lawly

by footfungus

lawly

27. Chapter 27

If someone had asked Diluc Ragnvindr how he thought he'd spend his morning the night before, he most certainly would not have said "trudging through a foot of snow up in Dragonspine." But there he was, doing just that.

Now, he'd started his morning like any other: waking up at the crack of dawn after a long shift at the Angel's Share, trying and failing to tame his mane of fiery hair before giving up and throwing it into a messy ponytail, then eating a delicious breakfast cooked by his staff while reading any messages or letters his intelligence agents may have sent him. He fully expected nothing more than a few status updates on low-level Abyssal activity or Treasure Hoarders causing headaches, not a hastily written letter from his most trusted ally about a group of seemingly high-ranking Fatui members suddenly gathering in a remote spot in Dragonspine.

The letter was urgent– suggesting Diluc deal with it right away, because based on the sender's observations, over two dozen delusion-wielding Fatui were snooping around the Skyfrost Nail and the red cave in Wyrmrest Valley, two very concerning developments. Especially given the information he knew on both locations, both from his own research and what the Traveler had told him.

Thus, Diluc set out for the mountain as soon as he was finished eating and reading through the rest of his letters. Though not before sending his beloved eagle, Adler, with a message to Charles asking him to man the bar in case Diluc was not back in time to open. He assumed he would be, but Dragonspine was a treacherous place on its best day. Even to one such as Diluc, who had more experience in the snow and ice than most Mondstadt natives, considering the years he spent outside the Nation of Freedom. Between the two points of interest, he decided to go to Wyrmrest Valley first, as it was closer and significantly less dangerous terrain to cross. And the copious amounts of Scarlet Quartz in the area would make any fight he might get into a lot easier.

So there he was, using Pyro here and there to ease his path, but wet snow was an utter headache to travel in. Dry, powdery snow he could handle at least a little better, but everything from his shins down felt frozen solid, no matter how much flame flowed from his palms and how naturally high his body temperature was. He tried sticking to well worn paths the best he could, but between the fresh snowfall and his need to stray into less traversed areas to look for evidence of Fatui activity, it was proving extremely difficult. Eventually, however, he spotted a splash of purple in the mostly monochromatic white landscape. He knew he'd stumbled upon a Fatuus, and right by Wyrmrest Valley to boot.

The Electrohammer Vanguard thankfully didn't notice him as it did its patrol, leaving Diluc with the opportunity to trail after it and get a better glimpse of the camp. It wasn't anything too special outside of the unusually high number of Fatui– nothing Diluc couldn't clear out by himself. That was his assumption, at least, until he saw a few regular Treasure Hoarders hauling huge covered crates so seeped with Elemental Energy that it nearly gave Diluc a headache just to look at it.

He had no idea what was in the crates, but there was zero chance it was completely harmless, especially if the Treasure Hoarders he saw were at all related to the group of Magical-Crystal-based weapons dealers he'd been keeping tabs on. So he summoned his Wolf's Gravestone into his hand and was just about to charge into the camp, claymore at the ready, when all of a sudden–

"Cool it!"

A blur of blue seemed to materialize in the air beside the Treasure Hoarders carrying the crates, and the pairs were immediately frozen in place by a blast of Cryo. The figure then dashed around to a few other tightly packed groups of Fatui, freezing them in a similar manner. The wet snow (and subsequent muddy mush that was created by the Fatui themselves walking around the camp) served as a remarkably good Hydro source, which then made the figure's Cryo work twice as well. Though for all his speed, the Fatui camp erupted into chaos seconds after he reappeared in the center of the camp, the lot of them drawing weapons and preparing for an attack.

While Diluc knew Kaeya was an extremely capable fighter, having gone through the same training he himself did, something about seeing his brother the Cryo wielder surrounded by so many strong Fatui sent waves of anxiety through him. He was well aware Kaeya knew what he was doing, and would never charge headfirst into a fight he wasn't sure he could win, but Diluc was unleashing Dawn before he could even think twice.

"Kaeya!" He yelled, not entirely sure the man would realize there was a gigantic flaming phoenix hurtling towards him until it was too late to dodge. Kaeya did jump out of the way in time thanks to Diluc's warning, leaving the fiery bird to tear through the Fatui members unhindered. Diluc rushed into the camp right as his elemental burst dissipated, slashing at as many foes as he could with his Pyro-infused claymore as the fight truly commenced.

Waves of Fatui rushed at the allogenes, allies seemingly called in from all over the mountain. That only raised Diluc's suspicion on the contents of the crates– he only hoped he could see what was inside before they were transported elsewhere. His drive to put an end to whatever operation was going on bettered Diluc's fighting ability tenfold, motivation allowing him to dodge a Hydrogunner's Hydro powered gun one second, stepping out of the way of an Anemoboxer's punch the next. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kaeya faring similarly well, several Fatui crumbling to dust in a single flick of his sword in the split second Diluc had spared to look. Panic lessened significantly, Diluc turned back to focus on his own battles, tension easing out of his shoulders.

The fight did not last much longer than that, Diluc razing the delusion carriers before him with no hesitation, and Kaeya making (very ugly) ice statues out of whoever faced him instead of the Pyro user. They all met the same fate in the end. All except for the only two Treasure Hoarders in the entire camp, who had apparently made off with the crates of cargo in the confusion of battle, much to Diluc's great displeasure.

No sooner had Kaeya's final foe turned to flakes of ash and he desummoned his sword did Diluc storm over to him, scowling. He gestured to where the trapped Treasure Hoarders had been, then crossed his arms.

"Why are you here? I had it under control, but you just had to interfere and let those two get away." Diluc huffed, getting straight to the point before Kaeya could even blink.

Kaeya glared right back, donning a sharp smirk. "How is that my fault, hmm? I didn't see you until after I had already started fighting. You could have paid attention to the Treasure Hoarders unhindered while I took care of the Fatui, something you know full well I could have handled alone. So why jump in when you could clearly see I was handling it?"

Diluc's eye twitched. He hated that Kaeya was right. He couldn't admit that, obviously, just as he couldn't admit the real reason he joined the battle. Having Kaeya laugh in his face, or worse, actively scorn him for doing something so foolish as to worry about him was not something Diluc felt like dealing with. So he decided to make something up on the spot.

"I was already charging my burst by the time I got there, and it would have been a waste to avoid the fight," he stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. A part of him was confident Kaeya's sharp mind would immediately tell he was lying, and if the captain's infuriatingly knowing smirk was anything to go by, he had.

"Really? Because I seem to recall seeing you, claymore nowhere in sight, crouched behind that ridge over there. Didn't seem very battle ready to me." Kaeya sighed dramatically, shrugging. "Though it may just be my poor eyesight that deceived me. I'm sure you know all about that, Master Diluc."

The redhead scowled even darker than before, and there was a distinct squeak of leather as his fists clenched in anger. "Shut up. I know you can see just fine, Sir Kaeya, so don't try that with me. Besides, my reasons don't matter, the Treasure Hoarders are gone."

Kaeya gave him a look, like he was going to figure out what Diluc's reasons were for no other reason than to be an annoyance, then shifted his expression back to his signature vaguely amused one. He then tapped his chin, appearing deep in thought. "Well, I do have an idea as to where they went… but seeing as you don't want my help, I suppose I'll go find them on my own."

It was a trap, an obvious one, meant to embarrass Diluc by having him ask Kaeya of all people for help. There were footprints everywhere in the muck that was the camp's floor, with very little ways to tell whose footprints were who's, and with the rapidly worsening winds blowing away any trace of the crates' Elemental Energy, Diluc's hands were tied.

"Wait."

Kaeya's eye sparkled, his smug satisfaction clear. "Yes, Master Diluc?"

"...Where did you think they went?" The answer came about as easy as pulling one of Diluc's teeth, but he, unfortunately, needed the assistance.

"According to the intel I have on Treasure Hoarder activity in the area, there should be a rather large base near the entrance to Starglow Cavern." He gestured over his shoulder in the vague direction of the cave, further up the mountain. "We need to be stealthy so they won't scatter into the cavern itself, so try not to go rushing headfirst into that situation as well, dear brother."

Diluc scoffed, and shifted his weight to lean slightly closer to Kaeya to emphasize his words. "I am not your–"

That tiny change in posture allowed Diluc to peer over Kaeya's shoulder, and time seemed to slow down as his brain registered that there was a Cryo Cicin Mage sneaking up behind them. He hadn't been able to see it thanks to the fur coat Kaeya wore around his shoulders– not that he could easily see over the Captain's shoulders as it was, considering their height difference– which he was sure the Fatuus was counting on. Quite honestly, he had no idea how the Mage had managed to get so close without either of them noticing. They had been… conversing, but they were both trained fighters with very good senses, so she should not have avoided detection for so long. Especially since she was unnoticed for enough time to conjure a palm full of stark white magic, something Diluc never seen before. He'd encountered his fair share of Fatui, Abyss Mages, and everything in between, but something about this magic was different.

Before he could even blink, she launched the ball of magic directly at Kaeya's back, the man in question oblivious to his danger. Diluc's heart seized, panic spiking through his chest. He didn't have the time to think of a plan, so he acted on instinct: he tackled Kaeya to the ground, both shoving him out of harm's way and putting his own body between the Mage and his brother the intended target, effectively making himself a human shield.

"Get down!"

His shout startled both Kaeya and the Fatuus, causing the latter's spell to momentarily veer off course. Instead of hitting Kaeya and doing whatever damage it was intended to, it whizzed over their heads, paused for a split second, then turned to slam into Diluc's shoulder with a surprising amount of force. Almost immediately, frigid tendrils of magic wrapped around his arm and face, so cold he felt like he was on fire, so instantly agonizing that he couldn't help but cry out. It seeped into his skin, leaving a thin layer of frost in its wake and freezing his muscles in place. Diluc couldn't move, he couldn't think– everything was consumed by cold and pain and bright blinding white. His consciousness flickered in and out as he fought whatever thing was affecting him, but he very quickly succumbed to the effects of the magic and went limp, dimly aware of Kaeya yelling something next to his ear as his eyes drooped shut.

When Diluc came to, the first thing he noticed was that he felt like he'd been rolled over by a boulder. Then kicked in the head by a horse. He groaned, covering his eyes with his hands to block the sun, then wincing as the motion strained his aching muscles.

"Oh, good, you're awake," came a voice from his side. Diluc squinted in the direction of who spoke, taking a second to realize it was Kaeya.

"What happened…?" He muttered, covering his eyes again to try and dull his headache. He wasn't sure what transpired after he went down, and if something had happened to Kaeya

Kaeya was quiet for a moment. "I'm a little unsure of that myself. One second we were talking, and the next second you tackled me, presumably with the intention of protecting me from the Cryo Cicin Mage that was sneaking up behind us. You ended up getting hit by whatever she aimed at me, and passed out, leaving me to deal with the Mage." He paused, tone having a confused edge. "Before she died– after barely putting up a fight, oddly enough– she said something about how the spell was 'a gift from the Archon of Love.' If I remember correctly, that's what the Cryo Archon once went by, but to call her that now? Very, very peculiar."

Diluc hummed softly, a small amount of tension easing out of his shoulders as a single part of the man's words stood out. "'m just glad you're safe."

"…Eh?"

A beat of silence followed as Diluc's mind caught up to what he said. What the hell was he thinking? He assumed he'd only thought those words, but his horrible headache must have messed with his filter– he wasn't supposed to openly care about Kaeya. At least, not anymore.

"Nothing. I didn't say anything." Diluc muttered, silently praying that Kaeya would simply ignore it and move on. "But yes, what the Mage said does seem weird."

More silence. Diluc could almost hear the gears in Kaeya's head turning, quickly losing confidence in the strength of his lie. Oh, Kaeya was definitely going to be upset with him for daring to be worried about him, after he showed so little care for his well being before. He didn't deserve to wish him well, not after–

"We can mull over this information elsewhere. There's a storm rolling in and you're injured, and I very much do not wish to be trapped on this mountain with you as dead weight. So let's get moving, shall we?" Kaeya's voice shook Diluc out of his spiraling thoughts, his tone light as if he either forgot about or simply didn't care about what Diluc had unwillingly said.

The captain was right, as usual. Diluc's muddled mental state (that was extremely annoying, he might add, especially with the apparent lack of filter) and unclear amount or severity of injuries, he would be nothing but a hindrance if the two got stuck somewhere in the middle of Dragonspine during a snowstorm.

Diluc surged to his feet, determined to not let his less-than-ideal situation get the better of him. "Yes. Let's get moving." A sudden wave of dizziness made him pitch forward as soon as he stood, nearly slamming headfirst into the ground.

At the last second, however, Kaeya grabbed his arm, steadying him. He then looped Diluc's arm over his shoulder, gently leading him forward with a hand at his back.

…Which immediately prompted Diluc to weakly shove at Kaeya's side in an attempt to make him let go.

"Nope, not happening." Kaeya chuckled, unphased. "You can barely walk, and Dragonspine isn't the most forgiving terrain. Don't worry, your reputation will be fine. I'll let you walk on your own when we reach Base Camp. Wouldn't want the Uncrowned King of Mondstadt to show that he needed help, especially from one such as myself, now would we?"

Diluc grunted in response, though he held his tongue. He absolutely did not want to risk having his thoughts directly voiced for a second time. He was grateful for Kaeya's help, and his reputation honestly didn't mean much to him. The people of Mondstadt would buy his wine regardless, so why should he care if people saw him like this?

But surely Kaeya cared about his reputation. It was a focal point to his job, after all. Charming everyone he met and gleaning information from the words they let slip was among his greatest weapons, so naturally Kaeya would want to remain the same in the eyes of the populace. He must not want to be seen being on good terms with his former brother, that's all.

…Archons, all that overthinking was a pain. Diluc resisted the urge to shake his head, thoroughly annoyed by how much his mind was racing. He was always more calculated and thorough in his thinking, not so often jumping to conclusions and rushing from idea to idea. Whatever he was hit with must have had some sort of mind-addling effects. That would have been downright deadly for Kaeya, so Diluc was endlessly glad he was the one who got hit by the Mage instead.

Even if he was the one who had to experience the strange and frustrating aftermath instead.

The trip down the mountain was largely uneventful, save for the single time Diluc slipped on ice and nearly dragged them both to the ground, though Kaeya had once again come to his aid before he fell. Diluc hated being so incompetent, especially in a terrain he was so familiar with, but Kaeya was endlessly patient with him, only making a single lighthearted joke at his expense.

That fact baffled Diluc to no end, because he knew he didn't deserve such courtesy. To have Kaeya carefully guide him around rocks and logs, refrain from any snide remarks when Diluc slowly began to lean on him more and more the closer they got to base camp, or to speak softly the few times he said anything, as if he could sense the redhead's headache and was assuring he didn't make it worse? Ridiculous. If Diluc wasn't experiencing it firsthand, he would never have believed the story, because Kaeya wasn't like that anymore. Neither of them were, not since Diluc had gone and ruined everything. So why were they falling right back into their old patterns, as if no time had passed?

Diluc trudged down Dragonspine on autopilot as his mind ran in circles, the confusing situation only made worse with his magic-induced brain fog. He didn't even realize he and Kaeya made it to the adventurer's camp at the base of the mountain until he stopped walking and he heard his name being called.

"Hm?" He looked over at Kaeya, surprised to see a brief look of concern on his face.

"I asked which of these horses were yours." The knight gestured to the four horses hitched in the camp. "The blue roan's mine, but I don't recognize any of the other ones."

Diluc simply pointed towards his horse, a chestnut mare, and moved towards her. She nudged against his hand as he approached, and he smiled softly.

A beat of silence passed, and Diluc realized he should probably say something to Kaeya, seeing as he was standing awkwardly where Diluc left him. "Oh. Uh. Thanks for your help, but I'll be fine now. I'm heading home, so–"

"With all due respect, Master Diluc, you're not well enough to go home right now. You were hit with powerful magic and aren't stable enough to carry on a conversation or walk confidently on your own. It's within your best interests to visit the cathedral, and you and I both know it."

Another stretch of silence followed as Diluc considered his words. He was right; Diluc should definitely go see Barbara to make sure he was alright, but it meant he would be poked and prodded and asked lengthy questions. All he truly wanted was to lie down and go to sleep, but he knew it would be better in the long run if he simply complied.

"…Fine. I'll drop by the church. Will that be all you need from me, Sir Kaeya?" He was a little harsher than he usually was, in an effort to get Kaeya to just leave him alone, but he was too exhausted to care how he sounded.

Kaeya rolled his eyes, turning on his heel and walking back into the camp. "Yes, yes, I'll get out of your hair now. Try not to fall off your horse."

Diluc hopped on his horse with an annoyed huff, and rode off in the direction of the Mondstadt without another word.

Nothing of note happened on his trek back, and even when he got into the city itself, very little was out of the ordinary save for his slightly unstable gait. He made it to the cathedral unscathed, and his subsequent check-in with Barbara was relatively routine. Other than a few cuts and scrapes, there was nothing wrong with him physically that she could detect. She recommended Diluc go and see Lisa, as she was far better at the more magical side of healthcare than Barbara herself was.

Diluc planned to do no such thing, and returned to the Dawn Winery as soon as the deaconess gave him permission to leave. In his experience, curses seemed to go away in around a week. The uncomfortable constant overheating that followed getting hit by a Pyro Abyss Mage usually faded within seven days of the encounter, and the static charge that frequently zapped his fingers when touching certain objects after a run in with an Electro Cicin Mage rarely lasted more than five. Cryo Cicin Mages were less common than their Electro counterparts, and he'd never been hit so badly by one before. But Diluc was confident that his rapid-fire, very one-track way of thinking would go back to normal quite soon. Just as he was sure that he would regain his full range and steadiness of motion would return as well.

But oh, how very wrong he was.

The next week was utter hell for Diluc Ragnvindr, something he fully did not expect. The symptoms he expected to dull as the curse faded away only seemed to get worse, as did the frequency and severity of his headaches. He was no more stable on his feet either, something he had tried (and failed, miserably) to hide from Adelinde. She found him out almost immediately, and proceeded to act like an overbearing mother hen for every second Diluc was home. The woman helped raise him, after all, so her doting made plenty of sense– but all her fretting and hovering was driving Diluc insane . He was a grown man! Sure, he nearly fell down the stairs once or twice, was so deeply entrenched in his thoughts that he forgot to eat a few times, and was drinking so much coffee in an attempt to stave off his headaches that his veins probably held more caffeine than blood, but he was fine! Nothing at all to worry about!

Charles falling ill that week was a godsend– it gave Diluc an excuse to escape Adelinde. Sure, he felt horrible that Charles had the flu, and sincerely hoped he would be better and back to work soon, but hanging out somewhere that wasn't the Dawn Winery was very welcome. Even if it meant having to hide his declining state from the extremely sharp eyes (eye?) of Kaeya. The man watched him like a hawk every time he did so much as pause for a second too long in a sentence. It was a miracle Kaeya hadn't seen straight through him yet. Was he ignoring the obvious red flags on purpose? It was very likely, since Kaeya wasn't concerned with his well being those days anyways. He always could read Diluc like a book, even when they were children. So it made the most sense that Kaeya simply did not care, and he'd found a new way to be annoying.

So why did he appear so concerned when Diluc messed up a very clear order from a patron, or almost knock a glass to the floor in a moment of poor coordination? Why did he appear so worried? Why–

"Oi. Master Diluc. You still with us?"

A loud voice pulled Diluc out of his thoughts and back into the present. He blinked a few times to clear his head, taking a second to remind himself that he was on the clock and should not be replaying the events of the last week instead of addressing whoever spoke. He only realized that "who" was Rosaria when he heard her tap her claw-tipped fingers on the bar face. Kaeya and another familiar face of the bar, Venti the Bard, had paused their conversation to listen to Diluc's response.

"Sorry, yes, Rosaria? What do you need?" Diluc half-shouted over the din of the bar.

She narrowed her eyes. "I said I wanted a refill on my Dandelion Wine. You're not usually this distracted, Master Diluc. Maybe you should go home."

Diluc shook his head, hands moving on autopilot as he refilled Rosaria's glass. "I'm fine, simply lost in thought. I am perfectly capable of manning the bar, so you needn't worry."

The Sister frowned, glancing towards her drinking companions. She then shrugged. "If you say so. It's bad business to be so distracted, you know." She grabbed her newly filled glass and resumed conversation with her companions, leaving Diluc with his thoughts once more.

He didn't want to have another patron need to get his attention in such a manner, so Diluc focused as hard as he could on staying alert as he wiped down the wineglass in his hands. Every bout of laughter from a group of knights he paid close attention to. Every clink of wine glasses or clomp of boots he was acutely aware of. Every time Kaeya looked at him, eye shining with poorly concealed concern, he sent a glare right back, both because he did not like to be stared at, and because he was becoming more and more confused and annoyed by the minute.

Eventually, however, he snapped. After the sixth time Kaeya glanced at him, Diluc scowled and threw his towel onto the bar counter. "May I ask what the hell your problem is, Sir Kaeya? You aren't exactly being sneaky, with all your side-eyeing."

Kaeya appeared shocked that Diluc called him out, and very quickly forced a neutral expression into his face. "Problem? I don't have a problem at all, Master Diluc. You, however, certainly seem like you do. Something on your mind?"

Diluc huffed. "Just as I told Rosaria, nothing is wrong."

The captain seemed unconvinced. He leaned forward on the bar counter, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Then why are you so distracted, hmm? It's quite unlike you."

"I'm not distracted, Sir Kaeya." Diluc leaned away from the knight, away from his scrutinizing gaze. "Am I not allowed to think in peace?"

Kaeya shrugged. "Of course you are, Master Diluc. I merely wish to know what has you in this uncharacteristic state. Am I not allowed to show concern?"

A pause. What was with that tone? He sounded less smug than usual. He sounded genuine , like he was really asking. Like he truly was concerned. But Diluc's ears had to be playing tricks on him, or he was reading too much into it.

Right?

Or could Kaeya actually be concerned? Dare Diluc even hope? He was so sure that Kaeya wanted nothing to do with him or their past, and wholeheartedly despised him, but… what if Diluc had simply been missing the signs? What if the curse he was under finally helped him see what he was missing, in some convoluted way? What if–

Venti hiccuped suddenly, cutting clear through the endless loop of thoughts Diluc found himself trapped in. "Yeah! We can't have our favorite bartender gettin' sick too! Who'll be here to serve us all our wine?"

Kaeya nodded solemnly along with his companion, Rosaria following suit right after.

Ah.

Of course.

He was a bartender. Nothing more and nothing less. Kaeya was worried over who would serve him wine, with Charles out of commission. Not that he suddenly started to care for his ex-brother.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

What fragile hope had bloomed in his heart shattered in that instant, as the harsh reality of his broken relationship with Kaeya came crashing back into his mind. He should never have hoped. He should never have even entertained the thought that they could be ok again. Diluc had messed up the night of his 18th birthday, irrevocably so. Of course Kaeya didn't care anymore. It only made sense. Diluc's foolish, addled mind just couldn't see that perfectly sound logic until he'd already gone and hoped.

He was such an idiot.

Diluc's face pinched into a pained expression for a split second before he carefully forced a vaguely annoyed one in its place. He was not going to give Kaeya any more reason to make fun of him.

"I'll be here serving the wine, Venti. Because I'm perfectly alright. None of you need to be concerned in the slightest."

The fact that Diluc's voice didn't shake was a miracle. An incredibly helpful one at that, for the trio in front of him seemed to buy his story and dropped the subject, though Kaeya looked him over one last time before paying full attention to his drinking buddies for the rest of the night.

Closing time came blessedly soon after that whole mess. Patrons left slowly, as per the usual, but Diluc didn't have to throw anyone out into the street. Even Kaeya left on his own accord shortly after the official closing time, sending Diluc a small wave as he departed. For a moment, right as his hand was on the doorknob of the Angel's Share, he looked as though he wanted to say something, before appearing to think better of it and leaving with a soft sigh.

Not that it bothered Diluc at all. He didn't want to talk to Kaeya in the slightest. He was barely holding it together for the rest of his shift as it was– any teasing from Kaeya may have set him clear over the edge. All he wanted was to get home and get to bed, so his nightly cleanup wrapped up in record time.

The monotony of cleaning helped ease his mind, if only a little, though he knew it was only a matter of time before he'd be forced to think about what happened. He'd let himself get lost in wiping down tables and glasses, but festering shame and guilt and utter sadness lingered at the edge of his mind, no matter how much he tried to ignore it.

Diluc was somehow successful in keeping his sorrow at bay all through locking up the bar, trekking through the city, arriving at the Dawn Winery, and even when greeted by Adelinde when he got home. He didn't have the energy to say a word to her, but he was sure she understood why he was silent. It was far from the first time he came home in a sour mood. She merely took his coat from him and wished him a good night, gentle smile never wavering despite the haggard look Diluc surely had.

Adelinde needed a raise.

The staircase up to Diluc's room seemed to get longer and longer with each step he took, composure slipping with every passing second. He should have known. Kaeya doesn't care. Diluc's well-being means little. So what of his inner turmoil? If Diluc can serve him wine, that's all that matters to Kaeya anymore. And honestly, it was selfish to expect a single thing more from him. Diluc had been the one to ruin everything, he raised his sword first, he nearly killed his brother.

How could anyone ever forgive that?

Kaeya certainly wouldn't. It was idiotic to think he would. End of story. Curse this stupid curse for ever letting him think otherwise.

Diluc didn't realize he'd made it to his room until he ran into the door with a quiet thud. He forced the door open with a shaking hand, trying and failing to keep his quiet crying from echoing in the silent hallway. He couldn't let anyone see him like that, especially since he didn't deserve the sympathy he'd get if someone did. It was his actions that ruined his brotherhood with Kaeya, it was his decision to disown him, it was his mistake to think for one second that things could ever go back to normal. It was his burden to bear, alone.

He locked his door behind him, barely managing to kick off his shoes before he collapsed into his bed, another harsh sob tearing from his throat.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

His mind ran in circles, repeating phrases and thoughts over and over as he buried his face in his pillow, cries becoming muffled. He knew, deep down, that his mind had only been playing tricks on him due to the curse, but the realization that Kaeya truly did not care about him as a person hurt so terribly, Diluc thought his heart might rip in half. It was selfish to think he deserved even a modicum of Kaeya's affection, after everything he'd done, but…

He missed his brother. Because really, that's who Kaeya was.

Had always been.

Will always be.

No matter what Kaeya may think of him.

And Diluc missed him, more than he could ever hope to put into words. And he wished, more than anything, that he could be in his life again. But he knew that time was over, permanently, due to his actions.

Diluc never seemed to stop messing up, did he?

Well.

In recent memory, there was really only one thing that he didn't mess up with.

Whatever curse he was afflicted with, whatever annoyingly repetitive thinking plus terrible coordination plus clouded judgement he was afflicted with, he'd tolerate for the rest of his life if it meant it would keep Kaeya safe. Be it residual older-brother over-protectiveness or to save the life he nearly ended, Diluc would deal with far, far worse if he had to.

So maybe taking this burden off Kaeya's shoulders was precisely what he deserved. Even if Kaeya would still hate him.

It was justice.

That thought was a balm on Diluc's mind as he drifted off to sleep, tears finally subsiding and shaking finally stopping. Maybe he'd finally done something good, something worth everything he was going through.

If nothing else, he knew he did the right thing.

Diluc was in the tavern, cleaning glasses just like he would be on any typical work day. And Kaeya was opposite him, lounging on a barstool without a care in the world. Very suddenly, however, he spoke over the din of the bar.

"I'm tired."

Diluc looked up from the glass he was cleaning with a quizzical look, realizing he couldn't speak. But the message seemed to get across.

Kaeya merely smirked, leaning across the bar. "Oh, you know what I mean. I'm tired of pretending. Its exhausting, putting on this show for you." His voice turned mocking as his eye narrowed, and it took considerable self control for Diluc to not recoil. "I'm tired of tolerating you out of pity. Everyone knows what you've done. Everyone knows what a horrible person you are. You have no friends. There's only me. I'd feel bad for you, but this really is all on you, isn't it?"

Even if Diluc could speak, he wouldn't be able to say a word. How did Kaeya manage to pick out so many of his deepest fears and insecurities at once…?

The blunette seemed to take Diluc's silence as a reply in and of itself, and smiled impossibly wider. "Of course you know that. It's all you think about, isn't it? How much you wish I was in your life again, how much you miss me. How selfish of you. Do you really think I want that? After all you've done?"

Kaeya's voice then lowered to a whisper, though Diluc could still hear him loud and clear. "How could you? How can you say you miss me when you tried to kill me? Why did you hurt me when I needed you the most?" His smile morphed into an exaggerated frown, tears springing to his eye, and somehow seeming to grow taller and taller as the seconds passed. In mere moments he was towering over Diluc with far more height than usual, blocking out everything that wasn't his miserable expression from the redhead's sight. "How could you? How dare you? Why did you do that? You're a monster! A monster!"

Diluc tried to put his hands over his ears, to block out his ex-brother's cries, but his arms were suddenly made of lead. He couldn't move– forced to listen to Kaeya's garbled words as the man grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, shaking him roughly. An icy chill ran down Diluc's spine with what Kaeya shrieked next, though he wasn't sure if it was from his brother's Vision or from the anguish shooting through his heart.

"I hate you! I hate you! I never went to see you again! Get out of my life! I wish we'd never been brothers!"

Diluc felt like he was falling through the ground, despite both his feet being firmly planted on the tavern's floor. He couldn't stand listening to Kaeya anymore, it was as if he was voicing all of Diluc's darkest feelings and fears aloud.

"I hate you! You're mean and cruel and I don't know how everyone else puts up with you and–"

"Stop it." Diluc finally found his voice, weak as it was, and begged Kaeya to just shut up, though the Captain appeared to be ignoring him.

"–you're selfish and needy and weak and–"

"Stop it."

"–a coward and a burden and I hate you I hate you I hate you–"

"STOP IT!"

Diluc woke with a start, sitting bolt upright in his bed as he shouted his final response to Kaeya.

Oh. So it had been a dream.

He roughly grasped the fabric of his shirt, right over his heart, and tried to control his breathing. What was it that Adelinde had taught him? Something to do with breathing in and counting for a few seconds? Diluc's mind was too frazzled to remember the exact numbers, so he merely breathed in and out as slowly and deeply as he could. It did very little to help, unfortunately, as snippets of the dream kept replaying in his mind and worsening his hyperventilation significantly. It was then he realized he had been crying in his sleep, if the tear that suddenly fell from his chin was any indication. Diluc was, quite honestly, too exhausted to cry any more, though he couldn't seem to shake the lingering sadness and guilt from his dream.

Because really, everything dream-Kaeya had said was true. Diluc was a monster. He was a burden, a coward, a pathetic excuse for a brother. All of that he already knew, but to hear it in Kaeya's voice? That made it hurt so much more. Even if it was only his subconscious.

Diluc's inner turmoil was cut short by a soft knock on his door.

"Master Diluc?"

Adelinde. Of course she'd have come running when she heard Diluc's shout. It was likely around mid-morning based on the angle of the sunlight streaming through his curtains, so his dutiful head maid would have come to fetch him around that time regardless.

A few seconds passed before Diluc realized he had to respond, lest Adelinde begin to worry. "'m ok, Addie. I'll be down for breakfast soon.

"There's no rush, Master Diluc," came Adelinde's soft reply, her tone familiar enough that Diluc could practically see her kind expression, despite the few inches of solid oak between them. "I merely wished to see if you were alright."

Diluc sighed. "I said I'm fine, Addie. You don't have to worry. I'll be out in a minute." He obviously appreciated her constant, unwavering care, but right now it just made him feel sick. What could he possibly have done to deserve her?

Adelinde's heels clacked in the hallway like they always did as she walked. "Very well. I'll make sure your breakfast doesn't get cold."

The silence that followed her departure was nearly deafening, with how it immediately left Diluc alone with his thoughts. Thoughts that he absolutely refused to think about, as he launched himself into his morning routine as a distraction from the self deprecation swirling around his head.

…And he absolutely had to get out of his work clothes– sleeping in dress pants was a lot less comfortable than he remembered.

After significant struggle (for Diluc nearly fell flat on his face more than once, motor skills the worst they'd been all week), he arrived downstairs looking far more put together than he felt. And true to her word, Adelinde had kept Diluc's breakfast nice and warm, allowing him a small moment of peace while he ate.

However, his peace was somewhat ruined by Elzer when he delivered a piece of bad news:

"Charles is still out sick. The new hire isn't experienced enough to handle a night on her own, so you'll have to cover the shift again tonight."

Diluc tried not to look upset, really he did, but his expression must have changed quite a lot for how quickly Elzer backpedaled. "I can manage the bar if she's there to help me, if I need to. I don't mind–"

"No, no, its alright." Diluc cut him off with a wave of his hand, already accepting that he'd have to work again that night. And most likely have to face Kaeya once again. "You have that business trip tomorrow, you can't stay awake at the bar all night and be well rested for that. I can take the shift.

Elzer was quiet for a moment. He looked like wanted to protest, but then thought better of disobeying his employer. "Alright, then. I'll inform the new hire that she doesn't have to come in."

With that, he left Diluc to continue eating his breakfast, though he didn't have much of an appetite anymore.

After how horrible he felt after his last shift, the nightmare that still hadn't left his mind, and his ability to move properly lessening rapidly, having to work a shift at the Angel's Share was the last thing he wanted to do. But he had to. So he would. He'd been to work on worse days. It would be fine. He'd do some paperwork before he left to ease his mind, maybe restock a little before he opened, then try to get through his shift to the best of his ability.

Everything would work itself out.

At least, he hoped so.

The following few hours passed at a snail's pace. Diluc could fill out orders for imports from Liyue and write down which wines he was running low on in the bar's storage for what felt like a few hours, but when he looked at his clock, only thirty minutes passed. It did absolutely nothing to lessen his anxiety– if anything, the agonizingly slow passage of time only made him more nervous.

Logically, he knew his shift would most likely pass as any normal one would, but he had a gut feeling that something horrible was going to happen. Which was stupid, obviously, because Mondstadt had been very quiet in the last month, save for the massive Fatui gathering on Dragonspine earlier in the week. The gathering that, no matter how many times he double and triple checked with investigators more experienced than he could ever be, had been completely wiped off the map. Not one single person in the entire information network had even a tiny lead as to where all those Fatui had gone, or where the Treasure Hoarders carrying the mysterious crate had disappeared off to.

He assumed it all meant Kaeya had taken care of it all, in that remarkably efficient way of his, but why hadn't he said anything to Diluc? Every time they worked together, even for a day, Kaeya would let him know if he solved the problem, so Diluc knew not to pursue it anymore. So why keep it from him? Unless Kaeya hadn't gotten any more information either, there was no reason to. Could the Fatui still be on the loose? Could Mondstadt still be in danger?

The thought that he had been lulled into a false sense of security was far more distressing than having to speak with his ex-brother, so Diluc begrudgingly accepted that he would have to have a civil conversation with the one person he so desperately wanted to avoid. He'd just have to handle bartending until then.

And as the distant bell of the cathedral rang the hour, he knew that shift was about to begin. With a heavy sigh, he went to unlock the door, as prepared as he could be for the hours to follow.

The next few hours passed with little incident, the drunkards of Mondstadt seemingly all having decided to be less boisterous for no reason whatsoever. Not that Diluc was complaining, of course, because the calmer atmosphere helped him hide the fact that he was slowly starting to sway on his feet as the minutes ticked by, though he could not hide how poorly he was performing as a bartender. He handed out free drink after free drink as he messed up more and more orders, thought process going from the repetitive nonsense he'd experienced all week to utterly incomprehensible.

Diluc knew it was a very unsound business practice to be giving out so many incorrect, free drinks, but he simply could not connect what he heard the patrons say to what movements he did.

What in Teyvat was going on? He was perfectly fine just that morning, all throughout his restock of the bar's reserves, so his incredible lack of coherency was honestly quite concerning. What had changed?

"My, my. Never thought I'd see a day at the Angle's Share where every drink was on the house."

A voice cut off Diluc's sporadic thoughts before he could fall too deep into his own mind. A voice he did not expect to hear so soon into the night.

"Kaeya."

The captain looked at him quizzically, surprised that Diluc had dropped his title. "That's my name, Master Diluc. Don't wear it out."

Diluc ignored him, getting straight to what he had to ask and speaking for longer than a few minutes for the first time all night. "Did you- um. The Fatui. From the other day. Do you have any… information? Like current whereabouts?"

Kaeya stared at him with an unreadable expression. He blinked a few times, then leaned forward. "Master Diluc, you know that is classified information, not to be disclosed to a civilian." He lowered his voice, smiling in a way that did not reach his eye. "It is especially classified in such a public space, when asked so blatantly. I knew yesterday that you weren't well, but seriously? You usually know better than to be this conspicuous."

"I'm fine," Diluc snapped, after a few seconds of delay.

The captain gave him a flat glare. "If you are asking me about very sensitive secrets concerning the safety of Mondstadt, with plain words, in a place you are well aware could have spies, then you are most certainly not fine."

The redhead glared right back. "Yes I–"

"No. No you aren't." Kaeya cut him off, expression softening. "I know something's the matter. It would be detrimental to the safety of Mondstadt if you continued to be unwell, so perhaps I could help you. Is this about-" He moved to pat his own shoulder, the same one Diluc had gotten hit on. "-that?"

In lieu of actually answering Kaeya's question, Diluc huffed. "Why do you care? My health is- it's my own business. Not yours. I'm fine."

"It's my business if the safety of Mondstadt is at risk." Kaeya muttered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world and Diluc was stupid to misunderstand. "Right now, you can't hold your tongue enough to keep secrets from reaching the prying ears of the enemy. That's very dangerous."

"Then stop talking to me. I'll shut up and ignore you, so I won't say anything else risky. So drop it." He huffed again, doing just as he said and grabbing a glass to clean as a distraction.

Kaeya scowled and rolled his eye, sitting down at the bar and leaning onto his hand with a scoff. "Fine, then. Whatever you want, Master Diluc. Celestia forbid I try to look out for you."

It took everything Diluc had to not crush the glass in his hand in the wave of anger that crashed through him. Look out for him? Seriously? Since when did Kaeya do that? Mondstadt was what he cared about. Not Diluc. Never Diluc. Bold of him to think Diluc wouldn't see through his blatant lie.

"Are you kidding me, Sir Kaeya? I know you love to deal in half truths, but this is insulting. You're not looking out for me. You only ever look out for yourself or for Mondstadt. Not for me. So quit lying." Diluc's vision swam, and he had to set down the glass he was holding to grip the edge of the bar counter to stay upright. His head hurt the worst it had all week, most likely fueled by how angry and hurt he was. After the hell that was his last twenty-four hours, Kaeya insinuating that he cared about Diluc was way too much.

"What– Diluc, calm down." Annoyance bled out of Kaeya's voice, replaced by surprisingly well-faked concern. "You're shaking."

So what if he was? It wasn't Kaeya's problem. So he ignored what the blunette said, rambling on without any heed to how lightheaded he felt. "Don't change the subject. And I don't need to calm down. You need to stop lying to me."

Kaeya stood, reaching across the bar to grab Diluc's arm and stop him from keeling over. "Diluc, I'm serious. You look like you're about to pass out, calm down. Please."

Diluc tore his arm from Kaeya's grip, stumbling away and slamming into the wall. Glasses and bottles clattered behind him as he shook his head. "'M not gonna pass out. 'M fine. Just– quit lying. 'S not funny right now."

Nothing made sense anymore. Diluc felt like he was dreaming, his head light, his limbs heavy, Kaeya saying nonsensical things. Everything was too bright and too loud, and he felt his awareness of the world slipping. Diluc didn't even realize Kaeya had walked behind the bar until he heard him speak from a space close to his right side.

His brother was saying something. What was it…? Diluc's ears were filled with cotton. Kaeya's lips were moving, but no sound came out.

Where was he again? Somewhere with too much noise.

His head hurt.

Diluc blinked lethargically, eyes refusing to cooperate as he tried to focus on the man beside him. It was… Kaeya. He thought. But if it really was, why did he look so frantic? Kaeya never looked so worried. He never lost his cool. Especially not nowadays, not over Diluc.

"'m tired." He slurred, knees buckling. He didn't worry about hitting the ground. Kaeya was there. He was safe. Kaeya would keep him safe.

So taking a little nap to clear his head would be just fine.

Diluc finally succumbed to unconsciousness as he dimly registered someone yelling above him.

Hmm. Something to investigate in the morning.

But for now… sleep.

Notes:

its ok guys dilucs just gonna take a little nap he'll be fineeeee

Chapter 2: I Would Do About Anything

Summary:

POV switch! i wonder how kaeya's doing after seeing diluc collapse?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Having Diluc pass out in his arms twice in less than a week was most certainly not something Kaeya would have expected to happen.

And yet, his idiot brother had done so. To the point where Kaeya would have grey hairs by the end of the month, for all the stress he was causing him.

Really. Keeling over as they're arguing, after vehemently insisting he's perfectly fine? Kaeya ought to drop Diluc on the side of the street. But no, he agreed to carry Diluc all the way to the cathedral after he collapsed, and that's just what he's going to do.

As soon as Diluc went down, he panicked, obviously, and called for Patton to close for the night while Diluc was out of commission. Some of the patrons complained, also obviously, but all of them left quite soon after realizing that they weren't going to be served any more drinks.

That then left Kaeya free to lug Diluc all the way across the city. Which was far more difficult a task than he thought it'd be. Dragging Diluc a few feet in the snow was one thing, but having to carry the solid brick wall that was the Uncrowned King of Mondstadt was more of a workout than Kaeya had bargained for.

Kaeya, by some miracle, managed to get Diluc in to see Barbara in record time, catching the deaconess just as she was heading to bed. The pair got Diluc into an empty cot in the infirmary, before Barbara gently ushered Kaeya out of the room.

"You look rather on edge, Sir Kaeya." she'd said, guiding him into a chair just outside the door to Diluc's room. "Rest a bit while I look him over, and I'll call you in when I'm done. Alright?"

Barbara had a tone not unlike one Jean was fond of, a genuinely soft and gentle one that somehow turned a simple request into something he couldn't refuse.

Jean must be so proud of her.

So Kaeya dutifully sat in his chair, leg bouncing enough to make his heel click against the tile floor of the cathedral, awaiting any news of Diluc's condition. He had plenty of time to think over the events that transpired while he waited as well.

It was… confusing, to say the least. Diluc seemed very out of it for the short amount of time he was awake in Kaeya's presence. Forgetting all the code they had to talk about sensitive information while potentially in earshot of unsavory characters, taking Kaeya's words way too literally, and passing out as if seriously ill? It was extremely worrying, to put it lightly. And Kaeya couldn't ignore the gnawing guilt that he was at least partially to blame. Sure, Kaeya didn't ask for Diluc to push him out of the way, but… still. He should have at least been able to do something to have prevented it.

Just then, Barbara came out of Diluc's room, cutting through Kaeya's thoughts. He turned to look at her, expectant. "So? How is he?"

The Deaconess smiled reassuringly and bowed her head slightly. "Master Diluc shows very little sign of physical injury. He seems to be simply exhausted, perhaps with a slight cold, but a few days of bedrest should fix him right up."

Kaeya's shoulders sagged with relief. He shouldn't have been worried, really. It would take a lot more than that to take down the great Diluc Ragnvindr. "I'm glad to hear it. Knowing him and how stubborn he is, I'm sure he'll be up and about by tomorrow night." The captain stood, stretching his arms above his head. Archons above, he needed a drink. But with the Angel's Share closed, all he could really do was head back home. The Cat's Tail was open, sure, but he preferred The Angel's Share's drinks, as most Mondstadters did. It was hours before he'd intended to turn in for the night, but after the stress of the last half hour, perhaps a good night's sleep was what he really needed. "Thanks, Barbs."

"Of course, Sir Kayea. I'm merely doing my job, there's no need to thank me." Barbara looked away, bashful.

"Your job is very important, so it deserves all the thanks Mondstadt can give." Kaeya grinned. "Especially since you've been kept out of bed longer than you should have been. Though knowing how much of a restless workaholic Master Diluc can be, this was bound to happen sooner or later."

Kaeya sighed, staring off into the distance for a moment, absorbed once again by worry. The silence stretched on for a few seconds too long for it to be entirely comfortable, something the captain noticed only when the allogene next to him shuffled awkwardly.

"Well!" Kaeya shrugged, walking towards the doors of the cathedral in a flurry of motion. "Can't be helped, I suppose. All we can do is wait and see how soon he bounces back. Take care, Barbara."

The Deaconess' soft "You too, Sir Kaeya." could barely be heard over the loud, echoing clack of Kaeya's boots, but he still waved goodbye over his shoulder with a smile.

The cool air outside of the cathedral was a balm on his nerves, leaving his mind blessedly clear by the time he arrived home.

Kaeya would be lying if he said he wasn't worried. Sure, he'd woken up just fine, gotten a Teyvat Fried Egg and Mondstadt Hash Brown from Good Hunter like usual, and even grabbed both himself and Jean a coffee before heading to headquarters, all right on schedule. But despite the relative normalcy of his day, he couldn't get rid of the nagging concern that settled on the edge of his mind. Something about Diluc's condition felt… different. Kaeya could tell when the redhead was exhausted. There were signs– ones that he saw, of course, but never in the decade he'd been in Mondstadt did he ever see Diluc collapse out of nowhere.

Except for when gravely injured, or deathly ill.

That thought lingered in his head for hours as he shuffled through the paperwork Jean had set aside for him to do, filing report after report as his mind frequently wandered. It got to the point where he zoned out for so long, mind trying to puzzle out what could have gone wrong with what limited information he had, that a mission log he'd written out had a large inkblot where his signature was supposed to be. He didn't have the time to write it out again, so he signed it normally and hoped Jean simply wouldn't notice. As vigilant as she was, Kaeya was sure she would, but he still hoped she would just let it go. Blame it on a late night out, or something.

Thankfully, luck was on his side, and when he turned in all his paperwork, Jean didn't comment on anything being out of place. Even so, he felt like her eyes were burning worried holes into his back as he left for his daily Hilichurl-camp-clearing excursion.

At least cutting down enemies to Mondstadt with practiced ease would be the outlet for all his nervous energy that he most certainly needed.

And that outlet proved to come a lot quicker than he expected. As soon as the Whispering Woods came into view, he saw a Hilichurl camp hidden amongst the trees, worryingly close to the city gates. There were only a handful of regular Hilichurls and a single Axe Mitachurl, but seeing any 'churl camp not a stone's throw from Mondstadt proper was concerning even on the calmest day. But seeing the creatures so near to his city the day after his brother collapsed in front of him made Kaeya's skin crawl, though the Hilichurls and their camp would not be a problem for much longer. In an instant, Kaeya had summoned his sword, and dashed forward with a blast of Cryo.

Only a few minutes later, the camp was little more than a memory, with nothing but tufts of fur and an extinguished campfire to show for it. The immediate threat was gone, yes, but Kaeya still felt off. He sighed, desummoning his sword and looking up towards the sun, noting that it was well into the afternoon, but not yet nearing twilight. Surely Jean wouldn't mind him going back to headquarters a little early and taking a peek at some paperwork filed by the other knights? He hadn't heard anything about other Hilichurls camps being too close to the gate or to other high traffic areas like the road to Windrise, but he didn't want to take any chances.

Not after what happened to Diluc.

With his next course of action, Kaeya quickly made his way back into the city, waving casually to any citizen or knight he passed along the way. Even if he was concerned about a possible threat to Mondstadt mirroring the one during the Stormterror incident, he didn't let it show. He had to make sure the public didn't think anything was amiss, after all.

Nobody saw through Kaeya's facade of calm except for Jean herself, fixing him with a worried look the second he walked into her office to request the mission reports.

"Oh, Captain! You're back early. Though you rarely come back from patrol so soon unless something's wrong." She said, setting her pen down and focusing her attention on the blunette before her.

Kaeya chuckled lightly, shutting the office door behind him with a shrug. "Who's to say there's anything wrong? I'm only here to request to borrow a few mission reports, on a hunch of mine. I could be entirely wrong in my suspicion."

Jean sighed, equal parts annoyed and fond. "Alright, alright. You can help yourself to anything I have on file. I don't have any I need to see at the moment, so everything is free for you to take. Just don't stay here too late, ok?"

The Captain laughed again, a little more genuinely, as he crossed the room to grab the files he needed to. "I'll take your advice if you do too, Jeanie. You practically live in your office."

Jean blinked a few times as her words fully hit her, and she laughed lightly as well. "I know, I know. I do plan on leaving a little earlier today, though. I'm going to Good Hunter with Barbara once we're both off."

Kaeya grinned, ignoring the twinge of jealousy that shot through his heart. He was not going to think about how he and Diluc used to go with those two on after-work dinners, how the girls had practically been their sisters rather than just their friends. Sure, he was still close with Jean, but… no, no, then was not the time to reminisce. "Aww, well I hope you two have fun. Send my regards to Barbara, I'm sure she must be tired from watching over Master Diluc all day."

"I will, Sir Kaeya. And thank you." The Acting Grand Master replied, ignoring Kaeya's jab at Diluc, though not without amusement in her voice.

"Of course. Take care, Master Jean." Kaeya waved and took a few steps towards the door, having found what he went there for.

Jean nodded, picking up her pen once again and looking back to her paperwork. "You too, Sir Kaeya.

With that, Kaeya headed back to his own office, files in hand, and prepared to get to work. It was rather slow going at first, pouring over mission reports from the past week and a half got monotonous after a while. Every knight was required to give a report on the day's happenings every time their shift was over, even if nothing happened. Most of the reports were like that, to Kaeya's relief. And the ones that had something of interest, like a report of Hilichurls stealing goods from a caravan or slimes blocking the path to Stone Gate were things Kaeya had already been aware of.

He began to suspect that the Hilichurl camp he'd seen earlier in the day was nothing more than a badly timed coincidence, but he poured over report after report nonetheless. Even when the endless words he read started to blend together, he kept pushing through. He had to know for absolute certain that Mondstadt was not in immediate danger. With Diluc not able to do any of his nighttime vigilante activities– that Kaeya had to pretend he knew nothing about– it was up to Kaeya to pick up his slack. Obviously, he could do his job well enough to not need Diluc to keep an eye out for possible threats, but having an extra way of protection for Mondstadt was very welcome.

Unfortunately, it did eventually get to a point where his brain felt like it stopped working, so Kaeya stood up to stretch and pace around his office in an attempt to rest his eye.

The short break didn't seem to help Kaeya's mental fatigue very much (or the growing headache that always seemed to appear if he tried to read for too long with his eyepatch still on), and given that the sun had already set, he doubted he'd get much more work done. But he had to at least try. He sighed, crossing his office to crack open a window, hoping that a little fresh air might help him get back into the swing of reading.

What he did not expect to happen was for a gust of wind to immediately sweep through the barely opened window, blowing Kaeya's carefully stacked reports to the ground in a flurry of paper. He hissed out a curse and quickly slammed his window shut, looking in dismay at the mess that he accidentally created.

"Well." Kaeya muttered, sighing and dragging a hand across his face. "That sucks."

Quite honestly, having his entire office covered with loose papers and folders made him simply want to go home and sleep, but Kaeya knew he'd at least have to clean up before he did. He liked to keep a tidy office, after all. Kaeya kneeled and shuffled most of the papers into rough piles, planning to sort them into the correct spots at his desk, when he happened upon a mission report he'd never seen before.

Neat, unfamiliar handwriting detailed how a newly recruited, off-duty knight had accidentally crossed paths with a Cryo Abyss Mage a few years prior– meaning that the report was misshelved, hence why Kaeya ended up with it in his pile of papers despite not intending to grab it. But the report wasn't about a run of the mill accidental encounter that ended with the amateur knight fleeing (which was recommended in such a situation). No, the knight had ended up taking a Cryo infused magic bolt to the chest, causing her to fall into a deep sleep a few days after. She very suddenly awoke about half a week later, with seemingly no rhyme or reason as to why, and moved on with her life as usual.

One specific line near the end of the report jumped out at him, making his blood run cold. The knight reported that she believed she may have been cursed, evidenced by how suddenly the whole situation unfolded, and her contact with an Abyss Mage in the days prior.

Curses were not unheard of in Teyvat, something Kaeya was already aware of. Most often caused by elementally attuned monsters, curses usually had effects that only caused minor annoyance. Kaeya had heard of ones like mild sunburn or allergy-like symptoms, for a week at most. But falling into a coma after getting hit by some kind of Cryo magic? It was something Kaeya had never heard of, at least not before Diluc's situation. The reported event held such a striking resemblance to whatever affliction his brother had, that it was a remarkable coincidence that he'd found it.

Kaeya sat and stewed over the information he had at hand, and eventually decided that the best course of action would be to track down the knight who reported her experience, and see if he could get any more to go off of. But that was something that could wait until morning– Kaeya was exhausted, and the knight he needed to see would most likely be asleep, considering the late hour. With that decided, Kaeya stood from the awkward seated position he'd been in and stretched his arms above his head. He winced as something in his back popped, but still grabbed the rest of the papers from the floor and set them haphazardly on his desk. He could deal with those in the morning. He made good progress, so didn't feel too bad about heading home.

And true to her promise of leaving at a reasonable hour, there was no light coming out from under Jean's office door when Kaeya passed.

The next morning, Kaeya awoke bright and early to find the previously cursed knight, barely spending enough time in his apartment to get dressed and grab an apple from his pantry as a light breakfast. He had no idea if the knight was going out on an early patrol or not, since she wasn't under his direct command, but he at least knew that she was a field medic with the 8th company. He prided himself on knowing who a majority of the knights were by name, and it was just his luck that he knew the exact knight he needed to find– Emilia. He eventually found her outside of headquarters, chatting with a few other knights.

"Hello there!" He called, waving to the group as he approached. "So sorry to interrupt, but may I borrow Emilia for a moment?"

The group of knights looked back and forth at one another for a few seconds, Emilia herself looking more than a little nervous that the cavalry captain needed to speak with her, prompting Kaeya to smile lightly. "Oh, don't worry, you're not in trouble. I merely had a few questions for you, it shouldn't take long at all."

That seemed to put everyone at ease, and Emilia stepped forward out of the groups' small circle to stand by the captain. She glanced over her shoulder, speaking softly to her friends. "Tell Nymph I'll be a little late, alright?" Her friends nodded, walking off into the HQ building and leaving her and Kaeya alone. "What do you need, Sir Kaeya? Is there something I can help with?"

"There is, actually." Kaeya said, gesturing for Emilia to follow him to sit on a nearby bench. "Though that 'something' is a bit odd. I had come across a mission report last night detailing how you suddenly fell ill following an encounter with an Abyss Mage. What can you tell me about that? What you felt, if you had any lasting effects?"

Emilia seemed startled at his question, obviously taken off guard. "Oh! Um, I'm not sure how much I remember since it's been so long… but it was definitely unpleasant. I felt like I had a cold for a few days after I got hit, with really slow movements and thinking as well, then all of a sudden I woke up in the infirmary. My sister said that I passed out and remained asleep for a few days. Nothing appeared to be wrong with me when I woke up, other than an unusual amount of Cryo energy in my body, but that all dissipated within hours and I've been perfectly fine ever since. Although I'm a lot more cautious around abyss mages, that's for sure!" She paused abruptly, suddenly seeming embarrassed. "But that was all in my incident report, so you probably already knew that. Sorry I haven't been much help, Sir Kaeya."

Kaeya merely grinned, waving his hand dismissively. "No, you've been a great help! I cant tell you why I'm asking, official knight business and all, but thank you. I'll let you get going now, and if Nymph gives you any trouble tell her she'll have to take it up with me."

"You're welcome, Sir Kaeya." Emilia nodded and stood, backing towards the headquarters as she spoke. "I hope whatever you needed the info for goes well!" She nodded again, turning on her heel to walk away as Kaeya waved goodbye.

The captain sighed, letting his smile and hand drop as soon as the younger knight was out of sight. He really thought the face to face account of her experience would have been more helpful, but all it really did was repeat what he already knew. It put him at ease that Emilia had woken up alright from her encounter, even though an accidental Abyss Mage encounter was far different than a specifically targeted Cryo Cicin Mage attack. All he could hope for was that Diluc would have the same experience.

But now that Kaeya thought of it, he hadn't gone to check in on Diluc since his initial collapse. Seeing as he was in the area, he figured it would be a good idea to swing by the cathedral and see how the redhead was doing. He wasn't due for work for another hour, so he had plenty of time.

Or at least, that's what Kaeya had thought, before he saw the shockingly frantic look on Barbara's face when he arrived at the Cathedral. No sooner had the doors shut behind him did the deaconess rush up to meet him, concern shining in her eyes

"Wh– Barbara? What's wrong?" Kaeya spluttered, caught completely off guard.

Barbara didn't answer, instead opting to grab Kaeya by the wrist and drag him into Diluc's infirmary room. Once out of earshot of anyone else who may have been in the church, she spoke. "He's not doing well." The allogene gestured towards Diluc, and it only took a second for Kaeya to see what was wrong.

The captain gasped. "He's blue. "

"He's cold to the touch too, and when I used Elemental Sight on him, as a precaution, Cryo seemed to be pouring off of him." Barbara replied, nodding and lightly picking at the hem of her dress– a nervous habit she never seemed able to get rid of.

Kaeya let out a deep breath, at an uncharacteristic loss as to what he should do. He thought Diluc would be fine, that he'd be able to bounce right back with nothing to show for it except for a few lost days. Not getting worse.

"I think he's cursed." Kaeya muttered, not taking his eyes off of Diluc's unconscious form. "I saw an incident report very similar to what happened with Master Diluc and a curse seems to be the best explanation for what's happening."

Barbara was quiet for a moment. "You know, based on other patients I've had in the past, this does line up with what I've witnessed with them. Curses are not as uncommon as one may think, after all, and considering that Master Diluc shows no sign of other physical injury, a curse is the most likely explanation."

Kaeya hummed in response. "So what should we do? This curse was deliberate and targeted, with the purpose of making one of the two of us suffer. I doubt it'll clear up on its own."

"I'd go see Lisa, quite honestly." Barbara tapped her chin thoughtfully. "She's far more knowledgeable on these kinds of things than I am, and I doubt there's much we can do without her help."

The captain nodded. Asking Lisa for help was a perfect idea– she had more knowledge on magic than Kaeya could ever hope to have, and seeing as though Kaeya occasionally tracked down people with overdue books if Lisa herself wasn't able to, the librarian was always more than happy to assist him in his official duties. Even the more secretive, non official ones. Needless to say, she was an invaluable ally and would almost certainly be willing to help him out this time as well.

"Thats a great idea, Barbs, thank you." Kaeya grinned, lightly patting the deaconess' shoulder as he started to walk past her and out the door. "I'll go see her now, if you don't mind. But be sure to update me if his condition changes even a little bit, ok?"

Barbara bowed her head. "Of course, Sir Kaeya. And you're welcome, truly. I sincerely hope she can help you find a cure."

"Me too." The blunette replied, and with that, he headed off to the knights' headquarters.

He decided to stop by his office and retrieve the reports he didn't need in order to return them to Jean, only to realize that he would most likely need at least some of the day off to talk with Lisa and figure out a course of action. Stopping by Jean's office before going to the library would kill two birds with one stone, so he hurried there after he sorted the files into the correct order.

A swift knock at Jean's open door announced his presence, and Jean immediately looked up with a slightly teasing smile. "Captain! I was wondering when you'd show up, you're not usually late."

"I've had a busy morning, to tell you the truth. To make a long story short, I'm requesting the rest of the day off to investigate a cure for the curse I believe Master Diluc is suffering from."

Jean's expression sobered immediately. "Oh, well then of course you can have the time off. I could tell you've been stressed since Master Diluc passed out the other day, so please make sure you're also taking care of yourself. I know if he beside myself with worry if Barbara fell this ill, so I can only imagine how you must feel with your b–"

"He's not my brother, Jeanie. You know that." Kaeya cut her off, not wanting her to finish what she was saying. How many times did Kaeya have to tell her? He wasn't Diluc's brother anymore. No matter how much Kaeya wished he was. So it was quite useless to keep insisting they were still a family.

Jean sighed, fixing Kaeya with a pitying look that he couldn't stand– it was all his fault, at the end of the day, he didn't deserve pity. He quickly put the paperwork he was carrying back on the shelf before the Acting Grand Master could say anything else, and turned to leave just as fast.

"Thanks for the time off, Master Jean. See you around." Kaeya didn't bother waiting for a reply, wanting to escape Jean's line of sight and the guilt that had settled in his stomach.

At least talking with Lisa should ease his mind at least a little, if she was able to help him after all. She wasn't at her desk or anywhere that Kaeya could see when he swung open the library's doors, so he decided to kill some time by doing a little of his own research. He grabbed a few promising looking books off of the shelves of medical books, because curses were health related sometimes, right? Surely that was a good place to start.

Kaeya did end up finding a few useful pieces of information, mainly that it was possible to cure a curse of a certain element if the opposite element was used to counteract it, like using Cryo for an Electro curse. Diluc should naturally be able to fight off the Cryo based course with relative ease, being a Pyro allogene and all, but for him to be so affected was not a good sign. Kaeya assumed that was because it wasn't an everyday curse– being from a Cryo Cicin Mage who's intent was almost certainly to cause serious harm, after all. It was concerning nonetheless, which made Kaeya read at a fervent pace.

But as hours ticked by with Kaeya continued to pull book after book off of every relevant shelf he had access to, he found little else of use. He was so absorbed in his reading that he didn't even notice when Lisa finally approached him, setting a steaming cup of tea beside his mountain of books.

"You haven't stopped reading for over four hours, dear." she said, taking a book titled Abnormal Ailments and Afflictions: The Everyman's Guide To Curses and their Cures from the top of the pile nearest to her. "I'm sure these must be fascinating, but you didn't come here for some light reading, did you?"

Kaeya shook his head, reaching for the tea Lisa brought for him instead of answering. "I thought you didn't allow uncovered drinks anywhere near your collection."

The librarian shrugged. "I don't. But Master Jean passed by only a few minutes, and gave me a short version of why you're here, and that I may need to remind you to take breaks. She gave me this tea to pass on to you, and I decided to bend the rules a little, for both of your sakes. Can't have our favorite Cavalry Captain falling apart on us, now can we, dear?"

A pause. Jean came by? How did Kaeya not see her? He's usually more vigilant, even when occupied. Especially in a place where even the turn of a page echoed, he should have heard the heavy wooden doors opening and shutting, at least. Perhaps he was more uneasy than he thought, to have blocked everything else but his research from his mind.

Kaeya sighed, taking a sip of his tea and gently shoving the piles of books away from him and his cup. "No, we can't have that, of course." The tea– a simple chamomile, his favorite– was just shy of scalding, so he released a bit of Cryo from his fingertips to cool it down just enough for it not to burn him. He was very particular about the temperature of his drinks, so getting them hot for the purpose of cooling them down to his liking was something he did quite often. He wasn't surprised that Jean remembered that, but he was touched nonetheless.

A few beats of silence passed as Kaeya savored his tea, before he turned to face Lisa rather than his piles of research. "As much as I love the material selection I have right here, would you happen to have any other books on this subject? Anything on curses, magical ailments, and the like?"

The librarian hummed in thought. "As far as I'm aware, all the books you'd be looking for are in front of you. I don't have any in my personal collection, but…" She tapped her chin, thinking, before her eyes lit up with an idea. "How about I contact my old friends in the Akademiya, see what they can tell us, hmm?"

Kaeya blinked in mild surprise. Lisa offering to request help from genius Sumeru scholars was a better result than he'd expected. "Oh, that would be a tremendous help, Lisa. Thank you, truly. And I'll pay you back for this, of course."

"No need for that, dear." Lisa waved her hand dismissively. "Consider this my repayment of favors past. Especially since you keep Jeanie from working herself clear to the bone. Most of the time."

"Alright, then. We both know I won't win in an argument against you." Kaeya bowed his head for a moment, grinning, before glancing back to the book he had propped open in front of him. As much as he enjoyed his small break and chat with Lisa, he really needed to get back to his research. Even if he only had two more books to look through, not including the one he was currently reading. Time was of the essence, after all.

Lisa seemed to take the hint, as she grabbed a few books from the top of Kaeya's 'finished' pile to shelve. "You're quite right there, Captain. So you'll let me put these all away without insisting you can do it yourself, yes?"

Kaeya chuckled lightly, shaking his head and going back to his research fully. "Of course, Lisa. Thank you again."

"Anytime, dear."

The following hour passed with little fanfare, Kaeya having found no more leads in anything else he read. His head was killing him, a dull ache settled behind his uncovered eye that flared with pain any time he tried to look anywhere remotely bright. He knew he couldn't stay cooped up in the library forever, despite how much he wanted to. He'd had next to nothing to eat or drink, save for a single apple and a cup of tea. Jean would kill him if she knew how little he'd had in the day.

Well, no, she wouldn't. Lisa might. Or Rosaria, considering how much the nun cared about her friends despite the mask of indifference she always wore.

So after he and Lisa had reshelved all there was to put away and his teacup was drained, Kaeya made his way to Good Hunter for lunch. Considering that it was already after noon, he'd be getting lunch there anyways, so there was little risk of the public thinking something was amiss. Kaeya was very much in the public eye, so any major difference in his routine could cause alarm, as it was usually an indicator of something big happening behind the scenes. He was sure that his missed nights in the Angel's Share was highly noticeable, but with Diluc still in the Church infirmary, he just… didn't feel like going. Charles didn't mix drinks quite the same as Diluc, and if Kaeya was honest, half the reason he even went there was to bother his brother.

He was too uneasy to drink, anyways. Letting his guard down when there could be some bigger plot to get rid of himself or Diluc was not something he was too keen on doing. So it was fine. He'd go back once everything was over and Diluc was safe.

Kaeya's trip to Good Hunter was thankfully uneventful, his only interactions with the public being a few polite waves or smiles as he passed them. Nobody questioned him on his out of character behavior, and there wasn't even a line at the counter when he approached.

"Sir Kaeya! Good to see you!" Sara called out to him as he walked closer, greeting him with a kind smile like she always did. "Will it be the usual again?"

The captain waved back, grinning lightly. "Good to see you too, Sara. And I think I'll get something different today– a Pile 'Em Up, to be precise." His usual was two slices of Fisherman's Toast (with actual fish added, something he'd come to order after a recommendation from Klee), and an order of Sauteed Matsutake, but he was admittedly feeling nostalgic. Pile 'Em Ups were one of the few meals Crepus personally cooked for his boys, especially for a special occasion or when one of them needed something to lift their spirits.

Kaeya wasn't superstitious in the slightest, but perhaps a special food from his and Diluc's childhood would bring a little luck to the Captain's investigation.

Sara nodded, writing his order on the notepad she kept behind the counter. "Of course, I'll get it done shortly. We just got in a new shipment of potatoes too, so you picked a good day to try something a little different! If you'll just have a seat, I'll have your order out in under a half hour."

Kaeya nodded, giving a slight wave as he went to sit in his usual spot, the table with the best view of the fountain. The wait time was welcome, considering it gave Kaeya more time to go over the information he knew. He'd already done so a few times, but maybe, maybe he'd squeeze out another detail this time.

He did not, unfortunately, have any shocking revelations as he sat and waited for his food to be ready. Though he did come up with a game plan as to where he needed to go next– he needed more information on the comings and goings of the Fatui to make sure there was no immediate threat, so he had to seek out Vile. She was a wellspring of information, so long as she was paid the proper price.

And if it was to save his brother? No amount of Mora was too great.

Just then, Sara appeared with Kaeya's lunch, pulling him out of his head as she set the plate before him with a smile. He handed her a small pouch of Mora in return, and ate his meal in relative silence. His mind was too absorbed in his thoughts for him to really focus on what he was eating until his plate was clear and he stabbed his fork into empty space.

Dimly, Kaeya registered that not paying attention to the food he got specifically for the nostalgic taste was the opposite of what he wanted, but food was food, and he could think a little clearer without the haze of hunger lingering in his mind. But with lunch over, he returned his plate and fork to Sara and set off towards Vile's usual spot.

He found her with little difficulty, as she tended to know when Kaeya needed to find her and sought him out in turn. Vile never bothered with formalities, since none of her clients were really her friends, so she crossed her arms and spoke as soon as Kaeya was within earshot.

"Well? Whatcha need?" Vile's voice was neutral, if slightly impatient.

"Information on the Fatui. Every snippet you can, especially in the time leading up to and immediately after nine days ago. And any bit of info on curses caused by Cryo energy. I'll pay double your usual rate if you can get me what I need within the day or by tomorrow morning."

Vile blinked in shock, apparently taken aback by Kaeya's willingness to part with such a large sum of Mora. "Consider it done." Arrangement having been agreed upon, Vile turned on her heel and walked off without another word.

Kaeya wandered in the general direction of Mondstadt's main gate once the informant left, at another loss as for what to do. He'd done all he could in the local research department, and now he was simply waiting. He couldn't stand sitting around and behind useless. Even if he had an extremely boring and time consuming task to complete, he'd rather do that than, say, laze around his house. His reputation may paint him as lazy, but in reality he did far more that anyone except for Jean truly knew.

But without a specific place to look next, being lazy may have been one of his very few options to pass the time.

Or at least, it would have been, had an opportunity not literally smacked him in the face.

It was his own fault, really, for not paying attention to where he was going. No sooner had he passed the fountain and fixed his sights on Katherine of the Adventurer's Guild, hoping to head there and pick up a stay commission, did he smack straight into Sucrose. She wasn't looking where she was going either, nose buried in the notebook she was furiously scribbling in, and nearly toppled over before Kaeya grabbed her arm to prevent just that.

"Ahh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going and–" Sucrose stopped talking almost as soon as she started, apology halted when she realized who bumped into and subsequently caught her. "O-oh! Sir Kaeya!"

The captain grinned, letting go of Sucrose's arm once he was sure she was steady. "The one and only."

Sucrose immediately bowed her head, clutching her notebook close. "I didn't mean to bump into you Sir, I should have been more careful! I've been so distracted with Albedo's latest set of notes he sent that–"

"Wait." Kaeya held up a hand to stop Sucrose's rambling apology before it got too far. And because an idea suddenly popped into his head. "Sucrose, you don't need to apologize. I wasn't looking where I was going either. But about Albedo's notes– is he still up in Dragonspine?"

The bio-alchemist blinked a few times, both as the question sank in and at being forgiven. "Oh! Um, yes, he's still in his lab up in the mountains. Why? Do you need something from him? Perhaps Timaeus and I could help!"

"Do you know anything about cures for curses?"

"Um. No. I don't."

Kaeya grinned lightly, though not mockingly. "Then its off to Dragonspine for me. I wouldn't have even thought about going to see Albedo had I not run into you, so thank you. Take care now".

The trek to Dragonspine was ridiculously tedious, to say the least. Almost as soon as Kaeya stepped foot on the mountain, a snowstorm blew in and turned his few hour trip into a day's long ordeal. He was a Cryo allogene and all, but slick snow and fierce winds was not something he bargained for. Pyro Seelies gave occasional comfort on his journey, but most Pyro Torches had been blown over and what little Scarlet Quartz would have been visible was obscured by inches of snow.

He reached Albedo in double the time it usually took (despite the wind finally dying down enough that he could hear himself think around the howling in his ears), and by some miracle, the Chief Alchemist was actually in his cave-turned-lab and not out looking for ingredients. If the soft bubbling of beakers and crackle of active flame were any sort of indication.

Kaeya knew better than to sneak up on him, in case he was in the middle of a dangerous experiment, so he made loud, exaggerated steps in the snow in an attempt to grab Albedo's attention. Which, thankfully, worked.

"Who's there?" He called, voice carrying well through the freezing air.

"Oh, you know, just a simple and unassuming traveler, hoping to request help from the great alchemist of Mondstadt." Kaeya's grin was evident in his voice as he arrived in the mouth of the cave, beelining towards the little fire Albedo always kept burning.

Albedo looked up from whatever he was scribbling to glance at the captain. "I'm in the middle of something at the moment, but I doubt you would have braved the snowstorm out there for something unimportant, and its not something required of me to do. So, what can I help you with?"

Kaeya chuckled. "Getting straight to the point, hmm? You're no fun, Albedo." He sighed dramatically, crossing the lab to lean against Albedo's work table. "But, to answer, I need you to make a potion for me. One that can potentially reverse a very serious Cryo based curse that's been placed upon our dear Master Diluc."

The alchemist blinked in mild surprise, which was his equivalent of falling over out of shock. "Well. That's certainly not what I expected you to ask of me. But… I should be able to figure something out. I can't say I'm the best at countercurses, considering I've only ever encountered one or two, but I have plenty of notes on hand that should be of great use."

"Wonderful." Kasha leaned off of the table, taking a few short steps towards the mouth of the cave. "Should I leave you to it, then?"

"No." Albedo replied quickly, rummaging through one of his shelves before handing Kaeya two empty bottles with faded labels. "I need you to gather a few ingredients for me. I'm out of Pyro Seelie Embers and Scarlet Quartz Powder. If you can find me enough to fill each of these, then I'll be able to make what you need."

"Get me a warm scarf and do it."

"Deal."

It didn't take long for Kaeya to gather what items Albedo needed, much to the captain's relief. Pyro Seelies were easy to spot on account of the bright orange glow, and the embers that trailed behind them as they floated around were very easy to collect. Keeping the embers in the bottle proved to be its own challenge, but after following four separate Seelies and gathering enough embers to make the bottle feel warm through his gloves, Kaeya assumed it would be enough.

The Scarlet Quartz proved to be a lot more difficult, seeing as a lot was buried beneath snowdrifts. Kaeya managed to find a few good chunks after relying on both memory and luck, and broke down as much as he could to stuff into the available bottle. He couldn't pulverize it into a powder like Albedo wanted, so the big chunks would have to do.

By the time Kaeya got back to Albedo's cave, the alchemist had already taken out all of the various beakers and burners and stir sticks he'd need to make a potion, as well as a thick stack of notes to flip through when needed. He looked up when Kaeya approached, and started getting out a mortar and pestle to grind down the Scarlet Quartz. "You can just dump out the Quartz here and I'll get started. I can't make a fully functioning potion as of yet, because I don't know everything there is to know quite yet, so this is just to make sure I can make a stable base for the potion that we can add the more curse-lifting ingredients into latet. I apologize if I made it seem like you would be getting a cure today."

It took significant willpower to not groan aloud upon hearing Albedo's words. Did he really waste an entire day waiting for information or resources to come in later? Well, he knew it wasn't actually a waste, since gathering info was a core part of any good investigation, but… he felt like he was on a wild goose chase, running from place to place to place without getting anything out of it in the moment. With something as precious as Diluc's life on the line, his patience was running thin. He couldn't stand the waiting game.

But Kaeya let none of that show, and merely smiled. "That's alright! Genius takes time, after all. Will you be needing any more materials or should I get out of your hair?"

Albedo hummed softly, signaling that he heard Kaeya but was waiting to answer until he could focus on words and not his task. After a few more seconds, he spoke. "Silence would be nice. You can stay if you'd like, but try to keep talking to a minimum."

"Alright then, I will. Maybe I'll make us a bite to eat while I wait, hmm?" Kaeya grinned again, already walking towards the stove nestled in the corner of the cave.

"That would be nice, thank you. There's ingredients in some of the crates around here. Help yourself."

Kaeya didn't respond verbally, instead choosing to root around for some Fowl and Mushrooms. He found some rather quickly, and got to work on some of his signature Chicken Mushroom Skewers (minus the wine marinade).

The food was made not long after, and perfectly timed to boot. No sooner had Kaeya called out that the skewers were done did Albedo's first pass at the potion base go spontaneously dry, turning a dull grey and puffing a cloud of smoke into the Alchemist's face.

The pair ate in silence after that, Kaeya barely holding in his lighthearted laughter at the sight of soot painting Albedo's face and the tips of his bangs. The alchemist even cracked a smile after he finished his food, wiping his face off with a spare rag and getting right back to work.

A few other option bases failed in similarly amusing ways, most notably one that flared with a flame so high Kaeya swore it touched the ceiling. He steered clear of the alchemy table by then, keeping his questions few and far between.

Eventually, however, Albedo paused with a sigh and turned to face his fellow knight. "Sir Kaeya, its getting late. I plan on staying here for a while longer to make sure this potion base will work, but I'm used to it. You need to go home, before it gets too dark."

Kaeya sighed as well. He'd been enjoying the atmosphere, surprisingly enough, but even he knew traveling Dragonspine at night was practically a death sentence.

He stood from his chair against the wall, clapping his hands against his knees as he did so. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I won't argue with you, since you know this mountain far better than me. Good luck with your potion base, though I'm sure you don't need it."

Albedo nodded, raising a hand to wave at the departing captain. "Thank you. I'll send a messenger to you as soon as I create a stable base. Be safe, Sir Kaeya."

"You too, Albedo."

The trip back down the mountain was much easier (seeing as it was downhill), even if the weather was still less than ideal. Wind still howeld and snow still fell, but it was safe enough for Kaeya to glods in some places. But by the time he got to the Adventurer's Camp at the bottom of Dragonspine, he was soaked from the shins down and freezing. Mondstadt was warmer, definitely, but Kaeya still definitely wanted to curl up under a thick blanket, mug of cocoa in hand, nice and safe at home. Which is exactly what he did, the second he got home in one piece.

He fell asleep in his chair by the fireplace, mug still in hand, dreaming of snow days past and the ones he spent them with.

Kaeya's next few days passed in a blur. Vile came back with information early the following morning, as promised, but she hadn't picked up any info on curses that Kaeya didn't already know, and the Fatui were behaving exactly how they always did. There wasn't even anything on what the Treasure Hoarders had been carrying the day the whole curse mess started. Whoever that crate was going to knew how to cover their tracks ridiculously well. Not well enough that Kaeya himself couldn't sniff them out, but Diluc's well being was currently his top priority.

Albedo's letter also arrived then, detailing how to build the base, a few different recipes as for what to add to it, and plenty of ingredients to get started. The snowstorm had worsened exponentially, so bad that the adventurer that came down from the mountain to deliver the message had to stay in Mondstadt until it passed. Not even Kaeya wanted to go up to Albedo's camp, even though he was a Cryo allogene who was naturally more resistant to the cold. Though Albedo was not able to assist with the potion making directly, there was enough information in his letter to ensure Sucrose and Timaeus could do it alone. With Kaeya's help, of course, considering that he had a grand total of zero other leads.

And besides, Kaeya was itching for something to do– helping craft something that could save his brother was a perfect way to spend his time.

Three straight days were spent trying and retrying and adjusting the potions, dribbling each one into Diluc's mouth, only for him to remain asleep when the potion should have worked immediately. They'd put Jueyun Chilies in each potion, as per Albedo's instruction. Considering how intolerant to spice Diluc was, that alone should have been enough to wake him under normal circumstances.

But of course, those weren't normal circumstances.

He was cursed.

And getting worse and worse by the day.

Every time Kaeya arrived in the infirmary to give Diluc a potion, he seemed to get worse. By the end of the second day of potioneering, he was far more blue in the face than before, and his breathing had become shallower. His Vision still burned brightly, though Kaeya swore he saw it dim more than once in the short time he paid attention to it. It almost seemed like the potions were making Diluc worse, despite Sucrose's insistence that he was fine, and Timaeus adamantly backing her up.

It wasn't until the morning of Kaeya's third day as an impromptu alchemist that something truly interesting happened– Lisa finally got a response from her friends in the Akademiya.

They wrote that there had been tales of similar curses in the past, ones that were later linked by a common theme. All sufferers of the curse were miraculously cured after some loved one showed them an affectionate gesture, most often some kind of kiss.

Kaeya had almost laughed, because it honestly seemed like a sick joke. A kiss, healing someone who's been cursed and on the brink of death? It was absurd . Lisa didn't seem surprised that Kaeya was so skeptical, and insisted that she trusted what her friends and old classmates said.

He didn't stick around much longer after that. It sounded like a bunch of nonsense– something brought upon by superstition and wishful thinking. Obviously, he was glad those people recovered however they did, but serious curses were not broken by something so… mundane. He'd heard terrifying tales of cursed Khaenri'ahn citizens either dying horribly or being cured through extremely tedious methods. If the curse was meant for him, it could have been related to something from his past.

A curse from Khaenri'ah, that a rogue mage had somehow stumbled across, that was now actively killing the great uncrowned king of Mondstadt because his idiot knight brother was too stupid to dodge.

Those thoughts consumed Kaeya's mind all throughout the third day of potion making, distracting him to the point where Timaeus had to pull Kaeya clear away from the alchemy table, lest he mess up the elixir Sucrose was adding the final touches to. He suggested Kaeya go home and rest, considering he was basically dead on his feet from three days straight of nonstop, difficult, unfamiliar work. The alchemist insisted that he and Sucrose could handle a few more rounds of potion making, especially since they felt close to a breakthrough.

And for once, Kaeya didn't object. It was just like his paperwork from days earlier, he had to rest before his brain shut down out of exhaustion. Even though it was only just after dusk when he was forcefully relieved of his alchemical duties, all he wanted to do was sleep until noon the next day, responsibilities be damned.

But he knew he couldn't. Diluc needed him awake bright and early to alchemize a pepper flavored miracle, so what little extra rest he was granted from going to bed early should suffice.

At least, he dearly hoped so.

Notes:

chapter three will be up tomorrow! and I hope it's not too obvious that I rushed the last third of this chapter :')

Chapter 3: Shaken By How Long It Took

Summary:

one last chapter! lets see if all of kaeya's hard work paid off :)

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Kaeya got the message in the middle of the night.

It felt like he had just laid down and closed his eyes when he heard frantic knocking at his apartment door, and it took significant willpower to drag his weary bones out of bed.

He had no idea who could possibly need him at the ungodly hour it was, but it must have been important, whatever it happened to be. Distantly, he hoped it was either Sucrose or Timaeus, arriving to tell him that their last potion had worked and Diluc was awake. If it was that sort of good news, the least he could do was throw on a light jacket to look somewhat presentable. Though on the way out of his room, he made sure to glance in a mirror to make sure his eyepatch was still in place. It was different from his everyday leather one, and he didn't like how it made him look like his eye had a fresh wound, but its soft, unembellished fabric was the only thing he could tolerate sleeping in.

The knocking picked up in both volume and frequency as Kaeya neared his front door, so he called out, "I'm comin', I'm comin'." He swung open the door as soon as it was unlocked, and felt his blood run cold when he saw the very upset Deaconess.

Well. Whatever important thing she was there for, it could not be good.

Barbara looked like she was on the verge of tears as she stood there, yet was somehow maintaining her composure. "Sir Kaeya," she began, voice shaking, "Master Diluc's health is declining rapidly. Sucrose and Timaeus came by the cathedral about an hour ago, with another potion. It didn't work, and soon after they left, Master Diluc's Vision started flickering and I… I don't think he's going to make it through the night."

The gentle breeze that eternally swept through Mondstadt seemed to stop dead as Kaeya felt his world tilt sideways, and he had to lean against the door frame so his legs didn't give out. His head spun, and he could tell Barbara was speaking, but he could barely focus on standing, let alone what she was saying.

Surely he must be dreaming. There was no way Diluc was dying. His subconscious was messing with him, showing him the worst possible outcome. Yet the voice of Barbara was real, the blood pounding in his ears was real, the wood grain rubbing against his shoulder through the thin fabric of his nightshirt and jacket was real and not a dream and oh Archons Diluc was dying–

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool, and looked the Deaconess in the eye. "I'll be at the church in five minutes."

Barbara nodded, gave Kaeya a reassuring (yet knowingly sad) smile, and left without another word. Her years of being a healer gave her significant insight on when it was simply time to leave a situation, something Kaeya was eternally grateful for. He just wanted to be alone for the time it took for him to throw on clothes that weren't his thin pajamas, to clip his Vision to his belt, to try and brace himself for the worst.

True to his word, after gathering what little he needed and tearing through the dimly lit (and blessedly empty) streets of Mondstadt, Kaeya arrived at the Cathedral with time to spare.

He threw open the doors of the church to find Jean pacing up and down the main aisle, with Barbara hunched over in a chair near the door to Diluc's room. Kaeya could tell she was crying, and Jean was looking more than a little distraught herself. Kaeya met the Acting Grandmaster halfway, and she gently laid a hand on his shoulder. Truth be told, Kaeya hadn't fully believed that Diluc was dying, but seeing the gut-wrenching despair in his lifelong friend's eyes made everything all too real.

"He's not doing well. There's… there's still time to see him, though." She murmured, eyes misty. "You did your best, Kaeya, and so did our alchemists. I'm confident he wouldn't fault you or anyone else for all of this. I certainly don't– you put in all the effort you could and then some, but… things are out of our control this time. But I'm sure he'd be touched."

Kaeya gave a smile that didn't reach his visible eye. "Yeah. If you say so."

But in his heart, the blunette felt as though Diluc would be furious to learn that his fate rested in his former brother's hands.

He took a step back, letting Jean's hand fall from his shoulder, and made his way to Diluc's room. Barbara didn't raise her head as he passed, too absorbed in her own thoughts to pay him any attention. Kaeya didn't mind, once again rather being left alone.

When he entered the room, he honestly thought it was too late. Diluc looked horrible. His skin was still tinged with blue, but his face looked sunken in, like he was withering away where he laid. His breathing was so shallow that if Kaeya wasn't focusing on seeing it, he wouldn't have been able to tell it was there at all. And his Vision—it was the dullest red Kaeya had ever seen. A tiny red spark flickered near the middle of the Pyro marking, and when Kaeya reached out to grab it, he could barely feel any warmth against his palm.

Kaeya collapsed into the chair by Diluc's bedside, silent, with the Pyro Vision clutched close to his chest. He hated how still everything was; he was never a fan of sitting in silence, doubly so when he could hear how scarily shallow Diluc's breathing was, so he began to voice his thoughts aloud.

"I tried to reverse the curse, you know." He whispered, quiet enough that he was sure Barbara wouldn't hear him. "I did all I could. I talked to Jean, to Lisa, I tracked down another knight who had a curse just like yours, I went to Dragonspine to see Albedo, hell, I even became an amateur alchemist for a few days!" He chuckled humorlessly. "But it wasn't enough, was it? No matter what I or anyone else did, I didn't seem to get anywhere."

He sighed, a wave of frustration momentarily replacing the deep sadness in his voice. "I don't know what I was thinking. Curses may be real, but true love and soulmates don't exist—no matter what Lisa and her Akademiya friends think. Forgive me for sounding a little rude, but I can't believe she almost had me chasing after fairy tales. I know I'm probably biased against the notion, but really." And even if they were somehow correct, and it was some sort of old-timey true love's curse, and the entire city had somehow missed the fact that one of the most fawned-over men in Mondstadt was seeing someone (because Diluc was not a subtle man, despite how much he tried to be), it was still highly unlikely Diluc had anyone like that in his life. He was an aloof businessman who loved chess and grape juice and scowling more than people. Between running the winery full time and being a nighttime vigilante, Kaeya doubted that Diluc even had any friends, unless one counted his employees.

"I couldn't even manage to find a single useful piece of information. Everywhere I turned, I was ultimately met with a dead end." Kaeya paused, before he laughed again and spoke in a tone laced with self loathing. "And now listen! I'm throwing a pity party that you can't even hear! I'm sitting here, feeling sorry for myself, while you're laying there, dying. After saving my life, no less."

His breath caught in his throat when his own words finally reached his ears, and some poorly buried emotion bubbled up in his chest. "You truly are a mystery, Master Diluc. You pushed me out of the way of that Cicin Mage's spell, putting yourself directly into harm's way… I just don't understand. You're supposed to hate me, wish me dead, look at me with disdain in your eyes, remind me at every opportunity that I'm a miserable waste of space. So why? Why save me? Why risk your own life for mine?"

Kaeya asked the question into thin air, only getting Diluc's wheezing breaths in return.

A bittersweet laugh from the captain followed as he leaned his head against the back of his chair. "But I suppose I'll never get answers to those questions. Because I failed you yet again. That's all I can ever seem to do when you need something of me, hmm? I couldn't break whatever this curse is, nor dodge in time against that Fatuus. Hell, I couldn't even fetch the knights in time, all those years ago." He didn't expect to dredge up their difficult past so quickly, but he was just so damn tired. He had been for a very long time. Tired of lying, tired of all the guilt.

Tired of fighting.

Tired of pretending he hates Diluc– hates his brother. Who was dying right before his eyes, with nobody at fault except for Kaeya himself.

"...I'm sorry." Kaeya whispered, eyes burning. "For everything. I've been a horrible brother to you– and I do still think of you like that, even though you don't." He looked over at Diluc, laying still as a corpse, and failed to stop a lone tear from rolling down his cheek.

As that first tear fell, it was like the floodgates opened, years of repressed anger and sadness and regret all coming to the surface at once as Kaeya openly cried for the first time since he was a child. He pitched forward, drawing in on himself while his shoulders shook with barely muffled sobs. It made his eyepatch uncomfortably wet and itchy on his skin, but he simply did not have the strength to reach up and remove it.

"I'm sorry," Kaeya murmured again, voice thick with tears. With trembling hands, he very slowly moved Diluc's Vision to rest against his forehead, as if speaking to the gemstone directly could somehow help his words reach its sleeping owner. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. You're going to die and its all my fault– and the last thing you ever experienced was us arguing, and you thinking that I don't care, but I care so much, Diluc, and you're never going to know that because you're–"

The instant the Vision touched his brow, Kaeya froze, rambling cut off with a strangled gasp.

Diluc's Vision– it was cold.

A chill of dread turned Kaeya's blood to ice, his heart freezing in his chest.

The captain sat bolt upright in his chair, pulse thundering in his ears, and brought the Vision up to his uncovered eye with trembling hands. Tears blurred his sight to the point where he couldn't tell what was in front of his face, let alone if the already dim Vision had gone out completely.

Kaeya's breath hitched as another sob stole the air from his lungs. He hastily tore off his eyepatch to try and get a better look at the gem in his hands, and realized that his initial assumption was incorrect. Diluc's Vision was flickering, not dead. Kaeya sagged with relief for a brief moment, before a slightly different type of panic gripped his heart:

Diluc's Vision was flickering. He was actively dying.

A sickening feeling of deja vu made Kaeya's stomach drop. It wasn't the first time he had to watch, helpless, as Diluc's Vision blinked in and out, but somehow it was so much worse the second time. The knowledge that it was his fault Diluc was in such a state felt like a crushing weight on Kaeya's shoulders.

"No, no no no no no no no, this can't be happening, not again –" he muttered, frantic, standing quick enough for his chair to scrape the floor. He briefly considered fetching Barbara or Jean or even Lisa, but there was nothing to be done. Kaeya was too late to save him.

All he could do was watch his brother's Vision go from dull red to grey and back again, openly bawling all the while, when the Vision sputtered scarlet one last time.

The light and heat emanating from the red gemstone seemed to fade out entirely, and for a few seconds Kaeya sat there in shock. He slowly turned to look at Diluc, and through the haze of his tears, he watched his brother breathe his last.

Despite the grief addling Kaeya's mind, everything was crystal clear– Diluc was dead.

His brother had died before his eyes.

Kaeya was all alone.

Diluc's Vision clattered to the ground, falling from Kaeya's grasp as he himself collapsed into his knees at Diluc's bedside. For a few moments, he was simply too shocked to even cry, but when he reached a shaking hand out to grasp Diluc's wrist and try to feel for a pulse, he very quickly recoiled at just how cold he was. Diluc radiated none of the constant heat he always did, almost seeming to chill the air around him instead.

A horrible thought surfaced in Kaeya's mind, one that somehow made his despair worse– Diluc wasn't that cold the last time Kaeya visited, less than 24 hours beforehand. He still felt cold, yes, but not so deathly. What if he had been dead for longer? What if his Vision flickering was merely wishful thinking?

What if Kaeya was too late to even see him one last time?

A high-pitched keening sound tore from Kaeya's throat as he buried his face against Diluc's mattress, wailing his sorrows with little care for if someone heard him.

What had he done to deserve this? Was the price of being a sinner from a damned nation really supposed to be his family? Was this retribution for a lifetime of lies, for a future of destruction? But Kaeya had proven himself. He had given blood and sweat and tears for the nation and people he loved, and yet he was rewarded with such crushing despair that he felt like his very soul was being ripped apart at the seams.

Kaeya screamed into the sheets for what felt like an eternity, even after there weren't any tears left to shed. He sat there, face hidden and fists bunched in the thin cotton bedding of the Church's infirmary wing, until he felt a gentle hand rest against his shoulder.

His head snapped up to see who could possibly wish to disturb him. His annoyance dissipated instantly when he made eye contact with someone he really should have expected to see, considering the circumstances.

"Adelinde," he breathed, very nearly bursting into tears once again at the sight of her. "I'm sorry. You're too late. Diluc, he– he's already–"

Adelinde merely smiled, reassuring in the way she always was, though with a deep sadness in her eyes. "I know, dear. I know. You don't have to say it."

Kaeya nodded and looked away, emotions too fragile to bear saying aloud the fate of the Uncrowned King of Mondstadt. The room was silent for a few moments before Adelinde kneeled at his side, wrapping a gentle arm around Kaeya's shoulders. He leaned against her, valiantly managing to keep a semi-level head, when a memory of a very similar time suddenly rose to the forefront of his mind.

Diluc had been sick with a nasty case of Dendro fever. To any Mondstadt native, they'd know it would only take a few days for the sickness to clear. But Kaeya, who had barely been at the Dawn Winery for a year, was convinced Diluc was dying.

The particular memory was from when he'd followed Crepus into Diluc's room when the man was checking on his sick son.

"Papa," he'd blubbered, standing teary-eyed in the doorway, "Is 'Luc gonna be ok?"

Crepus had sighed, stepping away from Diluc's bed to kneel in front of him. "Of course he will be, kiddo. It's only Dendro Fever." He smiled reassuringly and placed a gentle hand on Kaeya's shoulder, but the blunette hadn't been convinced.

"But what if he doesn't get better? He's been in bed for days, Papa. What if something really really bad happens?" He'd actually started crying then, fat tears rolling down his cheeks and dripping onto the neatly pressed collar of his shirt.

His father sighed again and looked off to the side, when an idea seemed to come to him. "Tell ya what, Kaeya. I'm gonna let you in on a little trick my mother taught me, a long time ago." He grinned when he saw his other son's face light up, and cupped a hand around his mouth as if what he was saying was a very important secret.

"Wanna know why me or Adelinde will kiss your boo-boos after we patch you up? My mother told me that there's special healing properties hidden in kisses." He said matter-of-factly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Kaeya had looked at his father with skepticism, which made the man laugh softly. "It's true! It makes you feel better in your heart, which helps make the rest of you get better as well."

The young Ragnvindr nodded, though he still didn't appear to believe Crepus fully. "That makes sense, I guess… but how's it gonna help this time? He's hurt on the inside, because that's where all the sick is. Does the magic work there too?"

Crepus smiled. "I like to think it does." He then stood, stepping closer to Diluc and beckoning Kaeya forward. He kissed the palm of his hand and reached down to lightly ruffle Diluc's hair, and motioned for Kaeya to do the same (not that he himself was avoiding Diluc, but he hadn't wanted Kaeya to get too close and get sick as well). Kaeya ended up smacking Diluc on the head harder than he'd meant to because he had to stand on his toes to reach the sleeping redhead, but the proud expression on Crepus' face never wavered. "I think that with both of us combined, we'll have ensured Diluc gets better by the day after tomorrow. Thank you for helping me today. Knowing my mother's secret tip is a great power, however. Be sure to use it wisely."

Kaeya nodded sagely, all traces of earlier sadness gone and replaced with a look of determination. "You're welcome, Papa. And don't worry, I will."

Kaeya blinked a few times to clear his mind of the memory, only becoming aware that Adelinde had been saying something while he was reminiscing when he heard his name being said. He turned his head to look at her, apologetic. "Sorry, Adelinde. What was that?"

"I said that the Acting Grand Master needs you." She replied, tone carrying nothing but understanding. "She says she understands that you're grieving and would rather leave you be, but there's certain paperwork to be filled out. You are his next of kin, after all."

The captain sighed, very inelegantly rubbing his face on his sleeve to wipe off any remaining tears. He was still considered Diluc's next of kin? But hadn't he been disowned…? Kaeya didn't have the energy to figure all of that out, so he merely nodded. "Alright, tell her I'll be there soon. Give me a few minutes, ok?"

Adelinde nodded as well and stood, letting her hand linger on Kaeya's shoulder for a few seconds, before leaving the room as she spoke. "I will, Master Kaeya. I'm sure Jean won't mind if you take a little longer to find her."

Kaeya hummed in response, still too caught up in his memories to say anything more. He knew now that Crepus had merely been telling him a story to make him feel better, like there was a real way he could help the fever run its course. But there was no denying that at least some of what he said was true; making one feel better emotionally always seemed to make whatever physical ailments you had hurt a little less.

And even if Kaeya was too late to save his brother, all he'd ever wanted was for him to be happy. So maybe… maybe he could still heal his heart. Give him some kind of solace in whatever afterlife there was (or wasn't), and let him be at peace.

Maybe he could still make Crepus proud, one last time.

Mind made up, Kaeya stood, looking over Diluc one last time. He looked so at ease– brow not furrowed in annoyance, expression not twisted into a scowl. He almost appeared to be sleeping, but the grey Vision at Kaeya's feet told otherwise. The captain sat on the edge of Diluc's bed, reaching over to gently brush the hair off of his brother's forehead as he struggled to think of something to say. Nothing seemed good enough; he couldn't find any words that fully described what he wanted to convey. He couldn't easily put a decade of brotherhood into just a few words.

So he leaned over to press a light kiss to Diluc's forehead, just as Crepus had taught him all those years ago, with one simple request:

"Say hello to Father for me, ok?"

Diluc didn't respond, but somehow, Kaeya still believed that he would.

Without another word, Kaeya bent down to pick up Diluc's Vision, stowing it in his pocket before crossing the room to leave. He knew it had no use anymore, and it didn't really matter where the Vision ended up, but some selfish part of Kaeya wanted to keep it. Considering that it was his own fault it was devoid of color, he had no right to hold on to it– but he wanted to keep a small piece of his brother with him all the same.

But the blunette only got halfway across the room before the unthinkable happened: the Vision in his pocket very suddenly felt like it had burst into flames.

Kaeya ripped the gemstone out of his pocket, legs nearly giving out when he saw a brilliant red glow emanating from the Vision. Fragile hope bloomed in Kaeya's heart as he whirled around to face Diluc, watching in disbelief as he began to stir. The redhead's face scrunched up for a moment before he blinked open his eyes, scarlet eyes momentarily confused and unfocused. He smacked his lips for a few seconds with a mildly disgusted look on his face (Kaeya would have to apologize for the peppery potions eventually), slowly dragging his eyes around the room before his gaze landed on Kaeya. Genuine shock flashed across his face when he saw the unfiltered surprise and relief in Kaeya's face, and he quickly glanced away.

"What's with you?" He grumbled, voice hoarse with disuse. "You look like you've seen a ghost." He almost seemed… concerned. But Kaeya knew better than to believe that– Diluc hadn't cared like that for a long time. Well, other than taking a hit for him. But that could be discussed later.

Kaeya took a weak step away from the door, closer to the living, breathing brother he was so sure he'd lost. "You're ok. You're alive." He murmured, barely above a whisper, as if talking any louder would somehow undo whatever miracle was unfolding.

Diluc fixed him with a confused stare, before swiftly turning his head away once again and looking very pointedly at the hem of his bedsheet. "Of course I'm alive, what… uh… what happened?"

"You collapsed in the Angel's Share a week ago, right in the middle of a shift. You'd been out cold ever since." Kaeya chuckled humorlessly, collapsing in the chair next to Diluc's bed. He didn't think he could stand for any longer without keeling over; it wasn't every day that someone appeared to come back from the dead. Even if he was acting a little strange.

A simple "...oh." was all Diluc said on that matter, still keeping his focus away from Kaeya. After a few seconds of silence, Diluc cleared his throat and tapped underneath his own right eye.

"Hmm?" Kaeya hummed in question, confused and more than a little worried. Was something wrong? A tap to the face was never one of their old code signs, so what if a side effect was suddenly taking place? Or the curse was coming back? Or maybe–

"Your eyepatch. It's missing."

Oh. Oh. Kaeya gasped, clapping a hand over his exposed eye. He meant to put the bit of cloth back on before leaving the infirmary room, but with the Vision reigniting and Diluc being alive, it must have slipped his mind. And sure, it wasn't the first time Diluc had seen him without his eyepatch, but… his eye, and what it was supposed to stand for, wasn't really something he was too keen on showing off. Regardless of the company or circumstances.

Kaeya spotted his eyepatch laying on the ground next to his feet, grabbing it and tying it on as fast as he could. After a few moments of readjusting it to sit right in his hair, the captain coughed lightly. "Um. Thanks."

Diluc only huffed in response, and the pair lapsed into an awkward silence.

Minutes stretched on, and Kaeya soon found himself glancing at Diluc out of the corner of his eye, paying very little mind to if Diluc caught him. None of the situation felt real, so excuse him for making sure he wasn't hallucinating and that his brother was in fact still living and breathing beside him.

Said brother, however, did not appreciate being stared at in the slightest. Whatever remarkably-civil-yet-vaguely-uncomfortable atmosphere they'd lapsed into quickly dissipated with the redhead's growing annoyance. After the third time Diluc met Kaeya's eye with a scowl, he finally fully turned to face him. "What's the deal? I'm not going to up and disappear– so quit staring at me like that."

Kaeya turned to face him as well, trying not to let his own annoyance show. Diluc didn't know that he'd effectively died, and was somehow revived. Most likely by Kaeya himself, no less. "I don't know that, Diluc. You died. I saw your Vision go grey, I heard you stop breathing. So forgive me for being a little worried." His tone was a little sharper than what was necessary, but his emotions were a mess and Diluc's snappishness was not helping.

"Since when do you care what happens to me?" Diluc scoffed. "I'd have expected you to rejoice."

"Rejoice?" The captain's tone turned bitter in a second, ready to throw barbed words right back at him. "Oh, if only you knew how far that was from the truth. I have spent the last week working my ass off to try and find a cure for whatever you were afflicted with, running into dead end after dead end. I am aware you know nothing of what I've done for you, but do try and refrain from implying I am so heartless as to enjoy your suffering."

That shocked Diluc into silence, causing him to open and close his mouth like a fish as he tried to think of a response. He evidently ended up with nothing, so it was quiet in the room once more.

Though Diluc did manage to find his words eventually, and he asked, "How am I awake, then? How'd you break the curse?"

Oh, Kaeya was not quite ready for that question. He looked away, grimacing, and tried to think of how to put his next few words. He was still wrapping his head around the whole situation himself, but the more he thought about it, the more things started to fit into place. A lot was still very confusing, but what he knew for sure was that he owed Lisa some very expensive, very high quality tea, and an apology for ever having doubted her.

"It's… hard to explain." Kaeya managed, gaze fixated on the wall ahead of him. "When I had talked to Lisa a few days ago, after she received a letter from her friends in the Sumeru Akademia, she mentioned how there are stories from all nations concerning curses similar to yours. Cursed by some Cryo-attuned entity, falling into a deep sleep, either dying or being awoken by something very specific. I didn't believe her in the slightest at first, since it quite honestly sounded like nonsense. But now that you're very obviously not dead, I believe she may have been correct."

Sheets rustled as Diluc sat up in his bed, surprisingly genuine attentiveness evident on his face. "Well? What was the 'something'? Its good information to know if this ever happens again." He punctuated his words with air quotes and an eyebrow raised in question.

Kaeya chuckled nervously. "Well, ah. Do you remember what F– what Master Crepus told us, when we were kids? About how his mother taught him there was a special healing magic in kisses? I believe she may have been on to something. Because Lisa informed me that those cursed people had apparently been cured with a kiss from the person they cared about most in the world– in some instances it was from a soulmate, sometimes from a true love, but the base message was the same: to counteract a curse laid upon someone by the Archon of Love's element, the person that someone loves more than anyone else had to show that they loved them too." He looked at the wall to his right at that, taking Diluc out of his peripheral vision entirely. He didn't want to risk seeing a look of hatred on his face– it was already hard enough on his heart to admit that he didn't despise Diluc as much as Diluc surely despised him.

"There wasn't a limit to what kind of love, which, if I'm being honest, surprised me at first. A remarkable amount of stories were with people who were simply close friends, or a parent with their child, or even–" He turned to glance at Diluc then, if only for a moment, "–siblings. But even with all the stories passed down through families or and firsthand accounts from those directly connected to someone affected, something still does not make any sense. How in Teyvat did this manage to work? By all accounts, you should be dead. Regardless of how I may think and feel. Though I assume the curse took into account our past, and cured you based on the bond we once shared. I am well aware of how much you hate me in the present, Master Diluc. It's–"

"I don't hate you."

Kaeya was cut off by a soft string of words from the bedridden man, words spoken so quietly he was sure he had imagined them.

"What?"

Diluc spoke again, louder. "I said, I don't hate you. In truth, I never did. Not for a second."

Time seemed to stretch on for an eternity in the heartbeat that followed. It was some trick, surely. Some hallucination brought upon by grief. He was so sure Diluc was alive again, but with how little sense he was making, maybe Kaeya was dreaming. Or maybe he'd somehow died too.

Kaeya let out a very shaky sigh, fixing Diluc with a stare that was equal parts infuriated and heartbroken. "I did not expect you to be this cruel, Master Diluc. To lie to me, about something like this? And here I thought you were a gentleman."

The redhead spluttered, very convincingly pretending that he was truly surprised by Kaeya not believing him. "I'm not lying, Kaeya, I'm telling the–"

"No, you're not." Kaeya cut him off, eyes starting to burn once again. Getting lied to, straight to his face! What pitiful thanks he got for saving Diluc's life, in a cruel mirror of the night that Diluc passed out. "I'm not as stupid and gullible as you apparently believe me to be, Master Diluc. You hate me. You've hated me for five long years. It's a fact of life. So quit trying to tell me otherwise in this sorry attempt at making me feel better, because it's not working."

Diluc huffed, frustration seeping into his voice. "I'm not lying! I don't hate you, Kaeya, and that's the honest truth. Why do you refuse to accept that?"

"Because I deserve it!"

The silence that followed Kaeya's frustrated shout was deafening. He turned his head away from Diluc, away from the horribly pitying look on his face, and sighed. It was as good a time as any to lay all his cards on the table– his heart was in pieces and his emotions were in shambles– so really, how much more damage could possibly be done to be completely honest for once?

"I deserve it." Kaeya repeated, unsuccessfully keeping his voice from wavering. "I deserve every single insult and glare and threat. I destroyed our brotherhood with my own two hands when I chose to come clean about my origins that night, when I didn't give you the support you needed on the worst day of your life. You have every right to hate my guts." He hunched his shoulders, wrapping his arms around himself and attempting to force a mask of indifference back onto his face. He couldn't break down again, not with Diluc of all people watching.

"I fucked up back then, I know. You want nothing to do with me, and that's fine, really, it is. But please, please don't lie to me. Not when I already know the truth."

Once again, there was silence. Diluc said nothing, no doubt upset he got caught. Kaeya was fine, however. Completely and totally so. Without a single doubt. So what if his hands were beginning to shake with how hard he was gripping his arms? So what if his throat felt like it was closing up, each heartbeat making him feel worse as he waited to hear what Diluc would say? But he was fine! Obviously.

Kaeya remained deep in his own mind, thoughts spiraling as he struggled to keep his neutral expression from crumbling, when–

A gentle, warm hand on his arm.

Then, a single word said so unashamedly soft (and so, so much like the Diluc he once knew) it nearly made Kaeya burst into tears then and there.

"Hey."

Kaeya stayed as he was, staring directly at the floor.

Diluc spoke again, with more force and a slight shake to the captain's arm. "Hey. Kae, look at me."

Only upon hearing his old childhood nickname did Kaeya glance his brother's way, and did a double take at the unshed tears in the redhead's eyes.

"I do not hate you." Diluc said yet again, speaking firmly and clearly, in a tone of gentle authority not unlike their father. "No matter what your head tells you."

"But how? How could you not? After everything I've done?" Kaeya whispered back.

His brother smiled, bittersweet. "I've asked myself that question more times than I can say. I guess… I just can't hate you, Kaeya. Even after everything you've done. I've done so much worse to you, things far more unforgivable. Yes, I needed you the night our father died, but I never should have raised my blade against you. I was too angry and stupid to realize that no matter where you came from, you're still my brother. It took me going all the way to Snezhnaya to realize that. Once I had a clear head, I forgave you, because I realized you were grieving too. You needed support just as much as I did, but all you got was my blade and fire." He paused, appearing deep in thought, very obviously choosing his words with care.

"When I came back, and saw that you'd changed your name, moved out of the family manor, then greeted me with such formality… I thought you hated me. I knew I deserved it, for all the pain and suffering I put you through, but I admit I was bitter. So I treated you like a stranger too. And now I realize I never had to. You never hated me either, did you?"

Kaeya shook his head, far too stunned to speak. And even if he could, he didn't fully trust that his voice would hold steady.

"Of course you didn't." Diluc heaved a sigh that melted into a dry chuckle. "I can't believe it took my near death to make me see how stupid have been since I returned. But with you having saved me, now I have a second chance. A chance to fix this." He fixed Kaeya with a hopeful expression, more open and honest than he'd been in a very long time. "And I really do want to try to rebuild our family. I want to be brothers again, and I don't care how long it takes– I've wasted enough time as it is."

Diluc suddenly seemed to hesitate at Kaeya's minimal reaction to his words, and dropped his hand from his arm in a rare show of uncertainty. "If that's ok with you? I know this is all very sudden so I understand if you don't–"

Kaeya nodded, interrupting Diluc before he could doubt himself any more. He didn't want his brother to believe for a single second that he didn't wish to be a family again. "Yes, it's ok, don't worry. It's– it's great, actually, I'm–" He cut himself off with a watery chuckle, swiftly wiping a tear from the corner of his visible eye. He leaned back in his chair to stare at the ceiling, amazed with how well he'd kept his cool. He deserved an award. "I just– you have no idea how long I've wanted to make everything right, but held my tongue for fear of ruining the truce we had, and here you're suggesting it yourself–" He paused again as his voice gave out in the middle of his ramblings, poorly suppressing a sob.

A sniffle to his left called Kaeya's attention over to the redhead beside him, only for him to be shocked at the happy tears quietly flowing down Diluc's face.

They always used to cry in tandem, back when they were young enough to think that a scraped knee was the end of the world.

Nothing was said as the brothers made eye contact and Diluc silently opened his arms, offering Kaeya a hug with a shaky smile. With that simple gesture, what little was left of Kaeya's composure crumbled away. He collapsed into Diluc's arms, openly sobbing, and all of a sudden he was eight years old again, curled up in his big brother's arms after a bad dream. He felt truly safe in a way he hadn't for a very long time, safe enough that he didn't feel ashamed over his tears staining the shoulder of Diluc's very nice shirt. Just as he didn't judge Diluc the growing damp spot in his hair from where the redhead had rested his cheek.

Minutes passed while they stayed bundled in each other's arms, sobs having gradually turned into occasional sniffles. Kaeya, for one, was content with the relative silence. Just listening to Diluc breathe, safe and alive, was nearly enough to put him to sleep. He was physically and mentally exhausted, after being constantly anxious for almost a week then crying more in an hour than he had in years. All he really wanted was to take a very long nap. Though as soon as Kaeya closed his eyes, he heard Diluc mumble something too quiet for him to hear.

"Hmm?" Kaeya could barely muster the energy to respond, but he had a gut feeling that it was important.

Diluc huffed lightly, amused. "Well that answers my question. I'd asked if you were awake. But also… I wanted to say thank you, for everything. It means more to me than I can really say." He sighed, voice going even quieter than it already was. "And I do love you, Kae. Even if I've done a shit job of showing it, and it's probably already evident from this whole curse thing. Figured I'd say it for real, you know?"

Kaeya nearly burst into tears once again right then and there, but was able to say his reply without incident. "Love you too, Luc. And you don't have to thank me for all that, it's what family does, right?"

His brother smiled, hugging him tighter for a moment and pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head. "Yeah. It is."

Half an hour later, when Adelinde came to check on her boys (and see if her assumption was correct, that Diluc was in fact alive), she found Kaeya curled up in Diluc's cot, nestled against his side, the elder with an arm protectively slung around the younger's shoulders, both of them sound asleep. The maid merely smiled and threw a spare blanket over them, leaving them to get the rest they no doubt deserved.

Notes:

WOOOOO WE'RE FINALLY DONE! I hope you all enjoyed bc I for one LOVED WRITING IT and while I can't promise anything there should be a bonus chapter in the works. with a possible (if improbable) sequel. so keep an eye out!

also it was 100% not on purpose but apparently today (may 24th) is brothers day. So happy brothers day to the ragbros 3

also also if any of you are confused as to why Diluc suddenly revived: I think of Visions as being tied to the bearers heartbeat. diluc's heart stopped when his Vision went grey, but Kaeya removing the curse was basically like a Magical Defibrillator and it restarted diluc's heart. He's also pumped full of healing potions so that helped a whole lot 😭 it's hard to explain in a way that makes sense but I hope this clears up any possible confusion