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“You messed up my aim!”
“I announced that I had it taken care of, no?”
“Pyro was more effective anyways!”
“Tsk tsk tsk… Master Diluc, you rely more on your sword than your element. My ice would have been a lot better.”
“Why you…”
Lumine covered her ears as she was walking ahead of the two men bickering. Today was supposed to be a simple mission- investigate an abyss order hideout in Dragonspine. She was supposed to have Amber tag along to be their pyro, but she was busy at the moment and there was no way in hell she was going to go up this damn mountain without a source of any fire. Since Diluc is unable to say no to her, he tags along only to be met with regret later. Lumine hid the fact that she was investigating with both Kaeya and Albedo- two Knights of Favonius. The absolute worst. Albedo is someone he could tolerate since the man doesn’t speak much, but Kaeya was a whole different story. He knows exactly how to get under the man's skin, and boy is he good at it.
Since the beginning of the mission, Kaeya makes quips and jabs at the other man. Not to mention the way he talks about him to Lumine as if he isn’t present. Lumine tries to make them at least get along until the mission is over, but that’s easier said than done. She ended up giving up and ignoring them when they had squabbles.
“Albedo, do you think if Paimon put snow in her ears, it would block out the sound?” Paimon asked, dancing around the blonde who was taking notes as they walked.
"No, that wouldn’t be effective. The snow is dirty and wouldn’t do a good job at canceling noises. If you’d like, I can come up with something in the lab later.”
“Please. I’m slowly losing it. All they do is bicker.” Lumine groaned. Albedo simply hums. He seems unbothered about the two men arguing in the back.
“Try to ignore them. They should tire out easily.” He doesn’t look up from his notes. His patience with everyone in this group seems praiseworthy. Lumine on the other hand is fighting the urge to summon a gust of wind and carry both Diluc and Kaeya miles away from them. Fighting is a pain too. Everyone can work well together except for those two. They don’t discuss strategy and refuse to work together, so they are often found bumping into each other in combat which isn’t a good look on either of them. They are both too prideful to put aside their differences for 2 seconds to finish up a simple mission, and it’s driving the poor girl insane.
“I don’t even know why the hell you’re here. Cryo on Dragonspine? Are you asking to get killed?” Diluc crossed his arms, glaring at the other man.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Losing the only family member left? Sorry, I forgot you had no family after you disowned me and sold our father's things, so I guess my death wouldn’t phase you at all.” Kaeya huffed, hitting a sore subject.
Before Lumine was about to tell them both to shut the hell up, the ground began shaking. An earthquake? This high up? She looked over to Albedo who had his notebook put away. He pointed up the mountain.
“There is an avalanche coming. It seems we should all take cover.” He pointed out calmly. Everyone else started panicking.
“Quick, run!” Lumine took the lead and began running down the mountain. Everyone else followed suit. There was no way for them to escape the falling snow and rock. Before Lumine could get swept away by the snow, she felt an arm wrap around her waist, hoisting her up onto a platform. Upon opening her eyes, she saw that she was on a flower platform.
“Are you hurt?” Albedo looked her over to see if she’s alright.
“Yea… I think so- Oh my god! Where’s Diluc and Kaeya? Did you see them?” She quickly remembered the two men. Albedo looked down at the settling snow.
“I… couldn’t find them. They could be anywhere.” A pained look shot across his face. Lumine’s blood ran cold. She quickly hopped off the platform and glided over the snow.
“Diluc! Kaeya! Where are you guys?!” She yelled in a panic. There was no time to go get help. People can only live for so long buried in snow. The survival rate plummets as time progresses. If anything were to happen to them she couldn’t forgive herself.
“...ya… Kaeya!”
Kaeya woke up after aggressive shaking. His body was freezing. Even more than usual. His vision was blurry and he could barely feel anything besides cold. Is he dead? Is he seeing Celestia? Once he opened his eyes, he saw Diluc shaking him awake.
Forget Celestia. This is hell.
“I’m awake. Stop shaking me, asshole!” He pushed Diluc off of him. After sitting up, he sees that they are in a dim cave. There was snow all over his body, and the entrance is blocked with rocks and solid ice. There were a few scratch marks on the rocks. Must have been from Diluc’s claymore in an attempt to escape. The cave itself was dark. All they had was a lit torch to make out the darkness. After analyzing everything, Kaeya can easily form a conclusion.
They are trapped.
He quickly got to his feet and fixed his hair after such a tumble. After brushing the snow off his body, he coughed a bit before facing Diluc.
“It seems like we are stuck. Sucks that you have to spend your last moments with me.” He sighed. Diluc shook his head before pointing behind Kaeya.
“Don’t celebrate too soon. This cave goes deeper. Perhaps we can find an exit on the other side. That or we can wait until they find us, but that could take days.”
Kaeya turned around and saw that Diluc was indeed right. The cave goes further in. He placed a hand on his hip as he weighed his options. Waiting for help could be a while. There is no guarantee they will be found today or tomorrow, but staying put is a good option. On the other hand, finding another exit would prove useful. Neither of them is injured and they are both armed, so exploring shouldn’t be too much of a challenge.
“What are you thinking, Captain?” Diluc questioned, making air quotes around the word ‘captain.’ Kaeya hummed in amusement.
“Wow, how kind of you to consider me a captain! It’s not like it’s a downgrade from ‘Sir Kaeya!’” He laughed. There was sarcasm in his words. Diluc knew how to pick up sarcasm.
“Is that not what you want me to call you?”
Kaeya threw his hands up. “Forget it. It’s stupid. Let us venture into this unknown cave. Perhaps we can find a regisvine to swallow me whole.”
Diluc opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a faint growl from within the cave.
“Just… be on your guard. It would be annoying if either of us died.”
Kaeya readied his weapon. The two of them began wandering deep into the cave. It was quite pretty once they got deeper. They lost track of time, and there was no sun to let them have an idea of what time it was. Upon venturing deeper, the temperature dropped dramatically, Kaeya hugged himself, trying not to let Diluc notice that he’s freezing his ass off. Sure cryo made him resistant to the cold, but not immune. In times like these, Kaeya wished he was the one with a pyro vision. The thick coat Diluc has on must be keeping him warm along with that damned vision. It’s like the cold doesn’t bother him!
“Are you alright?” Diluc broke the silence. Kaeya gave him a cocky grin.
“I feel like a million mora. Do try to keep up. As pretty as the scenery is, I would like to go home to a glass of wine.” He sneered.
“You know, you can tell me if something is wrong,” Diluc added. Kaeya laughed.
“Last time I came to you with an issue, you nearly killed me. I’d rather not repeat that mistake.” He quickened his pace, avoiding looking at Diluc entirety. There was a brief moment of silence before Diluc spoke up again.
“I’m so-”
“Let’s keep moving, okay?” Kaeya didn’t turn around. As if a half-assed apology from Master Diluc is going to fix their strained relationship. He made it very clear that night that the two of them are no longer brothers let alone friends. They were made to be strangers. Nothing more. A simple apology isn’t going to erase the past and magically fix the scars Kaeya earned from their little… fight. The fact that Diluc was even going to attempt to apologize pissed Kaeya off. He didn’t mean it. He would still hate Kaeya no matter what.
Kaeya was so caught up in his anger that he failed to notice a patch of ice on the ground. He fell back and proceeded to slip downward, letting out a surprised yelp. At the end of the slope, he ended up face-first into the ground.
“Shit… my beautiful face is scratched. Today is not my day…” He uttered to himself. He looked upwards and saw Diluc standing at the top of the hill.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. The only thing damaged is my ego.” He replied, earning a huff of annoyance from Diluc.
“There seems to be another way back up.” Kaeya pointed at a small tunnel. “I’ll meet you back up?”
“You sure you don’t need me to come down there?” Diluc responds back.
“No. I could use the time to myself anyway. If you don’t see me for another 15 minutes, feel free to come after me. Or don’t whatever suits you.”
And with that, the two of them spit paths.
Kaeya was grateful to not have an annoying redhead follow him, but on the other hand, the dim light wasn’t fun for him to make out. After 10 minutes, he ended up bumping into something soft and warm.
“Ah, Master Diluc. It seems we have once met again-” He was cut off by a roar. Diluc was loud and annoying, but not this loud… and tall…
“A lawachurl? Seriously?” He groaned, drawing his weapon. He was locked in battle with a frost lawachurl. His element would be ineffective on this monster, so he relied on physical strength to take him down. A long time has passed, and this monster showed no signs of letting up. Kaeya was exhausted. If Diluc was here, they could have been done by now, but alas, it’s just a cryo user fighting a cryo monster. The dumbest way for him to die. It wasn’t long before Kaeya was picked up and thrown into an ice pillar. How disgraceful for someone like him.
Feeling annoyed, Kaeya rushed towards him to strike again but was met with sharp claws instead. He let out a pained gasp as he clutched his side. He could feel the warm blood on his arm. Thrown off by the attack, he found himself hurled at a wall of ice once more. He slumped to the ground as he watched the lawachurl approach him once more.
“What a shitty way to go out. Could you at least turn into a Fatui harbinger? I’d like to die a little more gracefully.” He jokes. Of course, this stupid monster has no idea what he’s saying, so it raised its claws to swing at him once more before being interrupted by a wave of fire hitting its back. Kaeya looked behind the monster to see Diluc standing there with his claymore in hand. A fierce look was on his face.
“Hey you mangy mutt, how about you come over here and pick a real fight?” He held out his hand, beckoning it to come over to him. The lawachurl accepted the challenge and dashed to him. Diluc easily blocked the attack before lighting his sword on fire to counter. Kaeya watched as Diluc obliterated this monster. After a few minutes, the lawachurl was reduced to ash.
“My, you’re a little late, aren't you?” Kaeya teased, trying to stand up before groaning in pain. Diluc quickly ran over to him.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Just… my pride.”
“...” Diluc forcibly moved Kaeya's hand away from his torso to see the wound on Kaeya’s side. He then took Kaeya’s arm and wrapped it around his shoulder.
“C’mon. Let’s get you out of this place. We will rest once it’s safer.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
Kaeya used his other hand to try to freeze the wound shut. Diluc grabbed his other hand to stop him. The cut looked deep, and using ice probably wouldn’t be a good idea. To avoid pushing Kaeya any further, he picked the other man up bridal style and continued walking.
“My, you seem to be getting stronger! You should have just carried me from the beginning!”
“You’re just very light. Plus I would never carry you unless you were injured.”
“You know, I might get the wrong idea. Who would have thought the big and scary Master Diluc could possess such a gentle side? It’s almost like you still care for me.”
Diluc didn’t reply to that. He didn’t know how to. After a few minutes, he found a secluded place for the both of them to rest. He gently placed Kaeya down against the wall before kneeling in front of him. The two of them said nothing as Diluc tried to observe his outer injuries. He could have broken bones, but Kaeya is too prideful to tell him if he is hurting anywhere. He decided to focus on the one injury he can see.
“May I have a look at your wound?” He asked softly. Kaeya raised an eyebrow to see if there were any other motives. After determining it should be fine, he leaned forward and slowly began removing his shirt. He first removed the boa that sat upon his shoulders. Then the corset, and everything else before he was able to show off the full wound. Three scratches lined from his right side to his abdomen. The cut wasn’t as deep as Diluc expected, but it was still bleeding nonetheless. While checking for other injuries, he noticed a few other scars. They were old, but Diluc could never expect Kaeya, someone who grew up as a frail child, to become someone who has to endure so many wounds. He noticed a large vertical scar that went down Kaeya’s right shoulder- the work of a claymore. He wanted to comment about it, but there was a look in Kaeya’s eyes begging him not to bring it up. He decided to return his focus to the current wound.
“I apologize in advance. This will only be until we escape.” Diluc stated before shrugging off his coat. Kaeya gave him a confused look.
“Apologize? Apologize for wha-”
Riiiiiip!
Kaeya stopped talking once he saw Diluc rip off the sleeves from his own white shirt. He managed to make a makeshift bandage from the cloth.
“Hold still…” Diluc instructed as he began bandaging the injury. Once he was done, the bleeding stopped, and Diluc was left sleeveless. Good thing he still has his jacket to wear over, so it looks like nothing happened at all.
“Thank you…” Kaeya broke eye contact. “Sorry for not saying anything sooner.”
Diluc helped him put his shirt back on. “At least you’re still alive. Let’s rest here for the time being. I’ll see if I can find anything to make us fire.” He got to his feet. Kaeya watched him walk around looking for old sticks on the ground. He hugged himself to keep warm. Soon there will be a fire, and he can escape from the bitter cold-
“Huh?” Kaeya felt something soft on his head. Upon future inspection, it was Diluc’s black coat.
“You were always cold as a child. You can have that until we are out of this cave.” The older man started before walking off again. Kaeya was too cold to argue, so he slipped the coat on and immediately relaxed in its warmth.
“It smells like burnt wood. So not attractive.” Kaeya jabbed. “It’s no wonder why you don’t have a girlfriend yet. You smell like a forest fire.”
“If you don't shut up, I will take it back from you and leave you to freeze.” Diluc snapped, making Kaeya stops teasing immediately. As off-putting as the smell is, the warmth made up for it.
“You remembered how I used to always be cold in the mansion?” Kaeya asked. Diluc nodded as he began placing the sticks together.
“All you ever did was get sick. It’s a wonder how you didn’t have cryo vision at the time. It’s no surprise that I remembered.” Diluc used his hand to set a small fire to the sticks. Kaeya reached out his hands to hover over the flame.
“Look at you, catering to me. It’s almost like you don't hate me.” Kaeya chuckled.
“I never did.”
“Oh, so trying to kill me was just another sign of affection? Pardon me for not knowing.” Kaeya crossed his arms. Diluc was at a loss for words.
“I shouldn’t have done that. You came to me when you needed me the most, and I…”
“It’s whatever.”
Diluc sat down next to him. “It’s not ‘whatever.’ It was fucked up.”
His body was usually warm, so he sat close to his ex-brother in an attempt to keep him warm. Kaeya scooted away, rejecting the offer. The coat and fire were already enough.
“Then why did you do it? I understand the timing was poor, but you could have just slammed the door in my face.” He questioned.
Diluc wouldn’t meet his eyes. His gaze was towards the small fire.
“My emotions were already high after Father’s death. When you told me you were secretly a Khaenri’ahn spy. I- archons…” Diluc sighed before proceeding, “I felt like our entire childhood was a lie. What did you want from me and Father? Did you love us at all? Did our brotherhood mean nothing to you? Another thought came to my mind At that moment, I saw you as a threat to Monstadt. It’s not a good excuse now that I’m telling you, but that’s what went through my mind the second you told me. I’m sorry.”
He apologized. Kaeya wanted to hear that apology for so long, yet at the same time, he didn’t want to hear it at all. His mind was burning with questions, but he decided to hold off on them.
“I…” Kaeya trailed off. He was struggling to find the right words. “I always considered you and Master Crepus as family. That part wasn’t a lie.”
“Kaeya…” he forgot to use Kaeya’s title.
“I still haven’t forgiven you for trying to murder me and for selling our father’s mansion, but…”
I want us to start over. That was what he wanted to say, but he ended up sneezing. What a way to kill the moment. He moved closer to the fire to attempt to stay warm.
“You’re going to get sick. At least sit closer to me.” Diluc instructed. “I won't do anything. You don’t even have to touch me.”
Letting out a defeated sigh, Kaeya scooted closer to Diluc. He leaned on his shoulder. It slowly felt like he wasn’t even cold, to begin with. This is nice. They could have had a more tasteful conversation, but it felt nice telling Diluc that he still cared about him. It wasn’t long before he felt a weight on his head.
While Kaeya was leaning on Diluc’s shoulder, it seems that the redhead fell asleep.
Soon Kaeya was left alone with his thoughts, comforted by the crackling of fire and Diluc’s soft breathing.
“Moron.” Kaeya sighed as he leaned further into Diluc, enjoying the warmth around him.
Time wasn’t a concept anymore. There was no way of telling what time it was, but when Diluc awoke, he noticed Kaeya asleep on his shoulder. He was planning on nudging him awake, but the peaceful look on his face made him change his mind. Since the fire was burned out, Diluc held Kaeya closer to use his pyro to keep him warmer. He started to wish that Kaeya had the decency to bring winter gear for their mission, but he was a cryo user and “was able to handle the cold.” Such bullshit. Diluc began to feel the cold but didn't have the heart to ask for his coat back. It wasn’t long before Kaeya woke up. He didn’t say anything about the way he slept. He just broke free of Diluc’s grasp to stand up.
“I trusted you slept well, Kaeya?” Diluc asked. He dropped the title and went to say just “Kaeya.” It was a pleasant surprise to wake up to.
“A bit uncomfortable, but I wasn’t cold at all. Are you ready to continue traveling?” Kaeya replied with another question.
“Do you need me to carry you?”
“No, I’m in less pain, but I would like it if I could lean on you for support.”
Diluc didn’t say anything. He got up and allowed Kaeya to wrap an arm around his shoulder. He then carefully slipped an arm around Kaeya’s waist to keep him propped up.
“You’re getting thin,” Diluc commented. Kaeya rolled his eyes.
“I have a small appetite.”
They began walking. Kaeya refused to show any more signs of pain. He feels like his ribs may be broken, but he doesn't want Diluc to carry him again. It was embarrassing.
“Still,” Diluc continued. “It’s important to not skip meals.”
“Perhaps you should add snacks to your bar. I might order something from it.” Kaeya teased. Diluc pondered for a moment.
“Then… I’ll see what I can do.”
Seriously? Did it take Kaeya’s poor eating habits to convince Diluc to add snacks to the bar? If he’d known this, he would have brought it up sooner.
The two walked in silence afterward. They began seeing a faint light. Overjoyed, they walked closer to the light only to see an Abyss order hideout- the one they were sent on this mission to investigate. It was small thankfully and well lit up, but there was no way out unless they fought their way through. Before Kaeya said something, Diluc carefully placed him behind a rock.
“Stay here. It will only take a second.”
Kaeya’s eyes widened. Is Diluc seriously about to go fight a bunch of abyss mages and their hilichurls by himself? Unacceptable.
“Let me help you. This is suicide.” Kaeya argued.
“You’re injured. You are only going to slow us down, and I’d rather not have you get yourself even more hurt.”
“I’ll be fine-”
“Gods, Kae, can you let me protect you this one time? Just sit here. I’ll be done before you know it.” Diluc stormed off into the base, summoning his claymore. It seems that Diluc didn’t notice how he called Kaeya “Kae.” It made Kaeya feel a bit happy upon hearing the nickname. He looked over from his hideout to see Diluc fighting. It was like he was a different person on the battlefield. His gaze hardened on the enemies before him. The way he fights is so… brutal. When Diluc was still a knight, he had more graceful movements. He must have developed this fighting style when he disappeared from Mondstadt for a few years.
Kaeya looked over Diluc’s head and saw a cryo abyss mage summon a bunch of ice pillars. Before he got the chance to hurl them at the pyro user, Kaeya ran from his hiding spot. The adrenaline running through his veins made him forget the pain from his injuries. Once he was close enough, he tackled Diluc and summoned an ice barrier around them.
“Kaeya? What the h-” He stopped talking once he heard icicles hitting the barrier Kaeya had set up.
“You can thank me now if you’d like,” Kaeya smirked. Diluc helped him to his feet.
“Well, now they know you’re here too. Stay close to me while we fight, and don’t push yourself.” Diluc lectured.
“Fine. I’ll try my best.” Kaeya dropped the barrier and summoned a ring of ice around them. His attack mimicked that of an abyss mage. A bit odd, but Diluc doesn't ask about it. Thankfully, Diluc already wiped out most of the camp, but there were a few hilichurls left.
“‘Luc? Let me ask you something. When you mix pyro and cryo, what effect does it have on enemies?” Kaeya casually used his nickname. Diluc doesn’t mention it. Instead, he took Kaeya’s hand and led him closer to the enemies. His claymore began burning.
“Glad you asked. When the two of them mix, melt should occur. Care to test that theory out?”
Kaeya smiled. “Gladly.”
Kaeya made sure to move as little as possible. He stood further away from any enemies. He summons ice crystals to hurl them where Diluc isn’t present. Steam slowly filled the room due to the mixing of fire and ice. Seeing with one eye was hard enough as it is, but the steam was making it worse. It wasn’t long before a mitachurl knocked Kaeya’s sword out of his hand, letting it scatter somewhere.
“My, I seem to suck at fighting lately.” He jokes, bringing up another ice barrier to deflect the oncoming blow. It wasn’t long before Diluc appeared next to him.
“What the hell happened?”
“This asshole disarmed me! How disrespectful.”
The flame from Diluc’s sword burned brighter. “No problem. He’s the last one left anyw- huh?”
He didn’t notice Kaeya holding onto Diluc’s sword. The claymore began flashing both red and blue.
“My, how interesting indeed~!” Kaeya’s eyes lit up. “I didn’t even know such a feat was possible.”
“Less talking, more fighting.” Diluc interrupts. With the two of them grasping onto a claymore, an idea shot through Diluc’s head. He held the sword upwards to form the shape of a bird. Usually, when he does this attack, the bird is a fiery red. This time it was the color white. One of its eyes shone a bright red while the other one was blue. It was a sight to behold indeed, but neither of them took the time to admire their creation.
“Can I say the thing?” Kaeya looked over to Diluc, a bright smile was on his face. He hasn’t seen such an expression on Kaeya’s face since they were kids. It was almost childlike and full of wonder.
“What thing?” Diluc noticed the monster rushing towards them once more. “Kaeya, what’s the thing?”
Kaeya laughed. “I’m saying it.” Before DIluc could question any further, Kaeya tightened his grip on the claymore that they are both holding.
“Time for….”
Diluc rolled his eyes. This was the thing he wanted to say? Kaeya is a strange man indeed. No matter, Diluc decided to humor him and went along with Kaeya’s antics.
“Retribution!” They both yelled out and swung the claymore down on the mitachurl’s head, killing it instantly. Once the monster faded into smoke, the two looked around and saw that the camp was wiped out. Steam was still filling the room, and it was hard to look around. It must have worsened after that final attack.
“Did you see that? That was amazing…” Kaeya trailed off, the adrenaline is wearing off, and pain slowly began to creep back into his body. Diluc held onto him to prevent him from collapsing.
“Are you okay?” Diluc asked.
“Yea. I just… used too much energy from that fight. I’m tired.”
Diluc looked further into the cave. “I think we are about to reach the exit. C’mon. We can make it.”
Kaeya shook his head. “As much as I’d love to pridefully waltz to the exit, my legs can’t move.”
“Tsk.” Diluc picked him up one more time and began carrying him. He’s so lucky he’s light. After wandering around for who knows how long, Diluc is starting to feel the exhaustion hit him. The cold is starting to become unbearable, but Kaeya is injured and freezing. He doesn’t want to ask Kaeya for his coat back. He’s already suffering enough.
After a while, they both finally saw the sun. It was setting over the horizon. They walked for miles. They could have ended up anywhere on Dragonspine. Luckily, Kaeya has made his way up and down the mountain several times to have an idea about where they were. The first thing they both decided on was to get the hell off this mountain. There was an adventurer’s camp at the foot of the mountain. It would be a good idea to stop there to get proper treatment for Kaeya.
They spent a while in silence. Diluc was still carrying Kaeya down the mountain since he doesn’t trust Kaeya to walk by himself. Kaeya was the first to break the silence.
“Feel free to let go of me once we get closer. I don’t want people to get the idea that we’ve reconciled. We have a reputation to uphold.” He chuckled slightly. He was a bit sad that they are at the end of their journey. Sure they are both tired and hungry-not to mention Kaeya is in pain, but Kaeya has never felt this close with Diluc since they were younger. It would suck if they went back to such tension.
“Is that a bad thing? Can I not carry my bro- can I not carry you to safety? I’m not embarrassed to be seen like this.” Diluc cut himself off in the middle of him talking. He’s not ready to call Kaeya ‘brother’ again. It feels too soon. It shouldn’t take the both of them nearly dying in an ice cavern to make up and be best friends again. After all, they both said and did things to each other that can't be fixed with a simple ‘talk.’ Kaeya seemed to understand Diluc’s inner conflict. He was a tad bit sad that Diluc didn’t finish calling him ‘brother.’ He waited so long to be accepted by him once more, and it’s killing him every second they argue.
“Lu- I mean, Master Diluc? We should… fight together again. Not each other obviously, but when we were clearing out that camp together…”
I felt like we were brothers again . That was what he wanted to say, but he said that in his head and not out loud.
Diluc chuckled slightly. “Alright, fine. Only because I want to see that attack once more. I mean- what the hell was that bird? It created a lot of steam, but it was amazing to look at.”
“Right? I wondered how we triggered that reaction. I need to ask Albedo about this. I would like to hear his explanation about this phenomenon.”
“Do you want his explanation, or do you just want to hear him talk?” Diluc raised an eyebrow. Kaeya placed both hands on his cheeks, giggling to himself.
“Oh stop it. It's not like that~!"
“Don’t forget that I am carrying you right now. If you say anything vulgar, I’m dropping your ass here and leaving you to Fatui.”
Kaeya went quiet once more. After a while, they both saw the entrance to the mountain. Upon closer inspection, they saw Jean talking to several Knights of Favonius members. She seemed stressed out. Are they organizing a search party? How long were they gone?
“Typical. You and your knights can’t locate two people promptly? This is why I dislike the knights.” Diluc nags. Jean turned around to see the two men and ran to them.
“Dear Barbatos, where were you two? I had my men search everywhere. It’s been 2 days and we thought you two…” She chokes. She looked like she was about to cry. The three of them used to be childhood friends, so she must have been under the impression the two of them were dead. “We at least wanted to find your bodies.” She wiped a tear away before composing herself once more.
“Sir Kaeya is hurt. Our priority is to get him medical treatment.” Diluc asserted. “The Dawn winery shouldn’t be too far from us. How well can you heal him?”
Jean looked at the old blood on Kaeya’s torso. She ran her fingers over the bloodstains “Is the wound here?”
Diluc nodded. Jean closed her eyes and used her healing ability the best way she could. After a while, she finished.
“I managed to close the wound, but he may have broken bones. I will send my sister to the winery.” She pointed to two of her men. They saluted and made their way back to Mondstadt. In the meantime, she asked another group of men to go tell everyone to stop the search party. With Kaeya still getting carried, the three made their way to the Dawn Winery.
“You know, the traveler was the most scared out of everyone. She never stopped to look for you two. Not even to rest. She thought it was her fault that the two of you were lost. Albedo too. Maybe those two can finally get some sleep after hearing that you two are alive and well.” Jean mentioned. Two days have passed since they were last seen, and neither of them stopped to rest? The two of them were glad to know that they can relax once they hear the news.
Diluc swung open the door to the winery, earning the attention of everyone in the vicinity. He didn’t even need to explain, the maids hurried them off to the guest room for Kaeya to rest in. It was great to feel warm bed sheets once more. He feels like he could pass out any second now. Diluc was sitting at the edge of the bed to keep a watchful eye on him.
“There are no monsters present. You should relax.” Kaeya mentioned. He noticed Diluc’s cheeks grow warm. Is he embarrassed about something? He can’t help notice that the man’s cheeks were red the entire time they walked back.
“I know, but I can’t help but… worry. You’re worse... off than me anyways.” The redhead slurred a little.
“It’s cute that you’re still worried about me, but you should-” Kaeya didn’t even get to finish his sentence. Diluc fell back on the mattress. His eyes were shut and his breathing was shallow.
“Diluc? ‘Luc? What the hell? You were sick this whole time?” Kaeya leaned forward. He removed the coat Diluc gave him and threw it around the redhead’s shoulders. He pressed a hand to his forehead. His temperature is rising. Luckily, his yelling brought attention to others. Maids rushed in to see what happened only to see Diluc laying there. He never got the chance to change out of his ruined clothes. Since he used parts of his clothing to make a bandage for Kaeya AND handed Kaeya his coat, he spent a long time walking around Dragonspine with less clothing than usual. Kaeya should have known that Diluc was bound to get sick. Had it not been for his vision, he would have probably died from hypothermia.
Diluc grabbed Kaeya’s hand. “No… I don’t want to leave him right now. Not again…”
A maid gave Kaeya an apologetic look. “Our apologies. He must be out of it right now. We will escort him to another room to receive treatment.”
“No…” Diluc whined. He tightened his grip on Kaeya. “I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to leave Brother alone. He… needs me.”
Kaeya smiled. “Awe~ You are out of it~! You would never call me that so casually.”
“Why… wouldn’t I? We’re brothers, aren’t we?” He slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. It felt nice to hear those words coming from Diluc. Too bad he was burning up and running on little to no sleep. It took two maids to carry Diluc out of the room to go rest in his room.
They haven’t seen each other for two days. Kaeya had guests visit his room. He was met with Lumine running in with Paimon. The two of them were sobbing and apologizing for the mess. Next were his co-workers like Amber, Lisa, and Albedo. Albedo wouldn’t look him in the eyes. It wasn’t until Lisa nudged the shorter male.
“Well, Mister Albedo, do you have anything to say to Kaeya?” She teased.
“Ah, yes. Sir Kaeya I’m sorry for…” He muttered the last part. Kaeya couldn’t hear him.
“What’s wrong? If you want to confess, say it now.” Kaeya jokes. Albedo gave him an unamused look.
“No, I wanted to apologize for… causing an avalanche…”
Kaeya blinked.
“Come again?”
Albedo played with his fingers. “Before the avalanche, both you and Master Diluc were arguing. It was irritating for both the traveler and me. My emotions got the best of me, and I ended up shaking the earth. I didn’t think about the avalanche it could have triggered. I’m sorry I endangered you both.”
Kaeya waved him off. “You’re fine. I can’t say no to a face like that anyways.” It’s like he didn’t bat an eye at the fact that a tiny alchemist nearly got them killed. All because he got angry . Kaeya made a mental note not to piss him off.
At the end of the second day, Kaeya heard a knock on the door.
“Enter.” He commanded. The door slowly opened. Diluc walked into the room. He looked a lot better than the other day. Besides his illness, he looked like he never visited Dragonspine, to begin with. Diluc said nothing as he walked over to the bed and made his way into it. Kaeya blinked. He didn’t process what just occurred.
“I had a nightmare, okay?” Diluc huffed. Kaeya tilted his head.
“How old are you again?” He jabbed.
“Shut up. You used to keep me up late at night because of your little nightmares.”
“I was ten !”
“And you never returned the favor! Think of this as payback with interest.” Diluc snuggled closer. Kaeya turned around to become face-to-face with him.
“How are you feeling?”
“Better. My fever is gone, but I still feel like shit. What about your injuries?”
“Barbara took care of me. Jean gave me medical leave to recover. They said I should be well enough to leave tomorrow. I think I’ll rest up at my place for a while.”
Diluc closed his eyes. “Tomorrow, huh?”
“Why? You already miss me?”
“Not at all. My coat reeks of cologne and fancy soap” Diluc chuckled.
“It’s an upgrade from the smell of burned wood. Maybe you will get more girls that way.”
“I see no interest in romance anyway.”
“C’mon~! You’re young. Gods know I’m not reproducing, so it’s up to you to continue the Raginvindr bloodline.”
“I guess we are both going to end our bloodline.” Diluc jokes. The two of them burst out laughing. It’s almost like they were kids again. They talked about stupid things until they both got tired.
“I’m glad we got to spend more time together. Don’t forget, I want us to fight something together. Let’s go the second we recover.” Kaeya reminded him. Diluc felt his eyelids grow heavy.
“Sure thing… Kae…” He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Kaeya smiled upon hearing that nickname again. At this point, does Diluc even realize that he’s saying such things to him? Before he could process everything, He eventually fell asleep next to Diluc. It was peaceful. The two of them still have issues to work out, but it was a huge weight off his chest to realize that neither of them hated each other and that they both still care about each other. He hopes they will eventually get to the point where they can casually call each other ‘brother’ again. It’s a goal that won’t be reached overnight, but Kaeya hopes they can at least be comfortable with their nicknames and not have to address each other by titles. For now, he relishes in nostalgia.
He had never felt so warm in his sleep before.
Adelinde sped down the halls. When she opened the door to Diluc’s room, she saw that the bed was empty. She turned to the maids who were in charge of watching over the master.
“Where on earth is Master Diluc? I gave you all one simple task!” She hissed. The maids all looked apologetic. Adelinde let out an annoyed sigh. Forget it. She was around when Master Crepus was still alive. She has dealt with Diluc since he was just a boy. She walked out of the room and went straight to the guest room. Upon opening the door, a smile wiped across her face.
The sun was beaming through the window and cast a ray of light onto the bed. Both Diluc and Kaeya were asleep on the bed. They were both facing each other, their faces were a few inches away. Diluc was still. He avoided moving around too much in fear of hurting Kaeya. Meanwhile, Kaeya was still shifting around in his sleep. It’s been a while since she saw the two of them sleep so peacefully. They may both be grown men, but the two of them still clung to a small piece of their childhood. In Adelinde’s eyes, she just sees two boys exhausted after a long day. She couldn’t bring herself to wake them up.
“You boys are too damn stubborn to admit it, but you both are still brothers. Good ones at that. If only Master Crepus could see you two now.” She giggled to herself before slowly closing the door.
It’s only a matter of time before they fully reconcile. They have more than enough time to reach that point.