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"Oh! You came!"
Xiao keeps his eyes on the ground, boots sunk in the lush grass of Windrise. The spring breeze against his skin and thin clothes is unfamiliar, the floral smell tickling at his sensitive nose. He hasn’t gotten used to Barbatos’ — or rather, Venti’s — cheery and teasing personality, the archon he had longed to meet for centuries completely different from what he had expected. That didn’t mean it made it easier to converse with him, the overfriendliness of Venti isn’t something he’s used to.
“Of course I did.” Xiao finally looks up, fighting the urge to fidget when he sees Venti floating down with a grin on his face. “You called for me.”
The sudden weight of Venti landing in his arms causes Xiao to stumble, grip tightening around the giggling bard as he tries not to lose his balance. “Aww, aren’t you the sweetest! I’m happy you’re here, Xiao.”
He hates the way his heart flutters at Venti’s cooing, fighting the heat on his cheeks.
“Is… there a reason you asked me to come to Mondstadt?” A tinge of concern laces his words, frowning as he scans the surrounding area. There’s usually no need for Xiao to concern himself with the monster in the Land of Freedom, their ever efficient knights always making sure that their city was safe.
“Oh, let your guard down once in a while, will you?” Venti laughs, poking at Xiao’s nose. “I’m not that blockhead. I just wanted to tell you that the Windblume Festival is starting in a few days!”
Xiao decidedly ignores the remark about his lord, shifting the bard who’s still in his hold. “Uhm, and this will concern me how?”
“Silly yaksha, you’ve been working hard, haven’t you?” Venti slides out of his arms with a huff. Embarrassingly, Xiao quickly misses the warmth, but pushes away the longing to pull Venti back in. “Take some time off! Join me during the festival!”
"Oh." Xiao blinks, watching as Venti flits towards the Statue of the Seven, the familiar lyre manifesting in his hands. Gesturing for Xiao to follow him, he lets a series of notes trill through the breeze. The Windblume Festival is one of the many offerings from Mondstadt to their archon, as well as their loved ones. The romantic beauty of the festival doesn't suit Xiao's tastes, but is most definitely one that entertains Venti well enough.
It's an irrational fear — Xiao's karma tainting the pure and free Barbatos, the personification of wind itself. The archon would never allow that to happen, as he has reassured multiple times in the past. Despite that, being close to Venti is something Xiao could have never imagined, and the thought of accompanying him to the Windblume Festival twists at his heart in a wretched way.
"You're Mondstadt's god. Don't you have… well, someone else to accompany you to the event?" Xiao coughs into his fist, a pink colouring his cheeks. It's an unbelievable idea, after all — Lord Barbatos bringing some Liyuen adeptus to the Windblume Festival.
Venti seems to believe otherwise, shaking his head with an exasperated groan. He sits beneath his statue, leaning against it in a way that would be considered preposterous for anyone else. "You think too much, Xiao. Come sit with me."
Xiao hesitates for a moment, but Venti's pout leaves no room for arguments. The energy from the statue is overwhelming, the power of the gods flowing through the breeze. "What would the Knights of Favonius think if they passed by?"
"Oh, what are they going to do? Harass a poor bard?" Venti snorts, plucking at the strings of his lyre carelessly, letting the melody take its shape. "Don't distract me! As I was about to say, if I wanted to bring someone else with me, I would have asked them instead of you!"
"Right." Xiao sighs, resting his hands in his lap. When Venti sets his mind to something, it's impossible to deter him, so there's no point in trying to find any excuses around this.
The sound of nothing but the tunes from Venti's lyre stretches out long enough for the bard to pause, looking up to catch Xiao's eyes. The mischievous light has faded away, a soft smile taking over. "I'm not ordering you to do anything, you know? You have a choice, but I'd like for you to come with me."
"Venti." Moving to get back up onto his feet, Xiao holds down his hand for Venti to take as the bard stares up at him with a frown. "You've made it pretty clear quite a few times before. However, I wouldn't bring myself to decline any of your requests, command or not."
It seems as if Venti wanted to argue further for a moment, before a swift wave of understanding washes over him. Xiao fights off the urge to disappear from Venti's sight when he sees that bright grin directed at him, helping Venti up when his hand is taken.
"You certainly have a way with words, my darling adeptus!" Xiao can't stop the burning of his ears as Venti slides his arm around Xiao's waist. "That blockhead would be so proud!"
"A date with the Anemo god? Well, I'm not one to question your tastes, Adeptus Xiao."
"Please, my lord–"
"I've told you time and time again, it's Zhongli."
"There's no date with Venti, I merely agreed to accompany him."
"...to the Windblume Festival. The one Barbatos claims to be the most romantic holiday in all of Tevyat. I'm sure you understand what I'm getting at."
"With all due respect, I'd rather if I didn't."
"As reckless and foolish that drunkard bard is, he is not awful when it comes to feelings. You do not need to worry about any misunderstandings."
"There isn't–!"
"Oop, am I interrupting something? Y'know, Mister Adeptus, if you keep crashing in to visit Mister Zhongli like this, I'll start to believe something's up!"
"Excuse us, Director Hu. I'll be making my way out soon."
"Send my regards to Venti, and tell him that while I do not approve of his reckless behaviour when it comes to courting you, I'll–"
"I'm leaving."
"Ooh, Xiao's dating someone? Hey, don't run off!"
Mondstadt has always felt like a breath of fresh air for Xiao, its dandelion breeze carrying the tunes of the bards in the city throughout the lands. He watches its citizens mingle as they weave through the festivities, radiant joy seeping through the tight cracks amongst the crowd. It's oddly similar to the atmosphere of Lantern Rite, yet there are stark differences Xiao is able to discover. The bustling noises of the city resemble those during Liyuen festivals, unfortunately, and for a moment, he considers turning away and leaving to avoid the commotion.
He takes a little too long to weigh his decisions, because Venti decides to appear right beside him without making a noise. "What are you doing all the way up here? Come on!"
It takes Xiao off-guard, almost allowing Venti to pull him right off the dangerously tall walls of the city. Wrapping his free arm around Venti's waist — he refuses to think any further about it — Xiao tugs at him with a hiss. "I don't think anyone would appreciate their beloved bard falling out of the sky, Venti."
"Boo, you're no fun!" Venti laughs, but leans against Xiao in defeat. They're looking down at Mondstadtians, the distance between them making Venti’s giggles much more coherent. “Let’s get down from that way, then!”
After getting the two of them down safely and away from the eyes of anyone else, Venti is dragging him towards the bustling streets. Xiao doesn’t have the heart to tell him to slow down, allowing Venti to do as he pleases.
The most noticeable thing about the decorations are the abundance of flowers adorning the city — from flower pots lining the roads to carefully weaved vines hanging from the buildings. It’s common knowledge that the celebration’s main focus is to offer a flower of one’s choice to the God of Freedom. Xiao remembers, of course, Venti’s whinings during their previous meeting did not go unheard.
“Ah, the people of Mondstadt really know how to hold a festival, huh? I’d participate in their gliding challenge, but that would just be unfair for everyone else!” Venti has his hand on Xiao’s bicep now, attention bouncing about like an enthusiastic child, even though he has definitely participated in more Windblume festivals than anyone else in the city.
“You could easily avoid using your powers, you just don’t want to lose.” Xiao snorts, trying to ignore the searing heat of Venti’s hand on him. Venti shoots him an offended look, but doesn't hide his smile when he huffs.
Xiao doesn’t know how long they were roaming the streets, occasionally stopping to take a closer look at anything that catches Venti’s eyes. They’re in front of one of the many flower stalls that were set up for the celebration, Venti happily skimming through the fresh cecilias that were most likely picked from Starsnatch Cliff that morning.
“The bard on a date? Now, that’s surprising.” A playful voice sounds from behind them, followed by a choked cough.
Xiao turns his head to see two women approaching them, arms linked together. Venti grumbles in protest, but waves at them anyway. “Surprising? How crass, Miss Lisa. And hello, Grandmaster Jean, I’m glad to see you aren’t holed up in your office during this fine day!”
“Please, you wouldn’t be able to imagine the amount of effort it took me to get her to take a break today!” Lisa rolls her eyes, her large witch’s hat swaying in the wind as she shakes her head. They can see Jean turn away in embarrassment, muttering something about her duties to ensure Mondstadt’s prosperity. “All that aside, I’m quite curious. I didn’t think it would be possible to ever meet a Liyuen adeptus in person, let alone in the city of Mondstadt.”
Xiao stiffens, averting his eyes away from the witch observing him carefully. It feels suffocating, being under the scrutiny of others, and unable to leave as he wishes.
“Oh, leave him be, Miss Lisa!” Venti pouts, pressing himself closer into Xiao. If Xiao were any weaker, he might have flinched from the sudden contact. “Mondstadt is a beautiful place to visit during Windblume, is it not?”
“There’s no concern if he’s with Venti, Lisa.” Jean clears her throat, finally speaking up. Thankfully for Xiao, the grandmaster’s words were enough to draw away Lisa’s attention, tearing her gaze away with a hum. “Do you plan on watching the Windblume Ceremony later? The Windblume Star– Well, I suppose I shouldn’t say too much about them for now.”
Venti shoots her a cryptic look, before snickering as he pats Xiao’s back. “Do I really need to watch it to know, Grandmaster? Besides, I hate to burst your bubble, but I was planning on bringing Xiao somewhere later!”
“I suppose you don’t.” Jean laughs, awkwardly fiddling with her cloak. Belatedly, Xiao notices the inquisitive eyes pinned on them, reminding him that they were in fact chatting with two important figures from the Knights of Favonius in the middle of the street.
Holding up his hand over his mouth, Xiao mutters quietly enough for only the four of them to hear. “Didn’t you say you were looking for cecilias, Venti?”
“Hmm?” Venti glances at him for a moment, tilting his head to the side in confusion. It doesn’t take him long to notice Xiao’s rigidness, eyes lighting up in understanding. “Ah yes, I did say that, didn’t I? Well, Grandmaster Jean and Miss Lisa, I suppose we should part for now, I almost forgot the reason I came to this stall!” He shakes his head as if disappointed with himself, scrunching up his nose — Xiao might die if he watches the bard any longer, choosing to turn back towards the flowers. “If you really want to see me again, you’ll know where to find me — just make sure to get me a drink or two!”
Lisa mouths what seems to be the word “alcoholic” to Venti as she waves them off, pulling Jean along with her while chatting away. It’s hard not to notice the light flush across Jean’s cheeks — something Xiao will note to ask Venti in the future.
“I got distracted. You know, Xiao, if you’re ever uncomfortable, you should always tell me! It’s never a nuisance, and I did invite you here, after all.” Venti sighs, crouching down to pick out a few flowers.
Absentmindedly taking the cecilias that Venti hands him, Xiao allows himself to watch Venti hand a bag of mora to the young girl manning the store. “I don’t mind it. I enjoy seeing you talk to others. It seems… normal.”
“Huh.” He hears Venti make a surprised noise. Before Xiao could ask him what was wrong, Venti is linking their hands together, leading them to the next stall. “Let’s find some gifts! I’m sure that old man would be asking you questions the next time you see him.”
“I have plenty of respect for Zhongli, though I’d prefer if he never spoke to me about my travels again.” Xiao grumbles, the unwelcome reminder of their most recent conversation flooding his thoughts. It was awkward enough to inform Zhongli about his trip to Mondstadt — which, really, he wishes he didn’t bother to. Rather than elaborating any further, he glances at Venti, who’s scanning through handmade corsages. “You said you wanted to bring me somewhere later. Where are we heading?”
Venti spins to meet his eyes, sending him a wink. “It’s a surprise, don’t worry about it!”
“This is…”
Xiao has never really been to Mondstadt, always stationed in Liyue for his duties. When Venti said that their secret destination was outside of the city walls, he merely shrugged, following wherever Venti would go. The bouquet of cecilias is still in his hands, its petals trembling in the winds as they make their way through Galesong Hill.
“There shouldn’t be anyone around at this hour.” Venti sings. Midnight blue pervades the skies as they pass Dadaupa Gorge. The sun has not made its presence yet, too early in the morning for most lifeforms to bother them. “The cape’s a popular place during Windblume, but most people usually choose to visit in the evening for the sunset, rather than five in the morning.”
As they advance to the edge of the turf, Xiao can catch the large tree that stands in Windrise on the left, the distance that stretches between Cape Oath and the city made obvious from the elevation. “People come this far out? What for?”
“I’ve never told you about the legend that surrounds the area, huh?” Venti spins around and sends him a smirk, eyes dancing with mirth. “There’s a pretty popular story about two young lovers that made an oath here. It became a common date spot due to it, and the festival is just the perfect time to come here to watch the sunset! You know, I’ve got a couple of songs about it too…”
The blush that rushes to his face is impossible to prevent, Xiao clamping his mouth shut to prevent saying anything embarrassing. Venti doesn’t seem to notice the internal turmoil he caused, now humming a tune that Xiao doesn’t recognise, but sinks into it anyway.
“Come on!” Venti is waving at him from the edge of the cliff, patting at the spot beside where he sat. “It’s the best place to watch the sunrise in all of Mondstadt!”
Xiao thinks he would have just been content with watching Venti from afar, being doused in the shine of the rising sun as it emerges from the horizon, but he steps forward, sitting himself by Venti’s left while observing the vicinity. The cool winds of dawn curl around them, an imitation of a large blanket. Venti’s hands brush over his own, taking the cecilias from Xiao gently.
“Ah, they’re such pretty flowers! Cecilias can only be found at Starsnatch Cliff, tousling through the harsh gales.” Venti sighs, picking out a few of the blossoms. He starts to twine them together, completely focused on his handiwork. “Such a refreshing scent entangled in the wind…”
“They aren’t too unlike qingxin.” Xiao murmurs, entranced by the sight of nimble fingers weaving flowers into a loop.
However, the quiet words don’t go unheard, Venti perking up to look towards Xiao. His movement pauses, nudging Xiao’s side with his shoulder. “The ones that grow on the stone peaks? Is that your favourite flower?”
“I suppose so. That does remind me…” Xiao ruffles through the folds of his sleeve, revealing the white blossoms in the palm of his hand. Without thinking, he raises his hand to place the flower onto Venti’s cap, arranging it to sit beside the cecilia that adorns it neatly. “There. To offer a Windblume of one’s choice to Lord Barbatos — that’s the festival’s main custom, right?”
“You–” Venti trips over his words, an unlikely scene for the confident bard. Xiao stays silent, watching a subtle red tint Venti’s cheeks as he recuperates his thoughts. “I didn’t know Xiao’s gotten so bold! Oh, whatever will I do…”
Rather than protesting, Xiao rolls his eyes, choosing to face towards the waters again as the sun starts to arise. Venti was right — the view from the cape is incomparable to anywhere else, the rays of light appearing along with the sun. The silence between them is comforting, even if it was unusual for someone as energetic as Venti. Xiao doesn’t know how long they sat there, basking in the quietude and its chill breeze.
A light weight lands on Xiao’s head, startling him out of his daze. He reaches up, feeling the soft petals from the flower crown between his fingers. Before Xiao could say a word, Venti is resting against him, warm smile on his face as he whispers. “Thank you, Xiao.”