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Two years ago Diluc Ragnvindr might have considered today to be just a normal one. He’d go on with his day, either staying and tending to the Angel’s Share when it was his shift or simply being at his office in Dawn Winery to sign documents that came from wineries in different nations or merchants that wanted to do business with him.
When he was done with that, he’d often go around doing reconnaissance for possible threats around Mondstadt that the Knights of Favonius weren’t aware of. Then, of course, he’d go on with his nightly activities as the Dark Knight Hero. Diluc let out a sigh at the thought. He'd been doing his nightly activities for over 2 years now and he still couldn't get over that ridiculous nickname.
He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be distracted, he had something, or rather someone that he wanted to find. Right now he was walking from Dawn Winery and heading to Mondstadt.
Ever since last year, October the 25th had become a notable day for him, since it was the birthday of the Knights of Favonius’ Reconnaissance Captain Eula Lawrence. The memory of their dance in Dragonspine was still as clear as day to him, and he couldn't forget how their steps flowed almost seamlessly together.
Diluc couldn't help but smile a bit as he recalled that event. It was by chance that he had finished patrolling Dragonspine after hearing of Abyss activity when he found the Lawrence outcast dancing gracefully in the field. It was a rather… amusing situation, really. Diluc still had his claymore out and got so entranced by her dancing that he forgot to put it away. It resulted in a quick misunderstanding with Eula assuming that he was there to assassinate her.
Fortunately, Diluc managed to explain the situation properly and promptly got treated to a coat and some warm milk when Eula noticed his shivering.
Eula catching him that day wasn't something he'd anticipated to happen, but what truly astounded him was when she took her 'vengeance' on him by making him dance with her.
It was one of the few instances that Diluc was thankful for that he could dance relatively well, as he matched Eula’s steps with little effort. He couldn’t stop the smile threatening to form on his face at the memory, the two of them acting like they had a world of their own. They tangoed in the snow and held each other that time, solely focused on one another as they moved together like long-time dance partners.
It was a great experience, being able to dance like that again. The last time he had danced like that was when he would eagerly approached his mother after seeing her move so gracefully with his father. As befitting of someone who was 'perfect in every way' according to the people of Mondstadt, he had become quite skillful for a 5-year-old. It was also because his mother was a good teacher.
Unfortunately, it was a year later when his mother would pass from a terminal disease. He was still quite young at that time, and he couldn't fully comprehend why his father locked himself in the master bedroom for 3 days after that event. But the past is the past. Right now, he couldn't afford to let bitter memories distract him today. He had a blue-haired woman to find.
He hadn’t forgotten his promise from last year. He had invited Eula to his tavern after she had spent time with Amber, Lumine, and Paimon. But due to a sudden meeting about a deal with a renowned merchant from Natlan he couldn’t meet her personally and hand her his gift. It was a regretful occurrence, but this meeting could better relations between the two nations, something that would benefit his beloved Mondstadt greatly.
The Ragnvindr was truly grateful to have Charles as a worker, who was gracious enough to hand his present to Eula instead along with the letter of apology he had prepared.
Diluc had given her a rare bottle of wine from Fontaine that he had taken from his father’s personal storage along with a letter telling her he’d make it up to her on her next birthday, which was today. He was fully intent on fulfilling that promise today no matter the cost, but not before bringing Eula to the surprise party that the knights had planned.
Previously Diluc wouldn't have gone to these lengths to fulfill a promise, especially to a knight AND a Lawrence. But after that event in Dragonspine, Diluc's had made a more conscious effort to get to know her better, dropping his aloof facade around her whenever they spoke. It initially started with small talk in the tavern whenever they saw each other, which soon turned into conversations at a different place around Mondstadt.
The Ragnvindr learned a lot more about the Lawrence woman in the following months, from her harsh upbringing, how she attained the Glacial Crest at roughly the same age he became Cavalry Captain, all the way to Mondstadt’s unjust treatment of her. To this day, it didn’t fail to anger him at the thought of such a tender and kind woman being treated like garbage for something she had no control over when she was born. He took in a deep breath and clenched his fist to calm himself down. He needed to focus on finding her.
Though one might be wondering, how exactly did he end up in his current situation?
*****
2 weeks ago…
With his shift at the tavern done, Diluc was getting ready to go back to the winery when Amber first approached him, trying to put on an innocent facade. But having journeyed around Teyvat and learning how to read people’s body language, he could see right through Eula’s best friend like an open book. That’s when she asked him this question.
“Hiya Master Diluc!” Amber began as she approached him gleefully. The Ragnvindr heir blinked twice craning his head to look at her due to their height difference.
“Ah, Outrider Amber. How might I help you today?”
From the way Amber was acting, it looked like she could barely contain her excitement. She giggled as she spoke to him.
“You’ve been getting really friendly with Eula lately, huh?” Amber said as she wiggled her eyebrows. Diluc was thankful that he was highly skilled at hiding his emotions, and the fact that his blazing red hair hid his ears. For whatever reason, the words that Amber was insinuating made his ears heat up. He narrowed his eyes at her before letting out a grunt and began walking away from her.
Realizing her mistake, Amber quickly grabbed at the sleeve of his coat. Diluc shot her an annoyed look before the Outrider smiled at him, albeit sheepishly. The wine tycoon sighed.
“Alright, talk. But this had better be worth my time.”
Amber shuffled a bit before clearing her throat. “Umm, so I don’t know if you are aware of this Master Diluc, but Eula’s birthday is in 2 weeks. Me, Acting Grandmaster Jean, Kaeya, Lisa, Mika along with some of the reconnaissance company knights are organizing a surprise birthday celebration for her. We were thinking of writing letters for her birthday, and I was wondering if you could write one for her too?”
Diluc thought that it was a nice thing to do for her. So his answer came naturally.
“I don’t mind. I can get started on it when I get home. Though to who should I give it to when I’m done writing it?”
“You can give it to me when you’re finished!” Amber beamed at him. Diluc just nodded at her answer before moving on to his next question.
“By the way, do you already have things planned out? Like a time and venue for the party?”
“Oh…” Amber began sheepishly. “We haven’t thought of a venue yet. But I'm sure we can think of something! Maybe the Knights of Favonius mess hall will do.”
The last time Diluc checked, the mess hall was often filled with knights. Loud, even messy at times. Not an ideal place to host a surprise birthday party. No, he wasn’t saying this out of a petty jab at the knights. Not at all.
“If that’s the case…” Diluc said as he rubbed his chin in contemplation. “Then I guess I can reserve the tavern for her in the afternoon. 2 weeks is a pretty lengthy time to get preparations done and to make an announcement that the tavern will be temporarily unavailable, but let’s not get complacent and slack off.”
“Splendid!” Amber said excitedly as she clapped her hands together. “I’ll tell the Acting Grandmaster about this. Though… ” Amber trailed off as a mischievous grin began forming on the young knight’s face. Just the sight of it made Diluc feel like he was about to have a migraine.
“Master Diluc, I’d like to request one more thing, if you don’t mind?” The sickly sweet smile Amber was giving him made him want to groan, but he resisted the urge.
“Alright, what is it that you want me to do?”
“If it isn’t too much to ask, can you be the one to find and take Eula to the tavern for the surprise party?”
Being the one to bring Eula was a simple enough request on its own, yet why did Diluc feel like it was such a gargantuan task for him?
“Uh, why me exactly?” Diluc questioned with a raised brow at the Outrider. The way she was acting was really making her look suspicious to him. Amber just grinned at him.
“Nothing, really. But I’ve been noticing that you’ve been getting nicer to Eula, even growing closer to her. Don’t you think this would be the perfect opportunity to deepen your bonds with one another?”
Diluc stared at her blankly, trying to come up with an excuse. When nothing came up, he simply ran his hand through his hair.
“Fine, I’ll do it.”
*****
Eula found it odd that it seemed like she couldn’t find any of the knights that she was friends with today. Considering it was her birthday today and she was given a leave by Jean herself, she did find it mildly upsetting that almost all of them, Amber included seemed to have forgotten about it.
She was currently standing right in front of her apartment, having been to the Knights of Favonius headquarters earlier. When she inquired about the whereabouts of Amber and Mika, she got really vague answers from the knights that she asked. Needless to say, she wasn’t pleased. How dare they pull a prank on her birthday of all days. Hmph. She was surely going to find them and exact vengeance by making them have dinner with her.
Finally fishing her key out of her uniform, she allowed herself in and locked the door behind her and sat down on her couch. She stared into space for a bit, at a loss as to what she should do. Typically Amber and Mika would have prepared something for her already, but for whatever reason, they forgot today. Maybe they’re preparing something for later? Who knows. The woman just let out a sigh as she then lay down on her couch and stared at the ceiling, already getting bored with every passing second. Eula scanned her living room in hopes of finding something to stave off her boredom. Her eyes then landed on the wine bottle that she had placed on a shelf, the same bottle of wine that Diluc had given her on her birthday last year.
Even now, it never failed to make her smile whenever she remembered that time they danced together in Dragonspine. She really shouldn’t have been so surprised that Diluc was a great dancer, since it was part of the things nobles thought. But the way he effortlessly kept up with her moves impressed the Lawrence noble.
Still, that wasn’t really the highlight of dance for her. Even now she wasn’t sure what it was that stood out for her: The intensity and determination in his eyes as he danced with her, or the way he held her, with such firmness and gentleness without an ounce of disgust at holding someone with the blood of Lawrence.
Just thinking about it made her heart beat faster and a warm feeling bloom in her chest. But Eula stamped the feeling away as she scoffed at herself. It was silly. She was acting like a schoolgirl with a crush. Besides, she was satisfied with where her relationship with Diluc currently stood at.
Ever since their encounter in Dragonspine, Diluc had made an effort to drop his cold demeanor around her, being more willing to entertain her small talk whenever they managed to see each other in his tavern. It began with simple greetings, which turned into random conversations about the abyss, noble traditions, and so on.
But eventually, they would reach a point where they would go out together as they got more comfortable with each other. It then culminated with Diluc no longer afraid to be seen with her, which of course sparked quite a bit of rumors between them.
Eula snickered at the thought of Mondstadt women kicking and screaming at the possibility of their uncrowned king having a relationship with the resident Lawrence outcast. But that didn’t really compare to finally getting to know what kind of person he really was. Deep down, the Spindrift Knight saw a gentle and tender soul who only had everyone’s best interests at heart. He was thoughtful and paid attention to little details about the people closest to him. Besides that, he understood her plight as someone with the name of Lawrence, and had become a bit more vocal with his defense of her whenever she got treated unfairly.
With that, she also came to discover that his aloofness was a cover for something traumatic that happened on his birthday, but she was in no rush to figure that out. She’d let him tell her when he felt like he was ready.
All this thinking about the Ragnvindr heir got her wondering what he was up to.
“Does he remember that today is my birthday?” Eula asked herself. “I guess if I can’t find Amber or Mika, it wouldn’t hurt to go looking for him.”
Before Eula could think more about her potential plans, a knock on her door grabbed her attention. “Who could that be?”
She got off the couch and made her way to the door, unlocking everything save for the chain. As if on queue, she found the Ragnvindr standing on her front porch. Seems like she didn’t have to waste time looking for him anymore.
“Oh, Diluc. What do I owe you the pleasure of this visit?” Eula asked as she quickly undid the chain and motioned for him to come in. The redhead politely declined, and leaned against her door.
“Of course besides the obvious happy birthday, I was wondering if you had any plans today?”
Eula had to hide behind her door so that Diluc couldn’t see the blush that appeared on her face.
“I-is he asking me out on a date? Damn it, get it together Eula! This is just Diluc. Don’t make things weird and no need to feel so jumpy.”
When Eula didn’t answer him, Diluc began calling out to her. “Eula? Are you alright?”
“Yes, yes, I’m alright. I just remembered something.” she responded as she appeared in front of him. “But to answer your previous question, I really don’t have any plans for today. I did intend on finding Amber and Mika, but my search hasn’t been successful so far.”
Diluc nodded in understanding. “Wanna have some lunch over at the Angel’s Share? I left my gift for you there too.”
Eula looked at him with a confused look. “Wait, I thought the tavern was rented out today. Aren’t there going to be a lot of people there?” Diluc simply laughed at her in response.
“It’s my tavern, Miss Lawrence. I can do what I want with it.” the Ragnvindr said nonchalantly. Eula cracked a grin at his response.
“Smug bastard.”
“You know it.”
The two of them laughed at their conversation as Eula proceeded to get out of her apartment and locked the door behind her. She started walking right beside Diluc as they began making their way towards the Angel’s Share.
“You know,” Eula began as she continued walking with Diluc, kicking stray pebbles away with her boot. “I do find it strange that Amber and Mika have been missing all day. Usually, they’d be the first ones to greet me on my birthday.” Diluc hummed in understanding.
“Huh, maybe they're getting your gift ready?” Diluc offered to her. Eula just shrugged at him.
“Well, that might be possible. But I won’t figure out unless I find them. Would you be down to help me find them after we eat lunch?” Eula offered to him. Diluc just nodded in affirmation.
“I don’t see why not. Today’s one of the rare days where my workload is light.”
Eula smirked upon hearing his words. “Maybe it’s Barbatos telling you to spend more time with me.”
The redhead beside her let out a pleasant laugh. She could get used to hearing that laugh all day if she were being perfectly honest. Soon enough, the two of them found themselves standing in front of the Angel’s Share which was unsurprisingly empty. The chalkboard had the word ‘Reserved’ spelled out in all capital letters.
“Ah, before I forget,” Diluc said as he pulled out a white handkerchief from his pocket. “I’m gonna need you to put this on. Don’t want to spoil my surprise gift for you yet.”
Eula pouted cutely at him as she let out a huff. “Seriously Diluc? Is your gift really that special that you need me blindfolded?”
“Yes.” he replied in a deadpan manner. Letting out another huff, she let him put on the blindfold around her eyes. Diluc couldn’t help but smile at her as she never once stopped pouting.
“”How are you so adorable?”
Diluc then took her by the hand to guide her to the tavern’s doors. He then knocked on the door 3 times to let the inhabitants know that he was there with the special guest. After a few seconds, he opened the door and ushered Eula inside. After a brief moment of silence, it was as if the tavern suddenly came to life.
“SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY EULA!!!”
The loud chorus of yells prompted Eula to hurriedly take off her blindfold as she was greeted by the sight of not just Amber and Mika, but Jean, Kaeya, Lisa, her reconnaissance company, and even Venti. There were selections of various delectable dishes on the table that would leave quite a bit of leftovers for everyone. Everyone then started approaching her and gave her various greetings and hugs.
The overwhelming affection she was getting from her friends was too much for her and she let tears of joy streak down her cheeks. She would have forgotten that Diluc was right there next to her had he not taken out a handkerchief and begun drying her tears.
She was then greeted with the sight of one of his rare smiles, a smile that women in Mondstadt would kill to see and one that made her heart skip a beat. Eula couldn’t stop the laughter that came out of her as she gave him a playful punch in response and gave him a tight hug. She let out a content sigh when she felt him return the hug, content to feel his warmth.
“Come on, let’s eat. I’m starving here.” Diluc said jokingly as he pulled away from her hug. This caused her to giggle at the man whom she followed towards the trays of food. Apparently, the food was prepared by Adelinde and the other maids and servants over at Dawn Winery. So it really came as no one’s surprise that the food was absolutely top-notch.
Eula really had to give Adelinde her “vengeance” the next time she saw her.
Somewhere along the way, Diluc had slipped away from the table to take his post behind the bar counter. He had begun mixing different drinks for everyone based on their preferences and serving them. This was truly a birthday celebration to behold.
Everything went by like a blur as everyone simply had fun. From exchanging stories, dancing, and more. Having Venti sing various songs was a plus, and she found it rather amusing when he sang a song making fun of the Lawrences and their backward thinking.
Eula couldn’t remember a time when she had such a joyous occasion, especially when she didn’t really put too much thought into her birthday. But with how much fun it was combined with the affection she was receiving, she didn’t mind having occasions like this more often.
Somewhere along the line, Amber had taken to getting everyone’s attention as it looked like she was going to announce something important.
“Hey everyone!” Amber said, almost shouting. “I’d really like to thank everyone’s participation here! Thanks to everyone’s efforts, Eula’s surprise party turned out great.”
Amber then turned to face her best friend. “And Eula, I don’t care how many times I’ve told you this, but I am truly grateful to be your best friend. You’re like a sister I’ve never had, ya know?”
The Outrider grinned at the Spindrift knight, with the latter giving her a thankful smile. Everyone began cheering, obviously happy at having given Eula a well-deserved celebration. The sight of it even provoked another rare smile on Diluc’s face. Though that smile was short-lived as suddenly Amber laid her eyes on him.
“Of course, none of this would be possible if Master Diluc hadn’t so graciously lent the tavern to us!” Amber said excitedly, a mischievous grin on her face as he was suddenly put on the spotlight.
“Come on Master Diluc, say something!”
The wine master suddenly felt his ears heat up as everyone began looking at him, waiting for him to say something. Diluc swallowed a lump as just about everyone had an expectant look at him. He just sighed and started to think of what to say.
“As much as I criticize the Knights of Favonius as an organization, even I have to admit that it has its fair share of competent members. Without them, I’m pretty sure that the knights wouldn’t be as effective as they were today.”
Diluc paused a bit as he pondered his next words, looking around at every knight present. It wasn’t until he locked eyes with Eula that he found the next words he wanted to say.
“From what I’ve seen, Captain Eula is among the most capable of the knights. Her dedication to keeping Mondstadt safe despite her unfortunate surname and less-than-pleasant treatment from its citizens is truly commendable. I’d say a lot of you can learn from her example.” Diluc finally finished, making sure to look Kaeya in the eye as he said his last sentence.
Cheering erupted once more in the tavern as everyone went back to having fun. After a few more hours, everyone finally had their fill as the guests in the tavern slowly left one by one. Among the last to leave were Jean, Lisa, Kaeya, Mika, and Amber, with the latter giving Eula a sack filled with the letters written by the knights. Soon, it reached a point where the only people left in the tavern were Diluc and Eula.
“You know,” Diluc started saying as he cleaned up some of the tables with a damp cloth. “You don’t have to help me out with the cleaning.”
“Nonsense. I want to do this, and you are not changing my mind.” the female knight said with finality in her tone. Diluc just sighed as he dropped it. Eula could be infuriatingly stubborn when she wanted.
Considering that there were two people who were cleaning up the tavern, it took them half the time to finish. Once Diluc was happy with the state of the entire place, he finally exited with Eula and locked the doors.
“Ah yes, before I forget.” Diluc said as he took out a small box from his pocket. Eula had seen similar boxes before, and if she had to guess it was most likely jewelry. Her guess was later proven right as Diluc took out a beautiful silver necklace that had a striking Sapphire attached to it. She let Diluc go behind her so he could put the accessory around her neck. Once he had finished linking the chain together, he observed her again.
“So, what do you think?” Diluc asked her. Eula gently grabbed the necklace and observed the shining jewel on it. Being a noble, the knight knew had a degree of knowledge when it came to telling authentic jewelry from artificial ones. She was confident that what Diluc had gotten her was real Sapphire.
“It’s lovely, Diluc. Simplistic, but striking enough to catch someone’s attention. Thank you.” Eula said with a smile, Diluc himself returning the gesture. “You’re welcome Eula.”
The two of them began walking around aimlessly away from the tavern in silence except for the soft sounds of the bag of letters making contact with Eula’s thigh. They weren’t really sure where to go. While it was evening already, it was still fairly early to go to bed. Eventually, the two of them found themselves at the gate of Mondstadt where they received nods of acknowledgment from the knights on guard duty.
“I have to ask,” Eula said to break the silence between them. “Where did you get this necklace?”
“Oh that?” Diluc said as he took another glance Eula’s new accessory. “I bought it from a business trip to Fontaine a month ago. I wasn’t exactly sure what to get you that time, but seeing the necklace I guess something told me to get if for you.”
“Heh. It’s a good thing I liked it, yes?” Eula said teasingly. Diluc just laughed at her and kept walking forward. Soon, the two of them found themselves on top of a cliff that gave a gorgeous view of Mondstadt’s nightlife. The light shone brightly and gave it a rather calming ambiance.
“It’s times like these where I remember why I would gladly give my life to protect Mondstadt.” Diluc said as he sat down on a patch of grass. “My father and mother love this city, and I guess it rubbed off on me too.”
Eula stayed silent as she hummed in silent agreement as she made herself comfortable right beside Diluc. They observed the city in companionable silence, the gentle breeze of the wind.
“You know, you’ve never really told me where you learned to dance so well.” Eula remarked, breaking the silence. She waited for Diluc’s answer, but his lack of a response caught her attention. When she looked at him, she suddenly regretted asking her question since his face had a somber expression.
“I’m… I’m sorry I asked that Diluc. Let’s just drop it if you’re uncomfortable.” Eula said in an attempt to lift his mood. Though Diluc shook his head and stared at the night sky.
“For as long as I could remember, my mother Lia…” Diluc began but choked up slightly. Eula was about to tell him to not continue if it made him uncomfortable, but he beat her to it and regained his composure.
“My mother was an avid dancer in her youth according to my father. He said that she was the most graceful woman he’s laid his eyes upon, part of the reason why he fell hard for her.”
By this point, Eula was giving Diluc her undivided attention, eager to learn more about his late mother. He continued on with his reminiscing.
“I was around 5 when I first saw my mother dancing with father,” Diluc said with a fond smile. “I was so amazed at the sight of them dancing that I approached them immediately to learn the waltz. Soon enough, my mother had begun teaching me everything she knew, from the waltz to the tango.”
Again, Diluc took some time to compose himself as he felt his eyes begin to get wet. Seeing this, Eula placed a hand on top of his and gave it a comforting squeeze.
“In a year, I’d learned everything I could from her. When I wasn’t busy practicing swordplay, I’d spend time dancing with her. But come August of that year, she fell terminally ill with a rare disease.”
“The doctor told us that she had a month to live, and it devastate my father. As I was a mere child when that happened, we didn’t really understand what was happening. But looking back, we both wish we could have spent time with her.”
By that point, Diluc couldn’t hold the tears back anymore as he just let a single one run down his cheek. Eula felt her heart break for him, and she wished she could do something for him. But from the looks of it, Diluc still had one last thing to say about his mother.
“From time to time, I do practice her favorite dance to honor her memory. It will forever remain to be one of my fondest memories of her, and it’s really the least I can do for her.”
“That’s such a sweet thing of you to do, Diluc.”
“Yeah…” Diluc said as he looked up at the night sky. “I… I’m sorry you had to see me like this.” Diluc began as he started wiping away the tears in his eyes, only for Eula to beat him to it. He let her wipe his cheeks dry with her handkerchief. “I’ve probably ruined your good mood for today with my mother’s life.”
“No, not at all.” Eula said. “From your description alone, I feel like we would have gotten along well.”
“Definitely.” Diluc added.
Eula gave him a tender look. Diluc was truly a man filled with kindness and gentleness, and she didn’t want him to wear that sad smile any longer. So, she got up and got in front of Diluc with her hand stretched out.
“Come, dance with me.” Eula said as she held out her hand expectantly. Diluc looked at her with a puzzled expression, not sure what to do. The knight kept didn’t relent, and that’s where Diluc got the signal and finally took her hand.
“Dance is a very noble and special thing to me, you know? It’s my one escape from the harshness of having been burdened with such a terrible family name. And it’s probably one of the few traditions that I would love to keep.”
Diluc let out a hum as he once again let Eula take the lead in their dance. Unlike the one they had in Dragonspine, this one was a slow waltz. Gentle, tender, and even a bit romantic. They gently swayed in the grassy field, almost in tune with the sway of the grass against the wind.
They maintained the pace, content with how they were going. Soon enough, Eula had rested her head against Diluc’s chest. He on the other hand rested one hand on her hip.
The slow waltz that they were currently doing reminded Diluc of the more intimate dances his parents would do, and the thought of it brought a certain calmness to him.
The two simply kept the gentle sway for a few minutes, content with holding the other like that.
“They say that a dance of celebration on one’s birthday is a way of bestowing blessings from one’s ancestors.” Eula began to say. “It’s for that reason that I ‘d like to keep this tradition alive.”
Diluc hummed softly. “That sounds pleasant.” Eula agreed. “Indeed. I guess this means we’ve just let our ancestors bestow their blessings upon us, eh? Well, at hopefully my decent ancestors.”
The two of them shared a laugh as they finally separated from one another and sat down again on the grass. They let a comfortable silence come over them again as they took to watching Mondstadt again from where they sat, the city looking radiant as ever.
“You know, when I begin to question myself as to why I protect Mondstadt, this view,” Eula gestured to the city in front of them. “It reminds me why I chose to forsake my family and become a Knight of Favonius.”
Hearing her words, Diluc held back his tongue from saying a backhanded comment about the knights. “And Mondstadt is better off thanks to you.”
“Is it really?” Eula remarked as she hugged her legs closer to her chest. “It really seems like no matter what I do, the harsh reality will always be that my family name will forever stain me as a human being.”
“It’s not fair you know,” Eula began as her voice cracked slightly. “I never asked to be born as a Lawrence.”
“If only people would stop seeing me for my name alone and just took the time to see me for who I am, maybe they’d see I’m not a monster.”
It was at this point that Diluc closed whatever gap was between them and wrapped an arm around Eula, holding the slightly trembling woman and giving her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder.
“Keep doing what you’re doing Eula. I’m sure one day the people of Mondstadt will stop seeing you as Eula Lawrence, and see you as Eula, the noble Spindrift Knight, defender of Mondstadt.”
“And what if they don’t?” Eula asked him bitterly.
Diluc let out a scoff. “Well, if the people of Mondstadt won’t stop their harsh treatment of you because of your name, then I wouldn’t hesitate to let you take up the Ragnvindr name if that’s what it took to get them to back off.”
Eula’s eyes widened as she felt her cheeks turn red at Diluc’s words. Suddenly, her heart felt like it was beating a hundred times per minute. She wasn’t exactly sure if Diluc was aware of what he just said, but regardless it got her thinking.
“Eula… Ragnvindr?”
“D-Diluc?” Eula stuttered out. She silently cursed herself at having lost her composure and took a breath to calm herself down. The man in question was now looking at her with a quizzical look. The woman cleared her throat and began to speak.
“Diluc Ragnvindr,” It caught Diluc off guard when he heard her say his full name. “You do know that you just implied that you would marry me, right?”
The Ragnvindr was confused at first, but as he began to think of his words earlier, only now did he realize what he just said.
“Nice one, Diluc…” he remarked sarcastically at himself. He slowly took his arm off of Eula and placed them on his knees. He just opted to look at the moon to hopefully get rid of the awkwardness he had unintentionally caused.
The clear night sky gave them an unobstructed view of the moon and stars. It was truly a gorgeous evening, the white, radiant sphere shining brightly above the two nobles that couldn't help but gaze at its beauty. Seeing Eula fully immersed, Diluc took this as an opportunity to admire her. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that Eula was beautiful, but the beam of moonlight that shone on her made her look absolutely breathtaking.
Diluc shook his head as he regained his composure. It wouldn’t be polite of him to just stare so blatantly at a woman, especially as a nobleman. So he did exactly what Eula was doing and admired the full moon.
“I’m so glad to have spent time with you today, Diluc.” Eula said softly as she reached for one hand and held it, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.” He just smiled at the woman.
“Anything for you, Eula.”
They stayed like that for a while, simply enjoying each other’s company as they sat in comfortable silence. Letting a few more minutes pass, Eula finally let go of Diluc’s hand and stood up. Diluc followed suit shortly and just waited for her to do something.
Having spent time with Diluc like this gave Eula an epiphany. But was it worth taking the risk at all? She’s only been friends with him for over a year at most, and she knew that what she would be doing could potentially destroy all that they’d built up together.
"Diluc close your eyes. I've got something I want to give to you." Eula said as she faced him. The redhead looked at him with raised brows.
"What could I have done to possibly merit a gift from you? But let me stop you right there. Today's your special day, and I wanted to help you celebrate it properly so I helped with the surprise party. There's no need for you to give me anything, Eula."
The knight scoffed at his words. "Well if you say it like that, then since it's still my birthday, I command you to close your eyes. I'm going to give you something very special."
Diluc’s widened at the woman’s audacity as Eula wore a victorious grin on her face at having used his own words against him. While he could simply drop it at that and tell her good night, something was making it difficult for him to turn her down. With a sigh, he finally complied with her demands and raised his hand in surrender.
"Alright, alright. I'll do what you want." Diluc spoke with mild annoyance as Eula's grin grew wider. He closed his eyes and waited. After a few seconds passed with nothing happening, the redhead grew slightly impatient.
"Eula?" Diluc began as he slowly opened his eyes but got a gloved hand over his eyes and got shushed by Eula.
"Patience, Ragnvindr. Good things come to those who wait."
With an irritated sigh, Diluc complied and closed his eyes again, feeling her hand leave his face. Again, a few more moments passed before he got impatient once more and began to speak.
"Eula, if this is a prank of some sort this isn't fun—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Diluc felt a pair of warm lips plant themselves against his mouth. The last thing he felt before his entire mind went blank was a pair of arms wrap themselves around his neck as Eula deepened the kiss and pushed him back against the tree.
It took Diluc a few moments to comprehend what was happening before the realization hit him in full force. Here he was with Eula Lawrence underneath a tree and kissing each other like two lovestruck teenagers. Diluc's rational side was telling him to stop this right now, but he didn't listen to it. He finally let the burning feelings that had been developing in him take over as he finally kissed her back, earning a pleased moan from the Lawrence woman.
The couple let the other's hand roam around their bodies before Eula's arms settled themselves on his waist, his own hands resting on her supple rear.
They held like that for what felt like an eternity, not caring about the fact that anyone could likely see them like this. The couple finally pulled away from each other when the lack of oxygen made itself apparent between them, a thin string of saliva still connecting them. Diluc was staring at Eula with eyes so full of desire that it made her spine tingle, but she pulled away further from his warm touch, something which proved difficult as he looked at her with eyes full of yearning.
She had taken a gamble tonight, knowing that it could have the potential to ruin her friendship with Diluc. But Eula knew that her feelings for him had grown stronger than mere friendship, and she didn’t want to risk losing her chance. It was a good thing she did because the look of desire on the man’s face told her he wanted more of her.
Eula let out a giggle as she looked at Diluc. He looked adorable with that lovestruck look on his face, but she didn’t let that break her defenses down any further. That kiss would have to do for tonight, or else she feared she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from ripping his clothing off his body.
"Good night, Master Diluc.' the Spindrift Knight said with a pleasant smile on her face, eyes full of affection towards the Ragnvindr heir. He couldn't find the words to say as he stood there, flustered and wanting nothing more than to feel her lips again. He let out a soft laugh in response.
“Good night to you too, Eula.”
Eula giggled as she gave him a peck on the cheek, the sensation making him shiver inwardly. He just watched as she pulled away from him and began walking back to Mondstadt with the bag of letters, obviously taking her time.
It took Eula a few minutes before she was fully out of view of the Ragnvindr’s line of sight. Once he couldn’t see her anymore, he decided it was time to return to the winery and call it a night. Though he wasn’t sure if going on patrol tonight would be a good idea because it felt like he would be too distracted thinking about the kiss.
He touched his lips again as the memory of the kiss seared itself on his mind. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t stop himself from grinning like an idiot.
“Seems like someone’s happy.”
Whatever pleasant mood he had dissipated when he saw Kaeya along with Rosaria stepping out of a nearby tree.
“Damn it, how did I not feel them nearby? Is my guard really down that much when I’m with Eula?”
“So, how was the kiss? Was Captain Lawrence sweet? Intense? A bit of both? Or something else entirely?” Kaeya began teasing his brother. Diluc mentally counted to 3 to avoid socking him right there.
“That’s none of your damned business, Kaeya.” Diluc said in a dangerously low tone. The Cavalry Captain raised his hands in surrender.
“I jest, brother. Chill out a bit, will you?” Kaeya told him, but the smile he had on his face indicated that he wasn’t taking all that seriously. Still, Diluc wasn’t going to let Kaeya ruin his good mood. He just crossed his arms and looked at the pair.
“What do you want?” Diluc said with an exasperated sigh. Kaeya just let a laugh.
“I just wanted to see what you and Miss Reconnaissance captain were up to.” Kaeya said in a teasing tone, Rosaria barely holding back a smirk. “Besides…”
“You do know that you haven’t been exactly discreet with your growing relationship with her, right?”
Diluc stayed silent as he knew his brother was right. He really didn’t mind letting the people of Mondstadt that he had befriended and gotten rather close with the Lawrence outcast. “You’re not wrong. But do tell me, what’s the point of this conversation we’re having?”
“When an opportunity presents itself to you, you grab it, dear brother.” Kaeya said sagely. Diluc just gave him a blank look, which caused the Cavalry Captain to sigh.
“I’m saying go for her, Luc. It’s been way too long since I last saw you smile like that.” Kaeya said with approval. Diluc couldn’t help but let out a laugh as he let himself smile again, though he was a bit surprised when he saw Rosaria wearing a rare smile on her face.
“Also, you may want to leave your nightly patrols to us for tonight. Seems like you’re too distracted to do your job properly right now.” Rosaria remarked with a teasing grin. He gave the nun a low laugh.
Truth be told, he didn’t need Kaeya or Rosaria or anyone’s approval for that matter, to go after Eula. After everything that’s happened, he knew what he wanted: to free Eula from the chains of the Lawrence clan and to spend the rest of his life with her. He took one look at Kaeya and Rosaria before glancing at the moon that shone beautifully at them.
“Don’t worry, I will.”