OH MY~ ! ᵈⁱˡᵘᶜ ʳᵃᵍⁿᵛⁱⁿᵈʳ ˣ ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ

𝘹. 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥

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He let his hair down and took off his tie. He changed into something more comfortable to rest in, as he always kept spare clothes in a drawer.

He closed his eyes, expecting to easily end the night. Only, his mind was still wide awake.

Diluc shifted around and sighed in disbelief. He's never had trouble sleeping before, and his mind was perfectly fixated on you. He tossed and turned for 30 more minutes.

Normally, the only thing he would look forward to every day is getting to his soft mattress, as all he does is work, work, and work. So, he usually would find it easy to doze off. He didn't know why he was thinking about you, and it kind of stressed him.

He only got a few hours of sleep that night.

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Morning soon arose.

You'd think Diluc would look forward to being up and ready for the mornings. But in reality, all he wants is to sleep in and spend all day in bed. Doesn't anyone?

Nevertheless, he gets up and stretches, grabbing a spare outfit he leaves for any sorts of matters. He ties his hair and was about put on his coat, only to realize he didn't have it. Where was the last time he had it?

Oh, right - you had it.

Well, he did have an extra similar looking one, so he wore that one instead.

He recalled the memories from last night, and the unknown feelings were coming right back to him. It seemed as if these sensations would only occur to him when he thought of you, and he didn't like how he couldn't figure out why.

So, you know what? He made a mental note to start sort of avoiding you. He didn't like the fuzzy feelings it brought to him; it sort of made him sick.

And so, the rest of the day he tried not to think of you. He distracted himself and focused harder on his work. And fortunately for him, he succeeded. What made it easier was that he hasn't seen you today, as you were also busy running up ur bookstore.

He was sort of worried that you would try to pass by the tavern later because you still needed to return his coat, but he didn't need to think much about it. He knew it wasn't your type of scene, especially with all the bold people and alcohol.

So here we are at the tavern. Today was one of those days where it was busier than usual, and Charles just happened to be out. The atmosphere was filled with chatter and laughs. Glass clinking and the smell of dandelion wine roamed the air. Kaeya yet again, was bothering Diluc.

But this time, it was about you.

"So, is Master Diluc thinking about inviting anyone for the masquerade ball? Perhaps...a certain shy butterfly?" Kaeya teases as he swirls the wine around in his cup.

Oh right. The knights were hosting a masquerade ball in celebration for Jean. She is always working so hard and is always busy from trying to keep Mondstadt safe and it would be nice of her to take a break for once since she deserves it. The ball was going to take place in just a few days, and every single person in the City of Freedom was invited.

Diluc of course cares for Jean. He cares for a lot of people; he just doesn't show it. So, it would only be natural of him to show up at the ball.

"I'm only attending because I believe Jean needs a break. I have no interest in bringing a partner." He says flatly.

"Oh? So, if she so happens to show up with a date, you wouldn't mind?" Kaeya asks. Though, he already knows Diluc's going to deny any assumptions he makes.

"I hold nothing special for her," Diluc says as he turns around and crosses his arms. "Y/N and I are only friends, and it will stay that way. I could care less of who she chooses to bring for the night. Besides, I have no time for such trivial matters such as romance."

"Uhm..."

Diluc stops and turns around once he heard the familiar quiet voice. When in the world did you get here? You were standing there with his coat folded neatly in your arms. He must've not heard you walk in due to all the background noise going on.

"Y-Your coat." you said. Your heart felt as if it was going to burst out of your chest, due to how hard it was beating. Your throat only continuously tightened, and your eyes were stinging, begging to let out the tears which were quickly starting to rise.

Kaeya and Diluc only stared as you took a few steps to place his coat on the bar, your hands were visibly shaking. It's not your fault though, you couldn't help it from how rapidly your heart was pounding.

Oh how Diluc never wanted to take back a moment just as much as he does right now. The last thing he ever wanted was to hurt someone, especially if that someone was you. What hit him even more, is that not once did you look up. You just left without a word.

Man, even Kaeya felt a stake through his heart at just the sight of you visibly being heartbroken.

"Tsk." Kaeya looks at Diluc with disappointment. "Are you dense?"

"Excuse me?" Diluc says warningly. Kaeya downs the rest of his drink.

"Y'know, sometimes I think that if you dig down the correct way, you just might find some feelings in that heart you've deeply buried away."

Kaeya stands up and goes for the door. But before his hand reaches the handle, he says one more thing.
"I hope you realize what you're clearly not seeing, and fix what you've just lost."

Kaeya then exits. Diluc just stands there, blurring the sound of everyone else in the tavern, and only being lost in his thoughts.

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