A/N: Hi guys! I'm super excited to be able to share this for Jealuc week, ahhh I've been working on this one for a while! It's a blessing to be able to share my birthday with the first day of my OTP week :D. I headcanon that Diluc's mom played the violin, so she became a role model for him growing up :). I hope you enjoy, even if it's a little more Diluc focused than Jealuc centered.


Even without his mother, Diluc couldn't say he didn't have a happy childhood.

Diluc and his adoptive brother had always gotten everything they'd wanted, due to the amount of wealth they had from their father's vineyard. In return (almost as thanks to his father for how much he'd done for them), Diluc became a perfectionist. Everything he did had to be absolutely perfect- if it wasn't, he'd do it over and over until it was.

One of those things was the violin.

Lucinda Ragnvindr, a musically gifted violinist, had won over his father's heart through her talents, and he aspired to be half the musician she was.

It was in third grade at nine-years-old when Diluc decided he wanted to learn the violin. As cheesy as it seemed, he had fallen in love with it the moment he'd seen his mother rehearsing on the black and white cassette tape.

When he'd first started to study the different aspects of the violin, Crepus had gifted him with his mother's old violin, which remained in great condition. He relished the smell of spruce from the string instrument, and he adored the sudden shifts in fingerings to every different note.

Even with the help of his violin, he never got one thing he always wanted; Jean's attention.

Diluc's concerns were never rooted in the opinions of others, but Jean was different. She was as close to perfect as anyone could get- her smile was contagious, she aced every test, and she still had time for music.

They'd gone to the same school for years, and they'd even had a couple of classes together in years past. They were friends, although the only chance they got to talk was first period. He often greeted her with a wave and vice versa before heading to his last class of the day. Orchestra class was right before piano, and Jean often entered just as he was preparing to leave.

However, even when he'd played through the rest of his music several times at the end of classes, she never seemed to glance at him- she looked dissatisfied, if anything. It felt insulting; it felt like something was wrong with his playing, and that she wasn't impressed by it.

"All I see is that my older brother has a crush," he heard the familiar singsong tone of his adoptive little brother from behind him as he was putting away his violin at the end of class one day. Kaeya Ragnvindr was a year below him and an absolute nuisance. The blue haired teen played the trombone in the band, which rehearsed the same time that Jean's piano class took place. Because Diluc's last class was so close to Kaeya's, he typically followed him around just to pester him on the way home.

"I don't get crushes," he retorted as he picked up his violin case and started to walk to the school's exit. Their home was close enough that he preferred to walk everyday, rain or shine.

"Don't you, now? You've been pining after Jean for several years now. You may not get multiple crushes, but I'd say you have a fairly severe one on her." Kaeya's response was met with his brother shoving him in the face. It didn't hurt. It wasn't intended to cause him pain. It was just meant for him to shut up.

Jean was pretty, and he had daydreamed about her before, but that didn't mean anything. They were just friends. She'd never like someone like him.

I don't like her, the young violinist told himself with a scoff, but I would prefer knowing if there's something wrong with my playing so I can improve upon it.

Over the next week, his desperation to get her attention grew. Perhaps it was a problem with his music- it wasn't intense enough, he assumed. The pieces he was playing were much too simple. He selected much more difficult ones to practice in his spare time.

However, the amount of stress he had placed on himself to perfect it as soon as possible caused him a severe amount of burnout.

Playing wasn't fun, it wasn't rewarding- it was tiring. It was a chore. The worst part was, she still looked away when she saw him play. Her standards were extremely high.

"You doing okay, Luc?" Kaeya appeared at the doorway as he finished playing one night. He was genuinely worried for him. All he did these days was play that damn violin.

"I'm fine," Diluc told him dismissively, putting his instrument away and sliding it next to the door.

"Are you losing sleep over this Jean thing? You could just talk to her about anything else. Seriously, her distaste for violin playing is nothing against you."

"I highly doubt it. There's something wrong with my playing," he pressed, curling his lip. "She loves the violin. She told me she did when we were younger."

"Maybe her tastes have changed," Kaeya shrugged, in clear disagreement. "Why do you care so much about what she thinks, anyway?" He leaned against the wall, his eyes peeled to the violin case.

"I don't," Diluc snarked, snapping his head to look at his younger brother. The blue headed boy sighed. "But if someone like her won't watch me play, that means I'm not doing it well enough."

He clicked his tongue. "I think you're ridiculous, brother. But fine, fine, we'll play it your way. Just do your best to not put so much pressure on yourself, alright? There are much easier ways to get a girl than devoting your life to music."

Diluc was ready to snap back at him, but he felt too fried to really give a retort. "Whatever, Kaeya. Are you done?"

"I suppose so. Sweet dreams, brother." He sauntered out of the room, leaving the violinist to simply clench his jaw.


"Good morning, Diluc."

Diluc glanced up from writing on his music to see Jean had entered the room and was headed towards her desk next to him. She was smiling, as per usual.

"Good morning," he greeted, trying to flash his own smile back before looking back down at his music. He often wrote little notes in while he was practicing so he knew what to improve on.

"What are you up to?" She asked curiously, looking down at his page in fascination.

"I'm working on annotating my violin music," he answered, scribbling in a note.

"Oh, I see." He saw the smile disappear from her face. He looked back down at his paper and frowned. Why had she totally went quiet at seeing his music? He couldn't place it, but she didn't talk to him for the rest of the class period, seeming absorbed in her thoughts instead.


"Diluc, my boy," his father had sat down with him on a particularly rough day where he had tossed his violin aside after failing to get the piece right, "have you considered that maybe you're pushing yourself too hard?"

Diluc stared up at his father and folded his arms slightly. He had a great deal of respect for him, but not at the moment. It was a preposterous proposal. He was not working himself too hard. If anything, he wasn't working himself hard enough. He needed it to be exactly as it was written on the page, yet he continued to fail. "I'm not pushing myself too hard, father. I'm just trying to get better."

"Your mother wouldn't expect you to be perfect within the first week of receiving new, challenging music. You've surpassed everyone else in your class." Despite his father's words, he sensed that even Crepus believed his reasoning for pushing himself so hard stemmed deeper than wanting to be like his mother.

"I know she wouldn't," Diluc knew that much from everything his father had told him about his mother. He'd only met her for a couple of minutes before she'd passed away from birth complications. He couldn't remember a single thing about her, only what father had told him.

"If you're trying to impress someone, I wouldn't cause yourself stress by pushing yourself to the extreme. Mastering songs take time, my boy. Is this because of a cru-"

"I do not have a crush," Diluc interrupted, unable to let his father finish the word. The flustered expression on his face suggested otherwise.

It's not a crush, he clenched his fist. He didn't have crushes. That was how it was. Kaeya was the lovestruck flirt who tried to pick up girls constantly. He was the school focused teen who had a sole devotion to perfecting whatever talents he could. Relationships weren't important to him. They were friends, just friends.

"I'm just worried, son. Your grades have been dropping because of this… obsession," Crepus frowned, putting a hand on Diluc's shoulder. Diluc knew his father was trying his hardest not to upset him. He's just concerned, he told himself, trying to keep himself from exploding at his father. He didn't know how to reply, even though he wanted to. He wasn't trying to lose hold of his grades; he was trying to balance them both. He just wanted to play to the best of his abilities.

"If it is because you're looking to impress someone," Crepus got to his feet, slowly pulling his hand away from his shoulder, "you have much more to offer than perfect violin playing, Diluc. If sh-" he cut himself off before he could finish because assuming it was a crush would've made the teen feel worse, "If someone can't see you're worth more than that, perhaps they're not worth trying to impress, son."

"I…" Diluc wanted to protest and insist it wasn't for the purpose of impressing anyone, but he knew he would be lying. He just wanted to know how well he was doing. "I decided to sign up for the talent show, father. That's why I've been pushing myself to play perfectly."

It was only a half lie. He did sign up for the talent show coming up in the next couple weeks. However, a part of him knew that he wasn't pushing himself to play perfectly for the talent show. He could play any trivial song and he would still get praise for it.

I'm doing it for the talent show. He bit his tongue when he thought of the pretty blonde instead. Nothing more.

"If you're looking for a song to play," Crepus turned around when he got to the door to look at Diluc once more, "Your mother's favorite song to play is in the attic with the rest of her old things. I'm certain you can learn it. It's not too difficult for your level, but I recommend you only play it when you want to, not out of necessity." His eyes were soft- it was as clear as day that truly cared for his son and his happiness.

"I see. Thank you, father." Diluc calmed himself down enough to smile at him. He took his words to heart; he would learn it in memory of her, but he would take his time, just like his father had asked.

"Of course, my boy," Crepus disappeared down the hall, leaving Diluc in his room to make the decision of whether or not he wanted to go fetch the music.


The attic was awfully dusty, causing him to cough several times over as he entered and attempted to crawl through the clutter. He didn't go up there too often, only to bring down the Christmas tree in the winter, usually.

His mother's belongings stayed in the back corner. He never knew if Crepus was doing that to protect himself from being sad in front of his kids, or to protect him from being sad about the mother he didn't know.

He shuffled through her things cautiously, afraid that they were fragile and would break if he wasn't careful. There was a folder at the bottom of the box with Lucy Ragnvindr written in cursive, and that was where all of her music was kept.

On the front of one page, in fact, it had been marked "For Diluc" in his father's handwriting. That was it, he assumed, and snatched the music out of the folder.

What he didn't realize for a moment was that there was a little attached to the song, and it was addressed to him.

Dear Diluc,

At the time you're reading this, I haven't met you yet, but I already love you dearly. I know there's still going to be years to come where I can say that, but I still wanted to make it said here.

Your father thinks that I should teach you the violin when you're older, so if you're reading this, that means you've decided to follow in my footsteps.

I can't wait for the duets we'll get to play in perfect harmony. It's an indescribable feeling to imagine performing with your son someday, truthfully. Maybe we could even write something for your father's birthday- wouldn't that be fun?

I hope that you find just as much fun in making music as I do, and if you treasure it as much as me, I want you to learn the song attached. I don't want you to feel pressured into becoming a violinist, which is why I'm keeping this note with my music, but if you ever play this, I hope you know that I'm with you.

No matter what, whether you ever learn it or not, I'm going to be proud of you.

Love, Mom

His hand was clamped over his mouth by the end of it, tears threatening to trickle down his cheeks at any given moment. He longed for a universe where they could rehearse in unison, and he could hear his father laughing jovially with Kaeya. It was quite possibly the most he'd ever heard about his mother, and just reading the words "I'm proud" made his heart soar.

He questioned himself as he reread the note, finally letting his tears gently splatter onto the note. Maybe his father was right- maybe he was trying too hard. He'd completely forgotten why he wanted to be a violinist to begin with- for the adrenaline rush it brought, for the joy it brought those who heard it- that was why he made music. It wasn't for the sake of trying to impress someone; his mother would've loved him no matter how well he played, and Jean- well, he'd just have to get over her, even if he thought she was a nice person.

Remembering his purpose as an instrumentalist, the piece quickly became a favorite of Diluc's. It was a moderate difficulty, but it was a slower song. The slow tempo made it more enjoyable and made the song sound less intense. He was used to playing a variety of songs, but it stood out to him as his mother's favorite, and he was fond of the tune.

Whenever he practiced in class, he simply ignored Jean when she entered. She probably didn't care about what he was playing anyway, considering how she seemed to lack interest in him. Every time they'd interacted, she'd never once mentioned anything about his violin music. He didn't care. It didn't matter what she thought.

I don't care. Her validation doesn't matter. In his frustration, he shoved past her as he was leaving and didn't spare her a glance.

The next day when Jean walked in, she didn't look at him. He didn't look at her either. Whatever. I'm not apologizing. His stubbornness prevented him from saying sorry. Especially when she knew he had orchestra and ignored it, even when he'd been playing just to impress her.


"Did you and Jean get into a fight?"

Diluc couldn't help but wonder how Kaeya had drawn a somewhat accurate conclusion as they were walking home after school. "No, where did you get that idea?"

"She looked rather out of it when I saw her earlier. And Diluc, brother, we've been living under the same roof for several years. I can tell when you're irritated."

"Everything is fine, Kaeya," Diluc sounded more annoyed than he wanted to. The more upset he sounded, the more clear it was that there was something wrong between them.

"Your irritation proves otherwise," Kaeya mused as they crossed the street to get to their home, "Did she happen to crush your heart?"

"I do not have a crush on her," he snapped as he jammed his key into the front door. Kaeya raised an eyebrow.

"For someone who claims not to have a crush, you certainly seem to care a lot when I bring it up," he mused. Diluc gritted his teeth.

"Shut up, Kaeya. Just leave me alone," he snapped, retreating to his room the moment they got inside.


The night of the talent show was upon him, soon enough. Diluc was dressed formally in a suit, just to look all that more professional as he played on stage.

It was only when the organizer of the talent show read Jean's name as the act after him that he froze. He didn't even know she was going to be there, let alone be part of the show.

His thoughts were interrupted by the soft chuckle of the blonde who had lined up behind him, "If I had known it was such a formal event, I would've picked better attire."

His heart pounded as he whirled around. She was wearing a navy skirt and had a white shirt tucked into it. She was always pretty enough as it was. He couldn't picture her looking more gorgeous.

He remembered he was supposed to be mad at her, so he looked away. Jean frowned and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Look, I don't know what I did to make you upset, but it's obvious I made you upset. What's wrong?"

Diluc was about to reply when he heard his name called to perform. "I'll discuss this with you later," he muttered, heading out to the stage with his violin.

He heard a "good luck!" called after him by Jean, but it only made him more confused. She sounded genuine about having no clue what she did wrong, yet she was blatantly ignoring his playing without telling him what was wrong with it? People were so confusing.

Diluc raised the violin to beneath his chin and looked out at the crowd. He saw Crepus sitting near the front with Kaeya, who had a smug look on his face for whatever reason.

He better not be planning to ruin this for me. He knew internally that Kaeya would never actually sabotage something important to him, but he was still a little shit sometimes.

Closing his eyes, Diluc began to play the notes, letting the sound of his own song carry him away. It was moments when he finally performed that he felt free; music was a solace for him. When he needed to de-stress, it was there; when he wanted to feel productive, playing the violin accomplished that. The idea of letting himself go out of the way to try and impress someone by burning himself out was so ridiculous. From then on, he was even more sure that he wanted to play for his own pleasure and nothing more. No more trying to play for the sake of others. Only if it made him happy.

He heard a sour note and opened his eyes, realizing that he had went to the wrong string. It was a slip that was obvious, and he couldn't help but freeze for a split-second before picking up where he was. He glanced to the side of the stage briefly to see if Jean was there to hear him screw up.

Instead of what he expecting- either her to not be there or for her to be cringing- she was smiling. She seemed so… relieved? He really couldn't say he understood her now. She was a complete wild card.

When he was finished, he slowly dropped the bow and violin to his sides. He imagined what his mom would say, then thought of the words written in ink.

No matter what, I'm going to be proud of you.

It was a thought that made him laugh joyfully. Somehow, music made him feel connected to her; it was a weird feeling, but it also brought him great pleasure. They'd never gotten to know each other, yet he felt like he knew what was in her heart just by playing her favorite piece.

He was drawn back to reality when he heard clapping and bowed, giving a brief smile before he headed off stage, waiting on the sidelines so he could watch Jean.

Good job, he saw mouthed at him by her and couldn't help but feel his heart flutter. Her smile was melting his heart- but he didn't have a crush.

She stepped out into the light and the piano that was already off to the side of the stage was moved to the center. Jean sat down at the piano bench and slowly started to play the song.

If anyone could see the look in Diluc's eyes as he watched Jean from backstage, they would have certainly assumed he was her boyfriend. His gaze was so soft that it definitely seemed like he cared about her and admired her piano playing. Her fingers moved fluidly from one key to the next, and he was in complete awe of how great of a pianist she was- especially because he already knew she was great at everything.

Jean got to her feet and curtsied, then headed off the side of the stage where Diluc was as the next act made their way on stage.

With both of their acts completed, the pair headed out into the school's hallway, which was connected by one the doors to backstage.

"You… you sounded great." Diluc hated how flustered he (probably) looked. He'd never felt that nervous before. He was fiddling with the top of his violin as he spoke.

Jean couldn't help but giggle softly, "Do I hear Diluc Ragnvindr is nervous?" There was a glint of mischief in her eyes. He couldn't help but relax at her tone.

"You must need to get your ears checked. There's nothing nervous about my voice." He responded, looking away because he knew very well that faint blush dusted his cheeks.

Jean laughed again, "You sounded great, too, Diluc. I loved watching your performance." Her voice was genuine, much to his surprise. After every hint she'd dropped before then, he was certain she didn't find him musically talented enough.

"You- you did?" He was rarely caught off guard, but he was too shocked to mask his feelings.

"Of course I did. What would make you think I didn't?" She tilted her head in confusion, raising her eyebrows slightly. He flushed. He couldn't help but feel stupid knowing that she had absolutely no clue why he thought that, but told her his thoughts anyways.

"Well, I've played violin in your presence everyday before your piano class, but you've never talked to me about it, nor have you looked at me while I was playing," he explained, running his fingers through his hair to try and focus on something other than eye contact. "I just assumed you thought I lacked talent."

"You honestly believed I thought you weren't good enough?" It was Jean's turn to be surprised. She put a hand on his shoulder, "You're too good. You play perfectly, with such a great amount of passion. My musical talents could never match yours. You're devoted, you spend so much time trying to get better. Watching you play your music or write in your music felt somewhat embarrassing. I felt like I was an infererior musician because I knew I would never be able to play to the same standards, which is frustrating for me." She was looking away from him the entire time as she admitted it. As a Gunnhildr, much like Diluc, perfection was all that was expected of her. Piano was something she'd been playing for her whole life.

It was ironic that were similar in that way. Jean always held herself to a high standard- one that her mother never realized was causing her stress. Crepus, on the other hand, saw Diluc's need to be perfect and was constantly insisting that he didn't need to be. "But I felt relieved when I saw you fumble- it made me realize you're human just like I am, and I saw that we both seem to strive for perfection…" She couldn't help but turn red. He felt both honored and totally idiotic for holding a grudge against her.

"You're being serious? You played your entire song perfectly and-"

"No, I didn't," the blonde pianist cut him off with a smile. "I forgot one of the verses, so I repeated the chorus."

"-and you've have the top grade in every class for several years. I didn't think that I was playing to your standards."

There was a moment of silence where both of them had no clue what to say. They both looked like a mixture of embarrassed and flattered. His heart was still beating a mile a minute, but-

It's not a crush. Diluc must've said those words to himself a hundred times that month. He didn't get much time to continue trying to convince himself he didn't have feelings for her before Jean spoke, her voice clear, but with a slight edge of anxiousness.

"There's another talent show in the spring where the audience donates money to vote for the best act. All of the funds goes towards a local hospital. Perhaps we could perform something together?" Jean didn't tend to beat around the bush. That was one of the things they had in common.

"I would like that," he tried to accept as casually as possible, but he was so sure that even an idiot could tell he was excited. "As long as you forgive me for being a huge jerk; I mistreated you for a petty reason."

"I don't think you need to apologize, but I forgive you," she reassured with a smile, her cheeks still just as pink as before.

As the talent show neared its end, Diluc and Jean went their separate ways, but a smile lingered on his face.

"Let me guess- you saw Jean again," His younger brother smirked when he gotten over, trying to hide his smug face with his hand.

"Shut it, Kaeya." Diluc scowled, but his voice came off as defeated. The most annoying part of it all was that Kaeya wasn't wrong.


In the upcoming months, Jean and Diluc had selected a new song to play for the talent show. It was another soft piece which mostly highlighted the violin and used the piano to compliment it.

Despite the fact that the piece didn't need practiced everyday, Diluc and Jean could be found hanging out everyday. Even if not rehearsing every moment together, they were talking each other's ears off every minute they hung out after school. It usually ranged from thirty minutes to an hour.

Kaeya couldn't help but stick around sometimes just to watch everything unfold. They were so dense- so damn dense.

Sometimes, Diluc would even sit at the piano next to her and try to figure out the notes. "Like this?" He'd asked one time as he played the c-scale at a moderate tempo.

"Exactly like that," Jean had confirmed, and the redhead had nudged her, trying to get her to play "something spectacular" for him.

"Surely there's something you know how to play," Diluc had urged, brushing his fingers across the keys.

"I don't know, there isn't anything too impressive…" Jean had protested as she tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

"Come on, I don't believe you in the slightest," Diluc had rolled his eyes, but knew exactly how to get her to play. "Or are you too cowardly?"

"Fine, fine, I'll play," Jean had placed both hands on the piano and started to play a complex piece. The tempo had been so fast that he hadn't even known how she'd trained to play it. When she was done, she glanced over at Diluc. His mouth was agape, but when she made eye contact with him, he shut his mouth.

"Er…" Diluc had tried to echo her at a much slower speed. She'd laughed and rested her head on his shoulder as he'd tried to mimic whatever she played.

Kaeya thought that he could see it better than both of them- they clearly liked each other. Maybe all they needed was a little push.


The night of the spring talent show was exactly the push they'd needed, apparently.

Diluc was fidgeting with his tie as he awaited his partner's arrival. There were quite a few group acts, but they were the only duet focused solely on violin and piano.

"Hey, sorry that I kept you waiting for a while, Diluc. Mother was trying to fix my appearance."

Jean stopped before him, a pleasant smile on her face. Her hair was tied back by a red bow, and she was wearing a red and black dress. The top of it was black, but the bottom flared out with a rose pattern on the skirt. It complimented Diluc's suit quite nicely.

Needless to say, Diluc was lovestruck. He tripped over his words several times over until he'd regained composure.

"No, you're alright. I'm just glad you made it." He relaxed, bending down to pick up his violin. "I didn't know that your dress was going to match my suit that well. It fits you," he complimented, flashing a brief smile at her.

"O-oh, really?" Jean began to twirl some loose strands of hair around her finger. She didn't get nervous very often, so seeing her flustered was new to him. "I didn't think so- red's not my color."

"Agree to disagree," he teased lightly, watching the other participants leave the room one act at a time.

"Thanks, Diluc. You look great as well…" Jean mumbled, hiding her face in her hand. Her cheeks were as red as his hair.

"-Diluc and Jean, you're going to be up next." The advisor announced,

He offered his arm to link with hers, which she willingly accepted.

The dimmed lights indicated it was their time to perform, and Diluc drew in a deep breath.

"Don't forget-" he began, but the pianist seemed to know what he was about to say before he'd said it.

"-you'll lead me in by extending the intro for two measures."

"Exactly." Diluc tried not to turn red about how she really didn't need reminding. They'd discussed it time and time again, yet he still always had the nagging feeling that she'd forget. At least she didn't seem to care that he always tried to refresh her memory. She still wore a smile, sharing a glance with him that only intimidate friends would have before they started to walk out to perform.

Diluc escorted Jean over to the piano and then repositioned himself beside her. The piano was angled in a manner that put both of them into perfect view of the audience.

The lights rose and the sweet sound of the violin echoed through the school's auditorium. His thumb was cradling the neck of the instrument, the rest of his fingers resting on the other four strings. His movements were precise, his gaze on his pianist. He saw her fingers begin to dance across the keys, putting passion into every note.

She laughed quietly, her eyes meeting his as she continued her chords on one hand and the melody on the other. There was a warmth in her gaze, one that showed him how thrilled she really was to be there with him. That may have been the moment he realized he had a crush on her. In those few minutes, they were in perfect sync with one another. Everything fit hand in hand perfectly; sure, they'd practiced everything time and time again, but it was a different feeling playing for an audience. The exhilaration of performing with her was through the roof. He couldn't help but smile back at her, the soft music blending together one more time as the song drew to a close.

The pretty girl drew to her feet and made her way over to him. They were given a standing ovation, and Kaeya was there in the crowd shouting, "That's my brother!" The clear pride in Crepus's eyes- even from so far away- made the violinist more delighted. He shifted his instrument and bow into one hand to take Jean's hand with his other. They bowed in unison, the cheering fading as they headed backstage.

Diluc was still holding Jean's hand without realizing it, and when they were out of sight, he embraced her.

"Thank you for playing with me."

"A-Ah, Diluc, I-" the blonde mumbled as she buried her head in his shoulder as they hugged. "I enjoyed performing with you," her voice trembled slightly as she'd spoken- he didn't even know she was nervous until then. That entire time, she acted perfectly calm, but as soon as they were in private, she definitely wasn't.

His heart thumped as he held her. The crushing thought of her rejecting him plagued his mind, and he drew in a sharp breath; it was so sharp that he choked, but he feared ending such a touching moment with her prematurely, so he managed to restrain himself from coughing. "I did too."

When they pulled away, they were left in complete silence. Suddenly, before Diluc had any time to react, Jean had placed one of her hands on his cheek, her lips gently pressed to his other one. She withdrew, flushing. Diluc, crimson, opened his mouth to speak, but saw an advisor beckoning them to return to the stage.

They stood in the spotlight with the other entertainers, awaiting the results of the talent show.

"…with our top act being Diluc and Jean, who got donations of seven hundred and ninety-three dollars! With the additional contributions from the other acts, we've made over a thousand and two-hundred dollars for the children's hospital!"

The clapping started up once again at hearing the announcer. The pair gazed at each other, having not exchanged a word since the kiss.

"You did a great job, Diluc. I hope the money we earned does some good for the children," Jean smiled, face still red from what had happened just a couple minutes prior.

"You did great too, Jean. I'm glad you asked me to perform with you back in the fall." His hand reached for hers, and he was happy to see her take it with ease. Out in the audience, Kaeya was giving heart motions, causing the redhead to roll his eyes.

Maybe he's right. I do have a crush.


When the couple finally stepped out into the hallway, it seemed to dawn on the both of them that they had yet to let go of each other's hands.

"Jean?" He took a deep breath. He didn't want to let go- for some reason, he really enjoyed physical touch, and hand holding was no exception.

"Yes, Diluc?"

He decided it was best to be direct with her; seeing as she'd been the one to kiss him, he hoped it meant she longed for something deeper than a friendship.

"Do you think we could maybe go out on a date tomorrow?"

The unexpected proposal made her redden further, but she giggled softly.

"I would like that."

With awful timing as always, Jean's mother called her towards the entrance of the school.

"Ah- I gotta go, but I'll text you, alright? Take care!"

"Have a goodnight, Jean." Diluc waved with a smile as she ran off to see her mom, the clicking of her heels growing quieter until she was out of sight. He sighed, grinning from ear to ear- who wouldn't be in good spirits after scoring a date?

Once again, applauding came from behind him.

"My, my, Diluc- not a crush?" His younger brother stood behind him with a snicker, their father, who smiled approvingly as well with both thumbs up. Apparently, that was how to get a girl.

"Maybe a small one." He gave a light punch to Kaeya's shoulder, trying to brush his teasing off now they that he actually had proof that he liked her. It didn't help that the blush refused to leave his face.

"You did a great job, my boy. Your mother would've been proud to see how far you've come." Crepus told him affectionately as he ruffled his hair. Between knowing his parents were proud and that his crush was willing to go out with him, everything felt warm and fuzzy.

"I know she would've." Diluc beamed at his father as they began to depart from the school to head back home for the night, closing his eyes as he recalled the soft violin playing from the tapes in his youth.

Making it outside, he realized that without her as inspiration, who knew if he would have taken on music and became so close with the blonde pianist. Gratefully, drinking in the beauty of the environment with his family, he gazed at the stars above.

Thank you, Mom.