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He’s invited me to the ruins of old Mondstadt, just the two of us.
He’s been calling me ‘his warrior’ and ‘my Windblume’ all breathlessly…
And we’re both guys. So why does my heart flutter every time I look at his face?
He’s just some local elemental god. I’m a Traveler. We aren’t supposed to get attached like this.
Aether sat beside Venti atop a weathered ruin. To anyone else Venti would appear as just another one of Mondstadt’s bards. But the Traveler was one of a handful of people who knew his secret. The fake bard strummed at his lyre, having recounted a story of the origins of old Mondstadt, his first human friend, and of how he’d inherited his current form.
“There you have it, my Windblume,” Venti said. “My tragic backstory in full. A tale of love and loss.”
Venti looked over the ruins. His braids framed a neutral, placid facial expression of contemplation.
“Well, my Warrior, what do you think?”
Aether opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Surely he knows. How could he not? Every time he calls me his warrior, it’s everything I can do not to swoon.
“It’s so… very sad,” Aether managed.
And those lovelorn eyes hiding behind his carefree façade. He’s so handsome…
The bard-god adopted a lazy smile.
“I come here quite often. To contemplate lost love. This is the first time I’ve shared this perch with another…”
“Venti you – I mean, i-it’s beautiful.” Nice save, Aether.
“Quite.” Venti began strumming his lyre again. “It’s so much more romantic as a shared view.”
“Yeah…”
The wind god turned to the Traveler.
“My nameless friend. Vennessa. I’ve had many warriors. All so devoted. But none so striking, mysterious, and beautiful as my Traveler.”
Venti leaned in close. There wasn’t a lot of room on this narrow platform, and their faces didn’t take much to nearly touch. The bard’s braids dangled near Aether’s cheeks.
“Venti…” Aether said, breathless.
“Well, my warrior. My Windblume. I feel for you as I felt for my nameless friend, and Vennessa after that. Would you accept my love?” Venti’s hand stroked Aether’s cheek.
Subtly, Aether nodded. “But… we’re both men.”
“To be the god of wind is to be the god of freedom. And to be free is to love who you will.”
Aether’s gaze went to Venti’s lips. They were a healthy pink, flushed, angled upward in a perpetual grin. It would be so easy to…
The pair leaned in, lips interlocking. Aether gave out a needy whine, leaning in to deepen the kiss.
“Ah~ my Windblume, that’s so bold~”
Venti pulled away with a teasing smile. Aether followed him. He hardly noticed that his hands had draped around the bard’s waist. He felt that the bard could float away from him at any moment.
“I… haven’t felt this way before,” Aether said. “About men, I mean. But I want to try this.”
“I would love to help you try this,” Venti said with a wink.
Now Venti moved in for another kiss, more involved and passionate this time. They embraced; lips locked for some unknown amount of time.
It was Aether who came up for air first. The wind god’s lungs possessed near limitless capacity.
“Venti…” Aether managed, out of breath.
The bard gave a cheeky smirk.
“I’m so used to being worshiped” Venti stroked Aether’s cheek. “But my Warrior has been through so much just since coming to this world. Perhaps, if you wanted to spend more time together… I could find some way to ‘worship’ you in some capacity, no?”
Aether lost himself in the deep cyan of Venti’s eyes. He was so handsome. No, so… beautiful. Maybe that was par for the course for a god. But the closer they were, and the more Aether gazed upon his divine face, the easier it became to admit it.
Venti was beautiful. Aether repeated it in his mind: Venti is beautiful. The more he thought about it, the easier it became to admit it. He thought the Anemo Archon was beautiful.
“Well, Warrior?”
Aether let out a content sigh.
“Y-yeah,” he managed. “I… want to be with you.”
“Hooray! Traveler, I’ve been waiting since I caught a glance of you back near the Whispering Woods.” Venti was all smiles. “Perhaps we can start this newfound bond by getting to know each other a little better? Ehe~ it’s nice and quiet here. Just the two of us. And we have nothing but time.”
Aether nodded; cheeks rosy. The bard-god leaned in for another kiss.
Old Mondstadt was abandoned, and seldom saw even the hardiest of adventurers. But if a guest happened upon the region on that day, they may have noticed a most beautiful duet waft over the ruins.
“So, this ceremony in Liyue only occurs once a year?”
“Indeed, my Windblume. Don’t delay. Or else another year you will have to… stay.” Venti giggled.
Aether pulled his shirt down over his shoulders. It was the last thing he needed to finish dressing.
Venti the bard lounged about at the union of two mighty branches at the great tree of Windrise. While Aether was now dressed for travel, the Archon was still wearing considerably less…
“I could be convinced to stay,” Aether said, and batted his yes. “There’s always next year.”
“I know.” Venti winked. “But go and find your sister. Mondstadt’s most handsome and mysterious bard will just have to reject his many suitors and explain that his love will return one day from overseas.”
Ah, dear Lumine. She used to tease her brother for receiving attention from the ladies on any world they happened to visit. How was Aether going to explain this sudden expanded preference to his twin? And for a god, no less? The pair would be immortal together. If this continued, well, they’d be together pretty much forever. Could the Traveler ever bring himself to leave Teyvat again?
There would be plenty of time to mull over how to break all this to his sister on the road, he supposed.
They were still getting used to calling each other ‘boyfriends’. It wasn’t common knowledge among their Mondstadt allies, though Lisa had guessed immediately upon looking at the Traveler’s lovestruck face whenever the bard was mentioned. The librarian had offered a quick word of advice:
“Guess someone else’ll be calling you cutie from now on. Just take it slow – both of you. And know this: you’re hardly the first or only couple for whom a close friendship has blossomed into something more,” she had said, and then winked. "So feel free to come to me to talk it out if you run into any doldrums."
Jean had called the librarian into her office shortly thereafter. Aether had been mulling over the meaning of this all week. He and Venti had… neglected to take it slow, certainly. Perhaps love has a tendency of sweeping people along in its current. Like a great gust of wind, even.
Aether took one last look at the god, lounging on the tree branch with his hand on his hip. The view would have to last the Traveler for some time…
“You’re insatiable.” Venti blushed, rather bashful for a god. “But go. Go! I’ll be here when you return, love.”
“Okay. I’ll be back for the next festival…” Aether paused for effect. “… my Windblume.”
Venti trilled. “Finally on mutual nickname basis. Oh, how Lord Barbatos does love his Warrior so~”
“I was going to call you ‘bard babe’ but wasn’t sure how it’d be received.”
Venti’s grin grew wider still. “Call me that and no force on Tevyat is going to be able to ever get us out of this tree.”
“… there are worse fates,” Aether said, face red.
“Indeed. But go. If you’re ever feeling wistful, just say a quick prayer. I’ll come relieve you as fast as the wind can carry me.”
Aether nodded, then leaned down for one last kiss.
“I love you, my Windblume.” Aether smiled.
“And I, you. My Warrior.”
Many months and two nations later:
Inazuman women were certainly beautiful. No denying that.
Aether had just finished observing a fireworks show with a perky local explosives expert.
“Say, Mister Traveler. I like your braids.”
“These?” Aether motioned to the small twist near his cheek. “Ah, it’s a Mondstadt custom, to show reverence for Lord Barbatos.”
“I see,” Yoimiya said, paying more attention to the handsome face framed in the braids. “Hey, is there a Misses Traveler?”
Aether’s eyes darted about, unsure what to say.
“Oh, I bet you’re quite popular with the ladies the world over.” Yoimiya leaned in and grinned. “Got a lover in every port? Is there an opening for one in Inazuma City?”
“I…. well.” Aether tossed his side braid about.
Color drained from Aether’s face. The ladies of Teyvat did find him irresistible. And his fireworks date was quite beautiful, with an endearing and cheery personality. If only his heart did not belong to another…
“C’mon. You got that in remembrance of some Mondstadt beauty, didn’t you? I’m not jealous. In fact, I’m just hoping she’d be willing to share ya. Whoever could have earned the singular devotion of the world-famous Traveler? Was it some brave knight? Oh, or a holy woman?”
“Uh, yeah. Something like that…”