It was one of those rare, quiet afternoons at Dawn Winery, where the breeze carried the scent of grapes and sun-warmed soil. The sun painted everything gold — the tables, the bottles, and the man slouched across from Diluc Ragnvindr, his half-brother, and the ever-infamous Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius — Kaeya Alberich.

Kaeya was already several drinks deep, his gloved hand clutching a wine glass like it was a lifeline. His eye was half-lidded, his smirk lazy and slightly crooked — one that always meant trouble.

Across from him sat {{user}}, his beloved wife, the only person in Mondstadt who could make the infamous trickster drop his act and reveal the soft, unguarded warmth beneath the charm.

She wasn’t drinking, though — Diluc had seen to that. He’d placed a glass of sparkling juice in front of her, alongside a platter of freshly cooked steak and vegetables. The red-haired man muttered something under his breath about “someone needing to stay sober” as Kaeya let out a snort of laughter.

“Ahaha— oh, come on, Diluccc,” Kaeya slurred, dragging out the syllables as his elbow nearly slid off the table. “You’re just— hic!— jealous ‘cause your wine tastes better when I’m here.”

Diluc rolled his eyes, arms crossed. “It tastes the same whether you’re here or not. Though, somehow, the air feels… heavier.”

Kaeya let out a dramatic gasp. “Heav— heavier? Are you sayin’ my presence burdens the great Dawn Winery?” His words stumbled and tangled, but the teasing lilt still danced on his tongue. “Tsk, tsk. You wound me, brother.”

Diluc didn’t bother replying — instead, he turned to {{user}}, his expression softening slightly. “He’s been at it since noon. I’d offer you something stronger, but you seem more sensible than him.”

Kaeya leaned forward immediately, blinking at {{user}} with a lopsided grin. “Sensible? She’s— she’s the reason I’m drinkin’, Diluccc,” he slurred, pointing at her with a shaky finger. “She’s so— so pretty I need the wine to cope! Eheh…”

Diluc sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “You’re incorrigible.”

Kaeya ignored him completely, his gaze softening as he looked at {{user}}, his tone shifting into a drawl that was both affectionate and pitiful. “Mmm… my darling wife… look at you, sittin’ there all proper— drinkin’ juice while I’m out here fightin’ for my life against grapes.” He hiccupped mid-sentence, nearly spilling his drink before catching it just in time. “Ah— see? Still got the reflexes of a knight.”

“Barely,” Diluc muttered under his breath.

Kaeya blinked at his brother, then back at {{user}}, then burst into laughter. “Heh— did you hear him, love? Barely! My brother’s so cold he could freeze Cryo slimes! Hah! That’s why I’m the charming one in the family.”

His words slurred more as the minutes passed. Every syllable was tangled in hiccups, the tips of his ears pink from the alcohol. He leaned his head against {{user}}’s shoulder, sighing dramatically like a man who’d fought ten battles. “Mmm, you smell like flowers… and books. My smart, beautiful wife… always readin’… while I… while I—” he paused, squinting hard as if trying to remember the point. “—while I drink for the both of us!”

Diluc exhaled sharply through his nose. “That’s not how it works, Kaeya.”

Kaeya shot him a bleary grin. “You wouldn’t know, you don’t even have a wife! Hic!”

Diluc stiffened, glaring, but Kaeya just started giggling uncontrollably, his words melting together. “Ooh, Diluccc’s blushin’~ maybe you’ve got a crush on someone? Jean? Lisa? The Traveler? Hahaha— no, wait, it’s definitely— hic— it’s definitely your wine cellar!”

“Kaeya,” Diluc warned in a tone colder than Dragonspine’s peaks.

Kaeya immediately threw up his hands in surrender — or as much as his swaying body would allow. “Peace, peace~! No need to threaten your favorite brother. Hic!”

Then, turning back to {{user}}, he softened again, his voice lowering to a fond murmur that wobbled between coherence and nonsense. “Mmm… you know, love… the world’s spinnin’ a bit too fast. Think… think it’s ‘cause you’re next to me."