Fireworks - Diluc x Reader

Chapter 2

“Y/N! Y/N!”.
 
Your servant called.
 
“Yes?” You replied, quickly turning around from your breakfast table.
 
“This came in the mail, specially addressed to you.”.
 
You took the letter from the loyal servant, before she quickly bowed and left.
 
You held the envelope in your hand, studying its texture, before reading the name enscribed on it.
 
Ragnvindr.
 
Ragnvindr?!
 
It couldn’t be…
 
Diluc Ragnvindr?!
 
You gave a little gasp to yourself.
 
The wealthiest man in Mondstadt, owner of the largest wine industry for miles around, professional, organised Diluc Ragnvindr…
 
The uncrowned king of Mond…
 
You rubbed your eyes to make sure you weren’t having a morning hallucination.
 
You smiled at the name.
 
You thought that since the death of his father, and since owning Dawn Winery and soon after becoming so busy, that he forgot about you.
 
You wondered what he would look like now…
 
Just the same as he did aged 18?
 
Would he look older, now that he was a good 22 years of age?
 
Would he have a smile on his face now..?
 
You fondly look back at the times you shared together.
 
That and sometimes even with his adoptive brother Kaeya, whom you loved dearly as your own brother and still sometimes even pass in the streets and wave at each other.
 
Kaeya’s now such a handsome Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius…
 
Diluc’s such an important and wealthy man and holds ownership of such a huge industry…
 
You opened the letter feverishly.
 
Dear Lady L/N of the L/N Clan,
 
I, Diluc Ragnvindr of Dawn Winery, would love to have the pleasure to invite you to my grand annual ball on the 30th of April, 7pm sharp.
 
There will be a feast to commemorate my late father and all his accomplishments in his lifetime and all his contributions to the Ragnvindr family.
 
It is also to celebrate my own 22nd birthday.
 
It would be much appreciated if you could find the time to attend.
 
Signed,
 
Diluc Ragnvindr.
 
It looked like a normal letter that he would send basically anyone, and not specially for you.
 
It was so business and professional like.
 
You sighed.
 
You put the invitation aside and continued breakfast.
 
The 30th of April was next week.
 
Could you really go…?
 
As the last standing member of the L/N family, you had all the responsibilities placed on your shoulders.
 
But that didn’t mean you couldn’t be there and dance and cheer with Diluc, and maybe even finally speak to each other for the first time in 4 years.
 
You’d even see Kaeya, all dressed up in a white suit…
 
You could see it, the handsome beast of a man, two feet up on the table, laughing a little too loudly, a glass of wine in his hand, trying to flirt with all the girls and Diluc acting like he doesn’t know him.
 
Diluc and Kaeya were your everything when you were small.
 
You’d attend the ball and finally speak to them properly.
 
…
 
2 week timeskip
 
You weren’t much of a talker, and Diluc knew.
 
The years spent together, mostly in silence, fishing down by the river.
 
Sometimes Crepus would invite you for dinner, and you would sit in between Diluc and Kaeya, who would start arguing over who could eat the fastest, and Diluc would roll his eyes and say that it was a stupid game.
 
Kaeya would then smile in your face.
 
“Nice to see you again, Y/N! Did you have a nice time fishing with Diluc? I’d join you but I’m not into fishing. You should come over and see me and Diluc sword training!”.
 
He was the complete opposite of Diluc, all smiley and friendly and a bit eccentric.
 
You had heard however that he was abandoned by his biological father aged six.
 
Even Diluc sometimes takes pity on him, and could feel his pain as his second father disappeared before his eyes that night.
 
Crepus Ragnvindr was a man that was loved by all.
 
Diluc tied up his hair in a high ponytail, and fixed his black suit, that used to belong to his father.
 
It was a bit snug at the sides and showed off his body, but he decided he didn’t mind.
 
“You look just like him,” said Kaeya, leaning at the side of the doorway, him too in a high ponytail and white suit.
 
He laughed.
 
“I loved our father so much, Diluc. You should know that.”.
 
Diluc looked at his brother.
 
“Yeah, I know.”.
 
Kaeya walked up to him and punched him lightly in the shoulder.
 
“Happy 22nd birthday, brother. Come on, stop staring at yourself so much in the mirror. We all know you’re a pretty boy. Now let’s go-“.
 
Diluc shook him off and looked at the ground.
 
With a small voice, he said,
 
“Remember Y/N?”.
 
Kaeya was silenced.
 
“Y/N L/N?”.
 
“Yeah, her.”.
 
Diluc clenched his fists.
 
“I invited her.”.
 
Kaeya gasped.
 
“Really?! Then come on! We haven’t had a proper chat in ages! I’d love to see her again, Diluc, why are you so hesitant!?”.
 
Diluc looked at his brother.
 
“I’m just, nervous, that’s all.”.
 
Kaeya smiled sympathetically.
 
“Hey, it was hard on all of us, losing Father. But we just have to move on sometimes, you know? Go downstairs and…and smile..”.
 
He gave Diluc a thumbs up, and although his voice had cracked and his eyes had welled up with tears, he didn’t let it show.
 
He beckoned Diluc forward as he made his way out of the door.
 
Diluc sheepishly moved behind him.
 
They descended down the stairway and into the vast ballroom, where the guests were all having a great time.
 
Diluc’s eyes swivelled left and right, trying to catch sight of some h/c hair.
 
He was looking for you.
 
Kaeya threw his arms up and all the ladies were screaming his name.
 
“Captain Kaeya!”.
 
“I love you, Kaeya!”.
 
“Kaeya, marry me!”.
 
Diluc gave a small smile and rolled his eyes.
 
His brother was always so popular with the girls.
 
He was surprised that Kaeya wasn’t already married or in some kind of relationship.
 
Diluc on the other hand had no interest in such affairs.
 
However many times men from all over Mondstadt practically thrust their daughters forward, happily letting Diluc take their hand in marriage, Diluc always refused, saying it was too early for him.
 
It was true.
 
For one, he found no use for getting married now.
 
Maybe Kaeya felt the same way.
 
The hall went silent as Diluc walked to the front of the room.
 
“Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I gather you here today in celebration of my 26th birthday, and more importantly, the commemoration of my father, Crepus Ragnvindr, who sadly passed on this day 4 years ago. He has done a great deal for our great city of Mondstadt, and I’m immensely proud to have the honor of being his son.
 
Family means a lot to me. My brother Kaeya and I may differ in blood, but in heart we are very close. To have lost our father is a very, very heartbreaking thing for us. Crepus Ragnvindr was a good, generous man loved by all of Mond. May the wind lead him to Celestia, and Barbatos guide him.”.
 
The audience clapped and cheered.
 
“Please, enjoy yourself at this grand feast.”.
 
And with that, the audience that had so obediently lined up to listen to him had dispersed, chatter soon filling the air.
 
Kaeya went off with his Favonius comrades to drink and hang out with some girls.
 
Diluc was suddenly left alone.
 
He looked left and right for you, slowly losing hope that you ever made it.
 
…
 
You looked around for the man of the hour, Diluc Ragnvindr.
 
Who doesn’t show up to their own birthday?
 
Suddenly, a voice spoke out loud,
 
“Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I gather you here today…”.
 
Diluc was on the grand flight of stairs, speaking out to the crowd,
 
Your heart instantly started beating so hard, you felt like it could beat out of your chest.
 
He looked so handsome…
 
But something looked off about him.
 
Something like an empty space.
 
Before his father’s death, Diluc had bright, shining eyes, and was kind and loving to everyone, albeit a bit standoffish and stern.
 
It was as if when Crepus died, a part of Diluc died along with him.
 
The aging was visible on his face
 
Poor Diluc…
 
There was a cheer from the audience, and you cheered along with them.
 
Then, the crowd dispersed.
 
In your little red minidress and high heels, you looked around for Diluc.
 
You ended up spotting Kaeya, and your breath hitched in your throat.
 
Why were the two of them suddenly so gorgeous?!
 
The little boy who would refuse to eat his vegetables and would cause chaos whenever you visited was now a little tipsy, in a suit that showed off his body and his legs crossed, laughing with his comrades.
 
You approached him slowly, tucking your hair behind your ear nervously.
 
“Hi, Kaeya.”.
 
Kaeya looked up at you slowly.
 
His eyes widened once he set eyes on your beauty, devouring every inch of you.
 
He cast his glass aside and jumped up to meet your gaze.
 
He was tall now, and you barely reached his chest.
 
“Y/N?! Ahaha! Do my eyes deceive me?! Is it really you?”.
 
You laughed.
 
“Yeah!”.
 
“You really came!”.
 
He took you in his arms, lifted you and swung you around.
 
You were smiling uncontrollably.
 
“How are you?” You said.
 
Kaeya took a lock of your hair and wrapped it around his finger.
 
“I’m doing amazing, now that you’re here. I missed you, Y/N…I’m so happy I got to see you again. You’ve gotten so much more beautiful…”.
 
“Kaeya, I literally saw you last week as you were on patrol.”.
 
“Yeah, you’ve gotten so much more beautiful since then.”.
 
You giggled a little and hugged him close.
 
“I missed you too, you little flirt.”.
 
He was warm and his touch felt like home.
 
“Aye, Kaeya! Is that your girlfriend?”.
 
Kaeya smirked.
 
“If you wanna call it that you can…”.
 
He took you by your shoulder and guided you away from the tipsy knights, who were devouring your body with their eyes maliciously, making you uncomfortable.
 
“Sorry about them. Either way, what have you been doing for the past 4 years? Tell me everything!”.
 
“Living life as a rich girl. Since I’m a girl, I can’t do much in the L/N clan. If I were married however, I would be busy.”.
 
“How about you join the knights? I can give you personal training!”.
 
“You would?!”.
 
“Of course!”.
 
“Aw, thanks for the offer, but you saw how I am with a sword. Remember when we were little?”.
 
“Bahaha, you nearly took Diluc’s eye out!”.
 
You both laughed and Kaeya swung an arm around you.
 
“Welcome back, meine prinzessin.”.
 
A blush rose to your face.
 
It was German for “my princess”, an affectionate nickname he would give you when you were little.
 
(A/N: I know this seems like a Kaeya x Reader at the moment but bear with me here I’m building up to the big moment)
 
“How’s Diluc? I’ve never even seen him.”.
 
“He’s doing fine. A little hectic because of work but he’s taking it well. He’s strong willed, y’know? I’ve always looked up to him.”.
 
You looked around.
 
“Looking for him?”.
 
“Yeah.”.
 
“He’s over there.”.
 
Kaeya pointed to the other end of the hall, where Diluc was sitting down by the juice table, staring into space.
 
You smiled.
 
“What if I go over and say hi?”.
 
“I think he’ll be quite happy.”.
 
Kaeya practically pushed you towards him, and you stumbled.
 
“Hey, not so hard!” You hissed.
 
“Sorry!”.
 
He shooed you with his hands, smiling.
 
Oh boy, he’d love to see Diluc’s reaction.
 
You slowly walked towards him, legs shaking.
 
You were so nervous you could barely breathe.
 
You stopped for a moment to catch your breath.
 
Okay, you could do this.
 
But Kaeya was too impatient.
 
“Faster!”.
 
He gave you a shove, and you tripped over your heels.
 
You ended up barrelling into Diluc, who was sitting calmly in his seat, and knocked him over.
 
“Ahh! What on Earth-“.
 
Diluc was sprawled on the floor, grape juice spilt everywhere, as you sat on his stomach, and your short dress had rode up, exposing most of your thighs to Kaeya.
 
Thankfully, nobody had noticed.
 
Diluc sat up quickly, and you slid onto his lap.
 
Kaeya burst out laughing.
 
“Surprise brother!”.
 
He walked up to the both of you and picked you up off Diluc from your sides easily, like a teddy bear.
 
“Watch your dress, Y/N. I enjoyed the view while it lasted, but really, what if someone else saw-“.
 
You kicked him with your heels, and he winced.
 
“Okay, okay!”.
 
“You idiot!”.
 
“Hey! It wasn’t my fault!”.
 
“Yes it was! You literally shoved me into him!”.
 
Diluc was still so confused, slowly getting up from the ground and dusting himself off.
 
“Y/N…Y/N L/N?”.
 
His cheeks were still dusted lightly red from the situation you both were in.
 
“Diluc…”.
 
You walked slowly towards him.
 
Diluc finally met your gaze.
 
His breath cut short.
 
Before him was the most beautiful thing he has ever seen in his life, walking towards him.
 
He was so taken aback by how much you changed, how much more beautiful you’ve become.
 
“M-Miss L/N…”.
 
Shoot, now he was stuttering.
 
“Oh Diluc, drop the formalities…”.
 
You threw your arms around him.
 
“I missed you so much…Diluc…remember me..?”.
 
Of course he did.
 
But he still intended to bring forth his stony outer shell, to protect his dignity.
 
He pushed you away.
 
“Stop that. You have no right to touch me.”.
 
Oh dear.
 
That wasn’t what he had intended to say…
 
You were about to start crying.
 
“Oi, Diluc, be nicer.” Kaeya shot him a glare.
 
He whispered in your ear.
 
“It’s okay, the nasty man didn’t mean it. Let’s run before he gets us!”.
 
He tickled you, making you giggle.
 
“Oh, Kaeya!!”.
 
This was one of the games you’d play with Kaeya as a kid, when Diluc was being harsh.
 
Not wanting to be left alone, he’d roll his eyes and follow after you.
 
And it worked this time.
 
The both of you ran all the way outside and into the gardens, laughing.
 
You looked at the door expectantly, and Diluc soon came outside, sighing deeply.
 
“Alright, alright, what do you two want?”.
 
Kaeya smiled.
 
“Are you not happy that Y/N’s here?”.
 
Diluc looked back and forth between the both of you.
 
“Honestly, I’m happy you’re back, Y/N. But you two have to understand something.”.
 
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his trousers.
 
“We can’t have the same relationship we had when we were kids.”.
 
“Huh?” Kaeya said, mouth open.
 
“But-!”.
 
“You can stay being friends but I can’t. I have a business to run. I can’t have any relationships with another woman if I’m not serious about it.”.
 
“But we’re friends, Diluc!” Kaeya protested.
 
Diluc sighed.
 
“Fine. Let me at least talk things through with Y/N. We haven’t seen each other for so long, and…”.
 
“Hey, it was hard on all of us, losing Father. But we just have to move on sometimes, you know? Go downstairs and…and smile..”.
 
Diluc mustered all his willpower and gave a strained, thin lipped smile.
 
“And I’d like to spend some time with her.”.
 
You put your hands together and smiled.
 
“Yay! Also…sorry about earlier…”.
 
Diluc thought back to the way you were straddled on his torso, hands gripping his shirt as your face had turned beet red.
 
“Oh, that…that’s alright…accidents can happen.”.
 
Kaeya gave a grin.
 
“Okay, well, do you want me to leave you two to it? The other knights will be wondering where I’d be…”.
 
“Go on. Me and Y/N will take a short walk.”.
 
He said “short walk”, but it seemed like hours that you spent with him under the moonlight.
 
“Diluc Ragnvindr, the uncrowned king of Mond…I’m thoroughly impressed! How did you manage to grab yourself such a title?!”.
 
“I simply inherited Dawn Winery from my father when he passed away and made a few modifications. It’s simply a matter of inheritance. I don’t take any credit for Dawn Winery being such a massive success, but at the same time it’s so much responsibility, y’know?”.
 
You nodded.
 
“I understand. There’s nothing really much left for the L/N clan, either. I’m the last standing member of the L/N family…and I have no brothers to keep it running.
 
 The L/N clan isn’t really important either way…it’s been there for hundreds of years yet it hasn’t really been much of use to Mond. There’s the Lawrence Clan, albeit making a bad name for themselves, are still important, the Gunnhildr Clan oversee the Ordo Favonius, and the Ragnvindr Clan have control over the wine industry.”.
 
Diluc stopped for a minute.
 
“Why don’t you give up your name?”.
 
“Huh?”.
 
“I’m serious. If you feel that way you shouldn’t live your life doing nothing. Go join the Knights.”.
 
“That’s exactly what Kaeya suggested, but-“.
 
“Think about it. Nothing good is going to come out of what you’re doing right now. Give it some time…and go talk to Kaeya then with your answer. He’d be more than happy to train you.”.
 
You looked at the ground.
 
“I’ll think about it.”.
 
The two of you continued walking along the lakeside.
 
“Did you miss me, Diluc?”.
 
“Huh? Where’s this coming from?”.
 
“You didn’t like me much as a kid.”.
 
“To be honest, I didn’t. It was because I wasn’t very used to hanging out with a girl, but sooner or later you even started coming over a lot and spending time with Kaeya and I would be forced to come along because I had nothing better to do. But it was nice seeing you every now and then.
 
Now that I look back on it, I needed someone like you in my life. My father probably noticed that and it was the reason why he introduced you to me and Kaeya, but there was nothing special about you for me to miss you.”.
 
You looked at him, who kept his steely gaze on the ground.
 
“You haven’t changed at all, have you, Diluc? Still the same cold hearted, grumpy shadow…”.
 
Diluc gave a small laugh.
 
“You sure did, however. You wouldn’t talk at all to me if Kaeya wasn’t there. Probably because he was more of a talker than I was.”.
 
“I was scared of you back then, y’know…”.
 
“Scared?”.
 
“Heck yeah, I was terrified of you yet I liked you a lot…”.
 
The same kind of red that had been on his face when you knocked him over in the hall came back.
 
“What would you like about me, honestly…?”.
 
“Your silence screams so many things. I was interested in the way you acted and the way you thought so rationally as a kid, when all kids our age wanted to do was to run around and play hide and seek all day, like me and Kaeya.”.
 
“That was the kind of thing you liked?”.
 
“You were just a weirdo.”.
 
You giggled.
 
“Like all of us at that age.”.
 
You passed by the Springvale lakeside, gently reflecting the moonlight.
 
“It’s a clear night tonight..”.
 
You looked up at the moon.
 
Diluc used this moment to study your face.
 
You still had the very same nose, and your lips had changed a lot…
 
Your face structure had taken shape, rather than the chubby little kid you were back then.
 
But your eyes…
 
Those deep, e/c colour that he never forgot…
 
They reflected the moonlight just like the lake.
 
“Hey, do you remember when we used to fish here?”.
 
You looked back at Diluc.
 
“It was where we used to bond nearly every single week…”.
 
Diluc looked at the same boulder you would sit on.
 
“Yes, I do remember. I’d enjoy my time greatly with you, even if I might not show it.”.
 
“Do you want to get married?” You suddenly asked.
 
That question hit Diluc like a truck, sending his brain spiralling in all sorts of directions.
 
What does she mean?!
 
Is it a rhetorical question?!
 
Does she want to get married to me?!
 
No, you idiot! Why would she ever look twice at someone like you when she has Kaeya?!
 
Does she mean in general?!
 
Oh Barbatos, don’t make me embarrass myself here!
 
“Uhhh…” was all that escaped his lips.
 
“I mean, wouldn’t it be lovely for you to have a wife?! Oh, I can’t wait until I get married!”.
 
Diluc stayed silent.
 
“I, um, never thought about marriage seriously. I’d like to get married but only when the time is right.”.
 
“Diluc, you’re 22. If you get any older, you’ll never get a pretty young girl who’d love you for you.”.
 
Diluc laughed.
 
“Mind your own business, missy.”.
 
He pinched your cheeks lightly.
 
You stopped for a second to gain some courage.
 
Taking a deep breath, you got closer to the smartly dressed man, and reached up to wrap your arms around his neck.
 
With one hand, you slowly caressed the back of his head, tangling your fingers in his soft hair.
 
You were half expecting him to push you away, but he stayed right where he was, a light blush dusting his cheeks.
 
“Y/N..we really shouldn’t…what if someone-“.
 
“I know you want to, Diluc, so why are you so hesitant?”.
 
He was shy and inexperienced, and wrapped his arms around your waist.
 
Slowly, you brought your lips to meet his, when-
 
“Yolo Dada!”.
 
You jumped at the sound of the hilichurls that was running towards you.
 
“Ahhh! Diluc!”.
 
You hid behind him.
 
Diluc gritted his teeth.
 
“Stay behind me. I got this.”.
 
Out of nowhere, Diluc had materialised a fire infused claymore, and gripping it with both hands, slashed at the hilichurls, and they dropped dead in one swift hit.
 
You stood there, mouth open.
 
“A vision?! The Pyro Archon blessed you with their power! That’s so cool!”.
 
Diluc looked at you darkly.
 
“I forbid you to speak a word of it.”.
 
“Huh? But Diluc-!”.
 
“You heard what I said?! Not a word!”.
 
He scared you with his sudden, loud voice, and you shrank back.
 
He stormed off into the distance.
 
Why was he so adamant on keeping his vision a secret?
 
Doesn’t he know that the Knights would kill to have vision bearing members?!
 
You approached him slowly.
 
“Diluc…can we at least talk about this-”.
 
“No.”.
 
And after you were getting along so well..
 
You soon reached the hall again.
 
Something changed Diluc.
 
Something other than his father’s death.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

(A/N: Sorry for the massive delay!!! I had burnouts because of exams and it wasn't the greatest time I've had in a while!!

Either way Chapter 3 is on it's way soon hopefully if my teachers are nice <3)