#venti comfort | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fictoculus · 9 months

Text

౨ৎ they find you crying...

send a request!┊masterlist┊taglist applications

FEAT... venti, cyno, itto, tighnari

A/N... i just wanted to put in a little message to say how greatful i am for all the love and support! it genuinely brings a smile to my face reading what you guys write when you repost one of my works. also, please don't be shy and send me some requests! i want to make sure i'm making content that people will enjoy and am struggling to think of interesting concepts ♡

WARNINGS... references to low mental health (venti)

✧ venti.

♪ you'd been feeling low for a while now, spending your days alone at stormbearer point, losing yourself in you thoughts as you gaze absentmindedly at the scenery below you

♪ venti would be more than just concerned, though he may be completely oblivious at first; it takes him a while to notice how you're truly feeling

♪ when he does, he feels an ache in his heart, he scolds himself for not noticing sooner

♪ he's sure to shower you in gifts, whether they be big or small, and always make sure to spend quality time with you, refusing to leave until he sees that beautiful smile of yours

stormbearer point was... somewhat comforting. the soft, gentle breeze brushing against you as you dangle your feet off the edge, though you weren't swinging you legs in joy as you usually would. instead, they dangled freely off the edge, swaying only when the wind willed them to. contrary to the environment around you, your life for the past few weeks had been anything but pretty. it felt as if the flowers of your mind had wilted, leaving you with the shrivelled stems as you desperately buried them over and over, praying to the gods that some miracle would make them sprout once more.

your beloved, venti, had been completely oblivious to your state of mind, thanks to your ability to mask your emotions; though you'd hoped that, even then, he would've been able to see past your facade. only now, 3 weeks later, does he finally notice the dullness in your eyes as he gazes into them, holding your cheeks in his hands to stop you from turning away.

while you had been completely lost in your thoughts, he had seen you perched upon the edge, slowly lowering himself down to sit beside you and snaking an arm around your waist. his eyebrows furrow as he feels your body tremble against him, followed by shallow sobs and quiet sniffles; his heart shattered. how hadn't he noticed that you, the love of his life, hadn't truly been feeling the joy he had falsely seen in your broken smile?

from that point onwards, the bard made sure to keep his eye on you, watching you from afar as you spent time alone, making sure to take you to your favourite cafe atleast once a week. he'd also shower you in gifts, whether it be a dandelion he had found on his adventures, or a hat he'd bought from a merchant that he thought would compliment you perfectly (though he thinks you look simply stunning in anything and everything).

✧ cyno.

♪ cyno being cyno, he'd most likely tell you the "best" jokes he can think of, knowing they always make you smile (mostly for the wrong reasons...)

♪ as soon as he finds you huddled up in the corner, sobbing into your knees as you cradle them into your chest, he instantly questions you; wondering who would dare hurt his beloved, he is the general mahamatra after all...

♪ naturally, his immediate thought is to track down the perpatrator and administer judgement just like he would with any other criminal, but it comes to his realisation that this isn't just any old criminal, it's someone that had hurt you

life can be... overwhelming sometimes, something cyno knows well. yes, administering judgement does bring a sense of pride, but being face-to-face with so many wrong-doers can really be damaging. that's why his level of understanding is so deep, he can really empathise with what your feeling, though sometimes he struggles to comfort others.

so, when he finds you curled up in the corner, trembling as you pull your knees closer to your chest, he finds himself frozen to the spot.

"did they hear me come in? i don't think they did... how am i suppossed to announce myself without scaring them?"

he ends up making a fool of himself.

his first idea is to clear his throat, but because he didn't want to frighten you (worried that you'd jump and hit your head on the wall you were propped up against), his coughs ended up being far too quiet to overpower your sobs. his "back-up plan" was to simply walk over and hug you, placing a hand behind your head and pulling you into his chest, shushing every so often and rocking the two of you from side to side.

you sat their for a good 5 minutes, not saying a word to each other but basking in the comfortable silence. being wrapped in his arms alone is more than enough comfort; his warmth lulling you to sleep as your eyes flutter shut.

crying can take a lot of energy, and so it's only natural for you to dose off once the stress that's been bothering you all day finally leaves you in peace.

the general feels your head fall limp on his shoulder, your sniffling eventually silencing as you relax against him. gently, he lifts you up from the floor, carrying you to the bed and carefully setting you down before climbing in beside you.

"goodnight, my love, we'll talk about it tomorrow, ok?"

✧ itto.

♪ itto is very energetic, and thrilled at the idea of adventure (and beetles). so, when he hears you sniffling behind the door of your shared bedroom, he assumes you've come down with a cold and bursts into the room with boxes upon boxes of tissues and cold medicine

♪ only when he sees your face wet with tears does he realise, you're crying

♪ call him overdramatic, but he literally drops everything and rushes over to you, tackling you backwards onto the bed and squeezing the sadness out of you

"3... 2... 1..."

with a loud thud, your shared bedroom door is flung open and an eager oni jumps through, arms full of sickness necessities (including a mountain of snacks to fulfill any and all possible cravings).

"[name]! i heard you sniffling soooo... i brought tissues and cold medicine and chocolate and- babe?"

your scans your face, staring at you longingly until he finally catches your eyes, red and puffy. you can see the way his heart shattered just by the way he looks at you; a small, almost unnoticeable, crease between his eyebrows expressing his concern.

"c'mere..."

despite asking you to hug him, he charges right at you, the shock briefly stopping your tears as his tackles you backwards and onto the bed. as soon as he's comfortably ontop of you, he kisses your face all over, slightly rougher on your cheeks but feather-light on your eyelids, which were squeezed shut. satisfied, he gives you one final kiss on the lips before burying his face in the crook of your neck and hugging you tight; as if he was trying to squeeze the sadness out of you.

"what's got you all upset, hm? wanna talk about it?"

and so you talk, explaining how everything had gone wrong that day, impersonating the vendor you had "argued" with as itto listens carefully, refraining himself from interrupting you no matter how tempting it may be. only once you had finished does he share his input, reassuring you that you weren't in the wrong and practically yelling in frustration at how unprofessional and rude the vendor had been.

he even offered to cook for the two of you, though you ended up ordering becaue this man cannot cook to save his life. that's ok though, it's the thought that counts.

✧ tighnari.

♪ tighnari, being a forest ranger, is not often home during the day, meaning collei would be the one to find you crying

♪ she would rush off to find tighnari almost immediately, who, conventiantly, is only a minutes walk outside gandharva ville, observing the wellbeing of the flora and fauna of sumeru

♪ the two of them would come running within minutes, tighnari panting as he bursts into your shared home with look of pure worry plastered onto his face

♪ simply talking with eachother provided you with more than enough comfort, hence why the two of you spent hours just talking, snuggled up close under the cover and discussing whatever came to mind

you try your best to muffle your sobs, hands clasping over your mouth as you squeeze your eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears from falling. tighnari wasn't home, and the last thing you'd want is for collei to hear you (since you're a somewhat parental figure to her).

however, things don't always go to plan.

as if fate itself was against you, a rhythmic knock echoes throughout yours and tighnari's shared home, one you know far too well. you curse under your breath, rubbing your face down messily with your hands before scrambling to the door. you take a deep breath before pulling it open, greeting collei with a warm smile, like you always do. you do everything in your power to keep your composure, to stop your voice from wavering as you spoke, but your attempts were proven futile.

"[name]? a- are you doing ok? your eyes are all red..."

that was all it took for you to break down.

poor collei is strucken with pure panic; she has never seen you like this before and genuinely doesn't know how to help you. there's only one solution she can come up with: tighnari.

before you could even attempt to mutter an apology, the greenette is practically sprinting towards the forest, yelling over her shoulder:

"i'll be right back!"

tighnari, thankfully, was only a couple minute's walk outside of gandharva ville, studying the wellbeing of the sumeru's flora and fauna. attatched to his satchel is a small drawstring pouch, where he collects fallen petals or damaged flowers, later drying or pressing them and gifting them to you as a substitute for the traditional bouquet.

"collei?"

his ears perk up at the sound of collei barging past the dense bushes and shrubbery, only to immediately drop down as collei explains how you'd burst into tears, panting heavily from the long run.

without hesitation, the ranger messily packs his belongings before sprinting in the village's direction, wasting no time before bursting through the front door and throwing himself onto you, enveloping you in his comforting warmth. the two of you would just stand in the doorway for a few minutes, holding onto eachother tightly. you gripped onto the back of his shirt as if he was your lifeline. in a way, he was.

"i'm so sorry i wasn't here, sweetheart. next time this happens, you come find me, ok?"

he peppers you with kisses, mainly on your forehead and nose, eventually dragging you to the bedroom where the two of you cuddle until the sun sets, not wanting to fall asleep but instead just talk about anything and everything.

"we only need to talk about it if you want to, okay? i love you, [name], i will always be here"

thanks for reading ♡ want to read more? would you like a part II? let me know! my requests are OPEN, so please feel free to let me know what you'd like me to write next!

283 notes · View notes

branches-of-time · 2 years

Text

I Lost a Friend

“Something’s bothering you, Venti.”

His eyes dart to your reflection in the left corner of the mirror and they stay on you for a long moment. He still doesn’t blink. His lips are pressed together in a stoic, straight line. He parts them, and speaks.

“Barbatos.”

His eyes flick back to their prior position, glaring back into his reflection.

“It’s Barbatos. No one-" he pauses for a moment, seemingly searching his face for something recognizable and failing to find it, “-no one else.”

Pairing: Venti x Reader - Established Relationship

Word Count: 2,120

Synopsis: You come home to a mess and a very upset God crying in your bathroom.

Contains: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Reverse Comfort, Drinking, Identity Issues, Crying, somebody pls give this sad bard a hug

A/N: ehehe here’s a little #ventober drabble that I got slightly (very) carried away with

prompts from @ LunASMR_Voice on Twitter

Days 1 (Wine) & 16 (Friend)

When you first materialized in your serenitea pot, you noticed it immediately. All of the trees were completely bare. Like a tornado had ripped right through and took every single leaf and twig along with it. You knew it couldn’t have been from the natural falling of leaves that happens this time of year, it’s not like trees drop all of their leaves at once, and even so- the leaves aren’t on the ground either. They’re just gone. Not to mention, so is half of the outdoor furniture. Either tipped over, blown across the yard or just plain missing, it really looked like the aftermath of a storm out here.

Now, the only person allowed inside your teapot that would be capable of making a mess such as this would be Venti, however, knowing that still doesn’t settle your nerves all that much. This isn't normal. It’s quite unlike him to behave like this… unless something has really upset him. Regardless, you take a deep breath and make your way in through the doors of your shared home intent on asking him why it looked like a storm rolled through the teapot.

You call out to Venti as you step inside, but instead of a response you’re greeted with dead silence. No music playing, no singing, nothing at all. Save for the panting of one of your several dogs that followed you in through the front door.

Odd. Venti isn’t the type to just sit in complete silence very often. Even when he’s sleeping, he always leaves soft music playing in the background, almost as if he’s trying to avoid the silence.

You make your way into the kitchen, and begin to catch on to what must have happened here while you were out. Six empty bottles of various wines sit scattered around on the counter, and a seventh bottle has obviously been smashed to pieces on the floor. Venti doesn’t really drop things on accident. He’s got reflexes like a cat. Besides, there’s no wine on the floor, just glass.

It doesn’t take long for you to put two and two together and realize that a particular type of storm really must have rolled through.

You find him in the bathroom. There’s no way he didn’t notice you opening the door, but he makes no move to acknowledge your presence either. You take in his appearance. Hair hanging loose and messy where his braids have fallen out. The tips are glowing, just like his eyes and his archon marks are. Well, what you can see of them from between the parted fabric of his unbuttoned shirt, at least. They fade from a bright blue to a soft teal, in and out along with his breathing.

He seems half dressed, his vision, cape, corset, hat and accessories all gone. Standing with his back to you in just his shorts and shirt, you can see his tense expression in the mirror. He’s obviously had a bad day. His thin fingers are gripping the edge of the counter so hard you were surprised that it wasn’t crumbling underneath the force. Though, as usual, even when pushed to his breaking point, he was never one to forget his own strength. Not nowadays, at least.

He didn’t like having to use it, didn’t like it when others would look at him in fear after seeing even a fraction of what he’s truly capable of, so he keeps it reigned in. Tries to make himself look the least imposing he can. He wants to appear approachable. Friendly, warm, and safe. He usually does his best to mirror the way his friend had always carried himself, and tonight he seems to be having trouble doing that. He’s upset about something, that much is obvious… and you know him well enough to know that he’s not letting himself feel it. Not fully.

You attempt to break the staring contest he’s having with himself in the mirror. It’s a little off-putting, honestly, given the fact that he can go a concerning amount of time without blinking. Or moving.. at all. Standing here in the bathroom, as still as any one of the statues carved in his image that decorate the peaks and valleys of the City of Freedom. He’s actually kind of unsettling when he’s angry, and you’re willing to bet that’s exactly what he’s mad about in the first place. He doesn’t like himself like this.

You’re not truly afraid of him, though. Never have been. Venti has never once raised so much as a single hand against you in anger. You can’t even recall the last time he raised his voice around you. He doesn’t want anyone to see him when he’s upset… when he’s angry. Least of all, you. But you’ll be damned if you’re going to just walk away and let him try and deal with these emotions on his own. He’s had to do that for long enough. You’re here now and you’re going to do what you can to help him work through this.

You try to keep your voice as soft and gentle as you can when you break the silence.

“Something’s bothering you, Venti.”

“Barbatos.”

His eyes flick back to their prior position, glaring back into his reflection.

“It’s Barbatos. No one-" he pauses for a moment, seemingly searching his face for something recognizable and failing to find it, “-no one else.”

Just like you suspected, he’s struggling with his identity again tonight. It doesn’t happen often these days but it certainly does still happen. Your heart aches for him every time, watching him look upon his own form with such disdain. You attempt to talk him down.

“Okay… that’s okay.”

You make your way further into the bathroom and lean back against the door frame.

“Then, Barbatos, is there any particular reason you’re not Venti tonight, love?”

He closes his eyes and lets his head quickly drop forward to press his forehead against the mirror. The impact sounds like it hurt but if it does he doesn’t show it.

“I can’t be Venti. Not tonight. Not when I’m like… this.”

He takes a deep breath, and it comes out shaky like he’s trying to steady himself. When he turns around and looks up at you, you notice the pale blue tear tracks running down over the apples of his cheeks, and you feel a pain in your chest. There are few sights more upsetting than looking your very own God dead in the eyes and watching them cry. It’s.. it’s painful. Seeing how much he’s struggling to keep himself together. You want to rush towards him, wrap him up in your embrace and put the pieces of him back together. You also want to give him space if that’s what he needs right now. So you settle for something in between. You cross the floor and hold out a hand, giving him an invitation, a choice- and watch as he takes yours in his and starts tracing the lines across your palm, trying to calm himself enough to speak. His breathing is so unsteady, like he’s holding back tears.

“I can’t disrespect his memory by behaving so recklessly. It’s not becoming of anything that he stood for. He wanted freedom, and I loved him so much that his dreams became my own. He died fighting for it, for this future of free will and peace, and what did I do? I created myself in his very image and kept fighting. I rearranged the very earth with the power that came from my grief. I took life. I… I took many lives. Everything I’ve done since… I did it all in his image.”

Guilt is a hell of an emotion, with its way of eating away at you from the inside.

He’s still tracing the lines across your palm, over and over like he’s trying to memorize them. It’s easier for him to speak this honestly when he has something else to focus on. You slowly bring your other hand up and begin to ghost it along his arm, from shoulder down to wrist and then back up again. His thoughts continue to spill out.

“I have a very bad feeling that he wouldn’t be very proud of the things I’ve done. I mean- it’s been so long, how can I even be sure that he wouldn’t hate the person I’ve become? I was a wisp when he knew me, and now I’m this God that’s done so many things in the name of freedom that I just… I-I don’t know if the ends justified the means.”

He looks up and to the side, still unable to meet your gaze, and you watch fresh turquoise tears pool in his eyes.

“What if I could have done things differently? What if I had thought clearer… and taken more careful, controlled steps on the journey to freedom? How many lives could I have saved from becoming casualties of the storms I created? What if…”

His voice cracks on the last word and you pray that he doesn’t notice the tears threatening to fall from your own eyes. He takes one more shaky breath and looks directly up, speaking his final question to the heavens as much as to you.

“What if all that I am is a storm?”

Feeling something akin to relief from the weight of his long-unspoken worries being lifted now that he’s voiced them, he lets himself fall forward into you and you immediately reach out to catch him. He cries into your shoulder, and you bring one arm down to circle around his waist. Your other hand reaching up to run your fingers through his hair, keeping him as close to you as possible. You don’t even need to think to find your response, the words sitting ready on your tongue, waiting to spill out the moment you part your lips.

“Barbatos, you are the breeze that carries dandelion seeds across Mondstadt, imbued with the hopes and prayers of your children. You were the constant updraft that kept me from falling when we fought Stormterror. You dry the clothes hanging out on the lines. You keep the windmills turning in their perpetual motion. Cecilias can only grow on the cliffs where your energy blows freely, without restraint. You are the oxygen that fuels the life-saving campfires that burn on Dragonspine. You bring love, and the scent of apple blossoms towards the city in the spring. You are the warm gusts of summer air that wrap around every single traveler that steps foot into this land, letting them know that they are welcome here. You are the soft whisper in the fall breeze that tells every single child of yours upon returning to Mondstadt that they are safe, and that they are home now. You carry the passionate voices of the bards performing in the street. You have carried the voices of every single citizen of this nation when they cried out for freedom.”

You have to pause and take a deep breath of your own, running your hand up and down his back, slowly, gently trying to calm both of yourselves down. He holds you tighter. His crying has slowed to a halt, nothing more than a soft and quiet whine of protest emitting from him in response to your honest words.

You aren’t so presumptuous as to think that your words can completely lift the centuries of guilt that he carries, but you’re sure as hell going to try. Over and over, no matter how many times he needs to hear it, you will be there to remind him of all of the good that continues to exist in this world because of him. To remind him that he is so, so much more than the storms he has created.

You break the silence that has fallen over the two of you once again.

“Can you look at me for a moment, love?”

Pulling back just enough to slip your hand under his chin, he doesn't resist when you gently guide him to look at you. You wipe a stray tear from his cheek.

Catching his gaze, you hold it. Neither of you blink as his watery, blue eyes look up and meet yours.

God, you wish he could see himself the way you see him. He's something far beyond holy to you.

“Barbatos, you are not just a storm. My love… you are the wind.”

#venti #venti x reader #genshin impact #ventober #lunasmr #genshin #venti genshin impact #venti genshin x reader #genshin venti #genshin fic #venti fanfic #venti angst #venti comfort #genshin drabbles #genshin scenarios #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x you #genshin impact x you #title is from the song of the same name by FINNEAS #obviously #this is just me shamelessly projecting my desires to comfort Venti #is this even appealing to read to anyone else i have no clue #my target audience is me. if u like this then congrats we are the same. how's the Venti fixation going #this is more angst than comfort isn't it #why do i always do this #Weinlesefest really did a number on me. emotional damage. but also new inspiration for fics so. it's ok #anyways aaaaaaa my first post here. lmao will this even show up in the tags. lets find out.

715 notes · View notes

sadsayu · 2 years

Text

cat scratch - venti x self harming reader

IN WHICH; you forgot about the bloodstains.

WARNINGS! major trigger warnings for self harm (cutting), dead dove — do not eat.

g/n reader

A/N! don’t do what i do

you rummaged through your medicine cabinet, pulling out all types of bottles until you found the one you were searching for.

it looked like a regular bottle of pain-relievers, bought from the cathedral.

however, the contents were not the kind of pain relievers that you would expect.

pressing down and twisting it open, the glint of light reflecting on the pencil sharpeners made them look heavenly. almost welcoming.

smiling, you dumped them into your hand— shining each into the light to find the cleanest one.

satisfied with the one you chose, you tugged up your sleeve.

the blood didn’t show at first, but soon enough it was dripping down your arm. the marks you left hardly even hurt— it made you want, no, need to do even more.

as the dripping blood began to dry, finished with one last cut and slipped the blade back into the bottle. staring at it for a few more minutes made you forget your problems. it was a beautiful sight— and with the lack of blood clouding your head, you smiled once again.

you ran your arm under the sink water, the sting hurting even more than the actual act of cutting, and pulled your sleeve back over your bloodied arm.

you could wrap it later, now— all you wanted to do was sleep.

“hellooo, windblume?” venti asked, knocking on your door. “you there?”

fuck.

you forgot about venti.

“windblume?” he said, his voice slightly muffled through the door.

you stood upright, panic flowing through your veins.

“venti? i’m sorry, i slept in!” you said.

you sprinted into your bathroom, almost knocking the door down as you shakily removed any evidence of the night before. you pushed the bottle of blades to the back of your medicine cabinet, wiping the blood stains from your sink.

“love? are you okay?” he said, his voice laced with concern.

“yes, i’m fine!”

the stains wouldn’t budge, where was the hydrogen peroxide?

“i’m coming in, okay?” venti said, the soft rustle of his key making you rub the stains even more aggressively than before.

you needed the peroxide— if venti saw…

“love?” venti said. he stood in the doorframe of your bathroom, eyeing your figure closely.

you looked up slightly and stared at him back through the mirror.

venti walked closer to you, wrapping his arms around your stomach and peeling you away from the sink. his breath was caught in his throat when he saw the blood.

“i had a bloody nose.” you said. the smile you wore to convince him did not reach your eyes.

venti hummed, spinning you around to get a better look at your face. he held your arms gently, as if the slightest bit of pressure would make your body break.

still, the feeling of your sleeves pressing farther into the cuts made you wince.

venti was alarmed by this, looking into your eyes before looking down to your arms.

“love?”

you avoided his concerned gaze, moving to stare at the door instead. maybe you could rip your arms away from his hold and sprint to the door, throwing it open, running to the barbatos statue and throwing yourself off of it.

his eyes widened when he saw the crimson red stains that littered your arms, where the blood soaked through the thin clothing.

venti let go of your arms hastily, covering his mouth with his hands. his eyes welled up in tears as he stared at you in horror and disbelief.

you wrapped your arms around your stomach, backing away from him.

“i won’t force you to show me what’s under your sleeves… but i can’t help you if i can’t see them, my love.” venti says carefully.

you nodded.

your heart pounded so loudly in your chest, you were surprised that venti couldn’t hear it. slowly, you rolled up the sleeves of your shirt to reveal your arms.

“please don’t be mad..”

bloody, wide, gory cuts littered your arms. they painted your arm red and dried into a brown scab, which looked even more painful than they were.

venti’s heart dropped.

he knew what he was expecting, but he could never had imagined this.

he knew he was crying, and he knew that his legs were about to give out, he knew that he felt like he was going to vomit— but his first priority was you.

he shook the other thoughts from his mind and took out the first aid kit that you had. he wiped the dried blood and debris, making sure there was no infections and softly rubbing ointment on them. he wrapped them in bandages, more carefully then you ever would.

tears rolled down your face endlessly as he worked.

venti led you to sit on the floor and hugged you close, holding you tight as if you would slip away if he didn’t.

he let you cry into your shoulder, rubbing circles into your back, leaving most of what he wanted to say unspoken.

“it’s okay, let it all out. we’ll talk about this later.”

and you did.

#’s

#genshin comfort #genshin x reader #venti comfort #venti the bard #genshin impact venti #venti fluff #self h@rm #tw shelf harm #tw sh relapse

721 notes · View notes

blankiebloo · 1 year

Text

I'll try.

I do realize that I have some things I'm already working on, but this popped into my head and felt a little bit more important to me-

Characters: Childe x Gn!Reader, Venti x Gn!Reader

Warnings: Mentions of depression, cutting, slight mention of a eating disorder

Venti

You two used to hang around each other almost everyday, but recently, he's noticed that you've started to hang around people less and less. He's noticed all of the changes in your behavior: he's noticed that on your days off, you don't seek anyone out anymore, you're actually not seen at all. And when you are around, you look skinnier than before like you haven't been eating; and your eyes are all red too.

He caught you leaving your house on one of your days off for the first time in a while, he was so happy that you left your house that he followed you, he followed you all the way to Starsnatch Cliff and watched as you sat down close to the edge..too close to the edge.

"You know, it isn't safe sitting that close to the edge," he spoke, finally making himself known as he stepped closer to you. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you sat that close on purpose.." his voice was quiet and somber unlike his normal cheery tone.

You turned your head to the side as you watched him sit next to you. He looked at the sky in front of you, his gaze soft and worried. He didn't need you to tell him what was wrong, and he figured that you didn't wish to speak by how quiet you were.

He turned his gaze to your stiff and saddened expression, you looked so tired. "Do you wish to talk to me, my friend? I know I'm no professional but, I'm sure it's better to finally get your feelings out there instead of bottling them up, hm?" He tilted his head, waiting for you to speak or not.

You nodded and looked in front of you, gazing at the horizon but also gazing somewhere far away, some place no one could touch. You opened your mouth, and the words that you spoke instantly made Venti's heart drop, "Venti, I don't want to live anymore." Your expression was so cold and unbothered, it was like what you said was something so normal, something everyone says.

"[Name], what-" he reached out and touched your shoulder only to pull his hand back when you hissed in pain at the touch. "[Name]. Could you show me your shoulder."

His voice sounded so serious, you looked at him and your eyes started to tear up, your lip quivered as you started crying. "Venti, I-I can't do this anymore! It's getting so hard now, I don't want to live like this anymore!" You hid your face in your hands as you continued to sob.

His gaze softened as he continued to look at you, he reached out and pulled you into him and caressed your head. "Live like what?"

"Live how I am!" You yelled into his blouse, grabbing onto it. "I don't want to live hoping that tomorrow will be better only for it to be the same! I want to be happy and be able to calm myself down when I panic, not cut myself to calm down! It gets so hard to continue on living just for the sake of living, what's the point of living if I'm just going to die in the end?"

Venti's heart sank as he held you closer to himself, "[Name], I may not know everything about you and everything that happens in your life, but I promise you, that your life is worth every breathe I have."

His hug got tighter, but it didn’t hurt; you moved your face to look at his and he was already staring at you. "You deserve to live a life full of happiness, [Name]. Promise me that you'll live, promise me that you'll try?"

Tears started to fall faster as you nodded and buried your face into his chest again, sobbing your emotions out as you tried your best to stable yourself.

"I'll try, Venti. I'll try to do it."

He smiled as he kissed the top of your head. The wind had started to pick up as he sat there with you in his arms, slowly swaying back 'nd forth, he need not play any music to calm you down, for the winds played the song of his heart, and it sang out to you, begging for you to hear it and give your life a chance.

You two sat in silence except for your sniffling. You felt him squeeze your arm twice before he says, "I'd still really like to see your shoulders though, [Name]. I need to make sure those cuts don't get infected."

"Alright." You sit up and loosen your shirt a bit so he can check your shoulders, and as he does so you continue to look up and watch as the sun sets, focusing back on that place you see somewhere far away where nobody else can go.

Childe

Usually when you two spar, he'd barely hold back, but you weren't really sparring back with him. You were more like, slowly dogging and practically hitting him very lightly.

"Comrade, are you okay? You don't really seem to be in the sparring mood today," he stopped fighting as soon as he spoke, not wanting you to get distracted and get hurt.

It's like that question just broke you, and you started crying and sniffling. Childe rushed up to you worried, "Hey, hey, it's okay, whats wrong?" He asked as he pulled you into a hug.

"Childe, I...I want you to kill me."

His eyes widened and he pulled away and stared at you, concern, shock, confusion, it was all over his face as he started to question you fairly loud, "Kill you?! Why would I kill you?! Comrade, whats wrong? Why would you ever ask me to do that?"

You started to sob as your fist hit his chest, "Why won't you?! Why won't you just end my suffering already?! You were so willing to before when you mistook me for the traveler! Why not now?!"

He grabbed your wrist with one hand and your chin with the other as he forced you to meet his gaze, "Because I care for you! I don't want you to die, I want you to live out your life to the fullest and make memories!"

He stepped back and took your hands in his. "I want you to take care of yourself."

"But why should I?" Your tone was bitter. "We all live just to die anyways, why not make it go faster?"

Childe looked stunned. His brows furrowed as he spoke again, "You should live because the world always has a place for you to be happy and free. And you just haven't found it yet, and I don't think you should give up, not yet not ever."

"Promise me, that you'll live, that you'll go out and make your mark on peoples lives and make yourself smile. You deserve to be happy."

You wipe your tears off and look to the side. "I can't promise you that. But I'll promise you that I'll try."

"Try?! But, [Name]-"

"I don't like to make promises that I know I'll go back on, that is why I can't promise you anything other than the fact that I'll try. I'll try because you asked me to." You stare into his eyes, your gaze serious and pained.

He sighs and places a hand on your shoulder, "Fine, at least try. Thank you." He kisses your cheek. "Go home and get some rest, Comrade, all that crying can make you tired." He smiles and walks away with a wave.

You place your hand on your shoulder as you watch him walk away, a pitiful and numb smile lays on your face as you speak, "I'll try."

A/N: I know that this won't fit for all people, but this is how I have felt and I took all of the things that reader has said from my own head.

I get that it's hard, and I was just struggling when I came up with idea to write this, but please, at least try. We're all trying and so am I, try because you never know when it might get better.<3

#blank writes!♡#genshin fluff #genshin comfort #genshin x gn!reader #genshin x reader #genshin x you #Childe fluff #Childe comfort #Childe x gn!reader #Childe x reader #Childe x you #Venti fluff #Venti comfort #Venti x gn!reader #Venti x reader #Venti x you

181 notes · View notes

deathlydeathovo · 7 months

Text

Are You Mad? (p.2)

---ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜᴛ---

Suicidal reader, Venti, Self-harm, implied suicide, Blood, Gore, Crying, Fluff, Praise, no gender mention in here, if there is lmk and i'll fix it.

______________________________________________________________

Your eyes felt tired. You couldn't open them. It's like you forgot how to move.

"Windblume! Windblume, wake up! I have a bath ready for you!"

Your eyes shot open, remembering the previous events. "Mmngh.. Hmm..?" You rubbed your eyes, then stretched. "What time 's it.." You looked at Venti, whose filling up the bathtub with water. "It's 8 pm. You looked like you needed the rest, so I let you sleep while I cleaned up your house a bit." 'Huh, that's why everything looks so nice' you thought.

"hey.. do we have to talk about.. about that..?"

You were referring to.. A couple hours ago. "Yes, yes we do. I can't just let you off like I usually do, [Y/N]. This isn't something to dilly-dally with." Venti's tone was calm, and focused. Much unlike how he usually is. "Now, get in here. We don't want the water to get cold." He tapped the rim of the bathtub.

"The air is so cold.."

You sink into the bathtub, leaving only your head out of the water. It was warm, reassuring. Your body lost all of its previous tension. "Mmkay." Venti sighed, and got out the shampoo. He got some on his hands, and started to massage your scalp with it. "Sorry.." At this, Venti turned to look at you, to look at your eyes. "What for?" You looked down. "I.. don't know."

"Then why are you apologizing?"

You teared up. "I-I don't know! I feel like I should be sorry.. be guilty.. I don't know.." Your voice cracked, you sounded so pained. Your tears filled your words with agony. "Oh, Sweetheart.." He rinsed out the shampoo from your hair. "We don't have to talk about this now, if you're really upset about it.. Just enjoy the bath." It's like you could hear the soft smile in his words. You could hear him give you that reassuring smile he always does.

" 'Kay.."

You sat there as he washed, and bathed you. He treated you like glass, like something that could break ever so easily. He often asked, "is this okay?" "Does this hurt?" "You're okay with this?" He really wanted you to be comfortable.

"Venti.. Have you ever.. like.. uhm.." You paused. You didn't know what you were trying to say. "Forget it.." Venti was now drying you off, And wrapping your arms in gauze. "Hmm? What Is it?" "Don't know.." "Okay, then." Venti picked you up bridal style, and you didn't complain. He sat you on the bed, and put some clothes next to you.

"Want me to help you dress?"

Venti helped you pull on your undergarments, followed up by your shorts, and a tank top of yours. "This doesn't make me look good at all.." Venti took both of your shoulders in his hands. "You always look good!" He brushed a piece of hair behind your ear. "Always." Venti leaned forward, and gently placed a kiss on your nose. "You're pretty and adorable, and you have the cutest face I've ever seen.. The most amazing personality.." He took his time in-between words to kiss you all over your face, making you giggle.

"You're always perfect. No matter how you change. Alright?"

"Alright.. Can we talk about it now?"

______________________________________________________________

#genshin #venti comfort #venti x y/n #genshin venti #venti x reader #genshin impact venti #fluff

77 notes · View notes

g-ghostic-basil · 2 years

Text

Venti who will make beautiful ballads about you and immortalize your story in song and poetry

Venti who will perform these ballads for the public, no matter how embarrassed they make you, just to see your reaction

Venti who will write off any flustered comments because he wants the world to know how much he loves you, his amazing partner

Venti who show you off not like a trophy he won, but as the gorgeous piece of art he knows you are.

Venti who wants nothing more than to see you smile

Venti who will treat you to your favorite drink after a performance, even if he can't afford the drinks himself. It's the thought that counts <3

Venti who will stay in bed with you all day just to cuddle you if you're not feeling 100%

Venti who will babble to you about his day and will sit and eagerly listen as you do the same

Venti who would lay down his entire archonhood for you in a heartbeat if you needed assistance in battle

Venti who will be by your side whenever you need him if you so much as whisper his name to the wind

Venti who will wrap you in his arms, bury his face into your chest or the crook of you neck and plead with you to stay when you're at your lowest

Venti who will shower you with compliments and kisses anytime anywhere no matter the situation. Anything from the clothes you chose to wear to the fact that you even woke up today. Everything you do is precious him

Venti who will call you nicknames like "Muse", "Dear", and "Dandelion"

Venti who drunkenly rambles about you, even if you are not present, to anyone who's willing to listen to his babbling in the tavern

Venti who will proudly take your hand and announce to a full tavern that you're his fiancé while drunk off his ass, even if you two aren't quite at that stage in your relationship. "You hear that, Master Diluc? I'm getting MARRIED soon! This person will be my loving partner forever and we will be the best married couple in all of Mondstadt, no, in all of Teyvat! Hah! Take that! Bet you won't top me in the love department!"

Venti who will drag you along to go sit at the top of the Symbol of Mondstadt's Hero or his statue in front of the cathedral as a small date

Venti who will hold onto you tightly, promising you won't fall from such a height.

Venti who will sit you on his lap and hold you if you're scared of heights and quietly whisper reassuring words into your ear

Venti who will gently rub your back and caress the side of your face to comfort you

Venti who always smells of fresh cecilias no matter how much he has had to drink

Venti who will control the smallest bit of wind to play with your hair or rustle your clothes

G-Ghostic-Basil

153 notes · View notes

windbornebardd · 2 years

Text

some genshin guys comforting you. <3

characters included: venti, diluc, zhongli, and kaeya.

cw: really vague description of a panic attack idek if u can tell its a panic attack sorry💀 (diluc)

a/n: first post and im alr kinda venting mona moment🥸 ive kinda rly been going through it for the last four months and honestly i just need some comfort but i have nobody to comfort me so here i am writing ab fictional characters comforting me and hopefully it will comfort u as well💀 i also might make a version of this w some of the ladies bc im a raging bisexual

venti <3

- starting off w my fav and highest kin WOOOO

- venti kinda panics when he notices you’re stressed out, mans has a lot of emotional baggage himself but will try his hardest to help you through tough times as u do with him.

- hugs!!!!! and sweet nothings!!!!! venti has two love languages and theyre physical touch and words of affirmation

- will be v v gentle with you as you sob in his arms

- “it’s okay love. i know, i know. everything’s gonna be fine. i got you.”

- even if he doesn’t know what’s happening with you, he just needs u to know he’s gonna be there to support you no matter what

- DONT FORGET THE LYRE. HE CAN AND WILL PLAY IT AND SING TO CHEER YOUUP >:)

zhongli <3

- zhongli is a busy man, but he will drop EVERYTHING if you’re upset.

- he gives the best hugs. and kisses. and everything.

- “love, can you tell me what’s happening?” he’s super gentle with you, he knows how easily you get overwhelmed in situations like this.

- he’ll make you tea to calm your nerves!!!!

- he’s the sweetest man in the whole damn world yall, will literally get u anything you ask for.

- “hush now darling, get some rest. i promise you’ll feel a bit better once you wake up.”

- sings you to sleep im sorry he has the nicest voice

diluc <3

- DILUC FUCKING RAGNVINDR.

- he’s the sweetest.

- when you start to cry he takes off his gloves and cups your face in his hands…. <3333

- “sweetheart… what’s the matter? do you need anything?”

- almost begins to cry himself when you start sobbing even harder at his question, unable to get anything comprehensible out.

- when he notices you can’t breath that’s when he begins to get more serious.

- dont take that the wrong way though!!!! like everyone else, he’s still v gentle with you while you’re in this state.

- “darling. i need you to breath. lets do those breathing exorcises we practiced together, yeah?”

- kisses you gently while holding u. on your forehead, cheeks, neck, lips, he will do it all just to make u feel better.

- “you’re okay, honey. i’m here for you, and im never leaving.”

kaeya<3

- i hate dragonspine sm i love kaeya so so so so much and im trying to build him but I CANT UNLOCK THE FUCKING DOMAIN TO FARM HIS ARTIFACTS IM LITERALLY AR 41 AND I JUST SYARYED THE DRAGONSPINE SHIT

- uh anyways

- kaeya’s a huge tease, and might even crack a joke or two at first not knowing the severity of your situation.

- “hm, what’s this? did a hilichurl scare you?”

- immediately drops it when you start to cry.

- “oh gods- honey i’m sorry. what’s wrong?”

- he feels even worse then before after you explain your situation

- “love… that’s awful, you didn’t deserve any of that. c’mere.”

- gently cradles you in his arms, kaeyas not great with comfort but he tries his hardest

- hes cold but like in a comforting way HELPIDJDB IDK WHAT IM SAYING IM SO TIRED SORRY😭

- but yeah kaeya is jus. trying his hardest. and hes doing good!!!! dont be an asshole😡

293 notes · View notes

yintsukareta · 2 years

Text

they're there for you. when you need energizing, they'll try their best. when you need comfort, they'll give you comfort. when you need to cry, they'll let you cry on their chest. when you need someone to rely on, they'll lend their shoulder. when you need space, they'll leave you be. when you need them, they're there.

181 notes · View notes

yukisnowywriting · 1 year

Text

Dandelions

Venti x gn!reader

Genre : fluff and comfort

a/n : this has been a long time... i am back with another fanfic.... enjoy :D

----------------------------------------------------------

As a hard day comes after another, y/n fails to find a single happiness, nor a second of piece. Y/n walks through a field of dandelions, wishing to the dandelions, praying for the anemo archons comfort between hard and heavy moments. "hm~..." she hears a peaceful humming and turns her attention to the humming she heard. she peeks behind the gigantic tree... "Venti".

The bard looks at her calmly " oh hello, hmmm~ not a sunny day isnt it?" " yea... kinda cloudy" you greet each other. "then to maybe help you, may i accompany you with your favorite melody, my dear?" he asks. "sounds great, i think i need it".

"then enjoy" he says before he starts his melody on the lyre, and humming following the beautiful melody as you sit beside him.

His songs are beautiful and so peaceful as always, accompanied by the gentle wind breezing carrying the dandelions in the air. You shed a single tear, finally a peaceful moment...

The music stops and your now embraced in warm hug. "I will always be here for you, it may be not possible for me to be with you always, but i promise you, you will always find your way back to the people whom you love and to the freedom you always pray for. Whether be it the wind guiding you, or the dandelions. Everything will be fine"

_____________________________________________

I'm back (⁠⌐⁠■⁠-⁠■⁠)

#genshin impact #fanfic #fluff #genshin fanfic #genshin #genshin angst #genshin comfort #venti the bard #venti fanfic #venti comfort #venti angst

45 notes · View notes

duckymcdoorknob · 2 years

Text

Well hey gang.

This one’s purely self indulgent, but I made it universal for everyone.

Tw below for mentions of alcohol and intoxication

He spent every Friday evening in the same way: getting absolutely plastered at the Angel’s Share. His favorite guilty pleasure, his most adored kryptonite… Dandelion Wine. Walking through the doors of the tavern, the familiar face takes a seat in his usual spot, beaming a smile at the bartender.

“Happy Friday, presuming the usual?” The red-haired male asked.

“You know me well, Master Diluc.” The customer replied.

Shortly after the interaction, placed before him was a tiny barrel of the familiar substance. The honey-colored beverage was rippling around the small vessel, trying to settle after being sloshed around.

The bard picked up the mug and brought it up to his lips with a satisfied smile. He closed his eyes, taking in the scent of his most favored weakness. With one hand on the bottom to support it, and one hand on the side, he began to tilt it back.

Before he could even take in one sip, Venti’s eyes opened with a sudden urgency, his grip faltered in the slightest bit. He thought he was in line for his usual Friday. He expected the all-too-familiar burning feeling of the beverage sliding harshly down his throat. The first one was always the worst, its burn undeniable.

But, he didn’t get to feel it.

Instead, he heard something…

Before even considering putting the mug back up to his lips, the small chalice slipped through his fingers and fell to the floor. The lover of Dandelion Wine… dropping a full mug onto the floor? He remained on the barstool, heartbreak evident in his eyes as he stared into nothingness.

What had he heard once more?

“Hey, man! What the hell-“

Before the tavern’s owner could finish his sentence, the bard was scrambling off of his stool, demanding urgently for Diluc to “put it on his tab.” He rushed outside of the bar and broke into a full sprint, ignoring the calls of his friend. The red-haired male could only catch up when the Bard’s feet failed him and he smacked into the ground.

“Venti, Venti, slow down. What’s going on?” Diluc’s eyes met with Venti’s, both pairs shining with fear and concern. He held out both hands for the green-clad male to take, helping him up when the bard had done so.

“Someone needs me.” He replied breathlessly, squeezing his friend’s hands before taking off in a sprint once more. “Please don’t follow me!” He called.

He couldn’t believe he hadn’t heard the cause of the sound sooner. If he had just paid attention, he could’ve stopped this. Venti shook the angry thoughts out of his head as he continued to run. His body ached, legs were burning worse than the wine would have, feet pounding against the rugged brick road.

But he couldn’t feel it. His mind was dizzy with concern as his footfalls suddenly grew silent, for the bard had focused his hearing on the wind. He could still hear it, and it absolutely shattered him.

So, he ran.

Out of the gates of the city, past the multiple hilichurl camps, up hills and down cliffs, across ponds and around rivers, until finally reaching Windrise. He approached the tree, slowing down and settling his breathing down. Refocusing his hearing to the world around him, Venti was not surprised to still hear what he had in the wind.

He knew that it wasn’t just his imagination…

The choke of a person hiding their tears, then a fit of painful breathless sobs as all of their hurt had come to the surface.

The bard rushed around to where the statue of Barbatos was, trying to follow the source of the pained person. That’s when his eyes fixed upon you. You were curled up, seated on the stoop beneath the delicately carved statue. You were in absolute stitches, sobs suffocating you as you failed to get in any decent breaths.

“Oh, my dear.” He murmured as he rushed to kneel by your side, “I’m here for you, my child. How can I help you?”

Unable to reply, you only held your hand out for the stranger to hold. You were embarrassed to be seeking comfort in a total stranger, so you tried to turn your head and hide in shame.

However, you were surprised to feel the lightest, feathery, touch upon your hand. The stranger interwound your fingers and rubbed the base of your thumb with his own.

While one hand was interlocked with yours, the other came up to place on your shoulder, a clear request to hold you close. You nodded, trying to calm yourself. You felt the stranger sit behind you, resting you between his legs and holding you close with his free hand. His back was supported by resting along the statue.

The moment lasted for quite some time. To try and bring you back to a more grounded mindset, the bard whispered reassurances into your ear, and also told you his stories.

“My name is Venti. I’m the world’s greatest bard, and one of Mondstat’s most beloved citizens. I usually listen for the melodies in the wind while I’m at my leisure, so you can imagine my concern when I heard you expressing such pain and heartache.”

You cuddled up closer to Venti, leaning into him and smelling the faint aroma of dandelions. “M-my name… is (Y/N).” You managed to whimper as your crying began to slowly falter.

“Nothing will harm you anymore, my dearest (Y/N).” The bard whispered, resting his forehead on the small of your back, “Not while I’m around.”

—————♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎—————

98 notes · View notes

bahbzxxx · 9 months

Text

How you know they’re VERY comfy with you…🦋💞

Pairings: Venti / Raiden Ei x reader

P1: Venti🕊️💫

Ok, you know how when something is so good, you’re just kinda speechless? Or there’s really nothing else you can say because any word may kinda dampen the mood?

This is kind of like that. It’s not that he would ruin anything with his words, no no no~ he’s one of the if not the best poet in Teyvat.

This persona is a facade however. It’s his tool to protect his fluffy little insides from anyone else’s eyes~ the cheeky, quick witted bard is all mortals really need to know…right?

So if he’s extremely comfortable with you…and in love with you…

There will be times when he just…won’t speak.

There’s nothing he needs to cover up. No making you swoon with poetry because you’re far beyond that stage.

He trusts you with his silence and everything that it may mean.

You would be sitting together in the sunset, your source of music being the wind and chirping of birds. Ventis head leans on your shoulder, and your arms are tangled in one another. At first, it would be him offering his shoulder…but clearly you’ve gained enough of his trust. Not that it’s a game of win or lose…you’re just happy that he knows you love him in the way he loves you.

He’s quiet. All that comes from him is his steady breathing against you, his warmth, and the occasional caress on your thigh, arm, hand, or cheek, depending on if his hair was getting into your face.

If you’re facing him, you may just have the brightest aquamarine gemstones watching you peacefully, fluttering shut.

(Yeah…he’s not afraid to show off his old grandpa tendencies anymore…he can go to bed at sunset if he wants!!!)

(Please kiss his nose and tell him you love him before he falls asleep)

P2: Ei⚡️🍡

Change is so much easier when somebody you love is supporting you. This is the case with our lovely Ei.

If Ei is extremely comfortable and in love with you, you’ll have been in the plane of Euthymia a few times. You’ll understand how she works, and she knows you’ve come to accept that. She knows you know everything, so she has nothing to hide behind around you.

Even then, you’ll probably be able to lure her out a lot more often. Take her on a light stroll, and soon she’ll be guiding you by the hand, and taking in the bustle of Inazuma in a way that she’s pretty sure only you or Yae Miko could see her as- a person.

Treat her with patience and love, please~ she’s still trying to get used to this.

Maybe, she will be waiting for you under a tree, maybe a Sakura petal or two scattered in her hair. She’s blissfully unaware of this, and the expression she makes as you touch her hair to get them could be one of the sweetest in all of Teyvat.

She’ll ask that you sit down with her, under this tree, and she will just muse about everything and nothing all at the same time. She just enjoys talking with you, and hearing your voice.

At first…it would be Ei who would want to hold you and initiate gentle kisses and affection. She is used to being the protector and the warrior. However…it seems that there’s a likely pattern with our archon friends, and maybe, just maybe, they just want someone who will look out for them and hold them too. None will be quick to express that…especially Ei.

So when her head winds up in your lap as you read your light novel, her eyelids growing visibly heavy…you’ve done something right.

So safe. Perhaps, you’re the eternity she needs.

160 notes · View notes

shiro-hoshishima · 2 years

Text

Venti Dating headcanons:

★彡[ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ'ꜱ ɴᴏᴛᴇꜱ]彡★ HELLO! I know i disappeared for a while, I just need the motivation to write is all, and I think ya, boi found it, so I hope I write more often. (also requests always seem to help with motivation) ★彡[ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ]彡★ Fluff, nothing too heavy since this is sort of rushed. ★彡[ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ]彡★ They/them pronouns are used, You are an ordinary person. With an anemo vision. ★彡[ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ:]彡 ★ Shootout (sped up) by: Izzamuzzic, Julien Marchal. ★彡[ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ]彡 ★

Venti is the type to: -to lay under apple trees with you and whenever he gets hungry he will just get two apples down to give one for you and one for himself. - very much enjoy your warm company, whether you are shy or fiery, he loves every bit of you. - Protect you at all costs no matter if he will fall in the process -Play you music from his lyre to help you fall asleep. -Like with everyone, doesn't tell you he is an archon, mainly because he doesn't want you to treat him any differently. -Normally be cheerful and fun loving until your life is at risk and he is quite serious. -always knows how to comfort you, whether it is with hugs and kisses or with words and advice. He's lived through it all. -show you off when he is drunk

-say "my amazing partner is so cool, I wish I was just like them... or better yet Protect them~" -Teach you how to play the Lyre and wants to play with him. -hug you to sleep and ends up sleeping peacfully. -Introduce you to the other Anemo boys (Xiao is not really fond of you) -look back on how you met him when you kept on watching him perform, so mesmorised by his work and asked him if you could be his friend. - Catch feelings first and confess to you through a love poem and a bouquet of windblume flowers. - enjoy gliding in the wind a lot more than he would alone or with friends. - cook you amazing food as one of his ways to show his love to you

-have quality time as a love language

-He has no type in anyone, he just loves you for you

-end-

#venti comfort #genshin impact #venti #★彡[ꜱʜɪʀᴏ]彡★#venti headcanons #venti fluff #ˢʰᶦʳᵒ⁻ᴴᵒˢʰᶦˢʰᶦᵐᵃ

40 notes · View notes

branches-of-time · 1 year

Text

It Ain't The Whiskey

"You climb the rest of the way up, and settle down behind him, wrapping your protective arms around his small frame.

He takes note of your trembling hands, and gently wraps them in his.

He takes a deep breath in, thinking for a moment, and breaks the silence.

'You smell like chocolate… and coffee.'

You huff a little, more of a laugh than a noise of offense, and nuzzle your face down into the soft black hair at the nape of his neck.

'Mhm..' you hum, and pull back, pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of his head. '…and you smell like wine.'”

Pairing: Venti x Reader - Established Relationship, GN!Reader

Word Count: 6,831

Synopsis: One too many people give their two cents on Venti- both his appearance and his music, leading you to learn something about the God-turned-bard that you'd already suspected for a long time.

Contains: Angst, Excessive Drinking, Fear, Graphic (?) Descriptions of Violent Thoughts, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Past Trauma, Implied/Suggested Past Sexual Threats, Reverse Comfort, Slightly Possessive Thoughts, Unwanted Suggestive Commentary

(I don't think the fic is as dark as the CWs make it seem I just want to be thorough!)

A/Ns: This is fic 2 of 16 that I'm doing based on combining prompts from this list! (maybe I'll have them all up by the end of the year lmao)

Day 2 (Wisp) & Day 17 (Drunk)

Title is from the song that inspired this fic- 'It Ain't The Whiskey' by Gary Allan.

Lastly, some context- Reader is part Riftwolf, can manipulate all seven elements but has an affinity for Geo.

Believe it or not, Venti isn't everyone's favorite bard in Mondstadt.

He's popular, sure, but even he can't possibly please everyone's taste in music. Having lived for as long as he has, he isn't usually bothered by the occasional negative comment made about his performances. But you've watched some people be downright mean to him about it and he still won't retaliate. He always responds in the same friendly tone, no matter how harsh some people's words are. Like maybe if he's nice enough, it'll rub off on them too.. or something. You're not really sure what his reasons are for the way he behaves sometimes.

You love him regardless of his tendency to be a bit of a pushover. Besides, you can and have been aggressive enough to balance out his gentle nature on many occasions. Not to him, mind you. You're not sure if you could be aggressive towards him if you had to. Towards everyone else though.. your tolerance for bullshit is low. You've finally found some peace, and you're going to protect it.

It's almost funny, how different the two of you are. He's too nice, you're too mean. He's passive, you're aggressive. He's light, you're heavy. He's bright, you're dark. He's warm, you're cold. He's loud, you're quiet. He plays with the wind, you command the earth. He fights from a distance, you run straight into the fray. He takes his hits and you put up a shield.

He was kicked out of heaven... and you crawled out of hell.

He's taught you many things since the two of you met. One of those lessons being- some things don't get easier to handle with the passage of time. If you don't treat them, if you don't nurse the wound... some things actually just get worse.

You're working the bar alongside Charles at Angel's Share tonight.

You didn't expect your appearance there during Bartender's Academy Week to turn into such a popular event, but even after all this time, wherever you go in Teyvat, a crowd seems to follow. So, after it was over, and when Diluc realized that he wasn't going to be able to escape the never-ending questions from patrons about when you were going to return, he offered you a part-time position. Well, really, it was more of a- "I know you're busy but could you please stop by the tavern and work a shift whenever you're in the area so they'll stop pestering me about it" -type of offer, if you were to quote Master Diluc verbatim.

So, your appearances slowly became more and more frequent as you began to fall in love with the job. You weren't really in dire need of the mora, you just genuinely loved being there. After many, many years of traversing worlds, fighting Gods and monsters alike, settling down for a while and spending time in Mondstadt was a very welcome change of pace. Mixing and serving drinks, chatting with your favorite people, and- of course- watching Venti in his element.

Standing in your spot behind the bar, your left hip is propped against it, leaning back with your shoulders against the wall in the far right corner of the room. You close your eyes for a moment, breathing in deep and listening to the sound of your partner's voice filling the tavern. Looking down, you stir and sip on a hot, fresh Moonlit Alley that you’ve just made for yourself, cradled in your always-cold hands. Your third of the evening, actually. Another perk of working here, besides admiring Venti in your free time, is making your own drinks. Honestly, with the fact that both you and Venti drink here for free, and that Diluc’s paying you, you’re not sure how he isn’t losing out on mora here. You’ll file that question away for another day, you suppose.

Charles has stepped out the back door for a break, leaving you to man the bar for a little while. Fine by you, considering that business has slowed down considerably for the day anyways. The evening has slipped into night, and the usual rush of customers has settled down to just the regulars that tend to stick around until closing.

Venti, in his usual high spirits, has haphazardly kicked his shoes off and perched himself atop a table in the center of the room. Sitting with his legs crossed and lyre in his arms, he’s currently performing one of the songs he plays most often. You know it by heart at this point, with how much you hear him strumming the tune, but you could never get tired of hearing him sing.

The same thing cannot, apparently, be said by one particularly inebriated individual sitting at the far end of the bar you’re leaning against. He’s been unpleasant all evening, grumbling to himself about one thing or other underneath his breath. You been trying to be nice and not bother him, hoping he’ll drink his fill and stumble on home sooner than later, but things never go as smoothly as you hope when alcohol is involved.

Without warning, he slams his fist down on the bar, the impact and the noise causing you to flinch. The sudden movement sloshes your drink all down the front of your shirt, and you quietly curse. The music coming from the other side of the tavern immediately ceases, causing you to look up and momentarily lock eyes with Venti. You see something alert and intense flash in his eyes and the next second it’s gone- replaced with his usual half-lidded, relaxed, ten-glasses-and-seven-shots-in expression. He saw the way the man made you flinch.

Before you can register what could have possibly set the man off, or question Venti’s momentary break in character, the man is stomping his way over to the group of people gathered around the bard.

Well, stomping may be putting it generously. While he is of a pretty large stature, and his loud, drunken movements are a bit intimidating, he’s more-so stumbling than he is stomping. Which is intimidating in it's own right considering he looks like he could and would crush any unfortunate soul he happened to land on if he fell. He gets a little too close to Venti for your liking and you don’t understand why your body won’t move. You want to go over there. You want to put yourself between Venti and this threat. You want to knock him on his ass and drag him out the door after the way he’s been acting all night.

Instead of doing any of those things, your feet stay glued to the floor and your back stays pressed against the wall behind the bar. You can’t believe yourself. You’ve fought literal Gods and you can’t make yourself face one angry, drunk man. Maybe you really have gotten soft, spending so much time in a place as safe and calm as the City of Freedom.

You suddenly remember how Barbatos said he'd help you learn about peace and composure. How to cope with your innate urge to fight. You're starting to think that maybe you've learned too much, because now your body can't decide what to do with itself.

With Venti’s intimate connection to the wind, he can easily hear how rapid your breathing has become, even from the other side of the tavern. He can tell that you’re fighting with yourself over what to do here. Wanting to defend him, and wanting to hide. Not knowing which side of yourself to obey.

Venti knows you. He knows what you'd do to the man if you got your hands on him. When you look up again to watch the scene unfolding, he catches your eyes and whispers something that somehow, only you can hear.

“Stay where you are, love.

You know I can handle this.

It’s okay. I swear.”

Of course, leave it to Venti to speak so poetically while you’re having an internal crisis.

His words do distract you enough to calm you down a bit, though. You try to focus on your breathing as Venti shifts his attention to the man who has braced himself against a table, thankfully not trying to get any closer to Venti. Apparently he just wants someone to yell at, given what comes out of his mouth next.

“Do you even KNOW any other songs?!”

Venti cocks his head to the side a little bit, doing a great job of looking genuinely confused at the man’s words. He keeps any hint of offense out of his voice when he responds, friendly and upbeat as ever.

“Uhm.. pardon me, Sir? I know many songs! If there’s something else you’d like to hear, I’d be happy to play it!”

How he can be so kind in the face of cruelty will never cease to astonish you.

Images of him on the ground in front of the cathedral flash in your mind. The way he refused to fight back against Signora. You remember ice, and hands forcing you down to the concrete. You remember being weak. You remember burning rage. You wanted to claw your way inside her chest and tear her heart out for having the audacity to lay hands upon your God.

You wish he’d quit letting people take their anger out on him, but... maybe he knows something you don’t. Maybe he feels responsible to take these people's rage. Maybe.. maybe he’s just too goddamn passive. You quickly dismiss the upsetting images and thoughts, shaking your head so hard it makes you dizzy for a moment. You do not have time to be caught up in the past right now.

You tune back in to the man’s slurring words.

“Oh, don’t give me that act, bard. Sitting here all pretty in that little outfit... trying to.. tryna’ be all cute and polite 'n ssshit.”

You bristle upon hearing the man call Venti pretty like that.

You know what he's implying and it makes you want to wrap your hands around his throat. Dig your razor sharp nails in deep. You'd watch as his skin beneath your hands begins to dissolve in response to your Corrosion. Watch his blood seep out between your fingers. You want to make him beg for your mercy. Make him repent for uttering such words in the face of a God.

You want to.

You need to move.

Why won't your fucking feet move.

As you silently fight yourself, the man keeps speaking.

“You’re no better than the rest of us drunkards here and you know it. Comin’ in here every night and slammin’ drinks back, pulling out that fuckin' harp 'n playin’ the same. damn. songs. every night."

His fist slams down on the table over and over as he speaks, emphasizing his words.

You flinch every time.

Why can't you breathe?

He sweeps his arm out across the table as he stands up, knocking a bottle and two mugs off in the process. You hear the glass bottle shatter, and watch the spilled alcohol spread out across the floorboards as if in slow motion.

"I’m sick of hearin’ it!”

The room quickly erupts into a cacophony of drunken arguing. The well-meaning patrons jumping to Venti’s defense would have been heartwarming if it weren’t for the chaos being created, the burning hot coffee soaking your shirt, and the indecipherable look on Venti’s face. He’s still sitting there, an almost hurt look in his eyes, gripping his lyre tight as he watches everyone argue around him. He doesn’t look scared as much as he looks... disappointed. Concerned. Solemn.

Sober.

Your eyes break away from Venti when Charles comes into your field of view, and you barely register him asking if you’re okay. You nod on instinct, dismissing the mess on your shirt and the counter, far too focused on the ever-rising voices arguing in the background. He turns his attention to the man that is continuing to cause a scene, and quickly makes his way over to diffuse the situation.

“Excuse me.. Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave..”

As Charles uses his years of experience dealing with drunk, upset people to bring the arguing to a close and ushers the men out of the tavern, you just can’t stop watching Venti. He’s acting so.. different. The way he instantly went from loud, drunk, almost tripping over himself climbing up onto the table earlier, to now, looking as sober and solemn as ever.. it’s odd.

He takes a deep breath and dismisses his lyre back into the void. Your eyes follow him as he gingerly slides down off the table, quickly slips his shoes on without any trouble or sign of losing his balance, and quietly makes his way up the stairs to the second floor of the tavern.

Like he was never even drunk in the first place.

Like he was acting.

As the last of the customers leave their apologies and payments at the bar and make their way out of the tavern, you finally pull yourself out of your thoughts and back into the present. Your breathing is still shallow and fast, but your feet will move again, your body finally obeying the commands you’re giving it. You curse yourself over and over for freezing up the way you did.

Grabbing a towel, you start wiping up the mess on the counter. Your racing thoughts wander to places you don’t want them to go.

If that man had wanted to.. he could have…

He was close enough to Venti to…

Would he even have defended himself if that man had…

You weren’t there to protect him.

Charles comes back in as you’re attempting to soak up the worst of the drink you spilled out of your shirt.

“I’m sorry. Should’ve known the moment I went out on break somebody was gonna cause a scene.”

He watches as you aggressively scrub at the mess, honestly just making it worse.

He cocks his head at you.

“You sure you’re okay?”

You realize your efforts to remove the stain are pointless. You breathe a heavy sigh and turn your attention to Charles.

“Yeah… yeah man, I’m alright. I’ve faced far, far more intimidating things than some big drunk guy yelling a bunch of nonsense. You know me. I’m good... he just caught me off guard.”

Why do you feel like you’re lying?

You’re fine.. right?

You wished your voice sounded more sure of your words, but you can’t really help it at this point. You just want to go find Venti, but you continue trying to explain yourself. Charles is already more aware of your.. issues than you realize but he listens nonetheless.

“The atmosphere here is usually so calm at night, and I was just watching Venti like usual and.. I don’t know. That guy’s rage just came out of nowhere and made me jump. I’m fine. Honestly.”

There’s something knowing and empathetic in Charles’ eyes.

“Alright, well.. if you say you’re okay, I believe you. But still, Venti seems to have vanished, you've clearly had a long day, and I’m sure you want to go home and change clothes. Why don’t you let me clean up here and you can go ahead and head out?”

Wasting no time, he's already started picking up the pieces of the broken bottle on the floor.

As tempting as the offer sounds, you feel bad just walking out of here like this. The mess isn’t that bad but still…

“I- I can’t make you do that, it’s not even your mess and it won’t take that long to clean up.. I mean-"

You stop speaking when he turns around and gives you a pointed look, a kind smile on his face.

“I’ve cleaned up this tavern by myself more times than I can count. If I really didn’t like it, I wouldn’t work here. Seriously, don’t worry about it. I’m happy to wrap things up here.”

You sigh, making a mental note to pay him back for this favor, and you gratefully accept his offer.

“Okay.. okay, yeah.. thank you, Charles. I really appreciate it.”

You quickly make your way over to the stairs, following the fading trail of Anemo feathers that only you can see.

“Hey, don’t mention it. Just go find that boyfriend of yours before he disappears into thin air again.”

Charles laughs a little, a lighthearted sound, as he says that. You process what he said about halfway up the stairs and you whip your head around to look at him. You almost speak up to ask how he knew you were following Venti's trail but he’s already made his way into the back room to gather cleaning supplies. You shake your head, deciding to let it go because right now… with the way he worded that… you are too tired to try and figure out exactly how much he really does know about Venti.

Besides, bartenders are good at keeping secrets.

Venti isn’t on the second floor. Your elemental sight tells you that he didn’t sneak his way up to the storage room on the third floor either. Following the little Anemo feathers that Venti leaves in his wake, you instead are lead out to the balcony. Stepping outside, you immediately take in a breath of fresh, cool night air. As much as you love spending time inside the tavern, the first deep breath you take after exiting the establishment is always a welcome relief.

It would be even more relieving if Venti were out here, but of course, he’s never been that easy to find.

The trail of Anemo feathers has ended in a sizable group of them scattered across the edge of the balcony. Almost like he summoned the winds to take him up higher…

Oh.

Of course.

He’s on the roof.

As you make your way up to the top of Angel’s Share, you hear a familiar sound. It’s not a sound you’d ever heard before coming to Teyvat. After all, nowhere else you’ve been has had creatures such as these.

Peeking your head up over the edge of the roof, you see exactly what you thought you would. He's sat down, straddling one of the higher ridges atop the tavern. Several little wind wisps are hovering around him, chirping and speaking to Venti in a language you’ve yet to understand. They’re flocking to him like he’s their mother or something.

Hm.

You quickly file that question away for another day, too.

You haul yourself up onto the roof, as gracefully as you can after the night you’ve just had, trying not to disturb any of them.

Venti’s head tilts, looking down at you. He looks so tired… and there’s a quiet sadness in his eyes. It’s times like this that he looks a lot less like Venti, and a lot more like Barbatos to you. To the unfamiliar eye there probably isn’t much of a difference, but you know him better than that.

It’s something in his face. Something in his eyes. In the way he carries himself, and the way he speaks. It’s subtle, but it’s there. A knowing look that can only come from centuries of experience. A sort of… quiet acceptance.

He is fascinating to you, but you didn’t come up here just to stare at him from afar.

Nodding towards the wisps flitting about all around him, you softly speak.

“Do you think they’ll flee if I get any closer to you?”

He smiles a little bit at your question, his eyes soften, and he shakes his head slowly.

“They’re not afraid of you. I’ve told them who you are. You're welcome to come closer if you’d like.”

He says that like he doesn’t already know how badly you want to wrap him up in a hug and apologize for everything that happened this evening. You know it’s not completely your fault but you still feel so guilty, like you could have done more. Like you should have done more. Like you failed him when your body betrayed you and chose to freeze instead of fight.

You climb the rest of the way up, and settle down behind him, wrapping your protective arms around his small frame.

He takes note of your trembling hands, and gently wraps them in his.

He takes a deep breath in, thinking for a moment, and breaks the silence.

“You smell like chocolate… and coffee.”

You huff a little, more of a laugh than a noise of offense, and nuzzle your face down into the soft black hair at the nape of his neck.

“Mhm..” you hum, and pull back, pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of his head. “…and you smell like wine.”

You look down and watch as his hat, discarded on the roof beside him, begins to float a little bit. Before you can even be properly confused, one of the wisps slips out from underneath it, and chirps in success as it ascends to float around with the others.

“Did you trap that thing underneath your hat?”

That gets a proper laugh out of him, albeit a small one, and he shakes his head again.

“No, of course not. I'll have you know that it crawled under there of its own volition.”

He gently reaches out and slowly picks his hat up, revealing two more wisps cuddled up together like they were camping and his hat was the tent. They chirp loudly in protest of having their cover blown. Venti smiles.

“They like to hide in there sometimes, what can I say?”

You watch as he gently places the hat back down over them, and reaches back to his lap to take your hands in his again.

They’re shaking a bit less now.

You think for a moment, and speak again.

“They’re really cute, you know. How they’re so playful with you. They really trust you, don’t they?”

He nods, slowly reaching one hand out and holding it open in the air. One wisp flies over and gently lowers itself into his palm, curling up into a ball and resting there.

“We’re like family, you know. They know that I’ll protect them.”

Watching him like this, perfectly still, calm, steady and gentle, it’s really hard to believe that less than an hour ago he was just drunk off his ass, throwing back shots and climbing on furniture to sing whatever song was requested of him next.

Like, really hard to believe.

You figure now is as good of a time as ever to ask the question that you've been sitting on for quite a long time now.

“You’re completely sober, aren’t you, Venti?”

To his credit, he doesn't even seem caught off guard by the sudden question. He knows that you've suspected this for a while, and was almost waiting to see how long it would take you to figure him out.

He nods, looking straight ahead, out over the empty streets of the city. From your position behind him, you lean to the left, around his side to try and see his expression better as he answers you.

“I always have been, love.”

You breathe a sigh of relief that you didn't even notice you had been holding, and it doesn't go unnoticed by him.

"You watch me so closely... and you're around me so often, I'm almost surprised it took you this long to ask me that, Windblume."

He doesn't sound disappointed, or upset that you've figured out his secret. He almost sounds relieved.

"Well, I think I've known it for quite a while, actually, I just.. wasn't sure, and didn't want to ask until I was. I always thought that with you being.." you lower your voice even further before you speak your next words, "an Archon..."

As you pause to choose your words carefully, you slide your right hand up his arm, from his wrist to his elbow and over his bicep, stopping to rest on his right shoulder. Absentmindedly, you start to massage your thumb into the tense muscles there. He's always holding more tension than he seems to be.

"...I thought that you might just have a really high tolerance, and that it wore off really quickly afterwards, too. But then sometimes, while I watch you perform, or just joke around with people in the tavern, you seem to almost.. break character sometimes."

He hums and nods a little in response to your words, not interrupting but wanting you to know that he's listening.

"Like.. like you were acting, for lack of a better way to put it. You could snap out of it and right back in so quickly that I started to wonder if you were ever actually drunk in the first place. Just like tonight, when you suddenly broke character to tell me that everything was okay. Then, the way you watched the scene unfold and quickly slipped out of the room... it just didn't add up how you could switch so quickly if you were truly intoxicated."

Venti leans back into you and lets your words hang in the air for a moment, processing them.

"You're too damn observant, you know that?"

You're relieved when you can clearly hear the smile in his voice.

"You're right though, about all of it. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough wine in the world to get me drunk. Archons aren't capable of getting drunk on something as weak as alcohol. No matter how strong the brew, it just doesn't affect us like that. It's like trying to get drunk off of apple juice. It tastes really nice, sure, and too much of it can make you feel sick from the sugar, but it won't intoxicate you."

You hum in thought, and another question pops into your mind, though you believe you may already know the answer.

"Then, if you don't mind me asking, why do you drink so much? Or... why do you drink it at all?"

Due to the way he's leaning back into you, the laughter that bubbles up out of him in reaction to your question jostles you both.

"How do I explain it... Well, you know how you love the taste, and the experience of making and drinking coffee?"

"Yeah..?"

"Still, you don't like what the caffeine does to you, so you drink decaf instead."

Of course, he's found another parallel between the two of you.

"It's like that! I truly do love the taste of wine, and all sorts of spirits for that matter. I also love the atmosphere of the tavern. I get to be among my people, sing and drink to my hearts content, and.. yes, I do get to act like... like someone I'm not, I suppose."

He sighs a little bit, almost feeling guilty about the admission.

"I get to forget that I'm this powerful celestial being and for a while... I can just be Venti. He's a fun character to play, I guess. Not that the things I do and say when I'm 'drunk' aren't genuine, mind you."

He reaches up and does little air quotes around the word drunk, and you smile.

"I'm always me. There's just.. two different sides of me. They mix quite often, and I'm usually somewhere in between Barbatos and Venti at any given time. I'm sure you've gathered that by now."

You nod, and now it's time for you to do some explaining of your own.

"I have, love. I've definitely gathered that. Also, for the record, I love both of you, equally. I fell in love with all of you, not just one side, or one part."

You reach up and carefully tuck a stray piece of hair behind his ear.

"I don't mind it when you're 'drunk', honestly. I obviously wouldn't be with you if I were constantly upset by part of who you are. Honestly, though... you've always kind of been an enigma to me. I never pictured myself with someone like you. Not that there's anything wrong with you, of course not. We're just so.. different. It's something that's always baffled me.. given.. my past."

Venti reaches up and removes your hand from where it's toying with his hair, pulling it forward and you let him take it. You watch as he turns his head to the left in order to place a gentle kiss on the back of your hand.

It's still hard to revisit your past, and explain why you are the way you are. You're grateful for his silent reassurance that you don't have to go over it again. He already knows. The two of you have spent many sleepless nights with you clinging to his cape as you stain his bright white shirt with your black tears.

You already know you're gonna revisit tonight's effect on you at some point in the future. Venti knows that he'll ask you to tell him more about the first man that taught you to be so afraid. Not tonight, though. Tonight he will listen, and nothing more.

"I guess now I know why it never bothered me. Maybe deep down, I've always been able to tell that you're not really intoxicated. Now, are you high on life? Maybe, yeah.."

You both laugh at the expression, but he doesn't deny it.

"I mean, you do have quite the lively spirit when you're doing what you love. But I've never felt unsafe around you. I think my body knew that you weren't going to hurt me, even in the beginning, when my mind wasn't sure."

Venti feels a tightness in his throat upon hearing that you feel safe with him. He pushes the feeling down and speaks through it.

"I'm glad you know that you're safe with me, love. That's all I've ever wanted you to be, and equally importantly- to feel. Safe and sound."

From his own words, the need to protect you suddenly hits him again, and he sits up a little straighter.

He told himself he wouldn't pry tonight, but he has to ask one thing.

He needs to know you're gonna be okay.

"Speaking of, how are you doing? After everything that happened in there, I mean. I could tell that that man wasn't actually going to harm me, you know he couldn't even if he tried, but I know it still scared you. I'm truly sorry for that."

After everything, he's still putting your needs above his own.

You won't stand for that. You're not gonna make this about you.

Not tonight.

"Sorry? No, no- Venti- I should be the one saying that. He was posing a threat to you and I just... I just fucking froze. I should have stepped in to protect you."

There's frustration in your voice that you fail to hide, and you pray that he knows that you're upset with yourself, not him.

Venti leans away from you at that, and for a moment you think you've offended him. Your damaged mind is always thinking you've done something wrong. You watch as he carefully turns himself around to face you, disturbing the many wisps that had settled down to rest on his idle form in the process.

He looks you square in the eyes and counters your protest with a question.

"You do know that I'm with you because I love you, and not just to use you as my personal guard dog, right?"

You nod your head, and smile at his phrasing. Somebody once mentioned, upon seeing the two of you out in public together, that that's kind-of what you look like. Presumably due to the way you tend to watch over him so closely, ready to stand between him and the world, if need be. You're protective of him, and you make no effort to hide it.

"You didn't owe me anything back there, love. I knew you wanted to jump in. I also didn't want to further aggravate the situation. That's why I told you to stay behind the bar. I knew that everything would be fine."

You shake your head.

"Is it though? Are you fine? I mean.. the things he said... you know that's not true, right? None of it was. People love you, and your music, and it's his loss if he can't appreciate the stories you tell in your songs."

His eyes soften, and he sighs a little bit before he responds to you.

“Listen to me, dear. It is not your fault that he apparently had a bad day and decided to take it out on me. Everyone has their own taste, and it doesn't make him wrong for disliking my music. Was it out of line for him to berate me like that, in front of God and everybody?"

You can't help but laugh at him using the phrase that he picked up from you after hearing you say it so often. Of course, he's still trying to keep the mood light. He wants to see you smile, and you do, as he continues.

"Yeah... probably. It's okay, though. I can take it. I won't shatter just because someone got a little too drunk and decided to tell me their honest opinion.”

You can't help but notice that he's only mentioning what the man said about his music, and nothing about what he called him. Nothing about what he implied. You're torn between not pressing the issue and doubling down. If he's taught you anything, though, it's the importance of delicacy.

Gentleness.

You reach out and take his hands in yours once again. Your hands are steady now, allowing you to notice the slight tremble of his own as you thread your fingers together.

"I know.. I know you're strong. I know you can take it. But- but just because you can take it doesn't mean you should have to! You are so, so passive and... it's admirable but.. I don't know, Venti. I guess I just don't know how you do it. I'm afraid that you're secretly carrying all of these negative feelings and that one day they're gonna be too much for you to bear. I just.."

Your grip on his hands tightens.

"I don't want you to break on me, love."

Venti looks a little surprised at your words.

He bows his head and looks down for a long moment, taking a few slow, deep breaths. Both of you sit in the silence for a little while.

The wisps gather around the two of you again as you both remain still, and they get closer and closer to Venti, landing all over his form. It's almost like they're trying to hug him, you muse to yourself.

You eventually feel something wet land on your hand, and your first thought is that it's starting to rain.

Great, now you're both gonna be sad and wet.

You look up, but feel nothing hit your face. You feel another drop on your hand and you look down to where they're held in Venti's grip. Thanks to the fact that it's dark out, you're able to see that the liquid landing on your hands isn't clear rainwater. It's turquoise, and it's glowing.

He's crying.

For a brief moment you're too stunned to speak. You're not used to seeing him cry, but you find your voice in spite of your shock and speak to him softly.

"Venti? I-I didn't mean to make you cry, love.. I just.."

Your words trail off as the metaphorical dam breaks and his shoulders begin to shake from the force of his silent sobs.

"Oh, honey... sweetheart, come here."

You pull him further towards you, guiding him to wrap his arms around your waist and letting his head rest on your shoulder. He's so quiet when he cries, you'd never know it from just listening to him. His shaking body and glowing tears are a bit of a giveaway, though.

You rub circles over his back and he slowly but surely calms back down. He makes no move to pull away and neither do you, opting to stay together just as you are as he speaks again.

"I- I don't know what got into me.. I'm sorry."

"Venti, you do not ever need to apologize for crying, or for being upset."

"I just... I'm still not used to anyone caring so much about my wellbeing. It caught me off guard. I mean.. yeah, I get my feelings hurt sometimes. I'm not immune to the things people have said to me just because they think I'm some small, weak bard that can't fight back. Not to mention the things that have been said to me because they know I'm some small, weak God that won't fight back."

He pulls in a shaky breath and you pull him a little closer as you continue listening to him.

"I'm used to it.. I guess. I'd rather just let people speak their peace and carry on, thinking they got the upper hand, than cause a scene by fighting back. I'm tired of fighting, and over time I've learned it's often not even worth it. It's no fun having to act like things don't bother me, but over time I got pretty good at it."

Your heart breaks at the way he's learned to handle things.

You gently pull back from the embrace, wanting to see him properly. His cheeks are flushed from crying, and his eyes look so tired.

"Those words can still hurt you, Venti. Over time, they build up and if you don't process them somehow, they'll eat you alive."

He looks down as one of the wisps bumps into his arm. It looks up at him and, having gotten his attention, makes a series of noises that you can't decipher. From his response, it seems the wisp was echoing your sentiment.

"I know."

He looks away from the wisp and back up to you.

"I do. I guess my coping mechanisms aren't as fool-proof as they once were. I usually keep a good handle on it. I guess it's just gotten harder to do over time. Sometimes, I do wonder if I'm not getting weaker, instead of stronger, as time goes on."

He tilts his head back, looking up at the stars that decorate the night sky. The midnight breeze feels nice on his warm, flushed face.

"Sometimes I just don't know."

You reach forward and slip your finger underneath the bow that holds his cape together. The weight of the cape tends to pull the bow back, and it ends up pulling on the base of his neck. It looks uncomfortable, so you gently ease it forward, and reach out to pull the cape further forward across his shoulders, trying to alleviate the pressure.

You speak to him as you fiddle with his clothes.

"Sometimes, I think that all a person needs is to speak, openly and honestly, about the things that are weighing them down. Like we're doing here, right now. There's power in language. I know you know that. I believe that part of that power is in the relief we feel when we share our burdens with someone who cares about us."

Shifting his attention away from the heavens and back down to you, he feels warmth bloom in his chest at the sight of your soft, kind expression. He watches the way your lips move as you speak.

"I care about you, Venti. An awful lot... and I am always, always willing to listen to you. No matter what it is, good or bad, a song or a story, I want to hear it."

The way his focus flickers back and forth between your eyes and your lips is not lost on you. You lean a bit closer to him, and reach out to cup his cheek, still warm from crying.

You lower your voice to a whisper.

"Please, promise me you won't keep carrying all of these feelings by yourself. Someone as light as you should never be weighed down by the negativity of others, nor by the hate in the world."

He breathes in deep, and nods once.

"I'll try... to let you help more. To let you in. I promise you."

Your hands stop toying with the soft ends of his braids, and one moves to gently cradle the back of his neck. He leans into you on instinct.

His eyes fall closed as you pull him towards you, closing the remaining gap between the two of you.

You lean up and place a soft kiss on his forehead.

"I won't let your burdens drag you under, Barbatos."

You move down and place another, feather light, on the tip of his nose. He smiles.

"I will not let them."

Your lips finally meet his, and you feel him fully relax in your hold.

When you break the kiss, neither of you pull back, instead leaning your foreheads against one another and breathing softly.

Chocolate and wine pair quite well together, you think.

#venti #venti x reader #genshin #genshin impact #ventober #lunasmr #venti x you #venti genshin impact #venti genshin x reader #genshin venti #genshin fic #venti fanfic #venti angst #venti comfort #genshin drabbles #genshin scenarios #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin x reader #genshin x you #*banging pots and pans whilst shouting into the void* COME GET YOUR VENTI ANGST COME GET YOUR VENTI ANGST #i'm so sorry i swear i'll write something more lighthearted one of these days. but i'm full of the rage bloodlust hatred wrath #i put so much effort into this silly little fic i sure hope someone likes it and i didn't make it so niche it's unenjoyable. that's my fear #Venti & Reader's dynamic in my fics is like the concept of Scary Dog Privilege. or like the Person On Leash ship dynamic. u know the one.#hoo boy. apologies for the upsetting argument (fight?) scene in the tavern (and all the angst in general) I just...#I was listening to Track You Down by Matthew Mayfield on loop while writing it. and somethin' just came over me. that song makes me Feral.#'fear wraps it's claws around his neck and squeezes tight' and all that.. anyways go listen to it it's a good song #don't ask me why reader works at Angel's Share if they're scared of drunk people i can't explain it. i'm self-inserting don't look at me #every bartender in Mond. hates alcohol. even Charles isn't interested in it he's like idk man i just work here. now what can i get you #reader is just doing their part to keep the tradition alive and well

180 notes · View notes