Chpt. Summary:

Diluc kept telling himself that he wasn't stalking Kaeya. Kaeya was a grown twenty-one-year-old man who could take care of himself. He didn't need Diluc to look after him.

So why was he peeking around the corner as Kaeya tried to talk the woman into not going into his house?

A/N: Part two brings Diluc still trying to deny that he's still protective of Kaeya or that he's stalking him. But it's not like he was going to leave him alone with a woman he was being forced into an engagement with. Who knows if she'll try something and if Diluc will be forced to step in or if Kaeya can ward her off on her own?

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Brotherly Instinct Never Dies

Diluc made absolutely sure that he was following at a far enough distance that he wouldn't be noticeable. While he was fairly certain that the woman hadn't noticed, he couldn't be sure that Kaeya hadn't realized that they were being followed. He had the frustrating ability to keep his mask in place, expression unchanging and unbothered, even when something was seriously bothering him. It had been a great cause for worry when they were growing up together for Jean, father, and even himself.

Crepus had even gone to Adelinde at one point, at his whits end about Kaeya's almost extremely passive behavior. He would just let any slight against him go, no matter how severe. In the end, Diluc couldn't take it anymore. If Kaeya wouldn't defend himself, Diluc would take it upon himself to do it in his place.

At least for a while. After being a part of the family for a while, he seemed to finally gain some sense of self-worth. He started to have his own interests instead of just following Diluc around. His mischievous behavior also decided to rear its head when he seemed to suddenly gain a love for pranking anyone and everyone.

Nobody was safe from the little gremlin that was Kaeya Ragnvindr.

Some part of Diluc missed how Kaeya used to be. But another part of him, the big brother part of him, was proud that Kaeya felt safe enough to be himself.

Even with all the chaos that came with it.

And if Kaeya sometimes dragged Diluc into his schemes and the older boy had enjoyed it just as much, that had stayed between them. Well, and Father and Adelinde once they got caught.

Shaking his head, Diluc barely caught sight of Kaeya and the woman going around the corner that surely led to Kaeya's home.

Quickly moving even higher to the rooftops, Diluc made sure to stay low as he watched Kaeya try to unlock his front door. Sadly, the task was being made particularly difficult by the woman continuously trying to kiss him.

It made Diluc bristle at the trollop's audacity. Even if they were alone, it was obvious that Kaeya didn't want to kiss her. Then Kaeya gave a surprised squeak as he jolted and Diluc almost jumped down until he noticed the hand planted firmly on Kaeya's backside.

The woman was full-on groping him!

Diluc could feel the growl building in the back of his throat as well as the urge to immediately go down there and rip the woman's entire arm off. Then something happened that made Diluc, and simultaneously Kaeya, to freeze.

Taking advantage of his opened mouth, the woman lurched forward and sealed her lips over his. Diluc could tell the moment she forced her tongue in when Kaeya flinched almost violently. Just as Diluc was preparing to go jump down and kill her, Kaeya pulled away with a gasp.

"You're being rather bold tonight, my lady," Kaeya says, chuckling. Diluc could immediately tell it was front to hide how much the action had actually shaken him. The flinch from earlier was a dead giveaway.

"We're going to be wed soon, aren't we," she purred in what she probably thought was a seductive voice. To both men, it only sound predatory. "Why bother waiting?"

It utterly baffled Diluc that the same woman who had been so happy to be getting married could turn out to be so different that the front she had put on in the tavern. Kaeya tried to chuckle again but it only came out choked, he's cheeks flushing in what Diluc could only guess was humiliation.

Kaeya tried to say something but stuttered in an uncharacteristic show of shyness. The woman merely smirked as she moved forward, trapping Kaeya between herself and his front door.

Finally, Diluc couldn't take any more of the audacity of this woman. Dropping down silently into a nearby alley, Diluc quickly vanquished his weapon and took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

It wouldn't do if he murdered her and caused an incident.

Temper slightly calmed, he walked around the corner, trying to appear as casual as possible. The woman seemed to notice someone coming out of the corner of her eye and immediately leapt backwards away from the captain she had been assaulting. Unfortunately for her, however, even if Diluc hadn't been watching from the roof, her reaction was delayed enough to give away what she had been doing.

The tycoon stuffed his hands into his pockets and squeezed his left hand over the dagger, a silent promise to himself. He knew most people were right-handed and he himself was still dominant with his right hand. Thankfully, his little sojourn had him become ambidextrous out of necessity. It helped if one hand was incapacitated or because most people expected an attack from the right side.

Diluc swore that, whether it be tonight or sometime soon, he would be the one to put this blade through her throat and watch her choke. But first, he needed to get her away from his brother.

His bloodlust must have shown on his face because the woman quickly backed away from Kaeya. Diluc wouldn't deny that he felt a sort of savage vindication that he scared her. Finally looking to Kaeya, he found the man had somehow managed to school his face. However, a quick look towards his hands showed that they were clenched shut. He could even see the tremors that Kaeya was trying to repress.

Diluc could suddenly remember sitting in front of a warm fire with his father, Kaeya curled up in his side, the nervous child that he was back then. He remembers the story of his father telling them how he married Diluc's mother out of love rather than social obligation or demands to marry a lady from a noble family. He even made a joke that they and Jean or Eula could have been siblings, the laughter that had flooded the room at his eldest's twisted expression was explosive.

Then he had leaned forward and had told them in a whisper, as if he was telling a sacred secret, that he wanted them to marry for love. He told them that he would never force them into an arranged marriage and that he wouldn't care about what social status that their future spouse came from.

Kaeya had flushed red at just the thought of marriage, having not even been bold enough to hold a girl's hand yet, not even Jean. Diluc had lightly teased him while Crepus could only laugh. It was one of the reasons that he had been so certain that any rumors about Kaeya sleeping around for information were false.

He knew that Kaeya was a romantic at heart.

While he had a taste for adventure and intrigue, he had taken love and romance quite seriously. He even remembered teasing Kaeya about finding a romance novel in his bookshelf while the teen had desperately tried to get it back. He had ended up finding and buying some more books for him later and had left them in his room as an apology. Kaeya wound up laying his legs on his lap while they had relaxed on the couch, one of the books in his hands, so Diluc had assumed he had been forgiven.

But now, looking at Kaeya trying to hide his flushed face – either from embarrassment or humiliation, he couldn't tell – Diluc had never felt a stronger urge to murder since his sojourn to get answers from the Fatui.

Before he has a chance to change his mind and at least maim the woman where she stood, she turns to tell Kaeya something the older man couldn't hear before turning and walking away. The sheer confidence in her stride almost has Diluc tossing his hidden blade at her back anyway just to make a point.

As she disappears around the corner, Kaeya turns back to Diluc – obviously still trying to pull himself together. It was always impossible for Kaeya to hide how he felt when he was shaken. He was trying so hard to project the impenetrable mask that he usually wore any other day.

'I should have killed her,' Diluc thought. 'To hell with any international incident.'

"What are you doing here, Diluc?" Kaeya asked. Diluc was only slightly surprised that he sounded slightly irritated. He probably didn't like that the tavern owner had seen him in such a state. Not that he hadn't seen him in worse.

"I was just passing through," the redhead says, effectively brushing off the accusatory tone. If Kaeya wanted to play that game, then he would too. Kaeya gives him a look but – surprisingly – doesn't pursue it. If Kaeya didn't want to address the situation, maybe Diluc had been foolish to rush in and try to intervene. As much as it made his blood boil, Kaeya had been his brother at some point. It made his skin itch to see his little brother in such a situation.

But maybe he was overstepping his boundaries. After what he did, there was no chance Kaeya still saw him as anything resembling family. Looks like the impulsive young Cavalry Captain still existed in him somewhere. Turning in an effort to walk off and hears a small, barely noticeable sigh behind him and turns back around.

Kaeya seems to finally let his shaken face show, Diluc felt himself stop. It was no secret that his and Kaeya's relationship was strained to the point that most people didn't even remember that they had ever been family. Even he had to look at Kaeya sometimes and wonder if the boy he knew was still in there. He even wondered if Kaeya ever felt the same when looking at him. But some selfish part of Diluc felt a type of warmth that Kaeya trusted him enough to show such a vulnerable expression to him.

But it also spoke of how disturbed he must have felt. Walking over, he places an arm around Kaeya's shoulders, he pulled him closer until his head is resting on his shoulder. In response, Kaeya's hand came up to grip at his sleeve.

The two stood there in silence for a while.

Diluc sat on the couch while Kaeya made something to eat in the kitchen. It felt so odd to be in Kaeya's apartment after everything that had happened. After what had just happened outside-

Diluc shook the thought from his head before he burn the seat he sat on. It wouldn't do to burn Kaeya's furniture after his first visit. The clink of kitchenware had him looking up to see a plate of mushroom skewers and a glass of a dark-colored liquid. Looking up, Kaeya notices his curious face.

"Don't worry, Master Diluc," he says, his usual teasing falling a little flat, "it's just grape juice."

Picking up a skewer and the glass he takes a quick bite and drink before turning his attention to his brother. Kaeya is looking at him with a contemplative expression, like he's wondering of he should tell him something before he seems to come back to his senses and shakes his head. Too bad for him, Diluc wasn't dropping what happened.

However, just before he can open hos mouth, Kaeya finally looks back up and looks at the older man with an ashamed but determined look in his eye. His next words make the redhead straighten up in his seat.

"Diluc," he tries, his voice choking slightly with the effort of pushing the words out, "I need your assistance."

A/N: It must have taken a lot of courage from Kaeya to ask Diluc for help. And a lot of humility. Our smart Cavalry Captain may have bitten off more than he can chew and instinctively reached out to big brother for help.

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