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when i first saw your eyes

request from @kimura-uzuri - "Diluc x female reader love at first sight headcanon"

a/n - you know that one jojo meme that's like "yes yeS YES" that was me with this request. i modified the request a little bit so it's more of "diluc finally takes an interest in someone at first sight rather than think they're evil" because if i'm paying tribute to his character, he's not one to fall in love very easily. but in this the reader definitely catches his eyes ^_^

pairing - diluc x female reader

word count - 3267

genre - fluff

format - headcanons with blurbs

warnings - none!

summary - headcanons + blurbs of when diluc's stomach did backflips the moment you met his eyes

content under the cut!

diluc is a master of perception, there's no face in mondstat that he hasn't committed to memory and attached a name and basic facts to

and seeing all these people happily go about their day brings him great peace, no news is good news and thank the archons that he rid mondstat of any news overnight

but whenever he saw a new face, he was sure to pay close attention and learn anything he could about them. who were they? where were they from? distinctive features that could easily identify them? did they seem malicious?

the last question usually wasn't difficult to answer, it was almost like he had a 6th sense for detecting malicious intent

additionally his position as a bartender allowed him to gather information on these people through eavesdropping, he was always listening in on conversations that never actually concerned him (he usually made it his concern if he had to)

new and unfamiliar people never intrigued him like they did his brother, he's always had his guard up and would continue to do so whenever encountering someone new

he was most aware of this ability whenever he held his yearly formal banquets and invited delegates from all over teyvat

so when he caught wind that fontaine would be sending its newest ambassador to his yearly banquet instead of the old and wrinkled man he'd grown accustomed to, he was more or less as he usually was: on his guard

though she was a formal guest and he'd greet her as politely as he could, part of him couldn't help being suspicious. after all, she could be dangerous and here he was inviting her into his home

but he knew he'd be on his guard, he was always on his guard

the elegant red and black suit stuck awkwardly to his skin and poked at his sides in an uncomfortable manner, yet he shook hands and smiled politely like he was supposed to. he made conversation and furthered connections that he knew would be prosperous for his business. but truthfully? diluc would love nothing more than to hobble away like an old man and collapse into bed; he was beyond exhausted.

he sipped bubbly champagne from a crystal flute glass, filled only for show and as something to do while listening to the many delegates and nobles in front of him. his eyes scan the room once again and he notices an unfamiliar woman seemingly making small talk with acting grand master jean. she dons a gown the color of a fresh spring on a summer's day, (h/c) locks tousled into an elegant style. someone he wasn't familiar with in the slightest. her back was turned to him but from jean's expression it seemed she was quite taken with her. he decided maybe it would be best to take a closer look and speak to her himself, judging from afar would do no good if he didn't even know what she looked like after all.

he excused himself and began to make his way over to greet her but it seemed she was also being called over in another direction. she curtsied to jean and hurried off before diluc could even spare a glance at her face. jean seemed to notice him approaching and sent a polite nod, "good evening master diluc, this is quite the lovely party might i say." he thanked her with a small smile, "say...who was that woman you were speaking with just now? i believe i haven't had the time to make my acquaintance with her..." he trailed off, eyes searching the crowd for that unmistakable shade of blue.

"ah yes that was miss (l/n) of fontaine, i believe she introduced herself as their new ambassador. she's quite lovely! i hope you get a chance to speak with her." diluc hummed and swished the amber liquid in his glass. "should i see them again i'll be sure of it, acting grand master."

he bid jean goodbye and circled around the banquet hall, sending polite greetings to various guests he came across

it itched his brain slightly that he didn't get to see her face, but he'll come around to it

it is common courtesy for guests to greet the host as some point in the night

yet the nagging feeling of dread clawed at his neck. she could be dangerous, and if she turned out to be dangerous it'd fall onto his shoulders to prevent any casualties

he spotted elzer in the distance, pouring wine for an elegant looking group of people and briskly walked over to him

"keep an eye out for the ambassador of fontaine, i've not seen her face but she's wearing a blue frock." he leaned down to his ear and whispered discreetly in his ear. elzer nodded and rose from his pouring position, presumably to scout out the ambassador

he resumed his stroll, stopping near the dance floor to speak with a scholar from sumeru on his newest brand of wine when out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted the soft spring-colored fabric

his trained eyes surveyed the room and caught the familiar shade of blue once more, swishing and swaying on the dance floor with none other than his brother

the scholar kept talking, and diluc nodded along but kept his eyes trained on the young lady in his brother's arms. he seemed to be trying to charm her based on that smug expression of his diluc detested so much. kaeya had winced quite a few times but one wouldn't notice had they not been as observant as diluc was. the ambassador didn't seem to be quite elegant on her feet but from kaeya's flashes of genuine intrigue it seemed she was one hell of a charmer.

he watched as kaeya spun her around and pointed to her shoes, seemingly making a joke about her clumsy dancing to which she responded with a playful smack of his shoulder. diluc would scold kaeya later for messing with his guests but for now his attention was fixated on the elusive ambassador, whose face was still too far away for him to see.

the music ended abruptly and once again, she slipped through the crowd. he sighed and returned his attention to the scholar, who hadn't stopped talking and was probably going to question diluc about things he hadn't been paying attention to

kaeya suddenly interjected with a slap on diluc's shoulder, saying something about borrowing diluc for a moment before dragging him off to one of the less livelier parts of the banquet hall

"you won't believe the beauty i just danced with. my, she was something, talked with grace but sure as hell didn't dance with it." he chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning on one of the ivory pillars.

"and you're telling me this because?" diluc raised an eyebrow, looking at him expectantly.

"oh my, don't go feigning like you haven't been eyeing her up all night. i must say you do have quite the taste, dignitaries from foreign nations didn't exactly seem like your type luc." he clicked his tongue, "diluc, and i'm not eyeing her up. i'm simply...keeping an eye on her." he muttered with a frown.

"keeping an eye on her and eyeing her up constitute as the same thing brother dearest."

"...don't call me that you scoundrel." kaeya laughed and waved his hand in front of his face dismissively. "nevertheless, you've no need to fear her. she's quite a joy to talk to, though she could use a little bit of help in the dancing department." he winced, sticking out his right foot to wiggle it around comedically.

"i don't fear her, i'm just being cautious." he scoffed and turned his head to the side to avoid looking at kaeya.

"well in any case, you should speak with her at some point tonight. it seems she's not aware of many unspoken dignitary rules." kaeya waved his hand indifferently as he walked away, melting into the crowd.

the night's events had left him weary and tired. he passed by more people who wished to talk to him but hurried off with an excuse of tending to an important matter that couldn't be disclosed, quite the bullshit explanation but he wasn't going to go out of his way for an elaborate excuse like kaeya would.

the winery's gardens were lush this time of year, blooming with beautiful flowers and wildlife. the doors to the garden weren't far from the banquet hall, the slightest slivers of classical music came creeping up behind him as he exited the building through a glass door and entered the gardens. some fresh air was what he needed before he dove back in and tried to look for the ambassador to make their acquaintance.

he strolled around aimlessly for a while, taking a few deep breaths. as he rounded a corner, he came across an unexpected sight.

there she sat, in all her glory. the ambassador to fontaine whose face he'd been trying to get a glimpse at all night. initially he made a startled sound not expecting anyone to be out here other than him. here she sat, alone on one of the marble benches surrounded by cecelias. she seemed to have noticed him too because now she stared up at him with alarm on her face.

diluc finally got to look at her face, but the first thing he noticed were her (e/c) eyes. beautiful, stunning, mesmerizing, those words don't begin to cover it.

as if caught in a trance, he couldn't peel his eyes away from hers, and it seemed she couldn't either. his mind scrambled for words but came up with nothing. they both opened their mouths to say something, but their overlapping "ums" and "excuse me's" had them both reeling back.

"u-um, if i may bother you for your name sir?" she finally asked after a brief moment. diluc awkwardly coughed into his fist to divert her attention away from his reddening cheeks as he stuck out his other hand to greet her, "diluc ragnvindr, of dawn winery. a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss?"

"(l/n), (y/n) (l/n), ambassador to fontaine." she took his hand and rose from her seat to curtsy politely. "you're master diluc? goodness i apologize, i would have come and greeted you earlier but i got swept up in the crowd...and i also wasn't sure of what you looked like. it's a pleasure to meet you though!" she giggled sheepishly, rubbing a gloved hand over the back of her neck.

he wanted to reply but his words latched in his throat. their eyes, their beautiful eyes, were drawing him in and sending swirls of heat to his cheeks. he bit the inside of his cheek to regain his composure and brought his lips to their hand, still held in his and kissed the silken cloth in a gentlemanly manner. she parted her lips, the embarrassment in her eyes not going unnoticed.

"the pleasure is all mine miss (l/n). i take it the party is to your liking?" she nodded enthusiastically. "i'm quite enamored with it! i haven't been to many parties outside of fontaine, and i'll admit i'm not well versed in etiquette as i thought i was. that poor man i danced with earlier surely must have sore feet by now." he smiled slightly as she mentioned kaeya.

"trust me, he can take it. if anything you should've stepped on his toes harder." she looked at him quizzically but nevertheless shook her head with a smile. "sir kaeya was a bit of a flirt but other than that i don't think he warranted the pain of my heels." he wanted to snort but bit his tongue.

"once again, i do apologize for not greeting you sooner. i am extremely humbled to be in the presence of one such as yourself master diluc." she bowed once more, this time more apologetically than formally. "it is...quite alright miss (l/n)-"

she rose a hand to stop him, "(y/n), you may call me (y/n). formalities are for when others are looking." he was taken aback at first, but nodded in understanding. "if it is so, then diluc is just fine." she grinned giddily and clasped her hands together.

whirlwinds of emotions coursed through his veins as he offered her a tour of the vineyards

it turns out diluc needed not to be alert after all, the ambassador was exactly as kaeya and jean had described her: charming in conversation but a tad clumsy, as evident in the multiple times she nearly tripped over stray vines or other miscellaneous items scattered on the dirt paths

her questions were ceaseless, but he didn't mind answering any of them. it thawed his heart ever so gently to see someone care so diligently about his line of work and try to learn as much about anything as she did

"diluc you simply must tell me more about this species of grape! i've never come across anything like it in my studies..." and he would, he'd tell her everything he knew

and when it came time for the night to be over, part of him wasn't ready to stop talking to her

they stood side by side on an inner balcony that overlooked the banquet hall, the night still in full swing as people danced elegantly to the symphonious music.

"if only for one night, i wish i could have danced with someone without stepping on their feet." she sighed melancholically, resting her forearms on the ivory banister.

he turned to her with a questioning glance, "you speak as if the night is already over. surely there must be someone you can dance with?" she shook her head. "i represent fontaine while i am here, i got lucky that sir kaeya asked me to dance and not another dignitary or i'd surely be the laughing stock among them." he clicked his tongue and turned to her, extending his hand.

"then you shall dance with me."

he regretted his decision when she didn't immediately answer, but exhaled when she placed her gloved hand in his. "i'd be honored," she shyly glanced up at him with a smile on her face. he felt the heat rush to his cheeks once more and coughed awkwardly into his fist, "t-then let's be on with it..." she merely giggled and let him lead her down to the ballroom floor.

guests gawked left and right seeing the pair together. diluc felt the burning gaze of them bore into his back and sides but he kept his head high and, like he was taught, kept looking straight ahead (even when that irritating brother of his sent a wolf whistle his way).

he bowed, she curtsied, and he took her hand in his, placing his left hand on the small of her back before whispering, "place your feet on top of mine." she gave him a puzzled look, but obliged without complaint as a new waltz began to play from the orchestra. he moved swiftly, using his taller frame to distract onlookers from the clumsier movements of his partner. "relax and lean into me, you're too stiff," he muttered close to her, and so she let herself go in his arms.

from afar he was sure their dance looked like an ideal waltz, but none of the spectators would know that he was doing all the work. his feet easily carried her weight and moved in time to the 3/4 rhythm. but it wasn't as if he was so fixated on the gaze of others that he didn't notice her barely contained elation.

and once again he found himself fixated on the jewels encased in her face. those beautiful, mesmerizing eyes. she seemed to notice his intense gaze and leaned in closer to his shoulder.

if his face hadn't been on fire before, it sure was now. he struggled to maintain his stoic composure, and he swore he saw kaeya losing it out of the corner of his eye. "diluc you're quite flushed, are you alright?" she moved her hand from his shoulder to press her fingers to his forehead. he struggled to string together a cohesive sentence and opted to nod his head yes as an acceptable answer, as infantile as it was.

the song soon came to a close and he placed immediate distance between them, bowing politely and escorting her away from the dance floor

the banquet was due to end soon, and maybe hours ago he would have been eager to ditch the formalities and snuggle up in his bed

but now his attention was had by this beautifully-eyed woman who seemed to have nothing but pure intentions

admittedly he felt quite guilty at first for going so far as to have elzer keep an eye out for her

and somehow he found himself asking to escort her to her place of stay in mondstat just to spend a little while longer with her

"i must thank you for the lovely time i've had tonight, oh! as well as the dance, i surely won't forget that for a while." she bashfully fiddled with her luminescent skirt, giving him a shy smile.

"of course, i'm glad you've enjoyed yourself on your first visit to mondstat. i hope we've left a good impression on you." she nodded vigorously. "it's been splendid! i love the customs and traditions, they're beyond fascinating. however, is it a monstatian custom for a host to walk one of their guests back to their place of residence?" diluc chuckled silently and merely shook his head as they continued on the dirt path to the small area of cabins near dawn winery where she and other dignitaries would be residing for the night.

"not exactly, rather this is of my own doing." there it was again, the heat on his cheeks was starting to get unbearable at this point but no matter what he did, the ambassador always seemed to amplify its intensity, especially with the way they look at him with their doe eyes.

much to his disdain, the wooden door to her place of residence soon stood in front of them. he opened his mouth to say something, anything, but alas it seemed his mind had been milked of cohesive thoughts. the ambassador seemed to notice his fish-out-of-water-like state and took his larger hand within both of their own. gingerly, they pressed a light kiss to the back of his hand and beamed up at him, "you've been so very kind to me tonight, i cannot thank you enough. if possible...may i see you again?" baffled, and definitely redder than any of the wine he sold, diluc stood there amazed. it was as if she could read his mind and relay exactly what he had wanted to say to her.

he couldn't help but laugh quietly and nod, "please stop by the winery tomorrow, and we can discuss whatever you like." he bowed, and bid her goodnight with a small smile.

he wasn't sure he'd get a lot of sleep tonight, every time he shut his eyes in an attempt to slumber, he'd see those beautiful hues that made his heart do backflips and sit back up in an attempt to calm his racing heartbeat.

for once, his perception had been wrong. without a face, the ambassador of fontaine was a threat, someone to be suspicious of, someone to keep at arm's length.

but when he first saw her eyes, his heart started singing for the first time in a long while.

date published: may 7th, 2021

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