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As if he wasn’t the most dramatic fool in the world. Or in this dimension, or the next. But that was alright, because somehow he had managed to nail one of the best people he had ever met, and he’ll be damned if he let such a person flit by without him at least trying.
Whatever Diluc saw in him, he would never know, but he wasn’t going to question whatever they had anytime soon. Why fix it if it ain’t broke? While Diluc was rooted in Mondstadt and Aether roamed around Teyvat attempting to solve the mystery behind his missing sister and the mysterious uprising of monsters, each reunion they shared was a precious moment. Hands intertwined, fingers combed through silky locks, matching soft smiles on their faces.
“How was Liyue?” Diluc asked, and Aether laughed as he recalled his excursion to the southern region this time.
Apparently they had been repackaging the Dawn Winery’s products as their own (Diluc scowled at that and murmured a ‘They’ll pay for that’), the terrain was far more mountainous, the people were more organised, but he still missed Mondstadt. Liyue tended to be overwhelming with its size and culture shock, but there was something infinitely better about Mondstadt and its rolling green hills, gentle breezes, and small town.
“Or maybe I’m just biased because you’re here. Back in my dimension, we had cameras which could take these miniature paintings named pictures. They were used to easily record special moments that we wanted to remember, or share with others." There was a wistful smile on Aether as he glanced down, and reached out to intertwine Diluc's gloved hand with his own. “I wanted to show you the sunset from Liyue's Qingyun Peak; it's worth the climb. Maybe one day…”
A wry smile formed on Diluc’s face, and Aether leaned in to kiss it off.
“You really want me to go with you that badly?”
“It’s beautiful, you’re beautiful, double the view. So why not?”
“But you’re already like the golden sunset, so I don’t really see a difference.”
Wha- What? What did he just say? Aether could feel his face warming at a speed beyond him; he was used to being the one smooth-talking, the one hitting on Diluc, and the one who always initiated things because Diluc was like a cat and while they weren’t the kind to show obnoxious displays of attention, they still managed to show their love in one way or another.
Well, until Diluc had gone and said such a smooth thing that Aether couldn’t help but press his face against his chest. Why did he have to go and say such a thing? He felt a pressure on the top of his head which was probably the man’s playing with his hair again, and after that, Diluc’s arms just settled on Aether.
He refused to move out of sheer embarrassment.
“Is it my turn to call you baby carrot now?”
“No.”
Diluc’s chuckle had never sounded so good until now. Ugh.
“Why not? You’re probably redder than my hair by now, and I want to see you. Don’t tell me we’re going to spend the rest of our date like this .”
He hated how Diluc made sense. But it was comfortable and he smelled really nice and would it be creepy if he said that he liked how he could feel the other breathe beneath him? The way his chest moved in rhythm, and if he really paid attention he could maybe hear the steady beating of his heart. Slightly quicker than normal (was he embarrassed too, he wondered), but warm.
Aether’s words were muffled.
“I like you.”
“I know.”
Diluc was the epitome of beauty, grace, and patience.
“I really like you.”
“I really like you too.” Diluc had sighed, settled on propping his chin on Aether’s head, and was rubbing circles onto his back.
“I can’t believe you like someone like me.”
“Why wouldn’t I? There’s literally nobody else like you in Teyvat. Can I see your face now?”
“Mn.”
It was a monumental effort to drag his face away from warmth as Diluc raised his head, but it was worth them pressing their foreheads together. Aether really liked Diluc; the way his crimson locks framed his face, the way his ruby gaze softened as their eyes met, and the way the corners of his mouth quirked upwards after a quick peck on the corner of Aether’s mouth (dammit).
“Hello there.”
Aether couldn’t help but return a slight smile.
“Hello.”
Their next kiss left no room for complaints.
Sunset watching was probably something that they should do more often back in Mondstadt, Aether mused.
There was something about the way Diluc’s hair seemed to change colour along with the day, as long as the skies itself were in those crimson strands. Or maybe he was seeing things, but he wasn’t about to complain any time soon. It was nice to have time to themselves, time for him to just look at Diluc and appreciate him as a whole, without any external disturbances whatsoever.
It really helped that for some reason, he was somehow better than him at cooking for some reason lost to him (rich people cooking extraordinarily good food? the mystery), and along with his Pyro Vision, all they really needed was a pot, some firewood, and ingredients for a warm, filling picnic. Or lunch. Or dinner.
So maybe he liked the food better than Liyue; Mondstadt’s ingredients were easier on his stomach.
It also really helped that after several minutes of protesting, Diluc had caved and brought a bottle of Dandelion Wine along for Aether to try, and that was a bottle of pure magic. But one was Diluc’s self-imposed limit, and he absolutely would not budge on that rule, much to Aether’s dismay; he would have to wait until he was older before he could have more. Diluc had stared at him in exasperation while he was contemplating asking patrons at the Angel’s Share Tavern to sneak him a glass or two, and had commented on how obvious his expression was.
So maybe he liked it a bit too much, what about it? It was amazing.
But not as amazing as Diluc himself, so he let the topic die and buried that last line deep within himself. Heaven forbid the latter found out exactly how much he adored him; he would never hear the end of it.
“You know, if you weren’t here I probably wouldn’t be visiting Mondstadt as much. Sure, Amber and the rest of them are nice, but… They’re not you. They know that wandering comes naturally to any traveller and they don’t expect for me to return, but you’re different. You tell me to stay a little longer, come back a little faster.” Aether’s fingers found themselves between Diluc’s as they walked along a path illuminated by moonlight, and a smile grew on Aether’s face. “You make me feel as though I have somewhere to belong, as though I actually matter.”
“Of course you do. You matter to them too, more so than you think. They’re always looking forward to your return, but they’re… More understanding than me about it. I know you can’t help but leave in order to find clues about your sister.” There’s a slight scowl on Diluc’s face that Aether couldn’t help but smile wider at, and he lightly squeezed the other’s hand in response.
“Doesn’t mean I won’t come back, though. I like your lesser understanding better, but I’m probably biased because I like you so much. Sometimes I wonder what we’ll be like if I hadn’t come to this dimension; would you be staying at the Dawn Winery forever, or would you find a wife to have a child with and pass on the tradition, and would I be with my sister? Or would we somehow find a way to meet again?”
“Probably the latter. Imagine if I were the one to cross over; I’d be rather lost. I think you’ve done a great job adapting to Teyvat.”
“You’re giving yourself too little credit, mister. You forget that I’ve seen you in action; you’re smart, you’re intuitive, you’re righteous, and you’re definitely more than capable of holding up your own weight. I’ll probably fall for you all over again if I saw you in my world, for sure.”
Aether felt blood rush to his face again, but he thanked the darkness for being his cover this time. It wasn’t his fault that stupid stuff came out of his mouth whenever it came to Diluc! But he was just there and every single brain cell Aether had left would be gone and all that remained was just him and every single thought had him inside and everything he did would have him inside and just- God, he was whipped . Lumine would have a field day if she ever saw him in this state.
“When did you first realise that you liked me, anyway?” Aether felt a tug on their hand which meant that Diluc had stopped walking, and he had stopped to turn around and face him. Diluc’s face, while tinted with a slight blush (either his eyes were really good or he had somehow memorised his face, neither of which were evidently normal), was hesitant and if he dared to say it, shy .
If there was a critical blow in this world, this would probably be it.
“Well...”
When did he first like Diluc? It was a good question. When had he gotten used to them being together to the point where it was normal to just hold hands, rest on the other’s shoulders, kiss his frowns away, and just bask in his presence? It had seemed so natural that he had never actually given proper thought to it.
Maybe it was when Diluc had chosen to trust him and Paimon, a pair of nameless wanderers who had entered his tavern to hide, over the Knights who were desperately searching for him.
Maybe it was when he had actively helped them investigate the problem with Stormterror, going so far as to even join them on their adventures while balancing his duties at the Winery.
Maybe it was when they had found out he was actually protecting Mondstadt by himself , and he had trusted them to not blab about his alternate identity, and they had ended up brainstorming for a silly idea to distract the Knights while saving Mondstadt from a Hilichurl attack.
“I… Don’t know. It felt as though you were different from the rest, even back then. I couldn’t really bring myself to look away. Maybe it started on our first meeting; after that, I just wanted to know you more, to talk to you. And when you did, I wanted to talk to you more, to spend time with you. One thing led to another, and I realised that I just really wanted to be by your side.”
It was the best answer he could come up with in that situation, and the most truthful he could be. Aether really didn’t know when he started liking Diluc so much; it just happened . And he wouldn’t have it any other way. He took a small step towards Diluc.
“I like your eyes when you’re working hard.”
Another step.
“I like your smile when you think nobody else is looking.”
Another step.
“I like how honest you are.”
Another step.
“I like how you’re steadfast in your beliefs, even when people seem to have lost hope.”
He stopped right in front of Diluc.
“I like you for who you are, and I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
Diluc had returned to his baby carrot status, and he shot a slightly annoyed glance at Aether who had now looked offended. What was that face for? Here he was, genuinely proclaiming his affection, and his significant other had gone and gave him a sour look like that .
“Must you always say things like that? Be honest, you just like me matching with my hair, don’t you? People give others roses, you give me cheesy talk.”
Aether laughed, as he tugged Diluc down for another kiss.
“But you like it this way, don’t you?”
“... Only because it’s you. Now stop smirking.”
