#longfics are admittedly not my strong suit BUT anything for the bffie ✊

[genshin-scenarios]

Teammates, In Two Senses (Diluc x Reader)

Summary: You and Diluc are online friends that often game together, but one day you find out he goes to the same university as you. Just a chill college AU!

Reader is an art major, and has a playful type of personality!

The fic features friendship group cameos: Yanfei (your flatmate), Albedo (a close friend), Kaeya (wingman #1), and Venti (wingman #2)

This was written for a close friend, who's very big brained 😌

Wordcount: 5-6k

It’s early in the evening when you’re trying to work on your assignment. As an art major, you generally find it easier to make progress in your room or the dedicated studios since you need the equipment, but the same can’t be said for a written report.

The perfectionist inside of you crumbles at the blankness in your head. With an annoyed sigh, you push your keyboard away to instead rest your head on your desk; how is it that out of four chances, you’re the one that got stuck with the most boring part of the project writeup?

…Well, it’s not particularly hard, but you’re really not in the mood to do work right now - and even if you push yourself to finish, the report won’t be that good since you’re unable to focus. 

Music isn’t working, moving back into your room isn’t working… You need to blow off some steam instead, which is why you sent a quick message to your online friend to ask if he was free right now. Gaming uses a different part of the brain after all, so hopefully you’ll be back in a productive mood afterwards.

While you’re manifesting to have someone join before your brain melts from boredom, Yanfei pops her head in from the door you left open. Her brow narrows as she notices your defeated posture hunched over the desk.

She tries to cross her arms like a stern parent. “Get back to work. Didn’t you want to finish so you can relax on the weekend?”

“I do, but–” At the sound of a discord notif, your eyes light up as you switch tabs with a silent victory. “Oh, would you look at that? Someone needs my help, so I guess I’ll just finish the report later!”

“Is it that Darknight guy again?” Yanfei sighs. “Honestly, if he’s a student too, I can’t tell if I’m impressed or annoyed that you guys have time to game so often.”

“Maybe I’m just talented?” You reply cheekily, glad that there’s nothing in Yanfei’s hands that she could throw at you. She shakes her head and leaves, giving a reminder over her shoulder about what time you’re heading out; your friends are cooking at their flat, so they invited you both over for dinner. You and Yanfei planned to buy the drinks, so you’d have to leave a little early, but…

You look at the time on the corner of your laptop. Two hours should be enough.

Because of time constraints, all you’re able to do is complete a dungeon crawl and some world-bosses, but that combined with some conversation is enough for you to start feeling refreshed again. The tension is gone from your mind, and you think you should be able to get the work done tonight, so long as the dinner party doesn’t go on for too long.

Now that you think about it… Yanfei’s comment did make you curious about what Luc’s situation is like in real life. You’re not one to prod too much, but just asking if he’s working or studying shouldn’t be too big of an issue, right? You’re still using aliases after all, and everything else you know about each other isn’t enough to track down a person’s private account online.

Traveler: Hey Luc, do you work or study?

DarknightH: Is this another one of your bad jokes?

Traveler: My jokes are NOT bad 😒

Traveler: I was just wondering, since you’re able to game during the weekdays quite often and all.

He takes a while to type, and you wonder if you’ve scared him off, until:

DarknightH: I kind of have both, if you consider part time jobs.

Traveler: Hmm... You’re not a college student, right? You’d be way too busy - unless you’re a hermit?

DarknightH: Is it so hard to imagine? Maybe I finish my assignments during the day, and use the night to rest.

Traveler: Friendless…

DarknightH: Efficient.

Traveler: You’re still kind of suspicious, so i won’t believe your story for now

Traveler: Thanks for entertaining my question though, and I guess if I had to answer in return, I am a type of student. So if you ever need your senpai’s help, just let me know 👍 I can be kind once in a while.

DarknightH: There’s no way you’re older than me.

Traveler: Hehe, I guess we’ll never know? It’s already six though, so I’ll log off first, Mr Darknight Hero 💖

-

"...What?" Diluc sighs, looking at Kaeya from across the counter. "Do I have something on my face?"

Kaeya shrugs. His head is propped up lazily in the palm of his hand as he waits for his brother to get ready. "I'm just trying to figure out if you look like a gamer or not. Everytime I joke about your all-nighters, people think I'm crazy."

Diluc raises a brow. "I don't think there's a look you can identify."

"Of course there is! Wouldn't you wear a jacket or sweater to play for long hours?"

"Maybe you should stick to law-related debates." Diluc throws his coat on, giving Kaeya a wry smile. "Let's go. We don't want to be late - or do you want to be scolded by Amber again?"

"I do wish she'd stop with that favoritism," Kaeya sighs with the hints of a pout. "Why doesn't she ever think you're the problem?"

"Because I don't go around scheming when I'm bored."

There's a glint entering Kaeya's eyes, making Diluc raise his guard out of habit. "Nope, instead you co-op with that online friend of yours. Maybe you should call them and see if they actually live close by. They're in the same time-zone, aren't they?"

"No thanks," he rejects, "I'm not about to dox myself by doing something like that."

They get into the lift, and that's when Diluc's phone buzzes with a notification from you. You're just asking if he's used the redemption code already before it expires, and when Diluc presses the corner of his screen to search for it within your chat, his finger accidentally hits the call button.

Before he can even swear in reflex, Diluc freezes at the sight of your icon joining the call. There's a beat of silence, then another, before he gathers his wits and brings his phone to his ear.

"I–"

"Did you–"

Blank, again. Diluc isn't sure if he's more flustered about making such a dumb mistake, or if he's just stunned into silence from hearing your voice. "I pressed it by accident - sorry for bothering you. Bye."

He ends the call in the flash of a second, and Diluc clenches his fists in an impressive feat of self-control. Did Kaeya press the button? No, but he did mention calling you, which jinxed Diluc's next actions as he unconsciously did just that. Therefore his anger is justifiably directed, he thinks. He'll be sure to swap Kaeya's drink for grape juice later into the night.

Diluc closes his eyes, but he can still hear Kaeya coughing into his fist, trying to stop his shoulders from shaking. "Stop laughing."

"Pfft– you hung up so quickly! Did you even hear their voice?"

"I did," he rolls his eyes, feeling something akin to curiosity bubble in his head. You sounded a little different than he imagined, but now that he's calmed down, he thinks it fits you a lot.

-

The day after Luc’s voice call, Yanfei takes up the role of a detective (loosely speaking) while the both of you head to a cafe nearby campus. You try to ignore her gaze burning into the side of your head as you speak to the cashier.

“Thank you, your order will be served shortly!”

As you started to step away, Yanfei wastes no time at all to continue her inquiries. “Don’t you two ever call while gaming?”

“No,” You sigh, “Because we don’t need to. There’s a chat function for a reason.”

“Then… Since he’s already done that by accident, you can just—”

“Yes, that’s all. Thanks.” A voice from the cashier catches your attention, making you look over in surprise. It’s a student with a notable shade of scarlet hair and handsome features - probably in a different major, since you’ve never seen him before.

His voice sounds a little familiar. 

…There’s no way, right? You’re probably just imagining things because of Yanfei’s questions!

Feeling your gaze on him, the stranger looks up. You’re surprised by the warmth of his eyes; there’s something quietly intelligent about them that draws your attention, but when he tilts his head slightly in question you finally realize that you’ve been staring.

“Well! Is our coffee done?” You whip your head away to face Yanfei, suddenly too embarrassed to stick around any longer. “The weather is really nice, so why don’t we take a walk?”

“Hm…?” She looks behind you, quick to catch on. Yanfei starts to smile. “Are you sure? You don’t want to stay behind and see if that guy drops his name while picking up his order?”

Maybe at other times, but he just caught me staring! At this rate, your ears are going to be on fire along with your face. “Today’s not the time for that - I’m here to spend time with my bestie!” You blink at her innocently. “You have a class later anyways, so I need to escort you there.”

“Sure, sure…” As you drag her out of the cafe, Yanfei shuts an eye in thought. “He looks pretty familiar though. I think I’ve seen him around Kaeya?”

Kaeya: a law major that Yanfei is acquainted with. You’re aware that Albedo is friends with him, but haven’t really heard much about a redhead. “Really?” You muse. “I wonder what year he’s in.”

“So you are interested!”

“You’re the one that brought him up!” You cross your arms. “Besides, it’s like a photographer with a perfect sunset. It’s part of my craft to have an eye for pretty people.”

“I can’t tell if you’re shameless or in denial.” Yanfei hums, patting your shoulder. “In that case, it’s part of my work to have great intuition… and it’s saying that you liked him enough to compare him to a sunset.”

“Wow would you look at the time? You’re going to be late!” You duck out of her reach and wave goodbye. “Remember to work hard! Don’t fall asleep.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be reciting my textbook to you at dinner.” She rolls her eyes lightheartedly.

Yanfei asks you to stay safe and departs, leaving you with an afternoon of nothing to do. Maybe you’ll browse some stores for fun, or buy something from a bakery for breakfast tomorrow..? Your gaze trails down to your phone as you discard your empty coffee cup. Out of reflex when it comes to boredom, you tap on a familiar icon.

Traveler: Hm… How lucky would it be if you turned out to be a cute guy?

For a moment, you thought Luc was offline until your phone proceeded to buzz in quick succession.

DarknightH: .

DarknightH: What.

DarknightH: Are you drunk??

DarknightH: Why are you suddenly asking that?

(Unbeknownst to you, Diluc almost choked on his coffee when he saw the message, wondering if you sent this to the wrong person. 

You’ve always been the type to joke around, but after that accidental call he’s been growing more and more wary about you. Is this insecurity? Paranoia? He’s not sure, but he is aware that you’ve been acting flighty after that incident, so Diluc is staying on his guard.)

Traveler: I was at a cafe earlier and heard someone whose voice was a bit like yours.

Traveler: Haha… there’s no way you live in my area, right?

DarknightH: If it’s bothering you that much, we can just test it.

Traveler: Huh?

DarknightH: You’re not normally this indecisive, and it was partially my fault for surprising you that day.

DarknightH: So if you want to, I don’t mind clearing your doubts.

Holding your breath, you quickly weigh the pros and cons. A little test wouldn’t hurt, right?

Traveler: Okay, call me. We can give directions from there.

This way, it’ll be harder to leave behind written traces of your personal info. Of course, either of you could still note it down if you’re determined enough, but this straightforwardness settles your nerves a bit.

Your screen flashes to show an incoming call. You click, bracing yourself to hear his voice again. “Hello?”

“Hi,” Luc sounds a little breathless, but you force yourself to tune out the meaningless details. “I guess we should start with your location - what was the cafe’s name?”

“Umm…” Why is it suddenly hard to speak? “I was at a place called Good Hunter.”

A beat of silence. “The one near Teyvat University?”

No way. “–Are you a student?”

“...Yeah. If you’re the same, you should know where the closest park is, right? Meet me there in five minutes, it shouldn’t be a long walk.”

“Hey– wait a minute!” Even as you protest, your legs are carrying you towards your destination as your heart speeds up. “How do I know you’re not lying?”

“You don’t, but it’s the same for me.”

“You could just be some office guy that works nearby.” You start to fill the silence with whatever comes to mind. “Or maybe you just look super young for your age, and it turns out you’re a higher-up that can get me an internship at my dream job?”

A scoff. “You read too much manhwa.”

“If you’ve never read any, how’d you recognise that plot?” You counter, before cutting off as you realize you’ve arrived. “How should we find each other anyways? The park is pretty big.”

“We can meet at the Lionfang statue. What color is your phone?”

“It has a heart charm on it, with a red and white pattern.” You mutter, looking around. “What are you wearing?”

This time, his voice doesn’t just come from your phone. “A dark coat, but you’re more likely to notice my hair first.” You turn in surprise to see who’s behind you, mind blanking at how the pieces have fallen into place. “...That’s what my flatmate says, anyways. You’re Traveler, right?”

He’s taller up close. And, and… “I– Yes. But that’s just a nickname online, you can call me Y/N instead.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” He nods his head in greeting, and your gaze can’t help but follow the way his ponytail sways behind him. “I’m Diluc, a third year P.P.E. student. But if you still think that I’m running a scam, I guess there’s nothing more I can do to convince you otherwise.”

Well, at least his attitude is still the same. 

So this is Diluc… Your shoulders relax a bit at the familiar flow of conversation.

“We went so far as to meet like this, and you’re giving up now?” You shake your head, though it’s more in disbelief that something like this happened instead of thinking he’s a liar. Since your student card is at the back of your phone case, you cover your ID image and show it to him. “I’m a fine arts student - second year. Though even if we were in different departments, isn’t it kind of weird that I’ve never seen you before?”

“I was doing an exchange abroad last year, so that might be why.” Not to mention, you wouldn’t have time to pay attention to strangers in passing. He tilts his head curiously. “Did you have anything to do today? I won’t keep you any longer if you’re late for something.”

“Not really,” you admit, but the conversation is quickly sizzling out. Figures, putting you both on the spot in such odd circumstances. You smile anyways though, genuinely happy that something good happened today. “But even though this is all ridiculous, I’m glad you didn’t turn out to be a creepy person leading me on.”

“The same could be said for you.” Diluc returns lightheartedly, crossing his arms. “Though your willingness to get to the bottom of this worries me. Do you always follow random clues in the dark?”

“Are you worrying for my safety, Mister Darknight Hero?” You try not to laugh at the way his expression immediately drops from the name. “Jokes aside, I only did all that because we’ve been talking for a year. I wouldn’t do it with anyone I find suspicious, and we’re in a public place during the afternoon.” You turn around, tucking your hair behind your ear as you look back at Diluc. “It was nice meeting you though! Maybe we can meet up again at an internet cafe or something, after our brains process this.”

Diluc’s lips quirk in a small smile, which you instinctively mirror back. He looks more handsome with that expression. “Alright, but don’t forget that we’re entering a tournament this weekend. I won’t tolerate tardiness, even if you’re my junior.”

After you get home and shower, you sit on your bed in a bit of a daze, trying to figure out if today was a fever dream or if your internet friend really turned out to be a student on your campus.

Not to mention, a really cute one. You hide your face in your hands, remembering Yanfei’s teasing. You’re not sure if you’re super lucky or cursed for things to turn out like this! 

You remind yourself that this is still the same person you knew from a year ago - there’s no reason for your interactions to change, especially online.

Traveler: You’ll never believe what happened today.

Traveler: I just met someone pretty cool, and his hair was a pretty shade of red… I wonder how he gets it to look so soft?

DarknightH: I don’t really do anything to it, if that’s what you’re asking. Just invest in good products and don’t skimp on things for yourself.

Traveler: That’s the opposite of what a college student would say. Are you actually the heir of a corporation or something?

DarknightH: Go to sleep, Y/N.

Traveler: I heard that guilty people tend to avoid questions... Which means-? 🙀

DarknightH: You need me to block you until tomorrow?

Traveler: Okay okay, I’ll stop. Goodnight ✨

…But of course, saying goodnight is usually a lie when it comes to texting. You turn to your laptop and open your most recent assignment tabs, getting to work in the dead of the night.

Your body feels a little lighter now - it seems that solving the mystery really did release some of your tension. With no more distractions left, you’re glad that a feeling of normalcy is starting to return.

-

You met Albedo at the start of this year in the arts department during the evening. As it turns out, he likes to use the facilities to paint whenever he has the time, and you were quickly drawn into interesting conversation when you found out he was a science student. One meeting led to another, and now you’ve become pretty close after a month or two.

What you didn’t expect however, is being introduced to another one of his friend groups - by which at your first meeting, you miraculously survived an awkward encounter with one Diluc Ragnvindr.

Being too surprised to think straight, the both of you pretended to not know each other when the others waited for you to exchange pleasantries. It was kind of cute, seeing Diluc hesitate for a moment before extending a hand to you to shake.

“I’m Diluc, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Ah, yes– same here!”

However, the others are nothing if not perceptive about the bit of awkwardness between the both of you as you tried not to glance at Diluc throughout the night. You want to ask him something to keep your stories straight, not to mention that Diluc being dragged around by his friends’ whims is funny to watch.

You finally do talk to him alone when the others are arguing over where to go next. Kaeya keeps an eye on you and Diluc while he supports Venti’s suggestion of going to another bar. There's a sort of familiarity between the both of you despite some uneasiness, but what Kaeya does know for certain is that Diluc is talking a lot more than usual; so if nothing else, he’ll be supportive of his reserved brother’s social interactions - just maybe in a mildly annoying way, because he can.

“It’s rare to see Diluc so relaxed around a stranger. Are you actually a magician of some sort?”

“You make it sound like he’s a cat that’s hard to tame.” You laughed. “The secret is… to not get on his nerves?”

…As if you’ve never done that, trolling in co-op when Diluc was especially done with your teammates. Not to flatter yourself, but you’re pretty sure he found it funny after a while, as long as you weren’t messing with him specifically.

Out of the many other times you met, game night today was probably the riskiest of outings. When you all went to an arcade, it’s safe to say that the competitiveness between you and Diluc felt like an inside joke - something that Venti and Kaeya were quick to start scheming from, down to the moment they convinced everyone to excuse themselves so that the both of you would be left alone for the remainder of the day.

Venti is the last one to be with you guys, before he gets an ‘urgent’ phone call from Kaeya, who needed his help with something (honestly, they aren’t really trying to hide their intentions beyond making it seem like a convenient accident). Even Albedo played along, though you’re aware that his excuse is a real one because he spent the entirety of last night at the lab for a project.

With a quick “have fun with Diluc!”, Venti abandons you both nearby the bar you were initially going to. Truth be told, neither you nor Diluc liked to drink that much, so as soon as Venti disappeared from sight, Diluc crosses his arms with a sigh.

“They…”

“Abandoned us.” You finish, looking around the streets for something interesting. “Hmm, is there anything else to do around here? There’s still some time left before the evening, so we could go somewhere else before returning to our flats?"

“There’s an internet cafe five minutes away,” Diluc suggests, checking its location on his phone. “We could do some work there.”

“You want to go to that cafe to work?” You stare at him incredulously, to which Diluc rolls his eyes. “Let’s see what else they have on their computers, maybe we can find a new game that’s pay-to-play and try it out!”

“Knowing you, we’ll be there until midnight.”

“Knowing you, you don’t sleep that early anyways.” You quip, smiling at the way he follows along with you. Despite his words, if he was truly opposed, he would’ve just gone home already. “Let’s do it - whoever does worse will have to run through ToF with zero equipment.”

“Fine, but if you lose, don’t come crying to me about how ridiculous that challenge is.” Diluc opens the door of the cafe for you, reserving two stations under his name. He looks at you with the smallest of smirks, crossing his arms. “I’ll order some food and watch you struggle.”

You hit his shoulder in indignation. “That’s horrible?! What kind of things are you saying to a weak, defenseless junior?”

He scoffs. “Weak, defenseless? You’d sooner throw a textbook at someone’s head.”

“And now you’re calling me aggressive.” You huff, trying to hide a smile. You’re starting to feel a little competitive now. “Alright. When I win, you have to buy me dessert.”

As it turns out, because the game you ended up picking was storyline focused and singleplayer, the both of you spent the entire evening just playing through it, forgetting about your bet. You’d glance at each other’s screens when something interesting happened on your own, wanting to see how the other person reacted - all things considered, it was really fun and relaxing.

You’re on your third drink and finishing some snacks when your phone screen suddenly flashes with Albedo’s contact. Diluc raises a brow (you’re both taking a break to stretch and lounge), and when you pick up, you immediately pull your phone away at the flurry of questions thrown at you.

Albedo is evidently the calmest person, but since he put you on speaker, Venti and Kaeya’s voices overpowered him.

“Are you alright? You haven’t been replying to any of the group messages.”

“Neither has Diluc! Are you both having too much fun and ignoring us?”

“If he took you somewhere you can’t talk about, just give us the signal and we’ll break in.”

Your expression turns deadpan at Kaeya’s somber tone. “I was just busy, no I wasn’t kidnapped, and no we weren’t ignoring you on purpose.”

“It’s okay,” Venti says to you tearfully. “You can tell us if Diluc is torturing you with something unbelievably boring.”

He’s clearly joking, seeing as Diluc told you Venti games as well, but Diluc gestures for you to pass him your phone. You do, curious about the poker face the redhead is wearing.

“We’re doing assignments since you both wasted so much of our time. If it’s nothing important, stop shouting into Albedo’s phone.”

“You–”

With a click, Diluc hangs up on them and gives you back your phone. You have to cover your mouth to hide your smirk, but spot a little smile on Diluc’s face as well when he scrolls through his texts.

“That was pretty cheeky of you.” You feign nonchalance.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Diluc types out a reply, telling the others to calm down in the group chat. “But it might be best to just reply to everyone before we head back. It is getting quite late.”

You hum in agreement, only to freeze at the sight of… Many, many unread DMs.

Venti: Don’t worry, while we might be joking around a lot, you can trust Diluc. Just have fun and buy me a drink next time~ I did drop you both off at a very convenient place after all!

Venti: Wait, you’re not actually studying, right? Did you waste an entire evening??!

Albedo: Sorry for the mess, just ignore those two. As long as you’re not out drinking, it’s not like going out will affect your attendance for tomorrow’s classes.

Kaeya: Did Diluc kidnap you? I assure you that while he can be bad at making friends, he’s not normally the type to do anything illegal.

Kaeya: Ahem, what I mean to say is, even if he does something embarrassing, try not to hold it over him too much.

…They’re quite the loud bunch, aren’t they? But above your exasperation, you’re a little charmed by how much they’re worrying about the both of you. Seems like they care about Diluc a lot, to check up on something like this despite ditching you together.

-

Diluc sends Kaeya a wary look, drying his hair as he steps into the living room. “You have that look on your face again.”

“It’s just, don’t you think that you and Y/N got close pretty quickly?” Kaeya leans forward in his seat at the dining table, using it as a makeshift study desk. “Quite unheard of for the Diluc Ragnvindr.” Could it be that you’re in love~?

While Kaeya didn’t utter the last sentence, the words might as well be painted on his forehead. Diluc wasn’t keen about explaining the long story of how the both of you met (at least not right now, after a long day), so he simply threw his towel at Kaeya, who dodges and catches it with his right hand just as Diluc turned to return to his room.

“Denial is the first step to acceptance!” Kaeya unhelpfully teases. “But for what it’s worth, you do seem more relaxed around them. It’d be nice if you can at least be good friends.”

Is he my brother or my mom? Diluc sighs, grabbing a new towel to hang on his neck as he starts up his laptop. He didn’t expect the internet cafe to turn into something he felt invested in, but it’s true that single-player games are best shared when you’re in-person together. He can’t imagine it feeling the same if one of you simply streamed or voice-called while playing it, since you’d be too focused on the game itself to really spend time together.

Would it be worth inviting you back? Probably not so soon, since studies will keep the both of you busy, but Diluc will admit that he’s tempted to repeat this evening again.

-

On a pleasant winter’s day, Diluc is at a cafe when he gets reminded of you. It’s been a season since you’ve met in-person, and by now it’s hard to imagine their friend-group without you in it. 

This time, his remembrance is because he saw someone sketching as they sat by the window seat, and also because he saw your instagram story earlier about a work-in-progress. From the looks of it, you were in the arts department painting for an assignment - instead of distracting you too much, Diluc sends you a text to ask if you want a drink or food, since he’s at Good Hunter right now.

His phone pings with your reply, and Diluc barely conceals a smile. All you asked for is a hot chocolate to stave off the cold, but he’s aware that you tend to complain about craving for sweets when you’re stressed out.

While he can’t read your mind to see if you’re actually that stressed, he thinks the macarons today look pretty good, so Diluc buys a box of them to-go as he finishes his order. The walk to the arts department is under ten minutes, so Diluc uses the trip to sort out his thoughts.

The first time he visited this part of campus, it was because they were here to view Albedo’s showcase. Now, he’s coming over just to visit you since he’s completed his last projects for the term.

You were more than incredulous and in disbelief when he told you as such, but Diluc has always been the diligent type, even if his destressing activity is something as whimsical as gaming. When they were younger, Kaeya was actually the one to introduce him to this hobby, even if his brother dropped it for a while because of other interests.

A larger get-together will happen in a few days, where everyone wanted to take advantage of the snowy weather that’s settling in the area. Ice-skating happened last week, but this time even your extended friend-groups are joining on a trip to a ski resort.

Since it’s fairly convenient to get to the resort by driving a few hours, the plan was to rent two vans and go. Diluc wanted to ask you about the trip when he arrived at the studio, but the moment he entered and saw your work, any thoughts about that washed away from his mind.

…Are all the people that paint here this good? Your style is different from Albedo’s, but the way you drew portraits have always been eye-catching. And now that you’re painting on a canvas much larger than your usual sketchbook, the eyes and hair of the character have become so much more vibrant and alive.

Diluc has always admired the way you get absorbed into your workflow. There’s a charm to the way you forget about the colors staining your elbows and hands after a painting session, or the proud look in your eyes after you finish a piece.

You look over, giving him a smile and wave after you finish some last touches for this layer. “You were faster than I thought. Should I turn up the heaters for you?”

“No need, I’ll be out of your way in a moment.” Diluc clears his throat, placing the bag and drink onto the table near the door. “Good luck on your work - it looks impressive so far. If you need anything else, just text me again since I’ll be around the area.”

With that, Diluc unceremoniously exits the room with a goodbye, leaving you understandably confused.

Was he… embarrassed? You blink, trying to process his behavior. He seemed normal when you texted him earlier though. Maybe something happened while he was on the way here?

As if on cue, your phone lights up with a message from him.

Diluc: Hopefully the macarons are to your taste. They were newly stocked, so I thought something sweet might help as you finish up your work. 

With a fond smile, you washed your hands by the sink in the studio before opening the box Diluc left. Just like he said, they were macarons from Good Hunter with various flavors.

Maybe you’ll reward yourself with one every hour? While you don’t want Diluc’s gift to go to waste (he refused to let you pay him back), macarons are expensive, so you want to savor them.

They’re a little like him, aren’t they…? Someone with a hard shell, but can be sweet once you break through it. 

Y/N: They’re great, but I can’t just let you treat me like this without doing something in return. I have some pride too, you know?

Diluc: Just make sure you come along for the ski trip then. I don’t think I can handle being around Kaeya and Venti for an entire weekend.

Y/N: Alright! Since you asked so nicely, it’s a deal~

You look forward to what other sides of Diluc you’ll see - hopefully you won’t get addicted to his presence too much, even if you’ve already become quite close. It might be clear to everyone under the sky that you like each other, but doing things casually can be pretty fun too.