Work Text:
‘Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. Can we please get a treehouse? Kaeya promises that he won’t cause trouble.’ Diluc begged. Crepus raised his eyebrow at his son, not at all swayed by his puppy dog eyes. 10 years of parenthood helps you build up some form of immunity.
‘Oh Kaeya will? Well that means that only Kaeya gets to use the treehouse.’ Crepus shrugged, hiding his smile at Diluc’s immediate pout. He knew what his son was trying to do. Behind Diluc, Kaeya giggled quietly.
‘Fine! If both of us behave, can we please get a treehouse.’ Diluce tried again, after shooting a joking glare over his shoulder at his little brother.
‘Hmmm. Seeing as you are both ahead in your studies, I don’t see why not. But only if you both behave and don’t complain when Adelinde asks you to help out with chores, understand?’
Diluc shared a look with his brother, holding one of their ‘conversations without words’ before turning back to their father.
‘We understand!’ The young boy exclaimed, nodding thoroughly. Kaeya also nodded behind him, an earnest expression on his face.
‘Alright. Seeing as you both agree, I’ll have one made for you two. Now, out you go and have fun outside and let your beloved father do his job in peace.’ Crepus shooed his sons out the door, smiling at their laughter and twin ‘thank you father!’
He settled back down in his chair with a fond sigh. Crepus loved his sons but Archons, they are a handful. He pitied the poor maid who had been tasked with cleaning them after their outdoor adventures.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
‘Come in.’ He called, looking back over the documents he had been working on before his sons had barged in on him. He already knew it was Elzer, being used to the way the butler knocks on doors. All the staff under his employ had a different pattern for knocking. It had started out as a simple coincidence but Crepus had found it rather useful.
Elzer stepped into his office and shut the door silently behind him.
‘It appears that the young masters are in particularly high spirits, do you have any clue why?’ The butler asked good naturedly. Crepus had known him since he was about his sons’ age and had grown quite close with him over the years.
‘I said I would get them a treehouse, which, by the way, would you know anybody who would be able to build one. I would prefer to get it done as soon as possible before they start nagging me.’ Crepus scanned over one of the documents and scribbled out his signature at the bottom. Elzer laughed at that.
‘Yes they can be very persistent when it comes to things they want.’ ‘If only it applied to their studies.’ Crepus sighed, turning around to face Elzer.
‘Oh? I thought that both the young masters are excelling in their classes.’ Elzer raised an eyebrow.
‘They are, yes. But that does not mean they enjoy it. Poor Addie has to listen to their complaints after every lesson.’ Crepus rolled his eyes. He really does need to raise the head-maid's pay.
Elzer laughed loudly at that.
‘I believe Addie has mastered the art of looking like she is listening but is actually figuring out what she will make for dinner.’
‘Oh yes. She would make a wicked business woman if she so wanted.’ Crepus grinned. ‘Perhaps I should be glad she chose to be a maid instead, otherwise the competition may have gotten a lot more interesting.’
‘I’ll tell Addie that. “Master Crepus is glad that you’re a maid and not a business woman because otherwise, he would actually have to do his job.” oh she’ll love that.’ Elzer expertly dodged the playful swipe Crepus sent his way. He then straightened up, returning to ‘Butler Mode’. ‘I find a suitable builder for the young masters’ treehouse. And do forget that you have a meeting with Ms Dietrich in an hour.’
Elzer was out the door before Crepus could even reply. He sighed. Ms Dietrich was one of his worst business partners and he could only hope that the meeting was over quickly so that he could get back to his paperwork, or, most likely, his sons.
It only took two weeks for the treehouse to be built, much to Diluc and Kaeya’s excitement. The moment it had been completed and deemed safe for use, they were rushing to take many of their toys and blankets up to make it more liveable. Any free time that they had was more often than not spent in the treehouse.
Every afternoon, Crepus would wander into the garden, to check on the grapes but also so that he could hear the joyful laughter of his sons as they played their games, their favourite being the one were they pretended to be Knights of old, slaying enemies left and right and saving Mondstadt from every possible threat. Honestly, only a child’s imagination could come of with the idea that one of the Four Winds could turn on Mondstadt and Barbatos. Diluc had also insisted that they let Jean and Thoma visit their treehouse. Having four children running around it waving toy swords around was most certainly more stressful than just two. But they were having fun and that was all that Crepus could want.
As well as becoming one of their favourite play places, it also became the place where either of his sons would go when they were feeling upset or stressed. Because of this, Crepus ensured that they had the best blankets and pillows that money could buy to ensure their comfort when they need it most.
Even as his boys grew older and matured, joining the knights alongside Jean, they still returned to their treehouse for a moment of rest from the stresses of Knighthood. Diluc did it the most, the strain of being a captain at such a young age proving too much from time to time and his treehouse provided a quiet place to calm down.
Kaeya spent considerably less time there, being far better at managing both his and Diluc’s work without being overworked, but there were still times that he would take a book and a plate of Adelinde’s biscuits to there and relax.
Occasionally they would go up there together, usually just to sit and relax in the presence of the other. Diluc would take his paperwork and Kaeya would help him work through it.
Crepus was just happy that the treehouse was still being used 5 years after it was built.
3 years later a tragedy occurs. Both of his boys leave and the treehouse is no longer visited.
Diluc wasn’t a child anymore. He hadn’t been one for a long time. But that didn’t mean that he no longer found comfort in things that may seem childish. Even if he would rather die than admit it.
His old wooden sword that rested in the corner of his room, his stuffed owl that still had a place on his desk, a violin that he hasn’t played in years that still holds the memory of all the duets he performed for his father (though he did his best to forget his partner for those duets).
And, of course, his beloved treehouse. He still visited it from time to time, ensuring that it remained in pristine condition. But still he missed the warmth that it no longer held, having disappeared along with the two people he held most dear.
You have no one to blame but yourself.
Seeing Kaeya and the stress and grief that came with it was one of the main causes for Diluc to go up to his treehouse, seeking the comfort of long gone memories. But more often than not, it would backfire on him, leaving Diluc more lonely than before.
Oh how he wished he could go back on everything he did and said. How he wished he could be brothers with Kaeya again. How he wished Kaeya didn’t hate him. But he knew he deserved it. Deserved all of the hate Kaeya sent his way, all the barbed words and the barely disguised barbs.
Diluc sighed as he approached the tree that housed his treehouse. A stressful day filling out documents and dealing with pretentious business partners had left him tired seeking some comfort. However a noise coming from the treehouse made him pause.
Diluc reached for the dagger on his thigh as he silently climbed the ladder. The treehouse had never once seen an unwelcome guest but there was a first time for everything.
The noises grew louder as he neared the open door. But they weren’t the most out of place noise that was coming from inside. No, that would be the humming. It was quiet enough that Diluc barely heard it, but it was there. A familiar tune.
And Diluc, Diluc recognised it. Or, more importantly, he recognised who it was.
Kaeya.
‘Kaeya.’ He stated dumbly. And almost immediately regretted it as Kaeya jumped about half a metre in the air.
‘Master Diluc. I didn’t know you would be here. I’ll, yeah, I’ll just…go.’ Kaeya placed whatever he was doing down and nervously made to leave.
‘Wait.’ Just as Kaeya tried to push past him, Diluc grabbed Kaeya’s arm. ‘You don’t have to leave.’
‘Huh? What are you talking about Master Diluc? You made it very clear that I was no longer welcome here, and yet here I am, against your will. Surely you want me gone again.’ Kaeya did his best to try and push his usual calm persona but he was clearly still shaken by Diluc’s surprise appearance.
‘No. I want you here, Kaeya. I want you home.’ Diluc decided he may as well go for it. He has spent far too long avoiding this conversation and it was high time he finally apologised to Kaeya for what he did.
‘Home? I don’t understand, this isn’t my home.’ Kaeya frowned. He had an idea of what Diluc might be saying but he refused to hope. He wouldn’t let himself fall down that hole only to be disappointed.
‘It is your home Kaeya. I had no right to make you leave. I should never have made you leave. And…if you want, you are more than welcome to come back.’ Diluc closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. ‘I want you back here Kaeya. I’m sorry for what I did to you that night. I should never have raised my blade against you, you didn’t deserve that from me. I failed you as your older brother and I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me now after what I did, but I need you to know that despite what you think, I don’t hate you, rather the opposite Kae; I love you. I will always love you, my little brother-’
Diluc cut himself as he felt another body crash into him. He stumbled backwards but caught himself on the door frame, stopping him and Kaeya from falling over. Kaeya’s arms were wrapped tight around his middle and his face was buried in Diluc’s chest.
‘Kaeya?’ Diluc’s arms came around to also warp Kaeya’s body. He felt the vibrations of Kaeya saying something into his chest. ‘You’ve got to speak up so I can hear you Kae. Here, how about we go sit at the table so we can talk properly.’
Kaeya nodded but did not make any effort to let go of his brother. He hadn’t hugged his brother in over 4 years and he wasn’t planning on stopping now that he was allowed to again.
‘Kaeya…you need to let go. I don’t want to stay standing up, it’s uncomfortable.’
‘I don’t want to let go.’ Kaeya whined.
‘Kae. We have a lot of things to talk about, and it would be better if we were both sitting down for it. C’mon.’ Diluc all but lifts Kaeya off his feet so he could carry him to the table. Kaeya begrudgingly took a seat next to Diluc, refusing to go any further than a metre away from his brother.
‘Now, you don’t need to tell me anything you don’t want or don’t feel comfortable sharing with me Kae, but I am going to ask you some questions about that night.’ Diluc explained. Kaeya nodded in understanding, reaching out so he could grab Diluc’s hand. Diluc smiled softly to himself.
‘First, do you blame yourself for what happened?’ Diluc asked gently. He most certainly did not blame Kaeya for it, but Diluc knows his brother and is well aware of his habit of blaming himself for any minor issue in their lives.
Kaeya lowered his gaze, unable to look Diluc in the eyes. He fiddled a bit with his eyepatch strap.
‘I do, and before you try to tell me otherwise, listen to me. I- When I saw you with father’s body I felt a lot of things, but the main one was relief. Heh, how horrible is that? And then it was replaced by disgust. Disgust at myself, for being such a horrible son, being relieved at father’s death. But I couldn’t help it, now I had one less person to consider when I had to make my choice. One less person to let down. But I still had you, and that’s why I had to tell you, I couldn’t live with myself otherwise and frankly, I didn’t want to. So I thought that if I told you and you got angry enough with me, you would solve that problem for me.’ Kaeya looked up at Diluc again, his eyes stained with tears.
Eyes.
Kaeya had taken his eyepatch off and now the price he had paid for Diluc’s anger paid bare for him to see. Diluc felt sick. The scar that covered Kaeya’s eye, the scar that nearly blinded him, was his fault. And gods Diluc knew how much burns hurt, he knew how much pain that scar would have caused Kaeya, both in its infliction and as it healed. But he had something more important to worry about right now; he had caught what Kaeya had implied with his words.
‘You wanted me to kill you?’ Diluc asked, not wanting to believe his own words. How could you do that to me Kaeya? Did you really think that I could live with myself knowing that I killed you? After I just killed our father.
‘It was selfish of me, I know. And looking back, a horrible plan as well, but in the moment I just wanted it to all end but I was too scared to do it myself. I’m sorry.’ Kaeya’s shoulders were hunched and he looked close to crying. ‘I don’t think that way anymore, but I don’t blame younger me for wanting to, though I know how unfair it is to you.’
‘Kaeya I-’ Diluc paused to take a calming breath. This was a lot to take in for one afternoon but for Kaeya, he could do it. He could handle his brother’s truths, this time without letting his anger or fear control him. ‘Yes, it wasn’t fair to me, and you shouldn’t have done it, but I think I can understand. And yes, I will never be in the same spot as you and I will never truly understand what you went through but I can understand why you felt that relief. And I’m not mad at you for feeling it.’
Diluc could see the tension in Kaeya’s shoulders lessen slightly. But he wasn’t quite done yet.
‘I also have to ask, Kaeya, are you afraid of me?’ It wasn’t something he really wanted to ask, but Diluc had noticed the way Kaeya would flinch away from his hand or when they were fighting together for whatever reason, Kaeya would keep a very close eye on his blade and would freeze whenever Diluc used Dawn.
‘I…I wouldn’t say I’m afraid of you exactly,’ Kaeya took in a deep breath as he figured out how to word his answer. ‘I guess I’m afraid of my memory of you. I know you won’t hurt me, not in public where everyone else can see or in any way that it could be connected to you, but my body doesn’t quite know that. It sees your flames and just remembers that it hurt me once and that it could happen again. Sort of like how we have a bad experience with a certain thing one time and then assume that that thing will always be bad even when it isn’t. But no, I wouldn’t say I’m afraid of you Luc, more of what you could do.’
Diluc sighed. He knew what Kaeya meant, and honestly it didn’t help. He placed that fear there.
‘I won’t hurt you Kae at all, never again.’ His grip on Kaeya’s hand tightened slightly. He reached up with his other hand to brush away stray hairs that covered his brother’s right eye and Kaeya let him. ‘I love you Kaeya, and I’ll always love you no matter what.’
Kaeya got out of his chair so he could once again wrap his arms around his brother.
‘I love you too, Luc. My adorable older brother.’ Well there goes the meaningful moment they were having. Diluc sighed fondly and ruffled Kaeya’s hair.
‘You’re one to talk to Kae, my endearing baby brother.’ Kaeya leant happily into Diluc’s touch. Diluc smiled to himself; still, after everything, his little brother was still the touch-starved child he once knew. Eventually Kaeya did pull away, the position not being all that comfortable for either of them. Diluc pretended not to miss his brother's warmth.
‘Ugh, I should probably finish the paperwork I came here to do.’
‘You bring paperwork here?’ Diluc asked incredulously. Not because he thought Kaeya didn’t work, no he knew that Kaeya was one of the most diligent and hardworking knights, second only to Jean, but because why here?
Kaeya smiled shyly at him.
‘Because, it reminds me of how you used to do yours here when you were captain and I would help you.’ Kaeya grabbed his papers off a nearby table and sat down in his spot again. Diluc shuffled his chair closer to Kaeya so he could see what his brother was working on. ‘And I’ve found that I work better here than I do in my office for some reason.’
‘If you still have a lot to get through Kaeya, I could help you. In return for you helping me. I really don’t know how you managed to get my work done on top of your own. No wonder you’re a better captain than I was.’ Diluc sighed. He had heard the whispers, Mondstadt’s people talking about how their knew Quartermaster was a lot easier to get along with. It didn’t hurt and he knew it was true.
‘I think I’ll take you up on that offer, Luc. And Diluc, you were 14, no one should have expected you to be amazing and brilliant at everything.’ Kaeya patted Diluc comfortingly on his shoulder and divided up his work to pass some over to his brother. ‘Now come one, get working, I have a lot to get through before tomorrow.’
Diluc laughed goodnaturedly. Archon’s, he doesn’t think he has laughed or smiled so much since before he was 18. Had he known reconciling with Kaeya would have been this easy he would have done so earlier, rather than wallowing in his own self pity. He willingly buried himself in Kaeya’s paperwork, very much ready to support his brother whatever way he could.
And if Adelinde found them later curled up against each other on the couch, that was for only them to know.
(And the kamera, which she had conveniently had on her; one more happy memory for her beloved boys)