Work Text:
Finally finished, Xingqiu thought to himself as he sat at his desk with a stack of manuscript paper before him after a long day of work. By this point, the sun had already gone down and much of the city would be going to sleep soon.
For the past few weeks, it seemed that the Feiyun Commerce Guild had become caught up in the recent events occurring in Liyue leaving him with very little time to write or go adventuring. He understood that it couldn’t be helped as a result of his position and there was still quite some time before his older brother would take over, but he still couldn’t help but wish he could relax for a short while. Even Chongyun had gone adventuring on his own for the time being, Xiangling had her hands full with the store, and Hu Tao had her own business to take care of as well, so there wasn’t much he could really do except work and rest.
It was at times like these that he missed his lover, a flighty bard by the name of Venti, who traveled and lived entirely as he pleased. Every so often, the other man would come visit him and bring him gifts from Mondstadt—a wreath of Cecilias, some wind wheel asters, dandelion seeds “perfect for wine” (as he would say), and some small lamp grass he kept in a small vase on his desk—but nothing pleased him more than being able to see his face and hear his voice allowing all of his stress to just melt away. It really has been a while since I’ve seen him. I wonder how he’s doing. At the mere thought of his lover standing beside him, he smiled and tapped his fingernails lightly against the wooden surface of his desk as he called out his lover’s name.
“Venti.”
Like a magic spell, he could see the wind carry a familiar man towards his window as he stepped towards him with delicate steps. “You called?” he asked in his usual playful tone and he gracefully leapt into the room without making a sound. “It seems like you’ve been quite busy.”
“That is a grave understatement,” he replied with a tired smile. “What did you bring today?”
He laughed. Xingqiu always enjoyed listening to his laugh. It was like listening to the sound of wind chimes being nudged by a gentle breeze. “I have something else for you this time. Do you have your glider?”
“I do. Why do you ask?” Xingqiu wondered curiously.
“Would you like to find out?”
Venti flashed him a knowing smile.
Feeling excited, Xingqiu quickly scooped up his glider and a small bag he took whenever he went on shorter outings before sneaking off alongside his companion in the direction of Mt. Tianheng. His hand felt warm within Venti’s own as they carefully made their way through the quiet streets while trying to make sure that Xingqiu wouldn’t be noticed by anyone who might say something to his parents. He was sneaking off in the dead of night without telling anyone after all.
It was a bit of a walk and the climb was not kind on his already tired body, yet the twinkle of excitement in Venti’s deep aquamarine eyes gave him the energy to push forward. Once they had arrived at their destination, Xingqiu followed Venti’s gaze to see the city of Liyue spread out before him with the lights outside some of the houses and stores emitting a warm glow against the nighttime sky. It was a sight that was not unfamiliar to him, yet somehow, it felt different seeing it from so far away.
“You haven’t seen anything yet. Put on your glider and hold on tight, okay?” Venti instructed as he held out his hand.
Xingqiu nodded while quickly fastening the glider onto his back before grabbing hold of his boyfriend’s hand. What happened next was something he completely did not expect.
Summoning a wind vent was not something outside of a vision’s capability, however Venti’s vision did not shine at all. Instead, the ends of his braids seemed to glow the same color as his glimmering eyes before he leapt up—causing the two of them to propel into the air.
Once he managed to tear his gaze away from his partner, he turned to look down at the city as they glided high above the rooftops. It’s beautiful , he thought as he allowed himself to soak it all in—both the scenery and the sight of his lover by his side. The air was cool and light against his body and the sight of the wooden rooftops seemed small and clustered enough to leap across. From afar, he could see the ocean surrounding the city, sparkling beneath the glow of the moon, adding yet another layer to this familiar sight. Even against the darkened backdrop, it was still such a mesmerizing sight that he almost forgot to breathe.
“May stories drift along with the wind
Passed down amongst mountains and waves
Bringing our past to your ears
Even if seasons change
The time in our memories won’t be removed
Such a familiar scene, yet you can’t see it. ”
At the sound of his voice being carried by the wind itself, Xingqiu glanced over to see Venti singing freely as he allowed himself to be carried by the wind.
“The moon glazes upon the shores and ships
It’s reflection attracts waves in the water
Restaurants along the streets
Who speak of separation again?
Oil paper umbrellas beside the bridge
Beautifully colored violet and fuchsia
Sails raised at the harbor representing her hope and anticipation.”
“This is about Liyue, isn’t it?” Xingqiu guessed with a pleased smile.
“It’s the place where you came into being. It’s a special place for you just like Mondstadt is for me,” Venti replied wistfully. “Sometimes when people get caught up in their hectic lives, they miss out on a chance to take a step back and see what’s around them.”
It was brief, but something about that comment seemed to contain a twinge of sadness in it. “Were you lonely while I was busy?”
Xingqiu tightened his grip around Venti’s soft hand while Venti shook his head. He couldn’t see his eyes, but he had a feeling that the other man was lying to him. Either way, it didn’t really matter to him. They were here together and that was the important thing.
The two of them steered towards a safe enough area for them to land before allowing themselves to fall against the grass beneath them in exhaustion. “Venti.”
Xingqiu pulled the green clad man close and held him tight. “Thank you for coming. I missed you.”
Venti simply breathed in the scent of grass that clung to Xingqiu’s clothes as he buried his face in his shoulder and wrapped his arms around him. In response, Xingqiu tangled his fingers in Venti’s hair and smiled gently to himself.
Venti didn’t say a word. He simply hummed the rest of the song as Xingqiu’s eyes drifted closed. “Shall we stay here for just a little while longer? The air feels good today.”
There were a lot of things he wanted to say. There was even more that he wanted to ask. But in the end, he decided to just hum alongside him as they listened to the sound of the waves in the background.