Two Birds on a Wire (A Diluc and Kaeya fanfic)

Part 7

Kaeya wasn't sure what to say to Diluc as they walked to the city. Luckily, the younger boy seemed to warm up to him the longer they spent together. Archons, he forgot how chatty Diluc usd to be. He'd forgotten a lot of little details from the past, it seemed. It was almost amusing how quickly question after question left his mouth.

"So...You said Jean's the Acting Grand Master, right?! She must be super strong then!"

"Definitely. She has an anemo vision now, you know."

Diluc's face lit up at that statement, and Kaeya chuckled.

"Awesome!" the boy said, grinning. "She always hoped she'd get one. I can't wait to see it." His eyes turned to Kaeya, who was walking right by his side. Diluc stared at him for a moment, and then his mouth dropped open.

"What?" Kaeya raised an eyebrow, amused.

"You-you have a vision too! I can't believe I didn't notice it earlier! Is that a cryo vision?! No way! When did you get it? How did you get it?!"

"Woah, slow down there," Kaeya said. His smile wavered. He understood Diluc's excitement--both boys always hoped they'd each get a vision, but Diluc got his years before Kaeya would ever get his. With his memories gone, of course Diluc wouldn't remember that he had a vision now too. Naturally, he'd be excited for Kaeya, who finally got the wish he never really expected to come true.

But the circumstances of him getting his vision? That was definitely something he didn't want Diluc to find out. Not when the reason he got it was from the huge rift that started between them. The day Diluc got his pyro vision was a happy one, but the day Kaeya got his cryo vision was the worst day of his life.

"It's a...long story," Kaeya decided to say after a few stressful moments of wracking his brain for a vague enough reply. "How about we save that one for later?"

Diluc's eyebrows furrowed and his mouth twisted, but then he shrugged. "Okay." He looked a little disappointed, but it was better for both of them if that topic went unanswered for now.

This was...going to be difficult. If things were going to stay like this for a while (because Kaeya still had no idea what was going on--hopefully Lisa would know), then there was no way in all of Teyvat that Kaeya would let him find out about that day.

He knew it was only a matter of time before the topic of Crepus came up. Surely Diluc would notice that their father was nowhere in sight by the end of the day.

Oh Archons, crap, crap, crap.

What if someone in the city let it slip that Crepus was dead?! Or someone at the Winery? There was no way this was going to work. He had to think of a solution to that, and quick. He refused to ever see Diluc upset again, especially now that all of his worst memories were gone. He wouldn't let Diluc re-live that pain, he just wouldn't.

"Kae?"

The Calvary Captain's attention snapped back to Diluc with the sound of a nickname he hadn't heard in years.

"Are you okay? You looked distracted by something."

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing, don't worry."

"If you say so." A gentle breeze picked up, and several strands of Diluc's hair pushed into his face. He quickly brushed them back with his hand. "Anyway, where's Grand Master Varka then? He's gone if Jean's the Acting Grand Master, right?"

Thank goodness, Diluc decided to change the subject. "He left on an expedition about a year and a half ago and has yet to return. He took a great number of the knights with him too."

Diluc hummed and swept another strand of hair behind his ear.

"Want me to put that up for you?" Kaeya asked.

"Huh?"

"Your hair." Diluc untangled his hair a little after breakfast, but the slight breeze was blowing his curly locks every which way, so he was bound to look unkept again by the time they reached the city. "I have an extra hair tie." He always kept one on him since he tied his own long hair every day.

"Oh, um...Sure." Diluc came to a stop, and Kaeya took his extra tie off his wrist. Diluc's shoulders seemed to stiffen as Kaeya gently gathered his hair together to put in a low ponytail, but he relaxed as he twisted the band a few seconds later.

"There," Kaeya said as he gave his brother's hair one last tug to tighten the ponytail. He stepped back and placed a hand on his hip. "Better?"

Diluc nodded, looking a little sheepish. "Yeah...Thanks."

"Not a problem! We can't have your hair looking like a bird's nest when we see the Acting Grand Master, now can we?"

The kid grinned again. "Nope."