Work Text:
Charlotte woke up that morning in her little apartment to the smell of something nice. Stumbling from her bed to the kitchen, she found Aether at the stove flipping pancakes.
“Morning, Char!” he beamed.
“Hello. How did you get in here? I’m sure I locked that door…”
Aether laughed. “I have my ways.”
“Care to tell our readers more?”
“Your boyfriend’s here cooking your breakfast, and you’re asking all these questions?”
“Well, I am curious.”
“It’s fine. That’s one of the things I love about you.”
Charlotte hugged him. Aether’s body, warm and strong, always made her happy. Giving his cheek a quick peck, she got out plates and set the table. They shared a wonderful home cooked meal. Aether gave her the scoop; his most recent adventures which would become content for her articles. Once they finished, Aether washed their dishes.
“So? What do you want to do today?” he asked.
Right, her date. She had been thinking about this. The other girls undoubtedly did lewd stuff with him, and she would too in good time. First though, she had other plans.
“How good are you at disguises?”
In his lustrous violet petticoat, white gloves, top hat and cane, Aether made quite the gentlemanly figure. He even put on contacts that changed his eye color and hid his golden locks beneath a wig. For her part, Charlotte wore a fancy green dress with one of those trains that went down to her legs. They made quite the couple, strolling up the boulevard towards gala.
One letter of introduction penned by Arlecchino herself and they were in. Together, they slipped past the partygoers to the study. As Aether stood watch, she slipped into the archive. Quickly she poured through correspondence letters, tax returns, and business plans. Quite the lucrative scheme their target had going on. Verite captured all the important documents.
Finally, she found the letter she’d been looking for.
Shipment tonight. Elynas. Perfect.
Aether leaned inside, whispering for her to hurry. They hurried out from cover. Hand in hand, they crossed the dance floor once more and left completely undetected.
Once more, Aether demonstrated his impressive disguises. He had dressed up as an Eremite warrior, with red bandana, a dark brown wig, and desert dwelling garbs. She too had donned the guise of a mercenary. They slipped into file with the other mercenaries, who made their way up the boardwalk carrying a chest.
Close to the skeleton of Elynas, they stopped. There, a dozen guardameks waited along with a very shifty looking man. He wore smudged worker’s attire, rather than a fancy getup. His ratface scowled at the Sumeru warriors. His expression changed when the mercenaries opened the chest revealing a load of Mora. Eyes glinting, he reached for it, until a warrior brought down an axe.
“First. The goods.”
Spitting, the man snapped his fingers. A guardamek stepped forward carrying a chest. Silently, Charlotte readied Verite for the moment of truth. He opened the lid. Inside were fifty bottles of translucent liquid. Sinthe.
Verite snapped several pictures. Aether put his fingers to his lips and whistled. At that moment, a dozen officers emerged from hiding. Led by Chevreuse, they easily subdued the startled criminals. Chevreuse cuffed the ne’er-do-wells and ordered her guards to begin the interrogation at once. They escorted all of them away.
“Thanks for the tip,” said Chevreuse. “Shutting down this drug smuggling operation should make things a little safer for everyone. And yes, you can quote me on that.”
The officer tapped her chin thoughtfully.
“Problem is, we still don’t know the mastermind behind all this.”
In response, Charlotte produced three photographs. Chevreuse looked before handing them back. “I’ll get the search and arrest warrants. Try not to publish anything until then.”
That evening, Charlotte sat at the coffee shop with Aether, admiring the Steambird’s latest headline. “Maison Gardiennage Bust Drug Smugglers Linked to Wealthy Merchant.” She sipped the coffee brewed to her exact liking. Once she had her momentary satisfaction, she turned to Aether.
“Sorry.”
“For what?”
“Not a very romantic date, is it?”
“You kidding? What’s more romantic than exposing the truth with my amazing journalist girlfriend?” He leaned over resting his hand atop hers. “Seriously though, I enjoy any time we spend together.”
“Even if we spend it like this?”
“Charlotte, this whole day just reminds me why I fell in love with you in the first place. Even on the day you have me, you still want to make the world a better place. You’re a hero.”
Pride swelled in her heart. The hero of Teyvat himself, calling her a hero? Honestly, it was the best part of this whole day. Charlotte leaned over and kissed him.
“Well, the day’s not over yet,” she said with a smirk. “Why don’t you show me just how you got into my apartment?”
So, he gave her the scoop and showed her how he got in. That secret she would treasure forever, along with every second she spent in his arms. Moans filled her apartment well into the night. This private interview would be hers and hers alone.