Chapter Text
When Lyney woke up it felt like he slept the whole day away just like every other time he would wake up in the traveler’s teapot. It took him a moment to realize that he currently was pressed against Aether’s stomach and Aether’s head was lying on his head. Once Lyney did realize this he let himself relax and bask in the blondes warmth. The touch reminded him of how him and Lynette would cuddle together when they were still in the streets and when they were still new to the house (of course these were better circumstances). Lyney laid there, pretending to be asleep, wanting to just wisk the day away in Aether’s embrace in total serene.
After a few quiet moments Lyney was close to falling back asleep when he felt Aether’s head move to Lyney’s shoulder; Aether yawns. “… are you awake Lyney?” Aether whispers, voice full of sleep.
Lyney makes a small grunt and lightly nods. Aether smiles and brings his arms from Lyney’s stomach to his waist. “I’ll make breakfast in a little bit.”
Aether groans a little and and snuggles to Aether, who chuckles. “We’re gonna have to eat.”
Lyney shakes his head and Aether kisses his cheek. They cuddle each other for about ten minutes before Lyney’s stomach starts to growl. So they get up (much to Lyney’s groaning) and go to the dining area. Aether ends up making some Mondstadt hash browns and they start eating.
“It seems like you miss Mondstadt.” Lyney points out after taking a bite.
Aether looks at him. “Hm? Why do you say that?”
“Well uh these hash browns are from Mondstadt, right? And those skewers you made yesterday?” Lyney looks at the table, trying to avert Aether’s gaze. “It just seems like you miss it…”
Aether was taken back by Lyney for a second before remembering that this wasn’t the Lyney, Fontaine’s greatest magician, or the big brother Lyney thinks he needs to be, or the Lyney he talked to last night, this was the real Lyney. So when Lyney finally looked up Aether decided to give him an encouraging smile. “Yeah I guess you’re right. I was actually in Mondstadt not too long ago and needed up seeing someone I know.” Aether chuckles at the memory of playing the game with the adventurous elf. “You’d probably like her, though she has a pretty destructive personality.”
Lyney cocks his head to the side. “Oh? And what is she like?”
Aether taps his finger on the table before saying. “Well her name’s Klee she’s the spark knight of the knights of Favonius and she likes bombs and fish blasting.”
Lyney almost instantly gets a confused look on his face. “Huh? What’s that?”
“Fish blasting?”
“Yeah I’ve never heard of that, is it a common activity in Mondstadt?”
Aether shakes his head. “No it’s almost a Klee exclusive thing. It’s basically when Klee goes to a pond or a lake and bombs the fish in it. Actually now that I think of it I think Childe’s gone with fish blasting with her once.”
Lyney gets an even more confused look. “Master Childe?”
“Yeah.”
“I thought Master Childe would be too busy with business to partake in such activities.”
“Yeah well it’s only because I invited the two of them to help me out with a commission and Klee just had the urge to go fish blasting then; plus Childe has a soft spot for kids so it shouldn’t be that surprising.”
“Oh I actually wasn’t aware of that fact. Father has never mentioned it before. Wait so the knights are just okay with this?”
Aether shakes his head. “No. Whenever she gets caught the Acting Grand Master Jean gives her solitary confinement.”
“Only solitary confinement? I understand that Mondstadt and Fontaine’s laws are different and probably less extreme than Fontaine’s but if she does it continuously then I would’ve express a harsher punishment.”
Aether shrugs. “Well she is like seven years old.”
Lyney only stares at Aether. “A seven year old is allowed to have an official role as a knight? And she’s allowed to have bombs!? I knew Mondstadt was the city of freedom but this seems a little excessive.”
Aether can’t help but laugh at Lyney’s reaction. “Well since Klee is a vision holder she creates the bombs herself. And her mom’s a very important person so you can’t really blame them for only putting her in solitary confinement.”
“Who’s her mom?”
“Uh I don’t really know if I can tell you and even if I did know I wouldn’t know how to explain. But her name’s Alice.”
“Hm interesting. Well she must be pretty strong if she can make bombs when she’s only seven.”
“Yeah she is. I’m pretty sure I have a picture of her somewhere or was that in one of the other teapots? Anyway I’m pretty sure she’d like your magic shows?”
Lyney smiles. “Well then maybe it I get permission from Father me and Lynette and maybe even Freminet could take a detour to Mondstadt.”
“Then maybe I can show you around.”
Lyney nods and they continue to eat in a content silence. After they’re done Aether lets Lyney explore the rest of the teapot while he gets some stuff done. Eventually Lyney gets done exploring and goes back to the house and sees Aether tending to some plants. “So what do you think about it?”
“I like it, it’s somehow more peaceful than the Sumeru one; to me at least.”
“Yeah you can thank a friend of mine for that.”
Lyney felt something when Aether said that and his smile deflates a little. “Someone else has been here?”
“Yeah but we didn’t do anything so don’t worry. He just has this roommate and he needed a quiet place to collect his thoughts; so I invited him here and at the time there was barely anything in here and so he demanded that I don’t waste this beautiful spade so he helped me fill this place up.”
“Huh how interesting…”
Aether smiles. “Okay before you judge me for giving into to him he’s a renowned architect. He actually built the Palace of Alcazarzaray and I felt bad for him. Paimon can vouche how annoying Alhaitham is.”
“Oh he’s Kaveh right?”
“Mhm. Well since I’m done with everything we can go inside now.”
They go inside and go and sit in the couch.
In complete and utter silence.
Neither really knew what to say so they both were waiting for whoever cracked first. Which ended up being Lyney. “As much as I Like staying in your teapot, I’m sure Lynette will start to worry about me if I don’t get back soon. So can we hurry this up?”
Lyney sees a flicker of emotion go through Aether’s eyes before the blonde nods. “Yeah we don’t want her to worry do we. Sorry I just don’t really know how to talk about this.”
Lyney shakes his head. “No need to apologize this is weird for me too.”
“Okay. I just want to know have I done anything you didn’t want before and you just didn’t say anything?”
“No you haven’t.”
Aether looks at him uncertain. “Are you sure? Actually think about it for a minute.”
Lyney complies and thinks for a moment and he still couldn’t thinking anything so he shook his head. Aether nods a little. Aether nods his head a little. “Okay if you’re sure.”
Aether tries to think back to what things Nahida said about relationships to Wanderer about. Maybe that would help this be less uncomfortable. “Uh do you know why you didn’t just tell me why you didn’t want to have sex?”
Lyney shrugs. “Like I said yesterday I thought I wanted to do it, sorry…”
“You don’t need to apologize we just need to make sure this doesn’t happen again. So do you have an idea on how something like this could not happen again?”
Lyney shrugs. “I’m not sure, sorry.”
Lyney’s never even dated anyone before much less be in whatever relationship he has with the traveler.
Aether sighs. “I told you don’t need to apologize. Besides this is new to me too but.” Aether soft grabs Lyney’s hand and holds it. “We’ll get through it togeyher, okay.”
Lyney freezes and barely realizes when his face warms up, his mouth opens a little, and his eyes go wide. Aether laughs.
“Okay how about for now on we tell each other if we do something the other doesn’t like. Okay?”
Lyney nods and Aether smile and boops his nose. “You’re so cute.”
Lyney doesn’t move when Aether leans in a little closer. “Can I kiss you on the cheek?”
Lyney nods again and Aether kisses Lyney right under his eye. “Can I do it again?”
Lyney lets out a soft sigh. “I don’t care if you kiss me Aether.”
Aether smiles. “Okay.”
Aether kisses Lyney’s face a lot of times, each time Lyney relaxes a little more into the touch. But soon Aether stops and Lyney groans.
“Come on you said that Lynette will worry about you if we don’t get back soon.”
Lyney groans again.
“I’ll let you stay the whole day next time and I’ll treat the three or four of us to lunch if we leave right now.”
Lyney sighs. “Okay fine.”