Flowers apart

2

Ever since he met him, Xiao couldn't stop thinking about him. His eyes, that somehow sparkled with the ocean blue and the apple green at the same time, his braids as they blew about in the wind, his melodic voice when he opened his mouth to speak, and his cheerful personality that seemed to be contagious.

It was irresponsible for him to do this, even though it wasn't by his choice. It was distracting him from his adepti duties, reality, and what needs to be done as a whole.

"Xiao, are you okay?" The boss of Wangshu Inn asked him. "You seem very distracted lately. You were even picking at your almond tofu just now. Are you okay? Are you sick?"

"Sick? No, I don't get sick," he scowled. Then he softened. He knew what was the reason he was like that, and he didn't like it one bit. But Verr Goldet, the lady boss of the inn, was just plainly concerned about him, and there was no need to take out his frustrations on her. "I-I'm fine, don't worry about me."

"If you say so, Xiao," she shrugged, going back to her work. Just as Xiao was about to leave her to her papers, she suddenly added, "By the way, I thought that you would want to know, but Venti's not coming today."

Xiao paused in his tracks, his brain not comprehending her words. "Huh, what? Why?" He whirled around to face her. "Who told you that? Was it Venti himself?"

The lady shook her head. "It was Lumine, actually. She dropped by to visit you, you weren't here, so she passed on the message to me instead. She said that the poor bard passed out in the middle of a song, for no reason! He's back in Mondstadt, still knocked out. I don't know when he'll wake up, so I suggest you go visit him."

"Visit him?" Xiao scowled again. "Why would I?"

"Hmm? I thought you were his boyfriend?" Verr Goldet said breezily, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. As if Xiao wasn't standing there, a violent blush rising to his cheeks, his features contorted in shock, horror, and...a little of something else.

"HUH?! N-NO, NEVER!" He screeched, obviously flustered. "Don't tease me like that!"

"Really?" She asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "I thought the both of you were dating! Why would Venti take up his whole day just to see you despite living so far away? Plus, you always seemed much happier after his visits, and I even saw you smiling once when I walked in on your bonding time. You can't say there's nothing between the two of you!"

Xiao brought a hand up to his face, horrified. He had smiled in Venti's presence?

When, what, and WHY?

That's so embarrassing!

"But anyway," the lady continued talking, ignoring Xiao's adverse reaction. "I suggest you still visit him, boyfriend or not. It's the least you can do for him."

***

Now Xiao sat on the rooftop of Wangshu Inn, looking out towards the mountains and sea.

But instead of enjoying the scenery, his mind were on too many things. Too many.

What happened to Venti? He always seemed healthy and cheerful to an otherworldly level, so why faint all of the sudden?

That was what kept buzzing his mind.

Unbiddingly, a feeling grabbed him by the throat and suffocated him. It was one of...disappointment? That he wasn't coming? Worry? That he's unwell? Or...

He almost slapped himself in the face.

No, he can't do it. He can't fall again, or else he'll bring both Venti and him down, he knew in his heart. Not after that last time.