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Ears still ringing from the screams of the group's adoring fans, Xiao collapses onto the couch backstage, energy completely spent.
The first stage of their comeback is always exhilarating yet exhausting, and this performance was no exception. It's only ANEMO's second year, but Xiao already feels himself falling into familiar patterns. Most of those patterns are the industry standard. Wake up, head to the practice rooms, take a quick break for a bare-bones lunch, practice more, then be hurried into a nondescript car to be taken to some schedule or another. Others are habits unique to their group that Xiao has noticed over time.
One of the latter patterns is the way Hajime (they don't call him Scaramouche that often, much to the delight of the fans watching their behind-the-scenes videos) demands the performance footage the second they step off stage. "Huh," he says, zooming in on their lower halves while reviewing the first verse. "Kaedehara, your footwork is off here."
"Is it?" Kazuha's voice is mild, but there's a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Don't get smart with me," Hajime scowls, and turns to Heizou, who's whistling while a stylist tries in vain to fix his hair so it doesn't look messy for the pap photos when they leave the venue. "Same goes for you. Stop being sloppy."
"Aye aye, captain." Heizou mockingly salutes him with two fingers, and Hajime's eye twitches.
Xiao's not really sure what's going on between the three of them, and he doesn't plan on asking. Right now, he's more concerned with the way Venti is slumped on the couch next to him, having not moved a muscle ever since he sat down.
"Venti." Xiao's fingertips ghost over his arm, and he can feel the warmth radiating from him, but Venti still doesn't stir. His eyelids flutter slightly, though, so Xiao knows he's still awake.
"...'m not here." Venti mumbles, head lolling over to the side and coming dangerously close to Xiao's shoulder.
"Oh?" Xiao reaches over and combs his fingers through Venti's bangs, softly stroking his hair. "You went home already? What will the staff say?"
"Xiao," Venti whines, snuggling up on the armrest so he's vaguely in a sitting position. "You're so mean to me!"
"My apologies." Xiao threads his fingers through Venti's bangs one more time before pulling away, ignoring the rush of longing that shoots through his veins at the loss of contact.
"No, no, don't be sorry!" Venti sits up in an instant, a thousand times more alert. "Come backkkkk...." he wheedles, shimmying closer to Xiao until their knees are pressed together.
Xiao still isn't used to this. The casual touch, yes, but moreso the casual companionship. Especially his friendship with Venti. If you had told fifteen-year-old Xiao with a bloody nose and a split lip that he would eventually debut and become friends with his idol, well- he probably would have punched you in the face.
He hasn't told Venti that he used to be (still is, in a way) a fan of Barbatos, but he thinks Venti has guessed. Xiao was utterly tongue-tied around him in their early days, in a way that had made Hajime pull him aside two weeks into debut and say "look, I don't know what your fucking problem is, but fix it." Eventually, he learned to ignore the fact that he was performing with the boy whose music had saved him.
Sometimes, the words threaten to spill past his lips. You saved me. Then and now. I would do anything for you.
"You did well today," he says in lieu of anything else.
"Don't make fun of me!" Venti puffs out his cheeks and blows out a breath that gently lifts the ends of his braids. The hair is a bright shade of teal and fried within an inch of its life from being dyed so many times. It's distracting. "You know I messed up my high note in the chorus!"
"I'm not making fun of you," Xiao says, a furrow forming on his brow. "You did well. I'm sure the Winds think so too."
"Oh, I know the Winds love me, I went all-out just for them!" Venti waves a hand vaguely, his smile exhausted yet happy as he seems to recall the ear-piercing screams of their devoted fans, the bright lights of their lightsticks, their fancy outfits and overpriced merch. "But I want to know what you think."
Truthfully, Xiao doesn't know what to say. There's so many things he can praise about the technicality and skill Venti demonstrates day after day. Still, he opens his mouth to speak. "I-"
"Alright!" One of the staff calls, clapping her hands once to get the members' attention. "We're going to be turning the cameras on for some more behind-the-scenes content, so look alive."
"Hear that?" Venti yawns. "Look alive? I'm so alive! I'm the very picture of health!"
When Venti goes to stand, he wobbles slightly, and Xiao grabs his wrist to steady him. "Don't fall," he warns.
Venti beams, and it's like the sun shines directly into the little room, drowning out the harsh fluorescent lights. "I won't, if you're here to catch me!"
The cameras roll, Venti slings an arm around his shoulder and brings them cheek-to-cheek, and all of a sudden-
Xiao is the one who falls.