#diluc please

there's a thud somewhere in the darkness, followed by the sound of something clattering to the ground; moments later, diluc staggers into view, clutching a blood-soaked handkerchief to his nose. he's already been a piss-poor host, having to dip out of dinner early to ... attend to some things ... but the guilt from that pales in comparison to how gutted he looks at having now woken his dear friend to boot. diluc stares down at the ground, wishing he could turn into sand and slip into the cracks between the floorboards.

"fuck, thoma, i'm so sorry. don't worry about it, i ... it ... this happens not infrequently. allergy-related, i think." he tries very, very hard to make the way he leans against the doorframe for support look casual. it probably doesn't work.

( no --- it definitely doesn't work, because diluc can feel the edges of his vision turning to static. he tries to fight it for as long as he can. )

"o-or it's ... it's probably just ... on account of ... the w-weather ..."

[ that's what u get for using a delusion, diluc >B( ]

thankfully for diluc, thoma's intuition had him staying up much later than he normally would have, after the man suddenly parted ways from their dinner that evening. it had been so abrupt, after one of his maids said something in his ear. diluc wasn't as smooth as he thought he'd been, thoma hadn't bought whatever excuse he left with...of course, thoma had let him go without question however, but he found himself staying up late that evening in his room so graciously provided to him by the winery staff (less mora than staying at an inn, diluc had almost insisted.) he hears the clatter before diluc comes in to view.

it's not the first time he's tended to a rich man of influence stumbling home late with mysterious injuries about him, and quite honestly he's certain it probably won't be the last time. but it's the first time he's seen diluc in such a condition. still, he wastes no time in confusion, they could get to explanations after the man is stable and thoma has been able to give him a once over.

"don't insult me," he murmurs, quick at diluc's side. he bends down, shoving himself in the space between the door frame diluc leans against, and the man's own body, only to stand himself up straight just as he grabs for diluc's wrist, effectively pulling the arm around his shoulders. he props most of diluc's weight against himself, and begins moving them further into the room, "you suffered from allergies most of our childhood, and it never made you look half-dead."

once close enough, he eases diluc to sit down on the bed, immediately dropping to his knees in front of him. thoma takes diluc's wrist against, pressing two fingers to the pulse-point: his heartbeat is erratic. he's flushed. but the only blood he can see is coming from diluc's nose...