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Are you lonely?
Venti watched the lone figure that sat atop the cliff, approaching them. He was a bit late to their signature hangout besides the large statue in front of the cathedral. He sat down beside them, admiring the stars that he had seen over and over again but still managed to entrance him, nonetheless. It was one of those more quiet nights they shared together, away from Mondstadt’s crowd and sharing an intimate moment together, just the two of them.
The figure broke away from their stargazing for a moment to take in the features of the archon. The soft look in Venti's eyes made them melt, but of course, they'd never admit to it, they'd rather be smited by Celestia. … Although they guessed he would've known already, the damn archon always seems to know a lot.
Their eyes soon trailed down to the archon’s hand, absentmindedly thinking it looked lonely. They eyed his lone hand a bit more before a stupidly cheesy idea popped into their head as their face was tinted pink. It was cheesy, but surely Venti wouldn’t mind, no?
Our fingers dancing where they meet.
They quietly reached for Venti's hand and intertwined it with their own, silently surprised by the fact that they fit together perfectly, probably even a bit scared. Perhaps they truly were fated together, no? Fate was an unpredictable game, yet it was also a beautiful, ( bitter) sweet poem. It never failed to impress or depress, depending on the situation.
Venti looked back at the person, a wide grin threatening to form on the archon's face, and eventually, he settled for a small smile. They would rarely initiate a moment like this due to being a bit of a mess when it comes to expressing themself. He held up their intertwined hands and gently squeezed their hand back, making the other's eyes shine and widen from the gesture.
Yet again, Venti didn’t fail to make the other’s walls melt with such a simple gesture that was filled with numerous messages that didn’t need to be said. The archon loved to shower them with affection through words, but he’s just as good with showing it through actions. Venti slightly tilted his head in curiosity, as if he was asking “why?”
You seem so lonely (Are you lonely?)
They turned away, slightly embarrassed, and muttered a few words as Venti stared at them in amusement. “What was that?” The bard slyly asked, even though he already heard it. Their hand twitched in embarrassment, slightly pouting at the bard who held a cheeky smile. Venti chucked, “no need, I already hea—”
“Your hand seemed lonely, so I held it.”
Both of their faces immediately burned bright red, flustered and embarrassed. They both wondered where one got the confidence to say that out loud. Was it the fact that they were alone? The other, still embarrassed, hid their face behind their free hand which… didn’t really hide them. Venti opted to stare at their intertwined hands, face still burning bright red. They calmed down and sneaked a glance at Venti and almost laughed, it was rare to see Venti actually flustered as it was usually the other way around.
I'll be the only dream you seek.
Venti playfully huffed at his beloved when he saw them trying to hide their laughter at his situation, but the more he stared at them, the more his pout turned into one of the softest smiles he had reserved only for the one he loves. “Hey love,” his beloved calmed down and looked at him, their eyes staring curiously. “Yeah?”
He almost died right then and there at the sight of them looking as innocent as a bean.
The bard cleared his throat, a serious look now plastered on his face. They slowly got nervous, Venti rarely was actually serious, especially in these types of moments they both had together. An onslaught of worst-case scenarios immediately filled their mind, making their anxiety spike up even more. He sensed this, and gently squeezed their hand to snap them out of it. The other, now brought back to reality, stared back at him. “Are you ready?”
“...Ready for what, exactly?”
“For what I’m about to say.” Ah, there goes the jitters again .
“W-well, get on with i—”
“Are you sure we didn’t see each other even before we officially met? Cause damn, you’re all I dreamed of,” Venti winked at them, who erupted into another shade of red for the second time this night. They pushed his smug face away, “s-sHUT UP YOU DAMN BARD! THAT DIDN’T EVEN MAKE SENSE!”
So if you're lonely, no need to show me,
Venti laughed at his beloved's face, poking their cheeks affectionately before suddenly cupping their face and turning them towards him. He squished their face, making them let out incomprehensible noises for a few moments before leaning in and giving them a kiss on the forehead, his signature way of telling them “I love you” in a non-verbal manner. They eyed him for a moment, the gentlest of smiles appearing on their face.
“Was it lonely?” They asked the bard.
“Was what lonely?”
“All those years,” they muttered softly, aware that it was a touchy subject. They didn't know what caused them to pop the question, but they felt like they needed to at that moment. Perhaps it was concern for the bard, knowing that being alone for such a long time can take a toll on you, even if you say otherwise.
Venti was silent as he stared at the other, aqua green eyes clouded with a lot of emotions as he reflected on all those millenia. He did have Morax with him, so technically he wasn't alone. So why did he feel like he was?
They watched him contemplate his journey and experience, slowly starting to regret their words as he looked more and more confused, trying to find out if it was lonely or not. They rubbed their thumb across his knuckles, hands still in each other's hold. “It's fine if you don't answer, I myself don't know why I even thought of th—”
“No…” His voice was soft now, and they stayed silent, opting to listen to what the bard had to say.
“No, yes. Maybe? To be frank, I'm not sure. There were times that it was indeed lonely, that it felt like I was alone, but there were times that I wasn't. There were times that me and a few friends of mine would gather around for a drink and reminisce of the past, of how everything has changed. There were ups and downs, but it was what made everything… special to me,” a small smile formed on his face as he stared lovingly into his beloved's eyes. “It made meeting you special, too.”
They stayed silent for another moment as Venti added something else, “I believe you were lonely too, you mentioned something similar to the traveler's dilemma?” They slowly nodded, remembering that a dear friend of theirs has been missing for a while now and was searching for them too, much like the traveler searching for their twin. “Well, I guess we've been lonely in some way,” the bard in green jokes, in hopes of lightening the mood and succeeding when the other broke into a grin.
“Then,” they started as a familiar line from home popped into their head, “can I make you promise something?”
“If it's you, I'll do my best to keep it,” he winked while the other playfully smacked his shoulders, “it's serious!” they whined. “What is it, love?”
They smiled, “Well,”
“
If you're lonely, come be lonely with me
.”