The Puppet

Fire And Ice

Kaeya honestly didn't notice Diluc until he stuttered out his name. He slowly turned around and saw him. His heart leaped for joy seeing him awake. Clearly tired and weak, but awake. He wanted to just jump up, rush into his arms and never let go of him.

But he didn't. He couldn't. Diluc would push him away. He plastered on the mask he gotten so used to it being shattered and repaired over the course of the week. "Well, well.." He said with his usual cheeky grin. "Look who decided to wake up from their beauty nap. Surprised that Barbara let you out of bed."

Diluc sighed. He expected, no, hoped that Kaeya would just jump up, rush into his arms and never let go of him. But of course, he didn't. Kaeya hated him. And for good reason to. He does deserve it... after what he has done four years ago... and quite recently. "She... didn't." His knees wobbled a bit. "May I...?" Kaeya nods silently. Diluc slowly made his way over and sat next to him... kind-of. There was this awkward space between them. Diluc cleared his throat. "Considering... that you are still here... Jean didn't banish you..."

"No thanks to you." Kaeya said, surprised at the coldness in his voice. Diluc turned away from him.

Shit... I didn't mean it to sound like that. He already hates me enough.

I deserve that. I deserve his hate.

An awkward pause happened between the two before Kaeya held out his meal to him. "You... must be hungry."

"You must be as well." Diluc commented.

"Eat."

"You first."

"Luc, I-" He caught himself and looked away upset. Diluc stared at him.

That old nickname... He thought, a chuckle unknowingly escaping his lips which caused Kaeya to flinch. He finally took the meal and started eating it slowly.He could remember Kaeya screaming it while he tried to kill him... all three times...

Why did I say that? I don't... He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Kae..." Kaeya flinched at the old nickname. Diluc's voice sounded... sad? He turned back towards him and his eyes were starting to tear up a bit. "I-I'm sorry... a-about... telling everyone..." He wiped his eyes and squeezed the Cyro user's shoulder. "I... don't have... an excuse..."

"The poison." Kaeya said simply, putting his hand onto Diluc's. "That's an excuse."

"No, it isn't." Diluc dropped his hand. "Kaeya... Aether... as you could see... he didn't have complete control... I... I did that out of my own..."

"Luc, stop." He grabbed Diluc's face. "Stop trying to explain things to me. Hell, why are you trying to explain things to me?! I don't deserve this kindness everyone is giving me! I'm a spy, a bloody spy, Diluc! So please just stop!"

"You didn't deserve for me to abandon you like that, though!" Diluc yelled. Kaeya blinked as he grabbed his shoulders again, the food he was eating forgotten on the steps. "You confided in me something that's been haunting you since you've been here! And what did I do? I tried to kill you!!"

"Diluc..."

"You have every right to hate me, Kae..." Diluc sobbed, tears running down his face. "I'm so sorry... For attacking you... it's... I'm sorry..."

Kaeya sat there for a few seconds. "You... aren't just talking about what happened recently... are you?" He felt Diluc's grip on him get tighter before he nodded. "Diluc, are you dying or something?! You don't have to lie to make me feel better!"

He looked at Kaeya. "What?"

"I've lied to you ever since we were little, Luc..." Kaeya said. "I'm a spy. I don't deserve pity. I don't deserve forgiveness... You have every right to hate me."

"I don't hate you, Kae."

"And I don't hate you, Luc."

.

.

.

.

Realization hit the two like a brick after a few minutes of silence. "Wait, what?" They said at the same time.

"YOU DON'T?!" Kaeya shouted. "Wh-wha? Then what was with the coldness every time I walked into the tavern!?"

"I was responding to your coldness!" Diluc shouted back. "Not to mention you used my bar to get laid every other week!"

"It's very easy to get information from someone like that!" Kaeya snapped, not even trying to deny it. "But, never mind that! You have every right to hate me and you don't?! Why?!"

"I could ask the same to you!" He yelled. "I still have – or had – that awful vase you gave me to return my vision!"

"I haven't been in the Dawn Winery since you came back! How the hell was I supposed to know!? You never allowed me back in!"

"Because I didn't know you wanted to come back! I thought you hated me after I tried to burn you alive!"

Kaeya panted, dragging his fingers through his hair. Diluc, meanwhile, put his face into his hands. "I-I don't..." Tears were slowly running down his face. "God damn it..." Kaeya stood up and started pacing. "Does this mean... that if we would have just... freaking TALKED to each other..." He started laughing, causing Diluc to turn towards him. "We could... that... this entire thing... We could have... fixed our relationship?! That we could clear... up a misunderstanding!? THAT WE'VE BELIEVED THAT THE OTHER HATED US BUT NEVER THOUGHT TO ASK!?" The mask was, once again, broken as Kaeya began to cry and laugh at the same time.

Diluc watch Kaeya have a mental breakdown, too stunned to move. Kaeya was right: if they would have just talked, maybe none of this would have happened. He slowly got up and walked over to him, who was holding himself.

Kaeya jolted when he felt Diluc slowly wrap his arms around him. "I'm... sorry Kae..."

"L-luc..." His laughing stopped and was just crying. He looked up at him, his eyepatch soaked with tears. "I-I'm sorry too..."

Diluc carefully removed Kaeya's eyepatch, revealing his other eye. The iris was light blue while the sclera was black. There were small cracks of black and blue around his eye. "I-It's going to be hard..." Diluc said, tears slowly falling down his face.

"Diluc... shut up..." Kaeya said, wrapping his arms around him. "J-Just..." He couldn't finish his sentence as he began sobbing and held onto him tight. Diluc hugged him tighter as well. He wasn't crying as hard as Kaeya... but he was still there.

And he wasn't going to leave him again.