Perfect Butler

14

"I cannot believe you're making me do this, Prince Kaveh," Alhaitham stared at himself in the mirror. Kaeya was serious when he said he was taking inspiration from the Darknight Hero. This costume was full of red and black. 

"She won't know what's coming!" he smiled, patting Alhaitham's shoulder. "Plus, you're very attractive right now," he blushed, sliding his hand down Alhaitham's chest. 

"Are you feeling bold because I'm in a mask?" Alhaitham stared blankly. Kaveh grabbed his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. That answered that. Alhaitham had to catch himself by putting his hand up against the wall. 

"Prince Kaveh, we're outside," Alhaitham murmured against Kaveh's lips. "Your mother will have my head if any rumors get out about you cheating on your fiancé." 

"You better not lose," Kaveh pushed him away and crossed his arms. "I don't plan on having anyone be my personal knight other than you." 

"I'll do my best," Alhaitham bowed, hand over his heart. Even though the end result wasn't up to either of them. Kaveh was placing a lot of hope onto this tournament. Alhaitham didn't have it in him to dash his dreams.

"And don't get hurt," Kaveh muttered quietly before running away to his spot as a viewer. 

Alhaitham's first match was with that strange man obsessed with fighting that he briefly met. The one that the Emperor of Liyue dragged off at the ball. The match didn't last long, as the Emperor of Liyue once again dragged him off before he could do much damage. A few no names from the studying knights came one after the other. Alhaitham, despite not getting the opportunity to be a formal knight, was still much higher in skill. 

The first competitor to give him any trouble was (to his surprise) Duke Diluc. His skill with the two-handed sword made dodging imperative. If the duke wasn't already injured, he probably would've won, but Alhaitham was able to get him to lose his balance fairly easily upon noticing the wound in his leg. It didn't look like something caused by a mere tournament. 

"This is getting more and more frustrating," Alhaitham wiped the sweat on his neck and sighed. His next opponent was a shorter fellow with a ridiculously large hat. As soon as the signal was given, Alhaitham blinked and the guy was in front of him. How did he have such speed? 

"I have no interest in fighting you," he muttered, giving an obviously showy attack so Alhaitham would parry. "On my signal, I'm going to launch you, make it look as if you've knocked me out. Play along, or the prince will be in danger. Sidestep if you understand." 

Alhaitham sidestepped and gave a halfhearted attempted at an attack. The stranger guarded with ease. The two gave each other a small nod and a gust of wind knocked the hat off of his head. He launched Alhaitham into the air just as he said he would and Alhaitham threw his weapon blunt side toward his head to look like he'd knocked him out. Luckily the audience was too focused on the hat to be paying attention to the fight. 

"Prince!" Alhaitham shouted as he maneuvered to land on Kaveh before the glint in the corner of his eye reached them both. He wrapped his arms around the prince, both of them crashing to the floor of the viewing platform, as an arrow greeted his shoulder. 

"Are you alright?" Alhaitham hovered over Kaveh, blood becoming hardly noticeable against the black and reds of his outfit. Droplets grazed Kaveh's face. He reached up to touch them, shocked at the bright red. 

"I should be asking you!" 

Alhaitham sat up with caution, looking for where the arrow came from, and grabbed one of the flags draped as a decoration. He wrapped Kaveh inside it, picking him up and running toward a more secure location. 

"Put me down right now!" Kaveh shook his arms within the blanket. "Your shoulder can't deal with my weight!" 

"The only thing that matters to me right now is getting you to safety, Prince Kaveh, feel free to scold me later." 

"Why are you always like this?" Kaveh's voice cracked as he sobbed under the protection of the flag. "Why don't you ever consider my feelings about how you treat yourself?" Alhaitham opened his mouth to respond but knew that his answer would only upset Kaveh more. He remained silent but held Kaveh closer to himself in an attempt to comfort him. 

"Hey, pretty boy," Kaeya called to him while on the back of the horse. "Running isn't going to get you anywhere in that state, why don't you use this lovely lady?" He slid off the horse and helped the bundle of cloth and Alhaitham up onto it. 

"I would've offered to take him to safety myself but I know you aren't the type to hand over your darling," Kaeya slapped the horse's rear and the wannabe knight was off. 

"How did you tame that horse?" 

"Oh, well, haha, they don't call me the cavalry captain for nothing. I'm very good at ridin-" Kaeya turned his head a little too late. He was thankful for his eyepatch because the wink he just made wasn't going to get noticed. "Duke?! Sir! Ah!" He connected the dots. "Was that your horse?! I'm so sorry!" 

"Hmph," he leaned up against the wall, taking the weight off of his injured leg. "I wouldn't have been able to ride her anyway. You're a tailor, yes?" 

"Yes?" 

"Wonderful, restitch my wound for me and I'll overlook the whole ordeal." 

"I'm not a doctor!" Kaeya shook his hands. 

"I know," he stared, "that's why I asked you. Or would you rather pay me the money you owe for that horse?" 

"Do you have something against doctors?" Kaeya asked, kneeling down to fold up the pant leg. Diluc flinched with every movement he made. Sewing kit. Sewing kit. Where did he put the sewing kit? He always had one. Kaeya patted himself down. 

Diluc leaned over as best as he could and shoved his hand down Kaeya's open shirt. Kaeya blinked, too stunned to speak, when Diluc pulled out the small kit he had been looking for. 

"Oh, thank you," Kaeya grabbed the kit but his hand waivered on Diluc's. His mind wandered while thinking about the calluses on his fingers. "I'll be right back after I go sterilize the needle..." he muttered running away. 

"He must've been looking if he noticed. He was looking at my chest." Kaeya whispered to himself, running a bit faster.