The Winds Bring with them Change (Volume 1)

29: Gone

This contains spoilers for the Sumeru Rainforest area Archon quest, just fyi. And though it does contain spoilers, I am beginning to play pretty fast and loose with canon, so....

He awoke to a dark world, Venti shaking as he was prone to doing in his sleep. Master Diluc's beds were soft, but as Xiao had slept on the ground for the majority of his life, he never slept for long when they stayed there. And now that he was awake, there was no way he was going to fall back into sleep, choosing instead to watch his boyfriend. He'd had strange nightmares recently, the same sort as Xiao had had a few weeks ago, figures from his past speaking of him, as if surveying his faults.

Xiao knew that in his own case, these nightmares were a method used to torture him in his happiness, however for his boyfriend, he could only assume erosion. When he brought up speaking with his Lord again, trying to figure out more methods for slowing the illness, Venti had only smiled at him and shook his head. Though he did indeed adore his partners stubbornness, it was becoming a bit of a worry.

Even when clearly in pain, he would refuse any help or treatments Xiao could offer, opting to instead sit in the fields of the teapot, letting the breeze Aether commanded brush over him gently. And though he worried, he felt the pain in his bones and was reminded of his own debt and how he had handled it in the past.

So he showed up to his Lord's house alone, basically begging to be taught meditation and qi balancing melodies. He had proceeded to play them quietly in these moments, enjoying the smile on, dare he say his love's face and the clear tension released from his shoulders. He was glad to be of help as the other man had once been to him, attempting to be close in a way he hadn't in centuries whilst the other was in constant pain.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a soft hand on his face, rubbing over his cheek gently. He was blinking sleepily as he had the previous night, but when he spoke, his words were only slurred from sleep.

"Who are you thinking of darling." As he blushed at the nickname, he shook his head.

"Just you." Venti's soft grin didn't budge as he began whispering conspiratorially and moved closer to Xiao, hand still on his face.

"Oh yeah, what about me?" The grin grew a bit more mischievous and he leaned in to kiss him, feather light before continuing in his whispers. "Was it perhaps about how wonderful of a partner I am, or how nothing can compare to my beauty?"

Though he was teasing, his tone overexaggerated for Xiao's sake, he decided to tease back a bit.

"Dearest, I was only thinking of how pretty you looked last night on my lap." Perhaps he had gone a bit far for one of the only times he'd teased Venti in the entirety of their relationship, but an immediate flush of red grew over his cheeks, his eyes dilating quicker than a cat's at the sight of a mouse.

He reacted much the same, trailing his hand down Xiao's neck, leaning in to kiss his jaw before gripping him roughly and flipping them over to sit on his torso. Venti leaned back, smiling sadistically at Xiao and running his fingers down his neck to his collarbone. He shuddered, allowing himself to fall still beneath his boyfriend. Venti leaned down to kiss him again, whispering under his breath when he stopped.

"Do you like that, Xiao?" Xiao nodded, his head seeming thick, as if underwater. Venti smiled, lifting both hands to Xiao's hair and running his fingers through the strands before rasping, "Good," and flopping back onto the mattress.

His giggling pulled Xiao from his headspace only slightly, and even when he sat up to look at Venti in shock, he could still feel how hot his face had grown.

"What the hell was that?" His partner giggled at his question, pulling him down beside him again.

"You're so fun to mess with Xiao!" He could feel as the undignified look on his face morphed into almost amusement, his lips pulling up just slightly. He was feeling blissfully happy, laughing with his love, laying in a much too soft bed. The words he thought poured from his mouth carelessly, and for once he didn't think he cared.

"You're really hot." That only seemed to make Venti laugh harder, a sound of vague acknowledgement leaving his lips.

Xiao was breathing heavier than when he'd been just laying there admiring his boyfriend, his chest heaving in a way that he knew was much too fast. Venti giggled from beside him, his words quiet when he spoke at last.

"We should head to the teapot, Aether'll be worried if we're gone for too long." Xiao nodded, sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of the mattress. When he was on his feet, Venti groaned loudly, throwing his head back to gaze at Xiao.

"I can't get up." Xiao frowned, that could only be from the alcohol the night before, or maybe he was just messing with him again. When he made his way around the bedframe, the muffled giggling reminded him that though his partner could be very sincere and sweet, he also enjoyed messing around with Xiao. He crossed his arms, not making a move to help or walk away until Venti looked up at him.

"Aw, come on my love, won't you help your dying boyfriend?" He feigned dramatics, relaxing further into the duvet. Xiao gave in, picking him up by his shoulders and resting him against his own shoulder as kindly as he could manage whilst still jostling him on purpose.

When they finally stood in the teapot's garden, Venti gave up on his plea of death, separating from Xiao to call for Aether as he ran towards the house. By the time he'd made it to the door at his own, slower pace, Venti was emerging again, looking a bit concerned, but not much.

"He's not here."