Music to my Ears [(Y/n) x Venti]

Chapter 14

  Drinking so much was a mistake. I could barely think straight- not with the drowsiness that suddenly came over me. I had long since passed my limit, and yet Kaeya was still going strong.

  "This is certainly more entertaining than drinking alone!" He declared, cheeks flushed and pretty eye less sharp than before.

  "I'll say..." I managed to murmur before letting my head fall onto the table.

  "Say, is it just me, or has the bard been staring  at us for quite a bit?"

  "Ignore him." I commanded, pointing a shaky finger towards him. "He's just being dumb."

  "Oh? And here I thought you two got along."

  "Not anymore. It's over with me and him! I'm replacing him!"

  The captain burst out laughing, slamming his fist on the table. "Replacing him? Whoever is the replacement~"

  I didn't respond, lost in the mesmerizing lull of his voice. Gosh, he looked hot, and he knew it too!

  "Stop looking at me like that!"

  "Like what?" He plastered on an innocent face.

  I didn't answer, opting instead to dropping my head back on the table and giving in to my drowsiness. All I heard was the warmth of his voice before I pushed away the ambience of the tavern, giving way to silence.

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  "-have to go..."

  I lifted my head sluggishly, squinting my eyes against the harsh lights of the tavern. That's right. I had practically trampled every rule that Aster made and gone to the one place I would be caught dead going to.

  "(Y/n)~" There was that voice again. It was Kaeya, and he gave me goosebumps as he whispered hypnotically into my ear.

  "What?" I murmured, trying to push him away and get back to sleep. His gentle yet firm grip of my shoulders wouldn't budge.

  "The tavern's closed, and Diluc patience is running thin. Any second now, he'll be dragging us out the door."

  I mumbled an excuse, and some pleads to Diluc, wherever he was, and plopped my head back onto the table.

  My mind drowsily comprehended strong hands lifting me up, giving me a warmth I gladly folded into. I took a deep breath, taking in the pleasant aroma now surrounding me. Someone laughed in amusement. It was a familiar sound. I didn't care to know who it was.

  A crisp breeze flowed through my hair. It made my face sting and my body shake. I snuggled more deeply into the warmth.

  "Where do you live?" That warm voice again. I mumbled something lazily before-

  "I can't go home!" I tried to bolt up, my head spinning.

  "Woah, woah! What's wrong!"

  "Aster will be upset..."

  I couldn't go back. She couldn't see me like this. Hopefully Kaeya got the memo...

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  My head felt like it was about to split open. I had never experienced anything like it. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, too tiring to open. My throat was so dry, I felt like I had surely gone days without drinking water.

  Wait! Where am I! I jerked up as bits and pieces of last night came rushing back.

I was in a small apartment, neat and tidy yet with personal touches here and there: withering roses of different shades in a vase, a sheathed sword displayed on a stand, and a stack of letters and such on a beautifully carved desk in one corner. I was laying in an impossibly comfortable bed, and if it weren't for the skull splitting headache plaguing me, I would've surely spent more time lying lazily in it. The room smelled of a pleasant aroma- one that I recognized even now.

"Kaeya?" I called, sitting up in the bed. My headache protested.

A few moments later, I heard lengthy footsteps make their way to the door, and in came the man in question. Although his eyepatch was still on, his hair was undone and he was wearing casual clothing. I had never really thought about how Kaeya looks outside of work.

  "Good morning! Did you sleep well?" He greeted me with a toothy smile.

  "I would've slept better if it wasn't for the horrible hangover I'm experiencing right now..." I mumbled, squeezing my eyes shut.

  "One moment..."

  He left the bedroom to who knows where and returned a while later with a mug in his hands. He had made me tea.

  "I call it my 'hangover tea'. It's a great pick-me-up after a night of drinking." He carefully handed it to me.

  I gratefully thanked him and blew on the surface. Wafts of steam danced around my face, bringing much wanted warmth. The tea itself was syrupy and aromal, tasting of sweet flowers and chamomile and a hint of lemon. It immediately brought me some comfort.

  "Is this where you live?" You asked, waiting for the hot drink to cool down a bit.

  "Indeed it is! I apologize about not bringing you to the hotel last night. You kept rambling about your sister finding out."

  "You did the right thing..." I chuckled, eyes glued on the mug. "Aster would've given both of us a handful."

  "Is she usually overprotective of you?"

  "She tries not to show it, but she burdens herself with looking after all of us, even if we don't necessarily need it." I responded, a pang of guilt in my heart. "She would be devastated if she heard I had gotten wasted with someone I barely knew- no offense."

  He laughed at that, murmuring a few words about how I was privileged to have such a caring sister.

  "Do you have any siblings?" I found myself asking.

  He went quiet for a few moments, before answering with, "No, not anymore..."

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  I wasn't sure how harsh of a scolding I would get from Aster, but I knew it would be ten times worse if I fessed up and told her what I did yesterday. And so, I needed an excuse.

  "Well? This better be good, because I'm losing patience quickly..." Astet warned in a dangerous tone. Dahlia and Johanne were watching curiously from the side.

  "I spent the night with a friend..." I mumbled, looking anywhere but her eyes.

  "Oh really~" Venti called from the corner, and I turned in surprise to see him. "I hope you aren't referring to me..."

  "I'm not." I shot him a glare.

  "So? Who were you with?" Aster brought my gaze back to her.

  "You wouldn't know her. She's a knight-in-training."

  "I'd like to meet her sometime." She responded, her eyes narrow with suspicion.

I was surely done for now. How would I get someone to pretend to be my friend?

  "Aster, don't you start your shift at 8:30?" Dahlia spoke up.

  "Yes. Why?"

  The older girl's eyes widened as she realized with a start that she would be late if she kept up her questioning. She rushed out the door in a hurry.

I gave Dahlia a grateful look, though I dared not say anything.

"I hope you know what you're doing..." she said before leaving the room with Johanne.

Now, all that was left was a lounging bard with burning fire in his eyes and a wintry smile.