Genshin Impact One shots

Melted - Diluc part 2

Not long after your group had sat down and chatted for a bit, a staff member of the Winery came by and asked if the group was ready for dinner. Everyone (especially Paimon) agreed that they were ready for a meal. Diluc returned from downstairs just as the staff was coming out with bowl after bowl of hot udon soup.

"I figured some udon would be a good choice after a long trip," Diluc told Jean as the bowls were placed on the table, "After this, we've got some steaks with some steamed vegetables."

You felt like this was a safe chance to try and get Diluc to talk some more.

"Did you grow the vegetables here, Diluc?" You asked.

He looked away from you and down at his bowl of soup. "No. They're from a farmer not too far from here. As much as I would love to grow my own crops, this is a winery, not a farm for vegetables." Then he chuckled as he picked up his spoon for his udon soup. His laugh seemed hollow and fake, almost like he was just forcing himself to get through these casual conversations. It was hard to tell if he thought you were stupid or if he was just annoyed.

You felt incredibly silly for asking such a simple question. In an attempt to recover, you tried not to get red in the face and focused on eating your udon.

"Wow this is some really good soup!" Amber told him.

Diluc nodded his thanks.

"Only the best can be served at the Dawn Winery, even when it's not wine~" Kaeya commented with an obnoxious slurp of his soup.

"One could say that."

You weren't sure if Diluc was being icy again or if that was his way of accepting Kaeya's compliment on the Winery's standards.

The rest of dinner went well - even if you weren't given many opportunities to ask Diluc more about himself or the Winery. Everyone stayed up and chatted about the task for tomorrow for a few hours, and Diluc stayed too, much to your suprise. When he talked to Jean about the quest and offered advice on which route to take, he seemed to open up just a little.

Night seemed to come quickly after that. Jean wanted everyone well rested for the second leg of the journey in the morning. You were all shown to your rooms and just like that, the manor fell silent.

Your room was very nice - much nicer than you'd anticipated. There was a window that looked out towards the mountain and you stared out at it for a moment, only to feel the uncertain pit in your stomach grow a little. The mountain looked like it was swathed in its own weathersystem of a storm. The sight of it made you shiver, so you promptly closed the curtains on the windows and slipped into bed.

Even though the bed was comfortable and the sheets were soft, you found yourself tossing and turning. You desperately needed sleep, but it was not coming easy. Not when the pit in your stomach was casting doubtful thoughts into your mind every time you were about to drift off to sleep.

"I need a walk," you decided aloud. You carefully got out of bed and crept down the hallway and back into the manor's front room. A fire was still lit so you sat next to it for a while. Its warmth made you feel a little more at ease. Just when you were thinking about heading back upstairs, you heard the wood floor creek behind you.

You whirled your head around to see Diluc standing near the bottom of the stairs. "Sorry, I-... didn't realize someone was down here."

"It's alright, I shouldn't have wandered." You stood up and straighted your pajamas out. "I was just about to head back upstairs anyways."

Diluc strode over to the wine cabinets and started taking an inventory of what was left after that night's dinner. You passed by him and as you placed one foot on the first step, he broke the awkward silence.