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Diluc looked around as Kaeya picked up the items that had been dropped by the leyline after they had finished their fight with the electro hypostasis. Diluc had really questioned his decision to join Kaeya in his fight against the hypostasis when Kaeya had irritatingly walked into the area that the hypostasis inhabited calling out cheerfully to Aleph that he was back again and had then proceeded to laugh and chatter his entire way through the fight.
Diluc dreaded to think just how many times Lisa had sent his brother out there, probably alone. Diluc had barely been needed the entire fight, only stepping in here and there, with Kaeya knowing every move that the electro hypostasis threw at them. Even though Kaeya fought the hypostasis like it was an old dance he practiced the steps to on a regular basis, Diluc still worried, even though he knew that Kaeya had an advantage when fighting the electro hypostasis with his cryo vision and his sheer fighting ability.
He didn’t even know what Lisa wanted the lightning prisms for, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask the librarian. She always managed to pick up on the things that Diluc didn’t say, and while deep down he appreciated it, it had made his life miserable when she had kept pushing Diluc and Kaeya to do things together when they had only just started to be on friendly terms again.
“All done.” Kaeya said with a smile, packing away his bag.
“Let’s head back then.” Diluc responded, turning and beginning to make his way back to the path. Charles had agreed that he would cover the entire afternoon and evening shift at the Share, saying that it was good for Diluc and Kaeya to get out and enjoy the day, but Diluc still wanted to get back and give him a hand. He also didn’t trust the grin on Kaeya’s face that implied that he was planning something.
“Oh, so cold, Master Diluc, and here I was thinking that we were having a grand old time.” Kaeya commented, mockingly, the tone warning Diluc that the walk back to the city was going to be anything but peaceful.
“We’re not going to Dragonspine.” Diluc stated firmly pausing in his movement to turn and look at Kaeya.
“Who mentioned Dragonspine?” Kaeya questioned, with a dopey grin and a slightly tilted head.
“You did.” Diluc commented.
“Always so unwilling to enjoy life.” Kaeya pouted and Diluc rolled his eyes and continued on his way.
It wasn’t exactly hard for Diluc to know that Kaeya wanted to go to Dragonspine, they were in the area, close to the path that would lead them in from the adventurers’ base camp, and Kaeya had been mentioning going to Dragonspine more and more every week for the past Archon’s knew how long. Diluc had said no to Kaeya’s pestering about visiting the mountain every time, and every time Kaeya had pouted like he was a small child.
Kaeya had always enjoyed going to Dragonspine even when they were children. Diluc remembered the first time that their father had taken them both to Dragonspine, they hadn’t climbed the mountain itself, only wandered to the other side of the stream on the cliffs above the winery to visit the snowy area. Their father had pointed out every animal they had come across and Kaeya had been fascinated by the place.
As they had grown, they had visited the mountain more and more, either as a family or with the knights, and once Diluc had his vision Kaeya had declared that Diluc was his own personal heater whenever they visited the mountain. Ever since they had reconciled, Kaeya had been commenting on how he needed to use Diluc as a heater once again so that he could visit the Archon forsaken mountain and not freeze. Despite all of Diluc’s comments about how Kaeya always claimed that his cryo vision made him immune to the cold and how Kaeya could take literally anyone else with him, Kaeya had still insisted that they go together.
“We’re ill prepared to go there.” Diluc stated firmly, before Kaeya could continued in his argument to visit the mountain. But instead of backing down like Diluc had foolishly hoped, Kaeya perked up at his words. Diluc prayed to the Archons to give him patience in response to the scheming look that appeared on his brother’s face. “No.” He stated, attempting to shut down whatever argument Kaeya thought up before he could voice it.
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.” Kaeya commented.
“And that’s the problem, but I know that you’re scheming something.” Diluc responded.
“Scheming? Me? That is slander, Master Diluc. Vicious slander.” Kaeya proclaimed dramatically. Diluc merely side eyed him, used to his theatrics. “I’m not scheming at all; it is hardly my fault that you have said we’ll go to Dragonspine.”
“I have said no such thing, I distinctly recall saying the exact opposite of that.” Diluc retorted, trying to ignore whatever game Kaeya was plotting, knowing that he wasn’t about to win.
“Ah, but you did, you said that we’re ill prepared to got there.” Kaeya commented slowly, dragging out every word that Diluc had said, and Diluc instantly regretted his choice of words. “Which means that we can go when we’re prepared.”
“No, Kaeya.” Diluc said firmly as Kaeya threw an arm across his shoulders as they walked.
“But it will be fun, we can see all of the sights, and explore, maybe fight the cryo hypostasis, it would be handy to have some crystalline blooms for Eula, especially as she agreed to do the paperwork for that mission we did together.” Kaeya rambled. “How about tomorrow? Oh, no, wait, I promised Bennett I’d train with him tomorrow. The day after then? That should work.”
“No.” Diluc responded firmly, refusing to be swayed by Kaeya’s rambling words.
“But we’ll have a great time, and while you complain that you hate it there, I know that’s a lie.” Kaeya goaded, and Diluc side eyed him, wary. “Huh, unless you’re scared of those cute little foxes that live there.” Diluc shrugged Kaeya’s arm off his shoulders and stalked forwards, the sound of Kaeya’s laughter following after him.
Diluc had loved visiting Dragonspine almost as much as Kaeya had when they had been children and had always relished every opportunity to go there. Had always relished every time they had visited, Addie helping pack up warming foods and blankets and extra layers into a bag for them, fussing over the layers they were wearing despite how much Diluc had complained that he had been too warm in his clothes before they reached the mountain. Had always relished every time he and Kaeya had ran around in the snow, their father laughing with them, sometimes taking his easel with him and painting the snowy landscapes while Diluc and Kaeya had built snowmen and explored.
Kaeya had always loved the snow. His eyes always brightening every year at the first snowfall, he had even written an entire poem about the beauty and peace of snow when they had been studying with their tutors.
But that had been before, before everything, before Diluc had led Kaeya and some of the other knights to Dragonspine when he had still been Cavalry Captain to deal with some treasure hoarders and they had gotten caught in an avalanche. Before he had raised his own claymore and vision against his baby brother, just because Kaeya had told him the truth. Before his memories of snowy landscapes were tainted by the memories of the blood-soaked snow of Snezhnaya.
But the idea of creating new memories of Dragonspine had been slowly creeping up on him like a bad mora ever since Kaeya had started needling him about taking a trip there. The idea of vising the mountain with Kaeya and creating new memories that washed away all of his tainted ones was an exceptionally attractive idea.
“Aww, you do want to go.” Kaeya commented, at Diluc’s side once again, poking at Diluc’s cheek as they walked. “You’re smiling.”
“We’re not going to Dragonspine.” Diluc stated once more, brushing Kaeya’s irritating prodding of his cheek away and dropping the smile from his face, ignoring the grin that Kaeya was sporting.
“You’ll at least buy me a death after noon to make up for not going though, of course, Master Diluc.” Kaeya commented and Diluc halted in his steps.
“Who mentioned death after noon?” Diluc questioned, failing to see whatever insane connection Kaeya had managed to create in his head.
“You, of course.” Kaeya grinned as Diluc looked at him incredulously.
“When?!” Diluc questioned, flabbergasted, he was sure that he hadn’t once mentioned the drink.
“When you mentioned Dragonspine.” Kaeya answered, the insufferable grin still firmly on his face.
“How does death after noon relate to Dragonspine of all things?” Diluc questioned.
“Death after noon is best served cold after all.” Kaeya commented, and Diluc stormed ahead once again as Kaeya howled with laughter. “Wait, Diluc, hold up.” Kaeya called, still laughing as he jogged to catch up with him, throwing an arm across his shoulders once again as they walked. “Just the one death after noon wouldn’t hurt your profits now, would it.” Kaeya commented.
One death after noon certainly wouldn’t hurt the Share’s profits at all, especially considering how Kaeya owned half of the tavern and was entitled to whatever he wanted from there. Kaeya knew that fact, knew that he owned half of the Share, but he had never accepted it, and it was Diluc’s fault. Kaeya had always been more interested in the winery than Diluc had when they had been growing up, but he had tried to just give his half of the Share to Diluc on multiple occasions, consistently insisting that he didn’t want it, that he had no interest in the business, despite how he had poured over the lessons about the business that their father had given them both when they had been growing up. Diluc had taken so much more from Kaeya than he could have ever realised that night he raised his claymore against him.
But sometimes Diluc wished that Kaeya truly had no interest whatsoever in the Share or its products, wished that Kaeya would stop drinking so much. Diluc understood that part of why Kaeya had turned to rely on alcohol so much was his own fault, and he understood that wine was as free flowing as the wind itself in their nation, but Diluc worried. He had spent so long merely watching Kaeya drink himself into a stupor every night without saying a word before they had reconciled. Had spent so long trying to cut Kaeya off or kick him out when he reached the point of the night when he couldn’t bare to watch his baby brother drink himself to death in front of him anymore.
Every time he had brought up Kaeya’s reliance on alcohol since their reconciliation it had either led to yet another argument between them, or Kaeya had simply brushed his concerns off and told him to leave it with such a haunted look on his face that Diluc would shut his mouth instantly, not daring to say anything more. He hated that he no longer knew how to help his brother, hated how he wasn’t even sure if he still had the right to help him, if he still had the right to tell him to stop drinking so much.
They were getting better at being brothers again, but they had both fallen into bad habits, had both fallen into habits that the other did not agree with. But they were both stubborn, both unwilling to listen to anyone else. But they were getting there, and Diluc hoped that they would get there no matter how long it took them.
Diluc continued on his path towards Mondstadt, glad when Kaeya stopped needling him about visiting Dragonspine or drinking the entirety of the Share’s stock of death after noon and started chattering at his side about the latest gossip that Marjorie had shared with him when they had both been waiting for their orders at the Good Hunter the night before. He was chattering about away one of the adventurers and their new lover. But Diluc wasn’t listening, something felt off about the path they were walking down. They had walked the same path to get to the electro hypostasis originally, but it felt different. It was almost like something was stirring in the air, which was a ridiculous thing to think, especially in the anemo nation.
Diluc paused in his path and Kaeya stumbled at his side, cutting his chattering gossip off.
“Hey, Diluc, what-?” Kaeya began.
“Be quiet.” Diluc snapped quietly, and Kaeya snapped his mouth shut, a small hurt expression on his face that Diluc did his best to ignore but couldn’t help feeling guilty about. Kaeya opened his mouth to question what had happened, but closed it again slowly, and Diluc could see him starting to pay more attention as he removed his arm from Diluc’s shoulders and started looking around trying to see what had caught Diluc’s attention.
“What is it?” Kaeya questioned.
“I don’t know.” Diluc commented, scanning around desperately. He knew that he was paranoid, knew that he was always on the look out for the next attack. It had led to too many awkward moments where he had drawn his claymore on a branch that had hit something in the wind, or at a cat that had merely jumped down from where it had been perched.
“I do.” Kaeya commented eventually, and Diluc followed Kaeya’s gaze, spotting movement through the trees.
“Fatui.” Diluc growled, summoning his claymore. He was going to eviscerate them. He began to stalk forwards, only to be stopped by Kaeya grabbing onto his sleeve. Diluc snapped his head to the side to look at him, ready to argue, ready to demand that Kaeya let him go.
“Wait.” Kaeya said simply, and Diluc bristled, but he forced himself to pause anyway. He hated it, he wanted to attack the dogs that dared to even set foot in their nation after what they did.
Diluc took a breath and forced himself to clear his mind even just a little bit and actually think.
“What’s the plan?” He questioned and Kaeya smiled softly at him. They were so easily falling back into old habits, even though Diluc was known for blindly attacking without thinking his actions through, Kaeya had always been the one to think before he attacked, before he acted.
“I’ll attack from this direction, you make your way around to attack from the other side, we’ll work to get into their blind spots.” Kaeya explained.
“Divide and conquer?” Diluc questioned, with a raised eyebrow.
“Divide and conquer.” Kaeya confirmed with a wild grin that had always meant trouble. Divide and conquer had always been a favourite game of theirs growing up, especially when it came to stealing extra cookies from the kitchen.
“Ok.” Diluc said slowly. “But we don’t know how many there are over there.”
“Exactly, so I’ll go in first and distract them while you look over how many there are, and then I’ll give you a signal when it’s the opportune moment for you to attack.” Kaeya stated.
“Kaeya…” Diluc trailed off, not liking the idea of Kaeya walking into a camp of who knew how many Fatui by himself while Diluc waited. “Perhaps we should observe them together first, then develop the plan further.”
“Let’s stick with the plan.” Kaeya commented, and Diluc could hear the undercurrent of something in his tone. “I can handle myself Diluc.” Kaeya had always been resourceful and Diluc had heard the stories of just how much danger he had put himself in when Diluc had been away and before they had started working together again and eventually reconciled.
“I know, I just…” Diluc took a breath and Kaeya looked at him patiently. “Be safe.” Diluc settled on saying eventually.
“I will.” Kaeya huffed out with a small smile, probably internally laughing at Diluc’s complete inability to use words.
“Ok.” Diluc said slowly, turning to walk away.
“Oh, and Diluc.” Kaeya called and Diluc stopped, turning to look back at his brother. “Please don’t move until you see my signal.”
“What will the signal be?” Diluc questioned, not arguing against Kaeya’s minor almost unspoken reprimand. It had happened too many times in the past, both while they had been teenagers in the knights together, and after they had started learning how to work together once again, when Kaeya had said that he would signal Diluc, but Diluc hadn’t waited and had charged in causing more hindrance than assistance.
“You’ll see.” Kaeya responded with a grin that Diluc absolutely did not trust. “Be safe, Diluc.”
“I will.” Diluc nodded. “You be safe as well.”
“Of course, I always am.” Kaeya grinned and Diluc had known Kaeya for too long and had heard too many stories about Kaeya acted in the knights to not believe Kaeya’s word that he was always safe, but accepted them anyway, turning and walking away.
He made his way around what he assumed was the boundary of where the Fatui were, hoping that he was staying far enough out of their sights that they wouldn’t notice him. He reached the far side and slowly crept forwards remaining hidden behind the trees to see what they were up against. It wasn’t even a proper camp, just a cryo and hydro gunner and an electro hammer milling around. He had no idea what they were there for or what their plan was, but whatever it was it meant trouble and he had to stop them.
The three Fatui could be a troublesome grouping but would pose no trouble for Diluc and Kaeya with their skills, however he would have to ensure that the cryo gunner never got close enough to Kaeya to cause harm, with the cryo gunner’s shield making the gunner immune to Kaeya’s vision.
His attention shifted from the Fatui themselves as Kaeya caught his eye walking towards the three Fatui. He shook his head as he watched Kaeya wave at the Fatui, attempting to make conversation with them, acting as though they were old friends. He cursed when he realised that he was too far away to hear what Kaeya was saying and the Fatui moved to converge on Kaeya, blocking Diluc’s view of him, rendering him unable to read Kaeya’s lips. He hoped that Kaeya’s signal wouldn’t be a word or phrase.
Diluc tensed as the Fatui drew their weapons and advanced on Kaeya. He moved to charge forwards his claymore ready in his hands, but he paused, he had told Kaeya that he would wait for his signal. But he had no idea what the signal would be and the Fatui had already launched their attack on his brother. He knew that Kaeya was strong and was capable of defending himself, but it was still three against one, and Diluc was itching to remove the dogs from existence, wanting nothing more than to jump into the fight and launch his own attack.
He held his ground, knowing that he had to show Kaeya that he trusted him. Kaeya was trusting him to trust him. He couldn’t let Kaeya down.
He waited.
He saw Kaeya fall to the ground.
He tensed.
He forced himself to remain, to give Kaeya a chance, he knew that Kaeya was stronger than to get knocked down that quickly.
He saw Kaeya move to a crouch, clearly getting ready to stand, something gripped tightly in his hand close to the ground.
He saw Kaeya pull something from the ground, sending a blast of cryo at the advancing Fatui as he stood.
He saw Kaeya run away from where there seemed to be a disturbance on the ground where Kaeya had pulled the item up.
He saw an electro whopper flower erupt from the ground attacking everything close by.
Diluc took that as his signal and seeing that Kaeya was far enough from the centre of the fight where the two gunners were dealing with the effects of the electro, as the electro hammer went after Kaeya, immune to the whopper flower’s attack, he raised his claymore and summoned dawn, sending her towards the two gunners and the whopper flower, taking out all of their shields.
“Kaeya!” He shouted as he charged forwards to the stumbling Fatui gunners.
“Did you like my signal?” Kaeya questioned, a grin on his face as he fought the electro hammer.
“Did you even know that there was a whopper flower there?!” Diluc questioned, sending another blast of fire at the hydro gunner who had moved to begin to stand while the cryo gunner was still reeling from the whopper flower’s electro.
“Nope!” Kaeya answered cheerfully as he fought the electro hammer.
Diluc growled in a wordless response as he fought the hydro gunner, keeping an eye on the cryo gunner that had moved to deal with the whopper flower. He needed to finish dealing with the hydro gunner in front of him, before the cryo gunner had the chance to get their shield back up and go after Kaeya.
He knocked the gun out of the hydro gunner’s hand and stabbed his claymore into the dog. He pulled his claymore back, letting the hydro gunner fall to the floor, before turning back to the cryo gunner. The whopper flower was disintegrating on the floor and the cryo gunner moved to between Diluc and where Kaeya had just finished dealing with the electro hammer.
Diluc raised his claymore, covered in flames.
The cryo gunner saw him, and turned, twisting behind himself, reaching to grab what Diluc assumed was a weapon to attack, to defend. He only had the chance to form a vague thought about how the gunner’s movements didn’t match someone who was drawing a weapon to attack.
All at once the gunner was facing him again, Kaeya’s arm gripped in their hand as he was dragged between Diluc and the gunner.
Diluc barely had the time to pull his claymore back from the killing blow it had been aiming for, extinguishing the flames quickly, as he stumbled over his feet trying to stop his attack as his blade sliced down, the momentum too much to stop completely.
Kaeya stared at him wide eyed and frozen as the blade of Diluc’s claymore sliced through his chest.
The cryo gunner let out a horrific guttural laugh as he dropped Kaeya and let Diluc’s baby brother fall to the ground, blood slowly pooling on the ground around him.
Diluc couldn’t breathe, he’d promised Kaeya that he would never hurt him again, that he wouldn’t harm him again, and yet he had killed him.
Something snapped within him. He had killed his brother, even after all the promises and apologies he had made to him. He was barely aware of what was going on around him, barely aware of what he was doing, only aware that he was hitting and slicing and hitting and there was red everywhere and the Fatui was silent, their horrific laughter silenced, their body in pieces on the floor.
He stood there, still hitting, even though the Fatui had long since stopped moving.
He couldn’t breathe, he had…he had…his brother…
He had killed…
Kaeya…
“Diluc, stop.” He heard Kaeya call out to him and he froze.
He turned slowly, his claymore dropping from his hand, being dismissed without a single conscious thought.
“Luc.” Kaeya called again, and Diluc quickly ran forwards, towards where his brother lying on the floor and dropped to his knees besides him, barely conscious of the blood that was seeping into his trousers.
“Oh, Archons.” Diluc breathed out, he felt sick. Kaeya was lying before him, his white shirt already dyed red. His brother lay on the floor, bleeding from a wound that Diluc had given him, simply because he hadn’t been paying enough attention to who he was attacking, simply because he’d let his own rage against the Fatui take over everything and he was too slow to react.
“It’s worse than it looks.” Kaeya choked out, still trying to joke even as he was desperately pressing both of his hands against the wound that ran across his chest. Kaeya’s hands were covered in blood, Kaeya was covered in blood.
“I…I have to look at it Kaeya.” Diluc said, swallowing.
“I know.” Kaeya gritted out.
“Kaeya.” Diluc said, when Kaeya made no move to move his hands.
“Just…give me a second.” Kaeya added.
“Kaeya, I need to look at it now, I’m going to move your hands, ok?” Diluc said, not wanting to cause Kaeya any more pain, but knowing that he needed to check the wound.
Kaeya nodded slightly and Diluc tried to ignore how Kaeya tried to swallow his pain and stifled his cries as Diluc gripped onto Kaeya’s hands and moved them away from the wound as gently as he could. Diluc placed Kaeya’s hands to his side, watching as Kaeya’s hands clenched as he stopped himself from moving them back as Diluc gently pulled the fabric of Kaeya’s multitude of layers back as best as he could.
“Well, Dr Diluc, will I live?” Kaeya joked, his words having a breathless quality to them.
“Be quiet.” Diluc snapped, staring at the frost that was creeping around the wound, Kaeya’s vision clearly doing it’s best to help shield him and keep him alive.
Diluc couldn’t put into words just how grateful he was to Kaeya’s vision for saving Kaeya from Diluc’s blade, not once, but twice. The wound, however, was still bleeding sluggishly, but Diluc had no idea how deep it went, only that it ran from Kaeya’s left shoulder to under his right collar bone. If Diluc hadn’t pulled his claymore back even just the tiny amount that he had, he would have sliced through Kaeya’s neck.
He felt sick when he realised that he could see the bone in Kaeya’s shoulder.
He felt sick when he realised just what he had done.
“Diluc, I’ll be alright.” Kaeya choked out, coughing over the words.
“Be quiet.” Diluc snapped again, shrugging off his coat desperately and pressing it down on the wound, hard, forcing himself to ignore how Kaeya cried out in pain, surprise winning over Kaeya’s desire to never show his pain. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Diluc continuously uttered as a mantra, whether to himself or to Kaeya he didn’t know.
“It’s ok.” Kaeya managed to comment, his voice strained as Diluc continued to press down on his wound. Diluc felt himself panic at the sight of blood on Kaeya’s lips, but he hope and prayed that it was from where Kaeya had bitten his lip to stop himself from crying out rather than from any deeper problems from the injury.
“Be quiet, it’s not.” Diluc snapped, his vision blurring, he couldn’t cry, this was his fault, he had to fix it, he couldn’t afford to wallow in his own self-pity. “I need you to sit up, so that I can tie this. Can you hold yourself up for a moment?” Diluc questioned.
“Luc, I’m fine.” Kaeya said softly, trying to push himself up on wobbling arms, Diluc catching him before his arms gave out from under him. Diluc helped Kaeya sit up properly, so that he was leaning into Diluc’s shoulder, while he tied the ends of his coat tightly behind Kaeya’s back, hoping that the makeshift bandage would help at least a little bit. He tried his hardest to ignore the sounds of pain that were leaving Kaeya and the way Kaeya was breathing heavily.
“We need to go, we can’t stay here, we need to get you to a healer.” Diluc stated once he was sure that the makeshift bandage was as secure as it could be. He leaned Kaeya back from him and hooked his arms under Kaeya’s legs and back and lifted his brother up. “It’s ok, I’m sorry, you’ll be ok, I promise.” Diluc reassured quickly as Kaeya cried out and whimpered at the movement.
Diluc felt his heart stop in his chest as Kaeya’s eye closed, but he forced himself to move, forced himself to walk, forced himself not to fall off of the precipice into grief and bad memories. Forced himself not to lose himself in his memories while his brother was in his arms bleeding and in desperate need of medical attention. Not to lose himself when his brother was still alive. He was just grateful that the sun was shining down on them and there was no sign of rain.
He regretted leaving the city with Kaeya that morning. He regretted agreeing to help. He regretted having stopped when he noticed the disturbance around them. Perhaps if he hadn’t agreed to leaving the city in the first place or if he hadn’t let his anger cloud him and attacked the Fatui, then Kaeya wouldn’t have been put in the path of his claymore’s blade.
“I can hear you thinking.” Kaeya commented, breathlessly, and Diluc looked down to see his brother blinking up at him sluggishly.
“It’s nothing.” Diluc commented, forcing himself to continue to move quickly and not stumble, he couldn’t believe that he had agreed with Kaeya when he had claimed that walking there had seemed like a good idea. Kaeya had wanted to wander; they’d had a picnic that Adelinde had made them. Diluc wished that they had taken the horses, they were too far away from help, and he didn’t know if he would be able to get Kaeya to help on time.
“It’s not your fault.” Kaeya said as firmly as he probably could, and Diluc risked glancing down at his brother and saw how Kaeya was looking at him, how he looked like he truly believed the words that he had just spoken.
“It is, Kaeya, it really is.” Diluc responded, guilt eating at him. “But it’ll be ok, I’ll get you to help.”
“We’re too far from the city.” Kaeya commented as he blinked up at Diluc, his brother still thinking through everything even when he was barely conscious.
“We’re not heading to the city.” Diluc stated.
“The winery? It will be nice to see Addie and Elzer, I don’t see them enough.” Kaeya spoke and Diluc swallowed, guilt clawing its way up his throat.
“We’re going to Dragonspine.” Diluc spoke and Kaeya’s eye widened as he looked up at him. “The adventurers’ camp, not the mountain, it’s nearby, they’ll have medical supplies.”
“Oh.” Kaeya mumbled, his eye drifting shut. “Thought you were changing your mind about visiting.”
“Hey Kaeya, stay awake.” Diluc begged, speeding up as Kaeya groggily blinked his eye open again.
“I’m tired.” Kaeya commented.
“I know, but we’ll get to the adventurers soon, they’ll be able to help, just stay with me.” Diluc begged. He could feel the tears on his cheeks.
“It’s cold” Kaeya mumbled.
“Kaeya, please, stay awake.” Diluc begged, using his vision to gently warm Kaeya, he had vague memories of instructions to keep those who were badly injured warm, or was that for shock, he couldn’t think clearly enough to remember. Kaeya didn’t appear to be listening to him, his eye blinking closed once more. “We’ll go to Dragonspine, when you’re better I promise, and I’ll give you as many death after noons as you want.”
“You’re really trying to bargain with a dying man? That’s the owner of Dawn Winery for you.” Kaeya scoffed, barely conscious as he opened his eye slowly. Diluc could see the smoke curling up from the adventurers’ camp in the distance, and he sped up.
“You’re not dying Kaeya, and we’re almost there.” Diluc stated, unsure of his own words. “You’re not dying, you’re not, you’re going to be fine.”
“Feels like I’m dying.” Kaeya said, his eye drifting shut again. They were so close to the base camp, they just had to make it a little further. Kaeya just had to hold on a little longer. The adventurers at the base camp just had to be able to help.
“Dragonspine.” Diluc commented awkwardly, doing anything to keep Kaeya talking and awake.
“Ti’s a mountain.” Kaeya responded airily, not opening his eye.
“We’ll go, I promise, we’ll go, and you’ll be warm the entire time.” Diluc responded, speeding forwards, desperately trying to get Kaeya to safety and not jostle him too much.
“We can see those birds you like.” Kaeya said faintly, opening his eye. “The white ones.”
“The Silkwhite Falcons.” Diluc responded automatically.
“Yeah, those ones.” Kaeya said quietly a small smile pulling at his face. “Hey, Luc.”
“We’ll be there soon, Kae, it’ll be ok, I promise.” Diluc spoke.
“I’m glad we’re brothers again.” Kaeya mumbled and Diluc looked down at his brother in his arms as Kaeya’s eye slid shut and the small smile fell from his face.
“Kaeya. Kaeya!” Diluc screamed. He began to run. Kaeya no longer conscious, thoughts of getting Kaeya to safety overriding any thoughts he had to not jostle him too much.
The camp finally came into sight, and he was vaguely aware that he was screaming out for help. Vaguely aware of people running out to help him, no doubt shocked at seeing the famously unemotional Master Diluc running into their camp, crying, carrying a bleeding and unconscious Cavalry Captain. The Cavalry Captain whose wound was caused by his own brother’s blade, again.
Diluc was barely aware as people tried to take Kaeya from his arms, he tried to stop them, but strong arms pulled him away, words about how they were going to do their best to help Kaeya and that they would send word to the Cathedral for a healer as soon as possible filtering through to him as Kaeya was taken from him.
He was barely aware as he was guided to sit and someone gently washed over his hands and arms with a warm, damp cloth, the water they were rinsing the cloth in dyed red.
Diluc stood, claymore instantly in hand as the entrance to the tent was flung open, the thought that perhaps more Fatui were attacking taking over, even though he knew that they were safe in the adventurers’ camp. He had to protect Kaeya, who was lying on the cot, wrapped in bandages, barely alive, not having woken up since Diluc had stumbled into the camp carrying him.
He stared as Jean stood before him, her hands up in front of her placating him. He instantly dismissed his claymore as Jean hurried to the side of Kaeya’s bed and used her healing energy on him. Diluc dropped back down into his chair in relief while Jean worked. Kaeya would be ok, he had to be ok, Jean was there, and she would make sure that he was ok.
“Diluc.” He looked up and saw that Jean was crouched in front of him, looking concerned. He hadn’t noticed her move, she should be healing Kaeya, why wasn’t she healing Kaeya, was he… “What happened?” She questioned.
“Kaeya…” Diluc trailed off.
“He’s fine, I’ve healed him, he just needs time now, and some additional healing at the Cathedral, he’ll be ok.” Jean said in the patient voice she always used when talking to victims and children. Diluc couldn’t even find the energy to bristle at her tone too busy being relieved that Kaeya would be ok. “What happened Diluc?”
“We went to fight the electro hypostasis for Lisa.” He mumbled.
“And then what, I know you’re both capable of fight Aleph, and Kaeya’s wound was not cause by Aleph.” Jean stated, probing in her questions.
“There were Fatui.” He said, flinching slightly as Jean moved to hold his right hand, gently began to unwind the bandages that wrapped around his hand and arm.
“Sorry.” Jean apologised as she continued to unravel the bandages.
“It’s my fault.” Diluc choked out, tears in his eyes. “One of the Fatui pulled Kaeya between us as I went to attack…It was my blade that struck Kaeya.”
He looked down, not wanting to see the betrayal that would be on Jean’s face. He’d admitted it to her, and he doubted that she would look upon him mercifully a second time, regardless of whatever Kaeya would choose to say to her. Diluc doubted that even Kaeya would be merciful on him a second time, and Diluc would let him do whatever he wanted. If Kaeya wanted to never talk to him again, Diluc would accept it. If Kaeya wanted to strike him down, then Diluc would accept.
“Diluc, look at me.” Jean requested, her voice still gentle. Diluc didn’t raise his head, he just stared at the frostbite that crawled from his hand to his arm, frostbite that was probably from the cryo gunner, that he hadn’t even noticed he had received. “Diluc.” Jean requested again, reaching out and placing one of her hands on his cheek. He slowly raised his head and looked at her. “This is the Fatui’s fault, I know that you two have reconciled, that you would never raise your blade towards him now.” She stated, the ‘again’ going unspoken.
“But…” Diluc tried.
“And I’m sure that Kaeya would agree with me.” Jean said patiently. “The adventurers said that you arrived barely able to stand and covered in blood, and that when they had tried to take Kaeya form you, you had argued, and they had to pull you away. Those aren’t the actions of someone at fault Diluc.”
Diluc merely looked down, he knew that she was disappointed and was doing her best not to show it, waiting for Kaeya to wake up and tell her the truth of what happened. Diluc didn’t deserve her kindness, no matter how temporary it was.
“Oh, Diluc.” Jean sighed. Diluc just blinked at her, feeling like he was wading through sugar. “Diluc, are you hurt anywhere else?” Jean questioned, all of her authority as Acting Grand Master leaking into her tone, no doubt realising that Diluc wasn’t going to agree with her assurance that he wasn’t guilt of attacking Kaeya.
“No.” Diluc assured her.
“Are you sure?” Jean questioned. Diluc looked at his arm, it was a mess, the frost bite covering almost the entirety of his arm in patches, and he couldn’t tell if it looked worse over the scarred patches of skin or where it had blemished his unscarred skin.
“I didn’t notice.” He commented, as Jean got to work healing his arm, and she moved and returned with fresh bandages and began to rebandage his arm.
“The adventurers didn’t mention any other injuries, so I’m hoping that you’re truly ok Diluc, promise me that you’ll me if you aren’t.” She said and Diluc blinked at her. The adventurers had given him fresh clothes to wear after they had cleaned the blood from his skin and had taken his bloodied clothes from him. He wasn’t even sure if the blood was Kaeya’s or from the Fatui. “Diluc.” She called firmly when he didn’t answer her.
“I promise.” Diluc assured. Jean clearly didn’t believe him as he looked back towards Kaeya. His brother didn’t seem any different from before, despite the extra colour in his cheeks.
“He’ll be ok.” Jean stated, confidence in her words, and Diluc wanted to believe her.
He had to believe her.
His brother would be ok.
Kaeya woke up. He didn’t know where he was, only that he was lying down and was embraced by muted pain that pulsed through him, through his shoulder and his chest, but he couldn’t pinpoint the origin.
“Kaeya.” He heard Diluc call him, perhaps he had died, and he was imagining things, perhaps he would be able to see Master Crepus, he needed to apologise to his father, apologise that he’d never told him of the real reason that his birth father had left him outside the winery on that rainy night. “Kaeya, you’re ok.” Diluc said again and Kaeya accepted that he was alive.
He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to block out being awake. Being asleep was safe. He wouldn’t need to deal with reality when he was asleep. “Kaeya, please.” Diluc called again and Kaeya felt him squeeze his hand gently. Kaeya opened his eye and closed it instantly when light stabbed into it.
He felt Diluc let go of his hand and heard movement and the light that was filtering through his eyelid dimmed. “I’ve closed the curtains; it should be easier now.” Diluc stated, holding onto Kaeya’s hand again.
Kaeya opened his eye and blinked, trying to force himself into being fully awake. He blinked as he looked around, he was in one of the rooms used for healing in the Cathedral, specifically one of the individual rooms that were reserved for contagious illnesses or badly injured individuals. He looked to his side, Diluc was sat in a chair next to his bed. Diluc looked pale, like he hadn’t slept in days, one of his arms was bandaged, but otherwise he looked unharmed.
Kaeya tried to move and winced, he looked down and realised that his left arm was held in a sling and when he tried to move it, he realised that the sling was keeping his forearm attached to him and he could feel the strap keeping it in place behind his back. His arm was fully immobilised. He chuckled glad that he was no longer left-handed.
He remembered entering the area where the Fatui were and attempting to get information about what they were doing in the area, and failing to get even the smallest crumb of information from them, he’d have to look into it the moment he was able to. He supposed he could ask Diluc to in the mean time, but looking at the state his brother was in he didn’t think his brother would listen or find out information about the Fatui without attacking them. He’d have to ask Rosaria or Vile to look into it for him.
He remembered responding to the attack the Fatui launched when they had grown tired of his attempt to make conversation with them. He remembered feigning to fall to the floor and pulling the whopper flower out of the ground and using it as a makeshift signal for Diluc to join in the fray, surprised that his brother had waited so long before attacking.
He remembered being grabbed by the cryo gunner and preparing to use what he had thought to be a desperate attack to his advantage. He remembered freezing as the cryo gunner had dragged him around and he had seen Diluc's flaming blade carving through the air towards him. Remembered how he had remained frozen, standing in the cryo gunner’s grip as the flames on Diluc’s claymore had extinguished and Diluc had stumbled, looking horrified as the blade had cut into Kaeya.
“Kaeya.” Diluc breathed, and Kaeya attempted to crack a broken smile at his brother, forcing himself to move away from the memories of seeing Diluc’s blade attack him again.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Master Diluc.” Kaeya joked, trying to lighten the mood, not liking how Diluc was staring at him with such a broken expression. Not liking how Diluc was staring at him with barely concealed horror.
“Kaeya.” Diluc spoke again, his free hand stretching out to check if Kaeya was ok, but then withdrawing at the last second. Diluc let go of his hand, standing quickly and Kaeya found himself pushing himself up onto his elbow and attempting to reach out to him, cursing internally as he remembered that his left arm was immobilised, and he couldn’t move it.
“Diluc-” Kaeya tried.
“I’ll go and fetch one of the healers, stay in bed.” Diluc said, quickly picking up his coat and walking out of the room, before Kaeya could even form a single thought to stop him. Leaving Kaeya alone with his thoughts and memories of a flaming blade carving towards him.
“You can’t avoid me forever you know.” Kaeya commented, walking towards where Diluc was sat on the bench in the graveyard.
“I’m not avoiding you.” Diluc responded, glancing at Kaeya and looking him up and down, clearly scanning for anything at all that was still wrong, his eyes catching on the sling that Kaeya was still stuck wearing.
In all of the time that Kaeya had been confined to bed in the Cathedral, he had barely seen his brother, Diluc only visiting in sporadic intervals and mostly when Kaeya was asleep. Every time Kaeya had heard Diluc speaking to someone either in his room or outside it, he had taken to pretending to sleep in the hope that his brother would stay, and he would somehow be able to rope him into conversation. But every time Diluc had realised that Kaeya was awake, he would quickly make some outlandish excuse and leave.
Kaeya dropped onto the bench next to Diluc, only slightly grimacing as the sling jostled and pulled on his shoulder. The sling had been getting on his nerves, but while he was still held prisoner by the healers of the Cathedral all with Jean’s blessing, he had to keep it on. Rosaria had already threatened to remove his entire arm if he tried to remove it again, after she had walked in on him trying to re-plait his hair, his sling uselessly sat on the bed next to him. She had threatened to remove his arm, but she had quickly bullied him into putting the sling back on properly and sat herself behind him, brushing and re-plaiting his hair for him.
Kaeya sighed as Diluc moved to probably offer help, but then moved back to sitting stiffly, looking across the graves.
“It wasn’t your fault you know.” Kaeya commented, looking forwards, He had had plenty of time to think it over while in the Cathedral, despite all of the other visitors who had filled his waking hours, and it was obvious to him why Diluc was avoiding him. Kaeya remembered vague flashes from their walk to the adventurers’ camp, even though he had no memories of being in the camp itself, and those memories were filled with Diluc apologising.
Jean had told him of how she had received word from the adventurers that Diluc had appeared looking like a creature from the Abyss, barely able to walk and covered in blood carrying Kaeya. She had told him how Diluc had tried to fight the adventurers when they had taken Kaeya from Diluc. How they had been lucky that Cyrus had been at the camp and how he had taken Diluc and gotten him cleaned up and into new clothes and bandaged his injured arm.
Jean had told him of how she had arrived at the adventurers’ camp, panicked, having no idea in what stated she’d find them both, and how after she had healed Kaeya, she had turned her attention to Diluc, and how he was almost catatonic and hadn’t even been aware that he was hurt. How Diluc had instantly blamed himself when Jean had questioned what had happened. Kaeya had told her that it hadn’t been Diluc’s fault at all and he had tried to blame himself. Jean had sighed at him and hugged him telling him that he and Diluc were too alike for their own good sometimes.
He and Jean had sat crying on his bed in the Cathedral for a while. Kaeya hadn’t even really been sure why he was crying, especially when it certainly wasn’t the worst injury he had ever received and how he knew that Diluc hadn’t been aiming his claymore at Kaeya.
“I hurt you Kaeya, I hurt you again. If I hadn’t realised that you were in front of me when I did, I could have killed you.” Diluc spoke, his last words coming out choked. Kaeya was somewhat surprised that Diluc had spoken so many words about the matter so easily, he had half expected to have yet another argument with Diluc. But as he turned to look at his brother he saw just how tired he looked, and he had no doubt that guilt had been eating away at Diluc. Kaeya knew how his brother worked, and how he would continue to blame himself until the end of time if no one well and truly stepped in and put a stop to it.
“But you didn’t, and it wasn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have been so careless.” Kaeya spoke. Addie would have been the best option to talk sense into Diluc, but she wasn’t there, and it was something that Kaeya had to suck up and do himself. He and Diluc had to discuss it themselves, otherwise nothing would ever resolve between them.
“Kae-” Diluc began.
“It was my fault, Diluc, I had thought that the whopper flower would buy us more time than it did, but either, apparently the Fatui were stronger than I gave them credit for, or the whopper flower was weaker than expected.” Kaeya continued. “Either way, you can’t blame yourself. Especially when you saved me.”
“How exactly did I save you, Kaeya?” Diluc questioned with a scoff as he stood and began to pace in front of the bench. “You’re lucky to be alive.”
“Exactly.” Kaeya stated, as he watched his older brother pace in front of him, watched him pace along the path separating Kaeya from the graves of the graveyard. “I’m lucky to be alive, because you got me to help. You saved me. You snapped out of your killing, and you got me to the adventurers at the Dragonspine base camp who are always prepared to treat all sorts of injuries. If you hadn’t gotten me to them, I never would have survived.”
Kaeya didn’t mention how seeing Diluc tear the Fatui apart while he, himself, had been lying on the floor trying to stop himself from bleeding out, trying to stop himself from crying out in pain, had shaken him, a horrific, traitorous part of his brain telling him that he was next, that Diluc would turn around and finish the job he had started on his eighteenth birthday.
He didn’t mention how he probably could have saved himself from Diluc’s attack had he not have frozen when he had seen the flaming claymore carving towards him.
“But it was my blade that injured you in the first place.” Diluc snapped.
“I mean, if we really think about it, it was the cryo gunner’s fault, if he hadn’t grabbed me and dragged me between us when you went to attack him, then you never would have hit me.” Kaeya continued, keeping his voice level, needing Diluc to understand. Needing Diluc to understand that he didn’t blame him.
“Kaeya…” Diluc trailed off, looking at Kaeya, pausing in his pacing.
“I mean it Luc, I don’t blame you, it wasn’t your fault, and I won’t have you beat yourself up over something that I don’t even blame you for.” Kaeya added.
“That’s exactly why I have to blame myself for it, because you won’t, Kae.” Diluc blurted out, running his hands through his hair. “You won’t blame me, even though it’s my fault. I should have kept you safe. I promised to never raise my blade against you ever again and yet I did. I lifted my claymore and swung. I thought that you were going to die in my arms. I thought that you would die before I got you to the adventurers camp, that you would die before Jean got to you and would be able to heal you. You essentially said goodbye.” Diluc choked, sobs racking him as he held onto his head.
Kaeya stood, walking over to his brother slowly, hugging him awkwardly with his one free arm.
“It’s not your fault, Luc, I promise, and I don’t blame you, but if apologising will make you feel better, then I accept your apology.” Kaeya said, tears rolling down his face as Diluc’s arms lowered and he hugged Kaeya back gently. “I’m sorry that I put you through that, but we’re both here, we’re both alive, and that’s what counts.”
They stood there on the path between the graves in silence. They stood in the graveyard that held their father, that held Diluc’s mother, that held everyone they had known who had passed and all of the Diluc’s ancestors. They stood crying and holding onto each other. They stood in the graveyard, alive.
Diluc eventually pulled back and Kaeya let him go, standing there like that had been beginning to hurt his arm, but there was no way he would have ever voiced that fact. He needed hugs from Diluc like he needed air, especially after what had happened and how he had been deprived of them for so long.
“No more picking random signals when wanting me to join you.” Diluc stated eventually after rubbing at his eyes.
“But I thought the whopper flower was one of my better signals.” Kaeya pouted, accepting the shift into a slightly lighter topic as Diluc reached out and dabbed at Kaeya’s eye with his sleeve, gently wiping away the tears lingering there.
“It was a good distraction, I suppose.” Diluc said with reluctance.
“See!” Kaeya agreed with a grin.
“However, it would have also helped if I had known what you were planning, unless of course you didn’t know what you were planning.” Diluc commented, and Kaeya cursed just how much Jean and Diluc talked, cursing even more so about why Jean had apparently decided to tell Diluc about all of his half-baked plans from when he only vaguely knew what he was doing. He had no proof that they had talked about it of course, but he was fairly certain.
“I always know what I’m planning.” Kaeya defended, affronted, even though he knew that the words leaving his lips were a bold-faced lie.
“You didn’t even have a clue the whopper flower was there.” Diluc stated crossing his arms, attempting to look stern, but Kaeya had had a lifetime to grow immune to the stern face that Diluc put on his face, it was, after all, the same one that he would always use to try and imitate their father when they had been young.
“I had a hunch.” Kaeya confessed with a smirk.
“A hunch?” Diluc questioned.
“Yes, Diluc, a hunch, the flower look a little odd.” Kaeya spoke, his smirk widening into a grin as Diluc stared at him open mouthed.
“You had a hunch because ‘the flower looked a little odd’? Kaeya, seriously?” Diluc questioned.
“Anyway, so…” Kaeya started, changing the subject quickly, before Diluc could begin a lecture. “When are we going to Dragonspine?”
“We’re not.” Diluc stated, trying to sound stern and miserable despite how the corner of this mouth was ticking up into the makings of a smile. Kaeya grinned at the sight of Diluc trying to force the smile back down into the firm line that made little Klee think that Diluc was the grumpiest person in the entirety of Mond.
“But you said we could, and I seem to recall being promised as much death after noon as I want.” Kaeya said grinning at his brother, counting it as a win when Diluc sighed but a smile formed on his face.
It would take them time until they were completely ok around each other again, and Kaeya knew that things would never be exactly the same as they had been before Diluc’s eighteenth birthday, but they were getting there no matter how slowly, and that was what counted.
They were brothers again.