Chapter Text
His birthday came all too soon, in his opinion.
He felt the sun on his face as he slowly came to consciousness, groaning as he rolled onto his back. One arm came up to shield his eyes, the other lying limply beside him. He knew what day it was, naturally. Jean hadn’t stopped bringing it up all week, reminding him she took the liberty of giving him the day off.
“It’s one day.” She insisted, “Just take it easy, okay?” She knew he couldn’t say no to her. Gunnhildr’s and their convincing ways.
In the grand scheme of things, seventeen felt… anticlimactic. It was supposed to be a momentous age- in the Ragnvindr family and in the Alberich clan. And yet, Kaeya didn’t feel the same elation he had at Diluc’s seventeenth, or even Jean’s. He’d been knighted as Cavalry Captain the month prior, and had seen far more than a sixteen-year-old probably should have. He felt older, and yet not ready at the same time.
He stared at the calendar hanging from the wall, the vibrant red circle Jean had drawn on today’s date glaring boldly at him. He pressed his lips into a thin line, blinking sleep out of his still-tired eyes. He didn’t have work today. Jean and Varka had both made sure of that- Jean threatened a write-up if she caught him in his office at all today. He sighed, rolling over as he sat up.
November 30th.
The day Master Crepus had found him. He hummed noncommittally, pressing his lips together in thought. He gripped the bed frame, all but glaring at the calendar. Even after so many years, it was still an alien experience to celebrate.
Birthdays… He’d always had a strange relationship with his birthday. First of all, he’s not even sure if it was on the right day. For all he knew, he could have been born in January. All he could remember from before was the snow that fell every year on his birthday. It was one of the first things he’d noticed about Mondstadt. He remembered staying up late, looking out the window for the sign of the first snowfall. It was different here, though. In Mondstadt, the snow didn’t begin to fall until late December- sometimes not even until the new year.
And secondly… Birthdays were a grand fanfare in the Ragnvindr family. Presents and cake and crowds. Kaeya had never enjoyed that. It made his stomach twist to think about.
The first time they’d celebrated his birthday with a party, he didn’t know what to do. He’d been at a loss for words, clinging to Diluc the whole night as he tried to take his lead on how to act. He’d never dealt with a situation centred around himself like that, not from what he could remember. Birthdays were spent in the kitchen with the cook, smiling when she gave him a cupcake for being a good helper. Birthdays were a hand in his hair and gruff words. “One year closer,” He could remember his father saying, something tight in his voice.
He didn’t know what that meant, back then.
Eventually, Master Crepus had caught on that such grand celebrations weren’t something he was fond of. After that first one, his birthdays were more calm. Only close friends- like the Gunnhildrs, Elyse and her son, and the servants. Diluc would pout about it being boring, but he never teased Kaeya for his preferences. He smiled a little at the memory.
All in all, his birthday still felt strange to celebrate. He sighed and slipped out of his nightshirt. It was just one day- he’d be back to work tomorrow. One day for himself. He could probably do that. Maybe. He was seventeen now, after all. No point in dreading the day in his room. He slipped into his casual clothes- Jean would give him an earful if he walked around in uniform- and made his way outside.
It's just one day.