"murder", he says | xiaoven x reader

chapter thirteen

after you and venti had visited the shrine (soon being kicked out when drawing a doodle of the shogun in a coffin on a prayer plaque) you lay on the grass near the waterfall that fell from the shrines mountain. venti lay across your stomach, hands picking at flowers and threading them into a chain. your hand thread through his hair absently whilst your other held a book that you were reading on liyuean culture.

you had both been laying there for a while now, but had agreed to head back when the sun starts to rest. which, conveniently, was as soon as you finished the next chapter. you close your book with a hand, patting ventis back with the other.

"we should head back now" you yawn, stretching when venti sits back on his knees.

"gimmie a sec!" he turns away from you, hiding his work from your sight. your huff out your nose in amusement and back up your belongings whilst you wait.

once you're done, venti turns and places a haphazardly threaded flower chain on your head.

"they were quite small, so it's weak at parts, but I didn't my best!" he smiles.

"thank you, venti" you smile and kiss his cheek. you noticed that the flowers were infused with anemo. you can't tell if it was done intentionally or accidentally, but either way, you feel your heart thump.

"let's get back! being back means drinking!" venti stands, taking your hand and pulling you up towards ritou.

when you return, you drop your bags off at the hotel and head out towards a bar that you hasn't yet visited. as you're making your way, you feel a familiar presence and a voice that's so easily distinguished.

"kazuha?" you ask aloud, turning different directions to try to find him. venti hums in questioning and follows you towards the centre of ritou.

"so it is you, kazuha! I didn't think I'd see you!" you yell, picking up your walking pace as he turns. as soon as he sees you, a smile comes to his face.

you embrace him in a tight hug- one he returns, and chuckle into his shoulder.
"I didn't think you'd be back... and it's terribly difficult to send letters to a travelling ship."

"though I cherished the idea of receiving one, I knew it was unlikely. not because of your inability, but rather my location. either way, I'm so very glad to see you again, y/n." he says, pulling away from your hug, squeezing your hands before letting go.

"I didn't know you two knew eachother." Aether speaks from behind kazuha, joining a circle that had formed between 6 of you, now.

"and i hadnt know you knew eachother" kazuha smiles. "but then again, who don't you know traveller?"

"right, introductions. kazuha, this is venti, a bard from mondstadt and albedo, an alchemist from mondstadt. albedo, this is kazuha, a traveller from inazuma, and y/n is... something from liyue." aether introduces everyone.

"something?!"

"I don't know your occupation"

"im!- Well, I guess my job is xiaos carer..."

venti snorts from beside you, covering his mouth and turning away. you huff, turning to albedo and holding out your hand.

"a pleasure to meet you- I've heard of both yours and your masters work in alchemy- though it's not something I study in, what I've read is incredible." you grin. albedo offers a polite smile of his own, shaking your hand.

"thank you, I'm glad you enjoy my work."

kazuha exchanges his own greetings with venti and albedo himself. the others carry on a conversation about poems, or something- you'd hadn't really been paying attention to the whole cufuffle- you'd help if you were asked. though, as of now, you can't shake the feeling of being stared at. you look around cautiously, excusing yourself from the group for a moment.

unbeknownst to you, xiao was hiding behind a wall, gripping it harshly. 'so many... people. touching hands like that- I thought that was our thing.'

right, xiao?! I think I saw them make premarital eye contact!

xiao grips the wall till it breaks, an almost comical cloud of utter hatred surrounding him. he dips behind the wall when you look over. he should be careful, you could easily pinpoint his presence if he didn't conceal it.

you shrug, walking back to your place in the group and kazuha comfortingly places his hand on your back, smiling before dropping his hand and looking back to the group.

xiao bites the arm of his weapon in anger, glaring at the hand that moves away from your back, jumping when there's a voice behind him.

"they'd be glad to know you're here rather than being jealous from afar, xiao" venti says, hands on his hips.

"..." xiao debates getting out of this- perhaps by saying that he is, in fact, not xiao but rather, his twin brother- ziao! but surely that wouldn't work. plus, it would be quite embarrassing to try.

he closes his eyes and crosses his arms, opening and closing his mouth as he searches for something to say to the archon.

"just go see them!"

"no, i won't disturb their time with friends, I simply..." he clears his throat. "missed them."

"how cute, you're clearly in love." venti motions xiao to walk with him and he does, hesitantly walking beside him as he walks, thankfully, away from you.

"...I think that may be true, but... I don't know what to do with that..."

"enjoy it! there's nothing to do but... be in love, really"

"it can't be that simple..."

"it's not, but it's something you get figure out as you go, it's personal to you, I can't tell you how to love."

"how do you love?"

venti seems shocked at the question, looking away in thought.

"I've loved them not long after I recruited them, at first I thought it was because of the horrors we saw together, but I soon learnt that I was hopelessly in love... so I sent them to you."

"why?"

"I wanted to go away for a while, and I thought that... you needed someone like that"

"you sent the person you loved to me... knowing that I would fall in love, too?"

"you deserved it, more than I did."

"and now..." xiao blushes. "they love us both, and we both love them"

venti chuckles and nods. "im happy with that, as long as they're happy."

"so... uh... you'll..." now... how does he phrase this... "can... can I kiss them and stuff..."

venti pauses, then grips his stomach and laughs. "y/n explained that you're fine with me being in a relationship with them at the sane time as you, you can do what you want as long as they allow it."

"yes... you make them happy- I wouldn't stop them from loving you, that's not my place."

"we have similar views, then"

"I should go back... take care of y/n... goodbye for now venti, and thank you."

with that, xiao disappears and venti stays at the place they sat fir a moment.

"I could have sworn I felt xiao here..." you say to venti as you walk over, sitting where xiao just was.

"I think your heart is just yearning for him~" venti says, kicking his legs.

"maybe! but right now, I'm spending time with you, so let's go drink!"

"yes, let's!"