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Chapter Text

Crepus looked up as a knock sounded at his door, finishing buttoning his vest before heading down for breakfast. “Come in.”

Diluc, dressed but still sporting a serious case of bedhead, opened his door and stepped inside. A worried frown on his face.

“Dee?” Crepus turned to him. It was unusual for Diluc to come see him first thing like this. Normally the only thought on the young boy’s mind upon waking was what Adelinde was setting on the table downstairs. “Is everything alright?”

“I can’t find Kaeya.”

The adult paused. A shock of adrenaline shooting through his chest, but he keep his face calm. The two boys were usually inseparable. The fact that Diluc couldn't find him was odd to say the least.

“Where all have you looked?”

“His room, the bathrooms, all his normal hiding places, and Addy hasn’t seen him either,” the little boy padded over to him. Twisting his shirt anxiously.

“Did you check outside?” Crepus hurried to pull on his boots.

“Uh huh, because his shoes are missing,” Diluc nodded. “I shouted for him and everything.”

“His shoes are missing?” Crepus looked up sharply.

“Yeah,” Diluc nodded again as tears began to pool in his eyes. Diluc was always a little crier. His heart too big for its own good. “I can’t find him anywhere, Papa.”

The man stood and patted the boy’s head comfortingly, forcing a smile. “I’m sure he is around here somewhere. We will find him. Don’t worry.”

Diluc sniffed, but nodded.

“Now go check all his hiding spots one more time for me alright? I’ll go speak to Adelinde.”

The child raced off. Hurrying to complete the task his father had given him. The man hurried the opposite direction, going down the stairs to the dining room where he spotted Adelinde finish setting out their breakfast.

“Have you seen, Kaeya?” he asked her.

She looked up, a frown on her face. “No. Diluc came and asked me the same thing. What is wrong? Is he hiding again?”

“I’m not sure,” an uneasy feeling growing larger in Crepus’ stomach. “Diluc checked all of his normal spots and his shoes are missing.”

The maid paused. “Let me go and check his room.”

“I’ll come with you,” the man nodded following after her up the the guest room that had recently been renovated for the blunette. 

He instantly went to the window. Heart sinking as he saw the latch was undone. “The window is unlocked.”

“His cloak is also missing as well as his bag,” Adelinde said stepping out of his closet.

“Do you think,” the man looked at her. “His father…?”

“But why wouldn’t he say goodbye if that was the case?”

Crepus frowned. “Did he run away then?”

“Kaeya ran away?” a horrified gasp came from behind them

Crepus winced as he turned to seeing a devastated Diluc standing in the doorway. Eyes wide and beginning to brim with tears in earnest. Neither of the adults had heard him approach.

“Dad, did Kaeya really run away?” he stared at him, cheeks growing red as he tried not to cry. “Did he not like us? Did I do something wrong? Was I not a good friend? Is that why he is missing? Because he left us?”

Crepus hurried forward to scoop the small child into his arms. “No, no, no, Diluc. That isn’t it at all I am sure of it. Kaeya, loves you very much—”

“Then why did he leave?” Diluc wailed as the tears began to slip and his lip trembled. “I must have done something wrong!”

“I am not sure,” Crepus kissed his nose and wiped the tears away with his handkerchief. “But I promise you I will find him. Now I just need to you to trust me and stay with Adelinde while I go and look for him, okay?”

The child nodded wetly, allowing himself to be set down gently. Taking the maid’s hand as she offered it to him and led him away.

“Elzer!” the master of the manor shouted, grabbing his cloak from his room and storming outside.

He was going to find his ward.

-·=»‡«=·- ꌚꀯꈼꋊꈼ ꀯꍩꁲꋊꁅꈼ -·=»‡«=·-

“Sumeru?” Crepus shook his head in both anger and worry as he flung his belongings into his bag. Not really paying attention to what he was actually packing. Adelinde had to stop him from packing two left shoes and a thick winter coat.

Archons he was too old for this. He was going to go grey in his prime.

“He actually made it to Sumeru?” He hurried to yank the zipper closed, growling as it got stuck on the clothes sticking out, unzipping it again, to punch the shirts down before yanking the zipper back into place.

“Well, by the time your ship received your messenger bird they were already closer to Port Ormos and not Dornman. The captain thought it best to just finish the journey so they didn’t risk the supplies,” Elzer explained as he handed Crepus his hat. “He said he would turn the ship around the instant they dock and restock—”

“No, no,” the redhead shoved it on and fastened his cloak aggressively. “I would be half way there by then. Just send word to tell him to finish the transaction as agreed upon and wait for me to arrive in the city. I will compensate him for taking care of Kaeya until then. Archons what could have possessed the child to smuggle himself onto a boat and sail to Sumeru?”

Crepus bit at his lip. Had he made Kaeya feel unwelcome? Was that why he ran away? Was he not able to reassure the child he was safe? What had he done wrong—

“Papa?” Diluc’s voice unusually timid. He peeked nervously into the room. “Did you find him?”

Crepus sighed. Trying to keep the anger out of his voice as he gently knelt before his son. He wasn’t angry at his son, but a child would find it hard to understand that even if anger lingerd in his tone it was not directed at him.

He took another deep breath. Trying to sooth the anger in his gut. His mother had always warned him about his temper, told that his love turned too hot too quickly.

It was something he had been working on. Crepus made it a point to never raise his voice at Diluc. Not after the one and only time he had done it when Diluc was only a toddler. The tears he had caused had broken his own heart and he vowed that he would never raise his voice again.

So far he had kept that promise.

“Yes,” Crepus brought Diluc into his strong arms for a farewell hug and kiss. “I did and I am going to go and get him. I need you to be good and listen to Elzer and Adelinde for a few days while I am gone. Okay?”

“Is he okay?” the redhead whispered softly. Brow pinched with worry.

The poor boy had been inconsolable these past couple of days. The child convinced he hadn’t loved his new friend enough. That it was his fault for Kaeya choosing to run away. Despite how many times Crepus and the others had reassured him it wasn’t.  It nearly broke his heart when he found Diluc curled up on Kaeya’s bed one night, tear stains dried on his sleeping face.

No. Crepus refused to just sit and wait for the captain to return his ward. He would go get the blunette himself. For Diluc’s sake alone.

“He is,” the redhead smiled reassuringly. “He will be back soon and everything will be alright then. Okay?”

The boy nodded and whispered, “Okay.”

Crepus could feel his little worried eyes following him as he mounted his horse and rode to the port.

-·=»‡«=·- ꌚꀯꈼꋊꈼ ꀯꍩꁲꋊꁅꈼ -·=»‡«=·-

He found Kaeya holed up in a hotel room.

“He is too clever for his own good,” the captain sighed exhausted. “We had to request a special room with no windows so he would quit trying to crawl out of them. Heavens, I had to lock him up in there at one point just so I could get us some food and paid someone to stand guard.”

Crepus winced as he took in the man’s exhausted expression before pulling out a hefty bag of mora. “I hope this can compensate for tending to my ward until I got here.”

The man accepted it. “I billed the Winery for the extended hotel stay.”

“Of course,” Crepus nodded and then the man left. Leaving the redhead standing outside of the hotel room.

He took a deep breath and entered.

Kaeya was sitting on the bed. Knees drawn up to his chest. An uneaten tray of food sat nearby as well as a couple of books for the boy to read. He glanced casually at the door, expecting the captain to be returning, but froze as he saw the redheaded man standing in the entryway.

Crepus shut the door behind him. Turning his firm gaze back to the child who met it a little defiantly before turning to look back down at his feet.

The wine master went to stand beside the bed, sighing deeply as he unclasped his cloak and placed his traveling hat on the other bed. The fear inside his chest wanted to shout at the boy. Demanding to know what had possessed him. Why he had left with no word. To point out that he was a child and the world was dangerous.

But he did no such thing. He simply, and calmly, turned to face him.

“Are you hurt?”

Kaeya seemed surprised that that was the first thing he said. He glanced up quickly at his face before his eye darted back down, like a tiny bird hiding in the brush.

He shook his head.

Crepus sighed again. Focusing on the rush of air in and out of his lungs. Using it to ground him. To keep his mind clear while his heart raged inside of him.

“Good,” he nodded. “That is good.”

Kaeya didn’t reply. Just continued to stare down at his feet.

“Do you want to tell me why you decided to become a stowaway and sail to Sumeru?”

The blunette kept his gaze down. Not looking at him.

The redhead took another deep breath. Looking around the room. Trying to figure out what to do. If this had been Diluc his son would have already been crawling into his lap begging for forgiveness, tears in his eyes, and promising to never do something like this ever again.

But not Kaeya. He stared coolly ahead. As though running away to an entirely different country was a mundane stroll down the road. That it was the adults who were making too big of a deal of such a simple thing.

“Did we do something to upset you?” Crepus asked, trying again.

Once again Kaeya seemed surprised by his question of concern. Sending him another glance, but he still didn’t answer. Just shook his head softly before turning away. Tiny fingernails digging into his arms.  

“Are you…uncomfortable living with us?” He tried again.

Kaeya swallowed hard. Words trapped somewhere down in his chest and throat.

Crepus sighed again. Sitting down on the bed across from him. The adult leaned forward so his elbows rested on his knees. Clasping his hands. He sat there a moment. Trying to figure out what to do. Partially wishing he had brought Diluc with him. His son always seemed know how to get the little blunette to open up and talk about his feelings.

“You know,” he began, getting an idea. “Diluc is awfully worried about you. He was upset that you left. He thought he did something to hurt your feelings.”

That got a reaction out of him. Kaeya’s head whipped over to look at him. Mouth finally opening.

“He didn’t hurt my feelings,” he hastily corrected. “I’m not mad at him.”

“I told him that,” Crepus reassured him. “But I am afraid he was still worried that was the case since I couldn’t tell him why you did leave.”

Kaeya’s shoulders hunched up and he turned back away from him.

“Do you…do you think you could tell me? So that way we can reassure Diluc it isn’t his fault?”

The blunette sat there for a long moment, and Crepus was beginning to think he wasn’t going to get an answer when a soft whisper made it to his ears.

“I was…I was trying to find my father.”

Crepus’ heart shattered. Going absolutely and perfectly still. The child’s soft confession making his entire body grow cold with understanding and hot with fury.

But the rage was not directed at Kaya. No. It was on the man who had sired the boy. Who had left the poor child abandoned in a storm. Dripping wet and shivering. Lost and alone. Such a creature didn’t deserve the title of father.

Kaeya seemed to curl into himself more. Not looking at him. There was no expression there. No tears. His eyes a bit hollow as they stared down.

The wine master swallowed hard before letting out a deep sigh. Focusing so his voice did not contain his fury.

“Do you…do you have reason to believe he is here in Sumeru?”

Kaeya just shrugged.

Crepus paused. Trying to figure out the best way to proceed. It would be helpful if Kaeya was more open about his past and his father, it would allow the adult to be able to help him more. But Kaeya was also still just a small child. He didn’t want the boy to feel like he was getting interrogated.

So he asked the question he hoped someone would think to ask his Diluc.

“Do you miss your father a lot, Kaeya?” he spoke gently.

The blunette shot him a guilty glance. As though he was afraid Crepus might be mad at him if he admitted it. Admitted that he was missing the man who had abandoned him, had wanted to be with that person more than the man who was before him now. The one who had taken him in when he had no obligation to, who had immediately boarded a ship to come to Sumeru to drag him back to Mondstadt.

“It’s okay if you do,” Crepus sighed and moved to sit on the bed Kaeya was on. He gently brushed a lock of blue hair off his face. “He is your father. I understand that. I am sure you love him very much.”

The child looked down again. Fidgeting as his lower lip trembled slightly.

“Do you want me to help you search for him? If you did, all you had to do was ask me, Kaeya. I would be happy to help you any way I can.”

“No,” Kaeya whispered softly, squeezing his legs tighter into his chest. “There isn’t any point. He isn’t coming back.”

Crepus didn’t know how to responded to that. He stared down at the little boy no older than his own, who had boarded a boat in desperation to find his father and become a family again, as he accepted his parent truly had abandoned him.

He watched the hope die in the child’s eye. Making his star-filled gaze grow dull and numb.

It was a terrible expression to see on anyone’s face, but it was absolutely haunting seeing that on a child.

The boy gasped softly when he found himself suddenly in the man’s arms. Gently cradled in the nook of his neck and shoulder. A large warm hand wrapped around the back of his head. The other drawing him close. Pulling him into a hug.

“I am sorry, Kaeya,” the man whispered so his own voice didn’t crack. “He was a fool to leave you. Anyone would be a fool to leave you.”

Kaeya froze for a moment, as though shocked at what Crepus had done and said before the remainder of his walls crumbled. He clutched at the man. Tiny fingers digging into his shirt. Pulling the fabric taught as he squeezed his fists. His shoulders shaking as the man pulled him fully into his lap and arms. Rocking him.

Letting the boy cry.

★ ﾟ･｡ * ｡ 　　　　 ★ ﾟ･｡ * ｡ 　　　　･　　ﾟ☆ ｡ ｡･ﾟ*.*　★ ﾟ･｡ * ･ ｡ ☆∴｡　* ･ﾟ*｡★･ 　･ *ﾟ｡　　 * 　 ･ ﾟ*｡･ﾟ★｡ 　 　　☆ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ 　 　ﾟ｡·*･｡ ﾟ* 　　　ﾟ *.｡☆｡★　･ 　　* ☆ ｡･ﾟ*.｡ 　　 　 *　★ ﾟ･｡ * ｡ 　　　　･　　ﾟ☆ ｡ ｡･ﾟ･　　ﾟ☆ ｡ ｡･ﾟ*.*　★ ﾟ･｡ * ･ ｡ ☆∴｡　* ･ﾟ*｡★･ 　･ *ﾟ｡　　 * 　 ･ ﾟ*｡･ﾟ★｡ 　 　　☆ﾟ･｡°*. ﾟ 　 　ﾟ｡·*･｡ ﾟ* 　　　ﾟ *.｡☆｡★　･ 　　* ☆ ｡･ﾟ*.｡ 　　 　 *　★ ﾟ･｡ * ｡ 　　　　･　　ﾟ☆ ｡ ｡･ﾟ★ ﾟ･｡ * ｡ 　　　　･　　ﾟ☆ ｡ ｡･ﾟ*.*　★ ﾟ･｡ * ･ ｡ ☆∴｡　* 

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Chapter Text

Crepus sighed as the ocean air tugged at his hair. The smell of salt and sea caressed his nose as he took a deep breath. He hadn’t really been able to enjoy the trip the last time as he had been consumed with worry, but now that his tiny ward was safely sleeping in his arms, cheek pressed against the man’s shoulder and arms limply wrapped around his neck, Crepus could enjoy the sight of the sunrising on the horizon.

They would finally be home today.

He sighed once more at the thought. Eager to be back at his own home and bed, but mostly because he had never been apart from Diluc this long before.

Crepus missed his little firecracker.

“Land ho!” A shout came from the crow’s nest. Echoing out over the empty waters.

The redhead turned to look away from the sunrise. Squinting to see what the sailor had spotted. Ah. There it was. Dornman Port.

Kaeya stirred in his arms. His lilac eye fluttering open at the sailor’s shout. He sat up, blearily. Looking out across the ocean.

Crepus kissed the boy’s temple with a smile. “We have a while yet before we reach land. Why don’t you go back to sleep? I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

The blunette blinked tiredly at him before yawning softly and settling back down in his position. He made a deep, content sigh and relaxed once more.

“We’ll be home soon enough,” the redhead kissed the top of those blue locks softly.

-·=»‡«=·- ꌚꀯꈼꋊꈼ ꀯꍩꁲꋊꁅꈼ -·=»‡«=·-

The port was bustling as the ship pulled into the harbor. Fisherman returning with their catch to haul off to the market. Other goods and supplies were being unloaded from boats while others were being loaded.

Kaeya stood next to Crepus as the ramp was lowered from their ship to the docks below.

“Come along, Kaeya,” Crepus instructed. Grabbing his and Kaeya’s bags and slinging them over his shoulder. “We still have a ways yet until we reach home.”

The boy hesitated. Turning once more to look back towards the sea. In the direction they had come, wind tugging at his hair. An expression that Crepus couldn’t quite read on his face. Shadows clinging to him. Tugging at his little mind.

Red eyes softened as he grabbed Kaeya’s ear and gently tugged on it. Kaeya blinked up at him surprised by the sudden touch.

“Are you really going to make me drag you home by your ear?” Crepus teased.

The blunette lowered his gaze, looking out at the sea one last time before slowly shaking his head. The wine master let go of the boy and offered him his hand.

Kaeya sighed but took it. Giving him a timid little squeeze.

-·=»‡«=·- ꌚꀯꈼꋊꈼ ꀯꍩꁲꋊꁅꈼ -·=»‡«=·-

“Is Diluc going to be mad at me?” Kaeya asked as they neared the city. They had been traveling for a few hours now and still had a few left ahead.

Crepus looked down at the boy who was perched on the saddle in front of him. He fidgeted with the saddle horn nervously.

“Why do you think Diluc is going to be mad at you?” The man asked in return.

The blunette shrugged. His hair falling in front of his face.

The wine master sighed. “I don’t think mad is the right emotion. He was just upset you left without saying anything to him.”

The man heard the boy swallow hard. His shoulders drew up tighter as his worry grew. 

“But,” Crepus immediately tried to calm him down before the child wound himself up in his anxiety. “I think that if you tell him what happened he would understand. After all, Diluc himself has often snuck off to places he shouldn’t have been looking for me.”

Kaeya shifted to look up at him curiously. “Really?”

“Oh, yes,” the redhead nodded as he directed their horse to the right path. Back towards the winery. “Would you like to hear about the time he broke out of the church nursery and managed to make his way all the way to Angel’s Share when he was just three years old?”

Kaeya nodded. Staring up at him.

“Well,” Crepus smiled at the memory. “The flu was going around at the time and most of the staff had caught it, including Adelinde and the usual maids who watched Diluc. So I brought him to the Church nursery for the day because a very important shipment was arriving at Angel’s Share so I couldn’t tend to him myself and Charles was also out due to being sick.”

Their horse plodded along. Making its way through the Whispering Woods.

“Well, apparently Diluc didn’t like being left in the care of the nuns so he decided he would simply come and find me. Using nap time, when the sisters left the children alone in a room while they prepared their lunches, to escape. He had the entire church in an uproar when they realized he had wandered off.”

Crepus chuckled. It was funny now, though it hadn’t been at the time. Perhaps he would also think this incident funny in the near future. He squeezed Kaeya a little closer. Content with the relief he felt that the boy was back under his care.

“I was called by a knight to come to the church immediately. I was worried because I knew something had to have happened to Diluc for them to summon me like that. So I rushed to the church and they told me that Diluc was missing.”

Crepus smiled down at Kaeya. “Naturally I panicked. I began to run all over the city trying to find him as it was clear he was not in the church. I even went to all the gates and demanded to know if anyone had left the city with him.”

“How did you find him?”

“Well,” Crepus looked out over the lake where the city sat perched on the water. “The wind led me to him.”

“The wind?” Kaeya frowned a bit in confusion.

“Yes,” the man nodded. “It felt like it was pulling me along. Guiding me. So I ran after it and it led me to Angel’s Share. And there was Diluc waiting for me with the delivery man I had been waiting for. He had managed to make his way all the way to the bar without being spotted by a single soul. I am still not sure how he did it. Sneaky little fellow.”

Kaeya giggled as Crepus booped him on the nose. Turning his head back down so the man didn’t have such a good angle to tap on it again.They rode in silence as they passed the city. Their horse taking the path to Springvale.

“Mister Crepus?” Kaeya asked softly.

“Yes, Kaeya?”

“Did…did the wind tell you how to find me too?”

Crepus looked own at Kaeya. Who peeked up at him.

“Well, yes. But not in the same way as it did with Diluc.”

“What do you mean?” the child asked.

The man took a deep breath. Trying to figure out how to word this properly because Kaeya was staring up at him. His visible eyes full of  emotions. Crepus could make out uncertainty, sadness, doubt reflecting in it.

But most importantly, he saw a small splash of hope.

“Well, the wind didn’t blow me down the road. Instead, it helped the messenger birds fly a bit faster. The letters arrived at the ship and back in Mondstadt much quicker than they should have. It was a bit miraculous honestly. We only have good winds and weather to thank for that so it looks like the Anemo Archon was looking out for you as well.”

The unreadable expression crossed Kaeya’s face as he shifted. Biting at his lip in thought. Contemplation hung heavily on the air around him.

"But," Kaeya seemed hesitant to ask, "But why would he care about me? I'm not from Mondstadt."

Crepus course sense the heaviness behind the boy's words. Could see the shadows of his past creeping up into his shoulders. Causing them to draw tighter. Forcing his eye to fall downcast.

The adult gently leaned forward and kissed the top of his ward's head. Wishing he could chase those shadows away. "Do you remember how dandelion seeds work, Kaeya?"

"Yeah," the boy nodded. "If you blow on them the seeds fly away and get planted wherever they land."

"That's right," Crepus tugged their horse down the correct path. Waving at the hunters as they returned to their village. "The wind realizes that just because a dandelion was from somewhere else doesn't mean it can't make a home elsewhere. Sometimes a seed needs to fly away and find a new place to put down roots. Do you think the wind loves those dandelions any less?"

The boy shrugged. Picking at the saddle horn again. 

"Do you want to know what I think?" 

A timid nod. 

"I think the wind loves all of the dandelion seeds the exact same. The ones who come from the land of wind or the ones brought here to it, they are all special and important. And Lord Barbatos loves them all equally. Mondstadt is a place where the wind cherishes travelers who plant their roots here and make it their new home. It matters not to the wind where the seeds came from only that they want to stay."

Crepus looked up at the sky above them. Watching the large fluffy clouds flit across the sky. Feeling the breeze tug at his own bangs.

"You are like those dandelion seeds, Kaeya.  Brought here on the wind, yet cherished by Barbatos as much as Diluc and I are. You can chose to make this place your home too should you want to. Accept the fact that you're also a child of the wind. Do you understand what I am saying, Kaeya?"

Despite the wine tycoon's best attempts those shadows still clung to his ward. But little boy nodded all the same, so hopefully the redhead had said had stuck. 

The rest of their ride was spent in silence, but it didn’t take them much longer before the winery began to rise into view. Crepus took a deep breath. Savoring the smells of grapes, dirt, and water on the air. The smell of home. Kaeya’s shoulders also seemed to relax a bit as the horse approached the building. The servants shouted welcomes as the master of the vineyard returned with his wayward ward.

Crepus landed stiffly on his feet as he swung down from the saddle. He immediately grabbed Kaeya and gently sat him on the ground. The blunette barely had time to register being off the horse when the winery door slammed open and a burst of red darted outside towards them.

“Father! Kaeya!”

The blunette grunted in surprise as Diluc practically tackled him in a hug. Flinging his arms around the smaller boy and squeezing him as hard as he could. Tears were already in the small redhead’s eyes. Crepus had to catch them both to prevent them from tumbling back onto the hard dirt.

“I’m sorry!” Diluc cried into Kaeya’s shoulder. “I’m sorry if I did something wrong. I promise I’ll be a better friend to you. I didn’t mean to make you leave. I’m sorry. Please, don’t go again, Kae. You’re my best friend!”

Kaeya froze in the other’s embrace. Distressed at seeing the other child so upset. He looked on the verge of tears himself.

“Diluc,” Crepus knelt next to the two. “Diluc, I need you to take a breath. Can you do that for me?”

The redhead’s chest was heaving from his crying. But he struggled to do as his father asked.  Valiantly inhaling and exhaling slowly as Crepus led him in the exercise.

“There we are,” the man pulled the two boys into his arms. Comfortingly patting each of their backs. While Kaeya wasn’t crying like the Diluc, it was very clear he was upset by how distraught the other was. “Let’s all just take a deep breath. Okay?”

Diluc nodded jerkily but refused to release Kaeya. Still squeezing him as hard as he could in a bear hug. The blunette squeaked a bit as the embrace tightened.

“Diluc, you’re going to hurt him if you keep that up,” Crepus said with soft chuckle.

His son’s face was as red as his hair. His nose dripped with snot and tears stained his cheeks as he lessened his death grip enough for Kaeya to suck in a breath.

“Now,” Crepus gently hugged the two boys and then stood, lifting them both into his arms. He was glad they were still small enough for him to do that. “I think we all need to have a little talk, eh? How about I ask Adelinde to make us some tea and cookies and go have a conversation together? Does that sound good to you two?”

Diluc nodded and wiped at his eyes, “Yeah.”

Kaeya nodded too, still fretfully glancing all over the place. As though he wasn’t sure where he should be looking.

“Alright,” Crepus kissed both of their heads and began to head inside as one of his staff took the horse to the stables.

“Master Crepus, Kaeya,” Adelinde greeted him at the door. “Welcome back.”

“Thank you, Adelinde,” he smiled tiredly at her. “Would you be so kind as to get us some tea and treats for us? I’m taking them upstairs to my office so we can talk.”

“Right away sir,” she nodded had made her way to the kitchens. "Diluc and I made a cake for the occasion."

Crepus took the boys into the study before he gently sat down on the couch. Allowing each boy to occupy a knee.

“Now,” the cleared his throat. “I think first things first. Diluc, Kaeya did not leave because you hurt his feelings or weren’t a good friend. Isn’t that right, Kaeya?”

Kaeya fervently nodded his head.

"You didn’t?” Diluc looked up hopefully before confusion fell over it. “Then why did you go?”

The blunette looked down at his hands. Twisting them fretfully before a soft whisper, “I was looking for my dad.”

Diluc froze in surprise for a second, before understanding washed over him. “Oh.”

Kaeya didn’t look at him. Just nodded.

“Did you,” Diluc glanced nervously up at Crepus before looking back at the blunette. “Did you find him?”

The smaller boy swallowed. “No.”

“Oh,” Diluc said again. He looked up at his father. As though looking for a clue about what the appropriate response to this situation was.

Crepus sighed deeply. He was also a bit lost about what the appropriate response was. To his surprise, it was his son who figured out what to do first.

“Do you…” Diluc looked back at Kaeya. “Do you want a hug?”

Kaeya squeezed his little hands together. Keeping his head down as the tears he had been fighting back all morning started to shimmer in his bright eye. Still locked up behind the dam his lower eyelid made, but he could no longer hide the glistening they made as a drop slipped free.

The blunette nodded and Diluc was instantly in his arms, slipping off his father's knee and pulling the smaller boy close. Kissing his face and head as he patted him and told him it would be okay. That he would share his dad until Kaeya was able to find his own again.

The Kaeya sniffed and buried his face in the other’s shoulder. Squeezing him back just as tightly and giving Diluc a muffled small, “I’m sorry.”

Diluc peppers him in even more kisses. “It’s okay, Kae. It’s okay.”

“I didn’t meant to upset you,” Kaeya promised. “I am sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Diluc promised back. “Just don’t leave like that again, okay?”

“Okay.”

“You promise?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

And just like that Diluc is smiling again. Hurriedly going to help Adelinde with the door as she brings in the tea and cake. The little redhead immediately began to cut a piece of it for Kaeya while the brunette remains perched in Crepus' lap. Proudly telling him he helped the head maid make the blunette’s favorite snack even adding extra strawberries to them just the way Kaeya likes. The little ward takes the offered plate. Staring down at the pink desert. Clutching the dish a little harder than probably necessary while his eye gets a faraway look in it. Not even hearing Diluc explain the process of how he managed not get any eggshells in the batter when he cracked the eggs.

Crepus gently placed a hand on the boy’s back while he waits for Diluc to finish cutting him a slice of cake too, under Adelinde’s careful supervision. The boy looks up at him, blinking away whatever had captured his inner thoughts. Crepus smiled warmly at him. Hoping he can help dispel some of the shadows that lingering on the boy. The same shadows that cloaked him since that night he was left on their doorsteps. Those shadows that cause him to wake up screaming in the middle of the night. The shadows that whisper to him, and cause his shoulders to draw up protectively.

He can feel Kaeya’s small shoulder blades relax under his hand. His furrowed brow softening as he stares up at him. Staring at that smile.

“I am so glad the wind blew you here, my little seed.”

There was nothing more beautiful than a child's smile.