Second Lead Syndrome || Diluc R. x Reader

Welcomed and Unwelcomed Guests

The moonlight pours into the dark room from the small window. Y/N and Diluc lay in their beds, their backs to each other.

"At least we're not sharing a bed this time." Y/N whispers out in the dark. 

After Y/N and Diluc asked Ji Tong if he knew any hotels they can stay the night in, he offered to let them sleep in the guest bedroom. Thankfully, there were two beds available.

"You're the one who suggested to share the bed." Diluc responds. Initially, they were both expecting only one bed again and Y/N worked up the guts to offer to share before they even reached the room.

"Yeah, you're right." Y/N mutters back embarrassedly. "It was starting to sound like some overdone trope from a romance novel." She sarcastically jokes. The autumn wind blows through the window, sending a shiver down Y/N's spine. Y/N wanted to close it earlier, but it didn't budge. "Why does the window have to be jammed? It's freezing!"

"Stop complaining." Diluc says. "You're literally never going to fall asleep if you keep talking."

"Would you rather me freeze to death?" Y/N hisses. "Not all of us have an abundance of pryo energy."

"Then come here." He whispers.

Y/N's eyes widen. "H-Huh?" She blinks, thinking she misheard him.

"I'm warm, so come closer to me" He reiterates.

Y/N's cheeks flush. "That would be weird." She mutters.

"You have me or you have nothing." Diluc states. "Plus, it's only weird if you make it weird. Why would it be weird, anyway? Penguins do it all the time when they're cold."

"Pfft!" Y/N snorts. "Penguins?" She turns to her side to see he's already facing her. 

"Yeah. What's wrong with penguins?" He asks and Y/N chuckles as she walks over to his bed and gets under the covers. He puts an arm around her and Y/N can feel the cold melting away. His hand finds a spot on her back and Y/N can't deny how warm and comfortable this is.

"Nothing is wrong with penguins. I just didn't think you would say that." She giggles. The moonlight lights up the room just enough for Y/N to vaguely make out the features of his face.

He wears his usual indifferent expression, but his eyes are half-shut sleepily. Her heart skips a beat as her mind wanders back to the image the Light Refractor showed her and Diluc's expression. Her curiosity grows. "Diluc?"

"Hm?"

"What did you see in the Light Refractor?"

His eyes widen ever so slightly. The shadow of his adam's apple bobbing can be seen under the moonlight as he gulps. "My dad." He responds after a moment of silence.

Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. Y/N regretfully thinks. "Oh, sorry. I was just curious." She sheepishly says.

Diluc purses his lips, knowing he lied. He know what he saw and it most definitely was not his dad. However, he'd rather not admit the truth, especially to the very girl he saw. "What did you see?" He asks.

Y/N freezes. I can't say something so embarrassing after he said he saw his dad! She thinks before meeting his scarlet eyes. "Uhm, well...I saw....food. Yeah, food." She quickly lies as she remembers they didn't get to go to the Wanmin Restaurant.

"Oh, right." Diluc says, a little disappointed. If he's being honest, he took a peek at the expression Y/N was making while staring at the light refractor and a small part of him hoped she was seeing him. "We should probably eat something tomorrow morning."

Y/N hums in agreement as she leans in a bit closer to Diluc, trying to soak up more warmth. "Sorry." She whispers apologetically, hiding her blush by look down at his chest.

Diluc squeezes his eyes shut, trying to stay calm and composed. "I-It's fine." He curses himself for stuttering.

Y/N wants to tease him about the stutter, but this entire situation has left them in a position much more vulnerable than either of them had anticipated. However, neither of them want to move. Both of their hearts are pounding in their chests like birds flapping wildly in their cages. They both hope the other can't hear their thundering hearts in the silence of the night. Compared to sleeping together last night when they were both too tired from their trip, they feel wide awake.

Archons, what is wrong with me? Diluc criticizes himself. He didn't realize how much he misses this feeling until now; The feeling of warmth of another person simply lying next to him. 

It's been a very long time since he last shared the bed with anyone other than Y/N. The last person Diluc feel asleep with was none other than his brother during a time when they were both children and Kaeya was afraid of the dark. Being the fearless older brother Diluc was, he offered to sleep next to him. Sharing the bed with Y/N feels reminiscent, but definitely different than any other time Diluc has slept next to his brother or father. 

However, they've already slept next to each other twice before, so why now? Why now does his heart start racing and his face feel a million degrees hotter? Why now, the moment they're closer than ever, does he feel the most distant he has ever been? Why now does very face he dreaded to see just a few weeks ago now provides a foreign sense of comfort?

"Are you warm enough?" Diluc manages to ask once he has relaxed a bit. His voice is steady and composed, not matching his inner thoughts at all. "Y/N?"

The sounds of Y/N's soft breathing disturbs the few moments of silence that Diluc allows to pass. He glances down to see her already fast asleep. 

Not daring to move his arm around her sleeping figure, Diluc shuts his own eyes and whispers out, "Goodnight, Tomato-face."

-----

The sound of a door slamming downstairs accompanied by voices pulls Y/N out of her sleep. Feeling the space next to her on the bed empty, she quickly gets geared up and leaves the room. 

"What's happening?" Y/N's eyes land on Diluc who is already fully dressed, standing by the banister. His brows furrow as his crimson eyes glare down at the scene below.

 Y/N peers over the railing to see a Fatui Agent dressed in a dark hood and fiery accents standing over Ji Tong who had fallen as he backed up. A gruff voice comes from the other side of his mask, "Another Light Refractor must be built immediately. You owe us for sparing your life last time and you still demand payment beyond the thousand mora we provided."

"What's going on?" A door creaks open at the end of the hall and Changchang peers her head out, rubbing her eyes from waking up. 

"It's nothing, Changchang. If you're up, then start getting ready." Diluc quickly responds. "We're going to go out to eat breakfast at Wanmin restaurant." He says, swiftly distracting her.

Changchang's eyes light up. "Wow! Daddy only takes me there on my birthday because it's expensive, but we can go now?!" She then scurries off to the bathroom.

Bang. A fist slamming down on a table below cuts through the air. "If your life isn't enough incentive, perhaps we can add your daughter's to the offer." The Fatui Agent threatens as Ji Tong clenches his trembling fists, standing up shakily.

Ji Tong stumbles over his words trying to explain how costly the materials for the Light Refractor are. The Fatui Agent whips out his knife, the blade lighting up with flames. Y/N and Diluc immediately jump down the stairs.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Y/N warns, pointing her rapier directly at the Agent's throat. Times seems to stop as the four of them stand frozen in place. Like a single frame from a film, none of them dare to move. It seems as if even the candles in the lamps and the curtains swaying in the wind stop. Y/N hisses out, "Put your weapon away, Fatui."

-----

A/N:

Updates might slow down because school is starting again 😢 Going into a new school for the first time since COVID forced my entire first year to be online 🙃 Wish me luck!

-Bora 🌌