The sun was again shining bright just like the stars last night, hitting both of their skin as they were peacefully still slumbering. Sounds of soft snores come out of their mouth.
Eventually, Xiao woke up. Sitting up before he faces the sun. He rapidly looked away from it and yawns.
Xiao gazes at Venti as if he just saw an angel sleeping peacefully in a soft cloud.
He decided to not wake him up this time and change his clothes. He went downstairs to see his sister and her wife almost finished eating. "Eat with us" he quickly shakes his head to signify that he doesn't want to.
Whenever this happens, that only means one thing. Xiao wants a tea. So, the maid's brought a glass tray with a small glass cup and a hot tea in it. "Bring me one more" and so the maids obeyed.
When he took his first step up the stairs once again, he saw Beidou standing up from her chair. She's done eating. And he didn't even get the chance to eat with her. He did decline though, only because he knew that they were almost done eating.
An image of him and his whole family eating together at that large table flashes in his eyes,
What if they were a normal family? Will they be happy?
He shakes his head and went upstairs again. His room door creaks as he slowly opens it.
His eyes widened when he saw the sleeping boy's face now in a frown and is whimpering. Earlier he was just in peace, now, seems like he isn't.
He ran towards him and held his hand, "Venti, wake up" he shakes his hand. "Venti" to his surprise, Venti holds his hand tighter as if fighting for his life. "Venti!"
"Uwah!" The man opens his eyes wide and gasped for air. "you okay? You're sweating"
"Ah... I don't know what happened. I'm scared..."
"Don't be scared" He glared at Venti, "I don't know why..."
A moment of... Not-so-awkward silence has occurred.
"...I feel safe right now... Please, stay" he whispered as he closed his eyes, trying to recognize what was happening in his dream. Xiao cough, more likely embarrassed. "O-of course!" Xiao said awkwardly.
"Pay! your! damn! bills! Every time I come here, that hoe is always not home, are you lying to me?!" A girl hits a little boy with a broom, screaming things a little kid wouldn't even understand.
"Stop! Stop! Please... Don't call my mother that... I-i don't know what a bill is... Please stop hurting my brother..!"
"J-just get out of here... Save yourself. I will be okay" the boy demand, "what?! No!!! I won't leave you with this lady"
Venti shivers as he recalled what happened in his dream. Hugging himself because there was no one who would do that for him. "B-brother..." He stuttered. It causes Xiao to get concerned, why was he suddenly like this. What happened in his dream?
Wet liquid slides down his eyes, rubbing his own back to find at least a bit of comfort. "Venti... Uhh, stop crying-" he said, pausing a bit. What do we expect from someone who has never comforted anyone in their entire life?
"X-xiao. Just this once... C-could I- see my family..?" Venti looked at him with pity. Eyes watering as he says his request, his one, and only request. As he hopes Xiao would agree, he grabbed both of Xiao's hands and placed them on his forehead as he kneels on the bed.
"Please..! Please... I'll do anything, I swear. I would do anything you want, anything you want me to do. Just please" the poor boy breaks down.
While the other cannot understand the things he is feeling right now. It was all new. Sympathy? Madness? Sadness? He doesn't know. All he knew is that there was a pang that shattered his heart the moment Venti begged him to do something. "I'll let you see your family, okay? Don't cry anymore" he wiped those tears he hated the most away from Venti's face.
"Really..?"
"Shhh... Stop crying now. I'll think of something.."
-
"What do you mean he's gone?!" Beidou shouted, "I am deeply sorry dear princess... But when I came to bring the tea in prince Alatus' room, he was gone"
"He's probably only practicing-"
"Your highness," a sentinel bowed with his wrist in his chest. "I'm sorry to interrupt your talk"
"what's the matter?"
"We spotted prince Alatus and who we guess, is princess Venti, going out of the castle for some foreign reasons"
"Alatus... I see..."
-
"Xiao... Won't you get in trouble?" Venti asked as he gets dragged by Xiao away from the castle. "What? You said you wanted to see your family"
"I do but... You didn't need to come with me"
"I wanted to. It's not safe to go out of the castle on your own. Especially now that almost all the villages know about you and your position. Surely, some will attack you" he went completely silent after that and chose to just run faster to get this over with.
When they arrived at the familiar village, Venti couldn't feel much happier. He misses this place. The place was too sandy and dirty, though the village was happy and alive. As if the village was a one whole family.
"Venti?! Venti, you're back- prince Alatus!?" Shocked, the people near the villages' entrance bowed not only to Xiao, but also to Venti. "It's good to have you back here Venti!" Venti smiled at the person but dragged Xiao to his house quickly.
"Mom! Carmen! I'm here, it's Venti!" Xiao examines the place. It seems like there are no guards in here when there should be at least two. Those guards will surely get up penalized for not doing what they were obliged to do.
Venti went inside one of the rooms, still holding Xiao's hand. There he saw his mom now in a stable condition, his brother sleeping while he holds his mother's hands. "You guys are safe..." Venti lets go of Xiao's hand, walks towards his brother to hug him.
"Hmm... Wha- Venti?!"
"Carmen..." He hugged him tighter, "you're back... And now you're... The future queen..?"
"I'm sorry if... I got myself into this and I couldn't take care of you and mom. I'm sorry for leaving. I'm sorry. Please forgive me"
"V-venti it's fine..?" He cups his brother's now tearing up face, "all this time, me and mama was never angry at you... It's okay, my little brother. You didn't do anything wrong..."
Xiao stares at them. Seeing how even Venti's twin has braids. Maybe it's really their style. Though Carmen looks a little different from Venti, they're still identical.
"Is this really the prince?" Carmen asked in a gentle voice. Venti only nodded in response and hugged him again, "I pay my respect... I am very delighted about all the help from the castle. But... I believe that my brother is way too young to get married, I-"
"You don't need to worry. We may be too young but I'll make sure to take care of your brother!"
"That's not my full concern... Prince Alatus. My point is that, do you guys really love each other?"
Nobody said anything, Xiao just stands there and think. He kept thinking, but the answer is always no. "I want my brother to be happy. I want him to be with someone he truly loves, I just thought twice because it was too sudden... As if you guys were forcing yourselves" he was too gentle, the way his voice was so light even when the words he's saying were deep.
"What did you like about my brother?" There he is again, he couldn't answer. He doesn't know why. Maybe because it's stupid. Maybe because he doesn't have a reason to like Venti?
"Venti..." A voice from the lady who was just sleeping earlier called out, and thankfully, Xiao finally get to breathe. "Ma, I'm here" Venti hugged his mom, and even if his mom can't see him completely, she still cupped her son's face. "You're back... I've been waiting for you"
Venti hides his tears by burying his face into his mother's neck.
As for Xiao, he felt that thing called... Jealousy.
Are those what parents really do to their children? How come this is the first time Xiao has ever witnessed this? This kind of love... The love he's been wanting but never got. What else is he supposed to do anyway?
"Ma! I give you flower!"
"Get off me!- prince Alatus? Oh. It's you"
"Why mama?"
"Please don't touch my legs just like that" she looked away, feeling guilty, as if she does not want to look at him at all. "Mm?"
"Just get off me prince Alatus!"
"But flower, mama?"
"Flower won't make me proud Alatus. Maybe practice using a sword?"
"Mom what are you doing! Alatus is still a child, he does not need to learn how to hold a sword at such young age!" Little Beidou screamed. "What? He wants me to be proud, then he should do something to make me proud"
"But mom-"
"I have to go now, just ask the maids if you need anything" she left, not even looking back at them. Why doesn't she care?
"She's so evil... I'm wondering, does she even love us?" Beidou drew a sun on the sand using her index finger. Little Xiao placed his hand on Beidou's shoulder and said, "mama does... Mama loves Xiao"
"If she does, then she would be happy when you show her that flower" she pointed the flower using her lips. Qingxin flowers. The flower died as Xiao still holds it in his hands, pouting as he sees it gets dried.
"It's okay. Maybe Xiao have to practice swords,"
"No! I won't allow you to. You are still very young, Xiao"
"Xiao are you alright?" Venti fake coughed before saying those words. Seeing how Xiao is definitely out of himself and probably not thinking right. "Xiao?" He touched his chest, yes, chest. Causing Xiao to flinch.
"Wha- oh?"
"You've been staring at the wall, I'm asking you if you want to go back to the castle now?"
"Uh- ah, yeah, sure"
"Goodbye mom, goodbye Carmen. We'll see each other again" he smiled before holding Xiao's hand to go outside. When his brother asked him if he really loves Xiao, he said no, but when his brother asked him if he wants to stay here or go back to the castle... He couldn't say that he wants to stay here.
As much as he wants to take care of his family, there's just something that's stopping him from staying. He wants to be in the castle. Maybe it's because he got used to the life he got there? I'm sure that's it...
"Xiao, I feel like I'll get you in trouble... I'm sorry"
"Nah, your good"
-
"Little brother, how could you say you're not in love.. When your stare at him Is... quite different.." he smiled, "I'm proud of you. You're finally capable of doing your own decisions"
-
"And where have you guys been?" Beidou crossed her arms and tapped her right foot on the ground "nowhere?" Venti said, "nowhere, huh? Then why did my guards caught you guys going out of the castle?"
"We're just- I don't know? Hanging around?"
"Hanging around or any other reasons, I did not give Alatus the permission to take you outside... Perhaps, it was a plan?"
"Ee- I'm sorry! I forced him to go with me. Please don't punish him, please"
"No. Punish me instead. It was my responsibility to not let him out of here, but yet I was the reason why he got out. So please, let me take the punishment"
"What?! What are you even saying, Xiao! You're not very cool you know" Venti rolled his eyes, "mm... Well then, if you volunteer to take both you and Venti's punishment, then come with me"
Xiao nodded as Venti frowns. "Whayyy?!! Hey! Come back here let me get the punishment! I look so weak right now... Argg. Xiao... Grr"
-
Venti dog arc