Rewind | Genshin Impact

Chapter 36

This time around, turns out he attended the party right after Kaeya entered, as he made his way up the stairwell he heard the very familiar chorus of "SURPRISE!" 

He giggled a bit as he walked down the hall, the sound bittersweet. Right now, everything was innocent, everyone was happy, everything was the way it was supposed to be. It was Venti's job to keep it this way.

He entered the party right as everyone was crowding around Kaeya, and the first person to catch his eye, strangely, was Xiao. Venti felt his breath get caught in his throat, their eyes interlocked as everything slowed around them. 

Although, the moment ended as soon as it began, as Xiao quickly turned around and walked away to get a drink. Venti had to blink a few times to get out of his trance, when Bennett and Xingqiu approached him.

"You're late." Xingqiu said, annoyance evident in his tone. "I understand that you may have been out, perhaps drinking, but I would at least think you would have the decency to attend your friends arrival party on time."

"Oh, ehe, sorry about that. Got a bit distracted. You know, making friends with the cashier and whatnot..." He giggled awkwardly, Xingqiu raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Well, you just know how much I love to make friends..."

"I-" Xingqiu began, although he seemed to stop himself short. As if coming to the realisation that it wasn't worth it. "Don't let it happen again." He settled with, before walking away. Presumably to find his blue haired boyfriend.

Venti let out a breath of relief, normally Xingqiu wouldn't be so easy with this type of thing. Though, his relief was short lived as Bennett was still standing there, suspicion in his eyes. "Did you succeed in, uh, fixing the thing you wanted to fix?" The blonde began with.

"Uh, yes, no, uh, maybe?"

Bennett went up on his tiptoes to look around Venti a bit. "And what's in the bag..?" He then questioned.

Shit.

Venti should have known that the massive, green, extremely heavy, backpack would have risen questions.

"Ohhh, ehe... Uh.. Welcome home gifts. You know, for Kaeya." He chuckled awkwardly, adjusting the bag full of very heavy equipment on his back.

"Oh!" Bennett exclaimed, a look of worry coming across his face. "I actually didn't get Kaeya anything..." He mumbled. "Oh no! Does this make me a bad friend? Maybe if I have time I could sneak out and go down to the shops and-"

"Bennett!" Venti interrupted his rambling, the last thing he wanted was cause Bennett to suddenly leave, making the poor blonde a suspect. "It's alright, really. I just went above and beyond. You know, cause me and Kaeya used to be really close and all..."

"Oh, really? How close? Because I know Diluc and Kaeya are brothers but Diluc didn't get Kaeya anything. Yet again, I don't think they like each other very much..." Bennett mumbled off, Venti laughed awkwardly again. It was times like these he wished he was better at lying, gosh Scaramouche had his flaws but he would have ended this conversation as soon as it came up without raising any questions if he was in Venti's shoes.

"Yeah, well, uh, I guess I'm feeling particularly generous... But yeah really close... You have no idea." He trailed off.

"Really? I mean I'm pretty sure you are friends but I didn't know you were any closer to him than Chongyun and I are." Bennett inquired, the blonde did have a point.

"I guess I'm just good at getting close to people, we were, uh, drinking buddies." He made up on the spot. Besides, it wasn't a complete lie. He had seen Kaeya at bars in the past, with his friend, Rosaria.

"That I believe." Bennett laughed. "Well come on, lets say hi to Kaeya!" He said as he dragged Venti across the room where the blue haired man seemed to be engaged in a playful conversation with Amber.