Work Text:
Albedo didn't know why he had let himself get roped into this gig.
I mean, sure; it got him a little extra cash (an understatement: it got him a LOT of extra cash). And it made his roommate Aether happy, with him being the band's bassist. But really, he wasn't all that good at makeup. Definitely not good enough to do stage makeup for a professional band.
Then why does he keep accepting the gig?
He was just finishing Aether's makeup, dusting his face lightly with some highlighter. Venti, as he had been for the past hour, kept rambling on.
"--and THEN--" he plopped down dramatically in the bean bag next to Kazuha, the guitarist. Kazuha gave him a strange look before returning to eating the salad he was shoveling down before the performance. "I dropped my fucking keys in the drain! On top of all the garbage I went through."
"A horrible day, truly," Albedo voiced, setting down the brush. "You're done. Venti, you're next."
"Fine. Wait-- are you only saying that to get me to stop talking?"
Albedo said nothing, only allowing him to sit in the chair.
Aether groaned, looking at his phone, pulling his shirt over his head and preparing to change. "Stalker girl's at it again."
"...I'm sorry?" Albedo asked, pausing as he took out Venti's braids.
"This crazy girl that's obsessed with Xiao," Venti chimed in. "Well, the idea of him, anyways."
"How unfortunate." Albedo knew the image of the 4NEMO members well: Aether was the sweet older brother figure, Kazuha was the charming yet mysterious one, Venti was the innocent yet somehow promiscuous one, and Xiao... Xiao was the edgy boy that preteen girls loved to obsess over.
"She's literally insane," Aether agreed, now wearing his performance shirt. "We might need to get a restraining order on her, honestly. She's threatened to doxx us."
"...Christ." Albedo tied the foremost pieces of Venti's hair and bangs back for easy access to his face. "Speaking of Xiao, where even is he?"
"You called?" The man himself, wearing a black sweatshirt with its sleeves rolled up to show his tattooed forearms, entered the dressing room, holding a plastic bag.
Ah. The true reason Albedo kept taking the gig.
The fans' image of Xiao was completely (well, mostly) incorrect. They tended to paint him as a dark and angsty person, when in reality, he was actually quite kind and sweet. At least, he had always been so to Albedo and his sister. He even gave her (one of 4NEMO's biggest fans) multiple signed merch items.
Not to mention, he was stunning. Though he wasn't much taller than Albedo was, if at all, he carried himself with the air of someone much taller. He strode confidently, he spoke firmly (yet sweetly, to those he knew), and he kept to himself. Chunks of jade-colored hair fell on his brow, obscuring strong dark eyebrows that rested above cat-like amber eyes. He was mesmerizing. Albedo couldn't help but stare.
He tossed something at the makeup artist, and with swift hands Albedo caught it. A java-flavored Monster Energy drink. Nice. He knew him well, supposedly.
Xiao handed a drink to everyone: Green tea with honey and ginseng to Kazuha, a Coke for Aether, and... wine? For Venti.
"I didn't know what you wanted," he adressed Albedo, "so I just guessed."
"You guessed correctly." He finished dusting Venti's face with blush, adding extra on the tip of the nose, his own face feeling flush. "Thank you."
"Hm." He sat down in the bean bag next to Kazuha with a grunt, leaning against Kazuha's shoulder and pulling out his phone.
Albedo couldn't help but feel the slightest twinge of jealousy. Which was completely stupid-- they were only acquaintances, after all. But it was instinctual. He just couldn't help imagining if he was in the poet's place.
"I apologize if this comes off as, ah, intrusive--" he asked, closing the eye shadow palette he was using, noticing that Kazuha was now toying with Xiao's hair, as he shifted to rest more on his chest. "But are you two... dating?"
"Hm? Oh, not at all," Kazuha said, putting down his drink. "He's just like a cat-- if he comes over to you, you pet him."
"What he means," Venti interrupted, eyes closed as Albedo did his eyeliner, "is that Xiao likes physical contact-- but only from people he trusts, of course."
"..I see."
After some silence, Albedo finished Venti's makeup. He figured he'd bother with the hair later, as he would with Aether (who had it up in a bun currently). "Alright. Xiao, your turn."
"Mm." He stayed where he was. Kazuha got up, tossing his salad container away.
"Everyone else is done."
"Do I have to have makeup today?" He asked Aether.
"Yes." Aether slipped a sweatshirt over his performance shirt. "Venti, Kazu and I are going to go change. Well-- Lumi brought me McDonald's, and I'm going to eat while they change. Don't try to get yourself out of makeup, Xiao."
Xiao didn't look pleased by this. Was he upset with Albedo for some reason?
Aether gave him a strange look, eyebrow raised, to which Xiao responded with a rude finger gesture. Aether held up his hands.
"Alright, alright. We're leaving now."
Now it was just the two of them. Alone. In a room.
"...I don't want makeup." Xiao insisted.
"If the rest of them had to get it, so do you."
"No I don't."
"I swear--" Albedo pinched the bridge of his nose. "Even if I have to tackle you, you will be wearing makeup tonight."
Albedo didn't know how it happened, but he ended up on top of Xiao on the couch.
Xiao must have made a move for the door, and Albedo must have tackled him and wrestled him over to the couch, makeup brush in hand.
Now he was painting a bright red eyeliner onto Xiao's eyes and under-eyes. Xiao could do nothing but sit and wait for it to all be over.
He hadn't said a word this entire time. Perhaps he really was cross with him.
Aether entered the room again first, after maybe ten minutes. He noticed the two on the couch.
"Woah, hey--" he turned, looking away dramatically. "Get a room!"
"Shut up, Aether," Xiao hissed, fists curled. Aether smiled smugly.
"Hurry up. We're on in 50 and still need to do hair and sound."
"Don't worry. I'm done." Albedo got up off of Xiao. "I apologize for that."
Xiao didn't say anything. Did Albedo really put that much blush on him?
"Go change, Xiao." Aether said, sitting in the chair again, waiting for Albedo to do his hair. "We'll come get you."
The 4NEMO fans were electric. The crowd was already going crazy, restless for the performance to begin.
Albedo wasn't part of them.
He knew his sister was-- he could see her, in the front row, next to Venti's boyfriend, Diluc. But he couldn't bring himself to sit out there. So instead he sat in the dressing room, on his phone.
"Surely you want to go out there?" Someone asked, opening the door. The band's manager, Jean, looked at him curiously. "I'm sure the boys would appreciate it."
"No. I-- I haven't paid for a ticket, so it would be wrong of me to sit out there."
"You're technically staff. Not to mention, you count as friends and family. Your ticket's been covered by your service." She smiled at him. "Go. Klee's waiting for you."
And that's how he ended up in the audience. Near the front.
The band finally took the stage, and the crowd went insane. Venti picked the mic up.
"You're all so kind!" He exclaimed, waiting for the crowd to settle. "Well, thank you all for coming out tonight." Another round of applause. "I think we should play something, yeah?" He turned to Xiao. "Give me a beat, drummer boy!"
This must have been rehearsed. Xiao nodded and launched into the first song on their lineup.
The entire concert was, admittedly, enjoyable. Hecklers interrupted Venti constantly, but he handled them fantastically. But alas, all things must come to an end. After a great set, the band waved goodbye and went backstage, leaving the audience cheering.
The people in the friends and family section-- just Albedo, his sister Klee; Diluc, Aether's twin Lumine and their younger sister Paimon, and Kazuha's mothers Ningguang and Beidou-- left independently of the crowd. They all entered the backstage area from a side door.
The visitors all spread out, speaking to their band member: Diluc allowed Venti to hug his waist, Ningguang and Beidou both patted Kazuha on the shoulders, and Lumine and Paimon chatted with Aether.
Xiao sat alone in the corner of the room. Until Klee spotted him.
"Mr. Xiao! You were super cool up there!" She said, giving him a hug as he sat on the bean bag. With a small smile, he returned the favor.
"I thought you did good as well. If it... if that pleases you." Albedo mentioned, looking down.
"Thanks." Xiao said curtly. Oh, god-- he had definitely screwed things over with him. "Can I... have a moment with you? Alone. Outside."
"...Klee, why don't you go talk to Aether and Lumine?" The makeup artist pushed his sister lightly in the direction of the twins. "We'll go home in a bit."
"Okay! Oh Miss Lumine!~" Klee ran off. Nervously, Albedo followed Xiao outside.
He was expecting Xiao to tell him how uncomfortable he made him. How the whole makeup fiasco was the final straw that broke the camel's back. But instead, he got closer, until Albedo's back was pressed against the wall.
"Please. Let me kiss you."
Um... huh?
That certainly wasn't expected. Did this-- did this mean...?
He took his hands out of his pockets-- the pants were tight leather. "I-- I haven't been able to get you out of my head. Since your first gig. And today, when you tackled me... I just-- I couldn't go any longer without at least asking." He gently (almost nervously) rested a hand on the side of Albedo's face. "Please. Before you drive me crazy."
With a small smile, Albedo answered, his breath becoming a puff of mist in the cold air. "You're lucky I like you."
He leaned forward, just barely grazing Xiao's lips before leaning back against the wall. An invitation more than a kiss.
Clearly, Xiao had been wanting this for a while. He pressed closer so that there was hardly a space between them, his hands resting on the sides of Albedo's face. A feeling of warmth pooled in Albedo's chest. This felt right-- he felt like this was where he was meant to be. He placed his hands low on Xiao's hips.
He tasted sweet, almost, Albedo noticed as he broke apart for a moment to catch his breath. His lips were puffy now, no doubt; as were Xiao's. Warm breath brushed against his cheeks, becoming a whisp.
"I'm sorry," Xiao muttered. "I know you barely know me. But--"
"But it doesn't matter," Albedo whispered. "We have time for that."
He pulled him in again, kissing him more passionately this time. It was messy. Chaotic. But it was beautiful. (He'd be lying if he said he didn't let Xiao slip him tongue.)
"Xiao," he muttered as he held him close; and it felt so right on his tongue. "I should... probably be going."
"...Alright."
"But please. Text me later. We have a lot of things to talk about."
Albedo finally knows why he keeps letting himself get roped into these gigs.
Sure, they get him a lot of extra cash. And it makes his ex-roommate Aether happy.
But above all? It makes his boyfriend happy. And that's all that matters to him.
Another day, another performance on tour. Nothing needs to be done right now. Together Albedo and Xiao sit on the beanbags they always bring, Xiao laying with his eyes closed in Albedo's lap. The makeup artist runs his fingers through Xiao's hair, speaking to him softly.
"Ya-hoh!" Venti calls, opening the door. "Oops-- sorry, did I interrupt something?"
Albedo smiles. "No, not really."
"You interrupted the peace," Xiao notes, eyes still closed.
"Be nice, darling." Albedo takes his hands. Aether and Kazuha arrived not long Venti. Aether starts to false-gag.
"Disgusting! Love! Not in MY backstage!"
"Jealous much?" Xiao asks.
Aether sticks out his tongue in response. "Not a bit."
Xiao finally opens his eyes, and Albedo gets lost in them. The beautiful amber stares back into his eyes. With a soft smile he leans in and kisses him gently on the lips. (Earning another gag from Aether, of course.)
"Ah. It seems that Stalker Girl may have deleted her account," Kazuha says, on his phone in the corner. "I can't find it.
"Oh, yeah!" Venti exclaims, looking over Kazuha's shoulder. "I remember her Tweeting about how devastated she was that Xiao is confirmed to be dating someone. A boy, no less! Said something along the lines of 'my life is over, boo hoo!'"
"Tragic." Albedo smiles, kissing Xiao again.
"I'm surprised she's not making death threats to our dear Albedo." Aether sat down.
"If she was, I'd definitely be getting a restraining order." Xiao turns onto his side, pulling down the sleeves of the pale blue sweatshirt he borrowed from Albedo. "Nobody is ever allowed to do that."
Albedo can't help but smile a little. After all, he finally found a reason to keep going: his boyfriend. And after all, nothing can make him happier.