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There’s an artwork in Xiao’s local museum, it’s of a boy—a God, or so it says—it’s brimmed in a bronze frame, and the boy’s face is still, his lips aren’t curved in any way, it’s just still, unmoving and without life to it. Just like the skull in the God’s hand.
The boy, or God, seems familiar in a way, maybe it’s the way that Xiao has spent multiple hours studying this one piece to find out who exactly this God is, or maybe it reminds him of someone, who? He’s unsure. He makes a list;
Blue braids; he doesn’t know anyone with braids, let alone blue ones.
Blue, no, teal? Eyes; again, doesn’t know anyone.
It honestly doesn’t help that Xiao’s “friend” group is incredibly small, for all he knows, it’s someone he’s seen once or twice while walking around town.
When he visits today, there’s a boy, blue braids in front of his ears and wide teal eyes focused on a painting of an unknown God. Xiao quickly comes to the conclusion that his hair is only that blue because he’s a fan of this deity, and his eyes are that colour only because of a coincidence.
Xiao realises he’s been caught staring when the boy turns and looks at him with bright eyes and a raised brow. “You were staring?” His voice is sweet, full of honey and smiles and every sweet tasting candy Xiao can think of by name. “Sorry,” Xiao says, and his eyes settle back to the painting. When he knows the boy is staring at the painting too, he has the confidence to ask, “do you know who this is?”
“Lord Barbatos,”
So not unknown, Xiao just lives under a rock.
“He controlled the winds from here to who knows where,” The boy hums, his eyes tracing every line of the artwork before he turns to face Xiao once more. “Did you not know his name? I’ve seen you here before.”
“You’ve seen me before?” Xiao only turns his head to face the boy, and the boy chuckles, a honey sounding song running from the back of his throat to just behind his teeth, the tip of his tongue. “Don’t act so surprised, you’re here every other day,” the way the boy shifts and the way his hair sways has somewhat mesmerised Xiao, it makes him stare. “Don’t get me wrong, I am too—but you’re always drawn to Barbatos, what is it about him that drags you in?”
Xiao stays quiet for a moment, anticipation drawing his lips into a straight, thin line.
“I didn’t know his name,” Xiao pockets his hands. “I was hoping someone would come along eventually—you’re the only person that’s stopped and stared.” The boy gives a hum-like chuckle, eyes moving back to the artwork. “He was regarded as a weak God, no one stops and stares because all he did was control what way the wind flew.”
“You know a lot about him.”
“What can I say? Curiosity gets to people.” The boy chuckles again and after a moment, gives Xiao a vital piece of information that he never wants to forget. “—The name’s Venti.”
Xiao is quiet, it lasts two minutes and thirty-five seconds before he responds with his own name. “Xiao.” He only gives a nod, no handshake—his palms are way too sweaty—just a nod and whatever he calls a smile.
“Barbatos had a friend, an adeptus—I think they were called?—something like a protector,” the boy furrows his brows, and looks down at the phone he retrieved from his pocket. “According to legend, they were together—dated once or twice, but no one knows what he looks like, I want to know what he looks like—I want to know about Barbatos’ protector.”
Xiao isn’t sure what to say, he’s virtually getting a one on one history lesson about a God he’s seen in multiple times, in the same pose, on the same wall, in the same old, small museum of his home town, from a boy he met not even thirty minutes ago.
Venti then hums. “Let’s go for coffee.”
“What?”
Xiao knows there’s a cafe stationed right by the exit of the museum, but don’t they still count as strangers? Just on a first name basis?
“Coffee, you and me,” Venti smiles before realising exactly what he’s said. “Uh, not a date! Just two—” “Strangers?” “—Yes, two strangers, getting coffee and I’ll tell you more about Barbatos.”
He’s silent, but he nods. Walking just behind Venti until they reach the small, warm cafe of the museum’s exit.
“I’ll pay.” The words run from Xiao’s mouth as he falls into a cafe booth for two. “Positive?”
“Positive.” Xiao nods. Maybe it’s the feeling of Venti feeling familiar for Xiao not to feel bad about paying for a—somewhat—stranger.
Xiao watches as Venti reaches for a menu and opens it. He fiddles with his hands in the fold of his lap—he should pick up a menu too.
Dammit, Xiao—get it together
It isn’t like Xiao to be this… nervous? Panicky?
There’s silence in between them that runs forever until there’s four words that leave Xiao’s lips, “have we met before?” Xiao knows these words will either leave him stranded at the booth where he sits, or will cause an awkward silence that’ll last moments until they both feel like they’re choking on their own breath—but he asks anyway.
He watches as Venti looks up from the menu, his lips barely parted, then down at the tray of salt, sugar and pepper, then back at Xiao; a surprising smile on the corners of his lips.
“What?”
Xiao zips his lips shut and an awkward chuckle runs from the pit of Venti’s stomach. “I’m sorry—dammit—I—” Venti chuckles again, this one sounding not so awkward.
“Relax, Xiao—why do you ask such a thing?”
Xiao’s breath is definitely stuck in his throat—he’s so… stupid. “Nothing,” he says. “I’ll leave you to your coffee, or tea—here’s what you need to pay, keep the change.” He stands, leaving the cash of a twenty dollar note in front of Venti before nodding and making his leave.
What the fuck, Xiao? What the fuck was that?
It takes five minutes. A walk to the nearest curb, cornered sidewalk, and a thousand breaths that make Xiao choke before he hears, “Xiao—wait!”
And with wide eyes, he stops, hands in his pockets, and he waits, he doesn’t turn, he just stops and waits, and waits and—two arms collide around his middle, the left hand ruining the twenty dollar note, and the right holding tight against Xiao’s shirt.
“Xiao,” It’s muffled into Xiao’s back, “I’m the damn God, Xiao.”
It takes seconds for Xiao to realise the rest. Venti’s the God, and with tight arms around him, the grip that feels so familiar and aching, he realises that he’s the adeptus, or the partner, or whatever Venti had called him.
He’s pulled from a daze when Venti’s grip grows tighter. “I’m the God, Xiao,” Venti says again. “Don’t leave like you did last time, please, I—” Despite the tight grip, Xiao turns and Venti looks up, his breath is fast paced and enough to make Xiao want to pass out.
“Why didn’t you want to tell me?”
“For the safety of this,” Venti says, moving his head to hide in the crook of Xiao’s shoulder. “It’s bound to happen again, you’ll leave me. My poor, poor self will be—” “I’m not going anywhere, alright?”
Xiao’s unsure if, whatever he’s about to do, is a good idea, but he wants to. He wants to kiss the pale lips of an old partner who has apparently found him again. He removes Venti from his shoulder, earning an eyebrow raise before their lips connect.
“We shouldn’t—” Venti half pulls away, humming into the kiss as Xiao’s hands run to lower back to pull him in closer. “I don’t want to go anywhere.” Xiao says, pulling away before the kiss gets too steamy, and Venti smiles, his hands holding Xiao’s cheeks to pull him in for a forehead kiss.
“You damn adeptus.”
Xiao grabs Venti’s hand and pulls it down to kiss his palm. “You beautiful God.”