The room was quiet, and the only thing that Dainsleif seemed to be able to hear was his own racing heartbeat. His arms were immobilized, and Kaeya was dangerously close to him. He knew he should be begging for forgiveness, swearing that he would never disobey the Prince, no, King of Khaenri’ah ever again.
But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He felt dazed by the gold and blue of those same star-shaped pupils as his. Those cold eyes that seemed to pierce right into the deepest places of his mind. Even the cold feeling of ice around his wrists seemed to fade away in that moment.
No, he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. He was trapped there. Trapped under the merciless gaze of a true king.
Not even the touch of a cold hand against his own could bring him back to reality. It was only him, Kaeya, and silence.
Nothing else.
Kaeya’s hand traveled upward, slowly reaching Dainsleif’s shoulder. He didn’t know why it hurt, didn’t know why he was afraid to look, but even if he knew, there was nothing he could do.
Pain flooded through his arm, and he felt like the places Kaeya touched turned as cold as a winter night. The blue haired man cupped his cheek, pain blooming there too.
Dainsleif didn’t scream, didn’t even flinch, as if his whole body was frozen in place.
He could only watch as Kaeya leaned closer and closer, until their noses were almost touching, and he whispered:
“Corruption will consume you slowly, giving you nightmares, and making you remember the saddest memories you have.” he whispered. “This is the last thing I can offer to you, to fight the cold that’s going to devoure you whole.” Kaeya said before leaning forward and kissing him.
His lips were soft and warm, a contrast to his cold touch. The kiss seemed to be meant for a lover, slow and tender, but before Dainsleif could return it properly and let himself enjoy that moment he yearned so much for, the world around him seemed to come back to life again.
The sound of a door opening, the chillness of the air, and someone talking. It wasn’t Kaeya who spoke, and when Dainsleif tried to turn around so he could at least catch a glimpse of the person, his vision was blurry and his head spinned.
In the end, all he could see was black.
***
A knock on the door echoed through the silence of the hallway. Diluc didn’t wait for an answer before opening it and stepping inside.
He was surprised to see that the office that belonged to his father was almost totally changed. The large bookshelf along one of the walls was not the same anymore, just like the desk on which Kaeya was leaning on right now.
The man had his arms crossed, seemingly relaxed, but Diluc knew better. Kaeya's eyepatch was not over his right eye, but he still kept it closed when he looked at him. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he tried to remain calm, as if he was a kid that has done something wrong and he was now hiding from his parents.
What could possibly be the reason for Kaeya's uneasiness?
Diluc looked around the room, his eyes almost immediately falling onto the blond hair that belonged to Dainsleif, who appeared to be sitting in one of the two chairs facing the desk. The blonde didn't look comfortable, with his hands, although relaxed, caught by gleaming ice.
"Diluc." Kaeya's voice interrupted his thoughts, and the red-head looked at him, the image of what he just saw still fresh in his mind.
Diluc didn't bother to be polite.
"What are you doing?" he asked, looking at his closed eye.
Kaeya looked way calmer now.
"I was just discussing with Dainsleif what we should do next." he answered, then turned around and took the eyepatch lying on his desk, putting it back over his right eye. "I certainly didn't expect you to come…" he crossed his arms again.
"Why weren't you wearing your eyepatch?" Diluc asked with all the calmness he could muster.
He was certainly getting annoyed with Kaeya's behaviour. He came here to ask him about the recent years, and all he did was to find more questions without an answer.
"Reasons." Kaeya simply said. "More importantly, why did you come here?" he walked around the desk, sitting down on his cushioned chair. "Take a seat." he gestured with his hand towards the empty chair beside Dainsleif.
Diluc arched his eyebrows, but obliged nonetheless. He was about to sit down when he glanced at his right.
What he saw made him turn around and stare at the uncouncious blonde man. He blinked, trying to understand if this was only his imagination, but nothing seemed to dissapear.
Not even his fear.
Dainsleif's right arm was a deep blue, just as the side of his face. It covered his eye, and it glowed. His hands were tied to the armrests by ice that didn't seem to melt anytime soon.
"Don't touch him." Kaeya's voice echoed through the otherwise silent room.
Diluc didn't even realize how close he was standing now to Dainsleif. He moved without thinking, trying to help, and now his hand stopped mid-air because of Kaeya's warning.
"What did you do to him?" Diluc asked, slightly panicked.
"He wasn't acting like the obedient dog he needed to be." Kaeya explained.
Diluc found the strength to look Kaeya in the eye when he next spoke:
"Is he going to die?" the words were almost whispered.
He didn't know why he suddenly cared, why he was suddenly so interested in the fate of someone he barely knew.
"Why? Are you afraid?" Kaeya asked in return. "Don't worry, only disobedient dogs deserve to suffer." he looked in Dainsleif's direction with disgust written over his face, then he looked back at Diluc, his expression softening. "The master's companion is forever safe as long as he stays in his range of view."
ESTÁ A LER
The night we said goodbye || Kaeluc/Rewritten
Fanfic"Even ice can be melted, and fire extinguished, nothing in this world can be eternal." Life always reminds Kaeya that his destiny is to ruin, not only others, but also himself. Every choice he makes leads to bitter ends, shattered dreams, and sorro...
