✔️ How to Start An Addiction | xiaoven

Chp.5 | ..Oh, That's What He Meant

It had been a few days since Xiao and Venti had spoken to each other,, to be precise, 4 days exactly.

Xiao had no intention to explain anything to the other male, he didn't want to go and ruin their friendship just like that on the 50% chance Venti's homophobic—not that he wants to convict his dearest friend of anything but there's always that slim chance that Xiao didn't want to risk.

Plus, it wasn't that easy either. As they said, easier said than done.

-

Venti on the other hand felt effortlessly guilty. It was like that's all he'd been thinking about for the past several days. How would he apologize to Xiao? He honestly didn't even know what he did wrong, but he knew one thing for sure, he upset his best friend.

He didn't know Xiao wouldn't want to date anyone, honestly, he should've figured as much.
(Of course, he didn't know he was completely wrong about that as well.)

It was all just so stressful and confusing, maybe he should ask Xiao about it more. He didn't want his friend to feel upset because of him; it was just wrong. Especially him not apologizing yet even after how long it's been—he's bound to be ignored if he tries now.

Even so tho, it's better to get it out.

What Venti was in the dark about tho, is that the situation was way deeper than that. It couldn't be solved and explained with a simple 'I'm sorry.'

So, like any normal person would think to do, he sent off a few messages to Xiao.

Actually, 16 messages—but that's not important.

-

VENTI
Xiao? Xiao? hello! can we pls speak?
pleaseeeeeeeee😟
Read 8:20 am

VENTI
i can see when you read my messages Xiao....

Xiao
Stop spamming me.
Xiao
I'll tell my father.

VENTI
...
VENTI
😦

VENTI is now offline

-

And—..that's how it went. Was Xiao really that upset? Usually, he'd accept it if Venti just gave him some of that almond tofu stuff..to be frank, Venti didn't really like it himself.

—Now Xiao was just refusing to talk to him tho!

Fine then! Venti was bound to fix this situation, he'd go to his house..honestly Venti would probably have to drag him out if he wanted to actually have a conversation without Xiao's dads finding out Venti upset him...

Whatever! What's done is done..and Venti just couldn't back down now!

-

He softly knocked on the door, awaiting a response..but when that response didn't come there had to be some more thought about this.
What if Xiao doesn't even answer in the first place?

He contemplated some other options in his head, making up scenarios and scouting out how he should go about this situation.

He knocked even louder this time—

again, no response.

What if he just...

Breaks in?
No, hang on! He could go to jail for that!

..That is if Xiao can tell..

Just after that thought the door was opened, immediately after realizing who it was Xiao looked at Venti with pure disgust.

Nothing out of the usual! Glad he isn't too torn up about what happened.

Venti had a large smile plastered onto his face as he looked at the other, hands on either side of his hips.
"What do you want now?" A voice sprung to life, breaking the silence. Xiao sounded pretty angry.

Venti gulped as the smile on his face broke into a frown. "..Uh—I think maybe we should talk about this...I don't wanna lose my best fr-"

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'? I haven't finished yet!" Venti puffed his cheeks out, crossing his arms over his chest in a childish manner.

"I meant 'no' as in I don't wanna talk about it, Venti."

Venti pouted his bottom lip out, trying to understand why exactly. "Look—I'm sorry that I tried forcing dating on you...I get it if you don't like dating people and stuff.." he began to speak. "I just..maybe thought it'd help you get over Roblox and talk to me more.."

Xiao looked at him as if he just heard the stupidest thing come from the other's mouth.
"Huh."

Venti stayed silent, still having the same saddened frown on his face.

The other boy sighed as he began to speak.
"Venti—, that's not why I got upset. Also, are you stupid or something? Wouldn't me getting a partner just make me pay more attention to them instead of you?"

Wait for a second..' partner'? 'Them'?

"You mean..girlfriend, right?"

Xiao's eyes widened, he hadn't even paid attention to his lack of gender/pronoun usage..god, is he an idiot or something?
He mentally groaned in annoyance.

Suddenly, something seemed to click.
That would explain why Xiao didn't want to date anyone on the dating app, especially since Venti was just matching him with girls..that would also explain how he just worded it.—And oh my god that literally just summed every attribute of an in-the-closet homosexual-

Ok, well, maybe not that exact wording..but it still did!

"Xiao, uh..um..are you like..?"

Venti didn't know how to even ask this sort of question. The two had been friends since childhood and he had never thought to think of Xiao as anything else but heterosexual.
Venti hummed.

You could obviously tell Xiao was panicking. His breathing seemed to quicken a bit as well as the amount he was fidgeting.
He looked as if he was about to start crying or something..but Xiao isn't one to be emotional?

"Xiao, you have two dads...I'm not homophobic."

Suddenly, it seemed those words sunk in quickly. Venti was right, why didn't he think of that? If Venti was anything at all..the last thing he'd label the other is homophobic.

Then, there it is.

It almost seemed as if the words fell out of Xiao's mouth, his voice still shaking with anticipation.
"I'm gay."

WORD COUNT: 956