delusion • diluc

xix

a/n: please read the a/n at the end of the chapter once ur done if ur usually someone who skips them pls lol ty.... (before u panic dw i'm not ending the story or disappearing i just have a few things to address 😭)

• third person •

A soft melody of silence drifted through the large bedroom. It echoed off the walls, off the bed, and only were to be interrupted... by Diluc's soft breathing.

(Y/N) watched him quietly, examining his dark, red eyelashes, his flushed cheeks... his slightly swollen eyes.

He was fast asleep. And had been for the past few hours.

The afternoon sun shone gently through the gap of the curtains.

(Y/N) laid down next to him. Her gaze wandered for moment, noticing his shirt buttons were undone at the top.

She stared at his exposed chest. Gods, he was so pale. Imagine if he didn't cover up everything all of the time.

She reached out, slowly fiddling with his buttons, in order to button it up.

Unexpectedly, a hand wrapped around hers. She blinked.

(Y/N) looked up, only to meet eyes with his, narrow and tired.

A warm smile spread across Diluc's lips.

"Good morning," he whispered.

Red dusted against (Y/N)'s cheeks. Her fingers fidgeted momentarily in his hold, before she finally came to the realisation that he was awake.

"It's much past morning, Diluc," (Y/N) teased with a smirk. "Your breakfast has long gone cold."

Diluc frowned playfully, his voice low and almost raspy. "You ate without me?"

"I didn't want to wake you. You were sleeping like a baby."

(Y/N) sighed, gulping quietly. She couldn't get her mind off what had happened last night.

Diluc was clearly great at masking his emotions. She'd never even thought of the possibility of him having an attack.

"Are you... okay now..?" she mumbled, averting her gaze. Diluc's eyebrows raised, before they furrowed upon remembering.

"Please... forget about that."

(Y/N)'s eye twitched. She shot up.

"Are you serious?"

Diluc blinked. He slowly sat up after her, rubbing his eyes.

"You want me to just... forget about it?"

He fell silent.

(Y/N)'s face scrunched, her hands fisting the blankets.

This- Fucking...

"A relationship needs to work from both ends, Diluc! I can't have you care about me if I can't care about you. That's not how it works!"

He looked away. (Y/N) gently grabbed his chin, making him face her.

"I don't expect you to tell me anything, but I'm not going to forget about it." Her voice was stern, her eyes hesitant but sharp. "Just like how you want to bear some of my burdens, I want to bear some of yours too. We need to help each other."

Diluc stared at her. She was right. Definitely. But...

No... He needed to let himself know that he was allowed to be vulnerable around her...

That he could trust her with his heart and his mind...

So why...

Why do I feel... so uncertain..?