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Venti was in the tavern as he was every evening. This time he had brought with him a drink from Zneshnaya, the famous FireWater. He had a mission and it was to make the redhead who had so often threatened to throw him out of the tavern drink it.
They say that it' s a very strong drink and that someone with fiery red hair had an encounter with this drink and it didn't go very well.
Anyway, Diluc could tell by the smell and taste. So he would have to do something about it or his plan would fail, thank goodness Kaeya was coming later that night. Because someone would have to take care of Master Diluc and it wouldn't be him. But he would wait until nightfall to be able to put his plan into action. Before that, he would take the opportunity to drink as much as he could. It was certain that Diluc would not open the next day...
The bard noticed when the captain arrived because Diluc's face told him so. The redhead always frowned when he saw the captain walk in. So Venti thought it was his time to make him drink.
"What a beautiful night, isn't it, Master Diluc?" a cool voice said. Venti turned and smiled. Diluc rolled his eyes.
Kaeya took a seat and in the usual booth. It even seemed like his designated seat now, he always sat in the same spot. "hey, Venti."
"hey" the bard replied with a smile.
Diluc took his time to respond. Kaeya watched him expectantly.
"I suppose so." He replied dryly. Making Kaeya chuckle under his breath.
"mm~ not even a welcoming greeting? Master Diluc I'm sure you were raised better than that" the captain said with a smile, Venti watched as Diluc's eyes seemed to light up. why did Murata decide it was a good idea to give a vision to someone with temper issues?
"Ya. Are we here to drink or not?" Venti tried to ease the tension.
Diluc said nothing just huffed and went back to cleaning a cup. Kaeya sighed turning his head from side to side.
"A death afternoon, please."
Diluc ignored him.
"Come on Luc- I mean, Master Diluc" Kaeya covered his mouth as he almost blurted out his former brother's nickname, the redhead glared at him, the captain averted his eye to the other customers pretending to have seen something interesting.
Diluc prepared the drink without any problem and slid the glass on the table in front of Kaeya.
The bard sighed. And with a lot of energy he said "give me a dandelion wine."
"no, you haven't paid your tab" the redhead continued wiping one of the cups that were there.
"You're no fun at all. I'll have to drink this I bought in another tavern" said the bard laughing, Kaeya looked at him as he took another sip of his favorite wine. He found his ex-brother's face funny when the bard said that.
Actually, he hadn't bought the drink, he had taken it from a Fatui camp. Don't ask how he knew it was alcohol.
"go and drink it away from here."
Diluc began to clean a cup avoiding looking at the bard.
"How about you drink with us?"
"I don't drink wine or anything with alcohol in it. Now if you're going to drink it do it outside my tavern."
Venti pouted. Kaeya laughed and Diluc pretended to ignore them. The bard suggested that he drink grape juice if he felt like it. Since there weren't many customers. He kept insisting and insisting until Diluc got tired and agreed. Just so the Bard would stop bothering him.
"if you bought that drink you can very well pay off the debt you owe here" said the redhead somewhat irritated.
Venti just laughed and Diluc rolled his eyes again. Re filled Kaeya and Venti's glass with their respective drinks and poured himself some grape juice. When a newly arrived customer asked for a drink "I want a beer" and Diluc turned to serve him.
Venti took his chance and poured a good amount of firewater into Diluc's grape juice. He did it so fast that Kaeya didn't have time to stop him. - "Venti" the captain mused urgently as the bard laughed closing the wine again to make it look like he hadn't touched it.
"What are you doing?"
"Satisfying my curiosity and giving you a chance to be with your brother" the bard's eyes lit up slightly and went out in a split second. Kaeya looked at him in astonishment.
He already had his suspicion, but he didn't want to ask or be rude, much less against an archon.
Lest he send him flying with his Anemo power or something. Or sing to him until his ears explode.
Kaeya had a weird imagination since he was a kid.
"you-"
"ehe~ you already know the answer to that question."
Kaeya blinked dazedly, Venti just laughed and motioned him to be quiet. when Diluc came back he picked up his glass of juice and drank it in one gulp. He felt a funny taste, but thought it was because he had left the glass too long and drank it without stirring it.
___________
It only took about 5 minutes when Kaeya noticed Diluc staggering a little and knew that Venti had succeeded.
Diluc was drunk.
But, even though he was staggering and leaning heavily on the table, he looked quite sober. He wasn't very noticeable, so the redhead decided it was a good idea to stop leaning back at the table and go out and throw his customers out.
Gathering all his poker face skills and keeping his voice serious, Diluc made to the remaining drunken customers. Very eloquently.
"the tavern is closed."
The customers complained, but they began to leave and Venti disappeared with them. His mission was accomplished, the rest was left in Kaeya's hands. In a few seconds the tavern was empty and Diluc was putting up the closed sign, when his legs decided they no longer wanted to support the weight of his body.
Kaeya ran as fast as he could and caught him. He froze at the sight of the redhead's face. This one had a smile plastered on it and right after that he started to laugh. It wasn't laughter, it was like a very subtle chuckle, but the captain felt like he had returned to his childhood.
This was no time to freeze. He scolded himself. He had to pick up Diluc who was almost on his knees laughing, his cheeks and nose were completely red. As if he had gone to Dragonspine.
"Diluc" called the captain.
The aforementioned stopped laughing and looked up. His eyes lit up at the sight of the captain, as if he had never seen him before. "KAEEEEEE"
Diluc laughed
Kaeya wanted to cry.
The captain took the courage to hold back the tears and picked Diluc up. He put his hand on his shoulder and started to carry him towards the stairs. But the redhead refused to move and began to whine.
"Kaee nooo." He complained loudly as he jerked to try and wiggle out of his brother's grip. Kaeya tightened his grip to keep this one from falling.
"Diluc, please. Stay still."
"noo, Kae."
Kaeya decided that in the end Diluc wouldn't move from there so he sat him down on the floor. The captain crouched down in front of Diluc who was looking at him tiredly and sighed. Okay, it was going to be a long night.
"Kae" Diluc called out
"kaeeeeeee..." the redhead called back.
Kaeya just looked at him. Venti really did what he did and took off to who knows where. At least he could be with Diluc, even if Diluc was drunk.
"Kae. Kae. Kae kae." He repeated several times like a little kid. The redhead started kicking his legs slightly when he saw that his brother didn't answer him.
"What do you need, Master Diluc?"
"Hello."
Kaeya glared at him, but seeing that Diluc had a smile on his face he simply sighed again and replied by shaking his hand.
"Hello, Diluc."
Then Diluc laughed again, but this time he went sideways and hit the ground. Kaeya got up in alarm and ran to him. He apologized, but Diluc took advantage of the fact that he was nearby and hugged him.
Kaeya froze again.
"you are my favorite brother" said Diluc as he rubbed his face on his brother's shoulder.
"I'm your only brother" Kaeya played along patting him on the back.
Diluc squeezed him tighter and out of nowhere he started crying, Kaeya's eye watered, but he wiped the tears away before they fell. "I missed you so much, Kae. You don't know how sorry I am."
Well his attempts not to cry were in vain because upon hearing that the captain began to cry. He hugged him back.
"I want to hear it when you sober up." Kaeya replied and Diluc chuckled under his breath. quite watery.
"I'm not drunk, just in case."
The redhead broke away and wiped away his tears and then wiped away Kaeya's. For the first time that night the captain laughed genuinely and patted Diluc on the head. "yes of course, Diluc. And I love grape juice."
Diluc gasped when he heard.
"Do you like grape juice? I thought you didn't because you told me you didn't like it... were you lying to me? KAEEEEEE" and started to whine again. And with a pout he stood up and folded his arms with his back to the captain.
How did he get up so fast without getting dizzy? Kaeya didn't understand if his brother was completely drunk or not.
"No, Diluc. It was sarcasm."
Kaeya stood in front of the Diluc and he turned his back to him again. The captain smiled because it reminded him of when he was a kid and hugged him from behind causing him to gasp in surprise.
"Are you seriously pouting about that?"
"I'm not pouting."
"Yes, you are."
"I'm not."
And they went on like that until Kaeya noticed that it was already going to be one a.m. He had to put Diluc to sleep now!
Since Diluc was so clinging to not wanting to go upstairs, Kaeya took him to his apartment. It wasn't that far from the tavern and although the sober Diluc would reproach him for taking him home, it seemed better to Kaeya than taking him up the stairs.
So he took him.
And boy, was it hard.
On the way Diluc fell twice. Kaeya had to carry him. Then he complained that it was cold, even though he had a very warm wardrobe. Kaeya gave him his cloak. Diluc strayed off the path after a cat. Kaeya had to take him by the arm and set off for home.
He couldn't carry him all the way.
Diluc cried because he realized that Kaeya was taller than him.
Diluc almost broke the front door of Kaeya's house because he said that the color was horrible and that he would put a nicer one.
Diluc burned some of Kaeya's clothes because he was going to fall and panicked and used his vision.
Kaeya carried Diluc and threw him on his bed. he removed his boots and tucked him in. But Diluc didn't seem to have an off switch when he was drunk.
"I'm sorry, Kae. I'll tell Addie to get someone to make you a new wardrobe."
Kaeya yawned. He was tired
"No need."
The redhead got up abruptly, the captain pushed him off and he fell like a sack of potatoes to the bed again.
"No Kae. I have to. I have to at least fix that mistake."
"Diluc... please. Go to sleep."
The captain went to the kitchen for a glass of water. And a hangover pill. It wouldn't take away his symptoms completely, but it would help mitigate some. Then he wouldn't be so tired in the morning.
"Diluc, have some water."
The wine tycoon, looked at the pill oddly, Kaeya sighed and told him it was for a hangover, so Diluc nodded and took the pill alone and swallowed it without further ado. Kaeya choked
"What are you doing, what did I give you the water for, Diluc?"
"I don't want water."
"it doesn't matter if you don't want it. You must drink it."
"Noo!"
The captain had to climb on top of his brother and gag him to force him to drink water while the latter whined and squealed for him to leave him alone.
"Kae, you're a piece of shit and I don't like you." He hid his head between the pillows as he whined.
Kaeya gasped in offense. Diluc stuck his tongue out at him. And the captain couldn't help the grin that broke out on his face. Diluc used to stick his tongue out as a child when he and Kaeya had "arguments."
"You still love me don't you?"
"Obviously. You're my only baby brother."
Okay that took him by surprise. Kaeya's mouth dropped open and Diluc told him flies would get in if he didn't shut it. So he shut his mouth.
"Shall we play chess? It's early yet."
"Diluc it's 2 am. Go to sleep."
"You're no fun at all Kaeya. How awful."
Kaeya was so tired and Diluc looked like a hyperactive child. The captain ran his hand over his face in exasperation. The redhead clumsily stepped aside and slapped the empty side beside him.
"Only if you come. If not, I won't sleep." He pouted. his words were getting harder to understand.
Kaeya sighed, but played along because he really was sleepy. So he went over and lay down next to him. Diluc turned in Kaeya's direction and began to laugh. The captain with a small smile looked at him tiredly.
He already understood why the redhead didn't drink, it was laughter here, laughter there and 0 desire to sleep.
"Have you ever thought why crystalflies are called like that?"
The question caught the captain off guard, he looked at the redhead and his big, red eyes looked at him expectantly. He looked quite serious, but he looked like a tomato.
Kaeya laughed and Diluc smiled.
he really wanted this to last longer.
"I don't know, luc."
"hmm...I've always wondered why there are so many in the winery."
"it's because they show up if there's a very strong source of elemental power. maybe it's you?"
Diluc looked at him like he was dumb and Kaeya rolled his eyes. The redhead sat back down causing the captain to bounce on the bed. Kaeya stayed lying down, but kept his gaze fixed on the other.
"I am not strong. If I'm anything, it's weak and an idiot."
This time it was Kaeya's turn to sit. He took Diluc's hands in his firmly.
"You are not weak Diluc. You are one of the strongest people I know. I'm sure you could mine an ore without using your claymore."
The redhead pictured it and laughed, throwing himself back on the bed. Kaeya told him to be careful as the bed wasn't made for two people. Much less two grown men. Diluc stuck his tongue out at him and pulled him over so the captain lay down next to him.
"Diluc."
"hm?"
A he was already showing signs of tiredness. He would soon fall asleep.
"Can I have a hug?"
Diluc looked at him and smiled happily. He could tell he was already sleepy.
"Of course, Kae. I'll give you whatever you want."
Diluc immediately hugged him and Kaeya smiled hugging him back.
If the next day, Diluc woke up and saw Kaeya hugging him. He said nothing and went back to sleep with a hangover.
Diluc Ragnvindr... pouting and crying because Kaeya Alberich the cavalry captain was taller?
It only happens if he is drunk.