Chapter Text
It was a night like any other night. The sky was clear of clouds, so the moon and the stars illuminated it. Whitish lights mingled, merging with yellowish flickers. A wonderful combination of silver and gold was created.
Aether took a stroll in Moonstadt. He was beautiful, shining like a jewel bathed in that light, even if he didn’t know it.
Aether headed for the tavern, perhaps in the hope of meeting Diluc. He wished their next encounter could be a better one. It was always very difficult, if not impossible, to communicate with him. The reason was that Diluc was particularly introverted, all closed up on himself, to the point that the very extroverted Aether never knew how to approach him. What was the best way, he hadn’t yet discovered it. He would make another attempt today, even if he wasn’t so sure about it. Aether hated having a crush, especially if his brush was Diluc.
Diluc always treated him in a cold, distant, hard away, which confused and troubled Aether. He didn’t really know what he did or said in order to deserve this kind of treatment. He would’ve liked to have a confrontation with him.
He stopped in front of the tavern door, taking a long breath in and out. He inhaled through his mouth and he exhaled through his nostrils. When anxiety took him by surprise, catching him off guard, it crept into him like a snake. It poisoned him from within with its venom.
He decided to enter by taking a step in, only to find himself in that welcoming environment. It was noisy, with the tables and chairs all occupied by wanderers and inhabitants, but it was also cozy.
The traveller glanced towards the counter out of curiosity, noticing that owner was busy serving drinks and food to customers.
Diluc. With his long, red hair, with his tall, lean body, with his dull, red eyes. The way in which he crossed his arms on his chest in a sign of closure.
It was always so hard to interact with him. He was well aware of it.
He had always been brave, but he thought he needed a lot more courage than usual to do what he wanted to do and say what he wanted to say. However, he couldn’t let this opportunity pass him by, as it might not even return. He would regret it so bitterly.
He walked towards the counter, where he sat down on a stool.
“What can I offer you?” Diluc asked Aether.
He bit his lower lip, feeling somehow uncomfortable. He wondered where all of his self-confidence went. He swallowed the lump stuck into his throat, trying to calm himself down.
“I’d like to try out something light,” Aether answered Diluc.
It was delivered a glass on the counter after a couple of minutes. The color of the liquid was amber-like, very similar to the shade of Aether’s eyes, and it had a fruity scent. He took the glass, bringing it to his lips in order to take a sip of it. He savoured the taste of it. It had such a fruity scent and taste, leaving freshness and sweetness as a trace of its passage. The alcohol was practically at the bare minimum.
“It’s good, I like it,” Aether said to Diluc with a bright, wide smile.
It all changed so drastically in a moment, and in that instant everything was altered.
“Good to know it,” Diluc replied to Aether in a dry, cold tone.
He thought that a smile, one of his own, could be the best way in which to make things go smoothly. He was wrong about it. Aether’s bright, wide smile against Diluc’s dry, cold tone. It sent a shiver down his spine. He questioned himself, wondering if he had just done or said something – anything – offensive. He almost felt like he was unwanted by him. He tried to himself that it just couldn’t be. Not at all. It wouldn’t make any sense. It must’ve been something that Aether obviously couldn't understand since he couldn’t read Diluc that well.
He watched the other walk away, disappearing through the back door. Diluc was gone, leaving Aether alone. In the chaos that reigned in the tavern, along with the strong smell of alcohol.
He let out a sigh of resignation, feeling extremely saddened.
What had happened? He had no idea about it.
He couldn’t give up. He took some coins out of the boar-skin bag and left them on the counter to settle the bill. He wanted to go to him, taking the opportunity.
He jumped off the stool and headed for the back door. He found himself at the back and out in the air, along the dimly lit corridor leading to the staircase. He glimpsed the Diluc’s figure draped in darkness and lightness.
He approached him, through a series of slow steps. He noted that the other seemed to be just so lost in thoughts.
Aether reached Diluc. When he reached out to him, the other just reacted badly. Because Diluc shifted away, as if he purposely wanted to distance himself from Aether even more.
The light into Aether’s amber eyes quivered. He was on the verge of tears, yet he couldn’t break out into a cry. He restrained himself from doing it.
“You don’t get it, do you?” Diluc demanded Aether by facing him off. “That I don’t want you near me,” he told him almost cruelly.
He widened his eyes in shock. He couldn’t even believe it. He suddenly felt a wave of anger, that overwhelmed him totally. He refused to be treated in this way, especially when there wasn’t even a valid reason. He didn’t deserve it.
“What’s your problem with me?” Aether yelled out, glaring at Diluc. “Why do you behave like this with me?” he asked him heatedly.
They were face to face and eyes in the eyes. He felt so vulnerable, when he was in front of him by confronting him. He pushed him away. Aether’s palms banged against Diluc’s thorax.
But Diluc was taller, older, stronger than Aether was. And when Diluc’s fingers grabbed Aether’s wrists, blocking all of the boy’s movements, then Diluc’s eyes lingered on Aether’s lips.
What was going on, he didn’t know it. The tension made him tremble, giving him goosebumps.
“You make me feel things I don’t want to feel,” Diluc whispered to Aether, while bending down over him.
He couldn’t even breathe properly. His heart just skipped a beat into his chest.
“What kind of things?” Aether murmured to Diluc, leaning towards him.
Diluc kissed Aether. Their first kiss, perhaps even their last. It turned out to be first a clash of teeth, then a meeting of lips and finally an embrace of tongues.
Diluc let him go, allowing Aether to move.
Aether's arms fastened around Diluc's neck, and Diluc's hands grabbed Aether's waist.
"Do you understand now?" Diluc asked Aether, brushing his own thumb over his lips.
"You don't have to be afraid of me," Aether replied to Diluc, laying his own head on his chest.
And Diluc hugged Aether tighter.
He could feel it all, this time, the blossoming love.