Work Text:
Kaeya was just about alone in the Angel’s Share, sipping on his freshly refilled wine, lazily twirling his glass between his fingers. With the exception of Diluc manning the bar, it was completely empty. The volume, or lack of it, was almost strange, faint music playing was the only thing keeping this encounter from being a painfully awkward silence.
The bitter liquid rolled down his tongue, likely staining it a dark shade of red if it hadn’t been already. If he hadn’t enjoyed the bitter, almost sour flavor so much, or if it didn’t make him feel the way it always did, maybe he wouldn’t be spending his nights off at the tavern, drinking to his heart’s content and only stopping when Diluc kicked him out. It was probably out of disdain, Diluc likely still hated him with every fiber of his being and it would only be natural for him to want as much distance between them as possible, but it was also probably one of the only things restraining Kaeya from full-fledged addiction.
This time, he’d drink it slowly, prolonging his partially unwanted visit just a little bit longer. Kaeya didn’t know if he wanted to torment his dear brother or if he just wanted to see him, maybe it was a bit of both, but a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. Setting it down, he stretched his arms out, just a bit, no reasoning behind it except that it felt nice. Once he’d gotten his fill of lazy stretches he reached for his glass again.
Just as it was about to meet his lips again, his grip failed him. A searing pain spreading throughout his entire body, focused in his head streamed through him, the crashing sound of glass breaking and wine spilling onto the floor. Diluc’s head turned to the direction of the sound, about to scold him.
Kaeya cupped his mouth, bile rocketing up his throat at an alarming rate that he desperately tried to keep down. He couldn’t throw up, not now, he wouldn’t. He refused. Since they were children Kaeya had an overwhelming fear of throwing up, one time holding it in for days at a time before his body had betrayed him. This time proved to be no different, making his best attempt to contain himself.
Tears brimmed his eyes, threatening to fall alongside the sweat escaping through every pore. It was so hot, too hot. His entire body shook, torn between the pain or holding in his vomit.
“Kaeya, Kaeya!” He could barely make out Diluc’s voice, surprisingly concerned for his well-being, likely trying to get through to him for upwards of the past few minutes.
Before long, Kaeya’s body could no longer bare holding in the pain. Choked screams echoed through the tavern mixed with the sound of him vomiting, a pitiful mixture of the sounds. Filling his hands with the uncomfortably warm substance, he still desperately tried to contain himself in the only way he knew he could. Attempting to swallow it back up proved futile, backfiring in his face. It felt like his whole body was burning with both the excruciating pain and the embarrassment he felt. He could feel Diluc prying his hands away from his mouth and used all his strength to keep them there.
He had overpowered him, placing an empty trashcan into the line of fire as he peeled the soiled gloves off of his brother’s weakened hands. One wrong move and Diluc felt like he’d break him. Kaeya’s muffled screams and sobs grew quiet, he’d screamed himself raw, and he no longer had anything in him to regurgitate. It was like he wasn’t even there, his visible eye both distant and screaming for some sort of help, for relief to the pain that he doubted would ever cease. He was covered in a sad, boiling sweat that seeped through his clothing, using the little bit of strength he’d retained to try and take his shirt off. A complete failure, he could barely pilot his own body anymore, let alone grip onto an article of clothing. Still, he made his best effort, making embarrassingly futile efforts in pulling it up before feeling Diluc’s hands peeling off his shirt for him.
Kaeya couldn’t fully make out his surroundings nor could he find any relief from whatever form of punishment the archons had cursed him with. There was a stabbing pain that centered in his skull and his chest, throbbing in unison with no signs of stopping. Tears poured from his eyes, tightly squinted together. He couldn’t hear much more than the sound of his own hyperventilating and the blood swirling through every vessel in his head. The overwhelming heat surrounding him got replaced with a bitter cold, goosebumps fainting his weakened body.
“Kaeya, can you hear me now?” Diluc pressed, his voice almost shaking and his gaze laced with concern, “What’s happening?”
“Don’t know,” he mumbled, “Gonna die. Gonna die. ”
“No- no. You’re going to be just fine. Everything’s going to be fine. Are you cold?” Kaeya nodded, holding one hand to the side of his head. Soon, he felt Diluc’s jacket being draped over his shoulders, wrapped snuggly around him, then the feeling of himself being lifted up.
Walking up a flight of stairs.
Then another.
The door ahead of where he was being brought had opened, a bit more walking, then he was set down, his head being eased down after the rest of his body, as if he was a child still in need of head support. It was truly pathetic, and humiliating was an understatement. Though now wasn’t the time for complaints or embarrassment, Kaeya could truly feel his life force being ripped away from him with every passing breath.
Diluc stepped away for what only seemed like a moment before returning with a wet washcloth for Kaeya’s forehead. A glass of water was set on the nightstand. Kaeya’s hand shot towards Diluc’s wrist, gripping to him for dear life. He didn’t object. Diluc only moved his own hand to cup that of his brother’s.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me- I’m sorry,” he didn’t know if he was chanting his apology to Diluc or to the whole of Celestia, but he knew that his pleas for forgiveness would go unheard. It hurt, so, so bad.
It hurt until it didn’t anymore.
Kaeya’s eyes shot open. Inhaling the deepest breath his lungs could endure. His vision was cleared and the burning feeling had subsided. Their hands remained intertwined, Diluc’s head looming about a foot above Kaeya’s. His eyebrows were contorted to match the worried look on his face.
“What happened?” Was all Diluc could ask. It was like everything they put each other through, everything they had endured had vanished.
“I- don’t really know. It just came without warning, then it just stopped,” he sighed.
“You should stay in bed until I know it doesn’t happen again,” he moved his hand to Kaeya’s back, guiding him up to a sitting position, using the hand that was previously gripping his to bring the glass to his mouth, “Drink it slowly.”
“I’m sorry for being such a pain,” Kaeya chuckled, bringing his palm back to his forehead.
“It wasn’t something you could control. And you weren’t a pain.” They both smiled, Kaeya’s eyes felt heavy.
“I’m so tired,” he mumbled. Diluc pushed him back down to a lying position.
“Get as much rest as you’d like, just don’t scare me like that again,” he replied before shutting the door behind him.