WITH LOVE / XIAOVEN

eight.

authors note: heyy i hope all klee wanters got her! on a side note im crying rn as i publish this simply because i remembered that i only wrote this because i wanted to see what being in love feels like and what being captured by love feels like nd now i have so many ppl supporting me 😭 anyway enough about my feelings, i hope you all enjoy this. love you <3

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venti somehow thinks that the minute the stylists landed their eyes on venti, their one and only goal was to make him be in pain all the time- whether that be emotional or physical. maybe they're only doing this because xiao and venti were the main cause that made them be late for their styling but even then xiao did not seem to be in pain. that, or he was just really, really good at hiding his pain. venti stares at xiao from where he was getting his makeup done and venti wanted to scream from the cute outfit that the stylists had probably shoved him in. (to be fair, venti had seen xiao's skeptical facial expression when handed the clothing. that, and he'd heard one of the stylists possibly threaten him but that wasn't important- "xiao if you don't put the clothes on, i'm never buying you almond tofu ever.") 

venti looks at xiao who is currently getting his makeup done with his face facing away from venti. venti doesn't really understand why xiao was complaining about the outfit really- it was cute especially with the ruffled top but with a special detail that felt like it was specifically made venti go absolutely apeshit. the back had an opening that framed the middle of xiao's back- showing off the muscle in that area. it was a piece that the stylists knew would drive the fans crazy. 

the stylists didn't take long for all three of them, especially since they wouldn't be performing or getting on stage unless they got an award but venti doubts that they'd actually win something. especially in such a short amount of time from their debut. 

in just a short amount of time, the three were sitting at a table nearby other groups. venti nor xiao knew who was sitting at the other tables but hu tao had said hello to two of the members- yanfei and yoimiya. the event began and only from there did it begin to be the longest thing he's ever sat through. the event began with xingqiu's and chongyun's performance and holy fuck diluc was an absolute genius. the mixture of xingqiu's and chongyun's signature colors along with the perfected dance may have made venti shed a few tears but it's not like anybody saw really. (venti would find out later that no, in fact many people saw because he was on the jumbo screen in the arena. way to be secretive.) 

from there on out it's pure boredom for the entire group- there's just a bunch of speeches and performances that made venti more sleepy than awake. hu tao and venti had gotten so bored at one point that they began stacking the cups they have at the table which is not a lot considering there's only three but still, an effort is made. (venti at one point even offers to start chugging a bunch of drinks just so they could have more cups but xiao tells him not to in case they go on stage and venti pisses himself.)

at one point, venti leans over to whisper in xiao's ear, "gonna be honest, i am suppressing the urge to slam my head into the table so badly right now." 
xiao laughs, his eyes creasing into little crescent's with his hand over his mouth. venti looks at xiao with a fond smile as if xiao had hung all the stars in the sky. even if xiao's laugh is not as loud as expected- it's a soft, quiet sort of laugh that venti's ears never get tired of. he wants to hear it again, again, again, and again. venti would do anything to hear it over and over. 

venti is so distracted by xiao that his senses are awakened by the announcing of something that he'd thought they'd never achieve: 

"...and the award goes to with love!" 

venti's senses awaken and soon, he's standing behind xiao who's thankfully taken up the task of saying a heartfelt speech that strikes at everyone's hearts. it's so unreal, this whole moment, everything. everything feels so numb and fuzzy that he doesn't realize that they're backstage when xiao cups venti's face in his hands and only then does venti genuinely feel awake when his eyes are open. 

venti doesn't know how else to describe xiao's presence except as home. his presence was warm and venti wanted to stay like this forever- his face held in the other man's hands. it felt like years of silence passed as a tear began to streak down venti's cheek. 

venti quickly rubs the tear away with his palm, "it's so stupid. i'm the only one crying- i don't know why i'm being so dramatic. it's just an award." 

"it doesn't matter if it's just an award in your eyes," xiao says as he lets go of venti's face in his hands, "if it makes you feel that way then do not hide your feelings. let it out." 

venti nods as his bottom lip wobbles. venti opens his arms shakily towards the other- inviting him to engulf the taller and older. xiao softly smiles at the other as he takes the nonverbal invitation to the hug. venti tightly held onto him, his face nudged in the crook of xiao's neck. 

"i'm so happy." venti whispers in the crook of xiao's neck that is now wet with his tears. venti wants to pull back to apologize for it but xiao holds him tightly in his arms as he repeats the same words that venti had once said to him, "me too."

i've never believed that love was real when i was a child. xiao thinks, i didn't think it was believable that two people could ever tolerate each other and that they wanted to stay with each other forever. it wasn't something i believed. even when i saw a couple swooning over each other, my first thought was that it won't last. i've never understood love but i think i understand now: i love you so much that my heart hurts. it's too filled with my love for you.