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Kaeya slowed his horse down as he approached the little hill that overlooked the Dawn Winery. The cloak he wore felt heavy on his shoulders after such a long journey. It was not made for the mild and soothing spring air that felt far too hot after months stuck between snow slopes and icy mountains. Kaeya swallowed and raised a hand to gesture for the rest of his cavalry to stop behind him. "I’ll quickly check up on someone," he said. The other knights were all aware of who the commander was looking for so anxiously. So they just nodded and continued riding to Mondstadt. They knew their captain would catch up with them eventually. Mika stayed at Kaeya’s side for a little longer, hesitating to move on. "Sir, are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked, fidgeting with his horse's reins."I have to." Kaeya just muttered. Mika nodded and finally decided to turn his horse around. Kaeya waited for the young boy to vanish until he returned his gaze to the manor. Three years have passed. He still remembers the night Diluc attacked him with his blazing sword. It was a horrible, stormy night, one of which he has seen plenty of times in different countries. Every rain cloud reminded him of the fierce and murderous look on the face of the man he once called his sworn brother. It was a blessing and a curse that Varka chose him to accompany him on his expedition up north, after Diluc had quit the knights and Varka had promoted Kaeya to cavalry captain. After Crepus almost died and Kaeya ran to Diluc to confess his origin, Kaeya avoided running into any of the Ragnvindrs as much as possible. It was not hard after the Drake incident. Diluc, overwhelmed with worry, shame, and anger, decided to care for his father and the winery instead of being a knight. Kaeya, being a damn coward, never felt compelled to talk to Diluc again. The blue-haired man simply needed some time to reflect on things before he was ready. One day he decided to send a letter to Diluc, telling him how sorry he was for all that had happened. The first letters were scarce, but after a while the letters became more frequent and the tone grew warmer with every word they exchanged. One day, the letters stopped. This got Kaeya worried and compelled him to volunteer to return to Mondstadt.Yes, Diluc and Kaeya did not part on good terms, that is for sure. Nonetheless, Kaeya still had feelings for Diluc. Growing up together made him fall in love with the man who carried a bright fire in his soul. Even if they were not that close anymore, it felt like their relationship was steadily improving. So why did the letters stop? Did something happen to Diluc?Pulling his dark horse’s reins, the cavalry captain descended the small hill and headed for the winery. It was already dark, but Kaeya could see some of the rooms lit as he approached the large building. When he arrived at the front door, he dismounted his horse and knocked. It took a few seconds until a well-known face unlocked the door."Adelinde, you’re as beautiful as I remember!" Kaeya chirped with his signature smile plastered on his face. Adeline gaped at him for a split second before she remembered her training and returned his grin with a wide smile. "Sir Kaeya! What a surprise! So the expedition is finally over?" she exclaimed. "Where are my manners? Please come in, young master. I am afraid that Master Crepus has already retired for the night, though," she said as she ushered the captain into the dining hall after a brief hug. "Please don’t worry; I only meant to quickly check up on everyone. I’m afraid that I was just sent back to support the remaining forces in the fight against the Abyss Order and help secure the city. The majority of the expedition is still freezing their behinds off up north. But tell me, how is Master Crepus’ health?" Kaeya responded after returning the hug and added with some hesitation: "I also hoped to have a quick chat with Master Diluc. Is he… around?"Adelinde freezes and locks her gaze on an unsuspecting Kaeya."So… you do not know?" she asked hesitantly.With a puzzled look, Kaeya crosses his arms over his chest and tilts his head."Know what?" he asked slowly.Adelinde pauses and quickly looks up the stairs. With a stuttering inhale, she lowers her gaze and seemingly contemplates her options. "Well, better you hear it from me than via the grapevine. Would you mind following me into the kitchen?" she asked.Nodding, Kaeya unlocked his arms and followed the headmaid, who did not even bother to take his coat from him or even wait for an answer. What was going on? Now Kaeya was extremely worried. What would compel the headmaid, who raised Diluc and him, to retreat to the kitchen? Did she deem the dining hall unsafe? Was someone spying on the family?When they finally arrived in the kitchen, Adelinde started preparing some tea. The maid obviously needed something to do with her hands. Kaeya closed the kitchen door behind them. Everything still looked the way he remembered. It was a warm, lovely kitchen, stuffed to the brim with cooking supplies and ingredients. He still remembers how he and Diluc snuck in here when they thought the room was unoccupied to try their small hands at backing and cooking.While the tea leaves were soaking in the hot water, Adelinde turned to the cavalry captain. "You’ve grown quite into that uniform, young man," she said with a soft smile. When Kaeya did not grace her with a response to the compliment, she sighed, and her expression grew sorrowful: "We are no longer allowed to call Diluc by his titel. It was stripped from him, as well as his last name.""Excuse me? What on earth did that blockhead do to warrant such a harsh punishment?" Kaeya gasped, slamming both fists down on the table and shaking the exquisite teacups. Did Diluc fall from grace? Is that even possible? Adeline must be joking. Admittedly, Crepus was very angry with Diluc when he left the knights to protect his father’s name. Although Crepus did acknowledge his son’s good intentions, he could not fathom why his son would ever turn his back on the knights. Kaeya was not present when they fought, but from what he could gather in the aftermath, shortly before he left with Varka on the expedition, it was the ugliest fight father and son have ever experienced. Diluc had always been a good boy. He never rebelled, he never complained, and he had always loved his father with an unmatched passion.Adelinde sighed again, pouring the freshly brewed tea into the small cups. "Well, after Diluc left the knights, the master decided that his son was unfit for business. So he assigned him manual labor. The poor boy was heartbroken but worked double shifts to please his father. Nonetheless, Master Crepus was not satisfied. Some time during last year, Diluc returned from another fourteen-hour shift, and the Master had asked him to mix a Death After Noon for him at their private bar. The young master was too tired to stand, but he still obliged. It was of no surprise that he slipped and dropped a bottle while doing so. Master Crepus had another of his raging fits and accused him of being of absolutely no use to him anymore. It pains me to say it, but the Master praised your accomplishments over Diluc’s. The young master, as loyal as he is, did not respond to any of the accusations and sat through it." Adelinde paused her tale to hand Kaeya a cup of tea. With a short nod of his head, Kaeya accepted the cup and also urged Adeline to continue. He could not fully process the story yet. This was insane."Well, this might not be of any significance, since this was not the first time such an incident occurred. I however, assume that this was the night Master Crepus made up his mind on a plan he had been working on for a while. Some days later, he called Diluc into his study. I was outside dusting the shelves when they had their final fight. From what I could gather, Master Crepus had decided on a wife for his son. I still remember him shouting that all he needed was a level-headed heir to the family name." Adeline closed her eyes and needed to collect herself before she was able to continue. "Diluc confessed that he does not like women and will never take a wife. So, Master Crepus cut him off. The Master never officially told any of the staff why he cut him off, but it seemed like some of the vineyard workers listened to their heated debate from the study’s open window, so… Well, the story spread like wildfire through Mondstadt."Kaeya couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Master Crepus had always been extremely strict with Diluc when they were boys. All the time they played together, Kaeya was always the one who got into trouble. Somehow it seemed that it was alright to act like a child for someone outside the family. But Diluc? He always had to be perfect. There were no loose hairs on the boy, no wrinkles in his clothes—nothing that could hint at him being anything but the ideal noble. Diluc had been the youngest cavalry captain and was the ambitious and proud prodigy everybody loved.Kaeya could not even imagine Crepus being angry with Diluc. Especially not about something as insignificant as this."But… why, Adelinde? This is Mondstadt. This is a free city. Why disown him over sexual preferences?" Kaeya blurted. Before their huge fight, he got the fleeting notion that his affections weren't wholly unrequited. It was nevertheless shocking to learn from their caretaker that Diluc had acknowledged to something so personal, and that it had now become the talk of the neighborhood for months. It dawned on him why Diluc did not respond to his letters anymore, if he’d even received them, as he was obviously not welcomed in his own home anymore.With an angry huff, Adelinde replied: "You know what I think? I believe the damned Fatui Dilusion burned Master Crepus’s brain."Kaeya chuckled, although the amusement did not reach his eyes. Sipping from his mug, he replied, "And where is Diluc now?""He rents a little hut outside of Springvale at the moment. I can give you directions. You did not hear any of this from me, though.""Of course not, thank you, Adelinde." The cavalry captain replied and handed her the teacup back. Without another word, Adelinde took it and started cleaning the kettle and the cups after she wrote the directions she mentioned previously on a paper napkin and handed it over. Kaeya just stood in the kitchen after he pocketed the napkin, his head lowered and deep in thought. All of this sounds wrong. Why would Crepus turn on his beloved son? Why would he try to work him half to death only because the boy had tried to defend their family’s name and honor? Why would he do that to the sole heir of the estate?"Well, as much as I enjoy your company, it is late, and you should leave for now. Oh, and if you’re trying to catch Diluc at home... Try either dusk or dawn. He usually sleeps during the day." Adeline adds when she has finished her work.
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After the cavalry captain’s disturbing visit to the winery, he quickly rode back to Mondstadt city. The young, blue-haired man had so many questions, which were piling up by the minute. All of this sounds suspicious. Could one event truly shatter years of love and devotion? Judging from Diluc’s reaction that night when they had their fight, it was not that much of a surprise that Master Crepus would react so badly after one misstep on Diluc’s side. Diluc was, after all, Crepus's son, and Crepus had molded Diluc to his liking. The only thing that set the two apart, which was, in a way, favorable for Crepus’ mission, was Diluc’s burning passion. After all, it was Diluc who was granted a vision, not his father. Apart from that, Kaeya suspected another influence on Crepus’ behavior, but he could not quite put his finger on it. He really needed to talk to Diluc, no matter the unresolved issue between them. The cavalry captain had a feeling that this was not necessarily just a family drama. Something was up. Someone wanted Diluc out of the picture. This made no sense at all. Mondstadt was safe. Jean said in her letters that everything was under control.Kaeya sighed and shook his head. He was making things up. The exhaustion must have clouded his judgment. After all, he could not let worry for his former friend distract him from his duties. Now he needed to report back to the acting grand master and make sure his men were getting settled and their horses were being tended. There was a lot to do before he could rest.When he finally caught up to the other members of his troop, they had already reached the front gates of Mondstadt. Although it was in the middle of the night, people came to the streets and greeted them warmly. Kaeya usually enjoyed the attention, but now all he wanted was to get on with his duties and hit the hay. Apparently, he was not allowed to do so until he had a couple of mindless chats and received some well wishes and praises for their bravery. Yeah, well, they were not the complete expedition party, and he really could care less for these empty words. He was just a backup for the knights stationed here, after all, sent back to defend the city if needed. Varka must have been really worried by what their spies had reported. Oh well, he would learn about it soon enough.One could believe that it would be enjoyable to spend some days at a safe and warm desk, after years of fighting hideous and dangerous monsters in the cold mountains of the north. Much to Kaeya’s own surprise, he hated it. The following days were filled with lots of minor tasks that unfortunately took far too much time. Kaeya had to report here and there, pen another report, hand in said reports, and so on and so forth. Ugh. He only halfway listened to the reports he got from other troops, and although he was delighted to see Jean and Lisa, he could not express his feelings openly since they were always in the company of a large group of knights. There was no time for tea and chatter, and he loathed it already. It was the third day after his arrival, and he had no chance to meet Diluc due to his obligations. This was one of these days on which Kaeya envied Diluc for flipping the bird to the knights and slamming his insignia on Eroch’s desk. Running around the headquarters, catching up on everything that happened in his ranks after three years, felt worse than fighting a pack of Rifthounds.While Kaeya was grabbing a bite at the headquarters cafeteria, he overheard some bits of conversations, that unfortunately confirmed Adelinde’s report. "Are you still pining after that redhead? You know he’s gay and not rich anymore.""Yeah, he’s still hot; let a girl dream.""That asshole? He’d bite your head off.""Oh, come on, that’s not fair! I think you want to get into his pants!""You mean his ass.""Guys, you’re disgusting." Disgusting, indeed. Kaeya contemplated getting up and confronting these knights, but decided against it for the time being. Instead, he kept his ears pricked. Kaeya would make a mental note of this. These young knights will suffer when they’re assigned to him. Judging from their looks, they probably would one day. Young knights were required to spend a set number of weeks in the cavalry as part of their training. Eula would be proud of him. "Besides, he’s good for nothing now. I’ve heard rumors that he’s selling his skills." One of the young guys commented."As a whore?" The female knight gasped, which earned her a laugh from the two other male knights."No, no. I don’t think so. My aunt said he’s a mercenary now." Diluc is a mercenary. This must be a bad joke. Kaeya huffed and pushed his meal aside. He had lost his appetite. Shoving the chair away, he got up and left the cafeteria. After such a long time of absence, he couldn’t care less about the fight he had with Diluc. They were both dumb, emotionally unstable teenagers when it happened. It was bad, yes, but after all the shit he had witnessed on his journey up the northern mountains, this was nothing. Kaeya absentmindedly rubbed his eyepatch on his way through the halls. He hurried to his office and resumed work, determined to get through all of this pointless paper pushing as quickly as possible. All he wanted now was to reunite with his sworn brother and maybe give him a light slap on the shoulder for the long silence that made him worry like a lost puppy. They had both been such idiots. Kaeya could only hope that Diluc had a similar sentiment regarding this matter.When Kaeya finally finished writing his last report after several hours, he took out the napkin and studied it. It was way past dusk now. Would he have a chance to run into Diluc at this hour? If what he heard was true, the former master is working at night. This probably suited the redhead just fine, since he has always been a night owl. Kaeya looked up to the full moon that shone brightly into his office chambers. The last few days were so exhausting that Kaeya dropped dead in his dusty apartment on his dusty sheets when he finally arrived home. Luckily, he wasn’t allergic to dust, or he would have already died in his sleep. Anyway, considering his ram-packed schedule, it was unlikely that he would have a chance to see Diluc at either dusk or dawn, as Adelinde had suggested, until the whole expedition and abyss chaos had settled a little. Kaeya decided to ride to Springvale, although he was utterly exhausted.
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Thanks to the mild spring weather, Kaeya could shed his heavy winter uniform for a more revealing and comfortable version. The captain loved his half coat with the fluffy white collar and the tight, revealing leather pants. It not only made him look but also feel sexy. The deep dark circles under his eyes did not fully match this outfit, though.Following the instructions, it was not hard for him to track down the miserable little hut that Diluc now called his home. It was just a small shed nestled between some trees on a small hill in the far back of Springvale. Kaeya slowly rode up to the hut, carefully examining his surroundings. Based on the faint smell of broth cooking over an open fire, someone must be at home. It seemed like Kaeya was lucky. After he decided to let his horse roam for a bit, he got off the large beast and strolled over to the figure that was sitting in front of the fire outside the little shed. Kaeya was both excited and terrified. It had been three years and several months of silence. The heap of fluffy red hair was unmistakably Diluc’s. The man hunched over some rabbits he must have hunted in the lush green fields earlier today. The game looked slightly charred. Kaeya approached his friend from behind and crossed his arms, leaning against the rough stone of the hut."You know, Master Diluc, one usually fries the meat after it is cleaned out," he mocked with a half smile on his lips. This only earned him a huff before the figure in front of him slowly turned around. The only thing that reminded him of his friend were his fierce red eyes, which considered him with an unpleased frown. Apart from that, Diluc looked much older than he could possibly be after just three years. His hair was matted and a tangled mess. It looked like the man gave up on tending to it but had no heart to cut it short. His black coat was unprofessionally mended several times over. It looked like it had been torn and cut from various fights or hard labor. Kaeya had prepared several mocking comments, but they all died in his throat when he saw his friend in this state. Diluc huffed again, probably recognizing the shift in Kaeya’s look."Spare me your pity." he growled and moved over on the wooden bench he was sitting on, making room for Kaeya."I’ve wondered when, or if, you’d show your face. You must be delighted now, Master Kaeya." Diluc sneered as he grabbed his hunting knife and continued working on one of the rabbits. Kaeya flinched. "What makes you say such a thing? Why should I be delighted?""I got what I deserved." Diluc deadpanned and stared at the pot in front of him for a brief moment before he continued to work on his rabbit soup. Kaeya took out his own hunting knife from his coat and grabbed the second rabbit, professionally gutting it and preparing the meat."Did you? I do not think so. I heard some rumors, but I would have preferred to hear it from you. You stopped writing months ago." Kaeya responded, a numb sensation forming in his throat. It had been three years. Three damned years! All they managed to do was sit next to each other, preparing food. Gutting the rabbit was a good distraction from all the emotions he was feeling.When Diluc was done with his rabbit, he sighed and tossed the meat into the broth."Kaeya, look… I know it is probably too late, but... I wanted to apologize." Diluc muttered, wiping the hunting knife on a cloth and setting it aside. Kaeya also finished with his rabbit and did the same. He also turned to Diluc, tilting his eyebrows up expectantly. Drawing in a shaky breath, Diluc continued: "I was a dumb fucking asshole. I deserve all your mirth and mockery. I am so sorry for how I reacted and how I treated you in the aftermath. It was not fair. I needed to tell you this in person, so... here we are.""Oh wow, when did you learn to swear? What did I miss, my dear Master?" Kaeya purred, which earned him a light slap on his shoulder. With a dramatic gesture to his heart, he leaned forward and whined: "Ohhhh just one sentence in between your heartfelt apology and you’re hurting me again." This earned him another light slap on his shoulder. "You’re insufferable; I was trying to make amends!" Diluc hissed, his eyes irritated. Kaeya laughed and tested the waters by putting an arm around his friend’s shoulders."I know; look, Diluc. You were a dick. But I was as much of an asshole as you were. Your dad was heavily wounded, and all I could do was gawk and destroy your trust in me. Of course I knew that you would attack me. My dear master, we’ve been together for years; I know a thing or two about you." Since Diluc did not move away, Kaeya grabbed him tighter and pulled him into a hug. "I missed you." Diluc hesitated for a moment before he returned the hug, letting his head rest on Kaeya’s shoulder. Nuzzling his head against his neck, Diluc closed his eyes and stayed silent. They both needed this. After what both felt like an eternity and only a few seconds, Diluc replied, "I missed you too." Kaeya felt his heart race in his chest. It felt so good to be back. They slowly unlocked their embrace before Diluc turned his attention to the broth. "Care to join me for a bite?" He asked, already standing up to walk into the hut. "Yes, I’m starving. The rumors at the cafeteria made me lose my appetite this noon.""I wonder what you heard. Indulge me.""Only when you answer my initial question. Why did you stop writing?"Diluc rolled his eyes and said, "I am pretty sure you already figured out that I am no longer welcome at the estate. My father took all my birds. I tried to get to the local post office in town once, but they refused me the service.""Oh.""Oh indeed." Diluc sneered, but was there a hint of amusement in his eyes? Kaeya remembered that Diluc always loved the rare opportunity to render him speechless. It took Diluc a few moments to return with two mismatched bowls, two spoons, and a dipper. Could it be that Diluc was limping a little? His stance was off, and he definitely put more weight on the right foot than he usually would. Kaeya frowned but decided not to comment on it for now. Diluc filled one bowl with broth and handed it to Kaeya. The rabbit soup was plain, but it was much better than anything the knights had cooked on their expedition."So, what is the current talk?" Diluc asked after he filled his own bowl with broth. Although the two sworn brothers could not have been more different in personality, there was one thing they shared. They both loved gossip. When they were still living together in the knights' dorms, they knew every little dirty secret of absolutely everyone employed in that large building. This was one reason Diluc had always enjoyed working at Angel’s Share. The drunken talk of Mondstadt’s citizens always delighted the two of them. Kaeya openly used this information, whereas Diluc just enjoyed the narratives. Jean and Lisa had always called them the worst gossip girls in town, and they were not wrong. Although this type of gossip was directed at Diluc, he was still very interested in the current tales."Well, it seems that some people think you’re the town’s gay gigolo." Kaeya answered with a grin. "Is this true? Who did you fuck, my dear friend? Tell me alllllllll about it. Was it Angelo? I figure he’d be your type.""What?" Diluc seemed shocked. "The rumor is old, but I never engaged in anything like that! It's completely made up. Angelo? Did you…?" Diluc almost dropped his soup bowl, which earned him another laugh from the cavalry captain."You did not? So you are into girls then?" He rebutted with a nasty smirk."NO! Kaeya, you’re deflecting. Are you telling me that you’re…?" Diluc gasped.Oh, how he loved that conversation. It was almost like old times. Kaeya smirked and winked with his uncovered eye, which kind of looked a little weird. "I've been in the mountains, dear Master. You do know that the nights get cold and lonely. How could I refuse a bed warmed by a lovely lady or an esteemed warrior? I was worried you'd stolen my title.""You are not telling me that you’ve fucked anything that offered itself while you’ve been on that stupid mission." Diluc was shocked."Oh, how much I love your new dirty tongue, Master. Such a delight." Kaeya chuckled. "It is true, though. I could have died any day. I might have never been able to return, so I salvaged any comfort I could. None of it was a matter of the heart, just pure lust and warm flesh. I bet you can relate?" Kaeya asked. The mood had suddenly gone cold. Diluc had always been a handsome man. He looked a little worse for wear now, but he was still beautiful. Kaeya assumed that Diluc had the same needs as every other man around him. Or was he maybe mistaken?Diluc was blushing deeply. The redhead lowered his head into the soup bowl in a pathetic attempt to hide his face. Kaeya’s smirk dropped. "Diluc… " he almost whispered. The other man looked … hurt. Their conversation came to an end, and Kaeya suddenly felt very bad for the words that had dropped out of his mouth. He raised a hand to put it on Diluc’s arm, but the redhead flinched away. Shit. After another moment, Diluc sighed."Anyway, what else did you hear?" the redhead muttered."Uhm…well… I heard you’re working as a mercenary now." Kaeya slowly answered. He knew he was a coward. It had been three years, and all he managed was to hurt Diluc after a few minutes of conversation. The cavalry captain had never imagined that Diluc was not experienced in matters of the flesh. Still, Diluc wasn't completely shutting him out, so he accepted the small straw offered by the other. Kaeya had always been unsure of Diluc’s affection. The redhead was always his closest friend, and it had felt so wrong to want more from the person he had spent his happiest days with. Kaeya always assumed that Diluc would never dare try anything more intimate with him. The redhead's sense of duty would not allow such a thing. Nonetheless, it didn't escape his fellow knights that Kaeya had a habit of flirting with strong, Claymore wielding redheads whenever the opportunity arose. Kaeya was probably not as subtle as he believed himself to be."A mercenary? Well, that is a new one." Diluc murmured, emptying the last bit of his soup."Oh? How do you earn your living now?" Kaeya asked slowly, not wanting this conversation to end. Diluc contemplated his answer before he sighed and put his bowl down. "I do odd jobs for the adventurer’s guild. It’s not much, but it pays the rent. I’ve been saving up to leave Mond for good.""What? You've got to be kidding, you'd never --" Kaeya gasped, but was interrupted."Wouldn’t I?" Diluc growls. "The people hate me now. I can’t even buy a loaf of bread without being sneered at; my father made sure of that. The Abyss can devour the damned city for all I care.""Diluc, that’s not you. You’re just being bitter. You always loved Mondstadt. It’s just... well, I’m sure things will change for you. We will find a way." Kaeya quickly answered. "I just arrived three days ago, and all of this sounds strange. I can’t believe your father turned into such a horrible person in just a couple of months.""It’s been three years." Diluc unnecessarily pointed it out."Yeah, right. Don’t you think it has some other reason?" Kaeya asked, folding his hands behind his head. Diluc huffed, probing his elbows on his tights, and leaned forward to stare into the fire. "Maybe. IF, for any unimaginable reason, my father kept up the connections with the Fatui, they MIGHT be able to take control of his business. Which WOULD be an opportunity to control Mond’s economy and, in the long run, hurt the military." Diluc mused. "However, how could he still trust them? We all saw what the Dilusion did to him!""But what if, hypothetically speaking, your dad did not have access to the Dilusion? We might not be sitting here and making up conspiracy theories." Kaeya replied. "We’d be pretty much all dead."Diluc fell silent and continued staring at the flame. After a while, he exhaled and shook his head. "If this is the case, we have no way to find out. I can’t move through the city without being spotted.""We could dye your hair, and I could organize some contact lenses. You need a makeover anyway."Diluc wrinkled his nose at that statement: "Do I look that bad?""Hmm... you resemble a beat-up mutt who’s in dire need of a bath." Kaeya chuckled with a wide grin on his lips."I really want to strangle you right now." Diluc deadpanned in return."Love you, too." Kaeya smirked and patted Diluc on the shoulder, who buried his face in his hands. It was true; Kaeya frequently abused these words. They held far more meaning to him, and he always regretted it when he misused them in a mocking way. This was just him; he could never do right with Diluc. It was okay, though; he really wanted to help his old friend. If learning what's been going on in the city can aid Diluc, this is how he'll go about it. The silence stretched between them for a couple of minutes until Diluc finally raised his head and looked Kaeya in the eyes."What color do you suggest?"
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Last night was an emotional rollercoaster for Diluc. Plainly speaking, he was still pissed. Kaeya had the worst timing and was far too quick to lie. But, on the other hand, he had dearly missed his best friend. When Diluc heard that a small portion of the cavalry had come back to support the remaining knights in defending the city, he had hoped that Kaeya was with them. All Diluc could gather from the adventurer who passed on some jobs from Kathryn for him was that the captain was indeed one of the returnees. The problem was that Diluc could not simply waltz into the Knights of Favonius headquarters. They would find some reason or another to arrest him and throw him in the dungeon. He briefly contemplated going at night and using the route via Mondstadt’s roofs, buuuut he still had a twisted ankle from a job that did not go as well as planned. It was unfortunate to be cut off from any possibility of buying supplies and medical aid. He simply did not want to risk falling from a rooftop for a task that was more or less unnecessary. When the days dragged on, he wondered how he should contact Kaeya and if his friend was even willing to be contacted. But then he simply showed up at his doorstep, wearing a smile on his face. Diluc really wanted to punch him.In the end, they had chattered the night away as if they had just seen each other yesterday. It felt so good to have someone to talk to who was not going to throw bile at him. Kaeya usually mocks him a little, and it still annoys him to the moon and back, but it's usually nothing that hurtful. Hearing that Kaeya had literally been fucking around while on his mission hurt his feelings, especially since HE was now the one with the bad reputation, despite never having laid with anyone. Kaeya misjudged him badly, but Diluc felt that Kaeya probably just assumed that anything like that was normal for any pretty young man. How wrong he was! The insult was obviously unintentional, but it did hurt his pride. Was he jealous? Jealous because random strangers screwed the man of his wet dreams? What was he even thinking? Diluc shook his head furiously and stuffed that wild thought away in the deepest, darkest corners of his mind. No way. They are friends; they always have been. He’s just lonely and tired, that’s all.During their conversation, Kaeya simply fell asleep. It was nothing new for the redhead; Kaeya had done this so many times when they were still little kids. Diluc had simply grabbed the cavalry captain and carried him into his little hut. Wow, Kaeya was heavy. The years on the expedition made him grow some extra muscles. Diluc removed his coat and boots and dropped him on his small single bed. Grabbing his spare black hooded coat, Diluc decided to sleep on the floor.When the sun finally rose, every single bone, including his twisted ankle, hurt like hell. With a small grunt, Diluc rose from the floor and stretched slowly. He was not used to any of this, despite living like this for a couple of months now. All he wanted was a comfortable bed, a hot bath, and a decent brush he could use to untangle his locks. If he cannot find a better solution soon, he will need to cut his hair short. Diluc shuddered at the thought. Cutting his hair was out of the question. With Kaeya still sleeping like a rock in his bed, Diluc left the shed to relieve himself in nature before he moved to a small river to wash himself as best he could. While he was washing, he contemplated what to do about breakfast. Having guests was nothing he had prepared for. Not even Jean speaks with him anymore since the little incident with his father. Diluc looked around, but he had already eaten all the berries from the nearby bushes, so there was nothing he could do without attempting a long hike. Feeling a little helpless and out of options, he just sat down on the bench in front of the house. His ankle was now throbbing painfully. Maybe he should have taken the boots off while sleeping. Frowning, Diluc decided to remove his boots as long as Kaeya was still snoozing. If he heard him stir, he could slip them on again. Diluc carefully opened the laces and removed the boot from his ankle as carefully as possible. That damn ankle of his was swollen. No breakfast then. "This looks nasty. What did you do?" A sleepy voice commented from behind him. "When did you… ? Nevermind. I see you’ve learned a trick or two when you were in the mountains." Diluc mumbled, surprised. It was impressive how quietly Kaeya could move, although he just got up. Kaeya just expectantly raised an eyebrow when Diluc did not answer his question."Okay fine. I tripped while avoiding a ruin guard." Diluc growled. "It’s nothing.""It does not look like nothing to me. Let me check it." Kaeya replied seriously."You do not want to come near that foot; it smells like a dead rat." Diluc growled. He did not have much fight left in him after the rough night on the floor and the last couple of months. Adrenaline had carried him through last night’s conversation, but now he felt the exhaustion settle in. Kaeya sat down next to him on the bench. "Diluc, thank you for letting me crash here. But… you cannot seriously live here.""I did so for the last four months." Diluc muttered. It is not that bad now. It was awful; he had spent the winter here after moving in in the fall. Kaeya had carefully crafted a serious expression on his face: "Even worse. Why don’t you live at my place for a while? It’s near the city walls, so as soon as you’re healthy again, it would be easy for you to slip in and out of the city at night between shifts. No one bothers to check my apartment, and if some other person is there, they just assume it’s a hook-up. Besides, I work all the time, so you don’t have me breathing down your neck all day." Kaeya suggested.Diluc contemplated the offer for a couple of moments, before he sighed defeatedly: "Alright then." It was the best plan he had at the moment. Was it so bad to rely on Kaeya for a little while? Surely, it was not an ideal arrangement, but it was better than what he had now, which was basically nothing."Good. You can take a bath, and then we can check out your injury, deal? I have a couple of pointless meetings at the headquarters, but I make sure to grab some food on the way back. Oh, and I will get the ingredients for dying your hair." Kaeya's answer was a little too chipper for Diluc’s liking. He’ll probably regret his decision very soon."And how are you planning on smuggling me into the city?" Diluc scoffed, folding his arms over his chest."No problem; rotation is still a mess at the moment. You wear your unsuspicious little hooded cape that lies on the floor over there, and I just tell everyone we meet a sweet little story about a treasure hunter I captured for interrogation." Kaeya answered with an elaborate, good-natured shrug. Diluc just dropped his head. He hated this; he hated all of this. But this was the best chance he had. To be fair, although he often accused Kaeya of being untrustworthy, he felt that something had shifted in the other man. Kaeya had the commanding air of a leader around him, which fascinated Diluc. If he was honest with himself, he was even proud of Kaeya. Diluc slowly raised his head and inspected Kaeya’s body intensely in the bright morning sun. Kaeya looked handsome. All the baby fat was gone, he sported a tinier waist than he remembered, and his chest... it was sexy. His friend was also a little taller than him by now. Diluc blushed when he realized what he was doing and quickly averted his gaze. Kaeya smirked, amused. "Liking what you see? This is not the worst deal you struck, right?" Kaeya cooed."Fuck off.""There we have the swears again. Are you trying to make up for lost time?" Kaeya laughed and raised his fingers to his mouth to whistle for his horse. The dark warhorse approached within minutes. Diluc ignored the question and put his boots back on. He picked up swearing when he worked with the manual laborers in the vineyard. Now that no one was there to monitor his speech patterns anymore and no one had any respect for him left anyway, he could voice his emotions with some heartfelt swearing. It also helped when he got hurt, lost a fight, was hungry, etc.; it helped him in lots of aspects of life. It was a small bit of freedom he gained back, and he cherishes it to the fullest. Why not? Diluc held tight to every little thing that helped him feel a bit better. When he was done dressing, he hobbled into the hut and gathered the few belongings he still had. It was just an assortment of knives, his claymore, a suspicious owl mask, a box filled with letters, some cooking essentials, and some clothes. All he had was packed within minutes.When he returned, he saw an expression on Kaeya’s face that he could not quite read. The blue-haired man stood in front of his warhorse and adjusted some of the saddle straps on the beast. Kaeya was doing it automatically but seemed deep in thought. He appeared about as worn out as he felt. However, something was off about his friend. When Diluc approached, Kaeya snapped out of it and returned the gaze. "You should try to hide your hair." Kaeya stated. Diluc huffed and placed his satchel on his back before he rummaged in the pockets of his pants to find a hair tie. He tried to catch as much of his hair as he could in a messy bun before he tied the leather strap around it. When he was satisfied, he placed the hood over his head.
"Can you mount?" Kaeya asked and offered his hand to help him up. "Of course I can!" Diluc hissed, trying to salvage what was left of his pride. Using his right foot, he hurled himself onto the large horse. Feeling a surge of anger towards Kaeya’s comment, he put far too much energy into the movement. Diluc slipped and almost fell down the other side of the horse’s back, if not for the strong arms that caught him instead. "You weigh nothing." Kaeya commented, but he thankfully spared him another mocking comment. Kaeya righted Diluc in the saddle, who blushed from ear to ear. Why was he constantly humiliating himself in front of Kaeya? What was wrong with him? It must be the exhaustion, that’s all."I’m on a very healthy diet." Diluc hissed and grabbed the reigns. Kaeya would walk next to him until they were near the city, then they would switch places. They both had brought criminals into the city when they both were knights, and they knew the drill. Kaeya had already removed a rope from his saddlebags to wrap around Diluc’s hands as soon as they were near the city. It would be convincing enough. They had done it so many times before. "If you call starving a healthy diet, I should consider asking Adelinde to rework her home education schedules." Kaeya replied, which only earned him a defeated tsk from Diluc. He was just so tired that he couldn’t keep this up any longer. Both of them rode in silence till they could see the small gate at the back of the city. It’s showtime.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When the gates finally came into sight, the two friends came to a halt in a small forest. Kaeya decided to not wait for Diluc to struggle out of the saddle, but instead just pulled him off the horse in a swift motion. Diluc must be extremely tired and in pain, since the redhead neither struggled nor put up a fight. Now Kaeya was starting to get really worried.It had hurt him to see Diluc, bruised and battered, with an injured and untended foot and matted hair. If he hadn’t fallen asleep on the bench, he would have never let Diluc sleep on the cold and dirty floor that night. Kaeya really wanted to make up for all he did, and it seemed like Diluc was grateful, in his own way. The last few months must have been really bad for the redhead.Without a word, Diluc presented his hands to Kaeya in a motion that suggested he was ready to be tied up. Kaeya sighed and took the rope to do just that. He had a million suggestive comments on the tip of his tongue, especially after he had witnessed how hungrily Diluc had eyed his body this morning. Nonetheless, Kaeya would save them for a later point in time. Pissing Diluc off would benefit none of them right now. It was tempting, though. Kaeya did not quite get his friend’s reasoning. On the one hand, he had fiercely rejected every notion of sex the other night, but on the other hand, he was looking at him like a hungry animal just this morning. It was strange. Kaeya had the fleeting feeling that the following days would be torture for him. Nonetheless, he was glad that Diluc agreed to accompany him to the city. What he did was merely survival, not living. Judging from Diluc’s small frame, he wasn’t that good at it. Kaeya made a mental note to buy as many sugary sweets as he could as soon as he was done working. He hoped his friend still liked those. How could Diluc even wield his claymore in this state? He saw him grabbing it and commanding it to disappear into the void, so he could still lift it. But fighting? Based on the injuries of the others, it was probably not that great anymore. As soon as he’s put on some weight again, he will offer to train with him.When Kaeya was done tying up his friend, he mounted and summoned his vision to create an ice bridge to the gate. He’d chosen an angel that would hide the two of them from the view of the gate patrols. If it were not for their fight after the drake’s attack, Kaeya would have never received his vision. Feeling a little bad for it, he was rather grateful that Diluc raised his sword against him and that the goddess of ice granted him a vision to defend himself that night. It was contradictory, he knew that. But being a vision bearer opened so many opportunities for him, and it was all thanks to Diluc’s burning rage.
"Ready?" he asked and started moving as soon as he got a nod from the concealed redhead. They moved very slowly over the ice. Kaeya did neither want his horse or Diluc to slip, so he made sure the ice had a bit of a texture to it, so the hoves and boots had enough grip to walk comfortably. When they arrived at the gate, Kaeya had already envisioned an elaborate tale to tell the guards, but, much to his dismay, the gate was devoid of people. Kaeya looked around, but there was no soul, not even on the city walls. "This is unacceptable." He muttered, although it was convenient for them right now. Diluc remained silent, which was unusual for the redhead, who had been commenting on the knight's inefficiency whenever he could since that faithful night. "It looks like I have more work to do than originally anticipated." Kaeya added with a sigh. Diluc must be really out of it to not jump at the opportunity to rub this incident in his face. Unguarded city gates? Outrageous.Kaeya, being a little pissed off by now, brought Diluc to his apartment. He lived on the second floor. The other occupants were two old ladies, so he was sure that they wouldn’t give him any trouble. "I’ll quickly carry you up the stairs. You can give me your opinion on it later. I won’t let you struggle up there and risk us getting caught." He commanded Diluc, who just growled something unintelligible, presumably a curse or an insult. Kaeya quickly scooped the redhead up in a bridal carry and jumped up the stairs, taking two at a time. When he arrived at the front door, he put Diluc down and opened it. He quickly ushered Diluc inside and untied his hands. "I’ll bring Firefly to the stable. Be nice and get comfortable." Kaeya insisted and turned on his heels to do just that. "You called your black horse Firefly?" Kaeya heard Diluc ask before Kaeya closed the door between them.He was relieved that it went smoothly. Hopefully, Diluc felt good enough to give him a piece of his mind about the little stunt he pulled as soon as he was back at his apartment. A placid Diluc was more alarming than a hissing, angry Diluc. Sometimes his friend reminded him of a cat. With this image in mind, he returned to his horse and brought him to the stables. He grabbed his saddlebags and dashed home, leaving Firefly to the stableboy.When Kaeya opened the door, he had mentally prepared himself for a furious Diluc. Instead, he was not greeted at all. "Diluc…?" Kaeya asked and waited in the entrance hall. There was no reply. He slowly moved through the little hall into the living room. A fire was lit in the fireplace, which must have been the only thing the redhead had managed to do. Kaeya noticed a black heap lying on his dark red sofa. With swift strides, he approached the center piece of his spare living room. Was Diluc alright? When Kaeya peaked over the backrest, he saw his friend curled up and sleeping soundly, his head snuggled on some of the luscious cushions he kept there for decorative purposes. They weren’t the most comfortable ones, but it seemed like his friend did not mind that at all. Kaeya mused that this was probably the coziest Diluc had felt in weeks. With a small chuckle on his lips, Kaeya carefully removed Diluc’s coat and boots. Oof, Diluc was right; they did smell like a dead rat. Scrunching his nose, Kaeya put the boots on the balcony. They could deal with that later. It seemed like Diluc was so out of it that he did not even stir when Kaeya touched his injured ankle. Luckily, it wasn’t broken. Kaeya applied some ice magic to it, and he could witness that Diluc’s shoulders slowly sank as he began to relax. It was nice to see that he could ease his friend’s pain a little. Nevertheless, this would probably not work in the long run. Kaeya returned to the entrance hall and searched through his travel bags, weighing his options. He still had some potions left from his journey, and he quickly found what he was looking for: a vial of healing potion. It might give Diluc some much-needed pain relief and reduce the swelling, at least for the time being. He would need to commission the head alchemist to make him a couple of new ones. Luckily, they parted on good terms before he went on the expedition, and he was positive that Albedo would help him. Kaeya applied the potion to the sleeping Diluc, which did not stir at all. He could easily fall victim to a crime in his deep slumber. Shaking his head, Kaeya grabbed a piece of paper and wrote Diluc a note, telling him that he was off to work. He hoped that Diluc would feel better soon. Kaeya grabbed his coat and headed off to the headquarters to deal with today’s other mess. All he could do was hope that Diluc had no bright, possibly destructive, ideas as long as he was gone. Who knew if the redhead chose violence the moment he awoke? When Kaeya arrived in his office, a large new pile of documents greeted him. How fun. Anyway, this could wait. He was already late, but he still had some time to drop by Albedo’s lab. He had met him the other day, but they just managed to exchange some quick greetings. Kaeya quickly descended to Albedo’s underground laboratory and knocked at the door."Come in, it’s open." A calm voice greeted him."Hello Albedo, how are you doing?" Kaeya cheered, closing the door behind him. His tone earned him a mildly disinterested frown from the head alchemist. "Good day, Sir Kaeya. Is there anything I can assist you with?" Albedo asked."Actually, you can. I would like to commission a set of healing potions. Preferably something that reduces inflammation." Kaeya asked. Albedo tilted his head a little. "You know these potions are meant to be used in the field, right? You’re here; wouldn’t it be wiser to get whatever injury you have tended to at the cathedral?""Ohhh I just need them for my personal supplies. Who knows when we’re suddenly called to wipe out some Abyss Mage hideout or anything of the like?" Kaeya lied in return. Although he considered Albedo one of his friends, he was not ready to tell him about Diluc.Albedo considered the cavalry captain for a long minute before he sighed and turned his back to Kaeya. "Your lying skills have declined, my friend. But I won’t pry." He stated. "I happen to have all the needed ingredients, and they are not complicated to produce. Just wait a moment." Kaeya was silent for a bit. He felt stupid for getting caught lying. Perhaps his abilities deteriorated while he was away. But Albedo always knew how to read him, so that was probably no surprise. Anyway, he had to be more careful in the future. Luckily, Albedo was not very interested in gossip and odd stories. Maybe he should ask him about Diluc nonetheless. His accounts were usually rather sober. He contemplated his words before he started speaking again."Thank you. By the way, did you happen to know what went down at the dawn winery?""The dawn winery? No, why should I? If you’re inquiring about Master Diluc, however, I have heard a thing or two. None of them were pleasant." Albedo replied while grinding some herbs into a powder. Crossing his arms over his chest and leaning on a sturdy table, Kaeya asked inquisitively, "Tell me, what do you know?""Well, one day a guy claimed that he got raped by Master Diluc." Albedo stated this without any emotion on his face."You can’t be serious. Diluc would never do anything like that!" Kaeya gasped. Albedo just shrugged impassively. "This person, I think his name was Greg, had a broken nose and some injuries that suggested a struggle. However, he did not agree on a medical examination, so it all boiled down to words against words. Whatever happened to him, he did not cooperate in any way; he just made a lot of commotion and then vanished. It was a little suspicious. Master Diluc was nowhere to be found as well, which did not help his case. As far as I know, the charges for that incident were dropped in the end."Kaeya had to digest this. He could not believe that rumor. Diluc was a hot tempered idiot, but not a rapist. He closed his eyes and massaged his forehead. Damn, he had really missed quite a bit when he was gone: "Anything else?"Albedo poured some liquid into the herbal powder and started stirring a glass vial. "As far as I know, Master Diluc was reported for verbal defamation a few times... He even threatened to burn the vineyard down."Well, that was a rumor Kaeya could believe. "Sounds like he had a rocky couple of years, huh?" Kaeya replied. "You could say that. "Everyone knew he had a temper, but no one expected him to lose control to such an extent." Albedo replied and filled a couple of other empty glass vials with the newly bred potions. "I’m glad you’re back, by the way. Do us all a favor and keep an eye on the firebird if you happen to run into him. I’m sure he desperately needs a friend. Besides, maybe you can tame him a little before he burns the entire city down." The alchemist offered Kaeya the vials, which he gladly accepted. "Will do," he muttered reluctantly. Albedo sighed and shook his head. "I added a salve for disinfecting cuts and a vial for bruises. For your... stash." Albedo explained before turning his back again and continuing working on his other projects. Kaeya thanked him again before he eyed the experiment with interest. "What are you working on, if I may ask?" He inquired. Albedo’s placid expression lightened up a little. "I recently found a formula that could possibly enable temporary bodily transformation. I’m still testing it." This peaked Kaeya’s interest. "Oh? Bodily transformation? Like, turning into a monster?" "Not exactly. I still have to run human trials on this, but it should be possible to turn a human into an animal. I’m experimenting with feline and canine DNA at the moment." Albedo elaborated, gesturing towards a set of artifacts. "It’s still a work in progress.""Ohhhh interesting! Keep me posted on this!" Kaeya replied eagerly. If this works, this could be the perfect solution for Diluc. No one would suspect a cat of spying on them. Kaeya’s eyes lit up mischievously at the thought.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Diluc woke up, he was alone. A warm fire was still burning in the fireplace in front of him. He remembers lighting it as he was gradually waking up. It had cost him a lot of energy to get the fire started. No one knew that his vision, which he now wore concealed under his clothes, had dimmed significantly. As he was robbed of his status and his father’s trust, his ambition slowly died down. It was of no surprise, really. Why should he be able to wield power when he lost his way? Since everyone was still a little wary of him because of the power he once wielded, no one must be aware of this. Sometimes his fire still sparked when he was absolutely furious, but these fires were significantly harder to control than what he had used just a couple of years ago. Lighting the fireplace took the last bit of his energy, and Kaeya’s couch looked so inviting. To soothe his achy bones, he merely wanted to lie down for a short while. Of course, he was upset at being carried up the stairs like a piece of luggage. Given his circumstances, he was just grateful he avoided taking the stairs. Instead of continuing to think about it, Diluc would quickly move on.Being a little disoriented, he figured, based on the position of the sun, that it must be late afternoon now. The redhead felt significantly better. Although sleep still veiled him, he noticed that he was missing his boots and coat. Diluc made a little mental checkup of his bodily condition. The pain in his ankle had subsided, and some cool liquid had been spread on his injury. It looks like Kaeya went through some trouble to patch him up a little. Diluc smiled to himself and let his gaze wander around the room. He hadn’t slept that well for what felt like years. Living in a small hut, he always slept with one eye open since he was almost killed by some treasure hoarders who had hoped to rob him in his sleep. But here? Although he was still astonished that Kaeya simply acknowledged his apology, he felt utterly safe in Kaeya’s apartment. Diluc still believed that everything that had happened to him was, to some extent, justified, since he had wronged the people he loved the most in this whole damn world.Slowly shaking his head to drive away the last bit of sleep, Diluc spotted the note Kaeya had left for him. After he skimmed it quickly, Diluc decided to take a bath. If what he still knew of the knight’s schedule held true, Kaeya wouldn’t be back until nightfall.Diluc felt giddy with excitement when he saw Kaeya’s modest but cozy bathroom. It was a little dusty, but he could ignore that. Before filling the tub with hot water, Diluc quickly slashed some water through it. This apartment had piping, just like the winery. Was he in heaven now? Maybe he died in his sleep and was dreaming everything up.Diluc had always been a modest child, and that had not changed. Although he was used to wealth, he had never taken anything for granted. When the tub was full, he stripped as quickly as possible and descended into the hot water. Since he did not fancy the stinging sensation of soap in open wounds, he had decided to avoid any supplements for now. He just wanted to soak for a bit before he started scrubbing off all the dirt. It took him almost half an hour until he deemed his skin presentable. Stepping out of the tub, he grabbed one of Kaeya’s towels to dry himself off. Then he took the liberty to wrap himself in Kaeya’s fluffy bathrobe that hung from a hook next to the door. Now comes the fun part. Diluc kneeled in front of the tub and started cleaning his hair. It took him more than an hour and half a bottle of conditioner (Kaeya will probably be pissed, he used so much of his stuff) to just be able to comb through the tangled mess. While he was still fighting his hair, he did not notice that Kaeya had returned. Only when someone knocked on the bathroom door did he finally notice his friend."Diluc, are you in there?" A velvet voice asked through the door."Yeah. Come in, I’m decent." Diluc replied, while he was fighting with a very nasty knot in some very uncooperative strands of hair. Kaeya opened the door and peeked in."Just wearing my bathrobe is hardly what I call decent, Master Diluc. Besides, it slipped open." Kaeya purred. Diluc looked at him, surprised, before noticing that it had slipped halfway off his now far too skinny frame while he was fighting his curls. Blood shot in the former knight’s face, and he quickly gathered it up again; while doing so, he dropped the brush, or at least he thought so. It was so deeply entangled in his locks that it now hung in his hair. Diluc tried to salvage this impossible situation, which made it even worse. Pushing the bathroom door open, a giggle escaped Kaeya, who had tried to hold it in but failed. Diluc wanted to snap at him but caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, and although the joke was on him, he could not help but grin. He looked like a little kid. Diluc held his hand to his face to bury the sudden rush of shame and irritation that quickly followed. Kaeya couldn't take it any longer and burst out laughing. He kneeled down to Diluc and yanked the brush from his hair with a violent thud."OUCH!" Diluc hissed, glaring at his friend."I’m merely trying to help. This needs some more serious attention, I believe. But first, let’s have dinner, shall we?" Kaeya asked, still giggling. Kaeya was so damn handsome, it must be illegal to be so beautiful. How much Diluc wanted to taste those lips, but he could not possibly want anything like that. Quickly snapping out of it, Diluc turned around and got up. Kaeya did not offer him anything else to wear but instead grinned at him like a wolf."Why don’t you hand me some of my cloth instead of gawking at me?" Diluc snapped and pulled the bathrobe tighter around his body."Sure, whatever you wish, princess." Kaeya cooed, and Diluc threw a different brush at him, which earned him a new outburst of melodic laughter from his friend. Kaeya dodged the onslaught and danced out of the way before walking up to Diluc’s spare belongings. "I guess we have to wash these first; you can hardly call your spare clothes clean. I’ll lend you something from me." Kaeya said, dissatisfied with what he found in the satchel, before he walked over to one of the rooms that Diluc hadn’t inspected yet.The cavalry captain returned after a moment with some underwear, a loose shirt, and some tight pants with a drawstring. He handed the items over to Diluc, who took them and quickly closed the door. It was nice to pretend that nothing had happened between them. Diluc inhaled the scent of the freshly washed clothes that smelled of lavender and midnight air. Wishing they could pretend for a little longer, the redhead returned the bathrobe to its original place and put on the clothes. When he returned to the living room, he felt like a new man."Thank you." He murmured before dropping back on the couch. His ankle started throbbing again after he sat on the ground in front of the bathtub for such a long time."Don’t mention it." Kaeya waved with his hand before he shoved a plate with freshly cooked sweet madame towards Diluc. "You’re probably ravenous. But take it easy; we don’t want you to puke it all out again." Kaeya said, trying to mask his worry with a fake grin. Diluc just huffed. He knew he wasn’t much to look at at the moment. His ribs were dangerously visible; he was skin and bones. Although he really wanted to wolf down all of the food at once, he knew that Kaeya was right. He needed his belly to adjust to normal food again. It would take time. Gathering all the self-control he had, he slowly started eating."Good boy." Kaeya purred before he himself took a bite of a fruity skewer."Are you going to mock me every waking minute?" Diluc growled in response."Possibly. I’m three years behind." Kaeya laughed, but grew serious again. "I heard some disturbing news today. Albedo told me you’ve been accused of rape."Diluc almost immediately lost his appetite. "You still have impeccable timing, Sir Kaeya." Diluc sneered and put down his plate. "Yes, I was. I think it’s two or three months old by now. I was trying my hand at fishing on the docks. Some guy decided to interrupt me by throwing slurs and insults at me. I broke his nose and probably some ribs until he finally decided to leave me alone." Diluc said, only interrupting his tale to take a sip from a glass of water. He did not feel like pointing out that this asshole had given him a black eye and some nasty bruises as well. Diluc was very ashamed that his fighting skills were sub-par at the moment. "The next day I went to the docks, I saw a flyer promoting that I was wanted for rape by the Knights of Favonius. I did not return to the city again.""No surprise... a flyer was not the subtlest of choices." Kaeya was silent for a bit before he slowly asked. "So... you did not try to defend your honor? … Or... did you truly defile him?"Diluc looked tired before he shook his head. "Kaeya, be honest with me. Do I look like I could overpower anyone at the moment? Especially a grown man?" Pain was written all over the redhead’s face before a sarcastic little laugh left his lips. He did not even wait for Kaeya to reply. "I do not have any honor left to defend. Let them think what they want for all I care."Kaeya’s expression was unreadable. Diluc took another bite of his food, and continued. "My word does not count much these days. It is a laughable accusation. I’m still a virgin." He muttered. He definitely had no honor left if he admitted something like that so easily. He had implied that statement unintentionally last night, but now he felt the need to clarify things. Kaeya remained silent before he placed his food on the plate and replied, "Albedo can verify that with his alchemy. It's a little more difficult than with a woman, but... it's one way to regain some of your credibility. Don’t you think?""I still assaulted that guy. I’m not sure if it would make that much of a difference." Diluc replied."Well, from what I have gathered, most of the talk against you is connected to your sexual activities." Kaeya slowly pointed out. "But if you’re a virgin, most of the accusations are unjustified. One could even argue that you’re being mobbed. Think about it.""What I told my father still holds true: I am not interested in a wife." Diluc replied slowly. He could follow Kaeya’s reasoning, but he was unsure if it was worth it being probed at by Albedo."Last time I checked, forced and arranged marriages are illegal in Mondstadt." Kaeya grinned. Diluc looked at him with wide eyes. "Are you telling me to open a lawsuit against my father? Based on my virginity?" Could he even do that? Crepus was still his only blood relative. He had loved and adored him, and Diluc was not sure if he could truly hold everything that happened against his father alone. His father had punished him for being a disappointment, but maybe he had an ulterior motive? Maybe it all had to do with the Fatui. Maybe they really made him act like that. Maybe Crepus got blackmailed, and he just simply took the fall for it."We still need proof. Getting your virginity verified would be a good start." Kaeya replied, pulling Diluc out of his own thoughts again. Diluc snorted and shook his head. "Fine, whatever. I‘ll let Albedo work his magic on my body." He answered, returning his attention to the plate again. Kaeya looked at him with sad eyes but refrained from making any more comments regarding that matter. They ate in silence until the main dish was all gone. "I brought you a little present." Kaeya announced. He opened another small box that was filled with little, sweet pastries. Diluc’s eyes lit up with glee. The redhead loved anything sweet, especially grape juice, but little pastries were very high on his list as well. "These look amazing." Diluc commented before putting one of these sweet little things into his mouth. Kaeya remembered—that was really nice of him. Diluc was certain he was in some sort of afterlife right now. Apart from the occasional heavy conversation they were having, of course. He savored the sweet taste in his mouth, completely unaware of Kaeya’s stare. All that existed for him now was the sweet taste of strawberries and sugar frosting."By the way, Albedo is working on a very interesting experiment right now." Kaeya explained Albedo’s current project to Diluc who listened attentively. Kaeya ended it with, "I think a cat suits you. You could spy on all of Mondstadt without any trouble."Red eyes shone with newly ignited passion and locked onto star-shaped pupils. "You said that Albedo still needs to run human trials, correct?""Yes, that‘s what he said." Kaeya replied wearily. Kaeya seemingly knew that look. Diluc had nothing more to lose. If Albedo pokes around his body for the virginity test anyway, what difference would it make to play along for an experiment that could help him in return? If Diluc had his vision near him, he might have seen that it shone a little brighter now."I’ll do it. Tell him you found him a guinea pig."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
„Luc, you can‘t be serious!" Kaeya yelled at his friend. He just got him back, he just got him to safety, and now this idiot wants to volunteer for human trials? Kaeya was not sure what he was feeling. Anger, shock, disappointment, fear... He did not even try to mask his emotions. Kaeya regretted telling Diluc about Albedo‘s experiment. Sure, he would love this new ability for Diluc, after it was fully developed and tested.„Why not? If everything goes well, I'll be able to easily find out what's going on in Mond! I will share my findings with you." Diluc said, looking a little confused. Did the redhead not grasp what he was saying?And if things don't go as planned, you'll be paralyzed or dead! This is madness!" Kaeya sneered. "I will not let you run off to be a guinea pig! I can’t… I can’t see you die! I don‘t want to see you drowning in your own fucking blood!" Kaeya was furious by now. He remembered death. He had seen so many young knights die at his feet. Screaming at the tips of their lungs while Rifthounds drove their sharp claws through their flesh, ripping their lives from their young bodies. He himself had let them get into these fights, and it was his fault that they were gone now.„This is… oddly specific." Diluc replied after a stretch of silence. "Do you want to talk about it?" the redhead added slowly. Kaeya snapped out of it and shook his head. „Not… not right now. Maybe later." Kaeya muttered, and Diluc nodded slowly. The redhead got up and put a hand on the knight’s shoulder. "I promise you, I will not die. Albedo is a respectable man. He would never do anything that would endanger anyone. His main field of research is creating life, not destroying it, remember?"Was Diluc… comforting him? Maybe he was. Or maybe Kaeya was delusional. He blinks several times before leaning in towards his friend. "You are right, Master Diluc. Still, I do not agree." He pulled himself up and tried to smile, but he failed. "I’d rather have you stay in one piece and not turn into a furry mess.""I already am a furry mess. Have you seen my hair?" Diluc replied with a stoic expression on his face. Nonetheless, the little twitch in the corner of Diluc’s mouth did not escape Kaeya’s observation skills."Master Diluc, was that an attempt at humor?" He replied with a soft grin on his lips. No, he does not want to lose him ever again. They would both need time to heal and time to get to know each other again. Kaeya hoped they could work it out in the long run. Time will tell.Diluc shrugged and changed the subject. "So, did you manage to get the dye?" Being extremely grateful for the topic change, Kaeya nodded and waved to a little satchel that was lying on the console next to the entrance hall. "Indeed, I did. I got dark brown dye and brown contacts. Before we get started, however, you‘ll need to get these tangles out. It‘s no use dying it in this state." Kaeya pointed out. The redhead snorted and fiddled with one of his locks. "I tried. I assume I have to cut them out.""That would be a waste. Let me try." Kaeya replied."I’d rather die than sit another hour on your bathroom floor." Diluc muttered."Right. Let‘s tend to your ankle first." Kaeya replied. He was still unsure why Diluc was so calm. Maybe the redhead was still tired. Nonetheless, it was nice. Diluc behaved like the person he loved before they had their fight in the pouring rainstorm. It ignited the flames inside of him, that never fully died down. These burning ambers of affection he clung onto, although they already burned him once.Diluc got up and limped to the bathroom to retrieve his other clothes. Kaeya took the time to remove the dishes from the little living room table. He did not notice what Diluc was doing, but when he was done cleaning everything away, he noticed a chain wrapped around Diluc's wrist. When he turned to watch what the redhead was doing, he saw him stuffing the chain and the pendant away in his bag. That was odd; why would Diluc hide his vision? He had always been so boastful about it back in the day. Maybe he should ask about it, or maybe he shouldn’t. Kaeya did not feel like ruining the atmosphere again. Therefore, the knight retrieved the healing potions from his satchel and gestured for Diluc to sit on the couch again. The redhead obliged. "May I touch it?" Kaeya asked and waited for a nod before he gently put his hands on the injured foot. It was healing well, but Diluc really shouldn‘t walk around that much. It looked like Diluc overdid it again, although the inflammation did not look as bad as this morning. Kaeya channeled a bit of cryo through his palm and gently laid his hand on the swollen ankle to cool it down a little. Diluc slowly relaxed, but did not say anything. Kaeya knew that Diluc was very ticklish due to the fact that he never let anyone touch his bare skin unless it was absolutely necessary. Kaeya had always prided himself on the fact that he had been allowed to share a bed with his friend when they were still kids. When Kaeya was done cooling the injury down, he removed the cork of the potion and applied the healing liquid to the injury. When he accidentally grazed the side of the other's foot with his long fingers, he felt Diluc twitch. "You’re still ticklish, aren’t you?" Kaeya said, grinning. "Don’t you dare!" Diluc gasped and pulled his leg to his body."Hey, hey, no need to be skittish! I won‘t tickle you. Although it‘s tempting, I admit." Kaeya laughed and grabbed a roll of bandages. "Let me wrap this around your ankle, and we’re all done." Diluc hesitated a little before he slowly stretched his leg again, so Kaeya could finish his work. Kaeya skillfully wrapped the bandages around the ankle and gave Diluc a light pat on his knee when he was done. "Here we go," he announced. Diluc nodded and murmured with a little hesitation and a small "thank you." Kaeya just grinned. He was tired; the day had been exhausting, but he enjoyed his time with his friend. "So, are you up for the brushing and dying?" Kaeya asked. Diluc hesitated a little before he answered. "I would be grateful if we’d postpone the dying until tomorrow. I think I will try to brush out the last tangles, though," he said. Kaeya grinned. He knew that Diluc would not openly agree to receive more help from him. Nodding in agreement, Kaeya got up and walked into the bathroom to retrieve a brush that Diluc had overlooked. It was an oddly shaped brush with strangely bent, flexible bristles. Diluc eyed it wearily. Sitting behind the redhead, Kaeya got to work, giving Diluc no chance to complain, which he thankfully did not do. It took him a while to comb out all the mess, but in the end, Diluc’s hair was as perfect and beautiful as he remembered. He retrieved a leather hair tie from his pockets and braided the locks into a long farmer‘s braid. "Here we go." Kaeya announced, and Diluc huffed. "You are very skilled," he admitted, and he put the braid over his shoulder so that it lay on his chest, like Kaeya‘s hair did. "You look very different with a braid; maybe that‘ll suffice?" Kaeya mused hopefully. "I do not think it will." Diluc muttered in return. Kaeya just shrugged, now being really tired since the moon was already high up in the sky. The knight got up and showed Diluc the small guest room, which would be his to lodge in as long as he was willing to stay with Kaeya. Diluc grabbed his few belongings and retired for the night, as did Kaeya. None of them felt like talking much anymore. It wasn’t uncomfortable. Kaeya was relieved and happy that he got his friend to safety. They'd figure out how to fix everything they'd messed up. For now, they could sleep in peace, knowing that they weren’t alone anymore.The next few days were comfortable for the two men. Kaeya had never expected Diluc to be so grateful. He did not voice it, but the redhead showed it in his own way. Although Kaeya had to work long hours to deal with the current mess at Favonius Headquarter, Diluc greeted him with a freshly cooked meal in the evening and sent him off with a healthy breakfast. Diluc’s injuries healed well, and the redhead could soon walk again with ease. Thanks to the hair dye and contact lenses, Diluc manages to at least run minor errands for the household without getting called out. It only works when he chooses to shop during busy hours, when the merchants don’t pay too much attention to their customers. Both Diluc and Kaeya had to reluctantly agree that the new color looks awful. It was meant to be a light brown, but the first dyeing session yielded no results, so they tried again, letting the color sit much longer. Now Diluc's hair is a very dark brown, almost black, which makes him look even paler and sicker than before. The color would wash out over time, but Diluc had to deal with it for the time being. The contacts did not work so well either, since Diluc's eyes were so red that the color was visible through the dark shade. It wasn‘t a great solution, but it was better than nothing.They had a comfortable truce. Both men never let their conversations fall into anything too deep. They were both exhausted and just simply enjoyed their time together, including a bit of bickering and a verbal jab here and there. Diluc even deep-cleaned Kaeya‘s apartment, which led Kaeya to the conclusion that Diluc was getting restless.Albedo had agreed to verify if the former redhead’s claim to be a virgin was true. The alchemist had also agreed to issue the needed paperwork. Kaeya had organized everything discreetly. It always felt wrong to go behind Jean‘s back, but he simply did not want anyone to know that Diluc was in town and living in his apartment (well, apart from Albedo and Sucrose, who had to know). Besides, Jean had been so busy that Kaeya never spoke to her outside of formal meetings. Diluc was oddly silent regarding the matter and did not wish to discuss it further. Two weeks after they had met at Springvale, Diluc had his appointment. Smuggling him into the building and into Albedo‘s lab was not much of a problem. They both knew all the best routes and points of entry to the building. They had both studied there to become knights. Kaeya returned to his office to work on some reports, while Albedo worked on Diluc‘s body. Kaeya was positive that Diluc was extremely ashamed and nervous but did not want to let it show. After the agreed-upon time for Diluc‘s pickup was due, Kaeya left his office to walk to the lab. He knocked a few times and was let in by Sucrose. Diluc sat on an examination table, looking much smaller than he usually would. His face was deep red, and his head was lowered. The former knight nervously fiddled with his shirt buttons, trying to cover himself up again as quickly as possible. Neither Sucrose nor Albedo seemed to be bothered about this. Kaeya frowned and entered the lab, closing the door behind him."Welcome back, Sir Kaeya. I will quickly finish up the report. You were right, Master Diluc, although it surprised me, is a virgin." Albedo announced, completely unfazed by Diluc‘s embarrassment. "Shout even louder, for the knights on the outer walls to hear." Diluc mumbled defeatedly into his shirt collar. "Is everything alright?" Kaeya asked, looking between all three people."The procedure hurt Master Diluc‘s pride, but I am sure he will recover quickly." Albedo explained. Suddenly, Kaeya did not really want to know how the alchemist came to the conclusion that Diluc‘s virginity was intact. Kaeya swallowed, feeling a lump in his throat and anger rising in the pit of his stomach. Was he jealous? No way, Diluc wasn‘t his. But just the thought of someone else touching the former knight’s body sparked a whole lot of unwanted emotions. Kaeya rubbed his forehead, ignoring Sucrose and Albedo's quizzical looks. Diluc rose from the table, now that his shirt was halfway decent, and reluctantly walked up to Kaeya. Around Diluc‘s neck was a metal collar, which was not there when he dropped him here. It was at least an inch wide, made of black, red, and silver metal, and in the middle was a ring that held a smaller version of Diluc‘s vision. But wait, wasn‘t that Diluc's vision? But why was it so dim? "What is that around your neck?" Kaeya asked wearily. He had a bad feeling about this. Before Diluc could say anything, Albedo answered for him. "Master Diluc volunteered to try the feline transformation collar for me. As you might have already gathered from my report, the collar is effective but has some drawbacks and is therefore only usable by specially trained intelligence personnel. Diluc is so kind as to wear it for a period of time to test its abilities."Kaeya hadn‘t read Albedo's report yet; it still sat on his huge to-do pile. His heart started to race, and his star-shaped pupils bore holes into Diluc‘s neck. "Albedo, could you please remind me of what the drawbacks you mentioned exactly refer to?" the cavalry captain asked slowly, without looking at the alchemist. This did not bother Albedo. "The collar has runes set into the inside of the collar. They may burn themselves into the skin of the person who wears it, permanently marking the wearer as a spy. If they do that, the human is able to switch forms, even without the collar. The collar is fashioned in such a way that vision bearers still have access to their powers, even in animal form. Another drawback for normal knights is the pain threshold and duration. I assume that the transformations are very painful, so it is not advised to transform more than once a week. Master Diluc is so kind as to try my hypothesis. The first transformation won‘t happen of the wearer's own accord. I advise that he try to leave the city as soon as his skin starts to itch. It should be an hour from there until the transformation starts." Albedo advised. Sucrose nodded eagerly.„After the initial transformation, Master Diluc should be able to transform back whenever he likes," she added. Kaeya just gaped at the three of them. "What‘s wrong with you? Diluc, have you lost it?" Kaeya asked his friend. Diluc just looked impassively, his head still red from the previous ordeal. "I‘m perfectly aware of this. If I test it and report back, I can keep the collar." Diluc added. Kaeya shook his head, trying not to completely lose his cool. He was so angry at the three of them, but especially at Diluc. Kaeya started to breathe deeper, trying to maintain his posture. Albedo raised an eyebrow but did not comment further. Sucrose tried to convince the cavalry captain. "Sir Kaeya, this is just the worst possible outcome, and we just have to inform you of what could happen... This does not mean that it will! The body just has to adjust itself to the new anatomical proportions, so the first change is very likely a little unpleasant. This is nothing a knight—excuse me, a former knight—can't handle, right?" she stammered shyly. Kaeya ignored her and turned around on his heels, preparing to leave the lab. Diluc sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I guess I overstayed my welcome. I thank you all for your help, and I will send you the reports as soon as I have hands to write them again." Kaeya huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Come, let‘s find you a safe house to spend the next miserable hours of your life in." Kaeya growled and gestured for Diluc to follow him. The redhead was such an idiot! Why would he willingly agree to torture himself? Both walked silently to the stables, where Kaeya readied his horse, Firefly. He gestured for Diluc to sit in front of him on the horse, and they both left the city. Kaeya knew a way that had no patrols and they did not run into anyone. They rode in silence to a small safehouse near Starsnatch Cliff. The safehouse was hidden under a trapdoor that was concealed by some bushes. Kaeya was the only one who had a key to the little dwelling. It had no supplies due to Kaeya‘s absence. He commanded the horse to roam freely, opened the trapdoor, and let them in. Diluc followed reluctantly. It had room for a mattress on the floor, a little stool, and some storage boxes. Kaeya was pissed off, nonetheless. He dropped himself on the stool and crossed his arms over his chest again. Diluc sat down on the mattress and started removing his boots. "Aren‘t you returning to headquarters? Your shift isn‘t over." Diluc asked the blue-haired cavalry captain."No, I won‘t. But it will be a hell of a task to explain why I suddenly vanished. I will make you pay for this, asshole." Kaeya sneered."What is your problem? This has nothing to do with you! I endured worse. You heard Albedo: the collar is safe." Diluc snapped back."Why can‘t you just live, you fucking idiot? Why are you doing this? Why do you keep punishing yourself? There is no need! You can find out what‘s going on in Mond without a magical device that breaks all your bones in your body to make them fit into the nimble form of a fucking cat!""I can‘t live like that! I need to find out what the Fatui did to my father!""Yes, you can! Let it go! Start over! We‘re getting your credibility back; open a lawsuit and do it the right way, Diluc!""Why are you so invested in this anyway?" Diluc yelled, throwing his hands in the air. "I‘ve hurt you! I drove you away! I sneered at you, and all you do is repay me with kindness. What‘s your deal? Do you want to break me all over again?""Maybe I should, because all you see is yourself!" Kaeya snapped back. I care about you, and I didn't want to die in the fucking mountains without telling you what a jerk you are! Go touch some grass for once, get out of your own head, and look around once in a while."That did silence Diluc for a moment. "Kaeya… I…" Diluc whispered, but before the redhead could continue to speak, he gasped for air and curled himself up, hunching over, holding his belly. „fuck… AHHGH!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The collar, like Kaeya, had horrible timing. It was far too early for it to activate, at least if Albedo was correct, which he apparently wasn’t. The alchemist seemingly had also miscalculated the pain that came with ‘getting all his bones broken', as Kaeya so kindly put it. Diluc hated it when his friend was right. He couldn't decide which was worse: the searing pain in his neck, which he imagined hurt as much as acid, or the horrifying pain in his bones and guts. Something was wrong with the runes, since he felt every single one of them searing into his neck. All he could do was whine and scream in pain as time passed. Diluc grabbed Kaeya’s shirt, just to have something to hold onto. Everything was burning or hurting in some way that he could not even describe. It felt like his bowls were rearranging themselves, partially forgetting what their actual purposes were. The pain in his bones was so intense that Diluc did have to acknowledge that a normal human body had far more bones than he originally imagined. His breath was ragged, and he bit his lips bloody. Everything was on fire, and he wished he would just drop dead to escape the pain. Nonetheless, this was what he had chosen. He had not imagined it to be a walk in the park. "Kaeya… tell… me… anything." He huffed through gritted teeth. Diluc needed an anchor, something to focus on. Losing his consciousness was out of the question. What if his body forgot how breathing worked while he was out? That would be a disaster. Diluc felt hands that suddenly seemed way bigger than he recalled grabbing him on his shoulders. Focus, focus, focus. "Diluc, you bloody idiot! Oh, I will tell you something! Being self-destructive is my thing, not yours! I really don’t recommend it. I never thought you’d be that stupid." Kaeya rambled. A small smile crept onto Diluc’s face. Kaeya was trying to push him to answer with some words that usually would push his buttons, but he couldn’t choke out a single syllable, although he tried. Everything burned. He felt that Kaeya was hastily opening his shirt buttons. Was the other one growing? Oh, right, cats are smaller than men. That made sense; his friend was probably helping him out of his clothes so he wouldn’t be trapped in them. What a pity; he’d preferred that kind of attention be played out in a different way. What was he thinking? Diluc’s thoughts were a rambling mess. His vision started to become blurry, and Kaeya’s bright haircolor became dull. However, the dark little hideout seemed to brighten; he could now see the sharp edges of objects that he couldn't see clearly before. This was not the only sensory impression that changed: For a brief moment, Diluc was deaf. His eyes dilated, and one of his hands rushed to his ear, where something was... missing? What the fuck? He looked at Kaeya in panic, his face contorted by pain. He felt his own tears staining his cheeks. Kaeya said something, but he couldn’t make anything of it. Some seconds later, which felt like hours later, the sensation returned, and he could hear Kaeya more clearly now. "Here they are." Kaeya said, putting one of his large hands on Diluc’s head and scratching... something. A new wave of pain swept through his body before he could focus on this new sensation. It felt like every single one of his dorsal vertebrae were breaking. Diluc didn’t even recognize if he was screaming, crying, or howling anymore.Everything became too much. All was too much for his brain to process. There was pain and several new impressions, all flooding his head. He felt that he was getting smaller by the minute, and he felt new bodily sensations emerging, like a weird tickling on his face when he brushed against Kaeya and the intense new smell of things he had not noticed beforehand, and this strange thing on the end of his back, and he could not feel his thumbs anymore and… and, and, and…And eventually, his body gave up. His eyes rolled back, and his consciousness dropped into sweet nothingness. It was such a relief. Finally some peace and quiet.When he awoke again, he felt that Kaeya was cradling him in his arms. “Well, I believe, that’s what childbirth feels like.” Diluc slowly joked. But his voice sounded so strange. He did not recognize himself. Kaeya was far bigger than Diluc, and he looked at him in both relief and surprise. What, had he been crying? Kaeya seemed like a mess. His hair is disheveled, his cheeks were stained with tears and he reeked of…fear? Diluc was confused.“Diluc! You’re alive! Can you walk? Does it still hurt?” Kaeya asked. His voice was so loud that it was ringing in his delicate ears. He turned them backwards and answered. “Well, I would be better if you’d stop screaming at me!” again, his voice came out all wrong. He understood his own words, but they had such a weird ring to it. What’s going on?Kaeya felt silent for a bit and stared at him as if he had just asked him something weird. Diluc tilted his head a little and returned the gaze. "Master Diluc, you’re actually pretty cute. Did you notice? Besides, I can’t understand a word you’re saying if you’re trying to talk back. You're simply... meowing. SO, if you understand me, nod three times." Kaeya said. Diluc noticed that Kaeya still had a light tremble in his voice. Diluc wasn’t feeling better. This body was new, and he could not really understand what part of it served what purpose. His bones still ached, but they were getting better rather quickly. Still, it was strange. He had the urge to reach out to Kaeya’s ponytail and play with it. It was extremely fascinating to him, and he could not tell why this was so. His attention flickered from one thing to the next. There's an intriguing smell here, a shiny little trinket on Kaeya’s clothes, and the sound of delicious birds nesting over their heads above the little trapdoor hideout. All the little mundane things he usually overlooked interested him now more than ever. Maybe that was the cat in him? Diluc suddenly remembered Kaeya’s request and tore his eyes away from the man’s hair. He looked up into his face to make sure he was paying attention, and he nodded three times as requested. Kaeya sighed in relief and cradled him in his arms again. It was strange, but nice. He liked it. Still, he really needed to try out this new body. Diluc wiggled out of Kaeya’s embrace and hopped off his lap. It felt so strange to walk on four legs. Diluc was still shaking from the ordeal, but it only took him a few steps to learn how to walk in this new body. This new tail of his was very useful in maintaining balance. Diluc pranced around the room for a bit, until he returned his attention back to Kaeya, who sat there without so much as uttering a word. Diluc gave in to his instincts and walked over to him, rubbing his body against his friend’s leg. "It looks like you’re doing better now. What a relief! Well, I guess we can return to work now, huh? I hope you can change back, since we still need to have this conversation." Kaeya said, rubbing his eyes and his face. "You gave me a fright. Why do you keep doing these things? I really need a drink... and freshen up; I can’t return to work like that. Why am I even telling you this? It looks like the cat magic has already rubbed off on me. Stop acting like a cute kitten.""You’re not drinking while you’re on duty!" Diluc replied, which came out as a small hiss. Kaeya paused, and a soft chuckle that did not reach his eyes escaped from his lips. "You're already back to being a spitfire." Kaeya commented and slowly got up to gather Diluc’s clothes. "I hope you’ll forget that you’re naked when you’re turning back and do it somewhere public." Kaeya muttered. Of course, Diluc heard him and rolled his eyes. Now Kaeya had to laugh, an honest little laugh this time. "Okay, parts of you are definitely yourself. I really wonder how much the cat messed with your personality. You seem to be a mix; I mean, your fur is black. It serves your purpose, and it’s rather unsuspicious. A red cat would be the talk of the town." Kaeya rambled on. Diluc stopped paying attention because the cavalry captain’s long cape caught his attention instead. Diluc couldn’t repress the urge to lunge at it with his paw, catching a little bit of the fabric while it swished around on the floor while Kaeya was gathering his clothes. Kaeya made a surprised noise and turned around. Diluc was already entranced by the fabric and did not notice that Kaeya was watching him. After a while, Kaeya announced amusedly: "I appreciate that you like my choice of clothing, but I really do need to get up now. I have duties, you know. Let’s bring your stuff home. I'll make myself presentable again, and then you have to go with me to the office. You probably need rest, and no one would question a cat hanging around Favonius Headquarters. You wouldn’t be the first. We have to rescue kittens all the time." Diluc had no reservations about that. Kaeya grabbed Diluc before they climbed out of the little trapdoor hideout. It was really weird to be carried around, and it somehow hurt his pride. Nonetheless, Diluc was not yet accustomed enough to this new anatomy of his, so he was rather grateful that he did not have to climb the ladder on his own. Kaeya sat him down in the grass so he could gather his horse and prepare himself to depart back to the city. Within moments, Diluc’s attention was being grabbed by a little butterfly. Diluc stalked after it for a bit before he jumped forward to catch it with his paws. Where did that sudden urge to hunt come from? Alas, Diluc was still too clumsy, and he did not catch the little insect. It escaped his soft paws and flew away. Diluc huffed in frustration, which probably sounded entirely different in contrast to the noise a human would have made. Before being able to contemplate his mistake any longer, he was scooped up by Kaeya. Together they mounted the horse, which looked so enormous and utterly terrifying now. Diluc suddenly realized that he did not like horses that much anymore.Together, they returned to the city. Kaeya did indeed make a little detour to their home. Diluc waited in the hallway, distracted by the bootlaces of one of his friends' shoes in the entrance hall. Kaeya disappeared into the bathroom for a bit. When he returned, he looked so much better and more relaxed. Diluc could not express how much he liked him, despite all that had happened between them. When he saw Kaeya, all freshened up, he rubbed his flank against his leg, and a comforting noise escaped his throat. Its soothing sound relaxed him, and it seemed to have a similar effect on Kaeya. "Are you… purring?" Kaeya asked in disbelief and crouched down towards his friend in a cat’s body. Kaeya hesitated, but then slowly put his hand on Diluc’s head. After waiting a moment, probably silently asking for permission, he started rubbing his ears. Oh, that was something he could get used to! Diluc purred a little louder and nuzzled his head against Kaeya’s hand. But wait, what was he doing? He was still himself; he was still Diluc Ragnvindr. He couldn’t possibly be that affectionate! What was wrong with him? He suddenly stopped purring and yanked his head away, dashing away from Kaeya for a few paces. He turned to the window and started licking his paw. When he gave Kaeya a sidelong glance, he could see the irritation and hurt crossing the beautiful man’s face. "Yeah right." Kaeya commented and sighed before he approached Diluc, unceremoniously scooping him up to get ready for work. Diluc struggled a little for good measure, but gave in in the end. Kaeya’s arms were strong, and his scent was so comforting to him. All his cat senses screamed at him to nuzzle against his chest, but his human consciousness fought against it. This was wrong. Kaeya was definitely not into him; he couldn’t be! Yes, they had a truce and established something like a friendship again. BUT they were in the middle of a fight when he suddenly transformed, and that still lingered between them. Diluc was unsure of the fear that he had sensed coming from Kaeya. He could not tell why the other one was so afraid. He himself was a burden, a freeloader. A shunned individual, robbed of all that had defined him. He had even lost his place at Angel’s Share. Maybe that was the thing that had hurt him the most. He just wanted his tavern back. The rest of the winery could go up in flames, but the tavern? That had been his home and place to relax whenever he needed a break from his father. He also knew that Kaeya used to enjoy his time there as well. His friend usually drank a little too much, but if he could get back to the tavern, he could at least look out for him. Diluc’s thoughts were spiraling while they were returning to headquarters.When they entered Kaeya’s office, he dropped him on the couch nearby and returned to his desk. "Just do… whatever. I really need to catch up on this." Kaeya said, taking up a quill to work on the massive pile of papers. Diluc sat himself on the couch and drank in the office. It smelled of old books, dusty curtains, and a lingering hint of alcohol (wait, did Kaeya come in drunk sometime? Outrageous!), a bit of dust, and the omnipresent smell of Kaeya. It was comforting and nice (apart from the alcohol; he would need to deal with that). How did he never even notice all of these sensations? The sound of rustling paper was comforting. Diluc decided to curl up into a tight little furry ball and move to a spot on the couch that was bathing in sunlight. The sounds and the smells were comforting, and while he was listening to Kaeya work, he dozed off into a comforting slumber.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Kaeya sat down at his desk, he did so just to prevent his brain from going back into panic overdrive. He had seen transformations before. He had seen the distorted faces, struck with fear and unimaginable pain. He had seen it all, so why did Diluc force him to witness it again, in the relative safety of the place he now called his hometown? Reading the reports was almost impossible, but he tried to anyway. The quill in his hands shook, and his usually elaborate and decisive handwriting turned into a jumbled mess of scribbly lines that were almost impossible to decipher. He tried to do his work for almost an hour before he gave up. Kaeya was usually so good at keeping up appearances. During their way back, he had held himself rather well. Freshening himself up had also helped, but now his walls were crumbling again. It was too much. When he almost spilled the ink pot, he decided that it was of no use. In this state, he was no help to anyone. Kaeya knew that his body was pushing him into a panic attack. Unfortunately, he had a lot of experiences with these during his time in the mountains, since all he saw there were things he had seen before, when he was just a little child, hidden away in the destroyed lands of the once proud nation of Khaenri'ah. One of Kaeya’s hidden abilities was that he could read his body fairly well. It had been a way of surviving. He knew he had to get to a safe place before he completely lost it. Willing his body into obedience, he got up from his desk, left the sleeping cat for a moment, and went to Jean to call in sick. A migraine was always a wonderful excuse. Besides, what was about to happen to him was usually accompanied by a migraine anyway, so it was a white lie at best. Jean was disappointed but too busy to actually care, so it went well without much of a hitch. It also conveniently explained why he missed the training session.When he returned, he took the sleeping Diluc cat into his arms and silently shut the door to his office. Diluc stirred and blinked sleepily but did not put up a fight. Without even trying to find a suitable road back home, he immediately walked the shortest way in a hurry. His body had already started trembling, and he knew that he did not have much time. Jumping up the stairs, he hastily ascended the stairs to his little apartment. He quickly unlocked the front door only to bolt it shut directly behind him. Kaeya kicked his boots off, sat Diluc on the ground, and dashed into his bedroom, locking the door behind him without hesitation. It was happening. He threw off the cape and some of the useless trinkets he wore on top of his uniforms and curled up in his bed. He pushed the blanket over his head to hopefully muffle the noise he was about to make. Fuck, he felt so weak and pathetic. Images of his friends turning into vicious black monsters so ugly they had to wear masks filled his head. The kind of monsters he had slain hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of in the name of Mondstadt. These monsters were once the same people who had lovingly greeted him when he was playing in the streets of his home country. Kaeya knew that transformation messed with the head and soul. The images merged with Diluc’s pain-filled eyes. Was Diluc also going to lose his mind? Was he going to be a cat for the rest of his life? He had witnessed him act strangely feline; did that mean he had lost another friend to magic again? The panic attack was now in full swing. His body was trembling, his heart raced in his chest, and he could not suppress his sobs anymore. Digging his hands into his face, he was an utter mess. He just hoped that Diluc would not see him like that. Good thing he locked the door. This was the second time he lost it today. What a shitty beginning of the week. Kaeya let his emotions run free; it was pointless. Suppressing them always made it worse. Fear, pain, and everything else came crashing down on him again; all the horrible things he had witnessed were now wearing the face of the one person in his life he had always loved. Kaeya allowed himself to feel the pain, just to get it out. It was pathetic that he could not care for Diluc now; he did not even hear the scratching sounds on his locked bedroom door. Time became meaningless when he lay in bed until the seemingly never-ending waves of grief and pain washed over him. Kaeya let his own body tire itself out. He sobbed and shivered until he had no energy left to do even that. When he was completely exhausted and silence took over, Kaeya slowly regained control over his body. He rubbed his eyes (his eyepatch was somewhere lost in the sheets) and looked at the black smudges on his hands. Another perfectly applied set of eyeliner is gone. With a sigh, he got up and grabbed his eyepatch.Changing into something a little more comfortable, he contemplated what to do now. Although Diluc’s transformation had scared him shitless, he was somehow relieved that his friend was unable to talk to him. He could not stomach a discussion now. With a sigh, he unlocked the door and headed straight to the bathroom. He washed off his now-ruined make-up and splashed some water on his overheated body. Damn, he felt so exhausted and shaky, it was unreal. Hopefully someone can invent a drug to combat these attacks; they are a real pain in the ass. Diluc was following him around, meowing all the time, probably giving him a piece of his mind again, but Kaeya ignored him. Instead, he went into the kitchen and filled a small bowl with water for little Catluc and a jug for himself. Then he grabbed a glass and a bottle of firewater for himself. He had not eaten much today, as had Diluc, but he was too exhausted to deal with it. Taking the items to the living room, he put the bowl for Diluc on the ground and filled the firewater into this glass. Diluc’s meows had now turned into hissing. "You know, I can imagine what you’re trying to tell me, but save your little breath." Kaeya growled and used his vision to take some of the water from the jug and turn it into ice cubes, then plop them into his drink. All magic requires something to transform into something else. In his case, ice magic always needed water to function. It was a little annoying, but that was how his vision worked. Diluc had once told him his fire mostly needed air and fuel, something to consume. It was sometimes much easier to obtain than water. Kaeya imagined that he was probably extremely useless in a desert. Raising his glass he started drinking. Kaeya needed something to make his mind shut up. Yes, he felt better after his body had exhausted itself, but his mind was still swirling, running around in circles. The firewater was one of the strongest things he could get his hands on. Kaeya knew that this was extremely unhealthy. Nonetheless, what else was there to do? He could not run off and find someone to fuck in his state. He did not feel like masturbating in front of his friend, and sleep was no option either. So it was alcohol. Kaeya downed the first glass without even tasting it. Diluc hissed and reached for the bottle, but Kaeya grabbed it before he could. "Behave, or I lock you into your bedroom." Kaeya shouted. The black cat snarled at him but was probably running out of options and decided to just hop onto the couch and sit next to Kaeya, staring at him with his fiery red eyes. "You know, mind control does not work on me. But okay, give it a try." Kaeya growled and downed a second glass of firewater. Since he hadn’t much to eat and his body was already exhausted, it took him mere minutes to feel the effect. That stuff was extremely strong. He poured himself a third glass before leaning back in his couch to taste his drink. It was awful. Diluc’s wine was always much tastier, but he did not want to waste the good stuff when the whole purpose of this ordeal was to get drunk quickly. Diluc tried to swing his little furry paws at Kaeya’s glass, but the blue-haired man just raised it so high that Diluc could not reach it, which earned him another hiss. "You know, your coping mechanism isn’t much better, Master Diluc. Drowning in rage is as destructive as drowning in alcohol, so give me a break." Kaeya commented and let his head rest on the top of the couch. "I think it’s cute that you’re so angry at me. A little fluffy black ball of fur throwing a tantrum is much easier to deal with than a grown man with a flaming claymore. Maybe it’s not so bad." This somehow silenced the black cat with long fur. "Still, I hope you’ll manage to turn back and be yourself again." Kaeya added and sighed. The firewater loosened his tongue. "I hope your next turns are not that bad. You’ll give me a heart attack." Kaeya added, and he was a little surprised when Diluc curled up next to his hip. The little creature snuggled against him and started purring. Maybe Diluc needed to calm himself as well. Kaeya hesitated for a bit and then started to slowly pat Diluc’s back and neck. "I can only imagine what happened to you while I was off in the mountains. But, believe me, my journey was not pleasant. Besides, I had been on duty for three years straight; I could use some vacation. But no, I get swarmed with work, and my friend with an awfully dim vision got into his head that playing guinea pig is a great idea. I want to help you. I'd like to... make things right. But I have limits, too. Hard to believe, I know." Kaeya rambled on, scratching Diluc’s head. "I only ask for you to consider my position once in a while. It would be greatly appreciated." Diluc stopped purring and looked up into Kaeya’s eyes, which he knew looked like he had cried his heart out for hours. Well, maybe it was because he had been crying for hours. The sun was setting, and Kaeya slowly finished the last glass of firewater. He sat the glass down, and when he did, Diluc climbed onto his lap, curling himself up against his stomach. A faint smile crossed Kaeya’s lips. "You want to prevent me from getting more, eh?" He commented, and when Diluc started purring, he interpreted it as a "yes". Kaeya started stroking Diluc’s fur again. Having a living creature in his lap was soothing, and he already felt a little better. "By the way, Master Diluc... Why is your vision so dim? Are you ill? Well, you did not seem to be… Otherwise, Albedo would not have given you the transformation collar after your examination…" In his drunken state, Kaeya mused. It was easy to talk to the cat. The words kept tumbling out of his mouth, and he could not stop himself. Maybe it was good to get it all out while Diluc is unable to answer him. "I hope it’s nothing serious. I've never heard of someone whose vision has dimmed who isn't sick or dying... Maybe it’s your exhaustion? You really need to tell me who to kill for you. They’ve worked you to the bone, just to get some kicks out of it? I really do not understand what’s been going on. But I will." Kaeya mused on. His words were dangerous, and he felt Diluc shift in his lap. Nonetheless, Diluc did not stop purring. They stayed like this for the rest of the day. The alcohol and the purring cat helped Kaeya push away the dark thoughts swirling in his head. It was good. He could relax a bit and let his and Diluc’s problems go, at least for the rest of the day. Kaeya desperately needed this break. When the sun had finally set, Kaeya stared into the darkness that was slowly engulfing the two friends. Kaeya had no qualms about being in the darkness. It could be dangerous and soothing at the same time. His body slowly gave in to the exhaustion, and the cavalry captain slipped away into a dreamless slumber.