Always Been on You (Diluc)
summary: Maybe once Diluc would’ve been someone you’ve always thought was distant but to the people of Monstadt, his eyes had only and always been on you.
pairing: Diluc Ragnvindr/ Reader
word count: 2,198
warnings: Monstadt spoilers
tags: fluff, Diluc is such a sweetheart, reader is fucking whipped (I mean who’s not :/ and I mean if you’re not then why tf r u reading this lol), oblivious!reader, pining, hurt and comfort
notes: y’all, I just want you to know this is to indulge my fucking, Diluc simping. Anyways my first Diluc fic that had been postponed for so very long bc stress, school, and testings that said “hell the fuck nah you ain’t writing anything besides essays.” Thank you for the support guys ^^ I’ll try my best to release the others on time more.
Contrary to popular belief, the beginning of your relationship was a rocky one and was often the cause of your midnight breakdowns away from prying eyes and ears. It wasn’t a question about if you liked him or even loved him enough, it was the insecurities that often ran rampant in your mind. Sometimes, it was even the question if he even remotely liked you in the way you liked him.
It was like that for a short time. Short, but it was long enough that it damaged and chipped your confidence. The nobles certainly didn’t help any with their absurd expectations and implied insults every time you so much breathed in their general direction.
You would’ve aired your problems and insecurities to Diluc but in the beginning, it had only been a small problem, not worthy enough to bother him with it, especially considering the youth of your relationship. By the time it was at a worrying stage, your insecurities had already gotten the best of you and, to Diluc’s annoyance, you felt as if it would only anger and annoy him.
“Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you now?” Your head snapped up from its bowing position to look at the owner of the voice who stood at the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with their arms crossed dressed in his normal attire but without the coat and with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. When your wide eyes met his, he only raised an eyebrow as if to ask the question again.
You flushed, embarrassed to be caught sulking. His lips quirked up for a short second before pushing off the frame and heading towards your seat, his shoes clicking against the wooden floors. You ducked your head, facing your lap and your tightly clenched hands. He stops right in front of you, his shoes in your periphery vision.
When you don’t look up, a quiet sigh is heard. You close your eyes tightly and let your shoulders fall and cave in towards your chest. You would’ve curled into a ball but a gloved hand raises your chin to make your eyes meet with his ruby ones. You gulp when you see him study you, his head tilting slightly to the side, eyebrows furrowing as his eyes wandered your form trying to find the reasons for your sulking. And when he doesn’t find anything, he purses lips before meeting your eyes again.
“Well?” Diluc asks, his eyes sharp as he waits for your answer. You feel your mouth dry the longer the silence becomes. “I- Uhm.” You clear your throat to get rid of the raspiness that settled.
“It’s nothing.” You say, your eyes darting away from his to avoid his piercing stare.
“Do you genuinely think I’m stupid not to see it? Or do you genuinely think I wouldn’t care?”
Your eyes flash towards his at his tone before ducking your head once more, hands sweating and eyes turning glassy.
“I-It’s not that. It’s just,” You pause, pursing your lips as you tried to find the words to describe your dilemma. “Why would you care?” You ask quietly.
The sound of Diluc’s heavy sigh makes your eyes tightly close. Did you offend him?
When you feel a slight dip of weight on the seat beside you and the accompanying warmth that settles with it, your anxiety spikes.
“Why wouldn’t I?” He asks back.
“Do you even-” You start before being interrupted by Diluc.
“Love you?”
It’s silent.
He sighs.
“What made you think I wouldn’t?”
What. Did he-
You look up from your lap to look at the man beside you.
“Wait- so-”
Diluc huffs, leaning against the back of the couch, his arm resting at the top of the couch frame as he closes his eyes and lets his head fall back, your eyes on him the entire time. When he opens his eyes again, his head rolls to the side to look at you. You’re slightly baffled at his relaxed stance.
“Would it help if I say it?” You flush, eyes widening. His stare is unwavering from your form, either that he can’t look away or he was being stubborn.
“N-No! You don’t need to. I’m- I’m just being stupid-” You ramble, flustered with his straightforwardness and honesty as well as the implied confirmation at his affection for you. You stop when you see him straighten and turn his body to face yours.
You freeze.
Diluc looks at you before taking off his gloves. You watch as he takes them off, eyes never straying from his movements. Your eyes follow the gloves as he rests them on the couch cushion. So focused on the gloves, you don’t realize Diluc has moved until you feel his ungloved, warm hand rest on your cheek, making you jolt in surprise.
Diluc looks at you in the eyes, peering into you as if looking for the answer to an unaired question. When he oddly finds it, he leans in towards you. You close your eyes when you feel the heat of his breath on your face. There’s a moment of still silence before you feel something soft land on your forehead.
“You shouldn't worry so much about my affections for you. It’s quite obvious if only you would look.” He murmurs against your forehead, lips brushing your skin at the move of his lips. Diluc leans back to look at you, the corner of his lips quirked up and his eyes twinkling in slight amusement and to your shock, fondness. After a few seconds, seeing as you are still settled into shock, he sighs and stands up.
You track him as he straightens his clothes and as he walks back towards the door, stopping at the entrance and looking at you for the last time and then leaving the room.
Oh.
You burry your reddened face in your hands, flustered beyond belief.
After that, you oddly started to see the things he did differently. You see the warmth that would settle in his eyes when he looked at you, the way that he would secretly cook for you but giving the credit to the chef, the way that he would brush his hands with yours.
It was during dinner when you realize it. You look up from your meal to look at Diluc, who surprisingly was already looking at you, his chin resting on the palm of his hand as he watched you eat. When his eyebrows quirk up, you still.
Oh.
Oh.
You feel your face warm up when both his eyebrows raise in slight bewilderment at your expression before understanding settled. He always did know how to read people so well, but this well? Damn. Diluc’s lips twitch before going back into a firm line.
“Thank you.” I’m sorry.
He only hums, scanning your features before saying, “No need for that. It’s only natural after all.” He looks back down onto his plate to continue eating.
Your face is red when you start eating again but there’s a small smile on both your faces when the night ends.
You do eventually grow closer and the affection you hold for one another grows the longer time passes.
You wonder if the change is obvious, but you shake your head, a smile on your face. There’s really no reason to worry about public opinion.
The Stormterror Incident is incredibly stressful for you and everyone involved. The constant worry and fear that would settle into everyday lives, wondering when the next attack would come. Diluc would constantly need to murmur sweet nothings into your ear to ease your anxiety at the situation. It’s a tradition at this point for how long the issue has been occurring.
There’s a simultaneous sigh of relief of everyone from Monstadt when a traveler by the name Aether and his companion Paimon fights off an attack.
You’ve never been so relaxed.
But one night, as you ready for a night’s sleep, there was a change of pace.
“Diluc?” You ask, head tilted and eyebrows furrowed in worry and curiosity at his clothes. He’s still in his work clothes, which is, baffling but the tenseness of his jaw and shoulders is what takes your attention.
“I have to leave for a few days.” He states, lips pursed.
“Oh? Well that’s news, but couldn’t you have told me that when you’ve cha-”
“Tonight. I leave tonight.” Your eyebrows raise in alarm.
“Why so sudden?”
“Stormterror.” And that’s that. You feel the anxiety that went away, when Aether arrived, come back with vengeance but instead for you, it was for Diluc.
His arms wrap around you tightly as you feel yourself crumble slightly. His hands come up to brush your hair strands away from your face to make room for where his lips would find purchase on your forehead.
“I’ll be back. I promise.” Diluc murmurs.
Your grip on his waist tightens.
You better went unsaid and he only tightens his grip on you in response.
“I always wondered why you thought that man didn’t love you,” Mother says, a tray in her hands as she enters the living room. Her eyes pointedly staring at the unboxed necklace that rested on the coffee table.
You whine, “Mother, I haven’t exactly been in a relationship like this before.”
Mother raises her eyebrows, doubt swimming in her eyes.
You pout. “You know... a teenage girl expects “I love you” and... not...” You murmur under your breath, cheeks turning pink at your thoughts.
Mother sighs, the corner of her lips quirked up as she looks away from you to meet Marjorie’s amused eyes as she sat across from you.
“Don’t you know? You had his affection since you were babes. Master Crepus already knew you would be his son’s future wife, he even had a bet going on. He even panicked when he thought you might grow more affectionate for Sir Kaeya.” Mother snorts at the sight of your tomato colored face.
Mother’s lips curl in wry amusement as she hums, “Hard to believe my baby girl would marry anyone but the most wanted bachelor of the generation.”
“Mother!” Marjorie and her share a laugh at your loud protest. You plant your face in your hands, trying to hide your face from the eyes of your Mother and Marjorie.
Marjorie takes a sip of her tea, her eyes on the surface of the tea, watching her disproportionate reflection. Her fingertips trace the rim of the teacup as she hums in thought.
“It may be hard for you to believe but, he’s never looked at another woman the way he looks at you. His love for you had always been obvious to everyone, it didn’t stop the girls of course but everyone always knew who held his affections. He was very obvious with it, never hid it even after the death of Master Crepus which speaks volumes.”
You peek at Marjorie from the gap of your fingers, unwilling to uncover your face just yet.
Mother places the tray on the table, her lips in a firm straight line as she fixes the table. Your face is uncovered by the time Mother takes a seat beside you, her eyes distant, deep in thought.
“Master Crepus’ late wife,” She starts carefully as if trying to avoid the waking of a beast, “was the last wearer of the ring you bear.”
Huh?
Your surprise is obvious to the women with you, their smile is fond as they watch you fumble around.
“I remember what she once told us about the ring,” Mother says, nostalgia in her voice as she stared at the hand and finger that bore the scarlet ring.
“The Ragnvindr heir would only give the ring to the woman he would swear his life and allegiance to. It’s a promise of forever. It’s not just marriage he’s promising, do you understand?” Mother asks, her eyes soft as she looks at you in the eyes, a small smile on her face as she watches the realization settle.
“Oh...” you breathe out. You look up at the both of them, eyes wide in awe. Both of them bring their respective teacups to their lips as they watch you stew in your feelings.
Mother and Marjorie smile.
He’s always loved quietly. He didn’t need to say I love you with his words when one look in his eyes and the warmth in his smiles is enough.
You’ve always thought he was a quiet but affectionate lover but to the eyes that had watched the growth of your relationship, those that had watched it bloom into a beautiful relationship, always thought he loved you in a loud way.
You never thought much of the public opinion of your relationship but when you come seeking for it in curiosity, only warm smiles and twinkling eyes greet you. Just when you’ve given up finding the answer, Jean and Lisa give it to you.
“He’s always had his eyes on you and only you don’t you know? Never anyone but you.” Jean’s amused and fond smile accompanied by Lisa’s knowing eyes and smug laugh makes you flush the color of the man you love.