Chapter Text
As she walked the path from Springvale towards Dawn Winery, Jean pulled her coat a bit further over her shoulder. It was foolish not to wear something warmer, considering the nights had gotten rather chilly the past few days — the winter season was approaching after all. The sun had set perhaps half an hour ago, but Jean wasn’t there to witness it — she had her head buried in paperwork at the office, and on top of that, there were some unfinished commissions that needed to be picked up before the day was over to meet her standards of a fulfilling and successful day at work. Apparently the commission came from Guy — one of their own — who seemed slightly embarrassed by the fact that the Acting Grand Master was the one to hear his dissatisfaction with his post and duties. After accepting his request to deliver his letter and ‘trophy’ to his father at Dawn Winery, Jean assured him that she’d try to arrange something more suitable for a man of his skill and motivation. It would mean more paperwork for her to find in the morning, but… The satisfaction of her knights was one of her priorities, and she could rest when free time would find her.
Luckily for Jean, the road to the winery was not at all a tiring one — perhaps it was simply because she enjoyed taking a walk and breathing in fresh air after being holed up in her office for so long. Besides, the evenings outside the city were beautiful — the light from the crystalflies lit up the road in such an ethereal way, Jean wished she had more commissions outside of the city. Preferably somewhere near the winery… Though perhaps she should keep that thought to herself for just a little while.
Arriving at the winery, Jean sought out Tunner, Guy’s father, and handed the letter over to him. He seemed surprised that the Acting Grand Master herself delivered the letter, and made a comment about how Guy should have delivered it himself instead of wasting the Grand Master’s time for it, but Jean assured him that it was no bother at all. In fact, she was grateful to be able to stretch her legs. She made up a story about Guy’s feats of defeating a big group of hilichurls during a scouting mission, and the smile on Tunner’s face got some weight off of her chest. There were knights that had family out there, looking out for them and caring for them from afar, and being able to reassure them like this truly made Jean thankful that she was a part of the Knights of Favonius. Her eyes wandered over to the manor, then back at Tunner.
“I suppose you will be returning to the city soon, Master Jean,” Tunner said, his hands behind his back. “It is rather cold outside, so I hope you will return to a warm home.”
There was a polite smile on her face as she pulled on her mini coat. “I shall take a stroll around the winery before I go,” Jean said, her eyes once again wandering over to the manor, before pulling her focus back to Tunner. “It is quite beautiful around here. I believe it is thanks to the capable farmers of the winery that it’s so well-maintained.”
A hearty laugh escaped the old man’s lips and nodded happily. “You flatter me too much! If only my son would praise me like this. Yes, yes, enjoy your walk, the crystalflies shine particularly bright at this time.”
Tunner bid his farewell as he returned home, while Jean still had a little time to walk around before she’d gather up the courage to knock on the manor’s door and be met with a familiar face she was hoping to see ever since she left the city to deliver Guy’s letter. It was a little silly, circling the manor like she was patrolling the area, but even if she’d lost her bravery, she could simply come up with an excuse that there had been strange hilichurls sightings nearby. Not that the owner of the winery would have any trouble fending them off himself, though.
After a while, without tracking time, the night got colder, and Jean truly regretted not dressing appropriately for the weather. She didn’t expect herself to be out at this hour after all. Again, she pulled her coat over her shoulders the best she could, eyes to the ground as she tried to keep herself warm. This was getting a little ridiculous if she had to be honest, staking out by his house as if she was a child with a crush. She furrowed her eyebrows as she thought of it — it wasn’t like that, was it? The only reason she wished to see him was because of their history at the Knights of Favonius, and their childhood spent together. She admired him as a capable and strong protector of Mondstadt, an ally, and a friend. The awkwardness she felt when they met was simply due to the fact that he had developed a distaste for the Knights, nothing more than that.
“With the way the Acting Grand Master of Favonius is patrolling my house, I’d almost think there was a criminal inside.”
Jean looked up, finding Diluc standing in the doorway, his arms crossed. It wasn’t a smile on his face, but neither was it a sign for her to leave. She breathed out, then let go of her coat and straightened her back. As she tried to find the words to say to him, Diluc raised his hand and shook his head.
“Spare me the formalities. Just come inside. You look pathetic standing out in the cold like this.”
He turned around and took a few steps forward, holding the door open for her with one arm. And while it felt awkward, just like anytime else they’d met, Jean still took his offer, and closed the door behind her as she stepped into the main hall of the manor. It was warm, much warmer than outside, and the sudden shift in temperature made her shudder a little as she followed Diluc towards the table, where he, surprisingly, pulled out a chair for her to sit on.
“I’m sorry for intruding like this,” she said as she sat down, hands placed over each other on her lap, her eyes following Diluc’s movement as he poured her a cup of tea from the tea set already on the table. He placed it gently in front of her, and Jean carefully put her gloved hands around the cup, letting out a relieved breath as she took in its warmth. For a moment, she relaxed, but then she remembered that she was a guest, and her host was somebody she was rather awkward with. “I had to deliver a letter to Tunner.”
For a moment, their eyes met, but Diluc looked away first. He sat down across from her, clicking his tongue as he stirred his own cup of tea. “Do the Knights have nothing better to do than to send their Grand Master on a delivery chore?”
It was Jean’s first instinct to come to the Knights’ defence, but she reminded herself that it was Diluc she was talking to. He was, in all technicalities, her senior, not to mention older than her. Even in a casual setting — which this was not, according to her — she could not bring herself to challenge him. And this time, he was right, too — the commission came from a knight, not a mere citizen, and therefore she did end up doing some chore for one of her own.
As a response, she chuckled, bringing the cup of tea to her smile.
“Well, at least you seem to find the fun in it. I, for one, think it’s ridiculous.”
Looking over the rim of her cup, Jean witnessed a little smirk on his face. She wasn’t sure if it was supposed to mock the Knights or an attempt to hide a genuine smile in response to her own — either way, none of them were harmful in her opinion. She’d accepted his hatred for the Knights, and for some reason, when he was expressing it to Jean, Diluc seemed to tone it down just a little.
“The tea is delicious,” she commented, her hands still around her cup to steal its warmth. The smirk on Diluc’s face had disappeared, perhaps to maintain his image of this stoic and expressionless man, even though Jean knew him well enough that he wasn’t always so.
“Imported from Chenyu Vale,” Diluc replied, then taking a sip from the tea himself. Jean smiled, watching her reflection within her tea. It wasn’t a surprise that a man of Diluc’s wealth would only have the finest and most famous tea in Teyvat in his house. The tea she drank was nothing out of the ordinary, and while she didn’t particularly prefer the Chenyu Adeptea, there was a reason for why she would suggest the following.
“I see. All I have at home is the plain Mondstadtian tea they brew locally. Perhaps I should visit more often.”
Where she gathered the audacity from, was unknown even to her. Her cheeks flushed red as she realised what she had just said, wishing she could take it back. Only holding the cup firmly could save her from her embarrassment, and even that was not stopping the awkward laugh she let out afterwards. Way to make a particularly awkward situation even worse than it already was… She quickly brought the cup to her lips so that she shouldn’t have to say anything to explain herself. Jean couldn’t even bring herself to look Diluc in the eye, her eyes focusing on his hand movements as she drank from her tea.
Diluc scoffed, and he raised one hand from his cup, resting his head on it. “Didn’t expect that from you. Well, the manor does grow dull without some company. If you visit as Jean and not as the Acting Grand Master, the door is always open for you.” The last part came out slightly softer, slightly harder to hear, but it reached Jean’s ears perfectly, as she almost choked on her tea upon hearing it. Diluc glanced at her as she cleared her throat, putting the cup down, all while avoiding his gaze.
“I appreciate it,” Jean said. She wondered if more frequent visits would finally remove this tension in the air that she found so awful — there was a wall between them that shouldn’t be there. Even if they were mere colleagues in the Knights previously, even if their relationship was no more than that of a senior and junior, there should be at least something when they met each other. Right?
“I hear you’ve been overworking yourself a lot,” Diluc then said, and Jean felt uneasy at the sudden eye contact he made. Looking away didn’t seem to help, as he’d follow anywhere she looked. “It’s unheard of that a Grand Master is doing all the small tasks that regular knights should do.” He finally looked away, teacup to his lips again.
“Sorry,” was Jean’s response, and Diluc put his cup down.
“Don’t apologise to me,” he said, letting out a sigh. “It’s your rest you’re forfeiting. I can understand your unwillingness to take a break, though. Without you, the Knights of Favonius would crumble where it stands.”
Jean sighed, but not without a smile. Perhaps it was because she didn’t see him so often, but she’d formed the idea that Diluc’s parting from the Knights came paired with no longer caring about her like he used to — seeing and hearing him like this proved her wrong, and thank Barbatos for that. It made her just a little more comfortable to hold the smile on her face, and even if she did not see it, it softened Diluc’s expression as he looked at her as well.
“It is tiring sometimes,” Jean confessed, then looked at Diluc, and his softened expression made her chest feel less heavy than it used to. “But taking on these little commissions make me feel happy, too. I can see the smiles on the citizen’s faces. Being involved with them makes me feel like I’m really serving them instead of just being a figurehead.”
Something in her eyes lit up, something that Diluc had a particular focus on. Jean continued. “The commission I did just now was from Guy, actually. He guards the city’s side gates. It was a rather awkward situation, because he wanted to deliver a letter recounting his brave feats against monsters around the area, so that his father would be proud of him. If I hadn’t taken this commission, I wouldn’t have known that Guy wanted a more active position… So, tomorrow morning I’ll see if I can put him on patrolling duty. Hm, I wonder if there are any groups that need more men. I may have to replace someone and transfer them to another division… Erm…”
The look in Jean’s eyes was all too familiar to Diluc — this was how she looked when she found her plans in a deadend, but wanted to solve the problem as soon as possible. This was one of her flaws, if Diluc had to be honest — her diligence became her bane, and she couldn’t rest even when she was sitting at a table, supposed to have a relaxing cup of tea before she headed home. He wondered if he only pressured her further into thinking about work — Diluc knew he wasn’t always too lenient on the Knights, after all.
“Jean,” he called out, and luckily his voice snapped her out of her thoughts immediately.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Diluc shook his head. “I said you’re always welcome to stay for a cup of tea, but I guess I’ll need to set up some rules.”
Jean raised her eyebrows, giving him an awkward smile. Had she overstayed her welcome? She prayed it wasn’t so — despite Diluc’s lack of encouraging words, or at least, how he always dipped them in this sarcastic coating, Jean did enjoy his company, and she would hate for it to be over so soon.
“You’re always welcome to stay, but I won’t hear you talk about work affairs within these walls.” Diluc crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. “You can vent, if you wish. I’d love to hear about the incompetence of the Knights straight out of their leader’s mouth, after all. But think about your tasks, and you can see yourself out.”
While he kept a straight face and a closed off posture, Jean couldn’t help but imagine a reassuring smile on his face, and she simply accepted the fact that this was his way of showing care. She let out a chuckle and nodded, covering her mouth as she did.
“Alright,” she said. “I’ll do that. I still consider you as my senior.”
Diluc scoffed. “Well, don’t do that. Consider me as the owner of this house.”
“Very well.”
Their conversation lasted for longer than either of them expected — Jean had more to say about how her week went, not excluding the anecdote of Noelle swinging yet another sword into her office ceiling. At this point, Jean refused to take them out of there — it was something to commemorate Noelle’s immaculate strength, and her willingness to get the swords out of there was only endearing. It became an interesting piece of decor, and if Varka had any questions about it when he came back to Mondstadt, so be it. Diluc shared some tales of drunkards visiting Angel’s Share, many of whom magically lost their wallet when it was time to pay, and how he had to teach them a lesson to not make light of his business. As they chatted away the night, Jean found herself much more comfortable to smile and laugh in Diluc’s presence, to let down her guard — to finally release the tension between them, and to push away the burdens of her job as she recounted her worries to him. Diluc, in turn, was happy to carry her troubles — even if he only expressed it through his insults towards the knights working under her — and surprisingly more talkative.
Alas, all nights must come to an end.
“It’s late,” Diluc said, glancing out of the window that revealed nothing but darkness outside. The path would be lit up by lanterns along the streets, but even with Jean’s formidable strength, Diluc still worried for her safety through the night. Her Vision would light up the way for her, yet it was no uncommon sight for those on a late night stroll to be attacked by Treasure Hoarders or the like. Though, as much as he much preferred to keep her safe within the walls of the manor, Diluc couldn’t find it in himself to ask her to stay.
Instead, he stood up from his seat, helping Jean out of hers even if she was fully capable of standing up by herself. He guided her to the entrance. Then, as they stood in front of the door, Diluc took his coat off the coat rack, and draped it over her shoulder.
“It’s cold,” he said, giving nothing more than that to explain his actions. It was embarrassing to say more as he pulled his coat tighter shut, ensuring that she wouldn’t catch a cold on her way back home. Even when the coat was already secured on her shoulders, Diluc took all the time he could to let his hands linger around her, and he took all the time he could to not let her step out of that door for just a little while longer. He’d only realised then how much he appreciated her company, and how much he actually missed her.
“You don’t have to,” Jean said, making a minimal effort to push the coat away, but Diluc kept it steady in place.
“I know. But I also know that you’ll keep working even if you’re sick, and I’d rather not have that on my conscience while I could’ve done something to prevent it.”
He finally let go of the coat, and Jean held onto the edges of it to keep herself covered. Diluc opened the door for her, his arm right above her head as he did so. The cold was seeping into his house, but he wouldn’t close the door until Jean left. And she was looking at him so gently, in complete silence, as if words couldn’t contain the weight of her gratitude. Without having to hear it, Diluc knew that she wanted to thank him for more than just the coat.
“I want the coat back, so don’t lose it on your way,” he said, not breaking the eye contact that Jean so boldly held.
“I’ll return it to you next time I visit,” she replied. “Which should be soon, I hope.”
“I’m flattered that the Acting Grand Master of Favonius is willing to take some time out of her busy schedule to visit.”
Jean let out a small laugh.
“I’m flattered you’re willing to let the Acting Grand Master of Favonius into your house.”
She finally walked through the door, then turned around to give Diluc one last smile before she walked off. Diluc stayed in the door frame until he could no longer see Jean, and stayed in the cold for a little longer than that — his arms were crossed as he leaned against the wood, letting out a deep sigh as he came to realise… His long buried feelings for Jean were resurfacing. He massaged the bridge of his nose as he closed the door, trying to get the thought of their next meeting out of his head, but to no avail.