venti sighed as he leaned against the roots of the giant tree, stars bright and gleaming high above him. ever since his gnosis had been taken from him, he had found solace in visiting the tree. it was comforting, and familiar, and after a long day, all he wanted to do was nap amongst the roots.
yet tonight, he was finding it hard to drift to sleep. the day certainly hadn't been cruel to him, but he was feeling lost and the reality of his gnosis being gone had, for some reason, hit him harder today. he hadn't even gone to angels share with how tired he felt! he wanted to sleep, yet his mind couldn't settle. every time his eyes shut, he was met with images of a whirlwind, and a boy with a face not dissimilar to his own...
huffing, the archon stood from his spot on the roots. if he couldn't sleep, there was no use in lying around, right? he might as well take a walk, maybe soak in the nearby lake, or go out collecting flowers. and so, he began walking, searching for the windwheel asters he knew were nearby.
not far away, a red headed vigilante was trudging his way towards the statue in front of the tree. he was tired from a long day at the tavern, followed by a fight with several abyss mages that had been too close to the city for his liking. he was hoping to get to the statue so he could ease some of his aches and pains before dragging himself back to the winery, but he wasn't expecting to see a boy clad in familiar teal kneeling near the base of the statue with several flowers bundled in his arms.
"venti?" the redhead called out, his confusion evident in his voice.
"master diluc! i wasn't expecting you," the boy jumped to his feet in a flash.
"nor was i expecting you," diluc sighed, walking his way up the steps of the statue, "why aren't you at home? you do know it's the middle of the night, correct?"
"ah, about that," venti's face grew a sheepish smile.
"you're homeless," diluc deadpanned.
"it sound bad when you put it like that!" by the archons, venti was pouting. if dilucs heart fluttered, he'd never tell a soul.
"is there any other way to put it?" diluc asked as he eased himself to sit down by the base of the statue.
venti huffed as he followed diluc to the statue, flopping down besides the taller man. he began weaving the stems of the windwheel asters together, mumbling something in an annoyed tone.
"so you admit defeat?"
"i didn't say that!"
diluc chuckled, leaning back against the statue as venti continued looping the stems together. they sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, before diluc spoke up once again.
"i didn't see you at the tavern today. you feeling ok?"
venti turned to him with wide eyes, which quickly dissolved into a smile. "yeah, i was just tired."
diluc nodded slightly, as he fully understood what the bard meant.
a few more minutes passed, and diluc was now on the verge of falling asleep, when venti suddenly slid a crown of windwheel asters onto dilucs head.
"oi-" dilucs hand reached up to brush it off, and at the same time ventis hand grabbed dilucs wrist.
"don't! it looks good," venti smiled so sweetly at him, he didn't have the heart to argue, "although the color of your hair clashes a bit with the asters. i should make you one with cecilias."
diluc sighed, but did not protest. his hand fell back to his lap, and he turned his gaze to the stars.
venti began humming a gentle tune as he made a simple chain of flowers with the remaining asters he had. the result wasn't large enough to be a crown like dilucs, but he was able to slip it around his wrist instead.
"diluc?"
"hmm?" the redhead turned his gaze to the bard.
"i have a request."
"no free wine."
"that isn't what i was gonna ask!" venti cried out in indignation.
diluc chuckled, "what is it?"
"will you dance with me?" the bard stared directly into dilucs vermillion eyes, cheeks flushed the softest pink, barely visible in the starlight.
dilucs eyes widened, and though he won't admit it, his heart fluttered dramatically for the second time that night.
the bard suddenly grew nervous, "it's fine if you say no, i just had an idea and i'd love to dance with you, it might be dumb though-" he was cut off by diluc grabbing one of his hands.
"i'd be happy to indulge you," he smiled gently at the bard, which got him one of ventis sweet smiles in return.
and so, the two men stood from the statue, hand in hand, and began a gentle dance in the dead of night.
they swayed along to the rhythm of the crickets and rushing water, and to the sound of the summer breeze in the branches. neither one of them took the lead, both content to twirl around amidst the roots of the tree. it was calming, relaxing the sore muscles of the vigilante and easing the mind of the troubled archon.
"can i try something?" venti asked quietly, not wanting to disrupt the ambiance.
diluc quirked his head to the side slightly.
"it'll be safe, i promise!" the bard hurriedly added.
sighing, diluc nodded. vent smiled in return, and the ends of his braids began to glow teal.
dilucs eyes widened, "what are you-" and suddenly, the wind rushed past his ears as he began to feel weightless. his feet had begun to hover above the solid ground, and the more seconds that passed, the further from the ground they rose.
diluc sucked in a panicked breath, arms coming to squeeze the smaller man in a panic. venti threw his head back with a laugh as he lazily rested his arms around dilucs shoulders.
"scared, mr. darknight hero?"
"shut up!" he whipped his head up to meet ventis glowing teal eyes, and the remainder of his sentence was cut off.
venti laughed whole heartedly once more, before guiding one of dilucs hands to his waist, holding on to the other.
"follow my lead," he whispered, and once again their dance resumed, this time amongst the clouds.
slowly, diluc loosened up, his initial panic forgotten as his mind started to process the sensation of flying through the night sky.
though he was growing used to it, diluc still managed to stumble around in the air. venti, who had grown used to the sensation centuries ago, giggled each time and helped correct the grumpy tavern owner.
they twirled in the air, venti keeping them aloft in the night sky as they danced their troubles away.
eventually, venti grew tired. without his gnosis, keeping the winds strong enough to lift the two of them was utterly draining. he slowly lowered them to the ground, and their dance came to a slow stop.
they stared at each other in silence for a short while, before venti leaned forward to rest his forehead on dilucs collarbone.
"thank you. for indulging me," he whispered.
dilucs arms wrapped around the archon, "it was my pleasure," he whispered back, pressing a gentle kiss to the shorter mans hair.
and they stayed like that, huddled together under the tree, even as the sun began to rise and the city of freedom began its day.
