alatus and i
"today's project is about to sketch each others portrait, you are free to choose someone you partner." the teacher said then everyone except aether turned their head to the transfer student, they ran towards and asked permission to let them be their partner but he declined them politely. "the deadline will be on monday, make sure to finish them on time or i trash your work." the teacher informs the class then immediately leaves the classroom.
aether never been partnering someone since he's a loner, he lay his head down and forget about it. hours had been passed the school is already over, it was his day off so he decides to head home early just to do of his house chores but then a man stood there beside and of course it was xiao.
aether startled a little as soon as he saw him staring at him, "x-x-xiao..! you u-uh-" aether cut his words when xiao grabbed aether's shoulders.
"can i stay at your place?"
aether blink twice and all of the sudden he began to panic. "a-already? i-i-i- ah."
xiao pulled out his wallet then dragged aether out. they went to the school supplies and to the convenience shop, "aether, i'm sorry but my father going to come late and he wants me to stay at someone's place." he said. "i also want to sketch you."
aether blinks.
"i want to.. partner with you..."
"o-okay, i don't m-mind." aether spoke.
xiao sighed, "you don't need to worry about the supplies we need i already bought it, there's no need to pay me back."
aether stopped then gave a worried look, "so unfair.." aether mumbles with an upset look. xiao heard and saw him frowning, "okay but i have to think about it once i decide." then looked away.
aether's mood sparks and looked at him.
"now, now please lead your way home aether."
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aether and xiao arrived at home. aether pulled out the key in his pocket and unlocked the door, the house was quite clean then he let xiao come in. xiao sit down on the couch while aether prepared drinks and sandwiches in the kitchen.
"please.. m-make yourself at home, x-xiao."
xiao put his bag and the supplies down. as he set up, he noticed a picture on the mini table. a picture of aether, a twin beside him and his grandparents, he knew that his twin is in a coma but he didn't know that is about his grandparents. what about his parents? he never knows so it's best for xiao not to bother him.
"here, i m-make these for o-our snacks."
xiao nods and lets him sit beside him, xiao gave the sketchpad to the blonde then he was shocked as he saw the price tag from the sketchpad. aether felt anxious and tried himself not to make some noise coming from him but however, the raven noticed his fingers moving fast.
xiao pov
i saw aether looking at the pad and he seemed nervous all of the sudden. as i gazed at the pad, noticed that he was staring at the tag. i snapped him out, "hey, i already told you about it. it's fine i used to buy expensive things, no need to worry about it." i said but aether was about to say something but he stopped and bit his lip.
"i'll p-pay you b-back, this is.. t-too much-" he stood up but his knees hit on the table, he fell and landed on me. we both stared at each other and he startled, "i-i'm so sorry, i didn't mean to-"
"no, it's fine but please be careful aether," i said. his face flustered then put the sketchpad on the table, "shall we sketch now?" i asked and he nods slightly.
cute...
i secretly smile and grab the sketchpad i bought since i bought all these, i did it because i somehow want to know him. perhaps, one day i'll let him in the company, i hope he accepted me or my father. even though i don't know what his talent is but with his appearance was good but something's missing on him, it's not his speaking maybe from himself...
i looked at him and he is taking this project too seriously. i'm quite surprised about him, he looked at me then he looked away from me, maybe because of earlier. what a guy.. i already know what i should be sketching him, he'll like it either way it's making him comfortable but this will do.
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it's already been three hours since we did our sketch, just some stroke, and shade of him. viola, a fine sketch of him, i sighed and stretched my back. as soon as i glance, aether already fallen asleep while doing his own sketch on the table. i wonder if he's done, i look at his pad and it was unbelievable how he had already finished his work.
the strokes look fine, i don't know how did he finish within mine but is he hiding something from everyone or me?
"x-xiao..!" i glanced and he startled. "d-did you t-take— l-look at mine?" he asked.
"yes, it looks fine and i didn't know you're good at it." i said, "did you learn this from someone?"
"no, i-i taught this by myself since i was a little." he somehow said it without stuttering but hearing this, he might have hurt because of how he is. i heard his small laugh then his laugh turn to frown, "i'm sorry if i'm like this, xiao. i—"
"please don't force yourself, it hurts to see you like this."
what? what did i just say talk to him, isn't that..? i looked at him and his face was quite reddish but was he crying— i touched his forehead and he was burning hot.
he has a fever.
i stood up and carry him on the couch, "xiao?" he said but i ignored him. i carried him in bridal style, it was the easiest thing to carry him since he's light. i roam around and saw the room in the small hallway then enter inside, ".. what are you.. doing to me..?"
"putting you down.. you have a fever and you didn't tell me." i was pissed then he gripped on my shirt. i sighed and sat beside his bed, "i'm sorry i shouldn't be like this." i calmly said but he was shaking his head.
".. why were they worried about me? i don't understand..." aether gripped on my shirt more and form into a fist, "i'm confused and scared, do you feel bad about me? why? is it because i don't have any friends? no one able to take care of me?"
hearing these words makes me want to remind something that i wouldn't forget for a long time, i don't want to see him hurt like this if there's a way but my mother taught me this way to comfort me when i was a kid.
"why do you even come near me?"
"are you really that stupid, aether?"
"what?"
i grabbed his shoulder tightly and went closer to him, "i want to befriend you, i don't know why would you say such horrible things about yourself! yes, i feel bad about you since yesterday.. i maybe act a little cold to everyone but i am worried about you." i said with a sigh, "so will you ever please don't say such horrible things you said about you and think about something.. or me." we both look at each other and i bit my lip and realized what i've said.
aether look so surprised, i let go of him and so he did to me.
"you..?"
i feel hotter when he said it but still, i want to get attached to him. it was difficult to take a conversation like this but this feels like my feeling is stirring up in my chest, was it an embarrassment?
i felt a warm embrace around me, it was gentle as it is to my mother. aether already hugging me and of course, i didn't notice. even though he's like a complete stranger but it's quite comfortable when i'm with him, i never had a friend before but now.. i already had one now, this unknown feeling that i never felt in a long time, i can't tell what it is but is this what friendship is?
as i was about to hug him, i heard someone knocking on the entrance door. aether immediately stand up and left me here, "aether, you have a fever. you're going to collapse if you run around like that."
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no one pov
"rosaria? what are you doing here?" aether greeted his boss in front of his house, xiao step behind aether's back and stare at rosaria. "you should get inside."
"thank you kid." rosaria said and make an excuse then enter the house, she soon encounters xiao and greeted him. "you must be my kid's friend."
aether cough and took a deep breath, "xiao, this is my boss, her name is rosaria umm.." aether didn't know what his boss last name is. rosaria crossed her arms, "my name is rosaria schadenfreude." she introduced, "you must be xiao feng, the son of the legendary actor, am i right?"
"yes, you could have guessed it."
rosaria laughed, "thank you for taking care of my kid here. he is a good and hard-working kid." xiao nodded while aether felt embarrassed to himself.
"rosaria, y-you shouldn't say that to him."
"that's what mothers' said to anyone's kid. i don't care if i'm not your mother but still, i can still take care of you well."
"o-okay! that's enough r-rosaria! the thing is.. is there something you want to tell me?" he said and want to change the topic so he didn't want to embarrass himself again.
"hmm right." she changed her mood as she remembered why was she in aether's house. rosaria looked at the blonde, "we need to talk just the two of us, kid."
aether and xiao looked at each other, xiao understood and went back to aether's room. "kid, we're going back on business on tuesday from now on because there is a special client who wants to see you so you have to excuse yourself on your school for your preparation." she handed her papers to him and let him read about this anonymous paper.
"i understand how important it is, rosaria. i am counting on this client for sure but i'm nervous about who's this is.."
"that is the reason why you should be absent from your school but it won't be difficult for you, i already talk though."
aether looked at her and noticed what she said, "someone? the client?" he asked but rosaria kept silent.
"i.. can't tell," she said.
he looked at the papers again and carefully read the details of what the client gave to them, "i see." he added with a small sigh.
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meanwhile, the phone rang. it was xiao's phone, xiao picked up and answered, "hey xiao, have you found someone? zhongli will be upset and was having a hard time for your work with." xiao bit his lip about the thing he was working on his father's company.
"..."
"if you haven't found one then you'll stay sol—"
"i already found one and as i said, i will take care of it and make sure to train this person is."
the phone peeks a little then heard a sigh through phone, "if you say so, xiao.. zhongli will be happy to meet this person you were talking about, if i was right it was your friend you always—" xiao scoff it off.
"that's enough, venti. i don't want to hear your meddling about him..." then later he heard him 'ehe' on the call. "i'll just end this call if you're teasing me, venti."
"w-wait wait xiao! don't do that to your uncl—" xiao already ended the call, he then put his phone in his pocket and sat down.
aether...
xiao couldn't help but think about him, he want to know about him more. he pulled out his phone again and start to scroll down on his contact number then finally found the number he needed to call, he dialed the number then the contacted number pick up.
"what do you want, feng?"
"i want you to get this person's information, the deadline will be tomorrow. leave the papers on my desk, miss yuheng."
belated merry christmas everyone, hope you all have a wonderful day.
! extra!
xiao pov when he draws aether:
(note: i draw this for fun. unfortunately, i didn't draw xiao maybe someday tho)