A Street Dancer with a Black Bandana (Xiaoven)

Fourteen: The black Handkerchief.

September 27th, 6:30pm
The day went by rather fast, its 6:30pm now. Venti was getting ready to work, grabbing an apron, and had changed into a pair of black Jean's, a pair of black converse, and a white long sleeved button up, tucked into his belt, and sleeves rolled up, his hair wasnt in a braid, but up in a loose bun. Xiao watches him grab things, a sigh escaping his lips, "Fucking hate this job." He mutters to himself. Xiao was laying on the couch, humming. "How come?" Venti kneels infront of him, humming. "I'll tell you another time."

"Mm.." He picks up the black bandana up off the coffee table, handing it to Venti and the boy giggles, "Thank you. But, I dont need it, baby." He runs a hand through Xiao's hair, "You always wear it so..Xingqiu said it has a meaning." Venti laughs softly, "I dont know if I can explain that one. More of..a show I guess. But, I'm not gonna do that to you..Would be.." He trails off, shaking his head, "Anyways. I left Yanfei's number on the fridge with everyone else's, I showed you how to work the tv. You can sleep in my bed if you want. I wont be back till probably 7 am."

Xiao nods, smiling a bit, "Alright." He feels bad, Venti hasnt slept since last night, and he was using alot of energy this morning when he was dancing.

"You gonna be alright? If you need to address is on the paper too."

Xiao nods.

~
11.37 pm.

A few hours passed, Xiao was watching tv, his mind going back to the conversation. He grabs his laptop from the table, opening google, finger tips hesitantly hovering over the keys. He shakes his head, it cant be THAT bad.

He types it in, a dark blush setting in on his face.

"The hanky code was a covert sartorial code used predominately by queer men in the 1970s and into the 1980s. Simply put, a bandana is worn in one's back pocket for the purposes of sexual signaling.

Black in left pocket is a top, S&M, right is bottom S&M"

He forces himself to lower the laptops screen, his body was warm, his face hot and red from embarrassment. "Oh my god." He looks at the bandana on the table, and back at the laptop.

The meaning settles into his mind, "Xingqiu-"
He grabs his phone dialing his friend.

A moment later he answers, "S&M!? WHY-"

"You looked it up, great. Yeah."

"I ASKED HIM WHAT IT MEANT- OH MY GOD-" Hes embarrassed by it, "YOU ASKED?! DUMBASS-"

"I didnt think it meant anything!" He says, and Xingqiu laughs, "You look at the rest of em?"

"THERES MORE!?"

"Yeah, several. Kaeya wore one, Kazuha, uhhh, Ayato did back then but stopped. I think that's it. Kaeya wore a black velvet."

Xiao opens the laptop, clicking a photo, looking at it, several colors and meanings, "People still use this?"
"Mhm. I've seen others. But basically Venti's is saying hes a top, sadist and masochist. And basically hes slept with others. Maybe, no clue. But, he stopped wearing it."

"Yeah, h-he told me he didnt need it.." Xiao mutters, and Xingqiu laughs, "You're fucking dumb."

"How!?"

"He likes you, he stopped wearing it before your performance, he looks at you like Morax looks at Ajax, how anyone looks at someone they're in love with."

Xiao's silent, taking in the information, the bandanas. He touches his cheek softly, "That's why he said that-" He mutters, and Xingqiu hums in confusion, "Nothing- just, I gotta go. I'm tired."

"Mkay, see ya, love you, be safe," Xingqiu says.

"Yeah, I will dont worry."

"Mkay, I'm call Chongyun. He had an idea for a song."

"Mhmm, suuureee." They laugh together before hanging up.

Xiao sighs, biting his lip, "I really..didnt think it meant anything. UGGHHH!" He groans in absolute embarrassment, how could he ever bring it up to Venti? He probably wont.

~
September 27th, 11.50.
Meanwhile with Venti he was zoned out organizing drinks. "So, he asked you what it meant?"

Venti nods, "I cant exactly explain that. But I'm not gonna show him either! I wouldnt be able to live with myself if I-I did ANY of that with him. After what hes been through. I cant."

Diluc nods, "Doms do that. Doubt it. I get it. I've gone through it. Kaeya went through a sub-drop. It's kinda scary when it happens."

Diluc hands a male a drink, "I've never experienced a dom drop, and I'm not doing anything with Xiao, nor will I probably ever." Venti says, and Diluc shrugs,

"You like him. And, you're scared. But hes seen you at your worst. You've seen him at his." Diluc answers, "I dont just 'like' him. Im..I think I'm in love. I just. There this feeling, that ive..I know him. A feeling ive..Been with him. I dont know."

"Oi, speak english." Ayato jokes as he stands at the high bar, and Venti looks at him, and hums, "Sorry, I just fall back into German sometimes. What do you want?"
"Just dropped Heizou off at the station. Came by to see y'all. Been a bit since us three talked together."

Diluc nods, "Xiao asked about the bandana." "HAH!" Ayato laughed, "Howd you explain THAT?"

"I didnt. I left. I feel bad. But," He shoots a glance at Ayato, and he nods, "I get it."

"Doms need to be cared for as much as subs. You know this." Diluc nudges Venti, and he hums, pouring Ayato a drink, handing it to him.

"I've never dated. I dont know what to do. Its..new. I guess, I just. I dunno." He rubs his eyes. Ayato nods, "Man this sucks. Not to mentioni have really done anything in..Awhile, actually. So a dom drops weird at this time, especially they're all one night stands, or, someone I'm never gonna see again."

A girl leans over the counter, looking at Venti, eyeing him up and down, then Diluc.

She hums, "Two shots of vodka please, darling." She looks at Venti. He scrunches his nose, but nods, pouring it, "What's your name handsome?"

Venti stares at her, and puts an arm around Diluc's waist, "Sorry, 'darling'. I'm not interested in woman." He smiles, and Diluc hums in amusement, and the girl takes the shots, and walks away huffing.

Venti let's go of him, walking to a different area, serving others.

"Sooo, when do you think they'll break and make out?" Ayato says, "Xiao and him? Uh, I'm not sure. Venti's rather good at hiding things."

"Yeah, but hes bound to snap, Luc. We watched it happen with Max. He called the cops on him for even coming near him. His snaps, are bad."

Diluc nods, "Hes gotten back in touch with Max again. Said hes improving. Venti goes to see him sometimes. He gets outta rehab in october." Diluc says, "Yeah." Venti stands near Diluc, "He wants to see me..See us." He laughs, "I agreed to a dinner. I..Hes trying. For real. Hes been sober four years," He smiles, "And he apologized. He apologizes everytime we talk."

Diluc smiles softly, "I know."