Work Text:
Kaeya slowly walked into Angels Share while spreading his arms broadly. He could go relax with some wine and irritate his brother because it had been a long day of essentially doing nothing.
However, he was taken aback when he realised Diluc wasn't present today. He usually worked tonight, Kaeya made sure to memorise his schedule.
"Good evening, Charles." Kaeya began as he gracefully walked to the counter and sat on a barstool. "Where's Master Diluc?" He calmly entered the chat he was having alone.
Charles greeted him with reverence as he turned to face him.
"He has a business trip to Liyue tomorrow, didn't you hear? I'd have assumed he told you."
Kaeya was mentally hurt and felt betrayed. He and Diluc were both on relatively good terms, and yet Diluc still decided to avoid telling Kaeya anything.
He cursed under his breath.
"Where is he?"
"He just left, actually. You missed him. If I were to guess, it would likely be in the stables." Charles said while turning to face the customers placing drink orders.
Damn, he would have to be fast to catch up with him.
"Okay, thanks Charles." He then nearly ran out the tavern door after saying that.
***
When Kaeya spotted Diluc, he was loading his horse up with some items. Perfect timing
"Diluc!" He called out, panting as slowed down upon reaching an appropriate distance.
Diluc rolled his eyes as he reluctantly turned around, and Kaeya could see it.
"What do you want?" He replied, a hint of displeasure permeating his voice.
Kaeya placed his hands on his hips.
"I heard you were taking a trip for work. And you didn't tell me?" Kaeya was the one irritated this time. If he didn't know Diluc's location the most of the time, he worried too much about him.
"Didn't think you needed to know," Diluc shrugged, as if it didn't matter at all. Sometimes Diluc was a wreck emotionally, and Kaeya was the only one who could assist. Given everything that had transpired in the past, he didn't have faith in Diluc alone.
"Fine, don't tell me things then." Kaeya sighed and momentarily pulled his hair back from his face. "But, I'm coming with you." He abruptly said while smirking intently.
Diluc gave him a moment of blank stare before crossing his arms.
"Absolutely not." What a simple response that was. "You're not required to come. You are a Knight, you have a job to do here, and I have a job to do in Liyue." He continued, turning around to carry on with what he was doing.
"But it is my responsibility as a Knight to ensure that Mondstadt's residents get at their intended location without incident. It would still be my responsibility, then." Kaeya commented in his arrogant manner. Diluc froze and quickly turned around to face Kaeya.
"I don't need protecting, especially from you." He made an aggressive gesture while speaking, pointing at Kaeya. What was the intended meaning of that?
"Dear brother, I'm doing you a favour."
"You're not, in all honesty. Just because I experienced abuse for the majority of my childhood does not make me weak. I don't require it. I can look after myself." Diluc spoke in a shaky voice.
Once more, he was thinking too much.
"Diluc, I don't think you're weak. In any case, having an extra hand would be beneficial." Kaeya clarified in an effort to put things in perspective. He was stronger than Kaeya, therefore it stands to reason that he didn't think Diluc was weak. One small fight would never be enough to take him down.
Simply put, Kaeya didn't want to be alone once more.
"Additionally, you abandoned me to wallow in my own shame and loneliness for four years. Surely this will suffice as payment for it?" Diluc bowed his head. Kaeya was aware that Diluc had no malice in going missing for so long, yet it still hurt.
Diluc sighed, dropping his arms that were crossed to his sides.
"This is a business trip. Strictly speaking, for the greater good of Mondstadts beloved wine. Do not get in my way." He threatened. Kaeya's mood gradually improved.
He only wanted to be sure of what he had heard, so he questioned, "Does this mean you are letting me come with you?" Diluc hesitantly nodded, perhaps already second-guessing his choice.
"I'm leaving at 6:00AM tomorrow sharp, I'll leave without you if you aren't at the Winery by then." He clarified, turning back to his horse and climbing on its saddle.
6:00AM? Is he joking? He'd have to wake up at atleast 4 to even get there on time! Is nobody thinking about his urgent need for sleep?
"Are you for real? Do you want me to stay awake the entire night?" Kaeya made an irate noise. Nobody dared to disturb him when he was having a lovely sleep. The latest he was awake was 7:30.
"You're the one who wanted to come." Diluc had enough of him. His point made sense though.
"Just let me spend tonight at the Winery. It will be simpler for us both." Kaeya had a wonderful suggestion, and it was worth pursuing.
Diluc stood still before yielding and sighing.
"Fine, bring your horse and let's go."
Kaeya nodded eagerly and walked over to his white mare, complementary to Diluc's black stallion. As a result of their familiarity with one another, travelling was made simpler for both Diluc and Kaeya.
Kaeya eventually mounted his horse and set off with Diluc to Dawn Winery.
***
Diluc had kept Kaeya in the dark about the trip because he was certain he would insist on going. He assumed Charles had told Kaeya, in which Diluc would have to talk to him later.
Diluc was prone to getting distracted even doing things that were quite crucial, like these travels. Kaeya was the epitome of obnoxious, after all. He simply hoped that it wouldn't have a long-term impact on him because he disliked declining people, especially Kaeya. He would always come up with some reasonable justification, and if Diluc refused, he would look horrible.
Diluc suddenly woke up in the early hours of the morning, nearly two hours before the scheduled time. He ought to have gotten more sleep, but his body wouldn't allow it. This is probably why he looked tired all the time. Go to bed late, wake up way too early. Unless Adelinde had him stay in bed due to ill health, he rarely got enough sleep.
Diluc got out of bed, groggily rubbed his eyes, and left his room to go to the kitchen and fetch a drink. Cold water would wake him up well enough.
With the exception of a few candles, all the lights in the winery were off and it was pitch black. The sun still wasn't up, and the place didn't start running until 6. As a result, only the sporadic crackling sounds of the distant flames could be heard.
In reality, Diluc dreaded travelling for work. He would rather stay in locations he was familiar with because it was far too impractical. In his journeys to Snezhnaya, Diluc had already seen Liyue a few times, but he never stayed for very long. He had no prior knowledge of the location. He'd be less alone, so maybe having Kaeya along wouldn't be that horrible. It was preferable to have two foreign visitors than just one.
In order to feel the chill of the condensation drop onto his skin, Diluc filled a glass with ice cold water and held it motionless in his bare hand. He stared at the clear liquid, looking at his dim reflection.
He didn't like how much his father looked like him. The blazing look, fiery eyes, and red hair... Diluc felt as though a hole was being burned through him every time he looked at his Father, despite the fact that he did not have a Vision of his own.
"I can hear your thoughts all the way from my room." Diluc was startled enough to almost drop the glass when a voice called. He believed that everyone else was sleeping.
"Why are you awake?" Diluc asked as he turned back and looked bewildered at his brother. He didn't think he was overly loud. Diluc was quite reluctant to disturb anyone.
"I could ask the same question of you. I'm a light sleeper, I heard you turn the water on." Kaeya explained, yawning in an unimpressed manner. Whenever he got awakened earlier than necessary, he was never in a particularly pleasant mood.
"Oh. Sorry." Diluc turned back around and apologised before taking a sip from the glass. "I figured I'd get an early start because I couldn't sleep." As he spoke, he disposed of the empty cup in the sink for later use. That statement was partially accurate, but he didn't intend to prepare till later. To help himself relax a little, he planned to wander around aimlessly.
"What's bothering you, exactly?" Kaeya asked, his arms folded and leant against a nearby wall. Diluc felt fortunate that Kaeya cared for him after all he had done to him in the past.
"No… No, I'm fine. I'm just used to being woken up at this time. By myself, that is."
"That isn't healthy; given your schedule, you need to get enough rest." Kaeya groaned. He had Diluc's schedule, but how?
"You're not required to direct how I conduct my life. I know what I'm doing." He replied icily and turned his head once more. He already took medications for his sleep issues, so that was sufficient for the time being. He had no need for advice in any situation.
Kaeya shrugged, not being as insistent as usual, "If you say so." He couldn't blame him, after all. He must have been exhausted because it was just after 4 in the morning.
"You know, you can go back to sleep." Diluc reminded him. Kaeya was aware that he could but chose not to.
"Not unless you do." He grinned, clearly aware of what he was doing, forcing Diluc to make a decision in his favour. If he wanted Kaeya to have enough rest, Diluc had to have some too. It made sense in that case. But, either way, he didn't want to deal with Kaeya this early in the morning.
"Fine, if it means you'll stop bugging me."
***
Diluc had returned to bed as Kaeya had advised, but he wasn't necessarily asleep. He just stared at the ceiling for the next hour before he actually had to get up, which was what he was doing now. He was packing up some things for the overnight stays they would have to make, because they couldn't keep travelling constantly, the horses needed rest too, and Liyue was quite far overall.
Going to Liyue for something as basic as a meeting between wine businesses bothered him even now.
Time went by quickly and they were already outside loading up their horses after having a quick meal for breakfast. Just as the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon, it faintly touched everything in its path, giving it an orange tint. At this point, Diluc's hair was more noticeable than ever.
"You sure this is all we need?" Kaeya briefly turned to face him and questioned him. Diluc gave a nod.
"It's just a meeting, that's all. Nothing special." Diluc replied, while also giving his horse a gentle stroke.
"Alright, well I'm ready when you are then. Where would we first stop?" Kaeya questioned him, inquiring as to their earlier plans. He didn't anticipate a nonstop journey.
"Just wherever we can, I suppose. I'll decide along the way."
Kaeya rubbed his forehead and sighed. Diluc either made impulsive decisions or had extremely detailed plans. "You're the one who wanted to come, so you get to listen to me." Diluc responded to Kaeya's mental ideas by reminding him.
"Yes, yes, I understand. Let's go on." He dismissed him by waving his hand.
***
At first, it was very normal. Diluc had bid everyone farewell and given them instructions on what they should do over the next few days, and then he had hurriedly left with Kaeya. The only items in their luggage were spare clothing and a few basic items.
They chose a less obvious route with fewer foes than there should be because they didn't want to encounter any enemies along the way. It would be quite difficult to run into them in this way or at all. Diluc was tired of battling obstacles in his path.
There had been very little verbal communication between the boys during this time. All they were hearing was the mediocre trotting of the horses as their hooves hit the dirt.
***
Even though it was becoming late and they hadn't intended to stop somewhere other than the Harbour, they had to rest the horses and themselves by stopping at a random abandoned treasure hoarding camp they came across.
Only another day trip would get them to their destination as they were already halfway there.
Kaeya, who was seated in front of the fire and holding two prepared fruit skewers in his hand, stated,
"I prepared fruity skewers."
He hadn't eaten in a while, yet he wasn't hungry. Diluc was supposedly losing his ability to feel hungry since he couldn't get rid of the persistent anxiety. Why did he feel so worried? Nothing could possible go wrong, in this situation. Or was it only the presence of Kaeya? Was he getting nervous about that?
"Diluc?" After waiting for an answer, Kaeya spoke out once more. Diluc swiftly turned to face him after realising.
"Oh, I'm sorry." He apologised and took one of the sticks out of Kaeya's hands so he wouldn't have to decline once again. He occasionally nibbled on it but never finished it. He acknowledged that Kaeya could be a good cook when he wanted to be, so it's not that he didn't like his cooking.
Diluc wasn't eating much of it, which caught Kaeya's attention, but he refrained from pressing the issue. Did he still have Father on his mind?
Kaeya groaned and relaxed on the spread-out sleeping bags.
"Why didn't we just stop at Wangshu Inn?" Logically, it should have been much nicer than this tiny scrap camp, so he inquired. Also much better cuisine.
Diluc joined him in taking it easy and unwinding a little.
"I don't know," He sighed, "effort, maybe? We're not exactly lifting light loads here." He gave the horses a fleeting glance.
"When did you start whining about effort? And I have no doubt that they frequently work with animals." Kaeya answered. Diluc didn't sound at all like this. "Hey, are you okay?" He added on, leaning up into his elbow to look at Diluc.
"I'm fine." A shallow lie. "Why?" He acted as if he was unaware of Kaeya's question.
"You don't exactly appear to be eating, and you constantly project worry. Are you confident that the meeting won't worry you?"
"Huh? Obviously not. I attend these meetings far too frequently to become concerned about them."
"So why are you acting this way?" Kaeya emphasised the reason.
In all honesty, Diluc had no idea. He didn't understand why Kaeya was asking now since he had always been this way.
"Nothing is wrong; just get some rest. We're arriving tomorrow." He brushed it off before turning around and resting on his side. The only sound they both heard was the crack of the fire entering their ears, and he heard Kaeya dismissively huff before doing the same.
***
When the sun had already begun to rise over the mountains, they were well on their way. If they wanted to get to the harbour before noon, they had to move quickly.
Of course, many complaints happened about having to get up so early, but Kaeya wanted to go along, so it was up to him to put up with the annoying things Diluc would do.
And they arrived at the time Diluc anticipated. Today's meeting was scheduled for immediately after their customary post-dinner gathering. This meant that after eating dinner, Diluc would attend the meeting, reserve lodging for the night, and depart the following morning. Easy.
The Millelith that had been guarding the entry had kindly guided both Diluc and Kaeya away to the stables so that they could leave their horses in good care for the night.
"Finally here," Kaeya muttered as they were moving through the streets and passing by the bustling harbour. "What are you going to do with the free time we have?" He asked, quickening his step so he could talk besides Diluc.
And Diluc, the person in charge of practically everything's planning, overlooked that.
"I... I don't know." With guilt, he answered. How could he have overlooked the brief window of time they had?
"Seriously?" Kaeya scowled, seemingly irritated. "You've actually been here before. Take me around; you know what's in this place."
"I was here briefly. I walked right in and right out. At the time, there was nothing that needed to be done here." Diluc groaned.
"I apologise for interrupting, but I overheard that the two of you needed to pass some time." They were almost startled by the deep voice that emerged from behind them both. When Kaeya quickly turned around, Diluc's eyes followed.
The man wore really elegant Liyue clothing and had long brown hair with lighter tips.
"As a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, my name is Zhongli. I happen to know a lot about the area, so maybe that will amuse you? I can offer you both a good tour as well." The man, Zhongli explained gracefully. Although his speech sounded monotone as well, it was also packed with genuine emotion.
Kaeya returned his smile.
"Actually, that would be fantastic. Before Diluc's appointment, we do indeed need to kill some time." He spoke, unnecessarily leaning on Diluc's shoulder.
Diluc was perplexed as to how Kaeya could so readily place his trust in a total stranger.
"Oh, you're the renowned Mondstadt wine businessman? I'm glad you could be here." Diluc extended his hand in anticipation of a handshake from Zhongli, who appeared to recognise him. Well, who couldn't really.
"Oh, right. Nice to meet you. We appreciate you helping us." He graciously returned the greeting by shaking hands.
While waiting to learn Kaeya's identity, Zhongli also turned to shake his hand.
"Master Diluc's escort," he began, "Kaeya Alberich, Calvary Caption of the Knights of Favonius." He shook Zhongli's hand while grinning and aimed to torment Diluc. Just a silent head shake would do.
"Okay, now that introductions are through, how about we go on?" Zhongli got right to the point by leading the brothers like a guide. They had to follow him since they truly had no other option.
***
They had only made it through about half of the marketplaces after a couple hours. Zhongli had what seemed to be a propensity of going into great detail about the origins of particular rocks or the timeline of specific incidents. The entire time, Kaeya and Diluc did nothing but follow him and listen. It certainly passed the time, despite the fact that they couldn't say they were bored.
Zhongli hummed while gazing up at the sky.
"Before your meeting, why don't you join me for dinner? It's becoming late." Offering much, he extended an invitation. Diluc could see that Kaeya had gotten rather fond of Zhongli because he readily consented.
They had arrived at a well-known outdoor eatery that Zhongli claimed he frequently visited with a friend. And they were scheduled to be joined by that acquaintance.
Zhongli soon led Kaeya and Diluc there when a man with ginger hair got up and waved for them.
"Brought some new friends, Mister Zhongli?" He looked at Zhongli and inquired as he sat slowly, noting the two strange faces.
Where they were standing, Kaeya had started to go up, but Diluc hadn't yet done so. There was something off about this person. The mask of Fatui, the Snezhnayan clothing-
"Kaeya wait." Kaeya's wrist was abruptly grasped by Diluc, who then pushed him away from them, effectively protecting him.
"Diluc-?"
"That man is Fatui!" He gritted his teeth in rage and was on the verge of shouting. He was particularly a Harbinger, and he was dangerous.
The Harbinger stood up perplexed, but soon started to smile as he slowly approached them.
"Pretty perceptive of you- wait a moment," He paused after taking a closer look at Diluc's face. "I know you! The one who went out slaughtering a bunch of capable Fatui soldiers-"
"That's enough, Childe." While still seated, Zhongli spoke up. "Childe" apologised and turned back to face him.
"I apologise; that was quite impolite of me. Let's put that behind us and eat something, shall we?" Childe sat back down at the table and waved it off with a big smile.
Diluc was still dissatisfied with the situation as it was.
"You can finally let go, Diluc. It'll be alright, I'm positive." Diluc was reminded of what he was securely grasping by Kaeya as he sneered. Reluctantly releasing his hold, Diluc observed Kaeya approach and take a seat. Diluc followed suit.
***
Even if this Childe didn't appear to be a threat right away, he couldn't let his guard down.
They had all just finished eating, and at this point, everyone seemed to be conversing often. All except Diluc, who didn't even touch his own food and spent the entire time glaring idly at Childe while lost in contemplation.
"Now I know you seem to clearly not like me, but would it kill for you to stop staring at me with the intention of murder?" Diluc's mood, which if anything wasn't calming the environment, was brought up by The Harbinger.
Diluc resisted speaking to or hearing from Childe. He didn't need to.
Kaeya leant close and said, "Diluc," placing a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to converse with him, but why don't you at least eat something?" Looking at the unattended platter of food, he questioned.
"We have no business being here." When Diluc finally spoke, he turned away from Childe and looked at Kaeya instead of paying any attention to the fact that he had previously instructed the latter to eat.
"Luc-" Kaeya spoke again, but Diluc stood up before he could say anything else.
"I have to go." As he said, he quickly got up from the table and headed out in the general direction of his meeting. Not even time has passed yet.
Kaeya sighed and supported himself with his hand.
"You two seem to be close; how would you describe your bond?" Kaeya wasn't confident about the question Zhongli asked out of the blue.
He just spoke the word "siblings." There was no point in lying now, even if it would undoubtedly prompt some inquiries.
"Siblings? You two look nothing alike." Childe entered the discussion.
"I'm adopted." Kaeya gave a brief and direct response as well. Childe made a brief realising noise before nodding in agreement.
"I adore all of my siblings, of whom I have plenty. I refer to the younger ones. I'd do anything for them." He continued rambling, which caused Zhongli to chuckle a little. For a Harbinger, Childe didn't seem very heartless.
"Yeah. I wish it were that way."
***
It was later in the evening and the meeting had gone without a hitch. As soon as Diluc left the area, he quickly clasped his hands. When did it start getting so cold?
Since it had been a few hours, he was also unsure about Kaeya's location.
Diluc spent much too much time scanning the area before he recognised a voice behind him.
"I'm right here." Diluc turned to face Kaeya as he spoke.
"You're not hurt, are you?" He questioned while examining Kaeya's stance for anything odd or to see if he was concealing anything. He didn't intend to abandon him with a Harbinger by alone.
"Im- fine, but what about you? How was the meeting?" Kaeya dismissed him, so there was no need for concern.
"It was ordinary. Simply conducting business; nothing more." He said while a little yawning.
"Hey…" Kaeya gave him a worried glance. "You're shaking; are you alright?"
"It's freezing."
"No, it isn't,"
"Since you have a cryo vision, you probably are accustomed to it."
"Yes, and you have one from Pyro. Get warmed up."
"Right. Let's hurry and find a room."
***
They were given a room, but only a single-bed one because all the larger rooms were already taken. It didn't worry either of them because it just lasted one night. Nothing major.
Diluc felt dizzy as they were making their way up the stairs at this point. He had experienced faintness on the journey before, but not to this extent. Was he really losing so much energy climbing these stairs?
Behind him, Kaeya noticed something wasn't right.
He murmured softly, "Hey." Diluc spun around and appeared noticeably paler than normal.
"Kaeya I don't-" Before he could finish, however, he clenched his head and fell violently into Kaeya after losing his footing on one of the stairs. Fortunately, he had the strength to grab him before they both fell down the stairs.
"Diluc!" He yelled out, but no response followed. Diluc appeared to have fainted and was dead unconscious. He had to not be eating enough for this to be the case.
Kaeya quickened his step, hurried to their room, shut the door, and placed Diluc on the bed. Even though he had earlier claimed to be cold, he was now sweating profusely, and things were not looking good.
Diluc ought to have paid attention to him and eaten.
Kaeya got up to get a glass of water for him when he woke, hopefully cooling him down a little. Then he would make an effort to get him to eat.
***
When Diluc awoke, the room was dark. He was resting flat on the room's only bed without his coat. He was unable to sit up because of a persistent headache that only got worse.
He heard Kaeya exclaim, "Diluc," with a tone of relief as he started to approach. "You really gave me a scare there." He made an effort to mask his anxiety.
"What…?" Diluc was, to put it mildly, confused. A glass of water was then shoved in his face as he felt Kaeya's hand on his back push him up into a sitting position as if he couldn't do it on his own. "What are you doing?" He asked, softly because he was confused.
"You fainted, nearly sending both of us tumbling down the stairs. You must exercise much greater caution." Diluc took the glass from Kaeya and began to drink it as Kaeya spoke. That's correct; he felt terribly dizzy before suddenly appearing here. That must be what took place.
"Sorry," He apologised. He had never before felt this ill.
"It's fine, don't worry about it. But you must improve your eating habits." Kaeya nearly reprimanded. Is that the reason he felt more frail-? He was completely unaware. "Why aren't you eating, Diluc?" He firmly yet tenderly questioned, wanting a response. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"What? No, just busy, that's all."
Kaeya stared at him in disbelief.
"So you were busy when we were clearly alone and doing nothing else but looking at your food like you were disgusted by it?"
Diluc defended himself by saying, "I don't do that.
Kaeya groaned, "Nothing is going to harm you while you eat, you know."
"I'm just... never hungry," Diluc repeated, still baffled.
Kaeya shrugged him off as he exited the room in quest of food, "Yes, since your body is used to being given nothing. I'll be right back with a sandwich or something."
Diluc was unaware of the difficulty he was getting himself into. All that unwanted anxiety was stopping him from doing something most essential to keep him alive in the first place. Even so, his father's frequent meal skipping had undoubtedly created the habit.
He groaned and slumped back onto the bed, gazing up towards the roof. He needed to lessen his worry. Everything was done now, the meeting was over and they could go back home. Except for the fact that there was a Harbinger in the city acting nice and trying to be friends with everyone. That, though, was not Diluc's issue. It was not his responsibility to interfere because he was not a local.
"Here, I found a chicken sandwich. You shouldn't have too much trouble with that, right?" Kaeya walked into the room with the contents that Diluc's body desperately needed, although he didn't feel like it. He merely wanted to go to bed because he was exhausted.
"Yeah, whatever. Give it here." Holding out his hand in anticipation of receiving it, he sat back up.
He got the sandwich and started gently eating it as Kaeya got ready for the evening. To stop Kaeya from bugging him any more, Diluc was too lethargic to do anything else but eat.
Diluc eventually finished it all, though it took a while. Moreover, it didn't feel right. His body was rejecting the food and he was starting to feel sick once more.
"Kaeya I'm going to-" Before he could finish, he rolled to his side and regurgitated all that was in his stomach into the bin next to the bed. He cursed under his breath.
Kaeya shrugged, not even feeling a little sorry for Diluc. "At least you tried," he said. "We could try once more in the morning."
"Shut up." Diluc spit out in an abrupt manner, enclosing himself in the bed's covers. He was overwhelmed, sick and tired of everything that was wrong with him, and he wanted to cry.
"Luc…" As he climbed into bed next to Diluc, Kaeya whispered softly. "Don't worry, we'll work it out."
"Why does this happen to me?" Diluc struggled to speak and coughed while desperately feigning not to be crying. "I'm just trying to live my- miserable life normally." He conceded. Diluc hadn't anticipated anything else getting in the way, but things weren't going to go well for him if eating turned out to be a problem.
Diluc was hauled in for an embrace by Kaeya after being pulled over to face him. Diluc hadn't rejected and instead clung into the fabric of Kaeya's nightclothes and began crying into them. In an effort to console Diluc, Kaeya gently stroked his hair.
Was Diluc's life truly that chaotic for him to repeatedly cry in front of his brother?
"You need to quit worrying because you are stronger than you think. The situation will be fine. Get some rest for the time being. Maybe the morning will make you feel better." Diluc was probably never going to grow used to Kaeya's soothing tones when he spoke, yet he did so.
He responded with a nod before ultimately falling asleep after crying out all of his last energy.
***
The morning rushed by once more because of the poor quality of the previous night's sleep. He had no issue falling asleep, but he had trouble staying asleep. Additionally, he was unable to go exploring because he didn't want to wake Kaeya up.
Kaeya woke up shortly after Diluc waited motionlessly and fixed his gaze on the ceiling for him to do so.
"Don't tell me you've been up for a while," Kaeya sighed upon noticing Diluc's awakened state. He was too familiar to him.
Diluc just said, "Maybe," refusing to elaborate further on the situation.
Kaeya stood up and left the bed.
"So, how are you feeling?" He questioned while extending his arms. The bed was rather cramped for space.
"Somewhat better." Diluc answered briefly. It was true that he wasn't as sick as he had been, but he still needed to eat to stay energised.
"Well, come on then. Get ready so we can get breakfast." Diluc was raised off the bed by Kaeya.
***
"Well, due to Zhongli, we've seen every food vendor. Do you have anything in mind?" As they were moving through the Harbour, Kaeya questioned. It wasn't a particularly busy morning, but Diluc supposed that it was probably like this everyday.
"I'm not sure. There is nothing particularly enticing." He acknowledged, taking a quick check around.
"You just haven't tried it before, I'll pick something for you." Kaeya continued, thoroughly inspecting the place.
"I wonder if some Matsutake Meat Rolls would be good to take along. I'll guarantee they're good. We can divide, I'll be back shortly." Kaeya just went off to get food as he spoke way too hastily, leaving Diluc all alone and speechless.
In essence, Kaeya simply vanished from his view, causing his anxiety to return. He refrained from moving out of fear that Kaeya would return and find him gone, making it impossible for them to get home.
"I figured you'd already be on your way back, so I wasn't expecting to see you out here," A voice that Diluc didn't like could be heard approaching from behind him.
"What are you doing here?" He turned to confront Childe, who would unquestionably have the upper hand if they got into a fight given Diluc's current state.
"I couldn't help but notice you were by yourself... Where's your brother?" Childe looked around and questioned sarcastically.
"My…?" Diluc seemed perplexed; who had told him that they were brothers? But it was already apparent. "He's getting food for the trip home." He gave a brief response because he was done talking to the Harbinger.
Diluc attempted to turn around and follow Kaeya's path, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"Leaving so quickly? Why can't we talk?" Childe seemed upset, almost as if he were making fun of it. He clearly just wanted to annoy Diluc according to his demeanour.
"Don't touch me," Diluc whipped around as anger laced his tone, almost growling at the man. He did not want to be here.
Then, out of nowhere, Kaeya returned, carrying a bag, but he hastened over as soon as he noticed Diluc and Childe there.
"Hey now…" To prevent a fight, Kaeya stood up to Diluc and pushed him away from Childe. "You aren't in any condition to be starting fights." Kaeya reminded him, looking at him worryingly before looking back to Childe.
"Sorry about that, but we best get going now." Kaeya didn't bother saying goodbye as he ushered Diluc away.
"You aren't trying to put yourself on a Harbinger's hit list, are you?" As they moved far away from Childe, Kaeya scolded him.
Diluc shrugged. "Certainly not the first... You have observed Dottore's gaze onto me and the others." He shakes when he ponders the time he visited Snezhnaya. Kaeya groaned.
"Well, we don't want any more trouble. Let's just get ready to leave."
"Gladly."
***
They removed their horses from the stables and walked away silently. Diluc's only concern was getting home as quickly as possible. Already, this journey has set off a lot of unneeded events.
He heard Kaeya remark, "Anyway," and he started rummaging through his bag. "Since we obviously didn't get a chance back there, let's eat this." He extended the plate so Diluc could take a roll off of it. He'll admit they did have a nice appearance. Perhaps he isn't against eating them after all.
He seized one, put it to his mouth, and muttered, "Thanks," as he slowly consumed it. Kaeya mimicked his smile by doing the same.
Diluc didn't feel the constant impulse to throw up what he had just eaten this time. That gave him a sense of relief.
"That was good." He conceded. After leaving the Harbour, Diluc looked to have calmed down a bit, which may have contributed to his ease with the food.
"Well there's one thing you like. It's too bad we didn't receive more." Kaeya sighed and shrugged. "I mean, I was going to anyway, but I saw you with Childe and had to come over."
"Can we please stop bringing him up? I don't like him." Diluc glanced to the side and sighed.
"Oh, yeah sorry." Kaeya immediately complied. Diluc was still baffled as to how he could act so normally in his presence. That idea didn't appeal to him. What if something bad had happened because he wasn't there to stop it?
Kaeya got his horse to walk close to Diluc's so he could punch him in the shoulder.
"What- was that for Kaeya?" As Diluc massaged his injured shoulder after Kaeya's abrupt collision, he did not appear too impressed.
"Quit overthinking. We are going home now, no more problems." Kaeya mock-rebuked him.
Diluc reluctantly nodded.
"Yeah… you're right. Sorry."
"And stop apologising, nothing is your fault." Again, Kaeya spoke. At this point he would critique everything Diluc said that was aimed against himself.
"The night after we return home, I'll be staying over. So that you can have the soup without any problems, I'll ask Adelinde to make it again." Kaeya continued, bringing the conversation back home.
"You don't have to," Diluc noted, turning back to face Kaeya.
"But I'm going to. There are no excuses this time." He declared with assurance.
Diluc laughed as he noted Kaeya's sincerity. "Whatever you say."