Chapter Text
It was a stormy night. The clock had read 9 o’clock and young Diluc was worried about his father. Diluc’s father had gone to work earlier that morning and he normally gets home around 6:30, but it’s 9:01 and Adeline hadn’t gotten any information upon his father arriving home late.
Diluc was walking in circles around the house, books and toys long forgotten. Adeline walked into the living area to clean up Diluc’s forgotten belongings. “Adeline when is dad coming home? He hasn’t come home yet. He was supposed to home earlier. Is he injured? Did something happen to him? Adeline-“ Diluc had choke on a sob. He was a big boy, and big boys don’t cry. Adeline felt sorry for him. The young boy lost his mother at a very young age and all he had left was his beloved father, Crepus. Diluc had never been separated from his father this long without any warning that he would be home late. She walked over to the small red head and patted his head. “I’m sure nothings happened to him, maybe he just got caught up in something at work?” Diluc sniffled and rubbed his eyes to catch any tears that were threatening to fall. “Mhm..”
“How about this, you help me finish tidying the living room and then we can go out to the front and wait for your father to come back. How does that sound?” Adeline rubbed his back trying to comfort him. While it didn’t give Diluc an answer on when his father would return, it did give him something to do. “..Okay.” Adeline gave the boy one final pat on his back before rolling up her sleeves. “Well we better get to work then, unless you want to miss the chance of seeing you dad pull up in the drive way.” Diluc looked up and nodded at Adeline. He copied her and rolled up his sleeves and together they started cleaning up the living area.
It was 10:32 when Diluc saw the front gates of their home open up. He immediately tugged on Adeline’s hand and she hurried inside the grab an umbrella and Diluc’s coat. Once diluc was in his jacket, Adeline opened the umbrella and grabbed the young boy’s hand so they could walk down the front porch of the house. When they got to the drive way where Crepus was parked, Diluc immediately let go of Adeline’s hand and ran to his father as soon as he saw the door of the car open.
“Diluc! It’s raining!” Adeline yelled for him but all he could focus on was getting to his father.
“Dad!” The boy ran into his father’s legs and hugged them tightly. “Dad! I missed you so much! Where were you? Why were you gone for so long?” He eyes began to sting again but this time he didn’t care. He was just glad his father was okay and finally home.
Crepus picked him up and held him in his arms. Diluc immediately shoved his face in his dad’s shoulder letting the tears run down his face. “I’m sorry Diluc. Dad had something come up and I hadn’t gotten the chance to text Adeline. I’m here now.” His father rubbed his back as Diluc attempted to calm down. Big boys don’t cry.
“So.. why were you gone so long?…” His father placed him back down on the ground right when Adeline managed to catch up. She hung the umbrella over the two. “You both are going to catch a cold standing in the middle of a storm like this.” Crepus let out a soft laugh as he walked to the back seat of the car. “Sorry Adeline, but I think you should be more worried about this guy” He opened the door and mumbled something to someone. He bent down and when he stood back up there was a kid in his arms.
The little boy was wearing Crepus’s jacket. He had blue hair and was wearing an eye patch. Diluc doesn’t know this kid. He’s never seen him before at school or in town. The blue haired boy met eyes with Diluc. He tugged on the older man’s shirt and whispered something before Crepus set him down.
Diluc and the other boy stared at each other for a long time. The younger smiled at him and sticked his hand out the jacket towards Diluc. “Kaeya.” Diluc stared at the kid’s hand before taking it into his own. “Diluc.” Kaeya’s eyes seemed to glimmer with innocence. “Diluc..” He tested it, seeing how it sounds from his own mouth. “..Diluc!” Kaeya giggled. Diluc guessed he liked his name. He smiled back at Kaeya.
Adeline had finally registered what was going on before she gasped. “Sir! Where did you find this child?” She gave Crepus the umbrella before quickly grabbing Kaeya into her arms. Diluc felt a little disappointed already having Kaeya taken from him. “Found him along side the rode walking alone. Apparently his father left him somewhere and he’s been searching for a place to get out the storm. I offered to look for him but after a few hours of searching we weren’t able to find him so I brought this guy back home with me.” Adeline sighed. “Well we all ought to get out this rain before we all catch a cold. Come on Diluc.”
They all rushed inside the house, Kaeya still in Adeline’s arms. Once they were inside she placed Kaeya down to go grab some towels to dry themselves.
“Diluc.” Diluc looked to where his name was being called and it turns out to be Kaeya. He beamed. “Yes Kaeya?” Kaeya stood there before walking over to Diluc and grabbing his hand again. He smiled contently. While Diluc didn’t mind the gesture he was a little confused. “Dad, why doesn’t Kaeya talk much?” Crepus smiled at the two. “It might be that he speaks another language than us? We’ll have to teach him how to speak our’s so that we can communicate properly.” Diluc nodded in acknowledgment.
Adeline came back with towels for the three of them. “Diluc, once you and Kaeya have dried yourselves.. why don’t you take him to the bathroom so he can wash off?” “Okay!”
For the rest of the night, Diluc helped Kaeya with whatever he thought he needed. He gave him a change of clothes, he took kaeya to the kitchen and had one of the chefs make them some tea so they could warm up more, (Of course using his manners. His father raised him to be a polite boy.) and even walked him to the guest bedroom so Kaeya could rest.
“My room is that room over there down the hall. If you need anything I’ll be over there.” Kaeya tilted his head to the side, confused. “Oh.. uhm… My room, that door, me, Diluc, there.” Diluc didn’t know what language Kaeya spoke so he had to break down his words to put it as simple as he could and Kaeya seemed to understand, at least he hoped he did. They stood there in silence again before Kaeya spoke up. “H-Ha..ve a gud.. nite.” He looked proud of himself. “Hm? Can you repeat that?” Kaeya’s proud look dissipated into a look of disappointment. “Nite. Have a gud nite. Crepus said.” “Ohh! Night! Oh.” Diluc face slapped himself and it startled Kaeya. “Sorry- You have a good night as well.” He smiled at him and Kaeya returned it. He watched Kaeya close the door before he went to his own respective room.
It was late into the night when Diluc heard a knock on his door. At first he thought it was his father making sure he was asleep until he heard a muffled voice. “Diluc..” He jumped out of bed and walked over to the door. He opened it and there stood Kaeya. “Yes?” Kaeya opened his mouth to say something but then closed it. He was shaking slightly. “Want to come in?” He gestures into his room and Kaeya nodded.
When Diluc closed his door Kaeya had immediately hugged onto him. “S-sorry..” He mumbled into Diluc’s shoulder. This boy confuses him. “Why are you sorry? There isn’t anything to be sorry for.” Kaeya’s grip had only tightened. “Sorry.” Diluc sighed. He doesn’t know what goes on in his mind but he doesn’t press. “We should sleep, it’s late and I have school later. You can sleep in my bed if it helps?..” Diluc pointed at himself then his bed. Kaeya nodded and Diluc walked over to his bed and crawled onto it before settling down. He patted the spot next to him for Kaeya to come over. Once Kaeya was next to him, Diluc made sure he was comfy and laid down. “Can’t sleep?” Kaeya nodded again. “Um.. here I’ll sing you a lullaby.” Diluc sat up and placed Kaeya’s head in his lap, just like how his mother would when he would come crying into their room when he had nightmares.
“Guten Abend, gut’ Nacht”
He was still shaken by his dream.
“Mit Rosen bedacht”
His mother’s voice was soft,
“Mit Näglein besteckt”
He loved her singing.
“Schlupf unter die Deck”
He hanged onto the lyrics.
“Morgen Früh wenn Gott will”
He would curl up to her every time
“Wirst du wieder geweckt”
While she’s pet his hair softly,
“Morgen Früh wenn Gott will”
And it would work.
“Wirst du wieder geweckt”
…
“Guten Abend, gut' Nacht
Von Englein bewacht
Die zeigen im Traum
Dir Christkindleins Baum
Schlaf nun selig und süß
Schau im Traum 's Paradies
Schlaf nun selig und süß
Schau im Traum 's Paradies”
Kaeya was sleeping soundlessly in Diluc’s lap. For the first time that night, Kaeya looked at peace.
For the first time since that fateful night of his mother passing, Diluc let his tears go freely without reminding himself that big boys don’t cry.
He misses her.