Genshin Impact One Shots *Slow Updates*

A frozen Moment

A/N' Platonic, nothing romantic.

"Master Diluc! What a pleasant surprise!" Kaeya called out to Diluc with a smug smile on his face. Seeing Kaeya, Diluc began to walk faster, hoping that he would get the hint to leave.

Kaeya noticed Diluc's cold attitude towards him and laughed. He looked at the pile of Fatui agents in front of a random tent and pieced together what Diluc was doing. "Been busy, huh?"

"Still am," Diluc grumbled as the both of them entered the snowy landscape of Dragonspine. Diluc walked through the Snow-Covered Path with Kaeya walking right beside him.

The cold wind hit their faces with the snow falling gently to the ground. A puff of fog appeared in front of Kaeya's mouth as he sighed. The crunch of snow under his feet was satisfying to hear.

The silence between them was deafening. Kaeya remained silent, knowing sooner or later that Diluc would be the first to break the silence. He never could stand the silence. Kaeya's patience won in the end and Diluc finally asked, "What are you doing here? Don't you have anything better to do?"

Kaeya smirked and chuckled. "Me? Contrary to popular belief, I do have a job!" Kaeya sighed and looked off to the side. "I just had a little free time and thought I'd go for a walk and enjoy the scenic views Dragonspine has to offer." Diluc scoffed while rolling his eyes.

"Stop messing around. What's the actual reason you're here?" Kaeya let out an exasperated huff. "You're no fun at all..." Diluc glowered at him and waited for the other to answer him. Kaeya laughed again but answered him. "The Acting Grand Master told me to 'clean up' around Dragonspine but it seems like you've already done my job for me."

Diluc looked unimpressed and mumbled something along the lines of 'Knights...so inefficient.' Kaeya suppressed a laugh but the sly smile on his face remained. Diluc was like a pufferfish, a little provocation and he'd expose his prickly side.

He sighed and finally took in the scenery around him. Snow glittered under the setting sun's gaze making everything appear like a winter wonderland. The snow powdered on top of the pine trees looked so soft and delicate. Kaeya stared at the snow, his lips pressed together, neither smiling nor frowning.

The snow and ice looked beautiful, but underneath all that beauty was a greedy monster. It'd captivate you with fresh powder-like snow falling from the sky but would swallow you up before you had a chance to scream. If you weren't swallowed up, you'd be slowly chipped away at by the cold.

Kaeya shook his head with a smile on his face. He must be more tired than he thought to be having such morbid thoughts. Compared to Mondstadt, where the weather was usually mellow and pleasant, he preferred Dragonspine. He enjoyed the cold against his skin even with its hidden dangers.

How was Diluc handling the cold? Based on his memory, Diluc couldn't really handle the cold. Then again, there were a lot of things Diluc couldn't handle back then but look at him now. He watched Diluc with narrowed eyes, trying to see if he was shivering or if there was anything he could tease him for. He almost paused his steps when he saw something unusual.

Kaeya could vaguely see bloodstains on the dark brown coat Diluc always wore, he frowned slightly and wondered whose blood it was. The coat was already worn out but he could see tatters and what looked like a tear, nothing that had been there before. To make matters worse, Diluc's skin looked deathily pale, Kaeya would even go so far as to compare it to the fresh snow on the ground.

He pressed his lips into a thin line but didn't say anything. He didn't have any right to express his concerns, he'd lost that privilege long ago.

A few minutes passed, both of them still enveloped in silence when they reached the clearing's entrance. Diluc walked in front of Kaeya without looking back. "Help me or don't. It makes no difference to me."