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Chapter Text

  An adeptus with a dark mask rushes through the meadow, making the grass sway uncontrollably for a second. Their swift footsteps always full of meaning as if the one who holds them is always on a mission.

Xiao sees the traces of snow and frost that were imprinted on the ground. Presumably, an unintentional mark was left by his target, which led him straight to the infamous mage that was always causing all sorts of trouble.

A jade polearm crystalizes into shape and he grips it tightly in his hands, ready for battle.

A hillichurl runs towards him and tries to jab his chest with its worn dagger which is blocked by the long body of his weapon. Another one with a flaming torch would be greeted with a swirling force of wind combined with a strike to the stomach, reducing both of them to ashes.

The abyss mage lets out a shriek of fear from inside its frozen bubble, the only thing keeping it alive at this very moment.

The adeptus launches himself in the air as he gathers his elemental energy and drops down. The strong whirlwind eliminated the rest of the leader's pawns which leaves only one left. His eyes immediately fixate on the monster and began swinging his weapon. He maintains a continuous series of attacks for a while, dealing damage with blow after blow. Until finally, the sharp end of his polearm forcibly pierces through the monster's shield and shatters it into nothing. "Your destructive antics end here." He mutters darkly.

The monster drags itself off the grass and desperately looks for an escape route but finds itself at the end of its life.

Xiao's dark locks slowly fall onto his shoulders as the wind dissipates. He huffs at the completion of his job. At least for a brief moment.

D e s t r o y  e v e r y o n e

A sinister voice echoes then a sudden aching pain pierces his chest. His knees giving away his strength to keep standing. There was only him on the ground, clutching the center of his abdomen and his sweat dropping down to his chin. The pain he felt every time it happened, he described it like something dark was gradually feeding from your very soul— until you eventually succumb to it.

Xiao manages to compose himself after the ache and slowly picked himself up off the warm ground, panting heavily like he had never breathed fresh air in a very long time.

He begins walking back to Wangshu Inn, a building that came to view when he was close. The place was always filled with all kinds of travelers and frequent visitors. Part of his duties as an adeptus is to remain anonymous, or at least that's the excuse he's given himself to get away from people. And somehow he never fails to uphold that duty no matter how nosy others may seem. Although, that doesn't rule out that his vigilante-like deeds don't go unheard. In fact, his persona was quite a famous topic in those parts of Liyue. They called him the "Conqueror of Demons."

The masked adeptus then took off his mask upon arrival since arousing suspicion and garnering interest were none of his desires. To anyone, he was a normal vision bearer and that was enough. One of the labored men of the inn walks towards him as he carries a sack and greets Xiao.

"Just got back from fighting monsters, eh?" Xiao promptly raises his hand to signify a small wave in response, his expression still as cold as ever as he passes by the man. Every day was just like that. He would greet a couple of people and silently disappear out of the crowd as if he wasn't there. The elevator takes him up to the main lobby and he observes a respectable distance from all activities. Such are the ways of this adeptus.

–

A green-fitted bard says aloud as he cheerfully walks out of the bustling tavern. "Thanks for the drinks, Charles!" The people inside seemed to have livened up a bit too early since their voices reached out even after the door was closed. An angry lady even busted its entrance open, dragging along with her a drunken man, supposedly her husband. Seems like the bard's songs never fail to stir up all kinds of situations. He skips along the cobblestoned path, pausing shortly to snatch an apple from one of the stands and tossed the vendor a golden coin. He sinks his teeth into it, letting the juicy fruit run down his throat as he makes out a noise to show his appreciation.

He liked these moments, being able to do whatever he wanted and not worrying about a thing in the world. Maybe that's why he chose to come back to this city instead of playing god. It's something he's always known but never really admitted to knowing.

After a few minutes, he finishes his apple and throws it in a nearby bin.

The rest of the day, he'd spend it looking for inspiration and writing new ballads to play for his next performance. One may be wondering what else is on the great bard's to-do list.

Venti bends down to look at a single dandelion,

Unbeknownst to everyone, this bard is fascinated by flowers of all kinds, or rather, an old friend of his was. His friend particularly liked dandelions for they hold countless wishes and eventually fly away in hopes those wishes come true. It’s part of the reason why he’s so fond of Mondstadt.

A familiar blonde-headed girl accompanied by her flying fairy walked by which caught his attention. Those two were always coming and going, piquing his interest each time they arrive with new loot.

“Hey Traveller~!, Paimon~!” He called out in a sing-songy voice. The both of them turn to the source of the sound and approached him.

“Ohh look who it is~ It’s the tone-deaf bard!” Paimon says mockingly.

“Witty as always, aren’t you?” Venti smiled and yet his tone sounded a little sarcastic. Paimon puffs out her chest proudly, thinking that it was a genuine compliment from the archon, himself.

“... Did you drink again?” The traveler asks after getting a whiff of alcohol coming from the bard. He responds with a cheeky laugh that only made the traveler sigh.

Drinking and playing for the patrons at the tavern was his only past-time. Now that he had already done that for the day, he was left with nothing to do. So then the bard suddenly requested.

“It looks like you’re about to embark on another adventure, wherever you’re headed next, may I tag along?”

–

The journey took relatively longer on foot after Venti insisted that they take a long way so he could cherish the experience. They eventually convinced him to take a waypoint with them anyway after having realized his lack of stamina.

They walk over a short bamboo bridge and are greeted by the sight of a large tree that supported an inn. There were patches of silk flowers lying among the grass and occasional croaks of frogs can be heard. As usual, the inn was bustling with staff working to give the guests the best experience. Venti thought that for someone who was so well-seasoned as an adventurer, this was the last place he thought they would take him. He was all too familiar with this place, he often visited since he would watch over many of his vision bearers. Well, there was one person that always entertained him. Now he wonders if that guy would be here. He certainly felt another anemo-bearing presence around, other than the traveler.

While the traveler and Paimon set out to tend to their business, he decided to wander off to confirm his hunch. He takes a shortcut and simply lifts himself with the wind to stand on top of one of the branches that framed the balcony. His eyes scanned the area for a certain dark-haired adeptus. He waited until the sun was starting to set. He was about to give up, a bit disappointed, when suddenly his face lit up.

There he stood near the edge of the balcony fence. The bard grins to himself, feeling a bit better now that he’s seen him. He once asked himself why, but somehow the answer was always clear to him.

Venti proceeds to drop down from the branch and gently landed behind the unmasked figure. As a reflex, he immediately sensed the archon’s presence.

“It’s been a while since your last visit,” Xiao says in a somewhat reminiscent tone.

“Ehe, well I haven’t gotten my hands on any other beverages I could share with you so I’m a little embarrassed… forgive me” He clasped his hands together and smiled in an attempt to curry favor. It seemed to be working, as he earns a light chuckle from the adeptus before going quiet. Venti moves beside him and tilts his head to the side in order to see his forlorn expression. He’d seen that look many times before, it was different from his frequent brooding demeanor. This usually meant that something had happened again.

“Why the long face? Has the chaotic darkness inside affected your solemn spirit once more?” He spoke poetically, hoping that it would lighten the mood even just by a minuscule amount.

There was a silence before he opened his mouth.

“I heard the voices again.” A small hint of sadness could be heard in his voice.

The voices. Venti thought.

Xiao mentioned his episodes once in a while when the bard frequented the inn enough. Every time he mentioned it, he sounded miserable and almost regretful. He never told him the details, but someday he wished he would.

Venti places a hand under his chin, pretending to be in deep thought.

“Hmm… pray tell, what did the voices say this time?” It’s not like he didn’t know what they said since they often try to tempt the adeptus to succumb to a bloodthirsty lifestyle. But it was never bad to be cautious.

The adeptus gripped the fence firmly with his trembling hands. It seemed like it brought about some awful memories of his past. But that never hindered him from recovering each time. Still, it was undeniably a painful experience.

“The usual huh?” Venti says casually. He never thought he would ever confide to anyone in this lifetime, much less this person being an alcohol-addicted bard from another region. What was it that made him feel comfortable around him anyway?

That is when he remembered a passing memory of their first meeting. He would rarely visit Liyue just to see how his savior was doing, whether he was having financial troubles or dealing with his consultant duties at a funeral parlor. He doesn’t especially like his master’s colleague either but he appreciated her sense of humor. On occasion, Venti visited his master and drank with him. He was curious about their relationship but he never bothered to ask since he wanted to preserve his privacy. But one day, the bard suddenly appeared to talk to him when he was observing from afar. He was the first one to have noticed him even being there at all, and despite knowing the fact that he was spying, he simply asked him to join them. He obviously refused but the bard’s carefree nature had stuck with him ever since.

Xiao could never quite grasp his attitude and yet he admired that about him. Somehow he wished he could see himself living his life free from the chains of his karmic debt but he knows that will never happen.

Not now at least. His mood lightens at the thought that Venti has given him a sense of hope, little by little.

He is awoken from his thoughts when Venti places a hand on his while he stared at the orange-filled sky slowly turning into the night sky.

A smile crept on his face, seemingly content with how things were at the moment.

Chapter Text

A few weeks passed and Venti has consistently been visiting Xiao every chance he got. He started bringing new drinks again though the adeptus finds its origins questionable, knowing how his friend normally was. Nevertheless, he appreciated the thought behind his actions.

“Ahh… Now this is some fine wine!” Venti exclaimed in satisfaction as he took another sip from his porcelain cup. It was a little strange to use a traditional cup for something so Western but there were no glass cups available at the inn, mostly because the owner wanted to keep its aesthetic. But a cup is a cup is what he says. He’d already drunk a couple of glasses at this point.

Xiao nods his head in agreement, this one was arguably better than the bottle of slime-infused berries he’d tasted last time. He wasn’t particularly picky with trivial things like what one consumes for sustenance but over time he developed a keen sense of taste after having drank a lot. Or at least that’s what he thinks in spite of his lack of ability to differentiate flavors. It honestly just tasted all the same to him, other than seeming just a tiny bit sweeter or bitter depending on its components. Compared to him, Venti would often go into detail when it came to these things. The descriptions were too specific that it almost felt like he could burst into song at any moment, not that he minded.

In fact, his songs always seemed to calm him down and he would sing a new one each time.

For once his thoughts were empty, it felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders and a calm wind was keeping him afloat amongst the clouds.

That’s what he describes it to be to a certain extent.

He suddenly realized how he began to crave his voice once more.

As if Venti had read his mind, he summoned a lyre out of thin air and lightly brushed his fingers across the strings to create a small melody. He starts to sing:

“If your skies suddenly start pouring rain,

that’s me blowing up the dark clouds for you.”

“If your hair suddenly starts dancing in the wind,

that’s me blowing across my thoughts for you.”

The sound was a little more light-hearted and carefree than usual which caught him off guard. Venti paused for a moment to allow the scintillating sound of the lyre’s strings to play a short interlude before continuing.

“If memories of bygone past are holding your heart back,

I’ll write them into prose,

and remember them in your stead.”

Xiao heard echoes.

But it wasn’t the voices, nor the sound of his own voice berating himself.

It was the lyrics of his song that echoed in his mind.

He couldn’t seem to forget it. How could he dare to forget it when it sounded so personal?

So… special.

Like it was dedicated only to him and no one else.

“And if the gravities of life are keeping you down,

I’ll gather a whole world’s worth of wind,

and lead them beneath your wings. ~♪”

He ended his song in such a short time and yet it held so much weight in words. Venti emphasized that he loved a certain line that he’d written, for it described what he always meant to do every time he played for him.

“It seems that I’ve spoiled you, I hadn’t finished writing that one yet… but it felt right to play it.” Venti laughs softly and proceeds to grab the entire bottle of wine, about to pour it down his throat when a hand swiftly stopped him from doing so.

It was Xiao who looked at him with slight worry in his eyes. He didn’t know why he even bothered to stop him when he knew he would chug it down anyway. But deep down he thought that if by some margin, he could influence him just as much as the bard did to him.

Venti now felt a little guilty at his actions, regretfully putting down the bottle.

“Well if you look at me like that, it makes me not want to drink anymore” He lied, not on the fact that his expression affected him though.

Xiao huffs and takes away his hand to lift his own cup, swirling it a bit while Venti rests his head on the table and stares at the adeptus.

“Hmm~” Venti hummed when he realized something.

Xiao doesn’t bat an eye but asks anyway. “What?”

For a moment, Venti closed his eyes and imagined the things he would say.

“You’re eyes are like gold…” He mutters to which Xiao only responds with silence and an anticipated expression. Was it because they were yellow? He thought. What else about his appearance could have possibly intrigued him? He admittedly was curious.

“I wish I could see it more often”

Venti smiles and fluttered his eyes open to see a red-tinted boy with a surprised look on his face. When their eyes met, Xiao quickly averted his own and turned away to hide his flustered state. He was used to passing compliments from those who admired him for his fighting prowess but he’d never received one of this caliber. It sort of strikes a chord in him, an unknown feeling of relief? satisfaction?

Or was it the feelings he’s always avoided but dreaded the day it would ever come?

Of all the things he thought he shouldn’t have, love was the most important.

He looked back on all of the things he’d been through, all of the choices he’s made, and all of the things he felt responsible for. But none of them could answer the questions that ran through his head.

He doesn’t need love.

No. He doesn’t want love.

All it ever does is cause him pain, especially when he knows the gravity of the suffering he might bring to him.

He hated the idea of him getting hurt, all because of his selfishness.

His selfish desire to keep him around for eternity or at least for as long as he lives up to be and to ask for his healing voice each time he needed saving from the karma that haunts him. At times like these, he scared himself.

But why couldn’t he just leave these emotions be?

Venti sits up and gently touched his cheek to face him. They stared at each other for quite some time, stirring up all kinds of emotions in him. He didn’t know if it was the alcohol talking but his brain fogged up and all he could think about was the person before him. Even Xiao was in shock and felt the tension slowly rise inside him but he somehow couldn’t bring himself to look away. Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next.

The bard parted his lips and abruptly leaned in to press it against his. Xiao’s body tensed before relaxing as he melted into the kiss. Venti’s fingers were cold on the back of his neck as he was gradually pulled closer. Their breaths were warm on each other amidst the cool breeze of the night while Venti’s free hand clutched onto the fabric of his clothing, gripping it as if it would almost rip from the force.

Then suddenly Xiao pulled away, still flushed but now he looked annoyed. He doesn’t say a word and just transported himself away.

Venti watched as small green particles faded into nothing and sat there, reflecting on what he had done.

Chapter Text

Xiao felt sick, 

but it wasn’t because of him. 

It was because he allowed himself to fall into his desire. If he said that he hated it, he would be lying.

There were so many things bothering him. One of them was about what he meant with that kiss. It was so sudden, he didn’t have time to process it all that he somehow ended up in the middle of Liyue City.

The sound of the chattering citizens and the yelling of the salespeople couldn't compare to the thoughts in his head. He moved to an alley anyway, receiving a few glances from children as they ran past him while playing tag. He couldn't blame them for staring since he wasn't in the best state either, almost disheveled along a somewhat scary mask hung from his hip. His gloved hand was pressed to his forehead as he tried to organize the voices in his head, or at least the normal kind.

No matter how much he tried, his mind kept wandering to the same cheeky bard.

At first, he thought of him as a drinking companion, and if luck would have it, a friend. 

And he was , but then he wasn’t . 

He started questioning how he felt about him in the first place. He wondered why he was so fixated with the idea of keeping him around.

Was it the way the bard presented himself? Xiao gathered that he wasn't exactly the most respectable person in Teyvat. But he always carried himself with a confident and carefree attitude. Envy is a big word, but it wasn’t exactly the case either.

Or was it the fact that only he was able to grant him any sort of tranquility in his life? To the point that he would do anything just to feel his presence again. He hadn’t fully realized he formed an obsession with this person. In all honesty, calling it almost unhealthy is an understatement. Although, he definitely felt a little crazy.

But there was no way it could’ve been simply on the level of friendship. 

Not anymore.

His mind then checked off his current problem then on the next. He didn’t mean to leave him after that but he ran away without thinking. After standing there in that quiet alleyway with his back leaning against the wall, he resolved to go back to Wangshu Inn.

But when he came back to the inn, the bard was no longer there. He got to thinking of his next course of action. If he was going to see him again, he needed to ask for a favor, as much as he hated the idea. By that point, he thought that he’d truly gone insane. 

–

The day after the incident, the bard found himself turning to the one thing he always loved, which was alcohol. As if he already didn’t wake up with a headache after drinking so much the night before. He was still his usual self, he serenaded the entire tavern only seeming much more unruly and loud than before. He even slurred his words in between lyrics but none of the patrons were sober enough to notice this change. The bartender, however, and the average few who only came to meet up with their friends were all but happy about the commotion. Venti was sprawled on the floor at some point, wasted from the countless bottles he drank. Charles had to kick him out of the establishment until he could sort himself out and sober up. 

It wasn’t like he couldn’t hold his liquor, but he somehow thought that letting his intrusive thoughts win was better than having to think about the incident.

He tipsily walked a few steps forward, ignoring the concerned stares of the people seated outside. He raises the empty bottle in hand and stared at his murky reflection on the glass before placing it down the path and continuing to walk.

Venti went as far as his legs could take him, past the stalls, and the townspeople, and somehow ended up on the roof of Cat’s Tail of all places. The wind blew past him as he sat down. Oh, how he wished the wind would carry his problems away. But despite his best attempt at forgetting the thought of what happened, he couldn’t help but think about it since he was alone with his thoughts.

He wondered about what made him do such a thing. It was taboo enough for a god to have feelings for a mortal, even more so for a yaksha. He was mortified. If he had known that was how he would react to it then he wouldn’t have kissed him at all, let alone drink with him as an excuse to see him every time he missed seeing his face.

And that was another thing,

It had been a while since he last got close to someone as much as he did in the past. It was refreshing to be with him at the same time he felt like he could understand his circumstances better than anyone ever did.

After all, he was not new to the pain of losing someone.

That’s when he noticed how similar those two were. At least to him, they were similar in some way. They both held a special place in his heart. The difference was how much his heart would ache whenever he remembered his friend, much like now. Tears welled up in the corner of his eyes as he heard a cheerful voice calling his name in his head.

Then a familiar voice spoke, 

"Venti" 

in his drunken state, he almost thought it was that person. But who was he kidding? Of course not.

Venti wiped away the water from his eyes with a small sniffle and turned to give him a tired smile. “I didn’t think you would find me so soon” He lied to himself once more, he hoped he would come to find him as soon as he left.

Now that he was in front of him, the adeptus was suddenly rendered speechless. It took a few minutes for him to finally organize his thoughts.

"I— we need to talk." It was the first time Xiao ever stammered over his words.

"So, how did you find me?" the bard asked, which prompted Xiao to grit his teeth. He could tell that Venti was stalling and he hated that.

He was reminded of his debt to the traveler and sighed. It seemed like he had hurriedly asked the traveler for Venti’s whereabouts. To his surprise, she told him pretty easily since they met just before.

"It doesn't matter, the point is, I wanted to talk to you about… that" 

"That? What do you mean?” Venti feigned ignorance but it wouldn’t last long when he was greeted with a serious look. It was safe to say that Xiao was not happy, making him a bit nervous about what he had to say.

“Ah~ The kiss? Haha. It seems I had a little too much to drink yesterday, sorry about that.” He scratched the back of his head and stifled a laugh. But Xiao could see through his smile.

“Fine, if you don’t want to talk about it, then let’s talk later when you’re sober.” He muttered, he could smell the lingering scent of liquor from him.

When he turned his back, all of a sudden, a pair of hands clung to his drapes.

Venti was on his knees, he could feel his head buried itself against his bare back, as well as the light touch of his hair.

“No, please… don’t leave ” He mumbled.

Much like a flicker of a switch, the drunken bard broke down into tears once more, and would later regret the next few words that came out of his mouth.

“Cecil… Cecil… don’t…”

Just as he thought, something was wrong. But it hurt him to hear Venti call him a name other than his own. Cecil? He was never told of a name like that but at some point, he realized who that might’ve been. It was probably the person Venti cared about the most, a position he knew he could never have. It should’ve been him.

Xiao could feel his hands loosen its grip which allowed him to catch his body before it collapsed on the ground. He held on tightly as if he was going to fall off from the edge of a cliff. A part of him felt lucky to have been here for him when he needed someone the most, just as Venti had done for him. But it was agonizing to think that it was probably because of him that he was this way, or maybe it was this mystery person he’d mistaken him for. He held him close to his chest and allowed him room to cry out all of the pain he was feeling.

He gently pecked his lips on his small head, taking in the scent of his head of hair that smelled of freshly-picked cecilias mixed with wine. Ultimately, he didn’t care that the bard was thinking of someone else. All that mattered to him was that he was the one who was present at that moment.

–

After a while, Venti had finally calmed down but stayed in the arms of Xiao’s comfort. It was quiet, like most days they were together when one didn’t have any drinks to bring or when they simply wanted to be in each other’s company.

“I’m sorry.” Venti began.

Xiao was dumbfounded at his apology. He shouldn’t be the one apologizing to him when he was the one who left him.

“No, I’m the one who should apologize.”

“But I kissed you–!” Venti sat straight and exclaimed.

Years ago, Xiao would not have imagined a situation like this would come but he didn’t mind. He grew to like the peace, and he grew to like him.

“I didn’t dislike it.”

Venti’s cheeks flared up when he heard those words. Those words he’s always wanted to hear were a little less poetic in reality but it was enough. He could feel a sense of relief knowing that he left not because he’d rejected him but because he was flustered. As usual, he was still an adorable creature in his eyes.

“Then? Were you embarrassed?” He still asked even though he knew the answer.

Xiao doesn’t utter a word and just looked elsewhere in hopes that Venti wouldn’t tease him. The bard just smiles smugly and pokes a finger on his cheek.

“Hey now~ Don’t give me the silent treatment” He continued poking until Xiao’s firm hand gently wrapped around his hand and kissed the top of his knuckles, looking into his eyes lovingly afterward which made Venti’s heart skip a beat.

Neither of them wanted this to end but they had to get off that roof at some point.

Fortunately, the day wasn’t over yet so the two of them decided to take a small stroll down through the village. The bard hummed excitedly as he looked around for things they could do. Xiao could suddenly see his eyes light up when they saw a food stall selling grilled fish. He didn’t care much for food but it put a smile on his face to see Venti so excited. But this was short-lived when Venti realized that he didn’t have enough mora to even buy a single one. 

Xiao chuckled to himself. He never laughed this much before around anyone. He also started noticing how his braided hair fit perfectly with his small face. His little mannerisms, like when he would hum when he was excited, and smiled cheekily when he was nervous. Somewhere along the line, he developed a soft spot for him. 

Venti turned to him with a frown on his face. “I’m sorry Xiao, looks like we can’t eat anything today…” He said with regret. But the adeptus merely shakes his head in response.

“I don’t care. Being with you is enough. ” He whispered the last part but was still audible enough to be heard. He didn’t think he would ever say these things, let alone feel anything remotely close to romantic but here he was, completely smitten.

This made Venti regain his smile, he was beaming all the more.

“Okay! Then let’s go!” He took his lover’s hand and pulled his weight towards him as he backed away, smiling. Xiao followed his lead and left the city of Mondstadt with him. Wherever they were going, he would be there with them all the way.

They soon reached a river where Venti had taken off his shoes and stripped down until he was left with his white dress shirt and shorts. The shy adeptus instinctively looked away with a slight red tint to his cheeks but glanced back when he heard a splash in his direction. There he saw the dark-haired bard all drenched as he played in the water. “Come on! The water’s so cold and refreshing~” He gushed. Xiao declined his offer. He was content with just watching him but Venti had other plans. When he gestured the adeptus to come closer, he’d already pulled him into the water before he could react. Xiao floated up and gasped for air while he looked disappointedly at his bard.

 
Venti cackled at his state and began swishing his arms in an attempt to splash Xiao who was already quite annoyed to have been soaked. He had no choice but to splash him back with a much harder force, making Venti cough a bit from the water that was suddenly thrown at his face. “Wha– So this is how you play huh~?” He smirked and proceeded to swim toward Xiao who immediately started swimming away. Venti, who eventually caught up to him, pounced on his back.

“You’re like a cat that hates water” Venti observed from the way he reacted earlier. Not to mention that he sort of resembled one due to his wet medium-length hair that fell flat from his roots. As well as his face that one could barely differentiate from a cat who didn’t like to be picked up.

“I’m not, get off!” He could feel the heat rise up his cheeks.

Xiao stopped wriggling from his grasp when they felt the sky cry rain that tapped on their faces and on the surface of the river. A light shower is what it was, but it didn’t bother them in the slightest. Venti giggled and tightened his arms around Xiao.

Then they got out of the water with both hands clasped together, never letting go as they stomped on the puddles and danced in the rain.

“You’ll catch a cold” The adeptus’ voice could faintly be heard among the pattering sound of rain. But Venti pretends he doesn’t hear and continued to sway with him, he spun around until he faced him once more. They stayed that way for a while, hands wrapped around each other and foreheads close together.

For a brief moment, Xiao felt free.

“ I’ve never met someone like you. ” was what he said under his breath but it was small, like a whisper of affirmation to himself.

From the rain came rays of sunlight, signifying the end of the gloomy weather. Once they tired themselves out, they lay on the grass, allowing the faint breeze to dry the clothes that stuck to their bodies. 

“This reminds me of a time when I went swimming with Ce–” Venti stopped himself before saying something unnecessary.

Speaking of which, Xiao didn’t get to bring it up before but he wanted to ask him about that person. Now seemed like a good time.

“Who’s Cecil?” He asked bluntly to which Venti responds with widened eyes.

Venti wasn’t sure how he was going to bring him up and thanked his fellow archons that he’d asked first. He didn’t want to hide such a thing from him anyway.

“He’s an old friend of mine.” He mutters softly, you could tell he was important from how gentle his voice was.

Xiao was right, after all.

“So? What was he like?” He didn’t know why he even bothered to ask when whatever he heard next would just make him jealous. It’s not like he was really interested in him either. All he wished to know was who he was in this bard’s life.

Venti paused for a second before he answered.

“Well, he was certainly interesting. He was the one that inspired me to create music. He talked about flowers a lot in his songs.”

“He always looked on the bright side of things, I liked that about him.” He ends with a small laugh.

“You reminded me of him actually… in some way.”

Suddenly a feeling stirs inside Xiao, which made him hover on top of Venti’s small frame. Their bodies had some distance between them but were close enough to feel intimate. Xiao stared down at him and muttered. “Then, who do you like more?”

The bard was a little taken aback by the sudden action, but quickly adjusted to it once he cupped his cheeks with his hands and stared right back into the pair of golden eyes he loved so much.

“You, of course.”

Xiao didn’t care if it would turn out to be a lie for it was too late for him. He’d already fallen deep, and he wasn’t going to come out anytime soon.

Chapter Text

“Since when did he stay around here?” The traveler asked, confused at the sight of Xiao who was seated on one of the wooden bar stools. Venti lets out a shy laugh since even he wasn’t sure why he was here of all places but he figured it was because of him. “Well… he hasn’t left my side ever since.” He said, referring to when they were pretty much all over each other a few weeks ago.

Xiao couldn’t hear much of their conversation but he could feel they were talking about him. After all, it was unusual for a Liyue citizen to be lounging around in a bar located on the opposite side of the region, even more, so for an adeptus whose duties were waiting on him.

Ever since then, they spent a lot of their free time together, they would drink like usual, Venti would sing him a new song he’d written for him, and he would simply relax his thoughts. It was surprisingly something he now got to do more often. He concluded that it was probably because of Venti’s persuasive yet calming nature.

He also stopped hearing the voices as often as he used to.

It was a little strange at first, but he soon realized how liberating it was after all those years of torment.

As soon as he noticed the traveler had walked away, he quickly got up and approached Venti. He was almost like a puppy that followed him around wherever he went. (Even in the bath)

“Ready to go?” His bard asked and he hummed a reply.

Both of them walked out of the tavern they only started frequenting more often. (At least he did)

It was a wonderful day for a walk, and they did just that. 

Venti had gotten tired once again as if he hadn’t learned his lesson upon traveling with the traveler last time. Xiao proceeded to carry him behind his back, after seeing how exhausted he was. They’d stop in the middle of the road whenever the bard found something interesting on their journey or go on a tangent about how he could write a song about a lizard of all things.

“What?” He asked in confusion.

“I’m saying that I could write a song about a lizard right now!”

“Yes, but what does that have anything to do with me?”

“I mean… you’re scaly, look!” Venti quipped while he traced the tattoo on the side of his arm.

The adeptus rolled his eyes and started running which made Venti almost lose balance on top of his shoulders but he still managed to grab hold.

They soon reached Wangshu Inn and got to the top with the elevator for once. Xiao gently placed him down on the ground, allowing him to stand on his own two feet. Venti sat on one of the empty seats near the balcony and pulled out another bottle of wine from his bag to place on the table.

Xiao poured each of their cups a small portion of the drink and sat back down.

Sooner or later, it was time for another song Venti said, and proceeded to sing a melody. But somehow this melody sounded so familiar to him. It was like he’d heard it before but not quite remembering where it was from. That’s when it hit him.

He reminisced a time when he was purging demons like any other day when he suddenly felt an excruciating level of pain from his karmic debt. He nearly succumbed to it that day, and it felt like the darkness was slowly eating him inside, piece by piece. 

He truly thought it was the end for him.

Until he heard the serene tune of a flute that echoed throughout the night.

Everything was quiet.

The voices were gone.

Only the sound of the flute remained.

Soon his thoughts were brought back by the melodic plucking of strings. Xiao displays a satisfied look at his performance but then something had come back to haunt him.

K̴̹̍̽̽̎̕ ̴̲̟̥͚̪̠̠͇̯͓̇͋̈̎̂͒̒̒͛i̶̧̼͍̟̭̔ ̵͕̣̰̗̬̖̝̊̍̑̓̿̅̉͝l̸̰̬͎͈̜̃̈́̔ ̶͓͈̀̄̏͌͌̀͝l̴̢̢̗̙̱̜̭͖̄̈́͋̓̉̓͘ ̸̺̲̻̀̂͗̓̋̉̽͝ͅ ̵̼̰̻͇͙̮̭͈̼͊̐̿̌̄̈́̚̕͜ ̶͙͈̖̻̏̅̓̓̑̃̅́̇ͅh̶̬̲̮͌̅͋̕̚̚͝ ̵̪͔̐͋̂̓ị̶̳̰̏͊̆͒̿ ̶̣͉̣͕͈̙͙̻̣̰̂͌͋̍̄̔̒͒͘m̴̩͕̐́͘

That dreadful voice. 

A piercing pain jabbed the temples of his head as he struggled to keep his composure. It was so quick and sharp and yet it disappeared just as quickly as if it was plainly reminding him of its existence.

Venti stops singing to check on him, rushing to his side.

“Xi, Are you alright?” His voice was filled with distress and guilt, even calling him the nickname he’d settled on for him. He thought that he’d failed to notice that he wasn’t feeling well but was reassured by Xiao as he placed his hand above his.

“I’m– fine.” He managed to say.

Venti found it difficult to believe when he knew how well he hid his emotions. The adeptus now held his partner's hand with both of his hands and looked up at him with the most courageous face he could muster.

“I assure you, I’m fine.”

The bard sighed in relief and then grinned.

Venti was about to continue his song when this touching moment was soon interrupted by him coughing up in turn. He felt weak like all the life inside his body was suddenly sucked out of him, making his legs buckle under him as he held onto Xiao for support. The table shook from the impact while a white petal fell from the decor in the middle. Even the glow on the strings of his lyre dimmed for an instant.

A number of things were in Xiao’s mind.

Eyes wide open, he stared stiffly at the fragile state of Venti’s body.

He dreaded the thought of something happening to him, the very idea of his saving grace would be taken from him by some force he cannot control. For once he hoped. Something Venti has taught him, time and time again.

He hoped to the gods that this was not the case.

Little did he know that this marked the beginning of the day he would start to regret everything.

–

Their date was cut short after that, Xiao concluded that they go home and take a rest.

The two of them were given a teapot to use with the traveler’s recommendation, especially since it was an invaluable asset to have for those who often didn’t stay in one place, or for those who chose not to.

However, they never really brought it with them unless they knew they were traveling far, like a trip to the storm-infested island of Inazuma for instance. So when they weren’t going to places like that, the teapot was hidden in plain sight. It was placed on the top of the table they sat on whenever they had their drinking meetups. Inside was a bouquet of Cecilias and Qingxin flowers that seemed to have been preserved to maintain a constant state of freshness.

It almost looked cursed because of a single talisman attached to the surface of the pot. But it was only a protection spell to keep it from the wrong hands.

Xiao wrapped an arm around his waist to try and support his weight before they stood up and shifted themselves into the tea pot’s domain. It stored relatively powerful adepti energy which always reassured him whenever they entered. It was like their own safe space, away from everything and everyone.

Just them, and the life they’d created.

At the center of various trees, bushes, and giant stone mountains stood a small house that marked their residence. When they got inside, the place was quite empty except for a couple of furniture. He sat the weakened bard down on a chair and momentarily left him to grab a glass of water. 

There were a few aged wine bottles displayed on the shelves and some ingredients, enough to make his favorite dish, almond tofu. He looked back on the times they tried to replicate the dish so many times, following a recipe each time but failed miserably. Venti wasn’t incapable of cooking but he was no master either. He only knew how to cook up to a simple vegetable chowder and had little to no experience in cooking Eastern food. On the other hand, Xiao never cooked a day in his life, in fact, he’s even eaten snow before. Despite all that, their cooking gradually improved the more they did it and they were grateful for having moments like those.

As soon as he came back, his heart dropped when Venti had disappeared from where he last saw him.

He frantically searched around the house but thankfully it didn’t take him too long to find him in the bedroom. His back was turned from the door as he laid on his side on the bed. Xiao closed his eyes and took a breath before slowly walking over to where he was. He sat down on the opposite side of the mattress with the glass in hand.

His hand was on his arm, gently stroking it with his thumb.

“Here, drink something.”

Venti was so silent, you could almost say he was asleep but he wasn’t.

“Don’t be stubborn.”

And just those words were enough for him to sit up and turn to the other side where Xiao was. He took the glass from his hands and took a couple of sips til he spaced out and nibbled on the tip of the glass. Xiao instantly knew what he wanted but he would never give it to him, especially since he was still recovering.

“No, I’m not giving you alcohol.” To which Venti pouts even more.

“But–”

“No.” The bard attempted to ask again but Xiao easily shot him down.

Well, if that wasn’t going to convince him, he decided to come up with ways to soften him.

“What if I play you another song?”

For a moment, Xiao considered this option only to shake his head in disapproval when he thought about what had happened just a while ago. He had an inkling that whatever that was, might have affected his elemental energy too. It was too risky for music.

Venti frowned at his response and thought some more until he smirked. He crawled across the bed and leaned his body over to him, encircling his arms around his neck. Xiao knew what he was doing but he couldn’t deny the fact that he was thoroughly taken by his seduction. He would never admit to it though.

He learned to play along whenever he did that, placing a hand on the bard’s chin to pull his lips close only to keep it shut.

“Hmph. You’re no fun.” Venti’s expression remained but later on, settled with just being in his embrace.

Xiao lets out a calm sigh. As he thought, he could never get enough of his touch, his warm breath against his, his sweet scent, and his smile that never dimmed in shine.

He wanted all of him.

Then a bright idea came across Venti’s mind, causing him to jump out of bed and ran out of the room without a second thought. This left Xiao confused and immediately followed him. 

How much time had passed? He could never tell when they were inside but he knew it was vastly different than in the world outside the domain. Xiao looked around to try and find the bard. Instead, he found the traveler who seemed to be looking for something as she looked all over the place, under tables, and even inside pots. When he marched on over to them, the traveler placed her arms on her hips with a look of irritation. The traveler turns out to have misplaced her kamera somewhere and was convinced that someone had taken it. He didn’t think much of it and told them that he hadn’t seen anything like it.

Later on, a certain bard drops down and peeks from behind his back to see if the traveler had already left. This rose suspicion in Xiao, wondering what he had done this time.

“Where have you been?” He asked, sounding a little doubtful.

Venti mustered a chuckle and closed one eye as he showed him a rectangular object. It was small but had a glass lens and was painted red. It looked exactly like what the traveler had described to him earlier. He sighed in disappointment and was about to take it off his hand when the bard swiftly pulls his hand away from his reach.

“Wait, hold on, I promise I’ll return it later.” He stated as he gestured for him to stop.

For now, he decided to hear him out.

He examined the object with such rigor while touching every feature on its surface.

“Fascinating… If I remember correctly, you…” He started to ramble on as he hovered it over his view and directed its lens at Xiao, who was unsure of its effects. So he reflexively backed away and held out his hand.

There was a flash and sudden clicking sound after Venti had pressed the button. After that, he looked at the screen that showed a photograph of the man before him. He was amazed at its capabilities, as did Xiao who saw the aftermath.

Venti unexpectedly pulled Xiao beside him and raised the kamera above them to take a picture. The flash blinded the adeptus once more which resulted in the picture where the bard had a no-eyed smile and the adeptus having a disoriented expression from the flash.

Venti giggled at the photograph.

He wanted to keep this memory forever.

But why did it have to end now?

Xiao begrudgingly allowed Venti to wander around as he took pictures of all sorts of things.

Down the road, he took a picture of the lizard they saw just moments ago. (or at least he liked to think it was the same one)

Xiao took the kamera from him to capture the river they once swam in which prompted Venti to tease him.

Then the kamera was filled with close-ups of flowers ranging from silk flowers to dandelions. 

They went full circle and arrived back from where they came from. They were at Mondstadt again, judging from the abundance of windmills and flowers. The bard would stop by a little girl who was behind a table full of potted plants. He regularly bought flowers from here to offer some on his friend’s grave every year, or everytime he felt conflicted by his thoughts. Someday, he wanted her to have a proper flower shop one day, by then she would be rewarded with more profit than how much she receives now. 

The girl smiled brighter once they approached her. “Are you here to buy flowers again, mister?” She asked, innocently.

Venti shakes his head and bends down to her level to whisper, “Oh, not today. But I do want to see something in particular.” He winked. The girl tilted her head in response before sounding an ‘aha!’ As much as Xiao wanted to pay attention to him, he found himself simply staring off into space, so he didn’t know what the bard was up to. His consciousness only came back when a small hand waved in front of him.

“Hello~? Are you still listening to me?” He asked while the adeptus nodded. Venti raised a brow to signify his doubt and leaned his face closer to his.

“Hm.. If you say so… Now, come on! I have a little something for you.” He stated with a hand behind his back. “But you have to close your eyes.” Venti added. From his view, he couldn’t get a glimpse of what it was so he simply went along with him.

He was a bit skeptical of where he was taking him, but he knew he could trust him so he didn’t protest, aside from the little ‘accidents’ the bard made him go through. At some point, he even hit his head on the cobblestone walls surrounding the city of freedom which only prompted Venti to laugh. 

As soon as they stopped, he felt him let go of his hand, making it seem almost cold like a lone fireplace on a winter night. Then his angelic voice spoke. “You can open your eyes now.” He obeys and sees that they were now in the middle of a massive meadow, justifying the long strands of grass he felt on the way. But he was a bit confused about why they were there. He was about to ask when suddenly Venti revealed a flower crown from behind his back. It was created like an average flower crown made by a child, what made it special was the Qingxin as the choice of flowers. 

Once again he was rendered speechless from the gesture, he was never going to get used to his spontaneity. 

“You may be wondering how I got my hands on these. Unfortunately, I didn’t pick them from the highest peak of Mount Qingyun, but I did manage to buy them from a merchant from Liyue for the price of a bottle of wine! How lucky was I!” He laughed proudly at such a feat.

“Here let me put them on you.” The dark-haired bard stood at the tip of his toes as if he wasn’t already at the same height and carefully placed it on his head. His grin was as wide as ever, much like the little girl they encountered before.

“Do you like it?”

Xiao shows him a small smile and says, “Yes, thank you.”

Chapter Text

“Eeek!”

The sound of a hilichurl’s scream rang, disintegrating as the sharp edge of the jade polearm was pulled out of its stomach. Xiao let out an exhausted sigh as he adjusted his grip on his weapon. It had been a while since he last purged monsters. It felt the same and yet his spear felt heavier than usual. Was it because he hadn’t seen his beloved bard for some time? He couldn’t say nor deny it, but it certainly made him feel guilty. Then his eyebrows lowered, and his face grimaced at the thought that maybe the people he once protected no longer respected him, and he knew how shallow they can be. When all is said and done, he figured that he had left the plains unprotected for too long as far as demonic energy existed.

The reasons for this situation were unclear but as if it was second nature, he started to suspect himself. He was the only one who knew how to fight off his karmic debt, and his absence may have caused it to latch onto the relentless creatures he had yet to kill. It must’ve been unfair for them, even if some of them lacked any sort of intelligence. Still, one cannot fight what they are born into. As did he.

The polearm hovers behind his back before disappearing as he walked away from the scene. For someone who spent most of his years in Liyue, he hasn’t been around much either. It was primarily because of his attachment to a certain someone in Mondstadt. Nevertheless, he decided to walk for once to enjoy the peace while it lasted, which reminded him of Venti’s habit of overestimating his capabilities.

Once he arrived at the entrance of the city, he momentarily stops to observe his surroundings. He takes a breath and allowed his legs to take him wherever. Dogs were sprinkled around the area, and at times it liked to chase after people. Xiao didn’t mind since a part of him thought it was a bit endearing. They don’t chase anyone to hurt them anyway, it was always in their nature to play around. However, the cats in Liyue, or from any place for that matter, were all withdrawn and liked to keep their distance. He suddenly remembered the bard’s previous remark. Maybe he truly was akin to a cat without him knowing.

A ginger cat looked at him with beady eyes after licking itself clean. It was as if you could see an aura of flowers scattered around the two when Xiao caressed the fur of the cat without a protest. He was interrupted by a sudden familiar sneeze coming from afar. And there he saw the green bard who looked to be on his way to his destination. It’s not like wasn’t able to see him for a week but during those weeks, he had held himself back from attempting to talk to him so seeing him in that moment tugged on his heartstrings. He wanted to hug him so badly. But he was no stranger to restraint, after all, what kind of yaksha would he be if he lacked discipline?

He was going to leave him be but a force kept him from standing still and decided to follow him quietly. Venti entered an establishment his master visited a lot. He was quick to remember that they often drank together as well, was today also the case?

Xiao trailed not too long after him until he sat at the table behind a bamboo wall divider, and sits down at a booth near them to listen in.

His usual apathetic look suddenly turned into interest once he caught sight of Zhongli. There was one thing he always dismissed, and it was Venti’s relationship with his master. He could somewhat hear their conversation if he listened closely enough.

The bard places a hand on his hip and smiles smugly a bit at the tall figure seated before him. “Hey, old friend, did you miss me?” Venti suggests. The fellow archon’s face remained unfazed, taking a sip of the tea the waitress had just brought in. “I cannot say.” He replied.

Venti scoffed at the response and sat down across from him. “How can you be so mean?”

“Oh, was I? I’m sorry for my ignorance.” Zhongli adds sarcastically to which Venti acknowledges with a sigh. He was the same as always, he thought.
“Actually, I came to ask about something, or about someone under your care.” This caused his friend to display a puzzled look since the bard had never openly asked for his advice before.

“To whom are you referring to?” He asked.

“It’s about a certain adeptus you saved, Alatus…” Venti muttered.

Alatus

Xiao’s eyes widened at the mention of his own name. He hadn’t heard that name in such a long time, he had almost forgotten all about it. It’s not like he liked to in the first place. Each time he remembered, he would only be bombarded by memories of the vicious life he lived under his past master’s rule.

He discerned how it was wrong for him to eavesdrop on them and somehow felt that their topic would later make him uneasy. So he quietly slips away from the restaurant.

The silence that accompanied them was deafening until finally a deep voice spoke.

“I’m deeply concerned for what comes out of your mouth next.” The geo archon raised a brow.

“Ahaha… You see, I may have done something rather unseemly.” Venti chuckled nervously.

“Well that’s nothing new, isn’t it?” His companion commented.

“Wha– Hey, that’s not fair. And no this is… this is serious.” He wasn’t sure why he was so choked up about it, he was usually capable of saying the most bizarre things, especially when he’s under the influence of alcohol. This train of thought ultimately led him back to the actions he’d committed.

He sighed in surrender, if anything, Zhongli could scold him about it all he wants. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s already happened.

“It seems like your faithful disciple ended up seizing a windborne archon’s heart, as cliche as that sounds.”

The geo archon doesn’t return a sound or reaction and simply says, “I trust that you already know what consequences you will face for that matter. So who am I to place my own judgment upon you.”

For a second the bard’s stature improved as he received no criticism from the god.

“But as an old companion, I will say this.” He began while Venti awaited his next statement.

“Don’t let the heavenly rules cage your logic. What is to be believed from an archon is not an archon’s job to fulfill. Instead, it’s something we can justify through our actions. And who’s to say that what we are doing is wrong?”

“So rest assured, your behavior is not at all unbecoming of an archon.”

The braided-haired bard smiled at his cup, suddenly not wanting to continue to drink his wine out of respect for his friend. It felt like it had been years since the fellow archon shared some of his wisdom with him and he savored every moment of it. He guessed he wasn’t as annoying as he initially thought he would be.

“Well then, thank you for your wise words, Morax.” He almost couldn’t believe what he was saying but it felt right.

Zhongli, or rather Morax’s lips also formed a smile at the acknowledgment.

“Hm~? Is that a smile I see? Haha! It looks like someone’s gotten chipper after giving away their gnosis.” He teased which only made Zhongli more smug.

“At least, I chose to give it away, unlike you. Yours had to be snatched out of your mortal body by a Fatui no less.”

Venti couldn’t muster a rebuttal since he wasn’t wrong. Their comforting atmosphere was short-lived when he became serious once more. All this talk about their gnosis reminded him of another issue.

–

“Now then, what shall we do?” Venti muttered to himself as he sat on the sofa chair. He was alone in the teapot for a while since Xiao had to tend to urgent matters, the purging demons kind. He was told to stay inside because it was dangerous, but he thinks the adeptus forgets that he can defend himself fine. But he didn’t want to worry him so he obeyed and he was bored out of his mind. He tried every possible thing in the domain.

There was a square plot divided into four sides, and so he tried to plant some of the seeds they were gifted with. But to no avail, Venti didn’t have the greenest of thumbs.

Next, he proceeded to clean the house which only created more of a mess due to his inability to use a normal broom. Instead, he used his anemo powers to dust off the shelves only to send papers flying, then realized he used too much wind. He did end up cleaning it up traditionally anyway. “Xiao will probably not be happy to find his things misplaced but he won't mind, right?” He thought and continued to tidy up.

After that, he even considered opening a bottle of wine he was set on fermenting but restrained himself when he thought about how awful it would be if Xiao came home to a drunken Venti. He would be embarrassed, he couldn’t bare to show the adeptus that side of him, not after that event. In a way, Xiao motivated him to be more responsible for himself due to his stern nature.

He continued to wonder and decided to play with his harp. That might have been the obvious choice but Venti wanted to do something other than what he normally did. Once a bard, always a bard. The instrument was taken into his arms as he began to pluck each string, creating a progressive harmony. He assessed that it was tuned and started playing around with different melodies.

Then it came to the song. The same tune that he played to soothe the adeptus’ karmic debt.

–

“Since our topic has come to this...”

The bard carefully explained to him the incident about his abrupt feeling of weakness after he was singing Xiao a song like usual. He told him that it wasn’t always like that but these days he’s been feeling like how the adeptus would describe his karmic pains; sudden and piercing with endless hunger. And yet it didn’t work quite the same. There were no voices coaxing him to take a person’s life, it was only the feeling of being eaten alive inside and the loss of energy to keep up his mortal form.

Zhongli’s eyebrows slightly straightened and looked over at him.

“Indeed, that is concerning…”

Venti grimly nods in agreement. “I’m not asking you for help, in fact, the reason I’m here is to say my last goodbye, if my untimely end finally does come for me.”

He said that with such enthusiasm but you could hear a hint of sadness in his voice. The geo archon didn’t know what to make of it either.

After one last sip, the bard stood up and bid his companion farewell. He wasn’t sure if this was truly his last, but he took a step at tying loose ends at the very least.