WhIP

by footfungus

nederlands verhalen over mijn otp

81. Chapter 81

Main ContentFear of Cold

Krows

Summary:

"Even model Knights need to be careful on the mountain. You're one of my best friends, Kaeya. I don't want to lose anyone, but especially not the people close to me. I just want you to be careful up there, okay?"

Kaeya huffed out a small laugh.

"I'll be fine, Jean. No need to give me a lecture. I promise I won't die on you."

Amber will come for me, he assured himself, She'll get the civilians to safety and then come back with help. I just have to keep myself alive until then. Two days, maybe three. Less if I can get to someplace where a patrol can spot me.

He brought himself up to his knees, balanced on his good elbow as he began dragging himself forward through the snow. He'd try standing again when he could see better and didn't feel so dizzy.

Everything he could still feel screeched in protest at even the most minuscule of movements. He found himself winded, coughing violently in spite of not making any progress. He had absolutely no sense of direction as he crawled wretchedly, groping around for his sword.

It was going to be a long couple of days.

Chapter 1: Goodbyes

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Jean's office was as tidy and well-organized as ever, Kaeya noted, his gaze wandering over perfectly aligned stacks of reports and shelves of alphabetized books. Bright, early morning sun trickled through the window, honey-warm light spilling over the carpet and little specks of dust dancing in its beams. As always, the window was left partway open, Mondstadt's gentle breeze rustling the lightweight curtains.

"Kaeya?" Jean sounded concerned, not angry, "Are you listening? This is important. Dragonspine is a dangerous place, even for the most experienced-"

"Jean, please, I'm well aware of the dangers presented by the cold. I am you favorite Cryo user, aren't I?" Kaeya folded himself forward, elbows on his boss's desk as he gave her his very best puppy dog eye.

"More like favorite pain in my ass," Jean said, poking Kaeya's nose with the tip of her quill, leaving a fat drop of black ink in its wake, "But seeing as you are my favorite, I'd very much like to see you come home alive and well."

Kaeya took the handkerchief she offered him, wiping the ink from his nose as best he could. From her grin, he could tell that it hadn't all come off, and that he'd have to make it to the bathroom without being spotted and clean up there to avoid making a fool of himself.

"Wow, such foul language! What would Barbara say if I told her that her big sister had such a potty mouth?"

"What would Klee say if I told her you couldn't play when she gets back because you got in trouble for not listening and had to spend a whole week in solitary confinement?"

Kaeya clutched his chest, feigning a gasp of betrayal.

"Jean! How could you make such threats? I'm a model Knight, I'll have you know!"

The blonde's gaze went from playful to soft as she stood, making her way around the desk. She licked her thumb, and Kaeya didn't flinch as she brought it to his nose to clean the last bit of ink from his face. From here, it was much easier to see the dark bags beneath her eyes, evidence of her strong work ethic and non-existent sleep schedule.

"I know you are," she told him sincerely, not breaking eye contact, "But even model Knights need to be careful on the mountain. You're one of my best friends, Kaeya. I don't want to lose anyone, but especially not the people close to me. I just want you to be careful up there, okay?"

Kaeya huffed out a small laugh.

"I'll be fine, Jean. No need to give me a lecture. I promise I won't die on you. Besides, I'll have Amber with me. She'd never let me freeze, and I'd never let any harm come to her."

"I know you wouldn't. That's why I'm sending you. There's no one else I trust to do as good a job, so make sure you bring those missing persons home safe and sound with you, alright?"

Kaeya stood board-straight, giving the woman before him the best salute he could muster.

"Of course, Acting Grand Master!"

Jean laughed, covering her mouth as she did so. She always did, now. Kaeya remembered when they were younger and she used to laugh freely. He also remembered the particular remark another trainee had made about her teeth that made her start hiding her grin. If he could turn back time, he'd break the fellow's jaw before he'd had a chance to drop out of training.

While she was distracted, Kaeya turned his attention to her inkwell, freezing its contents with the tiniest use of his Vision.

"By the way, did you sleep at all last night?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"I'll take a nap upstairs on the couch later. Don't worry about me- go pack for the mission. You're meeting Amber at The Angel's Share in three hours. Do not drink on the clock."

Kaeya wrinkled his nose.

"Why The Angel's Share? We usually meet up at headquarters or near the site of the mission. It's downright cruel to send me to a bar and then tell me not to drink!"

"Simple- Diluc works today. It'll give you a chance to say goodbye on your way out of town."

"Forget not drinking, that's much crueler. Evil, even."

Jean rolled her eyes.

"Get going, you big baby!" She sent a little gust of Anemo his way, wind catching him off-guard and causing him to stumble on his way to the door.

"Bullying!" Kaeya cried, "Workplace harassment!"

"If you're still in my office ten seconds from now I'll show you real bullying. Dismissed!"

They both laughed as Kaeya opened the door, slipping most of the way out before adding,"Oh! By the way, I froze your inkwell. Better take that nap now. Bye Jean!"

He slammed the door behind him, nearly sprinting out of headquarters, grinning smugly. By the time it thawed, he hoped Jean would be well-rested and only about half as mad at him as she was right now.

He updated his daily mental tally.

Kaeya: 1

Jean: 0

The Angel's Share was quiet when it was empty. Three minutes past opening, Kaeya shrugged his pack up higher on his shoulder as he pushed through the familiar door. The sound of its creak alone had conditioned him to crave a Death After Noon. Jean really was cruel for sending him here to talk to his brother and not even letting him get drunk to do it.

"Kaeya!" Amber greeted brightly, removing herself from her seat at the bar and bouncing over to meet him, "You're late! And why do you have ink on your nose?"

"Three minutes is hardly-did you say ink?"

Kaeya knit his brows together. Damn. Jean hadn't gotten it all off for him. He really should have checked.

Kaeya: 1

Jean: 1

"Oh, my mistake! I must have been tapping my quill earlier without realizing it. Pardon me for just a moment and I'll go scrub it off in the restroom."

"No need! I've gotcha," Amber ran back over to the bartop, grabbing the ice water she'd been sipping and dipping a napkin inside.

"Gonna be cold," she warned.

Kaeya chuckled.

"I can handle it," he told her, "Not like Dragonspine's going to be balmy when we get there."

"Your mission is in Dragonspine?"

Diluc had overheard them, of course. Kaeya watched him set the glass he'd been cleaning down. He seemed interested.

"Eavesdropping, are we?" He teased, "That's not very like you, Master Diluc. I thought you didn't care what the Knights of Favonius were up to. Just when did you become so nosy?"

"Since Amber told me you two were going to be searching for two missing persons," Diluc snapped, "One of them being a child. One Knight and an Outrider seems a bit bare-bones for a search party, especially someplace like Dragonspine, don't you think?"

Kaeya shrugged.

"Well, there aren't many other options right now. Several knights are on leave or unaccustomed to Dragonspine and likely to slow us down. A small, elite team was selected to depart as quickly as possible. If need be, we can send word back and request additional volunteers be sent to help search, including qualified civilians. However, for the time being, Amber and I should be able to handle things just fine. It was very sweet of you to worry about us, though!"

"I'm worried for the civilians stuck in the snow waiting for you to finish pissing me off. Get out, Kaeya. You have a job to do."

"Ooh, what a harsh sendoff! I'm going somewhere very dangerous, you know. What if those were the last words you ever said to me?"

"You're right, I should choose more carefully. I hope if you freeze to death up there, your face isn't so smug when they find the body."

"Master Diluc!" Amber sounded mortified, "That's an awful thing to say to Captain Kaeya! You should-"

"Don't worry about me, Amber," Kaeya soothed, "I've got a thick skin. Besides, the cold is my element, and I've got you with me. I won't freeze on your watch."

"Of course not," The young Outrider said hastily, "I'd never let you freeze. But still, he shouldn't say things like that! It's mean, and really scary to think about."

Kaeya chuckled. "Well, let's get out of 's hair, shall we? There's people waiting for us to find them up the mountain, and we're losing daylight." His gaze slipped past Amber and to the bar and he waved goodbye as he opened the door back up. "See you later, my dear br-"

"Amber," Diluc cut him off, keeping his eyes pointedly far from the other man's direction, "Could I speak with you a moment before you go?"

She cast an uncertain glance at Kaeya, who nodded, slipping the rest of the way outside.

"I guess, but make it quick- we've really got to get on the road."

The door closed behind Kaeya and he flopped down in one of the patio seats to wait. It felt like his backside had only just hit the chair when the door creaked open again and Amber popped out.

"Okay, we've got one quick detour to make on the way out of town!"

"Oh? Where to?"

"Master Diluc apologized for scaring me and insisted on buying us lunch on the way out. We're going to get takeout from The Good Hunter! He said a good, hot meal on the way would do us well."

"My, how kind of him! Lets hurry, though. We've got a lot of area to cover before we set up camp for the night, and we don't want to be doing that after dark. If possible, I'd also like to find our missing persons well before nightfall, for their sake."

"Of course! If you want, I can get the food and catch up with you by the mountain."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep! You can count on me, Captain- My glider will get me there lickety-split."

"Even with all your gear and our lunch?"

"Of course! I packed light. Since my Vision keeps me warm, I don't need too much in the way of extra supplies for Dragonspine, and Jean said you'd be carrying most of the heavy equipment so I could glide around and scout the area."

Well, that explained why he had so much extra shit in his pack this trip.

Kaeya: 1

Jean: 2

"Alright, then, I'll meet you at the base of the mountain by the Snow Covered Path. Make sure you get utensils and lots of extra sauce."

"Leave it to me!"

Notes:

Hi I'm back in my rainbow wig and clown shoes holding a pen again. I know this chapter was very comfort but don't worry I am about to start hurting people :) I will either update tags or post a specific list of triggers at the beginning of the next chapter. Summary is also likely to change once I start hurting Kaeya.

Chapter 2: Over the Edge

Notes:

Warnings (Spoilers):
Not much to worry about quite yet. A bit of blood, some violence, but no highly specific injury descriptions. Still takin' it easy for now.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Kaeya kept a wary eye on the skies as he scaled the Snow Covered Path. Dragonspine's weather was highly unusual and seemed to be contained within the region itself- a miserable, self-sustained icy Hellscape, a foreboding outlier nestled between the relatively mild climates of Liyue and Mondstadt. He was no expert, but something about the shrieking, whirling mass of dark clouds starting about halfway up the mountain did not sit well with him.

He hadn't made much progress- he'd only reached the path about twenty minutes ago, and had needed to stop and fight off a couple of straggling hilichurls on his way up. Finding a campsite was high on his priority list, but they'd need to climb up higher. The last place their missing persons had been seen was near the Statue of the Seven, and they'd told the Adventurers Guild members who'd spotted them that they intended to reach the summit and climb back down, ignoring the group's warnings.

That had been eighteen hours ago. Technically, it may not even be enough time to actually reach the summit. There was an off chance that they'd find the two on their way down sometime on their search, unscathed. Still, they'd been reported as missing for one simple reason: they were untrained civilians, one of them being a child, estimated at around thirteen or fourteen, attempting to scale Dragonspine without a guide and, according to the Guild members, without adequate equipment to do so.

Kaeya sighed. He really, really hoped that this wouldn't become a body retrieval- or, at the very least, he'd be the one to spot the bodies first so that he could cover them up and spare Amber the worst of the sights.

Time passed in a blur of white as he slogged up the mountain alone. Before he knew it, he'd reached the Statue of the Seven. Sometime along the way, he'd began to leave markers along the path with his Vision, hoping that they were large enough for Amber to spot from a distance.

She sure was taking a long time. Where was she?

With a glance at the sky, Kaeya followed the path around the Statue and to the mouth of the cave nearby. There, he began to set up camp. It would be fairly easy to find him here, and it was close to the last known location of their missing persons. Once he had things set up, he decided, he could go poking around to look for clues as to what route their disappeared duo had taken toward the summit.

"Kaeya!" Amber's voice surprised him enough that he fumbled the tent peg, very nearly dropping it before he turned around.

"Well, well, the Gliding Champion of Mondstadt sure did take her time getting lunch." Kaeya cocked a brow, looking her over before adding, "Everything alright?"

Amber scratched her head awkwardly.

"Yeah, everything was fine! I got a little caught up helping Sara, and then afterward, I realized that the wind was blowing down the mountain the whole way, so I couldn't glide up the path and meet you like I'd planned. I ended up having to walk pretty slowly- the path's super icy, and I didn't want to spill our lunch everywhere."

"Dinner, at this point," Kaeya told her, but there was no bite to his tone, "I'll forgive you for being late, though, since you can warm it back up for us. Speaking of which, why don't you collect some wood and start our fire? While you're out and about, you can keep an eye open for footprints or any other unnatural disturbance that might be from our missing persons."

Amber was quick to salute, rushing off with a quick, "Aye-aye, Captain Kaey!"

It was no time at all before camp was completely set up. Amber had a roaring fire going, Kaeya had finished pitching their tent and setting up the sleeping arrangements, as per the instructions- an insulating layer on the bottom of the tent, followed by a soft foam sleeping roll, with the sleeping bags on top. As a courtesy, Kaeya had left their packs between the two sleeping bags, giving them as much of their own space as possible, in spite of the guide's recommendation to keep bags close together for warmth. The roaring, Vision-lit fire outside of the tent and the rock face behind to help reflect the heat would do just fine, he'd decided.

With things all set and their late lunch eaten, Kaeya doused the fire.

"There's still daylight left. Let's head into the cave and see what we find."

Amber nodded, pulling a small map from her pocket.

"Starglow Cavern," She mumbled, half to herself, "Eula and I have been in there a time or two, I think, but usually we stick closer to the perimeter. I wish she could've come with us."

Kaeya hummed sympathetically.

"I'm sure she would have been a great help," He agreed, "But she deserves her time off. I know that if it were my vacation, I wouldn't want to be called back early to look for two fools out in the snow."

"Hey! That's rude to say about the people we're trying to help."

"What's rude is inconveniencing others by clambering up a mountain without proper supplies and getting lost or stuck- especially if you drag a child along. So, I suppose, it's just one fool, and a very unlucky kid. C'mon, now, grab your glider and some flares. I have matches, too, if you-"

She cocked a brow, gesturing to the Vision on her belt.

"-Don't give me that look. What if you become separated from your Vision? I don't want you freezing out here, young lady."

She rolled her eyes, but held out a hand to accept the box of matches Kaeya gave her.

"What about you? Even with your Vision, you'd be stuck without a fire if we got separated and I have the matches."

Kaeya chuckled, reaching up to ruffle the Outrider's hair.

"Sorry to tell you this, but I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me 'till we're all home safe and sound."

"Hey, you messed up my hair!" Amber swatted his hand away, a mischievous grin crossing her face as she lunged forward, pulling the tie from Kaeya's hair and watching it blow in his face. The Cavalry Captain couldn't help but laugh, only to be cut off as several strands blew directly into his mouth, sticking to his tongue.

"Eeugh!" He pawed his hair back behind his shoulders, swiping the tie back from Amber.

"Alright, alright, enough fooling around," He said, still grinning, "There's an idiot and a kid waiting for us to come rescue them, probably, and we're low on daylight."

Amber nodded eagerly.

"I can scout ahead, if you'd like," she offered, "If I find anything, I'll set off a flare or blow up a Baron Bunny to alert you."

"Sure. Be careful with that Bunny, though, Amber. Make sure there aren't any stalactites that might fall if you set them off."

"Are those the ones on the ceiling or the floor?"

"The-" Kaeya paused, "I don't know. I meant the ceiling ones. We can ask Lisa when we get back. Just be mindful of your environment before you blow anything up is all I'm saying. If I find anything, I'm going to whistle. Do you think you'll hear me over the wind?"

"Are you going to do that really loud whistle with the two fingers in your mouth?"

"Yes."

"I'll hear you. Jean will probably hear you, too, back at headquarters."

Kaeya laughed.

"Get going," He ordered lightly, "I'll be right behind you."

The skill Amber displayed in using her glider on the strange winds within the cavern was impressive. More than once, Kaeya found himself glancing up from the snowy path, watching her silhouette swoop in wide, calculated circles, swooping down occasionally before riding a wind column back up toward the roof of the cave. He knew that if it were him on his own glider, he probably would have crashed into obstacles or lost control mid-gust. She really was an amazing Outrider. He was lucky to have her to help look for the missing persons.

He was well on his way up an icy arch when he noticed a lit torch up ahead. He hurried toward it, nearly slipping, but managing to catch himself before faceplanting in the snow. The torch was only barely still burning, its fuel almost completely consumed. That would take several hours. Looking down, he couldn't make out any footprints in the snow aside from his own, but the wind was blowing so harshly through the cavern that even those were already partway buried. He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled, raising his other hand to shield his eyes while he watched Amber make her way back to him. Absently, he noted how cold his own hands were. He'd hardly been able to feel the heat from his lips on the icy extremities.

"What is it, Captain?" Amber asked, nearly losing her footing as she skidded to a landing. Kaeya leaped forward to steady her, barely managing to catch her and hoist her upward before she hit the floor, only to lose his own footing and find himself laying on his side.

Amber laughed, of course, as she helped him up.

"Thank you. Sorry you fell."

Kaeya brushed himself off, wincing a bit. The snow next to the torch was wetter than the powder farther out. He could feel it soaking through his pant legs in particular.

"No worries, I'm just glad I caught you! And look here- this torch has been lit for some time. No footprints, but I think it's safe to say someone passed by here several hours ago."

Amber nodded eagerly.

"There's another lit torch up ahead! I couldn't really see with the glare coming off the snow, but I thought I saw some figures by the opposite mouth of the Cavern. I know it's late, but I really think it could be our missing persons. Think we can check it out and still make it back to camp before it's too dark?"

"Did you see a campfire's light by the opposite end?"

"I couldn't tell."

"Any chance it could be Hilichurls, or another monster camp?"

Amber hesitated.

"It was really hard to tell," She admitted apologetically, "From the silhouettes, I think they were humanoid. Definitely bipedal, but that doesn't rule out Hilichurls or Abyss Mages. I you want, I could ride in closer and try to get a better look before we walk all the way there?"

Kaeya shook his head, waving her off.

"We need to check the Cavern thoroughly regardless. No point in sending you there by yourself if we can't tell whether or not they're monsters."

"But if they're our missing people, they might really need some fire! I could just-"

"-And if they aren't people, they might really try to hurt you. You're strong and capable, but I'm not sending you in alone when we don't know what we're up against. I promised Jean I'd bring you home in one piece. If I screw that up, she'll throw me in Solitary Confinement like Klee."

Amber looked like she was about to argue, then relented.

"Fine." Glancing down, she added, "You look cold, though. Do you want to stay here and warm up for a bit? I could use my Vision to get the torch going a little stronger. Looks like you might need to dry off a bit, too.."

Kaeya shook his head.

"I'm fine, Amber. The cold isn't anything for me to worry about. I'm a Cryo user, remember?"

"I know, but this isn't normal cold like we see in Mondstadt. It's worse here. Eula and I have bathed here in Dragonspine before, but we always make sure we dry ourselves completely and change into warm, dry clothing after we get out. Even with her Cryo vision, she gets pretty cold. She won't admit it, but I've seen her nails turn purple like yours before, and I always hold her hand to warm it up-"

"Is this story just an elaborate ruse to get me to hold your hand while we walk through the scary mountain cavern?"

Amber shoved Kaeya lightly.

"No! This is me being worried that you're getting too cold! I promised I wouldn't let you freeze, either."

"For the last time, Amber, I'll be fine. Let's go."

The two hurried through the cavern toward the light on the other side, keeping a wary eye out for opponents and pausing now and then to look for evidence of a human disturbance.

It took longer than Kaeya had expected, but they came upon what looked like a Hilichurl camp just outside the Cavern. From about fifteen yards away, they could see Cryo exploding barrels stacked around the perimeter and a makeshift wooden shelter laying in the middle, pathetic campfire fighting for its life in the wind nearby.

"Darn," Amber said, eyes downcast "I'd hoped we would find them here. Maybe we sh-" She stopped mid-sentence, drawing in a breath and grabbing Kaeya's arm with one hand, pointing to the ground ahead with the other.

"Do you see that? By the fire?"

Kaeya strained his eye against the wind. Something was next to it, but he couldn't really make it out. His eyesight was never as good as Amber's to begin with, but without the benefit of anti-glare goggles for the bright snow reflection and the wind, he was much worse off.

"No," He admitted, "What is it?"

"I think I see a backpack."

Kaeya's stomach churned. He wondered if the Hilichurls had taken it off a corpse.

"I'm going to get a bit closer," He told his partner, "Stay a few feet back and cover for me while I look around."

Kaeya moved slowly and carefully. Amber obeyed his command, staying a little ways behind with her bow drawn. Pace by pace, they approached the meager structure in the center. As they got closer, Kaeya could make out two forms laying down inside.

As they reached the fire, Kaeya looked over the backpack. No blood, from what he could tell. Snow piled up on the upwind side. Still no footprints- the wind and snow had filled them in.

"I'm going in to take a look," He whispered, "If it's dangerous, I'm going to draw them out in the open before we fight. Don't fire while I'm still in there unless you absolutely have to."

Amber nodded tensely.

Kaeya doubted he'd find Hilichurls inside at this point. The backpack was in good shape, seemingly with the supplies still inside. As he made his way toward the unmoving figures, he was more worried that he'd have a pair of dead bodies on his hands. If at all possible, he'd like to cover them up before Amber had to see.

He ducked inside. Two humans, matching the description of their missing persons.

"Hello?" Kaeya shook the larger figure, relief flooding over him as the man stirred.

"...Hello?" He seemed confused, sluggish. Purple lips and eyelids. Chattering teeth.

"Cavalry Captain Kaeya Alberich with the Knights of Favonius. Two missing persons were reported nearby matching your description. Are you alright?"

The man seemed to regain some of his senses.

"N-no, we're not," He said quickly, "W-we weren't a-dd-adequ- w-we d-didn't b-bring-!" He grit his teeth, a huge shudder wracking his shivering body before he tried again, "T-too cold! My s-son wo-on't wak-ke. C-can't carry him."

Kaeya nodded, turning his attention to the young boy, who'd yet to stir.

"Amber!" He called over his shoulder, "Come here, quickly!"

In an instant, she was by his side, holding her Vision. Its warm, vibrant glow illuminated the inside of the drafty shelter. Though no flame appeared, Kaeya could feel her increase its temperature, heat radiating out and washing over them.

"We've got our missing persons," Kaeya told her, "And the kid's in bad shape. We're going to have to carry him down."

Amber nodded.

"Once we're back out the other side of the Cavern, I could glide down with him."

"Aren't gliders for one person only?"

"Yeah, technically, but it's not like I've never carried anyone on mine before. Just don't tell Jean."

Kaeya took a moment to think it over. On the one hand, it would be difficult to maintain control of the glider with the deadweight of an unconscious kid. On the other, Amber was the most talented person he'd ever seen use a glider and the kid looked like absolute shit. The time saved by gliding down instead of carrying him on foot could be the difference between life and death.

"Alright," He said, "I'll carry him on my back until we reach our camp. From there, you take the kid down and report back. I'll stay with our other Civilian in the tent tonight. Send someone to meet us in the morning and look him over." Kaeya turned to their missing adult.

"What's your name?"

"Neil. That's m-my s-son, Andrew."

Amber's Vison worked wonders. Neil was already significantly warmer and shivering much less violently.

"Alright, Neil," Amber soothed, "We're gonna get you two out of here safe and sound, alright?"

"What were you doing up here, anyway?" Kaeya asked.

"H-hunting. We w-waanted t-to find the G-Great Boar King. Was gonna be a g-grand adventure, j-just us t-two."

Kaeya rolled his eye.

"Dragonspine is no place to fool around," He scolded, hauling Andrew up over his shoulder, "If we hadn't found you-"

"I know that now! J-ust help us, p-please. We won't climb th-this Archonfores-saken m-mountain again."

They all shuffled out of the shelter. Amber paused to look around once more.

"Hey, how long have you two been in here?" She asked.

"A couple hours, I guess," Neil said.

"Any sign of Hilichurls...?" She ventured.

"No...Why?"

She was still looking around.

"The camp's in pretty good condition to be abandoned," She mused, "It's strange. The structure is fairly well maintained with dry grass and a couple pelts still inside. The barricades haven't fallen down. The campfire-"

"Wasn't lit when I got here," Neil assured quickly, "B-but there was w-wood in the shelter."

Amber pursed her lips.

"I think we should leave quickly," She said, "Something's off."

Kaeya nodded his agreement. She really did have an eye for detail.

"Can you walk on your own, Neil?"

"Y-yes, but could one of you take my pack for me?"

Kaeya glanced at Amber. It would be hard for him to carry the pack and the kid.

She hesitated a moment before agreeing. Kaeya knew that her indecision was not borne of laziness or fear of cold form the snowy pack- what put her off was the fact that it would inhibit her ability to use her bow and glider. Unlike her usual thigh bags, a large backpack full of equipment would need to be slung over both shoulders. Additionally, even without enough supplies for Dragonspine, it would weigh at least twenty-five pounds and cover her from her head to her tailbone, affecting her balance and making it difficult to move with its bulk.

She'd only just finished shrugging it on when they heard a strange noise coming from the cliff.

"Kaeya," Amber warned, moving between the rest of the party and the cliff.

"I heard it too."

Some sort of scratching, clawing noise, accompanied by a rumbling growl.

"Move!" Amber ordered, bow manifesting in her hands, "I'll cover us!"

The words had hardly left her lips when a huge, sickly blue paw with dark, icy claws appeared over the ledge. Kaeya cursed loudly, shifting Andrew's weight on his back as they watched the Lawachurl haul itself over the ledge, dead boar in its jaws and Hilichurl archers clinging to its back.

"Amber," Kaeya called, "Fall back!"

"We need cover!" She argued, "With the civilians, you won't be able to-"

An earsplitting roar drowned out the rest of her sentence. All at once, four crossbows were aimed at them, Hilichurls only having just set foot on solid ground as the Lawachurl charged.

Kaeya dropped Andrew to the ground, sword manifesting in his hands.

"Neil, take Andrew and run!"

"I can't carry him!"

"You have to try! It doesn't have to be far, we just have to get out of-"

"Kaeya!"

The Cavalry Captain threw an ice wall up at Amber's warning, only barely managing to stop the electro-charged crossbow bolt before it hit him.

"Move!" He ordered Neil, "Drag him if you have to!"

He hurtled himself around his ice wall, throwing another up in front of Amber to give her something to hide behind.

"Go go Baron Bunny!"

The red bomb flew forward a few feet, distracting the Lawachurl as it redirected its charge. Amber stood, backpack already dumped in the snow, quickly sniping one archer before ducking back down. Kaeya watched as the opponent hit the ground, mask cracked down the middle from her charged shot between the eyes.

"Nice hit," He called, sliding behind the Lawachurl as Baron Bunny blew up in its face. He slashed at its back, sword chipping, but not quite managing to break through its icy armor.

It was a bad match for him.

He dodged back, narrowly avoiding a vicious swipe. He rolled in the snow, coming to his feet with his sword up. Amber spared him from having to block, nailing their opponent with another well-placed charged shot to the back. Again, it wasn't quite enough to break through, but its armor was weakening.

Kaeya turned his attention to one of the remaining three archers, sprinting forward and rolling to the side just in time to avoid a shot. This was another Cryo type, but one he could handle easier. He tackled it down, landing closer to the stack of explosive barrels than he would have liked, but plunged his blade through his enemy's chest nonetheless.

"Captain!"

Amber's shriek had him on his feet, stomach flipping over as he saw how close the Lawachurl had gotten to her. Something was off about her movements, but Kaeya couldn't quite place what. She'd abandoned her ice wall and had thrown up a shield around herself and the civilians, but she and Kaeya both knew that it wouldn't hold. Baron Bunny went off unnoticed a few meters away. It hadn't taken the bait.

Kaeya moved faster than he thought possible, skidding through the snow to reach them. He wasn't close enough to put up another wall, so instead, he froze one of the creature's legs to the ground. It wouldn't hold, of course, but it would distract the monster and take the heat off Amber.

The Lawachurl whirled around, ice shattering and sending shards flying in every direction. Kaeya slipped between its legs, then ran around the far side, attacking futilely with his Vision and doing everything in his power to hold its attention. Amber threw out another Baron Bunny, drawing the archer's fire as she took another one out. The Lawachurl still wasn't falling for it. Kaeya was getting nowhere with his attacks- it was immune.

"Run!" He ordered, noticing that the civilians had stopped to stay close to Amber, "All of you, move!"

"I can't just leave you here like this!" Amber hit the Lawachurl with another charged shot, further melting its shield.

The lumbering beast turned, once again focused on her.

No, dammit! Kaeya wanted to scream, Me, not them!

"Now!" He barked, "That's an order!"

"But-"

"The sooner you're out of range the sooner I can follow! Go!" He plunged his sword into the creature's thigh, smug satisfaction spreading through him as he drew blood. About time he did some damage!

He glanced up, relieved to see Amber backing off, shield back up to cover herself and the civilians as they retreated. She still had her bow drawn and a charged shot aiming.

Kaeya was confident with her cover, skipping backward as he yanked his sword out, taking the fight back outside of the cave. If he could just get it to the ledge, he might be able to trick it into charging over.

Back and forth across the open space he danced with the monster, dodging blows and luring it closer to the sheer drop. Amber was still covering for him- striking right in front of it to slow it down, but not quite hitting it. She knew Kaeya didn't want it running back inside.

Things were going well. He was close to the edge. The Lawachurl charged before he would have liked, and he dodged to the side, Cryo power rising once again in his sword, crackling outward.

"Barrels!"

Kaeya half-turned, mortified by his own mistake as he realized just how close he was to the explosives. It was too late to recall his Vision's power, he could feel the energy shift in the air to his right. He barely had time to throw an arm over his face before they detonated, blowing him straight into the Lawachurl's path. He wasn't conscious when the creature's merciless claws made contact, throwing him up into the air and right over the ledge.

"Kaeya!" Amber shrieked, world moving in slow motion as she watched him vanish over the side.

Notes:

The rest of Kaeya's day is about to be so shit and Amber's too honestly I'm so excited to hop on the pain train

Chapter 3: A Long Way Back

Notes:

Warnings for this chapter:
Vomiting, blood, injury.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Hot, prickly tears stung Amber's eyes. She'd taken care of the last archer and the Lawachurl was still distracted outside. Quickly, she threw Andrew over her shoulder, grabbing Neil by one arm.

"Move," She ordered, "We have to get out of range before it notices us again."

Neil nodded hastily. Amber could tell he was having trouble keeping up, even as she half-dragged him.

"Are you injured?"

"My leg," He confessed, "That's why I couldn't carry Andrew. Coming down-"

"Later," Amber told him, throwing his arm more firmly over her shoulders and scooting in closer to provide more support, "Try not to let your son slip while I support you."

The silence was tense. Even in the biting cold wind, Amber felt something hot, sticky, and dark bubbling in her stomach and burning her tight throat. The pace she set was brutal, but necessary. The air did nothing to cool the heat behind her eyes and in her throat as she forced down the urge to cry.

Finally, they stopped to rest by a torch. Still, no one spoke. Amber's brow was beaded with sweat. If not for her Pyro Vision, that could be a death sentence up here. Breaths came to her short and shallow. She checked quickly to make sure the snow was dry before shrugging Neil off and plopping down with Andrew still over one shoulder. Neil was panting, too, but not as harshly as Amber.

It wasn't just exhaustion from bearing the extra weight of one and a half people on their escape.

She couldn't stop seeing it- seeing Kaeya, limp and soundless as the Lawachurl threw him over the ledge. Seeing him glance over his shoulder a split second before, taking the full force of the blast.

She grit her teeth, burying her face into her knees. Her breathing wasn't evening out. Fat, heavy tears finally overflowed, clumping in her lashes and soaking into her uniform.

"Shit," She hissed, "Shit, shit, shit!" Her face burned. Snot poured from her nose. She was sick to her stomach, and she found herself lurching to the side to gag. He was gone. He was really gone. She'd been right there, and-

"Whoa," Neil's voice was calmer than it had been all day, "Easy there, youngster. Can you breathe with me?"

Amber looked up, shame washing over her as she found Neil crouched next to her, hand out tentatively, but not touching her.

"You gotta breathe," He said, worn brow creased in concern, "Can we count them in and out?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized quickly, hiccuping and gasping between, "This i-sn't prof-fessional. I'm fine, I just- just a minute. I'll stop."

"Ma'am, you cry as much as you need to," He said gently, "But we've gotta slow your breathing down a little."

A harsh sob wracked her and she shook her head hastily.

"He's gone," she said, "Kaeya's gone!"

Neil hesitated a moment, then fumbled his jacket off and tossed it over Amber. She didn't need the heat- between the torch and her pulsing Vision, all three of them would be just fine- but he wasn't sure what else he could do for her. He didn't want to touch her or invade her space, but he hoped the weight would help.

"I'm so sorry," Neil said quietly, "I'm so, so sorry..."

Amber didn't answer. She just cried. Neil didn't interrupt again, instead hauling himself unsteadily with his feet and starting to fumble with the torch. He cast a glance down at his wedding ring, shaking his head, his own tears now spilling over.

After about a minute, Amber stood. Her breathing was back under control for now, and she'd wiped her face on her sleeves.

"Sorry," She apologized once more, "Lets get moving again. Camp isn't far. I can get us there by dark. I can't leave you two alone up here at night, but once dawn breaks, I can glide down with Andrew if you don't mind spending a couple hours on your own in the tent. I'll send a party up to come help you while I get your son to someone who can treat him."

Neil nodded.

"Sounds just fine. And please, don't apologize to me- I'm-This is all-" He broke off, unsure of how to finish the thought. He tried again a time or two, then finally gave up, opting instead for, "If you can help me get this damn stick out of the ground, I can lean on it instead of you the rest of the way."

Amber nodded, motioning for the man to move out of the way. He hobbled over to the wall, leaning on it, watching as Amber burned through the bottom of the torch stick, Vision making quick work of what fuel was left on top. She plucked it up, snapping the very top part off and tossing it to the ground.

"It's short," She warned, pulling her headband off to wrap the tip, "Might work better as a splint than a cane. Can you tell me how you hurt your leg?"

Neil glanced down.

"My knees aren't what they used to be," He told her, "I was an adventurer with my wife when we were young. I had to stop after I broke it. Healed, but was never the same. I could walk fine, mostly, but it was no good for fights. Couldn't swing my Claymore around anymore, got sore in foul weather or if I did too much heavy labor in a day. Was doin' well enough up here 'till Andrew collapsed. I had him on my back for a while. Slipped on a patch of ice and landed right on the kneecap. Stupid, stupid move," He shook his head, "After that, I couldn't get back up with the boy on my back. I saw the abandoned- er, the uh, empty- camp, and dragged him there. Got the fire lit and hunkered down inside. We've been there since this morning. I swear, I didn't know it was active. We were just stuck." He looked Amber in the eye, "I'm so sorry."

Amber sighed.

"A cane would probably be better," She told him, acknowledging neither his story nor his apology, "But this is too short. I can get us to camp. I'll splint your knee anyway, in case it'll do some good."

Neil agreed, sliding down to sit against the wall. Amber passed him his jacket, then slid her own from her shoulders, tearing the sleeves off.

"Sorry, they might be a little gross..."

Neil rested his face on his good knee.

"I'm the one who should be sorry. And thanking you."

Amber changed the subject quickly.

"How long as it been since your son fainted? This morning, you said?"

"Yeah. He's been in and out. He was throwing up last night, diarrhea too, I think. He had a fever. I ran us out of water trying to keep him hydrated. Had him start sucking on ice chips, but he threw that up, too. Fever went down, but then he was too cold."

Amber nodded.

"Maybe he fainted from dehydration, then... Any other symptoms you can remember? Has he ever fainted like this before?"

"Not as far as I can remember, and I don't think there was anything else."

"When was the last time he woke up?"

"A few minutes before you found us, I think. It's hard to tell. I was so exhausted that I dozed off, but the light looked about the same..."

Amber bit her lip. She didn't have enough information about Andrew. His condition wasn't improving, and she only really knew basic first aid. She couldn't give him and IV, even if she had the equipment for it.

"When was the last time he urinated?"

"Last night. Wasn't much."

She finished tying off the splint, then moved over to Andrew, checking his pulse. It was weak. He cracked opened his eyes at the contact, though.

"Hi, Andrew," Amber greeted softly, "I'm Outrider Amber of the Knights of Favonius. I'm here to help. How do you feel?"

The boy didn't try to sit up.

"Tired," He said, "I'm really tired."

"Are you thirsty at all?"

"Gonna barf," Andrew said suddenly, rolling over to retch. He coughed and hacked, producing a small amount of yolk-yellow fluid, which he would have flopped down into if Amber hadn't caught his shaking shoulders.

"We have to get moving," Amber told Neil, "And I may have to leave you at camp tonight. You're an ex-adventurer, right? You can keep a fire going if I leave you with supplies?"

The man nodded.

"I can do whatever lets you get my son down the mountain as fast as possible," He said seriously.

Amber threw Neil back over her shoulders in a fireman's carry. She instructed Neil to stay close and lean on her on his weak side (his left) while they walked. Once again, she set a grueling pace. Time was not on their side. She'd lost a friend already today- she couldn't lose a kid, too.

Her Vision throbbed, pulsing with heat that kept the party warm- almost too warm- while they walked. She was usually better about keeping it regular, but her emotions were still boiling below the surface.

Grief and agony clawed and tore at her heart strings, anger and resentment bubbled in her stomach as Neil hobbled along, leaning on her.

He's a civilian, part of her reminded herself, and she and Kaeya had known the risks of going up to help him.

He's an ex-adventurer, another part argued, and a miserable, incompetent fool for coming up here in the first place, especially with his son. He should have thought things through and prepared better. No, he should have known better than to come in the first place! He should have stayed off this stupid, horrible snowy mountain. He shouldn't have wandered into a Hilichurl camp so cavalierly. He shouldn't- he should-

Tears were streaming down her cheeks again, but no one mentioned it as they continued in silence, save for their labored breathing.

She should have saved Kaeya.

Everything was quiet, the world dark and sticky, flowing around Kaeya slowly, lazily. He had no sense of time or direction, no feeling in his body, nothing to orient himself with as the floated through the strange, vivid emptiness. It felt as though he'd simultaneously been there for an eternity and only a moment when he opened his good eye, senses returning to him all at once as the light blinded him, agonizing in its brightness.

He hurt everywhere. His head was throbbing. His side stung and each breath came with thorns and daggers in his chest. An intense wave of nausea washed over him as the tried to sit up, and he vomited directly into his right hand, which had shot up to cover his mouth.

Oh, fuck, He thought, I hate washing these gloves.

It smelled like Sweet Madame.

Where was he? Had he been drinking with Venti?

Another wave of nausea struck him, and he found himself losing the remainder of his lunch.

Definitely not drinking with Venti. Rosaira, maybe? That would explain the vomiting, headache, and light sensitivity. The environment was white and uncomfortable enough to be someone's bathroom. Each little sparkle of light off the snow was like a grain of salt being poured directly into his eye.

Wait, snow? It never snowed in Mondstadt.

The memory of the explosion hit him and he gasped, only to be cut off by a wet, agonizing bought of coughing. He lurched forward, one elbow supporting his weight (fortunately, he managed to miss the puddle of liquid lunch in the snow), gasping for breath and choking up angry red flecks.

Well. That certainly wasn't good.

Kaeya brought his knees forward beneath him, slow and careful. He brought his clean hand shakily to his face, trying to examine it. The limb wasn't cooperating. Distantly, he realized that he couldn't feel either hand at all, and his feet were similarly numb. Getting a close look proved to be impossible as well- he couldn't make out any details; his vision was blurred, awkward. Slipping his eye patch up to use both eyes didn't help, as the image remained blurry and suddenly became doubled. Worse yet, his right eye was completely unadjusted to the light, and the photosensitivity on that side was somehow even worse than on his left.

He realized with a start that he was shivering, violently, and that the cold had seeped into every fiber of his being.

It was so foreign to him, the feeling of being cold. Cryo was his element. Ever since he'd received his Vision, the cold had treated him differently- his tolerance was high, like any Cryo user, the pinprick tingling of its energy not even registering most times he summoned its power.

Now, however, the sensation consumed him. Sheer cold gripped his bones, vibrating through them and sending enormous shudders throughout his entire aching body, amplifying the pain in his ribs, his throat, his cracked and chapped lips, numerous bruises, seeping cuts, and uncooperative, agonizing arm.

Kaeya wiped his right hand off in the snow as best he could, then scrubbed the rest off on his pants. He could still hardly see. Everything was too bright, too blurry, moving strangely even when it should have remained stationary. He tried and failed to stand, a merciless and malicious attack of vertigo throwing him off balance as numb feet fumbled uselessly beneath him and he landed back in the snow, cursing under his breath.

His sheathe was empty, he noted dully, groping at his side, he had to find his sword. A quick pat assured him that he, very fortunately, hadn't lost his Vision with it.

Amber will come for me, he assured himself, She'll get the civilians to safety and then come back with help. I just have to keep myself alive until then. Two days, maybe three. Less if I can get to someplace where a patrol can spot me.

He brought himself up to his knees, balanced on his good elbow as he began dragging himself forward through the snow. He'd try standing again when he could see better and didn't feel so dizzy.

Everything he could still feel screeched in protest at even the most minuscule of movements. He found himself winded, coughing violently in spite of not making any progress. He had absolutely no sense of direction as he crawled wretchedly, groping around for his sword.

It was going to be a long couple of days.

Notes:

From here on out, be ready for graphic depictions of injury. Also, please note that I'm not a medical professional- anything you read here is going to be quickly googled AT BEST and should not be taken as actual advice! I'm full of shit!

Also, don't worry, Neil will not be featuring heavily throughout. Amber just has to get his goofy ass off the mountain before we move on to everyone else who's going to have dialogue.

Chapter 4: Appeals to Higher Authorities

Chapter Text

Camp was exactly how they'd left it. The sight of Kaeya's pack and sleeping bag laid out neatly in the tent shattered Amber. He should have been here, laughing and joking and teasing, excited for dinner and nagging her to be careful on her glider as she went down the mountain. The silence and emptiness that took his place was suffocating, oppressive, and heavy, choking the air from her lungs and tightening her throat with grief.

She didn't want Neil to touch Kaeya's things.

"Stay on this sleeping bag until help arrives," She instructed, pointing to her own, "Avoid leaving the tent as much as possible. Only come out if you need to tend the fire or if you feel genuinely unsafe and need to leave. If that happens, try to stay by the Statue of the Seven, or at least stick to the Snow Covered Path going down the mountain. Don't touch the other sleeping bag or the pack. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Neil settled onto her sleeping bag, keeping far from Kaeya's things.

Good, Amber thought. It was petty, she knew. Kaeya wouldn't be using them anymore. He had most of the supplies- some of the stuff in there had to be useful, and a lot of it wasn't even technically his, it was just Knights of Favonius gear issued to him for the trip. Still, she couldn't bear the idea of messing with one of the last things he'd touched.

She'd lit the fire with her Vision. She doubted that the environment alone would be enough to put it out anytime soon, and there was plenty of firewood stacked up nearby to keep it going until at least dawn, provided Neil didn't overuse it. Choking down resentment, she pulled the matchbook Kaeya had given her from her pocket, flipping it open briefly to double check the contents.

A full pack, save for two that had been taken.

"Matches," She said, tossing them to Neil, "In case the fire goes out. It shouldn't, but you'll have them if you need them. There's food and water in my pack- the one right next to you. Take what you need. I'm leaving now with Andrew."

"Alright. Thank you. Please be careful with my son."

Amber grit her teeth. It was a normal request. Most parents would ask that, especially given the circumstances. Coming from Neil, though, felt like sandpaper on Amber's nerves, grating at her already thin patience.

"Of course."

She was still a professional, and a representative of the Knights. She couldn't let her own feelings let her put them to shame.

Andrew wasn't conscious or coherent enough to hold onto her while she flew down. Instead, she did her best to create a makeshift harness from her belt and some rope. It was awkward, but she'd manage. She only needed one arm to glide, the other could hold onto the boy for extra security.

The winds were powerful, howling, and violent. She'd never recommend a less experienced glider to test them, let alone with another person, but she knew she could handle it.

She stood by the Seven, an unconscious Andrew draped against her side as she looked up at the Archon's stone face. It was warm here, and the winds gentler. She bowed her head.

The next words stuck in her throat, heavy in her chest, but she choked them out anyway, "Barbatos," She began, "Please guide Kaeya's spirit somewhere safe. Tell him I'm so sorry for not saving him, and that he was the best Captain I could've asked for, a-and I'll never forget everything he's done for me. Please help me to get Andrew to help in time, and please watch over Neil until tomorrow's patrol can get him down the mountain."

Straightening up, she took several deep breaths, wiped the tears from her eyes, and pulled her goggles down before leaping into the wind, riding the tumultuous down.

Though night had fallen, it was uncannily bright, the snow illuminated by ghostly beams of moonlight. Where the winds were loud and violent, the ice and snowdrifts were unnaturally still and quiet. The drifts were piled unbelievably high, huge stacks of powder creating deep, thick hills.

They look so soft, Amber found herself thinking, Like they're made of pillows. You could just drop down into them and-

and-

You could just drop down into them.

Realization struck so harshly that she nearly crashed the glider, heart pounding away in her chest and electricity jolting up her spine.

She hadn't been able to look down and check, so she couldn't be certain, but if Kaeya had survived the blast and the Lawachurl strike, landing in a snowdrift could give him a chance.

A very, very slim chance, for a very, very short time.

But it was a chance.

He could still be alive.

Suddenly, the howling winds couldn't blow fast enough for her. She needed to get to Mondstadt, not just for the child strapped to her side, but for Kaeya. She'd talk to Jean, get a rescue party organized, round up a few locals if need be. They'd find him. They had to find him. A thread of hope, delicate and glimmering like spider's silk spun its way into her heart and she wasn't letting it go.

Down, down she soared, winds hurtling her toward her destination. Snowflakes and chips of ice vaporized midair as they got close to her, Vision glowing bright with newfound determination.

When she reached the Dragonspine Adventurers Camp, she was quick to hand Andrew off and share Neil's location.

"I'm leaving him to you," She said quickly, "There was an accident on the Mountain and I need to talk to Jean right away. Kaeya needs help."

"Off you go, then," Harris said, "May Barbados guide you."

Amber made it back to the city in record time, gliding directly over the walls and above rooftops, violating countless glider laws along the way. She rehearsed over and over in her head exactly what she'd say to Jean, just how to say it to convince her that Kaeya still had a fighting chance, that he had to be alive and needed help, that they couldn't give up on him yet.

When she reached Headquarters, she dropped from her glider. She knew right away that she'd been to hasty, that it was too high, that she should have lowered herself slowly, but she couldn't bring herself to care even as she hit the ground, pain shooting through her ankle. This was nothing, she told herself, hissing a sharp breath through her teeth as she hobbled inside, Kaeya had to be much worse off right now.

She pounded on the Acting Grand Master's office doors trice before throwing them open herself.

"Please excuse me, Master Jean," She called, leaning heavily on one of the doors, "I'm here to requ-"

"Amber!" Jean exclaimed, rising from her desk and hurrying to the girl's side, "You're hurt! And you've been crying, haven't you? What happened?"

"Master Jean-"

"And your sleeves are gone," Jean continued, fussing over the Outrider, "You should have gone to Barbara at the Cathedral before reporting back here. In fact, Kaeya should be standing here instead! Come, sit down, let me take a look at your ankle." She shooed Amber over to a chair, gently guiding her to take a seat as she continued, "Did Kaeya pull something to get you hurt up there? I swear, I'll lock him in Solitary. Where is he?"

Amber's mask of courage shattered under Jean's gaze. She couldn't help it. The tears welled right back up and overflowed.

"Jean," She croaked, "It's Kaeya."

It was like she could feel the other woman's heart stop in her own chest, shame washing over her as color drained from the Acting Grand Master's face.

"What about Kaeya," Jean asked tensely, rising to put a hand on Amber's shoulder, "Amber, what happened? Where is he?"

Everything she'd rehearsed in her head went right out the window as Amber broke down.

"He's up there, we've got to help him, it- the snow, it's deep, he could still be alive, we've got to-"

"Amber," Jean said, voice firm in spite of her own watery eyes, "I need you to tell me exactly what happened, how long ago, and where. We're going to help him, but I can't do that if I don't know what's wrong or where he is."

Amber knew all this. Of course she knew this- it was her job, for Arcon's sake, she did this all the time, but when it was someone she knew, it was unbearable.

"The Southern end of Starglow Cavern," Amber choked between sobs, "Late afternoon, there was a Lawachurl, and Kaeya was too close to the barrels. He set them off, and the Lawachurl knocked him over the side- I don't know how far, I couldn't look, I had to get the civilians out of there, but the snow was really thick, Jean, I swear he could still be alive if-"

Jean pulled Amber in for a gentle hug, stroking her hair lightly.

"That's all I need to know to help him," She said softly, "You made it back and reported quickly. That could mean the difference between life and death for him. Well done. Can you tell me where the civilians are?"

Amber's forehead rested on Jean's shoulder. Part of her was embarrassed, feeling like a child again, and in front of the Acting Grand Master of all people, but another, larger part of her was just overwhelmingly grateful, both for the comfort and for the fact that she hadn't needed to argue in order to get a party organized for Kaeya. Just knowing that there would soon be people looking for him was enough to calm the worst of her nerves.

"I left one, the missing teen, at the Aventurer's Camp receiving urgent treatment. I'd like to send Barbara, if she's available. The other is in the campsite Kaeya and I set up by the Statue of the Seven, the Adventurers know about him and I thought we could send some Knights in the morning to bring him down. He has an injured knee."

"Great work. I need a few minutes to write some urgent letters and start contacting people." Jean pulled out of the hug first, adding, "I want you to go see Barbara. Have her treat your ankle and then send her to the Adventurer's Camp before reporting back to me. You and I are going to be very, very busy."

"Right. I'll be right back!" Amber was out of the chair and out the door in a flash, Jean's warning to watch her ankle completely lost behind the blood roaring in her ears and the pounding of her heart.

As soon as Amber was out of her office, Jean broke down herself. She'd never seen the Outrider so upset, so desperate, and from the way she described the incident, she knew that there was a good chance Kaeya hadn't survived even before the fall.

This rescue mission could very well end up being a body retrieval, or worse yet, become an unsolved Missing Person's case. It wouldn't be the first time a body was left in Dragonspine, buried too far beneath the snow and ice to ever be found.

He could easily be dead.

One of her best friends, who she'd known since childhood, could be dead.

He'd promised her, he'd sworn that he'd come back to her safe, and then he'd gone and gotten himself blown up and flung over a cliff.

She sank to her knees, fists balled on the carpet as she heaved a few deep breaths.

This wasn't productive. She was wasting precious seconds, seconds that could potentially save or kill Kaeya.

She hauled herself back to her feet, throwing the office doors back open and hurrying upstairs. It was late enough that the other Knights had all gone home, but that didn't mean she was alone in the building. She reached a familiar set of double doors, opening them quickly and stepping inside.

The room was small and cluttered with furniture- a small desk, a chair in the corner, and a couch took up most of the floorspace. It was Jean's personal office, the one she'd used before becoming the Active Grand Master. She'd spent many, many days behind that desk and more nights on that couch than in her own bed at home.

Now, however, someone else lay dozing beneath the old throw blanket she usually kept over the back. Though he hadn't been back in Mondstadt long, he'd spent almost as many hours asleep on that couch as Jean.

"Venti," Jean said, shaking the Bard's shoulder gently, "Venti, wake up."

Diluc had dropped him off after The Angel's Share closed, just as he'd been doing several nights a week for months.

"Five more minutes," Venti mumbled, rolling over.

"Venti, please," Jean begged, "I really, really need your help."

Something in the way her voice cracked sobered Venti right up. He pulled himself into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes, alarmed at the sight of tears dropping from his most faithful subject's chin.

"What happened," He asked, pulling the blanket up to dab at the droplets running down her face, "How can I help?"

"Kaeya is missing," Jean told him, "In Dragonspine. He's hurt. I'm not even sure he's still alive, but whether he is or not, I have to find him. I can't just leave him up there alone." She swallowed thickly and added, "If he's alive, of course I want to save him as quickly as possible, but if he's- if he's not, then, I want to make sure he isn't stuck up there forever. Please, Lord Barbatos, help me find him and bring him home, even if it's just his spirit."

Venti took Jean's hand, clasping it between his own.

"I promise, Jean," He said, "I'll do everything in my power to find him and bring him back. If he has passed, his spirit won't be lost. You have my word."

The blonde bowed her head, squeezing the God's hand.

"Thank you," She said earnestly, "Thank you so much, Venti."

"Of course!" Venti gently bumped his forehead against Jean's, "If you'll excuse me, Acting Grand Master, I'm going to get to work right away. I'll be sending some of my consorts out from Windrise."

"Understood. I'll be gathering a search party and meeting at the Adventurer's Camp by the base of the Snow Covered Path tomorrow morning. If you're able, I'd be grateful if you joined us. I'd like to leave by dawn, but realistically, I think it'll be closer to noon by the time everything is prepared."

"I'll see you there!" Venti hopped over the back of the couch, throwing open the office window, "Ta-ta~!" He called, leaping out and disappearing into the night.

Jean breathed a sigh of relief. She'd just secured the help of the nation's Archon. Now, she just had to get everyone else on board.

There was no time to lose. Hurriedly, she pulled open the drawer of the small desk in the corner, grabbing several sheets of paper, an ink pot, and a quill. She began making a list of names at breakneck speeds, wracking her brain for anyone in Mondstadt whose help would prove useful.

It was going to be a long, long night.

Chapter 5: Can't Handle the Cold?

Notes:

This chapter contains graphic depictions injury, hypothermia, blood, and thoughts of death. So hey, we get to see Kaeya! Hooray :) Also if anyone's interested I think Help Me by LOWROAR is a great song to listen to for Kaeya's half of the chapter.

Chapter Text

His sword. Kaeya needed his sword.

He reached for his sheath, finding it empty.

Right. He was looking for it. How could he forget so soon? He'd been pawing through the snow for several minutes, or maybe a bit longer, searching for it, and making absolutely no progress.

He couldn't catch his breath. He was panting, hyperventilating, but no amount of air seemed to be able to satisfy him. His good arm kept giving out beneath him, shaky and exhausted after next to no movement. He'd pick himself up, shuffle forward a few inches, then collapse again. Each time he collapsed, he'd sweep his hand over the snow in front, searching for his sword and finding nothing. He could hear something crunching in his chest, wet coughs tinged with the taste of copper. It was dark now, but beneath the moon's bright glow, he could see dark flecks on the snow and a strange blue tint to his hands, especially his fingers. His Vision's meager healing abilities were working overtime just to keep him and his frosty limbs alive.

Cold stung his ears, his nose, numbed his lips and extremities.

Exhaustion wrapped shadowy arms around his body, leaving him to feel heavy, weighed down by unseen lead weights and darkening the edges of his blurred and doubled vision. He was so tired. It was getting harder and harder to pull himself along. The cold and agony sapped his energy, bleeding him dry.

As the moon rose higher in the sky, Kaeya was alarmed to realize that even his chattering teeth and violent shivers had died down to minimal, intermittent vibrations. It was difficult to tell for certain, but it felt like he was losing chunks of time, spending longer and longer lying limply and waiting for his strength to build back up.

Amber's coming, he reminded himself, Can't let her find me dead. Jean would be sad. Klee-

Oh, God, Klee. How would they explain to her that he wasn't coming back, not ever? Would they know to look in his nightstand at home for his will, that he wanted to leave her some Mora, his coat with the feather boa that she loved so much, and his eye patch? What if they told her that he'd died in Dragonspine and it scared her too badly to go visit Albedo at his lab anymore?

No, Jean wouldn't let them tell her that. Surely, she herself would bear the burden of the explanation, relaying the news of his passing with the utmost tact and gentleness.

What an unfair and heart-wrenching burden to place on her shoulders. He couldn't do that to her.

Who else would she have to tell? Barbara, surely. Rosaria and Venti, too, in all likelihood.

Diluc.

Kaeya hadn't realized he'd started crying until he found himself unable to open his eyes, lids sealed shut with frozen tears. Feebly, he brought his knees forward beneath him, pulling his good arm back to scrub at his eyes until he could open them again and flipping his patch back down. Best try to keep one covered in case he found himself unable to use the other.

He shuffled forward a few more inches, wheezing and nauseous, before his strength gave out once more.

He wasn't moving fast enough.

Harsh winds picked up, throwing biting shards of ice in his face and piling snow onto his already-heavy body. He was no match for the harsh weather, for-

Match.

Matches! He still had two matches tucked into his breast pocket, the only two he'd deprived Amber of, held over for just such an emergency.

Frantically, he tore at the buttons of his coat, fumbling it open and pulling the first match from the pocket beneath. Keeping hold of it with numb fingers took all of his focus. He held it closer to the head than he would have liked, fearful of breaking it as he swiped it futilely across the rough wool of his sleeve, over and over to no avail. One more quick, forceful swipe and the match flew from his hand, landing somewhere in the snow, still unlit. Kaeya hissed in frustration, digging the other out only to drop it right away, pawing at the bloody snow beneath him to pick it up again and trying several more times to light it before giving up, the last of his energy drained as the flopped back down, frustrated and choking on thick, metallic coughs as he closed his eyes.

I'm going to die.

Dread gripped his heart, panic seizing his chest and worsening his coughing fit. This time, he was too weak to lift his head, opting instead to turn to the side.

There he lay, shuddering and thinking.

Who hadn't he said goodbye to? What was the last thing he'd said to his friends, to his brother? Would they know he was sorry, that he'd miss them, that he'd tried?

He couldn't remember. He'd seen Diluc, Jean, Amber so recently, but his mind could not conjure their last conversations, supplying only images of the good times they'd spent together and cutting through with horrible predictions of how they'd look struck with grief.

They'd grieve him, wouldn't they? Surely they would. Jean, Amber, Klee, Venti, they'd all shed tears for him, at least a tiny bit, he was fairly certain. Rosaria would go through her own private rituals of bereavement, likely opting to drink herself numb over crying herself dry.

Diluc?

He'd cried for their father, for Crepus. The loss had broken him, siphoning the joy from his life and sending him down a bloody path of vengeance and vigilantism.

I hope if you freeze to death up there, your face isn't so smug when they find the body.

Wonderful! He could remember his brother's last words to him. Though he had no mirror, Kaeya didn't feel very smug at the moment and had a gut feeling that whatever face he was currently making would be a pathetic sight at best. At the very least, he thought dryly, he'd be granting his brother's final request to him, and he'd been sure to pay off his bar tab the night before his mission.

Bitterness and grief hurt worse than his injuries. The last several years had been such a waste. Their stupid, endless bickering, the needless tension, resentment, and anger that tainted every conversation, driving wedges between them any time either one of them plucked up the courage to reach out, to try, only to be shot down by the other as he seized the opportunity to exploit a moment of weakness.

For what?

Why had he done that? Why had they both done that? To get even? To win?

This certainly didn't feel even, much less like a victory. Would Diluc feel the same way when he saw Kaeya's corpse, when he held his brother's empty Vision? Would they even find his body, or if they did, would they be able to bring it back home?

Home. Was Mondstadt his home? Could he call it that, after all these years? Did it really count, even after he'd confessed, after he'd chosen a side, staying in spite of being burned and rejected?

Khaenri'ah was supposed to be his real home, but he felt no remorse for the fact that he would neither die on nor revisit its hellish soils. He'd bid farewell to that place a lifetime ago, memories of the last hug he'd given his mother overshadowed by the times Adelinde had held him as he cried, patched up his injuries, read him and Diluc bedtime stories, cooked favorite meals and snuck them snacks on bad days.

He couldn't even recall his birth father's face at this point, and attaching the word to him instead of Crepus felt wrong, disrespectful. How could the people who'd abandoned him as a child in a foreign land, shivering in the rain and weighed down by a mission that could only cause him pain call themselves his family?

He knew who his real family was, where his home was meant to be. He could only hope that the people there felt the same way.

Khaenri'ah and his birth parents had given him noting but pain and heartache, alienating him from the people he loved and making him feel like an outsider no matter where he went.

He was Khaenri'ahn. Could he still die? Would he even be afforded that simple luxury, the human ability to slip away into darkness, or would his miserable bloodline force him to continue existing, consciousness trapped forever in his frozen body, aware and suffering, crushed beneath hundreds or thousands of pounds of ice and snow?

Would he even be allowed to die, to end his suffering?

Red-hot anger shot through his veins, flushed his cheeks and roasted him from the inside out. Why was he so hot? He wasn't shivering anymore, the sensation of cold replaced with a hellish, feverish burn, an unbearable blaze sweeping over his entire body.

Desperately, he wiggled halfway out of his coat, sleeve stuck on his bad arm as he tore the buttons from his shirt. Looking down, he could see dark, angry bruises blooming across his chest and right arm, wrapping around to his back. Small splinters and fat chunks of wood protruded from his flesh, frozen in place by the blood that had once seeped out around them. He gagged, choking wetly on each rattling breath he heaved, falling to his back and helplessly trying to shovel snow over his torso, anything to cool himself.

Once again, he'd drained his strength, finding his failing body still once again, save for the wheezing, eyes blown wide and staring into the distance. Though he could no longer shuffle snow onto himself, the wind was doing a much better job than he'd been able to. Mounds of white piled up next to him, spilling over in painted streaks as they began to bury him alive, little by little, flake by hateful flake.

Warm, syrupy darkness swam over Kaeya's vision like ink through water as his consciousness bled away in the cold. As his eyes slipped shut, he thought he caught sight of something fiery and red in the distance. Diluc? No, he wouldn't be out here.

...Crepus? His father's spirit, come to take him away?

The thought comforted him, sending an eerie sense of calm through his body. Okay, he thought, watching the strange light draw closer and closer as he slipped off to sleep.

He could be happy with this. He'd go.

I want my Dad.

Venti returned from Windrise to find Jean's office empty. This was unsurprising- surely, she'd be out somewhere, rallying the troops, making preparations, pushing down her nerves and exhausting every resource at her disposal to bring Kaeya back.

Venti had sent droves of wind spirits out to Dragonspine in teams of two, ordering them to search every inch of the mountain for his missing friend. Once they found him, one was to stay by his side while the other reported back to him right away.

So far, he'd received no word.

Where else might Jean have gone, he wondered, hoping to catch her and put her mind at ease, if only a little, before they met back up at camp.

The Cathedral didn't seem like a bad guess.

The wind carried him there quickly, setting him down right in front of the great wooden doors. Here, he never knocked, as he knew that no one would ever be locked out.

"Hellooo~," He called, "Jean? Are you here?"

A cold hand met his shoulder, surprising him so much that he blew the rug right out of its place in the aisle, sending it straight into the pews.

"Don't come in here and start fucking things up, Venti." Rosaria let him go, crossing her arms as he turned to face her.

"Ah, Sister Rosaria! By any chance, have you seen Jean around?"

"No. Barbara just left, too. Why?"

"Sir Kaeya is missing in Dragonspine," He told her gravely, "And I need to speak with Jean as soon as possible."

He didn't miss the way she tensed.

"Kaeya's missing?"

"Yes, and badly injured, so I was told. A search party is being arranged as we speak, and I'll be going, too. If you see Jean-"

"Missing in Dragonspine? On the Mountain?"

Rosaria and Venti turned to the pews, facing the newcomer as he sat up. Viktor, looking disheveled and frazzled, had been eavesdropping.

"That's correct," Venti said hesitantly, "Though I'm not sure why it would interest you."

Viktor wrinkled his nose.

"A man is missing."

"Yes, the Calvalry Captain of Mondstadt. I'm sure your cold-hearted Archon would just looove for you to report that back," Rosaria said, taking several slow, measured steps in his direction, "But for your own sake, I suggest that you keep my friend's status quiet."

"No, no, no- please, do not misunderstand," Viktor said quickly, "I am only concerned. Mondstadt- you and your knights, you are not used to cold. You do not understand it. The mountain, it is not-"

"We'll manage," Rosaria snapped.

"I can help you," Viktor said, "Not very much- I cannot leave my post, but I am Snezhnayan. I know the cold, hypothermia."

Rosaria and Venti exchanged a glance.

"Why would you do that?"

"Yeah, what's the catch?"

"No catch! Not this time. I'm off the clock, till dawn rises. Sir Kaeya is a good man. Very few people talk to me here, in this stupid city. I am alone, far from home. Mostly, I must just tell stories to Lily, old fairytales from my childhood, and even then, Rudolf hates me for it. Mostly everyone else, too. Kaeya is the only person in this city to have ever bought me a drink. He sat with me one night, a few weeks after my arrival, and we just drank and talked. Strange man, but he spoke with me, and still speaks with me on occasion. I would rather not lose that."

Most likely, Kaeya had just been fishing for information. Venti knew this, but that wasn't something he needed to share.

"Alright, let's hear it- what do you want to tell us about the cold?"

Viktor was quiet a moment, hesitant.

"When you find him, he may be...Not clothed. Naked, or partially stripped."

"Yeah, that sounds like Kaeya," Rosaria said.

"Wh- no, no, from the cold. Hypothermia, when it is bad enough, makes a person feel hot. They strip, sometimes, try to cool off. They are still freezing but they think they are burning."

"...Okay."

"You must warm him gradually. Do not submerge him in hot water or try to heat him too quickly with a Vision something. It will put him in shock and he will die. Same for cold extremities- warm them gradually. Do not rub him to get him warm, either. He could go into cardiac arrest."

Holy shit.

"Noted."

"No alcohol. It will lower the body temperature, maybe kill him. Also might make him very annoying to deal with on the way back."

"Anything else?" Venti asked.

"No. Good luck. I hope you find him."

"We will. Thanks for your advice. I'll share it with Jean, and make sure to let everyone there know that you helped."

"Thank you, little Bard."

Venti turned to leave, but Rosaira caught his shoulder on the way out.

"Hey, I'm going too. Give me a ride."

Chapter 6: The Dawn Winery

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Jean took deep, steady breaths, paces measured and mechanical, a Knight's gait as she made her way down an all too familiar path. The sweet, rich scent of churned soil and ripening grapes stuck to her tongue and buzzed nostalgically in her chest. How long had it been since her last visit? Could she still count the years on one hand? Master Crepus had still been alive, back then.

She pursed her lips, shoving the thoughts and memories aside.

They weren't productive. She could process the feelings when she was less busy- or at least, when Kaeya's life didn't depend on her punctuality.

The windows were all dark in the winery, save for one- upstairs, she counted three windows down from the corner of the building. The curtain was mostly drawn, but a sliver of warm lamplight slipped through. Of course Diluc was still up.

She didn't allow herself to stop and steel her nerves. No time. She raised her fist and pounded heavily on the door, three sturdy knocks, a pause, then three more.

"Coming," A weary voice called form inside, "Just one moment, please."

Jean took a step to the side to make room for the door to swing open. Adelinde greeted her warmly, ushering her inside.

"It's been quite a while since you paid us a visit, Miss Jea- pardon me, Acting Grand Master! And so late, too. Is everything alright, dear?"

"Just Jean is fine, Adelinde, and I'm afraid I have some bad news to share with Master Diluc. I need his help with something."

"I see. Let me go fetch him for you-"

"Wait! I'm sorry, just one moment, please. I'm sorry to ask this of you, but do you think you could ready a warm coat for him?"

"A warm coat?"

"Yes. I'm taking him to Dragonspine. Kaeya went on a mission. He's been reported as missing and injured. The Knights are spread thin right now, and I need Diluc for the search party. Moreover, if anything's happened to Kaeya, then..." Jean could feel tears stinging her eyes, tightening her throat and sapping the power right out of her voice, "He should be there. When we find him, I mean. No matter what condition he's in, Diluc should be there."

Adelinde nodded. This had to be hard for her, too. She'd raised Kaeya right alongside Diluc.

"I see," She said, voice heavy, "I can't help but agree with you. Master Diluc, however...He may take some convincing. As you know, their relationship has been strained ever since their father died."

Jean huffed out a bitter laugh.

"Oh, I'm well aware. Believe me, I'll get him on my side."

Adelinde hummed in agreement.

"You want him upstairs or down?"

"Down. We can get out the door faster."

"I'll bring him here, then."

The maid hurried upstairs, vanishing down the hall for a moment. Not long afterward, Diluc appeared at the top of the stairs, making his way down hurriedly.

"Jean?" He asked, voice tense, "Jean, what happened? It's so late, and Adelinde said that it was an emergency and that you were upset." His brow furrowed as he got closer and added, "Have you been crying?"

The Acting Grand Master stood to greet her host, hand over her heart as she bowed.

"Master Diluc-"

His hands rested on her shoulders and she raiser her eyes to meet his.

"No formalities, Jean-not between friends. Please, just tell me why you've been crying, why you're here so late?"

"It's Kaeya."

Even though his practiced poker face, Jean saw the flash of panic, of fear.

"What about Kaeya?" His grip tightened, not enough to hurt, but enough that she noticed, "What's happened to him? Surely you're not here to- to tell me that...He's not-"

Jean shook her head.

"We don't know. He's confirmed as missing and injured. We won't know anything else until we find him."

"Missing? Since when? I thought that he and Amber were supposed to be in Dragonspine, searching for-"

"They were. They found them. This afternoon, Kaeya was injured in battle and went over a cliff somewhere near the South side of Starglow Cavern. Amber flew back with one civilian and left the other by the Statue of the Seven to report the incident. We're assembling a search party to find him. I'm asking you to come with us."

Diluc grit his teeth, hands dropping to his sides. He was conflicted, she could tell, arguing with himself internally. In her own mind, she coaxed him gently.

Come on, Diluc. Say you'll come.

"You should be there when we find him. We don't know what sort of condition he'll be in, and if worst comes to worst, you might not get another chance to-"

"I can't, Jean."

"You can."

"I'm telling you, I can't. I'm- I've got a shift tomorrow. At the Angel's share."

Her mouth fell open.

"The Angel's share?"

"...Yes."

Jean's blood boiled. She took a step forward, into Diluc's space. He was making excuses. She knew the real reason he wouldn't come with her, his true intentions.

"You're telling me," She spat, fists balled, "That you can't join the search party to find your missing brother, who is injured and alone in the snow, or possibly even dead, because you have to work a shift tomorrow at the bar you own, and you couldn't possibly close it for the day or find a cover. Is that correct?"

"Jean," Diluc warned, "I don't want to argue with you. Time is not on ou- on your side. If you'd excuse me, it's very late. I'll see you out." He stepped past her awkwardly, opening the great wooden door and gesturing outside.

"Good luck on your search, Acting Grand Master."

Jean's Vision roared to life, throwing papers from tables, knocking over vases, and tilting paintings on the wall as she shot an enormous gust of Anemo at Diluc, sending him flying into the courtyard as the door was torn off its hinge.

"Diluc Ragnvindr," She hissed, storming out to stand over him as he lay in stunned silence, gaping at her, "I did not come here to listen to you make excuses. I didn't come here to let you shoo me out so that you could waste time running back upstairs or scurrying off to the bar to dig up your silly little costume or plan your own route to search for him alone. I don't care how you usually operate. I don't care that you hate the Knights. I don't care how long you and Kaeya have been fighting. I don't even give a shit if you hate me, too, after this, but until we find him and bring him back home, you will be joining the search party and working with others. I'm not going to let you run up there all by yourself and do something stupid. There's a good chance I lost one of my best friends today, and I'm not about to risk losing you, too. Do I make myself clear?"

"Jean, you attacked me!"

"You'll live. On your feet."

She caught hold of one arm and the back of his shirt, hauling him up unceremoniously.

"My doors-"

"Will be repaired while you're gone, Sir." Adelinde was standing in the doorway, warm coat draped over her arm and a picnic basket clutched in her hands.

"Adelinde, is that my coat? Why did you- were you in on- what's in the basket?"

"Snacks, a thermos of warm broth. Small first aid kit. Some cookies. I thought you might get hungry on the mountain. Hurry, now- your brother's waiting, you know. Be careful up there, both of you."

Jean took the coat and basket from her.

"Thank you very much, Ma'am. I'll send word as soon as we have any new information."

Diluc watched in disbelief as Adelinde disappeared back inside, but didn't protest as Jean handed his coat over, shrugging it on in resignation.

"You always were her favorite," He told her as they set off, "And for the record, I'd do just fine on my own in Dragonspine. I did spend three years alone in Snezhnaya, as you know."

"Oh, I'm well aware," Jean said brusquely, "Kaeya and I would sit together in my office and watch your Vision fade and blink. We'd pray to Barbatos for your safe return, or to just get you through the night. I can't count how many times we were worried that we'd lose you, off in a foreign land where we couldn't help you. We'd stay up for days, sometimes, until the light shone steadily again."

Diluc frowned.

"If you ever wanted to talk about it," Jean ventured, anger slipping out of her features and melting into sadness, "I'm still here. Kaeya- once we find him, I'm sure he'd also- if he's still with us, he'll want to listen, too."

Diluc gripped her hand as they pressed onward, neither looking at the other.

"I can't."

"I know. But someday, if you want to- if you're able to," She gave his hand a squeeze, "You've still got people who love you. You're one of my best friends, too, you know."

"The Knights don't deserve you, Jean. Neither do I."

She bumped his shoulder into his.

"That's why I broke your door down and threw you outside," She said playfully.

"Oh? Not because I'm a stubborn ass?"

"No. Because I'm a stubborn ass. Sorry, though. For throwing you. I shouldn't have done that."

Diluc laughed.

"Like I've never hurt anyone I care about. Don't worry about it. Reminds me of the old days, when you'd throw me and Kaeya around in training."

"It was so fun," Jean confessed, "You two were like angry, dirty kites."

"Thanks a lot. I'll be sure to tell Kaeya that when we find him." Diluc released her hand, tugging at his collar. "Archons, it's hot in this jacket. When do we start climbing?"

"As close to dawn as we can manage," Jean told him, "But realistically, it'll take until noon to organize supplies and mobilize people. Amber's out knocking on doors as we speak, but we'll still need to plot our courses, figure out how many units we'll need and whether we have enough people to check various areas, stock up on potions and rations once she shops open-"

"Wait, how big is this operation? I thought we'd be leaving right away, probably just us and maybe Amber or something."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. You were in a hurry. How many other people did you contact? Will we have to wait long?"

"I won't know until Amber reports back at the Adventurer's Camp by the Snow Covered Path."

Jean could tell that this revelation did not sit well with Diluc.

"Why not let me go scout ahead, look for him while you organize everyone else? You already know that we can't afford to waste any time-"

"Venti has some wind spirits scouting ahead as we speak. If they find Kaeya, I'm sure he'll go right away."

"Venti? You told Venti he was missing before me?"

Jean gave him and incredulous look.

"Diluc, you're my last stop. The God of our nation sleeps on my couch, and you thought I'd come argue with you before appealing to him for help?"

"I see."

In a swift movement, Diluc knocked Jean into a bush, laughing as she scrambled in the low branches. He offered her his hand and she took it, plucking leaves from her hair.

"What in Teyvat was that for?"

"Revenge for earlier," Diluc said lightly, "And also for making me feel like I asked a stupid question."

Notes:

Hiii sorry for another chapter that's mostly dialogue. I love when people are talking to each other

Chapter 7: Growing Pains

Notes:

Hope y'all like flashbacks

Chapter Text

Gentle rays of sunshine flitted through the gaps between branches in Wolvendom, dappling the forest floor with puddles of midday light. Up above, animals scurried about, conducting business as usual, birdsong filling the air and leaves rustling as squirrels hopped and dashed between them. Bees hummed and buzzed, lazily drifting from flower to flower as Kaeya watched, sandwich in hand.

"Come on, Kaeya, hurry up and finish! I'm not done kicking your butt yet." Jean was as impatient and lively as ever, waving a stick around and practicing their training drills. The fact that this was their day off meant nothing to her, of course- training and leisure time were interchangeable to her, both equally fun so long as she could fill them with swordplay.

"I'll be over in a minute," He replied, "Why don't you eat something, too? Adelinde packed a lot."

"Yeah, Jean, come eat with us," Barbara piped up from her spot next to Kaeya, "We played swords all morning. Let's do something else."

"It's not playing," Jean said indignantly, "We're training, Barbara. It's valuable and necessary to hone our skills and become better knights. You wouldn't understand because all you want to do is sing and dance all day."

"I'd rather practice than dance," Diluc agreed, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, "And Kaeya sounds like a dying cat when he sings. Plus, I owe Jean for knocking me down last round. C'mon, Kaeya, let's show her what happens when you mess with us!"

"Two on one doesn't sound very fair," Jean said pointedly.

"If you're scared, Barbara can back you up. We'll do brothers versus sisters!" Diluc hopped off the log, offering his hand to Barbara, "You've got her back right, Barbara?"

The girl shook her head aggressively, pigtails snapping back and forth.

"No way! I don't want to fight you guys! What if someone gets hurt?"

Kaeya finished his last bite, hopping to his feet.

"I don't want to fight Barbara either," He said, "Feels like bullying. She's half our age and hasn't even held a sword. Let's bully Jean instead."

"I'll show you who's gonna bully who!"

The trio grabbed their sticks, throwing themselves at each other in an excited fit of squeals and laughter. Jean narrowly dodged a blow from Diluc, leaping backward and sweeping her leg at Kaeya's ankles, clicking her tongue in irritation as he faltered, but didn't hit the ground.

Kaeya, recovering quickly, retaliated by swiping his stick across Jean's shin, equal parts guilty and satisfied by the yelp she let out at the hit. She always told them not to hold back in training, but he still felt bad landing blows on his friends.

Diluc, seeing his opportunity, went for an overhead strike. Jean managed to block the blow with her own stick, but the force sent her to the ground. Diluc, who was the largest of the three, immediately moved to pin her, keeping pressure on his own makeshift weapon, trying to force her down as moved to get on top of her, knowing that if he could sit and pin her torso, she'd have to surrender.

Jean, fully aware of this, let him swing a leg over her and force her shoulders closer to the ground, just a bit, giving him the upper hand before kicking him in the chest, knocking the wind from his lungs as she threw him off. Without giving him a chance to recover, she lunged at him, grabbing his left shoulder to try and pin it as he gasped for breath. She raised her own stick back into the air, mentally calculating how hard she could actually hit Diluc's one-handed attempt at a block without risking hitting him in the face.

Kaeya moved quickly to rescue his brother, grabbing Jean's ankle and yanking her backward. She yelped in surprise, rolling onto her side with barely any time to process as the younger Ragnvindr leaped, grabbing both of her shoulders as Diluc threw himself on her legs.

Without thinking, she launched herself upward, Kaeya's light bodyweight not quite enough to keep her pinned. She snapped her head forward, headbutting him right in the mouth. He gasped sharply, hands leaving her shoulders and flying to his face. Everyone froze.

"Kaeya!" Diluc released her legs, scrambling forward to check on his brother.

Guilt and panic shot through her as drops of red spilled from her friend's hands, dripping down onto her clothes and clumping in the dirt as she scooted the rest of the way out form under him.

"Oh, Barbatos, Kaeya I'm so sorry- are you alright?" She closed the distance between them, joining Diluc as they tried to look him over.

"Move your hands," Diluc insisted, gripping the younger boy's shoulder, "We need to see if you've still got all your teeth."

"I'm fine," Kaeya insisted, voice tight, blood sputtering from his lips, "It's fine, I'll take care of it, get off."

"Kaeya, we need to see," Jean told him, grasping his wrist and gently trying to guide it away from his face, "We just want to make sure you're alright."

"Let go!" Kaeya shouted, one hand still over his mouth as he jerked out of Jean's grasp, shouldering Diluc off as well before leaping to his feet. Something wild flashed behind his eyes, and Jean could see his red teeth grit behind shaky hands. He looked like a cornered animal, gaze flicking between Jean and his brother as they, too, got to their feet.

"Kaeya?" Diluc sounded uncertain, glancing to his friend for help, only to find Jean just as confused as they watched him back away, stopping at the fallen tree they'd been sitting on.

Barbara, who had been watching in silence, started crying.

"Kaeya's bleeding," She wailed, "Jean, you hit him too hard! I'm telling Dad!"

"Shut up, Barbara, I know!"

Kaeya, seeming to come back to his senses a bit, deflated, shoulders sagging as he plopped down next to her.

"I'm fine," He said again, sounding more defeated than tense, "It was a good hit. Well done, Jean. Just hurt a bit, that's all."

"It was too much for just training," Diluc said, crossing his arms, "And you still haven't let us look."

Kaeya heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Right, let me just show off my bloody mouth in front of Jean's little sister. That'll make her stop crying!"

Barbara grabbed his arm, pulling.

"I'll be brave," She insisted, "I'll help you!"

"Let go of him, Barbara, I'll look." Jean brushed the girl back, relieved when Kaeya finally, albeit reluctantly, lowered his own arms and opened his mouth.

All his teeth were still intact and where they belonged, but he had a massive, weeping cut on the inside of his bottom lip where his teeth had almost gone through.

"Ow," She said sympathetically, "I'm so sorry. All your teeth are fine, but your lip's open on the bottom."

"You hurt him, Jean!" Barbara shouted, tugging on her sister's shirt, "You can't do that! It's not how you're supposed to play!"

"Barbara, drop it! Go do something useful and find us some Wolfhooks for the bleeding. You know what they look like, right?"

The younger girl nodded, eagerly accepting her mission as she dashed off into the woods.

"Kaeya, Diluc, come with me," Jean said, "We can rinse your mouth out over here..."

She led them up the path, handing her canteen back to Kaeya, who took a swig out of it and swished gratefully, spitting into a bush.

"We should wait here for Barbara," He said, pouring more water to rinse his hands, "She'll be back with the Wolfhooks soon."

Jean shook her head.

"Nope. That was just to keep her busy so we could get going. Wolfhooks won't be in season for a couple more weeks."

"Ditching your little sister?" Diluc asked, cocking a brow, "Seems harsh, Jean."

"She knows her way back home from here," The blonde defended, "And I'm tired of listening to her whine all day. If she wanted to practice her dance moves or do karaoke, she should've stayed home! This'll help her think twice before blindly tagging along all the time." As she started walking again, Diluc kept pace. They were several more yards down the path when she turned and found Kaeya, who seemed to be frozen in place where they'd left him, watching them.

"Lets go, little bro!" Diluc called, "We'll go home and have Adelinde look at your lip. I'm sure she's got something for it."

He said something, too quietly for either of them to hear.

"What?" Jean jogged back toward him, "We can't hear you. Come on, we need to get your lip checked-"

"I said no." Kaeya was glaring at her through his bangs, grip tight on her canteen.

Jean rolled her eyes.

"Kaeya, she'll be fine. Your lip's a lot more important. It's just a joke, so don't worry about Barbara-"

"Well I don't think being left behind is very funny," Kaeya snapped, throwing the now-empty canteen at Jean, who hardly had time to raise her arm and block before it hit her in the face.

"Hey!" Diluc shouted, hurrying to her side, "You could've really hurt her!"

"Makes us even," Kaeya said, tears in his eyes as he turned his back on both of them, "My lip's fine. I'll see you at home."

"We're not leaving without you," Diluc said, following his brother, "Come back, Kaey."

Jean's blood ran cold as she bent to pick up her canteen, his words sinking into her bones. Of course he wouldn't like that sort of prank. Swallowing her pride, she hurried after him, instinctively reaching out to grab her wrist before she stopped herself. He hadn't like that, either.

"I'm sorry," She said, "Not just about your lip. You're right, ditching someone isn't funny. I won't do it again. Let's go find my sister and head back as a group."

Kaeya hesitated, and for a moment, she worried he'd refuse, but finally, he nodded.

"Alright. Sorry for hitting you with your canteen."

"It's fine. I deserved it."

The memory tugged at Jean's heartstrings. How could she have been like that as a kid? Hurting her friends when she was supposed to be training, trying to leave her little sister alone in Wolvendom? Did Kaeya remember that now on Dragonspine? Was he worried that she'd leave him behind, like his birth father had, all those years ago?

"Lost in thought?" Diluc asked.

"Just remembering something."

"Something helpful?"

"No. Well, yes, but not right now. I learned something from it, I guess, but it won't get Kaeya home any faster."

Diluc hummed sympathetically.

"It's hard not to think about the things we screwed up," He said, "What we never apologized for. Same thing happened when my father died. I couldn't stop thinking about what I had never told him, the things I'd hidden to stay out of trouble. I broke this vase, once. My mother's. Bumped into the table and knocked it right off. We probably could've fixed it, but I panicked and buried it in the yard by the grape vines. Never apologized. He came home, found it missing, and said nothing. I think he was waiting for me or Kaeya to come confess, but I never did. I should have, but I didn't. Thought about that vase a lot in Snezhnaya." He paused, eyes on the mountain in the distance, then added, "I never apologized to Kaeya, either- about his eye, I mean. The night my father died."

Jean looked over to him, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Kaeya never told me what happened," She said carefully, "Is it something you'd want to talk about?"

She had a pretty good idea, of course. The burn on his face, Diluc's sudden disappearance, Kaeya suddenly having a Vision (one which he certainly hadn't obtained at the site of Crepus' death), the way the two of them seemed to be eternally at odds while also walking on eggshells through every conversation since that night. Though she didn't have the complete picture, it wasn't difficult to guess that they'd had some sort of fight that had, in the wake of a highly emotional and traumatic event, turned physical and created a rift in their relationship.

"No," Diluc said, "It's just something I need to apologize for, if I get the chance. It's long overdue. I've had all these years to think about it and I still don't know what I'm supposed to say. I might not even be able to, now."

Jean elbowed him.

"Don't talk like that," She scolded, "Kaeya's tough. We'll find him. Even if it's just you, Venti, Amber, and I, we'll get him back."

"How many people did you have Amber reach out to for help?"

"Anyone with a useful skill set that I could think of," Jean admitted, "The Adventurers Guild, Sucrose and Timaeus, I sent a pigeon with a message to Albedo, Barbara should be caught up...If The Guild sends enough people, I'm hoping for at least three groups: one to go get our second civilian, one to go back through Starglow Cavern and possibly deal with the Lawachurl while they look for signs that Kaeya might be alive or nearby, and one to go on a lower route directly to the area below the cliff and begin searching. Ideally, each team would have at least three, with both search parties containing a Pyro user, but I'll take what I can get."

She and Diluc brainstormed various options to exploit in case they lacked the manpower to carry through with Jean's plan. Worst came to worst, she and Diluc would join Amber and Venti in a single search party while Adventurers went up to fetch their injured Civilian by the statue.

It was still about an hour before dawn as they approached the Camp, surprised to see all the lights on and fires lit so early in the morning. Even from a distance, they could hear voices and tools, people milling about.

"Early risers," Diluc remarked.

As they closed the distance, Jean recognized more and more familiar faces, the camp bustling with activity and packed with more people than it was meant to fit. Sucrose, Timaeus, Bennet, Fischl, Razor, a huge pack of active and retired Adventurers, Sara, Quinn, and several other miscellaneous faces from around town who she never would have expected to see here.

"Jean!"

Amber hurried over to meet her.

"Amber, what's going on? Half of Mondstadt is here!"

The young outrider beamed brightly.

"You wanted manpower," She said, "And the people of Mondstadt want their Calvalry Captain back."

Chapter 8: No News is No News

Chapter Text

Venti milled about the camp, mingling with drowsy citizens. They'd come in droves, all learning about Kaeya by word of mouth, and arrived hoping to help. Seeing the strong sense of community in Mondstadt warmed his heart and made him proud to be their Archon. As time ticked by, however, he distanced himself from the group. He'd thought that his wind spirit consorts might be too shy to try and catch his attention in the crowd, but now it seemed as though they simply weren't reporting back. He'd heard the adage, "No news is good news", but he begged to differ. No news is no news.

What could be taking them so long? He'd sent them hours ago. Dawn was fast approaching and he still didn't have a location. He'd given them a general area to search in pairs, too- had Kaeya made it further than expected, in spite of his injuries? Had he fallen someplace especially difficult to spot?

...He couldn't have been buried in snow, right?

The thought made him queasy.

He sat up at the top of a dilapidated stone wall, watching the mountain. He held no pleasant memories of Dragonspine- it was the site of another battle fought, the resting place of more comrades. Now, even in death, the ghastly beast's frozen corpse threatened to drag Kaeya down into its grave.

The sight of Rosaria, off on her own, caught his attention. She was kneeling, head down against a stump a little ways from camp. Grinning, Venti glided down to surprise her.

"How unexpected!" He teased, "Mondstadt's nonbeliever Nun, praying?"

Rosaria scoffed, turning around. She was clutching a flask, eyes hollow.

"Drinking," She corrected, "I don't want to be sober when they find him. The way Amber descried the incident, I don't think it's gonna be pretty." She took several more gulps from the flask before adding, "If you weren't about to go up there yourself, I'd offer you some. Don't you go dying on me up there, too."

Venti's face crumpled.

"Rosaria, you can't give up on him yet. He could still be alive. Nothing's decided 'til we find him. Just this once, have a little faith."

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I want him back, too, Venti. He's just as much my friend as he is yours, but if he really is dead, I don't want to have my hopes up. I'd rather be wrong and pleasantly surprised than wrong and blindsided with grief. Let me be drunk and miserable now. If I'm wrong later, I'll be pregame drunk and we can go get hammered in celebration, alright?"

Venti wished he could say or do something more to comfort her, but as it was, he still didn't know where Kaeya was or whether he was alive, either. Defeatedly, the bard mumbled his agreement, plopping down next to his friend. For once, he was silent, just sitting by her side, arms crossed over his knees with his face buried behind them. He felt Rosaria lean against him, harsh scent of hard liquor drifting from her open flask.

Jean arrived with Diluc in tow. The bard watched absently as she met with Amber, then called Sucrose and Timaeus over.

"May I have everyone's attention!"

A hush fell over the camp as all heads turned to the Acting Grand Master.

"First off, I'd like to thank everyone who came today. Your support means everything, and even small acts can make a world of difference in these sorts of situations. If I had time, I'd thank you each individually for your contributions, but as I'm sure we're all aware, time is not on our side. I'll get right to it: There will be multiple teams sent up the mountain. Most of them will be search parties for Kaeya, one will be sent to look for and eliminate a troublesome Lawachurl, and one team will be sent up to a small campsite near the Statue of the Seven to retrieve a civilian who was left behind in order to rush his son to medical treatment and allow news of Kaeya's status to be delivered as soon as possible. Not all of you are qualified to join one of these teams, but there is plenty to do around camp to prepare for the return of each team. That said, I would like to ask if any Vision Holders are willing to volunteer for the search parties."

Venti, Amber, Diluc, Bennett, Fischl, Razor, Diona, Noelle, Barbara, and Sucrose all came forward. Venti noticed that Rosaria was conspicuously missing from the lineup.

"Thank you," Jean said warmly, "So many of you have volunteered that I actually need to thin your numbers. Some of your talents may be better suited to help around camp, if there are no objections."

No one interrupted.

"Barbara, Sucrose, Diona, and Bennett, I'd like to ask you three to stay behind and use your talents here. The rest of you will be split into search parties alongside some Adventurers from the Guild momentarily."

Venti was eavesdropping. He wanted to know the plan in case he got word on Kaeya and had to dash off.

Each group would be given three flares, specially crafted by Sucrose and Timaeus. One green, to fire if they found Kaeya alive, one red, to fire if they needed help for any reason, and one black, to fire if they found Kaeya's corpse.

Sucrose was to remain in camp and help coordinate search parties and formulate strategic search routes. She had plenty of experience on Dragonspine and had been on many parts of the mountain, collecting materials and conducting experiments alongside Albedo.

Barbara was to remain at camp so that she could easily be found if someone needed immediate medical treatment.

Bennett would stay and help keep the area warm with his Vision so that they didn't blow through all the firewood trying to heat an outdoor camp to make it habitable for more people than it was meant to accommodate in the first place, with many of them unaccustomed to being in the elements. Venti suspected that this was also to keep the boy's bad luck streak far from the treacherous mountain and save precious time by avoiding unnecessary accidents in a search party.

Diona, with her sharp senses and athletic prowess, was to climb someplace high and keep an eye on the mountain. She would report back to Jean the moment she caught sight of any color flare, noting the location and color. She was also to report back if she saw an individual or group returning along the Snow Covered Path, which was the agreed exit route for all groups.

Diluc, Noelle, and Amber were allocated to the Lawachurl group. After they'd slain it, they'd be free to help search for Kaeya.

Venti could see the frustration on both Diluc and Amber's faces- he was sure they'd rather help look right away, but Amber knew where its camp was and both of them were well-suited to deal with it.

Razor would head a search party of adventurers, tracking Kaeya with his keen sense of smell.

Venti and Fischl were supposed to be in the same party, but shortly before they were set to leave, a gentle breeze blew Venti's hat from his head, catching his attention. He followed it eagerly to a secluded place just outside of camp, eagerly receiving news from his consort.

It knew where Kaeya was.

He rushed back to where Jean was giving exit orders, swooping up a small satchel full of flares and miscellaneous supplies. There had been enough for two per team before he'd grabbed one.

"I'll be taking this," He announced, "My intuition is sending me off a bit early. See you!"

He was on his glider before anyone had a chance to protest, certain that Jean would cover for him or pretend to scold him later if the need arose.

He followed the wind spirit quickly, glancing back to watch the others set off along the Snow Covered Path.

The spirit took him up the mountain, over jagged, snow-capped stone fixtures and yawning icy caverns. They followed the mountainside South for what felt like ages before finally dropping down into a pristine, snowy valley. From above, Venti had spotted a warm, friendly glow that he'd expected to be a campfire, lit by his friend, but growing closer, he recognized one of Dragonspine's specialized Seelies, hovering gently above a familiar, unmoving figure.

"Kaeya!" He called, landing nimbly and hurrying to his friend, "Your favorite and most well-beloved Archon has come to get you personally. No need to thank me! By tonight, we'll both be..."

He trailed off, slowing to a jog as the distance between them shrank. Kaeya had not stirred, had not acknowledged Venti's arrival. He lay still, head to the side, flecks of blood in the snow around him and streaked across his face where it had seeped from his mouth and nose. His flesh was pale and his bare arms and torso were covered in huge, dark, sickening bruises, chunks of wood protruding from numerous puncture wounds. Red patches of frostbite littered his right side, presumably from when the barrels had blown. On those patches, Venti could see the blisters forming. He knelt by the Calvary Captain's side, heart in his throat as he nudged him gently.

"...Oh, Kaeya."

Diluc grit his teeth. The party was moving too slowly for his liking. Everyone was to remain together until they reached the Statue of the Seven and went on their separate routes, but each passing second had him itching to just walk off on his own. Large groups moved too slowly for his liking, and on top of that, he knew he'd be held up hunting down and fighting the Lawachurl even after their numbers had been thinned.

Worse yet, the group was passing the time with meaningless, idle chatter. He knew he was expected to join in, but no point seemed like an acceptable place for him to speak or contribute to the conversation, and he didn't want to in the first place. Failing to socialize was just another layer of frustration grating on his nerves as they walked. He found himself pulling far ahead of everyone else just to try and avoid the obligation, even though he knew that Amber was technically supposed to be leading the way.

Milky gray streaks of dawn lit the Path, eventually giving way to brushstrokes of vibrant oranges and pinks as the sun climbed higher in the sky.

How long had they been walking? Was the Statue always so far? Venti had set out right before them, but there was still no sign of a flare. Had he forgotten? Was his information unreliable? Could it be that he'd found Kaeya, but couldn't bring himself to deliver bad news?

Diluc felt nauseous. Each second felt like sand through an hourglass, burying Kaeya beneath its unrelenting flow. Amber had gone into more detail about what happened back at camp when he'd asked her. His imagination ran wild with worst-case scenarios. Images of his brother's limp, blasted body being flung over the edge onto jagged rocks, thoughts of him surviving only to be found once again by the Lawachurl overnight and torn to pieces, Kaeya laying alone in the snow, broken and helpless as hypothermia crept in-

Someone was tugging on Diluc's sleeve.

He looked down to see Razor, clearly unsure of himself and awkwardly staring up. Sensing the boy's nervousness, Diluc forced a neutral look onto his face.

"Sorry for not noticing you sooner. Are you alright? Can I help you with anything?"

Razor shook his head.

"Group...Loud. Uncomfortable. Lots of talking. Couldn't keep up. You are quiet, alone. Amber says we should not be alone on Big Cold Mountain." He wrung his hands as he continued, "Maybe both of us walk quietly?"

Ah.

"Of course. Small talk makes me uncomfortable, too. I feel out of place. Walking quietly is much easier for me as well. Let's have a good, quiet walk together."

Razor nodded eagerly.

"If you get cold, let me know and I'll put some more power behind my Vision."

After that, the two continued on in relatively comfortable silence. Keeping an eye on Razor helped to keep Diluc's mind from wandering to the same dark places as before, and, though it was strange, quiet company made the time go by faster in a way that the stressful chatter earlier had not.

Abruptly, Razor halted, sniffing the air.

"Trouble?" Diluc asked.

"No. Smell Kaeya!" Razor tore off up the trail, Diluc hot on his heels, ignoring Amber's cries behind them. They passed the Statue of the Seven, climbing the stone path and finding a small campsite, fire lit. There was a tent, and Diluc could hear movement inside.

Without thinking, he tore the flap open.

"Kae-! Ah."

Inside sat a strange man, leg in a splint. His brother was nowhere to be found. Embarrassment flooded him. He was sure his ears were just about a red as his hair. Of course Kaeya wouldn't be here. Jean had mentioned a campsite with an injured civilian by the Statue. He'd let excitement make a fool of him.

"Excuse me," Diluc said awkwardly, "I was expecting to find someone else."

Razor peeked his head in, sniffing a backpack. Razor had a good nose, Diluc thought, vaguely recognizing the bag from the last time he'd seen Kaeya at The Angel's Share. His heart sank at the memory of their last conversation.

"I'm going somewhere very dangerous, you know. What if those were the last words you ever said to me?"

"You're right, I should choose more carefully. I hope if you freeze to death up there, your face isn't so smug when they find the body."

Why had he been so cruel? He hadn't meant it. He hadn't even been particularly unhappy to see his brother, and yet he'd been in a great hurry to kick him out, to get the last word, to somehow win the conversation. He always felt that way nowadays, even though he knew that neither of them ever actually walked away from their short, petty exchanges a winner.

Clearing his throat, Diluc explained that more people were on the way to assist the strange man down the mountain. He sent Razor back down to report to Amber, mostly to spare the boy from being dragged into awkward small talk while they waited.

"You were expecting that Captain fellow, weren't you?" The man asked.

Diluc nodded, half-pretending to tend the fire.

"What was he to you?"

Was?

"Kaeya" Diluc said firmly, "Is my brother. Once the others arrive to fetch you, I'll be part of the search party to find him and bring him home."

The man fell silent.

Good.

Diluc was angry- with the man, with himself, with how slowly everyone seemed to be moving once again. He hoped that his ill temper would prevent any more unnecessary prying questions.

When the rest of the group finally, finally made it up, Diluc wasted no time heading to the mouth of Starglow Cavern. Amber and Noelle met him quickly, much to his relief. They were just as eager as he was to join the search party.

As they were about to head in, a shrill, high-pitch noise split the air. All eyes turned upward. Diluc's heart pounded in his chest as he raced away from the cavern, eyes flicking back and forth across the sky in search of the smoke trail.

What color was the flare?

Chapter 9: Just a Little Late

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Thick, black smoke billowed through the air. Diluc's blood ran cold, curdling in his veins. He felt the breath knocked from his lungs, vision blurring with tears. He didn't remember falling, but found himself on his knees in the snow, staring up at the sky, at the dark streak painting itself maliciously through the winds.

Black flare. Corpse found.

Diluc was no stranger to death. He'd held his father in his arms, watched him breathe his dying breath, felt the heat leave his body as blood poured out and soaked into his gloves as he tried to keep pressure on the wounds. In Snezhnaya, he'd gone on a killing spree, hunting Fatui like a hungry animal, shredding flesh and burning camps to the ground as straggling survivors wailed for help beneath the flaming wreckage. Some frosty nights, he sat alone with his own dire injuries, fading in and out of consciousness as death circled closer and closer but never quite took hold, sparing him over for another agonizing day. Death was a real, tangible presence, heavy and stifling. It drowned out all other senses, stealing them away and leaving emptiness and numbness in its wake.

But Kaeya? His little brother? Gone, without Diluc even being there to say goodbye? To tell him he was sorry, that he missed him, that they were still brothers and he wished they'd never fought?

I hope if you freeze to death up there, your face isn't so smug when they find the body.

How long had he suffered? Was it instantaneous, when the barrels went off? Had he been conscious when the Lawlachurl's huge paw flung him through the air with bone-crushing force, when he'd fallen from who knows how high and hit the ground? Had he laid in the snow, calling for help that would not come, or dragged himself as far as he could before succumbing to his injuries or the cold?

Diluc was screaming. He could feel it, vaguely, in his throat, but heard nothing over the roar of flames around him and blood in his ears. Fat, angry tears poured from his eyes as he slammed his fist down again and again on the stone pathway, curses and apologies and drawn-out wails of anguish leaving his lips faster than he could string them together coherently.

Someone was calling his name, but he ignored it, crumpling in on himself as fire and steam swirled around him.

Was he destined to lose everyone, to spend the rest of his pathetic life alone and angry, full of regret? Who would be taken next? Jean? Adelinde? How many people were left until he'd lost everyone he'd ever loved, everyone who'd ever cared about him?

He wouldn't let that happen. He'd failed Kaeya, he'd failed his father, but he'd never let anyone else be taken from him. He'd hunt the Fatui to extinction this time. He'd burn all of Dragonspine himself, leave a smoldering hill of ash where it had once stood, eradicate every bit of ice and leave it looking like Natlan.

"Diluc!"

A pair of hands fisted themselves in his jacket, hauling him off the ground and jerking him back and forth. He made himself look up. Amber stood before him, cloaked in Noelle's shield, tears and snot pouring down her face just as heavily as they did from his own. Her teeth were grit and she was shaking as she lowered herself to eye level.

"Stop. Your Vision's too hot for Noelle, even with her shield."

All at once, he became aware of the chaos he'd unleashed. Vicious pillars of flame had vaporized the surrounding snow, leaving the stones beneath scorched black. He dropped them at once, shame washing over him as he looked past Amber to where Noelle stood several yards back, crying. Her dress was scorched along her left side and she'd thrown one gauntlet down. The bare hand was red along the back and knuckles where the metal had burned her. Of course he'd lost control again. Of course he'd ended up lashing out, hurting others.

"I'm so sorry," Diluc said, eyes fixed on Noelle's injury.

The girl shook her head, dropping her shields as she approached.

"You didn't mean to," She choked between tears, "You were upset, and rightfully so. It's okay."

No, it wasn't.

Noelle lowered herself to join Amber and Diluc on the ground, gently placing a hand on each of their backs. Diluc's heart shattered beneath her touch as he realized she was comforting him with her burnt hand.

"We've still got a job to do," She reminded them gently, "You two were pretty close to Captain Kaeya. Let's take a break here before we find the Lawachurl."

Right. The beast that had killed Kaeya. That was a better direction to point his anger. When he was done, he'd ensure that not even ashes were left behind.

Amber rose to her feet, releasing her grip on Diluc.

"No. We shouldn't waste any time. I'll scout ahead and-oh my God! Look up! Look up!"

Diluc followed her gaze. Where the black smoke had once billowed, green smoke took its place. As the three stared, another smoke trail lit up the sky, this time in red.

"Did someone screw up and light the black one first?" Amber asked, "Then just light the other two?"

"The Captain could still be alive," Noelle gasped, "Someone should go check!"

He was going to kill Venti.

"Amber-"

"It has to be Venti," The Outrider said, "He's the only one who wasn't paying attention when Jean went over the flares. If he needs help, I might not be the best choice. Our skillsets are too close- his aim is about as good as mine, and he's good with a glider." She chewed her lip, looking the other two over.

"Diluc, can you use a glider?"

"Yes."

"Great. Take mine. Follow those smoke trails and figure out what's going on. Once you get there, send up the correct flare as soon as possible so we know the actual situation. Noelle and I will go kill the Lawachurl."

The man opened his mouth to protest, but Amber cut him off.

"No buts. You're the civilian here. Leave the fighting to the Knights of Favonius and focus on reconnaissance."

It was strange, taking orders from anyone, let alone someone multiple years younger than him, but he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. They all wanted to know Kaeya's condition.

"You'll be alright?" He asked.

"Yes. Noelle's shield will keep us safe, and between the two of us, that Lawlachurl's easy pickings. Kaeya and I wiped out the rest of the Hilichurls yesterday, so as a bonus, we'll only have one opponent to worry about." She passed him the satchel full of supplies, then handed off her wind glider.

Diluc slipped both on, then paused, rifling through the bag. He pulled out every warming bottle he could find, offering them to Amber.

She stared at him in confusion.

"Uh, thanks, but my Vision will keep us warm. I'm a Pyro user too, you know."

He shook his head.

"For the battle," He clarified, "Throw them in the air and shoot them. They blow up and get fire everywhere."

Amber grinned, malice in her eyes as she stuffed them into her belt bags.

"Good to know."

"You two be safe," He said, "And Noelle, I really am sorry. I'll get you a new dress when we get back to Mondstadt, and for your hand-"

Noelle waved him off.

"It's not even bad enough to blister," She assured, "For now, just worry about finding Venti and our Cavalry Captain!"

Diluc passed them the red flare. After Venti swiped a satchel, theirs was the team left with only one set.

"You two have the more dangerous mission, so take the distress flare. If Venti and I need help, we'll figure something else out. All you need to know from me is black or green."

Amber sent him to the Statue of the Seven as a jumping off place, telling him that the winds were gentler and easier to start gliding on there, but warning him of harsh and violent gusts just outside its range. The girls set off into Starglow Cavern while he double back, fresh waves of anxiety and boiling embarrassment over his earlier episode coursing through him.

At the Statue, a strange white creature met him, whipping back and forth in the breeze excitedly.

"You must be one of Venti's consorts," Diluc mused, admiring just how much it looked like a dinner napkin, "Are you here to guide me to him?"

It nodded quickly.

"Is Kaeya there?"

It nodded again.

He couldn't bring himself to ask if his brother was still alive. Instead, he opened Amber's glider and dived over the edge, following the spirit's lead.

Venti got no response from Kaeya at first. His heart clenched at the sight of his friend's injuries, at the stillness of his body in the snow. He feared that he'd come too late, that Kaeya's spirit had already shed its mortal coil and wandered off somewhere, alone and confused.

Then, he heard the man heave a shallow, rattly breath before coughing feebly, spilling more drops of red onto the snow in front of his face.

"Kaeya!"

The bard shook his friend's good arm once more, heart soaring as Kaeya's good eye fluttered open, half-focusing.

"Venti...?"

"I'm here," He assured, "I'm here, Kaeya. Don't worry."

"Come to pick me up, eh?" Kaeya's chuckle was cut off by a fit of violent, wet coughs as Venti slid and arm under his back, propping him upright against his chest.

"Easy," Venti murmured.

"My Vision," Kaeya rasped, "Give it to Diluc. Or if he doesn't want it, have Jean to give it to Klee when she gets older. Jean gets my sword. The Will is in my nightstand. You and Rosaria-"

"Stop it!" Venti felt tears prickle his eyes, "I've got you, Kaeya, so don't talk like you're gonna die anyway."

The Cavalry Captain looked baffled.

"Oh, fuck me, I'm still alive? That's a surprise. Explains why I still feel like shit, though. If I'm not dead, what's with the weird light?"

Venti followed Kaeya's gaze to the Seelie, smiling softly.

"It's a Seelie," He explained, "It stayed by your side and kept you from freezing last night. They usually wait for people to come to them, but I guess this one saw you first."

Kaeya grinned with a mouthful of bloody teeth.

"My good looks must have won it over."

Venti snorted.

"Oh, yeah, you're looking real good right about now," He teased.

"Just wait. When these scars heal over, I'll be ruggedly handsome." Kaeya lurched forward, overcome by another coughing fit, hand flying to clutch his chest as he wheezed.

"We need to get you back," Venti said, rummaging through the satchel. He pulled out a flare and a match, struggling to light it. He tried and failed several times before the match broke, falling onto Kaeya's chest. He went through the same routine with five more matches, growing more and more frustrated each time.

"Have you never lit a match? How old are you?"

"I don't see you lighting it either! I'm the wind guy, not the pyro guy, just ask Rosaria!"

"I'm literally dying," Kaeya wheezed, "Forget the matches, ask the- the-" He'd already forgotten what it was called. Information was hard to hold onto right now, for some reason, "The light thing."

"Seelie," Venti corrected, lifting one hand to call it closer.

The warm, benevolent creature glided to his side and he held one end of the flare to it. Nothing happened.

"How do you...?"

Kaeya grabbed it with his good hand, shakily turning it around and holding it over the Seelie's flame, watching with satisfaction as it began to burn. He passed to to Venti, who stuck it in the snow beside them.

"Lemme see your other eye real quick," The bard said, slipping Kaeya's eyepatch up.

"Don't just undress me," Kaeya scolded, wincing as light flooded his eyes, "And outside, no less. What sort of friend are you?"

Venti rolled his eyes.

"You're the one out here with no shirt. Victor did say we might find you naked, but really!"

"Victor?"

"He heard you were missing up here and told us some stuff about hypothermia, like not to rub you or warm you up too fast so we wouldn't kill you on accident. He also said you might start stripping, but it looks like you already did that," A pause, "Wow, you are soooo concussed. You should see how much bigger one pupil is than the other." He flipped the eyepatch back down, grip tightening around Kaeya ever so slightly as he watched him shut his eyes again.

"No sleeping!" He ordered.

"'M not," The Cavalry captain slurred, "It's just too bright."

"We'll get you treated soon. I bet someone already saw the flare and is on the way to-"

Venti froze, catching sight of the smoke in his peripheral vision. It was a little late to notice now.

The flare. He'd lit the black one. Shit.

"Kaeya, Kaeya, I lit the wrong one! I lit the "He's Dead" flare, what do I do? Everyone's going to be so fucking mad at me!"

"You what? Get rid of it! Hit it with- with something, or use..." The rest of the sentence was incoherent, cut off by coughs that rattled his ribs and splattered red across Venti's clothes, growing weaker and tapering off before his head lolled to the side and he went slack.

Venti lay the man back down in the snow gently, then hurried over to the flare, cursing. Kicking snow over it didn't work, so in a moment of panic, he fired an arrow, opening up one of his vortexes and tossing it inside. As it sealed, he summoned strong winds to blow the black smoke from the sky, then picked up both other flares from the satchel, looking them over carefully. He found the one with a green dot on the bottom and lit it, setting it down to replace the black one. After the initial panic died down, he shuffled back over to Kaeya to check on him quickly, finding him unconscious. Normally, Venti would just carry him on his glider, but Kaeya was a lot bigger than him and very, very hurt. His Archon form could do it, but half of Mondstadt was back at camp, and he couldn't be sure that the sudden appearance of their God wouldn't distract any important healers, like Barbara, from Kaeya's condition, so he took a moment to light the red flare. He walked several yards from the green one before placing it, ensuring that their smoke trails wouldn't overlap too heavily and look black before returning to Kaeya's side to prop him up. The ever-dutiful Seelie hovered close by, Venti's consorts drifting around it.

"You two," Venti addressed the wind spirits, "I've got another task. One of you, go find Diluc and bring him here. The other, find Jean and make sure she knows Kaeya isn't actually dead."

He watched them fly off, pulling his cape from his shoulders to drape over Kaeya. The Seelie was doing a fine job of keeping them warm, but his wounds were too painful to keep looking at, especially when he was already unconscious and breathing so poorly.

"You're alright," Venti soothed, tucking his friend's head beneath his chin, "We'll patch you up at home. Just hold on a little longer."

Notes:

*Venti voice* Are you guys mad at me

Chapter 10: Goodnight, 'Luc

Notes:

Heads up, this chapter contains graphic depictions of medical treatment and burns. I'm not fucking around with this warning.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The dual smoke trails became narrower as Diluc closed in on their origin. It was difficult to see past them as they blew into his face, stinging his eyes almost as much as the icy winds. He should have asked Amber for her googles. Down below, everything was just blindingly bright white snow or dark, amorphous rocks. The wind spirit did what it could to help, creating little gusts to part the vapor trails around Diluc's face, zipping back and forth before his eyes and then rushing a yard or two ahead, encouraging him to keep going.

Diluc's arms hurt. His shoulders and neck hurt. Every muscle from the top of his hipbones up over his ribs and wrapping around his sides burned, promising a bruising ache over the next several days as they protested this unfamiliar use. He was by no means out of shape- between swinging his claymore around, brawling, and doing parkour around the city, he'd kept his muscles strong and well-trained. Gliding, though? Holding himself up midair with his arms out, keeping his legs up and moving them from side to side to steer against the shrieking winds? He was absolutely unaccustomed to the motions. On top of that, Amber's glider was a bit small for him, coming down to midway between his elbow and his hand rather than resting down by his wrist. He had to hold his arms awkwardly to keep enough wind under them to keep him airborne. Did Kaeya glide often? He did work with their Outrider. Additionally, was lighter, slimmer, and fairly agile. Maybe, if he forgave Diluc, the two of them could practice gliding together.

If he forgives you, a voice reminded Diluc, If he's even still alive.

He pushed the thoughts down, swallowing thickly. The black flare had been put out, and a green one now burned in its place. That should be a good sign, right?

But Venti had lit all three. He could have stumbled across the body and just burned them all to attract as much attention as he could as quickly as possible so that everyone else would stop climbing the treacherous mountain.

Overglorified clown, Diluc though, brow creasing in displeasure.

The wind spirit swooped right into his face, surprising him so much that he nearly dropped out of the sky. It flew back and forth quickly, then shot straight down, coming back up to repeat the behavior. They'd reached the source of the flares. Looking down, Diluc still couldn't really see anything, but that was to be expected between the smoke and the glare.

He soared down in a wide circle, squinting. He was still a good ways off the ground when he spotted the blob of green and blue he'd been looking for.

He knew he was still too high for a good landing, but didn't care. He plunged to the ground, flames immediately turning the soft, powdery snow to steam as he made impact, burying himself up to his chest. He cursed profusely, half-melting, half-crawling his way free, not bothering to brush himself off as he raced to see his brother.

"Kaeya!" He shouted, pulse roaring in his ears as he approached.

Venti's head shot up, but Kaeya remained still in the bard's arms. As he got closer, Diluc could see blood on Venti's chest where Kaeya's head rested and speckling the surrounding snow. Worse, his brother was pale, blue in the lips and fingers, and as Venti moved, Kaeya's head lolled limply, rolling back until Venti shrugged him back into position.

Fuck.

He could already feel tears welling in his eyes, throat tightening.

"Venti-?" He couldn't ask. It felt like speaking the question would make it real.

"He's alive," Venti assured quickly, "Kaeya's still alive, but he's...not good. I can't carry him back on my glider like this."

Equal parts relief and dread shot through Diluc's veins as he crouched down next to them. He went to lift Venti's cape to take a better look, but the Archon grabbed his wrist.

"Venti," Diluc growled, "Let me see him."

"Before I do," Venti said evenly, "Give me your Vision. If you look and get upset, the last thing we need is for you to lose control and overheat him. Remember what Jean told us from Victor about hypothermia? He's been kept warm enough to stay alive by a Seelie, but he's still covered in frostburns from the barrels and cold enough that I don't know whether or not he'll go into shock, especially when he can barely breathe."

Barely breathe?

For the first time, Diluc registered the sound of thin, feeble panting, the rapid and shallow rise and fall of Kaeya's chest beneath the cape. Was that part of hypothermia? Diluc didn't recall panting like that in Snezhnaya- not from the cold.

He pulled his Vision off and handed it over to Venti, peeling back the cape carefully. Getting his first good luck at Kaeya's injuries made him want to throw up.

The dark bruising, the chunks of wood protruding from his flesh and gaping wounds where pieces had been yanked out, dried and cracked blood flaking off of his discolored skin. Angry splotches of red presented themselves on his little brother's right side, blisters were forming from the barrels' frosty blast. He also had a very clearly broken left arm that hung awkwardly at his side. Tilting his brother's head out of the way to get a better look, Diluc noticed the way his shoulder seemed to hang too low, slipped from the bone shelf, sucking in a break as he realized that the broken limb had also been dislocated. All this, and that only covered the extent of the injuries on the front of his torso. Diluc still didn't know what his back or legs looked like and didn't care to find out. They needed to get Kaeya to a healer now.

"Fuck, Kaeya," He said, covering him once again with the cape as he turned to Venti, "I don't think I can glide with him like this either. We're going to have to walk him back. Do we have anything that could make a stretcher?"

The two dug through Venti's satchel for several minutes, Diluc branching off for a moment as he remembered the flares, lighting the green one and setting it down in the snow to replace Venti's, which were fizzling out.

The two brainstormed and shot down ideas on how to get Kaeya down the mountain laying flat one after another until they finally gave up.

"I'll just carry him," Diluc said.

"You're just gonna pick him up?" Venti asked.

"Not much choice. I'd rather have him on my back, though, so we could keep him upright with his arms over my shoulders. Might help his breathing."

Venti nodded.

"We should get some of the wood chips out first."

Diluc agreed, though the though made him queasy. He wasn't typically squeamish at all, but this was Kaeya. He'd be working on his little brother's injuries, not his own, and he couldn't afford to make any stupid mistakes.

He took a deep, slow breath to steel himself before peeling the cape back once more. Venti held Kaeya still as Diluc removed his gloves, fished the tweezers, alcohol, and cotton pads from the first aid kit. He paused for a moment before reluctantly grabbing the suture kit too, eyes wandering to some of the larger chunks and gaping wounds where Kaeya himself had ripped the pieces out.

He started with the smallest fragments, but even those didn't come easily. Each piece tugged at the surrounding flesh, dark scabs crusting them in place as Diluc pulled and dug them out one by one, trying to keep his hands from shaking even as Kaeya's blood bubbled up and spilled from the wounds, coating the tips of his fingers in sticky, iron-scented red.

After each one was out, he'd go over the area with alcohol and cover it with a cotton pad, taping them carefully in place. As he finally reached the last three chunks, he found himself losing his nerve. They were quite large, though Diluc thanked the Archons that they didn't look too deep. He knew they'd need stitches, and he was having enough trouble keeping steady as it was.

"Diluc?" Venti asked, voice wary, "Do you need me to take over? We can switch places."

He thought about it.

"Are you experienced with sutures?"

"No," Venti admitted, "I usually hung back for those. I've sewn other things, but not people."

Diluc exhaled through his nose.

"I'll do it. I did my own."

He had the first piece about halfway out when Kaeya awoke, hissing in pain. He thrashed against Venti as the smaller man tried to hold him still, good arm flying up to grab Diluc's wrist, grip weak and shaky.

"Off me," He hissed, ice forming at the tips of his fingers. He coughed and hacked, wheezing in rattling breaths between and sputtering more blood on all three of them. Beneath the cotton pads, Diluc saw some of the wounds begin to seep through, reopened by the erratic movements as they fought to pin him down.

"Kaeya, it's alright, it's just me and Venti!" Diluc grabbed Kaeya's hand, clasping it between his own, ignoring the sting of cold as his brother's blood squeezed out from between them, trickling down both their forearms.

"Da-" Kaeya cut himself off, squinting. His visible pupil was blown so wide that his iris was nearly invisible, "-Luc...?"

"That's right," He said, "It's me. It's Diluc. We've got to patch you up a bit more before we can move you, but we'll get you home soon, and then a real healer can fix you up."

Kaeya was silent for a moment, aside form his panting.

"Thoutchyou were Dad, f'r a second." He slurred.

Diluc's heart sank.

"No. Just me. You won't be seeing Dad today. We're gonna get you back."

Kaeya hummed noncommittally.

"Let me finish getting these pieces out," Diluc said quietly, laying Kaeya's hand back down by his side, "And try not to move. Sorry, but they'll need stitches. I'll try to be gentle."

Kaeya gave him a limp nod, eye sliding shut again.

"Hey, hey- stay awake if you can," Venti urged, "It'll suck, but it's better if you don't pass out again."

Kaeya begrudgingly opened his eye back up.

"Bright," He complained.

"We know," Venti soothed, tucking Kaeya's head back beneath his chin, "Just try to keep your eyes open anyway, alright?"

"Mhh."

"I'm starting again," Diluc warned, pouring alcohol over his hands, "I'll count it down. Three, two, one..."

Kaeya gasped in pain, tensing as Diluc pulled at the piece he'd been working on earlier. It slid out bit by bit, catching the skin over Kaeya's sore ribs and tugging as it came. Diluc could already tell that this one was bleeding worse than the others.

"A-ah," Kaeya grit his teeth, fist clenching at the snow and eyes squeezed shut against the white flash of pain shooting through his already-damaged nerves.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Diluc repeated, pulling faster. He was no longer succeeding at keeping his hands from shaking. The wood popped out with a wet squelch, blood gathering lazily at the surface and dribbling down his side in rivulets. Diluc poured the alcohol on it without thinking, mentally kicking himself as Kaeya hissed in pain once more. He piled on cotton pads, applying pressure until the bleeding had mostly subsided before tentatively lifting them partway off.

As he suspected, this one would need stitches.

He picked up the suture kit. Distantly, he heard his own breathing speed up and begin to hitch.

"Diluc," Venti warned.

"I'm fine." He scrubbed the back of his arm across his eyes, taking two deep, steady breaths before looking back down to Kaeya.

His brother was watching him closely, he could tell, or as close as he could manage with his eyesight affected by the concussion.

"It's alright, Kaeya," He said, exhaling heavily, "You're alright."

He picked up the suture kit, threading the needle.

"This'll hurt, too," He warned. His brother didn't answer, so he counted down again, forcing his hands as steady as he could get them as he pierced the skin, pulling the thread through to the knot. He moved tot he other side of the wound, getting it as close to even as he could before repeating the process and tugging the two halves together. Kaeya was clearly uncomfortable, making little noises of pain and wincing, but as Diluc made it to the halfway point, those too were beginning to die down. The elder brother hoped that this was because the rhythm took the surprise out of the pain and not because Kaeya was going to black out again.

"Missed you," Kaeya said suddenly. Diluc's hands froze, and he turned to look his brother in the face. When he couldn't bring himself to reply, Kaeya continued.

"'M sorry. About the fight. Everything after, too." Tears were running down his cheeks, now, and his voice was higher than usual, tight and choked. His teeth were chattering, in spite of the Seelie which kept them all warm, "I'm really sorry. Please forgive me- I still wanna be your brother."

The words felt like a kick to the chest. Diluc sat paralyzed beneath their weight, face crumpling in anguish as his own tears dripped down. Of course Kaeya had said it first. Of course he'd said it so easily, like it really was his fault.

He dropped the needle, one bloody hand grabbing Kaeya's again while the other supported his head, bringing it forward so he could press their foreheads together.

"You are," He croaked, "You've always been my brother. I'm the one who should be apologizing. It's my fault, Kaeya, I shouldn't have burned you. I shouldn't have left, I should never have said we weren't brothers." They were both sobbing at this point, snot and tears streaming down their faces, breathing ragged. Diluc continued, "You're my family, Kaeya. I don't want to be alone. I don't want anyone else to be my brother. I don't care where you came from or what you were supposed to do. Don't hate me. Please, please don't die. Don't leave me like Dad."

"Sorry, I'm sorry," Kaeya wheezed over and over as Diluc pulled him into a careful hug, Venti still working to keep Kaeya propped up and staying blessedly silent through the raw interaction, "You're my real family."

They stayed like that for a moment, Kaeya's good arm draped over Diluc's back and their faces buried in each other's shoulders as they cried. They were both coughing, but Kaeya's sounded worse, as one might expect. Though he was loathe to let go, Diluc knew they couldn't stay like this, wasting precious time. Not if he wanted to get Kaeya back alive.

He pulled back first, laying Kaeya back down on Venti. He re-sanitized his hands, the needle, and thread.

"Almost there," He promised, wiping his face on the back of his sleeve.

He worked quicker now. Kaeya's breathing was slowing down again, cyanosis creeping up his fingers and into his palms. He didn't speak, and his head kept lolling to the side, jerking back up like he was trying not to nod off.

"Victor offered to buy me a drink, once, you know," Diluc said, hoping that taking would help keep Kaeya awake, "When I was bartending. He'd just arrived in town."

"Bet you loved that." Kaeya tried to laugh, but just ended up coughing.

"I was so mad," Diluc told him, "I just said I was going on break and left Charles alone at the bar. Went out back and started smashing the empty barrels. I'd just thrown the third one into the wall and lit it on fire with my Vision when Victor stepped out back with an unlit cigarette. He just stood there, staring at me. I wanted to throw the burning pieces at him, and I think he knew it. He went back in, paid his tab, and was gone by the time I came back in. Jean fined me thirty thousand Mora for starting that fire, but it was worth it. He never came back to The Angel's Share, and neither did any of the rest of the Fatui."

Kaeya nodded a bit. Diluc could tell he was losing some lucidity.

"He wanted to help you," Diluc said, "Last night, he told Venti and Rosaria how to treat hypothermia. They told Jean and she told all of us. Makes me glad I didn't kill him that night."

This time, Venti laughed.

"Heart of gold, Diluc. Your mercy knows no bounds."

"Shut up."

Diluc tied off the thread, examining his handiwork. It was more crooked than he would've liked- liable to scar oddly. It was cleaner than anything he'd done for himself, but he still knew that it didn't look good.

"Sorry in advance for how that's going to scar," He said to Kaeya, "One down, two to go."

"I'm not gonna last that long." Kaeya's voice was grim, matter-of-fact. Certain. It sent shivers down Diluc's spine.

"Don't say that," Diluc scolded, "You'll make it. I'll be faster on the next two."

Kaeya shook his head weakly.

"Sorry."

His eye was slipping shut again, chin drooping down to his chest.

"Stay awake," Diluc ordered. He could hear the desperation in his own voice as it switched to a plea, "Don't die, Kaeya, please don't die on me."

Kaeya didn't pick his head back up. His eye was still closed when he opened his mouth to speak again.

"G'night, 'Luc. Love you."

Diluc felt his heart stop. That's exactly how they'd part ways in the hallway as children, heading into their separate bedrooms. On stormy nights, they'd leave both their doors open so that they could look into the room across and see each other when the thunder got loud and rattled the windows.

"Love you too, little brother." He was crying again.

Kaeya had gone slack. He still had a pulse, but it was faint, fluttering.

"I don't think he has two more in him," Venti said, eyeing the other two chunks of wood, "We need to go. Now."

"I can't just carry him with those digging in," Diluc snapped, grabbing hold of the next piece and blinking away tears, "I'll work fast."

Venti shook his head, handing something over to Diluc.

"My Vision...?"

Venti nodded sadly.

"I'm sorry. We really, really don't have time for you to sew."

Oh.

Understanding spread through Diluc. He felt a cold lump form in his stomach, sweat forming on his brow.

"Cauterizing them will be faster."

Diluc's heart was pounding behind his ribs. He almost dropped the Vision.

"I can't, Venti," He said, shaking his head, "I can't burn him again. And what about shock?"

"If we wait, we're going to lose him anyway. I'll pull, you seal. It'll be fast. He's unconscious. He won't feel it."

"He will when he wakes up," Diluc protested.

"That's only if he's alive to wake up," Venti snapped, "If you won't do it, I'm gonna have to heat an arrowhead with the Seelie, and that's going to be a lot worse."

Fuck.

"Fine," Diluc hissed, venom dripping from his voice, "I'll do it."

Venti nodded, laying Kaeya back in the snow. He moved quickly, carefully. He watched Diluc raise his Vision, waited for him to give a quick nod before pulling the second chunk out. Once again, blood gurgled to the surface, but rather than wipe it down and apply pressure, waiting for the blood to stop on its own, Diluc pressed the glassy bulb of his Vision directly to the wound. It fizzled, blood bubbling as it burned. In the middle, the skin let go easily, but at the edges, where the burning was less severe, pieces had melted and fused, little bits sloughing off and sticking to the surface as Diluc pulled back, opening blisters.

Both he and Venti fought back the urge to vomit at the scent of charred flesh.

Venti didn't give them any time to cool down.

"One more."

He pulled the largest piece out and Diluc repeated the process, burning it shut and then pulling his Vision back.

It was awful, seeing the fresh burns over his brother's ribs, steaming in the cold air. He was sure he'd be revisiting this scene over and over for weeks every time he tried to sleep.

They quickly smeared some gel over the burns and covered them with cotton pads. Diluc shrugged his coat off before having Venti help him get Kaeya on his back, then asked the Bard to cover his brother, tying the sleeves over their shoulders.

Neither of them spoke as they made their way around the toe of the mountain, spare for the times when Diluc would get nervous and ask Venti to check Kaeya's pulse for him.

It felt like an eternity of trudging through deep, unrelenting snow, moving as quickly as they could manage without jostling Kaeya too badly. When he'd begin to slip, Venti would push him upright again, helping Diluc to hike him higher up. When the snowbanks were too deep, Diluc would lean forward, balancing his brother as best he could while he used his Vision to clear their path with one hand. The terrain was slippery, rocky, unforgiving. Every time Diluc fell, he'd worry that he'd kill Kaeya with the impact. Frustration at their pace boiled in his veins, but at least they were making progress.

Finally, they arrived at the Snow Covered Path.

They were so, so close to camp.

Notes:

Hi gamers how we feeling after that one

Chapter 11: A Bright, Cloudless Day

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It wasn't far. They were so close, but with each hurried step Venti and Diluc took, it seemed Kaeya's breathing grew weaker. He'd stopped coughing at this point. The panting had given way to thin, shallow wheezing, which would halt completely for several seconds before starting back up again. His brother was cold, clammy, and tinted blue. Diluc had blood in his hair and on the back of his neck from where Kaeya had hacked it up. Though it was just under a mile back to camp, Venti wasn't sure they'd make it at this rate.

"Kaeya's dying," He said flatly, "I'm going ahead. I can't glide with him, but I can bring somebody back. Barbara, maybe. Stay on the path and keep moving. We'll meet you."

He didn't wait for Diluc to acknowledge the plan before taking to the skies. Gliding was much, much faster than walking, especially with the winds at his beck and call, driving him forward. He reached camp in no time, dropping from the sky as soon as he laid eyes on Jean.

"Venti," She greeted, eyes rimmed in red, "The flares- we weren't sure-"

"Kaeya's alive," Venti said, cutting her off, "But not for long, unless he gets help. He can't breathe. I need to take a healer back. Diluc is on the Snow Covered Path now, but won't make it in time. Where's Barbara?"

Jean bit her lip.

"She's gone back to the Cathedral to look after the civilians. I could go, but my healing isn't as good as Barbara's. How badly is he wounded?"

Albedo, who had been talking to Jean previously, spoke up.

"I'd be interested in knowing his symptoms. If he's sufficiently injured, healing him all at once with a Vision could cause its own problems."

Venti described Kaeya's wounds in detail, explaining the frostburn and bruising, the cyanosis, his bloody coughs and wheezing, the concussion, broken and dislocated arm, ribs that were likely either fractured or broken, how he couldn't stay conscious, and how they'd had to stitch and cauterize multiple shrapnel puncture points before moving him.

Albedo nodded grimly.

"I'm afraid he may have air or fluid in his chest cavity," Albedo explained, "And possibly a collapsed lung. Unless it's drained first, healing him all at once could do more harm than good, trapping it in the thoracic cavity while the lung attempts to reinflate. Have you ever healed something like that before, Jean?"

"I haven't. Barbara's taken care of that sort of injury, but as you said, she drained it first. Do you think you could do it?"

Albedo shook his head.

"Not without special equipment. I'd have to go back to my lab, but by then-"

"I'll go!"

The trio turned, surprised to find Bennett off to the side. He'd been eavesdropping. Under the oppressive stares of three adults, one of whom being the grand master, he shuffled nervously.

"I mean- I could, if it helps. My Vision isn't uh, perfect, but it's for sure helped me with injuries like that before. It won't fix him all the way, but it'll take care of the big stuff. Won't be pretty, but it should work. You can ask my Dads."

Jean and Albedo shared a look.

"I'd believe it," Albedo said, "After meeting him on Dragonspine. Couldn't hurt."

Venti waved him over, holding the boy to his side as he summoned a column of wind.

"Bring Kaeya back as soon as he's stable and I'll finish the job," Jean shouted, "Bennett and Diluc can walk down!"

"Got it!"

Bennett came close to slipping from his grasp three times during the short journey- something which Venti chalked up to his bad luck, since he'd never dropped anyone while gliding in his long, long life, but they managed to make it. Diluc had moved quickly, getting Kaeya within a half mile of the camp. Now, as he spotted Venti, he lay Kaeya flat on the path.

"Don't wait," Venti ordered, "The second we hit the ground, heal him.

Bennett nodded, bracing himself against Venti as they closed in for the landing. Both of them hit the ground running.

"Everybody stand back!"

Flames engulfed the boy's sword, trail of brilliant light following the blade as he rolled with the momentum of the landing. The ground shook when his blade struck, fire burning the pattern of the shockwaves into the ground as he unleashed Fantastic Voyage.

Kaeya screamed as it reached him, spasming and convulsing as his body repaired itself. As though his cries weren't bad enough, Venti could hear flesh and cartilage crackling and snapping back together, similar to a turkey leg being torn from the bird but in reverse.

"Sorry," Bennett said breathlessly, "It feels weird until you get used to it, and I forgot to mention that Razor and Fischl always cover their ears when I have to use it on an adventure."

Venti decided that he'd very much like to do the same in the future, but there were more pressing issues to worry about than the terrifying and visceral way Bennett's Vision worked.

"How's Kaeya?" Venti knelt next to Diluc, one arm over the other man's back as Diluc pressed an ear to his brother's chest, fingers on Kaeya's wrist to keep track of his pulse.

Seconds stretched into hours as tears formed in the redhead's eyes and he sat back up.

"He's breathing right," He said, smiling wider than Venti had ever seen from him, "It's a bit uneven, but it's not so strained. No coughing, no blood. Real breaths. Heart rate seems fast but strong."

As Venti pulled Kaeya, who had still yet to regain consciousness, over his shoulder, he noted the distinct change in color and temperature. Though he was still cool to the touch, he was no longer clammy and ice cold. His skin, which had been pale, ashen, and tinged blue, especially in his lips, eyelids, and extremities, was almost back to normal. The burns still had blisters and a couple of the puncture wounds now seeped into the cotton pads, untouched by the Vision's healing, but overall, his friend seemed to be doing better.

"I'm taking him back to Jean to finish the job," He told Diluc, "She said you and Bennett could go down together." As he ascended, Kaeya in tow, he made eye contact witht he young adventurer and added, "Nice work!"

Diluc watched them go until he saw them drop down into camp in the distance. The sun was high in the sky now, warm beams cutting through the cloudless sky over Mondstadt. He'd needed to shade his eyes and squint against its rays just to make sure he could see them back. The air was still cold and crisp on Dragonspine, but the weather promised to be pleasant once they got off the mountain.

They'd done it. Kaeya was going to make it. His brother was off of Dragonspine, safe and breathing, with Venti and Jean. Diluc stood, tears still dripping down his chin, letting the relief wash over him like cool water on a dry throat.

" ?" Bennett sounded tentative, "Are you okay? You're crying. Were you hurt, too? Can I help?"

He turned to look Bennett in the face.

"I couldn't be better," He said wholeheartedly, scrubbing at the tears that wouldn't stop coming, "Forgive me. It's been a very emotional day. Don't worry about me. I just need a moment to compose myself."

Diluc watched the boy reach into the pocket of his cargo shorts, producing a scruffy handkerchief. It was small, charred around the edges, stained, and had been patched and repaired so many times that Diluc couldn't tell what color it had originally been.

"Here, use this," Bennett offered, "It's ugly, but it gets the job done. And you don't have to apologize for crying, y'know. We all cried back at camp, when we first saw that black flare go up. Even the Acting Grand Master. It was awful. I've never seen her look anything but composed and assuring, and she still was, I guess, when it happened, talking everyone through what the next steps would be, but it was really scary seeing her cry while she did it. Made everything feel real." He shook his head, "Point is, my Dads always tell me it's okay to cry when you need to. That goes double for today. It's strange, but sometimes, I think it's harder not to cry when something good happens, y'know?"

Diluc nodded, moving to hand the handkerchief back only to realize that he'd coated it thoroughly in snot and tears.

"I'll wash this and get it back to you," He said, "Let's go back and meet with the others. I want to be there when Kaeya wakes up."

"Alright!" Bennett gave an excited bounce, only to slip on a patch of ice and land flat on his butt.

Diluc moved to help him up, only to slip on the same patch of ice, blue-gray sky blurring as he went over, landing on his back with an undignified, "Oof!"

He made eye contact with Bennett, smile splitting his face. On pure impulse, Diluc mimed making a snow angel, ignoring the fact they there was only ice and snow beneath him on the path. They both erupted in laughter, which only got worse as Bennett started to get up only to slip again and land flat on his belly like a penguin.

Diluc heaved himself to his feet carefully, making sure to melt the ice beneath him as he rose. Once he was up, he hauled Bennett up by the arm, both of them still chuckling, little breaths billowing from their mouths in the frosty air. They started back, both still grinning widely.

"I can't thank you enough," Diluc told him, "If you hadn't come back with Venti, I might have lost my brother today."

"Whoa," Bennett breathed, "You and Kaeya are brothers? I never knew! I don't think he ever mentioned it, not even when he was teaching me how to use a sword."

"We had a fight, some years ago," Diluc explained, "A stupid fight. That's behind us now, I hope." He paused, "Kaeya taught you swordsmanship? Not anyone from the Guild?"

"Nope! My Dads were worried I'd hurt myself if I used a sword, so they didn't want to teach me, even after I got my Vision. Kaeya caught me trying to practice in the woods with a stick and gave me some pointers. At first I was really embarrassed, but he told me him and his friends used to practice with sticks, too, sometimes, when they weren't training with the Knights. It really surprised me when he told me to come back later that week and he'd teach me some moves. Sure enough, he brought a couple of old wooden swords and a dummy. From then on, for about six or seven months, he showed me the basics and sparred with me a couple times a week. I couldn't believe my luck! Mondstadt's own Calvary Captain, training me! When I asked him why, he just said everyone deserves a chance. Isn't that cool?"

Diluc hummed in agreement. Part of him was surprised that Kaeya still remembered the days they'd spent, playing in the woods and goofing off. For some reason, Diluc hadn't thought those memories would mean anything to him, not after the fight. He'd tried to forget himself, in Snezhnaya, but somehow, when he'd dream without nightmares, he'd find himself in the shade of those familiar trees, hitting his brother and Jean with sticks.

Bennett slipped and fell several more times on the way back down, which was impressive considering the short distance they needed to traverse. Right as they were about to cross the bridge, the boy twisted his ankle badly, telling Diluc to go on ahead and see Kaeya, that he'd catch up. Diluc, of course, would never do such a thing, instead hauling Bennett up onto his back. He was lighter than Kaeya had been. The difference reminded him of when Kaeya had first arrived in his life, rail thin and ghostly quiet, always fidgeting and following his new brother like a shadow. He got tired much faster, back in those days, and after long walks or full days swimming in the lake, he'd be too tired to get back on his own, so Diluc would carry him.

"Jean!" He called as they arrived back at camp, "Is Kaeya awake yet?"

"Not sure," She said, jogging over to meet them, "After I treated him, he was still unconscious. I had Venti fly him to the Cathedral to be monitored. Albedo said it could take him a few days to wake up, and thinks he should be fine afterward, so long as he rests well and is given time to recover." Jean peeked past Diluc to Bennett, who was still on his back.

"Bennett, are you alright?"

"Just twisted my ankle," He said, "It'll be fine. was nice enough to carry me back!"

Diluc set him down, keeping one arm on the kid's shoulder to steady him.

Jean healed Bennett quickly, in spite of the boy's insistence that it wasn't necessary, then sent him along to meet Fischl and Razor as they arrived back at camp with their teams.

"How did things go with the Lawachurl?" Jean asked, "Actually, where are Noelle and Amber? Did they not go with you to find Venti?"

Notes:

Okay y'all, happy to say Kaeya's officially out of the woods :) From here on out, there's going to be a little more action (Can't forget our girls up in Starglow Cavern!) and some more comfort. No, everyone is not done crying. I'm wringing these emotional goofballs for all they're worth.

Thank you all for sticking around so far. I know I haven't replied to every comment, but I read all of them and I'm flat out giddy every time I find a new one! This is the most interaction I've ever seen on a piece of my writing, and you're all really wonderful readers!

Chapter 12: Girls Night!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Things had been going so well in the first half of the fight. They'd found the Lawachurl unaware, sleeping in the shoddy remains of the shelter in its camp. Amber had tossed two of their warming bottles and shot them, lighting it on fire with the beast still inside, issuing a rude awakening as it thrashed about, suddenly engulfed in flames. As the roof had collapsed, Amber was keeping repeated charged shots going, hoping that it would remain trapped at least long enough to melt through a fair portion of its shield.

When it broke free, throwing huge chunks of burning debris from its shoulders, the Lawachurl launched itself into the snow, rolling about. Noelle had taken the opportunity to strike at its exposed belly, hitting hard, but not quite enough to break through its leathery, plated skin.

It leaped to its feet, suddenly realizing that it was under attack. Snarling, it charged forward, only barely missing Noelle as she dived out of its path. Amber threw Baron Bunny out to distract it, and it worked for a moment, blowing up in the confused creature's face.

That was when the Abyss Mage had arrived, chirping maliciously from its bubble shield as it shot sharp icicles at the girls.

Amber had been quick, dodging the shards, but Noelle was still recovering from her last dodge and weighed down by her gear. The ice struck her shield, hard, knocking her back down. It hadn't quite broken, but Amber worried that the damage had been too substantial to ignore. Worse, Noelle was down well within range of both monsters, and even at full strength, her shield would never hold against a full-strength attack from the Lawachurl.

"Hey, ugly!" Amber shouted, tossing another warming bottle between the enemies and blowing it up mid-air with a charged shot, "Remember me?"

The Lawachurl turned, a deep growl rumbling in its throat as it flexed its claws, eyes fixed on her. The Mage watched from its bubble, wand waving in preparation to counter as Amber began to move in a semicircle, bow drawn and aimed at the Lawachurl.

She was moving out, toward the cliff. She'd hoped to stay inside the cavern as much as possible, but if she wanted to take the heat off Noelle, she needed to draw them away from where the other girl had gotten to her feet, panting.

Maybe we should have waited for Diluc to come back, Amber thought, unease squeezing her lungs, Two on one was fine, but that Mage is going to make this a lot harder.

Hindsight was twenty-twenty.

"Noelle," Amber called, "We need to get their shields down!"

The maid nodded, lifting her Claymore and charging forward toward the Mage. She struck several times, hoping to chip away at its stamina, but the shield was holding strong. She had no fire to speed up the process, and Amber was too far away to assist with the Lawachurl keeping her occupied.

It stalked forward, eyes never leaving her. Around them, remnants of yesterday's battle were strewn about the area. Melted snow that had frozen again overnight made for slick, icy hazards. Kaeya's ice walls still stood, offering some cover, but Amber didn't think they'd really hold for long, especially if she got pinned by one with her Vision heating it up. Further out, she could see huge, splintered chunks of wood protruding form the snow where the barrels had blown. Sickeningly, some of them had blood and torn scraps of familiar blue fabric stuck to them. The entire area by the blast zone had also frozen over into an ice slick, Amber noted. That created a huge obstacle, but if she played her cards right, she might just be able to use it to her advantage.

"Amber!"

Noelle's warning broke the Outrider from her thoughts, giving her just enough time to dodge most of the Mage's blast. A couple shallow, stinging cuts appeared on her arm, blood beading to the surface. From this distance, she wasn't protected by Noelle's shield.

The Lawachurl charged. Amber fired two shots into its path as she rolled out of its path and closer to the ledge. She needed to be careful, or she'd end up like Kaeya.

Noelle was struggling, too. She was visibly winded, still hacking and slashing at the Mage's shield and making little progress. If Amber could help, between her Pyro melting it and Noelle's brute strength bearing down, they'd get through in no time- same for the Lawachurl's shield. Trouble was that their two opponents combined would be overwhelming. As it stood, they seemed to be at a stalemate, neither side able to land ant catastrophic blows. The enemy had two main advantages, though- one being resistance to the cold, which Noelle lacked, and the other being that if they managed to herd the fight into a small area, they'd be able to overpower the girls before their shields broke.

We need to get rid of one of them, Amber thought, reaching into her belt bag for another warming bottle. She shot it next to the mage, Noelle's Geo shield holding up well against the flames. She couldn't keep her eyes on it for long, but she hoped that it would help make a weak spot for Noelle to aim for.

The Lawachurl took a swipe at her and she dodged nimbly. She was much more agile than the Lawachurl, that was for sure.

If she only had her glider, it would be easier to provide cover from above and keep herself out of range.

She slipped, going down hard on a patch of ice. The Lawachurl took the opportunity and landed a glancing blow on her leg as she pulled away, claws raking rows into her calve. She inhaled sharply. It was neither debilitating nor horribly deep, but it was certainly bleeding a lot. If it didn't stop on its own, she'd soon have to either take cover and wrap it or find a faster way to treat it before it opened further.

She threw Baron Bunny, watching it blow on the Lawachurl as she scurried to her feet.

She glanced down at the patch of ice that had tripped her up, plan forming in her mind.

She'd need to bait it over to where the barrels had exploded- the large ice slick. If she timed it right, she could dodge the Lawachurl and blow up a Baron Bunny as it lost traction on the ice, sending it over the ledge.

Amber glanced at Noelle. The Mage's shield was still up, but visibly cracked. She was making progress. If she wasn't too exhausted from swinging her Claymore around, Amber hoped she'd be able to help with the Lawachurl soon.

She positioned herself in front of the ice slick, panting. The monster took two meaningful steps in her direction, lips drawn back in a snarl. Amber met its gaze, her own teeth bared. She needed this to look convincing. She let it get in fairly close, then feigned a stumble as she put weight on her bad leg. She moved, as though the stand, only to go down again.

"Amber?" Noelle was worried. She was putting on a good show.

"I'm fine!"

The Lawachurl charged, full-speed. Amber let it get very, very close before throwing herself between its legs, wincing as she went down hard on her shoulder. It hit the ice and slid forward, shrill cry splitting the air as it went over.

Yes!

Amber stood and fired several consecutive charged shots directly into the weak spot she'd made on the Mage's shield earlier. It broke with a satisfying crack as it fell from its bubble, wobbling dizzily. Noelle, backed by the power of Geo, made quick work of it with three mighty slashes, its death cry weak and cut short as the final one landed.

"We got them," Noelle said with a bright smile, collapsing into a heap.

"They never stood a chance," Amber agreed, following suit. Her leg was still bleeding. She bit her lip. It hadn't looked bad at first, but running around on it had done her no favors.

"Your leg's bleeding," Noelle observed, "Do you need help?"

"No, I've got it." Amber rummaged through her belt bags until she found the first aid kit. She could see Barbara back at the Cathedral. For now, she just wanted to wrap it up and go home.

I hope Kaeya's alright, she thought, bandaging her wound.

As she stood, testing the leg, something caught her eye in the snow.

His sword!

Amber picked it up, examining it. On the one hand, she was happy to have found it, but on the other, that meant that he'd been unarmed all night.

"I found Kaeya's sword!" She held it up for Noelle to see, laughing as the other girl gave a small round of applause.

"I'm sure he'll be pleased when we get back."

Amber nodded.

"Let's head back. I'm sick of this place."

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

That was a strange sound. Amber turned back toward the cliff, wondering why it seemed familiar.

A huge paw appeared over the ledge, just as it had the day before.

The Lawachurl had survived the fall and climbed back up.

Amber Cursed, calling out a warning for Noelle to get to cover as it hauled itself back over the edge.

It didn't hesitate, charging Amber even as she threw Baron Bunny in its path, Kaeya's sword discarded in favor of her bow. Baron went off, staggering the creature, but it still bore down relentlessly. Its shield was either much weaker or completely gone. Amber's arrows hit home, drawing blood from its shoulders and chest. Its mask still held strong, protecting its head.

Noelle's Claymore was drawn again as she rushed in to help, carving a deep gash in its side as the beast shrieked in fury, retaliating with a powerful swipe that sent Noelle flying, shield failing as she hit the ground.

"Noelle!"

"I'm alright, but I need time to get my shield back up!"

She was slow to get back to her feet, panting. Amber knew she was still exhausted from the fight with the Mage and probably very, very cold beneath her metal armor.

"Fall back until you have a shield again," She ordered, "Don't engage without! I can keep it busy."

"But-"

"No buts!"

Noelle hesitated, but obediently retreated back into the cavern to recuperate. Amber hoped she'd be able to find a way to warm up, too.

She should still have a warming bottle, she recalled. They'd dedicated most of them to being munitions, but had left Noelle with one in case of emergencies.

She continued whittling at the monster's stamina, watching ti bleed into the snow as she dodged its attacks. It was slowing down, thankfully. Amber could feel herself growing weaker, too. She was still sore from fighting and carrying Andrew the day prior and running on no sleep.

I need to end this.

She pointed her bow at the sky, Vision roaring as a hail of flaming arrows rained down on her target. It cried out in agony as they made contact, piercing its back in several places. It rolled through the snow, arrows snapping off and remaining lodged between it ribs and in its sides as it staggered to its feet, panting.

It wouldn't last long.

Amber threw a Baron Bunny and her last warming bottle for good measure, watching the beast go down with a thud as they detonated. She turned, satisfied with her victory. Even if she hadn't quite managed to kill it, the thing was bleeding heavily and hit in more than one vital place, certain to succumb quickly.

"Look out!"

Noelle's call had Amber whirring around a moment too late, teeth clicking together as the Lawachurl landed a blow to her side, sending her sliding through the snow. She tried to get to her feet, but she was still stunned, body responding slowly. Her ears were ringing, all other sounds coming in muffled, like she was underwater or listening from the next room. Though her vision was doubled, she could see Noelle racing forward to help, but she was still far away. The Lawachurl was already stumbling toward her, close enough that it'd get there first.

She'd dropped her bow when she'd been hit.

She managed to sit up, hand brushing against something metallic as the Lawachurl pounced.

She gripped the hilt of Kaeya's sword, knowing that her life depended on it, thrusting it upward as the creature came down, jaws gaping as it went in for the kill. Her eye slammed shut. She felt the blade make contact with something soft, going through until it hit resistance. She put everything she had into keeping the momentum going, gasping as hot, vile liquid sprayed her face. Cracking her eyes open, she found that the blade had gone through the monster's bottom jaw, right where it met the throat, and continued up into he roof of its mouth. It was shrieking, blood and saliva hitting Amber as she jiggled the blade, hoping to finish it off.

It jerked once, twice, then fell limp, slumping forward and falling partially onto Amber, who struggled to write out form beneath its corpse as Noelle arrived, hauling the Outrider back by the shoulders.

"Are you alright?" She asked breathlessly.

Amber nodded, though she still felt slow. The ringing in her ears was quieter and her vision was now just blurry, not doubled.

"Think so," She said, "Just shaken up. You?"

Noelle didn't answer, instead clasping Amber's face between her hands and looking closely.

"I think you're concussed," Noelle observed, "And you bled through your bandage. I'll re-wrap it and carry you back."

Amber shook her head, only to immediately regret the motion as she was hit with a wave of vertigo. Maybe she was a bit concussed.

"I can walk," She insisted.

"Maybe you can," Noelle said firmly, "But you're not going to."

Amber didn't argue. Instead, she sat quietly, watching Noelle work. She was so tired. She rested her chin on her good knee, arms folded to cushion her head. She was trying and failing not to nod off.

"Stay awake," Noelle ordered, "I know you're tired, but we need to get you treated first."

Easier said than done.

"Kaeya's sword," Amber remembered, "We should bring it back for him."

Noelle nodded, leaving Amber for a moment to pull it form the body. Amber watched as she wiped the blood on the hem of her dress before tucking it into the satchel alongside their red flare.

"If you lose consciousness," Noelle warned, "I'm lighting our flare."

Amber nodded blearily. She'd just stay awake. No big deal.

Noelle sheathed her Claymore and threw Amber over her shoulder in a fireman's carry, setting a quick pace back through Starglow Cavern. As they went, Noelle asked Amber to point out features, count stalactites up above, solve math equations- anything she could think of to keep her awake and responding, just as they'd been trained.

Gradually, though, Amber's replies became less coherent. She was taking longer to answer, and at one point, Noelle had to let her down so that she could be sick, dry heaving. Her stomach was too empty to actually produce anything.

When Noelle picked her up again, Amber was shaking. The maid hurried to the far side of Starglow Cavern, lighting the red flare as soon as she found a clear place to set it.

Notes:

Hii sorry this one is short and took longer to come out! Fight scenes are my kryptonite and I kept deleting the whole thing to redo it. Still not super proud of how it tuned out, but I want to get this part out of the way and move on before I lock myself in a stalemate and can't continue.

Chapter 13: Home

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Kaeya cracked his eyes open, peering down through his messy bangs. He felt groggy, slow. His vision was no longer doubled, but his depth perception felt strange, uncooperative, wrong in a way he couldn't quite place. Dim, early morning light drifted through the infirmary windows, hanging in the air like fog and casting a bruised blue tint on the empty walls. The room was small, sterile, and silent, save for the gentle whirs and beeps of the equipment. It smelled chemical. Even the clean, white blankets piled on top of him didn't smell the same as the fresh linens he was used to- whatever they washed these in was sharper.

He had an IV in his left wrist and he could see several more wires tied to the side of the bed, peeking out from under his blanket and tracing back to the machines they hung from. His chest and throat still ached each time he inhaled, but it wasn't the same piercing agony it had been up on the mountain. His ribs felt bruised, not splintered, and his throat was just raw. As he moved to sit up, he felt a familiar, sharp pain in two separate spots on his chest as the skin pinched and pulled. Lifting the blankets, he found himself wrapped in heavy white bandages, wires emerging from where the wrappings overlapped and crisscrossing as they trailed off toward the equipment. He certainly felt better, but he couldn't see what sort of shape he was in quite yet.

He dropped the blanket, running his tongue over cracked, chapped lips. How long had he been out?

He turned, hoping to find water on the nightstand, and froze. There, fast asleep and snoring quietly in the crappy, too-small chair next to the bed, was Diluc, arms folded over each other and head hanging over his chest, sure to leave him with a sore neck. His hair was unkempt, falling out of a low, messy ponytail, and even in the dim light, Kaeya could see stubble on his face that indicated several days since his brother's last shave.

Kaeya's heart ached. Diluc really did look just like Dad, now, in a way Kaeya himself never would, because they shared no blood, and in a way that must hurt Diluc greatly each time he caught sight of his own reflection.

There was a pitcher and a glass on the nightstand. Kaeya wasn't sure whether someone visiting had already drank from it, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Carefully, so as not to wake his brother, Kaeya reached for the half-full glass with his shaky hand. After missing the first time, he carefully wrapped his fingers around it, slipping it closer to the edge without making a sound. As he celebrated the tiny victory of not waking anyone or causing a hassle, it slipped from his weak grasp and shattered loudly, spraying glass and water all over the floor.

"Barbatos, is nothing easy?" Kaeya flopped back down in bed, scrubbing his hand over his face.

"Are you alright? What was that?" He'd woken Diluc. Obviously.

"I broke a glass," Kaeya said, "Watch your step. Floor's wet."

The unmistakable, rapid click, click, click of heels on the floor indicated that someone outside had been alerted as well.

"Go home and take a shower already, you stupid-" Rosaria cut herself off as she entered the room, spotting Kaeya awake.

"Sorry," Kaeya said, "Thought I could hold it."

"Not with me as your on-shift nurse," Rosaria told him, "I've got you on a bit more than what Barbara recommended for pain. You get a pass for dropping stuff. I thought Scruffy here in the chair was making noise again. He sat here the first two days you were out. He'd just randomly start crying, so we had to kick him out when Klee visited."

Diluc cleared his throat, but Kaeya and Rosaria ignored him.

"Klee visited?" Kaeya asked, "I thought she was gone with Alice. When did she- how long have I been out?"

"Five days, but two of those were probably just the drugs." She gave him a thumbs up, "Albedo said it would hurt when you woke up, so I just kept you out."

"Klee overheard Albedo on a call with Alice," Diluc explained, cutting into the conversation, "Apparently, the call took place before Albedo went down the mountain to aid with the search party, so all Klee knew was that you were missing and injured."

"She wouldn't calm down until she got to see you," Rosaria added, "So once Alice heard you'd been found alive, she sent Klee back early so she could visit."

"Where is she now?"

"With Jean," Diluc answered, "I sent them both to get some rest. Amber is also doing well. After she and Noelle finished off the Lawachurl, Albedo helped carry her down and treat her for the concussion."

"Amber got hurt?" Kaeya sat up too quickly, fighting a wave of dizziness as the blood rushed away from his brain.

Rosaria and Diluc moved in unison, each taking one of Kaeya's shoulders to guide him back down.

"She's fine now," Rosaria said, "She was just exhausted after and a little roughed up. Her concussion was mild, and unlike someone, she didn't get thrown off a cliff and ragdoll to the bottom. Her and Noelle went back up to get rid of it the day the search party went up, and Diluc was supposed to go with, but Venti screwed up the flares and they sent him to go figure out whether or not you actually died."

Kaeya remembered that- the flares, Venti's panic, Diluc being there one of the times he woke up, sewing his wounds shut. He heaved out a breath.

"Glad to hear she's alright."

He could already feel the guilt bubbling up. It felt like his fault- Amber going back to fight again, getting hurt. If he'd been more careful when they first encountered it, she wouldn't have had to put herself at risk a second time.

Rosaria shook him once.

"None of that sad, self-pitying shit," She said firmly, "I can see it on your face. Half of Mondstadt's been waiting for you to wake up and be okay, including Amber. Next time you see her, the right thing to say is, 'Thank you', not 'Sorry'. Got it?"

It was scary sometimes, how well she read people.

"Got it," Kaeya said, reaching up to ruffle her hair and ruin it, "Thanks. You're pretty kind for a cold-hearted bitch, you know."

Rosaria leaned over, pulling Kaeya into a half-hug.

"Yeah, well, you make pretty good company for a miserable drunk. I'd be pretty sad if you died on me, so don't."

As she pulled away, she made sure to ruffle Kaeya's already-messy bangs, messing them up even worse to get even for her own hair.

"I'm going on break," She said, side-eyeing Diluc, "If you need me, I'll be out back. I'll tell Jean you're awake when I clock back in. Might be a good time to talk, if you need to."

She left, the sound of her shoes growing fainter and fainter as she made her way down the hall, leaving the brothers alone.

The silence was thick, stifling. They were trapped together now, unsure what to say, not knowing where they stood. Kaeya was afraid he'd have to be the one to address the elephant in the room, but Diluc took him by surprise.

"I'm glad you're alive, Kaeya," He said, eyes glued to the floor, "We- I really thought, for a while there, you wouldn't make it."

Kaeya huffed out a dry, humorless laugh.

"So did I."

He remembered it. His goodbye. The empty, tingling sensation that had crawled up his limbs and dissolved away into numbness. The darkness that had encroached upon his already-poor vision, swallowing everything up until he couldn't even see his brother's bloody hands working to keep him alive anymore. The way that even his own voice had sounded muffled, far away, like he was under water or listening from the next room as he spoke, words slurred and garbled in spite of his efforts to be clear. Diluc had said something to him, too, but he'd been too far gone to understand it. Kaeya really hadn't expected to open his eyes again, after that, but here he was. Here they both were.

Silence stretched between them again. They both had questions, but neither could bring himself to ask them for fear of how the other might answer.

Kaeya heard the chair scoot closer, dragging across the floor. He heard the scrape of Diluc's boot and the clinking of glass shards as he nudged them aside.

"Do you remember," Diluc asked carefully, "What we said to each other?"

He nodded, swallowing a thick lump in his throat.

"We apologized," He said, "Made amends, I suppose."

Diluc heaved a sigh next to him.

"I meant it," He said, "When I told you I'm sorry. That you're my brother, and I don't want you to die."

Kaeya's eyes stung, throat suddenly tight with tears.

"Me too," He said, "I'm sorry I betrayed you and Dad. I should have told you sooner- both of you."

"You never betrayed us," Diluc told him firmly, "You chose us over your birth family- over Khaenri'ah. I didn't see it, that night. I was angry, and grieving, and I took it out on you. I-I said a lot of things I didn't mean. I hurt you, badly, then left for three years. Even after I came back, I was still unnecessarily cruel to you, and I don't even know why. I'm sorry."

"I still lied to you," Kaeya answered, "For a long time. I'd be angry, too, if you'd done that to me. Timing could have been better, on my part, but I knew that back then, too. I still told you that night, anyway. I shouldn't have. When Dad died, you needed a brother. I gave you the truth instead, even though I knew it would hurt you. That wasn't right. So, I'm sorry, too- for lying, and then telling the truth at the worst possible time. And it's not like I never broke any olive branches you extended to me, either, once you got back." He paused, "But we've said this already, when we thought- when we didn't think we'd have another chance. That made it easier, at least for me. Felt like something I had to do. It's worse now," He admitted, "Because I have no idea what we're supposed to do next if I'm not going to die."

Diluc laughed, but Kaeya could tell it was out of discomfort.

"I'm not sure, either," He admitted, "But like I said before, I'm glad you're not dead." He looked at Kaeya thoughtfully, then added, "I don't feel any less guilty. Talking to you is still awkward. It feels like I'm going to screw everything up and hurt you all over again."

"That makes two of us."

"I fucking hate talking to people now," Diluc said, scrubbing a hand down his face, "Even you."

"Thanks a lot."

"Not like that. I just mean-"

"I know," Kaeya said, cutting him off, "It's hard now, especially between us. We haven't had a civil conversation since Dad died, and now we're doing whatever this is and it sucks too. First we couldn't say anything kind or sincere to each other, now everything is heavy and emotional and we have to try too hard. I haven't had this much trouble figuring out what to say since Dad first brought me home."

There was a lull in the conversation, both of them taking time to let what they'd said to each other soak in. The silence was still uncomfortable, but less so. It no longer felt loaded.

"You never told me," Diluc said after a while, "What life was like for you before you came to the Winery. I've always had my suspicions that it wasn't good. If you ever did want to talk about it..." He trailed off.

Kaeya sucked in a breath. He wasn't ready for that- not quite yet. Not when things still felt raw and sore between them.

"I'll tell you someday," He said, "But not right now. I don't want to think about it, when other things already hurt."

Diluc nodded.

"When you're ready, then," He said, "If you're ever ready."

"Same goes for you," Kaeya told him, "About Dad, and Snezhnaya."

Diluc let out a ragged breath.

"Someday," He said.

Kaeya made a fist, bringing it slowly, gently to his brother's jaw in a mock-punch.

"You need to shave," He said as Diluc looked up at him, "And shower."

"I know."

"I bet I do, too," Kaeya admitted, "My hair is probably looking pretty rough after five days in bed and a night on the mountain."

"Jean braided it for you," Diluc told him, "Your second day here. She's redone it once since, so it shouldn't be too bad."

"That was kind of her," Kaeya said, absently reaching back to feel his hair, running his fingers down the frizzy bumps of the plait.

The sun was higher now. Warm, amber rays pooled on the floor and lit the stark, white walls and blankets with lazy golden beams. When Diluc moved to rub his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose, Kaeya found himself taken back several years, standing in the living room of the mansion on a bright morning as he watched their father sip coffee on the couch, still waking up.

"You look just like Dad, sometimes," He said sadly.

Diluc didn't meet his gaze.

"I know."

"I'm sorry," Kaeya said, "I know you probably don't like being told that."

Diluc shook his head.

"I don't mind looking like him," He said, "I loved Dad. But I miss him, Kae. It hurts to see my own face and know that I'll never see him again, and that he wouldn't be proud of who I'd become after he died."

Well, fuck. That was heavy.

Kaeya motioned for Diluc to come closer, then pulled him in for a hug. It was awkward, one-armed, and both of them were looking at the IV in his wrist, but he hoped the gesture meant something to his brother.

"I can't speak for Dad," Kaeya said, knowing it was true, "And I don't really know you well anymore, but I want to. And I promise I'll always look up to you. It's my job, you know, as your younger brother."

Diluc laughed.

"You just have to look up because you're short," He said out of habit.

"We're the same fucking height," Kaeya retorted, "I'm trying to be supportive."

Diluc looked genuinely surprised.

"Are we really? I still think of you as smaller. You didn't seem as big as me when I carried you down the mountain."

"I may not be as bulky as you," Kaeya said, "Because I don't swing a claymore around all the time or throw- what was it? Barrels?- when I get mad at bar patrons, but I'm a lot taller than I used to be."

Diluc smiled.

"It was barrels. Empty ones, though."

This was better. Easier.

"Tell me again," Kaeya said, "About Viktor. I was trying too hard not to pass out or laugh last time."

Diluc grinned.

"Right. Well, I was bartending at the Angel's Share, not long after Viktor got to town..."

They stayed like that, swapping stories, laughing, learning more about each other for over an hour. The only thing that stopped them was the arrival of Jean and Klee with breakfast for four.

"Sorry to interrupt," Jean said, shrugging a teary-eyed Klee higher to keep her balanced as she pushed the silver cart with her other hand, "I hope you don't mind if we join you."

"Of course not," Kaeya said, reaching up to pull the child from Jean's arms and onto the bed next to him, "It's always a pleasure to see both of you. Mind the glass on the floor."

Klee buried her head in Kaeya's shoulder, crying. He patted her back, wincing as her foot hooked one of the wires coming from his chest, but didn't pull away form the hug until she'd finished.

"Albedo said you were really hurt," She said, rubbing her eyes, "And that they couldn't find you. Then, when they found you, they put you in the hospital and you wouldn't wake up. The weird grown up was crying, too. It was really scary."

"Sorry," Diluc muttered from his chair.

"That does sound very scary," Kaeya agreed, giving Diluc a small smile, "But I'm awake now. I'm alright, Klee, and you are, too." He wiped her face with the edge of the blanket and added, "The food's going to get cold. Why don't we all eat something, and you can tell us what you did with Ali- your Mom, while you were visiting, hm?"

"Okay," The girl agreed, sniffling, "But I want to wear your eye patch."

Kaeya's hand went to his face, surprised to find it bare beneath his bangs. He glanced at Diluc, who produced it form his pocket, motioning for Klee to lean forward and helping her tie it on properly. Once he was finished, she sat back, eye patch taking up almost the whole right side of her face, and began telling them about how Alice had taken her fish blasting while Jean dragged another chair in from the hallway, taking a seat and passing out plates.

As they ate, Kaeya found himself feeling genuinely happy that he'd survived, taking himself by surprise. He hadn't really thought that he'd wanted to die, but he also hadn't really wanted to be alive for quite some time. The realization was jarring.

"Kaeya?" Jean asked, voice wary.

"I'm fine," He said quickly, "I was just thinking that I'm happy to see you all again."

Klee latched herself around his shoulders, followed immediately by Jean and Diluc. Kaeya didn't have the heart to protest the hug, even as he watched syrup from his and Klee's plates spill onto the bed.

He was alive. People had missed him, wanted him back. The sensation of being loved and wanted settled heavily, buzzing in his chest much the same as it had when he was a child, wrapped in Adelinde's arms or riding on Crepus' shoulders or Diluc's back as they followed the trail back to the Winery.

He'd made it. For the first time in years, he was home.

Notes:

Hi! This chapter was supposed to be posted several days ago but I accidentally closed the tab and lost everything I'd written and couldn't bring myself to put it all back until today! Worse yet, I almost didn't catch my title typo and very nearly called this chapter Hoe instead of Home. May you all have your ducks in a neater row than mine!

Chapter 14: The First Rule of Medicine is to Have Fun and Be Yourself

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It was late afternoon and Kaeya was alone with his thoughts. Jean had already left with Klee after breakfast. She and Kaeya had helped convince Diluc to go home and clean up a bit- he'd been in desperate need of a shave, a shower, and a change of clothes.

He'd survived. People had cared enough to go up the mountain and get him. Amber had glided down in the snow at night with an injured civilian strapped to her side. Jean had dropped everything to organize the search. Venti- Barbatos himself- had personally mobilized his wind spirit consorts to find him. Diluc, his brother who had burned and left him, who had abandoned his entire life and legacy for three years just to get away from Kaeya had apologized. He'd assured him that they were still brothers. He'd sewn him shut and carried him home on his back. They'd said I love you to each other for the first time since before their father died.

It was bizarre.

For at least three years, he hadn't felt like anybody really cared what happened to him. He didn't deserve it. He'd thought that nobody would miss a traitor, that he could disappear any day and very few would notice at all. Sure, he'd known that a few people would be sad, like Klee, but he'd imagined that for the most part, they'd get over it quickly.

To see how starkly, blatantly untrue that was, how much everyone had done just to bring him back alive, how relieved they'd been when he woke up and how they'd been genuinely happy to see him had been downright unsettling.

It was wonderful, of course- the relief warm and fulfilling and gentle in a way that squeezed the breath from his lungs and ached down to his soul. But it also felt dirty. Wrong, like he'd tricked them too well. Sure, Diluc knew, and so did Venti, but what about Jean and Amber and Rosaria Klee and the others? Would they still care if they knew he was Khaenri'ahn? That he was heir to the Abyss?

Thick, tarry guilt bubbled in his chest. He felt sick. The reek of old syrup on the blankets did nothing to ease the wave of nausea that passed over him as he fought to hold his breakfast down.

They didn't know. They could never know now- not after all they'd done for him, all the effort and resources wasted to bring him back. How heartbreaking it would be to find out that they'd poured their hearts into saving someone so vile.

Kaeya could feel himself spiraling. He needed a drink. He wondered if Rosaria would let him share her flask.

Two quick, crisp knocks startled him out of his thoughts. Albedo didn't wait for an answer, strutting into the room with a clipboard in his arms.

"Oh, good," He said, smiling a bit as he caught sight of Kaeya, "You're awake. How do you feel? Any tingling or numbness of the limbs since you woke up? Difficulty speaking or breathing? Losing chunks of time? Other notable symptoms that I've failed to list?"

Kaeya shook his head.

"No."

"Magnificent!" Something crunched beneath the blond's boot and he looked down.

"Sorry," Kaeya said, "Forgot to warn you. I broke a glass this morning. Watch your step."

Albedo kicked a piece aside.

"Nobody's cleaned it up?"

Kaeya pulled himself into a more comfortable sitting position as Albedo dragged the chair over.

"Nope."

"Hm." Albedo lifted a paper on his clipboard, scanning the page below.

"Come all this way just to visit me?" Kaeya asked, "Or did you have business in town when you decided to drop by?"

"Just making sure you were still alive," Albedo said matter-of-factly, "Rosaria asked me to make more of your medicine than Barbara had asked for so you wouldn't be in pain when you woke up. I figured it couldn't hurt, but then you slept for an extra two days and I wrote to an acquaintance in Sumeru about it. You know of Collei's master, correct? The Forest Ranger? He's a doctor as well, so I asked him. His reply came in this morning, and the first page of his response was just the word 'NO', written in very large capital letters. The subsequent pages listed possible side effects, symptoms of overdose, and noted that it could kill you. After reading that, I decided to come down and make sure you were alright."

"You didn't think to write to him before? Or consider the possibility of overdose yourself?"

"Didn't occur to me," He shrugged, "Rosaria assured me that you would have a high tolerance. I had assumed that as one of the Sisters who cares for patients, she'd have more training than I do, but it turns out neither of us is qualified to practice medicine." At that, he glanced at Kaeya's empty IV bag, standing as he added, "Let me get this for you real quick."

Kaeya watched him leave the room, expecting him to return with Barbara or Rosaria or anyone, really, only to watch him strut back in with a bag of saline solution, hanging it himself before moving to the sink to wash his hands and coming back to switch the line.

"Maybe I should read up," Albedo continued absently, "I'm an Alchemist, not a doctor, but ever since Varka left, I've been called to town to help with patients and make medications more than once. Come to think of it, I believe the closest actual pharmacy- and doctor-is in Liyue. Knowing a bit more couldn't hurt."

Kaeya lifted his wrist, watching tiny air bubbles gurgle at the base of the line as a fresh rush of cold fluid entered his veins.

"If you have no training," Kaeya asked, "Why do you know how to change an IV? And why would they call you in?"

Albedo shrugged.

"I've seen the Sisters do it several times. Once, when I came with some medicine they'd ordered, one of them had her hands full when a patient asked for a change. I offered to get it for her. She seemed surprised, but didn't stop me. Ever since then, they've called me more often." He paused, pressing a finger to his chin. "Perhaps there's been some confusion about my line of work," He mused, "I don't frequently leave my lab. A rumor could have started without my knowledge if somebody heard about me changing the bag and got confused."

"I'll talk to Jean," Kaeya offered, "Maybe she can help clear things up."

"Thank you. Just be sure to let her know I'm still happy to help whenever I'm needed."

Kaeya nodded his agreement, laying his arm back down across his lap. Albedo checked him over, looking at the equipment and seeming to compare numbers to his clipboard, shuffling about with a strange familiarity for someone who apparently had no training.

"Looks good," He said after a while, "With that out of the way, how about some company? I can tell you about Klee's visit with Aunt Alice."

"She told me herself this morning," Kaeya said, "Jean brought her in for breakfast."

"Ah. That explains the syrup smell, and the pancake between the blankets."

"I'm sorry?"

Albedo lifted the corner of the bedspread, producing a limp, cold, mushy pancake, half-saturated with syrup. It fell apart in the Alchemist's hand, falling back onto the bed as he picked it back up in pieces, supporting the bottom as he carried it over to the trash. He washed his hands quickly, drying them on his pant legs this time instead of using another paper towel.

"She probably left it in case you got hungry. I didn't want to move it without asking."

Kaeya laughed genuinely. How sweet of Klee, and how ridiculous.

"Well, thank you for reserving judgement, I suppose."

To his surprise, Albedo settled right back down in the chair instead of taking his leave.

"You looked upset when I came in," He said plainly, "How are you feeling? Not just your wounds."

Kaeya flashed him a smile, the carefully painted one he always wore when people asked too many questions.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about," He assured, "Thank you for your concern, but I'm really doing just fine now."

"No you're not. Your heart monitor showed a spike when I brought it up."

"You just surprised me, that's all."

Kaeya felt trapped beneath Albedo's gaze, pinned by the wires that tethered him to various machines and by his own feebleness, which kept him in bed. The silence that followed his answer was heavy, drawn-out, uncomfortable.

Finally, Albedo relented.

"I can see you aren't comfortable sharing," He said carefully, "We've all got our secrets, I suppose, and you went through a lot on the mountain. I know that most of our time together is spent looking after Klee, but I want you to know that I care about you, too. If something's bothering you, I'd like for you to tell someone. It doesn't have to be me, of course, but I'd be happy to hear you out." He thought for a moment before adding, "This may be in poor taste to say so soon after you came down from Dragonspine, but you're also welcome to come visit me at my lab if you ever need some time away from whatever's going on down here. It's not particularly luxurious, of course, but it's peaceful up there unless something I'm working on blows up."

This time, Kaeya's smile was genuine.

"Thank you," He said earnestly, "I care about you, too. If you'd ever like to spend more time down in the city, my door is open to you as well, assuming you don't mind a bit of mess."

Albedo shook his head.

"Not at all. Klee's told me that you're a magnificent host. She's particularly fond of the fact that you let her eat dessert before dinner."

Kaeya chuckled.

"I told her to keep it a secret," He said, "Though, I suppose those have never been her strong suit."

"Absolutely not, but I believe that's a good thing. I'm not sure about you, but in my experience, secrets only tend to complicate matters."

"That's true."

Albedo glanced out the window.

"It's getting late," He said abruptly, "I've got to head back before nightfall. Glad to see you're doing better. Don't forget what I said bout talking to someone, even if it isn't me."

Kaeya followed his gaze, surprised to see how low the sun had already sank.

"I will," He promised, "But don't you think it's a bit dark for you to go back now? It might be better if you stayed for the night and headed out early tomorrow. Wouldn't want you to end up like me."

"I'll be alright," Albedo assured, "Dragonspine is my home. I know my way well, and I'm used to going back late. If the weather looks bad, I'll come back and stay with Timaeus."

"Be safe," Kaeya said, watching Albedo leave.

"Same to you. I'll visit again soon."

Kaeya, alone once again, found himself in a much better mood.

Notes:

Another short chapter

I couldn't think of any doctors in Mondstat and figured Alebedo and the Sisters were as close as it got, but decided it would be a lot funnier of none of them were licensed, except maybe Barbara. Only the best care for our Cavalry Captain :)

Sorry for slower updates, and don't worry, I haven't forgotten Amber, Noelle, Venti, and the other characters who helped!

Chapter 15: Learned From the Best

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Kaeya hadn't realized that he'd fallen asleep until someone knocked on the wall outside his room and woke him. The room didn't smell so sterile anymore. The sweet scent of maple syrup had covered the harshness of chemicals and disinfectants. He pulled himself into a sitting position, cleared his throat, and called for them to come in. He'd expected Diluc, or Jean, or maybe one of the Sisters.

Instead, Amber stood before him, warm brown eyes looking wet and a wobbly smile on her face.

"Hi," She said.

"Hi," He replied, his own lips quirking up.

They were both silent for some time, each one looking the other over. Amber looked well- she had a small bandage on her forehead, barely visible beneath her bangs, and another on her cheek. Aside from that, she had no other visible injuries.

She's in plainclothes, Kaeya noted.

"I heard you got hurt fighting the Lawachurl," He said, "How are you feeling? Are you being released from the hospital?"

Amber's hands were behind her back. Kaeya knew that she was probably worrying at her knuckles, like she always did when she was nervous.

"I'm fine," She said, "I've been out for days. They just kept me that first night. Today was my first day back on duty, so I didn't get to see you when you woke up." She sounded apologetic.

"Back in the saddle already, eh? That's Mondstadt's Outrider for you." He gestured to the chair by his bedside, inviting her to sit.

She took a step forward, only to stop as something shattered beneath her boot. The glass still hadn't been cleaned up.

"Sorry," Kaeya said, "Glass. Broke it this morning." He glanced out the window, noting how high the moon was in the sky. It was very late.

"Nobody cleaned it up?" Amber asked.

"Doesn't seem like it."

"I'll be right back."

Before he could say anything, she'd hurried out of the room. He listened to her footsteps in the quiet hallways, tracing back and forth, growing further and nearer as she poked around before finally returning, triumphant grin on her face and a broom and dustpan in hand.

"Didn't tip anyone off, either," She said smugly, beginning to sweep.

"Oh?

"I'm not technically supposed to be in here," She explained, angling the broom lower to get under the bed, "Visiting hours ended at eight or nine, but I wanted to come check on you."

"I'm fairly certain they lock the doors at night," Kaeya said, "How'd you get inside?"

"Window," She said blandly, "It was cracked by the cafeteria, so I glided up and let myself in."

"How sneaky," Kaeya said, feigning scandalization.

"Learned from the best," Amber retorted, opening cupboards and looking for something to put the glass in. She finally settled on a paper bag, dumping the contents of the dustpan inside and twisting it tightly shut before depositing it in the recycling.

Kaeya hummed.

"Are you sure you should be telling me this?" He teased, "Your commanding officer could find out. What if the Cavalry Captain catches word of your breaking and entering?"

"Something tells me he'll let it slide," She said, plopping down in the chair, "He's pretty relaxed about the rules."

"So long as you get results and stay safe," Kaeya reminded her.

"Of course."

He took a deep breath.

"I heard you sent Diluc to look for me instead of bringing him with you to fight the Lawachurl."

Amber tensed for a moment, then leaned back, crossing her arms.

"Seemed best to send the only civilian present to investigate the flare situation," She said coolly, "While those with training went into battle."

"You broke Jean's formation and violated orders," He reminded her.

"I'm glad I did," She retorted, "If I hadn't, you'd be dead."

"I know," Kaeya told her, looking down at his hands, at the IV in his wrist, "Part of me is glad that you did, too. You're right. I would've died." He lifted his gaze, making eye contact with her as he continued, "Thank you, Amber. Your quick thinking and swift actions saved my life. Not only did you get the civilians to safety while I was down, you got help faster than I thought possible. I'm only here right now because you glided down that mountain in the dark carrying an injured child and then kept going until you'd gotten help and found me. Not only that, you and Noelle eliminated an incredibly powerful enemy. You were clever, professional, and very, very brave" He could feel the now-familiar sting of tears in his eyes.

"Captain...!" Amber, too, was crying. He saw her lean forward, hesitate, and look to him for permission. At that, he opened his arms, grunting a bit as she threw her own around his torso.

"You did great," He said, patting her back, "Thank you for saving my life." He pulled back, taking her by the shoulders.

"Now," He said firmly, "Don't ever put yourself at risk like that again. When Jean or I assign you a group, stay together, especially when you're going to face a strong opponent. Don't think I haven't heard about the concussion you got fighting that Lawachurl. You two handled the fight very well for only two people, but you should have kept Diluc. It would have been safer for both you and Noelle to have a third person to watch your backs, especially one who could provide Pyro support and help chip away at its shield."

"Yeah," Amber scratched at the back of her neck, "Probably would've made the fight with the Mage easier, too."

Kaeya quirked a brow.

"Mage?"

Amber covered her mouth, cheeks flushing as she realized she'd further tattled on herself, but when Kaeya crossed his arms, she let out a sigh and explained.

"A Cryo Abyss Mage appeared during the battle," She explained, "Noelle had to beat through its shield while I kept the Lawachurl distracted. It made things a lot harder, since we were separated. We couldn't really provide much support for each other, and we were definitely distracted, trying to keep an eye on one another and keep our own opponents apart."

Kaeya shook his head.

"Diluc definitely would have been an asset, in that case," He sighed, "I'm surprised you managed, if I'm honest, and with only a concussion. That was extremely dangerous. In the future, if you find yourself in a situation like that, I want you to retreat and come back with reinforcements."

"I'd already done that, once," Amber argued, "After you- after it-" She bit her lip.

"I know," Kaeya said, taking her hand between his own, "It's frustrating to have to run away, especially when you're angry. But your safety and the safety of your fellow Knights absolutely has to come first." He gave her fingers a small squeeze, "Promise me that above all, you'll be safe."

Amber's shoulders drooped, but she nodded, squeezing back.

"Alright," She said, "But only if you promise to do the same." She sat on the side of his bed, frowning.

"I thought I saw you die," She told him quietly, "The barrels exploded," Her voice was tightening now, and her breath was beginning to hitch, "A-and you were limp when the Lawachurl hit you," She choked on a sob, squeezing his hand in both of hers as she crumpled forward, fat tears dropping onto the bed, "You just- just dropped! One second you were there and the next y-you were gone, over the edge..."

Kaeya pulled her forward, wrapping his arms around the girl as she wept.

"I was so sure you were dead. I didn't even think you might be alive until I saw how deep the snow was, and e-even then, you'd been totally limp when it hit you, and I-I didn't k-know how tall the cliff was, or if there were rocks, or- or-" She shook her head, hair ticking Kaeya's collar bone and leaving wet streaks from the tears that poured down his own chin, "I was so scared you were gone."

Amber was capable, strong, and reliable, but she was still just a teenager. Kaeya knew firsthand just how it felt to be young and vulnerable and left behind, to watch someone he cared about disappear from his life in an instant. She'd already lost her grandfather.

"You saved me," He assured her, "You and everyone else who came to get me. I'm back now. I've got you." Kaeya held her until she'd cried herself out, just like he had with Klee. When she finally pulled back, wiping her nose on her sleeve as she sat up, Kaeya picked her hand back up.

"I'm not going anywhere," He promised.

"You better not try," Amber sniffled, "If you do, I'll come get you again. Everyone will."

That hit Kaeya right in the chest. She was right. They'd do it again. Every last one of them would make sacrifices and take risks to help him if he needed it. His composure slipped away, silver tongue failing him as he croaked out an ugly sob, curling forward and resting his forehead on his knee. The position put tension on his healing wounds, pulling painfully, but he couldn't seem to unfurl himself.

A wet paper towel on the back of his neck made him jump. He gasped at the cold, taken completely by surprise. Amber stood by the bed, looking a bit smug as she cleaned the remnants of crying from her face with her own damp cloth.

Kaeya peeled it from his neck, shuddering at the way it clung to his skin, then brought it to his own face to wipe the snot and tears away.

"Thanks," He said, balling the soiled paper towel up and tossing it at the trash, hardly surprised when he missed. He wasn't on as much medication as earlier, but whatever they were giving him was still certainly strong.

Amber picked it up with the toe of her boot, lifting her leg awkwardly as she let it slide into the bin, followed by her own.

"Any time," She told him.

They both froze at the sound of rapid, angry footsteps coming up the hallway.

Kaeya jerked his thumb to the curtain by the bed and Amber threw it in front of herself. It was a sloppy job, and both of them knew they'd been caught the moment Rosaria stormed in.

"Hey," The Nun said, yanking the curtain back, "Visiting hours are over, probably. It's like, one in the morning. Go home so our patient can get some rest!" She side-eyed Kaeya and added, "He needs all the beauty sleep he can get to recover from all the ugly crying he's been doing."

"She's right," Kaeya said with a laugh, "And you need your rest, too, since you're back on the job."

Amber ducked past Rosaria, smiling sheepishly as the older woman cocked a brow.

"You were a patient here a couple days ago, too," The Nun reminded her, "Take care of yourself. The power of Barstobas can only do so much to protect you."

"Barbatos," Kaeya corrected.

"Whatever." Rosaria put a hand on Amber's back, guiding her out.

The ourdider gave a little wave over her shoulder.

"Bye-bye, Captain Kaey," She said.

"See you later, Amber. Get home safe."

"I'll walk her," Rosaria told him.

"Then who will walk you?" Kaeya shot back.

"Bartobas, of course."

With that, they were gone, leaving Kaeya to shuffle back down into his syrupy blankets.

Notes:

YEAHHHH BEST GIRL AMBER! Finally got around to letting her see Kaeya alive and well :)

No I will never get tired of writing crying and hugs. They all deserve to cry it out and be held by their friends and found family.

Chapter 16: King and Dandelionheart

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Jean was back behind her desk, busying herself by catching up on paperwork and re-assigning Kaeya's patrol routes and other tasks. So far, she'd been giving them to whoever was available, but with Amber back on duty, she was testing the Outrider's potential for future leadership roles by letting her take lead on the things she'd been learning before Kaeya's injury. Additionally, she'd begun sending Noelle out on patrols and missions. Her promotion to Knigthood was long, long overdue, but she'd still need to be eased into the routines. An official announcement could be made shortly, as well as having a celebration arranged.

She'd seen Kaeya just that morning, awake and well. They'd shared breakfast. She'd brought Klee to visit. He was alive and healing, so why was it that every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was black smoke in the sky and Kaeya covered in blood, hanging limply over Venti's shoulders? Why did her mind summon images of him laying wounded in the snow alone in the dark?

Beads of liquid dripped down onto the parchment she was working on, blurring the ink. Annoyed, she moved to blot them off, belatedly realizing that the source of her irritation was her own falling tears and that she could not blot fast enough to keep up with them as they poured down her face.

She threw herself backwards in her chair, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes.

Damn, damn, damn. Kaeya was safe. She'd spoken with him this morning. She was busy. People needed her. She didn't have time to- to-

Whatever this was.

She pulled her handkerchief from her pocket, scrubbing the tears away and snorting back the snot that threatened to run down her face as well. Archons, crying was so gross.

The Acting Grand Master tried to turn her attention back to the matters at hand, failing miserably over the onslaught of sensations plaguing her.

Her throat hurt. Her eyes stung. Her hands were shaking too much to write. Her neck and back hurt from hunching over her desk all day. She was starving, having thrown herself into work and forgotten to eat anything since breakfast. She could see the words on the paper, but no matter how many times she tried to make sense of the blurry letters on the documents, she couldn't seem to retain any of the information.

It was so frustrating.

Standing, she marched to her office window, pulling it all the way open to feel the breeze. She took several breaths, each of them faster and more hitched than she would have liked, letting the coolness of the evening wash over her, Mondstadt's ever sweet and gentle breeze soothing the burn in her cheeks and helping her fill her lungs with real gulps of air once more. She could see the silhouettes of steadfast, ever-moving windmill blades swooping steadily, hear the chirps of crickets in the bushes below. She counted chirps until a particularly long pause, then picked a singular windmill blade and counted its rotations.

I can do this, she told herself as she started to feel a bit better. She marched back over to her desk and sat down, picking up her quill.

She heard three quick, excited taps on her office door.

Fuck!

"Come in," She called without thinking.

Amber slipped easily into the office, folded piece of paper in hand.

"Patrol's done," She said brightly, "I marked some new Hilichurl camp locations on this map, and one spot where someone mentioned a possible Abyss Mage spotting. I was thinking maybe I could help clear them out tomorrow, if you-" The girl stopped short, examining Jean more closely, "Um...Are you okay?"

Jean nodded sharply.

"Of course! Just tired."

She tried not to flinch under the Outrider's sharp eyes as she felt herself being checked over.

"I'm really fine," She insisted, kicking herself for the edge to her tone, "Thank you for the map. Good work today. You can go, now, Amber. Get some rest."

Amber wouldn't fold so easily, not even to the Acting Grand Master.

"You don't look well," She said, leaning over the desk to get a better look at Jean's face, "Your eyes and nose are all red, and you sound sick. You look really tired, too. It may not be my place to say, but I think you could also use some rest. Looks to me like you're coming down with a cold."

Jean couldn't exactly tell her that she'd been crying in her office, so she bit back her pride and nodded.

"Perhaps I'm coming down with a little something," She said, "I'll ask Lisa for some tea. It's nothing to worry about, though. Please focus on your own recovery. If anything I assign you is too strenuous, I want you to let me know right away."

Amber folded her arms.

"I'm fine- I've been out of the hospital for days. I probably could've been back sooner, too," She added, catching Jean's eye, "But this isn't about me. If you're sick, you should rest. It's late anyway." She put a finger to her chin, looking around the office and added, "Have you eaten? Whenever Captain Kaeya gets caught up in paperwork, he always-"

"I'm fine, Amber," Jean said, standing and making her way across the room, "Thank you for your concern. I've got some things to wrap up tonight before I turn in, but like I said, I'll have some tea. Go home and get some rest." She held the door open.

Amber didn't look happy, but she relented, making her way out.

"Don't forget to eat, too," She tossed over her shoulder, "We need you, y'know."

"Get home safe," Was all Jean could bring herself to reply, watching the Outrider until she was out of the building before closing the door and collapsing against it, knees against her chest and face buried in her folded arms.

She wasn't doing this right, and people could tell.

Small sobs and hiccups escaped her lips and she prayed that if anyone else was left working this late, the fabric was muffling the sounds enough that nobody could hear her crying alone on the floor.

The crease of worry on Amber's brow. The downward quirk of her lips and hesitation in her movements on the way out. Are you okay?

Black smoke. Kaeya, bleeding over Venti's shoulder. Are you okay?

Kaeya, half-buried in snow, heavily injured, weakly calling for help.

You sound sick.

Dark blots of ink on parchment, bleeding through the pages in teary veins, spreading outwards and ruining the document, blurring the words beyond recognition, beyond comprehension, swallowing everything in a thick cloud of-

Black smoke.

You look really tired.

No matter how upset she was, she had to do it quietly. It had always been this way. She had to be strong, unshakable. Barbara needed an older sister she could depend on. Her parents needed someone to trust with anything and everything while they were away. Grand Master Varka needed someone to look after all of Mondstadt while he was away.

They'd be ashamed to find her like this, throwing a tantrum like some sort of child. Nothing was even wrong anymore- Kaeya was safe, Amber was well enough to return to work, Mondstadt was thriving. The only one who couldn't seem to move on was Jean, and now she knew that others could tell. Amber knew. Mondstadt's brave and wonderful Outrider, the one who'd braved the dark and treacherous skies of Dragonspine with a wounded civilian in tow to fetch help for Kaeya on time, who until tonight, Jean was sure she'd served as a reliable role model and leader for.

Now, however, she'd figured out that Jean had skipped meals and foregone rest to try and catch up on her never-ending pile of work, seen in her office looking unwell, even if she hadn't quite put together why.

Jean dug her nails into her ribs, forehead pressed against her knees as she swallowed back a scream.

"Careful- you'll hurt yourself." Gentle fingers rested on the backs of Jean's hands, urging her to loosen her grip. She jumped at the contact and they let go, but she could feel the warmth of another person very close to her. She'd been caught. Knowing who it was only made her want to disappear. A harsh sob ripped through her throat, still muffled by her legs. That one definitely wasn't quiet.

"Jean..." Venti's voice trailed off, and she heard him shuffling. A moment later, she felt him drape something warm over her shoulders.

His cape, she realized. It smelled like Windrise, and a hint of dandelion wine.

She sat there, trying to pull herself together to face the Archon, but only found herself falling apart more and more under the pressure. She was letting everyone down, letting Mondstadt down, and now there was divine witness to her failure.

She felt something tickling her hair, instinctively reaching up to swat it away. When she felt it again, more insistently, she looked up.

There was Venti, crouched right down in front of her with one arm wrapped around his legs and the feather from his cap in his spare hand, right over her head. He was watching her with those big, owlish eyes that reminded her of Barbara when she was younger.

"Hi," He said, face neutral.

"Hi?" She echoed, wiping tears with the heels of her hands.

"There you are," He said, soft smile forming on his lips. He stuck the feather back in his hat, then brought his hand up to rest his cheek on, "Is there anything I can help with?"

Jean shook her head furiously.

"No- no, thank you. I'm fine, really. Just-" The tears were still spilling over, no matter how hard she tried to stop them, "Sorry. I'll stop in a minute. Sorry."

Venti scooted closer, until their knees were almost touching.

"You've got nothing to apologize for, you know," He said carefully, "And I meant it when I asked. If you need help-"

"No," She choked, "Thank you, Ba-Venti-but no. You've done more than enough. Without you, Kaeya would-" She cut herself off.

Venti nodded, eyes slipping down.

"It was really scary, wasn't it?" He asked.

Jean didn't dare reply.

"I was scared," He told her, "I thought I might lose another friend."

Another.

Jean couldn't even handle a close call. How many deaths had Venti experienced? How many had he personally witnessed in his long, long life? How could she fall apart like this when he kept himself together for Mondstadt?

"You've seen me cry, too."

She froze. Her breath caught in her throat.

"It was a few months ago. Diluc took me back again and put me on the couch. You came up to check on me a while later. I was having a nightmare and you woke me up."

She remembered, of course. She'd found him dumped on the couch, tear stains on his cheeks as he reached for something that wasn't there, mumbling a name she'd never heard before. Without thinking, she'd grabbed his hand and crouched down next to him, gently rubbing his shoulder until he awoke, assuring him that he was alright. When he'd gone back to sleep, Jean had thought nothing of it. She'd woken Barbara countless times whens he was young. Kaeya, too, during the brief period he'd stayed with her after his fight with Diluc. The next morning, Venti didn't say anything, so she'd figured it had been the wine and promptly forgot about the matter.

Clearly, he hadn't.

"You shouldn't have had to see that," Venti continued, "As your Archon, it was irresponsible of me to-"

"No!" Jean interrupted, reaching forward to grip his hand, "You just had a nightmare, that's all. You've seen a lot, I'm sure, and- and-"

"...So have you," Venti finished, a sad glint in his eye, "Just because everything worked out doesn't mean it wasn't scary. Kaeya was still hurt very badly, and until we found him, you couldn't even be sure he was still alive."

Venti stood, pulling Jean up with him. He kept hold of her hand.

"First, lets get you some water and wash your face," He said, "We can talk more upstairs."

He must have felt the way Jean tensed as he reached for the door as he added, "Everyone else went home, so don't worry about the other Knights seeing you. I only knew because one of my Wind Spirits saw you through the window and came to get me."

Little snitch, Jean thought, following Venti to the bathroom. She stood dumbly by the door as she watched him wet his own handkerchief at the sink, crossing back to her and lifting it to gently wipe her tears. The damp handkerchief was cool and soothing, fabric soft even when wet. The bard dabbed at her cheeks and got on his tiptoes to swipe below her eyes, inspecting her after each careful stroke until he was satisfied with the cleanup.

"There we go," He said, "Now let's find you a glass of water."

They made their way to the break room in silence. When they got there, Jean pulled two mugs from the cupboard overhead, knowing that Venti was too short to reach. Venti started boiling a kettle of water while Jean filled her own mug at the sink twice, draining it completely both times. She hadn't noticed how thirsty she was until she'd started drinking.

She grabbed a bag of chamomile tea for herself and asked Venti what flavor he preferred.

"I'm actually going to boil some apple juice after the water's done," He said, "Tea's not really my first choice."

Once they both had a mug of something hot, they climbed the stairs up to Jean's old office, closing the door behind them and sitting on the couch. Neither one bothered to turn on a light. Jean was grateful. The moon was plenty to see by in the small room, and the lights would be grating on her tired, puffy eyes.

"So," Venti asked, blowing on his mug of hot apple juice, "Do you think less of me as an Archon after having seen me cry?"

"No! Never," Jean promised, "How could I ever think less of you?"

Venti nodded.

"I thought so," He said, "You still think I'm a dependable leader, even after all these months of me crashing on your couch drunk and seeing me have a nightmare."

"Absolutely," Jean confirmed, "I'd follow you to the ends of Teyvat."

"I know." Venti took a sip. "Your subordinates wouldn't think any less of you, either, if they saw you eat or sleep or cry. They know you're a person, too. People do that sometimes." He caught her eye, "Even the Archons weep."

Jean gripped her mug.

"It's not the same, Venti," She said, "They need me to be strong. If they knew I was scared, they'd get nervous, too- they turned to me when the flare went up. They needed me to be firm, but I could barely even speak. You should have seen the look on their faces- I thought Bennett was going to pass out. That was during an actual crisis. How scared would they be if someone caught me crying over nothing? Kaeya's fine now."

"It's not nothing," Venti argued, "And just because Kaeya's fine doesn't mean that you have to be, too. Actually, I doubt Kaeya's fine, either. Frankly, I don't think he's been fine for a long time, but you already knew that. And of course they looked scared- I lit the wrong flare. Everyone thought he died!"

"They saw the flare and turned to me and I let them down, Venti. I should have said something to comfort them, or reassure them, or-well, anything. And as for Kaeya's condition, I meant he's fine physically."

"Do you think less of Kaeya?"

"No!"

"Why not? He failed a mission, cried in front of you, needed help from a lot of people just to get back to the city-"

"He's my friend," Jean said firmly, "I don't care if he fails or cries or needs help, I just don't want to lose him! He's strong and kindhearted and trustworthy, even if he is a huge smartass and annoyingly clever."

Venti hummed in agreement.

"You've set up a double standard," He said bluntly, "You'll forgive other people, even me, for failure, but not yourself. You can't stand the vulnerability. You're ashamed to be a human being with needs."

Jean felt like she'd been skinned and hung over a clothesline. His words were too true. They stung, frayed her nerves. He'd seen right through her.

"Why is that, Jean?"

She couldn't answer him. It had just always felt that way, for as long as she could remember. She wasn't supposed to need things; she was supposed to be there for others when they needed things.

"I don't know."

Venti downed the rest of his apple juice, setting the mug on the floor next to the couch. He turned to face Jean, tugging on her sleeve until she looked him in the eye.

"New rule," Venti said seriously, "Once a day, you'll come to this office for at least ten minutes and just be human. You can take a nap, cry, throw things on the floor, have a cup of tea with the window open, invite me or Kaeya to hang out for a bit- just, something that isn't work."

Jean balked.

"You can't be serious! There's too much to do for me to-"

"It's ten minutes a day, Jean. You practically live in your office downstairs. You violate the very labor laws you fight tooth an nail to uphold. Plus, this is a direct request from Barbatos himself!"

"You're seriously pulling the god card on me?" Jean asked incredulously.

"I'll pull the whole god deck on you if that's what it takes," Venti said, "And this ten minute break thing is just for starters. We'll ease you into the whole mental health thing."

Jean crossed her arms.

"How about this, then: I'll start taking ten minute breaks if you cut back on your drinking. Leading by example and all."

Venti didn't even pause.

"Sounds good. You can check with Diluc to keep me honest."

Well, shit. She hadn't expected Venti to agree so readily.

"Surprised?" He asked.

"...A bit."

"I'm willing to make a lot of sacrifices for my friends," Venti said, "If helping you to help yourself means a few less glasses of dandelion wine, so be it."

Friends. Jean never would have dared to use the word with him before- it felt like overstepping a boundary of some sort, to call the Archon of the nation her friend, and yet he himself hadn't hesitated.

"Now," Venti continued, "Your favorite Archon and beloved friend would like a hug, if you're feeling up to it." He side-eyed Jean, barely containing his smile.

She set her own mug on the floor, careful not to spill.

"C'mere," She said, opening her arms.

Venti practically threw himself into her, squeezing tight. He didn't get many hugs where everyone was sober, these days. Maybe that would change now that he was cutting back. With any luck, he could talk Kaeya into joining him.

Jean held him just as tightly, grin wide on her face.

"Thank you," She said.

"It's what friends do," Venti replied, "Have you eaten?"

Her silence was more than enough of an answer.

"Let's go raid the break room," He suggested, "Everything's gonna be closed. I'm pretty sure I saw some apples in the fruit bowl."

"Lead the way," Jean said, "I'll follow you anywhere."

"Forward, march!" Venti hopped off the couch, holding the door open. On the way downstairs, one of his consorts met them and informed him that Amber had just broken into the hospital through the window, undoubtedly on her way to visit Kaeya. The bard laughed.

"What's so funny?" Jean asked.

"I'll tell you after you've eaten," He said. By then, Amber should be on her way home. He was sharing divine wisdom tonight, not facilitating divine intervention, though he suspected that Jean wouldn't stop the Outrider regardless.

He set a pot on the stove and began rummaging through the cupboards while Jean stood nearby, peeling and apple for him. She hadn't shed any new tears since he'd cleaned her face off in the bathroom.

Notes:

In case it wasn't clear, this chapter takes place on the same night as the last one with Amber's visit to Kaeya!

Listen. I love the idea of Venti recognizing the pressure to appear as a flawless leader and trying to help Jean even though he's low-key a walking disaster who can't cope. He's so kind and cares so much. He is her little brother and her friend and also her ~Wise and Mysterious Archon~ and a huge pain in the ass. They will help each other kicking and screaming.

Chapter 17: The Hallway

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Diluc was small, and felt even smaller in the big, empty hallways of the Winery. Usually, the dark made him claustrophobic; shadows narrowed his line of sight and shrank his world to just several steps in front of him. Here, the opposite was true. The hall seemed to stretch endlessly in front of and behind him, walls towering above tot he point that he couldn't imagine where the roof might be. There were no windows. Intricate, beautifully decorated picture frames hung crooked and broken on well-maintained wood panel walls, each devoid of any portrait. Several of them had been shattered, leaving icy, crystalline pools of broken glass splattered across the expensive red rugs beneath his feet.

The strange acoustics here did not help the feat gripping his chest as he padded barefoot through the halls alone, listening to the echoes of far-off water droplets trickling down onto what sounded like stone. It was always bone dry here, and all the floors were hardwood.

He'd walk alone for what felt like lifetimes, stepping around the shards of glass and sneaking frightened glances into the darkness that surrounded him, listening to the trickles of water that never appeared. After some time, he'd begin calling out for help- yelling for his father, for Adelinde, for Kaeya and Jean- anyone he could think of, really.

That's when the temperature would begin to rise.

With each step, the halls felt hotter and hotter. Each time he called out, the darkness shifted slightly, morphing and shifting until it hung low, swirling lazily above his head. The red of the carpet would grow brighter as he got more desperate. Deep, bloody burgundy would brighten and saturate to cherry, then crimson. Diluc's footfalls would speed up with his breathing as he clutched his ribs, breaking into a full-on sprint. By the time the carpet was bright orange, he'd be openly sobbing. The dripping sounds would stop. Not long after that, the doors would appear. He'd slaw at each one he came to, prying at handles and kicking at hinges and clawing up and down the grain of the wood screeching for someone to open it, to let him in with them or out of the hallway, but each one would stand silent and immovable and empty, if they could be trusted to have anything behind them at all.

He'd try and try until he'd worn himself ragged, finding himself on his knees over a carpet made of horrendous, all-consuming white light that threatened to bake him alive. The scent of burning would choke his lungs, a distant roar that may or may not be his own pounding heartbeat would get louder and louder, but would not echo.

"Diluc?"

The owner of the voice was not set in stone. Sometimes it was Father, other times Jean or Adelinde. Tonight, it was Kaeya.

"I'm here!" He gasped, slamming a hand into the door as he dropped to the ground, left cheek flush against the floor, wincing at the bright light beneath him as he peeked under the crack.

His brother's scarred right eye stared back at him, wide and terrified and just as teary as Diluc's own.

"The house is on fire," Kaeya choked, "We have to get out. Open the door, please."

"Hold on," Diluc answered, as always, "I'll get you out!"

The knob was red-hot, glowing angrily. He could see the Pyro insignia pulsing deep inside. It would burn. It always burned. He knew this, and grabbed it anyway, crying out as black flames and chains lapped their way up his arm, digging into the flesh.

He fell back and took the knob with him, throwing it to the ground as he landed, grasping his wrist.

"The door's still locked," Kaeya wailed from the other side, "I can't get out!"

"I'm coming," He promised, hands shaking as he reached again for the knob, not daring to look.

The moment his hand clasped the bulb, ice shot through his veins, freezing him to the core. He fell down onto the carpet, which still glowed white, but now sucked every ounce of warmth from his being, piling up over him as snow and ash rained down around him. Beneath the door, he could see Kaeya similarly engulfed, watching him blankly, quietly.

Right. He had to get the door open.

He forced himself up to his knees, teeth chattering as he tried to pull his body forward through the snow. He reached up, fumbling to replace the knob, surprised to find that it had become a Cryo Vision as he jiggled it into place.

The wood of the door gave way to bleeding, ashen flesh, stretched thin over its ribs. He had to sew it up. Looking down, he was holding the suture kit, hands already stained red up to the elbows. The needle was already threaded. He was nearly sick as the made the first stitch, dragging the needle through Kaeya's flesh. He wasn't going fast enough. He was too cold. His hands were trembling too much, and the stitches were jagged and ugly. The scars would be horrendous.

"We don't have time," Someone's voice told him- who was it, again? He couldn't quite place them, "I'm sorry."

The entire door went up in flames and Diluc jumped back, listening in horror as Kaeya screeched on the other side.

"Kaeya!"

Diluc was openly sobbing again, choking on huge hiccups as tears ran down his cheeks. The more he tried to wipe them away, the more blood he smeared on his face.

"Dad, get us out!" He wailed, knowing no one would come.

He dropped down once more to peer beneath the door, finding his brother in the same position, laying in the snow, looking back.

"I'm not going to last that long," Kaeya said gravely, eyes sliding shut, "Goodnight, 'Luc."

Kaeya died, and the floor dropped out from under Diluc, literally. He fell, screeching, through stifling heat and darkness, finally jerking awake only when he hit the ground.

His eyes flew open and he threw himself upright, tearing off the blanket and throwing it to the floor. Looking around, he found himself in his own living room, splayed out on the couch. He took several deep, shaky breaths to steady himself, resting his face in his palms and his elbows on his knees, right leg bouncing to alleviate the lingering anxiety.

Damn.

A gentle hand placed itself on his shoulder. He never could hear Adelinde approach.

"Was it the with the hallway," She asked, "Where the house is on fire?"

Diluc nodded, and she sighed, sitting down next to him. She pulled him close until he rested his head on her shoulder and they sat in silence as he practiced hands rubbed small, comforting circles on his back, just as she'd done every time he had a nightmare for as long as he could remember.

"Would you like to talk about it?" She asked.

"No," He said quickly, "I'm fine. Thank you."

What was he supposed to say? It was the same as always, but this time Kaeya was a bleeding door and he couldn't sew him shut? Though the memories of the dream alone were still enough to tighten his chest with fear, that sounded stupid even in his own head. Besides, he reminded himself, he was a grown man. He shouldn't be troubling Adelinde with this sort of thing anymore.

"Sorry if I worried you," He said, pulling away and standing up, "I didn't even realize I'd dozed off. Thank you for the blanket."

She remained seated, staring up at him.

"Don't apologize," She scolded gently, "I'll always worry about my boys."

Diluc huffed out a laugh.

"I'm visiting Kaeya today," He reminded her, "You should come with me. If anyone needs to be fussed over right now, it's him."

Adelinde shook her head.

"I can't. If I go with you, who will make dinner and prepare his room?"

Diluc stared at her for a moment.

"Beg pardon?"

"He's being released from the hospital today. You don't plan to send him back to his apartment to recover alone, do you?"

Released?

"How could you possibly know that before me? I'm his emergency contact."

Adelinde smiled mischievously.

"Jean stopped by to deliver the news last night, but I couldn't bear to wake you, so I took her message over a cup of tea."

Ah. Jean. Of course.

Diluc pulled a face.

"She always was your favorite."

"Breakfast is ready on the table," Adelinde replied, ignoring his comment completely, "Make sure to eat something before you leave. Do not just push the food around the plate. I'll know."

He knew she would.

"I'm not a child," He reminded her, "You can trust me to eat breakfast properly."

"Sometimes," She agreed, "But not when you really need it, like before a big day or after a nightmare."

Diluc rolled his eyes, but did not argue, instead making his way to the breakfast table and plopping down in his usual spot, side-eyeing the chair next to him. For years, that place had remained empty, except on the few tense, uncomfortable situations when Adelinde had wrangled Kaeya into staying for a meal. By tonight, he'd be back in that chair.

The thought filled Diluc with equal parts excitement and dread. On the one hand, it would be great to eat and talk with his brother like old times. On the other, they could just as easily fall back into familiar patterns and end up staring each other down over the too-loud sounds of cutlery hitting plates, losing the meager progress they'd made in talking to each other over the past several days.

"Eat, young man," A gentle hand placed itself upon his shoulder.

Damn.

He never could hear Adelinde approach.

Notes:

Hi all! Sorry this one's short, but on the bright side, Diluc is subjected to Horrors of His Mind's Own Creation!

Chapter 18: Caught

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Kaeya listened patiently as Barbara rattled off instructions for his discharge. Per Barbara's orders, he was to keep his bandages clean and dry, avoid getting his burns wet, apply the prescribed ointment to them twice to three times daily, avoid vigorous exercise, remain hydrated, take antibiotics every nine hours, avoid drinking alcohol...The list went on and on. Additionally, they mentioned that his stamina would be affected while his internal injuries and bones finished recovering and that his burns were at high risk of infection if he didn't properly care for them- that went for both the cauterization spots and the frost burn from he barrels. Detailed instructions were given to him in a packet, and it was noted that if he felt his condition declining again, he should return to the infirmary right away for treatment. Jean had approved as much time off as he needed to recover, but firmly refused to allow him back on duty for at least two weeks. When he did return, he would be on light duty for another week or two after that.

Momentarily, he wondered what the point of healers was if he still had this much to worry about after his release from the hospital, only to banish the thought when he realized just how badly off he'd been if it would take so long after their help to finish recovering the rest of the way.

Jean had told him to wait out front and that she'd sent for someone to pick him up, but as soon as Albedo was finished helping Kaeya back into the change of clothes he'd been brought, the Cavalry Captain had set off on his own, making his way back to his apartment. Either his escort was running late, or she hadn't expected him to be out so early.

He updated his mental tally for the day.

Kaeya: 1

Jean: 0

He didn't want to worry her, but he was also tired of the infirmary and wanted nothing more than to go home, shower, and sleep in his own bed. Or, given the state he left his apartment in, it was more likely he'd end up on the couch or the rug next to it. He would, of course, need to tidy up before any of those things were possible, and figuring out the washing part around the wound care instructions might take a bit of creative thinking, but he was sure he'd manage. He had little drive to cook on a good day, but he was fairly certain that the eggs in his icebox would still be good. Those were fast and easy. Worst came to worst, he'd order takeout from The Good Hunter.

He could manage on his own. Not his first injury, after all.

His bag of belongings was fairly small- just the ruined, bloody clothes he'd worn on the way up the mountain and the contents of their pockets. The hospital had provided the little tote, which was quite convenient. His folder of care instructions and prescriptions fit inside. It was a short trip with just a few pounds of cargo- it should have been nothing for him.

He hadn't taken into account just how exhausting the simple act of walking home would become. He'd never thought about it before, but Mondstadt had a lot of stairs- even going down as he was, he found himself winded far sooner than he'd expected. He was moving at what felt like a snail's pace compared to his usual long-strided gait, but every few yards, his lungs would begin to burn with effort. He still had quite a ways to go before getting home but already he'd stopped to take a rest, sitting at the bottom of the steps and leaning against the wall.

Damn.

"Captain Kaeya?"

Double damn.

He sat upright, flashing Amber a bright smile.

"Well, good morning to you, Amber! How's Mondstadt's Gliding Champion doing today?"

She placed her hands on her hips, pulling a face.

"I'm very well, thank you," She replied, "But you look...Bad. Did you sneak out of the infirmary?"

Well, at least now he knew that she wasn't the escort Jean sent.

"Nope! Just got discharged this morning. I've got my at-home care instructions in this folder. Just moving a bit slowly on my way back, is all."

She pursed her lips, looking him over.

"I still don't think you look well," She concluded, "Maybe I should escort you back to headquarters. Jean could take a closer look, or maybe send for Barbara-"

"That won't be necessary," Kaeya assured her, "Jean is well aware of my release and has approved the time off. I just need a shower and some rest at home. Don't worry about me."

Amber offered him a hand and he took it, trying not to wince as she pulled him to his feet.

"I'm walking you back," She declared.

"There's really no need. It's quite close-"

"The Dawn Winery is not close," Amber argued, "That's a long ways off, Kaeya, and there have been several reports of monster sightings along the way. I can't believe nobody was arranged to come pick you up in the first place."

"The Dawn Winery?" Kaeya asked.

"Yeah. Jean already told me you'd be staying there with family."

This was the first he'd heard of it.

"I see," He said, "I suppose that is pretty far."

"It really is, so please allow me to escort you, not only as a Knight of Favonius, but as your friend who's worried about your well-being."

"Fortunately, Amber, there seems to have been a miscommunication. I'm not going all the way to the Dawn Winery. My apartment is here in the city, quite close by. I'll make it on my own, but thank you for your concern."

"I see. So you aren't doing anything that Jean wouldn't approve of?"

"My, what sort of scoundrel do you take me for?"

Amber shrugged.

"Usually when Jean chases somebody down herself, it's a pretty serious infraction and not just a misunderstanding."

Chase somebody down herself?

"Kaeya Alberich!"

She'd found him fast.

Kaeya: 1

Jean: 1

Kaeya flinched at both the use of his full name and the tone Jean had selected to shout it from the top of the steps. Still, he couldn't afford to bend to her whims now. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself and had no intention of asking anyone to babysit him through recovery, especially not Diluc. They may have reconciled, technically, but there were still plenty of open wounds between them.

"Jean," He greeted, "How wonderful it is to see you. Perhaps you could help me clear up this little misunderstanding with Amber. You see, she believes that I'm going all the way to the Dawn Winery. That's the first I've heard of this, so you'll understand my surprise when she told me that this information came from you."

"She's correct," Jean informed him flatly, "I arranged for Diluc to come pick you up. Imagine my surprise when he arrived at my office and told me that you had already left, disobeying my orders to await an escort."

Kaeya grinned.

"Orders? On my leave of absence? I appreciated the suggestion, of course, but decided that no such escort was necessary. I'll be perfectly fine on my own back at my apartment, so-"

"With what key?" Jean asked.

"With wh-? With my own key, of course." Kaeya patted his trouser pocket, heart sinking as he found it empty. He tried the other side, then his jacket pockets, including the inner one. Nothing.

"Jean," He said tensely, "Where might I find my house key?"

She gave him an infuriatingly smug smile.

"Dragonspine, if I had to guess. Amber managed to recover your sword, but a house key is so small. How unfortunate. Seems like you've got no choice but to stay at the Winery with family while a new one is made."

Kaeya: 1

Jean: 2

"Give me yours."

"My what?"

"Your copy of my house key."

"Oh, did you give me a copy? My, I didn't even remember. Who knows where that old thing could be. It could take quite a while to find."

Kaeya grit his teeth.

"I'll have to ask Rosaria and Venti, then. They've both got copies of my key as well."

He turned, one hand against the wall as he started back up the stairs. This wouldn't be pleasant, but he had a point to make.

"Kaeya," Amber warned, running ahead to cut him off, "I don't really think you should go back up on your own. How about I go find them for you-"

"That won't be necessary, Amber," Jean said, gripping Kaeya's shoulder uncomfortably firmly, "Please head out on your usual patrol route and make note of any new signs of monster camps or abyssal activity. I'll help Kaeya myself. If you happen to see Diluc on the other side of the city, though, I'd be very appreciative if you could send him our way."

Amber hesitated a moment, then bid them a quick farewell and hurried off with a little wave and an awkward, "Get home safe!"

The two were left staring each other down like a pair of fighting cats.

"Jean."

"Kaeya."

"I'm going home."

"Then either Diluc or myself will be staying with you there."

"Awfully rude for someone to invite themself over, let alone another person," He said tensely, "I'm afraid I'm not feeling up to entertaining guests at the moment. That aside, you're both busy with work. The Acting Grand Master couldn't possibly drop everything to fuss over one person, and Diluc has both a tavern and a wine export business to run."

"Counting my overtime, I've accumulated three months straight of paid vacation days since Varka left. Moreover, I still have paid sick leave and unpaid personal days accumulated. If necessary, Lisa can and has handled things in my stead. Furthermore, Venti is happy to stay in the city and will ensure that no major tragedy brings Mondstadt to its knees if I do decide to take a few days to myself, which he and Lisa have both encouraged me to do. On top of that, I'm certain that Diluc would be more than happy to drop by and check in on you for a day or two at a time while I manage personal affairs. Barbara has offered to do the same and already plans to visit and check on your recovery progress over the next couple weeks regardless. I, myself, have already taken today and tomorrow off to help you get settled in wherever you end up."

"This is my business, Jean," Kaeya argued, "I can take care of myself."

"But you won't, Kaeya. That's the problem."

She let go of his shoulder, face softening as she instead reached up to cup his cheek. Kaeya could feel his will begin to quake beneath the soul-crushing sadness and concern in her eyes. Shit. She'd gone from angry to sisterly.

"Please, Kaeya. You're still hurt. Let us help you, just for a few days. We want to make sure you're alright."

He took a deep breath, exhaling trough his nose. She really wasn't the person he wanted to be getting this lecture from, given that she'd never dare to let another person care for her.

"I appreciate it, but I really do just want to go home. I can manage on my own, and if that proves untrue, I'll send for one of you right away."

Jean opened her mouth to protest, but someone else cut her off.

"Sorry, Kaeya, but you have to come back with me today."

Diluc had arrived. He looked like shit, too- dark circles heavy beneath his reddened eyes.

"I don't have to do anything," Kaeya spat, irritation driving him back into old habits, "This may surprise you, Master Diluc, but some people don't follow your orders."

The redhead crossed his arms.

"Jean already told Adelinde you'd be staying. She's been cooking since before I left. If you don't come to dinner, she'll be mad at both of us. I found out when I got up this morning."

Kaeya shut his mouth. Jean had gone to Adelinde? He turned to her for confirmation.

"She answered the door last night," The blonde said coolly, "We caught up over tea. She's missed you a lot, you know."

Kaeya: 1

Jean: 3

"I can't believe you'd do this to me," Kaeya said, then with a quick glance toward his brother added, "To both of us."

"I can," Diluc said flatly, "Though, I must admit, I'm happy she did. It's been too long since we had a proper meal together."

Ah. So his slight from earlier was going ignored, then. That was a relief, he supposed. It would certainly make dinner less awkward if they weren't at each other's throats for once, and it wasn't exactly like he could refuse now that he knew Adelinde was expecting him.

"You're worse than any form of evil to ever slither its way out of the abyss," Kaeya told Jean flatly, "And at least twice as cunning."

"Keep that in mind next time you think about doing something stupid," She said lightly.

"Don't you ever get tired of winning?" Diluc asked, reaching forward to take Kaeya's bag of hospital things from him.

"Absolutely not." She flipped her ponytail over her shoulder, turning to lead the way, "We should get moving. We'll need time to take plenty of rests as we go. I've got water and snacks for the road."

Kaeya and Diluc exchanged a glance, grinning in spite of themselves. They'd think of a way to get back at her for this.

Notes:

Jean knows that both brothers are huge mommas boys and will absolutely exploit that weakness if necessary. That's why she's Adelinde's favorite

Chapter 19: A Familiar Path

Chapter Text

Jean had been right when she'd said they'd need to stop and take plenty of breaks. Kaeya had needed to stop twice more before they even reached the gates, and then once again before they'd passed Springvale. His stamina was horrendous. Even at the slow, easy pace they were taking, his lungs burned and his chest ached where the bones were healing. On top of that, he could already feel his remaining chest wounds and burn wounds soaking through their bandages, and he wasn't sure whether it was liquid from the blisters or if he'd opened scabs and was now bleeding. Currently, he was catching his breath, parked on a rock with his elbows on his knees.

Jean offered him some water, which he gladly took.

"I may have underestimated how difficult this journey would be for you," She began hesitantly, "Perhaps we should consider other options before we hit the canyon."

It wasn't uncommon for monsters to lurk by the side of the road, waiting to attack unsuspecting caravans. Moreover, the road was in much worse shape-uneven, awkward, difficult to keep one's footing. Few places to stop and rest, either.

"I'll go ahead of you two and come back with a cart," Diluc offered, "I should have done that in the first place. Shouldn't take more than an hour and a half round trip."

Kaeya waved him off.

"I'm fine," He insisted, "I've walked from the city to the winery more times than I can count. I'm just a bit slower today."

"You're more hurt today, is what you are," Diluc argued, "Don't think I haven't noticed you bringing a hand up to your injuries. I'd wager they're either bothering you or need new bandages."

Bastard.

"They're fine," Kaeya grit, "I was just making sure they were still there. Wouldn't want them walking off like my housekey."

"Smartass," Diluc sniped.

"Dumbass," Jean added, "Pushing yourself unnecessarily isn't going to help anyone. You're still recovering. Put your pride aside and just take the cart. Lots of people ride into or out of town, anyway."

"Yeah, Jean, with cargo on board. What do you suppose we'd be hauling back?"

"You," Diluc said flatly.

"No."

"Kaeya," Jean warned.

"Quit being a baby. If I were hurt, would you want me walking back?" Diluc crossed his arms.

"No, but you still do it anyway. Would you feel better about letting me walk back injured if it was the middle of the fucking night like you prefer?"

"I don't always go back! I've got an upstairs room in the tavern for a reason. If I'm too hurt to walk, I don't."

"Why don't you walk over here so I can put my boot up your-"

Jean clapped a hand over Kaeya's mouth, the other suddenly gripping his shoulder.

"Farrah! Good morning to you," She greeted.

The man stood a couple meters away, towing an empty transport balloon.

"Good Morning, Acting Grand Master," He greeted awkwardly, "Is everything, uh, okay? You three seemed a bit... loud. While I was approaching, I mean."

"We're just discussing the best strategy to get Kaeya to the winery," Jean said smoothly, "Diluc was about to go get a cart, but Kaeya is trying to insist on walking. He won't be doing that."

Her hold on his shoulder tightened, warning him not to argue. He shot her an indignant look.

"Are you going through the canyon?" Diluc asked, "I could walk you through. We're going the same direction, anyway."

"That'd be great, actually," Farah said, "I've had some problems lately being attacked by Hilichurls. Captain Kaeya could ride in my balloon, too," he offered, "Saves you a trip back."

"Oh! That works out perfectly," Jean said, "If you don't mind, I'll accompany you as well, since I'm going with them."

"Of course not! It's an honor to have the Acting Grand Master and the Cavalry Captain travel with me. And of course, you too, Master Diluc!"

Jean released Kaeya, shooting him a warning glare.

"Thank you, Farrah," Kaeya said coolly, "I appreciate your kindness."

It was still humiliating to have to ride back, but not nearly as bad as having to send Diluc out and wait around for over an hour while he got a cart and came back. He didn't protest as Jean helped him climb aboard, wincing at the way the movements irritated his healing injuries.

"Sorry," Farrah said sympathetically, "It's better suited to carrying cargo than people."

"No need to apologize," Kaeya said quickly, "I'm grateful for your help."

Once he was as settled as he could get, the group set off, killing time by making small talk. Kaeya knew that Diluc had to be hating every moment of it, but Jean was doing a fine job of carrying the conversation and keeping the mood light. Kaeya did his best to help her out, too, when there was a lull, and to spare his brother from having to reply as much as possible. In spit of his efforts, however, Farrah had misplaced good intentions to ensure that everyone was included in the conversation and was fighting for his life to drag Diluc back in at every opportunity.

On some level, Kaeya appreciated the attempt to keep his brother from feeling excluded, but at the same time, he could tell from the glance that he exchanged with Jean that both of them desperately wanted to tell him to read the room.

He was in the middle of saying something about how berries from Liyue taste a bit different from Mondstadt berries when Diluc cut him off.

"I'm going to scout ahead and make sure there's no Hilichurls."

"See anything we should worry about?" Jean checked.

"No." Diluc hurried off ahead and Kaeya sighed, running his palm down his face.

"Did I offend him at all?" Farrah asked, "That certainly wasn't my intention. I swear, I was trying to make everyone feel included."

"It's not your fault," Jean assured, "Diluc isn't as outgoing as he was when we were children."

"Even back then, he was... selectively social. You should have heard the talks Dad gave both of us before parties. When we were small, Diluc would say whatever was on his mind, with little tact. Meanwhile, I would just stay quiet, even when it wasn't appropriate to do so."

"Really? You've always struck me as pretty chatty," Farrah admitted.

"Oh, I love talking to people now," Kaeya assured, "But I was shy back then. Didn't know what to say, so I'd just say nothing and let Diluc do the talking."

"Barbara did the same when we were younger," Jean reminded him, "Took a while for her to warm up to people. I'm glad she got over her shyness, though- it'd be difficult for her to be an idol with stage fright."

Farrah nodded.

"Well, I'm glad you came out of your shells," he said, "I was pretty boisterous as a kid, but also kind of a chicken. Never grew out of that, really." He barked a laugh, "It's embarrassing to even think about how scared I was last time I was attacked by Hilichurls. I'm sure that the Traveler and Paimon both think I'm a huge baby."

"Better a baby than a dead man," Kaeya said with a shrug, "If it happens again when nobody's around, ditch the cart and come get the Knights. Anything you're hauling couldn't be worth risking your life over."

"Yeah...Still sucks to lose the cargo."

"How often does that sort of thing happen, exactly?" Jean asked, and Kaeya could see the wheels turning in her head. Wasn't often that she left her office and got firsthand accounts of the things the read in reports.

"To me specifically, or...?"

"To you, and other merchants or individuals you've spoken to who frequently travel through this canyon."

Farrah sucked a breath through his teeth, thinking.

"Oh...Twice a week, maybe?"

Wow. That was a lot. Kaeya caught Jean's eye. He could already picture the new patrol routes she was drafting in her head.

"I see. That's far too often. I'll see what I can do to make this stretch of road safer once my time off is over," Jean promised.

"Really? That'd be amazing! Thank you, Master Jean!"

The rest of the trip went by quickly. It was still fairly early- noon, maybe, when they arrived at the Winery and thanked Farrah, parting ways as he continued on toward Liyue Harbor.

Diluc was already up on the porch, waiting for them as Jean offered Kaeya her arm to keep him steady as they climbed the path. Normally, he'd be irritated by the fragile treatment, but one of his legs had fallen completely asleep on the ride and the first thing he'd done as he dismounted the balloon was gracefully eat shit in front of everyone, so he couldn't really blame Jean for fussing.

"What happened to the doors?" Kaeya asked, noticing that they were very much...missing.

"Jean," Diluc said flatly.

"Ah," Kaeya replied with a nod, "Always the level-headed leader."

Jean retaliated with a small burst of Anemo, messing up both brothers' hair right as Adelinde appeared to greet them.

"Oh, you boys," She scolded, "You two walked home with your hair looking like that? And Kaeya, you're filthy! What happened? That's the fresh set of clothing I had Jean bring you, isn't it?"

"We hitched a ride out of town and Kaeya fell getting out," Diluc explained, earning himself an elbow to the ribs and a dirty look from his brother.

"Ohh, Kaeya dear- er, Captain Kaeya, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself falling?" Adelinde's voice was so soft and sincere that it made Kaeya's heart ache. She really did still care.

"I'm okay, Adelinde," He assured, "Really. I'm okay now."

She ushered the trio inside, waiting patiently as Jean and Diluc helped Kaeya up the stairs. Before he knew it, Kaeya was standing in the doorway to his childhood bedroom. He'd stayed here a handful of times since his and Diluc's falling out, always out of pure necessity, but it never failed to amaze him how everything seemed to remain frozen in time. It was just as he remembered- same blue and white linens, same wooden desk and chair, same old books and knickknacks he'd never come back for left in just the same spots he'd always place them back when he lived here. If it weren't for the lack of dust, he'd assume that the room hadn't been entered since he'd moved out.

"Lunch will be ready shortly," Adelinde promised, "I'll bring it up." Now that they were upstairs and away from prying eyes, she wrapped Kaeya in a gentle hug.

"I'm happy to see you home safe," She said, smiling as Kaeya returned the hug.

"I missed you," He told her.

"Then come visit me more often!"

Kaeya laughed.

"Alright. I will." He caught Diluc's eye, "I'll come visit more often when I'm back on duty."

"Good," Was all Diluc had to say on the matter.

"You two," Adelinde turned her attention to Diluc and Jean, pulling them each in with one arm, "Thank you for bringing him home. Good job."

"You don't have to thank us, Ma'am," Jean assured frantically, "We would've gone no matter what!"

"Right," Diluc agreed, "He'd do the same for us, anyway."

It was true.

Jean sniffed the air.

"Uh, Adelinde, by any chance, did you have something on the stove when we arrived...?"

With a quick curse, Adelinde flew from the room, leaving behind instructions to help Kaeya settle in and call if they needed anything.

Diluc dropped Kaeya's bag of things from the hospital in the corner.

"I need to lay on the floor in the dark," he announced, "Do you need help unpacking first, or...?"

Kaeya sat on his bed, removing his boots.

"We've got it," He assured, "Come back over and join us when you're done. You could also lay on the carpet in here, if the two of us shuffling around won't bother you."

Diluc thought about it, then shook his head.

"I'll meet you back here in a few minutes."

Diluc crossed the hall, closing his bedroom door.

"Let's keep quiet for him," Jean suggested, "Something tells me he didn't get much sleep last night. Between that, the stress he's been under for the past couple weeks, and the walk with Farrah, he's probably pretty drained."

Kaeya nodded in agreement. He'd figured as much.

"Throw me my antibiotics."

Jean rummaged through the bag until she found the right prescriptions, tossing them to Kaeya.

"You're supposed to take them with food. Why not wait until lunch is done?"

"I don't want to have to wake up in the middle of the night for the next dose."

"You'll have to anyway. Just wait and eat with it. Half an hour or an hour won't make a huge difference either way. Besides, we both know you don't sleep."

"I'm not taking that from you."

"Fair enough. Scoot over."

Jean flopped down next to him, legs dangling over the side of his bed. For the next several minutes, they chatted quietly, talking about the room and how it hadn't changed, flipping through old books, reading over the medical orders. Jean was reading over the instructions for changing Kaeya's bandages when she realized he'd fallen asleep next to her.

Carefully, so as not to wake him, she slipped off the bed and out the door, knocking quietly on Diluc's. When she received no answer, she cracked it open just far enough to peek inside and confirm that he, too, was fast asleep on his bedroom floor.

With an amused huff, she shut the door, returning to Kaeya's room and parking herself on his carpet, back up against the bed as she picked up one of his old books to thumb through.

Before she knew it, she'd dozed off herself. Lack of sleep and the aching comfort of familiarity and nostalgia had come to claim all three of them.

Adelinde could hear them snoring through their doors, so she didn't bother knocking. Unable to bring herself to wake them for lunch, she slipped back downstairs, opting instead to keep it warm while they caught up on their rest. She was sure it had been quite some time since any of them (except Kaeya, who she'd been told had been sedated) had gotten any decent sleep.

Chapter 20: Unhealed Wounds

Chapter Text

When Kaeya first blinked his eyes open, he' was disoriented. He'd expected to wake to the cold, sterile white walls of the infirmary. Instead, he finds himself staring at an achingly familiar ceiling, blue and white curtains billowing gently from the window to the left of the bed as the evening's cool breeze makes its way into the room.

His room, he realized belatedly, wiping a trail of drool from his cheek. Right. He was at the winery, staying with his brother until he was well enough to go back to his own apartment.

As he sat up, he registered the smell of something warm and hearty wafting in, stomach growling in anticipation. He must've dozed off before lunch, but the sky was already a drowsy, heavy shade of blue, the first few stars just barely visible.

Why hadn't anyone woken him? Did they eat without him?

As if to answer his question, a loud snore tore though the silence. Looking down, he found Jean on his floor, back propped up against his bed and neck bent forward at a horribly awkward angle. If he had to guess, she hadn't eaten, either. Nearby, he also spied his bottle of antibiotics.

"Damn," He said aloud, grunting stiffly as he reached for the bottle. With an irritated huff, he nudged Jean's shoulder with his socked foot.

"Wake up. We slept through lunch. It's night now."

She stirred, hand immediately moving to rub her sore neck as she hissed in a breath.

"Ooough," She groaned, "Why'd you let me sleep like that?"

"I didn't! We both must've dozed off."

"Mmm," Jean agreed, "When I checked, Diluc was out like a light, too."

"Oh-ho-ho! So you were the last one up. Nobody to blame but yourself for falling asleep hunched over like that."

Kaeya: 2

Jean: 3

The blonde ignored him in favor of flopping down sideways on his carpet, then rolling onto her back to stretch out. She sat up, crossed one leg over the other, and twisted to the opposite side, earning a satisfying series of cracks from her back before repeating the motion in the opposite direction.

"Your back sounds like it hurts," Kaeya told her.

"I'm not taking that from a guy who got thrown off a cliff."

"Didn't land on my back. Or if I did, I was too concussed to remember."

"Shame you didn't land on your mouth," Jean lamented.

"If I had, who would flash you beautiful and roguish smiles while delivering morning reports?"

"Amber's already doing a great job taking care of your other duties, so I'm sure she could do that too if I asked." Jean reached forward, pushing Kaeya's face back gently from where he hunched over the side of the bed, grinning at her, "Let's go wake Diluc. I'm starving."

Kaeya moved to get off the bed and offer Jean a hand up from the floor, only to wince as his bandages rubbed across the burns. He could feel how badly they'd leaked through. He really ought to change them before dinner, but he was hungry. Surely, it could wait. Jean caught his wince, but said nothing, instead using the bedpost to pull herself off the floor and silently positioning herself by Kaeya's side in an unspoken offer of support. He waved her off gently, but she stayed right with him as they made their way to his door, across the hall, and into Diluc's room.

The man in question lay in exactly the same position Jean had left him in earlier, on his stomach with his mane of fiery hair fanned out behind him and one arm tucked beneath his head. Jean crouched to nudge him, but Kaeya caught her shoulder, shaking his head. Ever since returning from Snezhnaya, Diluc had been jumpier. Kaeya couldn't be positive, but something told him that he wouldn't like being shaken awake. Instead, he retreated back toward the door, knocking on it loudly.

"Diluc," He said pointedly, announcing his presence, "We all slept through lunch. If we miss dinner, Adelinde will have our heads."

With a grumble, Dluc hauled himself up to his feet, throwing his right arm behind his head and leaning into a stretch, then switching. He'd stretched just like that for as long as Kaeya had known him, and longer still, he was sure.

Still rubbing sleep from his eyes, Diluc put one hand on Kaeya's shoulder.

"Did you change your bandages yet?" He asked.

"Yep," Kaeya lied, "I'm hungry. Let's eat."

"Bullshit," Diluc said flatly, "And I'd be willing to bet you haven't taken your antibiotics either."

Kaeya rolled his eyes.

"Blame Jean for that one. I was going to take them, but she wouldn't have me do it on an empty stomach," He raised his voice to imitate Jean, "Thirty minutes or an hour won't make much of a difference,' She said, 'Just wait for lunch,' she said!"

Jean sighed.

"Yeah, that one's on me. Diluc's right about the bandages, though. Which one of us do you want to help?"

"I can ask Adelinde, too," Diluc offered.

Kaeya bit his cheek. He didn't actually want either of their help, but he knew that redoing his own wrappings would be a monumental task. He was hungry now, and had no intention of waiting any longer than necessary to dig into Adelinde's cooking. He sized the two up. Who would be least embarrassing to ask?

Both had experience bandaging wounds, but Diluc wouldn't turn it into a lecture. Jean absolutely would.

"Diluc," He said after a moment's hesitation, "If you don't mind."

His brother nodded curtly, following Kaeya back to his room.

"I'm going to go see if Adelinde needs help with anything downstairs," Jean said, picking up on Kaeya's desire for some privacy.

"See you soon," Diluc told her, shutting the door behind them before turning back to his brother.

Kaeya had managed to remove his jacket on his own and was currently undoing the seemingly infinite number of buttons on his shirt. Already, he could smell something sour wafting up from underneath. He definitely should have changed his wrappings before his nap, especially since they'd been seeping all morning.

His shirt fell in a heap behind him as he started peeling at the soiled bandages.

"You soaked through," Diluc observed.

"Seems that way."

"It stinks."

"Well, pardon me for offending your delicate sense of smell."

"Not like that," Diluc huffed, "I mean it smells sour. Like it's getting infected. Do you have any ointments or extra cleaning instructions, or just the antibiotics?"

Kaeya shrugged, "Maybe in the bag?"

Diluc pawed through the hospital bag, pulling back with a satisfied hum as he removed a little tube of cream.

"This stuff's pretty good," He mused, "Doesn't sting. Tastes like shit, though."

"It's taken orally?"

"No. I applied it before eating."

"No handwashing between those two actions?"

"I don't wash my hands much on patrol."

"Ew. You just eat with the whole city- and random medicinal goop- on your hands?"

Diluc shrugged.

"Beats not eating."

Neither of them said anything as Kaeya finished unwrapping the bandages. After his time in the hospital and multiple visits from Barbara, everything was pretty much done healing aside form the burns and the wounds that had required stitches. This wasn't the first time Kaeya was seeing them, but it was his first opportunity to look carefully, as every other time, someone else had been fussing over them.

"Why the hell are they so round?" He mused aloud.

"Sorry," Diluc said immediately.

Kaeya's heart sank. He hadn't intended to make his brother guilty, or dredge up anything unpleasant.

"It's fine," Kaeya answered quickly, "I was just wondering- what did you use? To cauterize them, I mean."

"My Vision."

"Obviously. I mean, what did you actually heat up? A ladle, maybe? Metal thermos?"

"My Vision," Diluc grit out, more firmly this time, "We didn't have- Venti said that if I didn't, he'd have to use an arrowhead and the Seelie, and that it would be worse."

Oh.

Oh my God.

"You had to use your- the actual-"

"Yes."

Kaeya hadn't gotten the full story in the hospital. Now, he could see why the others might not want to tell him. Diluc having to use his actual Vision to close the wounds, then just continue carrying it with him, on his person, everywhere he went? And how had he cleaned it? The wounds had been messy, at first- that much he knew. Pieces of flesh had been sloughed off around the edges, where they'd burned, but not badly enough to stay put. That meant Diluc would have had to get those off of his Vision, somehow, once he was done.

How awful.

"I'm so sorry," Kaeya whispered, eyes boring holes in his lap.

"Don't apologize. You were hurt." Diluc swallowed thickly, "Had to be done."

"Thanks, again," Kaeya said earnestly, "I know it couldn't have been easy for you."

"At least you were unconscious by then," His brother replied darkly.

For a few tense heartbeats, the two sat frozen. Finally, Diluc excused himself for a moment, explaining that he'd be back with a bowl of water and a wash cloth. Kaeya nodded numbly, watching him go.

Diluc returned a short while later, washcloths and bowl of water in tow.

"Do you want me to, or-"

"I've got it," Kaeya said, too quickly, "You don't have to. Don't worry."

He took a dampened cloth and began cleaning around the edges of his burns, wincing. The top layer of the blister scabs had gone soft, saturated with the fluids that had leaked from them and into the bandages. Now, even the gentlest pass with the wash cloth pulled bits away.

"Waited too long," Diluc sighed as he watched Kaeya work, "That's going to suck a lot for a couple of days."

Great.

Kaeya worked quickly and silently, using Adelinde's cooking as a motivator to hurry up and get it over with. However, sitting in a pile of soiled bandages and watching the wash cloth take chunks of whitened flesh with it was spoiling his appetite. Vaguely, he wondered if he could get away with claiming he was tired and skipping dinner. Diluc would probably say yes. He knew his brother would let him just hole up in his room if he asked.

Jean and Adelinde might be more persistent, but if Diluc told them that Kaeya wasn't feeling well, he might just get away with it.

The idea made him guilty, but the silence in the room was already becoming stifling. He didn't want to spend another night around a tense dinner table, unable to look his brother in the eye, both of them too uncomfortable to speak.

Just as he was about to ask, Diluc cut him off.

"We need to get Jean back at dinner," He said seriously.

"What?"

"For teaming up against us with Adelinde."

Oh, that.

Oh. Actually, that could be fun. And it would be something to work together on with his brother.

He grinned, setting the wash cloth aside.

"Got anything in mind? Pass me the bandages."

Diluc hummed thoughtfully.

"Ointment first," He said, "And I was thinking of embarrassing her with something she said to me on the way to find you."

"Sounds promising," Kaeya mused, "Am I going in blind, or do I get to know ahead of time?"

"We were reminiscing about our training days. She called us dirty, pissed off kites. Also, she still feels bad about hitting you in the mouth that one time."

"When she was going to ditch Barbara?"

"Yes."

"We can definitely work with that."

The brothers sat together, scheming with the same excitement as when they were children. Diluc helped Kaeya re-wrap his wounds and slip back into his shirt as they spoke, heads close together and voices lowered. As they made their way down the hall, they finalized their plans, splitting to walk a bit further apart and putting on their best poker faces to avoid suspicion. The duo was back in action and planning to relish every moment of pissing off their best friend.

Chapter 21: Old Habits Die Hard

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Dinner had started off as a comfortable, hectic mess of cheerful voices and home-cooked food. Diluc had taken up the head of the table, as per usual, with Kaeya at his right and Jean next to Kaeya. Diluc had sent all the other servants out and Adelinde joined them on his left. Surprisingly, the maid had opened the playful conversation up with a lighthearted jab of her own, directed at her boys.

"All that time upstairs and neither of you could be bothered to fix your hair or change into something less crumpled?" She'd shaken her head in mock disappointment, doing a poor job of concealing a fond smile "And in front of the Acting Grand Master, no less. Jean here at least took a moment to redo her ponytail after her nap."

"I'm injured," Kaeya had shot back, "And Jean didn't redo anything-she slept sitting up!"

"Knights should always stay three steps ahead," Jean had replied, "And think carefully about anything they do or say. That goes double for me as Acting Grand Master- if I arrived at the table looking disheveled, it would reflect poorly on the Knights. That's why I was careful not to mess my hair up."

"Is that also why you passed out and missed lunch?" Diluc asked, cocking a brow.

"Well, I-" Jean began to defend, only to be cut off by Kaeya.

"Does that mean you were speaking for every Knight when you compared my esteemed brother and I to- what was it, again? Dirty, angry kites?"

"Was your assault on myself and my doors an official act on behalf of the Knights of Favonius?" Diluc crossed his arms.

Jean jumped out of her seat.

"Of course not! All of those things were representative only of myself and my personal feelings," She said quickly, "And so is this," She added, picking a piece of corn off her plate and flicking it at Kaeya, who ducked out of the way, laughing as it hit Diluc.

"Insults, assault on civilians, property damage, and now wasting resources," The redhead said, picking the kernel from his jacket, "How far the Knights have sunk. Worse yet, you keep Kaeya on payroll. With no cavalry left to captain, his job has become day drinking and getting lost in the mountains."

That one stung. He'd have to repay the favor.

"Adelinde, Diluc is bullying me," Kaeya complained, "And he's being a hypocrite."

"How's that?" Diluc asked, suddenly on guard.

"Well, they Winery keeps you on payroll. Kept you on payroll." Kaeya knew he was picking at open wounds, but old habits die hard.

"I am the payroll," He pointed out, "What, exactly, are you implying?"

"Boys," Adelinde warned, "We have a guest."

Jean was all too familiar with the glint in Kaeya's eye as he stared his brother down across the table.

"Watch it, Kaeya," She said tensely, hand coming to his shoulder. She wasn't keen on watching the two fall out again when they'd been getting along so well.

"What I'm implying," Kaeya said, punctuating each syllable, "Is that three years is an awfully long time to leave your post, and far less responsible than a few drinks when you're off the clock. You were very, very lucky to have had Adlinde and Elzer-"

"You want to talk about luck?" Diluc snapped, "You're lucky that so many people put their lives on hold to drag you back to Mondstadt, lucky to have been found at all, and even luckier that making such a stupid mistake around explosives didn't leave you dead in the snow in the first place!"

"You'd know an awful lot about leaving people dead in the snow, wouldn't you?"

Diluc's mouth snapped shut. Kaeya watched him stand, shock, anger, and hurt clear as day on the other's face. He'd expected him to lash out, to kick him out of the house, to resort to violence like he would when they'd fight as kids, like he had the night he'd left. Jean and Adelinde seemed to anticipate something similar, as both women had launched themselves from their seats the moment Diluc had stood up.

Instead, the man just turned and left, striding out of the room. No harsh words, no raised fists, just cold, empty silence. Somehow, being left alone was much worse than what Kaeya had been anticipating.

He flinched as he heard the front door slam.

"Fuck," He spat, burying his face in his hands.

Adelinde sighed.

"I'll go after him in a few minutes. You two finish eating."

"I've lost my appetite," Kaeya told her, pushing his own seat back and hesitating a moment before adding, "Sorry."

"I can take him upstairs," Jean offered, "I'm done, too. Thank you for dinner. It was delicious."

The maid nodded and set to work clearing the table. Nobody acknowledged how full all their plates still were- the fight had broken out too quickly to make much progress on eating.

The walk back to his old room was abysmal. Not only was he embarrassed to need help getting up the stairs, he was ashamed that he still had to stay the night. Usually when this happened, he could at least go back to his own apartment. Tonight, however, he knew he'd never make it back to the city on his own and that it would be too much to ask Jean to take him to spare his pride. He was the one who'd picked a fight, after all. He doubted that Diluc had intended for his words to hurt, but Kaeya had laced each of his own with venom and intent to strike a nerve.

Once they'd reached their destination, Jean closed the door behind them, which indicated to him that she wasn't leaving. He wasn't sure whether to be grateful for her company or frightened of the potential lecture to come.

"Kaeya," Jean said softly, taking a seat next to him on the bed. He kept his eyes firmly on his feet.

"Kaeya," She tried again, a bit firmer, but still not angry, "What was that? Talk to me."

He just shook his head.

"Kaeya Alberich."

Ah. She was using her Acting Grand Master voice now.

"What?"

"Report. Now. I want to know why you acted like that."

He didn't budge.

"I'm off the clock, Jean. It's personal."

"I'm on vacation," She reminded him, "I took the time off for you. I know it's personal- that's why I'm asking. You two have been doing so well. You came down those stairs together looking like you did when we were kids. What happened?"

"I don't know," He admitted.

"Then let's figure it out." She stood and walked to the little desk in the corner, opening a drawer and producing a few sheets of paper, a quill, and an ink pot. Absently, Kaeya noted that, like everything else in the room, they were exactly where he'd left them.

"We'll start at the end and work our way back," Jean said, quill hovering over the bottom of the page, "The problem was that you two argued. So we'll put, 'ARGUMENT' down here and think back from that point. What happened right before you two fought?"

"We were talking," Kaeya said slowly, "Not arguing yet, but provoking each other."

He watched her scrawl, 'PROVOCATION' on the page, above 'ARGUMENT'.

"And why were you two provoking each other?"

Kaeya bit his tongue.

"I insulted him. On purpose."

"How is that different from provocation?"

Kaeya shrugged.

"Wasn't looking for a fight yet," He said, watching her write 'INSULT' in clean, careful letters, "Just to get even."

"Even? For what?"

"For-" Kaeya paused. Yes, for what? Why had mentioning his drinking habits and getting lost stung so badly? If Venti, Rosaria, or, Hell, even Jean had made the same joke, he would have taken it in stride. Why had it hurt coming from Diluc?

"...For his joke about keeping me on payroll," He settled on eventually.

Jean looked at him over her shoulder.

"I've joked about that, too," She reminded him, "Do you not like those sorts of jokes? I could stop making them."

"It's different coming from you."

"Why? I'm the one who could technically fire you. Not that I ever would."

Kaeya wondered if that was true. Would she fire him if he'd been hurt too badly to return to duty? Maybe not firing, exactly, but he would have either been moved to a more accommodating position or honorably discharged. Either one would feel like being fired. He wondered if she'd fire him for real if she knew he was Khaenri'ahn.

"I know you don't mean it when you ask why you keep me around."

Jean seems to accept this, nodding slowly.

"But you think Diluc does?" She asks.

Ah. That was it, then.

Realization settles heavily in Kaeya's chest. He still can't bring himself to imagine his brother valuing him, wanting to keep him around. Evidence to the contrary is short-lived: it spans from the time Diluc came to fetch him and carried him down until now. A matter of a few days, several of which he wasn't conscious to process. Before that, he'd had burn scars, three years of silence, and another couple years of tension and constant fights to solidify his worth, or lack thereof, in his brother's eyes.

"Yeah," He replied, "I guess I do."

Notes:

Hi everyone! Happy Holidays to all who celebrate.

Sorry it took so long to update, the holidays aren't a great time for me and I just couldn't find the motivation to write and this chapter didn't want to work for me. I was originally going to make the dinner scene longer, but it just wouldn't come out, so to avoid staying stuck I moved it along. Also I was rereading earlier chapters+end notes and Wow. I thought this story was going to be so much shorter. If you've made it this far, thank you for sticking with me!

Chapter 22: In Solid Hands

Notes:

Be warned that Albert is in this chapter

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

It had been nice during the day, but as evening fell and the first few stars peeked through the wispy orange-pink clouds overhead, a chill had crept up on the city. The evening breeze was cool, almost uncomfortably so- nothing as biting as the harsh gusts of Dragonspine, of course, but it was certainly nipping. The citizens of the city were caught off-guard, huddling slightly into their clothes as they hurried to and fro, wrapping up their days. Venti sat perched in the hands of the statue out front of the Cathedral, gut twisting with guilt as he watched his people hunch their shoulders against the winds-his winds, but he couldn't help it. Even The Seven had bad days, and today just so happened to be one of them.

Things were fine, technically. Kaeya was recovering at the Winery with Jean and Diluc looking after him. Adelinde, too, if he was remembering the woman from Kaeya's stories correctly. Rosaria was still on the clock, shockingly. She'd been putting in unusual bouts of overtime since Kaeya's return to the city. Venti had considered inviting her out, but for once, she seemed legitimately busy, and besides that, all they ever really did together was drink and Venti had promised Jean to be better about sobriety if she would be better about taking care of herself.

He hadn't expected it to be so difficult. It had been quite some time since he'd spend multiple full days completely sober, and he'd forgotten just how much the yawning chasm in his chest hurt without the aid of a chemical buffer. Since losing his Gnosis, the agony had only increased. For a while, it was tolerable- he went about daily life, gliding through the city illegally, climbing the tree at Windrise to watch the clouds and visit his wind spirit consorts, going to The Angel's Share to sing and play the lyre with a copious amount of dandelion wine to top off the day.

Today, Jean was gone. She had taken "vacation" time to make sure Kaeya would be alright and left Mondstadt to Lisa, Amber, and, of course, Venti.

So, of course, Venti had decided that it would be best to stay within the walls of the city and keep an eye on things. The likelihood of disaster striking in the two days Jean had taken off was infinitesimally low, but it wasn't zero. If there was an emergency, he wanted to be easy to find if he was needed, and he couldn't guarantee that if he was off gallivanting in Windrise or seemed too drunk to be of any use at the tavern.

Not that he had anyone to drink with tonight.

The pang of despair crackled down Venti's sternum, settling somewhere in his guts. Drawing his knees up to his chest, he buried his face in his arms.

In such a short time, he'd forgotten how to deal with being lonely. Even the hands of the statue beneath him failed to offer their usual minimal comfort. Most days, he was able to sit here and look back fondly, remembering the days that he was tiny and mostly powerless, sitting in the warm, gentle hands of an achingly kind bard, listening to him sing and nibbling on the same apple as he told grand tales of freedom and revolution.

Today, those memories just hurt. The revolution had come and taken the bard away, had left Venti wearing a face that would never really be his own but which he could never bear the grief of changing. Divinity had forced itself into Venti's new bones, shackling him with the power to protect the freedoms which his friend had died to obtain, with the obligation to stay and bear witness to the demise of friends and allies time and again, outliving nearly everyone he ever grew close to. The grief had carved pieces of the bard away little by little until most days he felt little else, too exhausted to continue. At these times, he would fall into long periods of slumber, drifting through syrupy, tingling nothingness until the next time he awoke to restart the cycle of closeness and loss and to protect the children of Mond.

Now, he'd managed to lose that power. His Gnosis was gone, and most of his divinity along with it. He'd always been the weakest of The Seven, but now, he'd gone and lost what power he did have, left running on fumes and scraping the bottom of the barrel for whatever dregs were left. Sitting in the open, gentle hands of a statue built in tribute to himself and pretending that they belonged to the boy whose face he'd taken had always been a bit uncomfortable, but usually, the comfort was great enough to outweigh it.

A gust of cold wind ruffled his cape, threatening to knock his hat from his head, but he brought a hand up to keep it in place.

Below, there was some sort of commotion- he'd probably blown something away from someone else.

Great, he thought, straitening up, Better get it back for them.

Peering over the tips of the statue's fingers, however, revealed a very different sort of predicament. Down below, in the darkened courtyard, he could see Barbara shuffling awkwardly around the water near the statue, glancing back toward the Cathedral frequently as a man did his very best to invade her personal space. They seemed to be talking, but it was clear that the girl was more than ready for the conversation to be over. Venti grit his teeth.

He waited until they were right below to make his entrance, leaping from the statue's hands dramatically and cushioning his fall with a gust of Anemo that "accidentally" sent the man falling into the water at the base of the statue.

"Oops!" He said exaggeratedly, "Didn't see you down here. Real shame you landed in the water, and on such a chilly night, too. You'd better go home and change before you catch a cold."

He made no move to offer a hand up as the man sloshed about, staggering to his feet.

"I'm soaked!" He complained.

"A peculiar name, indeed! I don't believe we've been acquainted. You can call me Venti," He glanced over his shoulder to Barbara, who seemed relieved to have someone between herself and and added, "It's a bit late for our Deaconess to be out. You'd better get going, too."

"My name's not 'Soaked'," The man sniped, "It's Albert. I was just discussing that with her before you rudely interrupted us. Since it's so late, I thought perhaps she could use an escort. Mondstadt's Angel shouldn't be out walking alone at night."

"How very noble," Venti said sarcastically, "But if that's the case, she'd be better off asking one of the Sisters or the Knights of Favonius. Unless I'm mistaken, you two aren't very well acquainted. A strange man offering to walk a young girl home at night is-"

"I'm no stranger," Albert snapped, "I'll have you know that I'm the president of her fan club. She's seen me at every one of her performances. I even watch some of her rehearsals through the windows when Sister Victoria doesn't chase me off."

"Wow. That's super weird. What's wrong with you?"

At that, Barbara threw herself between the two.

"Sorry, Albert, but I've got to go! I appreciate the offer of an escort, but I was actually meeting Venti. I'm accompanying him and Sister Rosaria tonight to check on Captain Kaeya. Thanks for worrying, but we've got to get going now!"

Venti held his tongue as he was dragged off by the wrist and down the stairs. Thankfully, Albert did not try to follow. Once they'd made it to the bottom of the steps, Venti stopped dead in his tracks, halting Barbara with him.

"Knights of Favonius headquarters is that way," He pointed out.

"I'm not going to the Knights," Barbara hissed.

"Why not? That guy's a huge creep. He's stalking you. It's not normal for an adult to act like that, especially around a kid. You need to report him."

Barbara shook her head furiously.

"He means well! He's just...enthusiastic about my music."

"People are enthusiastic about my music, too, but the ones that try to corner me at night or follow me home aren't any good. On that note, blindly trusting me when you barely know me wasn't great, either."

Barbara crossed her arms.

"I didn't trust you blindly," She argued, "You're pretty well-known throughout the city. Je- The Acting Grand Master, Sister Rosaria, Captain Kaeya, and Amber all trust you, and I trust their judgement. If I had to pick between two weirdos, you're the obvious choice, even if you do commit regular acts of blasphemy."

Venti snorted.

"I do my best."

"Do better! It's not good to run around impersonating Barbatos."

"It's the city of freedom. I bet he'd think it was really, really funny."

"No way!"

Venti laughed.

"Well, I'm glad you at least weighed your options before picking which weirdo you were going to trust, but the ideal number of weirdos around you is zero. So, back to the matter at hand- you're hesitating to report Albert. Has he threatened you?"

"No!"

"Are you afraid he'll hurt you anyway if he found out you reported him?"

"No, and I'm not reporting him! He's just a fan."

"He's dangerous, Barbara. He needs to be reported so that he can't keep bothering you like this."

"It's not all the time- he's only tried to follow me once before, so-"

"What? Did he follow you to your house?"

"No, Wolvendom- I hid in the woods and the Traveler helped me get rid of him."

"And neither of you thought to report him after that?"

"He only wanted to help! I was looking for Wolfhooks, and he-"

"-Is a strange adult who has tried to follow you twice now. You've been saved by pure dumb luck twice, and it may not hold for a third. Somethign tells me that if push came to shove, you'd be hesitant to defend yourself against this guy, even if you're capable of it." Venti softened a bit and added, "I can go with you, if it'll make filing the report easier. I could also be the one to file it, if you're worried about him finding out. Lisa should still be in, or we could try and catch Amber-"

"Could you please just drop it?"

"Nope." A pause, then, "Are you waiting for Jean to come back?"

"No! Jean can't find out about this, Venti- please, please, please don't tell the Knights."

The bard was startled by the distress in her voice. In the dim yellowish glow of the streetlight, he could see her eyes glistening with barely-held-back tears.

"Can you tell my why you don't want your sister to find out?" He asked softly.

Barbara hesitated a moment before speaking.

"She's busy, Venti. She's got a whole city to look after, and now Kaeya's hurt too. They've been close friends ever since we were really little, before Mom and Dad split up. I don't want her to have to worry about her little sister on top of that."

Venti heaved a sigh, kneeling down to look up at the Deaconess.

"Sister Barbara, do you think that you're not worth worrying about?"

Barbara shook her head.

"It's not about being worth it, Venti. She handles everything else. The least I could do is handle this on my own."

"Do you think that Jean would be relieved to know that you hid this from her and put yourself in danger because you worried about being an inconvenience? If something happened to you, do you think she'd be glad you didn't come to her for help, or devastated that you felt unable to turn to her in your time of need?"

"You don't get it. She's had to do everything for everyone ever since we were kids. She barely ever gets time to herself, and when she does, she still just gives most of it away, like right now. I don't like asking her for things, especially when I know she'll say yes. It's better to just deal with it on my own than take up any more of her time."

Venti shook his head.

"How would you feel if your sister got badly hurt but refused to come to the Cathedral because she didn't want to bother you?"

"Awful, of course! Don't say things like that."

"She's got her own Vision, doesn't she? And she's the Acting Grand Master. She ought to be able to handle things on her own, don't you think?"

The facefull of cold water caught Venti completely off-guard. He drew in a sharp breath, hands flying to his face to wipe off as much as he could. He shot Barbara a dirty look through his bangs, which were now plastered to his face.

"Hey!"

"You're supposed to be her friend," Barbara snapped, "Don't you go talking about her like that. Saying that you wouldn't help her if she asked, just because you think she should be able to handle it? You've got some nerve, you half-witted, tone-deaf jerk!"

"If it hurts for a friend to talk that way about somebody you care about, imagine how painful it would be to know that your own little sister talked that way about herself." Venti scrubbed both sleeves over his face, shivering as cold droplets ran up his arms to his elbows, "Jean would want to know, Barbara. She'd want to help you just as much as she wanted to help the rest of Mondstadt. If her plate's too full to handle it personally, she'll assign someone else to take care of it, but she'd never, ever want to turn a blind eye on this sort of thing, especially if it's for you. Just like you'd want her to come to you for help if she needed it, she'd want you to do the same." He stood, wringing out his hat. The two stared each other down for several seconds.

Finally, Barbara deflated.

"I know. You're right. It's just scary, and embarrassing. I don't want her to worry."

"Jean loves worrying. It's her favorite pastime."

This time, Venti managed to dodge the water Barbara shot at him.

"Hey! Blasphemy! You're attacking Barbatos himself!"

"I told you to repent for those jokes!"

"Never. They're way too funny."

They'd be even funnier if Barbara ever figured out that he wasn't joking. Venti was willing to play the long game for that payoff.

He let Barbara chase him around for a minute or two before they both stopped, breathless.

"I'll find a way to tell Jean when she gets back," Barbara said after a while, hesitating a bit before adding, "Thank you, Venti. I think I sort of see why Jean trusts you, even if you are a blasphemous weirdo."

Venti used a bit of Anemo to blow Barbara's pigtails in her face.

"Hah! Revenge!" He cheered, shaking his still-dripping hair out next to the girl.

"I take it all back," The girl said, pulling her hair back into place, "May Barbatos have mercy on your silly little soul!"

"Bartobas totally loves silly little souls. I'm an expert- trust me, one of my best friends is a Sister at his Cathedral."

The Deaconess didn't bother to correct him. Instead, she peeked past him to the dimly lit cobblestone streets and said sheepishly, "It's dark out for real now. Do you think you could maybe walk me home?"

Venti glanced up, realizing that she was right.

"You sure? Headquarters is right there. We could still probably catch Amber, if you wanted."

"Amber can't play the lyre while we walk."

Venti huffed out an amused breath.

"I suppose that's true. Well, then, you'll just have to suffer through this half-witted, tone-deaf jerk's melodies for a while."

All the way to Barabara's home in the city, he strummed his lyre and carried on light conversation, drafting out a letter in his head. Once he'd dropped Barbara off, he'd headed toward Kaeya's apartment, intending to break in for supplies and have one of his Consorts deliver it to Jean at the Winery. He trusted Barbara to keep her word, but the sooner Jean knew about Albert, the better. He himself would, of course, also be more than happy to intervene much less gently now that he had a better grasp of the situation. He'd get Rosaria on board as soon as possible, too.

As he slid his copy of Kaeya's key into the lock and turned the knob, he was surprised by the warm, amber glow of lamplight that greeted him. Had his friend left it on before going to Dragonspine? Yikes. That'd sure run up the electric bill.

"What are you doing here, jackass?"

Ah. Kaeya's home had another guest.

"Good evening, Master Diluc," Venti greeted warmly, closing the door behind himself, "You look like shit, and I could ask you the same, but the more pressing question is why aren't you with Kaeya?"