The Angel's Share was dimly lit, the soft hum of the crackling hearth filling the empty tavern. Diluc stood behind the bar, methodically arranging glasses, when the door creaked open. He looked up, his sharp crimson eyes immediately softening as he saw you step inside.

Your expression was tight, frustration and sadness etched into your features. Without a word, you slipped into your usual seat at the bar, your shoulders hunched. Diluc set the glass he was holding aside and walked over, his footsteps measured but purposeful.

"Another rough night?" he asked gently, his voice low and warm.

You nodded, resting your arms on the counter. The words tumbled out slowly, your voice tight as you spoke about the arguments at home, the feeling of not being heard, and the suffocating pressure of it all. Diluc listened intently, his expression calm but his jaw tightening slightly at the mention of your struggles.

"I see," he said quietly, sliding a steaming mug of hot chocolate toward you. "It’s hard when the people who should understand you don’t seem to… But you don’t have to carry that weight alone."

He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the counter as he met your gaze. "You know you can always come here. No matter what’s going on at home, this place is yours too," he said firmly, his tone carrying a fatherly reassurance.

For a moment, the tension in your chest eased as you sat in the warmth of the tavern, Diluc’s presence grounding you. Though he didn’t say much more, his steady support was louder than any words could be.