Tags & Trigger warnings: Emetophilia, vomiting, whump, Poisoning, Hurt/Comfort, Can be read as Platonic or Romantic.

Summary: When a meeting with an informant goes wrong Kaeya is left feeling miserable.

Posted to Ao3: August 7th 2021

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Information is a powerful tool and a very valuable commodity.

It could do many things which was probably why Kaeya valued it so heavily.

Information was how Kaeya stayed one step ahead of his opponents. But like all things, information had a price, one that often couldn't be paid with just money.

And right now Kaeya was paying that price. He didn't mind it at all, it was a good break and a nice distraction from his regular routine.

He viewed it as a simple exchange, and while he admittedly did enjoy it, forcing himself to keep up that false sweet smile could be annoying not to mention tiring.

As he sipped on his glass of wine while the treasure hoarder beside him rambled on in a futile effort to impress him, Kaeya couldn't help but wonder what Diluc would be up to right now.

Hopefully, he was getting some rest, cause last time Kaeya had seen him at Angel's share he definitely looked like he needed it.

"That truly is amazing, was it hard to kill the Lawachurl on your own?" Kaeya asked , the smile he gave the treasure hoarder false but sweet.

He wasn't wearing his Knight uniform, instead, he wore some brown plain pants, a long tan jacket, and a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, because he didn't come here as the Cavalry Captain he came as Kaeya Alberich.

This location was rather secluded, a cave tucked away in the corner of Stormterrors lair, but Kaeya knew it well. It was a place where Treasure hoarders and sometimes the Fatui gather to basically relax, drink, and party.

Although Kaeya knew better than anyone that alcohol made people talk. So he'd come here on the word of an informant, which was the man next to him.

The man nodded with a wide grin. "It was but I did it, the big bastard keeled over so quick. And to think I don't even have a vision, " the man said, his tone full of pride.

Kaeya hid his smirk behind his wine glass as he took another sip of his drink. Savoring the crisp yet sweet taste that glided across his tongue.

The man was incredibly annoying but at least the wine was good.

"What do you say we leave for now and go back to my place, " the man suggested his arm wrapping around Kaeya's waist as he leaned a bit closer to whisper in his ear.

Kaeya gave a soft hum as he set his now empty glass off to the side. "Is that your price?" he asked calmly with a smile full of nothing but false sweetness.

The man nodded as he stared at Kaeya and Kaeya sighed, getting to his feet. If that was what the man wanted then he would need another drink.

"Where are you going sweetheart?" the man asked him.

Kaeya smiled. "To get another drink before we leave."

"I can get you one!" the man quickly offered but Kaeya shook his head.

One of the important rules Kaeya had when interacting with informants was never to drink or eat anything they offered him. If his drink or food had been out of his sight for any amount of time then it was more than likely contaminated and he wouldn't take it.

"I want to stretch my legs as well, " he told the man, his false smile still in place.

Without waiting for any more of his suggestions Kaeya walked over to the makeshift bar that'd be set up. Ignoring the looks a few of the Fatui and other Treasure Hoarders gave him.

"One death in the afternoon please, " he told the bartender then he paused scowling. "Actually, just give me some snezhnayan firewater, " he sighed knowing that the bartender would have it despite Diluc practically refusing to import the stuff.

If he wanted to get through the rest of the night he needed something extremely strong.

The bartender stared at him for a moment, Kaeya recognized him. He was one of the many Fatui frequently seen coming and going from the Grand Goth hotel.

The bartender gave Kaeya a small nod before beginning work on his drink. Kaeya watched the man's hands with a careful eye.

"What in the hell are you doing here?"

Glancing over Kaeya saw three rather drunk-looking treasure hoarders approaching him, and he grinned at them as he leaned forward slightly to rest his arm on the bar countertop.

"Enjoying myself, just like everyone else here, " Kaeya chuckled as he gestured around the room to the numerous people getting drunk. He quickly glanced back at the bartender, but ended up looking back at the treasure hoarder who had spoken when he stepped forward.

All of his senses on high alert Kaeya crossed his arms, one hand discreetly reaching into his jacket to grasp the dagger he had hidden there. Kaeya would like to avoid fighting if he could but he also had to stand his ground.

"You're not welcome here you fucking dog, " the Treasure hoarder hissed with narrow eyes.

Kaeya gave a soft snort as the bartender placed the small glass containing his drink on the bar countertop. He takes it, downing the firewater in one go, giving a soft sigh at the familiar burn that stings his throat and the warm suddenly pooling in his stomach.

"Don't worry I'll be leaving soon, " Kaeya muttered as he stepped away from the bar.

He returns to his seat next to the informant with a grin on his face, feeling slightly more relaxed now that he had alcohol flowing through him.

"Sorry if those assholes bothered you, " the informant told him with a frown.

Kaeya sat down with a chuckle. The man looked genuinely upset by the incident or he was just a good actor. Kaeya believed the latter rather than the former.

"I've heard worse, " Kaeya chuckled, waving away the man's false concern.

The man edged closer to Kaeya resting his hand on his thigh. "You're so beautiful, " the man whispered as he kissed Kaeya's neck.

"Well aren't you the eager one, compliments will only get you so far though, " Kaeya chuckled as he tilted his head to the side allowing the man easier access to his neck.

"I'll guess I'll just have to show you with my actions, " the man chuckled.

Kaeya gave a soft hum, a slight smile on his face. Suddenly his body jolted slightly with a series of hiccups and Kaeya's eye went wide.

He pulled away from the man with a scowl. "Wait, give me a moment, " Kaeya chuckled.

"A bit too much alcohol maybe?" The informant said with a slight smile.

Kaeya nodded, his scowl remaining unchanged. Something didn't feel right. His mind kept telling him that something was wrong.

Kaeya narrows his eye slowly roving around the room as the informant continues kissing his neck, practically nuzzling him all the while barely suppressed hiccups jolt Kaeya's body.

Kaeya doesn't feel good, he suddenly feels very, very sick right now. Dizzying waves of intense nausea washes over him as a loud burp suddenly leaves his mouth. For a few moments, Kaeya just sits there staring wide-eyed at the floor.

"Oh, are you okay?" The informant asked him, pausing to look up at Kaeya, slightly concerned.

Kaeya gives a small chuckle and a shaky smile. "O-of course I-I am, why do...you ask, " he said, his normally smooth voice shaky and wavering as he tried to speak around the nausea currently enveloping him. Another hiccup leaves his mouth as he speaks, this one sounding almost sickly.

Kaeya really, really doesn't feel good. He's so nauseous that he's dizzying, his stomach sloshed sickeningly inside of him the food and drinks he'd stuffed down practically rolling against the walls of his stomach.

He swallows thickly trying to clear the near river of saliva suddenly gathering in his mouth.

Beside him, the man snorts softly and Kaeya slowly turns to him. Reaching up, the man ran his thumb across Kaeya's lips.

"Well, well, look at that, your drooling. Just like the dog you are, " the man chuckled a smirk crawling across his face. "Every single one of you knights are fucking pigs."

"W-what did...what did you do?" Kaeya managed to get out, his words thick with nausea, slurring together as he tried to swallow back the bile bubbling at the back of his throat. He could feel drool leaking from his lips and knew that everyone's eyes were on him.

All of his senses were screaming at him. Kaeya knew that he was poisoned, that much was obvious but he didn't know with what.

He groaned softly, a hand going to his stomach as it made a loud gurgling noise.

Another loud burp jolted his body although this one sounded a lot wetter than the last and Kaeya's eye widened as it brought more than air with it. A small trickle of bile splattering down the front of his shirt.

Beside him, the informant burst out laughing before turning to look over his shoulder. "Look at this fucking dumbass!" he called in between his bouts of laughter.

Kaeya's eye widened as he frantically tried to swallow back a larger wave of vomit threatening to creep up his throat, his lips pressed into a thin line as he clamps a hand over his mouth, taking panicked breaths in through his nose. His body trembling with the effort of trying to force back the contents of his stomach currently flooding his mouth.

His stomach heaves, almost convulsing as it forces more of its contents into his mouth and Kaeya lurches forward with a barely aborted heave.

The informant leans forward to whisper in Kaeya's ear. "All you knights are a fucking joke. If Mondstadt's notorious cavalry captain is this much of a dumbass then Mondstadt really is fucked."

Out. Kaeya needs to escape now . His current condition makes that idea incredibly difficult, however, considering he's trembling all over and barely able to keep himself from puking on over himself.

He manages to climb to his feet, his legs shaking beneath him like a newborn deer. The motion is too quick for his churning stomach and it gives a low gurgling noise as it heaves. Forcing Kaeya's mouth open as more of its contents force their way up his throat.

Slightly watery vomit sprays through the cracks in his fingers, the warm, disgusting, slime mixture coats his hand and the front of his clothes.

Kaeya falls to his hands and knees with a gurgling retching that has a thick wave of slightly watery vomit surging up his throat. It splashes down on the cave floor forming a pretty good-sized puddle.

And Kaeya squeezes his eye shut as he pants and gags over the mess, threads of drool hanging from his lips. He can clearly make out the undigested remnants of the food he'd eaten mixing with the bile and alcohol he'd drank.

Even through the intense almost delirious nausea fueled haze and the humming in his ears he can hear the people laughing at him, mocking him.

Gritting his teeth, he clamps his mouth shut as his stomach heaves again just barely suppressing another retch as he forces himself to swallow back the next wave of vomit trying to gurgle up his throat.

"Look at this idiot, swallowing his own puke like a dog."

Kaeya hears someone say, in the next second he feels someone's hands on him and he lashes out with his vision sending shards of cryo forward. There's a scream but Kaeya doesn't bother looking back as he forces himself to his feet, just barely suppressing the retches and gags threatening to bubble out of him as he begins to run.

He has no clue what in the world they poisoned him with but it's not lethal from the looks of it, cause chances were if it was he'd have keeled over already and he'd be feeling a hell of a lot more pain than just a strong ache he currently has in his stomach.

So he guesses that that's one good thing that's happened today.

As he exits storm terrors domain he realizes that it is pouring rain but he honestly doesn't mind nor care. It's hot, way too hot as if his body is burning from the inside out.

Kaeya panics, his mind screaming at him as he begins to hyperventilate. The action triggers his still sensitive gag reflex, a sharp cramp twisting at his stomach as he gives a loud wet retch, a small wave of slightly water vomit splattering onto one of the many puddles of muddy water on the ground.

The chunks of the food he'd eaten floating in the mess like a disgusting soup.

Coughing he shakily raises his head, his body trembling from both the nausea and the ice-cold rain pelting his skin.

His eye frantically darts around, somewhere, he needs to get somewhere safe where he could deal with this.

That's when he sees it, despite his vision blurring and swaying before his eye. The familiar lights of Dawn Winery.

Despite his current condition, he can't help the tiny almost delirious sounding laugh that escapes him.

"Diluc...won't...l-like this, " he manages to mumble, his voice still thick with nausea.

Ignoring the loud gurgling noise his stomach makes and the fact that he could feel more of his stomach's contents trying to creep up his throat, Kaeya begins staggering forward toward the winery, his legs unsteady.

~~~

It is very late at night, and the winery is more quiet than usual with Diluc having gone to bed, many of the workers returning to their homes in Mondstadt or Springvale, and Adelinde was doing her usual nightly rounds in the estate.

When she hears an almost frantic knocking coming from the front doors of the winery, she scowls approaching the door wondering who in the world it could be this late at night.

She doesn't know what to expect when she hesitantly opens the door, but she gasps her eyes wide with shock at the sight before her.

"M-Master Kaeya?" She whispered.

Kaeya didn't look good, he was pale, his normally golden tan skin taking on an almost ashen color tinged with green. His eye was glassy and glazed over, lacking any of its usual sharpness. He was absolutely drenched from the rain and panting harshly, his breaths shuddering as his body trembled.

He wasn't wearing his knight uniform strangely enough and had what looked like vomit on the front of his clothing.

He looks at her and grins, giving an almost delirious or drunken-sounding giggle. "Hi...Adelinde."

Adelinde's concern grows when she hears his words slurring, even more so he swallows audibly and sways on his feet giving a soft groan.

A second later what little color he has left in his face seems to drain away before her eyes, he blinks once, twice, his eye flutters then rolls back.

Adelinde gives a soft hiss as she lunges forward to attempt to catch him, as his legs give beneath him. Kaeya is not particularly heavy and she's had to carry heavier things during her time working at the winery, but his sudden dead weight nearly drags them both to the floor.

Another hiss leaves Adelinde's mouth as she catches Kaeya by his arms, digging her feet in to make sure she doesn't end up falling as well.

As she carefully lowers his limp form to the floor she notices something. Despite the ice-cold rain coating Kaeya's skin, she can feel heat rolling off of him.

She rises to her feet looking up and realizing that the noise had drawn the attention of a few of the other maids who had the night shift.

She turns to them. "Please watch over Master Kaeya for a moment while I retrieve Master Diluc," she ordered.

"Y-yes ma'am."

Adelinde leaves the foyer climbing the stairs two at a time, a scowl on her face. She only woke Diluc up during emergencies, emergencies she couldn't exactly handle on her own. And this counted as one of those emergencies.

She assumed that Kaeya was either sick or drunk, she didn't know but he was very clearly not doing well and she knew she'd get an earful from both Elzer and Diluc if she didn't do her due diligence and inform him.

She does knock before entering his room, before quickly striding over to his bed where Diluc is asleep. Laying a hand on his shoulder she gives him a gentle shake. "Master Diluc, I'm afraid there is a problem."

"Huh? What?" Diluc mumbles, his eyes cracking open. He was a rather light sleeper so it didn't take much for Adelinde to rouse him. He sits up in bed rubbing a hand over his face. "What is it? Is that bard stealing things again?" He asked brushing his hair out of his face.

Adelinde shakes her head, her face tense with worry and Diluc scowled, it was incredibly rare to see Adelinde of all people make that expression. "It is Master Kaeya, he is here and I believe he may be sick."

For a moment or two Diluc freezes, simply staring at her as if processing what she had just said and then he's climbing out of bed almost frantically. "Where?"

"The main foyer sir," Adelinde told him, following after Diluc as he rushed out of his room.

When they come into the foyer the first thing Diluc sees is Kaeya laying on the floor on his side, completely soaked in rainwater, curled up into a ball and trembling, his arms wrapped tightly around his stomach as he groaned softly, low tense gurgling noises coming from his stomach.

Two of the winery's maids are standing at his side seemingly at a loss of what to do. Diluc was at his side in an instant, his hands hovering over Kaeya as if he was afraid to touch him.

Kaeya was surprisingly awake, his eye slightly open although Diluc didn't know how lucid he may be considering he was making no move to get up. Even stranger was the fact that Kaeya wasn't wearing his uniform, even when he was technically off duty in Mondstadt he usually wore it.

"Kaeya? Can you hear me?" Diluc asked gently, stroking his hair back from his face. A soft hiss leaves his mouth when he feels how bad Kaeya's fever is.

Kaeya gives a soft groan, a dazed look on his face as his eye opens a little more. He gives a wet gurgling hiccup, his face pinching in pain as he brings up a small wave of watery tan vomit. He gasped for air, coughing and curling further in on himself as pain streaks across his stomach, he burps his lips parting slightly as he adds to the puddle of vomit next to him.

Continuing to stroke Kaeya's hair away from his face, Diluc quickly looks up at Adeline. "Tell Elzer to go retrieve Barbara, quickly," he told her, quickly turning his attention back to Kaeya when the other man whimpered. His own hands are trembling as he struggles to keep himself from panicking, after all, he's never seen Kaeya in such a state.

Kaeya doesn't really know what's going on right now but he feels so nauseous, his stomach is killing him, and it's unbearably hot. There's a sharp sour and disgustingly bitter taste coating his mouth and it only upsets his stomach further, nausea almost swirling in the pit of his stomach. He can hear people talking above him, familiar warm calloused hands touching his face.

The world is a blur of nauseating colors before his eyes but he's able to recognize that long red hair and red eyes anywhere. He gives a weak shaky chuckle, "I-I'm...I'm...h-home..."

This situation really isn't anything to laugh at and to be honest Kaeya absolutely despises it right now cause he feels like shit, but it's an effort to keep himself from panicking more than he already is. He doesn't think he's dying, in fact, he's very sure he isn't but it doesn't stop his mind from jumping from one horrible scenario to the next especially considering he's delirious from both the fever and the nausea currently assaulting him.

He thinks Diluc scowls at him for a moment or two, but it's hard to tell, especially when black dots begin appearing in his vision. As his eye close he can only hope that whatever he's been drugged with starts to wear off soon because he really hates this.

~~~

It does not stop much to Kaeya's horror when he slowly begins to wake up. His stomach feels as though it's throwing a tantrum inside of him as it violently churns, its contents sloshing inside of him like a whirlpool. It's unbearably hot and Kaeya briefly considers using his vision to cool himself down but when he attempts to call the elemental energy to him it doesn't come.

He swallows thickly as he takes shuddering breaths practically panting as saliva begins building up in his mouth. He opens his eye slightly, recognizing the brown wooden ceiling of Dawn Winery. He can feel something soft beneath him and faintly realizes that he's laying in a bed, his clothes have also been changed and he's underneath numerous blankets. He thinks he hears Barbara's soft voice, and she's speaking to someone else.

"...it's not lethal, but he's definitely not going to be feeling good for these next few days."

"That's a relief, thank you, Barbara," He hears Diluc say

Turning his head toward the door Kaeya frowned as he slowly propped himself up on shaking limbs. He feels as though his stomach flips inside of him as the disconnect between where it feels like his body is and where it goes leaves him gagging.

Clamping a hand over his mouth Kaeya manages to crawl to the edge of the bed, when he tries to stand up on his trembling legs, however, he instantly collapses like a house of cards.

Gritting his teeth as the room sways before his eye he leans back against the bed, gripping the blankets as tightly as possible with his shaking hands so that he won't completely collapse on the floor. The motion makes his stomach slosh sickeningly and he retches over his own lap, drool dripping from his mouth as he brings up a wave of bile and whatever is left in his stomach at the moment.

Swallowing as threads of drool dripped into the mess he took a shuddering breath. "S-shit," he whispered. Knowing that Diluc no doubt heard all of that, Kaeya closes his eye and counts.

In almost less than a minute Diluc rushes into the room with wide eyes and Kaeya frowns as he looks up at him noting that he was dressed for bed, his long hair untied. Which after taking a moment or two for his fever-addled brain to process it, it makes sense considering it was almost midnight before he left the storm terror's lair, no doubt Diluc would be asleep.

"Hey," Kaeya rasped softly as he wiped his mouth with his hand. His throat felt raw and considering how much he'd thrown up it was no surprise that his voice was practically shot. He feels as though his face is burning and he doesn't know if it's from the embarrassment or the fever, probably both.

Diluc is quiet as he stares at Kaeya for a moment, a scowl on his face. Despite that, the concern and pity was clear in his eyes. Barbara is standing in the doorway anxiously looking between the two, more than likely worried that they may start fighting.

"Can...can you give us a sec Barbara," Kaeya asked, pausing as he gave a soft hiccup.

The sharp scent of bile is stinging his nose and he really doesn't want to look down at the mess on his clothes for fear of setting his stomach off again.

"How do you feel?" Diluc asked softly, kneeling down beside Kaeya once Barbara had left.

Kaeya shakes his head but stops when he feels bile threatening to creep up his throat. A dull ache streaking across his stomach as it gives a low gurgling noise. "Like shit," he whispered after a moment or two once he felt as though he wouldn't start gagging with each breath he took.

Diluc sighed, shaking his head. "How did this even happen? Who did this to you?"

"I..." Kaeya began, then he sighed softly. "I...made a mistake. I-I was...careless," Kaeya admitted after a moment.

He had no doubt that the three treasure hoarders that had come up to him had planned it to distract him. One of the oldest tricks in the book and he'd let his emotions get the better of him and took the bait. He had no one to blame for his condition besides himself and the bastards who poisoned him.

Diluc frowned, crossing his arms. "A mistake? Does this have to do with why you were dressed in those clothes when you got here?" It was rare for Kaeya to willingly admit when he'd screwed up, even rarer when he did so to Diluc directly considering they both had a tendency to be stubborn. "Your fever is still there," Diluc murmured as he reached out briefly feeling Kaeya's forehead.

Kaeya cringed when he looked away and caught sight of the vomit currently coating his lap. Swallowing hard he took a deep breath. "If I tell you what I was doing, you'll just g-get mad. So...I won't," Kaeya managed to get out.

He groaned, screwing his eyes shut as his stomach gave a low, almost tense gurgling noise, a horrible ache practically punching him in the stomach leaving him unable to breathe for a moment or two as an intense wave of nausea washed over him.

"Barbara said that the nausea will probably be there for a day or two. The poison apparently isn't lethal thankfully," Diluc sighed, the relief clear on his face.

Kaeya merely gives a soft hum trying his best to take deep breaths and calm the nausea swirling in the pit of his stomach.

Seeing what color Kaeya does currently in his face practically drain out, Diluc reaches out, gathering Kaeya's hair back from his face. His other hand goes to Kaeya's back as Kaeya turns slightly retching over the floor.

The noise came out strangled as if scraping across Kaeya's throat and clawing its way up from the pits of his stomach and Diluc couldn't help but cringe.

Kaeya retched again, bringing up a trickle of bile that splashed onto the hardwood floor. "S-sorry," Kaeya whispered, swallowing a few times as he tried to blink the tears from his eye.

Diluc shakes his head. "It's fine, it's not like you can help it. I won't get mad if you tell me how this happened."

Kaeya leaned back against the bed not even bothering to wipe the drool from his mouth, he was dizzy, exhausted, his stomach hurt and he desperately wanted to go to sleep. "Later...too tired right now," he mumbled closing his eye he just needed a few minutes to compose himself.

Diluc sighed but nodded. "Okay, once you're cleaned up and have gotten some rest we'll talk."

Kaeya merely gives a soft hum. This has probably been one of the worst days of his life but he does know one thing. The moment he's back to feeling like himself again he's gonna make it a priority to track down the bastards that did this to him.