Chapter Text
Paimon can't take it anymore. Her dearest traveller has been longing for a certain harbinger. A FATui harbinger at that. Get it? Fat because they're so full of evil. He doesn't say it out loud nor would he ever admit it but it's clear as day.
Paimon was sure Aether is aware of this issue. Whenever he sees the man walking around (for whatever reason) around Liyue, he has this look on his face, not necessarily soft but, it's a look you give to someone you love and admire. She sometimes caught him daydreaming during their breaks! Okay maybe it was soft but that doesn't mean he needs to give it to the bad Fatui guy!
Paimon almost mistaken it for the look he gives her whenever he lulls her to sleep throughout their travels. Soft loving look along with careful touches as if he's holding a fragile puppy. Aether is generally a loving person, no doubt in that. He has loose ends here and there yet still able to warm whoever's heart once met with those soft honey eyes and genuine words.
Paimon would never admit but she loves her companion dearly and he's been treating her as if she's his sister as well. She wonders, if his lost sister received the same treatment. If so, Paimon hope she'd miss him so much, once they reunite, they both will hug for a long time.
Paimon may be small, she's knowing of lots of things she can store in that strange brain of hers, but she doesn't understand many adult related things and daunting romance situations, nor does she ever wants to in regards of that it's not important to her. She never wants to grow up. Adult life seems so much more overwhelming and complicated for unnecessary reasons she can't wrap her head around.
Especially when Aether is pining so hard on the 11th harbinger. She doesn't get it! Why him? He's a bad guy, evil bad guy who hurt people and do bad things! Heck, he even has a thing for battles. Paimon is sure he wants to use the traveller as a punching bag to fullfil his desire to fight.
The duo has been doing commissions in Liyue more often these few weeks. The place is free from evil as of late after the big incident involving the destruction of Jade Chamber.
✿✿✿
"Hey Aether... Why are we going this way? Aren't the town the other way?" Paimon floats beside the traveller who is leading them to a familiar area.
"I'm thinking of picking some flowers around here, we are running out of some sweet flowers don't we?"
"Huh?? Alright then if you say so..." Paimon scartches her little head following the traveller. Confused because the area doesn't have as many flowers as the areas they usually go to when running low for even something as common as sweet flowers. Doesn't seem worth going this far it.
"Comrade! There you are!"
The two turns to their left and their eyes met with a cheerful smile from the harbinger.
What do you men 'there you are'?! Were you expecting us?! Paimon thought as she pouts in return to Childe's wave
Aether's eyes lit up. They greet eachother as one would, Childe was teasing the traveller on how little amount of sweet flowers he got so far. The place doesn't even has that many in the first place! Rude!
But Aether doesn't seem to mind and playfully juts jabs the harbinger's arm earning a laugh in return.
"Hey, wait, do you know how to make braided flower crowns?" Childe asks as they are now sitting on a rock near a few trees for shades. "Braided...? flower crowns?" Aether echoes more to himself than to the harbinger.
"Yes, you just braid the flowers same way as you braid hair" the ginger takes three sweet flowers and 'tie' them together as one would do to strands of hair. The end of the flowers has a red ribbon tied to keep them in place. He then repeat the method untill it's long enough to be a circle of a crown then connects the end to the ribbon on the other end, forming a bow.
Paimon and Aether watch the man work closely, awed by how beautiful it turned out, the red ribbons not only keep them from falling apart but also a nice touch to the crown. The crown looks like decoration you would see made when it's Windblume festival or something you leave outside your door during spring because there were just so much flowers.
"It's beautiful" Aether smiles warmly and Paimon claps her small hands as Aethwr holds the crown in his hands, Childe seems satisfied with the results.
"Why don't Paimon gets a crown..!!" She asked as Childe puts the flower crown on Aethers head. "because Paimon, don't you already have one right there? It even floats" Aether points out. "I think it's nice unless you want two crowns. Poor fashion choice really" he fixes his bangs that got disheveled by the crown and wear it properly.
Paimon hums, "but it looks so pretty" she pouts then Aether and Childe laughs.
"I'll make you a bracelet then, It's just like hair braiding and a ribbon right?" Childe nods in affirmation then the traveller takes three flowers and repeat what he observed from earlier, forming a small bracelet and cutting off excess length of the flowers to fit Paimon's small wrist.
Aether extend his hand and Paimon excitedly gives her wrist to him and let the bracelet slide around her wrist delicately, trying not to rip the petals. Paimon finally gasps and swirls around admiring her new bracelet. "This is so pretty, you're a really talented bracelet maker Aether!" She gushes as she holds her hand up at various angles admiring the accessory.
"He definitely is, and i thought him and he did a great job" Childe chirps in. "didn't expect you to know how to do such nice things with flowers for someone who like to picks right" Paimon's smug face is now facing the harbinger and Aether laughs at it.
"Well mind you, I have a little sister and she love my flower crowns dearly" Childe exclaims, a hand on his chest as a sign of sincerity.
"Oh you have a little sister too?" Aether asks "yea she's with Teucer and my other younger brother in Shneznaya" Childe says in a fond way, missing his siblings back home.
Aether then smiles at that, "that's nice" a little hint of sadness is visible on his face. You can miss it with a naked eye. Aether then pulls out an apple and takes a bite, swallowing, "Make sure to visit them when you can". Childe only nods at that, knowing how much family means to Aether especially now when he is yet to find his sister.
Paimon then decides to let the harbinger slide for now. Aether'e smile and comfort comes first. She can work on ways to warn the traveller if Childe ever try to hurt him. She hope that day never comes, the traveller's poor heart means the world to her and many other people.
✿✿✿
"Paimon, what do you think we should eat today?" Aether asks his floating companion as he's heading towards Sara's stove since she just lets the traveller use it as he please.
"Sweet Madame?" Aether mumbles as he prepares the ingredients the gathered earning a sigh from Paimon. "And a Sticky Honey Roast" he adds earning now a very enthusiastic gasp from the pixie.
Sara offered a hand but Aether refused it as he's used to this. He may actually just enjoys cooking Sweet Madame much to how basic it taste. Is he really that basic or he's just not fazed by chances of better food?
"Ah..."
"What is it? Something wrong?"
"We ran out of sweet flowers" Aether go through his bag of ingredients then closes it back and looks up to Paimon n dissatisfaction.
"Eeeh?"
A pause.
"EEEEHHHH??? Was it because of the bracelet thingies?!" Paimon finally figured it out
"Yea no shit"
"Hey no swearing! Anyways could you just use your crown? You still have it right?"
"Well yea but I don't think that's very sanitary"
He had taken the flower crown off mainly to avoid stares and questions, in regards of how odd he may look walking around with a noticeably ridiculous crown. It wouldn't matter to them of how pretty he thinks they are anyway. Lumine liked these things.
"Hm, guess Fatui guy weren't up to good anyway" Paimon huffed earning a scowl from the traveller.
"Is that so?"