Work Text:
Xiao sighed heavily as he arranged the flowers he had prepared into the vase. The vibrant mix of red and pink hues shifted as his fingers nimbly placed each stem. It was almost wedding season so the abundant requests for silk flowers were beginning to pick up.
As he continued with his tasks, he tuned out the deep voice of his boss who was currently educating a customer on the best time to pick violetgrass. Normally he listened intently to the stories his boss Zhongli told, no matter how many times he had heard them, but today he was too distracted by the date and the bitter memories it held.
More sighing and grumbling accompanied Xiao's actions through the flower shop, until his path was blocked by a customer. Too busy in his own head to look up, he made a move to take a different path to his objective.
"How rude!" whined a voice that Xiao recognized but hadn't expected to hear.
"Venti? What are you doing here?" Xiao questioned, finally looking at the green clothed person that was his friend. At Venti's puzzled expression, Xiao checked the clock on the wall and realized more time had passed than he had realized, which was confusing considering that the whole day had felt like time was crawling.
Another heavy sigh escaped Xiao's lips before he responded. "I'm not off work yet," he explained brusquely.
Venti pouted and tapped his foot in annoyance while Xiao tried to ignore the distraction. However, before he could get any farther Zhongli approached him as well, hands folded behind his back leaving his brown apron on full display.
"You can leave early today Xiao," Zhongli smiled at him with amber eyes. Before Xiao could protest Zhongli continued, "Things are well in hand today, and you've stayed late many times in the past. I have no issues with you leaving early today."
Xiao frowned. Zhongli had tried to get him to take the entire day off, but Xiao had refused. He didn't want to be alone with his thoughts today and felt safer at the flower shop where he had begun his new life. However, that excuse was no longer valid with Venti standing here, ready to whisk him off to some sort of trouble. In fact, it all seemed too convenient, and Xiao wondered if Zhongli had asked Venti to come.
"Please? Please, please?" Venti begged, flashing his big aquamarine eyes at Xiao in some sort of attempt to look sympathetic and innocent.
"Fine," Xiao grumbled, not in the mood to argue. He made his way to the back to put up his tools while Venti cheered.
When he reapproached the pair a minute later, he found the taller brown-haired man questioning his shorter blue-haired friend.
"You'll drink responsibly with Xiao, I trust?" Zhongli inquired in a protective tone. Venti’s drinking habits were well known to all.
"We have much more exciting plans today!" Venti exclaimed proudly, placing his hands on his hips.
"Why don't I believe you?" Zhongli sighed, bringing a gloved hand to massage his forehead.
"Ehe~"
Out on the street Venti tried to pull Xiao along by the arm, but Xiao stubbornly held his regular pace. Eventually Venti settled for skipping along, his twin braids waving from the motion. Xiao noted that Venti didn't have an instrument on him; apparently the musician didn't have a show today.
As they continued to pass shops and the chatter of pedestrians filtered by, Xiao became increasingly curious where Venti was taking him. Finally, Venti came to a stop and cheerfully declared, "We're here!"
Xiao looked up at the sign and crossed his arms, eyebrows furrowing. "A tattoo parlor?" he questioned skeptically. He knew that Venti had a few tattoos, which were sometimes visible depending on what he was wearing. Xiao, however, had never been interested in getting one.
"Just hear me out," Venti began before Xiao could object further. "I know your past still weighs heavily on you and I wanted to help you feel better! It's not uncommon for people to get tattoos to symbolize overcoming trauma. You can put your own mark on your body, as proof of how far you've come."
Xiao frowned further, wondering if this was really a good idea. Wouldn't it just remind him of his past? Not that his current approach was working, as evident by the foul mood he had been in all day. It had been five years since the day he got his life back, but he didn't feel like he had come very far in that time.
"We can just take a peek at some designs," Venti suggested, once again wiggling Xiao's arm in his grip. "If you don't see anything you like, or just want to get an idea for later, we can leave afterwards," he continued with a hopeful tone.
"Fine," Xiao sighed, giving in to Venti's requests yet again.
As they made their way through the door Xiao looked around at his new surroundings while Venti called out "yoo-hoo" and bounced around excitedly. Shortly afterward a voice greeted them as a man made his way around a corner.
"I thought I recognized that voice. Here for more inkwork?" spoke a blue-haired man with an eyepatch.
"Kaeya!" Venti greeted in return. "Not for me, but my friend here," he explained, motioning to Xiao by putting an arm around him.
Xiao grumbled to himself at Venti’s invasion of his personal space, although it was to be expected by now. Realizing he had an audience, he refocused his attention to the man named Kaeya, trying to think of what to say. "Just looking for now, I haven't decided if I want to do this yet," Xiao clarified, trying to regain control of the situation.
"Feel free to look around then," Kaeya replied, before glancing at Venti with narrowed eyes. "But this better not be an excuse for Venti to loiter. This isn't Angel's Share and I'm not as nice as Diluc."
"Hey, we're customers!" Venti complained, gesturing dramatically.
Kaeya turned around and waved his hand dismissively. "Anyway, I'm booked today, but maybe Albedo can help you. He'll be here soon" he called out as he disappeared again.
Venti was still pouting as Xiao wondered about Venti's history with these people, and specifically who Albedo was. Soon Xiao began halfheartedly glancing at the images on the walls, although nothing grabbed his attention. His eyes glazed over the myriad of faces, objects, and writing that all served as typical tattoos, still unsure of what he would want for himself.
As Venti pulled up some images on his phone as suggestions, the door opened behind them. A man came in who was about as short as Xiao, with ash blond hair and light blue eyes. Xiao was immediately distracted by his looks, from his hair pulled back into a small ponytail to several piercings along his ears to the sparkle in his eyes.
"Hurray, Albedo is here!" Venti cheered, abandoning the pictures on his phone to address the new presence.
"Oh? Venti the musician? And who might this be?" the man asked, looking straight at Xiao. His voice was unexpectedly soft, almost otherworldly, and Xiao's mind went blank momentarily.
"This is my friend Xiao~" Venti cut in, not missing a beat. Xiao was suddenly grateful for his sociable friend, rescuing him from sheer embarrassment as he stared mesmerized.
"Hi," Xiao managed to speak, regaining his breath. If he hadn't currently been busy trying to recover his composure, he would have been panicked that Venti might notice and tease him about this later.
"Greetings, I'm Albedo. You were looking for me?" Albedo replied in a very matter-of-fact tone, although there was a hint of a cordial smile on his lips.
Venti continued doing the talking for Xiao. "Yes! Xiao wants a tattoo, but we need ideas," he explained enthusiastically.
"I'm only taking a look, I haven't agreed to this yet," Xiao cut in, snapping back to the reality of the situation. The permanence of this decision was beginning to sink in, and he needed to take this seriously.
"I see. It wouldn't do to rush, we need to find the right piece of art, one that speaks to you," Albedo explained as he made his way behind the counter, grabbing some binders.
Albedo laid out the first binder on top of the counter and began explaining how the different categories of art were organized and about the different styles and specialties of the artists who worked at the shop. Xiao found it easy to listen to Albedo explanations and appreciated the detailed information. He was beginning to feel a little more at ease with the idea of going forward with this.
As Xiao flipped through some of the pages, Albedo began to ask him specific questions. "Why do you want to get a tattoo?" Albedo questioned, staring straight at Xiao, and meeting his eyes. Xiao felt like Albedo was looking into his soul.
"It's personal," Xiao answered vaguely. He wasn't comfortable divulging his past to anyone, let alone someone he had just met, regardless of how attractive they were. "A reminder of the past, and something to help me look forward."
"I understand," was Albedo's only response. Xiao noticed the thoughtful tone in his voice and how he subconsciously reached towards his neck, to where a star-shaped tattoo was partially hidden by his zipped up jacket. Xiao wondered what the story was behind the tattoo, and how painful it would be to get one in that spot.
Xiao once again became distracted by Albedo, wondering if he had any other tattoos or piercings along his body. Albedo's voice roused Xiao from his embarrassing thoughts. "Do you have any pets? Or animals you're particularly fond of?" he asked in an even tone. Xiao couldn't tell if Albedo was curious or bored.
He didn't have any strong opinions about animals and didn't have pets himself, so the first thing that came to mind were the birds that he sometimes fed behind the shop, ever since Zhongli decided to buy bird feeders. "Birds I guess," he mumbled, somewhat embarrassed that he didn't have anything more interesting to offer.
Albedo hummed in response and Xiao was relieved by his seeming approval. Quickly locating some examples of bird designs, Albedo showed off a variety of options to Xiao.
As they were focused on the images, Venti suddenly popped up behind them. Xiao hadn't even noticed that Venti had wandered off earlier. "Oh, that's perfect! Like a bird flying free," Venti spoke in a poetic tone.
Xiao huffed and rolled his eyes. The way Venti put it sounded sappy and overly dramatic. Xiao didn't want to appear weak and emotional in front of Albedo, but when he glanced at Albedo he noticed that Albedo had a small smile on his face.
"Is there a style you like?" Albedo prompted eventually, causing Xiao to realize he had been staring again. He focused his attention back to the art samples, trying not to blush.
There was nothing Xiao had seen that he specifically wanted, but he tried his best to articulate which designs he liked better. "I prefer the more abstract designs," he answered while Venti crowded his personal space to see the images for himself.
"If you don't have a preference towards any art style then perhaps something cultural," Albedo suggested, bringing a hand to his face as he thought. "What about your ancestry?"
"From Liyue," Xiao responded. He didn't have any familial ties worth remembering, but he did know a rather large amount of information about the culture thanks to Zhongli, who was also originally from Liyue.
"I think I can come up with something," Albedo declared with a professional confidence, his eyes sparkling. "Lastly, where do you want the tattoo?"
Xiao paused. He hadn't even thought about the placement, even though that was probably one of the first things he should have considered. His mind immediately went back to Zhongli. It wasn't widely known thanks to his boss’s preference towards long sleeves and gloves, but both of his arms contained full sleeve tattoos.
"Along my whole arm," Xiao answered decisively. He heard Venti giggle beside him, no doubt because he knew the reason behind Xiao's answer, so Xiao elbowed him in the side to prevent further teasing.
"Excellent, if you'll give me a few minutes I will have a sketch for you," Albedo explained eloquently, returning the binders to their place and heading to his workstation.
As Xiao watched Albedo settle in at his desk, he realized that Albedo hadn't even set down his bag since he had walked through the door, too busy assisting them. Xiao wasn't prepared when Albedo took off his black and white jacket, revealing a black mesh shirt that left little to the imagination. Picking his jaw up off the floor, Xiao quickly turned away and tried to act like his attention was anywhere else.
"So eager now hmmm?" Venti teased, poking Xiao in the arm and winking.
Xiao decided to pretend Venti was only referring to the tattoo. "You call this eager?" Xiao deadpanned.
"For you, yes," Venti replied, sticking out his tongue playfully.
Albedo was incredibly talented, so it didn't take long for him to provide a sketch. After another discussion and some modifications, including Venti's very useful confirmation that "green is the best color," the final design was completed.
The tattoo consisted of a variety of green shapes that made up a silhouette resembling a bird. It looked as though it could have been a design found on one of Zhongli's antique vases. Xiao was impressed with what Albedo had come up with considering he had no idea what he wanted when he first arrived. The few questions Albedo had asked and his artistic talent were all he needed to perform his job well.
Albedo was available for several more hours, so Xiao soon found himself seated in a chair with a low back, about to get the first part of his tattoo. Venti had left for a nearby bar, not wanting to wait around for the entire process, but had told Xiao to meet him there when he was finished.
Xiao wasn't familiar with the process of getting a tattoo, but he probably should have realized sooner that he needed to take off his shirt. After having to be asked by Albedo, Xiao awkwardly removed his snug black sweater. He was grateful that Venti had left, and that Albedo didn't comment on his behavior, as he waited shirtless and embarrassed in front of such a hot guy.
Albedo didn't help the matter when he snapped on black gloves, and Xiao had to force himself to look away. Hopefully Albedo would just think he was nervous about his first tattoo, although Xiao didn't want to come across as a wuss either.
The following few minutes were a blur as Albedo prepped the area on his right arm and shoulder, and applied the stencil. Soon he was just waiting on the machine as Albedo readied the equipment, pulling out some tubes and needles and pouring some fluids into cups.
It was Xiao's last chance to back out as Albedo sat behind him on a stool, ready to begin inking his shoulder. "Take a deep breath and relax," Albedo advised, before Xiao felt the pressure of Albedo's hand resting on him and then the needle.
It certainly wasn't the worst pain Xiao had ever felt, but it wasn't pleasant either. Xiao focused his eyes on a poster across the room and concentrated on breathing, as the stinging pain in his shoulder slowly faded over time. Xiao continued staring away when Albedo eventually came into view, working his way across Xiao's upper arm, with Xiao only taking quick glances at the man only inches away from him.
Eventually Albedo finished the outline and returned to filling in each section. They had been at it for over an hour and neither of them had spoken outside from any information Albedo relayed about the inking process. Xiao was beginning to wonder if he should try to make small talk, even though he was usually comfortable in silence.
Unable to come up with any conversation starters, Albedo eventually beat him to it. "So, you work at a flower shop?" he offhandedly asked as he worked.
Xiao was surprised by the question. Albedo must have overheard Venti mention it while they had been waiting for the sketch. "Yeah," Xiao muttered in response, not adding any elaboration. A flower shop seemed like the exact opposite of this place.
"I study flowers occasionally," Albedo continued in his ethereal voice, "We often get requests for floral designs. Perhaps I should stop by sometime for some inspiration."
Xiao was thrown off guard by the comment, but he realized it made sense. "Do you have a favorite flower?" Xiao asked, finally finding some words as his work experience kicked in.
After a thoughtful pause Albedo responded, "Cecilias. You?" Cecilias were said to embody the heart of an unbound soul, one of many facts about flowers Xiao had learned over time.
Despite his job, Xiao wasn't that attached to flowers, but he tried his best to answer honestly. "Qingxin," he replied.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a smile on Albedo's face as he continued to work. Xiao wondered if Albedo knew of the flower's meanings as well. Qingxin avoided warmth and moisture to gaze out alone from the mountaintops.
Albedo found himself standing outside of a quaint flower shop that had been a modest walk from the studio. It had been slightly chilly since he had unbuttoned several of the top buttons on his dark blue shirt, revealing the star shaped tattoo on his neck and a decent portion of his chest. The blowing wind had tossed around the hair he had thrown into a messy bun.
As he stepped inside, he was soon greeted by a familiar voice. "Hey," Xiao called, making his way over to Albedo, "You came."
"Hello," Albedo greeted in return. "I wanted to spend some time sketching the flowers, if you don't mind." It was his excuse for coming to the shop after all, even though his primary reason for coming was to see the man in front of him.
"That's fine," Xiao mumbled, his eyes darting away and his cheeks growing slightly pink. Cute, Albedo thought to himself. He also noted a change in Xiao's hair.
"Your hair looks nice," Albedo commented, Xiao's dark choppy hair now accompanied by teal highlights in his bangs. It complemented the tattoo well and served as an interesting contrast to his striking yellow eyes.
"Oh, thanks," Xiao offered shyly, "Venti did it."
Albedo nodded in understanding; it was a very Venti thing to do. He shifted focus to Xiao's arm, curious to see the status of the tattoo, which was partially covered by Xiao's t-shirt sleeve. "How is your arm healing?" he asked.
"It's good, thanks," Xiao replied. Albedo breathed a small sigh of relief, despite already knowing roughly how quickly Xiao's arm healed and reacted, due to seeing him for multiple sessions. He examined Xiao's arm with it’s now completed design and was pleased to see that the aftercare was being performed properly.
"Um…" Xiao interjected, clearing his throat softly.
Albedo realized he had been holding Xiao's hand as he examined the tattoo. "Oh, sorry," he apologized, letting go quickly. Now they were both blushing.
"I'll see you in a bit," Xiao finally muttered, rushing back to his tasks. Albedo nodded with a smile and pulled out his sketchbook, beginning to examine the large variety of flowers throughout the shop.
In the end Albedo wasn't able to sketch as much as he had planned, becoming engrossed in a conversation with the verbose shop owner. As he listened to an explanation by Zhongli about the process of using silk flowers to make perfume, Xiao returned. He had emerged from the back, having shed his gardening tool belt and nametag, now ready to leave for the day.
When they stepped out of the shop, Albedo was unexpectedly presented with a simple but eye-catching bouquet with cecilias as the main feature. So, Xiao had remembered their previous conversation, Albedo noted with a slight blush.
"Thanks for coming," Xiao began, looking Albedo in the eye with a mix of nervousness, passion, and determination. "If you're still free now maybe we could hang out?"
"I'd like that," Albedo replied with a smile. He carefully picked one of the cecilias from the bouquet and tucked it behind Xiao's ear, flustering the other man. "So, where are we off to?"