Second Lead Syndrome || Diluc R. x Reader

Late Night Confessions

A bitter voice spits out, "You call yourself a Captain?"

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A familiar, irritated voice hisses as a certain redhead emerges from the flames, a claymore on his back.

"Oh, Diluc..." Y/N manages to whisper out, her hands trembling. She quickly composes herself. "Thanks, I guess. Well, I'll be leaving now." She tries to walk past him, trying not to limp.

He pulls her back by the back of her collar. "You're an absolute idiot." His gaze drifts down to the gash on her leg. "Tsk, the Knights of Favonius are even weaker than I remember." He kneels to dress her wound quickly before scooping her up, carrying her bridal-style.

"Woah, woah, woah! I can walk." Y/N lies.

"You're going to walk all the way back to the city with a deep cut like that? Don't kid yourself." He huffs.

"How did you even find me?" Y/N asks.

"You passed by the winery and I saw you through the window. I thought you were coming to bother me, but then you walked right by and into the monster-infested woods without a weapon." Diluc states.

"Aw, you were worried for me?" Y/N teases.

"I should've left you to die."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Y/N quickly retracts her statement. "I was joking. I'm just a little-" She fake coughs. "Embarrased right now." She mutters under her breath.

"You seem to be embarrassing yourself daily." Diluc says. "Are you trying to set a world record?"

Y/N rolls her eyes. "Whatever." She grumbles as their conversation dies, silence replacing sentences. Y/N glances up to see the side of Diluc's face. She can definitely see why people like Donna find him attractive. His long lashes cast shadows over his cheekbones underneath the pale moonlight. Loose strands of crimson hair not tied into the ponytail frame his face perfectly.

Diluc noticed the girl's stare and looks down to meet her stare. His eyes widen briefly when he spots the redness and swelling around her tired eyes. "Were you crying?"

Y/N purses her lips, averting her gaze to look at the path ahead. "No."

Thankfully, he doesn't pry. Silence returns to fill the air between them again. "Sooo.....Eagles, huh?" Y/N suddenly remembers the fact Donna told her as she tries to dispell the awkward air.

His ruby eyes flicker down to her for a moment and he raises an eyebrow. "Eagles? What about them?"

That was a stupid conversation starter. "Nothing. I just heard somewhere that you liked them." Y/N responds.

"Since when have you been interested in my likes and dislikes?" Diluc says. "But yes, my late father used to paint them quite frequently."

Great! You made him bring up his dead dad! Y/N mentally facepalms. "My condolences?"

"Don't worry about it." Diluc states.

The silence returns, but this time, Diluc is the one to break it. "You're being quite civil at the moment."

"I could say the same to you."

Both of them had been expecting to be under fire and firing insults from and at one another. Suprisingly enough, they are quite calm. Y/N thinks she should keep her mouth shut since Diluc had just saved her life, and Diluc assumes that much. The two share a comfortable silence as they near Dawn Winery.

"Do you mind resting here at the winery? I could have one of the maids patch you up. Or we could walk back to Mondstadt, but we won't reach there for another hour." He offers.