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Lumine never really cared for drinking.
With Aether constantly dragging her on the next great adventure, she rarely had the time to sit down and relax. And when she'd have those small moments in between, they were better spent exploring, collecting, or doing anything else. To her, drinking was just a waste of time.
But after being separated from her brother and crash landing in Mondstat, Lumine started to loosen up more. Saving a city and a dragon tends to get you in the good graces of most people, at least from Lumine's experience. She had a lot more agency in what she did, and without her brother, she had to make choices on her own. Along with that, she had more room to make deeper connections other than blurry faces across different times.
One of these "deep" connections happened to be with a wine-loving bard who loves to take every chance he gets to drag Lumine into stupid situations. So, with him being the drunkard he is, he suggested a night out with friends. Totally without ulterior motives, like buying him enough wine to flood an entire city.
And Lumine, being the responsible woman she is, humored him and came along to make sure he didn't choke on his own vomit.
"Lumine! What'd you think of my performance this time?"
Ah. There he is.
"Lovely as always," Lumine commented. He spun a ballad of what seemed to be a poetic telling of Vanessa's story, yet he seemed to trip here and there while dancing around the stage. While she found it endearing in a way…
"Are you really fine performing in this state? You seem a little out of it."
Venti scoffed. "Please, I've had days much worse for wear! A few more drinks won't hurt, I swear!"
Lumine rolled her eyes. She recalled seeing Venti having several drinking contests with Kaeya and Rosaria. There were even crowds of people betting on the drunkard group. Somehow, he won despite the ludicrous amounts he had beforehand. How he could stomach it all was beyond her.
Her eyes darted to the side to check on Paimon, who slept soundly on a table where Amber and Eula sat. They talked quietly, aware to not disturb Paimon. Venti took that moment to sit on the stool next to her and have a swig of a nearby bottle. Probably dandelion wine.
"Sooo, do you have any requests?" Venti pulled out his lyre, experimentally plucking strings.
"For you to stop drinking, yes."
He narrowed his eyes. "Using my rhymes against me, aren't you? I think this calls for an apology, perhaps a bottle of wine will do-"
Lumine snatched the bottle that laid on the counter next to him. "Not happening. I'd prefer not to drag you out piss drunk."
"But Lumi-"
"I said no. You did say you were helping me with bounties tomorrow, and I think it would be easier on both of us if you didn't waste that day hungover instead."
Even though you've already drunk enough to get one and then some. She added silently.
This got a whine out of Venti, who half-heartedly tried to grab the bottle back from Lumine's grasp. She leaned back every time he reached for it, causing her to lean farther and farther from the stool, with Venti's face getting closer and closer until-
"Traveler, could you please see the bard out before he causes more of a ruckus?" Charles asked, placing a clean glass aside.
Her face flushed in embarrassment and she gently nudged Venti away from her and out of his seat. "O-Of course."
She pushed Venti towards the door, gesturing to Amber and Eula to keep watch. They nodded before continuing their conversations, sneaking glances at the pixie to make sure they were still fast asleep. Lumine kept a mental note to pick up Paimon after dealing with their Tone-Deaf Bard. Venti, on the other hand, was slow to catch up with his surroundings. He barely realized they were outside after being pushed 10 feet away from the vicinity of the tavern.
"Traveler…where *hic* where are we goin'?"
"To a place where you can get sobered up."
…Lumine honestly had no idea where they were going. She couldn't leave him in the streets (obviously), and the inns were already booked by this hour. Sleeping in the wilderness didn't sound appealing either.
By this point, Lumine slung Venti's arm around her shoulder and had a grip on his waist. He leaned against her, his body warmth seeping into her side. He was surprisingly light, Lumine thought. She didn't expect it, but it weirdly made sense. He is a being with condensed Anemo practically brimming at his fingertips. He would be as light as air.
Another pleasant surprise was that he smelled like cecilias and apples.
After a bit of walking around, she sat him on a bench while she contemplated more ideas. He hummed old hymns and ballads, swaying to the rhythm he created. None of them sounded familiar to her, but she still appreciated the makeshift music. It's one of the things she liked about the bard's company, sober or drunk off his ass.
"Hmmm…the stars are really pretty. Don't you see them, Lumi?" Venti spoke. He planted his elbow on his knee and leaned on the palm of his hand. His face tilted and the street lights reflected in his eyes, a small smile on his slightly flushed face.
To Lumine, it was a crime to look that cute.
She blinked out of her stupor when he noticed her staring, tilting his head.
"I may be drunk, but not drunk enough to ignore a fair maiden's glances-"
"You're drunk enough if you're making comments like that," Lumine interrupted.
He pouted, and held a hand over his heart "I just wanted to start a *hic* conversation!"
She sighed, a door opening in the distance, and she recalled being offered a room in the Favonius headquarters a while back. Jean desperately wanted to repay Lumine for her help during the incident, and one of the ways she did this was by giving her a warm place whenever the traveler needed it. Lumine of course brushed it off, saying it wasn't needed, but it was during times like these she was grateful for Jean's generosity.
"Come on, let's get you to a place a bit more comfortable," Lumine held out her hand and Venti graciously accepted it.
He proceeded to swing one of his arms around her shoulder. "Lead the way, my warrior!"
Under her breath, she muttered an "oh boy" and walked to the headquarters with the bard in tow.
And yet, she couldn't help but have a smile on her face.
~~~~~
Dead to the world, Venti lay in a warm bed, headfirst into the pillow. Lumine also brought Paimon back, who slept soundly in an armchair nearby.
She would have found the scene adorable if it weren't for the fact she felt like passing out at any moment. She didn't have spare pillows or blankets to toss on the floor, and the others hogged the available places. She felt bad to think like this, but it was a bit of a pain.
Crossing her arms, she debated whether to adjust the bard's position or to get some water for when he inevitably wakes up and gets a hangover. She didn't want to leave him alone in case he needed to vomit or something. She'd seen many cases of that in her centuries of life.
Lumine wondered how many centuries of hangovers Venti had to deal with.
A groan grabs her attention, and she's quick to rush to Venti's side when he tries to sit up. "Hey, you okay? …Don't get up too quickly."
He blinks a few times, then gently grabs the hem of Lumine's dress. "…where are we?"
"In my spare room at the headquarters," She held the hand that grasped her dress. "You sound pretty bad. I'll go get some water for the both of us."
The bard squeezed her hand and shook his head. "I'm fine. Could you…just stay, please?" he whispered.
He still sounded drunk, but the desperation in his tone felt out of place. Venti was always an affectionate person, slinging arms over shoulders, hugs and all, but she never thought of him being clingy. There was probably more to it, but now is neither the time nor place to dig into Venti's thoughts.
Even when it left a pit of guilt in her stomach, Lumine gently removed his hand from hers. "I'm not going anywhere, just getting water. I'll be right back."
"You promise?"
She gave him the warmest smile she could muster. "I promise."
She ran to the pantry in the headquarters, grabbing cups from cupboards nearby. As the glasses filled with water, his voice kept repeating in her mind. A pang in her chest grew as she sprinted up the stairs.
She found Venti looking out the window next to the bed. He looked uncharacteristically solemn, and it unnerved her to no end. He acted so strangely ever since waking up, and Lumine desperately wanted to know what bothered him. It felt wrong to see him so serious and sad.
And the worst part is? She's seen him like this before. During the Stormterror incident, he constantly woke up and wandered the streets, and he confided in her a few times. He hated how he didn't prevent the poison, that if he looked sooner, paid closer attention, he could've stopped the events that unfolded. It was heartbreaking to hear, and she hoped that nothing like that was bothering him again, especially after saving Dvalin and making amends. But, Lumine knew that was a naive thought.
Venti turned around and wore a smile, his demeanor a complete 180 from how it was before.
"You're back! And I was starting to miss you too…"
Lumine bit back a response in exchange for a deadpan stare and a less sarcastic "I wasn't gone for that long."
She placed one of the cups on the nightstand, opting to force him to drink his water first. His nose wrinkled after the first sip.
"It tastes like metal."
She sighed. "It's either that or being bedridden for the rest of the day tomorrow.
Weighing his options, his shoulders slumped as he gave in and drank the rest. Of course, he childishly stuck out his tongue to get his point across afterwards. "This'll be the last time I let you take care of me when I'm drunk."
The subject of his complaints crossed her arms. "At least you're sober enough to stop rhyming. See? If you listen to me, you'll get better sooner!"
"I never took you for someone who hated my rhymes," Venti pouted.
"I don't mind them, but they can get tiresome when done often. Actually…" Lumine grabbed her glass of water and took a sip. "You got 'sober' pretty quick. Why is that?"
He winked. "Well, my dear Lumine, acting is quite popular around these parts. Do you really expect the god of Mondstat to be a lightweight?"
She blinked, a weird flutter in her heart appearing. "No, I… I suppose not. But then did you put on that show in the first place?"
Venti opened his mouth to respond, but quickly got interrupted by a particularly loud snore. The two looked over to see Paimon shuffling around the armchair before going back to a comfortable position. The traveler gave a small huff of a laugh while the bard smiled.
"I think that's a sign to get some rest. I'll try to see if there's a free bench outside tonight."
Lumine's eyes widened in disbelief. "Do you honestly think I'll let you sleep outside? Absolutely not." She placed her hands on her hips.
"You're staying here for the night, and that's final."
"Are you propositioning me?"
A blush crept up her cheeks, and she used all her willpower to not smack him right then and there. "Can you take me seriously?"
He laughed, shaking his head. "Fine, I'll stay. But where are you going to sleep? It's best if I take the floor at least."
"What? Why? If anything I should take the floor. I'm less likely to vomit if I'm in an uncomfortable position."
Venti propped himself off the bed, clearly getting ready to move. Lumine immediately pushed him down by the arms, glaring at him with a 'you're staying here and that's final' type of look.
She thought she saw a slight blush, but it quickly got replaced with an exasperated expression.
"We're getting nowhere with this."
Silence.
He sighed. "Let's just share. That way no one has to take the floor."
She hesitated before eventually giving in. The bard scooched over, giving the traveler space as she grabbed the covers and adjusted herself on the bed.
It…wasn't as bad as Lumine originally thought. There's enough space for them to avoid touching each other, but it's still a tight fit. She heard the quiet fall and rise of his breathing, which meant to her that he didn't have as much trouble accommodating (surprisingly). It also was a sign for her to stop being such an overthinker and go to bed.
But right before she let her head hit the pillow, she remembered his serious demeanor from earlier. "Hey, Venti?"
No answer.
She whispered a bit louder. "Venti?"
Nothing again.
"Oh, forget it…" She murmured. He already passed out, plus it wasn't anything important (Other than the fact it would bother her until the morning).
~~~~~
Lumine completely forgot about the question the next morning . Mostly due to how awkward it was when she opened her eyes to see how she nestled her head in Venti's shoulder, how her arm wrapped around his waist, and finally how his head was buried in her hair.
It was even worse when he finally woke up and apologized profusely for it. They had to go the rest of the day in this awkward dance as they did commissions and bounties together like he originally promised. Even Paimon got sick of the duo, so she decided to stay in her little pocket dimension as they sorted things out.
…One thing Lumine will never admit is how she secretly enjoyed the peaceful moment of just laying there.
And that she wonders if Venti would have felt the same.