Chapter Text
Careful now, were Kaeya’s thoughts as he stepped into Angel’s Share. He meant it as guiding advice for himself as he saw Diluc behind the counter, a frequent sight to anyone who visited the tavern during the Windblume festival, thanks to the increase of customers.
The thoughts were also aimed at the drunkard customer as a warning, out of amusement, accompanied by an unpleasant sting of possessiveness, as Kaeya saw him eyeing Diluc's hair a beat too long. He didn’t have a familiar face to Kaeya so he must have been visiting Monstadt during the festival and clearly didn’t have enough tolerance for its’ famous wines. The man was leaning over the counter and slurring something Kaeya didn’t hear all the way to the door, swinging his empty glass at Diluc. The red-head looked positively murderous, just barely hiding his irritation behind his mask of neutrality that only a few, like Kaeya, could see past.
At times Kaeya felt like Diluc had a sixth sense that always told him when Kaeya was present, their eyes always locking, aware of one another, despite how well Kaeya hid himself in the shadows. It was quite disappointing to see how Diluc didn’t pay any mind to this sixth sense tonight, even when Kaeya stepped towards the counter. Granted, Diluc looked busy, trying to serve another customer and ignoring the heavily intoxicated man on his right, while also preparing two drinks. There were no signs of stress on his face and with his long hair in a high ponytail, the apron wrapped around his waist, he looked the image of perfect work ethic.
“Hey, how many times I gotta order ‘til you hear me?”
Kaeya knew that under any other circumstances, Diluc would have kicked the man out by now but he was supposedly now too occupied with other tasks.
“‘ey, Marv, isn’t it enough for tonight?” a younger man, dressed in traditional adventurer’s clothes, said. He was leaning against ‘Marv’, intoxicated as well but still remembering his manners.
“Listen to your friend, sir,” Diluc commented, only glancing over his shoulder as he bent down to get a new bottle of wine from under the counter. “We will not be serving you any more drinks for tonight, as I’ve said two times before. Kindly take your leave before you have to be escorted out.”
Careful, Kaeya thought once again. He could practically feel the venom in Diluc’s precisely chosen words and that meant the man would soon lose at least one finger if he kept bothering Diluc for longer.
“Could be escorted out, fine by me, if you do it, peach buns,” Marv slurred out and, most likely missing his primary target thanks to his drunken state, pulled on the tips of Diluc’s hair.
Before Diluc had time to set the tavern on fire, before the adventurer had finished his cry of “Seriously Marv, how drunk are you, he’s not a girl!!”, Kaeya swiftly kicked the stool the drunk was sitting on so the chair fell down, taking the man with it. Marv collapsed on the floor, right on his ass, and blinked rapidly at the ceiling before setting his stare on Kaeya who loomed over him.
“Unfortunately, it will be me escorting you out,” Kaeya said, smiling widely at Marv. There was a sensation like burning in his legs, out of the desire to stomp on the man’s body but the way he paled at Kaeya’s words was a sign that it would be unnecessary, at least for now.
“Captain Kaeya!” the adventurer perked up and bowed at him. “I-I-I’m so sorry for my friend’s behavior, we— actually we just met on our way to the city, we’re not that— close…”
“Oy, Henry!” Marv snapped at his friend, looking ten times more flustered than before. “How dare ya lie like that, it’s bulls-”
Kaeya’s patience with the man was wearing thin so he gave Marv a glare before he could finish his sentence and Marv’s mouth shut with a loud “click”. Incoherent whispering filled the tavern and Kaeya heard Diluc heave a sigh behind him.
“As I told you before, sir Marv, get out. Have an unpleasant rest of the night and do not come back tomorrow or any other day after that.”
Henry helped Marv back to his feet and as the two of them walked out, Kaeya could hear Marv mutter, “Wait, it wasn’ a lady after all? Why issit that the men have sucha long hair ‘ere…?”
The attention of the customers seemed to have shifted from the scene back to their own business — possibly thanks to Kaeya’s antics but he himself would have argued that it’s the current icy aura around Diluc, the kind of ice Kaeya could have never dreamt of producing.
“Windblume sure is an interesting time around here,” he chuckled as he took a seat by the counter, leaning his elbows on the wooden surface. He felt slightly bolder now that he knew Diluc was annoyed at someone else for a change.
“Undoubtedly, with you causing ruckus everywhere you go, even more usual.”
Or maybe he was wrong.
“Ruckus? Me?” he shot back easily. “Master Diluc, especially now that I’m performing the Acting Grand Master’s duties, I appease the ruckus. But I suppose you were too busy with your work to see it.”
“Oh, I saw it alright,” Diluc said, never raising his gaze from the glasses he was cleaning. He was close enough for Kaeya to smell the faint scent of ash and sweet wine, the latter being a much more unusual odor on him. “I hope you didn’t ruin my floor or the chair.”
“Good as new,” Kaeya answered him and patted the stool he had picked back up before taking a seat. “Perhaps I got involved in the ruckus while trying to appease it but that man was vile and in need of little discipline.”
Diluc’s red eyes finally fell on him and it both eased and electrified Kaeya. He didn’t answer, and Kaeya certainly didn’t expect thanks but the silent way Diluc was looking at him was surprising, as well as the absence of his frown he usually regarded Kaeya with.
“What can I get you, sir Kaeya?”
The moment was broken and Kaeya fought against the urge to cough awkwardly, a habit he thought he had killed years ago.
“The usual,” he answered, forcibly serving a lazy smile.
For a few moments Kaeya entertained himself by watching as Charles served drinks and snacks to several different tables on the other side of the tavern and smiled as his eyes met with several townspeople and a few ladies who were clearly tourists based on their clothing. Seeing them happily sigh when they got to enjoy Chicken Mushroom Skewers and a small serving of Calla Lily soups with their drinks, Kaeya mentally patted himself on the back about his great snack-on-the-side idea; since he was sure no such gratitude would ever come from Diluc.
A clank of glass hitting the wooden counter made him turn his gaze back to Diluc who once again looked irritated.
Despite the expression, when Kaeya dug his pocket for coins, he said, “On the house.”
“Well,” Kaeya said after a blink. “I have done so many good deeds lately that it’s very difficult to guess which of them has earned me a free drink from Master Diluc himself.”
“For your hard work taking over Jean’s duties,” Diluc’s tone was filled with sarcasm.
“How would you know about my hard work? Have you kept an eye on me?”
“I know you and the knights enough to be sure of this. Drink.”
Kaeya had an urge to grin from glee, thanks to the enjoyment of their banter, so he concealed it with a sly smirk. “Is the famous new side-snack part of this free serving? Does it also include a second drink, possibly a third as well?”
Diluc sniffed as an answer, a familiar motion Kaeya remembered as clear as day from the past; to prevent a smile or even a chuckle. The small gesture was too powerful, for Kaeya felt as if he had just gained a treasure worth all the Archons’ blessings.
The atmosphere of Windblume was clearly affecting his mental state, it had been obvious from the moment he decided to join Venti’s little club of poem students. Whether it was because of the inception of spring, feelings of nostalgia, or faint promise of something new in his life, he didn’t know.
“Now,” Kaeya started, trying to feel around that normal ground between Diluc and himself. “I could use a moment of your time tonight when you’re not busy.”
“If you think there’s ever a moment, especially during Windblume, that I’m not busy, you clearly live with your head in the clouds. Or soaked in wine.”
“One could say you’re the one most obsessed with my alcohol habits, considering how often you talk about it BUT.” Kaeya paused to take a heavy and long gulp of his drink, feeling Diluc’s gaze on himself the whole time. He put the glass down and licked his upper lip. “Nevermind that, I’m here to talk business.”
“And as I said, I don’t have time,” Diluc answered, placing the wipe he was using somewhere under the counter and pulling out a tray. His tone was cool and flat as ever, the glimpses of his light-hearted mood gone.
“Surely you will have a break at some point?”
“And you think I’d waste my break for more work?”
“I know you would because you’re Diluc Ragvindr.” Kaeya felt the corners of his mouth turn up and form a somber smile because he could never quite shake the feeling of concern when it came to Diluc’s health. “But I think it wouldn’t be as exhausting as usual because that business talk would be with yours truly.”
Diluc opened his mouth, no doubt ready to argue, but instead, he sighed. He effortlessly placed the big tray between his hip and hand, balancing it with his body, and emerged from behind the counter. He came closer and the way his eyes seemed to roam over Kaeya, only for a second, burned Kaeya’s throat more than any alcohol ever could. Kaeya absolutely hated it, that effect just a simple glance from Diluc still had on him. While Diluc must have been absolutely blind to it; to the way he looked standing there in his tight work attire, the vest contracting his pale skin, his hair curling around his face and neck like it had a mind of its own.
“What kind of business?” Diluc asked, his mind of course strictly in the opposite direction to Kaeya’s.
Kaeya tapped his finger on the glass. “Do you recall when I told you I owed that bard, Venti, payment for his services? Three bottles of-”
“I need to get back to work,” Diluc cut him off like a knife through butter, irritation back again on his face. The way his hair slapped the air when he turned his back on Kaeya, was pretty amusing, like a cat whipping its tail.
“No, just listen-”
“I told you, I’m busy.”
Kaeya got up from the stool and caught Diluc’s arm in his hand, immediately understanding it was a mistake on his part when the red-head visibly flinched. But he didn’t pull away, which Kaeya counted as a big win.
“Then I’ll help you,” he said and, feeling brave, squeezed Diluc’s arm before he let go and took the tray from Diluc’s hands instead.
“What?” Diluc blinked rapidly in confusion.
“You go prepare more drinks and I’ll gather the glasses. Then you’ll have a moment to spare for me, right?”
“Uh,” the way Diluc tried to get back his tray, awkwardly and out of his depth, was extremely endearing. “I need to wipe the mess upstairs as well, and check on the customers outside so I don’t think I can-”
“I’ll help with those too. I’ve done this before, remember?”
Diluc blinked his wide eyes again, as if something had gotten stuck in them and a small red splotch was forming on the bridge of his nose.
Are you blushing, Luc?
“You really don’t need to, Kaeya, you haven’t even finished your drink.”
Kaeya side-stepped back to the counter and gulped down the rest of his drink, quite proud of his speed and swiftness. “Alright, I’m done now, Master Diluc. Thank you for the delicious drink, as always.”
Diluc stared at him and then at the tray in his hands. His shoulders slumped a bit and he muttered, “Usually I have a strict policy on employees being sober at their shift…” while he dug behind the counter and then slammed the wipe on the tray. “Clean them while you’re at it, please.”
“Of course, boss,” Kaeya answered with a self-satisfied smile. Diluc slowly smiled back.
Diluc had not exaggerated the workload, but he never did. Kaeya would have lied if he said he wasn’t exhausted by the time closing hours came but working on his feet after a long day of sitting around Jean’s office felt almost cleansing, in a way. He had never been cut out for office work, it was always more distracting than engaging and distractions weren’t good for his state of mind. During their teenage years, he had never envied Crepus tutoring Diluc and Diluc only to take care of the wine business' documents and contracts, bills, and taxes. While they both did their fair share helping in the tavern, Kaeya never had to be restrained to work behind closed doors for hours to learn the tedious task of paperwork. He was only cross with the way so many responsibilities caught up with Diluc and messed up his sleeping and eating schedule, and it was the worry for his sworn-brother that stuck with him to this day. Kaeya always had the need to keep an eye on him, to take care of him even in the strangest ways, no matter what happened between them or how much they changed during the years.
Helping him again, inside the tavern’s walls, was perhaps the most direct and easy way to do that so of course, it had never crossed his mind until now. Maybe he should have called himself an idiot for that but he rather thought of himself as unconventional at heart and who was he to change anyone’s heart, especially his own.
After the last few customers and rest of the employers had left, Kaeya was sipping a glass of water to catch his breath. Then Diluc appeared from the basement with three, impossibly large, sparkling bottles in his arms.
Kaeya tried not to choke on his water, Diluc paid his struggles no mind as he put the bottles on the table.
“Sparkling Apple Cider, a Windblume specialty, as Venti asked.”
“He didn’t mention the “sparkling”-part,” Kaeya said as he wiped his mouth.
“Some batches didn’t have the sparkle,” Diluc explained, taking a seat beside Kaeya. “I used cryo slimes’ frost to produce that sparkling-effect but there was something affecting it, dulling it. Maybe the apples. But then again, certain kinds of apples maximized the effect and,” he gestured towards the bottles. “I got a couple of patches of these.”
“Hmm,” Kaeya tapped his finger against his cheek. “You weren’t able to find out which apples dulled and which maximized the effect?”
“A trick of nature, impossible to clarify. Much like how we can never tell what shades of red does an apple grow to have, or how many and what kind of shapes and rings a tree will have on its trunk.”
“Unless Gods were to bless us with a vision of Apple.”
Diluc snickered. “You’re ridiculous.”
Kaeya smiled, watching the way Diluc’s shoulders shook as he laughed, even if it was a brief moment; every moment of joy on Diluc’s face was too short.
“I can’t take these,” Kaeya said. Diluc lifted an eyebrow at him and Kaeya shook his head. “If you only have a couple of patches of these, you should sell them for the rest of the Windblume. I can never pay enough to match the amount you could have by selling all these to the public. Or abroad, even.”
“You don’t need to pay anything.”
“Excuse me?” Kaeya jumped on his seat, the chair creaking from the jostle. “No, excuse you, Master Diluc — how can you not ask for any kind of payment?”
“I have a few more bottles of these to sell; believe me, I will give them a very grand prize,” Diluc said and then shifted his gaze to somewhere on the table, and Kaeya could see and smell the moment of tension there, in him and between the two of them. Diluc looked at him once more, in the eye. “For you, they’re free of charge.”
“But…” Kaeya started but didn’t know what else he could say. "For you", Diluc had said, without even mentioning the bard’s name.
“I was going to give them to you anyway,” Diluc said with a sigh. He seemed simultaneously relaxed and exhausted as he leaned his head on his palm, elbow close to Kaeya’s hand on the table. His eyes had a tender glow in them, hard to spot for anyone who didn’t know him like the back of their hand. “But in the end, I couldn’t just hand them to you so easily since you showed up and were just… so…”
Kaeya could have argued that Diluc was handing them to him very easily anyway but kept his mouth shut except for a probing, “So?”
Diluc sniffed. “...so annoying.”
Kaeya burst into laughter. “Annoying enough for you to give me three bottles of extremely rare wine?”
“Yes,” Diluc said with a hum.
Kaeya shifted, mirroring Diluc’s pose, leaning his head against his palm as well. He couldn’t stop the smile on his lips as he looked at Diluc, the strange kind of peace between them making him feel giddy. It was different from their banter, which he liked as well, for Diluc was one of the few people witty enough to not respond to his teasing or to respond in a way that wasn’t expected. But if Kaeya had to choose, he might have traded a few of those banters to moments like these where he was allowed to just look at Diluc and have Diluc looking back at him, without many words and social masks. It was something nostalgic, something they had done in the past countless times when everything was different.
“At least let me pay you something,” Kaeya said softly.
Diluc shook his head. “You already did, plenty. Thank you for helping me today. I mean it.”
“It was nothing. I had fun.”
“You were already tired from your own work.”
“My in-efficient work?” Kaeya chuckled. “It was in-efficiently tiring, so refreshing old memories of good labor, here among you and drunkards, was needed.”
“I-” Diluc’s face passed a few interesting states from slight regret to embarrassment to amusement and finally settled on being miffed. “Don’t call my customers drunkards, you hypocrite.”
“I’m never drunk, in fact, you’ve seen me really drunk only once and that was years ago.”
The peaceful moment was broken right then, awkward and electric feeling sneaking into their space before it took over them both. Reminding Diluc of what happened those years ago, when they both had had a little too much to drink, was something Kaeya could have left unsaid.
Unconventional, again.
Diluc’s expression didn’t tell Kaeya anything but his body seemed stiff when he stood up and started to wipe the counter.
“It’s late. You should go home and sleep.”
Kaeya’s good mood was slowly sinking, seeing the way Diluc closed off so easily, always keeping Kaeya on his toes. And Kaeya enjoyed being on his toes most of the time but after a long, tiring day he might have wanted something else. Something soft that was not in his reach.
“What about you, Darknight Hero?” he asked, scratching for crumbs of reaction even though he knew he was using the wrong tools.
As expected, Diluc chose to say nothing, only focusing on cleaning.
Kaeya knew he was unfair.
He looked at the bottles and the sparkle inside reminded him of the abyss. He felt the bottle with the tip of his fingers, and it was cold.
He softly exhaled and took the bottles in his arms. They jingled, the sparkle moving around inside the glass but it didn’t dim. It stayed and Kaeya thought of Diluc, inside the mansion and experimenting with the cryo-slime’s frost, balancing apples in his hand, inspecting every little detail till he passed out from exhaustion.
“Diluc.”
The red-head looked at him, without any hesitancy, directly and so damn earnestly as always despite his walls, something that had never changed.
“Thank you for these. Truly. I can always count on you,” Kaeya told him, and for someone who so easily said what he didn’t mean, saying the most truthful thing was surprisingly and terrifyingly easy as well when he said it to Diluc.
Diluc’s breathing was slightly heavier than a moment before but otherwise, he was his collected self. He gave Kaeya a nod.
“I’ll pay you back somehow though,” Kaeya insisted with a wink.
“Sure,” Diluc replied after rolling his dark-red eyes.
When Kaeya had taken a few steps outside, he cussed momentarily at the sight of his bare hands. He was sure his gloves were sitting in the corner of the tavern where he left them when he had begun cleaning the glasses. Knowing that it was going to be annoying to work without them tomorrow, he turned around and gently kicked the tavern’s door back open with his foot.
“Sorry, I forgot my-”
Diluc jumped. Kaeya had seen a glimpse of his bent neck, head buried in his hands at the counter. He didn’t dare to guess what Diluc was doing; resting, crying, laughing?
Thinking of me-
“What do you want ?” Diluc asked with a low, angry tone that was close to a hiss and it might have been unnerving if his face wasn’t blooming with red splotches of a blush. His cheeks were a match to his hair-shade.
“Ah, my gloves-” Kaeya said hesitantly and his unconventional heart was making some unconventional hassle inside his chest, so his bemused mind couldn’t even come up with any teasing lines about Diluc’s flushed state.
Diluc moved fast like a lizard in the grass, immediately locating Kaeya’s gloves on the table close to the counter, grabbing them, and then he threw them right past Kaeya’s head, outside. Kaeya heard them faintly land somewhere on the ground and blinked.
“Out. Now.”
Kaeya cleared his throat and fell back into the familiar pattern despite the warmth around his neck creeping up towards his face, “Are you sure you don’t want me to cool off your-”
The wipe-cloth hit Kaeya right on the face, muffling the rest of his sentence. He felt hands, firm but surprisingly gentle, push him outside. Kaeya blew into the wipe and it slid down from his face, revealing the dark door of the tavern, now closed. He heard a sound of the lock before Diluc’s footsteps stomped away, no doubt regretting his kindness and generosity towards Kaeya tonight.
Kaeya felt himself grin, realizing how much he had missed Diluc’s full-blown blushed face.