Work Text:
It had been a long night working at Angel's Share. You were exhausted. Diluc was exhausted. You two couldn't wait to go back to your respective homes and just sleep. Diluc packed up his journal and pen, making his way towards the door.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Y/N. Be sure not to leave the lights on again." He reminded you, in his smooth, rich voice. You watched as he turned the door handle, already halfway out the door.
"Wait." You called out. Your own audacity shocked you. You were asking a tired, hungry, overworked man to stay at work after hours. He turned around to face you, not looking particularly impressed as he waited for you to speak. You sighed softly, deeply embarrassed for what you were about to say.
"I... thought I might cook for you. I've been practicing, like, soups and steaks and... stuff." You continued, fidgeting with your own fingers before an awkward pause ensued.
"You don't have to stay, you can leave, I'm just being silly." You chuckled sheepishly. Diluc crossed his arms, tapping his foot against the ground as he thought it over.
"Steak, you said?" He asked. You nodded in reply, to which he nodded back.
"Very well. Medium rare, please." He spoke, sitting down. You grinned, immediately making your way to the kitchen to get to work on his dinner. You made use of the ingredients already available in the tavern, searing the slab of meat and frying vegetables while simultaneously working on the mushroom sauce. Soon you had finished, walking out of the kitchen with the plate in your hands. Diluc closed his journal, setting it aside. You had always wondered what he wrote about in there. You placed the plate down in front of him along with a fork and knife.
Diluc took a deep whiff of the meal before cutting up a bite and popping it into his mouth. He chewed briefly before swallowing, looking up at your nervous expression.
"Exquisite." He said simply. "Absolutely perfect."
You sat down across from him, letting out a soft chuckle.
"You're lying." You joked, self-deprecatingly. Diluc glanced up at you, looking offended that you would even insinuate that.
"I have no reason to lie to you. This is delicious. Truly." He replied, completely consumed by the flavours. You watched as he ate, finding it so endearing. You traced circles onto the wood of the table, resting your chin on your palm before taking a glance at his journal.
"What's that?" You asked. Diluc chewed for a few moments, not wanting to speak with his mouth full.
"It's a journal." He replied after swallowing his food. You smirked.
"You have a diary." You spoke, almost in disbelief. Diluc looked back at you with an exasperated look on his face.
"It's a journal." He repeated. "It's good to write your thoughts down."
You chuckled softly, tilting your head.
"Can I read it?" You asked. Diluc didn't even look up from his food as he spoke,
"You are well aware that I would say no." He said bluntly. You shrugged, humming in agreement. You decided to move on, not wanting to intrude into his privacy.
"...The winery's pretty big." You commented, simply. Diluc nodded.
"You ever get, like... lonely?" You asked, not knowing why. Diluc let out a loud sigh.
"Unbelievably." He replied. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, standing up from his seat. "Thank you for the meal. I... truly appreciate it."
You nodded, taking the plate and starting to bring it back to the kitchen to wash it. You left the kitchen with wet hands that smelled like soap. Diluc was still there. You thought he'd have left by now. Before you even knew it, he was wrapping his arms around you, his face pressed into your shoulder. You two stayed like that for a few moments, you frozen in shock and him breathing heavily. You'd wanted him every since you first interviewed for this job. And to the looks of it, so did he.
"I- I apologise." He huffed, a little irritated at himself as he quickly pulled away. You found that you didn't mind the touch at all. You shook your head.
"It's okay. It was nice." You smiled softly. He huffed once more, this time in disbelief. He went back in for another hug.
"I am... so tired of being lonely," He explained, "And... You are just too good to me. I just... don't know how to react."
You cupped his face, stroking his cheek.
"That's okay." You replied, giving him a half-smile. "We could be lonely together... if you'd like."
Diluc sighed, placing a kiss to your temple. Then your cheek, then the corners of your eyes, anywhere he could reach before settling in a slow, soft kiss on your mouth. You reciprocated without hesitation, your lips melting into his like liquid honey. He was so gentle. Of course he was. That was how Diluc was wired. You wrapped your arms around his neck, wanting to be as close to him as possible. The yearning, sneaking glances at him while you worked, imagining what could have been, was all over. He was yours now, at least just for this moment. And you were his. As the two of you pulled away, you rested your head on his shoulder. You wanted to stay like this forever. But it was getting hard to keep your eyes open.
"It's... pretty late." You whispered softly. Diluc hummed.
"Then you should go home and sleep. Or you could spend the night at the winery, if you'd prefer. With me." He suggested, his arms wrapped around your waist as his palm rubbed the small of your back. You let out an inaudible sigh. You weren't sure what he was suggesting, be it as simple as staying the night or something more.
"To... do what?" You asked, quietly. Diluc finally turned his gaze down toward you.
"We could talk. We could just sleep. We could do... other things." He replied. You glanced down at the floor, not knowing how to articulate your boundaries without making it sound like a complete rejection of him.
"This sounds so dumb, but um... I don't want to have sex." You finally said, scratching the back of your neck with one finger. Diluc didn't even flinch, continuing to rub your back.
"That's alright. We won't have sex." He spoke, simply. He pulled you a little tighter, just for his own comfort. You knew this was the bare minimum a man should offer, but you couldn't help but feel surprised. Most men you've been with in Mondstadt surely wouldn't have reacted this way.
"It's nothing personal, I really do like you, I just-" You started before Diluc cut you off, raising one hand.
"You do not have to explain. You have set your boundary, and I will do anything I can to respect it. I would never ask anything of you that you do not explicitly consent to." He replied, pushing a strand of hair out of your face. He started to pack his things, taking your hand and gently leading you out of the tavern.
The walk to the winery was mostly silent, but not awkward. It was cold, but you had Diluc to keep you warm as he conjured warmth his Pyro vision into his hands, keeping one on your waist the entire time.
You two had soon reached the winery. Diluc greeted Adelinde before making his way to his quarters, your hand nestled in his the entire time. He held the door open for you, locking it shut after you had walked inside. He placed his journal and pen on the nightstand, before starting to remove his coat.
"Do you mind if I change in front of you?" He asked. You shook your head.
"Not at all." You replied. He nodded, starting to remove his vest, then his shirt, then his trousers, and finally his undergarments. Your eyes couldn't help but wander to his toned derrière. Just because you weren't attracted to him in that way didn't mean you couldn't appreciate a nice butt. Diluc notice this, giving a small smirk of amusement you could tell he was trying to hide. You huffed.
"So I'm not allowed to stare?" You huffed playfully. Diluc put on his sleepwear, flopping down onto the bed. You'd expect Master Diluc do get into bed a little more gracefully, but you didn't mind at all. It was nice seeing his more messy side.
"I didn't say you weren't allowed. I just didn't realise you'd go straight for the... buttocks." He chuckled, a sound you'd never heard before. He pulled the covers over the two of you, pulling you close to his side. He pressed soft kisses to your temple, cheek, and nose.
"I like this. A lot. Being... more than just employer and employee." He spoke softly. You smiled.
"I like it too." You replied. "I've wanted this for... so long."
Diluc tried to suppress a grin. You'd never seen this man so happy. It was adorable.
"Oh, Barbatos, you have no idea how much I relate to that. Ever since you walked through that door for the interview... it's been torture. Truly. I just wish I wasn't so much of a coward as to not tell you sooner." He confessed. You grinned as well.
"You are so cute, you know that?" You teased. Diluc rolled his eyes playfully.
"Stop it." He huffed, turning the lamp off. Despite that, neither of you got any sleep that night, completely engrossed in just hearing eachother's voice.