Chapter Text
The next day, Friskies woke up on the living room couch, pondering to themselves why they were there. They remembered they drank with Kaeya last night, but they weren't drunk, they remember being let in by their cousin, but they don't remember why they're not in their room. Friskies glanced down at the couch pillow and saw dried tear stains on it, and remembered they cried themselves to sleep. Not an unusual thing they've done, but why did they do it again...?
Then it hit them. They had a very close and... intimate moment with Diluc that same night. What started out as just kissing the bump in his head which then escalated to almost making out with him made them start contemplating themselves. They never did anything like that with anyone. And they and Diluc weren't even close so why... why did he....
They shook their head, forcing themselves not to think about it. He was probably just trying to be nice to them for it. Nothing more. There shouldn't be anything else there. They rubbed their eyes before sitting up straight and looking at the direction towards the kitchen. They may as well cook something for the two other tenants of the house. Slowly, they began to pick themselves up to do some cooking.
While preparing some breakfast, Friskies' ears picked up the sound of someone's footsteps. They turned over to see Erikson, their best friend, approaching them with a tired but small smile.
"Morning, pup... had a good sleep?" He asked.
"Yeah... it was comfortable." They responded.
"Good." He nodded and walked next to them, patting their head. "You okay?"
"Mmmm... just worn out." They said, leaning towards his touch.
"You sure it's just that?"
A moment of silence.
"Erik..."
"Mhm?"
"I had a rough evening at Angel's Share."
Friskies then proceeds to explain to Erikson about what happened between them and Diluc, with the taller brunette listening to their story carefully.
"I'm scared, Erik... this might just be my heart tricking me again." They frowned.
"I don't think that's true... who knows, perhaps you're finally feeling genuine attraction." He reassured them.
"What if it isn't? I'll just hurt him too. I don't want that. I can't..." They whimpered, their hands getting too shaky to hold the knife. Erikson gently held their hand and placed the knife down on the counter.
"How long has this been going on for?"
"Not too long... but for some reason, the feeling's been sort of consistent."
"In that case, this may not be a false alarm. Just try to trust your gut this time."
Friskies took a moment to think about it and sighed.
"I may as well...."
They continued cooking breakfast to keep their mind off everything that happened, which was successful. Erikson helped in order to get things done quickly, and when their cousin Nika arrived, they all had a good and hearty breakfast, bantering as always. After the meal, Friskies headed out the house and to Angel's Share.
*"Right, can you come tomorrow and help me out? As you saw earlier, the tavern's been quite busy as of late, and I can use a hand. I’ll give you the details by then."
"Sure, I can do that."
"See you tomorrow."*
They entered the bar, still wearing the same outfit from last night since they were running late and didn’t have enough time to change. They saw Diluc in his usual corner of the bar and went over to him.
"Good morning, Master Diluc!" They greeted him with a smile. Diluc turned to face Friskies, about to greet them back when he stopped and saw they were wearing the same outfit from last night. It almost gave him a heart attack.
"Good morning." He managed to play it off. "Are you ready for today?"
"Yep yep! Ready as always!" They said with a grin. He nodded and beckoned them to go behind the counter.
"Alright, I just need you to deliver these drinks over at the tables on the second floor. It's currently fully rented out for an event and there's a lot of people there." Diluc instructed. "I trust you know how to balance these drinks with your tail?"
"Master Diluc, you've seen me yesterday. I got this!" They said, giggling.
"Very well." He gave them the trays needed to carry and pat the side of their arm. "Off you go now, pup."
"Aye aye!" They grinned, heading to the second floor.
When Friskies arrived at the second floor, they saw the array of people, laughing and cheering about. They quickly delivered the drinks to each table with no problems. Or so they assumed when they were reaching the stairs.
"Hey, Diluc's got a new server?"
"She's cute isn't she?"
"That's a guy..."
"Oh gross, nevermind I'm not into it."
"What's gross? The fact that the server was a guy or the fact that the server's wearing girl's clothing?"
"Both obviously. Who does he think he is?"
"This is called the City of Freedom."
"Yeah, freedom politic-wise, not whatever that thing is."
Friskies gripped the trays tightly before descending back to the ground floor.
When they returned to put the trays back, Diluc was busy mixing up some drinks, not seeming to notice Friskies returning until the sound of boots hitting the floor was made. He turned to see the pup approaching the back of the counter.
"I see you’ve given them their drinks?"
"Mm..." They nodded softly.
"Did something happen?" He asked.
"Nothing specific, don't worry." They said, shrugging it off and sat on the empty chair next to Diluc's. The bartender furrowed his brows as he noticed their slightly less enthusiastic energy.
"You sure?"
"Yeah it was just pretty crowded, that's all."
It was clear they weren't budging, to which Diluc sighed and decided not to push them.
A couple of drink orders later, Friskies found themselves talking to the person who talked behind their back, asking for another drink. They could see the obvious stares the client was giving them and their body but they chose not to say anything, he's not worth their trouble. As uncomfortable as they were, they didn’t want to cause any issues. Diluc on the other hand, didn't take it very lightly and gave the client a cold glare, which got him to look away. After receiving his drinks and leaving, Friskies sighed in annoyance.
"He was quite rude..." They muttered. Without noticing, a large coat was suddenly placed on their shoulders, and it caught them off guard. They turned to see Diluc setting it on their shoulders and making sure it fit. Friskies felt their face heating up, and their heart pounding at his gesture.
"Master Diluc...?" They muttered.
"I didn't like how he stared at you." He said sternly, keeping his hands on their arms. They quickly put on his jacket and folded the sleeves. It was a bit larger on them, but it was very comfortable. They smiled and turned their body to face Diluc.
"Thank you..." They said shyly, seeing his dress shirt for the first time. They were short sleeved, which flexed his toned arms. They could swear their mind thought of something ungraceful but they shut it down as quickly as possible.
"Just give it back to me later, okay?" He said.
"Sure..." They nodded, closing it a bit to cover themselves a bit more. His jacket was so warm, they feel like they can just use it as a blanket. Expected from a Pyro user. Their heart still didn't stop beating fast, even though the moment had already passed. Is it possible? Was Erikson correct? They still can't be sure, so they ignored it and continued their work.
A whole day has passed and whatever was going on still hasn't slowed down at all even after closing hours, which got Friskies to scoff.
"Rich people things..." They mumbled, to which Diluc, who was still busy mixing another drink, looked at them with an eyebrow raised.
"No offense." They apologized.
"Non-taken, I was just teasing." He said, continuing to mix the drink.
"Oh" was all they said. Didn't take him for the joking type but hey they didn't realize they probably like him so you learn something new everyday.
...oh my archons, they probably like him.
"What are you mixing there?" They asked, wanting to forget about their previous thoughts.
"Ah, just something new." He said, taking a sunsettia fruit and slicing it. "Friskies, could you perhaps be a dear and get some of the dirty plates from the tables?" He asked.
"Wait, uh, huh?"
"...can you get the dirty plates from the tables?"
"Oh I uh- sure I can do that." They stuttered before heading over to pick up some of the dirty plates. They once again told their brain to behave while they were cleaning out the tables. The way he said it wasn't even suggestive but it made them felt so embarrassed. They should probably drink to that later when the bar is less chaotic.
After cleaning each table, they sent them to the back and disposed of them before glancing at the drink Diluc was mixing.
"Oooh, that looks new. What's up?" They asked.
"I'm trying to test a new type of drink. It's based on one of the first few drinks I made when I was younger. It's a non-alcoholic mix, but I have considered making it alcoholic when I get the ingredients right." Diluc explained, setting the drink up. "I'd like you to be my test for this, if it's alright with you."
"Oh, master Diluc, I'd be honored to test it with you!" Friskies said with a bright smile.
"Very well. Take a glass." He asked, motioning to the two glasses. How convenient, they thought before taking one. The drink was a beautiful shade of yellows, oranges and reds, with a slice of sunsettia resting on the rim of the drink.
"Cheers to a long day of hard work, master Diluc?" They raised their glass to his.
"Cheers to a long day of hard work." He nodded, clinking their glasses together before taking a sip.
Diluc was carefully observing Friskies' expressions to the new concoction, which seemed to be a focused look. They closed their eyes and sipped it again, now trying to determine its strongest and weakest points. Diluc could see how serious they're taking this, which made him feel quite flattered. Why did this out of anything else make him feel such a thing? They're just testing a drink, but no... it was them. The way they were pausing and thinking to themselves, the way they behaved at this moment, happy and cheery the first time, and then calm and serious the next... it was an interesting sight and he couldn't help but just... stare.
"So.... any thoughts?" He asked, now breaking the silence. Friskies opened their eyes and glanced over at Diluc with a hum.
"It's pretty good... the fact you turned a fruit like this into a potential drink is impressive. However, it seems to be a bit too sweet, and relying on the ice to dilute the flavor may be a bit meaningless for those who are fast drinkers. The taste of the fruit itself IS there, but the sweetness overpowers it a bit too much... perhaps lessen your sugar and add a bit more water, otherwise... the taste itself is pretty good." They replied, never keeping their eyes on the drink. Diluc was quite taken aback by how... descriptive they were. He almost felt his heart beat faster by how impressed he was. He had to take a second to reply.
"My... I... uhm..." He still seemed speechless. Someone like them being so blunt but constructive at the same time wasn't something he saw coming but he appreciated it dearly. They noticed how shocked he was and turned away in embarrassment.
"Sorry... I... I tend to not know how to control my words.... was it too much?" They asked.
"No no, this is all good. Truly, I just... I just didn't expect such a response." He reassured them. "Truthfully the reason why I wanted you to be my taste tester is because I know your sense of taste is particularly strong and I needed a second opinion."
"Ah... I see.." They nodded, staring down at their drink again.
"You are right about the fruit though. I can almost barely taste the sunsettia, which is a shame. To be fair, it's a naturally sweet fruit after all." He hummed.
"Well, that's true. But I think it depends on how you grow it. You'd be surprised at how certain fruits taste when you give it a different treatment, sunsettias are no different." They said with interest. This caught his interest as well.
"How do you know that?" He asked.
"My little cousin Nika is studying botany, and has been for quite a while already. I was basically her info dumper for everything." They giggled.
"I see...." He hummed.
"Hey, I can get you and Nika to meet tomorrow at my place! She can teach you everything she knows!" They perked up with a smile. "I think she'd love to talk about plants with someone."
"Oh? You sure?" He looked at them curiously.
"Mhm! I'll let her know when I get home later." They with a nod.
"If that's the case, then perhaps I can come over tomorrow." He decided.
"Game!" They cheered, their smile never fading. Diluc couldn't help but smile back just a bit at their enthusiasm. His attention was quickly caught by the people on the second floor descending down the stairs. Just by the state of their attitudes, lank walking and stumbling, they were all obviously drunk.
"Have you remembered to pay today?" Diluc called out to the celebrant, who's been busy getting mingled by the ladies. Both Diluc and Friskies shared a look that just says "Too much display of affection"
"Oh yeah yeah yeah, just put it on my tab Master Diluc. I'm kinda in the middle of something." The celebrant said, his attention was obviously on the girls googling over him.
"I thought I told you weeks prior that I don't do tabs when it comes to renting my bar, Mr. Ruze." The redhead said, crossing his arms.
"Well shoot. I don't know about that, just let me pay tomorrow, I'm kinda busy here." Ruze grunted out.
"I'm sorry, but I need you to pay it today." Diluc persisted, his tone firm and strong.
"Come on master Diluc, be cool for once.~" One of the ladies said flirtingly, which barely worked on him.
"If 'being cool' means not letting myself do my job, then I don't think I will." He scoffed at her, insistent on getting the job finished.
"Tch. Your father ran this bar better when he was alive…" Ruze mumbled under his breath, which caught Friskies' attention instantly. They glanced worriedly at Diluc and saw his expression harden to a mix of anger, annoyance, sadness, and disbelief. They knew his father, Crepus, was a sensitive topic to touch on and the fact this person had the gall to say such a thing was incredibly insulting. They can't let that slide. They stepped in front of Diluc and snarled, their sharp teeth showing themselves.
"You will not discuss his late father in this fashion." They said sternly, giving the drunk man a glare. "If anything, he would be proud of how his son is running the place. Prouder than anyone will ever be. So you will NOT slander him using Mr. Crepus' name."
"And what do you know of him, eh? You never met him. How can you tell his son is doing a good job? He's always been considerate to those who come to his bar." Ruze retorted.
"Consideration doesn't mean being a doormat. Get that right." They replied with a scoff.
"Whatever. I'm not having an argument with a man who thinks he can look like a girl, you freak of nature." He rolled his eyes and turned to leave, but stopped when he heard a hard scoff. Diluc gave a glare, but it was much harder, and absolutely stern, almost deadly.
“Hey.” He started, his voice firm and steady. “I am not having you disrespect one of my friends like that. You better watch your words because I won’t, and will never tolerate such untasteful and unnecessary comments that are unrelated to the topic.”
“And don’t you DARE use my father’s name like you own it. I run this place the way I want to, and how he intended it. Understood? If you have such a big problem with the way I cater this place, leave. Perhaps another bar outside Monstadt will be suitable for your impish personalities? After all, the City of Freedom doesn’t allow the freedom to harass, insult and berate people with childish attitudes.” He added bitingly. The clients had nothing else to say, they knew that Diluc can be hard on his words but hearing it for themselves wasn't expected.
“Leave. Now." Diluc said firmly, pointing to the door. The small crowd helped themselves out of the building in silence, only leaving himself and Friskies alone. He turned to face the pup, who had quite the expression on their face as they stared in disbelief.
"Diluc...? Will... will you be okay?" Friskies managed to ask. Diluc sighed and leaned against the wall, his gloved hands squeezing his arms tightly as he crossed them together across his chest.
"I'll be fine... unfortunately it's not the first time I've been disrespected like that but... I can guarantee you they won't say anything like that again. Otherwise, I'd have to blacklist them." He sighed. They frowned and slowly approached him, reaching out to hold his shoulder, but paused. They didn't know if he wanted any touches right now so they held back for a moment and kept their distance. There was nothing but silence between them, the tension never leaving. After a moment, Friskies finally spoke up carefully.
"Hey... what I said earlier... I mean it. While I never met your father, I bet he's very proud of you and what you have accomplished... Mr. Crepus has raised a very good son... I can see it."
Diluc's eyes glanced at Friskies, their expression soft, but just slightly tense. They were still keeping their distance from him but they had a calm energy to them. He sighed and nodded at them.
"It... it's what he would've wanted... as the eldest I must fulfill his wishes for the Ragnvindr family. And I won't let some drunk nobody tell me what my father was and wasn't." He said firmly. They got close to him and gently held his shoulder, rubbing it comfortingly. His body lessened its tension and relaxed a bit. He looked at the pup in front of him, but didn't say anything else.
"Continue to stand your ground... okay?" They said, giving him a small smile. He nodded and kept his arms to his sides now. Another moment of silence passed, and Diluc could feel arms wrapped around his waist. He looked down and saw Friskies hugging him comfortingly. He would normally not let anyone hug or even touch him when he's frustrated, but he slowly wrapped his arms around them in return, accepting their hug. He was surprised he hadn't pushed them away yet, but something about how they hugged him so tightly was... comforting. He held them closer to him, allowing them to hug him even tighter.
The two just continued to hold each other for a moment, before Friskies looked up at Diluc and gently reached to hold his cheek and caressed it, wiping away the tears that were slowly falling down his face. He didn't even notice he was tearing up until Friskies did so and looked away. They smiled and kept their hand there.
"You're fine, Master Diluc... you're fine." They reassured him in a soft tone. He just nodded and leaned his cheek into their palm as they continued to hold him gently. After a moment, his lips slowly curled into a very small and faint smile.
"Thank you, Friskies... I appreciate your kind gesture..." He said gently. Friskies blushed a bit, seeing his smile. They were so used to seeing him being so hard faced and seeing such a smile made them soft.
"It's... it's not a problem." They said shyly. Their hand still lingered on Diluc's cheek, but they suddenly felt a warm glove touch their cheek as well. Their eyes widened in shock, but they weren't against it.
"I... I'd like to thank you for... helping me this whole day... in the only way I know how.... with you at least." He said, his tone now being a bit shy. They couldn't hold back their smile, seeing him being this gentle again. It still had his usual serious and stern demeanor, but it seemed to have lightened the moment Friskies held him. This wasn't something they've seen before and they felt quite flustered having to witness it firsthand.
"You know... you don't have to... I'm always glad to help you" They said calmly, trying to not let their heart beat any faster than it already was.
"You're too humble, Friskies..." He muttered, leaning in a bit. "will you let me...?"
They didn't hesitate this time and leaned in as well, heart gradually racing.
"I'll take your offer then, master Diluc."
Their lips pressed together, just like last night. Their eyes were closed and they still held each other by their faces. It was short and sweet, and they pulled away right after.
"I'm not satisfied yet..." He murmured. "I want to keep spoiling you... spoil you with my gratitude for everything that happened earlier... and I won't let you go away without knowing how much I appreciate your efforts..."
His voice was getting a bit husky as he spoke, and it was making Friskies feel weak in the knees. They never felt so... down bad for anyone before, let alone for someone who was just speaking. Diluc hasn't even done anything yet but a part of them was itching for whatever was next. They leaned close again, but froze for a moment.
No, no no no, stop it, they scolded themselves. This was something that they wanted. Not something that was driving them to do it. They remembered Erikson's words this morning and wanted to follow it to the end. Bitter or sweet. They looked up at Diluc with a slightly cautious expression.
"Promise you won't hate me if I don't want to do this again...?" They asked.
"Friskies, I'll never find myself to hate you... I'm just simply wanting to thank you. You don't have to think so deeply about it..." Diluc responded.
"I'm... I'm sorry I'm too used to..." They tried to speak, but he gently shushed them.
"Shh... no need to explain yourself... I understand. Just... relax." He said gently, now giving them another kiss. They didn't take long to kiss him back and slowly wrapped their arms around his neck to pull him closer. Diluc's hand trailed down from their cheek to their waist and wrapped his arm around it, pulling them close to him and letting their bodies pressed together. It was soft and gentle, as they both intended before it began to get a bit steamy.
Just like last night, Diluc gently licked Friskies' lip under the kiss, asking them indirectly if they wanted to reciprocate it. They opened their mouth and let their tongue slip out as well, letting the two touch each other for a moment, albeit in an awkward way as this was both their first time actually feeling each other in this fashion. They pulled away after a moment, looking into each other's eyes as if telling each other what they wanted. No words were said as they kissed once more, now letting their tongues get involved. After a bit more of feeling around for each other and getting used to it, their tongues rubbed together gently, letting out small noises from both of them. Friskies reached for his low ponytail and undid the tie, letting all the red strands of hair flow down his back and grasped it for balance to this otherwise heated moment. The arm around their waist tightened as Diluc felt their fingers curling and tangling the small portion of his hair. His free hand reached for the back door and locked it before brushing some loose hair away from their face and held them in his arms, pulling them even closer.
They pulled away after a surprisingly long moment of making out, breaths entangling each other as their lips were parted ever so slightly. Diluc gulped a bit of saliva back into his throat as he stared down at Friskies, who seemed to also be as flustered as he was. He gently caressed their cheek and continued to hold them close.
"My... I... you're quite the kisser, I'll admit." He said, blushing at his own words.
"Th... thank you... you're not too bad..." They replied.
"We don't... we don't have to continue if you wish... I won't force you to do this any longer.... I just wanted to give you my thanks." He said, looking away a bit awkwardly. He wasn't sure why he said that, probably because he wanted to do more than just kiss them, but he knew better than to want something more out of what's meant to be a sign of thank you. But it just... felt too good. His mind was warped in confusion and desire, unsure why he felt this weak for them. All he wanted to do was to show his appreciation, usually never in this way, but when it came to them, he couldn't help it. Friskies was also pondering in their head, wondering if they should continue. A part of them desired him, but the other was scared of what he might do to them while they were vulnerable. Their lips firmed up together in a thin line after a bit of deliberation.
"I... I'd like to... continue..." They said shyly. His eyes widened but nodded, regaining his composure.
"Then..." His arm loosened and gently held their waist, caressing the exposed skin that was in front of him. "...may I touch you…?"
They blushed as he asked that. It was certainly a specific phrase, but he somehow got it to work. They nodded at him again.
"Very well.... excuse me." He mumbled, letting go of their waist and raised his hand to his lips before biting the tip of his glove and tore it off, letting it dangle between his teeth before opening his mouth and letting it fall on the floor, letting a small sigh out. Friskies felt their face heat up even more at what was just a simple act, something about it was so... enthralling. They eyed on his exposed hand, which was cluttered in cuts and burns from being both a pyro and claymore user. They observed it move back to their waist and caressed it. His hand was so warm, and it felt nice. Diluc could feel them tense up and kept his hand steady for now.
"Do you not like this...?" He asked.
"No, no... I just... I... I'm not used to letting anyone hold me without shaking..." They admitted.
'Without shaking..?' He thought to himself, that was something that rose the worry out of him. He furrowed his brows together and looked at them with concern. Friskies noticed his glance and shook their head, almost dismissive.
"My first time was just... overwhelming." They said rather plainly. He nodded in understanding and continued to caress their waist after he noticed they calmed down.
"You've done this before?" He asked, deciding to take this opportunity to know them in this department, and to ease them, to try and gain their trust.
"You can say..." They said, sliding a hand down and caressing his neck. He continued on.
"Was it bad?"
"Ehhhh… you can say?"
"Was this the same time you had your first kiss?"
"No... my first kiss was something else."
He asked short and brief questions, while they gave him short and brief answers. The exchange was able to calm the tension between them and they relaxed just a little bit more.
"Do you trust me with your body...?" Diluc asked. "I won't be offended if you don't."
"...the fact you've been so gentle and caring with me... making sure I don't tense up, and asking me questions to get to know me... I trust you enough to not do anything without my consent." They said, pressing their lips together. He frowned a bit as they said that, but didn't want to push any buttons. Doing this was probably quite a lot for them and any more may break them. He decided to change the topic.
"As the more... experienced one between us, how am I doing?" He asked almost bashfully. They giggled and kissed him for a moment.
"You're doing just fine..." They said reassuringly.
"Ah good... because... I may want to keep going for a little long.... feel every part of your body I currently have access to in my hand..." He said, the huskiness returning, sending shivers down their back. He slowly moved his hand up their waist, feeling the scars on their skin in the process and rested his hand just below their crop top.
"May I?" He asked.
"Don't take it off...." They reminded. He nodded and slipped his hand under the fabric, careful. Friskies bit their lip as his hand gently dragged up to their chest and gently squeezed it, feeling how firm their pecs are. They didn't work out as intensely as he did, but it was enough to give it some form, and for Diluc to squeeze. The pup was trying their hardest to behave, but seeing his fingers peeking from the chest window was making their mind go crazy.
"My archons... the things I was thinking when I first saw you in this shirt... I'll admit, Kaeya did something right for once." He chuckled, continuing to massage and grope their chest. He looked down at them and smirked just slightly. He couldn't help but be amused at their expression.
"Hey." He called out. "Eyes on me."
And almost immediately they obeyed his command, keeping their eyes on him and his face. Their face was burning from embarrassment and delight as he continued to take care of their chest with one hand, as the other went to hold their chin and used the thumb to caress their lips gently.
"Hm... I'd like to feel them... but my glove's in the way." He muttered and looked them in the eyes. "Can you be a dear and take these off me? The same way I did with the other pair."
They nodded and felt his finger enter their lips as they opened their mouth to bite on the glove, slowly feeling the weight being pulled away from the fabric until his hands were bare. He caressed their cheek, sending a soft wave of heat onto their skin as he saw how they bit his glove.
"Good..." He whispered to himself, moving to rub their lower lip with his thumb. He could feel their breath hitching just from what he said and chuckled. He's never seen them so touchy, but only hearing passing words from Kaeya about them being snuggly when they had their occasional chat. He didn't mind it though, as long as he didn't start breaking any boundaries. He continued to caress their lip before slowly shoving his thumb inside their mouth, gently rubbing their tongue. Friskies felt themselves get weak in the knees as they were still getting groped by him and slightly stuck their tongue out a bit more.
"Hm... suck it." He commanded. They gulped a bit before slowly sucked his thumb, at least whatever their mouth can grab as Diluc didn't slip it any further in. His once small smile turned into an amused smirk as he watched them take his finger in.
"Well... I can see why some people are into this. Frankly, I never see myself as the type to do such actions, but you changed my mind on that.... impressive, honestly." He muttered, now letting go of their chin and licked his thumb, tasting the saliva that lingered on it and looked away with a strange expression.
"...master Diluc?" Friskies asked, tilting their head in confusion at both his actions and his expression.
"....I just thought I'd like that...." He muttered with an embarrassed tone.
"Did you?"
"....absolutely not, that was awkward."
That got a snicker out of Friskies, who was now holding the hand that was just resting under their shirt.
"That doesn't suit you I think..." They admitted, holding back a small laugh.
"S-seriously?" Diluc asked, seemingly surprised at their reaction.
"No, that just looked so weird. If you wanted a taste of me, you could've just kissed me again.... pffffttt..." They rested their head on his chest, now laughing a little. "Oh my archons, is this what people are into nowadays? That's so sad...."
Diluc couldn't help but chuckle himself, slipping his hand away from their chest and holding them close.
"It's just something I've read in a book once... I'll admit the idea was intriguing but as you said, if I wanted a taste of you, simply kissing you is better than putting all that effort. Unless you're trying to get a hard-on, it's just not worth it."
"Exactly... it's just so funny when you do it for some reason. Oh my goodness I'm so sorry for laughing but that doesn't suit you at all. I couldn't take it seriously." They laughed harder, gripping onto his shirt in amusement.
"Well... was it worth it?" He asked, trying his hardest not to laugh either.
"Absolutely not. The sucking sure, but the licking- I caaaaaan't, Diluc you looked like a child." They said, still laughing at him. He started to laugh a bit as well and rested his chin on their head.
"A child? Really? That's one way of describing it." He sighed.
"Nmmngh I'm so sorry hang on." They tried to calm themselves down by focusing on their breathing, pulling back for a moment to ease the giggles a little.
"Oh jeez... I just ruined it for us, I'm so sorry." They apologized.
"It's fine, you didn't really. I probably shouldn't have done that anyway. It was pretty stupid I'll admit." He said, now running his fingers down their hair.
"No no no, it's alright. It's fine I just- I just couldn't take it seriously." They sighed, trying to calm down from laughing.
"Understandable, really." He chuckled. Friskies looked up at him with a small smile and pecked his lips for a moment.
"Mm... I'm supposed to be the one thanking you." Diluc said with a slightly joking tone.
"Well I'm thanking you now. So you're welcome." They replied. He let a small chuckle out and gave a small peck in return before holding them closer. His heart felt quite full for some reason and he wasn't sure why. Maybe it's because they were both intimate together or maybe it's because they had each other for this simple evening. He felt their grip on him tighten a bit.
"Diluc... my heart won't stop thumping... it's thumping so wildly...." They whispered.
"So is mine... can you hear it?"
He slowly moved their head to make them hear his heartbeat. It was just as fast, if not faster than theirs.
"Mhm.... I can hear it. You're also feeling nervous?"
"I guess you can say. I've never felt this way for anyone before so I'm just not used to this."
"...same."
They continued to hold each other in silence, giving each other brief kisses every so often, asking small questions, but that was just about it. They both seemed to have mutually agreed to take their time together this time, as it’s not everyday they could be so close. After a long moment, the two of them pulled away from the hug they shared with each other and straightened up. Diluc knelt down to pick his gloves back and put them on again.
"People love to hype up intimacy, but they never talk about the hassle of picking yourself back together." He sighed. The pup snickered in agreement, fixing their shirt.
"I agree, like at least make it realistic and relatable." They sighed in amusement, leaning against the wall.
"We should head home, it's getting quite late." Diluc suggested.
"We... we should." Friskies nodded in agreement, keeping their hands behind their back.
"Let's just take the backdoor."
They both made their way out of the bar through the back, making sure no one was outside. Neither wanted to risk the chances of people seeing them together during their... moments together.
"Thank you once more for helping me. I'll be sure to pay you tomorrow." Diluc said, looking at the pup beside him.
"It's no problem, Master Diluc!" Friskies said with a happy tone. "I'll be sure to wait for your payment then."
"Very well. I'll see you soon Friskies. " He turned to leave, but got stopped when he felt a tug on his hand.
"Hm?" He then turned back around, only to feel a pair of lips pressed against his for a moment before letting go.
"An advanced thank you for when my pay arrives." They said with a cheeky grin, having quite the obvious blush on their face. He felt his face turn absolutely red in return before scoffing.
"Oh archons... you little..." He grumbled, but couldn't help but chuckle a little. "alright. Good night, Friskies."
"Good night, Master Diluc!" They waved before running the opposite direction from him. He watched them leave before taking his own leave as well.
Friskies ran fast, just like their heartbeat. Instead of just tears, there was a smile on their face. Their heart felt full after a long time of being barren. They wiped away the tears with Diluc's coat, and chuckled, stopping in their tracks and holding it tightly. The warmth still lingered on it and they felt giddy deep inside. They were so excited to talk to Erikson later.
...
"...hm, why is it really cold tonight?" Diluc muttered to himself, trying to slip his hands inside his coat pocket, but his hand just slipped past. In fact, he just realized now that he doesn't have his coat on.
"What the-!? How-" He stuttered to himself, but then remembered that he gave it to Friskies earlier to keep them covered. He felt his face burn up in embarrassment and covered his face with his hand. He doesn't let himself be this forgetful but something about Friskies is making him act differently. He doesn't know what they were doing to him but it's not like it's a bad thing, not yet at least. He was so confused as to how things got this way with them, and all because he got kissed on the head. He groaned loudly into his hand again before making his way back to Dawn Winery, perhaps to try and sleep it off this time.
He made a mental note to see Friskies tomorrow for his jacket, and to meet up with their cousin about plants. Wonder how that'll turn out.