Chapter Text
What has Venti gotten himself into?
Now he wishes Xiao actually was just a fifty year old or a random homeless guy. Albedo is totally going to have his head or laugh himself silly when he realizes what Venti has gotten himself into this time.
When he really thinks about it though, it all makes sense. Of course Xiao wasn’t a local, despite however familiar he might be with a couple of customs. He could write, it was probably just in another language altogether, and his dialect in Mondstadtian could almost pass for local if it weren’t for that tiny lilt in accent that he could never listen for quite prominently enough to identify.
Venti’s lived in the city for quite a while. This is how he knows how strict they are with policies that never quite made sense to Venti. Back in Windrise, and even Springvale, there was always the quiet hint of homeless people visible.
Once, when Venti had wandered too far from his childhood home, the path veering off mysteriously to the side, he’d wanted to feed a dog.
When he’d approached the corner the dog had run toward though, instead, he’d found a row of men on messily lain cloth. They’d been dead asleep. Venti had creeped back to the house, utterly horrified.
He hadn’t been used to seeing people out on the street. His parents would boast about it proudly, actually. No man is left to fend for himself in Mondstadt. It’d made him proud once.
Until that day.
When he really looked, both in Windrise and Springvale, there was always the hint of those in the shadows, lurking in poverty and desperation. Always faces that looked left and right, all alert, while scavenging the garbage bins before anyone important managed to catch sight of them.
Venti would barely be able to make eye contact with them for a second before they’d run, scampering.
With his violin case clutched tight under his armpit, he’d been walking back to his dorm after his lessons in Springvale. There had been a ruckus up ahead on the empty street, in a dark corner.
A uniformed officer had pulled out a man whose eyes were alight with fear, who struggled to resist in the officer’s tight hold. He’d made desperate eye contact with Venti, and Venti’s feet had been glued to the ground, his eyes wide and terrified.
“Don’t worry, he won’t harm you.” The officer had said. Venti’s throat had been too dry, and he’d been too scared to move or say a thing.
All the while, the man was kicked to the ground and shackled humiliatingly.
The only difference between Venti and the man he saw in front of him had been economic luck.
Maybe he’d have been a good musician too, Venti wondered chillingly, when he saw the two figures retreat at the end of the street.
Later, Venti would come to know that the reason Mondstadt seemed so lively and prosperous was not because their people were helped, but that those who couldn’t make it would be dragged off the street, lest they tarnish the country’s image.
Venti never knew where they went.
In a way, Mondstadt had been even more chilling. When he’d walk the streets, there’d be no hint of people living in shadows. No indication presented, no hint given, that there might be more than the cheery people that roamed the streets in broad daylight.
Either, they didn’t exist (which Venti thoroughly doubted), or, they were very good at disguising themselves.
It disturbed Venti to not end. He’d always been wary of reading the news, scared of what he might learn. I don’t get into politics, he’d say.
Now, politics was at his doorstep.
Because, not only was Xiao not Mondstadtian, but he was pure Liyuean.
Venti didn’t know too much about that, but he was aware there was a war of some sort there. He knew refugees used to pour in, in hoards, for the past few decades, right before the current political party won and the border between the two nations was resolutely sealed.
He is also very aware that harbouring such a refugee is extremely illegal.
“I apologize sincerely,” Xiao says as he bows extremely low. “I put you in danger, and I kept my identity from you. You had a right to know.”
Venti does not say a thing. He kicks off his stupid shoes and takes off his stupid jacket and sits on the floor to stare at the wall for a long moment to question every decision he’s made in his life up until this point.
“I will leave. I have burdened you for long enough-
“Oh no, you’re staying and explaining things. I’m so confused right now.” Venti blocks Xiao’s way from where he tries to walk toward his rucksack.
“You have my eternal gratitude, I will not forget what you have let me have.” Xiao continues to bow.
“For Barbatos sake, sire, can you stop bowing and hear me out?”
Xiao’s weight rests entirely on the balls of his feet and although his torso and head still face Venti, his feet face the door. Just one look at his expression confirms he’s mentally clocked himself out of hearing whatever Venti wants to say.
Venti tugs at his hand but Xiao does not even look up at him. Is he ashamed?
“Don’t make me grovel at your feet to stay again, please?” Venti ducks down to try to make eye contact. He notices a slight upturn at the side of Xiao’s mouth but he still does not look at Venti.
“Alright,” Venti claps his hands. “At least stay for dinner? You’re not going to deny me a favour right now, are you?”
Xiao does not look happy about this at all, but he agrees.
“So you’re undocumented?”
“I did not come in through an official port of entry, no.”
Most of Xiao’s answers are extremely brief. Venti does not want to push him though, in case he really does decide to leave.
This whole ordeal is a bit confusing to Venti, but if there’s one thing he knows for certain, it’s that he doesn’t want Xiao to leave. He’s still not sure of what Xiao would have to do to seriously risk being kicked out. An unfortunate situation in his homeland, though? Some horrible luck? These aren’t things Venti views as transgressions. No matter what the fucking annoying immigration department may think, he does not think it’s a crime to want a life of safety and stability.
It’s horrific that there are people out there who do.
Venti’s had a few run in’s with the law now and then, but it’s never been for anything serious. His record is pretty clean. No one should suspect him of anything with the reputation his parents have. Is it the best idea he’s ever had? No, but it’s still a bit better than some of the other things he’s attempted. He shudders to remember the laundry incident of ‘22.
It’s not like he even has a choice.
What would the alternative be? To kick Xiao back to the streets? There’s no way he would last too long. Just thinking about the state he’d been in, that way of living was never going to be sustainable for him.
It makes a lot of sense, now that he thinks back to it. Xiao’s intention when he’d first met Venti, was to be deported. First, by stealing his phone to get him to call the authorities, he’d have been dragged off for sure. When that didn’t work, he’d probably have just slept on the street till someone noticed and dragged him off, anyway.
He’s seen images on the news sometimes when he hadn’t been fast enough to switch channels. Devastation of the like he’d never ever witnessed. Fires, people covered in soot and blurred in the media, the state of them not appropriate for public television. Buildings crumbled to the ground and zero civilian infrastructure. It was total state collapse.
Going back there would be a death wish.
At some point during their first conversation, Xiao must have decided then, to stay, to take a chance.
Venti would have to be the scum of the earth to take that away. There is no way, in good conscience, he could ever let Xiao go back out there.
Besides, living with Xiao had been really fun. He’d never thought he’d find it so pleasant to live with someone else.
“If you try to leave, I’ll turn myself in,” Venti says completely seriously.
“You’re crazy,” Xiao says breathlessly. He hasn’t touched his food at all, and for the first time all evening, he looks Venti in the eyes.
“I totally will. I could probably gather enough evidence that you lived here before you leave. I wouldn’t give anything about your whereabouts away, don’t worry, but I will turn myself in.” Venti’s not really sure how the logistics of that would even work, or if he could realistically even do such a thing because Xiao’s traces in the apartment are very subtle.
Even if he did do as he said he would, chances are his parents would just talk him out of it. The risk of harbouring Xiao didn’t seem too bad in Venti’s opinion. The worst he could face is a couple of hours in police custody and his parents yelling at him. Xiao, on the other hand?
The threat must seem real to Xiao though, because his grip on his fork turns so intense, his knuckles turn white. He looks at Venti as though he’s betrayed him.
Venti knows this isn’t even really an option. He’s a hundred percent sure Xiao wouldn’t even consider trying to leave if these are the stakes. Is it cruel to take the option to decide away from Xiao? Maybe? But Venti doesn’t care. The other option is for Xiao to get himself dragged off the street or manage on the streets with very slim chances of survival anyway. In this case, even if it’s cruel, he’s already noticed Xiao’s self-sacrificial nature and he’s not going to let him make that choice.
“You perplex me.” Xiao’s lips are pursed, he half-opens his mouth as if about to speak, but then stops to tilt his head and stare at Venti instead.
“Very well, I will stay.”
Maybe Venti should feel bad that he’s essentially holding Xiao hostage. He’d feel a lot more bad about it if he didn’t catch the sight of Xiao lounged in the living room, legs sprawled out in a picture of relaxation he’d never quite seen him be. He seems to have figured out the whole TV situation.
He will admit that his anxiety’s been through the roof lately, though. The image of a man being dragged off into a dark street in the middle of the night still haunts him.
Xiao gets up and puts on a jacket, then he walks past Venti to go to the door.
Venti runs back to block his way.
“And where do you think you’re going?”
“I am going to buy milk, we’ve run out.”
“Yeah, right. I know how that story ends.”
“What are you talking about?” Xiao asks, impatient. He tries to go around Venti but Venti blocks his way again.
“You can’t just leave the house and roam the public, what if someone takes you?” Venti asks through the deepening pit in his chest.
When Xiao tries to move again, Venti wraps both arms firmly around his torso and hides his face in his chest.
He feels a hand cautiously caress his back in a comforting (?) gesture.
“I leave the house often. I’ve made trips to the store a great many times. If it troubles you to watch me leave or you’re distrustful, you’re free to come along.”
With that he walks past Venti and leaves.
“Wait!” Venti calls, as he jumps to force his other shoe on.
The street is completely empty. In the shadows cast by the trees, the night looks a little more ominous than it needs to be, or maybe that’s just Venti’s imagination. The windows of the apartments that line the streets are mostly dark and a gentle breeze rustles through the trees they pass.
He doesn’t think he’s ever been out the house with Xiao before, now that he really thinks about it. How is that even possible? Venti needs to correct this injustice as soon as possible. The last they’d been out together was the café with Albedo and honestly he’d rather not remember that encounter.
“So how do you usually do this?” Venti asks.
They near the neon sign of the supermarket, Xiao pushes the hood up onto his head right before he pushes the door open and enters. Venti does it too, just to fully immerse himself and all.
“Stay close,” Xiao whispers to Venti. Venti nods.
Xiao’s gaze is resolutely directed to the floor, he does not look up at all. He sifts through the refrigerator area carefully, and then extracts their usual preferred brand of milk.
Venti wanders around a bit while Xiao looks for bread.
Then he just observes Xiao.
“Is the staring battle with the floor really necessary?” Venti whispers.
“Cameras,” Xiao whispers back simply.
Venti immediately looks around and behind an old lady perusing the fruit section he notices a camera. It isn’t even the only one. A few glances around and he realizes there are quite a few more. He can’t believe he’s never noticed them.
Usually the knowledge of cameras in the vicinity would make him feel safe and protected. Now, though? They’re a threat to Xiao’s safety. He glares at them with his hands on his hips, the old lady passes him with an odd look on her face.
It might just be because he looks a little ridiculous though.
The lady pushes her cart past Xiao, putting a lot more force than necessary since there seems to be a problem with the wheel. Immediately, Xiao startles and freezes up. He’s got his eyes shut tight and his hand frozen in the air about to reach for something.
Loud noises are definitely a no go. Venti reminds himself to disable the chiming clock in the living room, there’s no need for that.
At the counter, Venti picks his card up to pay. Xiao shakes his head and deposits the mora on the counter before he can swipe it.
“Today, we do things my way,” Xiao reminds him.
Venti nods. It makes sense, paying in cash wouldn’t leave a trace either. Nobody’s jumped out the aisles to arrest Xiao yet so Venti relaxes.
Only by the time they leave the store does he realize that he’d been scammed out of paying. He complains about it, outraged, all the way home, Xiao a serene presence beside him.
“Oh yeah,” Venti says when they pass the threshold back into the house, “I’ve bought you a phone.”
Xiao gives him a long disapproving look. Venti laughs.
“It’d be a waste not to use it now that I’ve bought it,” he says casually.
Xiao just gives him a heavy sigh when Venti is back from the cupboard, and deposits it in Xiao’s unwilling hands.
“This way we can keep in contact when we’re out. Still needs a SIM though. Can you even get a SIM without an ID?”
“I’ll buy one,” Xiao says, he cuts off Venti’s protests immediately, “I’ll need to buy a burner SIM.”
“You don’t need an ID to do that?” Venti questions.
He shakes his head. Venti’s already aware Xiao won’t accept his mora so he walks back to the Kitchen to get started on dinner.
You
Yoooo
Conquerer of Demons
Hello
Please buy rice on your way home
We are out
You
alrightyyyy J
“If you’re not going to the hospital for that, or willing to see Barbara, then can I at least wash it? I’m not sure that yellow fluid should still be leaking.”
“I’m assuming the only answer you’ll accept is yes?”
“You learn fast,” Venti commends.
“The illusion of free will,” Xiao sighs.
Venti cackles.
Xiao ends up seated in the tub, a sheer white shirt and his head tilted back to allow Venti access to his head. He decides to wash his hair too.
Venti makes sure the water is warm before wetting Xiao’s hair with the handheld shower. He rubs a thick layer of foam onto his palms before gently lathering the hair gently in circular motions. Xiao tilts his head back further and his eyes begin to slip shut.
Some of the foam on his hands comes back green, the dye slightly seeping.
He moves his fingers up and down the contours of Xiao’s scalp, mesmerized by the lowering of his lashes as he does so. Even when he slightly probes Xiao’s forehead to lather some soap there, he watches his reaction eagerly, but he does not show any indication of pain. When Venti resumes massaging the shampoo into his strands with fingers pressing occasionally at the base of his skull, he notices Xiao’s shoulders lower, his breath slow and finally his eyes do shut completely.
Venti watches in a trance even as he continues to work.
It’s a rare sight to see him so at ease. Even the glimpses Venti’s caught of him in his sleep feature furrowed brows and a troubled expression. These days, he comes back from outside looking more and more exhausted.
It had worried Venti horribly.
Right now, though?
Venti smiles.
Venti stares at the motorized miniature windmill on the table.
“It’s for you,” Xiao pushes it toward Venti.
Venti turns it around, inspects the paintwork and the slow way the turbines move, the adorable grass and architecture remind him of the gigantic ones back in the glades of Springvale.
“You made this?” Venti asks, choking up. He swears he feels his eyes sting with the promise of tears. He takes deep breaths to get his emotions back in control.
Xiao observes his reaction carefully, when he’s satisfied, he nods.
Nobody has ever done something so nice for him. When did he even get the time? Venti’s usually home before he is. Never mind that, this must’ve taken a lot of material and paint that he’s not even sure he has. The mechanized part is the most suspicious, he definitely doesn’t have anything akin to it.
“How do you even afford the materials to make this?” Venti laughs to soothe the odd sensation that’s threatening to have his heart exploding like a firework in his chest.
This can’t be good for him.
Xiao tugs at a seam in his shirt but he answers. “Warehouse down the street, they don’t ask too many questions, pay in cash.”
Venti racks his memory for such a place.
“The dingy one that looks haunted?” Venti asks, amazed.
“The very one,” Xiao says with a slight upturn of his mouth that Venti will definitely be counting as a smile from here on out.
“I’m performing at the campus in a few days, you should come watch.”
Venti proposes the idea a few days before the event. He says it as casually as he can while he’s cutting up the tomatoes, but his eyes are glued to where Xiao is mincing herbs to catch any sort of reaction. He holds his breath.
Xiao’s expression betrays nothing. He nods his head to indicate he’s listening though, so Venti continues nervously.
“I’m playing the flute for the university’s symphony orchestra. It’s a public performance so you should be able to come, that is, if you want.”
He doesn’t even know why he’s asking so nervously when he’d basically demanded the rest of his friends come. The situation is totally different though, every time Xiao leaves the house, it’s a risk. He probably wouldn’t be comfortable going somewhere with so many people either. Where possible, he avoids crowds as much as possible. He’s always wanted Xiao to come to one of these things though, and it can never hurt to ask, right?
Xiao uses a knife to pour the minced herbs off the cutting board into the bubbling water.
He crosses his arms and looks at Venti thoughtfully.
“There is risk.”
“There is,” Venti swallows.
Xiao turns around to stir the pot, his back to Venti.
“I will go.”
Venti cheers.
“Fuck!” he yells.
Xiao walks over and presses a paper towel to his bloody hand. “Pay attention, you hold a knife. Be careful.”
Somehow, Venti doesn’t even feel the pain through the adrenaline rush in his chest.
That day, Venti wakes up to his alarm for the first time in a very long time. He made sure he got a solo section for maximum aura farming purposes when Xiao visits today.
They walk side by side on the pavement, bundled in their jackets and scarves, crisp leaves crunch underfoot and a golden leaf drifting down lands right on Xiao’s nose. He pushes it away with a disgruntled sniff. The smell of rain soaked foliage accompanies them all the way to the entrance of the campus where people are already beginning to crowd.
He gives Xiao a gentle and contented smile.
As soon as they make it inside though, a uniformed campus officer strolls toward them.
Venti curses. He looks at Xiao, who shivers slightly. Venti is not sure the breeze is to blame for that. Xiao stares off to the bare branches to the right. His hood is already up and his scarf is bundled so high up it obscures most of his face. He does not look out of place though, many people sport a similar attire.
When the officer reaches them, Venti recognizes him.
Venti forces out a loud laugh, “Wriothesley!”
Wriothesley wears a bright smile and gives Xiao a short look, but he quickly directs his attention back to Venti.
“Venti! How are things? It’s been a while. Don’t go to all your classes, do you?”
“Wrio! Same old, same old,” Venti smiles stiffly, he hopes his awkward posture is attributed to the cold, “Yeah, I call it efficiency. Only the most important lectures are worthy of my time,” he jokes easily.
“Don’t tell me! You have lectures with Lisa again this semester? Surely she won’t mind if you’re a bit late, we could catch up.” Wriothesley raises his eyebrows.
Venti just realizes he’s grasping Xiao’s sleeve tightly when Wriothesley gives a sharp look to the point of contact. His ears warm, he doesn’t want him to get the wrong idea, he’ll have to explain later. He can’t bring himself to let go of it though.
He’ll take whatever this seems to be over the alternative. As long as he isn’t suspicious Venti is happy to let him believe whatever he wants for now. If dancing mid conversation would keep the attention solely on him, he would do it, wouldn’t be the weirdest thing he’s done anyway.
“Oh…no, no classes today. There’s an orchestra today, yours truly is playing in it.”
Wriothesley’s eyes light up with recognition. “That’s today, is it? I’ll definitely have to stop by, your friend here to watch? I could escort him to the seating area while you catch up with the other members.”
Venti really isn’t ready to face whatever misunderstanding Wriothesley has based off the way he says ‘friend’. Xiao nudges him slightly and gives a quick shake of his head.
Oh for Barbatos sake, he wasn’t about to say yes. Does Xiao think he’s stupid?
“I’ll have to decline,” Venti sighs sadly, “he’s not exactly the most sociable, so I’m going to stay with him until the second I have to leave.”
Wriothesley wiggles his eyebrows maliciously. “What a considerate friend you are,” Venti rolls his eyes at the stress on friend again, “I saw Diluc ditch Kaeya as soon as they got through the gates.”
“And grass is green,” Venti deadpans.
Wriothesley lets out a deep belly laugh. “Well, I’ll leave you two to it, good luck for today.”
Venti gives him a polite nod and then drags Xiao in through the gates from where he’s still gripping tightly at his sleeve.
Xiao does not say anything at all. Venti notices his skin pale worryingly. Poor thing, he must’ve been terrified.
“That could’ve been bad, huh?” Venti mutters.
“Can we just keep moving?”
Venti agrees.
Venti makes the most of this excuse to show Xiao around campus as quickly as he can.
“This is the library I never go to,” he informs as they passes said room.
“This is the cafeteria I always go to,” he informs as they pass said room.
“I’m beginning to sense a pattern,” Xiao says sceptically.
There’s only an hour until the show, Venti really should be rehearsing with the rest or doing his extended nerve shaking routine (it involves a lot of breathing in paper bags and jumping jacks).
He can do that anytime though. There’s no telling when the next time Xiao will be able to visit his campus will be, or if he’ll even ever be willing to take the risk after the situation they’d just run into. Talk about horrible timing.
Venti can tell the encounter had shaken Xiao up a little, even though he doesn’t let it show.
“Music room,” Venti coos.
“I think you have a favourite,” Xiao hypothesizes.
“I’ll play for you later,” Venti says when he catches Xiao’s eyes stay on the grand piano positioned in the centre of the room. “Right now, there’s no time though, so let’s scram.”
He drags Xiao by the arm once again.
Venti barely makes it in time. When he makes it there’s still the cacophonous squawks of oboes and violin wails.
He gets into his seat and gives Dahlia next to him a thumbs up right before the lights dim.
The first note of the flute sweeps through the hall like a gust of wind. Venti knows Xiao is watching from somewhere in the crowd next to Albedo.
He pours his soul into the performance.
Afterwards, Albedo has a shift at the café so he’s dragged off there to fulfil his end of the bargain when he begged him to come to the concert a few days ago.
He loves Albedo and all, but these days meeting Albedo seems like a daunting task. Like scaling a massive mountain. Being with Xiao at the house all the time is easy, it’s comfortable. Xiao doesn’t ask or say uncomfortable things. He doesn’t know about the person Venti truly is, his deepest flaws and tendencies. The people at the university are fun to know and be with, but they aren’t really privy to the uneasy truths that lie beneath the surface.
More importantly, they don’t know about Xiao.
Coming to Albedo’s stupid café is like escaping that comforting bubble where he can keep both aspects of his life separate.
“So…how are things with Xiao?” Albedo asks Venti at the counter. The café is busier than usual, so he hadn’t come to sit at the table just yet, like he usually does. Must be the visitors from the concert pouring to the nearest café for a drink. He gets a few pats on the back and compliments for his performance from quite a few of them on his way in.
“Does that really have to be here too?” Venti asks instead, peering at the fossil of a laptop perched on the counter.
“I have an assignment due today, going to make the most of my time and all. Don’t try to change the topic.”
“Oh, here comes another one, better see what they want.” Venti chuckles at the extending line, saved from Albedo’s annoying questions for just a little longer.
Five minutes later, Venti approaches the counter again and Albedo has his laptop on the counter in between them.
“So…Xiao?” Albedo asks, turning on the laptop.
There’s a sudden loud blast and a loud whirring sound. Customers seated on the tables look over to check on the source of the noise.
“For fucks sake, get a new laptop,” Venti admonishes, “Xiao isn’t good with loud noises.” Venti looks back to see the man in question’s body hunched inwards in an attempt to make himself smaller. Venti itches to go comfort him.
“I’m working on it,” Albedo hisses.
“I bet you thought you were so slick opening it too, were just going to open it and try to carry on the conversation like normal.”
“You’re insufferable,” Albedo says.
There’s a loud ticking sound coming from the contraption. Albedo immediately slams the thing shut before Venti can carry on teasing him.
“Interesting that he doesn’t tolerate noises very well,” Albedo notes.
“You totally already know, so stop torturing me over here, will you?”
Albedo gives a victorious smile.
“How? Did Xiao tell you?” Venti asks.
Albedo drums his fingers on the counter, “yes actually, the very next day.”
“I told you not to accost him!” Venti grumbles.
“I know you, I know you don’t think things through. I was worried, and clearly I was right to be,” Albedo’s voice gets louder, he notices and hurries to lower it again. “You never think things through. Do you really think this is a good idea?”
Venti makes to walk back to the table.
“Don’t run, Venti. For Xiao’s sake and your own,” Albedo’s disapproving voice comes.
“I’m not running…” Venti trails off.
“Is that not what the transfer to Fontaine is about?”
Venti has no reply to that.
“Great that Xiao’s being honest with you. He’d been really worried about how to tell you, good to see he figured it out. Don’t you think he deserves some of that same honesty back?”
This is why he hates coming to this stupid café. He was going to tell Xiao, it was just going to be later. There was no rush, not when he wasn’t even sure if he’d be accepted in the first place. No use stirring a panic for no reason.
“I think what you’re doing is admirable,” Albedo’s voice is gentler now, “but you really haven’t thought this through. You need to have a better long term plan.”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“Let’s hope you do,” Albedo gives him a glare right before another customer approaches the counter.
Venti’s left to fester unhappily in his thoughts for two minutes while Albedo handles the situation at the counter. The letter was a problem for later. Albedo didn’t know what he was talking about.
“What else,” Albedo inquires once he’s switched for Sucrose. He sheds his apron and stands beside Venti near the counter. He gives Xiao a conspicuous look before looking back at Venti.
“He’s brilliant, even finally helped me get that cut out done, I remember begging you for an eternity.”
Albedo narrows his eyes, “so he’s an enabler?”
Venti crosses his arms, “heyyyy…”
They both watch Xiao stare at the table.
“I’m trying to get him in bed.”
“Excuse me?” Albedo raises his eyebrows.
“I mean, get him into a bed. He’s been sleeping on the damn sofa for ages. I slept on it once ages ago after the fresher’s party, all wasted. Woke up with ten odd bone creaks.”
Albedo continues to stare at Venti, long.
“He’s pretty attractive, yeah,” Venti admits.
“Folded under zero pressure,” Albedo says disapprovingly.
“Your stare is pretty threatening actually, have you seen it in a mirror?”
The first thing Xiao does when they sit back at the table is look at Venti determinedly for a few seconds. Both Albedo and Venti exchange a look of concern.
“Today…” Xiao clears his throat. “Today, the way you played today.”
Venti leans in, curious, imploring Xiao to continue.
“You played really well today,” Xiao finishes with an adorable flush to his cheeks.
Venti blinks in surprise. He laughs, pleased.
“Thank you!” He exclaims. Well, if this wasn’t totally random and unexpected.
Ever since Xiao had first mentioned it, Venti had been dying to visit him at the warehouse.
Today, he’d finally been given an excuse in the form of a small box left on the counter. When he opens it, he sees one humble sandwich. Xiao must’ve made it to take with him to work. This means he’d probably forgotten it today, but no fear, Venti has it covered.
He’ll just go and give it to him.
Outside, warm amber light spills from the last of the few street side restaurants still open. There’s the sound of jazz streaming through a half opened window and Venti hums alongside it. The sun begins to set, painting the sky in pink and orange hues.
It takes no time at all to reach the entrance of the massive warehouse.
It’s all looming steel sheeting and weathered iron. Venti wrinkles his nose in distaste. He can’t help but guiltily think it ruins the landscape of the quaint street.
He progresses through corridors of muted industrial whites and greys into a cavernous void occupied from what he can barely make out to be workers in the light of the hanging LED bays.
There’s someone in his way though.
“Sorry this area is restricted, only select personnel are allowed entry past this point,” a man with a ridiculously bushy moustache says. Venti struggles to take him seriously.
“I’m here to drop some food off, just want to visit a friend.” He puts on an expression he hopes is very professional and not suspicious at all.
“I see,” the man says after a moment, “please go right that way.”
Another man in a white work shirt leads him down a corridor with lots of makeshift offices, however, this is decidedly not where Xiao is. The worker seems to think whoever he’s looking for is here though, since he leave Venti unaccompanied as soon as they get there.
Down towards the middle of the warehouse there seems to be lots of workers in blue work shirts that work with the majority of the cargo. Most of them appear disengaged and focused on their tasks, not making any eye contact. They remind Venti a lot of Xiao in that regard. He guesses that’s where he’ll probably be.
He does eventually end up finding him near one of the massive aisles.
Immediately, he takes note of the chill in this section of the warehouse, the weather outside is cold but it doesn’t compare to the immediate shiver that Venti feels for the temperature in here. The poor insulation is probably to blame, there’s also obviously no central heating.
Xiao’s shoulders are slumped, his breath coming in shallow and rugged gasps. Venti watches him slip a pallet jack underneath a labelled crate, before he begins to pump the handle. Then he digs the rubber soles of his rugged boots into the floor to pull. Venti notices prominent muscle definition in Xiao’s arms as he strains with the crate, for his own sake he does not think of this too much.
With a harsh scrape, the wheels roll. Venti hears the distant sound of forklifts.
Venti follows him quietly down the aisle to watch him release the lever at the loading dock. He watches Xiao’s head hang low for a long moment, he continues to wipe a streak of sweat off his forehead with the back of his sleeve.
Xiao looks exhausted.
“Xiao…” Venti mutters quietly.
Immediately, Xiao whips around to face Venti with a terrified look on his pale face.
He calms down a bit when he sees it’s Venti.
“You caught me off guard, what are you doing here?” Xiao murmurs, a clipboard gripped in his calloused hands.
“You forgot this,” Venti holds up the box.
“You shouldn’t see me in this state,” Xiao says quietly, noting something down on the clipboard.
“There’s no shame in trying to make a living,” Venti replies sadly.
Xiao ignores him to walk over to another crate.
“You look exhausted, how long have u been here for?” Venti asks.
“Six,” Xiao says.
“Like, in the morning?!” Venti asks in disbelief.
“Yes.”
“How are you not…like, plastered to the floor right now, please eat.” Venti approaches Xiao, lunchbox in tow.
“My shift ends at eight. I’ll be home in an hour don’t bother waiting up.” Xiao begins to load the next crate, a pained grunt escaping him when he can’t follow through on the effort.
He leans against the wall for a minute. Venti wonders if he’s dizzy.
“This is crazy. I’ll be waiting up,” Venti insists.
Xiao does not say anything, just lets out a displeased grunt.
Venti decides to find a seat at a bench near the offices that offers a clear view of where Xiao works tirelessly.
It doesn’t take him long to grow bored of watching and to start scrolling mindlessly on his phone. He only looks up when he notices another employee with an evidently higher designation, come up to Xiao from the edge of his vision. He says something Venti cannot hear, but he strains his ears to listen.
When he cannot, the contempt and vitriol in the unintelligible voice is enough to have him getting up and moving closer to have a listen.
“This bit should’ve been done hours ago, are you stalling on purpose, boy?”
Xiao does not look up or react but he must murmur something in protest.
“Look into my eyes when you speak with me” the man grabs Xiao’s face to force him to look up before giving him a rough shove.
Venti feels his hands begin to shake in rage at his sides.
Xiao, to his credit, does not fall, he simply stumbles a little and rights himself immediately, continues working on the boxes this time with a slight tremor that must be from the effort it takes to keep his body upright after what Venti is sure is a fourteen hour shift.
Venti does not even notice he has stood up. All that he can sense is the sudden rush of heat under his skin. He marches in the direction of the encounter with his jaw clenched so hard he feels his teeth ache.
How dare he touch him? He has no fucking right. That man must be some sort of supervisor or manager. Venti doesn’t remember the last time he’s felt anger this intense.
Its so heart breaking seeing Xiao’s efforts so clearly dismissed and unappreciated. The fucker did it in the middle of the fucking warehouse too, in full view of the offices and everything and no one even bats an eye. How is someone even audacious enough to do what that man just did in plain view? Venti saw him do it with his very own two eyes and he’s still in disbelief.
He can’t even treat a human being decently. Venti would like to give him a piece of his mind.
He is stopped in his tracks, however, by Xiao himself.
“Don’t,” Xiao hisses with his eyes wide. Exhaustion mires every corner of his face yet his eyes are suddenly very alert and sharp, the grip he has on Venti’s wrist is unforgiving and unyielding.
Venti pulls his arm back and inspects the red prints left behind by the hand.
“Sorry” Xiao says immediately when he notices, the alarm leaving his face and his expression completely exhausted once more. “I understand your frustration, but you shouldn’t waste your energy on behalf of someone like me.”
Venti scowls and shakes his head in frustration, but walks back to his bench where he sulks quietly.
He sits, soul crushed, for another half an hour, the lingering anger driving him insane with no avenue for recourse. It feels like something’s eating at him from the inside out, and all he can even do is just sit in it.
He doesn’t know what to do with himself. It was unfair and unreasonable to ignore Xiao the way he did, but he really doesn’t know what to do with all this feeling.
It’s not his fault at all. If Venti caused a scene, who’s to say the supervisor guy wouldn’t just call border patrol.
You
mad, rlly mad
Albedo
Xiao do something?
You
smth like that
Albedo
Apologize to him
You
I’m the one that’s been wronged. :(
Albedo
The perfect punctuation is throwing me off, you’ve definitely done something
Go fix it
They are quiet on the walk home
It’s really stupid. His anger shouldn’t be directed at Xiao at all, and the one who it should rightfully be directed at is probably still at the warehouse terrorizing innocent workers who can’t say anything back. It’s just so unfair.
When they get home, the first thing Venti does is heat up the food he’d made earlier in the oven before setting it on the dining table. He then runs to the bathroom.
“I’m running you a bath” he yells out in the direction of the living room. He hears no response.
Concerned, he runs back to the living room.
There, on the couch, lies Xiao. His expression is the picture of serenity in a way he hadn’t seen in a few weeks since the bath. The heavy breaths he draws in are a firm indicator of deep sleep already.
Venti would hate to disturb his peace. However, he is very aware of the fact that the man has eaten close to absolutely nothing all the way from sun break.
“Absolutely not, you are eating dinner,” he shakes Xiao awake.
Xiao is seated in front of him, eyes half lidded and eating.
“I think you need to quit,” Venti says sombrely.
Xiao’s eyes immediately narrow and are a lot more attentive than they’d been a second ago.
“No,” he says.
“Why?” Venti asks, distressed, “If there’s anything you need, I’ll give it to you. If you need to buy something, I’ll buy it for you. There’s no need to torture yourself like this, you’re not going tomorrow.”
“Of course you think this is torture,” Xiao scoffs, Venti widens his eyes in guilt.
Xiao looks regretful. “Sorry, that was unwarranted.” Just like that, Venti sees his walls go back up. “Working is a privilege in my condition, I do not plan to give it up.”
“And nothing I say will make you change your mind?” Venti asks desperately.
“No.”
Venti watches Xiao eat his food, but can’t bring himself to stomach his own. He moves it around the plate, deep in thought.
“About what you said today,” Venti starts, “you are absolutely worth getting angry over. Please don’t say stuff like that,”
“It does not matter,” Xiao replies, annoyed, “can we please drop this subject.”
Venti takes pity at the sight of his exhausted demeanour.
“Alright, this conversation isn’t over though.”
“I’m free on Saturday if you insist on bothering me,” Xiao says. He picks up his plate and walks to the kitchen.
Of course he would see it that way. Venti doesn’t say a word though.
Sleep does not come to him easy that night.
Venti sets an alarm for five thirty in the morning, he’s already awake when it blares. He goes to the living room to insist Xiao eats then makes sure to pack a sizable portion for him to take with him. Then he slams his body back onto his bed because no one should be awake at butt o clock in the morning.
They don’t bring it up all week. Xiao acts like he usually does, and Venti worries that he thinks that Venti will kick him out of the house if he dares pick a fight with him. He is technically holding him hostage. It would still be pleasant to have a way to let Xiao know that if he wanted to ignore Venti for being the asshole he was the other day, then he was allowed to be as petulant as he wanted about it, since Venti totally deserved it.
Survive, he’d told Xiao. Now he was judging him for the way he chose to do it. How unfair of him.
Most of the tension is back on Friday, though.
“There is someone I know from the warehouse,” Xiao tells Venti in the afternoon.
It seems like he isn’t going today. Venti’s mood immediately sours at the very mention of that stupid warehouse, but he tries not to let it show on his face. He hopes Xiao blames Venti’s troubled expression on the work he has on the laptop in front of him.
Venti hums to show he’s listening.
“And?” Venti asks.
“He says there’s someone that can get me papers,” Xiao tilts his head.
“Well, that’s brilliant, isn’t it?” Venti thinks about it. There’d be lots of benefits to that. How well would they be made? Would there be anything that would give away they were forged?
Xiao goes on about the details while Venti ignores the work on his laptop to focus on the sound of his voice instead. His eyes widen at the price Xiao quotes though.
“That’s great then, I’ll fund it,” Venti says without thinking too much.
“No,” Xiao says displeased. “You need stop doing that.”
“Doing what?” Venti asks.
“I understand you mean only to help. However, do you think someone like me would be content to not earn their keep and be unable pull their own weight? Do I seem like the type of person to be content to scrounge off someone else?”
Venti’s fucked up again. He regrets it immediately.
“That’s not at all what I meant,” Venti sighs.
“Then do not offer,” Xiao urged.
“You don’t get it. It’s just that seeing you…and then all of that stuff from, like the other day,” Venti complains.
“It does not matter.”
“Of course it matters! Stop shutting down productive conversations with that emo one liner already,” Venti retorted.
“There is nothing productive about this conversation.”
“Clearly.”
A tense silence. Venti rubs his forehead. Well, at least he knows now that Xiao isn’t afraid to speak his mind. It gives him a little relief.
“I’m sorry,” Venti mumbles, “I can’t just shut off the concern I have for you but I can respect your wishes.”
Xiao gives Venti a placating half smile.
“Why are you even telling me this then,” Venti says pettily.
“I didn’t want to go through with it without your approval. I want your opinion for important decisions,” Xiao answers easily.
Venti flusters.
Honestly, this guy…
Later, Xiao comes back and says he didn’t go through with it because he had been unable to collect the money in time.
A week later, he informs Venti it had been a trap. Anyone that had bought the papers had been arrested. It had been a lure by the authorities.
Venti had never been so grateful for Xiao’s stubbornness before.
The extent of his patience and understanding reaches a limit at the end of the month, though.