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There's a lot of aspects to streaming that people don't tell you about. At least, that's something Diluc Ragnvindr would tell you.
His channel suddenly exploded in popularity after a clip he uploaded had gone viral. It was hard to describe how he felt at the time, to be honest. Mostly, it was a mix of excitement and fear. A ton of new eyes were on him now and he felt he had to deliver. His schedule went from one stream a week to two, he hired a designer for a layout and an artist for emotes, he dedicated half of his time to finding new games to play, he'd have to interact with a lot more fans, it all felt so stressful. Although Diluc saw himself as someone who thrived under stressful routines, he was still doing a majority of his work alone. Somewhat of a perfectionist, he just couldn't find someone who gave him what he was looking for in an assistant. As per usual, he was a party of one. He'd always been and he figured, for his whole life, he always would be.
That was, until, a note appeared on his door one day.
Living alone, Diluc never saw the need to live anywhere but an apartment. It wasn't like he couldn't afford a house (becoming a bigger streamer had allowed him more luxuries than he once had), it was more like he never felt the need to live in a house. It would feel like such a lonely experience, he figured.
He took the note off the door, reading its contents.
“You really stream from here? I always assumed you lived in a big mansion.”
Ok. Creepy.
Great.
A stalker.
That was another thing to add to the list.
Diluc Ragnvindr had a stalker. He had a stalker and he had no idea what to do about it.
Well, he did have some idea. The first order of business was to call his friend, Zhongli. Zhongli was a strange man, he figured. For starters, he never seemed to have any spare change. He only bought the essentials and Diluc always ended up paying if they went out anywhere (not that he really minded). Then, his following. Years back, Zhongli had saved two people from kidnappings. Diluc wasn't really sure how, as the man always refused to give too many details on it. Ever since, they followed him loyally. There were a million weird things about Zhongli. Despite those though, he was a very reliable person to confide in.
That's why Zhongli arrived quickly when Diluc called. They met at a nearby bus stop and Diluc explained the situation, showing the man the note. Zhongli was mortified, pulling out a canister of pepper spray he said he kept with him and said they should make a sweep through his house with it in hand in case the writer of the note decided to take up residence in there.
When they entered the apartment however, they were greeted by...a meal.
A grilled, cut fish adored with various greens and a side of sauce lay at Diluc's kitchen island. Along with it, a note reading “Eat well :)!”
Ok. Homemaker.
Diluc Ragnvindr had a home maker.
When he and Zhongli inspected his apartment, they found it had been perfectly cleaned. Both men were stunned, not really sure what to make of the situation. Diluc had heard of some streamer stalkers doing some crazy things before, but this was something entirely different.
After practically shoving a worried Zhongli out of his house, Diluc was left to think about what he should do now. His first order of business was to throw out the diner oh so lovingly made for him. Although it looked like it would be nothing but a delicacy, he couldn't trust that it hadn't been tainted in any way. Next, he bought a security camera for his entryway. If someone was able to get in, they likely wouldn't anticipate a new camera. Finally, he called his landlord to ask about getting his locks changed. He knew it would be hard to sleep the night knowing someone could get into his apartment, but he hoped it would get dealt with soon enough.
The next day however, his newly installed security camera was gone, replaced with the exact amount he'd paid for it in Mora.
“Sorry for taking this, but I couldn't have you knowing what I look like yet!
You'll see me soon enough; I promise I'm handsome ;)”
Ok. Flirtatious.
That was another thing he learned.
Once again, the mysterious stalker had made dinner for him again. Once again, he didn't eat it. Did the man seriously think someone would just randomly eat food left in their house? It was absurd.
That night, Diluc streamed. It was a horror game: Fears to Fathom. Every once in a while, he'd take viewer suggestions. Horror games were a channel favorite; despite his relatively large build and typically calm demeanor, Diluc couldn't do horror. People enjoyed watching him flinch and sink in on himself after a scare.
People had told him that the game was scary despite its simple appearance, but a game about two home break-ins maybe wasn't the best for a man currently being stalked.
After logging off of the stream for the night, Diluc pulled a pen and notepad out of his desk, writing a note for his flirtatious, homemaking, creepy stalker.
“Hi.
I'm not sure what seems to make you think I'll tolerate your behavior, but I encourage you to stop.
I won't eat what you've made for me, either. I'd be stupid to do so.
This isn't a game, this is my home.
- Diluc.”
Diluc left the note on the table to be found when he got back home tomorrow.
By the time he got up the next morning however, there was already a reply.
“Thank you for the note I'll cherish it my whole life”
Ok. Obsessive.
Hastily written and sloppy, it seemed like his obsessive, flirtatious, homemaking, creepy stalker was excited to finally get a reply back to his antics. It was so admirable that he almost didn't think about the fact that his stalker had been in his home overnight. Almost.
On the table lied a plate of pancakes, drizzled with syrup, whipped cream and a strawberry. Diluc let out a sigh. Although every cell in his body screamed against it, he cut into the pancakes and took a bite. Of course, they were just as delicious as they looked. When he'd finished the plate, Diluc questioned his sanity. He went to his desk and wrote out another note, leaving it on his table before he left.
“The pancakes were wonderful.
However, if they find my body later, people will know I was poisoned.
- Diluc.”
Before he made it back to his apartment, his landlord stopped him, letting him know that his locks had been changed. Finally, this stalker nonsense would be done...
He traded his key in for an updated one, thanked his landlord and went back to his door, only to find a note on the handle.
“Seriously? A new lock?”
Ok. Quick witted.
Was this it? Would this be the final note? Diluc held his breath as he opened the door...
...only to be greeted with dinner, as per usual.
This time, the note on the table read:
“You thought a new lock would keep me out? Get it changed a thousand times Firefly, I'll always be the only one with a spare key. (Glad you liked breakfast though!)”
Ok. Poetic.
Noting the fact that he hadn't died after eating this morning, he swallowed back his nerves and tried the dinner, this time. As expected, it was just as good, if not better than breakfast. Diluc lost himself in the pleasantry of it, letting himself forget of the strangeness of his current situation. When he was done, he put his plate in the sink, knowing his poetic, quick witted, obsessive, flirtatious, homemaking, creepy stalker would take care of it.
That night, Diluc dreamed he was being choked.
That day, he skipped going to two of his usual stops, arriving home 45 minutes earlier than usual to find no note on his door. When he unlocked the door, there was no dinner on his table, either. Maybe his poetic, quick witted, obsessive, flirtatious, homemaking, creepy stalker worked within this time frame? That was good to know.
When he opened the door to his room however, he was greeted with the strangest sight he'd seen by far.
A man with ginger hair lie rolled over in his bed, his face trapped in Diluc's pillow. A grey jacket lay on his chair that seemed to match the man's pants. The only noise he made was a huffing. Evidently, he was quite enjoying Diluc's pillow.
Diluc pushed his door open a little wider, letting it creek. His stalker flinched, quickly sitting up and looking at him. His face was fully flushed, contrasting his striking blue eyes. Diluc took in his appearance; he wasn't lying about being handsome.
What? That's a random man in his house. Don't suddenly feel close to him because he broke in and cooked for you.
Diluc took a few steps back, slowly moving to close the door before the man shot up, holding it open.
“Hi.”
His voice was calm despite the manic look on his face. He was practically failing to suppress a shockingly creepy smile. It didn't help that he was slightly taller than Diluc. His blue eyes had a shake to them and he bit his shaking lip, using his free hand to wipe a bit of drool from his mouth.
“...Hi there. Can I help you?” Diluc's voice was hesitant. At this point, he was only 30% sure the man prying his bedroom door open from the inside wasn't a danger to him.
The man leaned over, resting his chin on Diluc's head. The man flinched, stiffening at the sudden contact. He didn't push him off however, a sign the man took to indicate that this situation was fine. He took his hand off the door and wrapped both around Diluc's waist. He let out a sigh as he shifted to smell his hair personally.
Diluc was beyond shocked.
It wasn't as if he didn't oppose this because he liked it, no. Right now, in his position, he was in no place to fight back. Having been fully embraced, he decided the Archons had decided that if he were to die, it would be now, at the hands of, who he assumed to be, his stalker.
After a beat too long, the man took his head off of Diluc's, leaning down to look at him in his embrace. He finally introduced himself as “Tartaglia, but you get to call me Ajax!” He claimed to be the one who wrote the notes and went on about how long he'd been a fan of his and how he'd personally decided that they were meant to be together. Diluc could hardly pay attention to most of it as Ajax went off on tangents. At this point, he was 80% sure Ajax wasn't a threat.
“Look,” Diluc interrupted him mid-sentence, just for Ajax's empty blue eyes to light up when he spoke, fixated on his crimson ones. “I'm really glad you're a fan, but this has all been...way too much. Don't you think you took this way too f-”
“No.”
Ajax's answer was swift and definite. The once cheerful look on his face darkened in to a serious one. Diluc felt himself shutter; it was really clear this guy had some issues. After that, Ajax continued to go on about how he managed all the stuff he did, Diluc hardly really paying attention. He was 90% sure this guy isn't a threat.
After all that had happened, Diluc found he actually couldn't get Ajax to leave. He went to stream, only for Ajax to sit off-camera, but close by, watching him with wonder. Around dinner time, Ajax cooked for him, using items the man brought himself. He wouldn't leave when Diluc edited, he wouldn't leave when he hoped in the shower, and he wouldn't leave when Diluc got ready for bed. By the time he was supposed to sleep, Ajax simply went to bed on his living room couch. That night, when he went to bed, Diluc locked his bedroom door.
The next morning, he found Ajax sitting in front of it like an abandoned cat.
The next few days continued on like that. Diluc now had an uninvited roommate. Surely, this isn't conventional for a stream stalker. Yet, it wasn't like he minded as much as he should. Ajax was a phenomenal cook and, although very eccentric, it wasn't like he was bad company. He filled an innate need for companionship Diluc had suppressed for so long.
Days turned to weeks and Diluc grew to enjoy Ajax's company. The man was like the sun to Diluc's moon, shining brightly. He was hard to ignore; hard to not like. Some nights, Diluc stayed up, wracked with his own feelings. Was it simply the loneliness, or had Ajax actually sparked something in him he'd never felt before? He needed to experiment, and so, experiment he did.
One late night, Diluc leaned on Ajax's shoulder while they absentmindedly watched a cooking competition show together. Ajax's breathing was loud in his ear, as he could practically feel his body shake from how hard his heart pounded. Was his effect on the man really that strong? It was flattering, in a weird sense.
Diluc took note of how he felt. His own heart rate had gone up, and he found that he genuinely enjoyed the contact. It was still hard to say though; was this because he hadn't had this kind of contact in ages, or did he have feelings for Ajax?
That night, Diluc fell asleep on his shoulder. The next morning, he woke up in his own room, tucked neatly into bed.
The next day, Diluc tried something more. When out at the store, he held Ajax's had tightly. His hand was warm, if not clammy. It was nice, in a way. Ajax didn't say anything about it, although Diluc could tell the man was freaking out. Maybe he was waiting for Diluc to explain his actions? Saying “Yeah, I'm testing on you to see if I'm romantically interested or just touch starved.” felt strange, though. He didn't want to get Ajax's hope up if it wasn't anything, after all.
That night, when Diluc was saying good night to Ajax, he leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He whispered a soft “Good night.” into his ear as well. When he pulled back, Ajax's face was completely flush. It seemed he couldn't process what had happened, his wide blue eyes simply fixated on Diluc as his mouth hung agape. Diluc couldn't help but chuckle.
The next morning, Ajax wouldn't look Diluc in the eye.
“Look at me.”
“Look at me.”
“Look at me...”
Diluc was frustrated. No matter what he did, he just couldn't get direct eye contact with Ajax. In the fleeting seconds his crimson eyes met his ocean ones, the other averted them. Was he uncomfortable, or nervous? Had he pushed a little too far? It worried Diluc. One more experiment. He'd have to figure this out for sure. Sure, he could just directly ask, but he was never good with words and actions spoke louder than them anyways.
In the afternoon, the two of them washed dishes together. As per usual, Ajax was rambling on about some story. Something about his younger brother this time, Diluc wasn't really sure. Ajax seemed to be a real family man; maybe that's why he was such good company?
“Ajax.” Diluc said sternly. The other man flinched, turning his head to face him, but avoiding his gaze. At this point, Diluc had just about had it with this weird tension between the two of them. He leaned forward, giving Ajax a chaste kiss on the lips.
Ajax was stunned at first, but it quickly turned to excitement as he put his hands on Diluc's waist, pulling him in closer. He shifted one hand to his deep red hair to hold him in place as he kissed him deeply.
Diluc pushed away from him, looking up at Ajax with wide eyes. He hadn't anticipated his reaction, but that's not to say it wasn't welcome. He cast his gaze downward, needing a second to process what had happened before Ajax spoke again.
“Firefly,” He spoke softly, as if anything above a whisper would scare Diluc off. “I love you.”
Diluc closed his eyes, mustering up words he'd hardly ever said his whole life.
“I love you too, Ajax.”