Diluc dreamed yet again.
He wanted to be tired of it.
Maybe feel so done enough that it wouldn't reoccur again.
And yet, he wasn't.
He was wary, afraid—
But still defiant.
He was brave enough to block out the voices.
To abandon his Vision.
To come 'home'.
To be theirs.
He sat up straighter now.
Even though he was finally aware of how the air felt.
Of how the Abyss weighted upon him.
Of how it seemed to crush his lungs.
All just to drag him back.
Diluc defiantly looked up.
Reached for the ever present cup.
Crimson eyes burning with determination.
At the mass of clouded stars and endless night.
At the armored figure that called to him so dearly.
"I won't go back."
Diluc spilt the bitter wine.
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And yet the dream didn't end there.
For the first time, Diluc saw the armored figure move.
Its hand snatched his arm.
Sharp edges dug into his skin.
He was yanked from his seat.
Pulled into the air—
And Diluc could do nothing when metal glinted.
Rushing to run him throu—
._._._._._.
Diluc woke up.
But he didn't notice at first.
His scream was cut, tangled in his throat.
He flailed desperately, pushing whatever closest away.
He was definitely in pain.
There were voices all around him.
But he couldn't make any heads or tails.
All he knew was the ache in his back.
The bracelet of pain around his wrist flared relentlessly.
And the near stabbing pain in his head.
He felt delirious from it all.
But he knew he needed to calm down.
He tried breathing.
Tried taking deeper breaths.
Yet he was too fast, too shallow.
It wasn't until he felt a hand gently press against his chest.
And an arm wrapping around him.
"Breathe with me."
Diluc struggled.
But he clung to that voice and leaned against a steady chest.
He tried to push away the last moments of his dream.
Of the blade that he could've sworn he saw.
It felt all too real.
But so was breathing.
Slowly, his mind settled.
His heart calmed.
He breathed steady.
Father didn't let him go until he no longer shook.
It was then, that Diluc finally relaxed.
Weary, exhausted.
Here.
Not there.
._._._._._.
Diluc sat quietly.
Mother was not happy at all.
He could tell by how she hadn't been as gentle.
Then again, he did fall out of a tree right before a snowstorm.
And the said snowstorm had practically snowed them in for who knew how long.
So, of course, they wouldn't be able to call for some medical help.
At least, Diluc hadn't broken anything.
Probably.
His wrist was a colorful blackish blue now.
And his ankle took quite a beating.
A couple of scratches burned every time he moved.
And he probably had a concussion.
A mild concussion.
Hence why Mother had been pinching him awake.
Several times.
All in different places.
Diluc swore he'd be gaining more bruises from that.
Mother sat back, finished tying the last bandage around his head.
"There. Now, want to tell me why you climbed a tree while you're still recovering?"
Never mind the fact that Diluc's strange fever finally tampered off a couple days ago.
Never mind the fact that he fully healed from the severe burns and deep gashes when he first arrived.
He closed his eyes, trying to stave off the mild ache at the light.
A sharp pinch stabbed him at the exposed skin of his neck.
When he looked, Mother's smile didn't look happy.
Diluc smiled bitterly, "I thought I saw a bird."
Mother's smile was strained now.
She pinched him once again.
By his blackish blue wrist.
Diluc nearly saw stars.
"Don't sleep just yet."
And he didn't mind.
._._._._._.
Technically speaking, Diluc was fine.
Definitely bruised, but fine.
So when Mother finally cleared him to sleep, he didn't.
He didn't want to risk dreaming again.
He couldn't remember the last time he woke up screaming.
Diluc didn't want to inconvenience this family.
He had been here for so long.
They were so kind.
But how much longer until he outstayed their welcome?
Diluc knew he had been difficult.
Even he would've been frustrated with himself.
And yet.
It was scary to notice what changed.
An irrational fear lingered in his bones, rooting him in place.
The Abyss made him far too detached compared to who he was before.
And that dream was of no help.
He wanted to believe that it was all just a delusion in his mind.
Some kind of trick that had hooked itself in his memory.
But, it was too real.
And it was changing little by little.
It downright made his nerves uneasy.
When he looked in the mirror, he didn't recognize himself.
He was almost too afraid to go home.
To Mondstadt.
To Father.
To Kaeya.
Because what if they didn't recognize him?
Diluc sat in the corner of his bed.
Curled up against the wall.
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.
.
For the third morning in a row.
Tonia found him just like that.
Awake, and utterly exhausted.
._._._._._.
Toys were strewn all over the bed.
Diluc thought that anymore, and he'd be drowning in them.
Teucer, Archons bless his soul, had no qualms about bringing in his vast army.
A vast army of stuffed toy Ruin Guards and other creatures.
But an army nonetheless.
Honestly, he was half afraid to ask where all of this was stored.
Diluc could do absolutely nothing when he was given a fat bird.
The chubby, soft plush thing fitted awkwardly in his arms.
Teucer stepped back and observed his work.
"There! Now nightmares won't hurt you!"
He looked so proud that Diluc could do absolutely nothing about it.
Instead, Diluc gave a tiny smile.
"Thank you," he patted the head of a Ruin Guard, "I feel much safer now."
It was a lie, really.
Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Diluc was almost too afraid to sleep.
Maybe, if he stayed up long enough, he'd be too exhausted to dream.
Teucer stood there for a second.
Before he jumped on to the bed.
Most definitely knocking a few toys.
Teucer settled himself at Diluc's side.
"Of course, I'll be here, too! That way, I can chase away your nightmares."
Then Teucer looked up, almost pleading, "If… I nap here, will you rest with me?"
Diluc felt his smile strain, "…A small nap won't hurt."
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.
Tonia found him just like that.
Asleep, and curled around her little brother.
In too deep to wake.
Teucer glanced up at her and grinned.
Tonia returned it with her own.
Their plan went off without a hitch.
._._._._._.
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Diluc woke up the next day.
Confused as to how he slept through the morning.
And not one second of it, did he dream.
._._._._._.
Anthon was an observant kid.
It was something that never went unnoticed.
Which was why he had an abnormally large bookshelf filled to the brim.
Ajax was a very generous older brother, always sending so many gifts.
Anthon flipped through an older one, looking for something about broken bones and what not.
It didn't look like Big Brother Diluc actually broke something.
But no one couldn't be too sure.
Hence why he barged into the room.
Plopped a book open on the wool blankets.
Used a stuffed dragon to prop it up.
And held up an asking hand.
"Give me your hand, Big Brother Diluc."
The redhead just stared at him.
Anthon didn't exactly blame him.
After all, if he was the one in pain, he wouldn't dare to move it around much.
But Anthon knew.
If nothing was properly treated, then it could be permanent.
"Come on," Anthon tried again, "Gotta make sure you didn't break it."
But red eyes still stared at him.
Then, "Big Brother?"
"Well, aren't you?"
Anthon blinked.
Ah.
He said it out loud, didn't he.
Honestly, Anthon didn't know when he stared calling Diluc his big brother.
Maybe Teucer was rubbing off of him more than he realized.
Anthon gave up on waiting for his big brother.
And grabbed the lightly bandaged wrist.
It was almost hilarious to hear Big Brother Diluc splutter and hiss at the same time.
Almost.
Anthon glanced at his book, and searched for a break.
He could feel him shaking under his light grip.
He didn't look up as he spoke.
"Besides, someone has to fit all the new clothes Mom made."
Big Brother Diluc's jaw dropped and eyes blown wide, "What."
Anthon laughed then, "Trust me, none of them are my size."
._._._._._.
"Where did all of these toys come from?" Diluc asked one day.
When the three youngest siblings spent a day in his room.
Without asking.
Anthon and Tonia shared a long look.
"Big Brother Ajax sends them," Anthon answered.
He fiddled with the pages of his book.
"He has a traveling job."
She states rather carefully.
Diluc couldn't help but stare at her.
Teucer looked up from his drawing on the floor.
"Didn't you know? Big Brother Ajax's a toy seller!"
Suddenly that explained everything and nothing at all.
Diluc watched how Tonia's expression grew tight.
And Anthon outright frowned before he turned away.
Instead, Diluc pushed himself off the bed, mindful of his twisted ankle.
And joined Teucer on the floor, "A toy seller, huh? You are one lucky little brother."
The youngest laughed, and effectively dragged him into a drawing.
As they worked, Diluc glanced at Tonia, and Anthon.
They didn't look happy.
But they were good at covering it up.
They had been for weeks.
Even Mother and Father.
It almost seemed like they didn't want Teucer to know.
Or Diluc to know for that matter.
For the sake of the family that took him in.
For the sake of the family he loved just as dearly as his own in Mondstadt.
He pretended not to notice.
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