The Winds Bring with them Change (Volume 1)

37: A Perfect Day

He contemplated this for a moment. He knew he loved the other man as well, sometimes being overwhelmed by the depth of his feelings to the point he felt he couldn't even speak them. Whenever he'd tried to express such in the past, his brain had frozen, leaving them standing in silence before Venti just pats him on the back. So instead of trying to vocalize anything, he just tucked his head further into Venti's chest, kissing his neck in what he hoped was an apology enough.

Perhaps fate was smiling upon them, as Venti stretched and climbed over Xiao to check the living room for Aether as he always did since their friends disappearance Xiao noticed a light in his eyes that wasn't present on the bad days.

"How do you feel today?" Though the light was in his eyes, sometimes that wasn't indication enough of his partners health for the day, as Venti seemed to have incredible skills hiding his own pain. Weren't they quite the pair.

Venti was currently dying, though it seemed to be slowing down as of late, and Xiao was in constant pain when he so much as tried to use his powers in any way. Perhaps that was the plight of the anemo blessed. Maybe pain was a necessary fall to take in order to be so seen by Celestia. He hated it. Not for his own sake, but instead for his loved ones.

The ex-Archon seemed to contemplate the question for a moment, tapping his fingers against his cheek absentmindedly.

"Not bad, something feels off, but it's been so since this started happening." His tone was nonchalant, eyes closed in thought as he tended to do. Venti flopped over him, his mood radiating mischief as it was so prone to do.

"Let's go into Mondstadt today my dear." His eyes were shining, and it was a rarer thing these days, so Xiao nodded his head, worming his way out from under his boyfriend. He'd been clingier in recent as well, though it was not as if Xiao minded at all, it was nice to not have to worry about making every single decision in a situation.

He lifted his shirt up off the floor where it had been dropped in his exhaustion the night prior, pulling it over his head and tucking it into his pants. Venti still wasn't leaving the bed, leaning upside down over the side just watching as Xiao collected the rest of his clothing. Though he felt his partner's gaze on him, Xiao just continued dressing, attaching his shoulder guard securely before pulling his sleeve and gloves.

He spared a glance over his shoulder towards Venti, just to see that he still hadn't moved a muscle.

"Are you dressing?" Venti grinned, rolling off the bed towards his own side of the room in response. He popped up a moment later in his usual clothes, minus the cape and corset, and basically skipped over to Xiao. He was being dragged by his arm in the next second, any and all decorum forgotten in the face of adventure. Kazuha chuckled as they breezed past him, waving before turning back to the books Xiao had left him with the other day. He must have come in much later than Xiao himself had, as he'd left him to watch over Aether.

"I'm assuming you have plans?" Xiao inquired, walking alongside him easier now as he'd slowed down.

He watched Venti as he confirmed, rambling on about what all they would be doing in Mondstadt for the day. He really was beautiful, and though burdened with the weight of godhood, he still managed to keep a light air about himself. Even before, he had been beautiful, but now that Xiao got to see him every day his beauty seemed to only grow. He was drawn back to himself when Venti stopped speaking rather abruptly.

"What are you staring at?" His tone held mirth, and Xiao felt the need to express exactly what he was feeling in the moment. If he couldn't manage to utter the words 'I love you,' he would simply use flattery.

"You." A blush rose on Venti's cheeks, red coloring the tips of his ears as well. He placed a hand on his chest in faux surprise, before lifting a hand to Xiao's cheek. Xiao could feel his own cheeks beginning to grow red so he continued walking, earning a giggle from the damned bard.