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‘Being an influencer is weird’ is a thought that Aether has more often than he’d like to admit. Truly he hates the word- Aether doesn’t ‘influence’ anybody, he just does what he enjoys and shares it with his audience that is only continuing to grow by the day. He’s not pretentious enough to call himself a celebrity either. Maybe ‘niche internet micro-celebrity’ is the most suitable term for what exactly Aether is, but then, that’s way too convoluted to keep saying.
So, influencer it is.
Being an influencer is weird because there’s a microscopic barrier between Aether and his audience. His fandom, even. He often feels like he’s walking that fine line, occasionally dipping his toes into the other side and experiencing viewing himself through the very same lens any one of his regular viewers does.
That’s probably where the separation between a celebrity and an influencer comes into play- celebrities are distant, unreachable- everything you see from them is passed through managers and coordinators and a whole team of people 99% of the time. Celebrities don’t see anything their fans do. Aether sees the Twitter threads that describe him as various Bath & Body Works candle scents.
Aether took great offense to the fact that of all the candles he was compared to, none of them were Sun-Washed Citrus. Maybe Jen from Appleton could offer him some coupons to make up for the emotional distress it caused him.
Crimes against his pride and intricately crafted public image aside, using YouTube as his main platform tends to have this adverse effect where the algorithm looks at Aether and says “Hey! You put ‘Aether’ and ‘Viator’s Kitchen’ into the description and tags of all your uploads, so here’s some things that other people have posted that do that too!” If it weren’t for this cursed algorithm, Aether would probably have been able to happily go about his life, never knowing about the fact that his fans enjoyed making compilation videos about him.
But no. Life isn’t fair. Aether has to live with the knowledge that uploads such as “Aether proving he only has one brain cell” and “Aether forgetting to keep his hands still for five minutes straight” not only exist, but were lovingly curated by and for the people who are essentially his employers.
It’s through this self-eating snake purgatory of receiving video recommendations revolving around himself that Aether finds it.
“history will call them close friends”
When Aether first found out that he was popular enough to have fan content made about him, his two standout feelings were giddiness and embarrassment. Being noticed was exciting, but oh, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t even a little sheepish about the fact that there were real people out there who were watching him this intently. Sooner or later these fan compilations were something Aether grew accustomed to, barely batting an eye whenever a new one would pop up in his recommendations. Hell, sometimes he’d even indulge himself and sit down to watch them!
But this? This was an issue.
Tapping on the three dots by the title, Aether copied the link, pasting it into his chat with Albedo and sending it off. He didn’t even watch the video- as far as Aether was concerned, he likely wouldn’t have any problem with it. The issue laid in the fact that the thumbnail featured not only himself but Albedo too, and from both that and the title, it was pretty easy to assume what the contents of the video would be.
Aether - 21:07
https://youtu.be/•••••••••••
And now, he waits.There’s no telling how long it’d take for Albedo to realize Aether had texted him, he had a pretty notorious habit of getting super stuck into what he was doing and completely forgetting his surroundings. At least whenever he did end up getting to having conversations over text with Aether, Albedo would always send his replies almost instantly.
It wasn’t until five minutes had passed that Aether realized, oh, maybe it’d be good to supply some context as to why he’d sent the video to Albedo in the first place. Albedo was a smart guy, sure, but sometimes he could be so, so stupid. Knowing Aether’s luck he may end up taking the message as an attempt at flirtation from Aether- which, to be fair, wouldn’t be too out of character from the youtuber, but there was definitely a more important matter at hand regarding the video.
Aether - 21:12
I can get it taken down if you want
Aether noticed that his initial message had been read practically as soon as he’d sent it, so he wouldn’t have to wait too long for a response from Albedo. Still, it’d be best to sit on it for a few minutes, he’d gotten to know Albedo well enough to realize that he’s the kind of person who would meticulously scrutinize the entire video and then need extra time to consider his findings before giving his response.
Bedo
💛
- 21:20
No need, there’s nothing harmful in videos such as this one.
Aether - 21:21
you sure? doesnt it make you uncomfortable??
Bedo
💛
- 21:23
Yes, I am sure. Why would it make me uncomfortable?
Aether - 21:29
you know…
That was certainly surprising. Albedo had come a long way since the incident revolving around Aether accidentally including a clip with him on camera in a video. Sure, after that Albedo himself had offered to appear on stream when Aether needed it, but he really expected that to be the be-all and end-all of Albedo’s content appearances. When he approached his videographer with the concept of having him mic’d up during recordings since the two of them did chat a lot while filming, Aether never would’ve guessed that Albedo would agree to it. But much to his surprise, he did.
Bedo
💛
- 21:29
Are you concerned because there are clips where I am visible included in the video?
Bedo
💛
- 21:30
As I told you, I was fully aware of and prepared for what would potentially come about with appearing on your stream. I’d be more concerned if your fans didn’t utilize those clips for this kind of purpose, in fact.
Aether - 21:30
no its not that
Aether - 21:30
I mean
Aether - 21:31
it was a little
Aether - 21:31
I’m happy to hear youre okay with that
Bedo
💛
- 21:32
What is it that’s causing you so much concern, then?
Was Albedo really going to make him say it? God, how embarrassing. Aether really should’ve just pretended that the only issue with the compilation video was the fact that it used content specifically where Albedo was involved in some way or another. Nothing more.
Aether - 21:34
you know what
Aether - 21:34
forget that this conversation even happened
Bedo
💛
- 21:34
Aether. Stop dodging the question.
Bedo
💛
- 21:35
Whatever it is that is concerning you, I promise it won’t make me think any differently about you. Your feelings are valid, I just want to understand what it is that’s going through your head.
Aether - 21:39
idk
Aether - 21:39
just
Aether - 21:40
the implications of the video
Bedo
💛
- 21:40
Implications?
Aether - 21:40
yeah
Aether - 21:41
like, you know…
In the two minutes it takes for Albedo to finally respond, Aether’s thought’s begin to wander. He could easily picture what Albedo’s face probably looked like, eyebrows pinched together in thought with the cutest little pout on his lips. Aether was sure that Albedo had no idea he would occasionally pull that kind of face when he was thinking, but god forbid Aether ever call it out- he just knew that the moment Albedo found out about his subconscious expressions that he’d no doubt do anything in his power to correct it.
Aether honestly felt like he’d up and die if he couldn’t get to see Albedo’s cute expressions ever again.
The phone buzzing in his hand draws Aether’s attention back to the device, tipping his head back with a groan at what Albedo’s response ended up being.
Bedo
💛
- 21:43
I’m afraid I don’t follow, Aether.
Aether - 21:44
the title
Bedo
💛
- 21:44
“History will call them close friends”?
Aether - 21:45
yeah
Aether - 21:45
dont you know what it means ???
Bedo
💛
- 21:46
It’s a phrase referring to the heteronormativity surrounding the fact that many historians will look past obvious signs that certain historical figures had significant life partners of the same sex, and will instead refer to them with entirely platonic terms such as “close friends”.
Aether - 21:48
yeah so like
Aether - 21:48
theyre implying that were dating
Bedo
💛
- 21:49
I fail to see any reason to be uncomfortable with your fans implying that the two of us are in a romantic relationship.
Oh.
Oh man.
Albedo really had no idea that he shouldn’t say things like that to Aether, did he?
Ever since he first ran into Albedo in the supermarket, Aether had been undeniably attracted to him. Sure, he easily could’ve just chalked it up to his past attraction to Ruby and seeing him in Albedo, but the more he got to actually know Albedo, the stronger Aether’s feelings for the more reserved one of the twins grew. Those few weeks of absence were absolute hell for Aether- not being able to see or talk to Albedo along with what Ruby had said to him when he showed up at their door served to cement the reality that Aether was not just infatuated with Albedo, but that he was very much in love with him.
Ultimately though, Aether is a coward at the end of the day. Sure, his heart lurched with hope whenever Albedo said or did something that alluded to him considering Aether in a way that could be interpreted as more-than-friends, but surely it was too good to be true. Albedo is super practical and straightforward, when he says that he doesn’t see any reason to be uncomfortable with fans thinking they’re dating it doesn’t necessarily mean that he’d want that. Knowing Albedo, it was probably just a matter of thinking it’s harmless fun as long as the two of them aren’t facing any sort of harassment on account of it.
That, and Aether probably wouldn’t be able to handle being rejected by Albedo. Not in the sense that it’d emotionally destroy him- Aether was very intimate with being rejected, he could deal with that. His relationship with Ruby was a leading example, the two of them still continued to be close friends even after Aether’s feelings weren’t returned.
No. The issue with Albedo potentially rejecting Aether was the fact that they were, in a sense, coworkers. It’d no doubt cause some strange tension between them, having to spend hours at a time together twice a week or more. The usual on-camera banter would surely be affected by it too, and the audience would definitely notice, and they’d start to make a huge fuss out of it. Hell, maybe Albedo would quit working with Aether altogether just because of how awkward everything would become.
So, confessing his feelings toward Albedo was off the books entirely.
Still, it’s not like Aether couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to be in a relationship with his cameraman. The two of them looked good next to each other- there was no denying it. Something about the way their shades of blond complemented each other, the contrasting hues of their eyes, even the differences between their personal styles with Aether preferring to wear loose, laid back clothes while Albedo tended to be more dressed up made the pair of them the living definition of ‘opposites attract’. Hell, if Aether didn’t already consider Lumine to be the moon to his sun, then Albedo would for sure be the one to take that place.
Although physical touch between the two of them had been somewhat limited, Aether relished in it every single time, committing it to memory. He loved the way that Albedo was just a little bit taller than himself, the perfect height for Aether to bury his face into the crook between his neck and shoulder while they hugged, and if they were to ever kiss, either Albedo would have to lean down slightly or Aether would need to raise up on to his toes a little, just to reach.
Aether loved Albedo’s hands, too. His own weren’t anything special- small, a little stubby, covered in calluses and tiny burns and scars from years of manual labor. Albedo’s were slender and dainty, perfect pianists hands. Aether wondered if Albedo had ever taken up piano, in the same way that Rubedo was a bassist. Despite the differences, Aether adored the way their hands fit together, the feeling of them joined as Albedo walked him home from Angel’s Share burned into the very fiber of his being.
Albedo had a chronic habit of fiddling with his hands, something that definitely didn't go unnoticed by Aether. The way he’d crack the joints of his fingers one by one, the way he’d roll his wrists while fixing the cuffs of his sleeves, the way he’d gingerly use them to push his long bangs out of his eyes or the way his fingers would deftly work to re-tie the braids on the side of his head- Aether made sure to pay attention to all of it. He’d imagine them a lot, how it would feel for Albedo’s hands to reach out and tuck a loose strand of hair behind his ear, how it would feel having them caress his cheek or gently raise his face with a thumb and forefinger resting against his chin, how it would feel to have one of them biting red marks into the column of his neck while the other teased him, slowly working him open-
Aether slapped a hand over his face, a feeble attempt at trying to quell the heat rising to his cheeks from the feeling of his insides clenching, protesting at how empty he felt.
Right. Time to stop that train of thought. Aether took a cursory glance at his phone to see if Albedo had sent any follow-up texts (he hadn’t), before plugging it in to charge and leaving his room to take a very cold shower in an attempt to clear his head.
Rubbing out a quick one in the shower made Aether feel nothing short of pathetic, but the idea was there- get this sudden wave of horniness out of his system so he could comfortably curl up and go to sleep as usual. Unfortunately for Aether, a spanner was about to be thrown in the works by a mere piece of clothing.
He meant to simply come back to his room and change to his pajamas, but before he could even begin to redress, Aether spotted one of Albedo’s cardigans neatly folded on top of his dresser. He’d accidentally left it behind after a recent filming session, and Aether had been intending to return it to its rightful owner, only to forget every single time.
So it stayed, folded on top of Aether’s dresser.
Aether’s fingers twitched at the sight of it- there was something that was suddenly so alluring about the navy blue knit, the trio of four-pointed golden stars embroidered on the left breast. It was calling out to Aether, telling him to wear it- just for a minute. There wasn’t any harm in that, right?
Aether carefully made his way over to the dresser, as if making a single sound would completely destroy the moment, the four walls of his apartment bedroom crumbling to dust around him. His legs trembled with anticipation and he scoffed at himself- it was just a cardigan, why was he getting so worked up? Finally at his destination, Aether carefully picked up the garment, unfolding it and tugging the sleeves up his arms. Gently, Aether pulled the cardigan closed over his chest, only securing the first button to keep it in place.
Turning toward his mirror, Aether sucked in a sharp breath. It was only then that he realized how much the cardigan carried Albedo’s scent, the way it surrounded Aether’s entire being was almost intoxicating. Aether observed the way it fit him, it was slightly big to the point where the ends of the sleeves covered his hands and it hid the dip of his waistline well. Toward the hem the cardigan parted around his hips, the opening perfectly framing the golden strands adorning his pubic area.
The sight of himself completely nude aside from Albedo’s cardigan sent a wave of heat through Aether’s body, causing him to squeeze his thighs together in an attempt to quell the sensation. A moment passes before Aether scurries to his bedside table, practically ripping the charging cable out of his phone and returning to the mirror. He may as well take some photos for the occasion, god knows he’d never get this kind of chance again so at least this way he’d have something to remember it by.
The photos start out simple enough, just standing in front of the mirror, changing the pose only slightly for some variation. Eventually Aether sank down to rest on his knees, parting his thighs to be able to see his entrance in the reflection through the camera's viewfinder.
If Hell exists, Aether is definitely going to it. In fact he’s not just going to Hell for this- he’s going to Super Hell. Regardless of the eternity that awaited him for desecrating Albedo’s cardigan like this, Aether stayed, admiring the view through his iPhone screen.
How would Albedo react if he saw Aether like this? What would he say to seeing Aether doing something so promiscuous with his clothing? Would he be mad, is this kind of behavior something that would disgust him?
Or, would Albedo encourage it? Would he take enjoyment from watching Aether like this? Would he push him to go further, praising him all the while?
Aether whimpered slightly, screwing his eyes shut at the sensation of having subconsciously lowered one of his hands to lightly drag through his folds. He could practically hear Albedo’s voice in his head, whispering things such as ‘good boy’ and ‘keep going, just like that.‘
Pulling his hand back up to inspect it, Aether watched the way the tips of his fingers glistened in the low light, a hairs thin strand of his own juices connecting them. Swallowing thickly, Aether placed his phone down to shift his entire focus toward pleasuring himself- he’d already gotten this far, may as well say fuck it and finish the job. He could always just wash Albedo’s cardigan after the fact.
Not that he’d ever be able to stomach seeing Albedo wearing it again after the fact, it didn’t help that this was seemingly one of his favorites.
Aether inserted his middle and ring finger into his entrance, the digits entering without any resistance thanks to the slickness that had accumulated from having already been so turned on. Aether groaned as he bent the tips of his fingers forward, grinding the palm of his hand down against his small cock at the same time.
“Fuck, Albedo…” Aether sighed as he started to pump his fingers in and out of himself, letting the full haze of his lust take over.
In the back of his mind Aether heard Albedo speak once again; ‘open your eyes,’ he said. ‘I want you to watch as you fuck yourself.’
Aether nodded, following the imaginary Albedo’s instructions and looking up into the mirror. Aether’s hair was a mess, his face and neck were bright red, and his pupils were blown wider than he’d ever seen, but the sight only served to spur Aether on. He re-settled himself into a more comfortable position, inserting a third finger and pumping himself harder as he used his thumb to rub at his cock.
Eventually, even this wasn’t enough for Aether to get off, at the precipice of tipping over the edge but never quite getting there. “More,” Aether panted, almost sobbing. “Albedo I need more-“
‘You’re a big boy, aren’t you?’ Mental-Albedo teased, the image of him smirking plaguing Aether’s mind. ‘If you want more you can do it yourself, I won’t stop you.’
Aether whined, managing to tear his hand from himself long enough to wipe the sticky wetness of his fingers off against his thigh, before leaning over and practically ripping the bottom drawer of his bedside table out to retrieve a bottle of lube and his favorite vibrator.
Hastily, Aether popped the cap of the lube and poured some out over the toy, using his already-dirtied hand to spread the cool liquid and coat it entirely. Hissing slightly at the temperature, Aether pressed the toy into his entrance, only switching it on and finding his favorite pattern and speed once it was fully seated inside him.
Aether had only barely started to get to work, pumping the toy in and out of himself as he panted, letting out little ah-ah-ahs with each breath, when he noticed his phone lighting up where he’d left it out of the corner of his eye.
Using his free hand to pick up and unlock the device, Aether continued to fuck himself on the vibrator while he checked the notification. Just his luck- it’d been a text from the very man he’d been fantasizing about for the past god-knows how long.
Bedo
💛
- 23:15
Aether, I apologize for my earlier message. I failed to realize that the reason you were so concerned about the implications of the video wasn’t entirely for my sake, but because you could potentially be made uncomfortable by it yourself.
“Fuck-“ Aether hissed, cursing to himself as he hurried to type out a response to Albedo with only one thumb, too close to coming to free his dominant hand from where he was pumping the vibrator into his entrance. Before he was even able to swipe out his feeble five word response, Albedo had already sent through another of his characteristic paragraph-length texts.
Bedo
💛
- 23:16
In that regard, please do not hesitate to have the video taken down. At the end of the day it is your content that is being repurposed, don’t let my own opinions regarding it come between you and your own comfort.
Aether - 23:16
no dont stress !! its ok !!!!
Aether - 23:16
I’m not uncomfortable ab it at all, just wanted to make sure you were fine
Bedo
💛
- 23:17
I’m glad to hear that, in that case.
Aether - 23:17
yeah 😊😊
If Aether were a smarter man, he’d simply leave the conversation at that, and redirect his full attention to his prior activities. Shame that as he was now, Aether’s entire brain had completely melted into sludge and migrated down to his dick. All while continuing to slowly fuck himself on the vibrator with one hand, he shakily tapped out texts to Albedo with the other. There was something exciting about it, the fact that Aether was holding a- what he hoped came across as- completely normal conversation with Albedo, the very man who’d been plaguing his sexual desires for months being completely unaware of what was actually happening on Aether’s end of the line.
Aether - 23:18
btw sry for not responding earleir
Aether - 23:18
I was a little busy
Bedo
💛
- 23:19
That’s quite alright, I assumed you were getting ready for bed.
Aether - 23:19
hahay eah
Bedo
💛
- 23:20
This is quite late by your standards, is everything alright? If you’re unable to sleep or just want to talk to somebody, I can call you.
Reading Albedo’s text, Aether’s imagination instantly ran wild. The concept of Albedo calling him at that very moment, hearing Aether getting himself off, connecting the dots and realizing that, oh, Aether was doing this the entire time that they were talking.
Aether dreamed up Albedo’s voice, a bit huskier than usual, whether it was because it was late or because he didn't want to be overheard- it didn’t matter either way. He would talk Aether through his actions, calling him by things that Aether had never even heard him say. Maybe Albedo would even tell Aether to wait, that he’d rush over to his apartment and look after him himself. Or, maybe he would give him guidance over the phone, telling Aether precisely when he was allowed to come.
Aether let out a long whine at the thought, his back arching and entire body seizing up as his orgasm hit him at full force. He briefly registered dropping his phone, but that really didn’t matter right now- all Aether cared about at this very moment was keeping the vibrator pressed directly against his g-spot as he rode out the waves of his climax.
After what felt like an eternity, Aether was broken from his post-orgasm haze by the sound of his phone buzzing where it had landed to his side. Clumsily patting around for the device, Aether brought it to his face, letting out a weak huff of a laugh between pants- in reality, all of that had happened within the span of a single minute, if the timestamps were anything to go by.
Aether - 23:20
but
Bedo
💛
- 23:20
But?
Much to his embarrassment, Aether had accidentally swiped out and sent a message as his phone slipped from his grip, meaning he now had to shakily tap out a response to Albedo’s concerned text. Definitely should have quit while he was ahead.
Aether - 23:21
dropp edmy phone
Aether - 23:21
Sry
No response came through straight away, so Aether assumed that Albedo believed him and didn’t see any reason to pursue the topic further. Which, to be fair, Aether wasn’t actually lying about dropping his phone, he just so happened to obscure the circumstances surrounding it.
Now that he’d completely come down from his post-orgasm high, Aether realized that his prized toy was still buried deep inside him, and was beginning to become increasingly uncomfortable the longer it sat in its place. With a soft grunt, Aether managed to gently pull it free, before carrying it and his phone on shaky legs to the bathroom to clean up.
Before Aether could even turn on the faucet and begin with his post-masturbation ritual, his phone lit up, this time not with a text message, but rather a call from Albedo. Frantically, he hit the call decline button. Now that his logic had returned to him he was too ashamed to answer, and too nervous that Albedo would be able to pick up on what he had been doing. Sure, at the time the thought of it had turned him on, but now Aether was terrified of the possibility of it making Albedo think poorly of him or become uncomfortable around him.
As quick as Aether had declined the call, a concerned text came through from Albedo. It was usually very sweet just how much he obviously cared for Aether’s wellbeing, but god, sometimes Albedo really had no idea what he could be getting into!
Bedo
💛
- 23:23
Aether?
Aether - 23:27
sry
Aether - 23:27
evertyiings fuine
Bedo
💛
- 23:28
You’re lying.
Aether - 23:28
I’m not
Bedo
💛
- 23:29
I don’t believe you, your typing would say otherwise.
Aether groaned, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes. For somebody who was usually so reserved and had a tendency to keep to himself, Albedo could certainly be stubborn when it came to making sure that Aether was alright. Endearing, yes, but an inconvenience at the worst of times. Still, Aether couldn’t find himself to be annoyed about it. It was nice, knowing that Albedo cared about him so much, to a point where it almost made him hopeful that Albedo liked him more than just being friends.
Aether - 23:29
m fine
Aether - 23:29
really
Aether - 23:30
just tired
Bedo
💛
- 23:30
If you insist. Goodnight Aether, sleep well. :)
Aether stared at Albedo’s last message, a strange mix of adoration, disappointment, and guilt swirling in his gut. Despite everything, it was obvious that Albedo only wanted what was best for Aether, and here he was, reading too far into every little thing Albedo said and did. The worried messages, the calls, it was all because Albedo wanted to make sure Aether was alright. And yet, Aether was taking advantage of Albedo's kindness without him even knowing about it, using his habits to fuel his sexual desires, and even contemplating stepping over boundaries for his own self satisfaction.
Aether tried to type out a response to Albedo, but nothing felt right.
goodnight, sorry for worrying you
you probably shouldn’t be friends with me
sleep well !! talk to you soon 😊
you’d be disgusted if you knew the way I think about you
are you busy tomorrow? we could hang out
hey, if you ever want to stop working with me thats okay, I dont want to take up too much of your time. I’m not worth it anyway
is there anything you’ve wanted to eat lately? I’m brainstorming video ideas rn
I think it’d be for the best if we stopped being friends, I’m not a good person
Aether looked up to the mirror, frowning at his own reflection. Post-nut clarity was one hell of a beast, and it never failed to make Aether feel even worse about himself. Eyes flickering downward, he noticed that Albedo’s cardigan had shifted off his shoulder, one of the scars on his chest suddenly visible through the neckline of the garment.
Right, that was a whole thing as well. The cherry on top of Aether’s muddled thoughts and feelings.The screen of his phone dimmed from not being used, the cursor blinking back at him from the end of his last attempt at a message to Albedo, waiting to be sent.
I’m in love with you
Aether frowned, pulling the neckline of the cardigan back up his arm to rest on his shoulder, and deleting the message. How selfish of him, to think he could just profess something like that to Albedo. All he’s done ever since he met Albedo is betray his trust and confuse him. Hell, Aether doesn’t even know if Albedo would be attracted to somebody like him, a person whose body doesn’t match the rest of him.
Turning away from his reflection, Aether left the bathroom, going straight to bury himself under the covers of his bed. He didn’t even bother to take Albedo’s cardigan off- at least like this, hidden away from the world and surrounded by his scent, Aether could pretend he lived in a world where he was happy and Albedo loved him back.