Thread by @CielGenshin

#Luckae Reverse Coffee-shop AU PART 2:
CafeWorker!Kaeya gets transported to Mondstadt in the midst of Genius Invokation TGC fever!

Threadfic follows below:

https://twitter.com/CielGenshin/status/1603402746618867712

The grass is soft. It tickles Kaeya's cheek as he turns his head in his sleep. The scent of mint makes his lashes flutter open.

"...ah-" He's late.

The sun is higher in the sky than he remembers. Diluc said breakfast would be ready before the sky changed color. He sits up.

Checking his watch, he finds that he was running an hour late.

"Hm..." The light blue color in his peripheral makes him pause and he spies-a mint.

The scent is divine.

He gets up on one knee.

Plucking it from the ground, he stands up and presses it to his face as he walks.

The verdant pastures and cliffs before him are somewhat familiar, and incredibly homely. Idyllic, even.

He's /still/ dreaming.

"Master Kaeya." The head maid that looked an awful lot like his weekly house-keeper greeted. "Welcome back from your morning stroll."

Kaeya sighs.

This was all...so strange.

The vineyard of thousands of crops, the gorgeous river of glacial water next to the /manor/, the MANOR itself, and the breathtaking view of a snow-capped mountain.

This /had/ to be some kind of escapist dream he was having, Kaeya was sure.

"Do you have to call me that, Addie?" Kaeya then corrects himself. "Ade...line...?"

She continues to smile at him, a twinkle in her eye that Kaeya couldn't ever recall seeing in the gaze of his house-keeper.

"Master Diluc is waiting." Adeline's voice is nothing but delighted.

Kaeya just can't understand /why/ she's so happy to see him. Was this more dream logic? Or maybe...maybe he just didn't understand it just yet.

He needed to wake up.

But since he was still stuck here...it was time to meet Diluc for breakfast. "Thanks...Adeline."

He goes.

The meal placement is immaculate and it makes Kaeya even more uncomfortable. The seat he takes is too soft and plush, and the pajamas Diluc made him wear the night before are too fine for a broke college student.

Yet it feels familiar, somehow.

"Good morning." Diluc greets.

"...do you mind me asking..." Kaeya grumbled. "Why are we sitting next to each other?"

Yes. Instead of being seated across the long table like Kaeya had thought they would be, instead, their satin chairs were right next to each other. Arm to arm. As close as could possibly be.

"Do you dislike it?" Diluc asks, unabashed.

Kaeya can only sigh. This was all too much for him to take in. "No, I...can't say I do."

"We always sat like this." Diluc brushes off, slicing a piece of pancake and piercing it with his fork. "Now, say 'ah', Kaeya..."

"Woah, okay, wait!" Kaeya reflexively recoils.

"Do you not like pancakes?" The question is absurd, Kaeya thinks: even more absurd was Diluc's nonchalant expression.

"I don't, but..." Kaeya fidgeted. "I can...feed myself, you know?"

Yet, a part of him was absolutely smitten.

"'Ahh'" Diluc repeats, moving the piece of pancake closer to Kaeya's mouth.

/What the heck even was this?/ Kaeya's thoughts raced. /He wasn't so needy that he needed to be...pampered like this.../

His mouth opened slightly as the coil in his gut loosened.

/...was he?/

The taste of sweet warmth, accented by berries and the texture of sticky breading makes Kaeya gasp--allowing Diluc to slip the fork the rest of the way into his mouth.

"Mphh-?!" He pushes the morsel forward with his tongue, trying not to breathe it in and choke.

He liked it.

He liked being spoiled.

Diluc suddenly shifts, his calm expression falling into one of alarm. "Oi-"

He can't really see Diluc's face, Kaeya realizes. Not through the sting in his nose and the blur of tears in his eyes.

The medical gauze of his eye patch gets soaked through.

It's yanked off before Kaeya can realize he's crying.

A silky napkin is pressed into his face and Kaeya hiccups, swallowing the pancake. "Ugh-...wh-why..."

He feels..too much.

"Kaeya." Diluc whispers softly as he dabs at his tears tenderly.

"It feels like...I've wh-hu...'

/Like he's wanted this for so long./

It's warm. It's comfortable. It's far, far too much luxury than he's ever experienced in his isolated life in that small, boring, University town.

But most of all...It's because /Diluc/ is the one treating him so preciously. His gut knows.

He came here /for Diluc/. Right now, he was happy to be fed /by Diluc/.

Why?

"Let it out." Diluc urges, the hard voice he had first greeted him with now soft.

So Kaeya does. He quietly sniffles and hiccups, wetting the too-expensive napkin Diluc is dabbing on his face.

He doesn't know how long he cries for. He just hears the sound of plates and cutlery being replaced as Adeline brings a fresh batch of hot pancakes out as theirs had gotten cold.

She looks rather displeased.

"A-Addie, I'm-" he turns to her to apologize. "I mean, Adeline..."

But she isn't looking at him. She's looking at Diluc.

"Master Diluc, what have I told you about making your little brother upset?" her tone is accusatory.

Diluc flinches, he looks destroyed--just for a fleeting moment. "Mm."

".../brother/?" Kaeya mutters through stuffy nose.

"Oh, my." Adeline raises a hand to her lips. "Never mind that, Master Kaeya. Please, finish your breakfast first."

Diluc slices a new piece of the fresh stack of pancakes. "Adeline likes to leave a surprise in the middle of the pancake. Why don't we try and find it?"

Kaeya finds himself smiling, despite his tears. "A-are you really going to feed me the entire thing?"

"I want to." Diluc replied, his face flushed like it had done yesterday when their hands had touched. "May I?"

Kaeya sighs. "F-fine...but, just this once. It's weird as heck."

--
Diluc couldn't help the face he made as Kaeya spoke...words he didn't understand. It was moments like this that he was reminded--this wasn't the Kaeya they knew.

Still, he felt a small, guilty joy in feeding 'Kaeya' the next piece of pancake. Then another. And another.

"Mph-?!" Kaeya's eyes go wide as Diluc feeds him a piece from the center of the pancake. "mhtha...!?"

He huffs a small laugh as Kaeya chews this piece more slowly, before pausing to let it melt in his mouth, then swallowing it.

"It's cream cheese." Delight fills his voice.

The same delight floods Diluc's ears as Kaeya licks his lips. "That's just the first pancake."

Kaeya's eyes glitter with anticipation and Diluc wants nothing more than to squeeze him tightly. But he resists.

/...it's just been so long since Kaeya has been this honest with him./

Yesterday, after witnessing how much Kaeya's memories seemed to hurt him--the alchohol, his Character Card, and now, the comfort of the manor; Diluc had decided he would do right.

He would treat Kaeya the way he's always wanted to. He'd corner him with affection until Kaeya/

had no choice but to acknowledge their feelings for each other.

...feelings that had been there ever since they were children.

...feelings that had by now, had gone far too long without being addressed.

...feelings that had brought this version of Kaeya here, now.

"Jam?" Kaeya questions as they get to the middle of the second pancake.

"Chocolate!" Then the third.

"Hm...? Caramelized...what are these? They're so sweet and tender..." Then the fourth.

"Sunsettia." Diluc informs him.

"That...sounds familiar." Kaeya mulls.

"Last one." Diluc tells him, cutting a piece.

He watches, amused as Kaeya eagerly leans forward with his mouth open this time. It seemed all his inhibitions had been blown away by Adeline's superb cooking.

"Hm--whipped cream with just a hint of sugar." Kaeya says thoughtfully.

"What do you think?" Diluc inquires.

"It's perfect!" Kaeya exclaims, "The first pancake starts out somewhat strong. But followed up by the jam and the chocolate, the cheese is complimented by the sweet thick desserts. Then transitioning into a more light fruit with the Sun..."

"Sunsettia." Diluc says for him.

"Right." Kaeya grins, "It's like eating an all-dessert buffet for breakfast. But more like...a small buffet. The whipped cream ending is a good note to leave on your tongue."

It really sounded like Kaeya worked at a cafe, Diluc thought.

"Do you think Diona's customers would like something like this?" Diluc asked; trying to get Kaeya to talk some more.

"Huh? Is that...alright with you? I figured this would be more like, a home-made secret recipe." Kaeya's concern was instant.

"I don't mind." Diluc continued.

"You said the Genius Invokation Card Game helped Diona's cafe get more popular, didn't you? Adding a few interesting dishes should help."

The way Kaeya's concern melts into guilt reminds Diluc of the first time Crepus had brought him home. "But.../why/ though? Why are you..."

A moment passes.

When Kaeya doesn't continue, Diluc decides to press further. "You asked if we were brothers."

The way Kaeya balls his hands into fists on his lap tells Diluc he remembers the lie from yesterday. Good.

"Why did you choose my family's name as your own?"

"I-..."

But Diluc interrupts him. "I think I know why."

Kaeya's gaze darts around the room, looking for some way to escape. But with how close they are, Diluc can tell he doesn't dare.

He's right where Diluc needs him to be.

"You came here," He leans in.

And kisses him.

"For /me/."

---
Kaeya stares at the couch across from the counter. He can still feel the tingle on his forehead from what happened just a couple of hours ago.

Diluc's lips were /hot/ against his skin.

/More./ Kaeya had thought.

"Ugh-!" He almost dropped the glass he was handed.

"Be careful!" Diona snapped at him. "If you break anything, I'll be going after Mister Wine Man's mora to replace it!"

"Ah-aha..." /Mister Wine Man?/ Kaeya sighed through his nose at the terrible nickname. "Miss Diona, is...your relationship with Master Diluc...bad?"

/"Hyna?"/

Kaeya still couldn't get used to the idea of Diona having...extra appendages. Much more when her tail suddenly went straight as a rod at his question.

"I-I...!" Diona hissed. "It's because he sells alcohol! If there was no Diluc Ragnvindr then, no wine industry and no wine!"

Kaeya's shoulders rose as Diona started to rant. "Uh-..."

"And if there's no wine, then Daddy wouldn't drink! If Daddy didn't drink, then he'd actually spend time with me--uuugh!" She yeowled.

"Uh, D-Diona..." Shuyun raised his hands in a motion for her to calm down.

"I-I see." Was all Kaeya could say.

Come to think of it, Diluc still hadn't told him anything about himself. Sure, he knew he lived at the Manor on that huge winery, he worked as a bartender--though, someone as rich as he is wouldn't /need/ to work--and he was well-liked.

After he'd been kissed on the forehead, Diluc simply smiled and told him he had to work and that Kaeya better start getting ready to go to see Diona.

...so here he was now.

"Diona, don't forget what the Traveler said about Sir Kaeya's uh, special condition..." Shuyun reminded.

Diona's mouth fell open. "Ah-...I..I forgot!"

Kaeya chuckled awkwardly. "N-no, it's alright. I...guess I shouldn't have asked."

Still, it seemed Diona was the same as ever. In fact, this 'Cat's Tail' place had a similar layout to the cafe back on campus. Just... more rustic.

"Uhgnh, anyway..." Diona meowled. "Can you help ready the floor for this afternoon? There'll be some new Players coming in from all around today so, we need to make sure there's no cat fur where they're going to sit!"

"Sure." Kaeya smiles and gets the table sweeper.

No sooner that he'd finished making sure everything was fur-free, a rather peculiar guest arrived. He was finely dressed, with--were those /armored/ shoulder pads on his suit--and his eyes...they were...glowing.

"Excuse me." That deep voice...

Kaeya knows it. "Professor-"

//"Mister Zhongli?" Kaeya hears himself say.

The man with the amber eyes looks at him, first questioningly, then with stern curiosity. "...Mister Ragnvindr?"

"Uh--" Yes, that was the fake name he'd lived with his entire life. "Yes. P-Professor...I'm sorry I must be mistaken."

The man returns to the students he had been speaking with, dismissing them with some advice and a few words. Kaeya turns away, ready to run home and cry himself into his blanket.

...maybe he'll even drop by the liquor store on the way back.

Being drunk was better than-no...

"Sir Kaeya Alberich." The other man suddenly says, making Kaeya stop.

"Wha-..."

He pauses, making Kaeya's throat tighten in anticipation. Then...

"No, you aren't mistaken." Zhongli confirms. "I remember you."

And Kaeya's world feels like it shatters like thin ice.//

---
"Kaeya!" Diona tries again.

It's no use; Kaeya remains unresponsive, staring up at the ceiling, tears falling down the sides of his face.

Zhongli remained on one knee, supporting Kaeya's back with his other leg, the man's head cradled in his hand. "...he's dreaming."

"Nya?" Diona startles, "What do you mean?!"

"This man..." Zhongli's fingers curl just slightly around Kaeya's shoulder.

/He isn't of this world./

And yet, he looks like a man of the desert, or...maybe even-

"Hand him over. Now."

Then the man is wrenched from Zhongli's grasp.

He finds threatening heat baring down on the floorboards around him. If it weren't for his sturdy body crafted from bedrock, he undoubtedly would have begun to feel it on his skin as well.

"Kaeya." Diluc's voice shifts as he calls to the man in his arms. "Hh...what happened?"

"Uhm!" Diona jumped at the chance to explain. "I had him clean the tables and then, he just fell over!"

Diluc's grasp tightened.

"Allow me to explain." Zhongli interjected as he got to his feet. "He tried to speak to me, when he suddenly went limp. I then caught him."

The distrust is prominent in the scarlet glare Diluc shoots at the consultant. But Diluc quickly steadies his emotions when he recognizes the man's appearance.

"Mister Zhongli of Wangsheng funeral parlor?" He asks.

"Master Diluc of Dawn Winery, I presume." Zhongli greets back.

Diluc inhaled slowly, calming the fire in his chest before addressing the other man further. "My apologies for the rude introduction. Thank you for taking care of my-"

It's a small stumble in words, but enough for Zhongli to catch on.

"--Kaeya...for me." Diluc's jaw clenches.

The consultant nods, offering a small, reassuring smile. "It's no trouble."

"Master Diluc!" Paimon interrupts. "Kaeya--huh?!"

They're joined by the dynamic duo.

"Zhongli?" Aether asks.

"Ah, I see we are both acquainted with the Traveler and his little friend." Zhongli hums.

That puts Diluc at ease and he visibly relaxes. "It seems so."

The catching up is quick, considering the situation. After full introductions were out of the way, Diona had ushered them all into one of the private rooms lest they scare the other customers away.

Diluc has Kaeya in his arms, on his lap, on the cat-couch by the window, unwilling to let go.

"Muh-..." Paimon shakes her head at the sight. "Master Diluc is really worried, it's making me nervous too."

"What caused this man's condition?" Zhongli asks the two.

They give him a quick timeline of events from yesterday up until now. The consultant is silent, before placing a curled finger to his mouth in thought.

"Hmh." He nods. "I see. There was a tale an old dragon once told the younger adepti of Jeuyun Karst; about a boy."

Diluc reached up to shut Kaeya's eyes, lest they dry out. But he was listening.

"One day, the boy disappeared and in his place was an older man. The man had no idea why he was here, but he shared the same name as the young boy. He even had the same interests and hobbies."

"However, there were a few differences. The man claimed he didn't remember anyone that the boy knew, and yet he knew certain things the boy did. Especially with regards to a woman who disappeared from the village they lived in. Somehow he knew a secret only the children did."

Paimon interrupted. "W-wait...where is this story going?"

"Paimon, shh!" Aether hushed her.

Zhongli continued, as if he hadn't heard her. "The older man then went and found the woman--who had disappeared on purpose and told no-one."

This time, Diluc spoke. "Excuse me."

Zhongli finally broke concentration and looked in his direction.

"That older man and the boy...were they the same person?"

Zhongli hummed. "Who knows? It's just an old tale. After the old man found the woman, he disappeared and the little boy returned."

---
//He was a dreamer. That much Kaeya knew for certain.

A dandelion that was growing out of a crack in the middle of the sidewalk was enough to make him wish for a place he felt like he knew well.

Ah, the taste of wine made him feel all sorts of things he didn't understand.

The taste of apples were just never /sweet enough/ for his liking. The aging of the wines he samples were just always /slightly off/.

...there was little joy to be had in this small, isolated university town.

That changed when the cafe opened in his freshmen year.

Something about the sign seemed more than just welcoming. It felt /familiar/. Something about the scent of the brewing coffee inside tickled the back of his mind like no other scent before.

So he stepped inside and greeted the owner. And then...everything changed.//

Gasping, Kaeya found himself coughing, tasting salt and snot at the back of his throat and in the middle of his tongue. He yelped when his body was suddenly constricted, embraced by crackling heat from all sides.

He squirmed. "Wh-waha...w-wait!"

The arms around him shifted.

Clothes against skin, dragging and prickling each pore and hair.

"Waaha!" Despite the heaviness in his chest, he burst out in a giggle. "S-stop! Stop! I'm-!"

"Kaeya!" Oh. It was 'Master Diluc'.

Master Diluc was /squeezing/ him.

"D-dihi-hee-!" Kaeya chokes out. "Leggo!"

"HEY!" Paimon screams.

"Haa! Ah?" Kaeya looks over, finding himself all bundled up by Diluc with four sets of eyes on them both. "Uh-..."

/What happened?/

"H-hi, everyone..." He mutters.

"YOU! Don't HI EVERYONE us! You SCARED us half to death!" Paimon shrieked angrilly.

"Ugh-..." Kaeya winced--as much as he could, given that Diluc was still trying to crush his diaphragm. "Look, I'm sorry but...I don't..."

/He feels groggy. Feels like he's been crying. Was he...had he been...asleep?/

Yet, here he was, still in 'Mondstadt', and...

Who was that?

As if reading his mind, the amber-eyed man nodded. "Mister Kaeya. I'm Zhongli. I came here from Liyue to inquire about the Genius Invokation Card Game. It just so happened I was here to catch you as you...lost consciousness."

"What?" Kaeya's starting to feel like a parrot.

Ever since he arrived it's been /what/ and /who/ and /where/ and /how/ all the time.

"Ugh...I need..." He groaned. "I need a drink. I need to make /myself/ a drink. Coffee-based."

...Diluc still hadn't loosened his grip.

"Uh, Diluc?" Aether speaks for Kaeya. "You can let go."

"Mrgh." Is all Diluc grinds out between his teeth as he squeezes even tighter, his face in Kaeya's chest.

"Hyiii-!"

Aether and Paimon jump and the unbecoming noise that just came from Kaeya's mouth.

"S-stop! I-I'm ticklish!" Kaeya wriggles, only making things worse. "Haha!"

Zhongli stood up, unprompted, and made to leave the room. "Come, you two."

"Eh?" Paimon's head snapped to the leaving ex-archon, then back at the two on the couch, then at Zhongli again. "Uh..."

Aether followed. "Come on, Paimon."

Sometimes, it was better to leave things be.

Swiiing...click. And they were alone.

"Hh-" Kaeya huffed, his body shuddering with tingles. "D-Diluc...ease up will you? Come on, you're killing me here..."

Diluc's head snapped up, eyes red and wide in alarm. His grip loosened completely.

"Uph-!" Kaeya sucked in air eagerly.

Diluc swallowed audibly, worry all over his once rather blank-stern face. It makes Kaeya want to laugh a little more.

"...are you alright?"

Sighing through his nose, Kaeya shifts in Diluc's lap. "Well, I'm sweating like a whore at church, no thanks to you."

Diluc frowns.

Kaeya recoils a little. "What?"

Diluc sighs. /Was this really Kaeya?/ "...you said you needed to make yourself a drink?"

"Yeah." Kaeya nods numbly. "I feel like I've been asleep for weeks. Months, even."

"The consultant said you were 'dreaming'." Diluc informs him.

"I guess I...was." But he's unsure, even as he replies. "But, I don't remember what I dreamt of."

Diluc leans forward suddenly, startling him. Kaeya flushes as their foreheads touch.

"Don't lie to me." Diluc whispers. "Tell me..."

Kaeya cant look away. "I really don't..."

A hot hand tickles the side of his face as Diluc's fingers slip under his bangs. Kaeya instinctively closes his one eye.

"I don't remember exactly but," Kaeya mumbles back sheepishly. "It feels like, I was all alone. My chest hurt when I woke up. But I don't remember why."

Even with how close their faces were, Kaeya can see in his peripheral--the way Diluc's mouth presses into a pained grimace.

"You're /not/ alone." the man's voice almost breaks. "People /love you/ Kaeya."

The tears return. Hot. Fast. Kaeya gasps and shuts his eyes. "I-I..."

He doesn't know why he's crying again.

"Wh-why am I here?" He sucks in a breath as the feeling in his chest returns. "Why did y-you..k-kiss me?"

Diluc just holds him like this, hand cradling the back of his head; letting him sob.

"Who /a-are/ you, Diluc?" Kaeya chokes.

And why did it hurt /so much/ and yet feel /so right/ to be held like this by him?

"We were brothers, once." Diluc says; voice shrinking into a feeble tone. "...and I-...I almost..."

Kaeya gasps when Diluc's voice rises to a scream.

/"I almost-!"/

Diluc trembles, enraged.

Surprise turns into concern and Kaeya can't stop himself from reaching up to hold Diluc's face. He can feel the other's pain through he hot breath on his lips.

"Shit-!" Comes curse unbecoming of a nobleman. "Even now, I still can't...say it...tch-..."

"Diluc..." Kaeya coos.

The man trying to comfort him, now rested his face in the very palm of his hands. There wasn't a sight Kaeya could recall that was more heartbreaking and yet heartwarming as this.

"You were always so cheeky." Diluc hisses. "Always...always hiding from me. Always /running/."

Kaeya stares back, his sobs having died down into sniffles. "From you?"

"/Yes/!" Diluc growls.

Yet Kaeya isn't afraid of the hot breath that seems to almost spark orange in his face.

"But the you here, now-" Diluc grinds his teeth. "You're..."

Then Diluc stops, hesitating.

And Kaeya just /knows./ "Am I...not the one you're chasing after? I'm not-"

/He's not the 'Kaeya' everyone else knows./

He's afraid to say so. Only now, does he realize...he's never wanted to go home. Not really. He didn't feel like he needed to wake up.

He belonged here.

---
The glass feels the same in his hand each time he picks one up. The kettle weighs the same and shifts it's weight in his curled fingers when he pours the hot water over the grinds.

The grinds smell as heavenly as he remembers as always--they crackle and pop with familiarity.

The floors are made of wooden boards, aged with the sun. The roof is supported by thick wooden beams and slats. There's the smell of earth in the air. The counter is a wooden table like you'd find in a old cottage. These are the differences Kaeya lists.

These...and...

...those burning eyes, staring at him with so many clashing emotions, dimmed only by the sheer affection in the deep red hue of the man's corneas.

"Hmh." Kaeya made a face.

"Something the matter?" Diluc asked, watching Kaeya. He was the only one allowed at the counter.

Diona couldn't even find it in herself to protest when the nobleman pulled up a chair. But she was clearly displeased but was tolerating the arrangement so far. For Kaeya's sake.

"I just realized--it's so old-school here that you don't have any frothing machines." He chuckled.

"Old-school?" Diluc asked.

"Ah, uh..." Kaeya sighed awwkardly. "Right. Different scene. It means 'old-fashioned' in a way. Get it?"

Kaeya spoke much more casually than Diluc was used to. He'd never spoken like this before, not even when they were children. It was amusing.

"A 'frothing machine' you said?" Diluc sat back, raising a thoughtful hand to his chin.

"Ah, right. Uhm...let's see, how do I explain this? It has a coil in the middle of a cup--it kind of looks like a blender but smaller. Uh...I'm guessing you don't have blenders here, do you?"

"Wait." Diluc got up, talked to Diona for a moment, then returned with a small notebook and a quill. "Here. Can you draw it?"

Kaeya eyed the quill curiously, before taking it and laughing again. "Old-school."

He started clumsily at first. But like a player out of practice,/

he slowly srtated getting better with each stroke. In fact, he had gotten so good by the time it was time to write details down that he surprised himself.

"Woah. I've never used one of these before, I swear. But it feels good to try."

Diluc eyed him intently. "Does it?"

As he watched Kaeya move with ease, completing some other drinks he had started when he'd paused on his own, he thought about the story Zhongli had shared. Somehow, there was a nagging feeling that it was meant for him to hear.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" He asks.

"Huh?"

Kaeya slid the drink smoothly over to Diona to serve to the latest TGC Players that had arrived. "Well, are you talking about seriously, or in the sense of the idea of ghosts?"

That wasn't the response Diluc was expecting. Kaeya sounded more curious than usual. "Either one."

"Hmm. A lot of ghost stories feature translucent people repeating things they were said to do in life, no?" Kaeya poured some syrup into a tall glass, before adding lemon juice and crushed ice and water. "Maybe those images are just leftover feelings."

"Feelings." Diluc hummed.

"Yeah like..." Kaeya sighed--this was an oddly heavy subject. "You know, like people coming back to visit family members."

Somehow, hearing Kaeya say that made something click in Diluc's raging mind. "Like you? Coming to see /me/?"

Kaeya almost spilled the drink he'd just made.

"You better not be calling me a ghost."

"Hmmmh..." was all Diluc said, smiling a little arrogantly.

Then, he got up and walked to the door...and left.

"Wha-..." Kaeya's jaw fell open.

Diona came back for the new drink. "Hm?"

"What's with that guy?!" Kaeya yelled.
---

"Leftover feelings?" Aether repeated.

Diluc grunted as he punted the last hilichurl off the cliff, before setting down wolvesgravestone and nodding. "Yes. I believe this is the same Kaeya we know...but...not the Kaeya of /now/."

Paimon tilted her head. "Wha-...how..."

Aether closed his eyes and thought hard. "Did you get the idea from Zhongli's story?"

"Yes." Diluc confirmed. "Perhaps there's an unfulfilled wish that Kaeya has. A regret that he carries from this time. I've seen ghosts on Wuwang hill behave the same way. But somehow..."

"Are you saying that Kaeya and /this Kaeya/ switched places?" Paimon grumbled. "Ung...wait, so is Kaeya over where /this version of Kaeya/ came from? Wait, wait, how do we even know this is what happened? Owww...my head hurts!"

"He's here for /me/." Diluc explained. "/Me/..."

Aether folded his arms across his chest. "You two have always been a little complicated."

At that, Diluc winced. "..."

"Don't tell me...you two never got over each other even in the next life, or something?" Paimon's face was screwed up in confusion. This was frying her brain.

Aether suddenly understood what Diluc was getting at. "Wait, if there's /another Kaeya/ then..."

Diluc looked at him.

"...where are /you/?" Aether finished.

"Exactly."

What had happened to /Kaeya/ that he had to run away and come back here? He was here for /him/, afterall.

"He seems more at ease when I'm present." Diluc thought aloud.

Aether snorted. "Isn't that...the opposite of what usually happens?"

Diluc winces again.

Paimon laughs. "That's right. Kaeya's always avoiding you whenever he can."

"Ugh-?" Diluc flinches at the accusation.

"Hm-hm~!" Paimon teased, "I still remember how quickly he ran out after dinner on Weinlesefest!"

"Ugh..." Diluc sighed, pressing a palm to his forehead.

"But Kaeya seems uneasy without you now." Aether reminded him. "Where does that leave us now? We can't confirm anything."

"He remembers bits and pieces. And he dreams of the place he came from." Diluc explained, "...if we let him remember, perhaps this problem will resolve itself."

"Make him remember?" Aether sounded worried. "...well..."

Again, the two exchanged looks. Diluc knew that gesture.

"Do you think it's a bad idea?" He asks.

"Kaeya looked really upset when he fainted earlier." Aether immediately says. "If he's dreaming about where he's from...maybe it isn't a happy place."

Kaeya did admit that he was in pain. Remembering was painful. Remembering /hurt him/.

"Khh-" Diluc bared his teeth, frustrated, looking down as his claymore vanished. "...is there no other way?"

Whatever he did, he always seemed to /hurt Kaeya/. Even when he was trying to help. But as things were now, he couldn't really see any other way forward.

"I have to go."

---
"I let a few people have a look at your sketches."

Kaeya jumped as a gloved hand placed itself on the counter where he was working. "Holy-!"

"..." Did kaeya not notice him? "Fortunately, our mutual friends know a man from Fontaine. His name is Xavier and he worked on-"

"Hold up mister!" Kaeya snapped. "You scared the crap out of me! Where did you go? Things got really busy around here and Diona and I could've really used some extra hands!"

Diluc's eyes widened. "...mh."

"Oh wait--you're the bartender at the rival tavern; no--" Kaeya sighed.

"Aren't you also the guy that /owns/ majority of the wine industry? You're /making/ all the wine that goes through both places! Argh, what's happening in this castle-town?"

Diluc uttered a small chuckle. "You look quite troubled, Kaeya."

"it's really busy right now! Help me!"

"Hm. I didn't come here to help out but, I suppose I can't speak with you properly unless this place is cleared out."

Even through the door, Diluc could hear the hustle and bustle of the crowded tournament space. Many foreign Players were here today. He knew exactly what to do.

"Wait, where are you going-" But Kaeya couldn't grab him, not with all the glasses he was cleaning and all the new glasses he was using to make drinks.

Diluc ventured towards a table that had recently finished. "Makri, was it? I heard you want to be the King of TGC."

He sat.

"Unbelieveable." Kaeya sighs. "Ask a guy to help and he goes off and plays cards."

"Uwaa-?!" Diona gasped as soon as she noticed Diluc at the table. "Hey, hey, why is he here today?!"

"Hm? Is something wrong?" Kaeya questions.

"Ahh, this is going to give me more work!"

"What do you mean?" Kaeya asked.

Diona grumbled and groaned, readying the alcoholic drinks, much to Kaeya's dismay. "Wha...Miss Diona?"

"Out with you!" Diona scolded him. "If you can't stand the smell, don't be here! No 'buts' now!"

And with that, Kaeya was kicked out.

But he only had a minute or two to sulk as he sat at one of the tables outside of the Cat's Tail. Suddenly, the door opened and Makri left in a huff, screaming something about needing some air.

He brought his drink with him--smelling like a wine mix and sat at Kaeya's table.

Immediately, Kaeya got up as the man began to sigh and drink. Confused, he could only step aside moving out towards the signboard to make sure he didn't smell the alcohol in the guy's drink.

"What the hell..."

A few minutes pass, then another Player leaves in a huff.

This time, it was the lady dressed in the traditional-looking kimono. Kaeya couldn't quite remember her name, but she also had a drink in hand.

/Huh?/

"What on Earth is going on in there?" He muttered.

After a few more minutes, another Player emerged, defeated.

One by on, he saw his patrons from this morning come out, all looking dejected and needing some 'time to think' from the way they were acting and talking to each other.

Finally, Diluc himself emerged. "I'd like to order a drink. Mind coming back in?"

Kaeya was flabbergasted.

"What did you do?" His question was accusatory instead of curios as he followed Diluc back inside.

Diluc returned to his self-assigned seat at the counter. "I simply made things less busy for you."

Diona hissed. "I can't believe you made everyone so upset they needed alcohol!"

"What did you /do/?" Again, Kaeya was starting to feel like a parrot. "You didn't-...oh my god, you totally just destroyed everyone in TGC didn't you?!"

Diluc shot Kaeya a weary look. He really couldn't get used to the strangely casual manner he was speaking in. "Why, yes."

Slap! Kaeya palmed at his own face as he threw his head back. "Diluc, you can't just bulldoze your way through people and things just because it's inconvenient! You're always--!"

...always /what/?

Diluc raised a brow. "/Always/...?"

"Shit." Kaeya tsk-ed. "Ahh I dunno, okay?"

"Anyway," Diluc proceeded shamelessly, "I'd like one blue lemonade, please."

"I'll make it!" Diona declared. "I'm tired of mixing alcoholic drinks!"

"No problem." Diluc nods at her, looking quite chipper. "Now, Kaeya. About your 'frothing machine'..."

Kaeya can only sigh.

"Xavier says that he can most likely manufacture a prototype by tomorrow. If you can wait for me to get it for you, that is." Diluc explained.

..../what/?

Kaeya groaned, facepalming a second time. "Hold up. What are you /saying/? You had him /make/ one for me? Just like that?"

Diluc didn't understand. Why did Kaeya not seem to believe him?

"You talked to /a guy/, showed him my shitty doodles and said 'make this for me' and he said /yes/?!" Kaeya's voice was pitching higher as he expressed his disbelief. "That he would have one /done/ by /tomorrow/?"

And still, Diluc didn't understand why Kaeya was getting so worked up. "You don't believe me?"

"Nobody can just /make/ a frothing machine in like, less than a day! That's, fucking insane!" Kaeya blurted out. "God, what /is/ this place?"

Diluc's stern glare made Kaeya jump.

"Believe what you will." The winery master said--his dignified attitude making Kaeya feel...rather degraded. "That however, matters little. I'm simply telling you what will happen. Tomorrow, I will be bringing you this 'frothing machine' prototype to see if it's to your liking."

"Ugh..." Kaeya had heard from everyone he'd spoken to today that Diluc was some sort of 'uncrowned king' of sorts locally.

But with how he carried himself and just how--polite--he was still being despite his outburst really made him feel a little...trashy.

"Alright, alright."

With a heavy sigh, Kaeya could only give in.

"Thanks...you really didn't have to." He muttered, averting his gaze awkwardly.

"One Blue Lemonade!" Diona slammed the drink down between them. "Now go fight somewhere else! I've had enough of both of you!"

So, they were kicked out.

"Great..." Kaeya grumbled as he folded his apron and squatted outside. "Now you've pissed her off."

Diluc watched the other man for a moment, before asking, "You're speaking more casually...are you comfortable with me?"

"Wha-..." Kaeya's shoulders stiffened. "C'mon..."

Standing up, he kicked at the grass.

"I guess so. You've been...more than nice to me. It's kind of-hm, how do I put this...uhh..." Kaeya tilted his head, mulling over his words. "It's like...you really like me."

"Of course I do." Diluc replied without a moment of hesitation.

"Oh."

/Oh./

"...OH!" Kaeya spun around to address Diluc directly, his hands up and jaw open. "Like...like /that/? Like...you...you know..."

Diluc furrowed his brow. Kaeya was speaking in terms he couldn't quite comprehend again. "'That'? Speak clearly, will you?"

"Aagh, look. You said we were brothers once and I just-...I don't get /why/ and how and...you..." Kaeya shook his head.

Firmly, Diluc pushed the man's shoulders down as if to root him in place and ground him. "Calm down. Think of the first thing you want to ask. Take your time."

For a moment, all Kaeya could do was stare. How could this guy be so...to the point? Efficient? Yeah, that's probably the word.

"Okay, well..." Kaeya looked down, trying to think slowly. "I guess...I want to know...what you want from me?"

"What I.../want/?" Diluc frowned.

Kaeya's hands came together before he even knew what he was doing. His fingers fidgeted and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"...people aren't nice to you for no reason, Diluc." he muttered. "It's always...when they want something from you."

Diluc froze.

It was all too similar to the way he knew the cretins of the underworld behaved. All too similar to the sinister, black thoughts of those with tainted hearts.

What if something terrible had happened to Kaeya along such lines? That he was forced to flee back here for comfort?

Images of burly hands trying to slip around Kaeya's waist when they had thought the cavalry captain drunk, ugly faces of sinners leaning /too close/ to Kaeya's pretty face when he was telling a joke and many other enraging moments flashed through his mind.

"...I want..."

Filthy. Dirty. Worthless. All of these disgusting people with their own personal agendas, intermingling with the kind people of Mondstadt...all of them trying to get their hands on Kaeya.

"Diluc?" Kaeya's head snapped up at Diluc's sudden shift in mood. "...Diluc! Your hands!"

The crackle of fire tore through his gloves and sparked, sending smoke into the clean air around them.

Kaeya staggered back, absolutely, utterly terrified. "F...fire...FIRE!"

The fear in the other's voice tore through Diluc's brooding thoughts and he extinguished his flames.

"Wha...what...what the fuck-..." Kaeya trembled, back pressed into the side of the Cat's Tail. "What the fuck...what the fuck was that? You...your hands were on fire..."

Diluc moved to step towards him, but Kaeya recoiled when he raised his hand. "Kae-..."

Damn. He forgot.

Or rather, he hadn't realized. All this time, he, Diona and Adeline had been keeping such close tabs on Kaeya that he'd never witnessed the power of a Vision since he arrived.

"Wait, Kaeya...calm down." Diluc attempted to sound reassuring.

"CALM DOWN?!" Kaeya screamed.

Diluc clicked his tongue. This wasn't working.

"Don't you /dare/ tell me to calm down after I just saw /fucking fire/ coming out of your /hands/ Diluc! Your hands /were on fire/!" Kaeya continued to rant.

"You've seen this before!" Diluc snapped back. "Haven't you? Shh!"

"HUH?! No I haven't!" Kaeya's knees began knocking together as he trembled, staring at Diluc with eyes so wide, gold twinkled from under his parted bangs--his one eye shining in the sunlight. "Nobody told me you could /do/ that!"

"The cards!" Diluc pulled out his Character Card.

And Kaeya gawked. "Wha...you're /not/ telling me that those are-..."

"Yes. They're quite accurate." Diluc growled, "Just listen to me and stop screaming."

Kaeya didn't know what else to say, other than, "Those...those are real? There's no...no fucking way...you can't be-..."

"Kaeya!" Leaping forward, Diluc caught the man as he fell, saving him from yet another unpleasant tumble. "Shit!...Kaeya!"

Fortunately, this time, Kaeya's eyes were closed. He truly had fainted from shock.

"Tch..." Diluc lifted him up in his arms.

...what now?

///END #Luckae Reverse Coffee-shop AU PART 2:
CafeWorker!Kaeya gets transported to Mondstadt in the midst of Genius Invokation TGC fever!

Part 3 to follow in the QRT~! With something special in mind!