Our Little Secret

Chapter 8: A New Thought

I woke up feeling super happy. I couldn't tell if it was because of last night or the fact I just really love my job.

Which was weird in a sense. Growing up, all I wanted was to be a knight. I really looked up to Mondstadt's hero, Vennessa. Now I don't think I could be at her level, but I certainly wanted to try. Who knows, maybe that wasn't meant for me. And if I didn't see Kaeya with that girl that night, I probably wouldn't have met Diluc.

I walked into Angel's Share, a face full of smiles. Diluc being worried stuck around in my head. He's a caring person, that was something he wore like a cape. Speaking of him, he was already there. "Good morning Y/n" he greeted, smiling. I smiled and waved back. I pranced behind the counter. "Someone's cheerful today." Diluc giggled, as he began preparing the wine.

"I had a good time last night." I said, smiling at him. His face changed, but not in a bad way. It was like I lit something within him. He turned to me about to say something when a customer came in. It was a young looking boy. He looked to be at least fifteen. I was confused as he continued to walk closer to the counter.

"Hey hey hey! How is my favorite winery owner?" he asked, making himself at home on the barstools. "Um, Diluc? Shouldn't we card him?" I asked, concerned. "No. This is Venti. He's a bard. I promise, he's an adult." Diluc sighed, reaching for the vintage wine bottle. I did a double take. There is simply no way. No way this is a grown ass man. Venti turned to me.

"And who must you be?" he asked, attempting to be flirty and failing. "Uhh-" I blurted out until Diluc stepped in front of me. "Hey, don't be a creep. We have enough around here." he said, very firmly. I felt so safe around him. He just seems to be such a loyal man. Venti backed off real quick with "Okay okay. You're scary when you mean business." Diluc rolled his eyes and poured the wine into a glass, sliding it towards Venti. He sipped the wine, closing his eyes in awe after swallowing it. "Mmmm there's nothing like it." Venti said, licking his lips. I giggled and Diluc just sighed. Venti looked back at me and said, "I hope I can at least know your name." He giggled, sitting back in his seat. "I'm Y/n. I just started working here." I said. "Oh so that's why I didn't recognize you." He said, smiling at me.

"Alright enough chit chat, Y/n has a job to do." Diluc interrupted, sliding past me to serve the other customers. The rest of the night went by like a breeze. Kaeya wasn't allowed inside Angel's Share anymore so I wasn't scared of working there. However, I kept catching Venti looking at me from time to time. I was concerned and tried to ignore it. But it was like I could feel his eyes on me. I could tell he was staring at me from a mile away. By the end of my shift, I was violently uncomfortable. Venti just kept doing it. Drink after drink and he didn't stop this getup he was doing. I didn't like it. Not one bit. I know him and Diluc are friends but I wasn't having this.

After we were done closing, Venti approached me. "Hey Y/n, can I talk to you?" He asked, extending his hand. I was about to say no when he whispered, "It's about Diluc." Man I'm in trouble when someone finds out my weakness. I turned towards Diluc and told him I'll walk home alone tonight. He nodded and says goodnight to me and Venti before heading off towards his house.

Venti lead me to the Barbatos statue. Which weirdly resembles him. I noticed a change in his behavior when he turned to me. He didn't give me a creepy vibe anymore. And that concerned me. Was it because this is about Diluc?

"So are you and Diluc dating yet?" Venti immediately starts off with. This sent electricity through my body. I was so startled by this that I didn't respond for a few seconds. "Oh uh us? Haha no." I said, awkwardly giggling to hide the fact that startled me. He chuckles to himself after saying that. "You will. I saw how protective he was. I was only staring at you to get a reaction out of him. He was about to rip my head off." He laughs to himself with an evil grin. This menace planned all of that? And he's suggesting that Diluc has some kind of feelings for me? Yeah right. In my dreams. Venti continued,

"He's not the type of guy to have a crush. Keep that in mind."