Chapter Text
The warmth of one’s skin
Bizarre yet comforting
Driving me insane
Drowning me in bliss
“Xiao, I want to take our relationship to the next level”.
“Okay”
“So, uh… can I touch you?”
“Um…yeah”
Xiao looks at Aether with anticipation but when their eyes meet, his eyes quickly dart away. His fingers are trembling terribly and he becomes incredibly aware of the speeding up of his heartbeat. He can feel his face burning up from embarrassment but also excitement. How could he admit that he, the vigilant yaksha who have guard Liyue for thousands of years, is shy when it comes to physical touches. It’s even worse that it’s Aether. He loves Aether to no end, so he wants to be as honest to him as possible. But because of his past, he is elusive when it comes to his own feelings.
“Can I hold your hand?” Aether asks. Xiao doesn’t reply but he extends his arm towards Aether, although Aether can see the short pause Xiao has. It is apparent that Xiao is hesitant so he wants to take it slowly and help Xiao get used to the feeling of being touched.
Xiao’s amber eyes enlarge slightly the moment their fingertips touch. Xiao is not used to this new sensation. Everywhere Aether touches him burns and then it blooms into a warm and soft feeling. His hand is slightly larger than Xiao’s and he is sweating profusely. Aether’s hand is warm and comforting. He holds Xiao hands as if Xiao is a fragile thing that he needs to treasure. 'He is also nervous just like I am.' The thought comforts Xiao a little bit.
The moonlight shines through the small window of Xiao’s room. The two bodies inches closer and closer until their shadows morphs into one.
“Is this okay?”, Aether ask with a look of concern. He wants to make sure that Xiao is completely comfortable and that he is not pushing any of his boundaries.
Xiao never knew that the warmth of another body could be so comforting.
Aether is holding Xiao like he is the most precious thing in the world to him. He hugs him as if he were to let go, Xiao would flutter away like a crystalfly and be completely out of reach, just like his sister.
It’s so scary for Xiao. It’s so scary because he has never shown such a vulnerable side of himself to another person. It’s so scary because Aether could say something that deters Xiao from opening up to anyone ever again, but Xiao believes that he wouldn’t do so. It takes a tremendous amount of courage and trust for Xiao to let Aether see him like this. There is no proof of any kind, but Xiao just has to put his trust in Aether. Normally he would think that this is such a foolish action, but now that he knows that he loves Aether, he can’t seem to act rationally anymore.
Xiao gets more comfortable and wants more - Xiao looks up at Aether. He has something to tell him, but he looks like he is struggling to find the right words. But that’s not true. He already knows what he wants to say. He just doesn’t want to admit his feelings. Xiao deems showing his emotions as weak and vulnerable, and he doesn’t want Aether to know that side of him. But part of him also wants to be understood, and wants to show the real him to Aether because he believes Aether will love him either way. So he takes a deep breath and says: “I like it, hugging you, I mean”.