if it's alright, could i ask you for some cuddles with venti, xiao or zhongli? romantic or platonic is up to you :)
Hi I'm so sorry this ask is literally from over 3 1/2 years ago now, but I hope you know I actually wrote your request for Venti and Xiao after I received this I just never got around to Zhongli before a lot of shit happened. Like typical "I can't believe the author of this ao3 fanfic had to fight god before writing the next chapter" levels of bullshittery but across almost 4 years. I did not actually forget and this has been haunting me in my inbox the whole time, but I've still just never had a good moment to finish the Zhongli part and at this point I am multiple years behind on canon.
All that is to say: Here's what I did write, apologies for OoC, and bone apple teeth?
Venti:
Today was perhaps the most perfect day Mondstadt would see all season. With barely a cloud in sight to block the endless blue sky, the summer sun shimmered down with a warm embrace, coating everything in a comfortably hazy heat that could put anyone to sleep. The wind drifting across the valleys and cliffs was as gentle and calm as ever, offering a balmy lull from the heat and conveying a loving grace and comfort that only those blessed by the City of Winds could faithfully experience.
There was no pressure lingering in the air or in people’s hearts, as everyone decided it’d be too mean-spirited to linger in spite on a day such as today. In spirit of this kindness, all the children were offered a break from their duties this very morning, free to run in the fields and giggle as they played (apart from perhaps Klee, who was quick to take advantage of her freedom to blow up half of the Whispering Woods). A smile was not an uncommon sight.
And as the day moved on and the sun now peacefully sat in the highest depths of the sky, everything felt too good to be real. On this day, the world itself seemed to whisper promises of summer dreams and idle hopes, a bygone day of tomorrow that feels more like a mirage than a memory.
“What a delightful day for a nap,” thought the archon of Anemo, Barbatos himself.
Windrise was as peaceful as anywhere else in Mondstadt. With light lazily drifting down and through the scattered leaves of Vanessa’s tree, while the birds lightly chirped and the leaves gently rustled, it was an almost picturesque scene. What made it all the more complete was the statue of Barbatos that sat under the shade of the tree, betwixt two carved stone pillars with a long eroded path and stairs leading up to it, gently glowing with a soft blue light and graced with an angel’s wings. Should a painter have been inclined to pay respects at Barbatos’ statue, they might have found themselves almost obligated to capture the beauty they found there. And if this painter looked close enough, their landscape might have featured a small figure that could be seen up within the foliage, lazily perched on one of the tree’s many branches. Likely unbeknownst to them, this figure was none other than the God of Wind himself.
Venti had laid himself rather haphazardly across one of the thicker branches, poised in a perfect position to take a nap should he have wished. At the moment, however, he chose to casually pluck a tune long forgotten, from when Mondstadt was still a city of storms and tyranny. As he played, a new yet familiar figure entered the scene. Walking up the nearby dirt path, you approached the Statue of the Seven, unhurried yet somehow hesitant in your footsteps.
This caught his attention, as he glanced over his shoulder to observe the sight. You slowed your pace as you came upon Barbatos’ statue, tentatively glancing around as you tread, perhaps looking to see where you might find the revered god. The sight of you delighted Venti, as a beaming smile crossed his face while he sat up straighter on his branch.
“Yoohoo!” He called out. Turning further to face you from up above, Venti’s eyes turned to crescents while his smile could only grow wider.
He giggled when you looked up, dismissing his lyre away into the wind. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence? Have you perhaps come to hear a tune?”
You gave him a smile in turn, watching as he gracefully leapt off of his branch, using the wind to guide his fall. Venti fell quickly before slowing down towards the end of his descent, eventually coming to a complete stop just above the ground while the wind held him midair. He floated for but a moment, feathers made of pure air flowing around him and giving him the appearance of a veiled angel. Perhaps that was an accurate description of him, perhaps “resident rodent” might’ve been more fitting. As soon as Venti settled his feet on the ground in front of you, steps as light as ever, you embraced him in an all-encompassing hug.
Venti made a small squeaking noise in response to the unexpected action, before dissolving into a soft and affectionate fit of giggles. “Ah, I see how it is!”
He did not hesitate to fully hold you in turn, welcoming your touch as though it had become second nature. While he did so, the wind picked up enough to gently ruffle your clothes and brush past your ears, a silent but tangible comfort. One could almost swear that the wind seemed to whisper of its affection towards you.
Venti hummed as you both slowly melted into the embrace, before he turned his head to face your eyes and chirped, “Perhaps we should move under the shade of the tree? I’d hate for the blaze of the sun to ruin thee.”
You fail to prevent a soft laugh from escaping your mouth, as you both reluctantly dislodge from each other. Venti gazes into your eyes and gives you a soft smile, before taking you by the arm and guiding you to a well-shaded and soft-looking patch of grass. “This is one of my favorite places to rest, and should work splendidly for a moment of respite!” He gently led you to sit down next to one of the nearby roots, right up against the trunk of the tree. As soon as you were settled, Venti clutched you once more, wrapping his arms around your neck and all but leaping into your arms. He giggled as he sang, “If you wanted to cuddle, my dearest companion, all you had to do was ask!”
You laughed as you both huddled closer, a feeling of serenity permeating the air. He held you tight within his arms, eventually guiding you to lay further down and cradling you on his chest after a moment. Safe within Venti’s embrace, a sense of bliss and fatigue came to wash over you as the song of summer slowly carried you away. And as the grass leisurely swayed and the leaves gently whispered while your consciousness dwindled into sleep, you felt loved by the wind.
Xiao:
It was another busy evening at the Wangshu inn, patrons rushing in and out, the sound of conversation and people pervading the air. People pushed this way and that, trying to grab a room before they all ran out or secure a seat to dine. Everything was breaths down your back and words by your ear, the space feeling more confined and constricting than ever. With all the hustle, there was enough difficulty in just reaching the stairs leading up to the inn, let alone navigating the inn itself. A moment to catch your breath was a liberty long forgot. However, upon the balcony at the very top, nestled within the roof of the building, a brief moment of relative quiet could be found. Where the golden leaves of the large tree swayed and the light of lanterns gently glistened on the balcony, it was soft and serene. And it was here that the legendary Yaksha sat perched on the rooftop’s edge.
Gazing upon the setting sun in a fleeting moment of calm, he scoffed as his relative peace was ruined by a set of footsteps descending upon the balcony. Xiao nearly turned to leave, but stopped himself when he saw you, your eyes darting back and forth, turning yourself around as if looking for something.
“Ah,” he exclaimed, catching your attention as you quickly spun to face him on the roof. “It’s you.”
He leapt down off the roof, landing right in front of you. Proceeding to stand up, he crossed his arms as he judged your expression.
“What do you want?” He asked, as curt as ever.
You hesitated for a moment, shifting in place. Xiao grew impatient, opening his mouth to say something else, before being abruptly interrupted by you wrapping your arms around him.
Left stunned, he simply stood there, muscles tense with his mouth agape, arms stretched out beside him in sheer surprise. You only continued to hold him.
When he continued to stand there in taut silence, you made move to pull away. When you did, however, he promptly went to pull you back, finally wrapping his arms around you as well. “Wa- wait,” he stuttered.
His eyes darted back and forth, his arms still uncertain around your figure, as his brows furrowed while he struggled with what to say. After opening and closing his mouth a few times, he finally muttered, “This is… nice.”
You pulled away a bit to warmly smile at him, painting Xiao’s face a heated pink with the act.
Burying yourself into his embrace once more, he turned his head to watch where you nestled yourself upon him. After pausing once again, he held you more comfortably and tightly, even if he was still a little awkward. Given another few moments, he finally let himself rest his head against you, succumbing to the feeling of comfort you provided.
As the sun burrowed deeper into the horizon, you eventually pulled away to grab his arms and lead him to the edge of the balcony.
“What are you…?”
Ignoring his protest, you guided him to sit down on the ground with you, before encompassing yourself in his arms once more. Again his arms hovered around your figure, but he warmed up to the act more quickly and let himself receive the solace you provided.
As you turned your gaze to watch the last blazing embers of the sunset, Xiao kept his eyes on you. Face solemn and thoughtful, he finally muttered, “Thank you.”
Glancing back at him, you simply smiled all that much brighter and held him all that much closer. He gave a hesitant smile in turn, staying until evening had long turned to night, and long after the noise of the busy day had died down. And within the dying light, the long burdened Yaksha found peace in your arms.
