Just like you…

Genshin Impact

WARNINGS: None?

Be nice, English is not my native language and this is basically just a little test to see if people like it. If yes, I’ll upload more

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“Diluc! I’m not here to boss you around! I want to help! Why don’t you get that?!”

A young woman with long purple hair stood in front of the tavern owner. Tears made her flaming pink eyes sparkling, but not a single drop had left them yet. She held back her emotions with all affordable strength, yet the air around that woman seemed to be charged with pure electric energy.

“And I told you, that I don’t need any help. Why don’t you get that, Akali?”, he answered with his arms crossed.

Diluc was always distant, nevertheless she tried to be close to him. Ever since they were little, she tried her best, but now Akali wondered why she even tried.

“Fine.”

No more words were spoken. She bit her lip, so there wouldn’t be any words she’d regret. Only the bitter sweet taste of her own blood.

With all the strength left in her bones, Akali walked out of the room, her head up high and not looking back. Only so could she remain her dignity.

By all the Archons, she wished that he would shout after her, stop her, call her name, but he never did.

He never would. It just wasn’t Diluc’s way.

It’s been years since they last saw each other. Many things had changed, but Diluc didn’t. He remained as stubborn and cold as she left him.

Why couldn’t he just accept her help?

Akali passed some guests of the tavern when she stormed out of the backroom. It was hard to keep her mind focused on all the anger and thoughts, when there was so much joy all round. All of the people were having lively conversations while hovering infront of their glasses.

She couldn’t take the atmosphere right now. It made her sick.

All those noisy people engaged in their happy conversations, drinking expensive wine on wooden chairs in Dilucs tavern. What in earth was she thinking? That he’d change? That he’d accept help just this once?

His honor came before everything, even their friendship. Ugh! There are people’s life on the line and Diluc kept on playing the hero who didn’t need help, when he actually did.

Who else could he ask for help? Or maybe who else could she ask?

But just before Akali could leave the stuffy air of Diluc’s tavern behind, the door opened and it was none other than her other childhood best friend.

“Kaeya?”

It didn’t took her long to recognize him. He stood out by everything he wore, his eyepatch, the long dark blue hair and his eyes. They had the most beautiful icy color, Akali had ever seen and she had seen many.

But apparently not only she did recognize the one in front of her.

“Kali! What are you doing here? Having a glass of wine without me?”, he grinned.

Of course he noticed the tears in her eyes, the way her face had turned all red when she was angry and the static in the air, but most importantly he noticed Diluc, who had just now returned to his spot behind the counter and was keeping an eye on them.

Something must have happened, it always did.

“I’m staying in Mondstadt for a few days and I thought I… visit someone.”, she bitterly admitted.

“Well then, would you fancy having a drink together? Telling me about your adventures, perhaps? Or if you’d prefer, we could go somewhere else.”

“No! No… It’s okay. We can stay… I would gladly spend some time with you.”

Under the strict eyes of the tavern owner the two of them sat down in a corner at the back of the establishment, away from all the noise, the bard’s music and happenings.

Kaeya had aged really well, Akali thought to herself. He had indeed become very attractive. She even dared to think that he looked fancy.

Something about him had always been kind of exotic… Maybe that was why he stood out. But on her journey Akali had learned to sort of like the things that stood out.

“So tell me, what have you been doing all these years?”, the blue haired asked.

“Traveled the world. I’ve just wanted to see as much as possible. I worked for different people, helped most of them too. And now I’m here for sometime. It’s really not that special.”

Kaeya leaned back in his chair. Blue eyes still focused on her silhouette.

The three of them, Akali, Diluc and him were childhood friends. They spend many years of training together. They were like family, one could have even said.

Together they had been through so much fun and trouble… Memories of better times, that layed way to long in the past.

For now Kaeya could only remember how much he wanted the little purple haired girl to be happy. Or maybe he always tried to make that happen.

A long time had passed since she left and now instead of the cute, friendly girl, that picked on him and made him laugh, a young, beautiful woman was sitting right next to him.

“I think it is very interesting indeed. You need to tell me more.”

A grin formed on both their lips, as she looked up from the table and directly into his ice blue eyes.

“Well, I guess I can tell you some stories, but what about you? Are you a knight of the order? Or just…”

“Just what?”

“I don’t know. Just independent, like others…”, she said slightly teasingly, with a slick eye roll.

“I’m a knight. Cavalary Captain of the Knights of Favonius, to be exact.”

“Wow, sounds like alot of responsibility.”

“It is. Although the grandmaster took all the Cavalary and now there is none for me to captain.”, he nodded with a soft simile on his lips.

“But tell me, for how long have you been in Mondstadt?”

A short silence settled in between the two. Not long enough to make it awkward, but also not short enough to go unnoticed.

It was a moment of thinking.

“I arrived two days ago. But-”, Akali couldn’t finish her explanation about how she wanted to go see him after some things were sorted out, as a waitress interrupted the talk.

“H-Hello, d-do you know what you’d like to order yet?”, the woman asked nervously.

Kaeya knew her. Donna, a shy, mousy girl, although very friendly, but she had a crush on Diluc, for literally all the wrong reasons. Hm, not that that was something new.

“The usual, for the both of us this time.”, he quickly responded.

“O-okay.”

Quickly Donna left. Her cheeks had the color of wild raspberries by the moment she could finally leave their table and over her, one could only see Diluc’s flaming red eyes darting towards the two, but none of them actually cared.

“So… the usual, huh?”

“Oh don’t worry. It’s called "Death by Afternoon”, which is sparkling wine with three parts dandelion wine. You’ll like it. Trust me.“

Of course she trusted him.

They both shared a moment. Of course, Kaeya forgot that Kali didn’t drink. Surprisingly enough that the usually confident woman didn’t intervine.

"What about your non-drinking attitude?”, he winked.

“Let’s say that that changed over the years. I wouldn’t want to be caught dead with a glass of grape juice in my hands, now would I?”

Of course she nagged Diluc over his favorite drink, just like Kaeya usually did.

“Some people are just unromantic.”

They shared a laughter together, that felt like it had been the first time in forever. So that is what both of them missed.

“Maybe you’re right. But I hope you didn’t order anything bitter. You know, I’m not really into that.”

“Don’t worry. Death by afternoon is a Mondstadt speciality. Dandelion wine makes the bitterness of the sparkling wine disappear completely. You’ll like it, I’m sure of that.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“You got good taste.”

The adventure and the knight engaged in a lively talk about their work, their experiences and even their childhood.

It’s been too many years since Akali had last visited Mondstadt. Everything seemed to be new, but from outside it nothing seemed to ever really change.

Diluc gave them another glare.

What else could he do? Kaeya was a charming as one could be and Akali was falling for it. He didn’t mind it going on for an hour, at least Diluc tried to talk himself into thinking that, but the more they drank, the closer they got.

A little gesture here. A small touch there. They were friends, but this behavior annoyed him.

Usually he was the one, who had this… thing going on with the electric user. They had this sort of connection, where he didn’t mind her being close to him. But her being close with Kaeya? It made him angry.

Was that… jealousy, he felt?

Quickly he shook his head, trying his best to keep a straight face.

“Wait! You really started that ruin guard just to prove your point?”, Kali giggled.

“Well, let’s just say, no one will ever question my authority again.”

Fascinated by her beauty, Kaeya watched her laugh at his story. The feeling of a close friend from the past at his side… He couldn’t even remember when he last felt that familiarity.

“That’s enough.”

Rough, like a hot wind hitting a wall of ice, Diluc stood in front of their table.

Theratingly he had his arms crossed infront of him.

The other two just shared a look of slight amusement.

“What have we done this time?”

“We pissed him off, that’s what it is, Kaeya.”

“You are both drunk.”

Both laughed. They did drink some glasses, maybe one or two over their usual limit, but neither Kaeya nor Akali were drunk.

“No, we’re not.”, the knight wanted to explain, but he got interrupted by his friend.

“Seems like we’re not welcome here anymore, Kaeya. Let’s pay and go somewhere else. Maybe somewhere where we are more welcome.”

Diluc instantly tried to correct this statement, but he couldn’t go on about is explanation.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“You never mean anything, Diluc. See ya.”

Kali grabbed her companion’s upper arm and dragged him out of the tavern, but not without giving Diluc a last sarcastic wave.

Other guests noticed the scene, but most of them didn’t. A great part of the customers had already left, that is how late it had gotten.

Cursing Kaeya, himself and even Akali in his head Diluc had watched them leave in silence.

He scoffed.

Well, he ruined it. Great. Was that the only thing he managed to do?