#this event is fan service-y as all hell and im living for it

[marahuyos]

Kaeya didn't think that the one time that he and his brother bonded together again was through the form of gliding off of a dragon's back on a deserted island.

Although, he guesses, this island adventure seemed to have some merit.

@gloomyyyboo pushed me this bc i have no self control when it comes to these brothers. yes ik im writing for an event rn but the new island dialogue made me soft

DONT TAG AS KA*LUC!

tw: act 3 spoilers, genshin webtoon spoilers (ig dont quote me im just assuming from the posts ive read)

Kaeya didn't think that this how his pseudo-vacation would turn out.

He could be back in Angel's Share for all he cares, or even Cat's Tail (he's not picky). A drink tastes much better when he has nothing to wake up early to next morning (or something that he's avoiding). Hell, maybe he could go to Liyue with the traveler at some point, wanting to see if their drinks are as any different as Mondstat's alcohol. Or, maybe if he's feeling sober, he can go to one of those operas that he overhears Liyue tourists talk so much about.

Being on a deserted island as a summer getaway wasn't on his list and he's honestly surprised that he didn't think of it.

The salty breeze was something Kaeya is fond of. The lapping of waves against the white sand, the sound of seagulls flapping and cawing at any fish they find, the sun that shined and made the ocean sparkle as if it were a jewel... It was this sight that offered him respite in the foreign land of Mondstat. Had it not been for the Hilichurls, this would have been the perfect island getaway.

Emphasis on would have been.

Letting out a sigh through his nose, he doesn't even need to turn around to feel the burning gaze of his brother. "Any more glaring at you might actually set me on fire."

Kaeya hears his telltale grunt before hearing sand shift behind him. "And I don't suppose that running around the beach as if nothing is going wrong is going to be of any help."

Diluc's dry humor was something Kaeya would love to joke about but not at this moment. It's not often that he finds himself being so close to home and even more so with his other home. He wasn't sure if it was the environment that made his defenses crumble a bit but he was sure that he won't be letting this opportunity go to waste.

"Oh come now, Master Diluc." Kaeya chided, turning around with his arms raised as if he was asking for a hug. "It's not often that we have the opportunity to be in a beautiful island such as this!"

"For me, maybe." Diluc says, before glaring at Kaeya. "But you have it easy."

At that, Kaeya let out a chuckle. "Well, can't get anything past you, huh?"

He then breathed in a bit of that air, the salt making his nerves alight. His toes scrunched themselves on the wet sand and he wondered when was the last time he and Diluc were together on a shoal just like this. He still remembers Crepus taking them to a beach as a vacation but who knows how old they were at that time?

(Kaeya knows. Kaeya knows all too well.)

"... You could at least join me in getting your feet wet." Kaeya mentions to him. "The ocean waters can work wonders."

"If it's not obvious to you." Diluc spat, glare hardening. "We are on a deserted island, Razor jumping ahead of us and Albedo gone who knows where. And you have the time to dip your feet?"

Kaeya scoffed. "They'll be fine. After all, it's just like old times where we used to collect seashells with father."

It was an offhand comment that Kaeya didn't pay mind to. He wasn't even trying to rile Diluc up.

But he sees Diluc stiffen in his spot and he had to pause from walking away. "Master Diluc?"

"You..." Diluc trailed off, putting his arms away from their crossed position. "You remember that time?"

That comment should have set him off. Made him angry. But Kaeya didn't deserve to feel angry after all this time.

He shrugs at him. "Always have."

For a moment, only the sounds of the waves crashing against the sand and seagulls crying were the only things present.

Then the sound of boots being taken off and pants rolling up. Then the sound of another pair of feet going in the shallow waters.

The brothers soon walked side by side, Kaeya closer to the ocean as Diluc was tentative in his steps as if he was experiencing stepping on sand for the first time. In Kaeya's thoughts, maybe it is so. The silence between them made Kaeya both squirm and relax. This... This was far too much agreement that the brothers have. And he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

"Do you remember when we used to find the prettiest seashells and give them to father?" Kaeya asked him. "I remember you falling flat on your face on the beach when you picked up one."

He was expecting a grunt but not a scoff that Diluc returns. "After that, you got crashed under a wave and started crying because you lost all of your shells."

The thrumming in his heart was too much, the pit of his stomach soon churning. How long has it been since they had a normal conversation? One without spite or tight-lipped jokes that leave one or the other too bitter? Should he even continue this conversation?

He looks at Diluc, he sees the slightly eased smile and the tension on his face seemed to ease.

Kaeya picked up a random conch shell on the sand, it's curved shape slightly slipping in his grip. "Should we do it again?"

And Kaeya never felt his heart go lighter when Diluc picks up another shell, a smile that made him look years younger.