Chapter Text
“This Party is so boring,” Diluc mumbles quietly but still loud enough to be heared for Lisa, who’s sitting next to him on the couch. He had made himself comfortable on the moss green and dark wooden furniture for a few hours now, joined by Lisa for the last half an hour. There was no need to be so discreet about his boredom, not that there were many people around him anyway but Diluc still had manners and those forbid him to let Jean hear about him being bored.
Yet he was sure it was pretty obvious in his body language because despite having himself very well under control normally it was hard to not let anything slip while being relaxed and the party may be boring due to the people attending but Diluc strangely feels relaxed. At least enough to not be tense all the time.
Those who could, avoided him as good as possible no matter if good or bad in character. Even powerful rich people whisper his name in fear yet it was hard to avoid him for business. Where money and power settled down he was to find and people now better than to ignore him.
Who doesn’t try his best to stay on good terms with a powerful mafia boss who has his fingers and spies in every business in and around town.
Lisa ―the violet witch, as she was labeled by those who fear her― chuckles quietly, swaying her glass of red wine while crossing her legs so elegantly as if she had done it over a hundred times and she probably has. The vent of her dark lilac lace dress now reveals pretty much skin and long legs. Very aware of how she draws people's attention to herself alone she still loves to show off.
There is always someone falling for her― Diluc doesn’t know a gender that could resist her, she knows too well about the power he holds over people and how easily they fall for her.
“Isn’t that the reason you took me with you, Dear~” she says in a playful tone not many can consider in front of him without a bullet between their eyes. “To entertain you with news so you won’t get bored.”
Diluc snorts, “Yes and where are my news?” He uses his free hand that is not holding his wine glass to give a small wave to the mass of people gathered in the medium sized hall of the mansion. Medium sized for him at least, he has set his food in way bigger mansions. Not that he cares much about the amount of materialised love people like to show off. He had met very powerful people in normal houses and lots of show offs but actually poor wanna-be rich assholes in mansions they actually could not afford.
As if he would be impressed by rich dekor and how many rooms a mansion has.
“You are here because this is your girlfriend's party and I need to stay on good terms with Jean. She belongs to the most powerful family in Mondstadt after all,” he pauses not sure if he should satisfy her ego this much but in the end he speaks after all “ and because I can always use a social butterfly to gain information for me.”
The violet witch chuckles, “Oh please, stop being so cold, I know you respect her much more than others. Alone for the fact she tried to wipe your ass.” Amused she takes a sip on her wine.
“She is quite different, that’s true,” Diluc responds to Lisa’s surprise and it doesn’t go unnoticed by her how her boss’s mouth twitches, trying his best not to let the corner of his mouth lift up the slightest.
Satisfied to hear this, she smiles into her wine glass, playing with the thought to tell Jean about this small little detail.
“Why didn’t you bring Venti with you then?” she asks curious this time, taking another sip.
“Venti looks like an innocent little boy but he also can be a little shit who speaks too much sometimes and I don't want him in places I can’t monitor him. I don’t doubt his loyalty but sometimes his mouth works faster than his brain. He still has to learn a lot. ”
“Oh Dear,” Lisa bites down a chuckle and moves a hand on her chest, exaggerating her acting on purpose just because she can. “Are you implying I’m a little shit too?”
This time Diluc smiles visibly and he looks away from the mass of people in the room giving her his whole attention. “You are shitty sometimes, but not childish shitty like Venti can be. You’re an mature adult after all and he still is a young man with less experience.”
“So in conclusion, I’m a bad bitch, is what you want to say?”
“Well,” he is not stupid, he knows, that she knows and she even is kinda proud of her reputation, especially f it comes to men. Electrocuting them seems to be a hobby of hers especially when they are drunk.
Diluc found her being very amused by the painful noises she gets from those. Maybe a reason he let her torture some victims if he needs information.
“That’s what you said,” he leans back, resting his back against the soft fabric of the couch. His long black coat sliding a bit off his shoulders.
He could have left it in the wardrobe but wearing it gives his appearance an even more dramatic look and he loves to give the people something to talk about. Diluc always made sure his wardrobe fits the evil character people expect him to be. It was a funny game for him. A long black coat with fur around the neckline just fits too perfectly to his image, same as the vest, the suit and the necktie with the crimson Agnidus Agate jewel on it. Classic evil― a look he loves the most.
With a wicked grin on her face, Lisa takes another sip before standing up. Correcting the fit of her dress with one hand, while the other still holds the half full glass.
“Well then this bad bitch will go and find her girlfriend now while collecting and trading information, for my beloved darling boss,” and then she winks playfully at him, gone quickly before Diluc can even give an annoying response.
“You little-” he groans but he is not really pissed at her. After all their years working together he got so used to her personality, he would miss it if she behaved differently all of sudden. Not that he’s ever gonna tell her. It’s refreshing, like Jean is. Also Lisa is truly powerful enough to not pisser her off, it would be quite a painful experience even for him.
Sure,” he mumbles, making himself comfortable on the couch “just leave me alone at this boring party.” Sighing, he continues to observe the room and the people inside. Maybe he will find someone to amuse him after all.
A few minutes later his eyes find a very interesting man and scanning his appearance he wonders why this man did not catch his attention before? He is pretty good at observing and a man like this should have gained his attention from the beginning, yet he did not. This is enough evidence for him to know something about this man is off. Diluc smiles to himself, it seems he found someone to play with. Maybe this party wasn’t so boring after all.
His hair is a soft dark blue, long and bound to a pony-tail. The hair itself looks as soft as it’s colour. He is dressed in a simple white shirt and black pants, not much jewelry except a black choker around his neck with a silver looking attachment in the middle. First button opened, showing enough chest to awaken curiosity but not giving away more than a little bit of his collar bones― a tease, Diluc decides, this man is 100% a tease as he stands there presenting himself and smiling the sweetest smile.
Ice blue eyes, glowing different depending on the light. Sometimes darker, sometimes almost so less blue they seem white-grey and an white eyepatch, adding even more secrets to his mysterious existence, though it looks pretty medical.
Why attend a party when your eye is in a bad condition?
There was so much about the man Diluc wanted to know, however the man stood there in another man’s arms, whispering probably sweet things with his soft sweet shiny lips in the other ear, like a chirping bird.
Strangely, thinking about it makes his blood boil. This mysterious stranger should not be in that man’s arms but in his.
The more he takes the image in, the more he wants that man.
It’s funny, he thinks, that the man he accompanies is an asshole on the highest level.
Already for longer a thorn in his eyes, someone he thought about to get rid of so many times know. There were rumors about children traffic and this man, as it is said, seems to be one of the main dealers.
Diluc is a mafia boss― he gives a fuck about many laws and order, he has lots of blood on his hands― but he has morals. Yet even for him it was hard to get proof for this man’s horrible crimes and just killing him blindly would be like ripping off the only foul root of a sick tree without knowing where to search for the other rotten roots, without digging out the whole tree.
He has some traces but it is not enough to humiliate him to the whole world and rip the mask off his face to show his true self, before killing him painfully.
The blue haired bird clearly is younger than his partner and with that probably younger than him, Diluc muses, trying to calculate the age of Bluebird. Not by much but Diluc is sure he is a bit older than the little bird.
There seems to be some kind of truth behind the saying that the image of a bad boy is more attractive than the good boys. However, Diluc smiles, from all the villains here, he is the worst.
That should be enough reason for Bluebird to be his.
Diluc Ragenvindr is one of the most dangerous men in town if not the whole area until Liyue where Zhongli has the people in his claws― how he even managed to also make the Fatui, a group of assassins and mercenaries, respect him is still a bit a riddle for Diluc but he has his suspicions due to a certain man Zhongli was often seen with― and he respects Zhongli enough for doing business with him.
A high ranked mafia boss, feared by so many and used to get what he wants.
So of course the first thing he feels is the strong want of possessing this man, yet there is something odd mixed into his feelings this time but he can’t get a grip on this complicated mix of emotions now.
Though the strength of wanting this time hits him with surprise.
When the man turns his head a bit, their eyes meet and Diluc realises that he must have stared at the man for quite some minutes now. It’s rare that an action caughts him by surprise but the eye contact and the wicked knowing smile on those soft pinkish lips with a slight brown undertone matching the beautiful tanned skin perfectly, they caught him off guard.
In this moment Diluc knows that this man is dangerous and very well aware of his aura.
He doesn’t need a toy but he wants this man so badly he is about to just tear him out of the other man’s arms with brute force.
Having his possessiveness normally under very good control, his emotions going wild like a berserk tiger now.
The man, fully aware he is being watched, turns his head back to kiss his partner oh so sweet on his lips.
Well, Diluc smiles and it is anything but a friendly smile, Bluebird added the last nail to his coffin.
He wasn’t even aware that he was still holding his wine glass until his fingers started to hurt from the pressure of his strong grip around the glass.
Wanting nothing more as to hunt this bird down so badly. But a party like this was the worst place for his possessive behaviour to strike and under any circumstances he has to avoid a scene.
Yet the hunt started that moment they made eye contact.
An hour later Diluc finally gets a moment he can strike, finding Bluebird standing in the dark corner of the bar.
It seemed to be a trend under the rich society to show off with their own bars in their mansions. Well it is a trend he rather prefers than any other, the best business is made in bars after all.
There is music in the background, not too loud but also not too quiet to be overheard by the noisy chatter of many people in this room. People try to avoid having contact with him so no one paid him attention. Which was amusing to watch since he was quite tall and with his bright red hair and crimson eyes standing out a lot from the masses. His appearance was already outstanding before the element of fire had chosen him to be a vision bearer of the black red flames. But after the fire awakening in him, his eyes seem to glow even more than before and his hair seems to be made out of crimson flames now― at least that’s what people tell when they think he doesn’t listen.
Fear can do wonders and his reputation makes many trembling in fear, not that he doesn’t enjoy it.
Hushed down voices when he was around, avoided eye contact at any cost, knowing that a wrong word can end your life of joy in a second and Diluc loves the power he holds upon people, despite himself being able to wield the vision of fire.
Not anyone in this world was a vision bearer.
Bluebird just stands there, leaning against the wall with a yellow drink in his hands, a honey sweet smile on his lips as their eyes meet and Diluc just knows in this very moment that the man was waiting for him. If his birdy really knows which kind of fire he is playing with? Diluc is not so sure about that.
“I thought you would never come and find me,” he whispers and it sounds way too forbidden. He doesn’t seem very much bothered that he is cornered by one of the most dangerous men, if not the most dangerous man around. “You are quite the sight people tell, Mr. Ragenvindr,” Bluebird smiles and oh it does not calm Diluc’s inner beast at all. He wants to kiss those lips until they are red and swollen, wants to leave love marks and bites all over the little bird's neck he gets a promising hint for when the younger tilts his head a bit.
“And you seem to be pretty aware of the dangerous game you started playing with me,” Diluc is even in the good mood to mirror the smile only his one has a wicked hint and is everything but honey sweet. “I hope you are aware that you will lose this game,”
“Game?” the man chuckles, “I never intended to play a game with you Mr. Ragenvindr,” and then he steps forward, closing the distance and surprises Diluc with a short brief kiss on his lips.
Before he could react to it, the blue bird escaped from the shadow of the corner, stepping into the light.
“Please forget about me Mr Ragenvindr,” he speaks in a hushed voice almost a whisper. “I’m sorry but I won’t play with you, I have no intentions to do so. Accept my little present as a goodbye gift, please,” and with those words he was gone, vanishing between the people and in the next second out of Diluc’s eyes.
The younger is very good at gaming, Diluc muses while his smile turns into something animalic and anyone who dared to catch a glimpse of him now would shiver by his predatory gaze. Blue bird actually managed to catch him by surprise with his move, he admits that.
He may have lost him for now but the party was still ongoing and he had plenty of time to catch his bird. However what annoyed him was that he did not really find another opportunity to get a moment to grab his bird alone. The other always made sure there were many people around him.
Until later when he sees his blue bird entering one of the private rooms upstairs together with the man he despises so much. Maybe he will consider murder after all tonight.
Not wasting any more time, he approaches one of the maidens he sees hushing around in the background for hours now. He recognizes her from earlier business deals with Jean when he visited the mansion. She was way more than a simple maid and actually one of Jeans main bodyguards.
“Noelle, my sweet, would you please hand me over the key for one of the private rooms upstairs, the last one on the left side.”
“Spare me your compliments Mr. Ragenvindr,” the maid replies stoically, making the two other bodyguards disguised as maids behind her gasp in fear. “Why do you need a key to Mrs. Gunnhildrs private rooms?”
Diluc hums, “I saw a suspicious figure entering it and I wonder how the person managed to enter if you haven’t given away any keys.”
“I will personally punish anyone who dares to enter rooms that are forbidden, even if it is just a guest room. Thank you for informing me though.” Noelle was not amused about those news, as he feared she would be and as she was about to turn, going there herself when Diluc put a hand on her shoulder.
Sensing her aura growing, Diluc decides to stop this right here and now. “Noelle! Please the key,” his voice is calm yet he made clear there is no room for further discussions and the little staring contest that followed ended in his win.
“I’m not a sweet little powerless maid,” she still says, eyes narrow.
“I’m aware, please Noelle,” he removes his hand and instead holds it open in front of her. A clear gesture showing he waits, obtaining the key from her.
Sighing, she draws a bunch of keys on an iron ring out of her pockets, searching for the right one and forming a replica with her Geo power. Giving Diluc a meaningful stare while handing it over. “This one will break after you use it, don’t go ahead of the fact I just gave in.”
“Thank you Noelle. I very much appreciate your trust in me,” he gives her a polite but true smile.
“If I find murder in this house I swear i will continue the mission Mrs. Gunnhildr was interrupted by Mrs. Minci,” she says, smiling at him with her sweet innocent smile. While she just told a powerful mafia boss she is gonna wipe his ass and she is not a single bit afraid of speaking such threats.
Behind her the two bodyguards flinch when Dilucs gaze falls on them.
“I think you have business upstairs now, Mr. Ragenvindr,” and the dangerous underlying tone in her voice made clear that this is not his business anymore.
But he still can not hold back the smile for himself when he turns around to walk up the stairs hearing her hissing “You two never witnessed anything, understood!”
Strangely he hears nothing through the wooden door which is very suspicious. There should be certain noises, the intention of both men entering this room was clear from what he could read in their body language. Diluc was sure he would hear moans and whines but instead an odd kind of silence greets him. Quietly he opens the door and swiftly enters, closing the door behind him. Taking in the scenery which is unfolding itself in front of him.
Not a love making scene but a little blood bath.
The man he loathed so much is lying dead in the bed, the sheets inked red with his blood. Internally groaning, Diluc observes the situation. Noelle will surely make him responsible for this. She dislikes him that much that he would use the opportunity to blame even this murder on him. Hopefully he can let Jean know about this before Noelle finds out.
Looking at the corpse he finds himself an explanation for the strange feeling he had around his little bird earlier. He could have sworn a few hours ago when the little rascal escaped him that the air after the kiss was unusually cold and there was this hint of glitter around Bluebird before turning away.
Now he knows it was not an imagination.
Crystals made of ice are pierced into the dead human, big ones, small ones, spread all over his upper body. Since there was no noise it must have happened very fast and the ice is not even melted yet. A quick glance to the window which is not broken assures him that the second person in this room has not escaped yet.
His little Bluebird is a Cryo user.
Diluc really is all excited now and this is the last straw for his possessiveness breaking free once and for all, crawling to the surface and taking over control.
He must be his, his, his alone.
“The ice has not melted yet and the blood is still fresh, which can only mean, you did this mess, right Bluebird,” he speaks calmly and in the next second he can feel a gun against the back of his head.
“Bluebird? Are you kidding me, huh?” A small chuckle then the gun is removed as quick as it was held against his head. Why there even was a gun in the first place when only Cryo was used to kill was something Diluc doesn’t understand. A cheap trick maybe? “Honestly, I didn’t expect to hear such a sweet nickname from the most brutal person in this city.”
Diluc turns his head a bit around, looking anything but worried over his shoulder to see his little bird there, grinning and all blood stained. It made a nice contrast, he thinks, the bright red blood on the white shirt, fitting strangely well to the ice blue eyes and the soft blue hair, despite the nature that blue and red are contrasting colours. His eyes scanning the man bit by bit and what he sees doesn’t brighten his mood at all.
The shirt was opened enough that he could see bandages and scratches.
“Why are you here Mr. Ragnvindr?” the other asks slightly surprised but his expression gave nothing away except a hint of amusement. “Oh and please this is a fake gun, don’t worry,” he smiles holding the fake gun in the air for Diluc to see it really is just fake.
“Say was the kiss not enough? How greedy you are,” Bluebird teases either totally not understanding the situation he is in, Diluc thinks or he really believes he can get out of the situation like there was nothing.
Like hell he would let the bird slip through his claws now.
“You were almost about to interrupt my work you know,” he says, like talking about the weather.
Damn that smile, damn that little tease. Diluc was very well aware that his patience was growing thin but for now he only had eyes for the covered and hidden wounds on Bluebirds body.
His Bluebird, so the wounds are his responsibility now. He wants everyone dead who touched what’s his even once in his life and those who dared to leave a scratch will face his personal wrath.
With a serious expression on his face he approaches Bluebird. Who finally seems to notice that his behavior may not be understood as joking and while stepping back he smiles apologizing at Diluc, hands in front of him like he was about to calm down an angry animal.
“Hey, easy! The gun was a joke of course, I don’t have any sponsor to threaten the mafia boss-” Trying his best to avoid body contact at any cost he walked backwards, step by step until he was very close to the only window in the room and with that the wall.
Diluc cuts him off by grabbing his shirt and pulling it to the side, revealing bandages covering his whole stomach and the upper part of his chest.
For the first time the tension in the room grew into something dangerous. It was silent and the only thing cutting through it was a dangerous and calm voice.
“Who did this to you?”
Bluebird blinks at him, caught off guard and surprised for the split of a second until annoyance about the arrogant behavior of the mafia boss kicked in.
“It is none of your business,” he still was too perplexed to think straight about what just happened “Let go of me!”
“Oh no, it is, at least from now on,” Diluc tried his best to stay calm. He did not want to hurt or fight his new treasure. “I don’t want anyone to touch what’s mine.”
From nought to sixty the tension in the room turns into something intense, the temperature sinking rapidly to the point that Diluc can feel himself growing cold and the annoyance on his bird's face changes into something Diluc is very familiar with.
Anger
Out of the corner of his eyes he sees six medium size crystals of ice levitating around his head. Their pointed ends towards him, making clear to remember how easily they can pierce through human flesh. A warning.
“Since when have I been yours Mr. Ragenvindr?”
Diluc is aware that this question is rather rhetoric for Bluebird but for him the answer is “When you smiled back at me,” though this aside Diluc is sure he heared a hint of fear right now. He doesn’t have any intentions to hurt Bluebird, his bird is damaged enough nevertheless he is suspicious about a theory so he pushes further.
He wonders how old his little bird is, after all he looks quite young, maybe his mid-twenties? There is so much he wants to know about the other.
“If you want a bird, go to a fucking Petshop, you moron. I don’t belong to anyone!”
The voice is as cold as the ice circling around Dilucs head and the eyes clearly speak of sovereign contempt however they meet nothing more than the dead stare of a man who has seen a lot already and who knows, he is the stronger.
Diluc is neither angry, nor impressed by words and behaviour and he may not look like it but he finds himself strangely starting to care about his bird. A feeling he had not often experienced in life, the only people he ever really cared about being his family or what's left. A feeling he has not really any idea how to express. However the look in those eyes, the disgust in them towards him, is a different story and he hates it.
“Fine,” he mumbles, “You leave me no other choice then to use the rougher way,” and while he speaks, the ice crystals are eaten up by dark red flames, not melting anymore but deflategate like they were nothing. Where once was ice, fire is burning bright and hot, leaving not a single hint of coldness and evaporating any trace of liquid.
Instead of stepping back, submitting himself to the power of fire and trying anything to not have the wrath of a mafia boss upon him, Bluebird surprises him with a grin and a rain of tiny little ice shreds, crushing into the dark red flames of the magic fire that seems to burn down anything in it’s way without mercy.
In the next few minutes a cloud of thick steam blocks the air as the ice is too weak to take any damage on the fireballs Diluc is summoning again and again around the other. It almost looks like both powers are not strong enough to surpass the other, a tie in their little cat and mouse game.
Behind the cloud that’s parting the two now, Diluc smiles a bit. As if a little bit of ice could do anything against his flames.
Yet, the move from Bluebird is smart, trying to cover the whole room in steam and sneaking out of the window. Almost amusing how much the man fights at the same time there is no much will to fight for real. There is no blood lust, no passion and Diluc is very sure that he hasn’t seen all of his little bird's power.
Bluebird just wants to escape quickly.
Here and there the steam was not too thick and it gave away a bit of the other man's figure, enough for Diluc to play his real move. Silent he commands his flames to form a ring around the other, like little snakes the flame slyther on the floor, circling around the others feet giving the victim enough space to feel safe.
Waiting for the command to attack the body.
He had lowered the temperature but the flame was still hot enough to work as a warning and due the steam, the ice cold temperature in the room heathened up not being a danger to a flame being low on temperature.
Bluebird stops moving, only turning his head from side to side as if checking out the situation but it is too late.
Diluc moves his fingers.
The flames are rising, fast they make up their way around the other man’s body, growing in strength and holding him captive.
“What the-!”
Bluebird stares at the flames, trying to move but it is too late. Here he was wondering the whole time why the mafia boss was so quiet, holding back with his attacks and his murder intent. He did his homework, he knows everything about the Pyro ability of Diluc Ragenvindr or at least he had thought so.
This move was not in his knowledge.
They tear at his shirt, they pull on his arms, trying to drag him down and with way more power than he thought he had to move his arms while trying his best to break free, feeling like a fly captured in a spider net. The flames are fast, generating too quickly for him to freeze them completely with ice.
How can the fire move and grow so fast? How strong is that mafia boss?
A small hysteric laugh escapes him. “I see, I was fucked from the beginning, huh?” he says, staring at the flames surrounding his wrists.
“I didn’t want to hurt you but looking at your behavior it seems to better burn your wings.”
There in the middle of the room stays that arrogant read haired man, looking down on him while summonding another ball of fire.
So arrogant.
What does he know.
Those eyes.
What does he even know?
So dead.
Nothing
And Bluebird loses it.
For a second Diluc is not sure if the other had lost it completely, laughing like a maniac. A last rebellion before finally surrendering.
In under a minute the temperature in the room has reached a freezing level, if there would be any steam left, it would be frozen right now, lucky, Diluc thinks, that the steam was just a temporary condition of their two elements.
“Wings? Wings you said?”
Pain, there was so much pain in this voice and to a certain point Diluc feels a bit ashamed of himself, pushing the other so much only to test out a theory he has no proof for, just a feeling.
Yet, how often has his intuition saved his life and business?
Too often to get ignored.
Observing every step, every reaction of his opponent, he watches the ice eating up his fire, bit by bit until the ice kills it all. Watching and waiting, that’s all he does so far, he does not let the fire regrow. Hurting his new little treasure is not his goal after all.
Where once flames of black red, crimson, bright orange and bright yellow tied the man down, now a mesh of ice blue and white is seen. Fire eaten up by ice in seconds, the true power his bird inherits, an incredible force of Cryo about to crash him without mercy.
“This is so funny, really” another laugh but there was not a single drop of humor in it.
Then the mesh bursts into tiny little small pieces and Diluc is sure he rarely saw something, someone so beautiful like Bluebird right now. Incredible small ice sheds glimmering in the air around him, now that all the steam is gone they glitter like little diamonds in the dim light of the guest room.
Three heavy spiked ice balls circling around his beloved bird, moving fast, very fast. Ready to shield, ready to shredder, ready to freeze and kill anyone having the audacity coming near them.
A beautiful murderous picture and it is just another add on the list of reasons he wants this man so badly.
Attractive and powerful, what a lovely and sexy combination.
“There never were wings on this bird, so what do you wanna burn, fucking asshole,” voice as cold as his ice. “You arrogant pack of men, high on money,” yet filled with such dark emotions. “Thinking you can buy everything and everyone!” Bluebird almost yelled though Diluc is not nervous about getting interrupted by others. The walls of the mansion are thick and the party people down there are loud enough to cover a weak yell.
“You were one of the children right?”
“It is-,” Diluc could see fingers forming fists and he prepared himself for an attack, medium sized fireballs summoned in an instant, circling around him, ready to shield. “None of your fucking business!” Bluebird growled and then the first ice splitter crashed into fire, melting immediately but still was compact and cold enough to get very close to Diluc’s body.
Which is enough reason for him to finally capture his berserk gone birdy.
“Enough now, I let you go on for far too long already,” he speaks softly but his aura changes from calm to murderous in such a quick swift, it catches Bluebird off guard. He can see the confusion in his birdie's face, turning into fear when the color of his flames takes on the shades of something so dark it almost seems black.
Only a little of orange and yellow remains, little flickers of bright colour getting engulfed by a dark black red as soon as they show up. Something dark and sinister is hidden in those flames. It’s a flame, it should bring light but it seems to be the opposite.
Bluebird's eyes widen. He had heared some rumors about the strong and strange Pyro abilities of a powerful man around but he had not even thought for a second he may meet that man tonight.
If it is that man after all.
It takes Diluc exactly two more shots to destroy the remaining ice crystals and Kaeya who finds himself with the horrifying thought that this man’s Pyro power is just way out of his league and the mafia boss will destroy him if he won’t escape now, hurries to throw himself through the window.
He had weakened the glass beforehand to avoid deep cuts and dangerous injuries.
Too late he sees the flames crawling up his legs again, too late his brain progresses that he was tricked all along and that the mafia boss had used the same sneaky attack as before. Ending up stumbling backwards only to fall on his ass.
Kaeya had sworn to himself, that after this night he will be finally free no matter what happens, no matter how much he has to fight, no matter how many men he has to take down.
It sucks but the mafia boss was clearly stronger, yet there was one last way to be finally free from anything. His backup plan, just in case things would go very very wrong.
Not that he hated his life so much but if there would be no freedom, then why living this life further?
Kaeya says nothing anymore. The last thing the other will see is a provocative smile on his lips.
So he smiles but he does not close his eyes.
Diluc’s eyes went wide when he saw one massive ice crystal forming again in front of Bluebird, first of surprise about the stubbornness but when his brain alarmed him of a sharp edge pointing towards someone else and not toward him they widened in shock.
He will not let this happen!
Everything following happened on instinct. His flames grew incredibly hot, he released them in seconds, attacking the ice crystal, melting it as good as he could and hoping he would destroy it in time.
The incredible difference of temperature, clashing together creates an even stronger steam than their attacks before, basically exploding when the two opposite elements met each other, being hot and cold at the same time taking damage on both opponents. Diluc doesn’t care about the pain on his skin, his pain tolerance is high enough to endure a little bit of hot steam. He hopes Bluebird can endure it for a little bit too.
Glowing with fire but strangely dead inside are the crimson eyes Bluebird meets when a figure steps out of the steam and crunches down to be on his level.
He lost and as much as he hates it, he has to accept it.
Still it hurts.
A lot.
He had lost freedom again.
And he is scared, really scared.
He wasn’t really scared by people for some time after enduring all the bullshit he went through. Not that he finds it refreshing or missed it. Who misses it to be in fear? But fear has claimed him the moment he met those merciless eyes.
Being pulled forwards by his wrists he is forced to move onto his knees.
Kneeling in front of a man he loathes, Kaeya has no pity for himself even if it is a forced situation. He is trembling and he hates the condition his body is in, weak, vulnerable and a fucking hindrance. Maybe he should have waited and trained for longer but he grew impatient and freedom was so, so close he got greedy.
That’s what he got from being greedy.
The same flames that clinged to his body and crawled around him before are now slithering around his wrists, holding them together surprisingly strong. They do not hurt him yet but for how long.
“I told you, it is my business now.”
How was this the same voice from before? Bluebird wonders. First it was colder as his ice now it sounds warm like the fire around his wrist.
“Everytime you struggle or you do something stupid, I will raise the temprature, got it.”
“Understood,” Bluebird whispers, not looking any longer at the symbol of his capture, but at the floor instead.
He has finally given up, Diluc feels no fighting spirit left. The bird was in his claws like he wanted but it feels like holding a lifeless puppet. A bitter feeling that turns his taste of victory into something unpleasant.
“I will take care of this mess now, please behave. I don’t want to hurt you,” he sighs and takes his coat off, stuffing it around the still kneeling man until he is sure that he is hidden enough to let Jean and Lisa in. Both may have seen his birdy down there but hopefully never paid much attention to the man. Now that he thinks about it, he never cared about asking for a name.
“I’ll behave, Master Ragenvindr.”
A small whisper but still, in the dead silence of the room the words are loud and clear hitting Diluc like a thunderbolt on Lisa's level. There’s pain in Diluc’s chest, pain he only had experienced once as a young teen.
Looking at Bluebird he does not see a young broken man kneeling down on the floor but rather a broken child. Diluc had never felt more bitter about a claim.
There is a deep burning hatred towards anyone who was part of the path of pain his Bluebird had to endure in the past.
“What’s your name?”
“Kaeya”
Diluc doesn’t ask for more, he sighs while standing up.
“Call me Diluc, please.”
“Master Diluc is it then.”
It hurts, it hurts him so much and it is a kind of pain he only had dealt once with in his entire life. He had sworn to himself it won’t ever come down to this again.
Yet here he is.
“We will talk about this and other stuff later. ”
He doesn’t wait for an answer this time, instead grabs his phone, dialing a number via keyboard shortcut.
“Lisa, take Jean and meet me at guest room number four, act naturally, don’t arouse attention.”