Chapter Text
"Beaumont. Think fast!"
Quick on her feet, Anais quickly turned her back, turning her bow into a dual blade and using it to block the Cavalry Captain's sword. The loud clang of metal hitting metal could be heard from across Mondstadt, and the people just shrugged as if they already knew what happened and it was an everyday occurrence already.
Kaeya, the ever so playful Cavalry Captain, grinned upon seeing the disappointed look on the woman’s face as she twisted her blades in a way that made him lose his grip on his sword, sending it flying to the other side of the cathedral. If Jean were here, the two of them would definitely experience scolding, much to Anais' dismay, even though Kaeya started it.
"You should really stop these antics, Alberich," she sighed, trying to hide her amused smirk, which did not go unnoticed to Kaeya. She may not always show it, but Kaeya knows she enjoys their little banter every now and then, even though it would result in Jean shaking her head disappointedly most of the time.
"You're no fun," he said with a pout as he ran to retrieve his sword. "When did you come back? Why are you here? Did the nuns have a commission for you?"
Anais shook her head as she walked down the cathedral's stairs as Kaeya jogged quickly to catch up with her. "I came to give Barbara something," she said as her blade turned back into a bow. "It's a spicy dish I learned from a cook named Xiangling while I was away for diplomatic affairs in Liyue."
Kaeya hummed in response, knowing Barbara would definitely enjoy the dish. Any dish Anais gave the idol would definitely be appreciated, but he knew Barbara was extremely delighted since she loved spicy food.
"Where are you headed now? Don't tell me you're going straight to work after coming back," Kaeya shook his head.
"I was actually heading to Angel's Share to grab a drink. Dealing with business in Liyue has worn me out," she sighed as she tilted her head to the side. "Join me?"
The blue-haired man grinned mischievously, his chest puffed out before he grabbed her by the wrist and quickly rushed down the stairs. "You need not ask anymore, Beaumont. You know I won't turn down a drink or two."
And that is how they both ended up flat-out drunk on the counter in the tavern.
Upon settling in Mondstadt at fourteen, Anais grew up with Kaeya, Jean, and Diluc. Being taken in by the Gunnhildr family naturally made her closer to Jean, but Kaeya was someone she could fully open up about herself with. The four of them developed a close friendship. With the Acting Grandmaster Jean busy with paperwork and Diluc becoming distant, it was only mostly Anais and Kaeya getting to hang out with one another on most days.
She and Kaeya quickly became drinking buddies upon reaching legal age, much to a certain redhead's dismay. Whenever they had free time, whenever their schedules aligned, the people of Mondstadt would indeed find the two enjoying their sweet time getting wasted at Angel's Share, sometimes with Rosaria the nun and Venti the bard accompanying them.
If Diluc would describe what the personification of a headache was like, he would no doubt point his finger at these four.
"So, how was your trip to Liyue?" the Cavalry Captain asked as he swirled the drink in his hand. "Anyone caught your attention there?"
Anais threw her head back with a chuckle as she gulped down rather unladylike the dandelion wine. "Didn't get much time to even look," she replied, closing her eyes as she felt the alcohol trickle down her throat. "Though there is one guy I met who looks decent. I met him a few times. His name is Zhongli."
"My, my. The consultant at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"
"You know him?" Anais asked as her vision started to swirl. She was not yet drunk, but it had been a while since she last drank, and her body was still getting used to it again. Her trip to Liyue didn't exactly give her much free time for leisure.
"Met him one time because of the traveler. Remember that incident with Rex Lapis?"
Anais just nodded, barely understanding the rest of what Kaeya was saying. But she could remember that situation in Liyue a long time ago. Word spread quickly how the geo archon was killed and how the honorary knight of Mondstadt was accused of murdering the said archon. Jean immediately was informed of this. As Mondstadt's diplomat, Anais was directly sent to Liyue to appeal for Lumine's innocence.
It was a rather rough journey for all of them. When Anais found Lumine talking to a harbinger, she became skeptical of his background. His being a Fatui was enough for her to be suspicious, and she was correct for being so as he had fought her and Lumine at the Golden House. It was a bloody fight that neither she nor Lumine came out unscathed, but nevertheless and fortunately, alive. Things started to get worse since then as it led to battling Osial.
Thankfully, everything went smoothly as Osial was defeated, and the Jade Chamber was rebuilt.
"You have a type for tall, serious men, I see," Kaeya offhandedly commented, making Anais sputter on her drink.
"Type? What do you mean?" she asked incredulously as she took another sip of the wine.
"You find Zhongli attractive, and you seem to have your eyes on Diluc. There's clearly a recurring pattern."
This made the woman choke on her drink, sending the liquid up to her nose and making her tear up from the burning sensation it gave her. She sent a deadly glare towards Kaeya's way, who just burst out laughing boisterously, making the other customers in the tavern momentarily look at them strangely before returning to whatever they were doing.
"I do not have my eyes on your brother," she coughed as Kaeya patted her back, still laughing amusedly at her predicament. "You're just drunk."
"Still sober, sweetheart," he smirked as he handed her a glass of water that Charles passed him seconds ago. "Rather, it's you who I think is drunk. You usually brush it off whenever I tease you, but you seem extra defensive today."
"Fuck off, Alberich."
Anais decided to ignore him and change the topic as she asked for another refill of the dandelion wine. Thankfully, Kaeya let the subject go and soon discussed the most random things, such as telling his drunken story of climbing the massive tree in Windrise and gliding down to catch crystal flies.
Kaeya's alcohol tolerance was high, which Anais could easily rival had she not stopped drinking for almost two months due to her busy schedule in Liyue. She and the captain could chug down more than ten glasses of wine on regular days, but now, she was already starting to feel dizzy even though this was only her fifth glass.
Anais was about to take a sip when a black and red, gloved hand had stopped her from doing so. Her vision may have already been blurry due to the alcohol in her system, but she could not mistake the fiery red locks that only belonged to the man they were previously talking about.
"That's enough," he said lowly, his deep voice and hand holding her wrist making her shiver.
Diluc faced Kaeya, a stoic expression on his face, but one could sense the disappointment in his eyes. "She just got back, and the first thing you do with her is get her drunk," the redhead sighed as he retrieved the glass of dandelion wine from Anais' hand, who surprisingly did not put up a fight with him. On typical days, she would insist she isn't drunk yet and try getting the glass back from him.
"Don't be a party-pooper, Diluc," Kaeya replied, a mischievous look as his eye went back and forth between the two. "Don't be so uptight. She wanted to let loose after her stressful trip to Liyue, and I, being her gentleman drinking buddy, wanted to treat her."
Diluc groaned at this, turning to Charles and instructing to put whatever Anais drank on his tab while also telling the bartender to let Kaeya pay for his own drinks. Kaeya, of course, protested, saying how unfair it was, but all his complaints fell on deaf ears.
"Let's get you home," Diluc sighed as he lifted Anais' passed-out figure carefully in his arms before walking out of Angel's Share. His footsteps led him to the Gunnhildr household where the woman grew up but changed his mind immediately. He remembered that Jean was out on a trip and Barbara was staying in the cathedral in the meantime.
He did not want to leave a drunk woman alone in a house. Sighing, he then decided to bring her back to Dawn Winery. It was not an uncommon sight for him to be getting her back here anyway.
—
The trip back to the mansion was quick as he used the waypoints. He was careful enough not to rouse the sleeping woman in his arms from her slumber. As soon as he opened the doors to his home, the maids immediately welcomed him. They were a bit taken aback seeing the high commissioner Anais asleep in their employer's arms but did not really think much of it.
Diluc only nodded at them as he walked upstairs and entered his bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he gently laid her down on his large mattress, adjusting her position, so she was not uncomfortable. Carefully, he started removing the woman's boots and armor, not wanting her to have an uneasy sleep.
Once the boots and heavy gear were out of the way, he called for Adelinde to change Anais' battle clothes into the extra sleepwear he had in the house before entering the bathroom to prepare a towel bath for the woman.
Gossip was unavoidable, and the staff at the Dawn Winery were no exception. They have witnessed how their Master Diluc grew into the profound and distant man he is now, and seeing him go soft on the Mondstadt Diplomat was a sight to behold. They were not sure whether or not there was a relationship brewing between the two, but they were sure it was indeed more than friends. The stares and stolen looks he gives her can attest to that.
Diluc thought he was discreet. He should have known better than to believe that anything would get past the maids, especially Adelinde. Although, they were respectful enough to not pry more on their boss' relationship.
Once Adelinde had already changed Anais into her sleepwear, Diluc had already come out of the bathroom. He was carrying a small basin of water in his hands. Adelinde gave him a final nod before leaving the room.
The redhead slowly made his way towards the side of his bed, placing the basin down carefully by the table. The gloves he wore were now discarded and neatly folded by the drawer. His skillful hands that were rough on opponents had turned gentle and soft as he lifted the wet towel and patted it on Anais' face. He shook his head when he felt she was starting to have a fever that he almost cursed Kaeya for letting her drink despite just coming home from Liyue. The blue-haired man should have known better than to let a tired woman drink.
"You're still stubborn as ever," Diluc said softly as he watched her sleep. The calm rising and falling of Anais' chest made him loosen up a bit and calm down. He'll make Kaeya pay on another day. He could wait. All his focus now was on the pink-haired beauty sleeping soundly in his bed.
After wiping clean and removing the light makeup on her face, Diluc returned the basin to his bathroom before he changed into his own sleepwear as well. He carefully unbuttoned the remaining fabric of his top before throwing on a white tank shirt. After this, he was careful enough to climb the other side of the bed, making sure his actions were subtle enough not to rouse the woman from her sleep.
Once he was settled under the covers, he turned his body towards Anais, who now had a calm expression adorning her face. He couldn't help himself anymore as he slowly moved closer to her, carefully slipping his muscled arms under her head, then pulling her body closer to his. He let out a sigh of content once the woman's head was snuggly resting on his chest.
Diluc felt at ease the most on days like this, a small contented smile on his lips as he closed his eyes.