by: lychees
Today, Diluc isn't the first to wake up.
The first thing he notices is the lack of warmth on the other side of the bed. He doesn't usually get cold, not least owing to his Vision, but in the past few months he's gotten used to waking up with a little darling curled up in his arms, snoring lightly against his chest.
Now, the darling is nowhere to be seen, and when Diluc strains his ears, there isn't any sound coming out of the bathroom either, which can only mean that Venti has gone down to grab breakfast ahead of him.
Last he remembers, Venti is neither skilled at nor very fond of cooking, always leaving the meals to either the maids or the redhead himself. The Archon very much prefers Diluc serving him though, and the latter never tires of the look on Venti's face when he takes the first bite of Diluc's food.
The maids and butler are off duty today. Diluc has always given them leave every second Sunday of the month; ever since Venti started staying with him, Diluc gives them an additional Sunday off. He's grateful for Adelinde, who hushes the other maids when they start gossiping about what their master and Venti must be getting up to.
Tying his hair in a quick topknot, Diluc heads to the bathroom to rinse his mouth and wash his face, feeling more sprightly by the end of it. He inhales the scent of his hand towel, and the sunlight that pours in when he proceeds to draw open the curtains only aids to clear his mind.
To his surprise, he hears Venti before he sees him. The faint sound of a piano being played draws Diluc to the study room near the stairs, the notes becoming more familiar the longer he listens. It's a memory, older than most others, accompanied by the soothing touch of a woman's hand, cherry red lips forming around the syllables of his name and his father's. When the melody rises an octave, a trill in the air, he's struck by the image it conjures, of his mother's back as she sat at the piano, playing away.
As he opens the door to the room now however, the back he sees is smaller and slouched, the tips of the figure's hair glowing cyan where it cascades down his shoulders in short waves. The tune he plays is sweet, and the voice humming along even more so. Even as he must have heard Diluc coming in, Venti doesn't pause to greet him, only giggling when the redhead pulls up a chair to sit behind him, arms wrapping around his lithe figure. Diluc doesn't interrupt him either, only burying his face in Venti's neck, the lingering, warm scent of sleep lulling him into a state of peace. He smiles when the touch pulls a squeak out of the god.
A minute and a half passes by in unspoken bliss. Venti doesn't end up finishing the song however, stopping somewhere around the bridge before he turns around to return Diluc's hug, planting a chaste kiss on his lips.
"Good morning," Venti says, nuzzling a high cheekbone.
"Good morning," Diluc returns, voice still scratchy from having just woken up. "What do you want for breakfast?" Peeking down, he sees that Venti's wearing nothing under Diluc's shirt, the hem barely covering his mid thigh.
"I want you," Venti says with an insufferable wiggle of his eyebrows, followed by an obnoxious laugh that fills the room when Diluc rolls his eyes. But the sound is music as much as the song was, decorating the morning silence and making the house feel smaller than it is, cozier. Diluc pulls Venti onto his lap to make out lazily, their hands idle in each other's hair. "Pancakes," Venti demands when they finally break away.
"Your wish is my command," Diluc says, pecking his nose. When Venti laughs a second time, he remembers that this is what home is.
