Chapter Text
« And that constellation is called Rota Calamitas ».
Aether mindlessly glanced in the direction he was pointing at, shivering. Although the view was indeed at its best that night, the sky devoid of any cloud, allowing even the littlest of all stars to shine bright above their heads, his enjoyment was troubled by the unbearable cold constantly nibbling at his limbs.
Their stargazing escapade was supposed to be a short distraction, a glimpse of alone time after a busy week when both had been surrounded by people and too overloaded with work to meet. But as it often seemed to happen with them, hours had expanded indefinitely, turning that simple encounter into a full-fledged astrology class.
Aether was suffering in silence, fighting against the icy wet grass poking at his exposed torso, and struggling to keep his eyes open, exhaustion slowly taking over. He didn’t want to leave, though. Staying meant he could take the chance to lay down next to Albedo, nonchalantly snuggling closer whenever a fresher gust of wind made his bones chill, enjoying the comforting warmth as he rested his head against the base of his neck.
« Although it’s rare to see it in its entirety », Albedo kept talking, his chest vibrating under Aether’s cheek with every word he said, « As you can notice, even when the sky is completely clear, there’s always a single strange cloud covering at least part of it ».
Aether closed his eyes, sinking in that rare moment of peace. To think all of this started because he had casually asked him the name of a constellation - which, if his blurred memories didn’t fail him, was called Viator. He had spent quite some time on Teyvat by now, yet he had never taken the chance to properly observe the stars in detail, either too exhausted to stay awake throughout the night, or surrounded by the blinding lights of the cities. As soon as the topic had been brought up, Albedo had taken it upon himself to solve all of his doubts on the matter, treating it almost like a vital task.
His dedication was admirable. And also very endearing, if he could say so.
« You know », Aether said, unwillingly interrupting him as he went on with his speech, « I didn’t imagine you’d be so fond of astrology too ».
Albedo didn’t seem upset for that sudden remark, probably happy to hear his voice after engaging in such a long monologue. « I’m far from being an expert », he said, his lips curving in a soft smile, « But I know my share of things. After all, stars, moon phases and all the liking have an influence on alchemy as well ».
Their gazes locked for a short, shy second, before Albedo’s focus shifted back to the stars glimmering above them. Aether couldn’t help but notice the way he blushed and swallowed, as if his throat had turned sore all of a sudden due to the mere meeting of their eyes.
That cute embarrassment over such a small thing made Aether’s cheeks flare up as well. And the will to play with him a little only grew stronger - lovingly, as he always treated him, but mischievously. « Oh, really? », he asked, almost teasingly.
He backed away, instantly missing the warmth of Albedo’s body under his, and laid on his side to have a better view of his profile. Nose sticking up in the air, teal irises completely lost in the vastity of the galaxy, Albedo looked unusually tense, as if he had only now become aware of their closeness.
« Naturally », Albedo said, the trembling of his voice betraying his uneasiness, « For example, did you know that crafting condensed resin under the moonlit sky makes it appear glossier? ». Aether noticed the restlessness of his eyes, continuously dashing between him - and how to miss the way they focused on his lips , not just any other part of his face - and the stars he was supposed to be lecturing him about. « Or that you have higher chances to make better potions when tides are high? ».
Aether was honestly surprised. No, he had no idea. And he didn’t fully know whether he truly cared or not, maybe simply entranced by the charm in Albedo’s voice, able to turn even the most boring topic into an interesting sermon to pay attention to.
« Wow », was his only comment, « I didn’t know ».
The idea that he, who wasn't exactly the brightest of boys nor the smartest among his peers, shared such a precious bond with someone as incredible as Albedo simply drove him crazy.
In a sudden moment of boldness, he followed his gut instinct and stretched out his arm, testingly grasping at Albedo’s hand to check out his reaction. The alchemist went quiet, shivering from the unexpected touch, and Aether's heart skipped a beat when he felt him squeeze back, with unprecedented shyness, and interlock their fingers together.
« It appears there are many things about this world that you don’t know yet », Albedo said.
His tone was just as teasing as Aether's, but in a deeply different manner, the hidden intention behind his words sending a thrill of excitement down his spine. The atmosphere tensed up, the air between them crackling in expectation.
Aether was overwhelmed, quite on the verge of taking back the bold move he had so casually made, but at the same time he wanted more. To dare, to go on and to risk it all. « Mind teaching me then, Master Albedo? », he teased, sporting the best smirk he could muster.
Albedo visibly flinched, bright red spreading on the surface of his cheeks at the shameless flirt in his words. He turned to his side nonetheless, now facing him, and their eyes met again, this time for what felt like an eternity. « Sure », he agreed in a whisper, « But I’m afraid classes are going to cost you ».
Cold sweat sprinkled all over Aether's neck. It was too late to quit. If it's the teasing game they were playing, he wouldn't let him win without at least putting up a good fight. « And what's your price? », he asked.
Albedo moved so uncharacteristically fast. A hand reached the back of Aether's head, gently stroking his rebellious golden locks, before pulling him closer with a swift dash. They kissed - and it was by far one of the sweetest and warmest kisses they had ever indulged in, the feeling so familiar and intimate to be almost unbearable. Aether loved that kind of cozy affection the most, when his heart beat out of control and bubbles of boiling happiness pooled at the bottom of his stomach, almost moving him to tears.
It didn't matter how uncomfortable their position was, nor how annoyingly the dewy grass poked at the skin of his cheeks. All he could think about was Albedo, and the outstanding amount of love he had for him, enough to keep him awake at night and daydreaming in broad sunlight.
The faint smell of mint and burnt grass coming from the distance still embraced them, and with his eyes closed Aether couldn’t but imagine them in a different setting, sitting comfortably at home in front of the fireplace as they chatted merrily about the most trivial things, and he wished that moment of intimacy could last forever.
But sadly, their mouths eventually parted, leaving him out of breath and desperate to dive into Albedo’s lips once more.
« I suppose », the alchemist spoke again, his hot breath tickling Aether’s face, « We can consider this as a down payment ».
Aether surrendered, completely taken aback, too flustered to even try to phrase an answer. He felt Albedo’s fingers running along his cheeks, caressing his flushed skin, before gently dragging him into yet another tender kiss.
And as he lost any will to fight, simply getting lost under Albedo's touch, Aether knew he had lost once again.