Genshin Impact ❦ Oneshots

⠀ ⠀diluc ⠀[the words of alcohol]

All four in the room looked at you in surprise and you threw them what you hoped was a reassuring gaze.

"Thank you, Y/N," Jean said in relief, "I know it's unprofessional and immature of us-"

"Don't worry about it," you interjected as you opened the door to leave, "I'm sure he'lll understand."

The last thing you caught was the disoriented looks from your words before you shut the door behind you. You weren't blind to the remarks from Diluc but you also knew that he still held some sort of remorse because he had once been with them. Knowing about the contract now, you couldn't help but agree with his biases of the past.





"Diluc? He's not here right now. Hasn't been all day." Adeline said, "He left early today, a little unwell if I must say so myself. I assumed he went to the city but maybe he returned to his home."

You thanked Adeline and continued past the grapevines, to the location you remembered. You knew where Diluc lived, simply because he had entrusted you with the information not too long ago. You hadn't actually been there though, since there wasn't any reason to. Anxiety was slightly brewing since you rarely intervened with his private life. Even more so, you were nervous that something bad had happened to him. You needed to know that he was okay, that he wasn't doing anything stupid. You had been searching for him all day and this was your last option. He always vanished during the day, but today wasn't any other day.

As you ran with rough direction in your head, the landscape around you slowly became more deserted, urbanised features slowly becoming forestry. It wasn't long before you came across a building on a low cliff, with views looking out to the distant city. The design reflected that of the Dawn Winery, but more comforting. It was exactly as he had briefly described to you in the past. Hesitantly, you made your way to the front door, cringing at the loud crunch of pebbles as if he would hear you. You didn't want him to be upset at you and end up hating you. You felt awful, coming to deliver news that he had wanted years ago.

All the worries came to an end when you knocked on the wooden door and was met with Diluc's fiery gaze. Despite this, your heart stung at the sheen of his eyes - he had been crying. How could he look so controlled while stuck recklessly in emotions? You didn't have enough time to process it, for he quickly pulled you into the room.

"Why are you here, Y/N?" he asked, confused rather than aggressive. He seemed to stumble as he led you further into the living room. "It's late."

You gulped, predicting that his attitude would change. "The Knights sent me to find you and to end the contract."

"Oh," was all he said, holding a hand to his forehead in frustration as he sat down on a sofa.

You bit the inside of your cheek nervously, indulging in the surroundings instead to divert yourself from the blooming uncertainty. You remained standing, feeling that you were already pushing his limits. The soles of your feet burnt from walking all day but modesty and politeness was something important to him - you would respect that.

"I'm glad it's you who came," he mumbled, looking up at you from where he sat.

The moisture under his eyes gleamed in the dark lit room, the warmth of the lamp a contrast to how cold it felt. It was then you noticed the empty bottles and the tinge of alcohol in the air. You noticed the way his words had a slur to them and how he stumbled. He had been drinking, and he was drunk. Your eyes widened in shock. Diluc was known to detest alcohol of any sort even though he was a major influence in the wine industry. Most people would never catch him with a glass of any alcoholic beverage and when they did, he never drank it.

"Diluc?" you queried, finally meeting his burning stare. The tease of his previous tears still remained. "You're drunk, aren't you?"

He muttered, looking away in shame. "I always hear that alcohol makes you feel numb. Thought I would give it a try."

He laughed at himself, eyes trailing to a bottle on the ground. The nonchalant look he always had was buried away, distorted by desperation and fear. Fear of what? you wondered. As you were entranced by his break of character, you felt yourself fall forward without warning. A body pressed against you, burning hot and preventing you from going anywhere. Your back was now against the sofa, and Diluc hovered above, red hair curtaining the available light away from your face.

Your heart was pounding from how close he was but at the same time, your heart strings pulled in pain at his recklessness. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he looked down at you. He was embedding the image of your face in his head permanently and so were you.

"I swear that I'll protect you from the shadows of this world," he promised quietly. "I won't lose you to anyone."

His face was tinged with red, and whether that was due to alcohol or blush was unknown to you. Carefully, with shaking hands, he brushed a loose strand of hair from your face.

"I know you will," you replied, a small teasing smile on your face. "You're always there when I need you, isn't that right Darknight Hero?"

Automatically, the flames in his eyes smouldered to compassion and a matching smile followed. He whispered, "Your Darknight Hero."

"Don't forget you're drunk," you said, touching the tip of his nose.

His smile widened, "Don't they say that drunk words are true?"

Seeing his smile made you heart strings pull. His eyes seemed to have lit up from their dark cage, the strong vibrance returning to him. All of a sudden tears began to fall down your own cheeks, causing him to blink in surprise. The relief was unbearable. He was Diluc. He was here with you.

"I'm glad you're okay," you whispered, wiping your eyes with your sleeve.

The two of you stared at each other, soothing one another with simple presence. Your breathing was in sync, just like the blush present on your skin. Without warning Diluc dropped down, and his nose rested in the crook of your neck. You let out an embarrassing yelp as his scent got closer to you. Red hair brushed against your face before cascading down to his side as he turned the two of you to the side. His arms held you captive and safe. It wasn't long before his breathing became steady, and his eyes shut.

"Me too," he murmured as you gave in to exhaustion. "Thank you for coming, Y/N."

CPR zone
please don't choke on air 🍅