Archive of Our Own

“Father. What do you think?” Young Diluc asked as he approached Crepus hovered over a book in his lap by the fire. 

Crepus looked up, and smiled widely as he saw the homemade tree ornament that Diluc created. He had cut out a santa out of a red piece of paper, drawn an expression on him with ink, and then poked a thread through it so he could hang it on the large christmas tree in the foyer. 

“It’s perfect. You should hang it up,” Crepus said. 

As Diluc walked over to the tree, the front door opened abruptly. 

Kaeya came huddling in, covered in ice and snow. His eyebrows and lashes were white with frost, his nose was bright red and his eyes were wet. 

“Kaeya! What happened?” Crepus asked worriedly and hurried over to check on him. He brushed the snow off him, and Adelinde wrapped a woolen blanket around him. 

Kaeya sniffed, trying to keep himself from crying, but failing nonetheless. 

“A-” Kaeya took a short breath, trying to control it. “A c-cryo slime exploded on me!” he whined, and Crepus rubbed his back comfortingly. Kaeya sniffed again, and tried wiping the tears and melted ice away from his eyes. 

“You know you shouldn’t go near them,” Diluc stated matter-of-factly, crossing his arms. It was something they always were warned of, since they often gathered near the lake. Normally Diluc was the one who had to keep Kaeya away from doing stupid things, but when Kaeya went out to play on his own, he always ended up hurting himself. 

“I didn’t! It went near me,” Kaeya yelled through angry tears. 

“Oh, sure. You always do stupid things,” Diluc accused. 

Crepus sighed. “Kaeya does not, Diluc. I’m sure it was just an accident. You should be kind to him and not say bad things. Right?” He urged, looking at Diluc intensely. 

Diluc rolled his eyes in defeat. His father was always saying that, telling him to take care of Kaeya.  

I want you to grow up as a responsible, good-hearted person, Diluc. Kaeya hasn’t experienced the same love I’ve tried to give to you, won’t you help me make him feel at home? 

That was what Crepus told him the same night Kaeya had been brought into the winery. What he said had made sense, because Diluc wanted to be exactly like his dad. Kind, brave and loving. He didn’t really understand what he meant by Kaeya not experiencing the same love, but at least he understood the gist of it. 

So he was kind to Kaeya, or at least tried to be. 

At first Kaeya was shy and stayed inside his room all day, but the more often Diluc invited him to play, the more likely he was to join. And thus began their many adventures in the winery, playing hide-and-seek in between the grape vines, climbing cliffs and going swimming in the lake during summer. Catching crystalflies, building snowpals, gathering berries, mushrooms and flowers. 

Diluc didn’t often spend time with other kids, so when Kaeya came around he realized how fun life could be with two. 

“I just think you need to be more careful. I can’t always help you out, you know,” Diluc told Kaeya as they sat in front of the firepace. Kaeya had stopped crying now and was getting warmer. 

“Why not, Luc? We just have to stay together, and then everything is fine! You should come with me next time,” Kaeya said, and gave him a toothy grin. 

Diluc sighed, but the thought wasn’t terrible. “Fine. You could’ve made ornaments with me instead, though.” 

“But the snow is so pretty! See?” Kaeya said, eyes wide with wonder as he pointed out the window. 

True enough, there was something magical about the thick snow slowly descending in the light from the lamps outside. 

“I wanna go outside again, Luc!” Kaeya said in excitement, already over the earlier incident. 

Diluc snickered. “You’ll just hurt yourself. And it’s dark outside now!” 

“Pleaseeee!” 

“Master Diluc is right. Besides, it’s time for christmas dinner. I’m sure you boys are hungry,” Adelinde said, smiling warmly. 

Both of them nearly salivated at the thought of christmas food. Sweet madames, apple stew, mashed potatoes, calla lily seafood soup, and then mint jellies for dessert… 

Diluc gave Kaeya a playful look.

“We’ll go outside after dinner,” he whispered, to which Kaeya’s eyes lit up and he smiled brightly. 

Christmas was inevitable, as many other things. It used to be Diluc’s favorite time of the year. As a child, he loved all the presents he would get. Perhaps most of all, he loved the cheerful atmosphere. His father would spend less time working, and more time entertaining Diluc. 

Ultimately, what he had loved about christmas was not the presents, but quality time with family. This was the first christmas Diluc celebrated in the winery without his father. When he was traveling for a couple of years, he had put it out of his mind. It was a bit different now, sitting in the foyer, in the same chair his father used to sit in by the fire. 

Memories of the past came to mind, memories that Diluc preferred to forget. 

When he looked out the window and saw that it started to snow, familiar blue eyes popped up in his head. It enraged him. 

He couldn’t look at him, barely even think about him, before the picture of his father, dead on the ground before him, was clear as day in his mind. Even though the years of traveling had mellowed him out a bit, calmed his anger, it felt as if no time had passed when he looked around himself in the winery. 

Kaeya was everywhere, despite not being there at all. 

Where is he now? Where does he spend his christmas? 

The thoughts came without warning. Diluc didn’t want to think about him at all, yet he did. He was probably fine, perhaps getting drunk at Angel’s Share with other knights of Favonius. But where would he go when they went home to their families, eating dinner and exchanging presents? 

He’s probably had it figured out. Found somewhere else to call home. 

Diluc wished he could say the thought didn’t make him bitter. 

“Master Diluc. Christmas dinner is ready,” Adelinde said, walking out from the kitchen with a large sweet madame in her hands.

“Oh,” Diluc said, surprised. “You really didn’t have to prepare a meal for me. Aren’t you going to celebrate with your family?” 

Adelinde smiled. “It’s not just my duty to take care of you, you are also my family. I don’t want you to eat all alone, today of all days. Besides, I will eat with them later tonight.” 

Adelinde was too kind to him, even though he left her for years, and he was pretty sure she was unapproving of him kicking Kaeya out of the winery. 

“Thank you,” Diluc said humbly. As he walked over to the dining table, he couldn’t help but take a look at the christmas tree Adelinde had decorated. She had done a beautiful job. His attention fell on a particular pair of ornaments. A red paper-santa, and a paper-snowflake. The latter, Kaeya had made. 

He used to love winter, snow and ice, Diluc could remember. Perhaps it wasn’t so strange that he ended up with a cryo vision. 

Diluc felt the same melancholy he had felt all day wash over him. The winery was the same as it always had been. The christmas tree was in the same spot, the food was the same, and the snow covered the hills, forest and the lake froze as it always did. 

However, Diluc could name two anomalies that made this christmas foreign to him. 

In the town of Mondstadt, another soul was also spending christmas alone. Kaeya had said his goodbyes to his drinking buddies at Angel’s Share, as the tavern was closing for the day. It was too early for him, it always was. But Kaeya understood. It was normal to celebrate christmas with family. Go home, eat a grand dinner, open presents. 

Kaeya knew, because he had also had a taste of a normal holiday. And he hated it, because those christmases he celebrated as a kid were a cruel comparison to his usual christmases as an adult. 

Why don’t you celebrate with me and Barbara? Jean had offered. A couple of years ago they actually had done that. Kaeya attended a big celebration between several families. Kaeya liked it. He got to spend it with his friends. But then he saw how happy they were with their families, and he felt an emptiness in his own heart grow, almost consuming him. 

No thank you, Kaeya had answered. I don’t want to impose. Besides, I prefer it this way. It’s peaceful. 

He lied to himself and to his friends, but it was also to protect himself. There is no use trying to find love that is long lost, when it only brings greater pain. 

Kaeya walked into his humble apartment, sniffling. There wasn’t a great deal of snow in Mondstadt, but the air was particularly cold. So cold his apartment could’ve been a morgue. It certainly felt that way, with the lack of life. Kaeya kept his jacket on, and put wood in the fireplace. As he got a good fire going, his stomach started rumbling. Was it too late to order some food at Good Hunter? Sara might’ve closed it already. 

He opened the cupboards, and took stock of the ingredients he had. 

He could try to make a half-hearted attempt at apple stew, if he wanted to be fancy. Or just fruity skewers, but that was such a common meal for him. This was Christmas eve after all. 

What he really craved, was a classic sweet madame and mint jelly for dessert. 

… Whatever. 

It was easier to get through the holidays by treating the days as what they actually were; just days. Hours passing by. Day and night. There was no reason for this day to be any different. 

So Kaeya decided to make fruity skewers. 

“I haven’t eaten all day so that I'm really hungry for tonight. Our sweet madame this year is huge, I tell you,” one of the knights, Bruce, said. 

Kaeya smiled. “Isn’t your family huge? What if everyone has the same idea?” 

“I hope not,” Bruce said, looking nervous.

“You shouldn’t starve yourself only to eat more for dinner. A sweet madame should be eaten slowly, and lovingly,” Jean said, smiling as she finished her glass of apple cider. 

Kaeya was surprised at the acting grand master drinking alcohol, it was certainly a rare sight. Honestly, she should consider doing it more often. She stresses way too much. Kaeya wanted to tell her that, but knew that it would only make her even more stressed. 

“I cook a mean sweet madame,” Rosaria said. She, on the other hand, had definitely had one too many, and that was nothing new. 

“If by deadly, then yes,” Kaeya joked and the table erupted in laughter. 

“It’s true! She puts thorns in there,” one of the knights said. 

They kept drinking, and Kaeya was having a pretty great time. It was rare to see so many people gathered in the tavern at the same time. Kaeya was a loyal tavern-goer, almost guaranteed to be seen there every night he wasn’t on an expedition. Tonight however, almost every Mondstadter Kaeya knew popped by. 

And of course, the owner himself was there. 

Things between them were weird. It had been easier when Diluc was traveling. Kaeya knew Diluc hated him. He thought the reason Diluc had been gone for so long was entirely him, acting as a Diluc-repeller. It made Kaeya feel justified for feeling hate towards him too, in addition to a million other complicated feelings.

Then Diluc came back, and they avoided each other until they no longer couldn’t. They constantly ran into each other when trying to protect Mondstadt from different dangers. They constantly saw each other at Angel’s Share, when Diluc was working there. They had many of the same friends, so being around each other was inevitable, despite them hating each other's guts. 

The more time they spent together, the more conflicted Kaeya’s feelings became. He didn’t hate Diluc. He never had. Despite being kicked out and blamed for something Kaeya didn’t do, something he never would do, he still could not hate him entirely. 

Perhaps Kaeya had believed those words Diluc had shouted at him, because when Kaeya thought of the late Crepus, all he felt was a huge amount of guilt and sorrow. 

The anger that Kaeya was so convinced Diluc felt never showed on his face. He looked annoyed with him most of the time, but even that was a nostalgic expression. How many times hadn’t Diluc been annoyed at him in their childhood?

Gradually, he seemed less cold. He was more talkative with him. Sneered at him less with disgust when Kaeya would sit by the bar when Diluc worked. Sometimes he even smiled, or laughed, when Kaeya made a stupid joke. It would always throw him back, but also make something blossom in his chest. It was a familiar feeling that Kaeya had felt as a kid, whenever Diluc was particularly close to him. Kaeya had grown even more aware of it right after Diluc left Mondstadt, when he would miss him. 

As a teenager you started to discover things about your bodily reactions, mind and feelings that made little sense until you became an adult. Even now, most of the time, Kaeya threw his common sense out the window and ignored any feelings he may have had for Diluc. 

Their relationship may be healing, but it could never be fixed. And it could definitely not evolve into something else. 

Another hour passed by, and the tavern was starting to become empty. Outside it was getting dark, and everyone was heading home to be with their families. Kaeya was sipping the last of his "Death After Noon" Diluc had made for him. By now, it was only him and the redhead in the tavern. Kaeya was expecting to be kicked out soon, but the command never came. 

“Don’t you have somewhere to be, master Diluc?” Kaeya asked, feeling brave from the alcohol. 

Diluc wiped down the counter. “Don’t you?”

Kaeya put his empty glass down. “You can just kick me out whenever. But no,” he said. “I don’t.” The words were more bittersounding than he wanted them to be. 

Diluc looked at him, he could feel it, but Kaeya couldn’t meet his gaze. 

After a long minute of silence, Diluc finally spoke up. “Well, I’m closing now.” 

Kaeya smiled sadly, and put on his jacket. “I guess I’ll see you around. Merry christmas, master Diluc,” Kaeya said as he opened the tavern door. 

He felt the cold air against his skin, but before he went outside, Diluc called out. 

“Hang on.” 

Diluc put his own coat on, and walked up next to him. Kaeya held the door open, expecting him to go outside. 

“I was wondering if…” Diluc took a sharp breath. “If you want to come to the Dawn winery with me, and eat dinner.”

Kaeya’s eyes widened. 

“Um… I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he ended up saying, and turned around to leave. Diluc gripped his arm. 

“Adelinde is making a lot of food. A sweet madame, calla lily seafood soup, mashed potatoes, you know, the usual. And she misses you, a lot.” 

“She misses me?” Kaeya said. Kaeya missed her too, but perhaps he had wanted for Diluc to miss him as well. “You kicked me out Diluc-” 

“I know. And I’m sorry,” Diluc said with an intensity Kaeya hadn’t seen in a long time. “But I’m inviting you back. What are you gonna do, go back to your freezing apartment, eat fruity skewers and drink wine while feeling sorry for yourself?” 

Ouch. That hit too close to home. 

“Yes,” Kaeya stubbornly said. “That’s exactly what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna drink, pass out, and wake up tomorrow. It’s a simple celebration, really.” 

Diluc rolled his eyes. “It’s…”

Sad. You can say it. 

“It’s just dinner. And dessert. You don’t even need to talk to me, at least just say hi to Adelinde.” 

Kaeya sighed. “What’s for dessert?” 

He didn’t miss the way the corner of Diluc’s mouth slightly pointed upwards. 

“Mint jelly.” 

His favorite dessert. He hadn’t eaten it in forever. 

Kaeya pursed his lips. “Okay… Well, the winery is far away though.” 

“Oh come on, cavalry captain. It’s not too far. What, are you too heavy for your horse?” 

“My jacket is too thin for a whole trip- look! It’s snowing!” Kaeya said, pointing to the snowfall that had started outside. 

Diluc’s expression was amused, and he took off his own jacket and threw it into Kaeya’s hands, despite only wearing a shirt and vest underneath. 

“There you go. I run a little hot, after all. What’s the thing you say all the time? Can’t handle the cold? My ass,” Diluc said, laughing. 

Kaeya’s mouth fell open. “Excuse me? I’m the one who pokes fun here, okay? You should just stand there and brood, like you always do.” 

Despite it, Kaeya put on the jacket. It was already warm, just from the short amount of time Diluc had been wearing it. It was true, Diluc did tend to run a little hot. 

Kaeya felt heat rise to his cheeks. 

Hot as in body temperature. That was it. 

“Get on with it,” Diluc said, already having stepped outside. 

“I didn’t agree to come yet!” 

“Well, I don’t take no for an answer.” 

Kaeya huffed, but ended up following him anyway. 

It was snowing pretty heavily as they rode towards the winery. Diluc kept looking over at Kaeya. Sometimes he caught him sticking his tongue out, catching snowflakes. 

Diluc laughed to himself. 

“What?!” Kaeya said, snapping his head towards him. 

“Nothing.” 

The world around them was quiet. Most people had gone inside their houses by now, and as they rode past, they saw families huddled around dining tables and in front of fireplaces. Sometimes they even heard singing, and loud laughter.

It was both heart-warming and a depressing reminder of what christmas once was for them. 

“The winery is pretty this time of year,” Kaeya commented as they crossed the hill and got a nice view of the winery and the lake. Roofs and trees were covered in snow, and it almost seemed like the crystalflies glowed brighter in the winter darkness. 

“So… Why didn’t you ever go back here, while I was away?” Diluc ended up asking as they rode their horses to the stables. 

Kaeya stayed quiet for a while, pondering. “It wasn’t home to me anymore,” he admitted.

“Did you ever feel like it was home?” Diluc asked, not in an accusatory way like he maybe once would’ve asked, but genuinely curious. 

“It was the most comfortable home I had experienced, but… I guess I never truly belonged.” 

Diluc didn’t know what to say to that. 

They left their horses in the stables, and as they approached the entrance, Kaeya seemed hesitant. 

“Did I make you feel like you didn’t belong?” 

“Only at the end,” Kaeya said, thinking of the times Diluc dragged Kaeya out of bed to play and explore compared to their heated argument - well, fight - after Crepus’ death. “But I lied, after all. Who can blame you?” 

I blamed him. Maybe even still do. 

Before either of them opened the door, suddenly Adelinde had it torn open. Her eyes lit up as she saw him. 

“Master Kaeya?! Oh, what a nice surprise,” she said.

Now that was an honorific he hadn’t heard in a long time

“Just Kaeya.” 

“Kaeya. Welcome home-” Adelinde quickly stopped herself, and laughed shortly. “Old habits die hard, I guess. It’s good to see you,” she said, and pulled Kaeya into a hug. 

Kaeya was a bit surprised, but it was a welcome hug. Adelinde smelled and looked the same, and her hugs were still as warm as he remembered. For a second, it was like he felt dragged back into his child-self, small and safe in her arms. 

“It’s good to see you too,” Kaeya said, softly. 

What he didn’t know was that Diluc was watching them with a big smile on his face. 

It felt almost strangely natural to see Kaeya there again. Diluc had thought that it would only bring back bad memories. But then he realized that perhaps the bad memories had popped up because Kaeya wasn’t there. 

Perhaps subconsciously in his mind, Diluc had grieved two people, not just his father, but Kaeya too. 

He shouldn’t have pushed him away. He had been missing him for years, hadn’t he? He covered it up as bad memories and resentment. He no longer felt the blind teenage fury he had when his father died. Now he was older and wiser, less erratic and uncontrollable, or at least, he hoped so. 

He wanted to become the best version of himself, not someone who abandoned his principles. 

Won’t you help me make him feel at home? 

It was almost like the breath had been knocked out of him as he recalled his Crepus’ words. What would he say, if he saw the way he had treated him? Crepus had loved Kaeya like he was his own son. Diluc had even gotten jealous sometimes of the love Crepus showed him. 

Kaeya hadn’t received much love in his past. Or, that was what Crepus told him. 

Despite that, it seemed like Kaeya was loved by the entirety of Mondstadt. He had an overabundance of friends, way more than Diluc had, he smooth-talked friends and criminals alike, did well as the cavalry captain and was the life of the party wherever he went. 

It wasn’t strange, considering how charismatic he was. He knew the right things to say, and when he wanted to, he knew the exact buttons to push. Diluc knew that all too well.

Diluc could make up all the excuses in the world as to how Kaeya was doing alright, how he was thriving in his absence. But it would be ignorant of him to dismiss the way Kaeya became quiet at the dinner table, looking around him with eyes far away from the present. 

“Look! Do you remember making this?” Adelinde said, holding up one of the ornaments on the christmas tree. 

A snowflake. 

“I made this?” Kaeya asked. “I guess I don’t remember,” he said, laughing quietly. 

“This one was master Diluc’s,” she said, holding up the santa ornament. 

Kaeya grinned. “I think I remember that one, actually.” 

Diluc looked at the grandfather clock. It was getting late, nearing nine. 

“Adelinde, shouldn’t you make your way home to your family? I’m sure they’re missing you,” he said. 

“Oh my! Time flies, especially with such a nice visit,” she said, beaming at Kaeya. 

“Thank you for dinner,” Kaeya said. “It was lovely. Just like I remember it.” 

Adelinde put on her coat, and stepped out into the cold. “I do hope it won’t go too long until the next time we meet,” she told Kaeya. 

Kaeya didn’t answer, but kept smiling and waved as she left.

“I wish I drank alcohol as a kid,” Kaeya said, and Diluc raised a brow. “Well, no, by that I just mean that I had no grasp or appreciation of the wine paradise that this is as a kid.” 

“Thank Barbatos you didn’t. Or actually-” 

Come to think of it, Venti was practically an alcoholic. But he didn’t know if Kaeya knew the correlation between Venti and Barbatos. 

“Nevermind. Would you like a bottle? I would offer a glass but we both know that doesn’t satisfy you,” Diluc said and Kaeya looked at him smugly. 

“How generous of you, master Diluc.” 

“You never used to call me that,” Diluc complained. 

Kaeya used to call him Luc. No one but him did, and now it was a nickname he hadn’t heard for years.

“What’s wrong with it? Master?” Kaeya whispered as he passed him on the way to the fireplace. 

It made the hairs on his arms rise. Why did he have to say it like that? So… Flirtatiously.

“I mean, you are the master of this house. Now.”  

“Well, we- we’ve always treated each other as equals.” 

Until one of them threw the other out. 

After Diluc found a nice bottle from the storage, and some grape juice for himself, they sat down in front of the fireplace. A melancholic holiday tune played on the gramophone. Whenever Diluc looked over at Kaeya, he still had that far-away expression. Kaeya had been drinking all day, but Diluc could guess it was not just due to the alcohol. 

“What are you thinking about?” he asked. 

Kaeya met his gaze briefly. 

“Us as kids,” he admitted, and took a sip from his glass. “Past christmases.” 

“They were fun,” Diluc said. “I remember the look on your face when you got your first present.” 

“The silk ribbon,” Kaeya remembered. It was blue, and something he always wore as a child, and Diluc had one in red. Kaeya wasn't sure if he ever took it with him, leaving the winery. Not that he needed it now anyways. He was not one for sentimentality. 

That’s a lie. 

He still wore the gemstone earring Crepus had given him for a birthday. 

Diluc had liked giving him presents too, in the shape of whatever he found outside. Calla lilies, pine cones, fruits and even a frog once that Kaeya woved to keep safe, but that escaped. That was in a time where Kaeya thought the world of Diluc.

“How do you stand it?” Kaeya asked. “Living here I mean, after what happened. Obviously you didn’t, since you ran away, but you came back.” 

Kaeya had only been here for a couple of hours and he already felt like the walls were suffocating him with memories of the past. 

“It’s still home.” 

His home. Not Kaeya’s. Diluc had to keep the business running, do upkeep, and have a place to sleep. He was doing his duty to the Ragnvindr family. Some would see that as being chained down, and Kaeya was happy he wasn’t in Diluc’s place. 

He was free to do whatever. 

“Why did you stay in Mondstadt? And not-”  

“You know the truth, and assume that I will betray Mondstadt, is that it?” Kaeya snappily asked.

Diluc’s eyes widened. “Years ago, it was an assumption I made for a while. Not now.” 

Kaeya drank the last drops from the glass, and poured himself another one.

“You’re holding onto something that is in the past,” Diluc said, and Kaeya rolled his eyes. So one of them had gone on a soul-searching trip for years to heal himself, and one of them still found it difficult to open up old wounds. 

Kaeya shouldn’t have come. He would’ve been perfectly fine by himself in his tiny, cold apartment.  

His eyes shifted to a colorful vase. 

“So do you. There has to be one reason why that thing isn’t dusting in the attic or is in pieces in the trash.”

Because it was a gift from someone who Diluc still cared about. 

Kaeya wasn’t sure if he was hoping for it to be true or not. 

Diluc didn’t answer. Surely he must’ve been regretting asking Kaeya to come. 

“Do you want to go outside?” Diluc asked after a while of silence. 

“I suppose I should leave.” 

“No. You should stay the night. It’s dark and snowing pretty heavily, now. It’s better to ride in the morning.”  

“Just dinner, you said.” 

“Stay,” Diluc said, stubborn as ever. 

Kaeya sighed. “Whatever. But are you really dragging me out into the snow at ten in the evening?” 

Diluc made a face. “I guess you’ve changed. It usually was the other way around.”

Occasionally the moon would peek out through heavy clouds, illuminating the snow in a blue tinge. With the world covered in white, it wasn’t all too hard to see where they walked. The lamps next to the road helped as well. 

They stopped in front of the frozen lake. Crystalflies were flying over it, and a couple of slimes had gathered on the beaches. 

“You know what’s ironic?” Kaeya asked, and Diluc looked at him waiting for an answer. 

“I still don’t fight cryo slimes particularly well.” 

Diluc chuckled. “I still do. But don’t ask me about pyro slimes.” 

The short laugh that escaped Kaeya was softer than his usual sarcastic, loaded ones. Diluc watched him, admiring the way he smiled slightly and how his eyes seemed to sparkle at night. It was self-indulgent of him, but he didn’t care. 

“Even our elements are made to collide. It’s almost… Poetic,” Kaeya said, crossing his arms, not meeting Diluc’s glance. Trying to shut him out. 

“I suppose so. It hasn’t always been about conflicts though, has it? We have our moments.” 

Kaeya gave him a suggestive side-eye. “Like now?” 

Diluc’s cheeks reddened. “... Yeah. Sure. But also when we work together. Fight together. Even when we were kids, although I was definitely tougher than you.”

“Lies.”

“I was. You got into trouble, got injured, fell off trees and broke so many things around the winery with your slingshot. I always had to fix it for you.” 

Kaeya hummed. “I did have a knack for aiming with that thing. Should’ve become an archer.” 

“You seem to be handling yourself well enough. You don’t need me to put bandaids on your scrapes anymore.” 

“That’s true.” 

Kaeya could convince anyone he was speaking the truth. Whether he was covering up a lie, telling half-truths, trying to sway someone’s opinion or gain information from them, he was a master of persuasion. However, Diluc had known him longer than most. 

Kaeya had managed to keep one big secret from him until he no longer couldn’t. But even as a child, keeping such things tight to his chest, Diluc still saw the raw vulnerability in his eyes whenever he thought he would be yelled at, or when he was showered with gifts and attention. He had been a frightened child sometimes, reacting in the way lonely kids were likely to. 

Despite not needing bandaids, and despite having many friends and admirers, that lonely child was still part of him. Diluc knew, because he was lonely too. 

“I missed you,” he admitted, ignoring the part of his brain telling him he was putting something very fragile at risk. 

Kaeya’s starry eyes turned wide. He had not expected that. 

“...Luc,” He said, perhaps with the intention to warn him, but all Diluc could hear was him saying his name the way it was supposed to be said.

“I should’ve invited you sooner. I should’ve never kicked you out in the first place.” 

Kaeya sighed. “I don’t blame you for that… anymore. Your father had died, under terrible circumstances. And I had lied to you. For years.” 

“He was your father too, not by blood, but you loved him just the same. We were both grieving.” 

“Well… That was years ago. We’re past that.” 

“Could you forgive me?” Diluc asked, sincerely. 

When their eyes met again it was like looking at young, vulnerable Kaeya again. 

“Only if you could forgive me.” 

“Of course.” 

When their noses turned red and standing still became too cold, they made their way back to the winery. Diluc couldn’t help himself, and slowly stayed behind and formed a snowball in his hands. Just as he threw it, aiming it at the back of Kaeya’s head, Kaeya turned around and smacked it away. 

Diluc whistled. “Quick reflexes.” 

“Are you really trying to challenge me to a snowball fight? You are out of your element,” Kaeya said, smirking. 

“We’ll see about that.” 

It turned out to be a more extreme version of the snowball fights they had in the past. What could you expect when a captain and the darknight hero, both just as competitive, clashed? Ultimately, it ended with both of them cold and covered in snow. Kaeya had gotten the last hit, and announced himself the winner. Diluc decided to let it slide. 

“Are you sure I should stay the night?” Kaeya asked as they walked into the warmth of the winery. 

He was still stubborn about it, and it was infuriating. 

“Yes. And it’s still your home, no matter what I said in the past.”  

“... Okay,” Kaeya said, reluctantly. 

When Diluc looked at the clock, it was midnight. Time had passed quickly. 

“It’s getting late. You should get settled in. I should probably go to sleep-” 

“Wait,” Kaeya grabbed Diluc’s shirt, stopping him from walking away. 

Diluc looked back at him curiously, but Kaeya wouldn’t meet his gaze. Suddenly Kaeya grasped his cheeks, and kissed him. It was hesitant at first, but Diluc could feel how he relaxed against his skin. He was surprised at how warm it felt, even after being outside for hours. When Kaeya pulled back, Diluc had to keep himself from pulling him back in. 

Diluc felt his heart beat feverishly.

Kaeya’s eyes were wide as if he was nervous. “I shouldn’t have-” 

“I’ve wanted that,” Diluc said, cutting him off. “For a long time.” 

After a few confused seconds, Kaeya released a breath he had been holding. Then he smiled, subtly but earnestly. 

“Thank you for inviting me,” he said.

Diluc smiled back at him. “Merry christmas, Kaeya.”

“Merry christmas, Luc.”