Realization Upon Termination
-- aka Diluc hunts down Childe in the mistaken belief he had killed his brother
Characters: Diluc, Childe x Kaeya
Type/genre: Bulleted headcanons, angst(?), comedic at the end i guess
Warnings: Not proof read at all
A/N: This is acc my outline for a fic I was gonna write but I still haven't written it 2 years later so I'm just posting it like this lol
Kaeya doesn’t come to the bar for a long time. Diluc is used to seeing his annoying face everyday, and despite how many times he’s kicked him out, Kaeya always comes back the next day, so Diluc’s given up
Recently, he had been coming in with his boyfriend, Childe, a Fatui Harbinger deployed to Mondstadt.
Childe was only in Mondstadt for a short period of time, and every time Childe would visit, Kaeya would seem a little brighter, his laugh would be a little louder
Diluc, of course, hates Childe. Not just because he’s a harbinger—but it’s a reminder that Diluc himself is alone, while Kaeya was able to move on and be happy with his life
Despite all that’s happened, this is when Diluc is jealous of Kaeya. Diluc has his money and family name, but he’s inexplicably tied down to them while Kaeya is free to do whatever he wants. It’s only when he’s roaming the streets at night does Diluc feel free from his chains of being the esteemed Ragnivindr Head.
Childe and Kaeya visit the bar one night. Kaeya is as easy-going as always, but Childe seems off. He doesn’t drink the alcoholic drinks Kaeya buys him, and seems to be pushing Kaeya to drink more, drink more.
Diluc wants to step in, but he feels odd doing so. He never showed much care to Kaeya before, and it’d seem weird if he did now, so Diluc just watches it happen.
The next night, however, Kaeya doesn’t come to the Angel’s Share. Diluc thinks that perhaps he’s on a date somewhere else with Childe, when Jean comes in, asking him if he’s seen Kaeya
Diluc says he hasn’t. It turns out Kaeya did not show up for work that day. She went to look for Childe to ask him, but Childe wasn’t in the Goth Hotel. None of the Fatui were giving her any answers either, and were being weirdly defensive about Childe
Rosaria, who was drinking at the counter, mentions seeing Childe just outside of Mondstadt, alone, bow in hand without his gloves when she was heading to the bar. She thought it was weird, but didn’t say anything to him, as he was leaving Mondstadt. However, she tailed him to Whispering Woods, where he just seemed to be going on a leisurely walk, so she left.
Diluc’s first thought is that Childe must have done something to Kaeya. He sets down the glass he was polishing and grabs his claymore. Jean asks him if he’ll need backup, and Diluc refuses, saying this is something for him to do
As a brother? As the Darknight of Mondstadt? He wasn’t sure
The sun was starting to go down. Diluc scored the Whispering Woods but found no sign of the harbinger. It’s only when the stars could be seen in the sky does Diluc find him, wading in Starfell Lake.
“Ah...so the big brother’s found me.”
“What are you doing?”
“What am I doing? Well, you could say I’m erasing the evidence. You know, water washes away all sorts of things.”
“Where’s Kaeya?”
“Hah, well…who knows?”
Diluc takes out his sword. Surprisingly, Childe doesn’t want to fight him, saying he was tired and wasn’t in the mood for a fight for once.
Diluc lunges at Childe, filled with anger, not only at him but at himself.
Why is it only after everything is over does Diluc realize what he actually had?
Kaeya was trying to mend his relationship with him, but Diluc was too absorbed in what he had lost that he didn’t realize Kaeya was the only family he had left
Diluc knocks the harbinger to the ground, water splashing as he falls.
“Such a protective older brother, aren’t you?”
“You…you bastard…”
“Well, can’t say I blame you. If Tonia ever argues with her boyfriend in the future, I’d want to beat him within an inch of his life as well.”
That’s when Diluc stops, claymore above his head in mid-swing, confused.
Suddenly, Kaeya appears from the woods, having been sent by Jean and Rosaria after he walked into the Angel’s Share later that night, wanting to be comforted by alcohol
“Diluc, what are you doing?”
“...avenging your death?”
Childe laughs, explaining that he was looking for calla lilies and fishing for Kaeya as an “I’m sorry” present
“You thought he killed me? Really? I may only have one eye, but I certainly don’t have that bad an eye for men.”
“He’s a harbinger. There’s nothing about him I can trust.”
The night ends with Kaeya and Diluc helping Childe back to the cathedral for first-aid (for his hurt feelings)
Diluc and Kaeya’s relationship still feels a little strained, but perhaps Diluc has the Fatui to thank for helping him realize what he still had
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