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pompompossum · 3 years

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“You bloody traitor! Did Father’s death mean nothing to you?”

“Luc- wait listen to me!”

“Was his life just a stepping stool for you? A way to get closer to your mission?” His blood was pulsing in his ears, flashing like lightning behind his eyes and sending a chill of cold sweat down the nape of his neck. Diluc felt like he was about to faint, blind rage blotting his vision until all that remained was a tunnel focus on a person that, up until that afternoon, he thought he knew more than his own reflection. Now, it felt like he was looking at a stranger wearing his brother’s skin.

The stranger, he didn’t have Father’s blood staining his jacket, in the shape of his body collapsed against his own. No, he had shown himself too late, stood on as he watched Diluc’s entire life fall apart. And had arrived at his bedroom door as the storm picked up speed, ready to deliver the killing blow, as Diluc clutched the place where the symbol of the Ordo had once rested against his heart.

“Diluc, please, let me explain!” The torment he had caused in the span of a few minutes, with hushed whispers behind a locked door. Diluc should have known something was wrong when he had lingered in the doorway, swiveling his head from left to right as if checking to see if the coast was clear.

At some point they had made it outside, blades drawn and chests heaving in exhaustion and pain. A claymore is quite heavy, and with the weight of recent loss attempting to seep the remaining adrenaline from his limbs, Diluc struggled to hold the blade. But, like the flames of his vision, the fury clouding his mind and his judgement pushed him.

Opposite him, a thin sword shook with each parry and block of the unyielding blade. An Aquila Favonia, commissioned by their father upon the youngest’s induction into the Ordo. The Ragnvindr family crest carved into the hilt mocked Diluc with each swing. The coward had the nerve to fight behind their family name, after his betrayal. Or had he ever been loyal at all?

The sight of the crest further stoked his rage. How dare he? How dare he? A symbol of their Father’s love- no, of Diluc’s father’s love, turned against them. With an anguished scream, he hefted the claymore high into the air, channeling the momentum into a punishing blow.

Diluc had always been the bigger of them. Early training with a larger weapon and access to a healthy diet from a young age had left him growing faster and stronger than his brother could keep up. His brother may have gained a growth spurt first, but the boost in height had left him lanky and knobby-kneed up until his training for the Ordo Entrance Exam picked up pace. A blow with such strength and speed would be impossible for him to block.

But he didn’t move to evade. The last swing of Diluc’s blade had tossed him to the ground, and he hadn’t moved since. Instead, he kept eye contact with him, an indescribable emotion etched on his face as he clutched his side with his free hand.

And he would.

Not.

Move.

Diluc felt as if the world had come to a standstill. That feeling of ice crawling down his spine had returned, his vision whiting out as he was powerless to stop his body from moving.

He wouldn’t block.

He wouldn’t move out of the way.

He just. Sat there. With that fucking look on his face like Diluc was doing him a favour.

Just as the heat channeled in his blade began to sizzle against drenched blue hair, a blinding white burst forth, flinging Diluc into the air and staying his hand. Icicles shredded his gloves, the skin beneath frost brunt as his red curls froze to his forehead.

And there the traitor sat, his face blank and gaze far away, cradling a vision in his palms. He held it gently, like one would hold an infant. He looked ready to crush it in his palms. As if feeling eyes on him, his head whipped up to catch Diluc’s gaze. There was a flash of emotion there, something Diluc was too tired to interpret. The adrenaline was gone, with a feeling of something festering under his skin taking its place. It felt numb, like the ice had shocked down to the bone. It felt wrong. And he still sat there, looking through him and peering into his soul.

“Get the fuck out of here, Alberich. If I see you again, I’ll finish what I meant to do tonight.” The words felt wrong, they burned his tongue like pryo slime concentrate. That was his brother, he should comfort him. They had to stick together, especially with Father no longer here.

No, that’s not my brother. Someone I’ve never met is wearing that face. Maybe if he told himself that enough, he’d be able to convince himself it was the truth.

He pushed himself to walk away, to not look back. The stranger hadn’t moved, still limp against the tree, drenched in rain, transfixed on the object in his hands and his retreating back. Reaching the manor, the elder Ragnvindr sent the remaining staff home and locked the doors, leaving a note for Elzer to change the locks in the morning. It wasn’t until he reached his bed chamber that he allowed himself to process what had happened while he licked his wounds.

Patricide and attempted fratricide in the span of hours. But no, his brother died long ago. Or did he ever exist at all?

Diluc Ragnvindr is an orphan and an only child by the beginning of May.

#genshin impact #diluc ragnvindr #kaeya ragnvindr #kaeya alberich #tag this as inc*st and i'll bust your kneecaps #i'm studying for an exam tomorrow and needed a break #so have some 2am angst #fic #Diluc is attempting to justify his emotions and trauma by separating Kaeya from his memories of him #ngl it was hard to keep track of who was who at one point #hopefully it translates better when reading #I want to write something with Xiangling and Zhongli soon #or at least anyone other than Kaeya #but every time i show myself to be a simp for him #k*eluc shippers dni

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pompompossum · 3 years

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It was always the quiet days that set Mond’s Cavalry Captain on edge. As a man who makes his living on hushed gossip and drunken secrets, a quiet day was a dangerous day. While Mondays usually set the city square into a frenzy, with the announcement of new bounties for aspiring adventures and the restocking of goods across the various vendors in town, the torrential rain that met the city as the sun rose that morning meant that only those who lacked their daily essentials were left scrambling about, bouncing between buildings in search of shelter.

That isn’t to say that he was slacking off with the poor weather hanging overhead. No, that would be too easy. Rather, poor weather meant paperwork. And by the Seven, Kaeya swore to himself that Lisa had been hoarding every miscellaneous form she could get her hands on for him to review since he had forgotten to return that one book on Snezhnaya he had borrowed after one of his operatives spotted La Signora in the city. It wasn’t his fault that the tomb had made for the perfect paperweight after he had found it was worthless for his intended purposes.

The smile she’d worn as she cornered him in the lobby after his lunch break earlier in the afternoon had bordered on sadistic. He was on his fifth hour of administrative work by now and, between the pounding rain howling against his window and the strain reading by candlelight put on his one functioning eye, he scraped his chair against the hardwood away from his desk as he brought a hand up to nurse his aching head.

He’d probably have to stay in the barracks tonight. The rain showed no signs of stopping and his apartment, tucked snug in the side street near the travelling vendors’ market, was too far to traverse in this weather. Perhaps he could fashion a makeshift cryo umbrella, if only he could reach the end of this damned paperwork. Public relations, damage estimates for recent Abyss encounters, and was that paperwork for the library? Gods, Lisa really hated him right now, huh? The captain was certain he had a nice vintage squirreled away in his wine cabinet at home. A lovely barolo gifted to him by a noble from Fontaine not long after his rise to Cavalry Captain. Though Kaeya had never abstained from alcohol, certainly since he was old enough to legally drink, the thought of wine at the time had driven him to hide it away. He supposed that Lisa would make much better use of it than himself and made a mental note to find it when he got home.

With a sigh, the captain stretched in his seat until his neglected joints popped, groaning at the release of tension. Given his busy schedule, he had forgotten his plans to stop for supper at Good Hunter. Glancing at his pocket watch, a gift from the Traveller, he noted it was past Sara’s typical business hours. Ah well, a cup of tea would have to suffice. With it being so late, he would have the luxury of the headquarters’ common room to himself. While many of the higher ranking officers of the Ordo took breaks and tea in their own private offices, a common room on the second floor was provided for the knights to avail of. And the last time Kaeya checked, there had been a small kitchen there, one where Miss Noelle was handy to store that lovely chamomile tea she had served him recently.

Rising from his desk, he made his way from his office and down towards the common area, giving a brief, lazy salute to any knights stuck on nightwatch. He was thankful that Swan seemed to be off this evening, likely on shift at the city gates. Barbatos knows that man took his job far too seriously, and Kaeya was too tired to receive his advice on following the Ordo’s handbook effectively. Instead, the few knights he passed were content to simply share brief “hello”s and well wishes to their captain, and soon Kaeya found himself striking matches in the common room before watching the water slowly rise to temperature, the flames waving faintly in the hearth. As the water came to a boil, he busied himself with finding just where Noelle had hidden her tea that evening when suddenly he heard the floorboards in the common room creak. Hmm, curious. Placing the tea tin on the counter gently and snuffing the flame with a gust of cryo, he crept to the corner of the doorway, curious to see who else might be roaming the halls after hours.

No one, so it would seem. The room hadn’t changed since he entered, with no sign of anyone. Except the door had been jarred and there was a soft sniffling sound coming from behind the chaise lounge on the other side of the room. Light on his feet, the captain came closer, spotting a familiar shade of blonde crouched against the window behind the furniture, tiny legs tucked in tightly, face smooshed into her knees.

“Klee? What are you doing up past your bedtime?” Kaeya softened his features as he watched her jump, making sure to not crowd her in her hiding spot.

“Kaeya!” And oh dear those were tears, weren’t they? “Klee didn’t know you were here…”

“And I you, my little Spark Knight.” He considered her spot, sitting next to the window overlooking the city, including a clear view of the city gates. Visibility was poor, but Kaeya could see the window’s view of Dawn Winery in his mind. In the daylight, one could almost make out the servants’ outdoor lounge and the vineyard. “Would you mind if I sat with you?”

She gave a small nod, hiding her face in her knees once again. Oh dear Captain Kaeya you’ve found yourself even more trouble tonight, huh? One of the knights had left a plush blanket draped against the arm of the chaise. Given the chill of the glass, surely it would be appreciated. Picking it up, he bent down to sit against the window, his legs bent awkwardly to fit behind the furniture. Gently, he wrapped the blanket around her, tucking the little Spark Knight in with a pat on the head. Then, he sat and he waited. Situations like this called for patience. Slowly, he heard her shift in the blanket as she loosened her posture, coming to rest her head on his arm.

“Klee doesn’t like it when it rains.” The young pyro wielder whispered, so quiet Kaeya strained to hear her. “It’s cold and I can’t use my vision or play with Razor or Qiqi. And… and it makes me worry about where mommy is.” Ahh, there it was...

It wasn’t long after his promotion that Alice had left Mondstadt. At first, when Alice had arrived at the Varka’s office with a tiny child clinging to her skirts and peeking out to take in the building, it was assumed the situation would be a temporary one. As one of Teyvat’s greatest minds, the alchemist’s research was of great importance to the Ordo. Used by both the Knights and common folk alike, her Teyvat Travel Guides served as crucial tools for any adventurer and her work with the Hexenzirkel provided invaluable data for the study of the Abyss Realm. So, for her to announce her intentions to leave Mond for research purposes was unsurprising.

But, seasons had passed and letters from the alchemist had been few and far in between. Though Alice spoke of her love for her little Spark and her hopes to see her again soon, each letter shared a common theme. Complications had arisen and research would take longer than expected. While his web of intel ensured him of her safety, it had been about five months since Kaeya had heard of a letter arriving from her. Alice is a strong woman of course. While visionless, her alchemic abilities, as well as her ability to craft and deploy explosives, made her a formidable opponent in combat. There was no real worry over her safety. But, loneliness was understandable. While Mondstadt’s Chief Alchemist is a highly capable and intelligent man, socialization was something Albedo often neglected. Rather, he was more often than not a phantom within the Ordo Headquarters, appearing from his private laboratory only for resource gathering and the occasional trip to visit Timaeus in the city square. Thus, like many of the children received by the city of freedom, Klee found herself in the protection and care of the entire Ordo. A child of Mondstadt through and through. And that meant she was under Kaeya’s care tonight.

Running a hand through one of her pigtails, tucking a stray lock behind her ear, he looked out into the rain. “Storms like this are sad, aren’t they? Can I share a secret with you?”

“Big brother Kaeya has a secret? Klee promises not to tell!” The young knight assures him, raising a pudgy little finger to her lips, her voice hushed and earnest. A child’s naivete is something sacred, indeed. Her reaction brings a tiny smile to his face.

“I don’t like the rain either.” Storms bring memories of retreating backs, the biting sting of rejection and the chill of abandonment. When the wind howls, getting caught in the rain is like a kiss from the Tsaritsa against his exposed skin, reminding him of the delicate embrace of her cryo shield that night. It makes his vision thrum and flicker against his hip and causes the skin beneath his eyepatch to ache something fierce. Rain means tragedy and pain, and honesty in a way Kaeya has long since denied himself the pleasure of.

“Klee wonders if mommy has shelter, or if it’s sunny where she is.”

The rain brings the worst of Kaeya to the surface, melts his shields of mockery and cryo and leaves him stark and defenseless to the storm. But-

“It has to rain sometimes, if the flowers are to grow and the rivers are to last. Without the rain, the world loses a part of itself. And I’m sure that even when it’s cold, Miss Alice is kept warm knowing that you’re safe and sound here.” Klee lets out a soft noise in thought. She’s been slowly worming her way into his lap, pulling her blanket around them both in the process. “Besides, the rain makes us seek shelter and warmth and brings people closer together in doing so. We can appreciate our time in the company of another and look forward to seeing the sun when it’s over. It’s always nice after the rain, isn’t it?”

The young girl tucks the blanket under her chin, leaning her head back against his chest to look up at him.

“Klee likes the rainbows after a storm. And the way the air smells. And Klee’s favourite mushyrooms like the rain, so they grow extra big after!” Her voice grows in her excitement, chattering like a Springvale squirrel.

“That’s right. It’s not very nice out right now, but we have plenty to look forward to in the morning. After you get some rest.” Klee is a wonderful child, but he was glad to say he had never seen her cranky from lack of sleep. And he was not in the mood to find out what that looked like, especially with the experiments she and Albedo have been concocting lately. The smell of gunpowder and flaming flower stamens emanating from the alchemy wing within the past few weeks had been concerning to say the least.

“But Klee’s not tired yet..”

“Then how about you join me for some tea and then we’ll see. You caught me just as I was brewing some.” Chamomile would be useful for chasing away any bad dreams, and the sooner the Spark Knight was back in bed, the sooner he could return to his work.

“Okay!” Still so vibrant and loud at such a late hour. Kaeya supposed that their secret sharing time, and its quietness, were over for the night. “Can Klee have honey in her tea? Pleasee?” Sugar might not be a good idea this late at night but what the hell? Kaeya could be the fun brother tonight. Rising to his feet with a bundle of Klee and blanket in his arms, he let out a light chuckle.

“I’m sure that can be arranged, my dear Spark Knight.”

It didn’t take long for the tea to work its magic. While she may have whined over the prospect of going back to bed, Kaeya found himself moving to protect her head from hitting her tea cup more than once as the pair shared a late night snack. He wasn’t sure who had left a tin of baked goods in the kitchen, but he made note to stop by Good Hunter early tomorrow to replace them. Making their way back to solitary, Kaeya lifted her up to rest against his shoulder as they reached the stairs. Pulling back her bed covers gently, Kaeya laid her down gently, placing Dodoco beside her.

“Okay, firefly, hat and scarf, please.” While she had been dressed for bed, she had kept those on, likely to ward the chill of the building at night. As she passed each of them to him, he hung them on their respective hangers above her desk, each adorned with a different breed of crystalfly. She was asleep before he even turned around. Kneeling down next to her cot, he pulled the thick, red quilt up and over, tucking her in in a familiar motion, making sure Dodoco was tucked in just as tight. Smoothing down her hair, he rose to his feet, moving to snuff out the bedside lantern.

“Good night, big brother…” It was soft, muffled by pillows and blankets, but Kaeya heard her loud and clear.

“Good night Klee. Sweetest dreams.” Shutting the door as quietly as possible and sharing a brief greeting with Wood, the Cavalry Captain made his way back to his office. But not long after returning to his desk, sleep caught up with him as well.

---

The wind was too loud, even with his hands over his ears. It was the first storm since Kaeya began living at the manor and it was dredging up sore memories. It made him think of Mama. It was always cold in Khaenri’ah, so if it was cold in Mondstadt it must be freezing there tonight. She had found materials to work on that blanket she had been planning just before his father whisked him away. It had been about six months now since he arrived in Mondstadt. Kaeya wonders if she got to finish it before the weather got colder. Kaeya wishes he had had the chance to help her with it. She always made him tea before he sat and watched her work.

It was past 8 o’clock, the time Master Crepus set for him and the young master to head to bed. The two children shared bedrooms next to one another, their beds sharing the same wall. Kaeya wondered if the person in the bed next door was finding it easier to sleep. Diluc had warmed up to him instantly, even as the adults around them worried over what to do with a lost and scared child, still wrapped in the lord of the house’s rain soaked coat. While Kaeya still struggled with some aspects of Mond’s language and various dialects, Diluc’s running dialogue of funny stories and history lessons of all his favourite places in Mondstadt had made it easier to pick up the language fast. On more than one night, Kaeya found himself lulled to sleep by the boy’s stories of Arundolyn and Rostam, only to find himself safe and snug in his bedroom by morning.

Curling his fists in his blankets, he wondered if Diluc was still awake. Clutching the lightest of the bed clothes to his chest, a knit chenille blanket Crepus had gifted him his first night in the manor, he crept out of the room and across the hall on the balls of his feet. Diluc’s bedroom door was unlocked, but Kaeya hesitated with his hand on the doorknob. What if Diluc got mad at Kaeya for waking him up? Kaeya was only a year and a half younger, but what if the redhead thought he was a crybaby? Before he could make up his mind, the door, not fully shut when the elder boy had gone to bed, creaked open on unoiled hinges. From the doorway, Kaeya watched as the body laying in bed shifted before letting out a small groan.

“Kaeya..?” Darn it, Kaeya thought, as Diluc sat up, rubbing at his eyes lazily with his fist, “What’s wrong?” Kaeya froze like a deer in the headlights, unsure what to do. At his silence, Diluc perked up, squinting into the darkness to make out the shape in his doorway. “Kaeya? Is everything okay?”

“I can’t sleep…” His cheeks burned with embarrassment, little feet shuffling against the cold hardwood. He wrapped his blanket around himself tighter, tucking in his chilly nose and mouth, as if it would muffle what had already been said. The older boy watched him for a moment, before shifting in bed.

“Wanna sleep here tonight?” To punctuate his question, Diluc patted the empty space next to him. Kaeya gave a small nod before padding into the room, moving fast before the redhead could rescind the offer. Crawling under the blankets, he snuggled into the warmth, savouring the safe space. He hadn’t noticed from the doorway, but Diluc had stuffed animals in the bed with him. Kaeya hadn’t seen them before, but his older brother was adamant that he wasn’t a little boy anymore. He was just shy of 12 years old, after all. So it made sense he would be sensitive about needing plushies to sleep. Kaeya held the paw of a dog-shaped plush as he turned his head to face Diluc.

“What’s keeping you up?” Diluc had a furrow between his brows as he looked at him, having settled back into bed. He had wrapped his arms around his pillow, squishing his cheek into the fabric as he tried to read his brother’s face in the dark. He pouted as he said it, as if he had phrased something wrong. “You don’t need to tell me, but I want to help.”

“The storm,” Kaeya took a deep breath to calm himself, wrapping himself into the blanket cocoon tighter and pulling the plushie closer. “I want my mama… She always let me sleep with her when it was scary outside.” The smell of fresh linens clinging to the sheets around him was so different from the smell of lavender she carried. The pillows felt nothing like the comfort of his head resting on her chest, her fingers smoothing the knots in his hair.

“I miss my mom too,” Diluc’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “I didn’t get to know her, but dad has so many stories about her. Whenever I have nightmares, he lets me stay in his room for the night and he tells me stories about her until I fall asleep.” His grip on the pillow tightened. “Our moms aren’t around, but we have each other! We can scare the nightmares away, right?” The young redhead had raised his voice and Kaeya tried his best to stifle his laugh. Laughing would be mean, mama said so. And Diluc’s bed and stuffed animals were more comfy than his cold room with all that wind howling outside his window. So, instead he nodded.

“Mhm!”

---

Sleeping sitting up was never good for the neck or back. And sleeping on a mountain of paperwork and pens wasn’t much better.

The sunlight had been a rude awakening. The torrential downpour had broken, the clouds parting to reveal the sunniest day Mond had seen in a while, light catching on the puddles as a rainbow stretched lazily across the horizon. It would have been pretty if it hadn’t been so impolite in waking the Quartermaster. Letting out a croaky yawn, Kaeya popped his back as he stretched like a cat across his desk. The paperwork beneath him was a lost cause, so why not. Gods, Lisa was going to have his neck. Better buy a few electro resistance potions before he faced her today.

Looking over his desk to survey the damage, he noticed a bundle of red cloth complete with a small note written in clunky, childish handwriting.

“Good morning, Kaeya! Klee made fishy toast and skewers with Aether and Paimon for you. Enjoy! :)”

Kaeya let out a huff of laughter at the doodle she had left at the bottom of the note of them both standing in the sun. The way she had drawn his face told him that Albedo had given her art lessons again. Tucking into his breakfast, Kaeya gazed out the window. The storm had dissipated to reveal a cloudless sky, and from his office he could see the people in the market square milling about, mingling and laughing in the balmy spring air.

The view told Kaeya that it was going to be a good day today.

#genshin impact #kaeya ragnvindr #kaeya alberich #genshin klee #diluc ragnvindr #this fic has been sitting in my wips since new years #so why not post it now?#fic #k*eluc shippers dni #tag this as inc*st and i'll bust your kneecaps

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