His Tunes - Xiaoven

Friends

Venti was doing this... He was really doing this. Well—it wasn't like he had a choice. He's known Xiao for... three days? And he knows Venti's secret. There's no trust, nothing there. That's why he was doing this.

Venti cleared his throat. He stood up from his chair, smiling at his friends. "I'll be right back!"

Yae turned to look at him. "Oh."

Venti nodded and walked across the cafeteria. He could feel his heart racing, his palms sweating. Please, Xiao, he thought. Please don't say a word.

And then he was there, sitting next to Xiao with a smile on his face. Looking at him in the way he wanted boys to look at him. He hoped he seemed calm.

"Good morning!" Venti told the group of people.

He felt the table go silent.

Xiao showed no reaction as he drank his water. Venti only began to feel more nervous.

Kaeya not so suddenly smacked Xiao in the head, going completely out of character just to get the boys' attention. Xiao looked at the boy with a straight face. Kaeya smiled.

"Xiao, look who decided to join our table," Kaeya said in his typical flirtatious tone.

Xiao nodded and began to eat his food.

Venti bit his lip. "What're you guys talking about?"

Albedo said, "We were talking about how we were going to get Xiao to—"

"XIAO TO GO TO A PICNIC!" Amber shouted over Albedo, attempting to drown out his voice. Albedo frowned at the girl and went back to eating. "Xiao has never gone on a picnic with us and we wanted him to join but y'know what he said? 'I won't go unless Venti goes'! What a silly boy!"

Xiao lifted his head and stared at Amber, "I did not—"

"So, Venti, will you please go with us to the picnic so then Xiao will come?" Amber pleaded.

Venti stared in confusion before settling his composure. He cleared his throat and looked at Amber, "Of course, if Xiao really wants me to come."

Xiao was silent.

"That's settled!" Amber clapped her hands. "Xiao can text you the details and we can't wait to see you there!"

"The picnic is very important to us, Venti. Please do not ruin this," Kaeya told the boy who laughed nervously in response.

Xiao turned to look Venti in the eyes. He spoke, "Don't listen to them. They only want to bring destruction."

Venti went white. "Uh— wait— huh?"

"What's your plan for world domination, Albedo?" Kaeya asked the blond.

Albedo raised his eyebrows. "You want to know my plans?"

"Of course!" Kaeya smiled. "I'd love to."

"Please don't scare Venti away, Albedo," Diluc spoke up. Everyone turned their attention to the red-headed boy with shock. None of them noticed his arrival. "You can talk about that later."

Venti downed the tension in his throat. "I... I'm going to..."

Xiao put his cheek in the palm of his hand, looking at Venti with a dead look. "You're leaving?"

Venti looked back at the emotionless boy, noticing the adorable position he was in. It was hard not to notice. And that made Venti blush.

"I—" Venti hesitated, clearing his throat. "Yeah! I said I'd—the boy, Venti, must go now! Off to my table! Haha! Bye!"

Xiao's new friend group eyed Venti as he abruptly stood up, scrambling back to his seat. They watched the boy hit his head on the table in despair. Slowly, their eyes trailed back to Xiao who just watched the boy from a distance, a small smile on his face. He looked back at his friends, the smile disappearing.

"What?"

"I'll say it," Eula pointed her fork at Xiao. "Venti has a crush on you."

Xiao shook his head, "Do not say that."

Albedo smiled mischievously, "He does."

The boy in denial went silent, eating his almond tofu without another word.

There's no way Venti had a crush on him. Him? No. That's the most ludicrous thing he's heard that week. But now he had to know. Were they right? And what would he do about it?