Chapter Text
It was another peaceful night in Liyue Harbor. The bustling city noises of people chatting and rattling carts had drowned out, making a place for the silence of the night.
Zhongli had spent the last hour reading but he had put his book away, deciding to stare at the beauty of his sleeping partner instead. It wasn’t every day that Diluc was here, next to him.
Being in a long-distance relationship was hard for both of them and Diluc visited Liyue Harbor whenever he had time. But with how busy he was, ‘whenever he had time’ had become ‘once every six months’. Zhongli was actually the one who forced Diluc to take a break and visit him. He worried about his partner a lot. He was always so busy, and he would always arrive with deep eye bags and skin as pale as the snow in the mountains of Dragonspine.
Diluc didn’t take good care of himself and Zhongli knew it. It worried him every day, and he wished he was able to be by his side in Mondstadt. But even if he was, Diluc was stubborn and often refused to take a break. It was because he had so much work, according to him. But Zhongli knew that Diluc often searched for more work. He was quite a workaholic and hated sitting still, hated not being busy with something.
He hated silence because it triggered his mind to think about everything that had happened.
Even though Diluc would always arrive in Liyue Harbor as a grumpy, stressed mess, he would always leave the city looking much happier and healthier.
Zhongli smiled as he came closer to his partner, pressing a soft kiss on his warm forehead. “Goodnight my firefly,” he whispered and turned around to also fall asleep.
He wished he was able to keep Diluc in Liyue forever, keep him away from the stress of the winery and the places that only manifested negative feelings and memories for Diluc. Maybe, maybe one day that would be possible.
*:･ﾟ✧ 🌙 ✧ﾟ･:*
“Dad… daddy… please, wake up…”
Zhongli opened his eyes and looked to his side. He was met with the sight of his partner, who was mumbling and thrashing around in his sleep.
Diluc’s nightmares always got worse as he left the comfort of his own home and his own bed. So even in the protective arms of his partner Zhongli, his mind found numerous ways to pester him.
“Oh dear, are you having another nightmare?” Zhongli immediately sat up and turned on the dim light that stood on the nightstand next to the bed. He wrapped his arms around Diluc, trying to wake him up. He knew that Diluc’s nightmares would become even more terrifying if he didn’t wake him up.
Diluc’s eyes finally snapped open. He frantically looked around the room with wide eyes. It was only when he focussed on Zhongli that the tears started rolling down his cheeks.
“Deep breaths, Diluc, deep breaths. I’m here,” Zhongli’s voice was soft and gentle as he tightened his arms around the crying redhead. Diluc’s face was buried in his hands as his shoulders shook. This had happened many times before, Zhongli always knew what to do. He gave Diluc the time to calm down and then decided on how to approach him.
“Do you want tea?”
That question seemed to scare Diluc more than anything. He let out a gasp, his eyes which were bloodshot from crying, widening once again.
“W-who are you?”
Zhongli figured that Diluc didn’t recognize him after that terrifying nightmare. That had also happened many times before, but Zhongli noticed that there was something different that time. The tone and pitch of Diluc’s voice were different, but something else about it made him raise concern as well. Maybe it was the confused, scared look in Diluc’s eyes…
“I’m Zhongli, and I’m your partner,” Zhongli figured that the terrifying nightmare was still in Diluc’s mind and that he still needed some time to get back to earth.
But Diluc sat up straight, confusedly looking around the dark room. “Oh… uh- I- don’t- dunno Zhongli… Where’s daddy? And brother Kae?”
That’s when Zhongli realized that this might be very, very wrong.
“Y-your daddy is not here,” the words had already left his lips before he could even fully grasp what was happening.
“W-wha?”
“Daddy will come back soon. U-until then, I will take care of you, okay?”
Diluc stared at Zhongli with wild eyes. It didn’t take long before his lip started quivering and the tears streamed down his cheeks, paired with loud uncontrollable sobs. He stretched his arms and didn’t hesitate to hug Zhongli tight.
Zhongli was frozen as Diluc cried in his chest. He felt Diluc’s hands form fists around the hems of his bathrobe, squeezing wrinkles in the garment. He felt Diluc press his face against him, and he felt the tears wetting the fabric.
He felt it all but still wasn’t able to respond to it.
Maybe it was because he really didn’t know how to respond, he had no idea what was going on with Diluc. All he could think of was that Diluc’s nightmare was specifically graphic and realistic that night and that his brain was still trapped in it.
Responding with words probably wasn’t the right option right now. Everything that Zhongli had said, seemed to confuse Diluc even more. So Zhongli wrapped his arms around his partner’s frame. He hugged him tightly, smiling when he felt how Diluc also tightened his grip around Zhongli.
“It will all be okay,” Zhongli pressed his nose in Diluc’s hair, “it will all be okay. You’re safe with me.” The fear he felt of how he should address Diluc had suddenly left. It didn’t matter, all he wanted was to comfort Diluc. To make him feel like he wasn’t hurting alone.
Diluc didn’t respond, all he did was sob. Sob until his throat hurt and until his nose was so stuffed from the tears that breathing was starting to get harder.
Zhongli watched Diluc swallow. He opened his lips and tried really hard to get the words he wanted to say out, but it all just sounded like sobs and broken syllables. It seemed to frustrate him, as he pouted his lips and furrowed his eyebrows. He met eyes with Zhongli again.
“Take your time,” Zhongli smiled, reaching for Diluc’s hand. “I bet you have a lot of thoughts in your head right now.”
Diluc lowered his head as he bit on his lip. It took a couple more minutes and a couple more broken syllables before he finally was able to speak some words.
“Can… Luc… have milk?”
All Zhongli could do was smile and nod.
*:･ﾟ✧ 🌙 ✧ﾟ･:*
Ever since they had left the bedroom, Diluc hadn’t spoken a single word. He waited on the couch as Zhongli hurried to the kitchen to prepare hot milk.
Zhongli tried to figure out a little more about Diluc’s sudden change of behavior as he was heating up the milk. He really didn’t come across as… as an adult. The way he spoke and even the way he would confusedly look around the room was something Zhongli had never seen before.
Diluc looked up when Zhongli returned to the living room with a mug of steaming hot milk. “Here you go love,” he sat down on the couch, scooting closer to Diluc as he handed him the mug, “your milk.”
Diluc’s with tears-filled eyes stared at the mug in his hands, lip quivering as he tried to find a way to drink the content. Zhongli noticed his struggles and frowned.
“Would you like a straw?”
A short gasp left Diluc’s lips. He met eyes with Zhongli and nodded immediately, newly formed tears finding their way down his blushed cheeks.
Zhongli took the mug away from Diluc again as he figured that his partner might have too much trouble keeping it straight right now, especially with his shaky hands. He placed it on the coffee table and got up again to fetch a bamboo straw from one of the kitchen cupboards.
“Is that better?” he asked after he handed the straw to Diluc, who seemed satisfied as he was able to easily drink his milk now. His sobs became a little softer and he leaned closer to Zhongli, who couldn’t help but run his hands through his gorgeous red curls.
Many thoughts went through his head as he was playing with Diluc’s hair. In all of the centuries he had lived and all of the many lives he had lived in many different bodies, he had never come across this. He wondered what caused Diluc to suddenly act like a child. All he could think of was him not being able to handle it anymore, all of the pain and stress of what had happened many years ago. Maybe he finally broke down.
Zhongli felt a tear run down his cheek as he thought about it. Poor Diluc, always drowning himself in work, trying to run away from his past. He hoped that Diluc was able to relax and unwind a little more, now that he was like this.
Zhongli was quite good at this, he had to admit that to himself. Diluc seemed to relax even more after finishing his warm milk. He had finally stopped sobbing and his hands weren’t shaking as much as before. A relaxed expression had appeared on his face and he looked around, eyes suddenly focussing on the strings that were sewed on the hems of Zhongli’s silk bathrobe. He reached them and chuckled softly as he started playing with them.
Zhongli just watched him, with a content smile on his face. Diluc seemed so happy. So careless, so free. He spotted a sparkle in his red eyes that he hadn’t seen in a very long time.
With a mumbling Diluc on his lap who was playing with the strings of Zhongli’s bathrobe, Zhongli reached for a book that he had left on the coffee table earlier that afternoon. He turned on his reading light and continued his book. He had to admit that he also felt quite relaxed. This wasn’t too bad, he could get used to this.
Zhongli shook up from his book when he realized that he had completely forgotten the time. The chapter he was reading was so interesting. He almost punched himself for forgetting the time and Diluc, who was still in his lap.
But when he looked down, he let out a sigh of relief. Diluc had fallen asleep. One hand still clutched tightly around the strings of the bathrobe, and the other hand close to his face. His thumb lay comfortable between his slightly pouted lips and he quietly sucked on it.
“Oh, Luc,” Zhongli said softly, so soft that Diluc wasn’t able to hear it. He quickly put his book away and caressed Diluc’s soft cheek. But the loving touch of Zhongli immediately woke Diluc up, his tired eyes meeting with Zhongli’s warm ones.
Zhongli laughed. “Oops, sorry love. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
Diluc mumbled some inaudible words around his thumb. He curled himself closer against Zhongli’s body.
“You’re getting really sleepy, aren’t you? What do you think about going back to bed?” Zhongli decided to ask. He didn’t know if Diluc would even understand what he was saying, given the mindset he was in.
But Diluc nodded, taking his thumb out of his mouth as his lips curled into a small smile. “Bed…” he mumbled in a soft tone.
“Alright then. Let’s go,” Zhongli helped Diluc get up. The redhead insisted that he wanted to hold Zhongli’s hand as they went back to their bedroom, and Zhongli really couldn't say no to him.
Who could say no to Diluc?
*:･ﾟ✧ 🌙 ✧ﾟ･:*
Diluc immediately curled himself against Zhongli’s frame when his boyfriend had laid down. It made Zhongli chuckle, and he wrapped one arm around Diluc. The two stayed silent for a couple of minutes until Diluc slowly got up.
“Is something wrong?” Zhongli asked, concerned because of Diluc’s pitiful expression.
“M’ sorry,” the redhead mumbled, eyes filling with tears once again.
“Sorry? Why are you sorry?”
Diluc sobbed softly and lowered his head. “Me acting like this… Don’t wanna embarrass you…”
Zhongli came closer to his boyfriend and wiped his tears with his thumb. “Please don’t worry about that, firefly. You’re not embarrassing me in any way. All I want is for you to feel safe and happy, you know that right?”
“Yeah…” Diluc hummed softly, relaxing against Zhongli again. “I know.”
“As long as you are happy, I don’t mind. Now, let’s sleep. You look tired.”
Diluc nodded, smiling as Zhongli pulled him closer to him and covered him in the blanket that they shared. “I’m a little scared that the dream will come back…” he then whispered.
“I understand. I’m here with you, always. If that dream comes back, I’ll fight it for you, okay?”
“‘Kay,” Diluc’s smile was now paired with soft sobs and tears, which were lovingly wiped from his cheeks by Zhongli.
“I love you Diluc, my firefly. Love you always.”
“I love you too,” Diluc’s words were slightly muffled by his thumb that had found its way to rest in his mouth again. Zhongli gave him one last kiss before he fell asleep, protected by Zhongli’s warmth and love.
Zhongli could only smile as he saw Diluc sleep so peacefully, with his lips pouted and face relaxed. He would usually spot a frown on Diluc’s face if he was asleep, a sign that he was dreaming about something. He knew that Diluc was always busy thinking, even in his sleep. But that night, he didn’t have a frown on his face. His mouth corners were even pulled in a little smile.
It seemed like Diluc was already aware of how he was acting, and Zhongli could only think that this had happened before. He couldn’t imagine Diluc feeling so scared and vulnerable on his own, that must’ve been terrible for him.
He hoped that once Diluc woke up and had left the child-like headspace he was in now, they could have a conversation about it. But now, it was time to sleep. Time to protect his firefly, and keep him safe.