"murder", he says | xiaoven x reader

chapter sixteen

"but now that I'm here, I have a request for you both" venti says after you sit the three of you down for the fruit tea you brewed. xiao claimed black tea made his stomach hurt.

"a threesome?-" you ask, xiao turns his head, mouth agape.

"not yet-" xiaos shocked face turns to venti. "its about archon duties." venti explains.

that makes more sense, venti wouldnt want to do that himself, you think.

"what do you need?" you add sugar into ventis tea, xiao having already starting sipping at his. though his expression was more relatable to investigating a new element rather than drinking a strawberry and mint brew.

"i wouldnt usually ask if i hadnt lost my gnosis-"

"you WHAT-" you stand quickly

"well i had it stolen-"

"I'll kill them."

"idis, calm now, you can't take down the entire fatui-"

"watch me. you need that, venti! when did this happen? why didn't you tell me? I should have been there!" you rant, biting your nails after you shut up

"slow down, I'm fine- it was months ago. just before the fiasco with divalin." venti assumed you knew about that since he knew the story of the traveller and stormterror had spread to liyue. "and you were here at the post i stationed you at- doing a good job as always ♡♡♡" he pulls at your cheeks, trying to pull your frown into a smile.

"still... I can't believe I didn't sense you were weak... if I can't sense that, how will I know when you truly need help?" you look down. this constant stress around you of your loved ones dying was a bit too real for your liking.

"y/n..." venti starts, frowning slightly.

"i know you told me to help xiao, but im perfectly capable of taking care of you, too!" you bite your lip and stand, hands on the table. "youre just going to let yourself die because youre too scared to ask for help?! both of you are like this! its just selfish! stop acting like children and accept my help before you both leave me alone forever!" you let out a sob and try to wipe the tears dropping from your eyes, but its no use.

"excuse me" you let out, making your way out the door whilst taking deep breaths to calm yourself.

ventis looking at the door as you left, face scrunched into worry as xiao looks at the table, regretful.

"they spoke recently about how worried they are ill pass... i suppose its bigger than that, they dont have outbursts like this often..." xiao explains, making eye contact with venti as they look at him.

venti nods. "i wonder if they think i was trying to get rid of them when i sent them to you... i never really explained..."

"i think you should perhaps speak to them." xiao suggests and venti nods, standing. "they'll have went somewhere private, try the small islands around dihua marsh."

"thank you xiao, I'll see you in a moment" venti takes off out the window, but xiao saves scolding him for not using the door.

you mad at yourself for not saying more. you had the chance to let out all your pent up thoughts- but instead chose to sulk. but you felt a bit embarrassed, you supposed. you close your eyes when you feel ventis presence.

he kneels behind you, wrapping their arms around you from behind and resting his forehead on your back.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you, venti..." you say, clearing your throat after you hear the strain in your voice.

"its okay, you've been worried lately- talk to me?" he asks, stroking your hair and adjusting his head to the side so it lays on your back.

"you went quiet after I left... I was so worried... for 200 years- every day you slept I had no information where you were... I was terrified you died." you're crying again, now, ugly sobs leaving your mouth.

"I had no idea what to do, I didn't want to leave my post- especially with the state of xiaos karmic debt, it felt like any second he could succumb to it." you try again to wipe your tears.

"I couldn't search for you, couldn't confirm your status, the winds told me nothing. then I found you again- I was so happy - you were alive but... all that time you didn't contact me, didn't tell me before that you had to go away for a while. and now you don't tell me when you're hurting. if not me, who do you go to? I don't want you alone, I don't want you dead." venti stays quiet, listening.

"I just... wish you'd speak to me... I've devoted my life to you, as a follower and as a lover... but you speak to me as you do no further than an aquatence... sending me away for so long..." you finish, cries calming down.

ventis quiet for a moment, shuffling so he's infront of you on his knees. you look to him with puffy eyes and red cheeks. they lean in, kissing you softly with his hands cupping your face.

"I'm sorry..." he says "I should have told you my plans... it wasn't my intention to cast you away- you mean so much to me- to put you through that pain- I'm so sorry, idis" he hugs you again, laying his head on your chest.

"I needed time, but that doesn't change that I avoided telling you. I didn't station you here because I didn't want you... I... I loved you then as I do now, I felt I didnt deserve it- so I sent you to someone I think did." he feels your heart speed up at his comment and smiles slightly.

he sits up again, slowly laying you on your back and taking one hand in his, the other cups your face. you notice there's tears in his eyes.

"please, idis, serve me as you did before- your worship is all I need to keep the strength to survive- I can't ask for more than this with your forgiveness..." he let's his head fall, tears dropping onto your cheeks.

there's a small pause before your wipe his tears away with your thumb, leaning on your elbow to take his lips into a soft kiss again, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling them close.

venti pushes your mouthes closer, closer, till you both feel your lips burn, paying no mind to the gasping breaths you exhange- or to the way that ventis wings have now wrapped around the both of you.

youve changed location to somewhere more private, it seems- as clothes start to get pushed up and skin is gripped with the desperation to be as close as you can be.

worship barbatos you did- for hours- till you both slept soundly.