Chapter Text
“You deserve nothing, traitor.”
The words slipped from Diluc’s mouth a little too easily. He didn’t even have time to think about its implications before it was all said. His lips purse, the venom tasting too bitter, even for him.
His eyes immediately fall upon the person it was aimed at and for a moment, he sees true hurt.
He shakes his head. It’s too late to apologize. Four years too late. There’s no point in feigning sorrow and regret. There’s no chance of returning to their old relationship. Not anymore. So he swallows down the quickly rising rue in his heart and averts his gaze from the stunned eye of his once brother.
“Now, isn’t that a bit too harsh, Master Diluc? Even from you,” the bard chuckles in an attempt to lighten the mood and places a hand on Kaeya’s back.
Diluc only scoffs before returning his focus on serving the other customers at the tavern. He swears that the feeling in his heart is nothing out of the ordinary. But he knew it was far more than that.
Venti looks to Rosaria in a plea for support.
With a sigh, she adds, “You certainly deserve something. You’re Mondstadt’s beloved cavalry captain, after all.”
Her voice is so monotonous that even Kaeya can’t tell if she’s being sarcastic. Of course, she isn’t, but, as the others in the room do, she chooses to keep that truth to herself.
“And it’s your birthday!,” sings the bard, ironic as he knows best the truth. “Everyone deserves a gift on their birthday.”
“Even sinners?”
A heavy silence falls upon the room.
When a saint, a god, a sinner, and a sinner reformed are put in a room, a tragedy is bound to happen. They’re simply waiting for the story to play out, for justice to be served. They wait for the sweet catharsis of the tragedy after years of building up.
Before anyone can get too uncomfortable, Kaeya laughs heartily.
“It’s good to know that there are people who care about my feelings. But worry not! I know not to take Diluc’s words seriously.”
And so the atmosphere at the pub goes back to normal, as if nothing ever happened.
It’s always been like this. Diluc throws an underhanded comment and Kaeya laughs it off. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it doesn’t. On days when he’s really tired, Diluc spares him the additional suffering. But otherwise, it’s routine. It’s what’s become of the two brothers, nothing but a shell of their former relationship.
“Because deep down, I know he still loves me,” Kaeya finishes with a wink no one notices. Diluc rolls his eyes.
And so the night goes by without a hitch.
Just like every other night at the tavern, Diluc gets pestered by his most frequent customers and estranged brother. Just like every other week, his worry for Kaeya increases as he notices more and more cracks in his facade. Just like every other year, the screaming in Kaeya’s head reaches a fever pitch. And just like when his father abandoned him, just like when Crepus chose not to acknowledge him in his final moments, and just like when Diluc turned his back to him, the screams remain unnoticed.
.
.
.
“Could I have five bottles of wine for the road?,” Kaeya beams, supporting a drunk Venti with his arm. The door to the tavern swings out, Rosaria going ahead first.
Diluc replies somnolently, far too tired to entertain the other male, “What could you possibly need five bottles of wine for?”
“I’ve used up all my stock at home.”
Diluc squints his eyes as he accomplishes the request with a hint of suspicion but far too much trust. Kaeya seems fine. He must be, as he was and still is, he tells himself.
As he will be.
“Drink responsibly.”
Kaeya smiles at this and jests.
“I love you too, dearest brother.”