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Childe brought his arrows down to an ususpecting hilichurl as Kaeya froze down the poor creature on the spot, dealing much damage that the goblin look-a-like quickly evaporated. They both heard a loud bang on their side just to look at Zhongli summoning a Stone Stele as Diluc swing his fiery claymore sword, effectively killing all hilichurls that surrounded them.
“That’s the last one.” Kaeya said, while his sword seemingly disappeared into his back. Childe quickly gathered all the evaporated Mora and stuffed it inside a duffel bag.
“We ought to rest as one’s worse enemy is exhaustion.” Zhongli smoothly intercepted, fully expecting that the mortals with him would agree.
“As much as I would love to continue these physical fights, I also need to replenish my energy.” Childe replied as he walked beside the other three, they need to head back to Mondstadt as it’s getting to evening soon, then they also need travel back to Liyue for quest purposes.
All men walked in silence, if it’s because they harbor secrets they don’t want the others to know or just enjoying each other’s company as a mutual respect for being a warrior, one will never know, but one would opt for the latter.
Unsurprisingly, the skies became dark, and just like that, heavy rain drops fell on them.
Others train of thought would be to quickly run and seek shelter to avoid the unwelcoming wetness of the pouring rain.
But not Diluc, Kaeya, Zhongli and Childe. They just continued walking as the smell of the earth became rampant as the rain brought wetness to the dry land, boots squeaking as they all stepped into mud, wet clothes sticking to them like glue but they didn’t bother with the uncomfortable feeling.
They’ve all been through worse.
“It’s raining.” Diluc said as he looked at the sky with a deadpanned expression. Kaeya snickered beside him to which Diluc responded with a glare, “Stating the obvious aren’t we?” Childe held back a smirk as Zhongli looked at them in confusion.
“What Master Diluc said is right, at this rate we won’t be able to go back swiftly in Mondstadt. Might I be bold to suggest we should seek shelter and wait for the rain to calm down.” Zhongli said and pointed to the side of the mountain in Cape Oath, which seems deep enough to be their shelter but not deep enough to be considered a cave.
“No need for formalities just call me Diluc.” He said and sent a nod in Zhongli’s way.
“Getting familiar with each other, eh?” Kaeya admittedly likes to tease Diluc, although most of the time he was just rewarded with silence and a deadpanned expression.
“...” As usual he was met with ignorance.
“Ouch Kaeya, Diluc just ignored you.” Childe couldn’t hold back his snicker as they approached the makeshift cave. To which Kaeya just responded with a sarcastic chuckle of his own.
Nobody spoke when they all sat down inside the humid place. Settling down as they quickly let the silence once again befall them, while the rain had now only turned into a drizzle.
They are drenched, with mud getting inside their boots, they smell like the burnt flesh of the hilichurls and now they’re stuck in a place like this.
Well, it could be worse.
Diluc was the first one to stand up, all eyes we’re now on him.
He grabbed some wooden sticks, while Childe, quickly realizing what he was doing stood up and shot down a flock of birds. Running to retrieve their bodies and hoping to cook it for their dinner.
Zhongli made an improvised pot, to which Kaeya helped him shaped it. As Diluc started a fire, Childe handed him the fowls, while Zhongli gave him the pot and Kaeya retrieved his spices from his pouch.
The delicious smell of sweet marmalade quickly engulfed the cave. While Childe and Zhongli fetched for a drinkable water, Diluc was fanning the flames.
“Kaeya, can you blow a breeze so that the food can get in an edible temperature?” Childe inquired, “While you’re at it, put some ice in this water too.” Kaeya did not replied but nonetheless did as he was told. They all ate in silence followed by an occasional basic conversation. A unique feeling was hanging in the air, something familiar and unfamiliar to them.
Eating with your comrades, no perhaps acquaintances would be the right term, feels... domestic. Like they’re at home, if one of them even knows what home felt like.
As usual, Diluc was the first to stand up, “Where are you going?” Zhongli asked. “I’m going to take a bath and I’ll dry my clothes while I’m at it.”
“Can I join you?” Kaeya asked, a teasing tone evident in his voice. “No, you can take after me.” Diluc replied a matter of factly. “Where’s the fun in that? Besides we can save up the time if we all bathe and rest at once.” Childe interrupted while Zhongli just observes them.
Diluc thought for a rebuttal but decided against it, they have a point in that they can dry their clothes all at once, besides the bay was not that far from their place. Sighing, he said “Do what you want just don’t bother me.”
“For someone with a Pyro vision you can be pretty cold Diluc.” Childe replied but he was met with silence.
“Ouch Childe, Diluc just ignored you.” Zhongli said so casually and out of the blue, one might think it was the smoothest punch line the geo archon ever said.
The mortals we’re stunned. The sound of cicadas can be heard and Zhongli wondered if he misunderstood the human application for sarcasm, perhaps he needs to do better to understand human humor. “Pfft” a muffled sound escaped Kaeya, while Childe just looked at him and suddenly he’s shaking and letting out guffaws and Diluc was actually chuckling.
“By Tsaritsa! Pfft Hahaha! What was that?” Childe heaved in between breathes. “You said it so casually I was a bit taken back, I didn’t know someone like you could crack sarcasm.” Kaeya clapped, while Diluc put a gloved hand over his mouth to muffled his tiny laughs.
Zhongli smiled and chuckled, “I guess I understand it better after all.” Childe was still laughing when they all went together to the sea beside their makeshift cave. Diluc started a fire and hanged his coat in the tree, while the rest followed.
They all removed their muddy shoes, felt the sand in their toes, and left in their undergarments.
“Hey you’re all gonna bathe in your pants and shirts? Why not go all out naked, isn’t that the purpose of baths?” Childe said and Diluc stared at him with a deadpanned expression, crossed his arms over his chest and replied “I need to have privacy, besides we don’t have spare towels to cover ourselves up.”
“Actually we do, although they are soaked, Childe got them went during his elementa attacks, but this can be alright.” Kaeya said and opened his bags, that appeared from nowhere to get the linens and gave one to each of them.
“Hmm, I must agree. There are even public baths in Inazuma, they call it Sento, I heard it was the most relaxing.” Zhongli intercepted, muttering a quick thank you to Kaeya.
Childe got to work to remove all of his clothes, Diluc upon seeing this scoffed. “No need to get worked up Diluc, we’re all built like men here, we have what each other has.” Kaeya said and snickered. Diluc just glared at him but also did what they we’re all doing, removing their clothes and putting their towels on themselves, more on like their hips, displaying their lean and well built body-
“Diluc, may I perhaps request that you make this part of the sea lukewarm? It’s not that cold but I prefer warm baths.” Zhongli requested, and Diluc nodded. What would you do if a god we’re to make a request for you? Humans would comply of course.
Summoning his pyro vision, he quickly sent down his fiery eagle into that specific part of the sea, which Zhongli surrounded by rocks so that the heat will remain in that part only.
Childe was the first to get down, and he almost moaned in delight. The warm bath soothes his aching muscles and he can’t remember the last time he took a relaxing bath like this even in Liyue or in Snezhnaya. He’s either too busy or in the cold, that this was a good kind of different from the temperature he’s used to.
Kaeya followed and sighed, the fatigue he’s feeling in his arms swinging his sword and his muscles we’re quickly relaxed. He might be a cryo vision wielder but even he could appreciate a warm and relaxing bath. Leaning back in the stone he closed his visible eye.
Diluc is about two arms length away from Kaeya and when he sinks down, finally all the dirt, grime and ooze of slime condensate left his body. He looked up and saw the stars, the cool breeze is quietly lulling him to sleep, with the warmth and relaxation he felt from the bath.
Zhongli who came in the same time as Diluc, found himself with a warm yet an unfamiliar feeling. He actually stepped down and bathe with mortals, a luxury he couldn’t do when the world was at war and he have people to guide and protect. Ever since he gave up his gnosis, to experienced what it’s like to be human, not bound by contracts or responsibilities, is what he always strived for. For thousands of years, Zhongli might never said it out loud, but gentleness and calmness we’re not the feelings he was used to.
A comfortable silence fall over them. No one spoke a word, as relaxation and fatigue quickly claimed their consciousness. The breeze, Zhongli thanked Barbatos in his mind, adds to the calming effect provided by the warm bath.
In this moment, one can forget the sins he committed to the other, there we’re no titles of captains, masters, harbingers or gods. They we’re just Diluc, Kaeya, Tartaglia and Zhongli.
It feels foreign, but welcomed nonetheless.