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It was late at night when Xiao got a phone call while he was studying for his finals tomorrow.
It was from Venti.
Irritated at being interrupted from his studies, he picked up his phone and declined the call before going back to his books.
After a few moments, it rang again.
What the hell does he want?
Sighing heavily, Xiao took his glasses off and massaged his temple before picking up the call from Venti.
“It’s 1am, what do you want?” Xiao grumbled.
“You picked up!” Venti happily cheers on the other line, followed by his own giggle. His voice sounded wobbly.
He’s drunk again, Xiao thinks to himself.
Venti always had the tendency to drink heavily whenever finals are nearing and he would sometimes bother Xiao while he’s drunk as hell and Xiao is forced to pick him up from some local bars or just somewhere outside the campus, other times he’s chilling on a roof. How he gets on those places, Xiao doesn’t even want to know. He worries a little, but that’s really all there is to it. They’re not close. Rivals, yes. Friends? Barely.
“Xiaooo, I’m drunk.”
“I can tell.”
“Pick me up.”
“No.”
Xiao hears Venti’s whine from the other’s end.
“Please? It’s so cold here-” Venti sneezed.
Ah. Right. Winter is nearing.
“Xiao, I could die.”
“Very funny.” Xiao says, his tone filled with absolute sarcasm. “Where are you?”
“Angel’s share.”
Right. Where else could the idiot be?
Xiao stands up from his chair and went to put on his jacket before heading out. “I’m on my way. Stay there.” Xiao says lastly and hangs up.
Whatever. He already studied enough. He can just study some more later.
The bar was just a 10-minute walk from his dormitory, thankfully.
It was cold outside, and some students were still unsurprisingly awake and doing something at this time of night. Xiao isn’t new to this; their university could get really demanding during exams season. There’s nothing he can do about it.
He reached the bar shortly.
Xiao pushed the door open and went inside, searching for Venti. The bar was loud as usual. Something that Xiao cannot stand, and he can’t wait to get his over with so he can go back to studying.
Fortunately, he already caught glimpse of twin braids with cyan tips.
As expected, the guy’s wasted as shit.
Xiao sighs as he went over to the stool where Venti’s sitting at. He seems to be bugging the bartender- or rather, the owner of the bar, Diluc, who’s cleaning glasses, ignoring Venti’s antics. It seems he’s no longer new to this, and neither is Xiao. They both have a menace to take care of. Wait. Take care of? More like, he was forced to take care of Venti. Yes, that was it.
“Venti.” Xiao placed his hand on Venti’s shoulder.
Venti turns to him, looking extremely drunk. Xiao grimaces a bit, he hopes Venti won’t vomit on the way to the dorm. Venti’s known to have the such a high tolerance to alcohol which can’t be compared to any alcoholic person.
“Huuuh? Who...hic…are you? Venti says, words slurred.
“Xiao.” Xiao replied blankly. “Come on, let’s get you to your dorm. It’s already so late. I have exams tomorrow.”
Venti hiccupped. “Xiao? Ohhh, that Xiao!”
Xiao rolls his eyes. “Alright, let’s go-”
“My handsome Xiao!” Venti giggles at his own words. Xiao blinks. “Are you here to take me away, my prince?”
This is absolutely ridiculous.
“Yes, whatever. Let’s just go.” Xiao takes Venti’s wrist and put Venti’s arm over his shoulder. As he walks away with his drunk companion, he hears Diluc say “finally”.
Yes, finally. His problem has passed onto Xiao. Totally great.
Xiao heaves a sigh as he leaves the bar with a really drunk Venti.
The two stumbles their way onto a nearby bench where Xiao sat Venti on before calling an uber. Thankfully, some cars were still available at this hour.
“Sho…” Venti murmurs drunkenly.
Who the hell is that?
“Xiao…”
Oh.
“What is it?” Xiao says, his voice uncharacteristically coming out soft to which he was even surprised himself.
“Cold…” Venti murmurs again.
Xiao frowns as he observes Venti’s fit. The idiot was wearing some thin long sleeves.
“Wear some winter clothes next time you go out, moron.” Xiao scolds lightly as he takes off his own jacket and drapes it over Venti’s shoulder, to which Venti melts in.
“But if I wear winter clothing, you won’t lend me yours.” Venti hums.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
“I can’t just keep lending you stuff all the time.” Xiao grumbles. It was always like this with this annoying rival of his.
“Why not? You have many clothes in your drawer.” Venti tries to pout.
“We’re not supposed to be close.”
“We should have been, though.”
“What?”
“Just saying,” Venti mumbles. “I have the biggest crush on you, you know?”
Xiao blinks, trying to wrap his head around this new information that was given to him.
“Stop saying things you might regret in the morning.” Xiao tries to play it cool. He’s internally, mentally, screaming for help. This can’t be real. It just can’t.
“Whether I regret or not doesn’t really matter,” Venti mutters drunkenly. “I still like you, whether I deny it in front of others or not. I like you.”
“That’s not possible.”
Venti goes quiet for a moment and when Xiao turns to look at him, he has an unreadable expression on his face. Huh.
“Of course, it’s not possible.” Venti says quietly. “It’s always not possible with you anyway. What was I expecting?”
That takes Xiao by surprise. Venti is… upset. He’s upset, and it’s because of Xiao not considering the fact that he has a crush on him.
Okay.
What the hell.
Before Xiao could stop himself from asking, it automatically slips his tongue. “...how?”
“Hm?” Venti hums.
“How,” Xiao swallows a lump in his throat. “How did you end up liking me...?”
It was quiet for a moment, only silence fills the cold air until Venti lets out a drunk chuckle.
“Well, that’s… complicated.” Venti says when his laughter died down. “I don’t know myself either. I didn’t really know what to think of you. You’re impossible for making me feel this way, and it’s so unfair that you don’t like me back. That’s just too cruel.”
Xiao goes silent.
“It’s laughable, isn’t it?” Venti asks.
Xiao still doesn’t answer.
“I’m,” Venti starts. “Such a fool for liking you.”
“...why?”
“Why...?” Venti sighs a bit. Xiao can see the cold air on his breath. “You’re right. We weren’t supposed to be close. I wasn’t planning it to end up this way. I was at least expecting us to become friends which never happened, but me catching feelings for you? Now… that’s… something I can’t wrap my head around on. It’s so confusing.”
Xiao doesn’t respond to that, expecting more explanation to come out of Venti’s mouth, so Venti gives it to him.
“Don’t you know?” Venti smiles a bit. “I’ve had a crush on you ever since our first year of high school.”
Xiao’s eyes widened. High school? Is he serious? That was… too long ago!
“Can you… imagine us being together?” Xiao asks quietly.
“Maybe.” Venti replies. “I’d imagine, sometimes… we’re dating, and you’d bring me bouquets and random gifts out of nowhere and then we’d cuddle on the bed or the couch. Your kisses… must be nice too, I bet the person to kiss you first is lucky. And then… we’d go on after school dates, or weekend dates, then we’d take silly pictures of each other. We’d be happy. Really happy.”
Venti goes quiet after that before adding, “It’s… just a dream. Don’t swell on it.”
Too much.
How could Venti say that “it’s just a dream” when he had just described how Xiao would treat his lover if ever. That was unfair.
It’s all too much for him to process.
“Maybe I’m just really stupid, and we’re not even friends, yet I fell for you. The dumbest thing that could ever happen to me, don’t you think?” Venti laughs lightly. “And it’s not like I’m wishing for you to return my feelings or in any way. But if you’d like, I hope we can be good friends. I won’t ask for anything else.”
Friends. Just friends.
Since high school.
No… they’re past the friendship stage at this point and he didn’t even know it.
Before Xiao could reply to Venti, however, the uber arrives.
“Come on,” Xiao mutters as he steadies Venti before going inside the car.
He lets Venti sleep on his shoulder for the rest of the ride.
...since high school, huh?
_____________________
Venti slowly wakes up to a pounding in his head.
He groans upon sitting up, hand on his head. It seems he’s had too much to drink again. Damn it.
Slowly, Venti opens his eyes. His vision blurs for a moment before focusing. “Ugh…”
Great. He can’t remember anything from last night.
...wait a minute.
This isn’t his bed.
Venti blinks, turning fully awake.
Where. The. Hell. Am. I.
Feeling panicked, Venti takes off the blanket… to see that he’s fully clothed.
...in clothing that aren’t his.
“You’re awake.” a voice- a very familiar voice says. Venti turns to the door and he sees…
“Where am I? W-What did you do to me?!” Venti sputters, face going red.
Amused, Xiao walked up to him and gave him some pills for headache and a glass of water. “You’re in my dorm, idiot. You vomited on the way here and I had to change you. Luckily, my clothes fit you.”
Venti turns even redder. So, Xiao undressed him?!
“Pervert.”
“Says the one who drools over me.”
“I do not!”
“The more you shout, the more it gets obvious.”
“Oh, shut up.”
Venti grumbles as he drinks the pill and the water.
“I made you breakfast in the kitchen. Eat it before it gets cold.” Xiao says. “I placed your clothes on the laundry. You can wear it later.”
“...right.” Venti says carefully as he gets out of bed, Xiao’s acting strangely nice today.
“Hey,” Xiao speaks again and Venti turns to him. “I was thinking… after exams, we should go out. Just you and me.”
Ah, I get it. I’ve gone completely insane which caused me to think I’m in another world.
“Are you up for it? Xiao asks.
Venti wonders if he’ll wake up to the real world if he punches himself really hard right now.
“Venti?”
“Stop!” Venti raises his voice. “Stop messing with me. Are you on drugs or something?”
“Huh?” Xiao frowns.
“I don’t know if it’s me or you who’s gone completely insane but either way, please just slap me right now so I can return to my own world and my own Xiao who absolutely hates me.” Venti pleads.
“What?” Xiao says, confused.
“Don’t play dumb with me!” Venti’s brows furrowed. “The breakfast- putting my clothes in the laundry- asking me out after exams- what’s will all those? What kind of pill did you swallow? Did Lisa make you her guinea pig to try out one of her experiments?”
“No?” Xiao frowns.
“Then… why?!” Venti was filled with confusion. “Don’t tell me, are you drunk-?”
“I like you.”
Silence fills the air.
“...huh?” Venti says, face blank.
“I like you.” Xiao repeats, sounding resolute.
Venti gulps.
“Xiao, look. I know I keep joking and all but please-”
Before Venti could finish his sentence, Xiao grabs him by the waist, pulling him close and capturing his lips in a soft kiss, earning Xiao a sound of surprise from Venti.
The kiss lasts for a few seconds only, but it left Venti helpless.
“I like you.” Xiao keeps saying, gazing at Venti only.
It only took Venti 10 exact seconds to get the realization and process it.
“You… like me.”
Xiao nods.
“You like me.”
Xiao nods again.
“You like- like me?”
“Yes. I do.”
“You like me?!” Venti shrieks.
“I do. Very much.”
“Since… since when?!”
“Since the first time that I saw you. I just kept on denying it, but it should’ve been painfully obvious to everyone else around us.” Xiao uttered. “You confessed to me while drunk, and… I thought back to how our relationship as ‘rivals’ went by the years.”
Oh heavens, this is going to be the death of him, no doubt.
“Whether your feelings for me are fake or not, my feelings towards you are sure as hell real.” Xiao furrowed his brows. “I like you, Venti. For the longest time. I just didn’t realize it soon. I’m sorry.”
“You… you idiot.” Venti breathes out. “You absolute idiot...!”
“That’s me.” Xiao chuckles. “I deserve a punishment, don’t I?”
“Yes. Yes, you do!” Venti pouts.
“How can I make it up to you?”
“You could start with spoiling me kisses and cuddles.”
“Right now?”
“Right now!”
Xiao smiles.
“You got it, my prince.”
And with that, he picks up a whining Venti in his arms and returns to the bed, having completely forgotten the breakfast that Xiao had cooked for Venti in the kitchen.