✔ choosing you - old ver.

choice nineteen

"ven.."

venti looked at xiao, admiring him again. this time he was dressed properly for the weather, 3 layers (venti assumed) including two sweatshirts. his hair was like normal, except one bigger strand of hair was pinned back by clips. 

his yellow eyes stared into venti, and venti couldn't figure out what he was feeling. xiao looked down, patting the seat beside him. 

"you must be cold, sorry." venti looked past xiao, seeing the empty seat beside him. venti let out a laugh. 

"you're always apologizing." he walked over, sitting beside xiao. they both stayed silent for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say.

"so," venti started, "why'd you want me to come out here? you know it was a hassle to get permission." he teased, nudging xiao with his elbow. xiao closed his eyes, sighing. 

"i know. but it's just i'm not sure anymore." venti looked at xiao, who was looking up at the sky. "what do you mean?" xiao shrugged, looking down at his shoes. 

"should we even be friends?" xiao looked at venti. "what's the point anymore?" all venti could do was stare. 

"what do you mean? of course we should..." he thought, not answering any of xiao's thinking out loud thoughts. "not friends? what is this?" xiao blinked his eyes, turning his gaze to the ground. 

"i'm nothing but trouble, and i'm sorry." venti suddenly moved his hands to his shoulder. 

"no! thats not it at all!" xiao turned his head quickly, steading himself on the bench. 

"you can't just- just leave!" xiao didn't know how to respond so he stayed quiet. "xiao!" venti's grip grew tighter. "..why?" xiao sighed. 

"because venti, i can't..." even with wanting an answer, venti covered xiao's mouth. 

"never mind. tell me this," he removed his hand from the boys face. "was that confession back at the hospital real?"

"real?" xiao asked, almost confused by the simple question. "was it real, or did you just say it in the heat of the moment?" xiao looked past venti, at a nearby light post which had turned on. 

"no," xiao said, taking a moment before continuing. "i dont know how this works. i'm helpless when it comes to love." venti's frown turned into a sweet smile. he set his hand on xiao's tightening the grip. 

"i know. and i know i said somethings that.." just as quick as his smile had come, it faded. "i regret. but still," venti looked up at xiao who was already looking at him. "let me be the one to teach you about this. about love," venti looked down. 

"xiao." xiao sighed, leaning his head back. 

"venti what did i just get done saying?" venti shrugged. 

"i dunno, i honestly wasn't really listening," the boys's face brightened even though the words he had just previously said. 

"xiao, i love you. a lot actually, ever since venti told me about you, i've known that you where..uh, i don't know, just-" xiao took his hand from below venti's and covered his won face. 

"i get it.." he said, venti chuckling. 

"i know, i know, i just want you to know this was my decision. it wasn't influenced by anyone, and you made me realize it no matter what i may have said back at that hospital." xiao uncovered his face, looking at venti. 

"in that case what.." he trailed off, leaving venti only to guess what he was going to say.

"what? in that case what?" venti asked, moving closer the xiao, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

"where you going to ask 'what are we?' like boyfriends, or besties with privileges-" xiao's face started to turn red. 

"n-no! that wasn't what i was going to ask!" he said, his calm composure starting to break with embarrassment and non noticeable excitement. 

"i don't know what i was saying." he sat up straight, moving his hand to venti's head. he started to rub back and fourth, leaving venti to close his eyes. 

"are you one to get sick xiao?" he asked, xiao grumbling. 

"not usually..i hate getting sick. it makes me feel weak. so i usually stay away from sick people." vent opened his eyes again, looking up at xiao. 

"you know i'm sick right?" xiao let out a heavy breath. 

"don't remind me." venti giggled, taking a finger to let his mask off his face. 

"i hope you don't mind~" the other boy only hummed, leaving venti to lean his head on xiao's shoulder. 

"i'm sorry." he said quietly, as the wind blew rusting the bushes and trees around them. venti's hair blew in front of his face, making it hard for xiao to see his expression. 

"for what i've said to you. i'm pretty awful, but hey," he looked up, a smile on his pretty face. "we're pretty awful together, right?" xiao stared at venti before smiling. 

"i guess so, huh?" venti reached his hands to xiao's face, laying them on the other boy's cheeks. 

"you finally smiled to me!" xiao's smile faded, turning to an annoyed expression. 

"i'll make sure not to do it again." he noted, venti's face turning horrified. 

"what! after everything? xiao!" he whined, burring his face into the shorter boys chest after removing his hands from his face. xiao leaned his head back, sighing. 

"yeah yeah."

they sat there for a couple moments, just enjoying each others presence.

"xaio," venti finally said. xiao hummed, telling him to continue. "i like you." xiao's expression didn't change, instead he pinched one of venti's cheeks, since he was now leaning on his arm. 

"just like? i'm offended. i said i loved you." venti squirmed, begging for him to let go. once he did, venti immediately apologised. 

"i love you, i love you, i'm sorry xiao-xiao!" xiao nodded, opening his arms. venti, despite it may meaning something else, he leaned forward wrapping his own arms around the shorter male. xiao closed the hug, now sitting facing venti to the right on the bench. he buried his face into venti's shoulder, earning a giggle from the other. 

"i'm sorry too," xiao mumbled. "but i really love you. you as in ven, not venti. i love you, ven." venti closed his eyes smiling. 

"of course," he said quietly, his grip tightening on xiao. "i love you too, alatus."

+

ugh. that's all i can say rn, writing takes up all ur energy doesn't it? i'm listening to k-pop to try to revive my energy but damn in tired asf TT

i hope this chapter didn't disappoint you all . . .. .. . ... . . .. . .

anyways the song after school by weeekly is bomb bro

oh and i upgraded xiao to smort emo boy<3

thank you all for the love on this story, and i appreciate almost 6k. i remember celebrating 1.3k, and here we are barely a month later, maybe? a couple thousand away from celebrating 10k? dang, you're all so amazing. you make me so happy, thank you all again. love you, sleep well<3

- author xingxing

(edit, me celebrating almost 30k LOL (august 27 2022))