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It had been a while since Xiao allowed any mortal to get this close to him. Emotionally and physically both. Aether was sitting with him, watching the festival fireworks go off in Liyue. He had brought a dish from Inazuma that He swore Xiao would like if he tried it. He didn't. They sat now in companiable silence on Wangshu Inn's roof, simply watching the fireworks go off this year. Aether had been invited to the Jade Palace again this year, but decided to spend the holiday instead accompanying Xiao in his patrols. He then disappeared for an hour and came back with freshly made dango and sakura mochi and a ridiculous grin playing on his lips. He revealed later when Xiao had refused the unusual food that he had also prepared almond tofu. Xiao might have smiled if he hadn't found it so curious.
He'd been friends with mortals in the past. Far in the past. So far that he remembered nothing of them but the circumstances of their deaths. They died slowly, painfully because he selfishly held them close even after he was warned by the Adepti what would happen. And now, Aether had been around more often. Too often. He had hoped in the beginning that this wasn't the young man trying to be friends, but it had been made obvious that that was exactly what was happening. He had begun getting dreams again. Like he used to.
Dreams of the Adepti, warning him to stay away from Teyvat's savior before his curse took effect on him too. And Xiao tried, he really did. Any glimpse of blond hair and he was gone, a rumor of a strange outlander, the outlander, and he was as far away as possible. Until he heard rumors about him having left up dragonspine weeks ago, and no one had heard word back at all. Not even that Alchemist, Albedo.
When he had come back down the mountain, the body on his back covered in bloodstained fatui cloaks and lawachurl fur, he tried to strengthen his resolve on the matter. Paimon told them that he was feeling faint, had gone to sit down, take a rest from the mountain air when they'd been attacked. She had continued to speak but he was already in his head trying to figure out if this was somehow because of him. Even with his attempts at avoiding him, Aether always managed to find him.
He remembers that night's dream very clearly. They had come to him and spoke as one voice, telling him that if the outlander came to harm because of him again, it would be his head. He had no choice in the matter, that much was made clear. Either enjoy his company now and they would both die, or worse. Or he could simply cut him off now.
"Xiao what is it?"
He snapped out of his thoughts almost immediately at the feeling of a warm hand on his bare arm. He shrunk away from the feeling, the guilt already beginning to form in the pit of his stomach. Aether's expression fell, and he pulled his hand back.
"You've been avoiding me for weeks. Did I do something wrong?"
Xiao knew his face belied his reluctance to answer that question. He started speaking multiple times, no sounds leaving his lips besides the occasional soft, "Aether."
"Mortals and Adepti don't mix for a reason. I used to be more...open to mortal attentions. But my karmic debt always ended it badly. They died in excruciating pain because I was too selfish to let them go."
He stopped to calm his breathing, staring at his hands as he bunched up the fabric of his pants in them. He was not at all expecting Aether to burst into laughter, apologies bubbling from his lips as he doubled over, clutching his knees.
"Sorry, sorry, Xiao," He breathed out heavily, a smile spread over his face in a way that made Xiao's stomach flip pleasantly. "It's definitely a good thing I'm not mortal then, isn't it?"
Xiao felt as if he could have died right then and there.
"Oh." He takes a slow bite of Almond Tofu, still not taking his eyes off of the traveler. He supposed it wasn't as much of a shock as it felt like, after all the traveler arrived mysteriously and started solving countries problems. The shock was less that he wasn't mortal, and more that Xiao had never realized it. He prided himself on being somewhat observant when it came to potential threats, which he had definitely considered his now friend when they first met. He watched as Aether's eyes crinkled up into a kind smile.
"You can't expect to have known something I kept a secret on purpose." And his smile only grew larger as Xiao let his thoughts slip. The fireworks went off in the background, and he could hear music from the main room of the inn. But Aether's eyes shone brighter than the fireworks, the bright sparks of color dim as the backdrop for golden hair. Xiao had never seen something so indescribably beautiful in all his centuries of life.
"Yes I suppose you are correct." And as he could not describe the travelers beauty, he did not even attempt to, content in simply watching.