Chapter Text
Who would have thought that day would be the last one he would see Kaeya before being allowed to, in a very long, long time?
“You know exactly what you did to him.”
Now he had a decision to make.
“And because of that, he gave up everything he knew to have at least some inner peace.”
He was given two choices.
“After meeting him once again, you are aware of the cost of your own actions...”
Either to try...
“... and how much it affected him to the point of desiring to forget everything.”
Or to move on without Kaeya.
“That’s why I’m offering this contract. Because I know that you two are deeply bonded together.”
He was given two choices, yes.
“And these are the conditions.”
But, since the beginning...
“You must complete the Taishan Mansion trial, in order to prove your strength and that you are reliable to protect your loved ones.”
… there was only one right answer.
“By doing so, you will be allowed to see Kaeya without getting interference from me or the Adepti.”
Now that he knew that Kaeya was alive, he couldn’t let this opportunity pass.
“You must never ask him about his past, neither bring up memories you two shared together.”
It was going to be hard at the beginning, but he was sure that he would adapt to anything as long as he got something in return.
“By respecting this condition, you will earn my and the Adepti trust. This will allow you to visit Kaeya’s residence within Qingyun Peak.”
The best reward he could get from all of this, was being near Kaeya.
“You compromise yourself to never speak about his secret. Not with him, not with us, nor with yourself unless this matter is brought up by Kaeya himself.”
Because, for all the anger and grudge and disappointment he felt at the beginning after knowing that Kaeya’s whole existence was practically a lie,
“And lastly, you are to wait, and keep waiting for Kaeya to make the first move in case his memories return, instead of rushing yourself into him.”
Diluc still couldn’t avoid the truth he fought so hard to hide.
“If you agree to all this,”
And that truth was,
“You will be able to start making amends with him. Even if he doesn’t know it.”
Diluc never stopped thinking about Kaeya. Either in a negative or positive way.
“So you can try to fix your bond before it completely disappears.”
The despair, the overwhelmingness, the excruciating pain he felt from time to time when remembering Kaeya could only mean one thing.
Kaeya was his soulmate.
And he thought, for who knows how long, he had killed him.
Now that he could give a proper thought to those emotions without feeling like suffocating himself, he was glad that he was given two choices, but there never was a second thought for Diluc. The only choice available for him was to complete the Taishan Mansion trial. Because Kaeya was alive.
He would make sure to repair the bond he regretted not acknowledging for all those years until he believed him dead. And once the trial was complete, he would never separate from Kaeya again.
After all, a contract always included two parties and two parts. The contractor and the conditions, and the contractee and the benefits.
And the benefit from complying with every condition was the best reward he didn’t know he would be able to experience once again.
Kaeya by his side.