To the unknown Future

Chapter 22:

Uriel looks determined while Venti was nervous deep inside.

"Venti I-"

"Wait wait wait! Please stop, Uriel!" Venti placed his hands over her mouth to stop her from talking. He was dizzy with many thoughts that it was the first time that he experienced this from the day he first existed!

Uriel looked at him with wide and confused eyes, a bit hurt that Venti seemed to want her to not confess to him.

"Wait wait! This is too sudden, I don't understand- H-How did you fall in l-lo-love- How did you come to like me romantically?!" Venti was stuttering on his words as he avoid looking at Uriel's face. He keeps throwing facts and logic, saying they just met a few months ago, and they were friends before.

Uriel doesn't want to hear his excuses. She took down the hand that was blocking her mouth, pressed him against the apple tree behind him, and leaned closer.

"E-EH!? U-Uriel?!" Venti flinched in surprise and couldn't help but stare back at her golden eyes. Her eyes were bright under the moonlight, and both held deep emotions that could make Venti feel overwhelmed and weak.

"Tell me... What are your thoughts on me? What are your feelings for me?" Uriel asked him on the spot.

"This, it's a bit sudden- Why are you-" Venti was still a mess and Uriel pressed on, feeling that if she doesn't do this now... in the future, he or she will both regret it.

"Venti," Uriel cupped his face and made him look at her straight into her eyes.

"I like you," Uriel started and Venti frowned and tried to break free.

"No, don't say it, Uriel-"

"I like you so much since I started to know you more,"

"Uriel, no! You- you-" Venti struggled to speak but he seemed to be holding back, and hard.

"After I have coped and started living as I wish, I started to learn of my feelings towards you," Uriel keep going on with her confession, and Venti's futile struggle started to weaken.

"You were there when I'm happy, when I'm sad, and when I cannot let go our my past. And now I want to be with you in the future, I like you so much Venti, I-"

"I'm an Archon, Uriel!"

"... W-What?" Uriel was surprised as she stared at his painful expression.

"U-Uriel... I'm an Archon... One... one of the beings... y-you despised now.." Venti said and hurriedly held her hands when she tried to pull away.

"I-I swear I didn't mean for us to be like this! I-I saw the problem when you told me about your past life and I feared that maybe you'll be depressed and furious if I'm similar to that past god of yours. That's why I made sure to spend less time with you and send you back to Liyue so that you can cope up with their help!" Venti said and desperately tried to explain his decisions to her in hopes of not garnering her negative emotions.

Uriel was dazed while she stared down at their intertwined fingers. Her mind was in turmoil, she felt conflicted.

"I'm an Archon and you're mortal in Teyvat, I will not pass as a normal person, I will not age like a normal person- I thought that you should be happy with another normal person by your side, not something like this as if you're reliving your past life all over again!" Venti said and saw the dazed expression of the girl.

"I never meant to deceive you, Uriel. I wanted you to know this existence I kept hidden, I really do, however... you got into that state, and then you try to cope after... If I pursue that conversation I fear that you- you might succumb to your negative emotions and I-" Venti looked down distraught.

The silence was left between the two. The wind was rustling the leaves of the apple tree as well as the grass in the fields.

They intertwined hands both lost their grip and both fell to their sides, their minds in chaos, not knowing how to move forward after this confrontation.

Uriel looked up and looked at his downcast mood. She too was in a gloomy mood, but she doesn't want to see him like this.

It was a shock to know that Venti was an Archon, and all his actions were to prevent another trauma for her to develop.

All this time, he kept her safe, but his role to her life, what does he want to be in her life?

"Venti, you... what do you want to be in my life?" Uriel asked him in a small voice. Venti looked up to meet her gaze, a bit speechless.

"Do you want to be my friend? A-An Archon I worship? Y-Your worries towards me, the care that you give me... w-what do you want me to see it as?" She asked as Venti's eyes widened and his lips parted.

"Y-ou, Uriel, you still want me in your life?" Venti was surprised at this and looked at her with a stunned expression. He was so sure that she will greatly reject him and will go far away from him, however, she... Does she really want him? Does she really love him?

Uriel took a deep breath before she took a step back. Venti flinched when she stepped back and move forward to hold her hand. Uriel looked down at their hands before she looked back at his face.

"What do you want from me? Who do you want to be in my life?" Uriel asked again, Venti answered this time but with a question.

"Are you sure about this? I'm an archon, Uriel, a life with me won't ever be the same or peaceful as you want it to be... there may be times that you might get in danger because of me... Are you... Do you really... want me?" Venti asked with hesitation and anticipation.

The gust of wind swept once more on the field, and two bodies hugged each other, a warm and chaste kiss shared between their lips.

"Does this answer your question?" Uriel opened her eyes and whispered against Venti's lips, her arms were around his neck, and her body was very close to his.

"...Uriel-" Venti's eyes watered a bit as he leaned down to kiss her lips one more time. His hands were on her back and her waist, pulling her even closer to his body, greedily basking on her fragrance and her warmth.

"This... are we lovers now?" Uriel asked after they both pulled away to catch their breaths. Venti smiled and cupped her cheeks with both hands before kissing her forehead.

"We are,"

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Author's Note:

I hope you enjoy this part of the story! I struggle with romance for a while but I hope that you like this book! thank you for reading!!!