The Devil's Smile

His letter.

I grabbed my pen and sat. Ready to write to my beautiful red-headed boy. My hands shaking and bleeding from me biting them, I smiled. Spotting the letter with blood. My blood. My precious boy did deserve it after all. "My dearest Diluc, I demand we meet in liyue, Maybe get something to eat, yes? It's been a while, My dear friend. Now, I can't make you come, but your dear brother will suffer the consequences. Maybe I'll skin him alive, then mail the skin to you, would you like that? Now, do you accept my invitation, or shall I start sharpening my knives?" I smiled, knowing he wasn't that cold-hearted to let his brother die, even if he was, I'd still be able to kill something, in my case, it's a win-win. I grabbed an envelope, Placed the letter in, and started drawing a smiley face on it. "Dottore!! Get here, now" I watched him walk up to me slowly. "You have no place to demand me, Ajax." He growled, "Blah blah blah, I need your help." I handed him the bloody envelope, watching as his face twisted with disgust. "Give this to that one boy, The one in mondstat." I looked up at him. "...Diluc?" He sighed, but nodded, Taking the note and walking away.

time skip

Diluc walked into his mansion, exhausted after a long day of handling all those drunk bastards. As he made his way to his bedroom, he noticed a small envelope lying on the floor, with his name written in careful cursive. Curiosity getting the better of him, Diluc picked it up and opened it. Inside was a single sheet of paper, covered in bold, black ink.

He stared at the shakey handwriting, and the blood splatters. Ajax had been stalking him for months, leaving him gifts and love letters in the hopes of winning his heart. Diluc had tried to ignore it, but now it seemed that Ajax was becoming more and more persistent. He read it over 3 times, then sighed. He had to go this time. He couldn't risk Kaeya getting hurt. Out of all people he could have chosen to threaten, it was Kaeya. He was especially disgusted by the skinning him part. He hated the thought of that.

He quickly went to his closet, grabbing his coat and a pocketknife, and his phone. He knew he had to be prepared for anything. Diluc drove to the designated location that Ajax had written in the letter, a gloomy alleyway in the heart of Liyue. As he stepped out of his car, he saw Ajax standing there, a crazed look in his eyes. Diluc tightened his grip on his weapons."Stop this madness, Ajax," Diluc said calmly. "This obsession of yours has gone too far."Ajax just laughed maniacally. "You can't resist me, Diluc. You know you love me deep down. And soon enough, you'll be mine."

"I will never love a criminal like you." Diluc groaned softly. "Criminal?" Ajax laughed. "I'm just doing my job, Love. You know that." "Don't call me that." He looked up at Ajax, watching him slowly walk up to him. Diluc quickly took his pocketknife out, holding it up. He was scared, but he of course wasn't going to make it obvious, or at least try not to. "Back away, Tartaglia." He grunted. "Call me Ajax, Sweetheart." Ajax smirked. Diluc dropped the knife, shaking a bit. That's what his father used to call him. He got extremely sensitive when it came to his father. "Enough with the pet names." Ajax got closer and closer to Diluc. He was completely defenseless. Diluc had no chance of winning a fight with Ajax now. But as he got closer, something changed in Ajax's expression. It was almost as if his own emotions had taken over him. He stopped and looked at Diluc with a softness in his eyes. "I know you don't trust me, but I promise you, I'm not as bad as you think I am." Diluc didn't quite know what to make of this sudden change, but he still couldn't bring himself to let go of the anger and hurt he felt towards Ajax.

"You're a harbinger of the abyss, Ajax. You work for the enemy, and I can never forgive that." Ajax looked down, his expression turning somber. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am the enemy. But if you ever need me, Diluc, just know that I'll always be here for you." With those words, Ajax wrapped his arms around Dilucs waist. Diluc was caught off guard by the sudden embrace, but soon found himself returning it, a sense of comfort settling in his chest. It was strange, he thought, to feel such conflicting emotions towards the man holding him. On one hand, Diluc knew he should be pushing Ajax away, refusing to trust someone who worked for the abyss. But on the other, the warmth of the hug felt too sincere to ignore. "I know it's hard to trust me," Ajax finally spoke up, his voice low and gentle. "But I want you to know that I'm not your enemy. I'm trying to help." Diluc didn't answer, but he didn't pull away either. He knew that Ajax's words were true. Deep down, he could see the sincerity in the other man's eyes. And though he wasn't ready to fully forgive Ajax just yet, he knew that maybe, just maybe, he could start to trust him again. Trying to keep the atmosphere light, Ajax asked "...Would you like to go out to lunch together now?" Ajax smiled softly. "Ofcourse.." Diluc groaned, not really wanting to leave the position they where in. It all happened a little fast you know? But, No matter how hard Ajax tried to convince him, Ajax will always be a monster in Diluc eyes.