a teyvat mystery － diluc x venti / diluven / venluc | fanfic / one shot

chapter 5

Notes:
HELLOOO CHAPTER 6 RELEASING IN AROUND A FEW HOURS 🫶🫶
Summary:
They arrive in Liyue and meet young master Xingqiu

Part I.
They spent the rest of the day after leaving Wangshu Inn walking towards Liyue. Venti would sometimes tell Diluc secrets about his life, like the time he got drunk and climbed the statue of Barbatos naked. They stopped for the night around the second Millelith guard post in the Guili Plains. They slept holding each-others hands which was quite a step back from the previous night where they had slept right on top of each other. The next day they woke up to a light rain which steadily drizzled down from the gray skies above. Luckily they had slept under a straw-roofed shed so they weren't soaked when they woke up. For the remainder of that day Diluc let Venti wear his coat so he wouldn't get wet, which meant Diluc was dripping wet for most of the day. Tired and soggy-shoed they took an early night, stopping at a local inn right before the stairs that led to a summit where Liyue Harbor could be seen. The owner of the inn was quite surprised to have guests as he put it, the inn was situated too far from Wangshu Inn but too close to Liyue harbor. Their room was much smaller than the one at Wangshu Inn, but it was out of the rain and had a bed. The bed was small; it could barely fit one person comfortably
Awkwardly they both got into the bed, their bodies uncomfortably close, they both had their arms wrapped around each other while sleeping face to face. This meant their faces were only inches away from one another. More awkwardly, however, was that their chests were pressed together meaning they could feel each other's breathing; they could hear each other's heart beating; they both could see each other's red face.
"U-Uhh goodnight."
"G-Goodnight Master Diluc."
After what felt like several hours neither one of them had fallen asleep. It was oddly hot in the room, or maybe just in the bed, whatever the case they both had a hard time sleeping. They started talking to one another, "Master Diluc what helps you sleep?"
"Usually I think about nothing, I just stare into the back of my eyelids," this is all Diluc responded aloud but in the back of his mind he thought something else, But lately I've been thinking about something else... someone else.
"I see, I usually think about wine, cider and apples galore!!!!!!" Venti too said only part of what he was thinking out loud, And the person who gives me all those things...
"Hmm well that makes sense."
"Maybe I should try thinking of something else."
"Like what?'
"You-" I- JUST SAID THAT OUT LOUD, Venti panickedly thought.
Diluc laughed, "Haha," and surprisingly followed up in a lighthearted manner, "I'll think of you too."
"W-Whatever," Venti was too embarrassed to say anything else.
"I could try putting you to sleep, bard."
"How would that work?" he asked. Diluc answered by putting his hands under Venti's arms and moving him so that his head was right below his. Before he could do anything else Venti asked another question, "Master Diluc, is it weird that we sleep together like this?"
"Well, maybe."
"Mhm," a saddened Venti replied.
Diluc sensing Venti's sadness said something he normally would never say, not to anyone else, "B-But I like it."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Well I like it too."
"That's good."
"But um, what does it mean about us? Like as in what are we?" Neither one of them had ever considered what their actions meant; they only knew that they liked being together. If the innkeeper were to ask them if they were boyfriends they would both resoundly say, "No." They weren't in love; they just had a rough time sleeping on the journey; that's why they slept together.
"Just friends or maybe companions."
"Oh, mhm, that makes sense."
"It's getting late, we should probably try to sleep."
"That way we can get up early and have a big breakfast with cider, right?"
"sigh- Is that all you think about?"
"HEHE, yep"
Having exhausted themselves from talking and having switched their sleeping positions, they were able to finally fall asleep. The next morning they awoke to see the first rays of sunlight glittering about the sky. The inn was kind enough to provide breakfast for them, Venti ate two helpings of everything plus two glasses of cider. This would come back to haunt him only a little while later, as soon as they had started walking up steps his tummy began to ache. Diluc looked back and saw Venti squirming in his tight corset, "Are all right, bard?'
"MY tummy hurts," Venti said in discomfort.
The Diluc from the beginning of the journey might have complained about the bard's reckless behavior, but the Diluc now let out not even a sigh; instead he simply went back to help Venti. He reached into his bag; pulled out the maid uniform he had packed and offered it to Venti, "Here I packed a maid uniform for you to wear, it'll be a lot looser than that corset."
"Niceeeee!!!! Wait a minute, why would you pack that for me?"
"I thought it might make a nice disguise in Liyue so you wouldn't arouse suspicion."
"Oh... Why didn't you grab me some of your clothes though?"
"E- I - Umm– My clothes wouldn't fit you of course."
"I guess that's true, you are a lot taller and more muscular."
"So you've been checking me out is what I hear."
"Ah- I- No-"
"Venti, I'm just joking."
"I knew that..." Though Venti also knew something else, The old Diluc would never ever make a joke like this.
"C'mon we need to get back on the move, don't worry though I'll carry the rest of the way."
"Really!!!!" Venti's face was aglow with anticipation and he clasped his hands together with excitement.
Venti went behind a nearby house and quickly changed into the maid outfit. He left his white stockings on, as well as the flower Diluc had put in his hair. The rest of the clothes he packed away into his bag. Surprisingly the maid uniform fit well, the chest wasn't even loose, neither were the shoulders. When Venti came back out in the black-and-white dress Diluc instantly thought, He's so cute.
Venti asked aloud the one question Diluc was afraid of, "How do I look, Master Diluc?"
"Very good," was all he responded with, although he had several other ways he wanted to describe it.
Venti blushed.
"Do you like it?" Diluc asked nonchalantly.
"Oh yeah! Though there wasn't any underwear to go with it."
"UH- I didn't know if you'd want that."
"Eh, it's not that big a deal, my stockings work too."
"Are you finally ready?"
"For you to carry me? Always."
With Venti on his back Diluc made his way up the stairs. The stairs were relatively easy to climb up, but by the time he reached the summit of the hill his legs were tired. However, the picturesque scenery of Liyue harbor bathed in the rising sun's light made him completely forget about the fatigue of his legs. Venti as well was amazed at what he saw, mostly due to how much Liyue had changed since he had been there last. Diluc carried Venti almost all the way down the hill, but let him down before they reached the bottom to rest his legs. They sat to rest on a grassy knoll that overlooked the gate of the bridge to Liyue Harbor. Carrying Venti and the two bags had clearly taken a toll on Diluc as he tiredly laid back on the grass. Venti, wanting to make Diluc feel better, gently positioned himself so that Diluc's head was resting on his lap. Diluc didn't say anything, he only opened his eyes to see Venti looking at him. Everything in the world seemed to cease to matter in that moment for Diluc; all he could see was Venti; all he could think about was the bard's ever so beautiful face; all he wanted to protect was that sweet, pure, smile that he saw. Venti too saw nothing but Diluc, the skies could open up with downpours of rain; he would stay there with Diluc; the ocean's waves could surmount all the land; he would still stay there with Diluc; the very world could come to end; he would always choose to stay with Diluc. In that moment they both realized something, something that they had known for a while but were too afraid to confront. They had feelings for the person they were looking at. Yet, neither said a thing.
Word count: 1478