୨୧ 🍧 YOUR NEW BOYFRIEND ﹒xiaoven

𝟬𝟲

06 — toy

🌬┊͙୭̥⋆*｡

CLEAR AS DAY, VENTI SEES THE SIGNS—
xiao remains unaware that he's his old high school friend. he wonders how long it will take for him to find out, and almost instantly, venti finds himself thinking of xiao more often than he ought to be.

venti finds it funny how xiao knew him by a face, and venti knew xiao by a name.

he doubts that xiao looks much different. it has only been a few years—seven to be exact (venti doesn't consider this to be a long time, he practically remembers his time with xiao as if it were only days ago). at the same time, if venti looks different enough for his old friend not to recognize him, perhaps, xiao wouldn't be easy to recognize out in the open, either.

and venti fails to let himself think of a crucial moment in his previous relationship with the fellow on the other side of the world.

xiao liked him, once.

or rather, he does think of it, but he won't allow himself to dwell on it— to think of it for more than a few seconds. venti concluded that it would be awkward to let xiao know of their previous affiliation.

that would be awkward.

that would be terrible.

venti wouldn't allow it.

it is then, venti concludes that xiao will know him as barbatos for as long as he can allow it.

in xiao's world, it's the middle of the afternoon. in venti's, in europe, time zoomed by, and it is only the wee hours of the morning when he finds himself thinking— and is interrupted by a certain blonde beside him that he loved so well.

"venti," aether groaned tiredly, "you're awake already?"

in response, the raven leaned over and kissed aether's head. he scrunched his nose. "yup," he replied, his phone loosely in his grip, with the dms from xiao open.

"who are you talking to," the golden-haired followed up. it came out as more a statement than a question.

"oh! one of my friends from high school! except... he doesn't realize it yet— oh let me quiet down, it looks like jean and diluc are still asleep," he lowers his voice, then continues, "but yeah, his name is xiao, have i ever told you about him?"

aether rubs  his eyes and his expression faltered. "no, you haven't," he says, "let me see your phone."

"why? i didn't do anything—"

"let me see."

the dark room is quiet, tense. jean stirs in her bed, a few feet across.

"aether, bubs, not so loud, you might wake jeannie and diluc," he whispers, voice soft and endearing.

"let me see your phone, venti."

the other practically whimpers when he complies— he hands over his phone as quickly as he can, to avoid an outburst from aether. he doesn't want jean or diluc to awaken, especially not to a fight between him and his boyfriend.

furiously, glittering with hatred, and what venti actually perceives as love and protectiveness, aether scrolls upward to the direct messages between xiao and venti. his golden eyes seem red in the light— the apples of his cheeks gleam with embers, resonating with fire.

and it seems, now, that aether was typing something on venti's phone.

"aether, bubs— what are you doing?"

"telling xiao not to flirt with you."

venti's heartbeat quickens; turquoise eyes gleam with love— a twisted love. the statement makes him swoon, and his longing for freedom has slipped away, blowing in the wind. aether's smothering, choking love is beautiful, and venti craves it. venti needs it.

"i don't think— i don't think xiao will flirt with me, aether bubs! i didn't mean to worry you, xiao is just an old friend!"

"are you gonna toy with him until he finds out your real name, venti?"

toy? xiao is far from a toy for venti— xiao is a memory to relive and rekindle. xiao is a friend to befriend once again. venti shakes his head, in disapproval of what aether says for the first time in what feels like years. perhaps, it actually has been years.

"no, aether. i— i'm gonna make sure he finds out my name without me telling him! people aren't toys."

the blonde laughs under his breath, derisively, condescendingly.

"i'd say you're my toy, venti."

the meaning of the word 'toy' changes for venti, in that moment. and now, he's furiously blushing at his use of it. it's impossible to tell what aether means by the statement— venti refuses to believe the connotation is negative. he refuses to believe, at this point, that anything aether says to him is to be taken negatively.

"ae-aether, don't say things like that— you're making me blush!"

he laughs again, it's even more bitter this time, but somehow, it's genuine. aether hands venti his phone, lackadaisically. venti reads the message that aether sent to xiao.

-

barbatos
hey, xiao. my real name's venti. that ring a bell?

a/n:
AETHER I HATE YOJ SO FUCKINGN MUCH I LOVE IT.

GOD.

kiss marry kill:
albedo, kaeya, diluc

my answer:
ooh. this is hard.

hug diluc
marry albedo
kiss kaeya

IM SORRY I CANT KILL DILUC
I LOVE HIM TOO MUCH.
and he's about to be really important in this fic so stay tuned