Chapter Text
It should have been a perfectly normal day.
But it all started with one, simple commission.
''Investigate a strangely sticky slime?'' Paimon read off the papers Kathryne had given them this morning. ''Ugh! Another fighting commission.''
Aether hummed as he planned out the fastest, most efficient route to do the commissions in his head. ''We can leave that till last, since it's closer to Sumeru city.'' He wanted to visit Nahida and talk to her a little about Fontaine- his next travelling plan.
''Okay! Let's go traveller!'' Paimon exclaimed excitedly. ''I can't wait to do the cooking battle commission!''
Aether chuckled softly. ''Of course you'd be excited by that one the most.''
''Free food, free food!'' She chanted, already flying off into the distance, Aether following closely.
Two hours later, Aether had finally made it to the area where the supposed sticky slime was last seen. Paimon had gone off into whatever dimension she goes to, content with him having won the cooking battle.
It was a quiet and sunny day in the forest, a gentle wind brushing lightly against his skin. Yet it wasn't the sort of quietness that would be relaxing, it's too peaceful. Like the calm before a storm.
That probably should have been his first sign to go back that day.
As if on cue, something leapt at him from the shadows behind. Aether spun on his heel, sword clashing with a powerful burst of energy that threw him back into a tree trunk harshly. He gasped in pain, losing his breath. Putting his weight on his sword as it dug deeper into the ground, he got up and faced his new foe.
God, his back felt like it was on fire, just who exactly was that?
The sun bright in his eyes, that someone graciously stepped into his vision, blocking the sunlight out.
''Oh, my bad, I thought you were a slime.'' The figure said mockingly.
And of course. Of course, it was the wanderer who would so 'mistakenly' think he was a slime and knock the living daylights out of him.
Really, he thought he could finally have a nice, easy going day.
''Seems like you aren't so great after all, if your eyes aren't working properly then.'' Aether spat out, annoyed.
Wanderer scoffed at him. ''Is that you trying to taunt me? It won't work.''
''What are you even doing here? Don't you need to write your essay for Nahida Mr. Hat guy?'' He walked past him, albiet wobbly, knocking into him with his shoulder.
''None of your business'' Wanderer crossed his arms. ''And do not call me that.''
Aether really wanted to knock him into the ground now. However, just as he was about to retort back, a very huge slime jumped at them from the shadows. And this time, both were too distracted to block its attack.
It spat out little slime balls that crashed into them, sending them straight into the ground. Amidst the dust that had been riled up and pain shooting up his head, he saw the Wanderer yell something at him, but he couldn't hear it with blood pounding in his ears.
And at that moment, his body decided to give up.
The world faded into darkness.
''...een 3 hours! Why hasn't he woken up!?'' Paimon's voice floated into his mind as Aether blinked away the drowsiness. His head was pounding, he noticed, and his body felt too crumbly for his liking.
''Don't worry, he should be waking up soon. I think he may have a little concussion.'' A familiar voice spoke- Tighnari he realized.
''Oh, he's opening his eyes.'' Nahida popped up in his vision.
Paimon let out a cry of relief and lunged at him, hugging him tightly. ''Traveller, oh thank goodness! I thought you were gone forever!''
''Easy Paimon, he looks like he is in pain.'' Tighnari warned, gently tugging her back from him to his relief.
Head clearer, the first thing he properly noticed is that Wanderer was sitting beside him on the bed.
Aether groaned out, he really couldn't bare to see him right now. He tried bringing his hand to his face- only for another hand to be coming along with it?
''Hey! Watch it, that's my hand!'' Wanderer yelled a little too loudly, pulling his hand back defensively.
''What the...what is going on?'' Aether sat up, the world spinning. He lifted his hand and found Wanderer's hand attached to his as if it's glued. ''Is this some dumb prank? What have you done now?''
''Why do you assume it's me who did something?'' Wanderer bites back. ''Your incompetency to avoid a simple attack as that, is what caused this.''
Aether, for the life of him, had no idea what was going on. He looked helplessly towards Nahida and Tighnari.
''Well, if they are bickering like this, then they are both fine.'' Nahida chuckled. Tighnari nodded, scribbling something on his notes quickly. ''He should be fine, he seems a little confused, but nothing some rest won't help. His back is in good shape too.''
''Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?''
''Well...'' Nahida and Tighnari shared a look that he definitely knew was not good.
There goes his normal day.
Turns out that huge sticky slime was the one from the commission he had taken. And coincidentally, Nahida had asked Wanderer to investigate it, and so that is how they ended up in this predicament.
The slime had attacked them and one of its secretions hit them (he would later find out that Wanderer was trying to defend him, and it hit both their hands). So now Wanderer's left hand was connected to his right one, thanks to said slime. Meaning, each of their respective hands was out of commission.
''Please tell me this can be removed.'' Aether pleaded.
The silence he was met with was enough of an answer, and he questioned what war crime he committed in his past life to deserve this.
''Look, until I can figure out how to remove it, you both will have to make do with this and figure out some peace treaty...till then, please don't murder each other.'' Nahida had said to them.
Easier said and done, Wanderer was currently in the middle of a breakdown at having to share the same bed as Aether. He paced back and forth in the room, Aether being unfortunately dragged along.
''First of all, I don't even need sleep, damn you humans and your pesky needs. Dragging me with you and sharing the same bed as you! Disgusting.''
''Well, I'm the one who's being dragged right now...'' Aether mumbled as they did the 14th lap around the room. It was decided that obviously they would live together for now in Aether's serenitea pot.
''Are you done yet? I'd like to get some sleep.''
Wanderer glared at him, deep violet eyes burning with anger, but then it settled down almost as fast as it had come. ''Fine. But we are going to Buer the first thing in the morning to help figure out a way to get this thing off.''
After a bit more fussing and curses under his breath, they finally settled in bed.
Just as Aether had guessed, it wasn't going to be so simple. Wanderer shuffled onto his back. Then his left, then his right.
Then back again.
Each time, forcefully waking Aether up because he was getting uncomfortably pulled too.
''Stop moving.'' He hissed to the restless puppet.
''Not my fault your bed is as small as your dick.''
Aether glared into the darkness of the room, surely Nahida would forgive him if he ended up killing the puppet?
Shaking the thoughts away, he did his best to ignore his frustration and settled into his pillows again. Just as a few minutes had gone peacefully without Wanderer moving, he felt the warm blanket slip off him.
''What the hell? You don't even need sleep, why are you hogging the blanket!?'' He sat up in bed angrily, engaging in a tug of war.
''I get cold too, you know. Plus, you're the one who's hogging it, so I'm just trying to make things fair.'' Wanderer wrapped it around his body and rolled away so his whole weight trapped it under him.
That's it, he's going to knock some sense into this dumb, irritating burrito.
With a swift motion, he rolled ontop of the puppet, who yelped in surprise. Soon he had both hands pinned above his head, Aether noting how easily he was able to do this, he guessed it was because their hands were already connected to begin with.
His other hand unravelled him from the blanket.
Wanderer growled. ''What do you think you're doing?''
Aether paused his movements and stared into his eyes. Despite it being completely dark in the room, there was a soft light from the bright moon, not hindered by any clouds. It illuminated the room in a strangely dream-like light that reflected in the puppet's deep violet void eyes. And for a moment, he looked ethereal, draped in moonlight (unbecknownst to him, Wanderer had thought the same).
But the moment was quickly ruined with Wanderer squirming under him, trying to escape. He remembered why he was doing this to begin with.
Aether tightened his hold on his hands, and Wanderer stilled. ''Listen here you little shit, I'm exhausted, in pain, we are in this situation because you knocked me into a goddamn tree and I couldn't fight back. So the sooner you let me sleep, the faster we can get this slime off and never see each other again.''
Something flashed in Wanderers eyes- guilt, maybe? It couldn't be, that seems unnaturally out of character for him. He was too tired to think about it. But the puppet nodded, bangs falling over his eyes. Aether sighed as he rolled off, noticing he left little red marks from how tightly he had held his hand.
He shouldn't have felt guilty, but he did anyway.
Laying back down onto his fluffy pillows, he began to slip into a dream state-
-only to be woken up again by Wanderer moving about.
This was going to be a long, long night.