Chapter Text
Crepus knew the rainy season always meant extra work. Extra work bringing in the chairs on the porch outside, extra work tying down the tarps over carts, extra work making sure the trellis is securely in place to save what grape vines survive the storm.
But most of all it meant extra work keeping an eye on Diluc.
The boy in question could be found curled up on the living room armchair, gaze fixed out the window at the storm, as if he could keep an eye on its chaos in order to moderate it. A sudden crack of thunder has Diluc gripping the blanket around him tighter, seemingly snapped out of his watchful state momentarily.
A look of fondness spreads across Crepus’ face as he approaches his son. With a gentle pat of the head he says to the boy, “I need to do one last check of the vineyard to ensure the staff have all gone home,” with a bit of playfulness, he continues “you know how determined they are to keep working even after I’ve told them to get some rest.”
Diluc seems to finally lose some of the tension in his shoulders, looking up at his father, “I doubt even a storm like this could stop Adelinde when she’s in the middle of something”.
With a light chuckle Crepus throws his coat on and heads for the front door. “I’ll only be a moment” he calls back to Diluc. He makes sure to pause until he hears a ‘kay!’ from the boy. And with that, he makes his way into the storm.
It isn’t even the rain that’s the issue, in all honesty it isn’t pouring that heavily. The wind however, is a different story, whipping the light rain into something violent, into something that stings. “Barbatos, what has invoked your ire this time?” Crepus mutters to himself as he presses onwards.
His eyes sweep across the vineyard. Empty, thankfully. He knows Diluc is right in that nothing would’ve persuaded Adelinde to leave if she had realized the state the storm would grow into. She must have left before it picked up. His eyes catch sight on the stables, he hopes the horses aren’t too frightened, he’ll have to remember to check on them in the morning.
Seeing as his dutiful staff have finally gone home, he begins to turn to head back inside when-
Crepus feels his blood run cold. There's the telltale flash and chanting of an abyss mage, they don't usually come so close to the winery but this in of itself isn’t all too surprising. What caught his attention was the scream .
He rushes towards the noise without a second thought. That scream, it almost sounded like a child. For a moment Crepus considers the idea that Diluc had somehow left the house without him knowing. However, his parental paranoia is soon dispelled only to be replaced by the sheer shock of what he finds.
It is in a small clearing just west of the house that he finds them. A young boy, small, smaller than Diluc. One of his eyes is hidden behind drenched blue hair, while the other wide eye flickers between Crepus and the abyss mage, unsure on which potential threat to focus on. And yet more startling than this, is that between them on the ground lays a much larger unconscious form. A man with deep blue hair and tan skin much like the young boys, save for the many scars spread across what little skin wasn't hidden by his dark clothing. The child's father perhaps? His eyes were screwed shut and upon closer observation it seemed his leg was bent at an uncomfortable angle; slight traces of blood marring the ground beneath him. Crepus also catches sight of a dark sword by the man's left hand, the writing engraved on the blade nothing like anything he had ever seen.
Crepus’ observations were promptly halted by the shard of ice sent flying just past his head. Hurriedly he ducks into a roll and borrows the unconscious man's sword, hopefully he’ll forgive Crepus for not wanting to die.
A few well placed slashes later and the creature's shield shatters. With a final thrust, it turns to ash. Crepus may not be as adept as he once was but that doesn’t mean he’s incapable of defending himself. He pushes away the thought that the only reason he's kept practicing was to ensure he could defend Diluc if ever a situation like this were to arise, Barbatos forbid.
He sets the sword down before lowering himself towards his guests. The boy seems no less frightened at the death of the abyssal monster, instead only growing more and more wary each moment. “Are you alright?” Crepus begins, “My name is Crepus Ragnvindr, my house is just over that way,” he gestures vaguely eastwards.
The boy's gaze brightens at that, assumedly the promise of shelter, Crepus thinks, opting to ignore the flash of recognition he thought he saw. Crepus was well known due to his winery, it's to be expected that these, albeit mysterious, guests have heard of him. He hauls the lying man’s arm behind his head and attempts to hoist him up. Barbatos grant me strength, the man was larger than Crepus had anticipated and the weight of the toned muscles he could feel were certainly not helping. The boy wearily followed alongside as they slowly made their way back toward the house.
Before they made it to the door, it was slammed open by a wide eyed Diluc. Crepus chides himself inwardly at making him wait alone during the storm for so long. “Diluc,” he calls “please retrieve the first aid kit from the supply room.” Diluc’s eyes grow wider still at that before he nods and takes off.
They finally make it indoors and Crepus sets the man down on the guest room bed on the ground floor, making note to apologize to Adelinde for the dirt they dragged indoors. When Diluc pops into the room with the first aid kit he begins his work.
Crepus has never had much of a talent for healing, Frederica and her daughter each seemed to have much more of a knack for it, maybe her youngest daughter will too. Perhaps it runs in the family.
Shaky hands seem to run in his, Crepus notes with a tinge of bitterness. He had hoped none of his afflictions would be passed onto Diluc but even now he sees the tremor in the boy’s hands as he diligently holds the first aid kit beside him. The blue haired boy still hasn’t said a word, standing in the doorway.
Crepus tends to the man’s wounds as best he can. The few bumps and cuts he can handle, it’s the man’s leg that Crepus worries about. He’ll have to have someone from the cathedral sent over tomorrow to take a look at it. With a sigh he sits back, deciding he’s done what he could for now. He stands to leave the room, ushering Diluc out along with him. He goes to close the door when he realizes the blue haired boy has resumed staring at his father through the doorway.
“It’s best to let him get some rest for now.” Crepus says gently. The boy still startles regardless. He looks between Crepus and his father before giving a curt nod, stepping back from the doorway in silent permission for Crepus to close it.
A silence stretches on between the three of them. Diluc is clearly burning with questions but he holds onto them, observing the mysterious one eyed boy. Crepus leans forward slightly and softly asks “Are you hungry? Would you like something while I set up a room for you?” The boy looks at him with his wide eye, starry pupil staring at him, seemingly surprised by the question. “How about Diluc shows you what we have in the kitchen while I get everything set? See if there's anything you might like.”
Diluc lights up at the offer. “Yes father!” he turns to the smaller boy and extends his hand freely, “Come with me!”
The smaller boy is less sure. A slight frown tugs at his mouth but he cautiously places his own hand out in turn. With a small gasp and a near tumble Diluc successfully pulls the other boy towards the kitchen. Crepus smiles before heading to the guest room on the second floor. The boy can sleep in the room next to Diluc’s. He thinks that’s where Adelinde has been storing all of Diluc’s old clothes.
He steps into the room, lighting a lamp as he does and reaches for the lower drawers of the armoire across the bed. He feels his chest tighten as he sifts through Diluc’s old clothing. Had he really ever been this small?
After staring for too long at Diluc's baby clothes, Crepus lays pyjamas that will hopefully fit their guest on the bed and makes sure there's a fresh towel in the bathroom in case the boy decided to warm up after that storm. Understandable, Crepus was really craving a hot shower himself at the moment but first he needs to make sure the kids are fed and tucked in.
He shouldn’t be surprised that Diluc found the pancakes Adelinde left in the fridge in preparation for tomorrow's breakfast but he still lets out a sigh at the sight. Diluc looks up at him worriedly for a moment before Crepus’s fond smile gives his true feelings away.
“Kaeya said he’s never had pancakes before!!” Diluc exclaims as if someone had told him they didn't know what color the sky was.
“Kaeya..?” Crepus asks. So the boy does speak then. Unless he and Diluc had psychically linked somehow while he was gone ...or unless Diluc had decided to name the boy himself, Crepus realizes in horror. Surely Diluc has better tact than that? He knows Diluc was never very good at making friends but he wouldn’t treat a guest like a pet, would he? Oh Barbatos he definitely would-
“Kaeya Alberich, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” the boy- Kaeya, quietly says, quelling Crepus’s internal panic.
“Kaeya.” Crepus says, “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. As I said before, my name is Crepus Ragnvindr and this is my son Diluc Ragnvindr. I hope he has treated you well.” Diluc smiles and nods proudly at that. Kaeya gives a polite smile.
“Vayura Alberich is the name of my- of my father ” Kaeya seems to almost choke out the word ‘father’ but Crepus thanks Barbatos that Diluc knows better than to mention it.
“I’ll have a healer come in first thing tomorrow to help him, I’m sure he’ll be alright” Crepus adds kindly.
He tries to find words to describe the face Kaeya makes at that but draws up blank. The tightening of his mouth and crease of his eyebrows should mean worry but something about the sneer that’s nearly breaking through almost reads as humor or maybe some darker irony, like there’s an inside joke Crepus is missing. But the pain in Kaeya’s eye is evident, the way the light hits it gives away the building threat of tears Kaeya is doing so well at hiding.
With a cough to try and dispel the sudden tenseness that filled the room Crepus says “I think it’s best if we all head to bed soon. It’s been a long day and tonight's events took a lot out of all of us.” He meets Kaeya’s eye before continuing “I left some clothes on the bed in the room you’ll be staying in for now, I’m just down the hall if you need anything. I’ll show you on our way.”
The group head up the stairs and Barbatos, it certainly has been a long day, hasn’t it? Crepus feels the statement weigh down on his bones every step closer to his bed he gets. But first, parenthood, of course. “Diluc, get ready for bed while I show Kaeya his room, would you?”
“Yes father!” Diluc readily nods before heading to his room. However he whips back around just as quickly and adds “Goodnight Kaeya! I hope you sleep well!”
Crepus smiles despite his exhaustion while Kaeya returns a surprised ‘goodnight’ that ends up sounding more like a question.
He shows Kaeya to his room and points down the hall to his own bedroom in case Kaeya needs to find him. A nod or two and a few more ‘are-you-sure-there’s-nothing-else-you-need’s, Crepus finally settles to leave Kaeya to sleep. He hesitates one final time, contemplating whether or not to speak before he says “Your father will be alright, he might be bedridden for some time but you’re both welcome to stay with us while he recovers.”
Kaeya looks up at him, “Thank you.” is what he says. It’s all he says before he has to turn to hide whatever expression he’s making at that. Crepus leaves and pretends to not know that gratefulness and relief were not at the forefront of Kaeya’s feelings, pretends that the hate he felt from the small boy was just from the long day and not connected to something much deeper.
He tucks that all away for now as he enters Diluc’s room and finds Diluc, the angel that he is, already passed out in bed. A small chuckle escapes Crepus before he leans over to place a soft kiss on Diluc’s head before heading to his own room to sleep. It’s not lost on him that Kaeya will likely be the last one of the four asleep but for some reason Crepus feels certain that everything will become clearer in the morning and these mysterious visitors will just be a father and his son, here to visit the winery.