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silky-slinky · 2 years

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REMEMBERING ME !

FIVE HARGREEVES X GN!READER PAIRING !

READ PART ONE HERE !

FIVE HARGREEVES MASTERLIST !

WC: 5k

A/N: VIKTOR HASN'T TRANSITIONED AT THE FIRST POINT SO HE WILL BE VANYA. I AM NOT DEAD NAMING HIM IN ANY WAY !

Comfortable silence lay steadily inside your room, the sound of the paintbrush gliding across the easel was slightly heard, along with your steady breathing. Rich colors decorated the canvas, ranging from bright yellows to dark blues, covering the white part of the material. The calm atmosphere makes you sigh in contentment.

Painting made you feel at ease, your coping mechanism if you will. A calm mind is what you adored, your powers could be overwhelming if it wanted to. It made you uncomfortable at some times, giving you a glimpse of what you didn't want to see from a person's mind. Yet it was also incredibly useful for villains, barging into their minds to see what their weaknesses are. It was horrible to come in uninvited in a person's mind, but it did the job.

Marcus was extremely fond of your powers, while Ben used you for his much dirtier deeds, forcing you to walk in a person's mind to cheat his way through. Much like when he was arguing with Marcus, he wanted to know what his weaknesses are, so, he forced you to do it for him. It made you uncomfortable after using your powers, knowing as you're prying into their privacy. It's a curse and a blessing all in one.

A loud sound slightly startled you, causing your brush to glide in a way it wasn't supposed to, the red light outside your door catching your attention. “Fuck.” Muttering softly, being frustrated before fixing everything up and seeing what's a big enough problem for Marcus to push the emergency button. It was only pushed whenever it was urgent, much like the time when Marcus frantically pushed it after coming home with Ben in his arms after the Jennifer incident.

The soles of your dirty shoes brushed against the floor as you made your way to the balcony, hearing loud voices from below. Your eyes caught Jayme's, and you rushed over to her side, causing you to be in the middle of the balcony. “Huh, weird. Didn't expect guests today.” You commented, which earned only a soft chuckle from her. Your eyes scanned everyone, taking your time to observe everyone.

They were all dressed in black, except for the boy who had school shorts on that displayed his pasty knees. One had a cape on, a dramatic hero outfit. One had a cowboy hat, a stylish man. One had knives all over him, guessing that it had something to do with his powers. One had a black coat on, she was shorter than most of them. One had regular clothing on, a bulky person. While lastly, a boy who had school shorts on.

Five's lungs stopped working completely when he caught a glimpse of you. The sight of your body swimming in your blood flooded his thoughts immediately, making it hard for him to breathe. It messed Five up, mentally and physically after your death. His body gave up on making precise sniper shots, and his mental health deteriorated day by day. Everyone at Commission noticed, he was almost fired for it, but ultimately pushed away the idea as he was the best assassin they had and will ever have.

His heart clenched painfully, he looked down at his right hand, the very hand he used to shoot you with. He was incredibly hurt, too hurt to notice that you were staring right at him. It pained him to see you, knowing the last time he saw you traumatized him. His breathing was erratic, and beads of sweat formed on his face.

Your brows knit together in confusion at the boy who looked uneasy and uncomfortable as if he wanted to leave right at that moment. An idea popped into your mind, waving a hand his way, the boy with school shorts. Trying to get in his head as much as you hated to. Before you could continue, Reginald's voice interrupted you.

“They are the sparrows. My children.” Five's whole body tensed at Reginald's loud voice. Clearly proud of his adopted children, knowing their capabilities.

The Sparrows were strong, but they didn't have what The Umbrellas had. The Sparrows sure outplaced them in terms of how convenient their powers were, but The Umbrella had a bond that only they could form. A chaotic mess but they loved each other in a way that they'd put their lives at stake to save another one's life. It's what made them siblings, hell, Five tried everything just to go back to his family.

Five's stare was fixated on you, his eyes never leaving yours. To be quite honest, it made you uncomfortable, seeing a stranger stare right into your soul. He couldn't believe his eyes, he didn't even acknowledge the fact that his dead brother was there in front of him. All he could think of was you.

The feelings Five felt were surreal, it felt as if you had punched him so hard, that he couldn't compose himself. He wanted you, needed you to remember him, no matter what it takes.

“I'm sorry. What do you mean, your children?” The man with knives says, inching toward Reginald in a taunting matter.

While Five was stuck in time, staring at you. He stared at you while you made your way down the stairs, whispering something to the girl beside you that made the girl laugh while looking at him. All of these things happening all at once but all he could do was stare.

“That isn't possible, old man.” The man with knives taunts even further, taking one of his knives, and playing with it, attempting to intimidate Reginald.

“Of course it is! I'd think I'd know, would I?” Your feet are planted right beside Ben, and your posture is straight, trying to show who's in control. Ben simply shoved you aside softly, careful not to push too hard that you'd fall over. Once you've composed yourself next to Ben, your eyes panned back to the boy.

“Everybody else can see Ben, right?” The one with the cowboy hat asks his siblings, who looked as confused as the one who asked.

“Y/n.” Five's whole mouth was dry, your name was merely a whisper, barely audible for others to hear. His face was defeated at the sight of you, who was closer than earlier when you were on the balcony. He was extremely, overwhelmed. All five stages of grief came at him all at once.

“Wait, you know them?” The bulky man points over to you while glancing at Five. It was a surprise for them for someone in their team knew someone from the enemy team. Considering everything, they didn't know Five up to an extent. Their lives were restless, from one apocalypse to another, from one problem to another. They never had time to sit down for a moment and get to know each other on a deeper level.

Your face scrunched up at the boy who knew your name. “Who even are you?” You asked no one in particular, generalizing all of them. By now, your other siblings were behind you and Ben. Marcus standing on the other side of Ben, taking up the responsibility of being Number One.

“They call themselves the Umbrella Academy, a group of scheming, perfidious malcontents who accosted me in the fall of 1963 when I was away on business in Dallas. Be warned, they claimed to be my spawn.” Reginald's loud voice echoed around the living room. From the corner of your eye, you could see Jayme subtly snickering at the last part of what Reginald had said.

The girl with a cape stepped one step closer to Reginald, in disbelief at what he said. “Claim? Look, Five, what the hell is going on?” She gestured over to the boy in short shorts who used his time to watch you. What a peculiar name, given, that they are a peculiar family. It made you feel slightly uncomfortable with his intense stare.

“I don't know yet, but it's concerning.” Five's eyes panned over to you and Ben, his expression both mixed with confusion and surprise.

“Is he telling the truth?” Marcus spoke out from beside Ben.

“Not the part about us being perfidious.” The short girl replied, clearly bothered by Reginald's words and how he spoke it.

“No, we're amateur-fidious, at best.” The boy with the cowboy hat on says, showing his hand that had the words ‘Goodbye’ written on it. If he was on your team, you would've laughed.

His siblings paid no mind to the silly boy, the short girl continuing. “But we are his children. This is our house.” Ben nudged you slightly, telling you that you should use your powers.

You obliged, moving behind Ben to hide, subtly bringing up a hand and pointing it at the girl's head to barge into her memories. Five watched you do your work, much like what he watched a million times by now. Memories flooded your brain the moment your powers worked on the short girl. Memories of some with the boy with schoolboy shorts. Memories of some with the bulky man. Memories of all of them. You used her memories to know all of them even further.

Klaus was the one with the ‘Goodbye’ tattoo, Allison was the one with the cape, Luther was the bulky man, Diego was the one with knives, and Vanya was the one you barged into. You stumbled back from using your powers, it was something that overwhelmed you at times. Jayme caught you before you could fall, the Umbrellas watching you but didn't say anything.

“You okay?” Jayme whispers, helping you compose yourself.

“I'm okay, thanks.” You made your way back beside Ben, being faced to face with Klaus.

“Okay. None of you belong here." Allison says from her side of the room. Her eyes panning over to every single one of you and your siblings.

“Let's move out everyone, ordered by Ms. Allison.” A few scattered laughs from your siblings as Christopher spoke out his opinion. The Umbrella's expression was clearly confused, not knowing how you knew their sibling's name.

“How-” Allison started. Presumably was about to ask how you knew her name. Before being interrupted by Grace who had a tray of cookies in hand. They had several questions for Five.

“I wasn't expecting company.” Diego started to walk toward the robot, an unreadable expression on his face as he watched the robot's slight malfunction. “This is the best I could do on short notice.” You pitied Grace, you really did. Your siblings treated her like what she was, a robot. She often got mistreated by everyone in your family.

“Mom,” Diego whispered. It was true, Grace being their mom in their memories. What scared you the most was the fact that they did live here, Vanya's memories were full of it. Some being with a blonde woman who if you could recall was named Sissy. Some being in this house, with Grace and Reginald. Pogo was even there.

“Mom? She's a robot, you perv.” Jayme comments, causing your siblings to snicker.

“It's not a robot.” Diego was quick to reply.

“Hey, don't you call him that.” Luther defends Diego from where he stood. Guessing from Vanya's memories, Luther had a character development.

“Or what?” Ben taunts. He could get annoying at times. Voices were overlapping, filled with both The Umbrellas and The Sparrows, teasing each other, provoking one another. From the corner of your eye, you could see Jayme getting ready to use her powers, before launching at it on Diego. His siblings paid no mind to him, too engrossed with threatening one another.

Your eyes watched the man be confused before smiling to himself at what he saw. “Can I see?” You asked Jayme, replying with a soft ‘sure.’ Using your powers, you delve into his mind, watching his hallucinations. Revealing both The Umbrellas and The Sparrows dancing with each other, what a weird desire.

It was another thing that bonded you and Jayme. It was part of your power to see Jayme's hallucinations, causing her to be one of your closest siblings. Along with Ben, who at times, could be an asshole. You snapped back into reality once the hallucination ended, seeing a smirk on Jayme's face as she watched Diego's reaction after.

“You got 30 seconds to get out the house.” Marcus' deep voice resonated around the living room. You sympathized with The Umbrellas. Although you did know the full truth, you couldn't say anything since you still sided with your family. After all, they were the ones you originally went with.

“And if we don't?” Allison replied. She still gave you hard glances every once in a while, confused why you knew her name and confused why Five knew your name.

“Then we'll have to settle this the old-fashioned way.” You rolled your eyes at Marcus and his corny sayings before he took down an enemy. You wondered if it was engraved in each leader's mind to be corny.

“Look, we just fought a literal army.” You nodded along, one of Vanya's memories. Ben watched you, wanting to know what you saw, but had to push it aside for later. You watched Marcus' face fall, somewhat believing the girl. “Okay? This doesn't need to get ugly. Let's all just calm down, and let's talk.” She ushered once more. She had the loudest voice earlier when she tried to calm down the others.

“Pst. Ben-er-rino.” Klaus called out to him. “You look so much better alive than you do dead.” Ben wasn't in any of Vanya's memories, only his younger version. Presuming that he did die in their memories. You didn't know what to call their version of your lives yet.

“Am I right?” He questioned his siblings, only to be ignored once again. A recurring matter in Vanya's memories, along with the present. “Except for that haircut.” Ben did have a horrible haircut.

“What the hell did you just say?” Clearly offended at Klaus' comment.

“Come on, come on. Stop with all the hostility, Mr. Grumpy Pants.” He took steps forward to be close to Ben, observing his face. “Oh wow. Nice scar. Muy Macho.” Your eyes scanned the room, confused as to why Klaus wasn't stopped. Only to have eye contact with both Five and Allison.

“Shut your mouth!” Ben's tone much like venom.

“You shut your mouth and just hug your brother-” Klaus starts but gets interrupted by Ben's fist colliding with his face, causing Klaus to quite dramatically stumble back and plop his body down the floor. Ben had a short temper, and he could get mean at times.

Another fit of arguments started before Marcus was the first one to take a blow on The Umbrellas, pushing Luther away from Ben who punched his brother. Loud bickering and taunting were the only things heard inside the living room, along with occasional grunting from Marcus and Luther as they fought.

Marcus kicked Luther right in the abdomen, causing him to fly onto Klaus who had just stood up. Each sibling picked their prey to fight. As you picked the most interesting one, Five. Diego taunted Christopher with names. Klaus faded away, getting away from all the chaos. Marcus and Luther throw and dodge punches as best as they could. The others going onto their agendas.

You sat on one of the bar stools, watching and waiting for Ben to finish his part with Five. The boy would sometimes get distracted as you watched him, getting a few cuts and bruises from not focusing, nothing he couldn't handle. Ben put him in a choke hold, before blinking away to the nearest pillars.

“Want me to cover for you, Ben?” Already standing up before being interrupted by Ben's irritated voice.

“Go help Jayme or something.” Rolling your eyes, but obeying nonetheless, already looking for Jayme.

Five's eyes watched your figure fade away, being distracted yet again causing him to take another blow from Ben. Your feet wandered off, planting them right next to Alphonso, leaning your body on one of the pillars as you waited for Vanya and Jayme to finish. Although you were a part of the unnatural and super-powered team, fighting wasn't your forte. They only ever used you if intelligence was needed, knowing that fighting wasn't your strong suit.

“Who says I'm blind, asshole.” Fei replied to Allison. Alphonso offered you the bag of popcorn, gesturing you to take some, and you happily obliged. He was also one of the people you had a close bond with. When both of you were children, he used you to experiment with his powers as you did the same to him.

Your eyes scanned the place, watching every Umbrella use their powers. You had already known and studied all of their powers thanks to Vanya's memories, but it was fun seeing them in action.

A wave of light emitted from Vanya. You feared her, and everyone should, too. She ended the world two times, what else was there to do? Sloane stepped in, using her abilities to make Vanya float and throwing her body to the wall that hung several paintings. You would lie and say that Sloane wasn't the most powerful one among all of you. Granted, there was Christopher who for some reason was a cube, but Sloane did things that would blow anyone's mind.

“Art snob, huh?” Sloane shouted from her place, making sure that Vanya heard her. Your eyes watched Diego following Christopher all the while throwing knives at him, failing miserably. You heard Klaus shout something that you couldn't quite make out due to the fact that Ben's tentacles were suffocating him.

Alphonso cheered Fei on while she was giving her all into fighting Allison. Diego passed by your side quickly, still running after Christopher who toyed with him. Just as Fei was about to strike Allison with her weapon of choice, she was stopped by Allison's manipulating words. “By the way, I heard a rumor you can't move.” Causing Fei to be stuck right where she was.

Alphonso handed over the bag of popcorn to you, taking Fei's defeat as a cue to step in and for you to step out. Your eyes scanned the place, looking for Jayme. Finally catching her frame, you jogged over to her, curious as to who was her next opponent.

A defeated sigh left your lips the moment you saw those uncovered knees. His gaze was right on yours as he helped Allison up. “Hey, short pants. What's up?” Jayme started, earning a scowl from Five, clearly uninterested in what she had to say.

Allison stood beside Five, before being ushered away. “Go help the others. I'll handle this one.” He referred to only Jayme, knowing that he had no intention of hurting you in any way. It still hurt him just by looking in your direction.

Five used his powers, blinking away behind Jayme to punch her, careful not to lay a finger on you. “More like their ringer.”

His eyes were on yours, distracted yet again, not noticing how Jayme spat on him with her venom. You leaned back on the wall, waiting for Jayme's powers to do their job and for yours to do its job.

“Hey, gross, all right?” His hand attempted to wipe away the venom, but before he could do so, his skin already absorbed the substance. Jayme simply smirked all the while raising her eyebrows in his direction, waiting for his reaction.

Not a moment later, his expression was confused. Seeing as this was your cue to jump in, you were taken aback by the scene in front of you. The vision included you by the top of the staircase. It took you a while to process everything. How Five knew your name, how Five saw you in his deepest desires, what Five uttered as he talked to you in his hallucination.

“I'm sorry, my love.” Tears already sliding down his face as he talked to the version he had of you. His body slowly inching toward you, feeling as if he was pulled in. “I didn't know, I'm sorry. I missed you, more than words can say.” He felt guilty and relieved all at once. Guilty that his hands were the same hands he used to pull the trigger on the gun, and relieved because even for a moment, he had a chance to see you.

You pulled away from his mind, being overwhelmed yet again. Once you pulled away from Five, Jayme was quick to catch you. Looking up, you saw him kissing the air, where you stood earlier in his vision. “Are they all perverts?” Jayme exclaimed. Seeing as you've had enough of the boy in school shorts, you left Jayme to deal with him alone.

Grace stood by the entryway of the living room, a plate of cookies in hand. It had been days since Jayme and Alphonso had passed away due to The Umbrella's ally. It nearly tore you to shreds, their death taking a toll on your mental health. Ben, Fei, and Christopher left you at the hotel along with The Umbrellas and Sloane, seeing as you weren't ready to stand up for a long time due to wailing your heart out.

As much as it surprised everyone, including The Umbrellas, you had formed a bond with them in the time you've been mourning your deceased siblings. They weren't as bad as your siblings told you in their stories, most especially Ben. They were surprisingly fun, chaotic, but fun.

For those days, you've made it your mission to avoid Five at all costs. Frankly speaking, Five had been on your tail, watching your every move at all times. It was the grief that drove him to do so, he had the urge to protect you from everything. It annoyed you how he would be next to you at every chance he could get. He annoyed you.

“Lovely to meet you,” Lila stated as she took a handful of cookies.

Diego gestured to Grace's nonexistent right eye, looking uneasy. “She stabbed herself in the eye.” Luther whisper-shouted right back to Diego to answer his confusion, Sloane standing right next to the bulky man as you sat on the large couch, next to the armrest.

“Welcome,” Fei started, one of her Ravens trailing right behind her along with Ben. “Please make yourselves at home.” She gestured to the different seats scattered all around the room as if this wasn't their home. It baffled you as to how Ben and Fei looked like Jayme and Alphonso's death didn't affect them one bit.

“Bitch, this is our home.” Allison commented. It was true, but you had yet to find the right moment to tell them the truth no matter how hard it was for you and your remaining siblings. However, you had also yet to know how Five knew your name or how Five saw you in the vision and why was he apologizing. Many questions are unanswered, and all it takes to know it all was to dive into his mind.

“Uh, excuse me?” Fei questioned Allison, and Allison only rolled her eyes as a reply.

“Jellybean?” Luther offered the bowl to everyone, attempting to ease the tension the two families had. Five watched you stand up from your seat, taking the bowl of jelly beans from Luther, then going back to where you were originally.

“Where the hell is Viktor and Klaus?” Diego asks no one in particular.

“With our luck, probably Kugelblitzed by now.” Five answers for him, sitting down on the armrest next to you. Normally, you would've pushed him off, but you were too tired to make a fuss, and so, you let him. Even resting your head softly on his arm, his heart rapidly beating at your actions.

“You're a dark little dude sometimes.” Five paid Diego no mind as he watched you eat your different colored jelly beans in peace.

“Ooh, what happened to your hand?” Fei asks, but before Diego could answer, he was interrupted by Ben.

Ben clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. “We don't have time for idle chitchat. Everyone, sit down.” Everyone obeying Ben's order.

The moments that passed by consisted of an unexpected fight between Allison and Viktor as the others watched with snacks in their hands and mouths, entertained by the heated argument. It was something serious that you didn't recall, something about their mothers? But either way, there was something strange that happened with Allison. Her powers worked on Viktor even without using the words 'I heard a rumor.'

The next hour or so passed by, and Sloane, Viktor, and Lila used their abilities to contain the Kugelblitz inside Christopher, which scarily enough, it worked. With Sloane's perfect calculations, it went smoothly, or as everyone had thought it did.

You watched everyone with a slight smile on your face as they danced, drank, and chit-chatted, a glass of champagne in your hand. The song Another One Bites the Dust plays loudly, yet even with Queen being one of your favorite bands, you couldn't get yourself to be fully happy despite saving the world successfully.

“Hey.” Five stood in front of you, taking you by surprise. The alcohol coursing through his veins gave him a sudden burst of energy and courage.

He sat down next to you on the couch, his eyes darting to your eyes and then down to your lips. “Five, I don't want to talk to anyone at the moment.” It was true, you had no energy at the moment to speak with anyone other than your mind.

“Can't I spend time with my spouse that isn't my spouse?” You simply rolled your eyes at him, leaving the living room and heading toward your room. His footsteps trailed closely, getting louder by the second as he followed you throughout the house.

Before you could slam the door on his face, he caught it just in time. He didn't know why he was pushy. He didn't even know why he followed you into your room. He understood that you weren't his Y/n, the one who he loved and the one who loved him back. He understood everything, perhaps it was the grief that was talking.

“Leave me alone!” You shout. Suddenly, a burst of energy filled the room, knocking some little things in the process, and resulting in accidentally jumping into Five's mind. You caught a glimpse of you and Five on your wedding day, the widest smile you've seen on Five. All memories of you and Five came at you all at once, making you stumble back, drowning in memories.

Five was caught by surprise, not catching you in time. “What the fuck?” He heard you mutter under your breath. He felt the burst of energy as well, it nearly knocked him over. With your distressed state, he assumed that you did accidentally get a glimpse of his memories.

“You weren't joking. Holy shit.” You were in denial even after he said your name, even after seeing yourself in his vision. It scared you to know that a completely different version of you existed in someone else's life.

From what you saw, Five had lived a comfortable and peaceful life with you. Apart from him killing people every time he had to. His memories were full of you, full of him being stressed as he thought of ways to solve the apocalypse, and a reoccurring memory of him pulling the trigger causing a bullet to go straight through your head.

“Did I? They? Gave you anything special?” Not knowing what version of yourself were you using. His eyes darted down to the wristwatch he had on. It was your wristwatch that he took right after you died.

“Here.” Five gave you the wristwatch. “Why do you need it?”

“I can bring their memories back, but it's risky.” Five helped you stand up, a hand on your forearm.

“Risky? How?” He asks.

“I could lose my current memories.”

You didn't exactly know what led you to helping him that night, but you were sure that it was one of the best decisions you've made. He was ecstatic the moment you came back to him. Although it was selfish, but he knew that even if you refused, he would've accepted you either way.

It took a long time before the others had adjusted to your new personality and new traits. Ben also stirred an argument with Five about how he took you away from them. It was amusing to all of them, most importantly to Five. He loved seeing his Y/n interact with his family, much like what he dreamt of.

Five didn't show it, but he was deeply affected when he had a wedding without his family members attending. He dreamt of the day that he'd remarry you, but this time, with his family by his side.

Sloane and Luther you and Five slowly swaying on the dance floor, with the soft instrumental in the background, your head rested on Five's chest as his head was rested on yours. Despite the very evident gossiping from Klaus, Ben, Lila, and Diego, the both of you paid no mind to them. Only caring about each other.

Five was a romantic, a sappy old man. Despite his background as an assassin, he loved corny and cheesy things that would either make your heart melt or make you gag. Yet he'd only do these things with you, no one else could.

“They really are an old couple.” Sloane comments, taking a bite out of her vanilla cake.

FIVE HARGREEVES TAGLIST !

@isventigayoreuropean @halfumbrella @iiirhiane-g @crinklypink @its-loki-bitch @cff3kat @umbrellatte @yuuki4646 @dontspoilthis @fivelegance

Please message me if you'd like to be removed or added!

THANK YOU FOR THIS REQUEST !

- ★

#extremely slow burn #SUPER PROUD OF THIS #i hope everyone enjoys this #tua #hargreeves #the umbrella academy #x reader #five hargreeves #five #five hargreeves x reader #five tua #five hargreeves x y/n #five hargreeves x you #number five #five x reader #tua s3 five hargreeves x reader #i got a bit lazy toward the end smh #ANOTHER WEDDING SCENE OH JY GOD

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monocaelia · 3 months

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fragile.

' you have broken down my defenses, and i don’t really resent it. ' - vita sackville west

in which you really don't want to care about him and his careless attitude, but you always find yourself coming back to him. always. feat. diluc ragnvindr & gn!reader w.c : 5k warnings : childhood friends to lovers, diluc lore spoilers, minor angst but ends w fluff, diluc ragnvindr. note : happy new year! sorry for the delay hehe, but this is for @seraphiism's 2023 collab event !! please support the other authors and enjoy the fic ^^

your mother had always instructed you to stay close to her side, to never stray far away from her lest you find yourself in trouble with the master of the winery or the other servants working the orchards and tending to the land of the estate.

but with a beautiful land of ripe grapes and friendly staff greeting you as you rush past them, how could you ever just sit still beside your mother as she did her job around the winery?

the late summer breeze rushes past your face as you weave through the wooden stakes holding the wiry vines of grapes above you. the warm sun rays heat your skin as you leap over the small rocks that litter the passage leading into the main area of the ragnvindr estate. the wind whispers in your ear, making you grin as your little legs take you wherever it guides you.

you feel free, the wind pushing past your wings to lead you to your newest adventure around the manor.

your feet land firmly on the grounds behind the manor when you hear the gentle sniffles coming from behind a couple of barrels. despite your mother's warnings echoing in your head, you take gentle steps towards the sound as curiosity takes over.

you're not expecting to see a young boy with fiery red hair and matching eyes that hold the warmest, flickering fire glaring up at you with tears at the corner of his eyes and holding a bleeding knee.

"...are you okay?" you ask, kneeling down beside him. you begin to frown when he pulls his knee away from you and his glare deepens.

"i don't need your help," the young boy hisses at you and you roll your eyes.

"really? you don't need my help even though you're crying in a corner all by yourself?" you scoff at him. he doesn't say anything in retaliation and you take it as an okay for you to help him.

you pull a handkerchief from your pocket; nothing too fancy as your family couldn't afford the finest silks like the nobles could. it's cotton, white, and had a simple design of a little sparrow emroidered in the corner.

"i don't have any bandages on me," you mumble softly. your little fingers gently wrap the handkerchief around the young boy's knee several times before tying a small knot on it. without even blinking, you lean down to kiss the wounded knee.

"what are you doing?!" the young boy exclaims, yanking his knee away.

"kissing it better," you say as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "my mother always does that when i get hurt. she says it takes the pain away and makes it heal faster."

"that's stupid," the boy mumbles with a glare.

"says the one who tripped and fell and hurt himself," you argue back. you stick your tongue out when the boy shouts out a 'hey!' and roll your eyes.

"who are you and what are you doing here anyways?" you ask the young boy, kneeling beside him once more. he's still glaring at you, but it's less hostile than it was a few moments ago. "my mom said strangers aren't allowed to be here."

the young boys eyes are red, vibrantly so. the life in them burn brightly, reminding you of a fire as it flickers with warmth and a promise of a brighter tomorrow. like the hearth of a fireplace, the young boy seems to be the incarnate of warmth itself with the way he's filled with the flame of life.

"i live here, dummy," he quips back at you with a frown and your eyes widen.

"really? i've never seen you around, and i've been everywhere on this estate," you reply, bringing your thumb and forefinger to your chin as you remain deep in thought. truly, the only people you've managed to catch were all adults working for the master of this winery. never once have you seen a kid running along.

with a bright smile of your own, you lean towards the young boy. "we should be friends! since i don't know anyone else to play with here, we can play!"

the boy looks you up and down with furrowed brows, but he slowly nods. "...okay," he mumbles and you grin brighter.

"great! what's your name then? i'm-"

your name is shouted as hurried footsteps rush towards you. your mother pulls you aside as she looks at the young boy in front of you with panicked eyes.

"young master, i'm so sorry if my child said or did anything to hurt you," your mother says in a rush. she pushes your head down to bow in front of the young boy. she hisses something into your ear and you stutter out your own apology too, even if you did nothing wrong.

you find out the young boy you helped earlier that day was the son of the nobleman your mother works for, diluc ragnvindr. apparently, he's some big deal because he's the young master, but what kind of big deal hurts himself and hides between the barrels instead of asking for help?

you huff as you kick your feet sitting down by your bedside. because of the whole debacle, your mother had ordered you to stay inside to prevent even more debacles from happening even if you explained that the young master getting injured was not your fault. the sun shining from your windowsill feels so far away as you stare outside and ponder what to do.

until you hear a light pattering sound come from your window.

your curiosity is piqued as your small frame approaches the glass panes, wide eyes peeking over the wooden frame as your eyes scan the scenery.

the foliage of the trees surrounding your home cast shadows over your house with small animals running back and forth from the greenery above, causing the rustling of the leaves. the sun trickles in through the gaps of the leaves and your eyes settle on the boy with red hair standing outside your window, a small rock in his hand.

there's a proper bandage on his knee now as it was properly dressed, and his fiery eyes meet yours. he looks hesitant at first, but his brows furrow and his lips open to prepare to speak.

"...come outside and play with me," he tells you when you push open the window in your bedroom, a slight pout in his voice.

"you got me in trouble," you reply shortly, "and now i'm stuck inside because of you."

the young boy bites his lip, pondering what he could do or say to make things better. from the way he's thinking hard enough for you to see steam coming out of his ears, you could tell that he was trying really hard to think of anything to say.

"i'm sorry," he mumbles, kicking the dirt with his shoe.

"sorry, what was that?" you ask, holding your ear out.

the young master huffs, his cheeks puffed out in annoyance. he stomps his foot before-

"i said 'i'm sorry'!"

you smile at him smugly before crossing your arms on the windowsill. it was amusing to see the supposed young master like this; for such a renowned young boy, he was such a cry baby.

"okay, i can't go outside, but we can still play inside if that's okay," you tell him with a bright smile. "i'll let you in!"

"diluc..." he says, red eyes meeting yours. he reminds you of a fire with the way he's looking at you; so full of life but almost burning you if you get him too riled up. but the flames are tame now compared to the anxious flickers you saw earlier before he apologized.

"okay; i'll let you in then, diluc!"

ever since that warm summer, you and diluc have been inseparable; every afternoon is spent exploring the land of the winery but never straying far enough to get lost or end up on the other side of the lake where monsters lurk.

you were there the evening master crepus brought home another young boy around your age home; his blue hair reminding you of the blueberries your mother bought from mondstadt for you to eat. it was a bit of an adjustment with another young boy to play with, but soon you got along well with him as well.

his bright blue eyes always sparkling as you invite him to play alongside diluc and his little hand held in yours. he reminded you of the stars above with the way his eyes twinkle with youth and reflect the night sky above you when the three of you snuck out of your homes to stargaze with your hands holding onto each other until the morning sun began to rise over the horizon.

with your hands held tightly with diluc's and kaeya's, your youth together was only just beginning.

it's a cool morning where the early frost is beginning to melt as the sun continues to rise over the horizon, spreading her warmth and love across the fields of dawn winery. the young master has been gone for a couple days now; something about some sort of knight exam or whatever happening in the city of mondstadt. you would have gone with him, but your duties lie in caring for the winery whilst your friends head off to the heart of mondstadt to finish their training and hopefully become part of the knights of favonius that crepus ragnvindr had always encouraged them to be a part of.

you know having their father's praise meant a lot to your dear friends and you could only hope for the best for both diluc and kaeya as they were off doing their duties.

your ears perk as your name is shouted through the winery along with the sound of hooves rapidly against the dirt road. over in the distance, you can make out a red haired young man galloping over on his steed at near full speed. with wide eyes, you try to tell him to slow down before you get trampled and-

"oof!" you groan as a heavy body slams into you, both his weight and warmth tackling you to the ground. you're thankful that his arms cradled your head as you both go tumbling into the dirt road underneath you and the only pain was that of your body against the floor.

you don't even get to question why diluc had tackled you to the floor when he pulls his face away from you, giving you a clear view of his expression. he's smiling brightly, a wide grin on his face and his eyes of rubies twinkling brighter than any flame you've ever seen. the flames of his soul flicker brilliantly in his excitement and you can't help your own match his energy.

"i got in!" diluc says, his boyish smile growing wider. the small divots in his cheeks are cute and evidence of how hard he was grinning at the news. "i passed the trials got to do the oath swear and- oh, i wish you could've been there!"

despite growing up into a more mature-ish teen, it is moments like these where you're reminded that even as time passes and he grows taller than you, diluc is still the bright eyed boy that you've known since you were young. he looks so cute, in an endearing way, when he eagerly tells you all about his trials and how tough they were.

you really hope that the young master stays the same as he is now.

with a gentle hand, you reach up to ruffle his hair; it's soft to the touch and your eyes don't miss the way diluc pauses in his excitement as your fingers weave into his hair. you assume it's because he's not used to your praise and brush it off, even as he leans into your touch and waits for your words.

"why don't we head inside first? i want to hear everything that happened, but inside where it's warm and comfortable rather than on the dirt floor, diluc," you say to him, a slight lilt in your voice. you laugh softly when you see his cheeks flush a little in embarrassment before he gets off of you.

"i apologize, i was just so eager to tell you," diluc says softly, reaching down to offer a hand to you. you take his hand; you can feel the natural warmth emanating from his body through his gloves and, before you know it, you've been pulled up from the ground. his arm wraps around your waist to assure that you're balanced as you stand up.

"i just," diluc begins. you watch him as the young master of the winery averts his gaze briefly before he meets yours, warm rubies enveloping you with nothing but the comfort he holds for you ever since you were both younger.

"i wanted you to be the first person i told and to tell you."

a wave of something pleasant washes over you knowing that diluc, the heir of dawn winery and one of the most hardworking and talented man in all of mondstadt, rushed back home on horseback in the early hours of this chilly morning just to announce the news to you in person.

just so he could be your first in regards to his good news.

you laugh softly as something warm settles into the pit of your heart, squeezing his hand in yours as you tug him towards the main mansion of the winery estate with no intentions of letting his go for the time being.

even with the budding flowers of youth begin to bloom and the happiness that was promised to you has yet to come, you would have never expected for the spring of your youth to end so abruptly.

it happened all so quickly; crepus ragnvindr wielding a delusion, his death and the anger of diluc exploding, and the fall of your friendship with kaeya and diluc.

you weren't given the details of either one's situation, just a witness of a near death experience and the unforgiven apologies spewing from kaeya's lips as he held his injured eye in the midst of the rain washing down on them as if mourning both the loss of crepus ragnvindr and the wound wedged deep between the relationship of the ragnvindr brothers.

it was like in a mere second, the once warm diluc that would blush and hold your hand so delicately had been wiped away and replaced by a diluc grieving the loss of his father as the flames of his anger and betrayal of both his own brother and the knights of favonius for trying to brush the murder of his father under the rug explode and engulf his entire being.

he doesn't even give you a proper goodbye, leaving only a letter dedicated to you and his vision dimly glowing on his nightstand behind.

it feels like a fever dream when you hear the news of diluc finally returning after all of these years. you don't even hear it from the man himself; rather, from the whispers and excited chatter that the master of dawn winery had returned home.

part of you is excited at the news that he's alive; with no news of his existence after he ran from home in search of the truth behind his father's death other than the faint glow and warmth radiating from his vision clutched in your hands when you missed and worried for him, you were ecstatic knowing that he truly was home now.

that he's alive and breathing and still with you.

and yet, another part of you twinges in pain that he didn't come to you and announce that he was home. he had left you without even a single goodbye, not even bothering to visit you and explain his situation before leaving you questioning whether or not he even cared about how you felt about him.

of course, you aren't entitled to being the first to know, but after growing up together and usually being the first to know of everything in your youth, your heart aches knowing you were one of the last to hear of this at the winery.

it doesn't help knowing that you have not even caught a glimpse of diluc after his supposed return.

so imagine your surprise coming home one evening, the cool night air biting against your skin as you return home after a long day's work, seeing a figure leaning against your home.

at first, your blood turns cold as your heart races in your ears; it couldn't be anyone bad... the winery is a safe place and any suspicious figures are dealt with accordingly before they even step close to the winery grounds. you don't even have anything to defend yourself against if they did happen to be someone with malicious intent.

you take a step back to turn tail back to the estate but freeze when you begin to recognize the figure outside your door; red curls resembling that of flames flickering in the air and warm ruby eyes that you could recognize anywhere. despite standing in the dim evening light and having only the glow of the lantern outside of your home, you could make out the injuries through his dark clothing.

just what did he get himself into?

you hesitate at first, but eventually let your instincts take control as you begin to walk over to your home. it's as if you were both in the blooming stages of your youth again, bringing diluc home to mend his wounds after training for the knight exams.

caring for him was like muscle memory to you, even after all of the events leading to him leaving you in the dust.

you don't say a word as you open the wooden door and guide diluc in, pulling out a chair by the fireplace. wordlessly, he sits in it as you leave to prepare to clean his wounds.

your fingers shake ever so slightly as you remove diluc's coat from his shoulders, the heavy fabric falling to the floor with a thud. you apologize softly as you begin to unbutton his shirt and, as each button is undone and reveals more of his skin, your fingers begin to flinch every time your skin brushes against the skin of his chest.

his breath is warm, you can feel it against your skin as you slide off the remaining clothes on his torso. his chest is bare to you, and normally you would be gawking at how much he has physically changed since you were younger. but you cannot help but stare at how much he had been injured in the last few years you have seen him.

aside from the scratches from the most recent scuffle which led him to your quaint home beside his manor, scars litter his chest and arms. although most of them are healed, the damage that he had experienced was still evident on his skin and you hold back a gasp at how deep some of them had been; there's a huge scar that runs diagonally from the top of his chest to his stomach and you could already feel your stomach churning at the pain.

you couldn't imagine having to sustain those injuries for so long, and being alone through it all.

and, now, you hope that the injuries currently on his body heal faster knowing that he isn't alone this time. not when he has you by his side.

diluc's eyes burn holes into your skull as he watches you dip a towel into the bucket of warm water at your side; you pretend to ignore him. twisting the soaked cloth to rid it of the excess water, you gently begin to clean the wounded man in front of you.

a man you consider an old friend, but you fear he doesn't hold the same sentiment. not anymore.

it's quiet, the only sound shared between the two of you being the occasional sound of the towel dumped back into the bucket and the crackling of the fireplace in your living space. the moon casts her illuminating rays through the window of your home, but her light is nothing compared to the comfort of the fire in your home.

the comfort of the man in front of you, even if you didn't want to ever admit it to him now.

the glass jars containing the disinfecting ointment for diluc's wounds clink gently as you open them to spread over his skin.

"why are you helping me?" his voice breaks the thick silence between you two. his sudden question makes your hands pause, but you don't raise your head as you think of something to reply.

"and let an old friend bleed to death outside my door? you think i'm that heartless, diluc?" you ask him. your fingers resume their previous job of slathering the medicine over his new wounds. "i could say the same to you, why show up to my house like this?"

another silence follows your words and you assume he's done interrogating you for your kindness to him.

"i had nowhere else to turn to," diluc says after a while. your eyes catch his fists tighten on his lap as he takes another breath. "you've shown me nothing but kindness even after i was so cruel to you."

you exhale softly at his words. of course he thinks dealing with his own problems this entire time was the worst thing he could do to you. if you were being honest, it did hurt when he seemingly pretended you didn't exist or pushed you away when he had returned home from whatever he was dealing with away from mondstadt.

you had hoped for a joyful reunion, one filled with tears as you finally welcome home your old friend. but he never announced when he was coming home and you only figured out through the grapevine. he was never home when you looked for him and when you finally caught a glimpse of him, your eyes would meet for barely a second before he rushed off elsewhere and leaving you in the dust.

according to kaeya, his brother whom you've kept in touch with throughout the years. diluc had changed even more ever since his return; he kept his feelings to himself and his face remained 'constipated,' as per kaeya's words, due to his inner turmoil.

but from everyone else, he had always been so kind to them. the old women in the city would always praise how gentle the young master was, helping them walk across the city or carrying their groceries if they needed it. the young women also constantly swooned over how mysterious, yet warm-hearted diluc was; seemingly cold in nature but treating children and animals with such tenderness.

"it did hurt knowing you were ignoring me," you confess as your fingers begin to unravel the gauze to wrap over his wounds. "even if you wanted everyone to think you've changed and have become cold and guarded, i know you're still the same caring boy i've known since we were young. i hope so, at least."

his skin is warm to the touch, another feature you realize has never changed about your old friend. with bated breath, you lift your head to let your gaze finally settle on diluc's own. just as you predicted, despite the physical changes, you can still see the diluc you once knew within the scarred and older man in front of you.

diluc has definitely gotten older; the baby fat on his face slimming down slightly to reveal a more defined jaw and the bags under his eyes were evidence of his restless nights away from mondstadt. there are light scars on his face, nothing too deep to keep from his princely demeanor but are definitely proof of a troubling journey, and he has grown taller than the last time you had seen him in your youth.

but one thing that has never changed is the fire the lights up his eyes. so red and warm, you're tempted to hold his face in your hands to get a closer look. they're so vibrant, alive like the embers that flicker in the fireplace that lights your home, as they stare back at you in anticipation of your next words.

"you would never intend to hurt me on purpose. so if i should have to wait forever for you to be ready to come to me like you've had in the past, i don't mind doing so."

diluc's stoic expression wavers at your words. a sliver of guilt shines in his eyes and he looks away briefly as he digests the words you've spoken to him.

he couldn't tell you the reasons why he always kept you at arm's length; was he wary of your intentions for always being kind to him despite how he treated you or was he so used to people close to him lying to his face that he feared you were also pulling a facade?

or was he scared of you sharing the same fate as his family should he loved you with his heart on his sleeve, a fate of being held in his arms as he feels the warmth that once comforted him when you were young fade away like the embers in the hearth of a fireplace?

diluc did not want to know and he did not need to know, not when you're looking at him with such trust and compassion that he finds it hard to even hold any distrust towards you.

his dear friend from his youth who was always there to pick him up when he fell.

you did not break through the walls shielding diluc's heart for you had already found your place beside it, holding he's life with your gentle hands and protecting his soul's flames with your faith in him.

"i'm sorry," diluc apologizes to you, looking into your eyes. one of your hands is grabbed to be held by him, rough and scarred and so calloused as it held the memories and grief of what he went through to become like the man in front of you, the gauze held in your other. his warmth seeps into your skin, heating up your skin as the flames of his heart grow and encase your entire being within its embrace.

your lips part to say something, but he continues to speak.

"i thought keeping you away would benefit us both," he takes a breath as his eyes scan over your own features, taking in all that has changed since the last time he saw you in your adolescent years; how much you've grown both physically and emotionally. you look so much more mature than the naughty child who ran around breaking their mother's rules just to play with him or the dear friend who would bicker with him endlessly during their teenage years.

the years of their beautiful youth, years that he wished so dearly he could go back to and live in that peace for eternity.

but while the winds continue to blow and move time along, you've continued to stay the same despite the change.

you're still so kind, so inviting to someone like him.

you treat him like the friend you've remembered in your adolescence, even if his hands were bloodied with vengeance and his heart is scarred and wounded from betrayal and deceit.

he is still diluc, just diluc in your bright and beautiful eyes; he always had been.

his hands squeeze yours tightly, hoping that he has the courage to say what he wants to say.

"i don't deserve your kindness, or your love. but if i imagine a life where i have succeeded in pushing you away and we no longer talk," diluc begins, the fire in his eyes wavering as they hold your gaze.

"i don't think i would ever want to live a life where you're not in it."

diluc's words shake you to your core; it's something you wouldn't expect him to say now after all these years. as much as you want to immediately forgive him and push back the years of agony, waiting for any sign that he was alive while leaving his vision behind, or even watching as he ignores you despite being home after all these years, your heart aches knowing knowing he even did this to you in the first place.

"how can i know that you won't leave me like you did?" your voice is small despite being so close to him. in fear of having him see how much his actions have affected you, you face tilts down to your lap to avoid his gaze. "i can't just wait for you forever, it hurts sitting here all these years with a promise i don't even know if you'll keep."

you take a shaky breath as you speak again.

"you didn't even say goodbye."

your voice breaks as you say those words and you can feel the burning sensation as the tears threaten to spill over your eyes.

there's a moment of silence between the two of you before you hear him gently call out your name. his free hand reaches up to cup your face, tentatively guiding you to face him. he says your name again, softly as if even saying your name too harshly would cause you to break, and you hesitantly meet his gaze.

there's a tenderness that you recognize deep in those fiery pools in his eyes, one that flickers like the hearth of your fireplace and suddenly you feel like you're experiencing the most beautiful yet fleeting moment in life once more. diluc's thumb gently presses against your cheek to wipe away any tears that overflowed from your already wet eyes.

his pinky links with your own, a childish thing to do but one that you still hold dear to your own heart.

a promise between the two of you bathed in firelight and your youth reflected back at you in the shape of the young man sitting before you.

#diluc x reader #diluc ragnvindr x reader #genshin x reader #diluc fluff #diluc fics #didi writes #seraphiism'23 #events !!#this was fun!!#sorry this is really late TT life is life-ing o(-(#n e wayz; i do think diluc would b such an annoying kid LOL #b r a t to the core #but he mellows out and all that fun stuff later #happy new year everyone ! i hope you enjoyed my (late) work !!

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