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Paimon was snoring tangled in the duvet. She didn’t even stir when Aether got up from his restless sleep and dressed. His party stayed at Wangshu Inn. They needed a break. Kaeya complained that he wanted to finally sleep in a bed, but Aether knew that the cryo-user sensed his unease and wanted to help him. It wasn’t a direct move but Aether appreciated it nonetheless.
Kaeya and Diluc were peacefully sleeping so Aether let himself borrow Diluc’s coat without asking. Not like the redhead would mind. Diluc’s clothes were always so warm, and cuddling with the oversized coat helped to calm Aether’s anxieties down. Usually, he didn’t mind the cold when he ran in his revealing attire, even in Dragonspine, but today he felt weird shivers running down his spine. His hands were so cold, he felt like he could freeze the puddle of water if he moved his digits near it. On a day like this, he felt empty and torn inside, like the most crucial pieces were missing. The central piece of the puzzle he was yet to find.
Watching the first dawn of the year together had been a tradition the twins adopted so early in their life, Aether felt that it was always like that. It was a tradition more important than celebrating their birthday.
At least, until recently.
It was like that until that one fateful encounter with an unknown god… If he was stronger and faster he could have protected his younger sister and she would be with him to watch the first ray of sunshine shining through clouds like they always did during their adventures. They would laugh and recall the best moments of their travels. And tease each other, and just sit arm by arm basking in each other's presence.
Aether desperately wanted to hug Lumine today and cherish her like the precious gem she was. But he couldn’t. He had no clue where to even look for her… After all this time he couldn’t find any traces… The battles, he thought, didn't bring him any closer to his goal.
Sitting alone on the rooftop of Wangshu Inn was weird. With everyone enjoying the peaceful moments of sleep, everything was so quiet. Only the wind was blowing quiet songs of the times long gone. If it was meant to help Aether feel a bit lighter, it had the opposite effect.
There were rare times during which Aether was alone with too much time to think. His party didn’t plan to take any commissions today. Kaeya forbade him from doing so. It was hard to decide if it was a good or a bad move. Maybe mundane tasks like clearing out hilichurls camps or delivering letters for faraway lands would keep Aether’s mind occupied and his soul lighter?
All the feelings he didn’t let himself dwell upon, hit him now with a doubled force. As the dawn slowly turned into day, stray tears started slowly flowing down Ather’s face. The realization that if he didn’t propose jumping into that world, that if he was a better, stronger, and more responsible brother, today he could be enjoying the view with his sister, was suffocating.
“Do I need to deal with whoever made you cry, Aether?” the quiet voice of Xiao startled the traveler.
He yelped, got up, and turned around to face Yaksha who was eyeing him, and the coat, with a curious gaze.
“W-when did you appear on the rooftop. I didn’t hear you.”
“To be frank I was there first and you were the one who didn’t notice me. That’s quite unusual for your senses to be so dull.” Xiao said, gesturing for Aether to sit back down. He did so, reluctantly.
“Today is just not my day.”
“My first offer still stands.”
Aether laughed bitterly. Sometimes Xiao was so simple as if fighting and slaughter would erase all problems. Well, maybe getting rid of one unknown god would solve the issue but… That wasn’t something Aether would ever want to discuss with Yaksha. Not now, maybe never.
“I… I used to enjoy sunrises like this with my sister.” Aether didn’t know why he was telling Xiao this. It wasn’t like the Adepti would understand, and yet, letting out those tangled emotions was like a fresh breath of air in a long time.
“The twin you look for?”
“Yes,” Aether nodded, curling further into Diluc’s coat like that piece of fabric could protect him from the turmoil of emotions he was feeling. He gulped, ready to continue even if Xiao didn’t really want to listen to his emotional rant. Although no words left his throat when he felt strong arms curling around him from behind. He was pulled to sit in Xiao’s lap.
Aether knew that Yaksha did it just to warm him up but he couldn’t tamp down the weird feeling that formed in his stomach. It was like Xiao cared.
“If you are cold for whatever reason, you should stay inside, you silly human,” embers of fondness could be heard in Xiao’s voice.
“Maybe you are right,” Aether sighed. “But even without Lumine, I wanted to cherish our tradition…”
“I understand the sentiment. But I don’t think there’s a need to feel so down.”
Aether frowned and turned so he could face Xiao.
Yaksha gently wiped the half-dried tears but didn’t move his hand from Aether’s face, caressing his cheek gently. ”Your power is far beyond our understanding, and you showed us that there’s nothing you can’t do as long as you have a goal set on your mind. That’s a remarkable quality.”
“Xiao,” Aether started but was interrupted by a warm finger on his lips which silenced him effectively.
“Let me finish.” When Aether nodded slightly, Yaksha continued. ”I have lived long enough to know that at some point all journeys come to an end. That’s how all things are destined to be. You just need to patiently wait for the right time to come.”
“I… Thank you.” Aether nodded and closed his eyes. He wanted to say so much more, voice his other concerns but… Maybe not today. He cuddled more into Xiao’s back. The words he heard helped. It wasn’t the best consolation but it poured hope into his heart. Someone believed in him more than he was believing in himself.
“No need to thank me. You are the one who is in charge of your destiny.”
“I beg to differ. Sometimes you don’t even realize how much value your words carry,” Aether whispered with a yawn.
It sounded like Xiao wanted to say something else but changed his mind at the last second. “If you are tired, you should sleep.”
“If only it was that easy…”
“I can ask for the calming tea to be brewed for you.”
Aether laughed lightly. Sometimes Xiao was so Xiao. “Instead, can I ask you for one thing?”
“Yes.”
Not sure how such a request would be received, Aether lowered his voice. “Can we stay like that for a bit longer?”
“As long as you need,” Xiao replied immediately.
They remained silent after that exchange. It was so nice just to be able to bask in Xiao’s calming presence. Aether didn’t know that such a simple thing would be enough to ease the burden on his soul and make him feel calmer.
The first songs of waking birds could be heard, they mixed with Xiao’s steady breathing creating a melody able to lul Aether to sleep.
With the new hope poured into him by rational Yaksha, Aether felt that the new year wouldn’t be that bad.