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In a corner of Mondstat was a lovely little coffee Kaeya has been compelled to visit by his coworkers after a long day of work. They praised and enthused about the small cafe everyday, but with only a few feet away from it, Kaeya doesn’t understand what is so great about it, much less coffee . He’s more of a wine devotee, but he’s willing to go out of his way to buy a dozen cups for his colleagues every once in a while.
A cozy atmosphere greets him when he enters, along with the smell of coffee, hot chocolate, and a variety of sweets, and the sound of a small bell as he opens and closes the door behind him. There aren’t many customers, but that seems to be part of its charm; a quiet place in an otherwise bustling city. Kaeya prefers the rowdy bars himself, but the silence isn’t so bad once in a while.
Kaeya joins the short line to the counter and waits for his turn, taking out his phone to go over any unread messages while he does.
“Next,” The barista calls, but Kaeya is too distracted by the words on his screen, “Hey, you. Aren’t you acting a bit rude?”
Coerced by the miffed voice, Kaeya lifts his gaze and his eyes land on a familiar face. Time seems to stop and the world around him dissolves as he stares. In front of him is a man he never thought he’d see again, with the same pair of ruby eyes and a fiery-red mane tied back into a long ponytail.
“Diluc?” While Diluc’s lips stay still, albeit slightly agape, his striking eyes betray him, swelling a little in recognition, “Who would’ve thought that we’d see each other again after so long...”
Swiftly, Kaeya’s eyes follow the curve of Diluc’s neck and shoulders, the small bumps of his arms, and further down his slim waist to his hips. He looks a lot more attractive and beefy now. His height remains relatively the same and he still seems as grumpy as the last time Kaeya saw him—adorable, truly.
Kaeya, on the other hand, changed a lot in both body and psyche, and, despite his struggling, Diluc couldn’t take his eyes off him. Kaeya used to be shy and reserved, but now, he’s more liberal and unashamed to reveal his skin and the contours of his body—the last two being why Diluc is having a hard time.
Years ago, Diluc was the first person Kaeya called his best and closest friend, and after a few years of studying and living together as roommates, Diluc grew to be the person he loved the most. Considering Diluc’s wealth and hefty responsibilities as the Ragnvindr’s heir, however, Kaeya kept it a secret. A commoner like him was unsavory and unlucrative to the family’s image and riches, after all.
But then, to Kaeya’s glee and surprise, it turned out that it was mutual. They decided to test the waters and explore where it would take them. Everything was going steady and smoothly until their falling out three years ago: after Diluc’s father passed away and everything was thrown onto his son’s encumbered shoulders. A downpour was filling the gutters and drains that night. The thunder that cracked the sky was nothing compared to the heated argument they had, something Kaeya could never erase from his mind. Ultimately, Diluc opted to push him away to deal with everything on his own, just as he always did, and Kaeya, overwhelmed by helplessness and rejection, ran away and never returned. Yet, despite all the flings and hook-ups he got himself into after that, Kaeya never stopped loving Diluc.
In the end, to see Diluc in a cafe after everything that happened is... shocking, to say the least.
While Kaeya wonders why his colleagues decided not to tell him a hot red-head with a bad temper works here, the barista’s patience starts to crumble.
“If you’re not going to order, then leave.”
“Aw, is that really the first thing you’re going to say to me after all these years? How rude,” Kaeya finally snaps out of his thoughts and stands a little straighter, shifting his weight to one side, putting a hand on his hip, and the other on his chin, “I was just thinking about what to order.”
Diluc sweeps his eyes over his figure before a sigh slips past his lips, “What will it be?”
“A dozen cups of coffee, please.”
Diluc narrows his eyes, “Last I checked, you weren’t a coffee enthusiast.”
Kaeya chuckles bitterly, “Good memory, Diluc, but three years can really change you.”
Diluc gapes his mouth, like he wants to say something, but closes it and turns away to prepare Kaeya’s order, “Anything else?”
“That would be all.” Kaeya turns away too and shambles towards a table to wait for his order. He makes a habit of watching Diluc as he works, pacing from spot to spot. From his seat, he can see everything beyond Diluc’s hips; legs, thighs, and hind. Kaeya can tell that he’d been working out and his heart aches. They used to train together, and when not, Kaeya contented to watch and monitor him. After that, they used to bathe together, washing the sweat and exhaustion from each other’s bodies. Kaeya especially loved running his hands through Diluc’s long locks of hair.
While he broods, Diluc returns with a tray packed with cups.
“I… hope you and your friends enjoy it.”
“It’s not for me, but thank you nonetheless,” Kaeya stands up and picks up his order. It feels heavier than it looks like, “Seeing you here was… quite interesting. Regardless, I’m glad I did.”
With a short wave of his hand, Kaeya takes his leave. Again, Diluc seemed like he wanted to say something, but no words came out of his lips.
Back in the company of his colleagues, while handing over the cups of coffee, Kaeya notices a little note tucked under the last cup with the words “call me” and a series of numbers written on it.
Alone in his abode, fresh out of the shower and wearing nothing but his briefs, Kaeya spends half an hour considering if he should call before finally grabbing his phone and dialing the numbers on the paper.
“You know, Diluc, talking through the phone completely beats the purpose.”
“I know,” Diluc sighs, “I just… I wanted to ask you out.”
“On a date?” Kaeya hums, “I’d love to, but wouldn’t that be a bit too soon?”
“No. To talk.”
“To talk, hm,” Kaeya hums, “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“Just meet me at the cafe tomorrow night,” Diluc proposes. Then his voice withers, as if scared of Kaeya’s answer, “It’s… fine if you don’t want to, but think about it. I’ll be waiting.”
That said, Diluc hangs up.
“Honestly, Luc…,” Kaeya puts his phone down and hugs his knees, sighing wistfully into his skin, “How am I supposed to say no when you ask me like that?”
Next day, Kaeya spends most of his time on his desk doodling instead of working while thinking about the proposal, wondering if he should go or not. For years he’s been running away from that night, frolicking with a number of partners to forget about Diluc. Maybe it’s time to close that chapter of his life for good, regardless of the nature of their finale. Will they close the gap between them or strengthen it further?
Before he makes a real decision, Kaeya finds himself looking at his reflection in the mirror, properly dressed and spruced up as if he were going on a date.
“What were you thinking…?” Kaeya mutters to himself, but it’s too late to take everything off again.
In a few minutes, he’s back where he saw Diluc for the first time after three years. The cafe appears to be closed save for a single light bulb illuminating the interior. Diluc is nowhere to be seen.
“Diluc?” Kaeya calls as he knocks on the crystal.
Not long after, Diluc emerges from the backroom, fishing the key from his pockets before opening the door to let Kaeya in.
Seeing Diluc gussied up too makes him feel more comfortable.
“When you asked me out this is not exactly what I had in mind…”
“What were you expecting?” Diluc pries as he locks the door. Then he turns around to face Kaeya and he’s momentarily stunned.
“Well, for starters, I was expecting more of a crowd here,” Kaeya notices, of course. He can practically see the words “you look beautiful” at the tip of his tongue. Diluc looks quite dashing himself too, “And maybe a little taste of your coffee or a nice cup of hot chocolate with all the marshmallows in stock.”
“I said I wanted to talk to you, and obviously, it had to be alone,” Diluc replies, looking away, “And I was getting to that. It’s too late for a full cup though so I’ll only brew you a shot.”
“Diluc, can we even be here?”
“Of course we can,” Diluc pauses briefly and shambles behind the counter. Kaeya follows him and sits on one of the stools, “This place...it’s mine.”
“Wait,” Of all the things Kaeya was expecting to hear, he did not expect that one, “You own this cafe?”
“I do,” Diluc looks over his shoulder and frowns, “Is there something wrong?”
“No, not really,” Kaeya couldn’t contain a large smile from morphing his lips, “I’m just having a hard time believing you took my advice to heart.”
Kaeya still remembers it; he used to tell Diluc that, as the writer of his own story, he had the right to choose what to do with his life. Diluc was constantly being told how to live his life by others and always had everything arranged for him by his family instead of by his own hands. Despite his scorn towards wine, Diluc was expected to manage his family’s winery the moment he was born.
A soft pink coats Diluc’s cheeks as he looks away to focus on Kaeya’s coffee, “It wasn’t as easy as you made it sound, but… it wasn’t impossible like I thought either.”
“I see…” Kaeya hums, dreamy eyes fixed on Diluc’s back as he works the coffee machine, with an elbow on the table and his chin on his palm.
“And what about you?”
“Me?”
“Yeah,” Diluc leans against the edge of the counter opposite of Kaeya’s, letting the coffee machine whir behind him, “What have you been up to?”
“Oh, nothing as interesting as building my own store,” Kaeya shrugs, “I’ve just been the diligent secretary of a bigshot like you. You might’ve heard of him. Ajax?”
“I’ve heard of him,” Says Diluc, “And I’m not a bigshot anymore. Just… a regular coffee enthusiast.”
Kaeya chuckles, “I suppose that’s true.”
The coffee machine beeps. Diluc whirls around and pours the coffee in a small cup before handing it over to Kaeya. The smell and steam it emanates warms him up and melts away any discomfort in his body. He guesses that was Diluc’s plan from the start. Kaeya takes the first sip, which he learns is a mistake right away. He scrunches his face and hisses loudly as it burns his lips.
Diluc laughs softly while shaking his head, “You’re not supposed to drink it right away.”
“What am I to do while I wait then?” Kaeya bemoans, eyes washy and lips jutted out.
Diluc shrugs, “Whatever you want. I read books or let it cool while I make breakfast.”
“Hm,” Kaeya hums, watching the ripples on his coffee as his mind wanders, “That doesn’t sound bad at all, but it doesn’t help me now, does it?”
Diluc takes a deep breath and leans over Kaeya’s table. Their hands graze.
“We can talk.”
“That is what I came for, yes,” Kaeya bites his lower lip to stop it from quivering as the memories of that night surge to the front of his mind, “And yet, when I try to think about what to say I… I don’t know where to start.”
“Then let me,” Diluc reaches for Kaeya’s hand on reflex and pulls it back quickly after realizing it, “It doesn’t have to be complicated. Remember when you used to tell me that all the time?”
A small smile graces Kaeya’s lips, “I do and I can’t believe you’re using it against me.”
“The truth is… I didn’t want to involve you in my family’s mess after father’s death. Some of the nobles believed you were behind the accident.”
“Really?” Kaeya isn’t surprised in the slightest. They’ve said worse.
Diluc nodded somberly, “I had a lot on my plate, but more than anything, I wanted to suppress those rumors. Still, I shouldn’t have done it the way I did. Pushing you away only made things worse. The harder I tried, the more things spiraled out of my control until it sort of… exploded and got you caught up in it. I lost my temper and made you upset. After that, well… you know.”
“We never saw each other again...” Kaeya whispers, gaze lost in his coffee.
“The moment you turned your back to me, I regretted it. I wanted to run after you, but I knew nothing I said would change anything.”
“I… can’t say it would’ve, but,” Kaeya looks up from the cup with teary eyes, “Why didn’t you call me?” His voice threatens to break, “If I hadn’t waltz into this place, would we still be strangers… Luc?”
This time, Diluc takes Kaeya’s hands into his own and squeezes, “No. I needed time to sort my life out, to write my own story like you told me countless times, but reuniting with you was —is— my true wish, but I was… nervous. I didn’t think you’d want to see me.”
“Well, you were wrong. I wanted to, more than anything, but every time I thought about you… it hurt. That’s why I ran,” Kaeya squeezes back and offers Diluc a weak smile, “I suppose that makes us equally guilty.”
Diluc smiles back, “You were never this honest before. You’ve changed, Kae.”
“Naturally. I, for one, thought you didn’t change at all, but I suppose I was wrong.”
Silence settles in for a moment until Diluc points at Kaeya’s unattended coffee, “It should be ready to drink now.”
Kaeya brings the cup to his lips and takes another sip. It still burns, but not as much as before.
“How is it?”
“Not bad, Luc,” He smiles brightly, eyes glistening with unshed happy tears, “Not bad at all,” He brings two fingers to his lips, “It still burns a bit, though.”
“That’s fine.” Taking Kaeya completely by surprise, Diluc leans over the counter, takes his face in gentle grip, and brings their faces close until their lips mold together. Diluc kisses him slowly, mending the burn of his lips. Kaeya feels it rushing down his neck to his chest, causing a pleasant sigh to slip through his mouth.
“You’ve really changed, Luc…”
“There’s more I need to learn, more I need to do to make up for what I’ve done, and I’d like for you to be there when I do.”
This time, Kaeya kisses him, “I’d love that.”