Cross-posted on AO3
Day 8 ALT: Allergies
Dinner at the Ragvindr Manor was usually a pretty unpredictable event.
Sometimes, Crepus need to be called away for business. Sometimes, the boys got into a food fight. Sometimes, things were completely calm.
There was even a time when someone had broken in, though Kaeya had made quick work of the intruder before Crepus found out he was there.
Diluc was glad the servants had kept quiet about that incident. There was no predicting how his father would react to finding out his ward had nearly killed a man in his dining hall. And the older boy wasn't looking forward to finding out any time soon.
This night was thankfully a calm one. Crepus was seated at the head of the table while Diluc and Kaeya sat across from each other. They had been eating and talking cordially, telling each other about their day as the boys kept their more mischievous stunts to themselves.
What their father didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?
The evening took a turn for the worst, however, when Kaeya suddenly became lethargic. He was having a hard time keeping his head up and Diluc noticed that his breathing had changed and had become heavier.
Crepus, who had been talking to Diluc, noticed his shift in attention and turned to look at his youngest. His face looked worried for a split second before immediately becoming alarmed and jumping from his chair. He quickly moved until he was kneeling by his youngest's side.
"Kaeya? Come on, now. What wrong?"
His questions were spoken in a frantic tone, almost borderline hysterical. He didn't want to lose the boy after they had finally finished the adoption process not even a month earlier. Kaeya seemed to be unable to talk, it seemed, as tears started to run down his face from a lack of oxygen.
Diluc jumped from his own seat as he ran to Kaeya's other side.
"What's wrong, Kae? Does your tummy hurt?"
Kaeya's hands dropped the utensils that he had been gripping so tightly, shooting up to his throat as he began to choke on air. Crepus didn't even wait a second before he snatched Kaeya up and frantically called for Adelinde.
The young woman came running, having been just outside the dining room and Crepus told her bring the carriage around immediately and that they were going to the church. It didn't take long for Crepus and Diluc to make it outside and for Adelinde to pull the carriage around.
They spent the entire ride reassuring Kaeya and telling him that he was going to be okay. Diluc could admit that this was scarier than the break-in since he couldn't see what was hurting Kaeya.
By the time they arrived at the church, Kaeya was starting to turn blue but was still struggling to stay awake. Running up the stairs left all three of them exhausted, but they refused to slow down or stop until they reached the cathedral. When they finally burst through the doors, they were all out of breath and struggling almost as hard as Kaeya was to get any air in.
"Can someone please help us?! My son can't breathe!"
Relief flowed through Crepus as two nuns came rushing to the noise.
Kaeya was quickly taken from his hands and rushed downstairs to a healer. Diluc was already crying as his brother was rushed away and Crepus was quick to notice as he pulled his eldest into a tight hug.
Adelinde looked heartbroken at the sight but tried to stay strong for the family that had saved her's as well as many other of the servants' lives.
All the three of them could do was wait.
A/N: And then the nuns came back later and told them that it was just allergies and that he must have been allergic to something he ate. Crepus and Adelinde nearly collapse with relief and Diluc asks the nuns if he can go see Kaeya in his room. He spends the next few hours sleeping next to his brother on the bed until he's finally discharged.
This draft was originally written on the 31st of January and was thankfully finished on the correct day. Hallelujah, I'm all caught up on the prompts. From here on out, I'll try very hard not to fall behind again because writing three to four stories on the same day is torture (even if I have the outlines finished).