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When Venti had his gnosis stolen on the steps of the cathedral there had been a ripple in the wind. A wind that has blown across the lands for thousands of years suddenly stopped all together for the briefest of moments. Most might not have even realized what had happened. Perhaps those of Mondstadt were a little more a tune to the wind, but even then the moment went by far too soon for them. For most don’t know how to read the emotions of the wind, to be able to see signs of trouble from it. Maybe because in thousand years there has only been a few times when the wind seemed troubled.
For a god who sleeps so often, it wouldn’t be odd that he didn’t face many troubles, after all.
Across the border though, someone took notice of the blip. Someone noticed when the wind stopped curling it’s cool breeze through his hair from up top the inn. The yaksha standing abruptly as his eyes turned to the distance in the direction of the city of the anemo god.
He has spent a life time connected to the powers of anemo, treasuring the very thing that had once saved him. Morax is who he serves but Barbatos is who holds his loyalty--even if it isn’t all that obvious. He would forever stay by Rex Lapis’s side, grateful to him in many ways, but his heart is often yearning for the careless bard. It’s not unlike Xiao to pay attention to the wind when it allows him to keep an eye on that carefree god.
When the wind stopped, it was like his heart had. For the briefest of moments he felt fear chill his veins even knowing it was difficult to actually kill off a god. So many former gods lay trapped under the earth in liyue not truly dead but not truly living. it doesn’t stop the fear though, the worry that pushes him forward. A swift leap from the roof of the inn, and he’s vanishing.
He finds the god where he had hoped to find him, where he normally does. The bright green and white of his clothing not really helping him to blend in with the grass around the tree that he rested against. Xiao doesn’t speak as he approaches, stopping just near the statue and gazing at the god.
Physically he looked alright, merely sleeping--which was not a strange position to find him in. The god of anemo is known to be one who sleeps more than he’s awake. That thought alone makes something ache in the yaksha. This being their first meeting in so many years and the lingering worry is clouding any positive emotions he might have been feeling.
“I thought you might come, or actually I was hoping.” Venti speaks up, his eyes still shut and head lulled back against the tree.
Xiao is snapped out of his thoughts at the voice, and he pushes forward to close the distance a little. Venti’s eyes open then and there’s a small smile on his lips, playful though not as much as normal. It’s a sign in itself that something is wrong and Xiao feels himself tense a little. Guard up, ready to take on anyone who might attemp to hurt the god before him.
“Don’t look at me like i’m dying, Alatus.” Venti speaks again, a breathy laugh leaving him that dancing along the wind and past Xiao’s ears. The breeze is comforting, the reminder that Venti is still very much alive.
“The wind stopped.” He finally says, jumping right to the reason he was here. Venti doesn’t look surprised by his words, the bards eyes shutting again with a soft sigh before he’s patting the grass next to him.
He hesitates for second before complying and he sits beside the god, crossing his legs and sitting with his back much too straight.
“All business as usual~ You’re still no fun, Xiao.”
“Barbatos.”
Ventis eyes open and meet Xiao’s, the two sharing a long look before the yaksha breaks it. He’s always been weak to those eyes, the reminder that venti is more than the drunken bard persona he plays around as. the gods eyes are always so much more knowing, as if he could peer directly into Xiao’s soul with them.
“Since you came all this way, I’ll tell you.” Venti starts. “Besides, i’m sure news will spread around anyway.” He tells the yaksha what has been going on around here recently, spilling his worries for Dvalin and the abyss mages interferences. It’s the last part that has Xiao tensing again, eyes widening a little as he looks imploringly at the god.
“Signora, she said her name was.” There’s a tired note to venti’s voice, the bards eyes having closed again and he really did seem moment from falling asleep. “Ahh.. i really wonder what is going on. Are they after the other five as well? Will this lead to another war?” His questions seem to be rhetorical and full of exhaustion but Xiao can pick up the worry hidden in his voice. He was there during the war, caused enough blood shed on his own, and he knows the mark it has left on everyone who remains from that time.
Barbatos has never been one for fighting, Xiao has known this from the moment they met. That beautiful music which once saved him from darkness and continues to even to this day. Venti doesn’t belong in a war.
He doesn’t have anything to say though, for what is he to say? What has happened is done now and to seek the one who did it would most likely lead to more trouble. As much as Xiao would like to avenge Venti.
A warmth lands on his shoulder, breaking him from his thoughts and he shifts his gaze to find dark locks blocking his view. The hat that is always on Venti’s head was resting in his lap and now his head was on Xiao’s shoulder. before he can say anything though the god is speaking, voice a soft mumble as if he were half asleep.
“Stay with me, for now?”
there’s something...small about him right now. venti has always been so lively, and loud. He is everything a bard should be and the exact opposite of Xiao who prefers to keep a distance from any kind of attention. To see him like this makes a fierce protectiveness well up in the yaksha.
“I won’t leave.” His duties could wait for now, after all it is not as if there are many terrifying demons roaming the lands these days. For now, someone actually needs his help and he would be a fool to ignore it.
“I’ll be here when you wake, Venti.”
--------
The traveler, Aether, left for liyue a few days -- or was it weeks now-- ago after their meeting under the windrise tree. Despite enjoying his company, venti knew he couldn’t keep the traveler here in mondstadt. The other had a quest to complete and that quest would take him all around the world. In that way, Venti was a little jealous. To travel far and wide would be to truly understand freedom, he thinks.
That being said, the wind god is aware of his place in this world. Despite his ideals of freedom he knows he also has a duty to his land. Though he may not have much of a claim to it, he still wouldn’t leave them to fully fend for themselves. If trouble is truly brewing around teyvat then venti would keep his ears to the wind so he might be able to assist his people.
A laugh leaves the archon, a humorless one that doesn’t carry on the wind like it normally would. His joke being that he could really do anything for the people of Mondstadt anymore.
He’d already been a weak good before he lost his gnosis, and now his power is but a whisp of what it once was. His abilities lessen each and every day and there’s a part of him that worries one day he may even be unable to hold his human form. Would he be reduced back to his spirit form? Would he be turned into the wind itself as his powers grow weak?
Sometimes… that doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.
A human life time is a long time to be around, and barbatos has been around for more than a dozen human life times. Is this weariness that has settled into his very bones as he finds himself simply gazing into the view from the hands of his precious statue. He thinks, as he sits here, that he could one more feel what it has been to be a spirit and to rest in the hands of his dear friend. What once had been his favorite place to be, continues to be his favorite place.
A hand raises and clenches the fabric of his top over his heart, eyes shutting as he feels the wind. The strength of his people who has stood on their own for so long.
Would it be so bad to become one with the wind again? His city has no real need for a god to interfere and without his powers what could he truly do anyway? Dvalin could watch them in his place.
Perhaps this ache in his chest is a sign that its time.
the breeze around him swifts just enough to let him know he is no longer alone sitting up top the statue. there’s only a couple people who would be able to move like this person did, and only one who uses the wind in the same way as Venti. it brings a smile to the gods face even as he keeps his back to the guest.
“What brings you to Mondstadt this evening, oh great guardian yaksha?” he greets, a teasing lift to his voice. he doesn’t receive a response and after a few moments venti thinks maybe he had imaging the feel of the wind, and the presence standing behind him. he turns his head just so that he might pick them up in his peripheral vision. ‘ah, so i'm not going crazy.’
a breath of a laugh leaves venti as xiao continues to remain silent. oh he knows the adeptus has never been one for many words, just as he knows that xiao is very capable of speaking. He’d heard Paimon complaining about it when her and Aether had stopped by the city before going back to liyue. apparently xiao had spoken to them quiet a bit though none of it had been very friendly.
“i heard you gave our dear traveler a hard time.” he continued, lyre appearing in his hands to give himself something to do.
“barbatos.”
the other speaks and once again it is merely his name that venti hears from xiao. bringing a sense of deja vu into the situation. though instead of teasing the bard lets out a soft sigh as he knows what xiao was trying to say to him with that single word.
“I’m fine, Alatus.” he replies, fingers plucking a gently tune on the lyre. soft music floating along the wind as it breezes through the city. people milling about at the end of a long day either to go home, or to a tavern.
“then why did you call for me?” xiao questions after a moment, and venti hears the soft foot falls before the adeptus is sitting beside him in the hands of the statue. teal eyes turn and gaze at his fellow immortal, taking in the furrowed brows that almost belay a sense of concern from the other. it causes that ache in venti’s chest to become a bit more noticeable, though he ignores it for now. instead he gives the other a smile, eyes curving with his lips.
“i didn’t, but i suppose the wind knew i desired company.” he replied, wondering if perhaps he had subconsciously sent out wind to summon the other anemo user. had his less than happy thoughts caused a sourness in the wind that drew xiao to him? perhaps. regardless, the other was here now and venti wasn’t going to send him away.
he has always enjoy the company of the other. dating back centuries ago when they had met by chance, venti taking a trip into liyue to visit an old friend when he had found a beautiful place to play his flute. it was there he came across the yaksha. young and lost and hurting so deeply even if none of the blood on him had been from himself. of course venti’s heart had ached for the other then, seeing someone so desperately wanting help and freedom yet unable to reach it himself. even now, with the anemo vision and blessing of a god, xiao still has himself contracted to liyue--to rex lapis.
a soft sigh escapes the god as he turns his gaze back to the land before them, seeing beyond the gates of the beautiful city. if he hadn’t turned away he might have seen the concern that flickered through the yaksha’s eyes. xiao’s own gaze never once leaving the wind god.
“are you hurt?” xiao asks, after a long moment of quiet and only the sound of the lyre filling the silence between them. it makes venti jolt, music cutting abruptly and teal eyes widening a little.
a part of him has always known that there’s something between him and the yaksha. a sort of tension that wasn’t horribly noticeable unless one was looking. he knows rex lapis has teased him for it before ( as much as that old grandpa can really tease-- which really had just been pointing out venti's own feelings and making the god teleport away in embarrassment ). even now venti can hear the almost business like manner in which rex lapis questions his affections for the liyue adeptus.
but even then, even knowing his own feelings and knowing that xiao has always been a little more attentive to him, having the yaksha outright question his health? to travel all this way just because he’d been asked? venti can’t help but wonder if rex lapis was right. had that old geo god really, truly seen something such a romantic feelings before venti himself had?
though when he considers it, he supposes this makes sense in a way. having recalled the god himself had his own romantic endeavors with guizhong.
perhaps rex lapis knew more about this than venti does.
“Venti?” The god was brought back to reality by the sound of his chosen name coming from his favorite voice. As he refocuses on the situation at hand, venti is startled to see just how close xiao has gotten in the moment of him being spaced out. The adeptus was leaning in, eyes obviously searching venti’s face probably for any signs that he was hurt.
“Ah-- I'm fine, just fine.” He quickly replies, leaning back and praying silently that the other doesn’t notice or understand why his cheeks were suddenly red. It’s not often (read; only xiao) that someone manages to fluster mondstadts favorite bard. Normally hes the one dropping silly rhymes to flatter a person for an apple or two and not the other way around.
his response didn’t seem to satisfy the other though as a calloused hand was gently brushing against his cheek, guiding his head closer. for a moment venti felt himself stop breathing and his eyes shutting tightly as xiao leaned in as well. ‘ this can’t be happening-- right? right!’ his thoughts going haywire.
there’s a forehead pressing against his own, and the god feels himself almost pout as he realized what was happening. he felt a little silly--jumping to a wild conclusion, but hopefully xiao hadn’t realized any of what happened.
“you’re cold.” was the almost confused sounding response from xiao as the other finally leaned away again. “how long have you been up here?”
venti sees xiao’s eyes almost assessing him and he would have given anything to be able to know what the other was thinking in this moment. any moment really. xiao has always been so hard for venti to read and the bard tends to be rather good at reading people.
“a.. hour at least? maybe longer. i lost track of time.. hehe.” he replies, sheepish smile pulling at his lips, feeling like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. it’s not like he could get sick, right? though he isn’t too sure if that’s the case or not. maybe with his gnosis he couldn’t get sick but well..
there’s a gruff sounding sigh from next to him and without any warning the bard finds himself being lifted from his spot. a startled sound leaves venti and his arms quickly wrap around the yaksha’s shoulders. “xiao??” he questions, not really bothered by his new position, cradled in strong arms against a strong chest and feeling like precious cargo.
“you’ve done enough wistful thinking tonight. you need to sleep.” was the reply he got from xiao as the adeptus jumped gracefully from the hands of the statue. they were teleported away mid drop leaving behind nothing more than a few feathers.
------------------
Venti should have grown use to xiao appearing at his side without warning, for the adeptus seemed to have taken it upon himself to keep an eye on the wind god. he knows that xiao’s duties to liyue have technically been fulfilled, the story of what the fatui have been up to in the neighboring country was told to him via Aether once more.
Though xiao had also told him bits and pieces of what was going on, mainly when he explained that he would be busy for a few days. not that it was to big a deal.
time is but a construct and more so when one holds endless time.
then again venti wonders if he really does have an endless amount of time on his hands. can he continue to exist without his gnosis? or is he merely running on borrowed time now. these questions loitered in his mind without anyone to really ask them too.
especially since supposedly rex lapis was dead.
( something told venti that this news wasn’t fully true, call it a gut instinct but he has the feeling his old friend was still lurking around liyue doing who knows what. )
he would admit that the continued company of xiao was doing much to ease his worries. the worry of the unknown , and there are so many unknowns right now. the biggest being what in archons name is going on with the fatui, he knows he isn’t close with the cyro archon anymore but he can’t help but think this is a crazy out there idea even for her.
first his gnosis, then morax.
it’d been quiet the challenge to keep xiao from jumping the gun and avenging both him and morax. thankfully though he seemed to have quelled whatever rage the loyal adeptus was feeling but venti can’t help but wonder if xiao would have really tried to get his gnosis back if allowed.
a small smile forms on his lips just thinking about xiao and he knows he has it bad. part of him doesn’t believe he has any right to hold these feelings for someone, though venti has spent the last two thousand or so years being rather useless as a god, he once had been rather fierce some. this land was shaped by him after all and he has blood on his hands. they all do from the war, those who survived it. he knows xiao does, knows it’s something that haunts the younger. but even then, knowing they share this dark history together, venti still feels the doubt in his chest.
it’s these thoughts that accompany him as he makes his way up the cliff side of starsnatch. it’s once again rather late in the day. the sun lowering and casting an orange glow to the area. normally he might have been in the city, bothering diluc for wine and giving a performance in return. maybe he would have been out on the streets busking for the people still roaming around before bed.
tonight though he knew his mind was in too negative of a place to properly perform. no rhymes could be spun into thrilling stories when he feels like this.
this of course means he isn’t allowed to just have a peaceful walk.
he hears the whirling before he actually sees it. the loud mechanical noise of a ruin guard awakening and he knows there tends to be one near the thousand wind temple but he hadn’t thought he was close enough to draw attention. his bow is already drawn as he nimbly dodges the rockets shot his way. their trajectory letting him know where it is and sure enough he spots the monster. his eyes widen when he does for it’s not one ruin guard like he suspected.
instead he finds himself staring down two ruin hunters.
“what in archons name-- why are there? ack!” so many questions, so little time, the bard is forced to throw himself out of the way as one of the ruin hunters charges in with spinning blades. the other isn’t far behind and venti finds himself playing a dangerous game of tag.
with the way they were moving, timed so one would attack and then the other would moments later, venti was struggling to find the time to properly aim. his whirlwinds were doing nothing to slow the attacks and he’d been blown off his feet more than once now. unaware of the panicked wind he’d sent out as the ruin hunter manages to catch him with another spinning blade attack.
“i thought i told you.”
a familiar voice cuts through the mechanical sounds, the wind around him picking up and almost seems to be gently pushing him back from the fight.
“if you need help, call for me.”
Xiao slammed in, his spear coming down onto one of the ruin hunters with deadly accuracy and stunning it. the adeptus was quick to turn his attention onto the other one. and venti only watched with wide eyes as the anemo user made quick work of the ruin hunters. bringing them down as if he had been merely playing with them.
once they both crashed to the floor, xiao was turning towards him and closing the distance in seconds.
“sometimes i forgot how fast you are.” was venti’s greeting, trying to sound light and teasing like he normally would. his smile is more of a grimace though and he knows xiao catches that as the frown on xiao’s face only deepens.
“why were you out here?” xiao questioned as he lowered to a knee beside the god. his hands hovering over the cut along venti's left shoulder where the ruin hunter had managed to leave a mark. blood ruining his clothing to that venti had any care for that. his eyes getting lost in the beautiful concerned filled ones before him.
the fact that xiao had come so fast, that he came at all.
venti’s heart ached, and his hands trembled, and he wondered if xiao would judge him if he started crying but on the same hand he kind of wanted to laugh. the emotions that were over taking him leaving the god feeling almost overwhelmed. the sense that xiao truly cared for him, for his well being.
“someone has to, since you keep getting into trouble.” xiao spoke and venti realized in horror that he must have said some of that out loud. but a close look at xiao’s face revealed that the other wasn’t upset with him. at least it didn’t look like it. in fact..
“are you laughing at me?!” venti called out noticing the upturn to xiao’s lips and the slight tremble to his shoulders. it’s not as if he hasn’t ever seen xiao smile before. the two of them have spent so much time together lately that it's bound to happen. despite the image that xiao likes to give off, venti is well aware that the other has a near full range of emotions.
xiao’s eyes meet his and venti’s heart skips a beat.
“I didn’t take you for the dense type, venti.” xiao said, his voice holding touches of amusement to them. venti was glad that the worry had lessened as he didn’t enjoy being the cause of concern. especially not for something as minor as this injury is.
“dense? i’m not! wait-- what are you imply? xiao~~” just like that the yaksha was able to bring out a more normal mood from the bard. those negative thoughts which had been plaguing his mind were but a whisper in the back of his head now. too focused on the one before him to worry about things that have happened and that have yet to happen. “you don’t make it all that easy to read you!”
he complains, but neither of them miss the way a dazzling smile had broken out across his face. the way his eyes seemed to shine like a dozen stars sparkling in a dark night. playful and teasing like every bard should and he isn’t even fully aware of the way that smile tugs at the heart of the very adeptus it’s aimed at. that ice which had formed around xiao all these years to protect himself--and those who might be around him--was thawing at almost alarming rates.
yet, he let it happen.
“if you’re calling me dense then does that mean you’ve known this whole time??” venti is still talking. his soft voice accusing as he allows xiao to pick him up again. the yaksha muttering something about tending to his injury and getting out of the middle of the wild. there’s a smirk on his face as he hears the question and it only draws another complaint from the god.
he decides to play nice though and replies. “only recently i came to understand all of this.”
this makes venti blink and the god finds himself at a loss for words. that was the most direct xiao has been this whole conversation. venti had half thought that he was being tease, or that xiao had misunderstood what he was talking about.
“so you.. do?”
gold eyes meet his, and venti’s breath hitches at the emotion he can see swimming in them. it makes his face feel hot and he only lasts a moment under that gaze before he’s hiding his own face in the crook of xiao’s neck.
they walk in silence--xiao walks, venti hides in his arms--for a long moment. venti attempting to catch up with what has happened as well as calm his erratic heart and mind. it’s one thing to pine over the adeptus, it’s another to have it confirmed that those feelings are returned.
but after some time, as they near the wind rise tree, venti mumbles softly into the skin of xiaos neck.
“xiao?”
the other hums, signaling that he’s listening.
“it’s the same for me.”
and it was as simple as that. neither of them wanted to go into depth of what this would mean, to properly explain their emotions would be something neither of them truly knows how to do. though venti has much more experience in the dealings of humans, even he tends to be lost when it comes to this.
he wondered, as xiao set him gently into the grass by the tree and took a seat beside him, what would Morax think of the two of them.
venti could only hope he was comforted knowing they have each other.