𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 / venti x f!reader

[𝟏]. origin

And every day, Venti would sit and ponder. What is the true, true meaning of love? Saying you had 'butterflies' in your stomach or your heart 'raced' was not enough of a viable reason. For someone like him, a man of poetry and whimsical words, love was not such a simple term.

And yet, that was the only thing to describe his emotions when he looked at you. Whether you were ignoring him, or looking over him, or looking beside him or anywhere but him, he swore— on his life, on his power and on his memory—

This. This is love.

The bard paused, observing your features as you began to pick silk flowers. Standing on top of this mountain, with just the two of you, with the sky and the sun, all he could see was you.

Your eyes, they showed his reflection when he gazed into them. Your features and lips, your battle-trained fingers and face.

He swore (yet he knew it was not kind to swear), that this, this is love. These were the butterflies, these were the marathons his heart would run and this was the love he felt for you.

"Can you help me carry some of these?" You handed him a bundle of flowers, interrupting his long, long train of thoughts.

Clumsily holding the silkflowers and qingxins, he followed aimlessly behind you. Following you to... pick more flowers? Just how many did you need?

No matter. That was not the cause of his concerns right now.

☆

[LIYUE HARBOR]

"Okay, see you soon!" Paimon waved, floating ahead of [Name] and Aether as the three left Liyue Harbor to go on some errands. Something along the lines of a Snatcherstar?

Eh, whatever.

'I wonder where that unlucky boy is?' Venti hummed, glancing around before shrugging.

☆

Wallowing in his own thoughts, the bard began pacing through the docks of Liyue, unconcerned once a bunch of pigeons frantically took flight at his presence.

Love, love was found everywhere. It was found in the sky and the grass, in the birds and the plants. Love was taking care of someone's room just because you appreciate them, love was watering the plants you passed by every day because you wanted to see them prosper.

'Is this how Mr. Zhongli feels?' Venti thought blankly, watching some children run by him as if he were nothing but a statue. One day, those children would be teenagers— then adults, then elders.

It moved so fast. Life moved so fast. As if it were just yesterday, the bard remembered the first time he met you. How you were beside Rex Lapis' side, how you seemed to be more serious than all of Liyue combined—...

Yet now you weren't like that. Your icy exterior melted and revealed the true you, a you so deserving of that pyro vision that hung on your figure, a you that Venti came to...

To love?

He paused, mouth agape before curving into a sly smirk.

'I'm saying love as if it's some new term.'

☆

[400 YEARS AGO]

"[Name]?" Venti glanced up at you, stopping mid-strum on his lyre as you didn't bother to gaze back at him.

"What is it?"

He tilted his nose up at the dimming sky and arriving stars. The scent of the wind was so comforting under Vennessa's tree, along with your colored eyes and amber vision.