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She didn’t know why she thought today would be the day she’d finally start repairing her relationship with her sister. For Barbara, there was nothing out of the ordinary happening lately; the Knights that came back from dispatch carried wounds, and she healed them with her Vision and song. The usual resulting smiles, the usual joy and relief she felt over a job well done… All as routine as her nightly tea.
Perhaps it was because this week, Jean had come back with a broken ankle.
Now, Jean wasn’t known for evading injury – Quite the opposite, in fact. Aside from her diplomatic skills, her battlefield performance was the most impressive part of Jean’s job to Barbara. As such, her coming back wounded in some superficial way was expected. Breaking bones, on the other hand, was not something she did often, and as a result the younger blonde couldn’t help but feel panicked.
“It’s alright, Barbara,” Jean had said with a smile. “You’ve done all you can. I’m very thankful.”
But it didn’t stop Barbara from worrying. Days later and Jean still wasn’t back to her usual stride. Deep down, the idol-in-training knew her sister was right – She’d done what she could – but she hated to settle for anything less than a full recovery.
As if her thoughts had been read by Barbatos themselves, she’d come up with an idea. She’d personally visit Jean in her dorm for an extra bit of healing, bringing some of her sister’s favorite mushroom pizza and a totally-not-nervous smile on the side. She would further treat Jean’s ankle, hopefully reducing the amount of time the impatient knight was restricted to desk work, and she’d get a chance to talk to her without averting eye contact! Barbara was almost giddy over the idea. It would be nice to reconnect after so many years.
And yet, when the young Hydro user found herself outside of her sister’s door late into dusk, she found she couldn’t bring herself to knock. Not with the noises she was hearing from the inside.
Now, as a deaconess of the Favonius Church, Barbara was in no position to look for a romantic partner. She had no experience with intimacy aside from the kind felt between family members. The mechanics of intercourse were unfamiliar to her at best. However, that blissful ignorance didn’t protect her from her mind from jumping to the nearest possible conclusion.
The chorus of heavy breaths and soft curses lit the idol’s ears red as an autumn rose. Barbara stood frozen at the door, shocked and petrified from embarrassment. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to run, to leave, to get away as fast as possible and pretend she heard nothing… yet her feet remained planted to the ground, her knuckles white as her dress from gripping the to-go bag she’d brought Jean’s pizza in.
As the young healer tried to get her thoughts in order, a yelp of pain – decidedly female – met her ears. Barbara’s mind snapped back to clarity instantly, as it usually did when she realized someone was in pain. Whatever Jean was doing, it didn’t sound like it was a comfortable time.
“I’m sorry,” came a startlingly familiar baritone. “I lost focus, and I…”
“I’m fine,” Jean’s voice replied. “No damage done. I just wasn’t prepared for that.”
“We can stop.”
“Do you want to?”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“I’m not exactly fragile, Diluc. A bit of pressure isn’t going to end me.”
Hearing the name of the Dawn Winery’s proprietor was the final nail in Barbara’s sanity levels. That couldn’t be correct. Jean and… Diluc? No, that made no sense. Even if her sister somehow found an attraction towards him, Diluc hated the Knights. Not to mention his frostlike personality was enough to rival any Cryo user.
Barbara’s mind replayed the experience. She was missing something. Perhaps she’d jumped to conclusions? Yes, that had to be it. Without a doubt. After all, the alternative would be… shockingly wrong, to put it lightly.
Courage further ahead than her brain, she knocked on the door.
She’d only realized what she’d done after she heard more movement from inside. Barbara gripped the hem of her skirt in wide-eyed terror. Why? Why had she done that? She wanted an answer, sure, but on the off-chance that she’d been right in the first place-
The wooden door swung open, revealing a surprised Jean on the inside.
“Barbara? What are you doing here so late?”
Good question. Why was she here again?
No words escaped the tip of her tongue as she stared at Jean in silence. It was so rare to see her sister in casual clothing. Even as a kid, she’d worn light armor for everything but sleep. It was a shame, truly. She looked good.
Almost like she didn’t have the weight of her responsibilities on her shoulders.
Barbara mentally chided herself. Though time seemed to come to a halt, it still persisted and was going to waste the longer she stood there.
“I- Uhh… I wanted to drop this off!” she said quickly, holding the to-go bag up. “I got your favorite pizza! Y’know, so you could cheer up…! I know your ankle is still bothering you…” Genuine gratitude painted Jean’s features.
“Oh, that’s… That’s sweet of you, Barbara,” she replied, taking the bag from her sibling. “Thank you very much.”
“N-No problem!” the deaconess stuttered. “I got two slices for you, so feel free to share with Master Diluc if you-”
“Diluc?” Jean repeated, seemingly confused.
“Y-yeah… I heard you mention his name. He’s here, isn’t he…?”
“Only because she dragged me,” came a deadpan response from further into the room. Jean rolled her eyes.
“Honestly…” she muttered. “You ask a man to do one favor…”
Now it was Barbara’s turn to be confused. “A favor?”
Jean shook her head in a way that reminded the healer of the knight’s dealings with Kaeya. “I asked for help moving some furniture since my ankle is still bothering me. He’s been doing a sorry job of it so far. He even got distracted and left me to shoulder the weight of the couch. That definitely hurt a bit.”
“I said I was sorry.”
“I’m aware.”
Barbara felt her brain slow to a snail’s pace as she processed what was said. “So… furniture… help?” A nod from Jean sent the young Vision-holder adrift in a sea of relief. So that’s why Diluc was here! It all made sense now. Boy, what a ride her imagination had taken before. She should’ve had more faith. “Well, I hope you guys get that done without anymore issues!” she chirped with a smile. “Don’t push it, though! It would be awful if you had to sit on desk duty for another week.”
“Don’t I know it,” Jean sulked. “At least I can stand for a little while now. To be honest, I didn’t expect to be back on my feet this quickly. You’re quite the healer, Barbara.”
The praise sent Barbara into another blushing fit, albeit from much more innocent origins than before. “Well, it’s my job, after all! A-Anyway, I’m going to head back to the church. There’s going to be a service starting soon, and dad’s probably noticed my absence…”
Jean gave her sister a warm smile. “You should get going, then. Give dad my best, okay?”
Barbara nodded eagerly. “I will! Don’t worry!”
A bow and a wave later and the deaconess disappeared down the hall.
Jean waited until her sister was out of sight before retreating into her dorm again. Once she did, the visage of serenity faded and she slid to the ground with a tired sigh. Diluc walked over and sat down beside her, currently dressed in nothing but his pants and a hastily-buttoned dress shirt.
“You look as though that conversation exhausted you,” he noted with a twinge of humor. Jean gave him a weak glare.
“I think I just lost ten years off my life. I wasn't expecting anyone to come by, let alone Barbara…”
“Guess she missed the memo that you wanted to rest. Do you think she believed the furniture story?”
“Probably. She’s not the kind of person who can hide their emotions, and she seemed fairly oblivious.” Diluc let out his own sigh of relief.
“Thank the archons it was her, then. I doubt that story would’ve worked with anyone else.” Jean shook her head in disbelief at his nonchalant tone.
“Your luck is almost supernatural at times. Nice to know we were almost done for.” With a more curious tone, she added, “That was a pretty fast solution you came up with, though. Did you have it prepared in advance or something?” The redhead gave her a playful smirk, equal parts mirth and charm.
“Jean, the amount of times I’ve thought about laying everything bare before you couldn’t be counted on the number of leaves in the wind. There are a lot of scenarios I’ve considered.” Diluc felt overwhelming satisfaction at the shade of crimson his lover turned at the admission. Jean stared at him mouth agape for what seemed like a good minute before coming up with a cheeky reply of her own.
“Well then, my ardent daydreamer,” she teased, fingering his shirt’s loose collar, “you seem criminally overdressed for a man who longs to lay himself bare.”
“I do, do I?” Diluc took the offending hand in a delicate grip. “Are you going to arrest me then, Grand Master?” Jean hummed in mock contemplation.
“That depends. Are you going to run from me?” The former knight pressed his lips to her knuckles, meeting her gaze with a soft smile.
“That's one thing I would never dream of.”