Chapter Text
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Chapter 1
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The downpour of rain had Lumine entirely soaked. She was lucky enough to have the trees for cover on the way toward the nearest building, but that didn't help much to prevent it. Her hair still stuck to her forehead and the clothes she was wearing started to feel uncomfortable on her skin. The lightning in the night sky and the thunder rolling in the distance gave her goosebumps, Lumine finding herself wishing for the storm to lessen just for a few minutes.
She finally made her way to the path toward the Dawn Winery, the manor coming into view. She stopped under a tree where the first sign was, standing under it in an attempt to dry off. The storm was bad, the dark clouds blocking out the stars in the sky. It looked eerie, absolutely not the weather to be stranded outside.
All she needed to do was wait out the rain and then make her way to Mondstat, back where someone could take her in, perhaps get some clothes from the sisters at the Cathedral. Either that or make her way to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters and ask Jean.
The winery was beautiful, even during a storm in the depths of the night. The vineyards were a beautiful deep green when they were soaked, and surely the rain would be good for production. Lumine did not have the time to admire the beauty of the winery at the moment though, taking a deep breath to sprint on the dirt path toward the manor.
She passed the rows and rows of grapevines, the rain hitting her skin until she finally stepped onto the cobblestone. There were no lights on inside from what Lumine could see, the windows dark and uninhabited.
Lumine snuck her way under the balcony, standing in front of the wooden door staring out into the pouring rain. She could see the flashes of lightning, and the downfall was loud as it pattered onto the floor and all over the Winery. The weather was bad, very much so, and Lumine couldn't help but sigh at what she'd accidentally gotten herself into.
If it was daytime the winery would be open for her if she needed. She had gotten to know quite a few of the workers, there would be no problem. But the sun had set so many hours ago, and it being the middle of the night meant no one would be around to let her in.
Lumine shivered from the cold, a breeze stirring as the storm continued. Curse Barbatos for not helping this situation.
She stood there, sheltered only from the downpour of rain and not the freezing cold for what felt like forever, and it never once looked like it was going to let up. Lumine really did not want to wait here all night, especially not since she could feel herself getting sick from standing out here in the elements.
The door creaked from behind her, causing her to jump as she turned to see who it was.
"Lumine?" Diluc was standing in the doorway, in a white dress shirt, a few buttons undone at the top for comfort. He looked tired, likely from working all day, but his face was laced in concern as soon as his eyes fell on Lumine. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, it's raining."
"Well yes, I know that. Come inside." Diluc pulled the door open for her to step in, closing the door to keep the warmth from flowing out. He locked it behind them, immediately moving to start a fire in the fireplace. "Why are you out in the pouring rain?"
"I was coming back from Liyue when it started," Lumine replied, leaning down to push off her wet and muddy boots. She stepped out of them, a small puddle forming at her feet from her clothes and hair. "I'm sorry, Master Diluc. I'm soaking your floors."
Diluc was rustling around the fire, adding some small wooden sticks to the larger ones. It took him a few minutes to get the fire going, but soon it was bright and giving off plenty of heat. "Please, I'd rather you be inside than out there." He turned, taking in Lumine's soaking figure. Her arms were crossed, body shivering slightly as she stood in the doorway. "Come with me. Don't worry about getting the place wet."
Lumine followed Diluc up the stairs and into a room that was obviously his bedroom. She stood in the doorway as he went to his wardrobe, pulling the doors open in search of clothes for her to wear.
It wasn’t polite to snoop around Master Diluc’s room while he was doing her a favor, but she couldn’t help it. Her eyes wandered, looking at the bed and it's sheets, pristine and perfectly made. Everything about his bedroom came as no surprise, it looked exactly how Lumine figured it would. Practically unlived in and not exactly comfortable.
“These will be too big for you, but at least they’re dry. That door right there is my bathroom, feel free to put your clothes in the tub for now and come down when you’re done, hm?”
Diluc left Lumine in his bedroom, closing the door behind him to give her privacy. With the others asleep though, Lumine figured it was more out of courtesy. She turned to enter the bathroom, closing the door behind her too and trying her best to change without getting the clothes Diluc had given her soaking wet.
She tossed her dress into the tub, laying it flat in hopes it would dry faster than way. One look in the mirror had Lumine letting out a small laugh at herself. The shirt was far too big on her figure, and the pants were scrunched at the bottom from being half a foot too long. The height difference between her and Diluc really shined when she was dressed in his clothes.
Lumine made her way back down to the first floor, the only light illuminated from the fireplace at this hour. The sound of moving furniture was loud, echoing in the hall. When Diluc came into view as Lumine stepped down the staircase, the noises made sense. He was pushing one of the couches toward the fireplace instead of the usual chairs and table that sat there.
“What are you doing, Master Diluc?” Lumine asked, reaching the bottom of the stairs and pulling the pants she had borrowed higher on her waist. They still drug on the floor when she approached the red haired man.
He huffed, pushing the couch closer to the fire before turning to meet eyes. “Just moving it closer to the fire. I’d rather you get this old thing wet than one of the exquisite chairs I inherited from my father.”
“I’m not wet anymore, Master Diluc. You didn’t have to-”
“You never know,” Diluc interrupted, clearing his throat after. He stood for a moment taking in Lumine’s figure in his clothes. They didn’t fit, he already knew they wouldn’t, but they were something instead of her usual dress. She was dry, that was true. Or at least, mostly. Her hair was still damp and leaving small droplets onto the shirt and floor. “There’s a blanket if you want it, it’ll keep you warm. I’m just doing work, so don’t mind me.”
Lumine watched as Diluc moved to sit in one of the chairs by the round desk that separated them. He sighed, settling himself down and picking up his quill to continue on paperwork. Papers were scattered around the table, Diluc lifting some of them to read in the lowlight before putting them back.
“Reading in the dark is going to ruin your eyes, Master Diluc.” Lumine made her way around the back of the couch to sit down, pulling the blanket that was draped across the cushions to wrap around her. It was soft and definitely warm.
“If I leave the chandeliers on I’d likely stay up all evening working,” Diluc retorted to himself with a deep breath. He glanced up at Lumine, pressing his lips together in a line. “I’m sure I will be fine.”
Lumine hummed, pulling her feet onto the couch to sit criss-cross, the blanket wrapped around all of her body except for her head that was peeking out the top of the cocoon. It was warm next to the fire, the heat of it making Lumine smile to herself. She hadn’t sat near a real fireplace in a while, only using fire on her travels when she needed to cook meals.
It was nice, being able to watch the element dance in all kinds of shapes. Fire was, in a way, entrancing in how it burned, that Lumine couldn’t help but admire it. After all these adventures, all these stories, she had a newfound appreciation for how the world worked all the way down to these small details. Fire was hungry and burned brightly, a bit uncontrollable, and yet pyro vision holders managed to hone their skills.
Master Diluc was no different.
“Can I ask you something?” Lumine questioned, pulling her eyes from the fire to watch Diluc. His eyes stay concentrated on his papers, not once lifting to look at Lumine. He hummed in response for her to ask whatever question she had, distant and without much interest. "How did you know I was standing outside if you've been working?"
"I had a feeling someone was outside, an intuition of sorts, so I went to see who it was." Diluc's voice was plain and without emotion, a simple explanation. "If it was someone being mischievous I would've taken care of it. I was not expecting it to be you."
Lumine nodded, returning her gaze to the fire. Intuition. Perhaps her little prayer to Barbatos was answered. Then again, it might've just been luck. Venti did not seem the type of Archon to lend a helping hand that often.
After a long day, Lumine could feel herself drifting as she watched the fire. She could feel her eyes closing, a yawn pushing from her chest. "Master Diluc, you don't mind if I lie down, do you?"
He shook his head, a flash of lightning making the room glow in a purple hue followed by rolling thunder. "Of course not, you shouldn't go back to Mondstat until the morning. Your clothes should be dry by then."
Lumine shifted until she was lying comfortably on the couch, her feet on the side closest to Diluc. She used one of the cushions as a pillow, tucking it under her head and closing her eyes. It was easy to fall asleep here, with the fire burning and the blanket to keep her warm.
She was safe too, which was something she was not exactly used to. It was funny to think Diluc seemed to have the buildings where she was safest, remembering the incident with the Holy Lyre where Diluc kept her and Venti's secret. That, and when she helped Diluc hide himself as the Darknight Hero.
Even if Diluc seemed to keep to himself, he did care about others. Perhaps, he just had a hard time expressing it.
When Lumine awoke in the morning, the workers of the winery had just begun their work. All eyes seemed to be on her when she sat up on the couch and attempted to fix the messy hair on her head. She ran her fingers through the tangles as she looked around, trying to piece together why everyone was staring. Adelinde gave the answer when she looked Lumine up and down several times. She was in Diluc's clothes.
Adelinde moved over, fixing a stray piece of Lumine's hair with a bit of an awkward smile. "You should head upstairs and see Master Diluc before the other workers get the wrong idea. These ladies love to gossip."
Lumine nodded, pulling the blanket around her tighter before standing up. It was obvious she wasn't wearing her dress under the blanket, but she hoped it would keep eyes off her. She quickly made her way upstairs, standing in front of Diluc's door and knocking three times on the wood.
"Come in."
The door opened with a creak, Lumine standing in the doorway wrapped in a blanket in clothes way too big for her. Diluc turned and looked at her for a moment, humming to himself. "Good morning." His greeting was flat as he continued to make his bed, smoothing out the bed sheets. He was already dressed and that made Lumine feel odd to be the only one in the winery to still be in pajamas. "I hung your dress to dry, it's folded in the bathroom for you."
"Thank you, for everything."
“Oh, it’s nothing. Consider it repayment for helping me and my staff when we’ve asked you.” Diluc turned and straightened his jacket, looking around the room to ensure everything was in place. “Go get changed. You can leave the clothes on my bed and feel free to help yourself to breakfast here. I have to get to Mondstat.”
Diluc closed the bedroom door behind him, leaving Lumine in his bedroom alone. Surely Master Diluc must trust her to leave her in his private quarters, but also maybe not. Lumine changed in the bathroom, leaving the clothes on his bed like instructed before going down the stairs and leaving the winery.
The weather was a large difference to last night, the sun shining brightly onto the vineyard with a breeze swaying in the trees.
At least it wasn’t storming.