Hmph!~ A Xiaoven AU

06

"Well... how are you feeling now?"

"Still dead on the inside but that's normal"

Venti sighed and he took his vision off his waist, turning it into his lyre. Playing a soft tune as he started to sing. Getting comfortable, Xiao closed his eyes while listening to the bard's singing.

After a while he stopped and though Xiao wanted to tell him to keep going, he didn't want to move. He was really comfy so just kept his eyes closed. Venti moved closer to him and leant in the edge of the bed. Xiao felt his hand running through his hair and he felt like he could fall asleep at any moment. He was just about to drift off into dreamland when Venti started speaking.

"I know you hate me but yet you're grateful to me for the music a play to preserve your memories... I can't fix what happened in your past but I will try my best to make your future enjoyable..."

Venti smiled as he quickly pulled away from Xiao

"I care for you Xiao... when will you realise it..."

His words seemed to fade further and further away. As Xiao slowly started to fall asleep, he heard Venti say goodbye as he left the room.

~*~*~

"Wake up sleepy head!! I brought you lunch!!!"

Hu Tao's voice echoed off the walls and bounced into Xiao's ears as he woke up. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and adjusted to the bright lights.

"Where... Venti..."

Still sleepy, he couldn't think straight nor talk properly but Hu Tao understood.

"Ah he went back to class, he's talking to the stundent council right now. After all he as technically part of it..."

Venti is a part of the student council...?

As Xiao thought about it, Hu Tao explained to him that Venti was one of the creativity reps but he never really did anything. So a student named Sucrose took his place and along with Albedo they both were creativity reps.

"Jee, the student council has a lot of members..."

"Well there's Jean and Ningguang as the presidents, Keqing as Vice President and of course we can't forget Ganyu the secretary... Sucrose and Albedo are the creativity reps. Noelle is the Service rep and lastly, Yanfei the Action rep. They are all pretty good student council members. Comparing them to previous years makes them seem so mature."

Hu Tao gave Xiao his lunch and he quietly ate as Hu Tao started talking about what he's missed. Lunch break went by quickly and Hu Tao had to go to her next lesson.

Once again Xiao was alone. Usually he wouldn't mind but he couldn't help but wish someone beside him now. He growled at himself and sighed

"I'm getting weaker... I can't even be alone anymore... I can't believe I lot consciousness to a stupid abyss mage."

Laying down on the bed in disappointment, he curled up into a ball. He was too busy thinking badly about himself to notice someone entering the room.

"Xiao? Xiao?!! Xiao are you okay???"

Xiao rolled around and looked up to see Venti's worried face. He sat up and sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm fine Venti, what are you doing here"

Venti sat on the bed infront of Xiao, swinging his legs back and forth. He smiled sadly and looked up at the ceiling.

"I just wanted to be with you... besides... my classes are cancelled this week. All the teachers told me to rest since I stayed up..."

"Why did you stay up then?"

Xiao's question shocked Venti, not the question itself but he was shocked at the tone Xiao had. It was cold and it was like he didn't care for Venti. It made Venti start to tear up and he jumped off the bed, clenching his fists.

"I care for you. I want you to be happy... and once you're happy, I want to live beside your light. My life has been nothing, it's always been nothing"

Venti laid out all the worst things about him, he laid out everything he hated about himself. The image of Venti being a perfect, happy, cheerful person slowly crumbled. Word after word, Xiao listened to Venti belittle himself and Xiao related to him a little too well.

"No one cares for me, the one person I've ever loved will never love me back. I've given up with trying to make myself happy. I want to help others now. As long as others are happy, I'd be happy enough to just live beside this light."

Venti stared into Xiao's eyes then looked to the floor letting his tears fall. Xiao got up and hugged the boy.

"I don't know much about you, but I know that you played the Dihua flute to save me. You have a caring heart Barbatos... you just have to share that love with yourself"

Big words coming from someone who has he own insecurities but he didn't care right now. He just wanted to make Venti smile. To see his smile just once would just make a spark.

Looking at Xiao was a pair of teary eyes full of pain and sorrow. Venti wasn't smiling at all. In fact, he was on the verge of completely breaking down.

Xiao and Venti stayed in a hug for a really long time, but neither of them cared. Xiao enjoyed the warmth of Venti and he wanted to comfort the bard.

Meanwhile, Venti was just happy to be in the arms of someone who actually cares. All the "comforting" hugs he had in the past were all out of pity. None of them truly cared for him.

After a while more, Venti stopped crying and he broke away from Xiao. The yaksha cupped Venti's cheeks in his hands and he wiped away his last tears.

"It's alright to cry, after all... it's good to let everything out once in a while. I can stay with you for a while if you'd like. I don't think my 'family' would mind."

Venti nodded and he blushed, his nose, eyes and cheeks were all red.

"Th-thank you..."

~*~*~

Just a teeny tiny bit more Xiaoven this chapter :)
Xiao comforting Venti was always something I want to see in a fan fiction but... I never saw it. Venti was always that perfect child that cheers everyone up, but to be honest... no one can be THAT flawless.

That's what led me to start this story, I'm not gonna spoil anything that I plan to write in the future but I'll explain the title a little bit. I know the title doesn't make any sense now but once Xiao and Venti start dating, it will make sense. At least I think it makes sense, so hopefully you all will stay and read until to end <3

Have a nice day you all!

~*~*~
Date written~ 29th May 2021
Word Count~ 1155
Written by~ Saku._.kkura