Chapter Text
The most frequent answer to the question about the location of a certain cavalry captain was the tavern. His presence became something habitual, and finding him sitting in the chair that he always occupied was something normal these days. Some would say that he visits the tavern even more when diluc is on duty.
And today was one of those nights.
Diluc was behind the bar and of course Kaeya was there.
But kaeya wasn't among the knights laughing and drinking wine like a sport. He was in a corner away from everyone pretending to drink from a glass of wine but in reality he has been shaking the glass for hours staring at nothing.
Nobody paid attention to him. No one dared to approach the captain, they just left him there alone with whatever he was thinking, they didn't even look at him.
Of course the knights only come to him for free drinks, Kaeya thought. People only deign to approach him when they have something in mind and want to get it the easy way and that is by asking him.
Tonight kaeya preferred to lock himself in his own misery, he didn't feel like talking to anyone and the usual drunks in the tavern didn't show any usual interest. those around him just wanted something from him and to take it away by force leaving him dry completely.
The glass filled with wine felt heavy in his grip and bitterness invaded his mouth even if he hadn't even taken a sip of this liquid. His eye was now fixed on the drink but he wasn't really looking at it, his mind was somewhere else and his body was just responding automatically, that mechanism has been there for days and absolutely no one noticed it .
Hours passed and customers began to leave the tavern, even the drunkest ones had already left but Kaeya was still in the same place with the same glass of wine in his hand.
Diluc was wiping down tables with a cloth as his last chore so he could close the place down and be done with the day. He has been working all day and then has to watch the corners of Mondstadt from the shadows like every night. The glasses were clean, the empty bottles were no longer on the tables leaving them completely clean and free, ready for another busy day at the tavern. He wiped his hands and took one last look around the tavern so he could check if everything was in order.
That was when he noticed that there was still one person left there.
He was surprised by the stillness of the cavalry captain whose personality is strong and striking in all aspects. Diluc was so tired that he didn't even notice Kaeya's presence in a corner sitting at one of his tables still with a glass of wine in his hands.
He noticed that his gaze was lost. He didn't know exactly where his eye was directed and the only cup he saw present was the one in his hand, and it was untouched.
The owner of the tavern, puzzled by his attitude, approached the captain with a sigh.
"Kaeya, the tavern is closed, I'll ask you to leave." It didn't really sound hard, but it didn't sound soft either. Apparently not even Diluc's voice brought Kaeya back to reality.
“Kaeya? Get out of the tavern.” this time he tried to speak a little more harshly to get his attention and noticed that the captain blinked and looked at him. his tactic had worked.
"oh, diluc, it's you." kaeya for the first time tonight he spoke, and hearing his name without any title from him caused another feeling of strangeness in his chest.
The blue-haired one had his lost gaze diluc and a phantom smile was on his lips. Diluc was forced to repeat what he said earlier as judging by Kaeya's non-present attitude and noticeable lack of concentration he parted his lips once more, but was instantly interrupted by the younger.
"did you want to talk to me?" A small faint chuckle was heard from him and Diluc stood motionless. "A little company would be good, I've been very lonely these days you know?"
Kaeya's gaze screamed loneliness. Diluc had noticed, seeing him sitting there with cloudy eyes the first thing he thought of was pure loneliness, he couldn't help but feel worried.
but why should he care?
“I'm glad you're here to talk. nobody has spoken to me all day and I had to deal with a lot of paperwork, they are mountains you would be surprised if you saw them and...” the captain laughed again but he managed to make it even weaker than before and diluc got angry for feeling bad for him and worry so he interrupted him.
Kaeya didn't care about how he felt, he just dropped the bomb on him that he was a spy on the same day his father died, he had no compassion that afternoon and moreover he received a vision as a gift, he didn't suffer as much as diluc and he was the one who suffered, it was he who was alone in nations unknown to him, it was his father who died and it was diluc who lived a life of lies with a stupid spy. Kaeya has a great life and he has no right to feel bad, he's just faking it.
"Get out of my tavern." He said this accompanied by a frown and pointed at the door with his thumb. "Now."
Diluc watched as Kaeya fell apart right in front of his gaze in a few seconds. his mouth was slightly open, his eyebrow lowered a little in anguish and his gaze was struggling to stay fixed on diluc. His lips left the smile slowly, leaving now only a man looking sadly at another who was beginning to regret having interrupted him and for being so cold.
“oh.” his voice felt so small and fragile, as if at any moment he would begin to shed tears. "I thought you wanted to talk to me."
"I would never talk to you for pleasure."
"...I thought we were going to-"
"You thought wrong."
Diluc regretted it more and more with the words that came out of his mouth but he just couldn't stop and show weakness out of nowhere. He pursed his lips as he watched Kaeya weaken but still he didn't take it back.
“Go away. Now." he spat with feigned fury, managing to make the other man shiver and startle by adding even more anger to his current attitude.
"I’m sorry I'll leave." the captain rose slowly and walked his unsteady feet towards the exit, without looking back. "I won't be a bother again."
"I hope I never see you again." the redhead closed his eyes and bit his lip at his own words and heard how his mind began to protest for him to apologize at this moment.
but he ignore it.
"You will not see me again, I promise." was the last thing kaeya said and he left the tavern closing the door behind him with a sound that disturbed diluc.
Diluc wanted to run after kaeya and tell him how sorry he is, he wants to let him know that everything he said that night and now was a lie and that he wasn't thinking clearly. He wanted to take his body and hug him gently like he deserves and he wants to call him little brother again.
but he just stood there staring at the door without making a move, thinking about what had just happened.
what he didn't know was that it would be the last time he would see Kaeya.