a few ruffled feathers. From what knowledge Kaeya had about birds, it appeared to be some kind of bird of prey, similar to the ones Diluc trained and kept as pets and messengers.
The way it was looking around with its beady eyes was tugging at his heartstrings painfully, spurring him on to do something. He couldn’t just leave it there, but he also knew he had to be careful. Animals like that had a tendency to bite and scratch and lash out even at someone trying to help them.
As he opened the door to his balcony and went outside, the bird didn’t move save from its eyes darting in his direction, indicating it had at least noticed him. Kaeya could only hope it wouldn’t consider him an enemy.
‘Shh…it’s okay.’ he tried assuring the bird, wondering what he should do. Even though Diluc used to let him help out with caring for the birds they had at the Ragnvindrs, his knowledge about bird keeping was basic at best.
He could tell the bird was male based on the bright colours of the feathers; female birds tended to have softer tones so they wouldn’t be found when nesting, which at least took away the concern of this one having young hatchlings somewhere.
He could also tell this was in fact not one of Diluc’s birds. Not that Kaeya memorised what Diluc’s birds looked like or anything.
More concerning however, was the way his left wing was sticking out awkwardly, making Kaeya suspect it might be broken, or at the very least injured. There was no way he could simply release the bird and expect him to be fine.
It left him with quite the dilemma on what to do. Considering they were still on rather shaky terms, he didn’t think Diluc would appreciate him initiating contact out of nowhere to ask for advice. If anything, he’d probably find a way to blame him for what happened to the creature.
Still, this bird needed his help, and he’d be damned before he’d turn a blind eye to someone like that; feathery friend or otherwise.
It was up to Kaeya to care for this bird, and he intended to do so to the best of his abilities.
If he managed to capture the little troublemaker first, that is.
So the bird had a bit of an attitude problem.
As expected with this kind of bird, he was too prideful to simply let a human touch him, let alone pick him up. Getting him inside had been an hour-long task, involving chasing the animal around with a blanket and cooing at him in an attempt to earn his trust.
Now that they were finally inside however, and Kaeya had provided the bird with pieces of meat and other things he hoped birds would enjoy, the little guy was prancing around his living room as if he owned the place.
He hadn’t allowed Kaeya to take a look at the ring around his leg even after getting treats, nipping at his fingers any time he so much as tried, but he also didn’t seem to be particularly upset about being here. It made Kaeya suspect he was at least somewhat accustomed to human environments, which meant he had likely been held as a pet of some kind.
That would make treating his broken wing a lot easier, although easiest would be if it was possible to determine who the bird belonged to in the first place.
‘You remind me of someone, you know?’ Kaeya sighed as he observed the bird walking around. ‘Someone equally stubborn, and unwilling to accept help. Ah, you even share the tendency to lash out at people who care about you.’
The bird looked up at him almost as if somehow understanding the words, tilting his head and blinking curiously, which made Kaeya grin in amusement.
‘Let’s call you Noctua for now.’
As Noctua hopped around, Kaeya thought of who to contact. He’d have to let Jean know he’d be taking a few days off, but he’d also have to find someone experienced in treating animals. There weren’t any veterinarians in Mondstadt as far as he knew, though there was that relatively new adoption service Rosaria and Albedo had been dragged into.
It was as good a place to start as any.
‘Do you think I can leave you here for an hour or so without you breaking down my living room?’ Kaeya asked, fearing he knew the answer already.
Of course Noctua only chirped, and Kaeya could swear the bird was purposely trying to look innocent when he clearly was anything but.
‘I’ll be back soon.’
He could only hope the bird wouldn’t make too big a mess in his absence.
‘You know, Master Diluc has a lot more experience when it comes to—’
The glare Kaeya gave Rosaria at those words made her pause mid-sentence, though she did give him a knowing smirk in return.
Rosaria and Albedo had been more than happy to help out, which was why Kaeya was now bandaging Noctua’s wing with clear instructions from Rosaria. While she preferred being on the battlefield over being a healer, she did know how to provide basic medical care, and surely the medical care needed for animals wasn’t so different from that for a human?
If only she wouldn’t bully him so while they worked.
‘Transporting an injured animal over such a long distance wouldn’t be wise.’ Albedo helpfully chimed in.
If he wasn’t so busy bandaging Noctua at the moment, Kaeya could have kissed the other for his brilliance and support.
‘Besides, I think this bird has grown rather fond of Kaeya already, don’t you?’
‘I was only teasing.’ Rosaria sighed. ‘Though I can’t deny that you’re right. Little Noctua here may nip at Kaeya’s fingers when he’s feeling particularly feisty, but at least he doesn’t attempt to actually bite.’
Noctua’s wing hadn’t been the only thing that had needed bandaging at that point, Rosaria herself having obtained a few small injuries on her hand when she’d attempted to bandage the bird herself first.
‘I already apologised on his behalf.’ Kaeya said.
‘I’m very good at keeping grudges.’ Rosaria shot back amusedly.
Noctua chirped almost as if proud of what he’d done, and Kaeya chuckled.
Once he was done with the bandages, Rosaria and Albedo helped set things up so the bird would be comfortable, and even promised to return with more supplies later. Rosaria would also look into possible rehabilitation centres, though Kaeya didn’t think they’d have much luck.
‘What do you intend to do with him?’ Rosaria asked when they were almost done. She looked a bit worried about him, an expression usually reserved for when he took on a little too much work. ‘A broken wing could possibly take three to four weeks to heal. Do you plan on keeping him here all this time?’
At that, Kaeya shrugged.
‘It’s not like I can just release him.’ he said. ‘And Jean’s been pestering me about finally taking some days off anyway. Perhaps this bird was a sign from Barbatos himself, and just the excuse I needed.’
Rosaria looked at him with a deadpan expression on her face, which made Kaeya grin.
‘Alright, maybe not Barbatos, but still.’
‘It could still be a sign.’ Rosaria said. ‘We both know who has the most knowledge about birds of prey in all of Mondstadt. Perhaps this is a sign you should—’
‘Rosaria, you’re a dearly beloved friend, so don’t take this the wrong way, but please shut up.’
‘Just saying.’ she sighed.
Before Kaeya could say anything in reply to that, Noctua hopped his way, and started tugging at the hem of his pants as if trying to get him to come along. It was the perfect excuse for him to escape from a potentially unpleasant topic; just for that, he made a mental note to give the bird some extra treats later.
Diluc may have been the one with more professional knowledge about bird keeping, but Kaeya considered himself quite capable of spoiling birds at least.
Kaeya may have already been aware of the fact Albedo was a genius, but he truly felt the other had outdone himself this time.
He’d mentioned Noctua may start feeling upset at being stuck inside precisely once, and a mere two days later, Albedo was presenting to him his latest invention; a bird harness. With this little contraption, Kaeya could take him for walks without the risk of Noctua injuring himself or trying to flee when he hadn’t fully recovered yet.
Both him and Noctua had jumped at the opportunity, and so here they were, walking around Mondstadt in the same manner one might walk their dog. While Kaeya would normally dislike the kind of attention he was getting, he couldn’t deny the surprised stares and whispers were somewhat amusing to him.
Noctua also seemed eager to hop around and inspect the unfamiliar scenery, which helped his case. The bird was a curious little guy, and while Kaeya didn’t let anyone get too close – he was still a bird of prey after all – he enjoyed seeing him act so cheerful. It definitely confirmed his earlier suspicions about him being used to humans.
Not only that, but the sight of a bird somehow seemed to convince people to be generous even more so than Kaeya suspected puppy dog eyes would. At Good Hunter, he’d been given a generously large portion by Sara, with an extra little treat for Noctua free of charge.
Noctua had of course gobbled it up like he thought it was nothing out of the ordinary, almost like he thought he was owed it. Something told Kaeya the bird was used to getting spoiled and being given the royalty treatment. Huh.
‘Oh my, Sir Kaeya! I had no idea you were so fond of birds.’ a familiar voice sounded from behind him, interrupting his thoughts. When Kaeya turned around, Venti was eyeing him with an amused grin on his face.
Almost as if he considered the bard a threat, Noctua jumped onto his shoulder shortly after, and eyed the other like a hawk – no pun intended. Noctua looked more like a falcon, if anything.
‘Clearly, birds aren’t so fond of you, though.’ Kaeya replied with a chuckle. ‘Did you blow them off course with your gusts of wind one too many times?’
‘Ah, perhaps that might be it.’ Venti mused. ‘Still, I had no idea you owned a pet bird. Do you and Master Diluc take your birds on little play dates or something? It would be the perfect opportunity to—’
‘Nothing of the sort.’ Kaeya interrupted, before Venti ended up saying something that would make the urge to punch him impossible to resist. ‘Little Noctua here had a less than friendly run-in with my window, so I’m taking care of him until his wing has healed. I don’t plan on keeping him.’
It was quiet for a moment then, which by itself was already quite the unusual occurrence when Venti was concerned, but combined with the other’s almost solemn look, made the display feel even more surreal.
‘Names makes it oddly difficult to let go eventually, did you know?’ Venti finally said. ‘It’s easy to grow attached.’
‘I’ll be fine.’ Kaeya replied with a shrug. ‘Based on the ring on his leg, I suspect Noctua already has a home to return to. It would be cruel to keep him from doing so. Alas, given how he is determined to keep me from looking at it, I’m stuck taking care of him until his wing is better at least. What a troublesome bird, wouldn’t you say?’
Those last words were wholly unconvincing with the way he gently pet the underside of Noctua’s beak while he said them, but that was beside the point.
‘I hardly think Noctua’s original owner would mind if they knew how well you’re taking care of him.’ Venti said, his tone possessing a little more of his usual cheer once again. ‘Now that I think about it, it shouldn’t come as such a surprise that you’re secretly such an animal lover.’
‘It’s not a secret exactly.’ Kaeya told him while rolling his eyes. ‘But imagine what people might say if they knew I’m a bleeding heart goody two-shoes. My reputation would be in shambles.’
‘What reputation?’ Venti replied with a fake little laugh.
When he reached out his hand in an attempt to pet Noctua, the bird nipped at him, making him change his mind.
‘Well, I suppose it’s about time I take my leave anyway.’
Kaeya didn’t think anything of it when Venti made a beeline for Angel’s Share shortly after their conversation; the alcoholic bard could be found there on most days, after all. He supposed today wasn’t any different.
‘You really should let me take a look at that ring of yours, you know?’ Kaeya sighed as he addressed Noctua.
He’d been at home reading through some reports – on his free day, yes, there was a good reason he never really took any days off, that being he had no idea what to do with his time other than drink himself into a stupor – when the little rascal had casually perched next to him on the couch.
He looked so comfortable, with his puffed out feathers and his half-lidded eyes, and almost looked like he belonged there. If it wasn’t for the ring on his leg, Kaeya might have actually considered keeping him for real.
Of course, as always, good things couldn’t last.
Not when it came to him, or anyone that dared to get close to him.
‘You don’t have any right to be so adorable.’ Kaeya complained half-heartedly.
Noctua only gave him a brief look in reply, and refused to move from his spot even a little.
‘Your owner must be worried sick about you.’ Kaeya continued. ‘Yet here I am keeping you all to myself. That’s kind of selfish, isn’t it?’
It wasn’t as if the situation was his fault – he could hardly live in a home without windows, and he’d rather keep his fingers too – but he still felt at least somewhat responsible. He was starting to feel like Venti may have been right, and he was getting a little too attached for his own good.
‘I’m releasing you the moment your wing is better.’ he murmured, before getting back to his reports. ‘Staying by my side will only bring you misfortune anyway.’
Of course Noctua, being a bird and all, didn’t understand him, and stayed by his side the entire time while he read the reports, uncaring of his self-deprecating words.
The next two weeks practically flew by – no pun intended.
Okay, pun a little bit intended. Kaeya had found it hard to stop himself from making an excessive amount of bird jokes lately, much to the chagrin of those around him.
Rosaria had checked up on Noctua with some help from Barbara this time, and had concluded his wing was healing up nicely. So nicely in fact, that it wouldn’t be long before Kaeya would be able to release him.
Kaeya should have been happy about that.
The fact Noctua was recovering and would be able to fly again soon was a good thing. He’d be able to go back home, and Kaeya would be able to stop fussing over him. His wallet would be spared from the many amounts of mora he had to spend on bird food and supplies, and his home would not be covered in feathers any longer.
Except Kaeya wasn’t happy about any of it, a selfish little voice in the back of his head reminding him that without Noctua, he’d be lonely once more. His home would be too quiet, and there would be no one greeting him at the door any longer.
Kaeya hated goodbyes.
When Noctua made himself comfortable next to him that evening, Kaeya gave him a solemn look. He wondered if the bird had any idea of what was going on at all, or if he was blissfully unaware.
Judging by the carefree look Noctua gave him, he suspected it was the latter.
‘At least one of us is happy.’ he sighed, giving the bird a few affectionate pats.
He wouldn’t be surprised if Noctua would forget all about him upon returning home, though perhaps that would be for the better. Unlike Kaeya, that meant he wouldn’t have to feel so miserable.
Of course that didn’t mean Kaeya couldn’t draw out what little time they did have left together. Despite his friends’ insistence that sleep was important, he remained in his spot close to a dozing Noctua far past his usual bedtime.
Someone had once told him it was illegal to stand up if a cat was sitting on your lap; perhaps the same could be said for birds sitting next to you?
Deciding that some stiff muscles and a sore neck were only minor inconveniences when compared to waking Noctua, Kaeya chose to sleep on the couch that night. It wasn’t as if his sleeping habits were healthy to begin with anyway.
When he woke that morning, he was concerned to find stiff muscles were about the least of his worries.
‘Hey…what’s wrong?’
For some reason, Noctua’s wing was sticking out awkwardly, awfully similar to how it had the day of their first meeting.
It hadn’t needed much bandaging anymore, giving Noctua time to stretch and relearn how to use it, but now it seemed the wing was hanging about awkwardly almost as if it was broken again. Unless the rascal had decided to fly around his house like a maniac – which, all things considered, wasn’t entirely unthinkable – there was no way it was supposed to look this bad.
Kaeya instantly shot up, and went to inspect the poor bird’s wing.
‘What happened?’ he asked, surprised when Noctua attempted to nip at his fingers when he reached out. ‘Shh, I only want to help.’
Of course Noctua being his charming self, only chirped, and dramatically flapped his wing around as if trying to emphasise how unfortunate this predicament was. He looked even more upset than when he’d first found him, except—
Something clicked in Kaeya’s brain then.
As it turned out, Noctua was as bad an actor as his namesake.
When the bird had just broken his wing, he barely moved it around at all. He let out sounds of excruciating pain whenever he tried or was forced to, so he kept it as still as possible until it had recovered a bit. And even then, the wing’s breaking point had been visible.
Now, aside from the way he held his wing out dramatically, he was moving it just fine.
‘You’re pretending.’ Kaeya gasped.
Noctua stared at him at the words, blinking a few times as if trying to prove his innocence, before realising it was futile to continue. He puffed up his feathers in frustration, and retracted his perfectly fine, uninjured wing once more.
Kaeya wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to be mad or flattered about the whole thing.
On the one hand, this meant Noctua didn’t want to leave his side either. On the other, it would make letting go even harder than it already was.
Somehow, he didn’t think telling the bird some kind of horrible secret in an attempt to make him hate him – and thus, make parting easier – was going to be very effective.
Why could these things never be easy?
‘Are you sure this is what you want?’ Rosaria asked him as they walked around the outskirts of Mondstadt, with all its grassy hills and perpetual sunshine save for when there was a traumatic event scheduled for the day.
‘Yeah, I’m sure.’ Kaeya replied, though his own voice betrayed him. ‘I can’t cling on to what isn’t mine to keep.’
Noctua was perched on his shoulder at the moment, no bird harness or bandages to be found. Despite how there were no physical attributes holding him back whatsoever, he hadn’t tried to fly away even once.
There was only the ring they had found him with – the one he still didn’t allow them to look at even now – and the note Kaeya had tied around his other leg. He’d figured Noctua’s owner might have been worried, so leaving a note explaining what had happened seemed like the least he could do.
Today was the day they would release him, either allowing him to be free, or enabling him to go back to his rightful owner. It was the right thing to do, and the only real option they had.
Kaeya was putting on a brave face and pretending this didn’t affect him the way it did, but that wasn’t to say he was happy about it. At least Rosaria and Albedo were there to talk sense into him if necessary.
‘I suppose this’ll be a good spot.’ he said when they reached the top of a hill. The gentle breeze there would ensure Noctua could take flight effortlessly, and with such a pretty scenery surrounding them, the bird would undoubtedly feel that call of nature.
‘You’ve taken care of him well.’ Albedo said in an attempt to comfort him. ‘Without you, I doubt he would have fared so well.’
‘Don’t underestimate him like that, he’s a resilient little guy.’ Kaeya murmured, taking Noctua onto his arm and giving him a few scritches. ‘Still…I suppose this is goodbye. It’s time he starts looking after himself again.’
Noctua gave him an expectant look, letting out a little chirp as he did.
‘Don’t give me that look, I’m no good with parting words.’ Kaeya sighed. ‘Actually, I’d expected you to have flown off a lot sooner. Don’t you miss being free? It’s okay, you don’t have to stay by my side at the cost of your own happiness.’
‘Kaeya—’ Rosaria started, but Kaeya only shook his head.
‘Go on now.’ he said, pushing out his arm so Noctua would be encouraged to take flight.
Noctua did no such thing, only digging his talons into his arm a little more in order to keep his balance.
‘It’s better this way.’ Kaeya told him, before pushing out his arm a little harsher this time.
There was no way for Noctua to hold on now, forcing him to take flight. When he spread his wings and got into the air, Kaeya thought for a brief moment that was it; the end of their time together.
Noctua however had other plans, and circled right back to land in the grass in front of him. He gave him an almost accusatory look, as if he hadn’t appreciated being thrown like that.
‘Oh come on.’ Kaeya groaned, rubbing his temple in the meantime. ‘Don’t make this so difficult and just go already!’
When he took a purposely quick step forward, Noctua hopped back a few paces, yet still refused to take flight. He almost looked a little sad – as far as birds were capable of that anyway – which made Kaeya wonder if perhaps he hadn’t been the only one to get attached.
Still, he had to be firm now.
‘Get out of here.’ he said, before taking another step. ‘It’s for your own good. You can’t stay with me. I’m just doing what’s best for you, so just get away from me already!’
When Noctua still didn’t look convinced, Kaeya went as far as to start chasing him. Perhaps if he moved wildly and didn’t give the bird another choice, he would finally get the message.
Only after what felt like ages did Noctua finally seem to take the hint. He gave Kaeya one last solemn look, before flapping his wings and properly setting off. He didn’t land back on the hill, or in a nearby tree. He didn’t even fly towards Mondstadt, with all its windows at risk of crashing into again. This time, he was gone for good.
He may have been able to keep up the pretence that he was fine up until now, but the fact he didn’t take Rosaria up on her offer to get wasted with him spoke volumes about what he was truly feeling; Kaeya wanted to be alone so he could suffer in peace until he felt better.
He hoped he’d feel better eventually, at least.
Based on previous experiences though, he didn’t plan on getting his hopes up.
Kaeya did eventually take Rosaria up on the offer to go drinking together, almost a week later.
He’d been taking double shifts to “make up for lost time”, the perfect opportunity to forget about his sorrows, until Jean had found out and had forced him to take a break like the hypocrite she was. This meant he now found himself with too much time on his hands and too many emotions clouding his heart. With a bit of luck, the alcohol would take care of both those problems soon enough though.
‘I’d offer you a listening ear, but something tells me that wouldn’t be appreciated.’ Rosaria sighed from her spot across from him. She was only looking a little bit judgemental. Just a teensy, tiny bit.
Rather than getting angry or frustrated, Kaeya only shrugged.
‘I got what I asked for.’ he murmured while staring at his half-empty glass. Only his first one for the night mind you; for some reason he just couldn’t get himself to enjoy the taste at the moment. If it had been Diluc standing behind the bar he might have accused the other of swapping his wine with grape juice, but that seemed unlikely with Charles being their bartender. ‘I wanted Noctua to find his way back home, and it seems like he did. Co-parenting a bird doesn’t seem like a viable option, does it? It’s better if he never comes back. It’ll make the missing easier.’
‘No it won’t.’ Rosaria told him.
‘I know.’ Kaeya groaned. ‘Just let me pretend.’
Just as Rosaria was about to give a reply, something caught her attention behind him. Her gaze drifted to the back of the tavern, straight past Kaeya, the sight she was met with apparently so shocking it made her eyes go wide.
‘Something caught your eye?’ Kaeya mused, turning around to see what had made such an impression on his friend. She wasn’t the type to get easily distracted, so whatever it was, it must have been quite the sight.
Upon following her gaze and realising Diluc had just walked in with Noctua on his shoulder, he understood, his own eyes going equally wide.
‘Ah, is this one of the new guys then?’ Charles asked, as if this was the most normal occurrence ever and Diluc hadn’t just walked into Angel’s Share with the bird Kaeya had been taking care of for several weeks.
Diluc nodded, and Kaeya stared.
‘He flew off shortly after arriving, so I haven’t been able to train him much.’ Diluc explained. ‘I’m hoping to get him more used to people now that he’s returned.’
That explained why Kaeya hadn’t recognised the bird as one of Diluc’s, though it still didn’t explain how this was even possible. What were the odds of Diluc’s bird crashing into his window specifically, of all the many windows in Mondstadt? This was getting ridiculous.
‘He made his way back to you?’ Charles asked. ‘Must be one clever bird.’
That he certainly was.
‘He had some help.’ Diluc said, giving Noctua a few scritches in the way Kaeya knew he liked. ‘Apparently, he crashed into someone’s window, so they took care of him for a while. Left a note and all that too, although they didn’t sign it. Whoever it was must have been a good person though.’
Kaeya felt like someone had just sucker punched him.
If only Diluc knew who’d been taking care of his bird these past few weeks, he wouldn’t be speaking of them so highly. If only he knew, then he’d be complaining and spouting insults rather than praise.
Rosaria only gave him a knowing look, making Kaeya clench his teeth and return his attention to the drink he still hadn’t finished. He suddenly felt incredibly relieved he hadn’t signed the note.
‘You should talk to him.’ Rosaria hummed.
‘Absolutely not.’
Right now, he felt as though being eaten by a slime would be a kinder fate in comparison.
‘Well, what do you plan on doing then? If Noctua sees you, he’ll undoubtedly want to greet you. Or you know, try to peck your eyes out for abandoning him.’
If that last bit was true, Noctua and Diluc would be a match made in heaven, given how the latter still bore a grudge against him too. Kaeya hadn’t wanted to abandon either of them, but he hadn’t exactly had a choice.
No, it was best if he left them to it and made a tactical retreat.
Of course Kaeya should have known better than to assume he’d successfully accomplish such a thing. First of all because these things never worked out for him, and secondly because Noctua loved being a little troublemaker and complicating things for him.
As if having heard Rosaria’s earlier comment, Noctua chose that precise moment to let out a chirp of recognition and fly from his spot on Diluc’s arm to land on Kaeya’s head instead. There, he started tugging at nipping at his hair almost as if trying to aggressively preen him; a show of affection, while simultaneously scolding him for his earlier behaviour.
‘Ouch, Noctua, that’s no way to greet an old friend, is it?’ Kaeya complained half-heartedly, though he made no move to get the bird off. He could only hope Diluc wouldn’t be too judgemental about the whole thing.
This time, it was Diluc’s turn to stare, those red eyes boring into Kaeya so intensely he was surprised he didn’t burst into flames on the spot. Part of him wished he would have, for it would have been a much kinder fate than whatever was about to happen instead.
Kaeya could see the exact moment realisation hit Diluc, the other’s eyes going comically wide as he let the truth of it all sink in.
‘It was you.’
Rosaria chose that precise moment to make her way towards the bar and strike up a conversation with Charles, giving him and Diluc the opportunity to talk while still remaining close by should things escalate. This was her own variation of a “tactical retreat”, though of course her attempt was much more successful.
Kaeya both loved and hated her for it.
‘I didn’t know it was your bird.’ he breathed out, resisting the urge to make a run for it when Diluc approached. He didn’t think he’d get very far, either because Diluc would chase him, or because Noctua would try and keep him there.
‘He wears a ring with my contact details on it.’ Diluc said, his tone much less accusatory than Kaeya had expected.
‘Yeah well, he didn’t allow me to look at it.’ Kaeya defended himself. ‘He’d let me touch him wherever, but if I so much as tried to reach for that ring, all hell broke loose. I gave up after nearly losing my pinkie, you know?’
‘I see.’
‘Yeah.’
An incredibly awkward silence fell for a few seconds, before Noctua chirped once more and decided he’d preened Kaeya enough. He hopped onto his shoulder as if he’d done so many times before, then made himself comfortable while looking at Diluc expectantly.
Diluc blinked in what Kaeya assumed to be pure shock, and took in the scene in front of him.
‘He’s awfully comfortable around you.’ he finally said, unable to keep the surprise from his voice entirely.
‘We were kind of stuck together for a few weeks.’ Kaeya explained while looking anywhere but Diluc’s face. ‘You learn to get along after a while, though I’m sure all the treats certainly helped.’
‘So that’s why he put on weight.’ Diluc mused, crossing his arms as he did.
‘Well sorry for not knowing your bid’s dietary restrictions.’ Kaeya started, already having expected the complaints. He’d hoped Diluc wouldn’t ever have to find out it had been him taking care of Noctua at all, sparing him from the other’s inevitable rant, but of course fate wouldn’t be so kind.
‘No, that’s a good thing.’ Diluc interrupted him, sounding surprisingly calm. ‘I rescued him from poachers hoping to sell him as a pet. He was malnourished, and his feathers were all messed up, yet he refused to eat much those first few days. If you managed to make him eat this well, that’s a good thing.’
Was that a compliment?
A compliment from Diluc Ragnvindr, the professional complaints master himself?
Kaeya was certain he must have died without noticing, somewhere along the line.
The messed up feathers explained how he’d managed to crash into a window at least, but that didn’t make this whole situation any less bizarre.
Upon noticing his frozen state, Noctua poked his cheek, effectively snapping him from his thoughts.
‘Uh, thanks, I guess.’ Kaeya managed to bring out. How eloquently.
‘So…Noctua, huh?’ Diluc said, rubbing salt into his wounds of embarrassment even further. Of course he’d heard the name. Kaeya’s terrible luck would have made sure of it.
‘He’s got a temper.’ Kaeya explained while giving Noctua a few scritches of his own. ‘That’s all.’
‘Hmm.’
‘What, think you’re so much better at naming birds?’ Kaeya scoffed. ‘What is he really called then?’
He vaguely recalled the ridiculous names Diluc had given his pets back when they were children; a memory Kaeya tried not to dwell on. He’d get sentimental frustratingly quick, and then he’d regret not finishing his drink sooner to numb the pain it caused.
‘I didn’t get to name him before he flew off.’ Diluc replied, though the way he averted his gaze told Kaeya everything he needed to know.
‘You’re lying.’
‘I’m not.’
‘You always name your birds.’ Kaeya accused him with a soft chuckle. ‘He’s got a name, I bet it’s just a stupid one. Something posh and fancy and hard to pronounce—’
‘Pavo.’ Diluc murmured under his breath, barely audible at all. If Kaeya didn’t have such sharp hearing, he might have just missed it.
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘His name is Pavo.’ Diluc repeated, most definitely sounding a little embarrassed. ‘You know, as in—’
‘Pavo Ocellus.’ Kaeya said, unable to stop a grin from slipping onto his face. It wasn’t his usual smug one, though. He was embarrassed to admit he almost looked a bit giddy, like a child that had been promised candy if they behaved. ‘I’m flattered, really. I didn’t know you cared so much.’
Despite the words coming out of his mouth like a taunt, they were genuine.
Diluc had named his bird after his constellation for some inexplicable reason. He may have been a naïve fool, allowing a single ember in his heart to flicker with hope every now and then, but right now, it was burning so brightly it almost threatened to turn into a proper flame.
Kaeya had missed that warmth.
‘Well, the bird has a temper, and he’s stubborn, and a little clumsy, as you may have noticed.’ Diluc huffed. ‘He also doesn’t trust people easily—’
‘Oh?’
‘—yet he’s extremely protective of those he deems worth trusting.’ Diluc finished his sentence.
Kaeya froze for a moment then, wondering if he’d heard correctly, then blinked upon realising he had.
Perhaps he didn’t regret not finishing his drink all that much after all. He much preferred hearing these words while he was sober, for at least that significantly lowered the chances of this being nothing but a hallucination.
‘I see.’ he brought out. ‘Sunk his talons into your heart now, did he?’
‘Quite so.’ Diluc admitted with a sigh. ‘I’ve been terribly worried about him in his absence.’
‘Well, no need to worry any longer. I looked after him for you.’ Kaeya replied. ‘Terribly smart bird, that one.’
Noctua chirped as if agreeing, making Kaeya smile a little. He could swear he saw the hint of a smile playing around the corners of Diluc’s mouth as well, though he couldn’t be sure these days.
Kaeya couldn’t remember the last time him and Diluc had talked this comfortably – and for such a long period of time at that – without snapping at each other. Perhaps the watchful gaze of an additional party truly was the only thing they needed to be civil with each other.
‘I will miss him, of course, but he’s better off with you.’ Kaeya sighed, reminding himself good things never lasted. ‘Although I won’t deny I did consider keeping him.’
In the end, he supposed it was better he hadn’t. Had he kept Noctua, they would have never had this conversation – or worse, Diluc might have accused him of stealing his bird.
‘You’d make a great bird keeper.’ Diluc told him then; his attempt at being nice, and one that was surprisingly successful. ‘If you ever change your mind…’
‘Nah, we both know I don’t have the dedication for it.’
They both knew that was a lie.
‘Well, you’re welcome to visit him whenever you’d like either way.’
Kaeya wondered if the implication behind those words was intentional or not. Surely this was nothing more than the hopeful twisting of words by his brain in an attempt to seek non-existent comfort?
‘You’ll have to take our little friend here to the tavern an awful lot, then.’ he said, just to make sure. Just in case he hadn’t just been imagining things.
‘Or you could just visit him at home.’ Diluc said, shattering any and all doubt he could have possible harboured all at once. ‘Not just Pavo, actually. Ocello is much too old to come with me to the tavern now, but she misses you too.’
Ocello had received her name long before everything had gone to shit, but that felt like a lifetime ago; the memory of which slapped Kaeya in the face, then proceeded to gently cradle it with perhaps-not-so-false hope.
‘Do you make it a habit to name your birds after me?’ Kaeya brought out while trying not to choke on the lump in his throat.
First Ocello, now Pavo.
If Kaeya didn’t know any better, he might almost start thinking Diluc had missed him too.
‘Just think about it, okay?’ Diluc told him, ignoring his comment completely. ‘Besides, you started it.’
For some reason, Kaeya didn’t particularly mind being accused of such a thing. Especially not if it ended up benefitting them in such a way.
If the only thing they fought about from now on would be whether to continue calling the bird “Noctua” or “Pavo”, Kaeya felt that was a compromise he was more than willing to make.