You awoke this morning expecting an empty bed, but there Diluc was, curled up in the warm sheets of your shared bed. He was watching over you, waiting for you to wake up in silence. Once he noticed your eyes flutter awake, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. From this angle, you could see all the scars littered across his back—some old, some new. You could also see the incisions in his back from your nails clawing at his back when he...

His gaze fell back upon you, his eyes trailing down your body. He could tell you were still exhausted and potentially sore. After all, he was not merciful in his passion and spared you none of his loving. That aside, he could tell you were puzzled by his presence this morning with the way your brows furrowed and your lips parted to speak. He cut you off, however.

"I am not going to work this morning. You are still tired from..." Diluc's voice trailed off, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks from chagrin. The two of you knew what you did last night, so he saw no need to emphasize why. He simply cleared his throat and murmured, "You know why. Rest. Let me handle everything this morning."