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elidelioBeing with you is enough by timegoesby
Chapters: 1/1, 2809 words
Fandom: 原神 | Genshin Impact
Rating: General Audiences
Relationships: Kong|Aether/Xiao|Alatus
Characters: Xiao | Alatus, Kong | Aether, Paimon, Verr Goldet
Additional Tags: Fluff, First Kiss, Comfort, this is really just self-indulgent fluff for xiao's birthday
Aether didn't give himself a moment's rest after the brief encounter with his twin. On the contrary, it was as though a fire had been lit within him, compelling him to keep moving forward in order to answer the questions the earth-shattering encounter had brought up. Even though Lumine was gone again, alongside the only other person who seemed to have relevant knowledge of the situation the twins found themselves in, Aether was going to stick to his original plan: find all of the Seven and talk to them. Hopefully.
In between making preparations for his upcoming trip to Inazuma, he kept up the habit of always stopping by the adventurer's guild and checking up on any commissions that might call for his assistance.
It was during one such commission—something about clearing the roads for Wangshu Inn's guests—that the Boss Verr Goldet interrupted his daily routine.
"Traveller! It's good you stopped by, I have something for you." She handed him a folded piece of paper as he approached her counter. "The young adeptus left this for you last night."
"Xiao?" Aether's eyebrows shot up in equal parts amusement and surprise, he knew Xiao was not much of a letter-writer.
Aether quickly scanned the contents of the letter and couldn't help but call out in surprise, "It's his birthday today?"
"He mentioned it?" Verr Goldet seemed pleased, "he usually doesn't like making a fuss about these things, I didn't think he would bring it up."
"Should we get him something?!" Paimon, Aether's ever-present emergency food supply, chimed up, "Ooh, how about we make him a birthday meal!"
"I think that's a wonderful idea." Verr smiled at the two, "if you commission something in the kitchen now I'm sure Yangxiao will have it done by the afternoon, I can help you make preparations for a birthday dinner."
Aether nodded.
"Perfect! If Yangxiao has any complaints, just tell him I sent you." Verr clapped her hands and set about finishing up her business.
"Ok Aether, let's go! We need to finish our commissions quickly today, I don't want to be late for dinner!" Paimon hovered around his shoulders enthusiastically, "I mean—we shouldn't be late, for Xiao's sake…" She giggled at the end of her sentence to cover up the slip.
"We won't be." Aether reassured her.
The two of them hurried to the kitchen and, after explaining the situation to Smiley Yangxiao and ordering the dishes, rushed back out to complete their commissions in record speed.
That evening, just as Verr Goldet had promised, the top floor of the inn had been decked out for a small dinner celebration. She was still taking care of the final preparations when she heard the Traveller and Paimon rushing up the steps.
"You made it!" She ushered them to the table, "He's not here yet, everything should be ready soon."
Aether and Paimon helped her set out the last of the dishes and utensils.
"Do you think Xiao will be here soon?" Paimon lamented loudly. It was clear the temptation of the food was putting a strain on her patience.
"Well…" Verr didn't get a chance to complete her thought before the silhouette of a young man could be seen leaning over the railing, looking out over the landscape.
Aether was the first to react. He stealthily approached the unsuspecting figure from behind and quickly covered his eyes with his hands.
"Xiao." He called out.
The young adepti's shoulders, which had tensed almost imperceptibly by the sudden attack, relaxed once again. "What—"
"Shh, it's a surprise." Aether's smile could be heard in his voice. "Ready?"
"I… suppose." Xiao acquiesced and let himself be led a few steps away.
"Okay," Aether stopped, "one, two, three… Happy birthday!" He uncovered Xiao's eyes as he said this, and Paimon joined in the congratulations.
"I—" Xiao's words of dismissal died in his throat as he took in the scene. On the table were laid out about half a dozen dishes, among which were his favourite almond tofu and grilled tiger fish, and a plate of what he assumed to be longevity noodles. A few red and gold decorations were scattered around the place, not too many to be flashy, but enough to liven up the place a bit. The table was set up for four people, Verr and Paimon had already taken their seats, while Aether stood at his side, watching his reaction to the surprise.
"Did you like it?!" Paimon asked enthusiastically. "Were you surprised?"
"He hasn't even had a chance to sit down yet." Verr gently interrupted Paimon's questioning.
"What are you waiting for? Sit down so we can eat!"
Xiao didn't have a chance to object before another voice chimed in from his side.
"Here," Aether called out as he pulled out a chair for him to sit in, "let's eat."
Xiao simply nodded and took his seat, tentatively picking up a pair of chopsticks and looking at the dishes laid out before him.
Aether sat down next to him and gave him a dazzling smile. "I hope you like it."
The dinner proceeded with a cheerful atmosphere. Xiao didn't need to eat human food, an as such didn't exactly have an appetite, but he made sure to sample every one of the dishes they had prepared for him. On occasion, Aether would sneak food into his plate, saying he didn't want Paimon to end up eating everything. Xiao made sure to finish all of that too.
A while passed while everyone ate and talked, and the sun started sinking into the horizon.
As the dinner drew to a close, Verr stood up and announced it was time she start cleaning up.
"I'll help." Aether offered.
"No, no," She waved him away, "You and Xiao stay here, you've been working hard all day, besides, it wouldn't be right to leave the birthday boy alone." She smiled knowingly and turned to look at Paimon, "You come with me."
"Aww, why do I have to go? I've been working hard all day too!"
Verr laughed and tried again, "You'll be properly compensated for your help, of course. How does dessert sound?"
"Why didn't you start with that?!" She quickly started gathering up plates, "You stay there, Aether, I'm not sharing my dessert!"
Aether just shook his head and smiled, watching as the two tidied up the table. He turned to look at Xiao and nodded towards the balcony, signalling for them to get out of the way of the cleaning-up.
The two got up and walked towards the railing, taking in the sight as the land below was bathed in the rich colours of sunset.
Xiao was the first to speak up. "Thank you. For today." He cleared his throat, "I don't usually celebrate my birthday but… it was nice."
"I'm glad." Aether smiled again. A dazzling smile that rivalled the vibrancy of the ginkgo's golden leaves during this time of year.
Xiao hurriedly looked away and cleared his throat again. "I… got these." He said as he took a small bag from the folds of his clothes.
Aether's eyes lit up. "The crystalflies?"
He nodded.
"Let's sit." He motioned for them to sit down as he stated undoing the braid in his hair. "I never thought the cores could be used as accessories, I usually just use them for alchemy…" Once he was done he turned with his back to Xiao. "Okay, give it a go."
The young adeptus carefully gathered Aether's golden hair in his hands and gently ran his hands through the strands to brush our any remaining tangles. Then, slowly and meticulously, he started braiding the crystalfly cores into the hair, making sure the hair stayed neat and the cores were securely in place.
The two sat in silence for a while. One braiding, one lightly humming to himself.
As Xiao was almost finished, Aether suddenly spoke up.
"You know, my sister and I used to brush each other's hair all the time. Especially when we were younger." He laughed a little at the memory. "She used to love putting random decorations in mine. Flowers, seashells, feathers—you name it, she probably tried it at some point. I always pretended to be annoyed, but really, I wasn't." A short pause. "She always seemed so happy with the results. Now that I think about it, that's probably why I've kept my hair long all this time…" Aether's voice trailed off.
Xiao, vigilant as always, noticed the slight change in his tone. He finished off the braid and shifted over so he was sitting next to Aether. "Is everything alright?" He asked tentatively.
Aether quickly wiped his face with his hands before answering, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring the mood down. My personal problems can wait until your birthday's passed." He reached out behind him and pulled his braid to the front of his chest, admiring Xiao's handiwork. "It turned out great, thank you."
The compliment was sincere, but Xiao could tell his mind was somewhere else.
"Aether," he began to speak in a serious tone, looking into the other's eyes and holding his gaze, "I don't know much about the troubles of humans, and I am not useful for much of anything other than killing, but… if there's anything troubling you—anything you want to talk about—I'm willing to listen. I may not know the words to say to comfort you, but if you want to cry, I'll lend you my shoulder. If you want to scream, I'll lend you my voice. If you want to fight, I'll lend you my strength. If there's any a time when it becomes too much for you to bear, just—"
"Call your name?" Aether interrupted with a small smile.
"Yes." Xiao nodded earnestly. "When you call, I will be there, always."
Aether looked at him for a few seconds, before slowly calling out, "Xiao."
"I'm here."
"Don't move."
Xiao didn't have time to question the request before Aether leaned towards him and hugged him, nestling his forehead against the crook of his neck and circling his arms around his back.
He sat stiffly for a couple of seconds before tentatively reaching out to stroke Aether's back. Xiao could tell he wasn't crying, but his breaths came out unevenly and the way he clung onto Xiao's shoulders spoke volumes about the untold worries weighing him down.
A couple of minutes passed, and Aether seemed to calm down as he straightened up and let go of his embrace.
"Thank you," he smiled sheepishly, "this was supposed to be your birthday celebration, but now you're cheering me up instead."
"It doesn't matter." Xiao was quick to respond. "As long as I can spend time with you, it doesn't matter what we do. Being with you is enough." Aether's hair had become slightly dishevelled in the embrace, so Xiao ran a hand through it in an attempt to fix it. "I really enjoyed myself today," he added.
The adepti's words were successful in easing Aether's anxieties.
One of the many good things about Xiao, Aether couldn't help but think, was that he always meant what he said. If Xiao said he enjoyed himself, that meant their celebration plans had been a success. If Xiao said he enjoyed spending time together, that meant he could consider him a friend. If Xiao said just being with him was enough, that meant…
Aether stopped his train of thought and looked at Xiao's serious expression. Even if he wasn't smiling on the outside, the lines of his face were soft and his usual frown was replaced by an almost tender gaze. Xiao himself had once told him that he didn't have much in the way of human emotions, but Aether couldn't help but feel like there was something else hiding behind his eyes.
Emboldened by a sudden impulse, he called out again, "Xiao."
"I'm—" Xiao didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before Aether brought his face mere centimetres away from his. They were so close he could feel Aether's warm breath on his cheek and see each golden eyelash as he stared intently into his eyes.
Xiao felt a gloved hand come to rest on the side of his face. Inexplicably, warmth started spreading from the touch on his cheek throughout the rest of his body. He was so frozen to the spot anyone watching could have sworn he'd turned into a statue right then and there.
The vigilant yaksha had vast knowledge of fighting, of conquering his enemies and standing tall in the face of insurmountable opponents. His knowledge of humans, however, and of things such as love, was sorely lacking.
This was exactly why when Aether closed his eyes and pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss, Xiao's usually turbulent thought process simply ceased altogether for a few blissful seconds.
Aether kissed his closed lips softly for a couple of seconds, then pecked slightly at the corner of his mouth before pulling away. Xiao didn't react, but the other didn't find this to be entirely unexpected. Aether was simply grateful he'd not pushed him away.
What he didn't expect at all was for Xiao to reach a hand out for his shoulders, preventing him from pulling away any further.
"You—" Xiao found that, for the first time in many centuries, his voice would not obey him as he tried to muster up the words. "Why did you—" His voice wavered once again, almost as if he couldn't bring himself to ask the question.
Even without asking, Aether understood the question. "Because I like you, and I want to be with you. You've become important to me." He tried to lay it out in terms the adeptus could understand.
Conflict started brewing behind Xiao's amber stare. "You may regret that."
Had that sentence come from anyone else Aether would have taken it as a rejection, but he'd come to know better than almost anyone about the details of Xiao's dark past. The words were meant as a sincere warning. It was the karma he carried.
"I won't."
Xiao thought of a hundred ways to contradict him, to tell him of the various awful scenarios in which Aether would very much regret getting close to him, but, in the end, he did not mention any of them.
"I want... to be with you too." He wasn't used to expressing his wishes so openly in front of others, but under Aether's expecting gaze he almost felt as though he could have said anything.
As if today hadn't already been full of surprises, Aether was once again stunned when Xiao pulled the two of them closer and took the initiative to press their lips together again. He recovered quickly enough to wrap his hands around Xiao's neck and lean into the kiss, softly nudging and prodding for permission until the conqueror of demons finally lowered his guard and parted his lips slightly, sighing into the kiss as their breaths intermingled.
One of Xiao's hands remained firmly holding onto Aether's shoulder, the other moved to the centre of his back to hold him close. Aether softly brushed the back of his head with the hands that were still wrapped around him. Their combined warmth was enough to keep out the cool night air that had begun to blow.
Soon, their kiss ended. But they did not let go. Sitting like this, they could almost feel each other's thundering heartbeat, threatening to burst out of their chests, beating in unison.
Aether was the first to break the silence. "Xiao, I'm really happy."
Xiao didn't respond, but the hand still at his back began moving in a small soothing motion, and the hand at his shoulder slid up to softly cup the side of his face.
The two sat in silence for a few moments more, listening to the wind and the murmur of people in the floors below them as activity in the inn wound down for the night. The bright moon reflected down on the crystalflies in Aether's braid in such a way that made it seem like Xiao had weaved the stars themselves into his hair.
A couple of hours ago, Aether's mind was still roiling with questions about his sister, the Abyss Order, and the hundreds of years of untold history he'd missed out on before waking. Now, however, looking into Xiao's eyes, taking in the slight sent of Qixing flowers that seemed to cling to his skin and feeling the warmth of his embrace, Aether felt truly at peace for the first time in a long time.
The questions could wait until tomorrow. His journey would resume, but he didn't have to do it alone.
For now, though, he just wanted to stay like this. Just him and Xiao and the vast Liyue sky.
Being together is enough.
Anyway there were a few typos I can't believe I let slip, their existence plaguing this work since it was published in 2021 oh god.
Chapters: 1/1, 2809 words
Fandom: 原神 | Genshin Impact
Rating: General Audiences
Relationships: Kong|Aether/Xiao|Alatus
Characters: Xiao | Alatus, Kong | Aether, Paimon, Verr Goldet
Additional Tags: Fluff, First Kiss, Comfort, this is really just self-indulgent fluff for xiao's birthday
Summary:
Aether hasn't given himself a break since his most recent encounter with the Abyss Order but, when he receives a letter for Xiao letting him know he had collected crystalfies for his own birthday, the Traveller decides to throw the adeptus a small celebration at Wangshu Inn.
Aether didn't give himself a moment's rest after the brief encounter with his twin. On the contrary, it was as though a fire had been lit within him, compelling him to keep moving forward in order to answer the questions the earth-shattering encounter had brought up. Even though Lumine was gone again, alongside the only other person who seemed to have relevant knowledge of the situation the twins found themselves in, Aether was going to stick to his original plan: find all of the Seven and talk to them. Hopefully.
In between making preparations for his upcoming trip to Inazuma, he kept up the habit of always stopping by the adventurer's guild and checking up on any commissions that might call for his assistance.
It was during one such commission—something about clearing the roads for Wangshu Inn's guests—that the Boss Verr Goldet interrupted his daily routine.
"Traveller! It's good you stopped by, I have something for you." She handed him a folded piece of paper as he approached her counter. "The young adeptus left this for you last night."
"Xiao?" Aether's eyebrows shot up in equal parts amusement and surprise, he knew Xiao was not much of a letter-writer.
Aether quickly scanned the contents of the letter and couldn't help but call out in surprise, "It's his birthday today?"
"He mentioned it?" Verr Goldet seemed pleased, "he usually doesn't like making a fuss about these things, I didn't think he would bring it up."
"Should we get him something?!" Paimon, Aether's ever-present emergency food supply, chimed up, "Ooh, how about we make him a birthday meal!"
"I think that's a wonderful idea." Verr smiled at the two, "if you commission something in the kitchen now I'm sure Yangxiao will have it done by the afternoon, I can help you make preparations for a birthday dinner."
Aether nodded.
"Perfect! If Yangxiao has any complaints, just tell him I sent you." Verr clapped her hands and set about finishing up her business.
"Ok Aether, let's go! We need to finish our commissions quickly today, I don't want to be late for dinner!" Paimon hovered around his shoulders enthusiastically, "I mean—we shouldn't be late, for Xiao's sake…" She giggled at the end of her sentence to cover up the slip.
"We won't be." Aether reassured her.
The two of them hurried to the kitchen and, after explaining the situation to Smiley Yangxiao and ordering the dishes, rushed back out to complete their commissions in record speed.
That evening, just as Verr Goldet had promised, the top floor of the inn had been decked out for a small dinner celebration. She was still taking care of the final preparations when she heard the Traveller and Paimon rushing up the steps.
"You made it!" She ushered them to the table, "He's not here yet, everything should be ready soon."
Aether and Paimon helped her set out the last of the dishes and utensils.
"Do you think Xiao will be here soon?" Paimon lamented loudly. It was clear the temptation of the food was putting a strain on her patience.
"Well…" Verr didn't get a chance to complete her thought before the silhouette of a young man could be seen leaning over the railing, looking out over the landscape.
Aether was the first to react. He stealthily approached the unsuspecting figure from behind and quickly covered his eyes with his hands.
"Xiao." He called out.
The young adepti's shoulders, which had tensed almost imperceptibly by the sudden attack, relaxed once again. "What—"
"Shh, it's a surprise." Aether's smile could be heard in his voice. "Ready?"
"I… suppose." Xiao acquiesced and let himself be led a few steps away.
"Okay," Aether stopped, "one, two, three… Happy birthday!" He uncovered Xiao's eyes as he said this, and Paimon joined in the congratulations.
"I—" Xiao's words of dismissal died in his throat as he took in the scene. On the table were laid out about half a dozen dishes, among which were his favourite almond tofu and grilled tiger fish, and a plate of what he assumed to be longevity noodles. A few red and gold decorations were scattered around the place, not too many to be flashy, but enough to liven up the place a bit. The table was set up for four people, Verr and Paimon had already taken their seats, while Aether stood at his side, watching his reaction to the surprise.
"Did you like it?!" Paimon asked enthusiastically. "Were you surprised?"
"He hasn't even had a chance to sit down yet." Verr gently interrupted Paimon's questioning.
"What are you waiting for? Sit down so we can eat!"
Xiao didn't have a chance to object before another voice chimed in from his side.
"Here," Aether called out as he pulled out a chair for him to sit in, "let's eat."
Xiao simply nodded and took his seat, tentatively picking up a pair of chopsticks and looking at the dishes laid out before him.
Aether sat down next to him and gave him a dazzling smile. "I hope you like it."
The dinner proceeded with a cheerful atmosphere. Xiao didn't need to eat human food, an as such didn't exactly have an appetite, but he made sure to sample every one of the dishes they had prepared for him. On occasion, Aether would sneak food into his plate, saying he didn't want Paimon to end up eating everything. Xiao made sure to finish all of that too.
A while passed while everyone ate and talked, and the sun started sinking into the horizon.
As the dinner drew to a close, Verr stood up and announced it was time she start cleaning up.
"I'll help." Aether offered.
"No, no," She waved him away, "You and Xiao stay here, you've been working hard all day, besides, it wouldn't be right to leave the birthday boy alone." She smiled knowingly and turned to look at Paimon, "You come with me."
"Aww, why do I have to go? I've been working hard all day too!"
Verr laughed and tried again, "You'll be properly compensated for your help, of course. How does dessert sound?"
"Why didn't you start with that?!" She quickly started gathering up plates, "You stay there, Aether, I'm not sharing my dessert!"
Aether just shook his head and smiled, watching as the two tidied up the table. He turned to look at Xiao and nodded towards the balcony, signalling for them to get out of the way of the cleaning-up.
The two got up and walked towards the railing, taking in the sight as the land below was bathed in the rich colours of sunset.
Xiao was the first to speak up. "Thank you. For today." He cleared his throat, "I don't usually celebrate my birthday but… it was nice."
"I'm glad." Aether smiled again. A dazzling smile that rivalled the vibrancy of the ginkgo's golden leaves during this time of year.
Xiao hurriedly looked away and cleared his throat again. "I… got these." He said as he took a small bag from the folds of his clothes.
Aether's eyes lit up. "The crystalflies?"
He nodded.
"Let's sit." He motioned for them to sit down as he stated undoing the braid in his hair. "I never thought the cores could be used as accessories, I usually just use them for alchemy…" Once he was done he turned with his back to Xiao. "Okay, give it a go."
The young adeptus carefully gathered Aether's golden hair in his hands and gently ran his hands through the strands to brush our any remaining tangles. Then, slowly and meticulously, he started braiding the crystalfly cores into the hair, making sure the hair stayed neat and the cores were securely in place.
The two sat in silence for a while. One braiding, one lightly humming to himself.
As Xiao was almost finished, Aether suddenly spoke up.
"You know, my sister and I used to brush each other's hair all the time. Especially when we were younger." He laughed a little at the memory. "She used to love putting random decorations in mine. Flowers, seashells, feathers—you name it, she probably tried it at some point. I always pretended to be annoyed, but really, I wasn't." A short pause. "She always seemed so happy with the results. Now that I think about it, that's probably why I've kept my hair long all this time…" Aether's voice trailed off.
Xiao, vigilant as always, noticed the slight change in his tone. He finished off the braid and shifted over so he was sitting next to Aether. "Is everything alright?" He asked tentatively.
Aether quickly wiped his face with his hands before answering, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring the mood down. My personal problems can wait until your birthday's passed." He reached out behind him and pulled his braid to the front of his chest, admiring Xiao's handiwork. "It turned out great, thank you."
The compliment was sincere, but Xiao could tell his mind was somewhere else.
"Aether," he began to speak in a serious tone, looking into the other's eyes and holding his gaze, "I don't know much about the troubles of humans, and I am not useful for much of anything other than killing, but… if there's anything troubling you—anything you want to talk about—I'm willing to listen. I may not know the words to say to comfort you, but if you want to cry, I'll lend you my shoulder. If you want to scream, I'll lend you my voice. If you want to fight, I'll lend you my strength. If there's any a time when it becomes too much for you to bear, just—"
"Call your name?" Aether interrupted with a small smile.
"Yes." Xiao nodded earnestly. "When you call, I will be there, always."
Aether looked at him for a few seconds, before slowly calling out, "Xiao."
"I'm here."
"Don't move."
Xiao didn't have time to question the request before Aether leaned towards him and hugged him, nestling his forehead against the crook of his neck and circling his arms around his back.
He sat stiffly for a couple of seconds before tentatively reaching out to stroke Aether's back. Xiao could tell he wasn't crying, but his breaths came out unevenly and the way he clung onto Xiao's shoulders spoke volumes about the untold worries weighing him down.
A couple of minutes passed, and Aether seemed to calm down as he straightened up and let go of his embrace.
"Thank you," he smiled sheepishly, "this was supposed to be your birthday celebration, but now you're cheering me up instead."
"It doesn't matter." Xiao was quick to respond. "As long as I can spend time with you, it doesn't matter what we do. Being with you is enough." Aether's hair had become slightly dishevelled in the embrace, so Xiao ran a hand through it in an attempt to fix it. "I really enjoyed myself today," he added.
The adepti's words were successful in easing Aether's anxieties.
One of the many good things about Xiao, Aether couldn't help but think, was that he always meant what he said. If Xiao said he enjoyed himself, that meant their celebration plans had been a success. If Xiao said he enjoyed spending time together, that meant he could consider him a friend. If Xiao said just being with him was enough, that meant…
Aether stopped his train of thought and looked at Xiao's serious expression. Even if he wasn't smiling on the outside, the lines of his face were soft and his usual frown was replaced by an almost tender gaze. Xiao himself had once told him that he didn't have much in the way of human emotions, but Aether couldn't help but feel like there was something else hiding behind his eyes.
Emboldened by a sudden impulse, he called out again, "Xiao."
"I'm—" Xiao didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before Aether brought his face mere centimetres away from his. They were so close he could feel Aether's warm breath on his cheek and see each golden eyelash as he stared intently into his eyes.
Xiao felt a gloved hand come to rest on the side of his face. Inexplicably, warmth started spreading from the touch on his cheek throughout the rest of his body. He was so frozen to the spot anyone watching could have sworn he'd turned into a statue right then and there.
The vigilant yaksha had vast knowledge of fighting, of conquering his enemies and standing tall in the face of insurmountable opponents. His knowledge of humans, however, and of things such as love, was sorely lacking.
This was exactly why when Aether closed his eyes and pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss, Xiao's usually turbulent thought process simply ceased altogether for a few blissful seconds.
Aether kissed his closed lips softly for a couple of seconds, then pecked slightly at the corner of his mouth before pulling away. Xiao didn't react, but the other didn't find this to be entirely unexpected. Aether was simply grateful he'd not pushed him away.
What he didn't expect at all was for Xiao to reach a hand out for his shoulders, preventing him from pulling away any further.
"You—" Xiao found that, for the first time in many centuries, his voice would not obey him as he tried to muster up the words. "Why did you—" His voice wavered once again, almost as if he couldn't bring himself to ask the question.
Even without asking, Aether understood the question. "Because I like you, and I want to be with you. You've become important to me." He tried to lay it out in terms the adeptus could understand.
Conflict started brewing behind Xiao's amber stare. "You may regret that."
Had that sentence come from anyone else Aether would have taken it as a rejection, but he'd come to know better than almost anyone about the details of Xiao's dark past. The words were meant as a sincere warning. It was the karma he carried.
"I won't."
Xiao thought of a hundred ways to contradict him, to tell him of the various awful scenarios in which Aether would very much regret getting close to him, but, in the end, he did not mention any of them.
"I want... to be with you too." He wasn't used to expressing his wishes so openly in front of others, but under Aether's expecting gaze he almost felt as though he could have said anything.
As if today hadn't already been full of surprises, Aether was once again stunned when Xiao pulled the two of them closer and took the initiative to press their lips together again. He recovered quickly enough to wrap his hands around Xiao's neck and lean into the kiss, softly nudging and prodding for permission until the conqueror of demons finally lowered his guard and parted his lips slightly, sighing into the kiss as their breaths intermingled.
One of Xiao's hands remained firmly holding onto Aether's shoulder, the other moved to the centre of his back to hold him close. Aether softly brushed the back of his head with the hands that were still wrapped around him. Their combined warmth was enough to keep out the cool night air that had begun to blow.
Soon, their kiss ended. But they did not let go. Sitting like this, they could almost feel each other's thundering heartbeat, threatening to burst out of their chests, beating in unison.
Aether was the first to break the silence. "Xiao, I'm really happy."
Xiao didn't respond, but the hand still at his back began moving in a small soothing motion, and the hand at his shoulder slid up to softly cup the side of his face.
The two sat in silence for a few moments more, listening to the wind and the murmur of people in the floors below them as activity in the inn wound down for the night. The bright moon reflected down on the crystalflies in Aether's braid in such a way that made it seem like Xiao had weaved the stars themselves into his hair.
A couple of hours ago, Aether's mind was still roiling with questions about his sister, the Abyss Order, and the hundreds of years of untold history he'd missed out on before waking. Now, however, looking into Xiao's eyes, taking in the slight sent of Qixing flowers that seemed to cling to his skin and feeling the warmth of his embrace, Aether felt truly at peace for the first time in a long time.
The questions could wait until tomorrow. His journey would resume, but he didn't have to do it alone.
For now, though, he just wanted to stay like this. Just him and Xiao and the vast Liyue sky.
Being together is enough.
Post-fic Thoughts:
It's an oldie, but I still really like it! xiaoether is one of my favourite ships, and that birthday letter just lit something in me which gave me the push I needed to write and publish a fic for the first time in like 6 years?! I had been writing in the interim since, but I'm afraid those were mostly original works and slightly cringey (read very cringey) fics which will never see the light of day...Anyway there were a few typos I can't believe I let slip, their existence plaguing this work since it was published in 2021 oh god.
