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Lies are a dangerous thing. To some, they are tools for seizing an advantage or to get out of trouble, perhaps used in self-service or in an attempt to spare others trouble or hardship. Whatever their use, Lyney was no stranger to the weight of the silver tongue and the honeyed words that rolled off it so effortlessly to his delight and horror, it was his gift and his curse in equal portion.
What had began as a tool to avoid trouble, to serve a greater purpose, or simply to make things move smoothly, had become a nigh self-destructive habit. These lies that so easily rolled off Lyney's tongue would pool at his feet, making unsteady foundations that would sprout into a wavering tower that spiralled so far into the sky that none could catch him should he fall.
It was at the top of this tower that he would look down and realise just how many lies he'd told, how many he would yet tell, and all the ones that he had to uphold still, it was there that he realised none but falsehood would accompany him on this path of ascent until the day he either slipped off the edge or the tower itself crumbled beneath his very feet with nothing but the fog of betrayal to catch him, naught but the scornful eyes of those to whom he'd told his lies.
He would watch paralyzed as the view from his tower would shrink further and further until all he could see were specks where people once walked, the distance between him and them increasing with each lie, however big or small, necessary or otherwise. No one could help him, and no one could hear him should he cry out, not that he felt he deserved the sympathy, not that anyone would care about his thoughts and feelings being the liar that he was, who would care about the poor little liar?
With the ever-increasing plummet looming before him, the tower teetering to and fro as he stared into the abyss, into the fog, with nowhere to go but up until it all crashed down around him, what was the better option? Build and build until he reached celestia? Or simply step off and allow the tower to fall with him? There was no salvation above and no way for him to climb down, no way to un-build this spire of falsehood, so where could he possibly go?
Paralyzed by indecision and fear, he shut his eyes tight, hoping it would all melt away, that the tower would disappear and he would be at ground level once again, looking people in the eyes rather than staring down all the time at the unreachable normality. It was then that the bricks at the top of the tower would falter, unevening Lyney's footing and sending him toppling off of the tower's peak, debris made of words and fake smiles following his descent, laughing at him, as he fell from his disgrace.
Even as the wind rushed past him and that cold fog enveloped him, he would keep his eyes shut, hoping and praying to himself to wake up, to shrug off this awful dream and come back to reality.
That's all it was, a dream, and it would all be over soon. He just had to wake up.
Wake up.
Wake up...
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All of a sudden Lyney was snapped back to his senses as firm hands gripped his shoulders and yanked him backwards. He stumbled, unsure where he was for a moment, barely able to see anything in the dim light of his environment, but found anchorage in the body behind him whose hands held tight to his shoulders to keep him steady, a body and grip that were familiar to him.
"Are you okay?" Lyney peered backwards to the source of the voice, a balm on his sore heart and groggy mind, he was soothed by the familiar sight of golden locks and amber eyes laden with concern, glistening beautifully even in the dim light of wherever he was.
"Aether." Lyney mumbled, his grogginess slowly wearing off. "Where are we...?"
"We're... In my teapot?" He said confusedly. "Are you that out of it that you forgot?"
Lyney glanced around him once more, vision adjusting to the minimal light to make sense of his surroundings, familiar walls and floors made of Sumerian brightwood, the styling of Aether's teapot mansion. "Oh... Yes, of course, how could I... Forget?" Before him stretched the stairs to the lower floor, and as he stared down their length, he began to comprehend the circumstances of his position. "How did I...?"
"You were sleepwalking." Aether said, cautiously loosening his grip, once he was sure he could allow Lyney to stand on his own. "You would've fallen down the stairs if I hadn't caught you."
"Oh..." Lyney glanced at Aether, then back at the stairs. "I, uh... Thank you."
"Are you still out of it?" Aether suddenly cupped Lyney's face in his hands and inspected him. "You're not sick or anything, are you?"
Lyney's face turned bright red at the sudden gesture and as lethargic as he was, he couldn't help but chuckle. "D-Don't fawn over me now... I'm sure I would've landed on my feet."
"Doubtful, you're only half cat." Aether chuckled back, teasingly pinching the magician's cheeks. "Well you definitely aren't sick at least."
"Need I remind you that you caught me sleepwalking?" Lyney wrestled free of the traveller's hands, heaving a sudden yawn that crept up on him. "Gimme a chance to come around, eh?"
"Of course, sorry." Aether leaned against the wall beside Lyney and regarded him with a faint smile, a small comfort the Magician welcomed in his moment of vulnerability. "If you need a moment, we can go downstairs and lounge for a bit."
Lyney glanced down the stairs before nodding. "I would like that."
Aether nodded in kind and descended a step before extending his hand to Lyney. "Need a hand?"
"I'm tired, Aether, not frail." Lyney chuckled. "But nonetheless I shan't decline."
Their hands delicately intertwined and Lyney took a step and immediately stumbled, causing Aether to jump out of his skin as he caught and held him steady. They shared a long look of mutual horror which slowly turned to amused smiles and laughter. Aether prodded him once he was stable. "That'll teach you to tempt fate."
"I'm a magician, it's kinda my job." Lyney shrugged and received an eye roll in return.
"Just watch your step please." Aether guided the lethargic magician down the brightwood stairs to the central lounge of the mansion, the only light being the artificial moonlight that poured in through the few windows. The lounge was modelled as a library with central social area and a table upon which empty tea cups and unattended TCG decks laid, there were chairs at the table and sofas flanking it, but there was also a cat themed mini-sofa in the corner near a desert-style fireplace.
As Aether worked to light the sandstone fireplace, Lyney approached the mini sofa and laid upon it, glancing over at Aether just in time to see the tinder ignite and watch the warm, orange glow of the fire envelope the room. He shuffled over to make room for Aether as he climbed onto the mini-sofa and laid next to him, regarding him with a warm smile. "Can I get anything for you? Water? Tea? A book perhaps?"
Lyney shook his head. "No. You being here is enough."
Aether took his hand and squeezed gently. "Then you have me for as long as you need."
Such words were double-edged to Lyney, it was all he wanted to know Aether was there for him, but it also made him feel strangely guilty. He felt his eyes sting a little as he thought back to the nightmare he had, the lies he told piling up, the untrustworthiness of his own self, the compulsion to lie... Aether didn't deserve the burden of caring for a liar. The thought tumbled in his mind for what felt like hours before noticing the concern on Aether's face, then the tears pricking at his own eyes. "Th-Thank you..." He mumbled as he rubbed at his eyes, looking away as he did, it hurt his heart to feel Aether squeeze juist the slightest bit tighter in that moment.
"Are you okay?" Aether's question hung in the air, Lyney's mind racing over it. Yes, no, maybe, probably not, how could Lyney answer when he didn't even know exactly which one was really true?
"I... Don't know." A tear trickled down his cheek as he admitted it, he didn't dare look back at the traveler who so foolishly comforted him, who so innocently offered their hand to a liar and sinner like him, who so brazenly forgave the first of his many lies. Aether didn't respond for what felt like an eternity and Lyney immediately regretted saying something so honest and worrying, wishing he'd lied and said he was fine, that he was-
"It's okay." The words took Lyney by surprise, he swore his heart stopped for a second, unknowing how to take such a statement until Aether followed it up. "If there's anything I've learned in my journey, it's that sometimes that question is the hardest to answer." A brief silence as Aether brought Lyney's hand to his chest. "You can lean on me, Lyney."
Lyney wasn't sure how to take these words, but the seal finally broke and the tears he held back cascaded silently down his cheeks. He took a deep breath, then exhaled raggedly, not noticing how tightly he squeezed Aether's hand. "I know." He cringed at how the shakiness in his voice betrayed his emotions.
Apart from the crackling of the fireplace and Lyney's quiet sobs and shuddering breaths, silence reigned for a while. Aether cautiously rolled onto his side and reached over to Lyney, slowly wrapping the magician in a warm embrace, making no objections although he seemed reluctant to receive such comfort. "Whatever you're going through... I'm here."
"I know... But-" Lyney sniffled and stared at the ceiling, wiping away at the ceaseless tears he shed. "I don't deserve it... I don't deserve you..."
Aether couldn't help looking perplexed as he nuzzled against Lyney's shoulder. "Why do you feel that way?"
"I don't know... I mean- I do, but..." Lyney
"But?"
Lyney seemed lost in thought for a moment, then turned to face the traveller, his wet eyes and tear-stained cheeks glimmering in the firelight. "I just don't understand..."
With an eyebrow raised, Aether shook his head. "Understand what?"
Lyney gulped, took a deep breath, and loosed a ragged sigh. "How can you bear to love someone like me?" Aether stared dumbfounded and Lyney covered his eyes and sobbed. "A dirty liar like me... A Fatuus like me who tells lies like it's second nature... How can you stomach it?"
A warm hand brushed back a few stray locks of Lyney's flaxen hair and cupped the back of his head. "Lyney..."
"I don't deserve your comfort, your nice words, or warm touch... All I deserve is the fall that will eventually come for me." He dared to uncover an eye, to peer past his shield and see the anger and disappointment on his lover's face, the rightful ire he deserved to see directed at him.
What he didn't expect to see were tears welling up in Aether's eyes.
"Lyney..." His voice trembled ever so slightly, enough to pull at the strings of Lyney's own heart, to make the tears sting that much more. "Don't say all that."
"But... It's true." He stared confusedly at the golden traveller. "I lied to you too when we first met... Don't you hate me for that?"
Aether practically gasped, then loosed a sigh of exasperation before pulling Lyney into a tight hug, much to his surprise. "You damned idiot." His voice quaked with anger and sorrow. "Don't you remember I forgave you for that?"
Lyney laid still in the embrace, staring into the fire across from them. "I..."
"You what?" Aether cut in. "You forgot or something? Well, I'll remind you then. I forgive you for the lies you told when we first met."
It was all Lyney could do to stare away at nothing, unsure how to respond. "But... How can you be sure I won't lie to you again?"
"Because..." Aether pulled away and cupped the magician's face, forcing him to meet his gaze, Lyney could practically see his reflection in Aether's eyes, see the tears they shared. "I trust you, Lyney."
Lyney stared into the teary ambers that were Aether's eyes, shaken by the burning certainty he could see within. "You... Trust me?"
"Yes." Aether brought his forehead to Lyney's and sighed. "Do you remember what Paimon and I said to you? That we'll always be in your auditorium?" He stroked Lyney's cheek gently, taking a breath as he searched for his words. "We meant that... I meant that."
"Aether... I just..." Lyney sniffled and shook his head. "I'm haunted by lies and half-truths... I have nightmares about the wedge I drive between myself and others with every one I tell." He dared to bring a hand up to touch Aether's cheek. "I'm scared... Scared of losing... Losing everything... Losing you..."
His hand was enveloped by Aether's, his grip firm and warm. "Don't be." With a gentle hand, he pulled Lyney closer and kissed his forehead. "Sometimes, out of necessity, desire, fear or anger, we do and say what we feel is right..." He embraced Lyney - his scarred arms like anchors tying the magician to the ground even as the that tower of lies beckoned him to its peak of despair. "Sometimes those actions come at a price, but you won't lose me, or anything or anyone else for doing what you thought was necessary."
Lyney failed to choke back a sob as tears ran ever more fervently down his cheeks. He returned the embrace, burying his face in Aether's chest and soaking his top with tears as they held each other in silence. "I'm sorry..." He whimpered, his hands bunched up in Aether's top.
"Don't be sorry." Aether whispered back, kissing him on the cheek. "Cry as much as you need."
They laid embraced, nothing but the crackle of the nearby fire to accompany them - a melancholy, yet serene moment. As Lyney's sobs subsided and his tears dried, he reached up, fingers brushing through a cascade of golden locks before landing delicately on his traveller's cheek. "Aether..." He whispered, his voice quiet - timid even.
"Yes Lyney?" Aether whispered back.
"I want you to know..." He started, his words catching in his throat and choking him until he looked up at his lover, a gentle smile and eyes like a twin sunrise greeting him. "I... Even if I am a liar, a fool, I want you to know one thing..." The words came free, as though once frozen in ice thawed by the warmth of Aether, of his sun. "I love you. Truly. From the bottom of my heart."
Aether's smile widened ever-so-slightly and his hand came to rest on Lyney's hips, a gentle, but warming weight. "I know." He moved in, his lips grazing Lyney's, but not immediately committing to a kiss. "I love you too."
Without thinking, Lyney closed the gap and claimed the kiss that Aether dangled in front of him - their lips slid together like pieces of a puzzle, complete, perfect, and meant to be. They parted moments after, gazing longingly at each other, if a little drowzily. "I hope you know that I meant it... When I said that with you I'm just Lyney, and nothing more."
"I know." Aether brushed a stray lock out of Lyney's face, his hand coming to rest on his cheek. "And I hope you know I meant it when I said I trust you."
They exchanged smiles and Lney was once more captivated by the amber eyes of the traveller, the suns that warmed him on the coldest nights, beckoning him back to the living and out of his nightmarish delusions. If Aether were the sun, Lyney would be so arrogant as to call himself the moon - two sides of the same coin, night and day come together. Even if he were a liar, a fool undeserving of the sun's radiance, he would still covet that place beside him, still strive to be the light in Aether's darkness as he was for Lyney.
Suddenly, Aether heaved a yawn and Lyney couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at it. "I almost forgot it was so late."
"Yeah, it's still early morning and there's hours before the sun rises." Aether glanced over at the stairs to the upper level. "What do you say, shall we go back to bed?"
Lyney shook his head and tightly embraced Aether. "Not yet, I'm comfortable here." He looked up at Aether, captivating the traveller with his innocent eyes. "Can we stay here for a bit longer?"
With a sigh Aether grinned. "You're definitely gonna fall asleep here, but alright." He kissed Lyney's forehead and returned the squeeze of his embrace. "We can stay like this for a while."
"Thank you." Lyney nuzzled himself deeply into Aether, absorbing his warmth and revelling in it, he was safe here, comfortable. Although he knew it wasn't ideal, he soon drifted away to the land of dreams, but this time he was confident that tower would stay well away from him, and if it didn't, at least Aether was there to hold him.
It didn't take Aether long to resign himself to his fate of a night on the sofa with Lyney as the latter was already snoring away. He chuckled to himself and whispered to his sleeping partner. "Goodnight, sweet dreams." And with one last kiss planted on his head, Aether reached out to the fireplace and snuffed it with the power of Anemo before closing his eyes and allowing himself to drift away too.