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The cavalry captain of the knights of Favonius and the most successful business man of Mondstat had a rocky relationship.
This wasn't a secret to anyone. Each time the head of house Ragnvindr was tending the bar at Angel's Share and the knight walked in, anyone in the room could see his neutral expression turn into a scowl, while a mischievous smile spread on the other man's lips. On those evenings, Kaeya would sit at the bar instead of his usual table in the corner of the tavern, and all evening long he would take fun in pressing Diluc's buttons while the other one would get more and more annoyed, replying with dryer quips each time.
Most of the people who were witness to their interactions would put it on the fact that master Diluc never liked the Knights of Favonius, and captain Kaeya was not the easiest to deal with. But the traveler and their floating companion could get the feeling that this was something else. They had the feeling that something had happened between the two of them, a long time ago. Because of the way they had interacted during their mission to save Dvalin, and when they tried to keep the Darknight Hero's identity secret. There were also a few clues in the Dawn Winery, but they could not figure out what exactly was the story between them.
One afternoon, the traveler had agreed to lend their help to Kaeya with what seemed to be an urgent matter. After all was resolved, the cavalry captain decided to invite them and their floating companion to a drink, in the guise of thanks. They went to Angel’s Share, where master Diluc was tending the bar. They could witness what always occurred, the sharpening of Diluc’s features and the smile spreading on Kaeya’s lips. The group swiftly sat on the stools in front of the bar.
“Good evening Master Diluc!” Paimon greeted.
“Fancy seeing you here.” Kaeya smiled, leaning an arm on the counter.
“Good evening Paimon, Traveler…” Diluc said in a calm tone, before glaring at the third person. He then carried on. “What will you order?”
“I don’t know…” Paimon hesitated, resting her chin on her fist. “Kaeya offered us drinks but I’d rather get something to fill my stomach.”
“I’ll get you something to eat.” Diluc nodded. “What about you, Traveler?”
“An alcohol free cocktail, I guess…” They sighed.
“I’ll have a Death-After-Noon, if you would be so kind.” Kaeya placed his order, not waiting to be asked.
The three friends watched Diluc for a moment as he began to prepare the drinks, but then got caught up in their own discussion. Until a plate of a special kind of Pile ‘em up was placed in front of Paimon. She suddenly exclaimed a very enthusiastic sigh before digging in the dish. Likewise, the traveler and Kaeya both got their drinks. But the captain had barely brought the glass to his nose that he grunted in displeasure.
“Grape juice? My, what have I done to deserve such a treatment?” He lamented.
“You know what you did.” Diluc replied, crossing his arms.
“Are you still mad because I saw right through your great alibi for the Darknight Hero? I’m sorry, but you know gathering intelligence is my speciality, right?”
Diluc’s eyes narrowed.
“Please, master Diluc, won’t you be so merciful as to change my drink?” He asked, his one eye suddenly glimmering in the tavern’s lighting as in supplication, his finger circling the rim of the glass of grape juice he was given.
But Diluc appeared unphased, his arms still crossed. “Pay your tab first.”
“Ever so cold... “
The traveler could only watch the scene unfurl, sipping their drinks in silence, not wanting to attract any attention or any of the tension they were feeling building up in the air. But Paimon decided that she didn’t want to stay quiet. Her face made a pout as she crossed her arms. “Didn’t you guys used to be friends? Why do you hate Kaeya so much now?” She asked Diluc.
Her words immediately attracted the attention of the two men, until then only looking at each other. But both of them had the same reaction. Their eyebrows shot up in surprise. Kaeya was the first one to get his cool back. His smile dropped and he brought his hand to his heart, clenching it as though he had been struck. “Master Diluc… Is that true? Do you hate me?” He said with a glimmering eye, faking a deep hurt.
“What? No, I don’t! I…” Diluc tried to find the words, genuinely confused by the girl’s question. And Keaya always with the teasing… But when he realized what he was about to say, he felt flustered, even more as his cheeks started to heat up. “It’s just… The Knights of Favonius… Always bothering my business…” He muttered.
Kaeya laughed. “Well, I sure hope not all the knights get the same treatment as I.”
“Just… finish your order and get out.” The redhead mumbled as he turned to another customer, seeing in her arrival the perfect excuse to get out of the conversation.
All the while, Paimon and the traveler’s confusion only grew. The rest of the night continued without any other incident, but the question remained. Kaeya and Diluc had a strange relationship. Now it was clear that there was no hatred between them, but it only made the constant teasing and bickering between them more confusing. It was hard to imagine two men so different being friends.
But when a certain explosive girl received a letter summoning her to the Golden Apple Archipelago and was soon joined by the heir of house Ragnvindr and the captain of the cavalry, the traveler and their floating companion came across an intriguing conch shell. The same night as the discovery was made, Paimon could not prevent herself from making a comment, proud of finally uncovering the mystery of the link between the two men.
The whole group that was sent a letter was gathered in the camp at night, talking about various things amongst themselves. Paimon watched as Kaeya complained. “These islands have everything but wine. I should have thought about bringing some with me.”
“Or you could stop being such a drunk.” Diluc chastised him, his arms crossed on his chest and a severe expression on his face.
Keaya laughed dryly. “Come now, master Diluc. Some of us can actually hold their liquor. And if there were no drunkards like me, it would be a shame for your business, wouldn’t it?”
Paimon chuckled suddenly, startling the two men. They turned to her with surprise in their eyes, not expecting someone to listen in their conversation, and even less laugh at their exchange of wits. “Yeah…. I get it now!” Paimon exclaimed, waving her finger in the air. “You guys fight like siblings!”
At her comment, Diluc’s eyebrows shot up, but the only reaction it got from Kaeya was a mischievous smile. To every one’s surprise, it wasn’t him who chuckled shortly after, but Jean. “You’re right about that, Paimon. They were both raised by master Crepus. Ah…” She sighed wistfully, a nostalgic smile on her lips. “I remember the way Kaeya and Diluc were attached at the hip when they were younger.” She chuckled once again at the memories of an easier time.
“Wha…” Diluc began, his cheeks slowly turning red, but he was quickly cut off.
“Oh? I suppose the cat is out of the bag then.” Kaeya said, raising his palms in sign of surrender. He then turned to Diluc with a grin. “Brother~”
“Don’t call me that!” Diluc snapped.
“What’s wrong with that? You used to run around, pulling me by the hand and introducing me to anyone who would hear you as your cute little brother.” Kaeya chuckled.
Dilux stared at him for a few seconds, his sharp gaze softening around the edges as he was pulled into the memory. A happy, tender one. But he quickly remembered the situation he was in and clenched his hands on his arms. “That was then. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Master Diluc…” Paimon said, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “So mean…” But she and the other people around respected his wishes, not bringing the matter up again for the rest of the night.
Eventually, the vacations had to come to an end, and everyone went back home to Mondstat, back to their usual life. But somehow, the discussion that once happened around a campfire during a summer retreat seemed to have reached all of the city of freedom. Upon his return, master Diluc was greeted by a beamind Adelinde, telling him how happy she was that he and master Kaeya made up, and if she needed to get his room ready for his return. The situation didn’t seem to please the redhead at all.
A few days passed and the heir of house Ragnvindr was always nagged by people asking him why he hid his brother, and workers at the dawn winery gushing about how it was important that members of a family made up. Because of this, he was seen much more often tending the bar at Angel’s Share, trying to get away from the comments. But it also meant that he was faced with the man everyone called his brother just as often.
While Diluc seemed displeased by this turn of event, Keaya seemed to make a lot of fun out of it. He always replied positively when he was asked to confirm the rumors that he was the heir of house Ragnvindr’s brother, and each time he saw Diluc he greeted him the same way. “Hello brother~”
Diluc had learned that it was pointless to try and make him stop, so he just decided to ignore him and carry one with the glass wiping he was doing. Until he noticed that once again, the cavalry captain was not alone. Behind him were the traveler and Paimon, surely invited once again to celebrate a duly accomplished mission. He sighed and greeted the two esteemed customers. “Traveler, Paimon, what can I get you?”
“Same as usual.” The two of them replied at the same time. It only worried Diluc to see that the two of them were getting so accustomed to visiting his bar. All because of Kaeya. Still, he began mixing and cooking as they took their seats. Usually, he would not serve food, but he was ready to make exceptions for Paimon.
Kaeya, as usual when Diluc was bartending, slid on a stool at the bar and leaned an elbow on the counter, resting his chin on his fist, a lazy smile on his lips and a glimmering light in his eye. “How about a family discount?”
Diluc almost shattered the glass destined to collect the traveler’s drink. He snapped his head to the other man, reading effortlessly the mischievous fun he was getting out of this. “We’re not family.”
“Aw, come on Master Diluc. Be nicer to your brother!” Paimon pouted, her fists resting on her hips as though she was scolding the man six times her height. “Everyone knows you’re family now, you don’t have to act like you’re not anymore, you know?”
“Yes, Diluc, you don’t have to keep on pretending.” Kaeya insisted, his smile so wide he seemed on the verge of laughter.
Diluc tried his best to stay calm in this situation, but it was obvious that this was all getting out of hand. And the worst part was that Kaeya was having a blast bullying him with the others. He only sighed, and put Paimon’s dish and the traveler’s drink on the bar, efficiently redirecting their attention. He then leaned toward the one eyed man. “Kaeya, may we speak in private?”
“And leave the family business unattended for?” Kaeya raised an eyebrow.
“Just…” Diluc sighed once again and pinched the bridge of his nose, annoyed. “Get behind the counter.”
“Aye aye captain.” Kaeya finally complied, standing up from his stool where he still hadn’t gotten any drinks, and joined the redhead behind the counter. This way, he still could keep an eye on the tavern and reply to customers. “What’s the matter, brother~?”
“Why are you playing along with all this masquerade exactly?” He said, stepping closer to the other man to keep the sound of his voice low. They were only inches apart, but none of them seemed to be phased by the non existent space between their bodies.
“What’s wrong?” Kaeya asked, fainting ignorance. “This is just a bit of innocent fun.”
Somehow, Diluc couldn’t agree. This whole situation was quickly getting on his nerves, and he feared that he was about to do something reckless. Especially with the other man looking at him with this grin. He was having fun teasing the redhead. Always had. But there was something wrong in this whole misunderstanding. He could see that even Kaeya had a form of tension around his eye, showing a fraction of annoyance. He had to get to the bottom of this.
“You really don’t mind if they see us as brothers?” He insisted, leaning just a little bit closer to Kaeya’s face to lower his voice. In order to keep his balance, he had to put his hand against the wall next to his head. The other man seemed unphased. “I know we used to be like that, and I wouldn’t trade those memories for a thing in the world. But we changed, our relationship changed. What if this is something we can’t come back from?”
“I don’t see the problem.” Kaeya crossed his arms, his eternal smile turning just a little bit colder. The two men were so close that his elbows were brushing against Diluc’s chest. “You’re the one who wanted to keep us a secret. Being brothers is the perfect cover up, wouldn’t you agree?”
There it was. the redhead held back a sigh. This was the true reason why Keaya’s teasing on the matter was worse than usual. He wasn’t happy with the situation, he never was. Diluc knew he wasn’t satisfied with their arrangement, and it was true that he was the one who wanted to keep them secret. He had just come back to Mondstat, at least it felt like it. It was too much to change, too fast. Even though what was between them wasn’t new, far from it. But he didn’t feel ready to just show this part of him for anyone to see.
Diluc was grateful that Kaeya had gone with it for so long, showing so much patience and understanding. But he knew now that they were not limitless. Maybe the two of them were getting tired of the lies. He knew Kaeya hated to nurtur lies for too long. He kept on staring at him with his star shaped eye, waiting for his reply. But Diluc didn’t know what to say. What was there to say? He didn’t want Mondstat to see them as brothers. They were not anymore. So he stared back at the other man, this tight smile on his lips, his constant teasing, and he decided that he had enough.
He grabbed the collar of the taller man, one hand buried in the feathers of his coat. He forced him to close the distance between them, kissing him right there in the middle of Angel’s Share for anyone to see. As their lips collided, silence fell over the tavern. It was as though time had stopped and Diluc began to realize exactly what he had done. But before he could regret and pull away, Kaeya slid his arms around his neck, one hand clutching his hair, and deepened the kiss with an ease that could only come from habit.
The familiar feeling of having Kaeya pressed against him, kissing him passionately, made him forget about the worries he had seconds prior. Until the sound of the people around him resumed. They slowly parted, their cheeks red, not only from their embrace. But the two lovers stayed close to one another. This way, they could see the surprised and curious gazes of the patreons. Diluc tried to think of something to say, but he was beaten to it.
“One-eyed liar!” Paimon pouted. “You guys are not brothers at all!”
Next to her, the traveler was laughing, their cheeks red from embarrassment. “No… No, siblings… definitely don’t do that.”
“Ehe, sorry Paimon.” Kaeya blinked, or maybe he winked. “The teasing it ensued was irresistible.”
“No, I am the one who should apologize.” Diluc interfered. “When Kaeya and I got together, I asked that we keep our relationship a secret. He was only trying to blur the tracks. For me.”
“I’m sure Paimon doesn’t blame you.” The taller man said, putting his hand around the other’s hip.
“It’s you I’m apologizing to, Kaeya.” He looked at him, regret in his flaming eyes. “I didn’t think about how it would feel to you. To keep this a secret. I know you suffered from it.”
“It’s all forgiven, don’t worry about that.” He assured him. After all, he had agreed on the secret. He knew how new and strange it was all to Diluc at the beginning of their relationship. He just needed time to adjust. But he was glad the time had finally come. He could finally love this man as publicly as he wanted. “And if someone isn’t happy about our relationship, well, there is little they can do about it. But if it bothers you I’ll… ‘convince’ them otherwise.”
“Well I’m not happy.” Paimon crossed her arms. “Friends don’t lie to each other.”
“Fine, fine, no more lies.” Kaeya sighed, but when he raised his head back toward the floating girl, there was mischief shining in his pupil. “Then I shall tell you all the details. The first time Diluc gave me a blow-”
“Thank you for the drinks and food! We have to go. To Liyue. But enjoy your public relationship!” The traveller quickly said before grabbing Paimon and making their escape.
When the tavern doors closed, Diluc groaned, feeling his cheeks burning. “What exactly were you about to say?”
“Oh, nothing~” Kaeya sang. “Come on now, dear, the night is still young and there are so many things we can do now. How about a trip to Starsnatch Cliff? I hear it’s the most romantic place to go when the sun has set.”
“But the customers…”
“... Has had their fill for tonight, I think.” He insisted, offering his arm.
The smile on Keaya’s lips was not as extravagant as it always was. It was smaller, more intimate. The kind only Diluc could see when they were together. The kind that made him do reckless things. If they went out now, everyone in Mondstat would know about them. But it was only a matter of time after their very public kiss. There was no going back to secrecy, but he realized, as he thought about it, that he wouldn’t want it. He loved Kaeya, and he deserved to be loved loud and clear.
Diluc took Kaeya’s arm, and together, they set off for the night, secrets behind them.