Chapter Text
By the time a few more hours had passed, the bar had thinned out considerably. Oliver had managed to pull himself together during that stretch — the panic attack had run its course and finally left him alone. Eventually, Diluc reappeared from wherever he'd disappeared to. It must have been a long nap for him to have taken so long. He seemed rather pleased that Venti hadn't gone and drank all the wine.
"Hey!" Venti shot him a look. "I can control myself for a few hours, you know," he said, already swinging himself over the counter in one smooth vault, then grabbing Oliver by the arm and tugging. Oliver felt a small smile pull at the corner of his mouth once Venti was back to yanking him around.
"You seriously love jumping over the counter, don't you?" Oliver chuckled. "And pulling me.."
Diluc, as a sane person, used the little lift door and stepped calmly behind the counter. He watched Venti drag Oliver along. "You're heading off with him again?" he asked.
"Yep!" Venti answered cheerfully.
"Right then. Thanks for keeping an eye on the place. At least it's still standing and in one piece," Diluc said.
Venti pulled Oliver out through the door, and Oliver followed without much resistance. "Still standing," Oliver giggled once they were outside. "Barely, after you let Bennett run it for five minutes,"
Venti snickered and shook his head. "Yeah, that could've gone very badly," He let go of Oliver's arm and turned to face him properly, bringing his hand up to Oliver's cheek. "But — are you really okay? Like actually?"
Oliver's face warmed up a little. He nodded. "Y-Yeah. I am. It passed a while ago, I promise,"
Venti nodded slowly. "Okay," He lowered his hand. "It's getting kind of late, but I was thinking we could pop over to one of the other nations? If you're up for it?"
Oliver hesitated. He did want to see the other nations, but exhaustion was sitting heavy in his bones right now. "Could we maybe just... hang out somewhere around here? Nothing too intense?"
Venti's expression softened into a warm smile. "Of course. You still need to eat at some point though. We can grab something at Sara's later. For now, how about the tree?"
"Yeah. Sure."
"We'll just rest and talk," Venti said simply, already heading in that direction.
~~~~~~
The hammock swayed gently up in the branches, a soft breeze moving through the leaves overhead. Oliver was staring up at the canopy when something flickered at the edge of his mind — a brief clouding, like a smudge on glass — and then it was gone just as quickly. He blinked and rubbed at his eyes.
Venti noticed immediately. "Oliver? Something wrong?"
"Hm?" Oliver glanced over. "No, I'm fine. It's nothing,"
Venti let out a quiet breath. "I know it's weighing on you. Losing your memories like that — and knowing you've lost them while it's happening... I can't imagine what that's like,"
Oliver looked back up at the canopy. "At least I'm slowly getting them back. Like you said. That's something, right?"
"Definitely," Venti said. "You're already remembering bits and pieces. That's a good sign." He tilted his head toward him. "You feeling tired at all?"
Oliver turned to look at Venti properly. Strangely, no he did not. The heaviness he'd been dragging around earlier had faded somewhere between getting in the hammock and now. He felt oddly awake. "Not really, actually. I'm not sleepy at all,"
Venti smiled. "Oh? Well then~ Want to have a little fun?" he said, the bard's voice slipping into that familiar teasing lilt.
Oliver's cheeks immediately went red. "F-Fun?" He swallowed. "What kind of fun?"
"Oh, you know. Like last night," Venti let out that little signature giggle of his. "I did promise you it wasn't going to be a one-time thing,"
Oliver's face burned. "I just — I wasn't expecting it to happen again the very next night..."
Venti giggled again. "All the more reason to take this very attractive bard's offering~,"
Oliver stared at him. "You are something else entirely,"
"Hehe~" Venti just laughed harder. "Come on! Don't you want to touch my belly button again?"
"D-Didn't you say you were too sensitive there?" Oliver sputtered.
"Yeah, so? As long as you're careful with me, it's fine," Venti said breezily. "And you were very careful last night. Listening to what my boundaries were and not pushing past my limits and everything~,"
Oliver buried his face in his hands. "W-Well, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. I do like you, and—"
"Ohhh~ he's admitting it again~," Venti cut in with that insufferable teasing tone.
Oliver groaned, though there wasn't any real frustration behind it. "S-Shut up. I do like you, and I just — I want you to feel good too, that's all,"
Venti's expression shifted into something softer, and he giggled. "You're really different from most people,"
Oliver rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. There are good people everywhere. Bennett and that Razor guy seemed like a perfectly sweet and healthy couple,"
Venti giggled, "Oh? Comparing us to a couple? Does that mean we're already boyfriends then~?"
Oliver's entire face went crimson, though it was difficult to tell under the warm glow of the setting sun stretching across Teyvat. "You know the word 'horndog'? Well you're a teasedog," Oliver fired back.
Venti let out a dramatic gasp and pressed his hand flat to his chest. "How dare you!" He was barely holding back laughter. "That's it! No belly button privileges for the rest of the evening!"
Oliver's stomach dropped. "Wait — no!" He said in genuine distraught.
Venti stared at Oliver's face for one second. Then he absolutely lost it. "BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" He folded over laughing, and the hammock started rocking back and forth in the branches.
Oliver grabbed for something, anything. "Venti! Stop — you're going to tip us out!"
Venti managed to rein himself back in, eventually. "Oh wow," he wheezed. "You did not like that," He giggled, then reached over and booped Oliver on the nose. "Okay. Noted — do not take belly button privileges away from Oliver. Ever."
Oliver blinked, then playfully swatted Venti's hand away. "Stop teasing me, geez..."
Venti giggled and sat upright, settling himself beside where Oliver was still lying flat. "Someone can't take a joke,"
"What are you doing?" Oliver asked.
Venti rolled his eyes. "Letting you play with my belly button, dummy—" He snapped his fingers and, just like the night before, a quick gust of wind stripped away his top and deposited it neatly on a branch somewhere below. "There we go~! The bard's belly button back in service!"
"You're so dramatic and cringe..." Oliver half-muttered, half-said out loud. He was blushing as he propped himself up on his elbows, then reached over with his left hand and rested his palm against Venti's stomach — soft, warm, exactly as he remembered from the night before.
Venti closed his eyes with a smile. This part felt genuinely nice. The belly rubs always felt good. The only part that got to him was—
Oliver pressed his finger into Venti's navel.
"Gerk~," Venti snorted, squinting one eye shut as he felt the pressure of Oliver's fingertip sinking into his belly button.
Oliver pulled back immediately.
"No, no — it's okay!" Venti caught his hand before he could retreat fully. He placed it back against his stomach. "I can handle it, really~," He took Oliver's index finger between his own and pressed it back into his own navel, then let go, leaving Oliver free to move. It tickled sharply, but Venti held his ground. "Eehehe~," A few giggles slipped out anyway.
Oliver worked his finger a little deeper. Venti's belly button was a narrow innie — the coin-slot type — so it took some effort to get to the bottom. Down there, Oliver could feel the little bump of the navel knot. The moment his fingernail grazed across it, Venti's composure completely cracked.
"BahahHAHAH! OH WOW —" Venti jerked backward. "Okay — that part is very sensitive!" He laughed, rubbing his own stomach.
Oliver tried very hard not to visibly react to any of this. He crossed one leg over the other. "I-I guess your navel knot is really sensitive,"
"Yeah!" Venti laughed, poking his own finger experimentally into his belly button. "Weird — it doesn't tickle as bad when I do it. But when you do it..."
It was dimming out, but watching Venti curiously prod at his own belly button like that flustered Oliver considerably more than he wanted to admit.
Venti sighed and pulled his finger back out. "I'm sorry I'm such a mess in there. I genuinely want you to play with it, but those tickles make it hard,"
Oliver cleared his throat. "I-It's fine! I told you — I don't wanna make you uncomfortable. And... you know, run away from me,"
Venti laughed softly. "I think you'd run away from me long before I'd run away from you," he joked, shifting to lie down beside Oliver. "The belly rubs are less ticklish anyway. If you want to do those, I truly do not mind." He curled up next to Oliver, reaching up toward his cheek, but his hand...
Oliver had uncrossed his leg at some point, thinking Venti wasn't paying attention. Venti's hand made contact with his hardening erection by accident as he lifted it up to rub Oliver's cheek.
Oliver froze.
Venti froze too. He looked at Oliver's face, and saw the mortified expression.
A slow smirk spread across Venti's face. "Well, well, well~,"
"Venti, please don't —" Oliver said, voice pained.
"Maybe I can make it up to you~. Since I couldn't let you play with my belly button properly," Venti said.
Oliver's voice went quiet. "Y-You'd do that?"
"If you want~" Venti said easily. "I'm a switch, you know,"
Oliver's mouth dropped open slightly. "I — oh my gosh, you're a tease..."
"That's like the fifth time you've said something like that~," Venti winked.
Oliver's face was on fire. But he didn't say no. He looked at Venti softly and gave a small, quiet nod.
Venti smiled. "Okay. Have you done this before?"
Oliver blushed harder. "I-I can't really say. I know what it is. I know... how it works, at least,"
Venti nodded. "I'll be easy about it," He moved his hands down carefully. "I'm going to touch it now,"
Oliver swallowed and nodded.
Venti's fingers moved slowly, running up and down the fabric of Oliver's crotch. Oliver's erection responded instantly, a small twitch, and he made a quiet sound under his breath, shutting his eyes.
"Wow, you really want this~," Venti said softly. Oliver had his face covered again, and Venti found that adorable.
He snapped his fingers, using his anemo powers just enough to blow off Oliver's lower garments entirely, evne his underware — which startled Oliver quite a bit, a gasped left him as his cock sprung out into the cool air, the hammock shook slightly.
He blinked up at Venti, who was fighting back another giggle as usual.
"V-Venti...," Oliver said breathlessly, a tad embarrassed.
Venti glanced down, biting his lip briefly.
"You couldn't pull off my pants slowly like a normal person..." Oliver blushed as he looked away.
Venti giggled. "What? This way is more fun~," He winked. Though the reason was probably he was too lazy to do so, and just used his magic instead. The bard positioned himself carefully over Oliver, his face near his hard skin. "Are you okay with me giving kisses to it?" He asked.
Oliver peaked through his fingers, and saw Venti's face inches from his penis. He only nodded.
Venti smiled, then turned his attention to Oliver's erection. He looked back up once, winked, then started at the base of the shaft, leaving small kisses trailing upward toward the tip, feeling it twitch faintly under his lips. Just before reaching the top, he paused. "And licking~?" he asked with a smirk.
Oliver made a weak, flustered nod.
Venti drew his tongue out slowly, touching the tip at the side, then licking upward, swirling around it.
"A-ahh—" Oliver's back arched a little, his torso twisting to one side in the hammock, trying not to show how much he was flustered.
Venti licked the tip once more, kissed it, then pulled back. "Look at me, Oliver~ I wanna see how flustered you're getting~,"
This insufferable tease of a bard Oliver thought. His face was burning. Still, he managed to lower his hands. The blush stayed firmly in place — especially when he saw that smirk — and all he could manage was a pout.
Venti snorted. "Much better~," he giggled, and went back to his work. He kissed the tip of his penis again, licked slow circles around it.
Oliver bit his lip, no longer hiding his face but gripping the hammock fabric with both hands, opening and closing them. There wasn't much to hold onto since the hammock wasn't flexible. "V-Venti..."
Venti ran his tongue from the very base all the way up the shaft to the tip in one long, slow movement, and swirled around it.
"AHH—" Oliver gasped sharply. His cock twitched and a bead of pre-cum slipped from the tip and ran down the shaft.
Venti licked his lips, and looked at Oliver. "You don't mind if I lick that off, do you?" He asked.
Oliver gulped, and shook his head. "I-I do not mind..."
Venti dragged his tongue slowly up the shaft, tasting him. "Hmm~," he said, a little exaggerated, a little deliberate to make Oliver even more flustered than he already was.
Then, Venti took most of the shaft into his mouth, and started to drag his lips up and down.
Oliver's grip on the hammock tightened. His cock twitched hard, and he couldn't hold it in anymore— he came, the release hitting sharply. Venti wrapped a hand around the base of the shaft and sucked carefully, taking it all in.
Oliver fell back against the hammock with a breathless gasp. The hammock swayed more than usual but held steady in the branches. He lay there panting, and looked over at Venti, who was sitting up licking his lips, a thin streak of white at the corner of his mouth.
Oliver found the sight completely unreasonably attractive, which meant he immediately covered his face.
Venti smiled, then scooted up beside him and gently pulled Oliver's hands away from his face. Oliver let him. The moment his hands were moved, Venti kissed him — warm and soft — and Oliver felt the embarrassment slowly release its grip on him. He kissed back. Both hands came up to cup Venti's face.
They made out quietly up in the hammock — the shirtless bard and the pant-less human, tangled close together as the hammock swayed in a light, easy breeze that flew by. Venti smelled faintly of flowers, something soft and calm, and it made Oliver feel more close to him. He wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer, fingers pressing gently into Venti's back as they kissed.
When Venti pulled back, his eyes opened slowly. They both just looked at each other for a moment. Venti smiled and giggled softly. "Did you enjoy that?"
Oliver, face still red, nodded. "Y-Yeah,"
"I'm glad you did," Venti said. "I did too,"
He settled down beside Oliver, then pressed a small kiss to his shoulder before speaking again. "You wanna do me at all~?"
Oliver blushed again. Venti was asking him to suck him off too.
"No rush at all. Only if you want to," Venti added, easy as anything.
Oliver gulped. "I... I don't know," he did want too, but he was a little nervous. Also he was somewhat picky with some things when it came to him being a bottom with a few things. "W-What does it look like?"
Venti glanced up at him from where he was lying, idly toying with a small piece of fabric from Oliver's top. "My penis, you mean? Well." He sat up a little. "It's not big or anything heh..." he said. "Kind of small down there, honestly. Mt fri-, I-I mean my body's not exactly built for it haha,"
Oliver blinked. His eyes went slightly wide. Oh. Something in him relaxed considerably. He couldn't fully name why — his memories were a patchwork at best — but somewhere buried underneath in his subconscious was a quiet awareness that large ones made him a little... nervous. "I-I... those are kind of... my favourites, actually,"
The bard blinked. "Oh?" He looked at Oliver. "Really?"
Oliver nodded, a little pink. "They, um... f-fit better. You know. In my mouth,"
Venti stared at him for a moment, then giggled. "You really are unlike most people I've met,"
Oliver looked sideways at nothing.
"In a good way!" Venti said quickly, waving a hand. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Oliver's lips. "I like your kind of different. It's refreshing," He sat up properly. "Here — let me show you what it looks like—"
This time, Venti didn't use his wind powers to take off the clothes. He slowly lowered the pants, and showed his flaccid penis. It wasn't that big, it wasn't that small either. But after Oliver seeing it, it was a good size for him. He blushed and nodded.
The pants inside though, was sticky with Venti's own cum. "Hehehe~," Venti giggled. He looked up at Oliver. "Our little moment earlier made me have a little mess~,"
Oliver blushed a little and he looked away.
Venti laughed softly, "I'll need to wash these tomorrow," he said, sliding his pants back up and lying back down next to Oliver. "And myself." He tutned his neck to the human, "Tomorrow you wanna suck it? It's all flaccid now, I'm totally spent,"
Oliver nodded, a little more comfortable now. "Y-Yeah,"
"Okay," Venti nodded.
A moment passed.
"You've... been in relationships before, right?" Oliver asked. He thought back to Venti teasing him earlier — about not getting close to many people.
Venti rolled his eyes with a little laugh. "You asking that to get jelly or something?"
"N-No! I... I just, I'm just kinda curious," Oliver muttered.
Venti smiled and shifted closer. "I'm over 2000 years old," he said. "Which you know already. It would be strange if I hadn't had a few. I've had some relationships around Mondstadt. And I do remember them. Some that fell apart, some that didn't,"
Oliver listened carefully. Hearing about this was rather interesting "What happened to the ones that worked out?"
Oliver listened. Hearing about this was rather interesting."What happened to the ones that did?" Oliver asked.
Venti was quiet for a moment. "Oliver... I'm over 2000 years old. The ones that worked out — I outlived them. I never dated other gods like me. Just humans,"
Oliver felt something drop quietly in his chest. He hadn't thought about that. Of course. A god falling for humans would always have to face that eventually.
"It was only humans I had the chance of getting close too," Venti continued. "But losing someone after seventy, eighty years... it never got easier. So after a while I told myself I'd stop." He glanced at Oliver sideways. "And yet here I am, ignoring that promise I made to myself completely," He let out a small breath, then nuzzled himself against Oliver's cheek. "Just don't go and die on me any time soon, ya hear?"
Oliver laughed softly at the nuzzle and wrapped his arms around him. "I'll try not too,"
Oliver giggled slightly as Venti nuzzled him, then he reached over and hugged the bard. "I'll try not too,"
Then Oliver's stomach grumbled.
Venti looked at it, then tapped it once and poked his belly button.
Oliver giggled involuntarily.
"Ticklish there too, just like me~," Venti said smugly. "It's late, but you haven't eaten since this morning. Sara's might still be open. A living god needs a living Oliver — and living humans need food,"
"Oh — right, I completely forgot," Oliver said.
Venti kissed him lightly. "Yeah we kinda got wrapped up in here,"
Oliver kissed back and laughed. "That's one way to put it,"
~~~~~~
The night was settled firmly over Mondstadt now, but a few of the shops near the gates were still lit. Good Hunter was quiet, but Sara still had her stall running. She looked up when she heard Venti's voice, then spotted Oliver coming along behind him.
"Okay, Is he your boyfriend?" she asked, cutting straight to it.
Venti let out a delighted laugh and dramatically draped himself over the counter. "And what if he is~? Can't a weary old bard have a sweet, cute boy trailing after him all day~?"
Sara gave his dramatic display a long-suffering look, then turned to Oliver. "You're going to have your hands full,"
"Hey!" Venti protested, laughing.
Oliver smiled, standing beside Venti. "H-He's been pretty amazing so far,"
Sara made a small sound — a smile she didn't quite suppress — handed them both menus, and turned back to the kitchen.
Venti flushed faintly afterward and looked at Oliver. "Aww," he said, and kissed him on the cheek. Then, since Sara's back was turned, he reached up and turned Oliver's face toward his and kissed him properly. Oliver's eyes closed and he kissed back softly.
Sara turned around. "Okay, so what can I get you two—" She stopped. "Ahem,"
"Ah—!" Oliver yanked back so fast he nearly crashed into the counter. "We weren't — I mean, we were just — THE FOOD!" He stared at the menu then looked desperately at Venti.
Venti couldn't stop it. He laughed — loud and full in the quiet night air. "BAHAHAHAHA!" He folded against the counter.
"V-Venti!" Oliver whispered-shouted. "It's nighttime!"
"Oliver what was that?!" Venti wheezed. "Oh my word, you get so funny when you're flustered! You're so silly!"
Sara just slowly shook her head. "Are either of you actually ordering tonight, or what?"
Oliver swallowed, then quickly pointed to the Sticky Honey Roast.
Venti, still giggling: "That again? You don't want to try something different?"
"N-nAh that's finE!" Oliver's voice cracked on probably every word.
"PIFFFffFfft—" Venti muffled himself with his hand.
Oliver turned away and stared very hard at a wall.
Sara sighed, probably regretting opening late.
"I'll put those in. Venti — apple salad as usual?"
Venti, recomposing himself, "You know me so well, Sara~," A last giggle. Then he turned to Oliver. "Come on, let's sit down before you set me off again. Though knowing you, you're going to do it anyways!"
~~~~
Their food came and they settled into it easily. Venti brought up Fontaine between bites. "I think we should go tomorrow. I don't leave Mondstadt much — honestly, I barely do — But I think it'll be good to guide you all around Teyvat. You know, for you to remember some things,"
"You don't leave often?" Oliver asked.
"Hey-," Venti lowered his voice a little. "Even though people call me lazy I don't wanna leave Mondstadt. I'm this place's god. Its protector. I get nervous about being gone too long." He paused. "But you matter too, and I don't want to leave you on your own. So. Fontaine it is. Quick trip, in and out of the nation,"
Oliver nodded. "You mentioned it was... advanced?"
"Yeah. A little too advanced for my taste," Venti said. "I've been a few times. Like when I got you those swim trunks. So I kinda know my way around main areas,"
"Do you know of anyone there?"
"Not really. Never ended up talking to many people," Venti said. "Though there's apparently a fairly famous magician there — Lyney, I think? And his sister — I forgot what her name was... but I think it was the same name as him but with different ending letters, heh,"
Oliver finished the last of his food and looked out at the quiet street. "Mondstadt really is peaceful at night,"
Venti smiled, genuine and easy. "It is. I'd have made the best of whatever place I was given, but I'm really glad it was this one. The big tree outside the walls especially. I love it out there,"
After they were done eating, they headed back to the hammock, to get some rest for tomorrow.