Second Lead Syndrome || Diluc R. x Reader

Riding Lessons

Despite Y/N's complaints and unintentional admission of feelings, Kaeya drags her all the way to the Winery's front door and knocks on it.

"Hello, Master Kaeya and Captain Y/N." Adelinde greets the two as she opens the door. Y/N quickly puts on a smile to hide her distress.

"Good morning, Adelinde." Kaeya smiles.

"H-Hello!" Y/N nervously responds.

Adelinde quirks an eyebrow at Y/N's strange behaviour, but doesn't comment on it. "What can I help you with?"

"Is Diluc around?" Kaeya asks.

Please say no. Please say no. Please, please, please! Y/N chants in her head.

"He is. Shall I get him for you?" Adelinde responds. The Archons are not in favour of Y/N today.

"Please do." Kaeya says. "And don't mention I'm here."

Adelinde nods before closing the door. "Kaeya!" I hiss to him. "I'm not this desperate to get to Liyue!"

"Well, you're going to have to get there somehow." He responds. "Unless you'd like to walk there on foot."

The doorknob twists before opening to reveal the flame-red haired man. His usual expression of irritation only deepens as his scarlet eyes land on the two before him. "What do you two want?"

"Well, I don't want anything. I just merely escorted Y/N here. I'll take my leave." Kaeya states as he turns to walk away.

Y/N grips onto Kaeya's arm, stopping him. "Please!" She whispers to him.

Kaeya smirks and whispers back, "Good luck." He shakes her hand off and walks away.

Y/N turns to face Diluc, her face flushing as her mind races a mile a minute. "H-Hey." She squeaks out in a nervously high pitch.

Diluc furrows his brows at Y/N. "Hello..." He mutters in confusion at Y/N's strange tone before shutting the door behind him. "What do you need?"

Y/N glances back towards the black horse with its reigns tied to the wooden lamppost. "Do you perhaps know how to ride a horse?" She asks.

Diluc crosses his arms. "Yes, why?"

"Can you teach me how to ride one?" Y/N asks sheepishly.

Diluc stares at her with a strange look that Y/N can't quite decipher. She can never really tell what he's thinking behind those crimson eyes. As soon as the silence starts to become awkward, he speaks up. "You- a Captain of the Knights of Favonius, can't ride a horse?"

"W-Well, it was part of the training, but I haven't touched a saddle in years and I wasn't too good at it back then, either." Y/N explains. "I thought I'd never see the day where I'd have to ride a horse."

Diluc lets out a sigh. "You Knights of Favonius are so inefficient. You couldn't ask one of your own to teach you?"

"Trust me, I'd rather have anyone else teach me." Y/N scoffs.

"Then go find someone else. I'm not too keen on having to teach you to ride." He states crossly.

"According to Kaeya, there's nobody to do it." Y/N says. "Please, Diluc? I really need to get somewhere fast."

"Take a carriage or walk."

"There are no carriages and there's no way I'm walking to Liyue!"

"Liyue?" He questions.

"Yeah, it's part of the investigation." Y/N explains. "Pretty please?" He doesn't budge. "Pretty, pretty please?" Still unresponsive. "I promise I'll try to stop troubling you and I'll stay far away from you and the winery." She adds. "But that's partially your fault for being there, too." She mumbles under her breath.