ᴡʜɪꜱᴘᴇʀꜱ ᴏꜰ ʟᴏᴠᴇ'ꜱ ᴜɴᴅᴏɪɴɢ | ᴋᴀᴇʏᴀxʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

12.

Nobody told me that becoming an Elite Knight would involve so much paperwork...

Y/N sat at her oak wooden desk, slumped over and demotivated by the colossal pile of paperwork that towered before her. To think these are all of the citizens' complaints, she grumbled to herself, before picking the next sheet out of the pile. These ranged from minor disturbances, which Y/N discarded, to alerts on new hilichurl camps - these were logged and responded to.
"Really? Sachi, people have nothing else to do with their lives nowadays," Y/N rolled her eyes, crumpling the complaint that detailed their disapproval of Y/N and Kaeya's closeness. She tossed the ball away, and it landed in a dusty corner of her office. Soon after, many of these complaints were all tossed away into the booming paper ball pile that devoured the office floor, and Y/N didn't realise the shadow of a tall figure standing in the doorway.
"Good afternoon, Y/N. May I come in?"
Glancing up, Y/N nodded, returned to her scrunchin-
"Oh, Yashiro Commissioner! My sincere apologies, I hope I have not kept you waiting for so long!"
Rising to her feet immediately, Y/N rushed around her desk and bowed politely, gesturing to Ayato to seat himself on the plush scarlet couch next to the door. He swept gracefully and seated himself, whilst Y/N perched on a matching smaller couch opposite.
"I must say, your office is always a joy to visit," Ayato calmly claimed, his sapphire eyes scanning the decor. Similar to her living room, Y/N had also given her office a standard white and red makeover, with blood-red roses dotted around the place. Ayato's head tilted ever-so-slightly at the ball pit, which he had now noticed.
"Ahah...just some spring cleaning, Yashiro Commissioner."
Raising a palm, Ayato smiled kindly.
"We have worked alongside each other for long enough, Y/N. I do continue to insist that you simply call me Ayato. We are friends, are we not?"
"Oh! Ahh, alright Ayato." Y/N shook her head in defeat, but visibly relaxed. Ayato delicately nodded towards the paper ball pile.
"Do enlighten me, as to what could cause a gentle soul like yourself, so much frustration?"
Y/N sighed and rested her head in her hands for a moment, before sitting up.
"The citizens rely on the Knights too much and have lost all sense of independence and critical thinking - someone even tasked us to fold their laundry because they didn't feel like it!"
Ayato thought for a moment, until his eyes again rested on another observation.
"Hmm...and what differentiates the complaints that end up unmarred in your wastebin, and those that are crumpled and tossed with displeasure?" He noticed how Y/N pursed her lips and her eyes flickered towards the window; the unsurety was apparent. After a few minutes, Y/N slowly began, shuffling to the pile, retrieving a complaint and handing it to Ayato.
"They are all complaints about Kaeya. Most of them are associated with how I was caught guiding him home last evening, but others judge his past and demand for exile..." Y/N's voice trailed off, shocked at how heartless people could be. For a second, she feared that Ayato would fit into the consensus, but when his expression remained both calm and concerned, Y/N knew she had chosen an amazing friend.
"If I may pry further, this has seemed to cause you disturbance Y/N."
Y/N responded to this by updating Ayato with Lisa, Jean and Diluc's warnings, as well as the citizens of Mondstadt's gossip and hostile behaviour. As the words tumbled out like a waterfall of emotion, Y/N continued to babble for a while about how she had come across Kaeya and had taken him in, as well as their shared goal for her to become the Cavalry Captain. Eventually, she fell silent.

"Y/N, in your efforts to defend Kaeya and challenge the judgements against him, have you considered why it affects you so deeply?"
Y/N hesitated, her eyes shifting away momentarily. Ayato's question struck a chord, prompting her to confront her own emotions. This pent-up annoyance at how people treat Kaeya, and the feeling of protecting him... Y/N's mind went blank for a moment, processing. 
"It's not just about defending him, Ayato. I... care about him. More than just as a friend. But it's complicated, and I'm not sure how to go about these feelings."
"Do you believe these emotions will fade with some distance? Or do they transcend time and go beyond mere infatuation?"
Y/N shook her head slowly.
"I think he has the right to know how I feel about him."

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Feeling hella uninspired so here's a short chapter IM SORRY I JUST DIDNT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY WELL ENJOY ANYWAY