My bright star ~Xiaoether Story~

12.

Xiao pov:
I have always wondered what it would be like to be a happy family.
When I was little things weren't as bad as they are now. Despite our wealth we used to live in a modest house in the middle of the city. My mom used to tell me bed night storys and kiss me goodnight, father was less into his work, and he paid more attention to me.
Being rich was more of a blessing then a curse, there wasn't a single thing that I didn't get. You could say I had the perfect life, getting spoiled at every moment and showered with love and care from my parents and sister. But everything shattered, not every story has a happy ending after all, something had to ruin my perfect life. One stormy summer night, I woke up surounded by smoke, I started coughing as soon as I opened my eyes and screamed my mom's name.
"MOM!!" I said, terrified I won't see her again, that it would be my last day on earth. My scream of terror wasn't wrong tho; that would be the last day I was going to see her.
She bursted my bedroom door, right the second I started losing hope.
"XIAO" she screamed, breaking thru the wall of smoke. She picked me up from my bed and started running down the stairs.
She rushed thru the hallway that seemed even longer then i thought it was, but she tripped on something in the darkness. That moment I saw flames behind her. She let me down and tried to get up, but couldn't. I looked at her as she turned her head around, her eyes lighting up as she looked behind her seeing the large fire flames approaching us.
"Run" she told me.
"But mommy..." I said, my voice trembling.
"Don't worry, mommy's going to be alright" she told me, tears starting to form in her eyes, she hold my hand."NOW RUN.." she screamed, her voice echoing in my ears, she gave me a light hand squeeze before letting go "DONT LOOK BACK" she said and I started running, my small legs tripping on random invisible bumps. As I approached the outside of the front door, my father picked me up and cover my face, but before he could I saw the fire taking all of our house in. From that day on, I never saw her again.

"She is in a better place now" father assured me, hiding his pain behind his smile.
"Brother, it's going to be alright." Ganyu said as she saw me crying.

Not long after the incident we moved into the house we live in now. The isolated home on the hill. From the outside it seemed like a normal house, but as you got passed the fence, the aspect changed, from the sophisticated but modest house we were used to, a more wealthy but rather simple one was revealed before you. With the new house, a new life came. Nothing was the same. Father started working more, my sister started spending more of her time alone, and when I wanted to talk to her, she looked at me with disgust, as if I was the reason everything happened. She would ignore me or answer me dryly at best. She really became an opposite of what she used to be. From the nice, sweet but shy girl I used to know, she started acting like a complete stranger.
Father noticed that his kids drifted apart and tried to help us in every way he could.
One day he brought home a blonde woman. A coworker from dad's first job, a friend that went to law school with him, and stuck with us till that day. She was there when dad decided to take his children more serious and tried to get into their lifes by being everywhere they went, from school to home.
Life became more stressful, the woman tried to talk to me, but besides her impulses to do so, she failed, my sister being the only one that actually got along with her.
One day I spotted a pack of her cigarettes on the kitchen counter. I picked them up getting a lighter from her and fathers room as I went upstairs and into my room. I had my first ever cigarette at the ripe age of 14, and continued until now.
I found a comfortable and calming sensation. At first I was scared, the flame of the lighter reminding me of that day, but I learnt to change that fear and sadness with her warmth and comfort she used to give me, and still gave me even in her last seconds when she picked me up and saved me from the fire.
I started buying more and more, from normal to electronic, there wasn't a flavour I haven't tried that year. I became an addict before I knew it.

Seeing I would open up no matter how much she tried, the blonde woman told my dad I needed someone to talk to, when I was 16.
One day she brought me the girl I call to this day my "girlfriend". I wasn't interested in her, she was in my money and looks. She didn't care about my feelings, she only cared about expensive bags and clothes. My friends at school told me she was no good, like I didn't know. I was aware of the things she was doing, but I also knew that if I would break up with her, they will give me a new hoe and so on. The blonde woman named Ningguang wasn't the only one trying to get into my life, my sister didn't give up too easily either. When I needed her the most at the age of 6 she didn't even want to look at me and suddenly she was all interested in my life, maybe that's the reason I always snap at her no matter the situation. I probably shouldn't have acted like that next to the boy that I'm supposed to be friendly with, as Venti and Kazuha suggested. Now I'm here, next to him, eating and having a good time like nothing happened.

"Shall we go back upstairs?" I asked once we finished eating.
"Okay! Let's finish this project!" He said and we both went back into my room.

Aether pov:
I can't believe how nice he started being towards me. When we finish the project he offered me to go grab a drink before he dropped me off at my place. I'm in his car at the moment, music is blasting from the cars radio. We are laughing, singing, and over all having a good time. This was also the first time I ever saw him smile so bright. He lowered the music.
"We are here" he said and we both got out of his car. As we entered the coffee shop, I heard him mumble : "Not now.." right after he said that a girl started approaching us. Walking rapidly she jumped into Xiao's arms and screeched :"Hiii~, I missed you so much baby!" She cried as I saw the gap between them close as their lips connected. My stomach twisted, feeling my heart ache out of jealousy. I wanted that pretty girl to be me so badly. Being next to him, feeling his body heat, embracing him.
"Oh, who's your friend?" She asked as she pulled away from the hug.
"Why are you asking? You never cared about who I befriend before. Why do you care now?" He asked firmly, standing straight.
"Cant a girl be curious sometimes?" She said, but he put his hand on my back and told her.
"We have to grab our drinks, if you don't mind" and with that he pulled his hand away and started walking to the cashier for us to order.
"Oh, ok! SEE YOU CUTIE!!" she screamed then exited the coffee shop.
"Sorry about her" he told me. I could of still feel his touch, the place where his hand touched my back lightly just so he could escape and won't have to talk with his girlfriend for any longer.
"Oh, no it's alright, don't worry" I said.
"It's just that..." he started. "Actually, nevermind, lets order " I knew he was holding back from opening himself to me, but it was alright. We weren't that close either way.
He insisted on paying for both of our orders, even though I told him there was no need to do so.
After we finished our drinks he drove me home and there dropped me off.
"Thank you for the drink and food, again.."
"There is no need to thank me"
"Alright, ok.. See you on Monday!"
"See ya" he told me, with that I grabbed my stuff and exited his car. I waved him goodbye and went inside my home, where as lumine told me, she wouldn't be at until seven o'clock. I had the house all for myself for about one hour.
I threw my stuff at the entrance and plopped on the couch.
"God today was a long day, but so nice" I mumbled, grabbing a pillow from the couch and stuffing my face with it. 'He is so pretty and nice' I thought but then whispered. "Why wasn't that me" I said, thinking about the kiss he shared with his girlfriend.
"Who's not you?" My sister whispered in my ear.
"Holy fuck" I said, throwing the pillow, hitting her face.
"Owchy! That's no way to act towards you beloved sister! Also talk more nicely" she teased me.
"Why are you home?"
"Why are you jealous of someone?"
"Answer my question." I told her firmly .
"We just went home earlier. Now answer my question young man."
"Um.., leave me alone!" I said and got up from the couch.
"Oh nah, your not getting away that easily form me" I started running up the stairs, my sister right behind me as I was sprinting up. "OH MY GOD. AETHER! JUST TELL ME!"
"NO" I said as I shut my bedroom door right behind me.
"PLEASE! I CAN HELP YOU"
"No," I told her firmly.
"I will help you make up or maybe out with your future husband. BUT PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR !"

Silence.

"please.. 🥺 " she said. Another long pause. I opened the door.
"What do you want?"
"Finally, thanks Aeth! You're the best!" she told me happily then threw herself on my bed. "Tell me everything!"
I sat next to her on the bed, I sighed then told her everything that happened that day and the reason I was so jealous.
Sometimes I really wish I wasn't gay.

End of chapter 12~
This is it yep yep yep yep!
Any thing you wish to tell me pls do.

~pinning you down, Lx