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Angel’s Share was nearing its closing hours and Kaeya was aware of that, hence why he was already on his way to the exit with an ever so slight drunken sway and a lopsided smirk on his face as he made an unnecessary comment that made no fail to irritate the bartender today that just so happened to be a certain red-head. Diluc scowled at the low jab of the indirect mention of their his father but otherwise chose to simply keep his mouth shut to avoid any further unnecessary verbal.. fights? Banter? Whatever it was that either of them might regret saying later on.
Kaeya’s hand was already on the doorknob when he turned around once more, noticing the lack of response. He sharpened his smirk by an extra show of teeth.
“Oho~, character development is certainly on its way to you, Master Diluc,” he eyed the way the other man blinked suddenly at the emphasis of his title. “I must say, I am so proud of how far you’ve come and I’m sure fath-”
Holy
shit.
Pain-
No,
White hot agony suddenly consumed Kaeya’s entire body.
His breath hitched in his throat as any and all thoughts about his previous jab disappeared within seconds time—his drunkenness too.
Speaking of jabs, it felt like his body was being stabbed over and over
and over
and over again- as if someone was trying to rip him inside out. Like they were gutting him, taking their sweet sweet time removing a singular organ from his body.
One
by
one.
All while they sliced, stabbed, clawed open any remnants of skin.
His hand gripping the doorknob began to shake from the intensity of the grip and Kaeya barely registered the fact that he was falling over, the door frame managing to catch him, or rather, break his fall. In the process, he could barely make out the sound of something shattering. Peeping open an eye (that he didn’t know was closed) he saw a small vase on the ground, numerous shards of the ceramic art scattered across the floor next to him. He’d probably have to pay back Diluc for that and-
Oh, fuck the vase.
Kaeya’s legs buckled as another wave of pain topped the previous agony making his body impossibly more tormented, his grip on the doorknob failing.
He felt one of the shards of the vase cleanly cut open his flesh near his thumb? pinky? It didn’t matter because all he felt was pain and he wanted it to stop.
stop.
stop.
PLEASE STOP.
Kaeya was barely holding back screams, sounds of immense torture ripping from his throat. He grunted as his head hit the floor, a voice so small at the back of his brain being oh so kind enough to tell him he was now fully on the ground on his right side.
He wanted to breathe.
He wanted to breathe.
He needs to breathe.
But he couldn’t.
Or so it felt like.
It felt as if there were something on his neck suffocating him—almost hand-like.
He clawed at his neck, his fingers effortlessly ripping off his collar-choker but it felt like there was still something there.
stop it
stop it
stop it
get it off
get it off
get. it. off.
It felt as though hands were tightly gripping all over his body and it felt like he was getting dragged down, wherever “down” was.
It felt as though hands were scratching him, clawing at him, especially his covered eye.
“..eya!”
And then he felt a pair of hands grip both his wrists that were still scraping at his neck, restraining him and-
just why are there so many hands?
off
off
off
get it off of me
get it off of me
get off-
“..aeya!”
And then, as if it weren’t enough (it never is), he heard screaming.
A shit ton.
And it was so loud.
Archons, why is it so loud?
Wincing, he tried blocking out the sounds by covering both his ears but
by the damn ARCHONS, please STOP.
The act seemed to make the screaming impossibly louder. (A small voice made him briefly wonder if he was taking part in the screaming.) The more he listened, the more he could hear the screams clearly. It wasn’t just screams of horror or screams you’d hear because of a scare—they were desperate pleas and cries for help; to run away, to get away.
Through a clouded mind, something in Kaeya’s brain clicked.
Khaenri’ahns.
The Abyss.
The thought of them made him tremble even more.
What were probably seconds or minutes, felt like hours of nothing but utter suffering to Kaeya.
And then finally
finally
it stopped.
Just so suddenly and just like that.
Kaeya slowly reopened his eyes (again, that he didn’t know were closed) and took in his surroundings.
Ah, right.
He was in Angel’s Share, just about to leave.
The dim lighting of the tavern looked like the sun to him as he immediately shut his eyes back closed.
“Kaeya!”
He heard a voice. Expecting another wave of pain, his eyes shut tighter.
“Kaeya, can you hear me!?”
Someone was shaking his shoulders against a wall. How’d he get off the floor?
“Kaeya, answer me!”
Wait, that voice sounded familiar.
He slowly parted his eyes to see a blur of red and black.
“Kaeya!”
Ah.
With an uncomfortable amount of effort, Kaeya huffed through his nose and a sorry excuse for a smirk appeared on his face. “Concerned, hm?”
The words came out a tad bit quieter and a teeny bit more high pitched than he’d like to admit. He could barely make out the sound of a sigh as the grip on his shoulders tightened by the slightest bit.
“Kaeya. Can you hear me?”
His eyes were now fully open albeit a smidge bit unfocused and tired. He made a low hum and blinked for a long second to indicate that he did in fact hear the other man, his throat seemingly too tired to say anything. Perhaps he was screaming earlier.
A few seconds of silence and Kaeya glanced around the tavern. There was no one there. A few more seconds passed by.
“..What was that?”
Kaeya looked up and made eye-contact with Diluc who was still hovering over him, hands still on his shoulders. His mouth attempted a smile.
“I’d tell you..” he paused.
After moments of no answer, the red head spoke up again. “But?”
“But I can’t.”
Diluc opened his mouth, his face mixed with confusion, concern and the slightest bit of irritation.
“Because I don’t know.” Kaeya finished.
Diluc shut his mouth again.
Silence hung in the air once more, the feeling neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. Kaeya won’t lie, the feeling of his big brother estranged brother looking at him with something other than annoyance, skepticism and weariness felt.. nice. The physical touch that wasn’t just Diluc pushing his back out the tavern door after an excessive night of drinking was refreshing.
Kaeya involuntarily huffed out a weak laugh. It really took him writhing in agony for who knows how long for Diluc to just look at him without any sorts of malice. Kaeya’s lips twitched at an amused smile thinking of what it would take for them to reconcile. Even if it were just for a small while. He couldn’t help but chuckle once more at the thought of his own death.
Diluc frowned and took his hands off Kaeya’s shoulders. A small part of Kaeya’s twisted mind silently thanked the past pain that drained most of Kaeya’s energy, effectively keeping his hand—that twitched for his estranged brother to hold him again—down. The red head stood up and looked downwards at Kaeya before sighing. He squatted, turning his back against Kaeya and holding out his hands behind him.
Kaeya simply stared at his back, occasionally at his hands and flickering to his head in hopes to see his facial expression that was well hidden behind his puffs of curly red hair.
After a few moments, Diluc spoke up.. softly. Yet there was still a grounding tone to it.
“Get on. We’re going home.”
Kaeya glanced down at his own body, suddenly feeling slivers of pain near his arms and hip. Surely enough, there were blood stains on his clothes, a rather deep cut on his right leg. Looking next to it, he saw the ceramic shard responsible.
“Sorry.” He blurted out, suddenly remembering the vase.
Diluc didn’t move, staying down in his piggyback ride position. Instead, he spoke up once again after a moment.
“..Get on.”
Kaeya obliged, too tired to get on but far more too tired to argue.
With a soft thump, his chest leaned on Diluc’s back and all of a sudden, he felt himself being hauled up as the red headed man stood up.
A click was heard as the tavern door opened, the two estranged brothers heading out.
It was a timely walk.
They had just passed by Kaeya’s house but he paid no mind. Perhaps Diluc was taking him to the Cathedral to be healed. Kaeya closed his eyes, finding comfort in the warmth of Diluc’s body and the rhythmic steps he took as he carried Kaeya on his back.
After what felt like a long while of walking, he finally felt Diluc stop. Opening his eyes, Kaeya expected to see the sight of the Cathedral.
What Kaeya did not expect to see (though a tiny spark in his heart felt absolutely overjoyed) was the sight of Dawn Winery standing in all its rich-people glory.
Kaeya thought back to what Diluc had said earlier.
“We’re going home.”
Home.
Diluc took Kaeya to Dawn Winery.
Home.
Kaeya let a smile stretch upon his face. He finally allowed his exhaustion to catch up with him, his eyes fluttering close against his brother’s back.
Diluc finally felt the full weight of Kaeya’s head fall onto his back. He smiled.
And the two brothers made their way back inside home.