Through Thick and Thin- Diluc x (female) Reader

Chapter 12: The Windblume

I stepped away from the lab and towards the front door. Pushing it open, I walked back outside with the intent to go buy a flower. Looking over to my left, I saw Albedo and Kaeya walking in the general direction of the Cathedral. I wonder if they're headed to the Barbatos statue.
I began to walk towards the flower cart I had spotted earlier. I still had at least 30 minutes before I met with Diluc, so I wanted to be quick.
Reaching the cart, I looked over all of the flower carefully. Cecilias, lamp grass, roses, wind wheel asters... which could I choose?
"Having trouble?" Said the young girl running the stand.
I nodded. "I just can't decide..."
She put a finger to her chin. "Hmm... how about this snapdragon?"
I raised a brow as I gently picked it up, twirling it in my fingers. "Oh... this is perfect!" I said, feeling my heart race.
The red and orange hues reminded me of him, his hair specifically. The petals seemed both delicate and beautiful, although the name of the flower itself would suggest it was anything but. I stared at it in slight wonder for a moment before deciding.
"I'll take it, here," I dropped some mora in her hand. I gave her a slight wave before setting off, running back to headquarters.
I want to make sure my hair isn't too bad or anything before we walk around the festival, I thought to myself. I just didn't want to look like a fool in front of him.
I rushed through the doors and upstairs. Setting the flower on my nightstand, I fixed my hair, adjusting the style carefully. Grabbing my favorite necklace, I put it on and centered it. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I can do it... I can do it...
I sat down, trying to relax for a few minutes. I ran the situation in my head over again and again. Just walk and give him the flower when it feels most natural. It's simple, right?
No, what if a good moment doesn't present itself? Or what if I pick the wrong moment? Or the wrong flower? Or the wrong person, even?
The more I thought about it, the more I panicked. It was ridiculous, I was panicking over the dumbest things. Even if he said no, I would be fine, but logic wasn't on my mind necessarily.
"Ohhh.... what do I do?" I said, about ready to pull my hair out. "I'm not ready for this!"
I clenched my fists, taking a deep breath. "Just calm down... it'll be fine," I whispered to myself, "I'll just beat myself up more if I don't..."
Trying to gather the little confidence I had, I stood up. Peeking out the window, it was almost sunset. I gazed down towards the fountain where we were going to meet. He wasn't there yet, so I wasn't going to be late at least.
"Okay..." I took a deep breath again. I swallowed my anxiety and stepped out the door.

I stood by the fountain, waiting for him to arrive. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing, or wrong. Realizing I was probably just anxious, I calmed down and gazed around the courtyard, enjoying the scenery.
Dandelions floated through the air, and young couples strolled about on the streets. Seeing so many pairs out and about made me feel warm as I thought about who I was meeting.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," I heard a familiar voice. Turning my head, I saw Diluc stepping towards me, smiling slightly. Something about the way he walked seemed different, like he had more confidence in it. "I didn't mean to be late."
"It's okay," I said, my heart racing. "Where did you want to go first?" I looked around, trying to think of what to do.
"Hm... why don't we walk around some and see what there is?" Diluc said. He began to walk in the direction of the dock, gesturing for me to follow. "There's a stand over there with an activity I'd like to try, if you don't mind."
I jogged to catch up with him, my heart pounding as I tried to push back my nervousness. "Sure!" I smiled, just happy to be there.
As we walked, the aroma of flowers filled the air, the bustle of people enjoying the festival. The sound of voices began to fade as we reached the dock, although there seemed to be a few people around the area.
My eyes rested on the stand that Diluc had mentioned. I raised an ear as we approached, curious about what activities there were. "Ah, here we are," he said as we approached.
"Welcome!" Said the lady running the stand. "Would you like to try our music challenge? We put it together this year."
"A music challenge?" I said, intrigued as I glanced to Diluc. He watched me attentively, offering a small smile. I turned back to the attendant. "How does it work?"
She reached into a box in the stand and pulled out a lyre. She ran her fingers across the strings and a brilliant chime rang out. "These lyres are fairly easy to learn, and you get prizes for playing them."
The lady held the lyre out to me, and I carefully took it. I looked over to Diluc as he watched me closely, smiling slightly. I felt nervous about him watching, but decided it wouldn't hurt to try.
I plucked a string, a note ringing out gently. "You know, I used to play the lyre as a kid," I looked over to Diluc. "I wonder if I can remember this..."
"You did?" Diluc asked, raising a brow. "I didn't know that."
"Yeah, it's been so long I think I forgot how," I laughed. "Well, let's give it a try..."

"I guess I did remember it," I said cheerfully as we walked back through the gates.
"I had no idea you could play the lyre," Diluc began. He walked with his hands behind his back, standing up straight and walking with vigor. "I'm glad you gave it a try."
"Thanks for taking me over there," I said, thinking about it again. "I probably wouldn't have even known about that stand if you hadn't shown me."
He shrugged. "Well, I'm just trying to make sure you have a good time before the festival is over. It only lasts a few days, you know."
I nodded, walking up the stairs. We were near the headquarters, although Diluc seemed to be leading. Not really knowing where anything was in the festival, I decided to follow him.
"Might as well make the most of it," I said as we turned right after reaching the top of the stairs. "I think I like the festival."
We began walking up more stairs, towards where the Barbatos statue was. Why were we headed there?
"I used to dislike it," Diluc began. "All the crowds, always drinking too," he looked back at me and smiled. "But tonight... I don't think I mind it too much."
He turned back around as we neared the top of the stairs. He doesn't mind it tonight? Why could that be? I flushed slightly as I remembered that I was going to ask him. The perfect moment had to be coming up soon, I could feel it.
The orange glow of the lights faded slightly as we stepped away from the festivities. The giant Barbatos statue loomed overhead, his outstretched arms reaching out in a gentle manner.
Looking around, I wondered why we were over here as I saw a lack of stands and people. "Sometimes, I come over here at night when the tavern gets too rowdy," Diluc said, stopping at the feet of the statue.
The cool breeze swept my hair out of my face, gently brushing me. "It's quiet," he said, taking a deep breath. He pointed up, and my head turned to follow his finger.
There, I could see thousands of stars lighting up the night sky. I couldn't have seen them if I had stayed by all the lights. I wouldn't have ever seen them unless I had come here this time of night, either.
My eyes lit up in wonder as I surveyed the night sky. "So many stars," I said simply as I forgot where I was for a moment, just taking in the beauty of the stars. "I have something I wanted to give to you, Diluc..." I said. This was the perfect moment.
"Oh?" He said, turning to me. His gentle expression made me feel weightless, and my heart beat into my throat as I felt nervous again.
"I... well, I hope you like it, I spent a lot of time choosing- huh?" I felt all over my torso and my heart sank. "No no no, I thought I had it!" I left my flower in my room! So that's what I felt like I was forgetting...
"Y/n?" Diluc said, tilted his head concerned. "Is everything alright?"
No! Now was the perfect time, and I had forgotten the flower. "I- I can't believe it... I forgot it..." I said quietly. "I wanted to give you a windblume. I spent a lot of time picking it out, and now would have been the perfect time to give it to you," I said in disappointment. I felt ruined. "Oh, I'm sorry... I messed it all up." I kept my head down, afraid to look him in the eyes.
I felt his hand on my shoulder. "Y/n, it's alrigjt," I looked up at him with my face red, embarrassed. How would I recover from this? Then, he said something I never would have thought he'd say.

"Why don't you take mine instead?"