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The clock rings 3:50 in the afternoon at the Court of Fontaine. The sun begins to slowly sink, signalling people about the approaching evening. At this time does the sun shine the most beautifully, for the colors it brings are a pleasant yellow, a soft orange, or an ethereal shade of gold. The last color is the most radiant of all sunsets in Teyvat. Most people associate gold with Mora, Privitha Topaz, or in this case, the sunset. However, for this person, "gold" meant being someone— a special one. It meant one of dearest people in his life, a friend, a lover, a traveler who was praised for his deeds but only for him to worship as though he was his own Archon. To Lyney, "gold" meant Aether.
It has been half a year since they shared the same feelings of love. His past self prior meeting the traveler would be in utter disbelief if he had been told he'd be in a relationship with him. Additionally, he'd just laugh it off by humbling himself down, saying he'd never thought of dating anyone, let alone a renowned adventurer like him. Lo and behold, he's now asleep with said traveler whilst they're cuddled up in bed. Actually, Lyney was sleeping alone at first, resting for yet another extravagant magic show at the Opera Epiclese. He and his family just got back from Snezhnaya yesterday, and immediately requested the Adventurer's Guild to send his letter forward to the nation of Pyro before making preparations on the next day.
He didn't know when or where he'd see Aether again. Until, the moment he woke up, a figure of a man with blonde hair appeared before his blurry eyes. He blinked to clear up his eyesight, and couldn't believe what he's seeing— the man he loved and missed, was lying next to him, sleeping as the sun radiantly shined behind him. He whispered the other's name, a mix of relief and confusion in his voice. "Aether...?" His eyes wandered over the traveler before him. Lyney noticed how the latter's free arm was wrapped around his waist just to cuddle him. He saw how peaceful Aether looked when he sleeps. He studied every single inch of his exposed skin from his tense muscles down to his intricate scars, both from his experiences in countless battles. The magician slowly reached out and gently caressed the blonde's soft flowing hair. It felt like running his fingers through a river. Not long after, Lyney's hand travels to his upper arm. It felt intrusive for him to touch the latter like he's doing right now, but at the same time, he felt incredibly intimate to him... close... trusted.
The ash blonde froze when his lover suddenly hummed. As Aether slowly woke up, he smiled to see a pair of periwinkle eyes looking into his golden irises. "Hey," he greeted the latter. Lyney smiled at him in return. "You're here," he says, now cupping traveler's cheek. "How long have I slept?" inquired the ash blonde whilst inching closer to the latter. Taking him in to his embrace, Aether replied, "I'd say... around 2 hours." Lyney hummed in return, nuzzling against the other's chest. "I arrived here 30 minutes after you dozed off," he continued. "I haven't admitted this to you myself, but... you looked peaceful when I saw you, love." Hearing this, the magician was perplexed. Lyney wiggles up to eye level so he could properly talk to the golden blonde. "What do you mean, mon étoile?"
"It's just that– I mean..." He stuttered as he slowly got up to recall what he saw. "The moment I saw you all curled up alone, you seemed so... at ease, like the moon hiding amongst the clouds at night." Aether then looked over and chuckled when he realized he made the latter's face flushed red. Though, Lyney hid half of his face underneath the sheet, his flustered expression was still evident. "Hehe, and now you're as red as Sunsettias. Adorable." "S-stop flattering me!" The ash blonde bursted out as he fully hid himself from Aether. "Hey, no hiding!" the traveler laughed when he folded the corner of the sheet to properly look at his face. Confusion immediately took over him when it revealed to be no one under the sheet. "Huh? Where'd you–"
Before he could react, Lyney quickly pounced at him, tackling both of them down on the mattress. "Not too vigilant now, are you, mon étoile?" The magician smirked in victory at his lover whom he successfully caught off guard. "You sly little kitty," they giggled whilst they slowly got back up. As they quieted down and let the silence take over, the couple took their time to embrace each other's presence. Lyney sat between Aether's legs and nuzzled against his neck, breathing in his scent as he softly kissed it. "You smell like the sun," he whispered, but enough for his lover to hear. "Hm, you even shine like it too," he added after readjusting himself to face Aether again. The magician garnered a little laugh and a fond look in return, enough for Lyney to soften his gaze.
"But, seriously, Aether," the ash blonde shifted the topic. "I wanted to know..." The golden blonde listened attentively as he continued. "What, exactly, are you here for? The Fontinalia Film Festival's still far off, and so is Fashion Week." "Well, I didn't come here for something important, actually," Aether began. "I only came back here... because of you." Lyney's heart fluttered from what he heard. Even before they were dating, he knew the traveler would always return to previous nations he visited either for special events or urgent matters; but the fact that Aether solely came back just for him made him feel like his soul's about to leave his body from exhilarating joy. "I missed you, Lyney," said the traveler, gently caressing the other's face. "Aether..." the ash blonde muttered under his breath as he tucked one of the latter's locks behind his ear. "I missed you too."
Not long after, Lyney leaned in and surprised Aether with a kiss, in which he reciprocated. Momentarily breaking away, the magician spoke. "It's been a while since we kissed. I wouldn't lie to you if I said I forgot what it felt like." Aether placed both of the latter's hands around his neck and replied, "Then, I'll help you remember everything..." A short pause took over as he brushed Lyney's bottom lip with his thumb, and continued. "From how I kissed you... how my lips felt like... to how it tasted." Lyney's heart pounded faster by the last few words of his lover. Ever since he had set out for Natlan, the magician was left with only a fleeting memory of their first kiss. Though, bittersweet at the slightest, but it drove him crazy for a week just thinking about it. This time, he'll make every second of this moment engraved in his mind.
Five more minutes until the clock strikes four, three words, two racing hearts, one moment of intimacy and respite. "I love you" spilled out from the two in a hush tone, and slowly leaned in again. It began with a chaste peck, until repeated with more passion as they went on. Every kiss felt so intoxicating, that these, alone, are manifestations of their yearning when they were apart, filling the room with soft, passionate hums as tension between them grew more intense. A minute later, they parted to catch their breaths. "Honestly," began the golden blonde. "I wouldn't mind if I get to do this all day." The magician sat on his knees, readjusting his position to get a higher angle of the other. "I wouldn't mind either," replied Lyney in return, tilting Aether's chin upwards.
Periwinkle eyes gazed at the view before him, shimmering even without the sun's gleam. He once held the moon in his hands because of magic, but didn't fathom how to do the same for the sun. That is, until he realized he didn't need magic to do it— he's holding it right now. Lyney used his sweet, seductive voice the moment he spoke again. "Archons, you're just so addicting," he whispered, making sure not even the heavenly principles could hear him. He believes even they are nowhere near deserving to listen to his endearing praises for his dearest, first love of his life, his found family, a god whom the ash blonde should be his sole worshipper. Lyney eyed Aether's lips, eager to grace them once more. "...So are you," the traveler replied, also urging to continue what they started.
Just when the traveler thought they'd start again gently, his mouth was instantly greeted by Lyney's tongue brushing his bottom lip. Aether moaned as he lets the other take over his senses. Warm like the sun, and light like a feather, Lyney made the golden blonde melt in his touch. Both lips moved swiftly, akin to waves crashing down the shores. Kissing again after being months away from each other felt like heaven, their minds too hazy to form a single thought. Though, it didn't really matter to them. After all, embracing each other's presence was all they needed.
The two broke away after one final kiss, both gasping for air. Aether was the first to speak among them. "What time is it?" Lyney looked over to the little clock on the right side of the bed. "It's 4:00." "Just in time for golden hour, hm?" the traveler asked rhetorically. Lyney softly laughed and replied, "It's always golden hour with you, mon étoile." The magician left a quick peck on the cheek as he got out of bed to fix himself. "I was just about to tell you to prepare for the show tonight," spoke Aether whilst Lyney made his way to the vanity mirror and puts on his garments. "Hehe, of course I couldn't forget such an important errand for me, Aether. Otherwise, I'll end up disappointing my audience," replied the magician. "You didn't disappoint me now, though," the golden blonde smirked as an attempt to flirt. The ash blonde's cheeks appeared in a bright red hue. "T-that's a different story," he replied, garnering a fond giggle from the golden blonde.
"Though, I'm curious about one thing," continued Lyney. "Where's Paimon? I thought she'd be with you," he inquired, fixing his teardrop makeup on his cheek. "Oh, I left her with Lynette," he answered as he fixed himself. "She said she insisted on leaving us alone so we could spend some time together," he continued, wearing his shirt back on. "Aww, how sweet," cooed the magician. After fixing his scarf, Aether noticed the other struggling to do his hair. "Do you want me to help?" "No worries, I just need to–" Lyney sharply sighed from giving up midway of his messy braid and replied, "Yes, please."
Aether went over and did Lyney's hair again. The magician was left astounded, watching the traveler's hands skillfully do his hair. "Since when did you learn how to braid?" Lyney curiously asked. Aether stopped midway to carefully weave his answer and replied. "Usually, it's Lumine who always does my hair when we're traveling together. But now that we're apart, I also struggled to do my own hair in the beginning." Lyney sensed undertones of nostalgia and sadness in Aether's voice as he continued doing his hair. "Thankfully, I had help from a friend later on. I wouldn't be as good at braiding as I am right now," he added as he finished off Lyney's hair. "And who would this friend might be?" the ash blonde curiously asked.
"Just a local bard from Mondstadt," replied Aether while stretching his arms. "And an alchemist too. I bet you'd love them once you come to visit." "Hmm. I'll consider it for now," replied the magician. "You could do my hair for now, if you want to," insisted the golden blonde, sitting down on the bedside. The magician's face gleamed with joy as he grabbed a comb and sat behind. "Well, the honor is mine, my sweet Aether," he replied as he started brushing the traveler's long locks. "By the way, are you staying for dinner tonight?" asked Lyney. "You don't wanna disappoint the children. They'd love to hear your adventures in Natlan, especially 'Father'," he added. "Sure. It wouldn't be a problem," Aether replied as the latter began to braid.
Three knocks on the door were heard midway of doing Aether's hair. "Come in!" Lyney called out. A boy in a diving outfit popped his head into the room. It was Freminet. "Lyney–" the boy froze when he realized Aether's with him. "Oh, T-Traveler! I didn't think you'd come back from Natlan so early," he spoke as he quickly hid his face with Pers out of embarrassment. "I... didn't disturb something, right?" the younger of the three shyly asked. "Not at all, Freminet!" replied the magician, continuing to braid the other's hair. "We'll just finish up here and we'll be heading out. Where's Lynette?" Lyney asked. Relieved from not ruining their precious moments together, the diver puts away the clockwork penguin. "Um... She went to the opera house way ahead of you two," replied Freminet. "Did Paimon come with her?" inquired the traveler. "I think so," the boy answered.
Lyney thanked his brother for checking up on them as he shut the door closed. At the same time, he finished braiding and tied up the remaining bundle of hair. "Alright, we're all set," said the magician as they both got up. "Come. We don't wanna waste my sister's patience now," he said as he stretched out his hand. "Wait." Lyney sounded confused from Aether's sudden request. Before he could speak, his lips were met with the traveler's for a few seconds. "For good luck," Aether smiled, to which the magician returned the gesture. "Thank you, my lovely sun," said the ash blonde. "You're welcome, my dearest moon," responded the other blonde in kind, cradling each other in their embraces. "Shall we?" asked Lyney, receiving a nod in return as a 'yes'. And so, they began to set out for the aquabus en route to the Opera Epiclese.