That night the atmosphere was festive at the Angel's Share. The tavern's owner had organized a party in honor of his son, Diluc, who was coming of age that day. For this event, Crepus had given him an elegant suit, worthy of a Ragnvindr, which made him look more adult. It fit his body perfectly and the fabric was soft and pleasant to the touch.

Diluc flashed a friendly smile at one of the soldiers of the Order of Favonius, a middle-aged man who, like so many others that night, was introducing his daughter to him in an attempt to generate interest in the most charming young man in Mondstadt, as well as heir to the most prestigious family in the place. Diluc escaped from the situation as quickly as the previous times. He excused himself by saying he had to talk to someone else and walked away, this time towards his father, Crepus, who was happily drinking at the bar next to Grandmaster Varka and Jean, the latter being chosen recently as his second-in-command despite her youth.

"Diluc!" shouted Varka, who had clearly drinked too much. He put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. "At last they let you free. Tell me, can I count on you to look after Mondstadt in my absence? I trust Jean, but she'll need help."

"Are you leaving?" Diluc asked in surprise, as he hadn't heard anything about it.

"It's a last minute matter. In fact, I'm having my chariot prepared."

Jean exchanged a glance with Diluc. She seemed a bit annoyed with her boss, but restrained from saying anything. Above all, she knew how to keep her composure. Diluc smiled and looked at Varka again.

"You can count on me. When will you be back?"

"Soon, I hope. In two weeks at the latest." He looked back at his friend Crepus and smiled. Your father owes me a rematch.

Diluc knew what he meant. They used to play a tactical card game widespread among the Order of Favonius. Even though his father didn't belong to the Knights, he was hard to beat, even for the great Knight of Boreas: Varka.

"Sir, your chariot is ready," reported a soldier bowing in front of them. Varka released Diluc and took a last sip of his cup.

"It's time. Enjoy your party, Luc," he said with the confidence with which he treated him outside the Order. To Diluc, Varka was almost like a second father. After his mother's death, he had been a great support for the family, especially for Crepus, who was completely devastated. Varka always treated Diluc like a son, and he had become one of the most important people in his life, and also in Crepus'. These two childhood friends were so close that they had even exchanged earrings.

It was tradition in Mondstadt to give an earring to the one's most important people. Whether they were family, friends, lovers... It didn't matter what the connection was. Giving that jewel as a gift showed the great love and respect one felt for the other, and also the desire to keep that person in one's life forever.

Diluc took his leave, and Jean and Crepus escorted him out. Another soldier approached him. He had attended with his wife and daughter. The latter was a beautiful young woman whom Diluc knew well, as they trained together for years. She shyly congratulated him and the celebrant thanked her with a smile before the soldier began to talk about politics. As he tried to find an excuse to leave, he saw out of the corner of his eye Charles, who was opening the last barrel of wine.

"Excuse me, but I'm needed," he excused himself as politely as he could. "It seems we are running low on booze."

The soldier let him go, rather disappointed. Diluc approached Charles to inform him that he would  take a break and fetch more wine. The tavern keeper, who knew well how his lord's son disliked crowds, nodded.

 

Kaeya, who unlike Diluc enjoyed interacting with people, watched his friend flee the place. He took his leave of the young woman he was talking to and crossed the tavern, greeting as he passed anyone who sought to initiate a conversation, without stopping on his way.

When he entered the small cellar, he saw Diluc sitting on a barrel, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Kaeya locked the door and slowly approached him, who immediately heard his footsteps and opened his eyes.

"Too much attention for your taste?" Kaeya joked.

"Why is the eighteenth birthday so important to everyone?" he complained and jumped down from the barrel.

"It celebrates that you're of age, that you should be more responsible..., if that's possible," he laughed, "and most importantly, that you're of marriageable age. Have you chosen a wife yet?"

"Very funny." He pushed him aside to approach a shelf full of wine bottles. You know that's what I'm least interested in.

"Someday you'll have to." He leaned against the same shelf and looked at him with his arms crossed. Diluc sighed and picked up a bottle to absently glance at its label.

"Are you in such a hurry for that to happen?"

"I'm just pointing out the obvious." He shrugged and moved closer to him, standing at his back. Diluc put the bottle back where he had taken it from and felt Kaeya's warm breath on his neck. "That's what everyone expects from a Ragnvindr's heir."

"You don't seem to care." He tried to appear calm, but Kaeya knew him well and noticed his growing anger. He hugged him around the waist, pressing his chest against his back in an attempt to reassure him. He slid a hand under Diluc's shirt and traced his skin until he reached his chest. Diluc held back a sigh.

"Even if you get married, none of this has to change," he said, gently squeezing his nipple. Then Diluc pushed him away and turned around, clearly annoyed.

"That's disgusting!"

Kaeya sighed and brushed a strand of hair aside to tuck it behind his ear.

"Okay. Then I'll stay out of it and let you enjoy only and exclusively your wife." He flashed one of his playful smiles at Diluc before putting his hands on him again, this time reaching for the button of his pants. Diluc stopped him and they looked into each other's eyes.

"Do you really not care at all about that happening?"

"Your innocence is one of the things I like the most about you."

"What do you mean by that? You're evading my question."

Kaeya responded by attacking his lips just as Diluc looked away. The latter didn't cut the kiss, but released his friend's hands to rest his on Kaeya's chest and push him without too much effort. Kaeya took the opportunity to finish unbuttoning the zipper of his pants and slid one hand down, immediately finding Diluc's already hard dick. Squeezing it, he managed to get a moan from his friend, who threw his head back to catch his breath.

"Kae—"

"I will always respect your decisions. That's all you need to know."

"Again evading my ques—" Kaeya sealed his lips again, preventing him from speaking further. He continued to masturbate him slowly and, with his free hand, he unbuttoned his own pants to pull out his member as well and join it with Diluc's, who let out another moan as he felt Kaeya's heat. The latter lowered his kisses to his friend's neck, who took the opportunity to speak again.

"Kae—someone could see us—"

"I've locked the door," he informed before biting him gently, stealing another moan from him.

"If they wanted to come in, they would be suspicious."

Kaeya grabbed his chin to look him in the eyes, still moving his other hand around their dicks.

"Would you just relax for once?"

Diluc nodded after a moment and closed his eyes, letting himself go. He embraced him by the shoulders as Kaeya sped up the movement and kissed him as eagerly as he did, moving his tongue as nimbly as he swung his sword in battle. Diluc envied him as a swordsman, but also as a lover. He didn't think he could ever get on his level in this regard, but he would strive as he strove to surpass him in training without the aid of his vision.

Until that day, they had only exchanged kisses and caresses that left them exhausted, but Diluc longed to have him completely, not only his body, but also his heart. Everyone saw Kaeya as loving, kind and warm, but Diluc knew well that his true self was sculpted in ice, and he kept wondering if he would ever manage to melt him.

Diluc cut the kiss and hugged Kaeya even tighter. He couldn't keep up with Kaeya's pace, he was about to burst, and his friend noticed. He felt Diluc's dick swell, and heard his attempts to muffle the moans.

"Let it out, Luc."

"Not yet," he said, holding back as much as he could.

Kaeya smiled and accelerated the movement as he bit, licked and pinched Diluc's softer points: his nipples. Diluc could take no more and exploded, splashing the hand holding his dick. Seconds later, Kaeya also let go.

Exhausted, Diluc leaned against him, hugging him, while Kaeya stroked his back. He gently pushed him away and took out a handkerchief to wipe himself —his hand first, then his dick—. Diluc also took out his handkerchief and began to wipe himself. Such moments always embarrassed the young and innocent Diluc, unlike Kaeya, who always smiled as if he had just won a card game or as if he had just emerged victorious from some battle.

"Kae—" he said after buttoning his pants. His friend finished putting on his clothes and looked at him expectantly. Diluc had long wanted to ask him something, but every time he tried, his throat dried up, perhaps because he was afraid of the answer. But he couldn't put it off any longer. He needed to know Kaeya's intentions. "Promise me that you will stay by my side forever."

Kaeya was not surprised with such a request. He knew well that Diluc was afraid of losing the people he loved the most, whether they were family or friends. Perhaps because he didn't want to feel again the pain he experienced when he lost his mother. Kaeya smiled and approached him to kiss his forehead. Diluc saw his smile and knew the answer before Kaeya said a word.

"I can't promise something like that." He saw Diluc looking away, trying to hide the sadness in his eyes. Then, Kaeya reached into his pocket and pulled something out of it. "But maybe this will be enough. Happy birthday, Luc."

Diluc saw a glint out of the corner of his eye and fixed his gaze on the object Kaeya was showing him. It was an earring with a shiny red gem. Diluc couldn't quite understand that gesture. Kaeya was as ambiguous as ever.

"Why are you giving me this if you don't intend to stay by my side?"

"I never said it wasn't my intention." Carefully, Kaeya placed the earring in his left ear, where it was customary to wear it, as it was closer to the heart. Then he looked back into his eyes. "But the future is not always what we expect."

"It will be if we both do our best!" he said with conviction, gripping his hand tightly. But Kaeya looked away and twisted a smile.

"We'd better get back to the party."

He pulled Diluc's hand away and walked out the cellar, leaving him alone with his thoughts.