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Throughout their entire childhood, Kaeya had hoped and prayed that one day his brother would speak. He had often tried teaching him, despite their father's warnings it was a waste of time. It wasn't until he turned fourteen, and Diluc fifteen, that he had finally given up. He learned to accept it for what it was and decided to stop pestering his brother with children's books and sound-it-out games. It was an unobtainable dream and he had left it at that.
So now, on Diluc's eighteenth birthday, when the sound of his brother's voice meets Kaeya's ears, his heart sinks. The sound echoed between his ears as his vision tunneled and his feet felt heavy, as though time itself had stopped.
"Papa!" The cries from his younger kin made Kaeya's chest tighten. There wasn't anything in this world Kaeya hadn't tried to get Diluc to speak, so he knew whatever he was about to witness was going to be nauseating.
"Papa!" Kaeya hears again as his family came into view. The only thing he could see from his position was the back of Diluc, knelt down on the ground. As he finally approached the scene, his knees felt weak. "Papa!" Diluc shouts once more, shoving his hands against their father's shoulders. There was no response; not even a slight indication of life.
Kaeya falls to his knees beside his brother and watches in silence as Diluc desperately shakes their father and lifts his eyelids, doing anything to wake him. Kaeya notices the wound on Crepus' torso and the blood pooling beneath him. He then notices the blood all over Diluc, his white gloves and coat now splattered with dark red splotches.
Only then did tears begin to fall. Watching his brother helplessly attempt to wake their father, not a single tear from his own eyes. In the midst of processing what lay before him, Kaeya wondered if Diluc even understood what had happened. He was smart and he knew how to handle danger and treat wounds, but had they ever properly taught him about death? Did they ever explain to him what eventually happens to everyone?
"Luc," Kaeya mumbles, wiping at his eyes. Diluc ignores him, continuing to grab onto his father's limp hand and tug on his body. "Diluc." Kaeya finally manages to stand now, properly sheathing his sword. Diluc pulls harder on Crepus' arm, causing his body to slump forward onto the ground. "Diluc, enough!" Kaeya shouts, startling the red-headed man. He looks up at Kaeya finally, noticing his wet, red eyes, then turns back to look at his father.
"We have to go," Kaeya says a bit softer, placing a hand on Diluc's shoulder and nudging him in the opposite direction. Diluc furrows his eyebrows and growls back, yanking his shoulder away from Kaeya's touch. He leans over and lifts Crepus' torso, resting him against the wagon once more. "We have to go," Kaeya repeats himself, more stern this time. Diluc grunts angrily and scoots closer to Crepus, now inspecting his wound. He takes his coat off and carefully ties it around his father's waist before applying pressure to the already drying wound.
Kaeya grew angrier by the second, frustrated with Diluc's actions. "He's gone, Diluc! He's dead! Do you know what that means? He is gone forever! Father is dead!" He clasps his hands over his mouth and stares forward in shock, immediately regretting ever opening his mouth. Diluc grits his teeth and shoves Kaeya, knocking him back a few steps. He returns his attention to Crepus and snakes an arm behind his neck, preparing to lift him off the ground.
"It's over, Luc." Kaeya says quietly and grabs Diluc's shoulders before forcibly pulling him back, causing Crepus' body to slump against the wagon wheel. Diluc shouts and kicks at the ground as Kaeya drags him further away. Kaeya mumbles a few 'I'm sorrys', blinking back more tears whilst removing Diluc from the scene. Diluc twists and turns, using all of his strength to try and escape Kaeya's hold, but Kaeya held on tight, doing his best to ignore the feeling of boots and fists coming into contact with his skin.
Just then, a few of the knights run up beside them. "Master Kaeya? What-"
"Help me get Diluc home," is all Kaeya says. The knights look between each other before taking the angry man from Kaeya, their armor protecting them from his hits. Kaeya kneels down on one knee and takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. Barbatos, please, if you can hear this, help me take care of my brother.
Kaeya knocks on the familiar wooden door before standing back, rotating the small gift in his hand, admiring his work. He wasn't ever particularly very crafty, but he admittedly learned a thing or two from his time spent babysitting Klee.
"Master Kaeya?" Adelinde squeals once the door opens, immediately engulfing the tall man into a warm embrace. She quickly pecks his cheek before releasing him and pinching where she kissed. "Oh, look at you," she pouts fondly, running her eyes over his figure. "You're not my little lamp grass anymore, are you?"
"'Fraid not, Addie," Kaeya chuckles, then steps inside as she moves to allow him in. "And please, just call-"
"-'call you Kaeya', yes dear, you've said so before, but to me you will always be a part of this family. You and I both know your father would feel the same." Kaeya only shakes his head with a laugh; he supposed she was right. Crepus died loving Kaeya as his own, so he supposed that still counted for something today.
"I've almost finished preparing dinner. Would you mind fetching your brother for me? I believe he's in his office." Adelinde leaves the dining room before Kaeya has any chance to protest. He swallows hard and glances up at the second floor, seeing the closed door that led to said room.
He makes his way up the stairs, taking his sweet time, but eventually finds himself with a knuckle raised to the finished cedar. He takes a deep breath and knocks before slightly opening the door. "Hey," his voice cracks slightly and he clears his throat, "Hey, Luc."
Diluc, who was bent over a piece of paper, stops writing and looks up from his desk. Kaeya offers a gentle smile, though does not receive one in return. However, Diluc stands up and moves a chair beside his own, inviting Kaeya to sit next to him. "Thank you," Kaeya says quietly as he sits down, Diluc returning to his writing. "What are you working on?"
Diluc finishes his sentence before sliding the page across the table, tapping at the top, which read: Dawn Winery Order Form. "Ah, business is booming as usual?" Diluc nods, sliding the paper back to himself.
They both sit in silence for a few minutes, Kaeya glancing around the room every so often. Everything looked as it did when he grew up here; not a single thing was out of place from the way their father had left it. "Hey, so," Kaeya breaks the silence, setting the gift he brought on top of the desk. "Happy birthday."
Diluc sets the pen down once again and glances at the small box. He then turns his gaze towards Kaeya, who sported a grin across his face. Diluc grunts and takes the box in his hand. "I know, I know," Kaeya raises his hands in surrender, "You don't like receiving gifts. However, I found something I thought you'd really like so I wanted to make it special."
Diluc eyes him for a moment, waiting for some sort of prank or gag, but Kaeya only sits patiently, waiting for him to open it. Finally he sighs and pulls on the bow string, unwrapping the box and letting the sides fall. A small brown pouch is revealed with an attached card that read: To My Big Brother - K
Diluc glances at Kaeya once more, eyebrows narrowed in confusion and curiosity, before opening the bag and dumping its contents onto the desk. A handful of seeds tumble out and Diluc's confusion increases. "They're Dendrobium seeds. They were father's favorite flower."
Kaeya watches Diluc's expression soften and his shoulders loosen. He picks up one seed and inspects it, twisting it between two fingers and looking at it up close. Another brief silence ensues, leaving Kaeya to worry it wasn't as good of a gift as he thought. His concerns are quickly diminished when he feels a hand on his cheek. He looks up from the desk at Diluc, who finally has a smile on his face.
"K-K," Diluc begins to speak, though Kaeya only assumes he's making noises; nothing out of the ordinary for Diluc. "Kae...ya," Diluc sputters out and Kaeya gasps, mouth agape in a large grin. He places a hand over the top of Diluc's, which was still rested on his cheek, and squeezes. Diluc smiles once more and wipes away a tear that slipped from Kaeya's eye.
"I am so proud of you, Luc," Kaeya smiles, unable to fight back the next several tears that continue to drop. "And I know Papa is too. You know that, yeah? He was always proud and still is." Diluc lets his hand drop and he looks down at the floor but nods his head. Their father's death was and always will be a hard conversation for Diluc. As years passed it became easier, but it took him a long time to understand the reality of it.
"C'mon, I think Addie made your favorite for dinner," Kaeya stands up from the chair and nods towards the door. Just as he turns to walk, he's suddenly attacked by a hug, Diluc's head resting on his shoulder. He hesitates at first, because this was unusual for Diluc. He's never liked much physical contact, whether it was as a child or now. Kaeya finally decides to hug him back, smiling as he rested his cheek atop Diluc's hair.
Thank you, Barbatos. I owe you one.