No beta on this one. Please be gentle.

I do not own Genshin Impact.

The mountain storm picked up overnight and was still going strong the next morning. Diluc sat propped up against the cave wall and listened to it. The wind howled as it beat against the ice wall, its volume muffled by the temporary barrier that Kaeya had erected with his own ice the night before. With a little extra exploration of the cave, the cavalry captain had discovered that some small cracks deeper into it provided some ventilation, allowing him to wall up the entrance against the weather and any other potential intruders. Diluc recalled watching him secure their hideout and clean up their campsite, guilt at his own uselessness twisting his insides. Growing up, Kaeya hadn't been the caretaker type, but his leadership role in the Knights of Favonius had clearly changed him.

Diluc sighed, prompting Kaeya to subtly shift in his sleep. The cavalry captain sat on Diluc's right side. He had stayed up as long as he possibly could before sleep finally took him, causing him to slump against Diluc's shoulder, using the fur lined cape as a pillow. Kaeya had been sleeping deeply for a few hours now. He looked so peaceful. Diluc couldn't help but to be a little jealous.

Once consciousness had fully returned to him, he found it difficult to rest. Diluc's head ached, the spot where he had struck the back of the cave throbbing in time with his pulse. His memory of the Fatui attack was still fuzzy, though his injuries spoke volumes. Kaeya had saved him again. He owed him a great debt that he wasn't sure how he could even begin to repay.

Kaeya mumbled something indiscernible and pressed himself closer, draping his arm around Diluc's stomach. There was something comforting about the weight of his body leaning against him. Diluc closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax, resting his temple on top of Kaeya's head.

There had been a time, years ago, when this sort of thing had been commonplace for the two of them. Diluc's mind flashed back to one particular afternoon. They were hidden away in a forgotten alcove of the Mondstadt Cathedral, two young knights shirking their duties. The small space had once served as a meeting room for the clergy, but over the centuries had been relegated to storage. Diluc could picture it perfectly: the boxes and furniture covered by thin sheets; the dust that danced in the colorful light that filtered through the stained glass window; the soft evening sun that lit up every strand of Kaeya's hair. Diluc remembered being absolutely mesmerized by it as Kaeya slept with his head in his lap. After all of the years that they had known each other, it hadn't been until that moment that Diluc had truly appreciated every nuance in the unique color. Kaeya's hair wasn't simply one shade of turquoise, but an entire spectrum. Some strands were as dark as the ocean during a storm, while others were as bright as the summer sky. They played across his face, contrasting his golden skin and clinging to his lashes. The sight had taken Diluc's breath away. He had never seen anything so beautiful nor could he imagine ever loving anyone so deeply.

That had been the day before his father died.

Diluc opened his eyes, noting how the seelie across from him appeared blurry. He let out a shaky breath. How he wished he could return to that moment. Life had been so much simpler then.

He heard Kaeya groan softly and felt him shift, his grip tightening ever so slightly around his stomach. Diluc knew what that specific sound meant. Kaeya was waking up.

"You awake?" Kaeya asked, his voice rough from sleep.

Diluc allowed himself the faintest smile. Some things never change. "Yeah."

Kaeya pulled back slightly to look at him. Static from sleeping on the fur of the cape mussed his hair as he sat up, making it cling to his cheeks and stand on end. Kaeya frowned as he looked at him.

"Hey…" Kaeya reached up and brushed his fingers against Diluc's cheek, catching a little moisture. "...are you okay?"

"Yeah." Diluc couldn't help but notice how his voice shook. "I was just remembering something."

Kaeya frowned, his brows drawing together. He seemed to be thinking about something. Diluc could practically hear the gears turning in the other man's mind as he weighed his options over what to do next. Kaeya had always been the smarter of the two-though Diluc would never admit it to him-but this seemed to have stopped him cold.

Finally, Kaeya moved, shifting up onto his knees. He gently cupped Diluc's cheek as he leaned in close and pressed their lips together. Diluc's heart leapt into his throat. Despite the nature of his Vision, Kaeya was so warm. The heat from his mouth radiated into Diluc and before he could stop himself, he closed his eyes and returned the kiss. The cave and the pain from his injuries fell away for a moment, and he was that young knight once again. Kaeya's lips were as soft as they had been back then and he still tasted of wine. Diluc allowed himself to get lost in the comfortable familiarity. He slid slowly down the wall as Kaeya deepened the kiss, moving to straddle him and pushing his other hand up under the sling that held his arm in place. The cavalry captain's slender fingertips had accumulated some new calluses in the years since they had last touched him. Their rough edges scraped against the tender skin over Diluc's ribs in a way that wasn't entirely unpleasant. He shivered and raised his right hand to cradle the back of Kaeya's head, his thumb playing with his earring as the rest of his fingers threaded through thick turquoise hair. It felt so good, so right, as if a part of him that had been missing had finally been put back. Kaeya was his entire world and he had finally been returned to him.

Kaeya was moved with great care as he deepened the kiss. He was both tender and needy, pushing his tongue past Diluc's teeth as he trailed his hand around his side to press into the small of his back. He used his leverage to pull Diluc up to him, the action causing Diluc's injured leg to bump into Kaeya's knee. He winced, an involuntary whine escaping from his lips. Kaeya pulled back, looking openly concerned.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," answered Diluc, his voice tight. "I'm just a little sore."

He tried to sit up and winced again as sharp pain lanced through his thigh. Kaeya's frown deepened.

"That looks like more than 'a little sore.' Let me see."

Kaeya pulled away completely and the cave suddenly felt significantly colder. Diluc watched silently as he unfastened his pants and began to pull them down, grimacing as he had to lift his hips. The cause of Diluc's pain became all too clear once his pants were around his knees. The bandages Kaeya had wrapped around the sword wound on his left thigh were saturated with blood to the point that it dripped from the fabric and onto the cave floor. Kaeya cursed under his breath.

"Why didn't you tell me this was hurting you?" he asked as he slowly peeled away the bandages.

"It wasn't-" Diluc's breath hitched in his throat as the last layer was pulled away, tugging at the inflamed skin around a deep, jagged cut. "It wasn't that bad."

Kaeya deadpanned at him. "Bullshit."

Diluc looked away.

"If this had been left the way it is for much longer, you would have caught an infection," Kaeya chastised. "You'll be lucky if the physician doesn't have to take some of the skin, if you survive long enough to see Mondstadt again. Dammit, Diluc. You can rely on others to help you, you know."

Diluc clenched his jaw. "I didn't want to be a burden to you."

Kaeya rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid. I'm already here. Let me help you."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Diluc asked, finally looking back at Kaeya.

The knight sighed, looking back down at the slowly bleeding wound. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "We both know the answer to that. This needs to be disinfected and it needs stitches. And...the storm outside is still too bad to travel, so we'll have to do it here."

Kaeya abruptly stood, moving over to dig through his back which sat under the old lean-to in the corner. He returned a few minutes later with a traveling sewing kit, a small leather satchel, and his wineskin in his hands. He set the sewing kit and the satchel on the ground beside Diluc and thrust the wineskin into his hands.

"Here, drink," he ordered. "I know you hate the stuff, but it's the only thing that'll help to numb the pain. This is going to hurt like a bitch."

Diluc wordlessly did as he was told, raising the skin to his lips and grimacing as he swallowed the bitter liquid. Meanwhile, Kaeya pulled a needle from the sewing kit and moved to the fire to sterilize it in the heat.

"Don't drink all of it. It's the only disinfectant we've got."

When the tip of the needle glowed red, Kaeya returned to Diluc's side. Diluc watched as his estranged foster brother methodically set out the supplies that he would need, creating a neat line of the thread, fresh bandages, and bundle of herbs.

"Since when do you know how to do all of this?" asked Diluc, lowering the wineskin back to the floor.

Kaeya shrugged. "I've picked up a few tricks since my promotion. The Knights of Favonius aren't as useless as you like to say."

Diluc snorted. "Whatev-"

His words were cut short by a sharp gasp as Kaeya poured wine over the wound. The dark red wine mingled with the blood that seeped from the gash, filling the small space with its scent.

"A little warning would have been nice," Diluc growled, watching as Kaeya raised the wineskin to his lips and took a hearty drink.

Kaeya hummed. "I'll take that under advisement."

"Why are you drinking right now, anyway?"

"Because," Kaeya said, gesturing at the open wound, "this is really gross. I need something to help get me through it. Besides, if you don't like my drinking, then you know exactly how you can get me to stop."

Diluc huffed and rolled his eyes. "Just get it over with, already."

Kaeya raised his eyebrows. "Okay, okay. As Master Diluc wishes."

The Vision that hung from the knight's hip glowed as he produced a long sliver of ice in his hand. He reached over and picked up the cloth he had used to clean Diluc's face the night before, having since washed it in the snow, and folded the ice inside. Then he pressed it against the wound, causing Diluc's entire body to tense. The cold hurt for several agonizing seconds before numbness began to radiate out from the area that the ice touched.

"Hold this," ordered Kaeya, reaching over and grabbing the wrist of Diluc's free hand, guiding it to the ice.

As Diluc held the ice to his wound, Kaeya set about threading the needle. When he'd finished tying the knot in the end of the thread, he gently prodded the back of Diluc's hand with his finger.

"How's it feel? Numb?"

"I think so," said Diluc. He pulled the ice away. "It's hard to tell."

Kaeya gave the skin at one end of the cut a gentle poke with the needle. "Can you feel that?"

Diluc shrugged.

"Good enough."

Kaeya picked up the wineskin again, uncorking it. This time, Diluc barely felt it as the wine was poured over the wound.

"You know, you could have done the whole numbing with ice thing before you poured wine over it the first time," Diluc commented as he watched Kaeya press the cloth against his leg to soak up extra blood and wine.

"Huh."

Diluc scowled. "But you already knew that…"

Kaeya simply hummed, pulling the cloth away.

"You're an ass."

"If you have a problem with my bedside manner, you'll have to take it up with management," said Kaeya. He handed Diluc his own belt. "Here, bite down on this if the pain gets to be too much."

Before Diluc could respond, Kaeya began to sew. Luckily, the numbness from the ice masked the worst of the pain. Diluc could feel the faintest pinprick as the tip of the needle broke the skin. Rather, the worst part of the process was the strange sensation of the needle and then the thread passing through his flesh and the slight tug with which Kaeya made the edges of the wound meet. The knight's stitches weren't surgical by any means, but they were neat, forming a nearly straight line that followed the curve of Diluc's thigh. Kaeya worked as quickly as he could, finishing the stitches and cutting the thread just as the numbness was beginning to wear off. Diluc watched silently as Kaeya picked up some of the herbs and put them in his mouth, chewing them into a pulp before spreading them across the freshly closed wound.

"This should help stave off infection," Kaeya explained, turning to pick up the fresh bandages. He carefully wrapped the wound, ensuring that it was snug enough to provide support but not so tight as to cut off circulation. When he was finished, he gently caressed the inside of Diluc's thigh. "Now, stay off of it. No standing or walking on your own. As much as you hate it, you'll have to let me help you with that stuff, got it?"

Diluc could only nod, his entire mind blank. The only thing he could think about was the feeling of Kaeya's hand on his bare leg.

Kaeya smirked. "Good."

Kaeya gathered up his supplies and stood, taking them back to his bag and putting them away. When he returned to Diluc's side, he had the last of the bacon and eggs in his hands.

"So, how about some breakfast?"

The rest of the morning passed slowly. After he'd cooked the food, Kaeya had guided Diluc's limbs into the rest of his clothing before helping him to the entrance of the cave to use the bathroom, reopening the hole just enough that they could pass through. The storm was finally beginning to die down. When they had reentered the cave, Kaeya settled Diluc against the wall with a firm order to rest until they left. The hike down the mountain would take the entire afternoon, provided that they didn't encounter any major obstacles. Kaeya expected that they would reach the Adventurer's Guild camp by nightfall.

Diluc did as he was told, dozing as Kaeya packed their remaining supplies for the journey down. By noon, the wind had died enough that it no longer whistled as it passed the entrance to the cave and snow no longer blew through the gap in the ice. Eventually, Diluc found himself shaken awake.

"Come on," said Kaeya, gently resting his hand on Diluc's cheek. "It's time to go."

He helped Diluc to stand, propping him against the wall as he strapped his claymore and his bag to his back. Kaeya slung his own bag across his shoulder, letting it settle by his hip opposite of his sword so that his own back was free. Then he set about cutting the woolen blanket into a couple of long strips, draping them across the rocks that he had used to dry Diluc's clothing when they had first arrived.

"Okay, uh, hmm," Kaeya mumbled, thinking aloud as he looked from Diluc to the rocks to the entrance of the cave and back.

He put his arm around Diluc and helped him hop over to the rocks, leaning him against the ones that the blanket was draped over. Then Kaeya bent in front of him.

"Alright, climb on."

The tips of Diluc's ears burned as he struggled onto Kaeya's back, grateful that his foster brother couldn't see his face as he crisscrossed the blanket sections around them, tying their bodies together in a way that helped to support his weight. Kaeya waved to the seelie as he walked toward the cave entrance, his other arm hooked under Diluc's leg.

"Bye, little guy," he said, drawing a happy chirp from the glowing spirit. "Thanks for everything."

Then he ducked through the opening, leaving the cave for the last time.

Dragonspine was as cloudy as ever, but the wind had died completely and it had stopped snowing. The clearer conditions allowed Kaeya to get his bearings. He paused for a moment at the entrance of the cave, looking out over the horizon for landmarks, and then turned north, heading in the direction of the shortest route to the Mondstadt side of the mountain. They traveled in silence, both consumed by their own thoughts. Diluc alternated between watching the snowy scenery and trying to sleep, his nose nuzzled into the back of Kaeya's neck.

They hiked for a couple of hours without incident, the weather growing steadily clearer as they neared the base of the mountain. Every now and then, the sun actually managed to break through the clouds, bathing them in brilliant light that made the snow too bright to look at. When they reached a waypoint statue, Kaeya stopped, leaning Diluc against a low outcropping of rocks and untying the blanket so he could sit on them properly.

"How are you holding up?" asked Kaeya, digging a piece of bacon leftover from breakfast out of his bag and handing it to Diluc.

Diluc shrugged and nibbled on the food, looking past the statue at the green of Mondstadt that was now visible. If he focused hard enough, he could see the canyon road that led to Dawn Winery. He was familiar with this part of the mountain. The path would continue to wind down it toward the east before crossing the river at its base and ending at the Adventurer's Guild camp. It wouldn't be much longer now.

Kaeya leaned against the rocks beside him, pulling out a piece of bacon for himself. "So, any word on when Death After Noon will be back in stock?"

"You...is that the only reason you came up here?" asked Diluc, turning to Kaeya with a deadpan look.

"Don't look so judgmental. I'm your best customer."

Diluc sighed. Certain patterns of monster behavior in Mondstadt were suddenly starting to make a lot more sense. Kaeya chuckled and finished his bacon, washing it down with the last of the wine. Then he leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on the corner of Diluc's mouth before turning and helping him up onto his back once again.

Diluc felt his chest tighten as they continued their journey. The privacy of the cave had made him complacent, he could see that now. He had let not only Kaeya back in, but also all of the memories that had made their estrangement so painful. He hadn't truly realized how much he'd missed the other man, how leaving him had felt like ripping a hole in his heart. But he couldn't be with Kaeya again, not in that way. Disconnected from the world, hidden away in a cave halfway up Dragonspine, separated from his responsibilities, Diluc had allowed himself to indulge in the affection that he had so desperately missed for the last few years. And in doing so, he had placed the man that he loved in incredible danger. It was one thing to hunt the Fatui on his own and entirely another to allow Kaeya to stand between them, sword drawn, ready to die to save Diluc's wretched life. It wasn't worth it. Nothing was worth risking Kaeya's life.

He heaved a sigh and buried his face in the back of Kaeya's neck, the movement prompting the knight to tighten his grip around his legs. Diluc knew what he had to do, but it was going to break Kaeya's heart.

Better that than dying.

The sun was beginning to set as they reached the base of the mountain, casting deep shadows across the valley that allowed them to sneak past the hilichurls that had made camp there. Diluc watched each breath Kaeya exhaled crystallize in the air in front of him, the puffs of vapor coming more quickly as he picked up his pace. They spotted the lights of the Adventurer's Guild camp just as the last ray of sun disappeared behind the mountain. Diluc felt the muscles in Kaeya's back relax beneath him as they entered the camp's perimeter. The temperature at this part of the mountain was significantly warmer than anything that had felt in days and the air at this altitude much easier to breathe. The onsite smith and cook came running over when they saw them and helped Kaeya lower Diluc to the ground.

"We thought the worst had happened to you when you didn't return before the storm," the smith said to Kaeya as he draped a blanket around his shoulders. "We were getting ready to send a search party after you. Imagine our surprise to see you, and with Mater Diluc, of all people."

"Aw, I'm flattered." Kaeya played off the comment with practiced expertise. "All this concern over little old me."

A couple of other guild members trotted over with a stretcher and helped Diluc onto it. He could tell that they wanted to ask him what had happened, but were too afraid to. He was content to leave it that way.

"We have a spare cot in the medical tent," explained the smith, steering Kaeya in the same direction that the others were carrying Diluc. "I hope that's okay. I'm afraid that we don't have separate tents for the two of you."

"You two look exhausted," the cook added. "Sleep here tonight. We'll arrange for a cart to take both of you to Dawn Winery in the morning."

The next hour passed in a blur. The guild members carried Diluc into the medical tent, where a physician checked his wounds, redressed them, and gave him a bitter herbal tea. The medication in the drink dulled the pain, but also made him sleepy. He was only half-conscious, staring blankly at the ceiling of the tent, when Kaeya sat down on the cot beside his and pulled off his boots.

"Say what you will about their fighting acumen, the Guild knows how to set up a comfortable camp," said Kaeya, shrugging off his jacket and dropping it on top of the cape that the physician had removed from Diluc. He raised his wineskin, which had been refilled, in a toast and took a drink. "And they somehow always manage to stock some damn good wine."

Kaeya fluffed the pillow and laid back on the cot, pulling the blanket that the Adventurer's Guild had lent him up to his chest. Then he reached across the small gap between them and grabbed Diluc's hand, lacing their fingers together.

"That was one hell of an adventure, huh?" he asked. Diluc saw him turn his head to look at him from the corner of his eye. Even in the dark, he could tell that Kaeya was smiling. "Hey, the next time you're in Mondstadt, you should come by and finally see my place. I have a balcony with a really good view of the cathedral and-"

"You should go straight to Mondstadt in the morning."

"What?" Diluc felt Kaeya's grip on his hand shift as he turned toward him.

Diluc took a deep breath and let it out through his teeth. "I don't want you to come to the winery with me. In the morning, we go our separate ways."

"Oh." Kaeya's hand pulled away from Diluc's, the absence of his warmth making the cool air feel that much colder.

"I am grateful to you for your help, but you have fulfilled your duty," Diluc continued, keeping his tone formal.

"No, no. I get it." Each word Kaeya spoke dripped with bitter contempt. "I'm glad to have been of service, Master Diluc."

Diluc swallowed thickly, looking up at the ceiling of the tent, his vision blurry. Several minutes passed in agonizing silence before he turned to look at Kaeya, opening his mouth to explain. He found his foster brother's back to him, his arms wrapped protectively around himself under the blanket. Diluc clenched his jaw and looked back at the ceiling, counting the shadows that moved across it until he fell asleep.

When Diluc woke in the morning, Kaeya was already gone.

Only one chapter left to go! Please let me know what you thought! I love to read your feedback. :)