still thinking if this is gonna end up angsty,, but diluc exudes comfort so i'll hold off the sad vibes for now 🥰🥰 enjoy the first part!
masterlist
《next part》
word count: 1, 272
tags: none
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Seeing the fireflies' dim glow and the feeling of cobblestone on your heels had nostalgia sinking deep in your skin. You glanced further and saw the wisp of dandelions decorating the front gate.
You're home, the thought crossed your mind, and you felt a sense of calm washing over you. The countless days traveling from Sumeru on foot, hopping from inn to inn, has left you fatigued, but seeing the crest of the lion seeped away all the exhaustion.
The contents of your travel bags rattled as you readjusted your hold. You quickly scanned the interior of your satchel, checking if the items were still in one piece. You let out a breath when you observed that your papers and tomes were dry and safe.
You strode over to the gates, pausing when the knights halted you and asked for your purpose of visiting the city. You hastily introduced yourself and explained that you were a local. One of the knights' faces lit up in recognition and you were permitted for entry after some small talk.
You deducted that your arrival would be well into the night, where only a few drunkards and knights would be present in the quiet streets. You didn't mind since you preferred resting up before seeing familiar faces.
This familiar face, however, was something you never thought to see again.
"Diluc?" your voice shocked you back into the real world, with it coming out louder than you anticipated. Your chest tightened when the figure stopped in their stride, body turning towards you.
Four years. A nation or two. The time and distance weren’t enough to make you forget. His scarlet locks sit comfortably in a low ponytail, and you could feel the weight of his ruby irises on you. His expression was something akin to a deer startled by a hunter.
It was the same expression that you last saw on him back then.
"You're here."
Somehow you spoke in unison with him, which made the moment feel surreal. Your body stood there rigid, like a bucket of ice-cold water was thrown over you. Diluc was the opposite, fidgeting with his collar. He seemed more anxious, now that he also realized that you were actually here.
The first thing you noticed was his height. Even with the distance, he was considerably taller than you last remember him. Along his growth spurt, you took note of how his clothes hugged his body more tightly. A flash of heat pass down your neck at the thought.
Without warning, he started towards you, expression cautious, but welcoming. You remained unresponsive even as he reached where you stood. Diluc held out his hands towards you.
"May I?" His question confused you and you felt a bit slow as you watch Diluc sigh at your cluelessness.
"Your luggage. I'll carry it back to wherever you're staying." He clarified, and you saw his fingers beckon for the said items. "Come on, you look like you're about to pass out."
His tone remained cool, but from your past interactions with him, you figured that it was because of his practiced formality. Although, that tone of his was something he reserved for strangers.
The weight of your suitcase was lifted from you. The cool leather from Diluc's gloved hand grazed your fingers and you swear you felt goosebumps moving down your arm. Diluc didn't flinch, yet you noticed the slight furrow in his eyebrows.
After a few beats, both of you were walking side by side deeper into the streets. You were left carrying your small satchel as Diluc held onto the bulky luggage. The sound of your footsteps accompanied the silence between you two.
Even with the friendly gesture, the air around you felt heavy with the weight of unspoken questions and lingering doubts. Your mind still hasn't processed the fact that Diluc was right next to you.
You scoffed internally, realizing how bizarre the situation was. It's as if the Anemo Archon themselves carried your wishes in the wind and brought you back the person you thought to be long gone.
Your musings muddled your head for a while until you urgently stopped in your tracks and mentally scolded yourself. You haven't told Diluc where you were staying, and you were probably trudging the streets aimlessly as he trailed you.
Yet as you registered your surroundings, you were floored, because your destination was right in front of you. You checked, double-checked, and, you were sure. The front door was a bit worn, the wood looking aged from the natural wear and tear, yet it stood there sturdy as ever.
You couldn't help but whip your head towards Diluc, a puzzled look in your eyes. You opened your mouth, then closed it quickly, retracting the urge to ask him. It seemed a bit out of place to question him.
Diluc cleared his throat, most likely noticing your dilemma. "This was the house you lived in, right? Before we-"
The sentence was left unfinished, and you suspected that he wasn't going to continue that train of thought. He didn't have to.
"Yes, it's pretty impractical to move away from the main town when I have this lovely place here." There was no quiver in your voice as you changed the subject, even as you felt your head spinning.
He remembered.
You met Diluc's eyes, gauging his expression at the little revelation he told you. Diluc avoided eye contact as quickly, yet he recovered in record time and nodded his head. "I suppose so."
The conversation fell off once again, and you were debating on whether to invite him inside or rush into your home and lock him out. Luckily, Diluc decided for you and you saw him put your luggage down.
"I’ll leave you to it, then. The night's still young for me, and there's a mountain of paperwork at the winery guild." He nodded his head towards you, and you responded with a hum until you realized what he said.
"You're handling Dawn Winery now?"
You took into account his attire. It was heavy and had too many layers for someone who was supposed to be a knight. You should've noticed sooner he wasn't wearing any garment that resembled a uniform. You internally scolded yourself for focusing your attention on what Diluc was wearing, once again.
The exhaustion must've affected your head because you've realized too late what you said when you glanced at his face and saw Diluc’s careful expression falter.
You let out a forced cough, wringing your hands in front of you. "Forgive me, you don't have to answer that."
Diluc replied with a quiet "it's fine." and you wanted to throw yourself into the Cider Lake headfirst. He moved to the side and started walking away.
You stood there, watching him leave, yet he stopped midway and turned his body to face you once more.
"I’m glad you're back."
His dark-clad figure retreated into the sleeping streets of Mondstadt, and your eyes followed him until his red mop of hair disappeared into the corner.
"You too." The words were spoken to no one in particular as you leaned on the doorway of your home. The tension in your body slowly dissipated as you replayed Diluc's words in your mind.
Something tells you that being greeted by his familiar presence as soon as you came back into the city wasn't a coincidence. You had a feeling that the ties you had with him weren't completely severed and that perhaps you and Diluc could make up for the lost time.
Maybe it's time to see how this year's vineyards have been doing.
can i be real with you guys i actually had to stop myself from writing the entire thing in one part 😅😅but yes, whatever you think is gonna happen,, think again.. ENJOY!
masterlist
《next part》
word count: 1, 205
tags: slight spoilers on his character story (real name and backstory)
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For a subzero climate, your family somehow didn't bother providing you with thicker coats, especially as the seasons' transition into fall. That is, you think it's almost fall, from how many full moons you've counted these past months.
Your pacing intensified as you vigorously rubbed your arms for any sort of heat. A puff of cold air floated near your face while you sighed. "That boy's clearly taking his time."
You contemplated on whether to retreat to your home and into your cozy covers when you hear a twig snap echoing from one direction. The woods and their ambiguous noises.
It didn't help that the trees were bare from any of its leaves, your surroundings feeling eerier now that you stopped fussing over your freezing state. The little sunlight seeping through the branches didn't offer any reassurance.
"I told you to wear more layers." A voice came up right next to your ear, and you reflexively slammed your fist on the person's face. Although, it was supposed to hit their face if they didn't dodge in time.
"And I told YOU to greet me like a normal person." You sneered at your friend while Ajax clutched his stomach, laughter escaping him.
"Maybe if you didn't give me such bizarre reactions, I'd consider it."
A pout graced your lips and you refused to face him. Along with your fuming demeanor, your teeth involuntarily chattered coupled with your hands rubbing together. From your peripherals, you saw him tut at you. You heard fabric ruffling and eventually felt a coat being placed on your shoulders.
Survival instincts quelled your ego and you clutched the coat closer to yourself. You grumbled, "What took you so long?" You studied his form, seeing his unaffected expression even with the lack of extra layers. Ajax leaned on a tree while he replied.
"Got held up at the house, Teucer and the kids wanted to have me there baking with them." He shook his head, a smile reaching his eyes. "My older sister had to intervene since they were clinging on to me."
The image of Ajax being held hostage by his siblings had you chuckle quietly. "It's your eighteenth birthday, of course, they're excited."
Ajax stared at you, reiterating. "You know I don't do birthday parties." He saw you be disheartened at his statement, and he scratched his neck. "I mean, the idea is nice, I just think a quiet family dinner is better than—well whatever they're planning."
You huffed. "So you don't want me there?"
His cobalt blue eyes widened until he caught onto your teasing tone. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way." He jested, earning a giggle from you as your dejected facade quickly crumbled.
"Am I really not family for you?" You poked hard at his side, inciting a slight jump from the ticklish ginger.
Ajax pushed your hand off while shaking his head at you. "I told you already, you're more than family to me."
You peered at him from the corner of your eye, hiding your tinted cheeks. Brushing off his playful comments was something you've been doing for a while, yet he doesn't relent. For the most part, you don't mind.
"Anyways, let's get going. The seaside's only going to get colder when the sun sets." You scoffed at his obvious avoidance, yet didn't push the subject.
"You and your walks. A normal 18-year-old would roam around Morepesok and visit food stalls to celebrate their birthday."
"What can I say? I am just an old soul." Ajax replied, waving his finger at you. "Besides, the village gets boring when night falls."
You muttered an "okay grandpa" under your breath, causing Ajax to pinch your cheek. Both your giggles harmonized in the barren forest, until he suddenly went rigid.
"Someone else is here."
You unconsciously held your breath while Ajax ushered you to hide behind him. "Show yourself. Didn't your parents ever teach you it's not nice to sneak up on people?"
If the situation wasn't so tense, you would've commented on the irony of his sentence. The joke disintegrated from your tongue when you saw a masked man come out of the shadows, and Ajax's hold on your hand tightened.
A Fatui Agent.
"These forests are off-limits to civilians, you know." The agent spoke up and you shivered internally at the menacing tone. "Ever since one boy got lost and went missing for three days.
You let in a sharp inhale at the words of the agent. Everyone knew what, more specifically, who he was referring to. You glanced at Ajax, and you saw him hold his ground.
"I told you to leave me and my family alone." He replied through gritted teeth, and you could see the rage pooling beneath his eyes. It was as if any sign of life disappeared. "I'll give you my answer when I'm ready."
A deep chuckle devoid of humor came out of the man. "You would dare make the Harbingers and Tsaritsa wait?" The last word was emphasized with disbelief.
"You are the ones begging for my presence there, so know your place. Unless you want me to beat some sense into your soldiers again."
The blood drained from your face as you processed Ajax's threat. An internal struggle occurred within you to either leave Ajax alone and run for your life or have the Fatui end both of you then and there.
Something tells you both choices were foolish.
Surprisingly, the agent only growled as a response. He straightened up while sneering at Ajax. "Decide now. Next time, we will not ask again."
The Fatui Agent retreated after leaving an ominous warning, and you watched the Fatui disappear into the forest. You carefully peeled yourself off Ajax's back. Due to the intense confrontation, you didn't realize the close proximity between you and him.
Ajax didn't comment, instead, he scanned the environment once again, the dark expression on his face remaining. Once he was sure you two were alone, his face shifted into a calmer one.
"What..." You hesitated when you saw Ajax whip his head towards you upon hearing you speak. You swallowed and quietly continued. "What was that Fatui Agent talking about?"
The reluctant smile he gave you was far from familiar and instead gave you a slight tug in your heart. "I guess I can't hide anything from you, huh?"
"Ajax. I'm serious."
Hearing his name, Ajax's face fell. The frown on his lips deepened while he looked at the ground, avoiding your worried gaze. "They're recruiting me."
Your throat felt dry. "Didn't your father already draft you into the Fatui's forces? What else do they want from you?"
The silence was deafening. You felt like the icy waters of the sea were flowing in your veins instead. Your eyes remained on Ajax for a few more seconds, awaiting his reply.
"Let's get to the seaside first," He started walking away. "There might be other Fatui in the area lurking around."
Ajax strode forward, footsteps quiet and careful. You tugged on the sleeves of his coat, burying your face in it for warmth. A few moments pass and your feet carried you towards his advancing figure.
i wanted to start a mini-series about some genshin men and their romantic tropes :> this is gonna be the masterlist since i'm planning on making it multichaptered (around two to three) and yeah,, we'll see how it goes! 😁😁
