Chapter Text
Oliver's eyes flew open. The disorientation hit him first, then the familiar hollow feeling — like something dark had been chasing him in his sleep, only to vanish the second his eyes opened. A nightmare, probably. It was gone now. Vanished, like it never existed.
He exhaled slowly. Morning light was slipping through the tree canopy above, gold and soft, brushing warm across his face.
He shifted up onto his elbows. The hammock dipped a little under the movement. His gaze drifted over to the bard curled up beside him, and without really meaning to, a small smile pulled at Oliver's lips. He reached over quietly and touched him — but the moment his fingertips made contact, Venti stirred.
"O-Oh—," Oliver blinked.
Venti's eyes opened, still carrying the heaviness of sleep. "Morning, Ollie~," he murmured, knuckling at his eye. "Ready to start the day?" Without much warning, he leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to Oliver's lips. "Don't forget! Taking you to Fontaine today," he said.
Oliver's brain stalled completely. The kiss was there and gone before he could even process it, and now he was just sitting there blinking like an idiot. He was still getting used to the fact that he and Venti were... something. He still hadn't fully figured out what to call the relationship yet.
"I— uh. M-Morning,"
Venti smiled, bright and a little smug. "So, you want to get ready?" He kicked the blanket off, raised both arms above his head, and stretched — back arching, shirtless stomach on full display. Very deliberately.
He was absolutely doing that on purpose to tease Oliver. And it was absolutely working.
Oliver turned his head away. "Venti...," he whined. "It's too early for this..."
Venti tilted his head toward him, all innocence. "What? Can't a bard stretch when he wakes up~?"
Oliver groaned. "God, you are such a—"
Venti's fingers pressed gently against Oliver's lips. "Nuh-uh!" He giggled. "No calling me the T-word this morning you cutie!"
Oliver sputtered behind his hand. "Bah— I— you literally just—"
Venti's fingers found his neck and started tickling, "Nuh-uh-uh!" He teased.
"Hey— nohoho!" Oliver immediately clamped his shoulder up, trying to trap Venti's hand. "Stop that!"
Venti smiled, and stopped the tickling.
Oliver rubbed his neck with a grunt. "Geez."
"So, we going?" Venti asked again, tilting his head.
Oliver looked at him. Then up through the leaves. "Can we... stay a little longer first?" He could feel his face warming already. He was about to ask for something... more couple like. "Like... cuddle? I mean— we just woke up, we don't have to bolt out immediately—"
Venti's expression softened, and for once he didn't immediately pounce on the opportunity to tease him for it. "Aww~!" He laid back down, stretching both arms wide. "Nothing like some morning cuddles!" he giggled. "Come here, you dork~"
Oliver's heart thudded as he carefully settled himself on top of the bard. Once he was settled, Venti folded his arms around him, warm and easy. "There we go." He pressed a few gentle kisses to the top of Oliver's head.
Oliver closed his eyes. Each one landed like something quiet and good. He pressed his ear against Venti's chest and found the steady beat of his heart there, slow and unhurried.
Venti giggled as he saw Oliver trying to adjust himself. He could see him trying to get closer to his chest. "Trying to listen to my heart?"
"Mm." Oliver nodded. "It's really calm."
Venti giggled. "Yeah? Well, I'm always calm. Especially around you~,"
Oliver's own pulse did the opposite. They stayed snuggled up like that while the morning breeze moved through the branches above them — Venti's hand moving slowly through Oliver's hair, the occasional kiss pressed to the top of his head.
Suddenly, a sound came through. From Venti's stomach that is.
Gloorrrrrggg~
Venti snorted. "Oh, that's embarrassing." He let out a long breath. "Weeks of eating next to nothing finally catching up with me. I blame you, for what it's worth~ Making me craze apples more and more," He shifted slightly. "I don't really need to eat like you do. But then you came along and I couldn't exactly just sit there watching you. Had to eat with you,"
Oliver had heard the sound perfectly fine from where he was. Which was exactly why he slowly started sliding himself downward — just a little — until his ear was pressed against the soft skin of Venti's belly.
Venti went still. Then he peeked down with narrowed eyes. Then he started giggling once he saw Oliver pressing his eat to his stomach. "Ollie— what are you doing?"
Another growl rumbled through the bard's stomach. Long and deep and full of strange, wet bubbling sounds. Oliver pressed his ear closer.
Venti gasped, "Oh!" then he laughed. "Please tell me this isn't another thing with you are into—"
Oliver didn't answer. He didn't move either.
Venti laughed louder. "Okay, you know what? You are a weirdo~" But he reached down anyway and started running his fingers gently through Oliver's hair again.
"I'm not weird!" Oliver protested, his face completely red. He tried to sound very casual about having his ear pressed to someone's stomach. "This is normal. This... everyone does this... Yeah!"
"PIFF—" Venti choked out a laugh. "Oliver, no. I have been alive for over two thousand years—"
"Yeah, yeah, you old Grandpa-man, we get it," Oliver cut him off with an eyeroll with that teasey tone of his own.
Venti gasped. "Excuse me?! Haha—" He poked Oliver right on the nose. "How dare you!"
Oliver smiled.
"What I was going to say," Venti continued, still grinning, "is that I've known a lot of people. And not a single one of them was into what you're into. It's genuinely unique."
Oliver buried his face in Venti's stomach. "That's just a nicer way of saying I'm weird." he said, his voice muffled.
Venti sighed, but let out a small breath of amusement. "You dork! You do know that weird doesn't mean all bad at times right? There's good weird, and there's bad weird. You my little cutie-?," Venti reached over and pinched Oliver's cheeks, tugging on it gently. "-Are the good weird."
Oliver let out a small squeak. He pulled his face up just enough to look back at Venti, then settled his ear back down. "Did you just call me little?"
Venti dissolved into giggles, shoulders shaking. "That's all you got from that?"
"I'm literally taller than you."
"Yeah yeah. Old friend was a small guy. Can't do much about that~," Venti waved a hand. "But seriously. I mean what I said. You're good weird. So far you've been very wholesome. I mean, I've been with people before who respected my boundaries— but none of them quite like you do."
Oliver went shy again, and covered his face. "Come on, I ain't all that good,"
Venti's hand settled warm and still on top of his head. "You're good for me," he said simply.
Oliver held that. It felt real and warm and — complicated, in a way that had nothing to do with Venti. What happens if I get my memories back? The thought had crept in before. He didn't know anything about where he came from. What if he had a partner waiting? That would be awkward. But he also genuinely— he liked Venti. He just didn't fully trust the mind he was using right now. It was his own mind, but at a sense, not.
Oliver's worried and pondering were cut short after Venti's gut let out one more loud grumble.
Grlopp-gro-gorrraaaan~~~
Oh that one was loud. Oliver's face went scarlet. He decided, on a whim, to lean into it. Venti said he liked his weird. So fine. He'll go all out. "Damn that sounded sexy. All slurpy and wet-,"
It wasn't even the words. It was the completely deadpan delivery: Venti lost it. Full body, hammock-shaking laughter, back arching off the fabric. "OH— NO—" He wheezed. "Oliver! THAT'S... EWW! HAHAHA—"
"Hey! Don't be mean~" Oliver stuck his tongue out.
"Why did you say wet—"
"Aren't stomach juices wet?"
Venti laughed some more. "This boy..." Venti brought his hands to his mouth, giggling still. "You are definitely a strange one. And I love it!"
"The very good weird. As you called me~"
"Right you are~," Venti said.
Oliver, feeling brave, pushed himself up and crawled over to Venti. He leaned in and kissed him. Slow and soft, a proper good morning kiss.
Venti melted immediately. When they pulled apart they were both smiling, Venti's cheeks faintly pink. "Mmm~," he said quietly. "That was a sweet kiss~," He smiled. "I think I may need another one~" He shut his eyes and puckered his lips.
Oliver laughed and leaned back in. The kiss deepened, gentle and unhurried, and Oliver slowly lowered until his weight was pressing softly against Venti, his hand cupped around his cheek. The morning breeze moved over them. Neither of them was in any rush.
When they finally pulled back, Venti let out a small, delighted exhale. "Wow. I am gone for you," he said, like he couldn't quite believe it.
Oliver smiled. "And I'll keep my promise, I won't die anytime soon,"
"You better not." Venti pouted dramatically. "The divine bard cannot be left sad~"
Oliver kissed him again—just a peck—then his cheek, then his other cheek, then his nose, then back to the cheek. He was kissing Venti all over his face.
Venti burst into small giggles. "H-hey!" He giggled. "We should be going you know! We gotta get to Fontaine, and before that you need breakfast!"
Oliver gave one last kiss, then pulled away. "Aww, but I wanted to kiss you more!"
Venti was beaming. He couldn't help it. "Since when did you get so bold, Mr. Blushattack?"
"Blushattack—?! I don't— that's not— I mean, I—"
Venti just looked at him and snorted. "Uh-huh,"
"Shush." Oliver stuck his tongue out. "Come on then. Good Hunter it is then... Again."
Venti sat up, gently rolling Oliver off of him.
"Wow, just discarding me—" Oliver flopped bonelessly to the other side of the hammock. "Just like that. Like I mean nothing—"
Venti laughed again. "Such a drama queen," then he turned to face Oliver, and opened his arms.
"Ooh, hug?" Oliver asked, smiling a lot.
Venti snorted. "Well yes, but no. I gotta get your down, don't I?"
Oliver quickly nodded. "Oh! Right!"
Venti came over, and held Oliver in a right embrace. "Hold on~!"
~~~~~~~
The outdoor tables at the Good Hunter were warm in the morning light. Oliver had ordered the Lighter-than-air Pancakes again. Obviously. How could he not? They were very good.
"These pancakes are seriously banging—" he said through a mouthful.
Venti paused. "That's a strange figure of speech."
Oliver nearly inhaled a bite. "W-What?! No— it doesn't mean—"
"No, no, continue," Venti said pleasantly. "Keep banging those pancakes in your mouth~"
"Venti, no—"
"I'd much prefer it was me banging in your mouth instead~," Venti teased.
At least he said that quietly so no one heard but Oliver.
But Oliver's face went so red. He was going to say it again. The T word. Venti was definitely all things about that word.
"If this pancake wasn't so good, I'd definitely take the plate and smash them in your face,"
Venti snorted and stuck his tongue out. "Damn!" He giggled. "Getting violent now, huh~,"
"Urrrggg," Oliver grunted as he chewed a piece of pancake with a big pout.
"Anyway!" Venti said brightly, spearing an apple. "When we get to Fontaine, what I'm thinking is— "Oliver rolled his eyes. "There is no way in hell you're starting a serious conversation after all that-,"
Venti froze, then laughed. "Hey, what can I say, I'm versatile!"
Oliver blinked repeatedly.
This bard. This absolute menace of a bard who was apparently was now his man.
Venti continued to talk, trying to keep his giggles at bay. "Basically when we go, we just walk around. I'd teleport us to the main city, but I'd rather teleport us to one of the aqua-buses, and we can ride it to the town," He smiled. "You know, to get your memories back. If you're from Fontaine at all, maybe it'll jog your memory,"
Oliver nodded. The plan made sense. Then he thought about the teleport part and grimaced. "Do we have to do the teleporting thing?" He hated that, mostly because Venti always does it unprompted with no warnings, and just leaves him jarred for a few moments.
Venti shrugged across the table, eating his apple salad. "Unless you want to walk for two days?"
Oliver had absolutely no frame of reference for how far away anything was in this world and it didn't seem like Teyvat had any form of transportation system. "Yeah, yeah, I guess..."
"Wonderful!" Venti grinned. "Eat up then, we've got a whole day ahead of us~ I just hope Mondstadt doesn't burn down while I'm away." He paused to chew his apples. "Hmm! So good."
Oliver laughed a little and glanced down the street. Sara was already busy at her shop, the rest of the market slowly waking up. "I think Mondstadt will survive," he said. "They've got guards, don't they?"
Venti nodded. "Yeah, but there's only so much they can do."
They finished eating, and then without any preamble whatsoever, Venti snatched Oliver's hand and started pulling him away from the table.
"Wh—Hey! Venti!"
Ugh. Oliver thought this every single time. It was like the man had no buffer between thought and action. Whatever entered Venti's head just immediately became a physical event in the world. Oliver had barely pushed back from the table before he found himself being towed down a back alley squeezed between two of Mondstadt's buildings, sunlight cutting out entirely.
"V-Venti, why are we back here?" Oliver's face had already started going pink, looking around at the cramped space. His heart pounded a bit.
"I can't exactly teleport in the middle of the square of town!" Venti said.
"Oh." Oliver exhaled. "That's why you bright me back here. Okay. That makes sense."
Venti dropped his hands from Oliver's shoulders. Then he did a double take at Oliver's expression and promptly lost it. "Oh— oh, Ollie—" He covered his mouth, giggling. "You thought I brought you back here to—! I wasn't going to do that~! You naughty boy!"
Oliver just had a grave expression plastered on his face. "With how you've been, I wouldn't have put it past you. And you called me dirty,"
Venti just giggled harder. "Oh hush~!" He leaned in and kissed Oliver quickly— Oliver leaned into it on reflex, eyes already starting to close—
A gust of wind blew by, "Uh-oh-," but before he could say another word there and blurring light, and the two of them were suddenly in a new place.
"WAAAHOA—" Oliver yelped, stumbling hard into Venti, who caught him and immediately started laughing so violently he nearly let Oliver hit the ground anyway.
"The noise you just made!" Venti wheezed, holding his sides. "You sounded like someone stepped on a cat—"
"Dude," Oliver straightened up, still gripping Venti's sleeve, face hot. "You have no idea what that feels like from my end. It feels like I'm being stretched out into a tube!"
"And yet!" Venti beamed, planting his hands on his hips. "Better than walking for two days." He swept an arm grandly to the right. "Welcome to Fontaine! Well— the aquabus terminal at the harbour, technically. Haha!"
Oliver turned left. Looked up.
"Woah—"
The building was large. More than large. And the style of it was completely unlike anything in Mondstadt— cleaner lines, something almost sleek about it, the architecture had a different logic entirely. And yet...
Something about it had a familiarity with Oliver. Like he's seen this place before. He remembered he did feel like this with Mondstadt. But just like that moment, he still cannot pin it down.
"You're staring pretty hard at a bus terminal," Venti observed beside him. "Rings any bells?"
Oliver blinked. "I don't know. Something about it looks... familiar. Feels familiar."
Venti hummed thoughtfully. "Then let's go~!" And then he was pulling Oliver forward again. Of course he was.
The terminal was large and echoing inside. Oliver had assumed the buses— aquabuses, whatever they were— docked at ground level. There was a long channel of water cutting between two platforms down there, but it looked like you had to take a lift up to actually board. Some kind of upper area.
Venti hopped straight into the lift and tugged Oliver after him.
"One of these days you're going to dislocate my shoulder—" Oliver started, laughing despite himself.
"Hehe~" Venti rocked back on his heels, hands clasped behind his back as the doors slid shut and the lift began to rise.
Venti glanced sideways at Oliver. "We're alone in here, you know~ we could make out!"
"Venti, oh my god—"
Venti turned fully toward him, arms already going around Oliver's shoulders, and Oliver's eyes had already started to close—
The lift stopped. Then the door opened.
"Oh!" Venti stepped back.
Oliver, still with his lips puckered out, "Hmm?!" His eyes shot open as he stood on place, watching Venti walk off.
"You're going to enjoy Fontaine, I think!" Venti said loudly outside of the Elevator. "I'm thinking what part I should take you though?" He scratched his chin. "Maybe the Court of Fontaine! I mean, that is where this Aquabus line goes, if I'm getting it right," Venti then turned to look at Oliver.
Oliver was still standing inside the lift. Standing in the same place Venti left him. His lips still faintly puckered.
The laugh that came out of Venti was loud. A nearby Fontaine guard actually got startled. "BAHAHAHA—" Venti folded in half, then just went all the way down, sitting on the platform floor, kicking his feet, "HAHAHA— HAHAHA—" full tears, he was completely gone.
Oliver's face went scarlet. "You owe me a kiss now," he said flatly.
Venti was still on the floor laughing.
The guard looked genuinely concerned.
Oliver, face still burning, stepped forward to exit the lift.
Venti was beginning to calm down now, though he was still giggling a small bunch. "Okay, okay, I'm good now," he stood up.
But before Oliver made it to leave the elevator, it seemed like he stayed too long inside the there as it had closed on his face. "AH-!?"
"PIFFfffFffFff—" Venti erupted again, slamming his hand on the ground. "Oh nohohono—" He could barely get words out. "O— Oll—Olhahaliver!! HAHAHA!"
A moment went past, as the elevator had to go back down to the first floor, then had to come back up.
Once the door opened, there was Oliver, looking annoyed.
Venti pressed his lips together very hard. "Pfft—"
"We are never talking about that." Oliver walked out of the lift. Then he caught his own foot and stumbled slightly. Kept walking like nothing had happened.
"Hahaha—" Venti fell into step behind him, one hand over his mouth. "Ollie, I mean this sincerely— you are the funniest person I have ever met in my entire long life—"
"I am not funny, I'm just— I'm just a disaster person—"
Venti jogged the two steps to catch up, stepped in front of Oliver, and kissed him.
Oliver went soft immediately. When they pulled apart, they were both smiling.
"Hehe," Venti giggled. "There's the kiss you were supposed to get~,"
Oliver felt warm all the way through. He looked past Venti and saw the waterway— wide and long and elevated over the landscape, stretching out until it dissolved into distant rock formations and the mountains.
"It's a long ride," Venti said cheerfully, standing beside him. "Hope you don't get bored~"
"I'd be fine," Oliver said, "if there were any chance of you not teasing me the entire way."
"Oh!" Venti brightened. "No teasing! Promise!" He dragged a finger across his lips. "Sealed."
Oliver looked at him. "That is absolutely not going to happen."
Venti just rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.
The aquabus arrived. Oliver had been imagining something vaguely like a ferry in his mind, which was apparently what it did look like. It came gliding along the waterway, slowed as it reached the platform, then— rotated. The whole vehicle turned slowly until its back end was facing the dock, then reversed the remaining distance and connected with a solid clunk.
"Huh," said Oliver.
"Come on~" Venti took his hand— gentler this time— and led him up to the top deck. It had no interior. Just a top deck, and that was it. There were benches along the side at the edge.
At the front of the deck, someone was standing there.
"Go sit anywhere," Venti said, nudging Oliver's arm. "Let me check in with Aeval."
Oliver started toward the benches, then stopped. He looked at Venti. He looked at the figure at the front of the boat. He took a few steps closer instead of sitting. Oliver blinked, then squinted. They didn't look human. They looked like an animal.
"Hello there, dear passenger! Is there anything I can do for you?" Aeval said.
Oliver stared. Non-human ears. Big eyes. Small. Soft-looking. "What is that?" he mumbled. They were maybe the same size as that Piamon person he met.
"Oh!" Aeval jumped up. "Is it time to leave already? Right away!" They spun around.
Suddenly there was a loud clang, as the Aquabus detached from the platform, then it shook slightly as it started to move forward.
Oliver was still looking at this Aeval person, he didn't even fully notice when Venti had come over to him. "Hey, I told you to find a seat-," Venti said.
"Is that—" Oliver lowered his voice, leaning slightly toward Venti. "Is that a rabbit? Like— a little— a human-rabbit thing? What is she?"
Venti blinked, then turned around to Oliver. "Huh?" He backed up, and then sat on a bench. "Why you look so shocked?" He asked. He then patted a spot next to him. "Come sit,"
Oliver made his way over to Venti, and sat on the bench.
"She's just someone who lives around here, I'm sure," Venti said.
Oliver watched Aeval at the front of the boat. Something about her nagged at him, but he couldn't figure out what.
"I think," Venti said slowly, "that you're not from this world."
Oliver turned to look at him. The Aquabus rocked gently as they moved through the passage. "You really think so?"
"I'm pretty sure." Venti had his thinking face on— rare enough that Oliver noticed it. "When I looked into your head, there was nothing. When one loses their memory, not everything is gone. There is always still some things within your subconscious," He nodded toward Aeval. "People like her are normal here. You grow up knowing them. They're just part of the landscape. Even if someone loses their memory, they still carry that— you'd recognize her without knowing why, the way you know how to breathe." He glanced at Oliver. "You looked at her like she was something impossible. As if she was otherworldly,"
The bard glanced at Oliver. "Like, do you even know what Mora is?"
Oliver blinked. "I'm sorry, I have no idea what the freak that is..."
"See!" Venti said. "Mora is money. Our Currency. Everyone knows what Mora is, it's pretty much engraved in everyone's head since birth. Memory loss or not, you don't forget things like that."
Oliver blinked, his mind racing. If he was from another world, where was that world?
"I have no idea if you're a Traveler though. I don't even know about universes. I heard people may be able to travel to them. The Travelers are from other planets, not universes I think. I believe people like Aeval are in those other planets up in the stars. Surely you must have come across one! Maybe you are from a different universe that has things... very differently,"
Oliver slid around on the bench to face the water instead, watching it pass. "If I was from another world entirely," he said, and then stopped. "Would you still— like me? If that turned out to be true?" The question was sudden. Even Oliver himself didn't know why he asked it. It just came into his mind and he blurted it out.
"What?" Venti turned to look at him. "Why would that change anything?"
Oliver shook his head. "I don't— I honestly don't know why I said that. It just came out."
Venti shifted to mirror Oliver's position, both of them facing the water now. He leaned into Oliver's side. "I'd still like you. Whatever world you fell out of." He paused. "I don't know what your life was like there. But you're nice here, so."
Oliver leaned back into him. "Then why are we going to Fontaine at all? You said it might help me remember."
"Hey, what I said was a hunch," Venti said. "And hunches can be wrong. So we can still head to Fontaine. I mean, we're already here and moving, so. Might as well." He smiled.
Oliver nodded. "Yeah,"
Venti smiled, and kissed his cheek. "And you have to admit, the ride is relaxing, yeah?"
Oliver smiled back, blushing from the kiss. "It is,"
"Oh!" Venti suddenly said. "I just remembered. You still haven't showered. You're genuinely kind of smelly~"
Oliver blushed a lot. "Venti, stop! That's embarrassing!"
"There's a hotel in the Court of Fontaine," Venti went on, cheerful. "Real showers, pipes, the whole thing. Or, well, Mondstadt has baths in some of the hotels,"
"Huh?" Oliver looked at Venti. "All this time you told me Monstadt doesn't have... pipes or whatever?"
"Mondstadt doesn't have showers. Mondstadt has tubs. You fill them with hot water, you get in, do your stuff then someone comes in later and empty it out." Venti shrugged. "I wasn't sure if you'd go for it. And you kept saying shower like it was a specific thing, and you didn't seem like a bathtub type— I got the vibe you were a little fancy about it. Like some rich boy from Fontaine."
Oliver shook his head. "Well, I definitely wouldn't mind soaking in a bath tub, but since we're heading to Fontaine I guess I can use one of the showers," He glanced at Venti. "But you... you said hotel? Wouldn't... you know... that cost money?"
"Well, yeah. But I'm the cutest bard! I can get away with anything!" Venti winked at him proudly. "Actually I'll just teleport us into a room, lock the door, then you jump into the shower!"
Oliver blinked. "Wow, you... that is... Venti. I'm not going to lie, you probably are a bad influence..."
Venti giggled. "Hey, no I'm not! People should help you know! It's not like you got money or anything! And I don't have money... uh, well people don't pay a singing bard enough!"
"I'd pay you," Oliver said, smiling. "If I had money, I'd stand there every day and just rain money down on you while you played.
Venti stopped. Looked sideways at the water. Looked back at Oliver with a slow flush rising up his neck. "You— you know what that sounds like, right? Standing there and raining money at me while I perform?"
Oliver's expression went completely blank for two full seconds. "Oh god, that's exactly what it sounded like, didn't it?" He put his hand over his face. "No. That's not what I— I didn't mean it like that—"
Venti dissolved into giggles. "You naughty, naughty boy~!" He laughed. "About to make it rain on me like one of those adult places in Fontaine,"
"No, stop! I didn't mean it that way! And you're calling me naughty when you're the biggest tease in the universe!"
Venti grabbed him and kissed him all over his face in quick succession, giggling between each one.
"Ven—haha— Venti, stop—" Oliver laughed, trying weakly to lean away.
One more kiss. Then Venti pulled back, still grinning.
"G-Geez," Oliver's face was red, as he looked at the scenery going by. "C-Can we just... look out into that ocean as we travel along the... well, the water above it?"
Venti laughed. "Yeah, fine," he slung his arm around Oliver's shoulder.