Work Text:
There was no better way to be greeted home than by a submissive Diluc kneeling on the floor. It was a beautiful sight that made Kaeya smile fondly as he closed the winery door behind him.
Diluc’s legs were folded under him, his hands resting neatly on his lap. It was a treat to see him so well-behaved, and Kaeya could feel his cock respond to such a tantalizing temptation. But what truly stole the show was a pair of beautiful crimson eyes. They were cloudy yet vacant. Showcasing that there was nothing in his head except for servicing Kaeya.
However, the way Diluc stared was as if he was looking through him, and it was a telltale sign that Kaeya needed to calm down.
Sex was not what his beloved needed.
“Welcome home, Master Kaeya.” Diluc’s voice was soft, his eyes blinking slowly.
His demeanor was quiet, and the commanding authority that he usually carried in his silence was gone. For once, he looked serene. Completely at ease.
It took a while for them to get him to a place where he could be free of control. A place where he felt comfortable giving himself to another person.
It allowed him to enjoy the solace of his mind, free from incessant thoughts. With it, however, came the fragility of that state of mind.
One he entrusted to Kaeya.
One that Kaeya cherished with all of the love and adoration that he had for his beloved.
For Diluc to put himself in that lovely headspace was courageous; not in a way where he would step into a bloodstained battle without hesitation, but in a way that allowed him to share his emotions with another. Three years away from Mondstadt, and he was able to repress his emotions, to his detriment. He was once a child that could share his emotions freely, who had a strong support system of friends and family that he could confide in. In three years he had changed, no longer confiding in others like he once did. Yet the emotions were there, building inside of him.
So Kaeya would give him all of his attention to prevent his beloved’s precious headspace from shattering.
Kaeya leaned down, stretching his hand toward Diluc.
“You have my permission to stand up, Firefly.”
Without hesitation, Diluc held his hand tenderly, rising to a standing position. So obedient. So willing. It made Kaeya’s heart flutter.
In this moment, there was only them. No ties to responsibility. No titles binding them to their duties.
Just Kaeya and Diluc.
Equally and faithfully.
Kaeya brushed his thumb along the back of Diluc’s hand, raising it to his lips to kiss the knuckles sweetly.
“How are you?” Kaeya asked, his lips grazing the rough skin.
“Tired.”
Ah. There it was. Diluc would never admit to being tired, but when he did, it was more than needing a nap.
Overworked, stressed out, pulling at the various reins of control that he held in place to maintain the unshakable winery tycoon that was Diluc Ragnvindr.
Kaeya tugged at Diluc’s hand, walking them towards the staircase.
“Let’s take a shower, and then you can rest.”
The hand intertwined with his squeezed gently, and Kaeya gave him a warm smile.
Warm water pelted onto Kaeya’s back as he stepped into the shower. He glanced at Diluc, his beloved, quiet, and docile, his head pleasantly empty as he waited for instructions.
"You can come in,” Kaeya said, offering his hand.
Once again, Diluc took it, and he stepped into the shower.
Kaeya pressed a tender kiss on Diluc’s head, his lips turning upward as Diluc leaned toward him. He was pleasantly compliant and definitely deserved being pampered. Kaeya grabbed his shampoo from the numerous bottles of beauty products laid out and began to wash Diluc’s hair. His fingers tangled into wet curls, white soap bubbles contrasting with red strands as he massaged the other’s scalp. He watched as Diluc’s body became slack, relaxing into his hold.
It was so rare to see him this relaxed.
In fact, not even their week's vacation to Fontaine helped Diluc relax from his duties. Even with the knowledge that Adelnide and Elzer were running the winery, Diluc would still have thoughts of the business running through his head. If it wasn’t the business, then it was Darknight Hero duties, the Fatui, or the Abyss. It was a mountain of responsibilities, too much for one person to shoulder alone.
But to see him sitting on the hotel bed in Fontaine, his body tense and eyes conflicted, unable to fully communicate or express his emotions. That was the moment Kaeya knew that a vacation wouldn’t help his beloved.
If a vacation wouldn't help, then what would? Diluc couldn't think about work every moment he was awake. It was not sustainable. At some point his emotions would overwhelm him, and he would combust.
But he didn’t.
It was much worse.
He burned out.
A week after they returned home from Fontaine, Diluc had broken.
A shell of his former self.
Kaeya would sacrifice himself to any god if it meant that Diluc would never look at him with those lifeless eyes, beautiful embers that would ignite with passion smothered into the haunting gaze of the dead.
Never again.
There was no way that Kaeya would—
“Master Kaeya,” a soft voice whispered, wide crimson eyes staring up at him. A hand gently touched his wrist.
Kaeya’s eyes fluttered as he returned to the present.
“Yes, Firefly.”
“May I hug you?”
The request was simple, yet impeccably timed. Diluc noticed that his thoughts had wandered. He needed to be careful, to be fully present with Diluc lest he break his beloved’s headspace.
“Yes, you may,” Kaeya said, opening his arms wide.
Toned arms wrapped around his torso as Diluc held him close and nuzzled into the crook of his neck.
In a way, they both needed this. For Diluc’s mind to be completely blank, void of all responsibilities. As for Kaeya, his mind needed to focus on the present, to stop wandering to memories of the past or problems in the future.
Kaeya returned the embrace; the scent of his lavender body wash on Diluc was a pleasant smell. He let their breaths synchronize, enjoying the feel of his beloved’s scarred skin holding him close.
They walked into the main office, purposefully avoiding the desk and approaching the couch near the window.
“Firefly, sit down,” Kaeya said softly.
With a slight nod of his head, Diluc eyed the couch, lowering himself onto his favored right side. He sank into the plush cushions, folding his hands on his lap as he waited.
Kaeya walked over to the desk, pulling open the bottom left drawer. He shuffled through the layers of papers and notebooks until his hands wrapped around a familiar hardcover book.
It was one of Diluc’s favorite romance novels from Inazuma, and one Kaeya was quite fond of as well.
He pulled the book from the drawer, walking back to Diluc and holding it out to him.
“Just read and relax, okay, Firefly?”
Diluc nodded his head as he took the book. “Thank you, Master Kaeya.”
“You’re welcome.”
Kaeya waited a few moments until he was sure that Diluc was settled and focused on only his book before making his way back to the desk. He took a seat on the plush chair, eyes scanning over the stacks of papers scattered in front of him.
It was very overwhelming to look at. He flipped through a few pages, identifying which ones were a higher priority. Though the stacks looked intimidating, they were at least organized. He grabbed the fountain pen from its inkwell, prepared to get through as many pages as he could.
It took some time, but he was able to get through the first stack relatively quickly. He set the last page of the first stack to the side, his gaze darting to Diluc.
His beloved sat on the couch with a small smile on his face as he flipped through the pages of his book. His hair was still damp, sticking to his forehead, and he wore a fluffy white and black robe with matching slippers—chosen by Kaeya himself. He was spoiled and pampered, without a single worry in that pretty head of his.
As it should be.
Kaeya focused his attention back on the papers, grabbing a page from the second stack. He skimmed through its contents, intrigued when he stumbled upon a few sentences about the Fatui. However, his attention was drawn to a knock on the door.
“Master Diluc, may I come in?” Adelinde’s voice called out.
“Of course, Adelinde,” Kaeya said.
The door creaked open, and Adelinde walked in, holding a file in her hand.
“Thank you, Master Kaeya.”
She opened the file, turning to Diluc.
“Master Diluc, there is an incident that requires your immediate attention…”
Kaeya’s eye darted to Diluc, his heart stilling as he noticed the cloudy fog in crimson orbs begin to dissipate, clarity returning.
He stood up from his chair, cutting Adelinde off.
“Adelinde, tell Elzer to take care of it.”
There was a beat of silence as Adelinde looked at him in confusion, but her emerald eyes soon gleamed with understanding. Her voice was cordial as she fell into a familiar routine.
“Of course, Master Kaeya. May I ask what you and Master Diluc would like for dinner?”
“Absolutely.”
His gaze flickered over to Diluc, and he let out a soft sigh as he watched the cloudy fog return.
“Pile ‘Em Up would be lovely for tonight,” Kaeya said. “Though a Satisfying Salad would be necessary to balance it out.”
At the mention of vegetables, Diluc averted his gaze to the floor, but he did not protest further.
Adelinde clutched the folder in her hands tightly, giving Kaeya a small bow. “I will have it ready for you in the next hour.”
“Thank you.”
She left the room briskly, closing the door behind her.
With careful steps, Kaeya rounded the desk, walking toward Diluc. His beloved’s breaths had begun to even out, his eyes staring blankly at Kaeya. Though it seemed like Diluc had returned to his submissive trance, Kaeya was unwilling to rush him. The vulnerable space that Diluc had allowed himself to share had cracked, if only for a moment. Kaeya needed to be careful. He would not let Diluc fall out of this fragile state of mind. For both of their sakes.
Kaeya stood close to Diluc, making sure that his presence encompassed him fully. He would not let his beloved’s attention stray from him. Not at a delicate time like this.
“Firefly, lie on the couch and rest. I’ll wake you when dinner is ready.”
The words were quiet, but the underlying command was heavy between them. Diluc gazed up at him with glassy doe eyes, nodding his head as he placed his book on the table beside him. He shuffled onto his side, curling into himself as he rested a hand near his mouth. His eyes fell shut as he nuzzled into a pillow.
Curled on the couch in such a delicate state was one of the most honest versions of Diluc that Kaeya could ever ask to see. The responsibility of witnessing it, of caring for him in this moment, of having his beloved trust him so completely—it was beautiful.
So beautiful that it hurt.
Kaeya brushed the back of his fingers down Diluc’s cheek, admiring the way his beloved rested without a wrinkle on his face. At ease and very angelic.
After the night they fought, he thought that the trust between them had been broken, irreparably so. But to have Diluc offer himself so freely, even with their fractured history…
It meant the world.
Everything that Kaeya had loved in life had been stripped from him at one point or another.
It became routine. Expected. His family, before Mondstadt, was taken from him in a single night. His family, with the Ragnvindrs, was torn away another night.
Anything he claimed to have, that he worked so hard to build for himself over the last few years, could be gone tomorrow.
It was a constant dread that weighed on him heavily. One he was used to, but no less painful.
Every day he struggled to balance on a tightrope of his fate, waiting to fall off into a never-ending starry abyss.
He would fight to cross to the other side, but a sword in his hand could never compete with the story of his life etched unalterably into the night sky.
He had no control of what direction his life would take.
But with Diluc, he had control. Something expected, reliable, and tangible. Something to call his own, to keep him tied to the present.
This type of play was so precious to him. It not only forced him to stay in the present and stop worrying about his fate, but it also allowed him to have control over one thing in his life. Control that Diluc could willingly take back at any point. Control that, even now, Kaeya expected him to take back.
It never happened.
Diluc not only offered his love and trust to Kaeya, he offered his entire self.
Being given trust over his body was one thing, but holding his beloved’s life in his hands was far more intimate. The emotional vulnerability shown in these moments made Kaeya feel more connected to Diluc than any of their sexual encounters.
It was moments like these, when they were fully clothed and emotionally available to one another, that they were at their most bare and vulnerable.