Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Paimon quickly floated over to Aether, a slice of cake in hand. She looked around hastily, gathering a few strange looks, but she eventually found where he was; seated outside of Café Lucerne, underneath one of the umbrellas.

“Hey, Aether, you need to try this one! Fontaine has the best desserts!”

Aether turned around on his seat, looking at her curiously. “Thanks, Paimon. Looks great,” he said, as he took the cake from her and placed it on the table in front of him. “You paid for this, right?”

Ignoring him, Paimon took out her own sweets, and shoved them into her mouth. Aether sighed, taking a bite out of the cake.

“Come on, we don’t want to get arrested.” They were wanted many times before, and frankly, Aether was tired of it.

Just as Paimon was about to refute, a soft pat sounded from the umbrella. Then, another. And another. The skies began to dull with clouds, casting shadows onto the streets. Paimon put her hands on her hips and frowned. “Well, at least we’re under an umbrella!” She looked at the people around them, quickly going to find shelter from the rain. Then, she turned to the sky, a look of annoyance on her face. She bit into her cupcake, pouting. “There were clear skies just a few minutes ago! Weird.”

Aether took a bite of the cake, closing his eyes. It tasted great, like honey, milk, and strawberries.

“I heard there was a trial today.”

Paimon lit up, clapping her hands together. She flew closer to Aether, speaking directly into his ear. “Oh, right! It usually rains after a trial, doesn’t it? Come to think of it, there’s been many of those happening recently…Poor Monsieur Neuvillette, I can’t imagine being there for all those trials! Two of them, and Paimon's already beat!”

Aether nodded in agreement, placing his fork down on the plate the cake came on. He was a bit disappointed that he finished it so quickly. He would have to buy some more later. Then, Paimon spoke up. “Hey, maybe we could go say hi! It’s almost evening, so there shouldn’t be any more cases today, right?”

Them? Visit the Chief Justice of Fontaine, the noble and revered Neuvillette? Without a prior appointment? It was a laughable idea, but Aether couldn't find it in himself to refuse. It was filled with potential, he decided. Just a minute or two of his time wouldn't hurt anyone.

“Sure,” Aether replied. “If he’s busy then we could always come back another time, anyways.”

He stood up, before looking at the plate. Once the rain cleared, someone would come pick it up, right? Everyone else left their utensils and such out when they left. Deciding that it would be fine, he left for the Palais Mermonia.

On his way there, rain kissed his skin with fleeting droplets, sliding down his cheeks. The rain wasn’t harsh- it was calm, gentle. His hair was damp, as well as his clothes, but that was alright. The fresh smell of rain permeated the air, as the rhythmic noise of rain echoed from the ground. On the streets, he and Paimon were alone. He deliberately walked slower to savour the feeling-

Paimon whined.

“Hey! Hurry up, Paimon’s getting wet!”

Aether rolled his eyes, but nevertheless, took up a light jog.

As he made his way through the streets, he looked at the shops that lined the roads. Perhaps, he thought, he should bring the Chief Justice a little gift. No harm done. His eyes rest upon a small shop called 'Cadeaux Romantiques.' In the display case rested bouquets of flowers and small little trinkets and sweets. They would do, Aether decided.

"Paimon," he said. "How about we get him a little gift?"

Paimon nodded enthusiastically, clearly liking the idea. Or maybe she just wanted to get out of the rain. She quickly dragged Aether into the shop, a small bell ringing merrily. A light floral smell reached his nose, hints of various perfumes mixing with it to create an enchanting atmosphere.

Looking around, Aether noticed that the interior of the shop was charmingly simple, with a few decorations here and there. The very air felt nice, a wonderful mix of cool and warm. He stretched his back and arms as he noticed a person near one of the shelves.

A lady who seemed to be the shopkeeper approached him. "Hello there," she said. "Do you need any assistance?"

Aether nodded. "I'm looking for a small gift for a special person," he started. He looked around the shop, carefully considering every item he saw. He had to make a good decision. "Any recommendations?"

The shopkeeper looked strangely excited. "What type of special person? What do they like? How's the situation?" She rambled on and on. Paimon was still, like a balloon on a windless day. She looked overwhelmed. Aether didn't blame her- what should he even say? He couldn't just tell her that the subject of the gift was Neuvillette.

"Um...they're a very reserved person, and I want to get to know them better. The gift is like a sign of goodwill, so..."

The shopkeeper's eyes sparkled. She quickly began running around, grabbing things from the shelves. Flowers, bottles of perfume, desserts and jewels- all in a small basket, decorated with a dark blue silk ribbon. All the while, the shopkeeper kept on asking questions.

"Is it a girl or a boy?" "Well, a boy, but-"

"Do you associate any colour with them? This is very important." "...blue? White?"

"Any particular scents?" "What does that even mean-" "Don't worry, I can make inferences."

By the end of it, Paimon was sitting bewildered in the corner. Even she didn't talk that much. Aether was holding the basket, dumbfounded. He looked at the basket, then to the shopkeeper, and to the basket again. "Uh- the cost-"

"On the house! You're one of my favourite types of customers, and you're a first-timer," the shopkeeper laughed, arranging the bouquet of flowers. Blue roses with many shades, white flowers of many types, decorative golden accessories accompanying them. Sapphires and diamonds littered the basket, surrounding the flowers, prettily boxed macarons, and a perfume bottle labelled 'La Tranquillité de L'eau.'

"This is a bit much-" The basket was pried from his arms. The shopkeeper looked him up and down, squinting. "No, no, no, this won't do. At the very least, dry yourself!" She passed an umbrella from behind her desk over to Aether. "This is free of charge. Think of it as a favour from a friend."

She quickly went somewhere in a back room and came out with a soft towel. She proceeded to smother Aether with it, drying him relatively thoroughly. His hair remained wet, but that couldn't be helped. After paying a surprisingly low amount, he and Paimon were shoved out of the shop.

Aether swore he heard the shopkeeper mutter something about 'making her proud,' but he didn't dwell on that. Instead, he walked away from the store and looked at the basket he was holding.

"Hey, Paimon?"

His companion turned to him, still a bit confused. "Yeah? What is it?"

"Do you think she misunderstood something?"

"Paimon guesses she's just really passionate about making friends."

Aether opened the umbrella, a simple white, and held it over him and Paimon. The rain lessened, but still didn't stop. Paimon stopped complaining about getting wet as she held onto the other's side, hiding under the umbrella. But, she still went on talking regardless. "Hydro Dragon, Hydro Dragon, please don't cry. What's up with all this rain anyways?"

Aether huffed in amusement at her antics. "I guess the Hydro Dragon is in a pretty bad mood."

Paimon nodded and turned to him. "Hey, you should try it too!"

"It probably won't work," Aether said. Paimon simply sent a deadpan look in his direction. "It doesn't matter if it does or doesn't work! It's the thought that counts, right?" She pulled lightly on his hair. "Come on!"

Aether laughed under his breath, and continued walking. Eventually, he ended up in front of the Palais Mermonia. As he entered, he noted that it was as pristine as he remembered. In a way, it felt cold, especially with him being somewhat wet. He shivered. It was nothing compared to Dragonspine, but that didn't mean it was pleasant.

He tightly gripped the basket in one hand as Paimon struggled to close the umbrella. Thankfully, there was an umbrella rack near the entrance, so Paimon just put the umbrella there. She saw Aether waiting for her as she made sure the umbrella wouldn't fall. She was about to go to him before she noticed a man holding a tray of sweets.

"Ooohhh! Hey, Aether, you go on without Paimon! Paimon's going to go check those desserts out!"

The man in question raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you have a cupcake just a few minutes ago?" He looked at the sweets, disapprovingly. "Don't you think you had enough for now?"

"Hey! There's no such thing as too many desserts!"

Aether rolled his eyes again at her antics, but waved her off anyway. She smiled and turned around to follow the man. Aether made his way through the room filled with long tables and people working busily at their seats. They paid him no mind as he nodded to the melusine at the receptionist desk, and stood in front of the Chief Justice's office door. He took a deep breath and knocked.

The sound of shuffling came from behind the door, before a quiet voice came through.

"Come in."

Aether subconsciously tucked his hair behind his ear, frowning when he realised that it was still wet. He patted down his clothes to smooth out non-existent wrinkles, and gripped the handle; a cold metal, even underneath his gloves. He pushed the door open with a click, and entered the office. Behind the desk to the back of the office sat Neuvillette.

The man looked up from his paperwork, elegant and regal as always. The only indicator that he was surprised by Aether's appearance in his office were the slight quirking of his eyebrows. He set his pen down, and looked straight at Aether.

"Traveller. Please, sit down. May I know the reason as to why you have come to visit me?"

At the sound of his voice, Aether's thoughts flew out the window. He numbly went over to the chair in front of Neuvillette's desk, and sat down. His clothes were still a bit damp, slightly wetting the cushion underneath him. Right. He was here to...he couldn't remember. He felt rather silly. However, Neuvillette was staring at him, and he had to give a proper answer. He tried to recall his discussion with Paimon.

"Well, you must have been busy recently, and I wanted to know if you would like to...take a break. With me."

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. That came out so damn wrong. Aether's stupid traitorous body was already moving though, walking towards the desk and holding up the basket, a painful attempt at a smile following suit. He wanted to die. Why couldn't the sea just rise up and swallow him whole?

Neuvillette looked at him. He didn't say a word, he just kept on staring. Forget about wanting to die, Aether wished he never existed in the first place.

The man, after a few awkward moments, tentatively reached over and took the basket, examining the items inside. Then, his eyes wandered back to Aether's, no expression visible on his face.

"I am busy the next few days, though I am free after six on Tuesday. Is that alright?"

Aether wanted to cry from relief. He hadn't completely fucked up!

"Yes, that's good. I'll come pick you up at that time, then," he said. The words just kept on flowing. "I'll sort all the little details out, so don't worry about anything. See you then." Neuvillette just nodded and continued on with his work. Aether quickly made his escape.

Alright, he thought. That could have gone better, but hey!

He giddily exited the building, planning on how things would go on Tuesday.

---

Neuvillette watched as the Traveller swiftly left the room. His mind was in turmoil. Was he just...asked out? On a date?

He stared at the door as he quickly went over what just happened again.

The Traveller entered his office after a small knock, basket in hand. His hair was wet, little droplets sliding off from his locks and onto his face. Neuvillette felt the need to apologise for the rain.

The trial was another divorce one- they always seemed to hit him the hardest. All those emotions rising up and erupting from those involved in the case came over him like a tidal wave, drowning him. It was...an experience.

Then, the Traveller walked over to his desk, and placed a basket on his desk as he talked about getting Neuvillette to take a break.

"Well, you must have been busy recently, and I wanted to know if you would like to take a break...with me," he said with a charming little smile, and Neuvillette couldn't find it in himself to refuse. He recognised the basket and the items in it as products from Cadeaux Romantiques, a small shop that sold gifts to give to lovers.

Normally, he wouldn't indulge himself in the trends of society, but it was a major point in the recent divorce case, when a lady discovered that her husband went to that shop to buy flowers for a mistress of his.

It was common knowledge that if you were gifted something from Cadeaux Romantiques, it was the equivalent of a confession of love. Examining the items more closely, Neuvillette took note of the flowers, gemstones, and the perfume bottle.

Blue roses of various shades, and a plethora of white flowers that Neuvillette recognised as carnations, camellias, and ranunculus were decorated in gold- obviously with Neuvillette in mind. He felt a strange emotion well up in his chest. Diamonds and sapphires accompanied the flowers, shining up from the bottom. The perfume itself was a high-end luxury type, highly sought out after by nobles.

Was that an indirect way of telling Neuvillette that the Traveller wanted him to wear the perfume on their date? The entire ensemble must have been extremely expensive. Neuvillette still didn't truly understand human emotions, even with the countless years he's lived. Truthfully, he felt a bit pressured. How was he supposed to behave? What was he supposed to wear?

He took a deep breath. Right. The Traveller said that he would take care of everything.

Neuvillette hoped he could trust him.

Chapter Text

Aether didn't know if he was ever so nervous, even when confronting gods. He had experience in that; but how was he supposed to plan out a hangout event with Neuvillette? What did that man even like other than water?

The last times he had an outing with another person other than Paimon were with Ei, but even that was overseen partially by Yae Miko, and in Sumeru for the Sabzeruz Festival, but that had been a disaster and a half. A good memory he had was with Yoimiya, but that hangout had a completely different feeling than his current situation.

So yeah. He was going in more or less blind.

For the past few days, he had been painstakingly scouring Fontaine for places to go. They would walk around and visit a few shops in the Court of Fontaine that caught their eyes, maybe stop at someplace they found, spend some time at the beach outside of the city, and then go to Hotel Debord for dinner.

It was a loose idea, but Aether had to put his full faith into it. He silently prayed to every god he could think of for the hangout to go smoothly. He walked down the streets, making sure that everything seemed to be in good quality. The shops were all open and the spirits of the people seemed high, so Aether decided that things would be fine for the time being. Paimon, floating to his side, tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

"Paimon thinks that you should freshen up before meeting Monsieur Neuvillette. There's a bit more than half an hour left until you need to go see him, that should be enough time!"

Aether raised an eyebrow at her. "Freshen up? Where?"

Paimon gestured to the side, pointing at the Cadeaux Romantiques. Beside it was a clothing store called Les Vêtements de L'amant. It seemed to have a similar atmosphere to the other shop. Perhaps they were partners in business, Aether thought. The articles of clothing seemed nice enough, and changing out of his regular clothes for once seemed like a good idea.

He turned to Paimon and nodded. "Sure, seems good." Paimon looked oddly proud of herself for the suggestion, and Aether nearly snorted at the face she made. His normally neutral expression must have slipped up though because Paimon gave him a strange look.

"Hey! What are you thinking? Don't laugh at Paimon!"

"I'm not laughing," Aether said as he began to laugh.

"Yes you are!"

While they bickered, they reached the shop. Aether opened the door, noticing that the shop was rather warm. It smelled of fabrics and faint flora. The carpet was soft underneath his feet. This time, a man with a funny moustache was there to greet him. He cheerfully waved at them. "Bienvenue! How are you today? Would you like some assistance?"

Aether felt a strange sense of déjà vu. He looked nearly identical to the girl from the other shop.

"Excuse me," Paimon started. "By any chance, are you related to the girl next door?"

The man laughed heartily. "But of course! She's my lovely twin sister!" Aether felt a little pang in his heart at the mention of that, but he forcefully shoved it down. He walked over to a clothing rack and checked out the articles of clothing. "Wow, Fontaine sure has a lot of twins," Paimon whispered. Aether ignored her.

"I'm going to pick someone up for the afternoon, so I'm just looking for something to change into."

The man had a similar reaction to the woman next door- vibrating with excitement, asking questions at a thousand miles an hour. Aether didn't understand a thing he said, contenting himself with just watching as he excitedly ran around, gathering supplies. Then the man grabbed Aether by his wrist and dragged him to a dressing room near the back, turning away from a sputtering Paimon.

A measuring rope was wrapped around his body as the man jotted down notes on a notepad he brought. Aether tried to speak, but was quickly shushed. Then, he was brought out of the dressing room and sat on a circular stool as the man frantically flew through the shelves of clothes, reading his notes again and again. Then, after a few minutes, he stilled. On his arm were a few clothes, shoes in his other hand.

"Come, try this on good sir!"

Aether was dragged again back to the dressing room. He almost shrieked as he was stripped, then forced into the clothes. His braid was undone and combed, and various powders were patted onto his face. Cream was slathered onto his hands, brushes stroked red upon his lips, and a thin pencil drew around his eyes. Then, a mirror was placed in front of him, the man wiping his forehead with his arm.

"There! My best work!"

Aether felt a chill go down his spine- his very exposed spine. He was wearing a backless white Victorian blouse. It looked great, honestly, with the cream-coloured fitted dress pants he wore, accompanied with formal loafers. The makeup looked demure yet elegant. His hair was undone, flowing in waves down his back.

It was official. The man was exactly the same as the woman next door. Over-the-top and eccentric, yet good at their job.

"This is a bit much," Aether started. He was shushed again as the man giggled and brought him out of the dressing room. Paimon gasped when she saw him, shock evident on her face. "Wait, it hasn't even been two minutes since you went in! How-"

The man smiled. "Secrets, my dear child." He went behind the desk and wrote a few things down. "I trust you heard what my sister said about the cost when you first visited her, hm?" he said, ignoring Paimon's protests. Aether nodded.

"Well, that's true here as well! You seem like interesting folk, and newcomers get a discount! Come, if you do a little thing for me, I'll reduce the cost even further."

Aether was in front of him in an instant.

The man placed a slip of paper in an envelope and sealed it, before handing it to Aether. "Deliver this to my sister next door, would you? I'm calculating your bill right now too, by the way, so don't worry about it."

He gave the letter to Aether who nodded gratefully. "So," Paimon said, finally being acknowledged, "how much does it cost now?" The shopkeeper whispered something in her ear which caused her to giggle. Then, he went over and told Aether the price.

They paid, and went to Cadeaux Romantiques. The shopkeeper was waiting inside, as if she knew that they were coming. She waved them over and guided them over to a couch in the corner of the shop. She held out her hand, expectant. Aether hesitated, but placed the letter on her hand.

"Hey," she said. "We're friends, right?"

Aether was caught off guard at the question, but Paimon answered for him. "Yeah! We're all friends, right?" She looked at Aether in a way that felt vaguely threatening. Aether felt very confused, but figured that it couldn't be anything bad. He nodded.

A box was promptly shoved into his arms, a simple gold necklace with a single pearl was wrapped around his neck, a gold chain bracelet around his wrist.

"Friends do each other favours, right?"

Aether started to sweat.

"Thank you for giving me the letter. Those will be the compensation."

Honestly, Aether seriously doubted that the letter was worth the jewellery, unless the contents of it were very important. He wouldn't pry, though. "Hey," he started, "this is supposed to be a casual outing-" "This is plenty casual for Fontaine's standards, just deal with it honey. You'll do fine!"

He was handed a bouquet of rainbow roses, a Fontaine speciality wrapped in white silk, and was ushered out. Paimon, who he had been ignoring for the past few minutes, flew in front of him and waved to get his attention.

"The clock in there says that we have about fifteen minutes left. Paimon will go check up on everything to make sure things are in good condition. You go on without Paimon!"

Aether's expression became weary. "You'll come back in time, right? This is meant to be-"

Paimon shook her head. "Just go, everything will be fine! Even if Paimon can't come, it's going to be a-okay!" Aether seriously doubted that Paimon would take very long, and he decided to trust his travel companion. He nodded, and made his way to Neuvillette's office. After parting ways, he made sure to take his time. Fifteen minutes was enough time to get there, after all.

He had a minor dilemma about what time he should arrive at. Being early might make Neuvillette feel rushed, and it would be awkward if Aether had to stand by and wait for him to finish his work. Arriving late might make him seem lazy and inconsistent. Neuvillette was a punctual person, he figured, so arriving right on time would be fine.

Aether waited outside of the Palais Mermonia for the right time to arrive. He noticed the usual melusine on patrol and approached her.

"Excuse me, could you alert me when it's a minute to six?"

The melusine, Liath, looked at him and clapped her paws. "Are you here for Monsieur Neuvillette?"

Aether was caught off guard by the sudden question, but quickly regained his composure. "Yes, I am," he said. He subconsciously played with his bracelet as the melusine quickly checked her watch. "Well, you have another two minutes. You can just wait by the fountain until then!"

Liath watched as he sat down before giggling into her paws. Monsieur Neuvillette kept on worrying about the date, secretly confiding in the melusines for advice. It was rather funny, but she was glad that the Chief Justice seemed to be in good hands.

The refreshing scent and calming sound of the fountain calmed Aether's nerves as he looked at the flowers in his hand. He noticed a faint presence approaching him, and turned towards it. Paimon had an expression on her face that Aether recognised as smugness.

"Well...it seems like something has happened. You go out with Neuvillette yourself, Paimon needs to take care of a few things! It should be done after dinner, make sure to go to the beach then!" With that, the floating enigma flew out of sight, leaving a spluttering Aether behind.

A tap to his hand and a nod from Liath who had appeared beside him made it apparent that he had no time to worry about Paimon's strange attitude, he needed to get going. He thanked the melusine, who gave him a smile in return, and entered the Palais Mermonia.

Strangely, the place seemed warmer than before. Was it because he was perfectly dry? Probably, he thought. You can do this, Aether. You've fought Harbingers, Dragons, and an Archon at some point, becoming the hero of various nations. You can do this. 

He knocked on Neuvillette's office door just as the grandfather clock in the room rang six. Some shuffling came from behind, and suddenly the door was being opened by Neuvillette himself and Aether took one look at him and one thought ran through his mind.

He could not do this.

---

Neuvillette adjusted his gloves once more, and made sure his buttons were straight.

The Chief Justice was rarely seen outside of his office or the Opera Epiclese; after all, those two places were where he spent all his days at. This, by extension, meant that he didn't have a wide variety of clothes. His closet was barren, save for a few shirts and pants that he wore to bed. Thus, he faced a dilemma- What should he wear?

A few days ago, he requested a few melusines to find him every fashion magazine in Fontaine he could get his hands on. The ones he couldn't browse were in the Hydro Archon's room, and Neuvillette would rather dissolve into the sea than ask her for dating advice.

He had pulled an all-nighter deciding on what to wear- casual or formal, he pondered over- but it was worth it. Once he got the clothes and tried them on, as he stood before the mirror, he figured that he looked rather good.

On the day of the date, he took special care to finish his work early. It would be a hassle to explain why he came to work in a different outfit, Lady Furina would nag him endlessly about it, so he opted to change his clothes before the Traveller was supposed to pick him up.

Just as he made sure he looked proper, patting down his vest, Neuvillette watched the clock reach six, and a knock sounded from his door. It startled him. Startled. He must have been on edge, stressing about how things would go. The Traveller was more punctual than he expected.

Neuvillette quickly made his way to the door, opening it, and his world slowed down.

An...angel?

He looked at the being before him who could in no way be human. Ethereal. The angel smiled, looking like all that is good in the world, gently reaching out to take Neuvillette's hands in his, tracing his gloved hands with his fingers, placing a bouquet in his palms. Rainbow roses.

The angel then spoke in a light and airy voice. "Hello, Monsieur Neuvillette. You dressed up? It looks good." The Traveller lifted his head to look Neuvillette in the eyes, strands of golden hair falling from his shoulders, cascading down his back.

Neuvillette swallowed hard. His mouth was oddly dry. "Thank you...you look nice as well." Not just nice. You look like an angel, meant to be worshipped and praised.

At the compliment, the Traveller blushed, his cheeks dusting with an innocent pink blush. He looked to the side, bashfully chuckling, exposing his back. His exposed back. He was wearing a backless shirt.

Suddenly, Neuvillette felt like one of those old stuffy perverts who salivate at the sight of a lady's ankles.

The Traveller took a singular rainbow rose from the bouquet in Neuvillette's hands and placed it behind Neuvillette's ear. Neuvillette almost flinched at the feeling of the Traveller's fingers lightly grazing his skin. His hand was much softer than Neuvillette imagined, not fitting the image he built in his head about the Traveller being a worn and torn swordsman, battered and beaten from his adventures.

"So..."

Neuvillette's full attention was taken by the sound of the Traveller's voice.

"Ready to go?"

---

Aether watched as Neuvillette placed the rainbow roses into a vase on his desk, keeping the one in his hair. His idiotic self just had to be stupid in his second moment of thoughtlessness in front of the very man he was supposed to impress.

Well, it's not Aether's fault that Neuvillette was wearing a corset vest. A fucking corset vest, Aether was going to pass out.

What was he thinking, stating such basic things? Why would he place that rose in his hair? What was wrong with him?

He took a deep breath. The situation was still salvageable- Neuvillette was a bit silent, but he wasn't rejecting anything- that was good. It gave Aether a bit of hope that the evening would go just fine.

"How about we go on a walk around? We can stop by some shops before we head for dinner."

Neuvillette seemed content with that idea, nodding to what Aether was saying. He followed Aether out of his office and the Palais Mermonia, down the elevator and into the streets of Fontaine.

Alright, play it cool, Aether. Just start off with a normal conversation starter, he thought as he took a deep breath. He turned to Neuvillette, smiling again as he made up his mind on what to say. "How was your day?"

Neuvillette leisurely closed his eyes for a moment before he responded. "Quite alright, the same as most I would say. Thankfully, there were no trials today, a rather pleasant change of pace. I merely did some paperwork, nothing too exciting. How was yours?"

Aether was glad that things seemed to be going well. "It was also pretty average. I walked around with Paimon, had a good lunch, and met some shopkeepers. They were a bit strange, but they seemed nice."

They chatted about passing thoughts, whatever came to mind, from Liyue's local cuisine to the weather. Apparently, water from every nation had interesting flavours- not that Aether would understand what Neuvillette was talking about, but he was passionate about it, and Aether thought it was cute.

Aether smiled as he heard Neuvillette ramble. It was endearing.

Despite the streets being busy, the two paid it no mind, too caught up in their own little world. They passed by a few shops, pointing to things that seemed interesting to them. The florist had recently started selling foreign flowers, Neuvillette had explained. Aether watched the delicate petals of Windwheel Asters spin slowly in the gentle breeze.

Sometimes, they would just walk in silence, enjoying the other's presence, until one of them brought up another topic. Other times, they would talk avidly, only to quiet down in a moment. That was all right, Aether thought as they passed by a library. They didn't need to talk that much, neither of them would know what to say anyways. Actions speak louder than words, after all.

He turned to Neuvillette. "How about we go and find some books over tea?"

Neuvillette's eyebrows raised. "Books? Hm...that seems like a good idea. It's been a while since I've been able to enjoy a simple read."

Aether felt proud of his suggestion, subconsciously brightening. He gently took Neuvillette's hand in his as they walked into the library, a small bell tinkling as they went through the door. That's how they ended up sitting in a cosy corner of the library near the window, on a couch with tea that Aether ordered on the table.

The library shelves were stacked high, filled with dozens of genres. Neuvillette browsed through a hardcover book titled Bases des Rencontres, and Aether was reading a small book of folktales that he randomly grabbed from the shelf.

Unfortunately for Aether, Neuvillette looked way too good while reading for Aether to focus on whatever was going on in his book. He kept on stealing quick glances at the other man, mentally screaming at the other's unfair attractiveness.

It was simply a fact. Neuvillette, the Chief Justice of Fontaine, was an attractive person. Aether didn't need to have any special feelings for the man to realise that, not that he had them in the first place-

Aether paused.

His mind froze as he absentmindedly drank his tea. Yes. Right. No special feelings here, it's natural for there to be a certain pull around beautiful people. Neuvillette is a good person with a stable job and a nice face. That's already better than more than half of the world's population, not to mention his combat prowess...

Aether looked back up at Neuvillette. The other calmly brushed a strand of his long white hair behind his ear, the light catching it in a faint sheen. Neuvillette sighed as he lifted his own teacup, elegantly sipping the contents as he flipped to the next page of his book.

Oh.

Well, fuck.

Over the thousands of years of his existence, that might have been the very first time Aether had a gay crisis. Actually, it was the first romance-related crisis he had at all, so he was going through a wonderful experience as twenty thousand thoughts simultaneously crossed his mind while he saw his life flash before his eyes.

"Well," Aether said, a bit breathless. Neuvillette looked up from his book, and Aether's jumbled mind rushed to create an excuse for his abrupt speech. "...how do you like the tea? I think it's nice."

Neuvillette smiled gently- smiled- before he responded. "Nice, you say...I think it has a rather soothing taste. Darjeeling, right? You have a good taste, Traveller."

Aether placed his own teacup back down on the table. It was like the breath was knocked out of his lungs. He swallowed hard around nothing, something desperate curling in his chest. "Aether," he said, barely louder than a whisper. "Call me Aether."

The other seemed a bit taken aback before responding, his eyes widening just a bit. "...alright then...Aether. Call me Neuvillette."

Just like that, Aether closed his book possibly a bit harder than necessary. "I-it's getting late, how about we go for dinner?"

Neuvillette stood up, offering a gloved hand to help Aether stand. Aether desperately tried to ignore how he could feel the warmth of the other even through the fabric. "Of course, I look forward to seeing where you take me. Please wait a moment, I'm going to check this book out."

Aether had to hold onto a chair for stability when he noticed that Neuvillette's pants fit his form a bit too well, blissfully unaware of how the librarian gaped at the fact that the Iudex just checked out a book.

The man then turned around. "Well, where are we going now, Aether?"

Suddenly, Aether loved his name. It sounded so nice coming from Neuvillette.

"Hotel Debord," Aether said, feeling a lot more relaxed than before. "We're having dinner there."

Chapter Text

Hotel Debord was more or less empty; but that was to be expected of a Tuesday evening. Most people would have been resting after work, spending time with their families. Aether frowned at the revelation. Neuvillette never had any breaks, did he?

At the entrance, the pair was stopped by a hostess. She politely bowed, a smile on her lips. "Bonjour, Messieurs. Have you made a reservation this evening?"

Aether nodded, and handed over a sheet of paper which contained conformation for his reservation. His handwriting as he signed the sheet was far nicer than usual- he felt the need to do his best overall for the date, regardless of whether or not Neuvillette would notice. "Yes, right here," he said. The hostess nodded and took the paper. She quickly looked it over, before nodding.

"Thank you. Right this way."

They were led inside the hotel, the plush blue carpet making way for them as the hostess led them to their table. If the few others who were inside the hotel stopped and stared at the sight of the Iudex, neither of the two noticed. Aether thought he caught a glimpse of pink hair, but it disappeared the next, so he paid it no mind.

The hostess pulled two chairs out for them, motioning for the two to sit. Neuvillette did so in an elegant flourish. Aether watched him through lowered lashes as he also sat down. The seat cushion was especially comfortable, even more so than the last time he had been there.

"Please wait right here, a waiter will be with you momentarily." The hostess clasped her hands together and bowed, before she turned around and away.

Neuvillette simply nodded in her direction, the action causing some of his hair to slip over his shoulder. He sighed and casually brushed it back behind his ear. "Thank you for taking me out like this, Aether."

Aether melted. His brain blanked out again at the sound of his name on the other's lips. Damn it, pull yourself together. You can't react like this every time. He forcefully snapped himself back to reality by gripping his thigh. Hard. It would probably bruise later.

"It's no problem, really. I'm so happy you accepted my invitation..." He smiled and rested his head on his hand, propped up on the table. He hoped he wasn't blushing too hard. Archons, he prayed he wouldn't mess anything up.

Neuvillette opened his mouth, the faintest hints of a smile on his face. "Aether, I..."

A waiter cleared his throat. The two both flinched, and turned to face him. The waiter looked a bit skittish, twirling his fingers around each other. "Good evening Messieurs. I hope you are having a wonderful day. May I start you off with some drinks?" The waiter placed two menus on the table and took out a notepad.

"Just water will do for me," Neuvillette said. He looked back at Aether. "How about you?" Aether subconsciously sat up straighter at the attention, placing both hands in his lap. "That would be good. I'll have some water too." 

The waiter scribbled something down on his notepad and bowed. "Of course. Please take your time with the menu, Messieurs. Have a good evening."

Aether picked up his menu as the waiter left. He scanned the catalogue, examining all the food articles there were. Cream of Mushroom Soup, Consommé, Fontaine Aspic, Fontanian Foie Gras, Lasagna, Poisson Sea Food...he paused at the Duck Confit. Hm. It sort of reminded him of the Sweet Madame.

He almost snickered, with the only thing preventing him from doing so being the fact that Neuvillette was right in front of him. He and the Sweet Madame had a...history. It saved his life more times than actual people did. He sort of regretted what he did to Timmie's pigeons, but oh well. Sacrifices had to be made.

...how would Neuvillette react if he figured out that Aether regularly massacred a singular child's precious birds? Did that make him seem like an asshole? It did, didn't it? Shit. Well, if I just don't bring that point up...

Huh. Now that he thought about it, Aether committed many crimes, hadn't he? Breaking and entering, robbery, disturbing peace, incitation, assault, battery, murder, more murder, some more murder...wow. He was a terrible person, wanted in every nation at some point. Neuvillette deserved so much better.

He placed the menu back down on the table with what might have been a bit more force than necessary. "I think I'll have the Duck Confit. What about you?" Please don't call me weird. Or a freak. Or a monster. You don't know what I've done, and let's keep it that way.

Neuvillette looked at him for a long moment, before closing his eyes and placing his own menu on top of Aether's, much more dignified than the other. "The Consommé looks rather appetising. I believe that I will have that."

Aether smiled. How oddly in-character.

"That sounds nice. Tell me how it tastes! I'll call the waiter over." Aether briefly scanned the room for the waiter, noticing that he was chatting with some people at a table behind them. Aether couldn't identify who they were, but the waiter seemed to be familiar with them. He wrote some more down on his notepad, before turning back to Aether, who raised his hand politely.

The waiter jolted, quickly hurrying over. "Have you finished choosing what you would like to order?"

"I'll have the Duck Confit," Aether replied, tapping his finger on the table. "And I will have the Consommé," Neuvillette added. The waiter nodded, jotted down their orders, and bowed. "Of course, Messieurs. They shall be out momentarily. Feel free to request anything else."

The waiter took their menus and left with a hasty smile. Aether sighed. The date seemed to be going well.

Dimly, he wondered when exactly had he begun to think of their outing as a date.

---

Aether was ridiculously cute, Neuvillette decided. The way his laugh sounded like wind chimes, how his smile was sweet like honey, how his eyebrows scrunched just a bit while he was deep in thought. Neuvillette wondered what he was thinking.

Even when they were reading with their cups of tea- Neuvillette hadn't expected such a refined tea taste- he had just barely resisted staring at the other the entire time. Perhaps researching on how to date well during the date was cutting it a bit close, but he had to do what he had to do.

He learned a few things from the book that he would take to heart. He couldn't do the first few things, being choosing the date spot and dressing well, but he could surely do the rest, right?

Anyways, the book said to relax. For whatever reason he was nervous, he was supposed to take everything in stride. Normally, the point of a date is to decide if you want to go on a second date, not if you want to marry the other. Neuvillette tried to recall the previous conversation he had with Aether. Yes, the other said that Neuvillette had seemed busy, and that he wanted Neuvillette to take a break with him.

Was that a roundabout way to ask him out, or was he genuinely asking Neuvillette to take a breather? Both? Was he misunderstanding the whole situation? Damn it, he was thinking too hard, that was the exact opposite of what the book said to do.

Okay. Alright. Next step, he could come back to that one. Ask good questions, something simple that lets you get closer. Come on, think.

"You've travelled across various nations, no? Are there any foods that you particularly liked?"

Aether rested his chin on his hand, closing his eyes in thought. When he opened them, Neuvillette swore he saw stars in them. Something in his chest squeezed. What? How could someone look so...

"Aha, there are just so many things to choose from...I guess the Sweet Madame from Mondstat? It's a simple one, but I like it anyway."

Oh, how charming of him. The way his head tilted to the side as he answered, the way his mouth curled into a faint smile, how his voice was like angels' song.

"The desserts here in Fontaine are something else, though. Especially the macaroons!" Aether softly chuckled. Everything about him was soft, from his demeanour to his laugh. How unfairly sweet of him.

Okay. Okay. Things were going well. Focus on body language. Use positive language. You can do this.

He, himself, decided to give a small smile of his own. The curl of his lips, while foreign, felt almost natural while he sat with Aether. Strange, but not unpleasant.

Neuvillette saw Aether tense up, looking at him with wide eyes. His cheeks were dusted with a light rosy blush as he quickly regained his bearings and returned with a wider smile than before, the corners of his eyes crinkling with warmth. Was that a faint sheen of lipgloss?

"What about you? What foods do you like?" Aether responded.

Hm.

"Well, as long as it has plenty of moisture in it, I am alright with it. Things like soups or fruits. I'd rather have pure, unadulterated water, though."

The two spent a long moment simply staring at the other. Neuvillette could see the stars in the other's eyes, shimmering gold and amber, framed by thin eyeliner. Beautiful. Neuvillette sighed, relaxing. What a nice day it had been-

"...Ahem."

The waiter from before, looking vaguely uncomfortable, cleared his throat, his fist brought up to his mouth in a coughing gesture. Behind him was a rolling cart with their meals on top. Neuvillette nonchalantly waved the waiter over, his gaze never leaving the pool of stars that the other claimed to be his eyes.

"Just place them here." Neuvillette tapped the table. The waiter gulped, but nodded nonetheless and quickly placed the dishes on the table.

"Your Consommé, Monsieur," he said as he placed down a bowl in front of him. "And your Duck Confit." Once the dish was in front of Aether, the waiter lifted the lid on the plate, allowing the faint aroma of duck waft off it in a wisp of steam.

Aether brightened, looking appreciatively at it. "Thank you," he said as he picked up a fork and knife. Neuvillette himself picked up a spoon and gently swirled it inside his soup. The waiter bowed and left, with an offhand comment that they could call for him anytime.

Neuvillette ignored him. Not intentionally, no, but the person in front of him was far more interesting than whatever he was saying. He watched as Aether cut off a bit of the duck and brought it to his mouth, small moments signifying chewing. For a traveller who has most definitely been forced to sleep in the wilderness, it was surprisingly elegant. Neuvillette would keep that in mind.

Aether raised an eyebrow after he swallowed, a cute expression of confusion on his face. "Is something wrong? Do you not like the food?"

Neuvillette almost jolted. "No," he said, a bit breathlessly. "I was just waiting for it to cool down." He wasn't distracted by Aether's face. He wasn't. He wasn't.

The other blinked, but shrugged. He cut another piece of the duck off and lifted it with his fork. He leaned a bit forward as he tilted his head downwards, lashes fluttering, casting a delicate shadow over his eyes.

"Wanna try?"

...so Neuvillette might have been a bit distracted. Might have.

It was instinct that led Neuvillette to lean forward, taking the meat into his mouth. It was a bit drier than he would have liked, but the expression that he was rewarded with was most definitely worth it.

Neuvillette almost grinned. For what reason, he wondered. What is it about the other that makes him feel this way?

"You're red," he muttered.

Aether laughed, honest-to-god laughed.

"So are you."

A smile forced his way out of Neuvillette. He raised his spoon, rich liquid filling it, and brought it closer to Aether. Aether seemed to realise what was going on, and brushed his hair out of the way, blushing harder.

"Just repaying the favour," Neuvillette said.

The memory of Aether drinking from his own spoon, joking and talking freely with each other, would be engraved in Neuvillette's mind for months to come.

---

As they left, they didn't hear the distinct sound of a Kamera shutter. Charlotte giggled to herself as a waiter handed over a notepad. On it were hastily scribbled notes about the body language and actions of the pair.

"This will make headlines," she muttered. Beside her, Paimon grinned.

"Paimon thinks that we should care a bit more for their privacy, but... " She trailed off, laughing.

"Lady Furina did personally ask for this, didn't she?"

---

The sunset was like fire, melting into the ocean, igniting the sky. The waters that flowed along the coast line swayed rhythmically, and the sounds of the waves slowly lulled everything to rest. Aether and Neuvillette walked along the shore, savouring the scent of the sea.

"Beautiful," Neuvillette said, and he was not sure if he was talking about the scenery or Aether.

He looked heavenly in the vibrant yet calming ambience of the beach at sunset. Like a star descended.

Aether was thinking along similar lines. Neuvillette's calm demeanour, paired with the aura lingering around, he truly seemed like an otherworldly being. Honestly, it felt like a crime for him to look so ethereal.

"Isn't it? I picked this spot just for today." After all, the Rainbow Roses were in full bloom, decorating the fields around the shorelines, filling the air with the gentle aroma of flora, almost glowing in the evening light.

The pair basked in the gentle silence of the world, reality not feeling real.

"How was today?"

Neuvillette smiled. He seemed to be doing a lot of that recently, an inexplicable relief filling his entire being. Yes, he loved every second he spent with Aether. He loved the peacefully silent walk, the small talk over books and tea, and a wonderful dinner with the person he would love to spend more time with- to get to know better. Complex feelings to mortal, too intimate for him to believe.

He was never a man of many words, but that didn't particularly matter. Aether would understand.

"I loved it."

"Well, I guess I did a good job then." Aether leaned closer to Neuvillette, shoulders brushing, fingers grazing the other. Neuvillette slipped his fingers between Aether's, entangling their hands. Neuvillette rested his head on the other's, and as he savoured the feeling of Aether sinking into his touch, he recognised the feeling that he had been harbouring even before their date.

It was almost comedic. An emotion that he only heard through stories, angry and broken words thrown in court, operas and plays that felt all too surreal. Never had he imagined that he would feel it himself.

The revelation was less shocking than he thought it would be.

Aether turned to the sky, red fading to dark blue, stars dotting the night sky. He did not know how long they remained there, talking leisurely, until a faint noise rang from behind the mountaintops in the distance. He made no move to look, only his eyes shifting towards the peaks.

There, a bang sounded. Then, an explosion of colour filled the darkened sky- a brilliant blue.

He smiled. Was that the surprise? Aether owed Paimon one.

Another firework shot up into the air, this one gold. Reds, purples, whites, all shining through the night, blazing trails of fiery flashes.

He turned to Neuvillette; the other having their entire attention taken by the display. Colour shone in his eyes, reflecting the display above. The fireworks began to make shapes, of flowers and hearts.

Slowly, Neuvillette looked at Aether, warmth in his smile.

"Thank you."

Aether had to look upwards to make direct eye contact, but found that he didn't mind. Not at all, actually. He gripped Neuvillette's hand tighter. He wanted to savour the moment. To remember it. For it to never end.

"It's my pleasure."

With how close they were, Aether could feel their breaths intertwine. He could count the lashes on the other, take note of every little change in his expression, and oh how he wanted to. He wanted to so badly.

Neuvillette rested their foreheads together, noses touching as another shower of colour rained down. A gorgeous contrast to the dark, Aether noted. Especially in the depths of his eyes.

Aether smiled. "Are we about to kiss right now?"

Neuvillette seemed to startle at that, if the minuscule widening of his eyes was any indication. Aether wanted to curse, the idea had just popped into his head and he didn't think while saying it and-

His thoughts were cut off by a small laugh, uncharacteristically playful, before his lips were claimed in a quick and chaste kiss.

This time, it was Aether's turn to laugh. Before Neuvillette could back away, Aether cupped his face in his palms and pulled him in for another.

Just the sky above, sea below, and two happy souls underneath the fireworks.

Chapter Text

There was a devastating incident, and as the Hydro Archon, renowned throughout both Fontaine and all of Teyvat, Furina was a bit too busy to take care of it herself. She whined to a nearby melusine.

"The cakes! There's not enough for the tea party I'll hold with the Salon and the Singers!"

She looked up, determined. Furina would not let a setback like this ruin her tea party. She turned to the melusine who was holding a tea set, pouring a cup for the other. She had been waiting in Neuvillette's office for a while, but he wasn't there. Sure, it was after his work time, but he usually lingered for up to a few hours afterwards.

The tea party would be held soon- seriously, he couldn't have left the office so soon!

The grandfather clock ticked away, filling the office with a suffocating reminder of the lessening time available.

“So…where is Monsieur Neuvillette?”

The Melusine looked at the Archon. Furina began to be mildly concerned at the other’s silence. Did something happen? She gripped her teacup tightly. Of course, this was the Chief Justice they were talking about, so it was probably going to be fine-

“I heard that Monsieur Neuvillette went on a date with the Traveller.”

Furina spat out her tea.

"E-excuse me?"

She stood up in shook, slamming the table with her hands for a bit of dramatic flair. She, more bewildered than anything, watched as the melusine pointed towards the desk in the centre of the room. Furina quickly approached it, noticing a slip of paper.

She read the note that she didn't notice prior, held tightly in her hand.

I will be out for the rest of the afternoon.

It was a simple message, almost hidden away underneath a vase of Rainbow Roses that were most definitely not there that morning. Furina wanted to scream as she stormed out of the Palais Mermonia. She had to find Neuvillette. She would demand for answers.

She noticed the gasps that followed as she revealed herself to the public. She waved and smiled, subconsciously jutting her chest out. How did Neuvillette manage to go unnoticed? If anything, him making an appearance would cause an even larger uproar.

The melusine at the front, Liath, spoke up, as if reading her mind. Melusines were strange like that.

"People did react to Monsieur Neuvillette. He just didn't seem to notice. I think he went down to Vasari Passage."

Hm. Odd.

"Very well. I shall head there too; our dear Iudex has a lot of explaining to do."

---

Furina wasn't exactly being subtle. She simply paraded down the streets, head held high, hands on hips. If anything, it was just an act for her to get noticed. So, pray tell, why wouldn't Neuvillette look at her? If she was being honest, it hurt her pride.

Thus, she vowed to make him notice her without going up to him. It was like a personal challenge.

She easily found the pair. It wasn't a hard feat, since both of them were such prominent figures. Both of them were famous and dressed up in public, it honestly baffled Furina how they didn't pay attention to all the stares that followed them. Or perhaps they just didn't realise anyone else was there.

Hmph. She expected that the renowned Traveller would be more aware of his surroundings.

A bob of pink hair caught Furina's attention- further proving that she was much more adept at reading the room compared to Fontaine's very own Iudex, and by extension, much cooler. Take that. Only cool and amazing self-aware people get to join the Hydro Archon's tea parties.

Perhaps she would purposely exclude Monsieur Neuvillette next time. It would save her the hassle and serve him right for not being wholly prepared for a surprise. The fact that Furina didn't tell him about the tea party beforehand was not her problem.

"Oh! Is that the Hydro Archon I see?"

Charlotte walked over, waving excitedly. In her hand was her trusty Kamera, and a wide smile. She raised her Kamera, and looked at Furina expectantly, and who was Furina to deny a bit of public attention? She posed, a confident expression plastered on her face.

"The one and only~"

Charlotte let her Kamera fall and hang from her neck, as she clapped her hands excitedly. "Lady Furina, may you enlighten us about why you've decided to come out here today?"

Furina nodded and sighed dramatically, looking leisurely to the side. She casually brushed some hair off her shoulder as she spoke.

"Well, I'm hosting a tea party later today, and I was wondering where our dear Iudex was. He wasn't in his office, so I asked one of the melusines, who claimed that he had come down here on a date with the Traveller. I simply had to see for myself."

"A date? So, that's what those two were up to!? I noticed how strange their behaviour was, but to think that they would be doing such a thing...ah, this is going to be a hit!" Charlotte's expression was nothing less than elated, her eyes shining with excitement. "...and for the subject being our very own Iudex! How...scandalous!"

Call it petty revenge if you would, but in the end, Furina was just a woman.

"I could provide all the details I have- the people deserve to know."

Charlotte looked like she ascended. Furina would have to do some serious digging later, there must have been a few things left over from preparations. Things like a date usually have at least a few days' worth of preparation.

"T-then, please, do share!"

Oh. Oh, not yet.

"Well, I am a busy person, so you'll have to schedule an appointment ahead of time for a proper interview. I promise, that once that time comes, your Archon will be able to provide you with all the details!"

Charlotte seemed a bit disheartened, but then brightened up at the idea of another interview.

"Yes, of course! I'll schedule one right away- after I report this scoop!"

She went straight to taking picture after picture of the pair, who were walking into a bookstore. Furina knew she said that she was busy, but truth be told, she really had not much else to do. She wanted to annoy Neuvillette a bit, but seeing as he was a bit occupied at the moment, she couldn't exactly do that.

As her mind scrambled to make an excuse as to why she wasn't leaving, a high-pitched voice rang out.

"Oh? Charlotte! Furina!"

The two turned to face the fairy-thing.

Paimon waved to them, a small box of macarons in hand. She floated over, shoving one of the macarons in her mouth. Furina looked at them longingly. She would have to bring some macarons to her tea party.

"Ah, Paimon! What are you doing? You're usually with the Traveller," Charlotte said. Furina nodded.

Paimon giggled, subconsciously holding the macarons closer to her chest in a protective manner. Furina frowned. She sort of hoped the small thing would share the desserts with her. Oh well, she would just have to buy some- once Neuvillette got himself together.

"Paimon finished up preparing a gift for Aether and was just enjoying the money that Aether forgo-" She coughed. "...I mean, left in our room. For me. To use. Yeah."

Furina raised an eyebrow.

"...anyways, Aether really wanted to spend some time with Monsieur Neuvillette, so Paimon decided to let them have their personal time!" She smiled, looking proud of herself. Furina stifled a giggle, but Charlotte paid them no mind.

"Argh, I can't see the Traveller's face clearly from this angle...Monsieur Neuvillette has a nice expression, but it would be best to have them both in frame..."

Click.

Click.

Click.

Furina stared at her, then at the pair in the bookstore. They seemed to be chatting over some tea. She could barely make out the title of the book Neuvillette was reading. Bases des Rencontres...is he seriously reading about how to date...on a date?

"Uh, Charlotte? How many pictures are you going to take?"

Charlotte ignored Paimon and slid over behind some bushes for a better angle. People still stared at the three, and to tell the truth, Furina understood them perfectly. They must have made quite a sight.

"I understand that this is an important matter, but isn't this an invasion of privacy?" Furina looked at both Charlotte and Paimon as she asked the question.

Charlotte paused. "Well, I guess, but..." "Paimon thinks that we can just wait for them to give permission to post the article! As long as we don't make it public before getting their opinions, it's fine. After all, they can't expect to do whatever it is they're doing and not get publicity for it."

Furina nodded. In all actuality, she was zoned out. On one hand, the tea party. On the other- you don't interrupt a date, right?

She cleared her throat.

"I have something to discuss with Monsieur Neuvillette, but I suppose I could wait. How about you two accompany me for the time being?"

---

Normally, one would have to book reservations at Hotel Debord. The Hydro Archon, however, was an obvious exception to this rule.

Thus, Furina and Paimon ended up at one table, awkwardly waiting for their food in silence. Charlotte had gotten a seat a bit closer to the Traveller and Neuvillette for better photos and possible insight into their conversations. Furina swore that the waiter tending to the pair was a new hire at the Steambird; she was pretty sure she saw him chat with Charlotte about 'news' a while ago.

She sighed. Paimon usually started conversations, so she had hoped that by now she-

"So, uh, what do you want to talk to Monsieur Neuvillette about?"

Bless that balloon-thing.

"Ah, well, I was going to host a tea party, but I ran into a little mishap with the cake. I was planning on both inviting Monsieur Neuvillette, and inquiring about the issue. The tea party was supposed to be this evening, but..."

Furina gestured to the man in question, who was staring at the Traveller with a stupidly relaxed expression on his face. She was glad that he seemed to be having a good time, but something about a less-than-stoic Neuvillette unnerved her.

Paimon nodded. "Paimon thinks that cake is one of the most important parts of a tea party! But, it seems like you won't be able to invite him today...maybe another time?"

"It truly is a shame...now there's going to be an empty spot at the tea table." Furina, as if on impulse, continued to speak. She felt a bit embarrassed as she continued, but...

"...Paimon, would you like to come?"

Paimon audibly gasped and lit up like the world was offered to her.

"Really?! You want to invite Paimon to your tea party!?"

It was probably a good thing that barely anyone else was in the hotel. Everyone was outside, shooting not-so-discrete glances through the window, and the few that were inside were keeping a polite distance from both pairs. Still, Furina shushed the other, as she had some semblance of public decency.

"H-hey, not so loud!" She paused and took a breath. "...and yes, the mighty Hydro Archon herself has invited you to her tea party! This opportunity rarely comes to pass, and the offer is only for today, so-"

Paimon cut her off with an excited clap. "Paimon is so happy! When should Paimon come?"

Furina felt rather pleased. She turned to the other two who were- were they...feeding each other? She violently shook her head to rid herself of the image, and forced a smile as she turned back to Paimon.

"The tea party's at sunset...so a bit after seven. It would be great if you came a bit earlier, though."

Paimon nodded, and as their own waiter came over with their food, a question struck her.

"Earlier, you said that you finished preparing a gift for Aether. What was that about?"

As if enlightened, Paimon tore her gaze away from the steaming food in front of her and grinned mischievously. "Paimon knows that Aether plans on bringing Monsieur Neuvillette to the beach later on, so Paimon set up a little firework show to brighten the night. I set it up near Marcotte Station, so it was visible from the beach outside of the Court."

Furina clasped her chin in thought.

"Oh? The tea party is supposed to be near the Marcotte Station...near the mountains to the north."

"That's great! We might see the fireworks then!"

They continued eating and discussed their plans lightheartedly, attempting to ignore the rather embarrassing acts of the other two they were regretfully acquainted with. After a while, Furina stood up.

When Paimon shot her a funny look, she shrugged.

"I'll go pick up some cakes for the tea party and send someone to set it up. I'll be going now. See you soon- and tell Charlotte to send me the first revision of the article she's going to write."

Paimon simply laughed and waved her goodbye.

---

Furina's decision to abandon Neuvillette in favour of Paimon for her tea party was one of the best decisions she made in her life. If she thought about it, he would have simply ruined the atmosphere.

Now, she comfortably sat at a simple tea table brimming with desserts and drinks, her hydro summons and Paimon with her.

She sipped her tea as fireworks began to go off overhead.

Yes. It was so much easier this way- no need to worry about any romantic inconveniences. That was a problem for future Furina. Now, all she had to do was relax.

Chapter Text

Wriothesley looked at the paper in his hands. He looked at it once. Then again. He put it down onto his desk, stood up, walked around the room a few times, then sat down. He picked the paper up again.

Breaking News! The Iudex and the Traveller, what is their Relationship?

Ah. When he had first been given the article by a rather eccentric reporter, he had choked on his tea and almost died. After a good few minutes spent wheezing pathetically on the couch, Sigewinne had offered him one of her “milkshakes” and Wriothesley wished he had died instead.

So yeah. Fun times.

He keeled over onto the couch in his office. His body was shaking.

“Your Grace? How are you feeling?” Sigewinne, that demon, was smiling innocently. She tilted her head and leaned close to him.

Wriothesley didn’t know what was going on. Was it the shock? The milkshake? Well, whatever it was, one thing was certain-

…he was desperately trying to stop himself from hysterically laughing. The walls of Meropide, despite being made of metal strong enough to withstand the water pressure of Fontaine’s sea, were thinner on the insides.

“Hahhh… ahem, yes, I’m just fine…”

He looked at the title page of the magazine again. On it was a picture of the Iudex of Fontaine, the damn Chief Justice , feeding the renowned Traveller, saviour of various nations . He couldn’t help it. He burst into laughter.

—

You see, there was a reason why the Duke of Meropede agreed to an interview with The Steambird. 

“...and he did what? ” Wriothesley covered his mouth with his hand, overdramatically gasping, before falling into a fit of laughter. His head felt light and airy. Was there something in the milkshake?

“Yes! You should have seen it- in the bookstore, right in public-”

Wriothesley leaned in closer, listening intently…well, he wasn’t able to get out alot. So sue him for being excited to hear some juicy gossip.

“Oh Archons, that’s way too funny,” he said, as he wiped away a tear from his eye. Charlotte nodded enthusiastically.

The clock in the office ticked slowly by. Wriothesley poured himself a cup of tea with a shaky hand, before offering some to Charlotte, who took it gratefully.

In all honesty, she was just happy to be there. When was the last time someone was able to be privy to the happenings inside the Fortress of Meropede?

“So, about that interview…”

The sole reason why Charlotte was granted an audience with the Duke was because, well, hearing about the private life of the Iudex was far too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially since Wriothesley was unable to leave the Fortress without reason.

A deal was struck with varying degrees of enthusiasm, but enthusiasm nonetheless. Charlotte would milk the opportunity dry.

“Oh, yeah, sure. Hit me with whatever questions you may have. Can’t promise I’ll answer them, though.”

“Okay! Let’s get right into it, then~” Charlotte pulled out a notepad and pen. “So, to start, what’s your opinion on the rumour that almost half of Fontaine’s tea imports from Liyue are sent to the Fortress of Meropede? I have some official documents here about some of the import records…”

Wriothesley blinked. He was silent for a good while.

“...I don’t know what to think. Half or only half , that is the question…I honestly expected more imports from the rest of Fontaine, but I also expected more from myself…”

“Oh? You drink all of that tea by yourself? What about the rest of the people here? Are they unable to have any tea?”

“Well, the thing is- hey, wait. Backtrack. How did you manage to get your hands on import documents? Normally, only the high-class or government officials have access to those things, and they’re rather stingy. How were you able to reason with them?” 

Wriothesley harmlessly teased, trying to divert away from his hoarding tea from the rest of the Fortress. Perhaps he should share some of his stash…anyways, he was rather interested in how The Steambird managed to negotiate with the bigshots. They were hard to deal with.

Charlotte froze. Her smile became forced, unnaturally wide.

“...Miss Charlotte? I apologise if you couldn’t hear me. How’d you manage to negotiate with-”

“ANYWAYS! Back to the interview-”

Wriothesley narrowed his eyes. His suspicious sensors were blaring. He sat a bit straighter. “Hey, what’s up with you?”

Charlotte averted her eyes. Wriothesley stood up and walked over to her without hesitation.

—

Sigewinne finished patching up some people who got messed up while fighting in the Pankration Ring, a certain magazine shoved into her back pocket.

Somewhere from the Duke’s office, she heard a scream.

She looked over, but shrugged and went back to work. Oh well. If it concerned her, she would have been called.

Not her problem.

She finished bandaging one man’s arm, and handed him a special drink she just made. She waved it in front of him imposingly.

“Here, have this! Think of it as a painkiller.”

Maybe it was because the man was extremely out of it, poor thing, but he quickly took the drink from her hands and downed it right then and there. His eyes went wide.

“Ah, you’re supposed to drink it slowly- huh. Well, it should be alright…just stay calm and lie down in the infirmary for a bit longer, okay?”

The man leaned over and threw up.

“Hm…that’s to be expected. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal, so no worries! I would never feed my patients anything harmful!”

The man looked like he was about to pass out. He was gently swaying, with dazed eyes. He grabbed the now empty jar and lifted it above his head, shaking it a bit to get any remaining drops.

“Oh? Did you like it?”

The man rolled over and groaned.

“Great, that makes me happy! Wait right here, I’ll have some more prepared!”

—

Aether was walking down the streets of Fontaine, once again. He had decided to stay there for the time being before travelling to Natlan, and Neuvillette had been so kind as to offer temporary housing.

How kind of him , Aether thought. He provided a room inside the Palais, near his own one… for some reason, the thought made something in his chest flutter.

Suddenly, a specific coat caught his eye. How many people wore a huge cuff on their coat, anyways? Was it a fashion statement or something?

Paimon waved.

“Your Grace! What brings you to the surface today?”

Wriothesley looked at them, jolting. He quickly covered his mouth and looked away.

“Ah- hm. Nothing much, just going to meet with our Iudex. Diplomatic reasons between the Court and the Fortress.” If Aether squinted a bit, it almost looked like Wriothesley was holding back laughter.

Paimon seemed blissfully ignorant as she flew up to him. “Hmm? Must be important, huh? C’mon, spill the details!”

Wriothesley simply turned away. His smile was now visible.

“Sorry. Official business, can’t disclose to the public. Oh, right, Traveller.”

Aether looked at him and motioned for him to continue.

“Congrats on your new relationship.”

Wriothesley then disappeared, leaving behind a stunned, blushing mess of the Traveller.

“...Hey! What are you talking about?”

Paimon sighed and shook her head.

“Honestly, by this point, all of Fontaine knows by now.”

“What?”

—

The prisoner Sigewinne healed kept on coming back for more of her drink. It was a bit concerning, since he had no need for it anymore, but the drink was good for vitality, so Sigewinne decided to indulge him anyway.

She watched as the man downed another jar with impressive speed. Humans certainly were interesting. She knew that some people didn’t like the taste of her drinks, so even if they were good, they wouldn’t drink it. This one seemed to have it all backwards!

“Your kind is so interesting, you know?” She muttered under her breath. The man happily swayed, like he always did after having the drink.

“I guess I should share this drink with some others who go to the infirmary! What do you say?”

The man vigorously nodded. His arm had almost completely healed, which was good. The drink seemed to speed that up. Sigewinne stood up.

“Okay! I need to go tend to other patients now. I’ll spread this joy with everyone!”

She skipped away, pulling the magazine out of her back pocket. It was an unpublished version because it would be illegal to print about people without their permission, but among friends, Sigewinne assumed it was alright to share it.

She had felt something different about the Traveller and the Chief Justice when they were near together, but it was a subtle thing, and humans tended to be better with understanding surface emotions than Melusines.

…oh, but neither of them were exactly human, right?

Well, how did the phrase go? A match made in Celestia? Seems appropriate. They seem happy .

She flipped through the pages as she entered the infirmary. She particularly liked the part about Neuvillette being a nervous wreck- the stashes reported to be under his bed by Furina herself spoke volumes.

Sigewinne smiled. Ah, this would be a fun thing to bring up the next time Monsieur Neuvillette visited the Fortress…

—

“Wriothesley.”

“Neuvillette.”

“Care to tell me why there’s now a lawsuit against a Steambird reporter for stealing official documents from the Palais Mermonia?”

“She did steal official documents from the Palais Mermonia.”

“She keeps on insisting that she’s innocent, and that you were high because you kept on ‘making weird faces and laughing hysterically.’ Anything to say?”

“In my defence, there was something in that milkshake.”