Thread by @miraswordvomit

#Kaeluc a/b/o, mentions of mpreg. Getting back together, pining, fluff ⬇️

Kaeya isn't really surprised when he runs into Diluc during morning patrol. In the 4 years of his absence, Kaeya has built a large information network with ears all over Teyvat. It would be shameful if such a network had failed to learn of the master of Dawn Winery's homecoming

What his network did fail to inform him of, though, was the little child, no taller than Diluc's knee, with a head of bright crimson hair, eyes wide in wonder, tiny hand clutching Diluc's tightly.

When Diluc finds Kaeya's eyes, all his long practiced scenarios fly out the window and he's left there, gaping like a fool.

"Sir Kaeya," Diluc says, flatly "congratulations on your promotion." And he crouches briefly to pick the child up, holding them close to his chest

Kaeya swallows thickly.
"Master Diluc." He croaks out, struggling to find his voice "Lord Barbatos must be pleased his winds have carried one of his beloved sons back to his domains." His eyes turn to the child and he manages to force a friendly smile to his lips

"And who might this distinguished fellow be?"
Diluc exhales slowly and pats the child's back lightly. "Tell him your name."
The child looks up at Kaeya hesitantly, their eyes not the signature Ragnvindr red but unsettlingly dark.
"Caelus" the child says "Caelus Ra-ragwind"

Kaeya doesn't miss Diluc's huffed chuckle or the affectionate crinkling of his eyes, and his heart aches.
"A pleasure to meet you, young master. I am Captain Kaeya Alberich and my job is to keep all citizens of Mondstadt safe. Is your father around so I could meet them too?"

Too far, too soon. Diluc takes a step back, his hand covering Caelus's head protectively.
"I am Caelus's father." He says, his eyes turning hard, and there's a "it's none of your business" implicit in that glare.

"If you would excuse us, we have much to take care of, and I assume so does the Cavalry Captain. Good day, Sir Kaeya."
And so Diluc walks away with his child in his arms before Kaeya can even force his lungs to start breathing again.
//Tbc

Kaeya couldn't get anything done for the rest of the day. Piles of paperwork lie scattered across his desk while his mind keeps going back to the tiny hand Diluc was holding, the softness in his gaze, how protectively he held the child against his chest.

A child. Diluc had a child now.
His chest grows tight with longing. All he ever wanted, right in front of him after all this time, and it's forever out of his reach. He buries his face in his palms, trying to chase away the prickling sensation behind his eyes.

There's another feeling bubbling up inside him. Hotter. Uglier.
'l am Caelus's father', Diluc's voice echoes in his head. It's none of his business, he tells himself, he has no right to pry. And yet he can't keep his mind from wondering, his fists from tightening

Someone had been with Diluc. Someone had /abandoned/ Diluc and left him to raise a kid on his own.

/If it had been me/ his mind mourns, but he shuts that line of thought down, his hand instinctively clutching the mark at the back of his neck, nails digging into scarred flesh.

He was the reason Diluc left, he has no right to get on a high horse now and pretend he would've been a worthy mate for Diluc, let alone a good father for his kid. He already had his chance and be ruined it. He plants his face on his desk, exhausted and defeated.

He opens the top drawer of his desk and digs out the abandoned Pyro vision he has kept safe all these years. He draws the flame with his thumb, contemplating for a moment what he can do now. His mind wanders, this time to the night he wish he could forget.

The cold rain. The tears running down Diluc's face. The blood on Diluc's hands. Master Crepus's lifeless eyes. The delusion lying at their feet. The relief that flooded him and the excruciating guilt that followed; that still haunts him to this day.

And he remembers the whispers from his informants about a red-haired vigilante spotted in different parts of Teyvat, using a delusion to hunt down the Abyss Order, getting in skirmishes with the Fatui. Kaeya clutches the crimson Vision, his mind made.

He can't be Diluc's mate or Caelus's father, but he can make sure another Ragnvindr child doesn't end up crying in the rain with their father's blood on their hands. This, he vows.
//Tbc

The plan is simple: 1. Find something that can pass as a homecoming present for Diluc (There's a flower vase that Marjorie has been trying to sell for years. Kaeya can't help the grin that spreads across his face just /imagining/ the distaste in Diluc's face when he sees it.)

2. Hide the Vision inside the cover up present
3. Wait for Diluc to leave Dawn Winery
4. Give the "present" to Adelinde and ask her to make sure the Master won't throw it away without checking its contents. She's always been the most reliable person in the Ragnvindr estate

Unfortunately, his whole plan falls into pieces when the one to open the door is not Adelinde.
"Young master Caelus!" Kaeya exclaims, his voice a pitch too high, and it's all he can do not to drop the heavy porcelain vase on his feet.

The kid peers up at him with the same wide, dark eyes overflowing curiosity, head tilted slightly to the side, as if appraising him, and Kaeya can't remember the last time he felt so nervous. What if Diluc's kid hates him?

"Would you mind if I come in?" he tries, managing what he hopes is a reasurring smile. "I have to give this to Miss Adelinde."

To his surprise, Caelus's reply is almost instantaneous.

"Papa say strangers no come in."
//Tbc

Kaeya sighs. He can't really begrudge Diluc for that.
"How smart, young master!" He says cheerfully. "Your papa will be very proud to know you remembered his instructions."
Caelus perks up, eyes sparkling with pride and Kaeya's chest warms with fondness.

"How about you go find Miss Adelinde and tell her sir Kaeya wants to give her something? I'll wait for you right here."

The kid eyes him from head to toe, head tilted to the side, like he's not sure he can believe his word. Kaeya wonders if Diluc has warned his kid off him;

"you can never trust that knight with the eyepatch", he imagines Diluc saying after their chance meeting the other day. Not that he could fault Diluc for that either, but the thought alone hurts more than he wants to admit.

"Caelus protect door. Strangers no come in."

Oh dear.

He's gonna have to change tactics.

"Dawn Winery couldn't ask for a braver protector." He says solemnly and watches once again how Caelus beams with pride. It's the exact same look Diluc had when Master Crepus praised him and the memory squeezes Kaeya's heart.

"I have an idea." He says "Since strangers can't come inside, we just have to get to know each other. Then we won't be strangers anymore!" It's a bit dirty to play semantics with a little child but babysitting Klee has taught him sometimes with kids you gotta use a trick or two

Caelus doesn't look very convinced by his proposal. He purses his lips in thought, cheeks puffing out and Kaeya has to hold back the urge to pinch them like he used to with Diluc's, a lifetime ago.

That gives him an idea.

"Hold on a moment."

He hops down the stairs and on to the vineyard, quickly finding what he's looking for. When he returns, Caelus looks like they've forgotten he was even here to begin with, their attention momentarily caught by the colorful vase.

"Has your papa let you try this yet?"

Kaeya crouches down and dangles a bunch of ripe grapes in front of the kid's face. Caelus's eyes widen with the same curiosity Kaeya was counting on. He seals the deal by picking a grape and popping it into his mouth, letting a bit of juice trickle down the corner of his mouth.

"Give!" Caelus chirps, reaching out for the grapes. "Please!" they remember to add.

Kaeya laughs "Why don't we share them? Then we'll be friends instead of strangers" he proposes again, and he knows he's won when Caelus doesn't even think before chirping an enthusiastic "OKAY!"

"For the record," Kaeya states as he lowers the grapes so Caelus can pick one. "we're not really strangers, are we? We met the other day, with your papa, down in the city, remember?" hopefully the semantics trick will work better with a bit of grape-induced goodwill

Caelus hums as if trying to remember while picking a grape from the bunch, but clearly all thought is wiped from their mind the moment they bite down on the grape. Their face lights up like the sun and they squeal in delight, tiny fists clenching.

Kaeya's chest warms at the sight, fondly remembering Diluc's bright smile the first time he took Kaeya to the vineyard and secretly shared with him a bunch of stolen grapes.

"Pretty good, right? Your papa's grapes are the best in Teyvat."

As expected, Caelus preens once again at the praise. 'Like father, like child' Kaeya thinks.

"Oh!" Caelus peeps, looking up at him, eyes wide with excitement, and points at Kaeya's face. "Thank you, sir uhm..." they squeeze their eyes, in a clear effort to remember "Sir Kae!"

Kaeya's heart jumps inside his chest. Suddenly he finds himself overcome with the warmest of feelings, an overwhelming urge to protect this kid, to keep them safe and happy, no matter the cost. Hot tears prickle at the corners of his eyes.

"Sure. You can call me that." he says with a wide smile, ruffling Caelus's crimson hair affectionately, and the kid giggles.

"Master Kaeya?" A voice interrupts them, followed by the sound of footsteps, and Kaeya suddenly remembers why he came here in the first place.

//Tbc

Explaining his original goal to Adelinde after being caught bribing the young master with stolen grapes was a bit awkward, but she takes the vase and promises to make sure Diluc receives its contents nonetheless. Adelinde has always shown him more kindness than he deserves.

Before leaving, he crouches down one more time, to look Caelus in the eye. "Could you do me one favor, now that we're friends?" he asks with a mischievous grin "Don't tell your papa i was here, okay? It'll be our secret." and he offers the kid the remaining grapes from the bunch

Caelus reaches for the grapes excitedly.
"Promise?" Kaeya insists, letting Caelus grab them while extending his now empty hand towards the kid.
"Pwomise!" Caelus replies, his tiny hand wrapping around two of Kaeya's fingers.
Kaeya doesn't have to fake the warm smile on his lips

("Caelus, did you see the person who brought this vase?"
"Yes Papa."
"Who was it?"
"Secwet!"
"I thought we promised not to keep secrets, little star."
"I pwomise secwet with Sir Kae!"
Diluc sighs. His heart breaks a little.)

//Tbc

Kaeya spends all of his energy for the next week trying to avoid Diluc. Vile squeezes a pretty penny out of him in exchange for finding out his schedule so Kaeya won't accidentally run into him, only to report that "Master Diluc doesn't seem to have an established routine"

much to Kaeya's dismay. The only solution is thus to hole himself up in his office for as long as he humanly can. When he hands in three weeks worth of delayed paperwork plus some that weren't even due until next month, Jean asks if he's feeling ill.

He even abuses his position to change patrol routes so he won't have to come anywhere near Dawn Winery. He's not sure of why he's so scared of facing Diluc, but a part of him is sure he'll get a Pyro vision thrown at his face along with a fistful of Diluc's prideful resentment

By the end of the week, the tension of not knowing versus the fear of facing Diluc's anger has him so exhausted he heads leaves his office for the first time in days and heads over to the Angel's Share, even though it's barely past lunchtime.

He's not surprised to find the backdoor unlocked. Charles has been rather understanding for the past four years, always allowing him to sneak in a drink before opening hours.

Predictably, because such is his luck, it is not Charles cleaning wine glasses behind the bar today

"What are you doing here?" he blurts, too slow to put on a calmer facade.

Diluc seems only barely surprised to see him, "I do own this place, if you recall" he says, utterly nonplussed. "You, on the other hand, must have a very good reason to barge in on my property, i presume?"

Kaeya curses himself mentally for his lack of oversight. He should have known that Diluc's diligence would supercede his distaste for alcohol when it came to taking over Master Crepus's wine enterprise.

"Never thought Master Diluc had time to spare for such mundane tasks"

"No task that any of my employees performs is unworthy of my time." He says, and picks up a wine glass to wipe it with a damp cloth as if to emphasize his point.
Kaeya almost smiles. There's at least some relief in seeing this part of Diluc did not change during his travels.

"I suppose you wouldn't mind serving a long-time customer for a single drink?" he asks with a teasing smirk.

Diluc frowns. "The bar isn't open and you did not come through the front door, sir Kaeya."

"Come on Master Diluc, just one drink for this exhausted Knight of the Order."

Diluc's frown deepens, and he puts the glass back on the shelf a bit more forcefully than he should, Kaeya notices.

"Customers should sit /at/ the bar, not behind it."
Kaeya smiles sadly but hops over the bar to sit at a stool nonetheless. How he wishes things could be simpler

"One Death After Noon if you please, Master Diluc." he says as cheerily as he can force himself to sound.

Diluc huffs and turns his back to Kaeya. The movement makes the chain that hangs at his hip clink lightly, enough to draw Kaeya's eyes to the Pyro vision that hangs from it.

Kaeya beams, relief flooding his chest. It may not be a lot, but he wants to hope it'll help prevent that scene in the rain from four years ago from repeating itself.

"That'll be 250 mora." Diluc announces as he plants a glass in front of Kaeya, pulling him out of his thoughts

Kaeya takes the glass to his lips, but the moment he tastes the drink, his face scrunges.

"I hope you don't plan on manning the bar if you can't even tell Death After Noon from plain grape juice. Perhaps you should leave this task to your more than capable staff after all"

"Is it not to your liking, sir Kaeya? I thought it would be, since you seem to have made a habit of stealing grapes from my vineyard to deceive innocent children."

Kaeya can almost swear he sees the ghost of a smirk on Diluc's lips.

//Tbc

For the last 4 years, Kaeya had imagined many scenarios for Diluc's return. Somehow, none of them included his life going on like normal, his daily routine almost unchanged. Paperwork, patrol, ocassionally babysitting Klee, gathering intel at the bar, as if nothing has changed

There is, however, one little change; one that, for others, may seem insignificant but for Kaeya is everything but.
Every morning, his patrol route passes through Mondstadt's main gate at the same time that Diluc arrives in the city with Caelus in hand

Kaeya is still unsure of how Diluc feels about him, so he tries not to be seen by them. Instead, he takes the chance to see a side of Diluc he can never see for himself again. The way his eyes soften with affection, how his lips spread in an unguarded smile...

how he gently squeezes Caelus's tiny hand. It's a vision as heartwarming as it is painful and he makes sure he doesn't miss it for a day. If nothing else, it brings a little brightness to his life that has been so colorless for four years

Today, he gets a little unlucky. Instead of heading straight to the main plaza like every day, Caelus sees something that draws their attention and manages to tug their hand free off Diluc's to chase after it, running straight into the back of Kaeya's leg with a little squeak

"Young master Caelus!" Kaeya calls, immediately crouching down to help the child back on their feet. "How fancy meeting you here." he continues casually, dusting off Caelus's shoulders and arms, quickly checking for any visible injury

Caelus looks up at him, dazed by the fall, and when they see Kaeya their face lights up. "Sir Kae!" they beam, smiling so bright it melts Kaeya's heart.

"Caelus!"

Kaeya flinches as Diluc comes rushing to them, worry painted clearly across his face.

As soon as he reaches them, Diluc grabs Caelus and pulls them away from Kaeya, quickly gathering them into his arms. Kaeya tries not to read too much into it, but it still stings, like a little rejection.

"Are you hurt?" Diluc asks, looking at Caelus's face for any sign of pain

Caelus shakes their head energetically and Diluc sighs in relief.

"You know you can't run off like that, you could get lost." he admonishes softly, combing Caelus's disheveled hair with his fingers.

"Never thought I'd see Master Diluc grow into such a mother hen." Kaeya teases

Diluc finally acknowledges his presence, his brow knit into a frown that would be more threatening if not for the light pink that dusts his cheeks.

"Caelus, what do we say when we cause trouble for someone else?"

Caelus gasps, then looks at Kaeya with a serious expression.

"Sowwy sir Kae!" they exclaim, cheeks puffed with determination.

Kaeya can't hold back a light chuckle. "No need." he says. Even if he had reason to, he thinks he probably could never get mad at such a face. "Just try not to worry your papa, okay?"

He takes a step forward and reaches out to ruffle Caelus's hair lightly. Diluc follows his movement like a hawk, but doesn't protest or try to pull the kid away, so Kaeya counts it as a win. Would that he could reach a little bit further and dig his fingers

through Diluc's hair, tussle the unruly locks like he used to. But that's a right he doesn't have anymore.

"If there's nothing else I can help you with, I shall return to my duties now." he says with an exaggerated bow. "Good day, Master Diluc, Master Caelus."

/Tbc

Maybe since that day, Kaeya changes his routine just the tiniest bit. Maybe once a week he makes sure to cross through Master Diluc's path, just to hear a beaming "Gooday Sir Kae!". But that's just for him to know

[i probably should've added a slow burn warning on the first tweet hhhhhh]

Except for the time he delivered the gaudy vase containing Diluc's vision, Kaeya has avoided the area surrounding Dawn Winery with all his might, always assigning patrol to other knights, and taking long roundabouts if he's ever needed to reach Wolvendom or the border with Liyue

It's like walking on thin ice, interacting with Diluc, Kaeya still unsure on where they stand, and he'd rather stay on the safe side and avoid pushing too far. He holds the smallest of hopes, that it's not completely impossible to repair their relationship

He's under no delusion that they can ever go back to how they used to be, but at the very least, he wants to show Diluc that he's trustworthy, prove to him that Kaeya will never bring harm to him, his child or his city.

Be that as it may, today Huffman is ill and there's no one that can cover for him so Kaeya ends up saddled with the patrol route that goes through the Windwail Highlands, much to his chagrin.

Fortunately, the day turns out to be mostly uneventful, with just a couple of hilichurl camps blocking the road that connects Dawn Winery with Springvale that he clears out quickly, and a request to help Draff with his messenger pigeon training project that doesn't go too well.

He's walking by the lake south of Dawn Winery, one last round before his lunchbreak, his feet following along the shoreline as his mind wanders to simpler, happier times; picking flowers by the water, stealing kisses behind thick bushes, making promises he would fail to keep.

Melancholy tightens around his heart as he looks down at the single calla lily that grows by the lake every year, so stubborn and resilient in spite of its loneliness.
His thoughts are interrupted by a loud wail in the distance, the pained cry barely intelligible

"PAPA!!!"
/Tbc

He sprints in the direction of the voice before his brain can fully process what's happening, dashing along the lakeshore and past the rock walls that lead to the Wolvendom. He spots the source of the cries immediately, unmissable crimson hair among the lampgrass
"Caelus!"

He reaches the crying child in an instant, heart thundering in his chest, his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to unsheathe if there are any monsters around. Once he's sure the coast is clear, he kneels down and touches the top of Caelus's head lightly to draw their attention

"Caelus, are you alright? Are you hurt?"
The child looks up at him, face red and flooded with tears. "Sir Kae!" they sob and start wailing even harder.
Kaeya's doing all he can not to panic. There's no way Diluc would let his kid wander alone so far from home

"Hey, it's okay, i'm here now." he says softly, petting the child's head in an attempt to comfort them. "Caelus, this is important, is your papa with you?"
It seems to work, at least to distract Caelus from whatever is distressing them so.
"Papa go work" they say between sniffles

Kaeya lets go of a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He'd feared Diluc might have gotten hurt while out with Caelus. That still left the question of why the child was alone, so close to Liyue's border though.

"If your papa isn't with you, what are you doing here?"

Caelus rubs their reddened nose. "A-adelinn say Papa work hard." they try, their voice choked with sobs and the snot clogging their nose.
"Miss Adelinde is right, Master Diluc is one of Mondstadt's hardest workers" Kaeya says as he reaches in his pocket for a handkerchief

Caelus nods proudly. "I-I--" they're cut off by Kaeya wiping the snot from their nose and letting them blow into the handkerchief to clear their aiways. "I give Papa flowers. Papa likes blue flowers." they point at the lampgrass that surround them.

The flower that's closest to them is completely crushed, its petals smooshed into the ground, as if someone had stepped on them. Kaeya can already imagine the rest of the story.

"So you came looking for flowers for your Papa and tripped on them, is that right?"

Kaeya's question seems to remind Caelus why he was crying in the first place, their hands flying to their knee, which Kaeya know sees is scraped and a little bloody. Touching the wound evidently hurts Caelus, causing them to start sobbing again, calling for their Papa.

At another time, Kaeya will have to commend the kid for being able to slip past Adelinde's vigilant gaze and get all the way out here on their own, but right now, he focuses on gathering a light layer of frost on his palms.

"Young master, may I?" he asks, his hand hovering above the wounded knee. "It will sting a little bit, but it'll feel better after, I promise."
Caelus looks insecure at first, but finally nods, pulling their trembling hands away from their knee.

Kaeya covers the wound with his hands, his touch as light as he possibly can, making sure to keep his hands only cold enough to soothe the ache and lessen the swell. Caelus flinches at the first contact, sniffling, but the glow of Cryo energy seems to capture their attention.

Once the redness around the wound has subsided, Kaeya pulls his hands away. "Is that better?" he asks.
Caelus nods, eyes wide with wonder, and Kaeya feels warmth spread across his chest.
"Good, let's get you back home okay? Miss Adelinde must be terribly worried."
"Okay!"

Caelus stretches their arms towards Kaeya. It's only then that he realizes he can't have the kid walk all the way to Dawn Winery, especially with a wounded leg. It's not that he's never picked up a child before, but there's something different about this one being /Diluc's/

Hesitantly, he reaches out and grasps the kid's waist, hoisting them up towards his chest. Caelus immediately wraps their tiny arms around Kaeya's neck, in a display of trust that pierces Kaeya's heart.

Unconsciously, he presses the child closer to his chest, and that's where it hits him.
The scent.

//Tbc

He's tried not to think about it. After all, Diluc had made it very clear: 'I am Caelus's father' he'd said, leaving no room for further query, and Kaeya had decided to respect that.
But the moment Caelus's scent hits his nose, he can't push the thought off his mind anymore.

Normally a child of Caelus's age would carry a mix of their parents' scents, at least until puberty, when their own personal scent would start to develop.
Caelus, however only smells of Diluc. Not the kind of scent a child would produce on their own, but pure, undiluted Diluc

It's almost as if Diluc had scented Caelus for hours before leaving for work. It wouldn't be unusual for an apprehensive parent to scent their child, but what's strange is that there's nothing underneath. Even taking a deep inhale, there's no 'Caelus' scent to be found whatsoever

There's only one explanation that Kaeya can think of: Caelus is taking scent-blockers. Or, more accurately, Diluc is giving Caelus scent-blockers. But why?
Kaeya had assumed Caelus was a product of a one-night stand or something of the sort.

That their other parent was a random alpha Diluc had run across during his travels, some foreigner whose name or face Diluc didn't even care to remember. But if that was the case, why bother blocking Caelus's scent when coming back to Mondstadt? Unless...

/Unless the alpha *is* from Mondstadt/
It would make sense, then, to hide the scent, so no one would catch a random whiff and figure out the alpha's identity. Maybe the other parent doesn't even know of Caelus and Diluc wants to keep it that way
Kaeya's mind turns into a storm.

'Who is it.'
He runs a mental check of every alpha he knows in Mondstadt, anyone that could've gotten close to Diluc back then, before he left the city.
Elzer?
No, no one at Dawn Winery would ever lay a hand on the Young Master
Eula?
No, she and Diluc were never in great terms

'Could it be me?'
The traitorous thought crosses his mind and pierces his heart, but he discards it immediately, no matter how much he wishes to hang on to it. Even in the unlikely case that he was already pregnant back then, Diluc wouldn't have kept /Kaeya's/ child

He remembers a voice from a million lifetimes ago, softly chanting in his ear
'Children of Kaenri'ah carry the stars in their eyes'
There are no stars in Caelus's eyes, only that deep unsettling darkness. Caelus can't be his.
But then, who?

Grand Master Varka? Impossible, he would never take advantage of Diluc like that.
Maybe one of Diluc's subordinates at the Order? So many of them idolized Diluc, so many lusted after him, what if one of them took the chance when Diluc was broken and vulnerable?

He should go back to headquarters, find the old records, track down whoev--
"Sir Kae!"
Caelus's giggling voice pulls him out of his spiraling thoughts.
"No tickle please!"
He realizes he'd buried his nose underneath Caelus's jaw, chasing for any hint of scent.

He breathes in deeply one more time, inhaling Diluc's scent to calm himself down. It's not as deep as if he were scenting the real Diluc, but it's the most he's gotten in 4 years and it clears the raging storm in his head.
"My apologies young master. Should we take you home now?"

Kaeya tries to walk briskly without jostling the child in his arms too much. He figures Adelinde will have noticed Caelus's absence by now and must be in a frenzy looking for them. She'd been like a mother figure for Kaeya growing up, he knows how deeply she cares for the family

Just as they pass the rocky cliffs that mark the edge of Wolvendom, a shrill bird's cry echoes above their heads. Kaeya looks up to see a falcon circling above them. He has a bad feeling about this.

"Zephy!!" Caelus squeals, squirming in his arms, hands reaching out for the bird

The falcon reacts to Caelus's voice, its sharp eyes finding Kaeya, and before he can blink the bird is diving towards them, claws frontmost aiming for Kaeya's head.
He manages to dodge the attack by an inch, but Caelus's weight throws him off balance, giving the falcon a window-

to take a sharp turn and catch his ear with its beak. With both hands holding onto Caelus, he's unable to defend himself even as the bird digs its claws into his shoulder, winds flapping on his face and obstructing his vision.

"Zephy no!! Sir Kae friend!!" Caelus yells

The falcon reacts to Caelus once again, its claws still dug into Kaeya's shoulder, and it cocks its head in confusion.

"Sir Kae friend!" Caelus repeats.

Kaeya's chest swells at the declaration, pride making the sting of the scratches on his face and neck fade into nothingness.

With a peep, the falcon takes flight again and settles on a tree branch, a few steps away from them, before making another shrill cry. Kaeya doesn't have time to wonder what that's about, because the voice that calls at them a moment later is not Adelinde's

"CAELUS!!!"

Kaeya's heart breaks at the pure panic that paints Diluc's face. He can only imagine how terrified he must have been, finding out his precious child was nowhere to be found, and so he puts up no resistance when Diluc reaches them and immediately snatches Caelus off his arms.

"What happened, little star? Is everything alright? Are you hurt?" Diluc mumbles, voice trembling as he presses Caelus tightly against his body, petting their hair and nuzzling their cheek.
His eyes turn to Kaeya, dark and ablaze in wrath.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

It's painfully nostalgic, to find himself at the receiving end of Diluc's wrath again.
"Diluc, please," Kaeya says softly, raising both hands in surrender. "I don't care what you think of me, but please, /please/ never believe i would ever try to hurt you or your kid."

He deserves it, he knows. But it still hurts, to know that Diluc would think so lowly of him.

Diluc looks hesitant, but the flames in his eyes seem to simmer down, if just the slightest bit.

"Papa? Why fight sir Kae?"

Diluc flinches, momentarily forgetting Kaeya's even there.

"I--"

"Perish the thought, young master!" Kaeya interjects airily. "I was just explaining to your Papa about your little adventure today!"

Caelus beams. "I find flowers! For Papa!" they exclaim, waving their arms excitedly, then suddenly gasps, their arms flooding with tears

"I-I-" they sniffle " f-forget f-flowers!" and their next words become unintelligible in a wave of choked sobs and wails.

Whatever remained of Diluc's reservation immediately melts away "Shhh. You're alright, little star, Papa is here." he whispers, rocking the child in his arms

"He wanted to get flowers for his hardworking papa" Kaeya says, gently.

"They." Diluc corrects, sharply.

"Oh." Kaeya raises his hands again. "My apologies, won't happen again."

Diluc doesn't reply, just hums, still rocking his body gently to calm the crying child down.

"Don't be too hard on them, Master Diluc. Remember you used to run off on unauthorized adventures all the time too."

Diluc huffs, indignant. "This and that are completely different things." he mumbles, cheeks glowing pink. His attention then returns to Caelus.

"Don't cry, my love, we can come pick some flowers together next time, alright? And we'll get some for Miss Adelinde too, she was worried sick."

Caelus rubs their reddened eyes and nods. "Okay Papa"

Diluc smiles, pressing his forehead to Caelus's, rubbing their back slowly.

Kaeya decides he has no place in this sweet, intimate moment between a father and his child. Would that he could join them, hold them both close, that his presence would make them feel safe.
His eyes start to sting, and so he turns heel, ready to disappear into the Wolvendom.

Just then, Diluc calls out him.
"Kaeya!"
He stops on his tracks, glancing at Diluc. A tiny flame of hope lights up in his heart, though for what, he's not entirely sure.

"I... I apologize." Diluc says, his cheeks painted pink once again, something like guilt pinching his brow

"It's alright," Kaeya says, hoping to sound dismissive.
"It is not." Diluc insists, firmly. "I made an unfair accussation, you didn't deserve it."

Kaeya's heart skips a beat, and he has to swallow back the tears that threaten to spill from his eyes.

It's more recognition than he ever hoped he could get from Diluc. Maybe there's still hope; that, unworthy as he is, he can at least earn Diluc's trust again.

"Did Zephyrus do that to you?" Diluc asks suddenly, pointing at his face. "I'll ask Adelinde to clean those for you"

Kaeya cocks his head, puzzled, then brings his fingers to his face. Touching a spot under his one visible eye makes it sting, and he remembers the falcon that had viciously attacked him, probably assuming, just like Diluc, that he had meant to harm Caelus.

He must be quite the sight now, face full of bird bites, shoulder bleeding where the falcon had dug its claws into his skin. How tempting, to take Diluc's offer and follow him to the Winery. Maybe even take a chance to talk like they haven't been able to in these four years.

"Don't worry about it, Master Diluc." he says, ignoring his heart's demands. "It would be shameful for the Cavalry Captain to miss his patrol over these little wounds."
Diluc must be emotionally exhausted from the brief panic of losing Caelus; Kaeya can't-

be selfish and demand more time from him, not today. He's already gotten more than enough.

Diluc doesn't rebuke, he just nods slightly and squeezes Caelus tighter to his chest. "Thank you, sir Kaeya. For keeping them safe." he says solemnly, lightly bowing his head.

"No thanks needed, Master Diluc. Just doing my job."

Diluc looks like he wants to protest, but a long yawn from Caelus interrupts him.

"I believe the young master must be tired from all their adventures, they should probably rest."

Diluc nods again, albeit reluctantly.

"Caelus, what do we say when someone has helped us?" he prompts.

Caelus beams. "Thanks sir Kae!!"

Kaeya can't contain the wobbly smile that spreads across his lips. "It was my pleasure, young master. Just remember not to make your Papa worry so much, alright?"

"Yes sir Kae!!"

"Very well." He takes a step back and makes a flourished bow. "I'm afraid I must return to my duties now. Take care Master Diluc, young master."

"You too, sir Kaeya."

Kaeya takes his leave without another word, afraid he can no longer keep his overbearing emotions from showing.

(Caelus falls asleep in Diluc's arms on their way back to the Winery. Heart thundering in his chest, Diluc buries his nose in Caelus's hair and takes a deep inhale. A faint trace of Kaeya's scent lingers on his child, and it brings tears to Diluc's eyes.)
//Tbc

Kaeya is in such a good mood the following morning, he doesn't even complain when Jean tells him she needs him to get his paperwork done by today. He flies through documents and reports, ocassionally humming a random tune.
Around lunchtime, there's a knock on his door.

"Yes?"
"Sir, someone's here asking for you." a young recruit announces, peeking her head in.
"Tell them to come in."
She twitches nervously. "Uhm, they asked that you come to the front gate to meet them."
Kaeya stands from his desk and steps out into the hallway, intrigued

"And who would this visitor be?" he asks, hands on his hips.
"I wasn't told, sir."
Before Kaeya can begin to feel suspicious, something collides against his legs, throwing him off-balance, and he has to grasp the doorframe to keep himself from falling over.

"Sir Kae!!"

Kaeya's heart skips a beat as he looks down to find Caelus hugging his legs, their mop of crimson hair barely reaching his thighs.
"Young master Caelus!" he greets, a grin spreading over his face completely beyond his control.

Caelus looks up at him, their dark eyes sparkling with excitement, and they raise their arms towards him, asking to be picked up. Butterflies flutter inside Kaeya's belly, and he bends down to take the child in his arms, Caelus happily clutching his shoulders.

Before Kaeya can ask how Caelus got here all on their own, the answer comes in the form of a voice and hurried steps down the hall.
"Caelus!"
Kaeya sighs. This answers the question of the mysterious visitor who did not want to come all the way inside.
"Master Diluc!-

"To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" he asks, as lightly as he can. He can tell Diluc is more tense than usual, shoulders hardened and fingers clenching and unclenching. He knows better than anyone how hard it must be for Diluc to step back into the Favonius Headquarters

Diluc doesn't acknowledge Kaeya right away, his eyes going straight to Caelus.
"Caelus, have we not talked about running off on your own?" he asks, his brow pinched.
"Sowwy Papa" Caelus replies, pouting. "I find Sir Kae!" they add, pointing at Kaeya proudly

Diluc's frown softens slightly, and, to Kaeya's surprise, makes no move to take the kid from his arms. "I can see that. Have you told sir Kaeya what you came to say yet?"
Caelus gasps, as if they'd just remembered why they'd come in the first place, quickly shaking their head

"Oh?" Kaeya raises a brow, addressing the kid. "Whatever the young master needs, I'll be honored to be of assistance."
Caelus beams, looking at their father. "Papa! Gift!"
Confused, Kaeya looks at Diluc, who in turn looks away, a faint red dusting his pale cheeks

It's only then that Kaeya notices the basket on Diluc's hand, its contents covered with a piece of light purple cloth, a bright blue bow tied at the side of the handle. His heart starts beating faster, and he hopes he's not misunderstanding and getting excited prematurely.

It feels like slow-motion, watching Diluc slowly raise his arm until the basket is right in front of Kaeya's face.
"Caelus was... very adamant. About bringing you a gift."
Kaeya's afraid everyone can hear his heartbeat, so loudly it thunders in his chest."

"A-a gift? For me?" he stutters. "It's a bit early for Windblume presents, isn't it?" he says, jokingly, but his voice is shaking with anticipation.
"No Winboom!" Caelus corrects. "Sir Kae save I; is thank gift!" they explain, proudly.

Warmth spreads all over Kaeya's body like a wildfire.
"You needn't have bothered, young master." he manages to say past the knot at the bottom of his throat. "It's only natural for a Knight of Favonius to protect the citizens of Mondstadts."
Caelus's smile morphs into a pout

"Sir Kae no want gift?"
Kaeya's heart breaks at the little tremble in the child's voice, like they're about to cry.
"No, no, no!" he frets, almost panicking. "My apologies, young master, I didn't mean to offend you; I'd be honored to receive a gift you chose for me!"

To emphasize his point, he snatches the basket from Diluc's grasp, almost too brusquely, and his heart jumps when his hand brushes Diluc's. If the light touch rattles Diluc as much as it does Kaeya, he doesn't show it, so Kaeya brings his attention back to Caelus

"Do you mind if I look at what's inside?"
Caelus nods, the pout disappearing as quickly as it appeared, the kid's eyes now shining with anticipation, their little hands clenching Kaeya's shoulders tightly, as if they can't wait to see Kaeya's reaction to their gift.

Unfortunately, Kaeya finds he can't peer into the basket while still holding Caelus, a predicament Diluc saves him from by finally taking the child from his arms. Kaeya immediately misses the weight and warmth of Caelus's little body, and almost regrets taking the gift so hastily

Caelus is still staring at him intently though, so Kaeya peels away the piece of fabric to uncover an assortment of flowers that appear to be freshly picked, a crystal core, a bunch of grapes and something wrapped in a paper towel.

"Papa, sir kae like gift?" Caelus whispers, not quietly enough for Kaeya to miss it.
"Of course I do!" he assures them, blinking away a stray tear at the corner of his eye, and he pulls back the paper towel to see what's underneath it. What he finds makes his grin grow even wider

"Oh! How did you know mushroom-chicken skewers were my favorite?" he asks, covering them with the towel again to preserve their warmth. He figures Adelinde had helped Caelus put all this together and was the one to make the suggestion.
Caelus's response catches him off-guard

"Papa told!"
/Oh./
Speechless, he looks up at Diluc, who is once again avoiding his gaze, cheeks now a burning crimson.
"W-we should leave, Caelus. Th-the Knights of Favonius are already quite adept at wasting their time, we must not give them more excuses to do so." he huffs

"Your visit could never be a waste of my time, Master Diluc." Kaeya says, making a ceremonious bow. "My deepest thanks to both of you for this wonderful present, I will treasure it dearly."
Caelus preens happily. "Papa look! Sir Kae like gift!" they exclaim, waving their arms

Diluc's frown melts into a soft smile. "That's great, little star, you worked very hard on it." and he pats Caelus's head affectionately, the kid squealing as they lean into the touch. It's a sight that floods Kaeya's chest with warmth.
Finally, Diluc turns towards Kaeya again

"We must go now. Have a good day, sir Kaeya."

"The same to you, Master Diluc, young master Caelus. Thanks again for going out of your way to bring me such a magnificent gift."

"Bye bye sir Kae!!"

Kaeya keeps his eyes on them until they've turned the corner towards the main entrance, and only then does he return to his office, the widest grin drawn across his lips.

Later that day, Eula glares at him like he's grown an extra head and tells him to get his face checked

(The image of Kaeya holding Caelus in his arms haunts Diluc through the rest of the day and it makes his heart ache.)
//Tbc

April 30th is a difficult date. It's filled with happy memories, like the way Diluc would always smile the brightest smile no matter what Kaeya gave him for a present, smearing cake on each other's faces, their first kiss at age 13, the first time Diluc got accidentally drunk...

But the day also carries a lot of pain and guilt, cold rain on his skin, tears running down Diluc's face, hands stained in blood, a fiery claymore coming down on him, and the mockery of the gods, saving his life with a Vision in the instant he lost everything he ever loved

In the years of Diluc's absence, Kaeya has developped a rather simple routine for this particular date. He'll take the day off work -well, Jean forces him to- and head over to the back of the Favonius Cathedral since the early morning, where Master Crepus chose to have his grave.

Once there, the first thing is to clean up the gravestone. He'll wash away the stains of mud and grass, water the flowerbed Adelinde and Elzer planted after the funeral, and pluck away any unwanted weed.

Afterwards, he'll sit down, uncork a bottle of fine Dandelion wine, and drink. Every once in a while, he'll pour a bit of wine over the gravestone, mutter 'cheers, Old man", then keep drinking. And he'll talk. He'll tell Master Crepus all the secrets he'd kept from him

He'll apologize, over and over, even if he feels unworthy of forgiveness. And he'll cry. It's the one time he'll allow himself to cry. To mourn all the things he'd lost that day. The father that loved him like his real parents never had.

The warm home that other sinners from Khaenri'ah could only ever dream of. And Diluc, his best friend, the love of his life, his mate, whose love he had never deserved. He'll cry and cry a lifetime's worth of grief and regret. And when the wine's over, he'll wipe the tears away-

and put on his usual mask, go back to work, make sure the city that Diluc and Master Crepus loved would stay safe.

But Diluc is back in Mondstadt now, and that means Kaeya can't follow his usual ritual this time. Even if things have gotten less awkward between them, he knows today will be rough for Diluc, he doesn't want to make it harder by meeting him and bringing back unpleasant memories

So he gets up a little bit before dawn, heads to the gravestone with a bottle of wine and a bouquet of Cecilias in hand, does a quick cleanup, takes a long swig from the bottle and dumps the rest of the wine over the gravestone.

"I'm sorry Master Crepus, I'm afraid I can't stick around today." he says "Don't worry, you'll be in much finer company later. You're in for a big surprise." Kaeya's eyes sting. He can only imagine, how delighted Master Crepus would've been to meet his first grandchild.

He leaves the graveyard as the first glimpse of sunlight rises above the city walls and heads straight to the Favonius Headquarters. Jean tries to convince him to go home, but he argues he'll take the distraction of paperwork rather than dwell on his misery in his apartment.

With the goal of avoiding running into Diluc, he locks himself in his office and buries his head in reports, budgets, training plans, new patrol routes and any paper he can get his hands on. It's not a great substitute for "wine and cry", but it keeps his mind busy enough

Some time before midnight, Jean finally kicks him out, ordering him to go home and rest, but his feet take him to the Angel's Share instead. He hesitates before entering, but he reasons Diluc wouldn't be behind the bar; not today of all days.

His reasoning is thankfully correct, and Charles greets him as usual when he walks through the door.
"Same as always?" he asks, reaching for a cocktail glass.
"Actually, I'm in the mood for something different tonight."

His mind wanders to the past, to the grin on Master Crepus's face after taking the last sip from a wine glass.

"Nothing beats a good Dandelion wine." Kaeya echoes with a nostalgic smile.

Charles comes back with two wine glasses, but only gives Kaeya one of them.

"Master Crepus always said he couldn't wait to share a good glass of wine with his sons." he says.

Kaeya chuckles. "He'd be so disappointed to see Master Diluc drinking grape juice now." and he clinks his glass against Charles's. "To Master Crepus."

It's past midnight when Kaeya stumbles out of the tavern and into the quiet Mondstadt streets. He's not as drunk as he'd like to be -Charles wouldn't let him keep drinking-, just tipsy enough to trip on the doorframe but sober enough to catch himself by the tavern's wall.

"Father would not be pleased to see you in this state."
Kaeya almost falls over. "D-diluc I--" a slip of the tongue, he's not as sober as he'd need to be to face Diluc, at least today.
Diluc doesn't look at him. He's leaning against the same wall Kaeya used to break his fall

"Adelinde told me," he says "that you tended to Father's grave while i was away."
Kaeya holds his breath, ready for the snap, for the 'how dare you' and 'you have no right'.
What he gets instead is "Thank you."

//Tbc

"Sir Kaeya you've truly saved my life once again." Magar exclaims, head bowed deeply as his newly repaired carriage tredges down the path to the Winery

"Just doing my job." Kaeya chuckles, patting him on the back. "Now get going before Elzer starts getting impatient."

"Yessir!"

Kaeya's about to turn around and return to Springvale when a voice he's grown all too familiar with calls for him.

"Sir Kae!!"

Kaeya immediately crouches down and spreads his arms at the kid running towards him, the grin on his face completely out of control

"Young master!"

His grin subsides when he sees the tears running down Caelus's face moments before the kid crashes into his chest.

Before he can ask anything, he sees Adelinde running towards them. She looks more exhausted than concerned, which probably means whatever is distressing Caelus

is, at least, not a life-or-death situation.

"My apologies Master Kaeya, the young master-"

"Sir Kae help!!" Caelus wails, looking up at Kaeya with swollen red eyes, their face so despairing it breaks Kaeya's heart, "Mister Hoohoo lost!!"

Adelinde sighs.

"Young master, sir Kaeya is a Knight of Favonius, we can't occupy his time looking for Mr. Hoot Hoot" she admonishes gently.

Caelus grips Kaeya's shirt tighter and bites their lip, clearly torn between Adelinde's words and the very real anguish they're feeling.

Kaeya connects the dots quickly and he pats Caelus's head reassuringly.

"Don't worry Miss Adelinde, I can spare some time. Besides, a real knight could never leave an esteemed citizen of Mondstadt in such distress, isn't that right?"

He wipes the tears from Caelus's eyes,

and Caelus beams at him happily.

"Now, where was this Mr. Hoot Hoot last seen?"

"Uhm I play a-and--" Caelus starts explaining, but is overcome by emotions and their words are drowned by incomprehensible sobs. Kaeya smiles softly and lets the kid bury their face in his chest,

completely unbothered by what's inevitably going to become an annoying-to-clean stain of snot and tears. He turns to Adelinde, who sighs once again.

"The young master brought their favorite toy to the wineyard and by the time I noticed it was already lost." she explains

"I'm afraid I wasn't watching closely enough, I'm not sure how far the young master went before losing Mr Hoot Hoot. We were in the middle of searching through the vines when the young master spotted you."
Kaeya nods in understanding. "Very well, nothing left but look, is there?"

He hoists Caelus in his arms as he gets back up, the kid's sobs slowly quieting as Kaeya follows Adelinde back to the wineyard.
"You are much too kind, Master Kaeya."

"It's my pleasure, really."

It's no exaggeration. He's grown very attached to Caelus -perhaps alarmingly so-

and seeing them crying their heart out made Kaeya's chest tighten. Even if he can never be Caelus's father, he wants to do everything in his power to make sure Diluc and his child are safe and happy now that they're back in Mondstadt.

And if he gets to spend a little time with them as a bonus, and if that alone is enough to brighten his whole day, well, no one else needs to know.

"You know, young master, your papa and I used to play here all the time when we were kids." he says as they reach the wineyard.

Caelus looks up at him, eyes sparkling with wonder.

"Papa and sir Kae friends?" they ask, squirming in his arms excited.

Kaeya chuckles sadly. "Yeah, we were very good friends." *were* being the key word here, but he doesn't think Caelus will pick up on that detail.

"One time I lost my toy slingshot and your papa helped me look for it until it got very dark!" he retells, beginning to sift through the grapevines in search for the missing toy.

"If I recall correctly, Master Kaeya wouldn't stop crying until it was found." Adelinde chuckles.

Kaeya blushes. "How unfair of you to bring that up Miss Adelinde, to ruin my gallant knight image in front of the young master." he grumbles

Caelus laughs so brightly Kaeya immediately forgets his shame. He smiles back at the kid and ruffles their hair affectionately

The sun has started to set by the time they finally find the missing Mr. Hoot Hoot, a round plush in the shape of an owl. The toy had rolled down the slope where the grapevines grew and camouflaged itself amongst a group of wine barrels.

When they spot it, Caelus tugs themselves free from Kaeya's hand and runs to it, immediately wrapping their arms around the toy and burying their face in the owl's belly, squealing and crying in delight.

"Another case solved for the Knights of Favonius!" Kaeya proclaims proudly

"Oh? Is the Cavalry Captain stealing grapes from my wineyard again?"

Color drains from Kaeya's face.

"Papa!"

Caelus rushes past Kaeya with the plush still tightly clasped against their chest, crashing straight into their father's arms.

Kaeya raises both hands in surrender.

"Steal from our esteemed Master Diluc? I would never!" He claims with a choked laugh.

Diluc raises a fine eyebrow, lips pursed in a subtle frown.

"Papa! Sir Kae find Mister Hoohoo!" Caelus explains, smushing the plush against Diluc's cheek. Kaeya has to bite back a chuckle

"That's great news, my love." Diluc says sweetly, then like a switch was flipped, he turns back to Kaeya, once again frowning. "Are the Knights of Favonius so free of occupation to be searching for missing toys in private property?" he looks significantly less menacing-

with a round plush pressed to the side of his face, but Kaeya doesn't comment on it.
"There is no trouble too insignificant for the Knights if it's making a citizen of Mondstadt shed a single tear." He says instead, punctuating it with a flourished bow.
Diluc huffs, defeated.

Caelus breaks the silence, their words leaving all the adults frozen in place.

"Sir Kae stay?"

Kaeya's heart melts. There's nothing he'd want more than stay a little longer, spend more time with Caelus and Diluc, that things were as simple as they once were.
But he sees the troubled look in Diluc's face, torn between disappointing his kid and this lingering awkwardness

"I apologize young master, but since the esteemed Mr. Hoot Hoot has been found, it is true that I have many other occupations I must take care of now, so I must regretfully take my leave." he says, bowing again. He doesn't miss Diluc's relieved sigh.

Caelus pouts, "Okay..." they squeeze the plush tightly. "Thanky sir Kae!"

"It was my pleasure, young master." he takes a daring step towards Diluc and mumbles: "plase don't punish Adelinde for letting me in, I insisted." then he ruffles Caelus's hair lightly and steps back again

"Have a good evening, Master Diluc, Miss Adelinde, young master Caelus." he says finally, before taking his leave

"Bye bye sir Kae!!"

Later that night, Kaeya is surprised to find Diluc behind the bar at Angel's Share. He's more or less figured out his schedule and he's pretty sure today was supposed to be Charles's shift.

"Quite hardworking aren't you, Master Diluc?" he greets, taking a seat at the bar

Diluc doesn't acknowledge him, and immediately turns his back on Kaeya to get busy serving drinks.

Kaeya sighs, not even bothering with ordering anything. Apart from the lingering tension between them, there's another reason Kaeya tends to avoid Diluc's shifts at the bar:

Diluc always serves him grape juice. It's the weirdest, pettiest kind of vengeance imaginable, but Diluc must take great pleasure in it, because he doesn't miss a single chance to ruin Kaeya's innebriation plans.
Kaeya is starting to consider giving up and calling it a night

when a cup is dropped in front of his face like a rock. Diluc still says nothing, just nudges it towards him insistently. Kaeya inspects the liquid suspiciously, but he can't tell what it is by the color alone. The smell is distinctly /not/ grape juice, so he ventures a sip

His eye flies wide open at the taste of Death After Noon filling his mouth.
"Hardworking AND generous? Truly Master Diluc has no equal." he says, still mildly shocked.

"I do not approve of the allocation of the Knights' time and resources onto trivialities." Diluc says,

arms crossed over his chest. "But as far as it concerns private matters, I can not be ungrateful to anyone that keeps my child from crying."

Kaeya preens, prouder than he should probably feel for such a meager acknowledgment. He's a bit pathetic like that, when it comes to Diluc

"Oho, is this gonna be on the house then?" he asks playfully.
Diluc huffs. "If I gave out free drinks to anyone that merely did their job I'd go bankrupt in a week."
Kaeya laughs. "It would be Mondstadt's most productive week though."

//Tbc

Slowly, Kaeya's routine starts changing. He starts taking more patrol routes through Dawn Winery, and if he's lucky he'll catch a glimpse of Caelus playing in the yard. If he's *very* lucky he'll get to see Diluc playing with them too, and nostalgia will fill his chest.

When he runs across Diluc in the mornings, Caelus will come running at him and hug his legs, beaming happily. Sometimes Diluc won't immediately snatch the kid away and instead sighs a defeated huff, even gives Caelus time to tell Kaeya about all their recent adventures.

Very small things perhaps, but they make him happier than he's been in the past four years; happier than he thinks he deserves to be.

He's just finished collecting a report for some missing goods from Marjorie and stepping back outside of her shop when something collides against him at full speed and knocks him over, tumbling in a mess of long limbs and pained grunts.

"Hey, watch out ma--"

"I'm sorry, I-!"

Kaeya opens his eye and sees nothing but bright red.

"Diluc?"

Diluc scrambles to get off of him and back on his feet, barely glancing at Kaeya before taking off in a sprint.

Puzzled, Kaeya follows him without really thinking and grabs his wrist to stop him in his tracks.

Diluc looks back, panting, a frantic look in his crimson eyes.

"Diluc, hey," Kaeya says softly, loosening his grip on Diluc's wrist. "What's wrong?"

It's not even up for question. He can tell, after all, just by looking at Diluc's face, that something /is/ wrong.

Diluc's eyes examine Kaeya from head to toe, and he bites the inside of his cheek. Oh, he's really troubled.

"Kaeya..."

Diluc hasn't called him without the honorific even once since coming back. Now Kaeya's really worried.

"I need your help."

Kaeya looks up at the sky to make sure Celestia hasn't come crashing down on Teyvat. Diluc? Asking for help? Diluc is asking for /his/ help? For /Kaeya's/ help? Diluc wants Kaeya's help? And is asking for it directly? On this completely unremarkable morning?

Oh if only Diluc didn't look so distraught, that Kaeya could tease him about this turn of events, laugh it off to mask the storm of conflicted feelings suddenly raging inside him.

He says one thing only:

"Anything you need."

Diluc explains the situation as they sprint past the main plaza: From a series of unfortunate coincidences (Moco and Hillie were ill, Adelinde on vacation, Elzer in Liyue for an important trade deal) there was no one left at the Winery to take care of Caelus.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem. Diluc doesn't mind bringing Caelus along with him when he's taking care of stuff in the city -so long as he's not manning the tavern-, and, if needed, he could also stay at the Winery overseeing production while taking care of his kid.

Unfortunately, today was not most days. An old friend and business partner of Master Crepus was coming to Mondstadt from Fontaine and had agreed to meet Diluc today to sign a new trade deal, after four years of broken relations since the late Master's demise.

It was just not the kind of meeting he could bring Caelus into. So this morning he'd dropped them off with the sisters at the church, and that would have solved the problem if Caelus hadn't come down with a terrible fever, as per a message he received a few minutes ago

Diluc suspects they may have caught whatever had made Hillie and Moco call in sick today. The message from sister Jilliana said she was deeply sorry but she couldn't risk the other kids under their care catching the infection and to please pick up Caelus as soon as possible.

"I can't cancel the meeting with Monsieur Mirabeau, it was a very important partnership for Father. But I can't just leave Caelus alone when they're sick and..."

"And you... want me to watch over Caelus?"

"Just... just for a few hours, I--"

Kaeya swallows heavily.

He can't really fathom that Diluc, whose shoulders always tense upon seeing him, could so suddenly be willing to trust him with /his child/. An omega parent, leaving their only child with an alpha that wasn't his mate was already unheard of;

top that off with all the baggage and history between them and he just can't wrap his head around it.

"Why... why me?"

Diluc stops mid-step and looks at him. A flash of hurt crosses his face, and Kaeya regrets ever opening his mouth.

However, Diluc's expression hardens before Kaeya can even think how to take the question back.

"Nevermind. It was a foolish thought. Don't let me trouble you any further, sir Kaeya, you must be quite busy." he says coldly, and turns his back on Kaeya with finality

Kaeya moves before he can think, grabs Diluc's wrist and pulls him backwards, his back colliding against Kaeya's chest. It's a shock of lightning, to feel Diluc's body pressed to his, if for only an instant, and he aches when Diluc pulls away, a frown still etched on his features

"Diluc, wait--!" he stumbles, struggling to regain control of himself, of all the feelings that have lit up like static, surfaced from the depth of his chest into every inch of his skin. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." he sounds more desperate than he wants to,

but hopefully that'll make Diluc realize he's being sincere. "I'm... it doesn't matter, it was a stupid question. Please let me help you... and help Caelus."

Diluc tugs his wrist free and starts climbing the stairs to the Cathedral. Halfway up the stairs he glances back.

"The sisters are waiting." He says flatly, and doesn't wait to see Kaeya's reaction before climbing the rest of the steps.

Kaeya sighs, relieved, and hurries to catch up to him.

"Sister Barbara gave them medicine to bring down the fever, hopefully it will start to go down soon." Sister Jilliana explains as she passes a wailing Caelus over to Diluc. "If the fever persists, give them six drops of this in four hours." she adds, handing him a glass vial

"Thank you, Sister, I apologize for the inconvenience." Diluc says as he pets Caelus's back gently.

"No need, I hope the young master feels better soon." She eyes Kaeya briefly, then gives him a bag which he assumes contains Caelus's belongings. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Kaeya is very aware of how this looks. Diluc is an unmated omega and single father. Even the city of freedom isn't free of gossip. Allowing an unmated alpha close to his child, especially when the child is sick and vulnerable can give room to unsavory whispers

He knows Sister Jilliana and he doesn't think she'll start any nasty rumors, but her evaluating gaze reminds him of how careful he'll have to be. He doesn't want to give Diluc a bad reputation just by virtue of standing close to him.

Diluc makes no comment about Kaeya's less than luxurious abode, though Kaeya can tell he does not approve of the barely lit rooms, bare walls and minimal furniture. It's not like Kaeya really tried to make this place a home. That's not something he can ever get back, after all

Fortunately, Caelus fell asleep on the way here, so Diluc is able to lay them down on the bed and tuck them in with ease. He wipes sweat from his child's forehead, his face pinched with apprehension.

"Hey." Kaeya lays a hand on Diluc's shoulder, squeezing lightly.

"Caelus will be alright, okay? I'll take good care of them." He's not sure that's a comforting thing to say, but he hopes it is. "Go strike that trade deal and make Master Crepus proud."
Diluc nods silently and kneels by the bed to press a kiss to Caelus's forehead

"Papa will be back soon, I promise." he whispers.

Kaeya's chest tightens. He takes a step back to give them space, and waits quietly while Diluc continues whispering unintelligible words at the sleeping child.

After a few minutes, Diluc parts from the bed and heads to the door.

"Thank you." he says voice wavering with worry.

"There's nothing to thank." Kaeya replies. "You know I'd do anything for you."

Oh, he shouldn't have said that.

Fortunately it seems Diluc's head is too preoccupied by other things, because he doesn't react to Kaeya's slip.

"You wanted to know," Diluc mutters, hand on the doorframe and one foot out of the appartment. "why I asked for your help..." his jaw tightens, but when he looks up at Kaeya, his crimson eyes are clear, calm and honest. "Caelus trusts you."

"If I can't be by their side in this time of need, at least I... I want them to know they're safe and protected. And... I think they can have that with you. That is all."

Kaeya is left standing there, mouth agape and completely speechless.

"Do not forget the medicine the Deaconness sent. Six drops in four hours if the fever persists. Please Kaeya, take good care of my child."

Kaeya nods still gaping stupidly, his eye glued to the door long after Diluc leaves; a swarm of crystalflies fluttering inside him.

It's more challenging than he expected, caring for a sick child. Not that he thought it'd be easy, but he also didn't anticipate how apprehensive he would feel, sitting by Caelus's bedside, constantly checking their temperature, watching them squirm and pant in their sleep.

Kaeya tells himself the Deaconness wouldn't have sent them home if Caelus's condition was cause for worry, but it does little to ease the tightness in his chest. He wonders how many times Diluc has felt like this, anguished over his sick child with no one to comfort him.

Carefully, he wipes the sweat from Caelus's face and places a damp warm towel on their forehead, hushing softly hoping to ease their feverish dreams. He stays there, watching intently until their breathing evens out at last, the frow on their little forehead fading away.

It takes around an hour for the fever to finally subside, and Caelus wakes up with reddened, tired eyes, their stomach rumbling with hunger.

"Papa?" they call weakly.

Kaeya's heart breaks a little. If only.

"Good morning young master, how are you feeling?"

Caelus looks up at him, blinking slowly, then suddenly their eyes flood with tears.

"I want Papa!!" they wail, fat tears running down their cheeks.

Kaeya smiles sadly. Even if Caelus trusts him as Diluc says, they'd still want their father to feel safe and protected.

"I'm sorry, your papa is working very hard right now, but he'll come pick you up very soon. Think you can be patient for your hardworking papa?"

Caelus clenches their eyes shut and nods, but they keep sobbing quietly, tears rolling nonstop from their eyes.

"Hey, what about having something nice to eat hm?" Kaeya offers, wiping the snot and tears from Caelus's face. "I'm sure you'll feel a lot better with a full belly."

Caelus places their hands on their tummy as if just now realizing they're hungry, and they wail again.

Kaeya sighs. He ruffles through Caelus's bag and quickly finds what he's looking for.

"Look! Mr. Hoot Hoot is here to keep you company! I asked him to take care of you while I go get us something yummy for dinner, alright?"

Caelus grabs the plushie and sobs into its soft belly.

"Okay,"

Kaeya congratulates himself on the foresight of cooking dinner while Caelus was asleep. All he has to do is run to the kitchen and grab a wooden bowl to fill it with chicken soup and vegetables, plus a glass of grape juice, and he's back with Caelus in an instant.

Caelus is reluctant at first. Mildly seasoned chicken soup is far from the most enticing meal for a three year old child after all.
"Papa meat!!" they scream, swatting away the spoon Kaeya offers, almost making him spill it on the bed.

Kaeya figures "papa meat" is that special version of Pile-'em-up Diluc used to make. What did he call it back then? "Once upon a time in Mondstadt"? Diluc used to be so cheesy back then.
"I apologize, young master, I don't think I have the cooking skills to make such a dish."

"However, if you finish your soup, your tummy will be a lot stronger and then your papa can make you the Papa Meat when he comes back. How's that sound?"

Caelus's sobs quiet down after a minute, and they stare at the soup in consideration before looking up at Kaeya.

"Pwomise?"

Kaeya smiles. "A Knight of Favonius never goes back on his word." he says solemnly, with a hand on his chest.

It's a lot easier after that. Caelus finishes the soup without further complaint and even gifts Kaeya a heart-melting smile when they taste the grape juice.

After Kaeya has put the empty dishes away, Caelus starts rubbing their eyes.

"You should rest, young master, you've had a difficult day."

Caelus shakes their head. "Icchy!" they complain, rubbing harder.

Kaeya sits on the bed and grabs their little wrists to stop them.

"If you rub your eyes too hard you're going to get hurt." he reasons. "Can you show me where it itches?"

Caelus lifts their head so Kaeya can look into their eyes. He expects to see a speck of dust or something of the sort, but what he finds leaves him completely puzzled.

Caelus's eyes, reddened and puffy from all the crying, look very watery. But what's even stranger is that, instead of the eerie darkness Kaeya's gotten used to, the kid's irises have turned a murky blue color that seems to become sharper the longer Kaeya looks.

It's not like anything he's seen before, and he has a feeling it's not at all related to the fever Caelus has been suffering from all day. He grabs a handkerchief and wipes the water at the corners of Caelus's eyes, but nothing seems to change.

Caelus starts to squirm, trying to get their hands to their eyes to rub them some more. Kaeya is unsure of what to do. Should he call Rosaria and ask for her opinion? Not that she's much of a healer, but at least she'd know more than him.

"Do your eyes get itchy very often?" he asks.

Caelus shakes their head. "When icchy Papa gives menicine."

So, not often but recurring enough that Diluc has a medicine for it. But if this was a cronic condition, why didn't Diluc mention it before leaving?

"And if your papa doesn't give you the medicine, what happens?"

Caelus hums for a minute, blinking quickly. "No menicine so close eyes"

Now Kaeya is even more confused. So Caelus can just sleep it off? It seems strange but at least it sounds like he doesn't have to fret over it

"In that case, why don't you close your eyes and I tell you a story? With your eyes closed, you'll see everything that happens inside your head, like magic."

Caelus finally frees their hands from Kaeya's grasp and rubs their eyes, to no avail.

"Mister Hoohoo see stowy too?"

Kaeya chuckles. "I'm sure he will."
He grabs Caelus's hands again and arranges the pillows so the kid can lay down again, their beloved plushy held tightly in their arms. Kaeya tucks them in and lays on top of the blankets, pulling Caelus's bangs away from their eyes.

"Close your eyes or you won't be able to see the story." he whispers, turning down the bedside lamp until only the smallest flame is left.

Caelus closes their eyes and sighs.

"And now, let me tell you the story of the Wolf Pup and his best friend, the Lion of Light"

//tbc

The fever comes back with a vengeance two hours later. Caelus tosses and turns on the bed, never fully waking up. They whimper through feverish nightmares, tears running down their face. Kaeya manages to give them the medicine with some difficulty, but the hard part comes after;

when he's left with nothing to do but sit by the bed, hold Caelus's hand and wait for the medicine to take effect, feeling his chest tighten every time Caelus squeezes his fingers weakly.

"I'm right here with you αστεράκι μου, you'll be alright." he whispers.

Kaeya himself used to get sick rather often as a kid. His body had taken a while to acclimate to Mondstadt's benevolent weather, and in the meantime he'd frequently find himself bedridden, a ghastly cold chilling him down to the bone, even as he found himself delirious with fever

His memories of those days are foggy, clouded by constant nightmares of Khaenri'ah; of his father, his cursed people and the hopes they'd placed on his shoulders; but he remembers Master Crepus's concerned face and a Sister saying she didn't know what he had or how to treat it

He also remembers how Diluc was forbidden from seeing him for fear he might catch Kaeya's mysterious maladie; and how, in spite of that, his first moments of lucidity were painted deep crimson, the warmth of another body achieving what all the blankets in Dawn Winery hadn't:

to melt away the impenetrable abyssal cold; the sound of Diluc's voice pulling him out of the spiraling nightmares.
Kaeya has never been particularly devout, and yet he finds himself praying that he can give Caelus the repose and comfort Diluc had given him all those years ago

Kaeya isn't sure how much time passes until the medicine finally kicks in and Caelus's fever starts to go down, their breathing evening out. The heavy weight on his chest is lifted at last, and he allows himself a small smile as he combs through Caelus's hair with his fingers

It's then that he hears the insistent knocking on the door, constant and rapid. Perhaps in any other circumstance he might have teased Diluc for his impatience, but if he's been so crushingly worried while watching over Caelus, he can only imagine how Diluc must feel now.

Reluctantly he pulls away from the bed, not without noticing the drag of Caelus's tiny fingers slipping away from his hand.

The moment the door clicks, Diluc slams it open so hard Kaeya briefly fears he broke it. He barely avoids getting knocked over as Diluc storms into the apartment and straight into the bedroom, calling Caelus's name with a voice deeply tinged in apprehension.

When Kaeya catches up to him, Diluc is already kneeling by the bed, his hand pressed to Caelus's forehead as he nuzzles their cheek, as if in a hurry to cover his child in the safety of his scent. It's only after he's made sure Caelus is well that he even acknowledges Kaeya.

"How are they?" he asks without looking away from the sleeping kid, his hand absentmindedly stroking their sweaty red hair.

Kaeya smiles reassuringly. "It's all fine, you can breathe now."

It's as if Diluc had been waiting for someone to say that, for he exhales deeply,

his tense shoulders sagging in exhaustion. How Kaeya wishes he could stand by his side and let him lean against him, support him when he can't support himself.

"Give me a minute, I'll boil you some tea, you look beat."

Diluc's shoulders go rigid instantly.

"I- No- That's-- No, we should be heading home now, Caelus needs rest." he says, his voice shaking.

Kaeya takes a leap of faith, clearing the steps between them in two long strides. He waits until Diluc finally looks up at him to make sure his proximity isn't unwelcome and

when he does, he crouches down slightly and places a hand on Diluc's shoulder.

"Diluc, please." he says, carefully, his eye staring intently at Diluc. "The fever /just/ went down a little while ago, if you jostle them now they might wake up."

He pauses long enough for Caelus's deep, even breaths to fill in the silence. "Let them rest here a bit longer. You can barely stand on your feet yourself, you could trip and get both of you hurt. Just a cup of tea and I'll walk you to the city gates, okay?"

Diluc bites the inside of his cheek, his eyes sliding back to Caelus, watching the steady rise and fall of their chest for a long minute. His hand reflexively reaches to Caelus's forehead to check their temperature and finally he sighs.
"Alright just... just one cup of tea."

Kaeya knows better than to ask Diluc to step away from Caelus's bedside, so he brings the tea to the bedroom.

"Thank you." Diluc says softly, "could I bother you with a bit of honey?"

Kaeya huffs. "At least try it before you turn my perfectly nice tea into sweet flower syrup."

Diluc frowns, but ultimately concedes, taking a tentative sip of tea. His fine eyebrows lift slightly, and he looks up at Kaeya with confusion in his tired eyes.

"Three spoonfuls of honey and a single leaf of mint." Kaeya recites "Of course I know how you take your tea, Luc."

He bites his tongue, cursing himself for the slip. Diluc's shoulders tense, but he doesn't say anything, his gaze sliding back to the cup in his hand.

Kaeya sighs, exhausted, and leans against the door. He takes a gulp of tea, way less sugary than what he served Diluc.

With his eyes closed, he lets its warmth settle into his body, tries but fails to stop thinking how Diluc will definitely down that tea in two swigs just to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Is that actually tea or are you drinking wine from a teacup?"

Kaeya cracks his eye open. The look on Diluc's face isn't judgmental or belligerant; he looks... hesitant. Like he's trying to find the words to fill the awkward space between them. And Kaeya isn't one to turn down an olive branch
"I don't drink when i'm taking care of children."

Diluc hums. "/When/? Is babysitting a regular task for a Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius?"
"I'll have you know" he says, lifting his nose with feigned indignation, "I look after Klee quite often. /And/ I'm pretty good at it, if I may say so."

"Klee? Alice's daughter?"

Kaeya grins. "You haven't seen her since you came back, have you? She's a menace."

Diluc snorts, and tries to cover it up by taking a sip of tea. He doesn't say anything else, but his expression is easier, the tension in his shoulders melting away.

The silence is comfortable,

Caelus's deep breaths filling the room.

"You must be exhausted, too." Diluc notes, quietly. "Taking care of a sick child is very demanding. I would know."

Kaeya shrugs. He's not sure where Diluc is going with this.

"You should... take a seat." he says, and, to Kaeya's shock,

he scoots over slightly, as if trying to make room for Kaeya on the wooden boards by the bed. It's almost comical, considering the whole bedroom floor is empty save for the bed and the night stand, but that makes the implied meaning of his words even more poignant.

It's all Kaeya can do to control his body's instinctual urge to follow every one of Diluc's words like a command. He stands still, mind gone haywire, trying to convince himself that he misinterpreted, or straight up hallucinated that unspoken invitation. Diluc looks up at him,

as if asking what is taking him so long, and finally his legs start moving until he finds himself sitting down by Diluc's side, about a hand's worth of floor space between them. Kaeya's chest is suffocatingly tight and he almost feels like crying. But then he glances at Diluc

-and sees the faint pink blush that has crept up his ears, and the tightness dissolves into butterflies.

It's a long stretch of silence. Kaeya is too afraid to say anything that will shatter this moment of peace. After everything that happened that night, he'd been sure he would never be allowed to just... exist in the same space as Diluc again, not like this. And yet, here he is.

The silence is shattered by Caelus squirming in bed, whining lightly. Diluc bolts, before Kaeya can even process what happened, Diluc is already pressing his forehead against Caelus's to check their temperature, hushing softly to try to keep them from waking.

After a tense moment, he sighs and pulls away just slightly, but doesn't return to his previous position until Caelus's breathing has evened out again. Then he almost crashes back on his knees, arms falling limp to his sides, and he lets his head fall back on the mattress.

"Do you think..." his voice is so quiet Kaeya almost misses it "did Father ever feel like this?" he reaches for his teacup and brings it to his lips, hands trembling.
Kaeya doesn't need to ask what "this" means. He can tell, just by looking at Diluc's eyes
Powerless.

"You know he did." perhaps no one knows it better than Diluc, actually. How powerless Master Crepus felt.

Diluc's breath hitches, his grip on the cup tightening.

"And yet he was always there for us." he says, voice quivering, watery eyes fixed on what little tea he has left.

"You're here for Caelus, too." Kaeya objects, daring to inch a little bit closer. /And I'm here for both of you/ he wishes he could say.

Diluc shakes his head. "I'm always having to leave them alone. Always so... busy with the Winery and... and even that I can't do on my own...

"I keep... relying on everyone around me. Elzer, Connor, Charles, Adelinde... even /you/...I'm... Am I even fit to be a father? I can't even stay with my child when they need me most I--"

"Stop." Kaeya interrupts him sternly, slamming his hand on the wooden floor.

"I know what I think probably doesn't mean much to you but... you're an amazing father for Caelus. You should see how their little face lights up when they talk about you. " He can picture it in his mind so easily, Caelus's bright smile when Kaeya praised their hardworking papa.

"They are /so/ proud you, Luc." he says, hoping Diluc will see he's being earnest. "And if I may be so bold, I think Master Crepus is, too, wherever he is."

Diluc stares at him with wide eyes for the longest minute, in which Kaeya starts fearing he may have crossed a line.

Even if he did, though, he wouldn't take back a single word. Diluc has always been hard on himself, always pushing himself to the limit to live up to the Ragnvindr name and his father's expectations. It didn't matter how many times Master Crepus told him he was proud of him,

Diluc still felt he wasn't good enough. It had gotten specially bad after Diluc first presented, nobles and merchants from all around Teyvat whispering about how the Ragnvindr heir had turned out to be an /omega/, how disappointed Master Crepus must be (he wasn't),

how he would be unfit to take over the Ragnvindr house, for his nature would make him weak and easy to manipulate. And in response to that, Diluc had pushed and pushed himself, pushed so hard he shut down all those who doubted him, but he almost broke in half in the process.

Back then, Kaeya had been there to stop him when he'd been one push away from /toor far/, to catch him when he buckled under the weight of expectations. Now, though, Diluc doesn't have anyone to share the burden, one that is much heavier than the one he carried in his youth.

So even if his words don't hold much weight for Diluc, he can only hope they'll be enough to anchor him, to keep him from giving that extra step he won't be able to take back.

Diluc sets down his now empty cup, his eyes fixed on Kaeya's face.

"Thank you." He says.

The relief that washes over Kaeya is so overwhelming he almost falls on his face. What keeps him upright is the other thing that washes over him: Diluc's scent.

He realizes then that at some point he leaned in so close his hand is halfway over Diluc's, their faces inches apart

Diluc's scent hits him and sucks all the air out of him. There's nothing left but the deep scent of wood and grapes, a fireplace and a wine cellar. He'd smelled it off Caelus a couple of times, but getting it directly from Diluc makes something come alive inside him

It's painful and wild, the long faded mark behind his neck starts throbbing, demanding, every nerve in his body lighting up, his chest tightening with longing. He breathes in deeply, wanting to get more of that scent inside his body; let it flood his lungs until they burst.

He leans in even closer, their noses almost touching. He feels the warmth of Diluc's body, sees his pale cheeks turn bright crimson, his wet lips part slightly and Kaeya wants, wants, /wants/.

"Kae-"

He can taste Diluc's scent now, too, and he /aches/, and Diluc is so close...

"Papa?"

They jolt so violently their foreheads knock against each other and Kaeya sees stars for a split-second. When he comes back to, Diluc is half kneeling on the bed and enveloping Caelus in his arms as the kid rubs their eyes furiously.

"Shhh, it's okay little star, Papa is here."

Kaeya sighs, a smile spreading over his lips in spite of everything.

"They were doing that since earlier." He points out, hoping Diluc won't be spooked by what /almost/ just happened. "They said you have a medicine for that? The itchy eyes."

Diluc's head whips around to look at him, crimson eyes wide in panic.

"Did you see?"

"See what?"

Eyes still fixed on Kaeya, Diluc presses Caelus closer, hiding the kid's face against his chest.

"We- should get going before it gets dark."

Kaeya does his best to hide the disappointment. "Yeah, that's... probably for the best."

In spite of their earlier agreement, Diluc very strongly rejects Kaeya's offer to walk them to the city gates. Given the faux pas from earlier, Kaeya doesn't press the issue.

"Kaeya," Diluc says, one foot out the door, Caelus having fallen asleep in his arms. "thank you, once again. You... did a lot for us today. I'll... tell Charles to clear your tab at the tavern."

Kaeya grins. "No need." he says lightly.

He already got a greater reward than he deserved, after all. Being allowed to share Diluc's space, to have Diluc trust him and confide in him, even if just for a little bit, is worth a lifetime's worth of the best dandelion wine after all.

Diluc's eyes widen for a moment but he doesn't insist.

"Oh, but you can do something for me, actually."

"Yes?"

"I promised the young master that his papa would make him 'papa meat' if he finished his soup. I'd appreciate if you didn't make me look like a promise breaker"

Diluc snorts. "How unsightly that the Knights of Favonius must ask civilians to help them keep their word." he says, but tell there's no bite to it.

"I am willing to dishonor myself if need so, rather than disappoint one of Mondstadt's esteemed citizens" Kaeya says with a grin

"And Diluc," he adds, turning serious "If you... need someone to rely on, or even just a babysitter, or anything, really... you know where to find me." After a moment of silence, he forces himself to laugh. "I guess it's not a very attractive offer coming from me..."

Diluc huffs. "I... shall keep it in mind."

//tbc

When Kaeya first arrived in Mondstadt, he didn't even know what a birthday was. Even after Diluc tried to explain it, the idea didn't make much sense to him. What was there to celebrate about merely being alive?

It was only after Diluc insisted (a lot) that Master Crepus came up with the idea to take Kaeya to a divinator. The cloaked lady looked at the stars and told him he'd been born under the One-eyed Peacock, on the last days of autumn. And that's how Kaeya had gotten "a birthday".

In the years since then, Kaeya had learned to look forward to his birthdays. It was a day in which Adelinde cooked all his favorite foods and Master Crepus gave him ostentatious gifts he never felt he deserved.

But most importantly, it was a day when Diluc only had eyes for him. Diluc would be the first thing he saw when he woke up, sparkling eyes and bright smile beaming 'Happy birthday, Kae!", and then they wouldn't leave each other's side for the rest of the day

It was also the night of his 15th birthday that they made love for the first time. In between shy kisses, awkward touches, nervous laughs and beautiful promises, Kaeya finally felt there was something worth celebrating about being alive.

Thus, it falls to reason that Kaeya hasn't celebrated his birthday since the day Master Crepus died and Diluc left Mondstadt. Adelinde would still drop by the Favonius headquarters to leave him a cake, and Rosaria would pay for his drinks at the Angel's Share,

but all the warmth and joy he'd come to associate with the date itself had dissipated. Now it was just another yearly reminder of everything he'd loved and lost.

When he arrives at the Favonius headquarters, he's rather surprised to find Jean outside of his office, as if waiting for him.
"You have the day off." she says as soon as she sees him, arms crossed over her chest.
Kaeya quirks an eyebrow.

"Not that I'm the kind to reject a paid vacation, but I don't remember asking for one?"

She sighs. "Kaeya, it's your birthday, go get yourself a nice meal at least."

Oh.

He runs a mental count of days and realizes, to his dismay, that she's correct. That changes things.

"Ah, but Acting Grand Master, I'm afraid evil doesn't give us our birthdays off. A Knight of Favonius can't afford to rest for such frivolous reasons."
He's never asked to get his birthday off and has no clue as to why Jean has suddenly decided he should get it now.

It's one of those days where he'd rather keep his mind distracted catching treasure hoarders, clearing hilichurl camps or filing paperwork rather than stare at the empty walls of his apartment, dwelling on his loneliness and all these old regrets.

Jean is, predictably, unimpressed with his flowery excuses. "'Evil' is not getting anything done today and you've made sure of that. Don't think I'm not aware of your late night patrols, Kaeya. If your body collapses how are you going to stop this 'evil' you're so worried about?"

Kaeya frowns. "I don't think /you/, of all people, are in any position to recriminate me for working after hours." he grumbles, but she dismisses him with a handwave.
"I've paid for a full meal and a bottle of dandelion wine at The Good Hunter. Happy birthday, Captain."

Her tone leaves no room for argument, and so Kaeya drags his feet back outside, already machinating how to get back at her for this. Come spring, he's gonna throw her the biggest, noisiest surprise birthday party AND reassign all of her work to other knights; that'll show her.

At The Good Hunter, Sara confirms that Jean did indeed leave a meal paid for him in advance and tells him to sit while she gets everything ready. Oh well, at least he'll get free wine out of Jean's unwanted generosity.

He wonders how likely it is that Charles will let him drink it at the bar this early, maybe throw in a Death After Noon or two. If he's lucky he'll black out and wake up after this accursed day is over.

His gloomy thoughts are interrupted by a voice calling to him.

"Sir Kae!!!"

All of his pessimistic contemplations are wiped away instantly, a wide grin spreading over his face as his eye finds Caelus waving at him enthusiastically from atop their father's shoulders. Their over-eager movement makes Diluc lose balance for a brief moment,

so Kaeya rushes to his side and holds him by the shoulders to stabilize him. Caelus squeals, excited, and twists around to throw themselves at Kaeya. Diluc yelps in a split-second of panic feeling his child's weight leaving his shoulders, but when he catches sight of

Caelus giggling, safely held in Kaeya's arms, he breaths a sigh of relief.

"Caelus, that was very dangerous." he says, not as sternly as he probably wants to sound "If you want me to put you down you have to tell me, you could've gotten hurt."

Kaeya pats Caelus's back.

"Young master, I thought we promised you wouldn't make your papa worry."

Caelus gasps. "Sowwy Papa!!" they exclaim, pale cheeks turning pink with shame.

Diluc sighs, a hand on his hip "I see the Knights of Favonius are as free of occupation as ever."

Kaeya chuckles. He's started to get used to Diluc's deflection mechanisms.

"If Mondstadt's safety is not a matter of concern at the moment," Diluc continues, eyes very pointedly avoiding Kaeya's face. "could I trouble you with keeping Caelus company for the afternoon?"

Kaeya quirks a brow, eye studying Diluc for any sign of distress. "Far be it from me to turn down a citizen in need." he says before dropping his knightly facade, "Is everything alright?"

Diluc continues to avoid his gaze, a light shade of pink glowing on his ears.

In spite of... everything that transpired in Kaeya's apartment the night Caelus got sick -or perhaps /because/ of it- they haven't spoken much in recent weeks. Kaeya isn't sure of how Diluc feels about that night, and he doesn't want to risk shattering the delicate truce

they've managed to establish by pushing too far.

"There is... no particular matter for concern." Diluc says, crossing his arms over his chest defenssively. "I believe it was you who volunteered to babysit Caelus, even cited your extensive experience looking after Alice's kid...

Unless, of course, that was a vapid offer; I'm aware the Knights are quite adept at making those."
Kaeya has always prided himself in being able to read Diluc like no one else can, but even he finds himself at a loss now. He doesn't /look/ angry; and if he were- Kaeya reasons-

he wouldn't be asking him to look after his child, but that this is the first somewhat real conversation they've had in weeks is puzzling to say the least.

"Perish the thought, Master Diluc," he says cautiously. "It'd be my honor to escort the young master this afternoon."

He punctuates the statement with a slight bow and a flourished hand gesture, which is as much as he can do with Caelus still in his arms.

"Very well. Please bring them to the Angel's Share by sundown." His eyes still /not/ meeting Kaeya's, he takes a step towards him.

Kaeya's breath hitches, unprepared for the hit of Diluc's scent that crowds over him out of the blue.

"Caelus, you will stay with Sir Kaeya for a short while, try not to cause unnecessary trouble." he says

"Yes Papa!" Caelus beams, their smile so bright it melts Diluc's frown.

"All of Caelus's belongings are in here." Diluc says, finally looking at Kaeya's face and handing him a large purple bag. "There's a change of clothes in case any /situation/ arises as well as towels, tissues and cream, a coat for when it gets colder, their favorite toy--"

"Mr. Hoot Hoot." Kaeya says automatically and Diluc blinks up at him, mildly surprised.

"Correct; I have also written down their meal schedule and what they need to eat for lunch and snack time and...-"He hesitates then, his eyes going back to Caelus,

"There's a scented blanket, in case they get anxious."
Kaeya feels heat climb up to his face, but he does his best to ignore it. It would be inappropriate, and frankly a little gross, to dig through Caelus's bag now and find this blanket that should be dripping with Diluc's scent

Kaeya isn't a slave to his instincts. He takes a deep breath and presses Caelus closer to his chest.

"Very well prepared, as expected of Master Diluc." He says before turning to Caelus to distract himself. "The young master and I will have a lot of fun today, aren't we?"

"Yes sir Kae!!"
"I hope keeping a child entertained isn't too tall a task for a Knight of Favonius." Diluc says cooly, then he, too, turns to Caelus, his frown morphing to a sweet smile instantly "I'll see you later, little star." he mumbles, pressing a kiss to Caelus's cheek.

Caelus squeals, rubbing their face against Diluc's, prompting their father to give them another, louder kiss before pulling away. The whole exchange might have melted Kaeya to a puddle, if not for the supreme effort it takes to suppress the wild animal that roars to life

inside him when overcome by Diluc's scent in such close proximity. He wonders if Diluc is even half as affected by Kaeya's scent, and the thought makes his heart ache.
"I... should be taking my leave." Diluc says, his voice mildly strained.

"Have an excellent day, Master Diluc." Kaeya says, forcing a smile on his face. "Rest assured the young master will be well taken care of."

"Bye bye Papa!!"

Diluc nods at the same time that Sara calls Kaeya's name, and they turn their backs to each other without another word.

(Jean sighs at the pile of paperwork that never seems to decrease in size. Her tired eyes glance over at an elegant envelope, torn open hours ago, and she takes out the letter in it, her gaze retreading the painfully nostalgic calligraphy.

"To the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius,

Apologizing in advance for my forwardness, I would be much indebted to you, if it is not to your trouble, if you could send Captain Kaeya Alberich to the Good Hunter at noon today.

Sincerest regards,

Diluc Ragnvindr")

"Enjoy your meal!" Sara says cheerfully as she hands Kaeya a large woven basket.

He blinks up at her. "A basket?"

"The order was for a picnic meal set, sir."

"I see... Uh, wanna go on a picnic, young master?"

"Yey picnee fun!!"

"Brilliant. Thanks, miss Sara"

"Thanky missy!"

It's a bit of a struggle to carry Caelus, his bag and the picnic basket all at once, and Kaeya suspects his shoulders will pay for it dearly later, so he decides to make their picnic location just a little past Mondstat's gates, among the dandelions off the shore of Cider Lake

Before peering through the basket, he digs into Caelus's bag. It's not surprising to find everything neatly organized and easy to find. He pulls out Mr. Hoot Hoot and passes it over to Caelus to make sure they won't run off when he's not looking.

Then he pulls out a little notebook with Diluc's notes about Caelus's feeding schedule. The neat handwriting reminds Kaeya of all the hours spent learning to write Mondstadt's script, Diluc's hand gently guiding his, ocassionally biting back laughter at Kaeya's awful penmanship

He smiles fondly, following the succint -yet thorough- notes with his finger and picturing Diluc's little frown as he furiously wrote down every little thing he'd think important for Caelus's babysitter to know.

13:00 Full meal. Soft foods prefered. If solid, cut in
small pieces.
Grape or sunsettia juice preferred.
Must eat grain (1 slice of bread sufficient)
Sweets or desserts only allowed if the full meal
was consumed, otherwise offer fruit.

15:00 Snacks allowed. Fruits preferred. 1/2 apple
sufficient. May have the other half if requested
16:00 Nap if required. No need to awaken at any
specific time. Otherwise provide juice or fruit
for energy upkeep
17:00 Required only if previous nap was not taken

Kaeya laughs. Only Diluc would write a babysitting guide as if it were a mission report. He rereads all the notes twice over to make sure he has them memorized and then puts the notebook back in the bag, before reaching for the picnic basket and peering into its contents

"Young master, are you hungry yet?" he asks, pulling out a large, colorful blanket folded on top of the food.

Caelus, who had been chatting cheerfully with their owl plushie, turns to look at him, large dark eyes shining with interest.
"What eat?" they ask

"Uhm, it's a... surprise?" Kaeya says, all the food in the basket wrapped in napkins and containers so he can't very well tell what most of it is yet.
Caelus beams. "Suhpwise!"
The child's innocent excitement is too infectious and Kaeya finds himself grinning without reserves.

Once he has spread the blanket on the grass and arranged all the food on top of it, he starts opening the containers to investigate what this surprise meal is gonna entail.
There's sandwiches, hash browns, a few slices of bread toast and a container with sauce to spread on it.

Another container has about half a dozen chicken mushroom skewers, and another one has a handful of raddish balls and fried tiger fish. There's also chopped up apples and sunsettias which he'll save for Caelus's snack time, a large portion of salad, and a small birthday cake

The basket also includes large bottles of grape and sunsettia juice, which seems a bit strange for something Jean ordered *for* him. But there's also a bottle of dandelion wine, so he won't be complaining about it. And not just any dandelion wine, for that mattter.

Raised in the Winery that made them, Kaeya can tell this one comes from Master Crepus's finest vintage. Jean must have splurged quite a bit for it. He's gonna have to take over all of her workload for a month, maybe that'll teach her not to waste her hard-earned mora on him.

"Look at all this young master, we have a huge feast all for ourselves! What do you think we should start with?"
Caelus cocks their head. "Sir Kae?"
"Yes, young master?"
"Why always say me Yanmastar? Papa is Mastar. I Caelus."
Kaeya blinks, perplexed at the question.

"Well... that's because you /will/ be the Ragnvindr Master when you grow up, just like your Papa is now." he explains, sorrow dampening his mood. /Diluc/ would be "the young master" if Master Crepus were still alive.

"But I Caelus." they repeat emphatically

Kaeya chuckles, his hand reaches for Caelus's head, petting their bright crimson hair softly. "Very well, if it bothers you I guess I'll just call you Caelus now. Is that okay?" He'll just have to hope the forwardness won't upset Diluc.

Caelus beams, a blinding smile growing on their lips; and Kaeya can't help but smile back at them.

"Alright, so now that that's settled, what do you want to eat first?"

It's a chaotic meal, in all the best of ways. Caelus is uncontrollably excited, eyes zooming from one dish to another, trying to grab a piece of all of them at once. Kaeya simply can't stop laughing, even as he struggles to keep Caelus from running all over the picnic blanket.

They share a little bit of everything, Kaeya letting Caelus take a bite off a sandwich before taking one himself, tearing the hashbrowns into bite-sized pieces and popping them into the kid's mouth, spreading tomato sauce on a slice of toast and breaking it in half,

his own toast getting soggy as he's too entertained watching Caelus happily munching into theirs. Of course, Caelus in turn won't fail to offer Mr. Hoot Hoot to share their meal, and the plushie's face ends up smeared in all kinds of sauces, sunsettia juice and bread crumbs.

Even when Caelus gets on a tantrum about not wanting salad, Kaeya can't stop grinning as he drizzles a little bit of honey on the veggies, chops the potatoes into smaller pieces and convinces Caelus that these are the sweetest apples in all of Teyvat.

When the time for the cake finally comes, Kaeya cuts a small slice and starts feeding spoonfuls of it to Caelus, who squeals happily with every bite.

"Sir Kae eat cake too!" they exclaim after the first slice is more than halfway gone, their mouth covered with cream

Kaeya laughs and makes a show of taking a bit of cake himself. He's never had much of a sweet tooth (unlike Diluc), but the cake is fluffy, the cream smooth and with just that little bit of acid to cut through the sweetness. It's also oddly reminiscent of the cake

Adelinde has been bringing to his office on his birthday for the last couple of years. Not quite as good, but close enough.

His thoughts are pushed aside when he notices Caelus is now smearing cream on Mr. Hoot Hoot, cooing about how delicious it is. That poor toy is going to need a very thorough washing after today's adventure, he thinks, and laughs.

Suddenly, Caelus gasps. "Sir Kae!!"

"What's wrong, young master?"

Caelus frowns, puffing their cheeks, arms crossed over their chest. "No yannmasta! Caelus!"

Kaeya blinks. Oh, that's a pout 100% learned from Diluc, he'd bet that expensive wine bottle on it. "Right, my apologies." he chuckles,

"So, what was the matter?" he adds , poking the kid's squishy cheek.. Caelus, like most kids, has a short attention-span and they've probably already forgotten what made them gasp in the first place.

Confirming his theory, Caelus gasps again. "Sir Kae!!" they repeat.

"Yes?"

"Sir Kae is bahday!!"

Kaeya almost drops the plate with what's left of the cake, his mouth falling wide open in shock.

"How---"

He doesn't even get to ask his question because Caelus gets on their feet and waddles away from their picnic, towards the dandelions growing nearby

They pluck a dandelion with as much care as a little child can, which means a good quarter of the seeds fly away in the scuffle, but Caelus doesn't seem bothered by it and simply waddles back towards Kaeya holding the dandelion in both hands.

"Blow for wish!" They beam happily, offering the dandelion to Kaeya "Lorr Bahbatos make wish true!"

Kaeya's heart melts. "Ah, but you're gonna have to help me out, I don't know that i can blow it all away on my own, and then my wish won't come true!" he says with a dramatic pout

Caelus gasps and claps their hands. "I help Sir Kae's wish!!" they proclaim, determined.

Kaeya takes the dandelion from Caelus's hands and scoots closer, lowering his head to the same level as them.

"Think very good wish Sir Kae!" Caelus instructs, eyes fixed on the dandelion.

Kaeya himself, though, refuses to look away from Caelus's earnest face, still smeared with cream and cake crumbs. "Don't worry, I've got just the one." he says, a sad smile touching his lips. There's one thing he wants above all else, no matter how hopeless it is.

"Alright, on my count one... two... and three!"

It takes little more than a huff to make the remaining dandelion seeds fly off, but that doesn't stop Caelus from blowing with all their might, eyes shut tight, face turning red from the effort.

"Look, Caelus, we did it!" Kaeya says, tucking the now empty dandelion in his pocket.

Caelus opens their eyes and beams seeing the dandelion seeds floating around them. "Yay! Lorr Bahbatos now make Sir Kae's wish true!" they grin, jumping up and down excitedly.

Kaeya ruffles their soft crimson hair, his eye feeling just the slightest bit watery. "I hope you're right."

"Papa say Lorr Bahbatos make wish true! Papa never lies!" Caelus explains, hands on their waist, chest puffed out proudly.

Kaeya chuckles. He can't argue against that.

"Ah!" they gasp, yet again, like they just remembered something else. "Sir Kae's bahday pwesen!"

Oh? Kaeya's eyebrows quirk upwards in curiosity. "I thought the dandelion was my present." he muses. "After all, it's going to make my wish come true, right?"

Caelus hums. "Yes but i also give pwesen" they explain after a moment of thought. "Many bahday pwesen many fun!"

Kaeya laughs at the once again unarguable logic. "Very well, and what's this /other present/ you have for me?"

"Close eyes! Is suhpwise!" Caelus says giggling.

Kaeya doesn't argue; he sits straight and closes his eye. He hears grass crunching under little feet and a pair of little hands grabbing his shoulder. And then he feels warm pressure, a little wet kiss on his cheek and the tears he held back earlier start falling down his face

//tbc

With some effort, Kaeya manages to swallow back the tears before Caelus notices them.

"Thank you," he croaks, his voice thinner than he'd like it to be, "that was the best birthday present ever." and he reaches out to ruffle Caelus's bright red hair.

Caelus preens proudly, purring a little as they lean into Kaeya's hand.

"Mr Hoohoo give pwesen too!" they declare, and proceed to pick up the toy and bump it against Kaeya's cheek. Kaeya laughs and pats the owl's head lightly, which makes Caelus grin even wider.

The rest of the afternoon passes by distressingly fast. As instructed by Diluc's notes, Caelus starts getting hungry again around 3 and Kaeya lets them have the chopped sunsettia and apple, which Caelus insists on sharing with him.

"Sir Kae say aaaaah" they demand, raising a piece of apple towards him. Kaeya complies easily, humming very loudly to show it was delicious, which makes Caelus giggle.

Perhaps due to all the sugar, or the overall excitement of their picnic, Caelus forgoes their nap completely.

"Play firss, then nappy" they declare with conviction, and Kaeya doesn't argue.

When Caelus crawls up to the lakeshore, Kaeya drops everything and rushes to their side, watching intently as the kid splashes water with their hands, giggling even as their sleeves get soaked.

They spend the next hour building little mounds of wet sand. "Winahwy", "Winmeel", "Lorr Bahbatos stachoo"; Caelus dubs them; and they squeal excitedly when Kaeya buries a coin under "Mond Casheewal".

"That's where all of Mondstadt's treasures are." he says with a secretive wink

From the corner of his eye, Kaeya keeps watch of the sun and how quickly it seems to traverse above their heads. His heart tightens when the sky starts turning a light orange. How he wishes he could pretend to lose track of time, get even a couple more minutes with Caelus;

but he would never betray Diluc's trust like that.

With a resigned sigh, he gets up and, using an extra slice of cake as bargaining chip, convinces Caelus to step away from the lake and go back to where their picnic leftovers are, so he can start picking them up.

As he slowly puts the dishes and containers back in the basket, he wonders what Caelus will tell Diluc about their little picnic; what Diluc will think about it. Will he let Kaeya have another chance like this? He thinks back to the wish he made on the dandelion and smiles sadly.

His ruminations are interrupted by Caelus's voice, coming from much farther away than they should be.

"Look, sir Kae!! There's a--"

A dry thunk, followed by a bump, followed by a loud wail.

Kaeya is on his feet and zooming towards the lake in a frenzied panic before he can blink. When his eye regains focus though, he finds Caelus not in the water as he had feared, but in front of a tree, sobbing unconsolably, small red scratches on their nose and knees.

He breathes a sigh of relief and kneels down next to the crying child, reaching out to pet their head gently.

"Did that mean tree get in your way?" he coos, gathering Caelus in his arms.

They nod, burying their face in Kaeya's fur boa, little hands tightening on his shirt.

"Shhh, it's okay" he hushes softly, getting back up slowly whilst rocking the child. "Show me where the mean tree hurt you?"

Caelus sniffles but pulls their face away from Kaeya's chest and lifts the palms of their hands, showing red scratches and dirt on them,

then touches their reddened nose which must sting quite a bit because it makes them wail once more.

Kaeya smiles sweetly, still petting Caelus's head. "It's okay αστεράκι μου, I have just the right magic spell to make the hurt go away, wanna give it a try?"

Caelus buries their face in Kaeya's fur boa again and nods, sobbing in place of any vocal response.

Kaeya heads back to where the picnic basket and Caelus's bag are, digging through the latter to find the scented blanket and a napkin.

He wraps the blanket around Caelus's shoulders, hoping Diluc's scent will help calm them down, even if it makes /him/ go weak in the knees. Trying to hold his breath, he makes his way back to the lake and kneels by the shore, where their mud constructions still remain.

"Did you know that the water of Cider Lake has magical powers?" he asks, dipping the napkin into the water.

Caelus shakes their head, their hands now holding the edges of the blanket, pulling it tightly against their body. They look up at Kaeya, eyes puffy and red but hopeful.

"This is going to sting a little bit, but then the magic will start working and it'll feel better, okay?" Kaeya warns, holding the wet napkin close to Caelus's nose. They nod hesitantly, then whimper when the fabric touches their skin, but they stay very still, eyes closed.

"You're very brave." Kaeya coos, cleaning the dirt from the wound. "Next we need the magic spell." he says, gathering frost on his fingertips. "Repeat after me: Pain pain go away."

"Pain pain goway" Caelus chants earnestly as Kaeya lightly rubs their nose with his cool fingers

After a few seconds, Caelus opens their eyes and looks up at him, their mouth hanging wide open in surprise.

"Did it work?" Kaeya asks, knowing the answer just from the look of wonder on the kid's face.

Caelus nods excitedly. "Sir Kae is very magic!!" they exclaim

Kaeya chuckles, his heart melting at Caelus's bright smile.
"Magic is only powerful if you believe in it." he replies, ruffling Caelus's hair "Always remember that."
Caelus beams "I pwomise wemember!"

Kaeya smiles as his mind drifts to the past, when he fell off a tree and wouldn't stop crying. And then Diluc came to him, his cupped hands holding a little bit of water.

"Did you know," he'd said "that the river that runs by the Winery is magic? It can make any pain go away!"

He repeats the "spell" on Caelus's knees and palms, their increasingly bright smile an uncanny reflection of the young Diluc in his memories, and it makes his chest tighten.

The sky is decidedly pink and quickly growing darker by the time he's finished, and so with a heavy heart he finishes packing up the picnic leftovers and Caelus's belongings.

"Let's go, your Papa must be missing you a lot."

Caelus, still in his arms, pouts. "No more picnee?"

Kaeya smiles sadly. "We've run out of food, I'm afraid." he says for way of an excuse

"Then play more?"

"I would love to, but we promised your Papa to meet him before the sun goes to sleep. We have to keep our promises, right? Especially to your Papa."

Caelus bites their lip, their big eyes growing watery once more.

"Papa play with we after?"

A tight, tight knot twists in Kaeya's throat. His traitorous mind supplies him a fantastical vision where he chases Diluc and Caelus through grapevines and crystalfies;

and when he catches them in his arms, the three of them laugh under a clear blue sky. It's the kind of dream he would never want to wake up from, but alas, he's not even allowed to bask in it for more than a moment. He wouldn't want Diluc worrying after all

He clutches the bald dandelion in his pocket tightly. Lord Barbatos will never heed a wish from a sinner.

Diluc is already waiting for them outside the tavern, arms crossed over his chest, a light frown on his face.

"Papa!!" Caelus shouts, excited

Diluc reacts immediately and Kaeya doesn't miss the way his expression brightens the moment his eyes find Caelus

Caelus starts laughing and squirming in Kaeya's arms as if trying to launch themselves towards Diluc, who meets them halfway so he can catch the kid before they can make Kaeya lose his balance.

As soon as they're back in their father's arms, Caelus cups Diluc's face

with their hands and rubs their noses together, purring happily.

It's a scene so sweet and heart-warming Kaeya feels he has no place in it, and so he turns on his heel, ready to make himself scarce.

"What happened to your nose?" Diluc asks suddenly, and Kaeya freezes.

Caelus gasps. "Mean twee bump me! But Sir Kae did a magic and pain pain goway!" they exclaim, flapping their arms.

"Is that so?"

Kaeya feels guilt crawl up his back. It's quite bold of him to wallow on his misery wishing he could form a family with Diluc and Caelus,

but in the end he couldn't even keep the kid from getting harmed for half a day.

"D-diluc I'm... I'm really sorry, it was my fault. There's no excuse, I--"

Diluc lifts a hand to shut him up, one eyebrow quirked like he's judging his incompetence.

"If you are so faint of heart that a scraped knee would distress you so, I can not fathom how you carry out your duty as a Knight of Favonius." he says, mockingly. "You claim to have experience caring for children yet are not aware of how prone they are to minor mishaps?"

Huh. If Kaeya didn't know any better, he'd think Diluc was trying to... cheer him up?
"You're... not mad?"
Diluc rolls his eyes. "The wounds are of no consequence and look like they were tended to properly. I find Caelus's excessive energy of significant more concern."

When he turns to Caelus, his demeanor changes in a blink. "Did you have fun today, my love?" he coos, pressing their foreheads together.

"Yes Papa!! We eat picnee and yummy cake and make sand Winahwee and hide tweshoore in Mond Casheewal!!" they retell

Diluc hums. "Exactly how much 'yummy cake' did Sir Kaeya give you?"

"Many yummy cake!!"

Oh, Kaeya knows that glint in Diluc's eyes. He's in so much trouble now.

"I-in my defense your notes did not specify a limit on the amount of sweets allowed" he says weakly

Diluc glares at him, and for a whole silent minute Kaeya is very much prepared to die on the spot, either for the accidental rule-breaking or for poking holes in Diluc's very thorough instructions. Maybe both.

In the end, Diluc just sighs and turns back to Caelus.

"We should go back home now, you need to take your nap before dinner time, little star."

Caelus pouts. "Nappy no! Play with Papa and Sir Kae!!" they cross their arms over their chest, cheeks puffed. Kaeya almost laughs seeing that infamous pout weaponized against its creator

Diluc frowns. "You need your nap to stay strong and healthy; we can't play or eat sweets if you get sick."

Caelus's eyes start getting watery. "But Papa!"

After holding Caelus's gaze for a moment, Diluc sighs "/If/ you take your nap we can ask sir Kaeya to play another day."

Kaeya's heart skips a beat. Is Diluc really willing to let him spend more time with Caelus?

"Papa pwomise?"

"Certainly. Unless sir Kaeya would like to rescind his offer."

Kaeya has never shaken his head so fast before. "No! I mean-- I'd love to. I really would."

At some point he's dropped all pretense of keeping his composure in front of Diluc. He's not entirely sure that's a bad thing.

Diluc nods without looking at him. "Good. Do we have an agreement, Caelus?"

Caelus is still pouting, but they finally nod. "Okay Papa."

"Very well, that's a promise. Now say thank you and goodbye to Sir Kaeya."

Caelus beams at him brightly. "Thanky sir Kae!!"

Kaeya grins back at them. "It was my pleasure." he then turns to Diluc. "And thank you. For... today. It... it means a lot."

He could say it's the best birthday he's had in years, but that would probably be a bit much for the delicate balance they're playing with.

"I have no inkling of what you mean." Diluc says cooly, but very pointedly avoids Kaeya's gaze. Is that a blush on the tips of his ears?

For once Kaeya is grateful for the opening.

"Oh, is that so?" he smirks. "Caelus, who told you today was my birthday?"

Diluc flinches.

"Is secwet!" they reply confidently, and a smug smirk starts to pull at the edges of Diluc's mouth, but then... "A secwet pwomise with Papa!"

The flush turns bright crimson and spreads all over Diluc's face.

"Master Diluc is as generous as he is bad at keeping secrets, it would seem." Kaeya drawls teasingly. "To make such an elaborate celebration for a simple civil servant such as myself. He truly has no equal."

It was fairly easy to put the pieces together once he found out Caelus knew it was his birthday. The unrequested (and unwanted) day off, the absurdly nice wine bottle, the pre-prepared picnic meal, Adelinde's cake recipe, the fruit juices and pre-chopped apple pieces...

The details are unclear, but he has no doubt now about who was responsible for making today such a wonderful day. Diluc's motivation escapes him too, but the furiously bashful look on his face and the dandelion stem in his pocket embolden him.

If Barbatos won't hear the wish of a sinner, maybe he can carve it out for himself.

"Hey, Diluc?" he asks tentatively, dropping the teasing tone, hoping his sincerity will come across. "I was thinking... uhm, maybe next time, you know..."

he chews on his lower lip, clenches his fists. "I think Caelus might like it if... we... had a picnic... together. The three of us."

He shuts his eye closed the moment the words leave his mouth, terrified of what Diluc's face will look like, and waits in excruciating silence.

After what feels like an eternity, Diluc's voice cuts through the silence like a sharp piece of glass.

"I... think..." Kaeya's breath hangs on that pause. "Caelus would like that."

(On their way back home, Diluc wipes splotches of dirt from Caelus's face.

"We should draw you a bath after dinner. The smell of dirt and food is rather foul."

"No smell like sir Kae??"

"A little bit. Does it bother you?"

"No Papa!! Sir Kae smell very nice!! Like hugs!!")

//tbc :3

It's early morning and Kaeya is nursing a relatively mild hangover, which means his headache gets only a little bit worse when three loud knocks on his door echo inside the apartment.

Weary, he pulls the door open, clenching his free hand around the hilt of a small dagger

The bright light of the sun is as bad for his hangover as the loud cheerful voice that beams into the apartment as soon as the door is open.

"Gooday sir Kae!!"

In spite of the now piercing headache, Kaeya can't help the huge grin that spreads across his lips.

"Good morning to you too!" he beams. "And good morning, Master Diluc." he adds more solemnly, heart jumping inside his chest. It's been a bit over a week since Diluc *kind of* agreed to go on a picnic together, but they haven't really had a chance to talk since then.

Kaeya wonders if Diluc has changed his mind, but he also doesn't know how to bring it up without crossing Diluc's boundaries.

"Good morning, Sir Kaeya. I apologize for the unannounced intrusion."

"I believe I have said before that it is always my honor to be of your service"

Caelus giggles, their pale cheeks glowing in healthy pink.

"So, pray tell, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

Diluc avoids Kaeya's gaze, a slight blush creeping up his face. Recently, Kaeya has learned that embarrassed expression means potentially good news for him.

He doesn't want to get his hopes too high up, but he also can't control the excited thumping of his heart as he watches Diluc dig into his inner pocket and pull out a fine envelope, which he promptly thrusts in Kaeya's face.

"Caelus insisted on delivering it personally."

Kaeya blinks, perplexed, and grabs the envelope, quickly turning it over to find the words "Sir Kaeya Alberich", written in Diluc's elegant handwriting, surrounded with colorful scribbles in shapes that vaguely resemble stars and/or flowers (it's hard to tell).

Warmth fills his chest, and spreads all through his body. "What an exquisitely decorated envelope, as expected of the esteemed house Ragnvindr." he says, his voice quivering slightly. When he looks up, Caelus's chest is puffed up with pride, little arms crossed over their chest.

"I am aware I am expecting too much from a Knight of Favonius, but do make sure to read *all* its contents thoroughly." Diluc says cooly.

"I shall do my best to rise to Master Diluc's expectations." Kaeya says with a dramatic bow that makes Caelus squeal happily.

Diluc rolls his eyes. "We must be on our way. We have multiple occupations to take care of. Unlike the Knights of Favonius, we can't afford to spend our morning lounging around."

"Have an excellent and productive day, Master Diluc, Caelus"

Caelus laughs "Bye bye sir Kae!"

Kaeya's grin doesn't leave his face even after Diluc and Caelus are gone and he's back in his living room, cutting the envelope open and pulling out its contents very carefully. He wouldn't want to tear it or leave any creases on Caelus's colorful scribbled drawings

When he unfolds the letter, a smaller piece of paper falls on his lap. Perhaps this is why Diluc emphasized that he had to read *all* of the envelope's contents. He picks it up and puts it aside, focusing on the letter first, heart hammering with trepidation.

"Sir Kaeya Alberich
You are hereby cordially invited to attend Caelus Ragnvindr's upcoming birthday celebration, to be held on the day of the winter solstice, on the grounds of Dawn Winery. The festivities will begin at 11 a.m.
Caelus looks forward to your attendance."

The invitation is also full of Caelus's drawings, including a large picture at the bottom of the page with what looks like a large house surrounded in greenery and purple dots (probably the Winery), a blue sky and a big yellow sun.

It's not exactly what Kaeya had hoped for, and yet he can't possibly feel disappointed. He holds the letter against his chest and blinks a stray tear away, relishing in the warmth that floods all over him, from the tips of his toes to the top of his head.

After a moment, he remembers Diluc's stern instructions, so he reaches for the extra piece of paper that came with the letter. There's only five words written on it, the impeccable handwriting nonetheless unmistakable.

"Come to the tavern tonight"

//tbc

Kaeya stands outside the Angel's Share, trying, and failing, to control the erratic beating of his heart. He feels quite foolish, hanging so tightly on to such a tiny sliver of hope. He's not even sure of /what/ he's hoping for, and yet his hand shakes as he reaches for the door.

Diluc stands behind the bar, quietly pouring drinks, seemingly nonplussed by the sizable crowd that flocks around him. The mood in the tavern is quite different from when Charles is in charge, men and women alike insistently vying for even a hint of the master's attention

The air feels electric, the room stinks of all manner of feromones. There's nothing about it that should be unexpected; after all, Diluc is a beautiful, rich, and famously unmated omega. Still, Kaeya clenches his fists, nails digging into the skin of his palms.

If Diluc notices Kaeya's arrival, he makes no show of it, hardly acknowledging his presence even after he's managed to sit at the bar. When their eyes do briefly meet, Diluc lifts one of his fine eyebrows, then turns his back on him.

Kaeya's heart drops to the bottom of his stomach for all five seconds it takes Diluc to pour him a drink and place it in front of him purposefully.

"Do the Knights of Favonius get off work so early? No wonder they never seem to be around when needed."

Kaeya gets dangerously close to confessing he actually got off work early after promising Jean to deliver all his paperwork by the end of the week, but there's still a shred of dignity he must cling to, even in front of Diluc.

"I never saw a businessman bemoan the presence of customers." he says instead, and takes a careless sip of the drink, which he instantly regrets as the taste of grape juice fills his mouth. "What a tragic waste of such fine grapes." he whines, glaring up at Diluc.

"I suppose if my presence is so unwanted I can't even get alcohol at a tavern, I shall make myself scarce." he adds, his stomach turning over nervously. Did Diluc ask him here just to mock him? What was he getting his hopes up for anyway?

Diluc huffs. "I was under the impression that the Cavalry Captain frequented the taverns to gather information; I don't believe that would be a fruitful endeavor if he were to get inebriated when the night is so young."

There's... something about his tone, Kaeya notices.

Like he's trying to say something else entirely and is expecting Kaeya to read between the lines. In the past, Kaeya would proudly declare he knew Diluc better than anyone else in the world; better than Master Crepus or Adelinde, better than even Diluc knew himself.

That's... not quite the case anymore. The Diluc that stands in front of him now is not the one he knew four years ago, and there are many things about this new Diluc that he hasn't quite figured out just yet. The things he doesn't dare say openly are one of them.

Diluc quirks a brow, arms crossed over his chest, expectantly. Kaeya goes over their brief conversation so far and then it clicks
'You're way too early, you should've come after closing time.' and 'I don't want you to get drunk because then we won't be able to talk properly'

Kaeya sighs and takes another sip of grape juice. He already waited four years for Diluc's return. He can wait a couple more hours.

The rest of the night goes by torturously slow. Kaeya tries to follow his usual tavern routine, but it proves difficult to stop his eye from wandering back to Diluc, especially without any alcohol to make his mind buzz.

In spite of it all, he chats some people up, get a couple of them drunk enough to loosen their tongues and gather at least a little bit of information that may or may not prove valuable eventually. There's talk about a hunter from Springvale going missing;

apparently he was last seen chasing a boar into the Wolvendom three days ago. Kaeya makes a mental note of visiting chief Draff tomorrow and see if there's anything of concern going on. Most everything else he hears is idle gossip, drunken ramblings, and even

a fantastical tale of a masked vigilante that's said to roam the city at night to fight evil and uphold justice. Kaeya has to swallow back a chuckle. A masked vigilante operating right under his nose? Townspeople sometimes let their imagination run a bit too wild.

At last, Diluc starts chasing out the last few remaining customers. Most of them stumble out of the tavern, barely holding themselves upright, and Kaeya suspects dawn will find them passed out somewhere out on the streets.
He glances over the tavern to make sure it's empty

when he hears a stumble and a slurred voice coming from the bar.

"Come on Master Diluc, the night is still quite young"

Kaeya quickly finds a tall, young knight leaning over the bar, hiccuping through his words; his eyes full of infatuation glancing up at Diluc.

Diluc huffs in distaste. "As I have already explained sir..."

"Lawrence, at your service." the knight replies, and his hand finds Diluc's forearm as he leans even closer across the bar, his scent spreading boldly across the room

Kaeya's blood boils.

"How very commendable, for a young recruit to be so dedicated to the service of Mondstadt's citizens" he says, his voice ice cold, teeth clenched tight as he approaches the bar. "However, I'm afraid you won't be able to provide Master Diluc with any services."

He grabs the knight's hand and forcefully pulls it away from Diluc. "You seem to have forgotten you have night patrol duty at eastern gate, sir Lawrence. It wouldn't be appropriate for a Knight of Favonius to skip on their duties now, would it?"

The knight stares up at him bewildered. "I-I don't have any night p-patrol assigned, s-sir."

Kaeya's smirk is so sharp it could cut the tension in the room. "Oh? You wouldn't be implying that I'm unfamiliar with the patrol schedules I write with my own hand, would you?"

The knight shrinks under Kaeya's glare. "N-no, of course not, s-sir- I mean, C-captain, sir."

"Good. I'll let your forgetfulness slide this one time, but if you're any later in arriving to your post I may not be so magnanimous."

Sir Lawrence whimpers and flees without another word and Kaeya can't help puffing up his chest with pride.

It is, of course, a short-lived victory.

"I could have taken care of him myself." Diluc says cooly. "Abusing your position for your own benefit is quite unsightly."

Kaeya deflates instantly, but he does his best not to show it. He notices the knight's scent has been completely overpowered by his own, the stench acid and territorial. He didn't realize at what point he'd started releasing pheromones so liberally and his face heats up in shame.

"My bad, I..." he can't even come up with an excuse. Diluc isn't his to claim and never will be; of this he is painfully aware. Even being allowed this close to Diluc is a privilege he thought he'd never get again, one he's not certain he deserves at all.

Diluc rolls his eyes and waves his hand dismissively. "Regardless; I presume you're wondering why I summoned you here."

Kaeya nods quietly, still frazzled with shame from his earlier display

"I... want to ask for a favor."

As he says the words, Diluc turns away from Kaeya, busying himself with placing bottles and cups back in their shelves.

"I told you," Kaeya says carefully, "you can ask me anything."

There's a moment of heavy silence while Diluc wipes empty cups clean with a wet rag.

At last, he faces Kaeya again, his expression softer than it's been in a while.

"You... /are/ coming, aren't you? To Caelus's birthday."

Kaeya blinks, befuddled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Diluc sighs, a small smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. "Good."

"Is that... the favor?" Kaeya prods, an eyebrow quirked in confusion.

"No, I... You mentioned before that you look after Alice's daughter -Klee, yes?- quite frequently."

"Uh-huh..." This is going in a completely different direction than Kaeya had expected it to.

"Do you think you could bring her along for Caelus's birthday?"

"Eh? Uh, I- I guess so? Wait, that's the favor?"

Diluc blushes, soft red heat climbing up his pale cheeks, and he crosses his arms over his chest defensively.

"Caelus... doesn't have many friends their age yet. There aren't any kids around the Winery and I'm not acquainted with other parents in the city." he explains softly, "This will be the first time I can give Caelus a proper birthday" he adds, his eyes clouding over with guilt.

"I just want them to enjoy it and have fun with other children, like /we/ used to." the last part he says it so quietly Kaeya isn't sure he actually heard it, but his chest tightens nonetheless.

Still, he manages to draw a reassuring smile on his face when he meets Diluc's gaze

"I'm sure Klee will love to have more kids to play with too, though I can't guarantee your house will come out of it unscathed." he says with a chuckle. "Don't worry, we'll make sure Caelus has the best birthday party ever."

Diluc's eyes widen momentarily, the blush returning to his cheeks. How Kaeya would love to kiss them over and over until the soft red glow became bright crimson. His heart aches at the thought.

After a moment, Diluc clears his throat, managing to escape Kaeya's smoldering eye

"Now, if you will excuse me, I do hope to get some rest before Caelus wakes up in 3 hours and forty five minutes to tell me all about the amazing dream they're having." he says, turning his back on him. "Have a good night, sir Kaeya."

Kaeya snorts. "Good night, Master Diluc."

(A trace of Kaeya's scent lingers around the bar even after he has left. It's pungent, acid with aggression, its message all too clear.

/Mine/

Diluc inhales deeply.

He shivers.)

//tbc

"Brother Kaeya! Klee can see it, Klee can see it!"

Kaeya hums, amused, and looks up at the little girl sitting on his shoulders. "Oh? Are you sure?" he asks teasingly

Klee shakes her legs vigorously and Kaeya has to hold on to her calfs tightly so that she won't fall off

"Yes I'm sure! The big house with the red pointy roof!" she exclaims, pointing at the Winery that is now well within view. Suddenly, her hands grab onto the top of Kaeya's head apprehensively "Brother Kaeya, will Dodoco make many new friends at the birthday party?"

He chuckles affectionately. "Why, I'm sure of it! In fact, I'm sure master Caelus and their best friend Mr. Hoot Hoot will be very excited to meet you and Dodoco."

She gasps, her little fingers digging into Kaeya's scalp. "Klee and Dodoco are excited to meet them too!!"

"Just remember what Master Jean said." he admonishes, his tone more serious.

"Don't boom-boom when there are people and houses close! Always ask Brother Kaeya before doing boom-boom!" she recites.

"Good girl. You'll be the big sister today, so you have to set a good example."

"Klee will be the best big sister ever!" she declares, and Kaeya laughs.

His heart starts beating faster as the gates to the vineyard come into view. His feet come to a halt when they reach the outer fence. From beyond the grapevines he can hear loud voices and laughter.

Nostalgia fills his chest and the corner of his eye stings a little.

"Brother Kaeya?"

At last, he steels his resolve and takes the first hesitant step past the fence and through the bare grapevines, towards the source of the voices.

Even with the invitation letter in his pocket, he can't help the feeling of trespassing into forbidden territory, haunted by the distant sound of Diluc's broken voice.

/'Don't you ever dare set foot in this place again'/

A light tug on his hair pulls him back to the present.

"New friends, new friends, new friends for Klee and Dodoco!" she sings, bouncing excitedly

Kaeya takes a deep breath to shake the bad memories away and remembers instead the softness in Diluc's face at the bar the other night. Today will be a good day, he tells himself.

Soon enough he catches sight of two heads of bright crimson hair, and his heart leaps in his chest. Before he can call out to them, Caelus turns around and their big dark eyes immediately brighten as they drop whatever they were doing to dash towards him

"Sir Ka-!!...e..."

Kaeya, who was already bracing himself for impact, blinks in confusion upon seeing Caelus's spontaneous sprint cut short, the child's eyes fixed on Klee who still sits atop his shoulders. Kaeya takes the opportunity to crouch down and help Klee hop down to the ground.

"Hello! I'm Klee and this is Dodoco!!" she chirps, waving at Caelus who still stands a few steps away from them. The brightness in Caelus's eyes has dissipated and their face is pinched into a little frown.

"Happy birthday Caelus!" Kaeya says, spreading his arms in invitation.

Slowly, Caelus takes a couple more steps towards them, but instead of greeting Kaeya they completely ignore him, going straight for Klee with their arms crossed over their chest.

"Are you sir Kae's dawter?"

Kaeya chokes on his spit, and starts coughing violently, but neither child pays him any mind.

Klee cocks her head to the side. "Sir Kae?"

"I say if sir Kae is your papa!" Caelus insists, louder, their mouth forming an angry pout.

Klee touches her chin with her finger

"Klee doesn't have a papa," she declares "Klee has the best Mama in all the world! And Brother Albedo, and Brother Kaeya, and Master Jean and Brother Razor, and best friend Dodoco. Klee has a big family so Klee doesn't need a papa!"

Caelus gasps. "Oh! Hello Klee and Dodoco! I is Caelus Ragwinder! And friend Mister Hoohoo! Klee and Dodoco can be friends too!" they chirp, the deep frown turning into a wide grin. "Come play in party!"

Diluc arrives at the scene just as the two kids run back towards the party

He looks at Kaeya who's still struggling to catch his breath on the ground, a red eyebrow quirked upwards.

"What just happened?" he asks, arms crossed over his chest.

"I... have no idea." he admits. His eyes follow the kids as Caelus points at things and Klee nods excitedly

"But it seems to be going alright?" he adds, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips. He looks up to find a similar expression on Diluc's face, and it makes warmth fill his chest.

"I guess so." is all he says, but the relief in his eyes as they follow the kids is hard to miss

"If Miss Klee is anything like her mother, I don't think I should let her run around unsupervised with Caelus. If you will excuse me-"

"Ah- Diluc, wait!"

Finally Kaeya gets back on his feet as he frantically digs into one of his inner pockets and pulls out a small black box

"It's uhm- a dumb little trinket but... I hope you like it." He knows he sounds way less suave than he did in front of the mirror. At this point, he's not sure why he even bothers trying.

Diluc blinks, perplexed. "I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding." he starts,

but Kaeya cuts him off.

"No, I-... I know it's Caelus's birthday. I brought them a present too, obviously. But I thought..." he can feel the knot in his throat tightening. Talking to Diluc wasn't this hard before. "I... have been thinking. That Caelus's birthday is also

the anniversary of the day you became a father. And uhm... you've worked very hard to make Caelus happy. So I thought that should be celebrated, too."

Diluc's eyes widen, his breath catches in his throat. "Oh." he exhales, his pale cheeks gaining a soft pink glow.

Hesitantly, he takes the box from Kaeya's hand and peers inside it. A small ruby brooch in the shape of a diamond sits on purple velvet fabric. "Thank you." he says softly as he picks up the gem. "Is it okay if I..."

"Huh? Oh! Yeah! Of course- I mean... only i-if you want to--"

Kaeya feels heat crawling up his face as he watches Diluc delicately fastening the brooch to the top of his necktie. The bright red gemstone contrasts beautifully on the deep black fabric, its color almost a perfect match with Diluc's eyes.

They stand in front of one another in heavy, awkward silence, neither daring to meet the other's eyes. Kaeya's heart thumps violently against his ribcage, words he doesn't dare to say rapidly clawing their way up his throat.

"Diluc, I-"

"Papa! Sir Kae! Come play!"

Caelus bounces towards them, their knees already splotched with dirt and grass. Poor Mr. Hoot Hoot isn't faring much better, its light grey belly now stained in green and brown.

"Play with Klee and Dodoco and Mister Hoohoo!" they chirp, flapping their arms with excitement

Diluc bends down to Caelus's eye-level. "I thought you wanted to wait for your other guests to arrive." he says, casually wiping dirt from the kid's face.

Caelus hums. "But want to play now with Papa and Klee and sir Kae." they say, squirming away from Diluc's reach

Diluc sighs in evident defeat, but before he can concede, Kaeya intervenes.

"One moment! Before we can go play, I have something for the star of today's celebration." he proclaims. "It would be quite unsightly to show up at a birthday party without a present wouldn't it?"

Caelus's eyes widen, sparkling with excitement. "Pwesent?!"

Kaeya chuckles as he pulls at a satchel that hangs inconspicuously from his belt. In the satchel he finds a bright blue box with a shiny red ribbon which Caelus is already tugging off when Diluc clears his throat

"Caelus..." he admonishes softly.

Caelus gasps. "Can I open pwesent, sir Kae?"

Kaeya kneels down to ruffle the kid's thick crimson hair. "Why of course, it's yours after all."

Caelus beams and goes back to tugging the ribbon off before finally opening the box

"Ooooohhhhh" they coo, pulling out the object, mesmerized. After a moment, they look up to Kaeya, cocking their head to the side. "What is?"

Kaeya laughs. "It's called a slingshot. It's one of the most fun toys in the world."

"Sleenshow!" Caelus parrots

"If your Papa gives us permission, I can teach you how to use it later."

Caelus turns to Diluc, eyes wide and bottom lip popping out in a pleading pout. "Papa give permishon?"

Diluc glares at Kaeya briefly. "Only if you and sir Kaeya promise to follow /all/ the rules."

"I pwomise! Sir Kae pwomise too!"

Kaeya smirks. "On my honor as a Knight of Favonius."

Diluc crosses his arms over his chest and huffs, clearly unimpressed. "Fine, but you'll wait until your guests go home. You can't learn properly if you're distracted playing."

"OK Papa!"

Caelus bounces back towards Klee, the slingshot in one hand and Mr. Hoot Hoot in the other.

"Kaeya, that slingshot..."

Oh. He noticed.

That was the first birthday gift he ever received, just a couple of months after arriving in the Ragnvindr home.

Back then, the concept of birthdays was still rather alien to him, and so he'd objected, saying he hadn't done anything to deserve a present. Master Crepus had chuckled lightly, pet his head and said "What kind of father leaves his son without a birthday present?"

"Sorry, I guess something newer would've been better. You can get rid of it if you don't think it's appropriate."

"That's not--"

"I just hoped that... maybe it can connect Caelus to Master Crepus a little bit... and bring them fun and happy memories like it did for me."

He remembers spending that first birthday with Diluc cheering on him as Master Crepus taught him how to use the slingshot, shooting grapes at newly washed bedsheets for practice until they were caught by Adelinde. It was the day he first knew what having a family felt like.

He smiles softly at the memory.

"I suppose," Diluc mutters, "Caelus can have fun with it. If you teach them how to use it properly."

Kaeya's heart skips a beat. He glances at Diluc, who's pointedly gazing at the distance, his ears tinted red.

Absentmindedly, Kaeya reaches for a loose lock of crimson hair, determined to tuck it behind a flushed ear. But before his fingers make contact, he hears the most terrifying words ever uttered by a child.

"Papa! Sir Kae! Come fast! Klee say teach to play Boom Boom Fishing!!"

It takes quite a bit of bargaining to talk the two excited children out of their proposed game ("Klee say is very fun! Boom boom!") and Diluc sighs with visible relief when the arrival of more guests succeeds in changing Caelus's train of thought.

"New friends for Klee and Dodoco and Mister Hoohoo!" they chirp, pulling Klee along to meet the new arrivals.

Kaeya recognizes Flora, the little girl that runs the flower shop near the city gates, who appropriately brings a bouquet of lampgrass as a birthday present.

Diluc explains that she and Caelus had gotten along from the day they'd first arrived in Mondstadt and Caelus had immediately darted towards Flora's flower stall, squealing at how pretty and colorful the flowers were, how they were so different to any flower they'd seen before.

"I'm sure Miss Flora was delighted to have her work complimented." Kaeya says with a smile, his chest growing warm imagining Caelus's eyes sparkling at the sight of Mondstadt's flowers.

"Ah, Master Diluc, what a beautiful celebration this is!"

Of course Flora isn't alone, and while the little girl gets busy introducing her older sister Chloris to Klee and Caelus, their caretaker, Donna, approaches Diluc with sparkling eyes and an unmissable blush on her cheeks.

"Thank you for coming." he says with a light bow

One wouldn't know it was a very casual response by how she reacts to it however, swooning where she stands and clasping her hands together emphatically.

"Oh, I would never miss a chance to see Master Dil-- I mean Flora was very excited to congratulate the young Master!"

Kaeya rolls his eyes. It's a secret to no one that Donna harbors a massive infatuation towards Diluc and although Kaeya has no intention to make a foolish scene and trouble Diluc like he had at the tavern the other day, there's that impossible to repress part himself that coils

in anger in the pit of his stomach when the mild -yet unmistakably flirty- scent of Donna's beta pheromones reaches his nose.

"It's so very touching, to see how Master Diluc has taken on the challenges of raising a child on your own, for all this time." she says, her voice airy

"Have you considered looking for a Mother for the young master though? I'm sure many a lady would happily share that burden with you."

Kaeya clicks his tongue. She might as well be baring her unmarked neck for how subtle she is, her pheromones turning sickeningly sweet.

"I'm the one that gave birth to Caelus, in many cultures I would be considered their mother." Diluc says flatly, and Kaeya snorts. Maybe there is, after all, a single person in Mondstadt that doesn't know of Donna's embarrassingly transparent crush.

"But most importantly, Caelus isn't a burden. They don't need a mother or a father that would consider them so." He walks past her, his gaze fixedo on the kids that are closely examining the flowers from the bouquet Flora brought. "Enjoy the party Miss Dona."

Kaeya, outstanding liar that he is, tells himself he absolutely didn't enjoy the embarrassing scene and follows Diluc to greet Flora and Chloris.

Not much later, a young boy named Sage comes in with his parents.

Kaeya has seen the family visiting the library numerous times to borrow every volume of the Fox and the Dandelion Sea collection, but he's not otherwise acquainted to them. To his surprise, Sage runs towards Caelus, who in turn beams, clearly excited to greet him

"Now all are here so we play find the very pretty dandylion to do wish after!!" Caelus declares, raising their arms above their head. "When dandylion pretty, Lorr Barbatos happy and do wish true!" they add with absolute certainty

Kaeya finds himself smiling at the sight of all the kids rounded together, happily yelling out their search plans, and, upon coming to an agreement, running out in different directions, away from where all the adults are gathered and towards the grapevines.

"Caelus, what are the rules for playing in the grapevines?" Diluc calls, his voice just loud enough to be heard in spite of the children's laughter

Caelus stops in their tracks and places their hands on their hips, as if proud to know the answer to the question.

"No play out the fence without Papa!" they chirp, grinning widely.

Diluc nods. "Good. And try not to misplace Mr. Hoot Hoot again."

"Yes Papa!"

Kaeya watches the whole exchange with a smile on his lips, his stomach fluttering at the look of pride on Diluc's face

"It's been a long time since we'd had children running around the wineyard like this."

Kaeya looks to his side to find Adelinde, dressed in her everyday clothes rather than her uniform, her eyes following the children as they run past wooden barrels and tumble on the grass.

Kaeya's mind drifts to the past, to Diluc's lively birthday parties, to afternoons spent playing treasure hunting with Jean and coming back home with the knees of their pants full of holes, hair littered with grass and leaves, their shoes covered in dirt.

"I'll bet you didn't miss washing mud from the carpets every other day." he chuckles

"I'll always take a lively, if disordered home, over pristine floors and impeccable carpets in an empty foyer." she responds, and Kaeya's chest aches.

He eyes Diluc from the corner of his eye

His mouth is downturned into the slightest frown, and his crimson eyes look watery, his gaze lost in the distance. Kaeya feels it again, all the words that have been fighting their way out into the world, all the words he doesn't dare speak, twisting in his stomach.

His fingers twitch, begging to reach out, to find Diluc's hand and squeeze it reassuringly, but he bites his lower lip and forces it to stay put.

And then he feels a sharp nudge at his ribs. He winces, turning away from Diluc to meet Adelinde's piercing gaze.

She doesn't seem to care that she already has his attention, for she digs her elbow to his side one more time.
"I should go fetch the young master's birthday cake. It won't be long but someone as clever as the young master will surely know to make the best of such a short time."

Kaeya knows exactly what she means. He clenches his fist, unclenches it. Closes his eye briefly before taking a casual, sideways step closer to Diluc. He opens his mouth, but for a whole minute, no words come out of it. Diluc turns to look at him and he, too, stays silent.

"I know it probably doesn't mean much, coming from me." Kaeya finally starts, leaning against a low table with a bright blue tablecloth. "But I... really mean it,... Diluc you're a wonderful father for Caelus. And i feel like... you're the only one that doesn't realize that."

Tension rises to Diluc's shoulders "Miss Donna doesn't seem to believe I can do right by Caelus by myself. I'm certain many others feel like this too."

Kaeya clenches his teeth. He doesn't harbor any ill-feelings towards Donna, however shameless she is about her infatuation.

It's not that he can blame her, or any of the many hopeless fools that gaze at Diluc with various degrees of adoration. Kaeya himself is just another one of the fools, after all.

He can't begrudge Donna for having a crush on Diluc,

but if her clumsy attempt at flirtation has accidentally fanned the flames of Diluc's insecurities, that's a completely different story.

"She's wrong" he says, his voice tight "Anyone who thinks that is wrong."

Diluc looks at him, his face soft and vulnerable.

How Kaeya wishes he could embrace him.

"Listen, I know you think there's things you could do better, do more. And I know there's things you regret, mistakes you wish you could fix. But I think every parent feels that way. Parents are people, Luc, they can't be perfect."

Diluc opens his mouth to protest but Kaeya can already guess what he'll say so he cuts him off before any word can pass through his lips. "Master Crepus wasn't perfect either. You of all people should know that."

Diluc's breath catches. His fingers curl up into fists.

Kaeya knows he's out of line. That he's risking this delicate balance that's been so hard to reach. He doesn't care. He's seen enough of Diluc's self-doubts, how he keeps measuring himself up to an unattainable standard, as a Knight when they were kids, and now as a father.

Kaeya has no qualms stomping all over Master Crepus's memory, however many times it's needed, if it's for Diluc's sake. He's certain Master Crepus would prefer that, too.
"Master Crepus did what he thought was best to protect his family. And even if he messed up in many ways,

you still remember him for the kind, loving father he was." As do I, he thinks, but doesn't say it out loud. He doesn't dare to call himself Crepus's son. "I'm sure you too have made mistakes with Caelus, and you'll keep making them going forward, that's inevitable."

He finally gets the courage to bridge the scarce steps between them, and in a moment of pure impulse, grabs Diluc's hand in his. "But like Master Crepus, even when you mess up, it's because you're doing everything you can for Caelus's sake, and I'm sure Caelus knows that too."

Diluc's eyes widen briefly, his mouth parts ever so slightly. Kaeya hopes that's a sign that his words are sinking in. "Caelus loves you more than anything in the world." /As do I/ the words scratch the bottom of his throat, suffocating.

It takes all that he's capable of to swallow them down, force them back to the deepest confines of his heart.
"You're Diluc Ragnvindr, have more confidence in yourself and your decisions." He allows himself a gentle smile. A speck of dust lands on Diluc's pink cheek.

"And if you can't trust my judgment, trust that Adelinde /will/ call you out if you're fucking up badly." He adds with a grin. He raises his hand and wipes the dust from Diluc's cheek. His skin is warm to the touch, soft pink turning brighter.

"Kaeya, I do--"

"Papa! Sir Kae!"

Diluc jolts away and crouches down to Caelus's eye-level as the kid runs towards him holding about half a dozen long dandelions, their hair and clothes littered with stray seeds.

"Look Papa! I find many pretty dandylions!!" they proclaim, shaking the flowers at Diluc's face

"That's wonderful, my love." Diluc coos nonplussed, casually picking dandelion seeds from Caelus's hair and blowing them away. "Surely Lord Barbatos will be pleased with your offering."

Caelus beams. "I bring many dandylions so all friends can make wish to Lorr Barbatos!"

Diluc quirks one eyebrow. "But it's your birthday; you're supposed to make the wish to Lord Barbatos."

Caelus giggles. "When many wishes then all friends are many happy!" they explain, swinging the dandelions emphatically, which makes some seeds fall off.

Kaeya catches the exact moment Diluc melts completely, how his lips curl into the brightest smile, his eyes glittering with pride. "You are so kind, my little star." he says softly, pulling Caelus in for a tight hug and kissing their forehead. Caelus purrs happily.

Kaeya's heart aches, and he has to physically restrain himself from reaching out, his nails leaving little indentations on his wrist. He averts his gaze towards the sky, chasing away the wetness growing behind his eyes.
/If only.../

"Master Diluc! The Young Master's cake is ready!" Adelinde calls, approaching from the front door of the manor carrying a tall white cake with colorful decorations of Mondstadt's many flowers.

Diluc pulls away from the embrace just far enough to meet Caelus's eyes.

"Why don't you go get your friends so we can all have cake together and then you can make your dandelion wishes?"

"Okay Papa!"

It's only after Caelus has run off that Diluc seems to remember Kaeya is there at all, and when he does, his eyes widen and his cheeks turn bright pink

He huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.
"W-what are you standing there for? Make yourself useful and help Adelinde set plates for the guests." he says before storming off, presumably to help herd the children

Kaeya doesn't say anything about how he's technically a guest too.

It turns into a bit of a chaotic affair. Caelus seems more interested in giving everyone dandelions, Klee insists on setting the cake on fire because "Mama said they do that in other nations!" and Flora can't stop interrogating Adelinde about the beautiful flowers on the cake

At last, Diluc manages to convince Caelus to sit still long enough that he can hold their little hand over a knife and cut a slice of the cake, to the cheers of all the guests.

"That was an impressive cut, Caelus, you were quite dexterous with the knife" Kaeya says with a grin

"With such skill you could even join the Knights of Favonius if you so wanted." he says lightly.

"Really?" Caelus gasps, excited

Before Kaeya can reply, he /feels/ Diluc's piercing glare. If looks could kill, Kaeya thinks, he would've already been burned down to ashes

"Caelus, what do we think about the Knights of Favonius?" Diluc asks, sharply.
Caelus beams, excited to show that they know the answer to the question. "So ineffishunt!!" they proclaim with confidence, and Diluc nods with pride.

Unable to help himself, Kaeya bursts out laughing.

"Papa can we make dandylion wishes now?"

Diluc sighs, glaring at Kaeya who's still clutching his stomach and laughing very loudly. "Of course, my love, just make sure to let eveyone know."

"Okay Papa!" Caelus chirps, and picks up the extra dandelions they'd left on the table

before taking off towards the other guests.
They come back after a minute, bouncing with excitement, only one dandelion left in their hands. "I give everyone dandylion to make many wishes!"

Diluc smiles and pets their head. "Excellent, have you decided what you are wishing for?"

Caelus nods. "It's very very good wish!"

"I'm sure it is."

It never ceases to amaze Kaeya, how quickly Diluc's walls crumble for Caelus. It's like seeing him back in their youth, hopeful and trusting; and if nothing else, Kaeya is glad Caelus gets to grow up with that Diluc.

Suddenly, Caelus gasps.

"Papa! Where is your dandylion?!"

Diluc stares at them in confusion. "I don't have one." he says cautiously

"But why!"

"I believe you gave all the dandelions you collected to your guests, as is proper."

Diluc's attempt at mitigation falls on deaf ears

"I want Papa to have wish too!" Caelus protests, their eyes growing watery.

Diluc starts to panic, and he kneels down to stroke Caelus's hair, hushing softly in a last ditch effort to avoid an outburst.

"As long as you're happy I don't need to wish for anything."

"But Papa-"

Kaeya clears his throat. "If I may," he interjects, looking closely at Diluc's face for any sign of refusal. Upon seeing the faintest of nods, he continues. "I believe it is quite late to search for more dandelions and it wouldn't do to keep your distinguished guests waiting,

it would be unbecoming of the Ragnvindr name." he says, pauses, waits for the words to sink in. Fat tears are starting to pool at Caelus's eyes, the sight of them tugging at Kaeya's heartstrings. "But not all hope is lost!" he declares dramatically,

"There is but a way for Master Diluc to still get a wish for himself on this very auspicious day."
Diluc's brows pinch in confusion.
"All you have to do, Caelus, is to share your dandelion with your Papa. Surely Lord Barbatos would not mind." he concludes with a confident smile

Caelus's eyes widen, glittering with unshed tears. "Sir Kae very smart! We can share dandylion Papa!"

Diluc sighs in relief. "If that makes you happy I have no objection." he says, kissing Caelus's forehead before getting back on his feet. "Come on, your guests are waiting."

He turns to Kaeya and mouths a silent 'thank you' that makes his heart skip a beat.

His brain refocuses when he feels a light tug on his shirt and he looks down to find those big dark eyes staring at him.

"Sir Kae don't have dandylion?"

/Oh dear/

"I-I already got my wish the other day, remember? You gave me one on my birthday" he tries, raising his hands in surrender.

"But sir Kae make more wish now to make more happy." Caelus objects

Before his brain can go into overdrive, he hears Diluc's voice, casual and composed

"Sir Kaeya can share your dandelion too, right Caelus?"

Oh, Diluc must be trying to kill him. Kaeya doesn't think his heart can take this, but he doesn't even get a say in it because Caelus beams "Yes Papa!!" and pulls his hand towards where Diluc stands, holding the dandelion.

Kaeya's heart thumps loudly against his ribcage as he crouches down, his knees shaking violently. Caelus stands between him and Diluc, holding the single dandelion in front of their faces.

"When I say twee evewyone blow the dandylion and make wishes!!" Caelus declares loudly.

"One... two... TWEE!!"

From the corner of his eye, Kaeya watches Caelus blowing with all their might, eyes shut tight, and just past them, Diluc, blowing only the slightest, his eyes also fixed on Caelus, a fond smile on his lips.

When their eyes meet, Kaeya startles, suddenly self-conscious about being caught staring at Diluc's kid. Dandelion seeds fly all over the place, some landing on their heads and clothes, and he pulls back all too fast, his head knocking against another

He turns around and finds Diluc, rubbing the back of his head and wincing in pain.
"S-sorr--"

"Sir Kae?"

He looks at Caelus, who is once again observing him with inquisitive eyes, hands clasped together in expectation.

"Yes?"

"Did your dandylion wish come true? When buhrday?"

Kaeya's chest tightens. He glances to the side and finds Diluc still rubbing his head, but this time he doesn't miss the pink blush that has crept up his usually pale ears. Something inside him tingles, and he can't help the small smile that grows on his lips.

"Perhaps."

The excitement from the cake and the wish-making gives the kids enough energy for a long game of Windtrace, which comes to an abrupt end when Klee spontaneously throws a dodoco-bomb at a tree in an attempt to block Flora's path. They're able to put out the fire swiftly and

fortunately no one gets injured, but most of the kids starts dozing off during the game downtime and that's as good a reason as any to call it a day.

"Sir Kae don't stay?" Caelus asks between yawns, curling in Diluc's arms and burying their head in the crook of his neck.

Kaeya smiles sadly. "I'm afraid I must take Klee and Dodoco back home now, it's way past their bedtime." he says, Klee now asleep on his back.

Caelus pouts. "Klee 'n Dodoco stay too 'n play more pwease?"

Diluc pats their back. "Miss Klee is tired, little star. As are you."

Caelus whines, burying themselves further into Diluc's neck, eyes all the way closed. "But Papa---"

"Klee had a lot of fun today, so I'm sure she'd love to come play with you again some other time, but you can't do that if you're tired, right?"

"Mmmkay..."

Their breathing start coming deeper and slower, their grip on Diluc's shirt loosens, and Diluc sighs.

"I... won't report the /incident/ to the Acting Grand Master. I assume that will make it easier to obtain permission for Miss Klee to come play with Caelus."

Kaeya grins. "Very clever, as expected of Master Diluc. I'm sure Albedo won't oppose bringing her over for a playdate, whenever he's around."

Diluc's brows scrunch in confusion. "Would you not be available to bring her?"

"Well I know I'm uhm... not quite welcome here..."

Diluc's broken voice echoes in his head like it was yesterday that he saw that fiery claymore coming down on him.

/'Don't you ever dare set foot in this place again'/

"And I get it, really. I know you don't trust me -and that's completely fair- so I--"

Diluc cuts him off with a raised palm. "I did not take you to be so witless that I'd need to spell this out, but I guess that is on me for overestimating the capabilities of a Knight of Favonius." he starts, his mouth curled in a frown. Kaeya's mouth drops open.

"Kaeya, I have allowed you to spend time with /my child/ on numerous occassions, unsupervised. If that is not proof that /I do trust you/, I don't know what could be." warmth starts rising to his cheeks, and his crimson eyes avert from Kaeya's face. "Good evening, Sir Kaeya."

("Papa?"
Hazy blue eyes peer up at him
"Yes, little star?"
"When will Lorr Barbatos make my wish true?"
Diluc smiles sadly. He sits at the edge of the bed and pets the child's red hair.
"Only Lord Barbatos knows, little star"
"I hope is soon..."
Diluc sighs
"I hope so too"
/tbc)

Light steps hurry down the wooden staircase. It's the dawn of Yule and most of the Winery staff has the day off, so the building is quieter than usual at this hour.

"Caelus, don't run on the stairs, it's dangerous" Diluc calls.

"I wanna see pwesents from Lorr Barbatos!"

Diluc rushes to catch up to the excited kid, chest tightening as he quickens his steps.
When he makes it to the fireplace, he finds Caelus standing among colorful gift boxes, but their face shows no excitement at any of them. Diluc bites his lip

"Papa?" Caelus calls, voice shaking. "Why Lorr Barbatos don't make my wish true?" their eyes flood quickly, fat tears dribbling down their cheeks. "You say... Lorr Barbatos make... d-dandylion wishes a-and Yool presents... why he don't make m-my true?"

Diluc kneels in front of Caelus and wraps them in his arms. "Oh sweetheart..." he mumbles, pressing them against his chest and feeling how they tremble in between little sobs.

"I-is Lorr Barbatos a-a-angwy to me? I am not good Monsstat citizun?"

Diluc's heart breaks.

"That's not true, my love." he whispers, petting their crimson hair. "Some presents just take longer to find." he kisses the top of their head, rocking his body slightly, his shirt quickly dampening with tears.

He can't keep postponing it any longer.

Kaeya's mind is in a daze. Diluc's deep, warm voice replays in his mind over and over again.

/I do trust you/

Diluc? Trusts? Him? Diluc trusts him?

For moments he floats among the clouds. How could he not? Diluc trusts him! After years thinking he'd never regain his trust!

It's the happiest he's felt in the last four years, and he prances through the streets of Mondstadt with the biggest grin he's ever had, files his paperwork without complaint, buys drinks for his subordinates, and whistles a merry tune as he runs his patrols.

But other times he feels a chilling cold gripping his heart. What has he done to earn Diluc's trust? Does he even deserve it? He still doesn't know what his father meant when he left him in Mondstadt; what if he's putting Diluc and Caelus in danger just by /staying/?

The thought haunts him as he goes to sleep at night and chases him all the way into his dreams, where a faceless voice that repeats "You're our last hope" wakes him up with a cold sweat.

On those days he'll hardly leave his office, and if Jean summons him he pretends to be busy

so she won't see the ghost of guilt on his face.

His mood keeps swinging like this, so erratic and confusing that before he knows it, Yule season is over, a new year has started, and he hasn't heard from Diluc since Caelus's birthday party, which seems a bit odd.

When he asks Charles about it, he just shrugs and says Diluc caught a cold and has been bedridden since the end of the year. A little over a week seems like a long time for a cold to persist and Diluc has always had a strong complexion,

and so Kaeya finds himself at the Winery's front door with a packet of herbal tea leaves he'd gotten from Barbara. He's starting to realize that Diluc has access to the best medications in Teyvat and really he shouldn't be here at all, when Adelinde opens the door.

"Master Kaeya." she says with a small courtsy.

"Miss Adelinde, as radiant as ever." he greets her with a pleasant smile. "I heard Master Diluc was unwell and thought to bring him medicinal tea reccommended by the Deaconness herself." he says, feeling inexplicably nervous.

She eyes him briefly, like she's evaluating him. Kaeya doesn't know what to make of it, but it's enough to make him drop the charade.

"Is he alright? He's never been the sickly type."

Her shoulders tense and she takes a step backwards.

"Master Diluc is fine, there is no need for concern, he's just... temporarily indisposed."

Her voice sounds tight. There's something she's not telling him, but he can't for the life of him imagine what it could be.

He decides to take a gamble.

"There's something I need to ask him, do you think I could come in?" he takes a daring step past the threshold before she can answer, but she blocks his path barely a second later. Her brows are pinched and her face is set like stone. She has no intention of letting him through

"My apologies, Master Diluc can not see any visitors in his current state. Please come back at a later date."

He raises his hands in surrender and steps back outside. "If there's anything I can do to help..." he trails off. What can he even offer Diluc?

Her expression softens.

"I'll make sure to tell the Master of your kind concerns, I'm certain this tea you brought will prove helpful in his recovery." she says pleasantly. She eyes him one more time, and whatever she sees makes her eyes brighten. "Give me your gloves"

He didn't see that one coming.

"Huh?"

"Give me your gloves, they're torn, i'll fix them." she insists, extending her hand at him.

Kaeya looks at his now empty hands and finds no tears on either of his gloves. "They're... fine?"

Before he can inspect them further, Adelinde grabs his hands and pulls off his gloves so fast they're already gone by the time Kaeya can even think of offering any resistance. With quick fingers, she tugs one of the finger holes, tearing the fabric right through.

"See? Torn. It would not do for the esteemed Cavalry Captain to wear damaged gear, let me fix these for you as thanks for your consideration for Master Diluc."

"Wait, Adelinde, what--"

"Have a good day, Sir Kaeya."

And with that she shuts the door on his face.

"Master Diluc, may I come in?"

She receives no response but a pained grunt.

"I've brought you a cup of tea, it could make you feel better."

Another grunt.

She enters the room and approaches the bed slowly, leaving the tea tray on the nighstand before quickly retreating.

"Master Kaeya just brought the leaves I used for that tea. He was rather concerned about you."

Diluc lifts his flushed face from the mountain of blankets he's curled into and immediately reaches for the cup. He takes a slow sip of the drink and sighs deeply.

"Caelus?"

"Elzer should be back with them in about two days. By his last correspondance, the Young Master is quite enjoying their stay at Wangshuu Inn."

"Good." he takes another sip of the tea. "I hope this" he vaguely gestures at the whole room "will be over by then"

"If I may be so bold, I think I have something that could help."

She waits until he's put the cup back in the nightstand before throwing Kaeya's gloves at his feet. He picks them up hesitantly. It only takes an inhale before his whole face turns bright red

"Leave."

(As soon as Adelinde's steps disappear down the corridor, Diluc retreats into the bed, burying himself under the blankets. He brings the gloves to his face and breathes in deeply. He whines, curling into a ball, holding the gloves protectively against his chest.

"Kae...")

/tbc

A few days later, Kaeya receives a package that contains a brand new pair of gloves and a little note from Adelinde that claims his gloves were beyond repair and that Diluc took the liberty of buying him a new pair as thanks for the tea, which "greatly aided in his recovery"

Kaeya is /certain/ he's missing something here, but Diluc seems fine when he catches a passing sight of him from afar that evening, so he decides to leave it at that.

"I'm afraid that's all the information we have."

Kaeya hums. The hunter that went missing two months ago has yet to be found. Even more worrisome, as chief Draff just confirmed to him, is the fact that at least two search parties have also gone missing since then

"I can't allow more of my people to get lost in the Wolvendom, which is why I called for the Order's help."

"That's perfectly understandable, chief. Don't worry, I'll take care of this case myself."

"You have my deepest thanks, sir Kaeya."

The truth is he's been planning a mission to the Wolvendom since he first heard of the missing hunter. After getting the report of a second search party gone missing, he talked to Jean and she immediately agreed to let him take as many knights as he needed for the task

But Kaeya is not the kind to send a bunch of his subordinates to a dangerous mission blindly, and so he decided to scout the area alone to try and get a hint of what may be going on so that everyone can be better prepared

As he goes over what little information he has, his feet lead him absentmindedly through the ravine and into the Dawn Winery's estate. His lips pull up into a smile when his eye catches the head of flaming crimson standing out among the green of the grapevines

It occurs to him, as Diluc's silhouette becomes clearer the closer he gets, that it's been a bit over a year since Diluc returned to Mondstadt with Caelus in tow. To think so much has changed in so little time.

Back then, he wouldn't have dreamt Diluc would tolerate his presence, let alone claim to trust him and even allow him to be part of his and Caelus's lives in any capacity; now he even dares to wave at Diluc from afar, and his chest fills with warmth when Diluc nods in response.

He remembers with humor how shocked he was to see Caelus the first time -so much so that his brain had stopped functioning for a week-, and how now he can't imagine his life without that bright smile and that cheery voice calling him.

"Sir Kae!!"

It's amazing how two little words can make his heart jump with excitement. He sprints up to the outer fence of the wineyard and spreads his arms wide to receive Caelus, who climbs up the fence and jumps at his neck, laughing brightly.

Kaeya squeezes them tight and spins around on one foot before lowering them back to the ground.

"Sir Kae come to play?" Caelus asks, bouncing on their feet.

"I'm sorry Caelus, I'm afraid I have very important Knights-related work to do today." he says regretfully

Caelus's big smile turns to a pout in a blink. "Very pwease?"

Kaeya sighs. He'd always been weak to Diluc's pleading pout, and Caelus has it down to a T. It doesn't help that he too would rather stay and play with them, maybe even have that long overdue chat with Diluc

The start of the year is always a busy period -both for the Knights and Dawn Winery- so he hasn't seen Caelus or Diluc other than passingly since the birthday party almost two months ago, and he's missed them dearly.

"Caelus, don't give sir Kaeya an excuse to ditch his duties."

Kaeya snorts. "I have to work hard to live up to Master Diluc's strict demands for the Knights of Favonius."
Caelus's head drops in defeat, and it squeezes Kaeya's heart. "Tell you what, if I finish my mission early I'll drop by before I head back to the city. Sounds good?"

Caelus looks up, hands clasped together, eyes sparkling with hope. "And stay to play?"

Kaeya bites his lip, troubled. Of course he'd love to say yes, but he can't make such a promise without Diluc's consent, and it would be unfair to put him on the spot by stating that to Caelus

"You have yet to make good on your promise to teach Caelus to use that slingshot you gave them."

Eh?

Kaeya turns his head to look at Diluc, who has his eyes closed, brows pinched in annoyance, arms crossed over his chest.

"That's... true..." Kaeya says expectantly

Caelus bounces backwards and hugs Diluc's legs. "Papa, can sir Kae come play and teach slingshoo? I pwomise to do all rules correcc!"

Diluc sighs. "Only after he finishes his mission." he eyes Kaeya severely.

"I wouldn't want to disappoint Master Diluc's expectations."

Diluc huffs. "Fine."

"Very thanky Papa!!" Caelus cheers, rubbing their head against Diluc's thigh and squeezing his legs tighter. Diluc's frown quickly melts into a tender smile as he strokes Caelus's hair.

Kaeya's heart thunders inside his chest, his brain still not fully caught up with what's happening. He tries to discern what Diluc is thinking, but his attention is entirely on Caelus, and he laughs as the kid lets go of his legs and starts jumping excitedly around him.

After completing two laps around Diluc's feet, Caelus changes course and bounces back towards the fence.

"Sir Kae, good luck in misshun so can come play fast!"

Kaeya chuckles, crouching down to Caelus's eye level and ruffling their crimson hair.

"You can bet I'll work my hardest to get back here as soon as possible."

Caelus beams. "Bye bye sir Kae!"

"See you later, Caelus, Master Diluc."

He's about to turn heel when Diluc calls his name, so low he almost misses it, and still it makes his heart skip a beat.

"Yes?"

Diluc looks away from him, crosses his arms defensively again, and a warm red color lights up the tips of his ears.

"You can stay for dinner. Afterwards." he purses his lips briefly. "If you want to."

Kaeya's belly fills with warmth. "Yes. Yes, I'd love to."

("Papa, I can take nappy now?"

Diluc raises his brow. "It's a little bit early, are you tired?"

"No, Papa, but if I take nappy now I can am awake when sir Kae come play!"

"Fine, but you will take your bath and go to bed at the usual time after dinner."

"Okay Papa!"

"Adelinde, tell the house staff they can take the afternoon off, I want to have some privacy."

She smiles knowingly, but doesn't say anything, and he's grateful for that.

"I just need Elzer to bring me some ingredients from Springvale, I'll be cooking dinner tonight.")

//tbc

The sun shines bright over the Wolvendom, the gentle breeze of Mondstadt carries the sweet smell of flowers with a little hint of comforting warmth, and the little birds sing merrily among the branches, welcoming the first signs of the still distant spring.

... Or at least that's what it seems like to Kaeya, who walks down the narrow path, past ancient ruins and steep cliffs with a spring in his step.

His heart flutters with hope and excitement. A mischievous thought crosses his mind. He can just... say the job is done for now.

Who would challenge him if he did? He's the trusted Quartermaster of the Knights of Favonius. He can leave this mission for another day and go back to the Winery, to play with Caelus, to dinner with Diluc and perhaps... who knows? It feels like anything could happen today.

He catches himself mid-thought and slaps himself back to sanity. There are families in Springvale worrying for their missing loved ones; counting on him to bring them hope. They deserve better. Mondstadt, Jean and his subordinates who've placed their trust on him deserve better.

Diluc and Caelus deserve better, too. If he hopes to be worthy of them, he can't be the kind of man that would neglect his mission when people's lives are on the line.
When Eroch was ousted in the fallout of Master Crepus's death, he vowed to Grand Master Varka, to Jean,

to himself and to the by then absent Diluc, that he'd help clean up the darkness and corruption from within the Knights of Favonius; make sure the Order served and protected the people of Mondstadt as it was always meant to do.

He'd never forgive himself if he were to break that oath.

Kaeya clenches his fists and continues deeper into the domains of the ancient Wolf King, his pace slowing down so he can look for any hint that could lead him to the missing hunter and the subsequent search parties.

As he approaches the place where the spirit of Boreas is said to slumber, the air becomes colder, opressive. He hears a howl in the distance, and he shivers.

There's always been old tales of hungry wolves coming from the Wolvendom and stealing children from their beds at night

Growing up in the Dawn Winery, Kaeya had heard them a million times from the neighbors and workers, and even from Master Crepus, when he was trying to scare him and Diluc just to mess with them.

But in all the years since he became a knight and started doing patrols in the area

he has never seen a single wolf, nor any indication of them living anywhere near.

He continues on north, his steps cautious. When the ruins of ancient Mondstadt come into view, he steps on something and hears a crack that feels deafening in the increasingly chilling silence.

Under his foot he finds an arrow, half-buried in the dirt, the metal tip rusted. This could belong to the missing hunter, he thinks, and picks it up carefully.

A few steps ahead he finds what's left of a boar's carcass, mostly a pile of bones, and among them, two more arrows

Straying this far from home for a single boar; are the people of Springvale going hungry? He makes a mental note to look into this year's harvest and food distribution routes later, but the thought fades when he finds a piece of ripped cloth by the carcass,

the white fabric turned brown with dirt and a splotch of dried blood. Kaeya's heart sinks.

Before he can keep looking for clues, he hears another howl, much closer than the last one, and he rushes to take cover behind a large rotten tree trunk.

He can't hear any steps, but he can tell for certain that /something/ is approaching. That cold opressive feeling turns heavier the closer it gets. He takes a peak from the side of the tree and he has to bite his lip to hold back a gasp.

Before him, he sees a creature he has never seen before. Two of them, to be precise. Their heads and snouts look wolf-like, but they don't look bigger than a regular hunting dog, and, most importantly, they don't seem to have any legs.

Instead, they float a few inches from the ground, their motions swift and soundless. In lieu of front legs, they have what looks like big, sharp claws that could probably tear a boar in half with a single slash. Their fur is dark grey and their eyes emit an eerie golden glow.

Kaeya crouches low to the ground. He doesn't know what these things are, but he doesn't like them at all. All of his instincts are screaming at him to run as far as he can from these creatures. But he's a Knight of Favonius, and if these things pose a threat to the people,

of Mondstadt, it's his duty to put a stop to them.

But Kaeya is no hotheaded fool. He's not jumping into battle with no knowledge of what he's fighting against. His best bet now is to observe the creatures for as long as he can without getting caught,

gather as much information as possible and head back to the city to report his findings. Hopefully Lisa or Albedo can shed some light on what these things are and what the best course of action would be. They'll also have to alert the people of Springvale and Dawn Winery;

make sure they're aware of the danger so they stay away from the Wolvendom until the Order can come up with a plan to not only get rid of these creatures, but also find out where they came from so they can prevent any more of them from showing up.

Still crouching, Kaeya approaches the creatures slowly, taking any chance he has to get even an inch closer.

Hidden between the bushes, he watches the two creatures twisting around in the air and barking at each other.

At times, it looks like the air warps around them. Kaeya rubs his eye to make sure he's not seeing things, but it doesn't seem to help. The area where they float looks murky, distorted. It's almost as if they exist in a different dimension and not in Mondstadt itself.

After a while, one of the creatures bites the other, making it cry out. In response, it slashes its companion with its massive claws, and Kaeya can swear he sees a golden rift opening in its wake, but it closes immediately. Are they fighting amongst themselves?

It would be too convenient if they at least incapacitated each other so Kaeya could finish them off. Instead, after attacking each other without any apparent consequences, the two creatures stay still and start sniffing the air. Kaeya's heart jumps.

He tries to sneak away, but it's too late. He can tell they've picked up his scent as they start moving towards his hiding spot. His hand darts to the hilt of his sword. He knows the wisest thing would be to run, but he can't be certain he'll be able to outrun them.

And if they follow him towards the nearby villages, then what? He can't put other people at risk. His chest feels heavy, his breathing is labored. They're not too big and it's only two of them. With some luck, he can incapacitate them so they can't follow after him.

Just as he unsheathes his sword, he hears a howl a few steps behind him. The things turn towards the sound, forgetting about him, but he doesn't get to feel relieved. The next sound he hears is not a howl, but a high pitched scream, and it freezes his blood.

"Sir Kae!!!"

//tbc

Caelus Ragnvindr is very smart. Papa always says so, and Papa is always right. Caelus knows the correct answers to Papa's questions and remembers all the rules; they can write their own name and count up to very big numbers like thirty-two.

And because they are so smart, as soon as Sir Kae promises he'll come back to play after he finishes his mission, Caelus gets a very smart idea. If they go with Sir Kae and help him with his mission, Sir Kae can finish sooner, and they can play longer.

But Caelus also knows Papa won't let them go with Sir Kae. Papa never lets Caelus help him with work, says Caelus is "a kid" and adult work is very difficult and boring. This doesn't make sense to Caelus. If the work is boring, then it's better to share it and finish faster.

But Papa doesn't listen.
Caelus has also seen Papa practicing with his big heavy sword many times. So many times, Caelus is sure they could do it too. Papa promised he would give Caelus sword lessons, but Caelus doesn't need lessons, they already know how to sword!

Besides, everyone says Caelus is just like Papa and Papa is very good with the sword, so Caelus must be too. Papa doesn't understand this very obvious reasoning either, but Caelus, who is very smart, figured it out a long time ago. Maybe Papa isn't as smart as Caelus.

Anyway, since Caelus is already very good with the sword, they can definitely help sir Kae with his mission, but they can't do that if Papa doesn't let them go with sir Kae. And that's where they get another very smart idea.

Caelus tells Papa they'll go nappy. Then when Papa thinks Caelus is sleeping, Caelus can sneak out the window and follow sir Kae.
Caelus knows lying is bad, and their tummy hurts when they think of lying to Papa, but then they reason: once the plan is complete,

sir Kae can finish his mission fast, come home to play with Caelus and then stay for dinner (or forever?) and the three of them will be very happy. Caelus will say many sorry to Papa for lying, but Papa and sir Kae will be very impressed and praise Caelus for being so helpful.

It's a very smart plan, Caelus is sure of it. And so, Caelus pretends to sleep, purring when Papa says "Sweet dreams my little star". As soon as Papa closes the door, Caelus bolts out of bed, climbs out the window, then grasps the vines that grow on the wall.

Uncle Elzer said Papa used to sneak away from his boring big numbers lessons using those vines. Caelus has never tried it, but if Papa could do it, Caelus can do it too.
The moment Caelus's feet leave the stability of the windowsill, their feet slip off the stone of the wall

Caelus's tummy flips over as they fall on top of a pile of hay. Their first instinct is to cry for Papa, but they immediately remember they can't let Papa catch them when they haven't helped sir Kae yet! And so Caelus bravely swallows back the tears and gets back on their feet.

As they crawl through the grapevines, Caelus picks up a faint trace of sir Kae's scent. It's a smell that always makes Caelus feel very happy. Following the trace, Caelus thinks that, if Papa's scent and sir Kae's scent could be mixed, it would be the best scent in Teyvat

And Caelus is sure that, if their plan today succeeds, they will get to smell that scent very soon.

//tbc

Time slows down as Kaeya looks back to where the cry came from.

This can't be happening.

It has to be a nightmare, a horrible nightmare.

Caelus can't be right there, their sweet little face contorted in terror, as another of the creatures looms over them, its jaws wide open.

//cw: blood and injury

Kaeya's body moves before he can command it to

The creature's fangs sink into his flesh, but he pays it no mind as he thrusts his sword right through its head. It cries out in pain and, to Kaeya's shock, disappears into a black rift that opens in mid-air, leaving no trace behind

He doesn't have time to think about that right now.

"Caelus, are you okay? Are you hurt?" he kneels down, quickly checking for any visible injury, and he sighs in relief when he finds no sign of one.

"S-sir Kae!!" Caelus sobs, crashing into his arms, face covered in tears

He wraps his arms around them, and his heart breaks when he feels their little body trembling in fear.

"It's okay, αστεράκι μου, you're okay."

The other two creatures howl just a few feet away. Kaeya stands back on his feet with Caelus in his arms and runs.

Getting Caelus to safety is the only thing that matters now. He pours every bit of energy he has into running faster, further. If he can make it to the Winery, he and Diluc can fight these things off

Or they could've, if his knees didn't buckle after barely a short sprint.

He manages to stay upright, but when he tries to take another step, his head swims. His legs feel heavy, his vision turns blurry and his arms can barely hold Caelus's weight. He gasps for breath.

"S-sir Kae!" Caelus cries, "Pain pain goway!!" and they reach for Kaeya's shoulder,

where the creature had bitten him.

It's only then that he looks at the wound, and what he finds is a blood stain that covers half his torso. With some effort, he tears his clothes away to reveal two small holes where the beast's fangs had caught him, bleeding profusely.

The surviving creatures howl, horribly close, and Kaeya looks back to find a trail of blood behind him. He panics. How much blood has he lost? It shouldn't be bleeding this much. Can he still run with his body so badly drained?

"Pain pain goaway!" Caelus repeats tearfully.

Kaeya kisses the top of their head. "It's okay, baby, it doesn't hurt anymore; thank you." he mumbles, forcing himself to smile reassuringly.

He tries to run again, but his legs can barely move. The creatures are just a breath away now. He's going to have to fight them.

He drags himself towards the rocky walls and lowers Caelus to the ground.

"Caelus, listen to me, this is important." he says, cupping their cheeks in his hands. "We're gonna fight those mean monsters, and I need you to close your eyes and stay very still behind me, got it?"

Caelus nods.

"Good. It's gonna be a little scary, but no matter what you hear, stay with me and don't open your eyes. We'll be safe if we stay together, okay?"

Caelus sniffs and rubs the tears away, even if more come falling down their cheeks immediately. "I be brave like Papa"

Kaeya smiles fondly and kisses their forehead. "Indeed you are." he gets back on his feet and turns to face the incoming beasts. "Remember what I said. Close your eyes and stay behind me. I'll keep you safe no matter what, I promise."

"Y-Yes, Sir Kae!"

Kaeya summons thee sharp icicles that circle around him, piercing the creatures as they approach, but as he expected, it's not strong enough to kill them. He swings his blade at them, but his arms are heavy and his reflexes are dulled by the blood loss.

Claws tear at his abdomen, his legs and arms, every wound leaking blood at an alarming rate. Gods, he really hopes Caelus isn't looking. He hears them sob every time one of the creatures barks, feels them trembling behind his legs, and that alone keeps him from buckling over.

He raises his hands to his head and undoes the string that keeps his eyepatch in place. The world looks murky and dark through his right eye, a sight he hasn't seen in a very long time. Something gross starts to bubble up in his stomach, a thick dark liquid streams down his cheek

When one of the beasts launches its next attack, Kaeya draws upon that disgusting power and pushes it back. A foul taste fills his mouth and he spits dark liquid at the ground. His legs finally give out, so he pierces the ground with his sword and leans on it for support

Blood pools under his feet. He pours every last bit of power in his body into the sword, watches the black liquid cover the blade and reach the ground. The beasts lunge at him furiously, aiming for his legs. They're trying to reach Caelus.

Kaeya sees red and with a pained roar, he summons a wall of sharp blades of black ice that spurt from the ground around his sword, impaling the creatures right through. His darkened vision turns foggy, he barely catches the creatures being swallowed up by the dark rift.

He falls on his knees, coughing up black liquid. He tries to replace his eyepatch, but he can't lift his arms.

"Caelus..." he pants, twisting around to gather the child in his arms, "It's alright now, αστεράκι μου, it's..."
He hears their voice as if miles away, crying his name

He has one last thought before the everything turns black

/Someone... anyone... please protect my baby/

(Diluc places the pile of meat in the oven, but doesn't light it on. He doesn't know when Kaeya is coming back, so it wouldn't make sense to cook it now if it's going to go cold before they can sit for dinner.

There's still a few hours before the sun sets, but he decides to wake Caelus up from their nap. If they sleep too long, bedtime is going to become a battle. He's gone through the trouble of sending the staff home, he wants to take the chance to talk to Kaeya without interruptions

As he climbs the stairs, his heart starts beating faster. The last time he was alone with Kaeya, they almost...

All thought vanishes from his mind when he opens the bedroom door and finds Caelus's bed empty.

"Caelus?" he calls, voice quivering

Caelus isn't tall enough to reach the doorknob. They /have/ to be in here.

"Caelus, this isn't funny."

Diluc searches under the bed, inside the wardrobe, in the toy chest.

Panic growing in his chest, he stomps to the windowsill.

The vines that crawl up the outer wall are torn off the stone, a handful of leaves and branches crushed on the ground right below the window.

Diluc's heart stops.)

//tbc

Kaeya sinks into quiet, peaceful darkness.

Maybe it's okay like this. He can finally be free of so many burdens, of so many lies and so much guilt. He won't have to carry the weight of regret and all his broken dreams anymore.

Maybe he can just let go.

There's a voice in the distance.

"--ae!!"

It's so, so far away.

"Si--- Ka---!!"

He can't tell who the voice belongs to

"Pwea---wak---"

Nor what it's saying.

"--ir K----ease!!"

The darkness is so cold and inviting. Sinking is so much easier than trying to swim

The voice cuts through the darkness.

"SIR KAE!!!"

He tugs against the darkness without thinking, searching for the voice. There's a scent in the air that he's never smelled before and is yet achingly familiar.

And then...

"KAEYA!!"

A tendril of light reaches out for him.

The darkness pulls him harder.

"Don't y--- die on m---."

The light grows brighter.

"Sir Kae pwease---!!"

The cold starts dissipating.

The air turns acid with the scent of distress.

"I haven---old you----uth."

The scent of his mate in distress.

"Pwease wakey!!"

The sound of his baby in tears

"Kaeya please---"

The darkness clogs his ears, but it doesn't manage to block the voices away.

"Sir Kae!!"

Caelus is calling for him.

"Please... stay with me."

Diluc is calling for him.

Kaeya reaches for the light.

Kaeya wakes up to the worst headache of his life. He tries to open his eyes, but only the left one budges; and even after it does, all he sees is a blur. The most he can tell is that there's a roof over his head, one that feels distantly familiar, but he can't remember where from

His nose picks up a scent that makes his headache even worse. Fear, sorrow, anguish. His heart feels heavy. His eye searches through the blur of the room, but he can't make out any shapes in the darkness.

Suddenly, a splash of color stands out among the murky greys and browns.

Even through his foggy vision, there's no mistaking that blot of crimson red.

He tries to reach for Diluc, but his arm is so heavy it barely even moves, and when he tries to speak, more of that distraught scent floods his mouth

Diluc's distraught scent.

The alpha in him bursts back to life, desperate. His mate is suffering. His senses sharpen, his eye finally finds focus and makes out Diluc's slumped figure by the bed, face buried in his palms. He tries to force his body to move, but it doesn't budge.

"Di...luc..."

As the word leaves his lips he picks up a trace of another scent. New, yet familiar. Similar enough to Diluc's that it's almost masked by it, yet different. Wood and grapes but also fresh mint and calla lilies. A single thought goes through Kaeya's usually quiet alpha brain:

'If Diluc and I ever had a kid, they'd smell like this'.

And then a memory surfaces inside his mind. His sweet little baby, face covered in tears and trembling in terror, as a horrid creature looms menacingly above them.

His heart freezes.

"CAELUS!"

He forces his body out of bed, but as soon as he sets foot on the floor, the room starts spinning violently. What little clarity he had regained returns to an unfocused blur, and he faceplants on the wooden boards. His mouth tastes like vomit.

"Kaeya?!"

Diluc's strong hands grab him by the armpits and, with some difficulty, manage to pull him upright. The blot of red hair helps Kaeya refocus his vision, and he finally finds his voice.

"L-l-luc, Caelus... where's Caelus?!! Are they okay? Are they hurt? W-what---"

Diluc shoves him back in bed and covers his mouth with the palm of his hand.

"Calm down." he says firmly. "You lost too much blood. The Deaconness said it could take weeks for your body to fully recover." He pulls away slowly. "Caelus is unharmed, just worried about you."

Kaeya's next breath feels like the first one he's taken in years.

"Thank the Seven." he exhales, cupping his mouth with his hands, tears of relief prickling the corners of his eyes. "Thank the Seven." he repeats, squeezing his eyes shut.

Diluc is talking, but Kaeya's ears don't pick up what he's saying. As the relief sinks in, his mind circles back to those thoughts his alpha brain had come up with.

'If Diluc and I had a kid...'

Caelus's bright face appears in his mind, and his heart breaks in a million pieces

Caelus isn't his.

He knew that. He knew it from the very beginning, so why does it hurt so much to think about it now? He's known all along, and yet it's almost as if he'd forgotten. As if the last few months had deluded him into believing the three of them could be a family.

When did he even begin to entertain such a fantasy? That Diluc would want to rekindle their bond. That Caelus could see him as a father, even if they didn't share the same blood, the same scent.

It was already a stupid notion to begin with, even moreso now,

that he's proved that his daydreams of protecting Diluc and Caelus were nothing but self-serving ego trips for his useless alpha brain. In reality he'd led Caelus straight into mortal danger and couldn't even get them back to safety.

And if not safety, what can he ever hope to offer Diluc and Caelus?

"Kaeya?"

There's worry in Diluc's eyes as he leans in closer; his hand touching Kaeya's forehead. It feels warm against his skin and Kaeya has never felt less worthy.

"You sh---"

"Diluc I'm so sorry."

Diluc's eyes widen in bewilderment.

"Why are /you/ apologizing? Caelus is safe because of you!"

"It was my fault they were in danger to begin with!"

Diluc was right, the Knights of Favonius were useless. Or maybe it's just Kaeya that was never fit for the position he's in.

He'd been so distracted fantasizing about dinner with Diluc and Caelus, getting his hopes up for something that was never going to happen, that a four-year-old that giggles every time the grass tickles their face was able to tail him for /miles/, completely unnoticed.

What kind of Captain doesn't realize they're being followed, by a child of all things?

His headache is getting worse and his vision is starting to get foggy again.

"I'm... Diluc I'm really sorry, I-I never..."

'never should've come close to you and Caelus to begin with.'

'Will never do it ag---'

"Why are you always like this?!"

Suddenly, the room stops spinning and Diluc's hand wraps tightly around his wrist. There's a pang of spiciness in the air -anger- but it's quickly replaced by the gentle, soothing scent of a warm fireplace.

Kaeya lifts his gaze and finds Diluc's eyes fixed on him, burning with intensity.

After a moment, Diluc's hold loosens and he bites his lower lip.

"I should've been watching Caelus properly. They wouldn't have snuck away if I hadn't been so careless."

This time it's Kaeya who reaches out and places his hand on Diluc's knee "All kids sneak away every once in a while; we did it all the time, remember? You can't blame yourself for it."

He can see it, that insecurity clouding Diluc's eyes, smells the gentle scent turning bitter

"I was on duty, I should've been more alert. None of this would've happened if I had been."

Diluc grits his teeth and slaps Kaeya's hand away.

"That's not--!! You---!!" he roars in frustration as he walks away from the bed, burying his face in his hands. "I don't want this!"

Kaeya's hand stings.

"It's always like this with you and I /hate/ it!"

The words pierce through Kaeya's heart.

He knew Diluc hated him. Had felt that hatred burn his flesh with the blade of a fiery claymore, and the scar it left behind still aches from time to time.

Still, hearing it from Diluc's mouth directly hurts more than all the barely healed wounds on his body; more than even the burn of that claymore.

Struggling to breathe and delirious with heartbreak, he forces himself off the bed once more.

In the distance, he hears Diluc call his name, sees him reach for him, but Kaeya manages to stumble away. His head swims and he can't see anything but fog, yet somehow he manages to reach the door and set foot outside.

A voice breaks through the chaos in his mind.

"Sir Kae!!"

//Tbc

I have a very important deadline this week so idk if i'll be able to update again before saturday. Please bear with me 🙏

Kaeya feels so weak even the small body that collides softly against his legs is enough to knock him down. He winces in pain as he falls on his backside, and that high-pitched voice calls his name again seconds before something small crawls on his lap and crashes on his chest

"...'m vewy vewy soww---" his ears pick up as he attempts to focus his eyesight on the blot of red sitting on top of him, "--ver ewer lie to Papa ag--!!"
Wetness sips through the bandages that cover his chest, the voice broken in pained sobs and gasped breaths.

From the corner of his eye, he catches Diluc stepping out to the corridor, hears him calling Caelus's name, his scent... oddly panicked, yet he sighs and does nothing but stand by the doorframe.

Caelus is still talking, their words incomprehensible through their loud, wet sobs.

Kaeya's chest tightens and he wraps his arms around Caelus's trembling body, squeezing them tenderly. He buries his nose on the crown of Caelus's head and nuzzles their soft fluffy hair.

"Shhhhh..." he hushes "It's okay, baby, it's all okay."

"You're okay and that's all that matters." he adds with a soft whisper.

He cups Caelus's cheeks with his hands and kisses their forehead. The anxiety in Diluc's scent gets even more pungent as Kaeya gently pulls Caelus away from his chest and nudges them to look up at his face.

"But I--" Caelus protests, and that's the last Kaeya hears because the eyes that meet his, puffy and reddened, flooded with tears, are not the cloudy dark eyes he's become so familiar with over the last year.

What he finds instead is a deep night sky, sprinkled with bright stars

The en--- jk jk, more tomorrow :3

The world turns silent. Kaeya blinks, once, twice. His mind must be playing a cruel trick on him, for sure. He squeezes his eye shut, wills the heartbreaking illusion away.
When he reopens it, that deep blue starry sky is still there staring straight at him.

He can't breathe. Slowly, carefully, he wipes the tears overflowing from those beautiful eyes, scared they might fade into blackness.
With what little strength is left in his body, he looks up, frantically searching for Diluc's face through the watery blur that surrounds him

He finds crimson eyes pinched with guilt.

"L-luc..?" he croaks, voice trembling, terrified that this isn't what he's starting to believe it is

Diluc responds with the smallest of nods.

Kaeya's chest tightens around a full body sob. Tears start flowing down his face, unbridled

"Sir Kae?"

Caelus's little hands cup his cheeks; their touch makes warmth spread throughout his body.

"Y-yes?" he manages to say around the tight knot tied at the bottom of his throat.

"Sir Kae dont cwy" Caelus sniffles, rubbing the tears that won't stop falling from his eyes

They lean in closer, touching their nose to Kaeya's. "Pain pain goaway." they chant, their voice wobbly, and Kaeya's heart melts with love.

"Thank you." he sobs, "Thank you, thank you." and he rains soft kisses on Caelus's cheeks, their nose, their forehead, and Caelus purrs

Kaeya presses his forehead against Caelus's "Your magic is so powerful αστεράκι μου, I don't feel any pain anymore." he coos, and truly, what could possibly hurt him now, he thinks as he looks into those big starry eyes.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

Caelus pouts. "But still cwying." they object, touching the corner of Kaeya's eye and the tears that continue to pool there.

Kaeya smiles warmly. "It's okay, baby, they're happy tears." the happiest tears, he'd venture.

Caelus hums. "If hurt again I do more magic okay?"

Kaeya never knew one could feel such overwhelming love for a single person. "Promise." he says, euphoric.

"Caelus."

At last, Diluc moves from his spot by the doorway.

"Sir Kaeya still needs a lot of rest, and he can't very well do that out here on the corridor, I'm afraid."

Kaeya wants to protest. What could possibly heal him better than Caelus's sweet smile and happy purrs?

"Can you go help Adelinde with dinner? You can use your magic on the food so sir Kaeya can heal faster, alright?"

Caelus pouts. "Okay Papa." their hands drop from Kaeya's face

Kaeya's heart sinks. "Wait." he blurts, and he wraps his arms around Caelus's little body, squeezing them tight. Caelus purrs, rubbing their face against Kaeya's chest, as if trying to scent him. For the first time in years, Kaeya thinks that maybe his life has been worth it.

Diluc lets them stay like that for a couple of minutes before gently tapping on Caelus's shoulder. "Come on, little star." he whispers, and Kaeya lets go reluctantly as Diluc hoists Caelus up, then puts them down on the wooden floor facing the staircase.

"Go on, Adelinde is waiting." Diluc says, lightly pressing Caelus's back.

The kid turns back to look at Kaeya, their blue eyes threatening to tear up again, and so Kaeya forces himself to smile reassuringly. "The food is gonna need a lot of your magic." he says with a wave.

Finally, Caelus nods. "Okay Sir Kae. I help Adelinnn make very yummy very magic dinner, so pwease wait." they declare with a sniffle, and soon after they disappear down the stairs. Kaeya thinks, if his legs weren't made of jelly right now, he might have followed after them.

Diluc sighs and crouches by Kaeya's side, flinging his arm over his shoulders and helping him back on his feet.

"Come on." he says, dragging him back into the bedroom. "We... have a lot to talk about."

//tbc

I can't believe i borked the thread and none told me

https://twitter.com/miraswordvomit/status/1546036865396051968

Kaeya's heart hammers against his ribcage as Diluc manages to help him back in bed. There's a part of him that's terrified of this inescapable conversation. Scared of the things he wants to say and isn't confident he can keep holding back.

But most of all, he fears Diluc's words and all the power they have over him. If Diluc asks him to stay away from him and Caelus going forward, Kaeya will do so, but he's not sure if he'll be able to endure losing everything he loves once more.

His thoughts are interrupted by a chilly breeze grazing over his skin, and he sucks in a pained gasp when it touches his open wounds. He looks down at his chest to see pale hands peeling off his bandages, exposing more and more of his torso to the cool air of the room.

"L-l-luc? Wha--?!" heat rises to his faces and his heartbeat accelerates into a frenzy.

"I'm making sure your wounds didn't reopen with all of that." Diluc vaguely gestures at the door. "You can't be so reckless, you have no idea how hard it was to make them stop bleeding,

the Deaconness said she'd never seen something like this before." he finishes by gesturing at Kaeya's now completely naked chest, and Kaeya doesn't even have time to feel embarrassed because the wounds on his chest stun him into silence.

There's so many bite marks they blend into each other and it's hard to tell where one set of fangs ends and where the next one starts. The massive claw marks right under his sternum still look blood-red and wet, almost as if they were brand new.

"How long--??" he tries to ask, but he swallows his words when Diluc takes a vial out from the nightstand drawer before sitting down on the bed, right next to Kaeya.

"Five days." Diluc says. "We... weren't sure you would wake up at all. The wounds just won't heal right and I--"

He grits his teeth and his scent becomes bitter with guilt and distress.

Without thinking, Kaeya cups Diluc's cheek in one hand, releasing a mild wave of calming pheromones. He wants to comfort Diluc, but he's not sure what has him so anguished to begin with,

so this is the best he can think of.
Diluc closes his eyes for a moment. Kaeya watches him intently as he breathes in deeply, then out, and the distress in his scent mellows out slowly. When Diluc reopens his eyes they look bright and determined, his cheeks glowing soft pink.

He pulls away just the slightest and ducks his head, his gaze focused on Kaeya's torso as he opens the vial he got from the nightstand and pours a few drops on a piece of cloth that he uses to dab at the bite marks on Kaeya's side, his touch painfully gentle.

Kaeya watches him in silence. Ocassionally the cold liquid on his injured skin makes him wince, but for all of his infamous brute force, Diluc has always had a very delicate touch.

"I was going to tell you." he says, suddenly, never taking his eyes off Kaeya's chest.

"I know it probably doesn't mean much at this point but... I /had/ planned to tell you, that day and then all of this..."

He bites his lower lip in frustration. Kaeya doesn't need to ask what they're talking about. He swallows thickly.

"Can I... ask you a question?"

Diluc's hand stutters, and he pauses for a moment. Still not looking at Kaeya's face, he nods.

"The day you left... did you already know?"

Kaeya's not sure what kind of answer he expects. He's not even sure why he chose that from all the possible questions he could've asked. He watches as Diluc's fingers tighten on the wet cloth, how his shoulders rise and fall slow and purposefully

"I did."

Diluc sits up and finally meets Kaeya's eyes. "I don't know if you remember that day... my birthday," he pauses, giving Kaeya a moment to go back to that fateful day. "I'd been feeling sick for a few days so Father came with me to see Sister Jilliana."

Kaeya nods. He remembers holding Diluc's hair back as he emptied the contents of his stomach into a bucket for the third morning in a row, and insisting he go get checked.

'I'll tell Adelinde you're being reckless'

And Diluc had rolled his eyes but finally conceded.

Diluc chuckles sadly. "Sister Jilliana was trying to be so discrete. She asked me if I didn't want to be alone to hear the diagnosis. I couldn't even fathom what kind of sickness I'd want to keep a secret from Father. It... never crossed my mind that I wasn't actually sick."

He doesn't seem to notice how he lifts his hand to gently cradle his lower belly; but Kaeya does, and it makes his heart ache.

"You... never had any suspicion? About Caelus?"

Kaeya thinks back to all the times he'd beaten himself up for even harboring that fleeting hope

"I... Every time I wondered if it was possible I thought... even in the off-chance..." an off-chance that had turned out to be true, he realizes. "I thought you would've..." he swallows thickly. The thought that Caelus wouldn't exist sucks the air out of his lungs.

The twinge of guilt in Diluc's scent becomes more acrid. "Are you angry?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper

Kaeya cocks his head in confusion. "Angry?"

Diluc bites his lower lip and looks down at the floor

"I left without telling you I was pregnant... and didn't tell you anything even after coming back..."

Kaeya allows himself a small smile. "You did what you thought was best for Caelus. It's only natural that you'd keep your child away from someone that lied to you for so long."

Diluc's expression turns even more somber.

"Did you, though?"

Kaeya blinks, perplexed.

"Did I...?"

Diluc grits his teeth and clenches his fist, "Did you really lie to me all along?"

Kaeya leans away, dread climbing up his spine, his mind flashing back to that fateful night.

"That night," Diluc continues, "you said that... that you never lied about your feelings," he looks up at Kaeya's face, his eyes bright like an open fire. "Was /that/ a lie?"

hhhh sorry short update... this part is difficult also uhhh ig i have a ko-fi that hasn't been touched in ages hope it's okay to share it here ueueueue ko-fi.com/A555EES

The words come pouring out of Kaeya's mouth in a barely intelligible frenzy.

"Of course not! I always--"

"Good!" Diluc cuts him off sharply. "Now you can drop this moronic self-flagellation; it's been going on for far too long and I can't stand it."

Kaeya's jaw drops to the floor, less for the harsh insult and more for the utterly exasperated look on Diluc's face, like he's scolding a dog that insists on peeing on the carpet instead of going outside.

Diluc eyes him judgmentally, and whatever he sees only irates him further.

"It's always been like this with you, since we were kids. You always beat yourself up for... I don't even know what. Every time anyone got you a present you said you didn't deserve it. Then when we joined the Knights and I named you vice-captain,

you told me I shouldn't give you special treatment, as if you weren't qualified for the post, even though no one could outmatch you with a sword." he sighs, his shoulders sag and he pinches the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

"It's the same story since I came back. All I get from you is 'I know you don't trust me', 'I know what I say doesn't matter to you', 'I know you hate me'..." he sighs, a shadow of melancholy over his features. "And the truth is... I don't."

Kaeya's heart skips a beat. "You... don't...?" he doesn't dare to speak his hopes out loud and risk seeing them crushed.

Diluc's gaze becomes even sadder. "I don't hate you, Kaeya. I... don't think I ever did."

Suddenly, the weight that's been opressing his chest vanishes into nothing and he can breathe for the first time in four years.

"Wait... Luc, r-really? Even... even after..."

Diluc shakes his head resolutely.

"At first I thought it was my pregnant hormones that wouldn't let me hate the father of my baby..." a soft pink glow takes on his cheeks and his hand raises to cradle his stomach. "But even after Caelus was born... I just...didn't have it in me." and he shrugs a little hopelessly

Without realizing it, Kaeya scoots over to the edge of the bed, as close as he can physically get to Diluc. "But I... After I betrayed you and Master Crepus..."

Diluc's gaze turns cold. "See? There you go again. You just can't stop punishing yourself and I can't stand it."

Kaeya doesn't know how to respond to that. How else is he supposed to see himself, if not for what he is? A sinner from a nation forsaken by the gods; a traitor planted for no other purpose than to hurt those who have shown him the most kindness.

"You never betrayed us, Kaeya. You told me the truth, when you stood to lose everything." he clears his throat. "Your timing /was/ exceptionally poor but... I still shouldn't have... I shouldn't have reacted the way I did." he lowers his gaze, clenches his fingers over his knees.

"You were honest with me and I tried to kill you. I..." he swallows thickly "probably /would/ have if... if you hadn't gotten your Vision right then..."

Diluc's scent turns so bitter with guilt Kaeya's head starts throbbing with pain.

With some difficulty, he reaches out to cup Diluc's cheek with one hand. "I've never blamed you for what happened, Luc. You were in pain and I---"

"Don't say that you deserved it." Diluc's voice is sharp like a knife. His eyelashes glitter with unshed tears,

eyes burning with rage even as he places his hand over Kaeya's and leans into his touch. "I don't want this." he mutters, his voice cracking, and Kaeya's heart shatters.

"I'll give you anything you want."

Diluc looks up at him and squeezes his hand as a stray tear spills down his cheek. Kaeya holds his breath.

"I want you to forgive yourself."

//tbc

d-dropping this here in case anyone wants to leave a tip ko-fi.com/A555EES 👉👈

Kaeya exhales a long, shaky breath.

"I... don't know how to do that."

Still holding Kaeya's hand against his cheek, Diluc leans in closer, their noses almost touching.

"We can figure it out."

/We/

Kaeya's heart stutters. The corners of his eyes start stinging

"And what about you?" he says, stroking Diluc's cheek with his thumb.

"What about me?"

"I've seen it since you came back, Luc. You're no stranger to... what did you call it?" he chuckles sadly "Moronic self-flagellation?"

Diluc, frowns, affronted. "That's dif--"

"It's not. You're punishing yourself for everything that happened that night, and none of it was your fault."

Diluc's breath hitches "But I couldn't... If I... and you---"

Kaeya leans in even further, pressing his forehead against Diluc's, wiping tears from his flushed cheek.

"See? If you want me to forgive myself, then it's only fair that you extend yourself the same kindness."

Diluc closes his eyes tight, breathes in deeply.

"Maybe that's what we'll have to do moving forward. Try to forgive ourselves and... see where it goes from there..."

Kaeya feels himself smiling. "Yeah... that... that sounds like a plan."

The sound of hurried steps on wood comes through the door. As if shocked by electricity, the two of them pull away from each other just in time for Caelus to come toddling into the room, smiling excitedly.

"Papa! Sir Kae! I made magic soup so Sir Kae don't hurt never more!" they proclaim proudly, their blue eyes sparkling as they raise their hands to show off a bowl of steaming soup.

Kaeya's heart melts. How he wishes he could scoop them in his arms and shower them with kisses

Diluc jumps out of the bed and hurries to the door to take the bowl from Caelus's swinging hands.

"Excellently done, little star. Did Adelinde tell you to bring the soup upstairs yourself?"

Caelus shakes their head. "I bring Sir Kae's soup so the magic works faster!"

Diluc sighs. Kaeya can tell he's trying to scold Caelus, but he's struggling to even muster a frown "That was very kind of you, but that's a very big bowl and your hands are still small. You could have dropped the soup and the magic would've been wasted."

Caelus gasps. "Oh no! I am very careful next time Papa!"

Diluc places the bowl on the nightstand and turns back to Caelus, crouching down to their eye level. "Just ask me or Adelinde for help when you want to carry something big, alright?"

"Yes Papa!"

"Good. We should go downstairs or our soup will get cold."

"Sir Kae come dinner with us?"

"Sir Kaeya is still very weak, it's better if he stays in bed for now."

Kaeya's can't help feeling a little disappointed, but he doesn't want to push it by asking Diluc to stay with him.

That Diluc has not only forgiven him but even agreed to 'see where things go' between themis so much more than he ever dreamed he could have. A lot has happened in the short time since Kaeya woke up and Diluc probably wants some space.

And just because Caelus is technically his child (and the thought makes him feel like bursting), doesn't mean they're magically becoming a happy family that has dinner together. There's still a lot they need to talk about and figure out,

and Kaeya is determined to give Diluc as much time and space as he wants. One step at a time.

"If the soup gets cold it'll run out of magic, just so you know."

Kaeya blinks in confusion and looks up, realizing he'd completely spaced out in his musings.

Diluc is back at the door, but now he's carrying a tray with two more bowls of soup, and one of his fine eyebrows is quirked judgmentally.

"Sir Kae not like the magic soup?" Caelus pouts, appearing from behind Diluc's legs, two spoons in hand.

Kaeya jolts. "What? No, I--" he stares at the tray in Diluc's hands, dumbfounded.

"Caelus wanted to eat dinner with you, but if you want space we can go."

"No!" he shakes his head violently. "I mean, ah, I don't imagine this is the most comfortable way to eat but..."

To his surprise, Diluc just rolls his eyes before placing the tray on the dressing table by the door. Before his brain can fully process all this, something bounces on the mattress, and next he knows Caelus is sitting next to him on the bed, giggling happily.

"Be very careful, Caelus, if you spill the soup on the bed, sir Kaeya can't sleep on it tonight." Diluc instructs as he places a small silver tray on Caelus's lap.

Caelus beams proudly. "Yes Papa!" and they scoot closer to Kaeya, until their shoulder bumps with his elbow

Kaeya's belly flutters and warmth spreads all through his body from the side where Caelus is pressed against him, his hands itching to hug them tight and never let go.

"Your soup /is/ getting cold." Diluc says, sitting himself on a chair by the bed.

"Sir Kae hurry! The magic will go away!"

Still not fully caught up with everything that just happened Kaeya manages to reach for his bowl of soup and take a tentative spoonful. It's sweet and comforting and it fills his belly with warmth.

His mind travels to a stormy night, many years ago, small and alone, trembling in fear, rain soaking him to the bone, a big hand petting his hair. "Don't be afraid. This is your home now." and feeling warmth for the first time in his life.

"Sir Kae, the soup is yummy?"

Caelus's voice brings him back to the present. Swallowing back the tears, he grins.

"It's the best I've ever had."

this whole soup scene got way out of hand hhhhhhhh anyway here's my ko-fi, thanks for everyone that's shared and donated it means the world to me 😭😭😭😭😭😭
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Dinner is a peaceful affair. Without prompting, Caelus starts retelling the whole process of helping Adelinde with the soup, making emphasis on how they'd done their very best to make the soup "many magic".

"Is the soup magic work?" they ask with big pleading eyes.

Kaeya chuckles and ruffles their head affectionately. "Of course it did, I feel better than ever now!"

Caelus preens with pride, their starry eyes sparkling beautifully "Sir Kae can play now?!" they propose, bouncing on the mattress excitedly.

Kaeya is of half a mind to take the invitation even if just breathing makes the wounds on his stomach sting, but Diluc intercedes before he can do that.

"Caelus, you know it is too late for playtime." he admonishes as he picks up the empty bowls and stacks them on the tray.

Caelus's bright smile turns into a pout at lightning speed. "But Papa!!" they whine, their lower lip sticking out, eyes big and pleading. Kaeya doesn't know how anyone could say no to that face.

Judging by how he avoids looking at Caelus's eyes, it appears Diluc would agree.

"Sir Kaeya needs to rest properly for the magic to take effect, little star." he says anyway, "And if the magic doesn't take, he can't play with you, can he?"

Caelus hangs their head in disappointment. "No, Papa." they mutter reluctantly.

"I'm taking these back to the kitchen and when I return we're going to bed, alright?"

Caelus looks like they want to protest but they just nod sadly.

Diluc sighs. "But before that, you have a very important mission, so pay attention." he announces solemnly.

That piques Caelus's interest

"You have to take care of Sir Kaeya until I return, think you can do that?"

Caelus's demeanor swings immediately, their little face brightening once again. "Yes, Papa!"

(When Diluc comes back to the room, he finds Caelus sound asleep, curled tightly against Kaeya's side, their little arm draped over his waist, softly purring; and Kaeya stroking their hair lovingly, looking down at them with such tenderness it makes his heart stutter.)

"They tried very hard to fight it off" Kaeya says wistfully, not taking his eye off the sleeping toddler. "but in the end it didn't even take a whole minute since you left."

"It is quite past their bedtime." Diluc says, his expression soft.

He approaches the bed and reaches out to pick Caelus up and Kaeya's breath catches.

"Do--" he swallows thickly. Even after all they've talked, words that feel appropriate are still very hard to come by, "do you have to take them right now? I--" he shakes his head,

"Ah, sorry, go ahead, I'm already troubling you so much--"

Diluc cuts him off. "It... it's fine." he steps back, hesitates before sitting on the chair by the bed. "There's... still some things I want to ask you."

"Oh." Kaeya glances at Caelus, then back to Diluc, and nods

They stay in silence for a moment, Caelus's purrs and slow breathing the only sound that can be heard in the room.

At last, Diluc exhales slowly, hands crossed over his lap. "Kaeya I... If it's alright with you I... want you to be part of Caelus's life."

was supposed to go a bit further but have to take a sudden call hhhhh have an apology crumb:

what she says: Diluc's heart stutters
what she means: Diluc started ovulating

more tomorrow!! ko-fi.com/A555EES

Kaeya's eye widens. His fingers stop moving, hand resting atop Caelus's head. Suddenly he can't remember how to breathe.

He opens his mouth, but no sound comes out of it. Diluc must take that as a response, because his brows pinch together and his scent turns sour.

"I know it's a lot to ask." he says, clasping his hands together, "Especially after disappearing for four years and springing this on to you out of nowhere, but--"

"It's not." Kaeya cuts him off, leaning in as much as Caelus's weight on his lap allows him to,

"It's-- Archons, Luc, I've... wanted to ask you the exact same thing, for months now, but I didn't think you'd want me to."

"Why wouldn't I? Even before you knew the truth, I could tell how much you love Caelus."

Kaeya looks down at the sleeping child.

His chest fills with warmth seeing their little shoulders rising and lowering with every deep breath.

"How could I not?" he hears himself wonder, carding his fingers through Caelus's red locks. The kid buries their face against his stomach, and that draws a smile on Kaeya's lips

"Caelus loves you, too." Diluc says, his voice soft and affectionate.

Kaeya's heart jumps. "You think so?" he asks, his voice a pitch higher than normal, so transparently hopeful.

Diluc huffs "Do you really think they're like that with just anyone?"

"I... I figured they were still spooked about what happened the other day, it must've been so scary for them."

From the corner of his eye, Kaeya notices Diluc getting up from the chair, and then the mattress dips and a pale hand joins his in stroking Caelus's head

"You're truly so stupid."

Kaeya finally looks up, almost too shocked to get mad, but what little ire he felt dissipates when he finds a small, amused smile on Diluc's lips.

"It's like you can't fathom the idea of being loved. It was like this when we were kids too.+

Even if it was Father, or Adelinde, or Jean or... or /me/, you always looked like you didn't believe anyone could love you. I always hated that."

"I..." /never felt I deserved it/ Kaeya thinks,/am not even sure I do now/, but he doesn't say it. Diluc would scold him if he did.

A folded page is thrust on his face. Kaeya glances at Diluc in confusion, finds him deeply annoyed.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me so easily" he says, waving the page emphatically until Kaeya takes it, then uses his freed hand to cover Caelus's ear. "It's Caelus's Yule letter"

Kaeya lifts an eyebrow, puzzled. Maybe he really /is/ stupid.

"They... only asked Barbatos for one thing, nothing more. And although I got them a lot of gifts, none of them was consolation for the one they didn't receive."

Hesitantly, Kaeya unfolds the page.

There are no words on it, only colorful scribbles. Three blobs with sticks for arms and squigly smiles stand side by side. Two of them are red, one long and the other much smaller. The third one is also tall, but it's deep dark blue, with a black spot above its smile. Kaeya sobs

ueueue i meant to update so much earlier in the week because i reached 300 followers and i'm so honored 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 im so sorry updates have been shorter and taken longer lately and tysm for all your patience and support ko-fi.com/A555EES

I BOTCHED THE THREAD AGAIN FUCK ME

https://twitter.com/miraswordvomit/status/1555483518553055234

A wet spot blossoms right above the taller red blob. Kaeya is quick to wipe away the tears leaking down his cheeks, and he presses the page to his chest, squeezing his eye shut. It still doesn't feel right, he thinks, to be so blessed.

He'd long resigned himself to a cursed existence, to the knowledge that he had never deserved the happiness he'd basked in when Master Crepus lived, and to the fact that he'd never get it back. And yet...

He looks down at Caelus, *his and Diluc's child*, sound asleep across his lap, their soft purring vibrating against Kaeya's lower stomach. The sight of them makes his heart melt. If he pinched himself, won't he wake up to find this has all been a dream?

"Are you sure it's okay...?" he croaks, his voice wet and strained, squeezing the drawing tighter to his chest. "That someone like me..."

Diluc sighs. "It's because I know *exactly* who you are that I *am* sure." he says quietly "I wouldn't ask if I wasn't."

Kaeya swallows back a sob. Finally, he nods, firmly and enthusiastically. "Okay... yeah I... I'd be... honored... so happy... I---" he babbles helplessly as more tears fall from his eyes.

The relief in Diluc's scent is almost palpable, and Kaeya hears a deep breathy chuckle

"We don't have to rush or make big sudden changes all at once. I... I think the best for Caelus... but also for us is to... take it slow... one step at a time."

Kaeya snorts. "Master Diluc /not/ rushing recklessly into unknown territory? What has the world come to?"

Diluc glares at him. "Do you really want to argue about recklessness when you're the one that's bedridden and unable to stand on your own feet?"

In spite of the dig, Kaeya laughs. He looks back at the drawing, his eyes tearing up as soon as he sees the colorful blobs

"Can I frame this?" he asks, only half-joking, and is surprised when Diluc responds with a deep, adamant,

"NO."

"Oh, uhm... I guess you want to keep it yourself, that's fair."

"That's not..." he pauses, troubled "I *do* want to keep it, but I also think you should have it..."

Kaeya quirks his brow in confusion. "Okay?"

"It's just... you can't display it."

"Huh?"

Diluc looks down at Caelus, double checks, his hand still covering their ear. All of a sudden, he leans in, so close his bangs tickle Kaeya's cheeks, his voice a hot whisper on Kaeya's skin

"It's a Yule letter, Caelus thinks we burned it."

Kaeya almost falls backwards. After a few seconds processing the words, he bursts out laughing. Immediately, Diluc covers his mouth with his free hand, shushing him.

"It's not funny!" he hissess, panicked.

"If Caelus sees that, it'll ruin the magic of Yule for them! It's too soon!"

Kaeya stops laughing as warmth flutters in his chest. Diluc's steadfast determination to protect Caelus's innocence is almost too sweet. And, Kaeya thinks, maybe now he'll get to take part in it too.

Maybe next year he'll be helping Diluc choosing presents, hiding them where Caelus won't find them before Yule morning, sitting by the fireplace while Caelus plays with their new toys, squeezing Diluc's hand in his, sharing the joy of making their child smile, together.

It's a deeply self-indulgent fantasy, but for once, it doesn't feel forever out of his reach.

"Papa...?"

Diluc startles, immediately pulling away from Kaeya, who just as quickly folds the incriminating letter and hides it behind his back.

"Shhh, I'm here, little star." Diluc whispers softly, gathering Caelus in his arms. "Let's take you to bed."

Caelus squirms weakly. "But I'm..." they yawn "proteckin' Sir Kae..."

It's all Kaeya can do to stop himself from crying yet again.

"You're the best protector I could have asked for." he says instead, squeezing Caelus's little hand lightly.

"See... Papa? I have..." they try to protest, but fall back asleep mid-sentence.

Diluc sighs, rearranging the kid in his arms to a more comfortable position.

He glances at Kaeya, furrows his brows as if considering something. "I..." he looks like he wants to say something, but after a short pause, he seems to change his train of thought. "I... haven't properly thanked you... for keeping Caelus safe."

Kaeya shrugs. "There's nothing to thank me for. Honestly who wouldn't protect a child in danger?"

Diluc chews his lip, like that's not really the point, but once again what he says doesn't seem to be what he originally had in mind.

"Still. It wouldn't do to let my child's benefactor go unrewarded."

Before Kaeya can protest, Diluc leans in closer and presses a short kiss to the corner of Kaeya's mouth.

He pulls away, gets back on his feet, and turns to face the door immediately, stumbling to keep his balance with the child in his arms.

"Good night, sir Kaeya." he blurts. Then, his shoulders sag, his next words coming out much softer as he glances back at Kaeya. "Sweet dreams."

//tbc

They still have quite a bit to talk around. Baby steps.

Once again i want to say thank you for all the kind comments and support, they make me so happy 🥺🥺🥺🥺 ko-fi.com/A555EES

For a brief, terrible moment after he wakes up, Kaeya is convinced that everything was a dream. It was too perfect to be real, too close to all of his hopeless dreams. Diluc forgiving him? Caelus is his child? And they both want him to be part of their lives? Preposterous.

But before the thought can settle in, his fingers curl around a carefully folded page, which he opens to find the colorful smiling blobs, and his eyes well up with tears. The ghost of Diluc's lips makes his face heat up, and he laughs, euphoria rushing through his veins.

"Papa! Sir Kae is wakey!"

Kaeya's heart jumps with joy, a large grin growing across his face when Caelus peeks inside the room. The moment their starry eyes meet his, Caelus beams and sprints towards the bed energetically.

"Good mowning Sir Kae!!"

Kaeya sits up and tries to get out of bed to greet Caelus, but his lower body still feels completely devoid of strength, his legs hardly responding when he tries to move them. Caelus doesn't seem to even notice though, climbing on the bed and leaping into Kaeya's open arms.

"Good morning little sunshine." Kaeya says, wrapping his arms around Caelus's small frame and holding them tight against his chest. He breathes in deeply and is overwhelmed by the scent of fresh mint and wood, of ripe grapes and calla lillies.

It clicks in his mind, that he's smelled this before. He recalls his foggy awake from the day before, and that stray thought that passed his mind at the time.
'If Diluc and I ever had a kid...'
That's when it dawns on him. What he's smelling is Caelus's actual scent, unblocked

and the reality that Caelus is his, that it wasn't a dream, overwhelms him once again, almost bringing him to tears.

Caelus squirms in his arms, giggling. "No tickle!" they squeal, and Kaeya realizes he's nuzzling their neck and scenting them intensely;+

his usually repressed alpha instincts demanding that he let everyone know /he/ will be protecting this child -his child-, from now and until his dying breath.

Someone clears their throat from the doorway. Kaeya releases his hold on Caelus, his face burning up with shame

"Caelus, can you help Adelinde with the honey please?" Diluc asks cooly.

"But Papa, I wanna tell sir Kae of my nice dweam!!"

"You can tell him in detail over breakfast, little star."

"Okay Papa! Papa proteck sir Kae and I go help Adeleen."

Kaeya's heart melts with love as he watches the exchange. His hand clutches the bandages over his chest and he can feel his own loud, elated heartbeat against his palm.

"Good morning." Diluc says, bringing him back to reality. "How are you feeling?"

He's very aware that saying 'better now that you're here' would make him look extremely lame, (even if it's true) so he settles for a playful "As good as I look." which he punctuates with his signature smirk.

Diluc scowls, unimpressed.

"I hope you have the same energy to hear about Caelus's very exciting dream and absolutely nothing else for the next hour or so." he says dryly.

Kaeya is not deterred in the slightest, his grin growing even wider. "I can't wait."

"And then I have very big wings and fly over Monstat and take many dandylions to Lord Barbartos and he makes many wishes true!" Caelus finishes retelling before stuffing the last bite of his pancake into their mouth, sticky honey blotted all over their lips and cheeks.

"Well, you weren't lying when you said you'd had a wonderful dream." Kaeya says as Diluc wordlessly passes him a napkin so he can wipe Caelus's face clean. "When you're older you can get your gliding licence and catch the winds of Mondstadt just like in your dream."

Caelus glances up at him from where they seat atop their lap. Kaeya doesn't think he'll ever stop feeling his heart burst with emotion seeing those starry eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Really? I can fly like Lord Barbartos?"

"Of course you can! You know, your Papa and I used to have gliding races all over Mondstadt, it was really fun. And I /always/ won."
"You mean you always /cheated/." Diluc hisses, too low for Caelus to hear, and Kaeya shoots his most annoying smirk at him.

Adelinde's head pops into the room. "Master Diluc?" her eyes widen when she sees Kaeya. "Mast-- Sir Kaeya, what a relief to see you awake at last."

Kaeya feels his chest tighten with guilt. He can see on her face the same signs of exhaustion he sees on Diluc,

and he wonders how can he repay all that she's done for him.

"You are always a sight for sore eyes, Miss Adelinde. I apologize for all the troubles I have cause you and Master Diluc these past few days." he says solemnly, paying no mind to Diluc's clearly disapproving glare

It's Caelus who breaks the melancholic mood that had taken over the room.

"Thanky for the pankees Adeleen!" they beam, showing off their empty plate.

Her smile sweetens instantly. "I'm glad they were to your liking, Young Master." she says cheerily before turning back to Diluc.

"Sir, the Chief Alchemist and Sir Klee are here to pick up the Young Master." she says. "But if I may be so bold, I think they would be happy to see Sir Kaeya has woken up."

Diluc nods. "If that's alright with you." he says, to Kaeya. "Miss Klee has been very worried for you."

"Of course, please do let them in."

"Very well," Diluc gets up from his chair by Kaeya's bed and collects all of their empty plates. "Caelus, we should go prepare your clothes and toys for your sleepover with Miss Klee."

Caelus gasps. "But Papa, I wanna stay with sir Kae!"

Diluc sighs. "You made a promise with Miss Klee, didn't you? It would be very rude to cancel it on such short notice. And besides, Mr. Hoot Hoot has been looking forward to this, he would be very disappointed not to go."

Caelus hums, visibly troubled.

"Hey, don't tell me you forgot how much fun you had with Klee and Dodoco on your birthday." Kaeya says, gently pushing Caelus's lower back. The child shakes their head "Sleepovers are so much fun! You can eat lots of sweets and play all day and have amazing adventures!"

Diluc frowns disapprovingly at the mention of 'lots of sweets, but says nothing about it, and his expression softens before he speaks again, "Sir Kaeya will be here tomorrow when you return, and then you can tell him everything about your adventures."

"Yeah!" Kaeya agrees. "I can't go on any adventures like this, it's very boring! I need some good stories to keep me entertained!"

Finally Caelus nods. "Okay! I go have many fun adventures with Klee and Mister Hoohoo and Dodoco!! But Papa has to care Sir Kae okay?"

"You have my word." Diluc says, and Kaeya feels his face heating up at how earnest and solemn he sounds.

Caelus gets up from Kaeya's lap at last, but instead of hopping off the bed they turn around, almost eye-level with Kaeya, and they knock their forehead against his,

probably more forcefully than intended, but Kaeya forgets about the light pain when they feel Caelus's warm hands on his cheeks.

"Papa is very stwon so he make Sir Kae very safe, okay? So don't have to be scawy"

Kaeya can smell the fear in Caelus's scent and his heart aches. He can only imagine how terrifying their encounter with the wolves must have been, how scared they must have been when Kaeya lost consciousness and they were left alone and defenseless.

Tears pool at the corners of his eyes and he wraps his arms around Caelus's small body, releasing a gentle wave of calming pheromones in hope of soothing their anguish.

"Don't worry, your Papa is the best protector in all of Teyvat, you can be sure nothing will happen."

After a short moment, Diluc's scent, warm and soothing, reaches Kaeya's nose.

"Come on, little star." Diluc says softly, "Miss Klee is already here and you're still in your nightgown."

Caelus pulls away, but leans back in to kiss Kaeya's cheek.

"Is safety magic, okay?"

"Thank you, αστεράκι μου, it's the most powerful magic I've ever seen."

Caelus beams and finally hops off the bed, taking the hand Diluc offers them.

As soon as the two of them leave the room, Kaeya allows himself to cry.

a tooth-rottingly sweet family moment to make up for the delay. Thanks everyone for your patience and encouragement and please let me know what you think 🥰🥰🥰 ko-fi.com/A555EES

Klee bursts into tears as soon as she sees Kaeya, and she immediately launches herself at his lap, muffling her wet sobs against the bedsheets. Kaeya chuckles and strokes her fluffy hair, humming in agreement to whatever it is she says, even if he can't understand it.

Albedo gives him little more than a nod of acknowledgment, waiting by the doorframe in silence until Klee's sobs have quieted down.
"I'll let the Grand Master know that you have regained consciousness, she'll be relieved to hear it." he says matter-of-factly

"Please tell Jean I'm sorry for all the trouble." Kaeya responds. Knowing her, she's probably taken on all of his workload

"I doubt she will want the apology to begin with, but I'll pass on the message."

There's a minimal shift in his expression,

his eyes sharpen as he sets them on Kaeya. This is a look he's familiar with and he doesn't much like being at its receiving end: Albedo is looking at a research subject.

"I have some questions for you." he states, sitting on the chair by the bed and pulling out his notebook

"Sure. Shoot."

To the best of his ability, Kaeya tries to recall everything he can about his encounter with the wolf-like creatures. Albedo's questions are thorough, and Kaeya's memories are too foggy to give useful answers, but Albedo doesn't seem bothered by it.

After he's done with the questioning, Albedo turns his notebook for Kaeya to see.

"Does this look similar to the creature that attacked you?"

Kaeya's breath hitches. On the page is a sketched version of the monsters, so identical to the actual thing, it makes Kaeya shiver

"Have you ever seen them?" he asks. He can't imagine how else Albedo would've been able to recreate them so perfectly just from Kaeya's lousy descriptions.

To his surprise, Albedo shakes his head "No." and doesn't say anything else, immediately putting the notebook away.

"Brother Albedo, the medicine!" Klee chirps suddenly, raising her face from Kaeya's lap at last.

Albedo's face shifts back to his usual casually blank expression. "Right, good thing you remembered." he tells Klee, the smallest hint of a smile on his lips

He reaches into his bag and pulls out a vial with a thick purple liquid. "This should help speed up your recovery."

Kaeya grabs the vial and drinks it all down in one go. It tastes absolutely vile, and the feel of the thick liquid oozing down his throat almost makes him gag.

"With the information you gave me I should be able to create a more effective potion, but it will take a few days." Albedo continues, nonplussed, "Of course, the new potion would have a higher chance of success if you were to allow me to collect some blood samples."

Too preoccupied wishing he had a glass of water to wash down the nasty taste from his mouth, Kaeya nods. "Sure, whatever you need."

Albedo has a syringe in hand faster than Kaeya is able to process what he just agreed to, and he's tied a rope around Kaeya's bicep.

The needle is barely an inch away from Kaeya's now exposed vein when a hand grabs Albedo's wrist firmly, stopping him in place.

// was supposed to go further but gotta go to bed but didn't want to leave you hanging after i said i'd update tonight ueueueue. Will attempt to more tomorrow ko-fi.com/A555EES

"I apologize for the interruption, but I presume you remember sir Kaeya suffered from severe bloodloss and that the Deaconess estimated it would take his body several weeks to recover. I don't believe taking more blood from him given the circumstances is the most sensible."

Albedo blinks slowly, his bright blue eyes examining Diluc's lean fingers around his wrist; then he gazes up to study his expression. Diluc's nostrils flare, his fingers tightening their hold on Albedo's wrist.
Suddenly, Klee bounces away from Kaeya with a tut.

"Brother Albedo, don't take brother Kaeya's blood now! He'll go to sleep again!" she admonishes, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
After a moment, Albedo sighs and puts the syringe away.
"I suppose you're right." he concedes. "Any further experiment will have to wait."

Reluctantly, Diluc lets go of Albedo's wrist and clears his throat. "Caelus is ready to depart." he says, taking a step back towards the door "They're waiting for you downstairs."

"Very well," Albedo tucks his notebook and pen back in his satchel, then gets back on his feet.

"Let's go, Klee, we don't want to make Caelus and Mr. Hoot Hoot wait."

"Okay!" Klee chirps in response, but before hopping down the bed, she wraps her arms around Kaeya's neck. "Next time it is dangerous you have to wait for Klee to boom boom the bad guys away!++

If you get hurt again Klee will get mad!"

Kaeya chuckles, ruffling her pale blond hair affectionately. "Oh I wouldn't want to anger our Spark Knight, I'll have to be more careful."

She nods satisfied and takes the hand Albedo offers her to get back on the ground.

She stops in front of Diluc, her free hand holding on to the strap on her backpack "Please take good care of my brother Kaeya." she says earnestly.

In response, Diluc nods, his face just as sincere. "You have my word." he then turns to Albedo. "I'll walk you to the door."

Diluc comes back merely a couple minutes later, and he shuts the door behind his back, his shoulders sagging slightly.

"I'm sorry." he says after a long sigh.

Kaeya lifts his eyebrow in confusion. "Sorry for what?"

"I know you want to spend more time with Caelus but... when we didn't know if... /when/ you would wake up... Caelus was so worried all the time that I prearranged as many playdates as I could with their friends, to keep their mind off all this."

Kaeya's heart breaks. How much had his baby been hurting because of his carelessness? "I'm so sorry. If I hadn't--"

Diluc cuts him off before he can even fully get his thoughts in order. "I thought we went over this already." is all he says, but his voice is sharp and firm.

"Right; sor--" now Kaeya stops himself with a choked chuckle. "You're right."

He can tell how serious and determined Diluc is; that he still stands by everything they spoke about yesterday, with that steadfast stubornness that Kaeya is so well acquainted with

'I want you to forgive yourself' Diluc had said, and although Kaeya had agreed in the heat of the moment, he still isn't sure how to do that; especially when his sins keep piling up like the snow on Dragonspine. As if lying to Diluc and Master Crepus for ten years wasn't enough,

now he knows Diluc had to face all the hardships of his pregnancy and raising their child all alone, that he hadn't been there for Diluc or Caelus all these years, and even now he had not only failed to keep Caelus safe but instead infliced on them so much pain and fear

Kaeya pulls the collar of his night shirt up to his nose and inhales the remnants of Caelus's scent on the fabric, mint and wood and that hint of apprehension, of concern for his wellbeing, as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming.

His thoughts are cut short on the second breath of that soft, childish scent, just as he allows himself to marvel on the reality of it, of his scent mixed with Diluc's in such a bright and precious little person, a living testament of their love, whatever may be of it now.

"Wait, Luc." he gasps, alarmed

To his surprise, Diluc runs to his side, worry immediately furrowing his brows "Are you alright? Does anything hurt?"

"N-no, I'm... I'm fine." he manages to say, overwhelmed by Diluc's sudden proximity, his irresistible warmth.

"I just... I noticed... Caelus's scent was unblocked and now they went with Albedo." he struggles to reshape his scattered thoughts "I... thought you didn't want anyone to find out... a-about me and... I mean..." he trails off, not daring to call himself Caelus's father out loud

Diluc's response catches him completely off-guard. The worry in his brow smooths out, and he snorts very softly

"Oh, Kaeya." a small, sad smile spread across his lips. "/Everyone/ knows."

Stopping here for now but I thiiink I may be able to keep going a bit more tomorrow. Thank you everyone for your patience and encouragement, and I hope you're still enjoying this! ko-fi.com/A555EES

Kaeya's eyes blow wide open in disbelief.

"Wha---" had Diluc really kept it a secret from him and no one else for more than a year? "How?"

Diluc sighs. "How did /you/ not know, honestly? Caelus... they're so much like you, it's almost absurd."

"What are you talking about?" Kaeya can't possibly fathom what Diluc means, when there is not a shadow of doubt that, save for their eyes, Caelus takes completely after Diluc.

Diluc's gaze wanders, his eyes growing hazy. "I... see you in them, all the time." he says, softly,

"The shape of their nose, the curve of their ear, the warmth in their hands, the shine of their hair, the way they cry... it's all you."

Kaeya's heart squeezes in his chest. He doesn't know how to respond. What can he say to a man that knows him to such minute details?

"Does... does Caelus know?" is all he manages to say.

Diluc shakes his head. "I..." he bites his lip, his brow furrows with remorse. "When I decided to come back I... didn't know how you'd react, if you knew. I was afraid you'd be angry, that you... wouldn't want them.++

And I didn't want to expose Caelus to get hurt or disappointed. That's why I blocked their scent and masked their eyes." he looks up at Kaeya, vulnerability watering his crimson eyes. "I... didn't expect that Caelus would come to love you, or that you would love them so much"

He squeezes his eyes shut and a single tear strays down his lightly flushed cheek, which he quickly wipes away. "As for how everyone else found out, well... I guess the people who really know me -Adelinde, Jean, Elzer, Charles, Alice, even Albedo- they also seem to know that..."

he pauses, places a hand above his chest and clenches it lightly. He glances up at the ceiling and Kaeya sees his lips curl upwards in a small smile. "that there could never be anyone but you."

Kaeya's whole world comes to a screeching halt. Diluc's words replay in his head in slow motion, his mind searching for the hidden meaning, for any indication that this isn't what he wants it to be, what he's convinced himself it can't possibly be.

He can feel every single beat of his heart, hears it ringing deafeningly in his ears. Because "it's all you" isn't the same "I want it to be you" and "I don't hate you" doesn't mean "I still love you".

"I... haven't been completely honest with you, Kaeya. Not even these past few days" Diluc admits, hesitantly inching closer to Kaeya on the bed, his natural warmth filling the space between them. "And I think that needs to change, for both of us. No more lies; no more secrets."

Kaeya leans forward so suddenly he almost knocks his head against Diluc's, his breathing labored. "I-I give you my word, Luc, for whatever little it is worth."

Diluc holds his gaze, intense. "It is worth enough for me to give you mine in return." he says solemnly

"And in the interest of honesty, I... must confess that when I said I wanted you to be part of Caelus's life... that was... not entirely sincere."

Kaeya's heart sinks. His scent turns sour with hurt, and he knows Diluc can smell it too, for how his nose scrunches.

In spite of it, Diluc inhales deeply, eyes closed, and when he opens them, they're alight with a fire Kaeya has never seen before, bright and scorching hot, they burn Kaeya to the core.
"What I should have said is... I want you to be part of /our/ lives."

Kaeya can feel his heart at the bottom of his throat.

"I know we can't quite pick things up where we left off. That... we hurt each other, in ways that might be impossible to fully heal. And I'm aware we /just/ agreed to take it one step at a time...+++

In spite of all of that, I... I want /us/. If you're willing to try I... I think we--"

Kaeya interrupts Diluc's ramble pressing a single finger to his soft lips. With a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth and his chest so full it feels like it could burst, he says:

"I told you before, didn't I? I'll do anything for you."

Diluc's face lights up in shame, but rather than pull away and try to hide it, he leans further in, brows furrowed in determination, and the next thing Kaeya knows is the taste of Diluc's mouth on his.
//tbc

Hope this update makes up for the long delay :3 thanks everyone for your patience and kind comments!! ko-fi.com/A555EES

The first touch is a single raindrop; the next one is a storm. For a moment, Kaeya loses all notion of where he is, /who/ he is, and all he knows is Diluc, his warm hands, his soft lips, his sweet sighs, Diluc, Diluc, Diluc...

He raises his hands to cup Diluc's face and pull him closer, closer still; holding him as if his whole life depended on it -and maybe, in a way, it does. Diluc whines against Kaeya's mouth, the sound so intoxicating it makes his head spin, and yet he doesn't pull away.

"Gods, I've missed you." Diluc mumbles, his voice quivering with emotion. His fingertips graze Kaeya's cheek lightly, and Kaeya feels like crying.

"And I you." he whispers between kisses that start simmering down to a gentle drizzle, warm raindrops pitter-pattering on his skin,

so much like the innocent kisses of their youth, and Kaeya chases after every single one of them.

He opens his eye to find Diluc's beautifully flushed face, his skin the color of a pink rose, his eyes half-lidded yet bright with fire, his lips wet, parted to let out short pants

that fill what little space remains between them.

Diluc's cheeks turn a darker shade of pink when he catches Kaeya's heated stare, kissing him again in an attempt to distract him. Annoyed, he nips Kaeya's lower lip with his teeth, and Kaeya hears himself groan in approval,

his hands finding their way to Diluc's waist.

"Kaeya?" Diluc mumbles as he starts trailing kisses down his jawline.

"Yes?" Kaeya, in turn, tilts his head so he can nuzzle Diluc's bright crimson hair, breathe in the deep scent of wood and ripe grapes

"In the interest of honestly..." Diluc's lips move down his neck, sharp teeth grazing the spot where his pulse can be felt, his heart booming in uncontrollable euphoria. "Did you... in these last few years..." Kaeya hears him swallow thickly, "with--with anyone..."

Kaeya's breath catches for a moment, and before he can stop himself, he laughs.

Diluc jolts as if just now realizing what he's asking, and he buries his face in the juncture of Kaeya's shoulder to hide his shame.

"N-nevermind, it--it doesn't--"

But before he can even think of running away, Kaeya grabs the back of his head, his other hand still on Diluc's waist, holding him in place.

"Oh Diluc," he coos with mirth, gently pushing Diluc's head even further, towards his scent gland. "Who could ever compare to you?"

//tbc tomorrow ko-fi.com/A555EES

ssssslightly nsfw ahead. but like, very very slightly

Tears prickle at the corners of Diluc's eyes. He feels so foolish. How could he ever doubt Kaeya's loyalty? He should've known better than fall for the ludicrous gossip that so often floods his tavern; the drunken whispers about the Cavalry Captain's scandalous nightly affairs.

At the time he'd been too busy trying control the vicious rage that boiled in his blood and wouldn't simmer down no matter how much he told himself that /he/ had been the one to leave; that he had no right to expect fidelity from the mate he'd cast away and abandoned.

But he should've known that those whispers and stories could never be about Kaeya, /his/ Kaeya. That he would honor their bond even if he was well within his right to seek affections from another. Diluc squeezes his eyes shut, ashamed of himself.

He nuzzles the juncture of Kaeya's neck and he feels a spot of swollen, hardened skin, the old scar Diluc had left there so many years ago. He breathes in deeply and is immediately overwhelmed by the nostalgic scent of their bond, perfect in spite of how much it has faded.

Tears overflow from his eyes and down his cheeks. It's like a switch has been flipped in him; next he knows, he's sinking his teeth into the mating mark, not deep enough to draw blood and renew their bond, but almost.

Kaeya whimpers, fingers tightening their hold on Diluc's waist, which makes him shiver. He breathes in again, and again, and again, every inhale reminding him that Kaeya is his and he is Kaeya's, and the thought makes his usually quiet omega brain buzz with satisfaction.

His hands grab onto Kaeya's shoulders, and he feels the pleasant purr vibrating deep within, only now realizing he's purring too even as he laves open-mouthed kisses up Kaeya's neck.

"Luc..." Kaeya moans against his ear, and Diluc's blood is suddenly liquid fire, the pleasant warmth of his body turning urgent, needy.

"Kae..." It starts coiling in his lower belly and grows tigther and tighter with every kiss, every sigh; demanding for more, more, more.

When Diluc starts lowering his hands and digs his fingers into Kaeya's chest, Kaeya cries out in pain and Diluc stops cold

//ooops yeah i'm leaving that there for tonight :3c more tomorrow.
ko-fi.com/A555EES

cw: lil bit of blood

Diluc pulls away, startled, and panics when he sees the splotch of blood blooming through the bandages on Kaeya's chest. He curses under his breath and immediately gets off Kaeya's lap (when had he climbed up there, he doesn't know, and the less he thinks about it, the better)

"I- I apologize, I was... careless," rash, foolish, impulsive in a way he doesn't usually allow himself to be anymore. It scares him a bit, the things Kaeya awakens in him "I-- have to clean that and--"

Before he can bolt out of the room, Kaeya's fingers circle around his wrist.

"Hey, hey, come on, calm down, it's okay. I'm fine." he says, his tone light in spite of the hoarsness in his voice, and Diluc feels his face burn with embarrassment.

"It's not--" he tries to argue, because Kaeya doesn't /know/, he hadn't seen the way those wounds kept bleeding+

for hours, how frighteningly pale and lifeless he had looked, how much magic and alchemy and physical blood transfusions had been needed to even keep him alive. He doesn't know how close Diluc had been to losing him; how much that thought terrifies him still.

But one look at Kaeya's face, at the dark blush on his cheeks, the pleading glint in his starry eye and all is lost.

"I'm just... getting new bandages and a potion to clean your wound." he says, tugging himself free from Kaeya's hold.

"I've kept them in the vanity for this kind of eventuality." he adds, unable to bear the pleading look on Kaeya's face, so reminiscent of their childhood, when Kaeya would cling to him like a lost puppy that started crying every time it was left alone.

Back then, Diluc was completely helpless when it came to Kaeya's needier side. And as it turns out, that is yet another thing that hasn't changed at all.

////// i have to be up in four hours sorry more tomorrow hhhhhhhhhhh

Contrary to Kaeya's fears, Diluc does exactly what he said he would: he walks over to the vanity, retrieves the clean bandages and potions, and returns to the bedside, getting to work right away. Kaeya notices the way his hands shake as they peel away the bloody bandages,

so he decides to give Diluc -and himself- a bit of quiet to reorganize their thoughts, calm down their erratic heartbeats.
When Diluc dabs a piece of cotton over the reopened wound, he hisses in pain, the potion drying up the bleeding in a matter of seconds

Kaeya notices Diluc's deep frown; how he bites his lower lip, tells of his frustration.
"I'm sorry." Diluc mumbles through gritted teeth as he dabs the excess liquid from the edge of the wound.

Kaeya snorts. "Don't apologize for something I was enjoying so much." he says airily

To his delight, Diluc chokes on his own spit, his cheeks turning a furious red, which he attempts to hide -not very successfully- by ducking his head so he can fasten the clean bandages -which, Kaeya notices, have been slightly warmed up by Diluc's touch- around his torso.

As soon as he's done, Diluc gets back on his feet and steps away from the bed, much to Kaeya's disappointment. He had harbored a little bit of hope that they'd pick up where they'd left off, but he keeps that thought to himself.

"I... have work to attend to..." Diluc stutters,

still avoiding Kaeya's face; not that it helps hide the blush that has crept all the way up to his ears. "If you need anything, just ring the bell." he adds, more earnestly, and points at the silver bell that stands on the bedside table.

'And if I need you to stay?'

Kaeya swallows down the words before they can be spoken, and instead cracks his signature smirk in hopes of breaking the tension. "Master Diluc is truly the most gracious of hosts."

Diluc huffs in response and takes another step back, but before he can turn towards the door

Kaeya's arm darts out and grabs him by the wrist, and, in a moment of impulsiveness, brings Diluc's hand close to his mouth.

"Diluc, would it be too daring of me to ask... if I have not misunderstood your wishes, does that mean... you would allow me to court you?"

Diluc's eyes widen, his breath hitches, but he doesn't pull his hand away.

"What are you... isn't it already late for such a thing?"

Kaeya chuckles, slowly stroking the back of Diluc's hand with his thumb. "We did kind of do everything backwards didn't we?" he muses out loud.

"And to tell you the truth, I... kind of regret that. Not--not the things we've done..." he clarifies, and he squeezes Diluc's hand as he thinks of Caelus's blinding smile. "but I've always thought... you deserve to be courted properly. If you'll let me..."

After a moment of silence, Kaeya feels Diluc's fingers squeeze his. He looks up to find Diluc's fiery eyes fixed on him, "Very well. If you think you can make it worth my time." he says firmly, almost intimidating if not for the bright red flush that has spread all over his face.

Kaeya's heart skips a beat, and he grins. "I'll make sure to live up to Master Diluc's expectations, no matter how high they may be." he declares before pressing a kiss to Diluc's knuckles.

Diluc's breath catches for a moment, but Kaeya hears him snort lightly right afterwards, and he manages to catch a hint of a smirk right before Diluc finally tugs his hand free, turns around and leaves the room.

Kaeya flops down on the bed, crystalflies fluttering in his belly, hot excitement coursing through his body, his skin tingling with the ghost of Diluc's touch.

//tbc

this bit/chapter keeps getting longer and longer out of my control OTL but it's finally almost done
Update tomorrow! ko-fi.com/A555EES

A few hours later, Adelinde brings him an overly abundant meal while informing him that Diluc had to leave for the city on short notice. Pushing aside the disappointment, Kaeya takes the chance to ask her to join him for lunch, and she accepts the invitation with a bright smile

"You knew, didn't you?" he asks halfway through the meal, after Adelinde is done grueling him about his unhealthy habits and 'reckless disregard' for his own well-being.

She doesn't ask what he's talking about. Kaeya knows she doesn't need to.

"The young master takes after both their parents in very noticeable ways." she says, smiling warmly. "Master Crepus would've been delighted to meet them."

Kaeya smiles melancholically. There's that sting of regret, for all the secrets he kept++

all the things he never got to tell the only father he remembers.

"And I'm sure," she continues, placing her hands on top of Kaeya's "that he would've given his blessings to whichever path his beloved sons chose to seek happiness."

Kaeya swallows down a hot tear and squeezes her hands.

"Thank you."

Diluc comes back shortly before dinner, and, to Kaeya's delight, doesn't even ask before bringing two bowls of crab, ham and veggie bake to Kaeya's room and sitting down to eat dinner by the bed.

"Your cooking has gotten /so/ much better." Kaeya comments after a long, comfortable silence, humming pleasantly as the warmth of the casserole spreads through his body.

To his surprise, Diluc stares at him wide-eyed, like he's just seen a ghost.

"H-how did you know...?"

Kaeya quirks his brow, "That you made it?" he finishes, taking another spoonful of crab and veggies in his mouth. "You've always seasoned your food on the sweeter side. Don't tell me you'd never noticed?"

It takes a moment for his words to sink in.

When they do, Diluc's mouth falls wide open, a bright crimson blush crawling up his face. Before Kaeya can even think of teasing him about it, Diluc has finished his bake and fled the room without even sparing him a single glance. Unable to hold himself back, Kaeya laughs.

Hours later, as Kaeya is about to put down his book and turn off the bedside candle, Diluc comes back to his room, but this time, wearing nothing but his white silk nightshirt and pants. Heat blooms under Kaeya's skin, and any word he could've thought of dies in his mouth.

"Move over." Diluc commands harshly, and Kaeya follows without a single word, his brain completely fried and unable to formulate even the simplest of thoughts.

Clearly displeased by Kaeya's reaction -or lackthereof- Diluc stops with one knee on the matress. "Should I leave?"

Kaeya nearly jumps out of his own skin, his hand grabbing Diluc's wrist impulsively. "NO!"

The sudden movement startles Diluc, which in turn makes Kaeya let go of his wrist and retreat as much as he's able to within the limited space on the bed. "Sorry I... I mean... why?"

Diluc sighs and his expression softens, a light blush betraying his confident facade. "You're having nightmares." he says, his voice ever so gentle, eyebrows pinched in worry, and that's all that needs to be said.

Kaeya has always had nightmares, for as long as he remembers.

He heard the cursed people of Khaenri'ah screaming, watched their disfigured bodies writhing in pain. Darkness would try to swallow him, his father's voice wrapping around him like vines and dragging him away from the light "You're our only hope" he said,++

his voice crystal clear even with the cursed ones' cries clogging his ears. "Forgive me, Kaeya" it was cold, opressive, and it pierced his heart as he drowned over and over again, unable to catch a single breath.

Many, many years ago, Diluc had caught him crying in his room one night, shivering in fear, exhausted, too scared to close his eyes and be trapped by the darkness again. And he had stayed with him that night, held Kaeya's hands in his and scared all the nightmares away.

Ever since that night, Kaeya had never been able to sleep without Diluc. They would sneak into each other's room every night until Master Crepus got fed up and had the wall between their rooms torn down and their beds moved so they would be side by side.

But Diluc had been gone for four years, and Kaeya hadn't had a good night's sleep in all that time. Not that he ever intended to tell Diluc such a thing; this was and would always be his curse to bear. Kaeya's past had already caused Diluc too much pain

Wordlessly, Diluc lies down, his loose crimson hair spreading across the whiteness of the pillow. Kaeya's heart skips a beat as Diluc's hand finds his, and it's all he can do to hold back the urge to cry.

"I love you" he whispers, his blurry vision fixed on Diluc's face, his voice wet and thin and a little pathetic. And yet, Diluc's breath hitches.

"Good night, Kaeya." he mumbles, pulling Kaeya into a hesitant embrace, his head resting against Diluc's chest.

Diluc's scent wraps around him, his warmth making him drowsy, and the erratic beat of his heart -almost as erratic as Kaeya's own- lulls him to sleep, a shivering whisper reaching his ear right before he dozes off completely.

"I love you too."

//tbc

I just want to say that the last 4-5 updates were originally gonna be just one but to absolutely no one's surprise they kept getting longer and longer orz. The end is in sight! Thanks everyone for your support!
ko-fi.com/A555EES

Sunlight bathes the room in a warm golden glow. Kaeya wakes up to the gentle scent of oakwood and a fireplace, his eye taking a moment to adjust to the brightness around him. He finds the bed empty, a lone, long red hair lying on the snow-white pillow like a streak of blood.

Perhaps two days ago, this moment of awareness would've broken him. To find himself alone, after everything that happened last night, might have pushed him to think Diluc regretted all the words he'd spoken, all the promises they'd made.

But today's Kaeya realizes that won't happen. His mind doesn't fill with dread, the fear and guilt that have weighed on his heart all his life, suddenly gone. For the first time in years -maybe ever- he believes Diluc loves him. The real him, past all the secrets and the lies.

He basks in Diluc's scent, still softly enveloping him, in his warmth that lingers on his side of the bed. There's a part of him that could sink into it all and get lost forever, but his body feels alight with static, energy coursing through his limbs.

The idea of staying put is unbearable. Without a second thought, he gets on his feet, and although his knees wobble, unaccustomed to supporting his whole body weight, he manages to stabilize himself and take a firm step, and another, and another, each more confident than the last

He doesn't have a clear destination in mind, all he knows is he wants to find Diluc, and he lets his feet guide him through the hallway, then slowly down the stairs, step by step, holding tightly to the handrails.

There is no sign of Diluc in the foyer, and he's about to turn toward the wine cellar when something catches his eye amidst the wooden browns and deep reds; a splash of bright color, unmissably out of place in a room he otherwise remembers like the back of his palm

//tbc tomorrow bc i have to slep orz
Sidenote that I couldn't find a way to add naturally: in case it wasn't clear, Diluc scented Kaeya before getting up bc he didn't want Kae to wake up and feel abandoned
ko-fi.com/A555EES

Laughter bubbles up from within his chest and erupts out of his mouth, echoing loudly in the wide, empty foyer.

"Kaeya?"

Diluc's eyes are wide with alarm when he walks in from the kitchen wearing a black apron, hair pulled up in a high ponytail.

"You shouldn't be up on your own, your--" his scolding is cut short when his eyes find the item that caught Kaeya's attention.

"Sorry, sorry, I was just admiring the decor" Kaeya says in between breathless laughter. "I must admit I wasn't aware of Master Diluc's /unique/ taste."

The furious blush that inflames Diluc's face brings upon a new round of cackles, his eye moving from the unforgettable gaudy vase, so openly displayed right in the middle of the eastern side of the room, to Diluc's increasingly flustered expression.

"C-c-Caelus likes it!" Diluc rebukes, his voice a pitch too high "O-otherwise I w-would've th-thrown that horrendous th-thing away!"

Kaeya's stomach starts hurting from laughing so much. What an idiot he has been. Maybe they have both been a little foolish from the start.

All the things he'd wished for and thought unattainable had been so close within reach all along, he'd just been unable -unwilling, perhaps- to see them.

He grabs Diluc's waist with one hand and pulls him closer, delighting in the indignant little yelp that leaves his pink lips.

With his free hand, he cups Diluc's cheek and presses their foreheads together, his gaze now locked into Diluc's firey red eyes.

"I love you," he mumbles, his heart full to the brim with emotion, and feels the smile that grows on Diluc's lips against his.

The main doors creak, the tiniest sliver of golden sunlight peeking through as they are pushed open from the outside. Kaeya lets go of Diluc just in time to hear the sound of something solid slamming against the door and pushing it open, a tiny red canonball bursting through.

"Papa!!!" Caelus yells, eyes brightening when they spot Diluc and Kaeya, "Sir Kae!!!" and they sprint at full speed towards Kaeya who is closer to the door, arms spread wide, and Kaeya barely has time to brace himself for impact.

His legs almost give in when Caelus crashes against him, but Diluc reacts fast enough to hold him steady.

"Caelus!!" he beams, kneeling down and immediately gathering the giggling child in his arms, ignoring Diluc's concerned warnings.

"I missed you /so much/αστεράκι μου, did you have fun?" he coos, pressing a loud kiss to Caelus's cheek

"Yes sir Kae! I have many fun and advenchoors with Klee and Dodoco and Sir Bedo" they bump Kaeya's forehead with a little giggle. "Did Papa proteck sir Kae strong?"

Kaeya nods enthusiastically. "Of course, Master Diluc always keeps his promises; he kept me completely safe /all night/" he says, grinning at Diluc, whose cheeks blush pink even as he looks away with a huff. "And look! Your protection magic was so powerful I'm almost healed now!"

He tries to back his bold claim by getting back on his feet with Caelus still in his arms, but as expected he ends up needing Diluc's support to keep his knees from buckling over with the extra weight. Caelus doesn't seem to notice, and they puff their chest with pride.

"Papa did you see? My magic is many strong!"

Diluc chuckles as he gently pries Caelus from Kaeya's wobbly arms. "That's impressive, my love, but did you say thank you to sir Albedo for being so nice?" he asks, looking over at the door, only to find it empty.

"Is sir Albedo not with you?" he quirks his brow quizically.

"Yes Papa, Sir Bedo come with I but I run to tell Papa and Sir Kae all my fun advenchoors very fast!"

Diluc hums, brows furrowed in thought; for what reason, Kaeya can't tell. "Did you open the door yourself?"

Once again Caelus puffs their chest with pride. "Yes Papa! I am big Caelus now!" they beam brightly, and Kaeya sees Diluc's frown immediately melt away.

"Of course you are, my little star, you absolutely are." he coos, nuzzling Caelus's cheek affectionately

Kaeya's chest overflows with love at the exchange. Without thinking about it, he wraps his arms around Diluc's frame from behind, his chin resting on Diluc's shoulder, hands interlocking above Diluc's where they hold Caelus.

The tips of Diluc's ears glow warm red, and his breath catches for a moment before he leans into Kaeya's embrace. Kaeya feels himself purr, contented, as he presses a kiss to Diluc's temple. All he has ever wanted, right here, in his arms. And he never has to let go again

/// Not quite the end just yet, there's still a little epilogue that i hope to finish before Kaeya's birthday :3 Thanks everyone for all the encouragement and support, I hope you've enjoyed this little (?) self-indulgent ride with me!

ko-fi.com/A555EES

By the time spring rolls around, Kaeya's injuries are all but fully healed, and so, and with no small amount of reluctance from all involved parties, Kaeya finally returns to his little apartment in the city right as the flowers start blooming.

Although the temptation to just stick around and unofficially move in is quite hard to resist, and he has a feeling Diluc is also of half a mind to just ask him to stay, they have both agreed to take things slowly, for Caelus's sake as well as their own.

Kaeya's life changes drastically in the following weeks. He still goes to work early in the mornings, but his lunch breaks are now occupied whenever Diluc brings Caelus to the city, and instead of his usual quick snacks he now makes sure to have a decent lunch to share with them

It also starts becoming a somewhat frequent ocurrence that Diluc will ask Kaeya to babysit Caelus. If he has to travel out of the city or he has a business meeting in the afternoon, he'll bring Caelus to the Order's headquarters, equipped with the now familiar bag of supplies;

and Jean doesn't even offer any resistance when Kaeya asks to take the afternoon off. He'll cook a specially delicious dinner and they'll spend the night playing and drawing pictures, eating a few more sweets than oficially allowed and promising to keep it a secret.

(Kaeya, well aware of Caelus's terrible secret-keeping skills, just laughs when Diluc inevitably scolds him the following morning on account of Caelus's energy excess)

When Windblume rolls around, Kaeya spends an inordinate amount of sleepless nights writing the most embarrassing poem he of his life, which, judging by the faint snort Diluc lets out when reading it, is not the lirical masterpiece Kaeya had set out to create.

But it's all well when Diluc says "thank you" and kisses his cheek in front of Caelus for the first time. Caelus then jumps excitedly and chirps "I give thanky kissy too!" waving the bright lampgrass Kaeya had given them with uncontainable enthusiasm.

Kaeya's bar routine changes too. Now, he never misses a night when Diluc has a shift at the Angel's Share, and although Diluc will still refuse to let him get drunk, Kaeya reckons it's a fair trade-off in exchange for the secretive kisses they share after closing time.

Afterwards, he'll walk Diluc to the city gates, occasionally allowing their hands to entwine together, and they'll scent each other before parting ways. Diluc was initially bashful about it, but Kaeya points out that it's 'expected to scent the person you're courting',

and if nothing else it gives Diluc the perfect excuse to lean into it.

"Caelus seems to like it when I smell of you." he comments one night, and Kaeya preens as if it's the proudest moment of his whole life.

The best nights, however, are those in which Diluc doesn't have work

They'll usually meet in the market district after Kaeya's shift is over, buy some ingredients from Blanche's shop and head back to the Winery, where they'll cook together and listen to Caelus retelling all of their adventures of the day over dinner.

Afterwards, they'll tuck Caelus in bed and read them a story, and some times, Kaeya gets a little mischievous and start telling them of his and Diluc's childhood escapades, with Diluc frequently correcting most of Kaeya's embelishments, which always makes Caelus laugh.

Kaeya spends the night more often than not in these occasions. Diluc welcomes him to his bed with intimidating confidence, and although they hardly do anything beyond kisses and soft touches, Kaeya feels himself burning all the way to the morning.

Right before sunrise, Diluc will wake him up and he'll have to leave for the guest bedroom, in anticipation of Caelus's awakening. They agreed it'd be better to slowly let Caelus get slowly accustomed to Kaeya having a gradually larger presence in their lives

before attempting to explain what his and Diluc's relationship is now, especially as they're both still finding it out themselves, getting to know who they have become in their time apart and what kind of future they can build together from now on.

On one such night, however, they are awakened way before sunrise, still entangled with each other in Diluc's bed, by the sound of the door clicking open and Caelus running inside, sobbing loudly.

They both jump out of bed in alarm, Diluc being the first to reach the crying child

"What's wrong, my love?" he asks, voice trembling. He wraps his arms around Caelus's small body and presses them tightly to his chest.

"S-s-scawy b-b-big b-b-bad!!" they babble, their voice muffled against Diluc's night shirt. "Big w-wolf hurt Papa!!"

Diluc exhales, slightly relieved as he picks Caelus up and brings them to the bed, rocking them slowly in his arms.

Kaeya's heart breaks, and he rushes to Diluc's side to stroke Caelus's back gently. "Shhh it's okay, baby," he hushes, nuzzling the top of Caelus's head.

For a moment, the only sounds in the room are Caelus's sobs and soft reassuring whispers. The air fills with calming pheromones as Diluc and Kaeya scent Caelus, a comforting mix of oakwood and calla lillies wrapping around their baby protectively.

"Want to stay here with me, little star?" Diluc asks once Caelus's sobs have finally started to settle down.

Caelus nods, hiding their head in the crook of Diluc's neck, searching for the comfort of their father's scent.

Kaeya pulls away from them reluctantly.

One day, if he's lucky, he may be able to stay and help alleviate their baby's fears, but right now they're still early in this process of trying to integrate as a family and he wouldn't want to make Caelus uncomfortable at such a vulnerable moment.

Diluc only barely glances at him as he steps back silently towards the door, but he doesn't take it to heart: Caelus is what's most important right now.

And then, just as he's turning the door knob to sneak out of the room...

"Sir Kae stay?"

His heart skips a beat, and he glances over his shoulder to find Caelus cradled in Diluc's arms, but now looking in his direction, blue eyes puffy and their cheeks still wet with tears, a pleading pout on their mouth.

Kaeya's throat feels dry. He can't think of anything to say

He isn't even fully convinced that he really heard what he thinks he did. He looks at Diluc for... help? confirmation? but all he finds in those crimson eyes is expectation.

"Pwease?"

Kaeya's heart melts on the spot

"Of course, αστεράκι μου. Anything you want."

//tbc

i was gonna wait until i finished it but since el0n might accidentally nuke this website any moment now i'm gonna have to start awkwardly unroll and saving this thing now @threadreaderapp

Kaeya fidgets nervously, fist hovering inches away from the wooden door of the tavern. He fixes the lapels of his shirt once, twice, dusts off his fur boa and rearranges the flower bouquet for the millionth time, the end result still not to his satisfaction.

He sighs in defeat and squeezes his eye shut, finally forcing himself to knock on the door faintly.

"The bar is closed." the response comes instantly, but the voice isn't coming from behind the door.

Kaeya follows the sound of it to the balcony above his head.

There, Diluc stands, arms folded over the railing and a faint, amused smile on his lips.

"How-- how long have you been standing up there?" he asks, heat crawling up his neck.

Diluc's smile grows wider.

"How long have /you/ been standing down there?" is all he gets for a reply

Kaeya's face burns with embarrassment. He wants to complain about Diluc watching him fretting out there like an idiot for ten whole minutes, but the playful fondness in Diluc's face dissuades him. He can take a little humiliation in exchange for Diluc's smile.

"If you're gonna laugh at me, at least let me inside." he whines half-heartedly,

Diluc snorts before disappearing into the building, reappearing behind the door mere moments later.

"Hey," Kaeya breathes, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of Diluc, like it always does.

"I believe I said the bar is closed, Sir Kaeya." Diluc says, but he steps aside and lets Kaeya in.

"Didn't come here for a drink." he replies, and he grabs Diluc's face by the chin and tilts his head up to lay a soft kiss on his lips. "I'll take this instead."

Diluc sighs into the second kiss, a faint blush blooming on his cheeks. Kaeya takes it as sufficient payback for making fun of him earlier, and he makes a point of it by diverting the third kiss away from Diluc's mouth and onto where his skin has turned the color of a ripe apple.

"I presume these are for me?" Diluc interrupts, reaching for the flowers as he pushes Kaeya away; trying to cover his flushed face with his arm.

"I believe they'll match that quite fascinating vase in your foyer, wouldn't you agree?"

Diluc huffs in annoyance.

"Did you come this late just to give me flowers?"

"Well, I /am/ courting you," Kaeya starts, and he swallows thickly, remembering why it was that he'd been so hesitant to even knock on the door to begin with. "But no, that wasn't the only reason I came."

Diluc steps further back to place the flowers in a vase by the bar counter. His eyes fix on Kaeya, waiting.

Without the bouquet to keep his fingers occupied, Kaeya can't keep himself from picking at his fingernails absentmindedly; an old tell of how nervous he is.

"I've been thinking..." he chews on his lip, remembering the words he'd rehearsed. "Remember that day we... we said we were gonna go on a picnic? The three of us?"

Diluc lifts an eyebrow, intrigued. "Yes, and...?" he prompts, clearly aware this isn't what has Kaeya so skittish.

"Well..." Kaeya pinches the skin on the palm of his hand, hard, forcing himself to take the leap. "It's almost April 30th."

It's not unexpected when Diluc's eyes widen and his scent turns sour, his breath hitching, the wooden mug he'd been cleaning slipping out of his hand.

What is unexpected is his silence. Kaeya had been ready to be immediately shot down. He'd even braced himself for the possibility that Diluc might get truly angry and ask him to not show himself for a few days.

Instead, Diluc waits, visibly rattled, but nonetheless willing to listen. It makes Kaeya feel guilty, realizing once again how badly he's misjudged Diluc's heart all this time.

"I... I don't intend to erase the past. It's part of who we are; of how we got here."

He fixes his eye on Diluc's fiery ones, hoping to convey the sincerity of his feelings. "But I also... don't want us to be trapped by all that pain. I want us to be able to make new memories, happy memories, you, and me, and Caelus."

He takes a tentative step towards Diluc, then another one when it seems Diluc isn't retreating, until they're close enough that Kaeya can cup Diluc's cheek in his palm.

"It's your birthday, Luc. I, for one, am /so/ grateful that you were born. I'm sure Caelus feels the same.++

++So let's celebrate it, properly. As a family."

Diluc leans into Kaeya's touch, cristaline tears pooling at the corners of his crimson eyes.

"I haven't celebrated my birthday in a long time. My expectations for this one are going to be set quite high."

A small smile draws itself upon his lips, and his scent takes on a warm, inviting sweetness.

Kaeya beams. He circles Diluc's waist with one hand and pulls him closer, intoxicated by the enticing aroma.

"I'll make it the best birthday you've ever had."

He can taste Diluc's next words against his mouth, something he never thought he'd hear him say again.

"I'm looking forward to it."

//tbc

Why do I keep going surprised pikachu face every time a thing turns out way longer than I expected it to lol ko-fi.com/A555EES

The evening of April 29th finds them sharing a peaceful dinner -or as peaceful as eating can be with a 4 year old still developping fine motor skills-. It means constantly wiping sauce from chubby cheeks and juice stains from the tablecloth. Kaeya wouldn't trade it for the world

"Dinner is very yummy, thanky Papa!" Caelus declares, their fork clanking on the now empty plate.

"You're very welcome." Diluc says, an easy smile on his lips. "It's getting late, go ahead and pick a toy for your bath while we clean up, alright?"

"Yes Papa!" Caelus hops down from their chair, way too energetic for how late it is. "Sir Kae can read story after bath?"

Kaeya stands up, gathering the dishes from the table to take them to the kitchen. "I'm afraid I must head home for the night." he confesses mournfully.

Surprisingly, it's Diluc and not Caelus who questions him first. "You're... not staying?" he asks, a shadow of concern in his bright red eyes.

It is true that Kaeya has been spending the night at Dawn Winery more often than not in recent days.

In fact, before this morning, it'd probably been over a week since he'd set foot in his own apartment. The amount of clothes he's accummulated in Diluc's room has become large enough to warrant his own drawer, and they've even had a second desk brought over to Diluc's studio room

for the nights Kaeya will spend catching up on his overdue paperwork. He's found a rare kind of pleasure in sitting across the room from Diluc and sharing a moment of silent companionship whilst they both deal with their respective workloads. It's almost comical,

how this little change has boosted his motivation for work, so much so that Jean even congratulated him on how productive he's been as of late.

Diluc looks almost disappointed to hear of his departure, and it makes Kaeya preen.

"I have a lot of preparations to make if I am to live up to Master Diluc's notoriously high expectations for tomorrow's picnic." he explains, playfully. He's set for a very long night of cooking, among other things.

"Is sir Kae come visit gwampa tomorrow? Before picnee?"

Kaeya freezes at that question. They're treading very delicate ground, and of all things, the anniversary of Master Crepus's death is too closely linked to his fallout with Diluc, and the wounds might still be too tender to touch.

"I... would like you to come." Diluc says, voice soft so Caelus won't hear. "But it's fine if you prefer to go alone."

Kaeya's chest tightens, and he stares at Diluc's face closely, trying to measure if he really means it or if he's forcing himself to extend Kaeya the kindness.

In those eyes, Kaeya finds the same undiluted honesty they promised each other when this all started, that brutal weapon that leaves him completely defenseless.

"I'll be honored to be there."

Caelus cheers loudly, and they dash to hug Kaeya's legs with enthusiasm.

Kaeya pets their crimson hair lovingly. The top of their head already reaches his upper thigh, a thought that squeezes at Kaeya's heart. He picks them up in his arms, and he grins as soon as he meets their starry eyes.

"Good night αστεράκι μου, have a wonderful dream tonight." he coos, placing a loud smooch on each of their rosy cheeks.

Caelus giggles "No tickle!" they squeal, holding Kaeya's face in their hands. "Good night, sir Kae! I say all my very nice dream tomorrow!!"

Kaeya gets a warm kiss on his forehead before putting Caelus back on the floor, and with a little bit of Diluc's prompting, the kid finally heads towards the bathroom.

As soon as Caelus is out of sight, Diluc tugs him down by the collar of his shirt into a searing kiss.

As the kiss deepens, Diluc's hands rise to cup Kaeya's face. It's then that he feels Diluc's scent, tender and soothing, gradually growing in intensity. Soft, milky hands start moving across his face, thumbs stroking his forehead and nose, fingers digging through his hair,

palms rubbing his cheeks before trailing down his neck, up and down a couple of times, then continuing over his shoulders, his chest, and back to his neck, where long fingers are quick to find his mating mark.

Kaeya moans into the kiss as Diluc presses the heel of his hand against the mark, releasing a rush of pheromones that thicken the air.

Just as Kaeya is starting to lose himself to the mounting heat between them, Diluc pulls away.

His eyes are glazed over with want, cheeks flushed bright red, small breathless pants coming out of his mouth.

Caelus's voice bursts into the room from afar. "Papa!! I choose Squeesh for play in bath!!"

Diluc smiles, his hands once again cupping Kaeya's face, "Good night, Sir Kaeya." he mumbles, punctuating it with a short, chaste kiss before stepping away. "Sleep well." and he walks away towards the bath without glancing back, the tips of his ears as red as his hair.

(Kaeya doesn't sleep much that night, but what little he does is peaceful, Diluc's scent keeping him warm and safe from any nightmare.)
/// tbc

This fic isn't gonna have smut, but I want everyone to know that Diluc's womb throbs every time he sees how much Kaeya adores Caelus
If all goes according to keikaku and twt doesn't die, next update should be tmr/sat, and the last one will be sun/mon

ko-fi.com/A555EES

Kaeya's heart jumps as soon as he catches sight of Diluc and Caelus passing through Mondstadt's main gate, each carrying a bouquet of Cecilias. He waves his free hand enthusiastically, an easy grin spreading on his lips, and his heart jumps again when Diluc waves back.

"Sir Kae!!"

Caelus's excited yelp booms across the plaza, and they break into a sprint towards him.

"Caelus, no running on the stairs!" Diluc calls, mildly alarmed.

"Yes Papa!" they respond, but show no signs of slowing down

Kaeya solves the issue by zooming down the steps and swiftly lifting Caelus off the ground before they reach the staircase. Laughing uncontrollably, he raises Caelus above his head and takes a spin, the child shrieking with delight, their little arms extended as if they're wings

"You're up early." Diluc comments cooly, but there's an unmistakable fondness in his eyes that makes Kaeya beam.

"I wouldn't dare be late after Master Diluc and the young master were so gracious to invite me." he replies, placing Caelus back on the ground

"More fly!!!" they demand, bouncing on the tips of their toes with their arms raised above their head.

Kaeya chuckles. "But baby, flying is very exhausting, you'll be out of energy when we meet your grandpa if you overdo it."

Caelus purses their lips in thought.

"More fly after gwampa?"

Diluc snorts. "I'm sure sir Kaeya will be glad to fly with you /all the way/ to our picnic location."

"Oh, I'll be honored."

////

It's a beautiful, clear morning. There is no one else at the graveyard save for the birds that flitter around, hopping between the gravestones and picking dried flower petals for their nests. The view of Lake Cider and Mondstadt's hills around them is bright and beautiful.

"Gwampa!" Caelus squeals, letting go of Kaeya's and Diluc's hands to dash toward the familiar grave.

Kaeya's heart breaks at the sight of Caelus embracing the cold gravestone. He can almost picture Master Crepus grinning and wrapping his arms around his grandchild,

showering them with presents, marveling at how much they resemble his own son. He wonders what Master Crepus would say if he knew Kaeya was the father of his grandchild. Would he be mad? Disappointed? Would he scold him for not being there for Diluc and Caelus all these years?

As they reach the grave, Diluc's souring scent reaches his nose, grief almost palpable. Kaeya shakes his own somber thoughts away. Even if he can't make up for the past, he /is/ here for both of them, for his family, now, and will remain so for as long as they want him to.

He circles an arm around Diluc's back and squeezes his shoulder. Diluc leans into the embrace and places his hand over Kaeya's fingers, then looks up at him with tears glittering at the corners of his eyes.

"I... didn't invite you here because I wanted to be consoled." he says

"I asked you to come because we never... We didn't have a chance to grieve him... grieve /our father/, properly, together."

Kaeya's chest tightens. Any word he could've said dies in his throat, tied into a knot. Heat pools behind his eyes and stings at their corners

Diluc cups his cheek with one hand, but doesn't wipe the tears from his visible eye, as if giving him permission to cry. And Kaeya finds, as the tears finally overflow, that maybe he has been waiting for it all along.

Even in the scarce hours before everything fell apart, Kaeya hadn't allowed himself to mourn Master Crepus, not in front of Diluc. How could he, a sinner from a godless land, ask for solace, how could he ever deserve comfort in the face of Diluc's inconceivable loss?

It feels enormous, something as simple as this. Diluc saying /our father/, asking him to share his grief like he knows how Kaeya has tortured himself all these years; how unworthy he's felt of calling himself Master Crepus's son.

"Thank you." he mumbles, his voice wet.

"Scent me?" Diluc half sobs
Kaeya doesn't need to be told twice. He presses his forehead against Diluc's, and releases pheromones that carry traces of his own sorrow, the scent mixing with Diluc's. It's bitter and melancholic, but maybe sharing it is what they both need right now

"Papa!! The gift for gwampa!"

They break the embrace slowly. Through the blur of tears, Kaeya sees a small, peaceful smile on Diluc's lips and it warms his heart.

"Here you go." he says, pulling a folded page from his breast pocket.

Caelus takes it and unfolds it clumsily, placing it on top of the Cecilias they'd laid over the grave.

"Oh? Can I take a look?" Kaeya asks, leaning over Caelus's shoulder.

"Is I and gwampa and Papa and Sir Kae!" Caelus explains,

pointing at four amorphous figures drawn over a landscape of colorful scribbles and stars. "I pwomise gwampa to bring it!!"

Kaeya quirks an eyebrow. "You promised your grandpa?" he echoes, intrigued.

Caelus nods enthusiastically "Gwampa want to meet I very much." they explain

"I say to gwampa that Papa and Sir Kae and I have always many happy smile and many fun advenchoor and then gwampa say want to see and I pwomise to show!"

Diluc now crouches down, brow furrowed. "Caelus? When did your grandfather say all of this to you?"

Caelus's smile is blindingly bright.

"Gwampa come to play in my happy dream!!"

Diluc's breath catches before he pulls Caelus into his arms, squeezing them against his chest, and Kaeya sees him quiver with a sob.

He places his own offering, a bottle of dandelion wine, next to the Cecilias and the drawing.

'I'm going to protect them' he thinks, his eyes set on Master Crepus's name etched on the stone. 'I swear I'll make them happy, for as long as I live.'

A warm breeze grazes his cheek and rustles his hair. The air smells of cecilias and sweet wine.

Kaeya chooses to believe that maybe, just maybe, Master Cre--- his father is acknowledging his oath.
////

(They make a quick stop by Kaeya's apartment to pick up the things for the picnic.

"You haven't packed" Diluc comments, unimpressed.

Kaeya chuckles nervously. "Didn't wanna get ahead of myself, in case I get rejected"

Diluc sighs, rolls his eyes.

"You're not going to be rejected, and I /will not/ help you pack when that happens."

Kaeya laughs and grabs a little black box from his nightstand to put it in his pocket before exiting. He really hopes Diluc's prediction turns out right.

///tbc

NEXT UPDATE WILL BE THE LAST I CANT BELIEVE IT 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I'm so grateful for everyone's support and encouragement, it's meant so much to me that others have enjoyed my uncontrollable brainrot 😭😭😭😭😭ko-fi.com/A555EES

"One... two... up you go!"

Caelus shrieks gleefully as their feet are lifted off the ground, their body swinging forward, then backwards with the momentum of Kaeya's and Diluc's arms, pulling them up by one hand each.

"More fly! More fly!" Caelus squeals as soon as their feet touch the grass

Kaeya heaves in exhaustion. True to his word, he's been making Caelus fly since they left the graveyard and all the way to Venessa's tree in Windrise, which has proven much more taxing than he anticipated

Diluc had taken pity on him halfway through and they'd switched to the "swing and fly" format, to which Caelus hadn't opposed.

"We're almost there, little star, you can walk a little." Diluc says, smiling pitifully at Kaeya who can hardly feel his arms by now

Kaeya waves his hand dismissively, making a circle with his shoulder.

"'s okay, I can do one more."

He's going to regret it tomorrow when he has to do sword training with the new recruits, but there's not a price he wouldn't pay to get one more laugh from Caelus.

Diluc shakes his head, a fond smile drawn on his lips.

"Very well, just one more. One... two..."

-----

They reach the roots of Vennessa's trees and find a flat spot under the cover of its branches to lay the red and white blanket over the grass.

"Caelus, will you help me set everything up for the picnic?" Kaeya asks, waving at them with the hand that isn't holding the basket

"I'll help you," Diluc interjects, a puzzled look on his face, but Kaeya stops him with one hand before he can come closer

"Perish the thought, Master Diluc!" he cries out dramatically "It would be quite unsightly to have the guest of honor work for his own birthday celebration"

Caelus giggles at his theatrics. "Papa work very hard every day so in birday is rest and Caelus work." they declare with determination.

Diluc sighs, resigned, taking a seat underneath the tree. "Very well, but don't take too long, I'm getting rather hungry."

Kaeya knows he actually means 'We are quite past Caelus's lunchtime', so he foresakes fooling around too much. "Ah, but you have to close your eyes or you'll ruin the surprise." he does say, and Diluc has no choice but to comply as soon as Caelus excitedly chirps "Surprise!!"

Once the picnic is set, he gives the go signal to Caelus, who immediately bounces up to Diluc and grabs his cheeks with their little palms.

"Open Papa eyes!"

----

Diluc does as asked, blinking a couple times as the bright sunlight reaches his eyes.

"Surprise!" Kaeya and Caelus call in unison as Diluc's eyes finally refocus to find all of his favorite foods spread over the picnic blanket, flower petals strewn around the corners, and a little bouquet with two lampgrass, a calla lily and a cecilia standing at the center.

"You must have monopolized the Good Hunter's kitchen for two days straight for all this." Diluc says, his voice more affected than he wanted it to sound.

Kaeya gasps. "The Good Hunter? You wound me, Master Diluc" he covers his eyes with the back of his hand in fake offense,

"To think that Miss Sara would be credited with all of my hard work, oh, the pain."

Diluc's eyes widen. "You... all of this?" he scoots closer to the blanket, eyes raking over the numerous dishes, some of which he knows must have taken multiple days of preparation.

"I couldn't afford any less if I wanted to live up to Master Diluc's elevated expectations."

Unwillingly, Diluc touches his chest with one hand. It's such a simple gesture, a home-cooked meal, and yet he can't help but feel moved by it, by the lengths Kaeya was going to

"Sir Kae the presens!!"

Right underneath the flower bouquet, Diluc spots an oddly shaped object wrapped in purple paper, with a light blue ribbon on top.

Kaeya laughs and grabs the item, then passes it to Caelus.

"It's a collaborative present from both of us."

"I help too!" Caelus chirps, their chest puffed as they hand the present to Diluc.

"For sure, Caelus's contribution was instrumental to make the perfect gift,"

Diluc laughs, warmth filling his chest as he carefully tears the wrapping paper open. What he finds melts his heart.

"When did you take this?"

Kaeya can't help the satisfaction hearing the breathlessness in Diluc's voice. In his hand he holds a picture frame with a photograph of Caelus standing in a field of dandelions, a big, blinding smile on their face.

Their knees are dirty and their cheeks are flushed with happiness, and their hands are thrust in front of them, showing the exact same flowers that now adorn their picnic. It's a simple picture, yet in Kaeya's opinion it captures Caelus's essence, their bright innocence and joy

"Caelus and I went on a little excursion yesterday morning while you were in a meeting, isn't that right?"

Caelus nods enthusiastically. "I pick flowers for picnee!"

Diluc holds the frame to his chest, his eyes sparkling. "It's beautiful, thank you."

"But Papa see more!!"

Diluc's mouth forms a small 'o' as he notices there are more picture frames. He places Caelus's picture on his lap reverently to look at the second frame. His smile spreads over all of his face, blindingly bright, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes.

"Did you draw this, little star?"

Caelus nods once again, quickly toddling over to Diluc's side. "This is Papa and Caelus and Sir Kae are give Papa many big birday hugs" they explain, pointing at the drawing emphatically.

"It's beautiful, my love." Diluc coos, pulling Caelus into a hug and kissing their rosy cheek.

Caelus giggles, returning a rain of kisses to Diluc's cheek.

"Sir Kae'a presen is also boochiful!!" they proclaim, pointing at the frame.

Kaeya isn't surprised to see Diluc's smile turn to a frown as soon as Caelus says that. He probably hadn't even seen the frames themselves, too absorbed by the photo and the drawing.

"Kaeya /what is this/"

Kaeya grins shamelessly.

"Why of course, it's my contribution to the present. It wasn't easy to find frames that were worthy of such exceptional artworks, but alas, after an arduous search, I think I found the perfect set, wouldn't you agree? They even match that peculiar vase you seem to like so much"

Diluc's cheeks burst in crimson and he drops the frame with the drawing in his fluster, only to find a third picture frame underneath. This one, however, is empty, which makes its horrendously over-the-top decoration stand out even more.

"I will find the ugliest, most embarrassing picture of you in all of Teyvat and put it in this." Diluc threatens, hiding his blushing face behind the frame. "And then I will hang it somewhere /everyone/ can see it."

Kaeya snickers, unaffected.

"What an honor, that Master Diluc would deem my humble visage worthy of decorating his home."

Kaeya can't help a boisterous laugh seeing how hard Diluc is fighting to hold back a frustrated scream.

"Papa like the presens?"

Diluc has to inhale and exhale deeply before he can answer. And yet, when he reemerges from behind the ugly frame, his smile is genuine and as bright as the sun.
"Of course, little star. I love them."

It's that smile that Kaeya hasn't seen on him for more than five years now,

that smile Kaeya has loved since the first time he saw it, a lifetime ago, when he was crying and freezing, scared and alone, and that smile had given him the first glimpse of sunshine, the first taste of warmth in his life.

'Nice to meet you, Kaeya. My name is Diluc!'

-----

Kaeya spends most of the meal watching intently for Diluc's reactions to everything he samples. He'd made himself look confident and bold, but deep down he was deadly nervous. After all, he'd set himself a lofty and possibly unachievable task in promising Diluc the best birthday-

he'd ever had, and underneath his playful attitude, the fear that Diluc will end up disappointed consumes him.

At some point, Diluc seems to pick up on his uneasiness, and he puts down his empty plate. He wipes sauce off the corners of his mouth, and looks at him sternly

"I /am/ enjoying it. Just so you know."

Kaeya finds himself smiling. It's hard to believe that things can feel so easy; that his life that not long ago had felt so meaningless now has Caelus rolling on the grass and running up to him covered in dirt asking for more cake,

that he gets to see Diluc smile like this every day, that he wakes up every morning and the two people he loves most in the world are right there beside him.

And when he hears Diluc say "Just this one time, because Kaeya made it, you can have an extra slice of cake" he knows he's ready.

"Caelus? I have a very important question to ask you."

With a half-eaten slice of cake in hand and cream smeared all over their face, Caelus turns to Kaeya, their starry pupils sparkling with curiosity, and they seat on Diluc's lap to listen.

"Papa say I am many smart, I ansser all queschons"

Kaeya chuckles. "Your Papa is right, you're very smart. But before I can ask you the question, I need you to promise me that you'll tell me exactly what you feel, okay? No lies or secrets."

Caelus pouts. "I promise Papa that I never lies again." they whine, their voice quivering

It breaks Kaeya's heart, that Caelus still feels guilt over what happened in the Wolvendom, and he cups his baby's face in his hands, releasing a wave of soothing pheromones to take their mind off that awful memory.

"Shhh, it's okay my love, I know you'll keep your promise."

Caelus nods. "What is Sir Kae's queschon?"

Kaeya takes a deep, settling breath.

"You know that I love you, right?"

Caelus beams. "I love sir Kae too!" and it's so instantaneous, so devoid of any consideration or doubt that it pierces Kaeya's heart

"Thank you, αστεράκι μου, that means the world to me." he says, and means every word. "You and your Papa are the most important things to me, and I like to be with you all the time. I like reading you stories, and playing, and hearing about all your amazing adventures."

"I like play with Papa and Sir Kae and Mister HooHoo!!"

Kaeya nods. "We have a lot of fun don't we?" he takes another deep, calming breath. Diluc's scent reaches his nose, quietly encouraging.

"Caelus I... want to be there with you, and your Papa, for all the fun things. To play and talk about dreams and read stories and have adventures. And I also want to be with you for the sad and the scary things. Like when it's raining and it makes you cry.++

Or when you have a bad dream, I want to help you chase it away. I want to take care of you when you're sick, and protect you and your Papa like you protected me before. And so my question is this: would you like it if I stayed with you and your Papa? If we become a family?"

Caelus's starry eyes widen. "Become family means sir Kae is stay for always?"

"Only if you want me to."

Their mouth opens wide and they turn to look at Diluc, their little hands balled into fists.

"Papa can sir Kae stay for always pwease?"

Kaeya's heart jumps in his chest. His eyes start stinging, the heat almost unbearable. He's trying so hard not to cry he completely misses whatever it is that Diluc says, and next he knows, Caelus is looking at him again, blinking rapidly and fidgeting with their hands nervously

"If... if sir Kae stay for always and become family..." a tenuous blush appears on their cheeks. "I can say sir Kae be my Papa?"

It's impossible to keep the tears from spilling any longer, and he pulls Caelus into the tightest embrace.

"Yes, my love, you can call me whatever you want." he sobs, pressing a kiss to their temple.

"It's my dandylion wish! Lord Barbartos did my wish true!" Caelus squeals, squirming in excitement, and if Kaeya thought his heart couldn't be fuller, he's just been proved wrong

Caelus purrs in his arms, burying their nose in Kaeya's chest, like they'd do when seeking comfort from Diluc. Kaeya feels himself purr in return, overwhelmed with warmth and happiness.

His mate and his baby are here, with him, "for always". What else could he possibly ask for?

"Ah but I have a Papa and if i say sir Kae Papa and Papa is Papa..." Caelus starts ruminating, their voice muffled against Kaeya's chest.

Kaeya wipes the tears from his eyes and lets Caelus pull away. Their brow is scrunched in confusion, a finger touching their mouth.

Diluc chuckles and pulls Caelus back into his lap, then covers his mouth with one hand and leans in to whisper something in their ear. Caelus perks up, eyes brightening, and as soon as Diluc draws back, they crawl off his lap and onto Kaeya's.

"Papa is Papa." they declare. "And sir Kae can be Táta. I have a Papa and a Táta now. Is okay?"

Kaeya didn't think his smile could grow any bigger, and yet it does. "It's perfect."
----

//// there's a teeny tiny lil bit left but it's 7 am and it's time two mimir. I'll post the rest after I wake up hhhhhhh

note: i hc that Khaenri'ah language is like greek and according to my (limited) research, táta is a word used in ancient greek for fathers

As the sun sets, Kaeya sits under Venessa's tree, his hair fluttering with the warm spring breeze. His arms are wrapped around Diluc, who sits between his legs, with Caelus sound asleep on his lap. Absentmindedly, he nuzzles the back of Diluc's neck, where his mating mark is

Diluc hums softly and tilts his head to the side, giving him better access to the faint, yet still intoxicating scent of their bond. /Soon/ Kaeya hopes, pressing a kiss to the mark.

"So? Are you regretting not packing in advance?" Diluc asks, a teasing lilt in his voice.

"Now you will have to do it in a haste, because Caelus is expecting you to move in with us, effective immediately, and I refuse to be the one explaining why you have to spend so much time in your apartment. I /told/ you, you were not going to be rejected."

Kaeya snorts.

"I should know better than to doubt Master Diluc's intuition, shouldn't I?" he retreats one of his hands, his fingers tentatively searching for the little box in his pocket. "The truth is... Caelus isn't the only one I had a very important question for..."

Diluc's breath hitches slightly. Kaeya takes a deep breath, his heart beating erratically. All these months, time and again, he's expected to be rejected by Diluc in every imaginable way. And instead, Diluc has reached out to him, opened up his heart and embraced Kaeya's feelings

/You're not going to be rejected./

He owes Diluc this much trust.

"Diluc I..." his arm comes back around Diluc's waist. In his hand he holds the little black box, wide open. "I've dreamt of asking you this question since we were kids..." he confesses, his voice quivering

Inside the box, atop a black velvet cushion sits a gold ring, topped with a single red diamond.

"Will you marry me?"

The whole world comes to a halt. Kaeya's hand trembles, out of his control. Unable to look at Diluc's face for a reaction,

he fruitlessly attempts to hide himself in the crook of Diluc's neck. Not a single sound can be heard, almost as if time itself had stopped. Even the breeze stops blowing, the leaves of the tree turn suddenly still.

And then, Diluc's fingers wrap around Kaeya's wrist, halting its unstable shaking. Kaeya's heart jumps. When he looks up he finds Diluc's eyes, bright and heated, staring straight at him.

"What did I just say?"

To Kaeya's shock, Diluc grabs the ring without any hesitation, and slides it on his finger, the red diamond like a drop of blood on his pale skin.

His eyes soften, a small smile drawn on his lips.

"Congratulations. You really made it the best birthday I've ever had."

Kaeya stares at him, speechless, his heart booming so fast and loud Kaeya fears it might burst into flames. Next he knows, Diluc's hand is cupping his cheek, and he can feel the cool metal ring against his skin as Diluc pulls him in for a kiss.
-----

Later that night, Kaeya lies in bed with Caelus tucked against his chest. Diluc rests on the other side of the bed, his fingers interlaced with Kaeya's over Caelus's shoulder.

"Goonight Papa, goonight Táta." Caelus yawns.

"Good night, little star." Diluc whispers, squeezing Kaeya's fingers

"Good night, αστεράκι μου." Kaeya mumbles, his voice thick with emotion. "I love you. Both of you."

Caelus doesn't seem to hear the last part, their eyes already closed. But, Kaeya thinks, that's alright.

He has the rest of his life to remind them how much he loves them, over and over again, until they're sick of hearing it and beyond.

He's still not sure he deserves so much happiness, but when he sees Diluc mouthing 'I love you too'

he realizes that all that matters is that they -his mate, his baby, the loves of his life- think he's worthy. And as sleep takes him over, he smiles, knowing he has a lifetime with them to look forward to.

The End

ueueueue idek what to say, it's been such a long and crazy ride to get here (almost a whole year), i just want to say thank you to everyone who has read this story and shared this journey with me, (and enabled my brainrot) i love you all so much 🥺🥺🥺

Just a reminder that I'll upload this fic to AO3 starting next week to celebrate Kaeya's birthday, i'll post the link here when I do so you guys have an easier way of reading and finding the story (and also as safekeeping in case el0n nukes twitter hhhhhhh)

And if you liked this fic and are able to, consider dropping me a lil tip, it'd be immensely appreciated 🥹🥹🥹🥹 ko-fi.com/A555EES

*banging pots and pans* PLEASE LOOK AT THEM I WOULD DIE FOR THEM

https://twitter.com/Opera_stuff/status/1596575487018815488

Epilogue

#kaeluc #fanfic

"Caelus, if you have finished your dinner, take your plate back to the kitchen and get ready for bed."

"Yes Papa!"

Caelus hops down their chair, plate in hand.

"Táta can read me story to sleep?"

Kaeya grins. "Oh, I've got something even better than that:

I can tell you about the time your Papa set a huge cake on fire at grandpa's very important dinner party"

Diluc glares at him, but doesn't miss a single beat. "Be sure to mention how you tried to put the fire off with wine and made it spread to the Lawrence Lord's pants."

Caelus laughs. "Story of Papa and grandpa and Táta!"

"Well, if you wanna hear it, don't make your trip to the kitchen too long."

"Yes Táta!" they beam happily, skipping towards the kitchen.

Kaeya sighs, watching them go as warmth spreads throughout his chest.

"Why do you always fill their head with those weird stories from when we were kids?" Diluc groans.

"Aww, come on, what's weird about wanting to share my precious memories of you with our kid?" Kaeya coos, glancing back at him.

Diluc's scowl deepens.

"For the record, I /know/ you only say such embarrassingly sentimental things because you know I can't stay mad at you when you do."

Kaeya grins shamelessly. "It's all true though."

"I hate you."

"You love me."

To Kaeya's surprise, Diluc's expression softens. A small smile curls the corners of his mouth.

"Good to know you're aware of it, at last."

Kaeya's heart jumps in his chest. Heat rushes to his face, and he's forced to look away from the gentle warmth of Diluc's eyes.

"I can never win against the great Master Diluc, can I?" he chuckles.

Quick steps rush over from the kitchen.

"Táta, I'm ready for story!!" Caelus shrieks, zooming past the dining table and straight towards the staircase.

"I'm right behind you!"

"Kaeya?"

He stops with one foot on the stairs, looks back and finds Diluc's face is now flushed and nervous.

"Yes?"

"Meet me at the vineyard after you're done with your story."

///// Y'all thought I was done but I was NOT done! gonna have to stop there, very belated birthday for Kaeya ueueueue sorry it took so long and i didn't even finish it, look forward to part 2 because of course this turned out longer than expected

By the time Kaeya makes it outside, it's gotten late enough that the summer heat has mostly disipated, replaced by a cool evening breeze. The moon hangs high on the sky, barely a sliver of light that leaves the vineyard underneath in almost complete darkness.

Crystalflies flutter all over the orchard, shedding their cool, quivering light over the path in between rows of grapevines, where Diluc sits, his bright red hair let loose and swaying lightly with the breeze.

Diluc turns around, a single firefly drifting above his head and casting a warm, ethereal glow onto his crimson eyes, and Kaeya's breath catches in his throat.

"You took a while."

The words aren't meant as a reproach, but they still break Kaeya out of his stupor

"Sorry, love, Caelus found the story too riveting, they wouldn't sleep until they knew how it ended."

Diluc scoffs. "I hope they weren't too disappointed when it all amounted to losing dessert privileges for a week."

He scoots ever so slightly to the side,

a wordless invitation Kaeya has learned to recognize all too well.

"It was the worst week of our lives." he proclaims melodramatically as he sits by Diluc's side, close enough that their shoulders are touching.

"Adelinde was sneaking you cookies by day two." Diluc accuses,

and one moment later, they're both laughing, the sound scaring the crystalflies away.

Diluc's hand finds his and entwines their fingers together as their laughter fades into light chuckles and then, expectant silence.

Kaeya has to swallow down the nerves.

The days where he couldn't even fathom the possibility of Diluc trusting him, let alone loving him, are long behind them now. Still, he can't help the mounting trepidation as he stares intently at Diluc's face, searching for any hint of expression to assuage himself.

Diluc seems to notice Kaeya's apprehension, and he squeezes his fingers firmly and reassuringly.

"Caelus will be six this winter." he says wistfully, gaze turning up to the waning moon.

"It's scarier than I thought," Kaeya admits "how fast they grow."

It feels like it was just yesterday that Caelus was barely taller than his knees, and now the top of their head reaches past his hips. It's a heartwarming thought, as much as it is melancholic. Before they both realize it, Caelus won't need their Papa and Táta any longer,

and they'll be flying off freely, perhaps to places beyond their reach. Kaeya doesn't think he'll ever be ready for that.

"Do you remember," Diluc asks "when you asked me about the pregnancy and Caelus's first years?"

Kaeya nods. He knows he can never make up for all the things he missed in the years they were apart. Supporting Diluc through the pregnancy, Caelus's birth, their first steps and words, getting to know their baby together, they're all things he'll never get back.

So he'd asked Diluc to tell him, all of it. Of the things he did and the places traveled to. Of raising Caelus, with all its joys and hardships. He wanted to know, as best as he possibly could, everything that Diluc had experienced, everything he had felt and thought

over those four years, for better and worse.

"I told you at that time that it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. And also the most wonderful one."

Kaeya stays silent, waiting.

"Since the first time I felt them move, I loved them more than I thought myself capable of.

I... wanted to be with them, look at them, hold them all the time. But I was also... scared, constantly. A newborn baby is so... so tiny, and precious... and so fragile. I never knew one could feel so much fear until the day I first held Caelus and asked myself

how could I even keep them safe with the life I was leading, constantly in danger's way. I kept thinking that I wasn't good enough, that as a father I couldn't give Caelus everything they deserved. But then they'd smile at me and all my worries would dissipate into nothing."

Kaeya tugs Diluc's hand lightly, and Diluc rests his head on Kaeya's shoulder in response.

"I told you this before but," he continues, his voice a little wet. "that raising Caelus has been the most incredible experience of my life, to an incomparable degree.

Even with the sleepless nights, the vomiting and crying, /the absolutely outrageous amount of feces/, the anxiety and the frustration... I wouldn't change it for anything."

Kaeya tilts his head to nuzzle Diluc's hair tenderly.

"And Caelus couldn't have asked for a better father. You know that, right?"

Diluc hums. "What I'm trying to say," he says, and he pulls slightly away from Kaeya, just so he can stare at him straight in the eye. "I've... been giving it a lot of thought, recently..."

"Kaeya I... I think I want to... to do it again. All of it. The loneliness, the sleepless nights, the fear, the insecurities, even the feces... and all of the love and excitement, the laughter and adventures... I really want to have that experience again."

A firefly flutters by them. Under its light, Diluc's eyes look like a raging fire.

"But most importantly I... this time I want to share all of that... /with you/."

Kaeya forgets how to breathe. His heart might be on the verge of bursting, so hot and loud it feels right now.

His eye is fixed on Diluc, on the unyielding flames in his eyes, that boundless earnestness and unbendable determination.

"L-luc??? A-a-are you..." he manages to wince through the knot in his throat, and his eye involuntarily travels down to Diluc's abdomen

Diluc interrupts his train of thought with a dismissive handwave. "Of course not," he says, blushing, "I wouldn't go off my birth control without telling you. /And/ you're on suppresants. Don't flatter yourself."

It's that casual annoyance that breaks Kaeya's trance, and he hears himself chuckle.

"I'm just saying, we weren't trying the first time either." he manages to say with a shrug and a cocky grin that grows wider when Diluc's blush turns a furious crimson and makes his brow furrow.

"Keep that up and I'm rescinding my offer" he sulks, arms crossed over his chest.

/Diluc's offer/, the thought sends him reeling once again, and his heart starts pounding so hard he's sure Diluc must hear it too.

"Gods," he pants, struggling to make his mind catch up with all of this. "Gods, Luc, I... Are you sure? I mean--"

"I'm not just offering it to please you, if that's what you're thinking." Diluc cuts him off.

"I want it, Kaeya. Not for me or for you, for both of us. And for Caelus, too. For our family."

Kaeya can't hold himself back any longer. Tears start leaking down his face, and he pulls Diluc in for a feverish kiss, feeling him melt into it without any resistance.

"I want it too." he mumbles against Diluc's mouth.

"Good." Diluc sighs before pulling away, and there's a hint of relief on his face. "We should get back inside, Caelus will wake up in five hours and twenty-two minutes."

Kaeya snorts, but is quick to get back on his feet.

And as soon as Diluc is standing too, Kaeya picks him up in his arms, relishing in the surprised gasp it earns him.
"While I appreciate your enthusiasm, as I said before, the circumstances are not propicious yet."

Kaeya hums in amusement. "Why, I was just thinking a six-year age difference would be just perfect, it would be a shame if it got much wider."

Diluc's face bursts into flames. "You're truly insufferable." he groans, hiding his blush behind his hands.

"I really am, huh? I feel bad for the sucker that got to marry me and is now stuck with me forever."

Diluc huffs, slaps Kaeya's shoulder with his palms. "I don't feel bad for him. I'm sure he's more than satisfied with his choices."

Kaeya's heart skips a beat and suddenly /his/ face feels like it's on fire.

"I can never win against Master Diluc, can I?"

As he lays Diluc down on their bed and starts raining kisses down his pale neck, his mind starts drifting away in the heat.

A vision forms itself at the forefront of his mind. Of Diluc, holding Caelus and another child -their child- in his arms. Of the three of them calling for him. Of his heart being so full it doesn't fit in his chest anymore.

"Spacing out while undressing me is rather rude of you"

Kaeya chuckles. "I was thinking of you."

"Is that so?"

He hums, finding Diluc's mouth again. "Of how much I love you."

Diluc's breath hiches, arching his back towards Kaeya's fingers as they tenderly travel down his torso. "Tell me more..."

Kaeya stops halfway through unbuttoning Diluc's night shirt and he brings his hands up to cup Diluc's face between them.

"I was thinking of how happy we are. The three of us." he says, solemnly, laying a chaste kiss on Diluc's lips.

"And how happy we're gonna be. The four of us."

Diluc's lips curl into a smile so tender it makes Kaeya's heart hurt.

"I can't wait."

The End

OKAY NOW IT'S OVER FRFR
Also i missed my genshin dailies today bc i wanted to finish this, pls appreciate my sacrifice, rip my 60 primos
Anyway I once again want to say how grateful I am for all the support and love this story has gotten, ilu all so much 🥹🫶

And remember I'm finally uploading it to AO3 (periodically, it's too long to dump it there all in one go lol) so if you want an easier reread, be sure to check it out! I'm also fixing typos and adding little tidbits here and there that I hope you'll enjoy

Finally, if you enjoyed this story and want to leave me a tip, here's my ko-fi link. I've had a lot of surprise expenses this week so any help would mean a lot🥹
ko-fi.com/A555EES

Thanks again to everyone who has read and loved this story, all of your comments are loved and appreciated, and I hope you'll enjoy uhhh whatever it is i decide to write next
*me when i read ur comments*:

Not my stupid ass forgetting to post the AO3 link, even at the end of ends, sasuga watashi.

archiveofourown.org/works/43270636

@threadreaderapp unroll before el0n nukes twitter pls and thx