Walking up to the couch from behind, he peers over to see a little girl lying there.
His eyes widen. "It's a kid."
-----
Both of them instantly relax and Y/N walks over to see Bluma asleep and shivering. As Diluc hurries to shut the window, Y/N shakes her awake. Her skin is cold to the touch.
"Barbatos, she's freezing!" Y/N remarks and Diluc quickly lights the fireplace.
The little girl groggily rubs her eyes. "Oh, Captain Y/N." She sleepily says. "Sorry for falling asleep here."
"What are you doing here, Bluma?" Y/N asks her, brows knitted in worry. Dagna is probably worried sick! "Where's your mom?"
She shrugs. "I ran away."
"From home?" Diluc asks, taking a seat next to the two on the couch.
Bluma nods. "She wouldn't let me see daddy."
Y/N and Diluc exchange concerned glances. "Do you know where your dad is?"
She nods. "Mommy said he's in Liyue. I don't know why we can't go see him." Her voice breaks as tears begin to fill her blue eyes. "I miss him!" She wails.
Y/N hugs the girl comfortingly as sobs rack through her small body.
"I was working on your case with your house, remember?" Y/N asks. Bluma doesn't respond, too preoccupied with crying. "Well, I saw your dad in Liyue. You should be able to see him in a few more weeks." She explains, trying to recall exactly how long Igor is to be held by the Millelith.
"Why can't I see him now?" She sobs.
"Uhh..." Y/N mutters, trying to think of a response that wouldn't ruin poor Bluma's childhood.
"He was very busy when Y/N went to see him. He has a lot of work to do." Diluc swoops in. "He misses you and your mom a lot, though. He's trying to finish his work as quickly as possible to come back home."
"But mommy gets so angry when I talk about him." Bluma sniffles.
"She's probably just tired. It's not easy to take care of a kid, the house, and make money." Diluc explains calmly. "Your mom can't also be a magician and make your dad appear."
Bluma wipes her eyes, giggling a little at Diluc's magician comment.
Y/N and Diluc both nod and Bluma finally stops crying. "Sorry for coming in without permission. Mommy says I should always ask, but I didn't know who lives here."
Y/N's eyes widen. "It's alright, but you shouldn't just walk into strangers' houses. That's dangerous!" She scolds her.
Bluma nods. "Sorry." She mumbles sheepishly.
Y/N's eyes flicker over to the clock on the other side of the wall. It's nearly midnight. "Your mom is probably worried sick. Let's get you home, okay?"
Bluma nods and Y/N walks over to the closet, rummaging for something to keep Bluma warm. Y/N hands Bluma a cropped jacket that isn't cropped at all on the seven-year-old girl's petite frame.
-----
Y/N and Diluc follow Bluma to a house on the far side of the city whose lights are still on and the face of a worried woman in the window by the front door. As soon as Y/N and Dagna meet eyes, Dagna throws the front door open, running towards them.
"Bluma!" She calls out, fear and relief evident in her tone as she tightly squeezes her daughter. "What were you thinking?! Running off alone in this weather so late at night?!" She scolds her daughter, holding back tears.
"Sorry, mommy," Bluma responds, squeezing her mother back.
"I'm sorry, too," Dagna says. "I was being way too harsh. I should not have raised my voice."
"It's okay." Bluma quickly forgives her.
Y/N and Diluc watch the scene with complicated expressions. Y/N smiles despite an awkward mixture of complex emotions resonating in her stomach at the sight of such a heartfelt family moment. She can't help but stare as the realization that such loving households exist hits her. Of course, she knows most families aren't like hers, but seeing such a genuine interaction between Bluma and Dagna leaves her with a sense of forlornness.
Although Diluc's expression remains stoic, his eyes now hold a sense of softness. The ghosts of his father and brother from when he was younger linger in his mind as he watches Dagna and Bluma embrace each other. He lets out a quiet sigh, praying that families like this never fall apart like his did.
"Thank you so much!" Dagna thanks Y/N and Diluc profusely as Bluma slips off the jacket and returns it to Y/N.
Bluma waves goodbye to Y/N and Diluc before she and Dagna retreat into the warmth of their house.
Y/N takes a deep breath in and out before turning to Diluc. "Well, that was certainly a lovely moment." She mumbles.
Diluc nods, humming softly in agreement before the two turn around to walk back to Y/N's house. Both of them are too entangled in their own thoughts to say a word, Diluc reminiscing on the past, and Y/N caught up in hers. Episodes of loneliness aren't strangers to either of them, having been left behind by their family or leaving their family behind. As if sensing each other's sorrow, they subconsciously walk closer together, shoulders touching and hands brushing against each other as they walk. They could both feel the gloomy atmosphere hanging over their heads.
Eventually, they intertwine their fingers, squeezing each other's hands comfortingly and occasionally sneaking glances at the other only to meet eyes and smile.
How grateful they are to be alone together.
-----
Bluma and Dagna stand on the other side of the front door, frozen in place. Bluma hears her mother's shaky breath in her ears as she's held close in a hug. Bluma watches in confusion as her eyes drift from her mother's furious yet terrified expression to the man sitting at their dinner table. Bluma recognizes him to be one of his mother's friends. However, looking at the exchange between the two adults, she's not so sure about that anymore.
"I told you, I had nothing to do with wherever your daughter had gone." The man says, a small smirk gracing his lips.
"Get out, Percival!" Dagna hisses venomously. "I don't want to see you ever again unless it's an emergency!"
"I can't come to visit my favourite ladies?" He chuckles but his jokes ricochet off of Dagna who is definitely not in the mood.
She glares at him. "Simply visiting is not a good excuse."
Percival leans against the table, narrowing his eyes at the fuming woman. "I think you forget who this house belongs to. The two of you would be homeless without me."
"And I think you forget why our house was demolished in the first place!" Dagna spits. "You destroyed our home, attacked the Knights of Favonius, and were on a mission to kill my husband all while you pretended to be a gracious friend extending an olive branch for us! And now, you have the audacity to say we owe you for a roof over our head?" She shouts. "Unbelievable!"
Percival's eyes flicker over to the window behind Dagna and Bluma, gazing out into the snow-coated city. He watches the two figures retreat from the house, his gaze trained on the shorter figure.
Percival gets up from the table. "Well, I guess I'll be leaving then."
Dagna blinks, taken aback by his sudden departure after insisting to stay. She watches Percival slips on the Fatui uniform coat before walking past and leaving the house without another glance.
Bluma can feel the relief flood her mother and she relaxes against her.
"What happened, mommy?" Bluma asks.
Dagna shakes her head. "He's a very dangerous man, Bluma." She warns. "Don't talk to him or answer his questions, okay?"
Bluma's mind wanders back to this morning when she met that man near the front gates of the city. He had asked her if she knew where Captain Y/N was, but Bluma merely shrugged. Thankfully, she hadn't answered his question.
Dagna lets out a deep breath. "Let's get ready for bed, sweetie. I think we should go see your dad in Liyue soon."
-----
A/N:
For people asking about my update schedule, I don't really have one. Having a strict schedule kinda demotivates me, so I keep the updates loose. However, I try to update sometime between 4-7 days. Sorry, I know it's kinda inconvenient for some of you that don't have the wattpad app, but I don't want to risk getting disinterested in writing this.
-Bora 🌌