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Everyone has someone that looks out for them and makes sure they take care of themselves. Someone who ensures they don't overwork themselves and takes some time for them. This person may let them work to deep extents but they will always come in and tell them when to stop; tell them it's time to take a break. It's that very thing that makes them so special because they stop the person they care about most, from working themselves to the bone, and that's why they can never be hated. Everyone has someone. Jean has Barbara who always makes sure her sister sits down for a no-work tea time every once and awhile; Diluc who has Adelinde who will absolutely put her foot down, no argument, if she thinks anything her master wants to do isn't good for his health- if he needs rest, she'll make sure he takes some; Albedo has Klee who always provides a healthy break from all his work and makes sure he connects with society and his loved ones every once in awhile. Everyone has someone.... maybe that statement used to be true but it hasn't been in awhile.
Everyone has someone except Kaeya. Ever since that dreadful night, Kaeya instantly lost everyone who was that someone: his father, his brother, even Adelinde. He may still have his friends but their connection wasn't as strong as those he'd lost. Jean or Lisa may occasionally suggest Kaeya take a break but that was as far as it ever went, never actually properly forcing their friend to rest, thinking it wasn't their place. And if anyone knows Kaeya well, they'll know he never takes that break, the break he desperately needs. However that should be all old news now. The brothers reconciled only a month ago so everything should be fixed now, right... right? Guess not. What happens when there's no one to make you stop... or you don't realise there's someone who still cares for you and wants to help you out.
~~~~~~~
It was late evening when Kaeya finally arrived at Angel's share, a far contrast to his usual time. The tarvarn was already vibrant with life by now, so finding a seat was no longer an easy feat, unlike how it was when he usually arrived. Instead, Kaeya had to navigate through the sea of people until he reached his preferred seat at the counter. He sat heavily on the bar stool, sighing with great exhaustion but he didn't stop to rest and relax into the enjoyable ambience of the tavern. Without evening waving hello to the bartender, Kaeya placed the folder he was holding onto the counter and pulled at some non-confidential documents which he immediately started working on. He didn't even look up to order his drink, only reaching out to grab the glass he knew his brother had already prepared.
Whilst Kaeya worked, his head deep in the documents, Diluc watched his brother from behind the counter. Mindlessly cleaning glasses as he simultaneously observed his brother- subtly. Things felt off. Not only had Kaeya come in much later than usual, he had refused to engage him with some of their routine friendly banter, and he had in fact also brought work along- a folder full of it, at that! This wasn't right. Diluc knew Kaeya and understood his brother's strict attitude to formality (well when it comes to paper work at least) so was never one to take a document outside of the office, regardless of whether it was confidential or not, but here Kaeya was, going against his natural habits. To make matters worse, his little brother was looking much worse for wear. There were deep, dark bags under the bluenette's eyes and there were clear stress lines on his forehead. Kaeya looked like he hadn't slept in years nor eaten an adequate meal in a long while. Diluc only wished that there was more than snacks at the tavern to fix that or even hope his brother would at least eat the nibbles available. Besides hoping, Diluc didn't know what else he could do.
It had only been a month since the brothers went from throwing painful jabs at each other, to now friendly remarks the other's way. Only a month since an olive branch, one Diluc had formally burned to ash, was extended and the both of them were content to rebuild the bridge between them, back from the ashes. It had only been a month since the brothers had reconciled and Diluc didn't want to lose the thing he'd been missing for so long to a wrong move. It was so painful watching Kaeya whither away before him; throwing himself more into his work than actually living his life and looking out for himself. Kaeya was a person too, not just a mindless, working machine, so he deserved to rest too. His baby brother deserved to be happy and actually live his life rather than just survive... but was it Diluc's place to say that. It was all fine and dandy to think it but did he have the right to act on those thoughts. Kaeya seemed perfectly content to eat, sleep, live his work and who was he to say that was not how Kaeya should live his life?
However, it was clear to all that this wasn't good for his health. Making himself a slave to his work was a surefire way to send him to an early grave, and that was not an end result Diluc desired to come to permission. Diluc knew if this was him, Adelinde would put a stop to it instantly and physically force him to take a break (she is not a woman to be messed with) or if this was Jean, Barbara would drop everything and run down from the cathedral to pull her big sister away from her desk, (sisterly love at its finest) but who did Kaeya have... and was Diluc good enough to be that person. He had literally burnt him in a fit of fury when his brother needed him most. What was there to indicate that he knew what was in Kaeya's best interest. Archons, thoughts like these were what drove him insane.
Giving his mind a rest, Diluc decided to put these complicated thoughts to the side for now and instead focus on doing his job. However, he couldn't stop himself watching over Kaeya with a concerned eye. Every time he cleared a table, swept some floors or cleaned some glasses, his eyes would eventually sweep back to is brother at the counter, just checking he hadn't worked himself to a deadly state. It wasn't much but all the same, seeing Kaeya working hard, still alive, put his heart at ease, meaning he could do his work at peace. It was quite a nice quiet night today. Everyone was enjoying themselves as usual but for once, was actually minding their liquor intake and Diluc found himself not having to cut anyone off nor throw them out. If Kaeya wasn't too busy filling out paperwork, he'd likely make a remark that they were in some sort of twilight zone, which would've surely got a laugh out of the redhead. Diluc was really missing that friendly banter now. He had only gotten to relish in it, and all the honest smiles to Kaeya's pretty face it brought, recently so for it to be absent, even for only one night, felt like such a loss. It was even more devastating when Diluc glanced back at the counter again to see it empty, with only some coins and a simple card where his brother once was.
"Thanks for the drink, brother. :)" Diluc was never going to stop feeling a flutter in his chest every time kaeya called him brother, even when it was simply on paper.
~~~~~~~
Closing time came around and each and every last patron bidded Diluc goodbye before departing out the door. It really was like some uncanny zone tonight, everything was going just a little too well. There were no giant messes for him to clean; no broken glasses scattered over the floor nor any piles of sick hidden in the corner... it was all too good to be true. It felt as if there was a big lurking monster waiting to leap out and prove this was a distraction, but then again there was that problem with Kaeya that kept nagging away at his mind the whole night. Could he really leave him in the state he was in? Would everything really be fine if Diluc ignored it? Would his soul be at ease if things got worse when he was perfectly aware something was off? These thoughts really would drive him mad if left unchecked, but he really couldn't ignore them. Everything at the tavern was so nice tonight, that cleaning up was such an easy task and before long he was locking up. With no distraction, what else was there to do but focus on those thoughts?
A quick check in can't do any harm, right?
He'll just stop by Kaeya's house and check everything's ok and before leaving, remind him to take a break. Simple. Just a quick drop in then out. It's on his way anyway. He'll be in and out so fast that it'll only take an extra minute to get home; he won't even need to send Vanessa to deliver a message to Addy. It's a simple in then out, nothing more. There's no way he can overstep his place by just doing that. Plus if Kaeya doesn't answer the door when he knocks, he can just go home. It'll be a good thing because it'll mean his brother is actually resting, so he won't need to tell him to. Now Diluc's thinking about it, maybe he's overreacting. Perhaps Kaeya just had an overly busy day and was now taking care of himself and sleeping like a good boy. Everyone had bad days and Kaeya didn't need Diluc harassing him over it... but just in case, he'll still check in. It might in fact make Kaeya feel better to see his big brother caring about him, if he was in fact having a bad day. Hopefully that was all it was.
After some conflicted walking, Diluc arrived at Kaeya's door, at last. He was here now and there was no going back now. All he had to do was knock, say hello, check Kaeya's alive and well, then depart home after reminding his brother to rest. Simple. Seriously, there was no way this could go wrong. Diluc was being so careful not to break the bridge they had just built; it still needed time until it was stronger but he knew he couldn't leave this be. Diluc had to take the plunge and race across their shaky, unfinished bridge to his brother. Put his mind at ease seeing Kaeya okay so he could sleep well tonight. Everything is going to be fine. Stop hesitating! With a shaking hand, Diluc raised his arm and took the plunge, finally knocking.
A second passed, then a minute, then a few minutes but still his knock was left unanswered. Wasn't that meant to be a good thing? What if he hadn't knocked hard enough? Diluc couldn't leave until he was sure his knock was heard if Kaeya was still awake. Okay. Diluc knocked once more, a bit more confidently, ensuring it was loud enough to be heard. Another few minutes passed but again there was no answer. Not even a tired Kaeya racing outside to tell him to go away, screaming he was trying to sleep. If only that was what happened, then maybe Diluc might feel a bit better but right everything felt awful. There was still a light on in the living room and Kaeya wasn't so arrogant to waste power. There were muffled noises echoing through the door and an even quieter whimper. At this point, Diluc was absolutely certain Kaeya wasn't sleeping.
With big brother senses taking control, Diluc grabbed the door handle and motioned to barge his way in, but to his surprise it was unlocked, resulting in the hilarious sight of the redhead stumbling into the house. Quickly closing the door behind him, Diluc gracefully found his footing before he fell on the floor, and promptly stood up straight, acting as if that embarrassing incident had never occurred. Much to Diluc's relief, Kaeya wasn't laughing at his unfortunate misstep. In actuality, Kaeya was staring at him mouth agape and eye wide open, frozen still, across from him. Kaeya didn't know how else to react, one moment he was trying to keep his emotions in check and the next thing he knew his brother was stumbling into his home.
For a moment or two, the brothers stood in the living room in an awkward silence, neither party knowing how to approach their current situation. What the hell were they meant to say: Hey Diluc, don't mind me, I was trying to stop a breakdown, or Oh, hi Kaeya, I don't trust you to come to me with your problems so i barged into your house uninvited. Archons, the brothers are a real pair, but thank hell for that or else nothing would get done. Diluc wasn't going to stand here and let his efforts go to waste, so while his brother tried to prevent a mental breakdown, Diluc was going to look around and get a good understanding of the situation. First things first was what was right in front of him. The sofa was to his left in front of the fireplace, and to Diluc's relief, it looked like a well loved sofa that was certainly comfy, but what was concerning was the towering piles of paperwork covering the coffee table and bits of the floor. It seemed taking work away from the office wasn't a one time thing tonight. Next, Diluc's eyes glanced over to the conjoining kitchen to his right. On the counter, Diluc was disappointed to see an unfinished fisherman's toast that had barely been touched. He hoped that was the only meal which had basically been missed. Just as Diluc was about to move into the kitchen, to explore it further, something else on the granite counter, next to the sink, caught Diluc's eye.
A cute blue sippy cup that was decorated in sparkly snowflakes all over its body and had a bright orange spout. An adorable sippy cup that looked brand new but from prior memories, Diluc knew it was decently old and formerly often used, but this one appeared to not have been touched in ages, which was strange. Something very few people knew about his baby brother, was that he was a regressor which meant during great moments of stress, Kaeya's mind would regress to a younger age to help him relax and cope. It was a coping mechanism he had developed many years ago, back before they lost their father and the brothers broke their relationship, and after everything Kaeya had been through, could anyone blame him. Diluc was just happy his brother developed a healthy coping mechanism compared to all the other ones out there and the world be damned if anyone dare judge Kaeya for it. Therefore there was something Diluc knew for a fact and that was whenever Kaeya was little, he was obsessed with his sippy cup, always sucking the spout if he didn't have his pacifier. By the way his brother's breath stopped when Diluc's eyes glanced at the sippy cup, led to him getting a good inkling of what was going on.
"Kaeya, when was the last time you regressed to cope with stress?" Diluc asked as he strategically went to the sippy cup and started to subtly fill it with juice from the mistflower box, which Diluc was thankful was full of food.
"Ummmm, maybe a month or two ago." Kaeya cautiously answered, keeping his eyes fixed on his brother, trying to see what Diluc was doing, but he was doing a good job of concealing it.
"Hmmm? Interesting." Diluc remarked, turning round with the filled sippy cup of juice and a tray of chocolate chip cookies in either hand. "Would you like a drink or a snack?"
Hearing that question and seeing the filled sippy cup and his favourite snack when he was little, made a part of Kaeya soften but another grew stronger with adamant refusal. Tears pricked his eye as he desperately fought the urge to give in. Diluc in turn smiled gently as his hypothesis was proven correct. Kaeya was on the verge of headspace but was trying his hardest not to regress. His body was trying to fall back on an established coping mechanism to relieve stress but Kaeya was being counterproductive, refusing to allow himself to regress which is surely causing him more stress. Here came Diluc's role, he was going to convince his brother to listen to his body and that starts with the snacks and sippy cup. However, when Diluc tried to hand them to his brother, Kaeya stubbornly pushed them back, shaking his head hectically in refusal.
"No, no, no, no," Kaeya pleaded close to tears, "I was doing so well, I can't, I can't. I've got work i need to do."
"Shhhh, it's ok." Diluc consoled, bringing a hand up to caress his baby brother's face. "Work can wait till tomorrow. You've already worked hard enough."
"But-"
"No buts, you need to take care of yourself." Diluc reminded Kaeya, wiping any escaping tears but it was a vain act because hearing his brother's words, Kaeya finally let loose and started fully sobbing.
"If i'm not working, i've got no distraction and i don't want to be left alone... but... but... but I don't want to burden you." Kaeya weeped, no longer hiding his struggles but Diluc just pulled his brother into a hug never complaining.
"Hey, heyyy, shhh. It's ok." Diluc softly whispered, rocking the other in his arms. "You could never burden me, because you are my baby brother, and i care deeply about you."
"Really?" Kaeya asked with hope in his eye,
"Yes." Diluc promised, "Now why don't you take this sippy cup and get comfy on the sofa. I'm going to put your paperwork safely away in your study, then get you some nice pyjamas, Ok?"
Kaeya nodded softly in response, his gaze transfixed on his brother as he took the sippy cup and a cookie from the plate. There was a warm aura surrounding his brother, much gentler than before. Diluc was very glad to see his brother had done what was needed and regressed. It was good to see a carefree little Kaeya again; he had missed caring for his baby brother. Never in his life would he ever be burdened by caring for his brother; it was a delight, he was lucky to experience. Whilst his brother got comfy on the sofa, Diluc gathered up the papers on the table, putting each of them into their assorted folders. Seriously, looking at all this work, Kaeya really needed to create a better work life balance; taking on all this, when he should be resting or enjoying his life, can't be good for him. Once all the paperwork was organised and tidied away, he promptly dumped it in the study, to be dealt with on another day and hopefully at a healthier pace. Next on the agenda was to get some nice, fluffy pyjamas he could relax in, but before he did that, it might be a good idea to send a message to Adelinde so she knew he wasn't coming home tonight. Diluc guesses he will have to call Vanessa over after all, that poor bird probably thought it wasn't going to be needed tonight.
~~~~~~~~~~
It didn't take long to send a message to Adelinde or find the cutest pair of blue fluffy pyjamas that had little snowflakes patterning the trouser legs and a shiny big snowflake on the tummy of the top. It was the cutest thing Diluc had ever seen and was shocked he'd never seen his brother in them before. How on Tyvet could Kaeya not want to regress when he had such cute pyjamas waiting for him, was a mystery he'll never understand. Speaking of his brother, it's about time he headed back to him. Leaving the bedroom, Diluc walked down the hallway towards the living room and when he arrived, he was greeted by the sweet sight of Kaeya peacefully sucking on his sipping cup, though all the juice was gone, whilst basking in the warmth of the fireplace. The lovely sight warmed Diluc's heart greater than the fireplace ever could.
"Hi, lovely. Shall we get you out of those yucky grown up clothes and into these warm and fluffy pyjamas." Diluc prompted, holding up the pyjamas in an excited display which Kaeya more than eagerly agreed to, enthusiastically nodding his head.
"Ok hun, i'm going to need you to put the sippy down now. I can fill it back up if you want or i can grab your paci." Diluc softly asked, the warm tone of his voice comforted his brother, using nice simple vocabulary his younger mindset could understand.
"Paci! Paci!" Kaeya happily squealed, clapping his hands together in excitement causing the sippy cup to fall on the floor. Diluc swiftly picked it up, not wanting Kaeya to put it back in his mouth now that it was dirty. Can never trust little ones not to put anything in their mouth so it was better safe than sorry. Diluc didn't want Kaeya to get sick from putting germs in his mouth.
"Sure thing, Little one." Diluc teased, bopping Kaeya on the nose which evoked a cute laughter from the younger. Making quick work of the task, Diluc first deposited the sippy cup in the sink to clean later, then made his way back to the bedroom to grab one of Kaeya's pacifiers from the cupboard in his room where Kaeya kept most of his regressor stuff. Looking through the range of pacifiers, Diluc selected a pretty one with a light green base that would compliment the blue pyjamas and was covered in blue and white gems with a big snowflake in the centre which matched the snowflake theme they had going. His baby brother was going to be the handsomest boy here. Before Diluc left, he noticed a familiar object at the bottom of the cupboard and made sure to grab it, knowing it would surely brighten Kaeya's mood even more.
"I'm back little one. Did you wait patiently for me?" Diluc announced, sitting next to his brother on the sofa. It truly was a comfy sofa.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! I waited, I was a good boy!" Kaeya replied bouncing, energetically on his seat and it only served to make Diluc's heart grow ten times bigger and an even warmer smile to etch its way onto his face.
"That's very good. I'm so proud of you." Diluc praised, ruffling the younger's hair evoking another giggle, before handing over the pacifier which Kaeya took gladly, happily plopping it in his mouth.
"Now let's get you changed." Diluc stated, unfolding the pyjamas on the coffee table.
The pair worked as a team to remove Kaeya's current Calvary Captain clothes so he could get into the much nicer pyjamas. Kaeya was more than happy to help remove the items of clothing but in the end the changing process was mainly done by Diluc. It was cute to watch Kaeya hopelessly attempt to remove his corset or vision and in turn resulted in Diluc this time laughing. It was such a sweet sight but he didn't want his brother to get frustrated at his inability so Diluc swept in, taking over before that could happen. The redhead carefully undid the strings and clasps of the corset, gently sliding it off Kaeya's body. Next he turned his attention to the buttons on the blunette's shirt, something a bit too difficult for the limited motor skills of his brother in little headspace. One button, two button, three button, four and soon the shirt was off leaving Kaeya's chest bare. Fortunately, the warmth of the fireplace and Diluc's natural heat as a pyro user meant Kaeya wasn't cold. Looking at his brother's bare chest, guilt still struck his heart seeing the scar he caused but it eased things slightly seeing it had started to fade. What was more concerning was how thin his brother was for his size; Diluc was definitely going to get some food into his brother's tummy before the night was over.
Not wanting enough time to pass so that Kaeya actually got cold, Diluc grabbed the pyjama top from the table and threw it over his head. Kaeya, like the good boy he was, sat back calmly sucking on his pacifier as his brother got him dressed. Diluc guided Kaeya's left arm into the top's sleeve and through the long fabric, out the hole at the other end and doing the same for the right arm. Once both arms were dressed in the sleeves, Diluc pulled the bottom of the top down so Kaeya could poke his head out the head whole, giving it a good tug so the fabric didn't get caught on Kaeya's paci- now that wouldn't make his baby brother happy. At last the top half was done, now all that remained was the bottoms and thank archons sake that Kaeya didn't wear shoes inside; Diluc didn't want to fight that battle tonight, hence why the socks were staying on but he did give the feet a little tickle, making Kaeya shake and wiggle as he laughed. Removing the belt and trousers seemed to be an easy feat, due to their being no difficult accessories like a cape or corset. The only semi-difficult item was Kaeya's vision, but Diluc simply unclipped it and put it in his pocket for safe keeping. Just like with his top half, Diluc guided each leg into their respective hole and then pulled the waistband so the pyjama bottoms came up over his butt. Voila, his brother was dressed.
"For being so well behaved as i got you dressed, i think you deserve a reward." Diluc declared making Kaeya perk up with intrigue, curious what this reward was. The redhead, with a joyful look in his eyes, reached behind the sofa and pulled out the item that had caught his attention earlier. It was an old, bright red plush falcon; a toy that was once Diluc's but he had gifted it to Kaeya when the bluenette joined their family. By the way Kaeya's eye instantly lit up at seeing the plush, Diluc knew he had given an adequate reward.
"Now you are all dressed, what do you wish to do Kaeya?" Diluc asked in a friendly tone showing any request was allowed,
"A fort, I want to build a fort!" Kaeya excitedly revealed, screaming the words around his paci which was soo sweet. Kaeya never change this part of you or else Diluc won't know what to do with himself.
"And so we shall." Diluc proudly proclaimed, quickly getting up to grab blankets, pillows and a chair or two, "Let the fort making, begin!"
Together the two worked together , in a chaotic mess of energy, to build the best fortress to ever exist in any living room in Tyvet. The roles of fort making were divided expertly based upon each other's best abilities. Kaeya was in charge of decorating the inside of the fort with the right pillows and other stuff, with aid of Ragsburn (his falcon plush), meanwhile Diluc worked on the more technical stuff like fitting the blankets together and using the chairs to create some levels and an effective roof. Diluc got his job because it was much safer for him to deal with all the big manual stuff and Kaeya got his job because everyone knew he was the one with the sense of style between the two brothers. Both parties were happy with their jobs, though Diluc would like to argue he did have a sense of style, and on the few times Kaeya wanted to help with the outside building, Diluc guided him on what to do. Put it all together and the pair made a rather good fort. The fort consisted of two sharp upward points either side where chairs propped the blankets up and the ends were tied to the bottom of the sofa, creating an ideal image of a castle. The blankets making the forts walls and roof were a plain dark blue because Kaeya had snatched the red blankets with stars on and the smaller blanket that had a map of Tyvett on. Kaeya had used the red blanket as the forts floor, putting pillows around the side and in two deep piles either side and had rested the map blanket on the top part of the sofa like a pretty wall art. Finally they hung their visions in each turret to illuminate the fort. All in all, they did a good job.
"You did a really good job on the inside, Kae." Diluc applauded as Kaeya invited him inside.
"I know right." Kaeya adamantly agreed with a large smile of pride.
"Oh don't you go getting such a big head." Diluc teased as he pulled his brother into his arms and started an outright tickle attack. He tickled his brother's under arms and sides and blew raspberries on his tummy as he wiggled about. The whole time he squealed and giggled his heart, pleading his brother to stop but only half-heartedly. Kaeya was having too much fun in his brother's loving embrace to stop just yet. Only when Kaeya had properly tired himself did Diluc halt his attack and swap to just gently rocking side to side with his brother in his arms.
"That was evil, luc. Evil, evil, evil." Kaeya chided childishly,
"It's not my fault Kae, you should know the tickle monster does what the tickle monster wants." Diluc replied, feigning innocence but with that incentive, Kaeya suddenly burst out of the hug and started to tickle Diluc back in revenge, giggling the whole time. It wasn't as strong as Diluc's attack but Diluc took it all the same. For a bit of time, the two traded attacks, tickling each other with all their might and both giggling equally as hard, but it was only when a loud growl escaped Kaeya's tummy that Diluc turned his attention to a different matter. Grabbing ragsburn, Diluc started to stand and hand the plush over to his brother.
"Kae, why don't you and ragsburn play together in the fort and protect it from any attacks whilst i go make us some food." Diluc instructed,
"You got it." Kaeya confidently agreed, excited to defend his fort.
Diluc was glad that Kaeya easily agreed, relieved he didn't throw a fuss at food as he made his way out the fort. At times like this, Diluc was glad Kaeya didn't live in a massive house because he could keep an eye on his brother whilst he made up some food in the kitchen. First, since he was in the kitchen, it felt like a good time to give the sippy cup a good clean, especially since a drink with a meal is always ideal. Diluc thoroughly rinsed the cup inside and out, then left it on the drying rack for a bit while he made some food. Not wanting to worry about Kaeya not eating the food, the best idea was to make Kaeya's favourite: fruity skewers. It wasn't the biggest dish but it would be enough to fill Kaeya's tummy up and mean he won't have to be away from his brother for long. As he cooked the meat and started cutting up the necessary fruit, Diluc watched, from the corner of his eye, Kaeya stride around their fort with ragsburn in hand. It was so nice to see Kaeya relaxed and having innocent fun, particularly after all the stress he had been under. Watching Kaeya enjoy himself made the time fly by and soon Diluc was filling the sippy cup back up with juice and placing the fruity skewers on a plate before making his way back over to the fort.
"I'm back." Diluc announced, sitting against the sofa, placing the plates on the floor and beckoning Kaeya over.
"Yayyy." Kaeya squealed rushing over to give Diluc a big hug before sitting down next to him, "Me and Ragsburn proudly protected the fort and no bad guys got in."
"Well done. Now open wide." Diluc commanded as he brought a skewer (a child's one) up to his brother's mouth. Much to Diluc's joy, Kaeya obediently opened his mouth and started to eat the food as Diluc held the skewer up. When it came Diluc's time to eat, once Kaeya had eaten all his food, the redhead passed his brother the sippy cup so he could wash the food down. It was quite an enjoyable meal, made better just because it was simply spent in the other's company. It wasn't a bother to feed his baby brother nor a nuisance to wipe his messy face up after the meal. It wasn't annoying to find the pacifier on the dirty floor, teat first, even though he'll have to clean it, nor was it a bother to see Kaeya slowly drift in and out of consciousness as Diluc ate. It just meant, now was a good time to go to bed.
With a gentle touch, he pulled his brother up into a bridal carry. Kaeya didn't throw any complaints but instead snuggled deeper into his big brother's chest. It was a comforting feeling for both parties. Just the pair of them together, enjoying each other's embrace as they made their way over to the bedroom. Diluc swept out of their fort, leaving the discarded dishes aside for later, getting Kaeya to bed was the priority. Moving with soft steps so as to lull Kaeya further into dream land, Diluc made his way down the corridor, eventually reaching the bedroom. Once there, the redhead made swift work at pulling back the duvet and carefully placing his brother in the bed, pulling the duvet back up to tightly tuck the younger in. Diluc gently removed his brother's eyepatch and went to pick up the falcon plush from where it fell on the bedroom floor. He handed Ragsburn back to Kaeya and grabbed another pacifier for him which he gladly took, but when he went to leave, Kaeya held him back. The blunette wasn't done with his big brother just yet.
"Bedtime story?" Kaeya asked, putting on the puppy dog eyes he knew Diluc couldn't refuse.
"Of course." Diluc relented, ruffling Kaeya's hair one last time. The redhead went over to the bookshelf and picked a book he knew little Kaeya would enjoy and started to read the princess and the Boar. Once Kaeya finally fell asleep, Diluc placed a loving kiss on his brother's forehead, then went off to tidy everything up.
~~~~~~~~
The sun shined through the curtains, marking a brand new day and Kaeya was surprised to wake up in his bed instead of at his desk or in a pile of paperwork in the living room. Nevertheless, he had the greatest sleep he had had in a very long time and actually felt refreshed. For once, he was not dreading the new day. Everyone was right, he really did need a break and that break last night did him wonders. He had so much innocent fun that the memories themselves could last him for years to come and he had Diluc to thank for all of it. Kaeya was truly lucky to have such an amazing big brother. He was so happy to have him back in his life and so grateful for everything he did. If Diluc hadn't stormed in like he did last night, Kaeya knows things would have only gotten worse. He would've forced himself to work, desperately pushing his headspace away until he eventually collapsed asleep, unlike last night where he got to peacefully drift off to dreamland. Kaeya just hoped he'd see Diluc soon so he could thank him in person.
As if answering his wish, Kaeya heard a rustle of plates echo from the kitchen and making his way down the corridor, Kaeya was surprised to find out he could thank his brother sooner than he thought. Standing in the middle of the kitchen was Diluc who was in the process of serving up breakfast, some nice fluffy pancakes- Kaeya's favourite. Adelinde had sent over the recipe with Vanessa last night and Diluc was proud of how well they came out on the first try. He did have to quickly go out and buy some more eggs because he made a mess of the first batch but it all came out well in the end. Now he couldn't wait to give them to Kaeya who he was startled to find behind him.
"Kaeya... You startled me for a second, did you sleep well?" Diluc asked as he laid the table,
"I did and i wanted to personally thank you for everything you did for me last night. It meant a great deal to me." Kaeya honestly revealed, taking his seat at the table and not waiting a second to start feasting on the breakfast. Yummy just like Adelinde's.
"I'd gladly do it anytime. It's my honor as a big brother to be able to care for you." Diluc promised which made Kaeya smile and feel loved all over again. The pair sat in a comfortable silence for a bit, eating their breakfast before Diluc made an announcement.
"Kaeya, I know you've made a home here and everything and i don't want to intrude on that, but please come back to the winery to stay every once in a while. We all miss you there and it will be great to have you over for some nights. Think of it as a second home." Diluc offered.
"I'd actually, really like that. You can look forward to me fulfilling that offer in the future." Kaeya promised and the pair went back to eating their breakfast, happier than ever before.