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He actually read the note and arrived on time. This means that everything is serious and cannot be delayed.
Not acceptable at all.
The two of them entered, holding hand in hand. As soon as the bathroom door slammed shut, Xiao seemed to turn into a completely different person and began to cover his body non-stop with kisses, unbuttoning this damned tight shirt. Aether breathed intermittently, snacking on his scarlet lip and perching on a cool, crisp white windowsill. Throwing his head back, the blonde blushed embarrassingly, feeling his heartbeat accelerate and a smile blossoming on his classmate's face. Gingerly biting on delicate skin, Alatus would leave the sucks, sometimes gently kissing the tingling spot as if apologizing.
He did not hear moans, but he felt the reaction of someone else's body, how other people's vocal cords vibrate and saw the reflection of funny emotions, so he was guided precisely by the tactile feeling. Amber eyes perfectly showed him the picture that he dreamed of only in the wildest dreams.
— Do you like it?— hearing this languid voice, the blonde every time was ready just without the slightest resistance to surrender to this angel, which went down from heaven to earth. For people simply do not have that charm, the very highlight in the key. At some point, for some reason, an analogy with a siren came to mind. Only if they reduced victims with the help of singing, and the green-haired guy also managed to connect his innate seduction. Is... the supernatural still real?
«Yes, Xiao. Please don't stop. I want to... feel your warmth»— Aether answered with gestures, wrapping and stroking his beloved's cheekbones with his fingers. He only barely audibly grunted and began to passionately kiss his lips, which tastes sweeter than marshmallows. Soon they were both at the limit, rubbing themselves against each other and tearing their throats from non-stop moans. Sweat drained like cold rainwater, but no one wanted to give up and stop.
Amazingly how nonverbal communication replaced any words. Was a simple nod or sliding of others palms enough to understand what part of an organism needs caress. Shaking, Xiao just enjoyed the flow of emotions which proved to him here, in the present that he isn't a robot. Light of a lamp and his face reflected solar eyes where the sincere adoration was read. It seemed, the match of a candle was lit, there was no place more brightly, and they were burned with passion.
Aether… It was that point of support, that desired decline of a dazzling star. Emotions intoxicated as drugs and Alatus felt hungry. Catching lips, a silent sigh and a modest smile, he moved so smoothly that I didn't understand any more: how does the attraction of souls in general work? Why did the blonde appear so late in his life?
They're having a good time, aren't they? So good that the oxygen in their lungs seems to be halved, making the world stand still for a moment. They are sick, incomplete, broken pieces of the social puzzle. But together, becoming one, they no longer have to hide their wings.
Two weeks ago....
— Aether, get up, sleepyhead! — Lumine literally yanked the warm blanket down and started poking her brother's sleepy body. —We're going to sleep in, did you turn off the alarm again?! You're doing it again!
The blond boy slowly opened his eyes, golden as the summer sun, and a disgruntled grunt came from the man's throat. Turning onto his other side, the long-haired boy ignored his sister's warning and propped his soft cheek with a hand. He didn't like how active and noisy the girl was, especially in the mornings.
— Mmm, I'm too lazy to get up. The bed is too warm. Go on without me, I'll catch up with you on the way to the university. — emotionless, the young man looked at the wall, where the markings on different levels were visible. The most recent one indicated that Aether was five millimeters taller than the twin.
Naturally, no one left him alone. Again.
"Don't even think about saying that!" the girl put her hands to her sides, hovering overhead like a giant tower. Unlike her brother, her pupils were more like honeycombs in color. "How can you be so irresponsible? It's your first day out in public at last! Aren't you excited?"
— Oh yes, I'm glowing with happiness right now. If you want, I'll gladly give you the upper hand, since I'm so hopeless.— he grinned sarcastically, covering himself from head to toe. No, the realization that he would have to leave the room that had been his home for eighteen years was depressing. No more carefree watching the birds sing outside the window or feeling the gentle wind on his hair. Just the hard desk and the barking classmates.
As expected, she crossed her arms on her chest and only silently drilled with a cold look. It was her trademark habit: if the twin began to stubbornly, then according to the girl, you just need to listen to another tirade, and then pour a verbal stream onto the brother.
— Are you done?
— At the moment - yes
—Good for you! — placing the university uniform next to the live curled up roll, Lumine patted the brother's shoulder lightly and headed for the exit. Patience was wearing thin with every second, so the young lady decided not to get involved in the conflict and put Iter to the fact: either he will clean himself up and put his natural stubbornness in the back corner of his brain, or her favorite sister will take matters into her own hands and then someone - someone will have a hard time.
On the other hand, the girl understood why the older brother was acting this way. Her heart literally cringed with pity as he fell to the floor in a painful fit, as the graceful healthy body shuddered and choking saliva flowed relentlessly from his mouth. Thank God her medical parents had given her a personal first-aid kit and taught her how to administer first aid when adults were simply not at home.
So when did their lives go wrong?
As a child, Lumine nearly lost Aether. They were peacefully playing with dolls at first when the boy suddenly trembled and his eyes rolled back. Falling with the back of his head against the hard wooden floor, the unhappy boy stuck his tongue out and whipped up a froth like milky cream. The tiny body wriggled in convulsions, and his countenance gradually took on a bluish hue.
The girl's hair stood on end and she ran to her parents' room, sobbing uncontrollably. The feeling of helplessness seized her, squeezing her in an iron embrace, which made her feel bitter. She answered the anxious questions of her elders without stuttering,
Fortunately, her mother managed to resuscitate her son in time and his father took them all to the local hospital.
"Nothing will help this child. Only pray to God for salvation, but I doubt that in a month you will not stand above the coffin."— the doctor's voice sounded like a verdict. Through the gap in the wall, hearing the proposal amounted to great difficulties, but women's whimpers gave a crack in the children's naive world.
She wondered why the twin smelled of medication, and why he disappeared for days at a time in a place she did not know at the time. In general, after that terrible incident, they had become noticeably estranged from each other and increasingly Lumine felt an oppressive sense of loneliness.
Why was everything so difficult? Why can't time be turned back and events changed? She paused in the doorway for a few seconds and then added seriously:
— Breakfast is on the table. If I don't see you combed and in shape in two minutes, I'll give you such a cold shower that you'll never tweak your technique again. Love you...
'Shit, she's using a forbidden technique! Ghaa, why is my sister being nice to me?' — conscience was already gnawing mercilessly at my brain cortex like an annoying chipmunk. In response to the thought that arose, the devilish apparatus that started a few minutes later already sounded in place of the maiden's voice calling.
And who invented such a noisy and irritating invention of mankind?
Yawning lazily, the blond got up from the cushioned furniture after all and made his way to the bathroom and washed his face with cold water. Drops of water dripped slowly down his chin and he caught the serious look of his own reflection in the mirror. Growing fringes, bags under his golden eyes... Yep, clearly not the most ideal look for a teenager. He pulled on his clothes, put the wheat locks in a braid and wondered what color tie to wear. How about red?
It would be an ordinary unremarkable day, wouldn't it?
***
—Oh, hey, girlie. Who's that with you?—Tartaglia waved at Lumine as they always did when they met, but today she did not pay any attention to him, and was engaged in a conversation with a stranger. At first her chest was treacherously stabbed in the back with such a virtuoso stab, but a few seconds were enough for Ajax to notice a certain resemblance. Surprisingly, the two of them looked like clones of each other.
Is there a logical explanation for this phenomenon? Or is it a coincidence?
— Hey, Childe. This is my older twin brother. I wrote to you in the last letter, remember?— the girl smiled embarrassingly, flirtatiously correcting the clip in the form of a flower on long curls. Soon, after all, the day of their first date will come and she described in detail in the diary all the most beautiful and expensive places in the city that you can visit late at night. In the end, her boyfriend was far from a poor family, which means that relaxation and pleasure are one hundred percent provided.
However, the meeting between the boyfriend and the twin did not go as the young lady had originally planned. Oh, man.
—It's nice to finally see the guy who has the nerve to leave hickeys on my dearest Lumi's neck.— ignoring the outstretched palm of the red-haired young man's hand, Aether deliberately placed emphasis on the diminutive nickname, putting on an innocent mask with a wide smile. The misunderstanding on his opponent's part was instantly replaced by a contemptuous chuckle.
—Oh, so you're jealous that I'm stealing your own baby girl right out from under your nose?
— If I say yes, does that give me an extra reason to carry holy water with me? Too much negativity lately. Especially from the obsessive idiots.
There was a noticeable whiff of unhealthy rivalry in the air. Sparks were thrown so strongly that people were wary of accidentally hitting the guys and avoided them like lepers.
—Ahaha, I like him! — laughing, Ajax flashed a predatory look which made the blond man want to wipe the insolent grin off the fool's face.
— I think we'll get along just fine! Can't wait to spar already...
— Childe! We had a deal!
— Girlie, I'm trying to be as friendly as possible, I swear! He was always appropriating toys for himself, too, wasn't he? Pretty selfish behavior, don't you think? In Snezhnaya, we have very short conversations.
Without waiting for the bell to ring, Aether clutched the strap on his bag and hurried into the classroom away from the couple. Listening to Tartaglia was akin to a buzzing gnat in front of his eyes, so the lad opted for retreat tactics. The long braid and black-painted fingernails (not to mention the glowing earring in his ear) were arousing the interest of others and the disapproving murmurs of students from other faculties began to reverberate down the corridor. Fortunately, the right door was very close and he managed to slip inside before all sorts of unpleasant people approached him.
It would have been better if his parents had continued to hire tutors rather than sending him to a state university. If only Luminе hadn't dated the boy who looks like a typical school bully with an inferiority complex and insane rages.
There was hardly anyone inside, just a blue-haired girl with a red bow and a rather handsome-looking guy with amber eyes and dark emerald strands. Thick eyelashes and thin eyebrows. Seventeen years old for sure. Judging by the pressed uniform and the high quality of the fabric, he too was from a wealthy family, like Childe.
His pulse jumped suddenly, and for some reason a hot flame burned inside his body. Blood rushed to her cheeks and her breathing quickened.
What was that? A fever?
—Greetings, aspirants! Today we have a very important topic that will come up in the modular work. First of all, though, I would like to congratulate your group on their addition! Aether, surely you have something to say—
— No, miss, I'm more interested in how well you explain the material. I swear by all the famous mathematicians in the world that I will be a diligent student and thanks to you I will solve one of the unsolvable mathematical problems of humanity.
Laughing, the students listened vigorously to another lecture on mathematical logic. The subject was not difficult at all and after ten minutes the young man was bored. While Hu Tao and most of them were almost shedding tears, Jean and Eula were racing to write solutions to problems written in blue chalk on the back of the blackboard. Sayu was snoozing peacefully in the back row, and Amber was actively asking questions about the topic.
Suddenly an unfamiliar pale hand hesitantly touched the white-haired newcomer from behind. He felt the tip of his hair gently run over it, as if playing with it, and then the movement shifted smoothly to the back of his head.
Right to the sensitive spot on his neck.
— Is there chewing gum in my hair? Has someone managed to get blue paste all over my uniform? —Aether asked excitedly. He couldn't read anything in the dark pupils. Alatus seemed quite adept at hiding his emotions, though in addition to the stony serenity the blond also noticed a spark of... curiosity?
Why did he suddenly want to be embraced by him?
—No, it's alright! — Keqing was also one of the first to solve all the tasks ahead and was now actively drawing something in the margins. — You must have been hallucinating.
Turning around, the blond man studied the reactions of his classmates. Ajax smiled slyly, nibbling the tip of his pencil while his sister read into the book's theory. The local bully was clearly seizing the opportunity and definitely placed his palm on his thigh under the desk.
What a proprietor, that prick.
Aether was about to turn away when he noticed that he had shifted his attention to the other man. He was probably looking directly at the mystery guy. Wait, what?!
«Careful, Xiao. You're stepping on the same rake. God, are you really falling for the charms of someone who at least reminds you of a girl? Hasn't your past taught you anything?» — judging by the crunch of his pencil, the mere mention of this relationship pissed off the studious honor student.
Breaking up with Lumine hadn't been easy for him.
Judging from the evening's endless calls, Alatus was not the type to cut ties definitively and irrevocably, unlike Lumine. No, the blond had never once heard them arguing with each other or settling problems in public. It was more a matter of the girl herself. After all, she herself had admitted that she had chickened out. She wasn't ready for a serious relationship then. In her eyes Xiao was a good understanding friend, not a dear lover.
They turned out to be very different individuals with different goals and views. Thankfully, they parted on a soft note.
«Just ignore the goofball. Someone was obviously first in line when they came up with Stupidity Syndrome,» — tiny paper airplane landed on a nearby desk. The handwriting on the piece of paper was a collection of indecipherable squiggles, so Aether conveyed the message non-verbally.
— Oh, you can speak sign language? — Xiangling smiled happily, not having to translate the bully's barbed words for Alatus. — Phew, that was a relief. So, I can leave our head girl to you in peace! Thank you so much for your help!
— No problem. Didn't you want to hang out with Xingqiu and Chongyun? — the two of them had been talking to each other so much and handing out answer sheets so often that their names had stuck in my memory. Chongyun was also an albino!
Fool, so engrossed that he didn't understand Xiangling's direct hint....
— I wanted to. — classmate answered honestly. — I... You know, I wondered if you were uncomfortable sitting in such a big chair and would be willing to switch seats. Yeah, and I'm nearsighted, so I'll try to sit closer and maybe I'll finally see the notes instead of the spots.
— Ah, yes, of course.
Glowering, the listener first moved his notebook and pencil case to the vacated seat, and then deftly threw his bag onto a chair. His neighbor was not at all distracted by his notebook, his aura reeking of absolute concentration.
«Hi, shall I take a seat? My name's Aether with an 'e', hehe. Sorry if I bothered you, I'm new here and don't know how things work around here. Did you put me in the logbook?»
Squeak.
«What genre of music do you like? What's your favorite food?»
Rustling of a biro.
«Favorite actor from the movies?»
«...»
«Why aren't you saying anything? Am I that disgusting to you?” — rustle of a pencil in the margins of his notebooks was soothing. The boy was afraid to anger his new desk mate in any way, but he also wanted to understand the reason for such strange behavior.
Xiao glanced quickly over the note and then burned Aether intently with his unusual eyes, making him shiver slightly with fear. Did he say the wrong thing again?
—Car accident. Hearing aids are too expensive and they make noises in my head.» — suddenly Alatus suddenly spoke , pointing to the side of his ear.Wow, so he wasn't deaf from birth and could speak? The dark eyebrows made a stern complexion appear, though his voice was surprisingly soft. — It isn't you at all, it's me. The silence. I hear nothing but empty silence all the time.
Such a revelation shocked the blond. From the outside, the brown-haired man just didn't seem like the talkative type - a typical sign of an introvert. Oh, he probably asked too many questions that the poor guy didn't have time to answer them all.
«Mm, so your name is Xiao? It's a pretty name. Sounds like a beautiful morning dawn.»
«And yours reminds me of rays of light. So close.... yet distant at the same time.»
The compliment escaped accidentally. With a hand over his mouth, Aether visibly blushed and shamefully covered his face with his hands, sniffing guiltily. Thankfully, the new acquaintance could now only guess how he was feeling.
It was difficult to describe in words. Were there even words to describe his embarrassment? How hard it was to express feelings!
— Xiaoo! — Venti crept up unnoticed and it looked like the bell rang for the short recess.
Cradling Alatus by the neck, the boy made an innocent face and started talking nonstop:
«Listen, we're trying to start a music band. I immediately thought of my wonderful friend. Xiangling It's not like I'm implying anything, but...»
« You want me to agree to take part in another music concert, right? I've told you a hundred times I can't be distracted right now. Especially since I'm about to go overseas with Mr. Zhongli. I'm already staying up long enough because I'm learning a new language.»
«Which one?»
Alatus looked reproachfully straight into the cunning eyes of the sky and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
— I said no. Don't even ask.
« I thought you were my friend. By the way, we even made chocolate chip biscuits just the same as you like.» — With a feigned puffiness in his cheeks, Barbatos glanced at Aether for moral support. — Do you mind if I borrow this brat for a few minutes? He's got friends here who want to talk to him, and he's hiding behind someone else's back... again!
Protesting, Alatus wanted to protest, but Xiangling who had come running took him under her left arm and together with the dark haired youth with the turquoise pigtails they walked towards the small company.
Hu Tao was telling some kind of joke and the teenagers burst into laughter. Xiangling later translated Xiao's joke and then there was a lively discussion of clubs and who wanted to join where. The brown-haired man's broad smile was like the glow of the month, making everyone around him listen enthusiastically to the pleasant masculine tone.
Wow, the headman has shown a completely different side of himself. Despite his hearing problem, the green-haired boy doesn't shut himself off, but instead shows that he's a full-fledged member of society just like the others.
The complete opposite of Aether's behavior. Unlike Xiao he has let his own epilepsy control his emotions and feelings. So there is no reason to talk about his illness for the time being. Perhaps a little later when he has learnt to hold back steam.
— Next time, don't support Venti's ideas, okay? I mean, I know he looks nice, but don't let him fool you. — Finally flopping back in his seat, Xiao looked like a drained lemon.
With a giggle, Aether moved closer.
«I'm sorry, but you looked so cute! I never would have thought you could be so popular in class!»
«Talking for the most part bores me.» — taking a crystal-clear sheet of paper out of a blue folder, Xiao tilted his head down, quickly drawing black lines across and across. — Mr. Zhongli has taught me to endure long public appearances, however I still can't get used to them.
Zhongli, huh. Wait a second, that famous rich consultant from Liyue?! After shaking it in his head and still not believing what was written, Aeterr decided to ask another question.
«What are you drawing?»
—I don't know. I've been dreaming about that door forever. — with a slight shrug, the brown-haired man also drew a couple of columns in a bizarre architectural style. — This might sound crazy, but I also see bits and pieces sometimes, like... I keep living in that world. I remember playing an important role, some kind of contract with a higher power, but I can't see the details more clearly: an unknown dark energy seeks to suffocate me, and the bonds shackle my body, causing centuries of pain. Some kind of sense of deja vu, you know?
Nodding, the blond young man continued to find small details in the painting, at the same time writing something down for himself in a notebook. When he had finished, he stuck his tongue out slightly and drew two little men who were sitting on cotton clouds.
At least it didn't look lonely now.
«I can see the makings of an artist. Keep up the good work and you'll soon overtake me,» — joked the headman.
«Gift the key to the heavenly door behind you,» — Aether smiled slightly, as if accidentally touching his torso. A warm gasp escaped his soft lips, causing Xiao to get a herd of goosebumps. He purposely swallowed the slight teasing from his classmate. — «I want to solve this riddle with you.»
Alatus gave serious thought and the blond prayed that he would open up to him a little and share the secret. Yes, it sounded selfish, but he wanted to know more. More of the bits and pieces he had learned and to dig deeper. Get to know before it is too late.
Xiao sighed and continued the dialogue:
«Are you willing to wait a little while? Sorry, we're not close enough yet and...»
«I'm ready. Please give me a chance. You'll see that I'm really sincere and just wish you happiness, Xiao!» — Fingers trembled with excitement, making it that much harder to put the signs together.
Say yes, say yes please!
«OK, it's a deal.»
The hour flew by like the blink of an eye; they had time to discuss topics ranging from politics to memories of the best holiday ever. Already the pair had finished and the headman was packing his bag and taking the class magazine under his arm, when some little note fell out right next to the blond's foot.
— Wait! You have dropped....—
However, Xiao didn't hear him. Oh, he'd forgotten. Bending over, Aether picked up the folded half note and leisurely unfolded it. It said just a few words:
«Main building, third wing right in about three months.»