I Don't Need Your Attention!! {xiaoven} {Albexiao}

Ch.9 ★ I'm Glad I Have You

PE eventually came around, and as Xiao entered the locker room, he was faced with Chongyun. He felt as if his heart was about to stop pumping, and his blood went cold.

"Fuck. Hu Tao told Chongyun. Hu Tao told CHONGYUN." He instantly remembered, his eyes bolting to look anywhere but at him. He felt ashamed.

Xiao didn't want Chongyun to see him weirdly, or in a different light. Maybe it would've been okay for a stranger to know about his sexuality, but never a close friend of his.

Chongyun picked up on this quickly.
"I know that you know Hu Tao told me about it." He said, trying to get Xiao to look his way as others passed by them. Noticing this, he grabbed Xiao's bag and pulled them off to the side, where most wouldn't be able to hear them.

"Ah—..mhm..." Xiao mustered out, his confidence shrinking the longer he stood next to the other.

Trying to calm Xiao down, Chongyun placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it slightly; though it barely changed anything.

"Hey, hey. It's okay." Chongyun comforted him, pausing and giving Xiao some time to breathe.

"...y'know—what Hu Tao said wasn't..it wasn't true, right?" Xiao stated, nervously playing with the buttons on his shirt.

"Don't worry Xiao." Chongyun assured him. "I know you're not gay—I mean, you couldn't be."

Xiao didn't respond. He couldn't say anything to that. His mouth was glued shut, and his guilty eyes stared back into Chongyun's.

"You're my friend. I would've know if you were." He moved his hand, giving Xiao a pat on the back before turning around, and heading to his locker.

The class moved out into the field to play baseball, using the club equipment in the shed that they had been permitted to hold. Some carried the equipment while most had an easy walk to the grounded dirt.

Albedo and Gorou walked up ahead with Kokomi, sucrose, and a few other classmates who didn't really stick out to Xiao. Yun Jin, Keqing, Chongyun, and Hu Tao stuck together somewhere in the middle, goofing around and talking.

Venti walked in the back, following Xiao's movements to keep up as they walked side by side next to one another. The braided boy was dutied with dragging the mats out there, flimsily holding onto them with one hand.

"....I don't think I want to like Albedo anymore." Xiao mumbled out, hoping that Venti would be able to catch what he said with all the chattering in the background.

"Did he do something to you?" Venti questioned, confused, but not too worried about it.

"No—It's just, guys in general. I don't like liking guys." Xiao gloomed, still seeming out of it after talking it out with Chongyun. "I hate it."

"Honestly, there's nothing wrong with liking guys. Some people just have to accept that stuff like that happens, and that it should be normal." Venti shrugged. "Don't beat yourself up about it man." He grinned, nudging Xiao with his shoulder.

Xiao didn't get how someone like Venti could have such a carefree mindset. Being near him felt too safe and comfortable to Xiao. It was dangerous how he could easily spill all his deepest darkest secrets to Venti with just the slip of a tongue and it wouldn't even faze him as much as it impacted Xiao.

The way Xiao constantly dumped this stuff onto Venti so casually was something he'd never done before. He'd considered doing it once to a friend of his back in his freshman year, but thought the other would just find it annoying, and he never really had it bad enough to go and get himself a therapist.

Venti put him at so much ease. It was nice.

"Xiao! Venti! Stop being slowpokes, you're keeping the rest of us waiting!" The teacher shouted, his hands cupped around his lips, and the whistle hanging from his mouth before he blew out a sharp, loud whistle.

"We're on our way, no need to rush us." Venti said, acting casual. He set out the mats as Xiao headed to the back of the line.

"What were you guys talking about?" Chongyun's asked, but then regretted it immediately afterwards, feeling nosy.

"Nothing much. Just talking about what sorta gifts he's going to buy for his crush." Xiao told him, the lie coming out smoother than he thought it would.

"Ooh, who's he got his eye on?" Yun Jin giggled, having no hesitation asking.

"Just—..um, just some girl." Xiao said, scratching the back of neck until he could feel his skin throb from the pain of his nails. "I can't say who. It's a secret."

It hurt to lie to Yun Jin. She was such a sweet girl, and in Xiao's eyes, she could do no harm to anyone. Not purposely that is. They'd met freshman year, but didn't really begin talking to each other up until this school year.

"Alright! First one, batter up!" The teacher whistled, the sound sending waves into Xiao's ears. He was in the back, and Albedo was up front.

Out in the field were Gorou, and Venti, along with several others. Gorou was on first base, and Venti was the pitcher.

Venti hid the ball from behind his back, getting himself into a comfortable position, and once the teacher gave him the signal, he tossed the ball as it went flying towards the other.

Albedo swung his bat, making contact with the ball as it flung up into the air flying towards the outer field. Immediately, he made a run for it, just as Kokomi picked up the ball laying in the dry grass and threw it towards Gorou.

He caught it, and quickly stepped onto the base before Albedo even got the chance. Albedo touched the first base just a little too late. Xiao could see the two of them laughing with each other before Gorou playfully pushed Albedo to the side.

Albedo, not seeming to care much about losing headed to the back of the line, waving to Xiao once he caught eye of him.

"Never expected to see you lose." Xiao chuckled, trying to start up a conversation, joking around freely with Albedo as his cheeks brightened.

"Kokomi and Gorou make a good duo—no way I'm ever beating them in anything if they're on the same team." Albedo smiled, looking over at them.

Xiao looked too, noticing Venti doing surprisingly well.

"I didn't know Venti was a good pitcher? I thought he wasn't accepted into the baseball team?" Xiao mentioned as Albedo's gaze landed on him.

"He's got good aim, just isn't meant for batting." The other said. "I wanna try and see you hit one of his throws." Albedo said, soft laughter spilling out of his mouth as Xiao blushed at the sound of his cheery voice.

It was like sweet honey to his ears.

1145 words
-idk why but I forgot what I wanted to do for the next chapter so I gotta start planning stuff out