Work Text:
Those were times of peace in Teyvat. After the end of the last war, political relations had become stable. However, there seemed to be no end to Liyue's high-ranking work, especially when it came to diplomatic and trade relations.
As an emerging and very influential kingdom, they were in charge of most treaties. Not for nothing, after all, their Archon and representative — Morax — was the God of Contracts. For everyone there, it made total sense for him to be present in such decisions, being an important piece or just a mediator between them.
Among the currently established kingdoms, however, the one with which Liyue was having the most difficulty in dialogues was, surprisingly, Mondstadt — the nation that was just next door.
They understood that it was a newly formed kingdom with a troubled history, an ancient tyranny being deposed not too many centuries ago. However, Morax was yet to understand why diplomatic relations seemed so complex between the two, being that they were very close — they were definitely neighboring lands, sharing some territories.
It was not what the God of Contracts would call a problematic relationship, but it was clear, especially from the sight of his committee, that they were seeking closer political relations — and Morax was genuinely puzzled as to why they had not yet achieved that.
But no more intrigued than he was by the proposal that Cloud Retainer had presented during that meeting as a supposed solution to the closer political relations between Mondstadt and Liyue.
"A wedding?" The God of Contracts returned his cup of tea to the side table in front of him, blinking in alarm, watching as Cloud Retainer smoothed her long silver hair, her countenance serious and impassive.
"I understand your alarm, my lord, but I believe it is the best way for us to approach our neighboring nation." She reiterated, crossing her arms in front of her body, smoothing her wings over her back. "Not so many years ago, proposals like this were commonplace. I have heard of other kingdoms that have successfully carried out such acts and endured for many years in unity. It would be the wisest action for us to take at this time."
"Wouldn't it be propitious if perhaps we sent a representative to reside there? And a representative of theirs would reside among us?" Guizhong, sitting next to Morax, suggested, looking as surprised as himself. Perhaps a little more distressed. "A wedding is an intimate and important act. It is not just politics. It is bringing two people's lives together. Don't you think, Cloud Retainer, that would be a rather overdone solution to the situation?"
"Again, I understand your concern, my dear Goddess of Dust" Cloud Retainer continued, a small smile adorning her face. "But the intent is precisely that this close union allows both kingdoms to have influence with each other. A representative is nothing more than that: a representation. Our goal is that policies be shared."
"You intend to make Liyue and Mondstadt annexed lands?" Morax inquired, raising his eyebrows in amazement. "I admire such courage. At no time did an idea like that cross my mind, I confess."
"Strategically speaking..." Mountain Shaper intervened now, his wings restless on his back, his arms crossed in front of his body. "It would be very beneficial not only for us, but for Mondstadt itself a union such as this. I am not opposed to Cloud Retainer's idea. In fact, it seems to me a sensible thing to propose, and they would have no loss on either side."
"Hmm..." Guizhong's expression was disgusted, to say the least. "I understand the commercial, political and military benefits, but I still consider it a very bold idea."
"Perhaps because the lady is thinking more with her heart than with her reason?" Cloud Retainer commented, and in that instant, Guizhong widened her eyes, offended. "Forgive me if I sounded rude, my lady. My intention is not to assault you, but to demonstrate that this may be the situation. I do not believe it is wrong to weigh in with emotion, but we are in a strictly political relationship. Often, there is no room for feelings."
The Goddess of Dust gave a long, painful sigh, lowering her gaze. Morax gently placed one of his hands over hers, a gesture of comfort that Guizhong vehemently appreciated.
The venue remained silent for minutes, all the representatives of the committee a little distressed on account of Cloud Retainer's audacity — even though she and Guizhong were very close, it was certainly an affront.
And, in any case, the committee was not unanimous in its decision to the wedding. There was, however, a tendency to accept the proposal, for it seemed reasonable, to say the least. Mondstadt was also inclined to compact the situation, which made everything favorable to Cloud Retainer's idea.
"As a matter of fact..." Morax spoke up, breaking the silence. "Are there already candidates for that marriage?"
"My dear lord..." Cloud Retainer smiled again, her posture unchanged, as she announced in a serene voice, "I had imagined, due to the whole situation, that Ganyu would be an excellent candidate for this union."
At that instant, Ganyu herself emitted a thin, high-pitched sound in surprise. Not only she, but beside her, Xiao had made a similar sound, as stunned as she was at the words of the Retainer. The latter, in turn, looked at her disciple, finding her attitude strange.
"Hadn't I been clear about the situation?" She inquired, surprised. Ganyu clenched his fingers on her hanfu, unable to face her mentor.
"Uh... Madam... you hadn't commented directly about me being the candidate..." She muttered, embarrassed. "I..."
"Of all of them, you are the most suitable for the situation. You're in the committee, you're fully aware of our entire political situation, you're integrated with the trade treaties... I don't see why it should be anyone else." Cloud Retainer punctuated, raising her eyebrows.
"If she feels uncomfortable, we can look for someone else, Cloud Retainer." Guizhong intervened, sympathizing with Ganyu, realizing how bewildered she was at the news. "After all, it would make no sense to let her marry into an obligation, no matter how much your proposal generates that. I would prefer that everything be done by mutual agreement, at least between us of the committee."
"And who would be fit to replace Ganyu? I can't imagine anyone who could–"
"Me." Xiao interjected, interrupting Cloud Retainer.
The room was again silent. This time, however, all eyes were on the yaksha. He swallowed dryly, shrugging his shoulders, searching for the best way to position his attitude:
"Like Ganyu, I am aware of trade relations, political relations and, as a bonus, I am also aware of our military situation." He began, a little discombobulated as he pronounced himself. "Besides, I see no problem in marring a person, even if I have no affinity. It's not a situation that would bother me. And I believe I have enough discernment to carry the union through even if disagreements arise."
At that instant, Xiao raised his gaze to Morax, staring him in the eyes. He noticed how his master's amber irises stared at his own with intensity, analyzing the next words he would say:
"Morax, my lord. Will you allow me to take charge of the situation?"
At that instant, the God of Contracts sighed, bringing his hand up to his neck and rubbing his claws carefully over his skin, trying to ease the tension he felt over the room.
"I should not allow or deny anything. If the committee agrees and especially if it is your decision, I have no opposition whatsoever."
"Thank you, my lord." Xiao thanked him, looking more relaxed. Beside him, he could hear Ganyu's relieved sigh, as if the whole world had gone off her back.
"I don't understand why the conqueror of demons would accept an offer like that." Cloud Retainer commented, her arms crossed reluctantly in front of her body, her wings now restless on her back. "However, I make our Lord's words my own. I have no opposition either."
"It is certainly unusual, I must agree." This time, Mountain Shaper stepped in, smoothing his own chin as he pondered, "I never imagined that the conqueror of demons would offer himself as a candidate for something of this magnitude. But I have no opposition either."
"I believe you are all in agreement?" Morax announced at last, and in the room, everyone nodded. "I believe our meeting is closed for now. I will leave it to Cloud Retainer to handle the arrangements for this union to take place. The final contract I will draft myself. However, that will not occur until after my trip with Guizhong, a few months from now."
Again, everyone nodded. It was known that Morax and Guizhong would travel to distant lands to mediate a treaty between two kingdoms. The details were not important to the committee, since only the God of Contracts needed to know about them, but they were aware of how long this trip would take — and also how many people would need to be moved to make it happen.
After a few concluding words from Morax, everyone was dismissed. Leaving the meeting room, Xiao sighed, the fresh air being like a charitable hug to his tired body.
It was a very tense situation, especially when Cloud Retainer had offered Ganyu to be Liyue's fiancé without even consulting her. Xiao didn't know how to describe what he felt at that moment — it was a very mixed bag of feelings. A bit of anger, surprise and sadness, certainly.
All this because he...
"Xiao?" He was brought out of his reveries when Ganyu's affable voice made itself present beside him. The yaksha stared at the startled qilin, noticing how clueless she was. "I... I can't thank you enough. At that moment, you... definitely saved me."
"Ahn..." Xiao looked away, his face subtly flushed, rubbing his neck to ease his tension. "There's nothing to be thankful for. I wouldn't think it fair for you to take on that responsibility. You're already too set in your ways for Cloud Retainer to make a move like that." He commented, biting his lower lip discreetly.
"Well, yes..." It was clear how baffled Ganyu was. "But you offering yourself like that... Are you sure it's okay?" Her gaze was now one of pity towards his friend, a genuine concern.
Xiao stared at her for a brief moment, however, he could not sustain his gaze, preferring to focus on the ground or the landscape in front of him. He pondered for a few moments, his throat dry, before making his final pronouncement:
"My decision is made. You don't have to worry about it."
The qilin beside him sighed, giving up. Xiao noticed out of the corner of his eye how she bowed and thanked him again in a whisper before walking away. It was the yaksha's turn to sigh, however painfully.
The truth was that he loved her.
He loved her so much that he didn't think it was fair that she had to submit to a situation like this — not when Xiao knew that Ganyu had feelings for someone else and was committed to building a life with them.
He would rather he — someone who was naturally alone and who, apart from that feeling, had no pretensions with anyone — take on such responsibility than see Ganyu give up her own dreams and goals for the sake of Liyue's politics.
It was as he had said: he was discerning enough to deal with disagreements and had no attachment whatsoever to the point of bothering to marry someone for whom he had no feeling or intimacy. For him, it would be like any other job at the end of the day.
If there was respect, surely, he could engage in dialogue with whoever his fiancé was. They didn't need more than dialogue after all — a proposal like that was only political. He did not doubt the wisdom of Cloud Retainer, but he did not take away Guizhong's reasoning about the situation.
He felt a light touch on his shoulder and looked over it, finding the Goddess of Dust herself behind him, a compassionate smile drawing her lips, a fond gleam in her eye. Xiao's eyes widened, surprised to see her there.
"Do you have a minute for me?" She questioned, affably.
"Of course, my lady."
Gentle, Guizhong signaled for Xiao to follow her. The yaksha, without thinking, obeyed her — and both walked calmly through the corridors of Guili's palace, the dusk tinting the sky, the remnants of sunlight creating a pleasant gloom across the pillars.
Guizhong's passing was silent as the sweet wind caressed the treetops, very different from Xiao's — although not loud, his footsteps certainly created a noise that to his own ears was uncomfortable, straining his muscles. He did not know what his mistress wanted, but he trusted that it should not be something alarming.
She was, above all, the deity with the most emotional understanding among them all.
They made their way to one of the gardens at the back of the palace, a place that she, Morax and Xiao himself were very fond of — adorned by a huge tree whose canopy covered almost the entire place, a welcoming shade for the afternoons, a solace for the evenings, coziness during the mornings. Guizhong sat down on one of the stone benches all around and again signaled for the yaksha to accompany her.
As soon as he was at her side, the first thing the lady did was take his hands in hers, her blue eyes like glazy lillies staring into the yellow-topaz ones that were Xiao's, before she began in a kind but saddened voice:
"Are you sure it's okay?" Once again, the yaksha startled, blinking, trying to process Guizhong's intentions. "Your decision... I know why you made it, Xiao."
"Ah..." He sighed, looking away from his lady, no longer able to face her. "I'm not surprised the lady knows. However, I do not intend to go back on my word."
"Xiao..." Guizhong lowered her shoulders, bringing her eyes to the yaksha's hands, gently caressing his fingers in hers. "My dear, I understand your feelings for Ganyu. For years, I have always supported you in your decisions. But please be gentle with yourself. There is no need to make such a sacrifice for that feeling."
"And let her do it in my place?" Xiao's voice sounded resentful, dumbfounded. That startled Guizhong. It was the first time she had seen the yaksha act this way with her. "Pa-pardon, my lady. But regardless of my feelings, I... I couldn't allow her to throw all her plans away because of Cloud Retainer's unilateral decision."
At that instant, Xiao felt Guizhong's hands leave his fingers to support his face, squeezing his cheeks. The yaskha widened his eyes, feeling his cheekbones blush, a welcoming feeling invading his chest as he noticed the glow in the Goddess of Dust’s blue eyes.
"Lovely as always." She commented, a smile full of understanding on her lips. "You are undeniably a very gentle soul, Xiao." Slowly, Guizhong lowered her hands from Xiao's face. "Please do not let your kindness blind your actions and prevent you from deciding what is best for you."
"My lady, I am no longer a child, if that concerns you." The yaksha puffed out a laugh, noticing how the Goddess of Dust frowned, annoyed. "My decision, while somewhat impulsive, has been no less thoughtful. It will not be giving up anything more than I already have."
"You..."
They heard the rustling of the grass and, at that instant, realized that Morax was approaching. He, however, interrupted his walk when he noticed the astonished looks of the two on the bank, moving his tails restlessly over the grass.
"If you prefer, I'll come back another time" He commented, aware that he was getting in the way of the conversation. "I don't want to pry into whatever you are talking about."
"My lord–" Xiao threatened to start, but was interrupted by Guizhong.
"You try to put some sense into his head, Morax!" She squawked, causing the God of Contracts to widen his eyes in amazement.
"Pardon me, my lady?!" It was Xiao's turn to alter, disbelieving the Goddess of Dust’s words.
"That's just what you heard, he needs to talk some sense into this empty head of yours." She crossed her arms in front of her body, turning her face away. "You imitate him in everything, even his unwise decisions. Let him try to put a stop to all your foolish attitudes!"
Xiao was dumbfounded by Guizhong's words — and Morax had no reaction other than to laugh outrageously, sounding like a roar so loud it was. He put his hand over his lips to try and ponder himself, but tears were caught in the corner of his eyes and his tail was restless.
"My lord, I can explain, I swear!" Xiao didn't even know how to behave in front of Morax after such a claim from the Goddess of Dust. He was definitely embarrassed, as well as very surprised. "I tried to make it clear to the lady that–!"
"Xiao, calm down." Morax made a dismissive sign with his hand. "She doesn't mean it. Look at her face."
Before the yaksha could even notice his lady's expression, she began to laugh, laughing as loudly as Morax just a moment ago. She ducked down, trying to control her breathing, but it seemed to only increase her laughter more — and Xiao was confused by everything that had transpired.
"You, Morax, are a pain in the ass." She concluded, as the God of Contracts approached and sat down beside her. "If you would keep your composure just a little bit, I would carry out my plan."
"Guizhong, stop tormenting Xiao. You must have already done that to the heaps before I arrived." Morax sighed, feeling his ear being tugged by her, not caring much. "And after all these years, you can still take what she says seriously, Xiao?"
"Ah..." The yaksha's face was definitely a tomato from being so red. "I am sorry, my lord. But identifying Lady Guizhong's antics has never been my strong suit."
"But you two are alike." It was Xiao's turn to have his ear pulled by her, the blush becoming more intense on his face. "You can stop that. I would never speak ill of you to Morax. But I still stand by my opinion that you two should talk about–"
"Guizhong." This time it was Morax who interrupted her, serious. "My word has already been given and Xiao's decision has been made. There is nothing to be talked about."
"You didn't even hear what I said!" She glared at him, but gave up arguing afterwards, noticing in her lord and husband's amber eyes that he knew the matter and would not speak further on it. "... I admit, I do not agree with Cloud Retainer's decision. I never will."
"Unfortunately, the majority was in favour. I don't think it's fair to veto something that is in common agreement and is the wish of the majority" Morax reiterated ruefully. "As much as the final word is mine, I don't see myself in the right to prune them like that."
"If!" Guizhong began, rising from the bench, staring Morax deep in the eyes. "This marriage generates some pain and suffering for any of the parties involved, I will meddle. And not even your contract will be able to stop that."
Morax raised his eyebrows, a little debauched. But as he stared into his wife's eyes, he sighed, smiling small.
"I will not oppose it" he concluded finally.
In the next instant, Guizhong turned to Xiao, her gaze as intense as she used with Morax to affirm, convinced:
"You will not hide anything from me. You can try, but I will know. If this marriage brings you suffering, I will intervene, whether you want me to or not. Do you understand me?"
"I am no one to oppose the lady." Xiao bowed, understanding, and Guizhong sighed, looking bewildered. "Again, I understand your concern for me, but I reaffirm that it was a thoughtful decision. It was, yes, a donation on my part. But I do not regret making it."
Xiao stood up, staring at the Goddess of Dust with gentle eyes — and Guizhong could only feel even sadder, biting her lower lip, as if she herself was the one who had been subjected to such an act of selfishness.
"Thank you for your concern, Guizhong. But I'll be fine."
"I... I'll trust your words." She surrendered at last, returning to sit beside Morax, exhausted. "I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that this union can bring you something good, beyond the political benefits involved."
"I can't promise I'll wait for something, but..." For a moment, the yaksha stared at the grass, the glow fading from his topaz eyes. "I don't know what the future holds. Now, if you will excuse me..." He bowed to his lords. "I will retire to my chambers."
His response was a long sigh from Guizhong and a positive nod from Morax — with that, Xiao withdrew, leaving Liyue's rulers alone in the garden.
Gently, Morax ran his hand across Guizhong's shoulders, causing her to rest her face on his own shoulder, noticing how tearful she was. He understood that she, being so attentive to human feelings, could not conceive of such a rational decision as Cloud Retainer's — and, even more so, such a selfless act by Xiao.
If Morax could call it a selfless act, since the yaksha had his own internal reasons for having offered himself as a groom to the neighboring land.
"I... am very sentimental. Cloud Retainer was right." Guizhong commented after crying in silence for a few moments.
"That is not a fault, my dear." Morax stated, running his claws affectionately through her hair. "However, it is not fair to intervene in Xiao's decision like that. He is the general of Liyue's army. Not only that, but he is also the Conqueror of Demons, the one who fights the hardest to protect our lands. His choice was made wisely, even if his internal motives are strictly personal."
"You are also very rational. All of you." She sighed, supporting Morax's face in her hands, pouting at him. "I just don't want you to get hurt. None of you. And especially him who's been hurt so many years..."
Her husband's face was complacent as he stared into her eyes — and Guizhong just wanted to cry again. She didn't think it was fair what Xiao was doing to himself: loving someone for so many years, never having the courage to speak it openly, and yet sacrificing himself in this way.
It was almost self-destructive. The Goddess of Dust could not conceive of such an attitude. However, it was out of her hands to change it, especially now that things were agreed.
She could only wish for the best, as she had done for all those years when she carried the secret of the yaksha with her.
Weeks after that meeting, Morax and Guizhong set off on their scheduled journey — and Liyue's committee, apart from taking on all the responsibilities of the kingdom, focused on preparations for the wedding.
It would not occur immediately — the bride and groom, however, should already be introduced. Xiao was not aware of many details, as he was busy with military matters, but it was known that his future fiancé would spend some time living in Liyue. According to the representatives of the Mondstadt committee themselves, they preferred it to happen that way, since Liyue's traditions were vast and it was necessary for them to understand the customs before the wedding.
How their settlement would be arranged after the marriage was another question rattling around Xiao's head, but from Cloud Retainer's position for the situation, it was very likely that they would live primarily in Guili's palace — and from time to time, Xiao was expected to visit Mondstadt with his fiancé to sort out political business, probably staying for extended periods in the neighboring land.
Deep down, for the yaksha, dealing with all these issues was exhausting. Apart from all the bureaucracy involved, there was the thought of who the person promised to him would be. However much his earlier words showed determination, at the present moment, he felt insecure.
Perhaps Guizhong and Morax's absence in Liyue's land caused this. Xiao did not deny that he was dependent on both of them, especially when personal issues like those plagued him. However, he knew, his marriage could not sustain itself in the opinion of both of them.
Those months of their absence would be the training Xiao needed to know how to deal with his fiancé and the matrimony. He hoped that things would happen in a serene manner and that there would be no exaltations on either side.
"You seem more stressed than usual." Ganyu's voice beside him made Xiao startle, widening his eyes as she stared at her friend and fellow committee member. "I... I understand that you must be anxious because of the whole situation. If you need to talk, I can at least offer myself as a listener."
The yaksha took a slow deep breath, looking away from Ganyu, flipping through the book in his hands as a way to blur her out, his face slightly flushed.
"No need to worry" he muttered embarrassedly.
"You know, Xiao..." She continued, shifting her gaze to the bookshelf in front of her, reaching for a book as well. "You've made a huge sacrifice for me. And as much as I know it was a thoughtful decision, I can't help but feel... indebted to you."
Xiao squinted at her, noticing how her friend pulled out a book and started flipping through the pages with disinterest. She was probably doing this to make him more comfortable.
Undeniably, it was working.
"I am also aware that something like this there is no valid form of retribution." She sighed, lowering her shoulders, as if searching for the best words to define what she was thinking. "At least... allow me to help you as I can. It won't be an easy situation, but that doesn't mean you need to go through it alone." Ganyu stared at Xiao tenderly, her lips moulding into a welcoming smile. "After all, I have some experience in relationships. I can advise you on your doubts about it."
"Ah..." Again, the yaksha lowered his gaze to the book in his hands, feeling as if a stone settled in the mouth of his stomach.
Being reminded by his love that she had experiences with other people was uncomfortable, to say the least. However, there was nothing he could do about it, since he decided to keep it a secret from her.
He couldn't love her any less either.
"I thank you, Ganyu, but at the moment I feel I must reject your proposal" Xiao concluded finally, no longer raising his gaze from the book. He listened as his friend sighed, the book being closed with a bit of brutality and being returned to the bookshelf.
"I just hope you'll be okay, that's all." Those were Ganyu's last words before her footsteps filled the room they were in, moving away from the yaksha. When the silence became present, Xiao allowed himself a heavy sigh, squeezing the book tighter between his fingers.
Some things were beyond repair, no matter how hard he tried. Xiao had been suffering the consequences of his choices for years — and would probably suffer them his whole life.
It would do no good now to confess his feelings for her. Not only would it not change her mind about the whole situation, but it would put him in a horrible position. He would rather carry this burden with him. What was one more in the midst of so many?
"You're making a horrendous expression." Xiao was startled when the delicate voice sounded beside him, a little coarse. "I can't imagine what could be going through your head to cause such discomfort, Conqueror of Demons."
"Cloud Retainer!" Xiao grunted, closing the book abruptly and looking at her with a disgusted expression. "You have frightened me. Kindly notify me when you appear." She raised her eyebrows, debauched. "Did something happen?"
"I just came to inform you that your future fiancé is already in the palace." The yaksha widened his eyes, letting his jaw slowly drop as he stared into the Cloud Retainer's eyes. "Your date is set for tonight. Perhaps it would be propitious for you not to put such a... questionable expression on your face when they go to introduce themselves." She cautioned, crossing her arms in front of her body. "I must also remind you that it is good custom to wear formal clothes. I hope yours are still in good condition."
"Ahém." Xiao huffed, trying to straighten his thoughts at Cloud Retainer's boldness. "I must remind you that those robes are kept for occasions like this." He stared at her with a look as debauched as hers, suspicious. "May I know the reason for such resentment towards my person?"
"No hard feelings, Conqueror of Demons." It was Cloud Retainer's turn to sigh, relaxing her body position. "But know that, despite my suggestion for the whole situation, I still care about the welfare of those involved. Or rather... your well-being." Facing him again, Cloud Retainer had a more serene look on her face. "Please take heed, not only for personal sake, but for the sake of Liyue itself.”
"I will heed, Cloud Retainer." The yaksha declared at last, putting the book away on the shelf. "I... will prepare for the encounter. And I will do my best to make it as subtle as possible. Thank you for your concern."
The smile on Cloud Retainer's face was tender, a little strange. Xiao didn't understand her line of reasoning. It was even contradictory to propose that whole situation and yet be concerned about his involvement. Perhaps it was more for political than personal reasons — deep down, the Conqueror of Demons was never going to be sure of her fellow adeptus’ intentions.
He didn't procrastinate any longer to leave. He had other things to do before he could meet his future fiancé — and he certainly had a lot to think about before he could finally meet the person he would spend years of his life with.
The day passed quicker than he would have liked — and, undeniably, Xiao was nervous.
It was a different situation from everything he had experienced up to that moment and this made him insecure. He imagined how he could behave, what expressions he should make, what vocabulary he would use...
Imagining how his fiancé would act in the face of all this added to his insecurity as well. He needed to make a good impression on Liyue. It was of paramount importance. And unlike military encounters, where he restricted himself to strategies and nothing else, this situation would be... complex.
He sighed, sinking his head into the tub, wetting his hair and hoping that staying submerged for a few moments would put his thoughts in place.
Obviously, it didn't work.
He pulled hard on the air to fill his lungs as he returned to the surface, rubbing his eyes and trying to focus again. He listened to the sound the drops of water from his hair made as they met the still water in the tub, staring at the wood it was made of, absorbed in his thoughts, doubts and anguish.
"I... can't take any longer" he pondered, taking another deep breath and rising from the water.
Feeling the texture of the drops on his body, the fluff of the towel as he dried himself, were excellent distractions for his tired mind, a way to keep his feelings in place. He used this technique when he was too agitated by battles — and here, it helped him too.
When he finished, he used all his concentration to put on his hanfu. It was a mix of black and white in the blouse part, the skirt completely black, as well as the belt. Putting it on properly took some time, and when younger, Xiao needed assistance when it came to putting it on.
However, the years taught him how to put on his clothes without help — not least because on several occasions everyone else was busy getting ready and he had to do it alone. His clothes were also not as complex as his lords', so he did not have someone constantly at his disposal to assist him. This benefit was exclusive to Morax and Guizhong.
When he was ready, he left the bathroom, noticing a shadow outside his bedroom door. He was not surprised to notice that it was one of the palace maids waiting for him.
"Good evening, Conqueror of Demons. I'm here to escort you to the meeting room." The girl clarified and Xiao only nodded positively at her. "Thank you for your understanding. Please follow me."
The walk was silent most of the time — the maid would not question him and Xiao had never been one for small talk. He felt strangely calm. Perhaps the fact that he had no charges from his guide was part of that calmness.
They stopped in front of one of the doors that Xiao knew well: it was one of the meeting rooms of Guili's palace. The maid turned to him and, serious, explained:
"Cloud Retainer will be responsible for introducing you. However, at the present time, she is busy." Xiao nodded to the girl, showing that he was aware. "For that reason, I kindly ask you to wait so that we can keep up good appearances."
"Understood. Thanks for the information" he agreed verbally, receiving a smile from the waitress.
"Good luck, sir adeptus. Liyue's future is in your hands." She wished and finally opened the door for Xiao to enter.
He walked into the room and was not surprised to find a screen dividing the room. It was adorned with herons and mountains, a replica of one of Liyue's landscapes. Xiao felt a sense of comfort looking at that design. It was his affirmation that he was doing this not only for Ganyu, but for Liyue itself as well.
Perhaps if he faced it as he faced his battles, it would be a more tolerable situation.
He heard the door being slammed shut and Xiao sat down, looking away from the screen to the wall in front of him, waiting. He didn't know how long he would wait, but he would stay as long as he needed to. He could use the moment to meditate, probably.
A few moments passed in silence, until a noise made itself present and that made the yaksha curious. He glanced over, noticing how the figure on the other side of the screen was moving.
And suddenly, a pair of green eyes made themselves present, appearing curiously at the end of the screen.
Xiao blinked, attentive, surprised. He noticed how the eyes blinked, curious, and the next instant they disappeared behind the screen again. He heard giggles from the other side and narrowed his view, suspicious.
"He's handsome~" he heard the murmur from the other side and felt his ears heat up. He panted loudly, hoping the person on the other side would realize he could be heard. "Oh, oops~"
Before he could regain his composure, Xiao noticed the green eyes again, the person's face appearing a little more at the end of the screen. Its glow was intense, causing the colour to become more present and vivid — which made Xiao even more curious, even though he knew he shouldn't peek through the screen.
"Hi~" the person's voice was melodic, excited. "I guess you're my fiancé, huh? Why don't we introduce ourselves?"
"Hmm..." Xiao looked away, pouting. "These are rules of etiquette. The one who is to introduce us is a mediator. So–" Before he could conclude, Xiao noticed how the stirring figure on the other side of the screen, coming towards him. "No, wai-!"
The words lingered in his mouth as his fiancé had simply walked over to his side and now stood in front of him, a gentle smile on his lips and a warm gleam in his eye. Xiao blinked, bewildered and clueless.
His fiancé wore a white hanfu without much detail. It had probably been borrowed for him at that moment, as he knew he was not a Liyue native. However, the clothes suited him perfectly and seemed to enhance his delicate features.
"Pleasure, my name is Venti." He said, raising his hand towards Xiao. His response was a baffled look at the gesture. "Ah! True, you guys don't greet that way here. Pardon me!" And, correcting himself, Venti bowed to Xiao.
"Hm... I..." The yaksha huffed, awkwardly. "My name is Xiao. Nice to meet you." He bowed slightly as well, not knowing how to behave. It was a strange feeling.
"Ehe~ I hope we can get along well, Xiao. Please take care of me~" Venti smiled, and in that instant, Xiao felt even more bewildered than he already was.
"Hmm... yes. Please take care of me too" he mumbled, not being able to project his voice, feeling a lurch in his stomach.
His fiancé was a spontaneous person to say the least. And in a way, Xiao was apprehensive. He couldn't imagine that he would be paired with someone like him.
He couldn't imagine that he would have a man as a fiancé too, but that was the least of his worries at that moment.
The main one was... how would he deal with a person like that? He seemed so open to the proposal, so excited to meet him. While Xiao was only following orders...
"Nee~" Venti hummed, leaning towards Xiao, bringing their faces closer together. He noticed how the yaksha was reddened by the gesture and Venti smiled broadly, amused. "Would you like to show me around the palace? I've been here for many hours. It's getting tedious looking at the same room."
"We–!" Xiao choked again to speak, noticing how Venti was already rising towards the door. "We must wait until Cloud Retainer appears, for it is she who must–!"
"Why, come on! Just a little bit~" Venti's green eyes were excited, hopeful. Xiao caught himself sighing in withdrawal. "We'll be back before that Retainer girl shows up, what do you think?"
"You have no way of knowing if she will linger. Even I don't know." The yaksha retorted, risking a counter-argument to keep his fiancé there. "It will be very rude if she turns up and no one is here."
"It was already very disrespectful to keep me waiting for so long." Venti commented casually, which made Xiao mute. He had an excellent point. "And something tells me she'll be a while. Let's go!"
At the same instant, Venti opened the bedroom door, sighing in relief as he felt the early evening breeze touch his hair. Xiao, unable to leave him alone, stood up to accompany him. He noticed how Venti went off at random, looking all around, already getting lost in the corridors ahead.
"You don't have to–!" He went to argue, but the instant he reached his fiancé, Xiao noticed how he turned around and tried to take his hand.
At the same moment, the yaksha reacted and pulled it away. When he turned his eyes to Venti, he realized how surprised he was by his attitude. Xiao bit his lip, uncertain about how things would go from there.
But what he received from Venti was an affable, understanding smile, accompanied by a sweet and warm look.
"Maybe it's a little early for you." Venti commented, a little offhandedly. "Could you show me around? We'll be right back in the room. I need some air."
"... All right." Xiao agreed, his head lowered, a strange feeling in his throat. It was certainly insecurity. And a bit of shame for rejecting the one he was going to marry on their very first contact.
He walked over so that he was side by side with Venti — and in that instant, as they began to circle the halls of Guili's palace, Xiao realized that Venti had not been offended by the gesture. Quite the contrary: he seemed very relaxed not only about it, but about the whole situation.
On his lips dwelt several questions, all related to the stories of the palace. Xiao answered them as they arose and as he himself knew them. He was not exactly a man of great tales like his lord, but he had learned much from him — and he would be able to pass on those stories, albeit without exquisiteness in his words.
To Venti, it didn't seem to make the slightest difference. He was enjoying Xiao's company, getting to know a little more of the place that would now be his new home. And when they least expected it, they were back in the room where they had met.
To Xiao's surprise, Cloud Retainer had not yet appeared. Which indicated two things: either she had engaged in a complex meeting or their outing had been too short. It could be both simultaneously. In any case, as he had promised, Venti went back inside the room, settling himself on the other side of the screen.
"Now we pretend we never saw each other~" He winked at Xiao, mischievously, as the yaksha closed the door. "Simple, huh?"
"It would be simpler to follow the rules."
"Bo–ring!" Venti flashed his tongue at Xiao and the yaksha's eyes widened, surprised by the attitude. "All that's left is to deny that you didn't enjoy the ride as well."
"No. The walk was fun." Promptly Xiao corrected him, noticing the affable smile on his fiancé's lips again. "For now... let's keep up appearances. Until Cloud Retainer arrives, at least."
"Ehe~" His fiancé's laugh was sweet and Xiao didn't know how to understand and deal with that response.
They waited sitting down again, one on each side of the screen, silent. He imagined they would be like that for a long time yet, but Cloud Retainer soon appeared, a little dashing — probably because she had been so far behind the scheduled time for their introduction, and to Liyue, that was considered an immense offence.
"I need to start by apologizing for my rude tardiness." She promptly justified herself. "There were disagreements during an important meeting with the merchants of a small town and it ended up extending beyond my control."
Xiao heard how, on the other side of the screen, Venti laughed softly, as if Cloud Retainer's explanation wasn't really necessary for him. Xiao only agreed with a nod to let her know that he understood the situation.
"I don't intend to linger with our meeting." She sat facing them, a little apart and right in the middle of the screen, being able to observe both Xiao and Venti. "Kindly..." She motioned for Venti to approach first, and he calmly stood up and walked over to her, sitting down in front of her. "Now you, Conqueror of Demons, please."
Xiao felt how Venti's eyes discreetly drifted towards his figure, curious about his title. He didn't sketch any reaction, only stood up and walked until he was beside him, sitting down facing Cloud Retainer.
"First of all, I thank you for your presence and also willingness, Venti, in agreeing to become fiancé and Mondstadt's representative in our agreement." She began, her voice a little weak from the hustle and bustle from earlier. "And I thank Xiao, the Conqueror of Demons, for representing Liyue in our part."
She held out her hands, signaling so that they could both look at each other. This exchange, however, had been done before in a very different way and did not have the same impact.
At least, that was what Xiao imagined, but for some reason, looking deep into Venti's green eyes was always impactful. He seemed to carry so much in his irises that the yaksha couldn't help but get lost in them. It was as if Venti himself was a mystery.
And somehow, Xiao felt that he wanted to be unraveled.
"Officially, I present to you. I hope you can have a prosperous union and that our nations can prosper together with it."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Conqueror of Demons." Venti bowed, respectful, the kind smile again on his lips. "Please take care of me. And may we grow in prosperity, as Cloud Retainer said."
"My pleasure, Venti." Xiao repeated the gesture, automatic. "I ask that you also take care of me and that we may prosper. I count on your cooperation to do so."
To Xiao's ears, his words sounded automatic and lifeless. The feeling did not go unnoticed by Venti — he could identify it in the glint in his eye. But if there was any real suspicion on his part, he commented nothing, perhaps out of respect, perhaps for the moment.
"Well..." Cloud Retainer stood up, sighing loudly and smoothing her hair. "Those are our formalities for now. The palace maids will show you to your quarters, Venti." She clarified, pointedly. "As for the union, it will definitely occur upon our lord's return, but that will take a month or a little longer, as he is currently on a journey." She watched as they both stood up, staring intently at Xiao. "I hope you can get along during that time."
She gestured to the yaksha, asking him to wait a moment. Xiao raised his eyebrows, finding the fellow adeptus’ attitude strange.
"Conqueror, I need to alert you that we have a meeting tomorrow that requires your presence. Please be available first thing in the morning."
"Right. Thanks for the warning." Xiao noticed how Cloud Retainer relaxed her shoulders and, asking permission, withdrew from the room they were in. He took the moment to sigh, a weight coming off his back, even though they were not light.
Many things were still rattling around in his mind. However, the space to reflect on them was not there — not when his fiancé nudged his shoulder, making him look over that one.
"You mean that tomorrow, you won't have time for me?" Venti asked, sincere, which made Xiao surprised. "What kind of face is that? We're engaged, I think it's normal to spend time together."
"I..." The yaksha muted, shifting his gaze to the ground, not knowing how to put into words what he was thinking and feeling.
They were engaged by chance. By other people's decisions, not by personal choice. Xiao didn't want to demand time in Venti's presence — as much as the other made him curious about his attitudes, there was still something that didn't fit and the yaksha couldn't say exactly what it was.
His silence should be answer enough for the other and that was worrying. For that reason, Xiao huffed, trying to regain his composure and not leave his fiancé without a proper response.
"I... I don't know if I'll have time because of the meeting and..."
"No need to pretend." Venti was sharp, and in the same instant Xiao stared at him, startled. "You're terrible at pretending. I don't know if they told you that." He watched as the yaksha opened his mouth, searching for words, trying to defend himself, but he was so dumbfounded that nothing came to mind. "It's okay, I understand what this situation must be like for you."
Venti, without lowering his head or looking really offended, walked until he left the room, again enjoying the cool breeze that touched his hair.
"Should you find some time, I'd like to have a bit of company. After all, you are my only contact in Liyue at the moment." He smiled at Xiao. It wasn't as radiant as the smiles from before. This one was more behaved, as if it was a sincere request, reinforcing his words. "Then please think about the idea fondly, yes?"
Before the yaksha could answer him, Venti withdrew — and Xiao could tell that he had headed in the direction of one of the palace servants, probably looking for his room. The Conqueror of Demons sighed, feeling defeated after those words.
In the end, his supposed performance was pathetic. Perhaps that was what everyone around him wanted to warn about and he, foolishly, didn't touch that he was making his discomfort apparent.
More than ever, the words from before seemed automatic and meaningless. He felt lost — much more so than he had been before. Now, knowing who his fiancé was and how he had truly reacted, Xiao felt incapable. Perhaps it had been a mistake to accept that proposal.
He was no longer sure if they would be able to prosper. He didn't even know if he would be mature enough to deal with possible conflict, even if their marriage was a sham — he was barely coping with that small initial disagreement, let alone something big that involved the good of both nations?
"Rex Lapis... I am lost" he pleaded. "Please give me wisdom to follow my path."
His lord was away, busy with other demands. He could not help him, not for the moment. Nor could his mistress, who was accompanying him. For at least a month, Xiao was alone, bewildered.
He would need to deal from his own wrong decisions and did not feel fit to do so.
At that moment, however, he had no option but to retire to his quarters and rest. Tomorrow would be another day — other tasks, other challenges. Perhaps, with a cooler head, he could reflect better on his attitudes and his words — and on Venti, too.
The meeting, which Xiao imagined would take up much of his morning and perhaps even his entire day, lasted only a few hours. In the end, the matter to be resolved was not very complex and, in his presence, tempers seemed to have subsided.
Which left him with plenty of time to perhaps keep Venti company. The thought didn't leave him, even during the meeting. Possibly it was the expression and tone of voice he had used when he had made the request the day before.
You are my only contact in Liyue.
The words seemed to haunt Xiao — it was terrifying to imagine that he was alone in a land where he knew no one. He himself could not imagine being in a similar situation.
Maybe he was being too selfish, imagining that he was the only one who was suffering because of that whole idea of arranged marriage.
It was these thoughts that made him stop one of the servant girls, ask which of the rooms Venti would be staying in, and at that moment he was standing in front of the door of his fiancé's room, waiting for him to appear — without even knowing if he was still there.
He could... knock lightly on the door, announce his presence, but Xiao still felt insecure and awkward about such attitudes. He had no connection with the other beyond the contract that had been signed by their nations. Acting this way, besides being out of character, was... forced.
He didn't know what he expected from that relationship of the two of them, after all. Did he want his actions not to be automatic? Or maybe that way would be better for both sides?
"You seem to be in a very intense conflict." Venti's voice surprised him, pulling him out of his thoughts. He noticed how the other laughed, amused, probably at his startled expression. "What's going on in your little head, eh?"
"... A lot of things." He resumed his comment, noticing how Venti's expression turned serious in the same instant. There was nothing he could do about it, though. He did not intend to open his heart to the other in that way.
"You accepted my invitation in the end?" Venti tried to pick up the subject so that the silence between the two wouldn't be awkward. Xiao took a deep breath, his sigh being hearty, which left Venti alarmed. "Something wrong?"
"I... am sorry for my posturing yesterday with you." The yaksha began, pondering how he would phrase his sentences. "I imagined the meeting would really take up my entire day, however, it didn't last more than a few hours. Perhaps my presence as Liyue's army captain influenced it, I'm not sure. For that reason, I decided that I could accompany you for the day today."
"Oh~" Venti hummed, his expression mischievous, a playful smile on his lips. "My fiancé is a captain in the army? Very interesting~"
"I ... imagined that this had been told to you?" Xiao raised both eyebrows, suspicious. Venti crossed his arms, defensive.
"No. They didn't even announce your name, only that I would be introduced to my fiancé and live in Liyue." Venti replied simply, once again making Xiao's eyes widen in surprise. "You seem even more worried than before. Maybe we should change the subject, eh?"
"Ahém." Xiao huffed, running his hand behind his neck, nervously. "Where... would you like to go? To see other places in the palace?"
"I would love to. If you can tell me any more stories along the way, I'd be very happy to listen."
The yaksha sighed. He was not an excellent storyteller. In fact, he thought he was terrible at it. His great inspirations were his masters, Morax and Guizhong, and just remembering the way they told stories made Xiao feel ashamed of the way he tried to replicate them.
They slowly started walking through the corridors of the palace. Xiao had noticed that today, Venti was wearing a different hanfu. It was more everyday, still made of fine silk, the white being enhanced by subtle little green carvings. And, the yaskha had to admit, those clothes suited him — he would dare say they enhanced his features that were naturally attractive very well.
He was a beautiful person, Xiao could not deny it.
Beautiful and mysterious.
"Your outfit today is quite different from yesterday." Venti commented at one point, causing them to pause. "It's not a hanfu. I figured you'd be in the same clothes or one similar to mine."
"I only wear formal clothes in situations where they call for it" Xiao replied succinctly. "These ones I'm in now are better for battle, in case I need to get into one."
"It is... Because of that other title? The conqueror of demons?" Venti questioned, reluctantly. Xiao glared at him, then looked away, crossing his arms, defensive. "No need to explain it to me in detail."
"Yes, it's on account of that." He summed up and his fiancé felt satisfied with that.
They continued walking, an awkward silence between them at that moment. Xiao understood that Venti seemed to be naturally curious, but his direct questions left him bewildered. Perhaps it was something he should get used to — or, if he couldn't, perhaps it would be prudent to be more incisive and ask him not to act this way.
His thoughts were cut short with the sound of the arrow striking a target. At that instant, Xiao stopped — they were at the intersection of two corridors, and further ahead, he knew, was Ganyu's training ground. His instincts immediately made him turn his face and look for it.
"Do you want to see what's going on?" Venti asked, noticing Xiao's attitude. He realized, however, that his fiancé had been put off by his comment. "Xiao?"
"Ahn, no need, we can–!" The yaksha tried to deflect, but Venti was now curious about what had caught his attention.
"Let's see! I was curious about the sound too~!" He hummed, excitedly, which made Xiao desperate for no apparent reason.
Before he could come up with another excuse why they shouldn't go to the training area, Venti took off running towards the sound of the bow and Xiao, surrendered, could only follow behind him. It didn't take them long to find Ganyu as she prepared another arrow.
Xiao carefully noticed how she positioned her arms, how her back stood perfectly erect, how she delicately pulled the bowstring, her face serious as she concentrated. And finally, she let her fingers release the string, the loud sound of the arrow being shot and hitting the target filling his ears once more.
The yaksha sighed loudly, lost in thoughts, memories. How many times had he not stopped to watch Ganyu shoot with his bow? There were so many he couldn't even count. She had a very pretty pose and her serious gaze knocked the air out of Xiao.
A pity that, during fights, he couldn't observe that — for obvious reasons. It remained only to watch her while she trained, sometimes only to keep her company, sometimes hidden, far away...
"Hmmm~" Venti beside him hummed again, catching Xiao's attention. "You mean the conqueror of demons has a crush, that’s it~?" He teased, playfully, noticing in the same instant how the yaksha was turning red like a Jueyun chili. "Oho~! I hit the nail on the head!"
"How–?!" Xiao felt the air missing, this time because of shame and panic. "You got it wrong, I just– I–!"
"I told you yesterday, you can stop pretending. You're terrible at pretending." Venti sighed in disbelief. "And, calm down, that doesn't bother me one bit. Does she know about your crush?" His question was sincere, concerned.
At that moment, Xiao lowered his face, still red, crossing his arms and starting to fiddle with the one sleeve of his blouse, searching for the best way to explain the situation to Venti — after all, he had already figured it out even, there was no point in getting into half words.
"No. I decided I wouldn't tell her." He opted for the direct way, as always. However, he elaborated, "At first, I... I didn't know how I would tell her. I waited, wondering, waiting for the perfect opportunity. The years went by, and eventually she found someone she was in love with. And..."
"Ah, Xiao..." Venti's voice contained a sorrow that seemed alien to the yaksha. Could Venti pity him so easily? "I am sorry. You shouldn't have waited so long."
"One of the mistakes I need to live with." He shrugged, pretending it wasn't important. "At least she's happy. And that makes me happy and satisfied."
"You accepted the marriage proposal because... you wanted to get rid of that feeling?" His fiancé asked, seeming to want to better understand what had brought him to that situation. Again, the yaksha could not take his eyes off the ground, nor could he stop fiddling with his sleeve.
"No. The one who would initially be Liyue's fiancé would be her, Ganyu" he explained. "I couldn't... I couldn't accept that she, with her life all done, on track, would have to give it all up because of an idea that hadn't even been discussed before. So, I offered to stay in her place. That's... the story of why I accepted that proposal.” Finally, he had built up the courage to look at his fiancé, hoping to meet a look of pity, as most of his fellow adepti did for him.
Yet what he found in Venti's gaze was affection, understanding, complacency. Xiao's eyes widened, feeling his air being drawn from his lungs, getting lost deep in his fiancé's green irises.
"Kind." He heard Venti's voice, almost a whisper before the sound of Ganyu's bow. "You are very kind, Xiao."
The yaksha opened and closed his mouth, searching for words to answer Venti, yet none seemed to cross his mind. He never imagined he would hear that from anyone other than his lords. Perhaps, at most, from Ganyu — once or twice.
"I..." He bowed his head again, yet a small smile sketched itself on his lips. "Thank you."
"You don't need to thank a quality that is your own." Venti commented simply, returning to watching Ganyu as she shot with her bow. "Hmm... if I learned to shoot with the bow, would you fall in love with me too~?" Venti joked, commenting in a laughing tone.
Xiao, however, didn't seem to understand his fiancé's intentions, and in the same instant he turned red like a Jueyun chili again. Everything only got worse when Venti noticed his blush and laughed even louder, outrageously. Xiao gestured for him to tone it down, hoping Ganyu wouldn't notice they were there.
However, Venti seemed to have other ideas.
"I'll be right back~" He announced and before Xiao could stop him, he started walking towards his friend in the training ground.
"Oe, Venti! Venti!" Xiao still tried, but it was in vain. He decided to stay a little further away, not wanting to get involved in whatever had gone through his fiancé's head.
Their first meeting had already proved to Xiao that Venti would do what he wanted, no matter how much he pleaded that it shouldn't happen that way. He was impulsive and inconsequential. That was what the yaksha could conclude.
He watched as Venti greeted Ganyu respectfully, asking about the bow — he couldn't hear them clearly, only deduce by their gestures and body language. He noticed how his friend and fellow adeptus was showing him the bow, seeming to explain about the piece — typical of her.
The conversation went on and on and Xiao realized that Ganyu had started trying to teach Venti how to shoot the bow. He felt his muscles tugging, a tension forming in each of them. He didn't know what to expect from all this and, unfortunately, he could only watch.
He noticed how Venti seemed to make fun of the bow, holding it wrong, turning it horizontally to aim. Ganyu, awkwardly, tried to explain that that was not how a bow worked, showing him how he should position himself, how he would position the arrow, how he should aim. It wasn't exactly an example of a lesson, but Xiao could see how his friend was trying.
And how Venti still didn't seem to understand anything she was talking about.
"By Rex Lapis..." Xiao sighed, feeling ashamed for his fiancé. What was he thinking to do something like that? One couldn't learn to shoot a bow easily.
He felt someone approaching and, looking over his shoulder, Xiao noticed that the Moon Craver was coming towards him. He stopped beside him, also watching Ganyu and Venti, curious.
"Seeing Ganyu willing to teach someone is a rare thing, I'd say." Moon Craver commented, stroking his small beard, then taking his hand to remove something that had caught on one of his antlers. "I don't know that young man. Who would that be?"
"Ahn..." Xiao choked, not knowing how to introduce him. It was an odd mixture of embarrassment at the situation and strangeness at having to refer to him as his fiancé. "That's..."
"That's Xiao's fiancé, who was chosen to represent Mondstadt." It was the voice of Cloud Retainer, dry as ever. Xiao's puff made clear his displeasure with her meddling like that. "Curious, I didn't know he had an interest in the arts of archery. Was it you who convinced him, Conqueror?" Cloud Retainer's doubt was genuine.
Xiao, again, did not know how he should phrase what prompted Venti to approach Ganyu to learn how to shoot a bow.
"Let's just say he has... his reasons, I suppose." That was all it came down to explaining. He noticed as Cloud Retainer crossed her arms, smoothing her wings over her back, stopping at his other side.
"Really curious. All the more so for having Ganyu as a teacher." She punctuated, smiling small. "But it will be fun and a challenge for her. I'm proud she's up for it."
I feel sorry for her, Xiao thought, but he didn't want to voice it. The ridiculous scene in front of him was already enough. Not only that, but the more ridiculous everything got, the more people were joining in.
Most were passing servants, soldiers, even other yakshas and adepti like Mountain Shaper had stopped to watch. It was definitely an audience to watch as his fiancé clumsily held a bow and tried to shoot an arrow, while Ganyu desperately explained as best she could to get him to succeed.
When Venti finally managed to shoot an arrow, he missed the target by meters, causing Moon Craver to swallow a laugh beside Xiao and Cloud Retainer to sigh, disappointed.
The yaksha merely shoved his face into one of his hand, embarrassed. To be good, everyone needed to start bad, but this was too much. There was a time for everything — and besides, Xiao knew that deep down, Venti wanted to show off for him.
"Oh." Xiao heard Venti's voice, surprised. "Looks like we have an audience watching us~" He hummed, unassuming, and Xiao could hear Ganyu's sigh, bewildered.
In that instant, the yaksha noticed how Venti's gaze came directly at him — and, obviously, he realized how embarrassed Xiao was by the whole situation. Not that he had much control over people stopping there or even Venti's decisions, but he wished he had spared him so many stares so early on.
The smile that appeared on Venti's face, however, made Xiao's eyes widen, suspicious.
"I... I think we can stop playing around, can't we?" Xiao heard his fiancé's speech and found it strange.
At that instant, Venti clasped the bow that Ganyu had lent him in his hands, taking one of the arrows from the quiver that she had left leaning near them. Then, gently, he set it on the string, beginning to adjust his pose.
He first parted his legs, lined up his torso, raising his bow a little and slowly lowering it afterwards, pulling the string in the process of descending. Xiao noticed how serious, focused his green eyes were — a very different face from what he had seen up to that moment.
He noticed the sound of the rope tensing as Venti kept it tugged, waiting. The silence that was all around was broken only by the sweet breeze that passed that morning. And Venti waited, patiently, still tensing the rope.
And suddenly, he released it, a loud sound from when the arrow was released filling the entire air around it. Xiao noticed how the bow turned slightly in Venti's hands the instant the arrow propagated forward, and before he could process that, he heard how it hit the target that Ganyu had set, right in the center of it.
"Ah." That was all Xiao could utter, the air disappearing from his lungs.
Venti did not stop there. He took another three arrows and repeated the exact same gestures, calmly, to shoot each one — and they all hit the target in the center, millimeters apart from each other.
Xiao should admit that the pose he struck while carrying the bow was beautiful. It was as if he and the bow were one existence. Ganyu's pose was beautiful, but Venti's was much more so.
Everyone was silent, not knowing what to say. He did not seem to be the same person who until a moment ago did not even know how to hold a bow. But everything was broken when Ganyu, offended, shouted:
"You were ensnaring me until now! You knew how to shoot with a bow!" Her voice was whiny and she crossed her arms in front of her body, sulking.
"I’m sorry!" Venti dropped everything, putting his hands together and bowing to her. "I didn't mean to offend you! But I was finding it cute that you were willing to teach me and I didn't want to be rude..."
Xiao watched as his fiancé tried to apologize to Ganyu, but his friend remained irritated — quite rightly, Xiao supposed. Gradually, the audience broke up, returning to their business. His fellow adepti who stood beside him only sighed, briefly laughing at the scene between Venti and Ganyu at that moment before going their separate ways as well.
And only the three of them remained, until Venti handed the bow to Ganyu, thanking her for all the explanation and for allowing him to use her bow for that moment. Calmer now, she also thanked him for his patience and put her things away, leaving.
That's when Venti turned to Xiao, walking happily until he stops in front of him, showing the tip of his tongue as he mockingly commented:
"What did you think of my demonstration with the bow~?" Venti noticed how astonished Xiao was and changed his expression, becoming worried. "Xiao?"
"You... knew archery. Impressive." Was his comment, drawing a chuckle from Venti.
"I know many things. Maybe you'll be surprised~" He hummed, mysteriously, stirring Xiao. The yaksha raised his eyebrows. What more secrets could his fiancé keep?
It wasn't as if Xiao didn't have his own secrets too. But that demonstration had been impressive, he should admit.
In silence, they resolved to resume their walk. However, something was still rattling around Xiao's head, doubt poking his tongue insistently. He paused for a moment, realizing that Venti had followed him, and finally questioned:
"You... were you serious about winning me over?"
At that instant, Venti smiled gently, responding in a simplistic manner:
"No." The answer caught Xiao off guard, causing him to widen his eyes in surprise. "It's not like I'm in love with you or anything. However, I wouldn't want us to have a troubled relationship, after all, we'll be living together, won't we?"
"Hmmm..." The yaksha pondered, placing his hand on his chin, running his fingers over his lips.
He was right. There was no need for passion between them — however, it was essential that both cultivated a good relationship, after all, they were destined to live together, united by the political interests of their kingdoms.
Xiao noticed leering as Venti approached one of the huge pillars in the corridors, looking around contemplatively. The yaksha also stopped, trying to understand what motivated this attitude, but nothing seemed to pass his eyes or his mind. Then Venti's words made themselves present, dreamily:
"By any chance, do you have a garden?" The question was so unpretentious that the yaksha had to raise his eyebrows.
"We have several gardens. The one we were just in was one of them, even." His reply sounded a little harsh, but Venti only laughed, seeming to be amused by Xiao. "What?"
"No, you fool~" Venti hummed, staring at him at that moment, a complacent smile on his lips. "I say... a garden like a field, surrounded by flowers."
Oh. Oh. Now Xiao could understand what Venti wanted. However, there were no such gardens in Guili's palace — and, if he remembered accurately, not even in the surrounding area.
With the exception of one...
"There is a place that might be what you are looking for..." He announced, reluctantly. And, shrewdly, Venti noticed the hesitation in his fiancé's tone of voice.
"You... could you take me there?" he questioned anyway, even though this had only further increased the insecurity in the yaksha.
"I'm afraid that–" Xiao was going to counter argue, but the words didn't leave his lips. He spent a few moments staring at the ground, biting the inside of his cheek, before continuing: "No, I can take you there. Please follow me."
In that instant, it was Venti 's turn to be surprised. Xiao was very serious, as if his request was something beyond the limits — what they might be, Venti had no idea.
They followed in silence, Venti walking a little further behind Xiao, intently observing every little detail of the corridors they passed. Although, at first glance, they all looked the same, Venti could notice minutiae that set them apart, such as the chips on the pillars, the arrangement of the doors, even the various gardens that connected them.
He noticed the way they moved further and further away from the main places, reaching more secluded rooms of the palace, the silence more and more present, not even the servant girls could be heard from where they stood. They passed through a fork, and suddenly a long corridor appeared ahead.
And Venti could see the garden that Xiao had mentioned.
It really did look like a field, filled with blue flowers — practically a sea of them, stretching out that Venti could lose sight of. He suspected that the flowers ended up on the slope of the mountain where Guili's palace was built.
All of them were with their buds closed, but it was nevertheless a lush sight. He walked a few steps ahead of Xiao, his gaze fixed on each and every flower at the same time.
"It's a… wonderful garden." He commented tenderly.
"Thank you. It's my lady's garden." Xiao complemented, noticing how his fiancé was looking over his shoulder at him, questioningly.
"Your lady?"
"Yes. Guizhong, my lady, the goddess of Dust." Xiao explained, and at that moment he could see realization flash through Venti's eyes, something that had puzzled the yaksha.
However, all that left the boy's lips was a mere interjection.
"Ah." And in the same instant, he looked back at the field, a gentle, wistful smile adorning his lips.
Xiao noticed how delicately Venti began to remove the slippers and socks he was wearing, leaving them in a corner as he stepped barefoot into the garden, walking further into it. The yaksha thought about scolding him, but stopped himself before the words left his lips, choosing instead to observe what attitude his fiancé would take.
He watched as Venti walked slowly and delicately, taking extreme care where he stepped. He stopped when he was far down the corridor, practically surrounded by the flowers. And Xiao noticed the exact instant when Venti began to lower himself, first kneeling, then lying down among the flowers. That was when the yaksha decided to take a closer look at what he was doing.
He left his shoes by the aisle as well and walked barefoot among the flowers, feeling how his feet passed through the leaves of the stems, how the petals that were open rubbed against his heels. When he reached his fiancé, he found him perfectly poised among the mounds of closed bulbs, not disturbing any of the surrounding flowers.
He seemed to have blended perfectly between them, a serene and relaxed expression on his face as he stood there.
"What are you doing?" Xiao questioned, curious.
"I... I need to stay like this for a while, if I may." Venti's voice was morose, low.
The Conqueror of Demons said nothing, only sighed and decided to sit carefully among the flowers and close to his fiancé. He took his eyes off him for a moment, enjoying the flowers that surrounded him, their perfume in his nose, closing his eyes to feel how the breeze caressed his hair.
They remained for minutes in a welcoming silence, Xiao taking the opportunity to contemplate the sky and the sea of flowers in front of him. After a while, curious about the lack of commentary from his fiancé, he decided to spy on him.
What he found, however, left him surprised: Venti was deeply asleep among the flowers, snoring softly, so delicate that he could be mistaken for the sound of the breeze. Xiao blinked, taking the instant to observe his features more closely.
And Venti was beautiful. Xiao could not deny that at any time. The way his cheeks were rounded, how the little braids he wore marked them, softening the curve of his jaw. His rounded pointed nose, his large, marked eyelashes, his fleshy pink lips, his smooth white skin, looking as soft as the petals of flowers...
Suddenly, a strange sensation began to take hold of his fingers. It was like a tingling, a yearning to get something under his skin. It prickled the palm of his hand, of his fingers, under his fingernail.
The next thing he knew, the yaksha had his hand raised, threatening to bring it up to Venti's face. However, he restrained himself, resting his digits back in his lap, away from his fiancé.
"I don't understand..." he muttered, taking his eyes off Venti to return them to the flowers, resting his chin on the hand he had previously wanted to use to touch him. The feel of his skin there eased what was bothering him a little, however, the anxiety was still in his chest, seeming to make his stomach bubble.
They stayed for a long time in Guizhong's flower field. As the sun was beginning to set, Venti awoke, bewildered at first — however, on noticing Xiao watching him, he seemed to quieten down.
"I... overslept. I'm sorry." He apologized as he stood up, rubbing one of his eyes. "I thought it would just be a quick nap, but the scent of the flowers is very welcoming. And the breeze was very cool..."
"No problem." Xiao interjected, serene. "Would you like me to accompany you to your room?"
"Ah!" Venti blinked, stunned, pondering for a moment. "Hmm... please, if it's possible."
The yaksha shook his head in the affirmative and stood up, being accompanied by his fiancé. The walk back from the flower field was as silent as anything they had exchanged so far. For some reason, Venti seemed... embarrassed. Perhaps he felt guilty for sleeping in and leaving Xiao alone?
He sighed low, hoping not to be noticed by his fiancé. Xiao hadn't bothered to keep him company in silence. In fact, it was more comfortable that way. The Conqueror of Demons wasn't a person of many words after all — he expected his silence to be more than enough explanation in most cases.
Obviously, it wasn't.
When they were finally at the door to Venti's room, the yaksha noticed how reluctant he was, as if he needed to say something but didn't know how.
"Xiao, I..."
"Don't worry that you slept in. I didn't bother." He explained simply, hoping that would reassure the boy. The green eyes, however, still looked distressed.
"Hm." Was all that came out of Venti's lips. "Tomorrow... would you accompany me again? I want to see other parts of the palace still."
Xiao took a deep breath, pondering. There was no urgent business to be dealt with, yet the yaksha had his own routine — and undeniably, he was going to change it because of Venti's request. He didn't know how long he could keep doing that.
He needed to train, to meditate. These were two very important things that needed to be done frequently.
"All right. I'll walk you out again." Was his answer at last. Two days wouldn't hurt him that much.
Besides, Venti was still alone in Liyue, with Xiao being his only known figure. At least he should respect his fiancé's adaptation time, no matter how much they weren't going to be the closest of spouses.
"Thank you. I hope you have a good night, Xiao." Venti thanked him, the sweet smile again on his lips. The yaksha agreed, watching the boy enter his room and close the door.
Xiao hadn't realized how early it was until he was actually standing outside Venti's room — and he had taken a while to appear, startled to find his fiancé standing there, waiting for him.
The apologies that left the boy's lips were dashed, a desperation that to the yaksha seemed unnecessary — after all, he was the one who had miscalculated the time. Nothing fairer than to bear one's own decisions, even if they were to stay posted waiting for the other to wake up.
That day, they returned to their tour of other parts of Guili's palace — Xiao had made a point of introducing Venti to all the gardens there, explaining what each one was used for. He could see, deep in his fiancé's green irises, the tranquility of being in the presence of flowers and greenery.
But nothing compared to the vision he had seen of Venti in Guizhong's garden. That one Xiao would certainly keep in the back of his mind, for he didn't know he would see it again so soon — or even see it again at all.
Another important stop that day was the library, for Venti had shown interest in Liyue's literature and, thanks to the custom of his master and lord, the palace had an enviable collection of literature books. Some, even, were exclusive to them — especially those depicting the legends and mythology of the geo kingdom.
What was not the yaksha's surprise to find Ganyu lost among the many bookcases when they arrived there. His change of posture was remarkable to Venti — and at that point, being aware of the situation, the boy could only watch his fiancé with a certain pity.
However, Venti's plans were different: he needed to apologize properly to Ganyu for the previous day. It had not been his intention to mock the adeptus’ goodwill, but he could not simply tell her that he was experienced in archery when she so kindly began to explain things.
Venti noticed how Xiao was heading towards a bookshelf further away from her and didn't follow him — he went straight to Ganyu, stopping beside him quietly, feeling the yaksha's eyes on him the instant he noticed.
"Miss Ganyu, right?" Venti began, subtly, noticing how she lifted her face from the book to face him. "I... come to apologize once more." He bowed, respectful. "Yesterday, my intentions seemed bad. But I genuinely did not mean to offend you, and I did not feel that my apology was adequate to your offence at the moment."
"Oh." She surprised herself, laughing afterwards. "Don't worry, it was more the surprise of the moment. I wasn't expecting that. I believe no one was." She closed the book she was reading to give Venti her full attention. "However, I appreciate your concern and accept your formal apology."
"Ehe~" His laugh was loud and charming, even Ganyu had to admit it. "Thank you, I feel more peaceful that way."
In the distance, Xiao watched them both with his arms crossed. He realized that, after the apology, they began to converse in a mild manner — and the yaksha didn't know how to feel about that.
It wasn't jealousy, it wasn't disappointment, it wasn't joy. He just seemed indifferent to the situation — or maybe... he felt left out. As if he didn't belong in that circle and never would, even if he tried.
It was the sense of distance that permeated his relationship with Ganyu and his feelings.
His sigh was inaudible, but to his tired lungs, it was a treat. For many times, Xiao felt exhausted: from carrying this feeling, from carrying an absurd amount of karma, from decisions he regretted making throughout his life as an adepti.
"You seem engrossed." Venti's voice was almost at the foot of his ear. Xiao only needed to raise his face slightly to meet Venti's green eyes. He jumped backwards, startled. "Ahaha! Easy, Xiao, I wasn't that close~"
"You weren't talking to Ganyu until now?" He questioned, feeling his cheeks blush slightly. Yes, Venti was very close, he thought, along with another whirlwind of ideas and feelings that were in his mind. "I didn't even see you approach..."
"I can be sneaky as a cat if I want to~" Venti joked, laughing adorably. "She had to leave because of other business, but she invited me to afternoon tea with Cloud Retainer. Perhaps we can go together?"
"Ahm..." Venti noticed how Xiao looked away, dodging the question. "Maybe I can't–"
"I'd love it if you'd be honest and say you don't want to go. It would make me less disappointed." Venti stated, sharp, causing Xiao to twist his face, disgusted. "Changing the subject... what books would you like to recommend to me?"
"Ah! Yes, true. About that..."
Xiao pointed to a bookcase right next to them, starting to pull out some titles from there. He explained that they were about the local culture, about stories that humans told about Morax — Rex Lapis — and his deeds. And how those stories built what Liyue's culture is today. Venti looked very entertained, absorbing each of Xiao's words.
When they least expected it, they were sitting at one of the tables further into the corner, Venti busy on the small pile that Xiao had recommended, while the yaksha was distracted by other, less traditional literature. The silence between them was comfortable, though Venti's expression and comment a little earlier still probed the yaksha's mind.
"Yesterday, when you said you knew many things..." Xiao started suddenly, making Venti raise his eyes to him at the same time. "What would they be? I can't imagine what else you can do that's surprising, besides being an accomplished archer."
"Haha!" Another giggle, a little embarrassed. "Come on, give me a little credit, will you?" Venti used a bookmark for the page he was on and pulled the book over. "Let's see... I can play instruments..."
"Instruments? Which ones?" Xiao interrupted him, curious.
"Ehe~ Anyone you can imagine~" Venti showed his tongue to his fiancé, playfully. Xiao raised both eyebrows, suspicious.
"Even Liyue's traditional ones? I doubt it." The yaksha questioned, in disbelief. His response, however, was an even wider smile from Venti, mysterious.
"I can sing too~ Compose songs and poems... recite them, too." The boy went on to complement, oblivious to the yaksha's earlier comment. "I really like telling stories, I know a lot of them. And, ah! I can cook!" He confessed with an excitement that made Xiao wonder. "Nothing too complex, but it gets really tasty, I swear!"
"Hmmm..." The Conqueror of Demons muttered, pondering. "As long as it's nothing too sweet, I'll agree to try something made by you."
"Eh." Venti's voice sounded disappointed. "You seem so fond of sweets. Disappointing." He pouted and Xiao's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Pardon?!"
"Ehe~"
They continued their conversation, until it was time to return to their respective books. Later in the afternoon, Venti retired for tea with Cloud Retainer and Ganyu, and at the end of that, Xiao accompanied him back to his quarters in the early evening.
"I won't be able to accompany you tomorrow." The yaksha remarked as Venti was about to open the door to his room. "I... need to get back to my routine. I hope you understand."
"Is this something I can't be a part of?" Venti asked, his gaze saddened. Xiao widened his eyes, cleaning his throat, rubbing at the back of his neck. "... Xiao?"
"Not... exactly... I don't know if it will be of interest to you." Another time Xiao cleared his throat, crossing his arms in front of his body, closing his eyes as he pondered, "My routine consists primarily of training and meditation. It's not something interesting really, but they're things I can't help but do. And they end up taking up my whole day, a lot of the time. So..."
"Let me come with you!" Venti asked, his green eyes shining and Xiao was surprised. "I promise I'll be quiet if it's going to distract you. But I would like your company~"
"You..." The yaksha narrowed his gaze. Venti was insistent. Sometimes he was suspicious of all this supposed interest of his fiancé in him. "Well, that's fine. I can't forbid you, either. But wake up early, because I'll be out before sunrise."
"Eh?!" It was Venti's turn to be surprised, widening his eyes. "Why so soon? It's not like they're going to bother you anyway, I suspect..." He noticed how his fiancé frowned, annoyed, probably expecting a similar reaction. "Right... I'll be up before sunrise. You can stop by my room anytime you like."
Xiao sighed, defeated, turning around to head for his own quarters, but not before catching Venti's murmur, a little unsure:
"See you tomorrow, Xiao."
"See you tomorrow, Venti" he replied, feeling ashamed for not having said anything before he left. He didn't have time to regret it and turn around, as he heard the door to his fiancé's room close, only silence accompanying him back to his quarters.
If Xiao said he had a "good night's sleep" that day, it was a lie. He woke up several times during the early hours of the morning, getting up as tired as he had gone to bed — all probably due to anxiety. However, he needed to get back to training.
He thought this might be a result of the several days without training due to meetings and also the company he had kept for Venti. He wasn't blaming him, just attesting that this change of routine could have affected him physically.
As he had said, Xiao arrived at his fiancé's room before sunrise — and, surprisingly, Venti was waiting for him. However, to say that he was awake was perhaps asking too much. He was only present in body, his mind and spirit still in dreamland.
Xiao needed to hold back his laughter, for Venti's tiny eyes, almost closing again, were adorable. It was commendable that he had kept his word, even if it was hard.
He had to be careful when guiding him to one of the gardens he used to use for training: it was a bit further back, in the center of the palace. It was ideal, as there was plenty of room for him to move around. Not only that, but Xiao usually trained with his own spear, which could be dangerous in a cramped place. There, no one would take any risks.
Venti sat near the exit of the field, leaning back a little against a pillar. Xiao supposed he would end up dozing off right there and wouldn't blame him — perhaps it was better that way.
He diverted his attention from his fiancé to focus on his workout. Moving his muscles was always welcome for someone like him — the karma he carried tended to accumulate more the idler he became. At least, that's what Xiao imagined.
Feeling his muscles tensing with every move of his spear was a relaxing sensation for Xiao — he could name each of those popping, repulsing ones. His attention to these minute details was one of the reasons that training helped with his karma: it was to divert all that energy into something that would, effectively, be leaked.
However, that day, he could feel the muscles in his back tensing up more than usual. In the first moments, he couldn't explain why. But he only had to remember his fiancé to associate this strange tugging with his presence.
He was not wrong: he could feel Venti's gaze on him. He couldn't pinpoint when the boy began to notice his movements, but he was very aware now that he was being watched. Not only that, but Venti seemed to be thorough with his gaze — as much as Xiao was with each stroke of his spear.
The yaksha could feel how the sweat dripped down the tips of his hair, down his neck, disappearing into the fabric of his clothes — and each drop made his muscles tense even more. Being watched was strange, especially when the pair of eyes staring at him were so persistent. It was as if Venti was on his side, repeating his every move.
A similar feeling to the one Xiao had as he watched him with the bow. If it were to describe it more accurately, that was exactly what the yaksha was feeling: the tension, the breath caught in his throat, the anxiety for something to happen, like when Venti was carrying the bow. However, the target of the gaze now was him — and everything seemed to be much more intense, causing his breathing to mismatch and his movements to become more restricted.
He decided to dare, not by imitating a battle blow, but by performing a series of movements to unlock his muscles: he twirled the spear by one arm, passing it to the other, and stabbing it into the ground afterwards, pressing his fingers firmly on the handle to make sure how tense they were.
He did this all too quickly, and before he could process, he heard small applause in the distance, looking over his shoulder to find his fiancé smiling, surprised.
"You are extremely skilled with the spear. Not for less, I suppose." Venti commented, causing Xiao to raise his eyebrows, suspicious. "One day, I would love for you to teach me how to handle a spear."
"... Don't you know that too?" Xiao debauched, not measuring his words too much. At the same moment, Venti laughed, caught off guard by the comment. "I mean, you said you knew a lot of things, I don't believe you told me everything. I wouldn't be surprised if you knew how to use a spear either."
"I know, but I'm nowhere near your skill and agility with it." He confessed, smiling sweetly, the little braids swaying along with the movement of his face. "Let's just say an old friend taught me a few things about spears, but I've always been more interested in bows~"
"Friend, hm." Again, Xiao raised his eyebrows. Venti was a very mysterious person for his taste. He didn't even know why Mondstadt had chosen him as a fiancé. Even though he wasn't an ordinary person, he certainly didn't seem to be part of the kingdom's upper echelon. "Your friend must have various skills, then." Xiao tried to complement, plucking the spear from the ground and moving it between his fingers, still testing his muscles.
"He has many skills, yes~" Xiao stopped the spear by catching it in his palm, looking suspiciously at his fiancé. "What? I didn't mean to imply anything by it, you pervert!"
"I don't!" Xiao tried to explain himself, dropping the weapon on the floor, caught off guard by Venti's joke. And in the same instant, the other boy fell into laughter. "Ah, you... I don't... Urgh, never mind." He stooped to pick up his spear, looking away from his fiancé, resuming his training.
He spent about an hour in intense movements, his whole body sweating on account of them, feeling even more tense by Venti's gaze which, all the while, still remained on his person, following his every little move — from the tip of his toes, even the snapping of his muscles. Or that was the impression Xiao had.
When he stopped, he felt exhausted. He heard the applause from his fiancé again and turned towards him, noticing that he also gestured for Xiao to come closer. He was greeted by a warm smile and sweet words:
“Good job. How would you like to rest for a while? One of the servants brought me some tea in the meantime, I can share it with you.”
Xiao's breathing was still ragged from physical exertion and he was certainly in no condition to enjoy a cup of tea — it would even be a tremendous lack of etiquette on his part.
Although whoever invited him certainly didn't know about these etiquette, nor did he seem to care about them if he wasn't being asked about it..
And Xiao was thirsty.
"Come on, sit with me!" Venti patted his side lightly, making room for Xiao. "Don't stand on ceremony, it's just us anyway."
Giving up, Xiao joined his fiancé, feeling how his muscles ached from all the effort he had put in. It was a rewarding feeling, all in all. It had been a long time since a workout had exhausted him like that.
"I still need to meditate. If you want, you can do something else in the meantime." Xiao commented, after accepting the small glass Venti had offered him with tea.
"I have nothing interesting to do but keep up with you." Venti attested, taking from his own glass, watching the liquid within it. "I could stay in the library, in case you don't want my presence, but it's not something I'm interested in doing right now. Or maybe I'll go back to my room and hang out there for the rest of the day..."
"I don't know what your insistence is on accompanying me, I'm not exactly good company anyway." Xiao commented harshly, sighing. "Maybe someone else..."
"Xiao."
Venti's voice was very serious, and in the same instant the yaksha stared at him. His green eyes were intense, bright and overflowing with as much truth as the words that left his lips:
"You are my fiancé. There is no such thing as 'good company' or 'bad company' in this case. I need to accompany you."
The yaksha twisted his cheek, disgusted. He was right: it was not for them to decide whether or not they wanted to be close to each other. It was something they needed to do, for the contract they would enter into. The more time Venti spent with Xiao, the more he would be fulfilling what they set out to do.
"By all means, I don't think you're bad company~" Venti hummed afterwards, closing his eyes, enjoying the rays of sunlight touching his face. "You may not think so, but I enjoy observing your everyday life. It helps me get familiar with things around me, too."
"I don't know if my routine can be something ‘familiar’ from Liyue" Xiao muttered, finishing his tea, not really tasting it. Many things were going around his mind in that instant.
"At least... that's what I want to consider familiar in Liyue." Venti punctuated, leaving Xiao confused. "You know... it's very hard you change kingdoms. Being in contact with a whole new culture, people you've never seen, a daily life that doesn't belong to you. It's different from when you visit someone, you know?" he began, swinging his feet, a small difference in height between the hallway where he sat and the garden floor. "So, I want something to feel familiar, and that something is you and your routine."
"You say that... because you're my fiancé, aren't you?" The hesitation in Xiao's voice was strange even to him. He didn't know where that feeling came from, a bitterness in his mouth that was hard to swallow.
"Yes." Venti's statement only reinforced the bitter taste in the yaksha's mouth. "And I don't see a better person to start getting acquainted with than you, do you?" The smile on Venti's face was genuine and Xiao's confusion only increased with that reaction. "It's... all very new to you, no?"
They stood for long seconds staring at each other as Xiao absorbed Venti's words, while at the same time analyzing him. He didn't seem to hide any malice in the sentences he uttered — yet they seemed so distant from Xiao... as if Venti knew far beyond him, something that might be right under the yaksha's nose.
And this constant feeling created an annoying insecurity in Xiao.
"I don't understand what you say. Especially when you prefer things like 'it's still early' or 'it's all new" he confessed, annoyed. To his surprise, Venti laughed.
It was an embarrassed and, at the same time, incredulous laugh. The yaksha could not understand his fiancé's reactions — and that dialogue was not cooperating in the least.
"I think you feel things is an important part of the process. Sooner or later, you will understand." Venti concluded, mysterious as ever, which made Xiao blurt out and another giggle leave his fiancé's lips for it. "Be patient with yourself! If, in the end, you don't understand, I will explain it to you clearly."
"Until then, will we be your mystery games?"
"Exactly!" The happiness that oozed on Venti's face was surreal and Xiao could only roll his eyes, tired. "Ehe~ Calm down. Like I said, sooner or later, you will understand. And when it does, trust me, you'll find it the silliest thing in the world~"
The yaksha said nothing, only looked away from his fiancé and sighed softly, not knowing how to continue the dialogue. Everything being new or not, he didn't like being left in the lurch like that. Venti, however, didn't seem to be one of those people who would explain the situation, even if Xiao pressed him hard to do so.
Maybe he should learn from his mysteries and play his game too.
They remained silent after that and Xiao took the moment to close his eyes and meditate on where he was right now — perhaps it would help him to get his head on straight. To his surprise, Venti seemed to understand and for the next hour, Xiao didn't hear a single word from his fiancé.
When he was finally satisfied with his meditation and now more centered, he returned to stare at Venti. He was surprised, however, to find him dozing, his head resting sweetly on the pillar beside him.
"That's why you'd been quiet" he muttered, disgusted, not believing the reason was that he'd dozed off. He puffed then, thinking again, "I... I can't say anything. Maybe he dozed off from waiting for me so long."
In any case, he had to wake Venti up. He had raised his hand to poke lightly at his shoulder, to hope that he would awaken that way, but he held back when he noticed Venti's expression: he was as he had been that time in the field of flowers, serene, his features highlighted by the sunlight hitting his face — and he wasn't bothered by it one bit.
And once again, urgency came to Xiao's fingers, making them tingle, urging him to touch Venti. The yaksha did not understand where it came from, but it was certainly within his core and was tensing every muscle in his arm.
He stopped with his fingers millimeters from Venti's face, holding back. He exchanged glances between the tips of his digits and his fiancé's face, eager but hesitant.
His indecision was so pointed and long-lasting that it was enough for Venti to wake up — and before he could locate himself, Xiao pulled his arm away, averting his face.
"Ah, I fell asleep. Forgive me." Venti apologized, rubbing his eyes, situating himself. "Did you finish your meditation? Sorry I didn't keep up with you, I guess I got up too early."
"It's okay, no problem. You being respectful was enough." Xiao commented, getting up. "Do you have... anything else you'd like to do? I don't have any other chores right now."
"I'd be happy if we walked around the palace a bit~" Venti hummed, now awake and excited.
For the rest of the morning, they walked through the corridors of Guili's palace, few words being exchanged — sometimes Xiao would comment on one story or another, vague moments that happened there, but nothing that he himself considered very relevant.
They had lunch with the other adepti in the great hall. In the afternoon, they spent a moment in the library, and again Venti went to join Ganyu and Cloud Retainer for tea — and again, Xiao refused to participate. Venti wasn't going to press him anyway, though he made it very explicit how much it upset him.
Then the yaksha accompanied his fiancé again to his quarters, already in the early evening. The farewells were brief, and no sooner had Xiao found himself alone in his dark, reflective room.
Maybe changing his routine a little would do him good. Venti seemed to respect him, which was very important. He could keep up his training even in his presence — and for some reason, that seemed to encourage him in a quiet way.
Deep down, these were things he would need to adapt to anyway. It was like Venti had talked about earlier: they were engaged to be married and nothing could be fairer than familiarizing themselves with each other's routine. Even if Venti didn't have his own routine.
He was creating a new one in Liyue.
"I... I'm being insensitive. He who is making the biggest sacrifice of the two of us" he pondered, already lying down as he stared at the ceiling.
Perhaps, Xiao needed to be more understanding with Venti. Neither of them had asked to relate — they were just there fulfilling their roles. Undeniably, the boy from Mondstadt was doing his best. Xiao, however, was acting childishly, as if he wanted to eternally keep a distance between them.
"Everything is so... confusing" he sighed, turning onto his side and stuffing his face into the pillow.
He hoped to fall asleep soon and think less. That could be Venti's secret: not to think, only to act. It would be an excellent strategy for Xiao to follow from there. Thinking too much was exhausting him.
And it would lead to nothing anyway. What was decided, was decided. At least he had a fiancé who seemed to be understanding of his dilemmas.
It would be a few weeks since Venti's arrival — and unfortunately, Morax's journey would stretch on indefinitely. Because of this, his marriage ceremony would also be postponed.
On the one hand, Xiao saw a huge advantage: it was more time for both he and Venti to get used to each other. Which, somehow, was happening without too much disagreement. Including the boy in everyday activities proved to be a very simple task. He was very adaptable to diverse routines, too.
However, there were still some things that Xiao was hesitant to let Venti be a part of. Yet other adepti felt that it would be appropriate for him to be there too, even if the yaksha didn't quite agree with the idea.
"Taking Venti along?" He questioned, surprised, as they wrapped up a meeting about the upcoming business of Liyue's committee. "Don't you think that's a bit rash, Cloud Retainer?"
"He is your fiancé and his role is to make Mondstadt have a more intrinsic political relationship with Liyue." She punctuated, smoothing her hair with her fingers and wings behind her back. "I see no reason not to let him accompany us on this short journey to Qingce."
"Hmmm..." Xiao was hesitant.
They needed to resolve some unfinished business in Qingce village, at the request of the local representatives. These were Liyue's private matters — however, Cloud Retainer was keen for Venti to accompany them to keep abreast of the kingdom's political routines.
As much as it was indeed one of the obligations that his fiancé should dispose himself to, Xiao still thought the idea of taking him to meetings like this was premature. He did not know how Venti would behave, nor what his opinions were regarding such matters.
"You don't have much choice, Conqueror." She caveated and Xiao rolled his eyes, giving up.
"All right, I'll get him to arrange things to accompany us and make sure there will be no delays."
"Wise decision." The tone that Cloud Retainer used made Xiao roll his eyes again. At times, she was superb and manipulative.
He did not know how Ganyu had lived so many years in her custody and had not picked up any of her bad habits. Perhaps she was a more enlightened being than her own master.
As they closed their meeting, Xiao went to let Venti know that he should prepare for the trip that would take place tomorrow. He noticed how surprised his fiancé seemed at the news, perhaps a little confused by the decision.
"I... should I really meddle in Liyue's affairs like that?" Venti asked genuinely. Xiao sighed, crossing his arms.
"It was commonly agreed by the committee before the proposal was made. That way, I am also entitled to decisive words in Mondstadt's political matters." Xiao clarified, noticing how Venti lowered his head a little, thoughtful, a little saddened. "Unfortunately, I don't make those rules. I would have liked to spare you, but Cloud Retainer was very firm about taking you with me."
"I don't mind accompanying you. I just don't think my opinion is relevant to Liyue's political affairs." The boy commented, shrugging afterwards. "If you've decided for me, what can I do? I hope I can be useful in some way."
Xiao could answer his fiancé nothing. If he could, he would indeed leave Venti on the Guili Plains. However, as he himself had attested, nothing could be done.
Their things were packed and that day passed quicker than they both would have liked. At dawn the next day, they were on their way to Qingce village.
It was far from the plain that was the capital of the kingdom. They left very early, arriving on the outskirts of the place around the middle of the day. When they were finally in the village, the horses all at their posts, Venti was surprised to realize what a place Qingce really was.
Around him, there were many elderly people and children. He found it strange at first, but his fiancé and the other adepti seemed very calm about the situation. Maybe it was a place of retreat? He was really curious about the history of this village.
His curiosity had no room, however, for they soon went to meet the representatives of the place — and Venti understood that it was a business meeting. Probably involving the sending of supplies to that remote place. It wasn't something he wanted to or even should get involved with at all.
He remained in the presence of the representatives until the moment they resolved that it would be appropriate for the meeting to take place behind closed doors — at that instant, without Xiao or the other adepti noticing, Venti snuck out of the committee, going for a walk through the city. It would do him and everyone else good if he didn't stay present.
"Oh, it's rare to see young people like you around here." A lady commented as Venti watched the scenery. "What brought you to Qingce, lad?"
"Ahm..." It wouldn't be appropriate for him to say he was with the capital's committee. "My fiancé needed to pay a visit in this region and I am getting to know the village. Grandma, why are there only children and old people here, if I may ask?"
"Why? You don't know?" Venti denied, curious. "The younger ones have all gone to the capital and to the coast. Here, only the old people who don't work anymore and the very young remained. So, it's a quiet place, too."
"Oh... I see. Is that also why there are so many plantations?" he continued, still wanting to clear up his doubts. He had seen several rice plantations on the road and around the city. "Do you harvest them for your own use?"
"For the most part, yes. But we export some to neighboring villages. That's how we get medicines and other products." The lady smiled at Venti, a shrewd glint permeating her gaze. "Young man, you're not from Liyue, are you?"
"Ehe~ Has it become too apparent?"
"Ohoho, a little." She laughed, amused. "I hope our lands can teach you and your curiosity a lot! It’s is precious!"
"Thank you, Grandma. I hope to learn a lot from you, too."
He continued chatting more pleasantries with the lady, until a group of children caught his attention. And if there was one thing Venti liked, it was being in the presence of children. He asked the lady to excuse him and soon approached them, noticing that they were playing hide and seek.
"Hey, do you guys mind if I play with you?" He asked, noticing how the children looked at him suspiciously, a little afraid. "Come on! It'll be fun. Can't I? I promise if you guys win, I'll tell you a really fun story afterwards!"
"Ah! But I doubt you tell interesting stories!" One of the children challenged. "You can play with us, only we'll charge you for the story afterwards!"
"You can charge~ if you win~" Venti winked, mischievously, and the children felt challenged.
In the first round, Venti would hide, while one of the children would search for him with the others. He found the other two, but Venti remained hidden until the end of the round. They started again, another child who would go looking for them — and again, Venti was the only one not found.
The third shift, Venti who would go looking for the children. He waited for them to hide and went to look for them. He managed to find two, however one of them was really well hidden and he had no idea where she was.
"Where are you~" He hummed, as he looked around everywhere. He had noticed that he was near the rice fields and stopped to observe. "Woah, that place is really beautiful~"
He got a little distracted, moving closer to one of the fields. What Venti didn't notice was that the ground he was leaning on was a little wetter, and due to his weight, a part of it gave way. He slipped and, with a sharp cry, fell at once into the rice field, soaking himself.
The children, worried, all came running to see how Venti was doing. But their distress became a joke when they saw Venti's state: his clothes were wet and muddy. They were also surprised when he himself started laughing, enjoying the situation.
"Are you okay, Uncle?" One of them asked, noticing how clumsy Venti was.
"I am! Just soaked, but clothes dry!" He stood up, climbing back up to where the children were. "After that fiasco, you have won. Let's go back to the village and I'll tell you a story of my land, what do you think?"
"Isn't uncle from Liyue?!" One of the children, a little girl, surprised herself, clinging to the bar of Venti's hanfu, even though it was dirty. "I want to know stories of where you came from!"
"Me too!" The other child, a boy, stated quickly.
"Me too, me too!"
Venti led the children back to the village, sat down with them at one of the small tables outside, and began to tell one of the many Mondstadt songs. He noticed how attentive and entertained they were and he rejoiced, forgetting for a moment his wet and dirty clothes.
The forgetfulness didn't last long, as soon a lady approached, wanting to know what was going on. Venti immediately stood up, explaining the situation — and understanding that the lady was the grandmother of the children he was taking care of. He told her the whole story and the lady, very prompted, laughed at his state for having played with the children.
However, things escalated when the committee missed his presence and none other than Xiao found him, while he was still with the children and the lady. Venti cannot describe how his fiancé's eyes widened and the dumbfounded expression that was on his face — it was frightening to say the least.
"What in the name of Rex Lapis has happened here?!" He squinted, quickly approaching Venti and the others. "But–, why–, how–?"
"Ehe~ I fell." Venti explained simply and noticed how Xiao held his breath for a full second before puffing out, incredulous.
"You fell?!" He was open-mouthed, trying to process the information. "Don't tell me that... the rice field..." Venti's laugh was more than enough response for the yaksha. And, without giving Venti time to retort anything, he put his hand on his head, forcing him down before the lady and stooping down next to him. "Madam, a thousand pardons for the inconvenience my fiancé may have caused! He was my responsibility and I was negligent!"
At the same instant the children, frightened, went to Xiao's side, squinting:
"You don't argue with him, uncle!"
"Yeah, he didn't do anything! He was playing with us!"
"Please leave him alone!"
Xiao raised his face slightly, surprised by the children's attitude. He eased his hand into Venti's hair a little, but his fiancé's expression was amused, as if the whole situation was a huge joke.
"Relax, kids. I'm guilty of my own actions anyway~" He winked at them and showed the tip of his tongue, mischievously. "No need to worry, he won't do anything."
"Come on, come on, you don't need that. No one was hurt. It was just some wet clothes and they weren't even my grandchildren's!" The lady made a dismissive sign with her hand, laughing at the situation. She noticed how the two boys straightened up, even though Xiao remained reclusive and thoughtful. "But I am surprised that you are with Rex Lapis' committee. I had no idea you were such an important figure, young man."
"Ehe~" Now Venti was at a loss for words. "Not as much as the boy next to me, surely. He's much more important than me, so I deserve the lecture I got." He felt how his fiancé's eyes fell upon him and stared at him, meeting a perplexed Xiao for his words. "What?"
Before they could prolong their dialogue, Ganyu appeared together with Cloud Retainer. Ganyu was very distressed by Venti's condition, whereas Cloud Retainer...
Well, Xiao had never seen so much expression on her face before. She was holding back her laughter, a rare scene in itself, but the force she was putting into it made her look like she was constipated or something.
It was frightening to say the least.
"Since everything seems settled... tell me, Conqueror, how will we get your fiancé home in this state? It will not be appropriate for him to travel so many hours with his clothes soaked like that." Cloud Retainer commented after she managed to regain her composure, wriggling her wings behind her back.
"I... will rent a room in a boarding house and stay at least that night here with him. You two can return to Guili's palace and we'll be on our way tomorrow." Xiao attested at last, causing Venti to be surprised.
"Right, do you need us to leave horses available for you?" Cloud Retainer questioned, raising her eyebrows, looking debauched.
"No, there's no need." He returned the expression, just as debauched. "Ahém, you needn't trouble yourselves beyond that. I think it's been irresponsible enough of mine." Finally, the Retainer laughed softly as she straightened her wings.
"As you wish to consider, Conqueror. We'll see you tomorrow, then."
"Please take care of yourselves!" Ganyu warned, worried. "Especially you, Venti. Those wet clothes might make you sick."
"Don't worry, Ganyu. I'll be fine. See you guys tomorrow~" Venti nodded, saying goodbye to the rest of the committee, turning to his fiancé afterwards. "Xiao–!"
"In the boarding house room, we talked." He replied, harshly. Venti pouted, annoyed by his fiancé's attitude.
Xiao asked the lady where they could rent a room. She promptly guided them. Before they left, Venti said goodbye to the children and the lady. They went to the inn she had indicated and rented a room with access to a bathroom.
However, it was not enough for them to pull the door open for Xiao to complain, indignant:
"How did you fall into the rice field?!" He was wide-eyed, still not believing the whole situation. "In an instant, you were with the committee. I took my eyes off you for exactly five minutes and you not only disappear, but you appear to me all dirty with mud because you fell into the rice field?!"
"I slipped!" Venti retorted, defensive. "I was playing with the children, got distracted watching the rice field, the earth gave way and I fell. That was the full story." Xiao was surprised and speechless.
"I thought..." He ran a hand through his hair, the other resting on his waist, searching for the best way to express himself. "I don't know, I only worried when you disappeared. You're still my responsibility outside Guili's palace. Don't scare me like that!"
"I just went to walk around the village. What harm could a stroll through a quiet village like this happen?" Xiao stared at Venti, and deep down he was right. There were only old people and children here. No harm would beset Venti.
At least not from inside the village. But the surroundings...
"Please don't do that again. At least let me know you're withdrawing." Xiao crossed his arms, sulking, and it was Venti's turn to sigh in disbelief.
"It's okay. It was my mistake, forgive me, Xiao." He admitted, rethinking his actions. He was no longer in Mondstadt. Xiao didn't know him, it was natural to be concerned about his disappearances. "Now... how are we going to do with those clothes? Do you have anything in reserve?"
"Obviously not." Venti was startled by his fiancé's response. "I'm going to fill the tub. You take off those clothes, get in it, and while you bathe, I'll clean it. It will be dry by tomorrow."
"Oh~ How helpful my fiancé is~" Venti joked, but Xiao only sighed, tired. "I... I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
The yaksha said nothing to Venti's response. It wasn't exactly a nuisance. But Xiao wasn't used to worrying like that — everyone in the committee was independent. Venti being directly attached to him and being his responsibility was something new to Xiao. Certainly, he had reacted badly to the whole situation, but he didn't want to charge himself so much initially.
Not when his fiancé had fallen into the rice field.
Unbelievable.
In an instant, he was filling the wooden tub so Venti could bathe. Despite being a simple village, they had water systems that pulled water from the nearest stream so they could bathe — courtesy of the capital. He let the water warm up for a while before allowing Venti in.
He didn't watch him remove his clothes, he just picked them up off the floor and went to wash them. Luckily, the mud came off easily. He talked to the innkeeper and managed to hang the clothes out to dry — not only that, but he got at least one outfit for Venti to wear that night, also courtesy of the innkeeper.
When he returned to their room, he noticed that Venti was still in the bathtub. Xiao raised his eyebrows in surprise, deciding to check if everything was alright — after this afternoon, he wasn't going to risk leaving his fiancé and water together unsupervised.
"Venti, it's all–" he interrupted himself when he realized that his fiancé was playing in the hot water and had not even touched his hair to wash it. "What's that?"
"Ah." Venti turned for a moment, smiling like a child at Xiao. "The water is nice, I thought I'd enjoy it a bit while you washed my clothes~"
"You..." Xiao sighed, approaching the tub, picking up a small wooden bucket that was beside it and filling it into the water. "Just to remind you, but the water won't stay hot forever. And you need to wash that hair, too. Come on, close your eyes." He barely finished warning and began pouring the water over Venti's head, noticing how his fiancé grimaced from the fright.
"Xiao, are you my fiancé or my mother?" Venti retorted, noticing how Xiao searched through a small glass in the corner of the room, blinking curiously. "You're not going to..."
"Oh, I will," he announced, removing his gloves, putting shampoo in his hands and starting to rub it into Venti's hair, "You haven't done that so far, I'll do it while you finish lathering and rinsing."
"Ah!" Venti closed his eyes as he felt Xiao's fingers run through the strands of his hair, putting them back as he lathered them up. "Hahaha, unbelievable."
It wasn't just Venti who was enjoying that moment; for Xiao, it was fulfilling a repressed desire. To feel the texture of Venti's hair slowly passing between his digits as he lathered them, to feel the strands slipping, sometimes tangling, the feel of the leather on his fingers...
It was surreal, it made his muscles relax. He noticed how his arms felt lighter just with this little contact — something he had longed to do for some time, but hadn't found appropriate.
He remembered the tingling sensations, the strange anxiety. That was it, after all. Something simpler than he could have imagined.
He let himself delight in that moment, noticing how Venti closed his eyes, quiet as Xiao stroked his leather and locks. The yaksha noticed, in addition to the various textures, a sweet scent — it seemed to be characteristic of Venti, as his sense of smell remembered having sensed it at other times.
Venti smelled like flowers. Surprising.
He moved his hands away when he finished and calmly picked up the small wooden basin, dipped it into the water and rinsed his fiancé's hair, watching as he shook his head to get the excess moisture out of his hair, wetting Xiao in the process.
"Oops~" Venti teased, but his voice really sounded regretful. "Pardon me."
"It's okay, I won't melt with a few drops." Xiao cleared his throat, getting up. "Finish bathing, I'll be waiting for you in the bedroom. Your dry clothes are over there." He pointed to a corner and, without further ado, left, leaving Venti with his privacy.
Once in the room, he began to ponder his actions. Even he himself did not expect his attitude, however natural — he had already done similar acts with his yakshas brothers and sisters.
However, they were just that: siblings. Venti was his fiancé. He might have thought it an invasion or even daring of Xiao. The yaksha, however, could no longer watch him curl up and end up leaving his hair dirty — it was what he wanted least, really.
"What an invigorating bath." Venti commented as he walked out of the bathroom. "And my hair feels soft~ Thanks for the massage, Xiao~" The yaksha turned his gaze to his fiancé, noticing him with an insinuating face. "I never imagined my fiancé would take so much attitude so soon~ Did you like what you saw?"
"Huh?" Xiao raised his eyebrows, baffled. "Venti, I only saw your head in the tub and how your hair was full of mud. You were going to stay until the water cooled down and you wouldn't go–"
"Gee, Xiao, how innocent you are." Venti laughed softly, and the yaksha drew his eyebrows together, even more bewildered. "Oh, all right. Apparently, my joke wasn't understood. Let's leave it alone~"
They decided to get ready for bed, as the journey tomorrow would be tiring, to say the least. Xiao still watched his fiancé redo the braids in his hair with great appreciation before going to bed. The yaksha turned off the lamp that was lit, leaving the room in the dim light, comfortable for Venti to fall asleep.
He, however, could not sleep. He took advantage of that night to keep watch, sporadically observing his sleeping fiancé beside him: he slept so serenely that he even made Xiao jealous.
Time and again, he still wondered how that person who seemed so well-behaved had fallen into the rice field the previous day because he was playing with the children, after sneaking out of the meeting of the committee he was part of. It was unimaginable to say the least.
He suspected that Cloud Retainer found it hilarious. He hoped it was only her.
Next thing he knew, he had dozed off — so briefly that the sun's rays bothered his eyes. Watching his fiancé awaken, however, seemed to invigorate his energy, for the way he stretched was so delightful to watch that Xiao felt his own muscles crackle with satisfaction.
They took a breakfast, Venti put his hanfu back on and they were ready to go. One doubt, however, lingered in Venti's mind until that moment.
"If the committee left with the horses, will we return on foot?" he blinked, walking away from the village beside Xiao.
"No... I'll take us there. It'll be quick... I hope so." Xiao muttered, sounding a little unsure. "I... I don't usually do that with other people together, so..."
"That?" Venti was curious and slightly startled. He noticed Xiao whisper an ‘excuse me’ and the next thing he knew, he had slipped one of his arms around his waist, gluing Venti to his body. "Hmm~ But are we going to start like that already~?"
"Ahém" Venti noticed how the tips of Xiao's ears were red and he had lost his composure. "Please hold on, I don't want to knock you down in the middle of the course."
Venti thought about answering his fiancé, maybe teasing him again, but before the words left his lips, he felt a strong wind pass across his face — and also all over his body. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he felt the sensation pass, he opened them again.
Only to realize that they were no longer in Qingce village, but on top of some of Liyue's mountains — where exactly, Venti didn't know.
"Wow!" he exclaimed, surprised. "Xiao, do it again!"
"I will, we're not there yet." He remarked, looking distressed. "But I'll go in short distances, because I'm afraid I'll knock you down or hurt you."
Again, if Venti thought to answer him, he could not, for Xiao had teleported the two of them once more. And did so twice more. The last time, they stopped in front of Guili's palace.
Venti was radiant while Xiao was clearly tired. The boy felt when the yaksha moved away from his body, heading inside the palace.
"Xiao, Xiao, that was amazing! I want to do it again, when can you do it again?" Venti spoke so fast and excitedly that it was causing Xiao's head to twinge.
"Not... so soon. That's no toy, Venti. I move that way around Liyue and..." He sighed very tiredly and Venti realized that the yaksha was not joking. "It is tiring. Please consider yourself for a moment."
Xiao noticed how Venti's animation seemed to fade like drops of water in his palm and swallowed dryly, unsure.
"But... I'm glad you enjoyed the ride... I guess." He tried to remedy it, noticing how the glow returned to his fiancé's eyes. "Any day I'll... try to show you other places in Liyue like this. When it's safe."
"Yay! I want to see!" The yaksha smiled at his fiancé's excitement, looking relieved that he hadn't blown it.
That day, they didn't stay together much longer: Xiao urgently needed a proper rest and Venti entertained himself with Ganyu and Cloud Retainer.
However, as he stood in his room resting, Xiao pondered what he had promised his fiancé. He also remembered the moments at the inn, the texture of Venti's hair on his fingers, the smell of flowers that exuded from his body...
For some reason, he felt his heartbeats racing, a strange blush tinting his face. Something was changing.
He just couldn't tell what it was yet.
Some time had passed since the visit to Qingce Village. However, since the events of that time, Xiao's relationship with Venti had changed. The yaksha could tell that without much effort.
He was more... affable with his fiancé. Perhaps it was that feeling that haunted him until he finally placed his fingers on Venti's skin — if only briefly. That was certainly a crucial fact in the change.
However, the sensation had returned. It always returned: all Xiao had to do was stare long enough at his fiancé that it would appear, stoking his fingers, his muscles.
He was trying not to get carried away with it, though.
"Xiao... can you accompany me to the flower field again?" Venti asked at a certain point in the day, still earlier that week. Xiao was surprised by the need present in Venti's voice as he made that request.
And they went to Guizhong’s field of Glaze Lillies. Like the first few times they'd gone there, Venti lay down and dozed among the flowers, leaving Xiao free to watch him, the feeling haunting him, stirring him. He resolved that he would not watch his fiancé, waiting for it to soften. It worked for a while.
Yet other times during that week, Venti had asked to return to the flower field, repeating the exact same thing every moment they were there. The yaksha didn't understand what so much his fiancé saw in a flowery field, nor why napping among the flowers seemed to do him so much good, but it undeniably did.
In the end, it turned out to be more something within the routine they were creating. It was spring, after all. Perhaps it was natural to want to enjoy the presence of the flowers while they were at the peak of their bloom.
"A pity the Lilies won't be opening up." Xiao remarked unassumingly once, catching Venti's eye, before they stepped onto the field.
"They're not going? Why?" Venti was quick to question, no fear in his curiosity. Xiao glared at him, then looked away, bringing his hand to his lips as he pondered what to say.
"The Glaze Lilies are very sensitive flowers to any change, imbued with magic." He began, looking at each closed bulb of the flowers. "The way to get them to open is undoubtedly by showing that the place they are in is safe and as imbued with magic as themselves."
"That field... doesn't it have magic?" Venti asked suspiciously, pouting. "Not what it looks like, if I may say so."
"You are right. However, they cannot find safety to blossom without my lady's presence." Xiao complemented, noticing Venti standing on the steps leading up to the garden. "When she is present, she sings to them. Only then do they feel safe to bloom and show her all their beauty."
"Oh." Venti blinked, seeming to understand. "They like music, then?"
"Yes." Xiao closed his eyes, remembering Guizhong's sweet voice and the many other times in which she made the Glaze Lilies bloom in his presence when he was young. "But it's no use being any song. I could never make one of them bloom. Even my lord can't."
He noticed how Venti laughed softly, covering his mouth so his voice wouldn't spread when Xiao made the comment about his lord, Morax. The yaksha raised his eyebrows, but let his fiancé pull himself together, not inquiring at all about this attitude — perhaps it was amusing to imagine that Liyue's lord couldn't make the Lilies he himself had planted blossom.
If Xiao were to reflect on that thought, he himself would laugh. But it would be disrespectful, so he held back.
"Would the Lilies like to hear me?" Venti asked, reaching out to Xiao, smiling sweetly at him.
"I cannot affirm or deny that." Xiao's reply was short, thoughtful. "You can try if you like."
"You... you don't seem to trust." Venti's expression was sulky, annoyed. "Leave it, then. I really need to rest..."
That afternoon, when Venti lay among the flowers, Xiao noticed how upset he seemed at the yaksha's lack of trust in him. However, he could not deceive him. He had only seen Guizhong and, at most, Ganyu blossom the Glaze Lilies. Ganyu, still, had managed to blossom only one bud — while his mistress had managed to make a considerable portion of the field bloom.
He remembered his mistress once remarking that it was possible to make the entire field blossom in a single stroke. Xiao was still very young when Guizhong had said this, but to this day he wondered how much power a person would have to achieve such a feat.
"No... it wasn't power." Xiao pondered alone, realizing that Venti was snoring beside him. "Guizhong had said that people who were pure of heart and had a beautiful voice would be able to blossom the Lilies, too."
Perhaps he had been rude to his fiancé. At least he had the right to try — but deep down, Xiao was afraid of him failing and it becoming a personal impediment to Venti.
Even that day, they didn't touch the subject again. Nor in the days that followed. However, it was clear that Xiao was still pondering the matter — and Venti, ever attentive, seemed to notice that something was bothering his fiancé.
"Are you still thinking about that day?" Venti was direct, catching Xiao off guard. "Ehe~ It's written all over your little face, Xiao~"
"You..." Xiao sighed. "I don't know why I'm still surprised. You said I'm terrible at hiding things. I'm believing it to be true."
"Ahaha, just now?" Venti debauched and Xiao blurted out, making the boy laugh even more openly. "Don't be upset, Xiao. I wasn't upset by your answer. You were sensible that time."
"I... I feel like I was rude." Xiao explained, causing Venti to be surprised. "I could let you try. I was worried, however, that you would get upset in case the lilies didn't bloom."
"Ehe~" Venti laughed, this time awkwardly. "I trust that they would blossom. But it doesn't make sense for me to do that if you didn't trust me." Venti shrugged, stepping into the field of flowers quietly.
"What if I... say I trust?" Xiao stopped slightly behind Venti, causing him to turn to face the yaksha. “If I say I trust that the Lilies would blossom, what would you do?”
"Hmmm..."
The smile on Venti's face was charming — and somehow it was different from the other smiles he had shown so far. It was sublime, docile, affectionate, all together. Xiao's eyes widened, drawn to such delicacy in Venti's features, soaking in the green of his eyes as he stared at him.
"Would you like to see this field flourish, Xiao?"
The question hung in the air for a while — much because Xiao hadn't been able to process it properly. He was too enthralled with his fiancé to be able to digest the meaning of the words. It was Venti's own laughter that brought him back to reality, noticing how the yaksha looked away from his, embarrassed.
"Sorry, I–"
"Don't worry, tell me: would you like this field to flourish?" Venti repeated, sweetly. Xiao stared at him again, a mixture of disbelief and curiosity bathing his irises. And with that feeling slowly filling him, the yaksha replied:
"Yes, I would."
Venti smiled, even more sincere than he already was, closing his eyes and from where he stood, amidst the bulbs of Glaze Lilies, he began to sing.
And by Rex Lapis, what a wonderful voice.
Xiao didn't understand the language he was singing in — it sounded like a very ancient language, one that Guizhong also knew, perhaps Morax himself. It didn't matter: the beauty was in the tone of Venti's voice, in the softness it conveyed, in the coziness it caused in the yaksha's chest.
And he noticed how, one by one, the bulbs blossomed with each new intonation from Venti, with each sung word. It was as if a wave broke in Guyun's sea, the blue filling the whole field as the flowers slowly opened.
Suddenly, a strong perfume filled his sense of smell and Xiao closed his eyes, feeling his whole body goose bumps from Venti's voice that seemed to pass through every pore of his skin. He noticed how he lowered the pitch more and more, as if he were finishing his song. And the instant his fiancé's voice stopped, he opened his eyes, noticing him do the same, the smile still adorning his lips.
And the whole field flowered around them.
"What did you think? Am I worthy of the Glaze Lilies?" Venti joked, laughing mischievously. Xiao had no words to answer him. "Xiao, you're scaring me by staring at me like that."
"I–I..." He tried to pull himself together, but it was too much information at once for him to process so quickly. "Your voice... the flowers... the whole field..."
"Ehe~" That was all Venti could sum up to utter and then slowly went to lie down among the open flowers. "Ah~ that smells amazing~"
Xiao stood still for a few moments, absorbing the image that was the field of Glaze Lilies all blooming. Then, with a long sigh of delight, he went to sit down next to his fiancé among the flowers.
The brief moments they were silent were enough for Venti to nod off — Xiao was still amazed at how quickly he fell asleep, especially among the flowers. He seemed to feel safe there. It was curious and, at the same time, funny for the yaksha to imagine something like that.
Watching him lying there, his serene face being caressed by the stems and petals of the Lilies, made Xiao ponder if it really didn't create a sense of security to lie among the flowers like that. However, more than that...
It was the urge to touch him.
His fingers tingled again, the muscles in his arm tugging from the urge. It seemed to be born from deep within Xiao's soul — it was as strange as the thought he had just had. He imagined it was a first time thing, but no: every time he watched Venti, he had the feeling of wanting to touch him.
How he would touch the petals of flowers.
The next thing he knew, his hand was towards his fiancé's face. He held back, afraid of waking him. He watched, exchanging glances between Venti's face and his fingertips, wondering if he should or not. That had happened once before, weeks ago.
He could still feel the texture of his hair on his skin, under his digits. Feel the sweet perfume they exuded. The warmth of his leather in contact with his skin.
All those memories were pulling him to touch him again. There was no harm in it. Xiao just wanted to... feel the texture of his fiancé's skin next to his own again. It was a curiosity: would his face be as soft as the leather of his hair, as the black locks he had lathered the other time?
He clenched the fingers of his hand, unsure. He didn't understand why at that moment, insecurity consumed him. He just had to have the same courage he had when he had gone to wash Venti's hair — although that time he hadn't thought so much about it...
Decided, Xiao brought his hand back, pulling his glove so that it slowly slipped from his fingers, leaving it in a corner among the flowers. And calmly, he moved his fingers closer to his fiancé's face. When the tips grazed his skin, it was as if a shock had crossed his whole arm: Venti's face was as soft as the petals that surrounded him. It was warm from the sun beating down on it. It was slippery under Xiao's palms.
The yaksha sighed, slowly and gently caressing his fiancé's face, stooping down to be closer to him, to watch him closely. Venti had very long eyelashes, chubby cheeks, and his cheekbones seemed to turn red just from the sun's touch on them. He was... curious. It was beautiful. Xiao was delighted.
His delight only increased when he noticed the emeralds that were Venti's eyes slowly emerge, still unfocused, trying to perceive everything around them. Their glow was identical to that of the jewel — and the air seemed to leave Xiao's lungs at the same speed as Venti's irises appeared before him.
They were not frightened. Quite the opposite: they looked as curious as the yaksha's topaz irises, the glimpse of the situation being enough to make a smile spring to Venti's lips again.
Lips that Xiao took note of in that instant: pinkish, fleshy, shining as brightly as the irises that stared at him curiously. The yaksha swallowed dryly, his throat rasping, his breathing ragged. It was like having butterflies fluttering inside his stomach, his senses all alert for something that was inevitably going to happen.
Even if he didn't understand what that something was. Not until Venti's melodious voice made itself present, prompting:
"Do you... crave something, Xiao?"
Venti's words always seemed to be right on target. He always seemed to accurately read every situation they found themselves in. Somehow, it was irritating. More than that, though, it was as if Xiao wanted to indulge in Venti's teasing every time — that curiosity, the yaksha wanted to understand it and cure it. And Venti's words were all the encouragement he needed.
In that instant, he shifted his eyes to Venti's lips and the smile on the boy's face only widened, his cheeks blushing slightly. He returned his eyes to his fiancé's irises, noticing how inviting the emerald of his irises was. As inviting as his mouth.
"What do you crave, Xiao?" Again, Venti's voice, hissing in a whisper.
"I..." It was magnetic. It was evoking him. Evoking him like nothing he'd ever done before.
The next thing he knew, his lips were millimeters from Venti's. He could feel the heat pass from his mouth to his own, the way his fiancé drew in air, seeming to anticipate the touch as much as he did. He searched one last time in the emerald of his irises for confirmation: and they were eager, as eager as Xiao was.
He waited no longer and sealed the distance between their mouths. The instant they touched, a shiver ran down his back, making every hair on his body stand on end. The yaksha closed his eyes, feeling the temperature and texture of his fiancé's lips against his own: it was comforting, it was exciting.
It was new.
He felt it when he slowly moved his mouth over his, making their lips slide past each other and the softness that the sensation caused brought another shiver to his body. Xiao rested his hands on the grass, one on either side of Venti's face, then went about resting his arms there at the same pace as their mouths slid past each other.
He noticed the instant Venti sighed, lips parting a millimeter before they touched again — and it was as if Xiao himself had stolen the air. He made a sound with back of his throat, drawing an audible laugh from Venti, which made them break contact.
"Oh, I..." He tried to explain himself, but their faces were still too close, his cheeks red and his gaze bewildered.
"Shhh..." Venti asked, whispering, as he brushed his mouth against Xiao's again. "It's not over yet."
The yaksha only had time to sigh before he felt them meet again, feeling how Venti's tongue was circling his lips, nuzzling, begging for something Xiao didn't quite understand what it was. But his instinct knew better than he did and, listening to it, he parted his mouth, feeling how, without delay, Venti slipped his tongue into it.
At first, it was a shock: it seemed that neither of them was prepared for what that contact would be. But, as natural as it started, it continued: tongues were exploring, touching, entwining. They seemed to dance between one mouth and the other.
The air they breathed was shared. Xiao imagined that he was breathing in the same tempo as Venti. Or maybe it was the synchronized touch of their tongues. Or the fact that he was practically lying on Venti's body. By that time, the yaksha couldn't notice anything but Venti's touch on him, the way his fingers came up to Xiao's hair, the tips brushing against the nape of his neck, tangling in his strands, intensifying the shiver that passed through there.
They realized that the air was no longer present in their lungs and so they abruptly broke off the contact between their mouths, still trying to process everything that had happened in those brief moments when they touched for the first time.
The emeralds stared at the topazes, wide-eyed, surprised, pleased. It was a mutual feeling, save for the confusion that still seemed to permeate Xiao's irises, leaving him unsure.
"Had you ever kissed anyone before?" Venti took a breath to ask, a playful smile drawing itself on the corner of his mouth. Xiao blushed instantly, turning his gaze a moment as he answered:
"N–no." He stammered, turning back to face Venti, unsure. "You were the first."
"Really? Because you're a good kisser~" He hummed, causing the yaksha to widen his eyes in surprise.
"You... say that with... experience...?"
"No, none! It's just my opinion!" Venti laughed, loud, hearty, seeming to overwhelm Xiao's entire body with the sound of his voice.
A mixed feeling came over the yaksha at his fiancé's statement: it was confusion at the phrase and, in a way, a strange pride at having been the first to kiss the boy — and he thought it was good. This was causing the butterflies to return to his stomach, more intense, his face burning in embarrassment.
He felt how Venti's fingers, affectionate, touched his cheekbones — and Xiao stared at him, just as affectionately, being greeted with a silly, amused smile.
"You'll tire your arms if you stay like that. Come on, lie down beside me~" Venti whispered again, making the yaksha sigh, accepting his proposal.
This would be the first time he would accompany his fiancé on something he usually did — and Xiao didn't exactly know how to feel about it. As he lay staring up at the sky, he seemed to understand Venti's reason for doing so: from that angle, he could see the infinite blue in its fullness, the clouds sailing serenely by, while the petals of the Glaze Lilies adorned his vision like perfectly placed inkblots on a painting.
It was relaxing and welcoming.
The next thing he knew, he felt Venti's cheeks rest against his shoulder, glancing at him and finding him dozing again, his fingers slipping with Xiao's, their hands close together. The yaksha took a deep breath, pondering, but resolved that he would leave Venti quiet like that for the moment. He had already been too bold the instant before when he kissed him.
Later that day, after leaving Venti in his quarters, Xiao would have a moment of understanding inside his own room, wondering where the idea had come from to kiss Venti without any warning, without any other major interaction of theirs until that moment. The yaksha would roll over on the mattress, stop staring at the ceiling and let all the shame overwhelm him until he managed to catch up on sleep.
Things were beginning to change, slowly, within his heart. And it would take Xiao some time before he could organize all these new feelings and desires that were dominating him. To organize the way Venti was conquering him, albeit slowly and unintentionally.
Touching Venti had gone from being a necessity to becoming a routine. The truth was, after those first moments, the yaksha could no longer keep his fingers off his fiancé — even if ninety percent of the time he touched him with his gloves.
The lack of the warmth of Venti's skin was real, but Xiao couldn't afford to remove the piece every time he went to touch him. The feel of the touch, however, was still very satisfying.
Normally, Xiao would touch him when he needed to straighten some lock of his hair. When he lay in the field of flowers. And in recent days, Xiao would touch to wake him up when Venti dozed off during his training sessions.
It was becoming increasingly frequent these naps on the part of his fiancé. Which led Xiao to believe that the times were too early for him — or that perhaps Venti was not getting the best of nights sleep. Whatever it was, every time, waking him up was of great regret to the yaksha, for Venti had a light sleep that seemed very restorative.
At that instant, he found himself in exactly this impasse: to touch him calmly with his fingers to try to awaken him, to let him continue sleeping or to call him in the hope of waking him up less abruptly. Xiao twisted his cheek, not knowing which decision to make.
His hand was millimeters from the face of his fiancé who was leaning back against one of the pillars in the hallway, snoring softly. The yaksha noticed how the sunlight reflected on his face, stroking it gently, so delicate that his fingers seemed raw in contrast. He withdrew his hand, hesitant.
That was when an idea crossed his mind. And slowly, Xiao moved closer to his fiancé's face, gently touching his lips close to Venti’s, right at the end of his mouth and the beginning of his cheek. He stepped back, waiting to see if the action had had an effect.
Almost immediately, Venti awoke, but his reaction was news to Xiao: his fiancé's green eyes widened, staring at him in confusion, surprised, as if caught off guard. Xiao returned the gesture, as surprised as Venti himself. And silence remained between them, the emeralds staring at the topazes, that feeling hovering between the two.
"Ve–Venti?" Xiao called out, noticing how he seemed to wake up again, as if in a trance. "Did I... done something that bothered you?"
"N–No!" Venti soon clarified, looking away from Xiao, pondering. "I just... surprised myself, that's all."
Their conversation ended there, but Xiao could tell how red his fiancé's cheeks were as they were leaving the garden where Xiao trained — and how, for all the rest of the time they were together that day, Venti seemed silent, reflective.
Every now and then, the yaksha noticed how his fiancé brought his hand to his lips, letting his fingers slide over them, seeming to relive the feeling from earlier, thinking about it. And these little gestures were making Xiao apprehensive, as if his attitude had, yes, bothered him, but Venti preferred to lie so as not to shake their newly built relationship.
When they were in the library, late in the afternoon, Xiao couldn't stand it any longer and decided to be direct about his feelings:
"If you were bothered by earlier, say so at once."
Venti was taken aback another time, looking startled at Xiao, as if he didn't understand the reason for his fiancé's such aggressive words. The yaksha closed his expression, pouting as he complemented:
"You... spent all day running your hand over your lips, thinking, distracted. There's no way I can't think that was my fault."
"Ah, that's why." Venti breathed a relieved breath. "No, I just... it was... hm."
"You didn't like it, did you? It was easier for you to say it at once than–" Before Xiao could finish his sentence, Venti brushed lips with his, as delicate as the yaksha had been earlier. And in the same instant that his fiancé pulled away, Xiao felt his face burn in shame. "But– Why you– now...?!"
"Hahaha~" Venti laughed, a little sheepishly. "Did you understand how I was feeling now?"
Xiao paused for a moment to ponder Venti's phrase, instinctively bringing his hand to his lips to touch them — and in that moment, understanding set in and his face turned even redder. To try and soften it a little, he shoved his face between the open books on the table right next to him, rubbing his hand through his hair messily.
"Hahaha! You're really cute, especially when you understand things like that." Venti commented, going to sit next to him. "Please don't get me wrong, I liked that you woke me up with a smooch. But it was... surprising. I didn't expect it. The first time, we had a situation conducive for it. This time, I was just taken by surprise, really. But that didn't make it any less enjoyable."
"I... I get it, I guess." Xiao sighed, lifting his face a little, but still not facing Venti, feeling how his ears burned. "I... I'm sorry for the boldness. I just wanted to wake you up in a less abrupt manner, that's all."
"You can wake me up like this as often as you like, I don't mind." Xiao noticed as Venti slid his delicate fingers across the pages of one of the open books, distracting himself.
"Ah–!" Xiao, giving up, stuck his face between the pages of the books again, drawing a low, amused giggle from his fiancé.
They stayed like that for a while as Xiao pulled himself together from the surprise Venti had given him. And slowly understanding the feeling the fiancé had witnessed all day. Unfortunately for the yaksha, when he had least expected it, it was getting late.
That meant that...
"Xiao, will you accompany me to my quarters?"
A loud sigh, Xiao straightened himself in his chair, not quite happy to part with his fiancé at that moment, but schedules were schedules. What he hadn't expected was to see Venti with his hand outstretched towards him, the emeralds of his eyes hinting at...
"I..." He inhaled loudly, pulling on one of the gloves he was wearing, holding his fiancé's hand without any barrier between their skins. " I'll accompany you, yes."
"Ehe~"
They left the library hand in hand, walking side by side slowly to Venti's quarters. Along the way, Xiao felt how his fiancé groped his hand, feeling each of the calluses that was present on his fingers. His face flushed, awkwardly, as he uttered:
"Sorry… My hands are rough and calloused. They must be bothersome."
"Huh?" Venti glared at him, laughing awkwardly. "No, they don't bother. I like to feel your calluses, Xiao~" The yaksha widened his eyes and raised his eyebrows, surprised and confused by Venti's phrase. "Don't think anything silly, eh?"
"I’m not–!" Venti's laugh was amused and only intensified the blush on Xiao's face. "Ah... again, Venti."
"Again~ Ehe~" He noticed how his fiancé rolled his eyes, sighing softly, squeezing his fingers tighter in his. "Calm down. I wasn't lying about the calluses on your fingers. They don't bother me."
"Still... your hand is smooth... it doesn't look like you hold a bow for that long, either." Xiao observed, turning his fiancé red at that moment. "I... got it right?"
"Yeah, sort of. Actually, I used to have calluses on my fingers, but it wasn't due to the bow..." Venti's voice sounded nostalgic. "They've healed, though, because it's been a while since I've played instruments. Ever since... the whole wedding proposal was scheduled, I haven't been able to stop for a moment to play anything."
"You do know that your routine in Liyue is totally molded to your needs, right? Except when we have meetings like the one in Qingce village."
"I... I don't have my instrument here. It stayed in Mond."
Xiao's frightened expression didn't seem to transcribe Venti's tranquility. It seemed to be another reality. As if Venti hadn't given up things to be there with Xiao. That thought still left the yaksha haunted for several reasons.
Among them, Venti seemed to be the most sensible, although Xiao was very sensible himself among the adepti. To realize, in those little comments, that Venti had a life in which he deliberately gave up... and yet he seemed very aware of the whole situation.
Sometimes, Xiao felt childish.
"You look distressed, Xiao." Venti made them stop, touching the yaksha's face with his fingers, surprising him. "Don't worry. When the time is right, I know I will be able to take my instrument back. That moment is just not now. Don't overthink it."
"Venti..." Xiao's response was a resigned chuckle, making him sigh.
They walked in silence the rest of the time to Venti's quarters, where they took their leave with a gentle nod from the boy, in which Xiao mimicked him. When the door was pulled shut, Xiao stared at the palm of his hand, still able to feel the softness and warmth of Venti's palm there. He sighed, longer and more intense than he imagined he would one day, tightening his fingers, putting his glove back on.
Venti was very delicate in comparison to him. Not that their physical types were very different, but Xiao was distinctly more rugged. Perhaps it was due to karmic debt and excessive time on the battlefields — something Venti didn't seem to share, at least.
Not that he wished that for anyone. He wouldn't wish it on even the worst of his enemies.
He turned around and went to his quarters, reflecting once again on his attitudes towards his fiancé, which were changing more every moment, discovering little things that excited him.
What Xiao hadn't imagined was that in a few days he would discover that Venti was someone special — at least, he was someone special in relation to his person and this would go beyond his growing feelings, being more related to his condition. Something he would never expect to discover in someone.
It was one of those inevitable moments where his karmic debt began to consume him. He knew it was something inevitable — he wasn't the only one going through it. His yakshas siblings suffered from the same problems. They had learned how to ease the symptoms, but usually it was their masters, Morax and Guizhong, who helped them with this.
In the absence of both, they were on their own. It usually took some time before they could get under control again. On those days, Xiao usually stayed away from the other palace residents — reclusive, especially, to Guizhong’s garden of Glaze Lilies.
Imbued with magic, he could at least contain all the negativity of that evil aura, even if at the cost of the lilies themselves. He imagined Guizhong had thought that place up especially for them — a refuge they could return to, even in their absence. And that was exactly what Xiao was doing.
However, he had no time to explain to Venti about this condition — and for days, he did not approach his fiancé. It was more than obvious that he was worried, but try as he might, he could not find Xiao anywhere. Not even the palace servants could direct him as to where the yaksha might be.
In one last attempt, Venti decided to visit the Glaze Lily garden — he had already memorized the way there some time ago, but he didn't usually go without Xiao, as he considered it disrespectful to Liyue's lady. He was not surprised to find him there, however — in fact, he was relieved to have finally found him.
However, Venti could sense that his fiancé was not well. Not only by the way the lilies around him had closed in, but Xiao's own posture was different. When the yaksha turned to stare at him, he could see how his sclerae were red and his pupils retracted.
"Xiao?" Venti tried calling out to him, taking a step into the field of flowers. He noticed how Xiao had backed away, seeming to fear approaching Venti. "Xiao..."
"Venti, don't come close." He was harsh, but his voice was not firm. It sounded like a wounded animal. "Please, now... this is not a good time... I am afraid that you..."
Venti sighed deeply. It was a delicate situation. There were many things that could not be explained at that moment — because Xiao could not even explain it, let alone absorb it. All the boy knew was that he needed to do something.
For that very reason, he crouched on the flower ground, looking deep into his fiancé, smiling receptively as he gently patted his lap, indicating for Xiao to come closer.
"Come on, come here. You don't have to be afraid, because you won't hurt me."
"Venti!" Xiao's voice was almost a roar, but Venti was motionless. "Venti... I... this way, I'll end up corrupting you too. It's not something anyone can..."
"Xiao, trust me, will you?" Venti pleaded, looking at him with compassion and affection.
It was the yaksha's turn to take a deep breath, releasing the air in a puff. He opened and closed the fingers of his hands, nervously biting his lower lip. He trusted Venti, but was absurdly afraid that the boy would be absorbed into his karmic debt — after all, he didn't know if Venti was human or an equivalent of adepti in Mondstadt. He never had that confirmation.
He heard Venti knock again on his lap and, taking a chance, he moved closer. He noticed how his fiancé gestured for Xiao to lie there — the yaksha, even in that situation, blushed, conflicted from his feelings, but decided to obey.
As he leaned his head against Venti's legs, he felt his delicate fingers go to his face, caressing his skin carefully. He noticed how his fiancé caressed very subtly where his digits passed — and suddenly he began to hear the way he sang.
It was different from the first time he had heard it. Now, it seemed that Venti wanted to sing just so that Xiao would hear. The yaksha's eyes widened, the blush on his cheeks becoming even stronger, his heart beating faster inside his chest — and the feeling only intensified when Venti's fingers reached the locks of his hair, curling them, stroking his leather adoringly.
Then Xiao began to pay attention to many things at once: Venti's caress in his hair, his soft, delicate voice, the outline of his face in contrast to the blue of the sky, the petals of the Glaze Lilies that were all around, the delicate touch of Venti's little braids rubbing against his cheeks as he stooped lower, lowering the pitch of his song so that it was a whisper in his ears.
It was as if his instincts were all being put to sleep. It had been a long time since, during a relapse, he hadn't felt as good as he did at that moment. After days, he could finally close his eyes reassuringly, feel his muscles relaxing, the screaming in his head disappearing as Venti's music came closer to his ear.
He didn't realize when he dozed off — or for how long he did. When he awoke, he was greeted by gentle, docile emerald green eyes and a smile as warm as the sunlight that bathed them in the early afternoon.
"Good afternoon, little sleeping beauty~" Venti joked, massaging Xiao's temples, earning a grateful sigh in response. "I hope the nap was as invigorating as your expression seems."
"How did you...?" He thought about asking, then gave up on the idea. "No. It doesn't matter. Thank you, Venti."
"Ehe~"
They still remained that way for some time, until Xiao finally mustered the courage to get up from Venti's lap. This time, it was his fiancé's turn to lie down among the flowers, seeming to recover his energy between them and the light that bathed them. Xiao did not accompany him: he had already been lying down for too long, he needed to straighten his back a bit. He decided only to watch as Venti dozed off, admiring his serene face.
As the sun began to set, they decided it was time to leave the garden. They spent some time together as night fell, returning to Venti's quarters slowly. When they were at the door, Xiao finally spoke up:
"Thanks again, Venti. I... I don't know how you did it." He began, a little unsure. "Not even my masters can calm my senses like that. My karma... is too strong..." He stared at Venti in that instant, finding him surprised. "But you have succeeded. And for now, that is enough for me."
"Oh..." It was clear how thoughtful Venti was about it. "It's not a problem for me. I just didn't imagine that..." Xiao watched as he placed his hand over his lips thoughtfully, frowning in the process. "No, leave it. There will be a right time for that. Until then, I'm happy to help you, Xiao~" Venti smiled, a smile that shone like the sun that had already set.
"I..." This time, Xiao looked away, embarrassed. "We'll see you tomorrow, then? I want to... make up for those days we didn't get together and..." He heard the low chuckle of his fiancé and his face began to blush. "Ahém, anyway, if you have other things to do we..."
Before he could finish, he felt Venti's lips on his, delicate as his gaze had been until just now, warm, soft. The kiss was as brief as it began and Xiao felt his face flush violently as Venti's eyes crossed his again.
"I'm going to love seeing you tomorrow. I've missed you." Was his fiancé's reply, happily. Xiao couldn't even believe it. "See you tomorrow, Xiao. Have a good night~" Venti hummed, entering his room.
Xiao took a very deep breath in, feeling his hair move out of place at that moment. He didn't know exactly how to react, no matter how simple a touch it was. Venti's gaze was so charming, his smile, his words... The fact that he wanted to see him, because he had missed his presence...
He wanted to scream too loudly, not knowing how to deal with all the feelings that were invading him. His fiancé had turned his whole heart upside down, that was the definitive proof of it. From then on, there was no turning back for him.
And, honestly, Xiao didn't want it to come back anymore. That was the conclusion he came to when he went to bed that night: he was happy with what he had at that moment. He hoped that this feeling of theirs would only continue to grow, like the many lilies in Guizhong's garden.
They had made one more habit. When they were alone, usually in the afternoon in one of Guili's gardens, Xiao would lie on Venti's lap and let him stroke his hair, making his muscles relax. This was helping immensely in his karmic debt — and, also, the melodious voice of his fiancé that seemed to scare away all his ghosts when it appeared.
On that particular afternoon, Venti was not singing — at least, not yet. But before he started, Xiao settled on Venti’s legs and asked, curious:
"What's Mondstadt like?"
Venti was caught off guard by his fiancé's questioning. He paused for a moment, pondering how he would tell him about his homeland. He was used to telling Monstadtians themselves about the city, not foreigners. At least he hadn't been for a few years.
"What do you want to know about Mond?"
"It could be anything. Tell me about it" Xiao explained, simplistically. Venti giggled, still thinking about how he would do that.
"Would you rather I talk about there or tell you about it?" The question made Xiao raise his eyebrows, baffled.
"Is there a difference between the two?"
"Of course! If not, I wouldn't ask, silly~" Venti pinched his fiancé's nose playfully, laughing at the grimace he made.
"Tell me about Mondstadt, then. I've become even more curious now."
"Well, in that case..." Venti tapped his index finger lightly near his lip, reflecting. Then he took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and continued, "Mondstadt..."
It was a small town, shrouded by strong howling winds, where you could not see the sunlight or the blue sky. For hundreds of years it was at the mercy of the winds, commanded by a tyrant king.
But the citizens of Mondstadt dreamed of the day when they would finally see the colour of the much-acclaimed sky. When they could walk freely, see the rivers, the flowers, the plains and all that lay beyond the noisy walls that the king, Decarabian, had erected.
For then, three brave warriors arose from the crowd and proclaimed that it was the end of Decarabian's reign. And, without thinking about their future, they faced him.
After days of arduous battle, they emerged victorious — at least two of them. The third, a bard who was well known among the citizens, suffered before the fury of the former tyrant. The one who most dreamed of finally seeing the blue sky, when the winds would no longer howl.
His dedication had not been in vain, for on his bed the sky and the sun appeared, gifting him. And to the following generations, he bestowed the greatest and best of gifts.
It was at that moment, too, that the Archon of Mondstadt rose up, granting the people of that land what was rightfully and irrevocably theirs: freedom.
"And from that moment on, it became what it is today: the land of freedom~" Venti ended his song, caught off guard by his fiancé's wide-eyed "What is it, Xiao? You didn't... expect that?"
" Definitely not. Neither by history, nor by a song." Venti laughed, cheeks flushing slightly, curling the tip of one of his braids on his finger. "When you said you could tell stories, did you mean... this?"
"Yes. I was the best bard in Mondstadt. I still am, if you consider, despite being away indefinitely now" Venti joked, making Xiao raise an eyebrow, suspicious.
"A bard at court?"
"The best bard in court, excuse me!" he blurted and Xiao puffed out a laugh, not resisting his fiancé's adorable expression.
"Right... tell me about the Archon of Mondstadt, then, as my lord has never told me much about him and I haven't had the chance to meet him yet." Xiao questioned, straightening up again, feeling Venti's fingers return to his hair.
"Oh..." Venti looked up at the sky a moment and Xiao mimicked him, trying to search for what he was staring at. "The current Archon of Mondstadt... there is a divergence of songs about him. Some sing that he is our God, beloved, idolized, the one who granted and preserved our precious possession, freedom while others say he is a tremendous slacker~" Venti joked, making Xiao laugh this time in disbelief.
"Who would call the Archon himself lazy? Isn't that an offence?"
"He doesn't seem to care much." Venti shrugged, pressing his nails a little into Xiao's leather, noticing how he sighed, enjoying it. "Anyway, I'm not one to agree or disagree. I'm just a bard, my duty is to pass on all the songs that exist in the mouths of the people."
"Hmmm..." Xiao closed his eyes a moment to better enjoy the feel of his fiancé's fingers in his locks. "From what the committee says... he doesn't seem to be like your songs..."
"Hahaha, it doesn't look like it, does it?" Venti lowered himself a little, brushing his lips across Xiao's forehead, noticing how he was blushing lightly from the touch. "He would certainly be honoured to hear it, I can assure you of that."
"Do you know him personally?" Xiao opened his eyes the instant Venti pulled away, but in response he earned only a smile. "You... you're not going to tell me, are you?"
"Oh, it seems the Conqueror of Demons has understood the charades of the oh so humble bard." Venti teased, shaking his head in a positive sign. "Very good, very good." He felt his fiancé rise from his lap and Venti stared at him, a little apprehensive. "Xiao?"
At that instant, Xiao placed his fingers on Venti's cheeks and squeezed them, moving them from side to side. He noticed how despair took over his fiancé's face and he squeezed his eyes shut, annoyed.
"Xiaooo!"
"Very bold that bard to pronounce my title like that." Xiao puffed, falsely annoyed. "Come on, call me by my name. I don't like that title, especially hearing you speak it like that."
"Sorry, sorry." He felt as his fiancé released his cheeks to settle his face between his hands, stroking it gently. "Why does my pronouncing your title now bother you?"
"About that..." Xiao lowered his hands, looking at Venti with a slightly saddened countenance. "That title is obligation. I don't mind the work I do, but I don't want to associate it with you. So, I'd rather you call me by name..." He felt how his cheeks began to blush, then he cleared his throat. "And... I like how my name sounds in your voice, too," he muttered, looking away from Venti.
"Hahaha! Cute!" It was Venti's turn to hold Xiao's face in his hands and caress it. "If that's the case, just ask. I don't refuse to call you anything." He moved a little bit closer to him so he could whisper, "You're my fiancé, you have that exclusivity~"
"Venti!" Again, his excited laughter filling his hearing, making Xiao sigh. "Do you want to go to the field of Lilies today too? Before the sun sets."
"Please~"
They held hands and calmly walked to the garden of Glaze Lilies. By now, that place had become an important point for both of them. Xiao was still pondering how he was going to explain this to Guizhong, but his mistress didn't seem to mind having more company in that place. As for the rest, they wouldn't have as much privacy anymore when she returned — and that was fine with him.
Sometimes, Xiao caught himself wondering how Guizhong would react to Venti. She was very worried about how this marriage would turn out — just as he was in the beginning. Perhaps, after meeting his fiancé, she would change her mind — at least, Xiao was rooting for her to change her mind.
Not that anything was going to be changed. He was not dissatisfied with the situation they were in — in fact, more than ever, he wanted this marriage to happen — and Guizhong's condition for preventing the marriage would be that he be dissatisfied.
He... would have much to tell his mistress when she returned. All of this was a great change within his heart. Xiao to be going through all of this alone was... surprising, to say the least.
If he could say he was going through this alone in fact. Venti seemed to be in a similar situation, each day finding out more and more about something from Xiao that pleased him — or worried him, as with his title earlier.
"Teyvat to Xiao~" he heard his fiancé humming and finally awoke from his trance, staring into his eyes. Ah, his gentle eyes. "You seemed distracted. Is something bothering you?"
"No, I just... I was thinking a lot, that's all." He squeezed Venti's fingers in his hand, massaging them, watching the lily field in front of him. "You were telling me about the Mondstadt games ... what you used to play with the children?"
"Hmm... nothing much different from what I played with the children here in Liyue, but..." Venti pondered, remembering a style of play he hadn't done yet when he arrived in Liyue. "There's one! It's with a very popular song~"
Xiao stood waiting for an explanation, however, instead of speaking up, Venti pulled him by the hand into the middle of the lily field. He stopped facing him, taking Xiao's other hand, staring at him with a playful smile. And, without warning, he began to twirl with Xiao and sing.
The yaksha wasn't understanding anything, trying to pay attention to Venti's feet so as not to step on them, not paying attention to the song at first. When his ears understood that they were spinning at the speed of the song, Xiao puffed out a laugh, incredulous.
However, in his moment of distraction, amused by the music and play, he felt it when his foot tripped with Venti's — and they both went down at once. In one swift movement, Xiao managed to make Venti fall over his body, receiving the impact of the fall for both of them.
"Venti!" He exasperated, trying to get up next, worried. "Are you... okay?" He found his fiancé's laughter strange, noticing how he slid down his chest. "Venti!"
"You fell too fast, Xiao!" He teased, still laughing at the situation. "The idea is to spin until we really fall, but I didn't expect it to be with so little!"
"What a silly game" Xiao retorted, pouting. He noticed how Venti stood up a moment and, without warning again, threw himself at him, knocking them down among the flowers. "Venti!"
His fiancé didn't utter a word, just settled into an embrace with him, sighing happily. Xiao mimicked him and slowly ran his hands down his back, returning the hug, red dominating his cheeks in the same moment. It was still all new, but he was just letting himself go with Venti at that point.
Being just the two of them, everything was fine. Xiao felt less pressured that way.
He felt the moment when his fiancé snuggled into his chest again and left him that way, watching the blue sky. Earlier, the yaksha had not imagined that the sight of that field was so beautiful. Today, he saw it with different eyes.
It still held all the memories he shared with Guizhong and Morax there, the times when they laughed, chatting amenities. How she teased her lord. How he and Ganyu often did not understand those teases.
Now, the field had gained a multitude of new meanings, good memories. Xiao wondered if, from then on, so many more would be made there. Venti seemed very attached to that place — and the yaksha didn't mind that.
"There's... so much still to happen..." he murmured, staring at his fiancé dozing on his chest. "I hope things stay that way... Or better."
They stood in a comfortable silence, bathed in the afternoon sun. When it was about to get dark, Xiao had to wake Venti so they could return to their individual quarters.
As they made their way back, Xiao pondered that day again. The various songs Venti had sung to him. The games. The tranquility. It had all been very good. However, there was one thing that wasn't falling into place — and the yaksha couldn't let that go unnoticed:
"When will you tell me your royal position at the Mondstadt court?"
"Pardon?" Venti was taken completely by surprise by the question, stopping their walk to stare at his fiancé, distressed. "Why is that now?"
"Your songs were very beautiful, but there is no way you can be only the bard of Mondstadt. Even if you are the best bard in Mondstadt." Xiao stated, staring at his fiancé. "Our marriage is still political, Venti. You were chosen for a reason, just like me. I love you being the best bard in Mondstadt, but there's no way you can be just that. I want to know when you're going to tell me."
"That..." Xiao noticed how apprehensive Venti's face looked. Was it possible that he was only the bard of Mondstadt? He wouldn't mind that, but if the rest of the committee found out... "I don't want to tell. Not now. When the time is right, you will know." His smile was bright now, so bright that it seemed the sun had returned to illuminate them.
Xiao thought of answering him, but the words remained in his mouth. There was nothing to contest there: the look on his fiancé's face was all the answer he needed at that moment. Venti was certainly someone in the Mondstadt court, but for Xiao, he only wanted to be the best bard in Mondstadt — and nothing more.
At least, that message the yaksha had understood. And Venti didn't need to confirm it to be sure.
When they reached Venti's quarters before leaving, Xiao pulled Venti's hand gently, kissing its back, staring at his fiancé afterwards, enjoying the blush on his cheeks.
"Just to reinforce..." He paused for a moment as he pulled his lips away from Venti's hand. "I am happy to have as a fiancé the best bard in Mondstadt."
"Hahaha!" Venti laughed, turning even redder. "I'm happy. I promise to become Liyue's best bard too, just for your appreciation~" he winked, making Xiao blush as he did. "Good night, my dear Xiao."
"Good night."
There was much for the yaksha to expect from that relationship. Good fruits. Whoever Venti was. They would still have a while until the return of his masters and their wedding ceremony. As Venti himself had said, when the time was right, Xiao would know all that remained of doubt — though to his soft heart, there was no position in any court that would erase the feelings he had for Venti. No more.
Time was only good for them and he wanted to have even more time to enjoy his fiancé before the obligations that would come when they entered into marriage.
Xiao just wasn't counting on the facts unfolding in a few days — that would indeed change the entire course of their relationship. And, also, Venti's relationship with Liyue as a whole.
"Guizhong and Morax will return." The words came out of Xiao's mouth in alarm, causing Venti, beside him, to raise his eyebrows.
"That's great, isn't it?" He asked, strangely.
"Yes, that is, but..." The yaksha lowered his face, distressed. "I am unsure of their return."
"Why?" Again, surprise in Venti's voice. "You... you're afraid your lady won't like me, is that it?" The yaksha nodded positively and Venti laughed, incredulous. "Xiao, calm down. I remember you telling me that she would intervene, but I don't believe that's the case. Calm down, will you?"
"It's... simpler said than done, I suppose," he admitted, trying to relax his muscles, in vain. "And also, Mondstadt's committee will arrive with them. This time, I will have the opportunity to attend the meeting."
"And that makes you worried too?" Venti was trying to be sympathetic to his fiancé, given Xiao's impending distress. "From the other reports of Liyue's committee, I don't see the reasons to be afraid, Xiao."
"I... don't know what to think about the Archon of Mondstadt after all the singing you've told" Xiao confessed and Venti could see, deep in his topaz eyes, how fearful he was for that. "I told you, the committee has other eyes on him. And I... I don't know what to think about."
"Hmm~ Hmmm~" Venti seemed to ponder, swaying, the little braids moving with the movement of his body. "I don't think you should think anything. You know, sometimes things are more surprising than you realize. And they can be different, too~" The boy smiled, hoping to convey reassurance to the yaksha. Xiao stared at him, but didn't seem to share his sentiment.
His head was spinning in a million at that instant. Introducing Venti to Guizhong would be a very important point that was making him uneasy, but facing the Archon of Mondstadt after hearing Venti's stories was even more worrying. He, as a committee, should not have personal opinions, especially about the Archon of a kingdom.
It was a bit difficult, though. Especially after all the songs Venti had told him. There were several stories and none of them seemed to match the description that the committee — aka, Cloud Retainer — had made of this said Archon. Xiao was curious to meet him in person.
He just hoped he wouldn't end up being disrespectful to him. That would shatter the entire relationship they had built with Mondstadt so far. Venti, however, didn't seem the least bit concerned about any of this — neither did Cloud Retainer talk about his participation in the meeting, which Xiao also found odd, but didn't raise any questions.
Apparently, the committee was not keen on his presence...? That didn't make the slightest sense in Xiao's mind. However, again: he shouldn't have any judgments about the functioning of the neighboring kingdom. Venti had his importance, Xiao supposed. When the time was right, he would attend the meetings.
"Xiao, you are distracted" Venti stated, startling the yaksha. "Maybe we should go back so you can rest? Or at least think peacefully, if that's the case."
"Ah, I..." Xiao bit his lower lip, indecisive. He liked Venti's presence, but he wasn't in a moment that he could give his fiancé any attention. "I'm sorry, Venti. Maybe... yes, we'd better get back."
That day, they went to rest early. Not that Xiao got much rest — it was already a tricky thing on normal days. Anxious as he was, it would be even more difficult. The watch was his company during the night. He didn't notice when he fell asleep, but by the time he realized it was time to be up again, as his masters would be returning early.
He took the time to get ready in his formal hanfu, for following Morax and Guizhong's arrival would be the meeting with Mondstadt's committee. Everything in place, he went out to have breakfast and be present for the reception of his lords.
Who was present at this moment was undeniably Liyue's committee. Venti had not been called — he imagined that his presentation to Morax and Guizhong would be similar to the presentation that had been made to Xiao, in Cloud Retainer's presence, full of formalities. This made the yaksha unsure: he would not know if he would be present or not at this presentation.
That was, of course, if Venti didn't end up introducing himself beforehand, as he had done to Xiao without Cloud Retainer knowing. Knowing his fiancé, that was likely to happen. The yaksha only hoped that it didn't make a bad impression on his lords.
When they finally arrived, Xiao felt a relief in his heart: it was excellent to see Morax and Guizhong once more. They appeared to be tired from the journey, especially Morax, and so their greetings were brief — they needed to rest before the Mondstadt representatives arrived.
He thought about visiting his fiancé, but from the time of day, he imagined that he would still be sleeping — especially since that day, Xiao would not be training. Therefore, he had no reason to wake up so early. He could spend some time in the library, too. Resting would be another option, however...
"You look distressed, Xiao." It was Ganyu's voice. "Is it because of the Mondstadt committee today?"
"Ah, Ganyu..." Xiao sighed, embarrassed. "Yes, it is, it will be the first time I can attend that meeting. I'm a little nervous."
"Everything will be fine, rest assured." She assured, smiling serenely. "The Archon of Mondstadt is a serious person, but he is very sensible too. Surely you will have no trouble with him."
"I hope, Ganyu. I hope..."
As sure as his friend was of her opinion, Xiao had his doubts. They were very serious. The songs still rumbled through his mind. Something in him said that there was a piece out of place — and he wished he could confirm this with the Archon of Mondstadt himself, but it didn't seem a sensible topic to broach, even outside the meeting.
Xiao resolved that it would be propitious to try to meditate a little before meeting them. He said goodbye to Ganyu and went to his quarters, as he would not risk dirtying his formal clothes. He was so tired that he dozed off again. However, he lost track of time, and despaired when he suddenly woke up.
He went as quickly as possible to where the committee was to assemble and, as luck would have it, the Mondstadt representatives were still to enter. His colleagues, however, looked at him in awe, Ganyu unsentimental of his tardiness. Xiao bowed to his lord Morax and said in low words:
"Forgive my tardiness, there is no justification for it."
"It's fine, Xiao" Morax stated, making a sign of dismissal with his hand, yawning afterwards. "I was a little late myself. It's a hectic day, don't worry about those formalities at the moment."
"Thank you, my lord" he thanked anyway, taking a seat in his customary seat next to Ganyu.
His head kept rumbling in thought and that view, now, looked different. It amazed him how much it could change in a few months. Every meeting, when he was near Ganyu, he felt his heart flutter, sometimes getting distracted to watch the friend he secretly loved.
But now her presence was comfortable, for his heart was thinking of someone else. And for some reason, that meeting was making his heart break. It wasn't as if they were going to take Venti away from him, but he imagined that something would be commented on from Mondstadt's fiancé at some point. And Xiao couldn't imagine how he would react to that…
Finally, the representatives from Mondstadt began to enter, one by one. First, it was a knight in green who introduced himself, bowing in respect to those present. His name was Dvalin and he seemed to be in charge of the Mondstadt guard. Next, a girl with large fire-red hair had entered, whose name was Vannessa — and Xiao couldn't tell her exact position. She was probably paired with Dvalin in the Mondstadt guard.
Then a tall man entered, long hair and blue robes, seeming to wear a cloak — Andrius was his name. And he was given the title of "Archon". His presence was certainly memorable, Xiao could not deny it. His expression was stoic. He sat between Dvalin and Vanessa, staring Morax in the eye, greeting him with a bow.
"With everyone assembled, I will begin the meeting of the two committees at this time" Morax announced, crossing his arms, waiting while they discussed the matters previously tabled.
As Xiao recalled, the main issues involved trade and, above all, military protection — this was a request from Mondstadt itself, since they felt that their borders at this moment were threatened and they would mainly like guidance in their decisions to avoid a possible conflict.
The talks were focused and uninterrupted. Andrius was an excellent speaker, very concise in his requests and claims. Vannessa and Dvalin, meanwhile, brought technical support to him, impeccable in their reports. Xiao was impressed with the aptitude of both — and of the Archon himself, who was as driven as his lord, Morax.
After the first hour of meeting, they paused to discuss some of the points raised among themselves. Xiao unwittingly overheard a short conversation from the three Mondstadt representatives in the meantime:
"Why isn't he here?" it was the Archon, Andrius, seeming to grumble to himself.
"Come on, you know him. It was obvious he wouldn't be." Vannessa answered him, softly and smiling.
Xiao found this attitude strange, but it was not within his jurisdiction. He heard it by chance — more doubts for him to keep in the back of his mind. Perhaps they would never be resolved. Or perhaps, with great patience, Venti could explain to him what was happening at the Mondstadt court.
Another long hour of meeting between the parties, new demands were put on the agenda, but most of them were resolved smoothly and an agreement was reached between the parties. As the meeting drew to a close, Morax spoke up, happy:
"I thank you for all your understanding before our points. It is important, especially now, that we have sensible agreements like these in place."
"I told you, Morax, my lord..." Cloud Retainer interjected, fluffing her wings. Andrius watched her patiently as she swallowed some of the tea that had been served. "The Archon of Mondstadt is a very sensible person. Agreements with him are always very fruitful for all of us and–"
At that instant, Andrius choked on his tea — and for some reason, instead of helping him, Vannessa seemed more occupied with not laughing while Dvalin, silent, restricted himself to putting a hand over his face, looking tired.
"Archon?!" Vannessa laughed at last, no longer holding herself together. "I didn't hear about your promotion, Andrius."
"What do you mean?" It was Xiao's turn to interject, his confusion now making itself known to the others in the room who seemed to share it. "Are you implying that this man sitting in front of us is not the Archon of Mondstadt?" he stood up, raising his voice slightly. "Are you saying that so far, he– you–"
"No, calm down!" Vannessa interjected, realizing the misunderstanding. "It's not as if we..."
"I'm tired!" Andrius howled, a pair of ears and tail making themselves present now as he growled. "Something always happens. And it's always left for me to fix whatever went wrong. I'm tired and reviled of this situation!"
"Come on, calm down, Andrius." Dvalin intervened this time. "We'll work it out, but you can't alter yourself like that."
"That's right, your tail is even wagging in anger, look at that big mess." Vannessa commented, crossing her arms, noticing how Andrius did the same thing, but his tail continued to wag, irritably.
"That is a most serious situation." Cloud Retainer stood up this time, her voice frivolous. "You have, up to this point, ensnared us with the premise that this gentleman was the Archon of Mondstadt, only for him not to be in the end? Who is he, anyway?"
"Please, ma'am, calm down–" Vannessa tried, but was interrupted by Ganyu:
"She is right! That is a very serious accusation and of tremendous distrust for our relationship! Why did you do that?"
"Enough." It was Morax's turn to intervene, firmly. "Everyone, sit down. First of all, the claim that this gentleman was the Archon of Mondstadt came from whom?"
"Well, I supposed that–" Cloud Retainer tried, but her own speech gave her away. "... My lord, I am sorry. But likely to have been a misinterpretation on my part."
" Well then, let them explain the situation." Morax declared at last, giving the Mondstadt representatives the floor again.
"Thank you, Rex Lapis, sir." Vannessa thanked him, bowing. "As I said, Andrius is not our Archon. Like me and Dvalin, he is responsible for politics, trade, and the army. We don't have such a strict breakdown as to those three fronts in our kingdom, but they are divided among us by internal regions" she explained, trying to be succinct. "Andrius is responsible for our entire northern region. Dvalin our responsible for the East. I am responsible for the South and our West is under the jurisdiction of our cavalry, also under my current command. We are all responsible for Mondstadt and are able to represent it in meetings like this."
"That explanation is enough for me. To you, do I believe it is enough?" Morax questioned his adepti present there. Xiao, however, was not satisfied.
"If..." He began, his tone of voice low. "This gentleman is also part of the diplomacy and army... Where is the Archon of Mondstadt? Why could he not be present?"
Why was he never there?, was the question that stuck in his throat, but he found it very impolite to ask it that way. It was more of an accusation than a doubt by itself, and not appropriate for the moment.
His response, however, was a sigh in unison from Andrius and Dvalin, while Vannessa laughed softly at the situation.
"See, our Archon, he..." Andrius cradled his face in one hand, his ears drooping, as if disappointed himself. "He's not exactly the most responsible of archons."
"You can't say that after what he set out to do, can you, Andrius?" Vannessa teased him and his colleague growled again, even more defeated by the whole situation. "Let's just say that exclusively today he can't participate for reasons that are... unknown to us." She shrugged. "He's no longer in Mondstadt with us, either."
The statement caught everyone off guard. Something wasn't right — and for some reason, certain pieces began to fit better inside Xiao's head in that instant.
"Where is he? The Archon of Mondstadt?" he questioned again, his throat dry, yearning for the answer.
"He..." Andrius began, sighing, before announcing, "He..."
Xiao could not process the answer. He didn't want to wait for the meeting to close either — perhaps, no one present there was willing to end that meeting the way it should be ended. Not after that news.
The yaksha dashed out the door, beginning to rush through the corridors of Guili's palace, searching all the gardens for where Venti was. There was no sign of him anywhere. He stopped several servants on his way, but all answers were in vain to him.
In a desperate attempt to look for his fiancé, he decided to go to the Glaze Lily garden — even though he knew Venti wouldn't go there without his presence. At least, he didn't go at any time. Which also meant that...
"Venti! Venti! Ven–" His sentence was cut short when, as he approached, he found what he imagined.
Guizhong and Venti were both standing in the garden of Glaze Lilies, smiling, seeming to chat happily about mild things. His fiancé at the same instant stared at him, his green eyes bathed in joy at noticing him there. But he soon turned to apprehension when he noticed Xiao's startled expression.
"Is the meeting over yet, Xiao?" Venti asked, uneasy. Guizhong turned to look at him as well, worried. "Why you–?"
"Barbatos!" It was Morax's voice, loud as thunder, startling even Xiao. "You're always, always, always making trouble! How do you manage to make such a mess?!” He squawked, walking into the lily field."
"Mowaaaax!" Venti waved, excited. "How long!"
"'How long' my ass, Barbatos." Again, Morax's voice firm as he took both of Venti's cheeks and squeezed them, not too hard. "You're messing up again and it was with something important. When are you going to learn boundaries?"
"Unyuuuuuuuu" Venti complained as his cheeks clenched, but Guizhong intervened, removing Morax's hand from Venti's face and stepping in between them.
"What now?" Morax asked, crossing his arms, only to receive an irritated Guizhong who mimicked him.
"No way, you are not going to intervene in this now. You said no intervention!" It was her turn to squint, inflating her cheeks. Morax was open-mouthed, dumbfounded.
"He's a bad influence!"
"Your son too!"
"Son?" Morax raised an eyebrow and Guizhong puffed out a laugh, caught off guard by her husband's reaction. "Guizhong, we've already talked about this. And, no, Xiao is not a bad influence. Not like that."
"He just drinks too much, Morax! You've overdone it a few times too, enough of that."
"Did you see what he did now?!"
"Ahem." Xiao cleared his throat, catching his lords' attention, bewildered, especially by the ‘son's’ part. "My lords... I... I'm sorry to interrupt, but... I need to talk to my fiancé."
"Oh." They pleaded in unison, Guizhong placing her hand over her lips and Morax scratching behind his neck. "Right... I think... that was a bit too much excitement" Morax then commented. "I... we're going to retire. Sorry about that."
"No problem, my lord. I shouldn't interrupt your word anyway." Xiao bowed, respectful, as he watched Morax and Guizhong retreat from the garden.
"Be kind to me later, Mowax! I've been missing you stonehead!" Venti protested, falsely annoyed, and glancing around, Xiao noticed how Morax rolled his eyes, but a small smile broke out on his lips, affirming that the feeling was reciprocated.
Finally alone, Xiao stared at Venti in silence, not knowing how to address everything that was going through his mind. There were many sensations together, many doubts, an insecurity that until that moment he had not felt — or, if he had, it seemed like a distant memory.
Venti, on the other hand, seemed very secure now, a serene smile on his face, his posture relaxed. He was the one who had even started the all-important conversation:
"So, what do you have to tell me, Xiao?"
"Venti..." Xiao was hesitant, his expression twisted in anguish. "Why...?"
"Don't be afraid." Venti reassured him, still serene. "Tell me exactly what you're thinking."
"Why did you hide this from me?" He began, his voice a little altered. "Why did you stay with all these riddles? Why didn't you admit at once who you were? Why did you stay away from Mondstadt? Why did you..."
Venti was watching him with a very serious countenance, as if reading through Xiao. He felt totally transparent. All those questions were real, they mattered, but still, it was not what he really wanted to know.
And Venti seemed to know exactly what Xiao had questions about. He was just waiting for him to build up the courage to ask — perhaps the most important question among all those.
"Why did you give up your freedom for this?" He finally managed to vociferate, even though the fear of the answer was even greater.
At first, Venti closed his eyes, the smile opening even wider on his lips, lighting up his face. Xiao felt how a sweet breeze began to blow among the lilies, touching his face and hair, seeming to reassure him.
"I didn't give it up." Venti replied simply, tucking one of his little braids behind his ear, watching the sky, infinite and blue. "You know, Xiao, people confuse freedom with not being bound to anything, or anyone." He began, not staring at the yaksha, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the wind on his body. "But that's not what freedom is about. It's about having autonomy in your own decisions."
Xiao noticed how the soft silk of Venti's hanfu clung to his body, how quiet his countenance was, as if he and the breeze that blew were one. And when Venti opened his eyes again, staring at him, Xiao swallowed dryly, realizing exactly who that man in front of him was — the man who would be his spouse in the near future.
"What is this freedom that doesn't allow me to be with who I want? Where I want?" Venti pondered, Xiao attentive to every move of his lips, absorbing his words. "What would freedom be, if not my choice to be here, now, with you?"
Xiao puffed out the air that was stuck in his lungs, trying to understand what Venti had just stated. What they had was an agreement between kingdoms — from the beginning that was it. Venti saying now that everything, all of it, was his decision was illogical.
Or perhaps it was too good for Xiao's ears to pick up.
He noticed the sound of grass as Venti moved closer, feeling the warmth of his fingers on his own, even though the gloves prevented direct contact. Venti lifted his hands, interlacing his digits, smiling lightly now as he continued:
"Some things are just consequences of our decisions. There is no freedom without consequences, Xiao." He massaged the yaksha's fingers, a way to calm him, make him pay more attention to his words. "And... some things we can't decide, too. Like, for example, me falling in love with you."
"You..." Xiao felt his face heat up all at once, Venti's laughter only making his condition worse. "You–?"
"I thought it was obvious at that point~" He hummed, returning to his serious countenance now. "I didn't choose to fall in love with you. But I did choose to accept that feeling for myself. It was the same with you, wasn't it?" Xiao lowered his face, feeling even his ears catch fire from how embarrassed he was.
"Yes, it was," he muttered, hearing Venti's amused laughter.
"About the other questions... I was just waiting for the right moment. I would unnecessarily create fuss if I announced who I was right at the start. And..." Venti took a deep breath. "I didn't want my future husband to treat me with respect because I was an archon, either. I wanted things to be as natural as possible for us. I wanted to be seen as Venti, not Barbatos."
Xiao raised his gaze to his fiancé again, noticing how insecure the emerald irises were now. As if everything they had built up to that point might change because of it. Surely, something would change, though...
He couldn't give up that feeling. He loved Venti. Barbatos, whoever he was, was not the man he had fallen in love with. That man was that cheerful bard who, now, was answering his questions with an open heart — and was being honest with his own feelings.
To love that man... To choose, freely, to love that man...
"No one forced me to" Xiao murmured, bringing his fingers to Venti's chin, lifting his face and delicately touching his lips to his, a kiss so chaste it made the boy blush and widen his eyes. "Loving you... it was my choice and mine alone." He added, loving the smile that appeared on his fiancé's lips and the way his face was rosy.
"Ehe~"
They heard a rustling somewhere nearby and Xiao turned his face, looking over his shoulder, noticing the tip of Guizhong's hanfu hidden just around the bend the corridor made. Xiao let his chin drop, incredulous at his lady's attitude.
"I– we–" Venti's laugh was outrageous when Xiao noticed. "Since when?" He turned to Venti and asked, dumbfounded.
"Since I started talking, before even. They haven't gone away~" he joked, smiling, satisfied. "I hope you liked my answer, Mowax!" he joked again, causing Xiao to look over his shoulder again, only to see his lords in the distance and to notice Guizhong laughing softly, as if she were a child caught doing something she shouldn't.
"I... can't believe..." The yaksha's ears burned in shame. He felt when Venti popped a kiss on his cheek and turned around at the same instant, finding his fiancé with his face close to his own. "Venti?"
"I have not lied in a word." He reaffirmed, a whisper, secreting to Xiao. "Everything, absolutely everything, are words I recited from the heart. No matter who saw or failed to see them, they will not change, Xiao."
The red on Xiao's face came down from his face to catch his neck as well and absolutely everything seemed warmer, even though the breeze kept blowing, trying to lower his temperature. He took his fiancé's face with both hands and kissed his lips, pressing them together, hearing his low, satisfied laughter.
When all that began, Xiao had a non-reciprocal feeling for a person that he carried like a burden. Today, he had before him a new love that was slowly blossoming, watered with gestures of affection, knowledge and security. He never imagined that from an obligation could arise something so strong — and he wanted absolutely nothing to be different.
The discovery now was only a fluke of fate — for him, loving Venti, being the best bard in Monstadt or the Archon himself, would make no difference at all. Just as, for Venti, loving Xiao was beyond his title of Conqueror of Demons and his position in the army.
If that was a dream, Xiao would never want to wake up if it was possible.
"I... would like to meet with the Mondstadt committee now, if it were possible." Venti asked, a little awkwardly. "You know... it may not seem like it, but they are important people to me as well. And I want to see them again, as much as I wanted to see Morax and Guizhong again..."
"Oh, yes!" Xiao turned away from him, clearing his throat. "I can take you to them, no problem. I believe they're still in the meeting room. They didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave, either."
"Thank you, Xiao~" Venti thanked him, humming in that melodious voice that the yaksha fell in love with.
They left the garden hand in hand, crossing paths with Guizhong and Morax — Xiao imagined that they would like explanations, but neither of them raised any questions, so they proceeded that way back to the center of Guili's palace.
They were surprised when they were stopped by the dashing Ganyu. She commented, still breathless from running so far:
"Mondstadt's representatives are looking for Venti."
"We're heading there." Xiao explained, then paused for a moment, pondering. "Perhaps... I should leave you all alone?"
"I don't mind." Venti shrugged. "They probably don't want to talk something important. And anyway, you need to be aware of the situation too, don't you?" he clarified and the yaksha agreed with a nod.
They followed the two of them to the meeting room that Xiao before them was in. The doors were open and the people there seemed to chat in a mild manner. When Venti finally appeared before them, the reactions were manifold: from happiness to astonishment. The first to speak up was Vannessa, who stood up with open arms:
"Venti!"
"Vannessa!" Xiao felt as his fiancé let go of his hand to embrace her. And she also noticed how he disappeared into the young woman's strong arms and torso. "I missed youuuu!"
"I missed you too. And I'll probably continue to miss." She squeezed him in her arms, emotional. "You seem very well used to Liyue now, how envious."
"And how can I not get used to it? I get top-notch treatment!" Venti joked, starting to show off his hanfu next. "Did you like my outfits too?"
"They looked perfect on you"
"Madams." Andrius roared, making Vannessa roll her eyes. "We didn't come here to play house. Barbatos, you left me in a huge uncomfortable situation because you didn't tell anyone who you were."
"They thought you were the Archon, didn't they~?" He hummed, caring little for Andrius' bad mood. "But you look more like an Archon because you're evil~"
"Barbatos" Andrius crisped, ears flicking down and his tail wagging frantically. "That's no joke! We could have lost Liyue's support with that, you airhead!"
"Isn't that the perfect title for the Archon of the anemone kingdom? Airhead." It was Dvalin's turn to comment, getting up and walking over to Venti. "Anyway... I missed you too. Things aren't the same in Mondstadt without you around."
"I know, my old friend." Venti hugged Dvalin as lovingly as he had hugged Vannessa. "But times are different now. And I don't regret the decision I made anyway. It was mine, you know that."
"No wonder you surprised everyone." Andrius spoke up, crossing his arms. "No one expected that soon you would be offering yourself. But we all respect and try to understand as much as possible, but it's still unbelievable to the entire court." He sighed, stretching his ears. "And no, I'm not going to hug you."
"Boring old dog." Venti complained, crossing his arms, mimicking Andrius. He rolled his eyes, tired.
"At any rate, you may not remember today, for you are away..." Andrius began, walking close to Venti, "Vannessa, will you do the honours?"
"Sure~ Always." She asked Venti and Xiao to excuse her, leaving the room, probably heading to where the committee had left their luggage.
They waited, curious, until Vannessa returned. And she had her hands full: two huge bouquets and a bottle that appeared to be wine in her hands. She distributed them among Dvalin, Andrius, and herself. Then the three of them stooped down before Venti, holding out their hands with the gifts.
"To the Archon of Mondstadt, in celebration of the Windblume. May you always bring us peace, love, and wisdom!" the three pronounced in unison, causing Venti to chuckle awkwardly, his cheeks rosy.
"Well, well, that was a surprise." He picked up the bouquets and wine, becoming overwhelmed. "I... hadn't imagined it was time for Windblume again. Thank you." He swallowed from the flowers, then gently resting his cheek against them. "Ah, how I missed them~"
"We figured, so we asked to bring some seedlings to be planted in Liyue as well" Vannessa commented, smiling "It will be our special gift to the people of Liyue."
"Those flowers..." Xiao moved closer and didn't need to swallow from them to smell the same scent that seemed to permeate Venti's entire body. "What are they called?"
"Cecilia." Venti replied, dreamily. "It's my favorite flower. But shh, you don't know that, okay?" he blinked, as if it were a secret. "For the people of Mondstadt, the Windblume is the time to choose the favorite flower of the Archon, but they never come to a consensus. And I hope it stays that way~"
"This year they chose a wolfhook as the Windblume, can you believe that?" Vannessa laughed, as if it was absurd. "It looks more like a fruit than a flower.
"It is a fruit. And have more respect." Andrius retorted, making Venti laugh.
They chatted some more amenities, until Andrius announced that it was time for them to leave. They would only decide on Cecilia's seedlings before finally returning to Mondstadt. As they were leaving, Vannessa returned, pulling out of a small bag she carried what appeared to be a ball and handing it to Venti in secret.
"The kids sent for the bard Venti who is travelling" She whispered, winking. "I hope you have fun with it here~ See you, Venti!"
"Hehe~ Thanks, Vannessa! See you later and take care on the journey. Let the wind leads you!"
She bowed and finally left the room with Xiao and Venti alone. The yaksha approached, looking curiously at the ball in Venti's hands, all decorated.
"That is a Harpastum. It's from the celebration of a festival that happens every year as well, the Ludi Harpastum. It's very common among children." Venti explained, realizing how curious his fiancé was. "I would like you to go to Mondstadt with me at the Ludi. You would certainly enjoy yourself."
"I... I don't know if I like crowds. I don't even attend Liyue festivals. I usually stand guard at most of them..."
"So..." Venti smiled, gentle. "It will be your first time enjoying a festival. And it will be an honour to have you by my side~"
Xiao thought of retorting, however his fiancé's face was so dreamy that he didn't have the courage to say anything. If it was to make Venti happy, perhaps the yaksha could make a little effort, even if within his limits.
Venti wondered if Xiao would like to accompany him to another garden and chat a bit, however the yaksha refused, saying he needed to do something important. But if Venti was willing to wait, he would soon be free again.
"I'll wait for you later, then." Venti smiled, understanding. "I'll put my presents away in my room in the meantime~"
With that, the boy withdrew, leaving Xiao alone with his thoughts. But they were too focused for him to lose himself. He had a single goal in mind at that moment and went about executing it.
It was an important date. Xiao did not want it to pass in vain. For that very reason, he teleported to the nearest hill where he knew he would find them.
The Qingxin.
They were his favourite flowers, especially as they grew so tall, watching everything. Once, when he was a bit younger, Guizhong said she remembered him every time she saw a Qingxin — which was good and bad at the same time.
Good, because Xiao liked being compared to something so delicate. Bad, because he was always alone — and that was something that haunted him for many years.
He hurried back to Guili's palace, asking a few servant girls if they had seen Venti. They told him which garden he was in and Xiao headed straight there, finding his fiancé alone, sitting on a stone bench under the canopy of a tree, humming.
When he spotted him, Venti opened a beautiful smile, one of those radiant ones Xiao was used to seeing. The yaksha took a deep breath, approaching him and sitting down beside him.
"You seem nervous" Venti attested, tipping his face slightly to the side. "Something ailing you, Xiao?"
"I..." Another sigh and, without much thought, Xiao raised the flower to Venti, noticing how he blinked, surprised. "To the Archon of Mondstadt, in honor of the Windblume. And, also, an apology to my fiancé for my rudeness earlier."
"Oh." Venti was genuinely amazed, his face tinging into a lovely pink as he accepted the flower into his hands. "Ehe~ Thank you, Xiao." He swallowed from the perfume, looking fulfilled. "They remind me of your scent."
Xiao cleared his throat, not expecting this reaction. He had been compared to these flowers for other reasons, but never because of their smell. Had he spent too much time among the Qingxin to smell like them?
"I..." Xiao began, overcoming some of his embarrassment and trying to get his thoughts right. "I don't know if a foreign flower can be considered a Windblume. But my intention is genuine."
"Of course, they can!" Venti smiled, twirling the flower in his fingers, admiring its petals. "All flowers can be a Windblume. What's important is your intention, not which flower you're offering."
"You... can you tell me more about this specific festival?" Xiao asked, curious. "I understood that it's a tribute to the Archon of Mondstadt, but... there's a tradition, right? Like we have in Liyue..."
"This festival is to celebrate the Archon of Mondstadt and love~" Venti hummed, and in the same instant, Xiao blushed violently. "Because to the people of Mondstadt, the protection of the Archon is proof of their love for the people. And there's nothing better than declaring your love to your loved one on the day dedicated to your Archon, isn't there?"
"Ah..." Xiao could tell how dreamy, longing Venti was.
"At that time, everyone offers beautiful bouquets, the city gets adorned, many poems are written..." He closed his eyes, Qingxin close to his nose, inebriating himself in its scent. "The bards recite poems and songs about lovers all day long. I quite like this festival, people are very happy.... Except for the fact that they never agree which is the 'real' Windblume, ehe~"
"Why don't they agree? Wouldn't it be the Archon's favorite flower?"
"No..." Venti eased himself into the seat, turning to Xiao. "The history of Windblume is older and sadder than the Monstadtians imagine. Therefore, I would rather they not know the truth and create their own tradition." Venti took Xiao's hand, lifting it, placing Qingxin in his fingers. "Could you pin it in my hair? Next to Cecilia."
"Ah, of course." Xiao was surprised by the request, but promptly began to smooth the flower between Venti's hair.
And being so close, he could feel how Cecilia's scent was already impregnated into him. Surely, Venti had spent enough time next to them that the scent was stuck on his skin, indistinguishable.
"Nee~" Venti began, as Xiao's face was very close to his own. "How it feels to have the Archon of Mondstadt all to yourself?" he teased, noticing how his fiancé stopped for a moment and looked deep into his eyes.
Only to, a second later, blush violently from the scalp of his hair to his neck.
"Venti!" he retorted, speechless to answer him. Venti laughed, loving to see Xiao's face like that.
"Hahaha, come on Xiao, it's just a joke" he reinforced, straightening one of his braids after having the two flowers put in his hair. "I won a very tasty bottle of wine. How would you like to drink it with me afterwards? Just a little, I promise~"
"I... don't usually drink" Xiao admitted, rubbing his neck absently.
"Just a little, what do you think?" Venti tipped his head to the side, his green eyes bright. "I promise we won't push it~ Either that or Morax will get really mad at me, ehe~"
"Hmmm..." The yaksha pondered, remembering all the confusion that had been that day and how he hadn't had time to stay close to his fiancé. "A little... I can take some alcohol for you."
"Yay!" Venti put his hands together, excited. "I'll wait for you in my room, then. More in the evening! Now in the afternoon I'm having tea with Cloud Retainer and Ganyu~"
"It's become a habit of yours, hasn't it?" Xiao watched as his fiancé stood up, taking his face in his hands and kissing his forehead fondly. "I hope you have a nice tea in their company."
"Thank you. Anytime, drop by to keep us company, they'll appreciate it" Venti resented, turning away from his fiancé "See you, Xiao~"
Xiao nodded to his fiancé, watching him disappear down the halls of Guili. When he was alone, he brought his fingers lightly to where Venti had kissed him — the spot was still warm, the delicious sensation of his lips on his skin.
And like an epiphany, Xiao remembered that he had agreed to drink with his fiancé in his room, the two of them alone and away from everyone's gaze. His face became so red and hot that it was possible to see smoke coming out of his ears.
"Now it's... a bit late to decline the invitation, isn't it?" he muttered, shoving his face into his hand. "Relax, Xiao. It'll just be a date like any other, no silly thinking."
Remembering his fiancé's laughter and the various teases made his face heat up even more. Venti over-stimulated his imagination — and in all honesty, Xiao's imagination wasn't very fertile. But when he understood... it was... complicated.
He decided that until it was time to see his fiancé again, he should distract himself. Training didn't seem a good option, so he opted to meditate in his quarters. He wouldn't change his clothes that day — he had been wearing that one for a long time, better to take it off only when he went to sleep.
The hours passed faster than he expected and soon the time for them to meet arrived. Xiao didn't know how to behave, standing in the doorway of his fiancé's room, anxious. When Venti opened it, smiling brightly at his presence, the yaksha's face tinged slightly red.
"Xiao! Good evening, come on in~" Venti gave way to his fiancé, and once Xiao was inside the room, he pulled the door open. "I borrowed two glasses from one of the servant girls. They're small, perfect for the portions we'll be having" he explained, as he walked past his fiancé to admire the bottle he had won. "That is a very good wine, one of my favorites." Venti opened the bottle, pouring the two glasses, bringing one to Xiao. "I hope you enjoy this Mondstadt specialty!"
"Ah..." Xiao took the glass from his fiancé's hand. "Like I said, I'm not too keen on alcohol. But I trust your taste." Venti raised the small cup and Xiao tipped his head to the side, a little confused.
"A drink, so we can celebrate the Windblume." Venti replied, guiding Xiao to raise the cup and touch them, making a loud metal noise. "Enjoy slowly, ehe~"
They drank the wine slowly and, as much as he disliked it, Xiao could not deny that this particular one tasted very good. Perhaps, because it was a gift to the Archon of Mondstadt, it was something special.
The first few glasses were quick to be taken. They decided to sit on the edge of Venti's bed, chatting amenities. More and more glasses were filled, the bottle slowly emptying. The two were half flushed, laughing wildly, amused even by the shadows the room made by the half-light.
Until, at one point, Xiao felt how Venti's nose rubbed over his cheek, affectionate. His fiancé's glass was still half full from this round, but Venti seemed more inclined to pay attention to Xiao than to the wine.
He was persistent, pressing his nose against his skin. He noticed how, next, his lips touched his cheek — and Xiao was turning his face slightly, watching as Venti brought his mouth to his, rubbing over his lips with the same affection, the same attention.
The yaksha gave into the kiss, pinning his fiancé's lower lip between his own, tugging it sweetly, letting them slowly slide away. He could feel how Venti leaned his body further into him, worried about the moment he would spill the wine from his cup and soil them both.
Slowly and without separating their mouths, Xiao took the cup from Venti's hand and left it on the bedside dresser next to them. He noticed how his fiancé laughed, relaxed, certainly altered by the drink — and he also noticed when Venti's fingers touched his face, straightening it so that they could kiss properly, without Xiao diverting his attention to anything other than him.
Their lips grew more eager as they touched, entwining their tongues inside each other's mouths alternately. Xiao noticed how Venti ran his hand across his face, seeming to pull him closer, and the yaksha began to run his hands down his arms, past his shoulders, resting them on his back, just above his waist — and Venti laughed amidst the kiss.
"Ehehe~" He rubbed his nose with Xiao's, kneading them into each other. "Your mouth is so, so delicious, Xiaoo~"
"You... are you saying that because you're drunk?" Xiao pondered, although he himself was not in his full mental faculties. "Or are you just cheerful and enjoying the opportune moment?"
"The secooond~" Venti joked, pressing his mouth with Xiao's again. "I'm not going to get totally drunk on so little. And neither will you, I bet~ But..." Venti nibbled on his fiancé's lips, pulling them lightly, loving how Xiao's breathing changed with it. "Your hand seems to have other ideas, doesn't it?"
"Sounds like it, does it?" Xiao was terrible at verbal provocations. He wasn't cunning like Venti. But his actions were more expressive and his hand was already fully wrapped around his fiancé's waist, bringing his body closer to his own.
He noticed the moment his fiancé finished his low chuckle, and in the next instant, glued his mouth with his again, letting himself be taken by Xiao's hands, practically climbing into his lap. And the yaksha finished smoothing him down, having his neck embraced by Venti, his mouth sinking deeper into his, eager, eager.
They curled their tongues together and lost their breath the moment Venti began to push Xiao's torso back, causing him to fall onto the bed. He felt how the little locks caressed his face, slipping into his cheek, entwining his tongue with his with more and more eagerness, letting his hands roam freely over Venti's back.
He noticed how Venti let out small puffs through his nose, aware that he was making his fiancé lose his breath from how much he demanded of the kiss — but Xiao didn't want to stop. Preferably, he would like Venti's body to be even closer to his own.
His desire remained in his mind, however, as he was forced to break the kiss, swallowing the air hard to fill his lungs — and his fiancé's laugh was so cozy, the way he rubbed his forehead against his own was so welcoming that Xiao needed to pull in the air even harder, sighing.
He felt when he rolled onto his side, snuggling close to his body, his lips brushing across his cheek, kissing it tenderly, his fingers drumming through the other, also messing with his hair.
"You're so much more responsive after the drink~" Venti teased, noticing the red on his fiancé's face intensify. "I can't wait for you to really loosen up. After the wedding, right~? Right~?" He continued teasing, rubbing his nose against Xiao's skin.
"I'm not sure I understand what you implied, but whatever it is, after the wedding, yes." Xiao was not processing the words properly. It was the effect of the alcohol and the affection of his fiancé. They were too many things for him to absorb at once.
Venti laughed, incredulous. Perhaps Xiao was weaker to alcohol than he had imagined. The fact that the yaksha was now rubbing his cheek against his should be because of that — he was much more receptive that way. And Venti didn't want to take advantage. He wanted to see Xiao this way when they were on their wedding night — he hoped much, much more.
He gave Xiao another kiss on the lips and helped him up from the bed, saying that they had better rest, as it was late and they had drunk beyond what Venti had stipulated — and it wasn't a lie, they'd practically used up the bottle of wine themselves. It was a strong one, by all accounts.
Xiao returned to his room half dazed, sad that he had to leave Venti. He took that time to reflect — or try to reflect, after all, the alcohol wasn't allowing him to think straight. He wouldn't really realize until the next day, remembering the way he had put his fiancé in his lap and how he had stood over him.
And the teasing — the after marriage. Xiao woke up sweating and red as a Jueyun chilli. The innuendo alone was making him melt into a puddle of despair. Imagine after the wedding.
Speaking of him, with Morax's arrival, Xiao had finally hit upon the fact that soon, the ceremony would take place. He knew it was a bureaucratic part too, but the details began to probe his mind — and for the weeks that followed, watching his fiancé was making him daydream and blush for nothing.
He hoped he wouldn't get a permanent red on his face, otherwise he would become one with the wedding outfit.
It had been months since the whole marriage proposal had been set up. And finally, they had set a date for the ceremony — with Morax's return, the contract could finally be signed.
However, there was something that Xiao had been pondering ever since he had found out that his fiancé was the God of Freedom. And that thought was slowly consuming him every day. For that reason, he requested a meeting with Morax in person.
It was soon after that they chose a suitable date for the ceremony — since, according to Liyue traditions, it should be on a day that was considered lucky for the couple to have a promising future. He called his lord in private so they could talk. Morax was surprised to say the least, not to say extremely curious. He told Xiao that in a few days, he would call him so that they could clarify whatever it was.
And that moment had come. The yaksha was standing at his lord's door, waiting for his lord to allow him in. The concession was given and without delay, Xiao opened the door, pulling it closed before bowing to Morax.
"I thank you for accepting this meeting, my lord." The yaksha began, noticing Morax make a sign of dismissal with his hand.
"No formalities, Xiao. I'm not considering it as anything official for all this. Please take a seat." Morax indicated a chair in front of him and, without delay, Xiao settled down, staring at his hands. "Come on, tell me, what ails you?"
"... My lord... Morax." He began, taking a deep breath, more focused on his fingers. "I... have been pondering something about my marriage. Something very serious. And I... need to discuss it with you." He finally looked at his Archon, the intensity of his gaze surprising Morax.
"So, say. Now I'm worried."
"I... about Venti..."
Slowly, Xiao tried to explain his dilemma and humbly made a request to Morax — he was the God of Contracts, the one who would firm up their union, rule by rule. And only he could grant his request. Without his permission, Xiao would feel lost.
He noticed as his lord crossed his arms, thoughtful. Xiao swallowed dryly, anxious, drumming his fingers through each other. Morax closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, as he gave his verdict minutes later:
"All right, I accept your request." He smiled, generously, as he watched the yaksha breathe a relieved breath.
"Thank you, my lord. I will be immensely grateful to you and your kindness." He bowed, making Morax laugh.
"Come on, let it go. It's a reasonable request under the circumstances." He clarified, smoothing his hair. "You... are very kind, Xiao. I believe Barbatos knows that. He will be pleased."
"I hope so, my lord. I hope so..." Xiao admitted, blushing slightly as he remembered his fiancé's smile.
There was very little he could do for him. At least, Xiao imagined that.
He asked his lord for leave, saying that he would no longer take his time, as he needed to talk to Venti about some things still. Morax understood and granted him permission to leave, after all, the matter was settled.
As he left, Xiao felt a huge weight being lifted from his back. Now he needed to find Venti and talk to him about the wedding preparations — after all, they had many different traditions from Mondstadt. And Venti would need to follow them all to the letter.
Liyue weddings were made of several steps, but not all of them were essential to its completion — many depended from couple to couple. In their case, Xiao knew that they would need to do the tea ceremony out of respect for Morax and Guizhong. Then they would hold a reception for Guili's palace. As well as, of course, signing the contract in front of the God of Contracts himself — that being the first and most important of them.
But all this would need to be discussed with Venti — and he was going to do it right then and there. The sooner, the better. He searched the palace, until he was told by one of the servant girls where Venti was. He went quickly to that garden, stopping when he heard the music of a flute.
He began to slowly approach when he saw that it was his fiancé playing a Dihua flute, one of Liyue's typical instruments. Xiao closed his eyes, being taken in by the melody, breathing more relieved by it.
It was no lie when Venti had said that he could play any instrument. At this point, Xiao wondered why he doubted him. He was the Archon of Mondstadt, it was obvious that he was versed in various arts. He opened his eyes and blushed, building up the courage to approach. When it came, his fiancé noticed him, stopping the music and smiling at him.
"Xiao~ Good afternoon!" Venti greeted as the yaksha approached and sat down next to him. "Enjoying the music?"
"Yes... it is very beautiful. You play the flute very well." Venti blushed lightly, responding his typical bashful "ehe" to the situation. "Venti... I had a talk with Morax today about our marriage contract."
"Oh?" The boy startled, placing the flute in his lap and looking seriously at Xiao. "And... for what reason, if I may ask? I thought the clauses of the contract were already locked in."
"I..." Xiao took a deep breath, looking him in the eye to announce, "I asked Morax to add one more. One that would allow you to leave in case you no longer wanted to be with me... Should you ever stop loving me."
"Oho?" Venti laughed, this time blushing very hard. "And may I know the need for that? Do you think I would be able to stop loving you?"
"I..." Xiao sighed, pouting. "I don't want to take away your freedom. It's something that bothered me a lot when I first learned that you were the Archon of Mondstadt, the God of Freedom. I... I don't want to prune that from you."
"Xiao, I told you that–"
"Yes, I know." Xiao stared at him again, serious. "I know that freedom means making choices. And I want you to be able to choose to stay with me. If one day, you choose not to stay anymore, I want you to be able to have that choice."
"Ah..." Venti was speechless. "That... isn't that against the initial proposal of the contract?" he questioned, worried.
"A little." Xiao confessed, pondering now. "But Mondstadt and Liyue are building a very strong union. I believe that this relationship can last above our feelings. I wouldn't want to attach you to me without a feeling, not after all we've been through."
"You are too kind." Venti commented, taking Xiao's face with both hands, making him stare at him. "That way, I will fall even more in love with you." He brought his face closer to the yaksha's, rubbing his nose with his. "Cute~"
"Venti, please, not like this." Xiao asked, feeling even more embarrassed. "I... I was thinking about it for a long time. And I was afraid that my lord would not accept it. But he thought it a reasonable measure, being about you."
"Ah." Venti laughed, resting his forehead against Xiao's. "Morax being Morax, isn't he? He thinks I'm frivolous about anything except feelings."
"No... I think he understands the concept of freedom that you preach. And he thought it wise to give you options." Xiao defended his lord, making Venti ponder and agree with him. "And... besides, I want to explain how our ceremony will take place. I think it's important."
"I'm all ears to you~" Venti pulled away from him, straightening up and waiting.
Xiao set about explaining how the ceremonies would take place. He began by explaining about the signing of the contract, then the tea and the reception of the guests. He commented on the traditional clothes — how Venti was free to choose how his would be made, since he was a foreigner. He also said that they would look at it for the next few days and that in all, their wedding would last three full days.
Venti was stunned, wondering how such an event could last so long, but he was certainly delighted at the possibility. After agreeing on the ceremonial processes, they spent a few more hours together before saying goodbye.
From that moment on, their days were watered down with chores that didn't allow them to see each other that often. Venti spent days to choose his wedding clothes — Xiao was curious how it turned out, but when the time was right, he would see. His own, on the other hand, he knew what they looked like — and the thought about blushing as much as the colour of the clothes was still real, as it was already happening the more he thought about it.
The nights went by too fast, the days were too rushed, and soon the date for the start of their wedding arrived. To say that the two weren't nervous was a fallacy — they were both a nervous wreck. Perhaps Xiao more so than Venti. The night before, when they saw each other for a few minutes, he seemed very happy and excited. And that feeling alone made Xiao feel reassured that everything would work out.
At the present moment, he was waiting for his fiancé to sign their contract. It was the initial act of the marriage and the most important. Morax himself would read the terms and, if they both agreed, they would sign and enter into a pact that could never be broken.
Venti appeared just before they started. For this moment, there were no formal clothes, although Xiao was wearing his — Venti was wearing the hanfu he usually wore and that would be enough.
Gathered in addition to them and Morax were Liyue's entire committee — as it was a marriage that had been previously arranged, everyone should agree with the terms. Venti was the representative of Mondstadt as a whole — and his word was valid for his entire committee and his kingdom.
"I kindly request the attention of all present as I announce clause by clause." Morax began, as he unrolled the parchment he had written. "Between them, I will give pause for questions to be asked. Being all in agreement, I will move on. At the end, the bride and groom will sign it, and after that, nothing else can be changed."
Everyone agreed and he began his speech. They were standard clauses, safeguarding commercial, political, military contracts, the exclusivity of the fiancés, the rights of kingdoms, among others. There were no interruptions, until finally, Morax announced something special:
"As an extra clause, it is predicated that in the event of a break-up of the marriage due to the disinterest or personal conflict of one of the parties, both kingdoms will keep their peace treaty intact. Both are also guaranteed joint military protection and trade shares. However, political rights and internal influence will be undone."
"One moment, Morax..." Cloud Retainer intervened in due course as Morax's speech closed. "That clause is something new. Why was it added?"
"Because I asked." Xiao interjected, answering for his lord. "It is a personal request of mine."
"What is the purpose of us arranging the marriage with a clause like that?" She questioned Xiao directly, crossing her arms. The yaksha considered answering, however Venti intervened, serene:
"The primary purpose of marriage is the influence and decision-making power of the spouses." Venti smiled, his tone of voice low, unchanged. He continued, "Should there be a breakup for personal reasons by one or both parties, the kingdoms are guaranteed joint military protection and trade. However, political power, which is influenced by marriage, is removed. I think that's fair. Don't you agree, Cloud Retainer?"
"Hm, well..." She stirred her wings, making a disgusted expression. "It makes sense, though I don't see gain to the realms the existence of that clause."
"It thinks more in the personal realm of the bride and groom than the realms. It's a way for the personal not to influence the political and vice versa" Venti explained with gentleness in his voice. "It is sensible to think that way, for maintaining a marriage where the personal parts do not go well can clearly influence the political course of the kingdoms. And I believe that was never the original proposal, was it?"
"Hmm..." Cloud Retainer was speechless. The committee, meanwhile, seemed enlightened by Venti's explanation.
"If you are all in agreement, I will follow with the following clauses." Silence remained, only the nods that authorized Morax's words to continue.
Still ten more clauses were read before the bride and groom could finally sign the contract. It took seconds for Xiao and Venti to do so, and then Morax pronounced:
"By the blessings of the God of Contracts, I declare this union sealed."
Xiao's sigh of relief was audible in the silence of the room. Gradually, everyone presents stood up and withdrew. Venti remained by his side until they were practically alone in the room.
"Nee, nee~" He muttered to Xiao, excited. "Did you like it? I behaved well this time, ehe~" Xiao thought of complimenting his fiancé, however Morax, who was still standing between them, intervened, lightly tapping the parchment that was the marriage contract on the top of Venti's head. "Ouch!"
"Sometimes your brains work for something." That's what the old friend said, smiling. "I'm glad for your union. And I'm looking forward to the next steps, too."
"Ehe~ Thank you, Morax!" Venti smiled, his face slightly reddened. "It'll be fun to be part of the family!"
"You..." He squeezed Venti's cheeks, "You'll need to behave, that's for sure." Morax turned to Xiao, warning, "At the reception, keep an eye on him. Don't hesitate to pull the reins and brake him. Otherwise, it'll get impossible later."
"Mowax, you booooring!" He let go of Venti, excusing himself as he walked away. Xiao only watched, attentive, a relationship he was not a part of, perchance he understood. "He's very annoying, Xiao. Don't listen to him."
"Venti, I..." Xiao sighed, feeling his hands tied. "I can't, you know that."
"Alright, daddy's boy." At the same instant, Xiao made a sulky face and Venti couldn't help himself, laughing.
For the first day, it would be just that — which took hours of their time. And unnecessary tension from Cloud Retainer's comment. With everything firmed up, Xiao and Venti spent some time together before returning to the business of the remaining ceremonies.
On the second day, it was the tea ceremony. Traditional to Liyue, one of the servant girls, personally chosen by Xiao and Venti, would be tasked with preparing the tea that they would offer to the figures important to Xiao — since adepti did not have a precise family lineage. The figures would be Morax and Guizhong, respectively.
On that day, Xiao had his first glimpse of what his fiancé's wedding clothes would look like. And, as he had thought, his face turned as red as the attire he wore.
Venti was wearing what they called Longfeng Gua, consisting of a long-sleeved blouse and a long skirt that was also long, red with gold ornaments — all represented by phoenixes and small birds. His little braids were pinned back from his hair, which further highlighted his face and eyes. Xiao was fixated on him, so much so that he had almost forgotten to greet him.
"Ahém, Venti, you–" Words were lacking for him. Venti smiled, approaching his fiancé, further adjusting Xiao’s outfit which was composed of red blouse and trousers, all adorned in gold as well, but with dragon designs. "That outfit looks very nice on you."
"Thanks~ But it's still not the clothes for the reception ceremony." The smile on Venti's face only widened, excited. "I hope you like the other one, too. I thought it turned out pretty good~"
"Don't do this to me, please." Xiao asked, his imagination running a million at that moment. He would be wondering all day what Venti's clothes would look like, if that one was already stunning on him.
Unfortunately, he didn't have much to think about, as the ceremony was about to begin. They entered the hall, only he, Venti, Guizhong and Morax being present. Tea was served by the chosen servant girl, and then Xiao and Venti offered them to Morax and Guizhong, hoping it would be of their appreciation.
And, undeniably, it was. That was one of the best and most skilled servants they had — Xiao didn't choose wrong. The tea was enjoyed by them slowly. Then they both offered their congratulations and blessings to the bride and groom — with Guizhong's teasing comments to how perfect Venti looked in that outfit and how lucky Xiao was for it.
By the end of that whole marathon, he would merge into his wedding outfit, he was sure of it.
Another day they couldn't spend much time together, as Xiao concentrated on the final preparations for the reception of the guests the next day. It was restricted to Guili's palace only, however apart from those who were drafted to help, everyone would be present: adepti, yakshas, their lords, the rest of the servants, army...
Just imagining it, Xiao felt exhausted. It was one thing to socialize with them individually every day. It was another to gather them in the largest hall they had for this celebration. It was part of tradition, he knew, but if he could, he would skip that part.
Finally, the third day had arrived and Xiao was a nervous wreck. Facing all that crowd would be difficult for him, especially for so many hours, as this ceremony would be.
With a light touch on his shoulder, the yaksha turned to meet his still-fiancé, smiling to reassure him. But the sight of Venti only made him even more agitated.
He was wearing an outfit similar to his own, long-sleeved blouse and trousers; however, this blouse left his shoulders exposed — and the gold details were composed of phoenixes, not dragons. He also had what looked like a scarf, red, the ends embroidered in gold thread, which he wore on his arms as an adornment. His hair was loose, and attached to the top of his locks was a Cecilia and Qingxin buckle, forged in the most precious metal they had, the cor lapis.
"Liyue calling Xiao!" Venti joked, realizing that his fiancé wasn't paying attention to what he was saying. "What's up, you look flighty. Did my outfit cause you that much astonishment?"
"I–I..."
"Ehe~ I said it looked pretty!" Venti approached him, kissing his cheek gently, murmuring in his ear, "The buckle was Guizhong's gift. I loved it, how about you?"
Venti's response was a sharp, unintelligible sound from Xiao. The boy laughed, resolving that it was best not to provoke his fiancé further, or he was liable to melt down.
When they realized that all the guests had arrived and were seated, it was their moment to appear. Xiao and Venti thanked everyone for their presence and patience, thanked the servants who had been willing to help them that night and asked everyone to please enjoy their dinner.
And throughout the afternoon and early evening, they were divided between passing between the tables, greeting the guests, talking to each of them. Xiao didn't know how to react to half of the emotions he was feeling at that moment, between congratulations and jokes from acquaintances, even tributes from army colleagues. It was too much for him to process at once.
The reception was closing very late. However, there was still one tradition he needed to do alone with Venti. As the guests began to leave, Xiao guided Venti to another, more private room, where he had separated two glasses and one of Liyue's most expensive wines.
"Oho~!" Venti's eyes shone in excitement. "What's that? A gift?"
"Actually..." Xiao cleared his throat, catching his fiancé's eye. "It's a tradition I want to do with you, too. In addition to all the ones we've done. It's more... personal."
"Hmmm~ I'm interested." Xiao was reddened by the innuendo of his, still, fiancé. He took him by the hand, guiding him to sit on one of the chairs and sat down next to him.
"It may not be what you like best, however for me it is important." He clarified, filling both cups and offering one to Venti. Before he took it, Xiao had them cross the arms in which they held the cups, looking deep into Venti's eyes as he uttered, "For our marriage to be prosperous, an individual blessing."
He noticed how Venti was put off by his words, laughing softly afterwards. It was something not very usual at that time — Xiao was much more prone to such reactions than Venti. But seeing him like this was somewhat adorable in Xiao's eyes.
Slowly, they sipped from the wine, their crossed arms symbolizing their united lives. When they finished, they uncrossed their arms and Xiao put the wine away.
"Oh, that was it?!" Venti was clearly disappointed. "That's one of Liyue's best wines, Xiao!"
"Unfortunately, tradition is tradition." He knelt before Venti, holding his hands. "I... really hope our union lasts for many, many years, Venti."
"Ehe~" The boy smiled, serene, touching his forehead with that of his, now yes, husband. "It will last, Xiao. No need to worry about it. We have a long, long time ahead of us..." Venti drew his husband's face even closer, slipping his lips with his, delicately, hinting at a kiss
And Xiao gladly accepted the kiss he was offering, letting Venti sink his tongue into his mouth. The taste of wine could still be felt, a bittersweet sensation, delicious and much appreciated by Xiao. He squeezed his fingers tighter in Venti's hands, causing him to laugh, breaking the contact.
Slowly, the yaksha stood up and guided his husband to do the same. The hall had already been dismantled. It was already quite late, it was time for them to return to their quarters.
However, it wasn't until halfway through that Xiao remembered that Venti no longer had a room — his things had been moved earlier, to the room they would be sharing from that night onwards. His face turned red again and Xiao could hear his husband's laughter beside him, making him even more embarrassed.
When they reached the place where they shared and entered, Venti was surprised to find the bed arranged with red covers like their clothes — Xiao explained, as he closed the door, that that was another tradition of theirs. Red was a very important colour and one of good fortune for future spouses. Venti nodded, curious, absorbing each of Xiao's words.
Slowly, the boy approached the bed, touching the covers, seeming to appreciate their texture. Then he sat on the edge of the bed, loving the softness of the mattress. Xiao imitated him, sitting down on the other side, taking the opportunity to lean against the pillow a little. He was very tired from the whole ceremony.
Watching her husband on his back, in that outfit, was a very beautiful sight. Xiao couldn't resist and brought his fingertips to Venti's shoulders, touching his skin, loving the soft texture under his fingers. He moved them up to the nape of Venti's neck, loving how a sweet shiver ran down his back.
And then, suddenly, in a flash, Venti turned and climbed over his body, brushing against his nose with his own. Xiao blinked, stunned, processing the whole fact.
"You're rather naughty, don't you think~?" Venti teased, letting the scarf rub sweetly across Xiao's face. Their breaths mingled, their lips danced across each other, a subtle touch like that of a feather. "Xiaoo~ Come on, answer me~"
"I..." The yaksha yawned, squeezing his eyes shut a moment. The room was in a delectable dimness and the warmth of Venti's body close to his was comforting. "I..."
"Ah, my love." Venti's voice was understanding, sweet as a melody. "Are you tired?"
"Exhausted." Xiao admitted, closing his eyes and relaxing his shoulders. He felt the moment Venti got off of him to throw himself beside him on the bed. "Venti?" Xiao turned to face his spouse's face, being greeted by a gentle touch on his cheek, Venti's fingers caressing his skin.
"Get some rest. We have all the time in the world now." That's what he said. Xiao didn't seem to understand very well, but another yawn came from his lips.
And he allowed himself to be lulled into exhaustion, feeling how Venti pulled him in and snuggled him into the middle of his chest. He allowed himself to be wrapped in the cozy warmth of his husband's body, the sweet scent of the Cecilias intoxicating his sense of smell, the caresses of his fingers nesting him into a peaceful sleep he had not enjoyed in a long time.
Xiao awoke before the first rays of sunlight, rising in a single, abrupt movement. He looked around the dark room, finding Venti asleep beside him, mumbling something in his sleep. At that moment, the memories of the previous day came back to him.
They got married. They were officially husbands now. Xiao felt his face heat up a little at the thought, but that soon crumbled when he noticed that he was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday's ceremony. He grunted, annoyed. He was so tired that he fell asleep without changing.
It didn't take long to notice that Venti did the same, even sleeping with the clip in his hair. He sighed in disbelief. Slowly, hoping not to wake his husband, Xiao removed the ornament from Venti's hair, getting up quietly to leave it on the bedside table beside him.
He stood up and stretched, thinking it was time for a bath and a change of clothes. Before doing so, he stared at Venti again, slowly pulling back part of the bed cover so he could cover him. He turned to go to the bathroom in their quarters when he felt soft, needy fingers touch his.
"Xiao...” Venti muttered, his eyes small and gritty. "Where are you going? What time is it?"
"Shhh... " He lowered himself down beside his husband, touching his face affectionately, noticing how he squeezed his eyes shut, slyly. "It's too early yet, you can keep sleeping. I'm just going to change my clothes. Later, you do the same, will you? "
"Hmmm-hmmm" Venti complained, disengaging from Xiao and turning the other way. The yaksha laughed. Venti was probably still asleep, not knowing what he was talking or doing.
Xiao treated himself to a quick shower and change his clothes, leaving the ceremonial robes to be washed later. He still had some time before sunrise and was well rested — a morning training would be appropriate. He tried to make the room as quiet as possible to let his husband rest peacefully.
Now, he would not need to accompany Xiao in these little routines. Certainly, he was more used to it by now. And they could spend other moments together.
He trained in the Guili gardens until when the sun was highest, feeling invigorated — the several days he had skipped this stage of his day were leaving him feeling distressed. Xiao liked to move around, it did him good. He decided that after that he would have some breakfast — probably the others in the palace were also doing so in the main hall.
As soon as he got there, he found Ganyu and Cloud Retainer enjoying some good morning tea. He expected to find Venti, but assumed his husband was still asleep — he wouldn't be surprised, it wasn't often that Venti had breakfast with them.
"Good morning!" Ganyu greeted his friend, making a sign for him to sit with them.
"What did you think of the ceremony yesterday?" he questioned as he sat down in one of the chairs at the table next to them. "I hope it was to everyone's liking. "
"It was perfect! You guys looked so beautiful! " Ganyu sounded dreamy as she said that. "I hope one day I can have a wedding like that too! "
"If you continue with your behavior, you probably won't even get married." Cloud Retainer retorted, making Ganyu snort. "Although you claim you have someone... I've never even heard of that person... "
"I'm not introducing them yet!” Ganyu brandished, blushing lightly. "They are also a busy person. At the right time, I promise, Cloud Retainer. "
"I'm waiting.” She commented, taking a sip of her tea.
"What about you, Xiao?” Ganyu deflected the subject, glancing at the yaksha as he picked up some tea. "How was last night? I hope you enjoyed it~" She gave a small, relaxed chuckle as Cloud Retainer rolled her eyes.
"Hm?" Xiao raised his eyebrows, baffled. "Was it... normal? I mean, it's been a few years since I had a peaceful sleep like that, but other than that, no big deal...?"
"Hee?" Ganyu was confused, startled. Xiao replicated her expression, still uncomprehending. "Xiao... yesterday was your wedding night, wasn't it?"
Silence at the table. They stared at each other for a few moments, until the plug fell on Xiao and he almost spat out the tea that was in his throat. Ganyu blushed up to her horns and Cloud Retainer began to laugh — a frightening sight to witness, to say the least.
"I–I... I didn't...” He tried to justify himself, but even he didn't have a justification. He was so tired that he just ended up falling asleep without remembering it. "Ah..."
"You forgot your wedding night, by Rex Lapis!” Cloud Retainer brandished, amused. "Menogias needs to hear that story, she'll love it."
"Please don't." Xiao asked, watching as Ganyu stuffed her face into her hands, embarrassed. "Ganyu?"
"I... sorry, I didn't mean to intrude in such a direct way. It was just... a joke... and it escalated so quickly... " Xiao sighed, relieved. He knew his friend didn't have the meanness of Cloud Retainer, nor did she want to humiliate him.
They still finished breakfast together, showered with provocative comments from Cloud Retainer — in which Xiao relented, however, left him thoughtful. Last night, he was too tired to give it any thought, but it was a fact that one day it would happen.
And that was where the problem lay: Xiao had no idea what he should do.
That alone was making him impatient, restless. To think he didn't have exactly who to turn to was another problem that was plaguing him. He... wouldn't like to ask Venti. It would be an odd question, to say the least.
He had a little idea. It would be a bit bold of him, but she was the only person he trusted enough to ask that question indiscreetly and not be too judged. He went looking for her in the garden of Glaze Lilies and undeniably, he had found her, sitting alone, admiring the flowers.
"Guizhong, my lady?" Xiao called out, a little reluctantly. She smiled upon seeing him, signaling for him to come closer.
"Xiao! Come on, come here.” The yaksha slowly, reluctantly, approached. "What's the matter? You don't look so good."
"My lady, I... " He lowered his face, mustering the courage to ask. "I have... doubts. And I have nowhere to turn. Could the lady guide me?"
"Oh, Xiao.” She smiled even more brightly, serene. "You know you can count on me. Come on, what ails you?"
"I... " Xiao raised his face abruptly, staring at his mistress as he hurriedly asked, "Does the mistress happen to know how boys have sex?"
"Oh." she exclaimed, widening her eyes and placing her hand over her lips, caught off guard. Xiao swallowed dryly, anxious. "Did you... by any chance even consider asking Morax about that?"
Silence between them, the cogs inside Xiao's head working lethargically, trying to connect Guizhong's speech, to make sense of her words. For long seconds, he only blinked, until he understood the situation and blushed violently.
"Ah–! I–!” He tried to justify himself, making her laugh.
"You and he share the same neuron; did you know that?” She joked, making Xiao lower his face, even more embarrassed. "Calm down. To reassure you, yes, I know how boys have sex. Would you prefer me to guide you? Would you feel more comfortable that way?"
"Uh... " Xiao shrugged, taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "I honestly… don't wish I had asked that. But I'm unsure. "
"I can imagine, my dear.” Kindly, Guizhong placed both hands on Xiao's face, making him raise his head and face her again, smiling as his topaz eyes focused on her. “But don't worry, it doesn't bother me. I had to explain to Morax how humans had sex once too, it was funny.” She recalled, a little nostalgically. "That was just before we were married, still, it was fun to explain and see his reaction."
"My lady?!" Xiao blushed again, turning even his ears red. That was certainly information he didn't need to know. "I– I don't know how to react to that, honestly?"
"It's just to justify how you two share the same neuron.” She nodded, agreeing with herself. "Now, sit with me, I'll explain it to you. And pass you some books I have on the subject later, too."
"The–there are books about... that?” Xiao was nervous, breaking into a cold sweat.
"There are books of absolutely everything. We just don't leave them in the library, open to the general public of the palace.” She shrugged. "They're private things of mine that I collected with the humans, that's all."
Xiao nodded, understanding. His mistress was entitled to keep some books private, too.
Following this topic, Guizhong began to answer Xiao's questions. She explained things in a relaxed manner, trying to address everything she knew and in a way that did not make Xiao too uncomfortable — blushing, however, was a constant part of his face as he tried to absorb and process his mistress's words.
They spent hours talking just the two of them. Later, Venti and Morax appeared and they closed the subject, pretending to be relaxed — though Venti suspected something by the expression his husband made.
Even that day, Xiao did not touch the subject with Venti. And the subsequent days were a bit awkward, as Xiao was not knowing how to behave in the presence of his spouse — and Venti, frightened as he was, did not let the situation go unnoticed.
"Xiao, what's bothering you so much?" he was direct, when the two were alone in one of Guili's gardens. "It's been days since you've been strange, unsure. Has something happened?"
"No–!” He thought of denying it, but Venti made a sulky, determined expression:
"No denying it. Come on, be straight with me." Xiao sighed, lowering his face, feeling his ears burn as he replied:
"It's about the wedding night" he muttered, not facing his husband. "I... let it go by and... even now, I'm thinking about it."
"Aha~" Venti smiled, understanding. "Was that all it was? You were tired, my love. I wouldn't feel right teasing you in that state." Venti clarified. "And... if you're not ready, that's fine with me. We can put it off until the time you feel comfortable."
"But!” Xiao raised his face abruptly, staring at Venti in a surprised, startled manner. "Don't you feel that... I'm... letting you down in something? Letting you down? Or–"
"Calm down" Venti ordered with a sign. "It's not like that, Xiao. This is a very personal thing of ours. We both need to feel comfortable, don't we?" Xiao seemed to ponder, placing his hand on his chin thoughtfully. "I don't mind waiting, really. It's not something I need for yesterday. When the time is right, everything will happen."
Xiao sighed, not knowing how to react to his husband's words. Venti offered him a warm smile, hugging him affectionately. The yaksha knew his husband's words were true — Venti had always been very understanding, since the beginning of their relationship.
The others, however, were not so much. Cloud Retainer had commented on the fact with Menogias — who commented with Bosacius, Indarias, Bonanus and even Pervases. And from them it spread to the other adepti. By the time he realized it, virtually his entire innermost circle knew of the situation.
And Xiao had nowhere to hide his face. He wanted to dig a hole and shove himself in, spend a week and wait for the matter to cool down. He was asking all the gods of Celestia that the matter had not reached Morax's ears — yet he suspected that his lord must have already known, probably through the mouth of Guizhong herself, though she did not comment maliciously on it.
Unlike what Xiao had expected, Venti wasn't bothered by the banter — he laughed, calling all of Xiao's friends’ perverts for wanting to spy on other people's lives. And, obviously, they were embarrassed when Venti answered them — it was a skill of his that Xiao envied, as he could only grumble and complain. Perhaps that was why they enjoyed playing with him so much.
Over time, the subject subsided, which calmed Xiao down — and between him and Venti, it had kind of fallen by the wayside. Until that day when the yaksha, watching his husband lying in the field of flowers, decided to do a little caress.
He moved closer to Venti, standing over his body, kissing his lips sweetly as he dozed. He took his fingers to caress his face, laying his body a little more on top of his husband, affectionately. He could hear the sound of Venti's characteristic chuckle, pulling away a little to face him in the eyes — and, ah, how the emerald of his irises shone, lewd, inciting.
"Xiao~" He hummed, smiling mischievously. "You... want to consummate our marriage here~?" he joked, sliding his lips into the yaksha's. Xiao, in turn, widened his eyes, his face blushing whole immediately, turning away from his spouse.
"Venti, I–! I didn't mean to imply that, I swear!" He tried to justify himself, the cogs in his head going into gear. Venti stood up from among the flowers, blinking, incredulous.
“Baby, calm down, it was a joke.” He clarified, gesturing for his husband to calm down. Xiao took a deep breath, not knowing where to hide his face. "You... you're making too much of an issue of this, don't you think? I told you, everything in its own time. I'm in no hurry. It was just a subtle provocation..."
"I... sorry" he admitted, hiding his face in his hands. He was more worried about it than he was letting on.
After this episode, things were once again troubled in his mind. He could not do anything with tranquility — not train, not meditate, not eat, not sleep. Insecurity was haunting him to such an extent that it began to be evident even in his face, making his master ask him once, a week after this was happening:
"Are you feeling tormented by something?" They were in the library and Xiao's first response, after sighing at length, was:
"Married life is hard."
Morax let out a puffed out laugh, seeming to agree up to a certain point. He waited in silence for the yaksha to elaborate on the situation, but since that didn't happen, he decided to ask himself:
"Is it by any chance still about the wedding night?" Morax noticed how Xiao had blushed at the question, the strands of his hair coming out of place. "... If you get annoyed, I won't elaborate on the matter. "
"I... Hm." He stuffed his face into his hands. "I'm sorry for pestering even you with that. "
"It's not importunate, not least because I'm the one who questioned it." Morax made a dismissive gesture with his hands. "I won't go into details either, it's your private life. But I remember I had similar doubts before I got married. Guizhong is very literate, she certainly has great advice, she helped me a lot at the time."
"My lord..." Xiao began, swallowing his shame to question, "If memory serves me right, Lady Guizhong was your first wife, no? You guys didn't...?"
"Yes, of course. But I couldn't understand the process. She needed to explain it to me in detail." He crossed his arms, serious, not seeming the least bit shaken by the situation. "I confess I was curious and..."
Morax had spent quite a while discoursing on his discoveries at the time, without going into intimate detail. But Xiao was surprised, to say the least, at such a stoic reaction from his lord — perhaps that was why Guizhong had commented that they seemed to share the same neuron. Though Xiao was far from Morax's composure. Perhaps not even with as many years as he was, the yaksha would be as serious about such situations.
His emotions got the best of him, much of the time.
Obviously, the conversation with his lord did not add that much to his repertoire of knowledge — and he was exhausted from thinking about it. However, Morax's words at the end of his long speech were precious:
"In the end, it's something between you two, right? As much as people talk and share experiences, it's something for you to figure out on your own.” He shrugged, as if it was nothing important. "Barbatos is very understanding, too. He must know that you have your time. So, take it wisely. That's what I think."
"I... thank you, my lord. " Morax smiled, understanding.
After that, Morax took his leave, as he had other commitments and his time to relax was over. Xiao seemed calmer again — indeed, his master was right. Venti was understanding and had attested more than once that he was willing to wait for Xiao's moment for everything to happen.
At the end of that day, the reflection that remained for the yaksha was that no matter what, he was comfortable just being next to his husband — being able to share the soft bed with him every night was very comforting. The smell of the Cecilias, the warmth of their close body, Venti's sporadic laughter as they talked themselves to sleep — it was all precious.
Everything had its time, after all. Xiao would find his. And he was sure that when the right time came, it would be very, very fruitful for both of them.
That night, Xiao went to bed earlier as Venti had arrived later than usual. He said that he lost track of time while he was chatting with Cloud Retainer and Ganyu. And before going to bed, he wanted to take a bath.
He didn't give it that much thought, as he wouldn't sleep that quickly either. Although, after getting married, Xiao finally started to get some real sleep, it was still not something that happened easily. His alertness was much higher and would keep him awake for hours. Usually, it was talking to Venti that would incite sleep in him — his husband's melodious voice was like a lullaby to him.
The room was in a delectable dimness, and the yaksha only snuggled further on the covers, waiting. He heard the moment the bathroom door opened, Venti's footsteps against the floorboards filling his hearing, stoking his senses. Finally, he heard the creaking of the mattress as Venti sat on his side of the bed, pausing to pay attention to his husband.
He was wearing the dressing gown he usually wore to bed; however, he had left the knot that held it loose, causing it to slip a little off his body, leaving his shoulders showing. Xiao took a deep breath, remembering his wedding day, how Venti's clothes were opened in exactly the same place, and thought again: Venti had beautiful shoulders.
Not only his shoulders. His whole silhouette was beautiful. He had already attested to this several times, in thought and in words, but it was still a recurring thought when he stopped to observe his husband.
Xiao noticed how distracted Venti was, undoing the braids of his hair slowly, amused as he straightened them before lying down. It was another habit, the yaksha knew, but for some reason, the way Venti was subtly tilting his face forward as he did so was creating a sense of yearning in him — his perfectly aligned shoulders exposed, the nape of his neck lowered, leaving his neck fully on display for Xiao...
Slowly, he stood up, bringing his husband's body closer, nuzzling the tip of his nose against Venti's neck, running it down his skin in a subtle caress, swallowing from the scent of his skin — and Venti smelled of Cecilias and shampoo, a mix of Liyue's sweet essences with his favorite flower. The yaksha sighed, noticing how Venti shivered from his warm breath brushing against his skin.
"What's that?” Venti asked, laughing softly. He felt the moment when Xiao's bare hands came to his shoulders, his fingers running across them, outlining his surroundings, feeling his skin.
"Just affection. " Xiao replied, not too concerned with the question. He was more entertained in touching Venti slowly, memorizing every little bit of skin he passed through.
Slowly, Xiao began to trail his lips down his husband's neck, leaving small smooches as he walked his mouth to his shoulders. At the same tempo, he began to draw Venti's shoulders, feeling every rise of the skin, following every little curve of his silhouette. He noticed when his husband took a deeper breath, releasing the air slowly, seeming to enjoy the touch that Xiao was proposing.
His hands went down Venti's arms, touching the silk of the dressing gown, his fingers finding comfort in the curve his waist made. He let them press there, seeming to want to feel the skin beneath the fabric, the warmth emanating from him, even in his clothes.
"Xiao~" Venti hummed, a different tune than usual, laying his head to the side and offering more of his neck to his husband. Wasting no time, Xiao moved his lips up that way, the trail of kisses continuing, allowing his teeth to leave little nibbles where they passed. "Heh~"
"Do you like it?" he asked, still running his mouth up, stopping with it behind Venti's ear as he murmured, "If it bothers you, I'll stop..."
"Quite the opposite. Please continue” Venti's voice came out lower, the shiver running down the back of his neck to his back when Xiao's voice sounded so husky and close to him.
Xiao made a sound with the back of his throat, appreciating Venti's goodwill. He kissed behind his ear, letting his lips go straight to the nape of his spouse's neck, leaving wet kisses there and all over his neck, his hands slipping from Venti's waist to his belly, hugging him, pulling him closer to Xiao's body.
The yaksha sighed as his husband's back brushed against his chest, letting his nose climb into his hair. They smelled as sweet as his body, the Cecilias permeating his entire sense of smell, leaving him intoxicated with the aroma. He could feel the way Venti seemed to settle into his body, his arms and Xiao sighed, lost in the sensation, the warmth.
He noticed how his husband ran his hands up his arms, caressing them as he turned his face slightly to look at him. And the emeralds that were Venti's eyes sparkled brightly in the dimness of the room, the smile adorning his plump lips, a sweet pink tinting his cheeks. Xiao took a deep breath, noticing how Venti closed his eyes and hinted for him to kiss him.
And so, the yaksha did, brushing his lips against Venti's with tender, chaste, quiet little smooches, wanting to enjoy every little bit of Venti he could get his hands on. Soon, their mouths grew more eager, them tugging at each other's lips as their hands pressed tighter on each other's skins, seeming to want to mark each other.
Xiao was noticing the way Venti was turning, settling himself better on the bed. He sat up, letting his husband go to sit on his lap, parting his lips to allow Venti to run his tongue into his mouth, entwining it with his own. When his husband finally settled between his legs, Xiao ran his hands around his waist once more, bringing him closer, clasping their bodies together.
And for the first time that night, they groaned as they felt their cocks brush against each other, still over their dressing gowns, hard. Their kiss broke into small puffs, their noses rubbing against each other, Xiao's topaz staring at Venti's emeralds, wondering, pondering.
Before they could voice any decision, their lips met again, eager, their tongues entwining and exploring each other's mouths once more. Xiao's hands went down from his waist to Venti's thighs, squeezing the flesh, marking it in his fingers, while Venti's went to Xiao's neck, down his back, his nails running through the dressing gown, messing it up.
Slowly, Xiao turned and laid Venti down on the bed, letting his head gently rest against one of the pillows, knocking the other off the bed in the process. He felt as his spouse entwine his legs around his waist, feeling his dressing gown spread open and fall off, leaving his legs on display. Xiao sighed amidst the kiss when his fingers could finally find skin, warm, soft. He stroked Venti's thighs, thoughtful, letting his nails slide across them, leaving little marks.
He felt how Venti wanted to open his dressing gown too, making it fall off his shoulders, running his fingers through them, scratching the beginning of his back, the nape of his neck, provocative. He sucked on his husband's mouth, wanting to stifle the moan that came out of his throat, receiving a stripped laugh from him that aroused him even more.
They broke mouth contact, mashing their noses into each other, Xiao blinking, trying to keep his focus and thoughts full. However, as he faced Venti, he felt his face flush, lowering his head until his forehead rested against his chest.
"What is it, my love?" Venti asked, moving his fingers up into Xiao's hair, scratching his leather affectionately, receiving small sighs as an initial response.
"How do you want to do that?” Xiao asked, hoping to get his message across, even if indirectly. Venti made a sound with his throat, pondering while still stroking Xiao's hair.
"I don't mind bottoming, if that's what's going through your head" Venti commented, unassuming. "Honestly, any way for me is fine."
He felt the way Xiao's face went up his chest, past his neck, his face, until he stopped with his mouth on his ear, murmuring huskily and sensually:
"Good, because I want to devour you."
Venti half groaned, half laughed, his face immediately blushing, not knowing how to react to the statement. The heat that rose from his pelvis to his body, however, was more than enough of an answer for Venti, as he became even more excited by Xiao's proactivity.
"Who are you and what have you done with my husband?" Venti joked as soon as he regained his composure, unlocking his legs from Xiao's waist to spread them further apart on the bed, leaving room for him to fit his body there. He noticed when Xiao kissed his cheek, starting to drag his lips slowly across his skin, moving to his neck.
"Yakshas are naturally sexual creatures...” He began, murmuring close to Venti's skin, kissing it tenderly, gritting his teeth as he moved down his neck. “At least, that's what Menogias says. I don't understand these things, I don't understand desires, but...”
Xiao began to lightly lick the curve that Venti's neck made with his shoulders, kissing the skin afterwards. He did it again. And again, and again. Until finally, he clamped the skin slowly between his teeth, placing his lips over it, sucking on it, receiving a restrained moan in response from his husband. He released it after a while, noticing how reddened it had become. He slipped his lips back over it as he pronounced:
"But for some reason, right now, I have an uncontrollable urge to devour you."
"Haha" Venti laughed, a little nervous, not knowing how to react to this particular side of Xiao. "I hope you have a good appetite, then– Ah~" Venti groaned as he felt Xiao suck the same spot again, being sure that the mark had increased now.
He noticed the moment his husband pulled his face away from his skin, startled when he noticed the topaz irises so close to his own. He noticed how flushed Xiao's face was, how uneven his breathing was, how unsure he looked, despite being thirsty.
"Please, if I hurt you, let me know. I..." He began, his voice shaky. "I want to do things slowly, but I'm clumsy."
"You didn't seem clumsy to me now...” Venti murmured, receiving a tender kiss on the lips. And so close up, he could tell how Xiao was trembling slightly. "Ah, my love..." he whispered as he pulled his lips a little away from his own, noticing Xiao lower his face again.
The yaksha kissed Venti's Adam's apple gently, trailing his lips down his neck as he slowly brought his hands to open his husband's dressing gown further, exposing his chest to the dimness of the room. Xiao noticed the slight shiver running down his skin and smiled along with it, leaving several small kisses as he explored Venti's body.
He left little nibbles, light hickeys, various little marks. He wanted to leave Venti entirely full of them, bathed in the evidence of his love. With each new purple one that appeared, Venti moaned softly, seeming to enjoy Xiao's caresses.
Slowly, the yaksha brought his fingers to one of Venti's nipples: they were small and pink, unlike his own which were dark and a bit large. He started stroking around one of them, feeling the moment Venti stirred on the bed, seeming to enjoy the touch. Then Xiao slowly squeezed the nipple between his index finger and thumb, massaging it, noticing how hard it was getting from the contact.
Venti's moan was louder now, making Xiao wary. He licked his lips, moving them a little away from Venti's skin to bring him to the nipple he was playing with, kissing its tip, then brushing his tongue against it slowly. Another moan, more delivered than the previous one, a smile being born on Xiao's lips by the correct bet.
He parted his lips slightly, trapping Venti's nipple between them, sucking affectionately. He noticed the way his husband inflated his chest, moaning softly, seeming to enjoy the sensation. Then Xiao began to go around him with his tongue, still inside his mouth, alternating between little sucks and licks, paying attention to every little sound of approval that left Venti's lips.
"Xiao~" The first time he uttered his name in that melodious voice, melted by his touch, Xiao felt proud. He left Venti's nipple a little to start nibbling around it, noticing how it was now redder from his touches. "Ah~ That's... good~"
"Excellent to hear about that" he commented as he dragged his mouth down the middle of Venti's chest, moving on to the other.
He did the same process as the first: he played with it using his fingers, then slowly brought his lips against it, kissing, sucking, nibbling around. Venti's moans were more continuous, noticing how he brought his hand to his lips, biting his fingers lightly. And slowly, Xiao brought his own digits to Venti’s other nipple, beginning to caress it between his index finger and thumb as he sucked the other one lovingly.
He noticed how Venti parted his legs further apart, leaving him fully fitted there, being able to feel how his hard cock grazed on his body, still over his underwear. Xiao sighed between his touches, anxious. He wanted to touch Venti all over, but there were some parts he was more excited to see his spouse's reactions.
He released his fingers from Venti's nipple to finish opening his dressing gown, leaving him fully exposed. He heard a small complaint, probably from the difference in temperature between Venti's body and his surroundings. But Xiao made sure that it didn't bother his husband, not when he leaned his body against his again, let the heat be exchanged between them.
He let go of Venti's nipple at last, moving his mouth down his belly now, leaving several little kisses, nibbles and hickeys where he went. He felt the moment Venti's fingers came to his hair, messing up the strands as he gently kissed a little below his belly button, moving down to his pelvis, lowering his underwear as he descended the kisses.
When Xiao finally removed Venti's underwear and was able to observe his cock, he blushed, swallowing his saliva, anxious and nervous at the same time. Venti watched him, raising his eyebrows, intrigued and curious about his husband's reaction.
"Disappointed?” he asked, unassuming.
"Hm, no," Xiao stated, clearing his throat. "It's just... different the feeling of facing it from here, that's all."
"Haha, you're very cute, even in this situation~" Venti joked, noticing how the blush on his spouse's face grew even more.
"Ahem."
Xiao took a deep breath, not letting it go with his husband's teasing — he had more important jobs to do. And he hoped to make Venti melt with them.
Slowly, Xiao experimented with accommodating Venti's cock in his hand, making a subtle back and forth motion, moving up and down his foreskin in the process. Venti's moan was restrained at that first moment, but to Xiao's ears, it was a very positive sign for him to continue.
He repeated the motion once, twice more, before he began to bring his face closer, his hot breath brushing against the head of Venti's cock, causing his whole body to shiver and him to grab the covers in an anticipatory reaction. A smile passed across the yaksha's lips, victorious.
Still slow, he began to brush his lips over the head of his spouse's cock, leaving little kisses to, then, begin to open his mouth and let it slide into his throat.
It was a... different feeling for Xiao. The taste of Venti's skin was slightly salty, but his cock especially just reminded him of something... wet. It was probably the pre-cum that was in his mouth, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Just new. But no newer than the moans coming out of Venti's mouth: those were the most important new thing. He groaned openly now, squeezing his eyes shut as Xiao moved his head, letting it slip to the bottom of his mouth and back again.
He tried lowering one of his hands to Venti's balls, letting them mould to his palm, massaging them carefully and his spouse's moans only got louder, more delivered, his fingers clenching the covers on the bed, his hips wriggling and light. Xiao let his cock leave his mouth with a snapping sound, noticing how Venti gasped, satisfied, lost in pleasure.
Xiao ran his hands down Venti's thighs, caressing them, leaving little kisses and nibbles all over them. He wanted to mark them as he had marked the rest of his body, but he felt how sensitive his lover was, the pre-cum dripping all over his cock, falling a little on his balls and perineum. And Xiao found this moment propitious to do what he was thinking.
Slowly, he ran his hands under Venti's thighs, lifting his hips a little so he could see his perineum and entrance more clearly. And without a second thought, he moved his mouth closer to there, starting first to lick and suck his spouse's perineum, noticing how high-pitched his moans were, how he had plugged his mouth with his hand, a snapping sound of pounding skin filling the room.
"Relax, the joint rooms are all far apart. No one will hear us" Xiao reassured, returning with his mouth to Venti's perineum, starting to slip into his entrance.
"It's not because of... it... Xiao~" Venti's voice was melting as he felt his husband's mouth at his entrance, his tongue passing around it, beginning to penetrate him slowly. "Hmmmm~"
Xiao began sucking Venti again, giving him a thoughtful caress, preparing him for what was to come next. He wanted to be very careful in this moment, to make him relax and feel comfortable. He knew it was important, but he also didn't imagine it would be so pleasurable to do this. With each new moan that left his spouse's lips, Xiao felt even more aroused. Noticing the way Venti's face was flushed, how he pulled and repulled the covers on the bed, only made his cock even harder, dripping.
His underwear was totally soaked and he was not at all ashamed of it. He was excited for what was to follow — he had never had such a feeling in his life until then.
He was practically devouring Venti with his mouth, the sound his skin made as he was sucked filling the room, coming back to his ears and making Xiao moan in pleasure — it was the feeling of being able to touch Venti, of watching him crumble in his hands.
He moved his mouth up to his perineum again, pressing his tongue there, only to hear the way Venti's moan broke the tone and rhythm. Then he moved up to his balls, letting one of them into his mouth, sucking on it as well. The way Venti moaned his name made Xiao's cock ache in desire.
Patience was a virtue he had learned, thanks to the gods of Celestia.
He returned his mouth to his spouse's entrance, getting it ready again. And very slowly, he took one of his hands from Venti's thighs to bring it close to his entrance, trying to penetrate a finger there without moving his mouth away. It was a little difficult at first, but when he finally succeeded, Xiao felt how Venti had relaxed, the moan changing as his finger passed into his body.
He thought about asking how he was feeling, but noticing the way he relaxed and tightened his entrance around his finger, Xiao decided to continue with the caresses. He kept his tongue there, teasing, as he moved his finger in and out, being graced with even more delivered moans from his spouse. He experimented with penetrating a second finger, being welcomed — and Venti would spread his legs even further apart, literally spreading himself for Xiao. It was delicious to watch.
He moved his mouth away from there to go back to sucking Venti's cock while playing with his fingers inside his body. His name was now coming out in mantra from his spouse's mouth, along with delicious meows that only made Xiao even harder, more eager. He penetrated a third finger, beginning to push them apart and widen Venti's entrance further, hearing a small complaint in the process.
"Am I hurting you?" Xiao paused for a moment to ask, noticing how Venti vehemently denied it with a nod, more lost in his sensations than paying attention to his actions. "I'll... continue, then. "
"Please" Venti managed to mutter, practically throwing his head against the pillow.
Xiao began to explore Venti from the inside using his fingers, until he finally found his prostate — and the mewling he gave was very satisfying to Xiao's ears. He started to fondle him there as he put his balls in his mouth, noticing how Venti was melting into the mattress, no longer knowing where to put his hands and legs, his skin all goosebumps from the touches, lost in the sensations.
The yaksha toyed with his spouse until he almost brought him close to cumming — or so he imagined, at least, from the way Venti dripped pre-cum and wriggled on the bed. Then he stopped, pulling away from his body, letting him relax for a moment, watching how erratic his breathing was.
He went about sitting up in bed, beginning to untie his dressing gown. At the same time, he watched as Venti went about getting up, pulling the sleeves of his dressing gown off so that it was finally off his body, throwing it off the mattress in the process.
"You made a mess of me, look at this." Venti teased, moving closer to his husband, running his hand across his chest, causing his dressing gown to start falling off in the process. "I want to do that to you too~"
"You'll get it pretty easy." Xiao attested, his face flushed. Venti smiled, moving a little closer, gluing their bodies together, kissing Xiao's cheeks. "I... ahém... "
"You?" Venti encouraged him to speak, running his hand down his entire torso, going straight to his underwear, stuffing it there. He felt how soaked it was with pre-cum and smiled, mischievously, teasing, "You're a mess down here. How horny are you, Xiao~?"
"Pretty much." he admitted, closing his eyes, feeling how Venti's lips passed over his and he gave in to the kiss, feeling how he slipped his tongue into his mouth, entwined it with his own.
As they exchanged a kiss, Venti was removing his underwear, ending it along with his dressing gown — and shamelessly he grabbed his cock, making a back and forth motion, lowering and raising his foreskin in the process. And Xiao was dripping with pre-cum, his whole body shivering, sensitive.
Hearing and touching Venti had done wonders for him, and as much as his face was red, he couldn't be more pleased and less ashamed of the whole situation.
He noticed when his husband slowly stopped the kiss, abandoning his lips to descend directly to his cock, rubbing his mouth across it shamelessly, making Xiao moan just at the slipping of his lips.
"Xiao~" Venti began, humming. "You'll cum if I suck you off, won't you?"
"No–! " He tried to argue, but groaned again, cutting off his speech as Venti kissed the head of his cock. "No, I won't..." he stated, puffing, feeling his entire face hot.
"Liar, you will~" Again Venti's teasing as he kissed the head of his cock, affectionately, beginning to part his lips and let Xiao enter his mouth.
And by Celestia, how warm Venti's mouth was, how soft his tongue was, and how he salivated as he sucked Xiao. Adding to his pre-cum, he felt soaked. He parted his legs further, laying his body down a little, leaving free space for Venti to settle in.
And his husband seemed to be enjoying himself as he sucked him, making loud noises on purpose to tease Xiao. He wanted to moan, but he couldn't, putting it down to sighing louder, letting out small mumbles of appreciation, grunts of pleasure. Venti looked very satisfied, his green eyes staring deep into Xiao's as he made his cock disappear inside his mouth.
He could have sworn, at one point, that he had felt the head of his cock brush against the back of Venti's throat — and that was the loudest moan he let out, running his hands through Venti's hair, pulling them lovingly, trying hard not to cum in his spouse's mouth.
"Venti, by Celestia, slowly" Xiao practically begged, feeling his pelvis get very hot. He heard his husband's giggle as he released his cock with a loud, snapping sound, beginning to kiss his crotch, running his fingers down his shapely thighs.
"I told you that you would cum if I sucked you~" Again the teasing and Xiao had to admit that, yes, he was very close to cumming.
He felt as Venti moved up the kisses from his crotch to his pelvis, then his belly, his chest, his neck, until finally his mouth met his. They exchanged a needy kiss as Venti leaned his body against his, made their dicks rub against each other. The moan Xiao let out inside his spouse's mouth was delivered, the shiver running down his entire back.
He brought his hands to Venti's ass, making him sit on his lap, pressing his cocks closer together. He took one of his hands away to start jerking them off, graced with Venti's moan in his mouth this time, resonating inside his throat. It was hot, it was erotic. Slowly, Xiao slipped one of his fingers into his husband's entrance as well, penetrating him there, searching for his prostate once more.
"Ah~ Xiao~" Venti's eyes were clouded with pleasure and he was close. Xiao could feel his scent flood his sense of smell, the warmth parting with his own. It was gratifying.
He continued teasing him, feeling how his cock got even wetter from his pre-cum with his as they masturbated, how he got even more aroused from being stimulated in his prostate as well. Xiao took the moment Venti threw his head back to down kisses down his neck, nibbling him lightly, loving to feel the throbbing of his throat as he moaned.
"Love... " He began, sweetly, whispering close to Venti's ear, "Do you think you're ready? Or do you want more...?"
"Hmmm~" Venti's voice was melodious and made Xiao rave. "I think... it's fine like this... "
Xiao sighed, stopping his slow caresses, listening to the way his spouse complained about the lack of touches. Still slowly, he began to lay him down with his head against the pillow, arranging his legs open so that he could see what he was doing. Venti seemed very comfortable with the position he was in.
As for Xiao...
"You look nervous" Venti joked, noticing the insecurity by his husband's expression. Xiao huffed, feeling his face redden, admitting it:
"It's because I am."
"Haha~ Come on, don't be like that, it'll be alright" Venti assured, even though Xiao was suspicious that he could assume something like that. "Xiao, if anything happens, we stop, it's that simple. Or we try another way."
The yaksha sighed, defeated, as Venti laughed again. He knew his spouse had no malice in his actions, but that did not put him at ease — at least, not at that moment.
Xiao began to jerk himself off to spread the pre-cum even further across his cock as he parted one of Venti's legs even further so he could visualize his entrance — and very slowly, he began to align his head on it, beginning to push his waist to enter Venti. He exchanged glances between what he was doing and his husband's expression, watching as he squeezed his eyes shut, holding his breath a moment.
He waited until Venti's expression softened before continuing to enter. Xiao confessed that watching this was erotic and was making him even hornier, but he could feel the way his muscles tensed, fearful of hurting Venti.
When his pelvis finally met his spouse's, he noticed how relieved Venti breathed. In a way, Xiao was too, yet the feeling of being inside his body was indescribable — it was warm, it was soft, it was everything he hadn't expected, because it was better than he had imagined.
Slowly, he laid across Venti's body, nuzzling his nose against his, waiting until his spouse was feeling comfortable enough to move. He was still nervous, trying to read the situation as best he could.
"I... don't know if I'm going to be the best of company for you...” he commented, laughing to try and relax.
"Xiao, you're my first company, I don't know what you're talking about" Venti grumbled as he tried to move his body slightly to test the sensation. It wasn't the time yet, he supposed.
"What do you mean, I'm your first?!” Xiao exasperated, widening his eyes.
"You... thought I'd done it with someone?" Venti raised his eyebrows, suspicious. "My love, I know only the theory, like you. There is no difference between us in that... sense... " Xiao stirred, trying to straighten his body, and Venti still felt a little uncomfortable. Venti noticed how his husband leaned his face close to his ear. "Xiao?"
"Ah, I was so nervous, I guess..." He puffed, not knowing how to put into words how he felt.
"What? Were you afraid of disappointing me?” Venti slipped his arms around Xiao's back, trying to move again. It was more pleasurable this time. "For your information, it was going to be a bit difficult. Especially since, well..." Venti nibbled Xiao's ear, noticing how he was blushing. "Because you're very thoughtful in bed. I got the big draw~"
"Ahém" Xiao cleared his throat, making Venti laugh. Venti moved very slowly, receiving a groan of approval. "Can… Can I?"
"Yes."
Slowly, Xiao straightened himself up on his arms and began to make a back and forth motion again, only to delight in the moan that left Venti's lips. He kept up a slow pace, rubbing his pelvis against his body, feeling the way his husband's balls scraped against his crotch, noticing how his nails stroked across his back, how his moans were even more present, more delivered, melted.
Venti seemed to be on cloud nine and Xiao was crumbling even more at this sight.
He started kissing around his jaw, noticing how his husband gave way his neck. Xiao lowered his lips, scraping his teeth, rubbing his tongue over Venti's skin — he was salty from sweat, but it was very erotic and made him even more fiery.
Xiao was progressively speeding up his thrusts, listening to the rattling of the mattress, the way the covers curled up on his legs, how Venti sometimes took his arm off his back to pull them off, sometimes returned with his nails on his skin, running them mainly over his shoulders and the back of his neck.
And the way he moaned his name made him hallucinate.
He paused for a moment to take a breath of air, slipping off his beloved's body, running his hands around his waist as he kissed his shoulders affectionately.
"Xiao?” Venti asked, half stunned.
"Turn to me, Venti" Xiao ordered, noticing how his husband blushed at the prospect.
"Heh~ Pervert~" He couldn't resist joking, hearing Xiao clearing his throat again, making Venti laugh. But without lingering, he turned around on the bed, thrusting his butt towards Xiao. "Like this, my love~?"
"That's it, just like that..."
Xiao began rubbing his cock between Venti's ass, arousing his husband, loving to hear the little moans of approval he let out, the way he rolled his ass, teasing him too. When he thought it was enough, Xiao grabbed Venti's ass, pulling it apart so he could penetrate him again.
He left a trail of kisses down his back as he entered him, watching the shiver take over his skin, noticing how he arched his back, how he moaned in delight at the sensation. Slowly, as he entered him again, at the same pace as before, Xiao supported Venti's chin in his hands, making him raise his head a little, kissing his face tenderly.
"Xiao~ Hmm~" Venti's voice trailed off with each new groan. He could feel how sometimes he lost it in the middle, sounding huskier than usual. "Like this, my love, please~"
Xiao filled Venti with kisses, without stopping the movements, only to delight in every little response his body gave him. There were so many sensations running through his body, his concentration slowly fading with each time his name left his spouse's mouth.
He lightly released his lover's face, noticing how he lowered his head and let the back of his neck show. Xiao kissed and nibbled it as well, delighted to see so many angles of Venti's body. And he knew that would be one of his favorites — it was his shoulders that first instigated all that, it was to be expected in a way.
When he realized that Venti looked tired, Xiao gently laid them on their sides on the bed, making one of Venti's legs go past his waist — and as he put it in, he began to jerk his spouse off, delighted at the way his face turned even redder and how he bit his lips, his hair swaying with the movements of his body.
He paused for a moment, letting his cock deep inside his spouse as he nibbled on his ear and teased his nipples again — and Xiao loved how Venti's moans became mewls delivered to the sensation. He also noticed how hard his nipples were, pinching them carefully, watching as they turned slightly red.
"Xiaooo~! " Venti whined, fidgeting. "Don't tease me like that–! " he ordered, squeezing his eyes shut and throwing his head back.
He turned his face slightly, noticing how his spouse's lips brushed against his and Venti didn't hold back from asking for a kiss — which Xiao accepted with such gluttony that it made Venti laugh at the situation.
Xiao sucked on his lips, entwined his tongue with his own as he returned his hand to his cock to jerk him off — and Venti moaned loudly again, making his voice echo inside his spouse's mouth. Hearing him replicate the moan only made Venti melt even more, running one of his hands down his shoulders and slipping it into Xiao's hair, pressing his mouth further into his.
And suddenly, Xiao moved again, causing Venti to break off the kiss to moan openly, squeezing his eyes shut at the sensation that had invaded him when his husband had hit his prostate again.
That way, he wasn't going to last much longer — he was reaching his limit, his pelvis getting hotter and hotter, the feeling of orgasm getting closer and closer — and Xiao kept hitting his prostate. It was impossible to hold on like this.
Again, Xiao turned Venti over, putting him on his back on the bed, settling his rhythm as he lay across his husband's body — and being welcomed with open arms was a very pleasurable feeling. Xiao moved in a way that rubbed Venti's cock against his belly, and every time he entered, he scraped at Venti's prostate.
Until he could hold out no longer and finally came, staining his own and Xiao's belly in the process, ground his teeth into his husband's shoulders to stifle the moan that cut his throat — it had been so loud that he could certainly have woken someone up, even though the rooms were relatively far apart from each other.
Xiao, however, had not yet managed to cum. He thought about leaving it at that, but Venti locked his legs around his waist, pinning him where he was. He felt when his spouse clamped his mouth to his ear and, sensually, proclaimed:
"Cum inside me, Xiao."
The grunt that came from Xiao's lips was animalistic, making Venti snort out a laugh. And Xiao kept thrusting into him, faster and faster, making him see stars for still having his prostate stimulated — and Venti danced his nails down Xiao's back, shamelessly, not caring if he left him all scratched up the next day.
The yaksha didn't seem to be paying much attention to that fact either, more lost in the sensation that was Venti's walls squeezing his cock as it went in and out, making him see stars before he finally managed to cum. Xiao's moan was much lower than Venti's, but by his ear, it was practically like music. And Venti felt himself being filled by him, a sensation he found erotic and satisfying.
They stood still for long seconds, their breaths erratic, as they calmed down from their newly arrived orgasms. Their bodies were dripping with sweat, the bed soaked with fluids, the covers all messed up from their constantly changing positions.
Xiao felt the way Venti clung even tighter to his body, as if he wanted them to stick together — even tighter than sweat stuck them together. He laughed softly, fully satisfied. And a similar laugh came from Venti's lips, making him even happier.
"Is it... for our first time, is it... good?" Xiao questioned, his breathing still intercut.
"If you have all this stamina every time we fuck, I won't be able to keep up with you" Venti joked, kissing Xiao's cheek affectionately "I feel very satisfied, especially for a first time. "
"Wedding night's been paid for, then.” Xiao replied, collapsing onto Venti's chest, a laugh leaving his husband's mouth.
"You were still worried about that?!"
"Well, I thought you had more experience than I did, too. And to think I left you in the lurch during the most important night was bothering me. And... " He felt as Venti caught his cheeks with both hands, squeezing his face. "Venti?"
"My beloved, I had the first kiss with you, in what little world would I have had sex before?” Xiao's expression was confused and Venti sighed, in disbelief. "You worry too much, my love. I don't think the teasing has done you any good."
"No, they didn't.” He sighed and slowly began to move out of Venti's body. They let out a groan as they finally separated their bodies, Xiao missing Venti's warmth covering him. "I... I think I owe you another bath."
"I'll only take it if you take me in your arms~" Venti teased, blinking, noticing how Xiao was pondering the idea. "Xiao, calm down, that was a jok–!"
Before he could say anything else, Xiao had already left the bed and picked him up in his arms, causing Venti to let out a mew of surprise at the movement. He clung to his spouse's neck in an impulse not to fall — however, afterwards, he realized that wasn't going to happen. Not when his husband's arms were so strong and held him so easily.
"I'll give you the rest of the attention I haven't given you now.” Xiao commented, the firmness in his statement even if his face was flushed to the tip of his ears.
"Oho~ I'm interested, my love~"
They exchanged another kiss, a little hotter than Xiao imagined, as he led them into the bathroom. There, they took a long bath in the middle of the early morning — where other touching also took place. And when they got back into bed, they were even more excited than when they left.
For the remainder of the night, they stayed from various touches on each other, discovering and delighting in each other's bodies. That night was theirs and theirs only. They were going to enjoy every little bit of it, until they were definitely exhausted and only fell asleep together, swaddled in the warmth of their two bodies together.
The next day, Xiao felt absolutely all of his muscles aching. Especially the ones in his legs. He was sure he would take a day or two off from training — maybe the rest of the week.
When he reached the hall where the other adepti were meeting for breakfast, he was still yawning, his eyes gritty. He had slept a total of two hours all night — if Venti happened to want to nap in Guizhong's garden, he would not think twice before accompanying him.
"Good morning, Xiao." Ganyu greeted him, calling him over to the table. "Gee, are you okay?" she questioned as soon as he sat down, noticing how her friend stuffed his face in his hands, yawning again.
"Well, yes. Tired, for sure.” Was his reply, making Ganyu laugh softly.
"Did you stay up all night this time?" she joked, expecting some sort of response from Xiao. However, he was not so discreet this time:
"Yeah. I was busy all night" Xiao commented. "Venti left me exhausted, I can't even feel my legs straight."
Ganyu was, to say the least, startled by Xiao's sincerity. So much so that she widened her eyes, standing mute, waiting to see if he would explain himself. She noticed how her friend was lowering his hands, yawning again, rubbing his eyes slightly. And finally, the plug seemed to drop and Xiao blushed every last strand of hair he had on his head.
"I– I didn't– Did I?" He looked at Ganyu with wide topaz eyes and she started to laugh, putting her hand over her lips to keep from making a scandal. "Ganyu, I'm sorry."
"All right, I guess? How... good for you? And for Venti too, I suppose." she commented, noticing how the yaksha was hiding his face in his hands again, but from embarrassment. "I promise not to tell anyone, especially Menogias. Though I think she'll soon ask about something."
Xiao's reply was an unintelligible grunt. They remained silent for the rest of the breakfast they shared, the yaksha unable to look his friend in the eye, such was the shame he was feeling. Of all the people in the world, he had made it explicit to Ganyu that he had been fucking Venti all night.
The only reason he wasn't more ashamed was because he didn't comment on it to his lord. If he let something like that slip in front of Morax, Xiao would surely go back to the eggshell he first emerged from many, many years ago and never look his lord in the face again.
After a while, Ganyu broke the ice between them, commenting on a random matter from Cloud Retainer. Xiao managed to follow her reasoning, though he was still bothered by the situation he had put her in.
They said their goodbyes after a while, Xiao seriously considering going back to his room and taking another nap — apparently there was nothing too important for him to attend to that day. It would be better to rest what he hadn't done during the night.
His plans changed when he came across Venti on the way — his husband was now going to take breakfast. He decided to accompany him, even though he had just left. He noticed on the way that Venti had a bandage on his neck and, startled, he asked:
"Venti... that on your neck was...?"
"Yes, it was the hickey you left me." he replied, softly, smiling playfully. "I hid it in case I run into Menogias. Or she'll give you hell until next year because of it~"
Again, Xiao grunted, making Venti laugh at the situation. They ate their breakfast chatting amiably, Xiao more accompanying Venti than eating properly. They stayed in the hall for some more time, until Venti asked Xiao to accompany him.
Curious, Xiao accepted the proposal. And they went hand in hand to the back of Guili — the place Xiao was used to, after spending so many months accompanying Venti there. The garden of Glaze Lilies.
They sat among the flowers, enjoying the sweet breeze that blew at that time of the morning. Xiao yawned again, pondering if he wouldn't lie down right there and nap, as was his plan initially. However, he noticed his husband's smile.
"Venti?" he called out, noticing as he pulled from the sleeve of his hanfu a small box. Xiao raised his eyebrows, baffled. "Is that...?"
"Hmm~" Venti hummed, opening the little box, revealing two small, shiny rings. "That was something I specially requested from Morax, but it took a while to make. "
"Are those rings...?" Xiao watched as Venti took his left hand, removing his glove, and calmly picked up one of the rings, placing it on his ring finger. He was a little confused, but waited for his spouse to proceed:
"Now, please put the other one on my finger, also on my left hand.” Xiao was still doubtful, but he did as Venti had asked him. He intertwined the fingers of his hands. "In Mondstadt, our ceremonies are different. Wedding rings are symbols of marriage. And I would like to have a pair with you" he explained, grinning like a fool, watching as Xiao blushed lightly. "Unfortunately, they took a while to be made, as I wanted them to be forged with the Cor Lapis itself. And Morax was short on time to be able to do that for me."
"Ah..." Xiao had no words for his husband. He noticed how he looked up at the sky, while Xiao could only stare at him, delighted.
"When we went there, I would like to have another wedding ceremony" Venti commented, dreamily. "On the models of Mondstadt, of course. That way we would marry into the cultures of the two kingdoms." He turned to Xiao, his green eyes shining as he asked, "Would you marry me again, Xiao?"
The yaksha took a deep breath, widening his topaz eyes, wondering what it would be like. He understood absolutely nothing about Mondstadt. What little he knew was about Venti's songs. But the prospect left him with a delicious chill in his stomach, butterflies swirling his stomach.
"Venti, I..."
"All right, you don't have to answer me so soon. It'll still take us a while to get there, I suppose. And also, it may be that–"
"Venti."
The boy stopped at the same instant, looking again at his spouse, noticing how serious he was. They stood for minutes in silence, before Xiao smiled — one of the most beautiful smiles he had seen in all these months they had been together — as he pronounced, slowly, for Venti to understand:
"I would marry you again, yes. Because, Venti, you... "
You arrived suddenly,
You messed with my head,
You shook my feelings
And stole my heart.
For you, Venti,
I would make it a thousand times
My vows of love and freedom.