LOYALTY. | diluc x reader

bonus¹! ; fighting fire with fire

cw: okay i gave in and wrote a proper smut chapter lol, if you're uncomfortable with this kind of stuff then simply don't read it. besides, this is merely a bonus chapter that doesn't inflict the plotline.

a certain heat that came from the fireplace behind you, lighting your back what felt like on fire, made sweat drip down your skin.

you were killing time with the somewhat small and short, yet old book in your hands. it was pouring rain outside, as expected of an average day in november.

for somebody outside, even the sight of the cloudy night sky would send shivers down their spine. speaking of persons outside, diluc was out on his usual nightly parole of the city.

no matter how much he truly despised the knights (you being an exception), he vowed to keep the city and its innocent people safe. even if it meant losing a few hours of sleep every day.

you sighed, your impulsive thoughts of impatience getting interrupted before they could even start by the sound of the wooden front door open.

with that short period of the doors swinging open and closed, it sent the incredibly chilly air flow in as well as a few drops of rain to temporarily stain the deep brown parquet.

you kept the book open with all your might, trying to ignore the goosebumps sent through the hairs on your arms.

the familiar presence of the crimson haired man appeared in the house once again. he started to take off his soaked coat, glancing at you through his wet strands of hair in front of his face.

–"you don't have to wait for me like this every night, you know?" he spoke up, his voice echoed through the almost cluttered space of the living room.

the fire continued to crack the wood by the minute, ignoring the conversation.

–"but i need to know you're safe" you said.

–"you?" he paused, finally hanging his coat up to dry, "that's my job"

you only rolled your eyes at him, smiling in thought. with the smile that he gave back, you knew he wasn't actually mad.

he disappeared off to what you assumed to be the bathroom to dry off, coming back with his hair released from the tie around in the ponytail he wore daily.

he tended the fire for a bit, and for a second you could swear it felt like he was playing with it. well, it's not like his vision isn't pyro after all.

–"what are you reading?" he asked, not once throwing a gaze your way but still seeing you watching him from the corner of his eye.

you got flustered by that all of a sudden, realizing that you were looking at him for quite some time now. but what could you do? he was so mesmerizing to observe. his every move, every step and every change in his voice - it was all you noticed every time he was in the same room as you.

the dim lit ambiance couldn't help the running thoughts in your mind over what his hair would feel like puzzled between your fingers.

–"does it matter," you began, but not settling, "master diluc?" you poked.

you knew he never necessarily liked when people called him that just because of his status, so you decided to test it out again.