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Winter the favourite seasons of a twenty four years old tattoo artist in liyue that goes by the name Xiao, It has been a a few week now since Xiao had found a roommate to share his apartment with, It was thanks to his best friend Aether who used to be Xiao roommate until they made the decision to go back and life in the same home as their sister, Xiao was glad that aether did do his best to find another roommate for him, His best friend knew that he wouldn’t do to well alone and would suffer from being lonely.
He could always focus on designing tattoos and all but that wouldn’t take away the loneliness, Aether probably figured that out.
Rent payment was also most likely going to be an issue
Aether had a friend that desperately needed a place to stay, they didn’t go into detail about why
“He needs all the help he can get, Do call me or text me if things so go haywire” Aether had said to Xiao before the two of them met up with aether friend.
Blonde hair and piercing turquoise eyes that was the first thing at that time that caught Xiao’s attention, The blonde came over very kind and a bit shy at times He didn’t how to describe it but this men had a princely aura that made it easy to feel comfortable around him, Though his baggy clothes and the amount of piercing didnt reflect that at all.
His name? Albedo, Albedo kreideprinz
A friend Aether met while in high-school but kept in contact with albedo after the school years ended, the both of them now being twenty six
The three of them talked for a bit, made agreements, rules and all was set, Albedo explained to him with a bit of urgency that he can fall into routines without knowing and thats something xiao had began to notice in the following weeks after this conversation had happened, Albedo almost never left his room the moment he had moved in, He did eat and use the bathroom, But thats all xiao saw of the blonde
When he did catch glimpses of Albedo he looks miserable, stressed and quite pale, when albedo caught Xiao staring at him he would glare and stumble back to his bedroom
Its not that Albedo didn’t clean up after himself that was no problem at all, it was just that xiao barely saw him at all, As if he never had a roommate.
He texted Aether, but aether just told him to try and talk to albedo, atleast make an attempt to communicate even if it was impossible.
Here he is now stood before Albedos bedroom door, not knowing what to do at, aethers text still roaming in the back of his thoughts, First he tried knocking but got no response, Maybe calling would work tch probably not but can always try.
“Albedo? “ He knocked on the door again “Hey, are you in here? “
No answer, ugh fuck it time to just barge in if Albedo was just going to ignore him like this, He wanted to know what was going on why albedo was suddenly acting this way.
“ I know you are in there Albedo” Xiao opened the bedroom door expecting to see albedo just doing whatever but the room was dark and what he assumed to be albedo was in his bed face and body hidden underneath a blanket
“Can you please leave “ Oh he can speak after all, It sounded weak a bit emotional too
“No, There is clearly something going on “ Xiao spoke back to him in a gentle voice, he knew if he didn’t things would just go more south, he had to be as gentle as possible with this situation even if Xiao was annoyed at first angry even.
“leave! It not of your concern” Albedo raised his voice, Xiao didn’t budge instead he sat down near the edge of the bed, He would sit here all night if he had to truly determined to see whatever was going on in the blonde’s mind
“I can call aether for you? Would that help” xiao saw some frantic movement underneath the blanket as if his one sentence send albedo in a bit of a panic
“no, it won’t, leave him out of this, leave! “
“Alright, i wont call him but I’m not going to leave, “ xiao sighed sitting against the bed with his back “I won’t force you to talk but I’m not going to budge from this place“
“Annoying “ Albedo huffed but he seemed to have calmed down a little atleast
“call me all you want but it’s not going to make me leave “ xiao exclaimed, insults truly didn’t bother him at this moment, he knew albedo didn’t mean most of it, xiao can endure this it really is nothing
“Is that a binder on the ground? “ xiao pointed at the clothing on the flood
“Yes and no i dont wear it anymore I’m not your entertainment, xiao “
“Never said you were, albedo “
“Not your property either”
“Yup your not “ xiao slumped back against the bed, just taking it all not the most healthy thing to do but if it helped Albedo for now then so be it.
“Fuck you”
“I mean if that’s what you want”
“No! You know thats not what i meant “
“I know I know just joking you know “
Xiao could hear a quit laugh from underneath the blanket, good atleast he got a laugh out of him
The room went silent an uncomfortable silence that was really unnerving ,Xiao almost thought Albedo might had fallen asleep since its already been thirty minutes, it was then he heard some ruffling of a blanket and a small light turning on
Albedo got out of his bed and sat beside xiao, he really looked like a mess, his hair was not in his usual braids it was all over the place sticking out everywhere, only wearing a hoodie of some sort
“I’m so lost, I do not know where I belong or where I should be... what I should do” Abedo finally broke the silence though he sounded broken “ I broke one routine hoping it would bring me happiness only for it to turn into another routine because I feel guilty for disappointing someone who I do hold dear no matter how much they have hurt me”
“Routines are not easily broken Albedo, not if you do not ask for help I won’t pry about what happened and I know asking for help is hard I struggle with it too but know that I will not judge you for it “ Xiao glanced at the blonde that’s now sitting next to him
“I know.. its just so hard to do and i do not feel like opening up more one day maybe one day i will but today is not that day” Albedo sighed “I’m so sorry... for snapped at you so much “ it sounded almost like a mutter, Xiao could tell he was still stressed but not as bad as in the start of all this, he seemed more comfortable to he around xiao now.
“No need to apologise, you’re clearly going through some trauma I won’t hold it against you really “ he waved it off xiao just wanted to be there for albedo, even if he doesn’t fully open up
“Thank you... “
The room falls silent again but this time it feels more comfortable, just them in a bedroom sitting side by side
“...I’m normally not one for physical contact but can I hug you? “ Albedo spoke up his gaze turned at xiao, turquoise orbs staring right at him full of anxiety with a mix of sadness within it
“eeeh.. ofcourse you can “ Xiao was hesitant, he himself doesn’t like physical contact that much either but he couldn’t say no to albedo the way he was looking at him made it so hard to say no, albedo clearly needed some comfort.
“ Thank you... Xiao “ Albedo leaned in to hug Xiao and at that very moment Albedo broke down sobbing, Xiao could feel the way albedo relaxed when letting out all these emotions he was feeling
They sat in this very room for what felt like hours on a cold winter night out of all days, but they didn’t matter, All what mattered to xiao at this very moment is that he comforted his roommate was able to pull him out if only just a little.
Progress is still progress big or small, this is just the start.