The Winds Bring with them Change (Volume 1)

TW: Throwing up again.

Venti wanted to be with him, the Yaksha who remained, the one who abandoned his mission. In his dying years, days, however long he had now, he wanted Xiao. Xiao thought back over his complicated relationship, briefly acknowledging the actual first time he'd kissed him. The first time he'd shown signs of erosion. Perhaps he should have known then. But he hadn't felt quite this way for him then.

Now however, "Yes, I would like to be with you as well, my Lord." He felt himself falling into old habits, the title slipping through his lips before he could stop it. Venti's gaze darkened but a little and he scoffed.

"I haven't been my people's Lord in a long time, and I do not deserve to be called yours. I would like to be called your partner however." The irritating grin was back on his face, his emotions seemingly as fluid as the running water outside Aether's home. Though it was one of the things he'd come to like about the man, it also annoyed him to no end. He had a hard enough time telling what people were thinking without them changing like the wind. Though perhaps it was simply because he was so alike to the wind, everchanging, calm one moment, excited the next.

For a moment, lounging on Aether's couch, with him huddled into his body on one side and Venti staring at him from his seat on his thighs, Xiao thought that this was happiness. He was with the people he cared for the most, and though one of them was ill and the other dying, he was happy to be with them.

"Of course." A smile made its way onto his face, and he felt the tips of his ears grow red once again. They seemed to be doing that a lot lately. One of Venti's hands made their way to his chest, and the next moment they were kissing. He seemed to have an ever lingering taste of wine, as he knew he hadn't been out to have a drink since their day in Mondstadt. His thoughts didn't linger on that however as he pulled away in the next second. Venti was soft in his grip, and he groaned in disappointment when Xiao gave him a stern look.

"Now is not the time." He motioned with his free hand towards Aether, still asleep on his side. Venti groaned again, sprawling over him leisurely and resting his head in the crook of his neck. As he had thought earlier, this was genuinely happiness.

He dozed off like that, Aether asleep on one arm, and the Anemo Archon on the other.

When he awoke mere hours later, it was to the blond bursting from his blanket cocoon and making his way to the bathroom. He heard throwing up not a moment later and slowly eased the sleeping man off of him, ignoring his still asleep protests. He was careful to not scare the traveler when he entered the bathroom, going to his knees at his side.

"What can I do?" At his soft words, Aether turned, tears streaming from his eyes and shook his head. He was beginning to scratch at his arms, red marks running up and down them. Xiao was quick to pull his hands away, and rubbed at his back while he threw up once again. He was crying harder now, and he started to shake.

"..too warm..." His voice was quiet and cracked under his shaking lips. He was still shaking, and though he was cool to the touch, his skin was damp from sweat. Xiao frowned, he was sure that Aether was not actually overheating, but he was suffering and since this wasn't something caused by genuine illness, and instead his brain, there was probably no harm in cooling him off a bit.

He guided a cool breeze from the window into the bathroom, circling it around his friend, and watching as he visibly relaxed. He was resting his head on his forearm, breathing heavily, but he sounded less pained. He reached a shaking hand out, pulling Xiao's cool wrist to his forehead and sighing heavily. He signed, long fingers slow, fumbling more than usual.

"The room is spinning, Xiao, my head is going to explode." A low whine leaves his throat, and he drops his head into Xiao's wrist again. Xiao rubbed carefully at his neck with his free hand, voice as tender as he could make it when he spoke again.

"Do you want to go back out to the blankets?" At his small nod, Xiao picked him up, mindful of where his head was when he went passed through the doorframe. That was all they needed. He already seemed to be struggling with the pain again, whining softly and holding his hands over his stomach carefully.

If anyone had told him a year ago that he would be acting like this, especially this gentle, he would have called them crazy and vanished then and there. He supposed that he had changed for the better in that way. He sidestepped the cat lying on the floor, brushing a pillow out of his way with his foot and plopped down on the couch. Before he could tell Aether to move off of him, the man was already curling his hands behind Xiao's back and pushing his face into his chest.

He bit back any protests he might have had, acknowledging how much he would have treasured this type of comfort when he was in pain. In the light of that, he wrapped his arms back around the traveler. For a moment, he could feel teal eyes on him and then there was another body in his arms and glowing hair filling his vision.

"Xiao darling, you're so sweet." His words sounded slurred, and he went limp again almost immediately once he joined the embrace.

As he watched the men in his arms sleep, one deeply, one fitfully, Xiao felt an intense pressure in his chest. Though he would probably never sleep again between the two of them, perhaps not being alone was all his Lord had said it could be.

He'd gotten out of his own way.