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The sand is warm beneath his feet. The sun shines down on him, inviting him to bask in its warmth. When the waves surge forth to gently touch him, he feels the refreshing coolness of the sea. He hears nothing but the peaceful sound of the water, with not a single other human anywhere in sight. He smells nothing but the fresh air, and slight saltiness of the sea.
Xiao walks along the isolated beach, enjoying the privacy, and the break from everyday life that it offered him. He was glad that this wasn't a common tourist destination, having no proper roads or pathways leading here.
Though, that may not end up being for long. It depends on how long his father is willing to put up with the constant offers to purchase the beach from him – to ruin the sweet peace that he loved so dearly. Thankfully, Zhongli is quite the stubborn man, so perhaps his safe haven will forever be free.
Zhongli knows just how much Xiao needs it, which surely only bolsters his rock-solid resolve. With how much he went through as a child, bouncing between multiple abusive households before finally being taken in by the man, having somewhere like this where he can be free from his constant irritation is bliss.
He leans his head back, allowing himself to just feel, basking in every sensation that the beach offers him. He's thankful that it isn't summer quite yet, disliking just how hot and muggy those months can be. As it is right now, the temperature is perfect, and only fuels his peaceful state further.
Xiao continues his walk, striding along the sands towards the rocky outcropping he always chooses.
He'd recently begun meditation at the recommendation from his therapist, and quickly found this to be his favourite place to do it. With how often his mind liked to replay the horrors of his life, tormenting him as if it was karma for a past life, he clung to any moment of silence.
And so, meditation was his answer – his escape.
Clearing his mind has never been easier than it is on this beach.
He climbs up on top of his usual rock, laying his towel down on top of it, and sitting down. He crosses his legs, places his hands atop his knees, and breathes. He just breathes – in, and out… in, and out – allowing himself to only pay attention to the sensations of his surroundings.
The sounds of the waves.
The coolness of the breeze.
The warmth of the sun.
The salty sea air.
Within moments, he feels himself entering that peaceful state of calm emptiness, and the pains of his life vanish from his mind. He allows the feeling to wash over him, as if to cleanse himself of all of the grime of his past, and begin anew.
Well… at least try to begin anew. No matter how many times he's done this meditation, it never truly heals him. Everything that plagues him comes flooding back into him the moment he returns home. All of his pains and anxiety, that no matter how much Zhongli tries to assuage his fears, still manage to take their prominent place in his mind.
This is just a sweet, blissful reprieve.
He stays there for an indeterminate amount of time. When he first started doing this, he brought his phone and set a timer on it, but he doesn't need that now. His body has pretty much just internalized a countdown for him.
Zhongli has always told him to take as much time as he needs, and to just make sure he messages him if he'll be back later than usual, but he still always comes home before the sun sets.
“Hello.”
Xiao almost jumps out of his skin when he hears that, and immediately turns to look around at the beach behind him. When he doesn't see anyone, he starts wondering if he's hearing things, until the voice speaks again.
“Down here, dummy.”
He slowly turns back towards the sea, and sees a being with gorgeous golden hair and eyes watching him from the water, propped up on the edge of the outcrop. He's never seen them before, and he has a particularly difficult time figuring out how to refer to them, with how androgynous they are.
The person stares at him curiously for a few moments, before smiling and giving him a small wave.
“Hi there.” They say. Their voice is soft, and just as beautiful as their appearance, almost lulling him into a trance.
He quickly shakes his head, blinking a few times to try and see if that will make them vanish or not. Hallucinations aren't that common for him, but they've still had a few moments where they've affected him.
When the figure doesn't disappear and continues watching him, he slowly responds.
“Hello…?”
The other individual's eyes light up when he speaks, and a bright smile graces Xiao with its presence.
Their face also turns slightly pink, but Xiao doesn't really notice.
“You do speak.” The person says, astonished from this revelation. “I've never once heard you say anything before.”
They… what? Huh?
“You… have been watching me?” Xiao asks, suddenly feeling rather self-conscious.
“Oh! Sorry, not on purpose. I come here to get away from my family and responsibilities because of how peaceful it is. I've noticed you here a few times, but I've never decided to speak to you. I couldn't tell if you were safe.” The person says, and lifts themself further up onto the ledge to talk to him.
Seeing the other's chest in clear view now, Xiao gets a pretty decent idea of how to refer to him now, and quickly averts his gaze so he doesn't stare.
“I… I see.”
“Oh don't worry, I don't bite. Here, I'm Aether, what's your name?”
A name befitting someone so ethereal.
“Uh… Xiao.”
“Xiao…” The other says softly, as if trying out the sound of the name on his lips. “That's a beautiful name.”
“Yours… is as well.”
His compliment draws out another beaming smile, and an adorable giggle.
“Hehe. Thank you, Xiao.” The golden blonde says, and he twirls some of his hair around his finger. “Do you also come here to get away from stuff?”
“Um, sort of. I meditate.”
“Ooo, what's that? Is that what you do while you sit here?”
He doesn't know what meditation is?
Sure, most people may not practice meditation, but most people are aware of what it is at least.
“...Yes. It is about clearing your mind to relax, and exist in the moment.”
“That sounds interesting! Can I join you?”
“Um… Sure, I suppose.”
“Yes! Ok, what do I do?”
The way the blonde looks at him reminds him of an excited puppy. If he had a tail, he was sure it would be wagging vigorously behind him.
Xiao begins walking him through it.
“So… you get into a comfortable position, start slowly breathing, and let your mind empty itself. If you've never done it before, it can be difficult, so focusing only on the feeling of your surroundings can help.”
Aether nods excitedly, before letting himself visibly relax, closing his eyes, and slowly breathing. Xiao follows suit, and begins reciting what he feels as his mind drifts.
“Feel the coolness of the water around you. Feel the warmth of the sun against your skin. Hear the sound of the waves…”
“And your beautiful voice.” Aether mutters, completely throwing Xiao out of his trance
His eyes shoot open and he stares at the blonde, who's eyes remain shut as he relaxes. It seems almost like that was an unwitting utterance, brought about by the peaceful state the other had fallen into.
Xiao tries to recollect himself, closing his eyes again and letting his breath even out.
“Smell the freshness of the breeze. Let yourself become one with it all.”
He's not really sure when he fell back into that peaceful trance, but he's drawn back to reality by Aether's voice.
When Xiao opens his eyes, he's gifted with the sight of the blonde's gentle gaze, resting his cheek against his palm as he leans on the rocks.
“You usually leave around this time, right?” Aether asks, and Xiao looks at the sun as it approaches the horizon.
“Oh… yes, I do. Thank you.” Xiao replies. “Did you… enjoy it?”
“I did, actually! Though, I couldn't keep it up for very long. It's impressive that you can do that for as long as you do.” Aether says, once again directing a smile as bright as the sun at him.
“It takes practice.”
“Mmm… I believe it. Can I join you again next time?”
“Oh, uh, sure. I suppose so.”
“Yay!” Aether exclaims, raising his fists in front of them as he does.
Xiao just watches him, completely enamoured. Zhongli had tried meditating with him at first, to support him, but that had stopped not long after he realized that Xiao couldn't properly relax with someone else around him.
For some reason, that didn't happen with Aether. He had no trouble falling into that peaceful state of mind, and even knowing that the blonde had likely been sitting there for some time after falling out of his meditation, he could probably still do it just fine.
There was something relaxing about his presence. Something that didn't drive his anxiety crazy just by being near him.
It was… really nice.
The sky starts taking on an orange hue, and Xiao realizes he's going to be home late if he doesn't start heading back now.
He stands up, stretching out as he does so to let his body wake up, and picks up his towel. When he turns back to the blonde, he sees him looking at him expectantly.
“So, uh… see you next time?” Xiao asks hesitantly.
Aether smiles yet again, giving him a wave as he says, “Yup, see you next time, Xiao!”
Xiao waves back, before slowly turning around and walking back down the beach. His heart almost aches as he walks away, which is something he's never felt before.
As he walks down the beach, he thinks about golden blonde hair, golden eyes, and a beautiful, kind smile.
And thus began a new routine. The second time Xiao went to the beach and to his usual spot, Aether popped up at the edge of the water, fulfilling his side of the promise. Just like before, Xiao chooses to lead Aether in the meditation, voicing the things that he focuses on to help him enter that state of mind. Also just like before, Aether isn't able to hold it for as long as Xiao is, and opts to just sit there peacefully, watching the man with the teal-streaked hair, and their surroundings. The blonde gently alerts him when it's close to sunset, and they both bid each other farewell once again.
They continue to meet up over the next few weeks, and Xiao slowly begins to open up to Aether. His presence becomes more relaxing, and soon enough, Xiao spends less of his time meditating, and more of it just talking to the blonde, or simply enjoying his company. He finds Aether to be rather fascinated by the most mundane things in his life, especially his phone, which he finds rather curious. He tries to invite Aether to join him on his towel more than once, but the blonde refuses each time, stating that he's more comfortable in the water.
Aether apparently spends most of his time in the sea, as he tells Xiao all about the various sights beneath the water. He tells him about the vibrant coral, the different colourful fish. He even talks about the temperature of the water and its currents, as if he was talking about the weather.
One of the times they hang out, Xiao arrives in his bathing suit, and sits at the edge of the rocks with his feet in the water.
As always, Aether eventually pops up, and Xiao sees gold shining beneath the surface.
“Hey, Xiao.”
“Hi Aether.”
A silence passes between them, though not an especially comfortable one. It's awkward and slightly tense, as if both boys are afraid to speak their minds.
Xiao, always having preferred to suffer in silence, doesn't break.
Aether, however, does.
“Xiao… can I tell you something?”
“Of course.”
“You have to promise not to tell another soul. I'm serious.”
Xiao turns to look at Aether's eyes, and sees fear swirling inside of those golden irises, something that hasn't been present in them before. He reaches his hand over and rests it on top of one of Aether's.
“I promise.”
Aether stares back into his eyes too, searching for any kind of deceit. When he finds none, he sighs with relief.
“Come into the water, please?”
Xiao doesn't wait a second more. He takes his phone and his keys out of his pocket, resting them underneath his towel as he hides it between the rocks. He takes off his shirt (and Aether tries not to stare), and looks at Aether, giving him a nod.
Aether pushes away from the rocks, and Xiao sees that glimmer of gold once again. The blonde holds out his hands, and Xiao easily takes them, before pushing himself off of the ledge with his feet, and into the water.
The grip on his hands is tight, with Aether clearly still nervous about whatever he has to tell Xiao. He looks at him questioningly as he lets himself sink a bit lower, and Xiao takes a breath and nods back.
With Aether's assistance, he lets himself fall beneath the surface. He keeps his eyes closed, waiting for the blonde to give him confirmation.
“Open your eyes, Xiao.”
When he does, he's met with the sight of gleaming golden scales adorning the tail that forms Aether's lower half. He stares at it in awe, and only snaps out of it when he feels Aether squeeze his hands. He turns his gaze to see the blonde looking at him with pleading eyes, scared of rejection.
Xiao gives him a small smile and squeezes back.
The smile he gets in return is enough to make life worth it again all on its own. Aether surges forward to hug him, and he returns it, gently wrapping his arms around the other's waist.
“Thank you, Xiao.” Aether says into his ear, and they both tighten their hold on each other, as if the other is their lifeline.
They return to the surface not long after, when Xiao realizes his lungs are beginning to burn from the lack of oxygen. When they do surface, they don't part from each other. Aether keeps his arms on Xiao's shoulders, while Xiao keeps his wrapped around Aether's torso.
Aether looks at Xiao happily and says, “You don't seem very surprised.”
“You always came up from underwater, refused to join me on the rocks, and stayed in the water long enough for a normal person to prune. I had my suspicions.” Xiao says back, looking at Aether as if it was obvious.
The blonde scrunches up his nose, and lightly punches Xiao's shoulder. They both laugh at the action, and Aether moves in to hug him again.
“My parents always warn me to stay far away from humans, they're always so scared of what you guys might do to us if you found out we existed.”
Xiao sighs, before saying, “Well, they're not entirely wrong. There are plenty of humans that won't hesitate to capture and hurt you to study you.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah… Those people are scum. No amount of human progress is worth hurting innocent life.”
Aether once again hugs him tighter.
“Thank you, Xiao. Really.”
Xiao just hums and hugs him tighter right back.
They stay in each other's arms for a few minutes, basking in the moment. Xiao feels Aether's tail occasionally brush against his legs, and he involuntarily shivers the first time, much to the blonde's apparent joy if the giggle he hears has anything to say about it.
When Aether finally pulls back, he smiles at him softly.
“I've never had a human friend before.”
Xiao chuckles and replies, “I can't really say I've ever had a mermaid friend before, either.”
“Good.” Aether says back, and sticks his tongue out at the other, pulling another chuckle out of him.
Xiao's smile sticks to his face, unable to make it go away as he brushes some of Aether's hair out of his face. The blonde sighs softly as he leans into it, his face turning slightly pink. When he opens his eyes back up, both of them find themselves witnessing such gentle, kind, heartfelt gazes.
“Do you… want to go for a swim?” Aether asks Xiao.
Xiao responds by nodding, and lets Aether pull away from his arms, though not without taking his hand.
“I can go pretty fast, so hold on tight, ok?” Aether says with a smirk, and Xiao just nods again, holding onto his hand even tighter.
Aether waits for Xiao to take a deep breath, and with a nod, he dives down, pulling Xiao along with him. The rush of the water against his eyes is a little bit much for him, so he closes them, holding onto Aether's hand even tighter as he trusts him with guiding him.
Eventually, they slow down, and he hears Aether say, “Open your eyes, Xiao. We're here.”
When he does so, he's met with the beautiful, vibrant, colourful coral reef he remembers Aether gushing to him about. The blonde brings them both closer, and he looks on in awe at how many different colours there are in front of him.
A fish swims past his face and hits him with its tail, causing Aether to burst out into beautiful laughter that he could listen to forever. The melody enchants him, and he feels himself drifting closer.
He's never felt this comfortable, this happy to be around another person in his entire life. Aether is so kind, gentle, and shines bright like the sun, burning away the darkness that plagues his mind.
Xiao continues to just let Aether pull him along as they weave between the different pieces of coral, with Aether even pulling him in close so they can go through a hole in one of them.
Eventually, they do need to stop. Xiao doesn't have gills like Aether, after all.
Aether brings them back up to the surface, carefully looking around before rising all the way up, and Xiao takes in a deep breath.
“So, what do you think?” Aether asks, still holding onto the other's hand.
“Beautiful.” Is all Xiao replies with as he once again loses himself in those brilliant eyes, unsure whether he was talking about the reef, or the man in front of him.
Aether smiles again, and returns Xiao's earlier gesture, brushing some hair out of his face. He rests his palm on Xiao's cheek, which the other readily leans into.
“Do you want to go back down, or back to the beach?”
Xiao knows that it isn't quite time for him to head back, so he just replies, “Back down.”
Aether nods, and after Xiao takes his breath, they dive back down together.
They continue to swim amongst the corals for probably an hour, surfacing and diving again as many times as Xiao needs to. His lungs are starting to ache a bit from the repeated dives, but each time they do it, he holds his breath for just a little bit longer. Having Aether here was nice, because it meant he'd never have to worry about drowning while trying to work on his lung capacity.
Right now, they're seated atop a flat rock that overlooks the reef, not far from the surface for when Xiao needs to breathe. Their hands are still connected, with their fingers intertwined as they admire the sight, and enjoy each other's company.
“I know I already said it earlier, but thank you, Xiao. For accepting me, and not being afraid, or hurting me. This has been really fun.” Aether says softly, interrupting the silence.
Not really being able to speak underwater like Aether can, Xiao just hums and squeezes his fingers, turning to look at Aether.
The blond looks back at him intently, with a conflicted look in his eyes, as if he's debating something with himself. Just as he's about to wordlessly inquire what's wrong, he hears something that makes him gasp in shock.
“So this is the human you told me about, Aether?”
Both boys jump in panic at the voice, and with Xiao not being able to breathe under the water, he inhales seawater.
“Xiao!” He hears Aether shout, and he's suddenly being swam back up to the surface.
The moment they breach the surface, Xiao starts coughing up the water, as Aether hugs him and pats his back. He faintly hears the sound of the other person surfacing, but she just remains quiet as he retches, and Aether tends to him.
When the coughing finally slows down enough that he can swim again, Aether pulls back – though only just a little bit, immediately reconnecting their hands. Xiao turns his head to see the girl that was the source of the voice. She has the same hair and eyes as Aether, although her hair is significantly shorter, and just slightly more pale.
She just sighs and looks down at the water, shaking her head.
“Sorry about that. I shouldn't have startled you like that. I forgot you need to hold your breath.”
Before Xiao can reply, Aether grouchily snaps at her. “He could have drowned, Lu!”
He turns to look at the blonde, and sees him angrily pouting.
Cute…
“I know, I said I'm sorry. I was just surprised to actually see him with you.”
“Just… please be more careful, next time.” Aether says with an exasperated sign.
“Of course, dear brother.” The other mermaid says back, before smirking and adding, “Next time, eh?” which quickly flusters Aether.
“Shut up, Lumi.” He says, returning to his prior pout.
Xiao decides that now is the time to speak up, and asks her, “So… you're his sister?”
Lumine gasps with fake surprise, laying her hand on her collarbone for added drama.
“You mean he hasn't told you about me yet? I'm hurt, Aether. How could you not tell him about your dearest twin sister, Lumine.” She exclaims, before smiling and looking at Xiao. “I've already heard all about you from my brother, here. He's completely–”
“Lumine, please…” Aether whines out, stopping whatever she was about to say.
Lumine just snickers in response, before sighing.
“Father wants you home, Aether. He's got another suitor waiting to meet you.”
“Ughhhh… another one? Will he please just let me find someone at my own pace?” Aether says with a groan.
“I know, Ae, but we both know how he is. I was just barely able to convince him to let me get you on my own so he doesn't find out about your human over here.” Lumine says, and gestures towards Xiao.
Aether blushes and huffs out, “He isn't my human… he has his own life.”
“Of course, of course. Come on, get him back to land, and then come back home. I'll be waiting for you by the ravine.” Lumine says, and then waves to Xiao. “Bye, Xiao. It's nice to finally meet you.”
“Uh, likewise.” Is all he's really able to get out, before Lumine vanishes back below the waves.
Aether sighs from beside him, so Xiao asks, “What's that about?”
“Oh… My father is obsessed with trying to get me and Lumine married off to other families to ‘strengthen our ties’ or whatever. He keeps hoping I'll accept one of the suitors, but I'm just not interested in any of them. I want to find someone on my own.”
“Mmm… I understand that.”
“Anyway, I'm sorry, but I need to head back. Here,” Aether says, grabbing Xiao's arms, turning around, and pulling those arms over his shoulders.
With Xiao securely on his back, Aether says, “Tell me when you're ready.”
Xiao takes in a deep breath, and gently pats Aether with his hand, giving him the signal. Aether dives back down, and starts practically flying through the water back to their beach. When they get back to the rocky outcrop, he helps Xiao back up onto solid ground, and sits there for a few moments, chin resting on his arms.
When their eyes meet again, Aether gives him a small smile, and says, “See you next time?”
Xiao nods back, replying, “Next time.” with a smile of his own.
He watches as Aether pushes away from the rocks again, and swims further out. Before diving back down into the sea, he turns to give Xiao one more longing glance, and vanishes beneath the surface.
Xiao sighs, and grabs his towel, wrapping it around himself. He slips on his sandals, grabs the rest of his stuff, and begins his walk back home. He's returning early, but he doesn't really feel like meditating right now anyway.
Aether isn't there the next few times Xiao returns to his spot. The first couple times, Xiao can't even begin to meditate, anxiously waiting to see that head of golden hair pop up from beneath the surface, with that bright smile directed at him.
After that, though, Xiao starts to wonder if he just imagined it all. With each new day that Aether doesn't return, he starts wondering if it was all just one elaborate hallucination.
If it was, then it was the happiest hallucination he's ever had.
On the eighth day since that day that doesn't leave his memory, a head does pop out of the water, but not the one he was expecting.
“Hey.” Lumine says to him, with a nervous look on her face.
Xiao has to do a double take, rubbing his eyes just to make sure she's actually real.
“Where's Aether?” Is the first thing he asks. Is the only thing he can ask, really. His mind demands an answer as his anxiety spikes.
“He's… at home. He asked me to come see you and tell you what's happening so you don't worry.” Lumine says, and then sighs. “Our father is a stubborn old bastard, and he's dead set on Aether being married by the end of the month.”
Xiao's heart drops, and it's only now that he finally realizes what he's been feeling.
He fell for Aether.
Lumine watches as Xiao's face practically drops, and she quickly speaks again.
“Nothing has happened yet, but father has locked him in his room until he picks a suitor. He's… he's been crying in his room for the last two weeks, and father is getting impatient. If Aether doesn't pick someone soon, he's going to pick someone for him…”
“Take me to Aether.”
Xiao's abrupt words clearly surprise him more than they do Lumine, as she grins.
“I will, but you have to answer one question first.”
“Tell me.”
Lumine gets closer to the rocks, and hoists herself up onto them to look Xiao straight in the eyes.
“Do you love my brother?”
“Yes.” Xiao replies, without a single moment of hesitation.
Lumine smiles and says, “Good, because I don't know if you noticed, but he's head over heels for you.”
She pauses for a moment, and then adds, “I know I said one question, but I do have another.”
“Ask.”
“What are you willing to do for him?” She asks, and Xiao looks away to the sea.
It's a question he really should think over more than he is, but he really doesn't find himself needing to. He knows what his answer is already, and he entirely means it when he says it.
“Anything.”
He meets her eyes with his determination, and she smiles back at him.
“Alright, then let's go.”
He quickly pulls off his shirt and piles everything up again, though not without quickly sending off a message to Zhongli that he'll probably be out later than normal, and jumps straight into the sea.
Lumine swims up beside him and holds out her hand, which he easily takes.
Sucking in as much air as he can, he nods, and they dive.
Lumine brings him back to the surface when they get close, letting him refill on oxygen, before pulling him back down with her.
He sees nothing at first, but once he passes a certain threshold, it all becomes visible for him. He sees a castle carved out of coral and rock, decorated with all sorts of seashells. He sees various houses scattered around, as well as a ravine bustling with probably hundreds of other mermaids.
He's thankful that he's been training up his lung capacity since that day, because he would be in quite the awkward situation if he hadn't.
As they continue their approach, another mermaid suddenly starts quickly swimming towards them. He has scales of blue and black like the water under the midnight sky.
“Lumine! Where have you been? You vanished without saying a word to me.” The man says, and then gives Xiao a look, before moving to swim beside Lumine. “And who exactly is this? Does your father know you're bringing a human to the city?”
“Oh stop worrying so much, Dain. You know I can handle myself.” She replies with a scowl. “And this is Xiao. Xiao, this is Dainsleif, my guard dog of a mate. Don't worry, he won't bite unless I say he can.”
“You still haven't told me why you're bringing him to the castle, Lumine.”
“Because he's the guy I've told you about Aether constantly gushing over.”
“Oh.” Dainsleif says, and stares at Xiao intensely, as if judging whether or not he deserves to even approach Aether.
Preposterous, who is he to judge Xiao when Aether had chosen to speak with him in the first place. Lumine seems to agree, as she just scoffs at him and rolls her eyes, continuing forward.
Lumine pulls him straight to the doors of the castle, with two guards posted outside, and it clicks in his head.
Ah, they're royalty.
He supposes he's not particularly different, what with Zhongli being the retired ruler of Liyue and all, but it's still something of a surprise to him.
The guards salute Lumine and Dainsleif, but look at Xiao with visible hostility. They only look away when she snaps out, “He's a guest, now open the doors.”
They quickly obey, and Lumine pulls him along inside. He keeps his movement to a minimum as she does, hoping to conserve as much oxygen as he can. Lumine pulls him through the various hallways, and eventually stops in front of a set of large double doors.
“Hope you're ready.” She says to him, and he just nods resolutely.
She pushes the doors open and pulls him in with her, and immediately feels the glare of the man atop the throne.
“Lumine, my daughter. Dainsleif. Who is this, and why have you brought a human here?” The man booms out, and Xiao has to resist trembling as he straightens up, meeting the glare from Aether's father with his own.
Dainsleif just nods to the man, before gesturing to Lumine the swimming off to the side.
“This, father, is who Aether has been seeing every time he's ventured out of the castle. He's a suitor.”
The man's glare doesn't soften, but an eyebrow does raise.
“Aletha, bring my son here.” He calls out to a servant by the door, who quickly nods, saying, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Another servant approaches the king and hands him something, and he rises from his throne. He swims towards Xiao and Lumine, and hands his daughter the object.
“Help him with that. I shall judge his worth.” He says, before returning to his throne.
Xiao turns to Lumine, who grabs him by the shoulders and pulls him closer. She takes the circular object, stretches it out, and quickly pulls it down over his head. A smooth film tightly wraps around his head, and then the circle quickly tightens around his neck. His anxiety flares up for just a moment, before the film quickly begins expanding as the space fills with air.
He takes an experimental breath, and finds that although the air is fishy, it's completely breathable.
“What… is this?” He says, and Lumine answers.
“It's a Bubble Mollusk. Our people spent decades cultivating them back before we cut contact with humanity. We still keep them around just in case, but they haven't seen much use in centuries. There's very few of them now.”
Her father adds on, “They consume the gases humans exhale, and filter oxygen from the water into the pouch.”
Xiao nods along in shock, and gently pokes the film. It wobbles slightly, but doesn't react much apart from that.
“Now,” The king says, drawing Xiao's attention back to him on his throne. “Is what Lumine said true?”
Xiao meets his eyes and gives a firm nod.
“Yes, it is.”
“You love my son?”
“Yes, I do.”
“And you would be willing to give up your life on the surface for him?” The king asks, and Xiao stops for a moment.
“Wh– father!?” Lumine exclaims, before quickly getting shushed by him.
Turning back to Xiao, the king says, “Well?”
Xiao takes in a deep breath, before meeting the king's gaze and giving his answer.
“Yes, I would.”
The king hums thoughtfully, raising his brow in a look of approval, before crossing his arms and saying, “I have no further questions.”
As if on cue, the side door the servant had gone through opens, and a distraught Aether swims into the room.
“What do you want from me now, father? Is it yet another suito–”
Aether stops the moment he sees Xiao, and his eyes go wide. He trembles in place, and then rushes forwards to hug Xiao.
“Xiao! Stars, I missed you so much, you have no idea!” He shouts happily, spinning Xiao on impact as he squeezes him tightly.
Xiao just chuckles as he squeezes back, and replies, “Well, I have some idea. I missed you, too.”
Aether just squeezes him even tighter as a sob slips out with a laugh, and he says, “Yeah, I guess you would, huh?” before giggling some more.
Their reverie is quickly broken by the king clearing his throat, and Aether quickly separates from Xiao to look at his father.
“Well, I suppose that's your answer.” He says with a laugh, and Aether looks at him in confusion.
“My answer…? To what? Aren't you pissed that I befriended a human?”
“Is that why you wouldn't tell me where you kept going?” His father asks, giving Aether a questioning gaze.
“Yes… I mean, you've always been very adamant about being careful with humans, so–”
“And were you careful? Did you approach him the moment you saw him, or were you careful?” His father cuts in to ask.
Aether's mouth falls open for a moment, before he replies, “I was careful… I waited and watched him. Are you really not mad?”
“You listened to my words of warning, and clearly chose well. Why would I be mad over that? If anything, I'm more upset that you didn't introduce me to him sooner. I would have turned away the other suitors sooner.”
“I… wait, huh? Other…?”
“Come now, Aether. The moment you laid eyes on him just now was the first moment you've smiled since Lumine brought you home. He's willingly entered as a suitor, and I approve of him.”
Aether stares at his father in complete shock, with wide eyes and his mouth agape. He turns to Xiao, and the moment their eyes meet, Xiao sees the question written in those golden irises.
“Really?”
“I have, if you'll have me?” Xiao says, nodding to Aether.
The blonde continues to stare at him, and then looks to his dad again. With a nod from the king, Aether rushes forward to hug Xiao again, almost squishing the mollusk in the process.
“Of course I will! I don't like any of the others.” He shouts out, and his father laughs wholeheartedly.
“Well then, my son. Am I to take this as you accepting Xiao as your mate?”
Aether pulls away from Xiao and stares into his eyes. A question obviously swims around in his eyes, and Xiao knows he'll have to pull it out of him. He places his hand on Aether's cheek, and looks at him lovingly.
“Whatever you want to ask me, ask.”
Aether gulps, and asks his question with a sigh.
“Are you sure about this? It's permanent, you won't be able to go back to normal afterwards.”
Xiao doesn't exactly understand what Aether is talking about, but he doesn't really care either. He's made his choice, and though it may sadden Zhongli at first, he knows he would support his decision.
“I'm sure. I've made my choice… now make yours.”
Aether looks at him like he's about to cry again, and nods his head. A small patch of scales slowly shows itself just above his heart, and he grabs one, easily pulling it away without any pain. The scales fade away again, and he takes Xiao's free hand with his own.
He holds the heart shaped scale, and when Xiao squeezes his hand again, looking at him with absolute patience, understanding, and acceptance, Aether presses the scale against the skin above Xiao's heart.
Aether reaches up to Xiao's neck and pulls the mollusk back off of him, and Xiao feels an extra hard beat from his heart.
His body begins to feel… strange. It doesn't hurt, but feeling the gills form, and his legs…
Wait, his legs.
Thankfully, it seems this was accounted for, as a curtain is quickly wrapped around him, and he pulls off his swim shorts before they cause any problems. He watches as his entire lower half slowly changes into a tail, and marvels at the way it sways. His scales are mostly teal, but with portions that match the ebony of his hair, matching him perfectly.
When the curtain is pulled away, he meets Aether's awestruck gaze, and this time, they both rush forward, meeting in the middle in a tight embrace.
“Stars, your scales are gorgeous, Xiao. Just look at them! I've never seen a pattern like that.”
Aether's father chuckles, and then gestures for Lumine to come with him. He quickly empties the throne room, giving them the privacy they deserve for this moment, but not without giving his son a thumbs up.
The blonde takes Xiao's hands, and stares into his eyes. Part of what he found so beautiful about Xiao was his similarly golden eyes, and now here they are together, with Xiao somehow becoming even more gorgeous with his tail.
“I don't know how much they told you, but you'll be able to control your transformation. Right now, it’ll only change you when your whole body is submerged in water, and it'll happen automatically. When you go to exit the water, you'll change right back. Eventually, you'll be able to control it, but for now, it'll be automatic.”
“Oh, really? The king implied otherwise.”
“Ugh, of course he did. He was probably testing your resolve or something, seeing if being down here for the rest of your life would make you change your mind.” Aether says, and then looks away. “Are… Do you really want this? You aren't just doing this to save me?”
Xiao grabs Aether's chin and pulls it up, reconnecting their eyes as he gazes at him.
“I do.”
Now, you might think Xiao would be the one to initiate it, but he isn't. Aether surges forward and claims Xiao's lips with a kiss, throwing his arms around his neck as he does so. Xiao's arms wrap around his waist as he kisses back, and both feel even more relaxed and at peace than they ever did during their meditation sessions.
They belonged to each other now, and neither of them would rather have it any other way.