Chapter Text
When
When did this happen?
How did this happen?
Childe happened.
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"Baby there you are" a peck of lip lands on his cheeks. Multiple times, more than he preferred, especially now that here in public.
"Ajax we're in middle of Liyue! Public!" He loud whispered but doesn't decline the hand holding his own.
"What's the problem? No one's looking"
"Oh please"
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"Hey angel"
Aether almost dropped his raw fish and other ingredients onto the floor when the pain of a ginger mop head wraps his arms around his waist from the back.
"I couldn't dropped my fish! Damn!"
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"Baby angel hello!"
"I'm in the middle of a figh-OOMPH"
"nYEHEHE GANG GANG WROOO"
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"baby doll!"
"I'm trying to-"
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"Angel baby"
"Aether sweetIe! Do you miss me?"
"Babyyyyyy"
Oh. My. Gods.
It was cute the first few months they started dating but this is getting out of hand. Hell if it's possible it's getting out of feet as well. (Paimon came up with that one)
"Aether? The heck is up with you?" The blonde averted his eyes from his lunch to met with a pair of brown eyes. Amber has arrived? How has be been zoning out for?
He has lots of followers yea sure but-
"earth to Aether!"
Aether fwips his whole head up now met with a worried Amber.
"Yes?" Is all he managed to blurt out or he will embarrass himself more.
"Are you alright? Do you need me to bring you to Barbara? Perhaps report to Master Jean for a few days off?" She sits down in front of him, a plate of Sticky Honey Roast in hand. She got her order already huh.
"No no no- there's my- no there's no need, I'm fine, really, just been zoning out these few days, ahahah". he looks around awkward and spotted his lunch in the process, he doesn't even remember ordering, oh wait he did, Sara asked him what to order and if he was the usual, he probably nodded at the question without realising while in reality he was nodding at his own thoughts, lost in his own head thinking of his air head of a boyfriend. Luckily that didn't end up with an embarrassing situation but a plate of Sweet Madame instead.
"I'm not sure I'm convinced, but I'll let it slide, just take a rest or something alright? You need it" Amber is as caring as ever he could have mistaken him as an angel.
...Angel huh. That's a nickname he's familiar with. To think that Childe calls him that in their private while they never minded the few times it slipped out in public, much is Aether's discouragement.
Wait what is he thinking, he's supposed to discuss about the obnoxious amount of Abyss Mages appearing around the city as of late, not THIS.
Quickly shaking his head and pats his cheeks multiple times in hopes of stopping the unnecessary thinking. If he has ordered a glass of water instead of apple juice he had splashed it over his head instead. Fortunately fate seems to be doing his dignity some favor this time around.
"Don't attack me for asking this once again but are you sure you're alright? What's on your mind? Is it unfinished commissions?"
Amber is visibly more concerned than before.
"I'm sure, just thinking about Childe-"
BAM
"who is it?!" Amber excitedly slammed the table with both fists. "Oh my god I thought you were sick! Is it the redhead from that one rumors? I heard he's really hot-"
"Wow wow slow down-"
Amber closes her mouth mid-sentence and sit properly again, tilting her head to the side waiting for him to compose his thoughts before explaining. Considerate, but even the blonde has no idea why this is happening right now.
What is happening? Is he daydreaming? Lost in thoughts? Perhaps missing his mess of a lover?
Nah why would I miss him already? Last time we met was only last night.
"Well" he starts with a -uncharacteristically fake- cough.
"Before I get to your, uh questions, is the situation worsening?"
"That is exactly why I'm treating you today!" Stabbing a meat from her half empty plate, she proceeds to explain what has been happening while the traveller was out doing commissions in Liyue the past week.
As per usual there are stubborn treasure hoarders and hilichurls forming camps but not to close to the city gates to cause too much of a hazard. Nonetheless it still needed to be taken care of.
Seemingly Sister Rosaria had stumbled upon Master Diluc while slendering the enemies few night before, the two seems more or less challenged by eachother but nothing that caused any harm to anyone, even themselves. The idea of the two bumping into eachother while doing the same thing is hilarious to Aether. He can already imagine Diluc's annoyed face the morning after.
Other than that things had been running smoothly. Out of the topic, the cheif alchemist had come back to Mondstat from cooping in Dragonspine making Aether wonder how he hasn't froze to death yet.
"So basically everything has been going well and you're inviting me for lunch to celebrate....?"
"Nothing in particular, just a night at Diluc's tavern for the weekend for the knights to blow off some streams, I figured you being all over the place all the time wouldn't catch the news unless someone go on their way to inform you of it"
Well that's true. He even missed Noelle's birthday few months back for hunting hilichurls so much.
"So, tell me about this guy you're daydreaming about?" The pyro user put aside her empty plates and lean back onto he chair, ready to hear whatever 'cute stuffs' Aether about to tell.
"I wouldn't call it daydreaming... Just- can I ask you something? If you don't mind of course, it's a little personal."
"Oh? Well sure go ahead!" She flashes a warm trusty smile.
"Okay so, have you ever had a partnet and if so, were they..... How do I put this...." He paused to think, glancing towards his apple juice as if the drink provides him moral support. Amber seem to be patient with him.
"well, if they can get all over you? Like clingy I mean yea that, is that normal? This is my first time ever commiting to something like this. At least from what I remember" his gaze hasn't meet Amber's but it's clear as day that he isn't sure of his own question.
"Well, um, ahaha... I don't really ever had a lover before, it sounds nice but I'm simply busy. I do know people who do though, and your situation seems quite the common type" she flashes a warm yet shy smile, it's reassuring nonetheless, coming from Amber herself.
"Oh.. I see, is it,... bad for me to be troubled by it? I mean I don't hate it it's just... It can be too much sometimes"
"I believe I can't accurately answer that, I don't have the experience nor do I know your boyfriend well. Maybe ask the Cheif Alchemist?"
"Albedo?"
"Bingo!"
Huh.
That was the last person he would expect to seek in this department.