I would have been very disappointed. [He recalls feeling very helpless too, like he does right now with how vulnerable that laugh makes him. (He missed the laugh. Venti hasn't done a lot of laughing lately.)
He shakes his head. Old man... he's not wrong, but still. That's so rude.] I merely speak the truth.
[It's too bad that Venti has his eyes closed because he misses Zhongli's hopelessly perplexed expression. He's not trying to make an excuse to kiss Venti. If he wanted to, he'd just do it. And he does want to, but it's-- look, it's not a good time. For either of them.
He wants to ask Venti if that's what he wants, but the lurch in his heart tells him that he doesn't want to know the answer if it's not one he likes. Today has been full of enough emotional realizations.
So he doesn't deign that with an answer at all.
There's a brief golden glow that Venti can probably see beneath his eyelids, followed by the sound of little claws on metal as he scampers up the back of Venti's bistro chair like a cat. And then, at last, Zhongli in his small, noodly copper dragon form drapes about Venti's shoulders. He has little glowing leylines in this shape, too-- new, but familiar all the same. And he's warm. The most important part.]
You looked a little cold, [he says, not caring if it's a thinly-veiled excuse for cuddles. Venti is in need of them right now.]
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He shakes his head. Old man... he's not wrong, but still. That's so rude.] I merely speak the truth.
[It's too bad that Venti has his eyes closed because he misses Zhongli's hopelessly perplexed expression. He's not trying to make an excuse to kiss Venti. If he wanted to, he'd just do it. And he does want to, but it's-- look, it's not a good time. For either of them.
He wants to ask Venti if that's what he wants, but the lurch in his heart tells him that he doesn't want to know the answer if it's not one he likes. Today has been full of enough emotional realizations.
So he doesn't deign that with an answer at all.
There's a brief golden glow that Venti can probably see beneath his eyelids, followed by the sound of little claws on metal as he scampers up the back of Venti's bistro chair like a cat. And then, at last, Zhongli in his small, noodly copper dragon form drapes about Venti's shoulders. He has little glowing leylines in this shape, too-- new, but familiar all the same. And he's warm. The most important part.]
You looked a little cold, [he says, not caring if it's a thinly-veiled excuse for cuddles. Venti is in need of them right now.]