Chapter Text
This party was the final straw for Xiao.
The only friend he had in this party had to go because of some 'emergency'. It felt so unfair since she was the one who invited him in the first place. Xiao was depending on following her around for the rest of the night so he wouldn't look like such an idiot. Even though Xiao had waved her off with a reassuring smile on his face, it didn't mean it didn't hurt. It's okay, Xiao. Just half an hour more, and then you can go without looking like a loser.
He's sitting tensely on the left side of a brown couch and he's placed countless of pillows in between him and the couple making out beside him. The alcohol that was passed to him at some point wasn't as appealing as he thought and he wants to crush the plastic red cup in his hands. Everything was so loud, and Xiao was a person who valued silence. Nearby, someone cheers when another couple share a kiss and they launch a party popper in celebration. Unfortunately, Xiao was caught in the crossfire and now he's covered in confetti.
"Sorry dude," they apologise but Xiao doesn't respond. He just gets up and walks faster past the person, hoping to find what he was looking for. More people are dancing and his body keeps getting bumped by his drunk classmates shaking their ass or waving their arms a little too much. Whoever is managing the music seems to have the goal of making Xiao's life hell when they turn up the volume on a slow and romantic song.
Ever since he had his prom night, he's never been one who enjoyed slow dancing. He remembers vividly the rush of people pairing up with each other the moment the music swelled but Xiao didn't have anyone to dance with so he just stood there like a loser in the middle of the dance floor. One of Xiao's teachers had noticed so they came to dance with him (albeit not for long since he quickly pulled away and ran to the fruit punch) and ever since then his classmates teased him about it mercilessly. All the way until the end of the school year. Xiao hates, hates, hates slow dancing to slow romantic songs.
His foot steps in some drink spilt on the floor and it seeps into his shoe. His socks were now sticky and wet and his feet feel uncomfortable. Xiao should've known better than to buy fancy dress shoes online. He looks around again and thanks the Archons once his eyes catch on a door - the door to the bathroom.
As soon as it closes behind him, the noise around him is muted and he can breathe shaky sighs of relief. He sits on the ground, catching his breath a little. There must be no one here since he can't hear the sound of someone shoving their tongue down another person's throat or someone puking the contents of all the drinks combined in a toilet bowl. Xiao takes one last deep breath. You're okay.
He didn't want to go to the party anyway. Why did he have to go? Why did he have to be in such a highly social situation? If only Xiao had more friends. If only he was able to talk to people and he could have a laugh with them rather than acting so irritable. He thinks back to all the times he must've looked like a fool once his friend, Ganyu, had left. The way he sat next to some people who looked like they were about to hit third base on the couch. The way he brushed past the person who tried to apologise to him.
His eyes start to water but Xiao doesn't want to cry. He doesn't want to embarrass himself like this. Even though his mind protests, his body sheds the first tear followed by many more. He desperately stifles his sobs with the back of his hand, wiping his tears away even though soon after they would be replaced with more. Imagine if someone were to walk in on me like this. He thinks. I'd be made fun of for sure.
His mind is still fuzzy once he decides to get up. Fumbling his way to the sink, he starts running water and splashes it on his face. Xiao's eyes were red and puffy and even his nose was stained a fair shade of pink. He tries to rub at it but if anything it just made it worse. The room feels hot so he takes off the turtleneck he was wearing (which was a stupid idea for a party) and places his arms over the sink wearing a black tank top that displays all of his tattoos.
He liked his tattoos but hated talking about them. He considered wearing more tank tops and t-shirts to intimidate other people but he figured there was a higher chance at being asked about the tattoos rather than scaring people off with an intimidating appearance. No one really saw Xiao with his arms out. He was the type to wear long sleeves even during summer.
He stops the water and wipes his face messily with the sleeve of his turtleneck. After staring in the mirror, he hears a hiccup and starts walking to the door.
Wait what? A hiccup? That wasn't me.
He turns around and realises the shower curtain was drawn shut. Another half-snigger, half-snort emits from behind the shower curtain. Shit. Xiao didn't know someone else was here. What was going to happen to him? Were they going to bully his way all through college? Tell everyone about how whenever he cries, he sort of whimpers like a dog? Mean people don't usually get to Xiao but if they were to tease him about the way he cried, he might as well lose his mind.
Xiao should've walked away at this moment. He should've left the room, left the party, left the whole country. Xiao should've listened to his brain.
But he thinks about the sound again. It sounded kind of like... a sob? As if on cue, another noise erupts from the shower curtains. Definitely a sob. This person was crying.
Xiao should've listened to his brain. But, for once, he decided to listen to his heart.
"Hey, are you okay-" he starts and pulls back the curtain. He immediately freezes.
It's Venti.
He recognises the boy anywhere. Venti, the type of guy who starts all these parties, the guy who seems to get along with anybody, the one with so many friends by his side, the loud one in his massive friend group, the one constantly getting into trouble in their classes. Venti was the one who Xiao thought was the most emotionally invincible and now here he sits, crying in a bathtub.
"Oh- uh- ah-" Venti swiftly wipes his face with his already damp sleeve. "Hiya! Haven't seen you much, I think?" He puts a big grin on his face but it doesn't erase the puffiness in his eyes and his disheveled hair.
"You were just crying earlier."
"Huh? Yeah, no biggie, what's your name?" Venti asks again with the same sickly sweet smile on his round face and Xiao almost gives into his charm.
"Xiao." He responds. "Why were you crying?"
"I could ask the same for you, Xiao!" Venti says defensively and instantly he loses all his confidence. It's so hard to be even next to this guy.
"Okay, I'm leaving." He states and swiftly rushes to the door. Just as he's about to pull the handle, he's interrupted.
"H-hey, wait! Please. Stay a while." Venti yells and Xiao's sure someone outside heard that. He may be a loner, but Xiao's not willing to leave someone who just cried alone by themselves. Even if it is an extremely popular person who could ruin his social life in the snap of a finger.
"That's it! Come here." Venti smirks again and Xiao rolls his eyes in response before sitting outside the tub.
"What do you want?"
"I like you, Xiao! You want me to tell you a story?"
Xiao stays silent. Does he?
"I'm gonna take your stunned silence... as a yes!" Venti says and Xiao is regretting staying here. "Right... where do I begin."
"Say there's a lone bard who wanders the streets of a small village. He plays his songs, writes poems for all, but one day, he meets a stunning gentleman with eyes the colour of amber and long braided hair that shimmers like treasure in a pirate's eye." Venti begins.
"Mm." Xiao responds to let him know that he's still listening.
"The bard takes a liking to the man and begins seeking his attention. Writing special sonnets for him. Greeting him with warm smiles and listening to his stories of his vast adventures. They became the best of friends.
"One day, the bard musters up the courage to tell the traveller his true feelings. The bard had fallen for the man, you see," Xiao thinks this story is getting too personal for his liking. "and he was sure the man liked him back, right?"
"Underneath a large tree with a creek running through it, the bard confesses his attraction to the traveller under the light of a thousand stars. Fireflies dance around them. Truly a romantic sight."
"...Truly." Xiao mutters.
"But everything did not go to plan." Venti suddenly hides his face from Xiao's view and buries it into his knees. "The traveller... merely shrugged while laughing that... that carefree smile of his."
Venti's still talking into his knees but this time there's more emotion. There's something sincere with his words. There's something deeper within this story that Xiao can sense. Is this story about him?
"And... then he said... 'I appreciate it but I want- I was like hoping we could stay friends.'" Venti starts crying again and Xiao quickly tenses, unsure of what to do in this situation he had never really experienced. He awkwardly places his hand on Venti's shoulder, to which Venti responds by throwing his arms over Xiao's shoulders and pulling him in closely for a hug with the wall of the bathtub in between them.
Xiao doesn't do hugs but he pities Venti and hugs him back. Yeah. He definitely hugs him back for that reason and not because he misses the feeling of a good hug.
"'S that why you started crying?" He asks but Venti doesn't answer and continues to sniffle on Xiao's shoulders, tightening his grip on him. He's really clingy.
"Maybe," Xiao starts and winces when he feels Venti still his noises just to hear his opinion. "it would be better for you to just accept the rejection, you know? Ah, at least you have a really nice friend."
"How'd- how'd you know the story was about me?"
"It wasn't that hard after you started crying."
"Yeah, yeah." Venti pouts. It was strangely cute. "Thanks for the advice, Xiao. You have a cool name too."
The boy pulls away, although not without pinching Xiao's bicep a couple of times. "You're hella buff! You work out?"
Xiao was feeling uncomfortable again.
"No."
"You have such cool tattoos as well! What does... hmm... this one mean?"
"Are you hitting on me?" He pulls out that card he learnt from one of his friends but doesn't expect Venti to sputter in embarrassment.
"Wha- huh? No! I just wanna get to know you."
"Mhm."
"So... what does this one mean?" He asks again and points to the same tattoo.
"Dunno."
"Really?"
"...Yeah."
Venti is silent for a moment and Xiao wants to hit his head on the toilet seat multiple times. He probably thinks I'm so weird for saying that, archons, I'm so pathetic.
"Okay, so, wanna know how I did my hair?" Venti strikes up another topic and Xiao is stunned for a moment: He had half expected him to call him a creep for how strange he's been acting. But as he stares into Venti's eyes, Xiao can see a knowing look, like he knows exactly how uncomfortable he was feeling earlier and decided to do something about it.
"Yes." He breathes out so faintly. "Go on."
Venti keeps talking about everything that's linked to him, his clothes, his friend group and even a little about how he feels about his massive social life (which was overwhelmingly positive). 'I love my friends, I'm just scared of losing them so I don't pay as much attention as I should just because I don't know if we're gonna be friends for much longer,' he would say. All the while, Xiao listened and occasionally gave hums of acknowledgement and answered all of Venti's questions when he would ask. Venti did all the talking for him. Xiao more felt comfortable in this party.
Sometimes people would bang on the bathroom door but Venti would just yell "Go away! Busy!" and the knocks would cease. If Xiao wanted to talk about something for a little bit, Venti sat up a tiny bit straighter with a wide smile on his face. Xiao could sense his happiness radiating off of him. It was like he was a restless dog wagging its tail or a bird that won't stop singing wonderful songs.
Sometime while Venti was going on about how important suncream is for every season, Xiao checks his watch very briefly. 1:25 am. Shit.
"Wow, you can read the analogue clocks! That's the one that even has no numbers on it too!" Venti comments but Xiao gets up hastily, pulling his turtleneck over his head.
"I have to go." He states.
"W-wait what? Can I at least get your number? Let's talk some more!" Xiao doesn't have time for this. "Pretty, pretty please? You're a great person to talk to~" Xiao suddenly has a moment to spare as he pulls out his phone and swipes it on the screen that has his number on it. Venti finishes typing it in but just as Xiao pulls away, he snatches it from him, standing up from the bathtub for the first time and holding it up in the air. Venti holds out peace signs as he snaps a couple of cheap selfies on his phone. Xiao tries to grab for it but his fingers can't reach his phone and Xiao just really wants to go home at this point.
"Aha! You're shorter than I thought." Venti exclaims.
"You're standing in a bathtub."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Venti sighs, defeated. He hands the phone to Xiao but just as he takes it, Venti uses his free hand to hold Xiao's head in place before he leans forward to kiss him.
It was so short but so sweet. Venti's lips were so soft and plump against Xiao's dry ones and he smelt of cinnamon sticks and a pinch of alcohol. It was intoxicating. Slowly, Venti moves his lips and tilts his head to the side before kissing him again, at an even deeper angle than before. Xiao's almost out of breath but for some reason he can't stop, he doesn't want to stop. Venti's lips might as well be his whole world at this point. Venti pulls away first, swiping his tongue on Xiao's bottom lip cheekily. Heat rises to his face, but as he licks his lips, he can just about taste him (in a totally not creepy way). He almost tastes like artificial cherries on the top of a towering sundae. He presses a second kiss on the corner of Xiao's mouth before smiling again, but this time, the smile was smaller and with much more emotion than Xiao could comprehend.
"I- uhm- I have to- I-"
"You can go, Xiao." Venti smirks and Xiao's face turns pink before he rushes out the bathroom door.
The party is still going but this time there's less of a crowd to push pass. His toes still feel sticky and his hands are all sweaty but he can't concentrate right now, all he's thinking of is Venti and his incredibly soft lips.
"'S like a fucking cloud." He mutters to himself before finally leaving the archon-forsaken house. He pulls out his phone again and sighs at the hundreds of missed calls from his mother. Xiao knows he's in for it tonight but he can't do anything but feel flustered over Venti.
Did Xiao actually like Venti? Why is he feeling this way because of a kiss? He thinks back to all the conversation topics he had with Venti and remembers Venti's story. A haunting thought rings inside his head but he tries to push it away.
What if Venti is just using me to get over the guy he cried over?