Diluc wasn’t sure what he expected when he returned back to Mondstadt. If he hadn’t known better, nothing had changed at all, but he was aware that children that ran up and down its streets were now in their teenage years, the trees that lined along its gates were taller, and more tourists crowded in its beauty. He saw both old and new faces at the Dawn Winery, and they all greeted him with a respectable amount of fanfare, though he could tell that some that were closer to the family wished to hold more noticeable celebrations. Thankfully, none of that came to be, unknowing to how this stoic, more reserved Diluc would take to it. The answer was simple, however: he would have hated it. It was bad enough having letters upon letters sent his way, but to have feasts and fireworks and joy on his return after he had been away to investigate his father’s death– It would have been a bit tasteless.
Speaking of letters, he had many he needed to–
“Captain Kaeya has left you a missive,” the sound of glass being gently placed upon the wooden dining room table brought Diluc out of his thoughts. He was mid-drink, attempting to collect himself with a serving of grape juice while wrangling with the order of all his duties when he looked up from the kitchen wall. His eyes settled on a gaudy excuse for a piece of furniture.
Diluc looked up at the woman, then back to… quite frankly, the ugliest vase he had ever seen, then back to her. “...That is a vase.”
Adelinde squinted, as if the reply was a test of her intelligence. “Yes, indeed. I have left the document in your office, where you can read its contents in private. Along with it was a vase, to which I will leave up to you to decide where it shall go. You never were one for surprise redecoration.”
That was true. He recalled many times where he threw tantrums after one of the maids slightly rearranged his things through the tidying up of his mess of a room. At that age, he hadn’t realized the necessity for a clean space, and after his travels, he longed for a bed of his own, warm, freshly washed sheets upon his skin, especially after the long nights of sleeping in a wet tent or stuffy inn.
There were important matters he had to deal with first, however. One, unfortunately, being… finding a spot for this thing. Once Diluc had it in his hands, Adelinde took her leave to redirect the gossiping maids to their duties.
Here, in the kitchen… it would only get in the way. Diluc could imagine some poor new hire crashing into it, mind broken at the thought of destroying some precious family heirloom. The scenario almost made him chuckle. As if he would treasure something so hideous.
In the end, he found himself in the foyer. It isn’t something he’d want in his personal space, as distracting as it was, but something inside him twinged at the thought of it being left to collect dust in some storage closet. He glanced around, noting a small, empty table near the wall. As he approached it, he realized why it was left this way.
Diluc recalled, a few days before his birthday, his father had planned to commission a piece from a local sculptor that would represent Kaeya. All around the manor were reminders of the Ragnvindr family. Their legacy, their passion, their pride. Crepus wanted Kaeya to feel that connection, too, but he hadn’t an idea of what the boy would want.
“A peacock, father!” He shouted, a little too loudly, “It can be alongside our owl!”
“Of course, of course,” His father chuckled, unsurprised by the younger’s enthusiasm. Though he shushed him, a reminder that this conversation was supposed to be away from Kaeya’s ears. “Thank you, Diluc. You two know each other so well.”
Back then, Diluc believed that, too.
The vase sat tall in the center of the table. It would be hard to ignore for anyone that walked in, that was for sure.
Just like a certain someone.
To D:
It is good to hear that you’ve had a safe return. The people of Mondstadt are lost without their uncrowned king, you know.
I don’t plan to continue penning you. It’s awfully inconvenient when I can just see you in person, instead.
I do hope you like my gift, too. As soon as I spotted it, you were in my thoughts.
Kaeya knew just what to say to piss him off. As enticing as the idea of crumbling up the letter was, he knew he didn’t have the heart to go through with it. He never did, not even at the very first one. Kaeya’s handwriting was as delicate as ever– They had the same handwriting instructor, yet Kaeya always wrote with such grace. Diluc remarked that Kaeya could make a living off of calligraphy, but Kaeya said that if they weren’t doing it together, then there wouldn’t be any point at all. He sighed as he slid the note into one of his desk’s drawers, making sure to hide it under a gracious stack of business documents.
He was sure they would run into one another, eventually, but he wouldn’t go out of his way for it.
Charles insisted that Diluc rest for a few more days before he started taking up shifts. It was for the best, Diluc agreed, but he hated his own unproductivity. With the spare time, he was able to roam the nights as he pleased, but he loved his work. The craft of making drinks, seeing the same people come by the bar, and even the occasional small talk… It kept him busy.
The extra days to himself also helped with easing the excitement out of the townsfolk, thankfully. Diluc’s presence became more and more known, and that meant fewer people congratulating and welcoming him back. Then again, most of the people who made it into Angel’s Share wanted nothing more than a drink, which he was happy to oblige.
All of it was a standard affair, nothing to note besides a few rowdy guests who eventually tired themselves out. It brought him back to the routine of things.
Just as he was expecting no more customers, late as it was, a tall figure pushed their way in, grabbing the attention of every soul in the tavern, Diluc included.
The woman was beautiful, and she knew it well. Her clothes fit snug against her body, emphasizing every curve from her toned legs to her slender waist. Her lower half remained modest, with knee-length boots and dark trousers, as opposed to the upper portion. Her shirt hung low, low enough that Diluc had to tell himself not to stare, instead pointedly eyeing the feathery scarf along her shoulders, then the patch covering her eye.
She wore an easy smile, though it faded for a moment once she turned to look at Diluc. She recovered it as she ran her hand through her shoulder length hair, breathing a soft laugh.
“Ah, Master Diluc. It’s been some time, hasn’t it?” When Diluc didn’t reply, she continued without missing a beat. “One Death After Noon, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“...Fine. Don’t expect a discount…” Diluc hesitated, unsure if his next word would be the right one. “Kaeya.”
Kaeya relaxed her posture, eyelids lowering to a steady gaze; he hadn’t noticed how tense she looked before. She reached into her pocket and placed the exact amount for one bottle.
“I wouldn’t dream of it. It’s only right to support your local businesses.”
Diluc would have liked to say they talked things through over her drink, but as soon as she came, she left, though she made sure to greet her recruits on the way out. He didn’t like how some of them looked at her. Then again, he was sure he had the same look on his face, at first. At least he had the decency to not be so obvious about it.
Slowly but surely, the drunk and sober alike walked out of the tavern once it came closing time, and Diluc was left alone to clean. He aggressively swept as his thoughts lingered on Kaeya.
It was odd. She looked so similar, yet so different. If someone were to say that she always looked that way, he would be tempted to believe them. If anything were to change, though, it was the way Kaeya carried herself, confident and composed. She was so quiet when she first came into his life, cautious and fearful, like a wounded rabbit. She clung to him at every opportunity, and Diluc never minded.
In other words, she looked happier.
He didn’t want to make it about himself. He was happy for Kaeya, truly. It was just… his mind had a habit of wandering to the worst possible conclusion.
Was Diluc leaving a good thing? Was he holding Kaeya back this whole time? Had he missed something vital in their youth?
They were questions that could easily be answered by his… sister. Sister. By his sister, yes. Though, it wouldn’t be right for him to bombard her with such prying queries, especially with how… things ended last time, for the lack of a better word.
Diluc supposed he would just have to ask around.