Work Text:
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A Genshin Impact Fanfiction
Baby’s Breath
By: Knowlee Raven
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Plucking the strings on his lyre nervously, Venti glanced at the door that Lumine, his darling starlight, had entered a few moments before. She had only been there for at least ten minutes, but for the bard, every second felt like a century. To those passing by him in the hallway of the cathedral it was curious as to why he was here in this place and not in his usual haunts such as one of the local taverns or out in the streets performing for the crowds. That and the uncommon look of concern he wore was definitely not one they were accustomed to him showing.
So why exactly were they there in the first place one might wonder?
Well...it started with Lumine feeling sick at random times during the day and majority of the times were for no reason at all. For example, she would smell something that would suddenly make her stomach churn and subsequently make her run to the restroom. Typically those smells were things she used to enjoy like the smell of Tea Bake Pancakes or Windwheel Asters. Now, she couldn’t stand them.
Then, the cravings came. Which wasn’t really that bad in essence since Lumine made enough mora to cover all those foods she wanted, but for Venti, however? Simply put, he was suffering. Why, exactly? Because one of her desired foods was apples. Lots and lots of apples. And because of this newfound love for them she had, Venti found it very difficult to eat any himself without finding them taken by Lumine to satisfy her own want. But even with his love stealing his favorite food, Venti didn’t have the heart to be mad at her. He would rather suffer himself than make her go through any pain.
But while Venti strived to do his best to keep her from experiencing that, unfortunately even with his status as a god, this was one thing he was unable to do. Because eventually as all those problems slowly started appearing, there was one that finally appeared that made both of them realize something was wrong.
And that problem had appeared just hours before when Lumine fainted in the middle of a battle.
All Venti could remember in that moment was turning around to see her dropping to the ground, not a single part of her moving. The wind was the only thing letting him know she was still breathing.
At first he was beside himself with fear as to what had caused her sudden collapse, but he pushed it aside momentarily in order to get her out of there and into a safer area. The commission could wait. Lumine was far more important.
So filled with adrenaline on what had happened, it wasn’t until Venti had Lumine safe in Barbara’s capable hands that all the terror he had been holding back hit him hard leading to the position he was currently in. What was wrong with his starlight? Was she going to be alright? A pit of fear and despair grew in his stomach, causing instant nausea. Venti began breathing in slowly to try and keep his nerves from getting the best of him. Having an anxiety attack right now was definitely the last thing he needed. That and regardless of what Barbara would tell him, Lumine would need him to remain calm.
Taking in a few more breaths, Venti slowly felt the tenseness leave his body and his muscles gently unclenched allowing them to relax. HIs spiraling thoughts quieted down enough to where he was able to clear his mind and stop them from running rampant again. And while he managed to achieve getting his calmness back, he still continued to go through the motions until he felt it was okay to stop.
However, upon having the moment arrive where he could quit the exercise, his nerves decided to shoot up again when he heard the door open and saw Barbara walk out, smile on her face to beckon him inside. “Oh, Venti! Come on in. Lumine’s waiting to see you.”
Okay, now he was confused. Did Barbara smiling mean everything was alright? While he desperately hoped so, Venti couldn’t help but feel unsure. Maybe going in and seeing Lumine for himself would help?
Following behind the young woman, Venti felt some of his fears disappear when his verdant eyes caught sight of Lumine sitting down on the bed, her legs dangling over it’s side with a pensive expression on her face. Said expression shifted into one of relief with a tinge of worry when she saw Venti venture in. That simple look was enough to make the bard’s nerves return with a vengeance. Luckily he was able to pull them back enough to keep them from showing as he didn’t want his starlight to see his nervousness on full display. He needed to be strong for her.
But even so, he desperately hoped it wasn’t anything serious and was just something that would require a few days rest. Lumine had been pushing herself far more than she should’ve been as of late, despite his and Paimon’s protests, so it more than likely the precursor to what had happened.
Walking over to her with a warm smile on his face to try and alleviate her fears, he reached for her hand. “Hey, Starlight… You doing okay?” Grasping their hands together, he gave hers a squeeze while threading his fingers through her own.
Returning his gesture, Lumine slowly formed a smile of her own. “...yeah. I’m fine. Just…”
Rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand, he let his concern show openly on his face. “What did she say it was-?”
Before Venti could continue, Barbara interrupted. “I’ll go ahead and leave you two alone.” Her eyes flickered over briefly to Lumine before looking at them both. “If you need me, I’ll be out in the cathedral.” The Deaconess started towards the door, but just as she reached it, her hand on the doorknob, the woman inclined her head in their direction, her smile a bit wider. “Oh, and by the way, once again, congratulations!”
His confusion returned so fast Venti almost felt the whiplash. What was that about? What was congratulatory about Lumine being sick? Before he could question her however, the woman slipped out the room, leaving the two of them inside. He inwardly huffed. Well..., now what? He didn’t want to push Lumine any more than necessary based on what he knew she probably felt, but at the same time he also knew she was the only one who would understand what Barbara meant by her last message. He sighed, already hating what choice he was going to have to make. As gently as he could, Venti began forming his inquiry. “Um, Lumine? Do you happen to know what Barbara was talking about?”
Silence. His confusion switched into concern when Lumine avoided his question. “...Lumine?”
She took in a deep breath, only turning to him when she let it out. Her golden eyes shone with what looked to be determination with a tinge of fear which only served to make his concern grow. He squeezed her hand again. What was it that had her so scared? He had to know. Her answer, though, threw him off completely. “Do you...do you remember that night we shared back during the Windblume Festival just a few months ago…?” Her cheeks turned pink as she trailed off.
Night during the Windblume Festival? Honestly, Venti had to think for a moment to remember exactly what Lumine was referring to and once the memory came back to him, his own face mirrored hers. Oh… That night. Images of what happened replayed in his head making his cheeks flush even deeper. And while the replay was causing him to start getting all hot and bothered, he reluctantly pushed it aside to focus on his confusion on why Lumine was even bringing it up. This was definitely not the time nor the place. Though, mind you, he couldn’t refute that he didn’t mind having it brought up at all even though the situation certainly didn’t need it. “Um…,” He started, stumbling over his words a bit to try and hide how he momentarily lost his breath. “Yes, I do, but what does that have to do with this exactly?”
His bewilderment grew upon seeing his starlight sending him an incredulous look. Did...did he ask the wrong question? He honestly thought it was a logical one. “Do you… do you not get what I’m hinting at here?” Her face suddenly shifted into more shock, if that look was even possible. “Wait, you do know of what could happen if a man and a woman do that, right?”
Venti’s thought process stuttered. Why was she saying it like he knew nothing? He did know what happened when that took place. It meant that the two really loved each other. ...Right? Somehow though with the combination of Lumine’s expression and Barbara’s cryptic words from earlier, he had a distinct feeling that he was missing something. Something big enough to make her words go through him like the wind through the tree’s branches at Windrise. “I think I do…, but enlighten me. Just to make sure I’m on the right path here.”
Lumine sighed, bringing her free hand to her forehead while mumbling something under her breath so lowly that if it wasn’t for Venti’s powers, he wouldn’t have caught it. “You’re an over 2,000-year-old god and you don’t know where babies come from?”
Venti pouted. Of course he knew where babies came from! How dare she insult his intelligence. “What? Of course I do! They come from mothers, don’t they?” While he tried to keep the annoyance out of his tone, he knew he wasn’t entirely successful as the last few words were practically filled with it.
Lumine rolled her eyes so hard Venti could essentially feel the disappointment coming off her. But why was she even feeling that way? Yep, he was definitely still missing something. “Yes, they do come from mothers, but there’s a way they get there.”
Now it was Venti’s turn to sigh. Oh, Archons, please tell him, she wasn’t thinking what he thought she was... “If you’re gonna say they came from Barbatos bringing them down from Celestia, then I’ll have to be the one to tell you that it’s entirely untrue.” Honestly, who the hell came up with that idea? Just because he had wings in his Archon form didn’t mean that was what he used them for.
She chuckled. Venti felt some of his irritation disappear at the sight of her glee. “No, that wasn’t what I was going to say, though that is a very interesting take…”
The bard glared, his lip stuck out in a pout as that little bit of irritation he lost returned. As much as he usually didn’t mind her teasing, for some reason this kind felt a bit insulting. However, he pushed it away, opting to focus instead on the former part of her statement. “Well then, what was it you were going to say?”
Her mouth formed into a smile that turned warm making the rest of his lingering annoyance disappear like a gentle breeze. The hand she had been holding up, moved over their already conjoined ones, grasping them tightly. “Venti…, we’re going to be parents.”
Okay, if he thought he was confused before, he was beyond that now. “...huh? What are you talking about? How...?” Apparently his mind was missing an obvious clue that would make things click together perfectly.
Lumine giggled again, her gaze becoming as gentle as her smile. “Do you remember the night I reminded you of?” Venti nodded, still not sure how this was connected. “Well, what we did that night is what made this possible.” Huh? What…? Before Venti could voice how, Lumine continued.
“Yes, babies do come from mothers, but they get there because they’re put there by their fathers. Which happens when the mother and father do what we did that night.” Her cheeks flushed even redder as her eyes bore into his with an expression that told him he needed to read between the lines. So...in essence, that’s what he decided to do. Especially since the way he had been trying to do it previously wasn’t working.
So..., babies are put inside mothers by their fathers… Why did he feel this was a euphemism for something…? His eyebrows furrowed for a minute while he mulled this over until suddenly, the images he had pushed aside from that night she had mentioned reappeared. Oh… OH! So that’s what she...
The lyre he had nearly forgotten that he was holding slipped from his hand, clattering to the ground. He was...he was gonna be a father? ...Could he even be one? Was it even possible for a god? His thoughts started to scramble causing him to get lost in them and making him almost forget that Lumine was nearby, waiting for a response, until she gently prodded him. “...Venti?”
Jumping a bit, he turned to his starlight, his stomach growing nauseous at seeing the worry in her gaze. Oh no, how long had he been silent for? He needed to say something. “Well...this definitely wasn’t something I was expecting to happen. Hehe, I didn’t know gods could even have children and now to know that I am, well… it certainly is a lot to take in…”
Lumine nodded, a bit of his solemn disposition seeping into hers. “That it is. Though, I suppose the most important thing about this is: do you want to be a father? I know being a mother was not something I ever imagined since I was a traveler for most of my life, but I can’t deny that I’ve always wondered what it would be like.” Her gaze shifted to their hands that were still being held together. “I know from what Barbara told me, the position is a lot of work and you have to take on a lot of responsibilities. Granted, considering who we are doing a lot of hard work wouldn’t be anything different than normal, but considering its a child, and ours at that, I think that set of responsibilities would be different than what we are used to.”
“But…” She looked back up at Venti, her golden eyes gazing into his emerald ones. “I think I’m up for it. ...are you?”
He studied her face for a few moments, her gaze helping to keep his nerves calm and letting him form a warm smile that echoed her earlier one onto his face. “Yeah… it’ll be a lot of work, but honestly I’m excited to see where this goes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still terrified since this is a whole new experience for me and I’m afraid that I’ll mess up, but… I’m glad that we get to share this together.” Pressing his lips to her cheek, Venti's expression went soft. “Plus, I think you’ll make an excellent mother.”
Returning his expression of love with a kiss of her own, she responded, soft laughter falling from her lips. “And you’ll make an excellent father. Probably a bit on the chaotic side with what I’m sure you will inevitably teach our child, but still, a good father nonetheless.”
Our child? Wow, that was certainly gonna take some time to get used to hearing. And he had a feeling that he wouldn’t be the only one. He could practically hear Diluc now once the news got out. Hehe… “Ehe...while I want to argue with you, I can’t deny that you’re right on that point. I can be a little crazy with how I show people things…”
Lumine laughed, shuffling herself closer to him on the bed while tucking her head underneath his chin where his neck met his shoulder. She hummed contently when Venti’s arms wrapped around her to hold her tight. “That’s an understatement.”
Once more he wanted to refute her words, but instead he decided to take in this moment and enjoy it for what it was. A moment where their lives took another turn. One that neither one expected to have, but one that each was willing to accept. And while he knew he would eventually go and try and seek help for how to handle something like this from the people he knew were better equipped than he was, for right now, it was the farthest thing from his mind. This moment deserved to be enjoyed without any interruption.
...And though Venti was content to keep basking in it, a sudden thought occurred to him. One that made him groan and realize the full extent of what he was getting himself into. Why did it have to be that…? Lumine opened her eyes, looking up at him with curiosity and a bit of concern with what was bothering her bard. “What is it?”
Sighing, Venti shook his head while inwardly feeling the pain his sacrifice would inflict upon him. Yep, being a parent was definitely going to be a lot of hard work… “Oh, it’s nothing really… I just remembered that babies are quite expensive, so that would mean I’d have to cut back on some of the alcohol I drink to try and save up on mora…” He groaned, getting comfort from rubbing his face into her hair . “This is gonna suck...”
All Lumine could do was laugh.