Chapter Text
His choice had been quite simple when he was faced with the flutter of papers thrown at his face by Jean in frustration with another one of his many screw ups.
It had been quite simple when he had his drink snatched away from him, told to get lost by a red man he no longer knew like he used to.
It had been really simple when he saw the looks of disapproval. The whispers of disdain and a lack of belief that clinged to him like dirt under fingernails.
It was the most simple when the aching in his chest refused to go away, when he walked home and opened the door to be met with not any company, but rather the overwhelming urge to disappear as he stared at the empty cavern in front of him.
Nothing had been more simple than the moment he peeled back the layer of foil covering the pack of sleeping pills, popping them one by one into his hand, before downing all of them dry.
As the sleeping pills combined with the alcohol in his system, exhaustion overtook him, and he didn’t bother to crawl into bed as he knew sleep would come anyways.
When he awoke, he was standing at Mondstadt’s gate. The scenery was hazy and reminiscent of watercolors, tranquil and vibrant upon a white paper.
Across the bridge however, laid not the path that led to Windrise, but rather, the familiar winding path that passed through grapevines and met with the Winery in the horizon.
Standing in the middle of the bridge was a man Kaeya had not physically seen in nearly a decade, but he remained constantly present in his memories that plagued him ever so much. The first Ragnvindr in his life that left.
“Fath—!” He bit his tongue. No, he couldn’t say it anymore. He didn’t deserve to use that word in front of the man himself after what he had done.
Crepus Ragnvindr gestured for him to come to him, opening his arms. And for a second— just a second, Kaeya was a boy with scuffed knees and grape-stained sleeves who would run into his Father’s arms after a day of playing with the crystalflies in the orchards.
But that second passed, and again Kaeya became the man with bruised knees and blood-stained sleeves who had nobody to run towards after years of drinking his guilt away.
So he walked. With slow and hesitant strides, he reached the middle, and it was Crepus who pulled him into the embrace. Kaeya couldn’t find it within himself to lift his arms up and reciprocate.
When Crepus finally let go, Kaeya rubbed a few tears away from his eye.
“It seems like I’m always destined to be on the middle of a bridge.”
Crepus frowned at that, brushing a few strands of hair away from Kaeya’s forehead. When the action made Kaeya’s face crumple as sobs tore from his throat, he pulled him back into his arms, carefully rocking the two of them together as he did many years ago. It didn’t matter that they had been separated by death or that Kaeya had grown up, because he would always be his child, the baby of the family that demanded nothing but deserved everything.
Kaeya held back this time, gripping onto his Father’s shirt as he cried. All the pain and loneliness he had buried deep inside himself came to light in front of the one person who he didn’t have to pretend for anymore.
And maybe, just maybe, the fact that he hadn’t been hugged in years is what broke him.
He sobbed ugly, with hitching breaths and red puffy eyes and keening cries and voice cracks every time he tried to utter a word. The type of crying he knew would break his Father’s heart the same way his own heart was already broken.
“Dad,” he cried. “I messed up.”
“It’s alright.” Crepus soothed, pressing a kiss onto Kaeya’s head.
“No you don’t understand— I hid something terrible from you and ‘Luc for so long and then I told him and I ruined everything and I just— ever since that day I keep failing and failing and becoming worse and worse and I didn’t know what to do anymore so I took those sleeping pills and I…”
“It’s not your fault. It never was.” His father said, shaky fingers stroking Kaeya’s back. “You were just a child, and that man put so much on your shoulders and abandoned you. You didn’t do anything wrong. You were just a child who wanted and deserved love like any other.”
“It’s my fault for hiding it.”
“You were scared. It’s understandable that you didn’t tell anyone.”
‘Scared.’ Kaeya thought, resisting the urge to laugh bitterly at the thought. Right. He had been scared back then.
Why had he been so scared? It was so stupid. He hadn’t known that the reality he faced everyday was far more scary than that pathetic secret. Having no real friends or family was the scariest thing to face. Going home everyday to an empty house— that was scary. The thoughts and nightmares that continued to plague him every night, those were truly scary.
And to think his initial fear of telling the truth caused this. Maybe if he had just come clean sooner, when father was alive maybe, things would be different. Or maybe, just maybe, if he had stayed a coward and taken it to the grave, things would be fine.
But he had done neither, so here he was.
“Diluc doesn’t seem to think that.” He mumbled.
“Hm?” Crepus asked.
“Diluc doesn’t think it’s understandable. He hates me because of it.” Justifiably.
“He doesn’t hate you. He never could. He doesn’t have the heart to hate anyone, let alone you.”
“Maybe that used to be true, but things have changed. You haven’t seen what happened after—“
“I know I haven’t seen it for myself, but I can understand what happened. It was poor timing on your part and a poor reaction on his part, but that doesn’t mean either of you deserve this. You don’t deserve to live the rest of your life in solitude and misery as some form of penance, and he doesn’t deserve to push you away out of regret.”
He took a breath as he choked. “Rather— I deserve the suffering you boys have been through. Everything is my fault. I’m the one who hid the delusion and my mistakes cost me not only my life but it stole the light from your lives and that— that is something I’ll never be able to forgive myself for.”
“Father…” Kaeya started speaking, before trailing off. He didn’t know what to say. If he were a better son, like Diluc, he might have comforted his Father and told him that wasn’t true, but he wasn’t. He had thought the same things many times during cold and angry nights when he was breaking down and needed someone to blame.
He took a deep breath, unclenching his fist that he hadn’t even realized was clenched in the first place. There was no point in agonizing and blaming himself or either of his fathers. Not anymore.
“...Where are we?” he asked, wiping his eyes. “The afterlife?”
Crepus paused, shaking his head sheepishly. “Sort of. It’s complicated.”
“Well?”
“This is, quite literally, the bridge between life and death, my boy.” Crepus chuckled weakly.
“So— am I actually dead?” Kaeya asked, a bit confused.
“No, you aren’t.” Crepus shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Not yet? I’m sorry, I’m still confused.”
“Kaeya,” Crepus placed his hands on Kaeya’s shoulders. “I hate to do this to you, but the reason you’re here right now is because you have to make a big choice.”
Kaeya remained silent, continuing to listen.
“As of right now, from what I’ve been informed by—” he sighed, “—Barbatos, you’ve been in a coma for two months in the living world. Essentially meaning that you’ve been half dead to the world for a while.” He paused, swallowing thickly. “Now, you must choose whether you want to live or die. If you cross the bridge towards the winery, you’ll die, and you will be able to stay with me in the afterlife. If you cross the bridge back to Mond, you’ll wake up from your coma and continue your life.”
Kaeya stood there, speechless. His hands trembled ever so slightly.
He had to choose?
Why? Why him? Why was he always faced with such impossible questions of picking opposite sides?
He closed his eyes tightly, before opening them again and looking at his Father.
“Haven’t I already chosen? I mean, I took those pills for a reason. Why must I choose again? How is that fair?”
“Kaeya, that’s— it just doesn’t work like that.” His father replied, pained.
“Why not?” He asked.
“You— you weren’t in the right state of mind when you did that. Your soul was extremely damaged, hence why it took you two months to even get to this point. Your soul was repairing itself during that time.” Crepus said stiffly, unhappy with the current situation.
“…I understand, but how am I supposed to—“ He stopped, hands falling flat at his sides.
How was he supposed to choose?
His lip quivered, in that pathetic childish way it always did when he was overcome with the urge to cry.
Crepus’s eyes softened as he looked at his son. He slowly sat on the ground, back against the railing of the bridge, and he patted the space next to him.
“Come, sit down.” He smiled. “Let’s talk for a bit first. You don’t have to choose right this second. We can stay on this bridge as long as you need.”
Kaeya sat down next to him, crossing his legs.
“What did you want to talk about?” He asked, giving a lopsided awkward smile.
“To start off, let’s talk about you. You’ve grown up so much since…” he trailed off. “You’ve gotten so tall.”
Kaeya chuckled awkwardly.
“What have you been up to lately?”
“Well… I am the Cavalry Captain now, but it’s only because Diluc quit and they needed a quick replacement.” He shrugged sheepishly.
Crepus hummed. Kaeya stared at him, a bit baffled. He imagined that if Crepus had been alive he would be disappointed to hear that Diluc had ended up leaving the Knights. Kaeya had even thought many times about how Crepus would think that he was a parasite, stealing Diluc’s place, had he been alive.
“And? Anything else?” Crepus asked calmly.
“Well, Diluc manages the winery now and he’s pretty good at it. He’s doing well, by the way, in case you were wondering. He hates drinking himself, but he’s really good at making drinks, so business goes well even if he’s behind the counter… He’s still a bit reckless though, and he keeps doing midnight vigilante work— but he has people that help him out and he never puts himself in too much danger, thankfully.” Kaeya smiled lightly.
“I see. That’s lovely to hear, but I was asking about you, Kaeya. Not about Diluc.”
“Oh.” He paused.
He had thought that Crepus would only want to hear about his “real” son, so he had just started rambling in an attempt to make him happy.
“…Me, huh?” He sighed, staring at the rocks on the bridge while playing with his fingers. “I’m alright. I don’t really have anything special to say about myself.”
“That’s alright, Kaeya. You don’t have to tell me about anything special, I just want to know what’s been going on in your life, my son.”
“My life… It’s… complicated.” He took a breath. “I mean, outwardly, I guess I’m doing okay. I have a good job, a house— I’m financially stable, and rather well off, and I did it without any of my inheritance, so at least I’m successfully able to be independent? Some people like me well enough, and I do have friends, but we aren’t really that close. We drink together sometimes.” He smiled a little. “…I guess I drink a little too much though. I try not to, but it makes me feel better, I suppose. Not being able to think about things too much.”
“Why? What are you trying to avoid thinking about?” Crepus asked.
“My life— or rather, what I’ve done to it.” He answered. “It’s hard to not feel miserable more often than not. It feels like I had everything I could have ever wanted, and now it’s all gone, and that… sometimes it’s too painful of a reality for me to face. So I drink that way I don’t have to.”
“Kaeya—”
“I know it must be disappointing for you to hear this from me. I’m sorry.” Kaeya cut him off, avoiding eye contact.
“I’m not disappointed in you, Kaeya.” Crepus stated firmly, staring at Kaeya with blazing certainty in his eyes— meaning he was serious about every word he said…
“Shouldn’t you be?” Kaeya asked quietly. That determination, that faith Crepus had in him was something Kaeya felt he didn’t deserve to accept.
He looked at Kaeya, until Kaeya finally looked back, and shook his head. “No. You’ve never once disappointed me.”
“Do you resent me?” He asked. “Do you hate me for everything that happened with ‘Luc?”
Crepus sighed shakily, leaning over and pulling Kaeya into a hug.
“What nonsense.” He lightheartedly chuckled, wiping away a stray tear from his eyes. “How could I ever hate you?”
“…”
Kaeya fought the urge to cry pathetically.
“I think— I think I’ve made my choice, Father.”
And he truly had. If he could be loved, and wanted, and happy once again— the choice was quite simple. After years of being a worn down and bruised soul, it was quite simple for him to desperately stick to the feeling of being loved despite who he is.
…
It was really simple when Kaeya slowly stood up, dusting his knees and giving his father a hand.
It was the most simple decision he had ever made in his life, he thought, telling his father that he would cross the bridge with him, towards the side of death.
Crepus seemed a little sad about his choice, but he forced a smile, showing his support in whatever Kaeya decided.
So the two of them walked, and Crepus crossed over the bridge to the other side.
And truly, as Kaeya crossed the halfway point of the bridge, nothing else could have been as simple of a choice.
.
.
.
Until he heard a scream. A scream which was coated in deep grief and desperation.
As he looked back towards the bridge, which was slowly beginning to crumble, he heard it.
Kaeya.
Please don’t leave me.
I’m begging you.
You can’t die on me, not like this.
Please Barbatos, please do something.
Don’t take my little brother away.
He could hear it clearly— the sound of someone desperately trying to latch onto a miracle. The sound of Diluc desperately pleading for anyone or anything to save Kaeya.
He could feel the hands roughly shaking him in the real world, trying to make him wake up before it was too late. He could feel the trembling hand squeezing his own limp hand tightly, along with tears splattering onto his face.
And in an instant, everything was quiet again, except for the quiet sound of the bridge crumbling apart, brick by brick neatly falling into the endless sky below.
He looked at his father, and looked at the bridge again, and suddenly, things didn’t seem as simple anymore.
He took a step back, turning around and seeing a sizable gap between the two parts of the bridge.
He ran a little bit, jumping and landing on the bridge, scraping his knees and hands against the stones.
“Father, I’m sorry, but I changed my mind.” He said quickly, huffing as he stood up, smiling tearfully at Crepus.
Crepus smiled back, genuinely at peace, as he wiped tears away from his face.
The bridge began to crumble more rapidly.
“Take care of yourself!” He shouted. “I’ll always be with you, Kaeya!”
Kaeya laughed a bit, before shouting back and waving, “I’ll see you next time, father!”
And just like that, the bridge collapsed.
Kaeya’s eyes shot open as he immediately sat up, extremely disoriented. The world was spinning as he glanced around, piecing together where he was in fragments of glances.
He felt sick. Really, really sick.
He was in the Cathedral, in the critical care unit— that much he could barely make out, as people began to swarm him.
He could feel someone putting a needle in his arm, as someone else monitored his heartbeat. Someone stuck a bucket over his lap, and he promptly threw up whatever limited amount of fluids were already in his body, along with some blood.
His vision was blurry with black spots, but he could make out Diluc who seemed to be frantically asking the doctor questions.
His vision blurred again, and a sharp piercing pain struck his chest. He winced, and weakness overtook him as he struggled to keep himself sitting upright. Someone leaned him back against the pillow, but instructed him not to sleep in a muffled voice as they stuck something else into his arm.
The swaying shapes in his vision became too disorienting, and Kaeya closed his eyes. Someone promptly started tapping him on the face and neck with two fingers, telling him not to sleep.
It was then that he managed to just barely find his voice.
“Not sleep… ev’rything blurry… hurts… to keep… open.”
The weakness he could audibly hear in his voice, as well as the way he struggled to even speak was surprising.
His brain was thinking fine, but his body and senses wouldn’t cooperate with him.
He could hear Diluc’s muffled voice, panicked and constantly asking frantic questions. He wanted to reassure him, but he didn’t have the strength.
It was then that he felt that Diluc was holding his hand, so he lightly squeezed.
“Kaeya? What’s wrong—?! Does something hurt—?!”
“‘Luc, I'm fine. Don’t— cry,” he said weakly, just barely opening his eyes as he looked at his brother.
That didn’t seem to work, as Diluc only started shaking him roughly, shouting his name, as more hands began to grab onto him.
“I’m… fine…” he said, quieter than he intended. He gently stroked Diluc’s hand again, eyes closing for just a second.
“Kaeya—! Stay with me! Kaeya, come on!”
‘But I’m right here..?’ He thought, listening to the people begging him to stay.
“Hey—! Don’t fall asleep!” He could feel someone, most likely a doctor rapidly trying to wake him up.
‘I’m not asleep…’ he thought. ‘My eyes are just closed.’
“Listen to me! Kaeya, please, wake up!!”
‘But I am listening… I am awake.’
He could feel himself being laid down properly on the bed as hands began to pump on his chest.
“One, two, three, four—!”
The numbers suddenly skipped forward.
“Twenty-nine, thirty—!”
Then there were lips on his lips, pushing air into his lungs. And then some more counting. Then more lips— then some more muffled counting— and then there was nothing.
.
.
.
The next time he opened his eyes, it was gradually. He slowly sat up in bed, rubbing them, before coughing weakly into his elbow. Somebody gently sat him up and handed him a small glass of water, urging him to drink it slowly. He slowly looked around the room, processing where he was.
“Your condition finally stabilized last night, so it was only a matter of time before you woke up.” The— presumably— doctor, spoke. He put on his gloves, before coming closer to Kaeya.
He began to touch Kaeya’s arms, squeezing them gently. It was then Kaeya realized he had multiple IVs stuck into his skin.
“Your muscle density looks good, considering you were in a coma for two months. Obviously, you’ve lost muscle, but not enough to keep you paralyzed. Your brother has been taking great care of you.”
“I was in a coma for two months?”
“Oh, forgive me. I forgot to explain things to you.” The doctor shook his head. “Unfortunately, you were. You had an overdose of sleeping pills, paired with a significant amount of alcohol in your bloodstream. You were found unconscious in your bedroom approximately three days afterwards, and brought here, where we determined you were comatose.” He carefully touched Kaeya’s legs. “You were in that state for two months, but yesterday evening you suddenly woke up. Your heart overloaded, and you essentially had a heart attack. However it was something we were able to manage, and now you are stable.”
“Oh… I see.” Kaeya replied, quietly.
The doctor touched his neck. When Kaeya looked at him in confusion, he chuckled.
“Typically, coma patients— especially ones who have been in long term comas like yourself— lose a significant amount of their muscle due to inactivity.” He explained. “That leaves them paralyzed even after they wake up, however, in your case, your brother has been coming here every day to essentially give you basic physical therapy, by massaging and moving your body.” He smiled. “I was skeptical about how long he’d be able to keep it up, since he needed to give up fifteen minutes every hour for at least 12-16 hours a day— especially considering how busy Master Diluc of all people is, but he managed.” He mused. “Anyways, that means that you should be able to walk, even if it’s only— let’s say, up and down the stairs.”
“That’s it?” Kaeya asked, struggling to understand everything.
It was hard enough to fathom Diluc stopping by, every hour nonetheless, and carefully checking and making sure Kaeya’s body would be in good condition.
It was even harder to fathom how weak he was.
“That’s quite a lot for someone in your condition. You can still make your way around your house, albeit slowly, so don’t be too upset about it. You’ll get better with consistent physical therapy.”
“…I understand.” Kaeya said quietly.
“Well then,” the doctor clapped, smiling politely. “You sit tight and I’ll go read your reports. If everything looks normal you can be discharged by evening. I’ll come back and let you know.”
The door clicked shut and Kaeya stared out the window, looking at the clouds and greenery around.
He could remember his conversation with his father, but everything honestly seemed like a dream.
He stared at the blue sky before looking back at his palms.
His choice…
Suddenly, the door opened, but this time it wasn’t the doctor.
Kaeya watched Diluc as he entered the room, coming straight to his bed.
He looked… different. His hair was frizzy, his eyes had deep black circles under them, and he looked like there was exhaustion sunken deep into his bones.
“Kaeya?” He asked, looking over him with an unreadable expression.
“Yes?” He answered.
“How are you feeling?” He asked cautiously, eyes holding back a flicker of something that had seemed to be dead. Perhaps hope? Joy? Relief?
“I’m okay. Tired, but I think I’m fine.” Kaeya answered, smiling pleasantly.
It seemed that was what did Diluc in as he fell to the side of Kaeya’s bed, immediately squeezing him in a hug. He was careful to not hold him too tightly, but his hands shook as he buried his face in Kaeya’s shoulder and cried.
“I love you so much,” He cried, gently caressing Kaeya’s hair with his right hand as the other continued to hold his back. “I was so scared, Kaeya.” His whole body tremored. “Two months. It was two months you were gone and you—“ he choked, “You nearly died, Kaeya— I almost lost you!”
Kaeya carefully placed a hand on Diluc’s back, patting it slowly.
Diluc lifted his head to look at Kaeya, eyes bloodshot, and his face crumbled again as he looked into Kaeya’s eyes. His head fell forward as he cried in stuttering breaths. He tenderly grabbed Kaeya’s other hand and pressed a shaky kiss to his knuckles.
Kaeya’s own eyes welled up with tears at the action, and he continued to reassure Diluc.
“I’m sorry, Kaeya.” Diluc choked. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know that you would be pushed to do something like— like that.” He apologized, breath hitching. “I should have been kinder to you, I shouldn’t have said so many cruel things to you. I shouldn’t have taken you for granted.” He swallowed, guilt encompassing him. “It shouldn’t have taken you being in a coma for me to finally realize just how much I allowed bitterness and regret to taint our relationship. I’m so sorry.”
“…It’s okay. I could say the same thing. It’s not like I was the perfect brother. I failed you so many times, and you don’t need to forget the pain I caused you just because I ended up like this.” He gestured to himself. “You don’t have to stop hating me just because you pity me.”
Diluc looked at him, wiping his eyes.
“Hate you?” He asked, bewildered. “Do you really think I hate you?”
“…I—“
He remembered what his father said.
He doesn’t hate you. He doesn’t have the heart to hate anyone, let alone you.
And truly, it made sense. Would someone who hated him feel so remorseful and distressed over his condition? Would they take so much time out of their precious day just to help treat him?
Maybe their relationship was sharp and jagged at times, and a big mess, but there was no hatred to be seen.
He looked at Diluc and smiled.
“No, I don’t.”
It had been a couple of days since Kaeya had woken up. He had been recovering at the winery since he had been discharged.
The fresh air, lively atmosphere, and company was sure to make him get better faster.
Countless people had stopped by to see him. Jean, Lisa, Rosaria— hell, even Lumine, who came back especially to see him.
He had countless flowers, stuffed animals, and gifts lying on his nightstand. So many people wanted him to get better soon.
So he was trying his hardest. He pushed himself in physical therapy, pushed himself mentally, and he did it with a smile on his face. Not because he was pretending, but because he was attempting to be better.
…
He hadn’t told Diluc about Father. He didn’t know how to bring it up, nor how he’d react— but maybe he would someday.
Speaking of his Father— one day, after physical therapy at the Cathedral, he went to visit his grave. He hadn’t taken any of the nurses with him, so it had been a struggle to make it that far. By the time he had got there, it had begun to drizzle.
His legs had been exhausted, so he fell sat down on the cobblestone. The rain dripped down his face.
“You know, maybe being on a bridge isn’t so bad.” He murmured, talking to the grave. “I think by being on it, I finally got the chance to choose something for myself.”
Normally when he visited, he’d bring a bottle and “share” it with Crepus, but today he had nothing.
“I suppose I should have brought flowers.” He mused apologetically.
“But anyways… I think I made the right choice. Thank you for letting me make one to begin with. You didn’t pressure me to pick one over the other.”
…
“I don’t know what made me choose to live. I still don’t. Was it you? Diluc? My innermost hidden desire to keep living?” He questioned. “I wish I did. Maybe then I’d know…” he trailed off, “…I’d know where I want to go from here. Right now, I’m honestly really lost.”
He smiled wistfully.
“…I think— I might quit my job. I don’t think I’m cut out to be Cavalry Captain, or a Knight anymore for that matter. I did my job well, I suppose, and for a while I might have liked it, but… I don’t think I have the heart for it anymore.” He wiped his eyes. “I’m sorry if that disappoints you. It makes me sad to think about leaving, but I also believe I should choose something for myself for once. I didn’t choose to be a spy, and I only really just followed in Diluc’s footsteps— doing what Varka and the other higher ups wanted me to do. So I think that— if I’m going to live a new life, in order to live one that is worthwhile, I’m going to leave and try to do something that I— not anyone else— want.”
He paused.
“Thank you for listening to me, Father.”
The drizzling began to slow down, eventually stopping.
He sat silently for a while, until he heard the sound of boots against the ground. He turned around and smiled.
“So this is where you were.”
“I just needed some air.” He explained.
“So you decided to get soaked in the rain.” Diluc stated, shaking his head.
“It was drizzling.”
“Same thing.”
“…Why’d you come here?” Diluc asked.
“I wanted to talk to Father. You?”
“I was looking for you. Rosaria told me she saw you sneaking off over here.”
“‘Sneaking off’ is a strong way to put it. I just left without telling anyone.”
“The nurses were worried when they couldn’t find you after therapy.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Kaeya replied sheepishly.
“It’s alright.” Diluc nodded. He paused, before sitting down next to Kaeya.
“Your clothes are going to get dirty.” Kaeya stated.
“It’s fine. Speak for yourself.”
“Do we have to go back home now?” Kaeya asked.
“We have time. Don’t worry. The carriage isn’t going anywhere.”
“It’s okay. I was done anyway. Unless you have something you want to say to Father.
“…I heard you.” Diluc said, looking between Kaeya and the grave. “At least, the part about you quitting the Knights. I don’t think Father would be disappointed in you.”
“You think so?”
“Knowing him, I think he’d just tell you to do what makes you happy. He did push his dreams onto us, but at the end of the day, he always wanted the best for us.”
“…Yeah.” Kaeya paused. “You know, I don’t think he’d be disappointed that you left either. I think he’d be proud of you, if he were here.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think he’d ever be proud of me, after everything I’ve done.”
“Father wanted you to be a knight not just because of pride and glory. The biggest reason he wanted that was because of values. And you have always upheld your values, no matter what. It’s why you left in the first place.”
“Values…” Diluc chuckled a bit bitterly. “I’m surprised you think that. I lost sight of my values for a long time.” He said, looking at Kaeya.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Kaeya asked, clueless.
“It’s nothing.” Diluc replied, dusting off his knees and standing up. “Let’s go back.” He said.
When Kaeya struggled to get up, Diluc leaned down, offering a hand. “Do you need me to carry you?”
“Just help me walk.” Kaeya muttered, embarrassed.
“Okay.” Diluc smiled ever so slightly. “If you get tired let me know.”
“Okay. The carriage is by the city’s gate, right?”
“Yes.”
Kaeya nodded, standing up and walking with Diluc’s support, until they reached the stairs.
“…”
Diluc wordlessly kneeled down for Kaeya to climb onto his back.
.
.
.
“What idiot designed this city with so many stairs? This is really poor planning. The Cathedral is the last place that should be so high up.”
Diluc laughed, hefting Kaeya up.
“I’m serious! Imagine how many injured and sick people struggle with these stairs! I think I’ll write a petition to Jean to have Klee flatten the stairs into a ramp.”
.
.
.
“Stop laughing at me!”
.
.
.
[The end]