Ebony Dark’ness, Abyss Slayer
This is honestly just a result of the headcanon that Diluc’s falcon loves Kaeya just as much as she loves Diluc because Kaeya is chaotic and spoils her.
Kaeya’s beautiful handwriting is courtesy of alexisoak!
This entire headcanon was fleshed out by the Genshin Impact Play Discord server. Come hang with us! Send a DM on Twitter to @GenshinLovers69 so we can verify your age and send an invite link.
While this fic can be read platonically or romantically, please know, I am a kaeluckae shipper so if that's not your vibe, it's best not to follow me.
Read below or on AO3
“D! She’s back! Look!” A young boy with a mess of blue hair tries to whisper in his excitement, but it’s far from quiet. Diluc looks up from his coloring upon hearing the call, eyes shining with excitement when he sees the elegant falcon perched upon the fence just outside their window.
“Quick! Grab her treats!” the redhead exclaimed, tossing his crayons aside and hopping up. He opens the door calmly, not wanting to startle the bird. She visits often, and she’s quite familiar with the boys at this point, but Father said to treat her with respect regardless, so they do. The other boy, Kaeya, comes out with a plate full of raw chicken. It used to be gross. When the bird first started appearing, they tried sharing their grapes and crackers, but the bird showed no interest. Father had said she is a falcon, and therefore carnivorous, and if they really wanted to feed her, they should offer meat. The housemaids set some aside for them each day, much to their chagrin. Adelinde would certainly be scolding them to wash their hands soon after, lest they make themselves sick from handling raw meat.
The falcon stayed perched atop the fence, watching the boys closely. Diluc grabbed a piece of chicken, setting it down by the bird’s feet. Father had advised them not to feed from their hands. The bird was wild, after all. It did not know how to interact with humans and could peck them on accident while trying to grab the food.
“Eat up, Ebony!” Diluc says, watching as Kaeya sets his piece by the bird’s feet like an offering. Once both boys have stepped back, she leans down to snap up a piece, tipping her head back to swallow it whole.
The boys try to contain their excited squeals, always so enraptured by the sight of the bird doing something so gross yet so effortlessly beautiful at the same time.
“Sorry, Ebbie. That’s all. Father says too much will make you stop hunting on your own.”
“It’s Ebony, K.” Diluc corrects, no longer sure if it is Kaeya’s accent interfering with the pronunciation or Kaeya’s cheeky way of poking at Diluc’s patience.
Kaeya giggles and the boys watch until the bird flies off once more.
—-
There’s a tree atop the cliff’s edge that overlooks the Winery. Far enough to not be the Winery’s property, but close enough to observe all the staff wandering about. It’s at this tree Kaeya often finds himself, leaned against its solid trunk, watching the place he once called home.
A shadow passes overhead, blocking the bit of sun filtering through the leaves for just a moment. Kaeya smiles and flips the coin he held in his hand, watching for the gleam to reflect the bright rays.
“Ebbie,” he says softly. Too softly, if the creature he was addressing wasn’t one of the most prolific predators in the food chain. Not only that, but Ebony had years of training by Diluc’s hand, honing her skills to take in all aspects of her surroundings.
The bird lets out a piercing caw, circling around the tree before descending towards Kaeya. The Cavalry Captain smiles and raises his arm to give her a place to land. She’s gentle, delicate, and makes sure her claws do not tear into Kaeya’s skin. The trust is evident, as many others need a leather glove to do the very same.
“Hey, girl. How’s the grumpy old king treating you? Poor thing, you look half starved,” Kaeya coos, stroking the bird’s head with his free hand. The falcon allows it for a few moments before getting impatient, flapping her wings and reaching to peck at Kaeya’s satchel. The blue haired man chuckles.
“Alright, alright. You’re too smart for me,” he says before reaching into his bag. He’d brought along their favorite- Fruity Skewers- just in case his old friend had paid him a visit. He was glad she had.
“Don’t tell Master Diluc, now. You know how he gets.”
As if understanding what he was saying, the bird’s gaze shifts to the Winery. Kaeya knows not to keep her too long. Diluc will certainly have heard her call and be expecting her shortly. That, along with the piece of parchment tied to her leg tells him she’s relaying a message. While part of him is nosy, Kaeya tends not to overstep that boundary. Diluc’s secrets are not ones he often looks to uncover unless told. Offering Ebony one more piece of the wine-soaked meat, Kaeya bounces his arm, signaling for her to take off.
“Off you go, then. I’ll see you later.”
—---
He’s eagerly awaiting Ebony’s return, standing on his balcony and watching the sky. He hears her cry up by the cliff’s edges and looks to her direction to see her landing on the arm of an unidentifiable figure. Diluc narrows his eyes, not that it helps him to discern who it might be. He can assume. There’s few people Ebony would land for, and fewer still who could handle her without a leather sleeve.
He knew Kaeya lurked around the Winery from time to time. There wasn’t much he could do about it, since the blue haired male typically avoided stepping foot on the Ragnvindr’s actual land. He didn’t actually mind. He didn’t believe his once-brother had any ill intentions, but it did lead to a confusing mix of emotions.
The first was curiosity. What led the younger male here so often?
Then there was guilt, that Diluc’s own behavior was the reason Kaeya felt he couldn’t come any closer and simply had to observe from the cliff.
Then there was longing. A wish that they could return to how things were. That Kaeya could come home and they could watch Ebony preen together, just like they had as kids.
But that was in the past now. He sighed and waited a few minutes longer until the elegant bird returned, perching on the rail and cocking her head towards him.
“…He fed you those damn skewers, didn’t he?” Diluc guessed, based on the sweet scent that clung to the bird. That or Kaeya was just completely plastered, which, to be fair, was quite possible.
The redhead was so distracted by his once-brother that he’d nearly forgotten he was awaiting Ebony’s return for a reason. Reaching to remove the parchment tied to her leg, Diluc brushed his fingers over her head gently before turning to go back inside. The bird let out caw, indicating her annoyance with him. He looked back at her with a raised eyebrow.
“If you think I’m giving you a treat after Kaeya just fed you that junk, you’re insane.”
He swore the bird huffed before taking flight once more, headed towards the forests of the Wolvendom. Diluc chuckled and returned to his desk to read his letter.
—--
Ebony stops in the city daily to receive any important messages from the Knights or provide updates to Charles at the tavern. Although Diluc would never admit it, he missed his Knight work, and was much happier to be associated with them now that the corruption had been removed.
So when Kaeya steps outside to see Ebony perched on the wall outside headquarters, he smirks. “Ebbie! Hey girl. Wait right there, okay?” The bird turns to face him, her obsidian eyes gazing through him and yet it’s clear she understands. So Kaeya turns on his heel and hurries back to his office. Grabbing a spare piece of parchment, he starts to scribble a message.
D,
I hope this letter reaches you in time. I sent for Ebbie as soon as I could. Your assistance is needed urgently. There’s been a devastating tragedy. At approximately 9:02 this morning, it was revealed that you snore like a lawachurl. Gotcha.
-K ;)
Pleased with himself, the blue haired male raced back outside, tying his letter to Ebony’s leg next to two probably actually important ones.
“Okay. All set. Thanks, girl,” he said, stroking her back. With one last glance around the courtyard, Ebony flapped her wings and took off towards the Winery.
To say Diluc was surprised to see not one but three letters attached to Ebony’s leg was an understatement. There had to be some sort of emergency. He cursed Varka for taking all of the horses. If he’d left even one, maybe the knights could be a little more efficient in communicating with him.
Quickly unraveling the first letter, he quickly tossed it aside upon seeing it was just an inventory report from Charles. The next one was from Jean, a tip regarding Fatui activity, but ultimately not urgent. His anxiety started to settle, realizing this was just a coincidence and not the end of Mondstadt.
Or so he thought. He knew as soon as he opened the last letter that it was from Kaeya. The beautiful scrawl he’d recognize anywhere, the result of years learning under Ragnvindr tutors. Kaeya’s letters were nothing but a game of chance. It could be serious, or it could be a prank. Based on the opening line, it seemed to be the former. He read through it quickly, already reaching for his mask and claymore when he read the final line.
“KAEYA. GODS DAMMIT,” he yelled, burning the letter to ash in his fist. Adelinde looked up from across the room, then glanced around as if looking for the blue haired man. Seeing Diluc stomp away in anger, she chuckled softly to herself before returning to her chores. She was far too familiar with their antics.
—--
Normally, Kaeya would be inside the tavern, perched at the bar and waiting for the best opportunity to annoy a certain red headed bartender. (Not Charles, of course. Never Charles.) Tonight, however, Ebony was hanging around, sat atop an empty wine barrel and observing the passersby. Sitting down at the table beside her, he asked Patton to go inside and order him a Death After Noon and two fruity skewers. He wasn’t a waiter, but Kaeya was respected enough around here that he did it anyway.
Once his order came out, Kaeya offered up one of the skewers to Ebbie, who chirped happily before snapping one piece up. He smiled and took a bite of his own just as the door to the tavern opened. Just as expected.
“Dammit, Kaeya. I told you not to feed her that junk! She’s a hunter. She’ll get her own food without all that processed nonsense.” Diluc said, reaching to take the skewer sticks from Kaeya’s hand. “And stop using her to send your stupid notes.”
Kaeya chuckled and held both skewers out of reach, turning his body to block Diluc out. “My, my, Master Diluc. Are you calling your own wine nonsense?”
Diluc huffed and gave up, stepping back to straighten out his shirt. “Ebony. No more. Leave it,” he commanded. Kaeya, ever one to enjoy testing the bird’s allegiance, held out the next piece of chicken. The bird looked between the two men, clearly trying to decide if Diluc’s order was that or just a suggestion before quickly gobbling up the offering.
Diluc smacked the back of Kaeya’s head roughly. “I’m charging you double.”
—--
It was the worst sort of day. Kaeya and a small group of the Knights were patrolling Old Mondstadt after hearing rumors of Treasure Hoarder movement in the area. It was strange enough to warrant action- Stormterror’s Lair was nothing more than monster-infested ruins at this point. If Treasure Hoarders were moving in, the Knights needed to know why.
A loud caw from overhead had Kaeya turning abruptly. He’d know that cry anywhere. But what was Ebony doing so far from her Master? He flicked his coin, not sure the sun would even catch the light in such an abysmally gray region, but figuring it would help the bird spot him regardless. If Diluc was running around the area on his vigilante nonsense… well. Things would be getting very interesting later.
The bird landed, startling quite a few knights before they recognized her. Flapping her wings in Kaeya’s direction, the captain noticed a note tied to her leg. Normally, she didn’t deliver messages to Kaeya, but he’d been there for her training. That signal meant her message was for him. Cocking an eyebrow, he reached to take the letter from her.
Impatient, the bird pecked at his hand, not willing to wait for him to even read the note before demanding a treat.
“Sorry, Ebbie,” Kaeya said with a chuckle. “We’ve been camped out here for a week. I don’t have any Skewers. Can I interest you in a squirrel?”
He gestured to where the knights’ recent hunting prizes were hanging a few feet away. The bird seemed to think about it for a moment, as if she truly understood him, before ruffling her feathers and letting out another loud caw before flying off. He’d have to repay her later or he’d certainly be paying for it with a bleeding finger or two.
Unraveling the letter, Kaeya’s expression turned to one of pure shock.
K,
Come to the winery.
-D
—--
It’s a trap, some part of Kaeya’s brain helpfully supplied as he stared at the winery from his usual perch atop the cliff. It’d been 4 days since he’d received Diluc’s invitation. Certainly the Dark Knight Hero himself had known Kaeya was on a mission and couldn’t come immediately. But still, his anxieties couldn’t fathom why he was being invited back home for the first time in nearly 4 years.
Well, if Diluc wanted to kill him, he would have done so on his 18th birthday. Or poisoned his wine at the tavern and made it look like Kaeya’s liver had finally given out. So it probably wasn’t a murder attempt. With a sigh, he started making his way down the cliff side, along the steep path that would bring him through the vineyard before reaching the main estate. He hadn’t stepped foot on the Winery’s grounds in months, and before that, it had only been during times he knew Diluc wasn’t around. It felt… odd. And yet, relieving.
Looking up as he approached the front steps, he saw Ebony circling the building, a loud cry piercing the sky as she noticed him. Well, no use delaying any longer now that the whole house knew someone was outside.
Before he could knock, Adelinde opened the door with a wide smile. “Master Kaeya. It’s so good to have you home.”
Kaeya blinked in confusion. The staff hadn’t called him Master since he’d been kicked out of the home. They’d turned to Sir instead, to honor his title.
“Master?” He questioned. Instead of explaining, Adelinde merely winked and gestured him inside.
“Kaeya.”
As the blue haired man stepped inside, his name was called from the stairs, where the true master of the house was making his descent.
“Master Diluc. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Diluc stopped in front of Kaeya, his arms folded across his chest and his face looking somewhat annoyed. Kaeya wondered why, since he hadn’t even done anything yet. Yet.
But it lasted only a moment before the man’s features softened. He reached out a hand and clapped Kaeya on the shoulder. “We wanted you to come by and have dinner. Jean says you’ve been neglecting yourself again.”
That… was true, but Kaeya was more interested in why Diluc suddenly cared about his poor eating habits.
Behind them, Adelinde cleared her throat.
“…And not just tonight. Whenever you’d like.” Diluc dropped his hand, averting his gaze to look anywhere else but at Kaeya. “You are unbanned from the premises. Your old room is available to you, should you ever need it. Let’s move on.”
Kaeya wasn’t one to get all sentimental, but Diluc’s words hit him like a punch to the gut and he could feel moisture threatening to spill from his eyes. He glanced at Adelinde as if to confirm he’d heard Diluc correctly, and the maid simply nodded once before reaching for his jacket.
“Welcome home, Master Kaeya. Now, have a seat. The food will be out in a minute.”
The two men sat, Diluc at the head of the table and Kaeya to his right, one seat empty between them. It felt right that way. They didn’t speak much. Diluc hated idle chit chat, after all. They spoke briefly about the Stormterror’s assignment, mostly so Kaeya could confirm the threat was neutralized and that was that.
Once they finished eating, Diluc motioned for Millie to come forward with the platter she was holding. Kaeya wondered what that was about.
Standing, the redhead nodded for Kaeya to follow, taking the platter from the maid with a soft thanks. He was still confused, but curiosity was a fickle thing, and so he followed anyway as Diluc led them outside.
Diluc let out a loud whistle as he lifted the top from the platter, revealing what Kaeya knew to be some of Ebony’s favorite raw meat cuts. The captain smiled as he realized what this was.
“Why don’t we feed her like old times instead of you constantly sneaking her junk?”
The bird landed on the edge of a wine cart, tipping her head at the men. Kaeya liked to imagine she was just as confused over seeing them together as he was.
“Sure. But I can’t promise the second part of that request. Ebbie gets violent if I don’t give her skewers,” Kaeya said, taking a piece of meat to toss to the bird. She caught it effortlessly, swallowing it down without hesitation.
“It’s— You’re insufferable, you know that?” Diluc said with an exasperated sigh before tossing the bird another piece of meat.
Kaeya smirked and leaned against a wine barrel.
“Maybe so. But it seems to me that you missed it.”
“I just grew tired of you watching me from the cliff like some stalker.” Diluc avoided Kaeya's gaze, but the captain could see the hint of a blush rising on his cheeks. For once, though, he'd give his former brother a taste of mercy.
“I’m sure.”
