Chapter Text
He realizes something is amiss after he hears about Jean taking a leave of absence.
For all the incompetence of the Knights, Diluc knows that Jean hardly rests; he can’t remember the last time she had taken a day off, much less a week. There’s hardly anything that can tear that woman away from her work, however misguided or meaningless he finds it to be. Her taking time off like this is unprecedented.
The way he finds out why is a coincidence, of all things. After closing up the tavern with Charles, just as Diluc is about to go home, he feels the bitter bite of cryo against his skin, a sharp tang of frost sweeping across his arm. He puts a hand to his side, feeling for his vision, revelling in its comforting warmth, the comfort of power, before running towards the wisps of frost gathering.
He hears it before he sees anything. When he turns the corner into the alleyway behind the bar, the sounds of voices begin to become clear. He pauses.
“Please,” Jean’s voice is unmistakable. “Let me help, Kaeya! We’re not here to hurt you!”
Silence. Then, Diluc becomes aware of long, shuddery gasps, from the back of the alley.
“Jean.” Another voice spoke gently. Was that the librarian? Lisa? “I don’t think he can hear us right now.”
“But what else can I do ?” Jean frets. Her worry is clear simply just from her voice.
“You might not want to hear this.” A pause. “But maybe we should give him a moment.”
“And leave him?”
Lisa turns to look at Jean, distaste obvious on her face. “Gods, obviously not that. Leaving him here sounds like the most irresponsible thing I’ve heard in a while." She sighs. "But … I don’t know. What we’re doing right now doesn't seem to be helping either.”
Worry settles in Diluc’s gut, urging him forward to confirm his suspicions. It was no secret to him how behind Kaeya’s mask, there was a mess of panic and anxiety that grips Kaeya’s mind and thoughts with an iron fist. And while they both had long since outgrown each other, he couldn’t help but strain his ears in hope for a hint of Kaeya’s predicament.
Jean puts her head in her hands, shoulders tense. They stand facing away from him, Lisa’s arm on Jean’s back. “I know but-,” her voice cuts off when she sees Diluc. “What are you doing here, Diluc?” Lisa turns to look at him, a thoughtful hand on her chin, before seemingly coming to a decision.
“I came to see who was causing the ruckus outside my tavern, obviously.” Diluc scoffs. Jean looks affronted, opening her mouth to disagree.
“He’s not exactly wrong, darling.” Lisa interrupts her wryly.
“So? You haven’t given me an answer.” Diluc tries to seem disinterested, when he’s really anything but.
“I don’t know if I can-” Jean cuts off to look behind her. She sighs. “Damn it, I think I’d be hurting him more by not telling you anything anyways.”
“Why, you can’t just ask him?” Diluc says, even as his stomach churns at the memory of ‘ He didn’t ask? Why didn’t he ask? I said no !’ , of a vulnerability he’d scarce ever see again from Kaeya. “How befitting of the knights, I suppose. You think you know everything.”
“Diluc… “ Jean sighs. “Can you just stop ?”
“What’s wrong with him?” Diluc says. He hasn’t forgotten the sounds of Kaeya’s sobs during this whole little exchange.
“I don’t know…” Jean repeats. Lisa, seeming to have reached her tipping point, tsks.
“Why not let him help, Jean?” He doesn’t need to wait long before Lisa answers his question before he needs to ask. She slips an arm around Jean’s wrist, pulling her aside to reveal an image that made Diluc’s blood run cold. “After all, he does know Kaeya best, does he not? Or used to.”
And there, curled up to make himself as small as possible was Kaeya, hands scratched and bleeding from the shards of ice clutched tightly within. A blindfold had slipped off of Kaeya's face, resting around his neck to reveal a cloudy blue pupil, and an eye that was simply gone.
Kaeya’s sight is gone.