Hello Hello! I wanna thank everyone who left reviews, you guys rock! I hope you'll enjoy this! Pretend that Wangshu Inn has more floors than it does in game, along with a restaurant. Just picture a modernized hotel if that helps. Warning: Self- Harm.
"Kaeya... what the hell did you do to my desk?" Diluc didn't raise his voice. Instead it was a calm-steady voice that shook Kaeya to the core. Diluc's eyes were practically glowing in the dark as he looked over at Kaeya waiting for his reply. Kaeya looked down and quickly mumbled something. "I didn't catch that, Kaeya. What did you do to my desk? This is the last time I'll ask this kindly." Kaeya quickly swallowed before replying "I used superglue on it... I thought it would be funny but I didn't know it'd end up being a problem..." After he said this Diluc looked at his desk then looked at Kaeya. He took a breath before getting up and grabbing Kaeya's arm pulling him out of the office. "You're going to clean all of it. I don't care how long it takes. After you're done, you are not allowed to be alone in the office anymore." Kaeya nodded as he went to get a solution to clean it. As Kaeya moved to the last part he needed to clean, which was a stapler. After Kaeya was able to soak the bottom of it then started to pull at it seeing it was starting to become loose. As soon as Diluc came back into the room, the staple came off of the office's desk and hit Kaeya in the middle of his forehead gaining a squawk from the blue haired teen as he fell onto the ground from the force. "Kaeya, let me see. Please" Diluc said as his brother rolled around holding his forehead in pain. Kaeya was slightly crying. "Kae, it's okay. I'm here, please let me make sure it's not too bad." Diluc said gently, trying to coax Kaeya into letting him check him. After another moment Diluc was able to coax Kaeya's hands away from his forehead. "You're bleeding a little bit, it must have hurt you hard. Come on, let's get it cleaned up." Diluc guided Kaeya to his bed and had him sit down while he got the disinfectant, gauze and medical tape. After Diluc finished cleaning and dressing Kaeya's injury he pulled Kaeya into a hug. Sure, Kaeya was a brat but he was also his little brother who kept getting hurt and he was his older brother. He needed to make sure Kaeya would be okay. "I need you to stay up for an hour to make sure that everything is alright." Diluc stepped outside and Kaeya could vaguely hear him call for one of the maids to bring him an ice pack. One of the younger maids knocked on the door while Diluc gave her permission to enter. "Here's your ice-pack, sir." She handed the pack to Diluc before turning and gently closing the door behind her. Diluc placed and held the ice-pack on Kaeya's forehead. Kaeya slightly jumped in surprise at the coldness then leaned into the coolness of it. After making sure his brother stayed awake and was coherent enough to show that he didn't have a concussion, Diluc let Kaeya sleep. While Kaeya was sleeping, Diluc neatened up his desk and made a mental note to have one of the maids clean the table fully. Diluc then picked up the stapler that hurt Kaeya, and tossed it into the waste bin. After he tossed the stapler, he went to bed and quickly fell asleep.
The morning was hectic for a lack of a better word. Diluc ended up waking up slightly late, and had to wake Kaeya up, and get the car started. Diluc groaned knowing that they would need to skip breakfast if they didn't leave within the next few minutes. "Damn it Kaeya, get up. We'll both be late if you don't get up now." Kaeya just turned over in his sleep mumbling randomly. Diluc sighed and grabbed his brother's blankets and tugged them off of him. After Kaeya didn't stir Diluc sighed and pulled out his phone. He quickly dialed up the number to Kaeya's outpatient program and let them know that Kaeya would be late. He sat on Kaeya's bed for a moment before gently shaking him awake. "Kaeya, get up and get dressed, now." Diluc said as soon as Kaeya was awake enough. Kaeya, still half-asleep nodded and picked up a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, and his socks and shoes. He went to the bathroom and put everything on before redressing his arm in new bandages after cleaning his injuries. Once he left the bathroom, Diluc was waiting for him and tossed him a black sweatshirt "I know you don't like others seeing this stuff. You can wear long sleeves out of the house, but I will be checking your arms still." Diluc said as Kaeya put on the sweatshirt and followed Diluc as he left the house and got into the car. "We're stopping for breakfast. We don't have time to eat at home." Kaeya sighed "I don't need to eat anything." Diluc glared at Kaeya "You are getting something to eat. Please?" Kaeya pouted and sighed for a moment before agreeing. On the way to Kaeya's outpatient they stopped to get breakfast. Diluc had Kaeya eat in the car because he had a feeling his brother would throw it away if he wasn't supervised eating. Kaeya only ended up eating half of it before he arrived at the outpatient program. Diluc walked Kaeya in to drop him off when they were greeted by one of the mentors. "Oh! Hey Kaeya! I heard you were going to be late today, is everything alright... Oh, who's this?" Kaeya gave a small smile before Diluc replied. "We just had an unexpected late night and late morning. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Kaeya's older brother, Diluc." The mentor smiled and shook Diluc's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Well, I guess you're getting Kaeya checked in. I'll see you in a few!" The mentor said to the blue-haired teen, then went on her way. After she left, Diluc checked Kaeya in and watched him go to his session. Once Kaeya was no longer able to be in his line of sight, Diluc left the building and went to school.
"Diluc, are you alright? Normally you're here very early." Jean asked Diluc in concern. They were both known to come to school early with their siblings in tow normally. Barbara happily humming, glad to avoid someone named Albert, and Kaeya tiredly trailing behind Diluc complaining about it being too early before Childe, Albedo, or Lumine would find him and chill with him until school officially started. A few things have changed since Diluc discovered Kaeya's unhealthy coping mechanisms. Diluc wasn't as early as he would normally be, as he had to drive to Kaeya's program and back to their town. "I'm doing alright. Kaeya got hurt by stapler last night. He's alright but we both went to sleep later than usual and slept in." Jean nodded as they walked to their homeroom. "Thank goodness for delayed days." Diluc said as they entered their homeroom. After a few moments the bell rang and classes started.
When it was time for lunch, Diluc sat with their group. "So, we're still on for this weekend?" Xiao asked. Diluc nodded "Aether are you joining us?" The red-head asked the blonde haired twin. Aether shook his head. "Dain wants to work on something for Lumine, plus I think we've been driving her insane." Xiao looked at Aether and sighed "Well can you blame us? After all of that. We're worried about both Lumine and Kaeya." The whole table went in silence before sharing glances and nodding. "I just want Kaeya to be okay. He's the only family I have after our father passed. Why does my little brother have to keep getting hurt?" Diluc slammed his fist on the table, gentle enough to not cause a scene but harsh enough to make a few people jump. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm just worried." A few of the people at the table gave Diluc a small, sad smile. While Xiao nodded "I can understand how you feel. When Aether called me... My heart nearly stopped. Lumine is someone who will love everyone and has a bleeding heart. She would make sure everyone else is okay before focusing on her own issues. She will help you until she's burned out, then help more." The table fell in silence, some members looking down at the ground seeing how they would constantly go to her for help and Lumine just smiling brightly and helping them. They never considered that Lumine felt how she did. After a few minutes of silence Aether added "She seems to be doing better though. She's eating a bit more little by little and is up to three meals again. Dain and her have been spending more time together and she's been going to Dain, Xiao, or I when she needs someone or feels like she's going to purge or hurt herself." Xiao nodded "She's definitely been doing better in that aspect. Dain wants to keep her home so she can rest a bit though. She's been having a hard few days." Diluc, Xiao, and Aether shared eye contact and nodded. "If you need anything, let me know." They all spoke at once then nodded. After that, everyone went in a full comfortable silence as they finished their lunches. After a few moments, the bell rang and they had to return to class.
Once classes were over Diluc, Xiao, and Aether met in the main lobby of their school. "We're going to go back home and pack, what's the plan?" Aether asked. "I figure we can meet up at my house and we can take my car. It'll fit us and our luggage, plus we don't really have to stop for gas or anything and we should be able to make it to Wangshu Inn before it's too late and we can charge the car there while we sleep. Oh, by the way I'm covering your rooms." Diluc stated before he started to walk away. "Diluc, you don't have to do that!" Aether called after the red head who only waved back before "See you guys in like an hour or so. I gotta pick Kaeya up." After that Diluc left and started his ride to pick the blue-haired teen up.
Xiao and Aether watched as Diluc drove off before starting their walk home. "Do you think Lumine will be home by the time we get there?" Aether asked Xiao. "Dain gets her when the program ends since he's out of work sooner than we're out of school. It's likely that they're both home already." Xiao replied swiftly. Aether nodded as they arrived home. "Hey Dain! Hey Lulu! How are you doing? How was the outpatient program today?" Aether ran over and hugged his sister who was chilling on the couch. "Aether, I'm doing alright. Just chilling watching TV while Dain is getting dinner ready for us. Outpatient was the usual, Kaeya came late though and kept playing pranks on the mentors. They still don't know it was him." Lumine laughed as she recalled the memory while Aether and Xiao shared an amused look. "You guys should start packing if you haven't already. You have to meet Diluc soon, don't you?" Dain appeared in the door frame between the living room and the kitchen making Aether slightly jump while still holding Lumine in a tight hug. "Oh yeah, that's right. Lumi! Will you be alright on your own?" Aether asked ignoring Dain's comments of "She won't be alone." and "Seriously, don't make Diluc wait." "Aether, I'll be with Dain. I'll be alright. Please make sure to pack everything you need. You don't want to make Diluc wait." Lumine said softly. Aether slightly pouted but let go of Lumine and went to pack. "Are you sure you guys will be alright?" Xiao asked Dain softly. "We'll be alright, Xiao. Please take care of Aether for me. I know that Diluc will be alright taking care of Kaeya, but please look out for those two as well." Xiao nodded and went to his room to pack with Aether trailing him.
When Diluc entered the building where Kaeya's outpatient program was run in, he saw his brother being cornered by a short pale male with purple-blue hair. The male had a bowl cut and from what Diluc could see deep royal blue eyes. "Excuse me" Diluc called out before physically putting himself in front of Kaeya, towering over the other male. "Oh please, he's fine. I'm Childe's cousin and technically volunteer here. I just wanted to introduce myself" The male with the bowl cut said surprisingly polite. "The name's Scaramouche, we originally met in group therapy but he didn't know I was related to Childe." Kaeya tapped on Diluc's soldier "He's telling the truth, it might have looked like I was in a bad situation. Now, Scaramouche, if you excuse us we have to leave. We have people waiting for us." Kaeya said politely waving as he pushed his brother to the sign out desk. Scaramouche watched as they exited before turning and going into an "Authorized Personnel Only".
After Kaeya was signed out and they were in the car, Diluc started to shoot off a million questions. "So was he really just saying hello?" and "Are you sure you're okay" were only a few examples while Kaeya kept reassuring his brother everything was alright. "Come on, Diluc! Let's just get home and get ready. What's the game plan?" Kaeya asked looking at his brother as they pulled up to their home. "We need to pack for the weekend trip. Xiao and Aether are coming over and we're taking our car." Diluc said as they went inside the manor. "Welcome home!" Adeline called before walking towards the two. "You are both going on a trip, right?" She asked. "Yes, we are. Please take care of the manor in my absence." Diluc replied politely as Adeline nodded. The two brothers went to their room and started to pack. Kaeya packed his skincare and hair product. After realizing Diluc was looking at him "Skincare and Hair care is important. I haven't been paying as much attention to it as I should..." Kaeya trailed off. Diluc just smiled. He knew that Kaeya hadn't been into his hobbies as he previously had been so seeing Kaeya put some attention into his looks and hobbies made him truly smile. "I see, despite you not paying attention to it your skin still looks good." Diluc said ruffling Kaeya's hair. Kaeya pouted slightly before crossing his arms. "Are you done packing?" Kaeya grumbled out before Diluc let out a small chuckle "Yes, now all we have to do is wait for Xiao and Aether. Why don't we wait for them in the parlor?" Kaeya nodded before Diluc grabbed both Kaeya's and his bags before they made their way downstairs.
"Hey Diluc, can we get something to eat on the way?" Kaeya asked. They had been waiting for the two others to join them for about a half-hour after they finished packing. "Yeah, what do you have in mind?" Diluc tilted his head towards Kaeya in time to see his brother shrug "I dunno. You can pick." The blue-haired teen said as he played a game on his phone. "Then before we leave Mond, we should all get something from Good Hunter. It'll keep us satisfied until we get to the Inn." Diluc thought out loud. Kaeya nodded as he was fully invested in his game. After a moment their doorbell rang and one of the maids ran to answer the door. "Good afternoon! Please follow me" The maid said politely and guided their two guests to the parlor. "Sorry we were late... Aether kept wanting to coddle Lumine and wouldn't let her go" Xiao was holding the bridge of his noise while Aether's checks flushed a bright red and he hid his face in his hands. "It's alright, we didn't really have a set time so you guys technically weren't late but we've decided to stop by Good Hunter and get something to eat for the ride. Y'know to satisfy us until we can get dinner at Wangshu." Diluc said as the other two nodded. "Well, let's get the car packed up." Diluc said grabbing Kaeya's and his bags and nodding his head for Aether and Xiao to follow him. Kaeya was already next to Diluc walking to the car. "Kaeya, do you have your charger? Your earbuds?" Diluc asked gently as he put their bags down. "Front pocket of my bag." Kaeya nodded. Diluc has always double-checked Kaeya's luggage. Kaeya forgot his charger once and ended up having to share with Diluc until they could get another one. Instead of them sharing, they had a fight over it. After they yelled at one another for a while, Kaeya ended up starting to cry and Diluc's older brother tendencies kicked in. After that incident, they make sure they both have their chargers and anything else important to them. As Diluc double-checked Kaeya's bags, Kaeya double-checked Diluc's bags. After they ensured that they both had their chargers, headphones, and ear plugs in Diluc's case they pushed their bags inside, followed by Xiao's and Aether's. Once they had the car packed up, they were all ready to go. They all climbed inside the car, Diluc in the driver's seat, Kaeya in the passengers seat, Xiao behind Kaeya, and Aether next to Xiao behind Diluc. Once they got their seatbelts on, they were on their way to Good hunter, then to Wangshu Inn.
When they arrived at Wangshu Inn, Diluc parked where the electric chargers were and plugged the car in. After he plugged in the car and grabbed Kaeya's and his bags, he motioned for Xiao and Aether to follow him. Kaeya pouted for a moment "Diluc, I can carry my own bag." Diluc stopped and looked back at him. "Your arm is injured. You're not lifting anything if I can help it." Diluc then turned around and kept walking slowing his step when Kaeya tried to catch up to him. "Welcome! Please come on in!" Someone called out politely opening the door for the group. Once they were inside, they went up a stair level where they met Verr. "Ah, Mr. Diluc! It's so nice to see you again! When I saw your name in our reservations, I got so excited! Let's see... two Double-Queen rooms..." As Verr and Diluc went over all the information Xiao, Aether and Kaeya went outside to look at the scenery. After a few moments Diluc called for them, grabbed his and his brother's luggage, and started his trek upstairs to their rooms making sure the others were following him. After three flights of stairs, Diluc stopped at a door. "Alright, here's our rooms." Diluc said he handed a card of keys to Xiao. "There's two in there for you two. You're in the one next door. Let's go in and get settled in before we get dinner." Diluc guided his brother inside the room after unlocking the door. After they were inside Kaeya looked around before going to the window and looking outside. "The view from this angle is beautiful!" Kaeya said in a whisper. Diluc took the bed closest to the window and gracefully flopped onto it. Kaeya noticed this and a small smirk appeared on his face, then quickly disappeared before his brother could see it. Diluc was reading something on his phone and seemed to be engrossed in it. Kaeya slowly got closer to Diluc pretending to look around the room. Kaeya then stalked over to his bed, standing on the mattress, Diluc not noticing being so engrossed in what he was reading. Kaeya suddenly jumped from his bed to Diluc's belly flopping on his brother gaining him a surprised grunt calling out "Kaeya". Before Kaeya could even run away, Diluc trapped him by holding onto his arm. "Ehe..." Kaeya let out with a sheepish smile towards Diluc. The redhead sighed "If you break anything, it comes out of your alliance. That includes the beds." Kaeya's face paled when he realized that he could have broken something. He then started to look down before his brother pulled him into a hug. "You're not causing me any trouble. You're being the mischievous brother that doesn't pay attention sometimes. So stop making that sad face, you didn't do anything bad." Kaeya just nodded, or at least tried to but Diluc was holding him in a choke-hold like hug. He had on a smirk of his own before giving his brother a noogie then letting go of Kaeya for a moment before pulling him into a real hug. Kaeya leaned against his brother's chest with his eyes drooping. Diluc noticed Kaeya trying to fight sleep so he started to pet his head. The motion of his hair being stroked has always made Kaeya either relaxed or helped him fall asleep. "It's okay, take a nap. I'll wake you up for dinner." Diluc said in a soft whisper as Kaeya drifted off to sleep.
After Kaeya fell asleep, Diluc waited a few moments before gently picking him up and tucking him in his bed. After Kaeya was comfortably asleep Diluc went back to reading but would look up to check on his brother and the time. After about an hour there was a knock at the door. Diluc got up and opened the door to see Xiao and Aether. He placed his pointer finger to his lips and let out a small 'shh' and let them in. As they quietly came in, they saw Kaeya asleep. After guiding them to sit on his bed, Diluc gently sat on Kaeya's bed shaking his brother's shoulder gingerly. After a moment Kaeya opened his eye and started to sit up. "We're about to get dinner Kaeya." Xiao and Aether looked at each other in shock to how tender the red-head could be. Kaeya only nodded and yawned leaning against Diluc's shoulder. "Come on, you gotta stay awake Kae. I need you to eat." Diluc said and Kaeya stood up straight "I think I'm going to go wash my face." The blue-haired teen said as he grabbed his face-wash and closed the bathroom door. after a minute or two Kaeya came back looking a bit more refreshed than he had before. "Alright, let's go downstairs to the restaurant. Oh, and yes, it's on me." Diluc stood up motioning for everyone to follow him. Kaeya hovered behind his brother as they passed by other guests and to the restaurant. It wasn't too crowded but it did have a lot of people there. When they went inside they were greeted by the host. "Table for four please, if possible can we get one a bit secluded?" The host looked over the table chart and nodded "I have a perfect one! Please, follow me!" As the host guided them, they followed and took their seats. The host brought them over to a table away from people. Diluc and Kaeya sat beside each other while Xiao and Aether sat across from them. After a moment their server came by and gave them menus and took their drink orders. After they received their drinks, Kaeya pointed out what he wanted to Diluc, who ordered it for him due to Kaeya being slightly overstimulated. "Do you want to ask and see if we can change our order to come to our rooms?" Xiao suggested only for Kaeya to shake his head. Diluc took a quick look over his brother. "Blanket burrito when we get back to the room?" Kaeya nodded. After that, their food arrived and after roughly twenty minutes, they were finished. Diluc taking what Kaeya had left over in a box knowing once Kaeya calmed down he'd eat a bit more. Diluc paid for everyone's meals before they left to go to their rooms.
"Tomorrow, we'll start heading into Liyue and go from there." Diluc said before gently guiding Kaeya upstairs to their room. Xiao and Aether nodded. "Check out is at noon, but I figure we can be out earlier. Depends on everyone else though." Diluc added before they went into their rooms. As soon as Diluc opened the door Kaeya zoomed in, jumped into his bed and rolled into a blanket wrapped Kaeya. Once Kaeya was burritofied, Diluc made sure there was a pillow by his head and covered him with another blanket. "Do not move from out of the blankets unless it's to eat the rest of your dinner or an emergency. I am going to take a quick shower then I'll be back, do you understand?" Kaeya only nodded basking in the warmth of his blanket burrito. After a few moments of rummaging around his suitcase, Diluc found his showering supplies and turned to the bathroom. "If anything is wrong, just call me." Diluc said before closing the door and turning on the shower. From where Kaeya was he could hear the shower turn on and Diluc slightly humming a tune. It surprised Kaeya slightly but the sound actually made him calm down more. Kaeya's eyelids began to droop and he started to nod off. After a few moments Kaeya couldn't resist falling asleep to the softly hummed tunes.
When Diluc came out of the shower in his pajamas, he noticed that Kaeya had fallen asleep in his cocoon of blankets he'd refer to as blanket burrito or blanket sushi. Diluc shook his head fondly as he put away his brother's dinner. After he cleaned up slightly, he retired to his bed after turning off most of the lights. The only light that was still on was the lamp next to his bed which he used to make sure both his and his brother's phones were plugged in and charging. After looking over Kaeya one last time, Diluc turned off the lamp and quickly fell asleep.
When Xiao and Aether returned to their room, Aether laid down and plugged his phone in. He was laying on his stomach with his legs dancing in the air as he went through his phone. After a few moments Aether smiled after receiving a text from Lumine.
Lumine: Goodnight Aether. Have a great trip! Love you bro!
Aether: Goodnight Sis!
Aether put his phone down after locking the screen before succumbing to sleep. Xiao made sure all the lights were off before returning to his bed and falling fast asleep.
When Diluc woke up at the crack of dawn as he usually would, he got up and made himself a quick cup of coffee using the Inn's in-room coffee maker. He took a quick look at Kaeya only to see his brother slumbering peacefully. Diluc looked at the time and decided to let his brother sleep for a while longer. Diluc pulled out his phone to look through a few texts. Adeline and Elzer were just keeping him updated with the Winery's business and making sure he knew what they would authorize. He opened up a few texts from Jean.
Jean: I hope Kaeya and you are relaxing.
Diluc: We are. Kaeya is still sleeping at the moment. We're going into Liyue Harbor today.
Jean: Nice! Hopefully it'll be a nice day for you all. Let Kaeya know that I said hello please. Later!
Diluc smiled down at his phone. Talking to Jean was always nice for him. Diluc looked at the time and sighed as he hoped Aether and Xiao would be awake soon. Almost as soon as he thought that, he received a text from Xiao.
Xiao: Aether and I are awake. I know it's a bit early but it might be better to start our drive sooner than later.
Diluc: You're right. Get dressed and get your stuff packed, or rather make sure Aether cleans up all of his shit.
Xiao: Alright. I'll text you when we're finished.
Diluc started to look around and pack everything that he took out for the night. He quickly changed into a pair of nice but casual day wear and packed his pajamas up. When he was done he grabbed Kaeya's luggage and started to collect everything his brother had taken out of his bag. After sorting them neatly, Diluc quickly went through Kaeya's bag to find his sweatshirt, a T-shirt, and a pair of jeans. When Diluc grabbed Kaeya's sweatshirt by the pocket, something sharp caused Diluc's hand to recoil. His blood froze as he looked horrified at the sweatshirt. He reached into the sweatshirt pocket and felt a shard of some sort. When Diluc was able to safely pull it out, he noticed that it was a piece of the vase that the maid carelessly broke. Diluc scowled looking at the shard and quickly seeing that there was dried blood on it. Diluc grabbed some tissues and wrapped it up before putting it in the extra pocket of his suitcase. Once he was done, he folded Kaeya's clothes for the day and put them on his bed. Diluc sat back down and scrolled through his phone. After about five minutes of mindless scrolling, Diluc received a text from Xiao.
Xiao: We're all packed and the room is cleaned.
Diluc: Come on over. I'll open the door for you. I wanted Kaeya to sleep longer so once you are here, I will wake him.
Xiao: We'll be right there.
Diluc got up and opened the door to his and Kaeya's room. After a moment, Xiao and Aether appeared and came in with their stuff. Once they were settled Diluc went to wake Kaeya up. "Kaeya. Wake up." Diluc shook his brother's shoulder. Kaeya woke up and latched his arms around Diluc and started to cling to him. Diluc sighed knowing either Kaeya was just trying to pull him down or Kaeya was still half asleep and was trying to be carried so he didn't have to get up. "Kaeya, please. You have to get dressed and we should get going. We want to arrive in Liyue early." Kaeya whined staying attached to Diluc for a few moments before letting go and sitting up on the bed. "It's too early... way too early... you're all insane." The blue haired teen then took his outfit that was laid out for him and went into the bathroom. "So, Kaeya's not a morning person I take it." Aether laughed while Diluc could only cross his arms shaking his head albeit smiling fondly. After a few moments Kaeya returned but had his sweatshirt inside out and backwards. "Kaeya... come here." Diluc called his brother over. Kaeya stumbled over still half asleep and Diluc caught him as he fell forward. "Stay still. I'm taking your hoodie off. You put it on wrong. I also want to re-wrap your arm before we do anything." Diluc gently took the sweatshirt off of his brother and pulled some bandages and disinfectant out of his bag. He sat Kaeya on his bed and quickly cleaned his wounds and dressed it. When he was done bandaging Kaeya's arm he sent him to get his pajamas. Once Kaeya had his nightwear packed, Diluc presented Kaeya his sweatshirt and threw it over him. Once Kaeya had his sweatshirt on and Diluc grabbed both bags, the four boys went to check out. Verr kindly waved them out as they descended into the inn's garage. Once they got to Diluc's car they quickly packed and filed into the car.
After roughly an hour of driving, they arrived in Liyue harbor. It hasn't changed too much but had new inns and hotels. After driving in the city for a half-hour they arrived at the hotel they would be staying in for the next two days. "They may not have our room ready but we can at least get the car parked and our bags checked for the time being." Diluc said. "The area around Liyue is quite nice. We can always visit some ruins as we wait." Xiao added on. As they parked they took a photo of their parking space and went up to the hotel lobby. The hotel attendant greeted them as Diluc took over. After a few moments their baggage was checked and they had a time estimate of when the room would be done. After they left the hotel, they decided to walk around the harbor to look for a bite to eat. After deciding to dine at Wanmin Restaurant they decided to head towards the venue.
Once they had eaten a good late breakfast or lunch, they decided to go on a hike just outside of the harbor. There was a ruin relatively close to the harbor that would be fun to explore. After a moment of buying extra water and a few snacks for the hike, Diluc started to guide them to the entrance that would take them out of the harbor and towards Mount Tianheng. They weren't going to climb the mountain, the ruin was just toward the mountain. When they arrived at the ruin, Kaeya sat on the steps watching some of the wildlife scurry around. He was currently watching a tiny fox sniffing a berry and taking small nibbles as pigeons would fly away, then come back. The squirrels would hop and startle the other animals, causing them to temporarily flee, only to timidly come back a few moments later. Kaeya smiled as he watched the scene. Aether was exploring the flooded areas of the ruin, trying not to fall into the water as he did so. Xiao was watching Aether while scouting out the area to make sure there was no one else or at least no threats. Diluc was befriending a bird while glancing at Kaeya to ensure his brother was safe and well. After a few moments Kaeya stood up startling a squirrel that had come over and started to sniff him. The squirrel scurried away a few feet from Kaeya, but continued to watch the blue-haired teen as he jumped onto the redheads back. Diluc just automatically grabbed his brother's legs to ensure the blue-haired boy wouldn't fall off. After a half hour Diluc glanced over to Kaeya "Hey, get off for a moment." Diluc crouched down in order to make sure Kaeya wouldn't get hurt. Kaeya quickly jumped off of his brother's back. Diluc took off the backpack he had and fastened it on the teen. After that Diluc motioned for Kaeya to hop back on and once he shifted Kaeya's weight to be more comfortable he carried him towards Xiao and Aether. "I'm not going to carry you all the way back, but I can carry you most of the way if you need it." Diluc said. Kaeya nodded into the crook of his shoulder. Xiao and Aether turned their attention towards the two brothers as they arrived. "Does Kaeya get tired easily... after everything?" Aether asked as he saw Kaeya. Diluc nodded. "Lumine is similar..." Aether added on. They stayed in silence as they began their return towards the harbor. After the halfway point, Diluc had Kaeya get off of his back and grab the pack. After giving everyone a water Diluc threw the bag on his back. Kaeya was pouting slightly but continued on walking next to Diluc.
The group arrived back in the harbor past the time estimate the hotel's receptionist gave them. They took a moment to collect themselves before heading back into the hotel. They quickly checked in, grabbed their luggage, and went into their room. The room they had was slightly different from the ones they were in at the Inn. They were in a suite that had 2 bedrooms with 2 queen beds in each. After checking out their hotel room Diluc selected a room for him and Kaeya to stay in while Xiao and Aether took the other. After a moment of shuffling around in his bag Kaeya locked himself in the bathroom letting his brother know he was going to shower. After a moment Diluc went to join the other two in watching TV. "It's nice for you to join us, Diluc!" The redhead nodded towards Aether and paid attention to the show they had on. After twenty minutes, Kaeya joined them. Diluc made him sit on the floor in front of him while he dried Kaeya's blue locks. "Wow! Kaeya, your hair is actually quite long!" Aether said smiling. Kaeya nodded as Diluc stopped for a moment in order to grab something. "Kaeya and I enjoy having our hair long. It's a habit from our father." Diluc said as he sat back down and pointed for Kaeya to sit down in front of him. Once Kaeya was sat down Diluc started to rub leave-in conditioner in his hair. "I figured to put this in while your hair's damp. Now stay still." Diluc said sternly as he combed out Kaeya's locks. When Diluc finished detangling Kaeya's hair, the blue locks were dry and braided instead of pulled into his normal side ponytail. Kaeya looked at the braid for a moment before sitting on the couch next to his brother. Unbeknownst to the blue haired teen, his eyelids would droop and he would doze off before waking up a moment later. Diluc was keeping an eye on his brother nodding off. After Kaeya's fifth time nodding off Diluc picked him up and tucked him in. "Mm- D- Diluc?" Kaeya rasped sleepily. "Shh, go back to sleep. You've been nodding off." Diluc replied swiftly. After a moment Kaeya was out like a light. Xiao and Aether were watching from the doorway as they were concerned when Diluc randomly picked the blue haired teen up. They were always in awe of how Diluc treated Kaeya kindly. Upon seeing the other two Diluc motioned them to follow him out as he pulled the door so it would be just ajar.
Once they were back in the main area of the hotel room, they started to watch TV while chilling on the couch. They were all scrolling through their phones looking through texts, comics, and other things. Diluc was reading reports for the Winery again, making mental notes on certain aspects. Xiao and Aether were messaging one another while keeping quiet as to not stir the blue haired teen. Unknowingly to the other three, Kaeya was actually wide awake on his phone.
Lumine: It's actually kind of lonely without Xiao's and Aether's constant nagging and presence. I'm doing good though. Dain and I have been just doing some crafts and small activities.
Kaeya: I get that, I actually feel a bit overwhelmed. I'm pretending to be asleep currently. We did a lot today.
Lumine: I heard. Aether texts me about everything still. Got a cute picture of Diluc carrying you.
Kaeya: Yeah, I didn't want to walk. Diluc is letting me get away with stuff a bit more than usual.
Lumine: Dain and Xiao are kind of the same in that aspect. Usually they'd be more strict but they're not being as pushy as they used to be.
Kaeya: Yeah, hopefully this peacefulness will last for a while. Diluc used to be so serious... I actually super-glued stuff to his desk as a prank. He only had me clean it this time instead of taking away my phone.
Lumine: LMFAO YOU SUPER-GLUED DILUC'S DESK AND LIVED TO TELL THE TALE?!
Kaeya: I mean, I am his "baby" brother so I get away with a lot of shit lol
Lumine: Yeah, I get that. Aether calls me his baby sister and Xiao joined in on it. Dain just calls me and Aether his babies. I didn't think he could have ever gotten more mother hen-ish than he was.
Kaeya: Yeah, after father passed Diluc got more protective towards me than he ever had been beforehand. After this he's even more protective and I didn't think he'd be like this. I'm not fully annoyed by it but not fully enjoying it either. Still, it's nice to know I can always rely on him.
Lumine: That's true. How much longer do you think we'll be in the program? Do you think our lives will go back to the way they were?
Kaeya: Only time will tell. I think I am going to be in the program for a bit longer. I relapsed... and I think Diluc found what I used and took it.
Lumine: I'm sorry to hear that, Kae. I guess you're right.
Kaeya: It's not your fault. I started to overthink and panic. I didn't rely on Diluc even though he was there. I didn't want to bother him, y'know?
Lumine: I get how you feel. I feel the same way with Aether, Dain, and Xiao... but I found out it hurts them more when I'm hurt. It's what hurts them more than anything else. I bet that it's the same with you and Diluc.
Kaeya: I know you're right but I wish that he didn't have someone like me as a brother...
Lumine: Kaeya, don't say that. He loves you, faults and all. You know that.
Kaeya: I know, but he deserves someone better.
Lumine: Don't say that. I will tattle that you're up and sad.
Kaeya: No no no no no no don't do that. He's finally enjoying his vacation. He deserves it way more than I do.
Lumine:... You deserve one too. You've been through a bit recently. From losing your father to your mental health? I have no room to talk, yes, but you don't either. After everything, you really need to allow yourself to enjoy something.
Kaeya: Thanks Lumi! You deserve to be happy as well.
Lumine: Thanks Kae. I gotta go. Dain's finishing dinner.
Kaeya: Later.
Once Kaeya sent his last message to Lumine, he felt a bit lonely. He stood up and wrapped the blanket around him and rubbed his eyes to make it look like he had been napping while trailing out to the main area and plopping between Xiao and his brother. "Did you get some rest?" Aether asked politely from behind Xiao. Kaeya nodded and pouted when Diluc ruffled his hair with a chuckle. Aether hummed before leaning back on the couch they had and gently tossed the remote to Kaeya. "Put on what you would like. We've all had turns. We're waiting for dinner at the moment. Oh, don't worry Diluc made sure to order something for you." Aether smiled. Kaeya only nodded as he surfed through the channels. Diluc glanced up "No." was the only comment from the redhead as Kaeya had a horror movie about to put on. Kaeya, not wanting to risk his brother's wrath along with not bothering him, continued to channel surf until he found a decent movie to put on. He knew that the scenes with blood in Jurassic world made him cringe so he put on a movie that everyone smiled at. After a few moments in Diluc got up saying "foods here" then disappeared out the door. Kaeya squawked when Aether suddenly tackled him into a hug and just held him for a bit. "Aether!" Kaeya called out in surprise while Xiao ignored the two others while engrossed with something on his phone with his earbuds in. "You looked sad so I wanted to hug you!" The blonde then squeezed the blue-haired teen tightly before releasing. "So... you let Diluc do your hair?" At this Kaeya flushed and hid in his blanket. "So what, you do Lumine's all the time." Aether let out a small laugh and crushed the teen into another hug exclaiming "You're so cute! I'm adopting you." At this Kaeya's entire face turned red in embarrassment. Diluc walked into the hotel room to see Kaeya pouting with his face beet red and Aether basically holding him like he was a stuffed toy. "Diluc, I am adopting Kaeya. He's my little brother now." At this Diluc kept a cool face as he strides over to the two younger teens. "Not allowed." Diluc said and placed the food on the coffee table in front of them. Once the food was on the table the red head quickly wrestled Kaeya from out of Aether's grasp and sat him beside himself and Xiao. Aether took the seat next to Diluc as they dug in.
Once everyone was done eating, Diluc put on a movie for them to watch. Aether and Xiao quickly fell asleep while the movie was playing. About half-way through the film, Kaeya started to fidget. After a few minutes he tapped his brother's shoulder. "Diluc... can we do something, anything until I fall asleep?" Diluc nodded. Kaeya and him had developed a plan for when Kaeya felt like he was going to hurt himself. He knew his brother would be uncomfortable saying that he was tempted to hurt himself out loud, so instead he taught his brother to ask to do something until he felt better or fell asleep. So, Diluc got his deck of Would you rather... out and started to shuffle the cards. When he was done shuffling, he put the deck of cards down and picked both Aether and Xiao up and tucked them in. When he came back into the main area of the room he sat at the end of the couch leaning against the couch arm. He called Kaeya to quickly sit up. Diluc put his legs up on the couch and motioned for his brother to sit back down. Once Kaeya sat down, Diluc readjusted his brother so he would be laying down on his chest. Kaeya seemed to calm down slightly listening to his brother's heartbeat. "Hey, Diluc?" Kaeya asked the redhead who replied "Yes?" The blue haired teen quickly nuzzled in closer to his brother. "Can we just watch a movie? This is actually really helping me." Diluc nods and puts a new movie on while rubbing the top of Kaeya's head knowing the motion also helps calm him. After half an hour the younger is fast asleep wrapped up in the warmth of his brother's arms. Diluc debates carrying Kaeya to their room but seeing his brother calm and comfortable he let out a sigh. Guess I'll deal with the back pain and aches tomorrow... Diluc thought as he allowed himself to fall asleep.
Aether looked around noticing that he wasn't on the couch. He looked to the side to see Xiao asleep in his own bed. Aether quickly stretched and climbed out of bed. He shook Xiao's shoulder to wake the older teen up. When Xiao woke he up he looked around. "That's odd, I fell asleep on the couch..." Xiao trailed off looking at Aether. "Well then, Diluc probably brought us to our room. Let's go thank him." Aether smiled. As they went out to the main area they both stopped and stayed as silent as they could. Aether quickly took a picture of the sight. Kaeya was still on Diluc's chest wrapped in the elder's arms. Diluc had his head resting on top of Kaeya's as Aether got closer, Diluc's red eyes opened and narrowed. "Aether" he whispered "Be quieter. You may wake him up." Diluc checked on the blue haired to see him blink up at them. "Or not. Good morning Kaeya." Aether greets him like the sunshine boy he is and Kaeya only blinks and looks around. He rubs his eye and yawn stretching and Diluc flinches when he hears the popping of his brother's bones. "Morning. Hey bro, can you let me go?" Diluc tips his head to the side almost debating on if he should let go or not. After a moment he let go of the blue haired teen who got up and went into Diluc's and his room. "So..." Aether started ignoring Diluc's pointed glare as Xiao came out dressed in his casual wear "What's on the agenda today?" Aether continued undeterred from asking the redhead the plan despite how terrifying the man looked when he was upset. Diluc sighed and shook his head. "I figured we can either chill around the harbor or go sailing around the area." Diluc sighed out as he sat up and stretched his bones popping as he did so. "Guess you're not used to sleeping on the couch." Aether joked earning him another glare from the redhead. "He's not used to sleeping at all." Kaeya added in now dressed in day clothes with his hair down. As Kaeya was tying his hair into his normal side ponytail. As Kaeya was tying his hair Diluc got dressed and started to get everything ready for the day. "Alright, are we ready to go?" Diluc asked politely as everyone nodded.
When they arrived at the harbor, Kaeya's eye lit up as he surveyed the area. The smell of the salt in the air along with the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks of the harbor soothed his troubled mind. Kaeya loved the ocean. After seeing the younger's reaction to the sea, Diluc decided that they would be sailing today. "Want to rent a boat? They have the small ones we can take a ride on around the harbor. We can also get on the ferry if you'd like?" Diluc asked the blue haired teen. Kaeya smiled and nodded. To Xiao, Aether, and Diluc it was the purest smile they had seen from him in quite some time. After Diluc filed the paperwork and paid for the boat, the four climbed in and went around the harbor and as far out as they were allowed. After enjoying the ride and the sea for hours, they came back and returned the boat. They walked back to the hotel after they grabbed a snack from a vendor nearby. When they went into their hotel room Kaeya collapsed on his bed. It was a fun time, but he was so tired that it shocked him. Instead of going to bed, he pulled out his phone to scroll through a few videos. Kaeya then opened his messages.
Kaeya: Hey, I haven't heard from you in some time, you doing alright?
Childe: Yeah... Cousin's here... He doesn't want me to live alone anymore...
Kaeya: Oh?
Childe: Yeah... He wants me to come live with him in Inazuma... I want to stay here...
Kaeya: Have you told him that?
Childe: I've tried... For now he's staying with me so I am stuck with him... Damn he's so annoying.
Kaeya: Lol, at least he cares. Maybe see if you guys can work out a deal or something? Heck, maybe see if he'll stay with you instead.
Childe: That's actually not a bad idea. Thank you, Kaeya.
Kaeya: No worries. I gotchu.
Childe: Weeb.
Kaeya: Smart-ass.
Childe: Geek
Kaeya: Nerd
Childe: Huh, Gae
Kaeya: Gae squared
Childe: You raging homosexual
Kaeya: Excuse me, It's Pansexual.. I'll be with my other kitchen utensils.
Childe: Ah, forgive me. You raging Pansexual.
Kaeya: Like you are any better?!
Childe: LOL TRUE
Kaeya: Why did that all sound so passive-aggressive?
Childe: Cause we're :sparkle: Special :Sparkle:
Kaeya: LMFAO FACTS
Kaeya started to bust out laughing at the entire conversation. He missed talking with Childe like this. He wanted to see his friend more than he currently was allowed to. Diluc didn't want to have him overstimulated due to his mental health, but Kaeya missed his friends.
Childe: Sorry, got to go. Cous wants to be a pain. Bye bye!
Kaeya: later.
Kaeya frowned and put his phone down. He wanted to curl up into a ball and cry but he couldn't, at least at the moment. Xiao, Aether, or his brother would overhear his sobs and come running concerned. He didn't want to be fussed over. He just wanted to be with his friends again, to be able to attend classes, and for him not to feel the way he did. Tears started to roll down his cheek as he realized he was crying. He pulled out his phone and selected his brother's number.
Kaeya: I am going to take a shower. I'll be out in a bit.
Diluc: Okay.
After he saw that Diluc responded, he brought his bag into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He turned it to as hot as it would go for him. As he waited for the water to heat up he looked through his bag. He started to flip through it faster and faster until he tore it completely apart. Kaeya rested his back on the shower door as more tears rolled down his cheeks. He felt lost and couldn't find his salvation, the only thing that made all the pain and hurt go away. He knew this meant that either Diluc found the shard of glass in his bag, or he lost it along the way. Kaeya started to look around the room trying to find anything he could use to make him bleed. The desire growing stronger the more he didn't have something with him. The voices grew louder and louder in Kaeya's head deafening any other thoughts he had in his mind. Kaeya wanted to scream as his head felt like it was going to burst. Kaeya looked around until he saw a straight razor on the bathroom sink. Kaeya quickly grabbed the item, undressed and stood under the water. His skin burned with the stream but Kaeya was too out of it to realize how red and raw his skin was becoming. After a few minutes of letting the water hit and roll off of him, he took the razor to his arm. As Kaeya drew line on his arm his mind began to numb. The voices faded into non-existent whispers that slowly died as Kaeya's head felt like cotton. Kaeya slid down the glass walls of the shower, red mixing into the water as he became too weak to stay up. Kaeya's vision started to collect black spots before Kaeya felt his eyelids droop. The last thing he thought he saw was a black figure speeding towards him before he lost full consciousness.