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Yelan
"Xiao, are you okay?"
Yelan took a glimpse over the Traveler— Aether, and the Conqueror of Demons, Xiao while she was inspecting the nearby areas. A shame that she still wasn't able to find some viable passages despite staying up late to do so.
"I'm fine. Don't worry."
"How could I not? Just look at you—"
"It doesn't hurt much. You should worry about yourself instead. Yanfei told me you were hurt."
"It's not that bad! You look way worse." Aether pointed the wound on the yaksha's left arm where his tattoo's at, his face looking more worried than ever— though Yelan couldn't blame him. Those groans earlier are concerning.
"I think that I have some ointment in here—"
"Aether."
"Oh no, I already used it back when I'm in Inazuma—"
"Aether."
"You should eat to recover, I remember that there's a leftover Almond Tofu in here—"
Oh? Things are getting interesting.
Yelan's eyes widened when Xiao reached out to take Aether's hand, and when he smiled softly directed only at the Traveler. "Aether, you're panicking."
Aether sniffed and turned away. "Sorry. I couldn't help it. I'm just really worried."
Yelan felt her jaw drop when the Conqueror of Demons touched Aether's cheek, and even pinched it slightly. "I'll always be here. You remember our promise, right?"
Aether didn't speak.
"I'll say it again so it'll be forever engraved in your brain." Xiao said, "If you awake to a knife at your throat, if monsters dig their claws into you, if death comes knocking at your door, call out my name. Adeptus Xiao. I will be here when you call."
"..."
"Do you understand?"
Aether nodded quietly. Xiao pulled back, but his hands were still holding the Traveler's hands.
Oh my. So these two are…
Yelan pressed her lips tight to suppress a smile, and she quietly turned on her heel to give them some privacy.
She felt like she's invading something.
—
Yanfei
She said those words as a joke, but she didn't expect it (a half lie) to be true. A trace of amusement can be found on her smug face as she observed the two fussing over each other. Being stuck underground in a creepy place might be very boring, but at least there's someone to provide amusement, namely Xiao and Aether, and the funny oni from Inazuma.
"How did you get hurt earlier?"
"Huh?"
"...From what Yanfei said."
Uh-oh. Yanfei averted her eyes from the scene and pretended to inspect nearby areas for exits, but her ears were all observant— just like a radar searching for signals.
"Ah! It doesn't hurt at all. She's just probably exaggerating it."
He's right. She patted a wall to add on her disguise, but when Shinobu clicked her tongue, she knew that it was of no use. She sighed and leaned against the cavern's walls, her green eyes directed towards the lovebirds.
"There's no reason to lie about such things."
…
"Good luck, senpai." Shinobu told her with a faux comforting smile, and Yanfei crossed her arms, and let out a heavy sigh.
"She didn't lie! I'm just… well it did hurt when I fell from there, but I landed on water so it's not that painful."
Xiao's eyes turned sharp. "You fell from where?"
"...uh."
Yanfei smirked.
"What are you doing?" Yelan suddenly appeared from nowhere, startling Yanfei who's minding her own amusement.
"You scared me!" She blurted out, her eyes flitting between Yelan's suspicious eyes and Aether who's now staring at her. She shot the Traveler a smile, and thankfully, he smiled back, despite his confusion.
"I just wanted to ask something," Yanfei quickly came up with an alibi to excuse her eavesdropping, "Have you observed something strange about Xiao's wounds?" She asked, "About how long it healed, since… well… the time here is suspended right so would it be stuck as well?"
Aether rubbed his chin thoughtfully, considering her suggestion. "I haven't noticed anything, but I get your point. I'll have to ask him later when he's awake," he said before patting the Conqueror of Demons' head as if it was no big deal.
Yelan and Yanfei knowingly looked at each other before nodding to themselves. "Okay, I understand!" Yanfei said with a smile, "Then we'll go back, okay? Better not disturb your quality time with your… friend."
Aether tilted his head, puzzled, and Yanfei even caught his small what? before they went outside, leaving Aether finding out what that small pause on her words meant.
Heh. Better not disturb the lovebirds, Yanfei thought.
—
Arataki Itto, Kuki Shinobu
"I didn't know that the small guy and the Traveler are such best buds!" Itto pointed out, even going as far to point at the two who's practically tied at the hip ever since Xiao arrived. Yeah, Itto might see them as best buds, but Shinobu doesn't seem like it.
There's an appropriate word to describe it, but it's at the tip of her tongue, waiting for it to roll off her tongue. She squinted at Traveler dabbing a light towel over Xiao's wounds, that soft look on both of their faces while looking at each other.
What word is it again?
She glanced at Itto, who she doubted knowing that word. Shinobu sighed tiredly, her chin on her knuckles while watching Xiao and Aether now huddled close with each other.
Itto stretched his arms, trying to keep himself awake— but that isn't the case for Aether and Xiao. They're both sleeping, with Aether leaning against Xiao's shoulders. He let out a small gasp when he noticed their intertwined hands.
"Wha— look at that, Shinobu!"
"I can see it. Hmm… so they're more than best buds, huh?"
Itto blinked. "What's more than best buds? There's nothing more than best buds!"
Shinobu gave him a deadpan look. "They're you know."
"I don't know."
"Just ask Senpai over there, I bet she knows it." Shinobu pointed over Yanfei who's standing beside Yelan, the both of them peering over the two occasionally. "Senpai! Boss has a question!" She whispered loudly, enough for the ladies to hear.
"Yeah!"
"Oh? What is it?" Yanfei asked, walking towards them. She followed what Itto was looking at, and spotted Aether and Xiao sleeping together. "Aha."
"No need asking me, since I myself don't know the answer. What's better is we can ask them later, okay?" Yanfei winked, and Yelan sighed audibly.
"You're right, but we should busy ourselves finding the exit." Yelan told her, "Aether said earlier that he observed something, and we can discuss that later, so we shouldn't interrupt their sleep."
Itto might hate to admit it, but she's right. He scratched his head and rested his back on the boulder, while the others returned to their own business.
As expected of his savior, she's completely right. He should ask Aether instead.
—
Additional
Yanfei sighed out of relief when Xiao suddenly appeared. She swore that she couldn't bear when Xiao died and they live, the guilt would just be too much to keep. As what she observed from Yelan, she still couldn't brush off her survivor guilt when her comrades died.
She breathed heavily and wiped the corners of her eyes, but her reaction was nothing compared to Aether who nearly teared up upon noticing that Xiao was nowhere in sight. He immediately assisted him when he almost tripped, and that anger and burning concern on his eyes simply made Yanfei bite her lower lip.
Better rest and leave them alone.
"Ah, so is The Traveler and Xiao the same as the Guuji and the Almighty Shogun?" Itto said aloud, and Shinobu's jaw dropped.
"Don't mind boss," Shinobu told Yanfei when she was gaping at Shinobu slapped Itto's shoulders jokingly, "He doesn't know what he's talking about."
"But the Guuji and—"
"Do you want us to get imprisoned, boss?"