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Xiao has been waiting for this day for as long as he can remember. He wasn't raised with the sole purpose of becoming a god's spouse, but it was known from a young age that he would someday marry the Geo Archon. Rex Lapis picked him himself, after all.

Xiao places his hand over the mark on his wrist, the faint golden Geo symbol that the god left that day when he walked amongst mortals searching for his next bride. Xiao knows it's a gender neutral term for the archon, but Xiao looked so different back then, and he can't help but wonder if the Geo Archon will be disappointed with him. 

Rex Lapis is known to be encouraging of all of his followers, welcoming even those with alternate genders or sexualities. Besides, if the god had an issue with Xiao's gender, surely he would have called off the wedding by now, right?

Right, Xiao thinks. Rex Lapis can see what goes on down on the mortal plane, so surely, if he had an issue, he would have made it known by now. 

Xiao just wants this to go perfectly. He wants to show everyone that the god wasn't wrong to pick him, that his devotion to Rex Lapis hasn't gone unappreciated. Heaven knows that no one else would have him. Not that Xiao is overly eager about the prospect of marriage if it doesn't include Rex Lapis. The Geo Archon is the only one that Xiao has ever had these kinds of thoughts about. As far as Xiao is concerned, he'll either marry Rex Lapis or take a vow of celibacy and live out the rest of his days alone.

He sits through the long, delicate process of the priestesses putting on his makeup. They're careful around his third eye, more wary of it than worried about harming it, and frame it with gold and red. Even if it is symbolic of his curse, even if it causes him so much grief on this mortal plane, they know that Rex Lapis saw something in it all those years ago, approving of it with a simple kiss to Xiao's forehead. 

His regular eyes are given a similar look, gold eyeshadow on his eyelids and red lining under his eyes with a red dot just under that on either side. His face is painted white with his cheeks dusted a rosy color, and his lips are carefully painted gold with a single red line running vertically down the center. 

His robes flow a deep emerald green with gold accents, and gold bangles are placed on his wrists. They clink together with his every movement. 

The priestesses murmur around him, careful not to touch him too much as they prepare him for the ceremony. Despite Rex Lapis' blessing, he is still regarded as a curse. Though it only makes sense, considering that misfortune follows him nearly everywhere he goes. 

It won't follow him here. Once he's the god's bride, everything will get better.

It has to.

Xiao draws in a deep breath as he's led up to the shrine. Normally brides would be carried on a platform, but the priestesses were reluctant enough to do his makeup for him. He gave them this concession. 

The Golden House is massive, and filled to the brim with gold and treasure. A good deal of it has been cleared to the sides to make room in the middle for the ceremony. Xiao kneels at the altar and finds himself wondering about the god's other brides. What happens once they've gone off with the god is a mystery, though they seem to spend the rest of their lives with him on whatever plane of existence Rex Lapis calls home. 

Before him, across from the altar, sits a lifesize statue of Rex Lapis. It's leant casually in its throne, like the god is leisurely waiting for his audience. Seeing it always sends chills down Xiao's spine. He still remembers how the god towered over him when they met, how far down Rex Lapis had to lean to press that gentle kiss to Xiao's third eye. He wonders if he'll still feel like a small, feeble thing in the god's presence. Not a monster, not a curse; just a fragile young boy aching for affection. 

It's no wonder he's so devoted to the Geo Archon. 

Xiao keeps his head bowed as the high priestess starts the ritual to summon Rex Lapis to the mortal plane. The god can do it himself, of course, but it's easier if he's given a little help. 

Nerves flood through Xiao as he listens to the ritual. What if Rex Lapis decides he doesn't want Xiao as his bride after all? What if Xiao makes an utter fool of himself in front of his new husband? What if–

Before them, the statue glows, and soon it's Rex Lapis himself sitting on the throne. His eyes slide open, and he looks over the room at the gathering of devotees before a small smile eases onto his face.

"Hmm, all of this just for me?" he asks. Then his eyes land on Xiao, and his smile widens, just a bit. "Ah, of course not. They must be here for you."

Rex Lapis stands from his throne and descends down the short stairs beneath it. He makes his way down to the altar, cloak flowing behind him, and Xiao is stunned. He forgot just how handsome Rex Lapis is. Or well, he never really forgot, but he was too young to appreciate it back then. The god has striking features, with intense golden eyes framed by red eyeliner. His cloak is sleeveless, showing off the darker skin of his arms, golden patterns tattooed all the way up to his shoulders. 

He's stunning.

The god rounds the altar and lowers himself to one knee in front of Xiao. He reaches out and tips up Xiao's chin with a fingertip, subtly closing Xiao's mouth where it had been hanging open. Xiao's cheeks heat, embarrassed to have been caught being so unpoised. 

"Hello, Xiao," Rex Lapis murmurs, just quiet enough for only Xiao to hear. "You look lovely."

Xiao swallows thickly. "Thank you, my lord." 

"Please. Just call me Zhongli." 

Heat rushes through Xiao. He knows he's to be the god's bride, but to be given a more personal name to call him… It still shakes Xiao to his core. 

Zhongli helps Xiao to his feet, then turns to the high priestess. "Shall we?" 

The high priestess clears her throat and starts the marriage rites. Xiao hardly hears them, too busy staring at Zhongli. He's even more handsome up close, only made more so by the small, fond smile he has on his face. A smile that's directed at Xiao, of all people. 

When the end of the rites are reached, Zhongli tips Xiao's chin up again, this time leaning down to meet him halfway in a light, tender kiss. Xiao closes his eyes in a soft sigh, leaning into it. 

Zhongli pulls away before Xiao can really lose himself to the kiss, though Xiao can't help but lean after him for a moment. Zhongli's eyes glint with fond amusement. 

Zhongli pulls away to thank the priestesses, and Xiao puts his fingertips to his lips, marveling at his first kiss. A first kiss with a god, no less. And in front of so many people… Xiao's face burns, but it's nothing compared to how flustered he gets when Zhongli scoops him up into his arms. Xiao lets out an undignified yelp, clinging to Zhongli as the god turns and ascends back up to his throne. 

The priestesses all kneel before the altar, kowtowing for Zhongli as he seats himself back in his throne, Xiao held in his lap. Xiao wants to ask what happens next, but refrains, not wanting to come off as stupid or impatient. 

It turns out that he doesn't have to ask: once Zhongli is seated in his throne, Xiao feels something in reality shift, and suddenly they aren't in the Golden House anymore. 

Xiao blinks, taking in their surroundings. It appears to be a palace, the floors smooth white marble swirled with lines of gold. The walls are an elegant dark wood whose name escapes Xiao, and the ceilings vault high above them with intricate paintings. Truly the house of a god if there ever was one.

Then he looks at the god himself. Zhongli's form has changed somewhat, and there are now short antlers sticking out of his head. Or perhaps on a dragon they're called horns? There are also claws on his fingertips now. They're dulled, but Xiao can still feel how dangerous they can be. 

Zhongli carefully sets Xiao down, then takes him by the hand and says, "Come, let me show you to your room." When he speaks, short fangs are revealed.

Xiao nods dazedly and is led down the vast hall, opening into a courtyard with a number of doors surrounding it. Xiao watches a crane wade through the large koi pond, apparently selecting its dinner. The koi themselves are all a gleaming gold color, some with perfect white spots on their foreheads like coins were stamped out of their scales. Glaze lilies and silk flowers decorate the garden, giving off a pleasant floral scent.

"Here we are," Zhongli says, opening a door to reveal what appears to be a whole house. It's not extravagantly big, but it's not small or cramped either; it's a rather cozy size, with plush furnishings and plenty of storage space. Not that Xiao has much use for storage, as he didn't bring anything with him. Which is just as well – there wasn't much that he wanted to bring. 

"This space is yours," Zhongli tells him. "You're free to do with it as you wish."

Xiao looks up at the god, a frown tugging at his lips. "My bed chambers are not with yours?"

Zhongli tilts his head at him, as though confused by the question. "I thought you would prefer your own space. All of my other spouses have."

Xiao's face heats up. Was he being presumptuous? He hopes that Zhongli doesn't think that Xiao is trying to overstep his role. He's the god's spouse now, yes, but he's still just a mortal. "Yes, that's– that's fine. I was just wondering."

Zhongli hums. "Well, you are free to come to my chambers whenever you wish. My home is now yours, and you are free to go wherever you like. I will not force anything upon you; if you wish to live your days here enjoying your own company, then you are more than welcome. If you wish to spend time with me, then I can make time for you. But I will not make you spend time with me."

Xiao swallows, his heart beating fast. It's incredibly considerate of the god, but that just makes the yearning inside of Xiao all the more unbearable. Have previous spouses simply lived in the lap of luxury, content to hardly see their godly husband? Is that what's expected of god brides? 

Zhongli seems to sense his distress, stepping closer and taking Xiao's hand in his. "Talk to me," he murmurs. "What is it that you want, Xiao?" 

"I want–" Xiao's voice is thick, and he takes a moment to clear his throat. "I want…" Gods, he wants so much. Most of all, he wants Zhongli; whatever the god is willing to give to him. "I want to have dinner with you." 

A smile tugs at Zhongli's lips. "Ah, such a simple request. Of course." He leans down and presses a light kiss to Xiao's painted cheek, and murmurs, "Those clothes can't be comfortable. Why don't you go and change, and I will have someone fetch you when dinner is ready?"

Xiao bites back a request to have Zhongli help him change, unsure if the god is even interested in things of that nature, and nods. Zhongli squeezes his hand before letting him go and slipping away. Xiao stares at the door as it shuts behind him, clutching his hand to his chest. He thought he knew what he'd gotten himself into, but now he isn't so sure. 

~

He wanders around his new apartment until he finds the bathroom, where there's a robe in his size hanging from a hook. Xiao decides to take his time cleaning up, washing the makeup from his face and wiping away the sweat gathered from wearing heavy robes and making the walk up to the Golden House. The bath runs at the perfect temperature straight away, and the tub seems to fill with supernatural speed. Xiao has never been one to covet the luxuries of life, but he must admit, this is rather nice. 

When he finds his bedroom after his bath, bundled in the warm, soft robe, he finds that the wardrobe is filled with clothes in his size and style. A few of the pieces look like clothes that he owns back home, and he wonders idly if they're the same clothing after all. 

He dresses modestly but nicely; nothing too elaborate, but nothing too plain, either. He is dining with a god, after all. A god that is now his husband. Xiao flushes, the heat in his cheeks now visible without all of the makeup. He wonders if Zhongli has those kinds of… desires – if they will have a wedding night the way that most newlyweds do. Xiao himself has never had much interest in those kinds of things, but well… If it's Zhongli, he thinks he'd like to at least give it a shot. He just hopes he doesn't disappoint Zhongli if it turns out that it's not something that Xiao is interested in.

Xiao decides to reapply a bit of makeup, finding the supplies for it laid out on a vanity in his bedroom. He lines his eyes with a bit of red, and decides to apply a more subtle shade in gloss to his lips. After a moment of debate, he puts on a bit of blush, hoping that it will help hide how flustered he feels. 

Just as he's stepping out of the bedroom, there's a short knock at the door. Xiao calls for them to come in, and a woman with blue hair and goat horns steps into the apartment, offering him a pleasant smile.

"Dinner is almost ready," she tells him. "Allow me to show you the way." 

Xiao murmurs a soft thanks, then follows her out. They make their way into the courtyard, where Zhongli is already seated at a small stone table under a large tree. The crane from earlier is standing next to one of the seats, gesturing with its wing as it speaks to Zhongli.

Xiao blinks. The crane is talking. 

Though, he supposes, why wouldn't it? This is a god's domain, after all. Maybe all of the animals here can talk.

"Ah," Zhongli says when he spots Xiao, getting to his feet. "My lovely spouse is here. Cloud Retainer, if you don't mind, may we continue this conversation at a later time?" 

The crane eyes Xiao critically, then heaves a dramatic sigh. "One supposes that they can wait until after you have concluded your dinner." 

"Thank you," Zhongli says with a pleasant smile. The crane gives Xiao another once-over, then huffs and stalks a few feet away before spreading its wings and taking off to who-knows-where. Zhongli turns his smile to Xiao, where it softens into something more fond. "I apologize. The adepti don't always remember their manners." 

"It's fine," Xiao says. Zhongli gestures for him to take the seat next to him, and Xiao carefully does. 

"How are you liking your rooms?" Zhongli asks. The woman with the blue hair reappears with plates of food that she sets down in front of them. Everything is steaming hot and smells absolutely divine. "Thank you, Ganyu." She bows in response, then slips away. 

"They're great," Xiao says, unsure what else to say. "Thank you." 

"If anything is not to your liking, simply let me or Ganyu know, and we'll make the necessary arrangements. I want this to be your home as much as it is mine." 

Xiao repeats his thanks softly, ducking his head to look at the food placed before him. He's normally not a fan of anything too elaborate, but this all looks and smells delicious. His mouth waters. 

Zhongli chuckles. "No need to wait on my account; dig in." 

Xiao shyly does so, serving himself modest portions of a little bit of everything. He does wait for Zhongli to take the first bite before taking one himself though. He was right; it's heavenly.  

Xiao lets out a soft moan, then immediately claps his hand over his mouth, blushing furiously. For his part, Zhongli simply chuckles again and says, "I'm glad you like it." 

"It's delicious," Xiao says, cheeks burning. He wonders if the makeup does anything to hide it. Probably not, from the knowing look that Zhongli is regarding him with. 

The rest of dinner passes in relative silence, neither of them speaking much except to ask for the other to pass them something. Xiao tries to think of something to say to fill the silence, but comes up empty. After all, what do you say to a god?

Dessert is just as extravagant as dinner, and Xiao isn't normally one for sweets, but he cleans his plate in a manner of minutes, tempted to lick the last remains off of the dish itself. 

"Xiangling is an amazing chef," Zhongli says, amused. "She can cook just about anything. And I do mean anything. Perhaps I'll introduce you to her later." 

Xiao nods, setting his fork down. "That sounds nice." 

"Ah, after dinner, shall I give you a tour? There are a number of things to do here, and I'd like for you to see where they all are in case you find yourself wanting for something to do." 

A walk with Zhongli, touring the palace? Maybe Xiao can work up the courage to ask to hold Zhongli's hand, or even ask to kiss him again. "I would love that." 

After they've finished eating – with Xiao having accepted a second helping of dessert with an embarrassed blush – Zhongli waves his hand, and the mess of dishes disappears. Xiao is too busy staring to notice Zhongli holding his elbow out to him.

"Shall we?" Zhongli prompts. Xiao nods quickly and grasps Zhongli's elbow, following him out of the garden. 

Zhongli's abode is overwhelming. That's the only real way that Xiao can think to describe it. There's just so much of it, and it seems to go on forever. Xiao has the sneaking suspicion that it does go on forever. 

As it is, Xiao only absorbs maybe twenty percent of what the abode has to offer. There's a pool for swimming, a hot spring for bathing and relaxing in; there's another garden that's just a giant grove of trees, yet another garden that's nothing but bamboo, and room upon room made up for various activities. There's an entire room just for shogi, attached to the library. 

The library itself catches Xiao's eye, a massive thing that Zhongli declares has just about every book that's ever been written. 

"Except for those written by a certain author who shall not be named," Zhongli says. "But anything else you're interested in reading, you can find it here." 

There's also a training hall, and Xiao leaves Zhongli's side to examine the polearms without a thought. The weapons are all gorgeous, and clearly well kept. 

"You're free to use the training room at any time," Zhongli lets him know. "I'm sure Xiangling and Xingqiu will be delighted to have a new sparring partner." 

"I don't have much training," Xiao admits, blushing. 

"Well, you'll have plenty of time for it now." 

Right. The rest of his life. 

As they make their way back, Xiao tries to keep track of their path, but the abode is just too big, too winding and confusing. He tightens his grip on Zhongli's arm.

Zhongli seems to pick up on his discomfort, saying, "If you should ever get lost, simply say so aloud and a seelie will appear to guide you." He waves his hand, and a blue spectral creature appears in front of them. He holds his hand out to it, and it tucks its glowing head against his palm, making a purring noise. "They're rather cute, aren't they?" 

Xiao nods, holding his own hand out to the creature. It eagerly nuzzles against his palm. Xiao startles a bit at the cold of its mistlike body, the core of its head like a bubble of cool water. 

The seelie leads them back to the central garden, a tinkling sound following it as it floats down the hallways. It's oddly soothing.

They reach the garden, and the seelie bows to them both before disappearing into a wall. 

"That's… quite something," Xiao murmurs. 

Zhongli pats Xiao's hand where it rests on his arm. "I know it can be a lot to take in at first. Take your time getting used to things. I promise it will get easier with time." 

"Thank you." 

Zhongli nods, then lets go of Xiao and steps away. "Well, you are free to do whatever you wish. If you need me, simply ask for a seelie, and they will bring you to me. I promise you are never disturbing me." 

"Thank you," Xiao repeats, though he kicks himself over the fact that their walk is already over, and he didn't even muster up the courage to make decent conversation. He wants to ask about their wedding night, wants to ask if Zhongli would like to spend the evening with him, but he comes up empty.

"Then I will take my leave for now," Zhongli says. "I have a few matters to attend to, and I suppose Cloud Retainer must be getting impatient." He takes Xiao's hand in his, and lifts it to his lips for a delicate kiss. "I shall see you later, my little bird." 

Xiao's face must be as red as jueyun chilis. "Y-yeah. See you." 

Zhongli smiles, then he steps away and disappears through the massive doors at the far end of the garden. Xiao waits a few beats to make sure that he's truly gone before sighing, holding his hand against his chest and wishing that he could be more bold. 

~

Xiao wakes the next morning not remembering where he is for a few moments. Then it clicks into place, memories of the day before flooding into his head, and he hides his face in a pillow and groans. 

It will be fine. Today is a new day, and Xiao is going to spend time with his new husband and at least find a way to hold his hand. If he can gather up enough courage, he'd like to ask to kiss Zhongli again. 

Zhongli is out in the garden when Xiao emerges from his apartment, sipping tea and reading a book. Breakfast plates are spread out before him, and he's not wearing his cloak, leaving him bare chested. It shows where the dark markings on his arms fade to his normal skin tone. Xiao flushes at the exposed expanse of skin. He's surprised by how much he wants to touch it. 

Zhongli smiles at Xiao when he sees him. "Good morning. How is the day treating you so far?" 

"Fine," Xiao says, taking a seat. "And you?"

"Mm, I'm having a fine morning. Tea?"

"Please." 

They have a quiet breakfast, Xiao buzzing with nerves the whole time. Zhongli said that he could request the god's company at any time, but what would Xiao even request? Ideally something where they could get to know each other better, but what would that be? He can't really remember what most of the rooms in the abode contain, so his list of ideas is distressingly small. 

Ah wait, there was one room– "Would you teach me to play shogi?" 

Zhongli blinks at him. "You don't know how to play?" 

Xiao shakes his head. "No one would teach me." No one wanted to be around him long enough to teach him, he means. 

"Now that just won't do. Everyone should know how to play shogi. We'll go after breakfast; I'll teach you the ropes, and we can have a few friendly matches." 

Xiao smiles. "That sounds wonderful." 

Xiao finishes eating his breakfast while Zhongli tells him about the history of shogi. According to him, knowing the history is key to being a good shogi player. Xiao isn't too sure about that, but the history is interesting and he likes the sound of Zhongli's voice, so he doesn't complain. 

Once breakfast is done, Zhongli stands and helps Xiao to his feet. Xiao lets him, if only to feel Zhongli's hand in his again. He holds on to Zhongli's arm as the god leads him out of the garden and towards the library. 

Shogi proves to be rather fun, though it's hard for Xiao to concentrate when Zhongli is still shirtless. The god doesn't seem to notice or care about his semi-nudity, so Xiao doesn't comment on it. He does lose all five matches that they have though, even when Zhongli claims to be going easy on him. 

"A valiant effort for your first time," Zhongli tells him, putting the pieces back to their places. Embarrassment floods through Xiao, and he feels the sudden need to prove himself to the god. 

"How would you like to spar?" he blurts. Zhongli's brows go up, then he smiles. 

"Mm, a physical workout to follow our mental one. Sounds perfect." 

The sparring room feels closer than it did yesterday, and Xiao wonders vaguely if the abode doesn't have the most steady grasp of where things are. 

Zhongli picks up a black polearm with the same gold markings as the ones on his arms, then gestures for Xiao to take his pick. Xiao picks up a few, testing the weight of them, before settling on a jade green one. 

"Don't worry about holding back," Zhongli tells him, stepping onto the mat. "It's impossible to be injured in this room." 

Xiao nods, though he hesitates as he goes to step onto the mat. He's going to be working up a sweat, and while the pants he has on should be fine for that, his shirt…

Zhongli gives him a curious look, and Xiao decides, screw it. He's wearing wrappings under his shirt to keep his chest contained, so it's not like he'll be completely bare. Still, he turns around as he takes off his shirt, taking a moment to steel his nerves before turning back to Zhongli. 

For his part, Zhongli simply sweeps his eyes over Xiao, then asks, "Are you ready?" 

In answer, Xiao steps onto the mat and takes up a ready position. Zhongli takes up his own position, one that reads as more relaxed. Xiao pushes down his nerves; aside from the simple act of sparring with his new husband, Zhongli is also known as the Warrior God. Even if Zhongli goes easy on him, it's not likely that Xiao is going to win.

Xiao makes the first move, swinging his polearm to test Zhongli's defensive range and gauge his reflexes, and Zhongli easily deflects the blow. Xiao uses the momentum to sidestep a return blow, twirling into another swipe at Zhongli. Their polearms clash, locking them in a brief stalemate before Xiao pushes away, ducking to dodge Zhongli's swing. Xiao rolls behind Zhongli and tries to attack him from behind, but the god is too quick, batting Xiao's polearm away with his own. 

The rest of the match is a blur, with Zhongli taking a defensive strategy, coaxing Xiao into swing after swing that are all easily countered. Xiao doesn't have much formal training, but he's spent countless afternoons practicing on his own, and he has a solid grasp of the basics. He's only holding his own so well because of his reflexes and the fact that Zhongli is staying on the defensive. That, and the god is almost certainly going easy on him.

The tides shift dramatically in the blink of an eye. Xiao is starting to get winded, breathing heavily as he calculates his next move, and then Zhongli shifts gears out of nowhere. Suddenly Xiao is forced on the defensive, desperately blocking blow after blow as he's pushed back towards the wall. 

His foot slips off the edge of the mat, and the only reason he doesn't fall flat on his ass is Zhongli catching him with an arm around his waist.

They stare at each other for a long moment, Xiao's chest heaving and Zhongli's gently rising and falling. The god is barely out of breath. Heat floods Xiao at just how strong Zhongli is. He's incredibly warm where his arm is wrapped around Xiao's waist, and Xiao burns at the contact of skin on skin. He places his hand on Zhongli's chest, looking up into those golden eyes. 

"You fought well," Zhongli murmurs. 

"Thank you," Xiao breathes. His gaze drops to Zhongli's lips. They're close enough, Xiao could probably wrap his arms around Zhongli's neck, tip up on his toes and—

Zhongli lets him go, making sure that he's steady on his feet with a hand on Xiao's hip before stepping away completely. Xiao shudders at the way that the god's fingers linger on his skin until the last moment, dragging away slowly. He knows it's just to make sure that he won't fall, but it conjures images of those strong, lithe fingers lingering elsewhere on him. 

"That was a good workout," Zhongli says, crossing over to put his polearm away. Xiao eyes Zhongli's back, noticing the faint sheen of sweat there. His mouth is suddenly dry. "What do you say to taking a trip to the hot springs? I find a nice hot soak is always welcome after a good spar." 

Oh gods. Can Xiao handle being around a naked Zhongli? Though maybe this will be a good opportunity to get closer physically…

"Sure," he says, despite the screaming in his head. "Sounds good." He really hopes that agreeing to this doesn't turn out to be a huge mistake.

~

Agreeing to this was a huge mistake.

Xiao carefully keeps his back turned as he wipes himself down, doing his best not to look over at where Zhongli is doing the same. 

Hardly anyone has seen Xiao naked. Mostly by his choice, with him avoiding public bath houses and the like. It's not that he dislikes his body exactly, it's more that other people get the wrong idea about him when they see it. Even people who should know better. 

He doesn't think that Zhongli would get the wrong idea. Or well, he hopes. It's hard to get a proper read on Zhongli. 

Zhongli enters the hot springs first, and Xiao gives him a minute to get settled before heading over himself. He keeps a towel around his waist as he gets into the water. Zhongli hardly looks up at him as he sits down, and he's not sure if it's a good or a bad thing.

They sit in silence for a while, just soaking in the heat of the water and enjoying how it soothes their aching muscles. Xiao finds himself relaxing despite himself, sinking back against the edge of the spring. 

"How are you liking it here so far?" Zhongli's voice startles Xiao, and he sits up, nervously tucking his hair behind his ear. 

"It's been good. I like it a lot." 

"Good. I want you to be more than just comfortable here." 

"Thank you, my lor— er. Zhongli." 

Zhongli smiles, putting a hand on Xiao's shoulder. The touch is electrifying. "There's no need to be so formal, little bird. It's just us here." 

He's right; it is just them. Xiao could easily move closer, could guide the god down to kiss him breathless. Unbidden, Xiao's mind conjures up images of him climbing into Zhongli's lap, winding his arms around the god's shoulders and melting into him as they kiss. Zhongli's hands would find their way to Xiao's hips; maybe they would skim up his sides, and maybe Xiao would even let the god touch his chest. 

It hits Xiao suddenly, the force with which he wants Zhongli. Xiao wasn't sure if he would ever be interested in sex, but now, looking at Zhongli bare before him, Xiao finds that he wants the god desperately. He wants more than to just be Zhongli's spouse in name — he wants Zhongli to claim him as his bride in the carnal way, wants the god to take what he wants from Xiao's body and leave him a quivering, blissed out mess. 

"Zhongli?" Xiao blurts. "Can I ask you for something?" 

Zhongli tilts his head, thumb stroking idly against Xiao's shoulder. "Of course. What is it?"

This is it. Xiao is going to ask Zhongli to kiss him and take him to bed. He opens his mouth to speak, but before he can get anything out, the door to the hot springs slides open, and Ganyu steps in. Xiao immediately ducks down until the water is up to his chin, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Sorry to disturb you," Ganyu says, smiling apologetically. "But I have a message for Rex Lapis, and it's rather urgent." 

"Of course," Zhongli says easily. He squeezes Xiao's shoulder, saying, "We'll pick this back up later," then rises to his feet. Xiao gets an eyeful of what's between his legs. Oh, gods. Would that even fit in him? Xiao has no measure of what's considered big, but being so close to it makes it seem huge. 

Ganyu politely averts her eyes as Zhongli towels off and gets dressed, then the two depart. Xiao buries his face in his hands and groans.

~

Xiao isn't sure how long Zhongli will be, so once he's done in the hot springs, he asks for a seelie to bring him back to the library. Xiao has always thought that the best way to pass the time is by reading a book. 

The library isn't empty when he gets there; there are two boys that seem to be a tad younger than him sitting at a table, one of them leant back in an armchair while the other pours over stacks of heavy texts on the table. They both glance up as Xiao enters. 

"Ah, you must be Xiao!" the one in the armchair says cheerily. "It's nice to finally meet you." 

The other boy nods. "We've heard a lot about you." 

Xiao blinks. He's not sure where or when these two would have heard much about him. "Oh. Uh, thanks? I don't know who either of you are." 

"Ah, apologies!" The boy in the armchair sets his book aside and gets to his feet, offering a short polite bow. "My name is Xingqiu, and this is my companion, Chongyun." 

"A pleasure," Chongyun says, nodding his head. 

"We're Rex Lapis' students," Xingqiu explains. 

"I see… Are you studying to become adepti?" 

"Not quite," Chongyun says, a touch wryly. 

Xiao raises a brow at that, but Chongyun doesn't elaborate, and Xingqiu pipes up, asking, "So, what kind of books are you looking for?" 

"I'm not sure," Xiao admits. "What are you reading?" 

Xingqiu's eyes light up, and Chongyun shakes his head with a small sigh, going back to his research books. "It's the last book of an epic adventure! The chivalrous heroes are about to fight an elder god that's become corrupted!" 

"Ah. Sounds… interesting." 

"It's the best book I've ever read."

"So was the one you read last week," Chongyun mildly notes. 

"And I stand by that."

"Does the library have any books on third eyes?" Xiao wonders. Maybe he could find something out about his curse. 

The two boys stare at him for a long moment, and Xiao resists the urge to squirm under their gazes. He wonders if they can tell he has a third eye; it's not immediately obvious just looking at him, but if you know what to look for…

"There should be something," Chongyun finally says, getting to his feet. "I think I saw a few books on it when I was looking up demon powers." 

Xiao puts a hand up to stop him from coming over. "I think I can find it, thank you." If they're not gods or adepti, then it's better if they don't get too close to him. Xiao hasn't felt his third eye stir since he got here, but there's no telling how long that will last. 

Bidding the two boys goodbye, Xiao follows the seelie down rows and rows of books until they find the section on demons. Indeed, there are several books specifically about third eyes. 

Xiao takes a selection of books over to a reading nook, setting them down on the table and flipping the first one open.

~

Xiao is gently shaken awake. When he blinks his eyes open, the light streaming in through the window has turned a soft orange. Just how long has he been asleep?

"Sorry," he murmurs, unsure why he's apologizing or who he's even apologizing to. When he looks up, his eyes meet golden ones. 

"It's fine, little bird," Zhongli says softly, carding his fingers through Xiao's hair. Xiao's eyes flutter back shut, and he leans into the touch. Gods, he'd forgotten how good the simple act of being touched could feel. "What were you reading?"

"Mm, just some stuff on third eyes." 

"Ah, you have questions about your gift?" 

Zhongli calling it a gift makes him blush. "More or less." 

"Well, why don't we bring those with us, and you can pick your reading back up after dinner?" 

"Is it that late?" Xiao asks, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

"It is. I'm sorry that my duties took me away for so long." 

"It's fine." Xiao stands, gathering the books into his arms. Zhongli takes a few from him. "May I ask what it was about?" 

"Ah, an old friend will be visiting. I had to make some arrangements for his stay." 

"I see. Another adeptus?"

"Another god, actually. Though you wouldn't know it, looking at him." 

Xiao wonders what a god that doesn't look like a god looks like. Do they just appear to be a normal mortal, then? Or maybe they look like an adeptus, with either an animal form or animal characteristics. 

"Did you find anything interesting?" Zhongli asks as they make their way back. 

"Nothing much yet. Mostly stuff on how to neutralize demons who have it, or how to harvest the eyes for spells." He's glad that no one in Liyue had access to those texts. He shudders to think what might have become of him otherwise. 

"Hmm, I see." 

"Do you know anything about it?" 

"A bit. I know that it is not always a curse." 

"You kissed it," Xiao murmurs. "When we first met." 

"I did," Zhongli remembers, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I still don't know why." 

"Why wouldn't I?" 

XIao frowns. "It's dangerous." 

"Hmm, perhaps. But lots of tools can be dangerous." 

"Most tools don't curse everyone you touch with misfortune." 

Zhongli comes to a stop, and Xiao halts too, keeping his gaze trained on the books. 

"Xiao," Zhongli says gently. "I do not deny that your eye has caused you and others great pain, but it is also capable of causing great joy." 

"How?" Xiao asks, hating how his voice cracks. He simply can't imagine that. Even if his eye can be useful, he has now idea how it could bring joy of all things. 

Zhongli cups Xiao's face in his hand, gently tilting it up to look at him. "Open it for me?" 

Xiao flinches, every part of him recoiling at the idea. He's trained since he was a child to keep it firmly shut, even when it screams to be let open. The few times that it's pried itself open… Xiao doesn't want to think about those times. The nightmares plagued him for months.

"I can't," he croaks.

"It's alright, I won't let anything bad happen."

Xiao shakes his head, heart racing. "I can't. It— it hurts. It always hurts, and something bad always happens, and—" 

"Shh, hey." Zhongli sets his share of the books down and gathers Xiao into his arms. "It's okay. It's okay." He pets Xiao's hair, and Xiao shudders, unceremoniously dropping his books so he can cling to Zhongli. "It's okay, little bird. I won't ask you to do anything that you don't want to." 

Xiao hides his face against Zhongli's chest. How mortifying. He can't stop shaking. At least Zhongli is wearing a shirt now. 

"Some food will make you feel better," Zhongli decides. He tilts Xiao's face up again, pressing a sweet kiss to the mark of his third eye. Xiao trembles. 

Zhongli summons a few seelies to pick up their books, then scoops Xiao into his arms. Xiao clings to him, tucking his face against Zhongli's shoulder and breathing in his scent. He smells like earth and cool metal. It's soothing. 

To Xiao's surprise, Zhongli goes right past the garden and towards the large, ornate doors at the end of it. Xiao's pulse races, thrumming in his ears. Zhongli's rooms. A part of his abode that had been left out of the tour yesterday.

The rooms are large and lavish, a mini mansion of their own, decorated in pristine whites, deep earthy browns, and sparkling gold. Marble floors and pillars are shot through with veins of gold. Dragon motifs are everywhere, sculpted out of various precious stones. One made of basalt guards the bedroom, its features painted with gold. There are also books piled everywhere. 

Zhongli carries Xiao through all of it, bringing him into the master bedroom. It puts the one Xiao slept in last night to shame, with even more luxurious furnishings. The bed looks as soft as a cloud, the frame's posts gilded with gold in the same patterns as the tattoos on Zhongli's arms.

Zhongli carefully sets Xiao down on the bed. It's as soft as it looks. Xiao sits up against the headboard, and Zhongli takes a seat next to him, cupping Xiao's cheek again.

"I did not mean to upset you, Xiao." 

"I know," Xiao breathes. He lets himself lean into the touch, starved for affection, closing his eyes and willing himself to forget why he was so upset. He doesn't want to think about his third eye anymore, or about what it means.

Zhongli's thumb strokes over Xiao's cheekbone, and Xiao sighs.

"I only want you to see your eye the way I do," Zhongli murmurs. "As a gift, not a punishment." 

Xiao keeps his eyes carefully closed. He never knew what he did to deserve his curse, or who inflicted it on him. He was born with it. Because of that, he always assumed that it was a punishment for something he did in a past life. After all, what sins could an infant have committed? He can't see how something like this could be a gift. 

Zhongli kisses his eye mark again, then says, "I'll have dinner brought in here. We'll eat, and then you can get some rest." 

Xiao nods, grateful. He finally opens his eyes, meeting Zhongli's, and his breath catches at the molten gold beauty of them, at the soft, almost adoring look in them. He wants so, so badly to kiss the god again.

Then Zhongli pulls away to summon some seelies, leaving Xiao feeling lost. He wants Zhongli so badly that it hurts, but he doesn't know how to ask for him. Not when he's already used up his nerves on that first attempt. 

As they eat, Zhongli tells him a bit about their guest. The god of Mondstadt — Barbatos, as he's known by his people — the god of music, freedom, and wine. Especially wine, Zhongli notes with no small amount of derision.

"I enjoy a glass or two on occasion, but Barbatos…" He shakes his head, exasperated. "You'd think he were a fish, and water wine." 

"Sounds like quite a character," Xiao says. 

"Oh, you have no idea." Zhongli shakes his head again, then looks at Xiao. "Ah, by the way. I believe you were trying to ask me for something before we got interrupted. At the springs?" 

"Ah." Xiao's cheeks heat, and he looks down at the plate in his lap. "It was nothing. Forget about it." 

"I'd like to hear it," Zhongli insists. "Please. If it is anything that can make life here better for you, I want to know." 

Xiao swallows, setting aside his plate. "I wanted to ask…" Gods, this is hard. But Zhongli is asking him directly, so… "Would you kiss me again?" It comes out barely audible, and Xiao worries that Zhongli may not have heard, that he may have to repeat himself. 

Zhongli's fingers find Xiao's jaw. He tips Xiao's face up, waiting patiently for Xiao to meet his eyes. His gaze is soft, reassuring. Then his lips meet Xiao's. 

It's electrifying. Xiao's eyes close of their own accord, and he leans into the kiss with a soft, yearning sound.

Their lips move together gently, Zhongli controlling the slow pace and Xiao more than happy to let him. In a fit of boldness, Xiao places a hand on Zhongli's neck, holding him close. One of Zhongli's hands settles on Xiao's hip, hot and sturdy. 

Something rushes through Xiao. He's in Zhongli's bed. Zhongli is kissing him. He is being kissed by Zhongli in Zhongli's bed. Xiao could easily tip backwards, could easily guide the god to lay atop him, and—

He could ask Zhongli to fuck him. 

Xiao flushes hot at the thought, hotter at the way that the thought takes shape. It is one thing to want to sleep with his husband, to want to consummate their relationship. It is another thing entirely, this raw, carnal need that floods Xiao's veins. He never thought that he could feel like this.

Then Zhongli ends the kiss, pressing his lips to Xiao's cheek before pulling him in close in a hug. Xiao hugs him back, burying his nose in Zhongli's shoulder and breathing in that comforting earthy scent. 

"Sweet little bird," Zhongli says into Xiao's hair, "you only ever have to ask." 

Xiao swallows thickly, the request to have Zhongli touch him more bubbling up but sticking in his throat. 

Zhongli pulls away, saying, "I have a few things to do after dinner. Feel free to stay here and rest for the night."

"Okay," Xiao says quietly, stuffing down his disappointment. 

Zhongli squeezes Xiao's hand, smiling, and Xiao manages a small smile back. Then Zhongli slips from the bed and takes his leave. 

Xiao spends a few minutes nibbling at what's left of his dinner, stewing in his thoughts. Is it him? Or is Zhongli simply disinterested in sex? Maybe he's so detached from the concept as a god that it simply doesn't occur to him.

Or maybe it's just Xiao that he doesn't desire. 

Pushing that thought away, Xiao finds himself suddenly exhausted. Not wanting to sleep in his clothes, he gets up from the bed and opens up a drawer of Zhongli's wardrobe. Borrowing a sleep shirt should be fine, right? 

It takes him a few tries to find what he's looking for, but finally he's able to pull out a nightshirt. He'll be swimming in it, but part of him is thrilled by that. 

Sadly the shirt just smells like clean linens, not like its owner. Still, it's his husband's shirt, and Xiao takes pleasure in wearing it. 

Climbing back into Zhongli's bed, Xiao makes himself comfortable and waits for his husband to finish his business and join him.

~

He never does.

Xiao wakes up, not sure when he fell asleep but immediately aware that he is alone. When he rolls over, the other pillow is pristine. No one else slept in this bed last night.

Fuck. Xiao feels like an idiot. What was he expecting? To wake up in Zhongli's arms like blissful newlyweds? 

The idea that Zhongli is just humoring him worms its way into his brain. Why does the god even take brides anyway? Can he really develop feelings for them from the celestial plane of his abode? 

Xiao has spent his whole life falling for Zhongli. Does Zhongli even have any romantic feelings for Xiao at all? Does he see him as a partner, an equal? Or, as equal as a mortal can be with a god. Or is he just some kind of pet? 

Does Zhongli even like Xiao?

Xiao puts his hands over his face and lets out a deep sigh. These thoughts aren't helpful. Zhongli has been nothing but kind and warm to him this whole time.

They're hard thoughts to shake though.

He should just ask. Maybe there is a good reason why Zhongli didn't come to bed last night. Maybe he really was just busy.

At length, Xiao forces himself up and out of bed. He regards his clothes from the day before, wondering if he should change back into them. The light filtering in through the windows is still that of early morning; possibly early enough that no one else is awake. He may be able to sneak back to his apartment and change without anyone noticing.

Gathering up his clothes, Xiao pads out of Zhongli's rooms in just his underwear and Zhongli's shirt, wincing when the huge doors leading to the garden creak loudly as they open. 

The garden is, unfortunately, very much not empty. Zhongli and a stranger stand by the pillars surrounding the garden, speaking in soft tones. Xiao can't make out what they're saying, but he sees Zhongli huff a laugh. An exasperated one, but a laugh nonetheless. 

"You really are something else, Barbatos," Zhongli says, almost fond if he didn't also sound annoyed. 

"Why thank you, Morax," says the stranger, giving an elaborate and showy bow. He's dressed rather frivolously, in an outfit more suited for a showy bard than what is apparently the god of Mondstadt. His use of Zhongli's most ancient name sends goosebumps over Xiao's skin. That, or it's the cool air of the gardens on his exposed skin.

"Ah, Xiao." Zhongli perks up when he sees Xiao, his smile turning warm. "I trust you slept well?" 

"Yes," Xiao says, holding yesterday's clothes in front of him to shield himself and his state of relative undress. The stranger — Barbatos, apparently — eyes him up and down, like a wolf assessing a juicy steak. Xiao quickly looks away. "I slept fine." He did actually, for what it's worth. 

"Excellent. There is someone I would like you to meet. Xiao, this is Barbatos, god of Mondstadt. Barbatos, this is Xiao, my new bride." 

Barbatos grins, stepping right up to Xiao to take his hand and press a kiss to the back of it. Xiao is surprised to discover that he's actually taller than the Anemo Archon. Only slightly, but still. "A pleasure," the god says, looking up at Xiao through his lashes. Xiao feels a blush rise to his face, and he hates it.

"A pleasure to meet you too, Lord Barbatos," Xiao says, because he still has his manners.

"Please," Barbatos scoffs, standing upright. "You don't have to be so formal. Just call me Venti." 

Zhongli's nose wrinkles. "I still don't see why you chose that, of all names." 

"Says the guy who chose 'Zhongli.'" 

"What's wrong with my name?" 

"Nothing, nothing." But Venti's sly grin tells another story. Turning his attention back to Xiao, he says, "I hope he hasn't been boring you too much. He has a thing for long-winded, needlessly detailed stories." 

"Just because I prefer to be accurate over whatever it is that you call your method of storytelling—"

"I believe it's called good storytelling." 

Zhongli huffs. Xiao looks between them, confused. They bicker like an old married couple. 

Another reason that Zhongli may not be interested in Xiao rears its head: what if he already has someone to do those things with?

"Well, your bride is finally awake. Are we gonna have breakfast, or what?" Venti steps up to Xiao's side, looping an arm around his shoulders. Xiao freezes, unsure how to feel at the sudden touch. 

"We should probably allow him to get dressed first." 

"Mm, but he looks good like this. Don't you think so?" 

Zhongli looks Xiao over, and Xiao feels every inch of himself heat up at the intensity of Zhongli's gaze. "Is that my shirt?" 

Oh. "I'm sorry. I just— my clothes were still… from the sparring…" 

Zhongli shakes his head minutely. "No need to apologize. It looks good on you." The compliment seems sincere, and Xiao's face flushes as he mumbles a thank you. "But it does seem rather cold for eating outside, so why don't you go and change?" 

Xiao nods, extracting himself from Venti's hold and hurrying towards his rooms. He doesn't escape quick enough to avoid hearing Venti commenting to Xiao: "He's cute. I like him." 

As he's slipping into his room, he hears Zhongli's reply: "Yes, well, I haven't told him about you yet, so hands off for now." 

"Pff. Spoil sport." 

Xiao shuts his door with a solid click before he can hear anything else. He has no idea what to make of anything that was just said, so he just— puts it out of his mind. 

Xiao changes quickly, not paying much attention to which clothes he puts on, then once more braves the gardens. Zhongli and Venti are both already seated at the table, and Venti is saying something, his hand on Zhongli's shoulder as he leans in conspiratorially. Xiao's gut sinks. The way that they speak to each other, the way that they touch so casually… Even if they're not actively in a sexual relationship, the two gods definitely have some sort of history.

They greet him as he takes his seat, and Xiao offers a small greeting back. His stomach is sour. How could he ever hope to compete with another god? 

Xiao mostly stays silent through breakfast, forcing himself to eat as he listens to the two gods catch up. Mondstadt is the land of freedom, hardly receiving any direction or leadership from its god, but Venti apparently loves to just mingle amongst the mortals, pretending to be one himself. Xiao has to admit that the god's form is very unassuming. He understands what Zhongli meant by 'you wouldn't know it, looking at him.' If Xiao just met him on the street, he would have thought that Venti was just some random bard.

"So, Xiao," Venti says, propping his head on his hands and focusing his attention entirely on Xiao. "What was your life like before this?"

"Excuse me?"

"Y'know — what kind of stuff did you get up to before this? Hobbies, jobs…" He waggles his brows, asking, "Trysts?" 

Xiao flushes hotly, glancing nervously at Zhongli, who is simply watching with mild interest. "Brides for Rex Lapis are pure," Xiao says tightly, not liking the implication. 

"Sure," Venti says, a smirk easing onto his face. "But there's plenty you can do while staying 'pure.'" 

Xiao's jaw tightens. "I've never done anything with anyone. Ever." He hates that he even has to say it." 

"Ah, a shame." Venti says it like he's really disappointed. "Just exploring and finding out what you like is so much fun. But then I guess you'd have a frame of reference for Morax's lackluster performance." 

"Barbatos," Zhongli says warningly. 

"Kidding!" Venti chirps. "Jeez, so serious. He's actually pretty good, for what it's worth." Zhongli glares, and Venti amends, "Or so I've heard." 

Xiao feels like he's going to be sick. 

"Excuse me," he murmurs, pushing his plate away and getting to his feet. The gods stare at him, and Xiao flounders for an excuse. He comes up empty, so he just— leaves. 

"For Celestia's sake," he hears Zhongli hiss. 

"What? I was just—"

"I told you not to—"

"He's going to find out eventually—"

"Yes, but I would have liked to tell him."

"Well, it's not my fault you didn't tell him before I got here." 

Xiao shuts himself in his apartment, cutting off their voices. He turns to collapse on the nearest sofa, only to find that the books he'd picked out yesterday placed neatly on top of it. He raises his hand to his third eye, touching the mark. If he'd opened it last night when Zhongli asked, would he have seen this coming? Would he have seen the gods' past together? He's not sure if he could have stomached that.

Even more reason to keep his eye firmly shut. 

Xiao paces the living room of his apartment, trying to think. So his husband has relations with another god. How does he feel about that? Honestly, it makes him feel ill, though he's not sure if it's because of jealousy. He knows that he's just one in a long line of brides that the Geo Archon has taken in his endless existence. When he thinks about those other brides, he still feels a bit of unease, but not nearly to the degree that he does when he thinks about Venti. 

He stops in the middle of the room as it clicks into place. He feels left out. Unwanted. Why Venti, but not him? Is it because he's mortal? Is it because of his curse? Zhongli has shown no hesitation in touching him, but… maybe sleeping with him is a bridge too far?

Then again, it's only been a day and a half. Maybe Zhongli likes to take things slow with his brides? If that's the case, Xiao wishes that the god would just say so. It's the not knowing that's killing Xiao. 

There's a knock at his door. Xiao considers just ignoring it and pretending to have gone back to bed, then sighs and calls for them to enter. 

Zhongli steps into the room, and Xiao crosses his arms over his chest self-consciously, looking away. 

"I'm sorry about that," Zhongli says softly, stepping closer. Xiao backs away a step, and Zhongli stops, letting out a quiet sigh. "There are some things I should have told you earlier." 

Xiao chews on his lip. "Like what?" 

"Barbatos and I… have history." 

Xiao frowns, feeling like Zhongli is dodging a proper explanation. "What kind of history?"

Zhongli sighs again, sitting down in an armchair. "I suppose 'history' isn't the most accurate term, considering the nature of our relationship. That implies that it is not ongoing." 

"Just say what you mean," Xiao says waspishly. He's getting tired of this. If he's made a massive mistake with the course of his life, he needs to know. 

"Barbatos and I sleep together, on occasion. Generally, we take breaks when I take on a new bride. Some of my brides were encouraging of our relationship, while others wished to be the sole focus of my attention during our time together." 

Xiao absorbs that, picking out what Zhongli means. "So… you put your relationship with Venti on hold until your current bride dies."

Zhongli winces. "That is a rather… crude way of putting it. It is not as though I am waiting for my brides to pass so that I can resume sleeping with Barbatos. We have simply come to an arrangement, and that arrangement is not as important to me as my bride's comfort and happiness." 

Considering that, Xiao perches on the armrest of the sofa. He still can't quite look at Zhongli. "I wish you'd been upfront about that." 

"I wanted you to have time to settle in first." 

Xiao wants to ask if this is the reason that Zhongli hasn't slept with him yet, but the words stick in his throat. Instead, he says, "So what, you want my blessing?" 

"Xiao," Zhongli says gently. Xiao glances at him, but can't stand to look at the earnest look in his eyes, so he looks down at the books instead. "I do not wish to push anything onto you. My primary concern is your comfort and happiness. I am simply giving you options. If you would like to be exclusive, then that is what we will be. If you would like to join us, as some of my brides have done in the past, you are more than welcome to. And of course, you are free to request anything in-between." 

Zhongli stands, and Xiao lets him approach, even lets Zhongli carefully take his hand. "And if," Zhongli says, "knowing all this, you would prefer not to be my bride after all, that is an option as well."

Panic spikes in Xiao, and he snaps his head up to look at Zhongli. "Are you kicking me out?"

"What?" Zhongli's eyes go wide, thoroughly surprised. "No, never." He sinks down to one knee, and Xiao flushes at the display of supplication from a god. "I would like nothing more than to have you spend the rest of your days with me. I truly adore you, Xiao. But that means that I want you to be happy, even if that happiness necessitates a life without me. Some of my brides have found that they are not happy with life here. In those cases, I have helped them return to the mortal realm."

"What would I even do?" Xiao asks, stuck on the thought that he's being rejected. "I can't go back to Liyue. Nowhere else would take me. Even if I could make a life for myself, my eye—"

"Xiao." Zhongli's voice, gentle but firm, cuts off Xiao's rambling. "If you do not wish to go back there, you don't have to. You can stay here as long as you like, whether or not you decide to stay my bride." 

Xiao wants nothing more than to be Zhongli's bride. It's what he's wanted for as long as he can remember. But this is a lot to take in. 

"I need some time," he says, looking away. 

"Of course," Zhongli says easily. He squeezes Xiao's hand, then lets it go. "I will wait as long as you need."

"Thank you," Xiao murmurs.

Zhongli slowly gets to his feet. "If you'd like to finish breakfast, I've had Xiangling keep your portion warm." 

Xiao nods. Zhongli lingers for a moment longer, seeming like he has something else to say, then lets out a soft breath and takes his leave. 

Xiao runs his hands over his face, his mind a mess. What is he supposed to do with this information? 

He looks at the books on third eyes, and his stomach lurches. He needs to take a walk. 

The gardens are empty when he leaves his apartment, save for a red seelie curled over his plate on the table under the tree. Xiao debates summoning a seelie to guide him through the abode, but decides against it. He needs to just wander. 

It's easy to get lost in the abode. It's exactly what Xiao needs. 

What does he want? Zhongli seemed perfectly fine with the idea of being exclusive with him, but… Xiao can't shake the feeling that he would be holding Zhongli back from something. He doesn't want to be that kind of spouse, dictating what his husband can or can't do. Though it's not like he's demanding anything; Zhongli is the one whooffered…

How would he feel about sharing Zhongli? He considers it, imagining Zhongli and Venti going off together to fool around or have sex. It… doesn't bother him as much as he thought it would. If anything, the part that bothers him is the thought of being by himself in his apartment while they have fun without him.

Would he want to join them? He's definitely interested in sleeping with Zhongli, but he's not sure how he feels about sleeping with Venti. He's not sure he even likes the Anemo Archon. Venti hasn't exactly left him with the best first impression…

Notes of music catch Xiao's attention, pulling him out of his thoughts. He realizes that he's by one of the gardens; the tree grove. 

Xiao wanders into the mini forest, ducking under low branches and making his way towards the music. It's a peaceful melody, soothing and serene. Xiao feels something tangled in his chest loosen. 

He comes upon a tree with twin trunks, one of them bent sideways before curving back upwards, making a natural bench. It's not too high up off the ground, but Venti's feet still sway in the air from where he's perched on the bark. He has a lyre in his hands, and is delicately plucking at the strings. Around him, various forest animals sit entranced. A deer has its head rested in his lap, looking up at him with big doe eyes. 

Not wanting to disturb the scene, Xiao carefully sits at the base of a tree, leaning back against it to listen. Venti is humming along with his song. He has a nice voice. 

Xiao startles a little when a fox pads up to him and curls up in his lap. He carefully lays a hand on its fur, disbelieving. Animals usually hate him. 

Then Venti starts singing. 

The words are foreign, in some ancient language that Xiao could never hope to understand, but the longing in them is palpable. And if Xiao thought his voice was nice before…

Xiao's eyes close on their own, and he loses himself to the music. That tangled knot in his chest slowly comes undone with each deep breath, with every gentle verse that leaves the god's lips. The song is wistful, but also… hopeful. Xiao can almost hear instruments aside from the harp, filling out the song. Wind rustles through the trees, carrying soft harmonies that twine with the god's voice. 

Letting out a deep sigh, Xiao relaxes back against the tree. He's never felt so at peace. 

The song drifts to a stop, and slowly, Xiao opens his eyes. Venti is smiling at him from his perch, petting the deer whose head is still in his lap. 

"Did you like it?" Venti asks, his voice as soft as the whisper of the wind. 

"It was nice," Xiao says before he can think twice about it. "A lovely song." 

"Thank you. Though I can't take all the credit for it; it was written by a dear old friend of mine." 

"They're a great songwriter." 

"Yes, they were."

"Ah. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." 

They lapse into silence, though it's not an uncomfortable one. Xiao gently pets the fox in his lap, watching the fur shift beneath his fingers and the fox's chest rise and fall as it slips into a contented slumber.

"I'm sorry," Venti says. Xiao looks up at him, but the god is looking at the deer in his own lap.

"What for?" Xiao asks warily. 

"Earlier. I didn't mean to upset you. I was only trying to tease you and Morax." 

Xiao turns that over in his mind. He doesn't think he quite forgives Venti for earlier, but… "Thank you. I appreciate it." 

Venti nods, taking the answer for what it is: acceptance but not forgiveness. "He means it, you know."

"Means what?" 

"That he cares about your happiness above all else." 

"Oh." 

"I haven't seen him this enamored with a bride in quite some time," Venti muses, idly swinging his legs. "You must be quite something." 

Xiao flushes, ducking his head. "I'm not, really…"

"Well, Morax clearly sees something special in you. Anyway, he's being genuine when he says that we're fine taking a break. Really, it's no skin off our noses. We just fool around for fun sometimes. It gets kinda lonely being an immortal god, you know." 

"Right." Xiao can't imagine what that must be like, outliving so many that you've come to care about. Even the adepti don't live forever. 

"Ah, shoot, I don't mean it like— That's not meant to make you feel guilty, or anything. We really do mean it! Though I wouldn't say no if you wanted to share… Even at the same time." 

Xiao's face burns. "Yes, Zhongli let me know that that is… an option." 

"What do you think of it?" 

Xiao rolls his eyes. "I think I know that it's your preferred option."

Venti laughs sheepishly. "Ah, I've been caught. Sorry. Can't blame me for trying though, right?" 

"Do you ever take brides?" Xiao wonders. He's never heard of it, but then he doesn't know a whole lot about Mondstadt customs. 

"Not brides, no. Sometimes I take lovers. They stay on the mortal plane though, and I just visit them now and then."

"I see." 

"Actually, Morax is the only one of us that takes brides." Xiao blinks. This is news to him. He thought that almost all the other gods took brides. "Beelzebul has one wife she's had for eons, and Rukkhadevata has never really been interested in the whole marriage or lovers thing. The others will take an occasional lover, but it's never anything serious or ceremonial like it is here."

"Why does he take brides?" It's been nagging at him since last night.

"He's a romantic at heart. We both are, but he's more… structured about it. I give my love freely, but Morax has always been one to want to settle down with someone. You know, he's tried to make a couple of his brides immortal?" 

Xiao startles. "He has?" 

"Well, it worked for Beelzebul. Her wife was just a mortal shrine maiden. Beelzebul likes to be amongst her people too, but she's a lot more hands-on than I am. They fell in love, but then one day, a rival god tried to take her on. They wanted to rule Inazuma. Her wife, still just a shrine maiden at the time, tried to stop them, and… well, Beelzebul isn't the goddess of eternity for nothing." 

"Wow," Xiao breathes. "What happened to Zhongli's brides?" He thinks about it for a moment, then wonders: "The adepti?" 

Venti laughs. "Oh goodness, no! No, all of Morax's adepti are former pupils of his." Venti sobers up, his smile turning sad. "None of his brides said yes. They wanted to remain mortal." 

Xiao swallows thickly, looking down at the fox in his lap. He idly scratches behind its ear. "I imagine immortality must be a lot to deal with." 

"It is. Yae has handled it gracefully, but I've seen others crumble under its weight." 

Nodding, Xiao considers if he would want to be immortal, if Zhongli asked. Not that he'd be presumptuous enough to think that, of the surely hundreds of brides that Zhongli has had, that he would be one of the few that Zhongli would offer immortality to. An eternal life… one beside Zhongli… If Xiao could have what he wanted, could have all of Zhongli and give the god all of himself in return… that sounds pretty nice, actually. 

"He really cares for you," Venti says softly. "I can see it in the way that he looks at you. He's not the most suave when it comes to romance, but the affection for you is clear."

"Thank you," Xiao murmurs. "That means a lot." Surprisingly, it does. Perhaps he misjudged Venti. 

Venti smiles, subdued and warm. It makes something in Xiao's chest flutter. "Would you like to hear another song?" 

Xiao answers, easy as breathing. "I would." 

~

They make their way back together, Venti sharing stories about Mondstadt on the way. He's a good storyteller, and Xiao finds himself enamored with the tales that he spins. The one about the hero that saved Mondstadt is of particular interest to him.

"She sounds amazing," he says. 

"Oh, she was. She's ascended to another plane now, but I visit her tree in the mortal realm often. It's beautiful." Venti grins up at Xiao, offering, "I could take you there someday."

"I'd like that." 

Venti squeezes his hand. He's not sure when they started holding hands, but their fingers have been twined together for some time now. 

Venti seems to know the abode like the back of his hand. He effortlessly navigates it without the help of a seelie, bringing them to the library. There's no sign of those two boys this time, but Zhongli is in the shogi room apparently playing against himself. 

"He likes to mime out famous games to relax," Venti stage whispers to Xiao. Zhongli looks up at the sound, his gaze falling on them, then their entwined hands. He smiles. 

"I'm glad to see you two getting along," he says. 

"We had a lovely chat," Venti says, squeezing Xiao's hand again. Xiao nods, finding a smile tugging at his lips.

"We did."

"Good. Xiao, would you like another lesson on shogi?" 

"Please." Xiao gives Venti's hand a squeeze back, earning a bright smile from the god, then lets him go to take the seat across from Zhongli. Venti reclines himself on a lounge off to the side, propping his head up on a hand and watching them play. 

It's a surprisingly content experience. It feels almost… domestic. Xiao can easily see them spending many days together like this, Venti included. Venti turns out to know a thing or two about shogi, or at least enough to call Zhongli out on various move choices he disagrees with. 

"Oh, shush," Zhongli says without any real heat. 

After a few rounds of shogi, Venti loudly declares that he's bored, so the trio get up and return to the garden to have lunch. Xiao finds that he's starving, after having barely eaten breakfast that morning, and eagerly tucks into his food. 

Venti giggles. "You really are too cute, Xiao." Xiao blushes, forcing himself to slow down a bit. "Oh! After lunch, we should go swimming!" 

"You should wait at least an hour after eating before swimming," Zhongli says primly. 

"Oh, please. That's an old wives' tale. What do you say, Xiao?" 

Briefly, the image of Zhongli shirtless and wet flashes through Xiao's mind, and he almost chokes on his lunch. "Um. I actually was planning to do some research this afternoon." 

Venti pouts, looking like he's going to argue, but Zhongli places a hand on his arm. 

"Perhaps tomorrow instead?" Zhongli offers. 

Venti sighs overdramatically. "Fine, I suppose I can wait until tomorrow." 

"Good." Zhongli pats Venti's arm, and Xiao shoots him a grateful smile. 

Xiao retires to his room after lunch, taking a moment to steady himself before braving the research books again. 

~

It turns out that there's not much in the books that he didn't already know. There's some interesting things about the history of third eyes, but almost all of the scarce literature on controlling them just suggests meditation and herbs. Like Xiao hasn't already tried all of that to no avail. 

There is an interesting bit about music, but Xiao isn't sure how much water that idea holds. He enjoys music, but he's not sure if a simple song can quell the beast that is his third eye. 

The last time his third eye opened, Xiao couldn't sleep for a week. He'd seen into the mind of a human who put monsters to shame, that brief moment of sight flooding him with a deluge of information, all of it so intensely vivid that the only thing Xiao could do was fall to his knees and empty his stomach onto the pavement. It was agony.

He was blamed for the downfall of the human. They'd been a respected member of the community once. How could they be so evil? It must have been Xiao's fault somehow, his third eye cursing them. Even though the man had been doing these things long before Xiao could even walk. 

Xiao has always tried to be good. He devoted himself to Rex Lapis, hoping that if he was just good enough, if he was just dedicated enough, that his sins might be washed clean and he could eventually go into the next life peacefully. But no matter what he did, something always went wrong.

Xiao wonders if he should include his marriage amongst those things that have gone wrong. Though maybe that's too fatalistic, considering he's only been here a couple of days. It's definitely not what he imagined, but is it wrong?  

He stays up late that night, sleeplessly tossing in bed and turning over Zhongli's offer in his mind. What is it that he wants? The answer is easy, yet endlessly complicated. He wants Zhongli. But what does wanting Zhongli entail?

He's still not sure how he feels about Venti. The other god is not nearly as bad as Xiao initially thought, but he's not sure if he would want to be involved with him. He's never wanted anyone other than Zhongli, and he doubts that that will change. Though he's not about to write it off completely; he wants to feel things out. Partly for Zhongli's sake, but mainly for his own. It's rare that Xiao has been able to examine his own desires and needs so openly and freely. It's strange, but… good. It's nice. 

Xiao wants to explore all of his options. Several of those options involve Venti, so he supposes he should get to know the god a bit better. 

The next day, the three of them go swimming in the pool room. The room can apparently take on many different forms, as Xiao is pretty sure that it was a rectangular pool the last time he was here, but at Venti's request it turns into a lake, complete with a dock and surrounding foliage. There's even a sky.

Xiao regrets agreeing to this almost as soon as he sees what the gods are wearing. Zhongli's outfit is typical, with nothing special about his swim shorts, but just the fact that his chest is on display again has Xiao incredibly flustered. And that's before he sees Venti's outfit. 

The Anemo Archon is, frankly, barely wearing anything. He has on shorts and a top, but both of them are so skimpy and skin-tight that he may as well not be wearing anything at all. And why, for the love of the gods, is the outfit white?

Venti does a cannonball off the dock, then comes back ashore giggling and wringing water out of his braids. The cropped top he's wearing is so sheer from the water that Xiao can clearly make out the shape and shade of the god's nipples, as well as the pink scars underscoring his pecs. Xiao quickly looks away. 

Zhongli spends most of the day sitting on a towel under the shade of a tree, reading a book. Xiao sits on the dock, letting his feet dangle into the water, and watches Venti swim around. He's rather elegant, when he's not behaving like a child. His backstrokes are lazy but well practiced, and Xiao has vague thoughts that Venti rather resembles a swan. 

"Aren't you going to swim?" Venti asks, swimming up to him. 

"I'm not big on swimming," Xiao says. "Besides, I don't know how." 

Venti blinks up at him owlishly. "What do you mean you don't know how? You grew up on a harbor, didn't you?" 

"Yes, but I wasn't jumping into it. No one actually swims in the harbor. It's too easy to get hit by boats or tangled in fishing nets."

"Still, there's lakes in Liyue, right?" 

"I've never been to one." 

Venti hums, watching him for a few moments. Then he offers, "Why don't I teach you?" 

"Teach me what?" 

"How to swim, silly!" 

Xiao hesitates. Does he want to learn to swim? "What would that entail?" he asks cautiously. 

"I can take you over to the shallow end and show you how to tread water, and maybe a few basic strokes." 

Huh. That doesn't sound too bad. "Okay." 

Venti beams. He hauls himself up onto the dock, then leads Xiao over to the shallows. There's a nice spot that gradually deepens as you wade further out, and Venti takes them out until Xiao has to stand on his tiptoes to keep his shoulders above water. 

"Good. Then you'll come out a bit further, and you'll kick your legs a bit, holding your arms out to help you float. Don't worry; if you start to struggle I'll pull you back to shallower water."

Xiao swallows thickly and does as he's told. 

He struggles the first few times, but Venti is there like he promised, pulling Xiao back in by his hips so that he can rest on the sandy lakebed. Then Xiao starts to get the hang of it.

Once he's able to tread water for half a minute without help, they move on to learning to float on his stomach. Venti helps hold him up at first, then gradually lets him float on his own. Then Venti teaches him how to kick, holding his hands and leading him around the shallows. 

By the end of it, Xiao is exhausted, collapsing on the bank. Venti giggles, sitting beside him and handing him a bottle of water. Xiao gulps it down greedily. 

"Did you have fun?" Venti asks, sipping at his own water. 

Xiao weighs that in his mind. "Surprisingly, yes," he decides. 

"Good." Venti bumps their shoulders together, grinning up at him. "I can show you more sometime."

"I think I'd like that." 

They go to join Zhongli, Venti spreading out on his own towel to sunbathe and Xiao seating himself under the tree with his own book. The day passes quickly and rather quietly, with Zhongli going for a quick swim before they eat lunch together. Xiao tries not to stare at Zhongli when he returns. It's as bad as it was in the hot springs. Maybe worse, somehow, for the fact that Zhongli is partially clothed. It just makes Xiao's mind race with the imagination of what the rest of him looks like, piecing together from the brief looks he got the other day. 

Xiao curls in on himself a bit, sticking to the shadow of the tree and tucking himself behind his book. Something about the gods' bodies makes his normal insecurity over his own worse. It's intimidating how confident they are in their own bodies. Xiao envies them, in a way. If only it were so easy for him to display his body without doubt or worry. Xiao tugs at his oversized swimming shirt and tries not to think about how he wishes he could have the same scars that Venti does. 

The sun is dipping low in the sky by the time they head back, and Xiao wonders at it. He'd realized that the day and night cycle here must be somewhat artificial, but it's still odd to see the sun pass overhead through an open sky in what should be a contained room. He wonders if it's synched up to the mortal realm at all, or if this abode runs on its own time. 

"Are you doing alright?" Zhongli asks softly as they make their way back, Venti trotting ahead of them. 

"I'm fine," Xiao says quickly. Perhaps too quickly. "Why?"

Zhongli shakes his head minutely. "Nothing, just… you seemed a bit down after lunch." 

"Oh. It was nothing." 

"Are you sure? If there's anything I can do…" 

Chewing on his lip, Xiao considers. Venti was clearly able to change his body, but he's a god. Would Xiao be able to manage the same thing, even with Zhongli's help? Even if it's possible, is that really what he wants? It's such a big decision to make. Would he be able to go back if he changed his mind? Or would he be stuck like that forever? Just the thought of it is dizzying.

"Maybe," he says. "I need to think about a few things." 

Zhongli nods, understanding. "I see. Well, if you need someone to speak to, my door is always open, so to speak." 

In a fit of boldness, Xiao takes Zhongli's hand in his, giving it a small squeeze. "Thank you." 

~

The next few days pass in a bit of a blur. The three of them spend most of their time together, though Xiao is careful to make himself scarce a few times to give the gods a chance to catch up and spend some time together without him. Venti seems to be of the same mind, not-so-subtly making comments about 'giving the newlyweds some time together' before disappearing to do something or other by himself. And when Zhongli has to attend to his duties, Venti and Xiao find things to do together.

Xiao sees some of the adepti in passing, mainly Ganyu, who sometimes fetches Zhongli for various things. She seems to be his secretary, of sorts. Xiao also runs into those two boys again, who seem totally unfazed by Venti's presence. He even meets the cook, Xiangling, who tells him how thrilled she is to meet him and makes him try all sorts of new dishes that she's experimenting with. It's all delicious of course, but Xiao is more partial to plain foods, and her experiments are rather… adventurous. 

Xiao finds that he loves to sit in a particular alcove of the library curled up with a good novel, listening to Venti pluck at his lyre. Sometimes Zhongli joins them, sitting across from Xiao and reading his own book. In those moments, Xiao feels more at ease than he ever has in his life. 

He keeps researching third eyes, but has little luck coming up with anything more. Nothing seems to apply to his specific situation. 

"What do you know about third eyes?" he asks Venti one day. They're in the library, Xiao at one of the tables and Venti sprawled on one of the sofas trying to compose a new song. 

Venti tilts his head. "Hmm, not a whole lot? Probably more than most mortals. Why?" 

"I'm trying to figure out how to… manage mine." 

Venti hums, looking up at the skylight and idly plucking at strings as he thinks. "Most people with third eyes that I've known were taught how to manage them by other wielders. I haven't seen another mortal with a third eye in a long time though, and it's different for demons."

"Oh." 

Venti looks over at him, offering an apologetic smile. "Probably not what you wanted to hear."

"Not exactly," Xiao agrees. 

"Sorry. I do know that music can help, though!" 

Xiao stares. "Music?" 

"Mhm! A big part of managing your eye is meditation, right? Music can help a lot with getting you into the right mindset! It's actually what I've been working on." 

Xiao's cheeks heat. "You've been working on a song for me?" Wait, maybe that's presumptuous. Venti didn't say it was for him. Maybe he's just been working on meditation songs in general.

"Of course!" Venti says easily. "Morax explained a bit of your situation, and I wanted to help. It's not quite coming out right, though…" 

"What do you mean?" 

"Something about the sound is off. Maybe I need a different tune…" 

"Can I hear it?" It's out of Xiao's mouth before he can stop it, a shy request that makes his heart hammer in his chest. Venti looks at him in surprise, then grins widely. 

"All you ever have to do is ask, darling." 

Before Xiao can fully process the nickname, Venti starts playing, his fingers flying lithely over the strings. It's a beautiful melody. Xiao rests his head on a hand, letting his eyes drift shut. The song is soft and peaceful, like lying in a field of flowers on a sunny day. Xiao pictures himself there, in a field of glaze lilies, breathing in their sweet scent and exhaling all of his worries. 

The song trails off, and it takes a few moments for Xiao to come back to himself. Gods, he'd almost fallen asleep. That might have been the most beautiful song he's ever heard.

Venti is frowning though. "See? It's not quite there yet. There's still something missing…" Muttering to himself, Venti wonders, "Is it the bridge? No… And the melody is solid… Maybe a different instrument?" 

"It's perfect," Xiao blurts. Venti blinks at him. 

"Oh," he says, and his cheeks color a subtle red. "Thank you." If Xiao didn't know any better, he'd say that the god almost seems… shy. "It didn't work, though. At least, not fully." 

"What is it supposed to do?" 

"Relax you. Third eyes are best managed in totally relaxed states. Ideally, you should go into a sort of trance where you're able to communicate with it, and you two can reach an understanding."

"An understanding?" How is he supposed to reach an understanding with something that he's fought against his whole life? 

"It's not necessarily a bad thing, you know. Third eyes can be quite useful." 

Xiao leans against his hand, letting out a weary sigh. "Zhongli said something about it being capable of 'bringing joy.' I'm not sure I believe him." 

"Hmm, I can see why you wouldn't. All I'll say is this: a third eye is a type of power. It can be used in many ways. It all comes down to its wielder."

Xiao frowns. "So it's my fault that it's a curse?"

"Huh? No! No, that's not what I meant at all." Venti sits up, setting his lyre aside. "What I mean is— if you weren't taught how to use it properly, of course it's going to make you suffer. But if you can learn how to manage it, how to work with it… I think it can bring you great things." 

"Maybe," Xiao mutters, looking down at the table. "I just… can't see how that's possible." 

Venti rises from the sofa, crossing over to take the seat next to Xiao. He puts his hand over Xiao's on the table, offering him a sweet smile. "I know it's hard. But even if you can't see it, can you trust that Morax and I do?" 

Xiao looks between the god's aqua green eyes, trying to read him. Venti seems so earnest and honest… Xiao wants to believe him. 

"Maybe," he murmurs. "I… I can try." 

Venti squeezes his hand, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "That's all I'm asking for." 

Xiao's face burns, and he touches his hand to his cheek in disbelief. Venti seems to catch himself, his smile turning sheepish as he backs off a bit.

"Sorry," he says. "I should've asked first. Was that okay?" 

"I—" Was it? Xiao was caught off guard, and he's flustered, but… he's not upset. Not at all. "Yeah. Yeah, it was okay." 

Venti's nervous expression fades, replaced by a pleased one. "Yeah?" he asks, shifting closer. "Then I have to tell you — and you can say no if you want, no pressure — that I'm thinking about kissing you." 

"Oh." Xiao's heart is pounding in his chest. 

"Do you want me to? I'll only do it if you say yes." 

Xiao swallows thickly. Does he want Venti to kiss him? "I—" The words stick in his throat, mangled beyond his own comprehension. Would it be okay if he said yes? Should he talk to Zhongli first? Zhongli did offer for him to join them, but is that only when Zhongli is present? Xiao doesn't know the rules to this, and it's making his thoughts spiral.

Venti takes his hand in his again, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Xiao's thoughts grind to a halt, grounded by that simple touch.

"Not yet," he finds himself saying. 

"Okay," Venti says easily. "Can I kiss your cheek again?" 

Xiao nods, and Venti leans in to gently press his lips to Xiao's cheek.

"Cute," Venti sighs against his heated skin. "You really are adorable, you know that?" 

"Thank you," Xiao says shyly. 

Venti squeezes his hand one more time, then gets to his feet. "I'm going to go soak in the hot springs. Would you like to join me?" 

"No, I think I'll stay here and do a bit more reading." 

"Sounds good." Venti leans in and kisses Xiao's hair, then retrieves his lyre and slips out of the library. 

Xiao sighs, leaning back in his seat. He should really talk to Zhongli. But he's not sure that he's ready to have that conversation yet. Hell, he's not even sure how to start that kind of conversation. He hardly knows how to express what he wants to himself, how is he supposed to explain it to Zhongli? 

He knows he needs to talk about it sooner rather than later. It's just… a lot.

~

It's two days later when Xiao finally brings it up with Zhongli. 

They're playing shogi, and Xiao is starting to really get the hang of it. He's still nowhere near a match for Zhongli, even with the god going easy on him, but he's surprised Zhongli a few times with unexpected moves. This current match however, Xiao has really been struggling. He's been thinking about how to broach the topic, and it's been affecting his playing.

"Are you alright?" Zhongli asks as they're resetting the pieces. "It seems like something is on your mind." 

"Can I talk to you about something?" Xiao forces the words out before he can second guess himself, adding, "It's about Venti." 

Zhongli tilts his head, setting down the piece in his hand to give Xiao his full attention. "What about him?" 

"I—" Gods, he still doesn't know how to talk about this. Where does he even start? Maybe at the beginning? "I've been thinking about what you said. About your… arrangement with him." 

"Oh?" A simple voicing of curiosity, purely neutral in its tone. Somehow it sets Xiao more on edge than if Zhongli was clearly swayed one way or another. 

Xiao nods. "I… I've been thinking… what would it look like? That is… would it be alright if…" He trails off, unsure how to finish that sentence. Or, he knows how he wants to finish it, but he doesn't know how to make himself say the words.

"Xiao?" Zhongli questions. 

"Venti asked to kiss me the other day," Xiao blurts. It's been eating him up inside, keeping that from Zhongli. Not that it's a betrayal or anything, just… Xiao wants to be able to talk to Zhongli about these things, but he doesn't know how. Even now, he feels lost, stumbling his way through this conversation. 

"I see," Zhongli says, still frustratingly neutral. "And what was your answer?"

"I said I wasn't ready. I— I wanted to talk to you first."

"Ah." Zhongli smiles sympathetically, reaching out to put his hand over Xiao's. "I appreciate it, but there is no need to consult me on such matters. You are free to do as you wish with Venti." 

"Are you sure? I don't— I want to make sure I'm doing things right." 

"Xiao. As long as you are happy, I'm fine with whatever you wish to do. I appreciate you wanting me to be involved, but you don't need to worry about me. I want you to be able to talk to me about your relationship with Venti, but it's only as much of my business as you wish to make it. If you would like to keep things between the two of you, then you are more than welcome to do so." 

Xiao blinks, his eyes stinging. He's not sure he's ever been given so much freedom in his life. It's such a simple thing, the kind of thing that should just be a given, and yet it feels so huge to Xiao. He loves Zhongli so, so much. He wants to tell him, but the words stick in his throat.

"Thank you," is what he chokes out instead. "That— that means a lot to me." 

Zhongli squeezes his hand, then stands and rounds the table, leaning down to press a kiss to Xiao's hair. As he starts to straighten up, Xiao catches him by the back of the neck, holding him in place. Zhongli gives him an inquisitive look, and before he can chicken out, Xiao guides him down into a soft kiss. His heart hammers in his chest. Is this okay? Xiao knows he should have asked first, but— he just felt that he had to kiss Zhongli. 

Zhongli cups his hand against Xiao's jaw, tilting his head up to deepen the kiss. A longing sound claws its way out of Xiao's throat, and Zhongli swallows it down greedily. Xiao's mouth parts on its own, and the first brush of Zhongli's tongue against his own is electrifying. 

Xiao groans, his other hand fisting in Zhongli's shirt. He feels the brush of fangs against his lips and shudders pleasantly, his eyes slipping shut.

At length, Zhongli pulls away, pressing their foreheads together as they catch their breaths. 

Zhongli shifts, pressing a sweet kiss to Xiao's third eye. "I adore you," he murmurs. Xiao shudders again, clinging to Zhongli's shirt. He wants those lips all over his body, wants those subtle fangs to sink into his flesh and claim him. His entire body burns with the force of his desire. 

Then Zhongli pulls away, returning to his seat. "Shall we play another round?" he asks, apparently oblivious to the fire raging inside of Xiao. 

"Uh." Xiao wants to sweep the board off the table and demand that Zhongli take him on it. "Sure." 

Xiao loses the next three rounds.

~

"Hey, Xiao!" Venti chirps, waving from where he's leaning against the edge of the hot spring. Xiao stops short, wondering if he's seeing things. Behind Venti, spread wide and half-submerged in the steaming water, are bright white wings. 

"You have wings?" Xiao finds himself saying. 

Venti tilts his head. "You didn't know?" Xiao shakes his head. "Yep! They can be a bit of a bother, so I don't always let them out, but they were due for a good soak." 

"Ah," Xiao says. "Should I come back later?"

"Nonsense! Come join me." 

Xiao swallows down the lump of nerves in his throat, then steps over to the bathing area. Thankfully Venti has enough grace to close his eyes while Xiao undresses and rinses himself off. To his surprise, Venti is quiet the whole time, seeming to just be enjoying his soak. 

Once he's done, Xiao eases into the hot spring, letting the water rise up above his chest. He's not sure how he feels about Venti seeing his bare chest, but it does make it a little easier, knowing that Venti likely understands how he feels about it.

Venti lets out a contented sigh, his wings subtly shifting in the water. Xiao looks them over, wondering at how beautiful and majestic they are. Though some of the feathers are crooked. Xiao reaches out without thinking and nudges one back into place. Venti makes a noise of surprise, and Xiao snatches his hand back like it's been burned.

"Sorry." 

"Hm? No, it's fine." Venti peeks an eye open, giving Xiao a warm smile. "I don't mind if you touch them, you know."

"Some of the feathers are askew," Xiao says, answering a question that Venti didn't ask. 

"Mm, yeah, they get that way if I don't tend to them enough." The wing closer to Xiao shifts, moving towards him. "Would you mind?" 

"Oh. Uh, sure." He guides Venti's wing into his lap and starts carding his fingers through the feathers, straightening them out. Venti's wings are remarkably soft, and shimmer a faint blue in the light. "Like this?" 

"Just like that," Venti sighs. "Mm, you're good at that."

Xiao blushes, but doesn't say anything, instead focusing on grooming Venti's wings. 

They lapse into a comfortable silence. Eventually, Venti sits up and turns around, stretching his other wing into Xiao's lap. 

"They're beautiful," Xiao can't help but say.

Venti grins at him over his shoulder. "Thank you. I'm pretty fond of them myself. Plus, they feel great when they're touched or tugged during sex." 

Xiao flushes hot, his mind going straight back to the gutter that he so carefully dragged it out from after his conversation with Zhongli. He pictures Venti pressed against him, trading sweet, lazy kisses as they rock against each other. It's… a nice image. Xiao never thought he would be attracted to anyone but Zhongli, and yet…

"Sorry. Too much information?"

"No, it's fine," Xiao murmurs. He straightens out a few feathers, then says, "How much longer are you staying?" 

"Oh? Trying to get rid of me?" Venti's tone is teasing, completely unheated, but still, Xiao feels a flash of panic that he might have offended the god.

"No! I was just— wondering." Quietly, he admits, "I want to know how much time I have left with you."

Venti smiles, his eyes glinting as he looks over at Xiao. "That's one of the sweetest things I've ever heard. Don't worry; I'll be here for a while longer. And even once I leave, I'll be back. It's not that easy to get rid of me." 

Xiao ducks his head, hiding a smile of his own. "I see. That's good." Then: "I talked to Zhongli."

Venti has turned back towards the spring, his eyes shut. "Oh yeah? What about?" 

"About us." 

Venti hums, letting his head loll back. "'Us' meaning you and Morax, or 'us' meaning you and me?" 

"You and me." 

"Mm, and what's the verdict?" 

"He said he's fine with it, and that I'm free to do as I please with you."

Venti lifts his head, turning it to cast a look through his lashes over his shoulder. "And what is it that you'd please?" 

Xiao swallows thickly. "I don't know," he confesses. "I'm not— I'm not used to wanting things." 

Carefully extracting his wing from Xiao's hands, Venti folds his wings up and shifts to sit by Xiao's side, just a few inches from touching. "Well, let's start simple. Do you want to hold my hand?" 

"Yes." The word is out of Xiao's mouth before he can stop it. Venti smiles, reaching out and twining their fingers together. 

"Do you want to kiss me?" Venti asks. "Not now, but in general." 

"Yes." It's surprisingly easy to say. 

"And what about sex? Is that something you're interested in?" 

Xiao has to look away, cheeks burning. "I— maybe. I don't know." He ducks his head, the truth bubbling up until he blurts: "I want Zhongli to be my first." Gods. Why did he say that? How embarrassing to admit. 

Venti just giggles, not unkindly, and squeezes Xiao's hand. "That's so sweet. Well, I won't get in the way of that. And if you decide afterwards that you want to try fooling around some… I'm always up for it." 

Xiao nods, blushing furiously. He clears his throat, brushing his thumb against Venti's hand to help him think. After he's collected his thoughts for a moment, he quietly says, "I don't know how to ask him, though." 

"How to ask him to sleep with you?" Xiao nods again. "Hmm. Well, unfortunately, you need to be loud and clear with that blockhead. Just hinting at it's not gonna do the trick."

"Oh."

Venti bumps their shoulders together. "Y'want me to help you?" 

"Huh? No, I— Maybe. Yes? No. I'm not sure. I… I think it's something that I have to do myself." 

"Well, I can give you some tips at least. Or we could practice you asking him." 

Xiao feels dizzy. "I don't know…" 

"Hey." Venti puts his fingers on Xiao's jaw, gently turning his head towards him. "We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with. But if it would help you be able to ask Morax for what you want…" 

"I…" Xiao's mouth is dry. He flounders for a few moments, then agrees, "Sure. Why not?" There's probably at least a dozen reasons why not, but they all fall away in the face of Venti's smile. 

"Alright, so let's get some background! You two have kissed since the wedding, right?" 

"Um. Yes."

"Lemme guess, he always pulls away and acts like nothing happened after, right?" Xiao nods. "Typical. He can be so unromantic. Well, here, pretend I'm Morax. You've just kissed me, and now I'm trying to go back to reading a boring book or whatever." 

"Uh, okay." Xiao tries to put himself in that scenario, playing back earlier when he and Zhongli were kissing in the shogi room. Zhongli starts to pull away, and— "Wait."

"What is it, little bird?"

Xiao blinks, immediately brought out of it. "Little bird?" 

"It's what he calls you, right?" 

"It is," Xiao agrees, embarrassed. "It just… sounds odd, coming from you." 

"Right, that's his nickname for you, not mine, got it." Venti nods to himself, then says, "Alright, where were we? You told me to wait?" 

Xiao ducks his head, murmuring, "I lost the scene." 

"That's okay. How can I help you get back into it?" 

You could kiss me, Xiao thinks, then immediately casts that thought away. No, when he kisses Venti for the first time, he wants it to be about them, not about him and Zhongli. 

"I don't know," he admits. 

"Okay. How about this: you be Morax, and I'll be you and show you how it's done."

"Okay?" 

Venti closes his eyes for a moment, apparently getting into character, then leans in close to Xiao, batting his long lashes up at him, and says, "Zhongli, I'd like to fuck you." 

Xiao feels his face go beet red. "I can't say that!" 

"What? Why not?" 

"It— It's too— I just can't!" 

"Alright, alright. How about this? Zhongli, I would like to have sex with you." 

Xiao can't look at him. "That's… a bit better." 

"Oh, wait! I have the perfect one. Here, pretend to be leaving." 

Xiao's throat clicks as he swallows nervously. "Xiao—" gods, that feels weird to refer to himself like this "—I have some matters to attend to." 

Venti pulls his hand out of Xiao's and slides it up his arm. Xiao looks at him, finding a pleading look on Venti's face.

"Stay?" Venti asks simply. Xiao's heart skitters to a stop, then restarts in overdrive. 

"Yes," he says without thinking. Why wouldn't he stay?

Venti grins, squeezing Xiao's arm. "See, just like that! It's not so hard, is it?" 

Blinking, Xiao comes back to himself, looking away as he realizes with a sense of mortification what just happened. Venti is really good at this. "No," he says, "I suppose it's not." 

"Just use your words and be clear, and it'll be fine," Venti assures him, patting his arm. 

"Hey, Venti?" 

"Hm?" 

Before nerves can get the better of him, Xiao leans forward and presses a quick, chaste kiss to Venti's lips. When he pulls away, Venti looks awestruck. 

"Thanks," Xiao murmurs.

"Anytime," Venti says dreamily. "Especially if it gets you to kiss me again." 

Xiao tucks his hair behind his ear, a smile tugging at his lips. "Maybe. We'll see." 

Venti presses a kiss to Xiao's shoulder, then pulls away. "Well, I should get out before I turn into a total raisin. See you at dinner?"

"Mm. See you."

Venti smiles sweetly, letting his fingertips trail over Xiao's shoulder as he gets up and out of the hot spring. Xiao shudders, carefully not looking at Venti's exposed body as he leaves. He does watch the wings trail after him though, flushing when he accidentally gets an eyeful of Venti's ass. It's… very plump.

Xiao sighs, sinking deeper into the water. He's once again burning with desire, the realization hitting him: he wants to sleep with Venti. 

~

Another few days pass, with Xiao trying to figure out how to approach Zhongli and ask for some time alone with him. They haven't kissed again since their shogi game. Though as much as Xiao would like to have Zhongli take him wherever he pleases, he would prefer his first time to be in a bed. Specifically, Zhongli's bed. He just doesn't know how to make that happen.

He thinks about asking to sleep in Zhongli's bed again, but even that seems so big to ask. 

So Xiao keeps sleeping in his own bed, wondering what it would be like to sleep pressed up against Zhongli. Or up against Venti, for that matter. The more that time goes on, the more that Xiao develops feelings for the Anemo Archon. They're still nowhere near the intensity of his feelings for Zhongli, but they're definitely significant, enough to make him flustered around Venti. 

They've both offered to share him. He could have both of them, if he could just work up the courage to ask.

As it is, he's been tiptoeing around them, trying to figure out his next move. 

He's reading in the library nook when Xingqiu comes and finds him. 

"Told you he would be here," he says to Chongyun. The other boy just nods. "Master Xiao, Lord Barbatos is looking for you." 

"You really don't need to be so formal with me," Xiao reminds him, marking his place in his book and setting it aside. "What does Venti want?"

"Not sure. He just said to meet him in Lord Rex Lapis' chambers." 

Huh. Why would Venti want to meet him there of all places? "I see. I'll be right there." 

The boys nod and take their leave, and Xiao summons a seelie to help him back to the main garden. He's gotten a bit better at navigating the abode, but he still gets lost frequently, and he'd rather not waste time on his way to meet Venti. 

Venti is waiting for him in Zhongli's chambers like Xingqiu said, and he beams at Xiao as he enters. "There you are! Come here, we have something special for you." 

"'We?'" Xiao questions. Venti doesn't answer him, grabbing his hand and tugging him along through the vast rooms until they reach Zhongli's bedroom. The Geo Archon himself is there, seated on the bed. Xiao looks between them, confused.

"Sit," Zhongli says gently, patting the space next to him on the bed. Xiao blushes but goes, carefully perching on the end of the bed. "How are you today, Xiao?" 

"I'm good," Xiao says shyly. "What's all this about?" 

"I finished my song!" Venti announces, bouncing as he drops down onto the bed on Xiao's other side. "I figured out the problem. It was the wrong instrument." 

"The song you wrote for me?" Xiao asks, cheeks heating. 

"Mhm! It's finally done." Venti holds up a flute, and says, "If you're comfortable, I'd like to try playing it for you. Morax will be here to help you and guide you." He takes Xiao's hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We'll both be here for you." 

Xiao swallows thickly. "This… is the song that's supposed to help with my third eye, right?" 

Zhongli puts a hand on his shoulder. "We'll only do this if you want to. If you're not ready, then we can wait." 

"I—" Xiao's voice catches, and he ducks his head. His heart pounds hard against his ribcage. "What will it do?" 

"It'll help," Venti says. "It'll relax you, like it did before, but deeper. Part of the problem is that this—" he gently presses a fingertip to the mark of Xiao's third eye "—is too tense. Imagine keeping your leg tense for your whole life. Of course it's gonna be cranky. So we're going to show you how to relax it."

"But what about when it's open? I— Bad things happen when it's open." 

"They don't have to," Zhongli tells him. "If we can get you to relax, then nothing bad will happen." He takes Xiao's other hand in his, looking Xiao in the eye as he asks, "Do you trust us?" 

The answer is easy: "Of course." 

Zhongli smiles, pressing a kiss to Xiao's mark. 

They have him move, sitting back against the plush pillows with his legs folded in front of him. Zhongli sits in front of him, Xiao's hands held in his own, and Venti sits to the side. At Zhongli's nod, Venti lifts the flute to his lips and starts to play. 

"Close your eyes," Zhongli instructs. Xiao obeys, letting out a shaky breath. He's nervous. Will this work if he's so nervous? Zhongli grips his hands reassuringly. "I'm here," he says. "I'm here. Just listen to the music."

Xiao does. It's that same peaceful tune from the other night, and despite himself, Xiao starts to relax. The music seeps into him, the delicate notes of the flute fluttering down to his bones. Xiao imagines each note as a butterfly, the same shimmering blue-green as Venti's eyes and the tips of his braids, landing on his ribcage until the entire thing is covered in them. The fluttering of their wings makes his chest thrum with a warm, comforting energy. 

"Breathe," Zhongli tells him. "In… and out. In… and out." He times his words with gentle squeezes of Xiao's hands, and soon he doesn't have to use the words at all. With every breath, Xiao feels himself sinking deeper and deeper. It's more intense than any meditation he's ever conducted, his thoughts washing away as though the music is the ocean and his mind is the sandy shore. 

He feels a butterfly land on his forehead, right where his mark is, and gasps softly. Zhongli squeezes his hands, and he breathes in, feeling the butterflies in his chest settle as the one on his forehead gets comfortable. It kisses his mark, the most featherlight kiss that Xiao has ever received. Xiao's eyes sting. 

Slowly, the song ends. The butterflies fold their wings and drift to sleep, melding into Xiao, leaving nothing but their warmth and a faint blue-green glow. Xiao keeps breathing, and the glow flares and ebbs like embers. 

"Open your eyes," Zhongli says softly.

Xiao does. As he opens them, his third eye opens without being told. Xiao doesn't even realize it's open at first. It doesn't feel violent like it usually does; it doesn't hurt. It just… is.

"Oh," he says when he realizes. He looks at Zhongli before him, at the golden aura hovering around him. As he looks, he feels Zhongli's affection, can almost see the shape of it in his aura. But he doesn't get the overwhelming flood of information that normally comes with looking at someone with his third eye. 

"Well?" Venti gently prompts. Xiao looks at him, and feels a childlike wonder in the blue-green aura shimmering around him. "How do you feel?" 

Tears start to fall from Xiao's eyes. Both gods startle, worry tinting their auras as they shift closer to Xiao. He shakes his head, pulling a hand from Zhongli's to wipe at his eyes. 

"Thank you," Xiao manages, his voice thick. Both gods relax, letting out breaths of relief. 

"You feel alright, then?" Zhongli asks, placing a hand on Xiao's cheek. Xiao leans into it, letting Zhongli brush a tear away with his thumb. 

"I feel amazing." He's never felt like this before. He feels a relief that he's never known. It's exactly like Venti said; like he's had a tense muscle his whole life, and finally it's relaxed. "Thank you." he can't say it enough. Just words aren't nearly enough to express his gratitude. 

Zhongli smiles warmly. "Of course. I—" He's cut off as Xiao surges forward and kisses him. He makes a muffled sound of surprise, but quickly recovers, placing a hand on the small of Xiao's back and holding him close. Xiao hears Venti giggle from beside them, and breaks the kiss to reach for him, grabbing him by his cloak and pulling him in to kiss him, too.

Zhongli chuckles, rubbing the small of Xiao's back as Xiao kisses Venti breathless. It feels like a dam in him has broken, and all of Xiao's desires are tumbling out. 

"Thank you," he breathes against Venti's lips. Venti just nods, dazed. Xiao turns, tucking his face against Zhongli's chest. "Thank you both. I— I didn't know it could be like this."

Zhongli gently shushes him, petting his hair. Venti leans his head against Xiao's shoulder, subtly nuzzling at it. "I'm just glad that it worked," Zhongli says.

"Me too," Venti murmurs. 

Happiness swells up in Xiao's chest, bubbling up into laughter that escapes him. The gods startle a bit, then smile at each other, both of them holding him close as he laughs until the laughter starts to turn into sobs. They hold him closer then, murmuring soft reassurances and pressing kisses to his hair and shoulder. 

"I'm sorry," Xiao says. "It's just— it's so much." 

"I know," Zhongli soothes. "I know. It's okay." 

Once the sobs have died down, Xiao sits up, looking at Zhongli. He tries to focus on Zhongli's aura, and the affection he feels from him only gets stronger and stronger, other emotions swirling into it, until—

Xiao can see himself.

He sees himself through Zhongli's eyes, and— 

He's beautiful. 

Xiao always thought that he looked rather plain in mirrors, but through Zhongli's eyes… 

"Is that what I look like to you?" he asks. Zhongli blinks, caught off-guard, then smiles. 

"It is." He brushes some of Xiao's hair, stuck to his cheek by his tears, away from his face, tucking it behind his ear. "You are radiant, Xiao." 

Xiao blinks back a fresh wave of overwhelmed tears. He has never loved anyone like he loves Zhongli. "Sleep with me." 

Zhongli's eyes go wide. Venti giggles under his breath. 

"Ah. I… That is what you want?" 

Xiao nods. "I've wanted to since our wedding." 

Interestingly, Zhongli's cheeks go a lovely shade of pink. "Oh," he says. "I see. I— was not aware." 

"Well now you are," Venti teases. "What're you gonna do about it?" 

"This," Zhongli says, then tips Xiao's face up for a deep kiss. Xiao melts into it, clutching at Zhongli's chest. It's amazing. It's perfect. It's exactly what Xiao wanted.

Venti giggles again, shifting to get off the bed. "Well, I'll leave you two to it!" 

"Wait." Xiao breaks the kiss, hand flying out to catch Venti by the wrist. Venti looks at him in surprise. "Stay?" Xiao requests. He sees himself through Venti's eyes for a moment, just as radiant but with flushed cheeks and his lips kissed red. 

"Well now how am I supposed to say no to that?" Venti breathes, settling back down. "How do you want this to go?" 

Xiao isn't sure; he's never done anything like this before, let alone with more than one person. 

Seeming to sense how lost Xiao is, Venti smiles, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "How about this? Morax can take your virginity, and I'll hold you and watch, okay?" 

Every inch of Xiao goes hot at the suggestion. All he can do is nod. It's all that he needs to do — the gods spur into motion simultaneously, Venti kissing at Xiao's neck as Zhongli lays him down on the bed, those large, strong hands smoothing over Xiao's sides. 

Xiao shivers pleasantly, tilting his head to allow Venti more access. His eyes don't leave Zhongli, who lifts Xiao's wrist to press a soft kiss to the inside of it, where Zhongli's mark glows faintly on his skin. Xiao's stomach flutters. Zhongli then kisses his way down Xiao's clothed chest until he reaches his stomach, where his shirt has ridden up to expose it. A hot kiss is pressed to his bare skin, and Xiao fights back a gasp. 

"Let us hear you," Venti murmurs, then nips gently at Xiao's ear. Xiao can't help but let out a whine, only made worse when Zhongli's hands slip up under his shirt, pushing it up, up, up. 

"Tell us to stop if you don't like something," Zhongli says, and his voice rumbles, thick with desire. Xiao can feel it through his aura, as strongly as if it were his own. He nods quickly, and Zhongli ducks down to kiss and mouth at his ribs. 

Venti helps him get the shirt off, then skims his fingertips over Xiao's bindings, asking, "Okay?" Xiao nods again, and together, the gods unwork the cloth until it falls away in a heap on the bed. 

Xiao sees himself again through Zhongli's eyes, chest flushed and heaving, and for once he doesn't shy away from the sight of his own breasts. In Zhongli's eyes, they're beautiful. 

Zhongli's mouth returns to his chest, hands cupping Xiao's breasts as he kisses them all over. Xiao squirms, sensitive, but Venti distracts him with a kiss, licking into his mouth and making all thoughts go out the window. 

Then Zhongli bites Xiao's breast, those subtle fangs sinking into his skin, and Xiao keens. Zhongli goes to move away, and Xiao can feel an apology stirring in him. He tangles a hand in the god's hair, holding him in place, and Zhongli seems to get the message, instead laving his tongue over the bite to soothe it. 

"Good?" Venti asks against Xiao's lips. Xiao nods. "Hehe, and this isn't even the main course." 

It can feel better than this? The thought is dizzying, Xiao whimpering as Zhongli continues to dote on and abuse his chest in turn and Venti continues to kiss him breathless. 

At length, Zhongli starts to kiss down Xiao's chest again, smoothing his hands over Xiao's stomach. His claws lightly drag over Xiao's skin. Venti's hand replaces Zhongli's, groping Xiao's breast. 

Zhongli unfastens Xiao's pants and slowly tugs them off. Xiao tucks his face against Venti's shoulder, shy. Zhongli's hands slide up his thighs, making him shudder, and squeeze them reassuringly. 

"Gorgeous," Zhongli murmurs, pressing a kiss to the inside of Xiao's thigh. Xiao tries not to think too much about how he's totally bare in front of them both. 

"Want us to get undressed too?" Venti softly asks. Xiao nods, not lifting his head. "Okay. Morax, you first."

Zhongli sits up without question, and Xiao has to peek, has to watch the god pull his hooded cloak off over his head and toss it to the side. His chest is as flushed as Xiao's, and the vee of his hips draws Xiao's gaze down to where Zhongli hooks his thumbs in the waistband of his pants and pushes them down. 

Gods, he's hard already. Just from touching and kissing Xiao? That's— wow. 

"Yep," Venti murmurs into his ear. "That's all for you." 

Xiao doesn't know how to deal with that. 

Zhongli slots himself back between Xiao's thighs, gripping them and kissing his way up Xiao's inner thigh. Venti kisses Xiao's hair, then lets go to pull off his own clothes. Xiao watches him too, eyes locked on the slow reveal of pale skin as Venti takes off his complicated outfit piece by piece. He leaves his thigh-high socks on, as well as his delicate white lace panties. When he returns, Xiao reaches up and tangles a hand in his hair, gently tugging him down into a kiss. 

Zhongli's mouth finds Xiao's sex, and Xiao gasps into the kiss. Sparks light up along his spine. He arches into the sensation, moaning as Zhongli works his tongue against him. Xiao doesn't have words to describe how incredible it feels. His reactions only seem to spur Zhongli on, the god's hands gripping Xiao's thighs tightly as he dives into Xiao's sex like a fine meal. It's clear that he's savoring this — savoring Xiao.  

"Please," Xiao finds himself whining. "Please, I need— Ah— more—"

Venti kisses his cheek sweetly, running an affectionate hand over Xiao's chest. "Whatever you want, darling." 

Zhongli groans against him. Then he lifts Xiao's hips, plunging his tongue deeper, and Xiao cries out, scrabbling for purchase. He finds it with a hand in Zhongli's hair, curling around one of Zhongli's horns. Zhongli lets out another deep groan, licking into him with a new fervor. Venti holds Xiao's other hand, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. 

"You're doing so good," Venti assures him. Xiao can feel his approval and how sexy Venti is finding the display before him. "Such a good boy for us." 

Xiao shudders, his toes curling. He likes that. He really, really likes that. Venti clearly picks up on it, because he starts kissing Xiao's neck, murmuring more praises into his skin. Xiao clings to his hand tight enough for his knuckles to go white. He can feel something in him winding tighter and tighter, threatening to snap.

"It's alright," Venti says, as one of Zhongli's large hands smooths over Xiao's belly. "Just feel it, okay? Let it sweep through you." Venti gropes Xiao's breast, thumbing at the bruise that Zhongli left and making him moan. "Just like that. Good boy." 

Xiao can't take it anymore. The cord snaps. 

It's almost a scream, the noise that leaves Xiao as he comes. Zhongli holds him by the hips, licking him through it. His tongue greedily scoops up Xiao's pleasure, making him tremble and twitch with aftershocks. 

"Morax," Venti gently chides when Xiao's moans turn to overstimulated whimpers. 

At length, Zhongli pulls away, lowering Xiao's hips to the bed and sitting up to look at him. The lust rolls off of him in waves, palpable enough that Xiao could probably feel it even without his third eye. His chin is slick with Xiao's arousal, his pupils blown wide, and Xiao shudders. They're not done yet; not by a longshot.

Zhongli cups a hand to Xiao's cheek, and asks, "Are you doing alright, little bird?" 

Xiao nods, though words escape him at the moment. He tugs lightly on Zhongli's hair, and thankfully the god gets the message, leaning in to kiss him. Xiao's eyes flutter shut, and a groan shakes out of him at the taste of himself on Zhongli's tongue. 

When they part, Zhongli asks, "Do you need a break?" 

Xiao quickly shakes his head. Zhongli's sex hangs hard and heavy between them, and Xiao can't stop looking at it. It's big — bigger now than it was when he saw it at the springs, arousal giving it more girth — and Xiao wants it so desperately that he aches.

"I want you," Xiao manages to get out, looking up into Zhongli's eyes. Zhongli lets out a noise — almost a growl — and kisses Xiao fiercely. His fangs scrape against Xiao's lip. Xiao gasps, wanting those fangs on this throat. 

"Good boy," Zhongli rumbles into his mouth. A needy sound claws its way out of Xiao's throat. 

"Can I open you up?" Venti purrs, dragging his hand up Xiao's arm. Xiao nods eagerly, just as desperate for Venti to touch him more. 

Zhongli shifts to the side, lying alongside Xiao and kissing him languidly while Venti presses himself against Xiao's other side and reaches a hand between his thighs. 

"Let me know if anything hurts," Venti says, and then his fingers are inside of Xiao. His movements are slow and teasing, drawing more wetness out of Xiao with clever crooks of his lithe fingers. 

Xiao writhes, still sensitive from before, but Zhongli distracts him with his lips on Xiao's and his hand on Xiao's hip, steadying him. Soon there are more fingers inside of Xiao, then even more, Venti stretching him wide to prepare him for what's to come. 

Finally Venti pulls away, sucking his fingers clean with a smug expression. "That should be more than enough," he says proudly. Zhongli's fingers replace his, two of them testing Venti's work. Zhongli makes a noise of approval. 

"Are you ready?" Zhongli asks softly, cradling Xiao's face in his hand. Xiao's entire being flutters with nerves, like he's filled with butterflies again, but he nods. 

Then Zhongli is slotting against him, Xiao's legs carefully wrapped around his waist, and Venti is gathering Xiao to lean back against his chest. 

"It's going to be amazing," Venti promises, smoothing his hands over Xiao's chest. Xiao grips at Venti's arms to ground himself. "Just relax."

Zhongli kisses Xiao again, likely to distract him from any nervous thoughts. He rubs against Xiao's sex, hot and hard. Xiao tenses a bit in anticipation, but then Venti is teasing his chest, mouthing at his neck and making his mind melt. 

When Zhongli pushes into him, it knocks all of the breath out of his lungs. 

It feels— It's so— Oh, archons.  

Xiao wraps his arms tight around Zhongli's shoulders, hiding his face in the crook of the god's neck. He chokes on a sob, though not one of pain or distress. Venti was right. It feels amazing. But it's also so much. All Xiao can do is cling to Zhongli for dear life as his husband starts to rock against him.

His husband. Xiao is having sex with his husband. He didn't imagine that the Anemo Archon would be here when he slept with his husband for the first time, but he's glad for it, appreciating the way that Venti pets his hair and tells him how good he's doing. 

"Good boy," Zhongli says into his ear, deep and rough, and pleasure spikes in Xiao, suddenly and fiercely, winding tight and snapping before Xiao is even aware of what's happening. 

This time no sound comes out of him, whatever noise he might have made breaking in his throat. Zhongli growls and sinks those fangs into Xiao's throat, bucking into him almost desperately. Xiao feels his pleasure crest again, entirely too soon, and can only squeeze his eyes shut and let it wash over him. 

"Xiao," Zhongli rumbles, running a clawed hand over Xiao's side. Xiao tries to focus on what he's saying, but it's hard. "Fuck." The curse shoots through Xiao like a live wire, making him shudder. "I want to come inside of you." 

It takes Xiao a hazy few seconds to realize that Zhongli is asking for permission. Somewhere on the edge of Xiao's consciousness, he's aware that there is a wealth of things to consider in regards to that, not the least of which being the possibility of bearing the god's children. Zhongli does not have any offspring, as far as Xiao is aware, and the thought of being the first to give him that is pleasing. Xiao isn't sure how he feels about the idea of being pregnant, but at the moment he doesn't care. All he knows is that he needs Zhongli — all of him.

"Do it," he begs. 

That's all Zhongli needs — he spills inside of Xiao, molten hot, and Xiao holds tight and trembles as he's filled to the brim. 

Zhongli pants against Xiao's neck, and Xiao is equally unable to catch his breath, staring dazedly up at the ceiling as they both start to come down. Venti gently cards his fingers through Xiao's hair, murmuring sweet, reassuring nothings. 

Eventually, Zhongli sits up, cradling Xiao's face in his hand and looking him over. "Are you alright? I didn't push you too far, did I?" 

Xiao shakes his head, staring up at him dreamily. "No," he manages. "No, it was perfect."

Zhongli kisses him, deep and sweet. Xiao melts into it, tangling his hands in Zhongli's hair and holding him close. Then Zhongli shifts, pressing closer, and Xiao hisses, wincing as his oversensitive sex is stimulated by Zhongli still inside of him. 

Zhongli kisses his cheek in apology, then gingerly pulls out. Xiao watches it, shiny with a mix of their pleasure, and feels a bit dizzy. They had sex. Zhongli took his virginity. Xiao wasn't sure how he would feel after, but… he feels amazing. And sore. And—

"You're still hard," he realizes, staring at Zhongli.

"He's a god," Venti giggles. "He can go for ages." 

Xiao flushes hot at that, attempting to sit up before wincing and lying back against Venti's chest. "I can—" he starts to say, but both the gods shush him.

"You've done more than enough," Zhongli says gently. "I can deal with it myself. It's no trouble." 

"Or I could help," Venti says, oddly timid. Xiao doesn't understand why until Venti squeezes his shoulders and says, "If that's okay with you." 

"Why wouldn't it be?" Xiao asks honestly. Venti blinks at him, then kisses his cheek and gathers him into his arms, hugging him tight.

"You're just the sweetest thing, you know that?" Venti gushes. Xiao looks away, shy. 

"Can I hold your hand during?" he asks. 

Venti places two fingers on Xiao's jaw, gently turning him to face him. Venti's expression is soft, and affection and adoration radiates through his aura. Then he kisses Xiao, and those feelings only intensify. He breaks the kiss just long enough to move from behind Xiao and press against him, lining their bodies up until they're pressed flush together, their legs tangled as Venti all but climbs on top of Xiao. Xiao loses himself to it quickly, his hands settling on Venti's hips as the god kisses him senseless.

Zhongli clears his throat pointedly. When Venti and Xiao look at him, he has an amused expression on his face. "Are you done hogging my husband, Barbatos?" Xiao's heart stutters in his chest. He thinks that's the first time that Zhongli has actually referred to him as his husband. As his bride, sure, but as his husband… 

Venti giggles, rolling off of Xiao. "Can you blame me? He's just so cute."

"He is," Zhongli agrees with a glint in his eyes that makes Xiao's breath catch. Then Zhongli turns to Venti and quirks a brow. "Shall we?" 

"Mhm! One sec." Venti gleefully pulls his panties off and drops them off the side of the bed. "There! Come at me, big guy." 

Zhongli shakes his head fondly, positioning himself between Venti's legs and lining his hips up against Venti's. 

Venti holds his hand out to Xiao, who rolls onto his side to take it. Their fingers lace together just as Zhongli pushes forward, and Venti's eyes flutter as he lets out a sweet moan.

It's fascinating to watch. Xiao never in a million years thought that he would enjoy watching two other people have sex, but getting to watch every inch of Zhongli as he rocks into Venti, watching Venti's expression change as his pleasure gets more and more intense, watching the way that their bodies shift together, the way that their auras blur against and into each other… If Xiao didn't feel close to the edge of consciousness, he might be of a mind to touch himself. 

As it is, his eyelids feel heavy, and he starts to struggle to keep them open. He decides to close his eyes, just for a moment.

~

When Xiao comes to, everything is still. His third eye is closed, and he's now sandwiched between the two gods, Zhongli pressed up against his back, arm wrapped around his waist, while Venti is curled up to his chest, their hands still intertwined. Both are breathing softly, deeply asleep.

Xiao turns over what happened in his mind like a coin in his hand, examining the different sides of it. That was… fun. Really fun. Xiao didn't think he would enjoy sex so much. Not that he thought he wouldn't enjoy it, but that was more than he ever could have hoped for. He feels exhausted, but in a good way, like after a good workout. He feels sated.

He feels… vaguely sticky.

Gods. He might have the Geo Archon's child. That is, if Zhongli can even get someone pregnant. Perhaps the lack of children is not for lack of trying. He knows that sexual prowess doesn't necessarily have anything to do with it, but he still can't imagine someone like Zhongli being anything less than incredibly virile. Not after what just happened.

Xiao smiles to himself, shyly excited. Even if he doesn't bear Zhongli's child, he's still going to spend the rest of his life with him, kissing and having sex and loving each other for decades. 

Xiao wants more than decades, though. He wonders again if Zhongli would consider making him immortal. He discovers that he wants it — badly. He wants to spend eternity with his husband.

He also wants an eternity to get to know Venti, he realizes. He's not sure if what he feels will grow into the same kind of love that he has for Zhongli, but he knows already that Venti is someone that's important to him. 

Venti snuggles closer to him, their legs tangled together, and Xiao smiles wider, tipping his head to kiss Venti's forehead. Zhongli snuffles in his sleep, holding Xiao tighter. Xiao closes his eyes again, warm and content, and drifts back to sleep.