Finally!

Lumine heaved a breath of relief as she stepped into the fountain, relishing the feeling of cool water soothing her dance-sore feet. Removing her shoes and socks had been much more of a struggle than anticipated – but then again, it wasn't every day that Paimon fell asleep mid-flight, forcing Lumine to carry her in her arms like a doll. Made of rock.

In fact, Lumine had been so engrossed in her fight against her footwear that she hadn't realized how strangely quiet the plaza had become. It felt like only seconds ago when it had been abuzz with people stumbling home, many of them drunk but all of them very, very tired. Now, however, she could hear the gurgling of water streams hitting the basin after being blasted from their nozzle, and also the blissful sighs coming from the main reason for everyone's exhaustion.

Venti had been in the fountain much quicker than Lumine, having the questionable luxury of simply kicking off his shoes and jumping in. He couldn't very well drop his pants in the middle of Mondstadt, after all, so he'd had to keep his tights on.

It didn't seem to bother him at all, though, and Lumine couldn't help but smile at the sight of her friend standing right next to a water stream and splashing his face. He'd taken to humming a cheerful little tune by now, and the happiness was contagious.

It was a different kind of happiness, however. The pure, simple joy of being alive that Venti always radiated, the love he held for the world and everything in it that made him so easy to get along with despite his proclivity for mischief... it was still there, but lately, it came with something else.

Something more complicated.

Lumine took a step back and sat down on the rim of the basin, placing Paimon in her lap. The tiny travel guide didn't even stir while her semi-voluntary pillow took a deep breath, drawing in the crisp night air in an attempt to calm her racing heart.

The problem wasn't so much the feelings themselves, really. Lumine was no idiot, or prude, nor did she have any other issues that would lead to denial. She had a crush on Venti, she knew it, and she was not ashamed of it. The problem was not that she was in love with the Anemo Archon.

The problem was that she was in love with the Anemo Archon. A wind spirit. A non-human.

A non-human who'd never shown any signs whatsoever of being attracted to humans.

Or anyone, really. Lumine suspected that love in the human sense was a feeling that was simply missing from a wind spirit's make-up. There were plenty of stories about Oceanids falling in love with humans (and Lumine had been there for the conclusion to one of them), but the same couldn't be said about the Thousand Winds.

It just didn't happen.

The sound of water sloshing around legs interrupted Lumine's contemplation and she looked up at Venti wading towards her, grinning from ear to ear.

"That was a great night! My pockets haven't felt so heavy in months!" he chirped, followed by a good, content stretching that seemed to calm him down a little. He folded his hands behind his back and smiled, bouncing on his heels. "Thanks for stopping by, Lumine. Your presence always seems to bring out the best in my performances!"

Lumine hoped her own smile didn't look too forced. "I promised I'd be there, right? I wouldn't have missed it for the world." She looked down at Paimon in her lap. "We even took an afternoon nap so we wouldn't fall asleep in the middle of it, but..."

Venti huffed dramatically and bent down to poke Paimon's cheek. "That's what you get for drinking my cider!"

There was still no response, and it was starting to worry Lumine. She knew very little about the effects of alcohol and mostly relied on Venti's reaction to gauge how serious it was, and while he'd made a whole production out of his missing drink, lamenting the cruelty of the universe for making him put up with non-alcoholic cider after Paimon got their glasses mixed up, he hadn't been the slightest bit concerned. Lumine wasn't so certain anymore, though, and her misgivings were only exacerbated when the nonchalance left Venti's body as well and he straightened, chin in hand, lips curled and eyes narrowed. "Out like a light, huh?"

"Is something wrong with her?" Lumine asked, her own problems forgotten. Now, Venti was just Venti again, the overdramatic bard who drank like a fish, but would always run out of Mora before he ran out of sobriety.

And said overdramatic bard was currently shaking his head. "I'm not sure. I haven't thought about it before, but Paimon is really small. A single glass for her might be the equivalent of two whole bottles for a normal human. And that's not an amount you'd want anyone to down in one go, let alone a first-timer. On the other hand, though..." He hummed skeptically and placed his hands on his hips. "Well, you've seen me drink, and Paimon is not a normal human, either. She can easily out-eat two adults, so who's to say she can't out-drink them as well? Her breathing is normal, and... she hasn't thrown up, right?"

Lumine shook her head, relief rushing through her veins. "No. She hasn't."

Venti laughed softly and an encouraging smile spread on his face. "Then I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Still..." He looked around and puffed up his cheeks, dropping one of his hands in the process. "You should probably find yourself a proper bed for the rest of the night. Oh, and avoid teleporting! I don't know how it would affect Paimon while she's out cold, but the one time I teleported while I was drunk..." He giggled nervously. "Let's just say there's a reason why I only tried it once."

That did indeed sound like something Lumine wanted no part in, so she just nodded. "Alright. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Well..." Venti began, back to being all matter-of-fact. "A hangover is mostly dehydration, so that's what you would want to combat. Lots of water, preferably Sweet Flower tea, salty snacks... you know the drill."

Lumine nodded again. That could be done. She might not know the first thing about alcohol, but re-framing it as dehydration really helped. "Thanks."

"No problem!" Venti replied, but then he crossed his arms and a stern look came over his eyes. "And I hope we learned a valuable lesson today about keeping track of our drinks!"

Lumine said nothing – it was one of these moments when it was hard to tell whether Venti wanted to be taken serious or not, and she couldn't really be bothered with trying to find out. Instead, she returned her attention to Paimon and started racking her brain for a place to crash. No teleporting ruled out the Serenitea Pot, which posed a bit of a problem. The hotel was still completely co-opted by the Fatui, and there was still no sign of them leaving. The Knights of Favonius would probably provide their heroes with a cot if Lumine asked, but she wasn't really comfortable taking advantage of their hospitality, especially at two in the morning. Same with the church.

"Are you okay, Lumine?" Venti piped up again. "You look a bit unsettled."

Lumine hummed noncommittally and looked up to watch her friend sit down next to her. "Just trying to figure out how to procure a bed in the middle of the night."

"I see..." Venti stretched out his legs as he pondered, idly kicking away at the water's surface. "I assume you don't want to bother anyone at the public institutions... Maybe ask Master Diluc? We haven't been gone from the tavern for long, so he should still be cleaning up."

"Sounds like a plan."

Neither of them made any move to get up. It was much too nice to just sit there and splash around in the fountain, especially since they'd been on their feet for hours. Lumine had never known how much fun it could be to hit a tavern with a talented bard, have a few drinks, sing horribly out of tune with a bunch of strangers, and just dance the night away. Not until she'd come to Mondstadt, at least, and it still felt strange to her sometimes. She and Aether had been to so many worlds together, searching for one to call home – for aeons. And they'd been in the process of leaving Teyvat, too, when everything went down. Crossed it off the list without a second thought; hadn't even bothered to learn the language. But now? Lumine wasn't even sure if she still wanted to leave, even if she did get her powers back at some point.

Perhaps they'd gone about it the wrong way all along. Perhaps they'd been so focused on finding a home that they failed to consider what 'home' actually meant. That it meant so much more than just a place to stay – that it was a place of comfort and familiarity, a place to return to after a tiring day. A place full of people who cared about you, who loved and supported you. People you cared about, whom you loved and supported back.

They did say 'home is where the heart is'. A home didn't just fall into your lap when passing by. A home was something you built – and you didn't do it on your own.

Lumine glanced at the boy next to her. She couldn't quite help it – after all, he was one of the first and most important parts of her home. Apparently, he was trying to maximize splashing height at the moment, entirely oblivious to the thoughts running through Lumine's mind, and he very much enjoyed himself. He seemed to sense the gaze, though, because he turned his head and smiled.

Lumine nearly melted right then and there. Heart pounding, she gathered Paimon's sleeping body in her arms and scooched closer to her friend to rest her head on his shoulder, and he responded by putting an arm around her waist and pulling her against him.

It was such an innocent gesture, coming from him. But it meant so much more to Lumine – so much more than she could take, given the circumstances. Warmth flooded every fiber of her being, and for a moment, she even forgot that she was up to her calves in cold water. Her heartbeat settled back into a relaxed, steady rhythm; even Paimon's weight on her thighs faded. She could remain like this all night, and she wouldn't even notice.

"Something on your mind?" Venti's voice cut through the cozy drowsiness, pulling Lumine back to reality. She couldn't see his face from her position, but his tone betrayed mild concern. "Or do you just want to cuddle for cuddle's sake?"

"Both."

"Oh?"

"How much I want to cuddle for cuddle's sake is on my mind."

Venti's shoulder started shaking under Lumine's cheek as the archon attached to it burst into laughter. "Sure, why not?" he chortled and gave Lumine's waist a playful squeeze. He probably had no idea what she meant. "In that case, I hope my cuddling skills are to your satisfaction?"

"Five stars," Lumine played along, although she caught herself genuinely chuckling after a second or two. Being around Venti just had that effect on her. "One might even say they're simply divine."

Venti snickered. "And your flattery is out of this world, I see."

That comment did motivate Lumine to slip out of Venti's grasp and face her friend – so he had a good view of her tongue when she stuck it out at him. "It's not flattery if you mean it."

"Ah..." Venti emitted and a sheepish grin spread on his face. "Sorry. But you know what I mean, right? Besides..." He raised his hands into a shrug. "You have to admit it's a bit of an odd thing to compliment. It's not like I'm doing anything noteworthy."

"You are, actually," Lumine pointed out. "Few people are as generous with physical affection as you are, Venti. And I quite like physical affection."

Especially from you.

Venti's response was a noncommittal hum and a helpless wave of his hands. "That's true, I guess. Humans are a bit odd in that regard." He shook his head. "I don't get it, though. Humans need physical affection to be happy and healthy, and they know it. So whose idea was it to make it into something shameful, and why did it gain so much traction?" He sighed. "I'm just glad this kind of insanity passed Mondstadt by. Imagine parents here would stop hugging their children, like they do in Inazuma. I might actually have to knock on the church's door with my wings out."

"Hey, hey," Lumine cut in and wrapped an arm around Venti's shoulders. That the people of Inazuma didn't even hug their children was new (and shocking) information to her, although it certainly explained some things. The cultural obsession with puppets, for example. And the isolation that ran through its society from top to bottom, starting from the way it handled foreign relations, the 'you have your tasks, I have mine' approach to running the country which led to infighting and even outright war between the various factions of the Tri-Commission (and archons forbid members of different commissions fall in love), right down to the individual ronin roaming the lands on their own. Inazuma had its charms, but compared to Mondstadt, it was certainly a frigid place. If Lumine had started her journey there, if the Raiden Shogun had been her introduction to the archons – a cold, machine-like woman who preached stagnation and killed her people for having passions and dreams they couldn't give up; for simply being human – she probably would've gone down the same path as her brother and joined the Abyss Order without a second thought.

But that was not what had happened, and Lumine doubted that the people of Mondstadt had anything but a bright future ahead of themselves. So she pulled its archon close and rubbed soothing lines across his shoulder. "No need for drastic measures," she whispered, friendly but firm. "I'm sure the people of Mondstadt won't forget their values just like that."

"But they did it before," Venti muttered, and he sounded absolutely miserable all of a sudden. "And I didn't even notice before it was too late..."

"Venti..." Lumine sighed, resisting the urge to add a pet name. She briefly let go of his shoulder to hoist Paimon up and shift the tiny travel guide's weight around until she could comfortably hold her with one arm, then put the other around her friend again to brush her fingertips across his temple, gently prodding him in a silent invitation. He obliged and, a bit of twisting and turning and a snatched hat later, he was curled up on the much-too-narrow rim of the fountain with his head on Lumine's lap. She ran a hand through the hair at the back of it, ruffling the loose strands and scratching the back of his neck. She couldn't take away the guilt he'd accumulated over a span of 2600 years, but at least she could try and alleviate it.

"You made a mistake, Venti," she began, keeping her voice calm and free of judgement. "You were just a small breeze, young and inexperienced, and wholly unprepared for the responsibility thrust upon you. You've only ever known your people as a unified force, brought together by a desire for freedom and a willingness to sacrifice their lives in a revolt against the god who ruled the cage he kept them in. And it was the only reference you had when you became their ruler. You left because you loved them, and wanted to give them what they so desperately fought for." What your best friend died for, Lumine added in her mind, but it seemed cruel to say it out loud. And judging by the tiny shivers she could feel underneath her fingertips, she didn't have to. Instead, she took a deep breath. "You didn't know better, Venti. No one can blame you for that."

"What does it matter?!" Venti snapped, startling Lumine. He rolled over and sat up, hugging his knees with his back to her. "I'm sorry. It's just... I didn't see it coming, but that doesn't change the fact that it came. And it came because I let it come. My people died, during the uprising and for many years before, because I wasn't there when I should have been. Human life is so short... How many people were born into chains and died in them, never even knowing what freedom is?"

"Venti..." Lumine urged as she reached out a hand to place on his shoulder, then thought better of it and instead used it to relieve her Paimon arm and get her travel guide settled on her lap again. She wanted to say something, do something... but she had no idea how. Venti's words dragged her down as much as they did him – she hadn't been there, but the mere idea of spending her whole life as somebody else's property scared her. Knowing it had happened to others... It left her at a loss for words for a while.

And thus, it fell on Venti to break the silence – which he eventually did. "You know, the aristocrats..." he spoke in a thick, breathy voice that did nothing to ease Lumine's worries, but at least it didn't worsen them, either. "The history books do a great job ignoring and distracting from it, but they were Mondstadters, too. They were my people, too. And that trick with the fake contract could only do so much..." Finally, Venti's voice broke and he buried his face in his arms, appearing to be on the verge of tears. "What kind of archon am I, raising my hand against my own people?"

At this point, Lumine did reach out to stroke her friend's back and rub his shaking shoulders in a vain attempt at steadying them. He was right – her view on the events had been warped by the history books. Or perhaps it was his view that was warped, but even if it was, then it was the fact that he loved all his people equally that caused it. And it hadn't kept him from doing the right thing, either – which only deepened Lumine's love for her friend. "The kind of archon who doesn't stand idly by and watches innocent people get hurt just because he cares for the perpetrators. Besides, they turned their backs on you first."

"But..."

"Venti, you want to give your people freedom. That means accepting some of them will use that freedom to try and take other people's freedom away." What a conundrum... Good thing Lumine was no god. "Because what else are you gonna do? Take theirs?"

"No..."

Lumine took a deep breath and leaned over as far as she could without disturbing Paimon, supporting herself on one hand so she could put the other around Venti's shoulder and give it a slight tug. "Come on, get in here."

He didn't need to be told twice. He turned around with his back to the fountain and wrapped his arms around Lumine, burying his face in the crook of her neck and clinging to her like a drowning person to a piece of driftwood. A soft squeak escaped her as the sudden force nearly tipped her over, but she quickly regained her balance and grabbed Venti's waist to drag him along the rim of the fountain until she could feel his pelvis pressing against her thigh. It wasn't the ideal hugging position and her spine would probably hate her in the long run, but at the moment, she didn't care. The only thing she cared about was holding her archon friend as close as possible, one hand on his back and the other on top of his head, stroking his hair.

"Lumine?" Venti mumbled into her shoulder, and it was amazing how vulnerable the ever-buoyant wind spirit could sound – not in a good way, though. She could even feel his fingertips fumbling with the lacing at the back of her dress, digging around for something to hold onto. "You won't leave me, will you?"

Lumine was used to separation anxiety from Paimon, and she herself had developed her own set of issues when she lost her twin. It didn't surprise her that Venti was similar – one cannot be an immortal surrounding themselves with mortals and expect to come out of it unscathed. She didn't know if it was resilience or a need for company that drove him to keep making new friends, fully aware he'd outlive them – probably both – but it didn't matter at the moment. Her friend needed her now, so she simply hugged him tighter. "Not if I can help it."

That seemed to reassure him, because his hands stilled. "I won't leave you, too."

Perhaps it was strange to feel comforted when you were the one doing the comforting, but Venti's promise warmed Lumine's heart. She patted his back one last time before pulling away with the fondest smile, and it didn't take long for it to be reflected on Venti's face, despite the tears glistening in the corners of his eyes.

She wanted to kiss him. So bad. Just grab the sides of his head and kiss him until his mind was so flooded with her love that there was no room left for self-doubt. Except kissing someone against their will was about as loving as bashing their face in with a brick, so Lumine controlled the impulse. Instead, she took off the hat she'd nabbed before and placed it back on its owner's head.

"You're a great archon, Venti," she said while tugging at the fabric, trying to tell herself she only wanted to make sure it was just right instead of using it as an excuse to paw at her crush some more. "Your people are happy, healthy, educated and equal; they take care of each other and everyone who knocks on their door, and the crime rate is so low they don't even need a prison here, despite Fatui presence and the Knights of Favonius at only twenty percent. The lands are bountiful and at peace, and safe enough for people to go foraging or visit the scenic spots without the need for a bodyguard. I couldn't have asked for a better place to start my journey." Finally satisfied with her handiwork, Lumine let go of Venti's hat and smiled. "Or a better place to return to."

Venti took the chance to avert his eyes and awkwardly scratched his cheek. "I'm happy you like it here, but..." He returned his gaze at Lumine and waved his hands. His usual confidence was coming back. "Of all the things you just listed, the only one I can take credit for is the bountiful land, and even then I had no idea what I was doing. I mean, I tried to make a mountain and it just... fell over."

"And I don't see anyone complaining," Lumine chuckled. "Unless we count Alice, whose negative review of your terraforming skills might be a trifle more believable if she stopped gushing about the Golden Apple Archipelago for a second."

"Mistakes and happy accidents, huh?" Venti grinned, and at this point, it looked only slightly forced. "Still, I'm not the one who made Mondstadt into what it is today. My people are."

"True." That part of Venti's personality had been one of the hardest to figure out. One moment he was boastful and told everyone who didn't ask about his accomplishments, the next he was trying his hardest to fade into the background and let everyone else take the credit. Lumine had realized eventually that he only ever made a big deal out of his achievements as Venti the Bard while actively trying to push the things he did in his capacity as the Anemo Archon into oblivion. Which made a lot of sense considering how much he wanted Mondstadt to not have a god, to be free of any kind of divine rule or influence – including his own – while still being very proud of what he could do as a human. (She'd also realized that asking was an option, at about the same time she realized that her social skills were all over the place. She wasn't used to talking to anyone but Aether, who, much like herself, did a lot of observing and concluding but very little communicating. Why had they ever been surprised about never finding a world they genuinely wanted to stay in? And it didn't help that even now Paimon did so much of the talking that Lumine could count herself lucky if she got a word in edgewise. She still forgot half the time that there were methods of figuring people out that didn't include stalking.) "But you're the one who gave them the means and the motivation. Even if you're not the one who made Mondstadt what it is, it still wouldn't be Mondstadt without you." Lumine smiled and clapped her hands. "Good job, Venti!"

"You won't let this go, will you?" Venti sighed and shook his head, then shifted again until his back was leaning against Lumine's shoulder. "But... thank you, Traveler."

Traveler...? Since when was Lumine 'Traveler' again? "Are you okay, Venti? You haven't called me 'Traveler' in months. Did I... make you uncomfortable?"

"Kind of? I'm not sure." Venti summoned his lyre and started picking at the strings. Strangely enough, they made no sound. Was he blocking it? Or was it a sound that only wind spirits could hear? "It's just that... I don't want to sound ungrateful or anything, but the people of Mondstadt have been worshipping me for millennia. And when you constantly hear someone sing your praises, day in, day out, people who don't even know you thanking you for things you have nothing to do with or they simply made up... It stops feeling real after a while. It makes you wonder what exactly it is they're praising – because it certainly isn't you. And once people are praising something they made up, they'll start to twist it." He sighed. "Remember the other day, when we helped out the church choir with Captain Kaeya? How Sister Grace acted when I suggested adding a new song to the church canon? How she went on and on about tradition and how we can't just add stuff as we please, as if forbidding people from trying new things wasn't the complete antithesis to the freedom she claims to hold in such high regard? I know she meant well, but..."

"But that is what's actually troubling you... isn't it?" Lumine was starting to see the problem. "Not only that Mondstadt's people forgot their values before, but also..."

"That it's happening again, right before my eyes. Yes." Venti dismissed his lyre and leaned forward, running his hands through his hair. "Barbara didn't need any convincing, so maybe I'm overthinking this. I certainly hope I'm overthinking this. But I just can't get it out of my head!"

"Venti..."

"And Barbara is her own case, given how distraught she was about Der Himmel. Even if it hadn't broken in my own hands, why would she think I'd be upset about it getting broken in the process of saving my friend and my people? I can always make a new lyre, but I can't make a new Dvalin or bring back the people the Abyss Order would've mind-controlled him into killing. What kind of narcissistic monster does she think I am to have such messed-up priorities? When did I become the sort of vengeful deity that just waits to pounce on every trivial thing, that puts the blame where it doesn't belong, that needs to be appeased every step of the way with tried-and-true methods because anything new could be one of those fatal trivialities? That needs to be bribed and begged, whose favor needs to be bought? Gifts are supposed to be given freely and out of appreciation, not compelled by a sense of duty or an expectation of hardship. Because then they stop being gifts and become sacrifices, and I'm not... I don't want..." He cut himself off and buried his face in his legs. "When did I become Decarabian?"

Lumine grabbed the back of Venti's collar. Diluc had told her once that he would reflexively disengage from gravity if you picked him up from behind – not completely; there would be no noticeable weight, but he would still fall when dropped – and perhaps it was a little forward, but she would put it to the test now.

Venti yelped as he was yanked from his spot and landed on Lumine's arms. With her lap occupied and held down by the Paimonian log, options for such close contact were few, but it worked for Lumine – and hopefully, it would work for Venti, too.

The boy archon was stiff as a board at first and looked rather confused, but after a second or two, he relaxed. "Lumine...?"

Lumine took a deep breath. 2600 years was a long time indeed to collect all sorts of traumas, and apparently, they just triggered all at once. There were no words she could say to undo all – or any – of them, no action she could take. But she still wanted to try. And while Venti had never gotten around to telling her why he'd called her 'Traveler' again all of a sudden, she understood. He was far beyond being able to tell genuine gratitude from dutiful or absent-minded praise when it came from his people, but Lumine was an outsider. She'd known him as Venti way before she knew him as the Anemo Archon, and even now she had no reason to view him as anything but her friend and equal. There was no questioning her appreciation – and he couldn't quite handle it anymore.

"Venti," Lumine began, looking directly into his bloodshot eyes, "you're the kindest, sweetest, most caring archon anyone could ask for. Sure, you're not perfect – you make mistakes, you need help, you have your own way of doing things that not everyone agrees with, and sometimes you're so far out of line that the resulting angle nearly turns into its own. But I, for one, wouldn't have it any other way, because none of your imperfections stem from maliciousness. They're from love. You love your people. You love life. You love everything, and I love that about you. You're playful, you're witty and clever and cheery and fun. You're like a ray of sunshine, brightening people's days and spreading joy wherever you go. You don't need to be perfect, Venti – because you're already perfect enough."

Lumine paused to let her words sink in. Venti's eyes had grown wider and wider until he'd looked away, his shoulders had tensed and relaxed again, it had even seemed like he wanted to sit up at one point, but changed his mind and nestled deeper into Lumine's arms instead.

He sighed. "You've really come a long way, Lumine," he remarked, his eyes now distant and narrowed in thought. "You could barely string two sentences together when we first met. Listen to you now, making entire speeches and using fancy words like 'maliciousness'." He finally got up to hop off of Lumine's arms and back into the fountain, where he spun around with the biggest grin on his face. "Sorry for ruining the mood. I'll treat you to breakfast to make up for it!" He jolted and cupped his chin, muttering "Wait, if I pay for Paimon, my budget for the whole month will be gone..." under his breath before he looked up again and laughed sheepishly. "Actually, how about I pay for three normal meals and you cover the rest of the bill, hehe..."

Lumine couldn't help but smile. She knew it wasn't quite over yet, and she had so much more still left to say. But she could hardly deny that this was the Venti she knew and loved, and she wasn't about to undo this tentative step back into normalcy by forcefully returning the conversation to its prior awkwardness. "Sounds like a plan. Wouldn't want too much month to be left at the end of the Mora, would we?"

"Ehe..." Venti emitted, rubbing the back of his neck. But after a moment, he pulled himself together and put a hand on his hip. "Anyway, we should probably get going if we still want to catch Master Diluc. I doubt he's doing anything time-consuming at this hour, so..."

Right, Lumine had wanted to ask Diluc for a place to stay the night. And Venti had a point; it was rather unlikely that he'd be doing any early-morning deep-cleaning. Still, she suddenly felt weary to the bone – as much as she adored Venti, pulling him back from the brink had taken quite the mental toll on her, especially since she'd been physically exhausted already. She was not looking forward to dragging herself to her feet and going anywhere. And if Diluc agreed to accommodate them for the night, she still had to walk all the way to Dawn Winery with Paimon in her arms.

Maybe the Knights weren't such a bad idea after all...?

"Lumine? Are you okay?"

Lumine took a deep breath and picked up Paimon. No. She could do this!

Or she wanted to do it, at least, but her legs had a different idea when she tried to stand and a nasty tingling shot up from the soles of her feet, causing her to crash right back down.

"Lumine!" Venti shouted and was immediately all over her, but she just laughed and gently pushed him away.

"I'm fine, no need to worry," she said with a toothy grin. "My legs fell asleep is all."

"Alright," Venti sighed and waved a hand. "But I'm sure you're exhausted anyway, so you just rest here, okay? I'll go look for Master Diluc myself."

Lumine chuckled, relief spreading through her already. "Thank you."

"Heh, no problem!" Venti grinned and hopped out of the fountain right into his shoes, his tights already dry by the time his toes hit the leather. "I'll be right back!"

And with that, he was off towards the Angel's Share, his cape flowing in the night breeze and leaving Lumine jealous of her friend's boundless energy. It didn't last long, though.

After all, she still had a pair of legs to contend with!

This is the first romance piece I've penned since I figured out I'm asexual. Or at least the first romance where the romance is the point - usually, romantic subplots are the best I got. It's... quite the experience. VenLumi's really grown on me and the amount of romances with asexual characters is basically asymptotic, so I thought I'd give the whole thing another go. Writing a sexual person is hard, but I enjoyed it. (Obviously, I wouldn't be posting otherwise, haha!) Now that I think about it, though... I was so happy about a character I like emitting All The Ace Vibes that I somehow missed that he's yet another non-human who does so. At least it's just a Venti thing, though, not an archon thing. So the age-old adage of 'But bed gymnastics are what makes us human!' doesn't apply. And even if it did, as far as asexual headcanons go, I'll take non-human bouncy balls over human mass murderers any day of the week.

Long story short: Ace!Venti FTW!