Archive of Our Own

"All participants for the mating run of this year please reunite at the event venue.” Jean’s voice was loud, causing a hush amongst the crowd as the anticipation of the upcoming mating run began to build.

Yet the whisperers continued when Diluc entered the venue. His presence was unexpected, yet when he walked, people parted, making way for his arrival as if he were royalty. It used to be more subtle when he was younger, but upon his return from his three-year sojourn, others' views on him had changed. He was the owner to Dawn Winery and Angel’s Share and an omega with the strength to snap an alpha in two with a claymore to back up his threat. His hands were stained in blood, and the softness he used to have was replaced with a cold disposition that almost seemed uncaring. He held distance from everyone, a way to protect himself and focus on objectives more important than his happiness.

To everyone in Mondstadt, he was an untouchable omega with a fortune others could dream of and the independence to care and protect himself. He wasn’t docile; he didn’t need to have an alpha rush in to safeguard him in battle or protect his honor, and he wasn’t deserving to have a family with his bloodstained hands.

Still, he wanted it.

He wanted to be loved. He wanted to be cared for. He wanted to be protected, perhaps not physically, but emotionally. But he could see the alphas shrink away as he walked passed, as if he were above them. He was intimidating and ferocious, a force that others would rather avoid when angry.

He felt undesirable.

Nobody had dared court him. After all, what could you offer an omega that had everything? Nobody had tried to understand him, though he kept his emotions closed off, too scared to feel them for himself, so how could he possibly share?

Nobody wanted him.

And he was tired of waiting.

Every year matings would be celebrated, couples would be wed, and families would grow.

When would it be his turn? How easy some omegas had it, with alphas falling into their laps, begging for their affections. While he had to watch from a pedestal that society had placed him on. He was told that he was the most eligible omega, but then why didn’t anyone act on it?

Sure, his history was stained in blood. Yes, he was still broken and slowly healing from the loss of his father, his faith, and his past self. But he deserved love too. He didn’t want to live life alone after growing up surrounded by myriads of love and affection from so many people.

He didn’t need to be loved by everyone, but he hoped to be loved by one person. So he had waited, hoping that he would find someone brave enough. Years had passed, and his heart remained torn, a raging war inside. There was no more time to feel sorry for himself. He was a man of action. He was Diluc Ragnivindr. If he wanted a mate, then he would find one.

He held his head high as he walked through the event venue in Springvale, ignoring the people that gapped at his arrival. He had not signed up in advance, but he knew that he would never be turned away. The event was hosted by the Knights of Favonious, and they owed him more than this. Knights had been posted around the event, keeping everything controlled, a challenging task granted the pheromones and instincts that would be rampant and wild.

"The shots will get fired in a minute. All omegas please get on the starting line." Jean’s voice rang loud, a command and warning of the event about to commence. Diluc stepped to the edge of the line. Out of his peripheral vision he could see the omega next to him lean away. He brushed it off, knowing that his imposing figure was sure to make the other omegas worry. He was the most eligible omega, their competition. If only they knew the burden of a title that was filled with promises but no actual courtships or potential mates.

The shot fired with a loud bang, causing a flock of pigeons to take off, their wings beating against the wind. The omegas around him ran, most following the path to the winery and others scaling the cliffs to the forest. Diluc took his first steps, crossing over the line drawn in the dirt road and walking with no rush. If it were a competition of stamina and strength, he would win. Any chasing would be one where he would win. It’s not that he was overconfident; it was a fact. Perhaps it would be best to see who would challenge him head-on?

He made his way to a ledge on the right cliffside, not too far from the starting line. Then he settled below a tree. He folded one leg in front of him and had his other leg propped up so he could rest his arm over his knee. From here he had a clear view of the starting line and the alpha’s pacing along it.

“All alphas please get on the starting line,” Jean said.

Diluc shuddered as a gust of wind rustled his hair; laced on its breeze was the volatile concoction of alpha pheromones. The message was clear: claim, mate, breed.

A second shot was fired, and they ran.

Growling and oozing pheromones of possession, they approached.

Then passed.

One by one, Diluc watched as they sprinted down the dirt path and away from him. Some looked for a moment before their better judgment persuaded them to look for someone more suitable.

It hurt.

Could all of his riches and his status really not be enough to change anyone’s mind? Was he that intimidating? Perhaps he should run like the others? But to do so now would make him look like a fool.

It was moments like this that he searched back in his heart for days when he was young and amiable, desired by everyone.

Perhaps what they desired was the omega he used to be, the one with a brilliant smile and charisma to lead an army. Not one with the strength and intelligence to make them feel helpless and inferior.

Maybe they were right…

“Diluc!”

Diluc looked up, his eyes widening as he saw Kaeya rushing toward him and dropping to his knees. This couldn’t be real. What was he doing here? His eyes fell to the event badge over the alpha’s chest, and his jaw tightened. So he was an event monitor this year. Was he in trouble for not signing up and showing up to the event uninvited? Or perhaps he was here to tell him to leave the premises since he was obviously not a choice for anyone?

But Kaeya took the hand draped over his knee in both of his hands, cradling it as if he were something precious, in a way he hadn’t since they were kids. He could feel the alpha tremble, his hands shaky, but not a sound came from his mouth.

"Kaeya, don't! Come back!" Jean called out. Her voice was close, and Diluc looked over a fur-covered shoulder to find her running after them. Kaeya did not acknowledge her arrival; instead, he stood to his feet. Diluc’s heart fluttered as Kaeya gripped his hand tight before he moved.

They ran, just like they did when they were lovesick children without a care in the world, melting into each other's presence. Years ago he would be the one to lead, with Kaeya following behind him like his shadow, unwavering, but now the alpha charged forward, taller and confident. He had grown so much from the shy, sickly boy that would once cling to his side.

They dashed through the forest, jumping down cliffsides and over rocks. He recognized this path; it was one they would take when they were younger. Whether it was to hide from their younger problems or to take a break from an expedition, it was their safe place.

They reached the cave by Cider Lake, tucked under the path to Wolvendom. The gentle lapping of the pond in front of it calmed him. His omega knew that this was safe, that he was safe. It wasn’t a feeling he would normally indulge in as safety was rare to come by when he had left Mondstadt, but it was nice to feel it settle instead of locking it away. Regardless of why Kaeya brought them here, he could indulge in the comfort and fantasy for a moment.

Once they entered the cave, he realized the scent of lavender and sharp mint permeating from the alpha. It was a soothing combination, but the subtle mint had become strong, catching his attention.

Kaeya turned towards him, holding both of his hands together, and then he lifted them to his mouth to kiss the knuckles. “I caught you,” he said, breathless, bewildered.

“Why?” Diluc asked. It didn’t make sense? Kaeya had built a reputation during his sojourn. He had become not only the cavalry captain but also the quartermaster. He was no longer a shadow but the moon that glowed with the sun's radiance. He had nurtured the bonds between his friends and forged new ones with allies and foes, interweaving himself deeper into the treasure hoarder network than any other Diluc had seen. Kaeya was admired by all of Mondstadt and made a name for himself; he was the first choice as grandson-in-law for any grandmother.

He was the ideal alpha.

One that Diluc had given up that night years ago.

He had no claim to the alpha before him.

“I caught you, so you’re mine.” Kaeya’s words were firm, definitive. His grasp on their hands tightened, shaking, as if he were afraid of losing what was held within them.

“But why?” Diluc asked again, sharp.

A starry eye glistened with unshed tears, and Kaeya spoke. "Because I'm not strong enough to keep punishing myself with deprivation of the only omega I have ever loved." His voice wavered as he choked the words out. "I tried, really tried, but I don't think I can do it for the rest of my life. I’m not that good a person to just let you go like I should. I might not be a good person at all, in fact, and I'm not rational either when it comes to you, Diluc. I have never been. I don't think I can ever be."

Diluc froze. The admission was unreal. There was no way this was happening. Kaeya… Love him? He should hate him. He would have every right to.

"If you're going to reject me, do it now," Kaeya continued. "End me as well if you want, it might be the same."

No. No, that’s not what he wanted. He could never end Kaeya. He had almost done so on that fateful night, but he was fortunate that, by the archon’s graces, Kaeya was spared.

Never again.

Trembling arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him close. “I’m going to kiss you,” Kaeya said, leaning close. Diluc could feel the alpha’s breath, and he could smell the mint becoming heady, wrapping him with temptation. If they moved any closer, their lips would touch. Kaeya’s voice dropped to a whisper. “If you don’t want it, then stop me.”

Their lips met and Diluc tensed.

This was real. This was actually happening. He was hesitant to believe it. He had always felt a pull towards the alpha, but he had changed so much. He wasn’t the desirable omega he used to be; he didn’t deserve the most eligible alpha in Mondstadt. He had come to accept that a kiss from Kaeya could only be achieved in his dreams, even if his heart still yearned for their past and how a mating between them would have flourished so easily from their natural attraction. But as Kaeya’s lips moved with the passion of lovers reuniting, he couldn’t help but melt into his embrace, his heart fluttering as the alpha in front of him remained solid, no longer a memory or fantasy.

He pulled back, their lips brushing gently as he spoke with a trembling honesty that he was used to keeping locked in his heart. “I love you too.”

Those words were ones he used to say freely when he was younger, ones that felt so foreign upon his lips now. He was scared to share them with another person, but it was so easy to say them when it came to Kaeya. His eyes widened as the gentle caress of mint turned suffocating. The alpha had broken into a rut, and Diluc was drowning.

Kaeya dipped down, and their lips met again, passionate and rough; it was the mark of a claim instead of shy hesitation. The alpha became more greedy and daring, his lips venturing lower. Diluc shuddered as he kissed his neck. Fangs grazed the curve of his neck before lavishing him with licks and peppered kisses until they descended over the blade of his collarbone.

Diluc could feel his omega instincts awaken, responding to the alpha of their choosing. It begged him to submit, to claim the alpha that had rightfully beat the other competitors, to allow this alpha to claim him. But Diluc knew that there could be no other; it was always Kaeya. Even if his war-torn heart was broken, he could feel it stir for the man that held him. Perhaps with Kaeya they could mend the cracks. It would never beat as freely as when he was younger, but he could learn to let his heart beat for Kaeya and their kids. The thought of a family being obtainable made him whimper.

His heart turned from a flutter to barely restrained rattling against his rib cage. The heat in his body grew, burning him with a feverish desire for more. Slick leaked from him, dripping down his thighs and drenching his pants. He leaned into Kaeya’s embrace, vulnerable and shaking.

Mate. Pups. Breed.

He whimpered, melting further into Kaeya’s embrace as he let his omega instinct take over. He was familiar with fiery flames, but the burning passion of his heat rendered him a trembling mess.

They broke apart then, Kaeya gave a kiss to his forehead. The action was tender and surprisingly controlled for the alpha succumbing to his rut, but it made his heart beat stronger than any of the fierce kisses they had shared earlier. He adored the attention, finally being seen and shown the love he had believed he didn’t deserve. But when the alpha stepped away, he panicked. Where was he going? Was this all a farce fueled by his rut? No. No no no. Not when he just had the alpha in his grasp. There was no other alpha that could compare. His hand reached forward, but Kaeya continued to walk away. Is this how it felt all of those years ago? Like having his heart ripped out and stomped on?

Fortunately, the alpha moved deeper into the cave, removing his jacket and placing it at the back wall. Soon the rest of his clothes followed, arranged in a particular way. Diluc’s eyes widened. Could it be…?

Kaeya took his hands, hesitant as he met his gaze. “Don’t judge it too hard. I just want you to feel safe. Safe with me.”

The moment their hands touched, Diluc settled. This wasn’t a rejection. It was courtship…? The idea of being courted was something he had long given up. He expected to have a physical fight with an alpha during the mating run, a challenge to win his hand, until their eventual rough mating consummated their bond and union.

But this was real. The makeshift nest was small, nothing compared to the lavish duvets and piles of fluffy pillows he had in his bed, but it was more perfect than anything he had attempted to make. He released Kaeya’s hold as he stepped closer to the nest; his chest tightened. This was a courtship gift, a nest made from the alpha in the dreams he had long given up. He glanced at the carving on the wall beside it.

K + D

His eyes softened. When they were kids, they had written that, a mark of their hideout. This was their safe place. No. It was still their safe place. His omega instincts purred at the thoughtful act from their alpha. He removed his jacket, adding it to the pile of clothes. The rest of his clothes followed until he was naked with slick trailing down his thighs. His breaths were shallow, and his cheeks were flushed. Soon he would reach the apex of his heat.

He settled into the center of the nest. “It’s perfect,” he said, his eyes scanning the cave before they met Kaeya. “Won’t you join me?”

Kaeya’s knees buckled as he fell onto him. “Diluc…” he said as if his name were poetry. Diluc expected the alpha to part his legs and alleviate the burn of their combined heat and rut. “You’re so sweet,” Kaeya whispered.

There was a gentle kiss placed on Diluc’s ear, and he tossed an arm over his eyes, his body shaking as Kaeya descended slowly, lavishing his skin with kisses and his ears with loving affirmations. A kiss to his stomach made Diluc whimper.

Pups.

Did the alpha want them too?

He was burning up, and he made sure to hide his eyes behind his arm. It was too much. The way the alpha worshiped him, took his time, and said such romantic words like he was so precious.

“The most beautiful omega I’ve ever seen,” Kaeya said before kissing his hips. “The most perfect.” Another kiss to his inner thighs. “The most fascinating.”

Diluc’s hand fisted into the jacket beneath him. Each affirmation Kaeya said set his heart ablaze, and every loving touch that followed unwrapped the walls he would hide behind. He felt so vulnerable but so safe. His cock throbbed, and another wave of slick leaked onto the nest. He needed to be filled. As romantic as Kaeya was, he couldn’t wait.

He bucked his hips up, hoping to entice the alpha. “Kae… please…”

The alpha nuzzled into his thigh, and Diluc buried his face deeper into his arm, his cheeks flushing as he felt a tongue lap at the slick on his thigh. He moaned as he felt it, wishing it were closer to where he needed it and not on his thigh.

That wish was answered almost simultaneously, as if they had shared a single thought. Pleasure shot up his spine as Kaeya gave his cock a lick. It was small, as was expected of an omega’s cock, so Kaeya was soon able to engulf its entirety in his mouth. As the alpha lavished it with attention, bobbing his head, caressing with his tongue, and sucking on it, Diluc squirmed. His toes curled as he could feel himself reach closer to coming undone, but he wanted the alpha inside of him. He wanted his alpha’s knot.

“Kae—” His eyes snapped open as he felt a finger push its way inside his entrance. His body clenched around it, enticing it to move deeper, and it did. Kaeya moved in tandem with his head, driving Diluc mad with pleasure. He twisted in the nest, making sure his arm was secure over his eyes. He could feel tears prick at the corners as the finger prodded deeper until they hit a spot that made him see stars; he let out a small cry, the tears finally spilling over.

A second finger entered, and the two pulled back before being thrust back inside. Diluc’s back arched as Kaeya hit that spot repeatedly. The movements were slow, as if Kaeya were toying with him. He bit his lip, trying to hold back his moans. He wanted to come undone on his alpha’s knot, not his fingers.

“More, Kaeya,” he choked out before biting back another moan. But it was a futile attempt as his request was answered and a third finger was pressed into him. A desperate keen escaped him as the fingers moved; they speared into him, scissored, and stretched him wide. It was making the fog in his head thicker, driving him mad for lust and craving for a knot to stuff him properly.

His eyes fluttered as light poured through his vision. Kaeya held his arm, moving it from his face. He blinked through the tears as he saw his alpha look down on him, his starry pupil blown wide with navy locks sticking to his forehead. Like this, he was completely exposed and at his alpha’s mercy. A new rush of heat surged up his neck. It was embarrassing for his alpha to see him so debauched.

“You’re so beautiful, Luc,” Kaeya murmured.

The childhood nickname and the compliment were too much. He was a flustered and crying mess. How could he possibly be beautiful? And if he was, how could his alpha not want to claim what was his? The combination of the pleasure he had been edged toward along with Kaeya’s genuine compliment was too much. If his alpha wasn’t going to do it, then Diluc wasn’t going to wait. He rolled them over, straddling Kaeya’s hips. He could feel his alpha’s hard cock press against him; it was large, even when compared to other alphas. It would fit him just right. He grabbed the girth of it and lowered himself onto it. The preparation had loosened him just enough to get the head inside, but as he slid down, he let out a strained breath, forcing his muscles to relax so he could take the entire length. It wasn’t until the swelling knot met his entrance that he stopped. His nails scraped at Kaeya’s chest as he adjusted to the stretch.

He took a few breaths before lifting himself up and plummeting back down to his alpha’s knot. He threw his head back, his wild curls dancing around him as he repeated the motion. The way Kaeya’s large cock rubbed his walls was delicious, better than anything he could have imagined. He moved faster, his shoulders and chest heaving with the effort. The pleasure was building, and his smaller cock bounced, leaking profusely. He moaned and his eyes rolled back as he rode Kaeya with the experience of the youngest cavalry captain in the Knights of Favonius’ history.

"Fuck, Luc—mngh…" Kaeya whined, writhing below him.

Diluc felt his alpha wrap his hands around his hips, his nails biting into the skin. Then his alpha bucked his hips up, meeting each of Diluc’s bounces.

Diluc bounced faster, his back arching from the pleasure. Yet he was riding on the edge, not tumbling over as he wished. His movements were vigorous as he tried to reach that climax, but he couldn’t get there no matter how rough he rode. Tears rolled down his cheeks, his breaths were shaky, and his voice was raspy. “Kae… Please… I need…” He looked down with watery eyes, his movements becoming jerky as he saw his alpha gaze up with adoration and lust.

In an instant Diluc found himself on his back. He panted as his legs were placed over his alpha’s shoulders and he was pinned inside their nest. When Kaeya folded him further in half, he whimpered, feeling the large cock spear deeper than before. The knot kissed his entrance with each aggressive thrust as his alpha let go, letting his rut lead.

Diluc’s fingers clawed at Kaeya’s back as he felt his alpha nuzzle his neck. His breath hitched when he felt those sinful lips trail over his scent gland. The cock inside of him pulsed, and he could feel the knot at this entrance swell. His body rocked into the nest with the driving force of Kaeya’s thrust accelerating them toward their climaxes.

“Kaeya… I’m close!”

That was enough to break his alpha. With a deep thrust, Kaeya popped his knot inside, locking them together as he spilled his seed. Diluc cried out his name as his walls fluttered around the pulsing length, flooding him. His climax was a burst of pleasure like nothing he had ever felt before, and his shaky hands held Kaeya close to keep him grounded as they rode out the waves together.

In their delicate embrace, Kaeya lowered his legs from their shoulders and fell onto him. Diluc could feel his alpha’s nose around his gland, and he tilted his head. Even through the hazy aftermath of this climax, his heart soared in anticipation for the binding claim he yearned for.

A firm bite on the scent gland made him whimper, but he held Kaeya close, letting his alpha tend to the bond mark with licks and kisses. As the bond settled, he could feel a few cracks in his heart begin to mend. It was not complete, but it was a start.

They rolled onto their sides, still locked together by the knot and holding each other close as they relaxed into their nest.

It happened. Even with the bond humming between them and the mark aching on his neck, it was hard to believe. He was convinced that it was a dream that he would wake up from, but a sweet kiss to his forehead showed otherwise. This was real, and Kaeya was his alpha. For once, he was desired for who he was at present and not who he once was.

A hand caressed his stomach, and he flushed with the implications. His eyes caught Kaeya’s, and he swallowed the knot in his throat. Perhaps they were successful and the winery would be expecting a new heir in the near future.