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“Venti, I’m home.”
Zhongli was at the threshold of their home, his voice echoing out in the large house. No signs of Venti or their little one in the immediate vicinity.
They must be in the music room.
They dedicated a room in the house where all sorts of musical instruments are found, it is also where Venti holds his classes for his private tutoring sessions. When their baby was born, they made sure to add a crib for him so Venti can watch over him during classes and while Zhongli is away for work. It’s been four years since then so they had to change the crib to something more fitting for a four-year old.
He threaded the stair going up, quiet with his steps as he doesn’t want to wake the two if they are sleeping. However, the sound of a lyre playing can be heard from the inside, and Zhongli stops on his tracks, taking his time to just listen to his husband playing a lullaby for their child.
When the music stopped, Zhongli started on his tracks again. He was about to reach for the doorknob when the door opened, Venti, as ethereal as ever, smiling at him from the opposite side.
“I knew you were listening.”
He smiled back, the softest he could muster that he only shows to his family. He opened his arms and Venti indulged to the warmth that his husband has to give.
“You always know everything about me. I missed you two.”
He kisses the top of Venti’s head, and nuzzles his hair with the tip of his nose, inhaling his scent, that of Cecilia flowers, that always puts him at ease.
“I miss you a hundred times more,” and then a soft and quiet voice broke them from their embrace, “Papa…,” it’s their child, Xiao, who probably woke up from his light sleep because Venti stopped playing the lyre. He reached out his arms, asking for an embrace too. Venti noted that it’s a habit he picked up from his father.
“Hey my little prince, you missed papa?” Zhongli lightly pinched Xiao’s nose, he can’t help but want to squish his son’s adorable features. Everybody said Xiao is a perfect mix of the two: he got Zhongli’s sharp features and glowing eyes but throw a mix of Venti’s softness and hair color. He’s hailed to be the most beautiful baby in town.
“Papa Zhongli hates Xiao.” The little boy pouted, tears almost falling from his eyes. Zhongli and Venti both felt their hearts crack a little. How can Xiao think his father hates him?”
“My prince, papa doesn’t hate you.” Zhongli tried to sooth his child. Venti added, “Xiao, we love you, baby. We’ll never hate you.”
“Then why does papa not play with Xiao anymore?”
The couple shocked at Xiao’s honest response. It is true that children never lie. Zhongli is guilty of spending more time at work because of a new a new construction contract. He might have broken a few contracts of playtime with Xiao; Venti explaining to their baby that papa has to work.
Venti, this time, can’t bear to see the sadness in Xiao’s eyes. He can see Zhongli feeling so guilty about breaking his promise with their baby. He thought of an idea on how to spend their weekend better.
He whispered to Zhongli that’s already pacifying a crying toddler Xiao, holding the little lamb to his chest.
“Zhongli, let’s take him to the ice skate rink tomorrow.”
Zhongli, looked at him, worry plastered all over his face.
“He got injured the last time you two went.”
“That’s why this time, you’ll be with him. We’ll teach him together.”
Zhongli thought about it. Xiao came home crying last winter, he got a gash on his hand after falling over and over again. Venti wasn’t able to keep up with a hyperactive Xiao who went to see the snow for the first time. However, this time, he feels much more at peace and braver to bring Xiao back to teacher Ganyu. After all, Zhongli is with them to hold their hands.
The next day, they arrived at the indoor skating rink and witness lots of other families enjoying their Saturday together. Zhongli missed spending time with his family. The more time he spends at work, the more he wants to retire at 35 and just live off in a far mountain with Venti and Xiao.
They went to Ganyu, a long-time friend who has been teaching kids how to skate. They went to the cashier to get their skates too and to the locker room to change and keep their belongings.
Xiao isn’t as expressive as other kids when outside. They already see that he’s a bit shy around others but they do hope he gets a friend soon. However, you can tell how excited he is to try skating again. It’s just funny to the parents how Xiao wobbles in his tiny legs.
When they reach the rink, Xiao was in the middle of his parents. Zhongli made sure to be extra gentle because Venti can be quite careless and clumsy at times. He doesn’t want them to get injured, not even a scratch.
The started off slow with both Venti and Xiao falling off to their buttocks quite a number of times, bringing down Zhongli with them. They laugh at their own unfortunate little accidents and continue on in their way. Xiao is becoming bolder, trying to move forward on his own. Zhongli is the first to hold his baby back but Venti told him that it’s okay for their little bird to grow his wings on his own.
The moment they let go of Xiao, he fell down on his knees, so they rush to his aid. You can see him almost tearing up and Zhongli almost wanted to bring him home and wrap him in his favorite stars blankie but to his surprise Xiao said,
“I’d like to try again papa.”
Venti squealed and pinched his son’s cheeks. Their baby being the absolute cutest in the world. They let go of his hand once again and let him skate on his own, albeit slowly, he’s starting to fly without them. The two head-over-hells parents almost cried at the sight.
They watch as Xiao struggle to maintain skating for long but they can also see him determined to learn. Until his legs almost gave out and he had to grab on the nearest thing he could land his hands on.
“Ouchie!”
Xiao heard a cry of pain and he immediately opened his eyes to the sight of yellow filling his vision. Is this a doggo hair? Xiao thought to himself but dogs don’t say “ouchie”, they say woof. He must have not grabbed a dog then.
“You okay?” Small hands reached out to Xiao and when he looked up, he saw someone as beautiful as papa Venti.
“Pretty,” was the only word he knows to describe the sight of this boy in front of him. He’s got long hair like Papa Zhongli but the color is different, the color is like the sun and of yellow peonies.
“You grabbed my hair, it hurt but it’s okay. Don’t know how to skate? You just go wooosh and zhooom. I can teach you.”
Xiao takes the hand that the other boy offered and stands up. He’s feeling shy, he never talked to strangers much before. The boy continued speaking,
“My name is Aether. You?”
“Xiao.”
“Hi Xiao, how old are you? I’m five already.”
Xiao suddenly forgot the word for his age so he held out his fingers to show Aether how old he is.
“Oh four! I’m your gege.”
Xiao doesn’t have a gege, Aether is the first one and so he says, “Aether-gege.”
Aether laughed and Xiao thought that it was a pretty laugh too.
Aether was still holding his hand, “Okay, let’s go, I’ll teach you.”
And Xiao followed him. Zhongli and Venti watched as their baby boy followed this other pretty kid with blond hair.
“Oh Zhongli, he’s growing up too fast. Look at him, he even forgot about us. First loves are crazy. I don’t think I’m ready.” Venti faked a cry but he’s just overwhelmed to see Xiao interact with another kid for the first time.
“You’re right. He would be just like me. Still crazy over my first love.”
Venti made a shocked face and playfully hit Zhongli in the arms.
“You charmer, I’m crazier than you. You know that.”
“I know, I love it anyway.”
Zhongli raised their link hands together and he kissed Venti’s knuckles. The latter rested his head on his husband’s side. An endearing smile on their faces as they watch Xiao grow out of his comfort zone and possibly, follow the love of his life.
When it is time to go, they walked up to Xiao and the blond kid who they found out to be named Aether with a twin named Lumine.
“Say goodbye now Xiao, it’s time to go.”
Xiao showed a stubborn side that he never did before.
“Papa, Xiao doesn’t want to go.”
Zhongli looked back on Venti and plead for his husband to try and convince their baby.
“We can go back next week Xiao then you can play with Aether again.”
Xiao looked at Venti with the puppiest eyes he could muster, searching his father’s face for approval to stay and play. Then his eyes landed on the flower pin on Venti’s hair, he made a grabbing motion with small hands and Venti understood immediately what Xiao was signaling. He hurried to take off the the pin and placed it to Xiao’s small hands.
As soon as Xiao got the pin, he walked back to Aether. The boy is smaller than the blond kid so he had to tiptoe to reach his hair. Aether, quite surprised at Xiao’s actions bent down a little so he could reach and place the hair pin better.
“Aether-gege, Xiao wants to see you again.”
Aether smiled at the younger boy, the light beaming from the upturn of his lips, “Okay, find me here again. I’m keeping this pin for you.”
Xiao made a resolve to fulfill this promise and would proceed to go the rink every weekend. Zhongli and Venti eventually meet Aether’s parents and they exchanged contacts as their children seem to not want to be separated from each other. Even in their sleep-talking they only call each other’s name. Zhongli and Venti are kind of jealous that their baby is calling a different name ever since that visit to the skating rink but it’s natural for their baby to grow up. They can’t keep him forever.
On their shared bed, before they went to sleep, Zhongli reminisced the days where he first met Venti.
“I think Xiao is taking after me.”
“He is. He’s already in love before he even knows what it is just like you. I might prepare for a wedding tomorrow.”
Zhongli laughed, Venti always making him do so for the past ten years they’ve known each other.
“He’ll love that boy forever.”
Venti raised his arm over Zhongli’s torso, hugging him tightly, shutting his eyes, ready to sleep. Zhongli returned the favor by draping his arm left arm over Venti’s.
“Hmm, how do you know?”
“He takes after me, doesn’t he? And the only way I love, is to love my soulmate forever.”
Venti bit Zhongli’s exposed right bicep and kissed it after Zhongli made a yelp. He can’t help but giggle at Zhongli’s cheesy lines because he likes hearing them.
“Thank you, my love. For never not loving me.”
The way Venti worded that sentence made Zhongli’s head spin but he knows exactly what it means: always and forever, for a thousand years and more. It’s you.