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Tired couldn’t even begin to describe the way Diluc felt when he arrived back at the winery, the early morning sun making the landscape around the estate almost gold.
The trees and young grapes clinging to their trellises swayed gently in the breeze, the whistling wind most pleasant as he walked up the familiar path. He could hear the water down by the lake splashing against the rocks, though it was ultimately drowned out by the singing birds and thunderous crash of the waterfall.
Diluc sighed, running a hand through his hair so that the ponytail he kept it in came free.
Now he could only hope the house was sleeping heavily enough, for he wouldn’t want to disturb their rest with his rather unpunctual arrival.
His hands moved to unlock the front door and he pushed it open, thankful when the lights in the common area were still dark. It would mean he came home before Adelinde decided to attend to her household chores, a whispered apology leaving his lips as he dropped his coat and weapon in the foyer. Not a peep was heard as he went through the process of throwing open the curtains, a soft, yellowed light bleeding into the room.
It was only then that he heard the wood creak on the second floor, looking up to find the rather tired face of his adopted daughter.
“Diona,” he said, mildly surprised to see her and not Razor.
The child visibly bristled at the use of her name, rubbing sleep away from her eyes before more or less stomping down the steps. He watched, amused, as she fixed her nightdress, the fluffy pink hair atop her head messed from a night’s rest.
“You were gone all night, y’know,” complained the girl, hands on hips as her bright gaze found his. “I tried to stay up, as a matter of fact, we all did, but you know those three oafs,” Diona said grumpily. She crossed her arms, frowning. “A day’s worth of adventuring and they were knocked out before the turn of the hour.”
The man smothered the smile that threatened to bloom at the thought of the elder ones trying to stay awake for his sake.
Diona didn’t allow him to interject, however.
“And so then it was just me, but I couldn’t deal with Bennett’s ridiculous snoring in my room so I waited up in yours,” she continued, and if looks could kill, Diluc felt as if he might’ve died two times over. “But then I fell asleep, can you believe that!” She looked quite perturbed at this revelation, shaking herself as her ears stood at a point. “I felt bad at first, after all, you’d need help with all your cuts ‘n bruises since Adelinde had already gone to bed, but then when I woke up, you still weren’t there!”
She made a show in portraying her exasperation, closing the distance between them to prod at his side. Diluc winced, scowling at the girl. Of course, she knew where the only wound he sustained was.
“It’s alright to sleep, Diona,” he said after the pain subsided, gesturing for her to follow him to the sitting area. “I know how to tend to myself. I don’t need you to do that for me.”
This seemed to bother her a bit, the ticked expression she wore cracking for but a moment as she sat next to him on the sofa.
“But I did that for Dad all the time when he couldn’t do it himself,” she said flatly. “It only makes sense for me to help you too now that you’re taking care of me.” He didn’t like the way she stated it as an indisputable fact.
“I don’t think that will be necessary, Diona,” he replied, a bit firmer than before as his brows furrowed together. “I am not your father and so I won’t require the same treatment you gave him.” At her confusion, he realized he worded that rather poorly, tapping his thigh in thought. “No, let me rephrase that… I am not your father. I don’t drink as he did and I don’t hunt though it was his trade. That aside, I am your caretaker, though pay close attention to my words.”
Diona nodded, the frown long gone and replaced with genuine curiosity and intrigue.
“I am your caretaker. It’s not the other way around,” he told her, finding comfort in the way she relaxed. “It’s my job to make sure you’re happy and healthy during your time here at the winery. The same goes for Bennett, Fischl, and Razor, though unlike them, you really are my responsibility.”
He reached forward to ruffle her hair, an easy smile on his lips.
“I don’t need you to take care of me, Diona. I’m quite alright as I am now.”
She reached up to catch the hand on her head when she deemed his affection too much, pouting as she turned away from him. He knew she wouldn’t say it, but he could tell she was relieved, her feet kicking nothing but air as the two sat in the silence born out of the wee hours of the day.
After a minute, Diona spoke.
“I’m happy to hear that, Master Diluc,” she said quietly, and though the formalities surprised him, he didn’t comment on it. She only adopted the habit when she was stumped with what to say, after all.
Any reply he had for her died on his tongue when Razor suddenly appeared beside them, startling Diona to a ridiculous degree as she shrieked.
The feline stood then, shaking her finger at the boy, completely uncaring of the man caught in the middle of the fray.
“You!” She yelled, furious. “You can’t keep, keep walking up on people! It’s way too creepy and it always gives me a fright!”
Razor only blinked at her, and Diluc sighed when he heard a thud upon the floor above. Bennett probably fell out of his bed again.
“Good morning, Diona,” said the silver-haired boy, completely unconcerned with the girl’s frustrations. “Good morning, Diluc,” he said to him, and the older one raised his hand in a tired greeting.
“And now you’re ignoring--!” Diluc watched as she clenched her fists, eyes shut as she forced herself to calm down. And then she huffed, patting her dress down again before shuffling over to Razor to give him a hug. “Never mind. G’morning, Razor,” she said glumly, and Diluc did everything in his power to stifle his laughter at her scandalized expression when Razor hugged her back.
At that moment, Adelinde passed through the door just as Fischl decided to descend the steps with Bennett hot on her heels.
The morning quiet was all but a memory now, though Diluc found he didn’t mind, smiling kindly at his head maid when she passed her hands through his hair, reminiscent of the way she did when he was young. He preferred his house this lively anyway, gibes and teases tossed to and fro as he willed his eyes to drift shut, the sleep he put off for so long finally seeping into his weary bones.
(he found it easier to rest when the loudest noise one heard was anything but the troubles that plagued the mind)
FIN