RED flames flickered from the fireplace, warming up the cozy room with its homely, fresh-cut, wooden smell. The space encompassed of a dark, leather sofa, and curtains drawn in to cover the night skies of Mondstadt. Your eyes dazed and stuck on the flames, the being waved in the air as a ferocious monster waiting to swallow you whole. Shivering under the cover of your wool blanket, you couldn’t get the idea of your near death out of your head.
Yes, while you were traveling around the icy mountains of Dragonspine, you made a terrible decision of swimming across a bank. Nearly drowning from losing stamina, you were most fortunate when Diluc stumbled upon you. Saving you with a quick dive, he brought you home safe and sound. At first, he was dangerously angry at you, his crimson eyes gleaming darkly and ready to pierce you. But he calmed down soon afterwards and was in the kitchen right now, to make a cup of cocoa for you.
It took him another minute or so, but footsteps soon sounded against the wooden floor. The tall man entered your vision, never failing once to take your breath away. Setting a cup down on the coffee table in front of you, a scarlet, wet lock of hair draped past his shoulder, escaping the ponytail he tied for himself. Changed out of his usual clothes, he wore a baggy, white shirt and dark trousers that you fetched from your father’s closet. Being the stubborn ass that he was, it took a moment for you to persuade him to so – you did not want him to catch a cold by any means.
He sat down beside you, his weight shifting the balance of the couch. He held his own cup of cocoa on one hand, while his free hand placed on your shoulder. It pulled you towards him, until you were pressed against his warm body. “D-Diluc?” you breathed out, surprised and flustered. Heart pounding against your chest, you couldn’t believe what he was doing.
He wouldn’t respond; instead, he took a sip of his drink, staring directly into the fireplace. Was he… worried about you? He wouldn’t admit it verbally, but perhaps he wanted to stay close to you because of what he had seen.
“What are you thinking of right now?” you inquired softly, relaxing your limbs. Deciding to say fuck it, you snuggled into him and cherished the heat he provided. You were still terrified out of your wits from the day’s events, but with Diluc here… he was your rock to hold onto, stabling you until you could stand on your own. He truly was like the flames. He was very distant, something you could not actually touch, yet all the same, he was the only source keeping you alive. He was beautiful… and deep down inside, you knew he was caring nonetheless. Him being the Darknight Hero was proof enough.
“Hot chocolate,” he told you. You blinked for a few seconds, expression blank. “You should drink it. It’ll help distract you.”
Curling your fingers around the mug’s handle, you returned to your position beside Diluc. “There. Happy?” you said. Coating your tongue with warm, sweet substance, you swallowed it down. It was very tasty. “If I wanted to be distracted, wouldn’t I turn to alcohol though?”
His brows twisted and he looked almost offended. “Are you serious right now?”
You chuckled and leaned your head against his shoulder. “I nearly forgot you hated alcohol.”
“It’s as though you don’t even try to remember,” he huffed out. His tone was light and also teasing, but it soon turned a 180. “Your carelessness is always getting in the way of everything. Like today, for instance.”
“And here I thought we were trying to distract ourselves,” you muttered, letting out a long sigh.
“You still need to be more careful,” he argued. In the corner of your eye, you noticed the way his grip tightened around the cup. You lifted your head and turned to look at him. His was also on yours, reflecting the light of the flames, shadows lining his face from how dark the room was. You took in his damp bangs to his lips – hair that was wet because of you and lips that were pressed upon yours to get the excess water out of your system.
You swiftly averted your eyes elsewhere, ignoring the flutters that erupted from your stomach. “But I am safe, aren’t I? Thanks to you."
"Yes. Indeed, you are safe. That’s all that matters, I suppose,” he murmured. He drank the rest of his hot chocolate and returned the empty cup to the table. Now wrapping both arms around you, he tightened his hold and nestled his face into your wet, [h/c] hair. You widened your eyes in surprise, with your heart ready to explode. He was so, so shameless.
“Remember when we first met?” you said, grinning. Pretending that this position was as normal as it could be, you decided to just go with it. He would be back to his usual self by tomorrow anyway – it was probably the nerves and distraught that was causing him to be so touchy-feely. “I saw you at the tavern and because you were drinking so much grape juice, I mistaken you to be drinking alcohol. It confused me why you weren’t blacked out drunk yet.”
He scoffed, clicking his tongue. “And yet you couldn’t remember I didn’t like alcohol just a moment ago. Also, you’re the one who’s drinking yourself away. Very irresponsibly too, if I dare say.”
“Aw, shut it already,” you whined, scowling.
“Do you happen to have a chess piece board?"
"Yes, I do,” you answered.
“Would you like to play a round with me then?” he asked, finally unwrapping his arms around yourself. Much to your surprise, rather than feeling relieved to leave his arms, you wished to have him hug you again. He made you feel safe, as if no harm could ever go towards your way again.
“Sure. But be warned, I’ve played with my father a good amount and he’s a master at it,” you told him, curling the corners of your lips up. He cocked a brow upward, prepared to take your declaration of war on. Pulling yourself up from the couch, you arrived at a bookshelf and rifled through the stacks of miscellaneous items. Once achieving the box containing the game, you brushed the specks of dust off and hurried back to the male, who sat himself down on the floor. You lowered yourself as well, putting the game in the middle.
Since you wished to be white, he was black. Lining the pieces at their assigned spots, the game soon began – one filled of mostly silence and a lot of deep concentration. Every move counted, your palms growing sweaty to think up of a strategy to take his players out. The hour went by, the side of the board beginning to fill its space up with lost soldiers, coming from each team. The battle ensued and the your brain was getting fried up for thinking so technically, but of course, all things had to come to an end.
Sending a knight forward, Diluc moved his arm to your queen. The plastic shell echoed loudly against the wood, ringing into your ears. “Checkmate!” he exclaimed, his features beaming excitedly. You had lost… but it was worth it, to see him like this. Not so often did Diluc allow anyone to see him this way. You wished to capture him – to save the image inside your head forever and relay it over and over again. He noticed your expression and was quick to compose himself. “[Y/N]? Why are you smiling like a fool for?”
“I had a lot fun,” you whispered.
He nodded, patting his hair down nervously. “I did too. You weren’t lying there. You play a good, mean game of chess.”
“You know the knight you used to checkmate my queen?” you pointed out. “That’s you. The Darknight hero.”
“Oh, don’t even start,” he groaned, rolling his eyes. You giggled, until eventually he couldn’t help but be amused as well.
The two of you stared at each other with soft smiles and pounding hearts, aligning by the crackle of flames.