Too Many Regrets (Aether/Diluc) [COMPLETED]

Act 8: Shining Metal, Burning Hand

The new armor was exactly what he'd asked for. Less cloth, more plating. The smith salvaged what was left of his old armor for materials and reference. The only part Aether kept was the scarf. It was torn and covered in old blood that didn't wash out. It wasn't his. A lasting memory of what he had done.

Slipping into the armor felts like putting on a pair of custom shoes. It fit perfectly. It was less saturated than his old armor, less white and more darker colors. It lacked the joyful brightness of his previous set. It was intentional, his old armor was made to match his sister's after all...

He swung his sword just once before letting it fade away on his back. The door to his room opened slowly for him, as if it knew that he had doubts. He forced himself to walk.

At the bottom of the stairs stood Diluc, shuffling left and right as he waiting for him.

Aether gave him a moment to look at the new armor before declaring:
"I'm ready."

Diluc nodded.
"You look ready."

Aether helped fill the cart with wine and hopped in the back. Today he was finally visiting Mondstadt.

He closed his eyes as he laid back in the cart. He paid attention to the rolling of the wheels on the sand path. It became hard stone as they reached the Mondstadt bridge. He felt a pit in his stomach as the gate's shadow passed over the cart. He wasn't as ready as he thought.

They stopped at the tavern. Angel's Share, best wine in town. Diluc tapped the panel behind him to let Aether know they'd arrived and jumped out of the passenger seat.

Aether hopped out the back and opened it up to access the cargo. He picked up a crate of wine and carried it as Diluc unlocked the tavern's back door. After opening the door Diluc walked back out and went to the front of the building. As usual, he asked the bouncer how things were going.

Just as he did, the door opened and Kaeya left the pub. He saw the red haired man and waved a greeting.

"Diluc! I see you're here to maintain my knights' alcoholism?"

Diluc scoffed.
"Babysitting the knights of favonius is your job."

"Cheerful as always, i see!"
Kaeya faked a smile.

Aether walked out of the tavern, took an empty crate to the cart, and swapped it for a full one to take inside. Kaeya was surprised to see him! He walked up before Diluc could stop him.

"Honorary knight! So you really have returned!"

Aether turned to Kaeya. Only now did the favonius knight notice the scar stretching from his eyebrow to his cheek, passing over his glazed eye. Whatever words Kaeya planned to say vanished from his tongue. He couldn't compose himself in time, Aether spoke first.

"Hey Kaeya. Long time no see."
His tone was flat and dull. If he was glad to see him, his voice didn't give it away.

Kaeya cleared his throat and tried not to look at the eye.
"Y-yes! It's been a while. How've you been?"

Aether grunted, letting Kaeya know he didn't appreciate his choice of words. He told him to take a guess and continued carrying the crate of wine inside.

"R-right. I'll leave you to it then."
Kaeya stepped back. He could have never expected the playful, naïve traveler to be this cold and blunt.

Diluc had already joined them, giving him a rude stare.

Kaeya scratched the back of his neck and pretended to keep cool.
"So, what happened to him?"

Diluc sneered at him and crossed his arms.
"I wouldn't tell you if i knew. What do you want, Kaeya?"

"Am i not allowed to say hello to my old friend?"

"Not if it interupts my staff."

The two men stood facing eachother. Kaeya loose and relaxed, Diluc tensed and defensive. They eyes were in the middle of a staring match when Aether walked past them.

He went to the sign at the front of the tavern, tore of a piece of paper, and came back. He stared at it for a while, like reading it would make time stand still. Kaeya recognized it as the missing person poster the knights put up of his sister Lumine.

The glowing gems on Aether's armor swapped red and a flame burst from his hand, setting the poster on fire. He dropped it to the floor as it burned to cinders.
"Kaeya, can you ask the knights to remove these. They're not necesary anymore."

Kaeya tried to read his friend's emotions but found it difficult.
"You found her?"

Aether looked up at him, his glazed eye all the more accentuated now.
"Just get rid of them for me."

He passed the two men and hopped on the cart.

Kaeya had no words. It was as if a completely different person had returned.

He had to say something.
"Well, that was... pleasant. Good to see you're both doing okay."

Diluc gave him a nasty look and climbed up to the cart's front seat. They left the air awkward behind them. It was rare for Kaeya to feel this confused by a situation.

The sound of wheels on cobble disappeared as they left the city behind them. Now it was just wheels and hooves on sand, joined by the occasional horse neigh.

Diluc leaned back, checking on Aether.
"Sorry. I should have thought to take it down."

"It's okay."
A lie.

"Aether. if you need to talk about what happened between you and your sister."

"I don't want to think about it right now."

He had gotten good at that, shutting down conversations. He was clear about what he wanted and how he felt, especially if that included silence.

Diluc realized the progress his friend had made was nothing near how he used to be. He had changed too much, he was a different person now. The joyful Aether he used to know would never come back.

This was the Aether he had now  He had to get used to that. Kaeya would have to do so too, as did everyone else. Sometimes people changed drastically, Diluc knew that most of all.

They didn't talk when they came back. Aether unloaded the empty crates and went to his room. His return to Mondstadt had been a failure.