Kaeya turned the corner of the street that led to his apartment and blinked as a dark figure flitted out of an alley just ahead of him and ducked beside a cart filled with barrels. The Cavalry Captain drew his sword slowly, watching the stranger carefully through the shadows cast by the scattered lanterns lining the road. He kept his bottle of wine in the other hand, unconsciously ready to use it as a prop to lower the potential attacker's guard.
The person was pressed against the wall, breathing heavily. A cloak fluttered loosely around the lean frame, just barely revealing a tight white shirt and black jacket over the flat, muscled abdomen of a well-trained swordsman. The figure darted a swift look into the alley he'd just emerged from before jerking back and leaning against the brickwork. Kaeya tightened his grip on his sword and dropped his wine bottle noiselessly into his pocket dimension. He's waiting for someone… a thief, perhaps? Not in my city. Just as Kaeya decided to attack, the playful wind blew a single lock of brilliant scarlet hair out of the edge of the hood. Kaeya relaxed instantly.
"Diluc?"
His brother jolted, his hooded and masked face spinning towards Kaeya. "Kae?" He sounded a little out of breath. The ever-present scowl on his lips deepened slightly at the sight of the smooth-tongued knight sauntering in his direction, but he didn't throw any of the barbs that Kaeya expected and almost eagerly awaited. Instead he just whispered flatly, "Leave. I can't handle watching over you while I fight."
"Oh? You're worried about me? That's new, I have to admit," Kaeya said. Regardless of his taunt, he acknowledged his brother's implied stealth and kept his voice low as he dropped down beside the redhead. "But I can hold my own. As you well know."
Diluc gave him a sharp look over his shoulder, almost looking angry at the implied reference to their last duel. He's not upset about the way our duel ended. That would be ridiculous. I'm reading far too much into the expressions of my estranged brother at midnight, by lanternlight, while he's masked and hooded, Kaeya reprimanded himself when he caught the hope sneaking into his soul.
"I just don't need you blowing my cover," Diluc whispered back.
Yup. Definitely reading too much into his expression.
"So who are we stalking, oh Darknight Hero?" Kaeya asked with exaggerated adoration in his voice.
By the glare in Diluc's garnet eyes, he'd succeeded in needling his brother. "Treasure Hoarders."
That caught Kaeya's attention. "What? Treasure Hoarders in Mondstadt?!" He wasn't sure if he was more aghast at Diluc's oversight or his own. How could Treasure Hoarders slip past both our networks?!
Diluc's lips thinned when he glanced over. "They drugged Guy at the side gate. I'm guessing they kept their cards very close to their chests in order to pull this off without either of us hearing about it." His breath caught for an instant, and he shifted as if uncomfortable. Kaeya noticed, and his brow furrowed. But Diluc continued, "There's probably the equivalent of 4 gangs in on this heist. I've already fought them once, just inside the gate."
"And you didn't finish them all off there?" Kaeya was surprised into blurting out an honest question. Diluc is very skilled. Why could he have possibly left the battle?
His brother didn't answer, instead using a quick hand signal to shush him as voices began to filter down the alleyway. Diluc leaned forward to hear better, his hood shielding his expression. Kaeya tucked his surprise away for later and fell silent.
"You sure we can do this?" The Treasure Hoarder sounded nervous, but the answering voice was totally confident.
"Relax. No one knows we're here except the Darknight Hero, and he's—" the man's tone dipped slightly, rendering the words too faint for him to make out before his volume returned. "—and neither can anyone else at the Knight's headquarters. The tainted water should be more than enough to keep them knocked out until we've gotten what we want."
Kaeya frowned. His brain focused on probably the most insignificant part of the information. He's what? What happened to Diluc that would make him pull away from a battle? He can't have been… He tapped his brother's shoulder insistently.
Predictably Diluc ignored him. The Pyro user summoned his greatsword, but Kaeya didn't miss the slight waver to his movements. Eye narrowing, he yanked his brother's shoulder back into the wall and began scanning Diluc's body. Before he could ascertain if his suspicions were correct, Diluc knocked his hand away, glaring. Kaeya opened his mouth and Diluc slammed a gloved hand over it. Rolling his starry pupil, Kaeya made a hand sign to show that he would stop. Diluc glared at him through the elegant mask for another minute before dropping his hand. Swiftly his red-palmed gloves twisted into a series of signs. I will draw their attention with a burst. Follow on Dawn's heels as close as you can, I'll be right behind you.
I can take them by myself, Kaeya argued with his own fingers flicking.
Diluc shook his head. Not a chance. His hand dropped to his greatsword, tightening on the hilt. Kaeya sighed and gave up.
Leaping into the mouth of the alley, Diluc yelled, "BURN!" The phoenix that erupted off his blade blew down the narrow street, prompting screams of terror and shouts of fury. Kaeya lunged into motion, trailing the bird closely. His icy attack caught the Treasure Hoarders off guard, and they yelled as their ranks broke for an instant before reforming.
He's right, there's a lot of them, Kaeya thought as he kept up his relentless strikes. Beside him Diluc had joined the fray, his greatsword blazing with fire. A smirk tugged at Kaeya's lips. I still have no idea how no one has cottoned onto his identity yet. Aloud he said between slices, "Subtlety is not your forte, Darknight Hero."
Diluc made an annoyed sound of protest. "Stop calling me that ridiculous name." He batted a pike away with his greatsword.
"Would you rather I use your real name?" Kaeya asked mockingly.
Diluc managed to shoot him a flat look, and the Cavalry Captain laughed before losing himself in the thrill of the fight. It had been far too long since he'd fought at his brother's side like this, but their bodies still moved in perfect sync with each other. He said softly, "I've missed this."
He hadn't intended for Diluc to catch the words, but the Pyro wielder's hearing was keener than he thought. Blasting another foe with flames, he said with some amusement, "Bashing Treasure Hoarders? I can give you locations to a few of their camps if you're really that desperate for battle." The dry humor that he used to counter Kaeya's sparkling wit was one of the reasons Kaeya enjoyed their banter so much. But he was thrown slightly off his game when something in his brother's fiery silhouette set off a warning in his mind. He couldn't pinpoint the cause in the middle of battle, though.
"No, that wasn't… I mean… yes, definitely," Kaeya finished lamely, aforementioned sparkling wit deserting him as he tried to think up another excuse. What am I missing here? Something's wrong… He glanced at his brother again before dodging another crossbow bolt that ruffled his hair as it passed. Can't afford to get too distracted here.
Diluc let out a short laugh at his brother's inarticulate retort, but as he flashed into another flame-streaked pattern, Kaeya thought he heard him whisper, "I know what you meant."
The battle was almost over, and Kaeya idly wondered how everyone else's apartments were so soundproofed they could miss an entire fight right outside their doors. Diluc slid back a step and threw a hasty look around. "Kaeya, some of them are headed for the square!"
Kaeya accidently proved how much the two brothers were alike when he instantly understood what Diluc was implying. "Anthony's still there this time of night, isn't he?" Distracted, he failed to fully block an incoming blow and let out a yelp of pain when the Treasure Hoarder's dagger bit deep into his arm.
Diluc glanced over at Kaeya's cry and spotted the blood welling up from the wound. His crimson eyes blazed and he shouted a furious battle cry, new energy fueling his attack as he pushed the Treasure Hoarders back from Kaeya.
"RETRIBUTION! Kaeya, fall back and go to Anthony! I'll take care of these ones; you go protect him. We'll be worthless if they take a hostage." He shot forward, pushing the remaining Treasure Hoarders back far enough to create a space for Kaeya to go.
"But what about you?" Kaeya blurted. He flicked his pocket dimension open and reached in to grab a bandage. Quickly he began wrapping it around his wound. I'll get it tended to when we're done here. I just need to slow the bleeding for now.
"Just go get Anthony out of that fountain," Diluc ordered hotly.
Shaking his head, Kaeya obeyed and flew down the alleyway towards the square. He'll be fine. There's only a few remaining.
He faltered and nearly fell when he heard a muffled cry of pain behind him that could have only come from one person. DILUC! He whirled around, but Diluc was already shouting, "GO! I'll be fine!"
Kaeya's hands were fisting, his body trembling, but he forced himself to obey. He's right. If they get a hostage, we're sunk.
Darting into the square, he spotted the young man standing in the fountain, trying vainly to look inconspicuous as he scooped up wishing coins from its depths. A twinge of pity shot through Kaeya's heart, and he thought, I really should get Jean to divert some funds for that poor family. Just then he spotted two Treasure Hoarders sprinting out of another street, one of them waving a crossbow at the innocent Anthony.
"Hey, you! Don't move!"
Anthony froze in astonished horror. However, Kaeya's shouted command overrode the Treasure Hoarder's threat. "Anthony, dodge this!" His battle taunt was well-known in Mondstadt, and his authority was unquestioned. Anthony was no exception.
The young man yelped and lunged sideways, crashing down into the pristine waters with an enormous splash. The crossbow bolt flew harmlessly over his head. By the time it hit the far side of the square, Kaeya was already engaging in battle with the two Treasure Hoarders, his Kagotsurube Isshin sword singing with the thrill of battle.
It didn't take long for him to dispose of the enemies. Whirling, he rapped out another command at the wide-eyed, soaking-wet Anthony. "Get home. It's dangerous out here tonight." When the boy cast a longing look at the remaining coins in the fountain, Kaeya's gaze softened. "Anna would much rather have you home safe with a few coins than dead with a fortune. Go."
The mention of his invalid sister was enough to galvanize Anthony into action. "Yes, Sir Kaeya, sir. S-sorry." He leapt to his feet and splashed out of the fountain.
Kaeya waited only long enough to see the young man duck into the side street that led to his home before he broke into a dead run back to the alley where he'd left Diluc. He lightly touched his injury, glancing down to confirm that the bleeding had slowed. Rounding the corner, he skidded to a halt and threw himself back behind the building, his heart racing and his skin chilling with fear.
No.
The fight had ended. He was too late.
Diluc's wrists were tied behind his back, and he was on his knees before the Treasure Hoarders. Anthony was just a distraction. They chose a different hostage. I won't let him die! Kaeya's mind worked at blinding speed. The roofs! He spun around, dropping his sword into its pocket dimension and launched up the nearest wall faster than he'd ever moved.
When he reached the rooftop, he scrambled to his feet and sprinted across the uneven tiles, not bothering to be careful. All that mattered now was speed. Diluc's life was at stake.
He reached the building above the group and crouched at the edge, swiftly analyzing the situation one last time. Diluc's hood still shielded his bright hair, but Kaeya's heart skipped a beat at the dark stains spreading unevenly across the surface of the cloak. One of the Treasure Hoarders held the glittering point of his sword to Diluc's throat, forcing the wounded man to look up at him. Diluc's brilliant crimson eyes blazed with suppressed fury through his graceful mask, but the men on both sides of him kept him pinned on his knees.
"…feather in our cap! We've taken out the Darknight Hero! Mondstadt will be ours for the taking, and you will be but a footnote in our glorious rise to power! Your story ends here, Darknight Hero." The evident leader drew his sword back with a flourish.
"NO!" Kaeya jumped straight off the roof without even thinking of deploying his wind glider. He hit the Treasure Hoarder with both feet and his sword. He landed with enough force to flatten the man, sending shockwaves of pain through his own body and knocking the breath out of his lungs. But his plan backfired to some extent. Stunned, he half-fell off the man and lay there, desperately trying to regain his breath, unable to gather his shaking muscles to get up and fight. The leader's body dissolved as Kaeya's attack chipped off the last of his health. Another Treasure Hoarder shouted in rage and stabbed down at Diluc's unprotected back. Kaeya's eye widened, but he couldn't move yet after his dramatic entrance. Diluc was faster than the approaching blade, though. The Pyro user skewed sideways and shot to his feet, breaking away from the surprised men holding his shoulders and using a flying kick to crack someone's arm as he went, judging by the sound and subsequent howl from the Treasure Hoarder. He twisted sharply enough that the blade missed his heart and skipped off his arm, and Kaeya's heart skipped a beat when he heard his brother gasp slightly. But Diluc wasn't the attacker's primary target.
"NO! YOU KILLED MARVEN! How DARE you, Favonian scum!" Hate-filled eyes locked onto Kaeya above the kerchief tied around the Treasure Hoarder's mouth and nose. Kaeya struggled to draw in a breath, but his body wouldn't cooperate. He stood no chance of escaping the enraged man. At least I got Diluc out of their clutches before I died, he thought with a morbid sense of satisfaction. The Treasure Hoarder lunged forward, but Diluc slammed his uninjured shoulder into the man's chest with a shout, knocking him back. As the Treasure Hoarder roared in fury and raised his sword for another attempt, Diluc turned his back fully to Kaeya, bracing his tall boots on the cobblestones and shielding him from the incoming Treasure Hoarder. "N-no—!" Kaeya barely managed to say. But Diluc refused to move. His wrists were still bound behind his back, he was bleeding and swaying where he stood, but he refused to abandon his currently incapacitated brother. The Treasure Hoarder swung his sword in a wild arc.
Nonononono- "NO!"
Kaeya's breath finally came back with a rush and he lunged up, grabbing his brother's shoulders and yanking him out of the way. The Isshin sword materialized in his hand just in time to block the first strike, but as he shot forward into battle, he tossed a furious look over his cape. "Do not, EVER, do that again!" he shouted at his brother. He added with a sharp edge to his words, "We are having a conversation about your self-destructive tendencies after this!" He thought he heard Diluc laugh slightly, but he was too busy cutting down every single man who had threatened his brother's life.
Finally, the alley was still. Silence fell in the wake of battle, the moon solemnly drifting out of the clouds to illuminate the quiet street.
Breathing heavily, Kaeya turned around, his eye flashing dangerously.
Diluc remained standing, but only just barely. His mask had fallen to the cobblestones to reveal the entirety of his fair face. He was slumped sideways against the wall with his hands still bound behind his back, watching his brother with a weary smirk. "Nicely done, Sir Kaeya."
Kaeya glared at him and stalked towards the wounded man. Diluc's smile faltered, and he drew in a quick breath, taking a small step backwards. A flicker of fear shot through his crimson eyes, and Kaeya froze. Confusion washed over him, and then realization sent ice surging through his veins.
The last time they'd drawn swords together, it had nearly ended with Kaeya's death at Diluc's hands. Since then, their relationship had been cool, filled with taunts and ripostes, razor-sharp wit but nothing truly substantial. They'd never discussed what had led them to that awful duel. They'd never resolved it. And now Diluc was bound, bleeding out, and totally at Kaeya's mercy while the Khaenri'an stalked towards him with fury in his face.
Diluc thought Kaeya meant to kill him.
Kaeya's legs nearly gave out. He gathered himself and stared at his wounded brother. Softly he said, "If you dare to put your unarmed body between me and an enemy's blade again, so help me, I'll chain you to Barbatos' statue and tell Jean who the Darknight Hero really is."
It took a minute for Diluc to process his threat, and then the scarlet head tilted slightly. "You're… angry that I protected you?"
Kaeya stormed forward, drawing his knife and circling behind his brother. He didn't miss the way Diluc's shoulders tensed, nor the quick intake of breath when Kaeya left his line of sight and touched his back, but the Cryo user's sight was going red at the sight of his brother's wrists. He was bound cruelly tight, the thin rope leaving trickles of blood around the slim wrists. Kaeya choked on his words twice.
"You… they… Diluc! You could've died!" He let out a curse in Khaenri'an, spitting out the word again when his brother flinched. He set the dagger's edge against the rope and started slicing through it carefully.
"Better me than you."
Kaeya froze at the Pyro user's quiet words, then finished cutting Diluc's bounds in eerie silence. His face dark with anger, he strode around to face the redhead as Diluc brought his hands to his chest and gingerly brushed his fingertips across the cuts on his wrists. The Cryo user waited until his brother looked at him questioningly. Then he spat out, "Don't you ever, EVER dare to try to trade your life for mine, do you hear me?!" Diluc looked startled, but Kaeya wasn't finished. "I am not in any way worth your sacrifice. I can't… I can't lose you… it's…" He looked away and snapped in Khaenri'an again, the old language slipping fluently between his teeth in a string of fury. The image of Diluc's blazing, defiant eyes as he was forced to his knees with the sword at his throat washed over him again, making him shudder. He choked back the words and waited until he had regained control of himself, then glared at Diluc again. "Do you understand me?"
There was a long pause as Diluc stared at him, his mouth half-open, his dark crimson eyes full of tumultuous, conflicting emotions. Finally he said dryly, "Not really, no. Half of that was in another language, and the half that I did recognize didn't really make sense."
Kaeya laughed. He couldn't help it. That was Diluc all over, taking his words oh-so-literally. He finally shook his head, a smile still trembling on his lips. He opened his mouth, but Diluc beat him to it.
"If you're asking me to step aside the next time that I see you in danger… well, I won't. We may not be on the best of terms right now, but…" he hesitated, as if trying to name whatever it was between them that wouldn't let them walk their separate paths. Finally, he ducked his head and spoke so softly that Kaeya could barely hear the words. "You're my brother. And I will not save my own skin by letting you die."
Kaeya blew out his breath slowly. "Diluc…" he said with warning lacing his brother's name.
But Diluc's eyes closed, and he leaned back against the wall. Slowly, he began to slide down the brickwork, his legs buckling as his hand ghosted across his right side. Kaeya lunged forward and grabbed his brother's shoulders, helping him to the ground. His tanned face went white at the crimson stain on the bricks Diluc had been leaning against. "DILUC!" His hands darted over his brother's body, searching for wounds. And then he brushed the cloak aside and saw it.
A dagger was buried deep in Diluc's side, spreading a grim scarlet across the Pyro user's torso. No!
"Diluc, stay with me, okay? You have to hang on!" Kaeya reached for the dagger, but Diluc's gloved hand brushed across his.
"I'd… do it… all… again… to… save you… Brother…" Diluc's head lolled on his shoulder.
"DILUC!"
oOo
Kaeya sprinted through the city, Diluc's bright head lying limp against his chest. The Pyro user never stirred as Kaeya ran, and the only way Kaeya knew he was alive was the Vision bouncing at Diluc's belt. It was pulsing weakly, but the flame was still bright enough to keep Kaeya from an utter shutdown. He glanced down at the man in his arms, but Diluc's eyes were still closed.
Kaeya forced himself to run faster.
He staggered through the doors of the Cathedral as the last of his stamina finally drained from his limbs. "BARBARA!"
The nun who popped out of a side room wasn't the one he wanted to see, though. Any other time he would have happily greeted his prickly drinking partner, but right now he just snapped breathlessly at her. "Rosaria! Where's Barbara?! Diluc's dying!" The possible reality of his words nearly choked him.
Rosaria's cynical eyes widened. "She's at the Knights' Headquarters. Someone brought in a report that the knights had all suddenly collapsed, so of course she ran over there to check on Jean."
Kaeya's eye closed in despair. He dragged his hope back from the depths of his heart and looked down at his unconscious, quiet burden. "You can't die on me, Diluc. You hear me?" He spun around, shouting, "Rosaria, grab anything Barbara might possibly need for deep wounds and a whole lot of blood, and take it to the Headquarters!" He sprinted out of the Cathedral, not caring about his dangerously low levels of stamina.
This time, when he crashed through into the Headquarters of the Knights of Favonius, he really did collapse. He spun as he fell to shield Diluc's limp body, and the silent redhead crashed down on Kaeya's chest, winding him. The two brothers lay in the foyer for an instant as shocked voices echoed around them before Kaeya dragged himself halfway up with his brother still cradled in his arms and shouted, "BARBARA! Diluc's been wounded, badly!"
The cheerful nun was at his side in an instant, her face paling as she saw Diluc's condition. She didn't bother answering him as she began snapping out orders. The tumult of concerned voices overlapped her soft words. Kaeya couldn't look up from his brother's unresponsive face, but his mind automatically catalogued the speakers.
"Oh no, Master Diluc!" Huffman.
"Captain Kaeya!" That sounds like Amber.
"I need Jean!" That's Barbara.
"He's injured!" Swan?
"What happened?! I will avenge them both!" Definitely Eula.
"Has anyone woken the Acting Grand Master yet?" Mack.
"Noelle, I need you here NOW!" Barbara again.
"I'll be there at once, I—Master Diluc! Captain Kaeya! You've been hurt! W-we have to apply continuous pressure to-to the wound!" Noelle sounded horrified as she mechanically blurted out the traditional approach to field dressing a stab wound. Dimly Kaeya realized that with Diluc's blood all over his clothes, he looked just as badly wounded as his brother.
"It's not me. It's Diluc," he managed to choke out.
"I need you to carry him to Jean's office now, Noelle," Barbara said firmly.
"R-right away!"
Kaeya watched as Diluc was lifted into Noelle's arms and carried towards Jean's office. Diluc's head fell back over Noelle's arm, his throat exposed and his long blazing hair trailing off the powerful maid's elbow. It was too loud… everyone was talking and shouting and asking questions. Kaeya's body was at the end of his limits. He didn't have the strength to follow them, and as his unconscious brother's flaming hair vanished into the other room, his vision went dark.
oOo
Kaeya shot upright, gasping, his hand on his chest. Frantically he scanned the dim room. "Diluc!"
At first there was no response, then someone stirred on the bed across from him. Kaeya locked onto the tangle of crimson hair spilling over the pillow and lunged off his mattress. He tripped on the sheets and half-fell onto the side of Diluc's bed. "D-Diluc!"
His brother wasn't conscious, but at Kaeya's panicked query, his brow contracted slightly and he shifted again. He was breathing a little too fast and he seemed restless. Kaeya didn't care, though. His brother was here. Alive. A choked sob of relief broke from his throat, and he practically collapsed against the mattress. His face crashed into his trembling forearms, his dark blue bangs smushed into the fabric. All he could do was focus on controlling his shuddering breaths. Gradually his heartrate slowed.
He'd had a nightmare. He was back in that alley, watching his defenseless brother defend him, unable to move. This time he could see with excruciating clarity the blood staining Diluc's cloak, the way he swayed and nearly fell. In his dream he'd somehow been able to see the way Diluc closed his eyes as the Treasure Hoarder neared him, accepting his fate without hesitation in exchange for Kaeya's life. Another desperate shudder wracked Kaeya's narrow frame as he tried to banish the memory.
"K-Kae?"
The single word was so faint he thought he'd imagined it. But he froze anyway, holding his breath and wondering… The blanket beneath his elbows shifted, and his head flew up. "Diluc!"
Diluc's eyes were dulled, disoriented. He barely seemed able to focus, but his hand wandered across the cotton blanket and nudged Kaeya's fingertips. Instantly Kaeya grasped his brother's hand. "Diluc, can you hear me?"
A faint smile tilted Diluc's lips up for an instant. "Mm-hm. I'm… glad you're… all right." His eyes drifted closed again, but he seemed to be resting a little easier, and Kaeya felt a thrill of joy when his brother gave his hand the slightest squeeze. A furious whisper broke the silence after a moment.
"Captain Kaeya!"
Kaeya glanced up, not particularly caring for the prospect of being disturbed, but when he met Barbara's glare from the door, he blinked in surprise. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence, dear Sister?" he asked teasingly.
Barbara slipped through the door and marched over to him, grabbing his arm. Amused, he allowed her to drag him away from Diluc's bedside after tightening his grasp on his brother's hand one last time. "Hmm?"
"You're supposed to be in bed!" Huffing, the dainty Sister spun him around and shoved his chest lightly, forcing him to back into his own mattress and sit down.
"But—" he started. She cut him off and pushed him again to make him lie down.
"I don't want to hear it, Captain. Master Diluc wasn't the only injured one, you know. You suffered some small cuts and bruises, not to mention that cut on your arm that was bleeding out when you got here! And that's not even touching the way you put your body through an enormous ordeal by pushing past your natural stamina limits! You collapsed from utter exhaustion after carrying Master Diluc all the way to the Knights' of Favonius Headquarters! You're lucky Jean's Anemo powers were able to keep your lungs functioning after that stunt!" She tugged the sheets up to his waist before laying a Hydro-infused hand on his chest and going still for a moment, her eyes distant. He guessed she was listening to his breathing or something. He opened his mouth, but she was already talking again. "And besides that, every single time you whimper or cry out or even breath too fast, that stubborn brother of yours goes crazy!"
Kaeya blinked at the normally upbeat nun. Part of him wanted to laugh at how her sweet voice sounded when filled with determination. Another part of him was confused by her words. Finally, he managed to say with dignity, "I don't whimper."
Barbara eyed him skeptically. "Tell that to Master Diluc. Last time you cried out in your sleep, he knocked Sister Rosaria out without even coming to full consciousness. I've had to keep him severely sedated so he doesn't kill himself trying to rescue you from your nightmares."
Kaeya's brain shut down. He… he's trying to rescue me? "What are you talking about?"
Sighing, Barbara gestured towards Diluc's quiet form. "What happened just now, when you went over to him? Was he sleeping peacefully?"
Rubbing his bangs out of his face, Kaeya shook his head slowly. "Not really. He seemed… a little agitated. He calmed down when I spoke to him, though."
She nodded. "And let me guess, you woke up shouting for him, right?"
He wasn't sure he wanted her to know that he'd practically flown out of bed in agonized fear that his brother was dead. He settled on shrugging his shoulders slightly. "Perhaps. I don't recall that moment of awakening very well."
Barbara adjusted her hat and breathed slowly. She seemed to be calming down somewhat, and her normal soft tone was returning. Her eyes were kind as she said, "So you called out for him, and he was agitated? Well, let me explain. Master Diluc is currently dosed with the absolute limit of sedation that I can safely give him. Anyone else would be so deeply asleep that I could slap them with a Luxurious Sealord and they'd never notice a thing. Now Master Diluc here is so tuned to your every sound that his heart started racing when you woke up and panicked, despite being so drugged that he shouldn't have registered a Lawrachurl smashing into the room."
Kaeya couldn't believe it. "Impossible," he argued. "You know what happened between us. He's probably just tense after what happened. Most likely the sound of anyone in pain would cause him to stir. You know how he is. He wouldn't let someone be injured on his watch."
"I can assure you, sir, that is not the case here. Johanna dropped a bottle of medicine and then accidently cut herself while cleaning up. There was quite a bit of commotion, and Master Diluc never stirred. But if you made the smallest sound, he was instantly struggling to get to you. It made your treatment quite difficult, in case you were wondering." Barbara gave him a tiny smile.
"But when he woke up just now he didn't really focus on me," Kaeya tried again.
Her eyes widened. "You managed to wake him up?" She glanced over at Diluc. The redhead lay still and relaxed, his chest rising and falling beneath the blankets in a steady pattern. "That shouldn't have been possible. I used this amount of sedation on Bennet one time when he broke an arm and a leg. He snored for two days, and we couldn't wake him up even with Sister Rosaria banging her knives on a saucepan next to his head." She bustled to the table between the brothers and poured some tea into a cup.
Kaeya burst into laughter at the mental image. Barbara giggled, too. He didn't mention it, but his sharp eye picked up on the fact that Diluc's face seemed to ease slightly at the sound of his laughter. Perhaps she's right… no, impossible. Diluc and I… we're not exactly close anymore. Why would he react to me so strongly? Absently he accepted the mug that Barbara held out to him and took a sip. Instantly his eye flicked up to her. "This isn't tea, you know." He took another sip, licking his lips at the familiar taste and texture. "This is a particularly fine bottle of Death After Noon, if I'm not mistaken." He drank some more, enjoying the taste of his favorite wine.
"Mm-hm, I asked Charles to send it over specially for you." Barbara put her hands behind her back and bounced happily on her toes. "He sent some sparkling grape juice for Master Diluc, too."
Kaeya paused mid-sip, suddenly wary. He lowered the cup and looked at the innocent young nun. "Barbara," he said carefully, "What exactly did you put in my drink?"
She gave him a smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Just a little something to help you sleep."
"Barbara, you little rascal! I never would have pegged you as the type to lace a man's favorite drink with a sedative!" He tried to frown at her, but his chuckles kept breaking his façade.
"Oh, stop fussing. Consider it the best way to keep your overly protective big brother safe," she scolded teasingly.
He rolled his eye at her but consented to finishing the rest of his drink. The room grew hazy as he set the mug down on the table and leaned back into his pillows. "You'll… wake me up… if… if something… if Diluc needs me, right?"
He felt Barbara lean over him and tuck the blankets in around his lean arms. "Don't worry. He's stabilized now and there's no chance he'll get any worse."
Kaeya shifted nervously. "But what if—"
"It's all right, Captain. He's under our care and we'll keep him safe."
Accepting her words, he allowed himself be pulled into the soft darkness.
oOo
When he awoke, Diluc was already gone, a small note laying on the table beside him.
I'll be back soon. There's something I need to take care of. And… thank you. Also, what does Nit'yerek ahava sher'ta mean? You shouted it at me too many times in that alley. It had better not be a Khaenri'an curse word. I don't want to send Adalinde after you with soap to wash your mouth out.
I'm glad you're- never mind. Stay safe, Kaeya.
Diluc
Kaeya smirked as he closed the letter. The Khaenri'an flowed easily from his lips despite long disuse. "It means, 'ridiculous brother.' You stay safe too. Can't imagine a world without you in it... brother."