A/N: It's been ... A while. So obviously my writing style has drastically-ish changed and my plan for how this was going is a bit different. I hope everyone still wants me to finish this bc I am rlly excited to get back into writing!!!
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Xiao POV:
Honestly? This was not how I was expecting my senior trip to go. If I had any choice in the matter, I wouldn't be here at all. The only reason I'm here is because Zhongli wanted me to at least try to socialize before I went to college next semester.
But here I am. Watching old cartoons and drinking shitty instant coffee while my roommate for - how long does this trip last again? - is mindlessly scrolling on his phone across the room.
He can be so bratty sometimes. I've tried to make conversation with him for over an hour and he just brushes me off.
... Actually that sounds a bit hypocritical to say.
At this point, I've resorted to ignoring him just as much as he's ignoring me. I flick through the channels of the tv until I settle on some horror - thriller? Honestly what's the difference? - movie.
Aether looks up from his phone when I stop changing the channels. He snatches the remote from the coffee table, turning up the tv and keeping the remote with him. I shoot him a look that silently asks 'What?'
"I actually like this movie, I'm not going to let you change it." He says, leaning against the arm of the couch.
"I had no intention of changing it." I scoff, looking back at the tv. He always assumes shit without even considering.
It's kind of endearing in a way.
What? No. It's annoying as hell and a terrible habit.
The movie is definitely more thriller than horror - which I unfortunately had to learn the difference between when I mistakenly said something about the two being similar.
(They are extremely similar genres, just for the record.)
It's not extremely gory aside from the murders in the movie. The killer wasn't much of a surprise when it was revealed, but nonetheless it was a good movie.
And it got Aether to stop being so annoying, so a win-win in my opinion.
After it ends, another movie begins shortly after. Beside me, I hear Aether huff, and he speaks up for the first time in a little under 2 hours.
"I'm starving. Do you think miss what's-her-face would let me go out to get food?" He asks. It seems like more of a rhetorical question, but I answer anyway. "She'd probably make us go together, with the whole 'buddy-system' and all."
Aether groans. And honestly, that's understandable. If I were in the same situation, which I am, I'd also want to be allowed to freely go out and get food without having to do so with my rival.
"Do you remember her number? At this point, I'm so hungry that I don't care if I have to drag you around."
I glare at him for a moment or two before reluctantly giving him the number. He thanks me, if you can call a mumble of something completely inaudible a thanks.
The response he gets is nearly immediate. "She said we could go get food and do whatever we wanted as long as we stayed together."
"Well, where do you suppose we go?" I ask. He thinks for a second before shrugging. "If you can be quiet for once, I'd be able think."
Brat. I think. I don't say it aloud though, that would just be another headache. "Fine." I agree, crossing my arms.
Aether crosses the room to pull his shoes on, I follow behind and put on my own. When we both have our shoes on, he tells me that we're just going to walk around 'til we find someplace to eat.
Spending what could be an entire day with him is either going to be heaven or hell, and I'm leaning towards the latter.
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Aether POV:
I hate this. I hate this so much. Xiao keeps trying to talk to me but whenever I actually try to keep a conversation going, he starts being annoying and bratty about everything I say. Eventually I start ignoring him, and he does the same.
The sound of channels rapidly changing annoys me to no end, but eventually he settles on one. I look to see what he chose and to my surprise, it's one of my favorite thrillers. I snatch up the remote and turn it up, keeping the remote away so he can't change it.
I can feel him glaring at me, so I tell him in the most polite way I can to fuck off. "I actually like this movie, I'm not going to let you change it."
He says sometimes snarky about him not even wanting to change the channel, but I'm not paying attention. However I do catch a strange look on his face before he looks back to the tv. It's a look I can only chalk up to being annoyance with me.
Sometime through the movie, Xiao mutters something about how thrillers and horror had no difference, which sent me into a rant-filled explanation between the differences of the two.
The rest of the movie he's quiet, which im thankful for. By the end, I'm starving though. "I'm starving. Do you think miss what's-her-face would let me go out to get food?"
"She'd probably make us go together, with the whole 'buddy-system' and all."
I groan, annoyed at the fact he's right. I still ask if he knows the trip director's number, and he reluctantly gives it to me.
Brat.
The response I get is vague, just a simple "do whatever as long as you're using the buddy system."
So what do I do? Drag Xiao to go get food with me, obviously.
Me and Xiao each grab a key to our room in case we lose one or get lost. Eventually we walk down the hall to the elevator and go down to the lobby.
He walks so slow, honestly he could win an award for slowest walker.
I nod to the lady behind the front desk, giving her a sweet smile as we walk past. Once we're out of the lobby and halfway down the street, Xiao - who managed to catch up - nudges me and nods to a small diner.
It looks generally empty, probably because it's not yet lunch rush. I shrug and he leads us inside. There's multiple tables open, and the bar is completely free of anybody. There's only about 3 people in here, and it's a small family sitting in a booth in the window.
The music in here is quiet but nice. The decorations on the wall make it feel old-timey, yet also like home somehow. Honestly, I'm glad Xiao pointed this out, otherwise I probably would've walked right past it.
Me and Xiao sit across from each other at a booth in the corner. The menus are in a basket by the wall, along with the condiments. We both grab one and scan over the menu.
Everything looks delicious, which makes it hard to choose anything. A few minutes go by and a waitress comes by to ask if we're ready to order. I get a vanilla milkshake and Xiao gets a weird, fancy-sounding coffee.
She says she'll be right back with the drinks. "So have you decided on what you want?" Xiao says, breaking the silence.
"..yeah, I have." He gives me a look that is asking what it is. I don't know what it is about it, but the look makes my heart race. "French toast." I mutter.
"A classic." He retorts, I can't tell if he means it honestly or not. His emotions are always so hard to read.
A few minutes later the waitress returns with our drinks and asks for our orders. Xiao orders an omelette and I get the french toast. The waitress leaves us alone again and the silence returns, more awkward than before.
YOU ARE READING
Field Trip ~ Xiaother
FanficA modern au where Aether and Xiao are rivals. They've disliked each other and have competed against one another since as long as they can remember, even the teachers know about their rivalry. On their senior trip, Xiao and Aether are assigned a hote...
