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Aether doesn't make a habit of hanging out in Diluc's tavern. If he comes by, he does so during the day and for business only.
Too many people get drunk in the evening and Aether doesn't want to witness another fight.
But tonight Mondstadt is drowning, raindrops drumming against the buildings, the streets slippery and wet, and Aether is already soaked when he slips into the tavern. Dripping wet, really.
Paimon complains quietly, even though she's wrapped up in his scarf.
"Ah, a rare visitor!", calls a voice over the murmur of the other guests and Aether looks up, wiping rain out of his face. Predictably it's Kaeya waving at him, before he leaves his spot by the bar and saunters over. "Got caught in the rain, huh?"
Aether huffs. "Yes", he answers and reaches up to wring out his hair, which leaves an even bigger puddle on the floor. Aether mentally apologises to Diluc.
"Oh, where are my manners!", Kaeya exclaims and wraps an arm around Aether, steering him towards the bar. "You're soaked. Come sit, have a drink to warm up. Diluc, you wouldn't happen to have a towel for your guest?"
Diluc glares at Kaeya, with as much venom in his expression as he can muster. Aether shrinks away from it but Kaeya doesn't let him go, pushing him towards an empty seat by the bar.
A heartbeat after Aether sits down, Diluc hands him a towel to dry off. When he looks up next, there's also a steaming mug of tea in front of him.
"On the house", Diluc tells him. Aether reaches up, right hand over his heart, in thanks. The warm cup feels heavenly against his cold fingers.
For a while, Aether just sits there. Drying off and keeping to himself. It's already late and with each passing hour, the tavern clears out more and more. Paimon has settled on the bar, little legs swinging back and forth as she watches the patrons leave.
Kaeya's voice draws his attention.
He must've had a drink too many already; there's colour high on his cheeks and he leans over the bar towards Diluc, a mean glint in his eye. He only ever gets that expression when drunk, Aether noticed. When the carefully crafted mask of the flirty, confident cavalry captain slips away.
Kaeya is so much more than the person he lets others see. Aether already knows that.
The tavern is mostly empty. Diluc says something biting, his tone sharp and Kaeya draws back. There's a cocky laugh that only partially hides that the words hurt him.
Diluc turns away.
Aether gets to his feet.
"Kaeya?", he asks and walks over slowly. He only hesitates for a moment before he puts his hand on Kaeya's shoulder. It's almost scary to see how Kaeya immediately snaps back into his carefree persona and turns towards Aether with a smile.
Aether doesn't think twice and reaches out to wrap his arms around him, drawing the other into a tight hug. Really, he's not even sure what leads him to do this but it feels necessary.
Kaeya stiffens for a moment. Clearly he hasn't been expecting this, but he reacts instantly. Aether feels arms closing around him in return. Not as tightly as he's hugging Kaeya, but there's some strength behind it still.
One of Kaeya's hands finds Aether's braid and he runs it through his fingers.
Aether hugs him even tighter.
"You're a good man, Kaeya", he tells him, his voice steady and honest because this is the truth and Kaeya needs to hear it. He likes to talk himself down, to paint himself as the bad guy and he's not.
He's not .
Aether has known him long enough by now to be sure of that. Sure, Kaeya is all bravado and confidence and when asked for something, he'll make a fuss and ask for something outrageous in return - but he never refuses to be of help.
Aether feels Kaeya going very still against him. Then there's the faintest tremble. Kaeya suddenly feels fragile in his arms, like ice that's been cracked but hasn't broken apart just yet.
"You are ", Aether says again, to get his point across and just like that, Kaeya breaks. It's probably the alcohol. It's probably the fight with Diluc. But Aether feels more than he hears the first soft sniffle and then wetness soaks into his shoulder, much warmer than the rain earlier.
He doesn't comment on it, just keeps his arms wrapped tightly around Kaeya, holding him. There's movement and Aether glances up to see Diluc; he sees red eyes widening at the sight they make and softly shakes his head. A discreet signal for Diluc to leave.
Kaeya wouldn't do well with being seen like this, Aether suspects. Especially not by Diluc.
There's no saying how much time passes before Kaeya draws back, his eye red-rimmed and puffy, but dry by now. His smile is a lot less confident than before.
"Ah, my apologies", he says. Aether hesitantly lets go of him and steps back. "That… was unexpected. But I believe I needed to hear that."
Aether nods in agreement, just a little unsure.
"It's the truth, Kaeya", he emphasizes, looking up into Kaeya's blue eye. He doesn't get a reply but that's okay.
Behind them, Diluc clears his throat, looking seemingly unbothered as usual. Kaeya jumps a little and just like that, the moment has passed.
"I'm going to close for tonight", Diluc announces, but his tone is softer than before. "Aether.. feel free to stay the night. If you want, there's a room upstairs for you."
It wouldn't be the first time that Aether has stayed here and he accepts the offer gratefully.
Diluc nods at him, then looks at his brother. "Kaeya-"
Kaeya waves his hand in dismissal, already turning. "It's time for me to leave, I know, I know. Aether, my friend, it was a pleasure to meet you, as always. I shall look forward to the next time our paths cross. Goodnight!"
He steps out into the rainy night, the door closing behind him with finality.
Aether follows Diluc upstairs, silent as always because Diluc isn't a man of many words and Aether is caught in his own mind for the moment. His thoughts circle around the tears staining his shoulder, and Kaeya's sudden departure.
He hopes Kaeya is alright.
Diluc stops walking and Aether runs straight into him, muttering an apology. They're standing in front of a door that Aether knows already. Behind it is a cozy little room that he's spent a couple of nights in.
"Thank you", he says. The corner of Diluc's mouth twitches. Maybe an attempt to smile.
"Call for me should you need anything", Diluc tells him and turns. "I wish you a good night."
Aether gives him a smile.
"Good night, Diluc."
Paimon is fast asleep by the time Aether has finished his own nightly routine. She's curled up on a big chair by the wall, wrapped up in Aether's scarf.
He smiles as he brushes through his hair, freed from the braid and slowly untangling under his fingers. A heartfelt yawn has his jaw cracking moments later. It's really time to sleep.
Aether is only in a pair of loose pants, his usual travel outfit stashed away until morning and he stretches languidly. The last thing he does is crack open the window to let in the petrichor scent of the rain.
He has barely fallen asleep when a soft noise reaches his ear and Aether startles back awake, sword materialising in his hand and he twists towards the window - only to see Kaeya sitting on the windowsill.
Aether barely recognises him. Gone are the fur on Kaeya's shoulder and the corset he wears. Kaeya is only in a loose, white shirt with a deep neckline and his black pants.
Off-handedly Aether realizes that Kaeya is dry, which means that the rain must've stopped.
"Ah," he says simply, smiling like he's done this countless times, like he isn't sitting on a windowsill in the dead of the night. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"What are you doing here?," Aether whisper-yells back, trying not to wake Paimon. His heart still hammers against his chest from the rude awakening - but he isn't all that surprised to see Kaeya coming through a window. He's seen him walk the rooftops before, sure-footed as a cat.
Kaeya looks… uncharacteristically shy , like his confidence has been left behind together with his usual outfit. And while he doesn't say anything immediately, Aether still understands the reason that brought Kaeya back.
Being touch starved is a bitch, especially when you don't know how to ask for affection.
Aether exhales quietly. Then he lifts up the corner of his blanket. "You'll catch a cold if you keep sitting there," he mutters, cheeks heating up a little. Kaeya stares at him, almost as if he expected to be sent away (which makes something in Aether's chest catch and squeeze) and then walks over.
The mattress dips under his weight. There's rustling as he settles, laying on his side, facing Aether. The smile he wears looks small.
"Been a while," Kaeya mumbles, leaving Aether to guess what he means, although it isn't that hard to. Been a while since I slept in someone's bed , is what Kaeya means.
Aether wants to say something more. Just as he opens his mouth, there's a brush of cold against his arm and he yelps-
"Shit, Kaeya, your fingers are freezing ."
"The joys of being a cryo user," comes the dry remark but Aether isn't having it. He slides closer, tucks Kaeya's hands against his chest (and shivers; they really are cold) and wraps his own arms around Kaeya, just like when he hugged him earlier.
The blanket takes some fighting but Aether manages to cocoon them both underneath, trapping the warmth within. Kaeya's hands begin to feel less like blocks of ice.
Kaeya's heartbeat is right by Aether's ear. Is it his imagination or is it truly faster than normal?
"You got me all trapped," the captain says but he sounds content, like he doesn't mind at all. He nuzzles into Aether's hair. "If anyone walked in…"
"Diluc wouldn't let them," Aether says matter of factly and gives Kaeya a little squeeze to shut him up. "Goodnight, Kaeya."
A beat of silence. Then, lips against his forehead.
"Goodnight."