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A gentle breeze blew against the balcony of wangshu inn. A couple of honey tinted gingko leaves dance in the fleeting wind before finally resting on the oak floors.
“Traveler, what brings you here?” Xiao asked, turning around to see his… lover? Friend? Who knows.
The yaksha was facing the maroon entrance long enough to see his favorite person staggering and almost falling over, lest he was not there to catch him.
“...Aether?”
Xiao's voice came out a distorted blur to the blond. His mind relentlessly flashing what happened during recent events and chest feeling like it's being pierced by a thousand needles over and over again. He held his chest and subconsciously, Xiao’s too in an attempt to stabilize himself.
The yaksha, feeling Aether’s dainty fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt, held the traveler against him in almost a bridal carry. His eyes blown wide with worry, staring at Aether's face scrunched up with pain.
He was one wince away from teleporting them to his abode but then he felt the same soft hands rest on his cheek.
“Xiao, I'm fine. you can put me down now,” a reassuring voice said.
“No, Aether you're not fine. You nearly fell earlier.”
“But I'm better now! Pinkie swear.”
In the end he couldn't help but comply with the blond’s request. How was he supposed to know that Aether would pull out the puppy eyes card?
Xiao carried Aether with as much gentleness as a man holding a bouquet of fragrant and delicate sunflowers, trying not to squish them. How Xiao holds him oh so compationately but with so much strength makes Aether’s heart skip a beat. On impulse, he leaned into Xiao’s chest as his prince charming brought them to their usual seats.
When Xiao sat him down, Aether almost instantly left his seat in favor of the yaksha’s lap. Xiao let out an indignant squawk. He didn't say anything though so Aether took it as permission and snuggled once more into Xiao's hard chest.
Aether missed this a lot, maybe a little too much. Sitting on Xiao’s lap and listening to his calming heartbeat while the other savored each bite of silky almond tofu. He was gazing at the falling gingko leaves when the blond felt the tip of a porcelain spoon nudge against his plush lips. Aether opened his mouth, welcoming the sweet dessert that left a milky aftertaste. But only after he licked the syrup off the spoon did he realize that this was an indirect kiss.
Xiao watched as Aether's face slowly burned red. Was he sick again? Overcome with worry, the yaksha swiftly teleported to his room in wangshu inn and placed aether on the bed.
Aether was confused. Taking in his surroundings, he was back in Xiao's room.
“Xiao why am I on your bed?”
“Because you're sick,” the yaksha said, worry evident in his voice and from the way he rushed to dump a plethora of blankets and pillows on Aether.
Now he was even more confused.
“What--I'm not sick.”
“But I read that when a mortal’s face turns red it means their bodies are overheating.”
“No no! It's a misunderstanding… it's because…”
Xiao tilted his head, what did Aether say? He should've known better than to trust those silly books that mortals call literature.
“Apologies i couldn't get that”
“I said it's because..it was an indirect kiss” Aether said, covering his face with xiaos pillow.
Now it's xiaos turn to blush.
The two sat in awkward silence. Not a single sound in the room. Until Xiao heard the blankets shuffle and soon after, a familiar warmth enveloped him.
“Aether”
“Hm” came a wordless reply.
Xiao let himself be pulled onto the soft mattress. Just like how he let aether carve his way into xiao’s once frozen heart. It seems that with the enigmatic traveler, he doesn't mind letting him do what he wants.
Aether said that they could go back and finish the almond tofu before it gets taken over by ants, but Xiao insisted they stay in bed together... just in case. He doesn't care about almond tofu when it comes to Aether. He can always request Yanxiao to make him another batch after all. Or maybe Aether… ‘Aether does make the best tofu,’ Xiao thought, before swatting those thoughts away.
The pair laid in bed, one of Xiao's hands caressing Aether's slim waist while the other played with the golden strands. As much as Xiao would love to say that he's just merely doing his duty of protecting Aether for the sake of his pride, he can't bring himself to. For once, he lets himself feel vulnerable. Subject to whatever the traveller wants to do to him, and honestly he doesn't mind being vulnerable around only aether..he trusts him after all.
The vigilant yaksha, being not so vigilant around the renowned traveller. how pathetic of him.
Aether nuzzled deeper into Xiao's hard chest, basking in the other's warmth once more. He was tired..beyond tired actually, exhausted would be a better term.
He could still feel the electricity pulsing from the shogun's strike from when they first met. Then there were those damned delusions that took the life of Teppei. And the chasm.. that he nearly lost Xiao if it wasn't for zhongli bringing him back to the surface with them.
Before he knew it, rivulets of tears were flowing down his cheeks and wetting Xiao's shirt. Didn't seem like the yaksha minded though, opting to run his calloused hands up and down aether’s back in an attempt to console him. It went from small sniffles and sobs to a full breakdown, Aether didn't know what caused it but the tears just kept flowing.
It was reminiscent of the raging storms of Inazuma, starting out with drizzles then quickly escalating to thunder and lightning. But once it has been quelled, suddenly everything looks brighter. The grass is more luscious, the trees more vibrant, and flowers more fragrant than ever.
Xiao watched Aether’s face contort into one of sorrow. Eyes welling up with tears and his nose scrunching up in possibly the absolute cutest way. He panicked, how does one comfort another? Not knowing what to do, he hugged the blond, letting him soak his shirt with salty droplets. Despite the blond crying, he still looked ethereal to xiao. Or perhaps was that the effect of love? To be able to view the world in rose colored glasses because of one person.
When Aether's sobs died down, he looked up at xiao. Eyes still glistening with tears and nose quite red. Nevertheless, he had a smile on his face. The smile xiao loves so much and thinks about whenever aether's off on another adventure.
"Thank you, Xiao," he said.
Xiao didn't know what aether was thanking him for, but nodded regardless and brought him closer.
Soon enough, Aether let slumber finally overtake his weary body. That was the first time in a while that he slept well, without a single nightmare to plague him. who knew just xiao's presence was able to make the famous traveler feel that at ease.
Aether awoke to see Xiao staring at him. As if the yaksha was trying to engrave Aether's sleeping face into his memories. “Hi,” Aether said, his eyes forming crescent shapes. Xiao felt his face heat up. ‘Aether’s so cute…’
Not hearing a response from the other, the blond continued. “I’ll go um remake your tofu” aether left their room, obviously not without giving xiao a kiss first while the latter was still stunned.
Xiao doesn't know when it started. Suddenly he notices every single detail of aether. it's like someone replaced his eyes with binoculars and it zooms in even when aethers doing the most mundane tasks. like when aether was making almond tofu for him to make up for the one he wasn't able to finish.
the furrow of his brows, the little tongue that darts out to taste the syrup, the way his eyes crinkle when he's pleased with the taste etc.
it wasn't any better when aether took it upon himself to feed xiao. In fact it got worse. Xiao wanted nothing more than to bite those soft rosy cheeks, but shook that thought away before he acted out on it.
He was also worried. that one day… Aether would leave him and he'd be alone once more; world dimming without the brightness of his sun. it was inevitable, aether needed to find his sister, so naturally one day he won't be around to keep xiao company. but as selfish of a request as it was, Xiao wishes that they could be together. to pursue a life of domesticity if that is what aether wants. call him cheesy but after meeting aether, his world turned upside down. feeling things he never thought to feel and experiencing them first hand. He doesn't mind though. not in the slightest..as long as aethers there, he'd do anything.
Aether added the almond extract to his soy milk. As he mixes the two together, from his peripherals he sees Xiao still standing beside him despite not being in harm's way. Not that he was complaining of course, in fact he found it cute.
He noticed something was different with Xiao ever since he came back. He wasn't the same stiff adeptus that Aether first met. not in a bad sense, to aether, it was a sign that xiao was opening up to him. He was..better, kinder and more caring. hell, before he wouldn't even have let aether lie in the same bed as him. 'Maybe xiao does feel the same,' Aether smiled, still stirring the sticky syrup. It was wishful thinking that the yaksha cherished him that much.
No way Xiao actually missed him.
Xiao snapped out of his reverie as the gelatin mixture started to boil. That was… out of character for him. But as he went back to the balcony, his mind drifted once more to the golden boy who snatched his heart.
He likes Aether. Aether is warm and bright, like a sun that lights up his dark world. Someone once said they were like the sun and moon. Two completely different individuals but together they balance each other out. where xiao cannot go, aether fills in for him and vice versa. It feels nice. the thought of being needed by the object of his affection.
'xiao! your tofu's ready' aethers voice rang out, soft like melodious windchimes.
"Coming"
Like the whipped man he was, Xiao stared at the aether the entire time. Not once touching the jiggly tofu placed before him. A small smile crept up his face as he watched aether fix his braid.
‘I wish we could stay like this for all of eternity.’
Soon enough, evening befell them once more.
The stars twinkled against the dark blanket of night. it was silent, nothing but each other's soft breathing and the howling of the wind could be heard. it wasn't the awkward silence however. They both found comfort in it. limbs entangled under the sheets and backs flush against each other. Aether could feel the warmth radiating off xiao as he focused on the calming sound of his heartbeat. A small reminder that he is not alone this breezy night. That… someone he loves is barely even an inch away from him.
Was this what “home” felt like? That was what the pair wondered. They were wanderers, never staying in one place for a long time. But maybe… having a home wasn't so bad. After all, it means coming back into their most treasured person’s arms and basking in the warmth they gave off. Aether felt xiao’s hot breath fan over his nape as the latter whispered good night. However, they both knew what it meant as the yaksha pulled him closer by the waist. they didn't need words to express their feelings unlike before. The message was clear as day as they cuddled under the plush duvet. “Good night, Xiao.”
'I missed you.'