Genshin Impact BL DISCONTINUED

Warmth (Diluc/Venti)

"Ugh ... asleep again? Charles? How many did he have today?", Diluc asked looking at the bard that was fast asleep leaning against the bar counter.
"Hm? ..About four, I guess? Not as much as usual .."
Diluc sighed. Actually, Venti only seemed to sleep in the tavern.
"Say, do you even have a home?..ugh...fine. I pray that I don't regret that...again.", Diluc talked to himself rather than Venti, put his coat around Venti's shoulders and picked him up. Carrying him like his newlywed bride, he brought the smaller one, who was still fast asleep, to his home.
It was already late so he put the archon in a guest bed and covered him with a blanket before he went to bed himself. His coat still around Venti's shoulders, the boy was too cuddled into it to take it away.

The noises in the house slowly woke Venti up. He stretched himself leisurely and smiled, his eyes still closed.
"Hah~ Haven't slept so well in ages~ ehe...", Venti slowly sat up, the coat made a dull noise as it sank from his shoulders onto the bed.
"Huh?", finally opening his eyes Venti looked around confused.
"Where...wait..that's Dilucs coat..uwahh! I'm at the winery?! Again?!.. .. ehehe .. could be worse..but slowly I really owe him something...", his heart raced a little. It wasn't the first time Diluc had taken  him to his home. And each time Venti felt happier at the thought that Diluc seemed to care about him, even if he always ignored him in the morning.  He sank back into the bed and unconsciously snuggled into the coat again.
"..smells nice.....just like him...... .. .. .. ohh....ehe..he...", despite his young appearance, he wasn't a child anymore. He knew exactly why his heart started to beat faster again when he embraced the others scent that was adhering to the coat. He had developed feelings for the redhead.

"Great. Thanks, Diluc. Now I just have to ask Venti..", Aether had arrived at the winery early, he had a job to do in Dragonspine and asked Diluc for help.
"You won't have to look for him. He's  in the guest room.", Diluc replied and turned to leave into his room to get ready. He didn't feel like explaining anything to anyone.
"Did he say the tone-deaf bard is in the guest room?!", Paimon squeaked surprised and Aether nodded.

About an hour later the four left. Aether and Paimon were still curious why Venti had been at the winery but didn't dare to ask. The bard himself was in a good mood and walked happily beside them, having a crush after so many years was really uplifting. Diluc kept a serious eye on the area and kept a little distance from the others. Enough not to have to listen to their chit-chat but not enough not to be able to protect them. Whenever a hilichurl approached them, he was the first to kill it before it could even get close to the others. No, close to Venti. Just as he had the need to take care of Venti the night before, he now had the need to protect him. It wasn't the first time that he felt this way, nor the first time that he bluntly ignored his thoughts about it. He considered it simply his duty to protect the archon of his country. At least this was the best excuse to not think about his own feelings.

The mission itself was done quickly, but the cold went deeper and deeper into their bones. The weather was worse than normal, a blizzard was brewing. Although they were ready to leave, they couldn't go on like this. The ground was frozen, the paths impassable. Paimon was clinging to Aether to not be blown away.
"We should seek shelter until the weather has calmed down. I don't mind it but you seem to struggle with the temperature.", Diluc suggested and the three nodded.
"A few meters down there is a small cave .. ", Aether said and tried to show the way, but slipped on the ice. He made a pained noise when he sat up again after his body had hit the ground.
The red-haired only shook his head a little annoyed and used his vision to de-ice a narrow path. He lit a fire as soon as they reached the cave and leaned against the entrance to guard the area while the other three snuggled up by the fire.

The weather barely calmed down in the next few hours. The fire could hardly warm the cave, the cold bothered Venti a lot. Aether for once had thought along and put on a coat, he could stand the cold like this.  He and Paimon had fallen asleep cuddled up in it as the cold really exhausted them.

Venti's chattering teeth could hardly be overheard. He was shaking all over and walking restlessly in hopes of warming up a little. Diluc watched him for a moment and sighed.
"Come here.", he demanded.
"Huh? oh I-I r-really ...c-can't... do something n-now...", the cold made it difficult for him to speak.
"Ugh...come here now.", he demanded again and grabbed the bards wrist. Although Venti was startled, Diluc pulled him close, closed his coat around both of them and wrapped his arms around the others small body.
Venti blushed heavily. The warmth the redhead exuded felt great, but the sudden closeness made him nervous.
"I..uhm...ehe...he...", Venti mumbled not knowing what to do.
"Be quiet. I just don't want you to freeze to death.", Diluc stated and turned his gaze back to the landscape around them.
Venti nodded quietly. He buried his face in Diluc's chest and hugged him tightly, the coat covered him perfectly.

As soon as Venti could no longer see him, Diluc looked at him again. He felt warm. Not the usual warmth of his vision, this warmth came from within. His heart beat a little faster as he looked at the bard who was hugging him so tightly.
"Nervous?", Venti asked softly, he could hear Diluc's increased heartbeat. The red-haired rolled his eyes.
"Why should I be nervous?"
"... uhm ... maybe because of me?"
"Nonsense. Just be quiet."
Venti giggled a little when  he looked up to Diluc which tried hard to avoid his gaze. The red-haired looked to the side, a strained expression on his face.
Forced to think about it, he knew Venti was right. Being so close to someone had become very strange to him over the past few years. As a child he had cuddled with Kaeya often, but since the death of his father he had avoided any closeness. Not just avoided, he hated it. Venti's closeness was unfamiliar, but this time he'd have to admit that it didn't feel bad.
The redhead sighed and rested his head on Venti's which made the bard blush and giggle again.

"Not so bad, isn't it?"
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"
"I'm way too old to listen to you~", Venti replied teasingly.
"Hmpf...But you look like I'm the one who does illegal things when you're so close to me."
"Oh? So you do think about doing things with me?", Venti laughed and Diluc growled.
"Don't go too far."
"..hehe..or what?"
"I'll let you freeze to death in the cold."
Venti tightened his grip around the others body and clawed his hands into the back of Dilucs shirt. He wanted to make it impossible for him to get rid of him.
"You're such a meanie...can't you be a little nicer to Mondstadts beloved archon?"
"Tzz........yes, whatever you please, Lord Barbatos.", Diluc in fact, chuckled a little. The rare sight made Venti nervous again. Diluc looked pretty when he smiled. Without thinking about it, Venti stood on tiptoe and placed a kiss on Diluc's lips. If he hadn't already clung his hands tightly to Diluc, they would have been shaking like leaves in the wind. He expected to be rejected, he was even sure that Diluc would reject him, but the redhead didn't move. Instead he seemed to be a little overwhelmed.
"Uhm...sorry...I...", the bard suddenly felt insecure, he couldn't even look at the red-haired without blushing heavily again.
"...No, it's okay. It just has been-..nevermind.", Diluc didn't want to talk about it, not now, maybe never. Ignoring himself, he leaned over to Venti and kissed him, this time properly. He was definitely not even sure why he was doing this, but at that moment he just didn't care. For once he just did what he felt like doing. Of course Venti returned the kiss and moved his arms from the others body to his neck, wrapping them around it. 

"Paimon doesn't want to disturb.. buuut.... Paimon is starving. Oh, and the weather has calmed down....", she said, disturbing the moment more than a little which made Diluc immediately break the kiss and move away from Venti fast and flustered.
"Yes....we should leave as long as the weather is bearable.", he replied and left the cave faster than necessary. Earning a serious side eye from Venti, Paimon squeaked and hid behind Aether, Aether only grinned a little embarrased.

"Paimon!...do you know how long it'll take to get him to kiss me again?"