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it's been really tiring running around all of inazuma the past week. aether thought his job would be finished once he brought heizou back home from watatsumi island but his laundry list of items to do just seems to grow longer and longer.
the stairway up the grand narukami shrine is plain torture. aether doesn't know how long they have been walking up the stairs. all he knows is that it has been ten minutes and they still have not reached the shrine.
aether lets out a strangled groan, placing a hand on the wall to support himself. it was a pity that paimon didn't want to join in on their journey today. if she did, he wouldn't have needed to lean his weight onto the wall, lest he his tired legs give way and he collapses onto the floor.
"are we almost there yet?"
he complains, panting as he catches his breath. his feet ached from the long climb up the grand narukami shrine and his stomach grumbled.
the first thing, he tells himself, he will do when the day is over is to take a long, hot shower to soothe the soreness in his legs and make a simple meal to eat before he buries himself under the covers.
heizou was in a slightly better state than he was. his legs are planted steadily onto the ground as he leans against the pillar, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.
he isn't panting as hard as aether was but he's visibly upset from the way he huffs, crosses his arms over his chest and shuts his eyes in frustration.
"man alive, i really wish we had cookie with us right now. "
"um…"
aether doesn't really understand what heizou means by that but he just nods along.
"you're right, i haven't eaten all day too."
heizou grumbles under his breath a few words that aether can't hear clearly, something about cookies again, before he exhales loudly, pushing himself off the sturdy pillar. he loops his arm with aether's, tugging him away from the comfortable support of the wall.
aether yelps as he loses his balance and crashes into heizou's side.
heizou continues to smile, eyes brimming with determination.
"time to go, dear traveler. time waits for no man." heizou declares, ignoring aether's pleas for more rest, continuing to drag his fatigued body up the rest of the stairs leading to the grand narukami shrine.
—
if you count the fact that the play ended with no one getting injured, aether would say the play, "Heizou Talks Fraud", seems to have gone by successfully.
well, almost no one.
itto had his ego bruised when he realised he was scammed after acting in an anti-fraud campaign; the irony of it all is hilarious.
aether has a hard time holding in his laughter as he runs away from an angry itto. his face when he realised he had been tricked is priceless and aether can't seem to get it out of his mind even after heizou and him had escaped to a small area behind one of the shop houses in tenryou.
heizou seems to be in the same predicament, holding his stomach as he bends over laughing. tears form at the side of his eyes and it just makes aether laugh even harder when he sees his face.
the sounds of their laughter fill the air for the next few minutes before they slowly die down, turning into weak chuckles and heavy breaths.
soon, it is silent, with only the beatings of their hearts as they stare out into the night sky, admiring the glittering stars.
it had been a long day for the both of them so aether reaches into his bag, digging through it for something.
"aha!" he exclaims, holding out two sticks of dango that had been tightly saran wrapped.
he holds one out of heizou to take which he accepts gratefully.
"take this as a reward for all that we have done today."
"thank you very much, traveler. you never fail to impress me."
heizou smiles thankfully, slowly unwrapping his stick of dango.
he takes a bite of the top piece, sighing loudly.
"i really want to eat cookie."
aether purses his lips, looking through the contents of his bag again.
he has known heizou for a while now but he doesn't remember heizou mentioning anything about liking cookies nor can he guess the reason behind heizou's sudden obsession with cookies.
his bag is filled with trinkets and gadgets that he has accumulated from his adventures through teyvat. kameras, a momento lens, a single clear tear of dvalin; he has it all, but, unfortunately, no cookies.
"i'm sorry but i don't have any cookies with me right now."
. . .
no response.
"you wanted to eat cookies, right? like the dessert?"
aether asks again, this time, more aggressively as he looks to heizou for an answer.
heizou freezes to the spot, his eyes darting around nervously, a red blush spreading across his face.
that's when it hit aether.
heizou wasn't talking about cookies.
he was talking about kuki shinobu, the arataki gang's deputy leader.
he wants to eat. . .
oh.
oh.
aether blushes furiously, returning his attention back to his stick of dango.
the atmosphere that was once joyful and relaxed is now downright awkward and aether doesn't know how to handle it.
even the eloquent, charming doushin seems to be lost for words.
so the two just sit in awkward silence for the rest of the night, eating their dango in silence. they finish their dango quickly, only breaking the ice to say a brief goodbye.
it was a bit hard to see in the dark night but aether could swear heizou's cheeks were as red as his hair. he fumbled over his words as he said his goodbyes, scurrying away before aether could ask any more questions.
aether can't wait to go back and tell paimon all the drama. she's going to regret not joining him on his trip.