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The taller boy yanked Xiao's wrist towards the entrance to the tavern, a wide grin spread across his face as he glanced back at him. "I promise it'll be a lot of fun."
Xiao grunted. "Barbatos, I told you, I don't drink. I have no desire to feel drunk." He pulled his arm away, halting in his tracks.
"You're so uptight," Venti pouted, his arms planted on his hips, "just one or two drinks, you'll feel so much better."
"I didn't want to come to Mondstadt." Xiao shot the offer down once more, "I have no interest in the people here or what they do in their free time." His voice was blunt, and laced with ice.
"I thought you'd enjoy it." Venti frowned, his features softened, "you never leave Liyue -- I figured..,"
Xiao cut him off: " You have an interest in the mortal world. You never thought I'd enjoy it, you just wanted to drag me along so you could get drunk and have someone there with you."
Venti blinked at him, unsure what to say. He swallowed, "that's not what I intended to happen. I only wanted you to loosen up a little, I care about you a lot, and seeing you tirelessly fulfilling a contract that's supposed to have ended -- I wanted to help you experience things, experience the freedom you've never had." Venti cupped his hands.
"Don't..," Xiao hissed, yanking himself back, "speak of Rex Lapis. He saved me, he made me my spear and he allowed me to have a second chance at life."
"I know." Venti murmured, his eyes darting to the people who had started to cluster around the two with confusion at the situation. "One drink, for me, okay? Please."
Xiao grunted again. "Fine," he glared at the bard, " one drink."
Venti clapped his hands excitedly, "oh, you'll love it!" He giggled, pulling Xiao inside the tavern.
A man with red hair glared their way immediately, "I thought I heard you outside." He exhaled, "what would you and your friend like?"
"Two dandelion wines!" Venti grinned, then his eyes flicked around the bar and he tilted his head. "Slow business, today?"
"I guess," Diluc huffed, "it's unusually empty, though." He added.
"Come on and sit over here with me, Xiao!" Venti exclaimed, motioning to the nearest table. Xiao let out an annoyed sigh.
"This is so humiliating," he grumbled as he sat on the stool. "Only you would bring me down to a level this low, Barbatos."
"It's Venti," the boy met his eyes as he took his own seat. "By the way. But I guess you don't have to call me that here," he glanced back at Diluc, "since he already knows."
Xiao mumbled something inaudible as Diluc placed two bottles of dandelion wine on the table. "I'll excuse you from paying this once," Diluc sighed, "or ever, since I know you won't pay anyways."
"Bar -- Venti," he corrected himself, earning a grunt from Diluc at the counter, "I said one drink."
"You don't have to drink the whole thing, silly."
Xiao leaned away from the table, a pang of regret inside him. He should have never agreed to come along. "We're done here." Xiao stood up, but Venti grabbed his arm.
"Xiao, wait, don't go, please --" he begged.
"I only agreed to come along because of your music." Xiao glared down at him, "this was pathetic, so think of it as a favour, nothing more. We aren't friends, Barbatos, I don't have the time to uphold friendships -- nor do I need them."
Venti felt tears at the edge of his eyes, "Xiao, please, I can't let you go." He sobbed, "I just wanted.., to hang out with you."
"Barbatos." Xiao's tone was harsher, "it would be better if you left me alone."
Venti glanced up at him, tears streaming down his cheeks and he had snot dripping from his nose: Xiao scoffed, turning his head away.
"You'd be miserable, your karmic debt -- I can't let you suffer..," Venti pleaded.
"Don't you think I deserve it?" Xiao snapped, his voice nothing more than a low hiss, "why are you so insistent to help me? To ease my endless pain?"
"I..," Venti had nothing left to say, Xiao yanked his arm from the bard's grip, and he disappeared from the tavern. "I'm sorry." Venti mumbled, sobs wrecking his body as he collapsed to the floor.
The familiar clacking of boots approached from behind, and someone bent down to place a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey," Diluc started, his voice a lot softer than usual, "get up off the floor, alright?" Venti nodded, pushing himself upright, trying to ignore the dizziness swirling around his head but his legs felt like jelly and he nearly collapsed again when Diluc caught him. He slowly coaxed him onto the stool and then sighed, "do you need anything else? Water, or some food, I can go pick something up from the Good Hunter for you."
Venti shook his head, sniffling, he wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Sorry, Master Diluc," he wiped his nose again, "about this. I'll head out now."
Diluc exhaled, "Venti, it's fine. And take the wine with you."
"Thank you." He took a deep breath before he stood up, clutching the wine in his arms he waved goodbye to Diluc and exited the tavern.
As he pushed open the door, there was a confused, but ultimately excited citizen of Mondstadt who greeted him cheerfully. "Hi!"
"O-oh, hi," Venti blinked away his tears, hoping it wasn't too noticeable.
"I was walking the streets when I couldn't help but overhear that guy you were just with, the one who mentioned the Geo Archon." Venti nodded for them to go on. "Well, he also said that --" the woman was cut off as someone else pushed themselves in front of them.
"Sorry for interrupting, but I have to speak with him."
"Oh!" The woman's eyes widened, "you're that traveler who helped save Dvalin, and took down Osial. I've heard so many cool stories about you."
"Thanks," Lumine shrugged, "now, excuse us, please?"
"Of course!" The citizen scurried off, allowing Lumine to let out a long sigh.
"You seem upset." She commented. "Did anything happen? And where's Xiao, didn't you say he was gonna..," she paused with realization. "Ah."
"Yep." Venti mumbled, "at least, I got free wine, though." He laughed, but his laugh was choked with sorrow.
Lumine gave him a pitiful glance, "let's head to our usual spot, it's too open here."
"You understand me so well, I just don't know how you do it." He let out an amused huff.
.
.
.
"So he left you, just like that?"
Venti nodded, kicking his feet in the air as he laid down to stare up at the clouds. "It's nothing, really,"
"I think you should talk to him." Lumine stood over him, to meet his eyes, a mischievous sparkle twinkling in hers. "Take him somewhere really romantic, Starsnatch Cliff, put a flower in his hair and --" she motioned her hands together. Venti jolted up, swatting her hands apart.
"Stop that!" He exclaimed, his cheeks burning red. "You're not funny!" He stuck his tongue out at her.
"Okay, okay!" She laughed warmly, "but I still think you should. You'll never get anywhere just moping about it."
"You're right." Venti agreed, "I will, tonight."
Lumine smirked at him, "you and your little Yaksha crush."
"Shut up!" Venti covered his cheeks with his hands, fully embarrassed. "Why do I even tell you?" He groaned, Lumine shrugged as she grabbed his hat off his head.
"Hey," Venti reached for his hat back, but Lumine held it up higher, "this isn't funny."
"It's a little funny." Lumine admits, throwing his hat on top of the head of the statue. "I better get back to Paimon, though, or else she'll be complaining all night about how long I've been gone."
Venti smiled at her, "see you, then! Thank you."
.
.
.
Venti held his hands over Xiao's eyes, anxiety bubbled in his stomach. "If you're taking me to the tavern again," Xiao started, but Venti stopped him.
"I promise I'm not."
Xiao huffed, "this is the last time I want to 'hang out' with you. I have more important matters than idling in Mondstadt with some mortals and an Archon who's convinced he's one of them."
"I know," Venti replied softly, "just trust me, okay?"
"I don't." Xiao returned with hostility.
"I'll take my hands away now," he waited for any sign of acknowledgement from Xiao, but he stood still in silence, and Venti exhaled, pulling his hands back. He plopped himself on the grass, patting the spot beside him for Xiao to sit.
Xiao remained in his spot, tensely for a few more seconds before he took a seat by Venti. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Have you ever stargazed before?" Venti avoided his question.
"No." His voice was flat.
"Would you want to?"
Xiao said nothing as Venti laid back against the ground, staring upwards. He shifted his eyes from Venti and the sky, but ended up craning his neck upwards.
"They're really pretty tonight." Venti commented.
"Sure."
"Xiao," Venti turned his head to stare at the Yaksha. "I know you want to keep talking to me." Xiao parted his lips to say something, but Venti wouldn't let him. "Because if you didn't you wouldn't be here right now, with me."
"And I'm glad you are." He added, swallowing hard at what he was going to say next: "I know I'm not a mortal, and I know it's likely.. wrong, or unnatural , for me to have these types of emotions for another."
"I really care about you. So much that it hurts. It hurts me when you're in pain, I can't stand seeing you suffer. I want to help you, because I love you. "
"Say what you will, but I can't stop myself from feeling like this. All I ask is that you let me -- let me help you." His throat was dry, "please."
Xiao stared up at the sky, exhaling. "Venti." But he had no other words to say.
Venti sat up, turning himself to face Xiao. His face was red, "would you let me?"
"What are you asking?" Xiao's breath hitched as Venti slowly placed a hand on his cheek.
"That we…" he trailed off, staring into the golden eyes of the other. "You're scared."
Xiao tensed. "What you said in the tavern." Venti leaned closer, "tell me, what are you scared of?"
"I'm not." He lied, shuffling in his spot.
"It's me, isn't it? You're scared of me." Venti rubbed his thumb along Xiao's cheek. "You don't want to love me."
"You don't want to love me, because you think it would be a burden."
Now it was Xiao whose face was flustered, and he averted his gaze at Venti's words.
"You think you're just a weapon -- or an object to dispose of. You don't want to have attachment, because you feel as if you don't deserve it."
"But when I'm with you, do you feel different?"
Venti felt something damp against his hand, and under the glistening moonlight, he realized Xiao was crying.
Venti leaned forward, feeling Xiao's breath against his face. He was hesitating.
He felt Xiao's hand on his own. And then, it was Xiao, who closed the distance between them. Their lips locked, for only a moment, and when they pulled away, Xiao broke his silence.
"Yes." He wiped his face. "You make me feel like I'm more than just disposable. You make me feel like I don't deserve to suffer. You make me question all of my feelings and whether or not they're okay to have."
"I feel so fucking awful around you. Because from the day we met, you treated me differently, you treated me like I was more than.., a weapon."
Venti smiled at him, "of course." He wrapped his arms around him in a warm embrace. "I've always wanted you to realize that." He felt Xiao's head lean against his shoulder. "To me, you're not a weapon. You're not just Liyue's Yaksha. You're not mortal either, neither am I, but that's okay. You're Xiao, and you're the one I love. I willingly chose to help you, that doesn't make you a burden."
Xiao sniffled, "I'll believe you."
Venti pulled out of the embrace, meeting his eyes. "My pretty boy, I've wanted you to be mine for so long."
Xiao held his breath as Venti motioned himself forward. "May I?" He whispered against Xiao's cheek.
"Anything." Xiao's face was hot, he writhed with embarrassment, "for you, now, I'm yours."
"You're mine." Venti repeated, dancing two fingers along Xiao's chest. "As I'm yours."
Connecting their lips again, they were content.