delusion • diluc

xviii

! cw: panic attack (i'll put an exclamation mark where it starts and it ends at the end of the chapter) !

• third person •

Diluc watched from the window in silence. It was person-sized – he could see everything perfectly.

He could see that annoyingly smug smirk on his face, and how he was forcing everything out of his poor girlfriend too.

Kaeya looked up at him. He nodded, that very smirk still plastered on his face.

Diluc folded his arms. He nodded back, but then looked away.

Never would he ever have thought he would work together with his brother like this. As much as he hated to admit it, Kaeya was smart. And... Kaeya had known (Y/N) longer. He knew how to get around her and he knew how to get more out of people. Without the use of force, unlike Diluc.

In fact, if it weren't for Lumine putting her and Diluc in the same team, Diluc wouldn't have even hesitated to say no when Kaeya asked for help. After all, back then... she was all but a knight to him.

Even so, that blonde woman would've rose suspicions within him either way. A threat to one of Mondstadt's people is a threat to Mondstadt itself. And especially if she was a Fatui... then there could be some problems internally that inevitably the Knights would have to deal with.

Diluc didn't really want to put that on Jean's shoulders. And he definitely didn't trust the Knights to deal with it properly either.

Hence, this was a problem Diluc and Kaeya were going to solve silently. The thing was...

(Y/N) would never agree.

Diluc hated working behind her back like this, really, but it was for her own safety... There was no way he was going to let her go through this alone. In all honesty, she didn't even seem in the right mind to be able to anyway.

Even Diluc wasn't sure when exactly it would be when or if she'd fall back into her alcohol addiction. Or even something else.

He wanted to make sure that would never happen again.

Kaeya's eyes met (Y/N) again. He glanced at her feet for a moment – she'd pushed him and herself outside while she herself didn't have any shoes on.

He held back a chuckle upon taking in the fluffy yellow socks she was wearing.

They were really getting it off with those socks on.

"First time I'm hearing she has a sister."

(Y/N)'s hands fumbled behind her. They rested on the door handle.

Desperate to go already...

"She- They're not exactly sisters. They were just treated that way. Now... it's la-"

"Hm. And you know this because?"

Kaeya smirked menacingly once again. (Y/N) was well aware he already knew.

"Don't play with me, Captain Kaeya," she muttered. "Did Master Diluc tell you?"

He jested at her use of formalities. "Of course, no. Diluc isn't the type to tell other's secrets. You can trust me on that. I may have just found out... by the art of the ear."

(Y/N) cocked a brow. "You eavesdropped?!"

"It wasn't exactly my intention..."

(Y/N) folded her arms, pushing open the door behind her with her back. Kaeya's eyebrows raised.

"Sure. Well, you're lucky I trust you, Captain Kaeya, or there'd be consequences. I don't want you to ask anymore though. And I don't want you to know anymore. And I don't want you to do anything. Mind your own business. I'll just clarify that I am a Knight of Favonius, and my home is in Mondstadt."