Chapter Text
Light snow swirled about, surrounding the man who trekked up the beaten path of the mountain, the ground softly crunching beneath his boots. He huffed, breath clouding in the air as he briefly stopped to light a torch with his vision. Hovering his hands above the flame, he wondered to himself why he’d been sent to Dragonspine of all places, and completely alone, no less. Stretching his arms out and cracking his joints, Diluc began hiking up the frigid mountain once more.
Briefly, he heard the crunching of footsteps that weren’t his own. He whipped around, instinctively gripping the hilt of his greatsword as he scanned his surroundings.
A man, a good head taller than him, stepped out from a crevice etched into the side of the mountain. Ice-blue hair, glowing earring, and a shark-toothed grin partially obscured by a black and white mask. Archons, not this rat bastard.
“Quite the lovely coincidence to see you here, Ragnvindr.” The Harbinger greeted the redhead, his long coat billowing behind him as he continued forward. Diluc’s grip on his claymore tightened.
“Do not speak to me as though we’re on good terms, Fatui scum.” he scoffed, glaring at the man before him. The visible half of his mouth curled into a toothy smile.
“Aw, don’t be so cold with me, Master Diluc. I’m simply passing through and thought it would be rude of me not to greet someone else wandering these mountains.” Dottore replied, sticking his hands into his coat pockets.
“When you’re a piece of Fatui garbage? Don’t make me laugh.” Diluc spat, narrowing his eyes.
“Come on, a Fatui Harbinger isn’t all that I am, and even then, what difference does it make?” Dottore retorted, cackling. “Besides, what is there to be so tense about? I’m a normal man, just like you!”
“Maybe the fact that you conduct unethical experiments on other people regularly… I feel as though that’s enough to make a difference. Don’t compare yourself to me so loosely.” The redhead countered, although he loosened his grip on the hilt of his claymore. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the icy-haired man was shivering. The pyro wielder grinned.
“You’re shivering. Is it the cold, or could you be scared of something?” Diluc jeered, prompting Dottore to sigh sharply, crossing his arms over his chest.
“It’s cold. Of course it’s goddamn cold. What would I even be scared of right now?” he spat, seemingly trying to defend himself.
The redhead let out a brief chuckle, striding towards the taller man and producing a single bout of flame from his hand. “There’s a small campsite a bit further up the mountain, if you’re so cold.” Holding his hand out from his body, he gestured it towards Dottore and began walking up the path. The Harbinger followed close behind him, glancing down at the other man’s hand every few steps. Noticing these glances, he added: “Don’t even think about holding my hand, or I’ll scorch your entire arm off, got it?” Dottore nodded, wincing.
What the hell am I doing, walking with this Fatui scum, of all people? Diluc questioned, only to ignore it and keep hiking forward.
Eventually they reached the campsite, Diluc touching his hand down on a small pile of firewood, lighting it. Dottore sat down, hovering his large, bony hands above the fire the other man had produced, cracking the stiff joints in his knuckles. It seemed so wrong, a man that Diluc had felt so bitter towards for all these years was sitting next to him, warming his hands on a fire that he had made.
“So…” The redhead began, hoping to break the agonizing silence that had fallen between them, “Why are you even out here in the first place?”
“Why should I tell you that? It’s private business.” the Harbinger replied, glancing towards the man on his right. “It’s research, that’s all I’ll tell you, Ragnvindr. Now why are you here?”
“The knights needed me to do something, though I’m not even a knight. They told me I had to do it because nobody else would be able to, it’s probably because of my vision.” Diluc replied, staring blankly into the fire in front of him. Why was he telling him this?
Feeling a pair of blood-red eyes bearing into him, he briefly glanced to his left, locking eyes with the Harbinger for a split second before he quickly tore his eyes away as if he was embarrassed.
How cute… wait- what the fuck? What am I on about? Diluc wanted to kick himself.
“That said, you should probably get back to your research, Dotty. ” the pyro wielder said, visibly cringing at the nickname that just left his mouth.
“I’ve actually already got the information I need, thank you. And… don’t call me that.” Dottore replied, though with less edge to his words than the redhead anticipated.
“If you’re already done, why are you still here?”
The masked man was silent for a few beats before answering: “It’s cold. The fire’s warm.”
Diluc wasn’t buying it. If Dottore wanted warmth he could have just left Dragonspine and returned to the hotel where the Fatui were stationed in Mondstadt. Could the Harbinger have been searching for him specifically, and if so, for what reason? Was he hoping to lure him in and capture him, or even just eliminate him right then and there? The redhead weighed the possibilities in his mind, only to be snapped out of his daze by the blue-haired man beside him standing up.
“Actually, you’re right. I should be heading back. Au revoir, Ragnvindr!” Dottore called, waving a hand behind him. Diluc just grunted in response. Just who does this Fatui bastard think he is?
-
Nice going you fucking idiot, acting like that around Diluc fucking Ragnvindr.
Dottore thought to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. Snow fell quietly around him as he walked, the Harbinger internally screaming at himself.
Am I, an esteemed member of the Fatui Harbingers, seriously falling for a man that likely hates my guts? A man whose father I possibly assisted in murdering? Seriously? I’m supposed to be better than this.
…
Archons, he’s beautiful.