Work Text:
The infirmary of the Knights of Favonius was in chaos. Many knights and sisters were running in and out with supplies, books, and whatever Barbara needed. “ Lisa, please gather every book you have on abyssal corruption! Jean, write a letter to the honorary knight to request his presence as soon as possible; he’s the only one that has experience with purifying abyssal corruption!” Barbara ordered as she continued to help the man lying on the infirmary cot. She worked desperately, wiping his body down, checking his pulse, attempting to feed him medicine, all the while unsure if he would make it.
Diluc was on his way into the city to check on Angel’s Share when he heard the commotion at the gates. When he asked one of the young knights what was going on, the answer he got out of him made him drop everything in his arms as he sprinted straight in the Knights’ headquarters. Diluc tried to catch his breath as he made it inside, only for it to rush out again when he caught a glimpse of the man lying on one of the beds. Forsaking all manners and grace as he pushed his way through the hustle and bustle, he froze on the spot when he got close enough to take in the sight.
There Kaeya was, lying unconscious, shivering all over, sweat drenching his body. His hair was white as snow, but what shocked Diluc the most was how Kaeya’s customary eyepatch was nowhere to be seen. The other man kept mumbling in a language he couldn’t decipher.
So Diluc just stood there, only one question on his mind which he needed an answer to: What the hell happened to the person who he cared about more than for himself?
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Jean led the squadron of knights through the forests of Wolvendom after they had gotten yet another report of a sighting of The Abyss Order. This particular mission had them soon facing a bigger threat than they had anticipated and without realizing, they had walked themselves into a trap. They started to fear the worst as they were soon surrounded; however, Jean wasn’t ready to yield, and she wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Unfortunately, her energy wasn’t limitless, but just as she was about to give in, a giant wall of pure, clear purple ice shot out from the shadows, piercing through several enemies, soon followed by a hooded figure. This new arrival made quick work of the enemies, moving with speed and grace that was unfathomable. Everyone was in awe as the stranger cut and slashed, leaving nothing but shining icicles in their wake.
The stranger stopped moving as the last enemy evaporated with an ear-shattering scream; they sheathed their sword and turned away slowly. Though before Jean could thank them, the stranger staggered on their feet before collapsing.
Jean shot into action and rushed to the stranger’s side and removed his hood, revealing the familiar face of their lost Cavalry captain Kaeya, checking for a pulse while supplying the rest of her elemental energy, but no matter what she did, his body seemed to reject it fiercely, groaning in pain and flinching away from her touch as if on instinct. “Someone, help me carry him back; he needs medical attention, and fast.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Diluc couldn’t let himself believe it; not even in his wildest dreams did he ever think he would see Kaeya again. Every dream ended the same terrible way, Diluc only being able to watch as Kaeya walked away. Always the same eye looking at him, hurt but lacking any real hatred.
Diluc observed him, thinking back to the night they first met; Kaeya looked hauntingly similar, expression hollow, scared, and uncertain, his body trembling from the rain, and so small. Diluc couldn’t help but want to touch him, needed to be certain he was real.
Everything around him slowly faded away as his hand touched Kaeya’s forehead. Despite all the trembling and sweating, Kaeya’s skin was ice cold. Without much thinking, he heated up his hand, and soon saw Kaeya visibly relax, his mumbling coming to an end.
“Has there been any word from Aether?” Barbara inquired the moment Jean entered the infirmary. Diluc listened to their conversation, but he didn’t dare to look away from Kaeya, fearing he’d disappear once more.
He held Kaeya’s hand as he sent elemental energy through him, sighing softly as Kaeya settled down. “Lisa just delivered the letter to me. They say they will get here as fast as they can, but it’ll take them at least a couple of hours to arrive.” Jean answered with a heavy sigh, “How is he doing?”
“I’m not sure, but I don’t think his body is handling whatever is happening very well.” Barbara said. “Albedo thinks that the abyssal corruption has damaged his immunity to his elemental energy and appears to change its properties, making it stronger in the process, but it's also causing an imbalance from within… How Kaeya even came into contact with such high concentrations remains a mystery.”
“Is there anything we can do for him? I don’t like the idea of just waiting around and doing nothing.” Jean asked her sister.
“I hate to say it, but right now, all we can do is watch over him and monitor his condition closely for any type of changes.” Diluc felt eyes on the back of his head but had no incentive to meet their gaze. They could stare all they liked, but all that mattered was that Diluc’s presence was helping. “Albedo had some theories, but it’s only theories for now.” Diluc heard the door open then close, Barbara continuing her conversation with Jean as they left the room.
Their voices trailed off as they disappeared down the hall, Diluc turning his attention away from them. He gave Kaeya’s hand a tight squeeze, his other hand occupied with brushing Kaeya’s bangs from his face. Despite the pyro energy running through him, Kaeya’s skin was ice cold to the touch and his breath was still slow.
Now alone with Kaeya, Diluc soon slipped into his own thoughts, his head filled with all of the possible scenarios that may have caused Kaeya to end up like this. What had he been through? Where did he go after leaving Mondstadt behind? Who, or what, did he cross paths with that had left him in this state? And why, why was Diluc so damn stupid to have let go of the hand he was now so desperately holding? Part of him was ready to sacrifice anything to go back in time and strange his younger self. Why couldn’t he have greeted Kaeya with compassion and kindness, instead of lashing out with violence and contempt, raising his claymore out of betrayal instead of the will to protect?
Or yet, why did he not defend him back then? Back when the others decided in favor of banishing him? Now, he only had himself to blame. If he hadn’t run his mouth about the secret Kaeya had entrusted to him, then he wouldn’t have had to learn how to live with his mistake.
So Diluc did the last thing he ever thought he would: he prayed. “Please wake up, Kae. I don’t care if you’re mad or just yell at me; hell, you can even hit me. As long as you come back to this side, I’ll do anything.” He squeezed Kaeya’s hand tighter, exhaustion soon taking hold as he rested his head on the bed next to Kaeya. He promised that when he woke up, he would do everything, anything to make amends. He would never lose Kaeya again.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
A few hours later, Diluc was woken up by the arrival of the traveler and his companion. Barbara and Jean entered the infirmary, with Aether, Paimon, and Albedo hot on their heels. Diluc turned around enough to see them approach but showed no signs of letting go of Kaeya’s hand, nor did he pay any attention to the look of empathy painted on their faces.
“As I’ve briefly explained in the letter, there is an abnormally high level of abyssal energy circulating throughout his body. This energy seems to be fighting with the elemental energy already present and is tipping the delicate balance of both over in its favor,” Albedo explained as they came to stand around Kaeya’s bed.
Paimon hovered over his body, her eyes showing her initial surprise at his appearance. “Abnormal? Paimon thought that any trace of abyssal energy inside of the body was bad news.”
“Under normal circumstances, that would be the case, but considering Kaeya’s heritage and information we got from Grand Master Varka, it’s safe to say that he was born with abyssal energy in his body, most likely lying dormant until recently.” Diluc couldn’t help but look at Kaeya, guilt clearly written in his eyes.
Silence momentarily fell over the group as Aether took in the information; the tense quietude only made Kaeya’s uneven breathing stand out more. The lack of a proper rhythm was jarring to Diluc, taking him back to the nights in their youth, Kaeya’s steady heartbeat lulling him to sleep when nightmares haunted him.
It didn’t last as soon as Kaeya started to scream in pain, sweat beading on his skin as his body started to convulse. However, what shocked everyone the most was how several dark, jagged lines started to appear and glow a dark purple all over his body, starting from his right eye. The scar Diluc left there years ago paled in comparison.
“KAEYA!” Diluc called out, tightly gripping the other man’s hand, not caring that his skin was now freezing.
“What’s happening-” Jean and Paimon cry out in unison, while Barbara and Albedo hurry to Kaeya’s side to keep him steady. Diluc just froze as he watched Kaeya’s body spasm, grunting in pain as Kaeya now clutched his hand in a death grip. Aether shoved his way to Kaeya, quickly reaching out his hand and trying to purify the abyssal corruption within his body.
Kaeya’s shaking only intensified as his voice grew hoarse from all the screaming; the lines flaring up.
The conclusion came unexpectedly, as Kaeya’s back arched from the bed and his eyes snapped open to reveal one lilac eye, his right eye a bright gold; both eyes glowed along with the lines. Then, just as quickly as the lines appeared, they disappeared, and Kaeya collapsed, unmoving and eyes closed.
They all waited with bated breath while Aether caught his own. Diluc was the first to make a move, carefully placing his hand on Kaeya’s forehead, sighing in relief when his temperature seemed to have returned to normal. Everyone followed suit as Kaeya let out a soft breath, the rhythm slowly speeding up as he slept soundly
In the following hour, Kaeya’s condition continued to be monitored, relief passing over everyone once he settled back to normal. Barbara informed Diluc that it would only be a matter of time until Kaeya would regain consciousness. According to Aether, the excess abyssal energy had been purified and the rest had gone dormant again. If he took care to avoid encountering abyssal energy again, he would most likely not experience a similar episode again in the future.
It took a few days for Kaeya to wake up. It was in the middle of the night when Diluc felt him stir, and when he looked up, he was met with surprised periwinkle eyes. Tears welled up in his eyes, and before Kaeya could say anything, Diluc wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tight. “Thank Celestia that you’re awake,” Diluc choked out, tears falling as he was met with a steady heartbeat thrumming under his fingers and a shuddering breath tickling his neck.
Not long after, Diluc felt arms hug him back hesitantly, and they just stayed like that for what felt like hours. When Diluc calmed down, he slowly backed away, settling his hands on his shoulders as he looked into his eyes.
“I’m sorry-” Kaeya tried to say, his voice raw, but Diluc dismissed him with a shake of his head.
“No, I’m the one who should apologize,” Diluc said, brushing Kaeya’s hair out of his face, smiling to see how it had slowly started to regain its original color. “I can’t believe that I’m holding you like this again.” Tears rolled down Kaeya’s cheeks, and he reached up to wipe them away. “Please forgive me, Kae.”
“There is nothing… to forgive, Luc.” Kaeya said, voice struggling.
“Kae-”
“You didn’t d-do anything wrong…”
“Kae-”
“I deserved it… I hurt you.”
“Kaeya, shut up.” Diluc couldn’t control himself anymore as he leaned forward and softly kissed him. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against Kaeya’s. “It wasn’t you, it was never you.”
“Diluc…” Kaeya breathed out his name.
“Please, Kae, I can’t lose you; don’t disappear again. I promise I’ll do everything I can to show you how much you mean to me,” he sobbed. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Luc.”