Work Text:
Xiao looked down at the bottle of wine in his hands. He read over the label; it was definitely from Fontaine, and it was definitely really expensive.
He looked back up at Zhongli, who'd come to visit him at Wangshu Inn, "Why did you give this to me, again?" He raised an eyebrow. Morax knew that Xiao wasn't one for drinking; it was a human activity, something to keep them occupied during their short existence. But who was Xiao to refuse a gift from his god?
His god merely shrugged, "I was given too much, and it would be a shame to have to waste something as fine as this. I figured you would be able to find a use for it, even if it's not to drink it yourself. You could perhaps give it to Smiley Yanxiao for him to include in his cooking, or... Oh, I don't know, gift it to someone else." Morax got a knowing look on his face, one with softened eyes and a very slight smile. Xiao only narrowed his eyes at the look. "Well, I have to be off now. I suggest you be off as well." And with a parting smile, Xiao was left with an empty space in front of him where Morax stood just a moment ago.
He supposed he should have expected the man to be rather vague with his true intentions. When he wasn't making a contract with everything set-in-stone and as transparent as a looking glass, he was a rather mysterious figure. He'd always entwined himself with his people's history, after all, appearing time and time again in their city. Xiao could never; while he loved Liyue with all his heart, the people were something he would never understand, their fleeting lives so simple yet so full of pleasures that Xiao would never indulge in. Either because he couldn't or because he simply didn't have the time or energy.
But here he was now, with an instrument of these pleasures. And as Morax had said, he should be off... Off to give it to the one person who he knew whose life wasn't as fleeting as a mortal's, but who still partook in their pass-times and indulged in their pleasures. While Xiao could never live like that, he respected the god who could.
So, while he was reluctant to leave his post, even if he was outside of Liyue, he would know if something was going awry. So with a sigh, he let himself be carried by the wind to the land of the wind's origin. He supposed he was grateful for his vision; the element of anemo was a handy one for getting around quickly, and so he could return home in a moment's notice. And with who he was visiting? He could expect to be there in the blink of an eye.
But still, it was a drift to Mondstadt, and while to mortals the time in the air might drag on, to an adeptus like Xiao it was over in a wink, the golds and oranges of Liyue's scenery fading to crisp white over Dragonspine, and finally into the soft, lush greens that composed Mondstadt's landscape. And while Xiao didn't know the geography of this land as well as he knew Liyue's, he had a feeling he'd find his bard at the place where he could feel a surplus of divine power and anemo energy radiating from.
So the wind carried him to the tree in Windrise, where he perched himself on one of the sturdy branches, wine still in hand. He surveyed the area and- well, that was easier than he thought. The god was nestled in the tree as if it were a cradle, at the point where the branches split outward. He appeared to be asleep, though Xiao simply chalked this up to him taking one of his routine naps.
So Xiao walked down the branch, standing over the bard silently. It wouldn't do for him to provoke the god; while Barbatos was not a wrathful being, his control over anemo far surpassed his own, and Xiao would much rather not be thrown off the tree on accident or impulse. So he stood there, wine in one hand, spear in the other, on guard in case he were to be spotted in the tree by a lone traveler or knight; he knew of the Knights of Favonius and how diligent they were in surveying the lands, not unlike Liyue's own Millelith.
It took only a minute for the god to stir, and as his eyes opened, he looked up at Xiao wearily with sleep still evident in his eyes. That is, until he realized who it was and his eyes widened, with a big grin on his face. Seeing this, Xiao let his spear dematerialize. This was his first mistake. His second mistake was not immediately flinching away when the bard grabbed his wrist and pulled him down. But he quickly caught himself and spun himself around so he didn't hand on top of the god, but rather by his side, the two of them now sitting next to one another.
Though, Barbatos was quick to turn to face Xiao, who looked a combination of ticked off and surprised. "Xiao! You never come to visit me! To come all the way to Mond.. What a journey it must be!"
Xiao let out a little fond huff through his nose. He'd always found the way the god of song and wind rhymed in his speech to be rather endearing. "Oh, and is that wine?" He snatched the bottle from Xiao's hand, though he gave it up willingly. He observed the label, "From Fontaine! How divine! Pray tell, dear Xiao, how did you get such a thing?" Xiao opened his mouth to answer but Venti cut him off, "I don't actually care, but praises for you shall I sing!"
The bard popped the cork off the wine, "To Mondstadt! And Liyue! And most importantly, to you~" The god reached over and poked Xiao's shoulder before the other man watched in horror as he downed the entire bottle of wine in one go.
Truth be told, Xiao wasn't entirely surprised, but seeing the god actually do such a thing was both revolting and fascinating. He pulled the bottle away from his lips with a sigh, "Ah, how sweet is wine from Fontaine... Brings out things in me I simply cannot contain."
The bard set the bottle down next to himself on the tree's branches and leaned back, closing his eyes. "Is that the only reason you came here, Xiao? To bring me wine like an offering to a god more strict?"
Xiao paused for a moment, "Barbatos, I-"
He was cut off, "Oh, Xiao, you know I prefer to be called Venti. You really don't have to act like I'm higher and mightier than anyone else."
Xiao looked down at his lap, "I suppose I can try... Venti... While it is true that I came here primarily to give you the wine, it was not actually I who arranged this. I suppose, by some reasons I still can't figure out, it was Rex Lapis who sent me to you. He was the one who gave me the wine."
Venti seemed to ponder this, bringing a hand up to his chin, "Hmm... I see. I suppose he's gotten tired of little old me trying to pull tricks on him. So much so, he's gone and pulled one on me. Though, I suppose I can't fault him for it. I can't tease him forever."
Xiao looked at him in confusion and Venti opened his eyes again to look into Xiao's. "I don't expect you to understand, Xiao. Not yet. Not now." He turned to lay himself over Xiao's lap, and the adeptus wanted to move away, wanted to push him off... But he knew he couldn't disrespect an archon like that. And another part of him entirely didn't want to move him away; another part of him wanted them to stay like this.
Xiao let out a deep sigh that he didn't even realize he was holding in. Venti met this with a hum, moving up a bit more to be more against his chest. "It's just like Morax to do something like this. To me and my poor little heart." It was something Venti mumbled, something Xiao knew he probably shouldn't have heard, but his hearing was far too keen to simply ignore it. Alas, Xiao was still wildly confused by the whole thing, but whatever the case, it made something in his chest light up, a wick lighting up that he didn't know was there to begin with.
It hurt, but at the same time it warmed him from the inside. It was a disgusting yet pleasant feeling, one he could get used to. As he was pondering these feelings, he hardly registered the deft little hands in his hair. When he did, though, he jerked himself back to reality, only to find Venti working one of the longer parts of his hair into a braid. Xiao looked down at him, "What are you doing?" He raised an eyebrow. He wasn't hostile, though, which was a miracle coming from a Xiao who was currently being touched.
Venti hummed, tying off the end of the braid, "Am I not allowed to do this? I thought it would look good on you; we could match~" He moved his attention to the other side of Xiao's hair that had been grown out, already starting to braid it.
Xiao thought about this. Match... He supposed he wouldn't mind it. While it might take some getting used to, he didn't think he'd mind letting the bard braid his hair more... Oh, what was he saying? He couldn't spend days dallying in Mondstadt. But maybe every once in a while... When his god gave him a gift to give to the bard. When he was left with something he couldn't use himself. When a time would come where he didn't have to stand diligent at his post, where the tides of conflict were low, then maybe he'd allow himself more time in Mondstadt.
Yes, that was agreeable. Whenever he had time; whenever he had a reason, he would visit. And he would expect to find the god sitting at the tree shrouded in wind waiting for him, for Barbatos was not a busy god. He was a lazy god who smelled of alcohol and sang songs of blasphemy against himself; but he was endearing in a way, even to a creature like Xiao; both were ravaged by their pasts, and while Xiao had turned that into a stone-cold rigidity, Venti had made it into simply a relic of the past to serve as a muse for his emotions and to thrive in the world that came after the one he fought against.
Xiao could admire that. And now, looking at Venti as he'd once again fallen asleep, now in Xiao's lap, he held more respect for the god. As small as he was, he was a force to be reckoned with, with a will that was strong enough to at least make light of his dark past.
He stayed in Mondstadt for another couple hours, a hand running gently through Venti's deep blue locks as the adeptus lost himself to thought as he often did just sitting on the roof of the inn in Liyue.
He ended up leaving when a patrol squad from the city proper had made its way into Windrise, and Xiao simply couldn't risk being seen by the Knights, at least not today; an interrogation from people who likely didn't know of his standing in Liyue would be both awkward and inconvenient. So he drifted away on the currents of the wind once more, shielded from view by the bending of the light. But he made a silent promise to himself that he'd be back soon enough, be it with more gifts or simply the intention to spend time with the god of wind.
It was only once he was back at Wangshu Inn that he realized the god hadn't simply braided his hair; he'd also slipped a flower in behind his ears. He pulled it out to look at it, holding it gently in his cupped hands. He recognized it as a cecilia, one of Mondstadt's local flowers. A flower that wouldn't bloom in Liyue, yet a token from Mondstadt nonetheless. And while its life wouldn't be long with Xiao, he tucked it back into his hair for it to thrive as long as it could. For who was he to refuse a gift from a god?