-Chapter Summary-
Kaeya tells Diluc how all of this started and why he agreed to the marriage. With a bit of digging on Diluc's part, he even admits to what the blackmail was. It's safe to say that Diluc wasn't pleased with what he hears.
A/N: Diluc finally figures out what's going on and it may or may not lead to a fight or reconciliation. Either way, both brothers get something off of their chests.
Plans Go Wrong and Brothers are Angered
Diluc could only sit there in shock as Kaeya's words.
The captain was actually asking for his help? Even when they had gotten along, it took almost monumental effort on Kaeya's part to actually ask for help with anything. He had even tried to handle his bullies on his own until Diluc had caught him trying to sneak back into the house with an injured leg. One beating later and Kaeya promised to tell Diluc if he was ever being bullied again. Whether it was out of gratefulness or because he feared for the bully's safety, Diluc would never really know.
And at the time, he certainly hadn't cared.
Looking at the man's face, he realizes that Kaeya was being serious. Shooting up from his seat – and startling Kaeya in the process – he marched over to where he was sitting in the armchair. Kaeya flattened in his chair, as if trying to put space between the two of them. Crouching down just enough to be at eye level, he asks:
"Just what have you gotten yourself into, you fool?"
Kaeya's eyes widen and he tries to look anywhere but at Diluc and seems to find the wall to his left very interesting.
"Kaeya," Diluc growls, his patience growing thin. What in the world had the captain done that he was finally so far out of his debt that he needed to come to him for help. His harsh tone had the blue-haired man to squeeze his eyes shut and look away, muttering something under his breath. "Don't start mumbling now," Diluc says sternly, "speak up."
"They knew you were the Darknight Hero!"
For a moment, all Diluc could do was stare in disbelief, stunned into silence. It took a moment before what the blue haired man said fully registered.
"What do you mean 'they know,'" he demanded.
Kaeya finally turns his head to properly look at Diluc. Nervousness was clear on his face as he made eye contact, blue clashing with red.
"Those people," he says, "have ties with the Fatui." As if this was a sick joke, he let a crooked grin spread across his face. "Believe it or not," he snarks, "they actually were trying to blackmail you." He gives out an exhausted laugh that was setting off all of the alarm bells in Diluc's mind. "I did get wind of their plans before they could do anything and went to confront them. Of course, I only told the truth." Diluc snorted and Kaeya smacked his arm as he continued. "I told them you would rather have your secret exposed than get married into the Fatui. They had originally not taken the news very well and were disheartened."
Kaeya's grin faded away.
"I guess I my relief must have shown on my face because they quickly switched tactics and started aiming for me instead." An unamused huff left his lips. "I obviously laughed in their faces and told them that blackmail would get them into deep trouble with the knights."
"Why did they keep pestering you, then?" Diluc asked.
"Well," Kaeya admits, "they had simply been trying other things to blackmail me with. Sadly – for them – they couldn't find out anything important about me that the knights hadn't already known. That night at the tavern, they went back to their original plan of threatening you."
Kaeya grit his teeth, his fists curling so tight that Diluc worried that his nails would cut into his skin. The older Ragnvindr put his hands gently over his brother's and the captain took a breath as he unfurled them.
"Except – this time – they threatened to report that the infamous Phoenix that had taken out so many of the Fatui's ranks was in Mondstadt as the Darknight Hero." If Diluc noticed the tremor entering his voice, the man didn't say anything. "They knew this would paint an even bigger on your back than what was already there, both in your civilian and vigilante personas."
Diluc starts when he notices that Kaeya's breathing had begun to speed up and his hands began to shake under his own, the younger man seeming to be having the beginnings of a panic attack. Stunned for a moment, all Diluc could do was stare as Kaeya went on, the shaking in his voice becoming more prevalent.
"I knew that you already had enough on your plate and that your work load would increase ridiculously if the Fatui found out who you were. You were already getting so little time to sleep between your normal job, your vigilante activities, and all the other things you do to ensure Mondstadt's safety." His voice lowered. "If anything were to happen to you…"
Diluc's eyes widen when he notices the tears pricking Kaeya's eyes and – without thinking – pushes himself the rest of the way forwards as he pulls Kaeya into a tight hug. Diluc always used to tell himself that Kaeya was a grown man that could defend himself, that he wasn't much younger than himself. But it still hadn't stopped him from worrying day and night about how Kaeya was doing.
Was he eating properly?
Was he drinking too much?
Was he getting enough sleep?
Had he gotten injured?
It had driven him mad some days. But to hear that this had shaken Kaeya so much that he had apparently turned off all sense of self-preservation was mind-boggling. The captain was so smart that he had some ridiculous feats under his belt as a knight that had nothing to do with his Vision. Despite all of his mischievous tricks, he was a respected knight for a reason.
For all of those smarts to fly out the window when Diluc was involved…
It would have made him smile if Kaeya wasn't hyperventilating in his arms at the moment. He had no idea Kaeya still cared about him so much that he basically made himself an idiot in response to a threat upon his life. Looks like he'll have to find a way to break that behavior eventually.
The sooner the better.
"You," Diluc says with an exhausted chuckle, "are such an idiot."
With an exhausted chuckle, he tells Kaeya that he was an idiot. Kaeya pulls back, his eyes wide in fear and probably about to spout something stupid again. Diluc stops him by grabbing his face and resting their foreheads together.
"I swear," he says softly, "that everything will work out. Big brother's here now."
Kaeya's eyes widened at his words but then they drooped. It was clear that exhaustion was quickly catching up to him. Diluc wondered how he had the ability to pretend to be so energetic at the tavern not even that long ago. He gave a mirthful grin.
"Go to sleep Kaeya," he coaxed. "Everything is going to be okay."
As if the invisible strings holding him up had been cut, he collapses back into Diluc's arms. Diluc could only smile helplessly as he hears the soft snores coming from the other. Picking him up into a princess carry, he walks towards what he could only assume was the younger man's bedroom.
Opening the door showed that he had gotten lucky on his first guess. It was a relatively modest bedroom with a decently sized bed (though smaller than the one he had at home) and a desk and bookcase against one wall close by. Walking over to the bed, the redhead carefully settled him down and pulled his boots and outer layers off. Unclipping his Vision from his belt, he settled it on the desk and pulled the covers over Kaeya's sleeping form. With a kiss to the top of his head, the man exited the room and closed the door.
Just as it closed, the smile on his face disappeared.
It was time to take out the trash.
Laughter boomed from the tavern as a certain man drunk himself into a victorious stupor. His daughter stood to his side with a miffed look on her face, clearly displeased.
"Ivanka, sweetie," the man says, turning in his seat. "What's the matter, dear?"
"Nothing," the young woman huffed.
"Are you sure, honey," he presses. He never did like to see his dear daughter upset. However, he wasn't expecting her to explode and slam her fists against the table, clearly angered.
"That damned Diluc," she shouts, her face flushed with fury. "That imbecile cockblocked me from taking the cavalry captain to bed!"
The man sputters and chokes on his drink but the daughter continues, too lost in her own anger to care about her father's suffering.
"While I did want Diluc at first and the hate sex would have been amazing, I could tell that the captain was a virgin." Her face twists into a perverted smile, imagining the captain tied to the bed as she had her way with him however she wanted. The dismay and fear on his face as his first time was taken from him in a situation he would have absolutely hated. "I would have taken great pleasure in stealing the most wanted captain's virginity before some other pure maiden could."
Quickly, her expression twisted back into anger as she slammed her fists against the table again.
"And Ragnvindr just had to ruin my shot!"
She couldn't help but wonder why Diluc had even been there. She didn't buy it for a second that he had shown up by pure chance. Why had Diluc interfered when nothing seemed to note any special connection between Diluc and the captain. If anything, everything they dug up on their connection was the opposite, like they despised each other.
So why did he interfere?
Was he just jealous that the captain was about to go to bed with a woman as beautiful as she?
Her face flushed at the thought. Maybe she had a chance to get in at least one night with the man if that was the case. She giggled at the thought before she turned to her father again. Just before she could say anything, she noticed the silence in the tavern. Looking around, she noticed that everyone was gone.
Just how long had she been lost in her fantasies?
Slightly embarrassed, she went to shake her father awake and is startled when she hears the back door to the tavern open. Turning around, she sees a hooded figure and immediately realizes what is going on.
It seemed like he wasn't willing to let sleeping dogs lay.
"Oh," she says, a saccharine grin spreading on her face, "and what could the ever so mighty Darknight Hero be here for, hmm?"
Strutting up to him – making sure to sway her hips just right – she gets close enough that she can make out his red eyes under the owl mask covering half of his face. However, she pauses when she notices that it isn't lust reflected back at her in those eyes. It was pure and blind rage. She feels a cold sweat break out on her skin before blinding pain shoots through her right side, making her gasp. Looking down, she's met with the sight of a large hunting knife in his left hand, buried in her side.
Looking up at the man again, tears of fear and pain building in her eyes and wetting her cheeks, she realizes that Ragnvindr had never been interested in her. This anger could only be aimed at her for one reason.
And she only just realizes that it wasn't jealousy.
"What else have you done to Kaeya," Diluc demanded. His voice was eerily soft but it dripped with poison.
Hearing it seemed to finally kick the woman's brain into flight mode. This was serious ad very dangerous. If she didn't get out of here now, she was certain that she would die. Pushing herself away, she was stopped when a large hand closed around her throat, cutting off her air.
"I'm am gonna ask one more time," the tycoon said, his voice deepened into a deep growl as he dragged her close to him again, heat pouring off of him. Struggling for breath, both from the hand gripping her throat and the heat threatening to collapse her lungs, all Ivanka could do was shake in fear.
Too bad for her that her captor had no hint of sympathy on his masked face.
"I-I didn't do anything," she chocked, openly crying as hysteria set in. "Plea-please spare me! I beg you!"
Diluc glared for a moment before he scoffed and twisted the blade in her side, causing her to scream loudly. Her drunkard of a father didn't even stir.
"If you thought I was going to let you off after you assaulted my brother," he says coldly, "you are dead wrong." His face didn't change as she cried harder. "I heard what you said earlier and I know what kind of person you are." He smiles when she freezes under his hands, here eyes wide with fear. Leaning forward until his mouth was beside her ear, he whispered, "The world would be better off without people like you in it."
Diluc finally pulls the blade out of her side and lets go of her throat, letting her drop to the ground. He watched with a blank face as she cried and spit up on herself.
"What a pity it is that you had to be so rotten." Crouching next to her, he looks her in the eyes, watching as the life seeped out of them as breathing became more and more difficult for her. "If you had targeted anyone else, I would have been fine with just getting you arrested for blackmail and assault. Instead," he leaned over her head, his eyes still burning with anger, "you had to go after my precious little brother." He could have sworn her eyes got larger but he could have cared less at the moment. "Don't feel too bad, though," he says, a small twisted smile coming to his face, "I'll be sure that your father will be joining you too shortly."
Finally, she stopped breathing and her heart stopped, her eyes still wide and staring at Diluc.
Diluc knew he should probably feel something about what he had just done but he couldn't honestly have cared less. His younger self would be ashamed of his actions and maybe he would be punished by Celestia when he died but he still couldn't bring himself to regret it.
He's brought out of his thoughts when he hears footsteps coming up behind him. He didn't even need to turn around. They likely heard everything anyway so an explanation wasn't needed.
"Charles," he asks, "could you please dispose of the bodies?"
"Of course, Master Diluc," the bartender hurriedly agreed. Well, if he wasn't being lectured, the other must have definitely heard.
Without a word, he turned and walked out the back door. The moon sat high in the sky as a breeze as gentle as ever swept through the city streets. It was a deceptively calm night for what had just taken place in the tavern tonight. He came to an abrupt stop to the calming, lazy tune of a lyre in his ear.
Looking up, he found a familiar bard sitting on a crate, looking as unbothered as ever.
"What do you want, Barbatos?"
"My dear Diluc," the bard said calmly, "if you're looking for disapproval, you won't find it here. If you hadn't done something…"
The Archon looked up at the tycoon, his usual calm eyes glowing with torrential power.
"I would have."
For a moment, all Diluc could do was stare in surprise at his friend before a lopsided grin came to his face, a weight lifted from his shoulders. He let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Venti."
Turning on his heel, he quickly made his way through the streets and back to Kaeya's apartment. Even if the woman – if he could even call her that – was gone, it didn't mean that he liked to leave Kaeya alone for long. It didn't take too long for him to find himself back at the front door of his brother's apartment and made his way inside.
Making sure to lock the door, he made his way through the dark and quiet halls and towards Kaeya's bedroom. He slipped back inside as quietly as possibly. A quick look towards the bed showed the young man still out cold. Even though he knew what he had done was wrong, looking at Kaeya's peaceful sleeping face soothed the monster that had awoken in Diluc. He could feel his heart rate slow even as he took the chair from the desk and settled at Kaeya's bedside.
Leaning forward, he allowed himself to rest his upper body on the bed and reached for Kaeya's hand, clutching it gently in his own. In this moment, with his brother safe in front of him, he could safely say that he felt completely at peace.
Eyes slipping shut, Diluc allowed himself to slip away.
A/N: The next chapter is done! If you noticed the mood shift, it was very much intentional. I said Diluc would be overprotective. We saw how Diluc treated an Abyss Mage. How would he react to someone who sexually assaulted his brother? I think quite violently. But this is probably still OOC and I'll label it as such. We don't have any canon material that says he would react this strongly to someone targeting Kaeya, though I wish we will get some kind of crumbs eventually.
Until then, this is the best we'll get.
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