Freedom in Servitude - Diluc x Reader

Work

"C'mon Y/N..." José the six-fingered bard slurred, leaning across the bar towards you, "Let me take you out on a date next weekend." You laughed lightly and snatched the mug from his hand, knowing that the moment he started flirting with you was the moment he had too much.

"I told you, José," you replied faux-flirtatiously, "I can't. The big, mean owner of this tavern is making me go on a business trip with him to Liyue so I'll be out of town. And that's the reason I won't go with you. The only reason." Your laughter was shared by another bard, one of your regulars with bright blue and teal eyes who looked way too young to be there.

"When are you going to realize you don't stand a chance, José?" Venti chimed in, just a slight change in his voice from the alcohol, "We all know her life is dedicated to the infamous wine tycoon."

"And besides," Kaeya added as he slid you his mug from the next seat over, "I have dibs." You refilled his mug with ale quickly and returned it to him while rolling your eyes.

"Shut up, Kaeya," you chuckled, "you can't have dibs on every girl in Mondstadt." He and Venti laughed as José started slightly snoring on the bar. Kaeya caught your wrist before you could turn away and pulled you in close to him. He leaned over the wooden bar, bringing his face close to yours.

"I'd give up all those women for you," he whispered suavely. The sweet smell of alcohol danced off his breath and onto your face, causing a blush to appear on your cheeks. You snatched your hand back and turned away to wash glasses and mugs.

"Oh please," you retorted, trying to stay facing away until your face returned to normal, "does that ever actually work for you?"

"No, it doesn't," another voice interjected as its owner approached the bar.

"Lisa! You're late," Kaeya complained, "Y/N's shift is almost over." The green-eyed woman leaned on the bar as you set her usual beverage of choice in front of her.

"Well don't be too sad, I'll be around for a little bit longer before I head home," you replied, "I need to celebrate my one year anniversary of being in the City of Freedom." You gave a slight flourish with your bar towel at the end of your sentence.

"Has it really only been a year?" Venti asked after handing you his empty mug, "I feel like you've been here for ages. You're a real, gen-u-ine Mondstadter now." He giggled drunkenly as you refilled his mug and returned it to him.

"Some freedom," Kaeya remarked thoughtfully, "you're not really free while you have that contract to Diluc." Lisa gently slapped his shoulder.

"It's not like that," you explained, handing a couple other patrons glasses of wine, "the contract doesn't even matter to him nor me. It just was to ensure Grand Master Varka that I'd be taken care of. I LIKE working for him. He doesn't control every second of my life. At this point I don't even feel like there's a debt between us. I mean... I still have an itemized list of everything I owe him, but still. The sentiment is there."

In the short time it took you to justify your position to your friends, you had swiftly opened three bottles and passed them to Charles, made a drink, poured a glass of wine, and placed a glass of water in front of José who had finally raised his head a bit to watch you work.

"Indentured servitude saved my life," you said, taking a moment to look at your friends warmly, "It got me out of my horrible living situation in Snezhnaya and it gave me all of you. Living with my family was pure hell. But Mondstadt is heaven, and I thank Barbatos every day for it." As your friends cooed out "oohs" and "aws" you glanced at Venti, who smiled brightly into his mug as he took another drink.

You weren't positive, but you were pretty sure that little drunkard was the Archon of this land. Just something about him that you couldn't quite put your finger on.

"What was Snezhnaya like?" Lisa asked curiously. Your bright smile immediately fell into a dark expression.

"It was..." you occupied yourself cleaning to avoid the eyes of your companions, "hard. I had two options, run away or die, so I left. I stowed away on Varka's ship until he caught me. Lucky for me he was merciful and got me a job at the winery and the rest is history."

You silently congratulated yourself on keeping the details to a minimum. It wasn't that you didn't trust your friends to know about your past, it's just that you would rather forget it.

A quick flash of a distant memory entered your brain. Broken glass, curtains ripped off the wall, the tears flowing down your face, and the pain. The immense, deep pain. You snapped out of it, shuddering slightly.

"Always stingy with the details," Kaeya remarked, then turned to Venti, "my theory is that she was living in the slums and got mixed up in some kind of crime ring which threatened her life, causing her to flee the country."

"Her? A criminal?" Venti said, surprised, "I don't get that vibe. I think she was probably a Fatui espionage agent who learned too much." You laughed at your friends' crazy ideas.

Suddenly the door opened and you saw the crimson-haired man enter the tavern. Your shift was over.