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Their relationship started before Xiao's career became successful.
Aether was sure that he was already in love with Xiao since the first memory he could remember of them together, years ago in his childhood.
Aether was also the person who encouraged Xiao the most when he started to work as a model. He watched as his boyfriend's fame grew, always supporting and advising him. Xiao more than once asked if Aether didn't want to pursue this career with him — in fact, the only time they did a photoshoot together for the cover of a magazine on Valentine's Day, the internet was all about it — but Aether enjoyed his partial anonymity and already had plans for his future, doing pedagogy at the university to one day teach to children — maybe one of them being his own child with Xiao, but that was something to think about later.
However, having a famous boyfriend, always in the eyes of the media and having his image disputed by several large companies, had its negative points. These points were more visible in recent weeks.
A large clothing brand decided to create a fashion label with Xiao's name and the model would obviously have to do several photoshoots to publicize it, which resulted in long workloads and a completely full schedule. And to make matters worse, the brief time he had off coincided with the week that Aether had to go to another city for an education seminar. As such, they hardly saw each other and it was even rarer for them to spend time together.
At least they were always texting each other, sharing everyday stuff. Aether was one of the first people to see the photos of the photoshoot that Xiao was doing, being impressed by the quality and beauty of the clothes he was wearing — and obviously with the beauty of his own boyfriend. Aether always felt his face and body heat up when he saw Xiao's serious face and piercing gaze.
The blond sighed, looking at the phone's screen again, waiting for an answer. He missed Xiao…
His cell phone vibrated in his hand, the notification that arrived was not from his boyfriend, but from one of his managers, Venti, an old friend.
“Another photo for you.” said the message, followed by an image of Xiao on a white background, sitting on a floor of the same color, one of his arms resting on the knee that was bent, the other resting on his thigh, his amber eyes almost golden, looking directly at the camera, but what caught Aether's attention was the fact that the stylish and expensive looking jacket he was wearing was open. He wasn't wearing a shirt and a good part of his chest and abdomen exposed.
Aether pouted. He really missed his boyfriend.
“Stop drooling and tell me what you think of the clothes, that's what you should be paying attention to.” the delay in receiving a reply made Venti send another message.
Venti knew that the blond's answer would be the same as always, until now he had liked all of the brand's clothes — in fact, Xiao wouldn't put his name on something that wasn't to his liking and he and his boyfriend shared similar styles — so Aether was sure the manager sent that photo with more intentions than just knowing Aether's opinion.
Which was very unfair, because the blond would give anything to feel Xiao's body against his at that exact moment and see him exposed like that in a way that was too much, but not enough, didn't help.
Looking once more at the photo, noticing every detail and wondering if his hands would get warm if he slipped them inside that jacket while he caressed Xiao's skin, an idea crossed his mind.
“You already know my answer.” he replied to Venti, but didn't wait for a response before sending another message.
"Can you send me that jacket?" he sent several pleading-faced emojis along with the phrase.
"I really don't want to know why you want the jacket." Venti replied “But I’ll see if I can.”
“Thank you, you are the best.” Aether smiled as he sent the message.
Venti really was the best. A few days after their conversation he sent the jacket that Xiao was wearing to the blond — according to him it wasn't difficult because it was already part of the model's personal wardrobe.
Aether opened the package excitedly, taking the piece of clothing. It was very beautiful and well made, the colors clearly inspired by the dyed locks of Xiao's hair, and the inside was soft and warm.
The jacket was just a little looser than the clothes the blond used to wear — which was normal when he borrowed Xiao's clothes — and unfortunately, he couldn't smell his boyfriend's perfume on the fabric.
He took a picture, not caring that underneath he was wearing his pajamas and sent it to Xiao.
“Look what I have.” the message said.
"So that's why Venti was going through my closet." Xiao replied “It looks good on you.”
"Thanks. I really like it, I'm going to steal it from you." Aether smiled.
"It wouldn't be the first time." the answer made the blond laugh “Sorry, I need to get back to work. But I'm coming home in two days.”
“Oh, okay. Until then. I love you."
"I love you."
The blond hugged the piece of clothing that involved him, sighing. He could survive two more days…
“Xiao!” the model barely entered the house and was already greeted by Aether wrapping his arms around his neck and hugging him. Xiao held onto his waist and turned his face to smell the shampoo that Aether always used to wash his hair. It was immeasurable how much he had missed that smell.
The only thing he wasn't expecting was the thick leather fabric under his fingers — it wasn't so late that Aether was in pajamas, but the blond tended to wear light, comfortable clothes when he was home.
Xiao pulled back enough to be able to look at Aether, but he didn't let go of the embrace. The blond was wearing ripped jeans, one of his old crop tops and Xiao's jacket over it. A bit of an odd mix of clothes, as the jacket seemed a little too much together with the simplicity of the other pieces.
He frowned.
“Did you go out?” the black haired man asked.
Aether walked away, noting the clothes he was wearing and also the fact that Xiao had dropped the two backpacks he was carrying on the ground when his boyfriend came running to greet him.
“Oh. I went for ice cream with Lumine and forgot to change.” he replied, taking one of the backpacks while his boyfriend took the other to place them on top of the coffee table in the living room.
Xiao nodded, not commenting on the unusual combination of clothes that the blond had made.
“I made dinner for us.” Aether said, taking off the jacket he was wearing, placing it carefully over the arm of the couch. The model took the opportunity to wrap his arms around the blond's waist, hugging him from behind, leaning his head forward to kiss his boyfriend's shoulder.
"Thank you." Xiao replied, feeling the blond's hands meet his on the exposed skin of his abdomen "I missed you." he whispered.
"I missed you too." Aether smiled, he caressed Xiao's index finger with his thumb "Are the photoshoots over?" he asked, hoping the answer was yes and he and his boyfriend could finally spend more time together.
Xiao's sigh was not a positive response. He pulled away from Aether, giving the blond space to turn to face him, and shook his head.
“The company has arranged a dinner for tomorrow.” he replied "We were invited, remember?"
“Is it tomorrow?!” Aether's eyes widened "I thought it would be next month! Why didn't you tell me sooner?” he said, making his boyfriend laugh.
Xiao watched the blond go to the kitchen to see the calendar they had placed on the fridge and confirm the date.
“Oh.” he heard Aether speak and crossed his arms, a smile still on his face.
"It's marked on the calendar, isn't it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow when Aether came back to him. He nodded, Xiao laughed again.
“Stop making fun of me.” he pouted but couldn't hide the smile that formed at the corner of his mouth "Come on, let's eat before the food gets cold."
The two went to the kitchen, the light atmosphere between them was a desired and satisfying break from the busy routine of work and studies they were having.
After dinner, while Aether washed the dishes — he insisted on doing that, saying that Xiao needed to rest — the model went to take a shower. He missed being able to stay at home without having to worry about makeup, with what he was wearing or whether his hair was combed. All Xiao wanted was to lie down on the sofa and cuddle with Aether like they always did when watching a movie, having the blond so close to him that he could feel his heartbeat.
Xiao missed Aether so much, it was rare for them to be apart for a long time — usually their work coincided with the blond's college break and Aether accompanied him wherever he went — and when that happened Xiao always woke up with the feeling of being incomplete without having someone to say good morning, say I love you and hear it being said to him.
And it was clear that Aether felt the same way, as soon as Xiao sat on the couch — his legs stretched out over it and his back resting on the arm of the couch — Aether lay down on top of him, with his legs between his boyfriend's, pulling his arms for Xiao to hug him.
The black haired man would be lying if he said he was paying attention to the movie the blond had put on TV, his mind was tired, but also only focusing on every part of Aether's body that was in contact with his own. On how comfortable the warmth that enveloped them was, how soft Aether's skin was under his fingers, each time they moved and caressed the blond, he shivered or melted more in his arms.
Xiao tipped his head forward without even realizing it, burying his face in the crook of Aether's neck, breathing in deeply the scent of soap, perfume and a sweet aroma that was so characteristic of Aether. He closed his eyes, sliding his lips over the skin, his hand caressing his boyfriend's waist, all he heard was Aether's breathing, ignoring the noise of the TV.
He spread kisses over the blond's neck, tightening the embrace, his chest filling with happiness at finally being close to the one he loves again, his eyes were still closed, sleep slowly invading him, but his lips instinctively continued to explore every corner of skin they could find.
“Xiao…” Aether said softly, his breathing hitched and his body shuddered, the murmur he heard in response confirmed his doubts that his boyfriend was almost asleep “I think we'd better go to bed…”
The blond tried to pull away, not managing to escape the hug, but at least making Xiao stop kissing him — his neck was sensitive and the way Xiao was tired, he better stop it before another part of his body became too interested in what was going on.
The model muttered again, opening his eyes.
“Can we sleep here?” he asked, his voice low and drowsy.
Aether sighed, but smiled.
“Just this once.” he replied and both settled down on the couch until they were lying down, Xiao didn't take long to cuddle Aether again.
They fell asleep quickly.
It wasn't just the daylight hitting his face that woke Xiao up, but also several noises coming from somewhere in the house. He opened his eyes with difficulty, realizing he was lying alone on the couch.
“Aether?” he called.
"In the kitchen!" the blond replied. Xiao could smell coffee. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall that said it was 8 am and was surprised. Usually on free days Aether routine didn't start until 10.
Xiao stretched, got up from the sofa and walked towards the kitchen, bare feet in contact with the cold floor. His boyfriend was standing next to the table, drinking a large cup of coffee and quickly typing something on his cell phone with his free hand.
He was no longer in his pajamas, but jeans and a shirt that was a little more elegant than what he usually wore around the house.
"Is everything okay?" he asked, taking a mug for himself, his voice still sleepy, he watched the blond frown.
“My teacher called me, something unexpected came up and one of the students isn't going to show up at the event he had planned.” Aether replied without taking his eyes off the phone as Xiao poured coffee into his mug “I'll have to give a lecture in his place.”
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“And when I am not?” Aether replied, chuckling and taking a last sip of coffee.
Xiao accompanied him to the front door, his steps slower than the blond who was evidently in a hurry.
"You can do it." he said, as he always said when Aether had some presentation to do. The blond smiled, putting the keys in his pocket.
"I know." he winked before quickly leaving the house, closing the door behind him.
Xiao sighed, taking another sip of his coffee and walking into the living room, a part of him — the part of his mind that wasn't rational because he hadn't quite woken up yet — felt a twinge of sadness that Aether had forgotten to give him a goodbye kiss, something they did since the beginning of their relationship.
But he soon dismissed that thought, the blond was in a hurry and Xiao knew how important his studies and university activities were to Aether.
He was heading back to the kitchen when he heard the door open again and that twinge of sadness disappeared.
Aether ran into the house, but — to his boyfriend's disappointment — walked straight past Xiao towards the bedroom, returning at the same hurried pace holding something in his left arm.
“I forgot the jacket.” the blond said "I'll be back in time for dinner, don't worry." Aether finished the sentence by closing the front door, leaving the model alone.
Xiao even stood there for a few moments by the door, waiting for Aether to return, but he didn't. He furrowed his brow in disappointment. He really didn't understand why Aether liked that jacket so much, even though it was pretty, the model didn't think it was a good outfit for someone who was going to give a lecture.
Xiao pressed his lips together, the coffee tasting more bitter than it was, making him lose the desire to continue drinking. He ignored the irrational irritation he felt and decided to head to the small gym the house had next to the pool, to work out until his mind was empty.
When the sun was about to set — and after Xiao had done everything he could think of not to get bored — Aether finally returned to the house.
Unfortunately wearing that jacket that the model was already tired of seeing.
“Sorry, my professor decided to buy lunch for the students who attended after the event, but the event was delayed so when I saw it, it was past 5 pm.” he started talking, kissing Xiao on the cheek and heading towards the bedroom.
“Did you eat well?” he asked, raising his voice because Aether was already in another room.
“Yep!” he replied "I'm going to take a shower!"
He could hear the sound of the shower turning on and chuckled softly, Aether was still energetic and that means he had quite a bit to tell Xiao about the event.
The black haired man took the opportunity to choose what he would wear, there was no need to wear formal clothes for dinner, but he had to make sure he looked impeccable — because his career was all about image. He smiled when he heard Aether singing.
When the sound of running water stopped and the sound of a hair dryer turning on started, Xiao knew that Aether was almost done getting ready.
He opened the door while running his fingers through the locks of blond hair, dressed only in black boxer shorts.
“Oh, I liked it.” he said, pointing to the dark-toned outfit his boyfriend had chosen "I'll go with light clothes so we complement each other." he winked.
Xiao smiled and, as he knew it would happen, Aether began to tell him how his day was, everything that had happened during the event and the chaos that made it start two hours late.
“I told them to buy new mics. I almost had to shout for them to hear me.” he said as he pulled on his light blue jeans.
Both dressed, Aether braided his hair, they helped each other with very natural makeup — apart from the orange eyeliner that was Xiao's signature — and looked at themselves in the large mirror in the closet.
"Ready?" the blond smiled at him. Xiao nodded, just going to get some rings he was going to use while Aether was already heading towards the living room. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his boyfriend picking something up, but he didn't pay attention to what it was.
To Xiao's dismay, he discovered that Aether had also decided to complement his look with something else. That something being precisely the jacket that the model was tired of seeing.
“Do I look good?” Aether asked, opening his arms — and although the jacket didn't match the light tones the blond chose, Xiao had no way to answer no, Aether was as splendid as ever.
“Yes.” he replied, approaching his boyfriend, his brows furrowed “Are you wearing my perfume?”
Xiao asked, he could smell the scent emanating from the blond, mingling with the perfume he always wore.
“Oh.” Aether looked a little embarrassed, but shrugged “I used some on my jacket.”
For some reason that information made Xiao feel a twinge of irritation.
“I think you looked better without that.” he said without thinking, pointing to the jacket.
Aether was surprised, Xiao wasn't one to say what Aether should wear unless the blond asked his opinion.
"Why?" he frowned, the model took a step closer, his eyes staring at the jacket as if it's existence was an offense to him.
“I didn't like it.” Xiao replied.
“You didn't like it…” Aether repeated confusedly, Xiao held on to both sides of the open jacket.
“I don't know why you wear it all the time.” he said, pressing his lips together, his eyes meeting his boyfriend's surprised ones.
The blond blinked twice, before arching his eyebrows and trying to hold back the smile that wanted to form on his face. He knew that look and that tone of voice that Xiao was using.
“Wait a minute…” Aether started to say, the smile finally appearing on his face “Are you jealous?” he let out a laugh.
The way the model looked away confirmed his suspicions.
“Xiao.” the blond chuckled, trying to control himself "It's a jacket."
The black haired man kept the attitude, his hands holding on to Aether's waist, inside the warm fabric of the jacket.
“You seem to like it more than me these days.” he replied, the blond was finding it adorable how he tried not to pout.
"What?" he said in an amused tone "Are you being serious?"
“You forgot my goodbye kiss.” he replied, his head going forward for him to say it right next to Aether's ear, his hands moving up the blond's body so he could try to remove that now so hated piece of clothing"But you came back for the jacket …”
Aether shuddered at the low voice Xiao was using.
"I—" he was going to apologize, he didn't even realize this had happened and he would feel bad about it if the model's lips sliding down his neck, teeth brushing against the same spot, weren't making the blond's mind stop working.
He moaned, letting Xiao continue trying to get his jacket off while biting and kissing every part of the skin under his lips, pulling his boyfriend close in a way that pressed his hips against Aether's. They were so desperate for each other, missing so much physical contact, that it didn't take long for the blond to feel the bulge in Xiao's pants.
“Xiao…” he moaned again, feeling a slightly stronger bite right near the collar of his shirt, not strong enough to leave marks, but a demonstration of what was to come later “We're going to be late for dinner…”
Aether felt the jacket slide down his arms and heard the metallic clatter of the buttons hitting the wooden floor, Xiao groaned against his skin, satisfied that they had gotten rid of that piece of clothing.
“They can wait.” he replied, grabbing the blond's hips and pulling him up, making him wrap his legs around his waist. Aether gasped, grabbing his boyfriend's shoulders and leaning his head forward to initiate an intense kiss.
Xiao took them to the bedroom, not caring at all about the jacket that was left on the floor.