Waking up the first time, Venti is there. Holding onto my arm, his back flush against my chest. The sun warming the room with its dappled lighting. The breeze was soft like I had left the window open. Which I probably did. I brush his hair out of his face and intertwine our legs.
Waking up the second time he's gone. The bed where he lay is cold. "Venti?" I call out, my voice hoarse from sleep. "Venti?" I call again.
No noise to be heard, I get up, change my clothes and go out to the rest of the winery. I find myself looking for him in the dining room. He's not there.
"He left, Master Diluc." I hear from behind me. I turn to look at Adelinde, who is wiping down the table. "He told me that he'll see you at the tavern after commissions with Traveler." She says knowingly. "And don't worry Master Diluc, I know when something isn't for others to know. You won't have any rumor problems as long as I'm in charge."
"Thank you Adelinde. I trust that you know that you have our thanks." She nods, leaving the room. A smile placed firmly on her face.
I wait until dust to enter the tavern, reliving Charles from the day shift. He smiles at me, relieved to get a break.
I don't realize that Venti is in the tavern until I hear his set start. His voice laced with song when he greets the crowd, the way his hair flows in the gentle breeze that his animo causes. Archons I want to kiss him again.
I try to work while he performs, but it's hard, it always has been. The only thing I want to focus on is Venti.
Afterward, more patrons walk over to me, trying to buy him a drink. When he started here in Mondstadt no one would serve him anything, stating that he looked too young. So he started singing with a cup close to his lips, baiting others to buy him drinks as payment. Now if anyone wants to request something they just buy a bottle and hand it over to him, asking for whatever song hits their fancy.
Hours after the dinner rush has ended, he finally sits down at my bar, holding his cup close to him in a drunken stupor. "Master Diluc~" He calls, sitting next to Kaeya. My brother shoots him a glance and then looks at me before returning to his conversation with Rosaria. "Master Diluc, you will not believe the day I have had." He states, a little too loud for my tastes.
"What happened Venti?" I ask, humoring his want for my attention.
"Traveler said I couldn't do commissions with them today! Can you believe that? All because I'm 'too loud and impulsive'." He cries out, luckily almost all of the patrons are gone, so the only ones to hear Venti recounting this series of events in Kaeya, Rosaria, and a few stragglers.
"Are you sure that's what happened Venti?" I ask, confused. The three of them (Traveler, Paimon, and Venti) are always attached at the hip when Traveler is in Mond; not a single person dares question this fact either. They are always together. "Was it a specific commission?" I try to ask, but Venti looks betrayed.
"Are you asking if I misheard them?" He's glaring at me, which only makes me want to laugh. He's adorable, and all I can think about is kissing him.
"Not at all, I'm just wondering if there's more to the story," I reply, trying to lead him to the most likely conclusion.
"There's not, Paimon said-"
"So Paimon said it, not Traveler." Kaeya buts in, glaring at Venti. Venti doesn't seem to notice though, slumping even further down on his stool.
"You know how Paimon can be, Venti. Too quick to conclusions and a little blunt at times. She didn't mean any harm." Venti's face scrunches up like he's thinking.
"Piamon doesn't use pronouns. Paimon goes by Paimon/Paimon's. But thank you, for trying to make me feel better." He smiles at me, barely sparing a glance at Kaeya. I fill his cup up, a smile pulling at the sides of my face.
"Are you staying with Traveler tonight?" I ask, glancing around the room. I don't know how he'll respond.
"No, Traveler is leaving for Inazuma soon, and they wanted to gather stuff on their own." He says, taking a sip of his wine.
"Are you going to stay with Diluc?" Kaeya asks, by this point Rosaria's left, and all of the other patrons have left, leaving it just the three of us.
Venti looks at me, and then at Kaeya, shocked. "I forgot you knew," He mumbles.
"I didn't," Kaeya laughs. "But thank you for telling me."
"Don't be a little shit Kaeya, you knew before us." I sneer, taking the bottle away before he can pour himself another cup.
"No, I didn't." He defends. "I knew something was going on, not that you two were together."
"We're not together." Venti slurs and for a moment it hurts my feelings. But then I remember that I was the one who said that what we are doesn't matter.
"Well you're not apart, are you?" Kaeya glances at Venti before taking the bottle from me, filling up his glass. I let him, of course, choosing to see how the two of them will finish the interaction.
Venti looks shocked, gawking at Kaeya. "I guess not." He mumbles, laying his head down on the counter.
It's odd, the three of us carrying on like this.
"So, you gonna stay with him again?" Kaeya asks, taking a sip.
"How did you know I stayed with him last night?" Venti isn't learning and it's interesting to watch.
"I didn't know," Kaeya smiles, looking directly at me.
"You keep telling him things by asking how he knows. He's fishing, Venti." I say, taking the bottle and both cups away. Venti sighs as I start to clean the cups, placing the empty bottle in the bin. "Let's get you both somewhere to sleep."
Kaeya scoffs at me, standing up and walking towards the door. "Have fun you two!" He calls.
"Say hi to Albedo for me," I call back to him and he raises his hand as he walks, not looking back.
"You two get along better behind closed doors," Venti says grabbing a rag off of the counter.
"Put that down, I'll finish up while you rest upstairs." Venti looks disappointed but puts the rag down anyway.
"Will you come rest with me when you're done?" He asks, getting up from the stool.
"Of course, Wind Sprite."
