A Street Dancer with a Black Bandana (Xiaoven)

Eleven: A call.

TW: mentions of child @bu$e
September 27th, 9.35 am.

Xiao wakes up to people talking, making him groan and rub his eyes, and hisses at the pain in his hands. He looks at the bandages, a light red on his palms, seeping through the white bandages.

The memory hits him like a fucking truck, and it hurt him. He expected his dad to be angry, but to hit him again? That was...He didnt think thatd happen.

Ganyu wasnt there to stop him this time, so he did it himself. He hit him back, with the closest object. His old ice skates, and he made a run for it. He ran and ran till he got to Venti's, tripping up the stairs as he did, which made his knees get scrapped and bloody. He didnt tell Venti since he already felt like a bother with his hands and face. He gets off the bed, kinda limping over to the door, pulling it open, and peeking out. Venti and a girl are talking softly, and they're looking over papers, "I didnt find much on him, but, theres been uhm, rumors. And- there are rumors of child @bu$e, but it's never been confirmed. Alatus wasnt seen for about two weeks, and when he played again he seemed shaken up. Like he was forced to play. He was 14 maybe 15 years old. But he looked shaken up. And- I dont know. And since hes an adult now they cant do much now. If we can get proof of-"

"I can get you proof." Xiao says, walking out, "Ganyu has several photos, and I do. And I have one of the paramedics numbers, she took photos of them. Her and her team got paid off, she didnt like it. Police as well. They got paid off. And they acted like nothing happened." Xiao says, sitting on the couch, looking at his hands. "I'm sorry. I didnt know you were awake. This is Yanfei. Shes a close friend of mine, and..A lawyer. I hope you dont mind. We can drop this if you want." Venti speaks, looking at Xiao.

Xiao shakes his head, "No..I just..this is..Something that needs to happen. I..I need it to. I want him put away. Away from me, Ganyu, Qiqi. Everyone else. I just. It hurts to see a father do that. I wondered if I had problems..Or if it was...Normal. The first time he had hit me, was when I was seven I think. It escalated to more as I grew up. When I was fifteen he hit my hands because I messed up on a few notes. And he was so angry at me. So he took his anger out..In the wrong way." He whispers, looking at his hands, "He kept me inside, away from people for weeks, saying I was sick. No one questioned it. And no one has lived near us for years. So..No one called about the screaming.."

Xiao stands up, lifting up his hoodie, holding it in his hands. On his back was a deep scar. "He threw a bottle at me when I was sixteen. It cut so deep I passed out from blood loss. I woke up in my bed with nurses. Personal ones. They never spoke about it. He fired them a year later for threatening to expose him. So.." He kinda just stands there, holding the hoodie in his arms, sighing, feeling insecure about his body showing, and the scars. Venti gently grabs it from his hands, and helps slide it back on, gently touching his face, "I'm sorry this happened. I'm sorry no one stopped it. Sweetheart you're beautiful. never think you arent." Xiao nods softly, and sits back down, "How about...we get some food, and we can talk this over?"

"Can..We get I-Hop?" Xiao asks softly, and Venti nods, "Of course, darling. Are you up for that, Yanfei?"

She nods, smiling, "Yeah! I'm down down! It'll be nice to get to know Alatus better."

"Xiao. Please..Call me Xiao..I dont like when my name is used." He says softly, and Yanfei nodded, "Alright! You two can get dressed, and I'll start up my car. I'm driving!"

Xiao nods as does Venti.

~

Xiao is handed a black pair of Jean's, and a yellowish thin strapped tanktop and a black cardigan. The cardigan was warm, and fuzzy, and kept out the cold really well. The tanktop was a good fit for his body, and felt comfortable. Kinda outta his comfort zone but it was nice.

He has his shoes from yesterday, they seemed to have been washed and dried. Venti must have cleaned em at some point.

Venti wore a pair of blue jeans with rips in the knees, and upper thighs, and a blue sweater tucked into his pants. He had a black cat backpack that held his stuff. He smiles at Xiao, handing him a hair brush, "You look like a bird ruffled your hair, baby."

Baby.

That was a new one, and it sent Xiao's tummy into flips.

He blushes softly, and he looks at Venti and shakes his hands, he can barely squeeze them. Venti nods softly, standing behind Xiao, gently running the brush through his hair, getting any knots out, and he grabs a pony tail, and hes putting it into a small bun. "You look so handsome." Venti smiles softly, and he blushes. Any kind of compliment the taller gave him always sent his stomach into a mess of butterflies and flips. He blushed at each one, trying his best not to, but he fails. Every. Single. Time.

Xiao nods softly, "We should..We should go."

Venti nods, holding open the bedroom door.

woooo a chapter lessgooo

if you have questions please lemme know <3 -bennett