Worlds Apart [Diluc x Kaeya]

Chapter III- After the storm

Posting the chapter earlier cuz I have to get up early for school~~

The plot rn is sort of just a story I have in my head that I always looked for but is never written in a form that satisfies me so I just wrote it myself xDD

>;3

-晨光^^

Previously...

"Well, if you learn anything at all, make sure to keep me updated." He nodded at the bartender. "Have a good one, Diluc."

      "KNIGHTS! SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP!"

      A loud scream could be heard, piercing through the night. Without a backward glare, Diluc sprinted towards the voice, with Huffman at his tail. He arrived earlier than the Knight, eyeing the small woman wearily.

      "H-Huffman, reporting to duty!" He huffed, drained from the short run. He made his way to the woman, checking her for injuries.

      "What seems to be the problem, ma'am? You seem to be in distress."

      "H-Hilichurls, b-big ones!" She raised her hands in terror, gesturing at the darkened field outside of the gates.

      "Where? I shall take note of it at once!" Huffman demanded.

      "D-Dead, but BIG." She shuddered, shrinking down along the walls, whimpering. "N-Near Wolvendon."

      He froze.

      "T-That's where Captain Kaeya went...to sort out the hilichurls..." He whispered.

      Diluc's eyes widened in shock.

      "Diluc, can you go check the place out? This poor woman is in quite the state, I think I can calm her down and get her to tell me more." He bit his lips worriedly. "I don't expect you to do anything...just take a look around."

      "Of course. I own the Knights a great deal, after all." Diluc tried to keep his voice cool and unbothered, but silently clutched his hands into fists.

      Before Huffman could reply, the bartender took off into the night, away from the warm lighting of the city and into the dark night. It had begun to drizzle sightly at this hour, but he was so fueled by adrenaline that he barely felt the cold droplets staining his white shirt.

      Please. Kaeya.

      He muttered a silent prayer underneath his breath, although he wasn't a religious man himself. He often laughed at the so-called 'God' of Barbatos, the fool of a King who left the town into ruins and relied on the worst so-called 'Knights of Favonius' to rebuild it. Pathetic.

      He chuckled darkly.

      Within minutes, he arrived. Barely noticing the piercing pain in his limbs, he set out to look in the forest.

      How could it be, he thought, that the forest once looked so friendly & welcoming in the morning?

      The usual bright stars falter under the rain, which progressively gets more aggressive as time goes on. Swam-feisted fireflies in the forest were also gone, replaced with the low, annoying humming of insects. It was a dark night, and Diluc could barely see the step in front of him. However, he pushed on.

      Despite forgetting to put on his black coat when leaving and scraping his hands and knees on thrones and tree branches, he didn't complain nor make a sound (except when he stubbed his toe on a tree stem then he swore so loud he woke the whole forest up :,)), but focused on his mission.

      Finally, in the midst of the nights, the damp air smell turned...revolting. He cringed away as reflexes, then carefully sniffed the air.

      Blood.

      His grip tightened.

      He continued on, in a more hurried pace now. His eyes finally adjusted, and he can dimly see the bloodied bodies of the hilichurls. That didn't bother him as much, but what got his attention was the frozen wounds on the monsters, clear proof of a Cryo user.

      Following the short trail of bodies, he eyed the insanely large Mitachurl with caution.

      Next to the blackened beast, was a hand. Long and slender, the fingers were extremely pale and cold, wet with the rain.

      Diluc gasped.

      The once handsome Captain was nowhere to be found, but a broken body lying in the mud field. He stumbled to him, cradling his head in his arms. Multiple gashes were spread out on his body, a particularly nasty one still leaking blood on his forehead. His eyelids were fluttering, eyebrows pinched together as if he's having a nightmare. His chest was barely moving as he made quiet wheezing sounds, trying to breathe. Despite the cold rain, the rest of his body was burning up. Diluc gently squeezed his hand and got a weak response in return.

      He almost fainted with relief.

      "Come on Captain Kaeya. You can get through this.." He mutters, slowly pushing Kaeya into a sitting position. The rain slouches around them, and the Captain's head droops sideways unnaturally, his cheeks pressing against Diluc's chest.

      "One..." He pushed Kaeya away. "Two..." He flexed his arms, warming up. "Three!" He lifts Kaeya up from the ground with a huff, touching his lips to his forehead.

      He was surprisingly light, and Diluc's hands tightened on his thin waist. He felt like a fragile flower or a thin piece of paper that could easily be destroyed by a harsh blow of wind.

      As Diluc lifted Kaeya in a bridal position, he began running back to Mondstadt, biting his lips so hard that it bleeds.

      What a sight it must have been, a tattered man holding a weaker one in its arm, both filled with cuts and bruises as far as the eye could see, sprinting in the rain like crazy. Kaeya's arm dangled lifelessly in his grasp, but his occasional groans could now be heard, as his body began to warm up.

      "Kaeya you big idiot. You big, fucking, dummy." Diluc growled, noticing his stirring.

      He blinked.

      "D-Diluc?" He croaked, raising his arm as if he wanted to touch something imaginary.

      "Save your energy, we're almost there."

      His arm falls back onto his lap, and his vision wobbles, fuzzy with sleep.

      The last thing he remembered was the wave of emotion that took over him, so happy to be there with him.

      One last time?