Chapter Three

After hours of searching Kaeya stopped walking and swiped a loose lock of hair out of his face with a sigh. "It's getting late, Diluc. I don't think we can continue searching after dark."

His tiny companion ignored him in favor of sniffing the grass around him in a futile attempt to locate their missing Abyss Mage. Kaeya dropped down beside him and tousled the fur on Diluc's head. "Come on, you're a cat, not a dog. You won't be able to pick up a scent."

Diluc meowed, his eyes flashing. He sat down with a thump, one claw absently shredding a piece of grass, and looked up at his brother. Kaeya met his challenging gaze. "Listen. It's time to head back to the city. You can come home with me tonight, and I'll send a message to Adalinde letting her know that you'll be working with me for a couple days. Hopefully she won't be worried about your sudden disappearance if I can give her a reason for it."

Diluc considered this for a moment, his tail curling around his forepaws. Finally he gave a reluctant nod. Kaeya held out his elbow. The fluffy crimson cat jumped up and scrambled to his shoulder with admirable dexterity for a feline of a single day. The Cavalry Captain rose to his feet. "All right, let's go."

As they neared the city, Diluc started fidgeting on his shoulder. Kaeya tugged him off to hold him, but the scarlet cat squirmed so much he had to set him down. "Diluc, what are you doing? Come on!"

The cat flicked his tail at him in dismissal and bounded off near the bridge. Kaeya caught up with his companion and watched curiously as Diluc rove across the grass, clearly searching for something. After a moment, Diluc let out a delighted yelp and pounced into a small tussock. He vanished within the thick strands. A second later an indignant meow emitted from the depths of the tussock. Kaeya chuckled, but reached in and hauled his brother out of the grass. Firmly clasped in all four paws was a small glowing gem, its red hue reflecting Diluc's fur perfectly.

"Ah, I see." Kaeya curled Diluc into his arms, cradling him as he carefully extricated the jewel from the little claws. "You were looking for your Vision. I'm glad you've got it back." Diluc wiggled around with the fluidity of a feline until he was able to hook a claw into Kaeya's cape and scramble back to his perch. From Kaeya's shoulder, the fluffy cat looked down at the Vision cupped in Kaeya's hand. A soft vibration of satisfaction traveled through Kaeya's shoulder, and he couldn't help a slight chuckle. "Happy to have it back, are you?"

Diluc looked startled. He fidgeted and nearly fell off before Kaeya steadied him. "Calm down, purring is a normal cat thing. It just means you're happy about something."

Diluc's little nose wrinkled up in displeasure at having his emotions so easily broadcast, but his purrs died down only minimally. Kaeya chuckled again and patted him one more time. "All right, let's head home and see if we can get this on a collar for you."

oOo

The lean Cavalry Captain ignored the bemused glances he kept getting as he strode through Mondstadt with a blazing red cat clinging resolutely to his shoulder. The brothers reached his apartment without incident, and Kaeya unlocked the door to let them in. Diluc jumped down as soon as they were inside, his ears perked up with curiosity. He disappeared down the hallway as Kaeya headed for the kitchen. Kaeya called over his shoulder, "I'll get dinner ready for us, but it will take a moment or two. Feel free to explore, if you like." He let his wry amusement leak into his tone, knowing full well that Diluc was already investigating his apartment.

Sure enough, Diluc returned to his side only after the Cryo user had caught glimpses of the fluffy cat making his light-footed way through the entire layout. Kaeya nearly tripped over his brother when Diluc twined curiously around his ankles. Huffing, he reached down and scooped Diluc up, depositing him on the counter with a few extra feet of space between his long, thick fur and the open flame of the stovetop. "All right, just sit here for a minute. Try not to get into too much trouble." He turned back to the fish in his griddle, flipping the fillets deftly. Diluc sniffed at the aromatic steam rising from the griddle and sneezed a tiny cat sneeze. Kaeya chuckled at him and caressed his fur again absently as he examined the spices in his cabinet. As he picked out a few seasonings, he felt Diluc start purring beneath his hand again. He glanced down at his companion as he set the seasonings on the counter. "It's nice to spend some time with you outside of battle."

Diluc's eyes snapped to his, questioning. Kaeya shrugged. "Well, I know we go out to clear camps together sometimes and whatnot, and I occasionally stay over at the Winery when I'm in the area, but it's just nice to relax and share a meal with you, I suppose." He poked the fish cautiously, checking for doneness. "Hmm, not quite ready." He turned back around to find Diluc batting at his sink. "Hey, don't touch that! It's finicky!" Quickly the tall Cavalry Captain lifted his feline companion away from the faucet. "You can't use the hot water. It leaks under the sink."

Diluc blinked at him. "Mrrrow?"

Kaeya raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're saying. Oh, but are you thirsty?" He turned back to his cabinet and pulled out his single bowl, filling it carefully with water from the tap. He set the dish down in front of Diluc and watched as his brother hunkered down next to the water and began eagerly lapping it up. He continued, "I've been meaning to fix the plumbing issue. It's an experimental version from Fontaine, though, and I haven't met anyone recently who could help me sort it out." He poked the fish again, decided they were done, and carefully lifted them off onto his plate. He checked on Diluc. Still drinking. "I'll set this at the table and we can eat when you're finished with your water." No use advertising the fact that I only keep one set of dishes on hand.

He strode to the glass door leading from the small kitchen and deftly balanced the plate of fish in one hand in order to open the door. The warmth of the setting sun hit his skin, and he sighed in contentment, soaking in the sensation. Rousing himself, he set the plate on the small table crammed into one side of the narrow balcony. He turned around to go back inside and nearly stepped on Diluc again. The cat dodged and scampered up the railing, alighting on the table and giving him A Look. He smirked. "Based on our experience today, I don't think either of us is ready for a pet at the moment."

When he returned after rinsing out Diluc's bowl of water, he deftly split the fish into equal portions and slid the bowl over to the cat. "Enjoy!"

The pair ate in silence, occasionally pausing to look out over the street below them as Mondstadters passed by on their way home for the evening. A few Knights of Favonius passed by at one point, and Kaeya called a greeting. Diluc ignored them.

Once they were finished, Kaeya took the dishes back inside and washed them quickly. He glanced down as he set the plate back in the cupboard, wondering where his brother had disappeared. He found the cat a few moments later, paws curled in as he settled into the couch. The long-hair cat looked sleepy, his eyes fluttering as his head dipped slowly. Every few seconds he had to jerk himself mostly awake again, but it was clearly a losing battle. Kaeya smiled and sat down next to his brother. I'll just sit here for a few minutes before heading to bed…He leaned back against the soft cushions and closed his eye.

Hours later, he awoke to complete darkness. He tried to sit up from where he'd slid down on the couch, but a sleepy "Mrow…" stopped him. He relaxed, realizing that Diluc was curled up on his stomach like a little hot water bottle. Kaeya smiled and drifted back off to sleep, Diluc's snoozing purrs echoing through his body.