Work Text:
She finally did it.
Slowly continuing her trek upwards, Jean took in a shaky breath. It was truly beautiful on Cape Oath, just like Vera's Melancholy described it to be. It was just a few minutes until daybreak, and though Jean had spent the entire evening fighting her ever-growing pile of paperwork, she had never felt more excited.
She was almost there.
Y'know, she'd always wanted to do this… that is, see the break of day at Cape Oath like lovers do, even if she was alone.
A light breeze rustles through her hair, and a bird cries distantly. Looking upwards, the clouds seem to be dancing in the wind, painting a fine sky for the sun it will soon greet. Many romance novels besides Vera's Melancholy have described this view. Maiden's Longing, Homebound, The String of Fate, The Heiress, Love In the Wind, The Lass and the Hunter. But none of the descriptions could beat the sight itself.
Many times Jean had dreamed of going here to watch the sunrise. In her dreams, she was always alone. Not that she wanted to be, but her responsibility as a Knight of Favonius and duties to Mondstadt seemed so deeply rooted, that she couldn't even subconsciously imagine herself involved with someone romantically.
Jean almost jumps in relief at the sight of Cape Oath's peak being empty. Though she had planned this trip carefully, keeping her ear to the ground for rumoured meetings and young couples, she couldn't be too sure. Everyone in Mondstadt knew the romantic significance of Cape Oath, and with the little monster activity in the area, there was no excuse she could give to anyone who would see her, the Acting Grand Master, here.
Walking up to the cliff face, she glances to the left, watching the waves hug the beaches of Falcon Coast. Far ahead, she sees the makings of a small island that was Musk Reef. The vast span of the sea alone was a sight alone to behold. Here, the smell of sea water mixed with the scent of dandelions. She takes a deep breath, and she feels her shoulders relax despite her excitement.
Just around her, Jean spots a large empty patch amid the grass. 'Ah', she thinks. There it was, the infamous spot of lovers. For hundreds of years, many pairs would bring a blanket or lay a jacket on this very spot, sitting for hours in each other's company as the sun rose. This being her first time here, she takes a cautious step towards the patch. In her mind, she had imagined that the 'spot' would actually be two empty patches finely divided by a strip of grass. Thinking about it now, that assumption made little sense. The people who came here were lovers, after all. Why would they be anything but close to one another?
Shyly, and not without sparing several glances behind her, Jean mustered up her courage to sit on the righthand side of the spot. She had no blanket, and she really didn't want to dirty the cloak of her uniform, so she settled with sitting as neatly as she could. She could always try to blow away the dust off her clothes later. In the meanwhile, she contented herself with gazing at the scenery.
It was only a few minutes till sunrise, and still the peace of mind Jean had since sitting hadn't left her. In her peace, she felt bold. Gracefully, she removed the cape of her uniform and folded it neatly on the grass next to her. Next, she untied the ribbon from her hair. She rarely ever wore her hair this way, mostly due to practicality. The ocean breeze felt amazing as it swept by her golden locks and for a simple moment, Jean closed her eyes and imagined herself as Vera, waiting for her lover to meet her.
Behind her eyelids, she saw bright rays beginning to make their debut, and she smiled to herself. After a long night, dawn was finally here.
"Time for… retribution!"
The smile disappeared as quickly as it came. Those weren't the rays of the sun, that was…
"Diluc!?" Jean exclaimed, hastily making her way to the left cliff face. Just a little way down, was Monstadt's very own master of the Dawn Winery and former Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius himself. Seeing him stand over a defeated Cryo Abyss Mage, however, made her think his 'Dark Knight Hero' title suited him better right now.
"…Jean?" The redhead says, confused, as he looks upwards.
"Are you alright?" Jean calls out, scanning his form for any potential injuries out of habit. He seemed to be fine.
"I'm fine, Jean." Diluc replies gently, putting his claymore away. "What are you doing there?"
"Uh…" Jean hesitates, looking around her. Really, no one was supposed to be here! "I, um…" she begins. "Wait, what are you doing here?" she shouts, over the sudden breeze.
"I can barely hear you! Wait, I'll be right there." Diluc announces, and he begins to climb. Oh dear. Scanning the area around her again, she checks to see if any other unexpected guests were in the area. Diluc worked alone, she knows, but other people could still show up…
She scootches over as his mane of fiery red hair approaches. Offering a hand, a firm grip grasps it, and together, his form makes it over the ledge with minimal effort. The corner of her eye spots the sky, which has transformed to all shades of blue, purple, pink, and orange.
Though initially following her gaze upwards, Diluc quickly focuses his eyes back on Jean. From above, he couldn't see her quite clearly, but now…
He first noticed her hair, which was out of it's normal ponytail and was instead falling softly around her shoulders. The fact that she's not wearing her Acting Grand Master cloak was the next thing he noticed, her bare shoulders kissed with barely noticeable freckles visible under her locks. What was she doing here, dressed like this? With the exception of special parties and events, she barely ever had her hair down, even when they were kids. What's more, she rarely went out without her uniform assembled perfectly, so why was she…?
Then it dawned on him. This was Cape Oath, and it was almost sunrise. With how relaxed she looked, she must undoubtedly be here with someone, and he…
"Diluc! You're bleeding--You're not fine at all!" Jean cries, turning the hand in hers to check his arm. Perhaps she was right. It was barely a cut, from a stray cryo icicle launched at him earlier.
"It's nothing, Jean, don't worry." he counters.
"I'll take care of it." she decides, lifting her other hand over the area.
"You don't have to," Diluc protests lightly. He needed to get out of here. If Jean really was here with someone… well… he must be overstepping his boundaries, to say the least. Where could the other party have run off to? Did Jean send them away when she heard him?
Who… who was it?
"You help Mondstadt with everything you do, so please let me do this for you." she says, and before he can argue further, he feels her Anemo healing the scratch as if it was ever there.
"Thank you." he settles. She did this often in their youth, the whole patching up thing. It was practically routine. The first time she'd tried this, he'd blown dirt all over them and the wound. Adelinde was not pleased. Of course, over the years, she'd only gotten better at healing. He always admired it, how she was so capable of both might and support.
"Were you on a trail?" she asks, snapping him out of his thoughts, and he realises he'd been staring.
"The cryo abyss mage from earlier was building a group of Mitachurls near the stone gate. I don't know what it was planning exactly, but I managed to stop it before it fled this way. And well… the threat's taken cared of now." Diluc explained, glancing away.
"Thank you for your service. Remember, you can always ask me for help." Jean beams, and in a moment of weakness, his thoughts slip out unguarded.
"I'm sorry to have interrupted you." he says suddenly. Sincerely. Meeting his eyes, Jean tilted her head in question.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you certainly didn't come here to Cape Oath at this time to patch me up, did you?" Diluc jests in a poor attempt to cover his unease.
The blush that graces her cheeks is not something he will forget for a while. Wide eyed, Jean processes the implications behind his words and rakes her brain for an excuse. She'd been so caught up in the moment, she didn't spare any thought for an acceptable explanation. Of all people, Barbatos, why was he the one who caught her here?
"W-well… um…" she stutters, flustered. She could make a blatant lie, say she was out here on patrol or business, but besides being able to see through a lie like that immediately, Diluc might feel as though she was purposely distancing herself from him. With everything that had transpired in their lives since Crepus… since he left Mondstadt on his 3 year soujourn and returned a different man than the boy she grew up with and adored… that was the last thing she wanted to do. Not after all the small steps they took to slowly get comfortable around each other again.
Oh who was she kidding? Kaeya and Lisa were right. She had it bad for the young Ragnvindr. What began as a childhood friendship had transformed to admiration, rivalry, and camaraderie. And somewhere along the way, she'd realised she had feelings when he appeared in her romantic daydreams. Archons above, despite the mental gymnastics she did to avoid admitting that she had a crush on him since they were children, she could not stop the racing of her heart whenever she was near him. Especially when they were this close. She prayed to Barbatos that the redhead in front of her couldn't hear her heart.
So that left her with no choice but to tell him the truth. The embarrassing truth.
May the Anemo Archon have mercy on her poor, neglected heart.
"Jean?"
She could feel the heat in her cheeks.
"Ah, sorry… it's just difficult to say…" she starts weakly.
Jean was full of surprises today, and Diluc wasn't sure how much more he could take. Besides her appearance, her uncharacteristic shyness was a novel sight. Yes, when with him during these past few months she could get awkward, but she was never shy. Not once. The stab in his chest is unbearable.
"You don't have to say if you don't want to, I understand." He says as he straightens, resolved. It was his fault they fell apart after all. He had left before she could even ask him what had happened 3 years ago. He should be content with their somewhat-strained and awkward friendship. If he truly cared for her, he'd let Jean be happy with whoever she choses. Even if… it wasn't him.
"You do? …Really?" Jean asks, eyes wide, and Diluc's heart twists just a bit more. He always did like that shade of blue.
"Yes, and I can see that it would indeed be something hard to explain." he replies, in an attempt to sound understanding.
"Yes!"
"So I'll take my leave now, thank you for your help." he says, slowly standing up. Looking over at the horizon, he continues. "It's almost sunrise, and I can't imagine you would want to miss the sight with your lover. I'll be quick so you can call them back over."
Wait.
"L-lover?!" Jean sputters.
"Of course, I won't look and I won't say a word. I promise you this." he states, getting ready for a hasty getaway. With no sleep and this heavy revelation, he wanted nothing more than to disappear into the wind. Maybe he'd drown his sorrows in a bottle of wine, for once.
"W-wait, Diluc!" Jean exclaims, grabbing his sleeve as she gets up herself. "I think you're misunderstanding this." He didn't seriously think she was here with someone else did he?! She had to rectify this immediately, she could almost feel the distance between them growing exponentially.
"Am I?" he asks, desperate but solemn. Looking her straight in the eye as he sought for an answer, he felt resolve crumbling. Was there hope for him after all?
"…Yes. You see," she sighs, casting a nervous glance around them. "I'm not here with a lover."
…
"A potential lover, then?" he suggests, almost self-deprecatingly.
"N-no! There is no such person. I'm here… alone."
…
Well that was unexpected.
"You see… I've always wanted to see the dawn at Cape Oath like couples do… but since I don't have a lover, I came here alone." she explains slowly, eyes darting between his crimson eyes and the green grass between them.
'She has no lover. She has no lover. She has no lover.' Diluc's thoughts play like a record player. Relief floods through his body quicker than he could say 'Thank the Archons'. She was here alone. Maybe, he still had a chance.
"Oh." he supplies stupidly. Cursing himself inwardly, he gapes at the fact that never before in his life had he wished more to have some of Kaeya's smooth-talking tips than he did right now. Damn it.
"I know it's stupid… I'm the Acting Grand Master for crying out loud! Despite all the work I have piled up, I had the audacity to think of romance, plan this whole trip, and even come here. Oh Archons, what would my mother think if she heard of this! I know this was irresponsible-- 'For Mondstadt, as always' does not exactly connote a rendezvous to Cape Oath." she rambles, pouting. Perhaps, she thought, if she was the one to admit to her own shortcomings and selfishness, rather than him, it wouldn't hurt as much.
His heart sinks at her admission. "Jean…"
"I'm sorry," she says, out of habit, letting go of his coat. In that moment, Diluc can't help but think to himself that she looks… so vulnerable.
He takes a deep breath.
"Jean, listen. I know I say all these things about the Knights, but do not, for a moment, believe that I think lowly of you. Ever." Diluc starts, and when her eyes hesitantly meet his, he feels the encouragement needed to continue. "Without you, the Knights would've fallen apart long ago. You of all people deserve to be selfish, especially now. You take little care of yourself enough as it is. Please, remember that."
"But…"
"If anything, you should learn to be a little more selfish, and how to say 'no' for that matter," he chuckles "You seem perfectly capable with saying 'no' to Klee, but you really ought to learn to say it to others as well."
His statements put her mind and heart at ease, and a bright smile to her face. "Well… I won't say you're wrong, but… you know me." she shrugs sheepishly. The small smile on his face makes her heart do somersaults.
Overhead, the first wisps of the sun's rays make themselves apparent. The sight catching the corner of their eyes, both young warriors look towards the cliff face.
After a moment, Diluc clears his throat.
"I may not be the most ideal candidate for you, but since we're here, would you care to enjoy the sunrise with me?" he asks, offering his hand. He may not be as smooth as Kaeya, but his father certainly taught him to be a gentleman.
Taking his outreached hand, Jean finds herself beside with giddiness. Even through their gloves, she can feel his warmth. Sharing a smile, he slowly starts guiding her to the empty patch with her cloak resting beside it. Assisting her as she sat, he takes his place next to her, their arms lightly brushing against one another as they supported their own weight.
Slowly but surely, the sun made itself more and more apparent, and together, they basked in comfortable silence. Despite the time of year, the sea breeze was not cold. The sun's reflection on the ocean horizon was absolutely enchanting. It made the water look like a sparkling gem. No wonder lovers gathered here. In Diluc's mind, this place was the embodiment of Kaeya's idea of 'romance', and it seemed as though it was Jean's, too. Casting a sideways glance to her form, he sees the light dancing in her eyes.
'Beautiful,' he thinks.
When Jean turns to him suddenly, eyes wide, he realises he'd said it out-loud.
"The scenery" he adds quickly, and she nods, smiling weakly as she looked away. "Yes, it's really a sight to behold."
…
"Well… now you know what to expect when you come here with a lover. Certainly, they'd be better company than me." he comments, hoping to start a mild conversation at his expense. What was he doing, fishing for an answer from her? About how she felt for him? He was pathetic.
"But I… wouldn't want to share this sight with anyone but you." she admits, her voice just above a whisper.
So deep in his thoughts, he almost missed what she had responded. But he turns to look at her, and he watches as she processes her mistake. Up until this point, the wind around them had been blowing quite strongly, but… as if a certain bard had willed it… at that crucial moment, it stopped. When he feels her move to set some distance, he faces her properly and grasps her wrist lightly. Maybe his ears were playing trick on him? But that wouldn't explain her blush, or the red tips of her ears.
"Do… you mean that?" he asks, searching her increasingly flushed face for any clues. "Jean?"
"I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have said that… now I've…"
"No! Don't apologise, you did nothing wrong." he protests. "But Jean, tell me… did you mean what you said?" he asks again, and this time he's sure the desperation is evident on his face.
A pause. A deepening blush. There was no use hiding it now.
"…Yes." she whispers.
He's pretty sure the world has stopped spinning. Their past was complicated to say the least, but not once did his heart ever stray from her. During their childhood, he remembers begging his father to buy him a turtle so that he had yet another reason to spend time with Jean. Over the past few years, almost as punishment for himself, he had denied himself her comfort and support, thinking he was undeserving. In a convoluted way to protect her from his twisted and broken self, he left Mondstadt for 3 long years. To indirectly help her with her workload, he took on the persona of the Dark Knight Hero to protect Mondstadt.
To say he was overwhelmed by emotions was an understatement. At this point, he felt as if only Jean's shy gaze was keeping him from soaring up to Celestia.
So before she could react, and more importantly, before he said something stupid, he decided to do what he knew best, and that was to let his actions speak for themselves.
…
An embrace from Diluc was the last thing Jean expected to get upon her accidental confession. Denial, disgust, shock… heck, even horror was something she'd anticipated. If her heart wasn't racing at full speed earlier, it certainly was now. Her head tucked in neatly against the nook of his neck and shoulder, she'd never felt more safe. The last time he'd held her like this was back when they were kids. She'd fallen off a tree and both he and Kaeya had rushed her back to the winery.
"Diluc?" she squeaks, arms hesitating to wrap around his broad frame, setting lightly around his torso. Was this hug one of apology, or reciprocation?
"-e too."
"Huh?"
"I said," a smile laced in his voice. "Me too. I… feel the same way."
Pulling back slightly, Jean tries to get a good look at his face. Pink lightly dusted his cheeks, and his eyes were avoiding hers.
Never in her life did she think she'd see Diluc Ragnvindr blush again. The air shifts, and she finds her courage.
"I meant it as in I like you, Diluc." she states, almost deadpan. "Romantically."
He scoffs a little, one corner of his lip lifting in a half smile. "Yes Jean. And I'm saying I like you, too. Romantically." he replies.
A pause.
"Really?" she gasps in disbelief. In her chest, the swelling of her heart is almost unbearable.
"For as long as I can remember," he admits, mirth dancing in his eyes, his blush now rivalling the colour of his hair.
"Me too!" she laughs, hugging him. This earned a laugh from the young man too, who then shifted them around to hold her more comfortably. Even after they caught their breaths, the smile on their face refused to leave them. 'Sunrise be damned', Diluc thought. He had something far more precious to look at now. In his arms, with her head against his chest, he never felt more complete and alive.
"I… didn't think today would've turned out like this." Jean giggles, fingering his coat. The heat in her ears had yet to leave her, but frankly, she didn't care anymore. Not when he was flushed too… not after what he'd confessed.
He exhales in agreement. "Neither did I, but… I'm not complaining. I suppose we took long enough." he smiles wantonly.
Laughing, Jean shifts in his arms to face him, hands resting on his shoulders. "Yes, I guess we did."
Holding each others gaze for a bated moment, Diluc catches her eyeing his lips.
"Is it strange that I fear this is all a dream?" Jean asks softly, and Diluc can feel her breath against his lips. They're so… close.
Smiling softly, he tightens his arm around her waist, bringing her flush against him as he brought a hand to cup her warm cheek.
"Not at all. Should we make sure that it's not?" he asks with a soft smile.
Leaning into his hand, Jean shares his smile, and before he lost his resolve, Diluc leaned forward as she closed her eyes.
The kiss felt like coming home.
In the distance, a small figure jumps off from the branches of a now-empty apple tree. With a stretch, the figure summons a lyre and starts strumming the strings, a ballad at the tip of his fingers and tongue.
It was about a young man and woman, who, despite their responsibilities and pasts, found strength and support in one another. Together, they would protect all those precious to them.
Satisfied, the bard grins cheekily, slowly making his way back to the city of his founding to give the new lovers some privacy. In his mind, he sees the faces of his old friends Ragnvindr and Gunnhildr smiling down at their descendants.
It was about time the two clans became bound by blood.