Work Text:
It’s been a long time, such a long time since his friend dared to join him in his country. Being an archon, any kind of archon means eternity, meaning hundreds and hundreds of years to happen before any of them had a break. And only them to understand it. Venti loved his place, loved it so much that he passed all of his time between his people, singing and playing. He was a god of his people, so he hated leaving Mondstadt and Zhongli was too busy with his job and his responsibility as an Archon. But Morax, to the eye of everyone he was dead, a break was more than necessary, especially to go and tell the other Archons that he wasn’t actually dead.
Zhongli wasn’t an Archon anymore.
He had a little bit more freedom. Zhongli had to talk to Hutao about a little vacation and after some negotiations it was possible, so he started his trip to Mondstadt. It wasn’t very far, by the time he get to the city of freedom he started thinking about how dumb it was to not go and visit his friend before that. The city felt like breathing fresh air, full of life and people moving around. Zhongli thought it would be difficult to find his friend until he listened to a sweet melody.
Venti was there playing in front of the Anemo Archon.
A part of Zhongli wanted to laugh about the irony that was probably intended, and another part of him thought “he is more gorgeous than I remembered”. If he was smart, the idea of their bodies being nothing but vessels, nothing but pieces of skin to help them be there for a determined moment in time. Eternity came with a price. And still, Zhongli stayed there petrified by the beauty of the other god, amazed by the melodies and hypnotized by the stage. People around him walked as if the music of his god wasn’t filling the whole place. That was another of the beautiful parts about Venti, he was there to be with the people and not let them know who he was but close enough to help in case they needed.
Zhongli always had a soft spot for him. between the Archons, the old ones and the new ones was some kind of complicity in the idea of being the ones responsible for their own nations, the heavy weight of the closest thing to immortality. It was normal for them to get along, except maybe the cryo archon the relationships between each other was pretty good, at least kind and respectful. But then it was the Geo and the Anemo Archon who always got along well, the blurry line between friendship and something else was always there.
He wasn’t thinking about that, not thinking about the past and the explanations he had to give, the time they would take to catch up, the weight of the wine in his baggage. The only thing he could think was how good it would be if he had the courage to kiss him, how good it would feel to hold him in his arms, how good it would feel to feel.
But he saw a dark figure at the top of the cathedral and the feeling of cold water substituted every thought or feeling he had.
The word on the street was that the anemo archon had someone in mind, someone who was also an anemo user, it wasn’t that crazy to think that the person in front of him was also the only person who can calm with his music, a tormented boy. He didn’t have the time to process his heartbreak because Venti screamed at him, he stopped the music and the dark figure of the tower disappeared and where once was a calm plaza now it was an scenary of two old friends reuniting. Venti went there running ready to hug him doesn’t even minding Zhongli was always too serious. Not the kind of person who goes around hugging other people. But Venti was his friend, so he opened his arms and hugged him. Venti felt like breathing clean air after so long, he felt like a warm breeze and home. Zhongli wanted to cry, but he stopped when he felt the other man crying.
Venti was sobbing in his arms and Zhongli didn’t know what to do but to touch his hair softly, he stood there with the men he loved for so many years in his arms and afraid of moving but more afraid of his tears. Someone he loved was in pain, his pain was Zhongli’s too.
The sun was going down, hiding behind the hill, Venti wasn’t crying anymore, but he didn’t want to leave his friend. Zhongli was too afraid to ask. Too afraid to let go. Sometimes it didn’t feel like that, but right there the heavy weight of the years they stayed apart hurt them.
After some minutes Venti grabbed his hand, his eyes were still red but he didn’t say a word, just walked him to his place. There were people who knew who he was even if he tried to avoid it, they gave him a small apartment in one of the buildings, small but comfortable and he didn’t have to sleep in the streets or worry about not having where to go, so he was grateful. Venti loved his people. He brought his friend there and when he was sitting and comfortable, when Zhongli got out the wine he asked the question that clinged to his throat since he saw him in the middle of the presentation.
“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t dead?”
“I couldn’t send you a letter or something, people might know, and the reason why I did that is because I wanted people to believe I am gone so I can move forward” Zhongli says.
“I thought I lost you” Venti whispers, a little broken.
“You didn’t lose me,” Zhongli says, moving to his side, hugging him.
“I asked my-“ Venti starts looking at Zhongli and then stops- “ I asked Xiao but he didn’t tell me anything, I really thought you were gone, I went to Liyue but I didn’t saw you anywhere and I came back thinking you were gone”
“I was busy watching everything, I wanted to make sure it was okay if I left the archon position. It’s been some busy months” Zhongli explains
“It’s okay” Venti nods “You are here now”
Zhongli hugs him again and again until it is late and they have to go to sleep, Venti has a bed and a sofa and Zhongli laughs at it but sleeps there.
The next day, Venti shows him everywhere, it’s been a hundred of years or maybe just a couple, time is weird for them, but the other shows Zhongli the place, his favorite spots to be and to sing, he shows him the bar and Zhongli mocks him about it but Venti doesn’t stop. It’s weird, because he heard rumors about Venti drinking all the time, especially from his friend Childe who traveled between nations like it was nothing. He said the only time he saw Venti was at Diluc’s bar (wherever that was), he said he was wasted in one of the chairs. But Venti didn’t seem interested in alcohol, just in showing Zhongli everywhere.
When the night came they stumbled to Dawnery bar, Venti seemed to know the bartender and he asked for a cup of wine for him and for Zhongli. They stay there until is late and the owner ask them to leave, the men that now he knows is called Diluc which makes it make even more sense seems to know Venti and talks to him while closing the door, he asks him for his “emo boyfriend” and Venti is about to choke on his wine so the other man stared at Zhongli for a second and instead of saying something else he left.
“Does he know you are the anemo archon?” Morax asks, a little worried, trying to ignore the comment of the ‘boyfriend’.
“I might have told him that once or twice,” Venti laughs “I was drunk, okay? but that dude seems to know everything about everyone so he might know that before i even said something”
Zhongli laughs at that, and sounds a lot like Barbatos. “Well at least you have someone to check on you, then.”
“He is not the only one,” Venti almost whispers.
The other man seems heavily uncomfortable but no one knows if it’s because they don’t normally talk about this. Barbatos never has anyone. Morax never has anyone. That 's how it goes. They walk in the dark until Zhongli lets the words escape “The emo boyfriend?”
Venti laughs louder “Hey, don’t be like that. But yes, you know him”
“Xiao.” Zhongli nods “You know who he is?”
Venti stops his walk, he deepens his voice “The great Alatus, he is an adeptus, he is the last Yakska under your service”
“Not anymore” he whispers.
“You are still Morax”
“I am still Morax. But I am not an Archon anymore. I am a consultant, that’s it. I’m not your boyfriend’s boss” Zhongli says, by then they are getting in the apartment. But it’s night, not a single soul is awake that early.
“That’s good, because I wanted to introduce you to him and that would have been awkward.” Venti jokes.
“But I already know him,” Zhongli comments.
“As my boyfriend! I’ve never in the history of the world have ever introduced you to anyone ever ever” Barbatos says.
Morax nods, or Zhongli, or whatever. In none of his lives, with any of his names, with any of his titles, any of the battles he won and lost, since the beginning of times for him, for them… he ever felt more heartbroken. Because if he is introducing him, then it is serious. And it’s a nightmare.
The next day arrives too soon for him when he wakes up and he hears the door knocking, he knows it is Xiao, so he moves his head and stands up to go open it up. Strangely enough, for all the years they met he never looked so… in peace. If he would dare to describe him it was ‘tormented’ not only the darkness surrounding him but the way he looked just standing there. They weren’t friends, barely acquaintances, they never met for more than 5 minutes. But years took a toll on him, his friends dying or leaving one by one also took a toll on him. But that wasn’t the Alatus he saw that day. He was calm. Strangely calm, he said hi and when to wake up Venti, he heard him laugh and Zhongli couldn’t do anything else but to stay there confused.
Zhongli wanted to give them space, so he went outside to get breakfast (or lunch) he wasn’t sure of the time. He passed by the tavern and saw Diluc, he waved at him and the other man replied. Morax wanted to ask when did that happen, how did that happen, how the two people he met most of his life ended up together and how did they get so familiar with each other. But he didn’t want to know, it might be something hurtful.
When he came back both of them were sitting on his couch just talking, Venti was unconsciously playing his lyre, it looked so natural Zhongli wanted to leave. But he stayed. Venti joked where he got money from food, Morax said because everything was on his work tab and laughed.
Later that day, Xiao stayed there and Zhongli decided it was about time for him to share the wine he brought for his friend. They got more wine from different places but still, it was the star of the day. It was just the three of them, drunk in a small place and talking about other times. A mortal wouldn’t understand, wouldn’t even begin to imagine how life and time and civilizations move, how slow and fast time passed. The three of them together hold more power and knowledge in that small room that everyone else in town. It was nice, Zhongli felt nice and warm and free, he felt like he could do anything, he was comfortable in that place, they made jokes and talk about general gossip, they feel like different people specially Xiao, he felt like another men, he looked happy and he was comfortable too maybe because even if he had all this karma he was between archons, between gods, that was nothing, he didn’t have to worry about everything.
They started playing drinking games, unconsciously Venti and Zhongli were getting closer and Xiao didn’t need to mind. And somehow Venti dropped a bottle and Zhongli was behind him trying to fix the problem, they laughed hard and somehow after sitting again they were more close, close enough that they didn’t realize until they were kissing each other. Morax felt the alcohol leaving his body because he wanted that for a long time ago, and when they separated Venti laughed and kept drinking, that’s when Zhongli saw in front of him and Xiao was looking at him. He didn’t look impressed, not angry, he didn’t look drunk and that made Zhongli panic so he did the first thing that came to his head. It wasn’t logic. And still he got up.
He sat next to Xiao and gave him a kiss too.
A small one, it barely matters, he just wanted to see if that was alright. But when he pulled back the other man touched his chin and kissed him again. This time was different, not quite similar like the last one or the one with Venti. Xiao was sweet, he wasn’t rushing, he was sober and at that moment Zhongli was too. And strangely enough, he didn’t wanna pull back. But when he did, he heard Venti cheering, he sat between the both of them and kissed his boyfriend too. Zhongli was confused but he didn’t say anything, scared that something would happen.
If he wanted to be smart, that could have begun a war between powerful people, instead Zhongli got more kisses. He didn’t refuse.
The next morning, a hangover made Zhongli wake up and move to get some water and something to eat. He realized Diluc was in the same place where he used to eat. The other man pointed at the chair next to his and ordered something after watching his state. Zhongli wanted to laugh, it was a bad day, guilt and confusion clinged to his ribs, and a headache too. They shared breakfast and Diluc asked him mundane questions until he got close enough and said “Didn’t you die?” Zhongli laughed this time and answered something along the lines of that wasn’t him. But the other man didn’t seem to believe him, he just keep eating like if he didn’t just mention that Zhongli is Morax, but no one else surrounding them seem to care, there was just one men with blue hair looking at them at the distance, he was playing with something in his hands but there was no way he could hear. Zhongli didn’t say anything else, but Diluc said “I know Barbatos, he is happy with that emo dude, but you also make him happy” and he left.
He had to leave soon, he thought there in the middle of Mondstadt, leaving was way easier. If he leaves right there he could say something about his job and then he could see how this all turns out in a couple of years. In 100 or 200 years a couple of kisses wouldn’t mean anything. He wouldn’t have to lose his friend because he kissed him and then he kissed his boyfriend. It would be a funny story, Childe and him would laugh about it until it was just words and they didn’t mean anything, until the wind took them with him.
The wind.
He thought, and he thought about Venti’s lips and then Xiao’s lips and how both of them made them feel something. Morax wasn’t allowed to feel anything. But he wasn’t the great Morax anymore, he wasn’t an Archon, just a simple consultant, who casually had feelings for a man who had a boyfriend, he just had to be mature. And if that turned out bad, then he would just disappear from that land for more time.
With food to the other guys in his hands, he repeated himself that this would be nothing in 500 years. And he opened the door.
Venti and Xiao were cuddled on his couch. Like if they woke up and when they couldn’t find him they decided to stay there instead. Maybe because it was closer to the door. He didn’t want to ask. He was waiting for them to tell him to get out, he (after all) kissed them both, and they are dating and that’s so disrespectful… Instead, they looked at him with a smile and grabbed the breakfast from his hands. They didn’t say a word, too sleepy and hungry to say anything. Zhongli just sat next to them thinking about all the ways he could get back to his place, his apartment way bigger than this with his boss, a girl with fire. He inspired respect and had his own things, he didn’t have to worry about food or anything, his friend was an infamous guy capable of burning the world to the ground. If he called any of them, they could come for him in a second. But he only thought about it, he didn’t move.
Xiao moved from his seat he said “I come here once a week, actually, so I am coming back… you know, I have things to do”
“Oh” Zhongli said, a little bit relieved and a little bit sad “I’m glad I get to see you, then. After all this time”
“Yeah, I might show around your work, then” Xiao smiled. “We don’t live so far away”
Zhongli laughed, “That’s true. See you around then. I’m coming back tomorrow”
Xiao kissed his boyfriend goodbye and grabbed his stuff “Alright, take care of my boyfriend, you know how he is” he said, opened up the door and before leaving he kissed Zhongli on the lips, he gave him a smile and waved goodbye ”see you soon”.
“He is so sweet isn’t he?” Venti said, obviously dreamy. He didn’t look confused about what his boyfriend just did. “He actually can appear and disappear, he even shows up when I whisper his name if he wants. But he thinks it is cute if he says goodbye like a normal person” Venti smiled big and started cleaning the place.
Zhongli didn’t ask.
Things didn’t change a lot that day. The only difference was that since it was the last day Venti made the wind take them to the highest building and show Zhongli his nation. He looked proud, like an actual archon. Morax could actually picture him as Barbatos in that same moment, with his white clothes and his vibe of God. Looking down at the beautiful city on his feet Zhongli could understand why.
They didn’t kiss when Zhongli left, which left him confused. But leaving the city he was content, more than happy to get to his comfortable bed and see his friends. To get back to work and even tell all of the things that happened to Childe.
When he gets to his city he sighs in relief, he even smiles. Walks towards his job, it’s a day they don’t work but he knows Hutao would be around, he just wants to pass by and inform her he is in town, so he does and she looks happy that he is around. He knows it’s a break day and checking the calendar his friend is not there until a couple of days later. So he goes home to sleep.
Childe arrives five days later to his work, but Zhogli doesn’t seem bothered by it, he just finishes his report of the week and asks him to close the door. Childe smiles, he knows that whenever the other men ask him that means that he has gossip. And Zhongli tells him partially what happened, everything but the night they all kiss, he was still confused about it so it didn’t matter if he shared or not if he didn’t know what it meant. They agreed to go out for some drinks, normally Childe would spend a couple of days in the city every month and he would spend one night with him and they would drink something and talk. Zhongli adores those nights.
They go by a bar to buy something to drink and get to Childe’s place, a two floor house with a rooftop. Unlike him, his friend had a lot of money. He was the one who paid the bills whenever Hutao got mad at him for spending too much. Childe knew who he was, he respected it but more important Childe was his friend.
It was dark, probably after one am when they were laughing about something that Childe did at Inazuma that involved fireworks and a girl with pyro vision when he felt the wind moving. He looked around and saw Xiao on the corner of the rooftop. Not knowing what to do, he only waved and the other man got close to him, he greeted Childe and when Zhongli was about to say hello too Xiao hugged him A hug might not mean a lot but Childe knew that Zhongli wasn’t very public with affection and still he hugged him. For Morax it was nothing compared to the kiss from the other day, it was okay. But his friend didn’t think so.
“Aren’t you the boyfriend of Venti?” Childe asks him.
“Yes” Xiao answers sitting next to Zhongli “How do you know that?”
“He knows everything” Zhongli responds “But also I confirm it.”
Childe nods “You only meet each other for a couple of days right?”
Zhongli feeling where that conversation would go have to put a hand on his shoulder “Yes, we did”
His friend stared at him for a long time, almost asking for permission but also saying he would find out one way or another. He knew him too well for his own good. And Zhongli knew that he would find out, Childe or Tartaglia or Ajax or some other name he had then knew everyone and everyone knew him… he would find out. Zhongli moved his hand in a way that he understood the ‘we will talk about this later’ and Chide nodded, satisfied.
“Wait” Xiao looks at them both “Is he your boyfriend, too?”
Childe and Zhongli physically separated from one another. Almost stumbling.
“No” Zhongli answered “Definitely not”
“Then what’s with the eyes?” Xiao asked.
“He is just a gossip” Zhongli said “Don’t mind him”
“No, no, please mind me” Childe gets close to the other guy “What do you mean with ‘is he your boyfriend TOO?’”
“Oh” Xiao said, completely unaware of the tension that was in the room “Isn’t he dating Venti?”
Childe laughed but stop when he saw Zhongli “He is not dating Venti”
“Then why did he kiss him?” Xiao asked, confused.
“YOU KISSED HIM?” Childe screamed at Zhongli, feeling betrayed. “AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME?”
Xiao felt like he finally understand a bit of what was happening and smiled at them “Okay, well, you kissed him and he kissed you and I thought you were dating because he always talks about you like his ‘special friend’ which I see now it's probably because you are just pining for each other”
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Zhongli said.
“No, they are, they really are pining” Said Childe, laughing.
“Well, if they are or not it’s fine by me, actually, I don’t mind, as long it’s you” Xiao said, like it was nothing “The thing i don’t understand is, you kissed him because you have feelings for him. But why did you kiss me?”
Zhongli went completely red while Childe just stared at him in disbelief, Xiao looked very entertained. Zhongli decided to stand up and served a glass of wine. He breathe in and out and let go the most logic answer he could gather “I didn’t want you to feel left out”
“So you kissed me?” Xiao laughed.
“Yes” Zhongli laughed too, realizing how crazy it was “I did, I am sorry.”
“No, it was okay, I didn’t mind, you are good, that was nice,” Xiao nodded. “But, maybe you should talk with Venti, and figure your stuff out”
“You really should” Childe said “And tell me all about it”.
They decided to drink, and Xiao and Childe were gossiping. For Zhongli it was funny how they got along, a mortal who absolutely adored fighting, the blood in his hands and the rush of battle… and an adeptus who lived thousands of years doing exactly that but absolutely hated it. But they didn’t know and Zhongli didn’t want to interrupt the conversation so he kept going, it was nice.
A couple of days later, after some thinking, Zhongli called Xiao’s name. He knew only Venti and a few people could do that and he would answer. The years he spent at his service would only take that, a whisper of his name and the name of the other Yakshas and they would come at him. But that was a lifetime (or several ones) ago, even if the other does spend his life doing that he is not his leader anymore. It was a jump of faith to be even there, on the top of the mountain, hoping he appeared. And Xiao did appear.
Xiao was there, calm and expectant “What do you need, Morax?”
“Zhongli” He corrected. It was normal to be confused since the last time they did that he only gave him orders, it was different now. “Can you take me to Venti? Is faster if you do”
Xiao nodded, held his hand and in a millisecond they were in Mondstat again. The adeptus makes it look so easy. “You talk to him and I come here if you want”
“Okay, thank you,” Zhongli said and smiled in gratitude.
Xiao disappeared as fast as he came and he had to breathe in and out before knocking at the door of Venti. He waited a bit, it wasn’t late, the sun was still up and he just finished his job early so he could have time to talk to the others. He felt like a mortal, caring about those little things. But after a while Venti opened up the door, he looked like he just moved things up and the place looked clean, there was wine and food on the table so Zhongli thought he had a heads up from Xiao,only god knows how those anemo guys conversed.
He didn’t want to get in between those two, it was not his place and perhaps there will be a time soon when the three of them would have to talk, have a deep and long conversation about agreements and limits and how everything would work but not right there. Right there it was another long conversation that should have happened more than a hundred years ago.
Zhongli sat straight, he had his usual suit for work, very different from the last time, he looked weird in that place. But everything about that felt weird and awkward and he didn’t know what to do, until he saw Venti. The other man looked happy, content in his own little place getting the visit of his old friend. And Zhongli remembered how he wanted to stop being just a friend, how that needed to change so he breathed in and out again. He had to be firm from the beginning, to avoid being ever pointed at as one.
“I stay, long nights and long days, you see, staring at the sky. And for a long time I cursed my position and my responsibility. But I stayed because you know as much as I do that being an Archon is beyond you and me, beyond everything we want and feel, beyond everyone else. And we saw different countries and cities emerge, different people to be born and die and leave. We saw it all. Don’t we? Hundreds and hundreds of years passed in a matter of seconds. And you were always there.” Zhongli said, still trying to find the right words.
“I was, even a city away” Venti nodded.
“Yes, but not only as a friend, or a consultant. You were always there in my mind. And I guess it was wishful thinking, when I didn’t know your feelings and a friend got me a way out. And I took it because I only needed a confirmation that my nation is safe in the hands of their people, with the hope in the back of my mind that I could have time and the possibility to come here, and do all of this speech. And to say it out loud.”
Venti moved off his seat, not knowing what to say, “To say what out loud?”
“That I love you. I’ve loved you for so long I don’t remember what life was before loving you. And I wasn’t allowed to feel something and still, I did. I have always loved you. And I know this might come out of nowhere, since I never gave you a clue. Well, nothing except the kiss. But I expect nothing but to let you know my feelings” Zhongli finished.
“I thought for a long time that you knew my feelings but you didn’t correspond them.” Venti said “But now I see you didn’t and I feel silly that I didn’t say them.”
“No, no, it’s okay we have been fools trying to figure this out and I probably wouldn’t do this if i didn’t get a glance of hope” Zhongli said.
“Well, yes, I love you,” Venti confessed. He got near Zhongli and held his face in his hands, “Can I?”
Zhongli nodded and Venti kissed him. This time was different, more soft, more calm, more delicate. They took their time. Not only with the kiss but with the conversation that happened after that, it felt like finding the last pieces of the puzzle that made them understand a lot of the moments they spent together and why they happened. Zhongli knew it had a long road ahead of him, he probably would have to talk to Hutao about “expanding the business” so he could spend more time in the city of wind. And the geo man would have to sit with the anemo men to get to a compromise. But all of that seemed so little, so mundane, so approachable after kissing the love of his life and holding him in his arms. It was like a dream.