Aether awoke to the typical birds chirping and morning rays of sun streaming in from the gaps of his curtain. He flopped out of bed and landed heavily on the floor. It was all part of his morning routine, so he remained undaunted. He got dressed and brushed his teeth, golden hair hanging around his shoulders. Sitting on his bed, wielding a comb, he prepared to comb and plait it.
When they were little, Lumine would help him plait it everyday, but now that they were older and in separate dorms, he had to learn himself. Plaiting hair was such a pain, and sometimes, when he was especially tired, it would take him 15-20 minutes. Of course he had thought of chopping it all off, but Lumine would probably kill him. She had always complimented how soft and fluffy it was. She took better care of his hair than he did.
Knock, knock.
"Come in..." Aether mumbled, still half asleep. Xiao opened the door, entered, and closed the door behind him.
"Hey Xiao!" Aether greeted cheerfully. His hair was still all over his face, and he was hastily trying (in vain) to neaten it up. Xiao set on the bed beside him, so close their knees were touching. He lifted his boyfriend's chin gently. Aether looked up through his curtain of hair.
"Oh, Aether," Xiao sighed, "hand me the comb." Aether gave Xiao the comb, then turned around so his back was facing him. Xiao began to brush Aether's hair slowly with one hand, the other hand caressing the golden locks.
Aether smiled a bit, then asked,
"Xiao... can you help me do this every morning?"
Xiao chuckled ever so slightly.
"I would if I could, Aether, but sometimes I go to school before you wake up."
Aether pouted.
"Cute..." Xiao thought to himself.
He finished tying the end of the plait, then pulled Aether close to him, such that his back was against his chest. He wrapped his arms around Aether's stomach, and clasped Aether's hands together. He lowered his head down to his neck, and kissed downwards. Aether gasped softly, before sinking into Xiao, enjoying the moment.
"EH, YOU TWO IN THE BEDROOM! STOP MAKING OUT AND GET READY FOR BREAKFAST!" Venti hollered from just outside the room door. Xiao ignored him, and continued to bite Aether's neck.
"Mm... Xiao, I think we should go eat," Aether whispered into Xiao's hair, but his hold only tightened.
"No. Once you're outside, you belong to everyone else. In here, you're mine."
Aether smiled and responded, "Oh, Xiao. I belong to you wherever we are. Always."
Silence stilled the air for a while, and Aether was afraid he had killed the romantic atmosphere. The awkwardness was saved when Xiao said, "Okay, fine." He loosened his hold.
__
Heizou, Kazuha and Venti were already finishing up their breakfast.
"It doesn't take a detective to know what you did in the room, Aether~ Might want to wear a turtleneck today, no?" Heizou said, grinning. Aether blushed before disappearing back into his room to change. Xiao frowned at Heizou, before taking a seat at the dining table. Kazuha was focusing on his egg.
They ate breakfast in peace, lazed around the dorm (I mean, Kazuha was studying I guess; Venti and Heizou were playing chess) and at around 12pm, they departed for school to use the music room for practice.
__
The five walked to school, chatting and laughing like any normal group of friends. They reached the only music room in the school left (because the school had other bands that were practising). Luckily, they had booked it. Or so they thought...
"BOOKED IT? WELL OF COURSE I BOOKED IT!" Venti protested. Lumine, Collei, Xingyan, Yoimiya and Amber stood right outside the music room, about to open it. Lumine had her hands on her hips and a glare on her face.
"When you book it, you receive an email to double check. Why not check you inbox, Venti?" she suggested icily. Venti whipped out his phone and scrolled through his mail. Then he tried the search function. Then he scrolled through them again. The period of scrolling and clicking was filled with awkward and tense silence.
"Venti..." Heizou began.
"AHHH I KNOW, I KNOW! I'M SORRY, OKAY? I SAID I'M SORRY!!!" he wailed, throwing his phone back into his tote bag.
Kazuha sighed, disappointed, while Xiao silently seethed. The anger and frustration burned his throat. What was wrong with Venti? Was is so hard to book a music room?
Lumine stood before them calmly with her friends.
"What if we just split the time?" Kazuha asked quietly. Lumine looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"When you book a music room, you get 3 hours, right? So why not we split it into 1 and a half hours each?"
Lumine scoffed. She didn't have to agree, her group had booked the place after all.
"Pleaaaase," Aether begged, falling to his knees in front of his sister. "I'll give you my share of Christmas presents! I'll help to clean your dorm! I'll-"
"No! Please, we have a music project and we need to practise! Please-" Lumine began.
"Oh~ Lumine, dear..." Heizou took a step forward, and caressed Lumine's cheek.
She slapped him.
Xingyan and Yoimiya burst out laughing, doubling over and leaning on each other to stand. Amber and Collei were trying to hold back their giggles, but their cheeks were pink and their shoulders were shaking. Kazuha yanked Heizou back by his ear, and apologised for his friend's failed flirting.
"Lumine, PLEASE!" Venti wailed again. Lumine ignored him and opened the room door to walk in. Kazuha walked in a placed a careful hand on her shoulder, then whispered something in her ear. Lumine looked at him, then nodded. Kazuha thanked her. She let her group into the room, before slipping a wooden doorstopper between the door and its frame. The door was electro-magnetically locked, so if she happened to shut the door, they would be stuck inside, and would have to call the school office to let them out.
Meanwhile, 5wirl chattered noisily along the corridor.
"Lumine's going to let us use it when she's done!" Kazuha declared to the team. Venti and Heizou whooped happily. Aether hung around Kazuha, bugging him, asking him what he'd said to Lumine.
Xiao watched them from behind, as they walked out of the school building and towards to basketball court. Every now and then, as they walked, Kazuha's hand would brush Aether's back or sleeve, making Xiao puke internally. He hated whenever someone laid their filthy hands on his boyfriend. But then again, hugging and hand-holding was considered common in this school, especially among close friends. Even if they weren't together romantically.
It made Xiao's insides turn. He tried to swallow the bile rising in his throat. Sometimes he wondered if he were too possessive. But was that really wrong of him? Aether was his. Xiao sighed, stuffed his hands in his pockets and lowered his head. Aether turned to see him looked all gloomy (and not to mention emo) and bounded to his side. He flung a hand round Xiao's shoulders and asked him what was wrong. Aether was staring into Xiao's cat-like, golden eyes, making the latter uncomfortable.
Further beyond them were Heizou and Venti, walking like drunken men. They seemed to be discussing what Kazuha had told Lumine.
Kazuha was staring at the couple behind him. He tried averting his gaze, but it always landed back on the happy, smiling Aether and the blushing Xiao.
Aether belonged to someone else. Oh, how it hurt.
YOU ARE READING
Ignite
Fiksi Penggemar(modern au) The fire burned before his eyes. Aether was sprawled in a pool of his own blood. Xiao stood, frozen, in shock. If he had moved faster...would things be different? Then again, he didn't even know this person. What did it matter? side shi...
