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Decades after the traveler came and left Teyvat, all was well. Life has returned to normal, minus the large construct floating in the sky overlooking every inch of the land. The battle and the fall of Celestia marked a new page for the people of Teyvat and life resumed as per usual. The gnoses, used to mark the bond between the Archons and Celestia, were now in possession of the Tsaritsa, though they were merely empty shells of days long gone at this point. The Archons themselves had resumed their more mundane life, living amongst the humans, no longer in need of their godly powers. The vision wielders have also lost their elemental abilities, though it wasn’t much trouble considering abyssal creatures have stopped appearing around Teyvat. Treasure hunters and rogue bandits were still a problem, but law enforcement was more than capable of defending against them.
“Master Diluc.”
A knock on the door.
The redhead groaned and stirred from his slumber. “Coming…” He mumbled groggily.
He sat up in bed and massaged his shoulders. " Yup. Definitely getting old ," he thought to himself before slowly removing himself from bed.
He walked up to the bedroom door, removed the latch keeping it locked, and opened it enough to see the head maid standing in front of the door.
“Ah, Moco.”
The strawberry blonde-haired lady tipped her head. “Good morning, Master Diluc. I’m here to bring a message. Master Kaeya just called, said he’ll be coming over for dinner.”
“With company?” He asked, rubbing his eyes with one hand, the other leaning on the door handle.
“I believe so. I’ll tell the cooks to prepare two extra servings for tonight’s meal.”
“That would suffice, yes. Thank you, Moco.” Diluc nodded, shutting the door once Moco walked away.
“Was that one of the helpers?” A voice called out from inside the bedroom.
“Moco, yes. An old friend’s coming by. With company.” Diluc turned around, a smile etched on his lips upon seeing Zhongli’s face still leaning against the pillows.
“Hm, been a while since I heard from those two.” He sat up in bed, straightening his back, his joints popping into place. Diluc winced at the sound.
“Careful, old man. You’ll pull something.” Diluc climbed back into bed, placing his hands on the retired Archon’s back, gently rubbing his muscles.
“I’m sure you’d be more than capable of nursing me back to health.” Zhongli turned his head to face him, a tender gaze shining from his amber eyes. “Plus, I can’t say you’re that far behind me either.”
“Mm, I’d say you have, what, 6000 years on me?” His hands slid down his back, his arms wrapping around his husband’s waist.
“Then I’ll say I look pretty good for someone pushing 61 centuries of age.” Zhongli ran his fingers through Diluc’s red locks, pulling him down to rest his chin on the crook of his neck. He proceeds to place a kiss on his temple, his nose nuzzling against the red locks.
“I miss your long hair.” He whispered into his skin, his warm breath fanning Diluc’s cheek. “Why did you have to cut it off?”
“Well, it was getting hard to maintain. There’s still some length to it. It’s almost past my shoulders now.” Diluc mumbled back, his eyes closed as he let himself melt into the warmth.
“I wouldn’t mind doing it up for you every day, love.”
“You can still do up my hair as is. It doesn’t tickle my cheeks anymore when it’s down either. Although…” Diluc paused, running a finger down Zhongli’s jawline, highlighting the little grayish hair dotting his chin. “This does, a little bit.”
“Well, I suppose I am due for a shave.” Zhongli chuckled, pressing his lips against the tip of Diluc’s outstretched finger. “Care to do the honors?”
Another knock on the door disturbed their sweet moment. Diluc sighed. “I’ll meet you there. I’ll be but a second.”
They peeled themselves away from each other, reluctantly. Diluc got back up on his feet and walked over to the door. This time, it was Hillie.
“Oh, Master Diluc. So sorry to interrupt your morning.”
“No no, it’s fine.” Diluc waved his hand dismissively. “Is something the matter?”
“Ah, yes. Mr. Zhongli received a call from the Wangsheng funeral parlor. The lady on the phone seemed cheery. I asked if she wanted to leave a message and she just told me to ask Mr Zhongli to call her back once he’s free.”
“Must be Miss Hu, the owner. I’ll make sure to tell him to do just that. Thank you, Hillie.”
“Oh, and the papers from Mr. Ernest finally arrived. About the new trade offer from Fontaine?”
“Right, those. Leave them by my desk. I’ll be sure to give them a look once I’m done here. Thank you, Hillie.”
Hillie tipped her head. “Just doing my job, Master Diluc. Enjoy the rest of the morning.”
—
Diluc found himself sitting on his desk when Zhongli came into his office, a big excited smile etched on his lips.
“Well, someone’s happy.” He smiled, setting down the paperwork he had been poring over for the past hour. “What’s the big news?”
“Well, Hu Tao finally picked up the call. She said she would be coming over this weekend for a visit.”
“Oh, well, that’s wonderful. Is her wife coming along?”
“No news on Yanfei, no. She mentioned her schedule was packed, but you never know with her these days.”
“Well, I hope she swings by.” Diluc’s eyes wandered back to the stack of papers in front of him. “She wasn’t able to visit the last time Hu Tao swung by either. I could use her legal help with a few things.”
“There you go again with your work.” Zhongli pulled over a chair to sit across from his husband, eyes looking at him with pure adoration. “I’m starting to think the Visions were a good thing.”
“Oh, please. Do you actually regret severing ties with Celestia now?” Diluc raised an eyebrow rather questioningly. “After all that we went through?”
“No, nothing like that.” Zhongli rested his chin on his hand. “It’s just that… with a vision, you were much more occupied with other things.”
Diluc scoffed. “Please, I’m perfectly capable of doing paperwork, love. I’d say giving up my Vision was worth living a more peaceful life.” He paused, eyes flitting up to meet Zhongli’s orbs. “And especially for you.”
“Hm, perhaps you have a point.” Zhongli’s hand moved forwards. With his eyes still focused on Diluc’s fiery red ones, his fingers wrapped around his wrist, attempting to pull his hand away from work. “I’m still not too happy with how busy you keep yourself. You’re old enough to retire, you know? At the very least, hire an assistant for these trivial matters.”
“A new trade route isn’t “trivial”, love.” Diluc took Zhongli’s hand in his, bringing it up to his lips to press a chaste kiss against the back. “Besides, I do have an assistant. Elzer. And Connor.”
“And you’re still poring over these papers… why?”
“Because I’m helping them out.”
Zhongli chuckled. “I’m sure you have this whole assistant thing backward.”
“No no no, I’ve got it all under control. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a tad bit more to work through.” Diluc retracted his hand. “Why don’t we take a walk around afterwards? Down to the waterfall, perhaps?”
“Hm, quite the bargain, Mr. Ragnvindr. I’ll accept.” Zhongli stood back up. “I’ll be in the living room then, as to not serve as more of a distraction.” Before leaving, Zhongli came up beside his husband, leaning down to place a kiss between his eyebrows. “Try not to frown so much. You’ll only get more wrinkles.”
—
“Diluc dear, please.”
“Come on, I’ve got you.”
It was 11 AM on a pleasantly sunny day. The two lovebirds were now enjoying their stroll down to the nearby waterfall, as promised. Perhaps a little too much, as Diluc had insisted he was fit enough to go for a dip in the river. His pants were now rolled up to his knees, his footwear discarded by the edge of the water. He didn’t even bother to wear his coat for the walk. Zhongli, however, was against it.
“I’m not worried about me, love. I’m worried you’d slip and sprain something.”
“It’s such a pleasant day out, and the water’s fine. See? It’s solid ground here.” Diluc moved his feet around to further support his argument.
Zhongli laughed quietly at his spouse’s almost childish demeanor. “I’m good without it, thank you very much.”
“Hm, party pooper.” He shook his head. “I’ll go and see what’s on the other side. You sit tight.”
Zhongli held out his walking cane. “Are you sure you don’t need this?”
“And get it all wet? No, I’m good. I’ll be right back, okay?”
And with that, Diluc turned around and waded his way over to the other side of the river.
Zhongli found a rather large tree and sat himself down with a small grunt. He placed his walking cane by his side, his legs stretched out. With a groan, he started massaging his legs. Ever since he traded in his Gnosis, he could feel his mortal body start to ache and age as a normal human would. His legs have grown weak over the years, which was something he had to get used to. He used to be quite insecure about it, that is until he started living with Diluc who cared for him ever so tenderly.
He rested his back against the tree trunk, watching as Diluc seemed to have found something worth his attention on the far side of the river. Ever since he and his brother made amends, around the same time Celestia’s reign ended, Diluc seemed much warmer. He started to open up more to others, started to enjoy being up during daylight, and was no longer wandering around in the late hours at night. It started slow, painfully slow, but Zhongli was patient. He was proud of him, for having gotten this far. And he was glad Diluc was comfortable enough to let his inner child out. Though sometimes, it did worry him. Like the time Diluc insisted to climb an apple tree to save a stray cat that wandered into the Winery and was too afraid to climb back down. They ended up adopting her, naming her Angel after Diluc’s tavern.
“Zhongli!” Zhongli lifted his head to look at the source of the voice. It was Diluc, now waving his hand in the air to catch his attention.
“Yes, dear? Did you find something?” Zhongli called out.
“I found an old trinket!”
“That’s great, love. Now come back here before you catch a cold or fall into the water.”
“Okay!”
Diluc gathered something in his hand, shaking off the water from the inside, and started moving back towards the safer shores. Zhongli stood back up to rejoin his spouse.
“So, what did you find?” He asked once Diluc was back safely on solid ground. He held out his hand, bearing a handkerchief he carried around just in case.
Diluc took the piece of cloth and placed the trinket in his hands into it, drying it off before presenting it to his husband. "A pocket watch. I doubt it's still working though."
"Oh, interesting indeed." Zhongli picked it up from his hands, turning it around in his hand. On the back, a sigil had been etched on the metal. "The Imunlaukr Clan, by the looks of it."
"Well, I haven't heard that name in a while." Diluc dried off his hands, shaking the dirt off the soles of his feet before slipping his shoes back on loosely. "Do you know much about them?"
"Only that they played their role in the Archon War. Not much else, really."
"The bard tell you?"
"Hm, yes." He handed the watch back to his lover. "Perhaps you should drop it by the Knights of Fabonius the next time you pass by. Grand Master Noelle might know who it belongs to."
Diluc nodded and stored it back in his pocket. "Are you okay to head back?"
"Judging by how wet your clothes are, I believe we should head back soon. Hillie and Moco won't be pleased. And especially not Adelinde. You know how she is when it comes to you."
"Well, I had fun." Diluc smiled and shrugged. "You were the one who wanted me to take a break."
"Hm, fair enough. I suppose that's what matters the most." Zhongli wrapped his free arm around Diluc's waist, pulling him in for a sweet kiss on the lips. "Come on now. Let's get you dried up."
—
The day passed by relatively fast. The evening soon came. Diluc received a call from his business partners abroad, leaving Zhongli to play around with Angel and her kittens in the living room. Having cats wasn't quite what they had in plan, but after the Mondstadt and Liyue kids grew up and stopped coming by, they figured a pet would liven the house up. Angel just happened to come at the right time. Her kittens, however, were a surprise.
At around 5PM, the two retreated to their room to get ready for the guests, while the Winery's servants prepared their dinner. Diluc had asked Ernest to fetch a bottle of dandelion wine from their cellar. "A special occasion. I'll allow my brother to get free wine refills just this once."
Even Adelinde got carried away with the business of the kitchen. After her retirement, Diluc allowed her to stay at the winery, where she continues to look after the Master just like how she promised his father she would. She swung by the kitchen to help with the cooking, insisting she knew Kaeya and Diluc best, having lived with them ever since they were just children.
The clock struck seven times and almost on cue, a knock was heard at the entrance to the mansion. Diluc was on the steps, assisting Zhongli in getting down the stairs from their bedroom despite his lover telling him he could manage without him. Hillie ran over to open the door for them.
"Greetings, Master Kaeya."
"Hillie! It's lovely to see you. Come here!" The blue-haired man proclaimed with a cheerful tone, wrapping his arms around the lady in a warm hug. "Oh, it's been so long since I last saw you. How are you doing? Has my brother been treating you well?"
"Likewise, Master Kaeya. Everything's been well here. We've actually all been waiting for your visit here at the Winery." Her attention shifted to the man standing behind Kaeya. "Is this Mr. Ajax?"
The orange haired man behind him smiled gleefully, freckles dotting his cheeks and wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. "Good evening! Hillie, is it? Kaeya wouldn't shut up about the folks here at the Winery the whole trip here."
"Well, it's been a while since I've been home, babe. I've met Teucer more than I've met the folks back in Mondstadt this year."
"Kaeya, Ajax." Diluc called from inside, a warm smile decorating his features. "Please, come on in."
"Diluc! Oh, come here, you!" Kaeya walked in with wide strides towards the owner of the house, giving him a warm tight hug.
Ajax walked in after him, taking in the sights before spotting Zhongli by the stairs, looking over at the brotherly reunion. "Xiansheng, how are you doing?"
"Oh, Ajax." Zhongli shifted his attention to the ginger. "Please, I've already told you there's no need to call me by that name anymore."
"Well, old habits die hard. Have you been doing well?"
"As well as I can ever be. Old age creeps up every now and then, but Diluc here has given me more than enough care. Oh, how's your family back home? I heard from Diluc you and Kaeya and living together with your siblings?"
"Well, one of his siblings." Kaeya butted in, an arm still slung around his brother's shoulders. "Teucer has yet to move out of the family home. Tonia moved in with her husband and Anton's working in Fontaine now."
"I see. Snezhnaya opened up a lot in these past few years, hasn't it?"
"Yup. Much like a little someone here- Oof." Kaeya groaned and held onto his side, which Diluc swiftly elbowed in return for his remark.
Diluc then cleared his throat. "Anyways, please, come sit. We have all night."
Diluc gestured to the table before pulling out a chair for his husband, making sure he was seated before going over to his own. "Will you two be staying over?"
Ajax spoke up, sitting down on the chair Kaeya pulled out for him. "Oh, no no. We wouldn't want to impose."
"Nonsense. We're basically family now." Zhongli butted in, briefly thanking Diluc for the gesture and turning his attention back to their guests. "You're here to visit. We have a guest bedroom downstairs, we really wouldn't mind."
"No, that's not necessary. We've booked a room at the Goth Grand Hotel. Ajax here pulled a few strings and got us a suite. I have business to tend to in Mondstadt in the morning anyways, so it'll be more convenient if we stayed in town."
"Business? I thought you retired from the Knights." Diluc furrowed his eyebrows.
"Ah… About that." Kaeya chuckled nervously. "Well, uhh."
Ajax placed a hand on Kaeya's, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "After Kaeya retired from the Knights, he started helping me with my workload. I mainly work in the military section, training guards and whatnot. Kaeya used to manage the boring paperwork, but Pierro grew fond of him and asked him to deal with more political work."
"So you're once again an informant?"
"Not an informant, no. Ajax likes to make it sound more dangerous than it actually is. I'm basically Mondstadt's unofficial diplomat. I take care of deals between Snezhnaya and Mondstadt."
Zhongli looked to the side, seeing Diluc's expression shift into something almost unreadable.
"It's… not dangerous, is it?" The redhead spoke up, seemingly worried about his brother's career shift.
"No no, it's perfectly safe. I've got guards working under me. Ajax also follows me around wherever I go. It's just for a while, anyways. I have a couple of people training under me, working as assistants. They're probably going to be the ones taking after me in a few years."
Diluc bit down on his lower lip. "And you're sure about this?"
"A hundred percent." Kaeya nodded, doubling down on his point. "I was a former cavalry captain, you know. I have my own tricks up my sleeve."
"Mm, I suppose so." Diluc felt Zhongli's hand reach for him under the table, in an attempt to calm him down. "Alright then. If you ever need any help, I'll do my best to help you."
Kaeya laughed. "Huh. I never knew my brother was such a worrywart."
"I'm not. I'm just looking out for your well-being. After all, I've known you longer than anyone in Teyvat."
"And I am honored." The blue-haired man smiled, his visible eye forming a crescent. "Now, shall we start with dinner? The long journey here really got my stomach rumbling."
"Ah, right." He glanced over at Hillie and Moco standing by, both responding with a nod as they shuffled to fetch the dishes and the bottle of wine prepared especially for the feast.
The night erupted with cheerful laughter and stories exchanged from old friends and family as they dined happily, reminiscing and making up for lost time. And, all was well.