Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hello!! This is a story I thought of when I was trying to go to bed lol. Please do enjoy it!! Also do check out my other stories and I am more than likely going to make a one shot of my favorite ships :)

I will try to update this story every week on Wednesday! I will update twice if I know I will be busy that Wednesday. I will put warnings, ships, and chapter titles down below! I don't know how many chapters this story will have but you should expect at least 20 (not including this chapter).

Ships

Xiaother
Cynari
Heikazuscara

Warnings

Experimenting
Human experimentation
Humans with Animal parts
Major Character death
Mentions of self harm
Death
Attempted suicide
Abuse
SA
LGBTQ

If you dislike anything listed above I advise you to stop reading now!

Disclaimer:

There will be NO mpreg. This is not an omega fanfic. If you thought this was that please stop reading if you're specifically looking for that content. All warnings will be in effect after the first official chapter! If you dislike any of the ships please do not leave your opinion in the comments! Criticism is highly encouraged! It allows me to get better at writing these stories and it will help me in writing better publications! If you notice any grammar/spelling errors do point them out! I do proofread my fics but I easily skip over mistakes. Also, roman numerals will be used in numbering chapters! If you don't know roman numerals I will put the number next to them (not in chapter titles. Only in the context I will)

Context

(1) I, Ordinary Day
(2) II, Nightmare
(3)III, Hiding
(4) IV, Secret
(5) V, Betrayal
(6) VI, Capture
(7) VII, Pain
(8) VIII, Terror
(9) IX, More in Common
(10) X, Escape
(11) XI, False Hope
(12) XII, Punishment
(13) XIII, Hatred
(14) XIV, Rebellion
(15) XV, War
(16) XVI, Breaking In
(17) XVII, Loss
(18) XVIII, Suffering
(19) XIX, Goodbye
(Prologue) I, Missing You

Titles are subject to change!! This is just for you to get a rough idea of what to expect in the title. In total there will be 22 chapters. They will be roughly 1000 - 4000 words long. Ships may be added later on! Now, I hope you like angst because ur in for a rideeeeee ;)

Enjoy friends!

Chapter Text

Aether, who had woken up earlier but refused to acknowledge that fact, had his eyes screwed shut. He blinked with his eyes closed, hoping he could somehow blink enough until he fell asleep. He knew he had to get dressed and head off to school but couldn't a guy just sleep in at least once? Sadly, the archons didn't want him to stay home since his sister came barging into his room. Stomping over to her brother and shaking him so hard he thought he could feel his brain touch his skull.

"Lumine!" He scolded her, swatting her hands away as he turned his back to her, still laying in bed.

"Well, I had to wake you somehow!" She defended herself. Putting her hand to her heart in a defensive-like manner.

"Just a few more minutes..." He moaned, grabbing the pillow that lay next to him and covering his face with it.

"Oh don't 'few more minutes' me! We all know that is a lie and you'll be in bed for hours!" She argued. Already reaching forward to shake her brother further. He seemed to sense her coming closer because he shot upright. Finally opening his eyes that just moments ago were strained shut. He gave her a dirty look. Which she promptly gasped at. He shooed her away so he could change in peace.

"If I come back and you're still asleep I WILL smack you!" She yelled through the other side of the door.

He sighed defeatedly and grabbed a change of clothes. Since today was "Wear your regular clothes to school day" he grabbed a blue t-shirt and put a white hoodie over it. Grabbing plain jeans with mix-match socks that he no longer could find the other pair too. He walked into the bathroom that connected to his room. Closing the door behind him and locking it. He braided his hair and let it fall onto his back. He grabbed the earring that his mom gave him so long ago and put it on his right ear.

He unlocked the bathroom door, opened it, and left his room. He walked through the hallway that connected his, Lumine, and Paimon's rooms. He admired the many family portraits there were of the 3 and every one of the pictures had his mother in them. She loved photography and took too many pictures of her children for her good. He chuckled softly before turning into the kitchen which seemed to share the same room as the living room. Paimon was on the baby seat eating her food while also making a mess out of herself and anything in her vicinity. Lumine sat across from their baby sister, she ate her food with another plate next to her that Aether only assumed was for him. He sat next to his sisters and grabbed the plate from Lumine. Eating his breakfast before finishing it and placing it into the sink.

He looked over to his siblings who seemed about done with their food. He walked over to Lumine and grabbed her plate which was clean from any remnants that could've been left. He walked over to his little sister who was covered in any mashed-up food that she could process. He grabbed the plate that not even the naked eye would've been able to see and ran water over it in the sink. He grabbed the scrubby next to the sink and poured some dish soap onto the plates that were eaten off of. After a few minutes, he finished cleaning and came back to a clean, sleeping Paimon and a Lumine who was ready to get to school.

Aether sighed contently and went to grab his school bag that lay on one of the dinner table chairs. He strapped his backpack to his shoulders, giving his sister a nod. She nodded in response and opened the door to the outside world. They exited the house quietly so they wouldn't awaken their baby sister and headed to school. The walk was only 10 minutes and it was always beautiful on the way to school. The trees were blooming with flowers. Full of leaves that looked like the colors of the rainbow. The leaves covered the twins with shade and the smell of spring hung in the air. The grass smelt sweet and there were some dew drops that you could see on them.

They finally got to the gates of the school and parted ways with their friends. Aether saw his friends under a cherry tree so he skipped happily toward them. Venti was the first to notice his arrival and promptly waved to him. His other friends noticed and looked over in Aether's direction. Scara and Cyno's faces softened and they went back to talking to each other.

"Hey friends, whatcha doin'?" He hummed, peering over Cyno's shoulder since he was significantly shorter than him.

"Not much, we were all kinda waiting for you to arrive," Venti responded, Scara nodded in agreement.

It was sad seeing his two friends all quiet. They used to be at least slightly less gloomy than they are now when Tighnari and Heizou were here. Ever since they disappeared the group fell out of place. Aether patted Cyno's shoulder sympathetically and walked over to Xiao. He listened intently to Xiao's and Kazuha's conversation but didn't hear anything.

He had his eyes shut previously but he almost immediately opened them in alarm. He couldn't hear anything but there was a faint ringing that filled his ears. He looked around nervously and noticed his friends staring at him concerningly. He tried to reassure them that he was alright but nothing would come out. He helplessly opened and closed his mouth. Hoping that even the faintest of noises would come out.

Xiao stared at him intently before leaning to softly whisper into his ear. Xiao's voice was there but Aether couldn't hear it all that well. He solely focused on the man's voice. It slowly got louder and louder before the ringing altogether stopped. He was able to hear the soft chirps from the birds and the breeze that occasionally brushed through his hair. He hadn't acknowledged he was crying until he brushed his face and felt the salty tears ingrain themselves into his fingers.

"Are you okay Aether?" Venti asked concerningly, his eyebrows wrinkled in worry.

Aether smiled softly at Venti and comforted him that everything was alright. Venti wasn't all that convinced but brushed it off. He went back to chatting with Yanfei who stared intensely at Aether.

"What was that?" Xiao questioned. Not even Aether was sure what happened but he brushed it off.

The bell rang annoyingly in the air. It was a queue for them to depart to different parts of the school. They all waved goodbye, while Xiao and Aether stood next to each other since they had the same class in that period. They both headed off to the classroom. Xiao sheepishly interlocked his and Aether's hands together. He averted his gaze to anywhere that wasn't in Aether's direction. Aether's face turned a soft pink and he giggled to himself. He reassuringly squeezed the male's hand as they scurried to their class.

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Time Skip

Aether waved goodbye to his friends who started their journey back home. Aether would normally wait for his twin, Lumine, but she told him in advance that she was going to be having a sleepover at her friend's house.

"Leaving the babysitting duties on me as always" He sighed inwardly.

He started his walk home. It seemed longer than usual and he was able to hear things a lot clearer. The cars passing by. The people walking beside him and the noise it made when their shoes came in contact with the sidewalk. It puzzled him greatly until he made it home. He was able to hear his little sister from outside. He heard the soft snoring that wasn't normally loud at all. He looked at everyone else's features but they seemed unbothered by the snoring that emitted from the house. He opened the door to the house and closed it behind him. He walked into his room, throwing his backpack next to his bed and throwing himself onto it. The bed was oddly more comfortable than usual, he did contemplate greatly on whether he should fall asleep or do his homework. He eventually decided he wanted to sleep, as his eyes drifted shut he heard Paimon wake up and start crying. He groaned annoyingly before sitting up and walking out the door to change his little sister's diaper. He finished changing her and took her out of her crib to set her on the floor, she looked at her toys before grabbing a star-shaped wood block and hitting it repeatedly against the ground.

He giggled at his little sister's antics before sitting down with her and playing along with whatever she wanted.

He checked the time and realized he probably should make dinner. He excused himself from Paimon who paid no mind to his leaving. He decided on mac & cheese for dinner. He boiled the pasta before draining the water and adding the butter and cheddar cheese. The food's aroma filled the air but the smell seemed stronger than usual. He brushed it off as the food was just really good. He put the food into two bowls before grabbing Paimon and putting her in her high chair. They ate in mostly silence, except whenever Paimon would shriek in delight from squishing another macaroni. Paimon seemed done squishing the food and finally started shoving the bits into her mouth. Aether had long finished his food and started cleaning his dish. He heard his sister start to cry, cleaning her hands and face before burping her. She let out a few small burps before starting to nod her head.

He brought her to her bedroom and set her down in her crib. She made no noise of protest and was fast asleep before he even got to turn off the lights. The noise machine in the room drowned out the noise of Aether closing the bedroom door. He cleaned up the mess that Paimon had not-so accidentally made before heading to his bed. He lay on his bed, contemplating all the weird things that had happened that day. He felt a small pain in his head and lower abdomen. Aether decided to sleep it off but every minute the pain only grew worse. He finally fell asleep but it felt like an eternity. He didn't know when he fell asleep but the pain gradually went away. Leaving him in a soundless sleep that he hoped to never wake out of.

Chapter Text

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Aether knew there were challenges in his life that would be hard to overcome. But this wasn't a challenge he thought he'd ever have to overcome if he could even overcome this. He had woken up that morning more tired than he had ever felt. It was quite strange since he'd fallen asleep earlier than usual. He sat, stretching his arms to the sky as his back popped briefly. He let out a long yawn that he was sure he was going to yawn again from the effect. He placed his hands down. Blinking away the tears that threatened to spill from the yawn he released. He rubbed his eyes sleepy before jumping out of the bed. He felt a small tickle against the back of his thigh. He merely shrugged it off, thinking it was one of those phantom feelings you'd normally feel from time to time. The tickling sensation never fully went away. He made his way to the bathroom to hopefully further wake himself up by splashing himself with water.

His vision was slightly blurry from just waking up a few moments ago and the fact he had rubbed his eyes so hard that he could see a green circle that would turn black when he looked at it. He turned the faucet on and let the water run over his fingers. He never looked at his reflection because if he tried he more than likely wouldn't have been able to see anything anyway. He cupped his hands until they had enough water before quickly throwing it on him. The water mostly hit his face as he scrunched up his face from the impact but a few drops flew to the wall or fell onto the tile.

He finally opened his eyes to almost nearly close them immediately,

"What the..." he started before cutting himself off. He didn't want to open his eyes again but curiosity killed the cat I suppose.

He opened his eyes again to see a set of... ears? Adorned on his head. It surprised him greatly how Lumine pulled off the prank. He's a very light sleeper so many times he wakes up in the middle of Lumine pranking him. The ear twitched slightly and Aether's eyes widened in disbelief. In response, the ears flattened themselves against his head. It creeped him out greatly. Where had Lumine found automated ears? He went up to take the ears off before realizing that a tail swayed behind him. He nearly shrieked before grabbing it. It felt oddly real and Aether's astonished expression turned horrified. His ears flattened again and that's when he realized that this wasn't a prank. Since Lumine had a sleepover at a friend's house and Aether knew she wasn't home since there was no sign that she forgot to hide that she was in the house.

"No no no no... This can't be happening! I'm just dreaming... Yeah, I'm just dreaming!" He tried to reassure himself but knew it was faulty.

Lumine may call him dumb but he was far from it. He knew what was on his head and what swished behind him was real. His tail went rigid from annoyance since he had realized how he was going to get dressed. He sighed before exiting his bedroom and grabbing his school uniform. Dread slowly seeped in once he realized that he was going to have to tuck his tail into his pants and have to find a way to hide his ears.

"Oh archons... this isn't going to be my day now is it?" He sighed. He wasn't allowed to wear any hats with his male school uniform but knew the female uniforms wear hats. He also knew that Lumine had a spare. So as quietly as humanly possible he snatched his twin's spare and dashed back into his room.

He didn't know how to change into the uniform so he just put the shirt on first. He later put the skirt on, which was a long one. It also covered Aether's tail perfectly which was fantastic. He pulled his stockings on which were about up to his kneecaps. He grabbed the hat that covered his ears. He let the hat use his left ear as support so it wasn't just on his head and that it was leaning. He felt proud of what he had done and went back into the restroom to braid his hair.

He finally finished before grabbing his earring and tried putting it on but barely remembered his ears no longer were on the side of his head. He took the hat off to clip the earring onto his ear. He put the hat back on which covered the earring. Well, that sucks. He was already late for school so he quickly called a babysitter for Paimon. He grabbed some boots since shoes weren't a part of the dress code (actually they were but the shoes just had to match the uniforms). He wrote down instructions for the babysitter since he knew he wouldn't be able to greet them. Sticking the note on the front door before bolting down the street towards his school.

There were a few people that stared at him. Some seemed surprised by his clothes while others mentally judged him. Regardless, Aether wished he could just disappear. He ignored the people who gave him a look of disgust. He finally made it to school winded. He let himself catch his breath before walking to his friends that were at the usual meeting spot.

He noticed Xiao and felt his tail start to wag. Aether knew it looked weird that his skirt was moving rapidly when he was walking at a slow pace. He placed his hands on his lower abdomen before letting it go when he got closer to his friends.

"Hey, Aether! You look... different?" Venti questioned. Once again he was the first person to notice his arrival and all eyes were on him.

A noticeable blush crept on Xiao's face while Yanfei and Hu tao gaped at the sight.

"Aww! You look great, Aether~!" Hu Tao exclaimed. Rushing over to him to shake his shoulders aggressively. Yanfei walked over to Tao, taking her hands off the poor boy who was shaken up, literally. She agreed with her friend and they both dragged him over to where they normally stood and discussed more clothes Aether should try on.

"This is less surprising than Venti becoming a drunkard in the future," Scara mused. Kazuha let out a soft chuckle as the bard gasped.

Scara had his arm over Kazuha's shoulder, basically side hugging him since he used also to hug Heizou with his other arm. Kazuha missed the burgundy-haired male that would give him small kisses on his cheek just to make the other male mad since he didn't get one as well. Kazuha snuggled into the indigo-haired male while the male fought with the bard. He held back the tears that threatened to spill from the loss of his other lover. His shaking didn't go unnoticed as both his partner and friend noticed. Venti left them alone for the remainder of the time while Scaramouche comforted his lover.

"Are you alright Kazu?" He asked softly, there was a great amount of care and concern in his voice that not even the least of people would've expected from him.

"Will we ever get to see him again?" Kazuha asked, the question stunned the indigo-haired male greatly. Ever since the other male had disappeared he also lost something in him. He became more overprotective of his friends and Kazuha, in fear that he too would disappear.

"I... don't know," He felt a single tear roll down his face as the tear streak seemed to embed itself into his skin for everyone to see.

Kazuha's soft sniffling was the only thing heard from the two lovers who cradled each other. If Kazuha lost his other partner he'd surely go insane. He was in a  relationship with his now-deceased friend. Long before dating the two other males ever crossed his mind. Having his lover die in his arms led him to lock his heart up. The chains only ever slacked when he met the two other males. The bickering between the two that would always end in kisses or cuddling, how they always made Kazuha feel love, or how when one was away for something the other would stay with him and shower him in affection until their other partner returned.

They all had lost someone. Heizou had lost his best friend, Scaramouche lost his mother who distanced herself from her child, and Kazuha lost his lover. The things they lost were replaced by the love they showed each other and the things they did together. Now that the person who was the reason Kazuha allowed himself to love again is gone leaves a hole in both the males. They can only cope by cuddling things their lover had given them or imagining Heizou was there cuddling them when they fell asleep in each other's embrace.

It would never feel the same and both males knew that. They just wanted their lover who always had a way when it came to flirting. Scara felt ashamed of himself as his arms stung slightly and he knew that his holding Kazuha tightly was making his cuts bleed more. He dreaded changing the bandages that wrapped around his arms. But that was his way of coping sadly.

They both hugged each other as Venti flashed Yanfei a look of pity. He walked over to talk with Xiao who stared at the blonde-haired male that was talking with the two other females.

"Like what you see?" Venti cooed, a joking tone in his voice but there was also a hint of seriousness.

"H-Huh," Xiao gasped, snapping back into reality.

"Ehe! Just joking Yaksha!" Venti teased, using the online name Xiao has for his social media platforms.

Xiao glared daggers at Venti as he restrained himself so as not to lunge at the bard. 
The bell rang again as Aether's eyes filled with dread. His ears flattened to his head and his tail which had previously been slightly wagging and stiffened. He stiffly walked over to Xiao who took note of Aether's odd behavior. As they walked to class he held pinkies with the blonde-haired male. It took everything in Aether to control his tail into not wagging.

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Chapter Text

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Aether fidgeted with his hands. He looked around the classroom as if everyone was staring at him, even though no one truly was. Well, except Xiao who kept on noticing Aether's strange behavior. Aether wasn't paying attention whatsoever, so when the teacher called on him he didn't know what to do.

"Aether, can u answer this question?" She asked impatiently

He was forced out of his daydream and his ears flattened against his head.

"Uh... A?" He guessed, the classroom snickered at his wrong answer since he is seen as the "smart kid".

"No," She shook her head, "pay attention Aether!"

He scowled at her once she turned away. Some students snickered with their friends or they whispered about him. His ears perked up again so he could pay attention but the hat muffled his hearing. His tail ached from being in the same position as it was to the side of him. To hopefully get rid of the ache he moved the tip of his tail up and down to hopefully get rid of the ache.

The ache eventually went away as he let out a sigh.

"Do u want to teach this class since u know the answers Aether?" The teacher's voice rang.

"But I didn't-" Aether attempted to say but was quickly interrupted

"If u can't stop interrupting this class I will send you to the principal's office," She scolded.

He grimaced at the thought of heading to the principals so he restricted any form of noise. His classmates found this turn of events hilarious meanwhile Xiao glared at the teacher. He only ever stopped when she turned around, seeming to feel the stare burrow into the back of her skull.

The class finally ended and Aether was more than happy to leave class. It was Lunch time and he waited for Xiao to pack his things so they could head over to the cafeteria.

"I gotta use the restroom real quick Xiao," Aether told his friend as he redirected himself to start walking toward the restrooms.

Xiao nodded before walking away as Aether sped walked to the restroom. He did not need to go. He just wanted to fix his skirt and hat to make sure his tail and ears weren't showing. He made it into the restroom and checked his appearance. He had to adjust his skirt a bit and also adjust his hat. As he fixed himself he heard a sniffle coming from one of the stalls. He uncertainly looked around before walking over to the stall and knocking on it.

"Are you alright in there?" He questioned softly. The sniffling stopped briefly.

"Y-Yes," a voice croaked. He furrowed his eyebrows upon further realizing that the person responding was his dear friend Gorou.

"Are you sure Gorou?" He asked, Gorou paused before opening the stall door to reveal he has a pair of ears adorning his head.

Aether nearly gasped before giving his friend a look of pity. The poor boy looked like he had two mental breakdowns in the last hour. Aether opened his arms, inviting the other male into a hug. His friend threw himself on Aether and clung to his friend. His ears fell flat and his tail swayed softly. Aether whispered reassuring words to the other male until Gorou let him go.

"You know... You are not the only one," He gave him a lop-sided smile before taking off his hat to reveal his golden ears.

Gorou suppressed a gasp and his tail wagged. His ears and tail closely resembled one of a Shiba Inu while Aether's looked like a Golden Retriever Husky mix. His ears stood up and were extra fluffy while the color matched his hair which was a yellow-blonde color. Gorou's ears and tail also matched the color of his orange-brown hair while a white streak that was on his hair was on his tail and ears.

"Want me to go get you a hat?" Aether asked innocently. 

Gorou nodded his head very vigorously before shoving Aether out of the stall so he could grab him a hat.

"I would most appreciate that!" His friend answered, verbally this time.

Aether snickered before putting his hat back on and walking to the main office to grab a spare female uniform. He sped walked his way back to the restroom where Gorou resides and handed him the uniform underneath the stall. He suggested he wore the entire outfit so he wouldn't be asked to take off the hat.

There was a squeak that came from his friend before a few minutes passed and Gorou opened the stall door. He has successfully changed into the female uniform and very precisely put the hat on. It covered the animal part on his head and he pulled the skirt down to fully cover his tail. He looked for Aether in hopes that the blonde would give any form of reassurance but was met with a shrug from the male.

He frowned slightly before thanking him and walking away. Aether followed after him to the cafeteria. They said their goodbyes and headed in the direction of their designated table. Aether found his friends shortly after. Xiao noticed his presence first as the blonde sat next to him. He adjusted his skirt before looking around the table to see what was going on.

It was unsurprising to find Venti and Scara bickering as Kazuha snuggled into him. Cyno watched uninterestedly before starting his conversation with Xiao. Yanfei watched Venti and Scara's conversation. Venti called it a trial as Yanfei was the lawyer. Hu Tao played on her phone, occasionally laughing at what the two males would say to each other. Aether listened to both conversations before feeling his eyes droop. He laid his head on Xiao's shoulder, he felt the other male tense against him before relaxing. Aether closed his eyes, hoping to get a little more sleep.

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Aether was softly shaken awake by his dear friend Cyno. It was already time to head back to class but Xiao refused to move. So, Cyno was put on waking-up duty. Normally Tighnari would be the one to wake up their friends since it was a common occurrence when one of them fell asleep. But since Tighnari disappeared Cyno would do things Tighnari would normally do in hopes of filling the void in his heart. Although he never admitted to it because he was too stubborn for his good.

"Aether, come on. We gotta get to class," Cyno's voice flooded into Aether's ears.

Aether would never admit but Cyno's voice was rather relaxing. But he knew he had to get up. He put on his small act as he groaned "annoyingly" at his friend before sitting up and stretching. His neck stung when he turned it. He hissed painfully before looking into his surroundings. Xiao and Cyno were the only ones there with him. 

Cyno had his next class with Aether so it was only normal that he waited for the male. Aether finally sat up from the table to Xiao's demise although he acted as if the action didn't deeply affect him.

Cyno and Aether started their walk in a small hurry because the blond took a little long in waking up. They made it to class a few seconds before the bell rang. 

Aether, as usual, wasn't paying attention to a thing the teacher said. His teacher didn't care since it was his fault if he failed the class. Cyno observed his blonde friend. Ever since yesterday, he had acted weird. He didn't know why but he grew suspicious when he the female outfit to school. Even if it was a prank Aether surely wouldn't constantly adjust his skirt and hat now would he?

Cyno looked at the hat on his head before realizing he could see under the hat. Although he couldn't see well, what he could see was more blonde hair, it looked like it was sticking up. He knew Aether for a while and whenever someone pointed out a hair that he forgot to put in his braid he'd wallow in shame. 

Aether would act pretty disappointed all day but if what Cyno saw was the reason he was acting weird then that wouldn't explain why he was hiding something. So, Cyno decided to confront the other male, after class of course.

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Class finally ended and Aether was eager to leave. He wanted to get the day over with. Cyno approached him shortly after and quite literally dragged him to a restroom that anyone rarely used.

"Cyno what's your deal?" He groaned, glaring daggers at Cyno who ignored him.

"Why are you acting suspicious?" Cyno asked.

There was a hitch of breath that came from the blonde as he stared dumbfounded at the white-haired male.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about.." He attempted but was quickly shut down by his friend.

"Aether I know you hiding something, if you don't want to tell me then that's fine," Cyno explained, "But I am here if you want to talk."

Aether sighed before shakingly taking off his hat. The hair "sticking up" was none other than... ears? The only response he got from Cyno was his eyes widening but even then the blonde-haired male barely widened his eyes.

"So that happened to you too?" Cyno asked, his initial shock now subsiding.

"Yea- Wait, who has this happened to?" Aether's voice rose an octave when he asked the male.

"This also happened to Tighnari," Cyno explained shortly after he got the blonde calmed down. 

"Huh, really?" Aether asked dumbfounded.

"Yes, but he disappeared a few days later," he stated gloomily

Aether pitied the male but just as he was going to comfort the male a snap caught the attention of both males.

A boy that Aether had never seen took a picture of him while his hat was off. Successfully taking a picture of him while he was exposed.

The boy squicked when he realized that he caught their attention. Cyno's eyes darkened as he ran towards the male. He was very willing to fight in the bathroom but the other boy was defiantly not a fighter since he screamed and ran out of the restroom.

With the photo of Aether.

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Chapter Text

Haven’t been here in a hot minute but eh it's fine, haven’t had the motivation to write and I kinda took a hiatus from this story but I’ll try to keep up my upload schedule.
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Aether stared at the other with a look of bewilderment. Attempting to search for comfort from the other man. He was only met with a stone-cold face as he was pulled out of the bathroom. He rushly put his hat back and was pulled out of school and toward Cyno’s house.

He gazed worryingly at the grey-haired boy before being shoved into his house.

“What's going on?” He whispered, eyes glazed with tears from fear.

“You mustn't show your face, not for a while,” He relayed, his cold eyes softening.

“How come!” He demanded, anger flooding his senses, “Who are you to tell me what to do!”

“Because if you don’t listen to me then you’ll disappear like Tighnari and Heizou,” he hissed, watching the way the other’s ears fell flat and his tail stiffened.

“I’m doing this for your own good, I’ll let everyone know if you want,” He whispered, eyes hopeful.

Aether breathed, “Okay, please tell my sister too, she’ll have a hard time taking care of Paimon all by herself.”

He breathed a laugh as Cyno nodded in understanding. He sat down on the couch to run over his thoughts. Cyno only sighed before exiting the room, making sure no one saw him when he left the house. He went back inside to quickly tell Aether all the essentials in the house and handed him a spare key. Finally leaving the building he sped walked back to school. Very aware that the school day had ended by the time he gets there.

He met his friends before they went their separate ways. His legs screamed at him to sit down, nearly collapsing he used his knees as support to catch his breath. His friends shared worried glances.

“What's going on?” Yanfei was the first to ask, crouching down next to Cyno.

His gasping breaths stopped momentarily, staring at his friends through his hair. He rose to his full height and stared at them.

“Follow me,” was the only thing he said before walking toward his house.

They were sceptical but reluctantly followed the grey-haired boy. He led them to his house which puzzled everyone. Unlocking the door–he held it open for everyone– he entered.

There was a moment of silence when everyone gazed at the Blonde. He shied away from their stares, his ears drooping.

“Aether?” one of them spoke, yanfei.

“What... happened to you.?” It was a simple question but no true answer.

“I-” He began before thinking of an answer, but he came up short so he decided to just tell the truth, “don’t know..”

Yanfei gazed at him sympathetically before sitting down next to him, offering a hug. He hesitated momentarily before melting into the affection, holding back the sob that threatened to leave his parched throat.

No one else made a move, still trying to process what was happening. Although Venti snapped out of it and sat beside Aether, rubbing his back soothingly.

He eased into the touches, glad to know his friends aren’t against him, he dozed off on Yanfei as she continued the hug but looked up at Cyno for answers.

“Is this what happened to Tighnari and Heizou?” she whispered, watching Scaramouche as his breath hitched, also wanting the answer.

“I believe so,” he responded, uncertainty clouding his gaze.

It seemed that Kazuha nor Scara breathed as they stared horrified at Cyno.

“Did he tell you?” Scara breathed, bewildered.

“Tighnari told me,” he only answered

“But he disappeared… why?” Kazuha asked this time, pain in his eyes.

“I…. I don’t know,” he said, staring right back at Kazuha with sympathy in his gaze.

“But I do believe it has to do with what new features they obtained,” he gestured to Aether’s tail and ears.

“Wait wait wait, you three knew why Heizou and Tighnari were acting weird before they disappeared,” Xiao asked, Hu Tao crossing her arms.

“Yeah, but he didn’t want anyone knowing,” reasoned Kazuha, Cyno nodding along.

Xiao nodded in understanding but felt that there was still more to it. He stared sceptically at the 3 boys before sitting next to Venti. A knock emitted from the door and Hu Tao frantically placed Aether’s hat back on.

Cyno glared at everyone to keep quiet before looking through the peephole. He sighed before opening the door to reveal a mailman standing there innocently. He held a delivery in his right hand and his left safely tucked into his pocket. He gazed around before his sight landed on the asleep Aether, malice glowed in his eyes and Cyno felt the change in the air.

He was just about to pounce on the man before a tranquiliser dart shot straight in the neck. Xiao was quick to react as he grabbed the other quickly and hid behind the couch. The man was quick to respond as he aimed the dart gun at Kazuha before Scara dragged him down. Aether was woken up being thrown to the ground by a worried Venti and slightly traumatised Yanfei. It was silent for a moment before the footsteps of the “mailman” were heard getting closer.

Xiao tackled the man and forced the blowgun out of his grip; the man stared bewildered at the boy on top of him. He forced the man’s hands behind his back and sat on him to restrain him. He stared straight at Xiao when a blowdart pierced his neck. Everyone sat shocked as Xiao was knocked to the ground. Hu Tao had hidden Aether beforehand and was ready to fight, but reinforcements arrived and everyone was blow darted.

Aether heard his friends collapse to the ground under the mound of blankets. Hu Tao convinced him to hide under Cyno’s bed and had him to the back and stuffed blankets around and on him so he wouldn’t be found easily.

He desperately hoped the men wouldn’t find him. The only thing he heard was his low breath and the occasional creak in the floorboards from the steps. He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that this horrible day would end. He tried to adjust himself but realised the skirt got caught under the bed stub. Terror filled him as he pulled his skirt free but the floorboard creaked loudly under him.

He stopped breathing as the creaks from the men’s steps stopped.

The only thing he heard was the laboured breaths from himself.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

No one had found him as he visibly relaxed, letting out a breath. He felt confident that the men had given up and peaked a small hole in the blankets. He was met with a terrifying-looking man and a toothy grin he held.

A scream barely left his lips before the man pushed his head against the wall with such force that he was knocked out. He weakly opened his eyes and felt his body being tugged with ropes.

He felt his body being lifted into the air and carried out the door. They stepped over the unconscious bodies as he weakly struggled in the man’s grasp. Tears stung his eyes as he watched Xiao’s unconscious body.

The body got further away until he was thrown into the back of a van, letting the feeling of unwanted sleep succumb to him as he closed his eyes finally.

_______________________________________________________________

yeah hi

Chapter Text

The van bumped up and down, tossing the package it carried. An occasional squeak was heard from the back but no one paid any attention to it. Anger fumed inside Aether as he felt the van accelerate. The bumping got worse as he was shoved and thrown across the metal box. His restraints—ropes—dug into his skin and burned whenever he would turn or twist. His ears were drooped, and his tail ached from being tied to his back. He licked at the duck tape to hopefully undo it but it was hopeless. 

The van stopped and jolted him forward, a thud was heard from the outside and onlookers gazed at the van curiously. Aether screamed out in frustration. Tears dotted the corners of his eyes. He noticed there was a loose nail near the van door. He looked at it wonderingly before an idea popped into his mind. He scuffled over. The nails on the floor hurt his milky skin. The nail, rusted with age, poked out from the door. He put his back to it. Putting the piece of the rope over it. He pulled down, panting with effort through the duct tape.

He pulled harder, the rope burning his skin. His effort was enough as he fell forward.

“Oof”, he humphed pushing himself up with his hands.

He realised a second later that his hands were free and he felt giddy with joy. Tugging the rope on his legs off as he painstakingly took the duct tape off his lips. The pain only momentarily but it still hurts. 

He stared curiously at the metal door. Pushing it lightly as it shifted open. He realised that the men completely forgot to close the door and lock it. The man who was filling up the van stared wonderingly at the back door. Trudging over as his heavy steps left prints in the mud.

He made it to the van door. Sceptical as he peered inside, just when he peeked his head through the door, Aether kicked the man in the face. He grunted in pain, rolling over on the ground as Aether gasped. He froze momentarily before bursting the doors open and running into the jungle. He had been vaguely aware that they were in Sumeru by the overwhelming smell of greenery. The branches tore at his skirt, cut deep into his milk-white skin. He heard the yell of the men behind him as the ground below him shook with such force.

Tumbling over branches that stuck up from the ground, he fell onto the forest floor. The mud blinded him as he scrambled up and continued to run. Tears fell down his face and helped wash the mud from his eyes. A village came into view and he sobbed in joy. Feeling a burst of speed as the village became more apparent. He ran down an alleyway into the sidewalk.

Running down it as people stared curiously at the sobbing boy. The men followed soon after gaining up on him. He turned the corner and ran head-first into a man.

“Are you okay?” a soothing voice asked him, he stared bewildered at the tall man before him.

He became aware of his captures asking around.

“Please, hide me!” He begged, almost near sobbing.

The man gave a look of pity before pulling the boy behind him, hiding him from view when the men turned the corner and questioned him.

“Have you seen a person with ears and a tail? He was wearing a skirt and had blonde hair,” they questioned, staring at him sternly.

“I think I may have seen him,” he pondered, pointing away from himself, “I’m pretty sure he went that way but I’m not completely sure”

The men nodded and ran over to the direction he pointed, questioning people along the way. 

The man sighed before pulling Aether in front of him once the men were fully gone. He looked him up and down before pulling the scared boy along to an unknown house.

“Where are we going?” he croaked, fear overwhelming him.

“I’m taking you to my house so you can get cleaned up,” the soothing voice responded and Aether relaxed.

He knew he could trust the man so he allowed himself to get dragged along. Eventually, they stopped in front of a nice-looking home and the man pulled out keys, a lion keychain dangled helplessly from the keys.

The man pushed the door open, the house's interior was colourful and organised. The man held the door open for Aether. He walked warily into the home, feeling overwhelmed by today's events. The man closed the door behind him, his golden hair seemingly glimmering.

Aether couldn’t help but stare as the man's hair went from golden to brown at the tips.

“Who are you?” the man asked, Aether contemplated telling him.

“My name is Aether,” he put his hand over his heart, “what's your name?”

“My name is Kaveh, nice to meet you,” Kaveh smiled warmly.

There was a click that emitted from the front door and both men looked curiously at the door. A tall man with grey hair and headpieces walked through the door, stopping once he noticed Aether.

“Kaveh,” his voice was stern and he looked angry, “who is that?”

Kaveh didn’t respond immediately, running over answers in his mind. He glanced momentarily at Aether but was helpless as the shorter didn’t have a clue how to respond.

“This is Aether, he’s going to be staying for a while,” Kaveh whispered, he’s reduced to nothing but a string of breath.

Aether stared hopefully at Kaveh at what he stated, eyes shining; Kaveh smiled warmly at him and met the other man's gaze with determination. He sighed, shaking his head and folding his hands over his chest.

“We can discuss this later,” he sighed, eyes softening when Kaveh’s eyes sparkled.

He redirected his attention to the mysterious boy to Kaveh’s right.

“My name is Alhaitham, I am the scribe of Sumeru,” he said.

Aether nodded before being dragged away by Kaveh.

“Now that introductions are all wrapped up, let's get you cleaned up!” He smiled as he dragged Aether over to the bathroom.

“You can shower here and I'll go get some old pyjamas I had,” Kaveh told him, pulling a towel out of the closet.

“Be right back!”

Aether watched the golden hair bounce away as he made himself comfortable on the toilet seat. His eyes wandered around the room, staring at objects for longer than a second when they caught his attention. He felt his feelings overwhelm him as he couldn’t help but giggled, his tail thumped against the toilet cover. Kaveh came back again shortly after, carrying neatly folded clothes in his arms. He placed it down on the sink and showed Aether all the various controls for the water. He told the other that it didn’t matter what shampoo, conditioner, or body wash he used as long as he used his own hands to clean himself. Aether listened intently to the information and his tail wagged when Kaveh finished. Kaveh patted his head before dismissing himself from the bathroom. Aether smiled behind him as he closed the door behind the tall man.

Kaveh noticed Alhaitham staring at him as he was beckoned over. He walked sceptically over to his lover and stood warily in front of him.

“Kaveh we need to talk about that..” Alhaitham sighed, his arms crossed.

“What about it?”

“Why is there a hybrid in our house right now?” Alhaitham demanded as Kaveh shied away from the question.

“He needed help and was being chased. What else was I supposed to do?” Kaveh responded, looking away from Haitham’s gaze.

Alhaitham only sighed, pulling the other into an embrace. He hummed as he listened to the shower going off.

“You know we can’t keep him here forever,” he whispered and Kaveh hated how he knew.

“Let’s just wait until this all dies down then we can help him find his family or friends?” He sounded hopeful when he asked and Haitham breathed a laugh.

“Of course,” he kissed the man's temple before letting go.

He walked away to the kitchen, Kaveh trailing behind him. They made dinner for three, paying no mind to the water in the shower shutting off. Kaveh turned around to Aether, staring at them wondering. 

“Hello Aether, was your shower nice?” He asked, pulling away when Alhaitham almost threw a handful of flour at him.

He stuck his tongue out to the other man before waiting for Aether’s response.

“It was nice,” he answered, smiling.

Kaveh nodded before returning back to cooking. Aether sat quietly on the dining table and watched with interest. The two men finished horsing around and presented the delicious-smelling food. Kaveh delicately placed Aether’s dish in front of him and sat next to him while Alhaitham sat across. The delicious smell wafted into his nose and his mouth watered. He stared at the dish hungrily and waited for the others to begin eating before he did. Kaveh laughed at him before urging him to dig in. Aether only nodded before scooping the food into his mouth. Flavour exploded in his mouth and he feigned a sob aloud. Normally he would praise the chef but he was too busy stuffing the food into his watering mouth. He had been famished since being taken. Alhaitham eyed Aether from time to time, uncomfortable with the stranger in his house.

Aether cleared his throat after his… rampage. His face was pink from embarrassment.

“Um... Sorry about that,” he started, staring up at Kaveh but he was only met with a kindhearted smile. 

“No worries, I didn’t know my cooking was that delicious,” he laughed, Aether brightening up at the reassurance.

He continued to eat his food more slowly, growing timid from the stare Alhaitham kept on him. Kaveh finished his food early, excusing himself from the table to clean his dish. He left Alhaitham and Aether alone. The overwhelming feeling of fear increased every second Aether was alone with the other man. He showed no emotion to Aether which further creeped him out. They sat in silence for a while before Haitham exhaled through his nose.

“What happened?” the grey-headed male asked. 

Aether hesitated for a moment, “what do you mean?”

“What happened to cause you to be here in Sumeru? I can obviously tell that you’re not from here at all,” Alhaitham mused, crossing his arms over his chest.

It felt like a major call out to Aether, he felt increasing anxiety swell in the pit of his stomach as he opened his mouth to speak.

“Alright I’m back” Kaveh’s voice rang, walking extravagantly towards the dinner table.

He stopped abruptly, sensing the tension in the air. He glared at Alhaitham who put his hands up defensively. A sigh emitted from the blonde before he turned his line of sight to Aether.

“He didn’t pressure you into answering any of his questions right?” He asked concerningly, hiding his fury behind his voice.

“N-No don’t worry!” Aether reassured him but Kaveh wasn’t all that convinced.

There was a muted silence for a second before Alhaitham stood up unannounced.

“I will be heading to my studies, do call me if you need anything,” he announced before leaving to an unknown room. 

Kaveh sighed exaggeratedly, looking at Aether for an answer. 

There was a pause, Kaveh not knowing what to say and Aether not wanting to talk.

Aether spoke up, sucking in a breath, “There’s something you should probably know.”

Kaveh stared curiously at the other before nodding for him to continue.

“People… may be after me, they will do anything to get me back,” he muttered, staring scared at his new friend.

Kaveh took the information in, and calculations to get out of the situation he put himself in ran wild in his mind. But there wasn’t a true answer. He sighed, staring defeatedly at Aether.

“I’ll let Alhaitham know,” he reassured and sent Aether off to the guest bedroom.

He sighed defeatedly before heading towards the other man's studies. Knocking gently on the door but not waiting for an answer and walked right in.

“You do know you’re interrupting my work,” he seethed, agitation clear in his voice.

“Oh, and when I do it it suddenly doesn’t matter?” Kaveh shot back but had no energy to actually argue with the other.

“We need to talk,” he started but Alhaitham was already opening his mouth.

“Obviously, because a hybrid is living in my house,” he sneered, working on his documents as he talked.

“Our house, but yes it does have to do with him,” he placed his hands on his hips.

“Have you finally come to your senses and kicked him out?” Alhaitham asked, staring up at the other briefly.

Kaveh felt a tick appear on his forehead as he tried not to blow up on the other man, “No, actually it's the complete opposite,” He declared boldly.

Alhaitham glared at the other man, waiting for him to continue, “I was informed that us housing Aether may cause us to be in big trouble.”

There was a deathly silence as Alhaitham stood up abruptly.

“Where are you going,” Kaveh demanded

“To kick the blonde out of the house,” he deadpanned.

Kaveh gasped before pushing Alhaitham away from the door.

“No Alhaitham!”

“Why? He is clearly a threat to our wellbeing,” he argued, frustration apparent in his stance.

“Just promise me you won’t rat him out,” Kaveh begged, “no matter what, keep him away from those people even if I die in the process.”

Alhaitham was stunned, he didn’t know why Kaveh was so persistent to keep a stranger when they barely knew each other. Seeing his roommate in such a desperate state he couldn’t help but sigh, Kaveh had him wrapped around his finger that's for sure.

“Fine,” he reluctantly responded.

Kaveh’s eyes seemed to burst with stars as he couldn’t stop himself from moving, jumping forward to hug the other man. He placed a chastised kiss on the grey-haired male's cheek before pulling away.

“Thank you, Haitham!” Kaveh thanked joyfully.

Alhaitham was startled, a blush blooming over his cheeks

“No reason to get worked up about that,” he mumbled before quickly leaving his study room to go to sleep.

Kaveh happily followed along, he quickly changed into his pyjamas as did Alhaitham, and got under the sheets. He closed his eyes but was aware of the glowing light from the lamp in the room. There was shuffling as Alhaitham got under the bed sheets and turned off the lamp.

He moved until he got Kaveh into his arms, pulling him into his chest. Kaveh smiled warmly, dozing off. 

Alhaitham was thinking, running over his thoughts of his conversation with the other man. He had come to a conclusion. No matter what. He will make sure Kaveh never gets hurt. And if he does? Well, then he’s ratting out Aether for that.

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Kaveh woke up early the next morning, aware of the lack of warmth he faced. He opened his eyes steadily, looking around the bland room. The walls and ground were painted the same boring white. He was oddly calm, still aware of the faint warmth that still enveloped him. 

He was chained to a bedpost that had a very uncomfortable mattress and thin blanket. The clothes he wore were white and made of scratchy material. He took the situation in confusion, the first emotion he actually feels about the place. How did he get here?

Kaveh shuffled off the bed, walking until he couldn’t anymore, he was testing how far the chains went. He noticed a low wall on the opposite side of his bed and walked over, he turned the wall and saw a toilet with flimsy toilet paper. He grimaced before heading back to the bed, the only place that seemed the safest.

He stared at the metal door that was dark on the other side. The door began to clink open and his eyes widened.

“Ah! Seems you’re finally awake!” the voice said, a man with teal hair and an ugly-looking mask walked in. Kaveh took note of the earring he wore as it was a test tube that held liquid in it.

“Who are you?” he croaked, his throat parched from the lack of water.

“My name is Dottore, I presume you are the famous architect, Kaveh?” Dottore asked, his voice already getting on Kaveh’s nerves.

He neither confirmed nor denied the fact as the other man smiled at him creepily.

“Great, Great. I am here to inform you about a hybrid, which goes by the name of Aether,” he informed. Kaveh stifled any reaction and only nodded.

“Normally we would inform the Scribe about this type of information but you are officially married to him,” Kaveh was starting to tune out his annoying voice but caught wind of the slight hint of disgust.

“So we thought it would be easier to tell you, we’ve also informed the grand sages and mahamatra,” he relayed.

“Why am I chained up?” he inquired, narrowing his eyes at the other man.

“There has been some proof that you are hiding the fugitive,” he stated darkly, the room's aura darkening.

Kaveh felt a shiver travel up his spine but he ignored the feeling, concentrating on not giving away any emotion.

“Is that so?” he spoke aloud, lowering his gaze to stare at the floor.

“Yes, although they are just speculations,” he responded, the aura returning to its original form.

“You can leave now,” Dottore dismissed and swatted him away like a fly.

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Kaveh awoke with sweat dripping down his face. He looked around and took note that Alhaitham may have already gone to work. He got out of bed and changed into his clothes. Finding Aether eating breakfast since Alhaitham had cooked before leaving.

He warily sat to eat his food. Aware of the way Aether stared concerningly at his friend. He dismissed the boy, concentrating on his food rather than the other boy. He didn’t mention his dream to the boy because it would surely freak him out. 

He finished his food and placed the dish into the sink. He briskly walked over to his own studies and ignored Aether who followed after him. Even though he called in “sick” he would still have to work at home. 

He got to work. Hunching over his blueprint as Aether watched with interest.

“Is this what you do every day?” Aether asked wonderingly, staring up at Kaveh for an answer.

Kaveh laughed through his nose, “Yup.”

He stopped trying to ignore Aether now and multitasked by talking to the short blonde and slowly progressing in his work. Time flew as the sun was fully in the sky when Kaveh decided on taking a break. Aether absentmindedly played a game Kaveh allowed him to download on his laptop.

“Alright!” Kaveh groaned, stretching his aching muscles.

Aether looked at him confused but followed along when Kaveh left the room.

“What are we going to do?” He asked.

Kaveh didn’t tell him anything as he threw Aether some clothes that no longer fit him. He gestured to the bathroom so Aether could change. The boy was sceptical but obliged. It took him a few minutes to fully change out of his old clothes. The clothes were baggy around certain places but Aether didn’t mind.

They walked for a while, passing the market filled with a buzzing crowd and a lovely atmosphere. They stopped at a clothing store next to the market. Both places attract a large crowd. They walked through, walking over to the men's section since there were significantly fewer men shopping there than women.

They browsed around, checking prices and sizes. Aether decided on some plain-coloured shirts and got a couple of skinny and loose jeans. They decided to buy a hat that went with his outfits since the hat on his head was rather ugly. 

They exited, Kaveh carefully adjusting the clothes in the bag, he gave it to Aether as they headed towards the food stands. Kaveh hovered over the male, his hand clutching his suitcase hard. His vision glowed dangerously in his suitcase. Visions were illegal in the continent of Teyvat but were allowed everywhere else. No one openly said they were vision bearers. Kaveh found it irrational to make it illegal since people are gifted visions unwillingly. Although Alhaitham and himself owned visions they rarely used them in combat and normally used it in day-to-day things when they were too tired to be productive.

They found a pleasant-looking stall and ordered a few dishes, sitting down at the food court seating. They ate away, Kaveh making sure to not overdo it because this was Alhaitham’s money after all. Kaveh stared at Aether for a moment, noticing the way he squirmed in his seat and the uncomfortable look he held. There was something bad happening obviously. Kaveh was about ready to form his claymore when a man lunged for Aether. 

Kaveh was quick to react as he summoned his claymore and threw it at the mysterious man. It missed the man and he screamed and ran away. Kaveh summed his claymore again as a second man lunged for him this time, he wielded a sword and the two went head to head.

The man was strong but Kaveh was stronger. Since vision bearers are stronger than regular humans he was able to defeat him. His suitcase watched his rear and was also the one controlling the claymore. One of the men figured out that the suitcase was the one controlling the claymore as he aimed his crossbow at his hand. He released and pain flamed from his hand.

Kaveh promptly dropped the suitcase and the claymore fell over. The suitcase flew up from the ground and its electronic face worriedly huddled around Kaveh. 

“Mahrak, I need to get Aether somewhere safe!” He demanded, grabbing the claymore with his non-injured hand now.

The weapon lay heavy on his fingers and almost pulled him down. He certainly didn’t have the strength to use it but making sure Aether was safe helped him. Mahrak stayed still for a minute before floating over to Aether and pushing him toward an alley. The men were too preoccupied with Kaveh that they didn’t even glance at Aether who was retreating. 

Sirens were heard distantly and he braced himself for more attacks. He was bombarded with swords and arrows. The claymore made it hard to dodge. He got hit a bit more, his shoulder slashed open, his forearm bleeding profusely from a cut. His thighs had a few cuts from desperate fatui. He twisted his wrist to hit a fatui that was behind him. There weren’t many people left that he had to defeat. He summoned a field of dendro around him, his attack speed-enhancing and his claymore was infused with dendro.

A fatui crept up from behind him and attempted to strike when a wall of dendro shot out from the ground and knocked the man away. He continued his onslaught of attacks. He used most of his strength to slam his claymore down on an enemy. 

The attackers seemed to stop as he sighed. He picked his claymore up, his cuts bleeding profusely. He had earned a new one on his back from a surprise attack. An arrow was embedded in his right leg and throbbed in pain. He pulled the arrow out of his hand, holding back the tears that prickled in the corner of his eyes. 

He was shoved to the ground, turning over to see his attacker. A boot pushed down on his stomach and he choked, the man in his dream was standing before him. A malicious smile spread over his face. Kaveh felt fear seep into his skin as he tried to summon his claymore. The man didn’t waste any time as he smashed his head against the ground. Kaveh’s vision flickered as he tried to shove the man off him. 

“Oh, so you’re a vision bearer? This should be interesting,” he smiled menacingly before finally knocking Kaveh out.

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When Kaveh awoke he had no recollection of where he was. His head pounded with every light. Kaveh’s eyes strained when he looked around. The room in his dream was real and he was really tied to the bedpost. He occupied himself by examining his surroundings, taking in the things he could use to his advantage. He attempted to summon his claymore but it came useless as the monitor on his wrist beeped menacingly. Kaveh grunted, sitting up straight when he heard the door click. He became alert when Dottore came through the door, his smile never leaving his face. 

“Well hello, Kaveh! Nice to see you awake now,” the man cooed, stepping forward once.

Kaveh tried not to give away any signs of fear but it was futile as the man sighed.

“No need to be afraid, I won't hurt you,” he paused, “yet”

Kaveh swallowed, shuffling away from Dottore.

“I just need to contact the scribe and have him give the hybrid,” Dottore chirped.

Kaveh sighed, hoping Alhaitham would keep his promise. He watched Dottore’s movements as he called a screen in front of him. He typed on the keys before he disappeared. An uncomfortable silence settled in the room as they stared at each other.

“Well, I shall be off now!” Dottore clarified, already making his way to the exit.

Kaveh scanned the room once Dottore finally left. He looked down at his injuries, his entire chest covered in a bind that kept everything from bleeding. His wrist hurt whenever he’d twist it and his entire hand was in a bandage. His entire right leg was wrapped up and he was stuck to the bed as the pain pierced through his tough persona.

Defeated tears pricked in the corners of his eyes but he swiftly blinked them away. The tears were flushed away into his tear ducts as he tenaciously wiped his eyes.

He blurred his vision in and out as his tiredness became aware of him. He gradually and carefully laid on his back, which also posed a challenge as the injuries on his back burned from any motion. 

His vision flickered in and out, embracing the black dots that danced around. He closed his eyes, tuning out the annoying buzz from the light, and pretended that he was safe at home, in Alhaithams arms.

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When he awoke again he was sitting in a chair this time, his shirt gone as he was reduced to nothing but short shorts. He stared disgustingly at his attire. He looked around, being fairly aware of the chains that tied his body to the chair.

The room was the same boring white but contained a mirror that covered a whole wall. Kaveh stared at it but realised that it was no ordinary mirror and was actually a window. He could faintly see two figures standing on the other side. He noticed one man in particular, he noticed he was staring at him. The man's eyes were glazed with fear as Kaveh realised a second later that the man was no other than Alhaitham.

Alhaitham seemed to notice Kaveh staring as he jerked forward. A hard hand placed on his shoulder dragged him down. Kaveh noticed it was Dottore and felt anger flame up in his body. He was about to yell at the man before the door to his left opened abruptly. 

Another Dottore? Walked through, making his way towards Kaveh as he stared sceptically.

He was just about ready to ask a question before a knife was pressed against his throat threateningly.

Alhaitham jolted forward, about ready to break the window. Kaveh could vaguely see the vision on his hip glow dangerously. Kaveh gulped, feeling the knife cut open a small cut on his neck. Dottore pulled the knife away, smiling menacingly at Kaveh.

Kaveh could see Dottore's mouth moving as he only assumed negotiating Kaveh’s release in return for Aether. 

Kaveh was desperate to not let that happen as he frantically looked around. He watched the door, calculating a way to escape through it. A second later a doctor and patient walked in front of the door. Kaveh noticed the patient all too well as he jolted toward it. Dottore became confused as he looked at the door as well.

“Tighnari!” Kaveh yelled, jolting towards the door.

The three men noticed this odd behaviour as they too redirected their gaze to the door. A second later a man with tall ears came into the door's view and was yelling back. Fighting the doctors that tried to hold him back.

Dottore did not react as he pressed down hard on an open wound on Kaveh’s chest. The man gasped before lurching forward, tears burning his eyes. Alhaitham sure didn't like that as he stared angrily at Dottore. Tensions died down as Dottore continued to talk, offering options to Alhaitham, although that was what Kaveh thought. 

Tensions died down as Alhaitham shook his head, Dottore frowned before nodding towards Dottore. He advanced toward Kaveh, cutting open the bandages on his chest. Alhaitham had a whole view of Kaveh’s wounds and it only made him seethe with rage. Dottore stuck his knife in one of Kaveh’s already pre-established wounds as Kaveh jolted forward. A scream ripped from his throat. Alhaitham flinched, controlling the urge to hand Aether over since that wasn't what Kaveh wanted.

Dottore moved the knife upwards, further opening the wound as Kaveh feigned a scream. Tears openly streamed down his face now. Blood dripped down his mouth from how severely he was biting it. Dottore continued to open the wound more by different means, Kaveh was glad it was over but almost screamed when Dottore inserted his hand into the cut. The cut stretched open painfully as Kaveh stared horrified at the hand in his open chest. 

He opened his mouth pathetically as the hand started to move inside him. A sob ripped out of his throat as he stared helplessly at the hand. His eyes glossed over, hair was dishevelled as the red clips in his hair dangled pathetically.

“Stop,” Alhaitham demanded, hair covering his face.

Dottore shook his head at Dottore, and the other took his hand out of Kaveh, having no care for the light of Kshahrewar.

Aid came into the room to clean Kaveh up, disinfecting the area before bandaging himself up. They left quickly after that, not wanting to be in the same room as Dottore.

“Now Alhaitham…

where's Aether?”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aether played on Kaveh’s computer longer, tongue stuck out in frustration. Alhaitham had left at least 30 minutes ago. He left shortly after Aether informed him what happened at the town square. He blamed himself for the entire situation but the only thing he was told to do was stay put. 

His ears pricked when he heard the door knock. Jumping off the guest bed and beelining towards the door. He checked the peephole and noticed Alhaitham who was holding Kaveh in his arms.

He wagged his tail before happily opening the door. Alhaitham noticed the boy's tail and smiled sadly. He gestured for the boy to get closer as he did.

“Yes?” Aether chirped once Alhaitham got on ear level.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered pathetically. 

Aether was about to inquire about what he meant but had a gag shoved into his mouth. He reached out for Alhaitham who stared at the scene with a stoic expression. 

Aether choked on the cloth as he noticed Kaveh lightly struggling against his roommate's grip. The other Blonde had an angry look as he desperately tried to escape his binds, although it was useless as Alhaitham held on tighter to him.

Aether was picked up easily and shoved into the back of a van. His hands were handcuffed and tied behind his back. His legs were bonded together and he had a blind put over his eyes. Tears stained the cloth as he desperately squirmed around. He was vaguely aware of another presence in the van with him but he knew they wouldn’t do anything to help.

“Hey stop,” the other person said, scuffling over to the struggling Aether.

A warm, feathery feeling was placed on Aether's shoulder as he looked over in the direction of the voice but couldn't see.

“Mhm?” He couldn't necessarily talk due to the gag in his mouth but the voice spoke again.

“It’s nice seeing you again,” a smile was apparent in the voice.

Aether couldn't hear the voice all too well but was helped a moment later when something feathery pulled the gag out of his mouth, although with difficulty.

“Who are you?” he asked timidly but the other only laughed.

His blind was removed a second later, and the contrast from dark to bright blinded him momentarily as he allowed his eyes to adjust.

He blinked a few times before looking at the other person. They had beautiful black wings that stretched forward, one wing resting on Aether’s shoulder. The person in question had green eyes and two beauty marks underhead his eyes. His burgundy hair lay on his head perfectly and the darker maroon streak in his hair made everything pop.

“Wait… Heizou?!”

Chapter Text

“Where have you been?!?” Aether asked frantically, worry clear in his tone of voice.

Heizou chuckled, “Oh you know, been stuck in this van for a while, the usual.”

Heizou giggled at Aether’s deadpan expression, though a small smile started to peek its way through.

“You haven’t been hurt… right…?” Aether asked, his brows furrowing.

Heizou stopped, tapping his wing to his chin in consideration, “No? Honestly, I can’t remember much other than the initial kidnapping”

Aether sighed, relief flooding him although he was undoubtedly still worried.

A silence fell over the two as the van continued to jump up and down, tossing the hybrid men. Neither of them dared to break the silence as it seemed to be the only comfort they had.

“I presume you’d like to know how Kazuha and Scara are holding up?” Aether sighed, watching Heizou’s wings fluff up as he eagerly nodded.

He softly smiled at the other before shaking his head in defeat. 

“I don’t bear good news my friend,” Aether sighed, closing his eyes as Heizou deflated, his feathers falling flat.

“Still... I want to know how they're doing,” Heizou mumbled, a ghost of a smile present.

Aether smiled meekly, “They aren’t doing well… It's mostly affected Kazuha the most as he’s usually timid and can easily be angered. Though I have my suspicions that Scara may have taken up cutting again.”

Heizou blinked, Aether couldn’t pinpoint what emotion the man was feeling, though he thought he got a glimpse of guilt.

“I… see,” He muttered, covering his body with his wings.

“It’s not your fault Heizou-” Aether attempted to comfort, but it was all in vain as Heizou only shrunk away, his movement angry.

“Yeah, I know it’s not my fault but just because I know it isn’t my fault doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s my fault,” Heizou groaned, throwing his head back as a single tear slid down his face.

“I just miss them..” He sighed, Aether could relate to the other as he missed Xiao dearly.

…

“Do you think we’ll see Tighnari?” Aether asked, seeing Heizou perk up.

“I sure hope so, we need some brains right about now” Heizou sighed, Aether agreed with a snicker.

They both fell quiet as it felt awkward to engage in small talk. Heizou ended up falling asleep while Aether was left with his thoughts. He mulled over any thought that came to mind, most being irrationally worrisome while others were similar to “If I was forced to eat one thing for the rest of my life, what would it be?” His thoughts halted as one particular thing came to mind. What if Gorou got caught? Now Gorou didn’t like to talk to people outside his friend group. He was especially close to Kokomi and Itto and his gang. Though he was a fairly good fighter and was one of the best archers Aether knew. 

Now what made Aether so worried was, what would happen to Gorou if he got caught? It was uncertain if Gorou would end up in the same facility that Heizou and Aether were going but trying to catch Gorou would be a pain. The boy was agile and had more than enough backup to keep him out of harm’s way. But Aether had a sneaking suspicion that Gorou wouldn’t be treated kindly once he got caught.

With a boy like him in their facility... Who knows what the institute would do? Aether could only pray to the Archons that he was fine now. Thinking of being put into experimentation now has made Aether more stressed out about his situation. He has one part fearing for his and his friend's lives, another part missing Xiao, and another part wanting this to be all a nighter and he just had a long day at school. Though he knew the last part was all in vain and it was a silly hope that was fighting to stay there in his mind.

Aether shuffled uncomfortably, suddenly yearning for Xiao's touch. He missed the boy uncontrollably and it hurt more knowing that he may never see him again. Silent tears streaked down his face as he stared blankly at the ground. Car sickness slowly consumed him.

Before he could be consumed by the sickness he was jolted forward. His face hit the metal floor with a groan. 

Heizou woke up quickly, scrambling to help Aether up with his wings. He managed to get the boy close to him and hugged him tight when the van’s doors were thrown open. Heizou’s senses were alert as his wings puffed up, hoping to make himself seem more threatening. 

Aether could only watch in terror as men came into the van and attempted to pull Heizou away.

In Aether’s fear, he bit down hard on one of the men’s hands. A string of curses emitted from the man as he slugged Aether’s. The boy hissed under his breath as his cheek screamed in pain, pain flaring around. His ears were flat to his head. They grabbed onto Heizou’s wings and yanked hard, the man screeched in pain, flailing around. 

Aether could only watch in horror as they knocked the boy out with a clean hit to the neck. 
Heizou gasped before his eyes rolled to the back of his head, his eyes closing as Aether stared horrified.

“You better comply or you’ll end up just like your friend, pretty boy,” one man sneered, already reaching for Aether.

The blonde looked at the man disgustingly before complying, letting himself be dragged along as Heizou was draped over a man’s shoulder. His wings were tucked in and stayed put.

Aether pitied the boy, the pain so fierce that he felt the need to fight back, though it didn’t end pretty. Scara would undoubtedly be mad right now. He’d probably try to kill these poor men, maybe even succeed. The thought of his cold-hearted friend sent a pang in Aether’s heart. He and Kazuha were probably so confused, wondering where their lover could’ve been 
taken.

Aether felt a sob bubble in his throat as he was shoved onward, his steps beginning to falter.

“Speed up boy,” Someone behind him barked, being shoved again as he picked up his pace.

Crying did him no good right now. He’ll cry when he’s in a safe area, or as safe as it can get. He grimaced at the thought of being chained onto the wall, with no one to talk to; he’d surely lose his mind. The ground’s dirt slowly shifted to concrete as Aether was shoved into a white building, everything was white and the walls were lined with doors that could go anywhere. 

The men ahead of him threw a door open and shoved Aether inside, tossing Heizou like mail as Aether frantically caught him.

He narrowed his eyes at the men before they closed the door. The room was slightly dark as the lights in the ceiling were giving out. Heizou stirred a little. There was a bed nearby as 

Aether dragged him over onto it. He lay sprawled on the bed. His eyes dropped shut.

-

-

-

Why am I here? I’m not supposed to be here- I- I- …GET ME OUT OF HERE!

Heizou jolted awake, blinking feverishly as he took in his new surroundings. Where was he? He was slightly aware of the person staring at him from afar. He looked over at the dark corner, noticing the long pointy ears and the fluffy tail that curled around the boy's body.

“Who are you?” He asked, his voice soft and rough. The screaming did a number on him.

The boy’s ears twitched, a weird noise emitting from them as he took a deep breath, 

“Tighnari, and you?” 

Heizou smiled, so Nari was here.

“Nari you don’t have to hide in that corner you know?” Heizou chuckled, watching the boy's ears turn in his direction.

“I don’t understa- … Heizou?” Tighnari called, shuffling over to the boy and hugging him tight.

Heizou patted his back with his wing, relaxing into the familiar touch.

“What are you doing here?” He breathed, his eyes fluttering shut.

“I could be asking you and Aether the same thing,” Tighnari remarked, a smile evident in his tone. 

Heizou looked down at the sleeping blonde, one wing draped over him like a blanket as he lay in an uncomfortable position. Tighnari smiled before getting rid of the binds that stuck 
Heizou’s feet and hands together. Making quick work and storing the rope. Freeing Aether as well as he pulled him onto the mattress fully. The think sheet being thrown onto him.

“How long have you been here?” Heizou asked, looking up from Aether’s sleeping figure.

He watched Tighnari’s ears flick as he placed a hand on his chin, rubbing the skin before shrugging, “I really don’t know, I was stuck in transit for Archon knows how long,” the boy complained, his tail lazily thumping against the ground.

Heizou nodded, his wings folding behind his back.

“Well at least we’re all here together,” he sighed, Tighnari nodding.

The hum of the lights was a nice white noise; Heizou felt himself falling asleep.

“You think they're looking for us?” Tighnari asked.

Heizou perked up, his brows furrowing as the other stared at the door, his eyes lost.

“I do, There's no doubt that with all of us missing, they’ll find out where whereabouts” he reassured, sitting up and reaching a hand towards Nari but he just shrugged it off.

“Okay,” he whispered, curling next to Aether on the small mattress. Heizou smiled grimly, putting his head down on the mattress while the lights beam down on him annoyingly.

“At Least I hope..” He whispered, his eyes watering as he finally closed his eyes, washing the day in the tears that refused to fall.