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"One room please," Aether said, setting an arm on the counter. Paimon, his fairy-like companion, floated next to him.
"The same room as last time?" Verr Goldet asked. Her smile wavered as she noticed the slump in the traveler's shoulders. Her eyes filled with concern. "Are you alright, Traveler?"
Aether tried for a smile, but it came out weak. He could feel Paimon fixing him the same worried look as Verr, but didn't say anything. She saw how he almost broke down in that dungeon.
That day's events were too much. Even for a seasoned adventurer like him.
"We need not rush, brother. I have more than enough time to wait for you," Lumine said. Her familiar voice echoed in his head. Her golden eyes regarded him for a moment, before turning away and disappearing into a dark, starry portal. "We always had enough time."
She was so close… Yet she disappeared just as fast as she came.
Aether took in a deep breath, before trusting himself to speak once again. "Yeah. I'm alright." This time, he put more effort to make his smile look brighter.
Verr Goldet didn't look convinced, but she knew better than to pry. Aether wasn't the only customer that came to Wangshu Inn bearing something on their shoulders, so she knew when to and not to ask questions.
"Here are your keys to your lodging," she said, finally. "Oh, and someone left these for you." She ducked behind her desk, searching for something in the shelves underneath.
Aether's eyebrows shot up and gave Paimon a quizzical look.
"Don't look at Paimon," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Paimon was with you the whole day!"
Verr came up with a neatly and beautifully wrapped box with an envelope on top. She handed it to Aether carefully.
"Are you sure these are for me?" he asked the innkeeper.
Verr gave him a knowing smile. "Yes. The sender specifically told me to give them to you if you dropped by."
Paimon sniffed the air and hovered next to the box. "Paimon can smell food inside!"
Aether turned the envelope and looked for any indication on who it was from. Nothing.
"Can Aether open the box?" Paimon asked, eagerly.
He couldn't help but smile genuinely at how her mood brightened with food. "Sure. Once we get to our room so we can put our stuff down, okay?"
"Yay!"
Aether took out some Mora from his pockets and gave them to the innkeeper before climbing up the stairs. He and Paimon had stayed in Wangshu Inn so much that it was almost like another home to him. He had grown familiar with the wooden stairs as well as the beams that criss-crossed overhead. The sounds of people that come and go in the inn. The beautiful view of the countryside of Liyue that would greet anyone who looked out of the window or the balcony.
It didn't take the two of them long to navigate the narrow, well-lit hallways and find their designated room. It wasn't fancy. It had a bed that could fit one person. Paimon didn't take up a lot of space, so she and Aether could lie in it with no problem. There was a door that led to a small bathroom, a nightstand, an empty wardrobe where they could store their belongings, and a couple of chairs with a table for them to eat their meals on.
There was also a set of windows that overlooked the beautiful view of Dihua Marsh.
Aether closed the door behind them and set the gift he got on the table. He carefully opened the box and sure enough, there was food inside along with an embroidered, green silk pouch.
It was a plate of almond tofu. And not just any plate of almond tofu. It was a plate of Sweet Dream almond tofu. Aether only knew one person who prepared the dessert this way.
"Almond tofu!" Paimon squealed, excitedly. "Can I have it?"
Aether felt the corners of his lips quirk up. "Help yourself."
The tiny girl clapped her hands and tucked in. The soft happy noises she made served as Aether's background noise as he opened the envelope.
He was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the adeptus's handwriting was.
" There was nothing for me to do today. So I decided I would find a Crystalfly for you- to put in your hair. I thought that… It would look nice.
The next thing I knew, I had caught several more than I intended. I hope you do not mind.
If you wish to meet me, speak my name.
… I do not care much for birthdays and celebrations, and I do not wish to be around large groups of people.
To be able to spend some time with you is enough.
-Xiao"
Aether tugged the string of the embroidered pouch. Inside were probably ten crystal cores. He chuckled. He already had trouble catching one. The adeptus must be so agile to be able to catch ten without a problem.
He folded the letter and carefully put it back inside the envelope. He tucked the letter along with the pouch inside one of his pockets before taking a seat next to Paimon. It may have been Xiao's birthday, but he had no idea just how this simple gesture lightened the Traveler's heavy heart.
"Can I have a taste of Sweet Dream almond tofu, Paimon?"
Aether turned uncomfortably in bed, but it turned out to be a more tedious thing to do since he also had to be careful not to wake his companion.
Paimon slept soundly next to him. Her breathing was even and rhythmic. The expression on her face was serene. Aether felt bad at the thought of interrupting her rest. She was with him the whole time he journeyed with Dainsleif. She was his emotional support in the domain where the Defiled Statue was and where Lumine willingly deserted him…
He shouldn't be selfish. She needed the rest, just as much as he did. Sadly, sleep wasn't visiting him.
The blond sat up from the bed. His long hair cascaded down his back like a golden waterfall.
Silver moonlight streamed through the partially open windows, giving the whole bedroom an ethereal look. He carefully slipped out from under the blankets and pulled a robe on. He didn't know why, but he also picked up the pouch of crystalfly cores, before slipping quietly out of the room.
The inn was surprisingly quiet. Most of the activity occurred downstairs in the receiving area, but even in Wangshu Inn standards, that particular night was peaceful.
Aether walked out to the third floor balcony. Verr Goldet once mentioned people didn't stay up there too much. He wondered if Xiao liked to stay up there because there weren't many people that go there, or if people didn't go to the third floor balcony because Xiao was there…
Whatever the case was, Aether was thankful for that circumstance. He didn't think he had any energy to mingle with strangers anyway.
He walked out near the railing and watched the beautiful landscape of Liyue spread in front of him. The full moon shone overhead, making the stars less visible. He always found Teyvat breathtaking in its sceneries and despite his trust issues with the gods of this world, he admired them for protecting the people of their land.
But after finding out it was also the gods that were responsible for the destruction of a whole country 500 years ago, Aether didn't know how to feel. All this time…
A lot of emotions started to flood his head once again. He sat down on a bench on the viewing deck and started braiding his long, golden hair. He decided to use Xiao's crystalflies and his hands started working on the strands.
Back when he was still traveling with Lumine, whenever they were resting and he was deep in thought, he liked to absent-mindedly fix his hair or have Lumine comb and braid it for him…
Lumine…
Tears welled in his eyes. He just wanted his sister back. He wanted to be with her once again. She was the sole reason why he was traveling in the first place. He thought that once he found her, everything was going to be just as it was before.
He was wrong.
He had so many questions. So many emotions swirling inside of him. For the first time since Lumine and the Herald left them in the domain, he let himself feel lost. He didn't want Paimon to see him this way, so he did his best to keep it together.
But now…
The tears that he had been trying to hold back streamed down his cheeks in warm rivulets. His chest felt tight and he had to gasp for air to reach his lungs. He felt so alone…
Without thinking, he uttered the other name aside from Lumine's that was in his head. "Xiao."
There was a brief gust of wind that stirred his hair and the leaves of the plants next to him.
"Aether."
The blond looked up to see the legendary boy adeptus standing in front of him. His shadow cast on him, as he stood with his back to the moon. His short dark green hair was as windblown as Aether remembered. His golden catlike eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight. It also made his skin look paler, making his green arm tattoos stand out even more. He had his Primordial Jade Spear out, as if he just came from a fight… Or he was expecting a fight.
"Xiao!" Aether got to his feet and hastily wiped his tears with one hand. "You're here! I didn't see you there!" He smiled as brightly as he could.
Xiao frowned. Well, he was always frowning, but this time, the lines on his forehead deepened. "Didn't I mention if you wish to meet me, speak my name? What part of that was unclear?"
"I-" Aether chuckled half-heartedly. 'Didn't think you would actually come,' he thought quietly to himself. He mustered even more strength to sound cheerful. "I forgot. Anyway, I'm glad you're here! Happy birthday!"
Xiao's expression didn't change. "I told you I do not care much for birthdays and celebrations." His luminous golden eyes softened as they fixed at his tear-stained face. "You were crying."
"I- oh yeah. It's nothing!" Aether blinked to force whatever tears remained to stay back. "It's your birthday! We should be celebrating you. We shouldn't think nor talk about painful stuff."
"I deal with more pain than any mortal and immortal alive," Xiao replied, matter-of-factly. He sat down next to Aether and looked into the distance. "It's because of it that I can recognize the pain others are feeling. Physical or otherwise."
Aether laughed hollowly, wiping more tears with the heel of his palm. "It's fine. I can still bear this kind of pain. I've been through worse."
It was a lie. He had never been through something this bad… A feeling of abandonment and betrayal from the person he cared about most in the universe.
Xiao clicked his tongue in annoyance. It was a sharp sound that seemed to echo in the night. "I told you to only summon me when you are in trouble or on the brink of death. You are in neither of those right now, and yet you spoke my name." He turned to face the traveler. "Why did you call me?"
Aether's jaw dropped. Xiao's tone was harsh, but his eyes held the same warmth he used to feel from Lumine's amber eyes. "I-"
"It means you're in tremendous pain and you need someone to rely on right now," Xiao spelled it out for him. "You can… Rely on me."
Their gazes met which made Xiao avert his eyes as if Aether's eyes burned him. Aether could see his ears tinge pink.
"I'm not saying I can take away your pain, but I- I can stay with you to make it more bearable for the time being… If you would let me."
Aether pursed his lips as tears made his vision blurry once more. He wanted to tell Xiao. He wanted to tell him everything that happened, but he couldn't. He was an adeptus and was fiercely loyal to Rex Lapis. He wouldn't understand the turmoil he was feeling right now.
"I can't tell you anything about it," Aether said dejectedly.
"You don't have to," Xiao replied. "I'm here to comfort you. If it pains you to talk about it, I'm not going to force you." He hesitated before continuing. "I'm just offering my shoulder for you to cry on."
That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.
Aether felt more sobs from his chest come up to the surface. Before he knew it, all the feelings he tried to suppress flooded his senses. He buried his face in his hands and doubled over in tears. "Lumine! Lumine! Lumine!"
He cried out her name like a plea for help. "Why did you leave me, Lumine? Why?" His body shook as it racked with sobs. He felt dizzy and weak for a moment, he thought he was going to fall off the bench. However, he felt a strong hand push his head against Xiao's shoulder.
"Didn't I say you can cry on my shoulder?" Xiao growled in a low volume. "Tch. Humans."
His voice sounded angry, but the hand that patted Aether's head was gentle and comforting.
Aether let himself melt onto Xiao's shoulder as he cried all of his emotions out. The boy adeptus's warm touch reminded him so much of the way Lumine used to comfort him. His own soft cries were the only sounds, save for the distant rustling of leaves and cricket songs, he could hear. For the first time in a while, he didn't feel like he should pretend to be strong.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but he did feel better. His mind had cleared up and somehow, Paimon's words about moving forward and their plan to look for more clues in Inazuma seemed more doable and more hopeful. He was going to find Lumine again and this time, he was going to convince her to stay with him.
The blond took a shaky breath and straightened. He felt slightly disappointed that Xiao took his hand off his head, but maybe he was overstaying his welcome on his shoulder anyway. He dried his tears on the sleeves of his borrowed robe and smiled gratefully at Xiao. "Thanks for being here, Xiao. I really appreciate it."
The adeptus tensed and averted his gaze. There was a faint tinge of pink on his face and neck. "I was merely upholding my end of the contract… 'Help those who are in need.'"
Aether couldn't help but chuckle at the tough exterior Xiao insisted to put up. "Still. It's your birthday, but you ended up comforting me. Sorry about that." He laughed. "I didn't even get a present for you, but you gave me one, instead. Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
"Don't be absurd." Xiao's brow furrowed, before his eyes fixed on Aether's partially braided hair. The Crystalfly cores twinkled like tiny stars in his golden locks. "You're… wearing them."
"Of course. You went through the trouble of catching them for me. The least I could do is wear them on my hair, as you intended them for." The traveler took his hair over his shoulder and finished braiding the rest of it. "Sorry I didn't bring a present for you. I'll look for one in my next travels and give them to you when I get back."
He put four crystalfly cores on his head like hairpins. "How do I look?"
Xiao stared at him for so long in silence, Aether felt crystalflies flutter in his stomach. His face grew warm, the longer the adeptus's golden eyes fixed at him. "Xiao?"
"You look beautiful, Aether."
The blond gasped at Xiao's honesty. "That's-" His words died in his throat as Xiao's face drew closer to his. Aether could see himself reflected in those amber eyes. He felt like he should move away, but his body froze in place. It was as if Xiao's gaze held him under a spell. He tilted his head slightly in anticipation.
But at the last moment, Xiao blinked from his trance-like state and straightened. His face was definitely red now. He put a fist next to his mouth and mumbled something under his breath. He cleared his throat. "I mean, you look nice. Just as I thought. The crystalflies look nice on your hair."
Aether smiled. He didn't want to show it, but he felt disappointed. About what, he wasn't sure. "Thanks, Xiao."
"If you feel better now, then I should get going." Xiao stood up, still not meeting Aether's gaze.
"Wait!" Instinctively, Aether grabbed Xiao's hand to keep him from disappearing. "It's your birthday. Can't you stay a while longer?"
The boy adeptus stared at their hands, but didn't make any moves to pull away either. Aether took this as a good sign. "I told you. I do not care for birthdays and celebrations."
"But I want to celebrate you,"Aether insisted, squeezing his hand. "Thanks for being here in this world, Xiao. At least, let me treat you to some almond tofu."
Xiao was quiet for a while before squeezing Aether's hand gently. He pulled Aether up to his feet and replied softly, "I'd like that."