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“Ooh, look, the tree is just over there!”
Xiao’s eyes followed where Aether was pointing, just over the steep hill and towards a glowing red tree, the ends of its branches forming crystal butterflies. He was almost in awe at the sight, though he tried to restrain his excitement.
“Yeah, I see it,” he answered, following Aether as he slid down the hill and ran towards the tree.
Aether’s smile melted Xiao’s heart as he looked up at it in wonder. Snowflakes fell down from above him, gently landing in his hair and on his face, and he giggled, brushing them off.
“I’ve seen it so many times, but it’s still so mesmerizing.” He paused, pulling his coat around him tighter and letting out a puff of air. “I mean, how could any tree look like this? And it gave me a wind glider when I gave it the last of the crimson agate from the mountain. How is that even possible?”
Xiao shrugged, walking up next to him. “Teyvat is full of wonders, I suppose. Have you ever seen anything like it in the other worlds you’ve visited?”
“Not at all,” Aether said. “Sure, there have been colorful trees and all sorts of plants and animals, but nothing quite like this. This is incredible.”
Without thinking, Xiao reached forward and tucked a lock of golden hair behind Aether’s ear, a soft smile on his face. “ You’re incredible.”
Aether went silent, speechless. Then he laughed again and slid his hand into Xiao’s, intertwining their fingers. “You’re such a sap,” he said, a faint blush mixing with the pink already tinting his cheeks. He turned, squeezing his hand and tugging Xiao along. “Come on now, that treasure won’t find itself!”
Xiao let out a breath of laughter at his words, continuing to walk by his side. “Alright, I’m coming.”
That was three days ago.
Night had fallen, the moon rising just barely above the horizon but hardly showing itself through the thick blanket of snowy clouds. They had stopped at a makeshift shelter built by another adventurer and decided to rest, not knowing when they would find shelter again.
Aether slept on a thick blanket, his fingertips lightly touching Xiao’s chest as he lay next to him, wide awake despite Aether’s wish for him to sleep. It wasn’t that Xiao didn’t want to sleep--he truly did--but the pounding of his head refused to leave him, and with every passing moment, the desire to sleep left him more. He knew it had to have been because of his contract. After all, he had been outside of Liyue’s boundaries for four days, and that was usually when his symptoms would start. But even so, he didn’t tell Aether, both to keep him from worrying and to let him complete what he needed to in Dragonspine.
Another bout of throbbing began in his head, pulling him away from his thoughts. He squeezed his eyes shut and shifted onto his back, accidentally nudging Aether, who mumbled something in response.
How many more days till we can leave?
He wanted to ask that exact question to Aether but kept his mouth shut. If he uttered anything out of displeasure or the like, Aether would immediately drop whatever he was doing to question him. Either that, or it would put him in a foul mood. His emotions were fickle, and just the tiniest thing could turn his mood.
Xiao stared up at the tattered roof of the shelter, thinking. He knew if he fell asleep, he could sleep soundly without the presence of nightmares, but sleep wouldn’t overtake him.
He frowned, grabbing Aether’s hand and turning it over in his own. Even with the coat he wore and the blanket overtop of them, Xiao could tell Aether was cold. He shook slightly as he slept, shivering, and each breath he breathed was visible in the chilled air.
Xiao gave a slight sigh and wrapped an arm around Aether’s waist, pulling him against himself. Aether made a small noise and leaned into his touch, curling against his body.
Aether slowly opened his eyes, looking directly at Xiao. “Mm...Xiao? Why are you still up?” he asked with a yawn, his words subtly slurring together.
Xiao opened his mouth to answer, then shut it and brushed past his immediate thought. He promised himself he wouldn’t ever lie to Aether, and he had to fulfill that. “Just...haven’t been able to fall asleep.”
Aether pulled away from his hold, sitting up. “Is there something on your mind?”
He sat up as well, staring down at his lap. He figured Aether already knew the answer to his question. There was always something plaguing Xiao’s mind, whether it was good thoughts of them together or the spirits of those he had slain yelling and screaming in his mind. Never was there a time where his mind was completely quiet, though when they kissed and held each other close, he seemed to only be able to think of Aether.
When he didn’t answer, Aether ran a hand through Xiao’s hair, offering him a small smile. “Xiao, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I just...want to see you smile, not be in pain from your thoughts. Whatever it is that’s bothering you, you can tell me. I’ll listen.”
Xiao directed his gaze back to Aether, trying his best to not show the physical pain he was in. “Can we...talk about it later?”
Aether dipped his head in a nod. “Of course. Is there anything you want to do to get your mind off of it?”
“No, you need to get some rest. I’m sure I’ll be fine as long as you’re next to me.”
Aether looked at him for a long moment before cupping Xiao’s face in his hand and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “Alright, but wake me up if you need anything, okay? I’m here to help.”
Xiao leaned into his touch, kissing him on the cheek. “Don’t worry too much. I’ll let you know when you can help, alright?”
“Mmkay…” Aether murmured, quietly watching as Xiao gave him the rest of the blanket and started to stand up from his spot. “Where are you going?”
Xiao gave him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder and straightened his back, tightening his coat around himself. “I need to clear my head. I’ll be back soon.”
The concern was clear on Aether’s face, and the corners of his mouth edged into a frown. But he nodded again and lay back down, sinking into the comfort of the blanket. “Please don’t be too long.”
“I won’t,” he said, and Aether gave him a look of disbelief. “...I promise.” He leaned back down and ruffled Aether’s hair, kissing his forehead. “I love you.”
Aether yawned, smiling, and pulled the blanket up to his chin. “I love you too.”
Xiao let his eyes linger on Aether’s face and reluctantly turned away, heading out into the snow. It still fell as hard as it had when they had first arrived in Dragonspine, never relenting and re-blanketing the ground with a fresh layer of snow.
He walked away from where he and Aether had been resting, not in any particular direction but just to get out of view from his partner.
After a while, he realized he was lost. No matter where he looked, the scenery remained the same—just a freezing expanse of snow and ice building up over rocks and break-offs of the mountain. Pine trees littered the ground, and where there may have once been a walkway, only bunkers of snow remained.
The thudding of his heartbeat in his chest tore Xiao away from the present, tearing through his carefully-built composure. He took in a shaky breath and tried to recall where he came from. He staggered off of the path, reaching for the trunk of a pine and gripping it like his life depended on it.
Where...where…?
The aching in his head worsened, picking through his thoughts and reminding him of his mistake. Then, a sharp pain shot up through his abdomen, coursing underneath the skin. His hand shot to his stomach, curling over himself as he let out a hiss of pain.
“ Shit. ”
Not so tough now, are you, Alatus?
“Oh, shut up,” he half-growled, pushing past the pain and leaning against the tree.
He took in several deep breaths, calming himself, and looked out towards the sky. Through the dense clouds, he could see the sun beginning to rise. A soft spread of light shone from the horizon line, barely illuminating the snow. It would have been a stunning sight—had he not felt like he was about to break.
“Xiao?”
Aether’s voice resonated in his ears—a call he couldn’t ignore. With his location pressed into Xiao’s mind, he pushed himself off the tree and threw himself into motion, sprinting as fast as he could through the snow to get to Aether.
By the time he arrived at the makeshift shelter he and Aether had stayed at, most of the pain in his abdomen and head had dispersed. A dull throbbing in his head still followed him, but the sudden pain from before was gone. Whether it was a miracle or simply his willpower that caused it, he didn’t know.
He spotted Aether standing away from the shelter, facing away from both him and the mountain. Doing his best to not make noise, he walked up behind him and looped his arms around Aether’s waist, putting his head on his shoulder.
Aether flinched, surprised by his sudden arrival. “Oh—Xiao!” He reached up and patted his hair, smiling. Then, as if he remembered something, stopped and flicked Xiao instead. “What were you doing for so long? You promised you’d be back soon.” He pulled away from Xiao’s hold, turning to face him. “The Xiao I know always keeps his promises.”
Xiao blinked. “Oh. I uh...got lost.”
Aether put a hand on his hip, a doubtful expression written on his face. “And you’re sure that’s the only reason?”
“Well…” Xiao fiddled with his glove and looked away. “I had a few...thoughts. It took me a while to get past them.”
Aether’s face instantly flashed to worry. “Are you...alright?” he asked, tentatively touching his shoulder.
“I’m fine.” He looked back at Aether, the tension from his shoulders leaving. “I suppose I got a bit...distracted from that. I’m sorry for not staying true to my word.”
“No, it’s okay. I understand.” Aether glanced over at his bag. “Have you taken your meds yet?”
Xiao shook his head. “I didn’t have them on me, and even so—“
They won’t help you.
Aether was quiet, waiting for Xiao to finish. But he said nothing to finish his thought. “And even so...what?”
Xiao stared at him, debating on whether or not to inform him of the sickness trailing him. He decided on the latter. “And even so, they wouldn’t have changed the fact that I was lost.”
“Ah.” Aether stepped over to his bag and picked it up, handing it to Xiao. “They’re in there—you need to take them before it gets any worse.” He paused, staring off into the distance before returning his gaze to Xiao’s eyes. “Tell me if it does get worse, though, okay?”
“I will.”
Aether smiled, though the expression was anything but happy. “Okay. Let’s get going then. Wouldn’t want to leave my commissioner waiting.”
Xiao watched him turn away, his smile fading as he averted his eyes. He grabbed his medicine from inside Aether’s bag and hurriedly followed him as he began to trudge off.
Maybe it would’ve been better not to tell him, after all.
They spent the entire fifth day away from Liyue trying to get out of Dragonspine, and as soon as they did, they headed for the town of Mondstadt. Aether said the time to finish his job was depleting, and so, they hurried to the town where Aether confirmed he had completed the commission.
After, they wandered out of town and found themselves in Windrise, taking in the view of the giant tree by the statue and walking hand in hand down the beach. The sun finally began dipping lower in the sky, casting gentle rays of light towards them and forming a warm gradient of yellow, orange, red, and purple just above the horizon.
“What do you think I should do with the mora?” Aether asked, looking up at the clouds thoughtfully.
Xiao raised an eyebrow. “Well, it’s not much, is it?”
“Are you kidding? It was a full 35,000 mora!”
“Uh...that’ll cover lunch, then, won’t it?”
Aether’s face was a mix of confusion and bewilderment. “What kind of lunch are you having? That’s way too much for just one meal.”
“Mm...then, buy yourself something nice,” Xiao said, looking over at him. “You deserve it.”
Aether squeezed his hand, turning his attention back to him with a smile. “What about you? I mean, it was my commission, but you did most of the fighting,” he said with a laugh. “You deserve some of the credit.”
Xiao slowed his pace, his eyes moving down to Aether’s lips. “I suppose a kiss would suffice,” he murmured, half to himself.
A faint pink blush spread across Aether’s face, and he quietly led them towards the bottom of a cliff where a tree shaded the ground. “It would ‘suffice?’” he questioned, noticing Xiao’s gaze. “Then what do you suppose, Adeptus Xiao, would cover the full cost of your hard work?”
“I don’t know,” Xiao said as they reached the cliffside. He reached a hand out and cupped Aether’s face, caressing his cheek with his thumb. “Why don’t you stay still and let me figure it out?”
Aether’s eyes began to close, entranced by the meaning of his words. “Gladly.”
Xiao watched him close his eyes and leaned in, holding his face still and aligning his mouth with Aether’s. Then he closed the gap between them and kissed him, slow and steady.
Aether returned the kiss, putting his arms around Xiao’s neck and weaving his fingers through his hair. He gently pulled Xiao’s face further into his own, the act almost desperate in nature.
Letting out a small breath, Xiao took off his gloves, tossing them into the grass. He wrapped one arm around Aether’s waist, pulling his body close against his so there was no space between them. His other hand lazily slid up Aether’s back and underneath his cropped shirt, making the blond shiver in response.
Xiao nearly laughed at his reaction and slid his hand up further, running it over his shoulder blade as he kissed him again. He didn’t let Aether pull away from his hold, but the other boy didn’t try to. Instead, he leaned into Xiao’s touch, making small noises as he kissed him harder.
Aether curled his fingers in Xiao’s hair, pulling him closer, and bit at his bottom lip. Xiao, mostly calm, let him continue, feeling Aether’s tongue brush against his lips and instantly retreat again, and Aether pulled away from the kiss in a hurry.
Xiao opened his eyes to see Aether, his face a blushing mess of crimson as he breathed hard, still held against Xiao. Aether took his hands out of Xiao’s hair and put them on his shoulders, averting his eyes.
Xiao inhaled, also out of breath. “Why’d you stop?” he asked, his voice nearly at a whisper.
Aether’s face flushed even more, his eyes darting back to Xiao’s. “I—uh…”
“Here—” Xiao took his hand out of his shirt and walked, pushing Aether until his back was flat against the wall of the cliff. “Just relax.”
He placed one hand beside his head on the wall and tilted up Aether’s chin with the other, stepping closer and leaning in again, kissing him. Imitating Aether, he licked his lip, causing Aether to sigh and open his mouth, letting his tongue in and kissing him back the same way. Aether followed Xiao’s every move, matching him but slower and more shy, his nervousness outwardly apparent.
Eventually, Xiao broke away from the kiss, hardly thinking before wiping his mouth and kissing down Aether’s neck. He tugged down his collar and kissed further down, stopping to graze his skin with his teeth before biting down.
Aether let out an involuntary noise and covered his mouth with his hand, trembling slightly.
Xiao continued, kissing down to his collarbone and biting softer until he made an abrupt stop, a sharp pain lancing through his abdomen. His hand next to Aether began shaking as he exhaled against a newly-made bite mark.
Aether ran a hand through Xiao’s hair, catching his breath enough to murmur with a laugh, “Finished already?”
Xiao tried to ignore the pain, but it persisted, aching up to his head and yanking away his stability. He leaned more heavily on his hands, pressing himself against Aether as more of a support than as a flirtatious gesture.
His vision blurred, and he screwed his eyes shut, kissing Aether’s neck again and burying his face into it, forgetting Aether’s question.
Aether put an arm around Xiao’s back in a loose hug, furrowing his brow in concern. “Xiao…?”
Xiao could feel the strength quickly leaving him, and his hand slid down the wall, holding onto Aether’s shoulder weakly. Even then, he almost missed Aether’s voice through the loud throbbing of his head.
“Hm?”
Aether put his other hand on Xiao’s back, holding him close to himself to prevent him from falling any more. “Xiao, tell me what’s wrong. Are you hurt?”
Xiao groaned as another spear of pain lodged itself in his side, and his legs started to go limp. “Not to--alarm you, but…” He slowly slipped from Aether’s grasp, and Aether tightened his hold around Xiao’s middle, making Xiao let out another pained noise. “I’m going to pass out.”
“What--ah- XIAO!”
Aether looked down at Xiao in his arms, still in shock. He was completely fine before--they were having a moment together without any issues--so why did he feel the need to pass out all of a sudden? Was it his fault?
Right before passing out, Xiao had mumbled “Liyue,” almost sounding like a plea. Maybe it was .
Aether kneeled down, combing back Xiao’s hair with his hand, and carefully lifted him up into his arms, struggling to hold him as he straightened his back and stood up. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you there,” he whispered, mostly to himself. “Just rest.”
Aether pictured a map of Teyvat in his head, mentally marking which way he’d have to walk in order to get there the soonest he could. The quickest route was through Dragonspine, but with Xiao in his arms and no way to defend himself, it would be impossible to travel over the icy mountain. The only other way there that wouldn’t take him days was to go all the way around Dragonspine, which would lead to Sal Terrae.
He set off towards the clear road, glancing down at Xiao’s unconscious face as he carried on towards Liyue. Even in sleep, he looked serious, his eyebrows noticeably knit together and his mouth curved in a semi-frown. But his long eyelashes framed his red-lined eyes and his dark hair fell over his face just perfectly .
Aether gave a slight smile. It was no wonder he had fallen so hard for the so-called “Vigilant Yaksha--” he was gorgeous, and he had a beautiful heart to match his looks, as well.
He always noticed it--the half second pause before Xiao did anything to him when they had their private moments. The first handful of times they kissed, Xiao always asked before doing anything other than just kissing Aether on the lips. After a while, he confessed that it was because he was scared of hurting Aether--scared of hurting the one he loved the most. And with those simple explanations and Xiao’s quiet declarations that he loved Aether, Aether knew his heart was set.
After a long night of walking and several breaks to regain his strength, Aether arrived on the border between Mondstadt and Liyue. He looked once more down at Xiao before stepping across it and half-falling onto the ground, Xiao in his arms.
He leaned back and lay his head on the grass, hugging Xiao against him and catching his breath. He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, listening to the quiet sounds of nighttime in Liyue and almost falling asleep right then and there. But--
“Mm...Aether?”
Aether smiled in relief, squeezing him tighter. “Feeling better?”
“Much better.” Xiao gave him a quick hug back and sat up, gazing at him. “Did you bring me all the way here?”
“Mhm...I carried you,” Aether mumbled, yawning. Xiao opened his mouth to say something, but Aether cut him off. “I don’t want an apology. You can tell me what happened in the morning.” He reached up and brushed Xiao’s face with his fingertips. “Okay?”
Xiao held his hand and kissed his palm, smiling into it. “Alright. Rest. I’ll protect you now.”
Aether grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers, shutting his eyes again and feeling sleep overtake him. “ My hero. ”