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“How are you going to pay for that?” Diluc asked, his tone not necessarily angry, but tipping the to the edge of it.
Venti hiccuped, his breath coming slow as he buried his head into the table. “With a song…” he extended his hands as if he were soaring through the sky, his laugh being interrupted as he hiccuped again. “Haha… hah…”
“That’s how you’ve been paying.” Diluc crossed his arms, sighing as the last patron left the tavern. “What now, Venti?”
“Sky… embellishes… the—..“ a hiccup, followed by a small broken cough. “I forgot how it went… earth.” Venti’s hiccuping had died out, and when Diluc approached him, he realized he was lightly snoring.
If Diluc were as angry and distant as he always made himself out to be, he would ask why Mondstadt called this drunkard their god.
But Diluc hated to admit that he also saw his daily patron as his god. Perhaps he wasn’t as devoted as the knights and servers of the church, but he knew Venti didn’t fancy all that praise when all he wanted was to live among his children as a mortal.
So perhaps letting Venti get away with gallons unpaid wine bottles was a form of worship in its own way, maybe even a superior form of it.
Diluc cupped Venti in his palms, carrying him as a groom would his bride on their wedding day. He breathed in the scent of fresh cecilias in his hair, the smell reached deep into his soul and tore it apart, making his cheeks the same shade of red that flamed his hair.
Venti nuzzled into his chest, sighing. “Mnn… Luc…”
“Come on, let’s get you to somewhere you can rest.” Diluc gave Venti’s thigh a small pat, sniffing the flowers in Venti’s hair again as if this would be the final time he’d see him.
Venti’s hands shot out his hand to feel the anemo crystalflies land on his fingertips. “Look, Diluc! They’re shiny!”
“I know, I know.” Diluc sighed heavily, passing by the grape vines leading to his huge mansion. Living here got pretty lonely sometimes, especially with no one around when the maids and butlers never stepped the bounds of formalities unless pushed to some extent, and when they did, it reminded Diluc way too much of the days in which he was younger.
The days where he was happy, when he laughed freely with Kaeya as a brother and things weren’t complicated. When his father was alive.
Diluc gave a low nod to Adeline, who opened the door to let him in.
He walked up the stairs of the estate, gently nudging one of the guest rooms open. He shut the door with his foot and laid Venti down on the bed.
Diluc would have gotten up to gather a bucket to put at the foot of the bed in case the bard woke in the middle of the night with the need to throw up, when Venti suddenly pulled him by the jacket.
“Don’t!… don’t leave.” He whined gently, his thighs rubbing together, his pouty lips inches away from Diluc’s own.
“I won’t.” Why was Diluc burying his grave? He had planned on leaving, but he just had to open his big mouth and promise a literal god he wouldn’t leave him side for the night.
“Good…” Venti murmured under his breath. “I’m glad… I get so lonely without company and— and your company always manages to ease me.”
Diluc didn’t know what crossed over his mind. Maybe it was the way Venti’s eyes shined, or the way his lips pouted like he was on the verge of drunk tears. It didn’t matter what had caused it, but Diluc had lunged at him and kissed his neck.
Not gently either. It was a rough, all consuming kiss, his teeth grazed as if he might bite the skin.
Venti let out the most delightful sound. At first, it was a squeal, but it had soon melted into a deep sigh. “Diluc…” he whispered under his breath, his hands shaking as they went to comb through Diluc’s hair. “Oh my…”
Diluc kissed up Venti’s chin, reaching his cheeks. “Hey, hey.” He cupped Venti’s chin. “It’s okay.” He kissed Venti’s cheek again. “Is this okay with you?”
“Just go for it.” Venti laughed gently, reaching to hold Diluc’s hands as he pulled him into the bed. “You’ve been looking at me like I was the next meal on your plate for nearly months… it was about time you did something about it.”
Diluc didn’t see Venti as a perfect all knowing god, not as others would see him if they found out about his identity as Barbatos. He saw him for the mess he was, how close to human he was, and he loved him for it. He didn’t love him regardless of the mess, he loved him with it— with the stains of wine on his lips, and the sweaty curls sticking to his hair.
Diluc kissed his way down Venti’s neck again, nibbling gently, feeling as Venti’s pulse quickened. “You’re so soft here…” he murmured under his breath, his teeth now pulsing around the skin a little firmer.
“Gentle… I don’t think you want that blood everywhere.” Venti teased, his laugh a little tipsy as he kicked his legs up and down.
“I’d sample every drop of it.” Diluc bit into the skin, causing a small, pathetic whimper to escape Venti’s lips.
“Mm.. agh, Diluc…” he took Diluc’s cheeks and kissed right into his lips. “Why are you so good at kissing?”
Diluc chuckled for what felt like the first time in so long. It felt liberating, almost unburdening. He kissed Venti again, even as Venti stopped to catch his breath.
He squeezed Venti’s thigh again, as if it were made of the plushest material. He wanted to confess his love, but he didn’t dare ruin the moment by saying more than was necessary. It wasn’t every day one got to make out with their god anyway, right?
Venti’s hands wandered under Diluc’s coat as he kissed him again, moaning into the way Diluc bit his lower lip. Diluc shook off his coat, letting Venti cling onto his slick and damp shoulders. “Venti…” he murmured under his breath, his grip on Venti’s thigh tightening.
Venti sighed, whimpering as he nuzzled into Diluc’s neck, kissing it himself. “Your hair is so pretty…” he whispered gently, resting their foreheads together. “So bright… like the flame that lives inside you.” He put his hand over Diluc’s heart, pecking at Diluc’s neck like a bird pecking at a seed.
Diluc groaned as Venti began nibbling into his neck, his hand creeping to sneak closer to the space between Venti’s legs.
“Ah— Diluc…” Venti guided his hand away. “Not tonight… I can’t.”
Diluc didn’t ask why not. Asking would be rude, overstepping boundaries. He simply slipped his hand away and kissed Venti’s cheek as softly as he could conjure up. “That’s alright. I’ll wait for it.”
Venti smiled brightly, holding both of Diluc’s hands now. “Thank you.”
Diluc rolled over to Venti’s side instead of on top of him as buried his head into Venti’s hair. “Sleep for now, the stars will wait.”
Venti giggled, breathing in the scent of burnt coal and grapes from Diluc’s buttoned shirt. “Of course, my devoted warrior.”
And perhaps that was what Diluc had been fighting for all this time.
Not just for Mondstadt, but as Barbatos’ warrior himself.
Until then, he’d wait until he earned a title above just his ‘warrior’.