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“Well, could you help me put up some ‘missing person’ posters?”
Keqing looked at the traveler as he sported a wane smile.
“That’s all? Aether, you could’ve told me that in private, you know.”
Aether chuckled, his golden eyes smiling with his upturned lips. “Would you like to make it private?”
Keqing’s throat caught her voice like a flytrap. Being a woman of decent power and attractiveness, she had dealt with her fair share of men trying to flirt with her, quite easily, at that. However, something about Aether’s words, whether intentional or not, had rendered her a flustered mess. Perhaps it was the way he smiled at her? Or was it the sheer strength of will that he had exuded when he fought that old god? Or maybe it was the fact that Aether was a literal ray of sunshine, instilling hope, joy, and courage inside everyone he met? Whatever it was, Keqing couldn’t deny that she felt strongly attracted to the man in front of her. She wasn’t about to show that any time soon, though. At least, she hoped that she wouldn’t show it.
“I…” she paused, unsure of how to subtly craft her sentence. “I suppose I wouldn’t be against that….”
“Great! How about Wanmin Restaurant tomorrow at noon?”
“S-sure! Sounds good.”
“See you tomorrow then, Keqing,” Aether beamed at her as he waved her goodbye.
“Yeah, s-see ya!” Keqing waved back. She then turned around to begin making her way back to Yujing terrace when she caught Ganyu’s eyes, who raised an eyebrow and shot her a half-knowing and half-teasing smile.
“Wh… what’s that look for?”
A polite giggle bubbled its way into Ganyu’s hand as she covered her mouth.
“Nothing, Keqing,” she dismissed, not without throwing a subtle wink at the lilac-locked girl. If Ganyu wanted Keqing to get in her head with that tiny wink, she had succeeded. Upon returning to her quarters, the Yuheng’s stomach flipped, flopped, and churned like the harbor just days prior as she laid on her bed. Was this a date? It sure as hell seemed like one. But would Aether really want to ask her out on a date? He probably just wants to hang out as friends. Yeah, that’s it—nothing to get worked up about. Just two friends hanging out. Nothing more, nothing less.
As she attempted to console herself with that last sentence, she felt a dull ache blossom in her chest. Nothing more, huh ? Keqing rolled over onto her side, hugging her cool body pillow. Nothing more. That’s right. He’s a god-slaying, wandering hero. He’d never want to be with someone like me. The girl drifted into sleep in the following minutes, having destroyed her own mood and excitement.
The next day, the two met up at Wanmin Restaurant, had lunch, and set about their original goal. For a few hours, Aether and Keqing ventured around the harbor posting the missing person posters and exploring the shops and sights around Liyue. Their main task was finished within an hour, and the remaining time they had was put towards simply being in each other's company. The strife that plagued Keqing the previous night had all but dissolved, as she chose to relish Aether's company rather than getting in her own head about the possibilities of their relationship.
At the end of the day, their exploration had taken them to a tea shop near the Stone Gate. The pair sipped their tea in comfortable silence, the other's presence being enough to satisfy each other.
"I enjoyed our time together, Keqing," Aether said, breaking the silence.
"I did too."
"Thanks for coming out with me. I really appreciate it."
"Of course! I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
Aether laughed, his eyes once again illuminating Keqing's world.
"That's good," he began. "I thought you were unhappy with my request based on your reaction yesterday. I guess you really are a tsundere."
Keqing looked up at Aether and quirked an eyebrow. "A what?"
A small chuckle welled up from his chest. "Nevermind. I forget that a lot of terms don't transfer well across worlds."
"That's right, you're not from Teyvat, are you?"
Aether shook his head. "Nope."
"You have to tell me stories of your travels someday."
"I can do that. Though, I don't think right now would be a good time. There's a lot to tell. We'd be here for weeks, if not months," Aether said, smiling sadly into his teacup. "Besides, it's not gonna be the same if my sister isn't here to tell them with me."
"Ah, I understand. That's perfectly okay. Do what you need to do, then."
"Thank you."
"That being said, what're your plans now?"
Aether rubbed his chin in thought, piecing together his options for the next few months. "All I can really do is just get back on it, exploring the other nations and talking to the other seven."
"I see," Keqing replied quietly, worry washing over her face. Keqing's emotions weren't lost on Aether, as he took her hand from across the table, rubbing his thumb reassuringly across her knuckles.
"Hey, don't worry. I'll come back to see you, promise," Aether said, facial features softening as he smiled gently at her. Keqing's stomach churned as her thoughts from last night broke through the surface once again. Aether let go of her hand and she felt the cooling warmth of where his hand once held hers turn into longing for him—longing to be at his side on his travels, longing to see him at his prime. Her heartbeat quickened, and the tingling in her gut grew as he stood up out of his chair.
"Here, stand up for me," Aether softly spoke as he motioned for her to stand up. Keqing did so, mild confusion crossing her eyes. That confusion quickly faded as Aether pulled her into a tight hug, his muscular arms gently caressing her back as he comforted her. His arms were the key to unlocking the gateway to her emotions as she rapidly began to sob. Hot tears escaped her eyes, and her breaths came out in ragged gasps. Why? Why now? She told herself that she wasn't going to cry in front of him, in front of the man she loved. So why were these tears betraying her? She mustered up the willpower to speak, her voice clawing its way up her throat.
"I… I wish you didn't have to go…" Keqing sniffled.
"I know. I don't want to go either."
"When will you be back?"
"I don't know. But I'll visit as often as I can, alright?"
"Promise?"
"Promise."
The pair silently stood in each other's arms, savoring the warmth that they shared. All too soon, they separated, Keqing once again feeling the cold void of longing enveloping her.
"Let's head back, shall we?"
Keqing simply nodded and hummed assent. With that, she and Aether made their way back to Liyue Harbor, where they parted ways.
Within days, Keqing resumed her typical day-to-day routine, with her thoughts settling in Aether during lulls in her work. How was he doing? Where was he now? Had he made any progress at all? The last she heard of him was when he picked up Ganyu's commission from Katheryne before he set out, and she was curious as to where that had led him. The days turned into weeks, and before she knew it, two and a half months passed.
The sun streamed through the window of Yujing Terrace. Keqing was filling out various forms for building new infrastructure between villages. The sunlight blanketed her as she sat in her chair, coercing her to sleep bit by bit. She looked down at the hardwood desk in front of her, thinking about how it looked more and more comfortable by the minute, and when she considered having to plan out and route the roads between the villages, that thought became increasingly difficult to suppress. Her head drifted downward as the unrelenting clutches of sleep pulled her down into the abyss. Keqing's head snapped back upward as knuckles rapped on the outside of her door to her office.
"Keqing? Someone's here to see you," Ganyu's voice squeezed through the closed door. Keqing shook her head and slapped both of her cheeks in an attempt to wake herself up.
"Send them in," she replied. Her door opened, and she began to greet her guest.
"Hello, what can I help you with…" Her voice trailed off as she realized who had stepped through the door.
That flowing, golden hair, that signature short sleeves crop top, the green, glowing accents, everything screamed to her that it was him. But by the archons, she could barely recognize him.
"...Aether?" Keqing's chair squeaked as she stood up to face the man in front of her. When Aether spoke, her heart shattered into a million pieces.
"I… need you to help me take down those posters." Aether's voice barely registered in her ears when he spoke. His once shining eyes had dimmed. His heart of gold had been dulled and oxidized. His shoulders had slumped like a mighty tree that had been felled. Aether was no longer the man he once was, the shining beacon of hope and strength. He was disheveled and unkempt, not having bothered to take care of himself. Even Paimon shared his facial expression.
He was broken.
"Aether… did you… find her? Your sister?"
Aether met her gaze and nodded.
"Yes."
"That's great!" Keqing fronted a happy disposition for his sake.
"But..."
"But what?" she deflated.
"She's… gone to a place where I can't reach her. Not for a long time."
"Aether, I…" Keqing began as she walked over to Aether.
"I was so close!" he burst out. "She was right there, and I could reach out and grab her! We could've gone home! So why…"
Keqing stepped forward and swiftly took the grieving man in her arms. His whole body shuddered as he took a strained breath. Aether clung to Keqing as he broke down into her chest. Muffled sobs and wails echoed upon the walls of Keqing's office as she hugged him tightly, letting the man empty out the pain in his soul. Soon enough, she felt his body droop, and she knelt down with him as he continued to cry. They sat like that for several minutes, Aether bearing his wounds to Keqing as she drew circles on his back with her palm. His sobs subsided to sniffles, and Keqing separated from Aether a bit, not caring that the front of her shirt was damp from his tears.
"Can you stand?"
Aether whimpered as he nodded.
"Alright, I'm gonna take you to my quarters, is that okay?"
Another whimper and a nod. Keqing stood up and held out her hand to Aether, who took hold of it and rose on shaky legs.
"Let's go." She led him by the hand out of her office and up the stairs, trying to avoid having him enter the public eye, lest harmful rumors should start. Her door creaked open, and she led him to the bathroom.
"Take a bath while I get you some tea, okay? Let me know if you need anything, and I’ll be right there. I’ll lay out some spare clothes in there for you."
The listless man nodded and shambled his way to the bathroom. She heard him disrobe and enter the elementally heated bathwater. A few minutes later, he reentered the room, dressed in loose workout clothes that she had slipped into the bathroom as he took his bath. He sat down on the sofa with his elbows on his knees, fingers interlaced and eyes staring off into the distance. It pained Keqing to see Aether like that. She used her electro vision to quickly boil water and poured him a cup of hot green tea to hopefully get his mood up, even just a little. She brought it over to him and set it on the table, sitting down next to him. Aether wordlessly picked up the cup and sipped it gingerly as he continued to drift amongst his thoughts. Keqing took his free hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.
She sat with him until he finished his tea, at which point he began to slump onto her shoulder. While she wouldn't have minded him falling asleep on her shoulder, a bed would be leagues more comfortable for him. He was going through the unimaginable, after all.
"Hey. I'm gonna take you to my bed, alright? My shoulder isn't that comfortable, so don't fall asleep just yet." She took his hand and led him to her room, gesturing to her bed. Aether doggedly climbed under the sheets and sighed. He closed his eyes, and his breathing eventually steadied out. Sitting in her chair, she leaned on her desk with her elbow, gazing at Aether's sleeping form.
It hurt her so much to see Aether, her symbol of strength and hope, so broken and hopeless. When he walked into her office, she was absolutely floored. There was no way that this was her Aether. The smiley-eyed, compassionate, adventurous, goofy, golden-hearted traveler had become a mere shell of who he was. She wanted to see him smile again. She wanted to hear his infectious laughter. She wanted to see him lay eyes upon new sights around the world with an insatiable curiosity of what lays ahead. Keqing scooted closer to her bed and tenderly brushed the hair out of his face.
Looking at him now, she saw a man who desperately needed love and support. Someone to encourage him, take him by the hand, do the little things for him, and just generally be there for him. As much as Keqing loved Paimon, she wasn’t the best at playing that support role. With that thought in mind, Keqing became more resolute in the decision she was about to make. She was going to be that person. She didn’t care if he didn’t feel the same way about her. She wanted to be with him through trials and tribulations so that he could have a person to rely on in his times of absolute need.
Aether shifted and groaned in his sleep, his restlessness growing by the second. Keqing didn’t dare wake him up but instead did dared to do something else. She climbed up on her bed, laid next to Aether, and slid her arms under him, pulling him into a loving embrace. Aether’s arms subconsciously reached out for Keqing, greedily pulling her in for a return hug. His head curled into Keqing’s chest, allowing his body to return to a state of dormancy once more. A content hum resonated in Keqing’s throat as she felt the man settle down into her.
Keqing stroked Aether’s long hair that was freshly washed and scented with her shampoo. She would have to rebraid it later, but she always had secretly wanted to do that anyway. Looking down at Aether nestled against her, she quietly began to speak her promise.
“Aether, I know that I can’t ever replace your sister, but I promise I will always be there for you. I’ll be at your side to support you in finding your sister, even if it takes me my whole life to do it. I’ll be there. Through thick and thin, through life and death. Even if the archons’ will drive us apart, I will laugh in the faces of the gods and find you again. You won’t ever have to be this alone again. I promise.”
At the end of her confession, she bent her neck down and pressed her lips into the crown of Aether’s head, kissing him chastely.
“I love you.”