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Diluc, barely breathing hard, his sword swathed in flames. Kaeya, smiling like he’d known Diluc was hiding in the shadows the whole time. The Abyss Mage, trembling before them. Before Kaeya could begin the interrogation, however, a rip in reality opened behind them.
The Abyss Mage quivered with fear.
“My lady!” The mage squeaked. “Surely, I am not worthy of your aid!”
“Be quiet. I decide who and why I should help,” a gold-haired young woman with a face eerily similar to Aether’s said, her lips barely moving, her blue eyes stone cold. Diluc flexed his grip on his claymore, ready and willing to throw himself headlong into a fight he hadn’t prepared for, when blue eyes landed on him. Lumine, because it could only be Lumine, waved a hand dismissively.
“You are not needed for my grand design,” Lumine informed the two of them, and then they were gone.
The Abyss Mage stared at where the heroes used to stand and tried not to quail under Lumine’s icy glare. “My lady!” It cried, “Please! Have mercy!”
“You cannot tell my secrets if you are dead,” and in a blink, Lumine was the only one left standing. She sighed. “Aether, when you get here, I hope you understand why Celestia deserves to be brought low.”
Lumine stared gloomily at the watery light coming through the doorway before making her exit.
----
Diluc came out of the portal snarling with fury, his blade alight and already moving. It’s Kaeya who noticed the sting of the cold on his lips first and managed to pull his estranged brother back far enough that he did not singe the cowering child standing with his hands up, his brown eyes very wide.
“Cool it,” Kaeya told Diluc, one hand tight on his shoulder. “It’s just a kid, Master Diluc.”
Kaeya didn’t manage to catch all of Diluc’s fire and cool it with his ice, so there was a hole in the thick snow that went down to dead brown grass. Kaeya let go of his brother and went down to his knees, smiling that smile that made grandmothers coo at him and Klee at least listen before she went off to go blow shit up anyways. “Hey, there,” Kaeya said, sugar sweet. “Do you know where we are?”
The kid licked his lips and then stuttered, his words tripping over themselves, “The Snowgale Mountains, serrahs, near the Gautier family estate.” His eyes were locked on Kaeya’s face like he was afraid that he was the only thing standing between him and ruin. And, well, he might as well be.
Kaeya was so focused on calming the kid down with his easy smile that it took a second for the words to sink in. He heard Diluc upholster his weapon in the sheath he kept on his back, and the snort Diluc let loose. Thinking quickly, Kaeya asked, “What Archon do you follow?”
The kid blinked at him, momentarily stupefied. “Archon?” He ventured, his eyes sliding over Kaeya’s face like he was looking for the lie, “Is that a house I haven’t heard of yet? Are you from the empire?”
Kaeya didn’t allow his face to move one muscle because he was putting the pieces together and it was a very grim picture indeed if he was right, and this kid was quickly going from ‘stop my brother from murdering random passerby’ to ‘invaluable witness.’ And for that, he needed to stay calm. But inside, he was reeling. No Archons? What empire? Kaeya racked his brain frantically, hours upon hours spent lying by the fire, reading a book, breezing by in his memory, but to no end.
Just to be sure, Kaeya asked, “Are there no Archons here, then?”
The little kid’s face screwed up and he sneezed. Belatedly, Kaeya realized that, while he was sure Diluc was going to call him an idiot to his face for wearing revealing clothes in an environment alarmingly similar to Dragonspine’s most frigid peaks, the kid was not dressed appropriately for the weather. His mittens were soaked through, his hat had no ear flaps, there was frost growing on his scarf, and if Kaeya ever showed up with those kinds of boots to visit Albedo, Albedo would laugh in his face.
Kaeya stood up to his full height and turned to Diluc with his hand held out expectantly, already smiling that smile he knew wore on Diluc’s last nerve. Well, tough luck. Eat shit, Diluc.
“Master Diluc,” Kaeya said aloud, “You seem to be in possession of one too many layers. May I trouble you to bequeath your burdensome coat to someone who needs it more than you?”
Diluc gave Kaeya a flat look. Kaeya’s smile didn’t budge one inch, hand still outstretched. Diluc’s blood red eyes flicked over Kaeya’s shoulder to look at the kid, and then he softened, imperceptibly. Kaeya tried not to feel like he’d gone three rounds with a lion and won as Diluc roughly shouldered past him, already peeling off his fur-lined coat, and draped it carefully over the kid.
“There,” Diluc said gruffly, making the extremities were covered, “Is that enough for you, you hellion?” That question Diluc directed backwards, irritation clear in his tone.
“Oh, very,” Kaeya said, still smiling. He crouched down next to Diluc so now they were both eye level with the kid, who was increasingly looking less and less afraid and a little more like he didn’t know what was happening, but hell if he was going to stop it.
Kaeya elbowed Diluc in the ribs. Diluc snapped at him, “What?!”
“We’re going to need a fire, Master Diluc,” Kaeya said, eyeing him, “And guess who just volunteered.”
“I did not --” Diluc cut himself off as the kid sneezed again, looking put-upon.
Kaeya smirked and went to go collect some fallen branches, practically skipping. He hadn’t gone far before he felt something warm and heavy get thrown at him. He looked behind him and saw one of Diluc’s intermittent layers. It wouldn’t do as much as, say, a fur-lined coat, but it was better than nothing. Kaeya picked it up without saying anything and Diluc pretended he hadn’t done anything that warranted commenting on in the first place. Kaeya hid his smirk in the collar of the jacket. He breathed a nearly inaudible sigh of relief as he slipped on Diluc’s jacket. The familiar scent of Diluc’s shampoo and his sweat rose up, and Kaeya tried not to huff it in as he walked around, bending over to pick up sticks. His shoes weren’t any better than the kid’s honestly, but like hell was he giving them up for the kid when Diluc had two shoes he could give up. Kaeya knew how much Diluc got paid compared to him. Diluc could afford to lose a measly pair of shoes and two of his best jackets.
Kaeya didn’t go that far, so he was still in earshot when Diluc, famously terrible with kids, cleared his throat awkwardly and asked, “You got a name, kid, or should I keep calling you kid?”
Kaeya looked over his shoulder to see what reaction that got out of the kid, and had to smother another smile into the collar of Diluc’s jacket as the kid puffed up like a balloon. If Diluc had asked Klee that question, he would be lucky if he still had a face afterwards. Kids were scary, man.
“I’m Sylvain Jose Gautier, heir to the noble house of Gautier!” The kid, now properly introduced as Sylvain, said. He deflated. “I have a Crest,” he said very quietly. When Kaeya looked over, almost done collecting enough branches to keep a merry fire going for an hour or so, the kid was looking down at the ground, shuffling from foot to foot, his hands clasped behind his back.
Diluc was also sending him a very clear signal with his face.
Kaeya laughed and danced back over, the branches held lax in his arms. “What’s a Crest? Can you eat it?” Kaeya asked breezily as he threw the branches down into the hole. Diluc lit them with a grunt, and then sighed in relief. Don’t think Kaeya didn’t notice Diluc’d started to shiver, too.
Honestly. Big brothers are so not worth the effort.
The kid’s gasp drew Kaeya’s amused look up from where Diluc was holding his hands over the fire, down to his red button-up, his red hair pulled up in a high ponytail Kaeya thought Diluc was going to regret any minute now. The kid had his hands over his mouth, staring at the two of them, openly shocked, his brown eyes wide with wonder. “You don’t know what a Crest is?” Sylvain whispered, slowly letting his hands drop. He looked like he wanted to climb over the fire pit they’d made and into their skin. Kaeya blinked at the abrupt change, thrown a little off balance by it.
Diluc grunted. Kaeya glanced at him. That was his oh god emotions are happening I am not qualified for this conversation face. Kaeya breathed in sharply through his nose so he wouldn’t laugh.
“No,” Kaeya said, easy with it. “Should we?”
“Everyone knows what a Crest is,” Sylvain said, his eyes flickering between Kaeya and Diluc’s faces. Kaeya tried not to preen that the kid was inching closer to his side of fire, not Diluc’s.
“Are you from Sreng? Or Dagda?” The kid whispered, barely two feet away from Kaeya.
“Nope,” Kaeya said jovially. “We’re from somewhere else. As soon as we can find a way back home, we’ll be off on our way.” Kaeya watched the way the kid’s eyes flicked down to the fire and then to Diluc, the way a look of dawning comprehension crossed his face.
“Are you mages?” The kid blurt out. Diluc started choking on his spit and Kaeya couldn’t hold it in anymore: he started so hard he fell on his butt in the snow, cold sinking in through his clothes.
“No,” Diluc snarled over Kaeya’s laughter.
Kaeya hiccuped, picturing him or Diluc in Lisa’s garb, and started laughing again.
Diluc kicked him in the ribs disgustedly. “And you,” he growled, “Stop laughing. ”
Kaeya did no such thing. It was only when he was good and ready that he came back to the fire, still holding his ribs slightly, occasionally hiccuping with more mirth. “No, Sylvain,” Kaeya said, and watched the way the kid jerked as if he’d been burned when Kaeya said his name, “We’re not from around here. We’re from really, really far away, okay? We’ll be lucky if we can get home. What made you think we’re mages?” Kaeya had to bite his bottom lip not to start laughing all over again.
Diluc sighed beside him.
The kid looked between the two of them for a bit, like he was trying to decide if they were lying or not. He pointed to the fire, then to Diluc, then back again. “You made fire,” he said very plainly, a hint of a whine in his voice. It was suddenly occurring to Kaeya that they had no idea how long this kid had been out here for, and why there was no one here with him. He was utterly alone.
“Yeah, so?” Diluc grunted, shifting awkwardly in place. His Vision was still a touchy subject for him. He might’ve picked it back up when he returned to the city, but it didn’t sit easy with him.
The kid looked at Kaeya next, looking frustrated, “And you used ice to make his fire go away!”
“I did, yes,” Kaeya grinned, loving this entire interaction. Diluc looked like he’d like nothing more than to smack the back of Kaeya’s head, but before he could do more than shift his weight, the kid’s next question stopped him cold, and made him look his age for once.
“But only mages can do magic, right?”
The kid looked between the two of them, noticing Diluc’s body language and clearing feeling some anxiety about it. Kaeya bumped Diluc with his hip to remind him not to be an asshole.
Diluc almost snarled at him. “This isn’t a joke, Kaeya, ” he bit out. “We’re not --”
“We don’t know how we’re going to get home,” Kaeya cut in, looking pointedly at the kid and then back at Diluc, his brow furrowed. “But I’m sure we can figure something out. Jean and Albedo and everyone else will be hard at work, back home. Maybe Aether’ll come for us.” Kaeya cracked a grin.
Diluc growled in the back of his throat and crossed his arms. “You know why Aether’s not coming,” he said, the words coming out wrong, like his throat was too tight.
Kaeya allowed himself the luxury of leaning his whole body weight against Diluc, who almost fell over and started cursing Kaeya under his breath. “Relax,” Kaeya said, enjoying Diluc’s body heat. Diluc had always run hotter than him – it was something they used to laugh about. “We can’t do anything about it now, alone in the woods with no resources. So, let’s figure out a plan.”
Kaeya glanced at the kid and smiled softly at him. Kaeya could see the kid’s shoulders untense. “Do you have any idea how to get home from here?” Kaeya asked gently, the way he would a witness.
The kid swallowed and fidgeted. “Um,” he said. “I think so? But we have to wait until the moon comes out. I don’t know which direction is which without the sun or moon to tell me.”
Diluc heaved a great big sigh like the world had done him personal wrong. Kaeya clapped him on the shoulder and told his annoying big brother cheerfully, “Well, since that means we have at least a couple hours more to kill,” glancing at the overcast sky, “why don’t you get us some more branches? Great, thanks!” Kaeya turned his back on his brother, summarily dismissing him.
Diluc made a noise like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, or like Diona when an old drunkard stumbled out the door, praising her god-like ability to mix drinks again. “Kaeya, if you want sticks so bad, why don’t you go get them—” Diluc started, then cut himself off when Kaeya looked at him.
“Please, Diluc?” Kaeya asked, dropping the honorific for a moment. Diluc stared at him and then nodded once, jerkily, and went off into the darkening woods, cursing some more under his breath.
The kid was looking at him like Kaeya was something to be afraid of, now, when Kaeya turned to look at him. Kaeya smiled, not one of his practiced smile-for-the-camera smiles, but a real one, tired and slow. The kid looked at him, and there was something in his face, something about his body language that felt like an echo. Kaeya couldn’t hold it in anymore and held his arms open.
“Can I have a hug?” Kaeya asked.
The kid stared at him for a second, like he was trying to decide if the offer was real or not, his eyes flicking back and forth between Kaeya’s face and his arms, the jacket he’d left around his shoulders. Kaeya didn’t let his smile waver, and he let his body language speak the truth: he didn’t want any harm to happen to this kid, not if he could help it. Not to any kid, Barbatos, no.
Kaeya’s breath went out of him in a whoosh when the kid threw himself into his arms, his arms too skinny for his age, wrapped tight as steel around Kaeya’s ribcage. Kaeya breathed shallowly and thought about how hard it would be to regain the kid’s trust if he asked him to loosen up, and then settled down next to the fire with Diluc’s jacket cushioning his ass, holding the kid gently. He put his hand on the kid’s maple leaf red hair and started to stroke his head, making little humming noises in the back of his throat like he did when Klee woke up from a nightmare and couldn’t sleep.
The kid relaxed against him until Kaeya was practically holding a lapful of golden retriever in his arms. It always surprised him, how hot kids ran. Klee could jump on Kaeya’s gut when he was lying down on the couch, reading, and apart from how much she seemed to delight in causing chaos, Kaeya was always struck by the physicality of her, how real she felt in his arms.
This kid felt no less real to him.
Kaeya put his chin on top of the kid’s head. “Do you want to talk about it?” He asked softly.
Kaeya could feel the kid shake his head vehemently. “No,” he said, “I don’t want to.”
“Okay,” Kaeya told him, and left it at that.
At some point, Kaeya was going to find out who abandoned a child on the side of a chilly snow-covered mountain with inadequate gear and subpar survival skills, and he was going to delight in ruining them. Slowly. He would even wager a guess that Diluc would help him. No matter how much his older brother might bluster about, Kaeya knew his brother hated seeing kids hurt. It had been readily apparent from the moment they first met, and from every moment thereafter.
The only time Kaeya ever doubted Diluc’s love for him was when Diluc put a sword to his throat, and asked him to choose, Mondstadt or Khaenri’ah, and Kaeya didn’t answer fast enough for his peace of mind.