Present Day, Mondstadt, Dragonspine
Kaeya did not dream but sometimes, in the darkness between slumber and waking, he remembered.
'Just keep moving, Alberich,' Kaeya thought, an echo of a father dragging him behind. Kaeya could still feel the ghosts of the briars ripping into feet as he stumbled after him.
The vision faint but glowing with pyro as Kaeya clutched it in bed. 'All sad things were once happy. Surely the sadness worked the same way, right?' If Diluc were there, Kaeya might have asked him. Instead he asked the vision, and as the color righted itself, finally catching fire, Kaeya pretended it was his brother talking back.
That was how the days passed for Kaeya, before Diluc's return and Albedo's entry to the knights at least. Loneliness haunted him like the tears he forgot how to shed, a drink in his hand as Kaeya listened to the bard strum tunes in the tavern he grew up in. 'It feels so familiar.'
The finger jamming itself into Kaeya's neck after infinitely more familiar. Once, Kaeya could ignore, but it happened again. And again. His recollections properly disturbed, Kaeya reluctantly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a mane of unkempt red hair.
His fingers fluttered to his eye, touching the rough leather to ensure his eyepatch was in place. Diluc smacked it away, rolling his eyes. It had only been two days since they set out for Dragonspine but their tag-team group was already pressing on his nerves.
"Your eye is fine, we've got bigger problems," Diluc said, monotone as always. He was closer to Kaeya's face than he'd been in years. His grip on Kaeya's arm felt gentle, almost caring. Kaeya had to remind himself that even if things felt different tucked away here on Dragonspine, he could imagine the ghosts of his fathers just out of sight.
Traitor, they echoed.
Kaeya blinked away the image, Diluc opening his mouth as if he wanted to say something before the crackle of a skillet caught his attention. Diluc looked almost distressed at the sound.
"What's got your ponytail in a twist," Kaeya said, pushing Diluc off but he only pulled Kaeya in closer.
"Your boyfriend made breakfast. Please go stop him." Kaeya blinked. From what he remembered, Albedo was a fine cook.
"He's not my boyfriend, bird brain. I'm sure it can't be that bad," Kaeya scoffed. "Adelinde would have your head for turning up food-"
"Spider pancakes," Diluc hissed and there was fear in his eyes. Kaeya could only laugh, because surely he heard wrong. Kaeya was sure he torched that recipe.
"I'm sure you're mistaken-"
"Long-legged spiders. He keeps talking about the crunch." Kaeya saw despair in Diluc's eyes then, true despair. He couldn't keep his lip from wobbling. Diluc, Master Ragnvindr and Dark Knight Hero extraordinaire, was terrified of spiders.
"Perhaps this is exposure therapy?" Kaeya giggled, ducking as Diluc lunged for his throat. Kaeya turned and looked at Albedo who gave him a coy smile.
'Dammit they know each other and one day I'm going to find out how,' Kaeya thought.
Kaeya had already warned Albedo several times about how no one was interested in 'Dodoco's famous arachnid pancakes' no matter how good Klee insisted they were. Albedo ignored him, insistent on making them, until far too-trusting Noelle burst into tears in Sucrose's arms after realizing just what she put in her mouth. Yes, poor, freshly traumatized Noelle had spent the better half of the week apologizing for her insult.
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Stardust
Fanfiction"I wish you wouldn't be so suicidal. It's bad for Klee." Albedo said, dragging his pencil along the sketch. Albedo ignored Kaeya's scoff, continuing on. "You needed to move on. Master was right that you were clinging to the past." "Don't tell me wha...
