Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Aether knew there was something different in the air as soon as he stepped into Wangshu Inn. And it was not just the fried radish balls that Paimon was voraciously gobbling up beside him. The inn seemed more crowded and bustling than usual. Instead of admiring the view or siting down while waiting for their meal, most of the guests were pacing around, whispering in pairs, and conspicuously eyeing one another. As Aether was climbing the stairs to the reception, a woman passed by him and made no effort to hide her giggling.

“Seems like people here are in a good mood today,” remarked Paimon before shoving the last radish ball down her throat.

Aether hummed in acknowledgment, though he was not sure he agreed with that description. Those people were anxious about something. Some looked jumpy, others excited, and Aether spotted at least one person hiding behind a silk flower bush. Whatever was happening, it had to be both incredible and terrifying—and yet, nothing was on fire, no loud music was playing, and he could not find traces of any monsters or ghosts.

It was only when they reached the top of the external stairs that Aether understood the cause of the commotion. It was something that he had only recently become acquainted with, but whose mere sight made his blood curl. Hanging under the doorframe, exuding its chaotic aura, there was a mistletoe.

“Why, hello, Aether! Paimon!” Verr Goldet greeted from behind the reception desk. “It’s been a while. I suppose you are here because of the commission I posted in the Adventurers’ Guild, right?”

“Uh- yes, yes, that’s it,” Aether answered, forcing himself to tear his eyes from the foul hemiparasite. At least he would not be around for long enough to have to deal with that unwelcome surprise. Aether stepped to the side and crossed the doorframe into the reception, taking care not to step into any space that could be considered within the mistletoe’s radius. Paimon snickered and floated after him.

“Paimon didn’t think you would be so traumatized by that!”

“It’s not trauma, it’s self-preservation,” corrected Aether. He turned to Verr Goldet. “I didn’t know you also had this mistletoe thing in Liyue…”

“Oh, we don’t, actually. We have a guest from Mondstadt and yesterday he was telling everyone about this tradition they have during the Windblume Festival, which happened to be just last week.” Aether was aware of that. That was, after all, the reason why he had avoided his pending commissions in Mondstadt for an entire week. “The other guests found it quite exciting, so we decided to have some fun and hang some mistletoes around, even if the festivities are technically over. We’re still hanging them, so keep your eyes open!”

“I certainly will,” Aether scratched the back of his neck and sent a quick glance towards the mistletoe. Being caught unaware with that was the last thing he wished.

“By the way, is Xiao still with you?”

Thankful for the change of subject, Aether replied, “Yes, he’s waiting for us by the bridge.” Xiao had seen the unusual movement around the inn from afar and decided it was best to stay away from the crowd. In retrospect, Aether could not help but admire the yaksha’s foresight.

Verr Goldet nodded with a smile. “It’s nice to see him in good company. Thank you for helping him, Aether.”

The Traveler let out a nervous laughter and waived his hand dismissively. Verr Goldet’s words were flattering, but far from the truth. It was Xiao who had been helping him.

It had started about a week after they had escaped from the Chasm. The events had taken a toll on all of them, physically and emotionally. Yanfei had insisted on having a debriefing session where they could piece together the information gathered and talk about how they were feeling after all the trials and tribulations in the underground. Needless to say, Yelan and Xiao had declined the proposal – the former because of the sensitive information she reserved for the Tianquan; the latter, Aether suspected, because being trapped in the Chasm had given Xiao enough social interaction for a while. Still, it had been a good idea to check up on the others. Yanfei had many theories about how that place had been able to penetrate their minds and the fact that none of them produced satisfying answers terrified her. Itto had admitted to having been a little fearful of being stuck underground forever, Shinobu had shared some more of her struggles with her family, Paimon had cried at the thought of never eating sticky honey roast again. Aether had talked about the Abyss illusion he had been sucked into, but did not mention his sister. Only later, alone with Paimon, had he discussed his fears about Lumine and whatever she was doing. As usual, it had been an exercise that had done nothing to quell his anxiety.

As for what Xiao had done, since no one else had brought it up, neither had Aether. There was no need, he had told himself. He and Xiao had talked afterwards at Pervases’ Temple. Xiao had apparently understood his concerns, agreed to rely on others more. Whatever Aether had felt in those five seconds in which he had opened his eyes to the sunlight and Xiao had not been beside him, however hard his heart had seemed to twist in his chest, that was all gone. His friend had made it in the end. Xiao was alive. Everything was fine. There was no need to dwell on that. So it came as a surprise to Aether when the nightmares started.

It always began the same: with the compass, the symbol of cooperation between adepti and humans. With Xiao powering up the device as the shadows around them grew. Most of the times all seven of them were there, but sometimes it was just him and Xiao. Aether would see Xiao’s mask shattering and he knew what would happen. He would scream, reach for Xiao, try to take the compass away from him, try anything to stop him. But Aether was always pulled away; teleported by Xiao himself, grabbed by one of the shadows, yanked by some invisible thread of fate. The nightmares would always end with the gut-wrenching realization that Xiao was gone and Aether would never see him again.

Paimon had noticed something was wrong by the way Aether would wake up breathless and remain tired throughout the day, but he had assured her that it was just annoying dreams. He had though it would be a one-time event. One of his closest friends had almost died in a subterranean maze, of course that would have upset him for a while. But that was over. Nothing to fear. Surely his subconscious would quickly get the message.

On the fifth night, Aether had woken up drenched in sweat and with a sore throat. First he had heard his name being repeated in a fretful tone, then he had felt the grip on his shoulders. His vision had been the last thing to adjust, unable to discern whether those apprehensive golden eyes in front of him were still part of the dream. It had taken Aether minutes to even out his breathing and deduce what had happened.

Of course the screams in Aether’s dream had made their way into the real world and of course Xiao had answered the call – anywhere, any time, he had said during that Latern Rite that almost felt eons ago. The ensuing conversation had been a succession of embarrassments, with Aether trying to apologize to Xiao for having disturbed him in the middle of the night, Paimon suggesting that “maybe if Xiao stays with us for the night you will feel more at ease”, and Xiao’s unfazed acceptance. And once the Vigilant Yaksha accepted a task, nothing could stop him from seeing it through, not even Aether’s pleas.

“No, don’t worry about that. I’m not a kid, you don’t need to watch my sleep or anything. I don’t want to bother you with that.”

“With the way you were screaming, you could have attracted a herd of Lawachurls. My presence should at least deter any monsters from getting too close.”

Xiao had not deigned to reply to any of Aether’s protests after that. With his cheeks burning from embarrassment and a tight feeling in his chest that he could not quite understand, the Traveler had gone back to sleep.

The worst part had perhaps been that Aether had indeed managed to sleep better during the rest of the night. And in those last moments before sleep had lulled him away, he could swear that he had felt Xiao’s fingertips brushing his own, a small reminder that he was there, alive and by Aether’s side. But when he had woken up the next morning, Xiao had been standing some good five meters apart from him, spear in hand and attention focused on their surroundings.

During breakfast that day, Aether had blurted out without thinking, “Would you like to come with me? To look for my sister? I should be running around Liyue and Mondstadt for a while and trying to get some more information on Sumeru.”

He had been about to add a “you don’t have to if you don’t want to” but Xiao had already agreed. When inquired about his motives, the adeptus sounded baffled.

“Do you not want me to come?”

“No, it’s not that! I just wasn’t sure if that was something you would like-”

“You invited me expecting rejection? Why then would you…” Xiao halted with a frustrated sigh. “There is no logic in your reasoning. It is a wonder you have managed to stay alive for as long as you have. One more reason why I should accompany you.”

The next hour had been filled with a debate on Aether’s survival skills and a spar that ended up with Aether hanging upside down from a tree branch and Xiao’s spear at his throat.

 Almost three months had gone by since then. Sometimes other people would join them on shorter trips – Chongyun, Xingqiu, Kazuha, even Mona once. (Never Yanfei, who had declared she would happily stick with her desk job for a while.) All of them had eventually left to attend to other matters, but Xiao had stayed. Despite often berating Aether for his recklessness, despite hardly being able to withstand Paimon’s chattering, despite the time when Aether had fallen asleep on the yaksha’s shoulder after a particularly bad dream… Xiao had stayed. Aether’s nightmares had become more and more infrequent until they finally seemed to have stopped. He never had the heart to tell Xiao what the nightmares had been about. In part because he did not want the yaksha to blame himself for Aether’s state. In part because Aether himself did not know how to put into words the pit in his stomach that grew every time he watched Xiao fall into the darkness.

“And this is why I need you to get this letter to Fugui as soon as possible. Any questions?”

Verr Goldet’s words snapped Aether back to the present. He had been only half-listening, the other half of his mind busy wondering for how long he would be able to keep Xiao as a travel companion. At least the instructions for the commission were simple. “Nope. I know where Fugui is stationed, so we should be able to make it to him and back by sundown.”

“By the way, if you are looking for more places to hang the mistletoes, Paimon thinks that having an arch of them by the entrance would really rile up the guests …”

“Paimon, you just want to watch the world burn. Let’s go,” Aether called, hoping that the pensive expression in Verr Goldet’s face did not mean that she was actually considering Paimon’s suggestion.

“Paimon doesn’t understand why you are so afraid of kissing someone!”

“It’s not that!” Aether protested, feeling his cheeks growing hotter at Paimon’s teasing. His companion sent him an unconvinced look and started floating down the stairs, with Aether close behind. “I just think it’s silly to have to kiss someone because of a plant, instead of actually having a good time with someone you like. Mistletoes just make it awkward, even when it is someone you want to kiss.”

“Paimon doesn’t see anything wrong with giving a little push.”

“With you, it would be more like a shove down a cliff.”

Confirming his point, Paimon gave Aether a playful bump that almost resulted in his stumbling into another man who had been making his way up.

“Six-Fingered José!” Paimon exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. “So it is you the guest who brought the Windblume mistletoe to Wangshu Inn! What are you doing here?”

“Traveler! And the Traveler’s floating companion!” José greeted, and Aether had to hold Paimon by the collar of her outfit to prevent her from smacking the bard. “You know, the Windblume Festival was a blast this year. The Knights really outdid themselves with the preparations. But… it attracted too many bards. Not that I’m afraid of competition, of course! But you know, when supply is much higher than demand, it becomes difficult for the audience to recognize real talent. So I decided it was time to expand my horizons a little bit and try a trip to Liyue… I found this inn along the way and got permission to perform here.”

“Wow, congratulations!” Aether said, patting José’s shoulder.

“Yeah, that’s great!” agreed Paimon. “Paimon was starting to think you were all talk and no play, you know…”

“That is only because you have the misfortune of finding me when I have already finished my office hours,” José huffed, crossing his arms.

“Do bards have office hours?”

“The musical profession is an occupation like any other and entitled to the same labor rights, thank you very much!”

“So… when can we hear you play?” asked Aether before Paimon could further offend the bard.

“Well, tonight! I shall start my performance just after sunset. Don’t be late!”

“We won’t. See you later, José!”

“Do you really think we’ll finally hear him perform?” Paimon asked Aether once José was out of earshot. The Traveler shook his head.

“He will probably say he caught a cold kissing someone under a mistletoe and can’t strain his throat.”

“Oh, now that’s a good excuse! You should use that if you want to avoid kissing someone!”

“I will do even better. I will avoid mistletoes and awkward situations altogether.”

“Oh, like the one you’re currently under?”

Aether immediately froze and looked up, only to see a harmless tree branch with no hemiparasitic species attached to it. He glared at Paimon, who was already doubling up with laughter.

"You should have seen your face! You were absolutely terrified!”

“Well, I would appreciate if you could warn me when there is actually a mistletoe and before I pass under it.”

“Paimon will think about it. But Paimon likes to see you alert, it’s a good change of pace.”

“Are you saying I’m not usually alert?”

“Your attentiveness could certainly improve.”

The sudden sound of Xiao’s voice coming from behind them as soon as they got to the bridge caused Aether to stumble forward. His face had been a few centimeters from hitting the ground when Xiao grabbed his scarf and pulled him up. Paimon roared with laughter once again, going up and down in the air.

As he steadied himself up, Aether instinctively grabbed Xiao’s wrist. The adeptus bent down and held out his other arm in case Aether needed further support, their faces coming closer. Aether smiled quietly as a thank you. He noticed his stomach had started to swirl and blamed it on the near-fall. Back to his feet, Aether let go of Xiao and said, “To be fair, this has less to do with my attentiveness and more with you being a master of stealth.”

“Stealth is hardly a skill that I have needed to practice to perform my duties,” the adeptus deadpanned with a serious frown. “You should recognize your failings and work on them, lest they cost you in battle.”

“Duly noted, Master Conqueror of Demons.” Xiao rolled his eyes at Aether’s mocking solemnity. But instead of lecturing the Traveler on his repeated lack of respect for the adepti, Xiao returned to the previous topic.

“Why would you need to be particularly alert today?”

“Oh! They’re hanging up mistletoes all around Wangshu Inn and Aether’s afraid of them!” Paimon squealed, still giggling.

Xiao arched an eyebrow. “You’re afraid… of a plant?”

“No, I’m not.” Aether shot Paimon a glare. “They are trying to copy this tradition they have in Mondstadt during Windblume. You hang mistletoes around the ceiling, doorframes, arches, anywhere, and if two people pass underneath the mistletoe at the same time, they have to give each other a kiss.”

Xiao’s frown deepened, this time in confusion. “They have to… Is there some kind of spell on the mistletoe that compels people to kiss?”

“Uh… no. It’s a normal plant.”

“Is there some kind of curse or penalty if people do not kiss?”

“No, no, it’s just that… other people get disappointed, I guess? It’s all part of the game.”

The yaksha seemed even more lost than before. “So you kiss to have other people feel good about themselves… Wasn’t a kiss supposed to bring enjoyment only to the people who partake in it? Do humans also enjoy just seeing other people kiss?”

Those were all perfectly reasonable questions that Aether wished he had posed to the Knights of Favonius the previous year, when he became acquainted with that custom. He had no idea how to explain them to Xiao when Aether himself was not a fan. Still, he tried his best.

“It really is a weird tradition. I personally don’t like it. It’s a bit… invasive. But the idea is kind of to spread love, either romantically or as friendship. People will sometimes orchestrate a plan to get under the mistletoe with the person they like. And others who are watching will be happy for them. Or they will end up under the mistletoe with a random person, or someone they don’t like much… and other people will think it’s funny that now they are supposed to kiss. I guess the point is to be kind to whomever you end up with under the mistletoe, regardless of who it is? Like I said, it’s pretty weird.”

Xiao nodded slowly, still frowning. Aether could almost see the gears and cogs turning in his head like Fontainian clockwork, trying to make sense of the particularities of human behavior. Aether could hardly blame him; few things in Teyvat had eluded the Traveler so much as the mistletoe tradition. Still, he decided that some teasing was in order to lighten the mood.

“Thinking about who you are going to try to get under the mistletoe?” Aether asked, his eyebrows going up and down suggestively. The yaksha glared at him.

“Do not be ridiculous. Resorting to such antics to win someone’s affection is demeaning.”

The way Xiao had framed the reply intrigued Aether. It almost implied that he had thought about “winning someone’s affection”. Before he could find a way to prod further, Paimon butted in.

“Paimon thinks it’s super fun! Especially watching certain people get all embarrassed and try to hide from mistletoes. You should have seen Aether’s face last year when Kaeya kept trying everything to get him under one!”

Xiao’s expression visibly stiffened. Aether felt the color draining from his face. The last thing he needed was anyone thinking he had had something with the Cavalry Captain. Especially Xiao. Xiao already had too little faith in Aether’s good sense, and he knew that hooking up with Kaeya would only worsen the adeptus’ judgment. The two had met briefly not two months ago in the City of Mondstadt and Aether had been introduced to the notion of loathing at first sight.

“Be careful around him. He reeks of deception,” Xiao had warned him. Aether could not exactly disagree. Most people who spent enough time around Kaeya found out that he had a knack for keeping secrets and twisting words. So far, all for good causes. But it was understandable that someone like Xiao, who loathed wasting time in pointless chatter and was blunt to a fault, would not find Kaeya’s character pleasant.

“Well, yeah,” Aether laughed nervously, trying to defuse the bomb that Paimon had just inadvertently dropped. “He’s always like that. Trying to spread chaos everywhere. We’re just friends, though. I don’t like him in that way. And he just likes to tease people to see their reaction.”

“You do not have to explain your relationships with others to me,” was Xiao’s curt reply.

Aether felt his chest suddenly tightening. “No, yeah, I mean… I just wanted to be clear. You know, for context.” Xiao did not reply, which only made Aether more anxious to get another sort of reaction out of him. Opening up a grin, the blond swung an arm around Xiao’s shoulders. “No need to be jealous, you’re still my favorite travel companion.”

“Jealousy is a futile feeling and one I am unfamiliar with,” Xiao said, swiftly dislodging Aether’s arm, but not quite stepping away. “And given some of the company you keep, this is hardly flattering.”

Despite the snark remark, Aether noticed that Xiao’s posture had relaxed, even if slightly. That was a relief. Aether had meant what he said. At first, he had thought that traveling with Xiao would feel awkward – if not because of the adeptus’ well-known aversion to entanglement in mortal affairs, at least because Aether kept dreaming about his death. But Xiao had slipped almost seamlessly into his routine, helping Aether with his commissions from the Adventurer’s Guild, gathering information and useful items for the future trip to Sumeru, and putting up remarkably well with Aether’s teasing.

The Traveler’s thoughts were interrupted by Paimon’s shrill. “Hey! Paimon thought Paimon was your favorite travel companion!”

“No, you’re my favorite emergency food. Remember?”

Aether did not even try to duck when Paimon smacked his head. He turned to Xiao. “So, Verr Goldet’s request is pretty straightforward. We just have to deliver this letter to Fugui, come back to her, and we can be on our way.” Their plan was to leave for Mondstadt the following morning. Katherine had forwarded him some commissions in the region and it had been a while since he had last checked in with the Knights of Favonius.

The way to the Millelith’s outpost was not very far, but there was a fair share of Hilichurl camps nearby. Paimon floated ahead of them, saying that she would scout the area for treasure and “any mistletoes that Aether might want to avoid”. Aether did not stop her, glad to be free of her mockery for at least a while. He noticed that Xiao was quieter than usual, a slight furrow in his brows indicating that his mind was elsewhere. Suddenly, he raised his eyes at Aether.

“You’re staring.”

Caught red-handed, Aether smiled sheepishly. “And you look like you’re trying to dig a hole into the ground with your eyes. What’s on your mind?”

Xiao paused for a moment before answering. “Do humans really take this ritual with the mistletoe so seriously?”

Aether was not surprised that Xiao was still thinking about that. It was, after all, a baffling tradition and completely different from what Xiao was accustomed to. “Well, at least in Mondstadt they do. Apparently the people at the inn were pretty committed to the idea too.”

The adeptus scoffed. “What a frivolous notion.”

Aether did not disagree, but a sliver of curiosity kept tugging at his mind. The whole meaning behind the mistletoe was foreign to Liyue. Aether wondered how foreign other aspects of the tradition were to the Vigilant Yaksha.

“Xiao, have you ever kissed anyone?” Aether blurted out without thinking, an unfortunate habit that seemed to have only grown worse after Xiao had started travelling with him. The yaksha’s eyes widened for a second and then narrowed dangerously, irritation flashing at the Traveler’s insolence.

“What makes you think I would have the time, or the interest,” Xiao added with emphasis, “to partake in such a mundane activity?”

“Well, you seemed intrigued by the whole concept-”

“Adepti do not have the same regard as mortals concerning this kind of intimacy,” Xiao interrupted.

Aether was not satisfied by that answer. Gathering up courage, he retorted, “But some do, right? Yanfei’s dad did get married to a human. And Ganyu’s parents also were in a relationship, I presume. So you can’t tell me that adepti simply don’t do romance.”

“Do you have a point?” Xiao was visibly getting annoyed by how the conversation was developing. Aether had known this could be a sensitive topic. Xiao had many reservations about getting close to others, be them mortals or adepti. The fact that he had stayed around Aether for so long, only going off from time to time to ensure that his karmic debt and adeptal energy did not cause any adverse effects upon Aether – which strangely never seemed to be the case – was nothing short of a miracle.

Perhaps Xiao had also been shaken by the events in the Chasm more than he was willing to admit. The search for Bosacius had brought up painful memories. Even if Xiao had said that his mind was at peace now that he knew of Bosacius’ fate, Aether had seen the sorrow in his eyes as that sliver of hope of another surviving yaksha vanished. Xiao had insisted that the yakshas had been nothing but killers at the service of Rex Lapis. But even through that well-rehearsed speech, he could not hide the fondness with which he spoke of them. Aether suspected they had been the closest thing to a family that Xiao had ever had. Having such a brutal reminder of that loss may have weighed on Xiao’s willingness to accept company.

Aether was determined not to let such a willingness fade. And in doing that, he wanted to understand more about Xiao. Like his standing on kissing, since the topic had conveniently presented itself.

“I was just wondering if you had ever gone through that. Maybe before the Archon War… Don’t tell me that the handsome Vigilant Yaksha never had any admirers. I, for one, know a little girl in Qingce who is head over heels about a certain doll-rescuing adeptus,” Aether batted his eyelashes, testing how far he could go until Xiao lost his patience and decided to teleport directly to Fugui. However, Xiao had either come to terms with Aether’s curiosity or found that the quickest way to end the conversation was by providing a direct answer.

“I never had the chance to engage in such kinds of leisure. Too much happened. Too quickly.”

Something in his tone told Aether that there was much left unsaid in that answer. When he thought about it, he did not know what Xiao’s life before the Archon War had been like, how he had come to meet Rex Lapis. Perhaps even before then Xiao had been a warrior and relationships had been too difficult to maintain.

“Have you?” Xiao asked, catching Aether by surprise. He supposed it was only fair, though, after having prodded so much.

“Kissed? Yeah, uh, a few times.” Emphasis on “few”, Aether could hear Lumine snickering at the back of his mind. You tease, you talk big, but when it comes down to it…

Something undecipherable flashed across Xiao’s expression. “You had never mentioned that you were courting someone.”

“No, no, no, I’m not,” Aether denied emphatically. “Kissing doesn’t necessarily mean commitment. I mean, for some people yes, but it all depends. Some people do it for fun, others because they expect a more serious relationship… I had gotten close with someone before I came to Teyvat, but not to that point. It didn’t work out. That was a long time ago.”

Xiao nodded quietly. Aether was not sure why, but the thought of having Xiao mistakenly think he was seeing someone terrified him. They had been spending so much time together – when he thought about it, practically living together for the past months, even though the closest thing he had to a permanent home was a magical teapot. It would be weird if Aether started to date someone. Where would this person fit in their dynamics? Especially now that Xiao had started to feel more comfortable around him, which hopefully would lead him to realize that he did not need to keep such a strict distance from other people. No, a relationship right now was not in Aether’s plans.

Before Aether could think about how to extract more information from Xiao, the adeptus grabbed his wrist and hurled him to the side. Caught off guard, Aether almost fell face first on the ground, but managed to regain his balance. He heard the sound of something cutting throw the air and turned back to see Xiao’s spear piercing the head of a Pyro Whopperflower that was standing where Aether had been but a few seconds earlier.

“I thought you were supposed to be on high alert today,” Xiao remarked, drawing his spear back as the Whopperflower shriveled and fell back, dead.

“I was testing to see if all this talk about kissing had distracted you,” Aether shot back with a grin, causing Xiao to roll his eyes. “Thank you, though.”

“Guys! GUYS!” a frantic Paimon called, floating at top speed towards them. “Paimon found two Abyss Mages with a huge che- I mean, who look like they’re up to no good! We should go confront them!”

Aether looked at Xiao. “Bet I can take them in less than a minute.”

“If you can take them out without doing something stupidly reckless it will already be an improvement.”

“Challenge accepted.”

It turned out that trying to whirlwind Abyss Mages by surprise behind a bush was not an effective strategy. Those fiends had remarkably good hearing. But Aether had been able to keep within his sixty-second goal and Xiao had groaned only slightly when Aether got himself hit by an icicle, so he counted that as a success. The treasure chest that Paimon had been so excited about ended up containing only a rusty stone tablet, to her dismay.

“Do you think this may be part of a bigger puzzle that leads us to treasure? We run into these kinds of things a lot.”

“Well, we can sure keep it and figure it out later,” Aether conceded.

The letter was delivered to Fugui without any further distractions. The sun had just begun to set when they got back to Wangshu Inn. All of the guests seemed to have gathered on the deck under the tree, crowded around a medium wooden stage without anyone on top. Judging by the angry faces and hushed complaints, Aether guessed that Six-Fingered José had found canceled his grand Liyuean debut last-minute.

Xiao eyed the crowd with disinterest before turning to Aether. “Would you like to take the road to Mondstadt now or spend the night here?”

“I was thinking of getting some rest here and leaving tomorrow morning. By the way, Verr Goldet was asking about you today.”

“Does she need anything else?” Xiao raised an eyebrow.

“No, she just wanted to know how you were doing. Might be nice to step in and say ‘hi’ for a moment.”

“Just… to say ‘hi’? That seems rather pointless.”

“It’s about showing someone that cares about you that you care about them too. Come on, a quick stop won’t hurt you.”

Xiao sighed, mumbled something about the unnecessary formalities of mortal relations, but nodded. Verr Goldet done much to support Xiao’s activities from the shadows, Aether knew that Xiao was grateful for her assistance. Getting him to show that a bit more could be a positive development.

                Paimon floated ahead as they climbed up the stairs, musing about the five plates sticky honey roast that she was planning to order from Smiley Yanxiao (Aether would have to discuss the state of their finances with her soon). She dashed to the reception, where they saw Verr Goldet slowly rubbing her temples while she talked to a jittering Six-Fingered José. Huai'an was standing by Verr Goldet’s side, looking equally exasperated.

“You promised them a traditional Windblume concert, what did you expect? You can’t bail out last minute. We take our agreements very seriously in Liyue.”

“But I can feel my fingers dislodging from practicing so much!” José cried, squeezing his right hand for emphasis. “If I were to force them now, I could have a terrible accident, and then no one would ever hear me play again!  What would you have me do?”

“I don’t care, as long as my guests are appeased and leave a satisfying review. You caused this mess, you solve it. Or would you prefer to have your reputation tarnished all across Liyue before it even began?”

A shiver ran down José’s spine at her suggestion. He sighed, gave two quick slaps on his own cheeks to steel himself, and turned to walk out. Turning his head back, Aether saw that Xiao was standing by the doorframe with his arms crossed. Underneath the mistletoe. Where José was about to walk by.

Aether’s body moved on its own, faster than his mind could process what was happening. Looking back, it had been all very logical. Xiao had made his abhorrence with the idea of mistletoes very clear. Just imagine if he were coaxed to kiss a random stranger underneath one, having never kissed another person before. And this stranger was Six-Fingered José, who Aether doubted could ever be Xiao’s type. He had to save his friend from that predicament.

“José, wait!”

Aether lunged forward and grabbed José’s wrist. The bard yelped and yanked his arm back in surprise, causing Aether to stumble forward. His face came close to the floor for the third time that day when a pair of arms encircled him and held him back. Aether did not have to turn his head to know that Xiao had caught him. That motion was dangerously close to becoming a habit. When Aether turned to look, the adeptus was staring at him as though Aether had gone mad.

In retrospect, his outburst had probably seemed odd to those who had not noticed the crisis he had sought to avoid. Aether let out a flustered laugh and was about to explain the situation when three loud gasps echoed. Verr Goldet, Huai'an, and Paimon stared at them, mouths agape.

“Aether!” Paimon exclaimed, aggressively pointing her finger up.

Aether and Xiao looked up. They were both underneath the mistletoe.

Aether felt the blood draining from his face as his eyes moved from the mistletoe to Xiao, then back to the mistletoe, to Paimon, to Six-Fingered José, and finally back to Xiao. Xiao’s eyes were uncharacteristically wide and his jaw was clenched tight. As soon as their gazes met, Xiao lowered his eyes.

After the initial shock, Xiao yanked Aether back to his feet and let go of him. The adeptus did not step away, though. Verr Goldet, Huai'an, and Paimon continued to watch in silence, holding their breaths. The only one who seemed wholly unfazed by the scene was Six-Fingered José.

“Alright, Aether. Aether’s friend. You know the drill. Pucker up and get it over with.”

Aether nearly choked. José was clearly not familiar with the reputation of the Conqueror of Demons, or of adepti in general, or else he never would have made that suggestion in such a casual tone. Aether looked at Xiao to gauge his reaction, but the yaksha was very intent on avoiding Aether’s gaze.

The Traveler then shot a desperate look towards Paimon, hoping that she would do something, say anything to get them out of that situation. Paimon yelped at the sight of Aether’s pleading eyes and, fidgeting, asked “Uh… Paimon is wondering what happens if the people under the mistletoe don’t kiss…”

“Terrible, terrible luck,” replied José. “The wrath of the Anemo Archon shall descend upon those who scorn at love. Especially during Windblume.”

Aether knew for a fact that Venti was too busy indulging in dandelion wine to pay attention to who was or was not fulfilling the mistletoe tradition. Not to mention that, technically, they were not on Windblume anymore. However, the bard’s words worried Huai'an.

“Playing with the Archons’ will is always dangerous…”

To Aether’s utter disbelief, Verr Goldet agreed. “It is important to observe these kinds of traditions…” She moved her hand to her mouth and Aether could swear she saw the corners of her lips turning upwards. Aether did not know what to make of that gesture.

Someone needed to say something and stop that outrageous situation. Aether had thrown himself onto José’s way precisely to avoid having Xiao be coerced into intimacy with someone he did not even know. Now that he thought about it, Aether had done José quite a favor as well – although Xiao had vowed not to harm mortals, Aether was not sure the yaksha would refrain from at least putting his spear against José’s throat if the bard went for a kiss. All of them should have – must have – realized that. So why were they staring at Aether and Xiao as if expecting something? More importantly, perhaps: why wasn’t Xiao saying anything?

This last realization sent Aether’s mind on alert. Turning his head, the Traveler saw that Xiao was still adamant about not making eye contact. In fact, the adeptus had remained remarkably still through their companions’ musings, keeping his eyes glued to the floor as though he hoped the wood would collapse and free him from that place. Which was ironic for someone who could teleport in an instant. Xiao did make use of his teleporting powers quite often when he did not want to deal with troublesome situations, which usually involved prolonged interaction with mortals. Why not this time?

Was Xiao actually considering kissing him?

The thought hit Aether like a punch in the gut. His mind raced, thinking of how Xiao would react in a kiss. Probably unsure, at least at first. Xiao was constantly expressing his disinterest for mortal experiences and then adding with a sigh that, if Aether wanted, he would do it. Aether had always taken pride in that, teased about being the Vigilant Yaksha’s favorite mortal. But how far would that go? Could Xiao maybe enjoy a kiss – a kiss from Aether? The image of their lips meeting suddenly popped into Aether’s mind and he could not help but wonder how that would taste, how it would feel to run his fingers through Xiao’s hair-

Aether blinked hard and shook his head. Of course Xiao did not want to kiss him. The yaksha had essentially said earlier that he did not have any interest in the idea of kissing someone. Xiao was surely just waiting for his reaction, as the one mortal he trusted in, to placate the situation with as little damage as possible.

Xiao did not want to kiss him. Even Aether was not sure how the idea of kissing Xiao had come to his mind. But now his friend was counting on him, and Aether had to act.

Xiao’s eyes shot up as Aether touched his arm lightly. Despite the stony expression, Aether could see the agitation in Xiao’s eyes. This only strengthened Aether’s resolve to get them out of that mess as quickly as possible.

Aether leaned in closer to Xiao and whispered as softly as he could, “Just a quick peck so they’ll get off our backs, okay?”

He waited for Xiao to give some kind of confirmation, but the adeptus only continued to stare at him, still as a statue. Xiao did not even look like he was breathing – did adepti need to breath? Before he could regret it, Aether closed his eyes and planted his lips on Xiao’s cheek.

It was a quick peck, as promised. Less than a second, and Aether was back to staring at the others, trying to look nonchalant as he crossed his arms over his chest as if that could calm down his racing heart.

That should be enough – friendly kisses on the cheek still complied with the requirements of the mistletoe tradition and had the added value of sparing Xiao of a mortal experience he avowedly took no interest in. Still, it had probably been the most intimate form of contact Xiao had had in years – centuries? Millenia? – and it was more than enough to get another unison of gasps from Paimon, Verr Goldet, and Huai’an. Only José remained utterly unimpressed.

“Was it that hard? By Lord Barbatos, I didn’t know Liyueans were so conservative… Wait. Aether, where did your friend go?”

Aether turned his head to and, instead of Xiao, he found himself staring at the wooden doorframe. Xiao was nowhere to be seen. Now he had teleported.

A wave of panic washed over Aether. It was clear that Xiao had not appreciated the way Aether had attempted to diffuse the situation – why else would he leave without a word? Aether should have waited for Xiao’s unequivocal confirmation before taking that sort of liberty. Better yet, he should have stomped his foot and refused to be coerced into such a silly tradition – it was not even Windblume anymore! But no, he had rushed into the first thing that had come to his mind without considering all of its implications. Classical Aether.

Verr Goldet must have noticed how he had started to pale. With a discreet cough, she quickly diverted the attention back to José and his stage fright.

“Well, Master Bard, we can’t let your public waiting any longer. We will go down with you and make sure our guests are being well treated. Come, Huai’an.”

Visibly wincing, José stumbled towards the stairs, followed by Verr Goldet and her husband. Aether would have thanked her, had his mind not been crumbling under the weight of his own actions. As soon as the trio was out of sight, Paimon floated to Aether’s side, looking almost as panicked as he felt.

“Paimon, what have I done?”

“Paimon didn’t understand anything! At first Paimon thought Xiao would be happy with a chance to kiss you but-”

“Wait, what? Why in the world would you think that?”

She crossed her arms with a sly smirk. “Well, you two have been getting pretty close lately. There was that night when he took care of you when you were drunk-”

“Because he thought I would get myself killed otherwise. And that was terribly embarrassing.”

“Or when he gave you those crystalfly cores for your hair-”

“He had gotten more than he needed for his amulet,” Aether remarked, not mentioning the fact that Xiao had never clearly answered him when he had asked what kind of amulet it was.

“Or when he spent days fussing all over you because of that scratch on your forehead. Anyway!” Paimon quickly added before Aether could interrupt her by saying that a bloody gash by an adult geovishap could hardly be called a “scratch”. “Paimon doesn’t understand why he looked so surprised and then just disappeared!”

Aether’s shoulders slumped and he sighed. “I obviously crossed a line. Xiao has just started trusting me more and… Well, I should have been more considerate of his hesitation towards physical contact."

Paimon arched an eyebrow at him. "He did not seem hesitant when he was holding you before…”

“Because he had just saved me from getting my face smashed,” cut off Aether, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. “Enough of your conspiracy theories. I need to apologize to him.”

“Well, if that’s what you want to do… But how will you find him? Are you going to call?”

“No, I… I think I know where he is.”

“Do you want Paimon to go with you?”

“No, I think it needs to be only me. I’m the one who messed up. Go and see if you can convince José to play at least one song tonight.”

“That might be a more challenging ordeal than yours… Paimon is sure that Xiao is not mad at you. He just has a weird way of reacting. Anyway, good luck!

Aether waved as his traveling companion rushed down the stairs. He took a few seconds to breath and then turned towards the stairs leading up to the balcony. Xiao’s reserved space at Wangshu Inn. The place where they had first met.

Up there, Aether could not hear any of the commotion among the guests on the ground floor. Rather, the night was quiet, with only the gentlest of breezes whistling every now and then. He looked around for any signs of Xiao, but did not find any. Aether sighed, crossing his arms over the railing and lowering his head over them. Maybe he didn’t know Xiao’s escape place as well as he had thought. Still, Aether did not want to call him, especially when he was probably angry and did not want to see-

“Aether.”

At the unexpected sound of Xiao’s voice, Aether quickly turned and, startled, took a step back. The next thing he knew, Xiao had grabbed both of his shoulders to prevent the possibility of having Aether fall over the railing. A bit overcautious, perhaps, but, with Aether’s recent imbalances, he could hardly blame the yaksha for acting preemptively.

Aether met Xiao’s eyes and was surprised not to see the simmering anger he had expected. For a moment, Xiao seemed nothing but concerned, eyeing Aether’s posture to make sure he would not find another way to hurt himself. It never ceased to amaze Aether how the gold in Xiao’s eyes seemed to change throughout the day. So much more vivid at night.

“Uh, hi, Xiao,” Aether greeted. He then looked down, suddenly hyper aware of Xiao’s grip on him and their proximity. Xiao immediately recoiled his hands and took a step back as though he had received a shock. Aether almost regretted his reaction. But there were more important things at stake and he should get them over with. “Look, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to put you in an awkward situation. I swear I was only trying to push José out of the way, and then- well.”

Aether forced himself to keep his gaze at Xiao, no matter how embarrassed he was. Still, he knew that the slight pink tint that started to spread across Xiao’s cheeks must have been a trick of the light.

“I thought the easiest way to get it over with without having the others complaining too much was… well, that. But I know that you are not so comfortable with this kind of contact. I shouldn’t have presumed. You have all the right to be mad at me, but I am really sorry, and I hope you forgive me.”

Xiao frowned, seemingly confused. “I am not angry at you. It was an unexpected predicament. I was surprised and needed to think, and I did not want to dally too long in the presence of mortals. Though I would prefer to be given a proper warning first, should a similar situation present itself.”

Those words came as a great surprised to Aether. Xiao was quite lenient with his constant push for physical contact, he knew, especially in comparison to how he reacted to other persons’ being close. Still, he had not imagined that Xiao would take that boundary being crossed so lightly. Or that he would consider the possibility of “a similar situation” arising.

It took Aether a few seconds to recompose himself enough to reply. “Of course. You are right. Erm- it won’t happen again. Hope I didn’t totally ruin the mistletoe experience for you,” Aether laughed, trying to sound more carefree than he felt.

Xiao was silent for a moment, staring at Aether. Something flashed across Xiao’s gaze but the Traveler could not for his life figure what that expression meant. When Xiao finally spoke, it was slowly, as if he were carefully choosing his words.

“Seeing how mortals react to this ritual has made me come to a decision regarding certain things I have been wondering about for some time.”

“Oh?” Aether could not think of anything more intelligent to say. He had completely lost control over where the conversation was headed and the ignorance of what was to come was making something in his stomach bubble. He waited for Xiao to elaborate, which the adeptus eventually did, seemingly with effort.

“I have noticed that mortals take great interest in kissing. Not only as a form of expressing affection in general, but… something more.” Xiao’s stare intensified with resolve.  “I would like to understand that.”

Aether blinked slowly, utterly confused. He had already guessed that Xiao’s earlier proclaimed disinterest in that kind of “mundane activity” was an exaggeration, but he had not expected Xiao to have been thinking about that for a while now. Aether could not help but wonder what had prompted the yaksha to concern himself with that. Or who, Aether thought, surprised at the sudden bitterness in his mouth. The Traveler swallowed and tried to control the nervousness in his voice.

“Well, it’s difficult to put into words. Everyone has their own experience with kissing, some good, some… complicated. So I guess the only way to really understand what it means to you is by-” Aether cut himself off because he could not possibly suggest Xiao to go around kissing someone. However, Xiao understood the unfinished sentence.

“I would have to experience it.”

“Well, yeah. I guess hearing about it wouldn’t really help.”

Xiao was silent for a moment, eyes fixed on the sky. Aether was pondering how to transition to a lighter subject when Xiao spoke again. “I would like to do that. To experience it. If you could show me.”

None of the battles Aether had faced so far – not even a strike from the Electro Archon herself – had made the air leave Aether’s lungs as fast as those words. What had Xiao just suggested? Was he aware of the implications? He could not be. He was curious and he had happened to seek help from one of the few mortals he trusted. Perhaps he even wanted to gain some experience before approaching someone he fancied – another adeptus? A god? Just thinking about that made Aether dizzy.

“Xiao, a-are you sure?” came his jittery reply. This time, Aether was sure the pink tint across Xiao’s cheeks was real. His eyes shifted slightly before coming back to Aether in a way that almost seemed to convey nervousness.

“If that is not amenable to you-”

“No- I mean, it’s not that,” Aether quickly exclaimed, surprised at his own words. When he thought about it, Aether could not say he was entirely opposed to the idea of kissing Xiao. His earlier reaction under the mistletoe had – embarrassingly – been proof of that. From a rational perspective, Aether supposed that was not so surprising; Xiao was, of course, very handsome. And kind, and thoughtful, and cunning, and caring, and all of the things that Aether valued in a person. But did that mean that Aether actively wanted to kiss Xiao? His mind was reeling too much to come up with an answer. “It’s just that it would be your first kiss. And usually you want it to be special – with someone special.”

Xiao frowned. “Ever since we’ve met, you have been pestering me and trying to get close to me, regardless of how foolish and dangerous that is. Against my own better judgment, I allowed a bond to form between us. This sort of bond… I hadn’t had one like that in a long time. It is too strong to be severed now. I don’t know if that can be considered ‘special’ by your standards.”

Aether’s breath hitched. It was not the first time that Xiao had talked about their connection, about his desire to understand Aether and the things he was willing to do to that end, like walking around Liyue Harbor despite his lack of patience for human interaction. But those talks were usually accompanied by some sort of sarcastic remark about how, through this understanding, Xiao hoped to make his own work of protecting mortals in Liuye easier by toning down Aether’s “abhorrent recklessness and disregard for his own safety”. This was the closest Xiao had come to admitting how he treasured their bond. It made Aether even more aware of how much he cared about that as well.

“It is,” Aether finally said. “It is special.”

Saying that out loud made something within Aether click. He made a decision.

“I will show you.”

He was surprised at how Xiao’s posture visibly relaxed at his words, only to tense up again when Aether took the yaksha’s hands into his.

“What are you-”

“Well, kissing is not just about pressing lips together. You have to create an atmosphere, to make the other person feel comfortable, to let them know you care.”

Xiao scoffed, looking away. “So much faffing around for something like this…”

“Oh, but that’s what it makes it memorable,” Aether laughed, a newfound enjoyment in watching the pink hue spread across Xiao’s cheeks – this time Aether knew it was real, if only because he had wittingly provoked it. He had never seen Xiao so flustered, not only when they had been under the mistletoe. He should focus on that. If Aether acted confidently and suave, maybe he could overcome the swirl in his own stomach.

The Traveler gently rubbed his thumb across Xiao’s knuckles, caressing them until Xiao seemed to get used to the touch. Aether took a small step closer and turned his head to the night sky.

“You know, the setting you chose, an open balcony under the stars, is quite romantic for a first kiss.”

“It was not chosen.”

“So should I be thanking fate for the fortuitous environment?”

“Do you believe in fate?” Xiao’s question was a serious one, but one upon which Aether had much reflected upon in previous travels with his sister.

“I believe our choices determine our fate. That we choose to get close to someone, we choose to let them in, to keep them close every day. Isn’t that much more romantic?”

Xiao grunted in reply, refusing to meet Aether’s eyes. A small smirk played on Aether’s lips as he pressed them against the back of Xiao’s hand. Xiao’s eyes widened uncharacteristically, and he stared at Aether with his mouth slightly agape.

Taking a breath and hoping Xiao could not hear his heart thrumming against his ribcage, Aether stepped closer once again and leaned in closer to Xiao’s ear. “I can stop if you want.”

Xiao’s reply was barely above a whisper. “No.”

The firmness of the yaksha’s response sent a shiver down Aether’s spine. He closed his eyes for a second, trying to quell his own nervousness before Xiao noticed.

Aether leaned back, still holding Xiao’s hands, and forced himself to look into the yaksha’s eyes. Aether then raised a hand to Xiao’s face, fingers slowly tracing his cheekbone down to his jaw, almost brushing against his lips. Xiao’s eyes were even more mesmerizing so close. They always carried so much emotion, no matter how much Xiao tried to hide it, tried to protect himself – no, tried to protect those around him, that’s what Xiao had always said. Until I came. He let me in – the thought surreptitiously crept into Aether’s mind and was immediately gone, lost in the glow of Xiao’s stare.

Aether moved his hand to the back of Xiao’s neck and leaned in closer, forehead almost touching Xiao’s. His hand had started trembling involuntarily. They were too close. Though Aether knew something like that could never go unnoticed by the yaksha, he hoped that Xiao would be too focused elsewhere to wonder about the source of Aether’s nervousness.

“May I?” Aether asked.

Xiao’s breath tickled his lips. “Yes.”

At first, Aether had intended for the kiss to be quick, something to satisfy the yaksha’s curiosity and still somewhat maintain their boundaries. That plan was thrown out of the window as soon as their lips met.

In contrast to the hard demeanor that Xiao was so intent on showing the world, his lips were soft, and parted in a small gasp at the touch. That tiny reaction stirred something in Aether’s chest. Some people talked about a good kiss as sending lightning through one’s body. But Aether had had many experiences with electrocution as of late and that wasn’t it. Lightning came and went in an instant. This was fire – warm, inviting, and slowly clouding his judgment with smoke.

Later that night, Aether would try to find a justification for his actions. He would say to himself, Well, Xiao did say he wanted to understand the mortal experience. Might as well do it thoroughly. At that moment, however, he was incapable of any such coherent thought. He just felt the need to be closer, to feel all of Xiao at once. So when the yaksha gasped, Aether instinctively slipped his tongue into Xiao’s mouth.

For a second, Xiao froze, no doubt unfamiliar with this kind of contact. His grip on Aether’s hands then tightened and then, as if reassured that Aether would not vanish, he slowly melted into the kiss.

Aether’s touch was gentle, but thorough. He explored every corner of Xiao’s mouth, tangled his hands on Xiao’s head, nibbled softly at his lips. The initial nervousness in Xiao’s reaction did not disappear entirely, but Aether could feel the yaksha relaxing and even taking some initiative of his own.

None of them knew how long it had been or who finally broke the kiss. They simply started at each other with eyes wide, chests heaving as their lungs struggled to remember how to breathe. It was only then that Aether noticed that one of Xiao’s hands had moved to encircle his waist.

Aether was overtaken by a sudden wave of self-consciousness. He had not only kissed Xiao; he had really kissed Xiao. Very passionately. And it had felt good. Right. Now, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings he did not know what to make of.

Xiao closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He broke the silence. “That was… different.”

Aether grimaced. “Bad different?”

“No.”

He could not help a tiny smile of relief. “Good different?”

Xiao did not answer, keeping his eyes down and his lips pursed. Only then did Aether notice that Xiao was staring at their intertwined hands and the way his thumb was softly rubbing small circles over Xiao’s knuckles. He stopped the movement as soon as he saw it, but could not bring himself to let go of Xiao.

A couple of seconds passed in silence until Xiao disentangled one of his hands from Aether’s. The blond held his breath as Xiao’s fingers hesitantly brushed his cheek, careful as if touching a crystalfly. Even then, Xiao still held onto his absurd concern that he might hurt Aether. It was as frustrating as it was endearing; to be cared for so much by someone who refused to accept the slightest degree of reciprocity. But if Aether was going to show Xiao anything about human intimacy, that wouldn’t do.

Aether tilted his head and rested it against Xiao’s palm. The adeptus immediately stiffened, but Aether gave him a reassuring smile.

“I’m not going to break, you know.”

Xiao let out a noise from the back of his throat that might have been an attempt at scoffing.

“Human lives are much more fragile than you seem to think.”

“Or we might be much stronger than you’ve been led to believe.” He paused. Then, more firmly, he said, “I’m strong enough.”

Aether himself was not sure what he meant by that. What he was strong enough for. Perhaps for anything Xiao needed. For Xiao.

To his surprise, Xiao held his gaze. “I know.”

The yaksha moved his hand to the back of Aether’s head and started fiddling with his braid. Aether let out a soft breath. He wished those fingers would never leave.

In a whisper, Xiao asked, “May I?”

Aether could not find the voice to speak, so he nodded.

Xiao leaned his head forward and pressed his lips onto Aether’s. He tried to mimic Aether’s movements, but the touch was too cautious. Xiao was nervous, and it showed. Aether pulled away slightly, just enough to be able to speak.

“Don’t overthink it. Just do what makes you comfortable.”

He could see the hesitation in Xiao’s eyes, so he pressed their noses together and waited for Xiao to take the lead. A few seconds passed until Xiao closed his eyes and, taking a deep breath, leaned in for another kiss.

This time, it was Aether who parted his lips and Xiao who deepened the kiss. The yaksha’s shyness soon gave way to curiosity as he pulled Aether closer, clicking their teeth together and trying to erase any and all space that had ever existed between them. Aether forgot how to breathe for a second. He would have been worried, if not for Xiao’s pledge to keep him alive. And how alive he felt.

Just as this kiss had been more intense, it was also shorter. Xiao leaned back suddenly, a look of dizziness in his eyes. Aether did not think he looked much different himself. Xiao then held Aether’s hand more firmly and carefully moved his fingers to encircle Aether’s wrist.

“Are you alright?” he asked in a concern tone. “Your heart rate is too fast.”

Heat rose across Aether’s neck and cheeks. If it were anyone else, he would have taken that as teasing. But Xiao’s eyes were too sincere; there he stood, completely oblivious to the effect he had on the Traveler’s body and mind. He could probably even hear the thumping of Aether’s heart, loud as it rang in Aether’s ears.

Aether suddenly wondered how much Xiao was affected by the kiss as well. Without thinking, he moved his hand up to the left side of Xiao’s chest and placed his palm there. The adeptus’s breath hitched. Aether remained silent for a moment, concentrating, until he felt it. His lips broke into a smile.

“So is yours.”

Those words broke whatever spell had been holding Xiao in place. Xiao suddenly let go of Aether and took a step back. His eyes were wide, his breathing slightly accelerated. The signs were faint, but visible enough for anyone who knew Xiao like Aether did. The Vigilant Yaksha looked like a cornered prey.

“Xiao,” Aether started, but the adeptus shook his head.

“I apologize. I have to go.”

“Xiao-!”

But when Aether reached out with his hand, Xiao was not there anymore. Much like in his dreams.