WhIP

by footfungus

nederlands verhalen over mijn otp

230. Chapter 230

Kidnapping is Rude

Anonemoni

Summary:

"Diluc groaned into the dirt.

He had long since lost his mask- it had cracked on his face at a blast from a geochanter. The small bit of protection it offered had probably kept him conscious…

Not that that had counted for much when the Electrohammer Vanguard tased him into complete oblivion not even two seconds later.

He had been expecting Treasure Hoarders. Not an entire Fatui platoon. He'd been tricked. Either the intel was bad… or worse- it had been planted.

Or he just had really, REALLY bad luck." A series of kidnappings/attempted kidnappings have the Knights on their heels. Kaeya enlists the help of Diluc, AKA the Darknight hero since, you know, they're actually on speaking terms now- some might even say they're ~gasp~ FRIENDS!

It all goes Very South Very Fast and Kaeya and Jean have to rush to save not only the impulsive vigilante, but the children that have been taken.

Notes:

SEQUEL TIME BABEY!

I have no idea how long this fic is going to be and I'm not even going to try to guess haha
This first chapter is uhh... violent. Get ready, loves.

Current plan is to alternate between present and past- wish me luck with the non-linear narrative haha
~~~~

Tentative posting schedule is going to be Fridays- so next chapter should be up July 9th!

(See the end of the work formore notes.)

Chapter 1: Let's Play a Game

Chapter Text

PART ONE: How to Save a Sibling

*present*

-Liyue-

Diluc

Diluc groaned as the hoarder's boot made contact with his ribs. Again.

"Heh. Not so tough now, are ya Mr. Darknight Hero? Or should I say Mr. 'Wine Man'?" The man sneered mere inches from Diluc's face. He had bad breath.

That wasn't even a good one…

The 'Darknight' name is more of an insult-

Diluc snarled right back at the man.

"I have to say, I never expected to run intoyouso far from Mondstadt! Or to be so lucky as to figure out your true identity-"

Diluc spat in the man's face.

The hoarder shrieked as one hand came up to frantically wipe away the spit.

Diluc smirked,Shouldn't have been leaning so close, idiot-

The man grabbed Diluc by his hair and slammed his face downhardinto the ground.

He saw stars.

Okay… m-maybeI'Mthe... idiot...

He groaned into the dirt.

He had long since lost his mask- it had cracked on his face at a blast from a geochanter. The small bit of protection it offered had probably kept him conscious…

Not that that had counted for much when the Electrohammer Vanguard tased him into complete oblivion not even two seconds later.

He had been expecting Treasure Hoarders. Not an entire Fatui platoon. He'd been tricked. Either the intel was bad… or worse- it had been planted.

Or he just had really, REALLY bad luck.

The redhead tried not to cry out as another boot found his ribs. He couldn't do anything to protect himself- his hands were bound behind his back, and his knees and ankles were tied tightly together.

At the next strike Diluc swore he heard something crack.

He coughed and choked on air.

It was gettingreallyhard to breathe.

They had taken his vision, his delusion, and his weapon. They'd even found the hidden knives he kept on his person. They weren't fucking around.

They're going to kill me-

Diluc dismissed the panicked thought and instead focused on his breathing. Focused on listening to the voices around him- looking for any semblance of an opening.

But he was bound tight.

He had no idea how long he'd been unconscious. He knew only that the majority of the Treasure Hoarders in the original group were long gone. Along with the children they had kidnapped.

Archons, he'd beenso close.

Diluc braced himself as the leader of the hoarders lifted his boot for another cheapshot, and was surprised when one of the Fatui pulled the man back by his shoulder, stopping the action.

The geochanter stepped forward.

"Your part of the deal is sorted, you will be properly compensated at the rendezvous point. You are dismissed."

So the rest aren't too far ahead… Interesting…Diluc would normally have considered it agoodthing, but, well, he still didn't have any means for escape. So the fact was mildly interesting at most.

It's not like he could do anything with the information.

The hoarder narrowed his eyes, first at the Fatui, then at Diluc.

"What about the Mondstadter?" He spat at the redhead, and Diluc barely managed to yank his face out of the flight path. The movement made his ribs ache.

The hoarder growled-

"We will deal with him." The bracer's glowing yellow eye settled on Diluc's slumped form and the redhead shivered.

Gods, those masks are so creepy…

If he wasn't in so much pain he might have noted the irony in that thought.

The hoarder snorted, "Fine…"

He took his leave.

The geochanter crouched in front of Diluc, blocking his view of the man's exit.

A gloved hand moved to stroke his cheek and Diluc snarled, pulling back against his restraints.

The Fatui chuckled.

"Let's play a little game, shall we?"

Diluc squirmed as a blindfold was tied around his face- he tried to cry out, but a foul smelling rag was immediately shoved into his mouth.

He gagged. It didn't help.

"Stop squirming."

He let out an indignant half-shout as the vanguard lifted him roughly and threw him over one broad shoulder as if he weighed nothing.

Oh… Fuck me-

[I think we all know John Mulaney's bit about secondary locations]

*present*

-Liyue… Definitely still in Liyue… just not sure exactly where...-

Diluc wasn't carried far. It was… maybe a ten-minute walk? If that?

It was ten minutes of pure agony for his ribs as he was hoisted like a sack of potatoes- but it was only ten minutes all the same.

He bit back a shout as he was unceremoniously dropped from shoulder height onto hard stone. It took him a solid 20 seconds to catch his breath as he lay there, blinded and gagged, with his face pressed into the ground and his hands pulled tight behind his back.

"Hmm… should we leave him blindfolded…?" Diluc's head jerked toward the voice. That wasn't the geochanter- the pyroslinger, maybe? It was hard to tell.

"Nah, he won't put up much of a fight that way- I vote we free his legs, too." That was definitely the electrohammer…

Free his legs for what…?

Diluc tried to quell his panic, but his chest had already started heaving, and he felt sweat gathering at the small of his back.

"Mrrphm-!" He protested as much as he could as he was yanked onto his knees by the arm. The movement did his ribs no favors.

Hands started touching his face and he squirmed, until a harsh slap jerked his head roughly and made his cheek sting.

He stopped moving. The hand returned and-

Removed the blindfold.

He glared up at the glowing eye of the geochanter.

"Hmm… you're a feisty one… Though, I would expect nothing less from the man who has been causing us so much trouble over the years…"

The hand returned to grip his face.

"Hopefully that will all be behind us soon…"

Diluc grunted as the man shoved him backward into the dirt by the chin. His hands were pressed into his back underneath him.

He started kicking and wriggling as another Fatui moved toward his legs with a knife.

A quick boot to the temple stilled him. And after the initial flash of pain he just…

Floated... for a minute… as black spots danced across his vision.

He distantly registered the ties around his knees and ankles being cut.

He groaned as the geochanter pulled him up again- this time by his shirt.

"Hmm… it seems this isn't going to be much of a show, after all… pity."

Diluc was about to snarl at the man when he was thrown bodily sideways- over the edge of a steep ravine.

He hit the ground multiple times as he tumbled down the cliff face, finally coming to a stop in a miserable pile.

He groaned around his gag.

Well… if my ribs weren't broken before…

He distantly registered… something moving around nearby. The ground shook ever so slightly.

He opened his eyes to find himself in… a cave? Ancient structures seemed to be built into one side- walls and arches crumbling with the decay of age. All around him the sides were steep. The only way out was to climb, but he did notice another opening on the far end, if he could justget there.

It was then that Diluc realized exactly how difficult that was going to be as he locked eyes with what could only be described as a dragon. Or perhaps a particularly large and pointy armadillo. He supposed it would depend who you asked.

"You may want to get moving! That thing doesn't take kindly to intruders!~" Diluc looked up at the cliff face in time to see his own sword hurtling toward him.

He barely managed to scramble out of the way as it landed point down barely 8 inches from his knee.

He glared up at the figure receding from the edge, and was immediately yanked back into the situation at hand as the primo geovishap roared in his direction and began burrowing into the earth.

Shit! Shitshit shitshitSHIT!

Diluc quickly spun around with his back to his blade and felt around until he had the sharp edge lined up with his restraints.

He started sawing.

On a particularly jarring vibration his hand slipped, and his blade bit into his palm.

"Mphm-!" He felt tears prick at his eyes as he kept working the rope against the sharp edge.

He could feel his heart hammering in his chest in time with the vibrations which weregeTtING CLOSER-

-Snap!-

He grunted as the ropes around his wrists finally gave, and he spun, quickly grabbing for the hilt of his sword and diving out of the way just as the dragon came bursting out of the earth like a possessed worm.

He was out of the immediate focus of the attack, but the shockwave still sent him flying. His sword skittered to the side about six feet away.

His back hit something hard- the wall? The ground? He wasn't sure...

Diluc groaned as he felt something warm and wet drip down the side of his face.

He ripped the disgusting rag out of his mouth and dry heaved once before sucking in a deep breath.

He then pushed himself up to his feet and… swayed.

C'mon, Diluc, Move!

He willed his legs torunjust as a large bout of flame rushed toward him from the creature's maw.

Oh, wonderful.

It breathes fire.

Diluc managed a somersault out of harm's way and scooped up his sword in one fluid motion.

It would have been cool if he hadn't stumbled immediately after.

Pain shot through his ribs and head as he staggered, trying not to completely lose his footing. His shoulder hit a wall, and he had to push off of it to dive out of the way of another fiery blast.

He felt the heat singe his hair.

K-Keep moving…His visionswamas he willed his legs to move. They weren't quite cooperating the way he expected them to.

Diluc took off at as close to a dead sprint as his battered body could manage- which wasn't really much of one if he was being honest. He stumbled to the side as a large claw came down next to him.

He snarled and lashed out with a claw of his own- his claymore digging in under scales and slicing a ruthless gash across the creature's forearm.

It shrieked.

Diluc ran.

He could see the other opening to the cave up ahead. He'd have to climb, but if he could get over there, then maybe he could also find some cover or-

Plan later, runnow!

He dodged to his left as another pillar of flame nearly took his head off.

There wasn't anything he could do about that particular threat besides dodge. If he'd had his vision, it was possible he'd be able to deflect, or even overpower the creature's flames… but he didn't. And he, frankly, had absolutely no clue where the precious artifact was at the moment.

He wondered if he'd ever see it again as he stumbled around a large boulder.

His chest was heaving painfully, and he could feel his heartbeat in his temples. Everything felt like it was overlaid with a thick static- sight and sound unfocused and difficult to pinpoint.

He dodged around another boulder and kept running. Well, stumbling. He was more than halfway there...

He distantly registered the telltale vibrations of the dragon burrowing and he skidded to a stop.

Shit.Diluc turned to look frantically behind himself.

The creature was gone.

Shit shit SHIT! Where is it WHERE IS IT?

He felt the ground rumbleway too closeand moved to dodge- but was batted up into the air like a toy regardless.

He bounced across the ground twice like a rag doll before landing in a complete heap.

He had no idea where his sword was.

Not that it really mattered.

He felt like he was underwater. All sound and color felt muted and he dug the fingers of his right hand into the dirt as he tried desperately tomove-

Trying to move his left arm was a mistake.

Trying to moveat allwas amistake.

Pain- white hot and disorienting shot up through his shoulder and collarbone. He tried to cry out, but could only cough as the sound died in an ugly, gurgly wheeze in his chest and throat.

He was having trouble getting air into his lungs, and on the third wheezy attempt he finally noticed the blood dripping out between his lips. It tasted like metal.

I-I'm... gonna die here… I'm… dying...The thought floated around in his mind and made him shudder.

Black spots were dancing across his eyes, and though he felt like he was watching through a long, dark tunnel, he could see the vishap rearing back to shoot another canon of flame in his direction.

That's... a bit overkill... don't you think…?He distantly registered that annoyance probably wasn't the proper emotion to feel when you're about to die, but… oh well...

Diluc couldn't move- or breathe, really. So he let his head drop heavily back into the dirt.

Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion.

It was at the sound of a shout nearby that he tried to open his eyes again.

M...m'name…?Someone had shouted his name.

A pair of dark boots skidded into focus in front of him, and the last thing Diluc registered before completely losing consciousness was the chill of ice, and then the humidity of a powerful melt reaction.

Chapter 2: Sibling Management

Summary:

Record Scratch* So you might be wondering how we found ourselves in this situation… Let's start at the beginning!
Kaeya babysits, Diluc causes problems for Treasure Hoarders on purpose, and everyone is tired and cranky at the end of the day!

Notes:

So… Now for something completely different! :D

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

*Four days ago*

-Knights of Favonius Headquarters-

Kaeya

"Seven… eight… nine and… ten! Alright you- ready or not, here I come!"

Kaeya made a show of slowly circling his office- checking under his desk, behind his curtains, and even under the low coffee table in the middle of the room.

He wanted to make sure Klee had a chance to find a good hiding spot.

He slowly meandered out into the hall, his eye bouncing from potted plant to pillar to cabinet, in search of telltale red.

Hmm… she's getting better…

It wasn't all that long ago that Klee would just… wait around the corner… thinking that she'd be able to hear him coming and stay a step ahead.

She was definitelyhidingnow…

"Hmm… now where has the little ladybug gone, I wonder…?" He spoke loudly, fully intending for her to hear as he cartoonishly searched behind shelves and pots. He made his way down to the second floor.

He approached the knight standing guard in front of the library. The woman raised an eyebrow with a wide grin across her face.

"Excuse me, dear knight," Kaeya bowed dramatically on the chance Klee was watching from whatever hideout she'd found, "I am on the hunt for a most devious little bomb-builder. Small, blonde, comes in at about yea high-" he held his hand out at his side illustrating the sparknight's general estimated height.

I wonder if Albedo would do a suspect-sketch of her for me to use next time… That would bereallyfunny…

But the cavalry captain wasn't so sure the alchemist would agree…

The guard smiled even wider- a sure sign Klee had been through and bought the woman's silence with the currency of cuteness- "Can't say I have, sir!"

Kaeya chuckled lightly, "Ah! For shame! I shall resume my search!"

The woman snorted and hid the rest of her laugh behind a gauntlet.

The cavalry captain decided to stop distracting her and made his way into the library. Which was dangerous territory for a game of hide and seek, but he wouldn't put it past Klee.

The child was too brave for her own good. He idly wondered if it was a pyro thing…

He closed the door softly behind himself, not wanting to distract anyone doing research or- gods forbid- catch the attention of the head librarian-

"Why hello there, dearest captain!" Lisa's purr had Kaeya's spine stiffening before he forced himself to relax.

He turned to face her, plastering on a wide, charming smile. He had to stop himself from absently rubbing at his arm. It was tingly for three days last time he'd caught the librarian's ire-

"Leese! Howareyou on this fine afternoon-?"

"I'd be better if you weren't playing hide and seek in my library, Kaeya." Her smirk held no malice, but that didn't necessarily mean anything.

"Ah… huh… I take it she's been through, then?" The likelihood of Klee setting any books on fire within the last ten minutes was fairly low… probably…

Lisa chuckled lightly, "She has not, actually. You are either playing hide and seek, or you've simply lost her. And I refuse to believe that our esteemed cavalry captain would be so irresponsible as to lose a child-"

Kaeya's smile fell off into a scowl, some might say a pout, "We're playing. Truly. I may have… forgotten to set the library as off-limits. Though I doubt it would have actually stopped the little spark-bug."

The librarian laughed lightly, one hand covering her smile, "That is quite true. The little cutie would probably bemorelikely to hide here if you disallowed it."

Kaeya snorted, "That's… also true, actually. And food for future consideration."

"Hmm. Well, in any case, not to help you cheat or anything, but Klee hasn't been through here. You'll have to try your luck elsewhere."

Kaeya nodded, then turned with a wave back toward the door-

"Should I be expecting you for afternoon tea, Kaeya?" The librarian's face lit up in a mischievous smirk as he turned back toward her, "I just heard the most interesting tidbit about that girl Donna. It seems she's getting braver about her little crush on you-know-who.~"

Oh? Diluc will NOT be happy about that-

His own lips turned upward, "Hmm… What sort of tidbit, Leese?"

"Nuh uh!" Lisa crossed her arms over her chest, "Rumors are for tea-time!"

Kaeya pouted, "How cruel! And you know Diluc doesn't like her back! It can only end badly-"

"Tea. Time." The witch stared at him expectantly.

Kaeya groaned, "I can't today, Lisa… I'm on patrol in-" His eye darted up to the clock on the wall, "Twenty minutes-Shit!I need to find Klee!"

The cavalry captain's fake-composure crumbled as he realized how badly he'd lost track of time-

Lisa laughed as he darted out the door.

He found her ten minutes later in her solitary confinement room.

Kaeya was proud. He hadn't eventhoughtto check there until he happened to hear giggling on the other side of the door.

He scooped the girl up and she let out a delighted squeal-

"Kaeya! You found me!" Klee giggled as the cavalry captain tickled her stomach.

"It took me a while, bug- I'm almost late for patrol!" He started carrying her toward Albedo's workshop.

"Aha! Klee found a good hiding spot this time!" She pumped her little fist in the air and Kaeya laughed.

"You sure did- you're getting too clever for me, little knight. Pretty soon I won't be able to find you at all!"

They rounded the corner and Kaeya placed the child back on her feet to knock on the door to the lab. She quickly took hold of his free hand as he knocked.

He'd learned the hard way not to just barge in when Albedo and/or Sucrose could be working on something…

[He'd walked right in one day after an intense commission. He needed some sort of potion or other and knew Albedo had some (Lisa wasn't around). Whatever experiment the two alchemists were working on was sensitive to sound and well… he didn't come in quietly. Kaeya'd had condensed slime stuck in his hair for over a day before he finally managed to scrub it all out. It was not fun.]

Kaeya cupped his hand around his mouth and leaned toward the door, "Albedo! I've got a delivery for you! Put down whatever curse you're trying to replicate and come get your little sister! I'm late for patrol!"

"Yeah! Put down your curses and come play with me!"

He heard the sound of a chair scraping and footsteps.

He turned to look down at the child next to him, Klee was lightly bouncing and swaying on the balls of her feet- literally incapable of sitting still.

Kaeya snorted and when Klee looked up at him curiously, he stuck his tongue out at the child. Klee mimicked the action, and about three seconds later Albedo opened the door to a fairly intense ugly-face-making competition-

The alchemist raised an eyebrow, "I thought Master Jean told you not to make faces, Klee. It might end up stuck like that."

The child immediately snapped her expression into a sheepish frown-

"Kaeya started it!"

The cavalry captain laughed.

Thrownrightunder the bus-

"I did, I did…" He released her hand with a smile as the little sparknight took off into the lab.

Albedo watched to make sure she didn't go for the table of experiments, but she simply plopped herself at his desk and started rummaging for drawing supplies.

The alchemist turned back toward him, "I'd prefer it if you didn't call my work 'curses'. Especially in front of Klee, she's like a sponge you know."

Kaeya snorted, "Ah, 'curses', 'magic', 'divine intervention'- it's all the same really-"

"Kaeya, I'm serious. It's alchemy. Not magic, and certainly not a curse. You're going to scare her."

The cavalry captain raised an eyebrow. He hadopinionson the matter (obviously)-

But he decided to drop it.

"Alright, alright… My bad…" Kaeya raised a hand placatingly, then leaned past Albedo into the room, "Bye Klee! Cause good trouble in my absence!"

The little bug's head snapped up, "Bye Kaeya!" She waved emphatically, knocking a number of crayons off the table- "Don't- um… Don't pick fights unless you win!"

The cavalry captain laughed.Close enough.

"And win every fight you pick!" He gave the girl a final salute and wave before backing up to leave.

Albedo was giving him alook-"You're a bad influence."

Kaeya snorted, "Yeah… I get that a lot…"

It was Albedo's turn to huff out a laugh, "She's with Jean tonight, right?"

"Oh! No, actually. Hertha's going to pick her up. Jean just got hit with a mountain of paperwork so she's going to take Klee in the morning instead."

Albedo hummed, "Hmm… Alright then. Good luck on patrol, are you out by Windrise?"

"Springvale, actually- Well, more the surrounding woods. Huffman's my partner for the afternoon."

Albedo grimaced, "Ah… fun…"

Kaeya bit back his laugh.

It wasn't that the pair didn't like Huffman. It was just… He was just too… intense. And not very fun to hike around with for three to four hours-

Kaeya got serious, "Keep her close if you go anywhere, Albedo. This group they're… They're bold. I wouldn't put it past them to go after a knight-"

The alchemist raised an eyebrow, "I was expecting a quip about her being more trouble for them than she's worth for a bunch of lowly Treasure Hoarders-"

The cavalry captain frowned, then peeked into the room to make sure the child wasn't listening. She was not, her brow was furrowed in concentration, and her little tongue was sticking out as she worked on her latest masterpiece.

He tried to relax. He failed, "About a week or two ago I probably would have. Then they took a boy right out of his home in broad daylight. They're too dangerous to joke about, Albedo."

To say the cavalry captain was still feeling guilty… would be an understatement. He'd been the one patrolling the area at the time.

Albedo blinked, "I- Right. I didn't mean to-"

Kaeya waved him off, "Don't worry about it. But she wants to go swimming, so keep. An. Eye. On. Her."

The alchemist's level gaze dropped almost imperceptibly into annoyance, "She is my little sister, Sir Kaeya. I know how to keep her safe."

Hah. I pissed him off. He hasn't used 'Sir' for me in a while-

"I- Right… I didn't mean to offend, Albedo."

-somewhere near Springvale-

Diluc

The Darknight Hero growled as he rolled out of the way of a cryo potion. It froze the end of his cloak, but the man himself was unscathed.

He threw a quick elbow into the stomach of another hoarder that thought he could sneak up behind him, and the pugilist fell to a knee with a loud 'Oof!'

At the sound of the cryo user's shout, Diluc quickly threw out a knife at the potioneer, bursting the vial in the young man's hand before he could even consider throwing it-

Diluc actually winced as the hoarder's hand froze solid.

The manscreamed-

"Ooh~ that's a little rough even by my standards!"

Diluc whipped around in time to watch Kaeya knock the pugilist behind him unconscious with a hard right hook to the jaw.

The blue-haired knight shook out his hand before pointing at the potioneer, who was currently writhing on the ground and clutching his ice-encased arm in pain. He was moaning, practically wailing-

"That one's gonna need a healer."

Diluc snorted, "You really think he deserves one, Sir Alberich?"

His brother shrugged, "Deserve isn't really the issue. He's under arrest, so he will receive care. Which reminds me: You, Mr. Vigilante, Sir, also have the right to remain silent-"

The masked wine tycoon rolled his eyes, "Shut up. How long before other knights arrive?"

Kaeya chuckled before throwing a pair of handcuffs on the unconscious hoarder, "We've got about five minutes, give or take. You're lucky Huffman got caught up in a domestic disturbance, or this conversation would be going very differently."

Diluc hummed, his brow furrowing, "Is everything alright in the city?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, Margaret's cat attacked Quinn again and it caused a whole-" Kaeya waved his hand dismissively, "Not important. Mask-Man-"

Diluc glared at his brother and his nose scrunched behind said mask, "That's worse than my actual name-"

"It's really not," Kaeya held up a hand before Diluc could retort,"Notimportant right now. Please thaw his arm." His brother gestured toward the potioneer, who was still writhing in pain.

Diluc snorted, "Seriously?"

Kaeya glared, "Yes, seriously. He's a criminal. Doesn't mean he deserves to lose the arm. If you thaw it gently someone can probably heal it-"

Diluc huffed but did as asked.

It was fair- and also true. The man was technically in custody, and as such the knights were obligated to do everything in their power to ensure his care. There was no reason to be cruel.

The potioneer tried to scoot away as he approached.

Where are you even going to go?!

"Stop wiggling." He knelt by the terrified man and gripped his arm gently in both hands. The potioneer tried to pull away with a pitiful whine but stopped fighting as the vigilante tightened his grip.

The man cried out as Diluc turned it to inspect the damage.

He grimaced.

Gods… this has got to hurt…

He intentionally softened his posture and tone.

"Hey, relax. I'm not going to hurt you. I need to thaw your arm before it dies, and the more you move around, the more unpleasant it's going to be." He slowly raised the temperature of his hands until he felt the flesh of the arm warm up as well.

The man-boyreally, he was quite young-

There's another horror to keep me up at night-

- writhed and cried out before finally relaxing a bit when it was clear that the vigilante truly had no intention of harming him further. After about a minute the kid started wiggling his fingers around.

Diluc sighed, "Don't… Just stay where you are, alright? You're under arrest and if you run now, you won't get healed. And then you'lldefinitelyhave permanent nerve damage."

The boy pulled his injured arm to his chest with a nod. He didn't look like he had any plans of booking it.

He's probably in shock…

Diluc felt bad. Like,reallybad…

"Speaking of running… You'd better skedaddle, Man-Bird!" Kaeya approached but made no move to handcuff the kid, "I've got these two, and if you wait any longer, we're gonna have to make a show of me trying to catch you. And that would just be annoying."

Diluc sighed and nodded.

He gave the kid a final once-over before pushing himself up from his squat. He disappeared quickly into the trees.

Kaeya

Kaeya watched Diluc vanish into the nearby woods.

My brother is such a fucking asshole-

Not necessarily for freezing the Treasure Hoarder's hand solid. Thatwasa dick move… But it was also self-defense.

No, Kaeya was pissed because Diluc just had to run off on his own and stop a robbery-in-progress. In broad daylight no less-whileknights were out on patrol.

I'm going to have a migraine after this one…

Sure, Diluc knew the schedule- Kaeya oftentoldhis brother the schedule-

But the fact that the man simply trusted that he wouldn't get caught, or that Kaeya would be the one to find him-

It was like… It was like playing with fire- eventually one or both of them were going to get burned.

Even today, if Margaret and Quinn hadn't justhappenedto get in a fight Huffman would have been there. And that would have been apainto say the least. The knighthatedtheir local vigilante…

Kaeya sighed.

Well… Maybe these two will know something…Then the headache will at least be worth it…

Kaeya had no idea where the third hoarder wound up. He saw the man take off after recovering from a knee to the groin.

He'd have to call in Nimrod. If the man recognized these jokers, then they were shit out of luck in their investigation. The kidnappings werenotbeing planned by anyone that his informant knew-

Kaeya knelt in front of the injured Treasure Hoarder…

Thevery young, injured Treasure Hoarder...

Ah, Fuck. He's just a kid…

The cavalry captain forced his features into a tight smile and tried to keep his tone somewhat gentle, "Hey, can you move your fingers?"

The boy flinched.

Kaeya sighed, "Look, I'm a cryo user too. I've had frostbite and I know it hurts. Can I take a look?"

The boy's face wobbled, but he didn't struggle as Kaeya pulled his arm away to inspect it.

It was an angry red from about halfway up the forearm to the fingertips. Kaeya did his best not to grimace.

"You can feel it, yeah? Wiggle your fingers for me?"

The boy nodded and did as he was told. His features scrunched, but he was able to move the digits... decently well. All things considered…

"You got a name?"

The boy shrank back as Kaeya released his arm.

Kaeya huffed out a sigh, "Alright, that's fair. My name's Kaeya. Sir Alberich if we're going to be formal about it. Can you tell me how old you are?"

The child just sat there, clutching his arm to his chest and shivering- clearly miserable.

Kaeya blew out another breath before rising. He pulled his jacket off and draped it around the boy's shoulders while they waited for the other knights to catch up.

This day just keeps getting better and better…

*later in the evening*

-Ordo Favonius- Cavalry Captain's Office-

Kaeya

"Did they know anything?"

Kaeya jumped back with a yelp as the shadow next to his bookshelf started talking.

He'd been about to sit down at his desk when Diluc made his ghostly presence known.

"How did you even get in here?!" Kaeya glared daggers at his brother as the man finally moved into the room and sat in the chair opposite his desk. He was in his regular clothes.

Kaeya squinted at the man- the redhead lookedexhausted-

"You left your window unlatched." Diluc stared at him, "Did they know anything?"

Kaeya stared back, then blinked.

"You- we're on the third floor?!" Kaeya gaped, "And why are you in- normal clothes?"

His brother rolled his eyes, "Honestly, Kaeya- why do you- I thought you kept tabs on me? Why are you even surprised that I'd climb…?" He petered off with a heavy sigh, "Whatever. If anyone sees me in here, would you prefer that they think you're actively working with the vigilante, or that your brother came for a random visit?"

Fair enough…

Kaeya slumped into his desk, "Why come through the window then…?"

Diluc shrugged, "I hate almost everyone here. If I can avoid talking to people, then I will."

Kaeya groaned and placed his elbows on his desk, then proceeded to rub at his temples in exasperation. He closed his eye.

Yup… I can feel that migraine coming on…

"Okay, look, Kaeya. We can talk about your office's security later. Did those hoarders know anything or not?" His brother paused, his features scrunching into a grimace, "And how was the potioneer's hand? He lookedreallyyoung-"

"He's fourteen."

Diluc's eyes widened. Kaeya heard him curse under his breath.

The cavalry captain sighed, "It- He'll be fine, Luc. He was already moving his fingersbeforeBarbara healed him. He'll probably have full motor function in a couple weeks if he does the proper exercises-"

His brother grunted as he sat back in the chair with his arms crossed over his chest. His expression was… not great…

Kaeya wanted to say something- maybe something reassuring about it being self-defense, or maybe, 'Hey! At least you probably steered him away from a life of crime!' The kid was a minor. He'd get out sooner rather than later, and that was regardless of whether the Ordo itself decided to take responsibility for him- which was becoming more and more likely.

"So did they know anything…? Or did I destroy a child's arm for no reason…?"

Kaeya knew that tone, and he didnotlike it.

"Alright, Luc, breathe for a second. You need to relax-" Kaeya wasn't actually sure what else to say in this situation- his brother was very clearly upset-

"Don't coddle me, Kaeya! Did they know anything or not?!"

Kaeya blinked at the outburst. His brother glared at him.

"Luc…"

Diluc's nostrils flared as he prepared to interrupt what he clearly assumed would be some sort of deflection.

Kaeya huffed and decided to rip off the band-aid- "They were from Nimrod's crew. They don't know anything about the kidnappings."

He watched as his brother visibly deflated.

"Alright, bright side here, Diluc- the kid, his name is Frederic by the way- is in our care now. That's agoodthing-"

"He's in prison."

"Yes, but he's also a child. Jean is actually in a meeting right now with a few other captains to decide how best to proceed. He has no family as far as we can tell, and he doesn't seem like that bad of a kid-"

Diluc groaned as his head dropped heavily to rest in his hand.

Kaeya grimaced in sympathy.

Yeah. That about sums up today, alright…

Diluc rubbed his forehead tiredly, "Did Vile at least come through this morning…?"

"Well…" Kaeya wondered how many band-aids he was going to have to rip off before he could finally crawl into bed…

His brother groaned, "What…?"

"You… I mean…" Kaeya hovered between annoyance and pity, "Yes and no. Yes, they weremaybeplanning something two days from now-"

"Were…?"

Kaeya glared at his brother's interruption, "And NO, in that you probably scared them off today. You know, by beating the shit out of three of them at once. In broad daylight."

Diluc's face scrunched, "They- They were stealing livestock!"

"Livestock isn't a person, Diluc. We need to prioritize-"

"So I should have let them steal a whole-ass cow?!"

"YES!" Now Kaeya was actually annoyed, "Yes, you should have let them steal a WHOLE-ASS cow! Because we need them to let their guard down! Not have their hackles UP! Not to mention the fact that it isn't yourjob!"

That second part may have been a bit harsh… but Kaeya was really hitting his limit for the evening.

His brother blinked at him and Kaeya braced for the fallout-

But Diluc simply leaned his head over the back of the chair and stared at the ceiling, "Okay… right. My bad…"

Your bad…?

Kaeya snorted. Then sighed.

This case was getting really stressful. And exhausting.

These weren't your average Treasure Hoarders. They were crafty. And strong. And weirdly well-organized.

They'd taken a boy right from his home. In the middle of the day. OnKaeya'spatrol route- He'd tried to give chase, but it was like they'd been expecting him.

A boat oar almost immediately swung out from behind cover- catching himhardin the chest. He'd gone down embarrassingly fast.

Even with Jean's healing he'd been sore for a few days, and the kid was nowhere to be found. Neither were the captors.

Patrols had been taken in doubles since (In theory. They were chronically understaffed…), and it seemed like the group had gone to ground completely- until Vile's tip that morning.

They'd still follow up on it… but the odds of the group actually acting again were rather slim at this point.

Kaeya blew out a weary sigh, "Let's just…"

Diluc tipped his head forward to make eye contact.

His brother lookedmiserable-

"Let's just go home… I'm tired." Kaeya felt like he couldactuallysleep. Which was saying something.

Diluc grunted but didn't rise.

Kaeya rolled his eye before standing. He stepped in front of his brother and yanked the man to his feet by the arm, "Come on. You can stay in my guest room tonight. You look like you're about to keel over."

Diluc followed him out of the room with no argument.

Notes:

So uhh… before anyone kills me for the double-mega cliffhanger uhh… Next chapter is gonna come out a little sooner to make up for it.
I'm thinking Tuesday July 13th!

TENTATIVE plan moving forward (I got a little ahead in the writing yay!) is to have a week in between "present day" chapters and a week in between "flashback" chapters.

Meaning: Tuesdays will be "present", and Fridays will be "past" from here on out- two chapters a week until Part One is done.

Check the end notes after each chapter, though, because if that doesn't work out this is where I'll change the schedule!

Chapter 3: Impulsive Tendencies

Summary:

Now let's get Kaeya (and a lil bit of Jean's) perspective on the present situation!
Alt Summary: Kaeya is a badass but he's also panicking the entire time so take that as you will-

Notes:

Mwahaha back to action!

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

*present(ish)- about 10 minutes before Diluc gets tossed into the pit*

-Liyue- near the Primo Geovishap Lair-

Kaeya

Kaeya cursed his brother with every expletive he could think of- both in Mondstadtian and in Khaenhri'ahn. Then he threw in some Hilichurlian- for extra spice.

The idiot had sent Elzer with a note. ANote!Before rushing off after the kidnappers on his own. Across the border into aforeign nation.

The redhead had taken off without any other plan, or back up or, or- the man wouldn't know patience if it bit him in the-

Kaeya had wanted to scream. Instead he kept his composure long enough to burst into Jean's office and interrupt some sort of meeting.

He couldn't even remember who was talking or why- only that he'd ordered everyone out before explaining the situation to Jean- very,verypoorly.

Panic mixed with a really shitty attempt at hiding Diluc's identity as the Darknight Hero had made communicating… difficult.

[He's a smooth-talker and master manipulator right up until his family is involved. Then he just becomes an idiot (affectionate).]

Luckily, Jean spoke 'Panicked Kaeya', so it didn't take very long before the pair were off after his idiot brother.

Kaeya felt like anabsolute imbecilethe entire ride. He had decided to trust Diluc, time and time again, despite his brother's impulsive nature, and despite the fact that the man continuously acted before thinking-

These past few months of talking and rebuilding their relationship… all of it felt like totalbullshitat the moment.

Diluc was going to do what Diluc was going to do, and it was really starting topiss Kaeya off.

He growled in frustration.

Focus… I can kill him myself once I make sure these assholes don't get a chance to...

He glared daggers at the Fatui that he and Jean were currently stalking.

These bastards are going to fucking die for eventhinkingabout laying their hands on myfamily-

Kaeya was pulled out of his rage by Jean's gentle hand on his shoulder.

He blew an angry breath out his nose and continued staring straight ahead.

They had shown up at the location in Diluc's note and found the area deserted- signs of struggle absolutelyeverywhere.Half the grass was burnt out of existence.

His brother had definitely been there.

It had been simple enough to follow the group's trail- which brought the knights to their current position atop an old Hilichurl tower.

Stakeouts weren't Kaeya's favorite type of mission, but he was good at them. They gave him something to focus on, a goal- and in those situations he was surprisingly good at keeping still and quiet, and waiting for the exact right moment tostrike.

But right now, watching these people manhandle hisbrother… he was having a hard time thinking straight.

He watched from his perch as the vanguard dropped a bound and gagged Diluc onto the stone like he was a sack of bricks.

Kaeya grit his teeth.

Beside him Jean gently squeezed his shoulder.

This was difficult for her too… But her silent warning was clear: they shouldn't attack yet- Diluc was in the line of fire.

She was right, and he knew it. If it was anyone elseKaeyawould be the one calling for caution- for patience. He would be the one making aplan.

But right now he couldn't think past the buzzing in his ears. He sawredas one of them put their hands on Diluc's face-

The slap had him growling, and Jean tightened her grip on his arm.

He balled his fists so tightly he could feel his nails digging into his palms through his gloves.

He tried to focus on keeping his breathing steady, but evenhecould feel the temperature around himselfdropping.

In and out. In and out...

They had tied Diluc up for a reason. They wouldn't have carted him all the way up here if they were just going to kill him.

Right?

So Kaeya needed to get over himself, and just stay. Calm.

It was a great pep talk in theory, but all the same, he absolutely lost it when the fucking fire sniper kicked his brother in thefucking head-

He was up and over the edge of the Hilichurl tower before Jean could grab him and yank him back.

He heard her hissed, "Kae- stop! Shit!" before he took off at a dead sprint toward the group- diving behind a nearby boulder before they spotted him.

They were still so far away...

Kaeya's stomach dropped as he watched the rock one- geochanter? Bracer?- hoist Diluc up by his shirt.

He sucked in a deep breath and tried counting to steady himself.

He still had to geta lotcloser if he wanted to do anything useful for his brother.

Unfortunately, luck was just not on his side.

Kaeya's eye widened, and he could donothingas the Fatui shoved his brother over the cliff edge.

"Kaeya,GO!" Clearly, Jean had been watching too.

But Kaeya was already moving- taking off with ice shooting out of his heels as her shout followed him into the middle of the group.

He distantly registered a loud-whoosh-as the Acting Grandmaster used her vision to launch herself through the air.

He had NOT been expecting that. The pair had assumed that the Fatui wanted the wine tycoon prisoner- that there was a reason for keeping him alive- ransom, maybe, or-

The Fatui weren't even paying attention- all three of them staring down into the cave.

One of them cheered as what could only be described as a loud growl rocked the mountainside.

Kaeya grit his teeth as he threw an absolutely devastating blast of ice at the pyro bracer.

Deal with the fire first-It was Kaeya's own personal policy. It served him well, generally speaking.

The man barely had time to look up in surprise before he was firmly frozen against the rock wall.

Kaeya heard a shout and turned just in time to avoid a rock to the face from the geochanter.

He growled.

Then yelped as an electrified hammer nearly flattened him.

He quickly froze the ground beneath them both, then kicked off the rock wall- sliding and spinning underneath the big guy's attack and hitting him with a ferocious frostgnaw from behind.

The vanguard fell. Hard.

"Get to Diluc! I'll handle these three!"

Kaeya turned in time to watch Jean land, the wind already starting to swirl around his grandmaster like a hurricane- sending geo-projectiles skittering off-target.

Kaeya watched as a gale blade sent the Fatui straight into a rock outcropping. The man didn't look like he was going to be getting up any time soon…

Kaeya nodded once, then took off toward the mouth of the cave.

He shouted in surprise as the vanguard slammed his hammer into the ground right in front of him.

Kaeya stumbled back as electricity bounced and arced up his legs.

Kaeya shrieked in pain, then responded in kind with a frostgnaw. Right at the Fatui's head.

The superconduct reaction made the electricity in the air arc and spit even more, but the pain was worth it so see the look on the man's face as he stumbled backward, clawing at the ice on his head.

He'd live. Probably.

That's one less for Jean to deal with...

Kaeya stumbled and landed hard on his hands. He convulsed slightly as the last of the electricity left his body.

"Ow…" He gritted his teeth before rising and half-stumbling, half-running the rest of the way to the cave mouth.

He reached it in time to see his brother get thrown clear across the arena.

Diluc landed in a ragged heap… and didn't get up. Or move- at all.

Pain forgotten, Kaeyascreamedas he dove through the opening, only deploying his glider to cushion his landingrightbefore he hit the ground in a roll.

"DILUC!"

A gigantic…monsterwas gearing up some sort of blast-fire. Kaeya's mouth went completely dry.

It just had to befire-

The beast was about to shoot a giant burst of it and his brother wasn't so much as twitching.

Kaeya sprinted faster than he ever had in his life, skidding to a halt in front of Diluc right as the large bout of flame made it halfway across the cave.

Kaeya screamed in abject terror and fear and rage and just about every intense emotion he had ever felt in hislifeas he let his cryo visionloose.

He could only hope it would be enough.

Jean

Jean heard Kaeya's scream as an absoluteexplosionrocked the mountainside.

"DILUC!"

Her eyes jerked to the cave mouth, distracted- right as a volley of pyro shot her way.

One blast clipped her shoulder and she cried out as she immediately summoned the wind to deflect the rest.

The pyroslinger had managed to thaw himself off the wall pretty much right after Kaeya had disappeared into the cavern.

She snarled at the man as she raised her sword directly in front of her face- focusing her vision's power.

Barbatos… guide me…

The winds swirled and obeyed her every beck and call as she launched herself at inhuman speeds toward her target.

She let out an absolutely feral shriek as she spun around another volley, and with one final burst of anemo sent the gunman flying 40 feet into the air.

He landed hard and didn't move.

Jean moved toward the mouth of the cave but was stopped as a burst of geo shot straight past her, grazing her cheek.

Would you justSTAYunconscious for Archon's sake-!

She spun quickly, rage and fear making the wind ever more compliant. Her hair and clothes floated around her as she raised her blade.

Jean spared one moment to wipe the blood off her face with her thumb- never once breaking eye contact with the geochanter.

He raised his staff- preparing to stab it down into the earth in an attempt to shield himself, but he was too slow.

Waytoo slow.

Jeanyankedthe winds around him with a snarl- pulling the Fatui's legs right out from under him.

She stalked toward him, the breeze whistling and glowing ethereally around her the whole way.

She waslivid.

She was the LionFang Knight, and no one-NO ONEmessed with herfamily.

Kaeya

Kaeya was, quite frankly, surprised when he found himself to be alive and, notably, NOT burnt to a crisp.

He had dropped his sword when he'd reached his brother, and his hands were up defensively in front of himself. They were shaking.

Also in front of him was the thickest wall of cryo he hadevercreated. The edges were only slightly melted from the heat of the vishap's flames.

He took a shaky breath, and his eye focused through the semi-translucent ice. The lizard lookedmad.

O-Okayy… t-time to go…

Kaeya quickly turned back to kneel next to his brother, first making sure the man was still breathing.

He was. Though it sounded… wet.

Kaeya's head jerked up at the ground-shaking roar of the dragon.

Oh this is BAD; this is very bad…

He wasn't sure if he should even try to move Diluc- the way he'd been thrown…

But fighting thatthing… Not an option.

He gently placed his hands on his brother's shoulders, trying a slight bit of pressure to flip him over and…

Diluc groaned pitifully. It was more of a wheeze, honestly.

Kaeya released him immediately.

Looking more closely, his stomach flipped when he noticed the strange angle-angles- of his brother's left arm.

He felt a little nauseous.

Ok ok okokokok…. Oh gods… what do I do…?

He was panicking. He was a goddamned cavalry captain, and he was panicking.

Diluc's breathing was getting more ragged by the second, and-

Kaeya's head snapped up at the intense vibration at his feet.

Oh shit.

The thing wasburrowing underground.

Kaeya spared his brother one final glance as he scooped up his sword and took off at a sprint. His lungs burned as he turned the corner around a large boulder, slowing down only enough to make sure the beast was following him-

It was.

Hooboy, it was!

Kaeya let out a surprised shout as the dragon burst out of the groundwaycloser than he'd been expecting.

The shockwave made him stumble- but he kept his feet.

"Oh my... you're big…"

Kaeya steadied himself as the vishap roared at him, then reared back to swipe with a giant claw-

The cavalry captain dove under the large appendage, somersaulting under the beast's belly and striking upwards with a large blast of ice.

The dragonshriekedin response.

And Kaeya ran.

He barely dodged the monster's tail as it writhed around, trying to keep track of him.

Thank the Archons it's slow!

Kaeya dodged another low claw, then struck back in kind, bobbing and weaving around the enraged rock monster's legs.

He felt his earlier aches recede as he leeched health from the giant beast.

Ok, I can do this, just have to keep it occupied until Jean can get to my brother-

But the beast was apparently fed up with playing cat and mouse.

It let out another bone rattling bellow, then sent a powerful stream of pyro-straight into the ground.

Kaeya screamed as he felt the heat tickle his skin.

Once again, his mind blanked as he let his vision take over.

It saved his life.

His back hit the cave wall hard, and he fell forward onto a giant ice… shield? Shell?

That one was new. It was big enough to cover his entire front and was slightly concave where it curled around his body protectively.

Unfortunately, it was also horribly detrimental, as his hands were frozen solid inside of it.

Oh gods… not again-

Kaeya barely had time to react before the dragon spewed another blast of fire directly at him.

He hefted the ice block up and in front of himself right as the flames connected. The blunt force slid him back a few feet.

But he never even felt the heat- which was always a good thing.

The ice held long enough to protect him, but by the time the blast died it was cracking and steaming.

Kaeya quickly spun and slammed it against the wall- breaking it apart the rest of the way and freeing his hands in the process.

They were numb.

That's a problem for future-Kaeya…The cavalry captain nimbly dove out of the way of another pyro blast, landing behind a large boulder.

He panted heavily, chest heaving with every inhale. He poked his head out from behind his hiding place, then immediately pulled it back with a yelp as another pillar of flame was launched his way.

He covered his head and ears with his hands as he waited for the flames to subside.

Don't panic! d-Don't-t p-PANIC!

He had no idea where his sword was.

He was starting to panic.

Over to his right, a little too close for comfort, Kaeya could see the still-slumped form of his brother laying behind the melting wall of ice.

His eye caught movement just to the side-

Oh thank the Archons- JEAN-!

Now, Jean was far and away one of Kaeya'sfavoritepeople, but never before had he beenso happyto see herin his life-

Kaeya turned quickly to peek over his boulder as the vishap let out another ferocious roar.

It had spotted her.

Jean readied her blade a solid 20 feet away from Diluc.

Kaeya didn't think. He simply sprung out from his hiding spot and charged the beast.

"Get him OUT OF HERE!" He didn't slow down to wait for her reaction- he couldn't afford to. He kept his gaze on the monster as its eyes tracked over to him.

"Kaeya!" she soundedshaken, "Wait-"

But Kaeya didn't have time to consider her concern. He knew she wouldn't have sent him in here first had she known the beast spewed fire, but it was too late now, and Jean's anemo was their best bet for getting Diluc out of there as quickly as possible- she could just float right out on a wind gust.

In contrast, Kaeya would have to climb. Which was a terrible idea for a variety of reasons. One of which being his dead-weight injured brother, the other being the giant angry dragon in the room.

Kaeya sighed in relief when he heard the telltale whooshing of anemo.

He just had to hold out a little longer.

He waved his hands around and shouted like a crazy person. He couldn't let that thing shoot his friends out of the sky-

"Hey! Hey you! Lizard-brain! Over here!" Kaeya quickly dodged to the side as another belch of flames shot in his direction.

He yelped as it singed his sleeve.

Don't panic! Don't panic! It's fine itsfineitsfine!

He quickly patted the flames down and took off again as a giant claw came down just inches from his head.

The impact shook the ground and bounced him around like he was on a trampoline. He scrambled, landed on all fours, and quickly took off again- shooting an ice blast directly behind himself for good measure.

From the noise the creature made, Kaeya figured he'd hit his mark.

At this point, he could no longer see Jean or his brother, so he assumed they'd made it to safety.

He made a beeline for the cave mouth.

He could hear the monster rumbling behind him.

It was digging.

"JeAN!HELP!"Kaeya simply no longer cared how panicked he sounded.

Because hewasin fact, panicking.

He saw her head poke over the side of the cliff, then felt the wind grip him by his shouldersat the exact momentthe rock monster from hell burst out of the ground beneath him.

His arms and legsflailedas he flew ungracefully through the air.

The beast roared its frustration as its prey flew just out of reach.

Notes:

Alright… Next chapter Friday July 16th.

Chapter 4: Healing Feels Bad Sometimes

Summary:

Sparring! Uncomfortable flashbacks that lead to brotherly bonding! Then- Oof… ouch.

Notes:

I lied about alternating by chapter, apparently. Enjoy a jarring jump between past and present! :D
Warning: It's quite brutal- Diluc is in BAD shape.

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

*three days ago- late morning*

-Dawn Winery-

Diluc

The redhead pivoted, his weight shifting to effectively parry the strike from the short sword with his claymore.

He leaned and spun with the movement once the move was successful and roughly shoulder checked his brother right in the chest-

"Oof-!" Kaeya stumbled backwards with a grunt. He wheezed and held up a hand before Diluc could press the advantage, "Stop- I think you cracked my sternum…"

Diluc rolled his eyes, "If I wanted to crack your sternum, I would have used an elbow. Again."

His brother took another step back, rubbing at his chest, "I- Yeah… no… I think I'm good."

Diluc scowled.He's off today. He's not even trying-

Kaeya clearly wasn't focusing, and it was starting to really piss the redhead off.

Diluc growled and hefted his training claymore. It, like the blade Kaeya was currently using was dull to prevent any sort of slashing injuries. They were still rather heavy though, so they had to be mindful of the force they applied.

"Oh, what?! You gonna attack me?!" Kaeya looked annoyed. He didn't even have his blade up-

"Raise your weapon."

Kaeya blinked, "No."

Diluc faltered for a moment, "No?"

Why is he being so petulant all of a sudden?

"Kaeya, come on. Raise your sword!" His voice rose into an irritated shout-

Kaeya threw his blade in the dirt and took another step back.

Diluc was about to yell something else when he noticed… ice beginning to crawl up his brother's boots…

He straightened a fraction, "Kaeya…"

"I saidNO!"The cavalry captain had a strange expression on his face-

A beat passed in which Diluc tried to figure out how to react.

"Okay…" He dropped his own weapon into the dust with a dull-thunk!-"That's fine…"

His brother visibly flinched as the heavy metal hit the ground.

"Kaeya... Are you alright-"

"It's fine- I'm fine." Kaeya stared down at the dirt.

Based on his facial expression he clearly wasn't-

"Right…"

Kaeya huffed, "I- sorry… I don't want to spar anymore…" His arms came up to grip his elbows, and his shoulders sagged.

Okay… Something's clearly wrong…

"Do you want to talk about it-"

Kaeya's nose scrunched "Hah! That's almost funny coming from you, Diluc."

The redhead blinked.

Wow. Rude ass-

And Kaeya's eye widened, "I didn't mean that!"

Diluc snorted, "It's fine, Kaeya…" It was a fair criticism in all honesty. Though it was getting easier to actually…talkthe more he spent time with his brother- so the jab did sting a bit.

"No, that was mean! I'm sorry!"

How sensitive does he think I am?

"It's fine. That was a fair shot-"

Kaeya's face scrunched, "Fair…? What the hell, Luc?! Just because something's true doesn't mean I should say it!"

Diluc snorted.

Another backhanded… apology?

He raised his eyebrows at his brother and waited for Kaeya to realize he'd stepped in it-

It only took a second.

Kaeya groaned, "I'm done talking for today…"

"No! Please, continue! I have plenty of other traits and unhealthy coping mechanisms that you can feel free to roast-"

It's not like I don't deserve it…

"I said I didn't mean it!"

Diluc laughed and Kaeya relaxed a fraction.

"Chill out, Kaeya. It's fine. Really. Let's go get cleaned up for lunch, I'm starving."

"…Did you really just tell me to 'chill out'…?"

"Maybe…" Diluc smirked as he squatted to pick up his claymore.

"Gods you're a dork," Kaeya snorted before retrieving his own sword, clearly more relaxed already.

They started the trek back up to the main building.

They walked for a few minutes before Kaeya spoke up.

"I think I'm stressed."

Diluc raised an eyebrow, "No… Really?"

Kaeya shoved him lightly, "Shut up, Luc. I'm serious. I've been… extra jumpy lately…"

Diluc tilted his head, "You seemed well-collected with the Treasure Hoarders yesterday-"

His brother groaned, "That doesn't mean I actuallywas-I couldn't sleep last night, Luc. That kid's arm-" Kaeya's eye widened when he saw Diluc's expression, "It's not your fault!"

"Bullshitit's not my fault…" Diluc grumbled, his gaze falling off into the dirt-

"Gods! That's not even why I brought it up! It- I was going to say I had nightmares about freezingmyself!"

Diluc swallowed his guilt and narrowed his eyes- this wasn't about him right now, "You said you slept fine this morning."I hate that you're always lying-"And… And howisthe kid…?"

"The boy's fine, Jean is going to talk to him about joining the ordo today, but it's ultimately his choice. In regard to my sleep- I lied." Kaeya's face screwed up, "It's really annoying how you and Jean can always tell when I'm lying when Idon'twant you to, but as soon as I would actually like you to be able to read me it's like I'm an award-winning actor or something-"

Diluc huffed and rolled his eyes.

Joining the Ordo… Is good. It'll be good for the kid-

Focus. You don't even get a say in that, idiot-

Diluc chose to let the situation with Frederic go. It was really none of his business- he technically wasn't even supposed toknowabout the young Treasure Hoarder- "Youarea good actor, Kaeya. But I think when you have actual stakes in a ruse you get nervous. You clench your jaw and your smile kind of twitches upward rather than just… well, smiling like a normal person-"

Kaeya glared at him.

"W-What…"Was that insulting? How was that insulting-

His brother's nose scrunched, "You have a list of my tells?!"

"I- Just those!"

"That's weird!"

Diluc rolled his eyes, "Well, then how do you always know whenI'mlying if you're not keeping track-?!"

"Because you'rebadat it, Diluc!"

The redhead scoffed, "What happened to 'just because it's true doesn't mean you should say it'?!"

Kaeya rolled his eye, and his whole head tipped back, "No, this is one of those 'tough love' situations, actually. Brooding, sullen silence will only get you so far with people who actuallyknowyou, Luc."

Fair, but rude.

The redhead scowled.

Kaeya snorted, then frowned. Some might call it a pout.

Oh. He's still…

Something was still clearly bothering his brother.

Diluc sighed, then dragged Kaeya over to a nearby bench in front of the main patio. He took his sword, then set both weapons against the wall.

He sat down next to him, "Tell me about your nightmare."

Kaeya huffed.

"Kaeya…"

"Alright, alright…" His brother leaned forward on the bench, his elbows resting on his knees, "It was… It was the one I told you about- the one in Khaenri'ah?"

Diluc nodded, "Okay."

"It… um… It was the version where you're in it…"

Diluc grimaced.That… would probably explain his reaction today…

"You should have said something, Kaeya. We didn't have to spar-"

"Would you let me finish?!"

Diluc held his hands up placatingly.

Kaeya continued with a huff, "Right… So I'm in Khaenri'ah, right? Horrible place, really. Dim and dark- earth tones, blah blah blah-"

Diluc put considerable effort into not commenting on his brother's blasé tone-

And into not asking more questions because he was actually really,reallycurious about his brother's birthplace-

"And then I'm in my house. It looks like all the other crumbling houses, but this one is mine and-" Kaeya studies him briefly with his lips pursed, "And you show up- Because fire and mental and emotional associations and all that- my house burned down, remember? I told you that, right?"

"I- You did, but you never made clear when exactly-"

"Because it's not important! Anyway-"

"It might be important, Kaeya. How old were you? Was this before or afteryou… were burned?"

That might have been too direct-

This was a touchy subject to say the least…

"This waswhenI was burned, actually. And if you keep asking questions I might start hyperventilating. Fair warning."

"I- Right… sorry."Okay… net-gain of information, at any rate…

As much as Diluc desperately wanted to know more about his brother's past… He also recognized the fact that he'd essentially forfeited his right to ask when-

"It's fine. ANYWAY-" Kaeya took a brief breath before continuing, "So you're on fire, and you're shouting at me to fight-"

Kaeya froze. Diluc was worried that his anxiety had finally boiled over. It happened sometimes when he went off like this…

"Oh my gods no wonder I freaked out today. I'm so stupid-"

"You're not stupid, Kaeya-"

"No, I really am. We probablyshouldn'thave sparred today, I'm a mess."

You're not a mess… You're traumatized…

"Okay… Well, now that we agree on something, what happened next?"

"Huh?" Kaeya turned to face him, brow furrowed.

"Thedream,Kaeya."Gods- Stop pushing Ragnvindr-

"Oh! Right! I ran away from you, but instead of helping me my vision froze my legs solid and I died, the end. What's for lunch?"

"Kaeya!"That is horrifying-

And 100% my fault-

"I don't want to talk about it anymore!"

Diluc tipped his head back in frustration and guilt, "I… fine, but- but we're not done! I want to know whatactuallyhappened-"

I can't fix it if you don't tell me-

I probably can't fix it anyway…

"Oh? Is it that interesting? Maybe I'll write a novella based on it, then get rich and famous in my own right-"

"Kaeya!"

"Diluc!"

Diluc gave up. He'd done enough damage.

He rose with an annoyed huff, scooped up their discarded weapons and started stomping his way up to the manor.

"H-Hey, wait! Don't be mad at me!" Kaeya jogged to catch up. Thankfully, he didn't try to grab him. Simply jogged around and partially in front of where he was walking, "C'mon, Luc… Please don't be mad…"

Diluc blinked, "Kaeya, I-I'm not mad. I'm just… frustrated. And sad."And guilty…He huffed out a deep sigh before continuing, "And I really wish you would let someone help you. I understand that it probably shouldn't be me-" He considered for a moment, "Scratch that- itcan'treally be me, but…"

His brother pouted.

Diluc groaned, "Go to therapy, Kaeya!"

The knight snorted, "I will if you do!"

Diluc groaned again.

Should've seen that one coming…

Kaeya snickered, then sobered, "Although… I don't really know how helpful it would be… It's not like I can go around announcing that I'm from a supposedly razed and destroyed civilization, so…"

Diluc snorted, grateful for the change in tone, "I think that's fine, actually. Totally reasonable." He moved to place a hand over his chest. He was still holding a sword in each hand, so he almost looked like he was swearing fealty- "Meanwhile, I'll go in and talk about my international Fatui-hunting escapades. Nothing illegal or eyebrow-raising about that."

Kaeya grinned impishly, "Hunting? Like, for sport?"

"Don't be an idiot! It was for information. And… general evil-stopping purposes…" They made their way to the side of the house, where a small storage room housed the majority of the wine tycoon's training equipment.

"So they're always evil, then?" Kaeya leaned against the side of the building, his arms crossed over his chest.

Such a smartass…

Diluc rolled his eyes before opening the door to the room. He placed the training swords in their proper racks before reclosing the door, "Not always, obviously. No one is." His nose scrunched, "Some of themwereoutrightterrible,though-"

"Didya kill 'em?"

Diluc's shoulders tensed, and he glared at his brother, who had an almost mischievous glint in his eye- "Okay… that's enough, Kae."

His brother's eye widened- it was its own sort of accusation.

Diluc groaned, "I didn't kill anyone unless-"

Unless what? Unless they gave him no other choice?Sounds like the sort of Machiavellian line a Fatui might spout-"I… tried not to kill anyone…"

Kaeya clapped him on the shoulder, startling him and intensifying his glare-

Kaeya pulled him close into a side hug and gestured broadly with his free hand, "And thus concludes Ragnvindr Brothers Therapy! No one recommends it!" Kaeya released him, "The tagline for you can be something like, 'There's a reason Diluc never talks to anyone!' I don't know what mine would be-"

Ragnvindr Brothers… Does- Does he want the name back-?

The subject was too touchy, and it was not at all Kaeya's point anyway- though the thought did make warmth spread through Diluc's chest- "'Abandonment Issues. Personified.'"

"Hah! That's terrible!" Kaeya pointed accusingly, "And reallymean,brother!"

Diluc snorted.

Deflect and distract…

Kaeya was predictable. In his own weird way. He liked to needle and probe, then immediately shift focus as soon as things got too tense-

Diluc rolled his eyes, "Whatever. I need a shower."

"No, food first!" Kaeya crossed his arms over his chest.

"You can go eat; I want a shower first-"

Kaeya pouted, "I have to leave right after lunch, though."

Diluc frowned, "Why?"

"I'm patrolling with Swan-"

"It's your day off!"

"Itwasmy day off. Until Amber got caught up in a mission with Eula by Cape Oath.Nowit's my day to patrol with Swan-"

Unacceptable. On all counts-

"They're working you into the ground, Kaeya…"

His brother shrugged. It was half-hearted at best, "Yeah, well… It happens…" His face scrunched, "Andeveryone'sgetting worked into the ground. It's not like I'm the only one. You should see the pile of paperwork on Jean's desk-"

Diluc scowled. "Fine, fine… Lunch first, then I'll see you off…" He didn't want to waste their time bickering about work.

"Yay! I hope Liam made chicken!"

Diluc snorted as he followed his brother toward the front door.

*present*

Liyue- Outside the Geovishap Lair

Jean

Jean willed the winds with everything she had- feeling as they gripped Kaeya around his arms and middle. She then immediately pulled with all of the strength of her vision.

She almost didn't make it.

Her eyes widened as the tip of a claw grazed her best friend's boot.

She watched as the beast bellowed below, shooting a spout of fire straight into the roof of the cave, then leaned back as the cavalry captain came flying through the entrance next to her. She could feel the residual heat of the vishap's pyro blast.

She turned toward where Kaeya landed.

She may have… launched him a bit too high in her panic, because he'd landed in an uncomfortable looking heap about ten feet away.

Her relief was palpable as she watched him groan and slowly push himself up on one elbow.

But it was short-lived as she turned back to Diluc frantically.

Kaeya would have to be fine for the moment.

Using the wind to cradle the redhead's prone form, Jean gently laid the man flat on his back.

She was distracted momentarily as the vishapshriekedin the cave below. She could see flashes of pyro in her periphery, but she paid the rampaging creature no mind.

It couldn't get to them up here.

She carefully tipped Diluc's head toward her, gentle fingers prodding at his neck. His pulse was weak and hard to find.

She placed one hand on his chest and an ear close to his mouth.

Jean sucked in a breath as she realized he'd stopped breathing.

No nonono! You're not done annoying the shit out of me yet you angsty little-!

Jean immediately loosened the collar around his neck, her fingers shaking so bad with panicked adrenaline that she accidentally ripped the top two buttons completely off-

She then tipped his head back and used her thumb to gently open his mouth. She laid her other hand on his forehead and sucked in a large breath, letting the anemo gather and build before leaning close- their lips almost touching.

Then Jean breathed out a powerful surge of pure healing energy. It glowed as it flowed out past her lips and down the unconscious man's throat.

His chest rose and his eyelids fluttered.

That's it… just a bit more…

But then something went wrong.

Diluc's back arched and he let out a strangled cry as his eyes screwed shut.

His breath devolved into a wet choke as blood gurgled up and out the sides of his mouth.

His body spasmed in her grip.

"No, NO! Luc, stay with me!" Jean couldn't help the panic that laced her voice as she desperately- and none too gently- flipped the man onto his side.

His lungs! His- His ribs! Something must have punctured-

Her thoughts were interrupted as Kaeya came limping and stumbling into view. He immediately helped hold his brother steady on his side- careful of the man's clearly broken collarbone.

Jean immediately got back to work, hands prodding around the redhead's back, chest, and sides until-

There!

She felt the broken rib, as well as where it had pierced his left lung, and immediately sent as powerful of a healing wave as she could muster directly into the internal wound.

Diluc slumped- his convulsions finally ebbing away into stillness.

She and Kaeya worked together to lay him gently back down.

He'd stopped breathing again.

Oh, for Archon's sake-!

Jean immediately leaned forward and breathed more healing directly into his respiratory system- gripping his face tightly as she felt her power beginning to wane.

Breathe, dammit!

She gave the healing everything she had, but pretty soon she had nothing left.

She had tapped out her reserves.

She pulled back and sat back on her heels, gasping for her own breath as spots danced across her vision and the manfinallysucked in air on his own. He, notably, didn't choke on it.

She prodded at his neck with shaking fingers, counting the beats as best she could.

His heartbeat was already much stronger.

She blew out a shaky breath as she leaned away, shoulders slumping in exhaustion. She watched Kaeya gently move to hold Diluc's head in his lap, first wiping away the blood from his brother's mouth, then stroking his bangs back from his face. He was whispering something softly, but Jean couldn't make it out.

His hands and shoulders were shaking.

Kaeya

Kaeya didn't know which way was up. He was disoriented, and every square inch of his body hurt. His hands were aching and tingling, his chest felt like it was being squeezed by some sort of demonic python, and his head waspounding-

Reality wobbled and flowed in front of him, and it took a moment before he realized that it was simply his tears obstructing his vision. He wiped them away roughly before readjusting Diluc's head in his lap.

He winced as something twinged painfully in his hip- he'd landedverywrong…

But none of that mattered.

What mattered was the steady rise and fall of his brother's chest, and Kaeya's entire attention was zeroed in on that small amount of movement like his own life depended on it.

He gently stroked Diluc's hair as he sat and watched the man breathe. He was pretty sure he was talking- whispering nonsense words of comfort… More for his own than Diluc's…

There was no way the man could actually hear him right now.

A detached part of his mind distantly registered the roar of the creature behind him. But he didn't even flinch.

The bastard could scream all it wanted. Kaeya would figure out a way to fucking kill it later.

Fire or not.

Kaeya was angry. Angrier, perhaps, than he'd ever felt in his life. And it made him wonder what he'd even been afraid of ten minutes ago in that pit-

"Kaeya…"

He startled a bit, then blinked up at the sound of his name.

Jean was staring at him. She looked concerned… and absolutely exhausted…

"Kaeya, you're not speaking Common…" She continued to study him as he… very slowly comprehended what she'd just said.

He blinked, then his eye widened.

He'd been speaking Khaenhri'ahn.

He clenched his jaw and stared back down at his brother- "O-Oh…"

Oops.

She frowned, "Is- Is that Khaenhri'ahn, then? Is that what the language sounds like-"

"I don't think my native tongue is the priority right now."

Jean flinched a bit… but Kaeya didn't have it in him to care at the moment. He didn't have it in him to… feel much of anything, really.

He may have been in shock-

Diluc twitched and moaned a bit in his lap and Kaeya felt like his brain had turned to glass and cracked- sort of like what happens when you pour boiling water into a pitcher of ice-

He suddenly felt as if he couldn't breathe.

His hands shook as he cupped his brother's face- thumbs clumsily rubbing the man's temples.

"Kaeya-"

His head snapped up to stare at Jean. He had absolutely no clue what his facial expression was doing-

The woman had taken off her long coat and folded it.

Kaeya's face scrunched.

"Kaeya, let's put this under his head. So you can let him go-"

"NO!" He knew he was losing it. That's what was so… bizarre about the whole situation. He felt himself falling apart, and yet he couldn't do anything to stop it-

"His head needs to stay steady, and you…" Jean took a breath and forced a smile onto her face. It didn't make him feel any better…

"Kaeya, help me lay him back on the ground. Please?" Jean was straining in every sense of the word. This whole experience was both physically and emotionally traumatizing for her too, and here he was throwing afit-

Kaeya hiccuped on a sob before nodding shakily. He helped Jean hold his brother's head and neck steady as she readjusted Diluc's position on the ground. She used her coat as a pillow for him.

"Okay… Come here, Kaeya…" Jean moved around his brother to sit in front of him.

He basically collapsed like a house of cards when she wrapped her arms around him.

He buried his face in her shoulder and gripped the back of her shirt like a lifeline. He could feel her shaking too.

Jean

Jean pulled away from the hug after about a minute, then roughly wiped the tears off her face with her sleeve.

She was exhausted.

Every muscle felt sore and shaky- like she'd just run a marathon right after some sort of weightlifting competition-

And Diluc was barely alive…

She had her work cut out for her.

She watched as Kaeya reached a tentative hand out toward his brother- he held it above the man's mouth to feel his breath on his palm.

The tears, paired with his already somewhat compromised vision probably made it hard for him to see the motion of his brother's chest…

Jean left him to it and dug around in her pack for a snack and her canteen.

She stared at the small, dense nutrition bar and pouted. Her stomach felt hollow and achy. She knew she needed the nutrients and energy but… it was going to be difficult to force herself to eat it.

She sighed and took a swig of water instead. Then another, and not even 10 seconds later the waterskin was empty.

Figures…

Jean frowned, healing always seemed to dehydrate her.

I wish Barbara were here…

Her sister's healing and ability to spontaneously create water would beveryhelpful right about now, and-

And seeing Diluc so… broken physically, and Kaeya so frazzled and broken mentally-

She just really wished she had her baby sister with her right now.

Yes, Jean was usually everyone else's rock- but whenever she found herself flailing Barbara was always there to pick her back up. It had happened on more than one occasion. Usually due to overwork, or stress…

Right now she felt like she had been cracked right down her center and she wasn't sure if she could fix things on her own-

Diluc moaned softly and Jean and Kaeya both stiffened.

I really need him to not wake up right now…

His arm was broken in at least two places, and she wasnotready for another round of healing-

Kaeya went back to gently stroking the man's hair, and Diluc seemed to settle for the moment…

Jean screwed her eyes shut and took steadying breaths-

In- 1… 2… 3…

Out- 1… 2… 3…

In- 1… 2… 3…

Out- 1… 2… 3…

She repeated the action until she no longer felt like she was about to cry.

Then she tore into the nutrient bar.

Notes:

Alright, so I'm gonna have to go back to posting this fic once per week

We'll stick with Fridays for now- July 23rd for the next chapter!

Chapter 5: Kaeya Just Has Really Bad Luck, Apparently

Notes:

Thank you all for reading and commenting!

Comments and kudos give me life!

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

*three days ago- late afternoon*

-Patrolling the Streets of Mondstadt-

Kaeya

"Oh, come now, Captain- it's just a few rounds-"

Kaeya groaned, then rose from his crouch and brushed breadcrumbs off his lap. He offered Swan a hand up, "Alright, break time's over, let's go."

They still had another hour left on patrol. And he was not vibing with the current conversation-

"Two rounds! Two rounds, and if we win one and tie one, we'll just forfeit-"

Kaeya's whole face scrunched, "You and I both know you wouldn't just forfeit-"

"I'll play a man down! Say you drank too much and got sick!" Swan was practically pouting by this point.

Kaeya groaned, "They don't let you do that, Swan. The teams have to be even-" His entire face fell into a grimace, "Though you'd probably do better by yourself anyway."

"See! You just have to be there!"

"Ask Lawrence!"

"He's busy tonight!"

"Ask- Ask Hertha!" Kaeya's voice was rising in sheer desperation at this point-

"She hates darts, Captain. I already asked her-"

Kaeya glared at his subordinate, "Oh! So I'm your third choice!" He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow as the pair meandered through their route.

Then his face scrunched, "Wait, I don't… actually care-" Kaeya gestured angrily with one hand, "Ihate darts! Stop asking!"

"But Sir, we could win free drinks for a week-"

"And I can guarantee you wewon'tbe winning that." Kaeya's voice was flat, "The last time I played darts I poked enough holes in the wall that Master Diluc banned me from the board."

Swan let a conspiratorial grin creep across his face, "Well, then it's a good thing the tournament is at Cat's Tail tonight!"

A tournament iswaymore than two rounds you lying little-

Kaeya scoffed, "Margaret will kick me out of the whole damn bar!"

Swan rolled his eyes, "Come now, Sir, you can't be that bad-"

"I literally wasn't exaggerating. Charles moved the board over to cover up the damage I did at Angel's Share. If you don't believe me then look the next time you're in there." Kaeya waved a hand before walking ahead.

An uncomfortablesomethingin his shoe had him pausing to shake his foot around.

Swan took it as an opportunity to round him- "Sir. I will buy you as many drinks as you like!"

Kaeya narrowed his eye as he finally got his shoe situated, "Dinner too."

Swan scoffed.

Kaeya crossed his arms over his chest.

His fellow knight groaned, "Fine… dinner too…"

Kaeya snorted, "And if I impale someone you have to take the blame-"

"Wha- You don't throw the things when people are walking by!" Swan looked mildly horrified.

The look on his face had Kaeya cackling, "Yeah, well, I tried to tell you how bad I am! I'm just covering my own ass!" He shoved past his companion to continue their route.

Swan groaned, "Ugh… On second thought, maybe I'll ask Belinda…"

Kaeya laughed.

Then he grimaced as the thing in his shoe moved again and dug in right behind the ball of his foot-

"Ow…"

Swan cocked his head to the side, frown still in place, "You alright, sir?"

Kaeya waved him off, "Yeah, just give me a second."

He limped over to a crate and leaned against it, finally just yanking his boot off-

And the tiniest of evil little rocks fell out.

Almost as annoying as Swan today…

Then a loud crash from down the street grabbed the attention of both men and Swan took off ahead, then around a corner. Kaeya heard a shouted "Hey! Stop right there!" and the cavalry captain immediately scrambled to get his boot back on-

He could hear more loud crashes and he cursed.

Kaeya hopped on one foot as he yanked his shoe on the rest of the way. He stumbled but caught himself before he could fall.

Once he regained his balance, he took off at a dead sprint around the corner-

And slammed face first into a Treasure Hoarder.

He hadn't even drawn his sword yet...

What the absolute-

The fighter recovered before he did and immediately shoved him backward into a pile of crates and barrels.

He went downhardwith an undignified shout, and at least three boxes collapsed on top of him.

Or maybe just one. Felt like three though-

Kaeya barely managed to scramble out of the way as a very large hammer crashed down into the pile, splintering the wood where his head had been only moments before.

HOLY shit-!

He was still on the ground, so he kicked out with a shout, aiming for the Hoarder's left knee.

The man cried out in agony but stayed upright. If anything the injury only seemed to make the absolutetankof a man even angrier-

Fucking-Move, Alberich!

Kaeya scrambled and dove away from an absolutelywildswing of the hammer- he almost wondered if the man had his eyes closed-

He rose to a crouch.

Before the man could take another swing, the cavalry captain dove forward with an angry shriek of his own and tackled him around the middle- slamming them both into the pavement. Hard.

The hammer skittered about four feet away.

The pair grappled for a bit, but Kaeya wound up on top, sitting directly on the larger man's stomach.

He couldn't quite get a grip on his throat… and he knew it probably wouldn't take much effort for the fighter fling him off- Diluc could practically launch him, and this guy waswaybigger-

He needed to end this. Quickly.

Kaeya pulled back his arm with a snarl and called forth cryo from his vision- he quickly encased his fist in an icy approximation of brass knuckles when-

His worldexplodedinto a blinding white as something slammedhardinto his right temple.

He collapsed sideways and everything immediately went from a bright blinding white to a total inky black.

-Holding Room at the Ordo Favonius- a room similar to Klee's Solitary Confinement-

Jean

The kid, Frederic, fidgeted in his seat in front of the Grandmaster. He rolled his wrist every now and then- clenching and unclenching his fist.

Jean couldn't tell if the arm was still bothering him, or if it was simply a nervous reaction to his current predicament.

It was probably a bit of both…

"How is your arm? Any lingering numbness?" Jean made sure to keep her tone soft, but all the same the kid startled.

Jean sighed. The boy was jumpy. By literally anyone's standards. It made her wonder what his everyday life had been like… He was basically a child soldier, after all. It couldn't have been… good.

"Frederic?" The boy's head jumped up and he finally made eye contact with the Grandmaster, although said eyes were as wide as saucers-

We're really not getting anywhere right now…

"Frederic, you know you're safe here, right? No one at the Ordo is going to hurt you-"

"W-Why should I believe you?! I- I tried to kill-" The kid bit off the tail end of that statement. Which was probably just as well.

Just because he was a child didn't mean he wasn't liable for his actions, after all.

Jean heaved out a weary sigh, "Look. You're young. You've got your whole life ahead of you, and the Knights…"

How should I present this so that it doesn't sound like indentured servitude…?

Jean frowned and leaned forward in her seat, "The Knights want to make you a deal, Frederic. You can remain a prisoner, have your day in court, then serve what will likely be a fairly long sentence-"

The kid's hackles rose-

Jean raised a palm placatingly, "Or… You could join the Knights' training program."

Jean tried to hide her anxiety. She had pushedhardin her meeting with her captains to get the kid a second chance. Kaeya was the only one who didn't attend. He'd seemed rather tired, so Jean didn't force the issue. And since he'd been there for the fiasco he really didn't need to be debriefed, and his report was detailed enough that the grandmaster was fully comfortable presenting the facts of the case.

He gave his full support to the idea of the Ordo basically adopting the kid immediately after Jean suggested it.

The other captains… were a little closer to lukewarm about the idea. But they had relented with a little convincing, and now here she was- making the offer.

Frederic's face scrunched, "You… Want me to join the Knights… After I just tried torobthe Knights…"

Jean snorted, "You tried to rob a rancher, not the Knights themselves. And I want you to get an education, Frederic. And to have a stable and supportive environment to grow up in-"

"I'm not a child, you know-"

Jean outright laughed, "Frederic, you're fourteen years old. I hate to break it to you, but you're a child. Literally and legally."

The kid huffed but didn't say anything else.

Jean sighed, "You don't have to decide right now, and I understand that this probably feels like being backed into a corner… But you also need to know that you're not locked into becoming a Knight, and so long as your record remains clean moving forward it'll be wiped." Jean leaned forward, gesturing as she spoke, "Joining this program simply lets us take custody of you until you come of age. And if youdodecide to become a knight, you're basically fast-tracked in."

She studied the boy's face in an attempt to gauge his reaction.

It really wasn't a terrible option for him. It was pretty good, actually.

Beats jail time…

Jean figured his decision would mostly hinge on how close he was to the other Hoarders in his group- whether or not he consideredthemhis family-

"I-" Frederic rubbed at his formerly frostbitten arm in clear anxiety, "I'll think about it…"

Jean smiled, "That's all I ask-"

She was interrupted by the door to the holding room slamming open.

Lawrence stood in the doorway, and he looked shaken-

"Grandmaster!"

Frederic flinched back in his seat.

Jean rose, then put a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, "What's wrong, Lawrence-"

"It's Swan! And Captain Alberich! They've been attacked!"

Jean turned to the boy, who stared up at her wide-eyed- "We'll have to continue this conversation later, I'm afraid. Think on it."

Frederic nodded once and Jean turned back to her Knight.

She followed him out into the hall, then locked Frederic's room behind her.

"What's happened- are Kaeya and Swan alright?" That was her immediate concern-

"Swan is… more or less fine, but Captain Alberich is still unconscious- they're both in the infirmary and we've called for aid from the Cathedral-"

Jean picked up her pace, and Lawrence matched it.

"And that's… not all…"

Jean felt her eye twitch as they rounded a corner. The infirmary was on the other side of the building.

Kaeya, you had better be fine-Her cavalry captain was really starting to give her high blood pressure lately-

"They took another child."

Jean's next step faltered and she felt an icy chill creep up her spine.

"Who?" Her tone was steely and flat. Her mood probably matched if she were to be perfectly honest-

"Hartmann's daughter, Iris."

Archons, she's so young…The last kid they'd taken was a little older. A boy from Springvale around thirteen. Little Iris was only about seven…

"They've broken pattern." Jean resumed her fast paced clip down the hall and didn't allow herself to fall into despair. She probably came across cold, but between Kaeya being apparently unconscious a few doors away, and now three children taken in as many weeks- not to mention the many attempts that had been foiled in various ways- Jean fell immediately into 'investigation mode'. She meant business, "Kaeya and Swan were patrollinginthe city, correct?"

"Yes ma'am."

Jean hummed, "This is the first time they've attempted anything within the walls. And this is by far the youngest victim." Jean turned to face Lawrence as they approached the door to the infirmary. She paused slightly with her hand on the doorknob, "We need to figure out their next move. And fast."

Lawrence nodded, and Jean entered the sickroom, bracing herself in anticipation of her friend's condition.

*present… probably*

-Sitting… somewhere… there's a dragon nearby…?-

Kaeya

"Kaeya…" Jean's voice sounded hoarse. And very,verytired.

He tore his eye away from his brother to look up at his grandmaster. He had to blink a few times before she came into focus- tears dripped down his cheeks.

It had been a long time since the universe had chewed him up so completely just to spit him back out…

But he really needed to get his shit together.

It could have been worse- Diluc could be dead right now-

And then what would he do…

Probably go on a rampage and kill any and every Fatui I made contact with-

So, yeah. It was a good thing his brother survived.

He was starting to understand Diluc's general mindset a bit better… Whateverthatwas worth-

"Kaeya."

He blinked at Jean and tried to focus.

She needed something. She'd asked for something-

"Do you have any water, or…?" She was sitting with her own canteen in her lap. She shook it upside down in demonstration of her predicament.

"Oh- Y-yyeah…" He was surprised by how much his voice shook. Kaeya reached behind himself and unhooked his own waterskin from his belt. He held it out to Jean.

His hand shook.

Jean smiled in understanding and took the vessel, one hand lingering to hold his. Her brow furrowed.

"Kaeya, your fingers-" He quickly pulled his hand back and looked away. Jean couldn't waste any healing on him. She already looked completely wiped, and Diluc's arm was still broken. Kaeya wasn't the priority right now.

Wait til I tell you how badly I landed on my hip, Jean…

He'd barely managed to stumble over to help steady his brother. Just sitting was painful.

"It's… minor frostbite… it'll heal on its own." And it would. Especially when he finally got up and hit that geochanter in the face with a frostgnaw-

"Kae…" Jean's shoulders slumped, and she sighed.

"I… It was an accident…?" Kaeya wasn't sure exactly what she wanted from him. Sure, it wasn't the first time he'd hurt himself with his own vision, but it's not like he did it on purpose…

And the shield he'd made was pretty cool, if he did say so himself-

"I know, Kaeya, I wasn't…" She finally uncorked the waterskin and took a long drink.

"I wasn't trying to... I'm just… worried." She looked miserable.

Kaeya frowned.

"I-It's fine, it's really not bad… He's the priority right now." He gestured with his head at his unconscious brother.

Jean snorted softly, "Yeah, he is…"

There was a beat of silence as they both stared at the unconscious man beside them.

Diluc hadn't so much as twitched in the last five minutes. But hewasstill breathing. Kaeya was focused on the rise and fall of the man's chest as if hisownlife depended on it.

His hands were still shaking so he balled them into fists on his lap.

I think I might retire after this. Move to the coast… learn basket weaving or- or maybe I'll start a farm. That's more in my realm of interests-

"Kaeya?"

He startled at the sound of his name.

Jean frowned, "Are you with me, Kae?"

Hah! What an odd question!

He snorted, "You know, I'm not quite sure!"

His grandmaster grimaced, "Okay… well… That's… fair…"

Fair? What's fair?

That I'm in a semi-dissociative state daydreaming about becoming a farmer while my brother is lying half-dead on the ground in front of me-

Oh gods.

Jean's hands were suddenly on his shoulders as the world felt like it was tilting around him. His brain was nothing but a staticky haze, and no matter how much air he forced into his lungs he still felt like he couldn'tbreathe-

Help.

Jean's voice filtered in and out of the cacophony of his head and he did his best to latch onto it. To follow her instructions.

He breathed in when she told him to, then out when she gave the word.

And eventually he could see and hear his surroundings again.

He still didn't feel quitepresent,though…

"I-I'm s-sorry… I'm sorry-" His voice shook just as much as his body. He felt like he might be the one actually dying.

"Shh…" Jean held him tight and rubbed calming circles into his back, "It's alright. We're alright."

Eventually his breathing evened back out again, and Jean held him at arm's length to study his face. She brushed his tears away with her thumbs.

And for the first time… Kaeya actuallylookedat her.

He had registered the clear lines of exhaustion across her face, but now, as the last of his panic finally ebbed, he took in just how ragged his usually prim and put-together Grandmaster was…

There was a smear of blood across her cheek, and a concerning hole in her shirt- the edges of which were charred-

He mindlessly reached up and rubbed the fabric between numb fingers-

"I'm fine, Kae… It's already healed." She forced eye-contact. As well as a small smile.

He hummed in response.

Guilt started crawling up from his stomach like a nasty little parasite-

Still comfortingme… Who's going to take care ofyou…

Jean distracted him before the thought got very far.

"I'm going to take your vision, alright, Kae? Just for a little while-"

He choked on a whine.

"Shh… Hey. It's alright. You're cold, I can literally feel it. It'll be on my belt where you can see it, okay?"

I didn't even notice…

He nodded miserably and moved to unhook the artifact. His half-frozen fingers fumbled with the latch and Jean had to help him.

"C-Careful- T-that's how L-Luc burned himself last time-"

"I've got it, Kaeya. My gloves are insulated." She clipped the stone to the front of her belt.

The difference was noticeable as soon as the vision was off his person. He flexed his fingers and noted with both relief and annoyance that feeling had started returning. It was like little needles were being stabbed into his palms.

He sighed.

The vision's almost more trouble than it's worth…

The sentiment probably wasn't true. But he held it all the same.

He'd never even wanted the stupid thing-

"We need to deal with them." Jean was staring at the pile of unconscious Fatui.

Kaeya followed her gaze and his lip curled.

"I'm going to tie them up- now that he's… not actively dying." She gestured toward Diluc before moving to rise.

"What?" Kaeya glared up at her in mild confusion.

It didn't seem like it was worth the trouble-

"What do you mean, what?" She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow, "I can't heal him right now I-" her gaze dropped to the ground.

"I need another minute…" She lookedso sadto be admitting as much and Kaeya's heart clenched.

"... and it's not like we can just leave them loose like that." She gestured over to the unconscious men. She had already moved their weaponsfar away.Kaeya figured she probably launched them into the sunset with an anemo burst before diving into the cave. It was a smart precaution, but Kaeya had his own ideas.

"Okay, so why don't we just kill them?"

Jean scoffed, then outright glared at the cavalry captain when she realized he was serious.

"Kaeya!"

He blinked up at her, the picture of innocence.

Just kidding. He probably looked somewhere between horrifyingly broken and outright murderous. It was an interesting line to tow but alas, here he was-

"We're Knights, we don't just kill people without due process, or- duecauseat least!"

"They threw my brother to adragonlike he was atoy!"Kaeya's fists clenched and he could feel rage morphing his features, "They werecheering,Jean! That's yourdue cause- I'll kill them myself-"

"You willnotand that is an order!" The Grandmaster had come out to play.

Kaeya leaned back with a sharp inhale and stared up at his boss- his eye wide.

An order.

Fine.

He grit his teeth, his gaze dropping down to the dirt in front of him, "... Yes ma'am."

Jean blew out an annoyed huff, her head tipping back to glare at the clouds floating by overhead… "Just… Just keep an eye on him, okay? Shout if he moves."

Kaeya nodded as his grandmaster turned to deal with the prisoners.

Notes:

Past:
Kaeya: Please, Archons above! I'll do anything if you just get Swan to leave me alone-
Barbatos, drinking wine: I got you! *sends a treasure hoarder to knock him unconscious*
Kaeya: Gee… thanks
Barbatos: *finger guns* Can't hear the haters if you're not awake! Present:
Kaeya: Murder time? Murder time!
Jean: AbsoLUTELY NOT! *grabs him by the scruff like he's a naughty kitten* Next Chapter: Friday July 30!

Chapter 6: These Boys are STRESSED

Summary:

I think the title sums it up honestly

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*three days ago- early evening*

-The Infirmary in the Knight's Headquarters-

Kaeya

Kaeya woke with a groan in the infirmary of the Ordo. The room spun when he opened his eye-

"Try not to move, Sir Kaeya. That was a nasty head wound…" Barbara. That was Barbara.

He closed his eye and relaxed back into the cot.

But his brow furrowed as he remembered-

"W-Where's Swan…?" He hadn't even seen the man when he'd rounded the corner-

"I'm right here, Sir…" The man sounded downright gloomy-

Kaeya turned his head slowly and opened his eye with a wince. The guard in question was sitting on the cot next to his, looking absolutely miserable- Lawrence was beside him, fussing with a bandage around the man's left bicep.

Swan raised a hand in a meek wave, and Kaeya returned the gesture before scrunching his eye closed again.

He groaned, "Ugh… It's too... bright…"

"That would be the concussion, actually." Jean.

His whole body startled as a cool rag was dropped over his forehead and eyes.

He wanted to be mad… but it actually felt rather nice…

"Barbara, can you take care of Kaeya? You're much better with head wounds."

"Of course Sis-" Barbara cleared her throat lightly, "I mean, Grandmaster!"

It may have been the concussion loosening his lips, or his recently improving relationship with his own sibling; but regardless of the cause, Kaeya decided to meddle, "Barb… Barbie… Barbara… It's okayyy. Call Jean Sis, or Sissy, or whatever nickname you use… None of us mind…"

A burst of anemo blew the cool compress right off his face- "Ow! Hey!"

Kaeya glared at his Grandmaster-

"Don't tease my baby sister you goof." Jean turned back to Swan.

"I wasn't…" He turned back to the younger healer… and felt bad when he saw how red her face was… "Oh… I'm sorry… I was actually trying to be serious-" His words slurred a bit.

Her cheeks got even redder- "It's fine! Let me take a look at your head!" She grabbed him by the forehead and chin before he could say anything else.

"Kaeya!" Diluc came bursting into the infirmary with anextremelyinconsiderate shout-

Kaeya hissed in response. He brought one hand up to his head, and gripped the edge of the cot he was sitting on with the other-

Swan and Lawrence had left about a half an hour ago, and Jean had called a meeting to dispatch an immediate investigation into the incident. Which she had quite literally forbidden Kaeya from attending.

He'd been a little annoyed at first before realizing that he actually… didn't have any helpful information to provide. His interview with Jean had been quite brief- he'd only actually gotten a good view of the one hoarder. Kaeya hadn't even known about the kid they took until she told him.

He was basically useless, so he just stayed put in the infirmary with Barbara and… more or less sulked. Until his brother came barging in-

Diluc was suddenly right in front of him, hands gripping either side of his head and torquing his neck to examine his already healed head wound-

"Memme go!" Diluc was also squishing his cheeks, which made speaking difficult.

"Are you alright? Has anyone healed you?"

"Yesh! M'fine!" He finally managed to yank his brother's hands off his head, "I'm fine! Wound's healed, but Idohave a headache youloudmouth…" He brought his hands up to massage his temples.

Diluc's eyes widened, "I- Sorry…" He lowered his volume, which Kaeya appreciated immensely.

Barbara approached with a cool rag and a sympathetic smile. Kaeya took it gratefully and pressed it to the side of his head. The relief was immediate.

Then she turned to Diluc, "He's been fully healed, but with headwounds such as this he shouldn't be alone for the next twelve or so hours. Just in case." Her head tilted as she spoke, "Jean was going to take him back to her apartment after she finished delegating tonight, but everything is… rather hectic at the moment…" The end was a clear question. Without being a question. A request, really-

Oh gods, Barb, way to unleash the world's scariest mother hen-

"I'll stay with him. Jean is needed at the Ordo."

Barbara smiled, "Good. Thank you, Master Diluc!" Her eyes darted toward Kaeya. There was judgement in her gaze, "Make certain he rests. He is not to come in tomorrow-"

"Okay! That's a little extreme, Barbara!" And kind of hypocritical if he did say so himself-

She gave him a deadpan glare, "You were unconscious for over an hour, Kaeya. This isn't a negotiation." Her arms crossed over her chest authoritatively.

He blinked.

Well, damn, Babs. You and Jean really are sisters…

He sighed, "Yes, ma'am…"

Her glare morphed almost immediately into a bright smile, "Thank you for your cooperation Captain Kaeya!"

He grumbled as the deaconess practically skipped out of the room. Likely to head back to the Cathedral.

The two men watched as the door clicked shut behind her.

Diluc was basically vibrating with anxiety-

Kaeya figured it wouldn't hurt to try to help, "I'm really fine, you know-"

"Fuck you."

Kaeya balked, "Excuse me?!"

Diluc rounded on him, "What were you doing to get jumped by a crusher?! They're slow as hell! I thoughtspeedwas the only thing you had going for you-" His brother had started shouting again…

Kaeya was taken aback for a moment. But he quickly recovered, an indignant scowl morphing his features, "Um… Okay, one: I didn't realize you thought so little of my fighting skill. Rude. And two: You clearly didn't get the whole story because I was about to beat theshitout of the crusher when one of his buddies snuck up on my blind side!"And… hit me with a shovel… apparently...

He pressed the cool cloth into his bad eye and temple, not even caring that his eyepatch was getting soaked, "So fuckyou,actually. I'll stay here for the night if you're just going to insult me."

A beat passed and his brother's face scrunched, "I- Sorry… I'm sorry. You're right, that was uncalled for…" His tone had already softened.

"You're supposed to be my caretaker so don't be such a jerk-"

Diluc huffed a small breath out his nose, "I'm not your caretaker. I'm your babysitter until we can be certain you won't keel over from an unexpected aneurysm."

Damn Luc, that's dark…

Kaeya sputtered, "Well, aren't you just a delight!" He flinched from his own half-shout.

Diluc snorted, then frowned. "Alright… truce…" He let out a weary sigh, "I'm sorry for yelling… And being a jerk…" His brother stared down through the floorboards, "I'm… I was freaking out the whole way over here and now I don't…"

Diluc blew out a heavy sigh, "I'm just worried…"

Kaeya scowled and closed his eye.

Most people are nice to the people they're worried about, asshole-

"Are you dizzy? Can you walk?"

"No, and yes."

"Would you like to go to your apartment or the winery. I have the cart if you'd like to leave the city-"

"Apartment. A cart ride sounds like hell right now."With the jostling and the noise… Yeah, no.

"Alright, let's get you home, then." Diluc moved to take the arm not currently holding the compress and helped him to his feet.

Kaeya leaned rather heavily against him as they made their way out of the Ordo.

The sun was still up as Diluc helped him down the stairs. It stabbed the cavalry captain's retina and had him squinting.

He briefly debated testing his own faith in his brother by simply closing his eye completely-

"So…"

Kaeya chickened out and kept his gaze down on his feet. "What."

Diluc sighed, then readjusted his grip on him, taking even more of his weight as they approached the next set of stairs, down to the main fountain-

"I can walk, Luc!"

"You're literally stumbling, and there are more stairs coming up. I'm about to carry you if you don't pick up your feet-"

"Gods, don't be so impatient. My apartment's literally only a block away!"

Diluc huffed, then pulled Kaeya's arm all the way over his shoulder. Kaeya would have been indignant if he… wasn't actually stumbling… just like his brother said…

"It doesn't matter how far it is if you fall down the stairs before we get there."

Kaeya gave up and let Diluc basically drag him, "Fair enough."

The pair kept shuffling along.

"Why would you lie about being dizzy?" The worry was clear in his brother's voice, and it was starting to get more than a little irritating-

"I'm fine." Barbara had said that it wasn't too worrisome. That they should only be concerned if he still had vertigo when he woke up in the morning. So he had decided not to worry about it.

"You're clearly not-"

"I'm dizzy, and my head hurts, and another child got kidnapped right in front of me. I am about as miserable as a humanoid person can get, so excuse me if I'd rather pretend like I wasn't-"

"Humanoid person?"

Kaeya snorted,Right in the trap…

Kaeya couldn't tell if it was because of the recent years that they spent… not talking… to each other… But Diluc definitely seemed much easier to distract and mess with than when they were kids- "I haven't been proven to be fully human."

"What thehelldoes that mean?"

"I might be a hilichurl."

"Kaeya I can't tell if you're joking, or being serious-"

"Or a mage in disguise-"

"Kaeya!"

"I'm kidding."

"Kaeya, that's not funny! You're concussed, you can't…" Diluc's face scrunched, and he readjusted Kaeya's weight, "You can'tactconfused if you aren'tactually confusedright now!"

Kaeya frowned.

Oh. Yeah, thatwaskind of mean-

"Sorry… I wasn't thinking…" He felt bad, so he stopped talking.

A moment passed.

Diluc sighed, "And now you're going to pout…"

"I'm not pouting. I have a headache and I'm dizzy and I was taught from a young age that if you don't have anything nice to say, then you shouldn't say anything at all-"

"Okay, never mind. You can go back to pouting."

"I'm not-"

"Shut up."

"Well,nowI'm pouting!" Kaeya actually was.

But luckily, they were practically at the cavalry captain's front door.

Kaeya leaned morosely against the front railing as Diluc unlocked it. He pushed past him when it opened and dramatically threw himself face-first onto his couch.

He could hear Diluc's sigh as his brother closed the door behind them.

Kaeya pushed himself up to look at him over the back of the couch, "Do you have any clothes? Or are you just gonna sleep in your suit-"

"I have clothes at the Angel's Share I can grab-"

"You're gonna leave me?!" Kaeya feigned shock and concern, his face morphing-

"I thought you had a headache you overdramatic little-"

"I do! Don't be mean to me!" He flopped back down on his stomach to avoid his brother's glare.

Diluc sighed again and Kaeya almost felt bad at the exasperation in his tone-

"Do you have any food here, Kae? Or should I pick something up while I'm out?"

Kaeya hummed into a pillow, "I have bread. And maybe cheese."

"Maybe cheese?"

"I think it had mold on it."

"Why didn't you throw it out?!"

"I don't know." Kaeya shrugged, his face still shoved into the couch cushions, "I meant to, but then the kettle went off and then I was running late so I just threw it back in the mistflower box-"

His brother scoffed, "It literally takes the same amount of effort to throw it in the trash."

"Yeah, well, tell my brain that!" He pointed at his head, "I can't control her when she's distracted-"

"You're fucking weird, Kaeya."

"At least I don't dress up like a bird to beat up criminals-"

"No, you dress like some sort of stripper instead!"

Kaeya snorted and sat up a bit, "That's… Wow. I didn't realize you were so prudish, Luc-"

"Oh, fuck you, Kaeya."

Kaeya laughed, "It's a low-cut shirt! It's not even that revealing!"

Diluc huffed, "Gods, I don't actually care. I just needed a comeback for the bird comment…"

Kaeya looked up in time to watch his brother's face scrunch-

"And it's not even a low-cut shirt. It's a boob window. You walk around with a boob window-"

Itdoesbother him!

Kaeya smirked "It's calledfashion-"

"I'm leaving." Diluc turned back toward the door, "Chicken and mushroom?"

"Yes, please!" Kaeya flopped back down on the couch.

Diluc grunted, "I'll only be gone twenty minutes. Don't have a brain-bleed while I'm out."

Kaeya held his arm up for a thumbs-up- "You got it; I'll wait 'til you get back to die horribly."

Diluc snorted and Kaeya heard the door close again behind him.

Diluc

Diluc pushed the remnants of his dinner around the plate with his fork. He wasn't all that hungry, "So…"

"WHAT." Kaeya was… clearly a little cranky. Just a little.

Diluc let it go. He knew he himself hadn't exactly been all that pleasant to be around the past few hours… "I'm sorry I was an ass earlier." He squished a pea with his fork, "For starters."

Kaeya blinked at him, a piece of chicken halfway to his mouth, "Oh. I thought you were gonna…" He petered off without finishing.

Diluc's eyes narrowed, "Thought I was gonna what?"

"Nothing…" His brother shoved food in his mouth.

"Kaeya…"

His brother shrugged, "I thought you were gonna yell at me for not wearing my eyepatch." Another mushroom got consumed.

Diluc frowned, studying his brother at the table in front of him.

Kaeya's head turned minutely away, his bad eye just the tiniest bit further out of view-

Diluc sighed, then focused his attention back down on his own plate.

"Why would I care?" Diluc murdered a carrot into mush, "So long as it doesn't make your headache worse you should keep it off if you want to."

And I wish you wouldn't be so self-conscious about it. At least in your own home…

Kaeya shrugged, gaze still focused on his food. His eyes darted up for a brief moment as he answered, "I'm already dizzy so I figured it couldn'tgetworse."

"No nausea?"

"No."

Andthat'swhat actually matters.Or rather, it was the only thing that reallyshouldmatter in regard to his brother's scars and comfort-

Diluc shrugged, "Do what you want, then."

Kaeya frowned, "It doesn't… bother you?"

Diluc felt something in his chest tighten.

"Kaeya, your scars don't bother me, and if you don't want to keep them covered you don't have to. So long as it doesn't causeyoudiscomfort."I am going to murder whoever made you think otherwise-

Kaeya hummed before taking another bite of chicken. "I could've stopped them today if I wasn't half blind-"

Diluc's head jerked up in alarm- "Kaeya-"

"It's my fault… I'm starting to think it might be worth it to keep it off… I would have at least seensomemovement-"

Okay… That's not where I thought you were going with that-

Diluc frowned, "Alright, one: when I said you should leave your eye uncovered, I meant because it's whatyouwanted to do. And in situations where you won't be giving yourself migraines constantly!" Kaeya looked like he wanted to argue, so Diluc held up a hand, "And physical effects aside, I've seen you nearly give yourself a panic attack when it shifted just slightly out of place in public, so who are you kidding right now, Kae?"

Kaeya huffed and crossed his arms over his chest petulantly.

Diluc continued, "And two: This is in no way your fault, alone. I distinctly remember being told Swan was there-"

"Swan's a guard. He doesn't usually fight, and no one expects him to except in emergencies." His brother gestured dismissively with one hand, "Of the two of us, I'm the one that should have been able to-"

"Kaeya, stop. If this is because of what I said earlier: I was wrong."

Stop internalizing everything I say, dammit-

"I shouldn't have given you a hard time. It's not your fault you got double teamed. Sometimes…" Diluc huffed as ugly memories bubbled up and threatened to spill over.

One of these days the stress of just living in this city is going to kill me…

I need better coping strategies.

"Sometimes shit just goes south and you lose. Sometimes it's your fault-"Like it was my fault when- Diluc pinched the bridge of his nose and willed the ugly thoughts away…

Gods… If I'm going to have flashbacks every time something goes wrong-

There was a short beat of silence that Kaeya apparently justhadto break-

"If you leave it on that note, then I have to say: I'm more bummed out than when you started-"

Diluc forced a steadying breath in through his nose- "Kaeya, just… gods, just give me a second-"

"Sorry…"

Diluc huffed out a deep breath, "Sometimes itisyour fault. And sometimes you can doeverythingright and still have your ass handed to you for any number of reasons." He leaned forward across the table and made eye contact with his little brother before continuing, "So stop blaming yourself for something you had no control over. This one's not on you."

Gods… I'm really bad at pep talks…

Kaeya snorted, "Yeah, okay…" He forked another mushroom and inspected it.

Then he dropped it back down onto his plate with a huff.

Kaeya narrowed his eyes at him, "What's up withyou,anyway? You've been all over the place today."

Diluc stiffened. Then scowled.

"You don't get to be mad!" Kaeya pointed an accusatory finger, "You went from chewing my head off, to babying me, to yelling likeI'mthe one who set the treasure hoarders loose in the city." He frowned, "And now you're acting like a therapist-"

"Okay, so I won't be trying to comfort you the next time your self-esteem is in the shitter!" And he was back to yelling, ironically enough.

"That wasn't my point, and you know it!"

"I know! I don't want to talk about your point, so I instinctively yell!"Ohwow, that was more honest than I'd intended-

Kaeya snorted.

Diluc crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled.

Then he sighed, "It was already-" The redhead sat back in his seat and worked his jaw, "I was already-"

Gods- fucking spit it out, already!

Diluc grunted in frustration as words failed him miserably-

"Luc…?"

I'm horribly depressed! I get flashbacks and panic attacks from random shit, and I thought it was getting better and-

"Diluc, come on-" Kaeya was staring at him with an intensity that was growing uncomfortable- "What's going on-"

Diluc curled into himself. "Same shit as usual Kaeya…"

"How bad, Luc?" Kaeya's face softened. Normally his brother's observational skills and general ability to read him like a book was… annoying.

Right now he was just glad that he didn't have to explain the exact details of his trauma for Kaeya to… understand. At least enough to help-

Diluc sighed, "I'm… functioning. Obviously." His face scrunched, "But I'm making stupid decisions left and right and then blamingyoufor the fallout-"

And today was supposed to be a relaxing day off- and then you had to work, and then you gothurt-Diluc's stress rose as his thoughts grew more and more frantic-

Kaeya's face scrunched, "I… don't actually know what you mean by that second part…"

Diluc rolled his eyes and sighed, "Vile's tip was either flat wrong, or the attack today was my fault."

Kaeya blinked. Diluc watched as the realization finally dawned-

"Luc, that's…"

"Yeah."

Kaeya ran a hand through his hair. It was still loose around his shoulders from his shower earlier. It wasn'tquiteback to its usual length, but it was at least at the point where it was close enough for Kaeya to wear it in his usual ponytail again, "Diluc, no one expected them to act today-"

"Because they changed their pattern."

"Exactly, so It's not-"

"BecauseIroughed up that other group."

My fault my fault my faULT-

Kaeya's face scrunched, "We can't say that for sure-"

"Oh, I think we can."And I'm going to make it right. Ihaveto make it right-

He'd go talk to Jean tomorrow. He wanted to know everything there possibly was to know about the group that assaulted his brother-

Kaeya groaned, "Ugh, you're making that face…"

Diluc blinked, "What face?"

"Your 'I'm gonna beat the ever-loving shit out of the next person who crosses me' face…"

Diluc snorted.

Wow. I guess Iamreally easy to read-

Kaeya pushed himself heavily to his feet, "I'm going to bed. I don't even want to know what you're thinking right now." Then his face scrunched, "No vigilante…ing tonight!"

Diluc blinked, "Of course not, I wouldn't just leave you-"

"Oh you wouldn't, would you?"

Diluc flinched, "…No…"

Kaeya huffed, "Good."

Notes:

Diluc: Stop getting hurt! I'm freaking out over here!
Kaeya: If YOU'RE freaking out, and I'M freaking out, then who's driving the cart?!
Jean: I hate you both. Next chapter some time next weekend. I can't promise Friday, but that would be the ideal. So I offer a range: expect it sometime between August 6-8!

Chapter 7: Jean Isn't Paid Enough for this Nonsense

Summary:

Jean is alsoverystressed.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*two days ago*

-Grandmaster's office, Ordo Favonius-

Jean

"Jean."

The grandmaster startled at the voice in her doorway. She still wasn't used to the fact that Diluc would sometimes actually comeinsidethe Ordo nowadays. Or the fact that the man never seemed to knock-

"Diluc."

The pair stared at each other for a moment before Jean's face scrunched-

"Wait a moment, you're supposed to be babysitting Kaeya-"

The odds of her cavalry captain being anything other than a little cranky and headachey were slim- Barbara was excellent with head injuries.

But still. She didn't like the idea of him being left alone until he got a full physical and subsequent stamp of approval from the deaconess or herself-

Diluc huffed a small breath out his nose, a rare smile pulling up one corner of his mouth, "He's alright, Jean. Amber came by to visit and is with him at the moment. They were playing cards when I left."

Amber will keep him in line.

Jean relaxed back into her seat, "Oh, alright then." Her brow furrowed, "What can I do for you, Master Diluc-"

The redhead's facecontorted-

And Jean laughed. She couldn't help it.

"Please don't call me that…" Diluc straight up pouted.

The grandmaster rolled her eyes good naturedly before rising, leaving her current reports and mission updates behind for the moment.

While it surprised her every time she saw Diluc around headquarters nowadays, it was never unwelcome.

She'd missed her friend these past years, and she wasn't the sort of person to hide that fact. Though she wasn't above a bit of light teasing.

"Come in and close the door." She stood in front of her desk and leaned back against it; her arms crossed over her chest.

Diluc turned and gently clicked the door shut before striding more fully into the room.

"Alright, then. What can I do for you, Luc?"

The redhead fidgeted with his gloves; his gaze stuck on the floorboards.

Jean waited, eyebrows rising and head tilting.

"Diluc-"

"May I see the investigation reports, Jean?"

The blonde's mouth fell open in mild shock.

He just walked right in here and flat out asked-

Theballson this man!-

The pair stared each other down for a moment.

The room was so silent she could hear the building settle.

Jean let out an incredulous huff of a laugh after a solid minute-long staring contest- "Yeah. That's a solid 'No'."

Not when you justasklike that! Out in the open! These walls aren't that thick you imbecile-

Not to mention the fact that her window was open-

She was a few stories up, so someone would have to be a bird to see inside, butsoundcarries-

She walked back around her desk, closed said window, then sat, rummaging through the various files and papers-

"Jean." Diluc had moved forward to place both hands on the table, "You and I both know the Knights need all the help they can get-"

Jean cut him off without looking up from the folder she was rifling through, "And you and I both know that only authorized knights are granted access to information regarding ongoing investigations." She separated out two important papers, made a note on one, then tucked both into a new folder. Her face scrunched, "And would you please stop talking about the Knights like they're some separate entity with me? I amliterallythe leader of the Knights!"

She started rifling through another set of papers, still not making eye contact. She was searching for a specific-

Aha! There you are!

"Jean. Are we really going to play this game right now? I am offering my help-"

"Oh, really?" Jean quickly tucked two more reports into the folder, "Because I was under the impression you were demanding confidential information as a private citizen." Her eyebrows rose even higher, "And being quite rude about it in the process-"

"Jean!"

Gods… You're as full of yourself as ever, Luc…

The remaining warm and fuzzy feelings from earlier dissipated completely and Jean briefly consideredactuallyrefusing to share the information.

The grandmaster rolled her eyes before making a few more notes on another page, which she also tucked into the folder.

Diluc would be too much of a boon in this case for her to completely push him away.

Not to mention the fact that the redhead would probably try to steal the information himself later. Or just get it from Kaeya.

The two weren't exactly subtle. At least not to her. She didn't rise to her current position being oblivious or naïve. Especially not considering how well she knew the Ragnvindr brothers-

Jean couldn't tell how much Kaeya simply trusted her to let him pull his brother in, and how much Kaeya just… thought she wouldn't notice…

The latter was a bit insulting, so Jean chose to assume the former when it came to their cooperation.

She'd be lying if she said she didn't absolutelyadorethe fact that the brothers were finally talking and working together again, at any rate-

Diluc glared daggers into her skull the entire time she mused and rifled through papers, all the while still leaning across her desk like he owned the damn place-

"If you're only going to distract me, then I ask that you leave, Master Ragnvindr."

Diluc sucked in a sharp breath and leaned back from the table.

Jean frowned, but still did not look up from her current task. She heard, rather than saw, Diluc move further away.

That was too harsh… Hehatesbeing called that-

But Jean was annoyed, and he reallywasdistracting her-

She tucked a few more pages into the folder before flipping it closed and pulling out her wax sealing set.

She quickly used it to close the file-

"Fine… I…" Diluc worked his jaw as he stared through the floor. He blew out a heavy sigh, "I will go. I- I apologize for my disrespect. It has been a… stressful few days…"

Jean snorted, but before the man could turn to leave, she rose and held out the folio of documents, finally making eye contact with the very forlorn wine tycoon, "I would have to agree, Diluc. You can make your slights up to me by delivering this packet to our dear cavalry captain. Make sure he doesn't read it tonight as he's still off the clock until tomorrow."

She waved the investigative reports around a bit when Diluc simply stared at her.

She rolled her eyes, "Well? Are you really going to make me deliver this myself? You know how busy I am, especially with the city on high alert, Luc." She batted her eyelashes, "And you did offer your help~"

Take the damn olive branch you constipated-!

He blinked before finally snapping out of it and taking the requested information, "I- Yes… I can… certainly do that for you… Grandmaster Jean."

Oh, sonowwe're using titles-Jean didn'tactuallylike it when her friends called her by her rank. But now she was seriously considering making Diluc call her 'Grandmaster' all the time. Just to mess with him.

"Good! Thank you kindly, sir! And I do apologize. I want to assure you, Diluc, you will be the first person I come to when the information in that packet-" She pointed at it because, frankly, she wasn't quite sure just how obtuse Diluc was going to be today. His current behavior was giving her doubts, "-becomes publicly available!" Her head tilted as she smiled sweetly.

She debated winking, but thought that might be a bit too much-

"I- right… I apologize again… also… for overstepping, that is." Diluc still had a weird look on his face. As if he didn't quite trust the situation-

"All is forgiven!" Jean blinked a few times, her smile growing larger, but more forced.

Gods… How, by the Archons, is this man soawkwardwith an intel exchange?!

"Uh… Huh… Thanks…" Diluc turned to leave.

"Oh, and Diluc?" Jean smiled even wider as the redhead turned back, his hand on the doorknob-

I can't help it. Ihaveto mess with him-Not that this entire exchange hadn't been her more or less fucking with him-

"Yes…?"

"Please tell Cavalry Captain Kaeya that I would really appreciate it," Her smile stretched even more, and Diluc fidgeted in clear discomfort, "I wouldreallyappreciate it if he couldtell methe next time he brings a…consultantin on a case. Hmm?"

Jean continued smiling and Diluc's shoulders were practically at his ears-

"I-uh… Yeah… I'll… I'll let him know…"

He was out the door not even a full second later.

Jean sat down with a laugh and continued sorting paperwork.

*present*

-Liyue-

Jean

Kaeya was not himself. So Jean didn't bother wasting time arguing with him about the Fatui.

Yes, her cavalry captain could be quite conniving, and even ruthless- but he very clearly wasn't thinking at the moment.

Morals and the implications of a three-nation diplomatic incident aside- they needed information from the Fatui.

If they killed them now, then the kidnapped children were as good as gone.

And that sort of failure wasnotan option.

She was going to get those kids back, no matter what it took. And she'd do it all while healing and protecting her family, by thegods-

And that wasn't even mentioning the fact that the Millileth were in all likelihood on their way. And if they were anywhere near competent at their jobs, they would most certainly be able to track their way to the site from the location they had sent ahead.

Jean figured help would be arriving within the next hour or two. They just had to sit tight and not die until then.

And retrieve their horses. That was also something that needed doing.

She didn't think that Charlie would wander far if his tie got loose, but she stillhatedleaving him-

She took a steadying breath as she forced the thoughts away.

The horses are fine. They are plenty far from any danger, and we will go get them once these idiots are secured, and Diluc is a little more healed-

Her thoughts were starting to stress her out rather than calm her down, so she did her best to stop thinking.

She huffed and started dragging the Snezhnayans' unconscious bodies away from each other.

Focus. Can't have them cooperating…

She bound each of their hands, legs, and feet in turn; then proceeded to search them for additional weapons or items of value after she was certain they were properly restrained.

She found Diluc's vision on the geochanter, along with a similar looking stone set into a glove.

The infamous delusion…

Kaeya had told her as much as he himself knew about it (or at least so he claimed). Jean knew he withheld the exact nature and appearance of the power in the interest of protecting his brother.

Because he still thought she didn't know.

Which was really quite silly by this point. She had almost admitted having found out a few times- especially when she knew her cavalry captain was hiding something. And especially when he and Diluc were not on speaking terms, and she wanted to shake her captain by the shoulders and demand to know why he was trying so hard to protect his idiot brother who was being nothing but cruel-

Getting a little off topic…

Jean understood his need to protect Diluc. She really did. Because she also fought and worked to protect Diluc with absolutely no hesitation.

And if it was her own sister-

At any rate, she understood. Family came first… Though her and Barbara's… slightly estranged relationship probably wasn't the best example- at the end of the day there was absolutelynothingJean wouldn't do for her baby sister. Even if she wasn't the best at showing it-

I hope she knows-

Jean shook her head. If this fucking hell-week had taught her anything, it was that she needed to make-fucking-sure Barbara knew how important she was to her-

Tears started welling up, and Jean wiped them away roughly. If she lost Barbara without…

If she lost Barbara the way Kaeya had almost lost Diluc-

She hadn't even had a chance to-

Jean had been trying. Especially recently, to work more with her little sister. The older she got, the more she realized just howfucked upit was for their parents to separate them the way that they had-

Things were still a bit awkward and strained, and if she lost Barbara before she had a chance to make things fully right-

Barbara is fine. Breathe. Barbara is safe in Mondstadt. Everything is fine-

Jean could feel the stress of the current situation leeching into every nick and crack in her armor- and it didn't help that she was outright exhausted- and it didn't help that this whole fiasco was so intenselypersonal-

Focus Gunnhildr! Restrain the Fatui! Make the situation safe, heal your best friend, survive, and reevaluate.

Jean took a deep breath and resumed her work.

She grumbled, then sighed as she slipped both the vision and delusion into a pocket.

She moved on to find a bunch of knives in a neat little pouch on the pyroslinger.

They were also very obviously Diluc's. She frowned.

Don't really know how to spin this… We literally have some of these in evidence…

The knives were pretty, and quite frankly cool, but they were also very distinct and unmistakable.

Which, if you wanted to leave a calling card of sorts- was great. But if you got caught with them on your person was also terribly incriminating.

On the whole, Jean tried to be subtle about the whole 'vigilante' thing. Generally tried not to discuss it around Kaeya, who she would just get annoyed at for lying (Though it would get her good practice at reading him…). She also tried to downplay it with the other knights.

She did her best to divert resources away from catching him without being too obvious about it. She couldn't completely discourage Huffman without being too suspicious, but she did what she could.

It was only partially altruistic. Diluc really did help a lot, so she did her best to return the favor. And help her friend. Because whether he'd admit it or not… he did need help sometimes (a lot of the time).

Quiet support aside, that didn't mean she was completely okay with his actions. When she'd first found out, she was annoyed enough to come up with the absolute worst superhero name she could think of and then… quietly spread it around until it stuck.

She snickered to herself as she patted the electro-vanguard's pockets.

The Darknight Hero. Edgy enough to bealmostserious- goofy enough to be downright embarrassing.

You're welcome, Diluc. You'll never know it was me.

She huffed and pushed herself up to her feet before moving toward where she'd flung the Fatui's weapons.

They were down two swords, and there was no way any of them were going back into the pit to try and find them.

She picked up the geochanter's staff and gave it a light twirl. It'd do in a pinch.

Diluc couldmaybeuse the hammer- if she could get him back on his feet. But she'd also found his 'alternative' weapons, so he probably wouldn't want it anyway.

None of them knew how to fire the gun (as far as Jean knew), so that wasn't an option.

She'd take the staff and Kaeya could borrow her sword.

Problem solved.

She wandered back over to her cavalry captain.

Notes:

I moved Jean's office. I know she's on the first floor. But I moved it. Because that is way too much traffic to focus, and since Jean is the big boss there should be other people out in front filtering what reaches her-

I already put Kaeya on the third(?) floor, and since Jean is his superior her office would probably be up higher in the building too.

At least that is my thought process. Not that this is all that important of a detail in the grand scheme of things… Next Chapter uhhhh... Gimme a week, eight still needs some milk.
Sometime next weekend August 13-15. Again, Friday is the ideal (I actually made it this week mwahaha!) but I'm giving myself a range in case it gives me trouble.

For some insight, I tend to give confident, quicker deadlines when I have stuff fully written already. We're getting into half-formed chapters now so it's a little more up in the air haha

Chapter 8: Mental Health and Wellbeing Should Really Be More of a Priority-

Summary:

Have a healthy dose of fluff sandwiched between angst! :D

Notes:

Extra Warnings: Diluc is extremely anxious- especially in his first section! He has a panic attack, so take care of yourselves and don't read if that might hurt you! Take care of yourselves! 3 3

This one got away from me a little bit haha

I didn't intend for it to be this long, but I was having fun writing it so I just let it go~

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

*two days ago- late morning*

-streets of Mondstadt-

Diluc

Ghosts and demons clipped at his heels as he walked, and the file Jean had given him grew heavier and heavier with each step.

The weight of their situation. The weight of now three children's lives…

It was a lot.

And it was only made worse by the dazed look on his brother's face just yesterday. Smiling even though his head clearly throbbed.

Claiming he was fine even as his steps faltered, and his words slurred-

Makingjokes-

Diluc wanted to blame the freshly healed concussion… but he had a feeling he had no idea how self-destructive his brother truly was- just how much Kaeya would try to hide if given half a chance.

He had no idea what his brother had been through in those years he was gone, and then those years when he was here but… not. And he was coming to the realization that… Kaeya would likely never tell him.

Just like he had neverreallytold him exactly what coming from Khaenri'ah entailed. Just like he wouldn't tell him how much pain he was actually in-

Like I can fucking talk…

It was no wonder they were always considered a match-set when they were younger. They were similar.

Waytoosimilar in Diluc's humble opinion.

And in all the worst ways…

That revelation made everything heavier. And it made the wine tycoon nauseous, if he were to be honest about it.

He didn't want his baby brother to beanythinglike him-

At all-

He'd had nightmares the night before. It had been weeks, maybe even months since the last one-

(The lastbadone, at any rate.)

He hadn't been there for the fight with the treasure hoarders, and for Diluc's anxiety-ridden mind, that made everything worse.

His subconscious had come up with creative ways of killing his brother. And as Diluc had run to try and help, the surroundings had morphed and swirled until he was back in Fontaine, then Natlan, then a horribly familiar wooded road- and it was no longer his brother he was holding and-

Diluc sucked in a sharp breath and squeezed his eyes shut, his footsteps faltering suddenly in the middle of the square as he tried desperately to reign his mind back from both his nightmare and his past.

Fire burned behind his eyelids, and a blue- then a pair of green, then red, lifeless eyes stared back at him-

It was when a woman bumped his shoulder, nearly causing him to fall, that he finally came back to himself.

He dropped the file.

But it was luckily sealed shut, with no identifying markings, so the woman was none the wiser as she quickly scooped it up with a fountain of apologies and pressed it back into his hands-

"Oh, I am so sorry Master Diluc! I was in such a hurry I didn't even see you there!" Donna. That was… Donna from the flower shop was talking- "Please! Allow me to make it up to you! I'll take you out to lunch!"

Lunch…? Oh. I was supposed to be out getting lunch for Kaeya and Amber…

He blinked at the woman in front of him as he finally took the largely forgotten file. She seemed to be expecting something-

"I- Oh… Thank you…"

Her smile grew, "So is that a yes then?" He could have sworn her cheeks tinged a light pink-

"A… A what?"Gods Ragnvindr get your shit together-

"A 'yes' to lunch, silly! My treat!" She seemedsoexcited-

"I-" His half-panicked flashback brain finally caught back up to the present and he swallowed, his eyes widening, "Oh I- I can't today… I-I am sorry, Donna…"

I can't any day, Donna…

Oh gods… This is… Not good…

"Ah, that's quite alright, I know that you are a busy man," Crestfallen, but determined as ever, the young woman forged on, "Perhaps another time-"

"Another-" Alarm bells were ringing in his brain, and evenheknew he wasn't in complete control of his mental faculties- He just wanted this conversation to beover-"You don't owe me anything, thank you for picking this up for me-"

He gestured quickly with the file in his grip and turned to leave as quickly as possible-

But she reached forward to grab his arm in a vise-like grip-

Diluc sucked in a sharp breath and spun back around- his heart rate rising.

Don't touch me! Don't touch-

He stiffened, but with considerable effort managed to not yank his arm away forcefully. He had no idea what his facial expression was doing.

But none of that seemed to even faze the florist, "Another time! I'll take you to that nice place…" Her words faded out, though Diluc could still see her lips moving-

Why now… Archons above why is this happening right now of all times…

"Donna-" Diluc only realized he'd interrupted her when she startled and blinked, her head cocking slightly to the side, "Donna, I really need to go- I- my brother is ill and I need to take care of him today."

Kaeya was fine, actually. He'd woken up with energy to burn, much to the exhausted wine tycoon's chagrin.

But hedidpromise to bring back lunch, and maybe if he exaggerated the nature of his mission Donna would finally stoptouching him-

She gasped lightly, her grip finally loosening, "Oh dear! That's- Captain Kaeya, correct?"

The fact that you have to ask-

"Yes, it is, so if you would please excuse me-" He tried to gently pull away.

He realized with horror that they'd gathered a quite a bit of attention-

Though that wasn't exactly unusual. Eyes seemed to followtheDiluc Ragnvindr everywhere he went-

"Well, send him my best wishes! And- Oh, could you wait here for a moment?"

Diluc forced a totally not forced smile onto his face- "Sure…"

He fidgeted as she jogged lightly around the side of a building-

As he glanced around, he noticed those who were staring visibly turn away and hide their faces as if they weren't eavesdropping on him in plain sight-

"Here!"

This time he was unable to keep himself from jumping when her hand found his arm from behind-

He sucked in another sharp breath, and Donna immediately backed off, clutching something to her chest-

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Master Diluc! I didn't mean to startle you-"

"It's fine!" He couldn't tell if he'd shouted. His ears were ringing a bit.

The sun was too bright, and too hot, and people were staring right at him-

Gods… Why can't you people ever leave mealone-

Donna smiled gently, though her eyebrows tilted upward a bit in worry, "Are you feeling ill as well, Master Diluc? You don't look so good-"

Diluc blinked.

I feel terrible, actually. I am currently in the process of trying to hide a panic attack and I feel like the entire world is watching me pull apart like a spool of yarn-

Instead he said, "I- Um…"

Eyes were boring into the back of his skull. Or it felt like they were.

Donna took a small step forward, and Diluc fought the urge to take an equivalent step back-

"Here," She held a bunch of flowers out to him- calla lilies- tied in a pretty purple ribbon, "Why don't you head home and get some rest. And bring this to Sir Kaeya for me, please? And tell him I hope he feels better soon!"

He took the blossoms in slightly (very) numb fingers and mumbled a 'Thank you, Donna' as she nodded once and took a step back from him- her hands clasped behind her back.

"I hope you feel better as well, Master Diluc."

"Th-Thank you, Donna…"

Too many expectations. Diluc was starting to realize just what it was about being out and about in the city that he truly hated.

Too many expectations, and too many eyes, and too much noise-

There were a number of reasons why he had ultimately decided to sell the manor, but the top one was its proximity to the city. And its neighbors. And all of theirexpectationsfor and of him-

He hated it.

He much preferred living out at the winery. Where he knew what was going to happen and when.

He would come into Mondstadt for his shifts at the bar, then he would patrol at night, when no one but the occasional thief and Abyss Mage would bother him.

And those he would bother rightback-

He had no idea how or why his brother liked living right in the thick of it. It was noisy, and bright, and people were always vying for attention-

And now he had spent two nights within its walls and, and-

He had been so quick to panic over literallynothing-

Maybe Ishouldsee a therapist…

He'd been… only half joking with his brother the other day. He recognized that the past few years had left considerable mental scars and wounds but… He also knew that there were things he literally couldn't talk about.

To just about anyone.

Mental and emotional anguish aside, some secrets were just too dangerous-

And what good is therapy if you can't actually talk about your experiences…?

The thought sat like lead in his skull as he finally approached his destination.

He groaned at the sound of laughter and music coming from his brother's apartment. Kaeya was supposed to beresting-

He kicked the door open (after unlocking it, of course) with a scowl, and Kaeya didn't even miss a beat in the tune he was playing.

He picked up speed, in fact, his face lighting up at the sight of Diluc in the doorway. The bow and his fingers moved faster and faster over the strings of the violin as he… basically showed off.

Diluc was not amused.

Amber, however,was,and she clapped along with the ever-changing and accelerating beat as Kaeya all but bounced across the room toward the door.

He finally finished in a flourish, both musically, and physically, ending in a full bow in front of the redhead.

Amber clapped a hearty applause.

Diluc ignored his brother in favor of turning toward her: "He's supposed to be resting today."

He could hear Kaeya's scoff beside him as he kicked the door closed with his heel.

Amber shrugged, "He's feeling fine, and we were both bored." Her grin widened, "I didn't even know he could play! That was fun!"

Kaeya came up beside him, and after nudging him lightly in warning, threw the hand holding the bow over Diluc's shoulder.

It was better when he knew it was coming, but he still wasn't feeling all that great about being touched right now-

I really need to chill out…He forced himself not to squirm. It was bad enough that Kaeya hesitated to touch him at all- he didn't want his brother toneverhug him-

I thought I was getting better-

"Diluc can play too! He's better than me in all honesty!"

The redhead rolled his eyes.

And Amber lookedecstatic.

Archons… no…

"Master Diluc!"

Diluc ignored her in favor of shrugging his brother off his back and heading straight to the kitchen.

Kaeya followed.

Because of course he did.

"Aw… come now, Luc! The lady wants a song!"

Diluc placed the bags of groceries on the counter as his brother started bowing a simple melody-

"If I play, I don't cook and If I don't cook, we don't eat."

Kaeya pouted and stopped playing, "You were supposed to pick up Good Hunter-"

"Yeah, well, that was before-!" Diluc cut off his shout when he remembered that Amber was still in the apartment.

And that he probably shouldn't yell at his brother when he didn't deserve it.

That was also important.

He scrunched his eyes shut and leaned his hands on the counter, trying to re-center himself.

"Hey…" Suddenly Kaeya was beside him, violin lowered onto the counter, "Is everything alright, Luc?"

No.

"Yes. I just…" He blew out a sigh and lowered his voice. He hoped Amber was capable of reigning in her curiosity, "I… got overwhelmed… that's all. I didn't want to wait at Good Hunter."

Shame bubbled up from his core and he looked away.

Kaeya leaned against the counter and tried to make eye-contact, which the redhead refused to return, "Alright, that's fine. I'm sorry if I made you feel bad about it-"

Diluc scowled, "You didn't make me feel bad about it."

That's a stupid thing to apologize for. Don't tiptoe around me like-

Kaeya hummed, "You want help cooking?"

"No." It came out cold and hard like steel, and Diluc wished he could take it back-

His brother leaned away. Kaeya tried to hide it, but Diluc caught the flicker of disappointment before it could morph into a smile, "Okay. Well then, you're going to have to deal with my shitty playing while you cook, because this is the most time I've had to practice in months!"

With that Kaeya took a step back-

"It's out of tune." It wasn't really.

Well, the D stringwasa tiny bit flat-

"Ah… I've been playing for a while… the lower strings don't stay as tight as I'd like them to…" Kaeya started fiddling with it, plucking the string after every adjustment to test the sound, "I'm impressed you could tell, Luc. It's not that far off-"

Diluc scowled. The instruments their father had given them generally stayed in tune quite well- "Where's your violin, Kaeya?"

His brother blinked, "What do you mean…?"

The look on Kaeya's face told Diluc he knew exactly what he meant-

"Imeanwhere is the violin Father got you? That's not yours." The redhead glared at the inferior instrument, then gestured toward it angrily, "That's a piece of shit-"

"Hey!" Kaeya held the instrument to his chest defensively, "I understand you've had a rough morning, but that's no reason to be a dick! This was a gift from… This was a gift! It isnota piece of shit just because it didn't cost two million mora!"

"That isnothow much a good violin would cost!"

"Why are you yelling at me right now?! Why do you even care what I play?!"

"Is everything okay?" Amber's head popped into the kitchen doorway and both brothers froze.

Then answered simultaneously-

"Yes."

"NO!"

Kaeya glared at him.

Diluc glared right back.

"Really. You're going to be an asshole while Amber's here?" His brother gestured at the girl in the doorway. The poor thing was starting to look more and more like a deer caught in headlights-

Gods… Iambeing an asshole-

"No. Give me the violin."

If he really wants me to play, then I'll fucking play-

Maybe that'll make up for-

"What?! Like hell would I-"

Diluc's face scrunched, "You wanted me to play right? I'll play if you tell me where the instrument our father got you is!"

That's fair, right? I really want to know where-

Kaeya blinked, "Wait, you're really gonna play?" He didn't even seem mad anymore-

"Archons, you're like a puppy, Kaeya…" Diluc sighed, then pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'll play. I'm sorry I insulted your instrument. Now where isyours-"

"Elzer has it."

Diluc's face scrunched, "Elzer has his own, why the hell would he have yours?!"

That wasn't actually true.

Elzer didn't even play the violin. He played the cello. And he had a beautifully crafted one that their father had bought for him-

"I didn't…" Kaeya's shoulders stiffened, and he looked down, eye darting toward the Outrider in the doorway as if unsure of how much to say… "We should talk about this later…"

"Kaeya…"

"Diluc, please drop it. The violin is fine, it's in good hands- and quite frankly I'm surprised you even care-"

"Why wouldn't you keep it, you love playing-"

Kaeya's expression twisted-

"I didn't think you would want me to!" His brother's shout had Diluc's mouth slamming shut so fast it made an audible-click!-.

Diluc worked his jaw.

Why wouldn't…

"Why…" He licked his lip before continuing, "Why would it matter what I-"

Diluc felt hot and cold at once as the meaning sunk in-

"I didn't keepanythingwhen I left, Luc!" Now Kaeya looked angry- "I didn't even go back at all! Visiting you after you returned was the first time I…"

Kaeya took a deep, shaky breath and closed his eyes, "Visiting you after you returned was my first time home in three years, okay? When you sold the manor, Elzer brought over boxes of my things, and I told him he could have them. That included the violin." His voice got small, "I did ask him not to sell it, though…"

The silence was suffocating, and Diluc noted in some distracted corner of his mind that Amber was no longer in the kitchen doorway.

His brain felt like it was floating a bit.

"I'm sorry." His lips moved on their own.

"I know, Luc."

Both brothers stared down at the floor as silence once again filled the kitchen.

Diluc swallowed thickly, "I'll ask Elzer to-"

"You don't have to do that, Luc."

BullshitI don't have to-

It's a miracle you even talk to me anymore-

"I do, and I know he will have kept it for you-" Diluc's voice cracked, "Father bought that instrument foryou,Kaeya. It's yours. I'll ask Elzer about it tonight when I go back."

Kaeya sighed heavily.

And Diluc balled his hands into fists so that they wouldn't shake-

His brother ran a weary hand down his face, "Look, let's…" He sighed again, "It's been a very stressful week, neither of us is at our best. Let's just… Let's put a pin in this one for now, alright?"

Diluc's face scrunched.

No. Not alright-

"Diluc."

"Alright."

Kaeya's face smoothed out and he smiled, "Good. Now,I'mcooking, actually.Youplay my shitty violin-"

Tension drained out of the room like someone unplugged a drain, and Diluc scoffed.

"For someone who pretends to be diplomatic, you really like to push buttons, don't you?" Diluc scowled with his accusation.

Kaeya laughed and waved a hand dismissively, "Iamdiplomatic. You just deserve it sometimes, Luc."

"Fair."

Diluc took the instrument and wondered just how awkward it was about to be hanging out with Amber in the other room…

"I apologize, Amber…" Diluc sighed as he took a seat across from her, "That argument was my fault and should not have happened while you were here-"

The Outrider shrugged.

Diluc quirked an eyebrow.

"I've always been of the opinion that it's better to get things out and over with before they can fester." She tilted her head to the side, the ribbons in her hair tie flopping over like bunny ears- "It's better to be honest from the start, right? And if you're upset about something certainly don't hide it-"

"He was being a dick, Ambs! Don't make excuses for him when he finally apologizes!"

Diluc scowled at his brother's shout, then turned to find Kaeya's head poking out of the kitchen, a large bowl in his hands-

"What are you even making, Kaeya?" Best to change the subject at this point. He started testing and adjusting the tune of the strings as he waited for an answer.

"I'm marinating chicken!"

Diluc scowled, "Won't that need to sit for a while-"

"It's better if it does, but it'll be fine." He slipped back into the kitchen. Diluc heard some clanking before his brother emerged again, "I'll let it sit an hour. In the meantime you bought plenty of snacks!"

He set a tray of cheeses, meats, and bread on a side table.

Diluc didn't actually remember buying them. He'd more or less just… He didn't even know what he did. He'd been semi-panicked at the time-

"I have no idea why you bought so much food, Luc. I live alone, you know."

"I panicked and pulled a Jean." He plucked at another string.

Kaeya's snort of laughter made him feel a bit better about the overabundance of groceries-

He quickly played through a scale, testing both the tone and his own ability-

"Play swing!"

Diluc snorted, "Well that's a broad category-"

"No just- You know what I mean!" Kaeya had already started moving the couch-

"You really should be resting, Kaeya."

"I'll rest when I'm dead! Play the- Just get the beat right!" He gestured for Amber to step forward.

She blinked at him guiltily from next to the snack tray. She had just shoved a giant piece of bread with cheese in her mouth, "Muh uh!" She swallowed her food and tried again, "I don't know that dance!"

Kaeya grinned wickedly, "I know! You said so earlier, that's why I'm going to teach you!"

"That's not-"

He grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the middle of the floor, "Okay, so when he starts playing, we'll follow the beat of the music right? I'll count, then you just follow how I step-"

Diluc rolled his eyes, "Shouldn't youshowher the steps first?"

"No! Trial by fire!" He grinned down at the clearly nervous Outrider, "Also, I am notoriously bad at teaching, and I only remember the beats by playing or dancing them. Anyway-"

Diluc snorted.

"Shut up Lulu! We all know you're better at everything-"

Diluc started playing to cut him off-

He started slow, tapping the beats with his foot-

Kaeya frowned, then grinned, "Huh. I don't recognize this…" He stared at Diluc curiously for a moment

Wouldn't expect you to, Kae…Diluc did his best to stifle his smirk and kept right on playing.

His brother frowned at the lack of response, but then brushed it off and turned back to Amber, "Okay, so I'm going to put my hand here, like this, and you hold your hands…" He explained the basic posture and how to stand, quickly, "Perfect! Okay, I'm going to start counting-"

Kaeya counted beats out loud, then began stepping-

"Wait! I don't know what you're doing!" The incessantly confident Outrider suddenly seemed… not-so-confident-

"I'm just stepping, Amber- 1- 2- 3- step 1- 2- 3- step-" He held her at arm's length, then went through the motions again, "Just follow as best you can-"

Amber bit her lip, then gave it a try-

She stepped on his foot- "Ah! Sorry-"

"No, it's fine- we're barefoot, don't worry about it!" Kaeya smiled, but didn't stop, waiting for Amber to jump in, "Try again!"

She did, and this time got through a couple iterations before missing a step.

Then they got through more.

And then Diluc picked up the pace of the song.

The look of absolute concentration on the young Outrider's face was amusing, to say the least-

"I'm gonna twirl you, okay?"

"Not okay!"

"Don't be so nervous, it's just a spin- when I pull your hand up you go for it- now!" Kaeya quickly spun her out, and Amber instinctively went with the motion and beat of the music-

She was picking it up quite quickly-

And she was laughing as he pulled her back in.

"You're doing great!"

He spun her around again, then they both turned with the music and came back together-

"This is really fun!" Amber was absolutely beaming-

"Isn't it? I've been trying to get on Jean about having some sort of dance or party," He gave her another twirl, and Amber giggled, "Unfortunately it's kind of difficult to throw a dance party for the people who are, you know, guarding the city."

"Makes sense." Amber frowned, "It would have to be something smaller, and then how do you decide who to invite-"

"My thought was to take it in shifts."

"Oh! That could work!"

Kaeya smiled at her enthusiasm, "Food for thought when everything calms back down again."

"Absolutely!"

Diluc smiled and focused on his playing as Kaeya and Amber danced.

After a while the redhead switched the tune just to see how they would adapt-

Amber tripped and Kaeya caught her with a laugh.

She scowled at Diluc, but then got right back to it.

By the time they were tired of it all, Kaeya had shown her quite a few moves to mix in, and Diluc's arms were… done.

"Okay. That's enough for now." He finished the current song, then stretched, mindful of the instrument. He laughed when Amber flopped ungracefully onto the couch.

"Gods, good. I was exhausted ten minutes ago-" Then she sat up quickly, "Also I'm starving-"

Kaeya snorted, "Yeah, yeah, it'll only take a second. Chicken cooks quick." He wiped the sweat off his brow, then headed into the kitchen. Then he poked his head back out, "You want water?"

Amber hopped up from the couch, "Yes, please!" She darted after him.

Diluc, meanwhile, studied the violin in his hands. It really wasn't a bad instrument. He'd had to adjust the tuning once, but overall the sound and tone were nice…

He wondered who had gotten it for his brother.

Definitely not a connoisseur… or perhaps someone without a lot of money to burn?

It wasn't bad, but having to adjust the tuning so often really meant it wasn'tgreat-

"Stop pouting." Kaeya shoved a glass of grape juice in his face, "Food will be done in a minute-"

Diluc set the violin down on the table beside him and took the proverbial olive branch.

"Thank you…" He was surprised Kaeya even had grape juice. He hadn't bought it today, and he knew his brother hated it-

"Uh huh." Kaeya took a chug of his own water, "Thanks for playing, Luc. That was fun- you need to teach me that first tune sometime!"

Diluc hummed, a small smile turning his lips upward, "I learned that one while in Natlan from…" His smile fell a bit as he trailed off.

"From who?" Kaeya didn't seem the least bit phased as he took another drink of water.

Diluc hid his face in his glass and tried to figure out how to respond when the Outrider interrupted (saved) him-

"Uh… Kaeya… it's smoking-" Amber's head popped out of the kitchen, and she looked downright scared-

"I left you for two seconds!" Kaeya quickly placed his glass on the side table next to the snacks-

"And that was two seconds too long!" By this point Amber was completely in the hallway wringing her hands, and Kaeya was sprinting back toward her, "You know I can't be trusted-"

"Go sit in the living room!"

"Yessir!"

Diluc had to suppress a snort at Amber's embarrassed squeak. She wouldn't even make eye contact as she plopped herself back down on the couch and fiddled with her sleeves.

Kaeya

"Diluc?"

"Hmm?"

He handed his brother another plate to dry before asking his question. Amber had left for patrol about twenty minutes earlier, "Why were you out so long if all you did was pick up groceries?" Kaeya was worried. He couldn't help it.

He'd tried to reign it in and hide it, at least while Amber was there, but now that she'd left, and he and his brother were cleaning up the plates from lunch…

He was worried.

Diluc had come home looking somewhere between outright murderous and completely panicked. And had immediately picked the first fight he came across… so Kaeya knew something was up.

He just didn't know exactlywhat.

"I…" Diluc scowled, then turned to put the clean dish in the pile beside him, "Would you believe me if I told you I got distracted petting a cat?"

Kaeya snorted, "No."

"A dog?"

"Diluc-"

"A bird?"

Kaeya rolled his eye, "Okay, that one, maybe. But after listing the others we're back to 'No'."

Diluc snorted, then sighed as Kaeya handed over another wet plate. The cavalry captain very patiently stared at his brother while waiting for an answer-

"I went and talked to Jean."

Kaeya blinked, "Oh… Kay… Why was that a secret-"

"I asked for the investigation reports from yesterday."

Kaeya turned to stare at his brother, then snickered, "Oh wow! I bet that went over well!"

Diluc frowned, "It… did, actually. Though I think I annoyed her pretty bad…"

"Wait, did she actually give you the reports?!" Kaeya balked as his brother nodded.

Huh. Leave it to Jean to constantly surprise me-

He huffed as he turned back to scrubbing the last of the plates from lunch-

"I wasn't going to tell you."

Kaeya turned sharply toward his brother, almost dropping the slippery dish in the process- "What? Why not?!"

Diluc shrugged and fiddled with the dish rag in his hand. He'd stopped making eye contact-

"Where is the report, Luc?"

"In the dining room. I slipped it in your bookshelf."

"Okay, and again- Why weren't you going to tell me that you had it-"

"I was going to look into it tonight." Diluc fidgeted, "Alone."

Kaeya clenched his jaw and tried really,reallyhard not to be mad-

Because the fact that Diluc had told him about the file meant he had changed his mind, so in the grand scheme of things he didn't actually have anything to be mad about-

You were going to go after them alone you fucking idiot asshole diCKFACE-

Kaeya took a deep breath, and tried to keep his tone neutral, "May I ask why?"

"I don't want you to get hurt again."

Kaeya wanted to scream.

"Okay, and what ifyouget hurt, dumbass?!" The tacked-on insult was unintentional in all honestly- it just slipped out. But Kaeya did think it added a certain spice that made him feel a bit better about this particular conversation- "Also there are other knights you could have asked if you don't trust that I'm in fighting shape-"

That particular suggestionreallyrubbed the cavalry captain the wrong way, but if that truly was the issue then he honestly couldn't fault Diluc-

"That's not really…" His brother sighed, "What I meant… I meant more in general."

"Oh what? So you suddenly don't trust my skills as a knightat all,then?"

Diluc's face scrunched into a pained expression- "No, I- Could you please stop getting personally offended by everything I say…"

"Then stop saying offensive things!"

"Gods, Kae, all I said was that I don't want you to get hurt! It has nothing to do with personal ability and I am literally trying to acknowledge the fact that this is my own-" Diluc groaned before prying the final clean plate out of Kaeya's hands, "Never mind."

Kaeya scoffed, "Never mind?!" He glared as his brother worked to dry the plate, "Diluc, you have been all over the place lately, and now you tell me you were planning to run off on your own because you're worried aboutme?"

"Youwereknocked unconscious less than twenty-four hours ago-"

"Aright, then, Diluc. Please explain- because I must still be concussed- how going off on your own to fight a group of criminals that knocked two fully trained knights on their asses is a good and healthy idea?!" He gestured angrily as Diluc turned to put the plates away.

Diluc shrugged, "I changed my mind, didn't I?" He turned back and quickly wiped the counter like the bartender he actually was- "You're supposed to be resting tonight, but I was going to start reading and sorting through leads if you want to help. It's better if we work together."

Yes.Yes, it is.

Kaeya narrowed his eye, "I agree… I'll make some coffee…"

Diluc nodded, before turning to put the plates away, "Sounds good."

"Diluc."

His brother sighed, "What…"

"You do realize I-" Kaeya worked his jaw, "You're worrying me."

Time to be fucking honest because Diluc was getting harder and harder to read-

The redhead's face scrunched, "How so?"

You dense-

"I don't know what you're thinking, and I suddenly don't trust you to make good decisions-"

"You probably shouldn't in all honesty."

"Diluc! That's not funny!"

His brother scowled, "What? You know I don't have the best track record-"

"Well do better because I literally don't know what I would do if-" He blew a frustrated breath out his nose, "Don't run off on your own!"

"I already said I wasn't going to."

"Fine." Kaeya looked away. Then he decided to just fucking say it, "Diluc, I don't know what I would do if you died. I- I already lost you once and I didn't…" His voice cracked and he had to swallow before continuing, "There were times when I didn't think you were coming back…"

"Kaeya…"

"I'm serious, Luc!"

"I know, and I do want to reiterate the fact thatyouare the one who almost died-" His brother's smirk was infuriating.

"Shut the fuck up!" Now Kaeya was gettingmad-"I'm trying to be serious here!"

I'm literally about to cry and you're making jokes-

Diluc's eyes widened, "I- Okay… Alright, I'm sorry…" His hands came up placatingly, "Kaeya, relax-"

"Ican'trelax!"Oh shit. Oh shitshit shit-"I almost died! I almost died and now three kids are missing and I'm tryingreallyhard not to freak the fuck out because we have no resources and no manpower, and I have never in my life felt so ineffective at my job which is theonlything I've had to fall back on these past few years-"

He was yanked quite suddenly into a forceful hug. His head was shoved into Diluc's shoulder and only now did he realize he was shaking-

This is why they say not to bottle things up…

"Breathe, Kae, breathe… You're alright…" His brother rubbed comforting circles into his shoulder blades.

He squeezed his eye shut and gripped the back of Diluc's shirt like his life depended on it, "I need a fucking vacation…"

Diluc laughed and kept rubbing his back, "That's… one way to react. And quite honestly I think you've earned one-"

"I also need a drink."

Diluc snorted, "Yeah… No you don't."

Kaeya whined-

"Hush. You're going to bed. I'll look through the reports tonight and we can discuss them in the morning."

"No-"

"Yes."

Kaeya gripped his shirt tighter, "Will…" He buried his head further into Diluc's shoulder. Hehatedthe fact that he'd started crying- "Will you stay tonight…?"

"Kaeya, I stayed last night, and the night before- I've barely been home-"

"Then I'm coming with you to the winery."

I don't want to be alone don't leave me alone-

Gods... I reallyamthe personification of abandonment issues-

Diluc huffed, "Alright. That's fine. Go grab your stuff."

Kaeya pulled out of the hug and quickly darted for his bedroom. He scrubbed at his eyes, shoving his eyepatch to the side in the process, but he didn't really care. His back was turned, and it was just Diluc anyway.

*present*

-Liyue-

Kaeya

Kaeya watched as his grandmaster grunted in frustration and stomped her way over to the unconscious Fatui.

She grumbled the entire time as she bound their hands and legs, shoving their listless forms far enough away from each other that they wouldn't be able to interact physically whenever they woke.

He watched her shove a couple of small items into her pockets and raised an eyebrow at the action.

She was panting and sweating by the time she was done.

His hands were still absently carding through his brother's hair as Jean plopped herself back down on the other side of Diluc.

Jean lifted his canteen and took a long swig before holding it out to him, but he shook his head. He wasn't very thirsty, and Jean needed it more. Diluc would too, when he finally woke up.

"You know~" Kaeya watched as Jean's head snapped up to glare at him. One corner of his mouth quirked up in a smirk.

She was still mad at him.

Kaeya figured it was fair. Killing the Fatui had been a stupid suggestion- they still had the children after all.

Didn't mean he wasn't about to make jokes about it:

"If it's information you're concerned about, we technically only need one~"

"Kaeya."

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

Kaeya did as he was told with a snort and let his gaze drop back down to Diluc's face. The man's eyes had started moving behind his eyelids, and his face twitched minutely.

Kaeya's brow furrowed. It looked like Diluc was going to wake up soon, and when he did…

He was going to be in pain.

A LOT of pain.

I wonder if Jean has any of those drugs on her…

She probably didn't. She'd have tried to give them to him by now if she did-

"We need to set his arm and shoulder."

Kaeya's eye snapped back up to his grandmaster in concern, but her entire focus was on the redhead.

"I can't heal it as is, I need it to be at least close to the correct position."

She was scowling.

She turned to the cavalry captain.

"I'll need your help."

Kaeya swallowed thickly before nodding.

"Just tell me what to do."

Notes:

Kaeya: What is your problem today?!
Diluc: Brain machine broke.
Kaeya: What?
Diluc: Brain machine broke.
Kaeya: ...
Kaeya: mood. Alt-
Diluc: I am functioning, but at what cost... Chapter 9 next weekend as usual!

Chapter 9: Rude Awakening

Summary:

Diluc wakes up. It goes about as well as can be expected.

Notes:

Fair warning, this one just hurts all the way through.

Descriptions of some fairly gnarly injuries! Nothing too too graphic (I don't think)
but SPOILERS: Diluc's kneecap is cracked, so if that sort of thing bothers you be careful.
Jean fixes the worst of it almost immediately, and I don't describe it in too much depth, but knee and like, joint injuries kind of freakmeout, so this is a warning to anyone like me out there!

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

*yesterday*

-Dawn Winery-

Diluc

"Alright, well I think we should leave the group near Dragonspine for last-"

Diluc's face scrunched, "Kaeya, that one is by far the most suspicious. It's right near a number of Fatui encampments-" Diluc shoved another bite of toast in his mouth before pointing down at the map on the table, "Kidnapping is traditionally a Fatui, well… tradition, basically."

Kaeya rolled his eyes, "Okay sure, Luc, but where exactly would they take small children in Dragonspine? There's no tactical reason- also, it's the most dangerous and neither of us are going there alone." His brother took a swig of coffee, "That one's on the list as a 'well, I didn't find jack-shit at any of the other camps' option."

Diluc grunted.

That's… fair…

"I wouldn't say there'snotactical reason-" No one would ever argue that Diluc Ragnvindr was anything but stubborn.

"It's way more likely they're still somewhere in Mondstadt proper, Luc. Or-" Kaeya scowled, "Or Liyue… but that's…"

"Inconvenient to say the least." Diluc leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. He scowled, "Alright, leaving off Dragonspine that gives us… five camps to check. Two of which are between here and the city."

"Correct." Kaeya shoved another piece of bacon in his mouth.

"You take those two, I'll take the three out-"

"Muh uh!" Kaeya swallowed then tried again, "No way, not by yourself-"

Diluc rolled his eyes, "Relax, Elzer is coming with me." His face softened, "I briefed him this morning and he's preparing the horses. I'm not going alone, Kaeya."

"We should really just stick together-"

Timeisa factor here, brother…

"No,youshould head back to the city, gather a team, and check the camps near Windrise and Thousand Winds Temple-"

"Diluc, I would really feel better if-"

Time is a stronger motivator in this case than feelings-

"Meet back at the winery tonight, it'll be fine, Kaeya."

His brother grumbled but didn't argue in favor of shoving a forkful of eggs in his mouth.

*present? time is a social construct and Diluc isn't actually fully conscious-*

-Hah! You think he knows where he is?-

Diluc

Diluc choked on a scream as something torqued his arm and shoulder-

"Shh… Hey, Diluc... please… breathe for me…"

The voice was familiar, but the pain was all encompassing- all consuming-

He tried to pull away from the hands on his chest and shoulder, but that only made everything worse.Muchworse.

Sound faded to a dull roar in his ears, and he may have passed back out again… but the pain quickly brought him right back.

"Hold him steady!"

"I'm trying! … Can't… Faster, Jean?"

Jean… where…?

Diluc tried to open his eyes, but the blinding light of the sun had him squeezing them shut again almost immediately.

He groaned pitifully.

It took him a moment to realize that the person had stopped trying to move his arm.

"Luc?"

That's… That's my little brother…

The fact that Kaeya was here… Diluc was both comforted and assaulted by a sudden jolt of anxiety. The Treasure Hoarders- the Fatui-

He tried to open his eyes again.

The sun wasblinding-

"Shh… You're alright…" His brother leaned over him in what was a clear attempt to block the light from his face, "Jean's here, we're trying to set your arm so it's…" His brother turned to say something- apparently to Jean. But Diluc couldn't hear it, and he couldn't look to try and read Kaeya's lips- or figure out if it wasactuallyJean that he was talking to. The redhead could barely keep his eyes open, and turning his head wasnotan option… his shoulder was a mess of pure agony- quite a lot of his body was, actually.

He opened his mouth but couldn't muster the energy to form words.

Kaeya smiled thinly down at him, "This is… This is going to hurt… Focus on me and squeeze my hand, okay?"

His brother placed one palm against his forehead, gently brushing his bangs back and likely serving to keep his head and neck steady. The other palm he held open against Diluc's chest.

Moving even his healthy arm hurt. Moving atallhurt- hell, evenbreathinghurt-

He did his best to stifle a moan as he took his brother's hand. Kaeya squeezed it in an attempt at comfort, and Diluc stared up into an icy blue eye…

…please help me… I- please…

Let this nightmare end-

He squeezed Kaeya's hand back as tightly as he could manage.

Kaeya smiled. It didn't reach his eye- "Alright… On three. One, two-"

Dilucscreamedon 'three'.

Kaeya

Kaeya was almost certain his brother had cracked at least a few of the bones in his hand.

But Diluc's arm and shoulder were set and healed. For the most part.

And that's what mattered.

Jean looked like she was about to pass out, but she smiled weakly down at Diluc and gently brushed the hair out of his face.

His eyelids fluttered as his chest continued to rise and fall with every haggard breath.

She rested her palm against his cheek, "You're alright, Luc… You'll be alright…"

The only indication that the man heard her at all was a weak whine accompanied by another squeeze to Kaeya's hand.

It didn't seem like his brother was about to let go any time soon.

Which was fine with the knight. It was one more assurance that Diluc was alive.

So he'd take it.

His eye flitted over to the tied-up Fatui. They still hadn't stirred.

It almost made Kaeya wonder if they hadn't killed them onaccident-

"I need more water…" Jean frowned at Kaeya's now empty waterskin.

He blinked.

"Yeah… that's not good…" His brow furrowed.

Diluc hadn't had any yet. At all.

He studied Jean for a moment. She looked like literal death.

He smiled thinly at her, "If you help me pry my hand out of his and give me back my vision, I'll make some ice. There's a cooking pot nearby where I can melt it."

Jean's face scrunched, "I don't think you should go off alone-"

Kaeya rolled his eye, "It's fine, Jean. It's right down the hill. It shouldn't take long."

After a moment Jean nodded and took his place next to his brother-

Diluc blinked up at them, eyes unfocused.

"He lives!" Kaeya smiled down at him. It felt a lot less forced now that the man wasn't screaming in pain, "I'll be right back, Diluc. I'm just going to make some water-"

His brother's face scrunched, and his mouth opened and closed as if he wanted to speak.

It made something in Kaeya's chest feel like it had turned to stone and cracked-

Jean ran her fingers through the redhead's hair, "It's alright… He's just going down the hill… he'll be right back." She turned back to Kaeya, "Just get the pot and bring it back here. I've got a bit more healing in me, then he can melt the ice for us. It'll be quicker that way anyway-"

Kaeya scowled, "That's asking a lot of the both of you I think-"

"I don't want you on your own, Kaeya. Come right back. Please." Something in Jean's expression convinced him not to argue.

He simply nodded once, then stood with a groan and limped his way down the hill.

He'd forgotten how much his hip was hurting until it was time to move…

It's probably best if Idocome right back…

Jean

Jean continued stroking gentle fingers through Diluc's hair. It, along with his forehead was slick with sweat and filled with dirt and grime. The ends of his hair were singed in places-

His eyes kept fluttering- open, then closed, then open again.

She wondered how much of… all of this… he was aware of-

He worked his jaw, and something that might have been an attempt at words came out.

"Shh… slow down, Diluc… Don't push too hard…" She stroked his cheek with her palm.

His eyelids fluttered before he tried again- "M-M'head…"

Jean's face scrunched.

He was almost certainly concussed.

She forced her lips into something resembling a smile, "I'll take a look…"

Jean readjusted her perch so that her hands cupped Diluc's head- palms at his temples.

She sent out a small healing burst that had the man immediately relaxing in relief.

"Th-Thanks…"

"Of course." She gently rubbed his temples with her thumbs, and was pleased when his eyes opened again, this time with a little more sharpness and clarity.

She smiled down at him, "What hurts the most right now, Luc?" She had another little burst left, and there was still considerable inflammation in his shoulder, not to mention his ribs- they were no longer broken, but they were certainly still bruised-

"M-m'knee…"

Jean blinked, "Your… knee?" She hadn't even thought to check-

Diluc nodded, his eyes falling shut once again and his brow furrowing.

Jean frowned, "I'll take a look, then."

The man groaned in obvious pain the instant she touched his right knee. Which was never a good sign…

She gently prodded around his kneecap and was shocked at how swollen the joint clearly was, eventhroughhis pant-leg. Which she could kind of use out of the way…

"I'm going to cut your pant leg off, okay?"

Diluc frowned but didn't argue. His shirt was already half off. At first, they had tried not to trash it too much as they pulled his injured arm out of the sleeve. But after the first attempt they realized the garment wasn't worth the clear agony it was causing, so they simply cut it off.

He was definitely going to need a change of clothes after this…

She carefully worked the boot off his foot, but Diluc still flinched with every movement.

I'm sorry, Luc…

She pulled out one of his little bird-knives and carefully cut the seams of his trousers, up to about three inches above the knee.

She pulled back the fabric and- the joint was absolutely mottled. It was purple and blue, and swollen. Badly.

Jean tried to hide her grimace. She probably didn't succeed.

Then she used her magic to investigate-

She couldn't help her sharp inhale as she took in the full scope of this particular injury.

His kneecap was cracked- almost completely broken in half-

"Shit-" Jean looked up quickly to study Diluc's face. The man had his eyes screwed tightly shut.

She grimaced.

And we were moving him all around… I didn't even check his legs-

Jean felt terrible- she should have checked every inch of him for injuries- he'd apparently been tossed across the arena like a ragdoll for Archon's sake!

What kind of healer am I-?

"J-Jean…?" Diluc was trying to look down at her, but he couldn't quite lift his head on his own…

"I'm here, Luc… I'm here…" She took a steadying breath, "I'm going to touch it again, okay? This is going to hurt."

Diluc closed his eyes again, "S'fine…" He visibly braced himself in anticipation.

Jean's face scrunched in sympathy.

She poked and prodded around the injury as gently as she could… butstillDiluc gritted his teeth in pain. His good hand dug roughly into the dirt and grass beside him, while his face contorted-

Alright… I've got the gist…

Jean reached up to take the man's uninjured hand in her own, and Diluc blinked his eyes open to study her.

"I can't do anything for the inflammation right now, but your kneecap is cracked." Jean watched Diluc's face scrunch into a grimace, "I think I can mend the bone right now, though. Are you ready for me to try?"

The man swallowed thickly, "Y-Yes, please…"

Jean smiled as best she could, "Okay, squeeze my hand…" It had seemed to help before, so she would give her friend as much comfort as she possibly could-

She smiled reassuringly as he gripped her hand in his own- though he already had his eyes screwed shut once again.

Jean took a steadying breath, "Okay… On three, like before. One, two-"

On three she felt some of her fingers pop-

Ow…

But she focused through Diluc's absolutedeathgrip and healed his injured knee as well as she possibly could.

She sucked in air as she blinked away the dark spots in her vision…

Ugh…

She wasn't sure how much more she was going to be able to manage…

Diluc's grip loosened, and his thumb started rubbing circles on the back of her hand.

She looked up at him wearily and smiled. His eyes were closed, but his face was much more relaxed- he was clearly in a lot less pain.

"J-Jean…?"

"Yeah, Luc?"

"Um…" His eyes blinked open, but took a long moment to focus… He licked his lip before continuing, "Did…"

He took a deep breath, and Jean waited patiently.

"I-" He blinked rapidly and worked his jaw-

"Shh…" Jean cupped his face in her palms and gently wiped away the tears as they fell- "You're alright, Luc… It's gonna be alright…"

"M-My vision… They took my vision…"

"I have it, don't worry."

"H-How-"

"Well, they took it-" Jean let a smug smile tug her lips upward- "And I took it right back!" Then she released her friend's face gently in favor of rummaging through one of her hip pouches-

She didn't mention the delusion. Or the knives. She was just going to consider those 'confiscated' until she was certain that A) he could use them without hurting himself, and B) she was ready herself for the conversation that would ensue.

She pulled out the round flame-colored stone and pressed it into his hands.

He lifted and studied it for a long moment. It flickered somewhat erratically, and he sighed.

"Can you put it somewhere safe, please…"

Jean frowned, "You don't want it on your belt?"

"No…"

Kaeya

As Kaeya hobbled his way back up the hill he could start to make out conversation-

"He'll be right back, Luc. He's just getting a cooking pot, I promise."

He could hear Diluc groan in displeasure, but he couldn't make out what exactly he said.

Oh. He stayed awake-Kaeya picked up his pace around the last boulder.

Jean's head jerked up at his approach, then her shoulders slumped in immediate relief, "There he is, see? I told you he'd be back quickly…" She turned back to the cavalry captain, "Can you help me move him? I want to lean him against a boulder."

Kaeya felt his face pinch,"Shouldwe move him? What about-" His brother had beenthrown-"Is his back alright? Maybe we should just wait for the Millileth to get here-"

They'd be here soon, right?Jean had sent a very detailed message conveying the urgency of the situation-

Barbatos, I don't know if prayers from me would even reach you, but I could really stand to have something go right for once- If you're, you know, cool with saving something as opposed to destroying-

Kaeya's face scrunched.

Gods. I'm praying. What the fuck evenisthe world right now-

"His back is fine. I double checked for other injuries while you were gone. His right knee is… a mess, though."

"M'right here…"

Kaeya blinked, then hurried the last few steps to kneel next to his brother. Diluc's eyes were open, but half-lidded.

Kaeya smiled down at him, "Yeah you are!" The cavalry captain was fairly certain giddiness wasn't the proper emotion for the moment, but the fact that Diluc was awake and talking made him happier than he could ever remember feeling-

"You're too loud…" Diluc squeezed his eyes shut again.

Kaeya scrunched his nose.

Well. Now I'mlesshappy-

Jean scoffed, "That's awful prickly for someone who was practically crying less than a minute ago because you didn't know where he went-"

Diluc groaned.

"Aw… You missed me? I was only gone like, two seconds-" He quickly placed the cooking pot on the ground next to himself before laying a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Diluc sighed, and his eyes fluttered open again, "Don't leave again…"

Kaeya's smile faltered, "I- Okay… I- I won't…" He wasn't entirely positive he'd be able to keep that promise, but… he'd certainly try, at least…

"I want to sit up…"

Jean nodded once, "Alright. We're just going to move you backwards a few feet, okay?" She turned to Kaeya, "We'll sit him up, then I'll slide him back on an anemo cushion."

"Sounds like a plan, boss." Then to Diluc, "That sound good, Luc?"

His brother grunted in response.

"Okay, on three we're going to each put an arm around your back and sit you up." They both got into position, and Jean started the count, "One, two, three-"

On three they gently leaned him up and forward. Diluc's eyes screwed shut, but he didn't cry out- which Kaeya considered a win.

"Can you hold him please, Kae? And guide him as the wind lifts?" Jean waited for his nod before leaning the redhead's weight into him-

Diluc wasn't even trying to support himself-

"You're holding my bad shoulder…" His brother's voice was soft and completely toneless.

Kaeya blinked, then frowned, "Do you need me on the other side, Luc?"

"No…"

Kaeya scowled, "Does the way I'm holding you hurt?"

"Yes…"

Oh dear Archons-

"Okay, lean him back…" Jean pulled him back toward herself so that his weight was on his… less injured arm.

Kaeya circled around and quickly took her place. "Is that better?"

"Yes…"

Kaeya huffed, "Okay, good."

"Kaeya…?"

"Yes, Luc?"

"I love you…"

Kaeya wanted to cry, "I know, Luc. I love you too…"

"I'm really sorry…"

"Shh… Not right now… Let's get you more comfortable, then we can talk if you still want to, okay?" Kaeya gently held his brother's head against his shoulder and brushed his bangs back from his face.

"Okay…"

Notes:

~~~~
Chapter 10 next weekend as usual :)

Chapter 10: Temper, Temper

Summary:

Everything kind of sucks, and Jean should not leave Team Fire and Ice unsupervised-
But someone has to go find the horses so \_( ᐛ )/

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*?*

-?-

Diluc

Diluc felt like he was floating.

He opened his eyes to a vibrant blue sky punctuated with the fluffiest clouds he'd ever seen-

"Don't move."

He grunted at the familiar voice. Then started lifting his head-

"I said don't move!"

His face scrunched, "Why not?"

"I'm drawing you! Go back to sleep or something-"

"No."

"I pulled all my watercolors out; you'regoingto sit still for me-"

Diluc snorted, "You said you were drawing, not painting-"

"Spirits, you might just be one of the most literal and nitpicky people I've ever met, you know that?"

Diluc smiled, but closed his eyes again, "Hmm… Well, it's important. I wouldn't want you to waste your expensive paints, but if you're just drawing then I don't give a shit-"

He heard a snort off to his side, "Wow. You aresoconsiderate."

Diluc hummed.

A breeze tickled his forehead.

Diluc's brow furrowed as it turned a little cold-

"I never finished this one…"

Diluc frowned, then sighed, "I know…"

"If you sit still, maybe I will this time!"

Another cold gust blew, this one a little stronger-

"You won't…" He didn't want to break the illusion, but… they were right, hewasa very literal and direct person-

"Yeah, I know…" The voice became disappointed, but perked back up almost immediately, "But we had fun though, right? It was a nice afternoon even if I only painted half your face!"

"Yes. It was a very nice afternoon." Diluc didn't want to open his eyes again. They were starting to prickle at the edges.

"Try not to move."

"I- I know…"

"No, really, you need to stop moving, Luc-"

Wait. You never called me-

Diluc's eyes flew open. For real this time.

Andeverythinghurt.

*present*

-Liyue-

Kaeya

Diluc woke up crying. Sobs wracked his frame, and it was all Kaeya could do to hold him as close and steady as possible-

"Shh… Diluc, please… You have to calm down-" Kaeya smoothed his hair, and wondered if holding him was making it worse- "Please stop moving and just breathe…"

It took a minute, but eventually Diluc's breaths evened out somewhat, and he at least seemed aware of his surroundings-

"K-Kaeya…?"

"I'm right here, Luc, I've got you…"

"I- Everything hurts…"

Kaeya grimaced. It wasn't like his brother to openly admit discomfort- "I know… I don't-"I don't know what to do-"Just try to relax. Maybe go back to sleep…"

Diluc blew out a shaky breath, "No- I…" His eyebrows scrunched, "Where are we…?"

A low chuckle had his brother stiffening in his grasp.

Kaeya did his best not to look over at the tied up Fatui. The geochanter had woken up a few minutes prior and had been juststaring at them-

I'm going to kill him. The Millileth really need to get here soon or I'mgoingto kill him-

Jean had gone to find their horses. The only thing keeping him in place right now was his brother-

"What a sweet little game you're playing…" The Fatui laughed again before wriggling against his binds and wincing at the movement. The man panted before continuing, "You almost h-had me fooled at first-"

Kaeya narrowed his eyes, but refused to give the cretin the satisfaction of eye contact-

"W-What a pair you make-" The man took a ragged breath-

Why the fuck didn't Jean gag this asshole?!

"An assassin and a spy… Pretending like they're a family… it's almost cute…" The geochanter hacked out a wet-sounding cough-

Assassin? And-

What the fuck does he know about-

Kaeya stiffened, and Diluc shook against his chest-

The cavalry captain held his brother tighter, "You're on borrowed time, sir…" Kaeya didn't even bother coating the malice in his voice with anythingbutthe hatred he currently felt, "You'd better watch your mouth, or I might just cut your tongue right out of it-"

"Oh please… You need me alive… I'm the only one who knows where your precious children are, Wannabe-Knight-"

Kaeya snarled, and Diluc gripped his shirt-

"K-Kae… d-don't… He's goading you-"

And he's doing a damn good job-

The Fatui laughed, "You know, It's- It's kind of funny, bird-boy…" The man took another ragged breath, his attention turning to Diluc, "For how many of our own you've killed I really never thought you'd turn out to be some pathetic rich boy with a savior-complex-"

That's it.

Fuck this guy.

Kaeya gently set Diluc back against the boulder and moved to pick up the sword Jean had lent him-

"Kaeya… s-stop…"

He had to peel his brother's fingers out of his shirt, but he was not about to listen to this bastard for another fucking second-

He limp-stalked over to the ensnared man who had the audacity to chuckle again-

Kaeya saw red.

"Kae, d-don't…" Diluc's pleas were desperate- "H-He's the leader… He knows where…" His brother's voice cut off into a ragged pant.

The man let out a hearty laugh that devolved into a wet, hacking cough, "Hah! Ha… Yeah,Kae… Don't ruin your shot at finding theprecious children-"

Kaeya snarled and stabbed his sword into the ground a good eight feet away from the man-

Iwillstab him if that is in my hand when I approach-

He knelt in front of him-

"Ah, hello there… Look at you!" The Fatui's head tilted playfully to the side, "Youdohave stars in your eyes… Or, well,eye,it seems-"

Kaeya startled a bit- taken aback.

What the fuck is that supposed to mean-

"We've heard rumors about you… I thought they were nothing but a fairy tale until I heard you speaking earlier- You must be quite stealthy, not even us Fatui are willing to fuck around with the Abyss-"

Kaeya didn't even think before grabbing the man by the hair and slamming his head into the rock beneath him-

The geochanter groaned, then laughed, "Touchy, touchy!" The man spat out blood.

How the fuck are you even still conscious-

"Does your little girlfriend know?"

Kaeya snarled and tried not to let the panic show in his face-

"Does your'brother'know? How wouldhefeel about you if he-"

"Shut thefuckup!" Kaeya's fingers tightened in the man's hair-

"Oop!There'sa nerve! Hey, Falcon!" The man's raspy voicecarried-"Did you know your supposed 'brother' is an abomination from the Abyss-"

Tears clouded Kaeya's vision-

How does he know- How- Why-

HOW DOES HE KNOWHOWDOES He kNoW-

Kaeya's ears rang and his vision narrowed until he saw nothing but the geochanter in front of him-

"I said sHUTUP!"Kaeya ripped the man's mask off his face, lifted him to a sitting position, and proceeded to punch his fucking lights out.

Once.

Twice.

The man finally stopped laughing on the third hit-

Kaeya slammed his fist into his cheekbone a fourth time-

"…ya! Kaeya! …StOP!" That-

That was Diluc… Diluc was screaming at him-

His eyes stung, his injured hip ached from his awkward crouch, and his knuckles were bloody and torn-

"KAEYA!" His brother's raspy scream finally chased away the last of the ringing in his ears, and he released the unconscious man's shirt.

The geochanter fell limply into the dirt, but his chest was still rising and falling, so Kaeya supposed he hadn'ttotallyfucked up this time-

His hands shook as he staggered back from the bloodied mess he'd turned the man's face into-

Fuck- Fucking shit-

"K-Kaeya… Kaeya, please come back…"

Jean

Finding where they had tied the horses took the Acting Grandmaster about twenty minutes. Largely because every muscle in her body felt like it was screaming at her to just stop moving already, and she had a wicked headache brewing behind both eyes, and she was becoming more and more certain that the gunshot wound in her arm was only partially healed because it ached something fierce-

Needless to say, anemo user or not, she wasnotmoving her quickest…

Jean was debating the merits of taking a quick nap in the middle of the fucking field when she was delightfully distracted by-

Diluc's horse. Just chilling right in front of Bleu and Charlie, who were both miraculously still tied to the tree where she and Kaeya had left them.

Jean laughed (probably somewhat manically) as she stumbled her way over to the group. All three heads lifted to study her.

Diluc's quarter horse was chewing on some grass, not a care in the world.

Bleu nickered at her as she shook out her mane.

"Aw, hey there Bleu-bell, happy to see me?" The mare nuzzled at her hand, then snorted indignantly when she realized Jean didn't have any treats. Jean huffed out a laugh, "Yeah… that tracks…"

Charlie, on the other hand, nuzzled at her face- clearly delighted to see his mom regardless of the lack of treats- "Ah… Good boy Char… Who's my best boy…?" Jean stroked his snout before turning back toward Kaeya's horse, "You see, Bleu, this is how you're supposed to greet your Auntie-"

Bleu snorted again, her hoof scraping at the ground.

Jean laughed before rummaging through her saddle bag for some rope, "Yeah, alright… I hear ya girl…"

She left the gray mare tied to the tree in favor of going after Diluc's horse. She was loose and, well… kind of an asshole on the best of days…

"Alright, Brick*. Auntie Jean is having an absolutelyterribleday, so if you could just work with me here-"

Barbatos must have been smiling down upon her for the first time this week (or he was simply sober enough to actually intervene for once) because the mare just stood there patiently as Jean quickly attached a lead.

"Hah! MaybeIshould be cavalry captain!" Jean chattered to the pony excitedly as she led Brigitte back to the other two.

Bleu, on the other hand, proved to be a cranky little bastard.

"Okay, come on girlie…" Jean tried coaxing the Lusitano toward the trail for the third time, "Your papa is over the next hill and across the field and I'msurehe has some sugar for you-"

Jean had no trouble getting the lead for Diluc's horse attached to her own, but Bleu was justnothaving it-

"Halt!"

Jean practically jumped out of her skin- thankfully she kept hold of the horse-

The worn knight turned toward the stern voice and… almost slumped to her knees in relief.

Oh thank the gods!

The Millileth had finally freaking showed up-

And they have a cart!Jean felt like she could sing-

"State your name and business here! This is the site of an active investigation!"

Jean blinked, then looked back at Kaeya's horse, who still looked like she wanted to bolt-

"I am Jean Gunnhildr, Acting Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius. If you are here for the reason I think you are, then I am the one who sent for you." Bleu tugged the lead and Jean stumbled- ruining any regality that she had been trying to exude-

"Ah… Grandmaster." One of the soldiers stepped forward, "Yes, we are here investigating your intel but have only found the charred remains of a fight-"

Another stepped forward to help Jean with the irate mare as their leader(?) spoke.

"Yes. They moved further up the hill and into some ruins. My Cavalry Captain and I were able to subdue three Fatui Skirmishers, as well as rescue a… victim. The children are still missing, however." Jean knew Diluc would throw an absolutefitif he heard her calling him a victim-

But it was better if everyone assumed the most powerful businessman in Mondstadt had also been kidnapped, rather than… Well. Rather than the whole of Liyue finding out that he was actually a vigilante who charged into their nation with absolutely no regard for the rule of law-

"Understood, ma'am. I am Sergeant Fengyan, and this is Jiayi and Kun." He gestured toward his companions, one of which, Jiayi apparently, had taken Bleu's reigns much to Jean's relief, and the other of which was still back a ways driving the cart, "Apologies for the small numbers, Liyue is a big area to cover and after…"

He trailed off and Jean tried to think of a diplomatic way of saying she didn't much care- any amount of help at this point felt like a godsend-

"Well, after Rex Lapis' passing things have been rather… hectic…"

Jean blinked.

Oh. Oh gods… Do I offer condolences or-?

Jean knew that gods died… or well, that godscoulddie, but when word had reached Mondstadt that the eldest of the Archons had perished… and under mysterious circumstances no less…

It was still rather hard to believe. And yet here she was, standing in front of someone for whom it was an everyday reality-

"Please do not apologize, Sir. I can only begin to imagine the sort of strain you and all the people of Liyue are under…"

He smiled thinly at her, "Your kind words are appreciated, Grandmaster Gunnhildr. Now, could you lead us to the site and give any and all details about the incident? We were under the impression that Treasure Hoarders were to blame, not the Fatui."

"Ah…" Jean's face pinched, and she turned to mount her horse before continuing, "They appear to be working together in this instance…"

Fengyan blinked, "That… is not ideal…"

Jean sighed before nudging Charlie into motion.

Tell me about it…

Notes:

Diluc's horse is a chestnut named Brigette, but he and others started calling her Brick because she is as stubborn as a brick wall. Just like her dad.

Kaeya's horse is a Lusitano named Bleu (like the cheese) who you've met if you read the first fic in this series :D. She's a lil moody, but by far the fastest of the three.

Jean's horse is Charles Gunnhildr the Third, or Charlie, and he is a Shire horse- he a big boi with fluffy feet :D. He is the most well-behaved of the three, and is strong and reliable (like his mama). He's a lil slow, but he makes up for it in personality. And just being a really, really good horse in general.

I will say, I don't actually know much about horses, so if anything is inaccurate- from the bottom of my heart… my bad. Next chapter next weekend! ish!

I don't know if anyone is... but if anyone like, rereads this... you're not crazy... I did do some light editing...
Mostly internal thoughts and dialogue, nothing to fundamentally change the story- some parts just needed more meat, and others needed to flow better. Enjoy. ( ᐛ 」)＿

Chapter 11: AAAAAHH

Summary:

PAAIIINN.

Notes:

Chapter titles are my enemy.

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-Liyue-

Diluc

Diluc decided rather quickly that he hated the way absolute rage and terror looked on his brother.

Kaeya's face wasn't meant to be scrunched and contorted in such a way…

His little brother was supposed to be laughing at one of his own stupid puns, and smiling- or more likely smirking because he completely outsmarted someone in an argument-

He was supposed to be incessantly annoying with his needling little remarks and nosey questions-

Screaming in an absolute feral rage wasn't-

Diluc had never seen his brother soangry.

Even the night-

Even the night they'd fought he'd just been… sad. Sad and kind of desperate, but-

"K-Kaeya… Kaeya please come back…" Tears pricked the redhead's eyes. This was his fault. He'd put them in this terrible situation and now-

And now he couldn't evendoanything. He could barely move, shouting made both his chest and headache, and his little brother had almost killed their best lead in a blind rage-

And Diluc hadn't even been able to slow him down-

"Kae…"

His brother angrily yanked Jean's sword out of the dirt and stalked back over to the rocky outcropping against which Diluc was currently leaning-

"Kaeya-"

The cavalry captain walked right past him and up to the ledge leading down to the dragon's lair-

"Kaeya, what the hell are you doing?!" His chest wasreallystarting to ache…

Diluc knew exactly when the beast below caught sight of his brother, because it let out a horrible screeching roar-

"KaeYA COME BACK HERE!" His throat felt practically raw, and his heart was pounding- He tried to get his good leg underneath him, but only succeeded in falling back down on his ass. And probably hurting himself again, honestly, "KAEYA-"

He was interrupted by his brother shrieking into the cave- down at the rock monster-

It shot a bout of flame, and Kaeya jumped backwards- though the fire did little more than create a bit of a light show. It couldn't reach him up on the ledge-

Kaeya stepped forward again, and… screamed again…

Diluc stared, then jumped at the dragon's next roar.

Kaeya roared back-

"This is really stupid…" Diluc's throat hurt, and his voice was hoarse as hell…

He sat back and watched as his brother had a shouting match with a fucking dragon.

"I fucking hate you! You piECE OF SHIT!"

Diluc winced.

The dragon bellowed-

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I'LL KILL YOU MY GODDAMNED SELF!"

You'd better fucking not…But Diluc was becoming steadily less worried about Kaeyaactuallyjumping into a deathmatch with the dragon.

Hewas, however, rather concerned about his brother's overall mental state-

Diluc resigned himself to just sitting and waiting Kaeya's- panic? Hysteria?- out… He tried not to jump at every shout and roar-

He failed. And it was starting to feel like his bones were going to completely shake apart on him at some point here.

The geovishap roared, and Diluc could have sworn the entire mountain shook-

That sound is going to haunt my goddamn nightmares…

He tried not to think about it. Instead, he stared numbly at the Fatui. The Fatui who had very nearly killed him-

He shivered.

And his shiver morphed into a full-body tremble-

That's… That's not better-

"I FUCKING HATE YOU! YOU LYING SACK OF SHIT-"

Breathing was getting stupidly difficult, "K-Kaeya h-how d-does a d-dragon that c-can't talk l-lie…?"

His brother didn't answer. Or even turn to look at him.

Diluc's chestached-

Am- Am I having a heart attack? Gods it would fucking suck to survive all that and then-

He practically choked on his next breath-

Okay. So it's either a heart attack or a panic attack-

Gods. Can at least one of us hold it together?!

His hands felt numb, and his heart was racing-

The dragon roared again and Diluc felt like his brain short-circuited-

"K-Kaeya-"Please stop provoking the dragon. Please stop screaming-

Please help me-

"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE ALONE- AND YOU'LLDESERVEIT!"

Diluc couldn't tell if the dragon was roaring, if a wave was crashing over him, or if it was all in his head- because it was becoming painfully obvious that Kaeya wasn't actually talking to the dragon-

"KAEYA!"

"WHAT?! What do youWANTfrom me-?!" Kaeya whirled around- sword still held in his grip-

"I-"I don't know- I don't know idon'tknow I don't-

Kaeya's eye widened almost comically. Or it would have been comical if Diluc had been in a state to even register-

"Diluc…" His brother was suddenly right in front of him-

Oh thank the gods… Don't leave again-

Diluc reached out and gripped his brother's shirt in his good hand- "C-Can't-" He swallowed thickly, "K-Kaeya, I can't- breathe-" His chest was too tight, and the sun was burning him, and the dragon keptroaring-

"Yes, youcan,just-" His brother gripped him by the arms, "Gods, Luc, I'm so fucking sorry-" A disconnected corner of Diluc's brain registered the fact that Kaeya's face was stained with tears-

"In and out, Luc, c'mon… You can do it-"

"Y-You're n-not-"

"Shh… just breathe, Diluc. Breathe with me: In 1-2-3… Out 1-2-3…"

Diluc sucked in air in time with his brother's count and after a few iterations…

After a few iterations he felt more… present.

And less like he was literally dying.

Once his air intake was somewhat close to what most would consider normal, Kaeya leaned forward and pulled Diluc's head into his shoulder-

"I'm sorry- I'm so sorry- That was so,sostupid and I'm sorry-" Kaeya was crying again.

Diluc gripped the back of his brother's shirt as tightly as he could and-

And he realized that he was crying as well.

Diluc leaned heavily against his brother, his head resting on Kaeya's shoulder- "Y-You're n-not an abomination…"

Kaeya stiffened.

"Y-You're not…"

"Go to sleep, Luc." Kaeya's arm tightened around his shoulders-

"Kaeya…"

"I'm not talking about this right now." His brother fidgeted, "Go to sleep."

Would you believe me if I was someone else…?

Anyone else…?

"Kaeya, you're not-"

"Diluc." His brother's voice rose dangerously- "Drop it. Now."

I suppose I've used up all my good will, then…

Kaeya was still holding and supporting him, so that was at least something.

Diluc did as asked and shut his fucking mouth.

Kaeya

Diluc's breathing was ragged and strained, and his voice sounded like he'd gargled shards of glass-

Great job, Captain. You have successfully beaten a prisoner unconscious and given your gravely injured brother a panic attack you utter piece of shit-

Diluc squirmed a bit, and Kaeya loosened his grip slightly so that the redhead could get comfortable.

He was fairly certain his brother was asleep, but he wasn't totally sure.

He did his best not to move just in case.

Which was difficult considering how achy his body was…

His hand especially throbbed, and he flexed it. His mouth turned down into a frown-

"We n-need to clean that…"

Kaeya stiffened and glared at his brother- who was in turn glaring at the cavalry captain's bloodied knuckles.

"Luc, I told you to go to sleep."

"Your s-shoulder isn't exactly the best pillow." Diluc huffed, "You're too bony, do you even eat?"

Kaeya scoffed, "Shut up. I'll help you lay down-"

"N-No."

Kaeya gave him a deadpan glare, "You see, now you're just being contrary on purpose-"

"I-If you think I'm letting you out of my s-sight, then you're out of your mind- I'm not sleeping."

And that… was the longest sentence Diluc had spoken since waking up. Probably.

Kaeya narrowed his eyes. On the one hand… He had quite literally flipped his shit not even a full twenty minutes ago… But on the other- he was not the one who had run off on his own to fight a hoard of, well… treasure hoarders.

If anyone needs to be kept in sight, it's you-

Kaeya sighed in defeat.

Who am I kidding… neither one of us should be left unsupervised-

"W-Where's the water pot…?" Diluc went straight to business. As usual.

Kaeya sighed again, then leaned to the right so that he could reach it. He pulled it close-

"You s-should wet a rag…"

"I know how to clean a wound, Luc."

"S-Sorry…"

Kaeya huffed, then peeled his glove off and got to work cleaning the blood off of his hand. It was situations like this that made him seriously consider wearing more protective hand coverings-

After a moment Diluc sat up and took the rag and his hand from him-

You really shouldn't be moving that arm-

"I can do it, Luc-"

"You're not getting it clean enough." Diluc reached over him with a slight wince and grabbed another rag, soaking it in the water, "We n-need antiseptic…"

"Diluc, this isliterallythe least concerning injury of the day. I'll clean it properly later-"

His brother ignored him in favor of dabbing carefully around the splits in his knuckles.

Kaeya sighed and let him.

Diluc huffed as he got the injury about as clean as he could and started drying Kaeya's hand, "P-Punching someone in the face is stupid, Kaeya. E-Especially aiming for bones. Your gloves aren't supportive enough for it."

You think, Luc?

Diluc ignored his glare, "You r-really should have gone for a palm heel, or better yet an elbow. Or at least aimed for his lower jaw-"

Kaeya snorted. It's not like he'd actually beenthinking-

"I'm serious, Kae, f-fingers are ridiculously f-fragile. You're lucky you didn't break one. Or d-damage a tendon."

Yeah… Lucky…

He frowned as Diluc inspected the damage further.

Kaeya looked away, as shame crept up his cheeks, "This is all really cute coming from someone who can barely move right now."

Yikes- Why the fuck did I just-

Diluc dropped the rag from shaky fingers and stared down at where it landed in the dirt-

I am anasshole-

Kaeya grimaced, "Okay… That…That was rude, I'm sorry-"

"It w-wasn't rude." Diluc fidgeted and held his injured arm in tight to his chest, "It was true. Y-You p-probably shouldn't listen to me."

Good going, captain-

Kaeya frowned. Then bandaged his hand himself with a sigh.

He didn't trust himself not to make things worse at the moment…

But his brother just kept staring through the dirt beneath him-

"Luc?"

Diluc grunted in response.

"Are you in pain?" It was probably a stupid question-

Diluc snorted, his face showing anything but amusement- "Absolutely."

"What hurts?"If it's his arm or knee I can cool it down to help-

"Kn-knee's the worst…" Diluc rubbed at it with his good hand and winced, "I shouldn't h-have tried to stand…"

"When did you try to stand?!"

"When I th-thought you were about to j-jump into the dragon pit."

"Diluc, I wasn't gonna-"

"Well I know thatnow!"

Kaeya blinked.Gods… no wonder he was freaking out-

"I'm sorry…"

"Yeah… M-Me too…"

The guilt wasexcruciating-

"Okay, well…" Help. Time to help- "Let me- um-" Kaeya turned back and forth a few times searching for-

Where is it-?

His eye finally landed on his bag-

Sitting practically right next to him-

He dug through it until he found his vision at the bottom-

It grew cold to the touch almost immediately.

Oh hush you- You aregoingto cooperate today-

He did his best to think happy, not stressful thoughts, and waited to see if it would calm down and warm up at all-

"Y-You alright, Kaeya…?"

Kaeya continued staring down at the artifact, "I'm not totally sure to be honest…" He looked up with a frown, "I was going to try to ice your knee, but I don't know if I can control it well enough right now…"

"Y-You'll do fine… H-Hand me my v-vision… I c-can counteract it in a p-pinch…"

That… isn't all that likely to work if my ice gets overzealous…

"I can also just make a chunk-"

Diluc frowned, "Too cold…"

Kaeya rolled his eye, then pulled the red stone out of the bag as well- "It might be colder, but then I won't have to control it-"

"Y-You'll do fine…"

Oh, will I?!

"Alright…" Kaeya sighed, then handed Diluc's vision over- "If you trust me-"

"I do."

*yesterday*

-near Thousand Winds Temple-

Kaeya

"I swear to the gods, Philip, if you don't start talking, Iwillarrest you-"

"We aren't going to arrest him anyway?!"

Kaeya turned from where he was squatting in front of the restrained Treasure Hoarder to level a glare at Amber-

"I- Sorry…" The Outrider awkwardly started drawing patterns in the dirt with her boot.

Kaeya turned back to their prisoner. Who had started wriggling-

The cavalry captain cocked an annoyed eyebrow, "You know, I'm tempted to just wait and see if you actually manage to wiggle loose-"

"Fuck you!"

Original.

"Come now, there's no need to be so rude-" Kaeya had to jerk his head quickly out of harm's way as the man spat right at his face-

Kaeya fought very hard to restrain himself from punching him in the nose on impulse-

"Alright,Sir-"He growled before grabbing the hoarder by the lapels and hauling him upright, "You should feelverygrateful that that didn't hit me-"

"Fuck off! We had a deal!"

Kaeya could practically feel Amber's judgmental glare behind him-

"Yes. We did. And if you or your crew hadanythingat all to do with the kidnappings-"

"I don't know anything about that-"

Kaeya shook the man so that his head hit the tree he was braced against. Not hard. But enough to shut him up-

"If you had ANYTHING to do. With the kidnappings." Kaeya maintained eye-contact with the man for a solid five seconds before continuing, his voice a low growl- "Then the deal is off. Tell me what you know.Now."

Philip's eyes darted between the cavalry captain and the outrider-

"You will get no sympathy from her, I assure you." Kaeya gave him another shove, "Eyes on me,friend."

"I already told you I don't know shit! Now let me GO!" The desperation in his voice lent a certain measure of credibility-

But Kaeya wasn't quite satisfied, "Philip. You and I both know that this isn't your usual haunt. Why the hell are you all the way out in the ruins-"

"You think we fucking wanna be here!? I hate camping by the stupid fucking hilichurls-" Philip started thrashing, so Kaeya dropped him right back down on his ass.

"I see no reason to speak so rudely of your neighbors-"

"We got run out, alright!?"

Okay. That's certainly interesting-

Kaeya dropped back down to a squat, "By who?"

"I don't know! I- I didn't know any of 'em! Other hoarders? Maybe? But they're not from around here!"

Kaeya leaned back and pinched the bridge of his nose-

This fucking idiot-

"Okay. You know, if you had just led with that, then this could have been a much more pleasant conversation from the start-" He took a deep breath and forced a smile across his face- "Tell me everything you know about the group that ran you out, and I'll let you go-"

"Captain!"

Kaeya turned back to find the outriderglaringat him-

"Amber- we are not arguing about this right now-"

"I think weare,Sir!"

Kaeya's nose scrunched, "Don't you'Sir'me-"

Philip snorted-

"Oh, hush, you-" Kaeya scowled, then pulled out his knife-

The man's eyes widened, and his mouth shut so fast Kaeya heard his teeth clack-

Kaeya rolled his eye, "Relax. I'm releasing your ankles. Tell me something interesting and I'll release your knees, and so on and so forth- understand?"

The hoarder blinked, then nodded.

And Amber huffed angrily behind him.

"He's part of my network, Amber. If I arrest him, network goes poof." Kaeya made little explosion gestures with his hands before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance and exhaustion. He had long since released the cooperative hoarder. And Amber had made her displeasureknown."Even questioning him like that is going to have negative ramifications-"

It was better to have apositiverelationship with the people who fed you vital information-

Amber didn't seem to agree…

"Whatever," The outrider crossed her arms over her chest with a huff- "I still don't like it-"

"Whether you like it or not, he gave us an important clue. We have something to work off of now, and it's possible he'll learn more." Kaeya gestured with one hand, "He's useless to us in a cell-"

The sound of a horse approaching disrupted the argument.

Kaeya frowned as he recognized the rider.

"Kaeya!" Elzer hopped off his mount before the stallion even fully stopped- He noticed Amber- "Er- I mean Master- Captain- Oh fuck it-"

Kaeya was amused for half a second at the man's half-hearted attempt at formality- but then it dawned on him that Elzer was alone.

I don't… like this… Where's-

"Elzer- Where is Diluc-"

The man jogged up to the pair and panted, hands on his knees- he held out a folded paper- "We don't have time- You need to gonow-he has a head start-"

"Elz, what the hell-" Kaeya unfolded the note when the man gave him an absolute death glare- "Oh motherf- Diluc, youidiot-"

"Take my horse!"

Kaeya didn't even pause to say thank you.

"Wait, what's going on?!"

Shit- Amber-

I don't have time for this!

"Amber, head to the winery-" He turned toward the butler, "Elzer, I know you can defend yourself, but please let Amber escort you-"

The man made an exaggerated shooing motion- "I'll explain to the outrider! GO!"

Right-

And with that, Kaeya was off.

Notes:

Diluc's Note:
Hey! So I just wanted to uh, let you know...
That I decided- because I'm so smart and awesome and cool- to go run off and hunt down the super dangerous murderers/kidnappers all by myself
Like i promised i wouldn't
k bye!

Kaeya's immediate reaction: WHERE'S JEAN?! I NEED JEAN FOR THIS-
Kaeya *slamming Jean's office door open: HELP- My brother's an idiot and I am too and I think we need supervision and also he just took off after the treasure hoarders-
Jean: what.
Kaeya: what.
~~~~

Next weekend as usual!

Chapter 12: Are We There Yet?

Summary:

Finally making our way to the harbor!

Notes:

Thank you to everyone reading, commenting, and leaving kudos!

I hope you all are having as much fun with this story as I am! :D

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

*yesterday afternoon*

-near Wolvendom-

Diluc

Diluc jerked his head to the side, dodging one knife-

He pulled his claymore up just in time to block the second.

Gods. The knives are almost as annoying as the crossbows-

I kind of get why the Fatui fuckinghateme-

It was highly likely that they would hate him regardless of his choice of weapon, but still.

Facing off against throwing knives was challenging at best-

He spun quickly and overhand threw his claymore like it was… well. Like it was also a throwing knife. A reallybigthrowing knife-

It was too fucking slow for the current situation, anyway.

The scout yelped as he dodged out of the way, which bought Diluc time to close the distance.

He pulled out two knives of his own and quickly threw them as he ran up-

The first missed, but the second embedded itself in the man's thigh. He cried out briefly before a quick knee to the head knocked him out completely.

Diluc spared half a second to look down and see that he was still breathing before an electro potion whizzed toward him-

Ah- fuck me-Even if he dodged, he'd still be right on the edge of its range- He tried to anyway, while bracing for what was going to be an uncomfortable impact-

The vial shattered in the air before it could hit the ground and electrocute the shit out of him.

Diluc spared a quick grin to where he knew Elzer was perched in a nearby tree before rounding on the potioneer.

Gods. That was onehellof a shot, Elz-

He quickly activated his delusion and threw out a chain, aiming straight for the hoarder's gut-

The man doubled over with a grunt and the fight was suddenly over.

Diluc straightened and readjusted his hood, making certain his hair was still tucked securely.

Kaeya had braided it rather tightly that morning, so it was staying in place much better than usual.

Then he squatted in front of the scout, and quickly took stock of the man's leg injury.

"How bad?"

He turned and blinked up at Elzer, who was much quieter than Diluc was used to-

It's all the hunting he does. That has to be it-

The butler had a hood of his own pulled low over his bright white hair. He quickly settled his bow on his back before kneeling down next to Diluc.

Diluc turned back to prod around the knife wound. He ripped the man's pant leg for easier access, then pulled the blade out and quickly rinsed the area with water.

"Flesh wound. He'll live." He made quick work of cleaning and dressing the injury before sitting the unconscious man upright against a nearby tree.

Elzer, meanwhile, rose and walked over toward the potioneer-

He might not be fully unconscious-

Diluc felt a spike of panic- "Hey, wait for me-"

The potioneer pulled a knife when Elzer got close, and Diluc cursed himself for not dealing with himfirst-

But Elzer quickly disarmed the man, and for good measure knocked him out with the butt of his own weapon.

All before Diluc had even taken three steps toward them-

"Or don't…"

Elzer snorted and gave the knife a quick twirl- "This is a surprisingly nice blade!"

Diluc blinked.Were you always this scary-

"Should I bring you out with me more often? That was impressive-"

Elzer's eyebrows shot up toward his hairline, and a smile crept across his face, "Why thank you, Luc! It's nice to be appreciated!" The butler pointed toward him with the knife, his face becoming serious- "And yes, you should bring me along more often, because it is quite franklystupidthe way you always go gallivanting off by yourself-"

Diluc's expression soured- he wondered how noticeable it was under the mask- "Alright, alright… your concerns are noted…" He waved a hand dismissively, but he couldn't actually argue with the man since he wasn't wrong-

He pulled out a small vial of smelling salts.

It was time to ask some questions.

*present*

-Liyue-

Jean

Jean eyed the geochanter as she approached and dismounted. She knew for a fact that the man had still been wearing his mask when she'd left.

His face was also looking a little… bloodier than before…

She scowled, her gaze falling on Kaeya, who was pointedly not making eye contact as he sent gentle pulses of cryo over Diluc's knee.

One of his hands was bandaged.

She elected to ignore it. At least in front of the Millileth-

She quickly tied Charlie's lead, then moved to kneel in front of Diluc, who had his eyes screwed tightly shut.

One of them had had the presence of mind to make a sling out of the wine tycoon's ruined shirt, which Jean thought was pretty smart. The remnants of his coat were draped over his shoulders.

"How ya feeling, Luc?"

One bloodred eye cracked open to study her, "Been better…" Then he gasped- "Ah! T-too cold! Too much, Kaeya-"

"Sorry! Sorry…" Kaeya immediately pulled his hands back.

Jean frowned, "Should you really be using your vision at all right now…?" He really didn't have the best control over it, especially when he was stressed-

"I…" His gaze dropped down to the stone, and he pulled his hands in tight to his chest-

"He's doing fine, Jean…" Diluc turned back to Kaeya, "Could you do a little more, please…? It felt nice…"

Kaeya nodded and very carefully chilled the air above the injured knee.

Jean blinked.

Well. At least they're both conscious. And not trying to kill each other-

Even if they did just gang up on her a little bit, it was far and away preferable to… well… to when they weren't talking…

And that interaction had almost felt like-

Like before… everything…

Jean shook her head and rose.

Thoughts for another time.

Diluc

Diluc gritted his teeth as the cart hit another bump.

Kaeya and Jean were bracing him on either side as well as they could… but the entire ride was miserable so far regardless-

"Hang in there, Luc… just a bit further…"

Diluc knew for a fact that it was at least an hour to the harbor and… and he had absolutely no clue how long they'd been riding…

He'd been in and out of consciousness quite a bit.

"Kaeya…"Gods… My voice… I soundterrible…

"Yes?"

"Thirsty…"That's not a full sentence, Ragnvindr…

"Alright… hang on a sec-" Kaeya leaned, and after a moment a canteen was pressed to his lips. His brother tilted it for him so he could drink-

He took a few sips, then sighed before leaning his head back onto Kaeya's shoulder.

His eyes were already closing again-

When they hit another bump. Diluc gasped as his knee jolted-

"F-Fuck-" He saw stars from the pain-

"Kaeya, why don't you hold his leg-" Jean.

"Alright- just- lean more on Jean, okay?" He was tilted onto her shoulder, and he found it almost amusing the way it was posed as if he had an option-

Kaeya braced one hand on his shoulder, then leaned forward and placed his other gently on his knee-

Diluc groaned-

"I'm sorry-"

"S-S'fine…" It wasn't fine. It was really,reallynot fine- He gritted his teeth in an attempt to control his reaction and expression- "c-cold… please…?"

Please- Just freeze it off completely at this point-

He could get by with one leg. Probably.

And prosthetics nowadays were improving rapidly- the Snezhnayans and Sumerians were really quite advanced in their technological and medical research, respectively. Put the two together and-

"I- Yeah. Yeah, sure-"

The chill helped. Quite a lot, actually. After a long moment, Diluc finally relaxed again.

Jean's hand rested on his forehead, and he felt his eyes slip closed.

*yesterday afternoon*

-on the border of Liyue, near Mingyun Village-

Diluc

"SIR!" Elzer slammed into Diluc from behind, knocking them both a few feet to the side and into the ground-

There was a small explosion where Diluc had been standing a moment before.

Neither even had their weapons drawn- They had stopped to rest and let the horses graze.

Diluc had been about to take off his damn mask and hood-

"Fuck-" The redhead scrambled to crouch over Elzer protectively as another pyro potion was launched from behind a nearby wall-

He quickly focused as much of his vision's power as he could. He prayed he would be fast enough to knock the projectile off course-

Otherwise he was basically just making an even bigger explosion…

He released a massive firebird straight in the direction the potion had come from. The wind whipped around them from the abrupt change in temperature and pressure.

Using his vision while in disguise wasn't ideal, but… Well…

He'd given up not carrying it when he patrolled a while back. Sure, it was risky to his identity to use it… but it was often even more risky to his physical health to not-

Elzer sat up next to him and blinked.

Diluc quickly rose, eyes searching for both the potioneer (assuming they'd survived), and any possible members of their crew- "Are you alright?"

Elzer grumbled- something about 'scorched earth'- then rose as well, pulling his bow off his back. "Fine. You?"

Diluc summoned the beginnings of a chain into his palm, at the ready- "I'm alright. Thank you, Elzer-"

"Not now, Luc…" The white-haired man nocked an arrow.

Diluc watched his eyes. Elzer had much better hearing than him, especially nowadays-

Elzer loosed his arrow and dodged to the side right as a knife came flying between them.

Diluc rolled in the opposite direction, landing behind a boulder.

I swear, no one used to use knives…

He pulled out two of his own, holding them between his fingers-

I think I started a trend-

"Get him to the rendezvous! I'll hold them!" Another potion came flying toward Diluc, but Elzer simply shot it out of the sky-

Rendezvous… Interesting…

It was the first interesting thing he'd heard all fucking day-

"Cover me, E!"

"Lu- Bird- Sir! I don't have eyes on the scout!"

So long as I don't get set on fire I can deal with a few knives-

Diluc launched himself over the boulder and straight toward where said knives were being hurled from-

He had to dodge one as he got about halfway.

Then he had to duck under sparks from another potion that exploded in the air.

There you are-

He resisted the urge to straight up tackle the man as he turned to flee.

Thatwas a really good way to get stabbed-

He shot out a chain that wrapped around the man's middle instead-

He heard a loud grunt and a thud behind him- followed by a low moan-

He turned sharply to see the potioneer on the ground clutching at her upper arm where an arrow had pierced.

Ouch.

Focus-

He yanked the scout back and off balance before releasing the chains around him.

The man stumbled awkwardly and Diluc shot another chain straight into his stomach before the scout could even think to pull another knife.

He collapsed on the spot.

"You're rather fond of the gut-shots, sir."

Diluc snorted before turning back to Elzer, "Aiming for the head is more difficult. It's also much more likely to kill someone." He leaned down in front of the hoarder scout, who was still doubled over and clutching his stomach. Diluc lifted his head by the hair, "Which, lucky for you, sir- is not the goal."

"F-Fuck you…"

Creative.

He let the man's head drop before summoning more chains to properly restrain him.

"How are the horses?"

"Spooked. I think they took off toward the river."

Diluc hummed in displeasure.

Annoying. Now Brick is going to be even more difficult than usual-

"E, can you check over her wounds, please?" He nodded his head towards the fallen potioneer, "And restrain her if necessary."

"Of course." Elzer pulled out his first aid kit and got to work.

"Diluc, you are not going off-"

The redhead finished writing out the details that the scout had given him in exchange for both his and the potioneer's freedom-

He copied a few more details from the small book they'd found on the woman before tucking it into Brick's saddle-bag for safe-keeping.

"Get this to Kaeya-" He held the folded note out toward the butler.

I would like to get Jean as well…

I'm not sure if we'll have time-

"If you're going now, then I'm coming with you-" Elzer looked positivelylivid-

"No, you're not. Someone else needs to know what is happening, and this is extremely time sensitive-" He shoved the notes into the man's hands.

The hoarders were apparently preparing to move the children as they spoke, and if they left before Diluc could catch them then they'd be right back at square one- with no clue where to look next-

And the location he'd gleaned was at least a half a day away-

He'd have to ride through the night.

He swung a leg up over Brick's back, "Kaeya's horse is fast, he'll catch up."

No he won't-

Maybe he will…

Hopefully he will…

I promised not to rush off-

Diluc shook his head. This was more important than him. More important than promises- "Get me back up, Elzer-"

"LUC!"

He nudged his horse into a full run right off the bat.

Notes:

And I think with that we are fully up to present :D
Unless I decide to do more flashbacks for extra flavor. Which I reserve the right to do :D Chapter next weekend!

Chapter 13: I Think They Deserve a Little R and R

Summary:

They finally make it to legit safety! Yay!

Notes:

I love you all so much!
Thank you to everyone reading and enjoying this fic! 3

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

PART TWO: Time to Solve a Crime

*present*

-Liyue Harbor-

Diluc

Diluc didn't like to be carried. Maybe he had when he was little, and maybe the prospect hadn't used to bother him so much when he was even just a bit younger.

Though considering he was a relatively large man, it wasn't as if anyone was trying to carry him around for fun-

Well, Alexei liked to try-

His partner was always trying to pick him up. Usually to surprise him because he knew it would get a reaction.

They had both ended up on the ground more often than not-

Diluc squeezed his eyes shut tight against the memory. It was one of the good ones, but he didn't trust his brain not to twist it right now-

At any rate, for the most part in adulthood, the only times he'd ever been properly carried were when he was basically dying.

So the natural associations right now justwerenotgreat-

To make matters worse, Kaeya had made his own injury worse trying to help Diluc into the cart… And Jean was in no shape to be trying to carryanyoneat the moment- though shewascurrently helping Kaeya stand- Or perhaps trying to hold him in place so he wouldn't try to carry Diluc himself-

So now not only was he being lifted off the cart, but he was being lifted off the cart by two complete strangers who currently had their hands all over him trying to get him onto a stretcher-

Diluc was trying not to panic.

He was failing.

He had his eyes squeezed shut as he gritted his teeth. He tried to focus on his breathing-

The next movement torqued his shoulder painfully, and he sucked in a sharp breath-

"Careful!Pleasebe careful-"

"Kaeya, relax… They know what they're doing…"

Diluc could hear his brother grumbling, but he couldn't make out exactly what was said.

After what felt like an eternity, he was finally placed on a stretcher, then lifted again-

A hand gripped his own and he blinked his eyes open to find Kaeya limping alongside him as he was carried into the inn.

You're gonna hurt yourself worse, idiot…

Diluc didn't think he had any room to talk, though… so he elected to keep his mouth shut.

Kaeya

Kaeya moved through the kitchen, his movements fast and kind of jerky-

He filled a large bowl with water, then grabbed some towels-

"Kaeya, stop. You need to at least sit down-"

"I'm fine, Jean! He's filthy, I want to clean the grime off his face-"

"Kaeya, the doctors are on their way, they will heal him and help him bathe, and-"

"He doesn't even like to be touched by people heknows, Jean!"

He'll probably set the doctors on fire…

We need to make sure his vision is in the other room when they get here-

Jean groaned in irritation- "Kaeya, your hip is a mess! You areactivelyhurting yourself!" She angrily yanked the bowl out of his hands- some water sloshed onto the floor, "Go lay down!"

"I'm not a dog!"

"Go lay down,please!"

"Fine!" Kaeya stormed his way back into the bedroom- meaning hehobbledback into the bedroom-

Diluc blinked at him when he entered, "Why are you yelling…?" His brother still seemed a little out of it-

Jean entered shortly after- "I told him to get some rest and he tried to bite my head off like a rabid-"

"I'm not tired!"

Diluc scoffed, and Kaeya's head whipped around to face him- "Yes. You are. You only get this sort of cranky when you're exhausted-"

"Fuck off! Both of you-"

"Take a nap, Kaeya." Jean shoved past him to place the water bowl on the nightstand. Then she wet a rag and started cleaning Diluc's face and neck-

Kaeya worked his jaw, before crossing his arms over his chest like a petulant child-

"You can lay next to me, if you want, Kaeya… Will that help?" Diluc had leaned up slightly to study him-

Kaeya blinked, "Yes." Then he stomped over and climbed into the bed, careful to avoid jostling his brother as much as possible.

Then he laid facing the wall, his back to both of them-

It was only partly out of pettiness. He hated sleeping on his back, and if he were to lay facing them, he'd be on his bad hip-

A hand ruffled his hair, and he turned to see Diluc smiling at him- though it was small, and his brother looked absolutelyexhausted-

The open affection was somewhat surprising, but incredibly welcome.

"Get some sleep, Kaeya…"

The blue-haired night blinked before shoving his face into the soft pillows and losing consciousness almost immediately.

Jean

Jean blinked as Kaeya fell asleep practically on command- "Gods, Luc… I forgot how easily he listens to you…" She kept her voice at a low whisper.

She couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She loved Kaeya- he was practically a little brother to her. But dealing with him was also a lot like trying to herd cats-

She huffed and resumed scrubbing at a particularly stubborn spot of ash on Diluc's cheek-

Diluc snorted softly, then winced as he fidgeted to adjust his position- "He doesnotlisten to me, Jean-"

"Um. Yeah. He does, actually." She turned to re-wet the rag, "Your word is practically gospel compared to just about anyone else's-"

A beat passed where her friend leaned back and stared at her.

Then Diluc's expression crumbled completely, and Jean was a bit confused-

"Well…" The redhead's gaze fell toward his brother's back- "That is unfortunate on a number of levels…"

Jean blinked.

Maybe I'm just way too tired but I honestly have no idea what the problem is-

"… Because I have said someterriblethings…"

Oh.

Jean's eyes widened. She almost dropped the rag she was holding- "Shit- I-"I don't know how to fix this-"I didn't mean-"

Gods… I think my last braincell must have left the building-

"It's fine…" Diluc's face said otherwise-

"Luc-"

"It's fine, Jean." He wouldn't look at her-

"Diluc. Now is not the time-" Jean huffed, "He loves you. Obviously. And he's clearly forgiven you, so maybe you need to consider forgiving yourself-"

"You don't know what I did, Jean." His already soft whisper dropped even lower, "He shouldn't have forgiven me-"

Jean gently pulled his chin toward her, forcing eye-contact before perching on the edge of the bed next to him, "That's not your decision to make, Luc. It's his. He's forgiven you. Hell, he forgave you before you ever even apologized-"

"And that makes it worse, doesn't it?" Diluc looked truly pained-

"It doesnot. And we're going to wake him up if we keep talking." She resumed trying to scrub off as much ash and dirt as she could, moving down toward his neck.

She gently moved his head forward to scrub a bit behind his ear.

"I'm sorry, Jean… For- for leaving- for-"

Archons… We shouldn't do this right now-

"Diluc."

He was staring off to the side, down at the floor-

"Luc, look at me, please-"

Dull red eyes finally tracked back toward her.

Jean laid a gentle palm against his cheek, "Stop. You've already apologized. I forgive you-" Her lips pursed, "Though I do wish you would actuallytalkto me- it's obvious there's more to it than what you've told me-"

Diluc looked away again and Jean sighed.

Fine. Bottle it up. See how that works out for you-

Barbatos above- I'm cranky too…

"I'm also sorry for…" Diluc gestured dejectedly with his good hand, "All of this…"

Jean huffed, then went back to cleaning more of the grime out of his hairline, "Yeah, well… I'm still mad, but I'mmorerelieved, so you're off the hook." She paused to give him another glare- "But if you ever run off on your own like this again, I swear to Barbatos-"

"It wasn't the plan, Jean… I had no intentions of going off on my own when I set out-"

"I don't care about yourintentions, Luc. I care aboutyou. And about whatactuallyhappened. I recognize that you are strong and capable and yadda yadda-" She poked him in the middle of the forehead, making him go cross-eyed for a second, "But I also know you've got a big ole brain in there. Use it sometime and get backup before running off after dangerous criminals." Jean wanted to shout. But Kaeya was still asleep right next to them, so she mindfully kept her voice at a whisper-

"It was an emergency…"

Jean glared, and Diluc deflated-

"Yes ma'am…"

I hate it when you-

You two are going to annoy me to death. That's how I'm gonna go, isn't it?

Jean narrowed her eyes… then she decided to let it go.

She studied his face and decided he was about as clean as he was going to get barring soap and, well,actuallybathing.

She'd gotten some of the soot and grime off of his face and neck at least…

She sighed, "That's the best I can do with this right now." She frowned, "You reallyarefilthy… You need a bath or shower as soon as possible. Hopefully the healers will get here soon, and you'll be able to at least stand on your own."

Diluc huffed, "They had better. Because you arenothelping me shower-"

Jean frowned, "And why not-"

"No one is, it's nothing personal, I just..." He looked away with a pout, "I don't like being naked in front of people…"

Jean gaped, "After everything you've been through.Thatis your main concern-"

"Yes."

I amliterallya doctor you overly bashful-

Jean rolled her eyes, "Diluc, the naked body is nothing to be ashamed of, and it's not like I'll look on purpose-"

"You can put a chair in the shower for me, then help me in and out once I'm covered."

Jean blinked. Then she sat back, tilting her head in consideration, "That's… perfectly reasonable, actually. Good idea."

There's that brain of his!

I can stay in the bathroom- or Kaeya can, really, I also need some sleep-

One of us, doesn't matter who, can stand behind the shower curtain in case he falls, and he'll still be comfortable.

We might ruin a chair…

But I don't really care about that very much right now.

His comfort is what is most important at this point, and-

"Jean."

The blonde startled a bit, "Hmm?"

"You had your really intense 'thinking face' on. I was worried it might get stuck."

She snorted, "Shut up, Lulu." She whacked him lightly in the face with the rag, "I'm the only one in this trio who everdoesthink. You shouldn't give me shit for it-"

"That's not true," Diluc pouted, "Kaeya thinks. Too much, probably. He just doesn't act based on it-"

Jean hummed, "Andthatis his downfall. Thinks so much he gets anxious- then does the next impulsive thing that pops into his brain."

The pair stared at the sleeping man next to them. He didn't even stir.

It made the shit-talking feel rather cheap-

"I'm worried about him, Jean…"

"Why?" She tilted her head as she turned back toward the redhead.

"He-" Diluc worked his jaw, then sighed, "Hesnappedearlier, and I- I get that it was my fault, that this is all my fault, but I- I've never seen him soangry…"

That's because he never really used togetangry…

You haven't been here, Luc…

Her face fell a bit, "The geochanter?"

Diluc nodded.

Jean sighed heavily, "Yeah… I wasn't going to say anything in front of the Millileth-"

"Thank you."

Jean rolled her eyes, "Please. I've been covering for you assholes since we were, like, ten-"

Diluc snorted, "It's because you were the most responsible, the adults always trusted you-"

"Iactedthe most responsible. Doesn't mean I was." Jean grinned, "I mean, not all the time, at least. It was my idea to jump off the Archon statue in the middle of the city, after all-"

All three of them had been grounded forweeksafter that stunt-

"You also stole Mrs. Schroder's cat, I believe-"

Jean gave him alook- "Okay! That wasnotirresponsible! Ms. Meow needed cuddles, and it's notmyfault she likedmemore than her owner. And at any rate I thought she was a stray-"

"The poor woman put up posters, Jean. You didn't return her for three days-"

"I didn'tseethe posters in those three days, Luc!"

"I literally brought one to your house and said, 'Hey Jean, I think you have Mrs. Schroder's cat'-"

"She was areallycute cat, though!"

A pillow suddenly flew and whacked her in the face- she almost fell off the bed-

Diluc snorted, and struggled to contain his laughter- which probably wasn't the best thing for his still-bruised ribs-

"Diluc's right. You stole the cat, Jean. You're a cat-thief." Kaeya grumbled before curling up once again, this time yanking the comforter over his head, "Now both of you shut up."

Jean blinked.

Oops.

Notes:

Okay, so I'm pretty sure in canon Jean is the youngest of the three.

Unfortunately for canon, I simply do not care for it.

Diluc and Kaeya are about 3-4 years apart in my fic series, which I think I first pointed out in either my Crepus-centric fic, or somewhere toward the end of the Kaeya-fire one…

ANYWAY. So I like to think of Jean as being somewhere in the middle. She gives off middle child vibes. (I say as if Jean is also their sibling. Which she is not-)

If y'all have any questions, feel free to ask- I love interacting with ya :D
And I've kind of kept ages and timing rather vague on purpose, so if anything is confusing, I can try to work through it again.
But I did want to note that I'm not really following canon in this regard lol Chapter next weekend!

Chapter 14: Well That's a Bombshell-

Summary:

Healing time! :D
Well...morehealing time, but you know what I mean-

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-Liyue Harbor- Inn-

Diluc

Diluc blinked down at the tiny child standing next to his bed-

"This is Qiqi, she will be attending to you today Master Ragnvindr."

The child held out a hand, her face entirely serious- or possibly impassive- it was a bit difficult to discern-

Diluc shook it.

"It is nice to meet you, sir."

"Likewise."

Kaeya, you need to get out of the fucking bathroom because this is the cutest thing I have ever seen-

The man- her guardian?- spoke again, "My name is Baizhu, I am simply here to assist and monitor her work. Her healing is ice-based, you see, and it is much easier to manage risks such as hypothermia or frostbite with another set of skilled eyes and hands present."

Diluc turned his gaze from the child to the man and his eyes widened-

That's a fucking snake-

You know what.

I don't even care-

Truly, it wasn't anywhere near the weirdest thing he'd ever seen-

"Understood." He turned back to the child, "You must be very talented, to be so young and a professional healer-"

"Qiqi is not young. Qiqi is very old. What is hurt?"

Diluc blinked.

Oh… kay then…

"Uh… My knee… My knee is the worst."

Where is Jean? I would like to know if this interaction is as strange as I think it is, or if I'm still concussed-

Baizhu pulled the blanket down and Diluc tried not to squirm-

He frowned; he was still in his half-charred, half-destroyed clothes. It gave easy access to his knee where Jean had already cut the pant-leg off, but he was really uncomfortable-

The healer's hands landed gently on either side of his kneecap, and she hummed, face tensed in concentration-

A sudden burst of cold made him gasp lightly, but it was not entirely unpleasant. It felt really nice, actually.

Baizhu placed a hand on her shoulder and the cold stopped-

Diluc resisted the urge to whine like a child-

"It is still swollen. Ligaments need to heal." The purple-haired child looked between her patient and her guardian.

Baizhu knelt next to the bed, and practiced fingers poked and prodded around the injury. It didn't hurt nearly as much as before, but it was still a little tender…

"Hmm. One more small burst, Qiqi." He turned toward Diluc with a grin, Diluc couldn't help but notice the large white snake also staring at him- "I am going to let her heal a little more than I normally would, you pyro users have a solid advantage against the cold."

Diluc nodded and the child set back to work.

Kaeya

Kaeya hobbled out of the bathroom to find two unfamiliar figures standing over his brother-

How the fuck-

They had guards outside their suite for a reason-

What the fuck are the Millileth good for-

Jean was already asleep in the other room, and Kaeya wasn't entirely certain he could fight at the moment-

Panic spiked through him before he finally noticed that Diluc was calmly chatting with the taller man, while the smaller… child?... sent a wave of cryo into his arm and shoulder-

Oh. They must be the healers…

He forced his shoulders to relax.

"Qiqi is done. Arm and knee are not fully healed… They will need time."

Diluc nodded, and the man hummed-

"It is best not to push it much more… You are not shivering, which is good, but too much healing at once is not always a good thing…"

Diluc turned toward the kid, newly healed arm reaching up to ruffle her hair, "That is quite alright. I also wouldn't want you to get worn out either, Qiqi."

"I am not worn out. I am fine."

The man laughed, "She truly is just fine, I assure you. Her semi-adeptal… constitution makes her much more powerful than your average healer-"

That was about when they noticed Kaeya. Standing there in a bathrobe and with a towel on his head because he'd forgotten that they didn't have clean clothes and the young guard they'd sent off to buy them some hadn't gotten back yet-

"Uh… Hi…"Am I too tired to care? I might be too tired to care-

The man smiled at him, and it really didn't feel genuine- "Hello! Sir Alberich, I presume?"

"Yeah… Uh, yes."Is that a fucking snake-?

The man stepped forward and held out a hand, "I am Baizhu," He gestured toward the child, who was still sitting on the bed next to his brother- "This is Qiqi. I was under the impression that you required some healing as well?"

"Huh?" Kaeya was still staring at the snake- He startled when it moved- "Oh, uh, yes. Yes, I-"

Injuries…Everything kind of hurt if he were to be honest-

"Minor frostbite on my hands, split knuckles- though that is not a major concern-, and a minor hip injury-"

"It's not minor, he just refuses to stop moving." Diluc glared at him from across the room.

Kaeya shrugged, "I can walk. It just hurts-"

Baizhu hummed, hand coming up to his chin, "Well, perhaps you should sit down? Let Qiqi take a look?"

"Sure…" Kaeya hobbled over to a chair near the bed, and the guy didn't even offer to help.

The snake kept watching him, though-

"What kind of snake is that? Can I pet it?"Looks like a python of some sort-

"'It' has a name, and no you may not pet me, you buffoon!" The snake glared at him-

Kaeya blinked, and his jaw dropped a bit- "I-"

Buffoon…? That's an interesting choice of insult-

Baizhu simply laughed and waved a hand dismissively. Then to the snake, "Now, now, don't be rude…" He turned back to Kaeya, "That was my fault, I should have introduced you all: This is Changsheng. She is not a pet."

Kaeya blinked again- "A-Apologies…"

The snake huffed.Huffed- before ducking into the man's sleeve-

What the fuck-

"I can't believe you asked to pet the fucking snake-" Diluc was clearly amused.

Kaeya grumbled and yanked the brush through his brother's freshly washed, but still tangled hair. Probably a little harder than necessary-

"Ow!"

"It's a cute snake!" Kaeya tried to be a bit gentler on the next brushstroke- but it got stuck again, this time on a section that was partially burnt- "At least itwasa cute snake… before it started fucking talking…"

He pulled the brush out and picked up the scissors again to cut out the ruined hair. He'd tried to cut the worst of it outbeforeDiluc showered… but he'd clearly missed a few spots…

Another couple inches fell to the ground-

"Am I going to have any hair left after this…?"

Kaeya snorted- "Don't be such a baby. You'll still havetoo muchhair, honestly-"

Diluc grumbled as another chunk fell.

Kaeya nudged his shoulder, "Hey, cheer up- this is nothing! I had to cut more than half of my hair off when that whopperflower beat me up!" He went back to brushing, careful to avoid yanking his brother's head too hard.

He was fairly certain he'd gotten the last of the burnt parts.

"It'll still be well past your shoulders once we even it out." Kaeya smoothed his hand through it, searching for further snags and knots, "Promise."

Then he got to work actually evening out the layers- making certain it was the same length on either side-

"Thank you, Kaeya."

"No problem-"

Diluc grabbed his wrist gently, stopping his progress on his hair- "No, Kaeya… really. Thank you. Thank you for getting Jean. Thank you for… for saving my life-"

"I think Jean saved your life more than I did-"

"I- Okay, well-" Diluc huffed, "Yes maybe, but she's asleep in the other room at the moment- so I'll thank her later-"

Gods. This is painful.

"Luc." Kaeya rolled his eye, then moved around and in front of him, "You're welcome-"

The look on his brother's face interrupted whatever snarky response he'd been about to make.

"Hey…" Kaeya gripped him gently by the shoulders, "What's wrong? Does something hurt?"

"Yes, but it's not-"

"Archons, why didn't you say something sooner? What exactly hurts, Luc? I'll go bring back the healers-"

"No, it's-" Diluc put a hand on his arm before he could pull away- "I'm fine, Kaeya-"

Bullshit-

"There isno reasonfor you to be in pain!"

"It was too much healing at once, Kaeya. It- I'm just…" Diluc sighed and fidgeted, "I'm just weirdly achy… my brain hasn't quite caught onto the fact that I'm mostly healed so it all just feels… weird. My kneedoeshurt, though. Which is to be expected with tendons and ligaments-"

"Diluc, I have literally never heard of that being an issue-"

His brother snorted, a corner of his mouth twitching upwards, "Good. Means you've always had mindful healers-"

"Considering how much mora we just forked over for medical care, I should hope those two were 'mindful'-"

Diluc sighed heavily, "Theywere, Kaeya- my discomfort is minor, all things considered. This really isn't that bad, you just happened to look at me when a wave hit, so to speak…"

"'Wave' of what, exactly? Jean's never mentioned anything about healing too much hurting a patient-"

"It… to say it 'hurts' is… a bit disingenuous… And Jean is an incredibly skilled healer. She likely avoids it. Different people also react completely differently to intense healing magic-"

Kaeya's eyes narrowed, "Alright. Then how does it feel?"

Diluc simply fidgeted, "Uncomfortable? That's… about the only way to describe it…"

His brother didn't say anything else helpful and Kaeya huffed, "Okay… Well, again I will ask: How do you know so much about all of this, and how are you so certain that it is nothing to be worried about? Because I'm at least somewhat of a healer in my own right and I've never… 'over-healed' myself-" He made air quotes around the words because Diluc still hadn't given him a proper word to use to describe what he was feeling-

Diluc looked away somewhat awkwardly. He started picking at his thumbnail-

Kaeya got annoyed.

He couldn't help it-

And it was clear that Diluc wasn't telling him something-

"Luc, you really need to tell me what you're feeling right now, because the healers have left and Jean is asleep-"

"It's happened before. I'm fine. You don't need to worry-"

Kaeya felt his face scrunch- "Whathas happened before?!"

"Over- er 'Over-healing'… I-" Diluc worked his jaw, "It- It might just be a personal thing, but I don't really respond well to a lot of healing magic at once-"

Kaeya felt frost spread through his veins-

And at what point were you injured badly enough to know-

Kaeya actually had a pretty solid idea of around when-

"Diluc."

His brother blinked up at him dejectedly, "… yes…?"

"Are you ever going to tell me what fucking happened to you?"

Shit- don't- I shouldn't push so much right now-

Unfortunately, Kaeya's rational thinking brain wasn't exactly connected to his speaking brain at the moment-

"You came home, and you were practically a different person- don't think I didn't notice the limp those first few months." He stared his brother down. Diluc simply fidgeted and looked away- "And now I'm finding out you have all these triggers and issues-"

Stop stop STOP- 'issues'?! I'm being an asshole- I'm going to hurt him-

But he couldn't stop, he needed toknow, dammit- "What the hell happened while you were gone, Luc?"

Whywere you even gone, Luc?

I get searching for answers in the Fatui-

Butwheredid you even go-

Diluc looked down at the floor, frown securely in place.

He mumbled something.

"What?"

"I'm sorry…"

Kaeya sighed, his shoulders dropping, "I- I don't want an apology, Luc… I just want you to talk to me…" His face scrunched before continuing, "And for you toneverrun off on your own like that again-"

Pleasedon't ever fucking pull something like that again-

Diluc snorted, "Are you referring to today or… to when Ileft, left...?"

Kaeya's eyes narrowed, "Yes."

His brother grimaced, "Noted…"

There was an awkward beat of silence and Kaeya worried he'd pushed Diluc past the point of silence-

"Is my hair done, or…?" His brother still wouldn't look at him…

Kaeya blinked, then sighed heavily.

Diluc was deflecting… but his hair reallywasn'tdone. The shorter layers on the right side were still a lot longer than those on the left-

"We're not finished talking about this." He went back to carefully measuring and trimming the soft red locks.

"I know…" Diluc settled back into the chair and the pair fell into a tense silence.

More hair fell, but still Diluc didn't say anything.

Kaeya sighed before going out to the kitchen for a broom.

When he got back Diluc was gingerly climbing into the bed- "Luc, I would've helped you-"

"I've got it…" Diluc pulled the comforter up over himself- likely more for, well,comfortthan anything else. He tended to run hot, and thick blankets weren't usually his first choice.

Kaeya sighed and started sweeping up the hair-

"A lot of stuff happened… I'm not sure where I'd even start…"

Kaeya's head snapped up to find Diluc picking at threads in the quilt-

He forced his features to soften, "You can start with whatever injury…"Stop being sopushy-"Just start with whatever is easiest, Luc…"

But I want to know about whatever had your vision going crazy a few months before you came home-

Kaeya had… allotted what was probably an unhealthy amount of time and attention to checking and monitoring the red stone while his brother was away. And there was one two-day period in particular where it had gone from flashing, to dimming incredibly alarmingly-

And then it hadstayedrather dim for a while… And Kaeya quite literally did not leave his apartment- or the stone's presence- until it regained its luster-

"I got stabbed through the hip with a metal pipe." His brother kept pulling at random threads- "I really should have died…"

Holy shit-

"Straight to the point, then." Kaeya had no idea what his facial expression was doing, but he really hoped it was somewhere near 'neutral'-

"It wasn't very pointy, actually. I think that made it worse-"

Ithink I might throw up-

"Okay…"Don't freak out or he'll stop talking- Stay fucking calm-"How did that… happen…?"

"Building fell on us…"

Kaeya blinked- "Us…?"

"I had a partner…" Diluc was practically shrinking more and more as the conversation continued-

Had a partner.Had-

He might just mean they aren't working together anymore- Don't jump to conclusions-

"Okay." Kaeya laid the broom against the wall before approaching the bed. He sat on the edge- "How bad was it?"

"Part of my hip is made of metal now."

Kaeya straightened, "Wait,what-?"

Half of Diluc's mouth quirked upward, "Marvels of modern medicine. It's incredible what they can rebuild surgically-" Diluc's face fell as he studied Kaeya. Then he looked away, "Sumerian medical techniques are… advanced…"

"I- I don't like that…"

Wow.Veryintelligent thing to say, Captain-

Diluc snorted, "Yeah, well… It was that or probably never walk again, so…" He paused and his face scrunched a bit, "It always hurts when it's about to rain… Yet another reason to hate bad weather I suppose…"

It was raining the day dad died-

Kaeya blinked.

Holyfuck…

Kaeya felt his chest tighten, and his eyes started to prick- "I amneverletting you out of my sight again."

"Kaeya-"

"Nope." The knight immediately yanked his brother into a hug.

"I'm regretting telling you…" Diluc was mumbling into his shoulder-

"You don't mean that-"Please don't mean that-

Gods, I'm so sorry- I need to pull it together-

Diluc returned the hug, his hands gripping the back of Kaeya's brand new shirt- "I… You're right… I don't mean that…"

Oh thank the stars-

Please don't shut me out…

Notes:

Diluc:So you know how when you have a traumatic injury-
Kaeya:Do I even want to know what you're about to say?
Diluc:Oh, hush. You get hurt way more than I do-
Kaeya:I have had exactly two traumatic injuries in my life. One of which was when I was a child-
Diluc:Three. You've had three.
Kaeya:Okay. The whopperflower was more of a mental health thing-
Diluc:Uh huh. Okay, we've hit a point where I might need more time before the next chapter...
There are some plot points that I really need to iron out, and some decisions I need to make so...

Ugh. I'm bad at planning. Gimme two weeks...
Might come out sooner, but I'm giving myself a cushion.

Chapter 15: We're Uhh... Workin' Through It-

Summary:

Things settle for a moment in Liyue.

Just kidding~

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-Liyue Harbor- Inn-

Jean

Jean woke sluggishly.

She had absolutely no idea what time it was, which was unusual.

She also had absolutely no ideawhereshe was, which was evenmoreunusual-

She sat up like a shot, a slight breeze making the sheets float up around her a bit like a parachute-

Liyue-

I'm in Liyue Harbor-We'rein Liyue Harbor-

She scrubbed at her eyes and squinted at the colorful leaves outside her window-

Shit- I don't even know what day it is-

She threw the sheets off herself and padded toward the bedroom door-

The smell of bacon cooking hit her nostrils almost as soon as she opened it.

The sounds of conversation followed-

"I think you should eat more-"

"My stomach is unsettled Kaeya… I'm not hungry-"

"You need all the energy you can get, Luc. At least eat a banana or something-"

"Fine…"

Jean padded into the kitchen, and two pairs of eyes snapped up toward her-

"Jean! You're awake!" Kaeya turned away from the stove, but only for a moment- "Sit! I made coffee-"

Jean frowned, and looked for a clock or a timepiece- "What time is it…?" It came out in a sleepy mumble.

She shuffled over and plopped herself next to Diluc.

He looked about as exhausted as she still felt.

"I have no idea. I think Kaeya hid the clocks-"

"I don't want to know what time it is. And I especially don't wantyouto know what time it is-" Kaeya pointed his spatula directly at her-

"What? Why?!" She couldn't help the way her face scrunched-

"Because if you know what time it is you won't rest-" He put the spatula down and moved to fiddle with a couple of other things on the counter.

Jean frowned, but she also didn't argue.

The statement wasn't inaccurate-

Diluc chuckled beside her.

She narrowed her eyes at him- "Speaking of resting- you shouldn't be up- or walking-"

He cut her off before she could break into a full rant- "They gave me a brace and crutches…" He tilted his head toward where the aid was leaning against the wall, then he scooted his chair out slightly, "Check it out. I look like a ruin guard."

He gestured down at what was a very large metal and fabric brace extending from halfway down his calf to halfway up his thigh-

It had quite a few knobs and… levers?

Jean blinked, "Huh. I've never seen one so… intense."

Diluc hummed, "I can barely move it, honestly. Which is good-"

Jean's eyes widened- "How is that good?!"

He blinked- "No, no! I can barely move it when it's in thebrace-It keeps it largely immobile."

Oh. I'm dumb.

And panicky today, apparently-

"Oh." A mug was placed in front of her and the sweet smell of coffee stole any miniscule focus she might have had-

She wrapped her hands around the warm ceramic and breathed in the aroma-

Kaeya snorted before sitting on her other side with his own cup, "Did you sleep alright?" He took a sip as he studied her.

Jean sighed and took a long drink of her coffee. Kaeya always made it perfectly- "Honestly. I don't think I moved after my head hit the pillow…" She turned toward Diluc, "I was planning on getting up when the healers arrived, but I didn't even hear them. I'm sorry…"

Diluc shook his head, "Please don't apologize, Jean. They were very good and you needed the rest."

Jean nodded. She cupped her mug in her hands and stared down into the dark liquid. It rippled ever so slightly as her hands started to shake. Then her eyes started prickling-

It was such a relief to see Diluc up and talking almost like normal. But she couldn't stop herself from thinking about just how close they'd come to losing him-

Jean gave up on poise. She turned toward the redhead, and threw her arms around his neck- though shewascareful not to put too much pressure on his bad shoulder.

Diluc stiffened at first, and Jean worried she may have hurt him- or stepped over some sort of line-

She hadn't actually hugged Diluc since before...

But after only a moment he wrapped his arms around her as well and squeezed her tight-

"Please don't ever get hurt again-"Oh. Oh no now I'mactuallycrying-

Diluc petted her hair gently, "Well. I can assure you that it's definitely not part of the general plan…"

"I hate you."

The redhead snorted, and the hug tightened even more, "I- I'm really sorry, Jean…" His shoulders were shaking a bit too-

After a minute Jean released his shoulders and pulled away-

She was about to scrub at her eyes when Diluc's hands came up to cup her cheeks. He wiped at her tears with his thumbs, then pulled her head forward to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you for saving my life, Jean…"

Kaeya saved your life. I just healed you.

But she really didn't want to rehash or argue the details right now-

She snorted, "When am Inotsaving your life. You two attract danger like meat attracts flies."

"Hey, I don't appreciate being lumped in-"

Jean turned toward her cavalry captain and Diluc released her face, "Kaeya. How many times have I had to heal you in the past six months?" She wiped away the last of her tears on her sleeve.

The man blinked, then fidgeted- "... uh... four…"

"Five, actually. Stop talking."

"Five?! When was the fifth-"

"I healed your papercut when you fell asleep at your desk."

Kaeya gaped at her, "Okay. There isno waythat counts-" His face scrunched, "And you can't just go around healing people without consent!"

Jean snorted, then took a swig of coffee, "Sure I can. I'm perfectly capable-"

"I didn't mean you weren'tcapable,jerk!"

Jean laughed, "Relax, Kaeya. I'm joking."

She wouldn't actually heal someone without permission unless they were like, dying or something-

"I didn't give consent, Kaeya. Does that mean it doesn't count?"

Jean choked on her coffee-Eyy we got a smartass-

"You weredying,asshole!"

Diluc quirked an eyebrow, "Everyone's dying, Kaeya. What is life if not a slow march toward death-"

"Yeah? Then maybe you should stop sprinting!"

Jean stared at the wall while the brothers argued around her.

Well. At least things are back to normal...

She took another swig of coffee.

Then the smell of something burning got her attention-

"Kaeya-"

"Diluc, seriously- we can't prove we'renotimmortal until we die- it's a thought experiment-"

"That's stupid-"

Jean slammed her mug on the table, "Kaeya!"

"What?"

"The bacon is burning."And I amnotgetting up-

He turned to face the stove- "Oh, shit-"

Jean cackled and didn't miss Diluc's smirk as Kaeya made a desperate bid to save the thin strips of meat.

"They chargedhowmuch?!"

Diluc blinked at her outburst as he took a bite of his banana. Kaeya held his hands up-

"Two million mora…"

"For healing?!"

"Yes…" Kaeya fidgeted in front of her-

"Jean, it's alright- If that is too much for the Knights to cover I am more than happy to pay it-"

"Diluc, that isnotthe point!" She felt like she was just about ready to blow a gasket-

"... sorry…" The redhead shrunk-

Jean practically snarled, "Why areyouapologizing?! I'm not mad atyou!"

"You seem pretty mad at us-"

"Kaeya! Shut it!"

"Right…" They captain turned back to where he'd been making french toast-

"Two million mora?! For healing?!" She took an angry bite of bacon- "And this is who the Millileth sent for-"

"Yes…?" Diluc was studying her out the corner of his eye-

"So what do poor people do, huh? Just die?!"

"Oh. That's why you're angry-" The redhead's shoulders relaxed a fraction-

Jean practically growled at her bacon-

Criticize the set up in Mondstadt all you want with medical care centered around the Church- at least they don't charge people for critical healthcare-

"Healing is a gift from the gods! Where do they get off charging so damn much-" Jean could swear she felt steam coming out of her ears.

"Maybe they charge less if you don't have a lot of money?" Diluc took another bite of fruit as she turned toward him.

She narrowed her eyes.I guess that's possible…

Kaeya waved his spatula around, then plated a few slices of french toast- "I think people just go into debt. Baizhu started off on a 'payment plan' spiel before I told him to charge it to the Knights."

Diluc hummed.

Jean stewed- then relaxed as more food was placed in front of her-

It was kind of difficult to remain angry with the smell of cinnamon and sugar wafting up toward you-

Kaeya placed a small container of jelly in front of her before also sitting.

"You sure you don't want any, Luc?" Kaeya started pouring syrup over his french toast as he studied his brother.

"I'm fine for now, thank you…"

The knight huffed before taking a big bite.

Jean let go of her anger and followed suit. She wasstarving-

Kaeya

"More coffee?" Kaeya stood and held out his hand for Jean's mug.

"Yes please!" She passed it over to him happily before shoving more food in her mouth.

"Diluc?"

Kaeya placed his and Jean's mugs on the counter before turning back to his brother.

Diluc shook his head, "No, thank you." His expression fell into one of absolute deadpan neutrality, "I fully intend to sleep the rest of today away."

Kaeya snorted and raised an eyebrow, "You know. That's actually probably the best thing for you at this point." His face scrunched, "Though I wish you would word it less dramatically."

"Ironic, coming from you-"

Jean laughed, "Oh please, Diluc! You arenotone to talk! You arebothtwo of the most dramatic people I haveeverhad to deal with."

Kaeya didn't even try to protest. He simply turned toward the counter to pour more coffee.

Diluc, however, looked like he wanted to argue when there was a loud knock on the door.

Jean rose with a small frown on her face.

"Jean, sit, I can get it-"

She waved him off, "Make the coffee, Kae."

Kaeya thought about arguing that she was in pajamas, but then he remembered that he was also in pajamas. So it wasn't like it made that much of a difference.

He fixed both cups and placed them on the table. Then he turned his attention to Diluc, who had his chin resting on his good hand and his eyes half-closed-

"Want some water, Luc? Or juice?"

"Water please…"

Kaeya smiled softly. His brother was fading fast… "You gonna make it to bed?"

Diluc grunted in response.

That tracks.

Soft sounds of conversation reached the kitchen from the hall.

Kaeya considered heading over to see who it was after placing a glass in front of his brother…

But he really didn't want to.

There was a strong probability that it was the Millileth, or possibly even a representative from the Qixing. And he wasn't quite ready to deal with the universe's bullshit.

He sat across from his brother and took a sip of his second cup of coffee for the day. The first had done practically nothing for him. He still felt like he could sleep for about a thousand years…

He sighed, "We need to send word to the knights."

Diluc hummed, his eyes still half closed.

Kaeya's lips pursed in thought.

Who could they trust to take over the investigation…?

"We should bring in Eula, I think… She's abrasive, but effective." He swirled his coffee- "Do you think Rosaria would be willing to work for the knights for a bit? We could call her a consultant or something…"

She has incredible investigative skills… I know she doesn't really want to join the knights, but maybe she'd make an exception just this once-

"Why…?" Diluc was frowning at him.

Kaeya cocked his head to the side- "What do you mean, 'why'? We need someone to take over the case. Or, a couple of someones, really-"

Diluc's eyes widened and he blinked in apparent shock-

Kaeya felt his shoulders rise toward his ears as his face scrunched- "Why are you looking at me like that-"

"Kaeya, you arenotdropping this case."

It was the captain's turn to blink in surprise, "Um. Yes, actually. I am."

Diluc suddenly didn't look so sleepy- "Kaeya-" His brother worked his jaw, apparently actually thinking about his words for once- "Kaeya, if you drop this case you will regret it. I promise you-"

"I regrettakingthis case!" Kaeya didn't slam his coffee mug on the table, per se- "And I especially regret bringing you in-" Kaeya bit his tongue with how quickly he tried to stop himself from finishing that thought-

Diluc closed his eyes slowly and heaved a heavy sigh, "Kaeya. Jean needs your help. Do you really think she's going to sit around and twiddle her thumbs while she waits for more knights to arrive?"

Oh that isnotfair-

"You and Jean are the best investigative minds that the knights have. You don't get to be selfish this time, I'm sorry."

Kaeya blinked. He tried really hard not to get mad because Diluc was right, but to call himselfish-

"Right." Kaeya felt his entire field of view shrink as pressure built in his skull- "Right."

"Kaeya-"

The knight swallowed, "R-Right-" Kaeya wondered if that buzzing noise was always there, or if it only just started-

"Kaeya, that didn't come out the way I meant it to-" Red eyes searched his face and all Kaeya could see was soot and ash-

"You're right-"

"Kaeya, wait a moment-"

Work until you break. Or until something breaks you-

What's the problem, Captain? hasn't that been your entire philosophy ever since your brother abandoned you-

"Kaeya…" A hand found his, and Kaeya didn't remember standing up, but he apparently had at some point- "Kaeya, I need you to talk to me-"

"How are you okay right now…?" Kaeya's voice was a dull croak, "Because I honest to every god am only holding it together by a thread-"

Diluc blinked up at him in surprise, "I-"

It was at that moment that Jean came back into the kitchen with a troubled frown across her face.

Something was very wrong.

Notes:

Kaeya:Let's all just relax and take a breather-
Jean and Diluc, at the same time:ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Chapter 16: Bad News Bears-

Summary:

Transition chapter!
This time withFEELING-

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-Liyue Harbor- Inn-

Jean

"The skirmishers we captured are dead. We're back at square one."

Kaeya blinked in shock- "What?!"

Jean hugged herself, gripping her elbows tightly- "They apparently died in their sleep."

"All three of them?! I thought they were healed?!" Kaeya was essentially screaming at this point-

Oh good. Thank you, Kaeya, for the extra volume.

Jean was starting to get a nasty headache-

Diluc simply sat back heavily in his chair and stared down at the table.

Jean shrugged miserably, "They were. And they were fine. Until they-" She sighed heavily, "... weren't…? We've been asked not to spread the information."

"Then what the fuck are we supposed to do?!"

What the fuck indeed...

"The Millileth have arrested another person of interest. Or they intend to…?" Jean grunted in frustration, "They're not exactly being clear on what is going on-"

"'Person of Interest'? What, are they not going to tell us who?" Kaeya clearly wasn't even trying to rein in his temper.

Which was fair in Jean's opinion.

The only reason she wasn't more…outwardlyangry was because she still felt like she wanted to pass out for another few hours…

Jean worked her jaw, "Apparently not."

"Okay, so how are we supposed to prepare? How are we supposed to do research-"

Diluc grunted, "It's a safe bet they're Fatui." The redhead frowned, "Or a high-ranking Treasure Hoarder, I suppose…" He narrowed his eyes in thought, "It is likely someone important that they don't want the public to know about…"

Kaeya threw his hands up, "Oh good! Great! We have two of the largest criminal organizations in the world to look at! That narrows it down-"

"I don't appreciate this either, but I'm certain they intend to brief us when we arrive at headquarters." Jean heaved about her fifth heavy sigh of the morning-Or is it afternoon…? Doesn't matter-"I think Diluc's right. They are trying to keep something close to the vest and don't trust us not to blab."

Jean watched as Kaeya's eye quite literally twitched.

She sighed, "We'll just need to be a bit patient. Let's get dressed and ready, then head over. If nothing else, hopefully we can find out whatactuallykilled the skirmishers."

Because the messenger quite literally did not give me a cause of death-

Jean's hands found her hips as she tried to convince herself that she was up to this particular task- "Sound good?"

The look on Kaeya's face suggested that it did not sound good- at all-

But he didn't say anything. Which wasdefinitelymore concerning than if he'd continued complaining-

"Kaeya?"

"What about Diluc." Kaeya's voice lost all tone.

"I'm just going to sleep, Kaeya. I'll be fine-"

Kaeya scoffed, but again didn't say anything. Just stared off to the side at the ground-

Jean approached and placed a gentle hand on his arm, "Kaeya… What's wrong? Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm feeling great. Let's get ready." He didn't even look at her as he shrugged her off and pushed past her toward the closer bedroom.

She turned to Diluc with a frown, "What was that about?"

He was fine not even five minutes ago-

The redhead sighed and scratched at the tabletop with a fingernail, "I… may have pushed him too hard…"

Jean's brow furrowed, "How so?"

"He wanted to go home…"

Jean blinked. Then felt like a total asshole-

She hadn't even considered that Kaeya might not be up to continue-

"Oh…" She chewed her lip.

Oh dear Barbatos, please help us…

It would take at least a day or two for back up from the knights to arrive. She wanted to trust the Millileth, but so far they'd been weirdly opaque in the way they operated, and she had a feeling the working relationship had the potential to getverytenseveryfast…

And she herself was not at her best- she would much prefer to have Kaeya with her, at the very least to pick up on anything she might miss-

But to ask Kaeya to keep working after what they'd just been through…

After he was apparentlyfinallybeing honest (at least to Diluc) about his own limits… Like she'd been practically begging him to be for literal years…

Oh now Idefinitelyhave a headache…

Jean gripped her elbows, "I don't think I can do this by myself, Luc… Not right now…"

Diluc sighed, "I… I could come… If you'd like-"

Jean glared at him- "Don't make offers that aren't genuine."

He blinked at her, "I… meant it…"

Jean kept glaring, "Oh. Okay then. Well now I'm mad for another reason." She pointed an angry finger at him- "If you so much asthinkabout leaving this suite I will literally hog tie you to the bed."

Diluc grimaced, "Fair enough…"

"You can help sort through information and leads later. If you're feeling up to it."

The redhead visibly relaxed, "Of course, Jean-"

"Are we leaving or not." Kaeya was suddenly in the doorway. He was leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest. He had a dagger strapped at his waist and his pack on- clearly ready to go-

Well that was fast…

"Right…"Jean studied him for a moment, then sighed.

I'm sorry Kaeya…

"Just give me a moment to get dressed…"

*present*

-Liyue Harbor- Inn-

Diluc

Diluc stared at the ceiling as he listened to Jean and his brother's footsteps. As he listened to the door close behind them-

He was suddenly alone.

And it occurred to him that that fact was rather bizarre. He was almost never alone, generally. He lived in a busy and bustling household, afterall-

But it was also bizarre in the fact that he was still injured. Quite badly, in fact.

Jean had promised they'd be back in no less than three hours. They were getting briefed on the situation, offering any information they themselves had, sending word to the knights, (not necessarily in that order) then coming back to get more rest and regroup-

Diluc didn't expect much from that promise.

If a lead popped up Jean would chase it with the full determination and vigor of the LionFang knight that she was-

Kaeya would too, he knew.

I suppose we still have guards outside…

It was probably the main reason why Kaeya had relented at all.

And Diluc was kind of starting to wish that he hadn't…

Kaeya had point blank said that he wasn't okay.

And Diluc had immediately dismissed him.

I hope and pray for him to be honest with me about how he feels… And as soon as he does I tell him his needs don't matter…

Diluc felt like shit. To put it bluntly.

And he himself was realizing that he didn't really want to be alone right now-

He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, wondering what force in the universe decided to give him autonomy over his own damn mouth.

As well as influence and power over others…

He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. Then pushed the heels of his hands into said eyes' sockets- "I'm an idiot."

The statement was mild considering the majority of the demons running around his brain were saying much worse-

His breathing hitched and he decided that staying conscious was a bad idea. So he squirmed and tried to get comfortable, despite almost every muscle and bone in his body fighting him in the endeavor…

He pulled the comforter up to his chin and did his best to fall asleep.

Notes:

I didn't even realize how short this chapter was until I went to post haha
It's baby! Life's been kind of crazy lately, so I'm still aiming for a chapter a week more or less but consistency isn't... always possible...

Edit:
In other news: Success That Feels Like Failure (another fic I write) is officially in the same universe as this series. I kind of waffled for a while, trying to decide whether or not it was going to be, but I have officially decided!

So please go read that if you're interested! If you're not, totally cool! If/when things from that fic become relevant I'll try to offer a synopsis of important details for people who just want to follow this one.

I also feel like a proper timeline is in order so that'll probably come out with the next chapter as well haha.

Take care everyone! 3

Chapter 17: Timeline, Summary, and General Bookkeeping-

Summary:

HIII FRIENDS!

This isn't the next chapter. Sorry.
This is just a vague timeline and a not-so-vague summary of Success that Feels Like Failure for anyone who wants a refresher, or timeline clarifications.

This will probably be deleted at some point just fyi.

But because Success is still ongoing, and not everyone here reads both, I want to make sure people at least have a vague idea of what's going on-

It's necessary to follow the next chapter.

Enjoy!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

Very simple broad timeline since my fics are connected now! Yay!

Everything I've written in the three main fics in the series takes place from Spring to Fall.

Kaeya Alberich Does Not like Firekicks it off, and between the main fic and the epilogue it's around 2-3 weeks. Lumine leaves for Liyue like, right after the epilogue.

Success that Feels Like Failuretakes place over the Summer. Lumine has been in Liyue at least a couple of weeks by this point, because she's decent friends with Xiao, Ajax, and Zhongli at the start. So this fic starts probably around July, then Ajax's recovery takes about 4 months give or take. At around the 3 month mark, Lumine, Paimon, and Xiao rush off to Inazuma. (Xiao can teleport back whenever, so if he's mentioned/present that is intentional)

Kidnapping is Rudeis around the October mark. So it takes place during Fall.

Honestly, dates are vague on purpose. I never had a ton of interest in trying to be exact about timing, which makes tying everything together a lil difficult if I'm being totally honest with y'all.

But the important points are that 1. The brothers have been on this case for awhile.2. Ajax is mostly physically recovered. Mostly. You'll see what I mean in the next chapter. Mentally he's definitely still having a hard time, but everyone is, so it's fine- 3. Lumine and Paimon are in Inazuma. Xiao is usually there with them.

Summary of Success That Feels Like Failure:

I suck at summaries, so here we go! This is more 'important points' than summary though, just a heads up. I don't want to make people read it if they're not interested lol- it's a beast-

Mostly going to focus on things involving Childe/Ajax. Since his perspective is mostly what we're going to get in Kidnapping-

SPOILERS. OBVIOUSLY.

Okay. So. Childe summoned Osial, then went to a mountaintop to wait for Rex Lapis to show up. He's disappointed until Zhongli appears and reveals himself as the Geo Archon. Cue dramatic Drama on the mountaintop-

Zhongli gives Childe his gnosis, then leaves him up on said mountaintop partially trapped in stone because Childe was, as we know, a child and decided to attack him because he's smart-

Childe is weak and already rather sickly from overusing the Foul Legacy, then on top of that ends up badly injuring his leg trying to break out of the stone. He gets home in one piece but at what cost-

Shows up at bank, gets bullied by Signora, then gets Big Sick (pneumonia).

Zhongli frets but leaves after bringing in healers. This summary is not doing him justice- he had no idea Childe was in such a bad state, so he feels real bad.

ANYWAY- Lumine figures out Zhongli is the Geo Archon, Xiao finds out on accident-

Oof Ouch! Xiao's karma tries to kill him but Rex Lapis saves the day~

Then has to explain everything to all the adepti-

Cue Childe almost dying because his lungs are full of fluid- (unrelated to the karma, but it's around when it happens so-)

OH! Also, Childe's Foul Legacy brings him back to life when he dies! That is like, a major plot point that's spelled out in like, the first chapter- (No, I did not come up with the idea, check out this work byMarcienif you find it intriguing-)

Baizhu and Qiqi save Childe's life, tension is somewhat resolved between Lumine and Zhongli (she's really mad about the stunt in the Harbor-), and uh… yeah.

Um… Childe recovers somewhat. Then is bored and wanders off- (He's not just bored. He's also still concussed and has severe PTSD so he's not making the best decisions.)

He runs into Lumine who FREAKS OUT because she thought she'd killed him in the Golden House- Because she DID kill him in the Golden House (also spelled out in the first or second chapter I'm sorry-)

They hang out a bit and she may or may not still hate him, but helps him get home because SURPRISE! All that walking reopened his gnarly leg wound- (It makes more sense when you read it, I tried to be consistent in the way I limit the healing across all my fics)

Um- they run into Zhongli, who may or may not have been out looking for Childe because he wandered off and Ekaterina was freaking out-

Childe panics, but hides it. Because he is an Actor. And is somewhat cripplingly afraid of the consultant at this point (lots of nightmares, distrust, the whole bit).

Zhongli teleports him home, and Childe has a full blown panic attack- electrocutes them both violently- TEARS his leg wound open- it is BAD. Like, he's bleeding out, bad-

Zhongli uses godly magic to heal him, but it's horrible for a mortal body and Childe Suffers.

The godly magic also feeds the Foul Legacy like the horrible parasite it is so jot that down-

Xiao gets called in to help.

They drug Ajax to make him sleep.

Xiao dreamwalks because Ajax is having nightmares and the Yaksha is the sweetest bean-

BONDING! BAM! Xiao and Ajax are best friends- (This is not an exaggeration. In the slightest. Hopefully it makes sense if you actually read it.)

Unfortunately, the Foul Legacy is basically a literal demon and, using the godly magic Zhongli so kindly fed it, possesses Ajax completely when he wakes up and tries to kill the gods-

That gets handled, they all survive-

But Ajax is even more horribly traumatized (they all are-), and partially paralyzed- the Foul Legacy lives in his spine, and when Zhongli partially purges it, it causes physical problems for Ajax.

Because the Foul Legacy is so weak at this point, Ajax has a long physical recovery period- The Legacy itself recovers fairly quickly, so the paralysis is (mostly) healed in the first month, but between the actual possession torquing his body around, and the long period that his nerves basically just weren't getting signals from his brain, he still has trouble walking for months after that, and basically deals with chronic pain and occasional numbness up to right where we are now! Muscle spasms are also an issue.

Oh! Yeah! They convince the Tsaritsa to let him manage the bank indefinitely. That also happened. So he's the bank manager now and that's why he's still in Liyue!

Wow! That was Terrible! I hope all that at least sort of made sense-!

I probably missed some things!

Notes:

Honestly. Let me know if I forgot important plot points.

I wrote the summary at like, 1 am in one sitting so- Next chapter is incoming. As in I'm gonna post it within a couple hours-

Chapter 18: Hey! Guess Who Showed Up For the Party-

Summary:

I wonder who the Millileth arrested...?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*about a week ago*

-Northland Bank-

Ajax

Ajax sifted through another stack of papers.

The training documents were always sounorganized-

He grumbled to himself and started systematically sorting them:

One stack for paperwork on supplies and rations.

One stack for unassigned work orders.

And another stack for personnel files- which really, should never have been allowed to mix with the others-

That had to be some sort of breach of privacy, right? A lot of people had access to the supply and (some of the) mission files. Only he and Katya were supposed to have eyes on individuals' personal information before they were assigned elsewhere-

He was really going to have to have a… little chat with whoever had delivered this last batch.

They were in the business of espionage for Archon's sake- they couldn't just leave their agents' information around willy nilly-

He huffed and continued sorting.

Once he'd gotten the personnel files separate from the rest, he began further divvying those up based on skill sets and experience.

The sound of the door handle turning had him stiffening and he quickly gathered the pages and shoved them under his desk pad-

Katya wouldnevercome in without knocking-

"Hmm… Trying to hide something from me, Tartaglia…?"

THIS IS THE LAST FUCKING TIME I LEAVE MY OFFICE DOOR UNLOCKED-

He hadn't actuallymeantto leave it unlocked…

He forced a, well…forcedsmile across his face- "Signora! To what do I owe the pleasure-"

"Stop trying to talk like a civilized person." She strutted in like she owned the place, then lounged in one of his armchairs, "We both know you're not."

Wow. I fucking hate you-

"Okay! Why the hell are you here, then?"

The woman gasped in mock offense, her mouth opening into a surprised 'o', and her hand resting delicately over her heart, "Tartaglia! Why do you wound me so?"

I don't know. Why are you such a bitch-

DO NOT SAY THAT IDIOT-

He gritted his teeth, "Why are you here, Signora?"

The eighth Harbinger tutted, "Why, to check in on you, of course! To see how you're faring!" She gestured with a hand, while simultaneously crossing one leg over the other- "We were all rather worried when you didn't return home directly after procuring the gnosis-"

"Were you now."You literally saw how sick and injured I was-

His eyes narrowed-You fuckingstolethe gnosisfrom me-thenleftafter seeing how sick and injured I was-

"Why- Of course! And then to hear from our dear Majesty that you needed time to recover! Here of all places!" Her hand returned to cover her heart, and the most fake, insincere look of concern that Ajax had ever seen crossed her features-

It hasliterallybeen months!

Almost half a year since I last saw you andnowyou're pretending to be concerned-

"Well, of course I offered to come check in on you personally!"

Ajax's lip curled. "Signora. Why. The fuck. Are you here?"You know, disorganized paperwork aside, I was having a pretty good day-

She snorted, "I already told you! Our fellow Harbingers were worried-"

Ajax barely managed to refrain from snarling.

Bullshit-

Well… I mean notallof them are total assholes-

"Right."

"And it was on my way to Inazuma anyway, so~"

Soyougot that assignment. That's… not all that surprising…

She blinked rather rapidly, and a weirdly intense smile stretched her lips, "A little birdie told me a friend of yours is already over there~"

Ajax's jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed, "Oh? Which friend and which bird?"

Signora laughed, her hand waving jovially in front of her face- "Oh, one of my many little birds- You don't need to worry yourself about which-"

I amthisclose to stabbing-

"Signora, if you're only here to brag about your next assignment, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave-"

She scoffed, then rose. "You are being quite rude, Tartaglia." The temperature in the room dropped, and Ajax glared, determined not to shiver, "You really are a disgrace through and through- incapable of claiming a gnosis for yourself, incapacitated on the simplest of missions-"

Ajax curled his fists around the fabric of his pant legs.

Keep it together… You can't take her right now-

Oh but wouldn't it be so satisfying to kick her ass. While I'm hurt, no less-

She'd fucking kill me, and we both know it-

The temperature dropped further. And Signora huffed, "… And incredibly dull, to boot-"

A knock at the door had Ajax straightening. He took a quick glance at his desk to make certain he had, in fact, hidden any sensitive documents.

Then at the same time as Signora:

"Come in!"

"We're busy!"

Ajax glared at her.Oh we're busy, are we?! Because I was under the impression you were only here on your layover to boast and insult me-

The doorknob turned.

And in walked Zhongli.

Ajax blinked- "Zhongli!" He couldn't help his somewhat manic grin-

Save me!

"Hello, Childe," He gave Ajax a quick smile, then nodded toward the other Harbinger, who was absolutely seething, "Signora."

"We arebusy,dragon-"

"Ah… Apologies," Zhongli tilted his head innocently, "But I am afraid the funeral parlor has business with Childe here. It is rather urgent, and the information is privileged. So I am afraid I am going to have to ask you to leave."

Signora sputtered, "You? Askmeto leave-"

Ajax hummed, jumping in, "Yes, I'm sorry, Zhongli, our appointment must have slipped my mind…" He turned back to Signora, not even trying to hide his feral grin, "Get out."

The eighth Harbinger's jaw dropped.

It dropped even further when Zhongli politely held the door open for her-

Signora blinked a few times before recomposing herself to glare at the two of them, "Fine. Have your little meeting." And like that she was gone, apparently not willing to risk a fight with an Archon without the protection of a contract in place.

Zhongli clicked the door shut behind her.

He immediately turned toward the eleventh Harbinger- "Are you alright, Ajax?"

Ajax, to his credit, lasted a whole five seconds more before bursting out laughing, "Alright?! Are you kidding? Did you see her face?!" He buried his own face in his hands for a moment at the sheer absurdity of that whole interaction- "Gods, she is going to make my life hell later on for that, but it wassoworth it!"

Zhongli huffed, then came further into the room. He sat in the chair Signora hadnotoccupied.

Ajax snorted.

He hates her too, apparently…

"How are you feeling today?"

Ajax let out the last of his chuckles, then cleared his throat, "Ahem… Me? Oh, I'm fine-"

"Yesterday your left heel was numb. Is that better?"

Ajax fidgeted in his seat a bit, then wiggled his feet, "Oh, yeah… I did the stretches you taught me and it helped-"

Zhongli's eyes narrowed- "Which stretches?"

Ajax rolled his eyes, "The light ones- where I'm laying down-"

"Need I remind you, that if you overdo it your muscles may seize in retaliation-"

"Ijusttold you I did the light ones!" Ajax huffed, and leaned his chin on his hand. He nudged a pen around his desk with the other, "You always assume I'm lying..."

"You have a tendency to push yourself too far. I am being appropriately-"

"Naggy. You're nagging."

Zhongli huffed, then sat back in his chair, a pensive frown plastered across his face.

Ajax sighed, then sat up, "I take it there isn't actually any 'urgent business' with the parlor?"

Zhongli blinked up at him, then a small smile curled his lips upward- "Ah, there is. The parlor's top consultant is hungry. Would you care for lunch, Ajax? A short walk would do you good-"

Ajax snorted, "Wow. It's literally-" He turned to study his clock. His face scrunched, "It's only 10:30, Zhongli. It's too early for lunch-"

"Brunch, then."

"Is that even a thing in Liyue-"

"There is no reason why it couldn't be."

Ajax narrowed his eyes, "Why are you here, Zhongli? And with suchimpeccabletiming-"

Zhongli grimaced, "Ekaterina sent for me as soon as La Signora walked through the Bank's doors."

Ajax blinked in surprise. Both at the near-immediate honesty and at the answer itself, "Wow. I really need to pay her more!"

I don't actually know what her salary is-

I should look that up and double it-

"You are… not mad?"

Ajax tilted his head, "Why would I be mad? Ihatedealing with Signora- especially when she just shows up to brag." He shrugged, "I guess I owe you a thank you as well… That was really nice of you to show up-"

"Ah… yes, well… it was actually a favor to me, in all honesty…" Zhongli fidgeted a bit in his seat, "I asked Katya to let me know should the Eighth Harbinger make another appearance in Liyue…"

Ajax's face scrunched, "Wh-Why?"

Why would you care-

And I'm surprised Kat would even-

Zhongli's face fell into pure disdain, "I do not like her. If she were planning on staying, I had intended on having her deported somehow."

Ajax's eyebrows found their way to his hairline- "Seriously?!"

"Yes. I know important figures in positions of great influence. It would not be difficult."

Ajax gaped, "Holy shit! That sounds illegal- and Iloveit!" He chuckled a bit, "Gods, that is sopetty-"

"It is not 'petty' considering how dangerous she is-"

"Oh what? And I'm not?" Ajax brought a hand to his chest, "How cruel! To be thought of as less of a threat than La Signora-"

Zhongli rolled his eyes, "Would you like to get lunch or not, Ajax? I see no point in waiting the extra half-hour-"

"Eleven is still an early lunch, Zhongli-"

The god huffed, "Maybe, but it is more acceptable- At any rate, I am not walking back to the funeral parlor just to come back and ask you again in an hour-"

"Just teleport!"

"Just come have lunch!"

Ajax snorted, "You're being weirdly persistent today-"

"And you have been in this office since five am, Ajax. It is time to take a break." The Archon crossed his arms over his chest, "Sitting still for prolonged periods is just as bad as overexerting-"

"What? Are you spying on me now?"

Zhongli scoffed, "Hardly. This was my favor to Ekaterina in return for her intel. She thinks you have been here too long."

Ajax blinked.

Welp. It's not like I can be mad ather…

He groaned, "Ugh… fine… Is she coming with us, then?"I'll buy her lunch as a thank you-

"Ah, I am afraid not. She seemed rather busy with incoming troop assignments-"

Ajax snorted, "You're… probably not supposed to know that…"

Zhongli hummed, "I have excellent hearing."

Ajax rolled his eyes and rose stiffly, using his hands on the desk to push himself to his feet.

Oof. Ihavebeen sitting too long-

He sighed, then slowly and carefully stretched his back, "At least you're honest about eavesdropping-"

"Overhearing."

Ajax snorted, "Right. Let me grab my jacket."

Zhongli teleported to the coat rack, then right back in front of him with the garment-

Ajax jumped. He couldn't help it- "Shit- Gods- Why?!"

Zhongli looked sheepish, "Apologies…"

Ajax took the jacket with a muttered 'thanks', and they made their way out of the office. He locked the door behind them. Of course he did.

Then he straightened and turned back toward the hall, gesturing with one hand, "Come on. Let's go out the back in case Signora is still around.

Zhongli hummed, then fell into step beside him, hovering a little closer than normal, "Good idea."

Ajax huffed. The god was being ridiculously clingy- "Okay, Zhongli, I am not going to fall if you stand an extra foot away-"

"We are approaching stairs. If you want your space, then you shall have it once we reach the bottom-"

"I can handle stairs!"

Stop babying me- You're worse than Xiao-

Zhongli raised an eyebrow, "Xiao told me about the other day, Ajax."

Traitor!

I was wrong. Xiaoisworse-

"Okay! I slipped! That had nothing to do with my legs or back-"

Zhongli hummed, "All the same…" The god took his arm and guided him down the steps.

Ajax huffed, but accepted the support. There was no one around to see it anyway.

*present*

-Interrogation Room-

Ajax

What was funny about this whole situation.

What was really fucking funny-

Was that Ajax actually had no clue-

Not a single goddamned clue as to why he was here-

He rested his chin on his hand and tried not to let his discomfort show. Which was really hard considering they'd taken both his vision and delusion-

His leg bounced.

The fingers of his free hand tapped out an irregular beat.

He'd been sitting in the sparse, and frankly, cramped room for at least three hours. No one had told him what they wanted to question him about, and despite coming willingly they had handcuffed and searched him as soon as he walked through the doors of the building-

This is the last fucking time I give anyone the benefit of the doubt.

'Come in for questioning!'

'You're not under arrest, we just have some questions!'

"Fuck all of you…" He mumbled the last part while scratching his nail into the wooden table's surface. A petty rebellion in the form of minor property damage.

Is this even legal? How long can they hold me?

He was a fairly well-known political figure… They couldn't just… lock him away indefinitely…

Could they?

With the show they put on maybe…

They'd made it seem like some sort of minor issue- Ajax had honestly assumed it was a problem with paperwork or something-

Then the doors to the building had closed behind him and-bam!-

He was slammed practically face-first into a wall and searched rather roughly. His knives were taken, and his vision yanked off his belt. The delusion followed. Which was interesting because it meant that they were both aware of its existence,andthe fact that he carried one. Which wasn't something he tried to broadcast in any capacity.

He hadn't had his bow on him. He rarely carried it around the city, but that was largely irrelevant at the time-

He had tried to struggle at first, panic setting in, before being replaced by blinding pain as what was probably a knee- or maybe an elbow?- made contact with his lower back.

His legs had almost given out, so he'd stopped squirming.

The only satisfaction in the deeply concerning and unsettling scenario was the fact that they had assigned four fully armored guards to take him down.

Which was actually rather flattering.

Ajax sighed and gave up his fidgeting for the moment in favor of laying his forehead down on the table.

He was getting a headache.

His back hurt.

And he couldn't even stretch it well, because the cuffs keeping his hands tied to the table didn't exactly allow for much movement.

He couldn't standorsit without hunching, and he couldn't stretch his legs because- surprise!- they were also chained. To the floor. With only about six inches of give-

He rolled his shoulders, and tried to twist his hips and back a bit in an attempt to loosen the stiff joints and muscles, but they just tightened up again in something dangerously close to a spasm.

He grunted and stopped moving.

Well. So much for sparring this afternoon…

Zhongli was finally going to let him do some light-contact exercises after lunch.

Now he'd be lucky if he was allowed to go for a walk…

I wonder if Icanwalk…

He moved his legs around, but they felt stiff and kind of tingly. Which was never a good sign, but it was also difficult to tell how much of it was from his injury, from sitting in a hard chair in an uncomfortable position for hours, or from the cold.

Because it was alsoverycold in the room.

They were really pulling out all the stops for him today…

For about the fifth time, Ajax seriously considered calling out to Xiao.

But part of him was too worried that the Yaksha would-

Ajax scrunched his eyes closed.

It's fine. I just need to know why they want me, I'll figure out if-

He couldn't call Xiao without knowing why they'd arrested him.

What if it was for something horrible?

He'd rather not… He valued his friendship with the Yaksha.

It was probably stupid, considering Xiao knew more about him than most of his family did, but still.

He could at least try to hide some of the… less pleasant parts of himself.

Including whatever crime had warranted this treatment.

And at any rate, he was fairly certain the mirror in the room was actually one-way glass. Someone was undoubtedly watching him, so the thought process was completely unnecessary anyway-

He sighed.

Sooner or later Zhongli is probably going to come looking for me…

It was getting close to lunch time, and they had planned to meet at the Pavilion.

Zhongli had beenverytouchy about plans and communication ever since…

Well, ever since the whole fiasco with the Exuvia, and Osial, and its aftermath-

The doorknob turned, and Ajax jerked upright at the sound-

Well, he jerkedpartiallyupright-

His back twinged, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grunting-

"You arrested a Harbinger?"

Ajax didn't recognize the voice, but considering how large of a force the Millileth was, it wasn't surprising-

"I- Technically no, ma'am- he is just here for questioning-"

"Then why is he handcuffed-" The woman's eyes widened as she took in the entirety of his situation- "Why is hechained-"

She seemed somewhat horrified, which was more than a little surprising-

"He is incredibly dangerous- we saw no reason to take any chances."

The woman worked her jaw, then finally stepped fully into the room.

Okay. She is very clearlynotMillileth-

Do they evenletwomen in the Millileth?

Ajax couldn't recall ever meeting any-

His face scrunched.Food for thought-

At any rate, the woman didn't appear Liyuen at all, actually. From her accent, to her manner of dress-

Wait a second- I recognize that crest-

His face scrunched, "Are you a knight? Why is a Knight of Favonius here?"

"You shut the hell up until addressed!" The Millileth guard standing next to hersnarled,and took one large step toward the table-

The knight stopped him with a single hand on his chest. "That is enough. I can take it from here, thank you."

The man blinked at her, somewhat incredulous- "That is not how things work around here-"

"Oh! I'm sorry! I was under the impression that the Millileth and the Knights were on equal ground in this case! Apologies, Sir!" Her blue eyes flashed, "Please, proceed with your witness intimidation! Since you so clearly understand the situation much better than me! I'll be sure to take copious notes on your conduct for my report to your superiors."

The man basically shriveled up in response-

"That's what I thought. Now please stand watch outside the door-"

The Millileth sucked in a sharp breath- "I cannot justify leaving you alone in here with him, ma'am-"

"I said. And I do not believe I stuttered. To stand watch outside the door." The woman stood tall and straight, and despite being slightly shorter than the man, cut a much more imposing figure- "I can take it from here. Thank you."

Ajax's eyebrows shot toward his hairline as he watched the exchange-

Damn! Whoisthis lady?!

"I- I-" The man blinked rapidly as he stuttered, "Y- Yes ma'am…" He meekly ducked outside the door, clicking it shut behind him.

The Knight sighed heavily, and her fingers came up to pinch the bridge of her nose.

Ajax fidgeted, not at all sure what to make of…anyof that-

What the fuck is going on-

Then she turned toward the table, pulled out a chair, and immediately sat down across from him, posture impeccable, and hands crossed in front of herself.

Her expression held a certain… 'do NOT fuck with me' quality.

Ajax actually managed to wrangle up enough self-preservation to keep his mouth shut.

"So." She levelled him with eye contact that just about anyone would consider intense- "You are the Harbinger of the Fatui assigned to this region. Correct?"

Ajax blinked. "Yes…?"

The woman narrowed her eyes before pulling out a small notepad and pen, "Are you unsure of your own rank?"

"No…?"

The knight snorted, and Ajax fought to not allow a small smile to flit across his own face-

"Alright. Let's do it this way, then: Please state your name and rank." She looked at him expectantly.

Ajax squirmed, his binds clinking audibly.

The woman frowned ever so slightly-

"Tartaglia. Eleventh Fatui Harbinger serving her Majesty the Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya. I am the current liaison to Liyue, and am in charge of the daily affairs of the Northland Bank."

The woman hummed while jotting down notes.

"Um… should I just call you Lady Badass of the Knights of Favonius, or…?"

That made the Knight pause, and she brought a hand up to stifle a small laugh-

"I- Right. Apologies." She cleared her throat. "I am Jean Gunnhildr, Acting Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius."

Ajax leaned back in surprise- quickly hitting the end of his lead-

Grandmaster?!

What the fuck is going on that the leader of a foreign nation showed up-?!

Oh I must be royallyfucked-

"But for now, you may simply call me Jean."

Notes:

Ajax: I was over there, on the bench- John Mulaney anyone?

Next chapter is planned and (mostly) written, so expect it next weekend!
(assuming nothing cataclysmic happens lol)

Chapter 19: This Isn't Really Going Great for Anyone-

Summary:

Interrogation time! It uh... goes? I guess?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-Observation Room-

Kaeya

Kaeya paced, his gaze darting toward the window every now and then-

It was extremely difficult to hear exactly what was being said through the weird tube thing that supposedly funneled sound-

He grumbled and tried to focus.

Then he glared as the guard who had escorted Jean into the interrogation room entered and took a seat in the corner.

Fucking asshole trying to tell my grandmaster what to do-

Kaeya had almost stormed in there and given the man a piece of his mind-

Which was probably at least part of the reason why Jean didn't want him anywhere near the current interview…

Because the Millileth had arrested aHarbinger-withouttelling them-

'Person of Interest' my ass-

And Kaeya was already down to his last thread-

He kept pacing.

Diluc had insisted he accompany Jean.

So he did.

Because he also didn't want her dealing with all of this bullshit alone-

But he also simply didn't wantany of themto be dealing with this bullshitat all-

He alsoalsodidn't want to leave Diluc alone- whether his brother was simply taking a nap or not-

Long story short, Kaeya knew for a fact that he was nowhere near his best.

Jean probably wasn't either, but it had never gone over well when he'd told her to stop working in the past-

And time was also a factor. Children's lives were at stake…

Kaeya narrowed his eye as snippets of the conversation filtered through-

Jean was asking about a warehouse apparently owned by Northland Bank.

Kaeya blinked.

I… Should definitely be taking notes…

He forced himself to sit at the table and pull out his pad-

"Well, yes, we technically own it-"

"And what is currently being stored there?" It was always fascinating hearing Jean in 'interview mode'.

"I don't know off the top of my head, ma'am- We have records that I could check for you-"

"And you would be willing to do that?" Jean cocked her head to the side, "Can I get on record that you are willing to cooperate?"

"I have been nothingbutwilling to cooperate!" The sound of chains clinking muffled some of the man's next words- "... own free will! I had no intention to resist!"

"I see."

Kaeya squinted through the glass. He'd never seen a Harbinger. Or met one.

Jean usually handled the higher ranking Fatui herself.

His grandmaster's next question didn't quite come through the sound horn-

The Harbinger's responsedid,however- "I have no clue why I'm even here! Why the hell would you ask me that?!" He was clearly getting more and more agitated.

The guard in the corner leaned forward in his seat-

"Relax, sir." Jean held up a hand, then her head once more tilted to the side, "You truly do not know why we brought you in?"

"No. In fact, I'm pretty sure I was told there was an issue with the bank's paperwork that I had to sign off on."

"And then they brought you in here?"

The man snorted, "And then they slammed me into a wall, searched and disarmed me, and chained me to the floor and table. Yes."

Jean hummed, "And you've been here how long, exactly?"

Jean you're getting off-topic- this doesn't matter-

"What time is it?"

Jean checked her timepiece, "Two o'clock."

The Harbinger grimaced, "About five hours."

Jean nodded, "I see."

Kaeya couldn't help but notice the guard in the corner fidget in discomfort.

He managed to restrain his snort-Yeah. You should be worried. Jean's about to rip both you and your superiors a new one-

Kaeya, in contrast, held no sympathy for the Fatui in front of him. The man could choke for all he cared-

Dull blue eyes squinted at his grandmaster- Kaeya had missed her question-

"What do you mean?" The Harbinger's brow furrowed, "How many were taken-"

"I am not here to give you details, Tartaglia. I am simply letting you know the nature of the case-"

"When were they taken-"

"Again, I cannot discuss case details with you. You are, quite frankly, our prime suspect. If that wasn't already obvious."

Jean- Why the fuck are you telling him-

The man grunted, and his jaw worked as he stared down at the table top- "Makes sense…" Then he looked back up at Jean- "I'll give you keys to the warehouse- Or- My receptionist Ekaterina will give you keys to the warehouse-" He seemed to deliberate for a moment- "I waive my right to wait for a warrant or… however that works here... But you're going to need to convinceher.Which will be difficult with me in here."

Jean huffed a small laugh, "Are those your terms? Let you go in exchange for access to-"

"Well- no. You can bring her here. I'll talk to-" His face scrunched- "I'd need some sort of guarantee you'll let her go, though-"

Jean sat back, crossing her arms over her chest- "And then you'll convince her to clear out the warehouse before we get there."

"Break a window, then!" The chains clinked as the Harbinger gestured somewhat angrily- "The guardswillattack you, so have fun."

Jean hummed. Kaeya could imagine her eyes narrowing in thought.

The Harbinger was beingweirdlycooperative-

"We have shipping records." The man's lips pursed, "Obviously if we were smuggling people we wouldn't mark it down as such…" He seemed to be very seriously considering the matter-

Kaeya mumbled to himself as he took furious notes- "I thought you were supposed to be in charge of this whole shitshow…"

Why did he sound like he didn't know…?

"We also need to consider that it may be outside the scope of thebank,which puts it outside the scope ofmy access-especially if they came from Mondstadt-"

He's talking like he'sonthe case-

It was then that the doorknob turned, grabbing everyone's attention-

A young girl walked in. She had long pink hair and- horns…? She was followed quickly by the guard who had apparently unlocked the door, as well as a very stern (read: angry) looking man in a suit-

Kaeya blinked.

Jean probably blinked. (Her back was facing him at present, so Kaeya didn'tactuallyknow-)

Even the Harbinger just sat there stunned for a moment-

Jean rose from her seat, "Excuse me, but we are conducting an interview-"

Kaeya could have sworn he saw suit-man's eyesliterallyflash-

The pink-haired girl interrupted her, "Not anymore. This has been an unlawful arrest. The Harbinger is leaving with us-"

The guard behind Kaeya bolted toward the door-

Then burst into the room-

"Ms. Yanfei- You are obstructing an active investigation-"

"And you, sir, are infringing on a foreign dignitary's rights-" Her hands found her hips, "Need I pull out my codex? Or will simply reciting the clauses from memory suffice?"

Kaeya watched as the suit angrily grabbed a set of keys from the first guard and moved to release the Harbinger's restraints-

Tartaglia himself didn't say a single word-

"Oh. Your notes are also unlawfully obtained. Those will need to be confiscated and reviewed by a board-"

Jean scoffed, "This is an active kidnapping investigation! These notes aren't going anywhere!"

Kaeya noticed suit-man tense- He also noticed that he had long dark hair that faded into blonde, as well as a very nice earring and dramatic eyeshadow-

Focus-

Drool over the pretty man later-

"I have been informed that his rights were not read. On top of which, he is a high-ranking diplomatic official from a foreign nation. Nothing said in this interrogation can be held or used against him-"

Jean's shoulders tensed- "I don't give one single shit about holding anything against him! Children are missing and I will use whatever resources I have at my disposal to find them!"

That gave the girl- the lawyer, apparently, pause- "Regardless-"

"I waive my right to the notes." The Harbinger's face scrunched- "Is that right? I don't know the correct words-"

"Childe-"

Oh. Suit-man has a nice voice, too-

The Harbinger practically flinched-

… Interesting...

The manacles around the redhead's wrists came loose, and he sat back in clear relief rubbing them-

Kaeya frowned.Thatwasa rather cruel position...

Kaeya had assumed the Harbinger simply had bad posture. Not that he was being held all scrunched up like that-

The cavalry captain huffed and reminded himself not to care.

The lawyer leaned toward the Harbinger and whispered something, but Kaeya couldn't make it out-

Then she sighed, her shoulders slumping- "We're leaving. He has forfeited his right to whatever information he has given you-"

Annoying guard man's face started turning red- "Then that means he can't leave!"

Yanfei's hands once again found her hips- "Oh? And did he confess to the crime?"

Jean stepped in before the idiot could start shouting again, "Take him. I would request that he remain available for further questioning, but I agree that this situation is unacceptable." Jean gestured toward the Harbinger, whose legs were now free- "Truthfully, I had fully intended to report your treatment once done gathering whatever information I could because, again. I only care about rescuing the children." She gave the guard a pointed look, "Though I suppose I'm biased seeing as this isn't technically my jurisdiction."

Kaeya's eyebrows hit his hairline-Oh! So we're burning bridges today-

That guarddoesseem to have some sort of vendetta…

Kaeya didn't much care. About the guard's… personal gripes, or about the fact that Jean had just told him to 'fuck off' in diplomat-speak. The Millileth were notoriously difficult to work with and he'd been about .2 seconds from taking a swing multiple times today-

And Jean was apparently at the end of her tether as well… though she generally hid it pretty well-

He was distracted from his musings by the Harbinger-

The suit-man had an arm around him and was helping him stand-

Kaeya's eye narrowed-Wait… Did the Millileth injure him…?

He felt a flash of irritation before remembering what he'd done to the geochanter's face and…

And then he felt like a hypocrite…

Though the man did deserve it…

And was apparently dead now. Which didn't make it any better, butdidgive Kaeya a bit of a headache-

Also, the Harbinger very likelywasinvolved- Kaeya didn't believe his whole 'I'm innocent! Let me help!' schtick-

"We are leaving." Suit man's tone offered no room for argument as he held the Harbinger close-

Oh.OH-

"Zhongli, stop-"

Again, Kaeya could have sworn the man's eyes flashed.

The Harbinger's gaze found the tile floor and his feet shuffled.

Okay, wait- What is actually up with these two-

Jean nodded, then turned to the Harbinger, "If we could access that warehouse-"

"I said we are leaving-"

"I'll get you access, but you need to at leasttryto be subtle about it-"

Yanfei stepped in yet again- "All queries should be directed to me, actually! As his defense attorney he is not to speak to anyone without me present-" She continued. It went on and on for a while, and in the meantime Jean stood there and nodded politely, guards one and two withered, and Suit-Man and the Harbinger made their way out of the room-

Kaeya poked his head out into the hall to watch them leave-

"Are you alright, Aj-"

"Don't call me that here."

"I- right, apologies- are you alright, Childe?"

"I'm surprised you still fucking care."

The rest of their conversation died with distance and Kaeya scowled.

*?*

-?-

Diluc

Diluc thrashed as hands gripped his face- gripped his arms and legs-

He screamed- or he thought he screamed- as he was yanked bodily into the ground- or maybe into a wall-

"Well." Someone nearby sighed heavily, "This is unfortunate."

You think?!

But fingers and claws dug into his mouth- into his eyes- and he couldn't respond-

"It is interesting how memories morph so strangely into nightmares. Wouldn't you agree?"

The cold, wet stone of the cell wall dug into his back, and Diluc let out a muffled groan-

Help me-

"Why would I help you? You did not helpme,comrade."

Diluc choked on a strangled sob-

"But that is not something I would say." Gentle hands cupped his cheeks and chased away the others- "It is not something I would think. It is a bit disingenuous to my memory for you to use me to torture yourself, I think." Thumbs rubbed Diluc's closed eyelids, and he was suddenly no longer being dragged, or clawed, or pulled at-

"It is interesting how memories morph so strangely into nightmares. Wouldn't you agree?"

Diluc blinked his eyes open with a gasp. Green eyes glared at him from across a familiar path as rain cried a torrential downpour-

"You cannot burn me in the rain, Peregrine."

"I-" Diluc's voice cracked- "I don't want to-"

You never even saw my vision- I didn't have it-

"And why not?"

A blink.

And a single blue eye walked forward-

No- Stop-

"Come now, Luc…" Kaeya tilted his head with a gentle, yet somehow threatening smile, "We both know you want to-"

"I don't."

"You seemed pretty adamant that night-

"I was confused and angry- I didn't know what I-"

Kaeya's smile dropped. Along with the temperature. "Didn't know what, Diluc? Didn't know what you were doing when you threw every ounce of power in your vision at me?" Kaeya took a threatening step forward- "Didn't know if I would die? If I would survive?" Another step, and ice crawled like a plague across the ground- "You know I blame myself for that night, right?"

"I-"I hope you don't-

"Oh I do. And you obviously know it because if you didn't," Kaeya gestured with one hand as he continued his approach- "We wouldn't be talking like this right now, would we?"

Ice reached Diluc's boots, and he shook in place, unable to move, and unable to form a coherent thought-

"It's so sad, really…" Kaeya was suddenly right in front of him. His brother reached a hand up and frost spread across Diluc's cheek as Kaeya cupped his hand around it-

"Stop- You're not real-"

"Oh, I'm not?"

The ice burned his face. Burned his legs as it crawled up from the ground-

"You're not. Kaeya's forgiven me."

"Hmm…" Not-Kaeya hummed as he gripped Diluc's face and chin. As ice dug into the flesh around his eye-

Diluc tried not to scream-

"Imagine this… pain…" Kaeya's grip only tightened- "But as a child. Imagine being burned so badly as to no longer be able to see-"

"Stop-"

"Imagine being tossed aside like a piece of trash. At the ripe old age of seven-"

"Kaeya-"

"Or perhaps six? Or maybe eight…?" The nightmare laughed, "Because that's the thing, isn't it? You don't even know how old your brother truly is-"

"STOP-"

Another hand gripped the other side of his face, and the burn intensified- "Imagine being thrown into an unfamiliar and hostile world. With a confusing and altogether impossible mission…"

"Kaeya, please-"

"AS A FUCKINGCHILD-"The shade threw him backwards. And Diluc fell.

And fell.

And he continued to fall as his brother grew smaller and smaller above him-

Diluc hit the ground with a thud and a wheeze- he had no idea where he was-

Only that it was hot, incredibly so- And the ground trembled beneath him-

"Imagine, for a moment…"

Leave me alone-

"No." Hands gripped the front of his shirt, hauling him upright and slamming his back into a wall- into rock-

Diluc's eyes widened, and he started thrashing at the sight of the mask in front of him-

"Imagine what I will do to you now, Bird…"

A dragon roared nearby.

Diluc kicked against the torso of the Fatui in front of him-

"But you don't have to imagine, do you…?"

"I'll kill you!" Diluc screamed.

The figure laughed. It was a horribly grating sound- "Sure you will."

Diluc's chest heaved- "I-You're not real-"

"Are you certain?"

Diluc struggled as the geochanter's hand tightened around his throat.

He struggled as Kaeya and Alexei watched impassively over the Fatui skirmisher's shoulder.

And he struggled as he could no longer breathe at all. As darkness collapsed inward and he screamed at the cold and he screamed at the hands digging into his flesh, into his face-

And he screamed as his eyesactuallyflew open-

He thrashed against something binding him- something keeping him in place-

His knee hurt, his arm hurt, and his head hurt-

His chest hurt too as he finally collapsed backward into the bed. When he realized he was simply tangled up in blankets.

Notes:

Kaeya: I hate all of you. Each and every last person here- especially that asshole- *points at Tartaglia*
Tartaglia: *is very obviously hurt and struggling*
Kaeya: *beats back his natural empathy with a broom* NOPE! WE DO NOT FEEL BAD FOR IT- NO SIR! Chapter next weekend! :D

Chapter 20: Regroup!

Summary:

Just some conversations~

Notes:

I haven't said this in a bit it seems, but I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone reading and enjoying this fic!
Love y'all! 3

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-Fatui Training Room-

Ajax

Ajax had questions. A lot of questions-

When exactly was each kid taken? Time of day? Strategy employed?

Were the culprits stealthy or did they just bust into people's houses-?

How are the Knights and Millileth so certain it's the Fatui involved? Were there witnesses? If so, how many and what exactly did they see?

Itwasentirely possible that someone just… stole some uniforms-

He gasped lightly as the assisted stretch sent pain radiating down his leg-

Zhongli pulled it back- "How bad, Ajax?"

"Only a six. But it's a nerve not a muscle so we should stop." He could feel the strain in his voice.

"Onlya six." The god huffed and gently laid his leg back down on the mat.

"Could've been a seven. Or an eight." Ajax took Zhongli's hand and let him pull him up into a sitting position, which actually didn't do much to relieve the pain- "My feet were totally numb by the time they let me go, so-"

Zhongli frowned, "They did notletyou go, Ajax-"

"Right." Ajax stared through the floor- "My feet were totally numb by the time you rescued me."

"Yanfei rescued you." Zhongli's face and voice were stern, "And she was not exactly happy about it."

"Right, right. My lawyer hates me on principle. How could I forget-?"

Zhongli's glare was pointed- "Ajax, you are incredibly lucky. You do not seem to realize the severity of the situation. Had it beenanyoneelse asking, Yanfei would have undoubtedly said no and left you-"

Ajax's face soured, "Well, thank the gods you're her god, then, right?!"

"Ajax-"

"Want me to bow?!" Ajax frowned, and put on an approximation of a reverent tone (it wasn't very close)- "Thank you! Oh great and mighty Morax-"

"You are being quite rude."

And you're being-

I don't know what you're being but you're making me feel bad about something I had no control over-

"You should have just left me there. Since you clearly seem to regret having bailed me out-"

I probably would have gotten more information if you'd left me. The Grandmaster of the Knights seemed very keen to talk-

"That is not what I meant-"

"Then what did you mean, Zhongli?!" Ajax fixed the consultant with a glare of his own, "Did you miss your favorite physical therapy patient for the half a day I was gone-"

"Ajax, you areannoyingme-" Zhongli's eyes flashed with the half-shout, and the Harbinger flinched.Hard-

Zhongli sucked in a sharp breath at the reaction, then closed his eyes slowly, "Apologies… That was not intentional…"

Ajax stared down at the ground. He tried really hard not to shake. Or breathe too much, really-

Zhongli very slowly scooted a few feet back, "Ajax…?"

Get your shit together-

You weretryingto irritate him.

You can't freak out when he gets… irritated...

"S-Sorry…"

"No.Iam sorry. I should not have raised my voice under any circumstance, let alone after the day you've had-"

Ajax scoffed, but there was no bite to it.

After the day I've had…

He treats me like I'm made of porcelain-

He took comfort from the vision at his hip, and the pleasant hum of hydro energy that flowed through both it and him.

His relief had been immeasurable when he'd gotten it back.

Zhongli blew out a weary sigh, "Shall I fetch Ekaterina? She can take you home-"

"She's busy." Ajax could hear how flat his voice was, "Don't bother her."

"Ajax. You should not be alone-"

No. I should not.

"Good thingyou'rehere, then."

The god sighed. Again. And his eyes fell shut. Again-

He moved to rub a finger between his eyebrows, "What exactly did the Millileth want with you, Ajax? Are they going to come after you again? Do you need to leave the Harbor? I can see about-"

"Slow down. That's what Ekaterina is looking into."Sort of-"Apparently we kidnapped some kids and their parents want them back, surprisingly enough-" Ajax waved a hand somewhat dismissively, "But you heard that much-"

Zhongli's expression fell from worry back into annoyance rather quickly. "You 'apparently' kidnapped some children and don't have any recollection. Or you are simply lying-"

How wonderful that you claim to think so little of me-

"There are cogs in the machine of the Fatui that you cannot even begin to understand, Zhongli-"

The god rolled his eyes, "Someone is operating under your nose, then."

Ajax grimaced, "That… is the most likely explanation. Yes." Ajax's mind wandered back to a meeting about a month ago… a request to movesomethingthrough Liyue- through the Harbor and out into the open sea to go… somewhere.

The request- demand, really- had been vague. No itinerary had been given, no personnel lists, or even disclosure of the cargo.

It was pretty obvious now.

But unfortunately, he'd been given no information. The only contact he'd had was with a pyro agent by the name of 'Pierre'.

And he'd shut the venture downbeforeknowing they were smugglingpeople-

Or at least he'd thought he had...

At the time he'd assumed a fellow Harbinger was encroaching simply for influence. Liyue was an important port afterall, and he had no doubt the others were unhappy that it had been left indefinitely to his management.

But the kidnappings put everything in a new perspective.

It was relatively common in the Fatui- they'd had to deal with multiple scandals. A couple Harbingers had people snatched regularly, in fact- for varying reasons- and many higher ranking officers of other stations-

Ajax decided to stop thinking for a minute...

Hewas fucked up. He knew this. It was a well-known fact.

He was violent by nature, and had killed his fair share of people. (He would argue they usually had it coming-)

But he hadstandards,dammit! And hurting kids crossed so many lines-

"Ajax…"

The Harbinger startled-

"You do not need to deal with this today." Zhongli leaned forward as he studied him, "In fact I do not believe you should deal with this at all-"

Ajax raised an eyebrow, "Oh… Kay…? So I should let someone keep kidnapping kids and transporting them through-" He had to pause and stop himself from saying 'my territory' to the literal god of the region- "- through Liyue?"

"It does not appear to me that you 'let' anything happen. If they are truly not affiliated with you or the bank, then it is not your concern. Let Ekaterina look into-"

"Oh, fuck you-" Now Ajax was mad- "And what happens when the Millileth try to pin it on me regardless?!"

"We will protect you."

Ajax blinked.

Then he got even angrier- "And who is 'we'?! You already said Yanfei hates me and today was literally my first time even meeting her-"

"I never said she hates you, Ajax-"

"Yeah! You basically did!"

"Alright, that was…" Zhongli's face scrunched, "I had toconvinceher. That is not the same thing, and I was simply trying to convey the urgency of the situation-"

Ajax scoffed, "Do you think I'm a literal child?"

"No, of course not-"

"The leader of a foreign nation just questioned me. I'm aware of the 'urgency of the situation', Zhongli."

"I… Yes… I apologize for…" The god sighed, "We are off-topic. Stepping back and letting others help you does not equate to 'allowing' bad things to happen when they go wrong."

Ajax snorted.

"Let Ekaterina, and your allies at the bank look into this without you. Rest. At least at first-"

"They'll go after the bank too!" Ajax scoffed- "When I said 'me' I didn't meanjustme- I'm not the only one at risk here!"

He had to protect his employees somehow-

He had to figure out-

"I understand your stress, Ajax, but if you are truly innocent, then you should not involve yourself-"

You donotunderstand my stress-

"I don't think Iaminnocent!" Ajax threw his arms up in frustration, "The Fatui- probably another Harbinger, to be frank- have been smuggling kids right under my nose! How am I innocent?!"

Zhongli's face scrunched- "Ajax, breathe. You are not making sense- you're not reasoning through-"

"Don't tell me to breathe!" Ajax's fists were clenched, and a distant corner of his brain registered the fact that he… should probably dial it back- "I fuckinghateit when you tell me TO BREATHE!"

Zhongli's shoulders slumped- "Ajax…" The god's face fell so dramatically that it almost immediately snapped Ajax out of whatever that nasty outburst could be considered…

The Harbinger's eyes widened and he looked away. His head was starting to hurt.

And, funnily enough, it actuallywasgetting a little harder to breathe- "I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

"No. it's not. I can't just yell at you like that- I'm sorry."

"I appreciate your apology, and it is accepted."

Ajax grumbled.

"Let's have some tea. We are both greatly upset by the day's events, so it is best if we calm down before discussing further." Zhongli stood slowly, then held out his hands to pull Ajax to his feet as well- "It also gives Ekaterina a bit more time to get back to us with what she's found in your organization's… records."

Ajax snorted.

Then he stared at the ground, "I need help walking." The radiating pain hadn't really stopped…

Zhongli hummed, "What hurts?"

"Same as before. It didn't go away when we stopped stretching."

"I wish you would have said something…" The god sighed heavily, "You should rest, then. May I teleport you home?"

Normally he would say no. But even the slightest amount of weight on his right leg was making his sciatic nerve go crazy- "Yes, please…"

*present*

-Liyue Harbor- Inn-

Kaeya

Kaeya scowled as he closed the door behind them.

And he watched as Jean placed the bag of take-out on the kitchen table.

"Do you think he's awake?" Jean started setting out food as she spoke, "I want to let him know what's going on before we search the warehouse tonight."

Kaeya grunted as an answer, then stalked off toward the bedroom he was currently sharing with his brother.

It was dark inside-

"Luc? You need to get up. We brought food and we need to talk." Maybe Diluc would have some ideas or insight on all of this bullshit. He was basically an expert on dealing with the Fatui after all-

There was no answer, and Kaeya frowned, "Diluc?"

"Leave me alone…"

Kaeya blinked, then moved to turn on lights-

His brother squirmed on the bed, burying his head further under the covers.

Which, while it was something Kaeya tended to do, was not something he usually saw Diluc do-

He frowned, "I mean… I kind of thought you might be hungry. It's well past dinner time-"

"I'm not…"

Uh oh.That tone was never a good sign.

"Luc." Kaeya moved into the room, then sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.

We shouldn't have fucking left him-

I knew it was a bad idea-

Calm down.

He reached a hand out to rest on his brother's shoulder. He didn't like the way Diluc was all curled up- it couldn't be good for his arm or leg- "Luc, you need to get up. Now."

It was kind of a crap-shoot as to whether Diluc needed him to be gentle or somewhat bossy, so he'd err on the side of bossy for the moment-

He slowly pulled the blanket back, and Diluc blinked up at him.

Gentle it is, then…

"Okay… Can we sit you up? You can't be comfortable like that-"

"I had a nightmare…"

Kaeya nodded, "That's not surprising."

Diluc frowned, "I'm sorry I made you leave…"

Kaeya felt his eye narrow, "You mean today?"

"Yeah…"

Kaeya huffed. Then he closed his eye and rubbed his temple for a moment- "You didn't 'make' me do anything, Luc-"

"I did and I'm sorry…"

"It's-"Not that simple-"You were right, Diluc. Finding those kids is what's important right now-"

"You'reimportant…"

Kaeya snorted before he could stop himself- "Alright, that's sweet and all but I really don't see where this is coming from-"

"You're the only family I have left and I keep hurting you…"

"That's not-" Kaeya sighed, then he forced himself to smile down at his brother- "Must've been one hell of a nightmare, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"Coffee?"

Diluc nodded so Kaeya poured some into a cup for him. Then he added milk and sugar the way he knew his brother liked it.

He did the same for Jean. That woman never turned down a cup of coffee in her life, so he didn't bother asking.

He placed the mugs in front of them, then moved to make his own-

"Do you want to talk about it, Luc?" Jean's voice was gentle, and she reached forward to take his hand in her own as she searched his expression.

But there wasn't really much there to search-

"No…"

"I think you'll feel better if you do-"

Kaeya watched as Diluc turned away to stare at a cobweb in the corner. Thenheturned away as well to stir milk into his own drink.

He sat next to his brother when he was done.

"What did you find out…"

Jean's face scrunched, "We don't have to talk about this right now-"

"Can we anyway…" Diluc's gaze was back on the table-

Kaeya sighed and wrapped his palms around his coffee mug.

"Sure." Jean leaned back into her own space and pulled out her notes. Then she also sighed- "Where should we even start…" She was staring down at the page.

Her brow was drawn and the bags under her eyes looked ever more prominent as her frown tightened-

"Well. The Millileth arrested a Harbinger. We can start there." Kaeya blinked and waited to see what kind of reaction he'd get. From both of them-

"Way to jump right in, Kaeya-" Annoyance from Jean. Check.

…

Pensive frown from Diluc. Check.

Don't know what else I expected.

"Oh? Should I have led with the fact that we're leaving again in a couple hours to search a Fatui warehouse?" He took a sip of his coffee.

Diluc's face scrunched, "The Fatui own a warehouse…"

It wasn't a question. Except that it was.

Kaeya knew Diluc just… couldn't properly manage his tone when he was like this-

"Northland Bank does." Kaeya sat back in his chair, "The Millileth think it's as good a place to start as any, and said Harbinger has ever so graciously agreed to let us search it-"

"Which Harbinger..." Diluc's jaw was tense-

"Uhh… Tar… Tortellini?" Kaeya looked to Jean-

The joke didn't land and she rolled her eyes- "Eleventh. Tartaglia."

I should pull out my own notes too…

Kaeya did so and flipped through- "He seems to have allies within Liyue itself- unassociated, supposedly, with the Fatui or the Bank. Which I do not like or trust."

Jean hummed, "I don't either. We need to be careful how we play this. The Millileth are incredibly opaque in their operation and heavy-handed in their execution. There's no way word of the Harbinger's treatment hasn't gotten out…"

Diluc's face scrunched in confusion-

Kaeya huffed, and turned toward him to answer the unasked question, "They beat the shit out of him. Guy could barely walk when his lawyer and…" He looked to Jean with a question in his gaze. He didn't know who suit-man was. Jean shrugged. "He could barely walk when his lawyer and… a friend led him out of the building."

"He's free…"

"Yup." Kaeya popped the 'p' at the end, then took another large gulp of coffee-

Diluc looked more than a little unsettled.

Kaeya shared the sentiment.

Notes:

Diluc: The Harbinger is free?! But he's dangerous-
*cut to childe talking to Zhongli*
Childe: *barely able to move* So I was over there, on the bench- CHAPTER NEXT WEEKEND!
Probably Friday because I'm busy Saturday

Chapter 21: Let's Talk This Through-

Summary:

More discussions!
'Get There' chapter, yay-

Notes:

Thank you to everyone reading and enjoying this, I love y'all! 3 3

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-Ajax and Ekaterina's Apartment-

Ajax

The Harbinger's finger tapped an anxious rhythm on the dining room table-

Katya should've been back by now. It had been a few hours-

He stood and paced…

Meaning he stood and remembered why pacing was a bad idea-

He groaned and grabbed his crutches.

Thenhe paced. The click of the walking aids on the tile was actually really satisfying to listen to as he moved.

After a moment he took bigger steps- balancing on just the crutches and swinging his legs to see how far he could reach- then to see how few steps he could take to get across the kitchen.

He was fine so long as he kept his weight off his right leg.

A key turned in the lock a couple minutes later.

Alright. Now to find out what's actually going on-

He made his way into the living room.

Katya locked the door behind herself, then turned and visibly startled at his presence-

Her free hand clutched at her chest- "Stars, Ajax! What are you even doing here-"

"I'm waiting for you- obviously!" He felt his face scrunch, "And I live here."

Kat rolled her eyes as she pulled off her shoes- "I thought you were with Zhongli-"

Ajax grimaced- "Yeah… So it turns out my nerve is pinched pretty bad so we called training early for me to rest…"

And I told him that I was going to nap so that he'd leave-

Zhongli made it clear that he didn't want Ajax involved in the minutiae of this nonsense.

But there was no way Ajaxwasn'tgoing to be involved in the minutiae of this nonsense-

"And he left you here alone." Katya's expression was inscrutable.

And it wasn't like this bullshit was really any of the god's business anyway-

"Ekaterina, I am fine."

The woman worked her jaw.

And Ajax felt like he might scream- "I'm fine! I can walk, it just hurts-"

"That means you're not fine, Ajax. We are going to be having words with the head of the Millileth-"

"No! We're not." Ajax glared- "Tensions are high enough as is, Kat- at some point someone has to snuff out the spark or the whole region is going to explode-"

Katya raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest- "And here I thought that was your specialty."

Ajax blinked at her. Then he barked out a laugh- "Which is exactly how I know we should back off! This incident isn't worth… getting higher-ups involved…"Namely our Tsaritsa-"Especially since we still don't fully understand the situation at large."

Ekaterina huffed, "Well. We understandsomeof the situation at large…"

Ajax grinned, "Ooh! Whatcha got?"

She rolled her eyes, "Stop looking so damn excited. It's nothing good."

"No, but by the look on your face it's at least interesting!"

Kat snorted, "Gods. You're ridiculous. Come to the kitchen, I'm making tea while we talk."

"So they'redefinitelyours?"

"Yes. Er- They're definitely Fatui. No affiliation with the bank as far as Vlad or I can gather from our files. They don't show up anywhere in our personnel listings."

Ajax nodded, his hand at his chin- "And they're definitely dead? Not just 'dead' as in whoever sent them got them out and replaced the bodies, or paid off the guards, or-"

"Dead as doornails." Katya took a sip of her tea. "Nadia couldn't get a close look, however, before she had to hide. But the hair was white with no sign of discolored roots indicative of dye, and their eyes were-"

"Was there blood in the tear ducts? Or in the ear canals?"

Katya blinked at the interruption- "I don't know- She barely got the chance to check the eyes at all. Cause of death was listed as 'heart attack' if that helps?"

She definitely didn't have a chance to check their throats then...

Ajax's face scrunched- "All of them?"

"Well, one had blunt force trauma also in the listing, but it was partially erased. I get the feeling the medical examiner knew it wouldn't fly since even in death he was obviously fully healed." Kat sighed, "Better to list something internal than to risk further questions."

Ajax snorted, "They could have gone with 'aneurism for one or two at least-"

"I'm so,soglad you find this amusing, Ajax-"

"Whatever, Kat, we need to get a closer look at those bodies-"

"Not tonight, we don't. TonightI'mtaking the knights to the warehouse." Katya's glare was pointed-

Ajax ignored it, "Oh? What time are we meeting them?" He hid his smirk behind a sip of tea-

"'We'are only going if you can prove that you can walk without hurting yourself-"

"Deal."

*present*

-Liyue Harbor- Inn-

Diluc

"Kaeya?" Diluc reached for his brother's sleeve-

"I'm not going anywhere yet, Luc…"

Jean had already left to shower and nap before venturing to the warehouse.

Diluc didn't really know what his own expression was doing to prompt his brother's worry this time-

Kaeya sighed and faced him fully, turning in his seat at the table- "Do you want to tell me about your nightmare?"

No.

"I…" Diluc sighed heavily. Then a tired smirk twisted his features- "We switched roles…"

Kaeya rolled his eye, "Did we now?"

Diluc huffed-

"Tell me about your nightmare. It helps, I promise." Kaeya's head tilted as he spoke-

And Diluc finally released the man's sleeve once he realized he was still holding it. He bit his lip- "Well…"

I am never giving him a hard time for not wanting to talk about his dreams again this sucks-

"I…" Diluc swallowed.

Kaeya waited patiently. While Diluc felt like his skin was too tight. And like his heart was trying to escape out of his chest.

"Luc, breathe." Kaeya gripped both of his shoulders as Diluc stared down at the floorboards, "It's alright. If it's too hard to talk about, we can try again later, okay?"

Diluc's face scrunched, "Okay…"

His brother gave him a thin smile, "You wanna lay down again? There are a couple books lying around if you don't want to sleep…" Kaeya turned toward his bag and dug through- "Aha! I definitely did NOT take this out of the head investigator's office-" Kaeya held out a book.

It was about unsolved murders in Dihua Marsh-

Diluc blinked down at it.

"It's a little dark, though, so maybe it's not a great idea-"

Diluc grabbed it.

"Or maybe itis…" Kaeya smirked as Diluc started thumbing through.

He'd heard of a few of the more recent cases. But a couple of the older ones were unfamiliar.

But then he looked up and frowned at his brother, "Wait, why'd you steal a book? We could always go to Wanwen at some point-"

Kaeya shrugged, "I wanted to get back and make sure you were alright. Also, I thought it looked like something you'd enjoy…" Kaeya shrugged before his expression dropped and his lip curled- "And our good friend Detective Dickhead was pissing me off anyway, so it was either the book or his weird stone paperweight-"

Diluc snorted and flipped through a few more pages.

Kaeya huffed a small laugh, "Yeah, I figured the book was the better choice."

"Dunno. You could've used the paperweight as a weapon going forward." Diluc flipped to another chapter-

"Or I could just use a rock, Luc. Or, I don't know- mysword-er- the sword I… also took from the Millileth armory…"

Diluc snorted- "That was given- you didn't steal that one."

His brother hummed, "True…"

Diluc looked back down at the page. His Liyuen was a little rusty, but he was pleased that he was able to read and understand fairly well- "I still think the paperweight would have been better."

"Oh yeah? Have a sudden preference for bludgeoning-"

"Yes, then you can frame Detective Dick for the murder." Diluc smirked as Kaeya laughed.

"Okay! Maybe Idon'twant you reading that-" Kaeya made a grab for the book, and Diluc held it out of arm's reach-

He sucked in a sharp breath with a wince- because he was fucking stupid and had used his bad arm.

"Shit, I'm sorry Luc-" This time, when Kaeya reached for it, Diluc let him take the book… He set it gently on the table- "You okay?"

Diluc rubbed at his collarbone, then at his rotator cuff, "Yeah… I'm fine…" He flexed his arm slowly, opening and closing his hand as he did so, "I wasn't thinking…"

Kaeya studied him, worry clearly etched into his features-

"I'm alright, Kae… I just need to be more careful…" He frowned, "Thank you for the book. It'll be a good distraction."

Kaeya huffed, "Yeah… sure." He still looked concerned. To say the least.

Diluc sighed as he stared down at the stolen… gift? He smirked as a thought occurred to him.

"What? What's that face for-"

"Youdosee the irony of stealing a book about crime, right?" He continued rubbing at his arm as his smile grew-

Kaeya snorted- "Of course I do! That's why it ultimately won out over the paperweight!" Kaeya gestured with a hand as he finally relaxed and leaned back in his seat, "Iamrather fond of irony, you know."

"My brother's a criminal." Diluc shook his head, feigning a dismayed tone, "What has this world come to-"

"Oh, shut up. Like we never did anything worse when we were kids…" Kaeya gave his good shoulder an exceedingly light shove.

Diluc hummed, "Fair." Then a grin split his face once again- "Jean wins for stealing a cat, though-"

Kaeya laughed- "She is going tokillyou if you keep bringing that up."

Diluc shrugged, but only with his good shoulder, "Worth it."

Kaeya chuckled as he leaned forward with his elbows on the table. He started thumbing through the pages himself-

"Did you actually steal it, though?" Diluc tilted his head to the side as he studied his brother- "That's not really like you-"

Kaeya snorted- "No. I asked the secretary if I could borrow it. It's only stolen if we don't return it." He smirked- "I liked the irony of saying I stole a true-crime book-"

"Dork."

Kaeya rolled his eye, "Shut up, jerk." Half his mouth quirked up once again- "Could still be a crime. If Detective Dick doesn't stop being such a dick, I might just keep it."

"And thus begins your spiral into villainy."

Kaeya hummed, "Indeed. Next I'll be stealing socks. But only one from each pair-"

Diluc forced his eyes to widen- "Youmonster!"

That would actually be pretty funny, though-

Kaeya huffed out a laugh, "Careful, Luc, or you may be my first target."

It would also be super annoying-

And Diluc wouldn't put it past Kaeya to sneak into his room just to steal half his socks-

"Are you feeling better, Luc?" A single blue eye broke him from his amusement as Kaeya studied him in open concern.

Diluc couldn't hide his scowl.

I was until you stopped letting me be distracted…

He huffed, "Yes…"

"Do you want to talk about your dream, or is it still a no?"

PUSHY-

Diluc sighed. Then he dragged a hand down his face, "You were in it."

Kaeya's face scrunched, "Was I, now?"

"Yup."

"And?"

Diluc huffed, "And I'm glad you don't actually hate me in real life."

Kaeya winced, "Oh…"

The atmosphere became somewhat stifling.

"Do… Do you want to tell me what was said? Or what happened? We could talk about what makes it… false, if that might help-"

Diluc shook his head.

He didn't think that would actually help either of them.

Kaeya frowned, "Alright…"

"I also dreamed about the geochanter…"

His brother hummed and waited, clearly expecting him to continue.

"And…" Diluc swallowed and looked away, still idly rubbing at his bad arm- words stuck in his throat at the thought of talking about-

"And what, Luc?" Kaeya reached a gentle hand out to his shoulder.

"And…" And. And and andandandnadnand-

Diluc squeezed his eyes shut. Green eyes, wide and terrified stared up at him- pleading from the recesses of memory-

"Alright, that's okay-" Kaeya's hands were on both of his shoulders again- "We don't have to talk about it- talking doesn't always help so we can just drop it-"

"I got someone killed. Someone I really cared about…" There was a ringing… somewhere in the room-

Or maybe someone was screaming-

A tentative hand was on his face, and a thumb gently wiped at his cheek-

"And um… I-" A sob finally shut him up. Because at some point he'd started crying.

"Shh… Hey… It's alright… I'm sorry I pushed…" Gentle hands on his back pulled him forward.

Hands in his hair. Hands on his neck, his shoulders, yanking his arms back as he screamed-

His breath hitched painfully as his forehead met Kaeya's shoulder.

His brother rubbed gentle circles into his back, and the motion was soothing.

And so, so very different from his memories- from his nightmares-

He returned the hug and let himself be comforted.

Kaeya

And this is why you shouldn't push, asshole…

Kaeya held his brother as he shook. Diluc was finally starting to settle, his breathing evening out from choked, ragged sobs.

"I'm sorry, Luc… I've got you…"

Kaeya was just glad Diluc was letting him hold him- was letting him help.

When it got this bad, and especially when flashbacks were involved, Diluc often couldn't handle being touched.

Which was why Kaeya had been a bit nervous about the doctors…

"Want me to get Jean…?" She was much better at helping with these sorts of things.

You know- panic, emotional breakdowns, those sorts-

"No… I- I'm alright…" Diluc still had his face buried in Kaeya's shoulder, so the statement wasn't all that convincing…

"Okay…" Kaeya rubbed another circle into his brother's back.

Diluc fidgeted, "I can't talk about it yet…"

Well thank you, Captain Obvious-

"That's alright, Luc… I'm sorry I pushed…"

"I- I'll tell you someday, I promise…" His brother squeezed him tighter-

"There's no rush, Diluc. I… I thought talking might help, but it clearly…" Kaeya sighed, "Idowant to know what you're talking about, what you're referring to. But right now let's just focus on getting healthy, alright? And solving this case so we can go home…"

I really just want to go home…

Diluc nodded into his shoulder, then pulled out of the hug slowly. He scrubbed at his face with his good hand, "You need to be careful with the Harbinger…"

Kaeya rolled his eye and scoffed, "No… really?"

Diluc huffed, "I'm serious… Just… stick together tonight… please…?"

Kaeya blew out a heavy sigh- "Luc, I doubt the man'll even be there-"

It would be kind of stupid of him to show up. Between his injury and the fact that his freedom right now is tenuous at best-

"Regardless…" Diluc's gaze dropped away to the corner, "They're incredibly dangerous…"

Kaeya hummed, "You know, to be fair tous-Jean and I pack quite a punch, especially working together-"

"No, I- Kaeya, they're…" It was Diluc's turn to sigh, "At least some of them aren't human-"

"Theydocommit atrocities-"

"Kaeya, stop. I mean, like, god or spirit level of 'not human'."

Kaeya blinked. Then narrowed his eye-

I've never heard this. How do you know-

Diluc groaned, then glared- "I am not exaggerating here. Please, just… be careful…"

Notes:

After talking with Diluc*

Kaeya's expectation of Childe: Evil powerful muscley big bad- Dio from Jojo-
Reality of Childe: Stitch. You know, from Lilo and Stitch- Sorry I was a day late this time, I had a rough weekend :'D

But! The next chapter is mostly done, so expect it next weekend! :D

Chapter 22: And The Wolves Dressed As Sheep-

Summary:

Chaos ensues-

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present- later in the evening*

-outside the warehouse on the edge of town-

Jean

Jean pulled her coat tighter around herself as the autumn chill seeped through. With the sun officially set it was growing rather cold.

Kaeya, by contrast, paced-

"Kae, go back to the inn-"

"No." He didn't even look up at her, just kept carving a trench across the entrance to the low building-

The two Millileth assigned to assist them waited patiently at attention. She had to admit, the general staff and soldiers were exceptionally smart, hard workers.

It was the upper management that she took issue with.

The inspector had all but vanished after the Harbinger left the interrogation room.

Jean had a feeling the man suddenly wanted to distance himself from the whole mess-

She sighed, "Kaeya, go back, we can handle this- I don't like leaving Diluc alone any more than you do-"

"I'm not leaving you. What if the Harbinger shows up after all-?"

Jean felt a hot flash of anger- "Oh, what? You don't think I can handle myself?" This was becoming a matter of pride, because goddammit she did not like it whenanyonequestioned her ability- especially twice in one day- andespeciallywhen it was coming from someone she trusted- "If you truly think so little of me-"

Kaeya froze and blinked- "No, Jean that's not-"

Jean glared. She was also cranky. The past few days had tested her in every way shape and form and she was starting to reach her limit-

Kaeya wilted- "D-Diluc told me…" Her cavalry captain looked away, "He… apparently had a run-in with a Harbinger once… Not this one, to be clear, but…"

Jean narrowed her eyes.

Kaeya fidgeted some more- "They're all apparently insanely powerful. And at least a few of them aren't fully human-"

That surprised her. "What do you mean?"

Signora had seemed strong, sure. But Jean had assumed that most of that came from her title, position, and the way she commanded respect-

Jean wouldn't havewantedto take her on in a fight… But at the time she'd had no doubt that shecould…if she'd needed to.

Kaeya grimaced, his gaze darting toward the Millileth-

If you were worried about prying ears why didn't the two of you fill me in before we left-

"Kaeya, I swear-"

"Diluc didn't- I-" Her cavalry captain was very uncomfortable. And it almost made Jean feel bad- "I barely got him to talk about it at all- I don't know details, but he said it was very important that we're careful- that we're never alone with him because we don't know what he's capable of-" Kaeya's mouth snapped shut and he straightened as he clearly caught sight of something- or more likelysomeone-behind Jean.

The grandmaster sighed.Showtime I suppose…

She squared her own shoulders and turned to face- surprise!- the Harbinger, as well as a Fatui woman who was probably-

"Ekaterina, pleasure to meet you." The woman in question held out a hand, which Jean shook.

"Jean Gunnhildr, Acting Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius. The pleasure is mine." She took note of the Harbinger's arm looped through the woman's. But she didn't comment on it.

Instead, she gestured toward Kaeya- "This is my cavalry captain."

Kaeya glared.

They'd agreed he'd be bad cop. Since he was already grumpy anyway-

Tartaglia snorted, "Got a name, Captain?"

Kaeya's lip curled- "No."

Ekaterina fidgeted in discomfort, and Tartaglia blinked.

Then the man huffed out a laugh- "Hah! Wow, okay, then-"

"Open the door. Now." Kaeya had his arms folded tightly across his chest.

Jean was a bit surprised that he chose the outright aggressive approach, considering his bread and butter usually lie in fake smiles and twisting words-

"Right. Yes, that's why we're here, after all." Tartaglia's smile was wide, but forced-

Ekaterina's gaze bounced around the group before she released the Harbinger's arm and moved to unlock the door.

She slid it fully open- "How would you like to do this? Would you prefer we wait outside, or-"

Kaeya's eye narrowed-

Jean cut in before he could say what she was also thinking- "You should stay with us. Or if not, then give us the key. Our relationship isn't exactly trusting- I'm sure you can understand?"

The woman nodded and approached, holding out said key- "We'll do you one better. Key's yours for the eveningandyou may also escort us. If you'd like. Which also offers the opportunity for you to ask further questions."

Jean took the olive branch and watched with an eyebrow raised as the receptionist moved back to her Harbinger's side.

Tartaglia didn't move or react in the slightest as if he intended to take control of the situation-

So either the pair of you have already discussed this… Or you are not simply a receptionist…

"Alright, then…" Jean's eyes narrowed-I do have more questions-"I can agree to that."

She turned to her captain, "Kaeya, would you mind taking up the rear?"

He gave her a curt nod-

"So youdohave a name!" The Harbinger's grin was… interesting… He looked like someone who had just solved a puzzle-

"Shut it, Fatui."

Jean fought not to groan or roll her eyes. Kaeya really needed to dial it back a bit… Theydidhave diplomatic relations they needed to consider.

Ajax

Soyou'rethe knight Lumine's always going on and on about!

Ajax couldn't control his grin. He tried to, to be fair, but-

He knew he probably shouldn't be so excited. He'd made aterriblefirst impression, after all-

Katya raised an eyebrow at him as she gently elbowed him in the side-

Right- kidnapping case- don't look so damn happy-

He cleared his throat lightly as he forced his expression somewhere more appropriate.

Then he did his best to focus as they made their way through the main room. Which was kind of difficult to do when he was also trying really hard to hide his limp-

"The Millileth really fucked you up, huh?"

… and apparently doing a terrible job…

Ajax turned to find the captain studying him-

"They dislocated my hip, then made me sit on it for five hours." The lie flowed easily and he shrugged, also gauging the Mondstadter-

The knight's eye widened minutely- "Huh. Okay."

The one good thing about his arrest was how blatantly aggressive it was, and the fact that he could use it to kind of mask the severity of his current disability.

Though… he hadn't been limping before, andhadbeen almost pain-free in daily life, in fact- so he wasn't really lying if he kept blaming the Millileth for his current condition-

They made their way down the first aisle- mostly empty shelves, and he decided to milk it. "Is it alright if I like, grab a chair and sit by the entrance-"

The cavalry captain's gaze sharpened-

Wow. Lumine must not see you in work-mode all that often, because you arenothinglike she described-

Ajax held a hand up as he stopped walking- "Take Ekaterina. I didn't think this through…" He pulled his arm out of hers-

Concerned would be an understatement for the look she threw him-

Sorry, Kat…

The Millileth's grips on their polearms tightened-

Oh, come on-

"Look- I didn't realize I'd be walking the entire warehouse- I'm in pain-"

Katya's jaw twitched, and Ajax tried not to wince.

He'd been the one pushing to join…

But he also hadn't realized exactly who the knights were that were in Liyue, to be fair.

The grandmaster had made a good impression, sure, but he hadn't realized that one of the Traveler's good friends would be the other knight with her.

He basically hadn't wanted Katya to walk into a lion's den alone. But if Lumine was a good judge of character- and Ajax truly believed that she was (her friendship withhimaside)- then Katya would be safe with them.

Not that the woman couldn't defend herself, of course.

Ajax just didn't want her tohaveto-

The cavalry captain hummed, "Seems to me you should have taken advantage of your freedom and not come at all, then, no?"

Hah! That's a threat-

Or- thatfeelslike a threat?

Ajax raised his eyebrows.

"Kaeya, stop. Go sit with him. One of you, join them." The Grandmaster gestured at the Millileth guard on the right, then promptly turned back toward the aisles, "Ms. Ekaterina, if you would please continue on with me?"

"Of course…" Ekaterina gave Ajax alookbefore following the knight up the aisles.

Oh… I am going to get an earful after this…

But walking reallywaspainful. And he trusted Katya to pick up on any important details, and all-in-all the situation felt relatively safe…

It really wasn't necessary for him to destroy his body any further.

He and the cavalry captain watched the others go.

Then a single icy blue eye zeroed in on Ajax- "If this is some sort of trick, or trap-"

"Should've left the Millileth with me."

Kaeya's attention snapped fully onto him-

Ajax raised his hands placatingly- "What? You're obviously nervous about separating-"

I'm… still kind of nervous about Katya going-

He trusted the Grandmaster. She seemed like a standup individual.

And he and Ekaterina had agreed that bringing guards of their own would come across as too hostile-

And they also didn't actually know who of their own they could trust at this point. The skirmishers were a completely unknown quantity. Ajax had a hunch- a theory if you will- as to who sent them, but the quickest way to prove that theory was to examine the bodies, which was going to be a bit difficult to pull off.

Ajax felt the captain's glare on the side of his face as they watched the rest of their party leave around a corner.

Should I try small talk?

Maybe if I mention Lumine… Find common ground?

I like your eyepatch…?

Ajax turned back to the captain, "So, uh… do Cavalry Captains usually conduct investigations?"

Kaeya's eye narrowed and his nose scrunched in mild disgust.

Ajax blinked, "Is that a no…?"

The captain rolled his eye, "Why do you care, Harbinger?"

Ajax shrugged, "Just curious. Would've thought you'd be, like, training horses and troops or something. This doesn't seem like something a grandmaster or cavalry captain would handle personally."

"Do Harbingers usually oversee kidnapping cases personally?"

When we're the ones doing the kidnapping, yes- well- sometimes-

"No."

Kaeya hummed and tapped his chin with a finger, "Hmm, maybe you're just lazy, then?"

Ajax snorted, "You're pretty funny! I like you!"

That made the knight's face scrunch even more, which was extremely satisfying to watch.

"Whatever, go find your chair."

Ajax sighed and turned toward the entrance

Hedidwant to sit down. And he couldn't hide his limpat allwithout Katya's support. And it's not like the conversation was all that entertaining-

A shoulder roughly checked his own and he slammed sideways into a shelf. He bit back a shout, as a rough hand and a… cloth?... covered his mouth-

Oh FUCK don't breathe don't breathe-

His knees buckled-Shit-!

So much for my judgement of character…

Lumine I swear to the gods your friends SUCK-

"... the hell are you doing-?!"

The temperature around him dropped, and he felt a strange breeze-

Then the heat of an obvious pyro blast-

"X-Xi-" Ajax's lips were completely numb by the time the cloth was finally pulled back from his face. His brain was a little numb as well as he dimly registered the fight happening around him.

At some point he must have fallen. Because everything was kind of sideways…

There was a spray of blood, and the cavalry captain shouted as he gripped his arm-

Wait a second…

Everything was extremely confusing, and Ajax couldn't figure out if he was intrigued, extremely entertained, or absolutely fucking terrified-

Probably some weird combination of the three if he were being honest.

An anemo burst made residual pyro swirl, and Ajax wondered if he'd gotten Xiao's name out afterall.

Help…

More voices.

Hands roughly lifted him-

N-Not- D-DefinitelynotXiao-

Panic spiked through the Harbinger, and Ajax growled, but it wasn't all that menacing considering he had very little motor control at the moment-

He felt the legacy tighten in his core, felt it writhe angrily as consciousness slipped-

N-Noo… Stop-

Katya was nearby. He couldn't risk-

"Let HIMGO-"

Ajax fought the legacy back as Ekaterina's voice warped and danced strangely around him.

He'd never heard her sound soangry…

He recognized the-thunk!-of a knife into flesh, and suddenly he and whoever had been lifting him were falling-

Glass crashed as windows broke inward-

But Ajax could no longer see. Whatever they'd drugged him with made dark splotches dance and sway across his vision until everything was just pitch black-

More hands grabbed him.

And the wind howled.

Notes:

:D Next Chapter... let's say Wednesday!

Chapter 23: Okay, NOW It's a Party!

Summary:

:D

Notes:

Baby chapter time yay!

Thank you to everyone reading and commenting! I always love talking with y'all! :D

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Jean

"GRANDMASTER-"

Jean turned at Ekaterina's shout in time to see a white cloth coming straight for her face-

Luckily her instincts were quicker than her brain, and the Millileth guard was sent flying before Jean fully registered the danger.

"Oof-"

Unluckily, Jean also accidentally sent her savior slamming into a shelf… albeit a fraction gentler than her intended target-

I really amnotwith it today-

Also, what the fuck-

Jean sent a more concentrated anemo burst at the guard as he started struggling to his feet. He hit a wall. Jean didn't really look to see if he got up again, because sounds of a struggle were obvious a few aisles away.

"Kaeya!"

He didn't answer, per se- but Jean did hear a shouted- "What the hell are you doing!?" that definitely came from her captain, so she at least knew he was alive.

And probably dealing with a very similar situation.

Ekaterina was sitting on the ground, rubbing at her head-

Jean grimaced, "Are you alright-"

"M'fine…" The woman's eyes were screwed tightly shut.

Jean glanced quickly toward where she knew Kaeya to be before kneeling in front of the woman. She gently held her palms up to Ekaterina's temples and sent out a gentle healing burst-

The woman blinked, her eyes quickly refocusing- "Whoa."

"Better?"

"Yes, thank you… Wow, you're really good-"

"No time, we need to move-" Jean sucked in a sharp gasp at the sight of a flash. A flash that was very obviously pyro-

She hauled the Fatui to her feet and practically dragged her around the corner-

In time to see a knife slice through Kaeya's arm-

Her captain grunted in obvious pain.

And Jean sawred-

She howled with the wind around her, sending a concentrated burst straight at the pyro agent's chest.

He also slammed into a wall.

Which was around when someone yanked her sideways- out of the way of another knife-

Ekaterina came streaking past right after saving Jean's ass for the second time, and threw out a blade of her own as she screamed- "Let HIMGO-"

It lodged in the eye-socket of the other 'Millileth' guard- and the man went down with the Harbinger still slung over his shoulder-

This is just getting more and more ridiculous-

Windows broke inward, and Jean decided it was about time to cut their losses and get the fuck out of there.

Kaeya

WhAT THE EVERLOVING FUCK-

Kaeya watched in shock as the Millileth slammed the Harbinger into a shelf and promptly shoved a cloth over his nose and mouth-

"HEY! What the hell are you doing!?" Kaeya certainly didn't like the Harbinger. But assaulting and very obviously chloroforming him seemed excessive- especially given the current situation-

Kaeya spun around as he heard a shout of warning from Ekaterina-

But they were a few aisles away, so he had no clue what was going on.

OKAY. So who am I supposed to-

He turned back toward the Harbinger, whose knees where buckling as he fought to shove his assailant's hands away from his face-

"Hey! Unless you have a good reason to be…" Kaeya drew his sword, but again he was like,superconfused- "He didn't fucking do anything! Let him go!"

And the planet's axes must have shifted as I actively defend a Fatui…

The guard ignored him, so he moved forward-

And yelped as a blast of pyro roared toward him.

Kaeya jumped backwards and threw out a frostgnaw on instinct. It extinguished the flames before they could burn him, but his hands shook anyway-

He could have sworn he heard the shrieking roar of a dragon-

Steam wafted into the air as a new figure approached. Kaeya watched as a trio of dancing, spinning blades became visible.

Off to the side, Tartaglia finally collapsed like a ragdoll into the probably-not-actually-Millileth's arms.

Unless the Fatui at some point started workingwiththe Millileth to attack their own...

Shit. Okay, then-

None of this makes any goddamn sense-

Kaeya summoned his glacial waltz as the blades before him ignited-

"What the fuck kind of ambush is this?! You just took down one of your own-" A pyro blast shut the captain uprealquick and he dove out of the way-

A knife followed up and grazed his arm.

Kaeya shot out an icicle, but the pyro agent melted it before it could impact-

"Kaeya!" An anemo burst healed him, while simultaneously knocking him sideways into the shelves-

He looked up in time to see the agent fly into the wall-

"Let HIMGO-"Ekaterina shrieked as she ran past, throwing out a knife-

It lodged straight in the Maybe-Millileth's eye-socket, and the soon-to-be-corpse and Harbinger fell backwards to land in a heap.

The receptionist slid baseball-style to her boss's side- "Aj- Childe-!" She gently shook his shoulder, and the man groaned. She quickly pulled his arm up and over her shoulder.

Which was about when two nearby windows shattered.

And a pyro infused bullet flew past Kaeya's cheek-

HoLY SHIT-

Kaeya couldn't tell if he was the luckiest, or unluckiest man in the world. He wasn't dead, so he figured the concept was debatable-

Jean blocked the next round with a concentrated shield of anemo, which she held protectively in front of all four of them.

"Don't let them escape-" The pyro agent rasped as he shakily rose to his feet.

Two new figures dropped into the room, but Kaeya didn't get a good enough look before Jean grabbed him-

He let out an awkward squawk as his grandmaster created a draft.

"Ekaterina-"

Kaeya blinked as Jean held an arm out to the woman-

Ekaterina clearly understood, and she hauled her boss up and clung to Jean's shoulder.

Okay! I guess we're friends now!

Kaeya wasstillconfused-

But he didn't have too much time to think about it before Jean launched them all toward the door on an anemo burst- straight past the new enemies-

Jean kept her feet and pivoted as she continued summoning the wind to deflect bullets and other projectiles-

Kaeya stumbled a little, but caught himself, used to Jean's antics-

Ekaterina, by contrast, fell directly on top of her semi-conscious boss with a surprised 'oof!'-

Kaeya hauled her up, then grabbed one of the Harbinger's arms. Ekaterina recovered quickly and pulled Tartaglia's other arm over her own shoulder.

They were out the door, and ducking into the nearby woods for cover only a moment later.

Notes:

Tar-Tar-Taglia: zzZZzz...
Jean: :O Oh dear-
Ekaterina: Oh my-
Kaeya: Ah fuck.

Bonus-
Diluc: also zzZZzz... I think I can get the next chapter out by Monday (I'm super busy this coming weekend, sorry y'all ;)

I've also got another fic in the Liyue series on the docket, it's about old timey Morax and babey Xiao back during the Archon War! So expect to see that soon if you're interested! It'll definitely be up by Monday!

Chapter 24

Summary:

I mean, they kind of know what's up... kind of...?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-Liyue Harbor- edge of the city-

Jean

Jean cut through underbrush, guiding the small group back toward the city.

Her mind buzzed with adrenaline, anger, and outright confusion.

Were the Millileth compromised? Dirty?

Or had the Fatui simply managed to get their hands on a few uniforms?

And regardless, why on earth would they attack their own-

There were a number of possibilities, and none of them were good.

She held a branch back for Kaeya and Ekaterina before casting her gaze back the way they'd come. Her ears strained, but she couldn't hear much over the ambient noise of the forest.

The Harbinger groaned, and Jean rushed to catch up-

It was the first sign of life he'd shown aside from rasping breaths.

"Ch-Childe- Shh… You're alright-" Ekaterina sounded dangerously close to tears-

"Quiet- both of you-" Kaeya's whisper was harsh. Some might say angry-

"Kaeya, stop." Jean came around to study the young Snezhnayan man's face, "Lay him down-"

"Jean, we can't stop-"

"I said lay him down!" Jean was approaching her wits end and the Harbinger didnotlook good-

Kaeya blinked at her sharp tone, then immediately moved to comply with the receptionist's help.

They laid him flat on his back, and Ekaterina moved to pull his head into her lap. She gently brushed his hair out of his face and whispered soft words of comfort in what Jean assumed was probably Snezhnayan. Her lower lip quivered.

"Ekaterina?" Jean knelt next to the pair, "Do you know what they used? Is there a specific chemical that you usually go for-?" The grandmaster took note of Kaeya moving to guard their backs as she spoke.

Ekaterina's head jerked up, "I- No I-" The poor woman was shaking- "I would have thought chloroform, but-"

"Hey, it's alright," Jean put a steadying hand on the woman's shoulder, "I'm going to take a look at his lungs, okay? If it's chloroform he's going to be just fine…"

Jean tried to keep her expression neutral as she realized that that… probably wasn't all that comforting. Considering they didn't actually know for certain what drug they'd used on him-

"It was chloroform. Or something really similar." Kaeya didn't look back as he spoke. He kept his eyes on the trees…

Jean nodded once. Then Ekaterina gently set the Harbinger's head on the ground as the grandmaster leaned over him further.

His breathing was somewhat shallow, and his forehead was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. His pulse was a little quick for her liking, but nothing… too horribly concerning.

"I'm going to heal his lungs and see if that helps."

Ekaterina nodded, wringing her hands as she fidgeted.

Jean's face softened, "Could you hold his head steady for me? And stay close- he may wake up as I heal him and he needs to stay calm."

Ekaterina nodded, this time with a bit more surety, and immediately moved to hold her boss steady.

Jean smiled. The woman had seemed the type to settle with action- to find comfort in having a task.

Jean huffed a steadying breath and gently tilted the man's head and opened his airway-

Then she placed one hand on his chest-

He looked so young up close like this…

Focus.

She breathed out a controlled healing burst and guided it down the Harbinger's throat…

Jean closed her eyes and focused, feeling as her magic moved through his lungs, feeling as it healed- his face scrunched in obvious discomfort.

Suddenly, Tartaglia's eyes flew open and he gasped and sputtered. His gaze danced wildly- completely unfocused-

"Shh- Aj- Childe, you're alright…" Ekaterina gently rubbed his forehead and his attention landed more solidly on her-

"We should sit him up-"

The Harbinger tensed noticeably as Jean moved to grip his shoulder-

"It's alright, Childe, she healed you-"

"W-Why'd-" The redhead's question devolved into a hacking fit, and Jean grimaced as she pulled her hand back.

Ekaterina managed to get him mostly upright on her own, when-

"We need to move-"

Tartaglia may have tensed at Jean's touch, but he outrightflinchedas Kaeya came into view- "F-Fuck- you- he-" Breathing was clearly still a challenge.

Kaeya's face scrunched- "Shut it Fatuus- We gotta go-"

Fatuus-?Jean shook her head and grabbed the Harbinger's arm-

He tried to jerk away again, which was extremely unhelpful-

"Childe, calm down-" Ekaterina hauled him to his feet. The pair wobbled, and Jean helped steady them-

The Harbinger apparently ran out of fight, because he let her pull his arm over her shoulder at that point.

–

"I-I can walk…"

They were nearing the edge of town as Tartaglia spoke up-

Jean gently released her hold.

Ekaterina set his feet down, but let him continue leaning on her.

He took a ragged breath- "What happened… Why'd you drug me…?" His eyes narrowed. Then he blinked. Then his head kind of lolled to the side-

Ekaterina had to readjust to keep him balanced-

Oh. Well that explains his reaction to Kaeya…

"They didn't drug you, Childe," Ekaterina readjusted her balance- "The Millileth did-"

Jean blinked in surprise, then held up a finger, "That wasnotthe Millileth- those were definitely Fatui skirmishers and pyro agents-"

Ekaterina rolled her eyes- "Dressed as the Millileth? It wouldn't be the first time we-" The receptionist sighed heavily, and her brow furrowed, "They're easy to pay off… That's notnecessarilywhat happened, but it's a strong possibility-"

"I didn pay'em to drug me…" Tartaglia- Or Childe? Swayed-

It would have been kind of funny if the situation wasn't so shitty.

Jean's brow furrowed- "I… didn't think you had… but regardless of the guards, the others were obviously pyro agents."

Her eyes narrowed as she wondered what the pair would fire back with. If they- or rather,Ekaterina- tried to deny it then that would certainly be suspicious-

Kaeya grunted behind her. He had his arms crossed over his chest. His face was twisted in a barely restrained snarl-

Oh boy-

Ekaterina grimaced, "Look, I won't try to pretend that those weren't Fatui. At least some of them obviously were but they weren'tours-"

Kaeya scoffed. Which was honestly probably a fair reaction given the circumstances.

Jean herself couldn't quite decide how she wanted to parse the situation- "Kaeya-" she pinched the bridge of her nose.

I am far,fartoo exhausted for this...

Kaeya, by contrast, looked totallypissed-"And why the fuck should we believe a single word you say?! How do we know this wasn't all staged-"

"Uhh…" Tartaglia swayed. Again.

Kaeya snarled, and Jean put a hand on the center of his chest-

"Kaeya, stop! I don't-" Jean huffed, and darted her gaze back toward the Snezhnayans.

Tartaglia swayed where he stood, and though he tried to hide it he very clearly grimaced as his weight shifted.

And Ekaterina… if it hadn't been for Ekaterina, then Jean would almost certainly be in a very similar state at present.

Jean huffed another sharp breath as she made her judgment- "I don't think they're involved."

Ekaterina visibly relaxed. Tartaglia, meanwhile, leaned just slightly more of his weight on her as his breaths continued to wheeze.

And Kaeyabalked,"It was a trap, Jean!" Her captain gestured angrily at the two Fatui in front of them. Tartaglia flinched at the shout and Ekaterina fidgeted- "What makes you so certain they didn't plan the whole fucking thing?!"

Jean stepped in front of him- "Because Ekaterina saved my life twice, and the Harbinger was outright assaulted. I doubt they would, one: spoil their own plans, or two: make plans that result in their own death or injury-"

Wow. That came out much more logical and organized than my current thoughts- Jean was…verytired at the present moment. Mentally, physically, emotionally-

Kaeya continued to glare past her, and he pointed accusingly- "You're just buying time to move the children-"

Jean froze in place.Shit- We hadn't managed to search the entire warehouse-

She felt her heartrate pick up- "Fuck, we have to go back-"

An explosion, or more accurately a pillar of flames soared up into the sky, cutting her off.

Jean gasped and shielded her eyes-

Kaeya took off at a dead sprint toward the fire.

Toward theinn-

Toward the inn where-

"Diluc!"

Jean followed without another glance back.

Diluc

Diluc frowned into his mug. The coffee here kind of sucked…

It was whatever the inn had stocked, so it wasn't all that surprising that it wasn't… the best, but it was still disappointing.

He drank it anyway. He was tired, exhausted really, but there was no way he was about to go back to sleep.

Not alone, at least.

He really just wanted Jean and Kaeya to be back already because he was getting really tired of sitting alone with his thoughts, and the longer they were gone the more heworriedabout them-

He idly rubbed at the edge of his brace. His knee was really sore… He had tried not to let it show earlier, but he was fairly certain he'd done some damage when his nightmare left him thrashing…

Figures…

He took another chug of the mediocre coffee and wished he wasn't so picky. Or maybe spoiled was a more accurate description. Alexei and his sister always madereallygood coffee, and he'd been unable to compromise ever since…

Diluc huffed and rested his chin in his palm. He debated whether or not to cut the thoughts, the memories, off like weeds.

Reminiscing was… painful. Even the good memories were. But even more painful was the possibility of forgetting.

Diluc was already having trouble remembering the exact contours of Lex's face… It had been similar with his father, after a few years had passed, but Diluc at least had a couple photos and portraits of Crepus.

Or a mirror. The Ragnvindr genes were quite potent to say the least, and even when he was young Diluc knew he was the spitting image of his dad. He'd been told too many times as a kid to ever possibly question it.

But Alexei's face… it grew less distinct as time passed. Diluc remembered more his gestures, the way he moved and spoke, but even that sometimes-

Diluc wondered if his sister had any photos. And if she'd be willing to part with one…

And if he even had a right to ask.

Diluc's chest tightened and he decided that he'd had enough feelings for one day. Probably an entire month, really.

He finished off his coffee and hobbled to the sink to rinse out the mug.

Then he picked up the book Kaeya had gotten him and settled on the couch with his leg propped up on a pillow.

He started reading about a man who had been chopped into bits and buried in five separate locations.

Because that was definitely better than confronting his own traumas.

–

Diluc startled at a knock on the door.

His eyes narrowed after he scrubbed them awake. He'd apparently fallen asleep- which was good because honestly, his body needed the rest and it had been dreamless (thankfully).

He turned toward the clock- it wasn't all that late… So there was no real reason to worry too much about Jean and his brother just yet…

Unless something went wrong.

Diluc struggled to his feet as the knock repeated itself, increasing in intensity.

He perched himself on his crutch and hobbled to the door.

He looked out the peephole before unlocking it, and left the chain in place before partially opening the door to an unfamiliar Millileth guard.

"Where's Yikuo?" Diluc spoke before the other man even had a chance to open his mouth.

The guard blinked- "Oh, I relieved him about an hour ago, sir-"

Diluc's eyes narrowed. They weren't set to change until-

"Sir, I hate to inconvenience you, but I am going to have to ask you to come with me…"

This isn't right… They would have told me if they'd changed the guard rotations.

Right?

Diluc wondered if he'd finally have to stop complaining about the Knights' poor security-

He didn't even listen to what the man had to say. Instead Diluc very obviously looked him up and down. His belt wasn't quite right. And his shoes...

Diluc trusted his gut and immediately slammed the door shut- or tried to- a knife blade was quickly wedged between the door and frame before it could properly latch-

The guard slammed his shoulder into the door, catching Diluc in the chest painfully, and making him stumble- the chain holding the door strained, but held.

Diluc realized with something approximating horror that he had no chance at winning any kind of strength contest at the moment… He turned before the guard assaulted the door again and hobbled around the couch- toward the bedroom as quickly as his useless knee would allow-

He'd left his vision on the nightstand.

MOVE-

There was a loud crash right as he reached the next room. He slammedthatdoor behind himself as well before practically diving for his vision as angry footsteps approached.

He clutched the stone tightly in his hand and felt its warmth pulse in time with his frantic heartbeat as something heavy slammed against the bedroom door.

"Not very trusting, are you Master Ragnvindr?" The man snarled as the bedroom door splintered with little resistance. "I guess we're doing this the old fashioned way, then-"

Diluc felt his flames dance and lick at his fingertips somewhat painfully as hunter's knives came soaring into the room-

"Ready to fight fire with fire, Falcon?" The Not-Millileth snarled as flames of his own danced up and down his gloves, catching on the doorframe, on the carpet-

Diluc chucked his crutch and managed to nail the man in the head right as he stepped through the ruined door-

"Ow! Why you-" The agent stumbled and this time Diluc threw a book-

The Fatui's pyro delusion glowed at his hip and the projectile burned to ash before it made it halfway across the room. The man apparently saw no reason to hide it anymore…

Which made sense considering he'd literally broken in, then proceeded to call Diluc by the code-name that only the Fatui used-

Diluc dodged a blade that lodged in the wall and ignited a tapestry. It was a shame, really- for inn decor that particular wall hanging was very pretty-

Diluc stumbled and fell on his ass as he dodged the next sharp, pointy, and very on-fire object-

Shit- Ow-

The wine tycoon shot a bout of flame at the man in return as his assailant pulled back another knife to throw-

The agent sidestepped it easily and Diluc grabbed wildly for something- anything within reach-

A pillow smacked the Snezhnayan in the face.

It was immediately incinerated, but it gave Diluc time to get back up-

Another knife whizzed past him, and Diluc threw a lamp. It landed at the agent's feet and immediately went up in a little mini explosion- creating a decently hot oil-fire-

Oh shit-

Diluc's eyes widened-Fuck- we're gonna burn down this whole fucking building-

The Fatui-in-Millileth's clothing jumped back from the oil and snarled, chucking out another flaming knife.

This one nicked Diluc's upper arm and he cried out, clutching at the nasty gash-

It was already cauterized… whatever that was worth…

I can't compete with knives- I've got nothing-

Diluc made a beeline for the door- shooting out a wad of flames that staggered his attacker. His shoulder hit the frame as he stumbled through-

There were two more unfamiliar figures in the front hall, and Diluc caught the glint of a hydro delusion.

He… may have panicked…

And immediately summoned a bird on impulse.

Notes:

Kaeya: You planned this! Didn't you?!

Ajax, high out of his mind: If I say yes can I try on your eyepatch?

Katya: *smacks her own forehead*

Jean: *barely restrains Kaeya from committing immediate murder-*Meanwhile!

Diluc: I am going to follow doctor's orders and rest. I'll do my best to relax, and everything will be fine, and Kaeya and Jean will come back with a lead, and finally,somethingin my life will go right-

Diluc, 5 min later: BY CELESTIA THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING-
~~~~

Chapter next weekend! :D

Babey xiao fic is coming... but not tonight I'm sorry y'all I need another day or two-

Chapter 25: Fire and flame and everything lame-

Summary:

Kaeya rescues his brother. Again.
Jean heals his brother. Again.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

Kaeya

Kaeya's heart was in his throat as he shoved past people frantically running away from the fire-

The entirety of the building was made of wood, it seemed, and in the time it had taken him to exit the treeline and run the few blocks to the property, most of the structure was engulfed.

It was, quite literally, his worst nightmare.

A few hydro vision wielders had banded together and were working to control the inferno on one end of the building- trying to keep it from spreading to a nearby apartment complex- while a steadily increasing squad of Millileth were forming a line to pass buckets of water along-

Kaeya charged straight past them.

One man tried to grab him, tried to stop him but he dodged him easily.

Once in the building, Kaeya threw frost with reckless abandon- kicking down doors as he went. More than one tenant rushed past him gratefully as he cleared as many paths as possible.

The fire got more and more intense as he approached their suite. He pulled part of his cape around and held it over his face.

And he continued throwing out ice as he went.

He could hear banging- footsteps and grunts as he approached their room- their room that didn't have a door-

Their room that, in contrast to the rest of the inn, actuallywasn'ton fire-

It was clearly charred, and burnt, but-

Kaeya picked up his pace.

He arrived in time to watch Dilucscreamas he threw out a blast of pyro- which was immediately swallowed in a hydro bubble-

There was a half-charred body on the floor near the wrecked kitchen.

And another in a pool of blood right next to his brother.

Diluc's arm hung limply by his side as he sat/crouched- which he shouldn't have been able to do with his knee brace, but Kaeya figured that was probably the least of their worries at this point-

"Diluc!"

A hydro bubble immediately shot towardKaeya'sface, and the captain promptly popped it with an icicle-

He almost felt bad for the Fatui agent in front of him. She looked haggard and exhausted, and her clothes were already scorched in places…

And Diluc took Kaeya's distraction as the perfect opportunity to hurl another unforgiving volley of fire straight at her-

She slammed into the wallhard,her shield of hydro- almost reminiscent of a mirror- did very little to slow the blasts.

Kaeya ignored her and ran straight for his brother.

He immediately yanked Diluc into his chest as the building around them groaned.

Diluc sobbed in what Kaeya could only assume was fear mixed with relief mixed with adrenaline (and also probably pain) as he clung to Kaeya weakly-

His brother's arms and hands were clearly burned… quite badly as a matter of fact. His clothes were torn and scorched in places, and he had a horrible bruise on the side of his face-

"I've got you-" Kaeya looped an arm under Diluc's legs, and the redhead cried out in pain. His knee brace was clearly broken, which Kaeya had already assumed was the case given the way he had been sitting-

"Shh… You're okay…" Kaeya had always been good at lying.

Diluc panted raggedly, and his eyes squeezed shut tight. He groaned as Kaeya started lifting.

"Gods you're heavy-" Kaeya grunted as he struggled to his feet. He could feel the heat on the other side of the wall, and without the mirror maiden throwing out hydro, and with Diluc's extra doses of pyro, the room was no longer anywhere near safe-

Kaeya held his brother close and stumbled through the door and out into a hall of smoke and ash.

His eye burned.

His lungs burned.

And he realized that more than one spot on his body burned where he'd likely brushed against flames or heated objects-

He moved as quickly as he could manage.

He turned a corner and ran flat into Jean- She had a damp cloth wrapped around her face, and she immediately moved to tie one around Kaeya's as they moved.

She then did the same for Diluc. He appeared to have lost consciousness, and his head lolled against Kaeya's shoulder.

Then she gripped Kaeya's arm and guided him down one hall- she tugged him as he tried to go back the way he'd come in-

"No- Follow me-"

Kaeya followed.

And about a minute later the trio burst out into a mercifully cool night.

Ajax

Ajax panted as he threw hydroblast after hydroblast-

He watched Ekaterina guide another family out of the burning building-

Then he slumped against a railing as his vision blurred. Dark spots danced and swayed, and he shook his head in an attempt at clearing them.

Then he went right back to summoning hydro in jets-

After another minute, hands gripped his shoulders and turned him around. He jumped away, almost falling, and Ekaterina's grip tightened-

"... out, Ajax-" Her voice swam- "... other side-"

What.

His brain was, admittedly, still a little fuzzy at the moment.

He was more or less running on autopilot, and when there was a burning building in front of you- surrounded by people trying to put it out- it was pretty obvious even to his drugged up mush brain that the first course of action as a hydro user was to-

Ekaterina pulled him along, derailing his thoughts as he stumbled. She pulled his arm over her shoulder to help him walk-

"They need help over here-"

Right. Yes-

Ajax blinked and swallowed- "P-Point me in a direction-"

Ekaterina did just that and Ajax helped about three other hydro users save what was left of the south wing of the building.

Jean

"Over here-" Jean led Kaeya through the crowd and toward an area that was a bit less busy, "Lay him down, gently…"

Kaeya was very obviously in a daze as Jean helped him lower Diluc to the ground.

Jean took stock.

For the second time in as many days-

Gash on his arm. It looks burnt.

Head trauma and severe bruising around cheek and jaw. I'll have to check for fractures and… another concussion.

Knee. Shit-

Severe burns on palms and fingers extending toward wrist joints. He didn't have his gloves on…

Okay. Jean sucked in a shaky breath. Head and face wounds first, then the burns, then his knee.

Jean got to work.

Sound distorted and warped around her as she sent a pulse of healing into Diluc's temples.

He groaned.

She gently turned first his right wrist to inspect-

Heal.

Left wrist.

Next.

She moved toward his leg-

No, wait- lungs- smoke inhalation-

Gods what was wrong with her she should have started there-

She sent another burst straight into the man's chest and dimly registered his body jolting in what may have been surprise-

Knee.

Jean moved toward his leg-

"... slow down-"

She started working to maneuver the broken shards of the brace- some of them were digging into his skin. Some of them hadbrokenskin-

"J-Jean- p-please stop-"

Jean startled as a hand weakly tugged her sleeve.

Diluc's eyes were wild, and blown wide in… shock? Pain? Both?

Jean blinked.

He shouldn't be sitting up…

Jean blinked again. "You shouldn't be sitting up."

"J-Jean-" Diluc choked. Which was around when Jean registered that he was crying, "P-Please s-slow down it hurts-"

Jean stared. Not quite processing… anything… "Your leg's bleeding."

Diluc's upper body shook as he took rapid, shallow breaths- "I- I know-"

"I don't want your leg to be bleeding."

"I kn-know but I- you-you're hurting me-" Diluc started shaking harder.

He shouldn't be sitting up.

Jean blinked. "I'm…" Jean blinked some more as tears gathered, "You- You should lay back d-down-" Her hands shook as she moved to brace his shoulders. She tried to lean him back, but Diluc immediately clung to her, he winced everytime he moved his fingers, but he did not let go-

Jean blinked down at him as he started sobbing into her shoulder…

It was surreal.

Before this week she had seen Diluc cry exactly twice.

Once when they were around fourteen and his hawk died in a hunting accident. And yesterday. (She hadn't been there when Master Crepus-)

And now today-

Jean let him cling.

She didn't know what else to do.

Notes:

Kaeya: Well, you know if I didn't have trust issues before-
Diluc: *nods in agreement*
Jean: Honestly at this point fair. Ajax: *has no idea what is happening but is nevertheless doing his Best* Chapter next weekend! :D

Chapter 26: PICK UP THE PIECES! QUICK!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*?*

-?-

Kaeya

Kaeya shook.

He dimly remembered stumbling out of the building.

Laying his brother down.

Watching Jean heal him.

He shook.

He wouldn't have been able to tell you where he was if you asked.

Sound and sensation were a dull roar in his ears, in his head, all around him as his home burned and his mother screamed and his father gripped his small shoulders and an unfamiliar man grabbed his legs to keep him from kicking and between the two of them he was forced to lie flat on the alchemy table as fire and pain and ugly magic tore into his face and ripped him apart from the inside-

Someone screamed. Maybe it was his mother again…

Mama had tried to hide him in a cupboard earlier that day, but Kaeya just hadn't been able to keep quiet enough he was never enough and he would never be enough because he could never just do what he wastold-

This is why they kicked you out. I tried to warn you, those on the surface can't be trusted, especially not with what you are Ika ya.Father sneered down at him. Gripped him by his hair as he tried to look away-Remember what you're here for, you little ingrate- you'll never be one of them-

Someone ran past, snapping him out of the pseudo-memory-

There was suddenly a hand on his shoulder, and another cupping his cheek. And Kaeya flinched away violently.

He scrambled backwards until his back hit a tree- hit the tree he'd laid Diluc under-

Jean blinked at him.

He blinked back.

Her mouth moved, but Kaeya couldn't completely parse whatever it was she was saying-

She moved closer, and Kaeya felt every muscle in his body tense as his heart rate picked up.

The surface is an evil, gluttonous place, Ika ya. She'll kill you and you'll deserve it for turning on your family-

"I'm not bad-" Kaeya choked on the words.

Jean had been reaching another hand forward, but she hesitated, "Wh-What? Kaeya, all I said was that we're in danger in the open- I can carry Diluc on my back, but I need your help-"

Help-

Kaeya sucked in one deep breath. Then another. It didn't really help.

Every muscle felt like it was frozen solid, and Kaeya registered dully that the thought may not be totally inaccurate as his next gasping breath came out in a chilled puff-

"Kaeya, stop-!" Jean's hands were suddenly on him- at least… Kaeya reallyhopedit was Jean… "You need to calm down, slower breaths-" One of the hands fumbled at his belt, and Kaeya struggled-

With a light-click!-his vision was suddenly removed from his person and the surrounding air temperature quickly increased.

Kaeya shivered. Or had already been shivering.

He really wasn't all that sure if he was being honest.

His head was yanked into someone's shoulder, as they held him tight and rubbed circles into his back.

They were saying something.

It didn't register.

Then they were crying, and itkind ofregistered-

Jean pulled him forward. Or tried to pull him forward, rather.

She tugged on his shoulders insistently when he didn't really move- "Kaeya, come here. Now-" She sounded… upset…

"Jean- his lips are still blue-"Diluc? Right-

Kaeya's eye widened and he felt himself shake as his breaths once again came in shallow bursts-

"Sh-Shhh…" A different arm wound its way around his shoulder, "Kaeya, breathe… Y-You're safe… We're s-safe…" Diluc's voice shook as he settled on his right side.

Jean sat on his left and they both pressed close.

And he slowly felt warm again.

*present*

-outside the burning inn-

Diluc

Diluc noticed Kaeya first.

He'd slowly unburied his face from Jean's shoulder and looked up to see Kaeya frozen in panic- with slight tremors running through his entire body.

It had been so long since Kaeya completely shut down that Diluc had almost forgotten what it looked like…

And then Kaeya startedactuallyfreezing, and Diluc sucked in a sharp breath- "J-Jean-!"

They acted fairly quickly after that. Jean tried to calm him first, tried offering a task, tried reasoning and comforting- but nothing seemed to help, so she quickly unclipped Kaeya's vision herself and threw it in her bag. Then she shoved said bag a few feet away.

Then she tried to pull him toward Diluc, who had already started generating extra warmth-

Kaeya wouldn't move.

Diluc watched as Jean shook him by the shoulder, as she practically tried to yank him-

But Kaeya was stiff as a board. And pale. And his lips were still tinged slightly blue. His eye blinked sluggishly, very clearly not taking in anything about their current surroundings.

Kaeya was also shaking.

Diluc started dragging himselfacross the ground with his good arm. So long as he kept his bad leg somewhat straight it… wasn't theworstpain he'd ever felt…

Kaeya's lips started moving, and as Diluc moved closer he could kind of make out a mumble. But he had no idea what his brother was saying.

It was just like when they were kids… When Kaeya was little and he'd get spooked-

After another moment, Jean gave up on trying to move her semi-catatonic captain and instead helped Diluc move closer. Which was a godsend, because his entire body ached and he was very quickly approaching complete exhaustion.

Diluc hugged Kaeya close and did his best to warm him back up as quickly as possible. He was still cold, despite his cryo vision being securely stashed away.

"Sh-Shhh… Kaeya, breathe… Y-You're safe… We're s-safe…" Diluc choked on a sob as his words got stuck in his throat. And he gently pet Kaeya's hair as his brother ever so slowly untensed.

"Y-You're alright… come back…" Diluc squeezed Kaeya tight and ignored the way the sort-of healed burns on his hands stung.

This really was just like when they were kids…

Like that time Diluc accidentally burned himself. It actually happened fairly often when he'd first gotten his vision. But this particular time he hadn't realized Kaeya was approaching and he'd been trying to practice-

Kaeya had been around nine or ten at the time- Diluc was around twelve. Diluc couldn't remember exactly what his brother had wanted, only that Kaeya had screamed and startled him and he lost control and fire kind of spewed all around-

Diluc buried his face in Kaeya's hair. That wasn't good to think about… That was actually a veryverybad memory and there were plenty of times when it was the only thing Diluc could think about after their fight-

It was comparable. The look of outright horror on his little brother's face as fire danced and bit at skin and clothes and-

Diluc distantly registered Jean also wrapping her arm around Kaeya from the other side. He felt as she hugged them both close.

And he felt as Kaeya's face slowly stopped feeling like ice against Diluc's neck and shoulder.

He shut his eyes. And did his best to shut out memories as well.

We need to move… find somewhere safe…

Diluc had no idea what that might look like at this point.

He also had no idea how many assassination attempts he could possibly survive. Two in as many days was almost flattering.

*present*

-outside the smoldering inn-

Zhongli

Zhongli gently guided an elderly woman to sit on a nearby bench as he shielded her from the growing crowd-

He made certain she was settled before turning back toward the building. The flames were all but extinguished- between the Millileth and what appeared to be a volunteer group of hydro users a majority of the structure was… somewhat intact, and the fire had not spread.

The situation could easily have been much,muchworse…

Perhaps I will encourage alternative building practices…

Stone was expensive, but he could personally summon it- could easily mold it- and when it came down to a matter of safety Zhongli figured it was worth a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis at the least to figure out how much he could disrupt the construction industry without fully derailing the local economy. And at any rate it wouldn't be the first time he'd influenced the style and material choice of various-

His eye caught a shock of red hair.

There.

Someone had told him not long after he'd arrived that his 'Snezhnayan friend' was there and fighting the flames with a group of other hydro users. Zhongli had been splitting his attention between looking for Ajax and helping in any way he could.

Barring godly intervention, of course. Though he wasn't necessarily opposed to the option.

But luckily it was unnecessary, as the situation was largely in hand by the time he'd arrived.

He made his way toward the front of the crowd, toward where the last of the embers were being extinguished.

"Childe!"

The Snezhnayan didn't really react- but someone else turned-

Ekaterina's head snapped up and she waved from beside the Harbinger. Which was when Zhongli realized that she was fully supporting the Harbinger-

Zhongli felt his eye twitch.Why can you not juststay home?!

The god didn't understand why Ajax was out and about at all, especially considering how badly his back was hurting only a few hours prior-

He'd be lying if he said he was surprised, however.

Zhongli moved quickly, and had to fight his rougher nature when worry had him wanting to shove through the crowd-

Or teleport. But that really wasn't an option unless he wanted to cause even more of a scene.

He is fine. He is obviously alright or they would have called for Xiao-

Ajax was completely slumped over the shorter woman. She was very clearly having some measure of difficulty keeping him upright.

The Harbinger swayed, and Ekaterina stumbled a bit to catch him as she did her best to turn and face Zhongli as he approached.

This wasn't… this didn't look like-

Pain didn't seem to be what was keeping Ajax from walking on his own.

The dragon bit back his worry.

He placed a gentle hand on Ajax's shoulder, and the boy blinked sluggishly up at him.

"Zhongli…?" Brows furrowed over dull blue eyes, "What're y'doin here…?"

Anxiety spiked through him as any number of possibilities scrolled through the god's mind rapid-fire-

Concussion? No sign of injury or trauma, but it could be hidden by hair or- soot? Oh stars- were you in the building-

Shallow breathing, rapid heart rate despite low energy-

Dilated pupils.

Zhongli blinked. Then turned toward Ekaterina, "I have questions. But I will start with: What is wrong with him?"

He wouldn't be surprised if Ajax enjoyed the occasional… recreational opiate, and in safe settings he would have no qualms with the concept.

But they were in the midst of an active kidnapping debacle in which the boy was a prime suspect. And it was not as if Ajax's health was exactly stellar at the moment. Whatever he took was liable tocauseanxiety rather than soothe it-

Ekaterina fidgeted, "Well, you see, sir-"

Zhongli felt his eye twitch as he hoped beyond what was probably reasonable that they were not somehow involved in thefire itself-

WHY CAN YOU NOT JUST STAY HOME.

Especially if you are going to be doing dr-

Ajax interrupted. Both Ekaterina and Zhongli's spiraling thoughts- "I got drugged…" The Harbinger let out a hacking cough, "Budits 'kay m'jus tired…"

The Harbinger swayed.

And, though it was quite impossible for him to have one, Zhongli could have sworn he felt a heart palpitation.

Gotdrugged?!

Zhongli sucked in a sharp breath before thinking'fuck it'and wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders.

Neither he nor Ekaterina protested when the god looped his other arm under Ajax's knees and lifted him fully.

"Wee…" Ajax's head lolled into Zhongli's shoulder.

Snarky as ever.

Zhongli supposed he would probably find it more concerning if Ajaxwasn'ttrying to somehow minimize the situation… And at least he was conscious… right?

He sighed and adjusted to make certain the boy was comfortable and secure, "Come, Katya… Let's get him somewhere safe and private…"

"Yes sir…" Ekaterina gripped the sleeve of his left arm and followed with her gaze cast downward. The poor girl was despondent, and seemed utterly exhausted herself.

The Archon schooled his own anxiety into a frown.

Whatever happened… it must have been quite bad…

*present*

-?-

Ajax

Ajax thought it would be nice, were he able to say it had been a long time since he'd felt such a bone-deep exhaustion…

But as it stood, the universe was apparently determined to kill him (permanently) these past few months because this really just felt like a normal Tuesday-

Zhongli tucked Ajax's head gently against his shoulder, "Close your eyes. We're teleporting."

Ajax hummed, then complied.

And the next thing he knew his back was being pressed into something soft-

He blinked up at the geo god-

"Sleep, Ajax. You're alright…" Zhongli released him completely at that point before pulling a thick blanket up and over him. A rough hand, warm- almost the texture of a very fine sandpaper brushed his bangs back.

It felt nice, and his eyes closed again on their own.

"Is he going to be alright? We think it was just chloroform, but it should really be out of his system by now…" Ajax could mentally picture Katya wringing her hands.

Zhongli hummed, "I cannot say for certain what it was they used… but I do not detect anything unusual… unusual for him, at any rate. There is evidence of healing-"

"Oh! Yes, the Grandmaster of the Knights healed him not long after."

"The Grandmaster of the Knights…?"

"Of Favonius, yes. We were searching the warehouse together when we… were ambushed…"

Zhongli hummed again as his thumb gently rubbed Ajax's temple, "I will make us tea while you explain. We should let him rest…" The god's hand left his head, and while Ajax missed the warmth, he didn't really think he was going to be able to stay fully conscious much longer anyway. Though… he did wish someone had called Xiao…

His dreams were not likely to be kind.

The bed(?)- Ajax assumed he was on a bed- though it definitely wasn'thisbed, which he found somewhat concerning but didn't really have the energy to fully consider- moved a bit as Zhongli rose. His voice faded with both his and Ekaterina's footsteps as they left him- "We will need to keep a close watch on that cough…"

Notes:

Kaeya, Jean, Diluc: help. Zhongli: Being a father is exhausting...

Ajax: Wait, you're not my dad-

Zhongli: *literally picks him up from the police station, pays his bail, finds him a lawyer, and basically offers to protect and smuggle him out of Liyue if necessary. In everyday life: Constantly checks on him and makes sure he eats and doesn't do stupid shit, tries to make sure he doesn't overexert himself, and just generally hovers- the list goes on-*

Zhongli: You are definitely not my favorite kid. Ganyu was never this much of a troublemaker-

Ajax: Wait, was I in the running-? Chapter next weekend! :D

Chapter 27: Is anyone NOT having a terrible time?

Notes:

HAPPY NEW YEAR LAST CHAPTER OF 2021 YIP YIP-

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

PART THREE: Reckoning

*present*

-shitty motel on the other side of town-

Diluc

Jean and Kaeya set him gently on the bed and Diluc did his best not to wince or grunt with the movement.

Once Kaeya was a little more responsive, he and Jean had gathered the redhead up in a basket carry and made their way as far across town as they could manage. They stuck to dark alleys and smaller side streets, though Diluc wasn't entirely sure it made much difference. Stealth was a little difficult in their current state, so there was no way they'd completely avoided detection-

Diluc forced himself to relax. Truly safe or not, they were doing the absolute best they could at the moment, so it was imperative that he tamp down his paranoia.

They'd found a discrete little motel. Jean had gone up to the office to rent the room as Kaeya and Diluc waited across the street in the shadows.

And Kaeya hadn't said a single word… Period, actually- his brother hadn't said anything that Diluc could recall… he may have mumbled something at some point, but Diluc was growing increasingly worried.

Jean pushed him to lay back gently into the cushions as she got to work removing what was left of his leg brace and cleaning the cuts and scrapes where it had dug into his skin…

Diluc didn't know how bad it was. He didn't think he wanted to know how bad it was.

He chose to focus on his brother.

Kaeya was standing next to Jean, exactly where he'd been since helping Diluc sit down.

"K-Kaeya?" Diluc bit back a yelp as Jean pulled a small piece of metal out of his leg-

Kaeya blinked slowly up at him.

"Kaeya, why don't you get Jean some water and towels? Please?" He had to suck in another sharp breath as Jean adjusted his leg-

She didn't even react. Just kept working.

Which was fine. It was definitely fine because they really needed to get it clean because an infection was the last thing they wanted to deal with at the current juncture and-

Diluc couldn't stop his next cry as Jean turned his leg.

Oh dear Archons. I can't do this.

Diluc squeezed his eyes shut as the pain made his vision swim. He felt a little nauseous, so he laid back completely and gritted his teeth as he tried to ride it out.

Diluc groaned as the bed dipped beside him, then blinked his eyes open as a cool rag was laid over his forehead.

Kaeya then took one of his hands and started cleaning it with another damp rag. The worst of the burns were… sort of healed… but the skin was still extremely thin and tender, and had already cracked in a couple of places when he wasn't careful enough not to move…

Kaeya started rubbing some sort of ointment into his palms, then wrapped them both carefully while Jean continued with his leg.

Diluc closed his eyes and decided it was time to stop perceiving things.

Jean

Jean felt her vision swim as she sent another healing burst into Diluc's knee.

She had gotten the shrapnel out. It had been hell, and he'd needed stitches, and ligaments that she had taken great care to check and mend previously had been retorn-

But she would bedamnedif she wasn't going to fix this- if she wasn't going to make absolutely certain her friend was alright.

They shouldn't have left him alone in his condition- unable to properly defend himself.

Jean felt stupid.

Jean felt guilty.

And Jean feltimmeasurablyangry-

Fury felt as though it burned in her veins- cold and hot at the same time. She had to actively tamp it down as she sent out another dose of magic.

She swayed as her vision went totally dark for a quick moment-

Oh shit-

Her ears were roaring with an indistinct static, and colors swayed as her vision blurred in and out-

"You're done." Hands on her shoulders held her upright in her perch on the bed.

She blinked up into an icy blue- "K-Kae… Y'okay…?"

The blue scowled at her, "It's a little ironic that you're askingmethat." His tone was rather flat in her humble opinion.

Jean hummed as she started listing further sideways-

"Right…" Kaeya sighed as he pulled her close. Her head settled below his chin and Jean felt him exhale. Then she felt his chest rumble as he spoke, "I think it might be time for bed."

Jean hummed again as her eyes closed, "... m'sorry…"

"What for…?" Kaeya's breath tickled her head as he lifted her. Which she wasn't really expecting-

Jean gasped lightly and clung to his shirt. She blinked up at him-

"Whoa, sorry… I've got you."

Jean relaxed as Kaeya carried her across the room. Her head settled on his shoulder. She felt like a child…

"M'sorry Kae…" Jean blinked sluggishly up at Kaeya as he laid her in the second bed- "I- I'm really sorry-"

"Shh… Hey… You have nothing to apologize for-"

That's not true.

That's not true at all-

Jean felt her breath hitch as his palm lightly cupped her cheek. She realized she was crying only after his thumb started brushing away her tears.

"Go to sleep Jeanie… I'll keep watch." Kaeya pulled the blanket up and over her. Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead-

Jean yanked him down into another hug.

"Oof-" Kaeya had to catch himself to keep from falling directly on top of her, but at this point Jean didn't care. She was exhausted- pushed farther past her limits than she had been in a long,longtime, and right now she just needed to cling-

"Okay… a-alright…" Kaeya sighed, then seemed to resign himself to his fate as a pillow- "Just- Let me at least get comfortable-"

Jean grumbled. then loosened her grip enough for Kaeya to climb under the covers. Then she clung again. Not unlike a koala.

"Careful, Jean, or Lisa's gonna get jealous-"

Jean growled.

"S-Sorry… bad joke…" Kaeya shifted, "Just… try to sleep…"

Jean huffed. Then she sniffled. Then she clung harder as breathing became more and more difficult-

"Okay… okay…" Kaeya rubbed circles into her back- "Alright, now I'm gonna cry and I was trying really hard not to-"Finally,he squeezed her tight.

Jean felt the way his breaths shook. She buried her face in his chest.

He gently pulled her ponytail out of its tie and ran shaky fingers through her hair. The motion was consistent, and soothing, and Jean was so,soincredibly tired-

She didn't fall asleep so much as she tumbled into it.

Kaeya

Kaeya held Jean as she cried. He could feel where her tears soaked into the front of his shirt-

He focused on keeping his breathing even as he held her close and ran gentle fingers through her hair.

He wasn't sure what else he should do…

But hedidknow that he himself needed to keep calm and collected. At least until Jean fell asleep- he just had to hold it together until Jean fell asleep because she needed him right now and it was honestly about damn time that he returned the favor of comfort-

Breathe… Stop thinking and breathe…

In… Out…

Jean's breath hitched.

I-In… Out…

Kaeya'sbreath hitched. And he felt Jean's arms tighten around his torso.

Well. One of these days I'll get over myself. Then maybe I'll be the Captain you deserve…

Kaeya squeezed his eyes shut and tried to breathe.

–

Eventually Jean settled. And eventually she fell asleep…

Kaeya brushed his fingers through her hair one final time before carefully extricating himself from her death grip.

Then he tucked the comforter securely around her and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. She stirred but did not wake.

Kaeya watched her for a moment.

Then he moved to sit heavily in a hard wooden chair in the corner.

*?*

-?-

Ajax

Ajax thrashed as a shard of metal pierced his sternum.

He screamed.

Or-

Any relief at realizing that he wasn't about to be skewered in real life was immediately dispelled when he didn't recognize where the hell he was-

Breathing was extremely difficult and he couldn't get his arms out of the fucking blanket-

It was like the stupid thing was clinging to him and he didn't know where he was- he didn't recognize the room-

"X-XIAO-" His voice was hoarse and his vision swam and even though he knew he was hyperventilating it didn't mean he was capable of getting himself to take slower breaths-

Hands caught his shoulders right before he literally fell out of the bed.

"Steady… You are alright… It was only a nightmare…"

Why didn't you wake me. Why didn't you help me- why didn't you wake me-

Ajax shook as Xiao finally untangled the evil sheets and shoved them aside. Then Ajax watched as he pulled off one of his gloves before lightly touching two fingers to his left temple.

"Shh…" Xiao's brow furrowed as his eyes glowed ever so slightly. Ajax blinked. Then Xiao sighed as the magic faded. The Yaksha released Ajax's head as he spoke, "They should have called mebeforeyou fell asleep. I would have ensured it stayed dreamless…"

Ajax blinked some more. He would tend to agree at the moment-

Xiao helped him sit up, and Ajax let his feet hang over the side of the bed.

"How do you feel otherwise, Harbinger?" Xiao sat next to him, "The Abyss did not make an appearance, so-"

"I'm fine."

Xiao tilted his head and waited.

Ajax stared at the floor. Then he fidgeted, and mumbled, "I'm surprised Zhongli and Kat didn't come running… I'm pretty sure I screamed like I was being murdered…"

This must be Zhongli's room… Or possibly an inn I suppose…

But he recognized some of the artwork- Ajax had been with him when Zhongli bought one of the paintings on the far wall-

"You did. I told them to wait outside the room."

Ajax gave Xiao a flat glare. Xiao kind of smirked a bit.

Ajax huffed, "Make fun of me. See if I care."

Xiao's eyes widened and he straightened, "I was not- I-" His expression collapsed into worry, "Ajax-"

Ajax's shoulders started shaking and he looked away.

"Alright… I am sorry… I did not mean anything by that-'' Xiao's hand found his shoulder.

And Ajax felt something inside himself snap.

He turned quickly back to the Yaksha and yanked the small god into a hug-

"Aj- Oof-" Xiao huffed a bit before returning it, "Alright then…" He rubbed circles into Ajax's back as the Harbinger forced himself to take calm, even breaths.

"You are alright, Ajax…"

Ajax knew better than to believe the sentiment at this point.

–

Ajax sat at the table with his forehead propped in his hand.

He felt like utter shit, to put it mildly.

His head ached, his eyes burned, and his stomach was more than a little queasy.

Anotherhand found his forehead for about the third time in the last hour and Ajax literally felt like he was about to lose it-

"How do you feel, are you having any difficulty breathing-" Zhongli shifted his palm.

Ajax tried his best to restrain himself from smacking it away-

"I'm still fine. Nothing has changed in the last ten minutes, Zhongli."

Ajax actually did smack the god's hand when the man moved to check his heart rate. AGAIN.

Zhongli huffed, "Ajax, we have no idea what chemical or drug they used-"

"It was fucking chloroform-"

The Archon glared, "No. It absolutely wasnotchloroform. The effects of chloroform on the human body wear off almost immediately after exposure ends. You were out of it, then unconscious for hours.Afterbeing healed."

Katya set a teacup in front of Ajax before sitting on his right.

Xiao was sitting on his left. Shoveling almond tofu in his mouth-

Ajax heard a clink and looked over at the Yaksha. Xiao was setting his empty plate aside.

Ajax blinked, "How many servings have you eaten?" He'd never even seen Xiao finish one whole plate. Let alone two or three-

"The food in Inazuma is terrible." Xiao huffed, "And I ate the last of those almond cakes you gave me last week…"

Ajax tilted his head, "I can make you more, you know. It won't be the same without the spices from home but we can manage a decent approximation with sweet flowers and-"

Zhongli cleared his throat, "I believe we have more pressing matters than Xiao's limited palate."

The Yaksha glared at Zhongli.

Zhongli glared at Ajax.

And Ajax blinked before turning to Katya-

Who was also staring at him- though she didn't look mad at all, just worried. So that could probably be counted as a sort-of-win-

Zhongli sighed, "Ajax."

The Harbinger turned back toward the Archon, "... Yes?"

"Why would your own soldiers attack you?"

Ajax's face scrunched and he sighed, "Well. You see there are a number of possibilities."

Zhongli waited.

Ajax turned to Katya, "Oh, please. Am I supposed to believe that you didn't already discuss this while I slept? You know just as much as I do if not more, Kat-"

The woman huffed as she held her teacup between her palms, "We did. But we also want your thoughts to compare to. Then we'll run through our options-"

"Alright, well then why don't you fill me in before we discuss-"

Zhongli interrupted, "I want to know what you saw and what you think before creating bias."

Ajax scoffed, "I was high as a kite through the ordeal!" Ajax waved a hand in irritation, "And that's speaking of when I wasn'tunconscious-"

"Well maybe if you had simply stayed at home in your apartment as you promised, then you would not have been drugged and beaten." Zhongli's eyes flashed as he stood abruptly-

Ajax flinched. He couldn't help it.

And Zhongli looked away as he practically snatched plates and cups off the table. He brought them to the sink and immediately started washing them rather aggressively without turning around.

Ajax swallowed. And waited a moment for his heart rate to settle- "S-Sorry…"

Xiao's hand found his shoulder and Ajax stared down at the table top. It was really nice- made of a dark hardwood and stained a deep reddish-brown-

"Do not apologize to me."

Ajax looked up to find Zhongli leaning on the counter with his shoulders hunched around his ears. The water was still running. Ajax almost pointed it out when-

"I will be back within the hour." Zhongli straightened and practically snatched his gloves from next to the sink- "If you are not here when I return I will assume you have been taken and will respond accordingly." The god turned toward the kitchen door-

Ajax balked- "Wait what-?!"

And just like that he was gone.

Ajax turned to Xiao. The Yaksha looked just as surprised.

Then he turned to Katya. She was still staring at where the god had been standing not even five seconds ago-

Ajax turned back to Xiao- "What the hell was that?!"

Xiao blinked, "I do believe he is no longer... 'Fucking Around' as you might put it…"

Ajax's face scrunched.

And Xiao shrugged, " He isveryangry… I have not seen him like this in… a while…"

"Huh…" Ajax stared at the still running sink. He debated making it stop with his vision. But then he worried that it might just back up the pipes-

"He should not have snapped at you like that, Ajax. I will ensure he apologizes later but I promise he is not upset withyou-"

"Huh…?" Ajax blinked, then processed- "Oh no it's fine…" He stared at the table.

Then jumped as Xiao gripped his shoulder tighter-

"Tell me what you're feeling, Harbinger."

Ajax blinked some more, "Um… a little dizzy…" He couldn't tell if it was from stress, drugs, or more stress-

"Do you need to lie down? You may need to eat something, when was your last meal-"

Ajax didn't even listen to the question, "Where did he go…?"

Xiao's grip on his shoulder tightened in an attempt at comfort, "The warehouse. He is going to search it."

"Oh. Okay…"

Did I just start a war…? I really hope I didn't just start a war-

"Ajax-"

Ajax stared at the sink. They should really consider shutting that off. It was a waste. Not everyone could summon water out of thin air-

Fingers snapped in front of his face.

And Katya shut off the faucet.

And…

"Where's Lumine…? And Paimon…?"

Xiao's face scrunched. Then he sighed and a small smile turned his lips upward, "Do not worry, Ajax. They are out asking questions about the fire. Then I assume they will be picking up some sweet buns-"

"They're in Liyue?" Ajax felt himself straighten. He hadn't seen the pair in at least a month-

Xiao nodded, "Yes. They wanted to help."

"What about Inazuma-"

Katya's hand found his other shoulder, "Ajax… They're here. They're going to help. Inazuma is… tricky and we really don't need to discuss-"

Ajax narrowed his eyes at his receptionist, "What do you know about it, Kat?"

I was told nothing-

The woman raised her hands, "I only know what Lumine and Xiao told me while you were sleeping."

Ajax huffed.Right.

Notes:

Chapter next year lol im hilarious-
(chapter next weekend as usual)

Chapter 28: I mean, they're all still alive. Which is more than now five Fatui can say-

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-shitty motel on the other side of town-

Kaeya

Kaeya leaned his elbows on his knees and stared at the floor.

Exhaustion pulled at his fragile edges, but he didn't want to sleep- he knew he shouldn't sleep-

They weren't safe here. Not really-

Kaeya looked up to stare at his grandmaster. Jean's brow was furrowed, though her breathing was deep and even. He hoped her rest wouldn't be too troubled… She really needed to not move for at least eight hours…

And even then, she was likely to still be exhausted when she woke…

On the other bed, Diluc's breathing was slightly haggard with a light, uncomfortable sleep. His eyes danced behind his eyelids, and Kaeya had no doubt that pain had permeated his brother's dreams.

He weighed the pros and cons of waking him.

On the one hand, Diluc would heal much faster the more he rested, and it was possible that he was in less pain when he was unconscious…

But on the other Kaeya could try to get some pain-relieving tea in him if he was awake.

Kaeya grunted in frustration.

The tea wasn't all that effective in his own experience. And it was… all they had. Their medicines had burned with their suite at the inn.

Along with what felt like the last shreds of Kaeya's sanity-

He took a shaky breath and brought his arms up to hug his elbows. Tightly. He really just wanted to curl up in a tiny ball and hide in the smallest place he could find.

He used to hide in the back of the pantry at the manor when he was a child.

Or in a closet. Which was kind of delightfully ironic in a way-

Diluc groaned and Kaeya felt his whole body stiffen.

He wanted to run, hide, vomit, and start crying all at the same time-

So much for keeping it together…

"K-Kaeya…?"

Kaeya felt his head snap up, but his vision- or perhaps more his mental processing abilities didn't really want to keep up-

"Kaeya, can you come here…?" Diluc's breathing and overall demeanor seemed… somewhat more relaxed as he woke.

So Kaeya had made the wrong decision in letting him sleep. It wasn't all that surprising. His decision-making record for the past few days was pretty fucking bad in general-

"Kaeya. I can't go to you, so please come here."

Kaeya stared. And blinked.

Diluc fidgeted to sit slightly more upright, and an electrochemical reaction in Kaeya's brain finally let him have what some might call a coherent thought-

"S-Stop moving-"He shouldn't move he shouldn't be moving-

Kaeya reached the bed in two long strides.

"Kaeya… breathe… I'm alright-"

"You're not. You're not alright because we left you-" Kaeya's skin crawled. It felt like tiny needles were poking into him everywhere and his fingers were tingling-

"Sit down." Diluc adjusted again so that he was more or less sitting fully up- "Sit next to me. Now."

Kaeya blinked at the commanding tone. It almost reminded him of their dad-

Kaeya sat.

Diluc's hands found either side of his head. The bandages around Diluc's palms scratched his cheeks- "Breathe… In and out slowly Kae…"

Kaeya blinked. Then he blinked some more as he tried-

Every breath hitched-

"You're okay… We're all okay…" Diluc rubbed his temples gently, which felt really nice for the headache that Kaeya hadn't even noticed he had- "And I'm okay… specifically because you saved me… twice now… so thank you…"

Kaeya whined.

He let Diluc pull him into a hug, "I think we need to stop splitting up, however… For the sake of my own health."

Kaeya snorted into his brother's shoulder as Diluc rubbed circles into his back.

"Get some sleep Kaeya…" Diluc pushed him back by the shoulders and attempted to lean him down-

Kaeya felt a jolt of panic. For a few different reasons, "N-No- Someone has to keep watch-"

"The rest is worth the risk at this point, Kae…"

Wow. I must be atotalmess…

Kaeya blinked.

And Diluc huffed, "At least lay down. Please?"

"F-Fine…" Kaeya curled up in a ball on the bed, close to his brother.

Diluc carded fingers through Kaeya's hair, and he curled up even tighter.

Diluc

"Shh… you're alright…" Diluc brushed gentle fingers through Kaeya's bangs as his brother shook next to him. Kaeya was curled up as tightly as his gangly limbs would allow- "That can't be comfortable, Kae… Try to relax-"

"I-I'll relax when I'm dead."

Diluc felt his face sour, "Good one. Especially given the current circumstances-"

Kaeya stiffened beside him, and his eye widened into a saucer- "I'm sorry-"

"It's fine, I just wish you'd-"

"I can't do this. I'm sorry-"

"Kaeya, can't do what? Breathe-"

"I can't-" His brother's breath hitched painfully- "I can't-" Kaeya squeezed his eye shut as he started crying again. His hands found either side of his head and he gripped his hair-

"Kaeya, please-" Diluc grunted and winced as he shifted- "You need to calm down- breathe-"

"I can't do this- I can't do anything- I can't-"

Alright. So we're spiraling again…

Diluc sighed as he held either side of Kaeya's head, "Hush. Look at me."

Kaeya whined.

"Kaeya- um- List the- list some things you see-" It probably didn't help that Diluc himself sounded the exact opposite of confident.

Kaeya blinked, "R-Right I- um-" His voice devolved into a whine, "I can't- I can't think- I can't do it-" Kaeya's eye shut tight once again-

"You can. You're alright, I promise you're fine-"

"I'm a monster- I'm a monster and this was bound to happen because I'm broken and bad and everything I touch is destined to rot-"

What the hell-

"Kaeya, that doesn't make any sense-"

"I should just crawl back into whatever hole my father dragged me out of-"

Diluc froze for a brief moment, "What are you-" It took him a second to realize he hadn't meant Crepus… Which meant the hole he was referring to was- "Kaeya why would you say that…?"

"Why wouldn't I say it?! What good has my presence done for anyone-"

"Kaeya, that is ENOUGH." Diluc ignored the way his arm twinged and grabbed Kaeya by the shoulders so that they were more or less fully facing each other. He gave him a light shake- "I don't know where this is coming from, but you arenota monster. You are the Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius, you are a loving and kind mentor and caretaker, and you are my brother-"

Kaeya blinked. Likely at the unexpected shaking.

"I don't know what this is about your father- but I would quite literally be dead were you not here- You arenota monster-"

Kaeya blinked again, then his voice was barely a whisper- "You were pretty convinced of my monstrosity four and a half years ago…"

"K-Kaeya-" Diluc's voice cracked along with something in his chest. He blinked-

Calm down- He's trying to start a fight-

He's upset and trying to goad-

"I don't blame you…" Kaeya's voice remained small.

ASSHOLE.

Diluc searched his brother's face but found nothing helpful in Kaeya's fraught expression- "Why do you want me to be angry with you?"

And said expression crumbled completely… then… then nothing- like something wiped it blank, like a slate-

"Kaeya…?"

"Don't you think it's selfish of me…" Kaeya's gaze fell to the mattress between them, "The way I cling to what I'm not…"

"Kaeya-"

"My mere existence puts you and everything you've ever loved in danger. You realized that the night Crepus died. But you're pretending not to now-"

Diluc sucked in a sharp breath. He was trying really hard not to be angry- It was what Kaeya wanted- a weird and roundabout form of self-destruction-

"I'm a changeling at best. A live mine at worst. It's only a matter of time before I go off-"

"Stop."

Kaeya stopped.

Diluc stared at him. Kaeya stared through the mattress.

Diluc focused on taking calm, measured breaths- "Kaeya. Where is this coming from?"

Kaeya continued to stare through the mattress… "You can tell me I'm wrong if you'd like..." Kaeya's face trembled with his voice- "I'll pretend I believe you even if it's a lie."

Good gods-

"Kaeya… You're not a monster. Or a bomb. You're just…" Diluc took a shaky breath, "You're you. Nothing more and nothing less… You're not whatever plot the Abyss Order tried to force on you, and by the same token you're no angel either. You're just… you're just Kaeya. You. Whatever you choose to be."

Kaeya's eye closed as he hummed, "Good answer…"

Diluc huffed, then hugged his brother close, "It was anhonestanswer…"

Kaeya hummed again.

They laid there quietly for a moment. Diluc really wasn't certain that he could do much of anything to help-

"Luc…"

"Yes Kaeya?"

"I'm really tired…"

Diluc sighed and pressed a soft kiss into Kaeya's hair, "Go to sleep. Everything will seem less awful after a good night's rest…"

"Oh will it now…?"

Diluc snorted, "Probably not. Go to sleep anyway."

Kaeya pulled out of the hug and Diluc let him. He leaned his head into the cushions as he sighed heavily, "Have you actually forgiven me, Luc…? Or is your guilt clouding your judgement-"

"Kaeya, there's nothing to forgive-"

"I lied. For years."

"I suppose that's true." Diluc let himself relax slightly as well. Because Kaeya was apparently adamant about having this conversation right now- "But you were also scared. And a child when you were abandoned in a foreign country-"

"That excuse only carries for so long…"

Oh, please-

Diluc's face scrunched, "Kaeya, it doesn't matter where you're from. You don't owe anyone that information. The only information it could be argued you owe- or owed, rather- would be things that could put people in danger."

Kaeya hummed. Then he started picking at a loose string in the mattress, "I might be putting people in danger…"

Diluc tilted his head, "How so?"

"Dunno… Khaenri'ahn alchemy is tricky… Can do a lot of nasty shit…"

Diluc raised an eyebrow, "That why you avoid the alchemist?"

Kaeya frowned. Some might call it a pout- "I don't avoid Albedo…"

Diluc's eyebrow raised even more-

"I don't! He's… He's nice enough…" Kaeya's face scrunched, "I just find his general work to be a terrifying game of playing god and hoping not to get caught by theactualgods-"

"Lisa does alchemy too, Kae. You don't avoid her."

Kaeya remade eye contact. "Khemia is a separate beast, Diluc. I'm not afraid of regular alchemy. I'm afraid of the sort of magic that can twist and bind… that can rip you apart and burn you from the inside without…" Kaeya sighed heavily, "I- I don't know…"

It sounds like youdoknow…

"What do you know of it, Kaeya? You were so young, what could they have possibly taught you- er-" Diluc grimaced, "Nevermind… now isn't the time for-"

"It's as good a time as any I'd say…"

"Yes, well you're also self-destructive on a good day, and in a particularly dark place right now. So you don't get a vote in this decision."

"Hmm… very astute, brother. Has anyone told you you'd make an excellent detective-"

Diluc rolled his eyes.

And Kaeya smiled. It was a small, thin smile, but a smile, nonetheless.

Diluc adjusted himself so he was laying a little further on his side. So he was facing Kaeya more. Kaeya had a dark circle under his visible eye, and there was still some soot smeared across his forehead and cheek. Diluc frowned, "Are you going to sleep in the eyepatch? It's not a soft one…"

Kaeya grimaced, then fidgeted, "I hadn't thought about it…"

"It's only Jean and me. You can take it off if it's uncomfortable." Diluc smirked and lifted his head to get a peek at the other bed- "In fact, I'm not so sure Jean even counts. I doubt she'll be waking up anytime soon…"

Kaeya sighed, "Very true…"

Diluc watched as Kaeya pulled the band off from behind his head. His brother then rubbed around where the edge of the patch left an indent in his skin.

Kaeya huffed, "The nice-looking ones are always uncomfortable…"

Diluc hummed, "Well there's really no need to wear the fancy ones all the time. Cloth should suffice for everyday use. It doesn't make sense to make yourself uncomfortable for flair."

Kaeya rolled his eyes and glared, "It's not just 'flair' the fancier ones are sturdier and stay in place better… I sacrifice comfort so that I won't have to worry about it falling off…"

"Oh…"

And here I thought it was all about vanity.

Kaeya sighed and buried his face in the pillow. Then he peeked out- "How areyoufeeling? You don't seem like you're in pain…"

Diluc snorted, "I am, but it's bearable. So long as I don't move my leg. And it would probably be better if I wasn't lying on my arm."

Kaeya scoffed, then shoved Diluc's good shoulder until he was laying more on his back- "You're an idiot-"

"I wanted to face you while we talked-"

"Then turn your neck, dipshit. Don't lay on yourwoundedshoulder-"

"Don't call me a dipshit, asshat-"

Kaeya snorted. Diluc smiled.

This was… This was better… more normal-

"That's… um…" Kaeya bit his lip and looked away.

Moment of normalcy gone…

"That's how I got my scars you know…"

Wait what-

Diluc blinked, "What do you mean?"I know you don't mean the eyepatch-

"Alchemy…"

Diluc frowned, "You told me a mage-"

Kaeya's brow scrunched, "And what sort of magic do you think a magedoes,Luc?"

Oh.

"I… hadn't really thought about it… I assumed they were sort of like elemental creatures-"

"They use khemia, Diluc. An extremely powerful, yet primal form of it, but khemia all the same. The elements are the building blocks for all life and magic in this world. And Khaenri'ahns figured out how to harness it away from the gaze of the gods." Kaeya's expression darkened.

"So-" Diluc blinked. This was… a lot… Kaeya never shared this much, especially not all at once- "Why did they-" He licked his lip, "Why would they… hurt you? You were their… their-"

"Spy? Sleeper agent?"

"Kaeya-"

"I don't' know what exactly they did to me or why. All I know is that it hurt. It scarred. And it's essentially a brand announcing 'HELLO! I HAVE TIES TO THE ABYSS!' for anyone the least bit familiar with their magic."

Diluc narrowed his eyes-

And Kaeya's own widened, "Oh, come now, Luc. The flower shows up everywhere-"

"… Does it?" Diluc felt his face scrunch, "Are you certain you are not mistaking your own familiarity-"

Kaeya gaped, "It's obvious! How have you not noticed?! You fight the Abyss Order regularly!"

Diluc winced at the half-shout- "I'll… Keep a closer eye out…"

Kaeya groaned.

"It's really not as obvious as you seem to think, Kaeya-"

Mismatched eyes glared at him.

"It's not. No one noticed when you were a child. And you were constantly trying to take your eyepatch off when you were little."

Kaeya huffed, "That's a bit of an exaggeration…"

"Fine. You were constantly trying to take it off athome.And still no one recognized it as a symbol." Diluc huffed, "Better?"

Kaeya grumbled.

And Diluc… Decided to press his luck- "Is… Is the heterochromia part of the injury? Or the magic?"

Kaeya opened his mouth to answer… Then he shut it. Then his brow furrowed- "I don't… actually know to be honest…"

"Well, were they different before or not?"

Kaeya shrugged.

Diluc felt his expression flatten, "You expect me to believe that you don't know."

"I don't actually. I don't remember my parents commenting on it, and we didn't have mirrors."

"You didn't have mirrors?"

"Not good ones. They didn't have proper backing, so they were quite dull." Kaeya frowned, "When they weren't horribly dirty or outright broken."

"Huh."

"Who knows, maybe my eye was green, and the magic turned it hazel!"

Diluc scowled, "Why would it be green?"Why would you choosethatcolor-?

Kaeya huffed, "I'm saying: Maybe I had heterochromia before, but the horrible magic gave me adifferentheterochromia to go along with the trauma."

Oh. It was random…

Diluc groaned, "Why are you like this? That's not even funny." His frown deepened, "And it's not hazel. It's more… more of a yellowish-brown-"

"Adelinde called it hazel. I'm going with hazel."

"It's closer to brown!"

"You're colorblind! You don't get a vote!"

Diluc sucked in a sharp breath- "I am NOT colorblind!"

"You kind of are, Luc. I researched it, you most likely have protanomaly, which means you don't see red all that well-"

"I see red just fine!"

Kaeya raised an eyebrow, "You tried to tell me yourhairlooked almost brown the other day."

"I meant in the low lighting!"

"Exactly. You're hair glows like a beacon in the pitch dark. You can still see red, Luc, it's just not as vibrant as for everyone else." Kaeya smirked, "Your eyes are also red, by the way, not brown-"

"I KNOW."

"Do you?"

Diluc felt one of said eyes twitch- "You are insufferable. I amnotcolor blind."

Kaeya shrugged, "Agree to disagree."

Diluc groaned, then rubbed a hand down his face. The bandage around his palm scratched his skin uncomfortably, and he huffed.

I hate having a pyro vision sometimes…

His hands ached and itched all at the same time… Which meant Jean did a good job of healing them, but that he also had to be extremely careful with the fresh skin…

On his palms.

The palms of his hands. Which are generally used to do just about everything in everyday life-

"I was just joking, Luc… you would actually see my eye as more green than brown if you had protanomaly…"

"I know, Kaeya."

Kaeya blinked in clear surprise, "Oh, you're familiar with different types of color blindness-?"

Diluc rolled his eyes, "No, I meant I know you were just messing with me."

"Ah." His brother frowned, "Right…"

Diluc blew out a heavy sigh and let his eyes slip shut. He was tired. Tired enough to sleep for about a month, he'd reckon-

"Luc…?"

Diluc cracked an eye open- "Go to sleep Kaeya. We need to rest."

"Right… I just-" Kaeya fidgeted, "I love you… I just want you to know that… I also love Jean, but she's exceptionally unconscious right now so I'll just have to hope we don't get murdered in the middle of the night so I can tell her-"

"Kaeya."

"… Yes?"

"I love you too. Now go the fuck to sleep."

*present*

-Zhongli's house-

Xiao

"Lumine!"

Xiao looked up in time to watch Ajax practically launch across the room-

"Aj-" The Traveler's face was very quickly smooshed into the man's shoulder. She laughed a bit and patted his back- "Aw… You missed me!"

Ajax stepped back and held her at arm's length- "OfcourseI missed you! I've been worried sick. I heard Inazuma sucks."

Lumine snorted, "I mean… It's notallbad-"

Paimon came floating in a moment later as she dug around in a to-go bag. She looked up and froze, then nearly dropped said bag- "Ajax! You're awake! We bought sweet buns and cider! And we also have snacks from Inazuma-"

Xiao watched Ajax catch the fairy as she zoomed into his chest. The Harbinger laughed.

Xiao smiled.

"I dunno… I've been told the food in Inazuma is terrible."

… right under the bus…

Xiao looked away as Paimon glared at him.

Ajax laughed again.

Lumine smiled, it was a little tight, but if he noticed, Ajax didn't say anything.

Xiao tilted his head as her gaze caught his- she glanced quickly to the pixie before shaking her head minutely-

Not in front of Paimon, then…

Xiao nodded. He and Lumine tried to protect the sensitive little thing as much as they possibly could- not that Paimon wasn't tough, or smart-

They just…

Paimon was so sweet and innocent. And with how horrible things consistently were in Inazuma he and Lumine just… had an unspoken agreement to shield her from as much of it as possible…

Xiao had no doubt that Lumine had sent the fairy off to get food while she herself investigated the fire.

Ajax raised an eyebrow, but again didn't say anything.

"So where's Zhongli? I thought we were all going to meet to figure out what to do next?" Lumine's hands found her hips.

Paimon offered a sweet bun and Ajax took it. Then the fairy floated towards Katya and held up another.

The receptionist took the dessert with a grateful nod, "Thank you, Paimon."

"You're welcome!" Paimon beamed before hovering over and plopping on Xiao's lap at the table.

Ajax took a bite of his snack before leaning back against the counter. Xiao didn't miss how stiffly he was moving…

Especially in comparison to the last time he'd visited. Which was saying something because the last time Xiao was in Liyue for anything other than quickly picking up his medicine, Ajax had literally fallen down a flight of stairs.

"Zhongli went to bust heads at the warehouse." Ajax took another bite of his roll, "Or to just wander around it. Depends on what he finds I guess."

Lumine's face scrunched, and Katya groaned.

"Ajax- He's not out to fight anyone-"

"I dunno Kat, he kind of looked like he wanted a fight-"

"You're an idiot."

Xiao's gaze bounced between the two as they bickered. He didn't say anything. Namely because Ajax… was kind of right, and Xiao wasn't really in the mood to deal with the boy's gloating-

"I'm not an idiot!" Ajax popped the rest of the dessert in his mouth, "I'm apparently just really good at starting fights- even when I'm not involved and am actively avoiding them-" The Harbinger grimaced as his weight shifted.

"Zhongli is searching the warehouse for any sign of the children, then he's coming right back!" Ekaterina glared, "He's not one to just start-"

Everyone jumped as a light yellowish glow was the only warning-

"Clear the table! Now-" Zhongli's voice was harsh and commanding.

Ekaterina's chair hit the ground as she jumped up and away.

Paimon squeaked as Xiao teleported with her across the room- away from Zhongli who had just arrived with an unfamiliar woman in his arms.

An unfamiliar and veryunconsciouswoman in his arms-

Lumine quickly grabbed plates, cups and table settings and tossed them on the counter.

Who is-

Xiao set Paimon to float in a far corner. He gently squeezed her hand in an attempt at comfort before turning back toward his father-

"Xiao- Where is Madame Ping?! She wasn't in her sub-dimension-" His Archon's wild glare startled him a bit…

"I- I do not know I-" Xiao blinked- "Wait, she is having tea with Ganyu and Cloud Retainer this afternoon-"

"Do you know where?"

Xiao forced himself to focus- "Yes sir. Mount Aocang. I was invited but did not think I would be in Liyue-"

"Bring her here. Now. If I try to heal this woman she will die-"

"Yes sir." Xiao resisted the urge to ask about a dozen questions and instead threw himself into the wind.

Notes:

Kaeya: This is all my fault-
Diluc: How, by the gods, is ANY of this your fault-
Kaeya: I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT IT IS- I CAN FEEL IT-
Diluc: -_- Meanwhile, in a god's apartment-
Literally Everyone: WHAT IN THE FRESH HELL- Chapter next weekend! :D

Chapter 29: Inspector Zhongli is on the case!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*Let's rewind a bit, shall we?*

-Fatui warehouse-

Zhongli

Smoke continued to rise in the distance, though the worst of the blaze had been extinguished. The god took a moment to watch it, to breathe in slow, calming breaths.

He needed to not lose his temper like that. He knew better… It did not mean anything that it was on the Harbinger's behalf, that it was not directed at him.

Well… perhaps it does… but still.

Zhongli sighed heavily.

Ajax was doing much,muchbetter since…

Ajax was doing much better. But it was clear that he was still struggling, and Morax needed to remember to be patient. Trust was still somewhat tenuous at times after taking months to rebuild, and the last thing he wanted was to ruin it again. To scare the Harbinger off-

Because then what would happen?

Would the child go back to Snezhnaya? Or be stationed elsewhere? Assigned another suicide mission to throw himself into?

And at that point how long would it be before there was nothing of Ajax left? Until it was just the Abyss… The Abyss and whatever it managed to twist and morph him into…

Zhongli sighed heavily. Again.

One day he will resign from the Fatui. One day…

But on that day it would be Ajax's choice. There was no way for Zhongli to force the issue without ruining the trust he had so carefully rebuilt.

And he also couldn't risk the Tsaritsa's wrath on the matter. That was… That was another point of significant concern.

Especially considering he… wasn't lying to her when he said he believed her ultimate goals just…

It was a delicate matter, and while he was sure the Tsaritsa was doing her best to manage a plethora of strings and balancing acts-

Zhongli huffed in frustration.

The Fatui regularly kidnap and torture children. There has to be a line somewhere, and if that does not cross it, then…

Then what does?

Not that he himself hadn't crossed lines in the past-

Morax bit the thought off and decided it was time to stop pondering morality and start focusing on doing something that actually mattered.

Like un-kidnapping the aforementioned kidnapped children.

He turned back toward the path.

Then he forced himself to skirt the path and stick to the trees- in a bid for being reasonable and at least sort of trying to avoid detection.

He was here for answers. Not a fight.

Zhongli approached the large, low building from the side and kept his eyes and ears peeled…

Then he leaned in close to the nearest wall and took a deep breath, focusing…

A dull ache bloomed where his gnosis once sat… as it always did when he used his magic nowadays.

He opened his eyes to a suddenly vibrant forest, despite the low lighting, and again he closed them, listening.

He could hear the fading shouts and general cacophony from the fire… he could hear the wind as it shook nearby trees and leaves… and he could hear a squirrel burrowing-

His face scrunched and he huffed and refocused.

The building before him creaked and moaned a bit- as all buildings do when they settle. But his enhanced hearing could make out nothing hinting at another presence.

He dismissed the magic with a sigh and did a quick lap around the structure.

He quickly found broken windows, consistent with Ekaterina's description of events. And more concerning: platforms in the trees- platforms with a perfect view inside…

He teleported up to one and looked around.

Decently hidden guard post…He scowled. It was smart… But the idea of snipers so near to the city made his skin crawl.

Zhongli briefly debated tearing the hides down… then thought better of it.

Later…

It would be too noisy at the moment. Might draw attention to him.

He continued on.

Wagon tracks out the side were hastily hidden. Mortal eyes may not have noticed.

He entered the door closest to them.

If a lock was sacrificed in the endeavor… it's not as if it was his problem to deal with.

Zhongli found himself in a dark hallway, so he focused his sight and dilated his pupils to let in as much light as possible.

There were rooms on either side of the hall, which ended not too far in.

Five of the doors were ajar, and inside each were relatively small cots- about the size of a short human- not quite child-size, however-

Each cot had a pillow and a blanket.

Elemental sight didn't reveal much else, however. Though there were traces of… somewhat twisted energies in the hall, implying someone with a delusion, or multiple someones, were here recently. Which wasn't the least bit surprising.

He continued on.

Of the doors that were closed, one was completely empty, another was a bathroom, and one more was being used for storage.

The final door led to the actual floor of the warehouse. And resulted in yet another broken lock…

Zhongli sighed heavily and rubbed a tired finger between his eyebrows. Ajax had told him once that there were sleeping quarters in every Fatui facility in Liyue. They'd had issues where long shifts led to guards literally falling asleep on the job, so at some point they'd cleared out a couple smaller rooms and brought in cots. The bank itself had a room or two set aside…

Long story short, the rooms themselves weren't a surprise. But fiveseparaterooms with beds was a little odd… Especially since Zhongli knew the average guard shift for the warehouse was one or two at most…

Following the cart tracks was the next logical step… though Zhonglididwant to case the rest of the warehouse itself. See if he could find anything else of value…

The god worked his jaw for a moment, deciding.

Then he began weaving his way between shelves.

It didn't take long to find where the action clearly took place. Debris was strewn all around, boxes were smashed and knocked off of shelves- one of which had fallen completely over.

Elemental sight was borderline disorienting.

Zhongli squinted.

Anemo…

Cryo…

The grandmaster and captain I presume…

Those two left no hint of the slight corruption associated with delusions, so he was confident in his deduction.

He also sensed a good bit of pyro- this one from a delusion.

As well as a faint hint of hydro and delusional electro… Though it wasextremelyfaint.

Ajax truly hadn't fought back at all. Zhongli frowned.

If he didn't know the boy, his first assumption would have been that it was on purpose, given the Harbinger's reputation.

But hedidknow Ajax. And he also knew that Ajax… wasn't in a physical condition to be fighting. At all, really. So he simply sighed and continued on-

He froze as a glint of something caught his eye.

It was… glass… and had rolled under one of the shelves.

Zhongli knelt, then reached a hand under to retrieve… a bottle.

He frowned and turned it over. It was small, about the size of a small glass- or a large alchemy vial.

It had no elemental traces whatsoever, and neither did it have any sort of label. The neck was broken, though a bit of liquid remained in the bottom.

Zhongli tentatively lifted it toward his nose and wafted-

The god became immediately woozy. He pulled the vial away and blinked hard.

His surroundings swayed in a strange way, and Zhongli didn't waste another moment before using his magic to purge whatever noxious brew this was out of his system-

Once he was fully recovered, he scowled down at the glass.

It took a lot for a chemical, or alchemical brew to have any sort of effect on him at all. This was… concerning.

Zhongli blinked.

And it was also all over his glove…

"I am a highly intelligent 6,000-year-old being…" He mumbled, then sighed, then rolled the vial back under the shelf. He stared down at his glove.

He was already getting a little woozy again.

He huffed and teleported himself back into the woods- to a nearby stream. Then he knelt and removed the offending article and proceeded to rinse both it, and this hand thoroughly.

After a moment, he shook out his hands and, though it was wet, replaced his glove. The discomfort was worth it should he be spotted or run into a fight.

Then he made his way back to where the wagon tracks started. They headed up toward the mountains.

The earth became rockier, and more hard packed rather quickly, and despite his best efforts Zhongli could no longer make out the trail… He focused his elemental sight once more-

And was immediately bombarded with a number of different traces, all scattering in various directions.

He sighed and rubbed between his eyebrows.

He could conceivably figure out the cart's most likely path. Based on the width and depth of the indentations of the initial trail he had a decent idea of its size and weight. And there were rocks and trees around that theoretically would constrict which directions it could have-

His ears perked at a noise about a hundred yards back. He strained-

The warehouse… did someone go back…?

Zhongli scowled and teleported himself up onto one of the hidden platforms.

And again he watched. And listened.

"... Y-Yuri…"

There-

He teleported to another platform on the other side of the building-

In time to see an extremely disheveled woman stumble through the underbrush- a disheveled woman practicallyexudingdelusional hydro energy-

She let out a hacking cough, "Y-Yuri… I'need help-" She practically fell against the building, "P-Please… I needit…"

Zhongli watched as she slid down the wall to land in a heap. She was whimpering quietly and tears stained her cheeks…

The god scowled, then teleported himself to the ground and approached. He summoned his spear as he left the tree line, "If this is a trick. Or a trap. Then I am afraid I am the last sort of prey you should have hoped to find-"

He faltered as the woman turned to him. His spear disappeared behind him in a shower of sparks-

"Y-Yuri…?" Blood streaked down her face from her eyes, from her ears, her nose- "M'sorry… ll'do better nextime p-please-" She reached a desperate hand out, and Zhongli lurched forward to catch her as she fully collapsed.

She shook in his arms, but was no longer conscious.

Zhongli yanked off a glove with his teeth, and sucked in a sharp breath as he felt at her temple-

She was dying. She was dying very,veryquickly-

He immediately teleported her directly into Madame Ping's teapot.

*Present*

-Zhongli's house or apartment or whatever-

Ajax

Ajax stared as Zhongli laid the woman across the kitchen table. She was wearing nondescript civilian clothes that were badly singed in multiple places, but what really caught Ajax's eye was the telltale glint of a hydro delusion as she convulsed-

Blood streaked down her face from her eyes. Her eyes which were rolled back into her skull-

He stared.

He stared as she choked on even more blood that bubbled up from her throat.

He stared as every suspicion he'd had about the other skirmishers was practically confirmed-

Then he turned and hobbled as quickly as he could to the mistflower box. He grabbed as many corollas as he could carry, then promptly tucked them in a towel as the cold started biting his skin-

Then he grabbed every towel he could see.

"We need to keep her temperature down!" Ajax placed a wrapped flower behind the woman's neck, and two more near her face- "Lumine, Katya, can you two hold her steady for a few minutes? Zhongli, I need you to take me to my office."

Three pairs of eyes stared at him-

"Right NOW!"Oh come on- Is Zhongli the only one worth listening to?!

The god's eyes narrowed for a moment, then he stepped away from the Mirror Maiden-

The woman groaned, and Lumine quickly supported and held her head steady as she shook.

Ajax squeezed his eyes shut as Zhongli gripped his shoulder-

He gasped lightly as the pressure change made his ears pop.

He opened his eyes and blinked a few times, reorienting himself-

"What are we here for?" Zhongli glared straight through Ajax's soul. There was blood smeared across his suit- across his gloves…

Focus- Don't think.

"An antidote-" Ajax made a beeline for his desk. His hands shook ever so slightly as he fumbled at his pockets- "FUck I don't know where my keys are-" He turned and angrily yanked at the handle of the bottom left drawer-

Why can't anything ever go right?!

Ajax didn't recognize the woman. But this particular toxin made for anextremelyhorrible way to die, and Ajax wouldn't wish it on anyone. Not even his worst enemy.

And he would know because-

"Apologies both to you and your mahogany desk-" Zhongli nudged Ajax aside and promptly yanked the drawer open.

Ajax blinked.

It's actually cherry wood- Gods who fucking cares!? FOCUS!

Ajax grimaced at the shattered lock.

He spared half a moment to mourn his expensive furniture before digging through-

"Aha!" Ajax yanked out a small box. He opened it and quickly sifted through about twenty small vials- "Okay good, it's here- We need a needle and syringe-" He shoved the case into Zhongli's chest and kept digging.

"What is this and how do you know-"

Don't distract me right now!

"The antidote to a specialized poison. It's made from a specific flower from Sumeru- no I don't remember the name-"

I do remember the name…

Not now!

Ajax shoved fragments of wood aside and yanked out another box-bingo-Ajax stood as he checked to make certain his sterilized needles and syringes were present and accounted for- "It's extremely gnarly and horribly painful, and unfortunately Dottore is fond of it and recently figured out how to make a slower acting version-"

"Dottore." Zhongli gripped Ajax's upper arm with his free hand-

"Yup. He's not exactly trusting, so he tends to dose his officers and foot soldiers when he sends them on 'delicate' missions. They get the antidote when they return to-" Ajax gasped as they teleported, and the room swirled-

Zhongli held him upright by the arm as his balance betrayed him. He almost dropped the needles-

I wasnotready-

"My Lord!" An older woman, who Ajax found somewhat familiar approached, "I'm afraid there is not much I can do for her-"

"One moment, Madame Ping, we have an antidote- Ajax which vial?" Zhongli gently lowered Ajax to sit on the ground and opened the case in front of him-

Ajax blinked through the lingering disorientation- "Uh… p-purple label- half a milliliter injected into muscle-" He let Zhongli take the needle and syringe set as well.

Ajax pulled his knees toward his chest as the pair moved back to the Mirror Maiden. The woman had stopped thrashing. Which wasn't necessarily a good sign…

He buried his face in his knees and closed his eyes.

There was a reason he tried not to look when teleporting, and this was it…

He just hoped he wasn't about to throw up this time-

Xiao knelt next to him, "Are you alright?"

"Peachy."

"Harbinger-"

Ajax groaned, "I'm just dizzy Xiao, I'm fine…" He looked up into the face of an extremely worried Yaksha.

"Let's go sit in the living room. You do not need to be in here."

Ajax's face scrunched, "What? I'm fine-" Then he remembered.

Xiaoknew-

Ajax forced his face to relax. But he couldn't force himself to speak.

"I do not trust you to tell me before you panic."

Ajax debated being offended for a brief moment. Instead he simply closed his eyes and nodded.It's not like I'm helping in here anyway…

He let Xiao help him to his feet, then closed his eyes again as the Yaksha teleported them both to the living room. Paimon was already sitting on the couch by herself looking miserable.

Her head snapped up as they arrived and Ajax forced a tight smile on his face. He cleared his throat, "H-Hey there, wanna play some cards, Pai?"

The pixie's lower lip quivered as she nodded.

"Perfect!" He turned to Xiao- "Zhongli has cards somewhere around here, right?"

Xiao grunted before digging through a cabinet.

Ajax limped over to the couch and sat heavily. Paimon crawled over to him, then laid down with her head in his lap.

He sighed as he petted her hair gently.

I'm fucking tired…

Xiao threw a pack of cards his way and he caught it easily in one hand.

"Alright, have you ever played solitaire, Paimon?"

Paimon nodded and Ajax started setting the game.

Notes:

Zhongli: If I had a mora for every time a physically and emotionally broken member of the Fatui fell into my care I would have two mora. Which is not a lot, but it is strange that it has now happened twice- Chapter next week as usual!

Chapter 30: The chapter in which Ajax has a bit of a breakdown (the first of many, probably), then turns around and carries on like it didn't happen-

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-Zhongli's house-

Ajax

"Are you alright, Ajax?" Zhongli perched on the arm of the sofa next to him. He wasn't wearing his suit jacket, vest, or gloves, so it was a safe bet that he hadn't had a chance to get changed yet...

Paimon had fallen asleep in Ajax's lap while they were waiting on an update, and Ajax was petting her hair and just kind of… staring off into space… He didn't feel like playing solitaire anymore without the pixie helping… He wasn't very good at it.

Ajax hummed in response. He couldn't quite remember the question.

The god rested a hand on his shoulder, "She is alright, you know. The antidote seemed to work, and Madame Ping is currently healing the worst of the damage."

Ajax hummed again.

"Ajax, I need you to communicate with me-" Zhongli's voice sounded pinched.

"What's there formeto communicate?" Ajax's, on the other hand, was entirely flat- "I'm sitting here waiting foryouto communicate-"

Zhongli sighed heavily, "Please do not bottle this up…"

Ajax felt his lip curl, "Bottle what up."

Zhongli sighed again before standing. Then he moved to sit next to him properly on the sofa. "If you need to be angry, that is a perfectly valid-"

"I'm not angry." He glared at the god. Which probably didn't sell the declaration all that well.

Impossibly sad golden eyes stared back as Zhongli nodded.

Ajax looked away and grumbled, "Why do you bother asking if I'm alright when you know that I'm not…?"

It was almost irritating, really. Especially those times (like now) when Ajax would lash out and the only things he would get in return were hugs, and sympathetic looks, and unwavering support-

Gods… What the fuck is wrong with me…?

Zhongli huffed something close to a laugh, "It is a conversation starter. And talking helps. Usually." The god's hand found his shoulder again. The pressure was grounding. And extremely comforting.

Ajax sighed, "When did Xiao tell you…?"I'm not mad… just curious.

"I did not." The Yaksha crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe. "He guessed."

Ajax didn't know when he'd arrived… He decided he didn't care very much and turned his attention back to a suddenly sheepish god-

"You-" Zhongli sighed heavily, "You were frightened, and your hands shook like leaves in a typhoon as you spoke about the antidote…" Zhongli swallowed thickly before continuing, "The antidote to a very specific poison known only to be used by a group of assassins from Sumeru…"

Ajax frowned. "Dottore uses it."

Zhongli hummed, "Yes, you mentioned that before. I was not aware that its reach had extended past Sumerian borders-"

"It has."

I can't even say I'm surprised that you've heard of it… I wonder if there's anything on the face of Teyvat youhaven'tat least heard of…

Zhongli's face tightened, and he sighed before rubbing a circle into Ajax's back.

Ajax, meanwhile, stared at the ground, "It's perfectly reasonable to be afraid of deadly poisons." He stroked a gentle hand through Paimon's hair, "In fact, I have antidotes for thirty two different types. From around the world. I carry a pouch on commissions with the five most common- they're more commercialized, at least in Snezhnaya, so three of them are a powder you mix in water, and the other two are capsules… The rest I keep in my desk…" He felt his face pinch, "Which isn't all that helpful in most scenarios, and…" He petered off.

Zhongli sat and listened patiently to the ramble, and continued rubbing his back gently.

"Injectable antidotes really aren't the best… It's extremely difficult to dose yourself…"Especially with this particular toxin. It makes you shake so bad I don't have any clue how someone might be able to-

Ajax took a shaky breath, "It- It's perfectly reasonable to be afraid of deadly poisons…"

"It is, yes." The god's hand resettled on his shoulder, "It is perfectly alright for you to be upset, or afraid."

Is it though…?

Ajax felt his face pinch, but he didn't say anything.

Zhongli sighed. And also didn't say anything.

The silence was almost worse than the conversation.

Ajax fidgeted-

"Would you like me to look into developing easily ingestible versions? Of the antidotes?" Zhongli's head tilted as he asked.

Ajax blinked. He hadn't considered that-

Zhongli squeezed his shoulder in an attempt at comfort when Ajax didn't answer, "Will that help?"

"I don't know…"

"That is alright. We will discuss it some other time." Zhongli wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "Xiao, would you please take Paimon?"

The fairy was gently lifted off his lap. Ajax looked up to see Xiao cradling her close. She barely even stirred.

"We will be in the other room if you need us." Xiao gave Ajax a tight smile before vanishing in a burst of teal.

And Ajax turned toward the god and immediately buried his head in his shoulder-

Zhongli rubbed his back gently, "I am here if you wish to talk more. But we do not have to."

I don't think I can-

"It was really bad-" Ajax felt his voice shake.

Wow. Eloquent.

Zhongli hummed and hugged him tighter as he continued to rub circles into his shoulder blades.

Ajax closed his eyes, "I don't wanna talk about it…"

"That is fine." Zhongli sighed heavily, "But I must ask, Ajax… Was it the Doctor who poisoned you?"

Ajax felt himself stiffen- "What? Why do you want to know?" He pulled back enough to glare up at the god, "You said we didn't have to talk-"

Gods. I sound like a child.

Zhongli frowned sadly, then wiped away some of Ajax's tears- "I am sorry, but it affects how we move forward."

No it does NOT-

"How so?" Ajax's voice was like steel. If steel were on the verge of an emotional breakdown-

An eyebrow raised.

Ajax scowled, "It wasn't Dottore…" He dropped his forehead back onto the god's shoulder, "So don't go starting a war…"

"Are you lying to me, Ajax?"

Ajax groaned, "If Dottore knew what the Legacy truly was or what it could do I never would have become a Harbinger." Ajax felt his shoulders curl as he clung tighter to the god, "I would currently be pinned to a wall like a dissected frog, or some other weird science experiment-"

Zhongli's arms stiffened around him, though he very clearly tried to relax again almost immediately after.

And Ajax's breath hitched. Because what he'd said wasn't even anywhere near an exaggeration.

"I will not let him so much as touch you, Ajax."

That's nice… That's a nice thing to say…

"He's not currently after me, Zhongli… None of this is evenaboutme…" The god's hand started petting his hair gently, and it honestly made him feel like a child.

He didn't hate it.

"All the same…"

–

"I found her wandering outside the warehouse, completely disoriented." Zhongli's arms were crossed tightly over his chest as he stared down at the sleeping woman. He turned to face Ajax and Katya, "Do either of you recognize her?"

"No." Ajax sighed, then turned to Kat. It was possible that a small hopeful part of Ajax was still, well… hoping-

"She's definitely not one of ours. I'll have Vlad check the personnel listings we have, but if she's one of Dottore's she won't be on file."

Ajax nodded, "I still think it's worth checking, though."

"I agree." Kat hugged her arms. Her brow was tightly furrowed.

Zhongli hummed.

Ajax fidgeted, "Idowant it on record that this sort of thing is exactly why I was hesitant to let my family come visit-"

"Ajax."

"Yeah, Kat?"

"Shut the hell up."

He winced, "Sorry… Not the time for jokes…"Itreallyisn't the time for jokes…

The silence that followed made Ajax's skin crawl.

Thankfully Zhongli broke it with a heavy sigh, "We should let her rest-"

Ajax felt his face sour, "Oh, we can NOT leave her alone-"

Ekaterina nodded in agreement, "She's not one of ours- er- she's almost certainly not one of ours…"

Zhongli hummed, "What do you propose?"

Ajax shrugged, "We could chain her to the bed?"

Kat rolled her eyes at the suggestion.

"What? That's not unreasonable-" Ajax gestured as he spoke, "Just because she's unarmed doesn't mean she's not dangerous-"

"You're not wrong, it just feels weird since she's also Fatui…" Kat's shoulders rose.

Ajax blinked.Right… Kat's… not used to this. She's not used to the in-fighting.

He sighed, then turned to Zhongli, "Do you have, like, handcuffs or something?"

Zhongli raised an eyebrow, "Why on earth would I have handcuffs?"

Ajax groaned, "I don't know! Can you at leastgetsome?" Ajax stared and waited-

I suppose we have some at the bank if he doesn't want to-

Ooh! Or he could encase her feet in stone! I'll suggest that next-

Zhongli blinked, "Ah, yes. One moment." Then the god vanished.

And about a minute later he returned with a frown plastered across his face- "Millileth security is abhorrent… I will be having a word with the Qixing about this…" He shook his head as he held out a pair of standard issue restraints. Not unlike the ones that had Ajax chained to a table not even a full twenty-four hours prior, "Here you are."

"Thanks-" Ajax took the offered restraints and frowned down at the woman who should be his subordinate, but whose loyalties were instead a gigantic fucking question mark- "Wait, should we go somewhere else? Do you really want a prisoner in your apartment-?"

Zhongli shrugged, "It makes little difference to me. Unless you have somewhere in mind?"

"We can't leave at the moment. Vlad's comingherewhen he and Nadia find news on the Mondstadters." Kat shrugged sheepishly.

Oh, right.

Ajax huffed, "Okay…" His hands found his hips as he tried to think. "Wow. This whole situation is kind of fucked, huh?"

Zhongli gave him a deadpan glare.

Kat just sighed.

He turned to Zhongli, "So what was the deal with the warehouse again? You're certain the kids aren't there-"

"If they were, they are long gone. I found evidence that people were sleeping there recently, however it is difficult to say..." The god petered off. He had a pensive frown plastered across his face. He clearly wasn't satisfied with whatever he had or had not found. "There were cart tracks heading west into the mountains, but I quickly lost the trail before getting… distracted." He gestured toward the half-dead woman on the bed.

Ajax nodded and tried to think.

West… I need a map.

Ajax huffed and tilted his head back as his eyes closed, "Right. Okay. So based on… everything… Why would Dottore- or… whoever Dottore hired, rather- ambush us if not because they hadn't had a chance to hide the kids?"

Katya sighed, "It's the most likely explanation… It's not like we usually ship stuff out to the mountains."

Ajax grimaced, "I mean… We kind of do, though… We have scouting parties all around-"

"Do you now?"

Ajax looked up to a flat glare from Zhongli. Katya fidgeted beside him.

Ajax shifted his weight, and simply did not acknowledge the question- "But I don't think we've sent anything recently. So let's assume they did have the children at the warehouse and were moving them." He scowled, "Though it doesn't explain what they were doing at the inn…"

Two dead bodies. Two delusions. One pyro and one cryo-

Lumine had described… a grisly scene… Ajax felt horrible that she'd been the one to find it…

Not that it was necessarily any better if anyone else had, but the Fatui were constantly putting the Traveler through the wringer and Ajax was gettingreallytired of being a source of pain for her-

"They must have been targeting the knights- I heard one of them shout a name before running toward the fire, so there must be someone else with them?" Ekaterina grunted in frustration, "But this was particularly aggressive… the warehouse kind of makes sense as an act of desperation… even targeting you… but…" She gestured toward Ajax as she spoke. Then she sighed heavily, face scrunching in thought.

He nodded.

That part did make sense. In a weird way.

He'd outright threatened the pyro agent who (he suspected) set up this whole operation, so of course they would assume he'd… be an obstacle… TakeTartagliaout first and it should have made taking out theknightsthat much easier.

Well, take him and theGrandmasterout first-

Though there were only two knights total...

I wonder how much my presence was even expected…?His face scrunched. There were still a lot of questions.

But this was really all conjecture, and at any rate, his own incapacitation had proven to be quite ineffective in the long run.

Ajax smirked as his gaze flitted briefly toward Ekaterina. The woman had one hand on her hip and the other at her chin. Brown eyes were narrowed in concentration, and he could practically hear the gears turning.

Of the two of us, they thoughtIwas the real threat. Cute.

It did make him feel somewhat accomplished, though. It meant they still thought of him as a significant concern in combat, seeing that they druggedhimas opposed to the able-bodied knight who had been standing right next to him. It meant he'd at least done asomewhatdecent job of hiding just how fucked up he was physically.

It was almost better the way it turned out, really.

If he'd had to fight…

He fidgeted as he thought about the fact that he probably would have hurt himself pretty badly...

Shit. I should do my stretches. I'm really tight right now-

"Are we absolutely certain Dottore is to blame?" Zhongli's voice snapped Ajax out of his thoughts. Which was good since he was starting to get distracted. "Is it not possible for him to share his poisons?"

A god who enjoys playing devil's advocate-

Hah! That's a fun little irony, I should write that one down-

Ajax snorted, "I mean, nothing iscertain,but Dottore really doesn't like to share, so…"

The god hummed.

All three of them stared down at the unconscious woman. Ajax was starting to feel like a bit of a creep.

He huffed and looked away, "Okay, so. What now?"

Wait for news on the Mondstadters?

Wander the wilderness in the general direction of- Oh! I still need to check a map-

"I propose we wait for our…guestto wake." Zhongli gestured toward the bed, "And in the meantime, no ships will be leaving the harbor for the foreseeable future." Zhongli's eyes flashed, "I will speak with Ganyu when I drop off Madame Ping. She will ensure it."

I haven't actually met Ganyu… I wonder if she'd hate me on principle, or-

Should Madame Ping really leave? What if the Maiden needs care?

Also, I could swear I've met her before somewhere-

Ekaterina perked up and once again snapped Ajax out of his thoughts, "Oh that will be a huge help- thatdrasticallycuts down possible escape routes."

Ajax nodded, "If you can manage that please do- Kat's already cut offourshipping, but it's not enough with the sort of resources Dottore has at his disposal. He could easily just hire a different crew. Also, I'd like to speak with Madame Ping-"

"You do not need to ask permission to speak with me." The woman appeared in the doorway like a specter- she was holding a tray of various tinctures and herbs.

Or like a ninja! Wow I did not hear you atall-

Ajax blinked, "Oh- apologies- I-"Wasn't certain if you would actuallywantto… talk to me… "I only meant-"

Madame Ping waved a hand before approaching the bed, "Relax, child. I don't bite." She gave him a wicked smirk before laying a gentle hand across the Maiden's forehead, "Much."

Ajax suppressed a snort.

Can you please be my adoptive Grandma-?

His head tilted as he tried to place her. She seemedreallyfamiliar- "Have we met before? You seem quite familiar-"

Madame Ping hummed as she carefully checked the Fatui's heart rate. She gently laid the woman's wrist back down on the bed, "Not in any official capacity. We chatted a bit quite a few months ago. I believe you had business with the Qixing, and on your way back you stopped to admire the glaze lilies…"

Ajax felt his face light up, "Oh! That was you!" Ajax smiled, "My sister loved the silk flower seeds I sent her! She set up a small greenhouse and says they're growing well, thank you- both for the seeds and the advice."

Madame Ping smiled warmly, "That is wonderful to hear!" She leaned in conspiratorially, "Between you and me… since the cat is out of the bag, so to speak in terms of my… 'nature'… I may have given those seeds a little adeptal magic. Their sprouts will be hardier than most."

Ajax blinked, "I- really? But- You… you didn't even know me… why would you do that…?"

That's so nice-

Madame Ping waved him off, "Pah! It was nothing! A gift should be special! And I couldn't very well let Liyue's fine flora appear weak on foreign soil now, could I?"

Ajax laughed, "True enough!"

Madame Ping smiled, "How did she settle on heating the thing? You had quite a few ideas when we spoke. I am curious what stuck."

Ajax felt his smile widen- "Oh! It's actually pretty ingenious- my sister's absolutely brilliant! Her name's Tonia- she's an artist, but in a very technically-minded and uh… nitpicky way-" Ajax gestured as he spoke- "She likes to draw almost architectural… and machine type things-"

"An engineer, perhaps?" Madame Ping's head tilted.

Ajax snapped his fingers- "Exactly! That's the word!"Engineer, duh-"She figured out how to use some of the chaos cores I sent to run a current through-"

"I hate to interrupt…" Zhongli stepped forward. He did actually seem apologetic- "But there are various machinations that must be set in motion."

Machinations. Way to keep it on theme.

Ajax straightened, "Oh. Right, sorry…" He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Another time, child." Madame Ping's hand landed on his shoulder gently, "Visit me on the terrace. I would love to hear all about the device. And your family."

Ajax blinked, "Oh. Sure- yeah, of course- They're actually coming to visit in a month or so-" He grimaced, "Or maybe they aren't…"

His grimace morphed into a scowl.

Madame Ping hummed, "Every storm blows over, young one. Do not fret too much just yet." She turned toward her Archon, "Ready to shut down the shipping industry, my Lord?"

The god sighed, "Yes… we are about to give Ganyu quite the headache, I'm afraid."

Madame Ping waved a hand before looping it through her god's arm, "Ah, it's nothing the girl can't handle! She is quite capable, you know."

Zhongli smiled, "I do."

Madame Ping turned back toward Ajax and Katya, then gestured toward the tray she left sitting on the nightstand, "I have left instructions for medicines and herbs. If you need assistance, or her condition deteriorates Xiao knows how to find me."

Ajax and Katya both nodded, then Kat stepped forward, "We don't know how to thank you enough, Madame Ping-"

The woman waved her off good-naturedly, "Pah! It is nothing! Come visit and chat with me sometime, that is all I could ever ask of you both." She smiled fondly.

Ajax blinked.

This is how she treatsforeigners-

She's like,allof Liyue's Grandma.

Zhongli smiled down at the woman and chuckled. Then he turned to Ajax and the expression turned ever so slightly pained- "I will be back shortly. Please do not do anything rash while I am gone. Please."

Like what? Set an inn on fire? Summon an ancient sea monster-?

Ajax blinked, "Well… since you asked so nicely-"

Zhongli's expression dropped and he groaned quietly as he and Madame Ping vanished.

Ajax snickered.

Zhongli

"He seems kind." Madame Ping's head tilted in thought as the pair appeared on the mountainside beneath a large tree.

Zhongli snorted, "That is not usually the first impression he generally gives-"

His adeptus tutted, "Let me rephrase: Heiskind. And given the opportunity it shows." Madame Ping glared up at him.

Zhongli raised an eyebrow, "You are speaking as if I do not know this-" A gentle breeze rustled the leaves above them.

It was peaceful on the mountain.

Madame Ping shrugged, "I am only pointing it out. I understand why Xiao cares so much for the boy. And why you have taken him under your wing, so to speak-"

"I have not…" Zhongli's face scrunched, "Be careful how you word things. I am allowing him to live and work in Liyue- that is all."

"Oh please. Xiao has told me how you have been mentoring and training him."

"And the Tsaritsa would not be pleased to learn of it, so please-"

I can't have you talking-

Word spreads so easily…

Branches shifted with the next gust. It was likely to be a cold winter… but for now the weather remained somewhat mild.

Madame Ping's brows raised, "Ah… so it is less an issue of admitting that you have taken him in, and more a matter of appearances for the god heactuallyserves. Playing with fire, my Lord?"

Ice, actually…

Zhongli groaned, "The Cryo Archon-" He didn't know what he wanted to say on the matter, "The child-" Finally he sighed, "I do not know what you want from me, Madame Ping…"

"I want you to admit that you have practically adopted him. And to remain aware that the child is mortal. He is not like Xiao or Ganyu. He will grow old and die."

"I am aware."

"And that is if he gets the chance to grow old at all."

Zhongli stiffened as his glare snapped to his adeptus-

"He is poisoned. It is eating at him slowly, but it eats at him all the same-"

"I have kept close watch of his health these past few months. The Abyssal…infectionhas not had any new negative ramifications on his physical wellbeing-"

"I am not speaking of the physical, my Lord." Madame Ping huffed lightly, then continued looking forward as they walked up the winding path, "The malice of the Abyss was not meant to be contained by a human vessel. It is why they either transform or die. He is stuck in between."

Zhongli worked his jaw as he looked away, "I cannot remove it. Itwillkill him."

"And you are certain of this?"

Fairly…

Zhongli frowned and refused to make eye contact.

Madame Ping's voice softened noticeably, "Weakened… but sane and allowed a full life is better than-"

"Better than what, Madame Ping? You do not understand the full scope of his original injury-"

"You underestimate how much our Yaksha tells me…" Her voice remained soft.

And Morax blinked as branches swayed and clouds swirled high above them. He swallowed thickly, "He is fine-"

"He is not. I recognize that you are not as sensitive to magic but even you must realize how torn the edges of his soul are? His psyche is not likely to survive another near-total possession-"

I am… not entirely pleased that you know-

"Childe is fine." Zhongli felt his jaw clench, "Let it go."

Madame Ping grew quiet for a moment. Then she blew out a heavy sigh, "Yes my Lord… I apologize if I overstepped…"

"You didn't-" Zhongli huffed. This conversation was growing more and more stressful during a time of already considerable stress- "It keeps himalive,Madame Ping. I understand that you can sense more than I, but-"

"It is using him, my Lord. I am sure it keeps him alive, because any good parasite would do the same so long as it requires a host."

Zhongli felt his lip curl.

"Tell me I am wrong." His adeptus' expression grew stern, "Tell me I am wrong, or that you and Xiao do not truly care, or both- and I will let the matter drop."

A bird chirped on a nearby perch.

Zhongli felt a growl start to form in his throat. The bird flew away- "Of course I care! I would not be doing any of this if I did not care!"

"Then we should speak with him about the true nature of-"

"He understands the true nature of it and does not wish it to be removed!" Morax turned to face his adeptus- "I have spent nearly all my life dictating and controlling and deciding what is best for everyone! And I have been wrong almost the entirety of that time! He values the Abyss so I will not touch it!"

The next breeze felt distinctly cold. The weather would not remain mild for long, it seemed.

Madame Ping studied him calmly, "And you're certain he is aware?"

"Aware of what." The god's patience was growing thin.

"Aware that itwillkill him. Eventually he will lose control and be consumed." Madame Ping tilted her head. Her eyes were incredibly sad, "He will become a Herald. A God-Killer. What will you do when that day comes?"

Morax's claws balled into fists, "It won't."

Madame Ping sighed, "My Lord…"

"He is stubborn. He will resist it." Zhongli turned on his heel and made his way further up the mountain, toward the plateau where a table was still set- "He has fought it off for years now and will continue to do so."

"I hope you are right…" Madame Ping followed with a sigh.

Notes:

Ajax: *Cries into Zhongli's shoulder*
Ajax: *ten minutes later* Okay, so now we need to do this, this, and this-
Everyone: Maybe you should take a break...
Ajax: *Eyes turn black from the Abyss* I'mM FinNEe-
Everyone: OKAY! FORGET WE SAID ANYTHING-
Ajax: As I was saying- Chapter next week!

Chapter 31: Well that went really bad. By literally everyone's standards-

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*the next morning*

-motel-

Kaeya

Kaeya groaned as Diluc poked him awake-

"Kaeya… Kaeya, wake up-"

The knight flipped so that his back was turned to his brother and yanked the blanket over his head-

"Kaeya, seriously-"

"You're the one who toldmeto sleep!"

Diluc groaned, "Okay, yeah, well now you need to wake up because I can't walk, and Jean is still comatose-"

Kaeya sat bolt upright when he heard what must have gotten his brother's attention- it was a light tapping. Like something hard against glass-

He dove off the bed for his sword, and yanked his eyepatch into place as he moved-

"Ow… Kae…" Diluc hissed as he clutched at his leg- "Did you have to shake the whole fucking bed?!"

Kaeya ignored him in favor of creeping out of the bedroom and into the tiny 'living room'- the room had barely enough space for a small sofa and stove top. The kitchenette didn't even have its own sink and was right next to the bathroom-

Focus. Think about how spoiled you are later-

He turned right as a small rock hit the window.

He heard muffled voices below, and Kaeya did his best to very slowly and stealthily catch a peek-

The Harbinger froze right before throwing another pebble. His face lit up, which told Kaeya he wasn't quite sneaky enough-

Suddenly, a jet of hydro launched toward the glass and Kaeya jumped back with a yelp- his leg hit the arm of the couch and he fell backwards- flat on his ass and feeling more than a little useless…

He scrambled backwards as the splash hit the window.

M-My vision- I don't even know where-Having the elemental advantage didn't mean much when he didn't even have the stupid rock on him.

Oh fuck-

The excess water dispersed, and suddenly Tartaglia was just… standing there… On their balcony. He tapped on the window- "Hey, c'mon… Let me in." His voice was a little muffled.

Kaeya stared. His mouth was probably hanging open.

The Harbinger blinked, then turned as if listening- he looked down over the edge- "Yeah, it's the right room-"

Shit-

Kaeya scrambled to his feet and made a beeline back into the bedroom. He slammed the door behind himself.

Ajax

Ajax blinked as the captain sprinted away in a panic.

Oh. Oops.

He felt a light gust and Lumine was suddenly beside him- "Are you sure you're not just waking up some random person-"

Ajax rolled his eyes- "I told you- Kaeya was literally right here!" He scratched at the back of his neck sheepishly- "I think I scared him, though…"

Lumine's face scrunched, "Oh, please. There is no universe in which Kaeya would be afraid of you-"

Ajax frowned, "Hey! I can be scary when I want to be!"

Lumine snorted. Then she frowned, "That was a stupid move with the hydro blast. You could've hurt yourself."

He waved a hand, "Nah, I do it all the time! It's fine."

"Fine enough that I can feel free to mention it when I tell Zhongli that you insisted on coming with me?" Lumine crossed her arms over her chest and smirked.

"Ooh you really do want me dead, don't you?" He peeked into the room again, "Hopefully they'll just agree to come with us easy-peasy once I explain some shit. Then we'll beat him back-"

The Traveler huffed and rolled her eyes. But there was no true annoyance in it.

"Paimon could teleport inside!" The fairy appeared next to them and pressed her little hands up against the glass, "Paimon's Kaeya's favorite, so there's no way he would be scared!"

"No… I think we should limit the breaking and entering, Pai…" Lumine pulled her back, then knocked on the glass herself, "Kaeya? Can you please let us in? I'm sorry Aj-"

Ajax cleared his throat, then whispered, "I'm Tartaglia, Lumine-"

She blinked at him, "Oh, shit sorry-" She cleared her own throat, "I'm sorry Tartaglia is a creep, but we really need to talk-"

WOW. RUDE!

"Hey!" Ajax shoved her lightly and she snickered.

Kaeya

"Kaeya what is it?!" Diluc's eyes were wide, and he was already yanking the blankets off his lap as Kaeya slammed the bedroom door shut.

"Nothing! Where's Jean's bag?!" Kaeya paid his brother little mind as he shot across the room and started throwing jackets around.

He found her pack and started digging-

His hand found a round stone, and he quickly yanked it out.

And blinked down at a red orb in a dark setting-

Well that's not mine!

"Shit-" Diluc's eyes were wide as Kaeya looked up- "Kaeya put that down rightnow-"

Kaeya's eyes snapped over to the other bed as blankets rustled…

Jean sat up and rubbed at her eyes groggily, "Wa's goin' on…?"

"Uhh…" Kaeya considered hiding the delusion behind his back. Which would have beenreallystupid considering he'd found it inherbag- "N-Nothing-"

"Kaeya I'm serious! Put that down rightnow,it could seriously hurt you!" The sheer panic in Diluc's shout had Kaeya dropping the stone on the spot-

He blinked as it rolled a few feet away.

Wait I still need my-

There was another tap on the living room window, this time much louder- clearly more of a knock-

"Kaeya…?" The voice was muffled, but the captain clearly recognized- "Kaeya, It's Lumine- can we please just talk?"

Kaeya's gaze bounced between Diluc and Jean. He was sitting on the floor like an idiot, half of Jean's things were scattered around him, which was rather inconsiderate of him, really, and-

"Wait, is that the Traveler?" Jean pushed the covers aside and started to stand-

"It's not!" Kaeya jumped up and blocked his grandmaster's path to the door.

Jean gave him a look somewhere between 'asleep' and 'did you hit your head?'.

"It can't be Lumine, Jean- she's in Inazuma right now!"At least that's what my sources say- It's not like she even stopped in to say goodbye-

There was another knock-

A jolt of panic ripped through his spine- "Jean whERE IS MY VISION?!"

She blinked at him again- "It's in one of my hip pouches…"

WheRE?!His eye caught sight of them, draped over a chair-

He quickly searched through and found his stupid fucking ice-rock-

"Kaeya what is going on-"

"The Harbinger found us- if I freeze him can you get Diluc-?"

"That wasnotTartaglia's voice-"

Kaeya threw his hands up- "I SAW him, Jean! What if he's like a mimic?! Or- or like a shapeshifter or something?!"

Jean stared at him like he'd grown a second head. She opened her mouth to say something, but Diluc cut her off.

"More important question-" Diluc was staring at the door with a tense frown, "Why hasn't he already broken in?!"

Kaeya blinked.That is anexcellentquestion, actually-

"Kaeya come on! It's cold out here and I'm not dressed for it-" Lumine(?) again-

"I told you to borrow a coat." Tartaglia.

The next grumble was impossible to distinguish.

Kaeya straightened, "Oh."

Jean raised an eyebrow, "Still think he's a shapeshifter having a conversation with himself?"

Kaeya's nose scrunched, "He might be!"

Jean groaned and moved to push past him, "Only one way to find out."

"JEAN-" Kaeya shoved his way back in front of her-

"Kaeya, I swear to the gods I do not haveanypatience left. Iwilllaunch you into the rafters-"

"Let me go first!" Kaeya shoved her back by the shoulder, "You're still woozy, and if he tries anything I canliterallyfreeze him in his tracks."

Jean's scowl morphed into mild surprise, then acceptance, "Oh… Okay… That actually makes sense."

Okay.

Kaeya prepared himself with a huff and put a hand on the doorknob-

"Don't I get a say in whether or not we let amurdererin our room?!" Diluc looked absolutely incredulous-

Jean rolled her eyes, "Relax, Luc. He's not that bad-"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Incredulity morphed into something bordering on horror, and it gave Kaeya pause.

Jean reached around him and opened the door.

Kaeya threw one final look back at his irate brother before cautiously stepping into the living room.

Diluc

He's gonna die-

He's gonna get himself killed-

"S-STop! Kaeya-" Diluc dragged himself out of the bed and used the dresser for balance to hobble over to where his delusion landed.

Panic took over, and he barely noticed how badly his leg twinged and ached as he followed after his family-

Ajax

"Finally…" He crawled in through the window after Lumine. She helped steady him when his back twinged and made him stumble. Paimon settled near his head.

The two knights in front of him looked… unsettled to say the least…

Maybe I shouldn't have come…

But he really wanted to relay what he knew as quickly as possible, and he was worried Lumine might miss details-

Namely because he himself was frazzled and didn't trusthimselfto remember and relay everything that was relevant and important to her beforehand-

Kaeya glared at him before turning to Lumine. He stepped toward her and placed his hands on her shoulders, "Are you alright? What are you doing here with…" Kaeya shot him another rueful glare, "Withthat…?"

Ajax scoffed- "'That'?!' I have a name you know."Three to choose from, actually-

His thoughts were interrupted by a startled squeak right next to his ear and movement in the corner of his vision-

He barely registeredanythingbefore a strange glow was shooting towards him, and then Lumine's shoulder found his sternum-

"Oof!" He flew sideways into the wall. For the second time in a twenty-four-hour period.

He then slid down said wall to land on his ass.

Ow…

Glowing yellow stone had sprouted from the floorboards, and Ajax noted that that was rather unnatural-

"Luc what thE FUCK?!" Kaeya spun with his shout-

"Lumine, get away from him thisinstant!"A deep and unfamiliar voice had Ajax's head jerking up-

To find strange… almost glowing chains encased in stone.

Ajax's jaw dropped-

"Diluc? What are you doing?" Lumine sounded terrified, "What is this?!"

And Ajax cackled. It probably wasn't an appropriate reaction, but he'd hit his limit. In general, really.

Although to be fair, he'd hit his limit months ago. At this point he was essentially running on spite and a pure concentrated stubborn refusal to quit-

Never in a million years had he expected to even encounter the Falcon face to face. Let alone in Liyue- and forget about finding out who the man behind the mask actuallywas-

"That, Lumine…" Ajax winced as he struggled back to his feet, "Would be an extremely specialized delusion…" He rubbed at his chest where she'd slammed into him. Then he braced a hand on the wall because his legs were horribly shaky. In fact, he could barely put any weight on his right-

"ShUTUP-"Fiery red eyes glared at him from across the room. Then the man's shoulders hunched as the existing chains vanished, leaving interesting cavities in the rock between them.

Ajax narrowed his eyes.

Then Falcon's palms started glowing again-

Ajax stiffened and summoned blobs of hydro into his own hands on impulse-

Oh this is going to fucking sUCK-

If sparring with Dottore had ever taught him anything, it's that hydro shields didn't really do much against metal projectiles.

He was going to have to get creative in such a tight space-

Two voices shouted at the same time, startling Ajax out of his thoughts-

"Diluc what the hell are you doing-" Kaeya moved in front of the redhead and grabbed him by the shoulders, "You shouldn't even be standing-"

"Everyone stand down!" The grandmaster shoved forward to stand in the exact middle of the small room- "NOW!"

Falcon-Dilucapparently- shook the cavalry captain's hands off with a snarl, then took an angry step forward-

Ajax watched as the man's knee buckled with a pained cry.

He felt his own shoulders relax slightly as Kaeya caught him.

Huh. He's… injured…

Badly, it seemed. In fact, now that Ajax looked, half the man's face was covered in bruises, he had a split lip, and he was holding his left arm kind of strangely-

You really shouldn't be using a delusion right now, sir-

Ajax felt his face scrunch.

Wait, why do I care? You're literally an assassin-

"Luc- gods, are you alright-?"

Diluc's gaze was still zeroed in on Ajax. Even as his face screwed up in pain-

Ajax scoffed down at him, "So. The mighty Falcon isn't invincible after all-"

"I'll KILL YOU-" Flames licked at the man's finger tips-

Pyro vision? Interesting-

"DILUCSTOP-"Kaeya sounded… scared- which was rather surprising. And concerning in a way-

Ajax watched the Falcon's jaw grind as he took deep, yet clearly furious breaths-

Ajax narrowed his eyes, "We could take this outside. Maybe avoid burning down another building?"

It might actually be a fair fight considering we're both essentially beat to hell-

"Ajax!" Lumine kept her crystal barrier in place but turned to glare at him- her expression incredulous.

He flinched, "S-Sorry…"

"And sincewhenhave you ever cared-" Diluc grunted as he shrugged the knight off yet again- Ajax caught the borderline horrified look on Kaeya's face and wondered what the relationship was between the two-

Wait… Diluc. DilucRagnvindr?

Oh wow, this just gets more and more… weird.

His eyes flitted over the pair.

And that makes you… brothers? Lumine said you were brothers-

"Since when have you EVER cared about property damage youcretin-"

"'Cretin'? Who even says-" Ajax felt his face scrunch-Focus on the important part-"You don't fucking know me-"

"You dropped a BUILDING ON ME AND ABOUT A HUNDRED OTHER PEOPLE-"

Ajax's jaw dropped-

Are you seriously talking about-

"I did NOT-Yourlittle friends are the ones who-" Ajax sputtered and pointed angrily- which sent a pulse of pain down his spine. He ignored it- "I did NOT!"

Diluc growled.

Ajax growled back. He bared his teeth for good measure- he felt a little silly if he was being honest, but de escalation had never so much as been in his repertoire-

"Both of you, shut it!" The grandmaster sent out a somewhat forceful pulse of wind and stepped more fully into the center of the room, "I am absolutely sick of things going batshit sideways! We are going to sit down. LIKE ADULTS. And we are going to TALK-"

"He's a goddamnmurderer,Jean!" Falcon still looked to be angry enough to explode, but at least now when Kaeya moved further in front of him (read: between him and Ajax) he didn't fight-

Ajax scoffed, "MotherfuckingHYPOCRITE-"He was starting to getreallyangry.

But then a familiar pressure constricted around his lower spine with his next movement-

He sucked in a sharp breath as a jolt radiated all the way up to his neck, and all the way down to his toes. He stumbled a bit with it, and the next step he took trying to catch himself was almost even more painful-

Lumine's eyes were wide as she turned to him- "We're leaving! Ajax, move-" Her hand found the center of his chest. Which was a little odd, because he could've sworn she was at least six feet away-

i sHoOULd KkiLL himM…

His Tsaritsa would be proud… how many of their own had the Falcon put in the ground…?

Sound turned a bit dull, and Ajax's heart was a consistent and somewhat painful hammer in his chest-

His hands felt weirdly numb.

"Paimon, stay with them- I'll- I'll be right back-" Urgency colored Lumine's voice, but it felt like it was coming in through some sort of filter.

Paimon whined in the corner-

And…

And Ajax almost fell at the Traveler's next shove- not shove… she was pulling his arm over her shoulder, not shoving him- "MOVE!" She practically dragged him out onto the balcony.

He didn't fight her.

His legs felt a little like jell-o…

Then Ajax's entire body stiffened as it felt like every muscle in his lower spine contracted- "Gah!"

Oh- okay- gods shit- ow-

Help-

Lumine gripped him tighter and launched them over the edge of the balcony, she softened their landing with an anemo cushion, but every movement hurt-

Ajax's breathing was ragged as his back continued to spasm-

"Xiao! We need you-" Lumine helped Ajax lie down, and he stared up at swirling clouds-

What time is it…?

Is it dawn or dusk…

Does it even matter-

"What is wrong, did you find the-" Xiao sucked in a sharp breath, before kneeling within sight- "What happened?"

"I- Diluc- the-" Lumine's composure apparently snapped along with Ajax's temper up in the room- She sounded shaken…

Ajax opened his mouth to speak, but then a pulse around his spine left him groaning into the dirt instead. A gloved hand pushed his bangs back and rubbed gently at his temple.

"I- Th-The- He-" Lumine took a deep breath- "S- O-One of the knights th-thought Ajax was a threat and attacked-"

"Who?" Xiao's voice was sharp-

"No, Xiao don't- I- I'll talk to them- It was a misunderstanding-"

Ajax closed his eyes and focused on taking calm and even breaths. So long as he didn't move, his back was fine, honestly. The pain was bearable.

His back spasmed a bit as his breath hitched.

"What happened?" The Yaksha practically growled.

"I shoved him out of the way, but he hit the wall hard-" Lumine sounded upset, and it made Ajax feel really bad about this whole situation. He very obviously shouldnothave come- "He seemed fine at first, but then they started shouting at each other, and then his back spasmed-"

Ajax sighed. "M'alright, Lumine…" Ajax shifted his shoulders, and when that didn't hurt badly enough to make his vision black out, he fidgeted the rest of his body a little more- It was manageable. He could work with this. So long as he didn't twist a certain way… "M'okay now…"

I guess this isn't all that surprising…

The Millileth had all but beaten him the day before. Then he'd been thrown, and drugged, and now slammed into a wall-twice-

He'd only done any sort of stretching once- and he'd had to stop because his muscles and nerves were pinching…

Xiao sighed heavily, "Let's get you home…" His thumb continued rubbing his temple.

"I'm really okay… I'm just an idiot…"

Lumine frowned, "Ajax, you're not-" She huffed, "Well… I mean the profanity and yelling certainly didn't help the situation… but you're not an idiot…"

Ajax snorted into the grass, "I meant more because I've been pushing my body too hard… But yeah, we can blame my physical problems on profanity if you'd like."

Lumine's expression flattened, "Yeah. You're fine."

No. I most certainly am not.

Ajax forced himself to smile.

Notes:

Diluc: *tries to commit immediate murder*
Ajax: *offended narwhal noises* Chapter next week!

Chapter 32: Yes, hello, time to talk about unresolved TRAUMA-

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-motel-

Diluc

Diluc shook. Adrenaline had his hands twitching, and sweat gathered at his brow as his breath got stuck in his throat-

Using the delusion was stupid.

Completely losing his goddamn mind was so stupid-

Hands gripped his shoulders as he swayed.

Spots danced across his vision.

Yup. Using the delusion. In his current state, was really,reallystupid-

"Diluc what thehellwere you thinking?!"

A disconnected corner of his mind noted that it had been a long,longtime since he'd heard Jean sound so angry…

"Jean stop-"

"Kaeya, I do not care how much you hate the man for no goddamn reason- that exchange was completely unacceptable-"

Diluc's legs buckled beneath him. Again.

"Luc-!" Cool hands found his face-

"I thought y'were madat me…" Jean's face swam in front of him. And he felt as a warm trickle of blood leaked down his nose. He didn't have the energy to wipe it away.

"Where is the delusion? Kaeya, hand it to me-"

Diluc heard a light rustling, then a handkerchief was pressed to his face.

"Luc, look at me-"

Diluc blinked his eyes open to find two extremely anxious faces above him-

Which was a little odd, because he didn't remember laying down…

"What the hell was that?" Jean wasn't looking at him-

"I don't know! You can ask me ten, twenty, or thirty times Jean, but I still won't have any clue what the fuck that was all about-" Kaeya sounded borderline hysterical. Which made Diluc feel bad…

Diluc reached a hand up- "Munna protect…"

I make bad decisions when I'm scared…

Kaeya looked pained as he sighed and took Diluc's hand, "Alright… Okay…"

And I wasreallyscared…

Jean closed her eyes as she huffed out a heavy breath- "Barbatos above…"

I'm sorry… But you don't understand…

There could notpossiblybe any good reason why a Harbinger would sneak up to their room- especially not that particular-

Especially after everything…

Kaeya's head jerked to the side somewhat suddenly, and he cursed under his breath- "Shit… Paimon…" His brother rose and moved out of sight, "Hey, it's okay bug… Are you alright…?"

"N-No- Paimon d-doesn't understand-" Her voice devolved into uncontrolled sobs.

And Diluc closed his eyes…Gods… I made the fairy cry…

There has to be a special place in hell for people who make fairies cry-

"I'm going to sit you up, Luc." Jean's voice was stern, but still held a concerned edge, "Then Kaeya is going to make some coffee and we are going to talk about this-"

"Volunteering my services?" Kaeya's voice held a smirk. It was the sort of voice he used when he was trying to hide his anxiety-

"Yes." Jean's voice, by contrast, was flat as hell.

Jean

Jean sat to Diluc's right and examined his knee. His knee that he'd not only just tried to walk on, but tried tofighton-

She bit back a frustrated groan and sent out a pulse of healing that was… a little more aggressive than she'd intended-

Diluc sucked in a sharp breath and winced. But he didn't say anything.

Jean placed his leg back down on the chair so that it was sitting straight out from him. Then she stared him down. "Explain. Now."

The redhead's face scrunched.

And a mug of coffee was placed in front of her on the table-

"Okay, let's all just take a deep breath-"

Jean turned to her captain.

"Or not…" Kaeya shrank back from her death glare. Even Paimon wriggled in his arms in clear discomfort-

The pixie tucked her little head into his neck for good measure.

Jean bit back her immediate guilt and turned toward Diluc.

He was staring down at the table.

"Diluc. You just threatened a high-ranking foreign dignitary. With a delusion." Jean felt her teeth grind and her hands were balled into tight fists that had her fingernails digging into her palms- "With a delusion used by a well-known vigilante-"

The man outright winced at that.

"Diluc, I swear to Barbatos-"

"Well I couldn't very well use my vision, now, could I?" Diluc glared back at her through his bangs, "People might get suspicious if every inn we stay at burns down-"

Jean sucked in a sharp breath and stood abruptly. Her hands slammed the table as she did so- "Do you think this is fucking funny?! Is this a goddamn joke to you?!"

Something in Diluc's gaze flashed-

And Jean was starting to wonder why people sometimes teased her for having an anemo vision-

She'd heard it said that it didn't suit her calm and soothing personality because the element itself was so reactive.

But the joke was on them, because right here, in this moment, Jean felt every bit as unstable and explosive as a full-powered swirl reaction-

"Both of you cool it! RIGHT NOW!" Kaeya must have set the fairy down somewhere, because he suddenly stepped between them, and the air temperaturedropped-"Jean. Sit down and drink your coffee."

Jean blinked at her captain. She was too shocked by his bossy tone to fully process-

He didn't even wait to see if she would comply before turning to his brother- "Diluc- youhaveto give ussomethinghere- you can't just go off the rails like that-"

"YOU let him in! What the fuck were you two thinking-"

The temperature dropped lower-

"What were wesupposedto do Luc?! He's helping us with an active investigation!" NowKaeyawas full-on screaming-

Wow. We're three for three on the temper front-

"It's obviously a trick! You can't fucking trust the Fatui!"

"Okay, well why not?!"

"THEY KILLED OUR FATHER, KAEYA-" Diluc's voicebroke.And Jean felt her anger dissipate as she sat heavily- "They kill- they killed our dad… they killed my best friend- my partner, they-"

Jean squeezed her eyes shut.

It was starting to getreallycold…

Jean startled as Kaeya shouted- she opened her eyes in time to watch him angrily chuck his vision clear across the room-

It hit the wall with a-thunk!-

"Kaeya-!" Jean stared at where the divine stone landed for a moment in shock.

One simply does notthrowa vision.

That's- That's a gift from thegods-

She stood and hurried over to retrieve it- She didn't know what else todo-

Jean picked up the vision and cradled it gently in her hands. The stone itself seemed alright, but one of the wings in the setting was badly bent- "I- I'll put it in your bag-"

Kaeya was glaring through the floor with his hands balled into tight fists at his sides.

Diluc was staring at the wall.

And Paimon was sitting on the counter, hugging herself tightly-

And.

And…

We're done. We obviously can't do this-

Jean jumped as Kaeya sat heavily in his own chair.

And…

"How do you even know him, Luc…?" Kaeya stared at his hands in his lap, "You said you didn't know him… Why did you lie to me…?"

Oh… the-

Jean recalled the conversation in front of the warehouse- Diluc's warning to stick together-

Jean waited along with Kaeya for the redhead's answer.

"I didn't lie."

Kaeya's nose scrunched and he looked away- very clearly hurt-

Diluc sighed, "Tartaglia is a menace… He… He wasn't the Harbinger in charge of the region- he was brought in to help-" Diluc's shoulders slumped, "I never actually confronted him head on..."

Kaeya's eye flickered toward his brother. Jean continued staring, Kaeya's cryo vision was still clutched tightly between her palms.

Diluc's voice was small, "He's well known for cutting swathes through battlefields- for destabilizing entire regions-" Her friend sighed heavily once again before continuing, "He blew up a factory in Natlan to do just that- the workers were all still inside…" Diluc looked away, "My partner and I were still inside…"

Kaeya sat and worked his jaw.

Jean blinked. Then her gaze dropped down to the floorboards.

How- How did I misread the Harbinger so badly…?

Diluc seemed so certain- Jean couldn't help but believe-

He wasn't one to throw around wild accusations. Not unless he was sure.

"I heard later that he thendecimatedthe guard force in that city when they tried to arrest him… Unleashed some sort of demonic power or… something…" Diluc sighed heavily, "I'm sorry… I got- I got scared and… I'm sorry…" He trailed off.

And Jean shivered.

*present*

-sitting in the dirt outside the motel-

Ajax

Ajax shivered as Xiao helped him sit up slowly.

It was rather depressing how little it apparently took for him to lose weeks of progress.

Honestly, he used to get thrown around like a ragdoll all the time! Now stepping wrong was sometimes all it took-

I wonder if this is how old people feel…

Lumine knelt in front of him, studying him closely.

He huffed, "Just go, Lumine… The sooner you talk to them the sooner we can get past this-"

Xiao scoffed, "'Get past this'? One of them just tried to kill you!"

Ajax rolled his eyes, "If I stopped talking to people because they tried to kill me you'd be my only friend, Xiao."

Lumine winced, and Ajax's eyes widened-

"That was a joke! I was joking-"

The Traveler deflated, and Ajax wondered how in the world the universe had conspired to create a creature as stupid as him-

But then she raised an eyebrow, "So when did Ekaterina try to kill you…?"

Ajax blinked, and forced a wide grin onto his face, "Last week, actually! She threw a knife at my face because I ate the last golden shrimp ball."

Lumine snorted, but she looked away- clearly still upset.

Make another joke- quick-

"I'm also fairly certain she's conspiring with Xiangling. I could actually taste the slime the last time she brought me 'special' jewelry soup, and there's no way that shit is actually good for the human body."

Finally, a small smile tilted the Traveler's lips, "I don't know why you keep ordering that…"

"It's a fun surprise! You never know what's gonna make it 'special'. Snezhnayan roulette with your gut!" He gestured as he spoke. Which was really stupid-

He stiffened, and could have sworn his face twitched as his back twinged again.

Xiao adjusted to hold him steadier. "Stop moving so much…"

Yeah… good call.

Lumine sighed. "I'm really sorry…"

Ajax grunted, "We've been through this- I'm the one who started throwing whales-"

Lumine's face scrunched, "No, not about the Golden House, dummy. About today…" She looked away, "If I had known Diluc was here with them I never would have let you come…"

Ajax blinked. "Ah... so you don't feel bad about stabbing me, then?" He pouted, "And here I was trying to cheer you up-"

"Ajax! I swear to the gods-"

He snickered. Laughing was a little painful, but he managed not to wince. Then he sighed, "It's not your fault, Lumine." He considered for a moment, "Although… I am a little offended that you didn't tell me you're friends with an internationally known assassin-"

"A what-" The Traveler's face scrunched, "Diluc's not- there's no way he-"

Ajax raised an eyebrow, "Believe what you want, but that is an extremely specialized delusion. No one in the Fatui uses one like that anymore-"

"That doesn't mean he's an assassin you asshole!" Lumine seemed to be getting angry, which he really wasn't expecting-

Ajax blinked, "... If it helps he's, like, one of the most feared and respected figures on the Fatui's most wanted list-"

Lumine groaned, "That's it. I'm leaving. I- I can't deal with this right now we have way too much as it stands-" She rose and started stomping back toward the motel.

…

Time to let this one go I think…

It's not like Falcon's any sort of threat toher…

On a couple of levels. Ajax was confident that Lumine could demolish the man. Easily. With one hand behind her back.Especiallysince he was so clearly injured.

But also because the Falcon had a very specific modus operandi. Ajax had never even heard of the man so much as touching anyone not associated with the Fatui or the Treasure Hoarders. And further still, the man never really killed hoarders. Only Fatui agents and skirmishers…

"Lumine, wait-"

"What?!" Lumine spun on her heel-

He held up his hands, "Just wait a sec…" He hesitated until she didn't seem like she was about to storm off. Or punch him in the face. Neither of those outcomes would be ideal.

Then he pulled his coat off his shoulders. Xiao helped him, "You were cold earlier and I'm going straight home so I don't really need it."

Lumine blinked as Ajax shoved the coat at the Yaksha, who in turn offered it to her, "Thanks." She pulled it on. It was a little big on her. But at least she'd be warm.

"And Lumine-" Ajax worked his jaw. He hesitated.

"Ajax, what?" Lumine was clearly getting impatient. Which was fair. Especially considering the state in which they'd left her friends…

"I'm not saying it would be… severely detrimental to your… to the- er- to Master Ragnvindr's health if he were to use the delusion again…" Ajax looked away- "But if you care about him you should probably make certain he doesn't use the delusion again. At least not in the near future."

Ajax didn't miss the way Xiao tensed beside him.

Lumine didn't respond, so Ajax turned back toward her…

She was giving him a really strange look.

Ajax fidgeted.

She chewed her lip for a moment before nodding, "I'll… uh… yeah… I'll tell them…"

Ajax nodded back, "Cool… cool…"

She turned to leave with a tight frown.

And Ajax sighed as he watched her go.

Then he shivered a bit because it really was kind of cold out- especially now without his jacket-

"Can you stand?" Xiao shifted beside him.

"With help, yes…"

Xiao pulled him to his feet, and Ajax squeezed his eyes shut. The movement was rather painful.

"Keep them closed."

Ajax hummed and complied as a light breeze kicked up around them.

–

Zhongli wasn't even angry.

Which was the most surprising part of this wacky and horrible evening-

Xiao helped Ajax sit on the floor of another bedroom- on a mat the god had pulled out. Ajax winced a bit with the movement.

The room he'd first crashed in was apparently the guest room- now currently occupied by the Mirror Maiden.

Which meant Zhongli's home was either larger on the inside than the outside, or this was the god's bedroom.

"Lay on your stomach please."

Ajax nodded, and Xiao helped him get situated.

"I am going to lift your shirt." Zhongli waited for a verbal confirmation as usual.

"Go ahead..." Ajax pillowed his head on his arms.

Zhongli laid a warm palm against the small of his back, "Are you currently in any pain?"

"Only when I move…"

The god hummed, and his hand shifted.

Ajax waited patiently for about a minute or so, and before long Zhongli pulled his hand back. He didn't try to prod or work any of the muscles which was a little odd. Checking his condition with magic was usually just the first step-

"Xiao, could you stay with Ekaterina and the Maiden for a bit? I worry she may wake and I do not want Katya to be alone when that happens."

Ajax pushed himself up onto his elbows with a grunt in time to see Xiao's eyes narrow.

But the Yaksha did not argue. He simply nodded before vanishing.

There was a beat of silence. Ajax wondered if it was awkward, or if it was just him…

Zhongli sighed before he turned back to him, "I cannot help you if you continue to lie to me, Ajax." The god's brow was ever so slightly furrowed, and his frown was tight.

The Harbinger blinked, and moved to sit up more- "What do you mean? I haven't lied about anything-"

Zhongli's hand gently pushed his shoulder back down, "Do not move yet. We are not done." He sighed heavily, "An omission of the truth counts as a lie, Ajax. Especially when I am working to help you heal." Finally he started to massage and loosen the worst of the tight muscles- avoiding areas where nerves tended to pinch.

Ajax, meanwhile, was very confused.

Which must have shown, because Zhongli sighed as he worked, "I can feel the Legacy writhing, Ajax. There is no sense pretending that you weren't considering using it-"

Ajax's entire body tensed. He didn't hear the rest of the accusation.

What.

Shit-

"-jax. Breathe-"

When did I- How did it-

It should take way more than an argument to-

Hands turned his shoulders, and Ajax clung to the god's arms as Zhongli hauled him partially upright.

"Look at me." The tone was commanding, yet gentle, "Focus on my voice and breathe, Ajax-"

"I- I didn't- I-" Another pulse around his spine choked off the words-

N-NO-

Not here- Not again-

It was incredibly terrifying. Because he had no idea if this was a normal muscle spasm or-

"Shh… It is reacting to your panic…" A rough hand cupped his cheek, while another arm hugged him around his shoulders- "You are safe. Relax, and let it go."

That answers that question-

Ajax whimpered as his breath continued to hitch.

"Breathe… In and out slowly." Zhongli hugged him tightly, which was honestly helping-

Ajax forced himself to breathe.

Eventually it became more natural.

"There you are… Very good, child…" A hand brushed through his hair, "You are doing wonderfully…"

Ajax's wild heartbeat would tend to disagree- but he no longer felt what was apparently the legacy yanking on individual vertebrae, so he didn't argue.

He closed his eyes and let his head rest against Zhongli's chest. The motion of the man's breathing was quite soothing, and helped him keep time with his own air intake.

Zhongli sighed, and his breath ruffled Ajax's hair a tiny bit, "What first triggered it, Ajax? I know this time it was me-"

Ajax whined and turned his face further into the god's chest.

"Ajax, you are incredibly weak right now, and the Legacy is looking for a foothold. I need to be able to protect you from things that might…" Zhongli sighed again.

He seemed at a bit of a loss for words.

Ajax hummed, which he knew was unhelpful but he honestly had no idea what he should say.

Zhongli huffed, then changed the subject, "You do realize, child… that going out and confronting known antagonists of your organization less than a day after being drugged and beaten counts as a rash decision, don't you?" His hand made its way through Ajax's hair once again.

Ajax felt himself relax a small fraction, "N-Noted…" His voice was a croak.

Zhongli sighed, then carefully lifted Ajax from the ground.

He walked him over to the bed, "I will make you some tea. How does that sound?" The god laid him down gently before pulling the blankets up and over him.

Ajax blinked, then nodded.

Zhongli smiled, and rubbed a circle into Ajax's temple with his thumb, "I will be back in a moment."

Ajax watched him leave, then closed his eyes.

He was suddenly very tired.

Notes:

Diluc: He's a menace! *points at Tartaglia across the table*
Ajax: *Hisses like that cat meme* The Abyss: Give in to your anger, young one-
Ajax: Okay! :D
The Abyss: ... That was stupidly easy... Chapter next weekend yip yip~

Chapter 33: Kaeya's really sneaky, Jean!

Summary:

In which Jean's resolve shakes, Xiao scares the absolute godd*mn sh*t out of Kaeya, and Lumine and Jean (as the foremost brain cell-havers of the group sans Katya)finallyhave a productive conversation!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-motel-

Kaeya

"H-He can't always c-control it-" Paimon's voice shook. Paimon herself shook in Kaeya's lap- "A-And he wouldn't just- just kill innocent p-people-"

Kaeya sighed heavily. And rubbed gentle circles into her back.

… Control what…? Murderous urges?

He felt terrible. The fairy was so… trusting…

And… And Kaeya didn't want to ruin, or discourage that, but to be friends with aHarbinger-

What is Lumine thinking…?

It was one thing to have… 'friends' in the Fatui. Kaeya regularly spoke with that fellow that hung about the Cathedral, and found that he was generally just a lonely, homesick guy…

Which Kaeya could relate to.

Being friendly never hurt, and Kaeya had even managed to glean subtle, but important hints as to how they operated.

But a Harbinger? That's…

Where chatting with the rank and file could be compared to playing with fire, a Harbinger was akin to playing with one of Klee's bombs.

But one on a timer, so it's less a matter ofifthe situation might blow up in your face, and more a matter ofwhen-

Paimon sniffled into his chest, and Kaeya squeezed her tight.

"It's alright, Pai… It'll be alright…" Kaeya stared at the wall as he gently rubbed her back.

This situation is all around fucked…

At this point Diluc had all but smashed their one lead with a hammer. There was no way the Harbinger would consider working with them, evenifKaeya thought it was a good idea-

Which he didn't.

He worked his jaw.

I wonder if the factory collapse is what actually killed his partner…

I need him to talk more.

Diluc had been dodgy with details. He said enough to make it clear that he believed Tartaglia to be the literal Spawn of Satan, then essentially passed out. More or less.

His brother probably needed a healer. Or a specialist of some sort…

Jean did her best, but she was getting weaker and weaker, and Diluc still looked like death warmed over after the last round of healing…

Paimon fidgeted, effectively pulling him out of his thoughts, "He's not evil- Paimon promises-"

So insistent.

He sighed, "Paimon… It- The Fatui aren't good people-"

"Paimon doesn't care about the Fatui as a whole." The fairy's voice grew steadier, "Paimon cares about the Fatui that she knows. And the Fatui that Paimon knows are good."

Kaeya gave up. He ran gentle fingers through her hair, "Alright bug… alright…"

He'd have to be an absolute dick to argue with her when she was this upset.

He looked up as Jean came out of the bedroom. His grandmaster closed the door gently behind herself before sitting heavily on the couch beside him.

She leaned back into the cushions and stared up at the ceiling.

"How is he?"

Jean sighed, "Dizzy. Migraine and another nosebleed."

Kaeya hummed. He had no idea how good or bad that was…

It's not like he knew anything of value about delusions.

Well… anything other than- other than that they could easily kill you.

Kaeya worked his jaw and focused on the steady motion of his hand as he gently petted Paimon's hair.

"You know…" Jean didn't even look at him as she spoke, "I am very seriously considering going down to the wharf and throwing that stupid rock in the harbor."

Kaeya hummed again, "Feel free. I'm not stopping you."

Jean blinked at him. Her eyebrows rose-

"I would have tossed it in the lake years ago if I'd managed to get my hands on it…" He let a smirk turn one side of his lips up- "Especially those years when he hated me…" Kaeya let out a sad little huff, "What would he have done? Hated me more?"

"Kae…"

"I hate that stupid delusion. Ursa may have been the weapon- but that stone is what ultimately killed Crepus, and Diluc clearly…"Doesn't have as much of a handle on the side effects as he claims…

Kaeya worked his jaw and grunted instead of finishing the thought.

Paimon fidgeted and hugged him tighter.

He sighed.

I hateeverythingright now, actually…

"How do we get him back to Mondstadt…?"

Kaeya's head jerked up to stare at his grandmaster-

She was back to staring at the ceiling, "He can't ride. We'd need a cart. Which makes us slower, easier targets-" Tears filled the corners of her eyes- "And we have absolutely no idea if the Millileth actually sent our request for backup. So we'll have to send another one which means it'll be at least another day or two if we're gonna wait for help-"

"Jean…?"

"And the kids are still taken, and by now they're probably long gone because everyone and their grandmother has been ten steps ahead of us this entire fucking time-"

"Jean." Kaeya shifted Paimon to his left arm, then gripped Jean's shoulder with his right, "Jean relax. Breathe."

Her lip quivered as she turned toward him.

Kaeya took a shaky breath, "We'll figure it out, okay? We'll move to another inn tomorrow. Keep moving him and take turns staying with him and going out looking for clues-"

"Looking for clues where?!" Jean sat forward and gestured broadly- "We have nothing. No support, no idea where to start- We can't contact the Qixing without putting ourselves out in the open, and even at that point everything we did moving forward would be vulnerable because we don't know how deep the corruption goes-"

Kaeya blinked.

Oh she's thinking likethat-

This sounds like the sort of paranoia she givesmea hard time for…

Kaeya didn't think that particular revelation would be all that helpful in the current moment.

"We'll start with the warehouse. There have to be signs of some sort." Kaeya forced his voice to remain steady, "I have elemental sight, so I'll sneak in-"

Jean's nose scrunched, "Ialsohave elemental sight-"

"And two days of overusing your magic. You're resting and keeping watch over Diluc tomorrow. I'll investigate." Kaeya sat up straighter, "Now we know the score. You know how stealthy I can be Jean, I'll be fine."

His grandmaster took a deep breath, "That is the stupidest idea any of us have had all week. And Diluc has almost died twice now-"

"I'm really sneaky, Jean!"

"It's too risky!"

"U-Um… P-Paimon has something to say…"

Both Knights' attention snapped to the fairy.

Paimon uncurled herself from the tight ball she'd been in and crawled off Kaeya's lap to sit between them on the couch- "Um… W-We have a friend who already re-searched the warehouse…"

Kaeya blinked, "A… friend? Who? What did they find?"

"H-His name is Zhongli and he's a consultant at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor…" Paimon fidgeted and picked at her tiny fingernails, "He didn't find the children, but he found a Fatui lady wandering around… She was sick so we took care of her and when she wakes up we were gonna ask her what she knows…"

Kaeya's eye widened, "Wait. You have a witness? A suspect?!"

Paimon's shoulders curled, "S'what Aj- er- Tartaglia and Paimon and Lumine came here to tell you… And to take you somewhere safe…"

Kaeya blinked.

He wasn't sure if he trusted-

But Lumine was directly involved. She wouldn't do anything to-

Kaeya felt like his brain might implode a little bit… "Okay… Alright… Well- Where is Lumine? And your friend? We need to know everything you know-"

A knock at the door had him stiffening-

He jumped to his feet faster than his brain fully processed-

"It's Lumine. I'm alone. I'm not unarmed, but that would be asking a lot in the current political and social climate…"

Kaeya reached the door in about a step and a half-

He yanked it open, "Alright smartass, get in before you get jumped-" He immediately pulled the Traveler into a hug.

Lumine didn't even miss a beat before squeezing him around his middle, "I'm really,reallysorry about earlier…" Her voice wobbled a bit, "Tartaglia said he'd been with you before, so I assumed you- I assumed you were at least sort of okay with each other-"

Kaeya sighed. "Hush, Lumine. It's not your fault…" He gave her shoulders a tight squeeze.

After a moment he pulled back and held the Traveler at arm's length. He studied her for a bit. He hadn't seen her in a few months, and he still didn't trust the Harbinger not to hurt her-

"You're alright, Lumine? Truly?"

Her face scrunched, "Me? Why wouldn't I be?"

…

He blinked as he realized she was wearing the Harbinger's coat. He forced himself not to scowl.

Fine…

Lumine you had better know what you're doing because I can only take so much anxiety before I am going to explode.

One homicidal sibling with zero survival instincts is more than enough-

Kaeya bit off the spiral and huffed, "Just making sure." Then he forced a smirk onto his face and ruffled her hair-

"Hey! My flower!" Lumine pouted as she smoothed down what Kaeya had mussed. She repinned the blossoms in place with an annoyed huff.

"Now what's this about a prisoner?" Kaeya's hands found his hips, "Your fairy friend tells us you've been busy."

"Yes, well… yeah…" Lumine sighed heavily, "That was one of the things we came to talk to you about…"

At that point Jean came around the couch and approached-

"Oh!" Lumine's face lit up, "Grandmaster! How are you?"

Jean smiled, "I am well, Lumine. How are you?" Jean's face pinched a bit, "We apologize for… earlier…"

Kaeya nodded in agreement. Because he meant it when he said that shit wasnotLumine's fault-

Lumine grimaced and looked down and away.

Paimon teleported to land on the Traveler's shoulder. The fairy clung to her hair.

Lumine sighed, "Yes, well…" She picked at one of her fingernails, "Is um… Is Diluc still around? I was hoping I… or maybe we all could talk to him?"

Jean sighed, "He's resting at the moment…"

Lumine hummed, "The- The thing is… We um… We kind of need Aj- Tartaglia and Ekaterina's help on this one…"

"I know, Lumine…" Jean blew out another heavy sigh, "But we don't trust them, and quite frankly I am more than a little surprised that youdo-"

"He's…" Lumine fidgeted again, "He's really not what you think… I mean he's not great, that's for sure. But he would never hurt kids and he…" The Traveler picked at her glove.

Kaeya snorted. He couldn't help it. Because that wasnota glowing review-

Lumine grunted in frustration- "He's really not the worst!" Her foot kind of stomped and her hands balled into fists at her sides- "He's actually a really good person, he's just stuck-" Her face scrunched and she looked away.

Jean raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean 'stuck'?"

Lumine grumbled.

Kaeya sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Is he trapped? Being coerced? 'Stuck' can mean a lot of things, Lumi-"

"No, it's… Never mind…" Lumine's shoulders slumped, "The Fatui as a whole suck, but… The organization is bad, not all the people in it…"

Kaeya felt his expression flatten, "Yeah. I've heard that one before."

Lumine pouted and glared at him. Both expressions, at the same time.

He sighed, "Alright, yes. I understand what you're saying… believe me, I do-"

"He and Ekaterina are literally working against a fellow Harbinger in order to help, so I really hope you do! Understand, I mean-" Lumine looked both extremely determined and to be on the verge of tears-

Which was unusual, the Traveler didn't cry much so far as Kaeya had seen-

His eye widened, "Alright, okay…" He put his hands up, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you-"

Jean on the other hand, latched onto a completely different detail- "What do you meananotherHarbinger, Lumine?!" She looked disturbed to say the least.

Kaeya blinked.

Oh. Right. That was averyimportant detail-

Lumine fidgeted, "That's what we came to tell you! But I need you all to come with me, this inn isn't really all that safe. I mean the bank has guards around it at the moment, but right now we don't have the numbers to-"

"Guards? From thebank?"Alarmed would be an understatement to describe the look on Jean's face.

Kaeya was certain his own expression mirrored it-

"Yes, Ekaterina sent guards out to find you, and once they figured out you were staying here, they've had one or two on patrol for the last couple hours. We… have some ideas, but at the moment trust is… difficult to come by and we wanted to make sure you were okay…"

We…?

Kaeya did not like how seamlessly Lumine seemed to lump herself in with-

"Just… Come with me? Please? We can go to Wangshu Inn and Zhongli can brief you on everything he's found. Tartaglia and Ekaterina aren't there, and it's far enough that it's a little safer-"

Kaeya's face scrunched, "How the hell would we be able to doanythingfrom Wangshu? It's all the way out in the marsh-"

"It's just an option. Zhongli also has an apartment in the city if… if that's better…" Lumine fidgeted, "At any rate, Xiao's agreed to be messenger. And… taxi… more or less…"

"Taxi?"

Lumine blinked, "T-Transportation. Taxi is a form of transportation…"

Oh. This is one of the Traveler's quirks-

"Got it." Kaeya crossed his arms over his chest, "And how exactly is he going to do that-"

An unexpected breeze blew through the room, and Kaeya looked to Jean in confusion before-

The Yaksha in question appeared right in front of him-

"GAH!" Kaeya jumped backwards with a shout. It was a really good thing he didn't have his vision on him at the moment, because he probably would have frozen the whole damn room on the spot-

"Hello again, Captain." Xiao smirked at his reaction. Then turned toward Jean, "Grandmaster, I presume?" He held out his hand, "My name is Xiao."

Jean blinked, "J-Just Jean is fine…" Her eyes were wide as she shook his hand briefly.

Xiao nodded. "Where is the red one?"

The red-

"D- Do you mean my brother?" Kaeya's heart was still kind of hammering.

Xiao nodded.

"He's resting-"I probably should have lied…

Just because Kaeya had met him before didn't mean he should trust him. Xiao was agodafter all-

Xiao huffed, though his features didn't change in the slightest, "He didn't seem to need rest an hour or so ago-"

"Xiao." Lumine's voice was stern, "We talked about this."

The Yaksha raised an eyebrow, and Kaeya's unease grew-

"I only wish to speak with him for a moment." The small god's expression was unnervingly neutral.

And Kaeya's pulse picked up its pace again.

Gods were terrifying anyway.

Gods that could teleport…

Totally different level- It was part of what made Archons so dangerous, at least to his understanding. They weren't the only ones that could, obviously, but the ability was a complete game-changer on a playing field that was already stacked in their favor-

"Has the Mirror Maiden woken up or something? I was hoping you'd give me at least an hour-" Lumine changed the subject.

Kaeya wondered if it would stick.

"She has stirred, but not awoken. If you do not tell me where he is, then I will assume he is in the only room with a closed door."

Apparently not-

Kaeya moved to place himself between the Yaksha and said door.

Xiao turned to him with an eyebrow raised.

Then disappeared in a puff- to reappear behind him- "Do you truly wish to play this game, mortal?"

"Xiao!"

Golden eyes bore into Kaeya as Xiao paid Lumine absolutely no mind-

"What do you want with my brother?" Kaeya's voice was much steadier than he expected it to be. He'd apparently transcended panic because everything was just sort of numb-

"I already told you. I wish to speak with him."

"About what."

Xiao's head tilted, and Kaeya was certain the man hadn't blinked once yet- "About why he attacked my best friend for no reason."

Oh great. This is wonderful. The Harbinger's 'best friend' is a fucking god-

Kaeya worked his jaw. Then he swallowed. There was a strange ringing in his ears as his vision tunneled to focus on the threat in front of him-

His palms were a little sweaty.

"My brother is horribly concussed. And confused." Kaeya gestured with a hand as he spoke. He wondered if the god noticed it shaking- "He thought your…best friendwas a clown, and he's deathly afraid of clowns, you see…"

Xiao finally blinked, and Kaeya held his breath, halfway certain he was about to be smited.

Or smote?

Smitten?

Smoted-

The Yaksha snorted, and a small smile pulled at his lips-

"That isenough!"And Lumine shoved her way between them, effectively dispersing the rest of the tension.

Traveler

Oh, I am way too drawn out for this absolute horseshit-

"Xiao. Leave. NOW." Lumine forced herself further between the knight and the Yaksha, "I will call you when I need you."

Xiao blinked at her, clearly surprised, "Pardon-"

You've lost your helping privileges until you can learn not to be absolutely terrifying-

What she actually said: "Tell Ekaterina we've found them, Zhongli as well. You weresupposedto help keep an eye on the Mirror Maiden, anyway- What if she wakes up?" Lumine gestured somewhat angrily- "You left Kat all alone!"

Kat wasn't technically alone.

Zhongli was there tending to Ajax. Neither were probably paying any attention to the Maiden, but at the very least Zhongli was in the same building if Kat ended up needing help.

Well... Okay yeah, Katistechnically is alone at the moment. Especially considering the shape Ajax was in-

Xiao blinked again, and his eyes widened a fraction- "I… did… apologies…" He vanished without another word.

Lumine pinched the bridge of her nose.

She startled a bit at a somewhat manic laugh from Kaeya-

"You- You just yelled at a god-" Kaeya looked… well, frazzled would be one possible description- "Stars, Lumine! What the hell are you thinking?!" The man gestured frantically- "First a Harbinger and now a literalfuckinggod-"

Lumine blinked, and shrank back a bit- "You- You've already met Xiao…"

I honestly thought you two hit it off pretty well that first time at least…

Lumine could hear Kaeya's teeth grind as he clamped his mouth shut. A high pitched, and somewhat pained whine escaped his throat.

He looks like he might explode.

Lumine had no idea what to say to that particular reaction.

Jean did, however- "Kaeya, have Diluc eat some of those herbs you got from the front office and help him get dressed. Regardless of the next decisions we make, we're moving."

Kaeya turned to her. His face was kind of twitching in some sort of extreme anxiety reaction- but then he nodded and stepped into the bedroom.

The door slammed a little bit and it made Lumine jump.

She watched as Jean placed her hands on her hips and sucked in a deep breath, which she blew out slowly.

The Grandmaster turned toward her, and at this point Lumine just had no idea what to expect from anyone anymore-

"How are you, Lumine?"

The Traveler blinked, "Uh… f-fine…?"

Didn't we already do greetings and introductions-

Jean nodded. "How is Inazuma? I've heard you've been there for a few weeks now."

Lumine blinked.

How did you know I was-

Paimon floated over and dug her fingers into Lumine's hair.

"I-It's uh... fine..." Lumine swallowed, "How did, uh... how did you know-"

"The knights have an extensive intelligence network, Lumine."

"O-Oh..."

Jean smirked, "Kaeya occasionally gets intel from Captain Beidou in exchange for regular shipments of booze."

Lumine snorted, "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Jean huffed, "The pair are also decent friends, so don't think lowly of the Captain of the Alcor for it." She sighed heavily, "Sometimes I regret introducing them..."

"Youintroduced them?!" Lumine balked, "How doyouknow Beidou?"

Jean's head tilted and she gestured with a hand as she spoke. Her eyebrows pursed as if the question surprised her, "Ninguang brought her to a formal meeting in Mondstadt regarding certain affairs with the Qixing a year or two ago. Afterward the Captain and I went out for drinks, and I dragged Kaeya along."

Lumine raised an eyebrow, "You had to drag him?"

That earned her a snort.

But then Jean's expression dropped as she stared through the floor.

Lumine fidgeted.

"So how and when did you manage to befriend the Fatui?" Jean's expression remained neutral. Which was almost worse than if she were flat out angry, "Is this a… normal thing? To side with terrorists and extremists?"

Oh. Sheisflat out angry…

"N-No ma'am…" Lumine fiddled with her gloves.

Jean nodded.

And silence fell like a wet blanket.

"If- If it means anything I'm only friends with, like, two of them-"

Paimon pulled her hair, "We're friends with five of them, Lumine."

Paimon I swear!Lumine wanted to rip her own hair out- and scream. A lot.

Jean raised an eyebrow and waited.

"W-Well you see-"

"Viktor in the Cathedral at Mondstadt, Vlad and Nadia at the bank, and Ekaterina and Ajax!" Paimon raised a finger for each name listed-

"So 'Ajax' is another name for the Harbinger, then?" Jean's arms crossed over her chest.

Lumine smacked her own face as Paimon stiffened beside her-

"W-What? No! No, Paimon just got confused!" The little fairy's hands started waving in a panic- "Paimon just sometimes gets him confused with that cleaning stuff-"

Lumine groaned, "They don't evenhavethat here, Pai!"

If you're going to lie, then at least come up with a convincing one-

You didn't evenknowthat brand untilImade that joke!

Jean's expression flattened, then she sighed, "You know what… I-" Her shoulders slumped, "It's not important right now. What do you know about the children?"

"We have a general direction and a hunch about who's responsible." Lumine reported curtly, "The hunch will be all but confirmed once we examine the bodies of the skirmishers and/or convince the Mirror Maiden to talk. After she wakes up, of course."

Ifshe wakes up…

Jean nodded. Then her face relaxed somewhat, "Well. That's about the first good news I've heard in nearly a week." She sighed again, "And you believe the Harbinger is trustworthy in this regard? In this case?"

Lumine nodded emphatically, "Absolutely, yes."

"Ekaterina as well?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Jean worked her jaw and brought a hand up to her mouth. Her brow furrowed as she considered, "Alright… Alright. I… I trust your judgment, Honorary Knight…"

Lumine blinked, "Really?!"

Oh shit I didn't mean to ask that out loud-

Jean laughed- "Well, now I'm wondering if I should reconsider-"

"You shouldn't! I have good judgment!"

Hah. No I don't.

Jean snorted, though her smile was tired. "That's good to hear, Lumine. That's good to hear…"

Notes:

If they do actually have taxis in Teyvat, then from the bottom of my heart: my bad.

Oh! Also, if anyone read Impermanence of Stone (Babey Xiao fic) and enjoyed it, I've written a bit more for it!
Not sure when exactly I'll post the next chapter, but keep an eye out if you're interested, friends! :D Next weekend! I post!

Chapter 34: Ajax questions his life choices and the Knights try to get their feet under them. Success is debatable. On both fronts.

Summary:

Ajax gets a dream-call from his mom. He thinks he handles it well.
Spoiler: He does NOT.

Jean, Kaeya, and Lumine try to figure out what the f*ck they're doing-

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*?*

-?-

Ajax

Ajax gasped as something practically yanked him out of a dreamless sleep-

"Tartaglia! I have to say, it was quite difficult getting through to you. What sort of magic were you employing?" The Tsaritsa's voice held an annoyed edge, "I am not pleased if you are hesitant to report to me."

"I-" Ajax didn't know which way was up. He was rather disoriented if he were being honest-

"Tartaglia…?" The Cryo Archon's face appeared above his own. Which meant he was probably lying down in the sort-of-dream- "Are you alright?" A cold hand cupped his cheek.

"I–"SPEAK IDIOT-"N-Nightmares-"

"That was not a nightmare." His queen's eyes narrowed, "I am more than capable of discerning when your dreams are troubled… If you lie to me again we are going to have a problem."

"N-No ma'am, I-" Ajax shook a bit, but couldn't quite figure out how to move his limbs- It was like sleep paralysis butsomuch worse- "I didn't mean- I- A-Apologies-"

The Archon's eyes remained narrowed, but something approximating concern leeched into her expression. She gently looped an arm around his shoulders and sat him upright.

His surroundings swayed and he groaned.

The Tsaritsa hummed, "So something truly is wrong, then…" A hand found his forehead, "Are you injured in the waking world, little one? Where is Morax? He told me he would keep an eye on you-"

Ajax blinked. He wasn't entirely sure what to think about that. At all.

"I- No- I'm fine I just-" Ajax forced air into his lungs. It was like his body wouldn't breathe unless he consciously reminded it to- "X-Xiao helped me sleep- because I have nightmares-"

The Tsaritsa's eyes widened a fraction, "I see. Then this must truly be disorienting for you." The god sighed, "How unfortunate… I do not have much time to check in… Is everything at least well in Liyue?"

Ajax blinked. Then blinked again as the dream rippled. His head was starting to hurt- "Uh…"

Should I lie?

I should lie… right?

Or maybe not?

But if the kidnappings and subsequent smuggling were sanctioned, then she'll stop me from helping-

"S'fine…" Ajax's tongue felt incredibly numb, "Eve'thing's fine. Nuh'problems'ere…" The last bit devolved into barely intelligible mush.

Nailed it.

The Tsaritsa hummed, "Alright. I'll put you back." Her lips pursed, "Do not use magic to sleep again, Tartaglia. I expect anactualreport the next time I call for you."

Aw… That kind of sucks…

"Y-Yes'mm."

She huffed, "Honestly… I don't even see how it would be beneficial. It's essentially like a miniature coma…" The Tsaritsa's hand found his forehead, and sound faded out before she'd even finished talking.

–

"-jax! Ajax!"

Ajax woke to hands on his shoulders- then a palm cupping the side of his face-

He groaned.

"Thank the stars-" Arms yanked him suddenly into a hug. "I could not wake you- something was holding you and I could not properly reach you-"

"Xiao, I do not believe he can breathe…"

The arms loosened slightly. Ajax squeezed his eyes shut tight.

The headache, it seemed, had followed him into the waking world.

Zhongli hummed and a rough palm was laid across his forehead, "What happened, Ajax? It is not common to have a nightmare when in such a deep sleep-"

"Tsarissa said hi…" Ajax made the mistake of opening his eyes. He shut them again rather quickly, "Says yur'doing a bad babysitting job…"

"She- What?" Zhongli sounded confused. Which was probably fair.

Ajaxwas still confused-

"She pulled you out- Why would she-" Ajax blinked an eye open to find Xiao's brow furrowed deeply. He was blinking somewhat angrily, "She should have left you be! It would have taken great effort to break through the walls and protections I erected-"

"Xiao, relax…" Zhongli reached a hand out to the Yaksha's shoulder.

Xiao shook it off- "She could have seriously harmed him!"

You'reseriously harming me. With all the yelling-

Ajax leaned back into the bed and closed his eyes again.

"Xiao, what is done is done. He is alright, and that is what matters-"

The Yaksha grumbled.

"Ajax, what did your Tsaritsa want? Does she know anything about what is going on here?" Zhongli's expression was stern.

Ajax sighed, "I don't think she knows anything… She wanted a check in…"She hasn't 'checked in' in weeks… It's possible it's a coincidence… Ihopeit's a coincidence…

Zhongli sighed, "Did she say anything to hint… to hint that she knows of or has planned any of this?"

"Dunno… I lied and said everything was fine…"

Both Zhongli and Xiao startled and blinked down at him.

"You-" Xiao's eyes were wide, "You lied? To your Archon?"

Ajax groaned, "Unless you're planning on tattling, please don't make me think about it right now…"

Oh gods.

I lied to my Archon-

He had no idea what his expression was doing at the current moment.

But a thought suddenly occurred to him-

"I'd've told you about the delusions, Xiao-" Ajax felt his face scrunch, and he grabbed the Yaksha's arm- "In Inazuma- f'I'd known I'd've-"

"I- Pardon?" Xiao's face morphed from surprise to concern. He took Ajax's hand, "Ajax, what are you talking about?"

"I would've told you- Because I promised I'd help f'I could and not telling you would break that promise and-"

"Ajax, relax. Breathe. That has nothing to do with what we are currently dealing with-"

Ajax felt his entire face scrunch-

You're notlisteningto me-

Xiao's brow furrowed, "You do not owe us anything in Inazuma- I specifically told you not to promise-"

"... promised in my head…"

Xiao sighed, "Okay… Alright, Ajax… That is fine-"

No, you're not-

You're notlistening-

"I lied to my Archon-"

"Ajax…" Xiao's palm moved back to his cheek. The Yaksha turned toward his father, his expression troubled.

Zhongli's features were set like stone as he worked his jaw.

Ajax wasn't sure what the expression meant, which sent a spike of panic into his gut- "I'm sorry- I didn't know what to say or do- m'not supposed to- I can't-" Breathing was getting difficult. Not totally unlike the dream, actually- "She might have ordered me to- I- I'm sorry-"

No I'm not. I'm not the least bit sorry.

Ajax felt like he was vibrating. Like he'd transcended normal human existence and was now inhabiting another plane altogether-

F-Focus-

"Ajax, breathe. It is fine." Zhongli's face finally softened, "I think you did the right thing in this regard. You were right to be cautious with what you know."

I know I'm right!

The god leaned forward and gently brushed Ajax's bangs aside.

Ajax felt his face scrunch- "Of course you'd say that- you're technically enemies-"

The god's brow furrowed in mild confusion-

And there was a dull pulse of pain all down the side of his face, so Ajax pressed the heel of his palm into his right eye socket and groaned, "... m-my head…"

Gods… She's going to kill me…

Let her try. What's the fucking point anyway-

Fuck. Shut up!

Zhongli sighed, "I will get you some tea and painkillers…" The god rose and left the room.

Xiao watched him leave, and Ajax stared at the ceiling.

Xiao sighed heavily, "What are the odds that she is…awareof what is happening here…?"

Ajax continued staring at the ceiling.

"Ajax-"

"I don't know, Xiao… I don't know." He felt his eyes close- "It- None of this makes sense- I was told not to cause problems- She told me we were trying to smooth things over here so why would she authorize…?"

WHY WOULD SHE LET THIS HAPPEN-

Ajax felt betrayed on more than one level. And it made him angrier and angrier the more he thought about it.

So he tried to stop thinking altogether.

Xiao's head tilted.

Ajax sighed, "What's the potential fallout of throwing a fellow Harbinger under the bus?" He cocked an eyebrow at the Yaksha, "On the one hand- I could get Dottore in trouble with Mom."

If all of this is under her radar, of course…

Xiao snorted and a smile spread across his face, which helped Ajax relax a fraction.

"On the other- my Tsaritsa really doesn't appreciate in-fighting… Meaning she doesn't appreciateseeingthe in-fighting, so we may need to get creative-"

Xiao frowned, "What does that mean?"

"It means the last time I butted heads with a comrade publicly I got sent into the wilderness to investigate Bigfoot. For three months."

"... Bigfoot? I have never heard of such a-"

"That's because it doesn't fucking exist! Ow…" Ajax groaned and applied more pressure to his eye as his shout sent a pulse of pain through his face- "I basically got sent to the mountains to 'cool off'. Do you know how irritating it is to try to fight in a blizzard with a hydro vision? I had to use my delusion almost exclusively! And let me tell you, that isnotgood for the mindorbody."

Pretty sure some of my hair went gray during that one…

Xiao's expression pinched. "You do not trust her." Xiao studied him, "That is what you are saying?"

"You know," Ajax glared, "You and Kat givemeshit for having no tact, and yet here you are."

Xiao gave him a strange look. He seemed about to say something when the door opened.

Zhongli set a tray on the nightstand, and Ajax sat himself up. The god handed him a small vial, and Ajax drank it immediately.

Then he grimaced, "Is all Liyuen pain medication so… flowery? It tastes like perfume." He set the vial aside and tossed a hydro bubble in his mouth.

Zhongli huffed before handing the Harbinger a tea cup, "Most Liyuen herbs that offer relief from pain and inflammation are floral. Quite different from basic Snezhnayan remedies, I am sure."

"Thanks." Ajax took a sip. His head was already feeling much better- that shit worked fast- "Yeah, I think we use more roots… Flowers and other leafy herbs are only around a small part of the year…"

Zhongli hummed before reaching a hand out. Ajax leaned forward for the palm to check his temperature. And whatever other magic the god used to check his vitals or whatever- "How do you feel?"

"Better than the Mirror Maiden, I'm sure," Ajax set the cup aside and started pushing the blankets off himself. He needed to get moving- he'd go crazy if he didn't get moving- "She up yet?"

Xiao shook his head and stood, "I believe she may wake soon, but it is questionable whether she will be… communicative."

Ajax hummed, "Makes sense. I need to be the first one to talk to her. It's more than likely that If I convince her I'm not about to hand her over to Dottore she'll help-" Ajax also stood, then looked around- "Wait, where are my clothes?"

I left them folded on that chair-

The borrowed pajamas were perfectly comfortable, but Zhongli was a bit taller than him and Ajax was sure if he tried to walk around too much he'd end up tripping-

Also he didn't want to be in pajamas all day.

"Ah. I put them to wash. I will get you a fresh change- one moment." Zhongli popped out of existence-

"Oh. Thanks…" He turned to Xiao, "Has anyone looked into examining the other skirmishers? I want to know if they show evidence of the same poison."

"My father is planning to go in the guise of funerary rites. We are simply waiting to see how things… How everything works out with the knights…" Xiao looked… somewhat sheepish.

Ajax grunted, and decided he didn't have the energy to question the expression, "Right. The knights." He crossed his arms over his chest, "The knights who are conspiring with a-"

Gods. Nothing makes sense…

"How the hell does a wine-maker become a master assassin anyway?! Doesn't he have a business to run?!"

Xiao shrugged.

*present*

-still at the seedy motel because nobody trusts anybody which makes getting things done exceedingly difficult-

Jean

Jean pinched the bridge of her nose as she set a coffee mug in front of the Traveler, "So you want your… Adeptus friend to teleport us halfway across the city? To an unfamiliar location?" She sat heavily with her own mug.

Lumine nodded before taking a sip, "More or less, yes-"

"Less than an hour after he openly threatened one of us?"

Lumine grimaced- "Well-"

"Xiao wouldn't hurt him! Xiao wouldn't hurt anybody! Paimon promises!" The fairy's lip quivered as she wrung her little hands.

Jean sighed, "I would very much like to believe you, but…"

Even if I was okay with this… There is absolutely no way in hell Kaeya would be…

Jean held no illusions as to her captain's… thoughts on the gods. He hid his opinions rather well, but Jean knew he held apathetic resentment toward Barbatos and the other Archons at best- something bordering on hostility at worst.

He'd never mentioned any of it to her. Of course he didn't, considering how devout she openly was. But from the bits and pieces of Khaenri'ahn lore and history that she knew, it wasn't all that surprising.

She never pushed for information, and she also never tried to rope him into religious practices or holidays.

He participated on his own to an extent- likely to keep nosier citizens from questioning, but Jean could tell his heart was less than in it, generally speaking.

Jean huffed, "There is no way that is going to happen. Give me the address and we will make our way to you."If we even feel safe enough to move…

Jean worked her jaw.I am not putting Kaeya in a room with a god again if I can help it…

It wasn't fair to do so.

"Grandmaster, please, it's really not safe and you're the one who told me that Diluc can barely walk-"

Jean's eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to retort-

"Lumine's right, Jean. If we're moving we need help…"

Jean turned to find Kaeya leaning against the doorframe. He looked absolutely exhausted-

"It's a bad idea, Kae-"Idon't even trust the adeptus at this point-

Kaeya grunted, "Everything's a bad idea, but we'd never even make it to Wangshu on our own-"

"We're not going to Wangshu. That move makes no sense." Jean updated him on her decision curtly. Part of her felt bad about exercising executive authority on this, but again, she didn't want to rely so much on-

Kaeya blinked. Then his face fell, "Oh… alright…"

Jean's eyebrow raised, "Is there a reason you would prefer to work from the marsh-?"

It requires too much reliance on the adeptus, I donotlike it-

Kaeya shrugged, "Gets us halfway home…"

Oh. Right. Shit-

Jean blinked, "Kaeya, we have a lead- multiple leads. And a witness-"

Kaeya waved a hand before moving to join them at the table, "I know… I should've realized you'd change your mind."

Jean felt her face scrunch, "You're the one who wanted to search the warehouse. By yourself."

Kaeya hummed, "Yeah. That would've been pretty stupid, huh?"

Jean felt her expression flatten. Then her eyes narrowed as she studied him, "Kaeya, what's wrong?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. Then he sighed and turned to Lumine, "Can the Yaksha get us all the way to Mondstadt? Diluc obviously can't be here anymore."

Lumine blinked and nodded, "He could, yeah."

Kaeya hummed, then to Jean, "Diluc is feverish. And I can't trust my ice to cool him down. Xiao takes Diluc and I back- He'll be happy that we're nowhere near the Harbinger-" Kaeya gestured with a hand, "I get my brother to the Cathedral, then rally a group and send them back here as quickly as I can. I'll get Amber and Eula. Rosaria if she's free, and they'll be here in a day. Tops."

Jean blinked. Because that was actually a great idea aside from direct contact with a god. And the fact that Kaeya wasn't planning on coming back-

Jean's eyes narrowed. She'd have to check on Diluc again.

If Kaeya is seriously proposing this… then he must be truly worried…

"Alright. Why Rosaria, though, Kaeya? Bring Albedo- Lumine says poisons are a concern, so his viewpoint will be good-"

"Lisa, then."

Jean blinked.I do NOT like that-

But unfortunately Jean's reasons for not liking the proposal were entirely selfish- "Fine. Lisa's expertise would be invaluable." She hoped no one would notice her teeth grinding.

Kaeya blinked at her, "Right…" His face softened, "Jean, Lisa is more than formidable in a fight, she can handle-"

"I know, Kaeya! Ijustsaid she would be invaluable!" Jean winced internally at the bite in her voice.

"Wait, wait wait-you'renot coming back?" Lumine's eyes were wide as she turned to Kaeya-

Kaeya blinked toward her in surprise, "I… would prefer not to. If I have the option-"

"You're just going to leave your grandmaster here? Alone?!" Paimon practically shrieked- "How can you consider-"

Kaeya flinched. Then he scowled-"You'rehere, aren't you?! Or can I not trustyoutwo anymore?!"

Jean blinked. That was the first time she hadeverheard or seen her captain address the pixie or the Traveler with anything resembling irritation-

Paimon pouted, "That's not what Paimon meant…"

Kaeya pinched the bridge of his nose, "Sorry… Sorry for…" He sighed heavily, then turned to Jean, "I'll send you a good team, Jean. We'll requisition the fastest horses from Springvale so you won't be alone-"

Jean nodded, and was about to voice her consent once again when the fairy interrupted-

"But Paimon doesn't think you should run away-"

"Paimon!" Lumine pulled the little pixie back, "That is a horrible thing to say-"

Kaeya looked like he wanted to disappear.

Jean sighed and spoke up before anyone else could, "Go home, Kaeya. Take care of Diluc." She smiled at him, then at the Traveler and an outright shocked Paimon- "I'm sure the Traveler here will have my back until help arrives. Right, Lumine?"

Lumine moved her hand over Paimon's mouth before answering, "Right!"

Right…

Notes:

Zhongli, calling up the Tsaritsa: Your children are wreaking havoc. Pick them up. Now.
Tsaritsa: Ah... I told Tartaglia to behave... I apologize-
Zhongli: Tartaglia is fine. I mean the evil one.
Tsaritsa: ... You mean besides Tar-
Zhongli: No! The boy isn't evil- YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHO I MEAN.
Tsaritsa: ... Signora's off in Inazuma, I'm honestly not sure who you're-
Zhongli: KEEP TRACK OF YOUR MURDEROUS HELLSPAWN TSARITSA OR I WILL HANDLE THIS MYSELF-
Tsaritsa: Okay, okay, jeez...
Tsaritsa: So… Scaramouche somehow made it back to-
Zhongli: I MEAN DOTTORE! HOW HAVE YOU NOT KEPT TRACK OF THE MAD SCIENTIST-
Tsaritsa: Oh... He's in Liyue? Huh. I thought I left him in Mondstadt…
Zhongli: *eye twitching* You are a horrible mother. Chapter next weekend!

Also, babey Xiao fic is getting updated sometime this weekend! Probably tomorrow, but if not then Sunday!

Chapter 35: Put Diluc in baby jail- (also heal him again please for gods' sake-)

Summary:

Plans are rewritten and everyone's a mess. That's it, that's the chapter-

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-hotel, motel, holiday inn-

Kaeya

"Absolutely NOT!" Diluc's face and cheeks were about as red as his flames. Both from anger and fever- "We arenotleaving Jean here with-" He had to pause for a gasping breath- "With a Harbinger-"

Well now I'm definitely not telling you there might be two-

Kaeya stood in front of him, his expression flat, "I don't like it either, but Lumine is here, and it sounds like-"

Diluc growled.

And Kaeya petered off.

The captain sighed, and his gaze found the ceiling- "What are you even gonna do here, Diluc? You were already injured. You can barely walk, and now you're sick-"

"M'not sick- I'm-"

"You're sick, Luc. You need a doctor, and Jean needs to save her strength at this point." Kaeya crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm not leaving."

Kaeya rolled his eyes, "Again, what the hell do you think you're going to do?!"

"Throw a bird at the Harbinger-"

Kaeya groaned and his hands found his face- "And that is EXACTLY why you can't be here! BECAUSE YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT!"

Kaeya froze as soon as the words left his mouth. That was a lot more aggressive than he'd intended-

Diluc blinked at him, and Kaeya waited for an equivalent explosion.

It didn't come.

Diluc worked his jaw, "Jean comes home too. Or I'm not leaving."

Kaeya opened his mouth to argue- but then realized that this was the most reasonable thing his brother had said in regard to the matter. He sighed, "Diluc, we can'tallleave-"

"We can and we should-"

"And what about the kids?" Kaeya gestured angrily- "As much as I want to go home, we can't just abandon them- I havebabysatboth little Iris and Sean for gods' sake-" Kaeya swallowed thickly as he thought about how terrified they must be…

The Hartmann's daughter was barely older than he was when he-

Diluc flinched, then worked his jaw, "Send Rosaria. She has a good head on her shoulders."

Kaeya huffed

You only like her because she's not technically a knight-

And I only like her because she's not technically a nun…

Well, that wasn't true exactly. Shewasa nun, but she only really used it as an excuse- as a cover for-

Kaeya sank into a nearby chair. He chuckled as he leaned his head on his hand- "You know. I keep saying the exact same thing…" He sighed tiredly, "Should just go ahead and makeheran 'Honorary Knight' too…"

Diluc leaned back into the cushions with a snort, "The pizzazz would throw off her groove."

Kaeya snorted, "Her groove?"

"You know…" Diluc waved a hand tiredly- "How she- how she operates or… whatever…"

Kaeya hummed. Then he massaged his forehead.

"Who were you thinking of bringing back?"

Kaeya blinked. Diluc was staring down at the floorboards-

"Amber and Lisa." Kaeya sat up a little straighter, "According to Jean, Rosaria is out on Dragonspine; Eula needs to stay so that all of our officers aren't out on assignment; and I'm afraid of Albedo."

Diluc's face scrunched, "If Albedo is out of the running then why can't he be acting-"

"Because he's also on Dragonspine."

Diluc rolled his eyes.

Kaeya smirked.

"And you'll be coming back here? To Liyue?"

Kaeya sighed, "Once you get checked over, yes."

Diluc's face pinched, "Kaeya…"

Kaeya waited, but Diluc just sighed.

"The Yaksha will teleport us directly to the Cathedral. I'll find Amber and Leese while you're getting checked by a doctor." Kaeya leaned forward and attempted eye contact as he spoke, "Assuming you're alright, the three of us will leave right after with the adeptus. Two hours tops that Jean is 'alone'." He made air quotes around the last word.

Diluc hummed. He still wouldn't make eye-contact.

"Luc?"

"And you're okay being shuttled around by a god?" Dull red eyes studied him somewhat forlornly.

If it means you and Jean are as safe as possible, yes.

Kaeya huffed, "Oh, please. They're not so bad-" He waved a hand around dismissively, "The gods only murdered hundreds of thousands of people, leading to the ruination of an entire culture and way of life, which lead directly to my recruitment as a child soldier/spy and subsequent abandonment-"

Diluc made a strangled noise in his throat. He looked pained.

Kaeya snorted, "Relax, Luc. I'm fine with it."

I'm not actually. But I'm good enough at pretending.

Diluc continued staring at him-

Kaeya waved a hand, "At any rate, the Yaksha has it out foryou,not me, so-"

"Why?" Diluc's face scrunched, "I have never interacted with the adepti-"

"He's buddies with the Harbinger. You know, the Harbinger you tried to kill on sight."

Diluc blinked, "What."

Kaeya shrugged, "Don't look at me. Liyue's a weird place, apparently."

Diluc worked his jaw, "Apparently…"

Diluc

Diluc's surroundings swam as he rose on unsteady feet-

"I've got you. Arm on my shoulder…" Kaeya guided him toward the bedroom door.

It felt like all of the blood in his head was suddenly in his feet.

And coming out of his nose. Again-

Kaeya shoved a cloth under said nose- "Shit, Luc-"

Diluc tried to breathe as steadily as possible, but his heartbeat was too fast, and his head was too heavy-

He groaned. And the pair were suddenly falling-

No- Kaeya was easing him back onto the bed.

His brother's hand around his shoulders kept him upright. The other held the rag up to his face.

"Okay. Walking is a 'no'." Kaeya huffed. Two Kaeyas huffed as Diluc squinted-

Kaeya grumbled something about a rock in a lake before turning toward a noise.

Diluc started tilting and Kaeya rushed to support him-

"He looks terrible. What is wrong with him?" The voice was flat. And not at all familiar.

Kaeya tensed before responding, "He was tossed around by a dragon, then attacked by Fatui skirmishers." Kaeya's smirk was forced, "I tried to tell you; he's horribly concussed."

Diluc felt his eyes narrow.

M'not concussed…

He might as well have been, but he didn't actually have an outstanding head wound so far as he was aware-

[He does. His brain is indeed bruised.]

A small figure in the doorway hummed, "What else?" The boy crossed his arms over his chest.

Kaeya's gaze narrowed.

And Diluc was getting really tired of the staring contest- "I'used a delusion… Are you familiar with…? Ugh…" He started listing sideways again.

Kaeya sighed and held him tighter.

"I am familiar with delusions. Yes." A dark haired boy was suddenly standing right in front of him.

Diluc felt Kaeya stiffen.

"Xiao, give them some space. Let Diluc at least stand-"Lumine?

Diluc didn't look for her. His eyes were kind of achey.

"I do not believe he is capable of standing." A small hand was suddenly on his forehead-

"What the hell are you doing-" Kaeya sounded almost panicked-

"I am checking his injuries. Relax, human."

Diluc blinked to stare into glowing golden eyes and a young, yet extremely stern face. Kaeya bristled beside him- even as the boy removed his palm and pulled his glove back on.

"He needs a healer. Sooner rather than later." The boy frowned and his hand came to rest on his chin.

"We are well aware. That's why I asked you to take us to-"

The child paid Kaeya no mind. Which was actually kind of funny. Or it would be if Diluc was a little more with it.

The boy turned toward the doorway, where Jean was standing gripping her elbows extremely tightly. Diluc watched as she worked her jaw in clear anxiety-

Xiao gestured as he spoke, "I will take him to Madame Ping. No offense to you or your fellow doctors in Mondstadt, Grandmaster, but we should not risk his health to human healers with the sort of decay-"

Jean nodded, not the least bit offended, but before she could respond-

"Decay?! What are you talking about decay-" Kaeya practically squawked beside him.

"Kae… Stop yelling…" Diluc was… starting to feel a bit better after sitting for a while. His pulse was closer to normal and he no longer felt like he was totally about to flop over like a dead fish- "Delusions leech life away… That's how they work…"

The boy- adeptus? in front of him raised an eyebrow, "You know this. And continue to use it anyway?"

Diluc shrugged with his good shoulder, "I'm usually strong enough that it doesn't bother me… Usually."

The godling's tight frown grew tighter. Which was an impressive accomplishment- "I am taking you to Madame Ping."

Diluc frowned, "The woman on the terrace?"

Lumine stepped forward, "Wait, you know Madame Ping?"

The redhead's gaze bounced between two very surprised young adults- "Yes… I visit her when I have business meetings in Liyue. We play Mahjong… Is that strange?"

"That's not important- Madame Ping is a healer?" Kaeya shifted beside him. Diluc found his interruption to be rather rude- "And she can help with- with the decay-?"

The boy nodded, "She should be able to, yes."

Kaeya grumbled, "Should. Great."

Diluc sighed, "I'm really alright… I'll recover in my own time…"

The boy's head tilted, "You are an idiot. Is it something to do with red hair on humans that makes you both-"

"Xiao!"

Ah. His name is Xiao- Wait, Kaeya told me that earlier-

Xiao shrugged, "Is the statement untrue?"

Diluc snorted.

Lumine looked rather indignant.

"Right, right we're all idiots!" Kaeya cut in, "We're all assholes and idiots, idiots and assholes- Can wepleaseget to the healer? Mondstadt, Yujing- I don't give a shit-"

Diluc frowned, "Kaeya, chill out-"

Haha… chill like ice… Because you're icy-

"You're decaying. You're rotting. And tellingmeto chill out?!"

"I'm notliterallyrotting- I'm metaphorically rotting-"Or… recovering from rot-?"Kaeya, the delusion doesn't do continual damage when I'm not using it-"

Xiao grunted, "Sometimes it does. Though it depends on the user and the intensity of the power."

Diluc shot the Yaksha a glare.

"Oh, you were lying to comfort- Apologies."

–

Diluc literally passed out as they teleported.

He came-to as Kaeya carried him into a low building. He caught sight of a meadow… and trees, and an impossibly blue sky before the door shut-

Where… are we…?

"Oh dear… Another Fatui to fix?" A familiar voice spoke and Diluc heard movement- "Ah… the opposite it seems."

A gentle hand found his forehead.

"Bring him into the next room, dear. You can lay him on the bed." A door opened. A door closed, "I have to say, it has been quite a while since I've seen you young Master Kaeya. I almost didn't recognize you!"

Diluc was laid onto an exceedingly soft bed.

"I- Yes, well- I don't really come to Liyue anymore…"

Madame Ping hummed, "You could accompany your brother for his meetings. Like you did with your father. We still play Mahjong."

"I… I suppose I could now…"

"I am glad you two are speaking again." A gentle palm was replaced over Diluc's forehead and a cooling surge cleared… Well, it felt like it gave his brain a good scrub, really. Diluc was suddenly quite uncomfortable with the current conversation now that he was able to process it- "He told me when he returned that he was the new Master of the Winery, and that the two of you were no longer-"

Diluc grunted as he forced himself up onto his elbows, and a set and a half of eyes turned toward him-

"Ah, how do you feel?" Madame Ping rolled with the interruption. Kaeya was standing behind her, looking about as uncomfortable as Diluc currently felt. A glint in the woman's eye made Diluc feel like it might have been on purpose.

She'd not been subtle in previous visits. She asked after Kaeya every time, no matter what Diluc said about them not-

"I'm alright…"Best not to dwell.

Madame Ping hummed, "You both seem rather tense." Then to Diluc, "Would you like some tea before I take a look at your arm and leg?"

Diluc blinked. "I- uh…"

Okay… maybe I'm not quite alright just yet…

Kaeya stepped in, socially gifted butterfly that he was- "Tea would be lovely, Madame Ping. I will help you-"

The woman waved him off- "No need. Stay with your brother." She shuffled out of the room.

Kaeya's posture shifted, and he turned toward Diluc as soon as the door closed. He started poking at his face, checking his eyes, his mouth-

Kaeya had started to take a pulse when Diluc slapped his hands away-

"What are youdoing?"It came out in a low hiss.

Kaeya was undeterred, "Making certain she didn't poison you or curse you or something- Follow my finger with your eyes-"

"She's a healer, Kaeya!" Diluc scowled, "And also an old friend of the family! She literally used to babysit you!"

'Babysit' was a bit of a stretch. Crepus largely gave them free run of the city (especially when they were a bit older), but when he occasionally had important meetings with the Qixing or other large businesses, he would often take them to Madame Ping. Her spot on the terrace was on the way, and she was always delighted to entertain the boys for an hour or so-

Their dad also just visited with her a lot when they were in Liyue. Took her to dinner, to tea, played games, etc.

Diluc found himself on the terrace largely out of habit on his first solo trip to the harbor. He'd been both delighted and surprised to find her table in exactly the same spot-

"Yes, well she's also an adeptus and we don't have the best track record with them-"

Diluc groaned and rubbed at a temple, "What part of 'old friend of the family' makes you think she would hate us?"

Kaeya balked, "I hate more than half of the 'old friends of the family'!" Kaeya made air quotes. Which really was an irritating habit, if Diluc did say so himself- "But Ipretendlike I don't. It's called diplomacy and we are literally trapped in an otherworldly bubble right now! There would be no consequences- no finding us if she decided-"

"Kaeya."

"What?"

"Shut the hell up." Diluc's headache was starting to make a comeback… He rubbed at both temples.

"Why are you not more freaked out by this?!" Kaeya gestured around the room. It was very nicely decorated with warm wood tones and there were a few tapestries hanging- "We just found out that our dad had a literal god babysitting us-"

Diluc shrugged, "It explains why she's still alive, honestly..."I don't even care… I'm honestly just happy thatsomethingin this chaotic soup of a life has remained the same…His face scrunched, "Wait- What do you mean 'otherworldly bubble'?"

Kaeya was practically vibrating. Diluc wondered if he might explode- "Oh, you would notbelieve,Luc-"

The door handle turned.

Madame Ping entered with a large tray- she was kind of struggling a bit, and Kaeya quickly stepped forward to take it from her with practiced ease.

"Thank you, dear." The woman smiled up at him.

Kaeya's own smile was a bit thin, but most wouldn't be able to tell, "Of course, Madame Ping…" He set the tray on a nearby table.

"I am sure this is a bit jarring for the two of you…" The woman wrung her hands. Kaeya started serving the tea, "Being here, finding out about my true nature…"

"Not at all…" Diluc cocked his head to the side and took the cup that was offered to him. "But… Madame Ping, if I may… Did our father know? I am merely curious, so if the question is intrusive in any way-"

Madame Ping waved a hand dismissively before sitting in a chair by the bed. She took the cup that Kaeya offered her, "Thank you dear…" Then to Diluc, "He knew. The cat had to leave the bag at some point. I'd known him sincehewas a small young Master, and at some point I knew he was beginning to wonder how I was still alive!" She chuckled as she took her first sip. Then she gestured toward Kaeya. Who was still standing, "Sit dear… pull over one of the comfortable chairs from the corner."

Kaeya kind of startled a bit at being addressed, then scurried to oblige-

Madame Ping hummed, "Still jumpy… I'd hoped he would outgrow that…" It was said quietly enough that Diluc only barely heard. Kaeya would have had to be a bat to hear. She relaxed her features into a smile as he returned and sat with a cup of his own, "Have your tea, Kaeya. Then I will call for our Yaksha to take you back." She turned to Diluc, "Then I will work on fixing up your leg and arm, sound good?"

Diluc nodded and took a drink-

"Surely Diluc should come with me, we really wouldn't want to impose-" Kaeya's hand shook a fraction. He tried to hide it by drinking from his cup.

Madame Ping hummed again, "No. He should stay. And it is nowhere near an imposition, child. I would like to take my time with the healing- for his benefit. And quite honestly, considering the target I've heard is on his back, my teapot is by far the safest place for him within the Harbor."

Teapot?

"I see." Kaeya smiled, "That makes sense. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Of course." Madame Ping's own smile was distinctly sad, "Though I wish you would relax, child. You are perfectly safe here."

Kaeya stiffened. He bit his lip and looked away.

Diluc didn't know how to help.

He didn't… He didn't share his brother's distrust of this particular situation. He had fond memories with Madame Ping- memories intrinsically tied to every trip to the Harbor.

He didn't much care that it turned out the woman was a god-

Oh. I am a dumbass.

We literallyjusttalked about this-

Diluc's eyes widened with his realization, and like his brother he tried to hide his sudden discomfort and concern behind a sip of tea.

Oh now Ireallydon't know how to help…

Kaeya didn't try to talk anymore.

Madame Ping seemed disappointed.

–

"Kaeya, it's fine. I- I understand where you're coming from, but there is no way I am in any danger here." Diluc held him at arm's length and spoke quietly, gently. He was sitting up in bed. Kaeya was perched on the edge next to him. "I'm more worried about you and Jean, frankly-"

"Shut up." Kaeya looked miserable. Kaeyawasmiserable. He had deep bags under his visible eye, and the lines of his face were far too prominent…

He also looked like he wanted to cry.

Diluc sighed and pulled him into a hug. He rubbed a circle into his back as his brother clung. "I'll be alright, Kae. Don't be distracted worrying about me…"

Kaeya grumbled.

Maybe you should stay too. Palpable anxiety aside, you also need rest…

But then again so did Jean, so…

Madame Ping watched from the doorway as Kaeya finally peeled out of the hug. Diluc watched as his brother scrubbed at his face, then the adeptus held an arm out to lead him out of the room.

Kaeya cast a final, miserable look back before turning away.

Diluc worked his jaw- "Kae…"

The knight turned back in the doorway.

Diluc offered what he hoped was an encouraging smile, "Don't pick any fights you can't win, yeah?"

Kaeya blinked, then he huffed and an attempt was made at a smile- "I'll… I'll win every fight I pick. I promise."

Diluc chewed his lip and nodded. His eyes were starting to prick-

Kaeya turned and ducked out the door.

Stay safe… Please…

Notes:

Stay safe and healthy, everyone! I love you all, and I hope...
I don't know, all I can offer is some distraction in these scary times so... I just hope you're all safe, healthy, and happy Chapter next week as usual

Chapter 36: And they're all in the same room again. Yay.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-Madame Ping's teapot on the terrace-

Xiao

Xiao straightened as the captain entered the living room with Madame Ping.

The man was clearly exhausted. And miserable. There was no sign whatsoever of his smirk, or his sharp perception.

He was just staring at the ground.

Which… considering the dire shape his brother had been in…

Xiao stifled a huff and fought not to close off his posture by crossing his arms over his chest. He wanted to mend fences with the knight…

It had been… a little cruel to even imply that he might take some sort of retributive action.

Especially now that he understood how badly beaten the Mondstadter had been… byFatui.

Xiao worked his jaw.

Badly beaten and still insisting on using a delusion…

The wine tycoon's words rattled through his skull like marbles.

I'm usually strong enough…

I'll recover in my own time…

How many had Xiao and Lumine watched die in Inazuma? How many who overestimated their own constitution in a similar manner?

The man did not appear to be lying, given that he was, well, still breathing, but…

The Yaksha huffed and shoved the thoughts aside as Madame Ping guided the Captain further into the living area.

Xiao sighed. Then he reached a hand forward, which the knight studied- "Are you ready? You may want to close your eyes- or- eye-" Xiao blinked at his own slip.

Kaeya snorted, "I'll close them both. You'll be none the wiser."

"So you still have the eye then-?" Xiao stiffened.

Well that is exactlynoneof my business-

And this is me trying tomakefriends…

Kaeya just stared at him.

Xiao stared back. He considered apologizing, but didn't quite get there.

"Wow. You know, most people just give me strange looks until they get used to it." Kaeya chuckled, "The unabashed curiosity is almost refreshing."

Xiao grunted.

Kaeya raised his eyebrow, "Yes, I still have the eye. No, you can't have a looksee."

"That is fair." Xiao fidgeted, "Apologies for my rudeness…"

"Huh…" Kaeya seemed surprised by the apology, which was a little odd in Xiao's opinion- "It's fine… apology accepted I suppose…"

Xiao raised an eyebrow, "You suppose?"

"I- Apology accepted. Period." Kaeya fidgeted a bit.

There was a beat of incredibly uncomfortable silence. Xiao shuffled his feet, and Kaeya just kind of glared through the ground-

"I believe you two have somewhere you need to be? No?" Madame Ping gestured between them, "Or are the pair of you finding this awkward exchange as entertaining as I am?" Her eyebrows were at her hairline as her gaze bounced between them.

Xiao put a hand on the captain's shoulder, "Eye closed."

"Aye aye."

Xiao snorted despite himself, and he watched the corner of Kaeya's mouth tilt upward as they stepped through the wind.

*present*

-some apartment in the Harbor-

Kaeya

"Let me come with you! I can wear a wig or something! Pretend I'm your assistant!" Tartaglia was gesturing rather emphatically as he spoke.

It gave a new meaning to the saying, 'talking with your hands'.

Kaeya watched for a moment as said hands flailed around while the Harbinger spoke.

A tall dark-haired man pinched the bridge of his nose-

Oh, wait, that's the guy from the interrogation-

He was still in his suit, though he looked pretty worn out in comparison to the first time Kaeya had seen him.

"That is not an idea worth any sort of response, Childe." The man glared at the redhead- "I was under the impression you had some level of basic intelligence-"

Xiao snorted beside him, and the sound surprised Kaeya and made him jump.

Tartaglia's head jerked their way- "You're back!" His gaze flitted to Kaeya, and the smile all but vanished. Kaeya didn't know how to describe the expression that replaced it, "Captain."

Kaeya blinked. Then pulled his arm out of the Yaksha's grip. He finally spotted Jean standing toward a corner of the room. He waved a hand as he moved to join her, "Don't mind me. Continue on with… Whatever this is…" Kaeya tilted his head and forced a smirk, "Pretend I'm not here, even."

Jean offered a thin smile before giving his arm a comforting squeeze.

Meanwhile, the Harbinger tracked his movement across the room. The man relaxed slightly as Kaeya settled in against the wall.

Tartaglia turned back to the suit. But before he could even open his mouth, the man interrupted-

"No." Suit-man's gaze landed on Kaeya, and he smiled gently, "Cavalry Captain Kaeya, I presume? My name is Zhongli. I am a consultant with the Wangsheng Funeral parlor. Unfortunately I am in a bit of a rush to meet my Director, so proper introductions will have to wait until I return. I will let the others get you up to speed as I investigate- in the interest of efficiency."

Kaeya blinked, "Oh, yeah, okay…"

The man nodded, picked up a fancy looking doctor's bag, and promptly left the apartment. All while Tartaglia followed. Complaining.

The door practically closed in his face.

Which was kind of funny.

The Harbinger sighed before turning back toward the room-

"Did you actually believe that he would bring you?" The Yaksha had his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk smeared across his face. Which was surprising, because Kaeya had been under the impression that the man didn't know how to smile-

Tartaglia snorted, "Gods no. But I've never gotten what I wanted by not asking!" The redhead grinned.

Xiao rolled his eyes.

The Harbinger's smile faded a fraction as he turned toward the knights, "Hey, uh… Thanks for coming…"

Kaeya raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't really sure how to respond, so he didn't.

Tartaglia cleared his throat into his hand. His feet shuffled awkwardly, "How's… uh… How's your brother?"

Kaeya felt his lip curl-

Tartaglia straightened as his eyes widened, and a somewhat manic grin plastered over whatever fake-concern he'd been displaying- "Never mind! Not my place! Got it!" He turned away and quickly limped over to the kitchen table- "Noted and filed away!" He picked up a pencil and started marking something on what appeared to be a map.

Kaeya grumbled from his spot in the corner.

Jean gave him a deadpan look before stepping forward to examine said map. Then she grabbed his arm and dragged Kaeya along with her when he didn't immediately follow.

It was a map of the Harbor and surrounding region.

Tartaglia's gaze darted up to meet Kaeya's before dropping immediately back down again, "Alright. The most promising locations are marked with a star. Questionable/mobile units are circles, and known camps that are highly unlikely for various reasons are squares." Tartaglia scratched briefly at the back of his head as he scrutinized his work, "Ekaterina will have to verify some of these. And she may have more input. So we should sit tight until she gets back with the food."

Oh I am not eating anything that either of you have touched-

"Sounds good." Jean rubbed at her chin before pointing at a particular circle out by some ruins- "Why is there a unit out here? What is there to gain this far from the Harbor?"

"Ah…" Tartaglia grimaced, "Research. I'd rather not say more-"

Jean's eyes narrowed, "Childe, you swore you'd be up front about-"

Childe…

Some sort of alias? Or is 'Tartaglia' the alias?

Tartaglia sighed, "Their official assignment has absolutelynothingto do with this case. If it somehow becomes relevant- which is highly unlikely- I'll spill." He crossed his arms over his chest, "In all fairness grandmaster, even simply showing you numbers and general locations of Fatui assignments is pretty damn 'up front'."

Hah! That's fair though, honestly.

Then Kaeya had to bite back a snort-'nEver gOt whAt I wanTed bY nOt asKing~'

He didn't think Jean would appreciate the joke. So he kept it in his head.

Jean huffed, then nodded, "True enough. If I were your superior officer I'd have you immediately demoted for something like this." She continued studying the map. "Might even put you on trial."

Oh that is an even better comeback- by far-

Kaeya watched in something bordering on delight as Tartaglia's expression and posture withered. He sighed, "Yeah, well. For the kids or… whatever."

Kaeya raised an eyebrow.

The Harbinger leaned forward and pointed to a particular location marked with a star, "This is where I think they either are, or are heading. It's a treacherous path, so it's possible they stopped along the way here, here-" He pointed again- "-Or here."

Kaeya frowned, "You're pointing at the side of a mountain."

Tartaglia smirked at him, and Kaeya kind of wanted to punch the expression right off his face-

"I'm actually pointing at a domain. A repurposed domain."

Kaeya blinked. He'd never heard of something so ridiculous- "What."

"Yup." Tartaglia popped the 'p' at the end of the word, "It's only likely if Dottore's behind all this, though. Which we're hoping Zhongli can help confirm. Or the Mirror Maiden, if she decides to cooperate-"

Kaeya balked, "Dottore?! Why the hell would he- How would he-" Kaeya couldn't quite tell if he was angry or about to panic. Again.

Oh gods. I HATE that guy-

Tartaglia's eyebrows rose as he waited for Kaeya to stop sputtering and get on with it-

"I thought this wasyourterritory!" Kaeya didn't miss the way the Yaksha turned toward him with an eyebrow raised at the statement- "Are you not capable of controlling your shit?!"

So we're going with anger, apparently...

The Harbinger blinked. Then frowned, "Well that was rude. You're kind of an asshole."

Kaeya felt a little like a steam whistle that was ready to blow. His eye twitched.

"Ex-fucking-scuse me-"

"Kaeya-" Jean's hand found his shoulder. She gave him a warning glare but he ignored her.

His entire focus was on the man who was currently drawing little circles and stars on a map. Completely nonchalant and irritatingly pedantic as if he didn't fucking murder Diluc's best friend and about two hundred other civilians-

Tartaglia huffed before writing another note on the map, "You know, for a cryo user you're extremely hot-headed. Have you considered anger management? Deep breathing exercises can really help with-"

That's it-

I can't-

I can't fucking do this-

Kaeya reached forward to grab the stupid little gremlin by the lapels, and two things happened simultaneously-

Jean yanked Kaeya back by the shoulder with a shouted, "That isenough!"

And the Harbinger blinked out of existence as Xiao teleported him clear across the room. The Yaksha stood in front of him protectively as he swayed a bit on his feet.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Tartaglia blinked hard from his spot behind Xiao. He looked a little green, "I'm trying to help-"

"'Help' my ass!" Kaeya seethed. If the Yaksha wanted to smite him so be it at this point- "My 'problem' is that you're a fucking murderer!" Kaeya shouted right back- "And you're right- Iamhot-headed and right now I really want to punch your goddamn lights out!"

Tartaglia swayed again. Then his hand gripped Xiao's shoulder and he squeezed his eyes shut- "Xiao- b-bathroom-"

The Yaksha stiffened, and his eyes widened before the pair were gone.

Kaeya blinked at the suddenly empty room.

What the hell-

"Are you happy?" Jean plopped down at the table and crossed her arms over her chest, "You just wasted everyone's time."

Kaeya blinked at her, then his gaze darted to where the Harbinger had been standing previously. Then right back-

"Did you get it out of your system at least?" Jean raised an eyebrow.

Probably not.

Kaeya blinked again-

Jean sighed, "I swear, Kae. Sometimes you are the stupidest smart person I know."

Kaeya looked away as he worked his jaw, "Someone has to be stupid with Diluc on the sideline…"

Jean laughed, "Wow. Just wow." She rubbed a tired hand down her face. She scoffed, "So much for any kind of healthy fear of gods- What the absolutehell,Kaeya?"

Stars… Diluc's right, I really am self-destructive…

Or possibly outright suicidal?

Not funny, brain. Shut up-

Kaeya huffed and clutched his elbows. He didn't know what to do with himself. His anger had completely dissipated and now he just felt embarrassed… "I shouldn't be here…"

"No. You probably shouldn't." Jean's head tilted as she studied him, "It's been a while since I've seen you lose your temper quite like that…"

Kaeya looked away. Then he worked his jaw because,surprise!He actuallywasstill a little angry- "How are you so calm about this, Jean?!" He gestured toward the door- "He kills people!"

"And?" Jean gave him an exhausted glare. One eyebrow rose.

Kaeya clenched his jaw.

Jean huffed, "Kaeya, you conspire and make deals with killers and thieves and crooks all the time. How is this any different?"

He felt his face scrunch and he looked away.

This time it's personal…

Jean sighed, "You should go back to Mond-"

"No. I'm not leaving youormy brother-"

Kaeya jumped as a familiar voice interrupted him.

"What's with all the yelling?" Lumine stepped into the room, and Kaeya wanted to sink right through the floorboards- "Oh, Kaeya. I thought you were going back to-"

"I'm staying. My brother is with Madame Ping, so I'm staying."

"Okay…" Lumine turned to Jean, "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is wonderful, Lumine. Can't you tell?"

Oof. Even Jean's getting sassy…

Lumine wrung her hands, "Is there any way I can help?"

Jean sighed, "Actually, yes. Could you get Xiao to take you to Mondstadt? I've written a detailed report on the case so far, and I want to update the knights."

Lumine nodded, "Oh! Sure! Should I bring anyone back with me?" Kaeya didn't miss the way her gaze darted toward him-

He felt his face scrunch into a scowl, so he turned away to stare at the floorboards.

When I want to leave no one lets me.

When I want to stay everyone tries to kick me out-

Jean's lips pursed, "I think we need to keep things small, like we agreed. Too many foreign faces are bound to draw attention, and we've got it well handled with the Harbinger's resources." Jean gestured as she spoke, "I'll send you with instructions for a squad to start heading toward the Harbor in the guise of a merchant escort, and I'd like you to bring in Lisa. Amber if you can find her, but if not we can manage."

Amber's tracking expertise will be valuable, though-

Kaeya turned toward Lumine, "Amber went to the winery a day or two ago. I doubt she's still there, but if you can't find her in the city Elzer might at least know where to start looking-"

Jean turned to him, "I don't want her to waste a lot of time searching for the Outrider, Kaeya. If Amber is in the city, great. If not-"

"Amber is the best tracker we have, Jean!"

Lumine fidgeted, "I should get back to the guest room for now… I'm supposed to be watching the Mirror Maiden…" She pointed behind herself, clearly uncomfortable-

"Don't argue with me, Kaeya! Finding Amber is often a wild goose chase!" Jean was getting very clearly irritated.

Kaeya held his hands up, "Alright, alright… I'm sorry. I'm not trying to argue-"

Jean huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, "Youaretrying to argue. You're picking every fight that so much as looks at you funny."

Kaeya grumbled and sank heavily into the chair next to his grandmaster.

The pair didn't speak for a moment.

Kaeya watched the Traveler back slowly out of the room from the corner of his eye-

He waited until she left before talking again. In case he inadvertently shoved his foot any further in his own mouth- "I'm surprised you told her to get Lisa." Kaeya tilted his chair back and rocked, balancing on the hind legs, "Thought you didn't want her involved based on your reaction earlier."

I'm also more than a little surprised you didn't kick meout…

"I said before that her expertise would be invaluable." Jean crossed her arms, "My personal feelings can't dictate who I send on missions… No matter how dangerous."

Kaeya raised an eyebrow while lowering his chair to its feet, "This isn't necessarily any more dangerous than-"

Jean scoffed before he could finish, "Your brother almost died. Twice."

Kaeya hummed, "Touché."

Ajax

Xiao rubbed his back gently as Ajax vomited.

Which was an incredibly inconvenient development-

When he was done, Ajax rested his forearms on the toilet seat. And groaned.

"I am sorry, Ajax…" Xiao rubbed another circle into his back.

Ajax waved him off as he reached up to flush away his breakfast, "Don't apologize… It's not like Iwantedto get punched in the face…"

And that appeared to be the obvious alternative…

Xiao sighed, "All the same…"

Ajax grunted in response and sat up slowly.

He was still a little dizzy…

"Lean back against the wall with your knees up."

Ajax let Xiao move him back toward said wall. Then the Yaksha placed a cup of water in his hands.

"Thanks…" Ajax drank, then leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Then he smirked, "I am shockingly good at making friends…"

Xiao snorted.

"I mean, Zhongli only started talking to me because he needed me to almost-start a civil war-" Ajax waved a hand as he spoke- "I only tried to befriend Lumine because I thought she knew where the Exuvia was-"Hah. It's like a chain of using people-"Andwe'reonly friends because-"

Xiao's hand found his shoulder, "We are friends because I saw who you really are. With no illusions, lies, or trickery. We are friends because you are a good person and I enjoy your company, Ajax."

Ajax blinked his eyes open to an extremely earnest Yaksha. Xiao was even smiling gently- "N-Noted-"

"I am not lying, Ajax. I recognize that honesty and open communication are quite difficult for you, but I genuinely care for you and wish you would recognize that others around you do as well." Xiao tilted his head and waited.

Ajax turned to stare at the ceiling. He knocked his head against the wall a couple of times- not hard, just enough to make a noise. Then he worked his jaw, "Th-Thanks…"

"You are welcome, Ajax. I am here for you. I promise."

Ajax huffed and his face scrunched, "Thank you…" Then he turned toward the Yaksha.

Xiao was still studying him with his head tilted.

Ajax fidgeted and looked down at his feet, "I meant what I said earlier…"

"About what?"

"About the delusions. About Inazuma." Ajax looked up to make steady eye contact with Xiao, "If there is anything I can do to-"

Xiao's expression soured, "Ajax-"

"I'm just trying to make the other Harbingers look bad!" Ajax held his hands up, "I'm not offering to sabotage because I want the Tsaritsa's plans to fail- I'm offering because I'm quite angry thatIwasn't sent to Inazuma-"

Xiao's entire face scrunched, but before the Yaksha could say anything Ajax continued- "And honestly, with the way Signora fucked over all ofmyplans, it's honestly fair game in my opinion. She'll fuck up- publicly,spectacularly-and I'll take over the region- I'll do a much better job anyway, and-"

Xiao scoffed, "What happened to staying in Liyue?!"

Ajax's head tilted back again as he rolled his eyes hard enough to see the inside of his skull- "That's the cover if I get caught, Xiao! Keep up!"

For an anemo user you're really dense-

Xiao's expression morphed into pure incredulity. Then he gestured in clear irritation- "You see. This is what I mean when I say that you are incapable of clear and honest communication!"

The Yaksha's face was turning slightly red. Like an angry little tomato-

Ajax snorted, "Yeah, I've been around the other Harbingers too much, huh?"

–

Xiao

"You are insufferable." Xiao huffed, and his arms crossed over his chest, "And you are not helping with Inazuma. Period."

Ajax blinked, "Wha- but-"

This is not a serious offer. You are not thinking-

Xiao shook his head, "It is too dangerous. What is happening right now in Inazuma is not worth the risk to your current position."

Ajax blinked and straightened in clear surprise. His mouth opened slightly- kind of like a fish. "You- I didn't say I'd-" The look of surprise became distinctly troubled, and then Ajax huffed out a small laugh, "And here I thought youwantedme to quit…"

Xiao's eyes narrowed, "What I want does not matter when I know that you do not truly wish to defect." Ajax's face scrunched as Xiao spoke- "And at any rate, undermining your Tsaritsa directly is an entirely separate matter from simply walking away- which is what would be ideal." Xiao watched as Ajax's eyes widened, "And I know you still care for your Archon."Though I wish you did not-"Which is how I also know that you have not completely thought through the ramifications of what you are currently offering."

Ajax worked his jaw and looked away.

Xiao studied him for a moment as an uncomfortable silence fell.

Then Xiao sighed and placed a gentle hand on his arm, "Are you truly considering leaving the Fatui, Ajax? Leaving your Tsaritsa?"

Ajax's shoulders curled, "No… that was a joke, I- I love my Archon-"

Shame…

"Then you should reconsider your offer to commit treason."

"It's not treason! It's-"

"It is treason."

Ajax glared, "Right. Because my comrades have never directly underminedme-"The Harbinger gestured angrily- "We're in this shitty situation because another Harbinger does whatever the fuck he wants to whoever the fuck he wants and has yet to face real consequences! The closest he got was in Mondstadt! And all he had to do was run home and that was the end of it!" Ajax was borderline screaming at this point- "Hedestroyeddiplomatic relations in the city of freedom- We weren't even allowed in the gates for a fucking year- but it's 'treason' for me to stop Scaramouche from killing dozens upon dozens of people with delusions that they can't handle?!"

Xiao blinked in surprise, but Ajax wasn't done-

"The Balladeer's a vindictive little demon, Xiao! He doesn't care who gets hurt in the fallout- in fact herelishesin the fallout-"

"We did not tell you who was responsible for the delusions in Inazuma, Ajax." Xiao glared.

And Ajax froze. His expression crumbled as he looked away-

"I expect an explanation. Right. Now-"

Ajax didn't hesitate- "I started looking into it… When you mentioned the spread of delusions a few weeks ago I asked Nadia to look into it…"

Xiao sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Ajax, I told you to stay out of it!"

"Yeah! And you also tell me regularly about all the horrible shit we do!"

"That does not mean I want you to dive face first into it!"

Ajax's face was growing red with his anger, "I don't know how tonotdive face first into things! It's my main character flaw!"

Xiao scoffed, "Your what?"

"My main flaw!" Ajax gestured with both hands, "The driving force behind a character that leads to their ultimate success, or more often- downfall. Hubris, or pride, is a common one in theater, and it's often a twist on a virtue- or a virtue taken to an extreme-"

Xiao rubbed both hands down his face in exhausted irritation. He groaned, "How are you so self aware, and so stupid- both at the same time?!"

Ajax pouted.

Xiao rubbed at his temples. He had never been a truly patient person, and this whole situation was very quickly dragging him to the end of his tether-

"I'm sorry…" Ajax was hugging his knees again. He buried his face in them, "I don't know what to do… I've done so many horrible things and now I'm finally paying for it and I'm sorry…"

I would say you consistently pay dearly…

And often not for things you yourself have said or done…

Xiao sighed and moved to sit next to the Harbinger against the wall. He put an arm around the boy's shoulders, "You do not need to apologize to me, Ajax…"

The Harbinger grumbled something entirely incoherent.

Xiao snorted and rubbed his back, "Guilt truly does not suit you, Harbinger. What brought this on?"

Ajax surprised him by answering almost immediately, "The Falcon mentioned Natlan…"

Xiao stiffened- "The factory…?"

Ajax nodded, "Blames me for it, apparently. I'm pretty sure it's why Kaeya came in ready to break my nose…"

Xiao hummed and looked away, thinking. "But that… That was not entirely your fault-"

Ajax snorted, "I told Scaramouche we had no chance of retaking the region. Itismy fault for not realizing he'd do something so drastic-"

"That does not make it-" Xiao frowned, "I rescind my previous statements- You should 100% renounce the Fatui and commit treason with us."

Ajax snorted, "Oh, come on! What even changed your mind?" Ajax nudged the Yaksha with his shoulder.

Xiao's eyes narrowed, "Your fellow Harbinger abandoned you to die- to take the blame for something you did not wish to see happen. And now another is openly threatening you-"

"I wouldn't say 'openly', Xiao. It's all still in the shadows at this point-"

"Ajax."

The Harbinger winced, "... Shut up?"

Xiao snorted, "Yes, please."

Ajax pouted. But didn't shut up- "If it makes you feel any better, Scara got sent out into the wilderness for over a year after that one-"

Xiao rolled his eyes.The fact that he is still even a Harbinger within your organization is unacceptable-"To look for 'Bigfoot'?"

Ajax laughed, "Mothman, actually!"

Xiao huffed.

I once again have no clue who or what that is…

Xiao sighed, he was about to say as much when-

He blinked, listening…

Ajax leaned forward a bit, clearly interested- "Ooh! What are they saying?"

"Shush." Xiao shoved the Harbinger backwards a bit by the forehead- then he frowned, "Hmm. They have asked that I take Lumine to Mondstadt."

Ajax shoved Xiao's hand off his face- "What? Why?"

"Deliver a report."

Ajax immediately relaxed, "Oh, well that would only take what? Half an hour? Tops?"

Xiao grunted. He was still trying to listen-

Ajax laughed and poked a finger into his cheek, "Aw, you're all grumpy about it!"

Xiao slapped the hand away with a glare- "I am not leaving you alone with them."

Ajax blinked, "Oh." Then he fidgeted, "I really don't think you need to worry about-"

Xiao glared, and Ajax petered off with a grimace. The Harbinger rubbed at his wrist as he sometimes did when he was uncomfortable.

Xiao sighed, "I will wait until my father returns."

"You should go now, Xiao. I can avoid confrontation for twenty minutes. It's important that they know what's going on in Mondstadt-"

Xiao raised an eyebrow, "Have a desire for the power struggle to move out of the shadows that much quicker, Ajax?"

The Harbinger grimaced. Then sighed, "It's less a power struggle and more a slap-fight to be quite honest. And I can't actually tell if we're winning-"

Xiao snorted, "I have no idea what you mean by that."

Ajax fidgeted. His legs relaxed in front of him where he sat so that he wasn't bound up quite so tight- "I think Dottore's just mad that I didn't let him use my resources to smuggle the kids out. He's throwing a tantrum."

Xiao raised an eyebrow, "Why do you believe that?"

"He never stays in one place long. His lab in Snezhnaya is his only truly permanent installation. He's throwing a fit and trying to teach me a lesson all in one go." Ajax's eyes narrowed as he studied the tile in thought- "Actually… He might just be on his heels…? I don't think his cronies were expecting me at the warehouse at all to be honest." Ajax's eyes widened, "And the inn makes way more sense now- he knows about the Falcon, so of course whoever's in charge of the mission would throw everything athimas soon as possible- meaning as soon as the knights separated- Take the other two out while wearing Millileth clothing and you've got at least some sort of cover…" Ajax grunted angrily- "But it all just reeks of desperation! The knights already knew the Fatui were at fault! There's no way word hadn't spread!"

Ajax dragged his hands down his face in clear frustration.

"Ajax…"

"And then there's the skirmishers! Their bodies are in the custody of the Millileth, the fact that their deaths were unnatural is going to get out at some point-"

"Ajax." Xiao reached out to grip the Harbinger's arm before he could go off again. The boy blinked up at him, "It does not matter to Dottore if this gets pinned on the Fatui. It only matters that he, or whoever he sent, has enough time to escape with his prize."

Ajax's face scrunched, "What do you mean- Of course it matters-" The boy's eyes widened, then he slumped in defeat, "It matters to me… Not to him… Because he doesn't live here… He isn't in charge here…" Ajax sighed heavily, "Archons I'm stupid…"

Xiao frowned in sympathy, "You are not stupid-"

"Do you think we can convince the Mondstadters to change their story and say it was Treasure Hoarders the whole time? Assuming we rescue the children and everything turns out sparkles and rainbows?"

Xiao blinked- "What-"

Ajax looked miserable, "I really don't want to move again… I wasjustgetting used to staying in one place…"

Xiao huffed, "We will figure something out, Ajax-"

"I'm not getting chased through the streets, Xiao. I- I can't do- I can't do that again it was horrible-"

"No one will be chasing you through the streets here, Ajax-" Xiao turned to grip both of the boy's shoulders.

"Well I'm not letting them arrest me! We all saw how that went last time-"

"Ajax."

"What?!"

"You are spiraling. Focus on me and breathe-" Xiao kept his voice calm and steady.

"I'm fine!"

Xiao forced himself not to roll his eyes, "Then shut up and listen. No one will be chasing you through the streets, and no one will be arresting you." Xiao paused to force eye contact, "Worst case scenario- Zhongli and I will get you, and any of your people who are in danger, out of the Harbor. You know what we are capable of- we can and we will keep you safe. If you let us."

Ajax blinked a few times. Then relaxed like the tension was physically drained from his body. He narrowed his eyes at the Yaksha, "You'll actually protect my employees…?"

Xiao nodded, "In any way I possibly can, yes."

I know how important they are to you.

"Alright…" Ajax blew out a heavy sigh, "Okay, thank you."

Xiao nodded, "Of course."

Ajax fidgeted, then moved to stand.

Xiao got up before him and helped him to his feet, "Are you certain you are ready to try speaking with the knight's again?"

Ajax shook his head with a sad little laugh, "Hah. No. They've made their mind up about me for the moment. I'll go keep an eye on the Mirror Maiden while you take Lumine to Mondstadt-"

"I will not be leaving until Zhongli returns."

Ajax sighed, "Xiao, we don't know how long that might take. Take Lumine- drop her off for a bit if you have to. Getting this done quicker will help the knights relax. Trust me."

That is a valid point…

Xiao grunted, "Fine. But you will call out to me if anything happens, yes?"

Ajax nodded.

And Xiao was… kind of cranky.

Notes:

Long chapter since I couldn't figure out how to break it up lol
Stay happy, safe, and healthy friends! I love you all! Chapter next weekend as usual

Chapter 37: Ooh Tension!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

*present*

-Zhongli's apartment-

Kaeya

Kaeya knocked, then didn't wait for an answer before turning the knob-

The Harbinger gasped audibly as he jumped out of the chair beside the bed. He winced as he stepped somewhat awkwardly- "If you came for a fight Iwillcall the Yaksha-"

Kaeya held his hands up, "I'm not here for a fight."

Tartaglia outright glared at him.

Kaeya rolled his eye, "I'm here to see if I recognize her." He gestured toward the bed, "May I come in-"

Tartaglia crossed his arms over his chest, "You do realize how it looks. That you waited until Lumine and the adeptus left. You could have come back here atanytime-"

Yeah, and Xiao probably would have murdered me on the spot.

Kaeya shrugged and strode into the room. He closed the door behind himself, "Okay, so I also wanted to have a little chat." He made unwavering eye contact. "Sue me."

He forced himself to unclench his fists.

He came back here to try to mend fences.

And so far he was doing a really shitty job…

But it was really hard to play nice when you honestly hated the guts of the other kid on the playground-

The Harbinger's expression hardened as he stood his ground. He looked about as exhausted as Kaeya felt, frankly. With deep, almost purple bags under his eyes. He was also rather pale, but that may have simply been his natural complexion.

Blue eyes, the color of the ocean on a bright summer day glared at him, though they were a bit dull at the current moment-

Focus.

The eyes narrowed, "So do I get a say in whether or not we have this… 'chat'? Because you really seem to be making yourself quite at home, Captain."

Kaeya raised an eyebrow, "Such hostility! And here I thought we were working together to solve this case…" Kaeya ignored him and turned toward the Mirror Maiden. He took a step forward-

"Donotfucking touch her." The venom in the Harbinger's voice was somewhat startling.

Kaeya turned to see Tartaglia with his fists clenched at his sides. His vision was flashing erratically.

Kaeya's gaze bounced from the stone at the man's hip, to an extremely hostile expression- "I can assure you I mean no harm," Kaeya raised his hands to sell the point- "Honest."

"You can threaten me all you like, Captain- but if we're going to do this then youwillleave her out of it-"

Kaeya blinked in surprise, "I am not threatening you. I came to see if I recognized the Mirror Maiden and-" Kaeya worked his jaw, "And to talk. Talking means talking. No tricks or euphemisms."

Tartaglia's eyes narrowed even further as he relaxed a fraction. "Okay…" The man's vision stopped putting on a light show, so he apparently believed him.

Kaeya huffed and turned back to the Maiden.

It would have been nice if I could have gotten more than a half-second look at the inn…

He sighed and turned back to the Harbinger, "What was she wearing? The woman I confronted was in civilian clothes- similar to a dock worker."

Tartaglia straightened in front of him, and the man's shoulders relaxed even further, "Oh, you really are here to- hang on-" The man limped over to another room and opened the door.

Kaeya wasn't certain, but the Harbinger definitely seemed even less steady on his feet than he'd been before the warehouse… which was saying something.

It wasn't like he himself had managed to get a shot in, so Lumine must have really hurt him when she knocked him out of the way of-

"Come here. I don't want you hovering over her while I'm not looking." Tartaglia turned back to frown at him.

Kaeya raised an eyebrow before following.

The caution was fair, in all honesty.

Kaeya couldn't help the tiny worm of respect at how much the Harbinger seemed to care about his underling- even if she was an attempted murderer.

He peeked past the man into… a bathroom.

Tartaglia stepped away, back into the bedroom and toward the chair he'd been occupying when Kaeya first entered, "Her clothes are on the rim of the tub. They're pretty badly singed in multiple places, so I'd be surprised if shewasn'tthe agent you caught at the inn." The man sat heavily and picked up a book, "Have a look, take your time or whatever." He waved a hand dismissively.

Kaeya snorted softly.

It was rather surprising how quickly he was no longer perceived as a threat.

Kaeya couldn't tell whether or not he was offended.

He decided he was too tired to actually care and entered the bathroom to inspect the clothes.

–

"What are you reading?" Kaeya leaned against the doorframe. The outfit had looked similar enough that he was satisfied with assuming (for now) that the woman on the bed was the same one that tried to murder his brother.

She'd had help at the time, but still.

Tartaglia blinked up at him briefly before turning back to his book, "Couldn't tell you. I'm just trying to look bored and uninterested until you leave."

Kaeya blinked and straightened in surprise, "Wait- You- What?"

Tartaglia gave him a flat glare, "I'm pretending to be busy so you'll leave. I thought that was clear."

Kaeya balked, "Oh, and you can't even tell me what you'repretendingto read? Can't even maintain the charade through the small talk portion-"

Tartaglia shrugged, "I can't read Liyuen all that well. And if it turned out that youcould,then I would just be making a fool of myself." He turned back to the book and flipped a page, "This way I'm just an asshole. As opposed to an assholeandan idiot."

Kaeya snorted out a laugh. He couldn't help it-

Tartaglia gave him a small smirk before turning back to his 'reading'. "Recognize the clothes?"

Kaeya raised an eyebrow, "I thought you were trying to get rid of me?"

Tartaglia shrugged and turned another page.

Kaeya snorted and approached.

Tartaglia watched him as he walked up. But he didn't yank the book away when Kaeya tilted the cover so that he could get a better look.

Kaeya hummed, "Tales from the Waves." He let it go, "Volume 2."

Tartaglia waved a hand around and sighed, "You see, I was going to guess 'Rex Incognito'." He blinked up at Kaeya before resting his head in his hand, "How dumb would that have seemed?"

Kaeya snorted, "Pretty dumb, considering the cover of 'Rex Incognito' is yellow. And the book you're currently holding is blue." Kaeya stepped back to lean against the wall. He folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head, admittedly rather curious as to where all of this was going.

The Harbinger hummed and pursed his lips, finally closing the book that he apparently couldn't read, "Curse my lack of literary knowledge. Gets me every time."

Kaeya raised an eyebrow, "Oh does it now?"

Tartaglia nodded, "More often than you would think, honestly." He laid the book on the nightstand before turning back to the knight. He looked like he was waiting for something.

Kaeya forced himself not to fidget.

After another few seconds Tartaglia leaned forward, "So… What do you want? You said you wanted to talk, right?"

Kaeya hummed and his brow furrowed.

The Harbinger wasn't… anywhere near what he'd expected.

He was charming, and pretty funny, admittedly. Kaeya was having a difficult time reconciling-

"You almost killed my brother."Like a bandaid.

Tartaglia's eyes narrowed and he leaned back casually in his chair, "Based on my recollection…" He held up a finger, "Which isn't necessarily reliable, I will admit… Your brother is the one who tried to killme,so-"

Kaeya's expression flattened, "You know what I'm talking about."

Come on. Don't ruin that weirdly clever bit with the book by falling flat with the 'I have no idea what you're referring to-' spiel-

Tartaglia nodded slowly, "I do."

Kaeya blinked.

Okay then…

Kaeya's eye narrowed as he studied the Harbinger, "Anything at all to say about it?"

Tartaglia shrugged yet again, "I didn't give the order to target the factory in Natlan. I also have no expectation that you might believe me in this regard."

"You're right, I don't believe you." Kaeya glared.

Tartaglia raised his hands, seemingly at a loss, "Then I don't know what you want from me."

Kaeya felt his hackles rise.

I take it back. You're not charming at all- You're irritating as all fuck and I don't have enough patience for this-

Breathe, Ragnvindr…

"You killed a hundred and twelve people." Kaeya's teeth started gritting against his will.

Tartaglia raised an eyebrow, "No, actually. I killed thirty-twoguards.When they hunted me down in the street like a dog." The Harbinger's expression was also starting to turn hostile, "I didn't give the order to target the factory. I refuse to take the blame for those deaths, as tragic as they may be."

Thirty-two… in open combat-