Work Text:
“Do you think he’ll actually come this time?” Paimon asked curiously.
The traveler gazed up at the inn that sat atop a twisted tree, the leaves ablaze with the light of the falling sun. “I don’t know, Paimon,” they admitted.
Ever since the events of the chasm, the traveler had been making attempts at contacting Xiao more frequently. They wanted Xiao to know that he could rely on them more, and that he didn’t have to live out a life in solitude because of his debt. Of course, of the six times the traveler has asked Xiao to join them, Xiao has agreed to accompany them on exactly none.
“Do you think Xiao will like these apples we brought him from Mondstadt? They look super sweet and juicy!” Paimon leaned in to hover over the wonderfully-smelling red fruits, and traveler reached a hand out to playfully swat her away.
“These aren’t for you, remember? You can have them if Xiao doesn’t want them.” Paimon laughed shyly, seeming to have forgotten where the suggestion to bring fruits had come from in the first place. The traveler just hoped that Xiao wouldn’t see them as some offering instead of what they actually were; a gift from a friend for a friend.
Once they made their way up to the inn and inside, they were greeted by Verr Goldet’s familiar voice; “Hello! Oh, traveler! Welcome back. How can I help you? Do you need a room?”
The traveler smiled and waved in greeting before letting Paimon do the talking. “Hey Verr Goldet! We were actually wondering if… uh… our friend was in his usual spot today?”
The innkeepers wife smiled knowingly. “He is. You’re free to head on up.”
The traveler thanked her before climbing the steps to reach the top floor of the inn. They looked out over the balcony, letting their eyes sweep over Liyue as it was illuminated by the evening sun.
They knew who it was before he spoke, thanks to the tired sigh he let out before speaking.
“Again? You know, you can always just call me. There’s no need for you to come all the way back here every time,” Xiao said, his voice sounding flat.
“Oh we know! We just wanted to be nice and come visit you! It’s no fun if you always have to run to us. And look! We brought apples! The best form Mondstadt’s orchards!” Paimon said, and the traveler smiled as they reached their hand out to give the fruit to the adeptus.
Xiao looked at the apple for a long while before slowly accepting it. He didn’t eat it, though. He simply set it down beside his perch on the roof before coming down to join the traveler on the balcony.
“I presume you’re here to ask me on another outing?”
They nodded.
Xiao waved his hand. “Forget it. You’re wasting your time. I have a duty here.”
“Xiao, what exactly do you do here all the time? Paimon means, Paimon knows it’s your job to protect Dihua Marsh, but you just went to The Chasm for like… well, days! Surely it’s okay for you to take a break every once and a while. Besides, Paimon doubts much happens on the road between Mondstadt and Liyue, right? Why don’t you just take a short break and come with us?” Paimon hummed, taking the words out of the traveler’s mouth. Well, those aren’t the exact words they would have used, but both translations achieve the same meaning.
Xiao didn’t answer, instead approaching the edge of the balcony to look out over the marsh. His fingers tapped lightly on the wood of the railing as he leaned against it. Was he… lost in a memory? Xiao let out a slow sigh as the wind tousled his hair.
“I wait.”
“You… wait?” Paimon asked, plainly revealing that it was not the answer she was expecting.
Xiao turned to them, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yes.”
The traveler and Paimon exchanged a look. Surely that wasn’t all the information Xiao was going to give them. They must have looked confused enough, as Xiao let out a slow sigh, and began to explain.
Xiao told the tale of when he succumbed to his karmic debt, and of the winds that came with the soft flute that saved him.
Of course, he left out one small detail; he knew exactly who had saved him.
“So… I wait here. In case that person comes to play again.”
Xiao looked between the traveler and their flying companion, and he could see the gears turning in the seasoned adventurer’s mind. He supposed it would be hard for him to hide things from them now.
“Wow… Paimon had no idea. And you wait here every night? Doesn’t it get tiring waiting for someone who doesn’t come?”
“Paimon,” the traveler chided gently, and their floating friend quickly covered her mouth with her hands. “Why don’t you come with us this time, Xiao? There are still a few hours before sundown, and you can come back before dark.”
There was silence as Xiao seemed to genuinely consider the traveler’s words for a few moment. For that moment, the traveler held their breath, praying Xiao was going to say yes… then they saw his shoulders fall as he shook his head.
“I don’t see the point in going to places I’ve already been just for a few hours.”
“And if we go to Mondstadt?” The traveler noticed how Xiao’s arms tensed at the notion. “Surely you haven’t seen much of Mondstadt? It doesn’t seem like you get out of this inn at all, let alone Liyue.”
So their suspicions were correct. “Yes, we could-“
Xiao held up a hand to stop any further words. “No. You two are slow when it comes to travel. We would barely get past the stone gate before the sun goes down.”
That was only part of the reason, actually. There was a reason Xiao waited for his savior every night atop his perch, despite them seeing each other more often than Xiao let on. That’s because Xiao was more than happy having the flautist appear, but… the mere notion of him seeking the other out was terrifying.
Paimon seemed to sink a little in the air at his words. “Come on, Xiao! How many times are we going to have to come all the way over here before you finally agree to come with us? At least give me a number so Paimon can stop getting Paimon’s hopes up.”
The traveler cleared their throat and gave Paimon a look that made her tilt her head.
“Alright, Xiao. Come find us if you need anything,” the traveler said, offering a wave.
They were glad that Paimon waited until they were well out of earshot and crossing the stone gate into Mondstadt before asking the question clearly buzzing around in her head.
“Well, Xiao said one of The Seven saved him with the sound of a flute, right? Well, I doubt it was Zhongli since Xiao would have no reason to hide that from us. Which means there’s really only one other option.”
The traveler gave Paimon a moment to process their words, and she was quite hard at thought before snapping her fingers and floating in front of the traveler.
“You mean the tone-deaf bard, right? Do you really think Venti is the one who saved Xiao back then? Why would he do that?” There was barely a pause before Paimon smiled widely. “Awww, then that means Xiao waits for Venti every night at the spot where he was saved…” Paimon then stomped her foot in the air, which the traveler thought was a rather amusing sight. “That tone-deaf bard! Why hasn’t he ever gone to see Xiao?”
The traveler gave Paimon a calm smile. “I don’t think Venti has any way of knowing Xiao waits for him every night.”
Paimon considered their words for a moment. “Paimon supposes you’re right. But still… Paimon feels kind of bad that Xiao hasn’t seen him in all that time. Why didn’t we tell him we know Venti?”
The traveler grinned at her. “Well, I have a plan.”
Paimon tilted her head curiously, and the traveler gave her a wink, and began to explain their plan.
“Do you really think he’ll come? What if it only works in Liyue?”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?” the traveler pointed out, looking out over the city of wind and song. They admired the special feeling of the fresh winds brushing against their cheeks and bringing the smell of sweet spring fruits. They took in a deep breath before yielding Xiao’s name to the wind.
There was a light sound, like the flutter of many butterfly wings, then a familiar voice.
“You-“ the traveler turned in time to see Xiao’s expression shift from annoyance to curiosity as he glanced around the city, taking it all in, “called…?” he breathed before turning around, and the traveler watched as his breath caught on the giant statue of a familiar friend. It took him longer to regain his composure than the traveler would have guessed. They assumed it was an experience for him to finally see the statue that looked oh so small from atop the inn. Finally, he turned to the traveler again, his arms crossed defensively over his chest. “Why did you bring me here?”
“Since you wouldn’t come with us yesterday, we thought you might be more willing to come if we… well, forced you!” Paimon so kindly explained. “And now you don’t have the excuse of slow travel! You can just… poof yourself back to Wangshu inn when you think it’s getting too late, and we can spend the night in Mondstadt. We kinda need to be here any way for our commissions. And look!” Paimon pointed her finger to the sun’s position in the sky. “There’s still lots of time before the sun goes down. So we can spend plenty of time exploring the city together. So there!” Paimon then pointed her finger at Xiao before triumphantly crossing her arms over her chest. “You now have no excuses.”
The traveler watched Xiao’s eyebrows raise while Paimon spoke, and when she was done, all he could do was blink slowly as he took it all in. The traveler smiled, knowing all to well what it was like to be on the receiving end of Paimon’s little rants.
“We just want you to spend the day with us and see new things. You’re our friend, Xiao, and we want to spend time with you.”
Xiao looked them up and down, considering their words carefully before letting his eyes sweep over the city. He made a small grimace before glancing to the traveler once more. “Fine,” he muttered.
Paimon floated higher in the air with a little spin. “Yippee! Let’s go!”
The traveler took Xiao around the city, but the idea quickly turned sour as they began to realize just how bored Xiao was with everything. They would point out some of Mondstadt’s most delightful attractions like the bards of the goods, and even the delightful smells coming from the city’s restaurants, but Xiao just nodded with the same stoic look on his face. The first time Xiao’s expression changed was when they arrived at the smith. His eyebrows raised slightly as the observed the many weapons and devices on display.
“If you see something you like, I can get it for you,” the traveler offered, but Xiao waved them off.
“I have no need for such things. I have my own weapon. It’s just… interesting to see how different the smithing styles are compared to Liyue.”
The traveler nodded before glancing around Mondstadt’s rooftops.
“What are you doing?” Xiao asked, turning his attention back to the traveler.
Paimon laughed nervously. “What… do you mean?”
Xiao sighed, placing his hands on his hips. “Don’t pretend I can’t see you looking up all the time. Are you looking for something?” Xiao made a point of lifting his eyes towards the sky. That’s when the traveler saw his expression change for the second time.
Xiao’s eyes opened wide, the evening light turning his irises to liquid gold. “I have to go,” he breathed, but the traveler quickly grabbed him by the wrist.
“Wait Xiao!” Paimon said, gripping onto Xiao’s longer sleeve.
Xiao turned vile then. “What is all of this?” he said, his voice level, yet brimming with demands. “I’m leaving.”
“Just wait a little longer,” the traveler said, their voice gentle.
Xiao looked at them, a confused expression on his face when finally, there was a song that weaved through all the rest, just about silencing the other bards with its beauty. The traveler glanced to the roof tops once more, spitting a familiar friend dressed in green sitting atop the Cat’s Tail, and letting his song flow through the evening city, bringing it to life.
The traveler and Paimon both let Xiao go, and watched as he slowly walked to get a better view of the bard. He stood in the middle of the street, fairly in the way for the other passers by, but luckily no one cared too much in the city of freedom. Xiao then continued to approach, absolutely entranced by Venti’s siren call.
Until both the playing and singing stopped, and the traveler watched everything happen in slow motion.
First, they saw Venti take in several deep breaths, his nose scrunched, and his face turned up towards the sky. Then, his head went down with a sneeze that rang across the city’s streets. The sneeze was so violent. The traveler watched as Venti lost his balance, and began to go down, down, down.
The next part happened so fast for the traveler to even make sense of it.
Xiao lept into the air, dashing forward to catch him. Venti landed snugly in his arms, his side entirely pressed against Xiao’s chest, but there was one slight issue; they were no longer falling. The winds were soft beneath them, rustlings Xiao’s hair slightly as they gently set them down. Xiao’s feet landed softly soon the cobbled streets of Mondstadt.
His eyes were wide as he gazed at Venti in disbelief. Venti’s own expression wasn’t too dissimilar.
Xiao’s heart almost stopped when he heard the sound of his name whispered by Venti, light as a breeze.
Venti smiled widely before begging to squirm in Xiao’s arms. Xiao’s heart dropped, believing Venti didn’t want to be as close to him, but the moment he set him down on the pavement, Venti’s arms gathered Xiao into a tight squeeze.
“I can’t believe you’re here! You’ve never come to see me!” Venti then planted a kiss on Xiao’s cheek, and his breathing definitely stopped then.
Venti then caught sight of Xiao’s other company. “Oh! And the traveler is here as well!” Venti let go of Xiao to stand in front of them and give them a wave, but there was no hug or kiss on the cheek for them. “What’s happening? Why are you both here? Is there some sort of gathering or danger I should know about?”
The traveler shook their head, and Paimon did the talking for them. “No, no! Nothing like that. We just wanted to show Xiao around Mondstadt is all.”
“Oh, we’ll if that’s the case, no one knows Mondstadt quite like it’s finest bard! I’d be happy to show you around!” Venti then winces when the door to the Cat’s Tail opened and closed as new patrons went inside. Venti let out a small groan. “Oh, drat. I still have work to do, but I should be done in a few hours. Why don’t you guys grab a drink or something, and I’ll join you when I’m done!”
They agreed, and walked into the tavern.
“So… why did Venti kiss your cheek?” Paimon asked smugly.
Xiao immediately flustered at her words. “Uh- Venti does that to all his friends.”
And the traveler couldn’t help but feel slightly disheartened because Venti never kissed them on the cheek.
“Xiao! Oh? What happened to the traveler?” Venti asked, glancing around the closing tavern.
Xiao stood to greet him, messing with his longer sleeve nervously. “They said a mortal had a commission for them.”
“Oh,” Venti said, “it seems weird for someone to post a commission so late, though… oh well. Now that you’re here, shall I show you around?” Venti asked, hooking his arm around Xiao’s.
Xiao cleared his throat, and brought Venti’s arm closer. “Yeah… but… if the tavern is closing, doesn’t that mean everything’s closed?”
Venti laughed lightly. “The city of Mondstadt is a fine attraction, but you haven’t let the wind kiss your face in a while, have you?” Xiao tried to stay calm with Venti’s wording, and shook his head. Venti pat his arm. “Perfect! It hasn’t changed much since you were last here, but if you look hard enough, I’m sure you can see plenty of changes.”
Xiao smiled in acknowledgement, but he really couldn’t care less about the landscape when Venti was beside him.
Venti pointed out a few flowers that were finally in bloom as they walked along the familiar trail to Starsnatch cliff. Xiao listened to the beautiful song of his lyre as he strummed random melodies. Soon, the cecilias began growing in thicker clusters until the cliff was covered in them. With a fond smile, Xiao stepped in front of Venti, and offered his hand in a familiar gesture.
Venti froze for a moment with surprise before laughing lightly.
“Thank you, Xiao, but you know I can’t very well dance with you and play music at the same time.”
Xiao’s expression turned into a rare, smug smile. “Really now?“ A challenge. He was well aware Venti knew exactly how to make the world spring to life with song.
Venti watch him for a moment, a familiar expression of fondness on his face. His lyre disappeared back into the glass ball that served as his vision, and his hand gently landed on Xiao’s. The wind picked up to create the natural music of the world, and Xiao lead Venti through the familiar steps of their dance in a sea of cecilias.
The next morning, the traveler heard whispers of two mysterious figures sitting at the edge of Starsnatch cliff, their legs dangling off the edge as they sang under the spotlight of the moon.