Freedom in Servitude - Diluc x Reader

Protector

You didn't stop running until you had firmly shut the front door of the winery behind you. Breathing heavily, you pressed your forehead to the smooth wood and fought back tears.

"You're late," you heard a smooth voice joke. You slowly and reluctantly turned to face the man sitting at the table behind you. You didn't want him to see you like this. You were embarrassed.

There was a split second where Diluc was registering what he saw. His eyes drifted from your disheveled hair to the forming bruise on your forehead to your bloody, ripped uniform, to your bloodied knuckles, and finally, back to your eyes, welling with tears.

He instantly got up from his place at the table and was at your side, inspecting the bruise on your forehead and your split knuckles tenderly and carefully.

"What happened to you?" he asked, concern flooding his entire demeanor. You tried to hold the tears back as you swallowed the lump in your throat and tried to explain.

"My book is gone. There were these Treasure Hoarders, and they-they attacked me. He was touching me and I-I tried to fight back but I didn't have my spear and-and they took the money I had from the tavern and they took my pocketbook. I didn't know wh-what to do, Diluc. They took my book! What am I gonna do?" He shushed you and pulled your trembling body in a close hug. "They took your money. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to! I couldn't-"

"Stop," he interrupted firmly, yet sympathetically, while stroking your cheek carefully, "this is not your fault. Do you understand?" He looked into your eyes and you nodded slowly.

"I just... I don't know what I'm going to do without my book," you whispered hoarsely, clearly rattled. Diluc nodded and his expression changed.

"I'll get it back for you," he said seriously then released you and put on his coat, "Adelinde!" he called out to the quiet building. She appeared in an instant. "I'm going out. Make sure Y/N's wounds are taken care of." Diluc grabbed his claymore and strapped it to his back.

"What? No! I'm going with you!" you asserted and stood between Diluc and the door. He looked at you, and you saw something very familiar burning behind his ruby red eyes: rage.

His even tone, however, hid this immaculately as he said, "No, you're in no shape to fight. You don't even have a weapon right now." You furrowed your eyebrows then winced at the bump forming on your forehead.

"How are you going to know they're the right ones?" you asked defiantly.

"Simple," he stated while moving past you, "I'll just take out every Treasure Hoarder I see from here to Mondstadt." He opened the door but you grabbed his sleeve so he turned to meet your gaze.

"You can't do that all by yourself. There are too many of them. Please. Just let me go with you." You stared into his eyes for another second, still clutching his sleeve in your fist.

"Fine," he replied at last.

You both mounted Diluc's stallion, him in front and you behind him with your arms wrapped around his waist. You searched the path for the Hoarders, but you couldn't exactly remember where you had seen them. Finally, you spotted a group of four Treasure Hoarders surrounding a campfire, one with a severely damaged face.

"It's them!" you whispered and wrapped your arms around Diluc tighter in fear. He nodded stoically and approached on horseback.

"Good evening, gentlemen," he said smoothly and dismounted the horse. The Treasure Hoarders stood up and looked at him threateningly. Then, they noticed you.

"Hey! It's that bitch that kicked me!" the one that had held you exclaimed. You blinked and suddenly Diluc's claymore was drawn and pointed at the deviants, an expression of fury painted his face. In response, the Hoarders pulled out their weapons as well.

"Be careful," he stated grimacing angrily, "I came here to peacefully retrieve my belongings, but if you want to be disrespectful pigs, then I won't hesitate to cut you down."

"That's Ragnvindr!" one of the Hoarders whispered to another, causing them all to fidget nervously.

"We don't know what you mean," the leader replied, his speech slightly altered by the wounds on his face, "Us Treasure Hoarders tend to go by the policy of 'finders keepers.' We found it, so we keep it." Diluc scoffed, his eyebrows furrowing even more.

"Even if you 'find it' on someone else's person?" Diluc growled. The leader shrugged smugly. Diluc pulled his claymore back. "Sounds like you're in need of...

RETRIBUTION!"

In a flurry of flames, the pathway was lit up by the firebird Dilic released from his claymore. It pushed the Treasure Hoarders back, knocking them off their feet and igniting the grass around them. Diluc took a few steps forward and placed his foot on top of the leader's chest, pointing the tip of his claymore at his neck.

"Return my property this instant." Diluc demanded angrily. A shiver went down your spine. You had seen him irritated, annoyed, and frustrated on a daily basis, but seeing Diluc truly angry was a rare sight you tried to avoid. He was terrifying.

The leader looked up at him, shadows dancing across the scarlet-haired man's face from the flames around him. He looked like the devil from this angle which sent a shock of fear through the criminal.

"Here! Take it! Please! Just don't hurt us!" he cried out and pulled the money pouch out of his pocket, extending it upwards toward Diluc. Swiftly, Diluc slapped the pouch away with the back of his hand, sending it flying and scattering Mora all across the pathway. Your eyes widened.

"The book," he snarled, "where is it?" The Hoarders looked at each other, confused, and then one of them pointed over to the makeshift tent by the campfire.

"Y/N," Diluc said firmly and gestured with his head to where they had pointed, all without removing his gaze from the person on the ground in front of him.

You promptly scrambled down from the horse and ran over to the tent. After rifling through their stuff for a second, you found your leather-bound book with your initials stamped on the outside. You silently returned to the horse and waited for Diluc who pressed his boot harder into the man's sternum.

"It's taking everything in my power not to make this your final resting place..." he grumbled, then turned away from his victim, securing his claymore on his back. He walked to you and helped you onto the horse and then mounted it himself. He looked sharply back at the recovering criminals, hellfire behind his eyes.

"But the next time I see you in this city, I won't hesitate," he finished threateningly. With one swift kick of his horse, you were off.

You held tightly to him as he galloped through the woods back to the winery. When you arrived he helped you down, taking your hand as you dismounted.

"Now will you let Adelinde treat your wounds?" he asked, still gripping your hand gently. You nodded and he turned to go up the stairs. Just before his hand slipped from yours, you regripped it tightly, and he faced you again.

"Thank you," you said quietly. He gave your hand a gentle squeeze.

"I swore I would protect you. No matter what."