Chapter Text
The midday sun dusted the valley of Windrise with its usual intensity. The summer heat would cause anyone’s brow to perspire, but as always, the signature Mondstadt winds rolled in across the plains and brought one refreshing breeze after the next. If anyone in Mondstadt was sure of anything, it would be that the calm winds would continue to sway the grass and carry the wings of birds throughout the sky. It was a sign of the Ameno archon’s presence, and it was a comfort to many when their god wasn’t ‘present’. Though as Aether knew it, the archon was always closer than they thought.
The glittering sound of Venti’s lyre joined in with the breeze and cascaded down and out from his perch in the branches of the large oak tree. His eyes were closed in a gentle and content manner, but the way his fingers found the strings would rival any bard with tens of eyes. Of course, it was nothing new to Aether as the bard had played for him many times.
It was a peaceful day.
A day without commissions to be done or long treks out into the wilderness for resources. A day that he and Paimon had decided they would spend apart.
It wasn’t a matter of growing sick of each other or going through a fight, rather, it was natural for two people who spent sun up and sun down together to need a day to themselves. It was a mutual decision that the two of them were happy to make. Plus, Aether had given Paimon a hefty sum of Mora to keep herself entertained and fed, which usually went hand in hand. She had had no complaints.
“Something on your mind, Traveler?” Venti’s soft voice broke through the cloud of Aether’s thoughts. He continued to play his lyre, now with one eye open slightly to look at Aether who sat a few paces to his side on the gnarled branch.
Aether shook his head with a small smile.
“Nothing really. Just enjoying the beautiful weather. It’s... nice to appreciate days like this,” Aether rambled as he let his legs sway back and forth off the branch.
“Couldn’t agree with you more there,” Venti laughed lightly.
It was then Aether realized he was preaching to the choir. Venti spent his time here just as often as he spent it with his ass planted on the barstools at Angel’s Share.
“I’m honored you would spend your day off with me,” Venti continued, his thumb picking at the lowest string and letting the ring hang in the air.
“Are you really surprised?” Aether mumbled.
“I guess not, but I’m still flattered every time. Why, the fact that the Honorary Knight would want to sit up in a tree with a lowly bard and watch the clouds roll by is more an honor than any could bestow upon me,” Venti hummed, his fingers hovering to the side of his instrument. The way Venti’s lavish words dripped with humor made Aether’s heart feel light. It was never a bad decision to spend time with Venti, regardless of what Paimon felt about the bard’s laziness.
Aether reckoned that, like Zhongli, he had spent enough time being the beacon of hope for the nation. He deserved a chance to live a simple life. At least, while there was a lull in the dangers Mondstadt faced.
The warmth in Aether’s chest was snuffed out by a fridge chill that shocked his body as the memory of La Signora sauntering towards Venti at the cathedral steps played through his head. The memory haunted him every time he let his thoughts run free, like a nightmare that clouded over any good feelings that he had prior. Except the nightmare was a reality, and Aether had had no choice but to look on as the archon lost his Gnosis, the female harbinger having forcefully removed it from his chest before violently casting him aside, his body lying limp on the payment as the honorary knight’s consciousness slipped away.
He had felt helpless. Useless.
But Venti, in his usual fashion, had ‘hidden’ any feelings he had about the matter and instead encouraged Aether onward with his journey without hesitation under this very tree. Though, the frustration in the bard's eyes told a different story. Unbeknownst to him, righting the injustice that was done to the archon was high on Aether’s priority list. He had failed to help him then, but he was certain he was going to set things right.
Why did he feel so strongly about this? Probably something to do with the blooming fondness that had overtaken him. A fondness that grew with every blink of the archon’s lashes, to the playful smile that danced on his features, or even the way he hung on the traveler heavily when he had pushed his limits of dandelion wine.
“Aether’s too busy thinking, and I should be drinking, but there are really no complaints on my end. The day is young and there are poems left unsung, so why don’t you join me instead?~”
Again, Venti’s words tore Aether back to reality. The bard had strummed out a plucky tune to accompany his reading and was smirking teasingly at his companion.
“Sorry,” Aether apologized embarrassedly, his hand naturally finding his hair to ruffle.
“No worries. Days like today are good for reflection,” the braided bard assured, turning to face Aether more fully, “But I hope you can humor me with your consciousness for a minute.”
“Of course, that's why I’m here,” the traveler added quickly, ready to give him all ears.
“Yes, yes of course. But, what if you joined me in song as well?” Venti suggested in earnest.
“Song?” Aether responded warily.
“You got that lyre during the Windblume Festival, right? Why don’t you play something for me?” the Ameno archon added with even more vigor.
Aether just so happened to have the lyre on him. He cherished it as it was a keepsake of the festival and the memories he had of it. Every time he happened to see it, he was reminded of the tender look Venti gave him as he placed the flower on the pedestal at the statue of the archon’s feet. That certain type of flower was very special to both of them, but no one else really knew that.
“I have the lyre on me but... I can’t say I really know how to play it. It would put absolute shame to your music and your ears,” Aether admitted with a slight shake of his head.
Venti’s smile cocked slightly, and he turned to face forward again. He closed his eyes and mindlessly plucked at the strings of his instrument once more.
“That’s a shame... I was really looking forward to hearing what sounds you could make~,” Venti hummed without shame, one of his eyes opening again to stare playfully at the traveler.
Aether felt his checks warm, but he decided to humor the cheeky bard.
“I don’t know... I would say the sounds you make are far more beautiful.”
The bashful yet humorous grin that spread across the bard’s face, accompanied with the light, rosy tint to his ears, was enough for Aether to sway in the wind.
“Well... I’d say the sounds we could make together would be the most beautiful of all,” Venti stated as he turned to Aether once more.
The two giggled softly to each other, attempting to stifle it with their closed fists. Their voices were only heard by each other as they sat above it all. Whatever dread had overcome the traveler melted away with the breeze, as it usually did in the bard’s presence.
“Fine fine, I’ll play. But you’re going to have to do some hand-holding,” Aether warned him as he reached into this pack to retrieve the delicate, wooden instrument.
“It would be my absolute pleasure,” Venti expressed as he placed a hand on his chest, “I’ll hold your hand whenever you want...”
The bard's eyes then fell upon Aether’s hands rifling through his bag.
“..as long as you promise to never put the lyre in there again! By Celestia, you’re going to break it that way,” Venti scolded with no weight behind it.
“Trust me, this bag is the safest place it could go,” Aether assured as he continued to search for it.
As Venti watched him search, he seemed to be convinced. It was sure taking him a while to find it in such a seemingly small bag.
“Ah! Got it,” Aether expressed as he retrieved the item with a proud grin, “I always forget that I put it in that pocket.”
Venti decided not to question him further and scooted a little bit closer.
“Alright. Just watch and mimic me, okay?” Venti instructed as he readied his instrument.
Aether indeed mimicked him, albeit with more hesitation.
The bard chuckled softly at the hesitant look on his companion’s face but was quick to start and easy four-bar melody. He then repeated it a handful of times. Once he was done, he looked upon Aether expectantly.
The traveler swallowed dryly, before playing the first two bars with little difficulty. Once he reached bar three, he slowed, having forgotten already what the bard had shown him.
Much like a puppy, Aether’s eyes slowly rose from his own hands to meet Venti’s eyes, which were sparkling with amusement.
“No shame in asking me to repeat it. Though I could swear you were watching quite intently,” Venti remarked with a smirk.
Aether had indeed been paying very close attention, but as he watched Venti’s delicate hands move across the strings with such familiarity, he couldn’t help but fixate and the details. Like how wonderful it would be to intertwine this own hand with those beautiful digits.
“What can I say... I’m not the best with music,” Aether laughed, his eyes falling back upon his own instrument.
“Nonsense. Here. Watch me once more,” Venti encouraged as he plucked the tune out again, and again, and again, to the point he could look up and watch Aether as he played.
The traveler, once he was completely sure he had it, repeated the pattern along with the superior bard. He fumbled a few times, wincing with embarrassment, but was eventually able to ease into the pattern.
“Perfect,” the bard breathed softly, “Now, keep playing that.”
Venti shifted to be closer to Aether once again, and though Aether’s pulse rose, he made certain to keep the tune going.
The archon crossed one leg over the other and positioned himself to play once again. But this time, he played something entirely different. It was a soft, welcoming melody that harmonized perfectly with the riff Aether had learned. Aether almost felt like he had heard it before.
As Venti played, Aether eventually looked up to watch him.
His features spoke of nothing but content and radiated godly grace. His eyes were half-lidded and angled down at his lyre, and his smile was soft and peaceful. He was now seemingly lost in his own thoughts, but naturally, his fingers found their place among the strings without any trouble.
The same couldn’t be said about Aether for as soon after he looked away from his strings and to the face of the god of freedom, his fingers began to pluck away at nothing but air, and the pattern was broken.
When Venti looked back to Aether, the realization sunk in that he had stopped playing. He tried to recover, but for some reason, the pattern had left him, and he couldn’t remember how to find it again.
And when Venti ceased playing, Aether hunched in on himself with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry. I got a little lost. I didn’t mean to stop you,” Aether quickly addressed, his fingers still hovering over the strings as he desperately tried to remember what they had just been performing.
“You did perfectly,” Venti affirmed back with tenderness, “...Thank you, Aether.”
Aether looked up with slight confusion, not knowing exactly what he did that was worth thanking, but the look in Venti’s eyes caused his thoughts to leave.
The beautiful sapphire orbs danced with joy but were hiding pain. Deep within his gaze, he spoke volumes of fragility and loss. Tranquility and longing. Emotion, raw, powerful, confused, and without an outlet. Loneliness that only a god among humans could feel. And he shared that gaze with Aether, willing to reveal it all to him.
Aether closed the last of the gap between them.
“Anytime,” He assured, placing his hand lightly on the bard’s knee.
Venti bowed his head in gratitude and dematerialized his lyre into whips of energy. Aether, too, followed suit by setting his lyre aside.
“Mind offering a weary spirit a shoulder?” Venti asked, his normal grin trying to find its way back to his features.
“Of course,” Aether assured again, though the thought made his heart skip a bit.
The bard nodded again in thanks and leaned heavily against his companion. He set his hat aside for the time being so he could more easily rest his head upon Aether’s shoulder, to which Aether reciprocated.
But he still felt a rift between them. And though there might always be one, he wanted to close the gap as much as he could.
The traveler rested his hand on the other side of Venti’s hip, and was quickly met with the hand he had so wanted to hold prior. Without hesitation, he laced their fingers together and gave the bard’s seasoned digits a reassuring squeeze.
“I wish you could come and do this more often,” Venti admitted, “though I know that is a selfish wish.”
Aether breathed out a soft sigh, his eyes shutting with melancholy. As much as he wished he could assure the bard that he would see him tomorrow and the next day and every day forth, he knew it wasn’t worth promising. And he knew Venti knew it too. Still, the traveler couldn’t think of a worthy response. He knew it would be equally as selfish to ask the archon to up and leave his country to join Aether on his journey across the seven nations.
“But you will ACTUALLY come drink with me sometime, right?” Venti asked, attempting to dispel the air that had fallen over them with a playful glint.
“They won’t serve me at Angel’s Share, you know this,” Aether muttered sourly. It was one of the downsides of not having any official Teyvat documentation.
“Then we’ll just have to go somewhere else. Somewhere private, perhaps?” Venti murmured as he gently nuzzled into his companion's shoulder.
Aether sucked in a tight breath as his imagination ran wild for a movement.
“Perv~,” Venti teased, having felt that reaction.
“You know you’re worse than I am,” Aether shot back as he turned to look at the bard.
The bard looked back at him, accompanied with a light laugh.
“Guilty,” Venti hummed, his eyes lingering on Aether’s.
They hung there for a moment, both studying each other’s features. It was often that they would spend some time gauging the moment and seeking out each other's unspoken approval. And when enough sorting out had been done mentally, they both slowly leaned into each other once again.
But this time, they met each other with a kiss.
They let multiple moments pass by, taking ample time to remind each other of the warmth and feel of each other’s lips. Venti’s were thin but soft. And Aether could never get enough of them.
But before things could escalate, they both pulled away with visible difficulty.
In the pits of their stomachs, they knew pushing things further wouldn’t do them any good, no matter what strong feelings they had. Aether was from another world, and Venti was one of the gods of the land. These facts weighed heavily on them, and it hung like a raincloud whenever they had decided to connect.
Still, they ended up this way time and time again.
Aether remembered the quiet night they spent in the hands of the Ameno archon statue. It was the clearest night in ages, and the view of the stars was immaculate. With Celestia hanging clear overhead, the two laid in the outstretched palms of the statue and shared a series of impassioned kisses. It was a chilly night, but their intertwined limbs and bodies flush together chased the cold away.
He remembered Venti unexpectedly parting his lips, leading Aether to explore the foreign territory at the moment. His tongue tasted sweet like the crisp apples that grew wild in the valleys of Mondstadt, and it was scarily intoxicating. If they had spent any more time like this, Aether wasn’t sure he would have been able to stop.
But Venti had separated them by gently pushing on Aether’s chest, apologizing for initiating the daring act and then chickening out. The chilly air seeped between them once more as they talked quietly about their feelings. Of course, things were mutual, but it was mutual in the hesitation as well. Venti had tried to be serious, but as the topics became personal and heavy, he devolved into humor and grandiose words and Aether gave up on pushing it.
He knew that this was tough for both of them, and he wasn’t going to make Venti sort through this right then if he couldn’t. It wasn’t all that important in the grand scheme of things. They were just two beings passing in the wind. Or so Aether had tried to convince himself.
So they spent the rest of the night in comfortable, solemn silence.
“Again, you’re leaving me behind in the physical world,” Venti whispered to the traveler, not bothering to meet his eyes. He continued to stare out on the land he cherished so much, but his gaze would make you believe he could leave it all behind.
“Do you want me to take you with me?” the traveler asked, squeezing Venti’s hand again as a sort of apology for his mental absence.
“I think I know where you’ve been. It’s a difficult journey of strong currents and sheer cliff sides. Not completely untraversable, but never a pleasant trip. I don’t know if I want to go there right now. I’d rather just... be here. With you,” the bard sighed wistfully.
“I understand,” Aether expressed, agreeing with the archon. Every second he spent up in his head wondering and worrying he lost a second with the one he loved. No matter what form he’d have to experience it in.
“But, I want you to agree to something,” Aether added, shifting the bard off his shoulder and turning to face him more directly.
“And what would that be, my spacey knight?” Venti questioned after a huff of annoyance at being uprooted from his comfortable position.
“Let’s not try and be so distant. If I have to keep treading lightly around you, I might lose it. I want to spend my time loving you properly, fates and destiny and sacrilege be damned,” the traveler expressed with frustration.
“You love me?” Venti teased, blush high on his cheeks.
Aether shoved Venti with his shoulder lightly, as they both chuckled. He then reached his free hand to caress the bard's cheek. It was so smooth and unblemished, and Venti happily leaned into the touch.
“Every second that goes by I find more reasons to love you. I want to worship you, but you have to let me in. And I know you want to,” Aether mumbled lowly, stroking his thumb across the archons cheek tenderly.
Venti blushed deeper and gave the traveler a guilty smile. He overlaid his own hand over Aether’s and held it in place, closing his eyes.
"How... romantic?” Venti hummed, then opened his sapphire orbs to gaze apologetically at his companion, “I owe you an apology. I don’t mean my feelings to be confusing. I have spent ages learning about the fragility of human life and I fear losing you to that. I fear experiencing all of that torment again. But... I keep forgetting how far gone I am already, like losing you now wouldn’t already be too-”
Aether brows creased as he moved his hand to cover Venti’s mouth.
Venti’s brows creased in return and he vocalized a muffled complaint.
“I’m not going anywhere, Venti. No matter where I am, I’ll always be yours. And I’ll never be the cause of any added suffering to you,” the traveler gave the archon his ultimatum with utmost certainty.
Venti shook his head slowly from side to side, removing Aether’s hand.
“No one ever means to leave their loved ones behind. You can’t make a promise like that,” the bard lamented.
“I can,” Aether said with certainty once more.
The Ameno archon studied the traveler's face, taking in the set features. After a moment of scrutinizing, looking for any form of insecurity, he nodded his head once in resignment.
“You’re truly a wonder, Traveler,” Venti muttered as he leaned in to place a chaste kiss on his cheek, “For my sake, I really do hope that is a promise you can keep. You’ve brought a breath of fresh air that not even the god of winds could produce.”
The bard then leaned in further to whisper.
“And it’s almost shameful how hooked on it I am.”
Aether shivered, but maybe it was the chilling air at sunset. It was unfortunate how the time passed.
“Let’s head back, hmm? I think that dandelion wine is calling my name. Maybe you should let it call yours as well,” Venti encouraged with a gentle nudge.
“Maybe next time. I got a long few days ahead of me tomorrow,” Aether admitted with distaste.
“Alright, alright I understand. But you wanted me to not be so distant, so how about we set up a date,” Venti offered, “And I’m not taking no for an answer so you better think of a time you’re not being Teyvat’s savior quickly, or I might just have to steal you away for tonight. Paimon can carry on without you for another day, couldn’t she?”
The archon’s vigor once again dispelled Aether’s distress. Venti was good at reminding him that, at the end of the day, and regardless of what had happened and was happening, their feelings were mutual. The bard wanted his time just as much as Aether wanted his.
“I should be back in three days. And I might be more inclined to drink then. You know, after hours of trekking across Liyue, diplomating and listening to Paimon,” the traveler answered without hesitation.
“Of course. You’ll need some time to relax and unwind after that,” Venti cooed as he, again, blessed the traveler with a soft kiss, this time right below his ear, “Leave it all to me~”
“Looking forward to it more than you can fathom,” Aether hummed, feeling weightless among the branches. If he wasn’t careful, he might just sway too hard and tumble off their perch backward.
“Perfect,” Venti expressed and beamed at his companion, “After this sunset, I’ll get us back to Mondstadt. Using a little shortcut, of course.”
“Courtesy of Lord Barbados?” Aether questioned.
“Mhmm~ I hope you aren’t too afraid of heights,” Venti giggled as he rubbed Aether’s hand with his calloused fingertips, well seasoned upon his lyre strings.
“Being with you would be pretty difficult if I was,” Aether laughed in a jovially.
"Because I make you feel so high?” Venti spoke cheekily and leaned in with half-lidded eyes.
“Maybe, but you won't be once I push you off this branch.”