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Lumine had never given much thought to Venti’s living situation. He’s a wanderer, passing the fields of Mondstadt along with the careless breeze of spring. Picking off apples, singing to the wind, sleeping under the stars. A spirit of nature.
So of course it’d make sense for him to be bathing in a river. Of course it does. Nothing wrong with it—
Except when Lumine walks in on exactly that. A blinding flash, glare of sunlight over pale skin is what greets her when she stumbles into the clearing. She lets out a choked sound, but immediately claps her hand over her mouth. Afraid of revealing herself, her feet steps back. She flees. Tucks herself behind a nearby tree, the bark scratching at her back as she flattens herself to the trunk. Heart pounding in fear. Or was it…
Lumine quickly slaps her hands to her warm cheeks, but the scolding sting does nothing to temper her thoughts. What is she doing. Just what in the world is she doing.
She should let him know she’s here. She should leave. But she does neither. Against her better judgement, she slowly looks peeks out from the tree.
His clothes tossed in a messy pile near the shallow stream and a towel in his lap, Venti dips his toe into the water and visible shivers. And with his back to her, Lumine sees everything.
Undone braids, the wisps of hair hang loosely near his ears. He’s humming a soft, wordless tune, graceful arch of his back as he wipes himself off. An Anemo sign at the base of his neck, tiny yet bold.
And the markings etched all over him. Delicate, winding lines written over skin, the colour of Anemo Visions. Pale teal pulsing in its glow. They resembled the marks etched on the ground when he summoned the wind. Bands of intricate patterns encircling his ankles. Upper arms. Everywhere.
Venti stretches a leg out, splashing water over his skin. Lumine’s eyes helplessly follow, only to find more of these strange bands around his upper thigh. His waist too. Close to…
Lumine swallows, a burning desire snaking under her skin. An insistent wish to map the colours under her fingers. She shakes her head vehemently, trying to shake it off.
Only she’s too pulled in to escape now. Not when the sunlight makes everything so much worse. It illuminates his markings, causing the water droplets sprinkled over his skin to sparkle.
For a brief second, Lumine wonders what it would be like on her tongue. Whether his skin would taste sweet when tugged between her teeth.
But all these thoughts make an abrupt escape when he stands up. Water flies, catching the light in its trajectory as it slides down his back, and Lumine’s heart drops. She quickly turns around and tries to even her breathing. She squeezes her eyes and folds in on herself, blood drumming at her temple. She is not here, she is not here, she is anywhere but here, Lumine prays.
Silence.
Then suddenly, Venti says nonchalantly, “You can come out now, traveller."
Oh gods. Lumine flushes, cheeks warming. She's been caught.
She clears her throat. Refuses to show him her face, the shadow of the tree her safety net from further mortification. “S-Sorry,” she stutters. “I, uh, didn’t mean to disturb you.”
He giggles. "I don't mind. You can watch all you want, traveller. In fact… why don’t I help you?"
“What do you mean—"
Water sloshes, a splashing sound that echoes in the air, and Lumine can’t help herself. She can’t help but peek out from behind the trunk—mild interest turning into horror at the sight of him taking quick strides toward her.
All the while he's naked.
Lumine clamps a hand over her eyes. Oh archons. Oh gods. Didn't he have a towel to use? “What the hell, Venti? Put on your clothes on first!”
"But I'm still wet," he whines.
"Use your stupid towel then!"
"Too lazy," he dismisses. "Unless you're willing to do it for me...?"
His voice is too close. Way too close. Curiosity overtaking her shame, Lumine darts a glance through her fingers.
Venti’s face greets her. He’s smirking. She stumbles backwards, back to the tree, and he slams a hand above her shoulder.
“Had a good look?” he breathes.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she says, there’s invisible ropes around her neck, laced tight enough to squeeze the air from her throat. Strangled by his closeness.
“Oh, you don’t?” He lolls his head on her collarbone. The coolness of water seeps into her skin.
"No…"
“But you were the one that was peeping on me, you pervert.”
“I didn’t mean to!” she protests. “I just had something important to say.”
"What was it then?"
Lumine freezes.
“I… can’t recall now?” she chokes, aghast at her so-easily distracted mind. All thoughts had already flown out of her mind when she caught him bathing. It hadn’t been important. It couldn’t have been, if she forgot it so easily.
He chuckles. “You know, you’re blushing such a pretty red, dear Lumine!”
"Because you're too close—!"
“What, has the Honorary Knight never seen a man naked before?” His face turns sly. Lumine resists the urge to headbutt him in the chin. “Am I your first?”
Her face burns at his teasing words, and Venti makes a soft noise of amusement in the back of his throat. A cross between a hum and a laugh. He’s close, so close she feels the sound rather than hear it. And he doesn’t relent.
Instead, he presses closer, molds his body to her curves. His damp skin bleeds through the fabric of her dress. Lumine swears her heart will explode from how fast it runs. Thump, thump, thump, and Venti’s smile tells her that the rhythm is lost ot him.
“You can't remember what to say?” he says, voice singsong. “How forgetful of you!”
“Maybe I'd remember if you would step back a little...”
“But I rather like us this way,” he whispers. Brushes his soft lips over the shell of her ear, enough to tickle. Enough for his low voice to sink in and captivate. “We're close enough to do so many things. Wouldn't you agree?”
His voice has struck a chord deep inside, and Lumine trembles. With mortification. With anticipation.
With want.
Her eyes catch on his shoulder. All smooth, supple skin. The swell of his throat. Teal lines winding around his arm, ending at his collarbone in a teasing curl, and Lumine, she—
Aches.
“I…” Lumine opens her mouth, but she finds nothing to say. Rendered devoid of all coherent thoughts, she promptly closes it again.
“Push me away then,” he murmurs. “Push me away, and I’ll stop, Lumine.” An offer. She takes a ragged breath, a cold stone lodged in her stomach.
Does she dare?
But then Venti touches his lips to the crook of her neck, so soft and sweet that all resistance melts. She shivers. And he must have sensed her break, because he smiles. A graceful finger landing below her jaw. Drags over the line of her bare throat, feather light. He shifts his hips a little, and Lumine can feel him even through her dress. Hard and wanting.
“So. Are you going to only stare then?” Venti croons. "Then maybe I should ask for payment in exchange. Dandelion wine, apples, or maybe even a fair maiden’s kiss—"
Really, it’s too much. Lumine has had enough. She stiffens and closes her hand around his wrist. Grits her teeth and pushes him backwards, so that she has enough space to—
Drop down on her knees.
The view of his tattooed thighs come into view, and so does his cock, which twitches when she takes it into her fumbling hands. He reels back, a surprised cry at her sudden actions. Tries to find his bearings again by gripping both his palms on the bark, a soft thump behind her.
Venti clears his throat, all previous bravado gone. “Lumine, darling. You know I was kidding, right? You don’t have to—”
“Oh, be quiet, bard,” she hisses, a flattened line of her mouth. “If you want payment, then you'll get it. I’ll show you who’s known a man or not.”
He shudders at her order, cock twitching against her palm. Glistening precum leaks against her skin. She thumbs the tip of him, spreading the wetness, and he whines.
Lumine smirks, a sudden rush of satisfaction at his reaction. She thinks she understands why he likes to tease her so much now. It's endearing, how responsive he is to her touch. So she dares herself to grip his thigh with her other hand. He stills under her touch, a tilt of his head in confusion. She traces a finger over the muted glow of his markings, elaborate criss-cross of lines that circle his skin. There’s still the slightest remnant of water from his dip in the stream. She presses a soft kiss to his thigh, licking it off. Sweet.
Up this close to him, the scent of cecilia entangles itself around her. All bitter, harsh winds. Cold, crisp air. Subtle flowers. She inhales, dizzy with it.
A brief dart of her tongue, a tug of her teeth at his skin, and his hips jerk forward, hand flying to her head. His fingers weaves through her hair and tugs. Light, but insistent—she wonders how long before he pulls hard enough to hurt. She wants to know.
"Still think I'm a "fair maiden"?" she murmurs.
Venti huffs, a little groan as she works her hand up and down his cock in a tortuously delicate hold. "Don't tease me too much, Lumine," he says hoarsely. "I don't think I could hold myself up if you do."
"I'll catch you if you fall, then," she says, hiding a laugh. "Would you like that?"
At her words, he makes a wounded noise, like a bird pierced in its breast. A high-pitched, half-bitten sob. Venti, wide-eyed and tremulous, gasps, "Please."
So she obliges—and finally closes her mouth around him.
He moans loud enough for the whole of Mondstadt to hear.
And Lumine finds that she doesn't mind.