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

Ch.21 ★ Mending The Stitches

Lunch

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So apparently, I wasn't the only one who'd gotten manhandled into having a kiss with Venti—which was both refreshing and unnerving to find out.

He'd kissed me and Albedo. I honestly didn't know how to feel about that. I had to remind myself that he didn't actually like Albedo—or any guys for that matter to cheer myself up.

It still had me wondering if the kiss was as intimate and intense as ours was. I turned red at the memory of it, and tried shaking it off.

We were by the vending machines; Venti was crouched down getting his bag of chips while Albedo and I stood together, uncertain of what to say or do. Gorou was about to meet up with us soon, and Scaramouche went off to go find Heizou and drag him over since he wasn't picking up his calls.

Venti wanted to sort things out between us, and I desperately wanted for that to. I'm not entirely sure that the three of us can go back to being what we were before the party, but all I can really do now is hope for the best outcome.

I closed my eyes, rubbing my chin as I attempted to analyze our circumstances. Albedo likes Venti and me, I like Albedo, and Venti—well...he doesn't like either of us the way we do for each other.

"So," Venti started off with a sighed, picking out his chips and popping them into his mouth. "What's holding the two of you back? You like Albedo.., and Albedo likes you. The outcome to this should be simple, right?" He'd spoken so casually I almost didn't catch what he'd said.

Both mines and Albedo's jaws dropped and rolled onto the floor. To think he'd just throw that out there after helping me keep it a secret! It certainly caught me off guard.

"You—!" I blurted out, a wave of emotions washing over me as my fingers tingled. "You were the one who was eavesdropping on us??!" I shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him. My face was a hot shade of pink, and I knew it.

"Ehh..welllll..." he tried to put on a cheeky smile, avoiding eye contact with me. "It wasn't like it was on purpose or anything. I just happened to be there-, and I didn't want to interrupt so I just left." He explained, fumbling with the bag.

"So you-..." Albedo began, his voice quiet. "You found out that I.." he cut his sentence short as his voice started to falter.

Venti stared up at him before glancing away quickly when Albedo shared his look.
"I've known.." he lisped almost as quietly as Albedo before he regained back his voice. "I've known for a while now, Albedo."

"..And you didn't say anything?"
Oh I don't know—? Maybe because I was the one who spilled the truth to him in a panic and made him promise to keep it a secret? Albedo bit his lip so hard that I could practically feel it go numb.

Venti didn't speak at first, and instead made a face, confused as to what to say to that before ruffling through his hair messily.

"Well, I like you Albedo." He said—and the next words to come out of his mouth were practically predictable at this point. "But only as a friend. And I like being your friend. I don't want our relationship to be anything more than a friendship if I'm being honest with you." He admitted, looking guilty. "I'm sorry that I kissed you, and that I kissed Xiao."

Albedo stayed silent.
"...do you serious think we can go back to being, 'just friends', after this? Can you really be this naive, Venti?" He snapped back at him, his eyes narrowing down at the other.

"That's up to you," Venti stood up, placing both hands on Albedo's shoulders. "I don't want to lose you, but I'm willing to let you go if you don't want to stay with me anymore."

"I'm not saying that I don't want to be friends with you anymore—, so don't get ahead out yourself." Albedo brushed his hands off, looking Venti dead in the eye with sincerity. "Hah...if we keep this up, it's all just going to end in a pointless argument that neither of us are going to win." He gave up, raising both his hands up.

"I get that you won't return my feelings back since you don't find any interest in guys. I'm just irritated that you were so casual with having me around even
though you knew that I was gay.." Albedo confessed, not holding any particular grudges.

"Come on, you know I'm not that type of guy."

"...I know," Albedo said before his eyes darted towards me, and I found both of them staring at me now.

"Err..—am I, supposed to say...something?" I muttered out, stepping back on instinct.

"Xiao," Albedo started. "I like you. Not as much as I did with Venti, but I like you."

Not sure if it was necessary to add Venti into that sentence, but I still felt the heat travel up to my face, and before I could even respond properly to his confession, I was interrupted.

"Woah, what's with this atmosphere?" Heizou joked, his arm hooked with Scaramouche's and Gorou's. He sniffed the air as Gorou shoved his face away from his. "Hmm..I sense..loveee~." His lips twisted into a smile as he laughed, seeming to be the only one who found his joke entertaining.

Venti stuffed a handful of chips in his mouth, causing him to choke down on it.
"Haha. You're so good at jokes, Heizou!" He laughed along with him, grabbing him away from the other two and whispering something inaudible to the rest of us.

Heizou coughed, sticking his tongue out to show his distaste.
"Jeez..! I got it Venti!" He nagged, pinching Venti's nose before immediately letting go to go cower behind Scaramouche for safety. Scaramouche shook him off, not in the mood to entertain anyone.

Albedo and I shared a glance with each other before quickly looking away out of embarrassment.

"Once again.., thank you Venti for being the cause of my problems and solutions. May you sleep well tonight." I noted down a prayer.

✩
1056 words
(/ okayy..confession time..the xiaoven content is NOT looking good here. Oh my god why did I write Venti to be so laidback and nonchalant

I also hate writing when people are flustered or embarrassed or wtv cuz it just wastes my time and it makes it difficult to write down a decent conversation w/o the blushing bs which is why I sorta regret making Albedo like Xiao back cuz now that's what it's turning into.

Tbh this is the reason why I like more casual relationships or ones where they don't care much for each other or DO but understand each other in a different level where you don't have to write "she/he blushed" every two paragraphs because you know the chemistry is just THERE w/o having to point it out.

Also, ngl I felt like switching up the ships every few chapters and wanted SOO BADLY to write a conversation between Xiao and Scaramouche but didn't bc I was lazy.)