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"Ugh, Paimon's so full." The golden-blond-haired boy could hear his companion mutter as they walked through Sumeru city.
"You ate quite a lot during the feast earlier." Aether chuckled. "It's no surprise you're filled to the brim."
"Well, the food was so good!" Paimon puffs her cheeks up, before placing her hands on her hips. "Paimon couldn't resist!" She said proudly, earning a laugh from the other.
It wasn't long before they arrived at the inn. Aether was surprised to see a letter at his doorstep.
"Is that a letter from Albedo?" Paimon tucked her hands behind her back, staring curiously as Aether picked the letter up.
"It is!" Aether's face almost immediately lit up as he read the name written on the back, followed by a stamp that had Mondstadt's symbol on it. "I'll open it inside." Aether says, and Paimon nods, opening the doors to head inside before flopping on the bed.
Aether chuckled lightly at the sight, she sure was exhausted. He was too, but he was too eager to open the letter to do anything else first.
"You get some rest, I'll join in a bit." Aether turns the lights off, earning a hum from his companion, followed by the sound of sheets shuffling.
Aether lets out a sigh as he takes a seat before the desk not too far away from the bed, before turning the reading lamp on. He chuckled lightly as he heard the soft snoring from the bed, before returning his focus to the envelope in his hands.
He gently lifted the flap, that was held secure by a little sticker in the shape of a four leaf clover. He didn't have to think to know who had placed that sticker. The thought of the energetic child only made him miss Mondstadt even more.
He didn't hesitate to pull the contents of the letter out of the envelope, eagerness getting the best of him. There was a handwritten letter inside, aswell as a few pieces of paper that were folded up.
'Dear Aether,' He scanned the letter. 'I hope you've been doing well. I've been caught up with my experiments recently, so I haven't had the time to write a letter to you. I hope you don't mind.' Aether smiled. Typical.
'In response to your previous letter, yes, I have been taking breaks, you needn't worry.' A relieved expression made its way onto Aether's face as he read this. 'Though, I have a question. Did you perhaps tell Klee about this? She's been... rather insistent on me taking breaks from time to time recently.' Aether laughed softly, proud. It seems Klee kept her promise when she said she would keep an eye on Albedo. Aether had formed a 'secret alliance' with her without Albedo knowing, and her first task was to make sure Albedo was eating and taking breaks, instead of just cooping himself in his lab all day.
'Anyway, how have travels been going? I would be delighted to hear about Sumeru.' Aether grins as he scans the next paragraph, he can almost feel the curiosity oozing out of the page. Albedo had always been interested in his travels. In his past letters, he had asked about Liyue and Inazuma, and Aether had written all about his journey back to him.
This time, though, he felt a different type of excitement reading this sentence. He was going to be returning to Mondstadt for the first time in quite the while. After all, everything seemed to be settled and Sumeru seemed to be back on track. He should be able to return to the City of Freedom soon enough.
'By the way, Klee has been constantly inquiring as to the timing of your return recently. She's been telling me that it's been boring without you here to play with her and that she hopes you return soon.' Aether can't contain his smile at this point. The letter was enough to fill his heart up with joy. I'll be back soon, he thinks. He can't wait to see Albedo and Klee again, to see the knights again, to see the city again. He can't wait to bask in the gentle sunlight as the wind brushes across his face.
'Ah, yes. Your art skills have been improving significantly.' Aether continues to scan the letter, smile unwavering. 'The painting you sent me in your previous letter is magnificent. I must say, you're learning quite quickly.' Aether lets out a huff as he recalls the painting he had sent Albedo when he had just arrived in Sumeru, it had been of Sumeru city. It wasn't the best, but it was definitely better than his previous paintings.
He recalls the first time he had painted with Albedo. It was when they had been up on Dragonspine, trying to uncover the mystery of Albedo's doppelganger. He had proudly displayed his 'painting prowess' to Albedo in a horrid attempt of painting Paimon a portrait. Albedo had stared at the painting with a smile on his face, as if he didn't know whether or not to laugh. In the end, though, he had refrained, telling Aether that there was a first time for everything, before taking the canvas off the easel to paint Paimon a new portrait to stop her complaints. To be honest, Aether never knew what happened to his painting. Had Albedo kept it? The alchemist didn't seem to have disposed of it, at least as far as he knew.
Eyes and focus returning to the letter, he scans the last few sentences. 'Speaking of which, do you remember that portrait I promised to draw you? I've been giving it some thought recently.' Aether blinked a few times. He remembered? 'I've also been experimenting with varied styles and themes, I'd like your thoughts on them. This way, I can understand your preferences better.' Aether couldn't stop smiling. He hadn't thought Albedo had actually remembered. When he had said it during their painting session, Aether had just nodded along, not expecting Albedo to actually remember it after that night, judging by how busy he was and the situation they were in. He supposes he should've known better.
'Again, I wish you the best on your travels. I look forward to your next return.' Aether let out a content sigh as he read the last line of the letter, followed by Albedo's signature. He sets the letter down to stretch a little, before picking the folded pieces of paper up.
The first one was of Windrise, the giant oak tree and the statue of the seven in the setting sun, painted in warm toned colours. The second one was of Starglow Cavern, the pointy ice structures stuck out from different directions of the cavern, painted with muted colours. The third one was of Starsnatch Cliff, the clear blue sky and the cecilias swaying in the wind, painted using light colours. The fourth one was not what Aether expected, but it did not bring disappointment, however. He chuckled when he unfolded the piece of paper to see a crayon drawing of him, Klee and Albedo all holding hands, with a squiggly signature that read 'Klee' at the bottom right of the paper. Aether could barely contain his smile.
He let out a yawn. Usually, he'd pull out a piece of paper and start writing a reply, but he was returning to Mondstadt in about a week or so. He would rather talk to them and reply to everything in person, and so with that, he tucked everything back into the envelope, before sealing it shut with the little sticker, and packing it gently into his backpack.
He would return to Mondstadt soon enough. For now, it was time for bed.