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“The rice you see being grown here is only one of the over 120,000 different varieties of rice in Teyvat. While the white strains are by far the most popular and well-known, there is also black and red rice.”
Childe rolled his eyes as Zhongli once again drifted off into one of his trivia sessions. He had to admit that Zhongli’s voice itself was nice to listen to but Childe could rarely be bothered to truly listen to what Zhongli had to say . Judging by the frown on Diluc’s face, Childe was not the only one in their little party who felt that way but then again, Diluc frowned most of the time anyway. Even Paimon had quietly poofed out of existence after Zhongli’s last lecture and while Childe could understand the sentiment he himself would not go that far - even if he were able to.
He shifted his attention to the single person, seemingly enthralled by Zhongli’s explanations.
Aether looked up at Zhongli with starry eyes, nodding his head every now and then and even asking questions - at which Zhongli gladly went off on a tangent or two. At first, Childe had thought it was merely an act. Something Aether did just to seem nice. He had tried to tease him about it once, only for Aether to give him a look of utter confusion. No, by now Childe knew that Aether’s interest was genuine. In that regard, it did not matter what topic Zhongli was talking about either because Aether’s interest did not lie there. It was Zhongli himself.
Yet, that was not quite right either. Zhongli was not the single object of Aether’s admiration and Childe would argue that something like that did not even exist. Aether - bless his precious little soul - admired all of them equally. He was much like a little puppy, filled with joy and excitement and ready to share it with everyone around him. Whether he listened to Zhongli’s vast knowledge, sparred with Childe, or cooked with Diluc. He was a shining light in their midst, full of love and full of life and that was why they all adored him in return.
It was evident in the way Zhongli smiled down at Aether as he spoke and when Childe glanced to his right he saw the same expression now on Diluc’s face as well.
Childe could not help but chuckle to himself, fondly shaking his head.
Aether had them all firmly wrapped around his finger and the only one who was not aware of that was Aether himself. In a heartbeat, they would do anything the traveler asked them for, yet the only thing he ever requested was their company.
Childe himself had long lost his innocence. And while he liked to pretend otherwise in front of Teucer, he knew very well that he was not a good person. For the longest time, Childe did not even believe that something truly good could exist in the world - something immune to corruption - but now Aether was just that to him. A force of good, never tired of helping others even though he carried no small amount of sorrow on his own shoulders.
“Look, over there.” Diluc’s voice cut through Zhongli’s explanation, raising their attention. “Seems like someone’s in trouble.” They all turned their heads to look farther down the road ahead of them and indeed a group of what seemed to be merchants was gathered around two broken carts at the side of the road.
“They might have been ambushed by a group of bandits,” Zhongli said with a hum. “We should see if we can help them somehow.” Aether was quick to suggest and they spared no time, making their way towards the group of strangers.
As they got closer, it became clear that Zhongli was most likely correct in his initial assumption. The carts clearly showed signs of a fight, their cargo gone. Seeing them, the merchants appeared frightened but Aether quickly assured them that they had no ill intentions.
“Don’t worry, we’re from the Adventurers’ Guild, we don’t mean no harm. Are you alright? What happened here?” Aether asked them, genuine concern lacing his words. The merchants instantly seemed to relax a little bit, giving them weary smiles. “We were on our way back to Liyue Harbor when we were attacked by bandits just a few minutes ago. They didn’t hurt us but they stole our entire cargo and broke our carts. We really don’t know what to do, this delivery is very important but now we don’t even have a single crate left.”
“What was it that you were transporting?” Diluc asked, his interest piqued. “This was a delivery meant for the Bubu Pharmacy - various herbs and medicines. Some of those treat severe diseases and such and if we can’t deliver them..”
“That’s terrible.” Aether shook his head with a frown. “We will help to get your cargo back. Did you see where those bandits ran off to?” The merchants perked up. “Really? You would help us? Oh, thank the archons - the bandits, yes, they ran this way - over to the mountains. There were six wooden crates in total. They are quite heavy so I doubt they could have gotten very far. Perhaps they even set up camp in a nearby cave or such. If you could even just retrieve one of the crates it would be a great help.”
Childe smirked. “Bandits, huh? Better than nothing I guess.” He chuckled and rolled his shoulders. It would not take long but a fight was a fight. “Zhongli, Diluc - can you two stay with the merchants?” Aether asked. “Me and Childe should be able to handle this.”
Everyone agreed and so Aether and Childe left the others to look for the bandits, following the direction the merchants had pointed them at. They left the road behind and made their way towards the nearby mountains. “The nerve of those bandits.” Childe sighed. “To attack in broad daylight.” He shook his head. “Well, the area is very rural. They would have probably gotten away with it if we didn’t come across those merchants by chance.” Aether pointed out. “Yeah, those merchants were pretty damn lucky. They should invest in some guards the next time they carry something important again.” Aether was about to agree when something caught his attention.
“Over there, at the mountain wall - I think I saw someone,” Aether said, keeping his voice low. “Let’s check it out.” They ducked into the nearby shrubbery and approached the area finding the entrance to a large cave. Peeking inside, they did not see anyone, but the cave seemed to stretch farther into the mountain and not all of it was visible from the entrance.
Childe and Aether shared a look before they slipped into the cave, making their way deeper into the mountain. The cave was huge and they walked for a while when suddenly a sound from deeper within the cave could be heard. “Looks like we were right.” Childe only shot Aether a toothy grin before starting to run towards the source of the sound, Aether right at his heels.
They ran down a narrow corridor before the cave opened up in front of them. Soon, Aether and Childe found themselves in a big cave chamber. Part of the ceiling had caved in and light was shining through the hole. It illuminated the center of the chamber, however, the edges were still shrouded in shadows.
Just as they entered the chamber, figures stepped out of the shadows around them, circling them. Childe smirked once again. He had not expected the bandits to lure them into an ambush but that only made things more exciting. Perhaps the fight that would ensue would be better than he had initially anticipated.
However, his eyes widened when the figures around them stepped into the light. Those were not mere bandits - those were Fatui .
It seemed like things were only getting more interesting by the minute.
“Long time no see, comrades!” Childe called out with a laugh, relaxing his posture as if he had found himself in the company of old friends. “What is this? A reunion party of sorts? Aww, you shouldn’t have!” His bow materialized in his hands as Childe dropped into a fighting stance, knocking an arrow. Behind him, Aether drew his sword, turning around so they stood back to back. The Fatui too, readied their weapons though none moved from their spots. “Well, if you insist .”
Hydro energy accumulated at Childe’s fingertips as he charged his shot but just as he was about to fire his arrow and commence the fight a voice cold as ice cut through the air.
“As eager as always, aren’t you, Tartaglia ?” The amusement in her voice was evident as Signora stepped into the light, a condescending smirk on her lips.
Childe could not believe it. He had expected one of his former colleagues to come and find him eventually but he certainly had not expected them to catch up to him so soon. “Signora, I didn’t think you’d miss me so much that you’d come running after me the moment I leave the Fatui.” He chuckled, hiding his anxiety. A fight against a group of Fatui would have been a nice workout but a fight against a Harbinger? That was a different beast entirely and it certainly did not help that they were hopelessly outnumbered. Still, with Aether on his side, Childe was sure that they could manage it.
“Quite the opposite.” Signora sighed, pouting as if the whole ordeal bored her to death already. “I’m only here on the behalf of the Tsaritsa. She asked me to extend her greetings from Snezhnaya.” Her smirk returned, now cold and cruel.
“How awfully nice of her.” Childe gritted his teeth into a grin, knowing where this was going. “Look, Signora - it was great getting to chat with you again but I-”
He was cut off by Signora’s laugh, echoing through the cave. “What? You’re backing away from a fight? You?” She mocked, a knowing glint in her eyes. “Why, how uncharacteristic of you - could it be because you shattered your Delusion?”
Childe froze.
How did she know? How could she know?
No one knew, no one besides him and Aether, because it had been the traveler himself who had asked Childe to destroy it.
It had been shortly after Childe had joined Aether on his travels. Him and Zhongli already knew each other and they were able to put their differences aside rather quickly but Diluc was a different story. He did not trust Childe and made sure to use every opportunity he got to show it. Childe had grown increasingly frustrated about it and he would have loved nothing more than to challenge Diluc to a fight but Aether would not allow anything that went beyond a friendly sparring match. That too had frustrated him greatly. Childe could not fathom why Aether cared so much about Diluc, who was always so silent and stoic and aloof.
Childe needed to show the both of them - Diluc and Aether - that he was superior to the Pyro wielder in any way, shape, or form. He got his chance when one of their commissions had turned out to be a trap. A whole swarm of Abyss Mages had cornered them and no matter how hard they fought, they seemed unable to make an inch of ground.
It was then, that Childe had unleashed his Foul Legacy Transformation, shredding through their enemies until nothing was left of them. When he turned back, Childe was able to revel in Diluc’s shocked expression but Aether had just blankly stared at him. It was enough to turn his victory into ash in an instant. Childe had laughed then, making a quip to ease the tension but while he could hide his wounds from the others, Aether was not so easily fooled.
They set up a camp for the night not long after and while the others gathered around the fire, Childe had slipped away to tend to his wounds. He was not surprised when soon he heard soft footsteps behind him. “Thanks for not telling them.” Childe chuckled, feeling breathless. “Would have really ruined my image after stomping on those Mages like that..”
Aether did not answer, instead, he just sat by Childe. He hesitated but decided to allow Aether to take care of him. It was adorable how light Aether kept his touch, scared to hurt Childe even more, how his eyes only focused on his work, scared to miss even a single scratch.
They sat in silence, even after Aether had finished, close enough to share each other's warmth. Something welled up in Childe’s chest as he observed Aether's smaller form and he opened his mouth to say something but Aether was faster.
“You have to stop using Foul Legacy.”
The words felt like a punch, leaving Childe feeling winded. He recovered quickly, forcing a smirk onto his lips. “What? You’re scared you won’t be able to keep up?” It came out like a sneer and Childe hated himself for it. Just a moment ago, had he not wanted to say something entirely different?
“That’s not it-” Aether began but Childe could not stop himself now. “It’s none of your business. If it makes me stronger, I’ll take it. You’re just scared - or maybe you are jealous, hm? That you can’t have this power to yourself. Well, too bad because I won’t-”
“It’s hurting you! ”
The sheer desperation, the hurt in Aether’s voice had instantly snapped Childe out of his train of thought. He realized in terror that tears had gathered in the corners of Aether’s eyes and it was all because of him.
“You’re right, I’m scared. I’m scared because I see how it hurts you! It’s only getting worse - I’m scared because it’s killing you right in front of my eyes and I can’t - I can’t -'' Aether was crying in earnest now, tears falling, shoulders shaking. Without thinking, Childe moved to pull Aether into a tight embrace, holding him as close as he could. “And I can’t - I can’t do anything about it -” Aether sobbed into his shoulder, grabbing onto Childe’s back as if he were the only thing keeping him afloat amidst the raging waves of a dark ocean.
“Please, please -” He had never heard Aether beg before and Childe knew right away, he never wanted to hear him like that ever again.
“It’s okay -” Childe muttered, placing one of his hands on Aether’s head to stroke his fingers through golden hair. “It’s okay, Aether. I’m fine, I’m sorry. I -”
Childe hesitated.
Could he really give up his Foul Legacy Transformation? He needed it, needed its power - trepidation filled his heart. No, no - he couldn’t .
With another quiet sob, Aether pulled away, just enough so he could look at Childe with teary eyes.
Childe realized then - he could .
For Aether.
That same night they shattered Childe’s Delusion with their joined hands and as it burst into light, Childe could not help but feel like a curse had been lifted off of him.
But how could Signora know about this?
“You’ve been keeping your eyes on me all this time?” Childe kept his tone playful even as dread made his heart beat faster. “I’m sorry, Signora - but you’re just not my type.”
Signora’s face contorted into an angry grimace. “ Enough talking . Let’s see how strong you are without the Tsarita’s blessing.” With a snap of her fingers, the Fatui around them sprang into action.
Childe wasted no time and fired an arrow at the closest enemy as Aether dropped to slam his hand into the ground. The earth rippled with Geo energy, staggering their opponents and pushing them away from the two of them. The Fatui however, were soon back on their feet, rushing to attack the pair.
Childe and Aether both dodged at the same time, forced to separate but Childe rationalized that it would be fine. Aether was strong - he did not need Childe to watch his back. He just had to concentrate on taking out his opponents first, then he could help Aether finish the rest.
A Pyro Agent was the first to rush Childe, throwing his spinning knives at Childe before turning invisible. Childe dodged the blades with ease and he knew the tricks of the Agents - enough so that he knew to look out for the faintest reflections of light. “Gotcha!” Before the Agent could even reappear, Childe fired an arrow, piercing his chest. He did not have much time for celebration, however, as an Anemoboxer Vanguard ran up to him, ready to slam him into the ground.
Again, Childe was able to dodge but more enemies started to swarm him. He could hear the sounds of fighting from behind him, as Aether summoned boulders and steel met steel. Seeing that his bow would be of little use in such close quarters, Childe dropped it and shaped his Hydro energy into a blade to hack and slash away at his opponents.
Even cornered and outnumbered, Childe was able to fight back. He grinned as Hydro burst from his enemies, engulfing them in a riptide. Was this not exactly what he had wanted? An exciting fight?
He pushed the enemies back, dispatching them one after another when he caught a glimpse of Signora. She stood at the side, leaving the fighting to her recruits as usual. However, now she raised her arm, her catalyst glinting in the dim light.
Childe knew her attacks and quickly looked up. Huge icicles were forming all above them, ready to fall and crush whoever happened to be underneath, regardless of whether they were friend or foe.
“Aether!” He called out in warning, just as the first icicles started to drop. Childe had to jump and dodge and even the Fatui scrambled as they tried to save themselves. He could have easily struck their backs as they retreated but instead, Childe turned his head to look for Aether. His eyes snapped around frantically until they finally found the familiar form of the traveler. Aether was panting, exertion evident but he could not stop and rest - not now, as more icicles formed above him.
“ Aether! ” Childe called out once again, completely tuning out his surroundings as he dashed towards the other but he had no chance of ever reaching him in time. Suddenly, a rush of water hit him from the side, forceful enough to slam him to the ground.
Childe coughed and sputtered, hearing the ice shatter. He snapped his eyes open and looked for Aether. A cloud of ice and snow blocked his view and Childe already feared for the worst but when the dust settled it revealed a Geo construct and inside, within its walls was Aether, safe and sound.
How foolish, Childe thought. That he was even worried in the first place. Aether was strong, he was a seasoned warrior. He could look after himself.
How foolish, because now Childe was in a bad spot himself.
Childe tried to scramble to his feet as fast as he could, the water all around him turning to ice. It froze him in place before he knew it, the ice engulfing his body, only leaving his head free. He tried to move, to shatter the ice but it was to no avail. He was firmly trapped and while he could barely even raise his head he heard Signora’s heels clicking against the ground as she neared him.
“How disappointing.” She said with a mocking smirk and Childe could do nothing but glare at her.
Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of gold. Aether’s construct had broken and he now ran towards Signora, sword raised to strike her down. The Harbinger waited for him to close the distance and deflected his flurry of strikes with a shard of ice.
“How bold of you to attack me.” She laughed. “Even Though I have his life in my hands.” All of a sudden spikes of ice raised from the ground. They originated from Signora and made their way over to Childe. He braced himself for the pain, taking a last glance at Aether, who extended his hand as if to reach out for Childe.
He was sure he would die, yet when the spikes reached him, Childe was not impaled as he had expected. Instead, the ice around him rose, lifting him up from the ground and into a standing position. Childe could hear his heartbeat hammering in his ears and he managed to shoot Aether a wavy grin. It did nothing to soothe the frightened expression in Aether’s eyes.
“Now, if you don’t want him to get hurt you should drop that pesky little weapon of yours.” Signora hummed, her voice as sweet as honey.
“Don’t!” Childe yelled, once again trying to free himself. “Aether don’t! Don’t listen to her!” But Aether had already made up his mind. He would not risk Childe getting hurt because of him and so he lowered his sword and let it dematerialize.
“Just as I thought.” Signora mused and before she could even finish her last word another Anemoboxer Vanguard was upon Aether, slamming his fist into him. The punch was strong enough to send Aether flying but he was nimble enough to land on his feet even as the strike had sucked all the air from his lungs. However, he had no time to recover as he had ended up right in front of an Electrohammer Vanguard, who was already raising his weapon. Just as he brought his hammer down, Aether used a gust of Anemo energy to push himself, dodging the attack with a roll.
Childe could only watch helplessly, condemned to inaction as Aether tried to dodge hit after hit. “What are you doing?” He finally yelled when the Anemoboxer managed to connect another punch. “Fight back! Aether! ”
Signora, who was standing next to him, observed the fight as well. “You are right, Childe.” She agreed with a smirk. “The boy should stop running.” She extended her hand and shot shards of ice into Aether’s direction. By now the traveler had burned through all of his stamina, struggling to evade the blows of his opponents. “Aether! Move!” Childe called out, trying to warn the other but it was too late. A shard of ice lodged itself into Aether’s right calve, burying itself deep into the flesh. Aether’s pained cry rang through the cave but he could not allow himself to stop moving.
But with every move the shard of ice grew, spreading all around Aether’s leg up to his knee until it folded inwards.
Ice cracked and bones shattered.
Another cry of pain, barely recognizable as a human sound. Childe could only watch as Aether stumbled to the ground, the Fatui circling him like vultures.
Childe felt rage burn inside him. “What are you doing, Aether?” He demanded to know once again. “You’re stronger than them! Just fight! Fight back and don’t fucking worry about me!”
His mind raced - Aether defeated, the thought was absurd. He had bested Childe at every opportunity, he had fought alongside Adepti and Archons alike. Childe knew, if only Aether would decide to pick up his sword again, he could defeat the Fatui with ease.
Another cry, weaker this time.
The Fatui had forsaken their weapons as well, seeing as Aether was rendered immobile. Instead, they used their feet to kick his body, stomping down onto him repeatedly.
Childe did not understand. He could not fathom why Aether would do this - why he would put Childe’s life before his own. What good was Childe anyway, if he could not even protect what mattered most to him?
Laughter bubbled out of his throat, briefly drowning out the sounds of soft moans and whimpers. Even the Fatui stopped their assault for a moment, glancing towards Childe and muttering among themselves. But Childe just could not help himself! He only kept laughing even as Signora pierced him with a cold glare.
“Seems like you finally lost it.” She said, almost sounding annoyed but Childe just shook his head. “No, no -” He managed to get out, still having a hard time to contain his laughter. “You don’t get it . This -” Childe looked over where the Fatui had continued their attack, boots slick with blood. “It’s a trick! It’s all a trick!”
“He’s just pretending, you see? Waiting for you to drop your guard so he can strike back!” Another bout of laughter shook Childe, bringing tears to his eyes but before he knew it his laughter had turned into sobs. “Right, Aether? That’s it, isn’t it? You’ll get up any moment now - right? Aether? ” Tears streamed down his face as Childe watched on, Aether’s body limp and distorted. It was wrong. His chest should not be caved in like that. And what was it, protruding from his side? It must be one of his ribs, Childe’s mind offered helpfully.
He felt sick.
Blood stained golden hair and bruises formed on formerly fair skin. Aether did not even make a sound anymore as the Fatui brought their boots down on him again and again. Did they not see that it was enough? Did they not see how they had broken him already?
“Please..” Childe swallowed back a sob but his tears kept falling. “Please, Aether, get up - get up -” One of the Fatui kicked Aether in the stomach so hard, that Childe felt himself reeling just from watching. “Please, please -”
“Signora!” Childe cried out, shaking his head like a rabid animal as he tried to escape his icy prison. “Please, please - tell them to stop! I’ll do whatever you want, just please - he needs help, he -”
Another snap of her fingers and the Fatui stopped. Childe paused, panting from the exertion. The Fatui took a step back from Aether, giving Childe a good view of the.. thing that Aether had become. His limbs were shattered beyond recognition. The rest of his body as well had been rendered into a formless, bloody pulp, held together by bruised skin and bloodstained clothes. Aether laid with his face turned towards Childe, eyes closed. Blood, snot, and tears ran down his face. His head, a different shape than Childe remembered.
“ Tartaglia. ” Signora’s voice cut through his thoughts and Childe briefly glanced at her. Judging by her glare she had been talking to him but Childe’s eyes once again focused on Aether. Was he still alive? He had to be. But Childe had not seen him breathe since -
“Could you repeat yourself? I could not hear what you said.” She was lying, mocking him clearly but Childe had no strength left inside him to entertain her. He had to watch Aether and watch closely. He could not afford to miss any sign of life. A twitch of muscle, a shallow breath - anything . Aether had to be alive.
“I’ll do anything..” Childe rasped, forcing himself to speak up. “I’ll do whatever you want, just-.. just help him, please. Please, Signora, I beg you .” A strangled sob clawed its way out of his throat as he finally averted his gaze from Aether to face Signora. “I beg you, please.”
But the 8th Harbinger only laughed in his face. “What a fool you are, Tartaglia.” And he had to agree. “Did you really think the Tsaritsa would just accept your betrayal? That she would just let you walk away without reminding you of the oath you took and broke? She is the Archon of Love after all. When she realized that someone else had stolen your heart she could not let it pass.” Signora approached him, firmly grabbing Childe’s chin to turn his head and direct his attention back to Aether.
“Your little boy? You did this to him, Tartaglia because you let yourself be charmed and swayed. You always like to boast about your strength and your skills but here you are - just as helpless as you were back then.” She all but spat, letting go of his face before she turned towards Aether. “Don’t you ever forget that without the Tsaritsa’s love you are nothing but an insolent cur.”
With that, she left him and walked towards Aether, stopping right in front of his lifeless body. She observed him for a moment before lifting one of her feet, using the tip of her boot to nudge Aether’s cheek. Signora gave a huff when there was no reaction. “Pathetic.”
She raised her gaze to address her recruits one last time. “Finish this up,” Signora commanded, then she disappeared in a flurry of ice and snow.
“No! Stop! ” But Childe’s words had no power and the Fatui once again gathered around Aether. He cried out in utter desperation - because what else could he do? - when suddenly the world around him was engulfed in flames.
Childe gasped, feeling heat seeping through the ice and through his body but to his surprise, the fire did not scorch him. It enveloped him in its soft embrace, melting the ice around him while its wrath was solely directed towards the Fatui, causing them to disperse. The earth shook beneath their feet and pillars of stone rose from the ground around them.
Diluc and Zhongli.
The thought crossed Childe’s mind just as the ice around him broke but his legs numb from the cold instantly collapsed underneath his weight. He gracelessly fell to the floor, barely even feeling the impact as chaos erupted all around him. Childe would have looked up, to witness the wrath of a god but his entire focus was on someone else.
Aether.
Childe tried to lift himself up, but his trembling limbs would not comply. It did not stop him and instead, he started to crawl across the ground. “Aether-” He called out, yet the carnage raging around them drowned out every other sound. “ Aether! ”
Musterring up every last bit of his remaining strength Childe scrambled his way to Aether’s side. Up close, the damage looked so much worse and Childe hesitated, unsure where to even touch Aether. He wanted to pick him up, to cradle him in his arms, to hold him tight and never let go but every inch of Aether looked as if it was about to shatter.
“Aether..” Childe sobbed, his tears falling onto Aether’s face. He reached out, his hand trembling terribly, and held his fingers in front of Aether’s nose to check if the other was still breathing.
Childe closed his eyes and swallowed back more tears. He waited. And waited. Feeling his chest tighten with every second that passed by. Childe was sure that his heart would burst right inside of him when he suddenly felt the faintest brush of air against his skin.
He snapped his eyes open, staring down at Aether’s listless face. Had he made a mistake? Childe waited once more. And again - a breath. Aether was breathing, he was still alive.
Another sob wracked his body as Childe leaned forward as if to shield Aether from any more pain. He moved his hand, daring to brush his fingertips over Aether’s dirtied hair. “It’s okay, Aether, it’s fine,” Childe said to reassure them both. “You’ll be fine. We’ll get you to a healer and you’ll be just fine, I promise.”
He kept muttering such nonsense when he heard Aether make a soft sound.
“Childe?..”
“I’m here.” Childe answered right away, pulling back so that he could look at Aether’s face, quickly wiping the tears from his face.”I’m right here, Aether. Stay with me, we’ll get you help as fast as we can-” He saw golden eyes struggling to open, a vacant gaze meeting his. A wet, gurgling sound came from Aether’s mouth before a trickle of blood came seeping out between his lips. Fear struck Childe and he slipped an arm underneath Aether’s neck as quickly as he dared to before lifting his upper body into a more upright position.
Aether’s head instantly lolled forward and before Childe could even reach out to adjust his position Aether’s body convulsed in his arms. A choking sound was all the warning Childe got before Aether violently vomited blood and gore into his own lap. Childe watched in terror as the blood seeped into Aether’s clothes, chunks of - something - splayed on his pants. Aether barely managed to raise his head, letting its weight rest against Childe’s chest.
“Are you - .. hngh-.. hurt?..” Aether rasped, every word a struggle.
No. No, he was not.
But he should be.
Childe should have been the one getting hurt, not Aether. Never Aether. He had nothing to do with this. The Fatui had only targeted him because of Childe. It was his fault and without the power of the Foul Legacy Transformation, he had not been able to stop them.
“Geez, Aether, you really have to learn to put yourself first sometimes,” Childe said instead, trying to keep his voice jovial. Maybe if he pretended that everything was alright, they would end up being fine. If nothing else, Childe did not want to frighten Aether. “You have to take it easy now. Don’t push yourself. As soon as Zhongli and Diluc are done we’ll get you back to the city -”
Childe knew that he was rambling but he could not stop himself. If he could just comfort Aether even the tiniest bit it would be enough. He carefully cupped Aether’s cheek with his hand, mindful of the cuts and bruises. Childe slowly tipped Aether’s head back so he had a better view of the other’s face. He felt his stomach churn but when Aether’s eyes fluttered open he forced himself to smile.
It took a moment, but Aether returned his smile, the corners of his lips twitching weakly as they looked at each other. But whatever strength Aether had left, quickly dwindled. His shallow breaths slowed and his eyes threatened to drift shut.
Fear struck Childe’s heart like never before in his entire life and he quickly shook Aether in an attempt to keep him awake. “H-hey now, you have to stay with me, Aether.” He said, unable to suppress the frantic edge his voice had taken on. “Just a little longer, remember? You can sleep later, I promise, but for now, you have to stay awake, you hear me?”
Childe watched as Aether’s lips parted. He wondered if the other was trying to say something but Aether made not a single sound. Childe’s hold on Aether’s body tightened. “Please, Aether, you have to stay with me -” He said again, pulling Aether close to hold him tightly. Aether did not protest, did not show a sign of pain or discomfort even as Childe could feel Aether’s broken bones shifting underneath his skin.
“Just a little longer -” Childe pleaded - to Aether, to the Archons and the gods above in Celestia. Just a few more precious minutes, just a few mere seconds even. He was not ready to part with Aether, not yet. And when he felt Aether sigh out his last breath against his neck, felt his body going limp against his chest -
Childe screamed.