With shaky hands, Venti opened the door to peek out. Lumine was filing through the kitchen cabinets for ingredients to cook dinner.

"Oh, you're back." Venti greeted her from behind. He put on a smile and hugged her warmly. Lumine returned the favor and cocked her head at the eyepatch Venti wore.

"Did something happen to your eye?" She asked and went to touch it, but Venti gently grabbed her wrist and held it. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch from a rifthound." He insisted.

Venti assisted Lumine in cooking a meal to get her mind off of it. It was a special kind of soup along with bread that Lumine learned a few days ago.

____________

There were a few instances where Venti would cuddle Lumine from behind (wrapping arms around her and resting his head on her shoulder). She didn't mind, however, because she thought it was adorable.

"By the way, is the food just for us? It seems...like quite a handful." Venti inquired, wiping the sweat off of his hands with a towel. "This is actually a dinner for the Knights of Favonius. I invited everyone for a picnic. However, Barbara, Diluc, and Rosaria couldn't come. So it's only just a select few of us."

"Oh. I see. Very well then." Venti was nervous about attending the picnic, mostly because everyone would be asking what happened to his eye. He didn't complain out loud though. He wanted the best for Lumine and the picnic dinner.

________________

After all the preparations have been made, Venti and Lumine carried the food to a nice spot at Windrise. Lumine carried a small notepad with a list on it with all the food.

"Soup...check. Bread...check. Juice for Klee...check. Some parmesian for the soup..." Lumine glanced at Venti making a gagging face at "parmesian". "...check."

When she got to the word "wine", it was nowhere to be seen on the blanket they set out. "Ah, Venti. I accidentally left the wine at the Tavern. Can you go get it for us, please?"

"I'm on it!" Venti reassured and sprinted towards the city of Mondstadt.

Once he arrived there, he spotted a 12 pack of wine on the bar table.

Hmm...no one is here...maybe it won't hurt to sneak a sip or two...right?

______________

With a groggy mind, Venti awoke from his sleep. He wiped drool from his mouth and groaned at the massive headache he had acquired during his slumber. He looked over to the window pack and saw that three of the wine bottles have been emptied and gone from the pack. He guessed it was him who had drunk them.

What made him fully alert was a scream that erupted from outside. He snapped his head up and dashed towards the door.

What...the...hell..

There was blood and injured people everywhere. Was he dreaming? Was this the after effects of drinking? He blinked and after seeing the same image once again, he confirmed that this was, indeed, reality.

Lumine was hugging Klee, who was sobbing hard at the scene. Master Jean was going around, helping the injured. Diluc leaned on a nearby wall, staring Venti down hard. Venti looked on in horror as more blood and people appeared before him. What the hell happened to everyone??

"Hey! You!" Diluc boomed, marching over to Venti. Venti whirled around as well as everyone else towards the sound of an angry Diluc.

"Uhm, Master Diluc! What happened?" Venti asked with worry. "Treasure hoarders invaded the city! I didn't see you at the scene though. What were you doing?" Diluc crossed his arms.

"I...was sleeping." Venti tried to play it off but Diluc was hard to push off as "whatever".

"Sleeping where?!" Diluc started to get really pissed off at Venti. Who just sleeps when an ambush happens and then comes out directly after??

"Ok fine! I was sleeping at the tavern! I may have had a bottle or 2 but that's it! I didn't mean to..."

A sharp and loud slap rung out through the city. Venti looked tooken aback to the slap he received.

"You could've saved all these people but you decided to drink and sleep like the lowly bard you are. You are a fucking disgrace."

Venti's eyes went wide but Diluc didn't bother to stop lecturing him. "All of these people couldn't have been hurt. Everyone could be enjoying their lives and we could be having a picnic but NO. YOU had to be the one who ruins it all. You disgust me. I hope you think back on your actions. You are awful." Diluc raised his hand to give another slap but quickly, Venti's brain began to shatter.

He thought back to every time he had been insulted, specifically the word "disgrace". In his mind, the final straw was Lumine calling him the same name and leaving him. Forever.

Venti snapped.

He grabbed Diluc's wrist harshly without looking directly at him. Diluc gasped lightly and everyone looked in horror at the scene.

Venti gritted his teeth and with a violent jerk, he snapped Diluc's wrist and forearm in two. The loud snapping sound erupted several screams from the townsfolk. Sadistic joy replaced Venti's anguish after seeing Diluc struggle and try not to cry in front of everyone in Mondstadt.

"Heh, you had this coming. I hate people who make me feel small." Venti talked normally and calmly, as if he didn't just break someone's arm. "I'll get my revenge later on tonight." He whispered to Diluc as he walked off with a smile on his face.

____________

At Windrise, the food was stolen and only the juice meant for Klee was left. Venti sipped some from a juice pouch as Lumine rushed towards him. "Venti! Are you ok? How did you break Master Diluc's arm so swiftly like that?" She sat down next to him and touched his cheek. Venti blushed and held her hand lovingly, having no intentions on snapping it in half.

"I'm ok, Windblume. I promise." He soothed. "And to be honest, I have no idea what I was thinking. It just...happened." He took Lumine's hand and gently kissed it, rubbing the kiss mark with his thumbs in tiny circles. Lumine tried to hide her blush with her other hand, but Venti quickly noticed and laughed. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, embracing the warmth.

"Do you want to play with my hair for a bit?" Venti asked out of the blue. Lumine looked at Venti's hair and pondered the thought. "I'd love to." Venti took off his hat and Lumine started patting his head first. Venti sighed contently.

He pulled her into a hug while she continued to play with his hair.

I think...I'm in love with her. That being said, I would do anything to keep her happy.

I'm not going to accept if someone confesses to her. They will be wiped off the face of the earth.

She.

Will.

Be.

Mine.

__________

After planning a little surprise for Diluc, just before closing time, Venti walked into the tavern timidly. The "timidness" was all just an act to trick Master Diluc, you see.

"Hey...I wanted to apologize."

"No, wait! Hear me out first! I truly am sorry for breaking your arm and not being able to save everyone today. I reflected on my actions. So, how about we drink to this? I'll pay this time."

Diluc perked up at "pay". Venti never paid for his drinks because Lumine always paid for it.  After pondering the thought, he finally slid a bottle of Dandelion Wine in Venti's direction.

"Thanks!" Venti chirped and popped the cork open. The two men clinked their drinks and chatted for a while. How lovely.

How lovely before someone dies, of course.

Venti stood up and took the bottle upside-down by the neck. He giggled softly, causing Diluc to look up from his glass and raise an eyebrow.

"What's funny?" He asked.

"Hehe...ah, nothing. I just can't believe you thought I'd pay for this." Venti smiled and slammed the bottle on the countertop, shattering it and forming a perfect sharp tip where it was shattered.

Diluc came from behind the counter. "Hey hey hey, stop that! That bottle was expensive."

Venti snorted. "Pfft! Like hell I care. Besides, it won't matter anyway." He swung his leg at Diluc's and he met the floor, crashing hard. Venti got directly in top of him with the pointed end towards Diluc. "You've always pissed me off with that grumpy attitude of yours. And with publicly humiliating me like that..." He chuckled lightly. "You have some serious balls of steel to do that to a god."

"What?" Diluc questioned him. Venti shook his head in disappointment and transformed on top of him. Bright blue light filled the tavern before it disappeared. Wings as white as clouds sprung from his back and his outfit was silver and silky. He wore a hood on his head and a strange crop top (whatever it is).

Venti ripped his eyepatch off and opened his eye. Pure black with an anemo symbol as a pupil. Diluc recoiled back and Venti grabbed both of his wrists. He winced, looking up at the crazed grin the God wore on his face.

"Barbatos?! You-" Diluc started, but Venti shushed him. "It's too late now. You've said what you've said and you did what you did. The damage cannot be reversed. Oh and by the way...

...tell your father I said hi."

Venti plunged the bottle into Diluc's throat and stabbed him over and over again, blood showering his face and body. By the 20th stab, Diluc was long gone, but Venti kept going for it. A new feeling woke up inside of him. What was it? Oh...

Bloodlust.

Venti got up and stared at his work. Diluc was dead and blood was everywhere. "Ah...maybe I should have snapped his neck instead. *sigh* Too late now."

Venti looked at himself. He was coated in Diluc's blood. However he wasn't disgusted. He actually was starting to get thrilled. He bursted into hysteria and couldn't stop laughing, rubbing the blood all over his face.

Drunk from insanity, he finally took a deep breath and mused how he would take care of Diluc. "Hhehe...heh...hmmmm. How do I clean this up...?"