Work Text:
Xiao sat in the middle of his dimly-lit room, sitting in front of his laptop as he let his fingers type away on his keyboard. The soft clicks of the keys were enough to lull him to sleep, his eyes getting droopy until he realized most of what he was typing didn’t make sense anymore. With a quiet yawn, he decided that it was the perfect time to stretch out a bit. He began to twist his upper body a little, hearing the quiet crack of his limbs. In the midst of stretching, he saw something from the corner of his eye that made him pause for a little. He sat upright.
hiii
Xiao squinted his eyes, his gaze surpassing his window. He’s not sure if he’s seeing things correctly, or if that messy handwriting on a piece of paper was actually for him. Truth be told, he had been wondering for quite some time now. He wanted to ignore it, actually, just like what he’d been doing for the past couple of days. Not only was he unsure if it was dedicated for him, but he also found it a little weird.
He had just moved in not too long ago, for the purpose of university being closer and his urge to prove to his father that he could be independent. Despite his inability to freely express and convey emotions properly, Xiao actually cares a lot, and he just thought it would be nice if he didn’t add to his father’s worries anymore. After doing a bit of research and multiple visits to different apartments, he decided on a place that’s not too shabby but also not that expensive.
Hence, Xiao ended up here, in an apartment not too far from his university, right next to a building who’s probably housing a weirdo.
Aside from the writings on paper, Xiao hadn’t really gotten a good look at the person next door. He hadn’t really caught the person in action holding up the sketchbook themselves, just short moments when they would tape the thing on their window and call it a night. Xiao never really understood the purpose of such. It confused him
Was this person waiting for him to reply? If so, why?
Shaking his head, Xiao immediately turned his head back to his laptop. He needed to focus, he had an exam the next day and damn that person next door if he fails that. With a loud sigh, he let his fingers go back to typing his notes out.
—
:((
For Xiao, it was the ultimate dilemma. It wasn’t this bad before. The previous notes simply juggled from hello to hi and more often than not, weird smiley faces. But tonight, it was different — a sad one. Despite the rough and rugged way he presents himself, Xiao is very much aware of other people’s emotions. He wanted to ignore it again, just like he usually does, but he can't focus on any of his work. He even tried to pretend he didn’t see it, but the messy lines and handwriting kept popping up in his mind, calling out for him and his conscience.
What if he actually needed help?
He takes a deep breath. He hasn’t looked back out the window ever since he got to his room. He knows the person was there, he sees the movement from time to time, and for some odd reason, Xiao knows they’re waiting for him. They made it too obvious.
Why did it have to be him?
He didn’t know either. He didn’t have the friendliest face nor the friendliest aura, he didn’t have things in his room that indicated he was rich either, so what did this person want from him?
He stares at his laptop, his fingers dancing idly over the keyboard. He wanted to continue what he was doing, but frankly, he doesn’t even remember what it is or what it was about, can’t even remember the word that he was supposed to type. Truly, it wasn’t this bad before.
With a deep breath, Xiao closes his laptop with a soft thud. He let his hand rest on the smooth, cold surface, contemplating on whether he should push through with what he was planning.
He looks around his desk, his hands feeling for a piece of paper and possibly a marker. A drawer of stock-filled stationeries saves him, and he feels himself pausing once he uncaps the sharpie.
What the fuck am I doing .
He groans to himself. He claims the person living across from him was an idiot, but now, he feels like he had turned into the very same thing he swore he’d never be. No — he’s doing this just to get the person off his back, that’s all. Xiao stares at the blank piece of paper, before slowly turning his head to look outside his window again. He facepalms when he sees that there were changes to the other person’s initial note.
:((((((
Xiao knew what had to be done. Shaking his head, he finds himself scribbling onto the piece of paper with a handwriting he hoped was understandable and big enough for the person to see. He stands up once he’s done, dragging the chair with him and positioning it next to the window because he knows it was going to be a long night.
Xiao looks out the window. He sees the person responsible for his distracted mind — a guy, about his age probably, with ombre braids and a pout on his lips. He didn’t look like someone to be worried about, or at least not someone to be reported to the police, not yet. Actually, he even kind of looks familiar.
Where have I seen him before?
Xiao tries to remember. It was more than possible that he goes to the same university, but that was the thing—he isn’t really that social. He can barely remember the name of whoever was sitting next to him, let alone someone whom he probably just passed by the hallway.
He was woken up from his trance by the continuous hand waving of the guy across from him. Once he got Xiao’s attention, he pouted even more, the curve of his lips much more evident than before. Xiao took a deep breath as he gently shook his head.
?
For some odd reason, Xiao’s hands felt a bit clammy. This was the first time he was going to talk to someone that isn’t his family nor a childhood friend. He wasn’t really sure what to expect nor what are the right things to say. He watched with careful eyes as the guy from the other room scribbled immediately on his notepad before raising it up, a pout still on his lips.
u weren’t replying :(
for the past week :(
Xiao raised an eyebrow. Despite being strangers, he was already demanding such efforts from him. Why would he do such a thing? It would be just weird — even right at that moment, it felt weird.
idk who u are
venti :((
Xiao didn’t know what to do with the information. His name’s Venti, so what now?
and?
ur name???
im not telling u
bye
I JUST WANT FRIENDS
Xiao wanted to say a lot of things. The paper won’t be able to encompass everything, and he doubts this Venti guy had the patience to read through it, too, he just didn’t seem like the type. Xiao stares at the blank paper in front of him before he looks back up at Venti through the window. He was pouting still, lips puckered out, his eyes pleading for Xiao to respond he could almost hear him. It annoyed him for some reason. Maybe it was because he couldn’t walk away from the situation, or the fact that he doesn’t want to.
He grumbled in dissatisfaction, rubbing the back of his head before messily writing on the paper.
xiao
He watched as Venti’s eyes sparkled with excitement under the moonlit sky, and he hated to admit how pretty they actually looked.
XIAO :0
u go to the university
nearby 2, ryt?
creep
NO
i just see u around
Xiao’s face felt warm for some reason, and he shook his head in an attempt to shake off the feeling.
ok ig
:(((
what now
u dont see me around?
cant remember
course?
music <3
no
WHY ARE U LIKE DIS
no i literally cant
remember
oh
grandpa :)
:/
have to go now
Xiao wanted to stay. It was painful to admit, even if it was just to himself, but it was inevitable. He feels a certain lightness from such a short interaction, and a weird one at that, but he decided it was a feeling he wanted to keep. He watched as Venti did a dramatic sigh, putting a hand over his forehead and Xiao couldn’t help but facepalm. He was an idiot, but a charming one he supposes.
ok :((
night xiao :)
night
Venti waved goodbye, and Xiao just sat there wondering if he’d wave back. He didn’t. He just watched as the guy with braids give him a peace sign before he finally pulled his curtains close.
Xiao felt — warm. There’s a certain feeling he can’t quite grasp, swimming around in the pit of his stomach as he crawled under his covers, turning to his side so he could stare at his draped window.
He didn’t really know what he was expecting, but he wasn’t mad at the outcome. At least now, he knew his name: Venti . He was still weird, yes, but Xiao appreciates the entertaining company, no matter how short the conversation felt to him.
He thought it was a one-time thing, really, that Venti’s craving for his reply would have been satiated, and that would be the last of that. But then the next night, Venti was waiting patiently for him, his chin resting on his hands, prompted by his elbows on his window sill, just watching and waiting for Xiao like a creep. Yet still, Xiao picked up the last few sheets of his paper and wrote on them like he did before. He even got worried that he was running out of things to write on, and Venti reminded him to get more supplies. Xiao remembered that his message included a smiley face, and it irked him that he remembers so vividly.
This would go on for a couple more nights, like a routine they both had gotten accustomed to. Xiao would often find himself glancing at the clock, checking if it was already time, and he had decided to buy a couple of supplies, as Venti had requested (he insisted it was a suggestion, yet Xiao knew it was a request—if not, a demand.
To be fair, it did cross Xiao’s mind to simply exchange socials with the lad. It would surely be easier than whatever they were doing, but at the same time, he felt a certain charm to the whole thing, of writing on paper, of plastering it against their windows like madmen. For these same reasons, he couldn’t let go of the beauty of it, and he assumed Venti didn’t want to do the same, otherwise, he would have longed suggested it.
He knows Venti made mention of that one song artist—Taylor Swift? He explained that the scenario in the music video was of likeness to what they were doing, with notes held up in front of windows and all that. Xiao decided to see what he was on about that same night before he went to bed, realizing that Venti was right, but he was having trouble connecting the dots.
And so what if they were doing the same thing? Was this simply a way to fulfill Venti’s fantasy of living his life like a music video? Or is there a deeper meaning to all of this?
Unaware that he had zoned out, he was pulled out of his own trance by pebbles softly hitting his window. On impulse and muscle memory, he grabbed his marker as well as his newly bought sketchpad.
Pulling the curtains apart, he was greeted by the same view he had last night and the previous other nights. Venti was looking out his window, a couple of small rocks in his hands, greeting Xiao with a wide grin. He held up his own sketchbook.
gud eve
ure gonna break my
window 1 of these days
ehe it’ll be fine
i didnt see u
at uni 2day :(
did u see me?
Did he? Of course he did. Xiao told himself he wouldn’t look for him, but for some reason, he ended up in the building across from his department, supposedly looking for the finance office. He did end up finding it, and after personal affairs, he just found himself roaming around for a bit, admiring the pretty classrooms, the empty music rooms, and the open field that separates most buildings.
He stops walking for a while, after seeing a group of people not too far from him. Despite his small height, Xiao immediately knew Venti was with them. He had that aura, a charming one that radiates and makes him stand out from the rest. After watching for a few more seconds, he finally saw what he was looking for.
Laughing, smiling without a care in the world, he looked — popular. The type of person to have everyone admiring him, wanting to be his friend. Xiao found himself deep in thought once again, but forced himself to snap out of it if he didn’t want to make a fool of himself. He turned his back to walk away, hands in the pockets of his jacket, his gaze looking straight ahead.
He didn’t exactly know what he was expecting—both from Venti and the encounter. His feet took him there on impulse, and he supposes he just wanted to verify if Venti indeed goes to the same university as him.
Scribbling on the piece of paper, Xiao shook his head in an attempt to dismiss the blush that was threatening to show on his face. It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but he knew he couldn’t lie even if he tried, even if Venti sat on the other side of his building.
yes
WHAT
WHEN
WHERE
uni
U DIDNT SAY HI :(
i didnt think it was ne
cessary
IT WAS :(
:(
Venti stood there, both hands holding the piece of paper that had the sad face on it, his lips puckered out to a pout. Xiao sighed, rubbing the back of his head. He thought it was troublesome, maybe he should have lied instead.
next time
Venti perked up, his face immediately lighting up before he excitedly scribbled on his sketchpad.
so ure gonna come
and see me again?
;)
Xiao furrowed his eyebrows at him before cringing at the winky face he drew (he barely got that due to the bad drawing). Shaking his head, he immediately wrote his reply.
no
:(
i come see u
no
XIAO :(
Xiao had a theory: Venti had figured out that he actually has a soft spot for him using sad faces — not that it was true, but it was something he was definitely using to his advantage. Venti seemed like a very perceptive person, he wouldn’t be surprised. Xiao groaned to himself, hesitating for a short bit before writing.
u dont even know
my course
then tell me :(
pls?
:(
Venti’s definitely not going to let up on the sad face. He was a dork in Xiao’s eyes, under the evening sky and twinkling stars. Xiao wonders a little if the Venti he saw in university was the same one who’s writing notes to him right now. He hopes he is.
Grumbling to himself, Xiao begrudgingly wrote his college program on the piece of paper.
physical edu
:0
OKAY
:)
Xiao didn’t know what that meant, but he’s not going to pry further. He didn’t know how, either. And so, his night went on like that, just random exchanges with the guy from across his room, like every other night. The range of their conversation consists of asking each other questions regarding their homeworks despite not being in the same program, before they end up straying away from the topic because of whatever Venti has decided to bring up.
Sometimes Xiao would cover his mouth, hide the small smile or chuckle that he was unable to suppress everytime Venti did or wrote something stupid, like fall off his chair or not knowing how to spell a certain word. Venti would call him out for laughing, but he’d always do it with a soft smile on his lips, proving that he didn’t really mind.
Xiao considered that night a...fairly good one. And the previous night before that, and the one before that as well. If he were to be asked which night was his favorite, all he would be able to say is all of them.
He often finds himself staring at his draped curtains, maybe daydreaming a bit, something he’d never tell anyone before drifting off into a good sleep.
—
Under the glowing lights of the gymnasium, Xiao was panting heavily, his body moving according to the numbers his coach counted. Nothing was in his mind but how tiresome training was and how much he wanted to drink hydrate.
He ignored the random students passing by or the idly chatters. Some of them liked to watch certain people train, causing for them to linger around the benches, gushing and murmuring amongst themselves. Xiao used to mind — he didn’t like that, but he didn’t have a say in it either. All he can really do is suck it up, and after a few weeks of trying his best to do so, he’d finally gotten used to it. He comforted himself that none of those people were there for him anyway, so it didn’t matter. No one was looking at him.
Xiao hears the sound of a long whistle, and he gets up immediately from the pushup stance he had, glad that it was finally over. His arms have gotten used to such strenuous activities, but he could still feel that slight ache from time to time.
“Breaktime, five minutes.”
Letting out a breath, Xiao finds himself walking with the others to where their stuff was. For some odd reason, he felt...weird, a bit conscious of himself, too. He couldn’t help but frown a little as he drank from his water bottle, trying to figure out what that feeling was. He sits down on the bench, staring at the floor for a short moment before he decides to look around.
That’s it, he felt watched. Frowning even more, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand as he lets his eyes roam the gymnasium. He freezes when his gaze falls upon a person all too familiar for him to ignore.
Venti .
He smiled at Xiao — too bright, too beautiful that all Xiao could do was stare.
What’s he doing here.
He didn’t know how to react, no not at all. Venti waved at him from afar. He was alone, his music sheets gathered at his side, a bag slung over his shoulder. As always, he stood out from the crowd (it was just in his nature to stand out), and Xiao found it hard to look away nor react to what was happening. His face felt hotter than before, and he knows it wasn’t just because of the heat.
Breaking out of his trance, Xiao snapped his head to look at the coach who blew on the whistle once again. He forced himself not to think about the guy who found a seat somewhere on the bleachers, a grin on his face, his eyes following Xiao wherever he might go. Xiao was feeling a lot of things all at once — embarrassment, happiness, and some other feelings caught in between. But at the end of the day, he can’t do anything about it considering it would seem like Venti won’t be going anywhere. It’s not like he wants Venti to go anywhere either, but he won’t be caught saying that out loud.
Xiao tried his best to act normal, but it would seem like he had forgotten how that works too. It was either feeling like he’s showing off too much or doing the bare minimum. It didn’t help either that his eyes seemed to keep glancing at him whenever he would get the chance.
What was this odd feeling of wanting to make a good impression? He hated it.
After a couple more exercises, Xiao found himself free from the confinement of his last class for the day. He felt — nervous. Does this mean he gets to talk to Venti? What happens then? What do they even talk about? He furrowed his eyebrows in wonder, frowning a little as he walked over to his things nuzzled in one corner. He stares at his training bag before he slowly turns to look where Venti was sitting.
He frowned even more when he found no one there, and when he glanced towards the entrance, he saw a group of people dragging the person in question out of the place. Venti tried to look back (Xiao liked to believe that he did) yet to no avail, he was out of the door before he could even get a chance to do so.
The gymnasium felt empty all of a sudden, dull and uninteresting. The loudness of the gymnasium seemed to have toned down as well, and Xiao could barely hear people talking anymore. He stares at the spot where Venti sat, before turning back to his opened training bag.
What was this slightly heavy feeling in his chest? Suddenly, the excitement, the anxiety, the giddy feeling he felt in the pit of his stomach vanished without a trace. He shrugged the feeling off, stuffing his things messily in his bag before sealing it away.
He supposes there were other days. He wasn’t ready anyway.
—
saw u 2day :D
did u see me?
yes
sorry i left :((
it’s fine
i didnt even know
u were coming
:((
Xiao couldn’t put into words what he was feeling. It wasn’t heavy, but there was certainly some weight to it. He rolled his pen in between his fingers, thinking of what to say, of what to write on the blank piece of paper right in front of him.
what
i didnt get to
say hi :((
Xiao stared at him. Contemplating. He glanced at his untouched laptop on his desk. He had homework, but it was something he could cram in the morning if he woke up early. He glanced back at Venti who was staring at him, hopeful and expecting. His fingers shook a bit when he once again turned to write on his sketchpad.
now
what
now
lets say hi
hi
???
no i meant
let’s meet
huh?
OH
OH?
NOW?
Xiao shrugged. There’s a haunting thought in his mind; if not tonight, when? And their personal meeting was long overdue anyway. They were literally neighbors yet there they were, every night holding up notes to each other as if cellphones and social media accounts were nonexistent. But Xiao supposes there’s a certain charm to it, with the whole writing and showing up of notes. Venti liked it, and he supposes that was enough justification.
ye
outside?
OMG
K
SEE U THERE
ok
Xiao watched as Venti waved at him, a wide grin on his face before he closed his curtains. He stared at it for a few moments, just letting the thought sink in his head before he slowly gets up from his chair. He closed his curtains as well, his hands shaking a little in anticipation as he set his marker aside along with his sketchpad.
He convinces himself that he looked fine in his outfit yet he couldn't help but grab a hoodie to cover himself up. With a final glance at the mirror, he deemed himself looking okay before he made his way out of his apartment.
—
The air was — cold. The hoodie was a good choice, Xiao thinks. He tucked his hands in his front pockets, eyes looking up at the sky as he stood at the side walk, under the lamp posts outside his building. He almost forgets why he was out there in the first place when he catches the beauty of the night sky, mesmerized by the twinkling stars above him.
“Hey!”
Xiao’s head didn’t hesitate to turn and look at him. There he stood, in his lame pajamas and braids, feet clad in nothing but slippers. He looked — cold, yet the smile he wore felt the opposite. He waved at Xiao, his gesture big and obvious.
What was the right thing to say in this situation?
“Don’t recognize me? It’s Venti! Did you forget already?” Venti sighed exasperatedly as he took steps closer to Xiao. He had a teasing grin on his lips as he looked up at Xiao, arms crossed over his chest, “Didn’t know you were such a grandpa.”
“Been out here for less than three minutes and I already want to go back inside,” Xiao mumbled as he shook his head at him. Venti let out a laugh, and Xiao thinks it’s one of the prettiest sounds he has ever heard yet it’s something he would never admit. He would never admit a lot of things, not to anyone, not to him. Venti smiles kindly at him, his hands clasped together behind him.
“Hi.” Venti muses, his eyes twinkling like they always do every night, except this time, Xiao had a better look. He felt speechless. It wasn’t anything special — they were just neighbors who exchanged notes through their windows, neighbors who went to the same school together and talked about random things, just neighbors who decided to meet each other outside their buildings.
It truly wasn’t anything special, so why does Xiao feel this way?
“Hi.” He was breathless, and he’s sure Venti didn’t miss the way he took a deep breath right after. He thought it was stupid, all of it was, yet when Venti smiles at him for the third time that night, he couldn’t help but think that maybe this wasn’t so bad.
“So this is my Taylor Swift moment.”
He still didn’t understand what’s up with the references, but one thing is for sure—Venti’s a dork, through and through. Xiao decided that he didn’t mind.