When I spent the summer on you

by MythicalMarshmallow

Summary:

The eight year old Xiao is not happy with his parents’ plans to haul him off to the faraway, rural Mondstadter town of Starfell every summer until he’s dead. There’s nothing to do, and their summer cottage is too far from anything even remotely interesting enough to make it worth the trip! He’s already preparing himself for the worst summer he has ever had—and many more to come.

But then, he meets Aether, the boy next door. “Next door”, of course, entailing that he lives about a kilometer away. They quickly become best friends, inseparable if it weren’t for the force of a thousand more kilometers between them every other season.

When their lives are turned upside down within the treacherous waters of growing up, they come to find they will need each other more than ever, fearing the worst with every wave. Amidst the tumult of navigating confusion, emotions, stress, and changes that neither of them were ready for, something else is born—something that could either drive a wedge between them forever, or bring them closer together than ever before.

-

Alternatively, a funny little xiaother childhood friends to lovers AU <3

Chapter 1

Notes:

Hi! So unfortunately I love to yap and the beginner's notes are gonna be a bit long as a result >< This entire thing can 100% be skipped! I just like having it here :3

I wrote up the planning for an elaborate xiaother childhood friends to lovers modern AU, which I was going to keep for myself at first. But as I was writing the chapters and found myself feeling super passionate about it (so much so that… 15 planned chapters became… 50… for now… It may end up being more at the end of the journey and I sincerely doubt it will become less……), I thought that perhaps it would be fun to share here as well!

Before we get into the story, I’ve got something to get out of the way first: setting the, uh, setting, and giving the necessary background information that has no place in the fic itself. This story takes place in a modern Teyvat with no magic, monsters, Abyss or roaming gods, though the gods are still part of the old religions, and the Abyss is kind of like the Illuminati in the sense that it'd be a cool conspiracy if it existed. I’ve moderately enlarged the world’s surface, to accommodate more believable travel by car and plane, and the natural landscapes in it. The main cities are bigger as well, to accommodate bigger populations. Mondstadt but make it Berlin-sized!

Zhongli, most older adepti and Azhdaha are the only adult characters used as adults, as it made the most sense to me. Basically, everyone who is canonically older than 4000 is 21+. Everyone who is canonically older than 18 but younger than 25 (or chronologically younger than 4000 and physically between 18-25) is part of this fic as characters who are growing up in the story. Everyone who is canonically younger than 18 (or chronologically younger than 4000 but physically younger than 18) is simply an actual unborn fetus unless they’re Barbara. And those canonically older than 25, well, good question! I wonder what they’re up to 😳

Venti is the only exception, as he’s part of the growing up gang because I thought it would be funny.

Also, please note that I started writing this fanfic a few weeks before Fontaine formally came out (and then I kinda stopped playing the game in favor of writing this, I haven’t touched it in months because hyperfixation gotta hyperfixate 💀), so no big lore introduced with the release of Fontaine has been incorporated. Otherwise I’d have to redo my entire premise and with it, all the chapters I already had by that time—which was a lot! Cloud Retainer’s name has been changed into her playable character name, but stuff like that is about as far as I’ve gone with lore updates since Fontaine.

Well, that’s it for all the background info and obligatory author yapping or else they explode! Time to hop into the story >v<

Summer, Year 1

 

Sighing, Xiao presses his cheek against the cold window of the large Range Rover. Outside, lush green fields come and go. Sometimes he sees a patch of tall fir trees, or some grain fields, or some cows, and he hears his little sister, Ganyu, yell: “Cows!”

He almost falls asleep once or twice.

At first, the young boy was pretty excited to go to the new summer home their father had bought with his big boss money. Their parents had been hyping it up all year: it's located in Mondstadt, Liyue’s neighboring country, in an idyllic, rural town called Starfell. It has no more than five thousand inhabitants, but its signature lake, Starfell Lake, is known as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, so there should be lots of tourists all the same. His dad had spoken especially fondly of the hiking trails in the Stormbearer Mountains and the old, untouched forests surrounding it.

They had promised it would be great fun, and they had sworn that many people would kill to have that house!

Xiao has been riding on that hype ever since, as he doesn’t like having nothing to do all summer. But the closer they get to their destination, the less he sees: even the traffic on the road has significantly thinned, and he can only spot one train track in the far distance.

He’s definitely beginning to get a little worried.

“Zhongli, dear, please,” Xiao’s father rumbles from the driver’s seat, “with your music taste, you’d almost think I married an old man. Play something else, the kids are bored out of their minds!”

The car’s radio has been lulling them all to near death with the peaceful sounds of old Liyueren songs, and with a soft chuckle, Xiao’s dad finally changes the station.

“There, is this better?” he asks sweetly, loud techno beats jerking Xiao wide awake.

Beside him, Ganyu whines, covering her ears with her hands.

Laughing, their father quickly changes the station back to his husband’s preferred one, and he raises a hand in defeat. “Fine, old man, have it your way!”

“Thank you, Retuo. How generous of you.” The smile lingers on Zhongli’s face as he looks back over his shoulder, his amber eyes, accentuated with red eye shadow, glimmering in the late midday sun. “Would you kids like some snacks? We’re ten hours in now, I reckon you must be hungry.”

Ganyu nods eagerly, stretching her little arms, and Xiao’s tummy rumbles loudly before he can say no. “Are we almost there?” he asks gravely, accepting a small lunch box with rice, shrimp marinated in oyster sauce, and an apple cut in small cubes from the cooling bag Zhongli keeps by his feet.

With a questioning look on his face, Zhongli turns to Retuo.

“Two more hours,” the man says, slowing down a tad so they don’t soar over yet another bump in the road. Mondstadt is very hilly, Xiao notes. “Unless I hit the gas a little harder..? Just kidding, my love, just kidding.”

Two more hours… Sigh . Dejectedly, the eight year old shoves two shrimp into his mouth.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

It’s three hours and thirty minutes (Ganyu really needed to use the bathroom and they couldn’t find a gas station, so they had to meander through a different little village like they were carrying a ticking time bomb aboard) later when the scenery finally changes.

Xiao perks up, seeing the edge of a large forest loom up on each side of the road. Retuo whistles with respect, skillfully dodging a pothole. It feels very relaxed here, but also super boring. Xiao isn’t sure whether he likes it or not.

He squishes his face against the glass, peering into the forest rapidly passing them by, and hears Ganyu ask: “Why does that deer have horns?”

“That must be an elk,” Zhongli muses, clearly in awe that it hadn’t run away the second it had heard the car coming. “It is a male deer, and the horns are called antlers, my little qilin.”

“Hello, elk!” Ganyu shouts, enthused, waving at it through a half open window. “Let’s be friends soon! Bye, elk!”

Xiao puffs his cheeks—he’s not here to befriend elks, so he doesn’t care.

It’s not long before the car enters town, then, and he gains a little more hope when he sees people roaming the streets. Starfell couldn’t be more different from Liyue Harbor, where his family lives, but Liyue Harbor is a big city and this is just a town. The houses are very rustic and cute, almost medieval in appearance. Some are painted in lots of different colors, or visibly kind of old. Many are covered in ivy, and some have overgrown front gardens. One has a Bed & Breakfast sign hung up above the door.

When there’s a rising hill, the houses are simply built up against it, and built down on the other side. Xiao has seen some dull, old-timey Mondstadter movies about small town, everyone-knows-everyone drama with Zhongli at his request, and this town reflects that setting almost perfectly.

Most cars parked on the cracked sidewalks can’t compare to the family’s brand new, rose gold Range Rover; they’re mostly older models of blocky family cars, pick-up trucks, and bulky cars with big trailer hooks. The same goes for many cars in traffic, save for those obviously owned by tourists.

The car passes some coffee shops and small restaurants, and even hotels shoved smack dab in the middle of a line of residential houses, and they drive past people chatting with each other at the traffic light. Every now and then, they have to maneuver through a local traffic jam on a four-way street, which cyclists effortlessly weave past.

Xiao even sees two Mondstadter girls on horseback riding downtown.

They pass a grocer and a supermarket of a chain that Xiao has never heard of before, and head into a wider, busier street with a town square. He sees an old, dark teal bus waiting for its passengers to get in. This is a mall, he recognizes the enormous glass entrance from a Starfell brochure. There is a big fountain in the center of the square, which tourists and locals are having lunch on; Starfell would have probably looked less lively, if not for all these tourists.

Ganyu squeals in glee when she spots a wraparound window with video game characters on it, and Xiao realizes it’s an old arcade.

Hm. If anything, he supposes he can go there. So far, so good!

Unfortunately, just as he's beginning to warm up to the place and imagines their summer home to be one of these colorful residential places, the car turns into a less busy street. The forest is more clearly visible through the gaps between houses here, occasionally broken up by grassy fields with farmhouses in the far distance. It’s much quieter, and more peaceful.

A lot of the houses on the left side of the car are residential, but on the right side stand big cottages with elegant signs on their front gates. Some have pools in their backyards.

Ganyu stares at them, awestruck. “I wanna live there,” she whispers, pressing her nose to the window, and Xiao rolls his eyes.

“We have a house just like that,” Zhongli says, his daughter’s delighted croon pulling a chuckle from him. “It’s just a little closer to the forest and the grasslands. We’ve got a beautiful view, last I checked.”

“And a pool?”

“Erm… my love, do we have a pool?”

Retuo shrugs nonchalantly. “We’re close enough to Starfell Lake, if it helps.”

Finally, Xiao can exchange a brief look of disappointment with his little sister.

They drive another ten minutes to the very outskirts of town, passing a sign that says: Starfell North.

“Hi bus!” Ganyu shouts, when a bus passes them from the opposite direction.

The gaps between houses and cottages are getting bigger and bigger, until it would take a few minutes at least to walk from one to the next. It’s very, very stereotypical-country-like. They also drive past two rickety old bus stops, one on each side of the road. 

Sullenly, Xiao mopes about the fact he’ll have to walk more than a stupid minute to get to the bus. He doesn’t need to walk nearly as much at home for a stupid bus!

The car eventually comes to a stop. The sidewalks here only go so far; when there are no houses by the road, there are no proper places for pedestrians to walk.

Xiao doesn’t really find the view spectacular enough to pique his interest either. He just sees some large fields on one side, some of them overrun with wheat, and the forest on the other. Even more forest wraps around the farmlands and fields with tall grass in the far distance, and wooden signs point out the designated driving and hiking routes towards the infamous Starfell Lake.

To their left, the wide dirt road continues ever onward, past the edge of the forest. To their right stands a well-kept cottage, with one neighbor about ten meters back, then another one ten more meters back and then, the first proper landmark is the bus stop, which is but a dot from here.

The cottage is quite large, rectangular, and light brown in color with dark brown accents around windows and door frames, and a couple of small protrusions with slanting roofs stick out here and there. The roofs are thatched, and two big, bricked chimneys rise up from them. It’s got a slightly elevated stone porch with a light brown balustrade and oaken handrails, and green climbing ivy scales the front and left side of the house.

The garden is decently sized, lush with green bushes, herbs, and flowers—very well-kept. Retuo probably hired a gardener to keep an eye on the place.

There’s no telling how big the backyard is from this angle, but Xiao doesn’t really care.

Across the street, the inhabited world abruptly stops to make room for grasslands. And in the far distance, by the wide dirt road, Xiao spots a lonely farmhouse, the size of his pinky.

Neither Xiao nor Ganyu say a thing.

Zhongli must have noticed the lack of enthusiasm on behalf of their children. He quickly runs a hand through his silky, dark brown hair and veers out of the car. “Come on,” he says, helping Ganyu out of her seat, “let’s go explore the house! You guys can pick your own rooms, isn’t that fun?”

This pleases the six year old immensely: she quickly brushes down her black-and-white, polkadotted summer dress and runs ahead of Zhongli, towards the gate. Her golden brown hair bounces along.

“Let’s go, little one,” Retuo says to Xiao, and he steps out of the car with a soft puff of oldness.

“Fine,” Xiao mutters. Ganyu left her stuff in the car, but he decides to take his black and teal sports bag along so he has a little more room picking leverage.

Pebbles crunch underneath his brand sneakers, and he pushes the car door shut with both hands. The air, he notices, does smell really nice here; he’s a big city kid, he’s used to car fumes and chimney smoke and old street food, and the thinly veiled smell of sewer after rainy days. So he notices when the air is not filled with exactly that. Instead, it smells like… moist wood and blooming flowers.

Hm…

Xiao is just about to walk around the car when he notices a boy staring at him, mouth agape, from the other side of the road, where the sidewalk is just about to stop.

It’s a small boy, maybe seven years old, with springy blonde hair that reaches just past his ears and big, copper eyes that sparkle in the sun. His russet brown overalls are messy and muddy, and he wears large, heavy, brown leather shoes that look very intimidating. In his arms, he carries a wicker basket full of groceries.

“Hi!” the boy calls.

“Hi,” Xiao replies, a little unsure. He clutches tightly onto the strap of his bag when the boy grins at him and immediately crosses the street.

“Are you the new people?” he asks curiously. “Mama said the house was bought last year, and people put furniture in it, but nobody moved in.”

“Um…” Who is this, why is he talking to him? Xiao shies away in his collar, pulling up his shoulders like a wary cat. “My father bought it as a summer house. We’re here for the summer only.”

“Cool. It’s been a while since someone lived here. My name’s Aether, who are you?”

Are all the locals this chatty? Because if so, Xiao might just not go outside at all! He brought his handheld gaming console anyway, he could play arcade games on that.

The boy stares at him, full of expectation, his cheeks pink with glee. He rises up on the tips of his toes, studying Xiao’s face closely, as if it intrigues him. “What’s your name?” he asks, with a little less volume this time.

“.. Xiao.”

“Shaw,” the boy repeats, scrunching up his nose.

“No, it’s Xiao.”

The blonde boy, Aether, giggles softly and tries again. This time, he does it about right, and when Xiao nods, he looks proud of himself.

“Nice to meet you, Xiao. Here!” Without a second thought, he burrows his fist into the wicker basket and pulls out a small, brown bag sealed at the top. Once opened, a delicious, sweet scent wafts from within, and Xiao’s mouth waters—but he controls himself.

“For you,” Aether chirps, and he offers Xiao one of the lukewarm vanilla chocolate chip muffins inside. “I’m sorry if it’s cold. I walked seventy-hundred-one minutes because buses are dumb and slow.”

“T-thank you.” Xiao has always religiously followed “stranger danger” and hasn’t ever accepted food from random weirdos to this day, but this boy is awfully nice and looks so genuine. He can’t convince himself to turn him down to his face.

Okay, um… You know what, Aether wouldn’t know anyway if he just threw it in the trash later. So, he quickly takes the muffin and pulls it to his chest, planning to do just that.

It’s a little awkward and tense, then, as Aether looks at him with those big eyes, wholly expecting him to take a bite.

Uh-oh.

Xiao forces a dismissive smile, hoping to look like Retuo does when he pulls one of those at him. But either he’s doing a c-word job, or Aether just doesn’t care, because he keeps looking at him like that. As tasty as the muffin smells, Xiao really doesn’t want to eat it and possibly go missing or die!

“There you are, my little bird!” Like a savior from above, Zhongli strides around the car in his neatly buttoned up blouse, dressed in all black except for his golden tie, and for a moment, Aether looks like he’s seen a ghost. Xiao, however, slumps gratefully and quickly hides behind his dad. The muffin disappears into his sports bag.

“Oh?” Pleasantly surprised, Zhongli looks from Xiao to Aether and back. “You’ve already made a friend, I see. I am proud of you, sweetheart.” With a serene smile and a comforting hand on Xiao’s head, he turns to Aether and kindly dips his head. “Well, good afternoon. Who might you be?”

“A-Aether,” the boy stutters, suddenly a lot less confident. He points a shaky finger to the lonely little farmhouse in the far distance. “I-I live over there, um, sir.”

Zhongli chuckles mirthfully, placing delicate fingers upon his chest. “No need to ‘sir’ me, I’m not that old.” His voice settles into his ever smooth, lilting tone, which seems to put the little boy at ease enough for his fists to stop shaking. “My name is Zhongli Longwang, and I take it my son has given you his already?”

“Y-yeah, it’s… it sounds really cool.” Aether looks like he’s about to crack his skull in two trying to figure out how to echo Zhongli’s name back to him. Lucky for him, Zhongli doesn’t make him.

Xiao glares up at his dad, wishing he wasn’t being so nice to this kid. He mutters something under his breath when he’s softly pushed along, and internally curses the world when he catches the next words: “We must hurry along now and unpack our things, but once he’s done, I am sure Xiao would love to play with you.”

No I wouldn’t, you traitor! , Xiao yells in his head, his cheeks puffing up as he trudges towards the gate.

When he briefly glances back over his shoulder, he sees that Aether… well, he looks positively ecstatic . The little boy’s face is glowing, his shoulders perked, and he nods so fast that his hair flops along like a mop that’s being wrung out. “Okay!” he squeaks, waving enthusiastically. “Bye Xiao, I’ll come back to play later if Mama says I can!”

“Don’t worry if she says you can’t,” Xiao mumbles, earning a soft nudge from Zhongli’s hip.

“Zhongli, hurry it up a bit!” Retuo appears outside as well to unload the car, his long and rugged, golden brown hair with graying streaks tied in a messy bun in his neck. Though startled at first by his booming, rich voice, Aether waves at him with just as much enthusiasm.

In his visible confusion, Retuo opts to simply not respond to this random child greeting him like they know each other, and Aether’s enthusiasm quickly makes way for embarrassment. He turns on his heels and immediately runs off.

“Xiao has made his first summer friend,” Zhongli casually explains as he pushes Xiao along to the house.

“He did? Ah, splendid! It was about time you got yourself out there a little more.” If he does regret ignoring Aether, Retuo doesn’t show it, and with a wide, proud grin, he smacks his son on the back. Xiao nearly trips over the threshold, wildly mowing his hands around for balance.

Yeah, well, he didn’t want to! Stupid parents! Huffing, the eight year old kicks his shoes off his feet and stomps inside.

The next hour, the family spends getting settled into their new summer home. It’s not as large as their house in Liyue Harbor, but it is very spacious nonetheless. Xiao knows very little can compare to the grandeur of their home at, well, home, anyway! The rustic cottage living room with its walk-in kitchen takes up the majority of the ground floor, the small entrance hallway leading directly into it. A little wooden door right next to the staircase leads to a huge bathroom underneath two adjacent bedrooms on the first floor. It’s got a shower and a bubble bath, and the downstairs toilet is there as well.

There is a small storage space for coats and shoes to the right side of the main entrance, they’ve got some sort of shed in the backyard, and there is a small door in the back of the living room which Xiao doesn’t know the purpose of and he’s not allowed to enter it. The door has a yellow sticker with a black electricity bolt on it plastered on it, which is pretty cool. The back wall of the living room is, instead of a solid wall, a huge window with sliding doors, offering view on the furnished, rustic patio, and all the blooming flowers and plants in the big backyard.

A smaller toilet stall and all the bedrooms are upstairs, and they have one too many, allowing both Xiao and Ganyu to claim one of the bigger rooms for themselves. Unfortunately, what's with Xiao lingering outside by force for a little too long, Ganyu has claimed the one with the cool bay window fair and square by the time he’s actually made his way up there, and apparently the room across hers, which also has a bay window, is already set up as the master bedroom.

It’s okay, though, because Xiao’s room comes with its very own bathroom.

In the time it takes Xiao to clear his clothes and things away, his dads have turned the remaining bedroom into a convincing guest room, as if they actually expect their children to bring summer friends home. Zhongli has made the living room look inhabited as well, while Retuo ensures the kitchen is ready to use later. They’d both die before they’d order takeout.

Ganyu is stalling, waddling into Xiao’s room no less than three times with her hands on her back and a small pout on her face to ask if he can please help her put her stuff away because she doesn’t want to do it anymore.

“I want to go play outside,” she whines, “but Papa says I can’t until everything is stored. Please, Xiao? Pleaaaase!”

“Get out, Ganyu!” Xiao throws a shirt at her for the third time.

He stomps to his bed and reaches for his gaming console on his nightstand. The muffin, all cooled down yet enticingly beckoning him to take a little nibble, is still standing there, too. His tummy rumbles. With a sigh, he picks it up to throw it in the new trash bin—but right before he actually drops it, he steals a quick bite.

Aw, darn it, it’s delicious. It has got to be a bribe of some kind, you know, for goodwill, but there is no way Xiao is about to become friends with the first small town weirdo he meets.

Notes:

And so it begins..! I’m so excited to be sharing this fic lmao, I’ve been cooking it up in favor of literally everything else I should’ve been up to so make of that what you will 😳 This AU has actively been living rent free in my brain for months, you have no idea how many banners I missed in favor of writing this. One day, crane mommy, one day…

So, as for the updating schedule! I intend for updates to occur weekly on Fridays or Saturdays (more like, I’ll start mentally preparing on Friday and then upload on Saturday haha), so the next chapter will come around in a week >v< The fic itself is not yet complete, but the planning is done and I am getting super close, so we’re good to go for a long time to come.

I really hope this story will bring you guys as much joy reading it as it brings me writing it!

(For returning people who are confused about the changed chapter count: I edited out the introduction chapter and simply made it a long beginner's note after all. I ended up not liking the way it messed with the chapter count, so there did indeed use to be three chapters including the introduction, but I've edited that to become two chapters excluding it! So sorry about the mess ><)

Chapter 2

Notes:

I lied, got a little too excited... so here is one more chapter, just so there is something more to read! Now I will be sticking to my intended posting schedule, the next update will be next Saturday :D

Retuo has just started cooking dinner in the rustic kitchen, the delicious smells of spices and rich ingredients filling up the cottage as pans sizzle on the fire, when a hesitant knock on the door downstairs grabs Xiao’s attention. He sits on his bed, still as a board, and listens to Zhongli’s footsteps as he crosses the living room. The front door creaks a little when it’s opened.

“Oh, Aether! I was wondering when you would appear. Welcome, would you like to come inside?”

Curse his dad and his nice-ness. Xiao grumbles, slowly getting to his feet, and tries to very inconspicuously sneak to his wide open door. If he closes it and just pretends he’s asleep, then…

Footsteps are already heading up the stairs, and Xiao is halfway through quickly slamming his door shut when an adult hand catches it. “I take it you heard that,” Zhongli says with a knowing smile. “Come on, your little friend is here to pick you up.”

“Do I really have to?” Xiao asks, dragging his feet. “We aren’t even friends, he just came up to me all of a sudden and started talking. That’s weird.”

“That is called 'being social', sweetie. I think it would do you good to indulge yourself,” is, sadly, the answer he gets. Zhongli turns around, however, and as he kneels down before him, he traces his fingertips along Xiao’s jaw to brush some strands of greenish-gray, tousled hair behind his ear. “If it truly doesn’t work out, you can distance yourself as you please. But give it a chance, at least. I would hate to see you lonely all summer.”

Xiao bites down on his lip when he sees the soft, expectant expression on his dad’s face. Oh, fine… just this once. He nods a single time and bounces downstairs, into the large living room space with kitchen, fully decorated in a traditional Mondstadter country style.

Aether is waiting at the door, wearing the same dirty overalls—but instead of a wicker basket, he now carries a large, dark brown backpack that sticks out from his small frame at both sides.

“Hi Xiao!” he chirps. “Mama said I have to be back before dark, so we can play until then!”

Blegh. He wishes time would pass faster.

Zhongli gives Xiao an encouraging nudge and, forcing a grimace that is supposed to be a smile, the young boy puts on his sneakers. “Sure. Sounds good.”

“Absolutely not, you are not missing the dinner I’m putting my blood, sweat and tears into here,” Retuo calls strictly from the kitchen, and Xiao thanks the lords that his father is proud—and not to mention, rather quickly offended when it comes to his food. “Be back in two hours or you are not getting any.”

“Aw…” Aether says, almost losing his sunny composure.

“Aw, oh no, oh well, two hours is still okay.” Xiao tries not to sound too happy.

“Yeah… We’ll just do everything really fast, let’s go!”

Xiao squeaks when the blonde kid grabs his wrist and yanks him along. He barely catches Zhongli’s undignified snort and Ganyu’s protests from the hallway.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Aether takes Xiao to the edge of the forest near their summer cottage, and shoves him onto the well-used hiking path that will, supposedly, eventually take them to Starfell Lake.

“Wanna see the lake?” he asks, hoisting his backpack up on his shoulders. “Tourists come here for the lake a lot.” His big eyes look back at Xiao, who is beginning to feel he’s being stared at by some kind of oversized rabbit.

“Dunno, it’s pretty far. I have to be back in time for dinner.”

“Oh, right…”

They’re quiet. Xiao tucks his hands into his pockets, wishing he wasn’t here.

Aether tries again: “Your dad is really pretty.”

“Which one?”

“The one with the kind eyes.” Aether grins and jumps up on a thick tree trunk that must have fallen down a long time ago; it’s covered in moss, but the boy knows exactly where to step. “Yours look just like them!”

“Um, thank you,” Xiao mumbles awkwardly. “Yours are too big.”

“Oh! Uh… Mm!”

They’re quiet, again. Only the soft summer breeze brings sound to the woods.

Xiao kicks a small rock away and sneaks a glance at Aether. He looks a little hurt. His lower lip even quivers, and he feels kind of guilty now. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” he says, retracting his head like a turtle. “It’s just… it’s like… like a bunny.”

To his relief, Aether giggles and he jumps from the far end of the trunk, circling back to Xiao with renewed confidence. “Well, you’re mean in a kitty sort of way,” he says earnestly. “That’s okay, kitties just don’t like people sometimes. But I really like them. Lumine says they don’t have a soul, but I’m sure you have one! Lumine is my sister, by the way. We’re seven, how old are you? Where are you from?”

The amount of words fired at him all of a sudden, makes Xiao’s head spin. He’s pretty sure he either just got a compliment or an anti-compliment or maybe both, but he doesn’t know how to respond to it! “U-uh,” he stutters. “I’m… I’m eight.”

“Cool! Are you from a faraway city?” Aether grabs his wrist and pulls him into a thin winding road, overgrown with foliage and beautiful, white flowers. “Like Mondstadt City?”

“No, I’m from Liyue,” Xiao quickly says, trying his best not to trip over loose roots.

“Leeyu?”

“Liyue. I’m from the capital, there’s lots of folks there. Ow,” Xiao had stumbled against a tree, “and my dad says it’s very multi… mul… multicatultered. Many people come to Liyue Harbor to make businesses and stuff.”

The little blonde boy nods with a grave understanding. Xiao’s face, for some reason, lights up.

“We mostly get tourists. Do you like the capital?”

“It’s really busy, but it’s nice sometimes.” Xiao smiles in earnest now, letting Aether pull him underneath a small tunnel of low-hanging branches.“There’s lots of things to do, I didn’t see as much on our way here. Have you been to a big city before?”

“Only to Mondstadt City, for school,” Aether replies, and Xiao tries to understand what he means with that. Isn’t Mondstadt City really far away from here? “I like it way better here, and we’ve got fun things to do too.”

“Like the arcade?”

“More like eating paprika potato tornadoes! I love paprika potato tornadoes.”

What the h-word are paprika potato tornadoes?

“Oh, we’re here!”

Aether’s excited shout pulls Xiao from his starchy thoughts, and he sees that the boy has taken him to an all-natural playground. Trees grow from the flattened forest ground here, forming the base for a wooden climbing house with a slide, monkey bars, ropes to climb or swing from, and a zipline down. Swings in different sizes hang from another set of trees.

There are carved wooden spring riders to sit on as well, and a wooden seesaw, and a wooden merry-go-round that looks a little dangerous, but Aether is already bounding towards it. “Come on, Xiao!”

Xiao hesitates for a moment, wondering where this playground has come from all of a sudden. He supposes they just took the wrong way, because the right way to get here is visible on the other side of the playground, so it’s probably fine… Carefully, he joins Aether on the merry-go-round, and Aether plants his feet into the ground before gently kicking them off. They languidly spin around.

“Is it just your dads and you?” he asks.

“No, I have a sister too. Her name’s Ganyu. She’s adopted.”

Aether looks stupefied for a moment.

“It’s okay though, I am too,” Xiao adds with a casual shrug.

“Oh. So your dads aren’t really—”

“Our dads are our dads.”

“Oh. Okay!” Aether quickly decides he’s had enough of the merry-go-round, what’s with them only having two hours to play, and guides Xiao towards the climbing house.

Xiao watches, completely stunned, as he climbs into the ropes with terrific ease. It’s almost as if he’s got little grippers on his hands or something! And before the dark-haired boy can speak, Aether is dangling upside down from the tree branch like a monkey. “Whoa…”

“I don’t really get it,” Aether says, letting his hands hang free. He sputters the twigs, nuts and dirt that fall from his overalls’ chest pocket out of his mouth. “Eugh—My mom and dad have different names, that’s easy! So how do you know which dad you’re calling if you have more dads?”

Not wanting to be left in the dust, Xiao immediately attempts to follow Aether up there. His little arms strain with effort as he tries to hoist himself higher into the rope, but playgrounds at home don’t have these climbing houses. He’s never done this before!

“Huff… huff… I call—whew—Zhongli Dad.”

Why is this so difficult!

“And—don’t touch me—” Aether, giggling gleefully upside down, had attempted to help him up, “—Retuo, he cooks—I call him… ugh… Father!”

“Maybe if you say ‘Pa’ they’ll both come to you. That would be funny.”

Nah, Retuo would just think Ganyu is calling him.

“Ugh—This is stupid, I don’t wanna do this anymore.” Xiao drops down from the small end he’d managed to climb and crosses his arms petulantly.

Aether, who appears to have run out of questions, laughs and scuttles over to the zipline, riding it all the way down. He jumps off, landing on all fours with his hands in the dirt. “Get up in the tree or else the monster will grab you!” he warns, tossing his backpack aside, and Xiao glares at him in confusion before the little blonde kid suddenly charges.

“Eek—?!” He jumps out of the way of those gross, muddy hands and starts running for his life, shrieking every time Aether nearly tackles him. He can’t climb up there, he’s not strong enough! All he can do is try not to get caught.

“What kind of kitty can’t climb trees?!”

“I’m not a cat! What kind of bunny can?! Eek, do not touch me!”

“I’m not a bunny, silly!”

The light-haired boy is fast and he possesses a ridiculous amount of stamina, chasing him all around the playground until Xiao’s sides burn and his feet whine. But Xiao doesn’t mind. Actually… he’s having more fun than he thought he would.

He laughs when Aether inevitably pounces on him and releases him from his running misery, grabbing his chubby face with his dirty little fingers, as they had silently agreed between the two that that’s the price of losing.

They catch their breaths and try the swings next, and Aether pulls two sandwiches out of his bag that he says his mom had hastily prepared for the children. He even claims the sunsettia jam on it is home-made.

Xiao doesn’t usually eat sandwiches for snacks and he doesn’t enjoy plain bread that much, but he still savors the taste for the sake of the jam, taking small bites as they swing high up in the sky. He nearly falls off the swing a couple of times, which eventually results in the tragic sacrifice of the half eaten sandwich so he doesn’t break his whole body.

They decide to solemnly bury it in the woods up ahead for dying a warrior’s death.

Then, Aether decides that he will teach Xiao how to climb those ropes and if he doesn’t succeed, they’ll just have to bury him next to the sandwich. But no matter how hard Xiao tries, he just can’t do it! Aether is much more nimble than him, clearly used to doing stuff like this. He still cheers him on, though.

By the time Aether returns Xiao to the summer cottage for dinner, accompanied by the gentle lull of crickets as early dusk settles over the green lands, they’re covered head to toe in forest gunk, their arms and legs hurt, and Xiao is wearing a big smile on his face.

“See you tomorrow?” Aether asks hopefully as Xiao takes off his shoes at the door.

Xiao overthinks it for a moment, only half taking in Retuo’s flabbergasted sputters at the sight of him. Hm… He really did have fun, and Zhongli said to give it a go, so maybe just… maybe he’ll try one more day, just to please his dad.

“Okay, if I feel like it,” he nods, and with a happy skip in his step, Aether waves at him and bolts off. Xiao closes the door, feeling pleasantly accomplished.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Aether comes to pick Xiao up at least three times a week if possible, when the family isn’t out to do things as a family.

Around the third or fourth time, Retuo had made Xiao take Ganyu on these play dates, as she was beginning to feel lonely, and Xiao was a little bummed out. But Aether knew a quick solution; they had taken the girl with them and briefly gone to Aether’s house. Xiao had met his sister, Lumine, that day.

The two look exactly alike, down to the clothes they wear—two carbon copies of each other, except the opposite gender. Apparently, they’re twins. Even their hair length is the same.

Lumine, Xiao had quickly noticed, is even more rambunctious than Aether: she had grinned at him wide, hugged him immediately, shaken him really wildly, and told him to be careful with her brother because Pa would be really mad if Aether broke something again.

And if it did happen, Aether would get yelled at, and Lumine would hunt Xiao down for sport.

Still, Ganyu had been ecstatic to learn that she could hang out with a pretty girl instead of the “stinky boys”, and ditched Xiao quicker than he could say “uh”. Which left him to play with Aether by himself, and he didn't mind at all.

Lumine loves making new friends, so they’ve been dropping Ganyu off to play with her practically ever since.

When Xiao isn’t out sightseeing with his family, Aether is there to show him all the nooks and crannies of Starfell that tourists wouldn’t think to visit. He finds the most beautiful glades in the forest for them to have their lunch in, meadows filled with colorful flowers, creepy abandoned farmhouses to go ghost hunting in…

One time, the little blonde boy manages to sneak his friend outside in the middle of the night, so they can watch the bats soar past the moon on the porch with soda and chips, and count the stars as nature sings to them. (Aether is grounded for three days after; he isn’t allowed to be out past dark just yet.)

In turn, not wanting to take the bus, which only passes Xiao’s and Aether’s houses once every two hours on weekdays and once every four hours on the weekend, he convinces Retuo to drive them to town. There, Aether can introduce him to his favorite paprika potato tornado place.

The paprika potato tornadoes are, as it turns out, fried, cut potatoes on a stick, with paprika powder on them. Xiao likes them more than he wants to admit, but not enough to really want any more than he’s had today. The next time they go to town, both Xiao’s parents join for some grocery shopping, and Retuo gives them some extra pocket change for the arcade.

But—the town is just meh. Xiao has found that Aether manages to come up with much more interesting stuff to do.

The twins come over for dinner a couple of times, as Ganyu and Lumine get along really well, and although Ganyu sometimes goes to their house to paint with Lumine, the Longwang siblings are never invited for dinner in return. Xiao is a little grumpy about it at first, but Aether explains that it’s because his parents are too busy right now to keep their eyes on two “new children”.

As it turns out, their parents are a carpenter and a novelist and some sort of farmers, all at once: they have fields full of their own cultivated herbs and vegetables, and an enormous greenhouse in their backyard. Aether and Lumine often help out.

Ganyu later tells Xiao that their house is super messy too, but in a homey way. Xiao can’t wait to see it some time.

Initially, Aether also wants to show Xiao Starfell Lake—but he gets a little sulky when he learns that that’s literally the first tourist spot he has visited with his family, and he’s even already swam in it. The seven year old opts to show him around cool spots out in the farmlands instead, now that the lake is no longer something new and exciting, and he personally makes sure it’s even better than visiting some dumb water.

It is, by far, the most fun summer Xiao has ever had. He’s incredibly sad when it eventually comes to an end.

And so is Aether. Xiao pouts when he sees Aether’s stunned look as he watches the family pack their bags into the car. He almost looks like a kicked puppy.

“You’re leaving already?” he asks, dejected. “But that’s not fair, I still have to show you the fox meadow where foxes have babies a lot!”

Xiao means to reply, but Zhongli peeks around the car, wearing a soothing expression. “Don’t fret, little ones,” he says, narrowing his eyes pleasantly. “We will most certainly be back next year, won’t we, Retuo?”

From the other side of the car, Retuo grumbles in agreement. “This is a more relaxing place than the usual hustle and bustle, that’s for sure,” the much older man sighs, cracking his back as he gets up.

When he hears this, a bubble of happiness bursts in Xiao’s chest and he grins at Aether, who looks so relieved that you would think he was just promised the world.

“Alright, that’ll be the last of it.” Retuo slams the trunk of the car shut and looks around. “Hold on… Have you seen Ganyu?”

Zhongli blinks in surprise. “I thought she was with the boys.”

Xiao and Aether shoot each other a quick look, and their faces say it all: c-word, they haven’t seen Ganyu in the last hour at all! “Um…”, “Uhh…”—their chorus of uncertainty is all but pleasant for the parents.

Right then, they hear a little girl’s voice: “I’m here, don’t go yet!”

Ganyu comes running down the road, with Lumine in tow. “I couldn’t leave without my painting and it’s finally dry!” the younger girl exclaims as her friend catches her breath, and she holds up the weirdest painting Xiao has ever seen. It depicts something that looks like a house, with a corner sun and some trees, and two tall figures that… may in some way be Zhongli and Retuo, and four small ones that… yeah.

Ganyu is glowing with pride, though, when Zhongli croons at her and straight up lies and tells her it’s a true work of art.

Xiao just wonders why he has lopped ears. Beside him, Aether snickers, as if he’s confused about the same thing.

The girls exchange a hug, in which Lumine makes Ganyu promise that they’ll redo their paintings next year to see how they’ve improved, and Ganyu almost bursts into tears when she waddles to the car. Feeling a little bad for his sister, Xiao ruffles her hair in passing.

Then, he turns to Aether and—before he can even say anything, his friend pulls him into a tight hug as well. “See you next year, kitty,” he mutters in the eight year old’s dark hair. “Promise you’ll come?”

“Promise, bunny,” Xiao says, and he lets out a sound that’s some sort of combination between a gasp and a meep when Aether easily lifts him off the ground for a moment. They burst out in laughter at Xiao’s silly response, and he pulls up his shoulders, only cementing how embarrassing it was.

Finally, they part ways. Lumine and Ganyu stop when they can no longer see each other, and Ganyu starts babbling about all the things they’ve done that she hasn’t told her dads about yet. Retuo’s encouraging “ooh”s and “aah”s lead to her voice getting louder and louder with enthusiasm.

Xiao and Aether, however, keep waving at each other until long after the car has taken the Longwangs around the corner. He really, really wishes time would pass faster, so it can be next year tomorrow.

Notes:

(Alright, I'm done editing things, so the chapter index should now only indicate story chapters! Again, so sorry for the mess - we should be good to go now! Small learning experience, I suppose; turns out introduction chapters are not for me, haha ><)

Chapter 3

Summer, Year 2

 

“Don’t worry, little man—you’ve barely been home for two days yourself, you can’t expect them to materialize out of thin air!” Aether’s father ruffles his son’s hair when he catches him with his nose pressed to the front door’s peep window for the third time that morning. He laughs heartily, but the boy gravely decides nothing is funny here and doesn't even crack a smile.

“That’s already two days,” Aether whines. He casts one more forlorn look at the summer cottage in the far distance, before trudging back into the house. A little mopey, he kicks some stray shoes aside and flops down on a large pile of old magazines to put on the ones he wants. “If they don’t hurry up, the whole entire summer will be gone!”

His dad gives him an encouraging, confident shoulder squeeze. “I doubt that’s gonna happen, Aether,” he says. “Don’t forget they’re coming all the way from Liyue Harbor, that’s a darn long trip. They’ll be here soon, you’ll see. And until then, us big strong boys have to pluck the herbs and weed the weeds so the big strong girls can till the beds and plant the seeds! Alright?”

Aether slumps his shoulders and nods sadly. “Okay. If you say so…”

This had been the most dreadful school year Aether had ever experienced. He already isn’t a big fan of Mondstadt City, what’s with how huge and crowded it is, and although his aunt is nice enough when the twins stay with her, it just doesn’t feel like home. Added to that, Lumine is way better at making friends than him and knows way better what to do when she’s hounded by people. So he’s always been a bit of a loner in class, and always enjoys coming back to their real home in Starfell when school is over.

This year, though—well, he had spent most of his time wishing Xiao had been there, and it had made everything feel way worse!

Muttering, the eight year old puts on his big sun hat; it's really warm and bright out today, but the herbs still need to be plucked, so all he can do is make sure he doesn’t get burned. He grabs his own little herb basket from the cabinet by the back door as well, almost knocking over a picture of six year old Lumine and him grinning proudly, with one tooth gap each in their mouths and big bruises on their faces.

They’d lost their first teeth at the same time, see, mostly because they had built a badly done zipline from their bedroom window to the ground—and when it was Lumine's turn, she’d crashed face first into Aether’s face-first.

He skips over a couple of old towels, empty baskets and stray gardening tools, and follows his whistling dad outside through the front door.

Xiao’s promise echoes softly in Aether’s little blonde head all the while. When is the family finally coming? Surely they haven’t forgotten? What if they’re lost? What if a bear ate them, or a ghost stole the car? What if they’re not actually coming this year because they found a better place to stay, with more big city things to do..?

The thought makes Aether’s throat thick and prickly, so he quickly sniffles and shakes his head. Nope! Don’t think about it. Xiao promised.

His dad calls for him and he quickly trots towards the herb beds, banishing the thoughts to the back of his skull.

The following hours, Aether spends with his knees in the soil and his little hands carefully snaking around stalks and stems of all kinds of different herbs, plucking at the edible parts of the plants and discarding the old roots. Unwanted weeds also disappear into a set of big, steel buckets with spongy black handles, to be turned into compost later. While he works, he pretends he’s a warrior braving the dense, dangerous woods.

His dad calls him over whenever he needs to scramble elsewhere, or when the man desperately needs help pulling out a particularly nasty weed.

Aether feels very strong when helping in the fields, and boastfully marches to the kitchen with his filled herb basket. His mom and sister have come home from grocery shopping in the meantime, and he smirks at his twin while she puts on sturdy gloves for the tilling.

“Mom,” he hears Lumine say while he trots back outside, “can I go to the mall tomorrow? Albedo said Sucrose’s mom will take us if we gather at her house before ten.”

“Sure, sweetie! Once we’ve given the veggies in the greenhouse their morning water, you’re free to go.”

Lumine groans, and Aether snickers.

The morning comes and goes, as does midday, without a change in the usual pace. It’s not until he finally heads outside through the front door in the late afternoon, with two buckets of green waste in his arms, that he sees a rose gold Range Rover parked in front of the summer cottage, like a glimmering dot in the distance.

Isn’t that..? It is!

Aether’s tummy nearly explodes with excitement and he dashes to the compost bins to ditch the waste, almost bumping into the old pickup truck on the courtyard. “Bye Dad, I’m going out!” he yells over his shoulder. He barely catches the reply, but just deduces that it’s positive on the account of no one barrelling through the garden to stop him.

Then, as fast as his feet can carry him, he runs a kilometer down the long country road.

“Xiao!” he exclaims. “You’re finally here! Huh?”

The car already seems to be fully emptied out. Furrowing his eyebrows, Aether scuttles up the stone porch, to the front door of the cottage, which is surrounded by more climbing ivy than last year. He knocks the door twice, practically vibrating out of his socks where he stands.

The door opens, and Xiao’s broad, imposing father appears before him. Aether quickly takes a step back: he thinks Retuo looks really cool and he cooks super tasty food, too, but the little blonde boy is always kind of intimidated by him. He’s very large, after all, and practically ancient too.

“U-um, hi, sir,” Aether says, twiddling his thumbs. “Welcome back i-in Starfell.”

Retuo hums for a moment, taking him in studiously. Then, his stubbled face breaks into a content smile. He dips his head as well; Retuo and Zhongli always dip their heads when they say hi. “Thank you, Aether,” he says in his deep, rumbling voice. “Well well, look how you’ve grown.”

Aether proudly sticks out his chest. “I grew six whole centimeters!” he declares, feeling more at ease. “Is Xiao inside?” He tries to peer past Retuo, but he’s simply dwarfed by his size, unable to catch more than the sight of a bunch of coats.

The tall man before him leans back into the house and calls inside: “Kids, come on down! There’s someone here to see you.”

The first to squirm herself past Retuo, in an ice blue dress and frilly white socks, is Ganyu. She’s a little taller now, almost as tall as Aether in fact.

“Where’s Lumi?” she chirps. Her pale brown eyes, which almost look lilac in the sunlight, are wide with excitement.

“She’s tilling the soil at home, do you wanna—”

“I’m going to say hi, I wanna help tilting the soyel,” the seven year old decides before Aether can finish, and she flits off. “Bye Papa!”

Chuckling, Retuo looks after her. “Ever full of energy, that one,” he muses. “Xiao! Do you want to keep your guest waiting?”

When Xiao finally appears in the opening of the mahogany front door, Aether nearly flies around his shoulders for a hug. The older boy shrieks in surprise, reeling back, until he realizes who it is: the shriek turns into a relieved laugh and a hug returned.

Finally, after a whole year of waiting, they can explore Starfell together again!

“What took you so long?” Aether mutters. His summer friend’s dark hair has gotten shorter; he can’t bury his nose in it like before. “I thought you guys weren’t coming anymore. Summer started two days ago!”

“Traffic jam,” father and son sigh in unison.

“And Dad had us stop over in Springvale for a night,” Xiao adds. He pulls down his black shirt with a cool, flaming teal bird head on it. “Because traffic wasn’t moving anyway. We stayed at a really pretty inn, do you wanna see?”

Aether nods quickly, Neither boy even stops to ask if it’s okay before the nine year old latches onto his wrist and yanks him inside, and the two half stumble over Retuo’s toes in their haste to get Aether’s big, dirty boots off.

Fortunately, Retuo merely chuckles. He strokes Xiao’s head with his big hand and returns to the kitchenintriguing smells of spices and vegetables from Liyue that Aether doesn’t know by name already fill up the house, simmering on the stovetop in preparation for tonight. The memory of Retuo’s delicious food makes his mouth water, and he hopes to be invited to dinner again at least once.

“Hello Mr Zhongli!” Aether calls when Xiao drags him through the living room. The brunette is dusting the furniture and looks up, mildly disturbed; they barely see his face change to joy before they’ve already disappeared upstairs, unable to catch his greeting.

“You know,” Xiao says, pushing Aether into his bedroom, “I was kinda worried on the way here too. I was scared you’d forgotten we were coming, or… or something. It’s been a bajillion years after all.”

Aether startles from peering at all Xiao’s stuff: he has a lot of things Aether could only dream of having, like his own bedroom, first of all, and this year he’s brought a real gaming console with him. His wide open closet is filled with cool clothes that would only turn to rags in Aether’s hands (but it’s okay, that’s how he likes them anyway), and he even has his own small flatscreen TV to hook the console up to.

Xiao hasn’t unpacked everything yet, but one poster from a kid’s program that Aether doesn’t know is already hung up next to one of his windows. Something that wasn’t there last year either sits on Xiao’s white desk: it’s some sort of black toy helicopter, with a remote lying beside it.

“Silly, how could I forget?” the blonde boy says as he trails his finger over the smooth plastic. “I’ve missed you all year, it wasn’t nearly as fun without you.”

Xiao flops down on his blocky white bed, swinging his legs, and reaches for something underneath his pillow. “Well, um, I dunno, we didn’t stay in contact, so I thought you’d forget me for sure.” It’s a small black box, which he flips open. “I got a phone for my birthday. Do you wanna put your number in?”

Aether stands perplexed. “Whoa..!” He immediately plants his knees into the pure white sheets, and if Xiao is bothered by the soil stains, he doesn’t show it with any more than an almost cat-like furrow in his eyebrows. “It’s so cool!”

“Right? It’s just a basic one because my parents think I’m too young for a real one and they're dumb. But it works, so it’s fine. So do you wanna put your number in or not?”

“My parents won’t let me have electronics till I’m eleven,” Aether sighs sadly, and the two boys lie down on their backs. “They’re really against us having cool stuff. And I guess that maybe they cost a lot.”

“Oh… It’s okay, we’ll figure something out.”

“Yeah!”

They lie like that for a while; Xiao is obviously still a little out of it from the long trip here, and Aether can feel sleepiness from working in the garden all day creeping up on him. He just suppresses a yawn, and watches Xiao curl in on himself.

Hehe, he really is like a kitty!

Finally, Xiao scrambles on his side, his fingers flying over the small number pads of his flip phone. “Look,” he says. “This is the inn, back in Springvale.”

Aether quickly rolls around, his sun hat flattened underneath his tummy. He’s completely in awe at the beautiful pictures on the small, slightly distorted screen, and wishes he was eleven already so he could also have a phone too.

They part ways early: it’s already getting late, Retuo has not accounted for extra mouths to feed, and they’re both very tired, adamant as they may be on not admitting it to each other.

As Ganyu comes plodding back home with a small bouquet of flowers from Aether’s garden in her hands, Aether shakes Xiao’s shoulders. “I’ll come pick you up tomorrow so we can go to the lake, okay?” he says, and he squints suspiciously. “It’s gonna be really hot. And I don’t want you to go without me and remember what it looks like so I can’t show it to you again.”

The nine year old casts a questioning look back over his shoulder, where a sleepy-looking Zhongli is helping Ganyu take off her shoes.

“I had expected as such,” the man says, hastily holding his daughter upright when she loses her balance. “Are you sure, though, my little bird? We’re going to the mall tomorrow, nice and cool. I thought you might want to come and pick out some things to spruce up your room.”

Aether holds his breath when Xiao mulls it over, wishing they’d just gotten a yes without stupid additions. Luckily, Xiao really has missed him, too: the older boy stubbornly shakes his head, crossing his arms. “Nope. I’m going with Aether.”

Pfew!

Zhongli smiles warmly at them. “Alright, understood. It does please me that you’ve made yourself such a good friend.”

The boys exchange goodnights—and as Aether skips down the road in the dim evening light, he feels happier than he’s been in… er… at least a couple of days!

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Aether wakes up way too early the next morning, filled with thoughts of everything they can do at the lake and how utterly amazed Xiao should be. In his excitement, he rushes to shower and get dressed, leaving the bathroom messy and wet in his wake, and he grabs the biggest bag he can find. It’s made of a plastic-like material, perfect for a day near water—but if it gets too heavy, those straps will surely be cutting into his hands.

“Muh..?” Lumine stirs in her bed, no doubt awakened by her brother throwing boating shoes, sunscreen, beach toys and more into the bag like he's gathering a treasure hoard. “What are you—ah, what time is it?!” She immediately veers up.

“Uhh, early,” Aether helpfully replies, adding two of his own towels to the haphazard heap in his bag. Just in case Xiao doesn’t have any big ones to sit on. “The sun is just rising.”

Lumine’s cheeks glow pink with relief. “Thanks for waking me, dumbo.” She throws her blanket to the side and slips into her socks, balancing through the minefield of the mess Aether has made of their shared bedroom (and her own mess as well, he isn’t claiming all of it).

“Give me the shell bucket please,” he says, ducking when Lumine throws it at his head. “Thanks Meen.”

“Are you playing with Xiao today?” Lumine tosses her pajamas at the laundry bin, misses spectacularly, looks at it for a moment, then shrugs and wiggles into a shirt. She pulls a clean pair of overalls over it.

“Uh-huh! We’re going to Starfell Lake.”

“Nice. I’m gonna—”

“—Go to the arcade. I know already.”

“Well, buttface, I was gonna say I’m going to water the plants really quick.”

“Okay, cootiebutt.”

“Ew.” Lumine snickers and as she weaves past her brother, she shoves his head into the bag. She skillfully darts out of the room before he can throw a shoe at her in retaliation. “I’m telling Mom you called me that!”

“Okay, tell her I said the f-word too!” Aether calls back. The boy rises to his feet, installing his hands on his waist in satisfaction, and shakes his unbrushed blonde hair out of his face. Alright, that should do it! With the necessary huffing and puffing and struggling to get the old zipper to close properly over the heap of stuff in the bag, he eventually manages to seal it.

It is indeed really heavy, but he decides he’ll just make Xiao hold one of the straps; together, they’ll be able to carry the entire thing to the lake without suffering for sure. Now, it’s just a matter of patience! He takes a look outside and…

.. Darn it, this is going to take forever. Isn’t there a way to make the sun rise a little bit faster?

Notes:

They're small and going on an adventure...! We're getting deeper into the vibes with this one <3

Thank you so much for reading, please look forward to next Saturday! It'll be a slightly longer chapter >v<

Chapter 4

It’s just past nine in the morning and it’s already beginning to get pretty warm out when Aether is skipping towards his friend’s house. His mom made him unpack the bag he’d taken care of by himself, throwing out all the useless stuff (like a second and third ball to play with; apparently, one is enough), and helping him pack his backpack instead.

She has also prepared lunch for the children; Aether, Lumine, Xiao and Ganyu, but Lumine has already taken hers to Sucrose’s place, and Ganyu isn’t joining. He supposes that he and Xiao just have an extra sandwich to share now.

He arrives at the Longwangs’ summer cottage, where Retuo is just fastening Ganyu’s seatbelt in the right backseat. She waves at Aether through the window, and he shyly waves back.

Zhongli hurries outside as well, with Xiao in tow, and in passing, the two adults mumble something to each other before exchanging a kiss. Eugh, why do adults always have to do that?

“Morning kitty!” he calls, and Xiao immediately dislodges his hand from Zhongli’s, dashing in front of the car.

“Morning, bunny.”

“Hold on, you two.” Zhongli is quick to catch up to them and takes Xiao’s arm. Aether can barely contain his laughter: the dark-haired boy’s dad begins relentlessly doting on him, slathering a generous layer of sunscreen on his arms and face.

Xiao’s cheeks are burning up by the time Zhongli smiles in satisfaction. “Shut up,” he hisses when Aether finally lets a snort escape. “I-I just get sunburn fast!”

“Yes, you do, little bird. So you are taking this entire tube with you and reapplying some once every hour, got it?” Zhongli doesn’t wait for an answer, slipping the tube inside the shoulder bag Xiao is equipped with. His amber eyes narrow with fondness.

Aether studies the bag; it looks really fancy, and an even fancier-looking child-sized parasol is sticking out from one end of it. Whoa…

“Remember that we won’t be back until at least four,” Zhongli says softly, casting a brief look at Retuo, who is waiting in the car. “We have agreed it’s a tad too risky to let you take our only key to the lake, so if you’re finished earlier, I want you to head to Aether’s place. Alright?”

Xiao nods dutifully.

“Good. Do not go with strangers—kick them if you must.” For a moment, Zhongli sounds very strict and his eyes look like thunder, and Aether shivers. It’s a little scary. “Low blows prove the most effective, and biting is more fun and works just as well. Have a great day, you two.”

After placing a kiss on the nine year old’s head, Zhongli veers up, offers Aether another of those funny head dips, and strides towards the car.

Retuo has been holding the door open for him. As he comes back around, he waves Xiao off. “Be back in time for dinner, little one,” he rumbles, “and don’t cause any trouble, got it? I’m making almond tofu for dessert, and you won’t get any if I hear that you’ve misbehaved.”

Again, Xiao nods, smiling widely at his father.

Feeling super impatient, Aether decides he’s endured enough suffering and waiting and grips onto Xiao’s hand, seeing his almost yellow eyes widen with surprise. “Let’s go,” he whispers mysteriously, and he drags his friend towards the walking path at the edge of the forest here. “It’s a long way, maybe we can climb the ropes before we head on!”

“No way, I’m not doing stupid rope climbing again. Ouch—careful, Aether!”

They don’t even wait for the car to leave. Aether is way too excited to see the look on Xiao’s face when he shows him his favorite spot at Starfell Lake.

It truly is a long walk, only the lush, green canopy above protecting them from the sun, and Xiao seems to be getting antsy. “Last year, when I went with my family, we went that way,” he says doubtfully, pointing at the wooden, beat-up sign that points to the right and says: “Starfell Lake: 2 km” .

Aether heads left, fully assured. “That’s because you were a tourist,” he says wisely. “But now, you’re with me. And I’m much cooler than a tourist.”

He snickers when Xiao pulls up his shoulder and glares: he looks just like a cat with its fur puffed up!

“Trust me, it’ll be worth it!”

“Okay…”

About ten minutes later, it’s gotten really hot outside, and Aether runs off the path and into the bushes. Xiao struggles and huffs and puffs behind him, so he blindly mows his hand back until his friend takes it, allowing Aether to pull him through the dense foliage. In the distance, crystal blue peeks playfully through gaps in the leaves.

He hears Xiao hold his breath.

Itching with glee, Aether slowly creeps through the last line of thick shrubs. “Ready?” he asks hoarsely. His smile brightens when Xiao nods, and he pushes them both through the bushes.

Beside him, Xiao’s jaw falls. He stands in awe at the view before him.

It’s nothing like where the tourist signs try to take everyone. The enormous, round lake looks even bluer on this side of it, and the grass-filled, sandy white riverbank is incredibly calm and clean, filled with small pebbles and tiny shells to collect. Orange-leafed birch trees stand mingled with the green trees all around them, and willows drape their long branches in the water.

The grassy ground slopes up into high hills that are perfect to do cannonballs from, encasing this little bay in peaceful seclusion from both sides. They offer a perfectly secret and safe little spot for the children to enjoy, and the rocks peeking up from the water here and there are overgrown with moss, calla lilies and snapdragons. In the rocky side of one of the hills even sits a small cave, surrounded by colorful, flowering bushes, and birds are soaring through the blue sky above.

Sure, the tourists may get a real beach and a cool view on the statue meant to depict the Mondstadter archon of old, smack dab on a small island in the water… but Aether knows about this way better spot!

“This is so cool,” Xiao whispers, his grip on Aether’s hand super tight.

“Right?!”

Chirping with mirth, the dark-haired boy dashes towards the calmly rippling water. He tosses his bag in the sand, wiggles out of his light teal shirt, and kicks off his shoes to carefully dip his toes in the water.

“It’s cold!” he declares, raising his fist at the sun high above as if victorious.

The boys hurriedly set up camp: Xiao’s parasol ensures that the sun stays out of the cave they’ve decided to make their base, their towels form little nests for them to sit in, and their clothes and bags mark the spot for anyone who still thinks it’s okay for them to invade the space. Aether lets Xiao borrow the extra pair of boating shoes he’d packed, and, shrieking gleefully, the two run into the water of Starfell Lake.

It’s super cold—Aether nearly freezes on the spot. Xiao has to tackle him to get him to move, submerging him into the frigid blue. Laughing and sputtering water out of his mouth, he decides to enact revenge once it’s time for the cannonballs.

They splash each other, push each other under, and Xiao dives often, leaving Aether, who is a little scared of diving in too deep, at the surface. Every time he comes back up, it’s with smooth, white rocks in his fists, or an excited: “I saw a fish!”

“We should’ve brought fishing stuff,” Aether huffs, treading water not far from a mossy rock. “Fishing is fun, my dad does it sometimes.”

“I can catch them with my bare hands.”

“No way, you liar. Prove it!”

“Don’t test me, I really can! I’ve done it before.” Xiao sticks out his tongue and dives into the water again.

Aether clutches onto the mossy rock, holding his breath in anticipation. He expects his friend to come back up with an excuse any second now, but it doesn’t happen. Hm… he’s staying under for a pretty long time.

“Xiao?” he calls.

Still nothing. Um… where did he go?

“Xiao?” Aether calls again, his chest feeling a little heavy. Oh no, what if something happened? “Kitty?”

Did he die?

He’s about to sound the alarm when Xiao suddenly breaches the surface of the water, hacking and coughing, his dark greenish-gray hair that looks black when soaked sticking to his pale forehead and cheeks. Aether gasps and immediately gestures for him to swim over to the rock.

“That was dangerous , dumbo,” the eight year old breathes, his eyes wide with shock. “You scared me real bad!”

Xiao drapes himself over the rock and takes another deep breath. “Yeah, but,” he says, his almond-shaped eyes untypically sly when he smiles, “look what I got.” Glowing with pride, he holds up a small, struggling fish.

“Whoa! You caught one, just like a real kitty!” The worry dissipates completely, replaced by nothing but awe.

“See, I told you I could do it.”

“You’re so cool.”

They slump against the rock and admire the fish for a while, the cool water of Starfell Lake rippling around them as the sun glares warm rays on their skin from high above. Eventually, after Aether has stroked its scales with the tips of his fingers one more time, Xiao lets the animal go.

“I’m hungry,” the dark-haired boy says, still a little out of breath. “How long have we been out? I need to put on sunscreen.”

“Dunno.”

Together, they swim back to the riverbank, their bodies heavy with water as they emerge. Aether is faster and dashes into the small cave, nestling himself in the towels on the grass. Xiao soon joins him, shivering, and they’re a little more grateful that it’s so warm out today now.

While Xiao applies sunscreen, Aether pulls out the sunsettia jam sandwiches his mom has made for them.

For some reason, Xiao looks surprised and drops his tube. He scrambles to his own bag and, with an almost shy smile, he pulls out the two lunch boxes for which Retuo had woken up early to make—one for each of them. Both are filled with fresh, homemade rice buns, sweet cakes, and one skewer of Zhongyuan chop suey each, and Xiao even got a lidded bowl with the previous evening’s Qingce stir fry leftovers to share.

Aether squeals happily; more food is always good.

Xiao takes some more time applying the sunscreen everywhere, with Aether helping him get his back, and he convinces Aether to apply some as well. Then, they take their towels and scramble outside to eat their lunch in the sun.

“Wait, I almost forgot.” Aether scuttles back into the cave and comes out with two paper cups and a can of coke. Nothing tastes better after a long swim than yummy food and soda! Carefully, he pours the cups… but he decides that Xiao can have a little more. You know, because he caught a fish with his bare hands and probably almost died. It’s only fair.

Xiao is still chewing on a rice bun when he takes the cup and looks into it. Aether knows his dads won’t normally let him have soda, but this is a special occasion.

The nine year old seems to agree: “Let’s do a lot of fun things this summer,” he says solemnly, and he raises his cup as if he’s wanting to make a promise.

“Yeah!”

Giggling, they bump their paper cups together and down the soda in one go. Aether cries out in regret, feeling the bubbles travel up his nose, and bursts into a painful coughing fit… but Xiao’s undignified snorts and hiccups make it worth it.

They spend the rest of their day at the sunny lake doing cannonballs, taking bad pictures on Xiao’s flip phone, pretending they need to defend their base against bloodthirsty pirates, racing each other in the lake, and listing off everything they want to do before their vacation ends. 

By the time Aether drags his feet into his house, he’s exhausted. He ended up bringing Xiao home around dinnertime when it was already beginning to cool down outside, so he couldn’t stay over. But it’s okay, because they’re hanging out again in two days; Zhongli wants to take the family to a museum first.

Yawning, he removes his shoes and adds them to the messy pile in the corner, and he climbs the stairs with difficulty. His arms are really sore, and his shoulders and back are getting warmer. Xiao’s cheeks and forehead were red when Zhongli had welcomed him home, which his dad had strictly pointed out, and Aether thinks his friend may not be the only one who got burnt after all.

“Welcome back, baby!” his mom calls from the kitchen. “Did you have fun?”

“Uh-huh!” Aether calls back, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

“Did you almost die?” Lumine calls from the living room. She comes bounding into the hallway, grinning up at her brother, and tucks a misshapen purple slime plushie that she must’ve won at the arcade under an arm.

“Uh-huh.” Aether grins too. “Xiao too.”

“Nice! Did you go to the cave place?”

“Mhm.” Suddenly, he thinks of something: “If you’re gonna go swimming with Ganyu sometime, can you go somewhere else?”

“Huh, why?”

“Dunno. Me and Xiao made it our base, so I guess it’s ours now. No girls allowed.”

Lumine sticks her tongue out at him. “Yeah? Well, then we’re gonna conquer it and you’ll have to take it back by force,” she declares, puffing out her chest and taking on a widespread stance. “Or perish trying!”

“Fiiiine. You’re so stupid!”

“Kids, what have I told you about using your kind words?” their mom quickly interjects.

“Sorry.”

Finally, he waddles into their bedroom, meanders around the mess of clothes and toys on the floor, and drops himself on his comfortable bed. His eyes fall shut, and he melts away in the pleasant daze of the day. The bedroom isn’t too hot anymore, and instead of needing his sunshine yellow summer blanket, the dull burn of the sun keeps him warm as he thinks back to Starfell Lake.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

It’s a hot day, but not as hot as it was three days ago when the boys hadn’t been allowed outside at all because the sun was too dangerous.

Aether and Xiao have nestled themselves in the tall grass behind the greenhouse of Aether’s parents, enjoying the warm rays and the occasional cool breeze that bristles through the yellowed blades and disturbs the monarch butterflies taking rest upon them. The smell of freshly tilled soil and blooming summer flowers, and the faint odor of the plant-based compost Aether’s family uses for the vegetable patches, hang thickly in the air.

They’re lying on their backs, head to head, lounging. Sometimes, Aether points up at a lonely cloud in the sky and declares what it looks like.

Xiao is still absentmindedly licking at his pear-flavored popsicle. Aether and Lumine always bite into theirs to see who can finish the fastest, so Aether’s was gone within minutes, but Xiao has been at it for ages now.

Suppressing a sleepy yawn, the eight year old huddles a little deeper in the crispy, comfy grass, and he tries not to think too much of the fact that Lumine and Ganyu are off to Starfell Lake today—which means the boys’ base is probably getting conquered right now.

Their parents are hanging out together, too, which is pretty cool!

They finally formally introduced their parents to each other this morning, instead of them just yelling times and dates and laughing to each other from opposite ends of the streets in hurried passing, whenever necessary. Like they did last summer.

Kinda weird that it took so long, but it’s okay! Aether guesses it just never really struck their minds till now that it might be useful to get to know each other better. Maybe his parents just assumed that last summer was a one-time thing, and that he was just lucky that Xiao’s family really had come back to Starfell.

It felt super weird to hear the parents talk to each other like, “Ah, splendiferous to finally formally meet you, kind mister Travis Reisender, kind miss Wanda Reisender!” and, “Oh, marvelous indeed, good mister Zhongli Longwang, good mister Retuo Longwang!”

Okay, maybe not like that, but still. Guess it’s official now: their parents know each other and everything, so they’ll definitely be meeting up every summer. Aether really, really, really hopes so, at least.

This one is almost over. He dreads the passing of time; two more weeks, and Xiao will be gone again.

He sits up, flicking a bug off his old, ripped t-shirt, and shaking loose sprigs of grass out of his messy, springy blonde hair. “Xiao,” he says urgently. “Do you think the girls will really steal our base?”

Of course, he had long since told his friend about Lumine’s nefarious plan.

“Probably,” Xiao says with a small shrug. “Ganyu likes flowers, and the cave had lots of them.”

“Puh…”

“We can steal it back next time we go.”

But then the girls would just steal it again next time! No, they have to come up with a better idea. Aether furrows his eyebrows and puffs his little cheeks, thinking long and hard. Hmm… Hmmmm… There’s a rundown old farmhouse not too far from here, which the two had hunted ghosts in last year.

Just like that, an idea pops into Aether’s head. “Xiao!” he shouts, turning around to shake the nine year old upright. “Let’s make our own base, so they can’t steal it!”

“Huh?” Xiao cocks his head to the side, his dark hair, also full of grass, bouncing along. “How do you wanna do that?”

“Let’s go!” Aether’s heart ruffles in his chest as he grabs Xiao’s arm and pulls him along. His sputtering protests and the loss of the last stretch of his popsicle are lost on the blonde boy.

The two squirm their way through the tall grass, with the breeze in their hair and sprigs in their mouths, and venture towards the abandoned farmhouse. Its only company is a big, old oak, as nobody has used the property since Aether was a baby. And maybe even before that, too.

It’s just as empty and creepy as they remember, and Aether feels his excitement die down. He hesitates for a moment. It’s the middle of the day, but it’s still really dark in there, dang… And with the way it creaks, it almost sounds like beings are moaning and howling inside.

“Wait. What if the ghosts and the demons get angry?” he whispers. “Because we’re gonna steal their stuff?”

Xiao raises his chin, frowning at the farmhouse, even though his shoulders are shaking a little. “I’ll kill any demon that lays a hand on you,” he formally declares. “And the ghosts too. Just call my name and I’ll be there, okay?”

Aether looks at him sheepishly. But he’s so small. What if the demons are too big?

Xiao huffs. He stomps towards the nearest stick he can find, lifting it above his head, like maybe a sword or a spear. “I’ll smack them with this!” he says proudly. “Let’s steal their stuff and make a base.”

That’s compelling enough. “Okay!” Aether nods, his cheeks a blithe pink.

The following hour, the boys spend breaking panels and wood off the old farmhouse, careening as much as they can carry (and can’t actually carry) back to a spot in the tall grass that they’ve carefully selected: it’s not too far from the greenhouse, but Lumine and Ganyu won’t be able to find it, because they’re going to hide it really well.

There, they begin assembling. Aether sneaks into Travis’ workshop to borrow the tools he’s not allowed to touch because they’re “expensive professional carpenters’ tools”. The children try their absolute best, wholeheartedly pretending that they each know exactly how to use these tools, taking frequent breaks to drink lemonade, wrestle over who gets to use the best tools, and chase each other around the field. Laughing, Aether notes how Xiao is simply too slow to keep up with him. Obviously, because the Liyueren boy is just a big city kid!

Unfortunately, Xiao most definitely takes that to heart, his round cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he promptly sinks into the tall grass to sulk. Aether has to apologize a hundred-thousand-million times before the smile returns to his little friend’s face.

“It’s still true though,” the blonde boy says, dusting off his worn-down clothes.

“Well, maybe, I guess, but you don’t need to point it out.” Xiao huffs and crosses his arms, but Aether pokes him in the sides until that impressive frown of his disappears completely. “One of these days I’m gonna be way faster than you and then, you’ll be sorry! Stinkface.”

“Uh-huh, we’ll see about that,” Aether says cheerfully, and the boys return to making their base. “Anyway, can I have the saw? I wanna make a cool sign for our names, so the girls will know to stay outside.”

“Sure, but don’t hurt yourself, okay? Swear it?”

“Only because you say so, hehe.”

In the end, Aether bruises himself on the saw’s grip, which is way too big for his little hand, and it surprises him more than anything. He had no idea that saws could do that. A flabbergasted Xiao helps him out with a cold cloth to the skin, scolding him for breaking the promise, but Aether insists he’s had worse. Xiao promptly refuses to let him have the saw again.

But it’s true! And either way, one little bruise is nothing in the face of their finished project.

Through perseverance and teamwork, they manage to construct a shack-ish thing that is just wide enough for two children to lay side by side in, and just tall enough for them to stand up in. It’s not perfect, by any means—it even falls apart twice, so they have to start over—but it stands on the third try, and it’s theirs.

Xiao’s hands are red and blistered by the time they finish, though, and Aether’s good hand is still visibly bruised, so when Aether’s parents return home and Zhongli comes to pick his son up for dinner, they’re not too happy.

Later, Travis lectures Aether for using the carpenter’s tools without permission, and “risking their health” because “the farmhouse wood is old”. Duh, that’s why they grabbed it, because it means nobody else will use it anymore! Still, Travis makes him promise never to do something like this again.

In the end, Aether likes to think it was worth it, still. Their base looks really cool from his bedroom window, and, giddily, he kicks his feet.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The rest of the summer goes by so fast. When Xiao isn’t out with his family, the kids go to the arcade when their parents go to the mall, eat paprika potato tornadoes, and spend more time stealing the cave at Starfell Lake back from the girls (their parents won’t let them hang out in the base they made), who then simply snatch it back later. They even go shopping for paint with the Longwangs so Ganyu and Xiao can customize their rooms.

Ganyu gets her dads to help, but Xiao much prefers Aether’s, and the boy happily helps him paint the rustic brown and pastel yellow room teal and white instead.

Sometimes, Zhongli comes in to help them even out the paint a little more (“Surely you don’t want these droplets to harden here, do you, little bird?”), and sometimes, Retuo comes in to bring them homemade Liyueren snacks (“So, who’s hungry? Look at you boys, working so hard!”). He’s much nicer than he looks, kind of like a big old bear.

Aether also likes that Zhongli calls Xiao that. But when he asks about whether he prefers being a birdie, Xiao tells him to stick to kitty, because he thinks cats and rabbits work better together.

At the very end of summer, Travis and Wanda organize a barbecue on their property and invite the Longwangs to come over. The kids get to sit on ratty, old, soft pillows in the back of the Reisenders’ big, rusty pickup truck, while being served Mondstadter and Liyueren barbecue delicacies under the starry sky.

It’s… very clear to see that neither Zhongli nor Travis are of much help when it comes to prepping food. But they’re trying, so their spouses aren’t complaining. Much.

Xiao isn’t allowed near the barbecue either, but Retuo lets Ganyu help serve her father’s food to Aether and Lumine.

“He never lets me help,” Xiao mutters, “and Ganyu can’t even carry the plates well, it’s so stupid.” Luckily, it’s quickly forgotten when he gets to put his teeth in Wanda’s signature chicken-mushroom skewers.

It is then that they decide to set up a pen pal system, at the suggestion of Wanda: because Aether can’t have electronics yet, but the boys really want to keep in touch when school time comes around, Wanda and Zhongli exchange their addresses so that the kids can write to each other whenever they want.

It’s a little old-fashioned, yeah, but Aether is sure it’ll be fun until he can finally get a phone too!

Before Aether knows it, Retuo is packing up the Range Rover, Lumine and Ganyu are taking some more pictures together on Xiao’s phone whilst Ganyu asks if Lumine’s friends really liked playing with her this year, and Travis and Wanda are chatting away with Zhongli.

But Aether feels less sad this time, even when he exchanges a final hug with Xiao before his friend smiles at him and climbs into the car. After all, he knows he’ll be back next year: the parents know each other, Lumine and Ganyu get along so well, and Aether and Xiao… well, to split them apart forever would, at this point, be a crime.

Notes:

Here with the new update! I realized Aether and Lumine’s parents would also need a name, or it would look a little weird. Did I make the names of the Travelers’ parents some sort of play on traveler/wanderer, and simply slap the German word for traveler in the place of their last name? Yes. Unfortunately I did.
Thank you, Travis and Wanda Reisender, for your punny service 🙏

(repost, I had once again messed up ><)

Chapter 5

Fall, Year 2

 

Xiao kicks off his shoes and drags his feet into the house. Grumpily, he tosses his school bag aside; it’s 18:00, it’s cold, the weather is gloomy, he’s tired, he feels a cold lurking just around the corner, and he wishes he didn’t have to go to school again tomorrow.

He steps aside before Ganyu and her friends can run him over: Zhongli always picks them up after school, and Ganyu has brought her friends along for dinner today. Not even for the first time that week. 

“I brought the coolest game ever, you guys are gonna get your friggin’ socks blown off.” Beidou, who is a year older than Ganyu, is practically vibrating with excitement as she launches her shoes into the wall, one by one. Xiao knows very well that she very liberally uses the f-word behind her parents’ backs, but to keep up the ruse and because Zhongli really doesn’t care whose child he needs to scold, she doesn’t say it when she’s at their place.

Ganyu drags her quiet, somewhat curt friend Keqing, who is the same age as her, along by the hand, and nods eagerly. “Well, I got Xiao’s controllers too, so we can play it with the four of us,” she says.

Huh? “Hey—I didn’t say you could have my controllers.”

“But you don’t have friends, and we want to play together.”

“I do have friends. Besides, I wanna play my own game! You can’t have my stuff.”

“Dad!” Ganyu turns towards Zhongli, who gently pushes the last of the quartet, Ningguang, into the hallway. She always seems so in awe of the grandeur of their house, and Xiao often notices she acts like she’s not allowed to be there.

This time is no different: she quickly waddles to the more eccentric Beidou for moral support.

“Hm?” Zhongli hums, putting his large umbrella in its designated rack.

“Xiao won’t let me borrow his controllers and my friends and I wanna play Beidou’s cool game!” Ganyu whines, stomping her little feet on the carpeted hallway floor. “He says he’s still gonna use them, but Shenhe isn’t here, so he doesn’t even need them!”

“But they’re my controllers,” Xiao hisses, pulling up his shoulders.

“Just let us play, dork,” Beidou says, puffing out her chest. She whips her long hair, which is so brown it’s almost purple in the right light, over her shoulder. “It’s not like you were actually gonna game until we said we wanted to.”

Beside her, Ningguang nods quietly.

Even Keqing looks disapproving. “Dork,” she echoes, and Ganyu giggles.

Xiao puffs his cheeks. “Stupids,” he whispers, feeling an annoying prickle in his throat. Ugh… he hates having to fight off Ganyu’s friends.

“Children, come now. No arguing, we are nothing if not well-behaved in this house,” Zhongli tries to soothe, placing a hand on Xiao’s shoulder. He overthinks it for a moment; “Alright, I reckon we will be having dinner in about an hour and you all have school tomorrow—knowing your parents, they will start picking you up around eight-thirty. There isn’t that much time for elaborate, erm, gaming sessions.”

Ha, take that!

“We wanna play together,” Ningguang whispers, fiddling with the shirt of Beidou’s uniform. “Even if it’s short.”

“Yeah!” Beidou agrees.

“Dad—” Ganyu starts, but Zhongli waves his free hand around, and offers her a smile.

“Xiao, will you lend them one of your controllers?” he asks kindly. “You only need one to play by yourself, correct?”

Hmph.

“But we’re with four!”

“Then two of you will simply have to play in a team, my little qilin. Remember that you may not have enough time to play enough turns for four players.”

Dangit. Under his dad’s soft, but stern gaze, Xiao has no choice but to relent, and he nods.

“Well, see! You can borrow one of the controllers. And in return, you girls stop teasing him, alright?”

The girls agree in unison. Xiao completely ignores them as they all stall their shoes away and remove their wet coats, as well as their school uniform ties. Only Ningguang folds hers neatly; the other girls are already sprinting across the broad hallway to tackle one of the staircases to the first floor, cheering loudly.

Beidou waves to Ningguang from the balustrade connecting the two staircases, telling her to hurry up.

Xiao trudges after them, grumbling under his breath. His dad pats his head and whispers a quiet: “Thank you.”

After reluctantly passing one of his controllers to Beidou, who sticks her tongue out at him when she leaves (but at least none of the girls have been in his room), the nine year old boy heads back downstairs to get a rice bun from the fridge. Stupid Ganyu and her stupid friends…

School has barely started five weeks ago and his little sister is already taking her friends home at least three times a week—sometimes just Keqing, and sometimes all of them. Xiao hates it. Especially Beidou loves jeering at him and telling him he’s just jealous of them because he doesn’t have any friends.

Which is not true at all! He has Shenhe! And they just don’t have any more friends because they both hate everyone else, because everyone else is annoying and doesn’t like them anyway. So it’s pointless.

He’s tried to explain that to Zhongli too, but… his dad is still worried about him sometimes.

“I do have friends,” Xiao mumbles to himself as affirmation. “And I could make new ones if I wanted to.” Yeah.

He shuffles down the hallway, trying not to be too loud. Their house is very large, but systematically so; their door has the size of one-and-a-half regular doors, and a short entrance intermission where they keep the coat racks and shoe racks leads directly into a wider hallway that offers access to the two staircases to the first floor. Between the staircases, on the left side, sits a small hallway that leads directly to the kitchen without the need to pass through the living room, and on the right side are the big, paper sliding doors to the enormous, long living room.

The balustrade connecting the two staircases sits elegantly above the thin kitchen hallway and the living room sliding doors. Like a cool hat.

The hallway that houses the staircases has a door to the downstairs toilet and a lot of old stuff in it; Zhongli likes antiques. Two big oaken antique desks and two big oaken antique bookcases with lots of old books stand against the walls on each side, and each side also has one enormous plant, because Retuo likes plants. Nobody ever uses the desks: Zhongli says they’re just for show. No, special studies and the likes are on the second floor, and all the bedrooms are on the first floor, with two bathrooms as well.

Though… whenever any work needs to be done at home, both men prefer using the living room, where their husband and the kids can join them too. As a result, Ganyu and her friends often sneak to the second floor to play in secret, because she’s convinced her dads won’t find out anyway: they’re rarely there!

Xiao might just rat her out one of these days, to get back at her. Maybe her friends won’t be allowed to come over for a while, then, and he’ll have peace.

As he passes the half open sliding doors to the big living room to slither into the kitchen hallway, he hears the sound of plates against their expensive mahogany table. He also catches voices.

“Zhongli, dear—today was payday, correct?” That’s Retuo, and he sounds a little annoyed.

“Yes, my love.” Zhongli must be readying the table for dinner.

“Why didn’t you transfer all of it?”

“Oh—I thought that since I was meant to do the grocery shopping today anyway, I ought to keep some with me. I shouldn’t disturb you too often at work, what would your employees think?”

“Mm. Alright. 300 Mora, though, for groceries? ”

“Yes, just in case! I saw this beautiful Cor Lapis crystal necklace at the jewelry store, so it ended up coming in handy, haha.”

Xiao decides the conversation is boring and makes his way toward the fridge. Lots of pans are already cooking and boiling on the stove, promising another delicious dinner. The boy, intrigued as he is by the food, tries his best to be quick.

“Ah. You did, huh. I hope you understand that this is why I control the finances.”

Right before Retuo comes stomping into the kitchen through the doorway that directly connects it to the living room, to manhandle the pots and pans, Xiao zips into the hallway with a rice bun in his mouth.

He isn’t spotted. Whew!

“You don’t need more Cor Lapis, Zhongli, you’re like a damn dragon gathering a hoard! Next time, you are to transfer all of it. I don’t mind being disturbed if it means you don’t waste all your money on even more useless crap.”

“Huh—what is with this snappy attitude, all of a sudden?”

“What attitude?”

“Your tone. You never speak to me like this. Is something the matter?”

Zhongli sounds hurt, and Xiao decides to linger around the bottom of the staircase a little longer when he hears his dad’s footsteps entering the kitchen too.

It’s probably fine, his parents never argue for long.

“.. Sorry. Ought to blame work. It has been getting a little, how do you say… much, as of late.” See, Retuo’s voice has already gotten much softer. “But it’s quite alright. For the amount on my paycheck, I need to make some sacrifices.”

“I… do suppose so. Don’t push yourself too hard, my love. Even the most important duties should never be granted the opportunity to eat you away.”

“Haha. Well, I,” Retuo sighs, “how else will I get you new things for your hoard, hm, my pretty little dragon? Come here.”

Luckily, Zhongli laughs again and with a pleased nod, Xiao disappears upstairs. See, they’re always fine.

Munching on his rice bun, he slips into his room to play his own game. The girls are being super loud, laughing and cheering or booing, so he tries to drown it out by putting in his earbuds.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

It’s much later than Zhongli had said when Keqing’s dad finally comes to pick her up.

After that, everything needs to be rushed to make sure the kids still go to sleep relatively on time: Retuo finishes washing the dishes and makes sure Ganyu is clean before she goes to bed, while Xiao has already been ready since Beidou and Ningguang left. He’s just waiting to be told goodnight.

Retuo comes into his big room first. He gives him a kiss on the head and a tight hug, and wishes him a quick goodnight before he dashes back to the bathroom. Judging from the shout, Ganyu has made a big, watery mess of everything again.

Xiao nestles himself into the sheets and waits patiently. He’s a little tired, but… he knows he can’t sleep well if they don’t both say goodnight to him.

Eventually, Zhongli enters his room, if anything, appearing happy that all kids who are not his own have finally left the premises. “Hey, little bird." He kneels down by the bed, a warm smile around his lips. “Thank you for not making a fuss today.”

“I wish Ganyu wasn’t so annoying all the time,” Xiao says. He feels a sting in his chest, thinking gratitude is not in order in the face of utter sisterly betrayal. “It’s my stuff. Why do I always have to give it to her? Her friends aren’t even nice to me.”

For a moment, Zhongli looks perplexed. Xiao almost regrets saying anything. But the man sighs, and he averts his amber gaze, and tenderly strokes his fingers through his son’s hair. “I know little siblings can be a handful sometimes,” he says, quietly, “but a strong sibling bond is something precious, Xiao. Everything you do to help one another, is a step toward something stronger yet. I bet she’s very thankful that she could borrow one of your controllers. And in return, she left you alone all evening, didn’t she?”

Hm… “I guess. Does that mean I can borrow her coloring book when I want to?” Xiao asks sharply. “The one with the cool round patterns in it.”

“Haha! Perhaps, if you ask her nicely—or offer her something she wants in return,” Zhongli replies, leaning in to press a kiss to the crown of his head. “You may find her annoying now, but one day, you will be happy to have her.”

Sighing, Xiao huddles away under his blanket. “Dunno. Maybe. Goodnight, Dad.”

“Goodnight, my little bird.” Zhongli leaves a nightlight on, and gently closes the door behind him.

Sometimes, Xiao wonders how Aether and Lumine always get along so well. But he can’t sink too deep into his thoughts or his door swings open again—and Ganyu waddles in, in her pajamas. She plops Xiao’s controller in its designated spot.

“Thank you,” she says, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. “I got to be on a team with Keqing, it was lots of fun. Goodnight Xiao!”

Oh. “Night.”

The door slams shut behind her, and Xiao smiles.

Over the weeks that follow, Retuo complains about work three more times. Once very casually and jokingly at the dinner table, once with cuss words when he thinks Zhongli has already taken Xiao and Ganyu to school (quickly interrupted by his husband in question), and once out loud when Xiao is quietly ghosting around the house in search of his crayons. Neither parent notices him that time.

Xiao doesn’t really get what there is to complain about: Retuo is getting big boss money, after all. But he’s becoming really snappy, so it must be kind of serious.

He hears him mention some or other “Guizhong” once at night, when he has snuck downstairs to get a goodnight from Retuo, but he doesn’t catch the full sentence and Zhongli only replies with: “I understand that you’re stressed, I truly do, but there is no need to bring up my past. Shall I pour us a glass of osmanthus wine? We can reminisce about our days long gone instead—I’ll make you feel extra old.”

Retuo laughs and welcomes the idea, and tells Zhongli he loves him. So Xiao thinks it’s not that important, and decides to go back to bed and make do.

At school, he tells Shenhe about it. First, she chases some kids who try to hound them with snippy questions about their parents away with just a look; born with snow white hair and a set of icy eyes that are exactly like her mom’s, she not only stands out a lot, but also manages to intimidate people with startling ease.

She’s not mean or anything! At least, Xiao doesn’t think so. She says scary things to people sometimes, but it’s mostly that she’s got the same expression in her eyes as her mother, and everyone is h-word-ing terrified of her mother! If anyone is scarier than Retuo when he’s mad or Zhongli when he’s strict, it’s Miss Xianyun when she’s looking at you.

The woman is a little haughty and loves her daughter tremendously, so she gets fiercely protective over her, glaring down anyone she thinks isn’t treating her well. She sometimes dotes on Xiao too, when the two have a playdate, and she’s very fond of Ganyu. Xiao likes her very much, despite her reputation.

Shenhe, nibbling on some violetgrass flowers she found and contracting her face ever so often, shrugs. “Parents get stupid sometimes,” the other nine year old says in her somewhat monotonous, wise voice. “He’ll probably get over it, honestly.”

Xiao decides to take that to heart. After all, Shenhe is never wrong.

At some point, on the car ride back from school, Ganyu asks if Retuo is okay because he’s been so grumpy lately. Zhongli simply laughs it off: “Of course, little qilin. Work is just making him a bit tired. Being an adult is not all fun and games, you know. Many responsibilities come with it!”

Ganyu complains about never wanting to be an adult in that case, and nods.

“We just need to be there for him, can you two do that?” Zhongli follows up light-heartedly. “I am sure that everything will turn out alright if his precious babies are there to greet him with a smile when he comes home.”

“Yeah!” Ganyu immediately replies. “I’ll make Papa lots of paintings so he forgets all about work.”

Xiao stays quiet, until he catches Zhongli’s calm gaze in the car mirror. Hm… maybe he only imagined there to be some tension just now. “Okay,” he says. “I’ll do my best.” And he will—he loves his father very much.

The days come and go, and though Retuo is always stressed out after work, he does appreciate it when Xiao and Ganyu go a little easier on him.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Fall is so dreary and drab where they live. Xiao sighs, his cheek propped up on his hand as he stares out his bedroom window: it’s been raining all week, and it’s still raining now. Thick droplets plink against the glass, sliding down so fast that it’s like there’s a waterfall outside.

The streets down below are full of puddles, the garden is muddy, and the sky is so dark that it looks like it’s nighttime. Sigh… so much for the weekend.

He wonders how Aether is doing. Is it raining over here, too?

He has been meaning to write his friend a letter, but he’s not sure how to do it. Letters are supposed to be really long, but he doesn’t know if he’s got a lot to tell, and maybe what he can tell is too boring. After all, he’s only really been going to school for two months now.

Maybe he can tell Aether about the math he’s been learning, or that they’ll finally have a week off soon, and the family is going hiking. Maybe he can tell him about the food he’s been eating, and the books he’s been reading. But all of that sounds like stuff he wouldn’t want to know of himself. Surely, his friend wouldn’t want to read about it either.

Urgh… It’s easier to talk in person, when interesting stuff is actually happening.

His tummy grumbles, so he jumps from the large toy chest in front of his window and crosses his messy room—he’s been playing a lot, so most of the toys that are supposed to be stored away in the chest lay strewn across the floor instead. He hops over the book he was reading yesterday, almost steps on the doll that he borrowed from Ganyu, and makes his way downstairs to grab a snack.

Retuo works this weekend, but Zhongli is sitting at the table with Ganyu. She’s painting his nails and telling him about last Friday. The seven year old is making it especially dramatic, liking his flabbergasted gasps and the way his eyebrows arch with interest.

Xiao ignores it and grabs a small bag of chips from the snack drawer. He meanders through the living room to toss some chips for Ganyu on the table, and passes the picture dresser on his way out. Well, it houses pictures, and some of Zhongli’s weird historical artifacts.

The pictures are mostly of all of them together, or of Zhongli’s and Retuo’s wedding and them doing other gross kissy things, or of Xiao or Ganyu on their birthdays, or of them smearing chocolate pudding all over each other’s faces. But there’s one picture there that especially stands out: it’s one of Xiao with Zhongli alone, with an amusement park in the background.

He’s still very little there, maybe three years old, and he doesn’t remember the day it was taken. Retuo was there too, according to Zhongli, but he’s taking the picture.

It mostly stands out, though, because it’s so far away from all the other pictures, and it isn’t kept within a golden frame, like the others. In fact, it isn’t framed at all; it sits in a little box with a see-through lid that Zhongli put upright.

Retuo often buys new picture frames when pictures need to be added to the ever growing assortment, but he always gets one too little. He probably just doesn’t like this one.

Some years before they got married, when they were still dating, Zhongli adopted Xiao without asking Retuo first. Retuo mentions it sometimes, when they’re irritated with each other late in the evening.

The kids aren’t supposed to know. Xiao really only does because he happened to be stealing food at the time his father said the full thing out loud.

It’s okay, though, because they adopted Ganyu together and Retuo always seems happy with that. And Xiao was only two on adoption day, so he doesn’t remember it anyway. To him, it’s not much different from being adopted by them both too!

Shoveling chips into his mouth, he returns to his room.

The nine year old spends the day trying to make do with his toys, flying his mechanical helicopter through his room with one of his dolls tied up at the bottom (it was supposed to be the pilot flying it, but it's too big to fit inside the tiny window, so now it's been kidnapped by whoever is secretly inside instead), and pretending he’s a lone warrior perched on top of his closet, waiting for evil to strike.

The evil, he decides, is a pile of stuffed animals that looks like it’s closing in on some different toys from his position, and he jumps right onto the pile with a mighty cry.

Then, suddenly, Zhongli calls him: “Xiao! I’ve got mail for you!”

Mail? Xiao rubs his sore knees—see, he hadn’t accounted for the fact that there was floor underneath the plushies—and stumbles to the top of the stairs.

His dad is smiling at him, holding a brown envelope between his hot pink, green, and black painted fingers. “Come on down, it’s from Aether.”

Aether wrote to him?!

Xiao is tearing into the envelope faster than Zhongli can tell him not to run down the dang stairs ever again or else. He flops down on the bottom steps, his heart ruffling with glee, and fumbles the neatly folded letter open. Maybe, once he sees what Aether tells him about, he will know what to write as well!

 

Hi kitty!

 

Xiao giggles. Yep, there’s no mistaking it: this is definitely from Aether. The handwriting is super big and messy, and some of the ink is a little smudged. He even spots a fingerprint or two, and Aether has drawn little flowers all around the written words.

 

My aunt says it’s okay for me to write a letter today, so I’m writing you a letter!!!!!! It’s so boring when your not here. I wanted to go to the lake, so I went with Lumine over the weekend when we were home, but it was cold, so we didn’t swim. I told her you can catch fish with your hands!!! She dosent believe me, so you’ll have to show her next time, okay?

Also, it’s raining a lot in the city, so I got to hold a frog!!!!! My aunt has a pond in her teeny tiny garden and they like to sit there. and I think their scared of the traffic because they don’t go anywhere else. Do you think it’s called fall because a lot of rain falls?

Also, I really miss you a lot when I’m at school…... Sometimes when I sit with Diluc (he’s my friend) and I tell him about you, and he thinks your really cool. I hope it’s summer soon.

 

I miss you very much!!!!!

 

Xxxx Aether

 

So it doesn’t matter, then. With a big smile on his face, Xiao realizes that he can write quite literally anything he wants to his friend, and it’ll be completely fine.

Now he knows exactly what to do. Beaming with excitement, he grabs some paper and a pen, flops down at the large, round dinner table where Ganyu is now working on Zhongli’s other hand, and begins to write.

 

Hi bunny,

I got your letter. You misspelled “you’re” and “they’re” the entire time. I’m just telling you because it’s kind of annoying. Also, it’s called fall because the leaves fall. But I guess it does rain a lot, because it’s raining over here as well.

 

This is going to be so much fun!

Notes:

Posting a little later because I've been preparing for comic con, sorry about that! ><
We're getting some Tiny Xiao home lore this time... When you want to mind your business in peace, but your little sister has ten thousand friends who basically live at your house 👁️-👁️ /lh
It's a little different from the usual, but I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter nonetheless! See you next week <3

Chapter 6

Summer, Year 3

 

“Hi kitty!”

“Hi bunny!”

The boys fly around each other’s shoulders. It doesn’t feel nearly as long since they’ve last seen each other this time; honestly, it’s probably because they’ve been sending so many letters back and forth!

Xiao is pretty sure that last month, the amount of letters he’s gotten from Aether reached the double digits, and he has responded to each and every one of them with the same amount of enthusiasm. If it weren’t for this reunion, one  would have thought that they’d never left each other’s side.

“Aaa, I’ve missed you so much,” the blonde boy whines nonetheless. “You’re late this time too… Did you stay in Springvale again?”

They’re almost a week late, to be exact, and it’s not because of Springvale. Or traffic.

Xiao sighs, recounting the events leading up to it: Retuo coming home very angry a week before they were supposed to go, saying he needed to work overtime because… something about stocks and statistics. Zhongli telling Xiao and Ganyu that their father really had to finish his work, or else “it would be quite unpleasant”, and Retuo taking so long to do it that they missed the initial leaving date by four whole days.

Well, it’s okay: they’re here now, and that’s what matters. The ten year old decides not to mention it and just shrugs.

Aether seems fine with that. Ever full of energy, he yanks on his arm, making full use of the fact that they’re the same height… which means Aether has grown more than Xiao this year. “Well, anyway, remember when I told you about the kitty? The real one?”

“Yeah! What happened?”

“You have to come look. You know how I told you in the letter that I thought she was a really fat boy? Turns out she was a very round girl, because she’s had babies!”

“Huh?!” Xiao stands perplexed. Aether had written to him about a feisty stray cat that had wandered onto the Reisenders’ property, found its way into the big greenhouse, and refused to leave its newly occupied home, trying to attack them every time they came close. But it pretty much stopped being a worthwhile thing to talk about after the third time.

Until now, that is. Full of urgency, Xiao turns on his heels and runs towards the car, which Retuo is still unpacking by himself. Zhongli must have disappeared into the house.

“Can I go with Aether?” he asks, his voice super fast. “Please? It’s really important, there’s kittens!”

“Kittens?!” Never before has Ganyu stood right in front of his nose so fast. “Can I come too?! Please!”

Retuo looked irritated at first—Xiao definitely noticed it just now. But he smiles wearily and curtly nods, waving them off with a simple hand gesture. Whipping his rugged, graying hair out of his face, he lifts three bags from the car at once.

Shrugging, Xiao turns and follows his little sister, who has already run off… even ahead of Aether. “We're going to pet kittens!” she cheers. The eight year old turns around mid-run, twirling a pirouette, and runs even faster when she lands.

“Well, I… I didn't say that,” Aether says between breaths, a little surprised, and Xiao snickers. “I don’t think the kitty is nice enough for that…”

The cat truly is quite mean, as it turns out. She's pretty small and all black, with eyes like yellow car headlights, and she's had four babies, all with color variations of black and white. They're nursing, and small like mice. If the kids come too close to the brass, plant-filled table she's nesting under, she starts growling; Travis has already quietly mumbled about this not being good for the produce in the greenhouse.

But who cares about the produce and the greenhouse, the kittens are so cute!

Xiao and Ganyu coo softly, peering through the doors Lumine is holding open with her pointer finger pressed to her lips. This is the first time they've both seen real kittens, after all, and they're just so… so little. Ganyu doesn't even mind that she can't actually hold them.

Every time they move even slightly, the cat puffs out her fur and hisses.

“She kind of looks like you,” Aether mumbles, leaning over Xiao's back.

“Shut up.” Xiao's cheeks are flushed the next instant, and he’s pulling up his shoulders, unaware that this only affirms the comparison.

Lumine invites Ganyu to come stand with her in the opening of the door, but the boys linger behind, not wanting to risk cat wrath.

Aether carefully plants his hand between Xiao's shoulders, trusting him to be strong enough to support his weight as he lifts himself higher to have a better view still. Xiao lets out a pleased huff, thinking the pressure of it to be akin to a big hug.

Aether looks down, then, grinning wide, and Xiao looks up. 

As he gazes into the blonde boy's enormous copper eyes that sparkle like stars, his stomach flutters, which, though not bad, he finds rather weird. It's kind of like when he takes some sips from Zhongli's coffee behind his back and it gives him the jitters, or like back when he was at the top of the most grown-up rollercoaster he's been allowed in so far and soared down. 

Really, he feels incredibly happy .

Aether and Lumine stay over for dinner that evening, to celebrate their reunion. Retuo had planned a super difficult, but delicious dish called Adeptus’ Temptation, which he normally only cooks up when there’s something to celebrate because it’s really that difficult to make. Unfortunately, Zhongli has to take over in the kitchen to finish it, which he struggles with really badly, but Retuo keeps getting phone calls and they’re worried they won’t eat until eight otherwise.

“It can’t be helped,” Zhongli dutifully tells himself every time he fumbles cutting up the whole crabs they’d brought, “these children will need to eat something .”

Ganyu orders everyone to come sit in her room because she’s already finished unpacking; the entire room has been painted light pink and light blue, and is still covered in posters from last year. She left most of her books, some clothes, and the art supplies she uses in Starfell behind as well, so, Xiao thinks with a frown, it’s no wonder that she was done way faster. He always takes everything back and forth.

Maybe he’ll stop doing that from now on! This is their second home, after all.

They pair up in teams to play a board game that Aether and Lumine brought along, and Xiao is pretty sure that he’s never had his patience tested this badly before.

Even though they each have their own character to play, and the boys rack their brains more than they've ever done before while doing their best to rake in as much paper mora as possible, the girls have put houses on half the board by the time they finally max out their hotels on one street. And somehow, both Lumine and Ganyu always manage to dodge that street!

When Lumine finally lands in jail for a couple of turns and Ganyu pulls a card that says she has to skip a turn, Xiao and Aether jump to their feet and rejoice. Too bad that they can’t snag the entire other half of the board before the turns pass.

“Oh, by the way,” Lumine says very casually as she deftly plucks two pink 5000 mora bills from her dejected twin brother’s hands, “they opened a new cinema in the mall over the winter.”

Xiao grits his teeth angrily when Ganyu happily accepts the money he’s supposed to pay her. “I know. Aether told me in a letter. Right, bunny?”

“We were going to go together.” Aether’s voice is very toneless.

Xiao turns his head to the side and sees him clutch his little hands onto the money, whispering the amount of steps they each need to throw to dodge the girls’ house minefield. His sunny disposition has disappeared entirely.

When small tears threaten to spill from his desperate eyes, Xiao contracts a little: whoa, he does not like that.

“This game is stupid,” he quickly says, crossing his arms indignantly. “Can we play something else?”

Lumine bursts out in bombastic laughter and throws her hands up in the air. “You only say that because you guys aren't winning!” she exclaims. “Sore losers! Nuh-uh, we’re playing until one of us goes bankrupt! Anyway, I was gonna ask if you guys wanted to come with us. With my friends and me, I mean.”

“Can’t I come?” Ganyu asks, her voice small.

“You’re part of my friends, hehe.”

As Xiao wraps an arm around Aether, whose lower lip is trembling, he loudly declares: “Okay, but only if we play another game. Otherwise you can stuff it, Lu-mean.”

He squeezes his friend, to let him know he’s there to fight for him if he must!

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

“Xiao. Sit up straight and stop slurping. You are a young man, do act the part.”

Huh? But he isn’t slurping.

Before Xiao can protest Retuo's comment and point attention to Ganyu with her bowl of soupy, not-quite Adeptus’ Temptation at her lips, Zhongli politely clears his throat. “Order at the table, please.”

Xiao slumps in his chair.

“.. Apologies, dear,” Retuo says with a mellow sigh, and he softly pats Xiao on the head.

It’s a little awkward after that, until Aether snags Xiao’s attention by balancing two cubes  of ham on his nose and catching them on his tongue. Grinning, Xiao tries to do the same.

“So, Aether, Lumine.”

The twins immediately look up from their big bowls, Aether almost dropping ham in his lap, when Zhongli addresses them.

“We have been coming here for three years in a row, now,” the tall Liyueren man says, knitting his fingers together on the table. “We should celebrate such a milestone, don’t you agree? Starsnatch Cliff seems like quite the experience for tourists and Mondstadters alike, and we have yet to visit it. Would it not be fun to go there, us and your parents, should they have time somewhere this summer? We would be pleased to make it our treat.”

“Starsnatch Cliff?” The twins stare at each other in confusion. “We’ve never been there.”

“Yeah! Mom says tickets are stupid expensive.”

“They are , Zhongli.” Retuo stares at his husband, as if in warning.

“Our bank account is doing well and some of it is mine, I fail to see the problem,” Zhongli says light-heartedly, never losing his serene smile.

Retuo clicks his tongue and turns to his food.

If the kids did actually catch that, none of them are paying much attention to it. They’re already shouting back and forth, with Lumine, loudest of all, eagerly explaining why Starsnatch Cliff is so special to Mondstadt and why it would be so perfect to visit for their celebration.

Aether eagerly butts in, telling them about the cultural Windblume Festival’s Invitation of Windblume, which Cecilias used to be a hugely popular pick for before tourists plucked too many. Apparently, Cecilias are very rare, very beautiful flowers that only grow on Starsnatch Cliff, and you’re not allowed to take one with you without paying.

“Glaze lilies are my favorite flowers,” Ganyu says, kicking her feet under the table.

“They’re not common for the Windblume Festival, but I think you can gift those too,” Lumine says with a light shrug. “As long as it’s your Windblume, it counts.”

“Papa! I’m giving you a glaze lily for Windblume this year, okay?”

Retuo’s tired eyes lighten ever so slightly with his smile. “How generous of you, little one,” he says. “I would give you one as well, if only I knew where they grow.”

Zhongli’s expression relaxes at the mention of glaze lilies.

“Do you guys celebrate the Windblume Festival in Liyue too?”

“We could, maybe, sometime!”

The atmosphere grows cheerful when everyone starts sharing with each other which flowers they would give for Windblume, and which ones they’d like to receive. Xiao would definitely give Zhongli a pretty violetgrass flower, and silk flowers would look really cool on Retuo. And Ganyu would probably cry if he gave her anything but a glaze lily. Speaking of which, maybe Lumine would think glaze lilies are pretty as well?

“I’d give you a Cecilia,” Aether whispers, and Xiao looks up from his thoughts with a start. The nine year old is smiling widely at him, as above them, Retuo and Zhongli battle for which of the two would find the other the prettiest flower the fastest.

“Really?” Xiao whispers back.

Aether nods, and his copper gaze softens. “You’re my best friend in the whole world. You need to have the best flower.”

Hearing it makes Xiao’s face feel fuzzy. “I’d give you a Cecilia too. Even if I had to pay all the mora in Teyvat for it.”

Glowing with fondness, Aether reaches out to grab his hand. Then, they join in on the brainstorm for days on which they could all go to Starsnatch Cliff together.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The decision is made quickly when Travis tells them he can’t really join until the end of summer; he’s got to frequent Mondstadt City this year, to help Wanda’s twin sister—whom Aether and Lumine apparently stay with when they have school—with renovating her roof.

“I reckon you kids don’t want rain in your bedrooms again,” he sighs, already weary at the thought of having to work on a house all summer.

Xiao remembers one of Aether’s letters complaining about the leaking roof, which had forced him and Lumine to move all their stuff downstairs.

Well, the end of summer would probably be the most perfect date anyway! After all, then they will actually get to celebrate three full years.

The first two weeks in Starfell are a little on the colder side this year, and the clouds often pack together as if promising rain, which leads to the boys staying inside—only for it to not rain in the end, eight out of ten times. Even the weather reports are confusing, claiming they “may possibly have rain maybe, probably, perhaps, who knows”.

At best, it means they’ve been looking stupid in their raincoats for nothing all day. At worst, it means they’ve wasted a whole day inside, just trying to entertain themselves.

When the weather is… okayish enough, Xiao doesn’t need to join his family on trips, and Aether isn’t too occupied picking up where his dad left off and checking if the stray cat is still in the greenhouse, the latter mostly proposes to go foraging for nuts and mushrooms, or go to the playground in the woods. Meanwhile, Xiao offers to teach him how to play his favorite video games on the console Aether will probably forever be in awe of (he doesn’t have a gaming console at all).

Their desire to do any of those things eventually wears off, and all they can really do is hope the sun will break through soon so they can go to the lake. Or, at the very least, ditch these thick raincoats that make them look dumb and don’t let them go on adventures or climb trees properly.

Well, Aether climbs the trees; Xiao still can’t do it, and he still isn’t fast enough to outrun Mister Muddy Fingers either. No matter how often they race, Xiao just can’t win, and it’s seriously getting annoying!

How the h-word is Aether so fast?!

The blonde will simply laugh that sweet little laugh of his, filled with delight, and encourage him to try again and again and again. His small hand pats encouragement into his back until he still feels the imprint long after the touch is gone. Huffing and puffing with strain, but unwilling to give up, Xiao finally loses at least eight times in a row.

Man! This is dumb.

Even the racing isn't enough to keep them occupied forever, though. At some point, they actually start to get bored, which is… definitely new. The days are so gloomy that it feels like everything they do has already been done before, and everything new they come up with is pointless anyway.

Zhongli offers to take them to town, but they don’t know what they’re supposed to do there. “Ganyu told me that there is a new cinema in the mall? Perhaps you boys could go see a movie,” he tries, hands on his waist as he looks at the two boys dangling upside down from his couch.

Aether quickly sits upright when addressed.

“Dunno, we could try,” Xiao says, lightly tapping his feet together.

“It’s better than sitting here all day,” Aether agrees. “Maybe they’ve got some fun movies we can pick from, like in the big city.”

Zhongli almost slumps in relief; he’s already been having a hard time trying to get Retuo to put his phone down and actually relax for a day or two, so Xiao can imagine he probably isn’t waiting to have some kids drag their feet around the house all day, every day.

“I’ll go ask Mama,” Aether says. The sparkle has returned to his eyes. “I’ll be back in, uhh, a couple of minutes! Maybe more.”

Xiao isn’t sure who’s anticipating his return with good news more; him or his dad.

And the news he returns with, um… it’s… half-good, Xiao supposes. Aether tells him that Lumine’s friends Albedo and Sucrose, whom she and Ganyu are playing with today, really want to go to the new cinema tomorrow. And Lumine already told Wanda that Xiao and Aether agreed to join as well.

So, Wanda figured that she could take all the kids on a cinema date.

“Oh! Well, isn’t that wonderful?” Zhongli turns to his son. “That means you will have a great opportunity to make some more friends as well, my little bird.”

Ugh… Xiao does not like that at all. He eyes Zhongli, who gives his shoulder an encouraging squeeze, but it doesn’t dissipate the angry, kind of bitter feeling in his tummy. Sure, he agreed to go with Lumine’s friends too, but..! He wanted to go alone with Aether first—he finds other kids annoying , he doesn’t want to spend hours stuck with people he probably won’t even like .

And what if they don’t like him? That’s an even worse thought.

But, judging from Aether’s shrug and the droop of his mouth, it’s already been decided; Xiao can either clench his teeth and sit through the experience with his best friend, or choose not to go at all and get on Zhongli’s nerves all day. Then, he might as well just give it his best shot.

Notes:

Please do not the car ☝️ (Mondstadter greenhouse edition)

Sorry for the later upload, I didn't think I'd actually spend all day preoccupied with shenanigans and situations. But it's here, just in time! It's a bit of a shorter chapter this time as well - short and sweet, I hope :D

Chapter 7

Around breakfast time, all the kids are dropped off at the Reisenders’ house.

Lumine marches out in front of her friends and announces them with spread arms and an almost boastful: “Tadah!”, but Xiao’s first impression of them is… meh. They’ve been brought to the property by the mother of Albedo, whom Wanda casually calls “Rhine” and Lumine politely calls “Ms Gold”, and they’re really… meh.

Sucrose appears to be a ridiculously tiny girl, even smaller than Ganyu, though she’s the twins’ age. She’s got light hair in a bob that she keeps trying to hide behind despite its significant inability to provide her with any coverage whatsoever, and Xiao can’t even tell what colors her eyes are because she won’t look up from the ground. Her voice is super quiet, he doesn’t hear her the first time she introduces herself to him.

Ganyu, however, seems very fond of her. The eight year old squeals: “Hi Rose!” and immediately tosses herself onto the girl, hugging her tightly. “This is my brother, Xiao! I told you about him, right?”

“U-um… hi…”

This time, Xiao actually catches it and he waves. “Hi,” he sighs.

Aether nudges him. “Don’t puff up your fur, kitty,” he whispers. “She might actually cry.”

Oh, great!

The ashy blonde Albedo is Xiao’s age, but a little taller than him, and Xiao can’t really explain it, but he feels like the boy isn’t actually looking at him when he’s looking at him.  “Hello,” he says, his voice clear and firm, but very direct, “my name is Albedo Gold. It’s a pleasure to meet you. So, are we going to be leaving now? I’d like my usual spot, please.”

“Oh—my husband took the truck, sweetie,” Wanda quickly says. “I will be driving the old minivan instead, would you like to just sit in the front?”

Immediately, Xiao notices, Albedo seems a little more tense. But he nods and weaves past Xiao with big steps, not awaiting any introductions.

Xiao huddles next to Aether on the back seat of the old, reddish minivan the Reisenders usually hide behind the pickup truck, and Ganyu, Lumine and Sucrose squeeze into the seat in front of them. Albedo makes himself comfortable in the passenger’s seat and, as soon as Wanda starts the car and everyone starts talking to each other, he reveals a pair of headphones he’d hidden underneath the big collar of his coat. He puts them on and pulls out his high tech smartphone.

On their way to town, Xiao is mostly left to his own devices with Aether—but the girls do eventually turn around and gently hound Sucrose to say something. She’s been wanting to tell Xiao that she thinks he has pretty eyes for ten minutes now, apparently, and really fumbles the delivery when she finally does.

Oh. Maybe she’s not so bad. Glowing with pride, he sinks away into the comfortable car seat, and Aether pokes at his cheeks when he smiles a little too wide.

At the cinema, they take a while to decide on a movie. Silently, Aether tells Xiao that there’s less to choose from here than at the huge cinema in Mondstadt City, which is kind of a bummer. Because everyone’s taste varies greatly, they eventually have to settle on the pick that got the majority vote by only one.

They’re a little too early for it, so they spend their time ghosting through the cinema, as Wanda tries her best to keep track of all of them. It's a pretty standard building, with lots of red interior and carpeted floor, and it’s only got three screening rooms in total. It smells like a typical cinema, too; kind of musty, just barely outdone by the scent of salted popcorn.

Hm. Xiao can’t help but feel like it doesn’t live up to the hype the twins had attributed to it. Maybe he’s just too used to fancy cinemas or something?

Movie time creeps closer, and Lumine gets some popcorn to share with Ganyu and Sucrose. Xiao got some mora from Retuo for him and Ganyu, but Lumine already got his sister something, so he decides to buy the biggest popcorn box there is for him, Aether and Albedo.

“I don’t need any,” Albedo says when he offers some to him as they wait for the doors to their screening room to open. “I detest popcorn kernels. Thank you for considering me, though.”

“More for us,” Aether says, unable to hide his excitement.

Well, yeah, but they got a whole XXL box! “Can’t we just force-feed him some?”

“I think he’d scream. So it’s up to us, hehe! Good thing we didn’t have breakfast.”

“I guess.” Xiao stares at the monstrosity he bought with absolute horror. Man, he should’ve gone for the XL.

When they finally get to shuffle into the screening room and assemble in their seats, Sucrose refuses to sit anywhere that’s not safe and snug between either Lumine and Ganyu or Lumine and Albedo, and Albedo keeps on his headphones. Despite that, though, Xiao has to admit they’re pretty okay—mostly because they’re not half as annoying as Ganyu’s friends, and Albedo is mindful of his personal space, which he appreciates.

The pre-movie commercials start, and Albedo still doesn’t take off his headphones. According to Sucrose and Lumine, he has a "something" that makes him not like loud sounds or being touched very much, so he kind of just does that when he’s not sure how loud something is going to be. His mom has it too, and when she’s not working, they spend a lot of time doing things they like together, like math and building cool machines.

Sucrose says that sometimes, she gets to help Albedo build stuff as well. They want to be “biochemists” when they grow up, whatever that is.

Ganyu shushes her when the movie starts, which feels a little ironic.

As the movie progresses, Xiao turns to Aether, who looks bored out of his mind. His friend catches his gaze and smirks mischievously, raising his pointer finger to his lips. His other hand sneakily reaches into the XXL popcorn box, grabs a singular piece of popcorn, and tosses it right over the heads of the row in front of them.

The popcorn gets stuck in some lady’s stiff hair, and she has no idea. Xiao has to suppress a snort, which hurts his nose.

Honestly, he does think that he would still like to go alone with him some time as well. It’d just be more fun if they can make whichever jokes they want without having to explain it to at least two other people, and carefully aim popcorn into the lower rows without Sucrose and Ganyu telling them “not to make trouble for Mrs Reisender”.

Two hours later, they’re gathered together outside again. And… well, only Sucrose is genuinely impressed with what she saw.

Xiao really only enjoyed himself because he got to see Aether wiggling himself into the strangest possible positions to throw more popcorn into people’s hair without having them, Ganyu, or Sucrose notice!

To make up for the subpar experience, Wanda offers to take the kids for paprika potato tornadoes or ice cream, whichever they prefer, and the afternoon, they spend making macaroni art in the Reisenders’ house with an old pack of macaroni Wanda found lying around in the pantry.

Xiao has never heard of making art like this, but Aether and Lumine say they used to do it all the time when they were younger. He furrows his eyebrows, trying to balance glue and macaroni without making a mess, and only looks up when it’s to help Ganyu un-macaroni-fy her fingers.

Albedo has put on gloves to work. “I don’t like how it feels,” he says with a light shrug when Xiao asks, as he puts macaroni on the paper and slathers a generous coating of paint over his art piece. “Plus, my fingers don’t get so sticky this way. I have another pair, would you like to borrow them?”

“No thank you.”

Xiao immediately regrets turning down the offer when Aether accidentally bumps his elbow into a pot of sticky white glue, which spills over their works and arms.

“Aether!” he shrieks, reeling back from the completely glued rabbit he’d attempted to make. “Oops—sorry, Albedo.”

“It’s fine, you can’t help it that Aether doesn’t have a brain.”

“Hey!”

They have to spend the following ten minutes washing their hands and arms to get everything off.

“Sorry,” Aether mutters when Xiao calls him a dumbo for the millionth time, furiously scrubbing his hands and flapping water at his friend. “Shall we try sticking them on with paint instead? Then we won’t glue our fingers together, and we won’t have to do all the painting afterwards either.”

“Oh, good idea.”

(Except it’s not, because before they know it, they are covered in rock hard paint stains instead.)

In the end, only Albedo and Ganyu have made things that actually, genuinely look nice; Albedo has made a macaroni landscape with macaroni flowers and a macaroni house in his full page macaroni mosaic, and Ganyu has made a macaroni field of macaroni glaze lilies and a macaroni moon.

Ganyu does look like she wrestled a monster to get this far, though.

Sucrose came close too, but, erm, Aether and Xiao being rambunctious with the paint may or may not have accidentally gotten to her work too. Luckily she’s not mad about it. Or… maybe she is and she’s just too shy to say it. She won’t look Xiao in the eyes, at least, and he feels a little guilty.

Late in the evening, after they’ve all enjoyed mushroom pizza for dinner, Ms Gold arrives to pick up her son and bring Sucrose home. Albedo practically flies towards the door before Aether’s mother can even step aside.

“Look what I made,” he says, holding up his macaroni art. “It’s a landscape, and these are the flowers. See?”

“How lovely, darling! They look like croissants to me,” Ms Gold says earnestly, moving her hand in front of her son’s face and to his head to stroke through his ashy blonde hair. Hers is blonde too, but more like Wanda’s than Albedo’s, as if she dyed it.

“Oh. I guess they do. Heh… Fontaine is back at it again.”

Mother and son snicker, but Xiao isn’t all too sure what’s so funny, and no one else seems to get it either. Not like those two, at least, because they’re laughing properly now and cracking more croissant jokes at each other. They almost forget to say goodbye when they leave, being reminded by Sucrose, who squeaks a soft: “T-thank you for the meal!”

“Whew,” Xiao sighs when the door closes behind them. He plucks his flip phone out of his pocket to check the time. It’s already 21:30, and he’s feeling tired. “I guess we’d better head home too.”

Ganyu trots up beside him, yawning. “I never wanna see macaroni again. If Papa and Dad don’t like my lilies, then… then…” She holds up her coat, wanting Xiao to help her put it on, and he does. Though he mutters to her in annoyance, he smooches the crown of her head all the same.

“I do so hope you kids had a good day despite the movie,” Wanda sighs, rummaging through the large pile of shoes in the hallway to find Ganyu’s blue sneakers. She doesn’t seem bothered by the mess everyone left behind. Quite frankly, she doesn’t seem too bothered by messes in general.

“No worries Mom, we can just try a more fun one next time,” Lumine says wisely as she passes Ganyu’s art to her. “You know, one that doesn’t look like someone's weird art project.”

Xiao carefully steps over the heaps of shoes, gardening gloves and old magazines to get to his own shoes. Last year he’d gone to Aether’s house for the first time, and he’s pretty sure that the sun hat that lies folded and sad next to the door mat was there that time too.

The Reisenders’ house is averagely sized, but it’s really full. High, overstuffed cupboards, half open drawers, used things lie on the floor, all kinds of interesting objects that seem to have come from everywhere hang on the walls… The window in the living room even has dozens of spoons in different colors and sizes hanging in front of it.

Zhongli would surely have a stroke if he set foot in here; he likes order and neatness. Xiao, though, is starting to get fond of the homey feel of it all.

Its main entrance is directly across the wooden, old staircase with oak handrails leading to the first floor, where the master bedroom, the bathroom, Wanda’s study, the twins’ bedroom, and a wooden ladder to the tiny attic are located, and there’s a toilet underneath the stairs. The rural kitchen (and dining table, which the kids have thoroughly messed up with glue, paint and macaroni today) is to the left, with a doorless doorway in the back that leads to a small miscellaneous room where the Reisenders keep their pantry and their somewhat unreliable connection to the power grid.

The old-fashioned living room is to the right. It’s the largest room in the farmhouse by far, and it’s got a big, bulky back door that leads to the worn-down patio in the blooming, carefully maintained backyard.

Most other stuff is outside; Travis’ carpenter workshop is located in a separate shed, they have two more sheds behind the house of which one is solely used to pack necessities for when the power goes out, and the gardens and the greenhouse are outside, of course. They also have some sort of guest bedroom located in yet another, more glorified shed that Travis has built against the main house, but you can only access it through the back door.

Judging from Aether and Lumine’s flat, unenthused responses whenever it’s brought up, it’s not… super well-suited for its purpose. That, or they’d rather have any guests they may get in the main house.

“Do you have to go?” Aether asks in a small voice, clutching on the sleeve of Xiao’s coat. “Can’t you stay over?”

Xiao’s sleepy sister has already plopped her head against her brother’s shoulder and she whines in protest, and… Xiao feels just the tiniest bit of apprehension. “I dunno,” he says. “I don’t have my stuff here, and I think Ganyu wants to go home.”

“You can borrow my stuff, you know.” Aether smiles, playfully cocking his head to the side. “You barely grew last year, we’re about the same size anyway!”

“I-I did grow!”

“Mama, can Xiao stay over?”

“Ha, only if he wants,” Wanda, who has been observing the kids with crossed arms, chuckles. “And if the Longwangs are alright with it.”

“I think I do, but… what about Ganyu?”

“Uh… call your dad?” Aether helpfully offers.

Under the relentless puppy eyes from his friend, the ten year old caves in. Retuo comes over to pick up Ganyu and bids Xiao goodnight; in the suddenness of it, Xiao forgot to ask for stuff and his father didn’t think to bring any, so he’ll really have to borrow Aether’s.

“Just so you guys know, you can’t have my bed,” Lumine says groggily, a crease in her forehead. “And I’m going to sleep.”

“You’re so boring!” Aether complains, but his sister only sticks her tongue out at him and climbs upstairs. “Siiiigh. Stupid sisters. Wait here, I’ll go get you some things.” He quickly dashes after her, squirming past her to get to their room first.

Xiao can’t imagine having to share a room with Ganyu.

“Come on, I’ll get the couch ready for you,” Wanda says kindly, gently nudging him towards the living room.

The couch is big and old, like most things in the house, but when Xiao sits down on the thick cushions, he sinks away comfortably. The blonde woman pulls out a big cotton blanket from a box underneath, and two proper pillows for comfort.

When Aether returns, he’s carrying a boatload of things: pajama shirts, toothbrushes, stuffed animals, and a pillow and blanket of his own. “I’m sleeping here too!” the nine year old declares, demonstratively dropping everything on the floor between the couch and the weary wooden coffee table. Xiao’s heart drops a bit. “This is the first time we’re having a sleepover, so we need to be in the same room or else.”

“Do we..?” Xiao tries not to say it too loudly, because Aether is already happily installing himself on the floor.

“Alright you two, I’m heading upstairs as well,” Wanda says with a soft smile, already moving to the hallway. “Don’t be too noisy, now. And if you sleep late, well—don’t complain when I get up early!”

“Goodnight, Mrs Reisender.”

“Night Mama!”

She disappears upstairs, leaving one light on.

“Here,” Aether says, handing Xiao a light brown, long pajama shirt with some holes at the bottom. “This one’s for you, it’s super comfy.” Grinning, he wiggles himself out of his paint-stained overalls and into a once-white shirt that’s way too big on him.

“Thanks, bunny.” Xiao puts it on, and despite the ratty appearance, it’s indeed nice and soft. He flops down on the couch and looks around the living room, which is bathed in a warm light coming from a big lamp with a really ancient-looking grandma lampshade on it.

It has cooled down a lot outside, and Aether only has a blanket and a pillow. He didn’t even bring something soft to sleep on, like a futon. Aw, that’s no good…

Should he or should he not? Xiao is worried about sleeping right next to someone—but his friend can’t just sleep on the cold floor all night!

“You can’t sleep there,” he says, wiggling away into the very back rest of the couch. He furrows his eyebrows, grabs all the big couch pillows, and promptly tosses them aside. “Okay, um… get over here.”

Glowing with delight, Aether immediately grabs his stuff, plops them on the couch, and runs to turn off the big lamp.

When he scoots in, Xiao presses himself against the backboard of the couch to make sure he has space, but Aether, giggling, pulls him closer. And it’s… not as bad as the dark-haired boy thought it would be. They decide that the blanket Xiao got is warmer, so Aether’s blanket is quickly discarded entirely so they can both huddle in.

“You know what would be fun?” the blonde boy whispers, staring up at the ceiling. “When it’s sunny again, maybe we can go check on our base.”

“The one at Starfell Lake? We’ll have to reconquer it.”

“No, the one we made last year.”

Xiao breathes a soft: “Oh.” He suppresses a yawn and turns on his back as well, snuggled away in pillows and blankets.

Normally, he hates sharing sleeping spaces. Something about not knowing what the other is up to because you’re asleep has always been kind of scary to him. For Ganyu’s sixth birthday, which seems eons ago, she invited such a big group of friends that some had to be installed in Xiao’s room as well, and it was the most dreadful night he’s ever had to this day. He couldn’t sleep all night! She didn’t even end up being friends with more than half of them anymore, so it was all for nothing in the end too.

Even Shenhe, whom he has sleepovers with at his place once in a blue moon, should stay in a guest room because he just can’t sleep otherwise. It’s one of the reasons why he hadn’t considered sleepovers in Starfell yet.

This feels different, though. It’s less uncomfortable than he feared. It’s nice and warm, and the fact that it’s just Aether makes him feel a lot safer. He turns his head and sees his friend is still looking at the ceiling, as if he’s contemplating things.

“I thought we weren’t allowed to play in the one we made anymore,” Xiao whispers.

Aether turns his head, big copper eyes gazing into almond-shaped, almost yellow ones. “Oh, right… Dad said the wood will give us te—” He thinks for a moment. “Tet-anus or something.”

Hehe, anus.

“Or worms.” The boys shiver.

“I don’t want worms. That’s so stupid, we worked so hard on it too. I bet the demons put worms in it as revenge, because I said I’d conquer them.”

“Maybe.” Sighing, Aether drops his head against Xiao’s shoulder and they mull over what to do. “Tomorrow I’ll ask Mama if she can ask Dad to bring wood that won’t give us tet-anus or worms. Maybe we can rebuild it then.”

Xiao nods, and finally gives in to a yawn. “That’d be fun,” he agrees sleepily, nuzzling against Aether’s soft, light hair. “We’ll make a much better one this time.” A much bigger one at that, maybe with a bubble bath and a secret lair underneath, and a remote controlled roof so they can look at the stars at night.

“Uh-huh. I wanna add a slide.”

That’s imperative too, you can’t have a base without a slide. “And we’ll make it ghost-and-demon-proof.”

“Yeah!” Aether nudges him. “And if they come anyway?”

Xiao’s eyes slowly fall shut. He doesn’t even notice it. “I’ll protect you,” he murmurs. “Like I said. Call my name and I’ll be there.”

“Okay.” Aether’s voice is nothing but a whisper. Almost sorrowful. “I wish it worked like that when you’re gone too…”

Xiao doesn’t have the energy anymore to register that.

With his stuffed animals in his arms, Aether then closes his eyes as well and presses himself against the dark-haired boy. “Xiaooo… You’re like a heater, it makes me sleepy. Now we can’t discuss our,” he huffs out a semi-yawn, “super important plans.”

When Xiao tries to respond, all that comes out are some mutters of nothingness. Automatically, he half smooches, half just kind of crashes his mouth against the side of Aether’s head. “Night,” he mumbles, curling in on himself.

“Okay, got it. Night kitty.”

“Mmnn… mnight bun...”

They fall asleep practically tangled into each other, dreaming of their new, fully ghost-and-demon(-and-sister)-proof base and how grand it’s going to be.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The next morning, when Xiao returns home, Retuo takes him aside. The boy is barely awake and can only stare sheepishly as his father begins telling him how sad Ganyu was that he went for a sleepover without her, and that from now on, he is to stop leaving his little sister out of everything fun he sets out to do. He sounds irritated, and somewhat disappointed, and tells him that if he does it one more time, he won’t be seeing Aether for a whole week.

Only when the shower in his own bathroom properly wakes him up does Xiao realize what’s been said to him, and he’s left with confusion. Ganyu had been with them all day, right, and she’s got Lumine to play with either way! Furrowing his eyebrows, he continues washing his hair.

He’s just hanging out with his friend. She does stuff like that all the time at home, too. Besides, she didn’t say she wanted to stay over yesterday. What exactly is the problem here?

Notes:

The cinema adventure was definitely... something! Tfw you go see a movie with your bestie, sister, and some pals, and it turns out to just be someone's weird art film that somehow found its way into the movie tape archives 🧍/lh

I keep getting busier than anticipated on weekends, definitely gotta start keeping that in mind and start formatting a little earlier >< Sorry for the wait!

Chapter 8

Four weeks into the summer, the sun finally comes out, and it’s hotter than ever. It’s as if it’s been taking all this time to recharge: Xiao takes one step outside and he’s already practically cooking!

For some reason, Zhongli decides that’s the perfect moment to request that the family go out to hike on the Stormbearer Mountains. “Come, Retuo,” he croons, tenderly placing his hands upon his husband’s shoulder. “A hike in the fresh air will do you good. We haven’t spent quite as much time together this year.”

Retuo, sighing, rubs the bridge of his nose. His phone, which he keeps a hawk’s eye on just in case it goes off again, rests on the dinner table. “I’m tired, dear. Can’t we hike another day?” he rumbles.

Xiao and Ganyu eye each other; his little sister’s face contracts, and honestly, Xiao isn’t a fan of hiking in general either.

“We might not get to keep this good weather,” Zhongli says, and though he’s still smiling, his voice is a little stricter. “I can assure you that you can be missed for a few hours. Kids, why don’t you put on some proper hiking clothes?”

“But I don’t wanna hike,” Ganyu immediately protests. “It’s way too warm, Dad. Can I please stay home?”

“Me too,” Xiao quickly says, and Zhongli’s face drops ever so slightly. “Uh… maybe next time?”

“Oh, I see how it is,” he sighs, a bit melodramatically, and he bats his eyelashes. Without further ado, he drapes himself over Retuo’s shoulders. His dark brown hair, the long mullet tied in a low ponytail, rubs against Retuo’s face. “My love, you’ve spent more time glued to your phone than you’ve looked at me this summer. If the kids don’t wish to go, why don’t you just humor me for an hour or two? We can do anything you want!”

He lowers his voice too much for Xiao to hear what he’s whispering in Retuo’s ear, but apparently, it’s good enough to pique his interest. “Fine, you big child. Two hours. No more, alright?”

Zhongli smiles calmly, though he looks very pleased with himself. “Why, thank you. Ever so generous. Let me get my proper shoes.”

Xiao shuffles toward them. “So does that mean I can stay home?” he asks hopefully.

“And me too?” Ganyu adds.

“Of course. I will find a way to drag you two along yet, don’t you worry.” With a mischievous glint in his amber eyes, Zhongli pets his kids on the head and goes upstairs to prepare.

Retuo stretches his arms above his head one by one and gets up to follow him.

The two eventually leave Xiao and Ganyu to their own devices in the cottage—but not before Retuo quietly takes Xiao aside and tells him to remember what he said before: “If you go to visit your little friend, do not leave your sister out, alright?”

The door closes behind them.

Puh… as if she doesn’t have Lumine. And it’s not like he can actually go to Aether; the parents have taken the key with them, and with no need for spares, they haven’t had any made.

“Are you going to Aether’s?” Ganyu asks in a tiny voice.

“Can’t. We’re trapped.” Xiao sighs, dropping himself on the couch. Theirs, big and made of beige leather with golden accents, is much fancier than the one at Aether’s place—but it’s less soft. “Dads took the key.”

Ugh. This is going to be so boring. He drops his head on the back rest, staring up at the ceiling, which looks like someone accidentally put the floorboard on there.

“Oh. I see!”

For some reason, she doesn’t sound half as bothered by it. He hears her tippy-tap up the stairs, and rummage through her room. When she comes back, she’s got twinkles in her eyes and endless amounts of drawing supplies in her arms. “That means we can play together,” she breathes, “without other people for once!”

Huh, what’s that supposed to mean? Furrowing his eyebrows, Xiao watches her lay out all her crayons and coloring books, humming a little tune.

“Here, you can color this one with animals in it.”

“Why did you say it like that?” Carefully, Xiao scoots into his seat.

“Say what?”

“About playing together.”

“Oh. Normally, there's other people too. You never play with just me, and you’re always with Aether.”

The ten year old reaches for a few crayons, deciding to color the birds on the first page green and blue. “Well, back at home, you’re always with your friends,” he retorts. “So who cares if I'm with Aether here?”

Ganyu is quiet for a moment, the tip of a crayon against her lips. “But you always leave me behind,” she says, “and when Lumi doesn’t pick me up either, I just have to sit in the house by myself. Or go with Dads.”

Xiao doesn't reply. Honestly, he doesn't know what to say—but he does feel this icky, rather angry, feeling bubble up in his stomach. He's not sure how to put it into words… so he simply doesn’t.

They sit in silence and color for a while. Although Xiao tries to concentrate on staying within the lines and applying sensible colors to his birds and his leaves, he still feels that same icky, angry feeling, nesting in his tummy. Across from him, Ganyu seems to be enjoying herself, with crayons behind her ears, her golden hair draping over the table, and her tongue sticking out of her mouth as she applies all the colors of the rainbow to her flower coloring page.

“I'm sorry Papa got mad at you about the sleepover,” she eventually says, cocking her head to the side to check on her art.

“Huh? It's fine.”

“Oh. Okay. It's just, I heard him say something again before they left.”

“It’s fine, I don’t care.”

Sighing, Ganyu decides to say what she wants to say: “You just haven’t really been talking to me since,” she mumbles. “You’re not really talking to me now, either, and it doesn't look like you’re having fun playing with me. Are you mad at me?”

“No.” At least, he doesn't think so. He doesn’t know.

Ganyu seems to accept it as is: she smiles in relief and colors her sweet flowers yellow. 

The coloring is fun, yeah, but nonetheless, Xiao keeps feeling a little strange sitting there at the table. He is mad. But he’s not sure if he’s mad at Ganyu. It’s just something about what Retuo said—more like, him saying it in the first place. 

Xiao can’t remember a single time where he’s been allowed to play with Ganyu’s friends, back at home. Not that he wants to, given how mean they are to him, but—wait, no. There was this time he wanted to join because they were playing pirates with plot and it was super fun, only they didn’t want him to join in, and instead of preaching for him, Retuo told him to leave those poor girls alone.

Normally it doesn’t even matter, normally he simply storms off to his room and curses the world by himself, but… ugh!

Xiao has never once complained, and he finds it really annoying that Ganyu did. He feels upset, and he’s mad at his sister, mad at her friends, at his father, and he’s just mad.

It’s unfair, somehow, though he doesn’t know how to explain it. After all, Retuo is only  looking out for Ganyu, and she said that she does, in fact, end up sitting alone in her room sometimes. He can't properly put his feelings into words, which irks him even more, so he decides to stay quiet, frowning at his coloring page while Ganyu kicks her legs and happily scratches the crayons against the paper.

Time slowly ticks by. Xiao colors his animals in utter concentration, finishing one coloring page and moving to the next. This one features a Sumerian Rishboland Tiger, surrounded by lots of plants, and he gets to work. Meanwhile, his sister is still carefully working on her first page.

“I didn’t know Lumine doesn’t always pick you up,” he says after a while, his tongue sticking out of his mouth as he colors some flowers purple. “I thought you guys were best friends.”

“Keqing is my best friend,” Ganyu says. Satisfied, she holds up her page. It’s almost done, and it actually doesn’t look that weird at all. “Lumi is just my friend. I like playing with her a lot, but she’ll never take Keqing’s place! Kind of like you and Shenhe.”

“Uh, yeah, I guess so,” Xiao says. Yeah… just like him and Shenhe… “Do you still wanna play with me and Aether sometime?”

“Not really. I think I just want to play with you every now and then. That would be fun.”

“I-I can do that. Maybe, every now and then.”

Slowly but surely, the irked feeling in his tummy dissipates; at the end of the day, he supposes it wouldn’t hurt to give his sister some attention if it means he can be with Aether undisturbed. And he does like that she looks happy.

Ganyu’s face brightens, and she flips to her next coloring page as well. 

They manage to color two full pages each before they grow sick of it and would rather do literally anything else. Xiao decides to carry his gaming console to the living room and plugs it into the wide flat-screen TV on the rustic dresser, so they can play some rounds of karting. They haven’t done this together in ages, possibly a whole year, as Ganyu normally games with her friends, and Xiao by himself. He’s very taken aback when he finds out the hard way that she’s gotten super good at it.

Out of the eight whole cups they play, she wins six, and, groaning, Xiao throws his hands up in the air. “That’s it, I give up, I hate this stupid game!” he exclaims. His little sister bursts out in victorious cheering and jeers at him, even to the point of sticking her tongue out—but when Xiao threatens to sulk the day away, she wraps her arms around him and nuzzles her face against his shoulder.

“You can pick a game you’re good at now,” she says sweetly. But she can't deceive him: she’s definitely reveling in her victory! She’s got her chin held high and everything.

With a deep sigh, Xiao gets up and ruffles her hair. “Then I’m going to kill you alive with a combat game,” he says, marching to his room.

“Noooo, I hate combat games!”

“Relax, I’ll grab the one with the pretty lady fighter that you like!”

“Oh. Okay then.”

When Zhongli and Retuo come back from a trip that was definitely much longer than two hours, they find the kids wrestling each other on the couch, the whole couch and the two loveseats beside it have had their cushions and decorative throw pillows used as long distance ammunition, and there’s a bowl of cheese-flavored chips upside down on the expensive carpet.

However, both siblings are laughing with mirth even as they kick at each other, and Xiao takes Ganyu in a headlock that could just as well be a hug. In return, she latches her arms around his waist to squeeze the life out of him, and unfortunately, Zhongli mistakes that as the “one of them is going to start crying and then they’ll start screaming, and before you know it there will be an actual fight”-sign.

He rushes inside and breaks them up; “What in the name of Geo is this? I will have order in this house, clean up this mess immediately!”

But, despite the abrupt ending to their “final battle cup”, the siblings have had a great day together. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to just play with his little sister sometime; she may be annoying, but Xiao likes seeing the bounce in her step and the excited sheen in her eyes as she tells Retuo exactly how many times she beat her brother. It'll be fine.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

In the last week of summer, Wanda’s sister “lets Travis have a little break” so the Longwangs and the Reisenders can visit Starsnatch Cliff together. They will be celebrating three summers of friendship between their children and, to an extent, three summers of camaraderie between the parents.

Xiao gets to sit with Aether in the Reisenders’ old pickup truck, as Lumine was almost literally on her knees begging to spend the two hour trip in the Longwangs’ “fancy pink car”. It’s almost like a rollercoaster ride: the truck bounces and flounces over the Mondstadter hills like the top half is not properly attached to the frame, and Xiao should be terrified, but it’s the most fun car ride he’s ever had!

Wanda tells Travis to drive more carefully at least five or six times, but because the boys are shrieking with delight every time the old truck flies over another hill, he only slows down between hills.

Once or twice, Xiao bounces up so high he can feel the car ceiling brush against the crown of his head, and he feels like he’s been taken by the wind. As if frightened when the same happens to him, Aether grabs his hand and squeezes, and the wind takes him up even higher.

The view outside gradually changes from forest, patches of fir trees, and grassy, hilly fields, to grassy, hilly fields with high grass plateaus and the occasional peek at a crystal blue ocean. Xiao and Aether press their noses to the greasy glass window, Xiao leaning over his friend, and they gawk at the sparkles in the water and the small smudges of Mondstadt’s cliffs they can already see.

Liyue Harbor is located right by the ocean, so the sight of the big blue isn’t rare for Xiao. But there’s something about the way Aether’s eyes widen, and his cheeks get red, and he just can’t seem to get enough of the view, that makes it more special.

After two hours of nonstop driving, the truck stops in the parking lot stretching out in front of an enormous, elegant white gate, with a sign hanging above it that says: “Welcome to Starsnatch Cliff!”

Aether swings the car door wide open and jumps outside, and Xiao quickly tries to follow him. The breeze is strong, and it carries the rich scent of the ocean. There’s also something else here: something very sweet, but in a soft, gentle way, like warm honey on a fresh-from-the-oven bun.

“ Cecilias! ” Aether sounds so ecstatic that Xiao worries he might explode. “They smell so nice, I can’t wait to show them to you!”

The gate doesn’t hide Starsnatch Cliff from sight, but it’s clear that if you want to get to the top, the only way to do so is by passing through. It’s attached to a big, white building, with signs for a souvenir shop and a restaurant parked outside. There’s an ice cream stand as well, and Aether enthusiastically points at it.

While it’s not a super hot day and the ocean breeze can hardly be called warm, Xiao’s mouth waters at the thought of ice cream.

First, though, they meet up with the others outside of the parking lot; the Range Rover had to park much further away.

Xiao and Aether are just about to come up with the perfect plan for nabbing a Cecilia without employees noticing them, when the girls practically run them over. Aether shrieks, bumping into Travis’ back when his sister full-on throws herself on top of him, yelling out: “Hi loser, you’re not gonna believe what you missed!”

Sputtering, Aether shoves her off and they tussle for a moment while Lumine tells him how royal she felt in the Range Rover and that he’s now nothing but a pleb compared to her, before their parents tell them to knock it off or they’re each walking hand-in-hand with either of them for the rest of the trip.

Ganyu doesn’t say much. She kind of just plops her head against Xiao’s shoulder.

“Also, your dad is one angry driver,” Lumine then says to Xiao as she pulls away, her voice light and nonchalant. She begins to march at the front, quickly followed by the others. 

Behind them, their parents talk about the lengthy drive, unaware of what the kids are discussing.

“Huh, which one?”

“The big guy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He got a lifetime long phone call about stats and guys who weren’t doing their jobs or whatever. And then some guy tried to pass us from the wrong side and he went off on them. Mr Zhongli actually raised his voice to shush him, it was kinda funny.” The blonde girl has her arm hooked with Ganyu’s, who is still quiet. “He apologized, though.”

Xiao is surprised; sometimes, Retuo will cuss at a car that comes out of nowhere. But he’s never had real road rage before, at least, not with him or Ganyu in the car. He mostly just cracks old people jokes with Zhongli that Xiao is sure he’ll find funny once he, too, is ten thousand years old, or sings along with songs.

Retuo must still be feeling guilty later, because when the kids go get ice cream before they have to wait in line to buy tickets, he lets Ganyu and Lumine choose an extra flavor.

Xiao doesn’t mind it too much, lapping at his almond and caramel ice cream and leaning into Zhongli when he pulls him a little closer. He enjoys the fingers softly raking through his hair, though he can’t help but feel like they’re a little tense.

Only, when he looks up, his dad is simply smiling at him like he always does: calm, on top of the world, and most of all, kind.

“Dad? Are you okay?” Xiao asks, nonetheless.

“What? Of course I am, my little bird!” Zhongli looks practically flabbergasted, deftly placing his fingers to his chest. His smile turns almost dreamy. “I’m about to experience one of Teyvat’s most historically significant places, how could I be anything but ecstatic?”

“Dunno. It felt weird just now.”

Zhongli’s amber gaze mellows out. “Ah. Well, don’t dwell on it too much, alright? It’s not important. Go have fun, sweetheart,” he says, gently nudging him forward.

“Okay. Want some of my ice cream?”

“Oh, how kind of you.”

Xiao is convinced Zhongli looks a little happier after a hug, a sticky smooch, and some ice cream, so he waves at him and trots up to the twins and his sister, to secure a spot in the ticket line.

Once they’ve bought tickets, they have to pass underneath the gate through one of those awkward paths coordinated by blue ropes that Xiao is sure could be used for swinging if you have enough willpower, and they have to finish their ice cream before they’re formally let in. 

However, inside, they’re pretty much allowed to roam freely, and it’s so cool!

Starsnatch Cliff is enormous. The climb to the top looks a little steep and difficult, and the grass is so green and soft-looking that Xiao wouldn’t be surprised if it felt like a bed if he were to flop down in it. There are people everywhere he looks, and yet, it doesn’t feel like his space is being encroached on.

Tourists from all over Teyvat are taking pictures during the uphill trek. Couples smooch in front of patches of Cecilias that are fenced off with the most beautiful white fences Xiao has ever seen, and some people (the ones with a special red wristband that indicates they’re allowed to take a Cecilia home with them) confidently lean down over the white wood to pluck one. Employees in white vests and blue hats oversee everything with their hands folded on their backs.

Xiao spots his father, who did get one of those bracelets, doing just that. He carefully selects a Cecilia from a nice-looking patch, and as he runs his other hand through his graying hair and his dark gaze softens almost apologetically, he offers it to Zhongli, who looks like he was offered the stars themselves.

Before his parents can start doing gross kissy things where he can see it, Xiao turns to look where the others have gone off to.

Travis and Wanda are posing in front of an enormous field of Cecilias and taking pictures with their rickety old phones, and Ganyu and Lumine have climbed up on the fences to point out the flowers they would want.

Only Ganyu got a red wristband. Lumine believes her Cecilia would probably die before they got home and doesn’t want to pick any, and the boys, well… They refused the wristbands as soon as Retuo asked, for they are sincerely convinced they can steal one together without anyone noticing.

Speaking of their amazing, one hundred percent perfect and foolproof plan… Where’s Aether?

“Bunny?” Xiao calls, peering over child-sized heads to find the tousled, shoulder-length blonde hair he wants to see. “Aether?”

“Yeah?”

Shrieking, Xiao whirls around on his heels when Aether suddenly pops up right beside him. “Don’t do that!” he yells, shoulders pulled up defensively, and Aether bursts out in laughter at how silly he must look with hot cheeks and… he might as well really have puffed out fur at this point.

“Sorry, sorry!” The nine year old has put on the beat up sun hat he’s pulled from his oversized brown backpack, and points toward the top of the cliff. “Wanna race me to take revenge?”

“Puh… sure. You’re not beating me this time, stinky.”

“We’ll see!”

Before anyone has even decided on when to count down, Aether has already flown off, fast like the wind. Gasping with betrayal, Xiao immediately sets out to follow him. He doesn’t even get the chance to call cheating.

The children run up the cliffside hill as fast as they can, meandering past tourists and small, fenced off patches of Cecilias. It’s difficult, what’s with the uphill slope, and Xiao hates that he’s not as fast of a runner as Aether—nor does he have the stamina to properly keep up with him. The breeze blows around his ears, his dark greenish-gray hair flapping into his mouth. His sides burn with regret.

His knees hurt, too, but the eternal view of Aether’s back keeps him motivated to keep running. Even more so when, after noticing how much Xiao is struggling to keep up with him, the blonde boy holds out his hand for him to take. Xiao doesn’t hesitate, and Aether happily drags him along.

Smiling, Xiao acknowledges that does make it more fun.

They almost trip over a bunch of small rocks protruding from the grass, and laugh at each other as if it’s only one of their faults and neither want to fill that role. Aether’s grip tightens, his heart pumping so hard that Xiao feels it beat through the palm of his hand, and then—they reach the top.

It’s fenced off to make sure people can’t venture too close to the edge of the cliff, but the fences here are wholly see-through, and the view…

Xiao has never seen anything like this. He comes to a full stop, gazing at the ocean stretching further than his eyes can reach like this is the very first time he’s seen it. The sky is so clear, the birds that soar past in all their freedom dance through the air like they’re performing a show. Slowly, his gaze glides past the cliffside, and he feels his chest contract in a way he cannot possibly put into words.

It’s like he’s on top of the world, while, at the same time, he realizes he has never been smaller.

Aether’s hand feels so much realer somehow, and he squeezes it softly, just to make sure they’re seeing this together.

“Wow,” he manages to whisper, after what feels like centuries.

Aether doesn’t say anything, but he does step a little closer, until their shoulders touch. He wordlessly points at something in the ocean, and Xiao realizes it’s a whale’s tail.

They simply stand like that, forgetting about their nefarious plans to steal Cecilias, and any worries they might have had. They breathe the scent of the fresh air in and out, and Aether pulls Xiao towards the fence so they can climb it.

“It’s so pretty,” Aether mumbles, shivering in the wind. His sun hat is almost blown off. “It’d be so cool if we could dive all the way down from here.”

“Uh-huh,” Xiao quietly agrees, kicking his feet as they sit down on the handrails. “Except I think we might probably die.”

“Yeah... It’d be worth it though.”

“As long as we die at the same time,” Xiao agrees, and the two wrap an arm around each other.

“We can try! I’m not jumping unless you do.”

“Well, I’m not jumping unless you do.”

“Okay, that means that if we wanna try, we’ll just hold hands like this,” Aether eagerly demonstrates how skillfully they should interlock their fingers, “and jump down at the exact same time. It’ll be the biggest cannonball the world has ever seen, maybe we won’t even die!”

“Hm… Yeah! One day, we’re jumping down from here together.”

“One day!”

Beside them, some strange moms shoot them some deeply concerned looks. The blissfully ignorant kids don’t have the slightest clue as to why that might be, though.

When they’re joined by the rest of the company, they most certainly know it; Wanda literally yanks both of them off the fence by their scruffs and lectures them for at least fifteen minutes on why they should never do that again. What if they accidentally fall down the wrong side?!

Once she’s done, they look at each other and giggle nervously—but only because she has no idea they’ve already elaborately discussed falling down on purpose.

The families end up staying at the cliff until sunset, sharing in the lunch meals Wanda and Retuo have made for everyone on an enormous cloth that Zhongli bought last winter, and it’s the most beautiful sunset Xiao has ever seen. It’s rosy pink, burning orange, it even carries hints of lilac, and when the sun sinks down to the edge of the ocean in a way that could be described as cinematic, the sky looks like Celestia itself has painted it.

In the midst of the family’s golden glow-induced trance, however, Aether pulls on Xiao’s sleeve, his eyes filled with mischief, and they sneak off.

Fully sure that nobody is looking, they swiftly stick their arms underneath the fence of the nearest Cecilia patch, snag one each, and run away as fast as possible. All the while, they’re absolutely terrified one of the employees will jump them from behind, and when Xiao says out loud that this is exactly like running away from bloodthirsty bandits or demons, it only motivates them to run faster.

With cheeks red in excitement and their entire bodies burning hot and tingling with effort, they come to a stop at the right edge of the cliff. Still half high on adrenaline, they decide to pretend it’s the Windblume Festival and proudly present their Cecilias to each other.

Xiao feels incredible delight when he formally exchanges his flower with Aether’s, a delight that only makes his face warmer when his friend tucks it in the chest pocket of his overalls with such delicacy it almost looks silly. It really suits him.

Then, Travis calls out to them to tell them it’s time to go home. Aw…

Xiao hands his flower to Zhongli with great care when he passes, asking him to keep it safe for him because it’s super important. Before his dad can ask where the h-word he got this flower from, he dashes to the safety of his friend.

The last thing the pair opts to do before it’s time to leave is race the girls down the sloping cliff, and it’s a tedious task to stay upright. But, when Ganyu trips and rolls an entire one hundred meters down through the cottony grass before she comes to a stop, the kids decide that not staying upright might be the most viable strategy here.

Xiao may not manage to beat Aether in a proper run, but at least he rolls much faster down the hill than him!

That evening, when he’s lying in his bed, he imagines him and his friend conquering the earth, the ocean and the sky above upon Starsnatch Cliff. All the while, he wonders why he can’t stop thinking of the way the setting sun made Aether’s hair look like pure gold.

The Cecilia stands in a thin vase on his windowsill, so he can look at it a little longer before he’ll dry it and keep it with him forever.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Starsnatch Cliff remains a fun topic of conversation for the two families. Because the memories made are still so fresh, Xiao and Aether are a little underwhelmed by their next foraging trips through the Starfell woods, and their last time playing on the forest playground. Even the rather impressive backflip off the zipline platform that Aether manages to pull off, where Xiao had to catch him or he’d break his back for sure, doesn’t stay in their thoughts for long.

But that Saturday, four days before it’s time for the Longwangs to leave, Travis comes home with a wood delivery from Mondstadt City. It’s beautiful, light birch wood with a rock-hard exterior, and he claims it’s spare wood from working on the Reisender aunt’s roof, but Xiao later hears Wanda whisper to him to not spend too much of their funds now that the cat with kittens is occupying part of their income and she still needs to finish her novel.

The kittens in question are already steadily walking around; Lumine says it’ll be a matter of time before the whole family of cats disappears into the sunset. They’ll just have to wait for it, because, just like the mother, the kittens don’t trust the humans either and flee as soon as they poke their heads around the corner. It’s probably a little too naive to think they can adopt them.

Ganyu is genuinely sad about it, she had hoped to have cats to pet every summer from now on.

Well, but none of that matters to the boys! The most important part is that they can finally build a proper base. And Travis seems to agree, because in response to Wanda’s concern, he kisses her on the forehead (Xiao and Aether gag), and whispers: “I’ll make sure we’ll manage, darling, don’t you worry. They’re only this little once.”

First, Travis tears down the remnants of the one they’d already made: it’s begun to rot even more because of the rainfall Mondstadt was plagued with all year, and Xiao can actually see worms and maggots in a few pieces he hauls off. Ew…

Then, he hands them his expensive, professional carpenter tools—after making them solemnly swear that they will not harm the tools, themselves, or each other. And if they develop any blisters or red marks on their hands at all, they are to stop immediately.

Xiao and Aether have never been so excited about getting to build something, and this time, they choose a place deeper into the tall grass so they can be sure no sisters, demons or ghosts will find it.

They look at the big pile of wood that’s all theirs to mess around with, and nod self-assuredly to each other. Aether tightens the straps of his ripped, dark brown overalls and firmly pulls his sun hat over his forehead, Xiao rolls up the sleeves of his airy, black-and-blue striped brand blouse, and so, they begin.

It can definitely be noted that they’ve gotten better with their hands, and they’re much better at thinking ahead before doing something: this time, their foundation only falls over once before they get it to stay upright. They grin at each other, feeling accomplished.

Travis comes in to check on them every now and then, very subtly helping them solidify their foundation, but as soon as the boys notice he is, in fact, trying to help, they immediately shoo him away. It’s their base, and theirs alone.

With the sun burning in their backs as they work, they spend the entire day perfecting it to their heart's content. The only real issues they have are that Aether doesn’t manage to add a slide, they can’t dig a secret lair into the soil, a roof that opens up proves a little too difficult for them, and Xiao has no idea where they’re supposed to get a bubble bath from. Unfortunately, they’ll have to pass up on those for now… but maybe in the future, they’ll be so good at this that they’ll find a way!

To spice things up regardless, they simply make do with hanging fairy lights on the inside of the roof, and adding fabric flowers to the walls.

“It needs to look more like a base,” Aether decides. “Come on!” He drops the hammer he’d been holding on the ground and grabs Xiao’s arm. Together, they run into the farmhouse.

(They don’t notice that while they’re upstairs, Travis quickly swoops in to make sure their base is child-proof, will not fall over, and won’t break down.)

Aether flies up the stairs two steps at a time, and Xiao follows him quickly. Most of the time when he’s been to Aether’s room, it was with Lumine as well, and he had to wait outside the door; it’s a pretty small, kind of cramped space, with two beds in opposing alcoves in the wooden walls, and a walking space between them that’s just wide enough for three people to stand side-by-side.

Little desks are built into the alcoves as well, and it’s always messy; clothes, toys, candy wrappers, art supplies, and little gardening tools lie strewn about on the floor, and pajamas and cardigans hang over their unmade beds and desks and chairs. Xiao even saw a half full soda bottle once.

Now, though, his attention is mostly snagged by a vase that looks hand-painted, with a Cecilia in it. The sight makes him smile.

“Hold this!”

Xiao starts into motion when Aether shoves two spare blankets into his hands, and at least three pillows. “What are these for?”

“The base, silly! What else? Wait, we need these too.” He adds two books and one more string of fairy lights from his own alcove to the pile, and ushers his struggling friend back to the garden.

There, he grabs everything from Xiao’s arms one by one, and starts making the base all cozy and homey. The blankets cover the entire ground, and he installs the pillows against the back wall, and the fairy lights are meant to illuminate the place a little more. The books are just for decoration; he squirms them between the blankets and one of the walls to look nice, completing the picture he had in mind.

Their base is just big enough for two kids, and now, it looks like they can actually live in it forever. They’re immensely proud of it.

Feeling warm and happy with their work, Xiao dives straight into the blankets. Laughing, Aether jumps on top of him, and they squirm around for a moment to find the perfect nesting space in the pile.

“You know what would be perfect right now?” Aether hums, his small hand latching onto Xiao’s blouse. He’s still catching his breath from his frantic running to and fro, but his eyes are glimmering with the best idea he’s ever had.

“What?”

“Wait here, don’t move. And guard my spot!”

Aether squirms out of the base and storms off to his house through the tall grass.

Xiao waits one minute, two minutes, five minutes… It takes so long for him to return that the dark-haired boy starts getting a little worried.

“Aether?” he calls, but he gets no response and puffs his cheeks. He reasons with himself that nothing can happen over such a short distance, but he still somewhat fears a demon or ghost may have gotten him to enact revenge. Or maybe it was a wolf, or a bear.

No, but… Aether would call his name, if any of that ever happened.

Still, Xiao fiddles with the blanket, a little antsy, and waits alone in the base for what feels like hours. Right when he actually starts getting up to check, his friend comes running back.

Man, he got him seriously scared! Xiao glares fiercely at him, which does not faze him in the slightest.

“Xiao! Look what I’ve got.” Aether looks extraordinarily pleased with himself. He’s balancing a bowl of variety snacks, a plate of homemade cucumber sandwiches, and his mom’s laptop, so they can watch a movie together in the base. He has even exchanged his overalls for a much softer, yellow and white sweater, ready to get comfortable.

Utter satisfaction overcomes Xiao as they huddle up together in their self-made base, with food and a movie. The sky outside slowly turns darker, and a layer of surreal rests over the moment—a fleeting feeling, which can only be cherished right now, as it happens.

Xiao turns to Aether, who has his tongue stuck out in concentration while browsing the limited movie library they have access to. He feels warm, and safe.

They finally squirm underneath one of the blankets, with the laptop on their laps, and dig into the snacks. Aether smiles at him as they snuggle up close, just in case the weather suddenly decides to take a cold turn. Xiao realizes he doesn’t even have a problem with it.

He hasn’t taken much notice of it, until now. That he dislikes physical contact with people, but if it’s Aether, it’s okay—and he hates having to find himself company all the time, unless it’s Aether, because it feels worse when he’s gone.

And normally, he’s always a little scared of the prospect of getting close to people, because what if they don’t like him in the end? But when Aether is there with him, that doesn’t feel half as important anymore.

“Aether?” he whispers, resting against his friend’s shoulder as, outside in the dark night, an owl hoots. 

“Yeah?” Aether pulls the blanket over them more, pausing the movie for a moment.

“I like you a lot, I’m really happy we’re friends.” Xiao’s face gets hot when Aether only stares at him and, puffing his cheeks, he quickly hides away. “I-I’m serious! Don’t look at me like I’m stupid or else I'm taking it back!”

“You’re not stupid. I just like you much more, obviously!” Grinning like he’d just been given what he’d hoped for for his birthday, the blonde boy latches onto Xiao and holds him tight. Xiao almost feels like one of the stuffed animals he sleeps so sweetly with. “You’re my best friend ever, Xiao.”

For a moment, then, Xiao thinks back to coloring with Ganyu. Has he ever felt quite like this with Shenhe? He… actually doesn’t think so, which is a very weird thing to have to explain away to himself. He’s been friends with her since kindergarten! And yet… something about this is just different.

“I… I think you’re my best friend ever too,” he mumbles. “Let’s write lots again when I’m gone, okay?”

Aether nods. “I’ll say your name in the envelope every time so you’ll come back faster,” he says, and for a moment, his eyes look like stars. Quickly, he picks up the laptop so they can finish the movie before it’s time to pack up the base.

Xiao sighs. He would like that, very much.

Notes:

It's time <3 This chapter and the one after this one were some of my favorites to write, I'm lowkey already excited for next week lol. We'll be taking a peek into Aether's life in Mondstadt City >:)

Until next Saturday! ♡

Chapter 9

Winter, Year 3

 

Hi bunny,

 

It’s getting really cold over here too, but I’m not sure if there will be snow… Liyue Harbor doesn’t normally get snowy, but up in Qingce, sometimes they have so much that you can’t drive there anymore. But sometimes, we get surprised with a little bit of it, so maybe that’ll happen this year. Will you tell me when it starts snowing where you are?

Also, maybe you should tell Kaeya that you’ll punch him if he doesn’t start being less annoying. Shenhe tells people who are annoying to us that if they don’t buzz off, she’ll turn their entire skin inside out, but maybe that’s a little too intense and he’ll tell the teacher on you. I hope you can have more fun during lunch breaks, it sounds stupid now.

Also! I joined the track team at school and it’s really fun. When I come to Starfell next year, you’re not beating me in races anymore!

Also, Dad got a new batch of historical artifacts and some of them look so scary, but in a cool way. He hasn’t gotten any new ones for at least a few months, so he’s really happy, and he put them on all the walls and dressers. My favorite one is a horned Yaksha mask with big sharp teeth. Dad says that according to legends, Yakshas were beings who hunted demons and such and collected ceramic debt every time they killed one. I don’t know what they owed their ceramics, but it sounds awesome.

So next time I come over and we go ghost hunting, I’ll tell the demons I’m a Yaksha so they’ll be more scared of me.

 

I miss you. The Cecilia is finally dry, so I put it in a picture frame and every time I look at it, I think of Starsnatch Cliff, and your hair in the sun. Please write back soon.

 

Xiao

 

It’s early in the morning. Aether just woke up for school, and he found his best friend’s letter shoved underneath his bedroom door by Aunt Annette because he accidentally stepped on it. He’s glad he gave Xiao her address as well—otherwise his dad would constantly need to make the two hour drive from Starfell to Mondstadt City just to make a second delivery, and it would take even longer before he’d hear from him.

This is a great way to start the morning! With a soft blush on his cheeks, he rereads the last few lines a couple of times.

Then, rubbing the remnants of sleep crusts out of his eyes, he happily sets Xiao’s letter next to the other ones. It joins birthday cards and presents from a week ago, messily stalled out on the only dresser he has in his room at his aunt’s. The room is super, super tiny, but at least he doesn’t have to share it with Lumine.

Sigh… as much as he wants to dive straight into replying, he has to get ready for school first. Aunt Annette made it plenty clear: a week ago, on the 30th of October, Lumine and Aether turned ten years old, and they ought to act responsible now. No more oversleeping, no more dilly-dallying in the morning—arrive at school in time and get good grades, like responsible children do!

After taking a shower, he slips into a blouse and a warm, fluffy vest, and a pair of neat trousers that look like they were made for church service. It’s… not the gear he feels most comfortable in. It’s hard to move around in, and he has to watch himself constantly to make sure he doesn’t get dirty. But kids have made fun of his old, torn overalls and washed out t-shirts so often that he’d rather spend the day uncomfortable.

Time to write a response! Hopefully, if they pass the post office today, he can send it to Xiao right away. The letter to him will surely come way faster too, then. With sparkling eyes, Aether flops down on his unmade, wooden single sleeper with paper and a pen, and begins to write.

 

Hi kitty!!!!

 

Umm… I’ll punch him if he deserves it!!! But Diluc would get upset… so it’s a last resort. It’s even colder out today, so maybe if it starts snowing and we’re all sent home early, I won’t even have to at all. You should come during the winter break some time, if we have it at the same time. We could make snow angels!!!!

We’ll see if you can beat me next year!!! You don’t actually have to run away from anything and I have to run away from angry deer sometimes, so I bet I’m still gonna be faster.

You know, you always tell me when Mr Zhongli gets new old things, but you never show them to me!!! Can you maybe draw them on your next letter? Especially the Yaksha mask!!!! It sounds really cool. Xiao the Yaksha. Do I have to call out your full title if I want you to come save me from demons? Or maybe angry deer?? Or maybe angry plates, if they are made from ceramics. Maybe it’s called “ceramic debt” because the Yakshas trap the demons in ceramic pots before they kill them!!!

When is your birthday? I told you mine, but I told it too late for a gift, but you didn’t put yours in this letter. I thought you would!!

I miss you so much too, I wish you could come to school with me. It would feel less lonely. And I want to sit next to you on the big lounge bench on the school courtyard. Maybe we can share an apple. Please come over soon!!!!

 

Xxxx Aether

 

Aether never dwells long on what he should put in his letters: when he thinks of what he wants to tell his best friend, his brain just rattles out thoughts on its own, and he eagerly writes them all down for Xiao to read. He barely even second-guesses himself, nor does he go back to correct sentences.

He’s worried it’ll be less sincere, if he did that.

Feeling satisfied with his work, Aether jumps up to shove the letter into a brown envelope. “Xiao,” Aether whispers into the small package, and he seals it with the prettiest windmill post stamp he can find.

Okay, deep down he knows it’s bogus… but he still wants to believe that if he just says it often enough, Xiao might appear next to him one day.

“Aether! Hurry downstairs, boy! Lumine is already halfway through tearing into breakfast!”

“Hey, I’m not an animal!”

“Then quit scarfing it down like one!”

“Uh… coming!” Quickly, the young Starfell boy grabs his oversized dark brown backpack, crams the envelope into the front pocket, and hurries downstairs on his special leather school loafers, which his aunt got him for his birthday. His heart flutters in his chest.

He’s ready to shovel his daily share of fisherman’s toast and Teyvat fried egg into his mouth, send his letter to Xiao, and tackle the school day! The fisherman’s toast is a little burnt again, but it’s okay. As long as it tastes good, he’ll eat practically anything.

In the end, they have to rush; they always have to rush.

Aunt Annette throws the used plates into the sink and chases the twins to the hallway, Lumine with a half eaten bun in her mouth. They quickly wrap themselves into their coats and swing their bags over their shoulders as she hounds them with the familiar: “Go go go go go, come on, hurry up!”

Not before long, the burgundy, two-door car is speeding down the busy roads of Mondstadt City. Aether barely gets the chance to register the cat head sign sticking out high above the road before Aunt Annette swerves into the drive-thru of the Cat’s Tail, the cafe where she always gets her morning coffee.

Seeing it as the perfect opportunity, Aether asks: “Can we stop by the post office too?”

“Hm? Oh, no milk, two sugars, please.”

He repeats his question, his letter clutched in his hands. He has hastily written Xiao’s name and address on the back, and it looks a little wobbly. But with his aunt’s driving, that’s to be expected.

Smiling, Aether simply decides to believe that it gives the letter more personality.

It’s loud and crowded outside, the air filled with the hustle and bustle of the big city. Cars honk at each other over the smallest things, sometimes it reeks of gasoline and exhaust pipe fumes, and everywhere Aether looks, he finds another face he’s never seen before. He much prefers the quieter, rural setting of Starfell, where he can see what’s going on with one look at his surroundings and doesn’t risk getting run over by someone’s car or bike whenever he considers crossing a road.

Aunt Annette, who looks exactly like his mom down to the length of their blonde hair, and only really stands apart from her in terms of personality, cusses under her breath when the car in front of her doesn’t immediately move. “Absolutely not, I’d have to go around the fountain square and we’re not doing that at eight in the morning,” she says. She takes her coffee from the usual lady, who’s wearing a cat ear diadem, and leads her car back to traffic. “We’re running on a tight schedule here.”

“Aw…” Aether knows that! He’d just really hoped to post this letter before the day ends. Sighing, he drops his head against the glass window and gazes at the line of shops outside.

Mondstadt City is said to have retained the majority of its “olden day charm”, but a lot of older-looking buildings stand among much more modern ones, and it definitely lacks the peace of a traditional “olden day town”.

“' City of the free' does not mean 'free to do whatever the fuck you want', jackass!” Aunt Annette shouts out the window, slamming her palm into her car claxon, when someone abruptly cuts her off in traffic.

Yeah, Aether supposes that about sums up the state of modern Mondstadt City.

Lumine snickers, eyeing her brother, before turning back to her book to memorize the paragraphs she was supposed to learn yesterday.

Aether pouts and props his head up on his jaw. Man, and he doesn’t even want to go to school, who cares if they’re a little late…

“Can we stop by The Good Hunter then?” Lumine asks. “It’s on the route. Jean said they have limited edition Sweet Madame sandwiches this week, and I have some allowance left. Please?”

“Ohh, that sounds yummy,” Aether agrees. “Can we?”

“No, we’re going straight to school. You kids—not even awake for two hours and already chasing me up the wall. Move , for the love of Barbatos, did I drive straight into the slug cavalry parade?! Go honor your veterans elsewhere!”

Sighing, the twins shrug at each other and turn back to what they were busying themselves with; the window, and the book.

Oh well. Aunt Annette will be more mellowed out at the end of the day. She’s always wound up like a loaded spring trap in the morning.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

“Come on!” Lumine grips onto Aether’s hand and yanks him through the school gate. “Bye Auntie!”

Aether squeaks as they narrowly avoid a frosted over puddle on the schoolyard, holding tightly onto Lumine’s hand. They fly through the front doors, right as the bell rings. Crap! With his heart beating in his throat, he picks up the pace and they run down the corridors like their lives depend on it.

Lumine squirms her arms out of her coat mid-run, Aether quickly reaching over to catch her bag. He snatches at the buttons of his own coat, wiggling it off his shoulders one sleeve at a time.

“Gimme!” Lumine calls and he quickly tosses his coat to her, and she throws it over the classroom-specific coat rack in passing. Aether adds his wooly hat and gloves, Lumine tosses her shawl on the floor and grips his bag when he almost drops it, and together, they sprint toward the classroom.

They hear their classmates chatting and laughing behind the closed door—but when Lumine throws it wide open, Aether swears it goes dead quiet within a second.

“.. Ah, Lumine, Aether. You’re late. Why am I not surprised?”

Their teacher is not happy to see them.

“We were on time,” Lumine says through heavy breathing, pointing at the clock. “Look, it’s still—oh.”

Aether looks up from carefully closing the door behind him: they’re an entire minute late, and he slumps his shoulders. Darn it, they were so close! Huffing, he wipes his slightly damp, blonde hair out of his eyes, and while Lumine continues to insist one minute is still relatively okay compared to their usual ten to fifteen minutes, he shamefully shuffles towards his seat.

Oh man. He can feel the eyes of the other children pricking into him, and he tries his best not to listen to the giggling around him when Lumine eventually gives up and drags her feet after him, sulking.

He hates being the center of attention, and is all too happy when, slowly but surely, his classmates pick up their conversations where they left off. Whew…

“Late again, farm guy?” Unfortunately, Aether shares a table with a super obnoxious boy who has been bothering him since day one. “That’s the millionth time this week, did you get stuck in the mud or something and—” The boy’s face contracts: “—Ow—!”

The pale, taller boy seated across from him moved so sneakily that Aether barely saw it, but he’s sure that he just kicked the boy in the shin. He always does, and he always gets away with it.

“Shut up, Frederik,” he hisses, blowing a thick lock of deep red hair out of his face. “Mind your business.”

“Okay, okay! Ouch… freaking weirdo.”

Face flushed with relief and embarrassment, Aether sits down next to the redhead and pulls out his books and pencil case. “Thanks Diluc,” he mutters. In front of them, the obnoxious boy glares at him and turns to his friend beside him to whisper snide remarks.

“Don’t mention it,” Diluc rumbles. “He’s irritating.” He, on the other hand, vocalizes it clearly.

Aether can only agree. Man… the twins are always late. You’d think people would get used to it eventually, but the fun in pointing it out never seems to wear off.

Lumine sits down at her own table, immediately turning to her friends, Amber and Rosaria, to complain. They intentionally put the twins at different tables; otherwise, the teachers worry that they’ll get too rambunctious and loud, because they’re siblings.

The same goes for Diluc’s brother, Kaeya, who has been seated all the way over at the opposite side of the classroom as well. To be fair, though, if the Ragnvindr brothers were put together at the same table, they would most definitely be rambunctious on account of Kaeya being... uh... Kaeya. He waves frantically at Aether, who quickly looks away, feeling terribly nervous. He doesn’t want any more attention on him.

Shrugging, Kaeya proceeds to turn to Lumine and her friends, who sit at the table behind him. Grinning, Lumine reaches over and messes up his impeccably groomed hair in greeting.

Ack… She always knows what to do when she’s surrounded by people. She makes it look so easy!

“So… How was your morning?” Aether asks, turning to the younger Ragnvindr brother. He lightly swings his legs under the table. “Mine was fun, I got a sweet letter from my friend. You know, the one I’ve been telling you about.”

“That’s cool. I had pancakes for breakfast.”

“Ohh, yum! What kind? Did you add lots of powdered sugar?” Aether fondly thinks of the tea break pancakes his mom makes really well. “I love pancakes with melted butter and powdered sugar!”

“I had jam.” Diluc’s voice gets a little quieter, and he doesn’t say much more to him after that. Honestly, he doesn’t often say much in general, so Aether doesn’t mind.

He simply grins at him and buries his nose in his school work, until their teacher calls their attention to the front of the class: “Alright, everyone—that should be enough morning chatters. Let’s continue where we left off, shall we? Multiplication tables! Can anyone recite what we’ve learned yesterday, hm? We’ll go by grades.”

This school holds two grades per class, with the teachers giving each grade the age-appropriate work for each subject. Not all schools have a system like this, but Aether supposes it’s a better model for this one; it isn't one of the richest schools, and it’s rather small, but it is known to be one of the best. Diluc and Kaeya are in fact one grade above Aether and the girls; one year older, too.

With a groan, Aether formally drops his head into his notebook. Ughhh… this is going to be a long day.

He wishes he knew what Xiao is up to right now. Is he also bored out of his mind at school? There’s a bit of a time difference between them, only he doesn’t know how much, so maybe it’s already recess over there. Or maybe Xiao is running with the track team right now, and getting super fast while Aether is stuck learning seven times seven off the top of his head!

Darn, he can’t let that happen. With a determined fire burning in his chest, he decides to practice his speed in Aunt Annette’s backyard tonight. And in the meantime, just to be prepared if the teacher calls on him, he quickly sneaks his multiplication table chart underneath his notebook.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The bell rings, harsh and loud, and chairs scrape over the floor as everyone gets up to make their way outside. It’s finally time for recess, and they get 30 minutes to play outside and 15 minutes to eat after.

30 minutes is way too long.

“Come on.” Aether gestures for Diluc to follow him as they assimilate into the mass of kids from not just their own, but also a plethora of other classes and grades pushing towards the front doors. Diluc grabs onto his sleeve so they don’t lose each other.

“Move in a more orderly fashion, you guys!” They hear the voice of Lumine’s friend Jean, who is two grades above the twins instead of one and therefore isn’t in the same class, over the crowd. “We’re never getting outside this way!”

“You’re not the boss of me!” some girl shouts at the front of the line.

It ends up taking five whole minutes to even get outside, and Aether is rather grateful for it.

He loves being outside, but… just not… here. It’s just a stone school courtyard with some monkey bars and a bit of artificially placed greenery. It has some benches to sit on, and a large wall with a gate that barely offers a view on the busy streets and the windmills in the distance surrounds the entire area; it’s nothing like Starfell and all its natural nooks and crannies to explore.

Not to mention, there are so many big city kids, and it’s so obvious that Aether isn’t one of them.

The twins stick out like a sore thumb, with their rough hands and farmer kid frames, and the slight swagger in their walk, and the rural accent in their voices. When their clothes still reflected their make-do, “clothes are meant to be used anyway, so why bother keeping them neat”-lifestyle, they stuck out even more.

Lumine is the first person kids seek out to ask if she can grab big spiders and bees with her bare hands and put them outside, because it’s what she’s used to at home—but it proceeds to be pointed out the entire time how weird it is for her to just… do that. And Aether is definitely among the first picks for practically any speed or strength related game in gym class, because he’s used to using all muscles to get the work done—but it proceeds to be pointed out the entire time how funny his farm legs are.

Albedo and Sucrose, who hail from Starfell as well, but don’t live on a farm and aren’t in the same class as them, blend in much better. Especially considering the general impression the city folks have of the rural Mondstadter places—like Starfell and Wolvendom—as a bunch of weird hick towns, those two got such an easy way out. But the Reisender twins fit the bill all too well.

All in all, what’s with the stark difference between them and the Mondstadter city children, the Reisender twins might as well come from an entirely different world.

And yet… Lumine seems to do so much better than Aether. She always knows what to do when kids who don’t like her start hounding her, and when she’s suddenly surrounded by kids who adore her. If it weren’t for them being twins, maybe she wouldn’t even be in the same boat as Aether at all—maybe Lumine could very well be from this world, and them being twins is the only thing truly holding her back.

When kids who don’t like Aether come for him, Diluc and Lumine have to make sure he doesn’t actually die. And when kids who find him interesting hover around him, he just kind of clams up like an oyster and blushes and sweats a bunch. Until eventually, his sister has to save him from the misery by pulling the attention to herself instead.

It’s kind of sad. She does practically everything. Even the friends Aether has now, well… they’re more her friends, and he’s kind of just there. Except Diluc. But she formally introduced him to Aether, too. Without her, he’d be nowhere.

Ugh. He almost wishes Starfell had its own good school.

Aether and Diluc flop down by their favorite tree in the courtyard, a thick birch with an elegant, leafless crown of woven branches. It’s one of only two trees. Diluc fluffs up the fuzzy collar of his hood, his exhale turning into a puff of condense in the cold air, and he pulls a book out of his coat.

“Whatcha reading about?” Aether asks, peering at the kids hanging out by the monkey bars and running around the courtyard, playing pretend. The wolf kids are acting like a pack of actual wolves again; they’ve claimed the entire soccer field as their territory.

“Just dragons and stuff, the usual,” Diluc replies, touching shoulders with Aether. “The main character is going to ride one into battle now.”

“Oh, okay. Is it good?”

“Yeah.” With that, Diluc turns to his book, indicating he just wants to read now.

Heh, it's fine, really! Even when he doesn't talk much, Diluc is great. Aether enjoys sitting in his presence and asking what he’s up to every now and then, and getting a head pat or some candies whenever the taller boy feels like it. He also likes it when he tells people to buzz off and shamelessly chases them fifty laps around the courtyard if they won’t, or how many more words he suddenly speaks if it’s to obliterate someone’s confidence when they still won’t buzz off... and how many difficult words, at that.

Most of all, Aether likes that he won’t necessarily do it if they’re bullying him; moreso, he’ll do it when they’re bullying Aether.

The blonde boy props his head up on his hands and hopes the break is over soon. And that his butt won’t freeze off before that time. He pulls his letter to his Liyueren friend out of his pocket: he had naively hoped the school gates would be open, so he could sneak to the nearest mailbox.

“For Xiao?” Diluc asks softly, and Aether nearly jumps when he feels his warm breath in his neck.

“Eek—! Y-yeah!” he stutters, scooting to the side. “You scared me!”

“Wow, okay, sorry.” Diluc rolls his almost red eyes, closing his book. “So, when can I meet him?”

“Uh… Maybe, uh, if we ever go to Mondstadt City together.”

“Can’t you come down to the winery some time? We’ll probably be there.”

Oh, right. Just like the twins, the Ragnvindr brothers live with a relative in Mondstadt City for school; their father owns the famous Dawn Winery, which is… somewhere close to Wolvendom, so he spends a lot of time there. Sometimes he brings his kids to school himself, when he’s in the city too to take a break from… wining? Aether likes Crepus Ragnvindr a lot, but he's difficult to keep track of.

“Dunno,” Aether replies quietly, a bit shy, all of a sudden. Hm… Diluc may seem like the type to, but he doesn’t actually like being alone either, so the three of them would make a good fit. What if Xiao and him get along really, really well, though, and they’ll want to play together more often?

He’s not sure if he likes that idea.

Diluc shrugs. “Alright, maybe one day. I think it’d be fun.”

“Y-yeah. Xiao is a lot of fun,” he makes sure his smile is genuine, “and I’m sure he’ll like you a lot.”

“Who’s Xiao?”

Aether’s heart nearly drops this time when the dark-haired Kaeya suddenly slides in right beside him, effectively trapping him between the tree and the Ragnvindrs. “Aaa—?!”

With a snort, Kaeya flips his hair over his shoulder and flamboyantly snags the letter out of Aether’s hands. His icy blue eyes quickly scan the messily written address, and he grins wolfishly. “Who’s Xiao?” he asks again, more curious. “Your boyfriend or something?”

“Give it back,” Aether mutters, mowing at the letter. He ignores the embarrassed heat creeping up his neck. “He’s my friend.”

“Huh, okay. I’m your best friend though, right?”

“That’s me , obviously.”

“Pffft, sure, Lulu. I’m way more fun! Just ask Aether, he’ll confirm.”

“Uh…” When Kaeya carelessly drops the letter, Aether quickly nabs it out of the air and jams it into his inner coat pocket. “Um, well, uhh…”

Luckily, their savior comes dashing toward them at that very moment, with her friends in tow: “Go away!” Lumine shoos the brothers off with wildly flapping hands, sticking her tongue out. Her copper eyes shimmer with mischief as she flops down on her knees in front of Aether. “Leave us alone, stinkers. You’re being super annoying.”

“Yeah. You guys are honestly so lame,” Rosaria grumbles, blowing some strands of her dark purple hair out of her face as she sits down beside them. She’s already allowed to dye it, even though she’s the twins’ age. “ Especially you.”

Without mercy, she pokes Kaeya between the ribs, and he shrieks.

“What—I wasn’t even doing anything!” All pink in the face, Diluc immediately opens his book and buries his nose into it. “Idiots…”

“No cussing,” Jean, who refuses to sit on the cold ground, says strictly. “I won’t hesitate to tell Mr Crepus.” She’s the eldest in the friend group, almost twelve; Venti would be the second eldest, but he’s been nowhere to be found all day.

Probably overslept tremendously and ended up begging his parents to tell school he’s sick. Again. The boy takes Mondstadt’s motto to the extreme sometimes.

Amber, Lumine’s last friend who is also their age, promptly wiggles herself between Kaeya and Aether, grinning widely as she begins chatting away.

Aether has clammed all the way up with the sudden assembly of the crowd, and Diluc isn’t faring much better, with his book propped up on his knees just to make sure nobody will see his face.

Darn it! He’s glad Lumine saved them, but did she have to sit down here with everyone she knows and their moms?

Kaeya unceremoniously shoves Amber right into Lumine’s lap, wrapping an arm tightly around Aether as he joins in on the conversation. The ten year old tenses even more, feeling like a wooden doll in the older boy’s grip.

Lumine is in the middle of telling something which Aether knows is… erm, exaggerated , but Amber, Jean and Rosaria seem to believe her all the same, when Rosaria interjects with the most morbid solution he’s ever heard (“Well, if the neighbor is that dangerous, why don’t you just cut off his limbs and sacrifice the corpse to the wood spirits so he won’t bother you anymore? My dad says it’s better to be safe than sorry.”) and Kaeya reels back so hard that both him and Aether slam the backs of their heads into the tree.

Ouch—! Aether feels tears in his eyes when he reaches back to frantically rub his head.

“That’s disgusting!” Kaeya exclaims, half laughing, half creeped out. “Right, Aether? Rosa is super creepy, don’t you think?”

Aether only manages to wheeze.

“See, Aether agrees! You’re so gross.”

“Meh. That’s nothing, I’ve done way worse,” Rosaria says with a shrug.

The kids, none of them older than eleven just yet, don’t question it for a second.

“Speaking of creepy—some girls in my gym group are saying Albedo is half machine and his mom made him in a lab. Do you think that’s true?” Amber suddenly asks.

“I definitely saw his eyes glowing once,” Kaeya nods, fully assured of himself. “Maybe he’s got lasers in there.”

Amber shivers. “Yuck…”

“Knock it off, both of you. Albedo is just very smart,” Lumine quickly says. “You don’t need to be a machine to be very smart, you know.”

Jean nods wildly in agreement. “Those girls are probably just saying that because he was honest with them,” she says wisely, half sitting on Rosaria's shoulder, placing her hands upon her lap.

It’s no secret that people think Albedo is a little strange. Last year, some girls who had been bothering him for a week straight suddenly began telling everyone he’s an alien and he’s here to eat their brains because he told them to their faces that they smelled bad, their voices hurt his ears, and he would much prefer it if they never come near him again.

Every time he would approach a group of kids, they’d be terrified and run away screaming. He thought it was funny at first, but eventually, he got very quiet about it and Lumine, Jean and Sucrose had rallied everyone together to force the rumor out of the world.

Honestly, it could very well be the exact same girls trying to start something again.

“Besides, last year, you tried to convince everyone you were half cat,” Jean continues, eyeing Amber with hints of betrayal still left in her gaze, “and we believed you too! So you should know how easy it is to lie about someone being 'half something'.”

Amber’s cheeks immediately flush with embarrassment, and Aether manages to giggle before Kaeya practically squishes him against himself, bursting with laughter.

He hears Diluc scoff behind his book, and wishes he could do the same.

Eventually, Lumine invites everyone to a round of tag, where she will pretend to be a robot who’s here to wipe out humanity and when she tags you, you die, and her friends agree enthusiastically. Aether can finally unclench his buttcheeks when Kaeya lets go of him, though he does promise to come back for his “super cute bestie” and “lame brother” soon.

When they dash into the courtyard, both Aether and Diluc sag in relief. Whew!

“Idiots,” Diluc mumbles again. “I hope they trip and fall.”

“But not too hard.” Aether carefully pulls his letter into view again; it’s a little crinkled, but hopefully, Xiao won’t mind.

Sighing, he wonders how it would’ve gone if his friend had been here. Technically, it hadn’t been so bad. It’s not like Lumine’s friends are shutting Aether out! If anything, they want him to join in on their fun.

Why does Aether still find it so difficult to find his spot, then, and to feel comfortable with them?

Notes:

I picture Aether and Diluc as the scary dog privileges trend in this story lol, Aether is minding his business and Diluc keeps the bullshit at bay ✨ They're all baby... small and little...

Also! I based Aether’s school experience off of a specific type of Dutch school rather than a German one, as I’m unfortunately too small-brained to learn multiple new school systems for reference. Just to clear up any eventual confusion! ><

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter <3 Until next week!

Chapter 10

Spring, Year 4

 

It’s April 19th. Two days after his eleventh birthday, Xiao is still feeling the glow of happiness; he’s a year closer to getting a real phone, his dads no longer look like their entire bloodline got insulted whenever “heck” or “crap” accidentally slips out, he got a demon-themed cake this year… and Zhongli, who saw how much he adored the new ancient Yaksha mask, had a replica made for him out of high quality materials. Xiao has been donning it practically every waking moment.

Zhongli has even allowed him to stay home  from school tomorrow, so he can give his new stuff a bit more attention. All in all, Xiao is definitely considering this a contender for the best birthday he’s ever had.

He’s perching on his closet with the Yaksha mask on, glaring from the shelf with some books and his first track ribbon (fourth place—not bad for his very first race!) on it, down to his plushies on the floor. The crown of his head brushes against the ceiling when he moves, as if in warning of what the future will bring. One day, he’ll be too big to fit on here, but luckily, today is not that day.

Deep down, he wonders if it isn’t a little weird for him to sit here, pretending to be a demon hunter. But… who’s going to know, right? It’s not like he’s going to tell anyone!

He can’t wait to show the mask to Aether. He has already sent a printed picture of the real deal along with one of his letters, so maybe his friend will be just as excited as him; it’s going to be the first thing he packs this summer, for sure.

Right when Xiao contemplates whether or not he’s still light enough to actually jump down from here safely, his flip phone makes a sound: Shenhe texted back.

Oh! Quickly, he climbs down from the closet and nearly falls over, and he scrambles to get his phone, as though there is a set time window in which he can text back. The children have been texting more often after school as of late, and he has begun to find his phone a lot more interesting because of it.

Admittedly, he hasn’t been using it much since getting it… Only to take pictures with Aether, really. Until now, that is.

 

[16:42
Shen: Still wearing the mask?]

 

Pfft, is that all?

 

[16:44
Me: yeha

16:45
Shen: Nerd .,. Will you bring it to school tomorrow?]

 

Texting on a flip phone is a pain, though. Xiao grumbles at the buttons in his attempt to tell Shenhe to stuff it and that he won’t be there until Tuesday, finding he’s struggling more than he wants to admit. He’s still thinking on whether or not to bring his mask along at all since the other kids already find them weird as is and like to get at them for it, when he hears a knock on his door.

Instinctively, his shoulders tense, and he quickly takes off his mask.

“May I come in?”

“Uh, yeah!” Whew… Xiao is honestly relieved to hear Zhongli’s voice; Retuo rarely approaches Xiao’s room as of late, unless it’s for the occasional, hasty goodnight wishes, but when he does come in…

It’s a little difficult to wrap his head around. Retuo has been quite unfriendly to him, and he has no idea what he did wrong to get more of it than Ganyu.

Zhongli slowly opens the door, stepping inside the somewhat messy bedroom. He’s smiling fondly at him, holding onto a decently chunky package. “This came in the mail for you, little bird,” he says, observing as Xiao puts his mask in its designated holder with great care. “It’s from Aether. He has drawn a little birthday hat on it, I do wonder what’s inside…”

“What? He did not!” Xiao has never stood before his dad so quickly, his eyes glimmering like golden stars. Before Zhongli can even blink, his son is already carefully slicing the copious amounts of tape off the package with the edge of a hardcover book that was lying around on the floor.

Zhongli chuckles softly.

Aether very much did . The boy told Xiao his birthday in a letter after his birthday had already passed (it’s October 30th!), and, feeling guilty about not being able to get him a gift in time, he had insisted that Aether could not get him anything for his birthday either.

But, clearly, that demand was entirely lost on his friend.

Xiao stares, wide-eyed, at the messily gift-wrapped item in the box, and the letter taped to the side of it. His heartbeat has picked up into a steady drum that’s almost audible from the outside, and his tongue feels a little dry.

“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Zhongli coos. He gently runs his warm fingertips over Xiao’s dark hair, which has been cut shorter again. “Dinner will be ready soon, sweetheart. Do make sure you don’t miss it in your excitement.”

Xiao doesn’t register the sound of the door closing. He’s practically glowing when he forces himself to read the letter first. Aether’s already quite clunky handwriting is messier than it usually is, as if he was just as excited to send this gift as Xiao is to receive it, but after a few do-overs, the eleven year old manages to decipher it.

 

Hi kitty!!!

 

I know you said that if I got you anything, you’d tackle me next time we meet, but that’s not really a threat because I’m stronger anyway and I wanted to give you a gift. So!!! >:)

Anyway, it’s snowing over here right now. Auntie said sending packages to other nations can take super duper long when it’s snowing, so I’m sending it now, in January!!!! If you get it earlier, promise not to open it until it’s your birthday!!!!!!

It’s the first thing that came to mind when I thought of you, and it took a really long time to make. I hope you like it!!! See you soon!!!! And also happy birthday!!!!!!

 

Xxxx Aether

 

He has drawn all kinds of birthday garlands and balloons around the letter. Flushed in the cheeks, Xiao places the letter on the floor next to him and reaches for the package. It’s round and feels soft, and as he begins to pluck at the brown paper packaging, little tufts of black fluff spring free.

“Huh..?” With his curiosity at its peak, Xiao rips off the packaging and…

It is, by far, the ugliest cat plushie he has ever laid his eyes upon.

It was supposed to be round, but it looks more oval instead, and it’s all black with a teal belly. Two uneven triangles stick out at the top (though they were quite skillfully sewn into the big shape), and a fat stump sits on the back, and two buttons have been sewn into the front. The buttons are bright yellow, not equal in size, and are a little unevenly placed as well. A beautiful, plaid black and teal ribbon has been wrapped around the middle, sewn in place. It even has a little pink nose, and a mouth that was probably supposed to look like a 3, but looks like a W instead.

It’s very obvious that whoever made it, had never made anything like this before. Or at all.

Xiao stares at it for a moment, then a moment longer. His dry throat persists, as does his quick pulse, and slowly, he pulls the plushie against his chest. This tops the Yaksha mask—this is the single best gift he’s gotten. Possibly ever! He buries his nose in the fluff of the oval cat, and catches a singular whiff of the remnants of Aether’s scent.

His brain… well—Xiao can’t quite explain it, but it genuinely feels like everything just became more vibrant for a second. Not to mention, his stomach feels funny; not quite nauseous, but like he had something warm to eat that hadn’t fully cooled down by the time he’d swallowed it.

Hm… weird. He decides to pay it no mind.

When he and Ganyu are called downstairs for dinner, he refuses to leave the plushie in his room, and his sister gawks at him as soon as he steps out of his room.

“It’s so ugly,” she whispers, mouth agape.

“Right? I love it so much. Aether made it for me, for my birthday!” Xiao beams with pride, and Ganyu looks like she’s going to explode with laughter. But, to keep the peace, the nine year old simply nods, squeezes her lips into an innocent smile, and runs downstairs.

Tsk, he’ll get back at her later.

At the dinner table, Retuo can only stare at the plushie like it single-handedly murdered his family and muster a soft: “It’s… lovely,” while Zhongli manages to straight up lie a lot better and say: “Oh, that is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! Homemade, I take it. Are you happy with it, little bird?”

Xiao doesn’t care one bit; to him, this is the most perfect cat plush he’ll ever have, simply because his best friend made it for him.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Even though Xiao doesn’t need to go to school tomorrow, he’s still sent to bed early so as to not make it too hard on Ganyu, who is not allowed to stay home. His curfew has also only been increased slightly so he wouldn’t leave his little sister in the dust, but Zhongli has promised them both that once Ganyu turns ten in December, their curfews will be permanently increased to 23:00.

It feels a little unfair, but Xiao can’t think of a better alternative that doesn’t entail telling Ganyu to suck it off it and simply get older faster if she wants to keep up. It must be a lot easier to be the same age as your sister.

Still holding onto the cat plushie, he goes through his nighttime routine and waits patiently for Zhongli and Retuo to come tell him goodnight. He shoves Zhongli’s face away when he tries to give him a kiss on the forehead, shivering; “Dad! Come on, you don’t need to do that anymore.”

Even though he tried to say it as gently as possible, he still doesn’t miss the pang of hurt in his dad’s amber eyes.

“Okay, one last time,” he quickly says, just like he did yesterday, and all the days before that. “But not anymore after that!”

Zhongli sees that as his cue to give him the biggest, loudest, most embarrassing smooch he’s ever had, and he hugs him so tightly that his head nearly pops off. Xiao squawks in his grip, kicking his legs under the blanket, but the man doesn’t let go! His dad chortles at his efforts, pressing their heads together, full of affection.

“Goodnight, my little bird,” he murmurs.

“Goodnight,” Xiao snickers, sticking his tongue out at him when he finally retreats. “Will Father come say goodnight too?”

“Of course!” Zhongli says it without a hitch as he gets to his feet, straightening his chocolate brown blouse, but Xiao can hear Retuo talking on the phone downstairs. “He’ll just be a little later, is all. Well, I’m going to say goodnight to your little sister; surely, at least one of you still appreciates my kisses.”

“Pffft! Night, Dad.”

“Night, baby. I love you.”

Xiao honestly isn’t surprised when Retuo doesn’t come into his room anymore. He stopped being dependent on two goodnights to get a proper night’s sleep a while ago. Besides, he’s too old for goodnight kisses; he can make do with the cat plushie and some music, if he really finds he’s having trouble sleeping.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

That night, at 23:40, Xiao thinks to himself that he’s hungry.

His stomach isn’t even rumbling, but it has still convinced his brain that he’s hungry enough for it to keep him up. But he shouldn’t go downstairs. He knows very well by now what might be waiting for him there.

I really need to stay put , he strictly tells himself, biting on the insides of his cheeks. Whether it be hunger or curiosity at whether or not his parents are…—no, he has no business going downstairs at this hour either way.

In the end, he loses to himself.

Against better judgment, Xiao sneaks down into the dark kitchen for a rice bun. Although the sliding doors to the large living room are mostly closed, he still catches onto a conversation. It’s one of the same kind his parents have been having often, though they think neither of the kids know.

Unfortunately, Xiao has heard quite a few of them during his nighttime endeavors, and he fears there might have been even more that he didn’t hear at all.

His chest feels tight, and he tries not to breathe too much.

“We’ve suffered even more losses over the last few months. I’ve been trying my best to fix it, but—I think it has become inevitable. I’m going to have to let people go.” That’s Retuo, and he sounds so tired, and so old, all of a sudden.

His 50th birthday was at the start of spring (and Zhongli, who turned 35 right before the end of last year, had made an extra big deal out of it because apparently 50 is an important age), so Xiao supposes it makes sense that his father would sound a little older now. But… this seems rather excessive.

Zhongli tries to keep a little bit of cheer in his voice; “Oh dear… I’m afraid I don’t quite understand, my love, perhaps there is another—”

“Of course you don’t understand. You’re a History teacher, Zhongli. You are the one they let go, not the one forced to do the deed.”

The cheer rarely helps as of late.

“.. Ah. I was going to suggest cutting some of your pay, and perhaps some of the other higher-ups’ salaries as well. Wouldn’t that be sufficient to fix these issues?”

“Oh, yes, because the board would love it if I did that, on top of everything else. I would most certainly keep the faith of my investors and employees.” Retuo’s voice rises in volume, just enough for it to become smothering, and the sarcasm catches Zhongli off-guard. “Besides, how do you suppose I arrange the upkeep for this household then, hm? Ganyu is used to a certain quality of life and you spoil the crap out of Xiao. Not to mention my ever high-maintenance little husband.”

Why is he being so mean to me?

The thought sounds so childish, but Xiao can’t help but wonder it anyway as he clutches onto his rice bun and nibbles on his lip.

“Neither of us spoil the children, and surely I am not that high-maintenance, my love?”

“Request after request, Zhongli. Week in, week out. If not for yourself, it’ll be outrageous bullshit for Xiao. You could have had that Yaksha mask made of plastic and paint, but no—you chose precious metals, resin and real gemstones, as if a child isn’t simply going to destroy it anyway.”

“Well, I—I have to ask you, no?” Zhongli is wavering ever so slightly. “You have access to our finances. And it’s for his eleventh birthday, Retuo. You gave me none of this nonsense when I had a highly detailed qilin plush made for Ganyu’s birthday, hand-sewn by one of the most expensive doll makers in Liyue.”

“That is different, a plushie is not made of metal, resin and actual fucking gemstones. And you know with how much care she treats her dolls. Have you ever even properly registered how rowdy Xiao is? I give that mask a week at most, and I am not paying to have it fixed.” Retuo huffs and clicks his tongue, and Xiao can imagine his hand waving around like he’s swatting at flies. “Oh, forget it. You wouldn’t understand the position I’m in right now if I laid it out piece by piece before you. Gods forbid I, as your husband, ask any support of you.”

“Excuse me? Xiao is much more careful with his things than most boys his age. And if there is one thing I do know, it’s that you are not to take your work drama out on me, Retuo.”

“I am not taking anything out on you. Reducing your expensive requests here and there would help, though, and it would be great if you could refrain from making a spoiled brat out of Xiao as well. One is enough.”

“.. Ah. I see. Alright. If you dislike me asking you for things so much, I will be handling my own salary henceforth.”

“You? Handle mora? You?” Retuo barks out a half-hearted laugh. “By the time an emergency comes around, you would have already squandered everything on nonsense. No, dear, you’ll continue transferring it to me. All I need is your cooperation as I sort this out.”

There is a short pause.

“Giving me your back, huh. You’ve gotta be kid—all I ask is for us to work together here and what do I get? An attitude like I’m talking to another petulant eleven year old!”

Xiao decides he’s heard enough when Zhongli tries to retort and Retuo abruptly cuts him off. The dark-haired boy tiptoes back to the stairs, shoves his rice bun into his mouth, and rushes up two steps at a time, as fast and silent as possible.

When he crawls back into bed, he realizes he wasn’t actually hungry, and the rice bun tastes like paper on his tongue. Ugh… he wishes Retuo’s work would stop giving him such a hard time already, so he would stop talking like that to Zhongli and… and stop saying those things about Xiao.

Being an adult must really suck. It’s been getting worse and worse this year. In fact, it’s almost as if Retuo is never actually off the clock, and in these late night conversations Xiao has been listening in on, it starts to sound more and more like he thinks it’s Zhongli’s fault or something.

Not to mention, Retuo snaps at Xiao as well sometimes, though he apologizes nine out of ten times—but you would never catch him snapping at Ganyu, no matter how nasty of a phone call he just hung up on. Xiao can’t for the life of him figure out what he did wrong.

Is it because Ganyu is younger, so she’d cry more easily? Is it because he’s a boy, so he’s able to tough it out better? Is it because he was adopted first? He isn’t sure, and he doesn’t know how to casually ask Retuo without admitting that he’s been eavesdropping on his parents.

Xiao sadly huddles away under the blanket with his cat plushie, and hopes nobody will suddenly barge in on him and see him like this. Maybe he should leave the Yaksha mask on its stand for now, just to make sure he doesn’t break it too soon.

“That way,” he whispers to himself, trying to come up with something that will make his throat feel less thick and get rid of the lump that’s forming, “Aether will definitely get to see it the way it is now.”

Yeah! He needs to make absolutely sure that his best friend gets to see the mask the way it’s supposed to be: pristine, clean, perfect. With that thought in mind, Xiao tries to twist and turn and go to sleep.

…

No can do. He feels guilty, somehow.

Should he text Shenhe for advice? No, it’s almost 00:00 and her mom takes her phone every night so she won’t stay up texting. The last thing he wants is for Shenhe’s mother to read his pitiful text message about his dads. What if she takes offense and shows up at his doorstep or something? Then he’ll be in trouble, for sure, whether he talks to his father himself too or not.

He still grabs his phone.

 

[17:04
Shen: Don’t ignore me ._.

17:45
Me: sorry i got a gift frm my friend and then i ha dinner

17:52
Shen: Lol. Take your mask tomorrow .,.

18:00
Me: i’m not comniog tomorrow but on tuesday

18:02
Shen: Traitor ._. Bring it on Tuesday then

18:02
Shen: And learn how to spell on your dumb little flip phone

18:05
Me: shut.]

 

When he’s sure her phone is in her hands again, he’ll ask her for advice and tell her he’s not bringing it to school at all. While he’s convinced they’ll be able to protect the Yaksha mask together right now, you can never predict what kids who already don’t like them will do.

Shenhe has already had her stuff destroyed a couple of times, and Xiao has come close as well. The kids just act like they’re the stupid ones for getting upset over it; “Your parents can just buy you a new one, can’t they? What’s the prob?” Neither she nor Xiao ever take anything special to school anymore. No, he’d rather show her when they’re hanging out on a weekend or after school some time.

Imagine how upset Retuo would be if someone else got to his mask… and Zhongli would be so disappointed in him.

Xiao clutches a little tighter onto the cat plushie, then, and tries to catch the smell of Aether on it. He’s not even fully aware that he’s doing it.

When his nose finds what it wants, suddenly, he is on the ratty old couch in the Reisenders’ house. It’s dark, the curtains are drawn, and he’s engulfed in a soft, warm, cottony guest blanket. Instead of holding the cat plushie, he’s tangled into his friend, their limbs sprawled akimbo in the most comfortable way. Aether’s tousled hair is tickling in his nose.

Xiao closes his eyes and pictures their proximity, and his muscles relax, and his mind calms down. His chest feels warm and fuzzy, rather than tight and like it’s trying to contain a wild river. He forgets about the conversation between his parents: all that’s important now, is reliving this moment long passed as he drifts off to sleep.

Notes:

The plot thickens... but at least Xiao got a nice gift for his birthday! Everything is fine... :')

I realized I'd accidentally posted too early last week, sorry about that. But this chapter is here on the intended day! Thank you so much for reading, see you next week >v<

Chapter 11

Summer, Year 4

 

The left back door of the rose gold Range Rover flies open while the car is still moving, under the startled shouts of Zhongli and Retuo.

“Kitty! You’re finally—ack!”

Aether doesn’t even get to finish his sentence or Xiao has already flown around his shoulders with such force that it sends both boys rolling down the street, clinging onto each other tightly, as if they haven’t seen each other in decades. Xiao had already noticed him lurking around the summer cottage with a wicker basket in his hands when the car was driving down the familiar Starfell country road, though he had been but a small dot in the distance.

The wicker basket sits in the middle of the road now, fallen over. It only contains pebbles, sweet flowers and mushrooms; all foraging stuff from nearby, as if Aether was just trying to find excuses to linger around.

It actually kind of hurts when Xiao's wrists awkwardly clunk into the lumpy, cracked asphalt for the third time, but he doesn’t care: he buries his face in Aether’s shoulder. His own muscles relax for the first time in what feels like weeks.

“I missed you, kitty!” Aether chirps, squeezing his friend tightly before messing up his hair with both hands. “Ooo, your hair got longer again! Did you put something in it? It feels kind of hard-ish.”

“Not as long as yours,” Xiao says with a grin, sitting up on the road. He feels at his head; ugh, yeah, he put gel in it, and now it’s sticking out everywhere like he’s a hedgehog that jammed its paw into an electrical outlet. “Man—it took so long to get right! Way to mess it up, idiot.”

“It looked dumb anyway, this suits you better.” Sticking his tongue out playfully, Aether scrambles to his feet and drags Xiao along.

“You look dumb. Whatever! I missed you too, bunny. How long have you been standing here?”

“Dunno. Like… an hour? Maybe two? I just figured I’d give it a go. And I willed you into existence in the end!”

“That’s so weird.” In reality, though, Xiao feels really happy, and he only pulls away from Aether when his father calls out to him with the question of what the heck he was thinking, jumping out of the car like that and giving his entire family a fright.

“Unpack your things, you reckless brat!” the older man shouts.

“Retuo!” Zhongli hisses in turn.

“What? I could’ve hit him!”

Xiao rolls his eyes. “Ugh. You do something once and it’s the end of the world. I’ll see you later, okay?” he mutters. “Maybe we can go do something fun.”

Aether nods, full of excitement. His hair, which reaches just a little past his shoulders, flops along like lopped bunny ears. “You have to race me,” he declares, almost breathless, as he squeezes his hands into fists. “I wanna see how fast you got.”

Snickering, Xiao dips his head to formally accept this challenge, convinced he’s not going to be left in the dust half as easily anymore. He notices Aether has grown a little again (not much, though!) and he has some actual new-looking overalls made of jeans-like material. Probably by the force of getting taller. They’re warm brown with a sunflower on the chest pocket, and he’s got a white shirt with light yellow stripes on, also newer-looking. And his old boots fit, now; that is to say, they don’t look half as oversized and intimidating on him as they used to.

He looks cute, smiling so wide, with his copper eyes that are still so big for his face. Like an actual little ray of sunshine.

Xiao’s cheeks have gotten warmer, and embarrassment creeps into his chest. He quickly turns around and runs back to the car when Retuo tells him that if he doesn’t start unpacking right this instant, he’s not getting dinner.

“I’m coming with you,” Ganyu says, as Xiao lifts his old teal-black sports bag out of the car. She hauls her fluffy backpack over her shoulder and reaches for her qilin plushie. “If Aether is there, then Lumi must be too! We can finally take pictures on my phone.”

Along with the super expensive qilin plush, Xiao’s little sister also got a flip phone of her own for her ninth birthday. She no longer needs to clog his phone with pictures of her and Lumine now.

“Xiao is not going anywhere, sweetie,” Retuo says kindly as he lifts a bag and a proper suitcase out of the back of the car. “You’ll have to visit your little girl…friend tomorrow, alright?”

Xiao instantly whips his head up. “What? Why?” he asks sharply, hastily joining Ganyu on her side of the car.

“Watch your tone.” Retuo furrows his thick, graying eyebrows, his face gaining an imposing edge. “I will not have that on top of the heart attack you nearly gave me. This car is heavy enough to crush both your feet, do you realize that?”

With a soft sigh, Zhongli shuts the door to the passenger’s seat and places a hand upon Xiao’s shoulder. “What your father means to say,” the brunette says, with a biting squint at his husband, of which he immediately acts like Xiao shouldn’t have seen that, “is that we know you were excited, but you should never do something like this again, alright? He’s right, you could have very well gotten stuck under the wheels.”

“But I was being careful,” Xiao insists.

“Not really,” Ganyu shrugs as Retuo nudges her to the front gate of the summer cottage, and Xiao shoots her a glare.

“Xiao.” Zhongli’s grip tightens a little and he leans down, catching his son’s upset, wandering gaze with his own. He has pursed his lips a little. “Don’t do it again, you hear me? We just want you to be careful with yourself.”

Under Zhongli’s strict gaze and the angry crinkles in Retuo’s forehead, Xiao relents: “Okay, okay… fine. Sorry. If I promise not to jump out of moving vehicles ever again, can I go see Aether now?”

“Oh. We… Well, we thought it would be a fun change of pace to go to a restaurant on our first day here.”

Huh? But Xiao always spends the first day hanging out with Aether! “Uh, can I just stay home?” he asks, following Ganyu and Retuo to the front door. “Please? I just told Aether I’d race him.”

“Then tell him there’s been a change of plans,” Retuo rumbles, letting Ganyu into the house. “We’re spending the first day in Starfell as a family this time.”

He sounds firm and unyielding, and a teensy bit short-fused, and Xiao already knows there’s no point in arguing with him when he sounds like that just because Zhongli never manages to do it either. Of course, Xiao can’t just say that, because he’d be admitting he has heard said arguments.

“Tsk… fine, but then you don’t get to pick up the phone if work calls,” he mumbles under his breath, kicking his brand loafers off. It smells musty in the cottage. At least the gardener took care of the yard and the climbing ivy, but they’ll be dusting for days to come, for sure.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

“May the gods spare me your puberty problems. Just go unpack your things and get ready, kid.”

“Something nice and easy will do, my little bird, it won’t be a fancy restaurant!” Zhongli calls after Xiao as he stomps up the stairs.

Grumbling quietly to himself, he pushes the door to his bedroom wide open and almost throws his sports bag on his bed. Just in time, he remembers the precious cargo he’s carrying within.

The Yaksha mask is the first thing he unpacks. He shoves his remote controlled toy helicopter aside and shivers from all the dust that thing has accumulated over a year of sitting untouched, and he gently puts the stand of the mask on his dresser instead. The mask follows suit; he hasn’t played with it throughout the remainder of spring, and aside from a few finger smudges, it still looks brand new.

He beams with pride.

His clothes are quickly stored away, too. He hasn’t brought nearly as much this time, since he’s been accumulating a closet full over the years, but… he pulls out a black shirt with a flaming teal phoenix head on it that he wore when he was eight and realizes that it looks a little small in his hands, and regret creeps up on him.

“Uh-oh…” Xiao rummages through his closet and pulls out a white blouse he left here last summer. This one looks like it still fits, but it has dirt stains on it that will be a year old soon. When he pulls out a pair of jeans he’d left here two years ago and realizes the pipes are a bit short, he starts feeling clammy.

He thought he hadn’t grown that much, three years isn’t even all that long. And he can’t just wear pants that are too short, that’d be embarrassing!

“Xiao, come get your other bag!”

Okay, this is fine. He’ll fix it later.

Once Xiao is done unpacking everything and dusting off his TV and game console and any other items he left here over the summer, his room looks a lot more lived-in again. Sighing in satisfaction, he slips into an easy gray polo and jeans he brought this year, and goes downstairs to join the family for that stupid dinner.

Even though Zhongli himself said it wouldn’t be a fancy restaurant, both he and Retuo look impeccably groomed; Zhongli’s skin-tight cream-colored blouse, golden tie, Cor Lapis jewelry and high-waisted dark brown trousers are almost reminiscent of the ones he’ll wear when he’s going on a dinner date with Retuo.

Retuo hasn’t gone to those lengths, but he still looks very elegant in his black, long-sleeved turtleneck shirt and black trousers; even his normally rugged, long hair with obvious gray streaks sitting among the dulling golden brown has been done up beautifully, with hair pins to boot.

Compared to them, Xiao, in his simple polo-jeans combo, and Ganyu, in her light blue t-shirt and red skirt, look way too underdressed! Ganyu quickly puts her golden brown hair, which has grown to her middle, up as well.

Huffing, Xiao curses both his parents for being unable to grasp what “casual” actually entails. This throws him back to when they showed up to a parent-teacher meeting looking like that, during winter last year; his classmates had been in awe at the time, but Xiao hadn’t heard the end of it the next day because it was, of course, hilarious to see two perfectly dolled up men in a room full of casually dressed people.

He hadn’t ever even really thought of the way his parents dress before that time. Honestly, everyone at his school sucks… but his parents could definitely use some crappier clothes.

“Don’t forget we have to drive past Aether’s place,” Xiao tells his father as he reaches for his strong arm, muscles accentuated by the tight shirt. “Since I won’t be racing him and he needs to know.”

“If you’d unpacked a little faster, we could’ve,” Retuo says as Ganyu latches onto his other arm, and he pulls his kids outside with him. Before Xiao can protest, he smiles and nudges him towards Ganyu’s side of the car. “Relax, Aether will not hate you for spending one evening with your family.”

“Come on, it’ll be okay,” Ganyu adds sweetly, opening the door for her brother. “You go first! I want to sit in my own spot.”

“Tsk, fine…” Xiao mumbles something he hopes neither of his parents heard and scoots into his own seat.

Right before the car turns to leave and Zhongli turns on the radio, he sees Aether at the edge of the forest with his wicker basket in his hand, looking confused. Xiao waves at him, wishing he could just text him already.

His chest contracts a little oddly when his friend visibly saddens.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The dinner is actually pretty fun. As expected, Zhongli and Retuo get some looks from the Starfell townsfolk, but they’re imposing enough for people to shut up about it, which spares their children the embarrassment.

Retuo promises to let Xiao and Ganyu have extra big desserts if they finish their food, and because it isn't a fancy restaurant, they are allowed to behave more rambunctiously. As the main course, Xiao gets to choose something he's never heard of before called “Barbatos Ratatouille”, which turns out to be a huge dish he can’t finish and doesn’t even taste that good, while Ganyu sticks with something she's at least familiar with—Sweet Madame.

And his father does, in fact, not pick up his phone when it goes off, which Xiao sees as a personal victory. It immensely pleases Zhongli, as well. His parents look happy, laughing together and making risky jokes they try to hide from the kids.

Still, despite the undeniably good time, once he's back home, Xiao feels frustrated. At the end of the day, it was just another family dinner, and they have those all the time!

He’s brushing his teeth in his own bathroom, thinking of how he would’ve rather raced Aether and have something hastily prepared at home to eat. Hopefully they can carry out their own plans tomorrow… and he really, really hopes Aether isn’t upset with him. The idea frightens him a little.

With a sigh, Xiao shakes the thoughts out of his mind and cleans up after himself. When he’s finished, he goes to collect the clothes he wore today, deciding to simply throw them in the laundry and trust that he’s still got usable stuff in his closet.

Hm, something smells weird here. Furrowing his eyebrows, he sniffs his polo shirt and—

—Wow. Alright. Okay. Alright. Yeah. Wow. Crap, not again.

“Dad!” he calls, sticking his head out the door. “Can I borrow your deodorant tomorrow?”

“Of course, sweetheart!”

“Thanks!”

“Eww, I knew I smelled something in the car!”

“S-shut up, Ganyu!” With a head as red as a beet, Xiao slams the door.

Why does this keep happening, it’s so stupid! Being eleven sucks way more than he thought it would. He really, really hopes Aether didn’t notice any of that this afternoon, that would be horrible.

What—why does he even care so much, all of a sudden?

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

“Okay! We’re racing from here to the birch with the cross on it. First one to get there wins.”

With his hands placed akimbo on his waist, Aether sticks out his chest and stares at the tree he means. It’s about fifty meters away, which is plenty fair for their first evenly matched race. They got up early for it, Aether even sneaked out of his house, and Xiao would’ve almost done the same if he hadn’t remembered in time that he’s still on thin ice with his father.

But none of that matters right now! Today, Xiao is convinced he’s going to finally beat his best friend in a race.

“And if you win,” Aether turns to look over his shoulder, grinning, “I’ll pay for your paprika potato tornado next time we go to town.”

Apparently, Aether and Lumine have been getting a weekly allowance ever since they turned ten. Xiao almost nods, only… paprika potato tornadoes are good, sure, but they aren’t exactly his favorite.

“Honestly, I’ll just race you for the win itself,” he says, trotting up to him. “Since you’ve been leaving me in the dust for years now.”

“Oh… Are you sure?” Aether pulls him closer to the starting line he dragged in the dirt with his foot. He seems a little disappointed that Xiao doesn’t cheer with glee at the prospect of getting the one and only Starfell paprika potato tornado at the great price of free. “Maybe if you win, you can have the best spot in the base then.”

“Sounds fair. And if you win, I’ll, uh,” Xiao mulls it over for a moment, “I’ll… uhh…”

“Can I put on your Yaksha mask if I win?”

“S-sure! We’ll have to be careful with it, though.”

Aether smiles, pleased enough. Then, he furrows his eyebrows. “Okay, get ready,” he says, sinking through his knees.

Xiao immediately follows suit. He calms his breathing, like he’s been taught during track practice, and tunes out every sound he hears but Aether’s voice counting down. It’s a little more difficult in a lively forest, but he tries not to think of it—in fact, he tries to not think of anything that isn't winning this race at all.

“Go!”

Aether has barely uttered the word or Xiao flies forward in a dash that kicks up the dirt behind him, and Aether’s surprised squeak is like music to his ears. He leans forward just a little and runs as fast as he can, breathing steadily, heart thumping against his chest as the tree comes closer and closer…

A mere eight meters before the finish, Aether suddenly runs right past him, skidding to a stop past the finish line, and Xiao’s jaw nearly drops in utter bewilderment.

“Hey! ” he exclaims, the happy bubble bursting within him. “You weren’t— huff —supposed to do that!”

The boys need a moment to catch their breaths, Aether leaning against the birch, and Xiao hunched over with his hands on his knees. A droplet of sweat trickles down his temple, and the scent of Zhongli’s earthy ginger-cinnamon deodorant slowly fills the air.

“Whoa… you did get much faster,” Aether finally mumbles, his chest still heaving. “You almost won…” He looks like he’s going to have a crisis.

“Two out of three!” Xiao declares, whipping his head up with vigor. His almost yellow eyes look like they’re shooting lightning, as the competitive drive flares up in his stomach. “We’re doing two out of three. I’m winning the next one, for sure.”

Aether cocks his head in surprise, but he happily takes him up on that and they trudge back to the starting line.

And the blonde boy wins the next one too—only barely, just like before. Xiao insists they try the third one anyway, just to see if he could’ve won at all, and though he starts off much faster, he again ends slower, and Aether wins all three.

When Aether suggests nullifying this win and making it a three out of five, and Xiao stubbornly accepts, only to almost win two more times.

Filled to the brink with salt and with the sharp burn of physical activity in the back of his throat, Xiao flops down in the soft grass lining the forest trail. Man, he was so close..!

Exhaling loudly, his friend sits down next to him. “Your dash is really, really fast,” he says, his cheeks all red with effort. He’s grinning, scooting a little closer, but like a petulant child, Xiao scoots away. “I think if you can learn to dash longer, you’ll get gold in your next race for sure.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” Xiao mutters, propping his folded arms up on his knees. Puh…

“Am not, you really are super fast now!” Aether nudges him. “Hehe, come on, don’t be grumpy.”

Xiao remains unresponsive, muttering under his breath.

“Xiaooo… you sore loser,” Aether whines, clutching onto the older boy’s sleeve. Xiao glares at him, with only half a heart for it. “Hm… Alright, you’re asking for it.”

Without any further warning, the ten year old pounces right onto him and pushes him into the greenery, laughing with triumph. His hands are suddenly everywhere, tugging at Xiao’s clothes and tickling his sides.

“Eek—!” Xiao wildly mows his arms around, latching onto Aether’s washed out t-shirt, and writhes and rolls through the dirt in his attempts to throw him off. “Haha, get off of me!”

They wrestle each other for just as long as it took for Xiao to lose a race five times in a row, jeering playfully at each other and making sure they both eat at least a salad bowl of dirt and grass. Aether wraps his arms around Xiao’s waist and traps him in a more violent version of a hug, and in return, Xiao wiggles out of his grip, shoves the boy’s face into the ground, and climbs on top of him.

“Ow, ow, okay, I admit defeat, haha, ow—!” Aether squirms underneath him, and Xiao blushes when he sees his sweet smile. He quickly rolls off of him, wondering why he just felt that jump in his tummy.

Heaving like they’ve just fought countless battles to conquer the world and promising each other they’ll bury each other next time, they flop down in the grass and turn onto their backs, gazing at the canopy above. The sun isn’t that bright, but it shines well enough to color the leaves light green, and they don’t need coats. Faint rays of light peek through tiny gaps in the tight crown, and the boys scoot a little closer to each other, until their heads touch. The air smells remarkably fresh, but the boys pay it no mind.

“I’m winning next time,” Xiao declares through labored breathing, his voice a little cracked and squeaky, “just you wait, bunny.”

“No way,” Aether says, wrapping an arm around him. “I’ll forever be faster.”

Absolutely not. But Xiao’s eyes fall shut, and he really needs to catch his breath now.

“Whew, I got super hot all of a sudden. I’m sweating bullets.”

“Yeah, me too. Come on, we've got popsicles in the freezer.”

Liking the sound of that, Aether scrambles to his feet and reaches for Xiao’s hand. Together, they slump back towards the summer cottage, and Xiao softly reaffirms that Aether can join him upstairs to try on the Yaksha mask.

When Retuo opens the door to let them in, he stares at the stains of dirt and grass on Xiao’s white brand shirt, aghast—but he doesn’t say anything. Zhongli cheerfully welcomes them back and… if he were bothered by their forest dweller appearance at all, he at least doesn’t let it show.

Ganyu is out; in the time the boys have spent in the forest, she’s woken up and rushed to the Reisenders’ house to show Lumine her new phone, so Xiao and Aether decide to stay here for the time being.

With popsicles in their mouths and sore muscles under their skin, they drag their feet to Xiao’s room to wash their hands and take turns putting on the Yaksha mask.

The initial plan was to go back outside and head to the forest playground once they’re done—but apparently, the weather is not letting them have it, because thirty minutes after they came inside, dark clouds are packing together in the sky.

The first thick droplets plink against the windows, and before they know it, it’s raining like the gods are having a breakdown.

“Aw, man,” Aether groans. “So I was smelling rain after all… That’s so stupid. Now what?”

“Uh… stay in, I guess.” Xiao looks outside, at the rain assaulting the asphalt until large puddles have formed in the dips and cracks, and at how dark and eerie the forest has become under the force of the sky. Well, at least they got to eat a popsicle when it still mattered!

And Aether seems super happy to take him up on that: “Yes! I’m taking all your best pillows.”

The rest of the day, they spend on Xiao’s bed watching movies from a much bigger catalog than Aether has access to (“Your dads can afford all the streaming services?! Oh, oh, let’s watch this one then! I’ve been wanting to watch it since I was born! ”), catching up on everything important that they couldn’t put in their letters to each other and expressing how much fun it’s going to be when Aether is finally allowed to have a phone, and admiring the Yaksha mask.

Xiao proudly shows off the plushie Aether had made for him as well, which his friend is positively ecstatic about; he’d been so worried that Xiao wouldn’t like it. Aether wonders if the plushie fits the mask, and as it turns out, thanks to its more… oval-ish shape, it actually does.

As the rain continues to fall and they lose interest in movies, Aether decides to try on some of Xiao’s newer clothes, curious as to how he’d look in brand stuff. Although Xiao mumbles he looks nice in them multiple times, fidgeting with his blanket and wondering why he feels so jittery, Aether loudly declares none of these are actually “comfy”. He tells Xiao he won’t know true joy until he’s worn the most washed out, oversized shirt he’s ever laid his eyes on as something that’s not a pajama.

“Maybe… um, you can just pass me one of yours some time, I-I don’t know,” the eleven year old stammers.

“Sure, maybe!”

Then, Aether hounds him into wearing all black and putting on the Yaksha mask one more time, and croons in absolute delight: “You really look like you’re the conqueror of demons, I bet they’re shaking in their boots as we speak! Now we just need to find you some ceramic pots and we can go get our revenge for that time they tried to give us worms. You can even dash after them if they run away! I wonder if the old farmhouse is still standing…”

His elated expression looks so genuine that Xiao doesn’t dare take off the mask for a little while, just because he fears his face will be too red. It only gets worse when Aether latches around him, declaring he feels very safe already.

Xiao is still simmering in the afterglow of Aether insisting that the mask suits him well by the time Zhongli asks if he’s staying for dinner, and the blonde boy has rushed outside to ask his parents even though it’s still a little rainy.

Something seems to be happening here, and Xiao does not understand it one bit.

Notes:

They reunite <3 All hail to realizing at the earliest possible convenience that growing up actually kind of sucks, but at least Xiao got to almost-win a race this time! His time to shine will come yet... just you wait, Aether..... 🫵

Can't believe it's been two months since I've started posting already. I was a little too focused on posting in time last week and didn't notice it was the 10th chapter milestone, so, uh... happy two months instead! <3 In just a couple of days it'll be a year since I started writing this fic too, which is kind of neat, I think. So to everyone reading this little note, I just want to say thank you for taking an interest in the story and getting this far with me, I really appreciate it! Y'all are my motivation to keep going lmao >v<

Chapter 12

It stays a little rainy all week, but not rainy enough to actually keep the boys inside. The forest playground is muddy as all heck, but it adds new excitement to trying not to fall off the all natural climbing house, or lose their grip on the zipline.

Xiao actually manages to hoist himself all the way up into the rope he always used to slip out of, with terrific ease too, and Aether’s eyes are glued to his arms the entire time. However, he still can’t follow the blonde boy into the trees themselves; he has no idea how to find his grip, while Aether scales those things like he was a monkey in his previous life.

Still, they’re having a great time. The only real problem is that they notice they’re getting a little too big for some of the playground attributes. Especially Xiao, who is not only the tiniest bit taller than Aether right now, but also a little wider at the top.

But it’s fine! As long as they can still use the big climbing house, the swings, the merry-go-round and the see-saw, they’ll be happy.

They come home covered in mud, snickering and casually trying to hide the bruises and scrapes on Aether’s arms, and the limp in Xiao’s walk—he rolled his ankle when slipping in the mud, and Aether was literally flung off the zipline like a ragdoll twice. The question as to why he got on again after the first time remains unanswered, but Xiao cannot say he wouldn’t have done the same just to prove a point.

“See you tomorrow?” Aether asks hopefully, as Xiao drops him off at the Reisenders’ house and picks up Ganyu.

“Nope!” the nine year old says before Xiao can reply, clutching a nice drawing she’s made with Lumine to her chest. “We’re going to the mall in town tomorrow. I heard Papa say it after you left.”

“Why?” Xiao asks, already feeling agitated. “They didn’t tell me shi—”

Oops.

He immediately slaps his hands to his mouth. “—Crap. Is what I was gonna say.”

Ganyu stares at him, completely in shock, while Aether is trying his best to control his laughter. “You were not,” she whispers, “and I am telling Dad . ”

Before Xiao can stop her, she’s already running off as fast as she can, and he sputters a hasty goodbye to his friend before giving into the chase. “Ganyu! Get back here! You’re not telling anyone anything, or else!”

She doesn’t end up telling on him, but Xiao definitely catches Retuo’s irritated up-’n-down at the sight of him.

As it turns out, they’re going to the mall super early the next morning to get paint, as Zhongli and Retuo want to spruce up the cottage and redo the peeling paint on the back walls. Ganyu insists on redoing her room as well, so she gets a bucket of white paint, and Xiao considers joining in until he remembers that he’ll actually have to do the painting then. He doubts Aether would be interested in helping out a second time.

Instead, he gets some bathroom stuff of his own now he’s here anyway, just to be prepared. As much as he likes using Zhongli’s stuff, he’d rather not smell like his dad all the time, and he has already casually hinted that the stuff in question is a little, uh… too expensive for his kids to borrow for the rest of their lives.

Unfortunately, Xiao is then asked to help with painting regardless.

He spends two entire days helping both his parents and Ganyu with slathering generous amounts of color wherever they want to have it. It’s a complete waste of his time, no matter how much Zhongli tries to ease it by telling him he’s doing a good job!

What makes it worse is the fact that Ganyu will literally not shut up about the father-daughter-day she’s got planned with Zhongli as they paint her blue and pink room pink and white instead. She really wants to go to the cinema in town with just him, and go sightseeing at Windrise, another popular Mondstadter tourist spot, with just Retuo some time.

All good and well. Xiao just wants to finish painting and get on with his day, he genuinely couldn’t care less about this! He just… well, he doesn’t care, so… No, wait, he’s glad his little sister’s got some fun stuff prepared for herself.

What the heck is wrong with you? Stop being so moody, he strictly tells himself, and he tries to listen to Ganyu a little more attentively.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Ganyu goes out with Zhongli to have their father-daughter-day that Friday. They take the bus to town and intend to stay gone doing whatever they want until the evening, so, technically, Xiao could go somewhere with Retuo.

He feels like Zhongli was suggesting he do that right before he left: “Have fun, little bird—you’ve got your father all to yourself for a day.”

It’s an idea, for sure. Xiao hadn’t really considered that he could also just have father-son-days, if he wanted to; two kids, two parents, he can do the math from there. This may just be something yet.

However, when it becomes evident that Retuo prefers to spend the day yelling at people through his phone now his husband isn’t there to tell him to leave it, the boy decides to meet up with Aether to lurk around the forest once more instead.

It’s still rainy and wet outside, but at least it’s getting a little warmer. Slowly but surely, the sun must be coming through.

Aether is convinced that since Xiao has gotten faster over the months and manages to climb ropes now, it’ll only be a matter of time before he can finally climb a tree, and he insists that they don’t go home until he can do it.

They take their sweet time selecting the perfect birch to climb. Then, flopping down at the muddy roots, they power themselves up with lunch that Wanda made them: the usual sandwiches, and a small bottle of soda each. This time, not only has she made some with homemade jam, but she’s assembled two entire sandwich towers with roasted bread, ham, cheese, homemade mayonnaise, and lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and more goodness from the garden.

She even packed two fresh sunsettias, one for each.

Aether tries to talk through a mouthful of sandwich, only to almost choke and spew it out everywhere—and Xiao explodes with laughter, sending half his sandwich flying as well. They quickly finish the rest and decide they’ve been fueled enough: consider this tree conquered!

The rest of the afternoon is completely reserved for climbing the thing. Or… trying to. Aether, of course, manages just fine! Meanwhile, Xiao loses count of how many times he slips on the moist bark and lands butt-first in the mud down below, while Aether is already swinging his legs on the first branch.

Still, he laughs it off every time and doesn’t lose his drive, ever eager to reach for the hand his friend is holding out to hoist him a meter higher.

And Aether cheers him on every time, too, which only motivates him more.

With his tongue sticking out between his lips, Xiao places his foot on a stubby knob in the bark, and reaches for another knob higher up. This’ll be it, for sure…

“Almost there,” Aether encourages, leaning down far and holding out his hand.

But as he reaches for it, Xiao’s foot slips off the knobs once again and he yanks his hands back to catch himself. This time, shouting a startled: “Whoa!”, he doesn’t make an elegant butt smack; he nearly splits his skull in half on a mossy root down below.

“Xiao!”

Dangit! That was the worst attempt so far.

As Xiao sits there in the muddy grass, rubbing his head with an expression on his face that’s more confused than anything, Aether quickly climbs down and almost falls twice himself. His eyes are wide with fright, and he latches onto the dark-haired boy to squeeze tight.

“Be careful!” he exclaims. “Mama says you can die if you hit your head wrong! You could’ve died! You idiot! ”

“Ouch… Well, I didn’t slam my head on purpose,” Xiao says, looking at his fingers just to make sure he isn’t bleeding. “Relax, I’m fine. It just hurts a little.”

Truth to be told, Aether looks a lot more shaken up about it than Xiao actually feels. The boy is trembling like a leaf and trying really hard to keep his tears mostly inside, his lower lip quivering with strain. He refuses to let go of him.

Xiao’s chest contracts with force. He doesn’t quite understand why.

“Hey, don’t cry,” he says softly, rubbing Aether’s arm. He leans a little closer, and gently presses his forehead against his. “I’m fine, see?”

“Are you sure?” the blonde whispers.

“I’m sure.” To prove it, he whips his head from left to right, and despite the dull thumping of the lump beginning to form back there, he smiles, full of comfort. “See? I do think the trees are too slippery, though… Shall we just call quits for today and try again when they’re dry? Maybe Father will let you stay over for dinner again.”

“O-okay.” Sniffling quietly, Aether gets to his feet and helps Xiao up. “I’m sorry for calling you an idiot…”

“It’s okay, I kind of was.”

“Don’t tell my parents I said that.”

“I won’t, bunny. Just don’t tell mine I nearly died or they won’t let me try again!”

“O-okay.”

The entire way back to the summer cottage, Aether tightly holds onto Xiao’s arm. Every now and then, he looks up to make sure he’s still fine.

Xiao can’t stand seeing his sad face, so he pokes him a couple of times, hoping to elicit a smile. By the time two small hands knock on the door to be let in, they’re giggling again, and you can barely tell anything happened.

There’s some stumbling inside, and Retuo opens the door.

He takes one flabbergasted look at Xiao’s muddy clothes, Xiao looks back—and, out of nowhere, his father just explodes . His golden eyes are thundering like wild storms, and his face practically turns purple. “What the fu—You’re covered in drab! Again!”

His voice is so loud that both boys cringe in on themselves.

“This is the third time , Xiao, do you have any idea how expensive these clothes are?!”

“I…I’m sorry. I was just playing,” Xiao stutters, shocked. His gaze flits down, at his open coat and the once khaki-colored blouse underneath. Everything is stained with black mud and green grass, and he’s got large, frayed tears in the knees of his jeans and the sleeves of his coat. Insulated stuffing peeks out through the gaps in his elbows.

Oh no… He hadn’t even noticed. He doesn’t normally pay attention to this stuff when he’s fooling around with Aether!

“Just playing. Just playing! Are you fuc — damn it, you did not hear that —Alright, okay,” Retuo takes a couple of deep breaths, and the purplish color fades from his face, “alright. Get inside. Good evening, Aether.”

“G-good evening, sir!” Aether’s voice is brittle. “Bye Xia—”

The door falls shut in his face.

Xiao whirls around in disdain. “Father!” he exclaims.

That strikes a nerve, apparently. “Excuse me? You are not in any position to be raising your voice at me right now!”

“But—”

“Do you want to go to your room without dinner or electronics, huh, you little brat, is that it?!”

“.. No.”

“No? Then watch your damn tone! One would think you were raised by Hilichurls, just look at you! Were you raised by Hilichurls, huh?!”

“No…” Huffing, Xiao turns away to take off his shoes. Great. Just what he needed, on top of falling out of a dang tree. He bites down on the insides of his cheeks, his fingers trembling as he undoes his shoe laces.

The shoes, too, are muddy and gross, and his heart sinks.

Behind him, Retuo sighs deeply, once, twice, three times.

“Alright.” One more sigh. “Sorry about that. But you have got to start being a little more careful, Xiao. There might come a day when I can’t get such nice clothes for you anymore,” he then says, a lot calmer, as he helps Xiao out of his coat. The angry crease in his forehead is still pronouncing his thick eyebrows more than usual.

“I will,” Xiao says, “but me and Aether were just—”

“Hush. Leave Aether out of it, I’m talking to you.” His father kneels down before him, his large hand gripping onto his face to turn him away from the door. “Here, look at me. When you are having a conversation with someone, you look them in the eyes.”

“O-okay,” Xiao whispers, retracting his head like a turtle. His own anger dissipates, replaced by something he can only describe as a bit fearful. “I’m sorry.”

“Good. Now, about your clothes… Be less rowdy, got it? You’re getting older now, so you must be a bit more responsible.”

“Okay. I’m sorry, I really am.”

“Keep it in mind from now on, kid. The last thing I want is to be echoing my words at a wall.” Finally, Retuo’s expression softens, but Xiao doesn’t relax. “Come on, Dad and your sister should be home soon. I’ve made Adeptus’ Temptation and I could use a taste tester. How about a small bowl, hm?”

“Okay…”

“Hey, hey hey. No pouting—you’re a big, strong man, aren’t you? Surely those do not crumble under such small setbacks?”

“Yeah. I guess.”

“Attaboy.” Retuo smiles faintly, ruffles his hair, and strides towards the kitchen. “I’ll grab you some food. You get yourself cleaned up.”

Xiao feels clammy, like he’s going to be sick. Be less rowdy. Okay, he can do that. He just needs to tell Aether they have to be more careful next time.

But… does that mean they shouldn’t climb the trees anymore at all, or that Xiao should keep both feet on the ground whenever Aether decides to scale one? Even if Xiao is sure that this time, he will also be able to make it to the first branch?

Should they play different games entirely? He does suppose that, maybe, playing pirates or acting like they’ve got to run and hide from ghosts is getting a bit old… and he did fall out of the tree and almost die if he had to believe Aether, didn’t he?

Trying to reason with himself until he can’t remember where he started, Xiao tiptoes into the house, and he stays rather quiet throughout the entire evening. Later, when Zhongli peeks into his room to ask if he’s had a fun day, he pretends he’s already asleep, hiding his face behind his cat plush.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Explosions like that don’t occur anymore from then on out. Retuo must be feeling guilty—not guilty enough to buy an extra ice cream flavor or apologize to Aether, sure, but enough to stop hounding Xiao.

In fact, he says very little to him. Which must be a good thing!

It’s fine.

The summer flies by, as the boys forget about their run-in with Xiao’s father and occupy themselves with the things they normally do; the sun finally breaks through in the third week, allowing them to trudge through a non-slippery, non-muddy forest and gather all the mushrooms, sweet flowers and wild sunsettias their hearts desire. Their first visit to town together, all alone by bus for the first time, they spend raiding every paprika potato tornado place they can find, just because Xiao likes seeing how excited Aether gets about his favorite treat.

They try on clothes in some new independent clothing stores, and go to the arcade, where Xiao wins an arcade-quality game character plush of a game they’ve never heard of before, and Aether wins the dumbest-looking hat they’ve ever seen. But unfortunately it somehow looks really good on him, so they can’t get rid of it.

The next time they go to town, it’s with the girls, who want to give the cinema one more try after Ganyu insisted it was great when she went there with Zhongli. This time they decide to watch a movie they can unanimously agree on, and it’s indeed immensely more fun to be there all of a sudden.

Too bad Xiao still hasn’t gotten the chance to go with just Aether… But he supposes seeing his sister happy about spending some more time with him is worth it as well.

Aether takes Xiao back to Starfell Lake on a particularly hot day, where they reclaim their cave and make cannonballs worth entire tsunamis. They don’t play pirates or pirates and defenders this time—or… well, not initially. Xiao feels a little… well, childish doing it.

It takes Aether promising that nobody is going to find them here for Xiao to crawl out of that dumb mindset and embrace being a little childish for the sake of getting to chase a cute blonde pirate through the water.

Aether is ecstatic to find out that Xiao can still catch fish with his bare hands. In fact, what’s with the track team helping him build up some strength and speed, he’s gotten even better at it! They watch the sky turn orange together while petting a fish, and then rush home with sunburn on their shoulders to make it just in time before Xiao’s curfew.

In the fourth week, Aether and Lumine are out with their parents almost daily. That’s pretty rare as is, so Xiao and Ganyu don’t want to encroach on it, occupying themselves with their own stuff instead. Ganyu teaches her brother how to draw every flower he can think of; she’s only been coloring her own drawings, as of late.

They also go to the playground together, where Xiao accidentally almost pushes her off the swing and she takes revenge by zipline-crashing into… um… well, not a good spot, that’s for sure. Hiccuping with laughter at Xiao’s bitter agony, she then invites him to do a merry-go-round-challenge she always does with Lumine and Sucrose, under the watchful eye of the impartial Albedo, who calls cheating as soon as he sees it no matter who committed the crime.

Essentially, they both get onto the merry-go-round and make it spin super fast, and try to be the last man standing as the thing tries to send them flying with every full spin. Of course, being thrown back first into the see-saw is an option, which Lumine has regularly experienced.

The girls are brutal , dang.

Still, Xiao happily accepts: “I’m spinning you to death!” he declares formally, harshly kicking them off from the ground.

“Not if I spin you to death first!” his little sister shouts back, leaning back and forth to make them spin faster.

They’re both flung off in the end, practically at the same time too. The siblings go home looking all battered and bruised, but with their arms hooked together all the same.

To 'make up the lost time to the kids', the Reisenders later take the Longwangs to the Starfell Country Fair. Apparently, it’s an annual event—the Longwangs just kept missing out on it.

Zhongli is especially happy to be doing something as a family. Sure, it’s nothing flashy, or even particularly touristy, but he’ll take whatever he can get; Retuo is simply inseparable from his phone, and it takes his husband as well as both the Reisender parents to convince him to join in at all.

(Until it’s pointed out, Xiao hadn’t even noticed they’ve barely done anything with just their little family this year.)

Zhongli makes the joke that he’s starting to feel like a forgotten houseplant someone got for their birthday, which Travis and Wanda find delightful, but it doesn’t make Retuo laugh. He’s not too happy with being forced off the clock by three other adults this time.

He’s not too happy in general.

Xiao just ignores it. He decides not to say a thing, and stays as close to his best friend as possible. Everything is fine, honestly. At least his parents aren’t too overdressed today, though they still stand out. 

At the fair, the kids meet Sucrose and Albedo, who are scouring the flea market side of the fair for useful knick-knacks with Ms Gold. The goodies lined out on the stalls are mostly fruits and veggies and things that are fruit and veggie themed, though, so they don’t seem to have found a big haul so far.

It’s funny to see both Albedo and his mother wearing a pair of headphones.

Xiao gets a small allowance from Retuo, and uses it to buy a matching corn keychain plush with Aether. Aether, in turn, shows him how they can basically fake-buy tickets for the carousel set up specifically for this event and have unlimited rides as long as they're sneaky.

They claim a teacup seat for themselves, and Aether spins it so fast compared to the gentle spins of the carousel that the force flings Xiao against him, and they nearly crash their heads into each other. It’s even worse than the merry-go-round-spin-of-death.

Laughing, they tussle for who gets to spin next, and just end up squeezing bruises into each other’s hands, cussing at each other, and not spinning either direction for more than half a circle. At the end of their visit, they share a big wad of apple-flavored cotton candy, and buy one pizza slice each.

The days come and go.

Aether has definitely noticed Xiao is trying to be more careful when playing outside, and their day at Starfell Lake wasn’t an exception; Xiao isn’t really receptive to things like ghost hunting or playing pretend anymore.

Still, the blonde boy is not easily deterred, and softly coaxes him to at least come defend their base with him.

“You need to live up to your Conqueror of Demons title,” he says sweetly, pulling Xiao along.

It’s as if he somehow knows that Xiao is still upset about what happened, deep down.

They take the protective sheet off their base, clean it up, and reassemble it with blankets, fairy lights, pillows, and three books, for decoration. Aether kidnaps his mom’s laptop, and Xiao tries not to feel too guilty about raiding the Reisenders’ kitchen for any snack he can find.

The boys are still in their tiny, self-made shack by the time the night has fallen and the stars have come out. It’s so peaceful, like their own little place in the hustle and bustle of the world. They don’t need to talk about anything they might be fussing about; just sitting here like this seems to take all of it away. It’s not important right now.

Above them, their little corn keychain plushies dangle with the fairy lights.

“You okay, bunny?” Xiao whispers. He’s noticed that even though he’s trying hard to stay awake, Aether hasn’t seen much of the newest movie they’ve put on. The younger boy suppresses a yawn and, fully on autopilot, curls up in the blankets.

“Mmh…” he mutters intelligently.

The dark-haired boy holds his breath, propping the laptop up on his knees when his friend huddles up against him. One arm snakes around his chest, one leg around his thighs follows suit, and his head gently sinks into the dip between Xiao’s head and shoulder. He feels tousled hair tickle his jaw, and warm, even breathing ghosts against his neck.

Why is his heart beating so fast?

Swallowing through a thick throat, Xiao wraps his arm around Aether as well, and plops his cheek against the soft blonde head quietly snoring against him. The movie no longer matters, his surroundings melt away.

Smiling widely, he notes that he feels safe.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

In the last week of summer, Lumine comes up with something so new that it’s almost outrageous.

“Let’s visit Mondstadt City,” the blonde girl says as the four children sit at the Longwangs’ dinner table, playing a card game. “You guys haven’t ever actually been there yet, right? We can take the train from here.”

“I dunno,” Ganyu sighs. She runs her fingers through her golden brown hair. “Dad might want to go there with us some time.”

“He’ll have to convince the big guy for it though,” Lumine insists. “You guys can go with us first, and with your parents after. Otherwise we might not even end up going. Ever!”

Xiao puts down a card, passing his turn to Ganyu beside him. Hm… Well, he lives in a big city all year around, so he’s kind of happy with the change of scenery Starfell offers. But he is curious about the city Aether lives in most of the year… And this is Mondstadt, not Liyue. Maybe it’ll be very different.

When he turns to Aether, he sees that he’s clutching onto his cards so hard that the paper wrinkles a bit. “Meen,” the boy starts, “are you sure? We’ll be going back to the city in a week anyway, can’t we just stay home?”

“I mean, yeah, but these doofs will be gone by then. I wanna introduce Ganyu to my friends at least, and everyone should be back from their own vacations by now. Besides, there’s way more to do in the city! It’s a lot less repetitive, you know.”

“Oh! Oh, I wanna meet your friends!” Ganyu giddily claps her hands together. “When can we go?”

“Haha, well, that already makes two favorable votes! Now for the third—what about it, grumpy cat?”

“Don’t call me that,” Xiao snaps, his cheeks heating up. “Only your brother gets to call me anything cat-like, I already told you before.”

“Grumpy bird, then.”

“No.”

Aether’s shoulders slump. With an almost defeated pout, he turns to Xiao. “Do you wanna see the city?”

“Uh…” Xiao feels like everyone’s eyes are suddenly on him, and the most important pair looks rather nervous. “Uhh, well, I…”

He actually does want to go. It might be nice to finally see Mondstadt City, and he likes the prospect of being able to see it with his friends and sister first. And he does really want to know more about where Aether stays, and maybe he could even meet the people he writes about in his letters.

He’s not too sure about that one, though. What if they’re jerks?

“I wouldn’t… particularly… mind going,” he then says, cautiously. Under the table, he gingerly brushes his foot against Aether’s leg. “You can show me around the spots you always write about. You know, the ones you do enjoy from time to time.”

Aether snickers. “The only special ones,” he says, a little more energetic. “Okay, well, if you wanna see the city, I won’t particularly mind going either.”

Lumine throws her arms up in triumph, and Xiao catches Ganyu’s quick, light brown eyes, almost lilac in the light of the ceiling lamp, taking a sneaky look at her cards. “Yay! You guys are gonna have so much fun, you’ll never even want to come back to Starfell,” she exclaims.

“I doubt that, I love it here.” Xiao smirks, and finally, the tension leaves Aether’s shoulders. He looks excited again, in the way he always does when he’s about to show him something new.

As soon as Zhongli and Retuo return with the groceries for the week, Ganyu and Lumine rush in to ask if they can go by themselves. Lumine has already convinced everyone that her parents will say yes anyway, as long as their aunt meets them at the train station.

Zhongli’s face drops, only a little, only for a second. Xiao can’t even be sure anymore if it really did when he smiles, because it looks so sincere.

“Such a lovely idea,” he croons, running his fingers through Ganyu’s hair. “Who is going to take you there?”

Retuo’s eyes are squinted into alert slits, eyeing each kid carefully. “Hm.”

Lumine rubs the back of her neck. “Well, I thought we could take the train, and our aunt will probably be waiting for us at the station.”

“Will she be accompanying you, then?”

“Uhh… I think so. Maybe! Normally she only takes us to school, we’re always pretty free to go wherever.”

The same as in Starfell, then; the twins’ curfew has always been later than Xiao’s and Ganyu’s, and even without phones, their parents have always allowed them to go pretty much wherever they want as long as they’re home before dark and don’t go with strangers. The 'home before dark' has been falling away recently.

In a huge city, 'going wherever' all alone may not be such a good idea.

At least, that’s what Zhongli seems to think. “Ah, I… I see! Erm, well,” the brunette turns to Retuo, “what do you think, my love?”

Retuo clicks his tongue. The four children stare at him, full of anticipation.

Zhongli waits a moment and adds: “I suppose that perhaps, if Ganyu and Xiao both take their phones, it should be alright? We could arrange certain times for them to text us. Little checkpoints, so to say.”

“Xiao,” Retuo says, gesturing with his hand as he puts the grocery bags on the counter.

Xiao startles into motion, quickly shuffling towards him. “Yes Father?”

“You are the eldest. If you can promise me that you look after everyone like a hawk, I don’t mind you going to the big city without supervision.” For a moment, his father furrows his eyebrows. “Can you do that?”

Uh-oh. “Um, I can try,” Xiao says, fidgeting with his polo. “I’ll do my best.”

“No, I want you to promise it.”

“But…” Does he really have to? He doesn’t even know what Mondstadt City looks like, let alone what it’s actually going to be like once they’re in! Man, now he isn’t too sure about whether or not they should go at all.

“Retuo,” Zhongli starts, but Retuo raises his pointer finger.

Luckily, Lumine jumps in, then: “Don’t worry, Mr Longwang!” she says energetically. “We’re meeting up with a whole bunch of my friends! Jean and Venti are the eldest, actually, they turned twelve this year. And all of them have phones, right Aether?”

Aether, who has sneaked up behind Xiao for moral support, quickly nods. “R-right! And, uh, Jean is super responsible,” he adds, “and Venti is…” He simply closes his mouth, leaving that sentence forever unfinished.

“Venti is… he’s…” Lumine also simply decides to leave it at that. “.. Anyway, we’ll be with a big group and we can always call when we need something!”

“Please Papa?” Ganyu asks, batting her eyelashes. “I promise I’ll be super responsible too! I can even hold Xiao’s hand the entire time. Please!”

Xiao stares at his father, holding his breath. The other kids are also holding it in—heck, maybe Zhongli is, too!

Finally, Retuo succumbs under all the pleading eyes and hastily begins to unpack the groceries. “Alright, alright,” he says. The faintest hints of a once so present and big, but now rare and sparse smile play around his lips. “Go ahead, you rascals. Make sure to plan out every detail.”

The twins and Ganyu cheer in delight, and Aether grabs onto Xiao’s hand to pull him along as the girls rush upstairs to Ganyu’s bedroom, dead set on planning everything this very evening.

Hm… Xiao does suppose it makes sense that he should look after everyone. He is the older sibling, and the oldest among them, and he doesn’t know this Jean-girl; maybe she isn’t even all that. Silently, as Aether rattles on and on about all the spots he’s going to show him, he vows to himself that he’ll personally ensure nothing happens to any of them.

He’ll watch over them like a hawk! Or… like a Yaksha! Oh, that thought makes the entire idea immensely more fun.

The kids immediately get to planning: which day they’ll go, which train they’ll take, Lumine borrows Ganyu’s phone to ask all her friends what time they want to hang out so she won’t have to go all the way back home and use the Reisenders’ landline, mesmerizing the Longwang siblings because she just knows all their phone numbers off the top of her head… and Xiao makes sure to write everything down, so he can give it to the parents.

He’s going to be so responsible! He grins at Aether, who is drawing little clocks and happy faces on the planning, and nudges his shoulder so he messes up. In retaliation, Aether draws an angry face on his hand.

The evening before they’ll head to the city, Zhongli knocks on Xiao’s door. “Little bird?”

“Yeah?”

Xiao, who has been silently stressing out all day, sits up when the door opens and his dad quietly slips inside. He’s got a worried crease in his forehead, even though he’s smiling the same way he always does.

“What’s up?” Xiao asks.

Zhongli sits down on the edge of his son’s bed. “If anything happens, anything at all, that makes you feel unsafe or like something is not right, just call me. Alright?” His voice is grave. “I’ll drive that cursed car myself if I have to.”

“I promise I’ll be responsible, I really will,” Xiao sighs, flopping back down on his pillow. He squeezes his cat plushie against his chest. “You don’t have to worry.”

“This is not about that.” Zhongli scoots closer, tenderly placing a warm hand upon his son’s shoulder. “I just want you to have a good time. You may be the eldest, but you are still young. Look after each other, stay close to each other, be responsible with all of you . And if you need me,” his dad leans in, placing a soft kiss on the top of his head, “call me.”

“Oh… Okay. Got it.”

Zhongli’s amber eyes narrow sweetly. “Good. That said, I am proud of you for going out to make more friends,” he says. “You’re doing amazing. Goodnight, sweetheart. Don’t stay up too late.”

“Thanks… Night, Dad.” Xiao isn’t too sure whether this means Zhongli doesn’t believe he can protect everyone or if he really just wants him to have fun, but when his dad softly squeezes his shoulder and leaves for Ganyu’s room, he has to admit he feels a lot more relaxed.

Quickly, he wraps up in his blanket and squeezes his eyes shut, hoping it’ll be tomorrow soon. He’s got a lot of faith in their big city trip!

Notes:

Ah yes, the good ol' "don't be upset that I got mad, here is some food!" Thanks Retuo, very cool.
In any case... big group meetup? No way...! I'm excited for the upcoming chapters, they were once again among my favorite ones to set up and write out 👉👈 Something about everyone hanging out together in the funny little Xiaother modern AU just... yes <3 Happiness may be fleeting, but the tinies are forever. /j

Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope you're having a great weekend. See you next week! ♡

Chapter 13

Notes:

As requested to make it a little easier to keep up with, the current ages!
Xiao - 11
Aether+Lumine - 10
Ganyu - 9

And of the others as well for the next two chapters:
Jean, Venti - 12
Diluc, Kaeya - 11
Rosaria, Amber - 10

Xiao does not know why the heck he had so much faith in this trip. It’s eight in the morning, the train leaves at half past nine, and he isn’t even dressed yet. He rifles through his closet for the third time, trying to find a pair of pants that’s not actually too small, and a shirt that doesn’t need the vinegar treatment, even if only a little bit.

Normally he doesn’t even care this much, but… ack, the inevitability of meeting Aether’s friends today looms over him like a cruel, living thing. He just doesn’t want to look stupid in front of the people the Starfell boy spends the majority of the year with. What if they don’t like him and talk about it all year long, until Aether starts disliking him too?

It’s not like a lot of people like him to begin with, so it’s not that far-fetched! Shivering, Xiao shoves the thoughts aside.

It takes another three closet searches and pretending he can’t think at all to find a dark gray polo he hasn’t worn yet this summer, and a pair of pants that’s… relatively okay? It’s the black jeans he accidentally battered the knees of last year, but they fit, and the pipes reach his ankles.

All dressed and well, Xiao takes twice as long to get ready in front of the mirror than he normally would, and it somehow feels just as embarrassing as necessary. His dark, greenish-gray hair has grown out more over the summer, all the way to his shoulders, and his bangs are messy. He just can’t get it to sit the way he wants; he considers gel, but he’s sure that would just make it look worse at this point.

Now he’s glad that these jeans are ripped! At least the wild hair looks less out of place that way.

In the end, he has to shovel breakfast down his thick throat at lightning speed and Ganyu yells at him to hurry up; she’s already climbing into the Range Rover when Xiao has barely put on his shoes. They’ll be picking up Aether and Lumine, and after that, Retuo will drive them to the train station.

“Have fun, be safe!” Zhongli calls from atop the stairs, still wearing a bathrobe.

Retuo grumbles something under his breath when Xiao hurriedly scoots in and puts on his seatbelt. “Vanity is a curse, Xiao,” he says, steering the car onto the road. “We don't need two haughty beasts in the house.”

Xiao isn't sure how to place that—but he's got no space left to worry about something else. In the distance, he sees the Reisenders’ property, with two little dots waiting to be picked up.

“Alright, listen, you two. I am only going to say this once—Ganyu, make sure you have someone with you at all times.”

Beside Xiao, Ganyu nods enthusiastically. She’s wearing a cute, frilly summer dress with a sailor collar, and has spent extra time on her hair as well. “Yes Papa!” she chirps. “I’ll be super careful.”

“Very good, sweetie. Xiao, look after your sister well, you hear?” Retuo looks at Xiao through the back mirror. “You’re her big brother; do not let anything happen to her.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Tone.”

“Sorry. Yes Father.” Xiao rolls his eyes, carefully hiding it behind his bangs, and props his head up on his hand.

The Range Rover stops in front of the Reisenders’ opened fence and Xiao gasps when the door on his side is flung wide open. “Scoot over!” Aether says, and he darts to Ganyu’s side as his friend climbs into the car.

“Ow, don’t squish me, you brute,” Ganyu snaps, furrowing her eyebrows.

“Then don’t get in the way,” Xiao bites back. His mood, which had soured, lightens significantly once Aether comfortably nestles himself into Xiao’s usual spot. “Morning, bunny.”

“Morning, kitty.” The blonde boy’s soft face is dusted with blithe pink as he fastens his seatbelt, and he pulls Xiao a little closer, until the eleven year old bumps his head against the solid rim of his straw hat. 

Xiao quickly fastens his seatbelt as well and helps Aether install himself properly, since he’s got both of the fasteners on his side. Again, he bumps his head against that cursed hat and, giggling guiltily, Aether takes it off.

With her chin held high, Lumine has long since claimed the passenger’s seat, greeting Retuo with enthusiastic well-wishes. “I feel even more royal than last year,” the ten year old proudly declares, taking up as much space on the seat as she can.

“You look royal! That’s such a pretty cardigan, can I try it on sometime?” Ganyu asks hopefully.

Ugh. As Retuo lazily waves to Wanda and Travis, who are working in the garden, and exits the driveway, Xiao tunes out of the girls’ rather loud conversation as well as he can. He's almost happy when Retuo's phone goes off, abruptly cutting the chat short. It's work-related, again.

“Look what I brought,” Aether whispers. He has placed his brown backpack on his lap and unzips the front pocket, revealing a small plastic bag with two big jawbreakers in it. “For on the train. They’re sweet, no worries! Sour makes my tongue cry.”

As if he’s already imagining the flavor, the boy shudders.

“Thank you,” Xiao whispers back, shielding the view on the bag with a hand. “Careful. Don’t show Ganyu, otherwise Father is definitely going to make you give one to her.”

“Huh? But I only have two.”

“Pfft, he’ll just say you can cut them in half and tell us to share one.”

“But you can’t.” Furrowing his eyebrows, Aether seems to genuinely mull it over for a moment; he scrunches up his nose, pressing a hand to his jaw. “Oh, I know. If he notices before we get on the train, then we’ll just eat one at the same time.”

“Sure thing, genius. How did you plan to do that exactly?”

“Like this!” Grinning, Aether opens his mouth and pretends to bite down on a jawbreaker. Then, he leans towards Xiao’s face, lips parted as if he’s actually holding one. He points at his hypothetical candy. “And then you bite into this side. I guess we can kind of just… lick it or something. Easy!”

“Y-yeah.” Xiao isn’t sure why his brain is going haywire; it’s not like this is the first time Aether has come so close. Still, he feels breathless at the implication of what he’s saying. “I might… drop it, though. I dunno.”

“Hehe, that’s okay. I’ll still have it if you do.” With a nonchalant shrug, Aether retreats; “And it’d just be until we reach Mondstadt City anyway. I’d get you a new one there!”

“O-okay. Thanks.” Smiling softly to himself, Xiao leans back into the cushiony car seat, and presses his shoulder closer against Aether’s. He enjoys the fluttery feeling in his tummy, which makes the way the car flies over the Mondstadter hills nonexistent by comparison.

The train station is a seven minute drive from the Reisenders’ house, down that long dirt country road with the grasslands on one side and the forest on the other. It sits among huge trees in a patch of forest, and isn’t super large—it only has two tracks, one for each direction, and one platform in the middle, with a roof. There’s a building with a ticket register and a little cafe inside, and a small parking lot stretches onward next to the building. The last bus stop is here as well, with a cozy little shack beside it. Bus drivers get to go on break in the nearby station building.

Aether holds onto Xiao’s hand the entire time, up until Retuo has hung up the phone, bought the kids tickets, and helped Ganyu and Lumine board the train. Xiao only lets go so he doesn’t lose his balance; the steps are pretty high, and the train looks much older and, erm, unstable than the hypermodern ones he’s used to in Liyue.

“Remember, Xiao,” Retuo says, holding onto his shoulder for a moment. His golden eyes pierce his son’s. “Don’t lose track of your little sister, alright? I trust that I can count on you.”

“I won’t, Father, really,” Xiao squeaks, a little unnerved by the white smoke the very front of the train is emitting. Is this a steam engine or something, why is it doing that?

“Good. I will pick you guys up at six, make sure you come back with all of you. No idea how I’d go about explaining it to the Reisenders if one of their kids is missing.”

“Got it, got it.” Xiao hastily leans towards his father to say bye, the sharp sound of the conductor’s whistle ringing in his ears. Retuo has already retreated, rushing down the side of the train, presumably to make sure the others are seated.

Frowning, Xiao gets into the train carriage. The doors close behind him.

On the inside, the train looks much more modern: lots of grays and blues, well-kept, and the blue leather seats are smooth and plush. Xiao carefully waddles down the narrow pathway between seats, seeing both Ganyu and Aether flagging him down further ahead.

Lumine and Ganyu have claimed a set of front-facing seats for themselves, and Aether has placed his bag on the seat beside his. “Come on!” the blonde boy says. “I was worried you’d stayed behind on the platform, what took you so long?”

“Father,” Xiao mumbles as the train jerks into motion and he nearly falls over. Beside him, Lumine and Ganyu are frantically waving at Retuo.

“Bye Papa!” Ganyu shouts, as if Retuo can hear her through the glass.

Xiao feels tight when he sits down, anxiety gnawing at him. Oh man, oh man, they’re really doing this. In one-and-a-half hours, he’ll stand face to face with the people Aether gets to see practically every day, and if they don’t like him…

He aimlessly fishes his flip phone out of his coat pocket and starts up the snake game. He discovered it last year, or… credit given where credit is due, actually Shenhe discovered it. His high score is 60, he kind of sucks at it. But in his defense, these controls are way too small and clunky! He’s used to the luxury of a handheld controller.

“Do I look weird?” he asks quietly.

“Nuh-uh.”

“Do I smell weird?”

“No?” Playfully, Aether takes an extra big, dramatic whiff of the air. “You smell like pine trees. Why are you so worried?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want them to make fun of me.”

“Them? Ack—stop killing your snake, this is animal abuse.”

“Pfft… Your friends, obviously.”

“You’re fine, kitty! I like you. Do I look weird?”

“Um, no…” Only now, Xiao realizes that Aether is wearing much different clothes than he normally does: instead of his usual overalls and washed out shirt combo, or his oversized shirt and tattered jeans combo, he’s wearing a pair of neat trousers, an airy blouse, and even a knitted vest. And instead of his usual big, brown, heavy boots, he’s wearing boring loafers and same-length, same-color socks.

The straw hat he has brought, too, isn’t the usual oversized sun hat that’s definitely seen better days. All in all, he looks very polite; Xiao isn’t sure how else to put it!

It isn’t worse, and it isn’t better. It’s just different, and sweet.

“You look cute,” Xiao whispers.

“Heh. I don’t really like wearing this stuff, but I guess it’s okay for now.” Full of satisfaction, Aether plops his head on Xiao's shoulder and reaches for the dark-haired boy's flip phone, deciding it’s his turn to play the snake game.

Xiao carefully rests his cheek against Aether's head, nervously twiddling his thumbs.

“They really won’t make fun of you, you know.” Aether’s voice is softer now. “They’re pretty nice. Don’t worry so much, it makes you look sad.”

“I’m sorry.” He's never been this worried about meeting new people before, and that says a lot, because he’s always worried about meeting new people. “I’ll try. Why aren’t you wearing your more comfortable things?”

“Oh. Just because.” Aether passes Xiao’s high score with ease. “Most of the kids I go to school with are big city folk, and I’m not.”

He doesn’t say much, but Xiao feels like he understands; kids can be so cruel for no real reason. He sees it practically every day when he’s at school. More often than he’d like, he and Shenhe experience it firsthand, no matter how hard he or his friend bites back—and Shenhe bites with two sets of teeth.

They stay quiet for a while, Xiao watching Aether absolutely obliterating the snake game. He didn’t even know the point count doesn’t cap at 150 before now!

Once Aether reaches the point cap, they decide they’re done with the game and huddle close to look outside through the tiny window space they have, Xiao’s head on top of Aether’s.

Fir trees and grassy hills pass them by. Aether’s cheek sits pressed against the glass, and now and then, he points at a herd of cows or a wheat mill, hoping that Xiao caught it too. He tells him about the much bigger windmills he’s going to show him in the big city—something about cultural heirlooms.

Xiao watches as the landscape changes: patches of forest and grasslands make place for a town, small lakes, another, more modern-looking town, and finally, highways. The amount of traffic outside suddenly increases rapidly, as does the amount of houses and big buildings.

The train crosses over a bridge, and Xiao stares in awe at the river flowing underneath. Aether is just in time with telling him that this river ends and starts in Cider Lake, which is the lake that stretches around Mondstadt City (and used to be even bigger before the island the city sits on got largely expanded into solid land mass, to keep up with the increasing population), before it suddenly gets dark all around them: they’re passing through a tunnel.

Xiao has always heard people talk about the wall that surrounds the city like it’s some sort of castle (maybe it was, in the past!), but he didn’t think it’d be such a wide one.

The next time he sees the outside world, it’s a well-lit, busy train station bustling with people. “Whoa..!” There must be at least twenty train platforms here, some with much more high-tech-looking bullet trains already waiting to depart. Others have trains just coming in, and others are still completely empty.

Underneath him, Aether has tensed.

When their train comes to a stop, Lumine takes charge of the group. “Auntie should be waiting by the front gates,” she says, Ganyu clutching onto her arm. She, too, isn’t donning what she normally does: she’s wearing an elegant blouse and a new-looking knit cardigan, and the cleanest pair of light blue, high-waist jeans Xiao has ever seen on her. “Come on, we definitely wanna beat the Springvale Express crowd and I bet it’s rolling into the station as we speak.”

Xiao has no idea what that’s supposed to mean, but the way Aether grabs his sleeve tells him it’s not something to look forward to.

The four children sprint down the station floor, which largely consists of wood and marble. Xiao’s mouth gapes at the real ivy that climbs the walls and pillars, and all the different shops that line the walls.

As it turns out, the “Springvale Express crowd” is an enormous group of travelers and tourists from a train that hails from Springvale. In turn, Springvale is the first stop for a lot of long-distance trains from the Dragonspine cities and towns, and Liyue.

Xiao quickly grabs Ganyu’s hand so he doesn’t lose her in the sudden influx of people. Lumine is steadily running at the front, while Aether also sticks as close to Xiao as possible.

Once outside, the kids wait for the crowd to dissipate a little more. The air here is very much what Xiao is used to from a city; a bit sharp and smoggy, and the smell of the street food that vendors are selling on the station square is thinly woven in-between.

Here, everything is packed with big buildings, many new and most still quite historic-looking, and cars honk at each other at every opportunity they get. It’s busy and loud, swarming with city folk and tourists alike. Xiao sees countless stores, and a big gathering of teal and white buses waits at the plethora of station bus stops up ahead.

“It looks like Liyue Harbor but… not Liyue,” Ganyu says, deeply impressed. “Like if Liyue Harbor were Mondstadt.”

“That would be because this is Mondstadt City and not Liyue Harbor,” Xiao sighs, letting go of her hand so she can trot up to Lumine. “Is your aunt going to take us to where we need to be?”

Aether shrugs. “If she feels like it,” he says softly. “She might also just give us some money for the bus.”

“Oh. Where do we need to be, anyway?”

“Lumine says she’s arranged that we meet on the fountain square. There’s a really pretty wishing fountain there, even prettier than the one at Starfell. I think it’s four stops from here, maybe five, dunno.”

As it turns out, the twins’ aunt, Annette, is indeed not planning to drive four kids to their destination. Xiao is surprised to see that she looks exactly like Wanda, down to the way their shoulders square when they place their hands akimbo on their waist.

She’s not half as friendly as Wanda, however; she’s very curt and acts like she’s permanently running on a timer, telling the twins that her break is almost over and she only promised she’d make sure they arrived at the station safe and well.

“I’m calling your mother to tell her you’ve arrived,” she says, hastily shoving money into Lumine’s hands, “and hauling my ass back to work. You kids be safe, play nice, etcetera, etcetera, Crepus is back in town for the week, so you could eventually go over to the Ragnvindrs if you get bored.”

“What about our way back?” Aether asks. “Also, Auntie, this is my… erm… pen pal. You know, the one who—”

Pen pal?

.. Just that?

“Nice to meet you, really, but I’ve gotta dash.” Xiao cringes when the woman grabs his shoulder for an amicable squeeze and grins sheepishly at the kids. She’s already itching to speed-walk away. “Be safe, you hear me?”

“Auntie, our way back!”

“Oh, yeah—I’ll be at the fountain square at four, you kids better be on time or I’m leaving without you!” With that, she slips into her funny-looking burgundy car, salutes them, and she’s already driving off before she has even properly closed the door behind her.

“Wow. Alright then,” Xiao says, eyeing Ganyu, who shrugs.

“Ugh, don’t mind her,” Lumine sighs, counting the money she got for the bus fare. “As soon as something’s got a time limit, she loses her entire head. She gave us way too much, by the way. You guys wanna get ice cream before we grab the bus?”

Xiao looks around; it’s not super warm outside, and it's rather cloudy, and he doesn’t see any ice cream stands nearby.

“No thanks, I don’t wanna get my dress dirty,” Ganyu says. She glares at a tourist who passes her a little too closely, as if their sole intention was to ruin her clothes.

“Is it expensive?” Aether asks.

“Uh-huh. But mostly very pretty, and it needs to stay that way!”

Xiao and Aether don’t feel much for ice cream either, so Lumine dutifully takes them to the bus stops and leads them to the bus they need to take. It’s a bumpy ride, and a stuffed one as well; Xiao nearly gets squished between a group of men in suits, as there was no more space for him to sit down. He let Aether have the one empty seat they could find.

He asks him about the pen pal thing, and Aether quietly admits that his aunt simply doesn’t think long distance friendships are something that are meant to last—so she won’t call them friends.

Aether thinks it’s bogus, of course. But Xiao feels even more nervous than ever before. 

Long distance friendships don’t last..? Does that mean they’re bound to grow apart eventually, whether Aether’s friends like him today or not? He doesn’t want that; his chest contracts at the idea that one day, he might not even remember Aether’s name until he looks at a picture from his childhood summer days.

He squeezes his hand around the seat’s backrest, biting down hard on his lip. A sharp lump sits in the back of his throat, and part of him is genuinely taken aback about these thoughts doing so much to him.

The bus drives two more stops before the kids get out, and the fountain square, as it turns out, is enormous. The fountain itself isn’t as big as Xiao expected, and it’s mostly just crowded; almost every bench available has been taken up by Mondstadters and tourists alike lounging and standing around, or shoppers rearranging their bags. But the square itself takes up an almost ridiculous amount of space, way more than it needs for what’s actually on it!

While there are food stalls and some little popup souvenir shops to be found, there are also plenty of proper shops lining each side of the… erm, square-shaped square, and the buildings look like they’ve been getting renovated over and over again for hundreds of years. They still have the same old-ish look Xiao sees in history books. None are as colorful or as covered in ivy as Starfell’s, though, nor are they cracked, almost giving them a rather fake feel.

Lumine convinces everyone to spend her aunt’s leftover money on sandwiches from a restaurant called “The Good Hunter”, which is easily the best sandwich Xiao has ever had, and then… she takes them to the fountain. Apparently, that’s where she told everyone they should meet.

Xiao clutches onto Aether’s arm. Aether, he notices, is very quiet, holding onto him just as hard. Only Ganyu really seems happy to be there when Lumine frantically waves her hand above her head, jumps up and down, and calls out: “Jean! Over here!”

On the edge of the fountain sits a trio of girls, and the tall, blonde one looks up. She nudges the other two girls, one brunette and one dark-haired, and they veer to their feet. The dark-haired girl is also quite tall, but the brunette is shorter than Xiao.

Oh man. Oh man. Here we go.

“What took you so long?” the tall blonde sighs as Lumine coaxes everyone together, somewhere they won’t be in the way for other people. She pats down her navy blue jacket, with real silver buttons; Xiao can tell. “Oh, hi Aether. Are these them? Hello, my name is—”

“No, shush, I wanna introduce you guys,” Lumine says, flapping her hands furiously when the girl steps forward and firmly offers Ganyu her hand. “Okay, so, this is Jean! She’s the responsible one.”

The girl rolls her light blue eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you two.”

Ganyu stares at her in awe when she finally gets to shake her hand. Jean also offers her hand to Xiao—she’s got a super strong grip. Not only that, but Lumine said she’s twelve. However, maybe because of how she dresses, she comes across as older than that; a navy blue jacket, ironed white skinny jeans… she almost looks like she already works a nine to five!

“This is Amber,” Lumine continues before Jean has even finished talking, tugging at the brunette’s shoulder, and she points to the kind of edgy-looking girl in the back, “and this is Rosaria! She’s scary, so watch it.”

Luckily Xiao knows Shenhe, otherwise the half-glare Rosaria shoots his way would’ve nailed him to the ground.

“Hi!” Amber croons, a bounce in every step she takes. Her hair is beautifully shiny, and she wears a cute red bow in it. Although she does flash him a big grin, she immediately bounds for Ganyu. “Oh, you’re so pretty! You’ve gotta be Ganyu, right? Lumine says you’re a really good drawer.”

“Artist, you mean,” Rosaria says, her voice kind of monotonous. This girl definitely stands out the most, albeit in a… weird way. She’s the first person roughly his age he’s seen who seems to be allowed to dye her hair already, and it’s very short, except for the locks covering one of her eyes. Her clothes are super dark and gloomy, and she wears iron chains around her waist.

“Puh, nobody cares what the word is.”

Xiao smiles; his little sister’s face has turned as red as a beet, and she’s shyly fiddling with her dress with the goofiest smile he’s ever seen on her face. He turns to Aether with a questioning look, but his friend is staying remarkably quiet.

“You okay?” he whispers.

“Mhm,” Aether mumbles back. His fingers clutch onto Xiao’s sleeve. “Diluc isn’t here yet.”

Right when he says that, a young boy’s voice shouts from the crowd: “Lumi, look here! Sorry we’re late, Dad forgot he promised to bring us and—well, you can see what happened!”

Two boys that look to be Xiao’s age wriggle themselves through packs of tourists, the dark-haired one holding the arm of the red-haired one. The dark-haired one wears a pleased grin on his face, even though they earn at least a dozen agitated glares and snappy “watch where you’re going”s and “ugh, kids these days”s.

“Anyhow, your favorite duo has finally arrived~” the dark-haired boy croons, completely unbothered by them.

Beside Xiao, Aether sags with relief.

“Shut it, idiot,” the redhead mutters, looking a little embarrassed. He runs a hand through his disheveled hair. “You could’ve at least asked some people to step aside.”

“That would’ve been the more polite thing to do,” Jean immediately agrees.

“Your mom, actually,” the dark-haired boy says with a sweet smile.

Jean indignantly crosses her arms; Amber has decided that’s the funniest comeback she’s ever heard, and she’s letting it be known.

“Here we have the Ragnvindr brothers!” Lumine exclaims happily, ignoring them. “My favorite stinkers.”

“Super lame, too,” Rosaria adds.

The dark-haired boy, completely unbothered by any further comments he might receive, studies both Ganyu and Xiao for a moment, and grins slyly. He is very pretty, so much so that it catches Xiao off-guard when he looks at him like that.

“This is Kaeya,” Lumine pats his back, “and… Aether?”

When prompted, Aether shyly pulls on Xiao’s sleeve, bringing them closer to the redheaded boy. “And this is Diluc,” he says, “you know, my friend. The one I told you about.”

The Ragnvindr brothers are both half a head taller than Xiao—and they do not look anything like each other! In fact, they’re pretty much polar opposites: Diluc is pale, with long hair as red as fire and eyes that look like rubies in the sunlight, and Kaeya is darker, with half-long hair that’s dark and blueish like the ocean and eyes that look like winter frost.

Even their clothing styles are opposites; Diluc is wearing all black, while Kaeya is wearing a super classy, colorful outfit. And Kaeya is definitely the prettier one, but Diluc looks like he’ll grow up to have the strong features that Retuo would be proud of in a son.

All in all, they… don’t really… look like brothers. At all. Xiao and Ganyu exchange a look.

“Are you adopted?” his sister then straight up asks Diluc, and a shock goes through the group.

Crap!

“ Ganyu , shut up,” Xiao hisses, but everyone has already gone dead quiet! He gets nervous when Jean furrows her eyebrows, and Amber’s mouth does that disapproving thing that adults do sometimes.

Even Aether and Lumine look taken aback. Oh no.

Diluc stares at Ganyu, his face completely expressionless. Beside him, Kaeya is trying so hard to contain his laughter that he convulses.

“.. No,” the redhead says, and if he is upset, he doesn’t show it. "He’s adopted.”

“Pffft—! But he loves me all the same, right Lulu?” Kaeya dramatically bats his thick eyelashes, draping himself over his brother’s shoulders.

“No.”

“Aw, sure you do!”

“Oh! Well, my brother and I are both adopted.” Ganyu smiles brightly and rushes up to the brothers to bow in proper greeting, and the tension that hangs in the Mondstadter friend group dissipates immediately. Thank the gods.

“Really now? Guess that makes us besties by default.” Kaeya bows for Ganyu in a much more, erm, Mondstadter way, and eyes Xiao with a big smile. “You look like you’re fun. Let me guess… Xiao?”

“Yeah… How’d you know?”

“Lucky guess.” Then, Kaeya hooks his arm into Aether’s, and pulls him in. Close.

Let go. Xiao wants to snap it with all the force in the world, but he bites it down just in time.

“Just kidding. I know because Aether talks a lot about you, like, all the time. It gets kind of annoying sometimes, honestly—but hey, whatever Aether likes, I like too.” Kaeya leans against Aether. “Not that it matters anyway since he especially talks about you to Lulu! Don’t be fooled though, I’m actually his best friend. Right Aether?”

For some reason, the boy sees fit to give Xiao a quick up-’n-down, and that smile looks suspiciously like a mean little smirk… almost as if he’s challenging him. And his words seemed nice at first, but Xiao can’t help but feel like there’s a sting in there somewhere.

And he definitely does not like the way he’s holding onto Aether. He can’t explain it, it just… it doesn’t feel right.

"Right , Aether?”

Aether has clammed all the way up, looking like he’s made of wood. “Uhh,” he says sheepishly, and Kaeya’s smile softens. There’s a great deal of fondness in those icy eyes. “Well, uhh…”

“Aw, he just doesn’t wanna admit it so Lulu won’t get sad,” the boy says, the hostile attitude gone like it was never there to begin with. He playfully boops Aether’s nose. “You’re so cute, blondie. Well, anyway! Let’s get going, I’m super hungry.”

“Then get here on time,” Amber says.

“Hey, at least we’re here at all! Where’s Venti, huh?”

Xiao doesn’t notice he’s had his jaw clenched until Kaeya lets go of Aether and wraps his arms around the shoulders of Amber and Rosaria instead. The three talk together loudly, and Lumine practically jumps onto his back, which he happily welcomes until she starts messing up his well–groomed hair.

“Yeah, what about Venti?” Rosaria asks. “Aren’t we gonna wait for him?”

Jean, who carefully monitors the amount of heads and gestures for the three boys still standing there to hurry along, clicks her tongue in irritation. “I’ll text him where we are and he’ll just have to make sure to get there before we leave. Cat’s Tail, right?”

She notices Ganyu trailing along and gently shoves her in front of the group, where she’s quickly absorbed into the conversation. “Cat’s Tail? Do they have real cats there?”

Right as Aether exhales and unclams, Kaeya calls back over his shoulder: “Come on, hurry up or you won’t get seats! I guess I can sacrifice mine for Aether, but the grumpies will have to stand up~”

Xiao decides, then and there, that he can’t stand the guy. He doesn’t even quite understand why. He also doesn’t quite understand why his stomach feels so tight, all of a sudden, and his feet feel heavy.

“Let’s go,” Aether says, “I don’t wanna miss out on seats.”

Xiao grits his teeth angrily. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Hey. Don’t mind my brother.”

“EEK—!” The sudden voice right beside Xiao’s ear nearly gives him a heart attack, and in turn, Aether jumps with fright.

Beside him, Diluc huffs; “Whoa, damn—a chain reaction, seriously? If you guys hate me, just say so.”

“Uhh, no, I’m,” Xiao takes a couple of deep breaths and tries to hide his flushed face, glaring at Aether when he notices how hard he’s trying not to laugh, “s-sorry for yelling in your face. You scared me. Um, is Kaeya always… like that?”

“Yeah.” Diluc nudges the boys, to make sure the gap between them and the rest of the group doesn’t get too large. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. I know he’s loud and kind of annoying sometimes, but he’s alright. He really only picks fights for fun.”

The tone in his voice is affectionate, and Xiao can see that he cares for his brother a great deal.

And yet. Something about the way he held Aether… Xiao just really, really did not like that, and… he doesn’t know why, but..! Ugh!

“.. Sure. I mean, I don’t mind him. Why do you think that? How absurd, I just met him.” Ack, stop talking—! “I don’t even care.”

Shrugging nonchalantly, Xiao still adds, for good measure: “In fact, I’ve never minded anyone less.”

Diluc huffs out a little laugh, and Aether finally relaxes completely. Quickly, the blonde wiggles himself between the dark-haired Liyueren boy and the redhead Mondstadter, and hooks arms with them both. His face brightens, his copper eyes shining like stars.

“Do you guys like each other?” he asks hopefully.

“Mm. Sure, he’s funny,” Diluc says. “I see why you like him so much. Xiao, right?”

“Yeah. It’s… it’s nice to meet you, Diluc. Aether writes about you a lot.” Xiao furrows his eyebrows, fearing the worst, though he doesn’t know what exactly he’s afraid of here. In any case, he has to admit that the caring way in which Diluc ensures Aether keeps up with the group, rather than keeping him, irks him a lot less. It’s less intrusive or… something and…

Okay, alright, maybe this one isn’t so bad. Kaeya, on the other hand—ack, why does Xiao even care to begin with? It’s good that Aether has other friends who also like him, after all! In fact, it’s great! It’s perfect! Xiao is happy!

And it makes sense that they’re so close, because they’ve known each other since forever, and even if “close” means close in this case, that’s completely fine! It’s freaking great!

Still, Xiao holds onto Aether a little tighter—and when his best friend rests his head against him for a moment before continuing his mission of telling Diluc every single thing they’ve been up to this summer, he feels warmer.

Notes:

They meet! I give all my love to Kaeya specifically because he loves antagonizing people for absolutely no reason other than “fuck it, we ball”, and it’s really funny to imagine him doing that since he was eleven years old :’)
Xiao's out here getting a little jealous... and he doesn't even know it.

The temptation to upload two chapters in a row was great, but alas... I must stick to my schedule or else 😔🤙 /lh
See you next Saturday! ♡

Chapter 14

The company of kids is loud and ever present, primarily thanks to Lumine, Kaeya and Amber, and most people on the sidewalks quickly step aside to let them pass. Jean tries to direct them well, but only Ganyu really actually listens to her. Not for a lack of trying to get her not to listen on Lumine’s behalf, though!

Nope, Ganyu is being a good kid at the front of the line.

That is, until Amber invites her to slide down a staircase railing with her. Aether can see that the nine year old is charmed by the short brunette, entirely clad in bright red (and white checkers); she even gets a little red herself. Suddenly, Xiao’s little sister is yelling just as excitedly and running around with the rowdy bunch!

Beside him, Xiao scoffs; “She better not ruin her dress,” he mutters. 

Aether snickers; it’s cute when his nose does that little scrunch-thing when he’s annoyed.

“Don’t count on it, Kaeya and Lumine are the worst instigators,” Diluc sighs. Rosaria kicks a rock beside him; she’s long since fallen back to hang out with the more peaceful people instead. “Aside from Venti.”

“Great! Father’s definitely gonna be happy with that.” Xiao turns to Aether, and his face softens—oh, Aether really likes it when it does that… It makes him feel fuzzy, like when he drinks soda a little too fast, but less agonizing. “Your friends are awful, bunny!”

“Wow, rude,” Rosaria says, blowing her eye-covering hair out of her face. “You’re worse.”

Diluc, however, latches onto something else entirely. “Aw, he calls you bunny? That’s adorable .” His disposition brightens for a moment, and his lips curl into the tiniest smirk. Aether’s cheeks flush bright pink when he begins poking him—his face, his hair, his shoulders, even his nose. “Cute little bunny boy, adorably wee baby, muah muah muah.”

Those are the most obnoxious kissy noises Aether has ever heard!

Beside him, Rosaria quickly follows up; “Aww, baby bunny.” The dark circles under her light eyes make them look like they’re lighting up. “Sweet wittle wabbit~ Somehow it actually suits you.”

“S-shut up!” Aether stutters, furiously flapping his hands at the two. He seeks support with Xiao, before Diluc can poke a hole in both his cheeks.  Eugh—! This is stupid! “Stop making fun of me, I—why are you laughing? Why are you laughing?”

Although Xiao immediately tries to hide it by nonchalantly raising his chin and pretending an old building across the busy street has suddenly become super interesting, Aether most definitely saw that grin on his face just now. His pulse quickens, his hands get a little clammy—he just assumes it’s from embarrassment.

“Traitor!” he huffs, crossing his arms, and he shies away from Rosaria’s cold hand. “Ack—stop it! You guys are so mean to me.”

But he’s not sure how much he actually minds anymore when Xiao can’t suppress another snort and wraps an arm around him. He calls him “his little bunny” over and over in a saccharine voice that turns everything pink for a second.

Aether… doesn’t understand what just happened there.

Xiao looks much more at ease than he did before, when he was so high-strung that Aether almost felt guilty for not talking everyone into staying home. He’s glad it’s working out so well.

Cracking more jokes along the lines of “Xiao’s little bunny” and “Aether’s grumpy kitty” (much to Xiao’s dismay, serves him right), and wondering whether Diluc would work better as a big dog or some sort of scarab beetle (Rosaria’s idea—don’t question it), they follow the group up front down the streets of the big city. Aether feels surprisingly at ease.

Halfway around a particularly busy shopping district, Lumine is practically overrun by a short boy with ink blue, tousled hair in two short braids, who jumps onto her like they haven’t seen each other in ages. Ganyu squeaks in fright, only for her to get jumped as well.

As always, Venti does not care whose company he’s in; no matter whether it’s the first meeting or the fiftieth, or you most recently met up with him yesterday or three years ago… to him, you’re best friends until you wrong him!

He’s not bothered by Jean reprimanding him for not meeting up with them at the arranged time. Aether has never seen him bothered by that. He’s just like that, he always shows up whenever he pleases and lets the wind guide him wherever it goes. At least, that’s what he says, and Aether feels inclined to believe him.

“Ooo, who’s this?” The twelve year old positions himself in front of Xiao, grinning widely. “Another emo in the wild! Are we collecting ‘em now? By the way, hi Aether.”

“Hi Venti.” Aether feels shy.

Xiao sputters and quickly fixes his wild hair, and he tries to dodge Venti’s hug, only to fail miserably and nearly get his lungs squeezed out of him instead.

“I think you’ve been talked about a couple of times at school, but I’m not sure,” Venti says cheerfully, while Xiao is still kicking his feet in his arms, “so, uh, feel free to drop your name!”

“Xiao,” Xiao wheezes. “I can’t breathe—”

“Ooh, right, Aether’s boyfriend!”

“His what?” Rosaria asks.

“My what?” Aether squeaks out, flabbergasted. His gaze flits between Venti and Xiao, and back to Xiao, and lingers a little longer, and quickly travels elsewhere entirely. “Puh… Did Kaeya tell you that?”

“Who knows? Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t, ehe~”

Completely at a loss for words, Aether stumbles towards Xiao to keep him up when Venti finally releases him and amicably pats him on the back.

“We’re not boyfriends,” he whispers to himself in affirmation, as Xiao’s shoulder-length hair tickles in his nose. That’d be weird and gross, obviously; relationships are weird and gross, after all. They’re just best friends in the entire world and that’s that!

“Kaeya!” Diluc exclaims. “Stop spouting bullshit, you know Aether doesn’t like it.”

Ganyu, red as a traffic light, immediately covers her ears and pretends she didn’t hear that.

Despite the rather chaotic reunion, the group quickly grows back into a whole: luckily, Xiao and Ganyu are unanimously accepted by Lumine’s friends, especially Ganyu. Although it’s more like… Venti pretty much just goes with the flow, and Aether wonders why Kaeya doesn’t really look at Xiao at all.

When he does say something to him, it’s kind of mean in that weird, sneaky way. But, like Diluc said, the older Ragnvindr brother is always trying to pick fights for fun, and when Aether gets a little worried and quietly asks Xiao if he’s okay, he says he is. So… he lets it go.

Together, they head for the Cat’s Tail. Jean scolds Venti again when he suggests going somewhere else instead, loudly declaring he’s getting no input with anything from now on because he was late. Venti groans about her not being in charge, and worse yet, his good vibes being encroached on.

Once they arrive at the large, busy building, with a completely filled drive-thru and even less space in the parking lot, Amber darts inside to get them a table.

They have to wait outside for a table of their group’s size to become available, time they spend chasing each other around the parking lot. Rather, Lumine begs Aether to help her catch the others, since he’s faster. Aether tries his best, not wanting to look bad—but when they still fail because his sister is slower than a snail, Ganyu proposes that Xiao try it.

“My brother is on the track team,” she says wisely, kicking her legs on the ledge that Amber, Diluc and she have chosen. They don’t feel like being chased. “He’s doing a lot of running stuff, and he jumps over really high bars, which is pretty cool. I went to his first race to cheer, and he got a pretty ribbon.”

“Just a ribbon? You’ll have to do better than that to catch me, hehe!” Kaeya says.

“Pffft, sure, Aether catches you all the time,” Lumine sulks.

“That’s… that’s because I let him, obviously. Don’t I, blondie?”

“Nope, I’m just faster than you, slowpoke,” Aether says, proudly puffing out his chest, and Kaeya pretends to be horribly offended.

But it is true that Jean and Venti keep outrunning him. Hmm… Aether furrows his eyebrows, thinking for a moment—and remembers how fast his best friend can dash. That will definitely catch them off-guard.

Filled with excitement, he turns to Xiao. “Come on!” he shouts, offering him his hand. “Let’s show these losers who’s boss!”

Xiao hesitates, not liking the attention drawn to him. But as his little sister and Lumine begin hounding him until it has swept the rest of the ledge gang along, he shuffles up to Aether and takes his hand. “I’ll… I’ll dash?” he whispers.

“They won’t know what hit them,” Aether nods deviously. It’ll be perfect.

In the end, they manage to catch everyone except Venti. Xiao’s dash is really, really fast; now that Aether sees him opposing people who aren’t quite as fast as either of them, it’s even more apparent! He looks really cool while doing it, too, and it takes Jean and Venti by surprise.

Unfortunately, Venti is just too good at out-maneuvering them, even when they both try to trap him between cars, and he wins in the end. One day, Aether will get him for sure.

After waiting half an hour, they’re invited inside and get a super large table to themselves. Half of them are panting and red-faced with effort, and at least three of them suddenly smell like mint or flowers—and a little bit sweaty. Still, they all select their seats, and wait for a server to come take their orders. They wear cat ear diadems here, which Aether finds a little silly, honestly.

First, they have to order drinks; it’s a cafe first and foremost, after all, and all the drinks here are very extravagant.

As they’re getting served, Aether listens to Ganyu telling Amber about her best friend “Kaching” (must be super rich, even richer than the Longwangs to be called that), Jean telling Lumine about her summer spent on the Fontainian beach, and Kaeya and Venti trying to get Xiao’s attention. Venti’s interest is genuine but casual, and Kaeya… Well, it’s probably fine.

Xiao goes along with it anyway, and Aether is glad when he finally catches Kaeya’s drift and starts quipping back at him with the same kind of bite. At some point, the two older boys simply stare at each other, sipping their drinks without breaking eye contact, for two full minutes.

.. Probably fine!

Xiao, Diluc and Rosaria, with their (mostly) dark hair, dark clothes and neutral expressions, are eventually formally declared “the broody bunch”. Courtesy of Venti literally not shutting up about it.

Kaeya also loves pointing out how, whenever Aether shuffles to the safety of Xiao for a moment and therefore enters “the broody radius”, he looks like a star in the night sky. In other words—he looks exceptionally out of place.

If it had only been Diluc and Rosaria, Aether would’ve felt that way, too. He always feels a little out of place. But with Xiao there, whose hands find his shoulders and arms so often to pull him a little closer, and gravitates toward him so naturally without having ever had any input from Lumine or anyone else, he feels a lot more at ease.

The boy does experience a weird combination of relief and anxiety, seeing that Xiao and Diluc get along with each other so well—and with Rosaria, too. The three are laughing about gross jokes that make Aether’s ears flutter, feeling so much more mature than the others, and Xiao tells them about his life in Liyue Harbor on request. Rosaria casually shares something that is so horribly morbid that Aether, Xiao and Diluc can only stare at her for a couple of seconds, before they all pretend nothing happened.

Xiao looks like he’s having fun. His cheeks are glowing. And Aether is happy, of course! But it also scares him… though he doesn’t understand why.

When it’s time for everyone to order, Aether decides to share Mondstadt hash browns with his friend, silently entrusting to him that these are second best only to paprika potato tornadoes.

“I’m not sure if I’ll like it though,” Xiao says, as both boys hide away behind the oversized menu card and Aether suggests the dish. “I guess I’m just not that much of a potato fan. Diluc said the, uh, ‘Pile ‘Em Up’ is really good here, so I thought I’d—”

“Of course he says that, that’s his favorite food,” Aether sighs, shaking his head. He’s trying not to sound annoyed. After all, he’s not even sure why he should be so. “I promise the hash browns are really yummy, maybe they’re even better than paprika potato tornadoes. You’ve gotta try them, kitty! Please?”

“Fine, you whiny baby.” Xiao smiles and they huddle close, checking all the other things on the menu just to know what more there is. They half entertain the thought of ordering a bunch of dishes to try together, but… who’s gonna pay for it?

Once the food arrives, Aether sees that Ganyu, Lumine and Amber got something to share as well: an absolutely enormous pile of tea break pancakes with butter and powdered sugar. The rest, though, have each gotten their own thing, and his mouth waters when the waitress sets down a big plate full of hash browns with sweet sauce and salad in front of Xiao and him.

“Wow,” he whispers, poking at the golden brown crust. His tummy rumbles, and he can almost taste the potato-ey goodness. These look perfect; his mom is a great cook, but she doesn’t quite make them like this, which is one of the rare good things he supposes Mondstadt City can stick in its pocket.

Xiao is a little less enthused, but he pretends to be so anyway.

When Aether convinces the eleven year old to try a hash brown, he declares it just so-so, and, spurred on by curiosity, both Rosaria and Diluc demand a bite as well. They offer Xiao to try their dishes in return: the Liyueren boy has probably never had them, right? They’re Mondstadter dishes, after all! Unfortunately, Xiao is also tempted by his curiosity, and accepts the trade.

Hmph. Couldn’t they wait just five minutes?

First, Rosaria offers Xiao one of her grilled fish skewers. He tastes it, decides he doesn’t like it, and gives it back. Then, Diluc offers him some of the Pile ‘Em Up. Only, that obviously doesn’t come in skewers or already cut in advance, so… he cuts out a solid bite and gestures for Xiao to lean over. Xiao eats it directly from his fork.

Aether silently nibbles on his hash brown, jaw set tightly in place. Hmph… “Could’ve just handed him the fork,” he mumbles. Nobody heard him in the ever present buzz surrounding their table, and he’s relieved for it. Why’d I even say that?, he wonders in thought.

“Eh, I’ll stick to the hash browns,” his best friend concludes.

Shrugging, Diluc chows down on his food. “Suit yourself, Prince Picky. More for me.”

“Pfft, shut up.” Xiao turns back to Aether, who is trying his best not to look dejected—and his face softens again. So much so, in fact, that it looks like, well…

Aether doesn’t know how to describe it. In a way, it looks like how it feels to him when he lies curled up against him, and it’s dark outside, and only the fairy lights in their base illuminate their tired forms. There is something so incredibly tender to it.

Badump.

Huh?

“I’ve changed my mind. Compared to that stuff, these are really tasty.” Xiao scoops way too much sweet sauce on one of the hash browns and shoves it into his mouth. “You were right, bunny. Do they have these in Starfell too?”

With a giggle, Aether shakes his head, shoving that strange feeling he had just now to the back of his mind. “Savor them while you can,” he says solemnly, “‘cause you’re never getting them again after this!”

Xiao tries really hard to look genuinely disappointed. Aether decides to accept it, enjoying their shared plate of hash browns all the same.

The others call for him, and they begin a table-wide discussion on Jean and Rosaria’s behalf on what’s worse: school, or being forced to attend church. Lumine takes the stance that everything forced is pretty much equally crappy, and Aether is, as per usual, asked whether he agrees with his sister.

Beside him, Xiao mumbles: “Life is crappy in general,” and the younger boy snorts. Then, he loudly shares his own opinion, which Xiao echoes with solemn applause like Aether is one of those television preachers who just gave a world-changing speech.

Everything’s the same as it always is. He’s not being shut out, Lumine’s friends never purposely ignore him, and they aren’t particularly unkind to him. Yet, he feels so much more… well… at home with everyone when Xiao is with him too. In a way, it feels like he’s actually allowed to be here now. Like he’s also part of this world of theirs, the world which his sister already fits into so effortlessly.

He could imagine that he’d enjoy being with them more, if only Xiao could always come with him.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

After lunch, the group gathers together in the Cat’s Tail parking lot to decide what they’ll do next. Venti really wants to show everyone the huge, millenia old Statue of the Seven on Mondstadt’s church square, since it’s such a big landmark, and he might just be able to “serve everyone a personal treat”, whatever that’s supposed to mean.

Aether has never been there. He honestly doesn’t care much for it.

He’s not the only one; Diluc and Kaeya shoot each other a disgusted look, Jean furrows her eyebrows, and Rosaria would genuinely rather die than go near the cathedral on a day she doesn’t need to be there. Lumine, Ganyu and Amber think it’s a great idea—but Kaeya proposes they go to the biggest arcade in all of Mondstadt instead, an idea which garners a lot more popularity.

Jean, Diluc and Rosaria quickly decide to stick with him. Aether doesn’t feel much for the arcade either, though.

“Xiao,” he whispers, nudging him, “if we’re splitting up anyway, um… do you wanna go look at the windmills and the nice spots?”

He feels shy asking it. What if Xiao would rather stay with Diluc and Rosaria instead..? The thought is dreadful, as if his best friend has already threatened to leave him behind for good.

But Xiao doesn’t even think twice. “Uh-huh,” he says. “I mean, that’s why I joined in the first place. Also—I’m almost out of allowance, I can’t exactly do anything else. You really know how to pick the expensive dishes, bunny.”

“Hehe, sorry.”

Glowing with excitement, Aether runs to Lumine and Ganyu to let them know, and he intently makes Lumine promise to please keep an extra good eye on Xiao’s little sister. He does not want Retuo to get upset with him again. Lumine makes sure he knows he owes her a favor now, but eh, whatever, that's not the end of the world.

With that, the big group formally decides to split up. Jean makes sure everyone knows they are to meet on the fountain square at four, so they can all see the Reisender twins and the Longwang siblings off. Of course, everyone prepares in advance for Venti not showing up by already saying goodbye to him now.

“What, you guys have so little faith in me!” he pouts, hugging Ganyu. “I’ll be there, really. Okay, ready to go see the statue?”

“Yes please!” Ganyu chirps.

“See, this little crystalfly here will just keep an eye on me~”

She smiles widely upon being called something so pretty.

The kids wave the statue group off first, waiting until they’ve gotten on the bus.

Aether hooks his arm into Xiao’s. “Okay, we’re, um, going to the windmills,” he says. “Have fun at the arcade.”

“Thanks,” Diluc says. He shuffles a little closer and reaches into his long coat’s pocket, plucking out a small bag of chips. “Here, for later.”

“Ooo, yum!”

“Have fun smooching behind the windmills, dorks,” Rosaria says, and although her expression remains pretty much the same as always, Aether just knows she’s relishing the boys’ confused sputtering!

Kaeya, though, furrows his eyebrows. “Are you sure you don’t wanna come with us?” he asks sharply, wiggling himself between Aether and Xiao. He smiles sweetly at the blonde, giving him a squeeze. “They have way better prizes in this arcade, you know! It’ll be fun. Maybe I can win you one.”

Aether clams up, as if all his limbs are made from sticks that just snapped into place. “U-um,” he stutters, quickly shaking his head, “n-no, I just…”

Beside him, Xiao’s face suddenly looks like thunder—just like his dads’ can do.

Oh. That’s not good.

“Come on, weiner,” Diluc then sighs, grabbing Kaeya by the sleeve. He traps his brother in his grip and raises his hand at the two boys as a final greeting. “How about you win me a prize instead, huh? Since you’re so good at arcade games all of a sudden.”

“What, because you can’t win your own prizes~? Sure, just watch me, I’ll get my precious wee brother the best price ever!”

“I can win easily, you’re just yapping off with your big mouth to give yourself a confidence boost.”

“Actually, consider this: your dad.”

‘My dad is your dad, idiot.”

“Aww, I knew you loved me!”

“Just walk, you immature fools!” That’s Jean butting in.

Kaeya is formally distracted with the promise of getting to beat Diluc at every arcade game he can get his hands on. After making sure the group at least makes it to a bus stop, Aether quickly grabs Xiao’s hand and drags him along.

“Ignore him,” he hastily says, feeling nervous, “he’s being weird on purpose. He always does that. Are you upset..?”

“I’m fine.”

Oh. Aether deeply hopes Xiao didn’t mean to snap at him like that. Biting down on his lip, he pulls him onward, and doesn’t say another thing.

They walk down the cobbled roads for a while, weaving through groups of people and maneuvering around pop-up souvenir shops and discarded bicycles. Car fumes and hints of something else rather unpleasant thicken the air; it’s an almost bitter smell. The streets Aether plans to take Xiao to will be much more peaceful, and look more like the Mondstadt of old, and in a way, feel more like Starfell. And just like in Starfell, the boy knows some sneaky routes that tourists would never think to take, which especially comes in handy for the windmills, because those things are always overrun with them!

After a while of walking in complete silence, Xiao squeezes Aether’s hand. It’s apologetic, in a way.

“He’s way too pretty to be that annoying,” the eleven year old mutters. Aether has to suppress a genuine chortle.

Pfew.

“You’ll see the best of him one day, kitty! You’ll become best friends then,” he promises. He guides Xiao into a quieter, idyllic-looking little street with a lot of brass-wooden cafe signs adorning the facades, and rattan chairs standing outside.

“Meh… Kaeya can stuff it. We’re already best friends—I don’t need another.”

Feeling content and warm, Aether’s shoulders sag in quiet relief. It’s like a tight string in his spine has finally snapped, allowing him to move freely like he always has. He doesn’t know why he was ever worried to begin with.

The boys were supposed to make it to the windmills first, but Aether gets so many good ideas that he ends up walking Xiao through half the city before they get there! (Well, not literally, but it just so happens that a lot of the spots he does like are closer to each other.)

He takes Xiao to the clear blue streams that run through the city in the quieter parts, where they almost manage to pet a duck. He leads him onward, to a tiny public garden that he found with Aunt Annette when he was five years old and sometimes visits on weekends, when she can’t take him home to Starfell. There, they quickly look around to make sure nobody sees them and each pluck a Mondstadter dandelion to bring home, giggling like two little criminals who just committed the most heinous crime.

Liking Xiao’s idea of drying the flower (he’s forever sad he didn’t do it with his Cecilia), Aether quickly stuffs both dandelions between the pages of the school book he keeps forgetting to take out of his backpack.

The ten year old also shows Xiao his favorite candy store, an old, artisan one that’s nothing like the candy stores that big companies own. Xiao spends his last bit of mora on two swirly, handmade lollipops shaped like windmills, to pay back for the jawbreakers they never got to eat. They go to one of the “parks” that are scattered throughout the city: small, fenced off areas with flower patches and maybe one tree, where they eat their lollipops and the small bag of chips, and enthusiastically discuss how today has gone.

Indeed, Xiao is very positive about Diluc. And feeling more at ease about it, Aether can only be happy that he was right to think that they would get along so well. Xiao likes Rosaria too because she reminds him of his friend at home, and thinks Venti is… interesting.

Yeah, that’s about the best way to describe him.

Aether pulls a bottle of soda out of his backpack, which they share, and then, they finally continue to the windmills. After all, they’re running on a tight schedule here; it’s already half past two.

Rather than taking Xiao directly to one of them, like most tourists do, Aether darts off between meandering streets and old houses. He looks back over his shoulder, grinning wide, to make sure his friend follows him up a wooden staircase on a building that looks like it jumped straight out of a medieval history book.

“Come on!” he calls, gripping onto a drainpipe and climbing up to the reddish roof.

Laughing and half jeering at making him climb stuff on top of chasing people down a parking lot, Xiao follows him: it’s much like climbing the ropes on the playground.

They stand on the roof like two adventurers exploring every crevice of the world. Xiao clutches onto Aether, as if nervous about falling down, but the view… Aether sneaks a peek, and sees that his friend is mesmerized.

From the top of this building, they can see roofs upon roofs of buildings big and small. More importantly, they have the perfect view of all three windmills Mondstadt is famous for—and in the far back, high up on stairways and levels upon stairways and levels, they even see the Barbatos cathedral that the others must be at right now.

The windmills are spinning slowly in the cool breeze, grand and imposing. Smiling, Aether gestures to a protrusion on the roof that’s just a little higher, and his friend wordlessly follows along. They climb up on it and Aether flops down, dangling his legs over the edge, full of trust that gravity wouldn’t dare take him.

Well, he did find this place in the fall after meeting Xiao for the first time, so it has been a while.

Xiao carefully sits down beside him, gazing at the windmills with a small smile on his face. “I sit on my closet like this sometimes,” he whispers, fist clutching onto the edge of the roof. “You know, pretending to be a Yaksha.”

“You can pretend to be a Yaksha now,” Aether says. “You’re super high up, one fell swoop and those demons are dead.”

“Pfft, don’t be weird. If I were a real Yaksha, they’d probably fire me for not keeping  everyone safe anyway. I hope Ganyu is okay.”

“Meen is with her, and Amber too. It’ll be fine.” Aether twiddles his thumbs. “You’re protecting me right now anyway, so they don’t get to fire you. That’d be stupid.”

“Guess you’re right.” Xiao pulls up one knee and rests his arm and head upon it. The wind bristles through his tousled hair, and he looks so serene, just watching the windmills spin without a care in the world.

Badump.

There it is again.

Aether doesn’t know what compels him to when he slowly reaches out his small hand. His fingers touch Xiao’s hair, stroking through the wild, uncut strands. It’s like a funny little electric zap just hit him with the tingles. He whispers: “You’re pretty.”

“Huh—what?” Xiao looks confused for a moment, even to the point of his ears turning pink.

“You’re pretty!” Aether repeats happily, scooting in closer. He still feels… weird, somehow, but not in a bad way. “I like your hair when it’s like this.”

“O-oh… thanks, bunny.”

“You’re welcome!”

The way back is super rushed. They ended up sitting on that roof talking tall tales and nonsense way too long, and it’s a huge struggle trying to get both of them down without breaking an arm! Luckily, Aether’s aunt doesn’t mind a few minutes later now half as much as she would’ve in the morning.

Venti is actually there when it’s time to say goodbye, though, and in passing, Kaeya quickly slips an arcade charm into Aether’s hand. Giggling sheepishly, the blonde tucks it into his bag.

The group exchanges hugs and happy cheers, and Ganyu excitedly holds up her flip phone so that Jean, Kaeya, Diluc and Rosaria can put their numbers in (the others have already done so). Then, they start hounding Xiao until he gives in and hands them his phone too, blushing and muttering.

Rosaria even convinces him to take an extra grumpy picture with her and Diluc to formally induct their “broody bunch” title, but because Xiao can only take pictures and not send or receive them, they take one on her smartphone and a separate one on his.

Aether can’t wait until he has a phone of his own—just two more months now.

Then, they all part ways. The Reisender twins and the Longwang siblings are brought back to the train station.

On the train ride back to Starfell, Aether is only awake for the first thirty minutes; he drops his head against the window, dozing off to dreamland within seconds of his eyes falling shut. It’s a comfortable, dreamless sleep, wherein nothing disturbs him. When he wakes up, however, he finds his head not on the windowside, but snugly against Xiao. And he discovers he’s been drooling all over his shoulder.

“Ew,” Xiao snickers when the ten year old peels his face off the patch of moist polo fabric, flush with embarrassment. “Well, now I don’t need to shower.”

“Xiaooo, don’t make it sound like it was buckets..!”

“It was, though! Look at it!”

Snorting, they follow the girls outside, where Retuo is waiting by the rose gold Range Rover in the middle of the parking lot. Aether kind of likes how Xiao’s parents are always dressed like they’re going to a super fancy party, one of the ones with lots of cool lights and extravagant dresses, and adult drinks.

Retuo greets the kids with a smile, and Ganyu immediately dashes from Lumine’s side.

“Hey, wait for me!” Lumine shouts, bolting after her and waving her arms. Her jeans are all scratched up, and the sleeves of her blouse look like they need to be manually sewn back together by Barbatos himself because even a sewing machine wouldn’t be able to make sense of them.

Aether notices Ganyu’s dress is torn in the back too, as if they all fistfought that statue or something. Who knows what Venti made them do!

For a moment, he recalls getting the door thrown in his face after his best friend came home looking like a mess.

That’s an expensive dress. Aether knows for a fact that that’s a super expensive dress because Ganyu herself said so before, and it definitely doesn’t look like anything his parents could ever afford for Lumine!

Now, there are gravel and grease stains on the skirt, and there’s whipped cream on the collar, and even on the bodice. Aether fears a little for her, since Xiao got shouted at for ruining his clothes too.

But Retuo wraps his arms tightly around her, lifts her up, and asks her how her day was. He doesn’t look at the dress. Nope, he just listens to her telling about her adventures and asks her questions. She pulls her flip phone out of her pocket to show the pictures she took with everyone, while excitedly telling about how Venti suddenly pulled this tiny harp out of nowhere and started playing until he’d amassed a crowd at the statue, and she danced to his music with Amber and Lumine, and everyone watching loved it, and they felt like maidens of old.

Maybe Retuo just missed it? Good for Ganyu! But… Aether glances at Xiao—the boy is staring at the display, utterly breathless, his lips squeezed together in a tight line.

Not wanting the day to end on a sour note, Aether quickly nudges him and begins whispering about how he hopes that the last summer day in Starfell will be hot, so that maybe, they can challenge the girls to a water balloon fight or something.

He doesn’t even know if they have any water balloons, but he’s relieved to see Xiao peeling his gaze off of Retuo helping Ganyu get in the car and opening the door to the passenger’s seat for Lumine, even bowing before her like she’s a princess.

His face clears up, and he nefariously suggests putting dish soap or even curry sauce in the water balloons as well. “They won’t know what hit them! Literally, since they won’t expect it.”

Snickering at the thought of coating Lumine in fifty balloons filled with icky sauce, which she would take a bloody revenge for, no doubt, the boys climb into the car as well and quickly shut their mouths, so as to not give their battle plan away. You know, should they actually be able to use it.

All in all, Aether is happy; he really, really enjoyed going to the big city, and that might honestly be a first.

Notes:

Kids’ perspectives are odd sometimes… Everyone thinks these people are Aether’s friends, except Aether :') In any case, things are brewing! In both good and bad ways. At least the kiddos had a fun day in the big city, though, and new friends were made <3

I’ve noticed that I’ve been getting caught up in my work and changing schedule as my return to college is just around the corner (one more week after this, kinda scary...), so I will still be doing my best to reply to any comment I get, but I might not always be able to anymore. However, please do know I read them all and I really appreciate you guys for taking the time to leave them! Knowing what y’all think motivates me to continue working on this project and strive to improve on it as much as I can, so thank you! 💗
Also, the uploading schedule will not be affected by anything that I have not already planned before the start of college! Not sure what the workload itself will look like yet, but for now, any hiatus that does occur will be a planned one, so this fic will not suddenly stop updating unannounced for college-related reasons.

Have a great weekend, and see you guys next week! <3

Chapter 15

Notes:

The current ages:
Xiao, Shenhe - 11
Aether+Lumine - 11
Ganyu, Keqing - 9

Winter, Year 4

 

Groaning, Xiao drops his head into his math textbook and folds his hands in the back of his neck. He might as well give up, it doesn’t feel like he’s getting anywhere anyway!

Zhongli had picked the kids up from school and they had finished dinner (which was also hastily prepared by Zhongli, and Xiao loves his dad so, so much, but that man cannot cook) not too long ago. He wants nothing more than to finally call it a day. But his math teacher evidently decided late night homework is the only way to success, so here he is, yet to stop staring at pages upon pages of agonizing numbers.

He hears Ganyu giggling with Keqing as they walk past his room, no doubt going downstairs to get a refill on their snack bowl, and wishes he was nine again so he wouldn’t need to worry as much about the increasing difficulty of the material school is trying to shove down his throat.

Eh, at least Xiao’s got a track competition to look forward to tomorrow, and he is just as nervous as he is excited for it. He has been improving a lot, and he may or may not have boasted a little to Aether about definitely being able to get gold this time. The high jump has the most potential; some people in his track team are still faster runners, but he’s been told that nobody jumps quite as high as him, and he’s been feeling proud of it. So maybe..!

In his latest letter, Aether wrote that he believes in him. The thought makes Xiao’s chest flutter and, well, he doesn’t know how to explain it, but… He just wants to do his best for him, he supposes.

When Xiao considers also going downstairs to get himself a late night snack, which is something he’s only doubtful of because he might get crap for it, his phone goes off.

 

[ 19:30
Shen: Great news, I can come watch your conquest tomorrow and I convinced my mom to absolutely not show up ,.,

19:30:
Me: oh thank the gqd of geo ]

 

Sagging with relief, Xiao crosses that off the list of things to lie awake about. Shenhe always wants to watch his matches, but she rarely gets to because her mother also insists on joining and, well… Suffice to say that Xiao is already worried Retuo might not sing his praises, he doesn’t want to think of disappointing Miss Xianyun on top of it too. She means well, but when she sees fault, she simply cannot help herself and needs to give pointers—whether you want them or not.

Plus, it’s really embarrassing when parents get louder than they should at some elementary school competition.

 

[ 19:32
Shen: Lol. I’ll bring rice buns

19:33
Shen: But you’re only getting one if you win silver

19:34
Me: whbt if I win gold

19:34
Shen: You won’t, but maybe you can have another bite then]

 

Xiao rolls his eyes, tossing his flip phone onto his bed. It bounces off and lands on the ground, but that thing is sturdy, so he doesn’t mind. Tsk… just watch him win!

An hour or so passes, and Keqing is picked up by her father. Sad to see her best friend in the entire world go, Ganyu copes by slithering into her brother’s room.

“What do you want?” Xiao grumbles. “Get out, I’m busy.”

“Wow, who peed in your cereal? I’m not coming to cheer you on tomorrow if you’re a jerk.”

“Go away, I’m doing homework.” He’s writing down random numbers at this point. Just wants to get it over with.

“Ew, that’s so dumb. We don’t get that much homework.” Ganyu leans back against a white dresser, the one on which the Yaksha mask is standing proudly. Untouched since it was unpacked at the end of summer, only ever dusted off when necessary. “Can we watch a movie when you’re done?”

“It’s almost nine. Curfew won’t be increased till next month.” That’s when Ganyu finally turns ten years old.

She furrows her eyebrows and mutters something under her breath that’s intentionally unclear, but probably very unflattering.

Sighing, Xiao closes his math book, and follows up with a: “Fine, I can’t focus like this anyway. Maybe if you shoot Father some puppy eyes, he’ll let it slide just this once.”

Ganyu’s almost lilac-looking eyes light up with glee. “Sure, if you don’t wanna do it! Lazybones. You decide on some movies, I’ll go ask,” she says, and with renewed confidence, she darts into the hallway.

Pfft, the chance of being allowed to watch wouldn’t be half as big if Xiao were the one asking. He gets up to speed through his evening routine just in case he’s too tired after the movie.

When Ganyu plods up the stairs, visibly filled with disappointment, Xiao is standing in the middle of the hallway in his underwear and with a wet mop of hair on his head. “Papa said no,” she sighs. “He says you need to sleep early or you won’t do well tomorrow.”

“He thinks I won’t do well?” Xiao clutches tighter onto his towel.

Ganyu shrugs and puffs out her chest. “ ‘Xiao needs to sleep early, otherwise he won’t do well in his competition.’ ” She says it in a posh and exaggerated voice, even though their father doesn’t sound like that. It’s obvious that she’s making a sincere attempt at eliciting a laugh.

To humor her, Xiao smiles wryly. Great. Shenhe might as well just invite her mother along, then! “What did Dad say?”

“Oh! He said we need to sleep early so you can do extra well and I can cheer you on extra loud, and maybe we can watch the movie another day. Father agreed! More or less.”

That helps dissipate the tight knot in his stomach. Wearing a more genuine smile, Xiao runs his hand through Ganyu’s golden hair. It starts out nice enough, but, for the heck of it, soon evolves into messing it up until she shrieks with disdain and can barely look through her bangs anymore. He quickly slips into his room before she can retaliate with a kick to the nuts, laughing evilly.

“Go take a shower, stinker!” he says, slamming the door in his sister’s bewildered face.

“Xiao! ” she yells. “Buttface! Jerk! Weiner! I’m telling Dad!”

Smirking, Xiao wiggles into the pajama shirt he’d thrown on the floor this morning. It has a colorful illustration of a bird on it, which is peeling at the edges.

Alright! Time to get ready to knock it out of the park tomorrow; he wants to send Aether a printed picture of a perfect victory. Suppressing a yawn, the eleven year old climbs into his white single-sleeper and makes himself comfortable, pulling his cat plushie up against his chest.

He just needs to wait for Zhongli. His father may have been inconsistent for ages now, but his dad has never, ever missed out on saying goodnight.

Color him surprised, then, when time ticks by and the thin line of hallway light around his door stays the same size. Xiao perks his ears and listens to Ganyu going about her own evening routine. He hears her pause after she’s done, as if she’s also expecting something, before she eventually leaves for her own room. The lights are turned off.

Weird…

Oh well. Xiao closes his eyes, snuggling away into pillows and blankets; it’s not like Zhongli is on a timer or anything, maybe he’ll pop in later. Xiao doesn’t presume he’ll actually be sleeping anytime soon anyway.

But the minutes keep ticking by. 21:00 turns into 21:15, and 21:15 turns into 21:30… and Xiao gets worried. Discomfort rests heavily upon his shoulders, and his stomach has twisted itself into a knot.

Would it be bad if he went to check, just in case, and hope that Zhongli is just so engrossed in his personal stuff that he lost track of time?

He’ll be in and out in no time, surely it wouldn’t hurt. Maybe, now that both he and Ganyu are getting older, they’re, erm… slowly evolving into the phase where they are the ones who go to say goodnight to their parents, instead of the other way around. This could be Zhongli letting him know.

Xiao supposes there’s only one way to find out. He flings his blanket off of himself and sneaks downstairs, in the stealthy way he has become so good at. The living room is dimly lit behind the closed sliding doors, and Xiao can’t help but feel like the atmosphere is tighter than it normally is.

He tip-toes to the kitchen, hiding behind the trash can. His ears are on high alert, his fingers clutching onto the cool, black metal.

“Retuo… You’ve been ignoring me for a while.” That’s Zhongli; he sounds casual, but in one of those forced ways. “Why does it… I—why does it make you this upset when I tell you to treat your son with a little more respect?”

“Zhongli, I am working.”

“My love… you are always working. Besides, you were hardly carrying this energy when you were tearing into Xiao.”

Tearing into me..?

“You’re his father, I would really quite appreciate it if you could—”

“Zhongli. Hush.”

“Could you please just—”

“By the gods, man! Never realized I married such a chatty bitch.”

.. Huh? Xiao sits stupefied.

“Excuse me?” Zhongli sounds just as taken aback. “What did you just say to me?”

“For the last time, I am working. Perhaps some patience would be in order.”

Something about this feels… way different from the times Xiao has caught them arguing the previous times. He doesn’t like the way the pressure is rising, the words being used scare him more than he would want to admit in front of an audience.

He can’t help but feel like he has actually stumbled into something bad here.

“Is work actively bothering you at this very moment?” Zhongli asks. “If so, please do tell me, so I might decide more clearly what to think of you right now. I would very much appreciate not being referred to in such a manner by my own husband.”

Xiao hears how much effort it’s costing him to keep his voice under control. There’s a tremor in there, just a small one, but it’s enough to bring the point across: this hurt. What Retuo said genuinely hurt his feelings. He’s being diplomatic about it, because Zhongli is always professional and diplomatic about matters that irk him, but below the surface, he doesn’t know where to place this.

It’s enough to plunge Xiao’s stomach into a whirl of nausea.

Retuo throws something on the table—a pen, it sounds like. “Okay. Okay, alright. Fine. What does it take for a man to be left alone for five minutes, hm? What do I need to do so you shut your yap for five minutes? Do I need to get down on my knees and pray to my pretty little princess for an ounce of peace and quiet, is that it?”

“What? I simply—”

“Fulfill one request of mine amidst the thousands of yours that I fulfill, can you do that, my dear? I’ve had it to here, I’m not kidding when I tell you I’m at my fucking limit. We can discuss things further when I’m done, starting with that yes-sir-alright-sir-attitude you’ve got towards Xiao. It is getting out of hand if you resort to claiming that me speaking words of truth equates to ‘tearing into him’.”

Zhongli is quiet for a moment. This tension is terrible, Xiao feels it coursing through his veins and hammering his nerves with rusty nails.

“Yes, my love,” his dad finally says, his voice soft and mellow. “I apologize. You mustn’t… I don’t want you to feel smothered by me.”

Retuo doesn’t respond. The conversation falls flat with an awful pang.

All Xiao hears now is the clicking of keyboard keys and his own blood banging against his eardrums. His pulse is so fast that it dizzies him. Quick and light on his feet, he rushes upstairs, into his room, and hides under the covers.

What should he do? Should he be afraid? What is he supposed to take away from this, what just happened down there?

What did I have to do with it? , he wonders to himself. What did Dad mean, “tearing into me”?

Shivering as if he’s cold, even though it’s at least 18 degrees Celsius in his room, Xiao curls in on himself. His eyes are wide, and when he places his hand upon his chest, he can feel his own heart flapping around his ribcage like a trapped bat. He sniffles and tries to keep himself together, damn it, he’s too old to be crying about a misunderstanding between parents, but… the tears that pull warm snail trails down his cheeks seem to disagree.

What even is a yes-sir-alright-sir-attitude? Why would Retuo be “tearing into him”? What did Xiao do?

No! Just forget it, tomorrow is an important day!

But… but…

It’s all too evident that even though he doesn’t want to think about it, for it makes him feel so small, his brain would rather try to dissect every word he heard than go to sleep. Xiao tosses and turns for what feels like hours—he can’t calm down.

In a last desperate attempt, he switches on the kind of boring-looking night light on the dresser next to his bed, and grabs the opened letter that lies beside it. It’s the most recent one he got from Aether; it arrived about a week ago. His fingers grip onto the doodle-ridden paper, and his eyes, so bright that they look yellow in the light, flit over the written sentences.

Aether’s handwriting has gotten much better. His wording still looks genuine all the same, though, without much thought put into the grammar; straight from the heart, as always.

Xiao can feel him through his writing, thanking him for the birthday gift he sent this year (a brand new sun hat with a string of fabric sweet flowers sewn around the top, which Xiao made himself—only the flowers, not the entire hat), with so many exclamation marks. Saying he’ll wear it every day once summer comes around.

Xiao reads further down, picturing his best friend’s blithe mouth telling him: “Good luck with your competition, I think you can win gold easy peasy! Please send a picture when you do! I believe in you!” face-to-face, like it’s written here.

He murmurs something incomprehensible and pushes his knees up against his cat plush, squishing it between his folded body.

“I’ll do my best,” he whispers, trying to sound assured. His mind relaxes and he manages to smile back at the enormous, confident smiley Aether drew at the very bottom of the letter. “I’ll win gold for you.”

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The tension persists through the following morning, when the family sets out to Xiao’s track competition. Xiao wonders if his parents are even aware of how awfully clammy it feels in the car, how uncomfortable it is, how… unnatural Zhongli and Retuo are acting toward each other right now.

Even through his grogginess, left over from the less-than-ideal sleep he’s had, the boy can feel that the past evening is lingering between the two like a living thing.

Zhongli is the only one talking; he talks to his little bird, encouraging him and expressing good faith, and asks his little qilin if she’s still intending to play over at Keqing’s place after the competition is over. Ever so calm. On top of the world.

“Ew Dad, don’t say it like that,” Ganyu says, frantically flapping her hands. “We’re going to hang out. Playing is for toddlers!”

Zhongli laughs softly, apologizing extra profusely with just that extra hint of drama that always makes Ganyu laugh (and helps her to regret ever saying anything at all). At least she doesn’t seem to notice that something’s up.

Maybe it’s just Xiao, then, since he’s aware of what happened.

He props his head up on his hand, leaning on the car door handle, and gazes outside, at the Liyueren houses passing them by. It’s a typical winter morning in Liyue Harbor: cold enough to turn breath into puffs of white clouds, accompanied by a sharp, frigid ocean breeze that bites into your skin. Ironically, it’s his favorite weather to train in; the effort will keep him warm, and if he gets too hot, the weather will cool him down.

It also means that there will be fewer onlookers than there would be in, say, a spring match, and that’s always good. Means he can focus better.

He has to be wary, though, since rapidly cooling sweat increases the risk of colds. But all in all, Xiao is happy that the first proper match of the year will be held in this weather.

The Range Rover drives through the school gates and parks with the other cars, more luxurious and newer-looking than the streets of Starfell would be littered with. Xiao leads his family to the track field, where all the equipment that will be used today is already stalled out, and solemnly guides them to the bleachers.

Shenhe is waiting for him there, in one of the top rows, from where they can see everything on the field best. She flags him down with one hand, her stuff—a bag, a coat, and a scarf and a cute winter hat—stalled out on the three seats beside her. Her mom isn’t with her, as she said.

“Shenhe!” Xiao calls, grinning with excitement.

“Took you long enough. You start in just ten minutes, right?” Shenhe runs a hand through her white hair, plopping back down in her seat. “Morning Mr Zhongli, morning Mr Retuo.”

“Good morning, Shenhe,” Zhongli says, sitting down beside her. He elegantly crosses his legs; once again, both his parents are kind of overdressed for the event, and the kids look mundane compared to them. He even put on his long, leather coat with real golden accents, the one that he normally only puts on when he’s going somewhere exceptionally fancy.

Retuo grumbles something, not looking up from the phone he’s furiously texting away on.

“Hi Shenhe! You look so pretty.” Ganyu happily sits down between her dads, fluffing up the line of fake fur around her coat’s hood with flushed cheeks.

“Thanks.” Shenhe sits up straight and points down at the field, where Xiao’s track team is gathering together. “You better go, I think they’re getting ready for warm-ups.”

“Crap, okay, see you guys later!”

“Good luck, make sure you jump extra high,” Ganyu calls.

“I’ll just imagine your face popping up right beside me. That’ll scare me enough to launch me to the moon, for sure.” Xiao playfully sticks his tongue out at his sister.

“Hey!”

With that, the boy dips his head at his audience. Zhongli clenches his fists joyfully, full of encouragement, and Shenhe offers him a small thumbs up.

“Rip your enemies apart limb from limb, like the adepti of old in times of war,” she says.

Uh… yeah! Yeah, he will. Grinning, Xiao rushes down to the dressing rooms in the dingy shack beside the track field and wiggles out of his demon print shirt, revealing the uniform underneath. It’s boring and white, and will likely be almost black at the end of the day. He exchanges his leather loafers for his running shoes and hastily shoves as many hair pins and clips into his wild bangs as he can afford.

When he tries to jam all his stuff into his teal and black sports bag, Aether’s letter falls out. Xiao packed it, not for a specific reason or anything… He just feels like it might bring him good luck today.

Again, he quietly promises the words on the paper that he’ll win today. Then, he quickly stuffs it between his clothes and necessities, and runs outside to join the warm-up session.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Everyone is getting into position. They’ll be playing against three teams from other schools, totaling four teams—white, red, yellow and blue—for five matches total: a 50 meter sprint, a 150 meter sprint, javelin throwing, hammer throwing, and high jumping.

It’s not as much about winning first place as it is about winning medals together, as a team. But Xiao may be competing with his team, but he’s also definitely competing against them; winning anything at all benefits all of them, sure, but he’s going for the big prize! For Aether.

Xiao takes a deep breath. He’s been chosen by his team to compete in the high jumping match, while he and two super fast girls will compete in the 150 meter sprint (he’d preferred the 50 meter sprint, but they selected one of those girls and the team captain for that one).

For some wild reason, he’s also been chosen to compete in the javelin throw, alongside one other boy—and that one is completely lost on Xiao.

As awesome as it would be if he were really good at it, since it can be compared to spear throwing and he’s an avid believer of spears being the coolest weapons out there… Well, it’s not his forte. Not yet, at least!

No, he’s placing all his bets on the high jump and the 150 meter sprint. If he’s going to win gold at all, it should be in those matches, and they’re starting the competition off with the 150 meter sprint.

Xiao shakes the strain out of his shoulder as he makes his way to the starting line. His white-clad team captain wishes him good luck and gives him some pointers, but he can barely hear it over the blood buzzing between his ears. So he just kind of smiles and nods in the way people always do when they didn’t quite catch what someone said, but don’t want to look stupid.

He lines up between someone from the blue team and someone from the red team, and greets the two others from his team who are participating in the sprint. Then, when given the sign, he gets into the first position.

Okay… okay, here goes. Xiao has been getting faster. Maybe, just maybe, he can get first place on this one. He gets ready on the second sign, tuning out every thought he has and everything in sight but the red, sharply lined-off track before him. The bleachers are dead quiet.

The sharp bang of the starting pistol rings in his ears and Xiao flies forward, the dash kicking up the ground behind him. The bleachers erupt with the cheers from friends and family members.

Almost effortlessly, Xiao leaves his opponents in the dust, flying forward like an arrow from a bow. Those fifty meters he crossed with Aether last summer are quickly overcome here, what's with the effort he’s put into making his dash last longer and be faster, like his best friend said he should.

But he’s got twice that amount left to go. And Xiao feels that he’s slowing down.

Damn it, not yet! Just a little more—! Xiao’s throat is burning and he sees a dash of red pass him from the corner of his eyes. His calves are yelling at him, and he slows down intentionally just a little. With all the force it costs, he takes off from the ground a second time.

This dash doesn’t carry him nearly as far, but it’s still good! He’s still at the front! Breathing through his nose, Xiao makes a beeline for the finish, but he doesn’t have much fuel left to run on. Crap, they should’ve let him do the other—

He has barely thought it, or the same red bolts past him again. He clenches his teeth together, trying to speed up.

On his other side, white picks up the pace, and suddenly, two people have surpassed him, with white running far ahead. That’s how he crosses the finish line, too: in third place, and he almost falls over when he comes to a stop.

Panting hard and fast, Xiao wipes the sweat from his brow and settles his beating heart. Whew… Damn it. At least first place was nabbed by one of his team members, he supposes…

Xiao spends the next match hanging around the bench and resting, as it’s the 50 meter sprint. Furrowing his eyebrows, he looks at the sprinters and thinks to himself that he could’ve won that one.

He’s up for the javelin throwing then, and when that’s over, he would very much love it if the earth could split apart and swallow him whole. That was, by far, the most embarrassed he has ever felt in his life.

Ironically, he actually thought he did good for a minute there; he managed to throw that thing 12 meters. That doesn’t sound bad at all, he was pretty proud of it! But then the next kid threw it 25 meters and the one after that even pushed 30 and… yeah, needless to say he did not win any medals there. It’s been fifteen minutes and his face is still as red as a beet.

He silently promises himself he’s going to train harder so that’ll never happen to him again.

Now, his hope for gold really rests on one thing: the high jump. And once the hammer throwing is over, it’s the turn for the high jumpers to take the stage. Oh man… The stakes feel really high, all of a sudden. Xiao has no idea how his team is doing with their combined medals, but for him personally, this is his last chance.

He shies away from his team captain trying to mess up his damp hair, and the team member who competed in the javelin throwing with him tries to pat his back, which he also quickly dances away from.

Don’t touch me right now, he thinks to himself. He needs to focus.

Because all competitors are children and none of them are taller than 148 centimeters, it’s decided that each jumper gets three heights: they all start at 120 centimeters, then 135 centimeters, and finally, assuming anyone even reaches it, the dreaded 150 centimeters. And because of this simplicity, it’s also decided that if you dislodge the crossbar three times overall, you’re out.

Usually it’s three times consecutively, that feels a lot safer…

Xiao quickly discovers that out of all four competitors, he is, in fact, almost the shortest. Not only that, but the yellow team competitor has really strong legs. Suddenly, he’s no longer that confident in his jumping abilities.

The bleachers go dead quiet again when the first competitor gets ready: 120 centimeters, and she doesn’t clear it. She tries again, and doesn’t clear it. On the third try, though, she’s got it; that’s almost three strikes for the blue team, then.

The girl is just a little shorter than Xiao, and worry begins to gnaw at the back of his mind. Okay, come on, he knows he’s good at this stuff. Surely he won’t get in this much trouble this early in the game…

The boy after her, the one on the yellow team, doesn’t clear it the first try either, but he manages on the second one. The girl on the red team effortlessly clears it in one go.

Now it’s Xiao’s turn.

He inhales sharply and tries to tune out everything but the crossbar and the crash mat. Okay… okay. He needs to win gold on this one.

He closes his eyes for a moment, and takes off. With an elegant leap, he jumps over the crossbar and rolls backwards into the crash mat, instantly perking up to make sure that bar is really still in place. He sags with relief: he cleared it.

The crossbar is set to 135 centimeters.

The blue team competitor gets her third strike immediately, which isn’t surprising considering that she barely got over 120 centimeters to begin with. Xiao feels a little bad for her; she looks like she’s going to burst into tears when she speedwalks to where the rest of her team is sitting.

With that piss-poor javelin throw he did, he understands how humiliated she must feel. But he can’t lose focus now—because even though Yellow gets his second strike, Red, again, clears the crossbar effortlessly.

Xiao grits his teeth. Crap.

Nobody lets out a peep, not on the bleachers nor the team benches. Any outside onlooker may just as well mistake this simplified school sports game for a real, Olympics-level professional match.

Shuffling his feet just a tad, Xiao gets into position and tries his best to look confident, not wanting the competition—especially Red—to think he’s also going to crunch under the pressure. He takes a couple of deep breaths and taps his hands to his cheeks, quickly taking in the distance between his position and the exact spot he needs to take off from.

Okay, he’s got this. He’s a damn good jumper and has cleared this height many times before. He dashes, and jumps… and his back brushes against the crossbar, taking it with him.

Crap.

From the bleachers, as well as where his team is sitting, he hears some disappointed “ooo”s, and his pulse quickens until he can taste it on the back of his tongue when he scrambles off the crash mat. Red looks satisfied: she’s in the clear, and all her remaining competition has at least one strike now.

Xiao balls his fists, trying hard to huff and puff his pulse back to normal while the crossbar is replaced. Come on, self, come on… Bitter disappointment sits in his chest, he feels it with every breath. Still, he gets ready again.

He inhales deeply, and rolls his shoulders back to release the tension. Then, he darts toward the crossbar.

This time, arching his back as smoothly as he can with the jump, Xiao clears the crossbar and almost makes an unintended full backflip to boot, landing on his upper back. He veers up, a smile pulling at his lips. Ha! Take that, Red!

The crossbar is set to the dreaded 150 centimeters; it’s all or nothing.

From his team’s bench, Xiao is getting cheers and encouragement now, and dejectedly, he assumes it’s because they know that he may as well already give up if Red simply clears this one as well. Then, even if they both do, she’ll win anyway.

Unsurprisingly, Yellow gets his third strike and he’s definitely having some, erm, unresolved emotions about it: he stomps right past his teammates, disappearing behind the bleachers.

When it’s Red’s turn, Xiao holds his breath. She swings her black ponytail over her shoulders, obviously confident, and Xiao just hopes the gods of old won’t curse him for his hubris when he crosses his fingers behind his back and secretly prays for her downfall.

She whispers something to herself and takes off, with the same strength as before. However, right when it looks like she’s going to make another clean clear, her heel hooks onto the crossbar. She takes it with her onto the crash mat.

This time, the “ooo”s that come from the bleachers are much louder, and sound significantly more disappointed. Xiao tries not to think of how the majority of the friends and family in the audience are probably rooting for her. She composes herself quickly, and clears it on the second try.

Okay, well, at least they both have a strike now.

Xiao just really needs to do this in one go. He still manages to clear this height more often than not, but… why does it seem like so much more daunting of a challenge now?

He drags his feet to the starting position, letting the encouragement from his team wash over him. Even the bleachers are calling some hesitant cheers now, as if the parents feel like they’re suddenly allowed to because the children themselves are piping up.

Xiao swallows down a big ball of nerves and tries not to feel all the eyes pricking into him. He also shoves a snippy thought away, which says that if he doesn’t make this in one go, he should give up on track entirely then and there and simply never try again.

It’d be embarrassing, wouldn’t it, after promising Aether so sincerely?

Xiao takes the deepest breath he’s done so far, and pictures last summer in Starfell. The way he managed to climb the rope he had never been able to climb before, and he almost gave Aether a crisis with how fast he’d suddenly gotten. He pictures the admiration in the quick glances his best friend stole, and he runs, and takes off.

He makes it—he clears it in one go. He’s barely even aware of it until he’s on his back on the crash mat, and his team bursts into loud cheers.

His heart leaps into his throat and he immediately sits upright, wearing a stupidly big grin on his face, and his gaze darts to his team. He quickly sneaks a peek at the bleachers, too: he sees Ganyu jumping and waving her arms around, and Zhongli is leaning toward a lady on the row down below, slyly pointing out his son. The lady seems charmed by him.

Now Xiao and Red share first place, and they have to do the jump-offs.

Because Xiao is at a disadvantage for getting a strike first, he’s allowed to go first this time. In a way, that’s worse! Now he won’t be able to respond to what Red is doing—he’ll just need to hope that he does it right, and she doesn’t. Still, with renewed courage, the dark-haired boy is ready to face the challenge.

The crossbar is placed at an even more daunting 160 centimeters now, and Xiao is up first.

Okay… this is it. The moment of truth. If he doesn’t clear this successfully in this one attempt, Red wins automatically. And if he does, then… he’ll have to pray for real. Slowly, Xiao inhales, then exhales, feeling every particle of air as it passes through his lungs. He tunes out every sound he hears, all the excited chatters, and thinks of nothing but the peaceful, atmospheric bristling of the Starfell forest.

He dashes down the runway for the final time, takes off with one foot, and Fosbury Flops the living heck out of that crash mat. For a moment, he feels the crossbar underneath him and his eyes fly wide open, fearing the tell-tale rickety sound of the bar following the trajectory of his fall.

It’s like the whole world around him is holding its breath… or maybe that’s just the perception of an eleven year old boy who sincerely believes that this could just as well be the most important moment in his entire life.

Xiao rolls backwards, nearly folds his own spine in half, and comes to a stop face-down. When he peels his nose off the mat, panting like crazy, he sees that the crossbar has stayed perfectly in place.

The crowd shouts amicable cheers, as does his team, and he sees that Red is getting antsy now. A bubble of delight bursts in his chest when he quickly scrambles off the mat and stands upright, and for the first time ever, he doesn’t mind being looked at by so many people.

He may be strutting just a little bit as he returns to his spot and wipes his damp hair out of his face. Red pretends she doesn’t see him, getting ready for her own jump instead.

Xiao’s happiness quickly dies down—if Red makes this, the crossbar will be moved to a staggering thirty centimeters higher than Xiao is tall, and it doesn’t take a genius to understand that that’s too much for him.

Although he pretends to be casual about it, he’s really too scared to look, and quickly acts like the ground has suddenly become the most interesting thing he’s ever seen. The sound of Red’s feet thumping against the ground mimic the sound of his ruffling heart.

She leaps. He squeezes his eyes shut.

Tappa-tap.

The crossbar falls to the ground with thundering tumult. The crowd erupts with a combination of elated cheers and disappointed “ooo”s, a cacophony of noise filling the frigid air.

Cautiously, Xiao opens one eye and peeks at the crossbar on the ground, and at Red raising her chin in an attempt to keep her dignity.

Wait. He… he got it?

He got it!

Notes:

This is the most important day of Xiao's LIFE... /lh
A blend of feelings were put in this chapter, and it's only getting started. But Xiao is doing his best! Despite everything.

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope to see you guys again next week! ♡
I will have a small announcement to make then too, but everything is already planned out, so I promise it won't be too bad :>

Chapter 16

Their team ends up coming in second overall; the red team may have lost all first places, but they got 6 of the 15 medals, while Xiao and the others managed to collect 5; Xiao’s first place from high jumping, his third place from the 150 meter sprint, the sprint girl’s first place from the 150 meter sprint, and second place in both hammer throwing and the 50 meter sprint.

Xiao doesn’t care one bit that they just barely lost. Heck, it doesn’t even matter anymore that he completely embarrassed himself by coming in seventh, which is just one place away from last place, on the javelin throw and it being pointed out during the medal handout to boot. Even the shiny bronze medal for the 150 meter sprint has already been discarded into his sports bag.

What matters to him is this gold medal he’s got right here in his hands.

The eleven year old looks at it, warmth tingling up his spine in unabashed self-satisfaction… not even because he won at all, but because now, he can send Aether the exact picture they had both hoped for. He can proudly tell the Starfell boy that he won it for him in the end.

For some reason, that makes him indescribably happy.

He bows to his team and tells them the obligatory “good game” as the team captain proudly holds up the big, silver trophy they got for the school’s trophy showcase, before rushing to the bleachers. Parents are still cheering for their children there, and he sees Zhongli enthusiastically waving both hands at him over the heads of the crowd.

He cups them over his mouth and shouts something. Xiao can’t hear it, but judging from how elated his dad looks, it must be positive.

Ganyu is jumping up and down right beside him. She wiggles out of her spot and rushes down the stairs, followed by Shenhe, and his parents also see that as their cue to get up. Xiao grins widely at his sister when she flies around him in a hug, before immediately retreating with a squeaky: “Ew, you’re wet—!”

Shenhe very obviously rolls her pale eyes at that, whipping her hair over her shoulder. “Dude, that was awesome,” she says, staring at Xiao as if she’s never seen him before. “You definitely ripped them apart like the gods of old would have done. Next time you should make them all regret the day they were born while wearing that mask of yours, it’ll be brutal. The javelin throw was shameful though, no offense.”

“Yeah, but I’m gonna become so freaking good at it that none of them will ever dare to go against me again,” Xiao breathes, proudly puffing out his chest. He could ride this high till the end of time.

Finally, his parents catch up with the kids, and Zhongli doesn’t hesitate to shower him with praise. He quickly bids goodbye to the charmed lady Xiao had seen him talk to before, who waves after him coyly, and wraps his arms around his son despite how icky he is right now. 

“You did amazing out there, my little bird,” he croons, his kind smile bringing out the twinkles in his amber eyes. If he’s bothered by the fact he’s holding a sweaty kid against his expensive coat right now, he doesn’t show it. “Who would’ve thought I had such talented children? Oh, you had me on the edge of my seat! I’m so proud of you—your first gold medal!”

Blushing, Xiao tries to push him off. “Dad—Dad, stop smooching—You’re embarrassing me!” Still, he chuckles and allows one peck on the crown of his head.

Retuo rumbles something above them, and Xiao notices the once-over glance he’s receiving. “Well done,” the broad-shouldered man says, his gaze resting on the golden glimmer in Xiao’s fists. “Though your form could use work.”

Honestly, Xiao is already over the moon that he got a “well done”. Which is… a very strange feeling to experience with his own father.

He doesn’t get the chance to dwell on it too much, because Shenhe immediately latches onto his arm and yanks him forward. “Let’s show it to my mom, she’ll be so impressed. I’m not sure if I told you, but she thought you’d get bronze at best.”

“Gee, thanks for the faith.”

“Tell that to her. She’s waiting in the car. The good news is that I left my cooling bag in there too, and you’ve earned some rice buns. Also, take a shower at my place, you reek.”

“I think I’m gonna join a team next month too,” Ganyu says, holding onto her father’s hand behind them. “Dunno which one yet, but I want to become just as cool as Xiao. Maybe, uh, maybe I can do… badminton or something.”

Xiao’s ears are glowing; he really likes being revered, even if it’s only for today.

“That is a wonderful idea, sweetheart,” Retuo says, unlocking the car with his automatic key. “Perhaps it was about time we assembled a wall for all the awards that’ll be brought in then, hm? Surely your dear dad can convince himself to finally remove some of those stuffy artifacts for such a cause.”

Ganyu happily agrees with the sentiment.

Zhongli softly clears his throat. “Erm… I see the car of Keqing’s dad parked over there,” he says, sounding casual as ever. “When would you like us to come pick you up?”

“After dinner!”

“I will think about it,” Retuo huffs. He sniffs confidently. “The food I’ll be cooking will blow your socks off, why would you even want to miss out on it?”

“Haha~ Xiao, would you like us to come pick you up as well, or will you manage?”

Xiao has been going to and from places on his own every now and then, and while it sure feels nice to be picked up after a long day of school, he kind of likes taking the bus by himself. “I’ll be okay,” he says, hoisting up his sports bag, “Shenhe can take me to the bus stop when we’re done. Right?”

Shenhe nods curtly.

“Alright, then we shall see our grand champion at home! Come, my little qilin, let’s take you to your friend.”

“Daaad, you don’t need to baby over me anymore,” Ganyu whines as Zhongli gently pushes her towards Keqing’s dad’s car. “I’m getting way too old for this!”

Shenhe rolls her eyes again and takes Xiao to the back of the parking lot. Her mom’s car is sleek, expensive and pitch black, and looks… lethal, somehow, but in a nonchalant way. It’s very befitting for her mighty attitude and rather fearsome reputation among the kids at school.

When Shenhe reaches for the door handle, the front window rolls open and reveals Miss Xianyun, with her teal-colored lips curled into the smallest of smiles, though her ice cold eyes are just barely gazing at the children from over the edge of her red glasses.

“Good afternoon, ma’am,” Xiao says, quickly dipping his head.

“What is this?” she asks in return. Her voice sounds a little exasperated.

“That would be Xiao,” her eleven year old daughter replies, without missing a beat.

“Oh, my dear child, one can most certainly see that.” She has always spoken in a very interesting manner, referring to herself with a certain kind of regal distance in her words.

“Yeah, and he’s coming with us. You said so, right, that he could come over after his competition?”

“Indeed. Alas, my child, one must disappoint you.” Her mother sighs, deep and slow, and pinches the bridge of her nose, as if she has been burdened with the curse of existence for ten bajillion years and counting. “Our pipes have burst, and it is to be fixed should we desire any heat for the coming weeks. One is afraid that with workers in the house, one cannot sufficiently provide attention for two rambunctious children. One was certain that one had texted you about the matter?”

Xiao kind of sees where this is going. “I thought you said I could come,” he whispers.

“Yeah, I thought so too. She’s just being a bitch for no reason.” Shenhe says that part very, very quietly as she whips out her phone. The way her nose scrunches up, however, tells Xiao that Miss Xianyun did text her—she just never checked.

“It’s fine,” Xiao tells her under his breath. “Maybe next time.”

“No, now.” The girl turns to her mother, steadfast. “So I may or may not have overlooked the text, but you said he could come. He’s literally already standing here.”

“Should one assume that he was born without legs with which to carry himself back to his parents’ car? One cannot simply tell the workers to leave the property without fixing the issues at hand. Surely, one’s daughter does not wish to freeze to death in her sleep, hm?” Finally, Miss Xianyun properly addresses Xiao. Her smile has waned, but the icy look in her eyes has softened significantly. “Xiao, dear, one does hope your track competition was a grand success. Don’t misunderstand one’s intentions—had it not been for these unforeseen circumstances, one would have welcomed you as per usual.”

“I-it’s okay, ma’am,” Xiao quickly stammers. “I, uhh, I won gold for, uhh, jumping.”

“Oh, marvelous! Truly marvelous. One shall speak highly of this achievement! Jumping, much like spreading one’s wings to touch the clouds like the cranes of yore, is horribly underrated in this time and age.”

“Ugh, Mom, please, we know you’re old.” Shenhe groans and throws her head back in her neck, and Miss Xianyun feigns hurt feelings. “Fine. Can he come over when the boiler is fixed, then?”

“Why, of course.”

“Ughh. Sorry, Xiao. Another time?”

Xiao already figured it can’t be helped; it’s not like they’ve ever convinced this woman before when she already had her mind set to something. And he doesn’t want the boiler to suddenly explode while he’s there. He nods awkwardly and waves at his friend when she climbs into her mom’s car, and Miss Xianyun politely dips her head in greeting before the car window rolls up. He didn't even get a rice bun!

Oh well, he’s feeling way too good to let this eat at him. He’ll just send Shenhe a text later and tell her Celestia will curse her for not giving him his well-deserved snack.

His parents’ car has, surprisingly, already left. No matter, he knows the way home from school, and the bus is right on time.

The ride only takes fifteen minutes, and he decides to get off two stops earlier so he still has a little end to walk, just because it feels fitting to do so right now. He does wiggle into his coat for it, though, now that he has cooled down significantly. All this time, he hasn’t let go of his most precious cargo yet.

Grinning from ear to ear, Xiao admires his gold medal. Sucks about Shenhe’s mom, but at least he can make a beeline for his room and take the smuggest, most self-satisfied picture ever with his prize, and send it off with his next letter to Aether!

He contemplates whether he should write “look what I won for you” next to it, or maybe that would sound a little too smug. Instead, he could write: “You believed in me, so this is for you”—he imagines the way Aether would smile if he read something like that, so soft and wide, like a little ray of sunlight.

His pulse quickens at the thought.

Okay, yeah, maybe he’d laugh at how cheesy it sounds instead. However, if there’s even the slightest chance that Xiao can make him smile like that, he is fully willing to take the risk.

After another ten minute walk, in which he revels in his glee and satisfaction and just cannot peel his eyes off of that medal for longer than half a minute, Xiao squirms through the half-closed gates to his large, well-kept front yard and hops up the elegant, wooden steps of the porch. He’s very quiet when he opens the front door, thinking that he could surprise his parents for fun.

He has barely stepped over the threshold, a soft hum in his throat, or an incredibly heavy, smothering atmosphere clamps onto his whole body. The door ominously clicks shut behind him.

Huh..? Something doesn’t feel right.

“You’re an attention whore, that’s what you are! By the lord of Geo, you were an embarrassment to sit next to—do you have any idea how desperate you looked?!”

The scream is unabashed, loud, and furious. It rings right through the closed sliding doors to the living room and rattles between the two ends of the hallway, like the last coin inside a piggybank.

Xiao’s throat is wired shut, his feet stand nailed to the ground.

“I was only socializing, what has gotten into you?! This has got nothing to do with my question!” That’s Zhongli, and judging from the crack in his normally so composed voice, this is not the first insult Retuo has flung at his head here.

“Do not raise your voice at me, how dare you show me such disrespect on top of the humiliation you put me through today!” There’s stumbling, terrifyingly loud stumbling—as if something was knocked over on purpose. “Acting like your own husband can’t fulfill your needs, as if I’m not busting my fucking ass off for you, day in, day out—are you out of your mind?!”

“What—but I—what are—I was just talking to her, I wasn’t trying to—Retuo, she was married! I am married! To you! What are you insinuating here?”

“Oh, go ahead and play innocent! Go ahead and pretend I was not sitting right next to you the entire time, as if I did not see the stunts you were pulling!”

Xiao is squeezing onto his medal so tightly that his fingers sting with the imprint of it. He doesn’t know what to do, he doesn’t know where to go. Retuo has never, ever screamed at Zhongli before.

“I did not do anything! I just—Xiao was doing so well, I heard her point him out, and I was proud, I suppose, and I just wanted to let her know that he was our—”

Retuo cannot let him finish his defense to save his life. “Spare me your excuses. You cannot hide away behind that son of yours, when all he is becoming is a testament to your behavior and all you do is feed into it!” he barks, and if possible, Xiao’s heart drops down even further. His pulse picks up the pace, bitter bile rising from his stomach.

As if it’ll help, he shrinks between the coats on the coat rack.

“You are not going to drag our child down with your own insecurities, you are acting like a tired damn toddler after six in the evening!” The silence that follows is incredibly eerie. “Don’t look at me like that, I—I’m sorry, I didn’t—My love, please just take some time for yourself tonight and—”

“Ha. Insecurities, huh. Insecurities? Do not dare tell me what I am or what I should do, you conniving, ungrateful slut! Do not dare pin your shortcomings on me!”

What the hell..?

“Did you take any moment at all to notice how haughty he looked, as if he was so much better than all the others for doing the bare minimum?! Hardly thanked his teammates for the support, ready to bask in his own glory! And meanwhile, Daddy is off trying to harvest every ounce of attention he can get off of a married woman with his entire family and someone else’s daughter present, no shame, no humility—oh, I do wonder who he is taking after!”

So... this is my fault?

The thought bangs on the walls in Xiao’s mind, over and over again, screaming to be heard. It’s my fault Dad is getting screamed at.

If he had stood with his teammates, if he’d been humble, this wouldn’t be happening.

Xiao hardly notices the tears running down his cheeks until the first droplets sink into the skin of his clenched, shaking fists. Never has he wished so furiously to disappear.

“But I wasn’t trying to get her attention!”

“Do you think I didn’t hear the way you complimented her?!”

“I was not trying to cheat on you, Retuo! I was only socializing, I complimented her merely because she complimented me first! And Xiao was just proud of his achievements, and you are his father, surely you would allow him some pride and—” Zhongli sounds defeated.

“Even more of it?! I would genuinely rather die than house two vain, proud, arrogant beasts! Gods, I can’t look at you right now—get out of my sight!”

“Vain? But… but I—you are rather proud yourself, and—”

“Out! And don’t you ever ask anything this outrageous of me again when you cannot even fucking behave!”

As if the devil has overcome him, Xiao sprints toward the stairs and rushes to his room, right before the sliding doors open. He barely manages to stop himself from throwing his door shut. The last thing he wants is for his dad to know he heard all of that.

Xiao drops his stuff on the floor and clutches onto his head, his breathing fast and ragged, as if he ran another 150 meter sprint without the advantage of his dash. Salt stings in his eyes and he clenches his teeth together so hard that they grind over one another to make sure his hiccups are quiet, and that he doesn’t sniffle, or… or worse, whine.

What’s going on, what has gotten into his parents? They’re only supposed to argue, they’re supposed to exchange diplomatic words and… and… they’re supposed to get along, why are they screaming at each other?

It’s my fault. I did this. What should I do? How do I fix it?

He doesn’t want to be a vain, proud, arrogant beast…

The confusion mingles with uncertainty and stress, and suddenly, he feels smaller than he ever has before. He tries not to picture what his parents’ faces must’ve looked like, talking to each other like they never should have. Or… it’s what you call talking, really. How red Retuo must’ve been, and how Zhongli must’ve felt; Xiao would have been terrified, if his father had screamed at him in such a contemptful voice, so erratic, and...

Sniffling awkwardly, he wipes the back of his hands over his eyes and cheeks, and inhales deeply.

He doesn’t know how long he’s sat in his room, trying to suck his tears back in and come up with a way to solve this rather than be such a big, fussy baby about it all, when the door to his bedroom suddenly opens. Gasping, he quickly turns away and rubs his face as hard as possible, hoping to make it equally red and puffy everywhere.

“Xiao—!” Judging from the startled shout, Zhongli is just as surprised as him. He recollects himself much faster, though. “When, ah, when did you get home?”

Xiao feels almost icky at the sight of him—as if he’s not looking at the same dad he’s always been. Like something different has suddenly inhabited him, making it feel as though he’s sitting in his bedroom with a stranger.

He can’t picture his dad flirting with someone else. Zhongli loves Retuo. The eleven year old knows very well that someone as unconditionally devoted and so hellbent on the importance of the "contract of love" as Zhongli would never cheat on his spouse, he knows that’s not the kind of person he is… and yet, Xiao feels so icky about it all.

“Um, I dunno, something like,” he takes a quick peek at the clock and lies through his teeth, hoping his perception of time didn’t get screwed too badly, “ten minutes ago or something?”

To that, Zhongli visibly relaxes in relief. He smiles, his eyes, accentuated by red, smudged eyeshadow and reddened skin, narrowing sweetly. “Oh! You should have called before heading up here, I would’ve loved to send my big, strong champion off with a fitting salute,” he says, folding his hands together. “You did amazing, little bird, truly.”

“Haha, thanks, it… it was nothing, really.”

“Nothing? You won gold, sweetheart, that’s far from nothing. No need to be so humble.”

“No, I, well, yeah, but,” he hears Retuo’s voice saying he’s proud and arrogant, as if he’s telling him personally, “it could’ve been better, you know. I lost silver in the race, and I placed seventh in the javelin match. And I almost lost gold too. I’ve got to improve more.”

“But—huh? You were glowing with pride before we left.”

“Dad, please. Just drop it, okay? I just barely won anyway, everyone else did really well too.”

“Xiao…” Zhongli cocks his head to the side. “I, erm… Did something happen? Did Miss Xianyun say something to you? You know I’ve got no qualms about talking to her.”

“Dad.” Huffing, Xiao crosses his arms, and tries as he might not to cry again. He just… he doesn’t mean to be snappy to his dad, he really doesn’t, but… “There’s room to improve. That’s all. Can I unpack and take a shower now?”

“.. Yes. Yes, of course.” Zhongli’s shoulders drop ever so slightly, and he looks like he’s trying very hard not to seem any different than always. A pang of guilt lances through Xiao’s chest. “Call me if you need anything, like some refreshments perhaps, or…”

“I’m okay. Thanks.” He dismisses him anyway, brooding with emotions he has no idea where to place.

Zhongli glances to the side. “Um, right, well… I asked your father if I could take you to—oh, it hardly matters right now. Have a good rest, little bird, you’ve earned it.” He shoots Xiao one more soft smile, and quickly exits the room.

Simmering in his guilt, Xiao takes at least an hour, if not longer, to wash up and put on something more comfortable. Half of him, then, wants to stay in his room, hide under the covers, and stare at his television screen for the rest of the day… but the louder half of him feels like he’s got something to prove.

Biting down on his lip, the dark-haired boy gathers everything he needs for the homework he had intended not to touch until after the weekend, and he treads downstairs without confidence, as if he’s walking into a monster’s den.

Quiet as the wind, he shuffles into the living room.

Retuo has stalled his laptop and other work equipment out on one end of the dining table, the head, where he always eats. His thick, graying eyebrows are furrowed and his lips are moving with silent words as his fingers tap away on the keyboard. Judging from the rummaging in the kitchen, Zhongli is occupying himself there.

Seeing his father releases something almost primal in Xiao’s stomach: a bitter bolt of genuine fear. The realization that he feels fearful of his own father, follows that bolt as nausea.

He quickly sits down in his usual spot at the table and puts on his headphones, homework at the ready. The louder half of him that convinced him to come down here, really hopes that Retuo will notice that he’s working hard, that he’s trying to earn being proud of himself.

Retuo is too engrossed in his work.

Zhongli is being very sweet to his husband the entire time Xiao is pretending to mind his business; he gently rubs his shoulders whenever he passes him, offers to take over more of the household tasks they normally share in, doesn’t say much, and leans in to give him kisses at every opportunity.

Finally, after what feels like hours, Retuo intercepts Zhongli’s kiss with one of his own, and the tall man melts against him. The relief is so evident it almost hurts.

Xiao bites down on his lip, turning away from the display, and sneakily pauses his music as he writes.

“Retuo, I…” Zhongli’s voice sounds very delicate. “About… what I asked before… I know what you told me, I understand, truly, but—Just this once. Just because it’s his first gold medal. Please? He will not become worse for it, I guarantee it.”

“Fine,” Retuo says, also very quiet. It’s as if they both think Xiao is completely and utterly freaking deaf. “If it makes you happy.”

“Thank you. I promise this won’t happen again.” Zhongli smiles, weary, but loving. “I am all yours, my love. Only yours. I hope you know that.”

Retuo rumbles in satisfaction, so much sweeter than before. Something about not wanting his beloved to force his hand like that again, whatever that’s supposed to mean.

Later, when dinner time comes around, Zhongli happily tells Xiao that he will be taking him out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate his very first gold medal, and to get ready for it.

So that’s it, then. The question that snowballed into that screaming match, the “outrageous request”, was Zhongli asking Retuo for some mora, so he can take Xiao to dinner.

Xiao begrudgingly puts on the neatest clothes he has. With a sigh, he fixes his hair in the mirror he has hung up above the headboard of his bed, and on his way to the door, he gently runs his fingers over his Yaksha mask.

Zhongli had to ask for mora for this too, Xiao remembers that argument clearly. Retuo was already angry about it then, and it’s not the first time he wonders why they even share an account if Retuo hates having to give Zhongli money so much. Is Zhongli really so bad with it that it makes shared finances worth those arguments? Can he really not just have his own bank account? Adults are so weird...

The drive to the restaurant is a long one, and since Zhongli is the one behind the wheel, Xiao gets to sit in the passenger’s seat. They’re quiet at first; if he didn’t know any better, he’d think his dad somehow knows that fight may not have been a private one.

But not before long, Zhongli gives his leg an encouraging squeeze and asks him if he would really like to have a trophy wall to hang his medals on. Snickering, Xiao admits that he’d much rather see his dad’s real Yaksha mask and all the other artifacts hanging there. He would like them to be displayed, but they can choose a different wall to hang them on.

Zhongli seems to agree with that sentiment.

The stay at the restaurant ends up being super fun, so much so that it shoves Xiao’s fears and worries to the back of his mind long enough to sincerely enjoy this expensive, luxurious food. He also tries to see how much he can get away with in terms of bad table manners before Zhongli notices and tells him to straighten out.

To his surprise, though, Zhongli does notice, but he begins mimicking him. Like two giggling, mischievous children, they prop their elbows up on the perfectly white, satin table cloth and eat with their mouths open, pretending they weren’t doing anything bad whenever a waiter passes—as if a waiter would ever tell off both a grown man and his child.

Zhongli intentionally takes a small meal and skips out on dessert for himself. While Xiao thought it may be modesty at first, as it turns out, it’s because he also wants to go somewhere he wouldn’t tell Retuo about: the lotus pond that sits right behind the first round gate to the grand, imposing Yujing Terrace.

Xiao has been here twice before; once he can actually remember and the other, as Zhongli has once told him, was the day after he’d adopted him. Xiao, too young to even begin to get a grasp on common sense, had almost fallen into the water in his attempt to grab a lotus seed with his little baby hands.

The place is more special to Zhongli in that regard, but Xiao is happy to be there nonetheless. As they gaze out over the beautiful lotus pond, he rests his head against his dad, and relaxes when Zhongli wraps an arm around him and tenderly places his slender hand on his shoulder.

The funds Zhongli saved up with being selective with his food choices at the restaurant, he now uses to buy Xiao a big lotus seed smoothie, some specialized snacks you can only buy at the Terrace pop-up stores, and a small keychain of an emerald finch.

It was already getting dark before they even went to the restaurant, and by the time they get back home, the stars have been out for hours. Yawning, Xiao bids his dad goodnight at the bottom of the stairs and slumps to his room. Ganyu has decided she wants to sleep over at Keqing’s place, and Retuo has let her.

Xiao doesn’t rub the sleep out of his eyes, or allow himself much time to think. Instead, he flops onto his bed without taking off his clothes, and lets the fatigue of the day overtake him. First comes the physical portion of it, massaging the tension out of his muscles until he can feel himself sink away into the mattress. Then comes the mental portion, mellowing out all his thoughts until he’s got none left.

Feeling satisfied, he drifts off to sleep.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

As the winter months slowly creep by, Xiao feels as though his life is falling apart.

Retuo is short and snappy to him almost every time he talks to him, as if he’s somehow messing up more with every step he takes. He’s only gentler about it when Ganyu is around, whom he tends to speak kindly to, and spends more time with.

Ganyu is ten years old now, and it’s somehow the greatest thing ever achieved in this house. Their curfew has been increased, and yet, when Xiao is the one still up after nine, Retuo needs to be reminded of it. That, or Shenhe is sent home early while Ganyu’s friends get to relish her new curfew with her.

Once, Xiao cautiously asks Retuo for help with his homework in an attempt to get something out of his father that he would’ve easily gotten three years ago, and the reply he receives is almost scornful: Retuo is also working, and if he can do it just fine, so can Xiao. Focus, just do it, it can’t be so difficult that someone else needs to solve it for him, can it? At least there are two hard-working men in the house now.

That’s an underlying jab at Zhongli, which he does more and more often with every passing day, it seems. Zhongli simply smiles and takes it, every time. It’s… infuriating.

When these things happen, Xiao is angry; he can’t believe Retuo would be so unkind to him, and then turn around and promise his stupid sister the world.

In hindsight, he feels this incredible sadness that he doesn’t know how to place well; he misses his father’s warm, tight hugs and his prickly stubble or soft beard nuzzling his forehead. He misses the genuine praise, and the earnest concern he would get for his mundane little kid problems.

He misses the father who would let him sit on his shoulders to try and grab the clouds, and pretend to want a bite of his ice cream before gently pushing the cone against his cheek, just so Xiao had an excuse to do the same thing to him in return.

It’s really beginning to seem as though Retuo is taking out his dissatisfaction with him on Zhongli, and this bothers Xiao as well. Everything is his fault, from the way Xiao rolls his eyes when he’s bored with a task to the way his shoulders slump when he’s sitting at the dinner table. Sometimes it’s puberty, too, but most of the time, it’s Zhongli.

Xiao tries to do none of those things anymore, but he just isn’t always paying attention to his every move and it slips out anyway. It’s like he’s walking on a minefield in his own house, and the worst part is, he can’t tell Zhongli, because he’s got his hands tied too. He can’t even wish that his dad would defend him more, because he does, and it’s part of the problem.

He fears the thought that one day, Zhongli might start to resent him for being the root of all his marital issues.

All he can find comfort in are his letters to Aether. He doesn’t dare tell him about what’s going on, but maybe it’s precisely because of that that the letters are so comforting: they have irritations in them sometimes, sure, like Aether ranting about his aunt’s morning moods. But they’re rarely filled with anything truly negative, simply because they can only “talk” once every few weeks and they’ve got so much to tell by then that the negative things just feel like unnecessary clutter.

Besides, Xiao doesn’t feel like writing bad stuff down, then forgetting about it over the few weeks it takes Aether’s response to get to him, and being reminded of it again once it does. And his mood significantly brightened when he got Aether’s letter after he’d sent the picture of the gold medal to him, without mentioning what had transpired after.

It had been one and all pride and excitement, and Xiao had dared to feel a little more pleased with himself for his achievement again.

Yeah, he’d rather keep these brief moments he gets “with” his best friend genuine and cheerful. Maybe when they see each other face-to-face again, then…

No, then… then Xiao can finally indulge in having him close again. He doesn’t want that to be tainted either.

Instead, Xiao rants to Shenhe over text. He still doesn’t give her the full details, it’s more along the lines of “ugh, parents”, but she always knows what to say nonetheless; her parents are divorced and her dad still gives her mom crap about it after all these years, so she’s significantly wisened up over time.

“Tell them how you feel about it” , one of her texts had said. “ It helps when parents can actually see that they’re hurting their kids. Sometimes they’re not aware of it, somehow, I guess? I know my mom doesn’t always notice unless I tell her straight up. She thinks the divorce is only between her and dad. It’s not like they put a whole kid on the planet before deciding to dip out of each other’s lives or anything.”

But then Xiao would have to admit he knows what’s going on while he isn’t even supposed to.

If anything, he is extremely confused. He truly does not know what happened that sparked his father’s dislike for him, what exactly he did wrong to warrant this.

Ugh… he deeply hopes it’s just a phase, like how parents accuse their children of going through a phase when they like a certain thing very much. Maybe Retuo is slowly treading into puberty-territory as well—the parent-equivalent, which comes naturally with having your first child grow older.

Is that even a thing? Well, it better be.

Notes:

RIP Xiao and his impressionable young mind, your victory will be remembered despite this in the form of a certain little blonde guy going bonkers over your medal forever :( There is a lot to unpack here, and Xiao doesn't understand any of it.
This chapter marks a turning point for the bappy. The "it gets worse before it gets better" tag is definitely going to make its presence clear 💔

Last week I said I have a small announcement to make, so,, here goes. I have survived my introduction week at college, and the real deal will be starting as of the upcoming Monday. I will be going on a mini hiatus to get settled in my official schedule and get familiarized with the way college will operate for me :> The next upload will be on the 28th though, so the story won't be gone for long!

Thank you so much for reading, and I really hope to see you guys back in a couple of weeks! ♡

Chapter 17

Notes:

The current ages:
Xiao - 12
Aether+Lumine - 11
Ganyu - 10

Summer, Year 5

 

[12:02
Luc: are they almost there?

12:04
Me: I think so!!!! I’m so excited

12:06
Luc: lol.

12:06
Luc: you’re such a loser.

12:08
Me: No way, I get to be excited!!!!! >:((]

 

Aether is practically vibrating, watching the text messages go back and forth on his brand new smartphone. Or… rather, he got it for his eleventh birthday, so he’s had it for almost a year now. But the phone is still very new; his parents saved up for store-bought ones, instead of giving Lumine and him a hand-me-down each.

He hasn’t told Xiao yet in any of his letters, and told Lumine’s friends not to tell him either: he wants to surprise him and exchange numbers on the spot, and take their first commemorative picture then and there! Being patient for so long was excruciating, but it’ll all be worth it when he sees his best friend’s face. He better get here soon.

The boy lounges against the closed gate to the Longwangs’ summer home, crossing his legs and tipping his sun hat down over his eyes. The sun is bright and glaringly hot today—now he’s extra happy Xiao gifted him one with a wide brim.

Lumine is at home, waiting for Ganyu with Sucrose and Albedo. The girls don’t write to each other, and Aether had denied his sister’s request to write her number into his letters for Xiao to pass to Ganyu. Instead, he’ll tell Ganyu to drag her butt to the Reisender property as soon as the car shows up.

Those four will be buzzing off as soon as the Longwangs get here, he assumes. Nothing but a good thing.

Erm… that’s to say… Aether doesn’t mind them at all. He’d just rather have Xiao to himself.

He sits there for an hour or two, shooting texts back and forth with Diluc every now and then (the redhead is staying at the Dawn Winery and eventually sends him the worst, blurriest picture of a pigeon attacking a sandwich he’s ever seen, probably because Diluc’s sandwich is the one getting attacked). He only gets up to walk around when his butt gets too sore.

The sun may be hot, but the sky isn’t lacking in fluffy clouds, and Aether smiles up at them. He inhales, the breeze carrying the smells of the Starfell forest into his nostrils. For a moment, he shuts his eyes, imagining that he's exploring the forest.

Aether is lost in thought—until a car suddenly honks right behind him. He squeaks with fright and whirls around, just in time to see Zhongli gripping Retuo’s shoulder through the front window of the rose gold Range Rover behind him.

One of the back doors soundly swings open and Aether quickly forgets the jumpscare, bounding around the car. Xiao steps out, blowing his bangs out of his eyes. He’s wearing a teal and black, half open flannel that looks… it looks really nice on him.

His dark greenish hair is shorter in the back and longer in the front, and when he smiles, his eyes narrow ever so slightly.

It hits Aether. Were his eyelashes always this thick?

Better yet, were his shoulders always so pronounced..? Maybe it’s just because it’s been almost a year since they’ve last seen each other, but Aether finds himself very aware, all of a sudden, of how much his best friend has changed.

Wait, but… he’s always been changing. There has always been a year between their reunions, so this shouldn’t faze him. Still, Aether feels warmer now, and his cheeks are tingling with a sensation akin to bumping his funny bone against the backrest of a school desk chair.

“Hi bunny!” Xiao says, leaping into his space and throwing his arms around his shoulders. He still sounds the same.

“Hi kitty,” Aether mumbles, hugging back with caution. When he realizes how much his chest is thumping, though, he quickly reels back, flushed with shame. Ack, what’s going on here? Why is his brain being so stupid?!

Xiao cocks his head in confusion.

Crap, crap—“Um! Uhh… look what I got!” Aether stutters.

Brushing off the awkwardness, he reaches into his worn dungarees’ chest pocket. He’s getting more stressed out by the second, Xiao chuckles warmly and rakes his fingers through his bouncy blonde hair, cut to just above his ears— oh man, oh man, oh man —and Aether keeps fumbling. Finally, he manages to pluck out his white, shiny new smartphone.

Xiao’s jaw drops with disbelief and he immediately grabs his own smartphone from his back pocket. Aether had already been sent a printed picture of it; it’s sleek and black, and expensive. So long, snake game. “Give me your number,” he breathes, the excitement radiating off of him, “ now.”

Aether tries to calm down when he sees the face he’d been hoping for. At the end of the day, it’s just Xiao! Nothing to be fussy about.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” the Liyueren boy exclaims as they exchange phones so they can put their numbers in. “You got it for your birthday?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s almost a year ago, jerk! We could’ve been texting all this time!”

“I wanted to surprise you!”

“But I missed you, it would’ve been so cool if we could’ve talked more often and maybe even called, so I could hear you and… I-I mean, um—well, you know?”

Xiao’s face is so red. It looks sweet , Aether thinks to himself, swallowing down a small ball of what can only be self-consciousness in his throat. But why is he red? Is he nervous? Am I making him nervous?

It’s as if Aether’s entire brain needs to be recalibrated; all of a sudden, as if they haven’t known each other for five whole years now, the eleven year old doesn’t really know what’s next. He’s forgotten everything that’s okay for him to do, and he feels incredibly tight and sweaty.

They stand in silence.

“Erm… here you go,” Aether says softly, passing Xiao’s phone back to him. Xiao’s hand brushes against his as he takes it, and his skin tingles, and he tenses all over. “I-I put myself in as, um, me!”

“Y-yeah, uh, me too.” Xiao is smiling still, but he’s also still red, and Aether is looking at him so closely, way more than he’s used to. “You’re wearing the hat I gave you.”

“Uh-huh! It’s been such a lifesaver, I love it so much!”

“Hehe, I’m glad you like it. It looks really cute on you.”

Huh—? Aether’s throat becomes dry like sand. Lost in the fluttery backflip his stomach just did, he isn’t quick enough with a response and Xiao’s eyes widen for a moment. The twelve year old quickly averts his face, and Aether stutters a “thank you”, leaving both boys to trip over their words and fiddle with their clothes like they’ve each prepared a public speech and forgotten everything they were supposed to say.

Again, silence.

Okay, well, Aether wants the ground to swallow him. This was never difficult before. It’s Xiao , it’s his best friend in the entire world whom he can finally see again for the summer— why is he struggling?

He cannot believe he almost feels grateful when Retuo gruffly calls for Xiao to come help unpacking, and Xiao excuses himself and immediately turns to leave. Ganyu has already flitted off: the blonde still sees her as a dot in the distance, running to the Reisenders’ property. She didn't even need to be told.

Whew…

“Good afternoon, Aether,” Zhongli says fondly, the tall man stepping up right beside him. He looks just as poised and regal as ever, but Aether feels like he seems a bit more worn out than he normally is. Even his dark brown hair, short and tousled at the top, yet long and straight in the back, looks a little deflated. “Oh, how you’ve grown! You must be… twelve as well now, correct?”

“Eleven.” Aether smiles shyly, hands clasped around his phone. “Welcome back, Mr Zhongli.”

Zhongli’s almond eyes narrow kindly; they’re not accentuated with eyeshadow this time. “Thank you. Worry not, this time we haven’t planned anything on your first day together! Just give us a moment to unpack and Xiao will be yours for the rest of the day, alright?”

“U-um, okay!”

It’s exactly what he wanted, and yet, Aether almost… he almost dreads it.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Lumine has taken Ganyu, Sucrose and Albedo to the mall in town with her. Now that the twins have phones, they’re more free than ever; their parents can call them when they need to come back or want to know where they are, so curfew has been dropped almost entirely, they don’t have to come in before dark, and as long as nothing needs to be done in the garden and there are no leftover household chores, they don’t particularly need to let their parents know when they’re leaving.

Aether has taken his sister’s departure as an opportunity to take Xiao home with him, and they’ve installed themselves in their secret base. Travis has looked after it well, keeping weeds, termites and spiders from invading it. In one school weekend (now that he’s got his phone and is allowed to travel by train by himself, Aether never skips Starfell time during the school year anymore; in fact, he goes home every weekend and every mid-year break), Aether even spent all his time replacing wood that looked like it could give out at any moment.

The base still looks like the day they first made it, as a result.

It’s too hot for blankets, so instead, Aether has grabbed some old cushions from the garden lounge chairs and put them on the wooden floor. They each sit against the opposite wall, eating a popsicle they got from an over-excited Wanda, and occasionally puffing out the heat.

Aether peeks over the edge of his phone. Xiao’s finger is tapping away on his own device as he sucks on his pear-flavored popsicle and, feeling a little nervous, Aether quickly looks down at his screen.

He bites into his strawberry-flavored popsicle again. It could just be him. It could be that because he’s, for some reason, feeling strange, Xiao doesn’t know what to do either. The older boy may have picked up on it, and now he feels like he needs to watch his steps… or something.

Truth to be told, Aether has been feeling a little weird for a while now. He gets angrier and more upset faster, and halfway through spring, he had formally joined the “please for the love of Celestia, use deodorant”-squad, with Amber and Rosaria.

Everything bad seems terrible, and everything good needs to be better. Not to mention, he feels embarrassed quicker than ever—maybe that’s to blame here.

“Hey.”

Xiao’s voice startles him and he quickly sits up straight. “Yeah?” he squeaks.

“Are you okay?”

“Uhh… yeah! Why?”

Xiao lowers his gaze, his cheeks puffed ever so slightly. “I don’t know,” he mutters. “You’re acting kind of silly, kind of like you don’t wanna be here. Did I do something wrong?”

There is a certain kind of sadness in his voice, something that’s a little more intense than just doubt. He’s deeply worried about it, maybe more so than he should be.

Aether bites down on his lip.

“You didn’t,” he quietly says, and he scoots towards Xiao’s end of the base. He sits down next to him, looking up at the wooden roof, which is coming closer and closer with every year that passes. “I dunno. I’ve been feeling strange a lot, it’s like my own brain suddenly turned against me or something. I know it sounds dumb, but… eh. It’s just been really weird as of late. But it’s not because of you.”

“Oh.” Tentatively, Xiao wraps an arm around his shoulders. “It’s okay. I’ve been feeling like ass a lot too, honestly. Dad told me it’s just the first signs of puberty, it’s normal at my age, yada yada, and it’ll get worse before it gets better, so I ought to tell him if I ever feel lost. He loves to act like he just gets everything when he doesn’t. But… anyway, maybe it's that. Or you're just dying.”

“I'm not dying, stupid.” Puberty... Well, whatever it is, so far it hasn’t been fun, that’s for sure. 

“We could just let it run its course together, and see if we can sort it out? Or we can talk about it, if you want—about what exactly makes you feel so weird, I mean. I can listen really well.” Xiao gives him a soft squeeze.

“Hehe, maybe… I’ll, um, I’ll think about it. Thank you.” Sighing, Aether finally melts into the embrace. “I’m… I’m sorry about earlier. It was kind of awkward. I’m really glad you’re back, dude, I missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too, you have no idea. Just be prepared, I’m gonna be blowing up your phone every day from now on.”

“Please do! Did you bring your medal?”

“Yeah! But I haven’t unpacked yet.”

“Oh, booo. Show me tomorrow or I'll explode you.”

The tension slowly, but surely, dissipates from Aether’s chest as he plops his head on Xiao’s shoulder and peeks along with whatever he’s up to on his phone (it’s a mobile game). He no longer feels awkward, now; instead, it feels safe in the same way it’s always felt, like he’s exactly where he belongs. The tingles that course through his veins are warm and pleasant.

He bites into his popsicle, and bursts out in laughter when Xiao decides to give the “way more efficient popsicle eating method” a go as well and immediately curses the world, regretting the day he was born.

“Ack, teeth—teeth—! Damn it, you’re not supposed to be able to feel those!”

“Haha! Do you have such sensitive wittle teef, you big baby?” Aether playfully croons, jabbing Xiao between the ribs.

“S-shut up! How do you not feel it in your teeth?!”

“Well, maybe I’m just way cooler than you. Ever consider that?”

“What—no you’re not! Ugh… So what if you can bite into a popsicle, big deal. I don’t want such a dumb skill anyway.”

“Aww, grumpy little kitty~”

It’s like they were never apart to begin with.

They stay in the base for a while, sitting against each other and texting back and forth with Diluc for fun, and Xiao shows Aether some pictures he’s taken on his new phone. The screen is a lot bigger than that of the flip phone, and Aether can actually see the details in the buildings and the way the light reflects in Xiao’s light eyes now.

Aether is shown pictures of the family’s spring break vacation in Jueyun Karst, where they climbed the highest mountain to the top like the adepti of old used to do, and Aether is once again astounded at how beautiful Liyue is. Maybe, one day, he can see it for himself.

He gets to see Xiao’s track field, where he practices every Monday evening, Wednesday evening, and, as of recently, Saturday morning. Xiao shows him a video his team captain took of him trying (and failing) to conquer the 170 centimeter jumping height, telling him all about the technique.

Aether is mesmerized, and wishes deeply that he could see one of these matches live. Xiao looks so majestic when he jumps—but he does casually point out that maybe he can’t reach the 170 centimeter height yet because he’s too short.

He really likes the way in which Xiao’s soft cheeks turn pink, and his eyes narrow, and his smooth lips purse together with disdain. Grinning widely, he apologizes and tells him to go on.

Xiao also shows him some pictures of the new silver medal he’s won in his last 150 meter sprint competition, of some of Zhongli’s historical artifacts and the real and the fake Yaksha mask next to each other, and pictures him and Zhongli or him and Ganyu.

Aether anticipates one with Retuo too, but as it appears, Xiao either has none, or none of them look good enough to show (since he skips a lot as well, claiming he doesn’t look good in them).

The blonde doesn’t dwell on it too long, because Xiao finally offers to take a commemorative picture to celebrate being able to text now. Aether immediately yanks out his own phone. “Okay, but I want to take it!” he exclaims, huddling closely against his best friend, until his hat almost falls off.

It turns out well, his phone certainly isn’t lacking in the camera quality department. Aether looks at it: at the way Xiao’s face is smiling so closely to his own, at copper and golden eyes gleaming in the sunlight that peeks through gaps in their base’s roof, at the air of perfection it carries.

They each make the picture their home screen. Just for fun.

After that, they decide to head to the forest playground to see how far Xiao will get with climbing a tree this year. There’s a lot of younger kids there this time around, say, toddler-aged, and the two are getting some looks from parents and grandparents watching over their spawn.

A teensy bit embarrassed, they decide to just hang around the climbing house.

Aether climbs up the ropes with ease, as always, and Xiao follows him swiftly, too. They decide to give the tree a go, neither child actually expecting him to clear the hurdle… but he steadily follows Aether up into the branches! Feeling light as a feather with glee, Aether opts to lead him all the way to the top.

“Dang, you’ve gotten so strong!” he exclaims, watching, wide-eyed, as Xiao follows him like it’s just another day on the job.

Okay, sure, he’s struggling a little and seems out of breath—but until now, he has never managed to climb any trees at all! Aether is proud of him. He watches over him closely, not going too far ahead just in case he slips.

They sit high up in the tree for a while and look down at the peasants beneath them, groveling at their feet, with a big grin on their faces. Rather, they just childishly pretend everyone is interested in what they’re up to.

There's less shade up here, though, so they eventually have to retreat.

Quickly growing bored of the toddler-invested playground, Aether offers to give this year’s birthday gift to Xiao a go; a new video game that Aether thought he’d like, and judging from the letters he got back, Xiao has indeed been having a blast clearing all the levels. It features a Yaksha protagonist, who is doing dangerous tasks for the Seven Archons mentioned in Teyvat’s history. Some levels are hack-and-slash, some are puzzles, and others are platform.

It’s not like Xiao has ever said that Yakshas are his favorite mythical beings of all time, but Aether saw the game and thought of him.

Xiao is a little apprehensive about going home at first. But he relents with a pair of the finest puppy eyes the blonde has ever conceived, and they end up playing video games in his room at the Longwang summer home for the rest of the day.

It feels different than it used to. Aether shouts in disdain when Xiao’s score beats his own yet again and bumps shoulders with him, hoping to throw off his balance right when the new boss fight starts. But when they cross gazes and Xiao smirks, Aether doesn’t feel slighted by the game gods, like he always used to when Xiao kept winning every video game they played.

Instead, he feels hot and unsure, so much so that he has to look away. Their close proximity… Aether can’t quite explain it, but it feels like it has a “load” to it. He never used to think twice about scooting into Xiao’s lap or jumping right on top of him… Ack!

He wonders if Xiao feels like something is different too, or if it’s just his own brain going haywire again.

Ugh, it’s probably that. After all, Xiao is his best friend—nothing less, nothing more! If there was ever anyone he could feel a hundred percent comfortable around, it should be him.

Okay, so it’s not like he’s feeling uncomfortable , maybe that’s a bit dramatic… but he just feels different and strange.

Aether sneaks a glance at Xiao, who is absolutely obliterating this boss fight in utter concentration, with his tongue sticking out between his lips and the cat plush Aether made for him on his lap, and smiles. Even with the fan on in the room, it’s warm inside his tummy.

Eh, he’ll figure it out. It doesn’t matter. Right now, what matters is that he sets a new high score on his turn and gets to rub it in Xiao’s face.

Notes:

Aether my boy... gear up, for you are at the starting line of the single most awkward period of your entire life..... /lh

The small hiatus ends at last. College is already killing me, but I'm dead set on making it through, so I'll uh... it'll be fine! Probably. I did miss uploading this silly story of mine, definitely happy to be back :')
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Them lads are stumbling... silly xiaother...
See you next week ♡

Chapter 18

The boys spend their days working in the garden together with Travis, venturing into the tall grass in an attempt to find places they’ve never seen before, and avoiding Lumine, Ganyu and the others like their lives depend on it. They send stupid videos of them doing stupid crap to Diluc so he can point out how much of a brain they do not have, and no matter what they’re up to, they always try to hide from the sun in their base at the hottest hour of the day.

Twice, they find run-down, abandoned farmhouses far away from the inhabited world, where they challenge each other to climb on unstable parts of the house with Aether secretly hoping he’s still got something to impress Xiao with up his sleeve, and play hide-and-seek for fun. With nobody to tell them off, they each carve a dick in the old wood with a rusty screwdriver they found lying around. Aether even convinces Xiao to put on his Yaksha act and pretend to vanquish ghosts and demons just this once.

He says he’s become better at javelin throwing, so he should be able to handle a spear now. Aether is all for a demonstration, but they can’t find anything that’s sharp enough to actually stick in the ground when thrown, and the screwdriver’s handle is too heavy. Darn it, should’ve brought a pocket knife or something.

Xiao also sleeps over at the Reisenders’ house in the first week, and the boys claim the entire living room for it. It’s only really okay because Wanda can use the master bedroom to write her novel and Travis is mostly out in the garden or doing carpenter work in town anyway, but hey, at least Lumine won’t disturb them here!

They stay up way too long, watching Inazumajin horror movies from a decade ago that Travis still has on tape on the Reisenders’ rickety, blocky old TV. It’s obviously the most befitting movie choice for the dead of the night, on an ancient TV that flashes ominously ever so often.

Xiao is completely unfazed by them, chewing on pan-popped popcorn like it's just another Tuesday as he watches a ghost that looks like a genuine dead body move around like an unoiled, faltering machine.

Aether, though, is absolutely terrified. With every sudden move on the screen, he hides further under the blanket, heart racing in his chest. He already knows he’s going to have nightmares for weeks to come, and a little voice he has never heard this loud (let alone this snide!) before whispers words of shame in the back of his mind. Isn’t it embarrassing to be scared of some dumb movies at eleven years old?

But Xiao doesn’t make fun of him for it, and lets him sleep in his arms for comfort. Aether feels safe with him like he has always done; it quickly shuts that new sense of shame down.

The Liyueren boy stays over for the night a couple more times, once even two nights in a row. The day in-between, the two go grocery shopping together in the idyllic, colorful, almost medieval-looking country town of Starfell, visiting the independent grocer, butcher, and baker. Aether uses the wicker basket he’s had since he was little, and Xiao has brought his teal-and-black sports bag, taking some stuff his dad asked for as well to drop off.

The butcher, who knows Aether by name, gives them a slice of fresh ham each before sending them off.

They’re barely ever at the Longwangs’ summer home and when they are, they’re in Xiao’s room all day. But Aether honestly doesn’t mind. He likes when the windows are open to let out the remnants of the day’s warmth, whilst the sky is slowly darkening and the crickets start chirping, and he’s snuggled up against Xiao on his bed, each doing their own thing. He likes using Xiao’s chest as a stand for his phone, as Xiao plays his mobile games or scrolls through his gallery overhead, completely at peace until Zhongli pops his head into the room to ask if they’d like some snacks before dinner.

He likes how funny Zhongli looks whenever he does glance inside, too, as if there’s something interesting going on here! The man’s smile always softens and he doesn’t say a word, but Aether can feel that he’s happy seeing them together.

Retuo… Aether doesn’t know what’s up with him. He hardly ever even sees the big guy: he brought his laptop along and is practically always hiding in the master bedroom when Aether is over.

It doesn’t matter, though. The kids are having fun all the same.

And when they’re not hanging out—well, their parents must deeply regret giving them smartphones right about now, because Aether spends almost every waking hour texting Xiao. And given that Xiao responds within minutes, the same must go for him!

They’re texting when Xiao is finally away on a family road trip for three whole days, they’re texting when Aether and Lumine are helping out in the greenhouse, they’re texting when Aether goes to Mondstadt City with his mom… Heck, the only moment they actually knock it off is late at night when Xiao finally texts: “Gotta go to bed, otherwise Father will get upset. He checks on me, all of a sudden. It’s so dumb.”

Lumine invites the boys into a group chat with her, Sucrose and Albedo (which they ignore), but even avoiding the others isn’t enough incentive for them to stop having contact whenever they can.

“Aether, put your phone down when we’re eating or I’m taking it for a week,” Travis sighs as his son absentmindedly prods his fork into his peas, his thumb mashing together an entire bookwork. Again. “This is getting out of hand, kiddo. I get that you’re excited, but Xiao lives a five minute walk away and you’ll likely see him tomorrow, for the archons’ sake.”

“Don’t call me that,” Aether mutters, red as a beet, and he quickly shoves his phone under his lap. “It—it was really important…”

Lumine snorts and throws a piece of tomato at him. “Yeah, sure. If you like him that much, just get married already,” she hisses playfully from behind her hand, her copper eyes glimmering with mischief. “Or are you scared your game sucks so bad that he’ll reject you?”

Rather than awkwardly laughing it off like he normally does when his sister teases him like that, Aether feels… very attacked? If you saw his face drop just now, you’d think she just said the most egregious, out of pocket, horrible thing a human has ever said to another human.

His chest contracts, as if his position has been compromised, somehow. His face gets even hotter and redder, and in his confusion, his eyebrows sink into a thunderous glare.

Would Xiao reject me..?

What—why would he think of that? Why would he care? He doesn’t! He does not!

“Shut up , idiot,” he snaps. “Mind your freaking business, nobody asked you a damn thing!”

Lumine blinks in surprise. She looks taken aback, and for some reason, Aether feels more anger bubbling up in his stomach. Or… even more confusion? Why is he confused, this is so dumb!

“Aether,” Wanda gasps. “You don’t speak to your sister like that. What have I always told you about using your kind words?”

“Mom! I’m not a freaking toddler,” Aether huffs, tossing his fork onto his plate. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter.”

Wanda looks at him like he just swallowed a flame whole in front of her.

“Okay… I have no idea where this is coming from,” Travis says calmly as his dark brown eyebrows climb higher and higher, “but we are not doing this at the dinner table. Aether, please apologize to your sister, and—”

Aether jumps to his feet. “What are you guys getting on my case for?” he shouts, pointing an accusatory finger at Lumine. “I didn’t even do anything! Gods! She started it herself, just leave me alone!”

“Don’t raise your voice at me while I’m talking!” Travis exclaims, and Wanda and Lumine each quickly raise their hands, as if to say “we don’t have anything to do with this, don’t look at us”.

“Maybe don’t be an unfair jerk then!”

“I was going to suggest that she apologize to you as well and—you know what, if you can’t behave at the dinner table, how about you go cool off somewhere else, huh?”

Aether slams his utensils down and runs both hands through his tousled hair. For a moment he doesn’t know what to say, as he’s never been told something like that before. “Fine! All of you suck.”

He grabs his phone and is about halfway through the kitchen, aiming for the small staircase, when Travis adds: “No no, Aether, you can leave that right here!”

As if struck by lightning, Aether halts. Strong emotions swirl deeply within his gut, and he feels tears welling up in his eyes. He stomps his feet past discarded clothes, yesterday’s newspaper and gardening tools, shoves his phone into the hand his dad is holding out, and whirls around to rush to his room.

In passing, he makes sure to shoot an extra intent scowl at Lumine, who raises her hands again and quickly looks away.

Aether slams the door to their bedroom shut behind him and immediately hides away in his little alcove, the wooden wall, filled with pictures and childish stickers and strings of fairy lights, blurring before his eyes. Ugh, this is all Lumine’s fault—she should’ve just kept her stupid mouth shut!

He still doesn’t know what to make of what she said, and he doesn’t understand why. She was pretty straightforward, after all…

Aether just can’t seem to figure himself out, and it’s annoying, it’s upsetting, he can’t stand it. The eleven year old wishes he could either disappear or stop thinking, or both. Why does it feel like everything in the world is working against him, all of a sudden?

It’s hours later and already dark out when Lumine slips into their room, throws her clothes on the floor and hides away in her own alcove across Aether’s. She doesn’t say a thing, rather pretending she has immediately fallen asleep.

There’s a tangible discomfort between the twins. Aether has already cried his eyes red and feels pathetic for it as is, so he doesn’t give another peep. He just hopes she won’t notice.

“So… Dad says you should go talk to him when you feel like it,” Lumine finally mumbles. “About your outburst. Preferably soon.”

Aether doesn’t reply. Shame creeps up on him when he remembers his parents’ genuinely bewildered faces, and he tries his best to ignore it by hiding his head under his pillow.

“He isn’t mad. He was just… surprised, since you usually just kind of like… don’t say anything. Ever. Hey, did you hear me?”

“Just shut up, Lumine,” Aether mumbles, staring at his sheets. “You’re not helping.”

Behind him, Lumine sighs.

It’s quiet for a moment longer.

“I’m sorry,” she then says, her voice soft and small. He hears her shuffle around in her sheets; she might’ve turned around. “I was just teasing you, I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sure you’ve got great game. You’re my brother, after all.”

“It’s not about that.” Aether almost snaps it, but he manages to hold back this time.

“Huh—then what is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, I want to know.”

“I said I don’t know, okay?”

Lumine sucks in her lip behind him.

Another silence passes, maybe ten minutes, or fifteen. Neither of the twins is anywhere closer to falling asleep, though they both pretend to be.

“I’m sorry too,” Aether mutters, gathering all his courage and shoving his pride aside. It’s already battered and bruised as is, anyway. “For being a jerk to you, I mean.”

“It’s fine.” It sounds like Lumine is sitting up, so, finally, Aether does as well. He turns around, and sits across his twin, both with their legs crossed and their hands behind them to lean on. They’re like mirror images of each other. “I’d hoped you’d just get flustered or something, it’s always funny when your face does that hopeless droopy thing. Guess you showed me.”

“Guess I did,” Aether says. They snicker, and he fiddles with the hem of his washed out, striped t-shirt, which is a little too big on him. “Blood and bones?”

Lumine nods. “Blood and bones.”

Aether isn’t sure how long they’ve been saying that. They must’ve heard it somewhere when they were little and thought it was funny enough to integrate into their slang or something. They’ve said it to each other after making up ever since.

Something like… they’re twins, so they get each other.

They talk some more, mostly about trivial matters like whether or not they should believe that Rosaria got her first piercing (she refuses to send a picture of it to anyone). But Aether also brings up that he has been feeling weird as of late, and Lumine confides in him that she might sort of get what he means, because she has, too.

It feels validating. They discuss it a bit, poke fun at each other for getting mad at basically nothing, and eventually, Aether slumps downstairs to talk to his dad.

He only wants to know where his son’s uncharacteristic outburst came from. When Aether expresses that he really doesn’t know, he just got so confused by what Lumine said that it made him angry, Travis simply smiles at him and offers to sit outside on the porch together, with a glass of soda.

Finally, Aether gets what he supposes is his first… erm… man-to-man puberty talk from his father.

Travis tells him about how his brain is going to develop more as he matures, and what other changes he can expect over the following years. That it’s nothing to be ashamed or afraid of, and everything that seems weird now will become normal soon, and he won’t have to deal with it alone.

However, “getting settled at the starting line of the puberty race” doesn’t mean he has a free pass for getting away with doing what he did at the dinner table.

“I know,” Aether mutters. “I’ll do my best… What’s all of this got to do with Xiao, though?” He sips his coke, thinking of Lumine’s comment.

Chuckling, Travis pats his head. “That’s for you to figure out, little man,” he says. “Maybe it’s got nothing to do with him at all—maybe you were simply upset by what your sister was implying, and weren’t sure how to place it. I know I found the insinuation of me ever getting married of all things absolutely revolting when I was your age. It persisted well into my late teenage years; I was always making fun of the entire concept. Even getting married to your mother seemed completely out of the question, and look at me now.”

Aether clutches onto his glass and looks up at the stars. Maybe that was it, then…

He tells his father goodnight and gets his phone back “just this once”, and slumps upstairs to properly get ready for bed. When he’s snuggled into the blankets in his alcove, he carefully pulls his phone into view and sets the brightness down so he won’t alert Lumine.

He opens his chat with Xiao. Snickering, Aether scrolls down countless inquiries as to where he is, and all kinds of images of betrayal. His best friend’s last texts were half an hour ago:

 

[21:45
Kitty🐱: Ugh, my father has conveniently forgotten again that my curfew is 23:00 too. Gotta go before he gets upset

21:46
Kitty🐱: Goodnight bunny ♥️]

 

That little heart makes Aether’s chest feel indescribably light. With a small smile, although he knows Xiao’s phone would be on “do not disturb” by now, he texts back.

 

[22:15
Me: Sorry I’m so late, but goodnight, kitty!!!!!!]

 

He thinks for a moment.

 

[22:16
Me: ♥️]

Notes:

Aether continues to suffer from the growing brain and it leads to some shenanigans. You've got this lad, we believe in you..!! /lh

I'm way later than I meant to be, been stuck in the ever present homework grind. But! The new chapter is here :> Thank you for the patience, and see you guys next week! ♡ I'm looking forward to posting that one ><

Chapter 19

As time passes, Aether decides to try and make peace with himself to the best of his ability, and accept that sometimes, thinking of Xiao just makes him feel funny.

That’s all there is to it, and it’s nobody’s fault! Not even Xiao’s, honestly. It’s going to be okay. In fact, he kind of likes it now when he grabs Xiao’s hand to yank him onward and feels a tingle run up his spine, or Xiao praises him and his stomach gets jittery.

Their texting lessens a little as the novelty of it wears off, the frequency of notification alerts on either phone dying down to a more… erm… reasonable amount. Chatting on the phone doesn’t quite beat actually getting to be together.

Aether discovers that Xiao is now officially faster than him when they challenge each other to a race. It really sucks, but… when Xiao beats him, finally, after all these years, he looks like he has conquered the world. Extremely happy and sincerely proud of himself, as if this was his sole goal all along.

Sulking, Aether nudges him, then again, then shoves him into the ground and jumps on top of him to serve his revenge while it’s still burning with the fires of defeat. Xiao laughs as he pins him down in the soft, green grass, startling a group of butterflies into motion, and sputters when he’s made to eat mouthfuls of green blades and crumbly dirt.

In the fourth week, Ganyu and Lumine manage to intercept them at last, and playfully though intently force them to go to Starfell Lake with them, Sucrose, and Albedo.

It’s another searing hot day and the boys had already intended to go anyway, they’re packed up for it and everything—but now that the others apparently have the same plans, suddenly it doesn’t seem half as fun anymore!

“Ugh, fine,” Xiao groans, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. “If it means you guys will shut up for the rest of the summer, we can hang out with you for a while.”

“Yeah,” Aether agrees with a sigh.

Lumine and Ganyu exchange a look. Ganyu looks a bit dejected, but Aether’s twin is trying her best to hold in her laughter. “Okay, edgelord,” she says, wrapping her arm around Ganyu’s shoulders. “Come on! Albedo and Sucrose set up camp at the cave place like… what, a decade ago?”

Aether furrows his eyebrows. So there was no way to avoid them, then. Muttering silently to each other and shooting some mean jokes back and forth under their breaths, the two slouch after the girls.

Lumine takes a different route than Aether always does, one that is technically shorter, but offers much more of a workout. Rocks to climb over, tree roots to dance around, and old, mossy stumps to scale—it has it all.

By the time the children arrive at the beautiful patch of hidden beach at Starfell Lake, they’re sweaty and panting, and Aether is beginning to regret putting a shirt on at all. He immediately drags Xiao to the cave in the rocky hill on the left, where the flowers are blooming vividly as ever, and almost bumps into Sucrose.

“H-hi—!” the small girl squeaks, hastily brushing her light bangs into her face and pushing her round glasses up on her nose. At this point, Aether is beginning to wonder if she ever even grows!

“Hi Sucrose!” he says cheerfully, wiggling out of his shirt. “I like your bathing suit, it’s very cute.” He’s not lying; it’s navy blue, with a white sweet flower pattern on it, and it looks nice on her.

Behind him, Xiao scoffs.

Sucrose’s cheeks are inflamed the next second. “T-thank you,” she says, fidgeting with her hands. “I’ll, um, I’ll leave you guys to it..! Hi Xiao…” Her smile is obscured behind hair and her unwillingness to drag attention to herself, but it’s definitely there, and she almost does a little twirl before quickly running off.

“You shouldn’t just compliment girls’ clothes,” Xiao grumbles as the boys hide in the back of the cave to set up camp and get geared up. Aether notices his frown, although he is casually trying to hide it.

“Huh, why?” he asks. He takes Xiao’s expensive parasol out of his sports bag and positions it so that nobody can see them once they decide to hide in here for good. He installs his big, brown backpack behind it.

Xiao is quiet for a moment, tossing his shirt to the side.

“They’re girls,” he then says meaningfully. “If you say stuff like that, they’ll think you like them or whatever…”

“Really?” As he lays out his towel, Aether nudges him playfully and adds: “Or are you just making it up because you want all my compliments, huh?”

Immediately, the twelve year old starts sputtering and stuttering. He furrows his eyebrows deeper, and Aether chuckles when the corners of his mouth sink further down. The blonde inches closer, and as if he’s nervous, Xiao pulls up his shoulders—just like an upset cat.

“I knew it! Are you jealous, kitty? You are! Dude, that’s so lame—if you want me to compliment you, you only need to ask, you know!”

Under Xiao’s continued protests and silent cussing, the Starfell boy happily pulls him outside.

There, Lumine has long since thrown herself into the lake. She’s trying to convince Ganyu and Sucrose to come in after her, jeering and booing every time they dip their toes into the water and quickly opt out of going in. She swipes her soaked, shoulder-length blonde hair out of her eyes and sticks out her tongue at everyone too weak to follow her.

Xiao is still grumbling a little behind Aether when Albedo appears before them in baby blue swimming trunks and a white, wide t-shirt, studying them for a moment like he might a rare species of lizard. A while ago, he finally told Aether the secret to looking at people without actually looking at them: apparently, he’s been staring at everyone’s noses all this time.

He cocks his head to the side, his long, thick, ashy blonde hair effortlessly swooshing along like in a shampoo commercial.

“Long time no see, Xiao,” the other twelve year old says. “Your proportions look off, but I’m sure you’ll grow into them. Oh, just so you guys know, I assembled a grill over there, and I’ve brought some meat and vegetarian burgers in my cooling bag. Shall I get to grilling or do you prefer to go swimming first?”

Xiao clutches onto Aether a little tighter. “.. Thanks, I think. Nice to see you again too. How, uh… how the hell did you assemble a grill in the middle of nowhere?”

Albedo simply smiles.

“Let them swim first, Bedo!” Lumine exclaims exasperatedly, treading water still. “Come on, otherwise I’ll end up being the only one brave enough to actually enter the water!”

Ganyu and Sucrose take incredible offense to that. Before Aether can blink, the girls have stormed into the calmly rippling lake, yelling at Lumine. They begin frantically splashing each other and pushing each other under for as long as is legally allowed.

“You’re free to go,” Albedo says softly, “I’m busy anyway.”

“You’re not swimming?” Aether asks.

“I’d rather not. Fish don’t understand the concept of personal space. Plus, I’m making art right now, the flowers here are so beautiful.”

Shrugging, Xiao and Aether turn towards the water and try to gauge where best to jump in to make a wave big enough to destroy the girls’ spirits for the rest of the day. They climb up on the ledge above the cave, and seem to have gotten the exact same idea.

Grinning maniacally at each other, they take each other’s hand and pull a sprint to the edge. “Cannonball!” Aether shouts as the only warning his sister gets.

The wave that comes from Xiao and Aether landing butt-first in the water may not be big, but the splash sure is. The girls shriek, Sucrose quickly grabs onto her glasses, and Ganyu and Lumine vow revenge.

“We can do way worse than that, losers!” Xiao says, wiping his wet, now almost black-looking hair from his forehead. “Right?”

“Definitely!” Aether agrees, his wickedly twinkling copper eyes crossing Lumine’s. “So give us all you got!”

“Oh, we will,” Ganyu says. “Just you stinkers wait!”

“Pfft, you stink.”

As Albedo minds his business painting the snapdragon-rich scenery, the two teams in the water fight for dominance with admirable fervor. Funnily enough, Aether quickly ends up facing off against Ganyu and Sucrose instead of Lumine, even though Ganyu was trying to get back at Xiao.

She sulks for a moment, but when Sucrose sneakily splashes Aether and he squeaks with disdain, she pounces onto him as well.

“Nooo!” the blonde yelps, swallowing a stomach full of clear lake water right after when Sucrose shyly places both her hands upon his head and pushes. Ganyu cackles nefariously above him. Wait, hello?

—Are they trying to drown him or something?! “Bleurgh! Get off of me, idiots, you’ll kill me at this rate! Xiao, help—!”

“Face the fury of the gods, you insolent mortal!” Ganyu yells. She spits some sweet water flora out of her mouth.

Meanwhile, Xiao challenges Lumine to catch one singular fish and the winner gets to send an embarrassing text to a random person in the other’s contact list with no explanation whatsoever, so Lumine is taking it very seriously. Aether knows Xiao’s got this in the bag, though!

He even gets a wink from him. His heart skips a beat, before he’s promptly shoved underwater again, made to fight for his life.

While the tourists have to share an overcrowded beach all the way on the other side of the lake, where the old Statue of the Seven gazes upon them, the five children here are laughing and playing in the seclusion of their private cove. They enjoy the warmth of the sun and the refreshing chill of the water, hidden from the rest of the world.

Albedo shouts something from the riverbank, thin smoke rising behind him. He must’ve begun grilling, but the others are far from done yet.

Aether cheers when Xiao is the first to catch a fish with his bare hands, even though Lumine immediately jumps on him and grabs it. Ganyu tries to join in as well, but Xiao doesn’t acknowledge her at all, instead stating that Lumine is still the one who needs to send the text.

“A-Albedo is, um, grilling,” Sucrose squeaks, barely holding her head above the waves the taller kids are creating with their frantic splashing at one another. “Let’s… let’s have lunch and maybe apply sunscreen..? My dad will get really upset if I get sunburnt again.”

Although they barely hear her, they get the hint when Albedo marches towards the edge of the lake and fervently swings his spatula at them, shouting for them to haul their asses out of the water right now or he’s coming in with the electric shocker.

Giggling, Aether pulls Sucrose out of the water with him and turns to make sure Xiao is following them.

His friend is hounding his sister, who is still holding his fish, and Ganyu is buzzing around them. Only Lumine actually talks to her. Finally, with his imaginary fur puffed up, Xiao manages to yank the fish out of her hands and throws it back over his shoulder.

“Aw, I was gonna ask Bedo to grill it,” she pouts.

“Fuck off, psycho,” Xiao hisses in turn. Then, he smirks: “Well, whatever, I won the match! Whip out your phone, I’m gonna send the worst thing imaginable to one of your friends. Or maybe to your mom?”

Groaning, Lumine flops down on her neatly laid out towel, completely soaking it, and reaches for her bag. “Don’t ruin me beyond repair, I swear I’ll come to your house and hunt you for sport.”

“Hehe, let’s see… Aether, what should I send to Jean?”

Grinning, Aether scoots in on Lumine’s towel as well and tries to peer over her shoulder at whatever Xiao is planning with her phone. If it’s just outrageous enough, she will not hear the end of when they go back to Mondstadt City at the end of the break.

“Jean?” Lumine squints. “Wait—hold on, you know what, just send it to my mom instead.”

“Ooo, no way, you just made it more fun!”

“Fucker! I changed my mind, I nullify the challenge—give it back or I’ll kill you!”

Ganyu sits down next to Xiao and offers to come up with something extra embarrassing, playfully sticking her tongue out at Lumine. He doesn’t reply, texting away furiously and looking almost cartoonishly evil.

Sucrose comes in with a bottle of extra strong sunscreen and passes it around the circle, and the delicious smell of grilled sausages and chicken are wafting through the air, filling Aether’s nostrils with the promise of a perfect lunch. His stomach rumbles. 

“Aether, help me out here,” Lumine whines. “Twins stand stronger together, come on! He’s gonna ruin me forever!”

“Hmm, to help or not to help…” he sighs, rolling his eyes up to dramatically gaze at the sky. He leans back on his hands, innocently kicking his feet. “That sure is the question…”

“Aether! Ugh—Xiao, you’re a son of a bitch, you know that?”

“Joke’s on you, idiot. Even if my mother were a bitch, I have no freaking clue who she is!” Xiao says proudly.

To that, Aether snorts so hard it hurts the back of his nose and coughs through his laughter like he just caught the bubonic plague. Sucrose quickly smacks his back.

Lumine pounces onto Xiao, and the two roll around on the towel. Finally, when he’s sure everyone can see it, Xiao makes an entire show out of hitting “send”, twirling his hand and dipping his head and everything. His light eyes shine gold in the rays of the sun, his mouth curved into a mesmerizing smile.

Even when he’s evil, he looks so pretty. Aether squeezes his lips together and pulls up his knees, propping his cheek up on his hand.

Lumine skims the message Xiao wrote up for her and promptly drops herself on Ganyu’s towel, lamenting what is left of her life. Realizing her older brother isn’t going to respond to her, the ten year old quickly scoots to her friend and stands by her side through these immensely trying times.

Aether smiles shyly when Xiao gets seated beside him. “Tormenting my sister, huh?” he whispers. “You know that if Jean doesn’t realize this is a prank, her life will be over?”

“Yeah, well, I saw mine was trying to drown you. Eye for an eye.” Xiao raises his chin. “See? Call my name and I’ll be there! One way or another.”

“You’re either the coolest or the meanest Yaksha out there,” Aether snickers.

“I prefer ‘the most efficient one’. Oh, uh—you need help with that?”

Sucrose has been silently trying to get sunscreen on her back this entire time, partly hiding her struggle in the bushes. Her face goes beet red when Xiao gets up, and she nods quickly.

“T-t-thank you, Xiao…” the eleven year old stutters, all flustered, all of a sudden. She clutches her hands to her chest like she’s got pearls to protect, her almond brown eyes squeezed shut when Xiao slathers a generous amount of sunscreen on her skin.

Aether chews on his lip. Tsk… she could’ve just not struggled with it. Could’ve asked Ganyu or something.

“Aether,” Albedo calls from behind rocks and bushes, “come help me put up some plates. You seem to be the only one not preoccupied right now.”

Dangit, worst timing ever. Reluctantly, Aether drags his feet to the other blonde.

“Wait, I’ll help too! Lumi is dying, some food will do her good for sure,” Ganyu says, puffing out her chest with determination. She skitters after him.

They join Albedo’s side, and both stand equally perplexed.

He, somehow, actually managed to make a fully functional grill out of a few rocks, some wood, a few metal rods he must’ve brought himself, and several other materials he must’ve scavenged from the forest around the lake. Aether stares at it in awe, almost prodding at it until he realizes the meat is still simmering on there, perfectly golden brown. That thing must be hot as hell.

 Ganyu claps her hands together with excitement. “Wow, Albedo, you’re so cool!”

“Thank you, it’s the autism.” Albedo nonchalantly runs a hand through his hair. “Alright, let’s get started. What should I grab for whom? Xiao strikes me as a sausage lover. Hehe… sausage lover.”

He snickers meaningfully. Aether eyes him for a moment and snickers too.

“Nuh-uh, Xiao likes fish and chicken more,” Ganyu says. The joke has flown over her head entirely. “I should know, I live with him every day… sort of. Against my will, by the way.”

They load up six bamboo plates, most of them with different meats on it, and Albedo cleans the grill to start on the veggie stuff next. Apparently, he’s got loads more stored in his high tech cooling bag than he let on! Ms Gold has provided enough food to last the kids through a whole dinner too, should they want to, and Sucrose has brought a lot of stuff as well.

Clearly, they planned ahead; Aether only has Wanda’s sandwiches for Xiao and him, and Lumine only has sandwiches for her and Ganyu… and Ganyu has some Qingce stir fry leftovers.

Aether remembers the elaborate lunch boxes Retuo used to make for the boys, and wonders why Xiao doesn’t have any.

Aether and Ganyu then serve the plates: chicken for Xiao, chicken and sausage for Lumine, beef for Aether, and Ganyu has decided to wait on the veggie burgers with Sucrose. For now, they eat the sunsettia–mint salad with cream cheese that Sucrose has brought.

Ganyu wanted to hand Xiao his plate and sit beside him, but he wasn’t receptive, pretending to bother Lumine some more. Aether has taken his rightful spot beside him instead.

He feels as though there’s something a little vicious about the way in which Xiao pretends Ganyu doesn’t exist, though. He was ignoring Lumine mostly in favor of spending time with his friend and because it’s funny, but today has emphasized that the Longwang siblings—they somehow don’t seem to be on the best of terms. Not for a lack of trying on Ganyu’s behalf.

Did something happen? Nah… surely Xiao would’ve told him in a letter, then.

When Xiao finally relents and pets Ganyu’s golden brown head, rolling his eyes as he takes the soda she offered him, Aether decides he must’ve imagined it.

It doesn’t take long for Albedo to join them with a plate full of veggie burgers and warm, crisp bread (how the heck he prepared that, Aether really isn’t sure), and his sister pulls the sandwiches from her bag for whoever wants some, prompting him to do the same.

The children chat gleefully, some tales a little taller than others, and bother each other to no ends. The sun is at its highest now, but they’re safely tucked away underneath the canopy of the Starfell forest, sitting on the towels of the girls and Albedo, as the water gently ripples onto the shore. Albedo passes a soda bottle around for a refill, and offers up a whole bag of potato chips.

Ganyu and Sucrose play a multiplayer game on their phones, talking about their school lives and the other friends they have—though Sucrose thinks she only has Albedo.

“No way,” Ganyu says, “Amber thinks you’re super cute. We’ve been texting a lot and you came up a couple of times. You should hang out with the others more often, you know, and take Albedo too if that makes you feel more brave.”

“R-really?” Sucrose whispers, clutching onto her phone. “They… they like me? I thought they didn’t want Bedo and me around because we’re so awkward…”

“Nuh-uh, they’re super fond of you! They just think you guys don’t like them because you’re never around.”

Aether feels comfortable in the buzz, bumping against Xiao every time he reels back from Albedo pulling yet another lizard tail into view from his never-ending bag of lizard tails and bird claws and nectars, telling on and on about the kinds of reactions he’s gotten from experimenting with them so far.

He’s having a good time, as a matter of fact—more than he thought he would! And judging from Xiao’s laughter when Lumine’s voice rings over the crowd, sharing yet another story he normally wouldn’t hear from her because they just don’t, well… hang out together all that much, he’s having a good time as well.

Huh. They really aren’t together that often, but they get along pretty okay. Should Aether stop hogging his attention all the time?

He’s no fan of the idea of Lumine making off with his best friend all of a sudden. But Xiao does look like he enjoys talking to her and bullying her (getting bullied back less so). Not to mention, being with Sucrose and Albedo doesn’t seem entirely unpleasant to him.

And Aether finds that smile he’s wearing, well… important.

It’s almost like last year in Mondstadt City, when Xiao genuinely looked like he liked being with everyone, even though he has always entrusted to the eleven year old that he doesn't like other people by default.

But if Xiao suddenly runs off with everyone else… What about Aether, then? He likes being with everyone too—as long as Xiao is there to make him feel more at home!

Sighing, he focuses on eating his last piece of beef.

“Hey, let’s take pictures,” Albedo suddenly says, shaking his shoulder. “I don’t think we have any together yet, do we? Plus, I reckon your gallery is filled with Xiao right now, and it would be unfortunate if people were to think you only have one friend.”

“Pfft, sure! You got your phone?”

“We should use yours. I thought my implications were clear.”

“Uhh, right, hehe. Sorry. Hold on.” Aether retrieves his phone from his bag, furiously rubbing his flushed cheeks. That’s interesting; Albedo has had a smartphone for years and doesn’t normally ask anyone for pictures. What an honor!

He happily sits down beside the other blonde and, with his tongue sticking out between his lips, he thinks up some nice settings for them. They take picture after picture, pointing at better spots in the sunlight to scoot towards, or pretty-looking backdrops to peruse. Aether insists on taking some silly ones too to make up for them trying a little too hard to look good here, but Albedo stiffly refuses.

Oh well, pictures are pictures.

On Albedo’s very casual, very nonchalant request, Aether sends an especially well-lit one of them together to Kaeya. The reply is almost instantaneous.

 

[12:34
Kaeya: awww, my favorite blondies ❤︎❤︎❤︎

12:34
Kaeya: send one of you by yourself? ❤︎]

 

Sighing, Aether rolls his eyes and wants to nudge Albedo, but the other boy is very intently not looking at his screen. He shrugs and continues texting.

 

[12:35
Me: Ueererghhrhrh simp

12:36
Kaeya: lmao got it, I’ll treasure this one then ❤︎ you guys should come to the winery, Lulu is literally so boring it’s giving me ultra depression deluxe ://

12:38
Me: Lol!!!! Maybe one day!!!!!!!!

12:38
Me: Grab the water gun and kill him!!!!

12:39
Kaeya: you know what, I will ❤︎ ]

 

“What’d he say?” Albedo asks quietly, when Aether shakes his head and puts his phone down.

Oh—“He, uh, he liked it!” the younger boy chirps, sticking up both thumbs.

“Okay.” Albedo wears a soft smile around his lips. “Good.”

“How about you go and send him one of you by yourself?”

“I would genuinely rather die, actually.” Then, Albedo rises to his feet: “Well, thank you for indulging me, but I will be getting back to my painting now. Have fun.”

“You don’t want me to send you any of the pics we just took?” Aether asks, confused. “Some of them look really nice! What about taking some with the others too?”

“Maybe just the nice ones—but no thank you, I’m not interested.”

Huh. Alright then.

The kids slowly but surely finish up their lunch. Although Sucrose insists that they should wait a little longer before diving into the water again, lest they get cramps, Lumine and Ganyu decide they’ve waited long enough and jump right back into action. Whining softly, the small girl follows them.

Aether stretches his arms above himself, gazing up at the reflection of light in the canopy.

“Hey.”

He gasps when Xiao suddenly pops up right beside him.

“Wanna go sit up on the ledge for a while?” the dark-haired boy asks. “My head hurts, ugh. Those guys talk so much, it’s unreal.”

Aether agrees all too eagerly. He slips his phone into the pockets of his dried up swimming shorts, and the boys begin scaling the hill the cave sits in. They flop down with their legs over the edge, grunting in satisfaction.

The view is amazing up here. With the sun in this position, its rays shine down upon the statue in the far distance, glimmering against the old, moist stone and the water surrounding it. It’s like the entire thing has been set ablaze, only, instead of fire, it’s burning in glitter.

Xiao doesn’t say anything for a while, just closing his eyes and lightly kicking his legs.

Right as Aether wants to suggest they hide away inside the cave, like they intended all along, his phone starts vibrating with message after message. Ack—! He quickly fishes it out of his pocket.

Ooo, it’s Diluc.

 

[ 13:05
Luc: did you fucking tell kaeya to chase me three laps around the building with a water gun, aether.

13:05
Luc: answer me right now or i’m coming to your house.

13:05
Luc: that fucker put ICE CUBES IN IT, aether. ICE CUBES.

13:06
Luc: i am going to come to your house. i am going to come over to your house and make you regret the day you were born.

13:06
Luc: ICE CUBES, AETHER REISENDER. when i told you i was awaiting the cold embrace of death, THIS WAS NOT WHAT I MEANT.

13:08
Me: I didn’t say a word about the ice cubes!!!!!!!

13:09
Luc: consider our friendship over.

13:10
Me: NOOOOOO ]

 

All he gets after that is a picture of a pale middle finger and half of a disgruntled, pale face framed by soaked, dark red hair. Heh, good for him. Aether puts his phone away and drops his head against Xiao’s shoulder.

It's busy down in the lake. Cackling like a maniac, Lumine pushes both Sucrose and Ganyu off the mossy rock they have climbed up on and cannonballs after them, and from up here, they can see Albedo painting a canvas he has somehow managed to drag out here. It’s a stunning landscape, almost photorealistic—he’s a real prodigy.

The boys watch them, secretly very glad they joined after all. Forget that dumb cave.

“You always lie down on my shoulder,” Xiao says quietly, his head gently thumping upon Aether’s.

“Huh? Uh, yeah. Guess I do.”

“It’s nice. I’m glad we’re together.”

Badump.

Oh.

“Yeah,” Aether whispers, closing his eyes, “me too.”

“Wanna dive bomb off the ledge?”

“Hell yeah! Let me just put my phone away real quick.”

The kids end up spending the entire day at Starfell Lake. Zhongli calls Xiao around dinner time to ask where they are, and Xiao quickly tells him they won’t be eating at home. It takes a while to convince the man, but eventually, Xiao hangs up with a satisfied grin on his face.

Lumine texts Wanda what's up and that’s that.

As the sun begins to set and bathes the lake in a beautiful golden glow that makes the water shine like the most precious of metals, Albedo sets up the grill for a much more elaborate dinner menu. The others now spread out all their towels for an even bigger place to sit on.

Sucrose finally reveals her bicycle, which she had hidden under lots of ferns and shrubs so as to keep her cooling bags extra safe from the sun. She’s brought tupperware full of salads and fresh fruits, some more veggie burgers for Albedo to grill, and even some fake childrens’ beer without any alcohol in it.

“Thanks Rose. You know, Venti drinks the real stuff now,” Aether sighs as he passes a can to Xiao.

“Huh, seriously? Isn’t he, like… thirteen?” Xiao opens the can with a sizzling click.

“Yep. Just like a real Mondstadter—can’t start soon enough!”

“Damn. My father would murder me and burn the body to a crisp. No rites, no grave, nothing.”

“Ew, Xiao.” Aether chuckles, trying not to imagine it.

“Real Mondstadter, huh… Do you wanna drink when you turn thirteen?” Xiao asks, trying a sip of the fake beer. He pulls a face and immediately shoves it backwards into Lumine’s eager hand.

“No way! I hate the taste, it’s literally just piss water,” Aether replies, wildly shaking his head, “and my thirteenth birthday won’t be in a while anyway.” He decides not to ask whether Xiao would want to drink next year; the implications of what he said before makes it plenty clear that he and unsupervised alcohol will never share a room together.

The twelve year old laughs and wraps an arm around his shoulder. “ ‘Literally just piss water’, bunny?” he sneers playfully. “How do you know what piss water tastes like? Have you sipped piss before?”

“Ew , Xiao!” Aether snorts and pushes him off, jumping on top of him to shove his face into the grass before he gets the chance to run his mouth even more. He still tries, though; calls him “piss boy”, just like that. “Ack—Shut up, jerk!”

Smiling brightly, he straddles his legs and twists his arms into his back until he gives in.

“Ow, ow, okay, ow, I’m shutting up, ow—!”

“Promise? If you say it again, I’m breaking both of ‘em!”

“Fine.” Xiao quickly sits up once he’s released, and Aether’s tummy flutters at the sight of his bashful face and wild hair. “Can’t believe you’re still stronger than me. Don’t actually break my arms, okay?”

“Nah, I was joking. If I did that, we wouldn’t be able to do anything else for the rest of summer.” Aether mischievously sticks out his tongue. “But if you ever call me something like that again…”

His mischievous expression quickly fades when Xiao wraps his arms tightly around him, and he feels his warm breath right next to his ear. Aether gulps, every sound suddenly clear as crystal.

“I can only do this with my arms intact,” Xiao mumbles. “You’re shooting yourself in the foot if you break them.”

“U-uh… I guess. I was—I was really only joking, you know…”

“Heh, I knew blackmail would work. If you suddenly decide it isn’t a joke anymore, you’re mine, got it?” Xiao pulls away, leaning back on his hands with his head cocked to the side. Just like his dad’s do, his almond-shaped eyes narrow sweetly when he smiles. The orange sunset behind him burns a halo around his frame.

Suddenly, Aether strongly relates to a popsicle that’s been left out to melt in the sun. And before confusion and lightheadedness can take the reins, he tackles his best friend again.

Albedo finally brings out the first batches of meat and bread, with Ganyu and Sucrose carrying in the salads, and the kids dig in. To commemorate their barbecue dinner, they take lots of pictures, and Lumine even takes a video with which to make everyone else jealous. They hang out together until the darkness sets in, and stay at the lake just a little longer to gaze upon thousands of stars that twinkle in a blanket of ink so black it looks blue.

The moon is only half full tonight, but its reflection in the still water is beautiful anyway. The only things that ruin the image just a little are the lights of the tourist restaurants all the way across the lake. Still, that doesn’t stop Ganyu and Albedo from pointing out as many constellations as they can find.

Albedo knows all the scientific names of them too, and little fun facts about the stars that make up each constellation. He even shares why exactly Starfell Valley, harboring Starfell and Starfell Lake, is called that, pointing out how well they would be able to see shooting stars from this position. Ganyu stares at him in awe.

Once the twins arrive home after seeing Albedo and Sucrose off on her bicycle and dutifully bringing the Longwang siblings to their dads, Aether feels exhausted, full, and more satisfied than ever. It’s almost midnight, the longest they’ve ever stayed outside with an actual purpose.

The Starfell boy slumps through his room and drops himself in his bed without changing out of his gear, only thoughts of today swimming through his mind.

He falls asleep with the water of the lake still pulling at his muscles, the smells of freshly grilled meats still lingering in his nostrils, and Xiao’s tight embrace still filling his head with cotton.

Notes:

The tinies, without a care in the world, living their best lives... Oh to be small and figure things out at your own pace and catch those good vibes with some pals <3 /lh

Once again posting a little late, my apologies - had to stay locked in yesterday, unfortunately ,_, But I'm still glad we got to this chapter, there's just something about writing chapters in which they all vibe together that tickles my brain. I hope you guys have had a nice week! See you next time ♡

Chapter 20

Notes:

The current ages:
Xiao - 13
Aether+Lumine: 12
Ganyu: 11

Spring, Year 6

 

[17:45
Me: *open image*
       Restaurant nr 5000000000000

17:46
Bunny🐰: Whoa!!!! That looks so cool!!!!! I love Liyue restaurants, they seem so cozy. Are you going home now?

17:46
Me: Yeah lol. I'm on the bus rn. Long day. Kinda wanna die lol

17:46
Bunny🐰: NOOOOOO

17:47
Bunny🐰: Relatable though :(( Dude, as pent up as my aunt always is in the morning, being brought to school definitely beats public transport!!!!!

17:47
Me: IT DOES but I’m officially too old now lol, Dad’s only taking me when there’s an emergency and literally wanting to die apparently doesn’t count as one 💀

17:48
Bunny🐰: HAHA loser!!!!!!! Try not to bump into anyone sweaty

17:48
Bunny🐰: Damn gotta go help with the groceries :(( Text me when you’re home!!!!!!!!!

17:49
Bunny🐰: *open image*
                Be safe or I’ll kill u!!!!!]

 

Smiling, Xiao looks at the selfie Aether sent: one big, copper eye closed, tongue sticking out between his lips, face propped onto his hand with the bedsheets in the frame, uncut blonde hair peeking out from underneath a brown, checkered beanie—it’s adorable.

He saves it to his gallery, to put in the folder with all the selfies he has very casually claimed for himself. Sometimes he just scrolls through them when he needs a dopamine boost or something. Aether sends him an amazing blend of the cutest and silliest shit ever.

Then, the thirteen year old turns his music up and continues staring out the window of the bus driving him home. Ugh… he is not looking forward to tonight. He got his second report card today, his parents know he got it, and Retuo is definitely not going to let him get away with smuggling it into the paper shredder before dinner.

His last year of elementary school has not been as bad as he thought it would be. He and Shenhe are aiming for the same junior high school, along with at least half his class, so if he gets in, he knows his new class will be filled with more familiar faces than new ones. Unfortunately that also entails some of their most fanatic bullies, but Xiao and Shenhe will manage like they always have.

Xiao is even sure of a position in the track team at his school of choice. He passed his application with flying colors, so now, he just needs to get into the school itself. Entrance exams will be taken soon, and his acceptance into the track team should give him a small boost to fall back on.

All he’s worried about are the classes; the school work is already killing him now, and he knows it’s only going to get harder in junior high. And academic feats are clearly valued over the vocational ones.

A new notification buzzes on his phone. Xiao takes a look.

 

[17:51
Rosa💀: I see you’re listening to my music recommendation. The dark lord is pleased.

17:52
Me: Seriously gonna regret adding you on my music app, stalker

17:52
Rosa💀: Cope ♥️

17:52
Me: Ok ♥️]

 

Well, it’s a good song for a dour and dampy mood!

Along with formally burying the letter sending tradition with Aether the very second Xiao’s family had left Starfell last year, Xiao also found himself added to ten thousand group chats about another second later. Apparently, now that everyone knows he’s got a smartphone, there’s no escaping having to regularly let the entire Mondstadt gang know he’s still alive.

Even Kaeya texts him now. Sadly. However, the guy only ever sends him pictures of, like… trampled gum on the street or a dash of mud on the wall, captioning it: “Found you!”

Xiao, of course, gladly returns the favor with pictures of crane shit, kindly requested from Shenhe. Finally, her mom owning cranes comes in handy.

Besides, it’s better than having to keep up an actual conversation with that stupidly pretty asshole.

His favorite group chat is the one Diluc made, with him and Rosaria, fittingly titled “the broody bunch ” with some chains and skulls. They just send dumb images, morbid quotes, and music recommendations to each other, and Rosaria sends an image of her middle finger pointed at the Barbatos Cathedral every Sunday at exactly ten in the morning.

Sometimes Jean’s little sister Barbara is half in the frame, gasping in disbelief.

Xiao has also been asked to come to social media, but… as stupid as it sounds… Zhongli has asked him to please not do that until Ganyu gets a smartphone of her own, so she won’t feel left out and take it to the big boss. Said big boss, on the other hand, demanded it and told him that if he suspects he went for it anyway, he’ll be regularly checking his phone until he turns eighteen.

Xiao definitely does not want that, thanks! He complains about his parents to Shenhe way too much for that. At the end of this year it’ll be, then…

Ugh. Gods forbid poor little Ganyu’s feelings get hurt. As if her stale flip phone number isn’t already added to the group chats in advance to prepare for the very second she gets a device with Internet connection.

Truth to be told, life at home really hasn’t been… fun, as of late.

The bus comes to a stop and, sighing, Xiao hoists the strap of his backpack over his shoulder. He greets the driver with a nod and steps onto the road, the spring breeze helping a lost bee stumble against his face.

With a heavy heart, the boy drags his feet home.

In the hallway of the large estate, he almost bumps into Zhongli, who’s watering the new plants he hung up on the walls specially for spring. They’re some of Retuo’s favorites. “Oh, welcome home, little bird,” he says fondly as Xiao wiggles out of his coat and kicks his shoes into the designated rack. “How was school today?”

The brunette puts the watering can down on a foot stool and leans in, his amber gaze glimmering with interest. If it weren’t for the slight slump in his shoulders and the darkening circles under his eyes, you would never be able to tell he’s been sent home two weeks ago for a short break. A preventative measure for a supposed looming burnout.

Retuo was livid when it happened. Could not for the life of him figure out why “Zhongli, a simple-minded History teacher, of all things”, could possibly be on burnout watch while he is working day in, day out, without breaks, and still kicking.

Of course, Xiao was never supposed to know his father was livid; he found out on another one of his regular kitchen escapades. You would expect husbands to be supportive of one another, but… Retuo has only been pissy about it.

Xiao rolls his eyes. “Hi, Dad. It was fine.”

“Well, I’m glad! Would you like to tell me more about it?”

“It was fine, that’s all. What’s for dinner?”

Zhongli’s smile drops, ever so slightly. “Black-back perch stew and crab roe tofu, sweetheart,” he says softly. A worried crease rests in his forehead. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Xiao dodges the hand coming for him and takes his bag upstairs with him, leaving his dad alone in the hallway. He passes the old lion statue Zhongli got from Retuo for his 37th birthday, at the end of last year; it’s a replica from the original, which supposedly stands in a stuffy old museum somewhere, but still looks quite cool.

At least Zhongli still gets good stuff from Retuo in the gift-giving department.

Honestly, Xiao doesn’t mean to be so cold to his dad. It’s just a really crappy position he finds himself in.

It’s like life as he’s always known it goes further and further down the drain with every passing day. Retuo is consumed by his job and his position in the house, and Xiao sincerely hopes Ganyu is stupid so she doesn’t, because he can most certainly feel the animosity his father is harboring. That is, towards Zhongli specifically, and to Xiao as well.

Xiao believes he can’t do anything right in Retuo’s eyes. He tries his best to be an upstanding son, brings him every proper medal he achieves in his track competitions, and he even gave him the sad little blue fourth place ribbon he won in a javelin throwing competition a few weeks ago. Better than fifth-to-eighth place, but Retuo didn’t say a word about it.

Xiao tries to repress strong emotions around him lest he be accused of having an incredibly difficult puberty again, does everything in his power to make his father proud… Hell, he has even picked up half of Ganyu’s household tasks in a sincere attempt to appeal to Retuo’s goodwill!

She finds it kind of annoying and keeps trying to convince him that her tasks earn her brownie points too, but if washing the dishes by hand means Retuo might just ruffle Xiao’s hair like he used to, washing the dishes by hand he shall.

Sometimes, Xiao feels like he has kind of adopted the animosity towards Zhongli too. He doesn’t mean to—he does not dislike his dad, not at all. But he just wants Retuo to like him again. He just wants everything to go back to the way it used to be.

Sigh.

Well, it doesn’t matter right now. If Xiao did manage to achieve anything this week, it’s going to be obliterated the second he shows this report card anyway.

He drops himself on his bed, glancing at the white ceiling, at the boring nightlight standing beside the beautiful Yaksha mask he keeps as a prize rather than the toy it was meant to be. His gaze glides past the white and teal walls, the toy box, all the dolls, stuffed animals, action figures, all those clunky, blocky shapes of a little boy’s room…

Maybe he should finally give this room a makeover; he’s going to be a junior high schooler next year, but his space still looks so childish.

Wait—he still needs to tell Aether he got home safe!

With his cat plushie on his stomach, the thirteen year old texts his best friend only the nicest details of his arrival and sends a selfie back. The sweet spam of heart-eyes he gets back sends tingles through his fingers and elicits an uncharacteristically shy smile from him.

Pfft… Aether is such a weirdo.

And then, Xiao waits. Listens to the minutes ticking away on the clock, closes his eyes just long enough to feel the sleep settle in. Waits for the front door to open again, and for Ganyu to make her presence known. She should have a report card of her own as well; their district is meticulous in making sure all classes everywhere hand those things out at the same time.

When that happens, it’ll only be a matter of time before his father will call him to come downstairs with his report card. He’s the eldest, after all. He’s supposed to go first. He swallows built-up spit down a thick, dry throat. Oh, man… Here’s to hoping the strength of his good grades will outshine the gloom of the bad ones.

When Ganyu finally comes home, it’s 18:30—just thirty minutes until dinner time. What’s with her having recently taken up archery and having made the discovery that she can, in fact, hang out with her friends longer after school if she so desires, she’s been getting home a bit later than Xiao on most days.

It sounds like she’s still yapping away on the phone with Keqing, giggling like some school girl, and Xiao sits up straight.

Shit, he feels like he’s about to miserably fail a decisive test. He clutches onto his white sheets, dangling his legs over the edge of his single sleeper.

Okay… it’ll be fine. It’s going to be okay. When he brought home his last report card, his father didn’t even comment on it that much!

But there weren’t half as many final grades on there that time…

“Xiao! Come downstairs, now!”

Oh man, oh man, oh man. Xiao takes a couple of deep breaths and fluffs up the collar of his dark teal, white-garuda-print hoodie, which he got from Aether for his birthday this year. Trying to feel brave, he takes his report card into shaky, cold fingers and stalks downstairs.

Dinner is already simmering on the stove, but Retuo is still typing away on his laptop at the makeshift work-from-home-desk he set up at the head of the table, where he always sits. His reading glasses, which he has really started to need as of this year, sit on the tip of his nose, and he runs a hand through his dulling, graying, wild hair.

Zhongli is sitting on the couch, holding his finger between the pages of a thick book. He greets Xiao with a sweet, encouraging smile. Xiao quickly looks away.

“Uh, I’m here,” he says, shuffling up to his father. “So… I take it you want to see my report card?”

“Got your attitude up again, I hear,” Retuo says, and Xiao internally curses himself. The large, imposing man holds out a sturdy hand without looking up. “Let’s get it over with.”

Holding his breath, Xiao hands it over. “Sorry, Father.”

Finally, Retuo peels his vibrant, golden gaze off his laptop screen and rises to his feet; his back makes a soundly cracking noise that everyone politely ignores. Well, Xiao supposes 52 is really pushing the old-as-balls-line. But, unfortunately, the glasses on the tip of Retuo’s nose as he scans the paper and sours up more with every line he absorbs, make him look all the more intimidating.

Xiao’s hands, which have suddenly become fluttering bats trying to make their escape, are quickly tucked into the big tummy pocket of his hoodie.

“.. Forty out of a hundred. Fifty out of a hundred. Oh, goodness gracious! Another forty out of a hundred, brilliant.” Retuo scoffs and promptly drops the report card on the table, rubbing his temples. “Archons, stand by me. What is this, Xiao?”

Yikes.

“My, uh, grades.”

“I can see that. Are you dumb, huh, were you born with such a bad head on your shoulders?”

“No… I’m just bad at… that stuff.” With an icy kind of tension in his chest, Xiao bites on the insides of his cheeks, grasping for straws in his attempt to turn this around for the better. “I got a high grade for sports and for History though, they’re just below—” 

“Yes, yes, yes. You are going to try harder or face the consequences, you hear me?” Retuo’s voice is strict and unyielding, and when he talks, he does so with his hands in the way Xiao only ever secretly sees him do when he’s angry at Zhongli. He gestures meaningfully to the pathetic grades on the table. “You cannot seriously think this is okay. ‘Oh, but I got a good grade for History!’ And? You expect praise? You expect me to be happy that a child I’m raising may be unable to become anything more esteemed than another damn History teacher?”

On the couch, Xiao sees Zhongli sucking in his bottom lip. He inconspicuously turns away, as if nobody was supposed to see that.

“Well, I—” Xiao tries meekly.

“That was a rhetorical question. You are going to work harder, as hard as you can, to bring in a report card I can feel even just a single beat of relief for, understood? This is a house of hard workers, we all give it our best here. Anything less than an eighty out of a hundred is unacceptable.”

The lump in the back of his throat stabs Xiao every time he swallows, and he tries not to burst into tears like a helpless freaking baby on the spot.

Great. Great! So it went exactly as he feared, then.

Retuo then turns to Zhongli, and the way in which his eyes squint into slits and his words become laced with serpent venom, even if only for a second because one of the children is in the room right now… it’s kind of chilling. “In this house, we give it everything we’ve got and do not expect handouts, do we, Zhongli?”

“Of course not, my love.” The forced cheerfulness in Zhongli’s voice when he energetically veers to his feet, twists Xiao’s stomach into an uncomfortable knot. “Now, little bird, seeing as I've got a PhD in the matter, you’ve certainly got me interested. What grade did you obtain for History?”

He deftly holds out his hand for Xiao’s report card, placing the other on his son’s back.

Retuo looks at it.

“Dad, stop it, you’re embarrassing me,” Xiao wants to hiss—but he can’t squeeze it through his lips, not when Zhongli’s touch feels so desperate.

With a deep sigh, Retuo hands over the card and turns away to sit down behind his makeshift work-from-home desk.

“Oh, a ninety out of a hundred! How wonderful, sweetheart,” Zhongli croons, skimming the rest of the report card as well. “Well done, this pleases me so. It’s truly interesting, is it not, the way in which the actions of the past can be connected to the flow of the present?”

Ah… that feels nice. Xiao dares to smile in satisfaction, though he tries not to show Retuo. With haste and nonchalance, he leans against his dad’s arm, just for a moment. “Yeah, it’s… it’s pretty neat.”

“Perhaps you’ve got an old soul, just like me. Now, the rest does need some special attention… but I am sure you will get there with hard work, like your father says. How about this—you plan an hour of studying every day, and do nothing but study in that hour.”

“What? Do I have to?” Xiao groans.

“Hard work, Xiao,” Retuo grumbles through his teeth. “Surely good grades are not too much to ask in exchange for housing you.”

“Retuo,” Zhongli says, his voice low in warning.

“What? What is it? What do you expect from me here?”

A smile, maybe. Just one. Xiao tucks his hands deeper into his pocket, not daring to voice the thought.

“.. Go upstairs,” Zhongli says, tightly pursing his lips, “I'll discuss the terms with you further later.”

Right. Right, for as far as Zhongli—or either of them, really—knows, their cute couple’s tiffs are still their dirty little secret. Completely unheard by anyone but themselves. To keep up that ruse, Xiao doesn’t protest, slinking away to the hallway as he overthinks how spectacularly wrong that went.

No praise for the ninety out of a hundred for History, not even a smile for the hundred out of a hundred for sports—even the seventy out of a hundred for Biology apparently wasn’t noteworthy enough.

Xiao mutters to himself, his heart sunken to the soles of his feet so much so that it makes every step feel like a drag.

To his surprise, he finds Ganyu lurking right around the corner of the doorway.

“Anything less than an eighty out of hundred doesn’t fly?” she asks softly. Her eyes are wide, catching the light just right to make them look lilac.

“You heard that?” Xiao sighs, hoping that’s all she caught. For as far as he’s aware, she’s never heard their parents argue, and he wants to keep it that way. “Yeah, apparently. Guess Father wants all of us to be just as overworked as him. What fun is life otherwise, right?”

“Don’t be a jerk, Xiao,” Ganyu mumbles, twirling some strands of her golden bob around her finger. She clutches onto her own report card, as if worried. “He just wants us to do well.”

Yeah. Guess so. “What’s on your card, then?”

With a nervous nibble on her lip, his little sister holds it out to him. He quickly absorbs the contents. Sixty out of a hundred, seventy, sixty, fifty, eighty, eighty… it looks better than Xiao’s, that’s for sure. But it's, quite honestly, not that great.

“Good luck, soldier,” Xiao says with a shrug. “Don’t come crying to me if he’s not excited for you, I’m gonna start a new game and tune out of existence for a while.”

Ganyu chuckles wryly and takes a deep breath. “Okay, grouch, dang,” the eleven year old mumbles. “Thanks. Hey… for what it’s worth, I think your report card is pretty cool. I hope I can get a hundred out of a hundred some day.”

Turning away, Xiao purses his lips. Pfft… yeah, sure.

“W-well, um, Here goes nothing.” She bravely steps into the living room.

Xiao wholly intended to do exactly as he said and simply forget he’s alive until it’s time for dinner—but curiosity always, always gets the better of him. He lingers around the bottom of the stairs, ears perked for anything of interest.

It comes quickly: Retuo’s voice, rich and warm.

Xiao hears the praise. He listens to Retuo giving Ganyu some pointers, telling her to just work on that sixty out of a hundred for Math, and the rest will follow naturally. He hears Ganyu giggle.

“I’ll work even harder!” she chirps, and Retuo, well—he laughs, like he always used to do. “Just watch me, one day I’ll be just as hard of a worker as you.”

“Perhaps not like that, my little qilin,” Zhongli tries. “You might just end up with a bu—”

“Oh, shut up, it’s good for a little girl to have big dreams. Great job, sweetie, keep it up. At least one of you will have a bright future.”

With a sore throat and an almost sick, sinking feeling in his stomach, Xiao drags himself up the stairs and disappears into his room, wanting nothing more than to disappear. You know what, he might just actually restart the entire Yaksha game and film every bit of commentary he has for his best friend. He wants to think about literally anything but this.

Aether would be super excited about it, no doubt. Maybe offer to video chat, except Xiao can’t, because he’s not allowed to have any other social media than this limited texting app yet and—

Everything sucks. In a surge of anger, Xiao kicks his nightstand and throws his door shut behind him with a soundly bang .

Damn it! He wants to make Retuo proud too—why is it always Ganyu who gets the praise? Her report card wasn’t that much of an improvement on his, she didn’t even have a single hundred out of a hundred! And her subject material is still Year 6 level, nothing to boast about! Envy gnaws at his mind when he flops down on his bed and reaches for his phone under his pillow.

Ugh… fuck her, honestly. She could’ve at least stood up for him.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Dinner is tight and incredibly freaking awkward. Ganyu happily chatters away about her day like she always does, and both her parents try as they might to keep up with her.

Xiao doesn’t feel like eating, poking his utensils into his food and wishing he was literally anywhere else. Ganyu tells about how she and her friends were essentially the stars of the playground today, and Xiao is grateful he’s going away to junior high next year.

Retuo snidely asks when Zhongli is going back to work. The snide, of course, flies completely over Ganyu’s head: rather than being bothered by it, she inquires about the new artifact Zhongli will be getting next week. He decides to answer that question instead.

Xiao suppresses a scoff.

Finally, Zhongli manages to ask Xiao about his day as well. Xiao tries to be as concise as possible and leave as much dissatisfactory stuff out as he can without sounding like he’s making everything up, studying Retuo’s face the entire time.

Retuo’s mouth pulls down as if to say “not bad” when Xiao tells about how he used a small threat of physical violence to get rid of some kids harassing him and Shenhe during the break, and finally, the thirteen year old manages to relax. Alright!

“I actually felt kinda cool for a change,” he says, a little more confident. “They won’t bother us anymore, that’s for sure.”

“Nerd,” Ganyu whispers.

“Ha. Good job,” Retuo says, however, scooping a second serving of crab roe tofu on his plate. “Keep up this stance through the last stretch of the year and you might just become something yet. If you ask me, parents aren’t raising their kids right these days. A little help can only do them good.”

Beside him, Zhongli says nothing.

Xiao decides to take that as a compliment and gleefully shovels black-back perch stew into his mouth. “Right! They’ll get two fists down their throat if they bother us again,” he says through his chewing. “They’re just a bunch of assholes anyway, it sucks I’ll probably be stuck with them again next year.”

Even though Retuo turns back to Ganyu to continue his conversation with her, he feels a lot better than he did before. His father is still fond of him, at the end of the day. He just needs to work a little harder to get it out of him!

When everyone is done eating, the kids both help clearing the table, and Xiao offers to wash the dishes now that the large stewing pot is taking up half the dishwasher. Ganyu frowns in agitation, but Xiao, honest to the gods, could not care less and simply starts without awaiting a reply.

With his hands in his front pocket and a relaxed slump in his back, he returns upstairs after.

His game is still paused there, the still-frame screen hopefully shimmering in anticipation. Now that he’s filled with renewed vigor, his fingers are itching to kill the onslaught of enemies threatening the historic Liyueren village in this level!

He has barely settled in or he hears a knock on the door.

“Yeah?” he calls.

Zhongli peeks inside. He's got a rather intense look in his eyes, as if something bad has occurred, and automatically, the ever curious dark-haired boy puts his controller down.

“Xiao,” Zhongli says gravely, “you are not… actually intending to fight children at school, are you?”

.. Ugh. Seriously?

Throwing his head back with a drawn out groan, Xiao unpauses his video game; nevermind, this isn’t worth the time. “Maybe, if they deserve it,” he says. “Look, if Father sees no issues with it, maybe you shouldn’t either. You’re already on burnout watch, don’t worry about such trivial crap on top of it.”

“Giving me a tough time again, huh…” Zhongli smiles ever so calmly, slipping inside the somewhat messy bedroom despite his son’s dismissive attitude. “Remember to remain respectful, little bird, I am still your dad.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry.”

It’s quiet for a moment, aside from the grunts and soundly “hyah”s of the game’s protagonist as Xiao mashes buttons and dodges enemy attacks to clear wave after wave of demons and other monsters.

“Aether gifted you this game last year, right? It has such an… interesting interpretation of a Yaksha.” Zhongli leans back against the door.

“Don’t expect one hundred percent historical accuracy in a video game, I guess. Shit—”

“I don’t mean to be negative, I appreciate his wild aesthetic. I simply find it interesting that he faces no repercussions for his actions.”

Xiao’s eyebrows knit together in confusion, and he hisses through his teeth when an enemy takes his health bar down to zero. Damn it. He hears his dad stalking around his room still, and, with irritation bubbling on the back of his tongue, he whips his head up.

Zhongli is looking at the Yaksha mask on its designated stand.

“You know,” he says, tenderly trailing his slender fingers along the engraved, teal lines of the mask, “the Yakshas were said to be beings of incredible strength and fortitude. They could slaughter anything they set their minds to, even the powerful demons spawned from the hatred of fallen gods. However, for every kill they made, for reasons both noble and evil, they collected karmic debt. They could go insane from too much of it.”

“I already know that,” Xiao mutters. He tosses his controller to the side and crosses his arms.

“Haha, I find it quite sweet that you’ve still got such a keen interest in them.” Then, Zhongli sits down on the edge of his bed, his knees right beside his son’s head. “Of course, the Yakshas of old were said to only slaughter in order to protect Liyue—but they garnered karmic debt nonetheless.”

Xiao stays quiet and sulky, unsure where his dad is trying to go with this. He feels the warmth of a hand lingering above the top of his head for a moment, before shamefully retreating.

Hey… why isn’t he getting a head pat?

“I am trying to say that it could be taken as a metaphor if so desired, little bird. No matter whether something is done with purely good intentions or out of genuine ill will… if the action is just severe enough, you will carry the negative consequences either way.”

“That’s an elaborate way of telling me I shouldn’t beat up bullies.”

Zhongli laughs. “By all means, get back at them where it hurts—just make sure not to take it so far that it’ll follow you for the rest of your life.”

Fiddling with the plush sleeves of his hoodie, Xiao carefully nods. “Okay,” he says quietly. “I’ll make sure to… to do that. .. Thanks, Dad.”

“Of course, sweetheart. And… I understand that you’re seeking your father’s approval. I get it, I truly do. Validation is important at this age.” Zhongli’s exhale is deep, and carries a painful kind of load. “Just don’t go above and beyond, little bird, don’t lose yourself in karmic debt along the way. There is no need to. I know he sounds harsh at times, but he loves you so much—he just wants you to do well.”

To that, Xiao doesn’t respond.

For a while, they sit in silence, looking at the idle animation of the Yaksha main character on the game-over screen. Against expectations, Zhongli doesn’t make any preparations to move, simply admiring the fluid, well-textured art style.

Xiao slowly tilts his face up. “You can pat my head,” he says. His cheeks puff up, and he quickly pretends he doesn’t actually care whether Zhongli does or not. “If you want, it’s whatever…”

“Hm, what’s that?”

“I said you can just pat my head.”

“I didn’t quite catch that, I’m afraid.”

Are you shitting me? , Xiao thinks as he moves to shoot Zhongli a powerful glare. He’s greeted by mischievously twinkling amber, and a suspiciously innocent smile.

“Fuck off, Dad,” he mutters as he climbs onto his bed and wraps his arms around his dad’s shoulders.

“Language,” Zhongli says strictly, and they fall back into the sheets.

Xiao snuggles into his comfortable embrace and goes limp like a doll, his deep sigh taking all his worries with it. He missed the way in which Zhongli runs his fingers through his hair and simply lets him sit there to absorb the affection, without really expecting much in return.

He can indulge in it every now and then, right?

“You know, when we were little, me and Aether genuinely thought that it was called ‘ceramic debt’,” the teenager mumbles in his dad’s arms, “and the Yakshas would hex ceramic pots or something to catch demons with, and break the pots to kill them, which would then lead to the Yakshas being indebted to the hexed pots’ spirits.”

“Really now?”

“Yeah. We were super freaking dumb.”

“Oh, on the contrary!” Zhongli chuckles heartily, in that specific way of his, and gives Xiao a comforting squeeze. “I think it’s very smart that you two came up with a proper theory for a misheard word.”

“Pfft, Dad—I’m thirteen years old, you can just tell me I’m dumb when you think I’m dumb. You big liar.”

“Who, me? I would never lie to you, sweetheart.”

Ha. Sure.

“You boys do know it’s ‘ceramic’, right? With an ‘s’-sound?”

“.. Huh?” Well, now Xiao actually feels dumb.

They lie like that for a while. Zhongli asks about school and how Aether is doing, tenaciously prodding at his son until he gets a little more out of him than omitted details and flustered “it’s fine”s, “okay, I guess”es and “I don’t know, maybe”s. He croons fondly, which only leads to Xiao getting even redder.

Why is he getting on his case anyway, him and Aether just talk a lot. That’s all!

Then, unfortunately, Zhongli changes the topic from something that makes Xiao’s heart flutter like a songbird to something that sinks him like a damaged cargo ship: one hour of studying a day. No way around it, no choice in the matter—those grades need to go up, if it can still save his junior high application. Zhongli is meticulous with discussing the terms, as if they’re going to be assembling an actual contract with witnesses.

Ugh. Fine!

By the time Zhongli decides he ought to go back downstairs, Xiao has missed no less than twelve, possibly more, notifications from the same chat (Aether is insane, in fact; he can tell it’s him from the special notification sound he chose for him), his TV is overheating, he still needs to haul his ass into the shower, and he feels undeniably pleased overall.

Grinning giddily, he reaches for his phone.

 

[20:45
Bunny🐰: Ok I’m back too!!!! If my aunt makes radish veggie soup for dinner one more time I will pack my bags and run away forever, it’s so freaking nasty. Waiting for updates hehe

21:19
Bunny🐰: Kitty :(( Where are the updates :(( Did you die :(( Did you lose and start over :((

21:19
Bunny🐰: You secretly suck at the game, don’t you??

21:19
Bunny 🐰: I KNEW IT, I’m beating your score next summer!!!! I don’t need practice because I’m too cool actually, so you better prepare!!!!!!!

21:20
Bunny🐰: I would like some attention please!!!!!!!!

21:24
Bunny🐰: Xiaoooo I’m gonna cry

21:24
Bunny🐰: Xiao

21:24
Bunny🐰: Xiao

21:25
Bunny🐰: Xiao

21:25
Bunny🐰: Fucker

21:25
Bunny🐰: Should I be worried :((

21:30
Bunny🐰: I miss you so much :’(( I’m seriously gonna come to your house and you’ll be sorry

21:31
Bunny🐰: I’m on my way to kick your ass right now

21:35
Bunny 🐰: *open image*
                 They’re ready for you

21:36
Me: Damn, bitch got so desperate he sent feet pics lol

21:36
Bunny🐰: SO YOU COME BACK FOR MY FEET BUT NOT FOR MY TEARS?!?!?! You suck, booooo

21:37
Me: Don’t be so clingy, cringelord

21:37
Bunny🐰: Your dad on a tricycle. What took you so long!!!!!]

 

Xiao huffs a laugh through his nose and immediately starts typing, telling his best friend all about what happened and Zhongli’s weird metaphor. He only leaves out the bits about Retuo; Aether doesn’t need to get hung up on such… um… trivial matters.

 

[21:41
Bunny🐰: Poor Yakshas :(( You never told me about them going insane and stuff before

21:41
Me: Didn’t need to, right? When were you ever gonna use that information lol

21:41
Bunny🐰: 😣

21:41
Bunny🐰: Don’t go insane please]

 

Xiao’s smile softens, as if Aether is sitting before him with those slightly too big, copper eyes filled with concern, glittering like precious metal in the rays of the sun. Maybe he’d be sitting really close, so Xiao can count the sparks in his eyes and…

Ack—what the hell is he thinking? Flustered, he shakes the image out of his mind.

 

[21:42
Me: I’ll try, but only because you apparently already go nuts when I don’t show up for like, five minutes. And one of us needs to pilot a functional brain 💀

21:42
Bunny🐰: Shut up!!!! First of all, it was 30 minutes. second of all, it wasn’t even because of you or anything, I was just bored is all

21:43
Me: You’re so fucking cute ♥️]

 

Furrowing his eyebrows, Xiao stares at the message he just typed up. Just like an awkward slip of the tongue, blurting out something meant to stay within the confinements of his mind, the text was sent before he’d even thought it through.

It’s just four little words and an emoji, but he feels like they say too much.

It sounds way too genuine, doesn’t it? Oh gods, will Aether think it’s weird? Damn it, and it's a text, too! It's permanent! Maybe Xiao should do some damage control and quickly send a playful insult or a stupid picture after it or something—but it’s already too late.

He swallows thickly when he sees the three little dots signifying that Aether is typing. His fingers are tingling with a sudden nervousness.

 

[21:44
Bunny🐰: Hehe >👅< Only for you, everyone else needs to think I’m cool. Besides, you’re way cuter anyway!!!! I’m gonna kiss you!!!!!!!]

 

.. Huh? Huh?!

Kiss me?!

With steaming hot cheeks and a pulse beating a passionate drum solo against his ribcage, Xiao abruptly throws his phone on the bed and stomps to the bathroom. He furiously mutters under his breath, redder than the ripest tomato.

Okay, well, so, Aether actually really sucks!

Notes:

Xiao: u suck
Aether: :3
Xiao:
Xiao: ò//ó
Also, Retuo try not to show blatant favoritism challenge (impossible).

New chapter is here! Last week has been a super busy week for me, I'm so sorry I didn't manage to reply to the comments this time! But I promise I've read every single one of them and you guys are so sweet, y'all motivate me to keep going for real 😭♡ /lh - I may try to reply at least a little still!
The good news is that I'm on break for a week, so I have more time to focus on the things I actually want to do. Might do something funny soon in fact... >:)

Chapter 21

Showered and well, Xiao lies in bed with his face to the wall. It’s almost midnight and the dreadful idea of school tomorrow tells him that he should sleep soon—but it’s as if everyone in Mondstadt is the most awake at this hour, even though there shouldn’t be more than an hour in time difference between them.

“Look what I got,” Venti types in the big group chat before showing a bottle of the most piss-looking mead Xiao has ever seen.

“Looks like piss,” Diluc indeed immediately responds.

“Then call me a watersporter because I am gonna drink all of it tonight, baby!”

“VENTI,” Jean furiously types, three times in a row, with increasingly more space between the capitalized letters, and she concludes with: “YOU ARE THIRTEEN YEARS OLD.”

“Almost fourteen, hehe~”

“Your mom will kill you.”

“Yeah? Who’s gonna tell her? You?? I’m free as a bird, you can’t stop me!”

The chat is immediately overrun by Jean, Kaeya, Lumine and Amber commenting on Venti’s behavior with various degrees of admiration and disgust, and Albedo randomly chiming in with something about spider venom.

Xiao huffs a breath out through his nose as silently as possible, grinning widely, unsure as he is about what a watersporter entails. He has never enjoyed being somewhere with so many people before, physically together or not.

Getting a little too curious, the teenager looks up what watersports refers to and—oh, shit, he should’ve used an incognito window for this. Eugh!

While the big chat is still going rampant, Rosaria sends a wall of skull emojis in the broody bunch chat, as if she, too, just learned new information against her will. Diluc replies with one singular one.

The redhead sends him a private message as well, but it’s just a picture of a pale middle finger pointed at Kaeya curled up on the couch.

Xiao snorts.

Two minutes later, he gets another notification, from Kaeya this time. It's a picture, again, of a tanned middle finger pointed at Diluc standing by the couch with the remote in his hand. Xiao wonders if they will be chased off to bed anytime soon, on account of it being a school night.

Entirely separated from all the Mondstadter chats, the big one suddenly having 30 unread messages, Shenhe sends him an image of her digital clock and unfinished homework, and Xiao sends her a disgusted double chin picture back. She offers him both her nostrils and one deadpanning eye.

Finally, he gets the most anticipated notification.

 

[23:42
Bunny🐰: The chat is too fast for me, it feels so weird :((]

 

Well—it has 75 unread messages now, rapidly climbing to 100, so Xiao can see where he’s coming from.

 

[23:42
Me: So that’s why you weren’t saying anything, I was wondering where you went lol

23:42
Bunny🐰: Is it less fun without me??

23:43
Me: Always >:0

23:43
Me: Wanna sit here for a while?

23:43
Bunny🐰: Yes please!!!!!

23:44
Me: Good because I just learned what watersports is and you’re gonna help me through these trying times before I die

23:47
Bunny🐰: *open voice message*]

 

With a soft smile, Xiao listens to Aether’s slightly distorted voice saying: “Gotcha!” He tells him about how he’s pretty sure he just found a new constellation through his bedroom window, and he thinks he should submit this discovery to the Sumeru Akademiya or something so he can become famous for a celestial discovery. “Anyway”, he has a test tomorrow that he didn’t study for and hopes to be struck by lightning on the way to school, “but anyway”, he wants Xiao to come over   because he sincerely believes that together, they could mash the material into Aether’s “stupid little bird brain, no offense” before the sun rises.

He’s so cute.

“I can’t,” Xiao whispers to his phone, holding the voice message button down, “but I wish, man. I could probably tell you exactly which constellation you’re looking at too, there’s no way you actually discovered a new one. Also, don’t say stupid shit, bunny—if you get struck by lightning, you’ll be dead and then, what am I supposed to do, huh? Just try to absorb as much as you can on the bus tomorrow, you’ve got a longer commute than I do anyway.”

He looks up. “Wake up an hour earlier and I can help you,” he adds, as if his grades are just that good. “Well, I’m hungry. I’m gonna go grab a snack. Please wait for me here.”

In reality, the light in the hallway just finally went out, which means Ganyu has gone to bed. And Xiao… he really wants to know if there’s anything his father is adding to the fiasco that was the reveal of his report card this evening.

Pfft, who is he kidding? Of course Retuo is not done being vocal about it. Xiao just needs to know to what extent he’s screwed.

By the time he has carefully nestled himself in his usual hiding spot in the kitchen, right behind the trash can, his dads are already balls deep in their rather heated discussion. They’re just loud enough to signify mutual disgruntlement, but quiet enough so as to not alert the kids.

That is, if the one currently in the kitchen was actually in bed.

“But you cannot just be cruel to him like that.” That’s Zhongli, and the slow, ominous pacing back and forth must be Retuo. “That won’t teach him anything, all it will lead to is the belief that he will never be good enough for you.”

“Oh, come on, he is not made of brittle porcelain. If he can’t handle the real world now, I don’t see him tackle it when he’s older.”

Thanks, Xiao thinks, masking sadness with a frown.

“Does the ‘real world’ per definition entail his father being significantly colder towards him than need be? If anything, aren’t we, as his parents, supposed to offer him shelter from the harsh edges of the ‘real world’?”

“Archons, aid me. If you’re going to bitch about this all evening, head upstairs and find yourself one of your mirrors to peruse. I’ve had a rough day, I cannot listen to this on top of everything else I’ve been juggling in a mere two hands. Perhaps I should be the one put on burnout watch, hm?”

The contempt in his voice, it’s… why is it so acidic?

“Perhaps you should,” Zhongli mumbles. Xiao almost can’t hear him. “The Retuo Longwang I married would have never even dared to treat his family this way. Taking a long, proper rest would do you some good.”

“Ha! As if I could trust you to keep this entire household afloat by yourself. Before I know it, we’ll be bankrupt. In any case, just drop it—I don’t see why I cannot be dissatisfied with a damn forty out of a hundred for one of the most important subjects in the modern world. He’ll get my support once he has earned it.”

If Math wasn’t so fucking difficult, then..! Xiao bites back the load of angered thoughts banging at the door in his mind, in favor of the anxious ones already whirling within.

There is some scraping, as if a chair was just dragged back or shoved forward. “And it is not impossible, Zhongli. Ganyu is managing just fine, isn’t she? If he took after her more, regarded her as an example, he’d be halfway there already. Perhaps you should worry less about me, and more about the time he spends on his phone or locked away in his room like some hermit, when those two could be spending time together.”

Wait, what? Ganyu is the better example, just because she got some sixties where he got forties?

Again, the anger rears its head. It throws itself against the carefully locked door of Xiao’s mind in utter disdain, screaming to be let inside. He has to grit his teeth and clench his nails into the skin of his palms to stay where he is.

Ganyu is fucking nothing! She’s his little sister, two years younger than him, she doesn’t face half of the problems he does with her cute little babyface everyone at school loves so much, and her large group of friends, and decent fucking grades! Which are obviously decent, she’s still only in Year 6!

She’s just as snappy and cranky as him at times, she’s just as disrespectful when she’s not feeling her best, she’s just as embarrassingly childish and even more so! Why should he have to take her as an example when she does the exact same shit as him and just reaps more sympathy for them?

She’s got no business being the favorite child. She hasn’t even done any archery competitions yet and Retuo is already more interested in her after-school curriculum than Xiao’s—but she’s got nothing that Xiao doesn’t also have!

Right?

It’s quiet for a long time, aside from some keyboard taps and mouse clicks.

Then, a deep, drawn out sigh fills the stillness of the dimly lit home: “Retuo… He tries really hard to appease you.” Zhongli sounds mellowed out, as though he is at wit’s end. “You’re his father. Please have some compassion. He loves you so much.”

To his surprise, what follows is a laugh. It’s nothing warm or gentle, nothing with that comforting raspy tenor to it that Xiao was so fond of when he was little; it’s cold. Incredibly so. Cold, and resentful.

“But he isn’t really mine, is he?” Retuo says, the same chill reflected in his tone.

Xiao feels as though struck by lightning in Aether’s stead.

“.. Pardon me?” Zhongli sounds startled, if anything. “I am going to assume you mean to get technical about it. However, if that were the case, neither of them are either of ours. Technically speaking, of course.”

“You know damn well that’s not what I mean.” Retuo’s laptop clicks shut. “I house him. I feed him, I send him to school, I ensure his needs are met. But what is he of me, really? We were dating for eight months to the day, and you spent half of them going behind my back to adopt some kid with my money. You never let on that you even still wanted children and one day, I come home, and there he is. And I just have to roll with it.”

Wait—wait, this is—

Xiao has known for years that Zhongli adopted him without really discussing the ins and outs of the adoption and the oncoming responsibilities with Retuo, and it hasn’t ever bothered him. But only because, all these years, he had the genuine impression that it had never bothered Retuo either.

I’m tired, I should go to bed, he thinks. This is the moment to get up and leave, before he hears something he will never be able to forget. He knows that. But his feet are nailed to the floor with titanium coffin nails.

Zhongli stutters when he talks. It gives off a distressed impression. “I—what? Why are you steering the conversation this way, this is not what I wanted to—”

“It’s because he looks like her, isn’t it?”

“What?”

What..?

“He looks like that damn Guizhong of yours. The older he gets, the more he resembles her.”

Guizhong. Xiao has heard that name before, once, long ago.

“.. You need to stop. You really—really need to drop this.” The distress turns into despair.

“I do, huh, because gods forbid my pretty little princess feels a little uncomfortable. You know what it looks like, Zhongli?” Heavy footsteps pace around the room, like a leering wolf locked on its prey.

The words he viciously spits into the world prove that Xiao should learn to heed his own warnings. “It looks like you’ve been shamefully irresponsible as a young-adult and the mother ditched your young at my doorstep to save face. Or, given the fact that we were already fucking dating when you adopted an entire child behind my back, like you’ve been a cheating little whore whose scrappy fling didn’t want the community scrutiny, and left all the evidence with you before disappearing off the face of the earth. I was just generous enough to take it in.”

Before Xiao knows it, his stomach lurches like he’s been strapped into a rollercoaster against his will.

He called me “it”. He called Dad a whore, he sees me as nothing.

Retuo hates him.

Father detests me.

It’s so quiet, then, that the drop of a nail could startle the child trembling behind the trash can, his hands pressed so firmly to his mouth to keep all the sounds inside that he feels his teeth imprint into his lips.

“Don’t you ever speak of her like that again,” Zhongli says, and there is a sudden stone-cold edge to his voice. He is trying so hard to keep his cool that Xiao can hear it. He imagines a dormant dragon being prodded with a spear, and it shakes him to the bone. “The only reason your jaw is still intact right now is because it would hurt the children if it weren't, do you hear me?”

“How romantic, threatening your husband with assault! Don’t tell me you’ve gone crazy too, on top of everything else.” A sneer rests in the older man’s voice. “You know I’m right, you bitch—you would not be letting out a peep if I could raise my voice at you right now. You would be begging for forgiveness like you always do. But just like you, I suppose, I am keeping it together, for my daughter’s sake.”

Like an arrow from a bow, Xiao bolts out of the kitchen. He runs up the stairs two steps at a time, the words bouncing around his head like a scream in an echo chamber. The only thing he’s deliberately quiet about is closing his door, lest he wake up Ganyu.

He believes that if he has to look her in the eyes right now, he might just hit her.

Zhongli has children, and Retuo—Retuo has a daughter. That’s it. A daughter, and the spawn of his whore of a husband.

Xiao chokes on his sobs as he scrambles into his bed, his fingers fumbling desperately for his phone. His vision is so blurry he barely sees what he’s doing, and it feels like reality is crumbling at the seams.

[00:05
Me: Shwn

00:05
Me: Shenhe

00:05
Me: Shenhe please be awakr

00:05
Me: I dn’t think my father wants me

00:06
Me: I don’t know what to do

00:06
Shen🌺: Are you okay? What happened?]

 

He texts like something has possessed his hands, halfway through typing a paragraph begging her to please wake up right now before he realizes she has already replied. In the spur of the moment, he hasn’t actually even thought about whether he should share what happened at all.

Xiao just knows he’s panicking, and he needs… something. He needs something, but he has no idea what.

 

[00:07
Me: No

00:08
Me: No]

 

It's all he manages to text back.

The next thing Xiao knows, his phone is lighting up with Shenhe’s caller ID. His shaking thumb presses the green horn, and he slowly raises his phone to his ear.

“What happened?” Shenhe’s voice is firm and intent, but… gently so.

“F-fighting,” Xiao whispers through hiccups and disgusting snot explosions in the back of his nose. “They… they fought and they—I-I was supposed to… to leave and I sta-stayed and—and Father said—”

“.. Yes?”

“Fa-Father said—he said—” He presses his hand to his mouth and mumbles through a small gap between his fingers: “He said D-Dad’s a whore and I’m—I’m nothing and—I-I think he… he doesn’t wa-want me and—”

Nothing else comes out.

The line is silent on the other end of the phone, aside from the static sound of rustling sheets. Xiao simply cries; there is no point holding it back if liquid is already leaking from every orifice in his face. He cries like a pathetic infant, burrowing underneath his blankets and pillows, and he mows around for his cat plushie.

He feels simultaneously embarrassed and gratified to finally let go of something. Why is everything going to hell like this..?

“Xiao… don’t worry. It’s okay,” Shenhe then whispers. “You know what my dad once said to me, when the divorce was still ongoing?”

Sniffling, Xiao murmurs quietly: “Nuh…”

The thirteen year old laughs; it’s half scornful, and half… not quite emotional at all. “He said I was a lunatic little monster and I was better off living with ‘that other monster’ to keep me under control. Turns out that he was just extremely upset that I wanted to live with my mom in my old house, instead of with him in a new house far away. He only wanted his little girl with him.”

Do parents really just—say anything to their children, all the time?

“It still hurt, of course, but parents say such dumb shit when they’re having problems, it’s unreal. Your father wants you. He does, I know it.”

“R-really?” Right now, Xiao finds it incredibly difficult to believe. But Shenhe sounds so sincere, and whether he believes it or not doesn’t matter in the face of the bawling little baby in his mind that just wants to latch onto any reason to not feel pathetic and hopeless.

“Really. Go do something soothing, okay? Take your mind off of it, and if you can’t sleep, fake disease until Mr Zhongli thinks you’re ready for the morgue tomorrow. Take that three day weekend like you’re ripping out the heart of a slain enemy.”

Something soothing…

“T-thank you, Shenhe,” Xiao whispers.

“Don’t mention it. I’m coming over this weekend, okay? We’ll just do what we always do and pretend reality is not actually real. Maybe we can go to your track practice together too.”

“U-uh-huh…” He’d like that.

“Alright, deal. Crap, Mom’s awake, gotta run.” With that, his friend hangs up.

Automatically, Xiao’s shaking fingers lead him to a different chat.

 

[00:20
Me: Awther?

00:20
Me: Ar e you awake?

00:20
Me: Csn you tell me more about the constellation you ssw?

00:22
Bunny🐰: Well I’m awake now, spammer!!!!! What do you wanna know about it then?

00:22
Me: Jusr anything

00:22
Me: Can you cll and tell me out loud?

00:22
Bunny🐰: ?

00:23
Bunny🐰: Did something happen??

00:23
Me: Nothing

00:23
Bunny🐰: Are you sure?

00:26
Bunny🐰: Xiao

00:26
Me: Nothing happened. I just wanna hear you talk]

 

Again, the screen lights with a caller ID—Aether’s, this time. Xiao briefly shuts his eyes, greedily sucking in air through his teeth. He picks up, and swiftly mutes himself. Aether doesn’t need to know. Xiao isn’t ready for how real everything would become once it travels beyond Liyue Harbor.

“Hi kitty.” The Starfell boy sounds slightly distorted, but the fabricated idea of his presence takes the tension out of Xiao’s shoulders all the same. “You… you good?”

No.

“You’re muted,” Aether whispers. “I dunno if you know.”

Xiao texts him: “I just want to listen to you.”

“Alright… You’re so weird, dude. If anything is wrong, please tell me. I can help, okay? I don’t want you to be upset.” Aether’s voice is inviting and sweet, like fresh honey tastes on the tongue.

Xiao doesn’t reply.

“.. Okay, so,” Aether takes the cue and begins to talk, knowing he won’t be interrupted, “the constellation I saw—I think it is one. I’m still trying to figure out if one of the stars is actually a star or a satellite. It doesn’t really look like much, but no constellation actually looks like anything when you think about it. What counts is what people think they see, right? Well, I’m pretty sure I saw some sort of bird shape in it, the way I used to draw them when I could barely hold a pencil and thought birds were essentially messed up V-shapes. Maybe it’s got a neck, too, a really elegant one, unless the star I think is the head is a satellite. It’s sunk like, all the way into the constellation too. The wings reach higher?”

That’s Alatus Nemeseos, idiot , Xiao thinks to himself as he places his phone beside his pillow and just listens to his best friend describing the Alatus constellation, wholly convinced it’s a never before seen cluster of stars. His lips curl into the tiniest smile, and just for a moment, he imagines that the cat plushie squeezed to his chest is actually the boy talking to him.

Childishly, he wishes they were lying in their base in Starfell right now, close together instead of miles apart. He wonders if he could convince himself to tell Aether, then, about what actually happened.

In the end, Xiao falls asleep to Aether’s voice wishing him goodnight. He only barely registers the quietly added: “I care so much about you. I wish you knew. Please talk to me some time.”

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The next morning, Xiao feels like utter ass. He’s sure his head is being split in two by a concrete hammer and it weighs a tonne, and his eyes sting terribly. It doesn’t even take that much to convince Zhongli to let him stay home: the man takes one look at his bleary eyes, trembling frame and the head he’s manually trying to keep upright, and he’s picked up by the waist and tucked into bed until the blanket sits above his nose. Zhongli promises to make some warm broth for him as soon as Retuo is out of the house.

Eugh, no thanks!

Ganyu goes to school as normally… but, unfortunately, today has to be the day Retuo decides to work from home on an actual work day.

It would be awfully ironic if he’s staying home for the same reason Xiao is.

Because Zhongli can’t split himself in two to cover two floors and he’s got… should-have-been-secret affairs to deal with, he kindly forces Xiao to come lie on the couch downstairs. Where Retuo is also working.

It’s literally among the last things Xiao wants right now, but of course, he can’t freaking say it because he’s not supposed to know anything that transpired last night.

So, wholly against his will, the dark-haired boy is carried downstairs. Zhongli nestles him away into the cushions of the enormous couch with one blanket too many, a cold cloth on his forehead, and a cup of well-intended piss-water-chicken-broth on the coffee table beside him.

“Got sick?” Retuo grumbles from behind his laptop.

“Yes, he… he did,” Zhongli answers, quiet and polite, “and I thought it would be a good idea to move him downstairs, so that I might look after both of you at once.”

“Mm. Convenient timing. Make sure he doesn’t make noise when I’m in a meeting.”

“Of course, my love.”

“Tss.”

Oof. Xiao swallows thickly and asks if he can please have his plushie and his phone and headphones, in the tiniest voice ever conceived. Luckily, Zhongli decides not to deny him entertainment, and Xiao uses it to hide to the best of his ability.

It’s definitely… a sick day, that’s for sure. Xiao is getting pampered way more than he expected he would and he’s actually kind of enjoying himself. But at the same time, Retuo is sitting there at the head of the dinner table, wafting his hostile energy around the room like he’s an electric fan with a bag of ice cubes dangling in front of it.

He doesn’t want me. Xiao tries to chase the thought away every time it sneaks up on him.

Zhongli is extremely apologetic the entire time, as inconspicuous as possible, doing the sweetest things for Retuo and taking it upon himself to make sure that his husband doesn’t need to lift a finger for anything but the keyboard of his laptop. Once, Xiao actually hears him whisper it, as if he thinks Xiao is deaf: “I am so sorry about yesterday, Retuo, I really am. You said some hurtful things, but I—I shouldn’t have threatened you. I would never hit you. I’m sorry.”

Even with the verbal apology and all the special care, Retuo stands like a rock in a storm; no matter how hard Zhongli tries, he doesn’t relent. At times, he looks… resentful, and condescending, and Zhongli simply shrinks in on himself and continues trying to make it up to him, doting on him with every step he takes.

It feels wrong, somehow.

It’s just one hour before Ganyu is supposed to come home when Retuo finally gives in. He wraps his arms around the brunette’s waist and pulls him into his lap, engulfing him in an embrace, and peppering his face with kisses until Zhongli is giggling like some shy schoolgirl.

He doesn’t have any attention left for Xiao, and looks so genuinely relieved that it’s as if he just realized he learned a lesson the hard way. As if he realized this didn’t need to go the way it did, if he just hadn’t stuck to his guns; that things can be normal if he just doesn’t let it escalate.

For a moment too long, Xiao fears the day his dad will no longer stand up for him.

And once Ganyu gets home and she, too, gets a quick, but earnest hug while Xiao has been lying on the couch right behind Retuo all day without as much as a glance being shot his way, he understands something has to change or this will only get worse.

From then on out, the thirteen year old tries harder than ever before to appease his father and get anything out of him that he would have effortlessly gotten when he was still a little boy. He cannot give Retuo any further incentive to actually dislike him, he just can’t: he’ll work hard so that Retuo has nothing to be dissatisfied with, which in turn will mean Zhongli has no need to defend him—and when he has no need to defend him, he cannot decide to stop doing so on his own accord.

Xiao will be the perfect son, no matter what it takes: one that Retuo will be grateful to have!

But… even when he does get a head pat, or a hug, a smile, a: “Great job, I knew you could do it,” hell, even a: “Love you too, kid”... he still has that awful, nagging feeling that his father sees him differently by default.

Xiao desperately wishes he had left when he’d told himself to, that night.

Notes:

Well... at least... at least we got some... origin lore..? Damn. Feelsbadman :( Luckily Xiao has Aether by his side through these trying times, even if he won't spill the beans - and Shenhe is coming in clutch.

A small bonus chapter this week! Because y'all are so cool. /lh
I say this and it's heavy angst lol... apologies. Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter for what it is! See you on Saturday ♡

Chapter 22

Summer, Year 6

 

Hi kitty,

 

I know I already bitched about the hard tests that were really only hard because I didn’t freaking study and you already called me stupid for it, which is true said they would be easier if I just studied. I will next time. And you said you did agree because you’re almost going to junior high and they’re bombarding you with horrible tests. We talked about it. I guess.

And I already told you about Lumine ditching me for her friends all the time and freaking gods, Auntie is so cruel to us if Auntie tells me to stop being moody when I’m not having a good time one more time, I’m gonna kill my I’m gonna cry. And Diluc is going to high school when summer ends too, just like you. Except you’re going to junior high, I guess. Isn’t it just the same, anyway? Why does yours need a special name? Well, whatever. I feel lonely. I didn’t tell you that bit.

I already told you everything I could. But… it’s not actually everything. I’m really scared. Without Lumine I’m barely scraping by, and when Diluc’s gone, I’ll be all alone. I feel sad and angry all the time and I don’t fit in at all. Every time I’m home for the weekend, I feel so much dread for going back to Mondstadt City. It’s like the city kids know exactly where to prod, and they keep doing it, and I don’t know how to make them stop because if I tell on them I’ll be told to point them out for a stern talking-to and they’ll only get worse then, and if I burst into tears they’ll laugh at me, and if I bust a freaking vein they’ll laugh at me all the same. Why can’t I control my own thoughts anymore?

I miss you so much. I wish I could tell you about this, but that scares me too. I don’t want you to look at me differently. I don’t want things to feel weird, all of a sudden. You’re the only thing that still feels normal or whatever, I don’t know. You’re special to me. If I lose you too, I won’t know what to do. Everything sucks, I don’t want things to change anymore.

 

I really miss you. Please come soon.

 

Aether

With a forlorn sigh, Aether rips the page out of his notebook, scrunches the letter into a ball, and chucks it over his shoulder. It thumps into the trash bin by his tiny nightstand, joining a few others.

He should stop wasting paper. He won’t send another letter, and he wouldn’t say any of this over text. It’d feel… awkward? Like it’s too much? Like it might ruin how Xiao sees him, how rosy their conversations feel?

It’s four in the morning on the last day of school, and as Aether sits on his single sleeper and the sun begins to creep over the horizon, casting dim summer light through the window of his tiny attic bedroom, he wishes he’d catch a disease within the hour so he wouldn’t have to go. Maybe he’ll just fake it and call in sick regardless. It’s the last day anyway; what are they gonna do, give him detention tomorrow?

But he’d miss his last day with Diluc, and he promised him that they’d sit underneath their favorite tree on the courtyard one more time. You know, to commemorate seven years of elementary school together. Seven years of Aether having something to hang onto, small as it may be. Even in the years that their respective grades were not taught together, Diluc was always just around the corner, ready to make his presence known. And unlike elementary school, similar grades aren’t taught together at all in high school. Aether fears that even if he does make it into the same high school as the Ragnvindr brothers, he’d still barely see Diluc because they would always be in different classes.

If Lumine doesn’t start remembering her twin brother exists… Oh, it’s going to be hell next year, when he’ll be all by himself for the first time ever.

Aether casts a look at his digital alarm clock; time is crawling by so sluggishly that he may as well risk it all and sleep some more. But no matter how hard he squeezes his eyes shut, or how little he tries to think, he tosses and turns until it’s just pointless to stay here.

Feeling defeated, the boy decides to simply get up. He kicks his thin summer blanket off and swings his legs over the edge of the bed. It’s five in the morning now, and he considers waking Lumine up too: bitterly, Aether thinks that Aunt Annette may actually stop complaining about the “moody puberty twins” for once if they’re both dressed and ready before six.

But—nah, they’ll raise her expectations, and then she won’t ever stop reminding them of this one day next year!

Aether drearily drifts to and from, gathering up clothes and deodorant to take with him to the small bathroom one floor down. He takes his phone, too, in case someone is just as full of early morning misery as him.

Yawning, he flops all his stuff down on the gleaming lid of the marbled toilet seat. When he stretches his arms above his head, he catches his own face in the mirror. He still isn’t used to seeing such dark circles under his big, copper eyes, but he probably won’t get rid of them anytime soon, so… whatever.

It’s fine. Everything is fine.

At least his hair looks funny this morning; he hasn’t gotten it cut since October last year, so it reaches past his shoulders now, and his restlessness has messed it up so bad that he could probably convince a bunch of pigeons to nest in it. Aether suppresses a snicker and snatches his phone off the sink. Alright, if he just… positions himself like this—

It’s gotta be a little cute, he thinks as he gently presses a thumb against his cheek, squeezes one eye shut, and tries to look effortlessly casual despite showing off a rather explosive early morning bedhead. He only snaps the picture once he’s sure it looks perfect.

For no particular reason, obviously! It’s only Xiao, after all! But still!

He quickly sends it to Xiao before he can have second thoughts. “Morning loser!!!!!!” he types.

Aether then tosses his phone back on the sink and blows through his routine. The shower runs cold this morning, eliminating any potential remnants of sleep, and he almost falls over three times trying to get into these stupidly tight jeans. Ugh! Thank the freaking gods it’s almost baggy-pants-season again!

He stumbles over his own feet when his special notification alert rings through the bathroom, scrambling to the sink.

 

[05:21
Kitty🐱: *open image*
              Morning, stupid. You look like ass ♥]

 

With a dry throat, Aether opens the attached image. It’s a selfie too, one taken from a downward angle, and it’s gorgeous. Xiao’s dark hair is long and tousled, and it frames his face in such a way that it casts shadows over his narrowed eyes. His head isn’t tilted down with the angle, and he’s offering Aether a peace sign, mouth pulled into a playful little snarl.

Aether grins widely, saving the image without a second thought. Man, Xiao and his dumb poses—they never fail to make him feel a little better. His fluttering chest is much lighter now, and he responds: “Not as much as you!!!! 🥰” With renewed vigor, the blonde fixes himself up in the mirror before rushing downstairs to make himself some breakfast.

At least the last school day also means Xiao will be back soon, and they’ve already made plans; they’re going to the cinema, by bus, just the two of them, finally, and Aether hasn’t looked forward to something this much in months.

Five more days. He’ll live for five more days.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Even now they’re traveling to school by themselves, the twins still barely get there on time—but this time they blame the bus schedule! As soon as they enter the classroom, one minute before the first bell, Lumine disappears from Aether’s side to sit with Amber, Rosaria and Kaeya. She mumbles a hasty “see ya later”, but that’s all.

She’s been doing it almost all year, so Aether is used to it by now. Always with her friends, staying with them after school and coming home later than usual, after which she barely greets him or their aunt and disappears upstairs to call someone.

Aunt Annette complains about her being extra rude and moody all the time, and to keep her from calling their parents to complain about her niece and nephew some more, Aether stays downstairs with her most days. It's really annoying.

The teacher isn’t here to call them out on their timing yet again. Sighing, Aether makes his way over to his seat. Year 7 and Year 8 of elementary school are also taught together, so… technically, he should’ve had one more year with Diluc, but alas. The Year 8’ers have spent most of their time preparing for Year 1 of high school with all kinds of big tests and extra classes, and especially in the final trimester of the year, Aether barely ever got to see him anymore.

“Hey, look, if it isn’t the hick town hillbilly!”

Aether tries not to look up.

“Nice pants. Surprisingly.”

“They’re new,” Aether squeezes through his teeth.

Frederik, the same asshole who has been picking on him since day one, sneers; “So it’s only a matter of time before they start looking like you wrestled through cow dung? You farm people are disgusting, I’m so glad I only have to be near you at school.”

Aether clenches his teeth a little harder, but, unfortunately, they’re looking out for that, as of late.

“Aw, gonna cry? Or are you gonna yell at me again, huh, chipmunk? What did you say last time—‘I’ll shove a rake up your ass’? Hope you actually brought the rake this time!”

“Literally shut the fuck up or I’m hanging you from the flag pole before the day ends, Frederik,” Diluc snarls from their table, getting up with bravado to glare the perpetrator down. “And I’ll make the trade so everyone is sure to notice, too. I don’t think anyone cares which raggedy old thing sits with us here, and at least the flag doesn’t talk shit.”

The younger Ragnvindr brother has already had his first proper growth spurt. He’s towering over most of their classmates, including Kaeya, and it’s absolutely paying off: in combination with his fiery red hair and pitch black clothes, he looks murderous.

Frederik quickly sits down, wearing a perplexed look on his face, and whispers something to his friend, whom they still share a table with as well. Luckily, this idiot is also going to high school—but half his friend group is in Aether’s year, and they’re definitely not going to leave him alone once Diluc is out of the picture.

“Thanks Luc,” Aether says as he flops down in his seat, tossing his signature brown backpack on the table. He fixes his stupid tie and tries to comfortably bend his knees in these stupid jeans. “It’s so dumb that I’m basically wearing this church attire for nothing. I don’t know how I’m gonna make it without you next year.”

“Don’t worry,” Diluc mumbles. “My first goal is amassing a high school gang. If anyone bothers you, literally just text and I’ll roll straight up with an entire squad to beat them up. And alone just as easily, if I must.”

“Thanks.”

“In the meantime,” Diluc shoves some candy his way, “you should really start backing up your words with deeds. I’m not saying you should actually shove a rake up someone’s ass, although it’d be funny, but—you know a while ago, at the square, when some tourist idiots were bothering us and one shoved Lumine into the fountain, and—”

“Please don’t remind me of that,” Aether groans, burying his face in his hands.

“No, I will. You got really fucking mad and Kaeya and I had to hold onto you, and you were like… kicking and shouting and telling us ‘let me at ‘em’, and those fuckers backed off. That. You should do more of that.”

Eugh, it sounds even more embarrassing now! Aether quickly jams some candy into his mouth and shoves Diluc’s arm, trying not to remember the tourists’ confused faces when the harmless-looking little local began shouting threats at them. “I’m not fighting people. I could never.”

“Not saying you should. Just saying you should be a little more assertive. Make yourself look big, stand up for yourself. Maybe you shouldn’t wield the rake, but shove them at least. Oh, look alive, teacher’s here.”

Thankfully, the arrival of the teacher, with a tray filled with little bags of chips in her hands, cuts the awkward conversation short. Aether knows Diluc means well, but… after that thing with the tourists, Lumine wouldn’t stop fussing about him, and Aether had felt so awful about losing his cool in front of everyone that he hadn’t been able to sleep well for two days.

Besides, it’s easy for Diluc to say! The thirteen year old looks like your average fifteen year old gloomy goth nightmare boyfriend! Everything he says and does, works because he looks like he’d kill you and nobody would know! Especially compared to him, Aether is, honestly, just a little guy.

Aether frowns, propping his cheeks up on his hands as he listens to the teacher telling them all the games she’s got in store for her class today, as the Year 7s prepare to say goodbye to their Year 8 friends by having one more fun-filled day together.

It’s supposed to sound uplifting, but to him, it truly sounds like the end is near.

Despite today being special in nature, the bell alerts the kids of the break at the same hour as always. Aether and Diluc have mostly spent their time eating chips and talking, or scooting in with Lumine and the others, rather than actually playing the games the teacher had set up. At some point, everyone even escaped to the other classroom to hang out with Albedo and Sucrose.

Albedo will also be leaving them, after all, and he’s going to a different high school entirely. The same one Sucrose and Amber are aiming for… although Amber is super stressed out about how much her grades already leave to be desired.

Every now and then, Aether had sent pictures of Diluc and him to Xiao, and got some back that depicted Xiao and about half of a girl, in their school uniforms, having snacks. Ignoring a pang of jealousy, Aether had simply continued texting away about his last day of school as Diluc watched over his shoulder. Xiao had done the same and more. They’d called each other pretty and cute and the likes.

“That’s so gay,” the redhead had eventually whispered. Aether had firmly shoved him back into the table, red as a beet.

“Your dad’s gay!” he’d hissed back.

Now, the pair is making their way over to their favorite tree. This is the last break they’ll have together at this school, and they want to enjoy it the same way they always have. Unfortunately, once they get there…

Diluc spots it first; he abruptly halts Aether and pulls him back. Disgruntled, the blonde looks up from his phone—and he groans when he sees what’s up. Man, not again!

Rosaria is standing underneath the tree with a boy from Albedo’s class, whom she has begun to go out with since, what, a couple of months ago? It’s her very first boyfriend, and she spends a lot of time with him. And now they’re kissing underneath Aether’s and Diluc’s tree, ugh, and it isn’t even the first time they’ve caught them doing that.

Aether feels oddly attacked at the sight. Warm, as well, and his mind quickly wanders. For just a moment, sweetly narrowed, slanted, almost yellow eyes pop up in his thoughts… and he smiles foolishly to himself.

“Great,” Diluc sighs, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Want me to chase them off?”

“That’s Rosaria you’re talking about, you can’t just go and scare the crap out of her,” Aether says.

“I won’t, I’ll just tell her we aren’t going to Andrius’ Howl next week if she doesn’t take this nasty business elsewhere.”

Apparently, that’s a store the two often visit to buy clothes and accessories, as well as stuff like TV-show and band merchandise. People often write the place off as super edgy and lame, but considering the fact that many of those same people envy Diluc’s and Rosaria’s clothing style, Aether supposes it isn’t that lame after all.

“Nah, let them smooch if they want. We’ll just claim the bench.”

They saunter toward the designated school bench, as the sun shines the warm rays of early summer on them. Bumblebees are trying to pollinate the few flowers that manage to peek through the tiled school courtyard, but other kids keep scaring them off. Aether wants to hear the melody of nature, but all he hears is the cacophony of the big city.

Together, they sit down on the wooden, paint-chipped planks, and Aether texts Xiao to tell him what bullshit he just laid his eyes upon.

“So Rosaria’s dating now,” Diluc says, plucking a book out of his bag, “and Amber wants to, and I bet Jean has to stave off suitors left and right.”

Pfft, no doubt. Jean got a growth spurt of her own throughout her first year of high school, and, uh… the growth spurt also included a size increment in her… you know… Aether quickly shakes his head, not wanting to be rude, and pops the lid off his water bottle.

“What about you? Got a crush yet?” his friend asks.

He promptly spills his water all over himself. What—huh?! Why would he ask that! Such a dumb question, does Aether seem like he has a crush or something? Unheard of! Is it obvious? Should he be worried? Huh?! He doesn’t even have one, he would never, people are—gross! Disgusting! Ew! Yeah!

Aether’s palms are immediately sweating like crazy, and as he tightly sets his jaw and prepares to tell Diluc he’s nuts for ever assuming such blasphemy, his phone notification alert goes off. It’s the special one. The Xiao one.

The next instant, the Starfell boy’s heart is ricocheting around his chest like a mallet against the bars of a xylophone.

That’s… that’s a coincidence, though! He’s probably just having a heart attack right now, it’s no big deal.

Beside him, Diluc chuckles nonchalantly. “Is that a yes?”

“O-of course not!” Aether stutters, squeezing onto his bottle. He pulls up his knees, groaning at the water stains on his polite little brown vest. “I don’t have time for dumb stuff like that. Uh—I bet you’re only asking me to distract me from the fact you have one, aren’t you? I bet you do. Well, does little Lulu have a crush?”

With the change of topic, his voice even turning sing-song and playful, Aether hopes to fluster Diluc just as badly… but alas, the redhead simply shrugs.

“Not exactly,” he says. “I’m just experimenting, I guess. You wouldn’t know them though, they go to a different school.”

“Yeah, sure, we haven’t heard that one before,” Aether sneers, and he grips onto his phone to tell Xiao what has gone down in the ten minutes since he’d last told him what has gone down.

Wait… is that weird? Is that why Diluc thinks he has a crush? What—who even said Diluc assumed it to be Xiao? Obviously it isn’t! Aether doesn’t even have a crush.

Puffing his cheeks, the blonde furiously types away on his phone, calling Diluc cringe and all kinds of other things that the redhead simply reads along with and approves of, and Xiao sends a bunch of skull emojis back. Aether’s lips slowly curl upwards when Xiao, too, calls Diluc mega cringe in a saccharine sweet voice message that awakens a gentle flame in his stomach.

Hm…

Diluc grabs his own phone right away to personally tell Xiao he had better sleep with one eye open this summer.

Peace returns to Aether’s mind, and he smiles widely, nestling himself against his friend. They talk about different things, then; what Jean and Venti have gone through in their first year of high school, what Diluc plans to do once he meets his new class and possibly only knows Kaeya there, and, better yet, what he plans to do once he finds out nobody is as fun and cool and hilarious as Aether…

They enjoy the sun and each other’s company, even as the others suddenly loudly join their sides. Right before the break is supposed to end, an ice cream truck rolls through the open school gates: the teacher declares she had it come over so everyone could share in a true summer treat together. She silently adds to please not take more than two flavors, though.

Of course, Diluc, Lumine and Aether each take three, and Kaeya decides to take it all the way and gets an extra large, five-flavor cone with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry on top. The teacher promptly gives him after-school detention. He says it was worth it, though.

When everyone has just about finished their ice cream and it’s time to go back inside for the last activities, Aether manages to intercept Rosaria. He immediately takes her aside.

Rosaria is hardly impressed by his intense stare as he asks her: “Why are you dating your boyfriend? Did you have a crush on him or something?”

“Duh, Aether. Why else would I date someone, are you dumb?”

“Yeah, okay, but—how does it feel?” Aether insists, hoping to convey his message despite his piss poor vocabulary.

Rosaria parts her lips into a silent “o” and thinks for a moment. Apparently it’s a more serious question than he thought, too, because she takes a while to find the right words herself. “He lights up my dark soul, which is disgusting, but also cool, I guess,” she finally mumbles, twirling her short hair around a finger. “If you get what I mean. He makes me feel… nice? But it’s a different kind of nice than when I’m hanging out with friends or my dad. More special, I guess? I don’t know man, you ask the worst questions ever.”

Okay, so, that’s a bit gloomy, but—Aether feels like he’s struck by lightning. He can absolutely relate it back to how he feels about Xiao.

Wait, but… nah, he can’t have a crush. He just thinks Xiao looks nice, is all; he hasn’t ever considered smooching him behind a tree like Rosaria is doing or something. At least, he thinks so. Probably.

.. Maybe he thought of it a little every now and then. Maybe even a bunch of times. Just for fun, though! Not with any weird intentions, he just wondered what it would feel like! Earnest curiosity about something no one ever seems to shut up about doesn’t immediately mean you have a crush, does it?

“So you really like him?” the twelve year old asks.

The other twelve year old shrugs. “Yeah. He’s just perfect to me, I don’t know.”

“Nothing you don’t like? Does he pick his nose, believe deodorant can be used as a whole shower, or smell super weird after a workout, or something like that?” Aether continues sharply, unable to believe someone can just think someone else is perfect. Besides, no offense, but… the dude is kind of average-looking.

“Nah, not really. He’s perfect.”

Yeah, no, Aether still thinks Xiao sucks sometimes. He’s super annoying when he starts downplaying track achievements or other good things he’s done, and Aether has to send a voice message telling him he did well just so he’ll stop being a downer. It’s even more annoying when he gets grouchy and distant out of absolutely nowhere, leaving Aether to worry about what he did. And he seems really secretive sometimes. And he’s way faster now, which is just so unfair.

But… mostly, Aether thinks the world of his best friend. He’s not perfect, sure, but he is amazing. Still, that doesn’t sound much like a crush, does it? If he has to believe Rosaria.

“Never thought you’d be so interested in my dating life,” Rosaria then says monotonously. “Are you jealous? You wanna date me or something?”

“Huh, what—no!” Aether immediately sputters. “Ew.”

“Heh, whatever you say. I know you’re into the gloomy ones, bunny.” With that, Rosaria turns around and stalks inside, undoubtedly to where her little boyfriend is already waiting for her.

Ack—What is that supposed to mean?! Man, everyone sucks today!

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The day ends on a much better note than Aether had feared. Once they’ve smuggled Kaeya out of detention, the group bands together to get sandwiches at the Good Hunter, where Jean and Venti are also waiting for them to tell them horror stories about the first day of high school. Even Albedo and Sucrose are joining, and they look happy to be there.

Aether shares a sandwich with Diluc “for the last time on a school day”, and Diluc stocks him up on all kinds of candies he somehow stored in his coat, enough to last him a lifetime. As if the summer is already over! Kaeya is all over him, too, complaining about his serious lack of Aether-ism next year. He presses their faces together and twirls him around until Aether is dizzy with motion sickness.

To the blonde boy’s relief, it doesn’t feel like a goodbye. It feels more like a “see you guys next time”.

When it’s time to go home, Venti decides it’s appropriate to send everyone off with a bang; the fourteen year old, immensely talented when it comes to music, has brought his lyre along for an empowering ballad he wrote himself. He did not just think to bring some music, though. With a big smile, he reveals a fancy bottle of champagne that he nabbed from his parents for the occasion. He convinces everyone but Aether, Amber and Sucrose to take one of the tiny plastic cups he pulls from his leather hip bag.

Aether swallows nervously when Lumine laughs and downs it in one go. It’s just a small cup, but… oh, it’s probably fine. At least they’re with her friends, so if anything does go wrong…

Surely it won’t? It’s just one cup! Thoughts, please—

Diluc and Kaeya offer to bring the twins to the bus stop to see them off. Unfortunately, however, they can’t take them all the way. Crepus calls Kaeya about halfway there to tell him he’s… all the way over at school to pick the boys up, as a surprise, so they can celebrate surviving their last day of elementary school together. But he can’t find them. Obviously.

“Crap,” they say in unison. Diluc hugs Aether first, then Lumine. Kaeya crunches Aether to death, gives him a kiss on the forehead, grips Lumine tight enough to crack her back, and then, the Ragnvindr brothers both disappear into the crowd.

“Losers,” Lumine sighs affectionately, patting down her light blue, high-waist pants. She nudges Aether and hoists her school bag over her shoulder. “Come on, let’s head home. Bus should be here within a minute.”

“You okay?” Aether asks, trailing after his sister.

“Huh? Yeah, why shouldn’t I be?” She giggles, bouncing on her feet.

“Uh,” Aether tries not to sound too worried, “because you drank?”

“Only one tiny cup, it was barely a swallow.”

“Yeah, but—” The bus comes to a stop in front of the crowd that’s amassed, and the twins have to squeeze their way in to still have a chance for a seat. “—Ouch—don't you think that maybe drinking alcohol isn’t such a good idea? We won’t be thirteen yet for a couple more months. And we’re pretty far from, you know… eighteen…”

“And?”

“Well, I just think that—”

“Dude, I’ll be fine,” Lumine snaps, clutching onto the backrest of a seat to stay upright when they can’t find any to sit on anymore. She furrows her eyebrows, her copper eyes flaring in the late afternoon sun. “Please don’t tell me you’re gonna become boring too on top of sweaty, soppy and angry, you’re not the boss of me.”

Wow, ouch? Aether returns the glare. “Sorry for worrying about my sister, I guess?”

“Whatever, wet blanket. Just mind your business and I’ll mind mine.”

Damn, fine! Huffing angrily, Aether turns away from her for as far as he can in this overcrowded bus, and grips onto another seat. He tries not to get too upset or mad… but when he hears Lumine dial up Amber behind him when they literally just parted ways and she shamelessly tells her Aether is being super annoying right now, thinking he can’t hear her, he has to bite down on his tongue to not blow up then and there.

“Stupid bitch,” he spits, and Lumine quiets down for long enough to tell him he hurt her feelings.

Once they’re home, the twins greet Aunt Annette, glare at each other, and stomp upstairs, each sliding into a different bedroom.

Aether throws his bag on his bed and kicks his school loafers off, but he struggles with these new jeans way more than he can handle right now. Hot anger simmers in his throat as he snatches and snatches, the tight fabric not rolling off his legs with the speed and elegance he desires from it. He claws and tugs, cusses under his breath, gives the garment a yank, and then— rrrrip.

Oh, shit.

Aether calms down right away. He stares, completely aghast, at the seam he just snapped. With much more care and patience, he then slides out of his jeans with laughable ease.

Dread clutches onto his heart when he realizes how badly he lost his cool again. He hides the torn jeans inside the zipped up cover of his mattress, and prays to all that’s holy his aunt will never find them.

With his phone in his hand and a heavy brick of nausea in his stomach, he hides away under his blanket.

 

[18:00
Me: So when are you coming huh????

18:02
Kitty🐱: Couple more days, you big baby

18:02
Kitty🐱: I’m really looking forward to it, I miss you lol

18:03
Me: Me too!!!!!! I can’t wait till we can finally go to the cinema together!!!!

18:03
Kitty🐱: Honestly lol, if anyone else asks to come I’m gonna kill ‘em

18:04
Kitty🐱: You okay? Last day with little Lulu huh, will you manage?]

 

I feel like shit, Aether wants to type, nothing feels like it’s actually going my way. And once it does, it’s gone so fast you’d think it was never even good to begin with. I had a good day today and then I ruined it.

 

[18:06
Me: I’ll be okay!!! That loser says I have to learn to stand up for myself, and since he’ll be gone I guess I’ll have to now >:( I’m gonna be so hot and buff by the time summer ends that he’ll wish I had joined him in high school to keep him out of trouble instead!!!!!

17:07
Kitty🐱: HAHA you’re so cute! Don’t be a dumbass okay, don’t just randomly go around picking fights once you get hot and buff ♥️]

 

Aether tries to smile to himself, and forces the negative feelings to be buried alive beneath Xiao’s messages as he begins to tell him about his last hours at school. Xiao doesn’t need to know everything, does he? If he did, this conversation would turn so heavy—and Aether would rather forget his worries for a moment.

Xiao surely wouldn’t be mean about it. In fact, he might even know what to do, and be able to help, but… Aether would really rather just not think about anything but them right now.

Around dinner time, Lumine slides into his room to apologize, and Aether has long since cheered up by then. They laugh it off as an awkward sibling thing at first, sitting together on Aether’s bed to lightheartedly talk about next year, when they’ll be in their own last year of elementary school.

But then, Lumine finally admits she lashed out and didn’t mean to. Apparently, Jean has been telling her in detail about how high school is not what the girls had always dreamed it to be, and Lumine is genuinely scared of going. On top of their aunt getting on the twins’ case a little too much now that they’re getting older… It just got to her, she supposes.

With a soft sigh, Aether leans against her. He, too, feels comfortable telling her he got too angry too fast, and he is super sorry for calling her a bitch. Softly, they promise each other they'll look out for each other.

“Blood and bones?”

“Blood and bones. Always.”

“We’ll make it through everything in one piece together, right?”

“Oh, definitely. Puberty, high school…” Aether wraps an arm around his sister’s shoulder and grins. “As long as we’re together, we can do anything! You’re awesome, Meen.”

Lumine grins widely as well and nudges him. “You too, Aethy,” she says.

Together, they head downstairs and just kind of hope dinner is done yet, feeling a lot happier for it. And after that mess is over, Aether dives straight into a phone call with Xiao, where they complain about school to their heart’s content one more time, before they won’t have to think about it anymore all summer. Xiao even tells him he’s already packing, and Aether is over the moon.

He feels warm, he’s smiling ear to ear, rolling around his bed like he’s some high school girl in one of Lumine’s—apparently completely inaccurate—teen romcoms. In the same sentence Aether calls Xiao a loser, he also says he can’t wait to go to the cinema with just him, and they should definitely try to get one of those combo-seats so that annoying armrest won’t get in the way. And Xiao simply laughs softly as he mentions sitting together in their base, huddled together in blankets. Going to Starfell Lake together, to watch the stars. Venturing through the tall grass, to find quiet places where they can be just them with no one else.

“I can’t wait to squeeze your cheeks in real time,” Xiao says on the other side of the phone, as video game noises play in the background. “Ow, fuck—I hate this boss so much! We’re kicking its ass when I’m back.”

“O-oh. Uh, sure! For… for both.”

Aether is breathless. Does he maybe, after all..?

Huh—no way, he’s just happy he’s going to see his best friend in the entire world again! He does not have a crush on Xiao.

Notes:

Aether’s voice lines my beloved <3 Everyone sounds so chill when a teammate dies and they’re switched in, and then there’s Aether’s “LET ME AT ‘EM 👺👺👺" You got it buddy, get their asses.
He's having some struggles of his own out there - among which emotions that won't cooperate, and feelings that supposedly are completely one hundred percent inaccurate. Obviously!! /s /lh

A bit of a lighter chapter after the last two,, The chapters will also be a little longer a little more often as xiaother gets older and their feelings and home lives get more complicated, I hope it isn't too bothersome.
This is it for this week - see you guys next Saturday! ♡

Chapter 23

All year, Xiao’s peppy self had been Aether’s rock in a stormy ocean. He’d been so happy all the time, especially after that one night, that it had almost felt like a little too much. But he’d shot down every probe and question with a selfie of his cool smirk, or a rant about school or either Ganyu or his dad or something, so Aether had chalked it up to school being difficult, and let it go. Xiao seemed to be doing alright! Maybe even better than him, if he had to believe all those texts and calls.

Color him surprised, then, that now that he’s finally here, the Liyueren boy is… quiet.

“Hey—Xiao? Hello?”

“What?”

Aether waves his hand around in front of Xiao’s face a second time. “You were spacing out again,” he says. “If I’m that boring, just say so!”

“Huh?” Xiao defensively pulls up his shoulders, and he raises his chin too, for good measure. “No I wasn’t, jackass.”

“Hey! Yes you were, jerk.” Unbothered, Aether takes a bite out of his sandwich. The white, half-roasted bread is smeared with such a thick layer of sunsettia jam that he can barely keep it from dripping into his lap with every bite. Still, he valiantly protects his worn, dark brown jean-fabric shorts from smudges. He put some patches on it—one big monarch butterfly, and a beige cat with a sprout on its head.

The boys are sitting on a run-down fence they found, thirty minutes into their tall grass escapades. Their bags, Aether’s dark brown backpack filled with sandwiches he made himself, sit against one of the not-as-rotten support beams keeping the thing upright.

Xiao has been back for two weeks already, and as much as Aether loves talking to him over text almost every day, nothing quite beats the real thing. The phone just doesn’t hold up against pinching him in the sides, chasing him down the road, and jumping right onto his back in real time.

Their cinema, um, get-together had been nothing short of perfect: finally, the pair got to see a movie that was actually good with just the two of them! They’ve already been to the arcade as well, where some women complained about them because they were being “rambunctious” while their seven year olds were trying to play on “the computers”, and they got kicked out.

But! It’s fine, honestly; they can find different ways to spend their time. And it was kind of funny.

Aether really missed him.

His copper gaze follows Xiao’s sandwich as it’s carried from absent-mindedly dangling above his lap, up toward his soft pink lips for a mousy bite. From this angle, Xiao’s eyelashes sit heavy and full above his light eyes, his thick, tousled, dark greenish-gray hair gingerly cupping his cheeks.

His face is round, but less so than Aether remembers it to be. His hands look strong, yet still gentle, as they clasp around his food.

The blonde almost-teenager quickly looks away, wondering why he’d even care. He feels a hefty heart in his chest, but in a way that makes him grin like a fool without really knowing why. “Whatcha thinking about?” he then asks, nudging his best friend.

“Nothing.”

“Really? You look like you’ve got something intense going on up there.”

“Meh.”

Rolling his eyes, Aether nudges him again. In the process, he loses his balance and nearly drops his sandwich, but luckily Xiao holds him back just in time. Aether is happy when the other finally laughs again.

“Careful, bunny! I don’t wanna have to drag you home and explain to Ms Reisender why your nose is broken.”

“As if! I’m too cool for broken bones.” Aether takes a satisfied bite of his food.

They eat their lunch in peace, birds flying overhead. There isn’t much left to do here; Aether is pretty sure they’ve long since found everything of interest, and those things aren’t really as, well, interesting to them anymore as they were when they were little. It’s just a bunch of old shacks and farmhouses that have seen better days at best and literally nothing at worst, and Xiao can show off his track skills anywhere else with significantly more ease.

“Hey, Xiao,” Aether says, “wanna turn back? We can laze around at my place, I don’t think my parents have anything they want me to do. Or we could hit up town and see if the arcade will stop being pissy and let us in. Oh—or, how about we go to your place and play some video games there? We still need to clear that one boss fight together.”

Xiao jerks up. “Your place is fine,” he says, and his lips curve slyly. “You know, you never showed me what my gift to you looks like on you in the flesh. I asked you, what, five times? Show me already!”

They haven’t been to the Longwangs’ cottage a single time yet.

“What, I did!”

“No way, I’d remember that!” When Xiao averts his gaze, Aether notices it’s to hide the pink in his cheeks. Oh… “You've just shown it in pictures, I want to see the real thing. It looked so cute on you.”

Hehe..~

Pleased, Aether stuffs the rest of his sandwich into his mouth and hops into the tall grass. “Cfomwe ofm fhen!” He sputters bread crumbs everywhere.

On their way back, Xiao is still somewhat quiet… but he pipes up when Aether provokes him well enough. They squirm their way to Reisender property through the tall, yellowed grass, which they can peer over now: every time he looks back over his shoulder, the blonde boy sees the top of his friend’s fluffy head.

He can’t believe they used to lose each other in this grass if they didn’t stick together close enough.

When they get home, the big, old truck is missing from the courtyard, leaving only the rarely used minivan; Aether’s parents must be out. The front door to the farmhouse has been left wide open, however, to let out the remnants of heat from the day before. The boys kick their shoes off in one of the messy shoe corners, joining ten thousand other pairs and a stack of newspapers that the Reisenders have been trying to bring to the recycle bin in town for a couple of months now. They toss their bags down at the bottom of the stairs, and unceremoniously stomp toward the first floor.

Feeling pleasantly jittery, Aether throws the door to his ever messy room wide open.

Lumine looks up from the book she’s reading in her alcove, pajamas still on even though it’s almost afternoon, and plucks one earbud out of her ear. “Yo.”

Right away, the pleasant feeling sinks. Aether furrows his eyebrows, internally cursing the world. Aw, why is his sister here? He wanted to have the place to himself!

“Hey Lumi,” Xiao says. He dips his head in greeting. “Nice bracelet you got there.”

The blonde girl, whose thick hair is finally longer than Aether’s for a change, smirks and waves her wrist around. A thin, blue bracelet with beads on it jingles against her skin. “I’d tell ya not to flatter yourself, but you’re right, actually. It goes with most of my things. Great job!”

“Heh, thanks.” Xiao shoves Aether further into the room and hip bumps the door shut behind him. “Of course, it does help when someone pretty is wearing it.”

“Ew, loser.”

The pair snickers. Ugh… right, they get along.

Since last year, Xiao has started sending Lumine birthday gifts too. It’s only a natural development, Aether supposes, and if Lumine is happy with it, fine by him... but he hopes he’ll continue getting the better ones. He turns to rummage through the small closet crammed into the small space between the door and his alcove, and pointedly yanks a beautiful, pastel yellow and white checkered, oversized knit vest from a plank specially reserved for it.

The vest has a V-shaped neckline and is adorned with little pins of rabbit heads, stars, and suns that Xiao must have put there himself. It’s different from his usual rather shabby, worn out attire, but… the note sent along with it had said: “Mess it up until it feels like yours, bunny.”  

It made the garment unlike similar ones that Aether does not even want to look at. He’d specifically left it in Starfell, to wear it when it mattered.

“Why are you here?” he asks his twin, very casually swinging the vest over his shoulder so Lumine can see he’s got the superior birthday gift. “Don’t you have someplace to be?”

“Nah. Everyone’s out.” Lumine is not at all impressed. “Oh—Xiao, Ganyu told me to tell you she’s off with the big guy, so don’t expect her back for dinner.”

“Pfft. And? Why the fuck would I care, honestly…” Xiao mutters. “Next time she asks you to relay stuff to me: don’t.”

“Sure, grumpy.”

Aether suppresses a huff, feeling that he’s getting irritated. “Well, so—can you please leave us alone for a while? Go downstairs or something?”

“No way, this is my room too! You move downstairs."

“Aw, come on, Meen!” Aether pleads. His heart is ruffling in his throat, as if something severe is happening here—severe enough to make him a little emotional, at least. “We always move downstairs, can’t you just crash on the couch for an hour or so this time?”

“Hmm… actually… You know what?”

“What?”

“Your mom.”

Beside him, Xiao lets out an undignified snort and Aether’s cheeks turn flaming hot. Damn it—! Embarrassment creeps down his neck in the form of a bashful flush. “We have the same mom, bozo.” As he clutches onto Xiao’s black polo and drags him to his bed, he grits his teeth. He returns Lumine’s eyeroll with a middle finger. “You fucking suck.”

“Love you too, idiot.” Lumine smirks and props her book upon her knees. She puts her earbud back in her ear. “Anyway, I’m just gonna be minding my business in our room. If you guys are so loud I can hear you over the fantastic taste I have in music, I’m throwing this book at your heads.”

That’s that, then.

“Well, so I’m not undressing with her in the room,” Aether mutters, dejectedly shoving his vest aside.

“Aw. I mean—well, you know, understandable,” Xiao sighs, leaning against the wall in the cozy little alcove. He folds his hands behind his head. “I’d literally rather die than undress in the same room as Ganyu. I mean, she and her dumb friends did try to catch me doing it a couple of times, but my senses are way out of their league.”

Although Aether is horrified, Xiao is mostly just wearing a solemn “it is what it is”-expression on his face. “I could feel them looking before they’d even pried my door open,” he says. “You don’t simply sneak up on me.”

Okay, so, huge breach of privacy aside… Why were a bunch of girls trying to peek at him? Aether gets a little nervous, and pulls up his knees so his head has something to rest on.

Do they want to see him without his shirt on that badly? Are they… Do they like him or something?

That thought irks him way more than he wants to admit out loud. “Do they think your scrawny ass looks that great?” he asks, glaring at his ruffled, cream-colored sheets with pastel yellow suns on it.

“Shut up, I’m super hot and muscular. But nah, I’m pretty sure they hate me, especially Beidou. She’d see me hang. It figures, I guess. They’re Ganyu’s friends, of course they suck.”

Aether notices the resentful edge to his voice. “Okay, uh… so do you think they’re cute or… whatever?”

In his opinion, he sounded very nonchalant!

Xiao’s eyebrows, however, shoot up in high arches. “Eugh, definitely not,” he says, shivering. “Those wicked little witches? Eugh. I’m pretty sure Beidou is gay anyway, she’s all over Ningguang, like… all the time.”

Those names don’t mean much to Aether.

“Why’d you ask, huh?” Xiao then slyly continues.

“N-no reason, just curious, it’s whatever!” the twelve year old stutters, feeling incredibly caught in the act, “but, uh… so… right, so I uhh, so I… so I… wanna… what do you wanna do? I mean, I don’t, uh, it’s not like I don’t wanna talk to you or anything, but you know, uhh… we were gonna do something, so I just…”

Ack— stop talking, bumbling idiot! Stop talking forever!

Xiao looks at him funny for a moment, and he chuckles, soft and sweet. “Calm down, dumbass,” he says. “Don’t get nervous all of a sudden. It’s just me. Well, since we’re here anyway and the arcade kicked us out, how about playing cards? We haven’t done that in ages.”

Muttering under his breath, Aether ducks from the hand Xiao tenderly runs through his hair. He reaches into one of the drawers under his bed and pulls out an old, somewhat damaged pack of playing cards. After brushing the dust off, he silently passes it to Xiao.

“Ooo, let’s play Genius Invokation!” the thirteen year old chirps, clasping tightly onto the pack. “It’s probably easier when you have an actual deck for it, but… eh, the packs are randomized in real life. It's so dumb.”

“Uhh, yeah, sure,” Aether says, too focused on his own body to suggest something they both actually know how to play, and the boys hastily lay out the playing cards to assign roles to each of them. “You’re gonna have to explain the rules to me, though.”

“I could, or… you can just learn from watching me win. I'm basically a pro online.”

Xiao smiles mischievously under Aether’s giggly protest, and they begin shuffling the cards around in a messy heap that leaves half of them crinkled, both equally unsure about how to do this when they don’t even have the correct set of cards.

“Do you have some dice? They can be regular board game ones, I think.”

“No, what kind of psycho just has a pack of dice lying around? I’d mistake them for snacks at three in the morning!”

“You’ve got to be making that up.”

Whilst cracking stupid jokes back and forth, the two try as they might to remember which roles they assigned to which cards just now and find a good alternative to dice, still wholly convinced they can pull this off. They gather up some stray cards and together, they shove them into the big pile.

Aether cocks his head to the side when their fingers brush over each other. “Your hands got bigger.”

“Uh, yeah? That kind of tends to happen when you, you know, grow.” Xiao raises his chin, and seems to think for a moment. “.. Bet they’re bigger than yours now, heh.”

“Mine are bigger, obviously.”

“No way, come here.” Looking surprisingly eager, Xiao grabs Aether’s hand and deftly puts their palms together, allowing their fingers to align.

It’s warm, and tingly. Somehow, it’s different, too, from all the times Aether has mindlessly reached out to grab this hand in the past. He doesn’t notice he’s holding his breath until his thoughts get muddled with the need for it.

He is so close. If he were to lean in, then, he could… I could kiss him.

He has seen Rosaria and that boy she’s dating do it plenty of times, and it didn’t look super difficult or anything. Nothing that he shouldn’t be able to mimic. Maybe… maybe he could just—scoot in just a little and…

What the fuck am I thinking?! Startled by his own thoughts, Aether leans all the way back.

“Let’s see—oh. Huh?” Xiao furrows his eyebrows, perturbed. “No way. What the hell do you have such big mitts for?!”

Only now does the blonde notice that his fingers are peeking exactly half a centimeter over Xiao’s. He realizes he has one chance to make the funniest joke of all time, and, shocked out of those crazy thoughts his brain came up with for no reason (none at all!), he takes it. “To wrap around my massive dong.”

His stroke of genius earns him a squeaky: “Aether!”

“.. Wow, you guys,” Lumine comments from her bed, pulling a face. “Go kiss and make out somewhere else, seriously! I’m trying to focus over here.”

It’s as if both boys just simultaneously choked on their own esophagus. Shrieking and sputtering, they shoot away from each other, all variations of: “Ew!”, “No way!”, “Shut up!”, and every cuss under the sun rapidly spilling from their lips.

Aether feels like his entire stomach just fell through the floor. He quickly peeks at Xiao, part of him actually a bit worried that… maybe he means it, and the insinuation of them possibly doing something like that really does gross him out. Unfortunately, he can’t tell; Xiao is hiding his steaming face behind Aether’s pillow.

With Lumine’s comment casually reminding them that they’re not alone in this room, they quietly resort to messing with the crinkled cards, which have been scattered all over the bed in their haste to deny the allegations. However, they do shoot each other a shy smile, and scoot a little closer together to whisper about unimportant nonsense. Surely there’s nothing one can think to comment on that!

Aether doesn’t even get why he’s worried about it now, when he never used to be. Does that mean he might actually have a crush..?

Nope, no, he can’t. This is way different from Rosaria’s dumb little baby-romance!

The hours tick by. Outside, the thick sound of cricket choirs begins to fill the air, even though the sun has yet to set. The cool breeze makes the rickety window in the center of the twins’ room creak with age, and the boys have long since decided that playing Genius Invokation with a pack of regular playing cards and some balled up dirty socks to replace the dice that apparently need to be there is literally fucking impossible.

Now, they sit huddled together in the very corner of Aether’s bed, with their phones pulled out. A bag of chips that Lumine brought upstairs for them when she went for a snack run sits by Aether’s knees.

Aether’s head rests snugly in Xiao’s lap, and he feels all the bliss in the world descend upon his shoulders. He catches Xiao looking at him a couple of times, but they mostly focus on their own stuff for a while.

“Look at this.” Xiao shows him a funny video and, snickering, Aether formally requests that it be sent to him.

Around 17:00, when Aether is beginning to consider inviting his friend over for dinner because at this point, might as well—and it’s not as if nobody would’ve seen it coming—they’re startled by a text notification; Xiao’s dad. It’s a special sound by Zhongli’s demand, according to Xiao, to make sure he texts back as soon as possible.

The blonde sneakily peeks at the other’s screen.

“Hi, little bird! We’ll be having dinner with the two of us today, isn’t that fun? When will you be home?” the text says.

Xiao scoffs, and for a moment, Aether has hope.

“I would love to order some take-out with you, I’m sure you’d like that better than my cooking! Perhaps we could watch a movie? We haven’t done that in a while, have we?”

Xiao’s shoulders sag, and he succumbs to the pleading expression he must be imagining on his dad’s face. He texts back that he’ll be there soon.

Aw, man!

“Ugh. Well, guess I’ll go keep my old man company,” Xiao sighs, getting up. Reluctantly, Aether retreats from his comfortable lap pillow. “Who knows how long he’s been sitting at home all alone.”

They assemble the stuff they’d rearranged and put it back to how it should be, and Lumine nods once to bid the thirteen year old farewell before diving back into her book. They sullenly step over old teen magazines, discarded gardening gloves and empty tomato seed packets, and put on their shoes at the door.

Aether walks Xiao to the end of the courtyard, much resembling a kicked puppy with the way his entire posture has dropped.

“I wish I could stay with you,” Xiao mumbles as he hoists his sports bag over his shoulder. The Liyueren boy forlornly stares into the distance, finding the summer cottage far away. He wears something exceptionally lonely on his features.

But it dissipates when he turns and catches Aether’s gaze, replaced by a warm spark that’s zapped straight into Aether as golden eyes interlock with copper ones. It crackles all the way down the blonde’s spine and up into his stomach, startling a flock of butterflies into motion.

“I wish you could stay too,” he whispers through a thick throat, and they spread their arms. It’s a bit awkward for a moment, as each boy tries to figure out how to best hug the other without it being… suddenly weird, but they settle for a squeeze so tight that Aether melts like a puddle into it. “You, uh… y-you’re nice.”

Xiao snickers into his springy blonde hair. “You too, weirdo. See you tomorrow, okay? We’ll go as far away from everyone as we can.”

The dark-haired teen pulls back, then, and smiles at Aether with such incredible fondness that it strikes Aether’s very core like a hot pink hammer. When he has long since left the Reisenders’ property, nothing but a small dot all the way down the road, his heart is still doing backflips over it.

Mouth agape, the hopeless Starfell boy clutches onto his searing hot cheeks, and embarrassment sinks all the way down to his toes.

Yeah, okay, no, yeah, alright, yeah—he’s fairly sure he’s got a crush on Xiao.

Notes:

He did it! He made the realization of all time! Congrats Aether! Don't silly too close to the sun now...... 🫵 /lh
He is going to be so awkward about this. <3
Also, I like to imagine Zhongli noticing Xiao would reply at lightning speed every time Aether texted, and going "oh! A special notification sound! I see! As a dad I can use this in fact! :D",,

In with the next chapter! I've been preparing like crazy for my first official school assessment this Monday, it's been super hectic. Here's to hoping it'll go well... In any case, I hope you guys have had a great week! I will try to reply to the comments still, but I've read them all and as always, I super appreciate you guys taking the time to leave them,, I swear I will not do any ominous foreshadowing this time :D /j
See you next week! ♡

Chapter 24

Okay. So he’s got a crush on his best friend. No big deal. No big deal at all!

For the millionth time that morning, Aether has to clutch onto his shirt to make his heart stop running marathons at the thought of Xiao’s dumb face. He’s got a cute little crush, so what, this is fine, everything is fine.

Oh, man. All the times he felt icky when someone else got a little too close to Xiao, all those moments his chest tightened possessively at the idea of it, all those moments his chest released the tension because he just could not stop thinking about him and he wholeheartedly believed: “Eh, I’m just having a casual heart attack right now, no biggie, it’ll pass on its own!”…

It was because he is in love. Like a loser.

It’s been a week since Aether first came to the realization, and it’s as if his world has been turned upside down. If he ever thought he had become a little too aware of his friend being in his space, well—it’s nothing compared to now! This is simultaneously the best and worst thing ever, and he can explain neither side of the coin, because his mind is acting like a derailed locomotive headed straight for the cliffside and there is no hope of getting it back on the tracks.

What if someone finds out? What if it isn’t truly a crush after all and this is just his hormone-riddled brain playing tricks on him? What if it’s just a crush and it’s gone before it gets good? What if someone makes fun of him? What if his parents get mad—what if Xiao’s parents get mad? Aether is just some hick town hillbilly, after all, and the Longwangs are so rich and esteemed!

What if Xiao finds out? What if he doesn’t feel the same? What if he’s disgusted by it? What if he does feel the same? Should Aether prod a little, try to find out, or just leave it be and see what happens?

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to test the waters a little bit…

Ack, this is difficult!

Aether frantically grips onto the sides of his face and stares at himself in the bathroom mirror as if he’s seen a ghost; he even got up earlier to make absolutely sure he looks good today. He put on the vest Xiao gifted him, the least worn down pair of dark brown, jean-fabric pants with patches on it that he owns, and he has tried his best to tame his half-long blonde hair as much as possible.

He never used to care when it was Xiao. He is so screwed .

“Aether! Hurry up in there or we’re gonna be late! Did you become a prissy princess overnight, huh?” Lumine bangs her fist against the closed bathroom door, which is only a meter away from Aether’s back.

He jumps with fright. “I’m almost done, damn, chill!”

Today, the twins are going hiking with Xiao and his dad; they were invited along by Zhongli himself. Apparently, Retuo and Ganyu have gone on a two-day trip to Wolvendom, and… for some reason, neither Xiao nor Zhongli are joining. Lumine has already pointed out that the Longwangs haven’t gone on a single family trip yet, that it’s constantly “just Ganyu and the big guy”.

She’s starting to miss her friend, and Aether wonders if there really is something Xiao isn’t telling him.

Luckily, this does make for a great opportunity to see the Stormbearer Mountains with Xiao—and, erm, the others, of course. Aether hasn’t gone hiking in at least three years, so this ought to be fun. He hopes his legs are still up for the task.

Finally, he emerges from the bathroom and Lumine groans with relief. Together, they gear up in their matching backpacks and almost-matching sun hats; Aether is wearing the one Xiao made for him.

“Combed your mullet for once huh, nice,” Lumine says.

“For the last time, it’s not a mullet. And I brush it all the time, that’s basically the same thing.”

“Hair in the back that’s a bit longer than the hair on top? Hate to break it to you bro, but that’s a mullet.” She nudges him playfully and Aether chuckles. “Also, no it isn’t. Hick town hillbilly.”

“Shut up, mousy farm girl.”

Snickering and shooting teasing insults back and forth that they would normally only receive from kids at school, the twins make their way outside. It’s already pretty warm out today with the sun still low in the sky, promising them that it will either make or break this trip.

There, on the courtyard, the Longwangs are already waiting for them; Zhongli is having a chat with Travis, whilst Xiao has nonchalantly settled himself against the fence, playing on his phone.

He blows a bubble of gum and swings his dark hair out of his face, and Aether swallows thickly: he looks so good, even in the clunky hiking gear he’s wearing. A vest with multiple protruding pockets and big, almost heavy-looking hiking shoes, and he’s even got a camping backpack tied around his chest and stomach, instead of his usual sports bag.

Grinning widely, Aether dislodges himself from his sister and dashes to his best friend. Or… should he say “crush” now? No way—what if he accidentally messes up out loud?

“Morning! You look like a dweeb!” he shouts, waving his arms around for attention.

Xiao’s lips curl up. “You should say, loser, you look like you’re gonna die today,” he says, pushing himself away from the fence. He pops another bubble of gum, his eyebrows quirking up. “Aw, you’re wearing the vest! It looks even cuter on you in real life.”

Aether feels a blush creep down his neck. “Thanks, heh,” he mumbles, shyly rubbing his arm. “U-uh, anyway, can I have some gum too? I’m starving, I didn’t have time for—”

Just in time, he shuts his mouth. It would be super embarrassing to admit he didn’t eat because he was too busy primping for his bestie.

“Hmm, I don’t know, man… Maybe if you convince me well enough.” Xiao waves a newly opened pack of fruit gum before Aether’s eyes. It’s full of his favorite flavors, and it’s even of the brand he likes the most, which Xiao had never heard of until the first time he’d set foot in the Starfell supermarket.

For a moment, Aether imagines he got it just for him. “Ugh, Xiao, don’t be such a little bi—”

Soft coughing grabs his attention, and Aether jumps with fright. Travis and Zhongli are staring at them, whilst Lumine leans against their dad, rolling her eyes.

“Good morning, Aether,” Zhongli says, suppressing a chuckle. “I see you’ve saved your energy for the occasion, how wonderful! You are most certainly going to need it.”

“Oh, uhh, morning, Mr Zhongli!” Aether quickly replies. He finds himself standing in awe of the tall, elegant man, much like he did when he was little, but he does notice how tired he looks today.

“Aether, what dost mine ears hear—didn’t you eat anything?” Travis wraps an arm around his daughter and eyes his son intently. “You know very well that bubblegum isn’t gonna cut it as breakfast, especially when you’re doing something as physically taxing as hiking.”

“He was too busy getting ready to remember how basic human functions work,” Lumine casually says, and Aether kicks a pebble her way in warning.

“Oh? Well, we can’t have you passing out in the mountains! Sorry, Zhongli, looks like there’s been a small change of plans. Let me just make this kid of mine something to eat so his muscles will make it through the first stretch. Do you guys want something too before you go?”

Zhongli kindly waves it off; “Please, don’t trouble yourself. I will get them food in town before we head out,” he promises, the energy in his voice contrasting with the heaviness of his eyes. “And I’ve got plenty of strength-building snacks with me as well. Rest assured, they’re in good hands—with or without breakfast.”

Aether feels even more shy when he receives a small wink, quickly huddling close to Xiao.

Then, to his horror, the Liyueren boy pipes up: “Aww, were you making yourself all pretty for me?” he purrs, his light eyes narrowing mischievously.

Never before has Aether’s face gone beet red so fast. “N-no way! Nuh-uh! Shut up, jerk, you wish I would!”

Jeering playfully, Xiao chases him down the road, soon joined by Lumine. Lumine can’t keep up with him, but—man, Aether is really starting to miss the time when Xiao was the one getting chased.

Zhongli bids Travis goodbye and follows along.

Living up to his promise, Zhongli treats the children to one delicious footlong sandwich each, from a local sandwich shop that’s known to be a little on the expensive side—sometimes too much so. Xiao’s dad is always like that: nothing but the best for his children, and any friends they may bring along for the ride. Aether really likes him for that. He can’t help but notice Xiao’s scrutiny, though. While the Reisender twins scarf down their sandwiches as if it’s their last supper, stating that this is the best freaking food they’ve ever had, the thirteen year old takes a few bites, only responds with a casual shrug to his dad asking him if he likes it, and tucks the rest into his backpack.

Hm…

Feeling full, Aether is almost lulled to sleep twice during the slow bus ride to the starting point of the Stormbearer Mountain hiking trails. To stay awake (and, more importantly, not drop dead on Xiao’s shoulder), he puts all his focus on his phone.

On-site, Zhongli suggests that they take the easiest hiking trail so that they may turn back if someone gets too tired, but Lumine loudly declares that “beginner trails are for pussies and she’d rather die a legend than come home a pussy”. Now that he can actually see the thick, lush forests and rocky paths meandering up the mountainside, Aether would much rather have the easiest trail, though!

After a short discussion, Zhongli opts to take the medium trail, hoping to satisfy all the kids that way. Lumine only agrees if he promises to take them as close to the top as possible, which really only makes him happier. And so, the little group begins their trek up the mountain.

Xiao’s dad knows a lot about the history of the Stormbearer Mountains and tells them all about it; Lumine is glued to every word he says, nodding eagerly and asking questions left and right. She points at conspicuously man-made-looking cracks in the walls, mossy stone pillars that look like they could hold something small like a cup or a lightbulb, and more. She wants to know exactly why things are arranged the way they are, and Zhongli is eager to explain everything.

Xiao is simply following along, kicking rocks and occasionally looking around to see if there’s anything of note that’s not a crack in the rocks or a pile of stone (or “Seelie Court”, as Zhongli calls it). He’s interested, but this may as well be the thousandth time he has heard about this.

After nearly an hour of walking, Aether is dying. His, erm, moment of vanity may have indeed not done him any favors out here. His body is strong, but hiking is different from tending to a farm; his muscles are getting sore, and these shoes are hurting his feet.

“You okay, bunny?” Xiao asks, trotting up to him. His eyebrows are furrowed with concern, and he offers him his own water bottle. “Here, you look like you’re going to explode.”

Aether gratefully takes it, stealing a few quick sips. Man, it’s getting warm, too. “Okay as I can be in the wrong gear,” he sighs, trying to sound playful. “But at least I’m dressed way better than you.”

The joke isn’t well-received, though. “Aether,” Xiao says strictly, placing a hand on the almost-teenager’s shoulder, “how you’re dressed isn’t gonna matter to the paramedics. Are you okay or should I ask Dad to take a break?”

“It’s not that serious,” Aether mutters, flushed with embarrassment. “I just have sore feet, dude, I’m not actually gonna die.”

“If you say so… but if you need anything, call me, okay? I’ll let Dad know.”

The two cross gazes, and Aether notes how worried he actually looks underneath the thin veil of agitation. Normally, Aether is the worried one, so this is… different. Not in a bad way.

Smiling sweetly, he nods: “Okay, o mighty Yaksha. I’ll call your name if I feel like something’s wrong.”

“Y-yeah, good, t-thank you.” Xiao retreats, tucking his hands into his pockets as he averts his gaze to pretend he’s peering through the thick forest around them.

As the hiking trail takes the small company onwards, slowly up the Stormbearer Mountains, the view around them changes. The forest thins out, thick trees and lush ferns making place for steep ridges and thorny bushes. On one side, the mountainside reaches up into the sky, and on the other, they can see all the shades of green of Starfell Valley far down below.

Aether stands in awe. It’s like a verdant patchwork blanket, stretching on for as far as his eyes can see. The green is interrupted by light brown: the town of Starfell, his home. The breeze strokes his hair out of his eyes, as if nature is helping him to take it all in, and with an elated cheer, he trots after the others, no longer bothered by his lack of tactical hiking gear. He can’t wait to see the top!

Two hours into the trail, with one more hour to go according to the hiking guide Zhongli spoke to beforehand, the man makes the children stop, no matter how much they want to go on. He lays out a few blankets from his bag for them to sit on, and with a kind smile, he tells them they have all day; they don’t need an hour to take a mere hour.

“Now, I do have to apologize as I am not the best cook, I’m afraid, but,” Xiao’s dad also pulls a full set of tupperware out of his bag, “I've prepared some Liyueren treats for you. I hope you enjoy them.”

The Reisender twins cheer and flop down on the blanket, Lumine drumming her thighs as Zhongli opens the tupperwares to reveal all kinds of small, easily digestible foods. It doesn’t look the best, but Aether doesn’t care—he’s starving!

“Little bird, would you like some as well?” Zhongli asks as he pours the twins some homemade iced tea. He glances at his son, who has his back turned towards the others, gazing out over Starfell Valley down below. “I’ve made rice buns, you always love those.”

“I’ve got my own food,” Xiao says curtly.

Aether takes his cup from Zhongli and is just about to thank him for it when he sees the brunette's face drop ever so slightly. With his cup and one of the tupperwares in his lap, he scoots towards his best friend. “Hey,” he says, legs crossed. Behind him, Lumine has struck up a conversation with Zhongli again. Thank the gods for his sister, honestly.

“Hey.” Xiao has his knees pulled up, chin resting on his arms. “It’s a nice view up here. I like that Mondstadt is so hilly, yet so flat, I don’t know how to explain it. Kind of like an ocean on land, I guess.”

“I get what you mean. Liyue has a lot of mountains, right?”

“Mhm. It’s beautiful too, but in a different way.”

“Mm. So, um…” Aether sips from his iced tea, wondering how to best ask the question. “Did something happen? Like… did you have a fight with your dad or something? You’re being really distant.”

Xiao doesn’t reply at first. “Oh,” he then says, very quiet. “Nah. Everything’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“Really?” Aether doesn’t buy it for a second. He furrows his eyebrows, leaning a little closer, and offers Xiao his cup—but he won’t take it, even though he normally likes iced tea just fine. “You know you can talk to me if anything happens, right? I’m not just a little guy living in your phone or something, I’m your friend for real, too!”

“I know, but it’s fine.” Xiao points at a goose flying by, much lower than they are, and Aether croons in delight.

But now he is sure something is wrong, and it really fucking sucks that Xiao won’t talk to him. Not wanting to be too pushy and upset him, the twelve year old gingerly bites down on the edge of his cup and—maybe he shouldn’t, but if Xiao won’t talk, he might try to ask Zhongli instead.

“What about you, though?” Xiao then says, and as Aether tenses up, the older boy reaches into his camping bag to pull out the sandwich he had barely touched earlier. His stomach grumbles and, with an eye roll that’s barely noticeable if you didn’t already know him, he sinks his teeth into it. “Diluc’s going to be gone now, and you’ll be in your final year before junior—no, high school. Must be a little intimidating, right? I know this year was hell for me, and you were already barely scraping by with the tests as is.”

Oh. Shit.

Laughing a little awkwardly, Aether quickly waves it off. “Meh, I’m not worried about it!” he says, his voice a little higher and squeakier than normally. Crap—“I mean, how bad can it be, right? It’s just a school year, I’ve already had seven of those! Hehe.”

I’m fucking terrified, he thinks, and he immediately swallows down five too-big gulps of iced tea to wipe the anxiety off his face. I’m going to be all alone, I won’t manage, they’re going to come after me, I can’t control myself, and I don’t fit in, and—

“Hey, look, a wild boar!” He quickly points at a speck of brown scurrying on a ridge further down. “Luckily we already passed that one, huh? Did you know a wild boar can kill a man when it’s not even at full speed yet? Super intense. And they’re much bigger than you’d expect.”

When he looks back at Xiao, grinning from ear to ear, he’s met with a scrutinizing little squint. Nervously, he takes another big gulp of iced tea. “I-in any case,” he tries, “I’ll only be in my last year. Meanwhile, you’re going to high school—I mean, junior high already. Aren’t you a little worried?”

Will he buy it..?

Aether thanks the gods when Xiao sighs and nods. “I’m shitting bricks, dude,” he says. “But you already know that! I’ve complained about it a million times.”

“Hehe, yeah, I know. I think you’ll do amazing, though, and I can’t wait to see your dorky selfies in your new school uniform!”

“You’ll be the first to see it once I have it. I’ll make sure you get tired of seeing my face before the next summer break.”

The boys eat in silence for a while, enjoying their break on the Stormbearer Mountain ridge. In the end, the sun decided to have mercy on them: its mellow glow is more like a soothing blanket than anything, and after a while, they can’t even feel their aching muscles anymore. Aether chows down on sticky rice buns and pork chop suey that’s a little too sweet (and burnt) as Xiao pipes up, telling him about the time the Longwangs were here on a family outing. 

Xiao and Ganyu, small as they’d been, had crawled into a tiny cavern because it seemed fun, and gotten lost. Zhongli and Retuo had never been such a brilliant combination of worry, awestruck, relief and fury once the kids finally managed to find their way out, with a bunch of rare crystal chunks in their little fists.

Laughing, Aether tells him that back when the Reisenders still regularly went hiking, they’d always just take forest routes no matter how much the twins begged their parents to take them to the Stormbearer Mountains. He supposes they were worried the twins would do what the Longwang siblings had done—and they absolutely would have, let it be known!

At some point, Xiao leans in. “You’ve got a little smudge there, you big baby.” He swiftly wipes some sweet sauce off Aether’s cheek and pops his fingers into his mouth. “Eugh—Dad! Does he even know how flavors work?”

Aether tenses, and his heartbeat picks up. They feel really close like this. Maybe…

Maybe I should test the waters.

It wouldn’t hurt, right? Just… a quick little gauge as to where he stands with Xiao. Hopefully, the dark-haired boy won’t even notice.

“Um, you know,” he tries, very casually, more casually than he has ever talked in his life, “you said before, um, you said—um, that is to say… uhh, your face, and…”

Xiao raises his eyebrows, and… yeah, maybe this isn’t such a good idea. This was definitely the wrong segue, at least. Aether shuts his mouth and shrugs. “I like getting pictures from you, so just send them whenever you want! I won’t get tired of them, ever.”

Luckily, Xiao simply smiles at him until his eyes narrow fondly. The boys finish their food, nestled against each other as they gaze over the patchwork blanket that is Starfell Valley, and point out the different things they see from up there. Windmills, farmlands, small rivers, the big blue of Starfell Lake… They imagine the sight will be all the more satisfying when they are at the top.

Later, once they’ve arrived at the Reisenders’ house with sore legs, sleepy eyes, big smiles and a lot of super cool pictures, Travis and Wanda invite the two Longwangs for dinner. Lumine can’t wait to tell her parents about all the things she’s seen and learned, though she wishes Ganyu or at least Sucrose or Albedo could’ve been with her. Judging from the sound of it, she really is missing her Liyueren friend. Makes sense; Ganyu always had time for her.

As much as he likes the man, Aether is honestly not at all surprised when Zhongli’s smile immediately strains in his tightly set jaw and his entire spine seems to click into place once he steps into their messy house. But Xiao firmly assures him he just needs to “take the stick out of his ass and enjoy the coziness” before leaving his dad alone in the hallway, beckoning Aether to follow him to the living room.

Aether looks back, seeing Zhongli’s shoulders slump. Man…

The momentary sadness disappears, though, when he’s invited by Wanda to help in the kitchen. Apparently, Lumine told her about the, uh… the job he did on their lunch, because proudly, she declares: “I will have you cooking like a professional before you return home, Mr Zhongli!”

“Oh, please, you truly musn’t let me ruin your—oh, that’s an intriguing pan, thank you, but—alright, erm, thank you for this… raw chicken as well, but—Mrs Reisender—”

“Come on, it’ll be a blast! And call me Wanda, silly.”

“Ugh. Alright, alright.”

Aether and Xiao spend their time leading up to dinner playing one of the Reisenders’ old board games, which Lumine scoots in on because she literally doesn’t have anyone else to hang with right now. Once dinner time rolls around and they’re called to the kitchen-dining room, they are presented with an exceptionally extravagant meal. The kids’ eyes nearly roll out of their sockets at the sheer overabundance of it.

“Whoa,” Aether says, and his sister whistles in agreement.

“Those who brave the mountain, get to feast like gods,” Wanda says wisely. “So feast, kids! We’ve worked very hard on it, haven’t we, Mr Zhongli?”

Beside her, Zhongli looks positively traumatized. Nonetheless, he offers the kids a curt nod.

The meal is a blast, with almost all the voices present talking and laughing over each other constantly, and when the curtain of night is slowly but surely drawn overhead and the crickets come out, the parents move outside to have a drink together. They leave the kids to figure out what movie to watch on the Reisenders’ old TV that they continue to refuse to replace.

“Erm, you guys decide,” Aether quickly says. “As long as it’s not an Inazumajin horror, I’ll be fine! I’m, uh, gonna take a piss real quick.”

“Saying ‘piss’ instead of ‘pee’ isn’t gonna make you more grown-up, it just makes you gross,” Lumine says with a smirk. “Bring some lemonade for me on your way back. Not the yellow one!”

Xiao chuckles, skimming through the old video tapes and DVDs in his lap. “And some spicy chips for me please, my sweet widdle bunny,” he adds, batting his eyelashes. “For your best bud in the whole wide world.”

Aether sticks his tongue out at them and slithers into the hallway. In reality, while his dad is putting some beers in the fridge for later and his mom is whipping up a dip for the parents’ own snacks as they lounge outside, he wants to talk to Xiao's dad.

Zhongli is leaning against the porch with a glass of wine in his hand, peering at the field behind the greenhouse as it gets darker and darker outside. He has one arm crossed over the other and suppresses a yawn, his slanted, amber-colored eyes, which Aether had always found so beautiful and vibrant, now dulled down despite the sharp red makeup.

“Uh, Mr Zhongli?” Aether asks meekly, shuffling over the wooden deck on his thick socks.

“Mm? Oh, Aether, hello!” The flare returns to Zhongli’s gaze and he turns around with that ever serene smile of his, as if nothing’s up at all. “Did you enjoy yourself today?”

“O-oh, erm, yeah! But I wanted to ask something. If it’s okay.”

Zhongli lightly cocks his head to the side in surprise, but his shoulders perk with interest.

Aether twiddles with his thumbs. “So, I was wondering—Xiao is acting a little weird. In general, I mean, not necessarily to me or anything. I promise we didn’t fight! But, um, did something happen?”

It’s quiet at first, save for the cricket choir singing in the tall grass, and the animals crying deep within the Starfell forest. Red wine swirls around the old wine glass as Zhongli stirs it with a small wooden skewer. His expression hardens, as if he’s deep in thought, and the twelve year old is getting a little nervous.

Is it that bad? What if his friend and his family actually went through hell this year, and Aether had no idea..?

“It is true that Xiao is going through a bit of a rough patch right now,” Zhongli finally says, his voice mellow and kind. He extends a hand, amicably placing it upon the crown of Aether’s head. “I don’t quite understand what happened exactly either, but as his dad, I will be there for him nonetheless. Puberty is not easy and, well, I… neither are parents and expectations, once you get to a certain age.”

“Oh.” A bit disappointed, Aether lowers his gaze.

“Haha~ Don’t fret, little one.” The tall brunette runs his slender fingers through Aether’s hair. “I imagine that once he is ready to talk about it, you will be the first to know. You mean a lot to him, after all, and I can only hope he will tell me next.”

Huh, I do?

No, focus!

Hoping that Zhongli is right, Aether returns his smile with one of his own and bids him goodnight, right as Wanda comes out with the chips and dip and Travis joins her with some pre-cooled beers in his hands. Before his parents can ask him any questions, he bolts inside.

Just in time, he remembers to take the lemonade (yellow, obviously) and the spicy chips, and he scoots in with his groaning twin sister and his eager best friend to watch the movie they selected: a 16+ Liyueren period drama. Aether has never seen a Liyueren movie before, surprisingly.

“The special effects are going to blow you guys away,” Xiao grins, “but I’ll leave it up to you what that means. Also, bunny, just so you know—no spoilers, but when a Liyueren movie says ‘period drama’, eight out of ten times it’s going to be the most gut wrenching, tragic shit you’ve ever seen. So—”

“Yeah yeah, if he starts bawling you can cuddle him to sleep. Just start the movie!” Lumine throws a pillow at him.

With Zhongli’s words in the back of his mind and Xiao’s warning fluttering around his stomach, Aether lies down against his sputtering friend’s arm. Xiao wraps the three of them in a blanket, and he spends a little more time on making sure Aether is comfortable. And yeah, sure, it could just as well be best friend bias or a teasing “okay, well, fuck you too” to Lumine, but Aether’s smitten brain still wants to read into it as deep as he can.

Notes:

Alas, the little guys continue not talking to each other about the heavy things... Surely this can only bode well for the future! :')

I successfully made it through my assessment, so I will know a little more peace the following week. Hope you guys have been doing okay too! See you next Saturday ♡

Chapter 25

Summer slowly, but, unfortunately, surely creeps by. The boys do everything they always have: wandering around the fields, going to the store at Wanda’s request, taking walks in the forest, lazing around in their base, swimming in Starfell Lake…

They have fun, but Aether can’t help but have this lingering feeling that something is different.

Going to the store is exceptionally tedious when he already had other plans in mind, and doing the same old things in the forest is beginning to get boring. Of course, he tries to ignore those thoughts, but that only seems to aggravate them more.

The arcade still won’t let them in, which is ridiculous because they genuinely do not believe they were so annoying that a ban should last the entire summer, but Xiao thinks the idea of taking Zhongli with him to talk some sense into the manager is a little too embarrassing. They aren’t little boys anymore, they don’t need Daddy to fix their problems for them.

Luckily, they’ve found a few other cool stores in town: a game shop that has opened pretty recently, some clothing stores among which a tiny Andrius’ Howl, and a lot of comic, vintage and souvenir shops that they’ve never found simply because they’ve never gone looking for them before. Town is peaceful as ever, sure, but it has much more to offer than they’ve given it credit for, all these years.

They even discover all kinds of little restaurants that serve some of the best food they’ve ever had. Aether wants to test where he stands with Xiao at a real Fontainian milkshake parlor by offering to drink from the same milkshake, like the love interests do in Lumine’s romcoms, but… eh. He could probably only pull it off if he can somehow convince Xiao to want the same flavor as him, and that it’ll be less of a cut into their expenses if they took one shake with two straws while they’re at it or something.

But that’d be too suspicious; this isn’t a movie with preset props and scripts, it could backfire way too easily! He’ll try it another way, a little more subtly.

One day, the boys stay in town until almost nine in the evening, and see the number one Starfell town club in its full glory: hustling and bustling with loud music and partying young adults and older people, shining with colorful lights, and oozing with invitation. For Xiao, at least. It’s a little too intense for Aether’s tastes, damn.

“Once we’re old enough, we’re going there,” Xiao whispers excitedly, before his phone suddenly blows up with texts from the big guy, telling him to haul his ass home right now or he’ll have it coming. “Ugh, again? Come on, otherwise my father is going to hang me. I bet you fifty fucking mora that Ganyu and Lumine are still out foraging or whatever they were doing today by the time we get back.”

Right. Retuo keeps forgetting Xiao’s curfew doesn’t start till eleven.

They also consider going to the forest playground again, as that’s the one thing they’ve been stalling on all summer. It felt so awkward last year, somehow. But it’s a warm day today, and it’ll be fun to go back to their roots, won’t it?

Once they finally convince each other and make their way there, they discover it’s literally overrun with little kids. The blonde and the raven-haired boy eye each other dejectedly. 

Unfortunately, they’re quick to realize that there aren’t a ridiculous amount of small children taking over this place, all of a sudden: there have always been a lot of them on warm days, but Xiao and Aether used to be part of them!

Maybe they’ve formally outgrown the playground. But Aether would really rather not think of it.

Instead, he shoves all his embarrassment aside, decides that if kids make fun of him he can just call their moms or whatever since they’re, what, six, seven, maybe eight, what are they gonna do?, and marches onto the playground. “Come on!” He grins widely at Xiao and sprints to the climbing house trees they have always used to see who could climb them the best.

They rapidly chase each other up the tallest tree, with Aether’s ankles constantly mischievously being latched onto. Xiao even pretends to pull him down a couple of times, smirking in such a way that his face looks like that of a cat about to push your favorite vase off the highest shelf. Hot in the cheeks, Aether tries as he might to come out on top.

Ha! Xiao may be a track star now, sure, but he still can’t climb these trees faster than him! Not everything has changed.

“Wooo, suck it, loser!” Aether jeers, pointing at his best friend, who is still trying to get to his branch. “You may be faster now, but I will always be the better climber!”

“No way, bunnyboy, I’m beating you next time!” Xiao huffs, whipping his tousled hair out of his eyes. “You can’t stay the best forever, I’m coming for that crown!”

“Hehe, we’ll see~” Aether playfully sticks his tongue out, shooting Xiao a wink, and feels satisfied when the thirteen year old quickly tries to hide pink cheeks behind an arm. Maybe for real, after all..! Or is it just wishful thinking? It could be from embarrassment… Gah, why am I thinking about this now?

“Alright, well, I am kind of pooped now,” he quickly says, and he tries to squirm his big brown backpack off his shoulders. “Wanna eat our lunch up here?”

“Sure, just jam my sandwich into my mouth.” Xiao looks down at the kids playing on the actual playground equipment. Some little ones are pointing up at them. “I’m gonna need one hand to hang on. Maybe two, unless you let me sit on your lap.”

“You, good sir, can always sit on my lap.”

Before they can indulge in their lunch, their attention is grabbed by a shriek down below. They’ve hardly registered it or one ballsy mother, who has jumped from the benches the parents usually sit on and runs to the base of the tree, is straight up yelling at them: “Have your mothers not raised you right?! Get down from there this instant, young men, you’re setting a horrible example for the children!”

“Aren’t we also children?” Aether snickers.

“Nah, we’re scary teenagers, that’s totally different,” Xiao says sarcastically.

“But I’m twelve!”

“She doesn’t care. Let’s just get down before she calls the fire department or something, you never know with people like her. Ow, shit! Stupid bark.”

As soon as the boys stand with both feet on the ground and pat the dirt off each other’s summer clothes, intending to peruse the zipline base for lunch time instead, the woman proceeds to chew them out as if she’s got any right to. She furiously tells them they could seriously injure themselves or worse, lead her six year old son to believe it’s okay for him to climb so high too, which could lead to his death. 

Aether gnashes his teeth together, trying his best to not get angry. Who does she think she is, where was this energy when Xiao and Aether climbed that dumb fucking tree as little boys themselves? If she was even around back then!

Xiao, however, scoffs soundly and rolls his eyes.

“Come on, bunny,” he says loudly, “guess we’ll just leave. This hag’s already getting her panties in a twist now , imagine how she’ll feel once we start doing triple somersaults off the zipline.”

“Excuse me? Is that any way to speak to an adult?” she gasps.

“You’re not my mom, piss off! Ugh. Kill me if I grow up to be this fucking annoying.”

“Only if you do the same to me,” Aether says, and the anger slowly seeps away. He sighs in relief, feeling a lot more confident with Xiao by his side. Childishly, he sticks his tongue out at the woman.

On instinct, he grabs Xiao’s hand as they leave. A zap of tension runs up his friend’s arm, but before Aether can regret his decision, the other’s fingers latch on the same way they always have. Xiao turns back, his smile soft and inviting. Aether feels like he’s going to implode.

This could be a friend thing. Could be something else too. Only one way to find out: now. Aether is going to test the waters now.

Now.

.. Now.

…… Eeeeh, next time! Next time, for sure. This just isn’t the right moment, Aether dutifully tells himself, but it will arrive eventually. For now, he’s going to relish this fluttery feeling as Xiao pulls him onward, complaining about the forest’s massive size and telling him they’ll find the ideal lunch spot before tomorrow.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The playground is a little weird, the chores are a little weird, town is a little weird, everything they try to make the best of is somehow just a little weird.

Near the end of summer, Lumine and Ganyu go to Mondstadt City. Sucrose and Albedo are joining too, and… it’s so casual. No elaborate planning or else they can’t go, or begging parents for permission pretty please and praying they say yes, like when they were younger. Just: “Yeah, Crepus is there,” and, “Yeah, the Gunnhildrs are also there”, and, “Yeah, Auntie is there too, probably”, and everyone’s on speed dial, so fuck it, let’s go.

Weird. It’s all weird.

They come back early in the evening—not by train as intended, though. Apparently, there was a staggering two hour delay, all thanks to the international trains delaying the Springvale Express and fixing that takes priority for some reason, so the four are brought home by none other than Crepus Ragnvindr himself.

Aether and Xiao are busy carrying their stuff from their base back into the farmhouse when a downright enormous black car drives onto the property. Even the Longwangs’ Range Rover and the Reisenders’ minivan are, somehow, nothing compared to the nine-seater SUV the head of the Dawn Winery brings to a stop just behind the Reisenders’ old pickup truck.

The back doors fly wide open first, and an immensely excited, cat ear diadem wearing Ganyu in a blue and yellow summer dress jumps out. “Look how freaking massive it is!” she squeaks to no one in particular, frantically pointing at the car.

Beside Aether, Xiao scoffs.

Ganyu is followed by Sucrose and Lumine, both of whom are wearing matching cat ear diadems as well. Albedo, who is wearing his headphones with some cat ear clip-ons instead, exits from the door in front of theirs. His cheeks are pink and he’s smiling, and Aether sees that Kaeya is climbing out of the seat beside him, still chatting up an entire story to the ashy blonde.

Aether immediately gleefully perks up. Indeed, the passenger door pops open, and Diluc leaps out of the car. He looks around the farmhouse property, brushing his flaming red hair out of his face. Despite the glaring sun, he’s wearing all black.

Then, a man who truly just looks like a taller, broader, more rugged version of Diluc in his mid-forties exits the drivers’ side of the car. Aether notes that he seems rather skinny compared to the sturdy figure he remembers, but he still looks grand as always. He soundly cracks his back, right as Wanda comes trotting outside with her gardening gloves still on.

“Crepus!” she chirps. “Oh, how lovely to see you again! I was ecstatic when Lumine called that you would be driving them home. Thank you so much, honestly, I would hate to have to disturb Travis at work.”

“Yeah, well. Can’t have them catching a cold at the train station,” Ragnvindr Senior mumbles, rubbing his stubble thoughtfully. “Huh. The place looks great. Must’ve been at least two years since we’ve last been here.”

“Something like it, I’m sure! How have you been?”

“Just tired, Wanda. Tired, always some kind pain that doesn’t go away. You know the drill.”

“They used to visit during the spring break sometimes, I’m pretty sure I wrote about it once,” Aether whispers to Xiao, and he waves Diluc over. With his brother, of course, comes Kaeya, whose icy blue eyes light up when he spots Aether.

“Ugh,” Xiao only says.

While Diluc and Aether are amicable as always, Aether quickly sees that Xiao and Kaeya pretty much uphold the same dynamic they had when they first met; Kaeya needs to quench his thirst for taunts with little quips and jabs, and Xiao, ever unrelenting, simply quips back where it hurts just as hard. Until, finally, they kind of just stare at each other for a couple of minutes—Kaeya with a cold look on his face despite his smile, and Xiao narrowing his light eyes, arms crossed.

Eh… it’s probably fine, right?

The Ragnvindrs stay a while, and with them, so do Sucrose and Albedo. The quiet atmosphere the boys had been enjoying all day is most certainly nowhere to be found now. Aether continuously finds himself getting squished by Kaeya, who declares his fondness of the blonde while he’s at it, and for some reason, he cannot help but steal glances at Xiao when it happens.

It kind of feels like a mean thing to do, and unfortunately he cannot quite gauge any responses anyway because Xiao is very pointedly not looking at it. He’s too occupied with Diluc and their supposed future quest to Andrius’ Howl for the broodiest outfits the world ever did see.

Hmph… Damn it.

Luckily, Lumine and Albedo eventually drag the ever pretty, dark-haired Ragnvindr brother away to hang out with them instead, and Aether immediately throws himself into the two gloomy boys. He shouldn’t feel this jealous, but..! Ugh, his brain is so stupid.

The Ragnvindrs don’t stay for dinner despite Wanda’s request, and it isn’t long before everyone packs up camp and the Starfell people see the little family of three off. Aether solemnly greets Crepus, hugging him like he might an uncle; on one hand, he has known the man since kindergarten, so he kind of is. On the other hand, he literally has no clue when he might see him again because he’s just that unpredictable with his whereabouts, so a hug is due anyhow!

“See you soon, little man,” Crepus says, firmly patting Aether on the back, and Aether grins; yeah, sure.

The tall redhead pulls back and halts for a moment. He clears his throat and pulls a handkerchief from the pocket of his black tailcoat, which he intercepts his cough with.

Aether looks after him when he simply turns around like it never happened, but does notice a speck of red in the handkerchief. Hm, weird...

“I’m gonna ask Dad if I can stay over for dinner,” Xiao says beside him as the enormous car drives off, still being enthusiastically waved at by the girls and Albedo. “If it’s okay. My phone’s still somewhere in the blankets, though.”

“Of course it’s okay, weirdo! You practically live here at this point,” Aether says, nudging him playfully. “I’ll join, we still need to haul this stuff upstairs.”

“Oh, yeah.”

It’s quiet for a moment, as the two finally careen all their things, which they had dropped off on the porch, back into the house.

“Kaeya is so annoying,” Xiao then mutters.

It means practically nothing, honestly; it’s literally only four words, and he could just as well be saying it because the older Ragnvindr brother continuously has it out for him. But Aether still gets a little flustered, secretly, deep down, hoping that maybe it’s because he would rather not see Aether getting spoony with someone else. Because that might mean that secretly, deep down, Xiao possibly likes Aether too.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

It’s just six days before the Longwangs are going back to Liyue Harbor, and Aether still hasn’t managed to find his moment. Xiao’s imminent departure looms over him like a living thing, lurking within him and biding its time, and when he’s alone at night, it manifests as the dread for the upcoming school year. He feels like some sort of clock is counting down inside of him. Like all of this is a now or never type of deal.

Worse yet: today, they have to entertain Ganyu.

Aether likes Ganyu, don’t get him wrong; the eleven year old is fun to hang out with, and it’s nice to see that there’s at least one Longwang sibling who is still most definitely shorter than him. Besides, he has seen even less of her than Lumine has this summer, so it’s nice to actually, you know… know that Ganyu is still an entity that actively exists.

But sweet gods, with her has come an atmosphere that is so incredibly tight and clammy that Aether feels like he’s going to need a shower once he gets home!

Xiao’s face looks like thunder, and Aether can count the amount of words he has said today on two hands. He is stalking at the front as much as possible.

The three are walking down one of the most well-used forest trails, one that’s basking in sunlight, as there is no canopy overhead. Beautiful, large butterflies flutter from one side to the next to feast on the yellow and white flowers, and Aether hears the buzzing of insects and chirping of birds like an orchestra around him. It has kind of lost its charm, but he tries as he might to force himself to enjoy it the same way he did when he was little.

Ganyu is carrying a basket of wild sunsettias they went to pluck. Or rather, she and Aether plucked them all, having fun with it and tossing them back and forth like they were playing basketball, while Xiao was mostly throwing sticks as far as possible in the distance. After this, she wants to go to the arcade to try her hand at the high score on the dancing machine; she doesn’t know her big brother is still not allowed in there, as if he hasn’t mentioned it.

Aether has long since ranted his little butt off about it to Lumine.

“So…” Twiddling his thumbs, Aether tries to break the awkward silence. “Ganyu, I’ve been wondering—last year, you were super adamant on hanging out with us all the time. I guess I kind of got used to it, but this year, you’ve barely been around! Where’d you go?”

Ganyu, who has been gazing at her brother longingly, but doesn’t seem to know what to say either, perks up with glee: “Well, I was out with Papa. It was such a breath of fresh air to not see him glued to his laptop all the time, hehe! Might as well make use of it, right? We’ll hang out more next year, promise.”

“Right, right. That’s great.” Aether remembers Retuo and his equipment being inseparable last year.

“It is! Papa wants to go see as many places as possible, he’s like an all new guy,” Ganyu continues, her smile bright with an idea. She trots up to the front, gesturing for Aether to follow, and latches her arm around Xiao’s. He pretends she isn’t there at all. “Maybe he’s trying to catch up on everything we couldn’t do before. Right, Xiao?”

Xiao doesn’t reply.

“Maybe, yeah,” Aether says instead, feeling the smothering tension rise. Not on Ganyu’s behalf, though. In fact, either she’s super good at pretending she has no clue, or she genuinely has no clue.

Nope, all the hostility that’s wafting through the air, is coming off of Xiao.

Okay, so… something definitely happened, and something isn’t right between these two much more than it’s weird between Xiao and Zhongli.

“We’re actually going to Windrise tomorrow,” Ganyu says, hope-filled, “don’t you wanna come too? Summer is almost over and Papa will definitely be back to work then.”

Silence.

“Xiao? Hello, we’re talking to you. Do you want to come to Windrise with Papa and me?”

“I wasn’t invited.”

Aether furrows his eyebrows. Usually when either of the twins don’t go with the rest of the family, it’s because they turned the trip down themselves, not because their parents straight up didn’t ask them to come. Not invited, really..?

“Well, I’m sure he’d like it if you asked. I know I would.” Ganyu’s expression softens and she nudges him, holding the sunsettia basket in one hand. It feels like her words are quickening the countdown of a timed bomb. “Just take initiative after the arcade, okay? You can’t expect him to do everything for you all the time!”

Aether jerks back in surprise when Xiao suddenly snarls, snatches his arm back, and stomps up ahead. “Wait for me,” he hastily says—but to his surprise, Xiao storms off like he’s been struck by his own lightning. He disappears into the bushes, leaving the others behind.

He has never left Aether to stand by the side of the road.

Ganyu seems just as taken aback, as if she didn’t think he would actually run away. “Hey!” the eleven year old girl shouts, waving her hands around. “Xiao—come back! Wait! I just—Xiao?”

.. What the hell just happened?

“Why did he run away? What did I do? I don’t… was it something I said?” Ganyu is perplexed, obviously upset, all red in the face.

Crap, this isn’t good. On instinct, Aether lunges forward. He places his hand on the brunette’s shoulder and gives an encouraging squeeze, musters a quick goodbye, and runs into the direction Xiao went.

“Aether!” she squeaks. “W-wait, don’t just leave me here! What the heck is wrong with you guys?!”

“Don’t worry, Ganyu! I’ll go talk some sense into him, you just, um, stay put, please!” He prays to all that’s holy that if Ganyu doesn’t listen, she will go right back to Lumine to complain about the boys, so the first thing that greets him when he gets home is a shoe to the face or something. Or she straight up tells his parents, and he gets his ass handed to him by them for leaving the Longwangs’ young daughter all alone.

Unsure why, he just deeply hopes Retuo isn’t the first person Xiao’s sister turns to.

Aether darts through thick bushes and bright green ferns, following the trail of snapped branches and kicked up dirt.

He finds him quickly, sitting with his knees pulled up by a small woodland pond. Aether’s shoulders sag with relief at the sight of his best friend’s fluffy head buried in his folded arms. The blonde boy is just a bit unsure about what should be next: Xiao’s back isn’t heaving irregularly, but even if he isn’t crying, his strong emotions are tangible in the air around him.

“Hey,” Aether says softly, and he lowers himself upon the bright green grass by the pond. They’re surrounded by small, white flowers, the sunlight pouring through big gaps in the canopy above. Colorful dragonflies zoom around above the pond.

Xiao doesn’t respond. He does, however, sigh, and the tip of his black, leather boot pushes a pebble into the water.

A little hesitant, the twelve year old reaches a hand for his shoulder. “So, Ganyu is pretty upset by what happened just now. But so are you, aren’t you?” His voice sinks lower. “What happened between you guys? I’m really worried about you, you know…”

“Nothing.” Xiao’s voice is a raspy growl, like he may not be crying right now, but only because he’s got to be strong.

“Well, that clearly wasn’t nothing, I’m here if you—”

“Nothing fucking happened, Aether, stop pushing it.”

Aether bites on his tongue, feeling a sharp pang in the back of his throat. “S-sorry.”

Xiao sighs again, and turns his head a tad. It’s just enough for the other boy to see the side of his face. His expression is sullen and defeated, as if he was just told devastating news. “It’s not your fault,” he mumbles. “And you don’t have to worry. I just wish she wouldn’t rub it in or—I don’t know.”

Swallowing down the small lump Xiao barely prevented from forming, Aether scoots in. His worn down pants scrape over the ground, taking some grass with them. “Rubbing what in?” he asks softly.

Xiao huffs. “Nothing. Everything. Just—nevermind.” With every heavy word the dark-haired boy speaks, Aether shuffles a little closer; even though he can’t decipher so much from so little right now, he hopes his presence helps all the same. “She doesn’t get it, I guess. To her, everything she has is so normal, and meanwhile I… ugh. I bet instead of telling her he didn’t invite me, which he didn’t, Father told her I don’t take initiative and now she’s parroting it. She just doesn’t understand.”

Huh. Travis and Wanda would never do that.

Finally, Aether wraps a cautious arm around his friend’s shoulder. A small, relieved smile makes its way onto his face as Xiao, in turn, drops against him, resting his cheek upon his shoulder.

Good. I’ll be here for you. Always, he thinks.

“Then maybe you should talk to her and help her understand..?”

“You’re naive.”

“I’m serious, Xiao. Maybe don’t talk to her right away if you can’t, but when Lumine and I get in some deep shit, we at least try to explain ourselves after the explosion.” Aether smiles a little wider as the sun shines down upon them. “Sometimes we stay mad a little longer, but usually it works out just fine in the end. We get each other more than we think! And sisters are sisters, you know? No matter the circumstances.”

“I guess, I… I don’t know,” Xiao mutters, and when he buries his face in Aether’s neck, the blonde boy holds his breath. “I’ll try. I don’t think she’ll get it, but… I guess I’ll try.”

Aether gingerly squeezes onto him. “That’s good,” he whispers. “And… and if you wanna talk about it, or about your father, I’m here. Okay?”

“No, this is fine. I like just being with you like this. I wish it was only us and no one else.”

Aether’s throat goes dry when Xiao smiles up at him: mellow, warm, and full of affection. Or… is that just his desperate, rose-colored mind playing tricks on him? Unsure what to think, he simply nods sheepishly and plops his head upon Xiao’s, and together, they gaze at the insects dancing above the water.

It’s like a heavy, itchy cloak is lifted off of them when a fish jumps above the water with a gaping mouth, and Aether has to duck for a swarm of fleeing dragonflies. He headbutts Xiao with full force and, half groaning in pain and laughing with mirth, both boys reel back. Aether is clutching both hands onto his jaw, and Xiao frantically rubs the top of his head, cussing in all the colors of the rainbow through giggles and hiccups.

“Ow, idiot!” the thirteen year old exclaims. “Use the eyes the gods gave you!”

“Maybe don’t have your big fat head in the way next time!” Aether retorts, grinning from ear to ear. 

Xiao immediately shoves him, and Aether tumbling backwards results in a short tussle through the grass, in which they both try as they might to force the other down as long as possible. Aether actually swallows grass a couple of times; Xiao relentlessly tugs on the ratty, oversized t-shirt he’s wearing so he keeps losing his balance.

When they sit upright, heaving and with aching arms and backs that will be bruising soon, no doubt, they scoot together again. The silence is light and sweet this time, and Aether’s heart skips a beat when Xiao messes up his hair one more time.

They should probably head back, just in case Ganyu is actually waiting for them. But…

Maybe it’s selfish, but Aether decides to keep his mouth shut so they’ll get to sit like this a little longer. Just a little longer, before the Longwangs leave, and his sense of belonging goes with them.

Crap, right, Xiao is leaving soon. Oh gods. He still has to know where they stand!

The thought accelerates the countdown in his heart, and Aether looks around, at this peaceful patch of forest with the lovely warm sun and the beautiful pond, and at Xiao sitting so close, right beside him, and—

Now or never. He has already convinced himself of it. But… how is he going to do it? Should he just straight up ask? “Xiao, how do you feel about me?” sounds way too direct! “Xiao, so like, wanna kiss and smooch like Rosaria and her boyfriend do?” Ack, what the hell is he thinking?!

Aether nearly bangs his head against Xiao’s again when his phone suddenly rings. Terrified that it might be Ganyu, Lumine, or one of his parents ready to chew him out, he lifts the screen to his face.

Kaeya. Huh. As Aether’s heart stills in relief, he presses the red horn and hopes he’ll be forgiven for it.

“Who was it?” Xiao asks as he pulls away and leans back on his hands.

“Meh, no one. Well, I mean, it was someone, but no one we need to worry about.” He checks his screen: Kaeya texted him a frowny face with a broken heart, and with a chuckle, he quickly tells him he’ll call later.

Kaeya texts back: “Fine, I’ll wait for you but only because you’re cute ❤︎ don’t take too long!”

Then, Aether gets an idea. And in the moment, he genuinely thinks it’s the most brilliant idea he has ever had. “Actually, uh…” He takes a deep breath. “So… Kaeya—”

Xiao, he notices, immediately sits up a lot straighter. “It was Kaeya?” he asks.

“Y-yeah! He keeps saying he thinks I’m cute.” Aether tries his best to sound as nonchalant and casual as possible, folding his legs criss-cross to lean on his knees. He pretends to gaze out over the pond, but really, he’s stealing glances at Xiao whenever he can get away with it. “Like, all the time.”

“Oh.” It sounds chilly.

Unfortunately, a silence persists after that. Xiao has grabbed a firm hold of a stick, with which he drags slow, indiscernible shapes through the pond. And… Aether is a little unsure how to go from there.

By all means, he should see it as a sign that this isn’t the way to go—but time is running out, and he feels it now more than ever, so he persists.

“It’s interesting,” he says.

Xiao clutches tighter onto his stick. “Do you like him?”

It’s very straightforward, almost professionally inquisitive, and he’s staring straight at the pond like someone is looking back at him from it.

Okay, it’s now or never. Aether is just going to be really casual and playful about it, and surely it’ll be okay then.

“I dunno,” he says, his voice intentionally lighthearted as he carefully chooses his words so Xiao will catch what he actually wants to say, “I think he’s okay. But you’re my favorite when it comes to dark-haired adopted guys.”

The next silence could cut through freaking diamond.

Aether doesn’t notice he’s holding his breath until the edges of his vision get a little fuzzy. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a little voice tells him he should have kept his smartass mouth shut.

“.. What the fuck , Aether?” Xiao hisses through clenched teeth, and Aether’s heart sinks all the way to his toes. “Why the fuck would you say that? What is wrong with you?!”

“I-I—huh?” Aether squawks as Xiao jumps to his feet, and he scrambles along as fast as possible. “I didn’t mean anything bad by it, I was only joking! I was just trying to—”

He squeezes his lips together when Xiao turns to him. He’s seething. His pale face is red all the way to his ears, his clenched fists are trembling, and his eyes, gleaming yellow in the light, look like they’re spitting fire from within.

Aether has never seen him this angry before—especially not at him.

His heart begins to race like it’s trying to outrun the flames. “I-it was a joke, I promise,” he says. “Why are you getting mad—?”

“Shut up!” Xiao screams, and Aether leaps back in genuine surprise. “You don’t understand anything—you’re talking like you get it, but clearly you don’t! You’re such an asshole, why would you ever say that to me?! As if—a-as if I need the fucking reminder!” He frantically wipes some stray tears from his cheeks.

“I-I do get it, I’m really sorry, I swear,” Aether stutters, and he helplessly raises his hands to put on his best friend’s shoulders. “I was only trying to tell you I um… that I—”

Xiao smacks them away. “You’re just like Ganyu! Just because everything is so nice and easy for you, doesn’t mean the same goes for everyone else, asshole!”

Aether doesn’t understand what’s happening, why Xiao is exploding in his face like a volcano that has been dormant for too long. “What are you—stuff isn’t nice and easy for me,” he says, and Xiao hisses “liar” under his breath, leaving a sour taste in Aether’s mouth. “I’m sorry if the joke was shitty, but you could just tell me, you don’t have to be such a jerk about it!”

He steps forward, trying again to lay a connection with the dark-haired boy.

“Leave me alone,” Xiao snarls, and he pushes Aether away from him with such force that he almost tumbles straight into the pond. “You won’t get it and it’s stupid that I thought you would. I never want to talk to you again!”

He storms off, leaving Aether glued to the grass with lead in his shoes. As he sees his best friend’s dark teal polo disappear into the bushes, he feels like the world is crumbling around him. Tears fight their way through the back of his nose, up to his eyes, and pour out in unobstructed waterfalls. He’s angry, and devastated, and confused to no end.

Feelings he can’t get a grip on are coursing through his body with such speed it’s like he’s boiling, and his head feels like he absorbed a beehive straight into his mind.

He never wants to talk to me again.

Surely he doesn’t mean that. Surely he’s just really high in his anger right now, and Aether’s stupid fucking excuse of a joke accidentally made it worse, and he’s going to think about it and text Aether later so they can talk it out, and it’s going to be okay, and… and…

I don’t understand?

But he does! Right? He tries to, but—if Xiao won’t talk to him, then how can he possibly—! And Aether doesn’t have it nice and easy at all, what is he on about?!

It’s… it’s going to be fine. It has got to be. They’re going to text later and make up, and tomorrow, they’ll go into town to buy each other a milkshake and… it’ll be okay. It’s got to be. It needs to be.

But the phone is quiet that evening. The next morning, it remains quiet, and throughout the day, never once does it ring the special notification sound. Aether tells himself that Xiao is still cooling off, and it’s going to be okay. But the next day, too, is silent as the grave.

Finally, Aether sends a tentative text to ask Xiao how he’s doing. He’s left on read. When he tries again and it happens a second time, he knows it is very much intentional.

He doesn’t dare to go over to the Longwangs’ summer cottage and pick Xiao up anymore now. His parents ask about the sudden absence of the Liyueren boy in their house, sure, but he dances around the issue as well as he can. Wanda doesn’t take long to guess the gist of what happened. But when she, deeply concerned, offers to mediate in hopes that the boys will make up, Aether tells her to please just leave it alone. He isn’t sure what would happen if his mom made Xiao talk to him.

The sense of doom, which wasn’t meant to settle in until the start of school, slowly creeps into Aether’s heart. He wishes he could travel back in time and un-say everything, he can’t believe he thought that was the best way to test the waters.

At least, he thinks to himself one night, curled up in bed, trying not to wake Lumine with soft sniffles and hiccups, I know where I stand with him now…

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

On the day the rose gold range rover leaves the premises, Aether sits on the hood of his dad’s rusty pickup truck with his old, half deceased sun hat on his head. The car is just a small dot from here, but he’s watching it drive off as though it left from right in front of him. He feels hollow.

Xiao hasn’t even said goodbye.

Notes:

Oh tinies. They should have talked about what was ailing them when they could... 😔 Things sure are changing a little fast, all of a sudden...

Sorry about the mega late update. I've had kind of a bad time, won't go into detail - but the silver lining here is that I do still intend to upload the next chapter this weekend, so, uh, a bit less of a cliffhanger!
I hope you guys have been doing well! See you again soon ♡

Chapter 26

Fall, Year 6

 

Aether never would have thought that things could change so horribly, so fast.

He was right to be afraid. Without Diluc, he’s nothing. The people who have been icky to him—well, let’s just call it what Lumine calls it: bullying—shit, it’s so bad that most of the time, he doesn’t dare to leave the classroom anymore during lunch breaks.

Lumine tries her best to help him stand his ground, but… it’s as if the bullies have suddenly realized she’s ‘just a girl’ or something. They’re less and less impressed by her, loudly calling her ‘mousy farm girl’, ‘little junk rat’, all kinds of things they’d normally only mutter to her in passing lest she kick them in the shins.

She still kicks them with all the force her anger can conceive, but they just think it’s funny.

They ridicule Amber when she tries to gather the courage to talk back. Call Rosaria an emo loser. Sucrose backs off from just a look. When Diluc had Aether covered, Kaeya and Jean would look after the others. But they’re all gone now.

That leaves… no one, really. Just the barnyard twins and their unreliable moods. And Aether is clamming in on himself, but… Lumine is heading more and more toward taking it out on the world instead.

Aether curls up in his lonely wooden single sleeper, hidden away underneath his blanket. His room is exceptionally cold tonight, but he has bigger things to worry about. Tomorrow it’s October 30th, their birthday, and he fears Lumine will actually drink, like she’s been saying she will. Maybe it’s childish of him to be so vehemently against it, but he really does not think it’s a good idea for her to touch alcohol.

Their parents, lenient as they are, have always told them to lay off the ‘adult drinks’ until they’re old enough to recognize the consequences of their actions or whatever, but…

“Relax, we’re in the big city,” Lumine’s voice echoes in his head, “and we’ll be at Venti’s. Auntie won’t know, and Mom and Dad won’t find out unless you tell ‘em! And you won’t, right?”

He stares at his phone, where the group chat is going rampant, talking excitedly about all the things they’ve got in store for the twins tomorrow. They’re playfully hinting at activities that Lumine immediately tries to guess, and meanwhile, Aether feels like his esophagus has tied itself into a knot.

 

[22:01
Venti: And I have the goodies >:P

22:01
Meenerweener: YEAAAAAH you’re the best!!!

22:02
Venti: Ehe~ I know >v<

22:02
Jean: Guys……… thirteen is not old…………

22:02
Kaeya: lighten up bbg, it’ll be fine, I’ll be chugging right there with them ❤︎

22:02
Meenerweener: Awww~~

22:03
Jean: Yeah because that’s SUCH a comforting thought -,- You shouldn’t be doing it either!

22:03
Kaeya: 💔💔💔

22:03
Kaeya: your not our mom ;)

22:04
Diluc: you’re*

22:04
Kaeya: I am going to kill you

22:04
Diluc: ok]

 

Jean is right, though, they really shouldn’t touch the adult goods… But if Aether told Lumine that, she’d just grab his shoulder again and say it’ll be fine.

It isn’t “fine”!, he thinks, feeling a confusing mixture of anger, sadness and anxiety. Unfortunately, he knows that all he can do is just not touch anything himself and hope that Lumine will feel embarrassed once she notices she’s the only one of the two drinking the forbidden fruit juice.

And only Jean is really against the idea—or maybe Amber is as well, but she seems easy to persuade. Hell, Jean is being persuaded right this instant, and it’s working! Albedo drops in with another fun fact about the symbolism of spiders in art, so his stance remains unknown… but Aether knows that most, if not all of these people would tell him to lighten up if he vented to them right now.

There’s one person he could have vented to on any other day. Forlorn and rather sullen, Aether’s swift thumbs take him to his chat with Xiao.

 

[October 2nd, 18:30
Me:  *open image*
        Hi Xiao… I hope you’re okay. Is junior high fun? Or really difficult? I miss you a lot.]

He never got a reply to it, and hasn’t dared to text more since.

Aether feels so, so stupid. Swallowing down a thick lump already building in his throat, the boy quickly shoves his phone underneath his pillow and pretends it isn’t there.

He ruined his most precious friendship, and for what? To have what, exactly? A more-than-friend, when they were already best friends? Whatever Rosaria had with her boyfriend— had, because those fuckers have broken up over the summer—? Xiao fluttering his lashes and declaring: “Oh, Aether, I’ve got the biggest, fattest crush on you too, let’s smooch and make out behind the tree on your schoolyard and then break up next summer!”? Was the minuscule chance the older boy might feel the same really worth it?

What they had was good the way it was. The only constant in things that keep on changing.

Ugh! Curse this stupid freaking crush! All these stupid feelings! This jumbled brain, Xiao’s unwillingness to talk, Lumine, Ganyu, the others, his birthday, the alcohol, just—fucking everything! He wants to go back to the time the forest at home still amazed him, damn it!

Aether clasps his hands onto his messy, grown-out hair, and for the first time ever, he falls asleep not looking forward to his birthday. All night, he dreams of all the ways in which it could go wrong, down to the very tombstone on Lumine’s grave.

And then, their thirteenth birthday comes along.

It’s a Saturday, and Lumine straight up lied to their aunt that morning, telling her they’d be sleeping over at Venti’s place because they’re going to have a fun day in the city and finish it off with a movie night. Venti’s parents are out for the weekend, so it would be “guaranteed fun, and they’ll watch horror until they cry”.

At their own expense, Aunt Annette warned them. She didn’t have a clue about their actual plans.

The day was fun enough, sure, spent mostly at the biggest arcade in all of Mondstadt, and Lumine’s friends had all rallied together to give the twins a huge gift each: super expensive headphones, white and blue for Lumine and gold and brown for Aether. Diluc even managed to sneak Aether something extra: a candy basket with all kinds of candies and salty snacks in it, as if to make up for his inability to spoil him in his absence.

But there is no movie night going on right now. The kids are huddled together in Venti’s big, well-lit bedroom, around the entire liquor section’s worth of alcohol (okay, not literally, but it’s a lot more than just one bottle!) Venti has bought for the occasion. Most of them are super excited, giggling and nudging each other like they’ve got a mythical treasure on their hands.

After all, nobody, including the host, actually got formal permission from their parents for this, and that makes it extra fun.

They’re clearly feeling very mature and cool when Venti opens the first bottle of sweet sunsettia cocktail wine, pours the plastic cups Kaeya has brought, and lifts his own with a cheerful: “Happy birthday to my favorite twins!”

“Happy birthday!” Jean, Kaeya and Amber echo, and they each taste their drink.

“Huh, good stuff.” Rosaria nods with praise. “Great job, Venti. Anyway, happy birthday, you two.”

“Cheers,” Albedo adds, drinking from his cup like he was offered a refreshing glass of water. Aether doesn’t understand how, but his face hardly even contracts; if he didn’t know any better, he’d think the ashy blonde really is drinking water.

For some reason, it kind of unnerves him.

All gazes soon turn to the twins, and Aether feels the pressure weighing on his shoulders. He grips tightly onto his red cup, as if the liquid within could bite through his hands if he let it.

“Aw, you guys are the best! Okay, wish me luck,” Lumine says, playfully raising her green cup in acknowledgment. She puts it to her lips and takes a sip, and to Aether’s horror, the grossed-out face she pulls is only there for a second before she evidently decides she’s got something to prove and downs the entire thing in one go. “Aah! Wow, it’s so good? Gimme a refill, let’s get this party started.”

“Lumine!” Aether hisses, as Rosaria grabs her phone to play some music on Venti’s wireless speaker, and Amber passes the snacks around. Oh, man, this is going to be a stressful evening.

“Don’t ‘Lumine’ her, blondie, now it’s your turn,” Kaeya says with a wink, holding up his own cup. Beside him, Diluc has shoved his cup aside, and he’s reaching for a different drink himself, as if he also already knows how this stuff works. “Come on, why don’t we drink together? That’d be fun, wouldn’t it?”

Aether stares at the pink-golden liquid in the cup, furrowing his eyebrows. His heart is beating rather hard and fast, as though he’s about to give a public speech he hasn’t prepared for. “Erm…”

Do I have to..?

Jean whips her long, blonde hair over her shoulder and gives him an encouraging smile. “You don’t need to drink it if you don’t want to,” she says kindly.

“Oh, boo, you wet mop, let the man drink!” Kaeya amicably wraps his arm around Aether, reeling him in with such vigor that Aether almost accidentally spills everything. He grins with mirth, his beautiful blue eyes flickering deviously, and bumps cups with Aether’s. “Alright, together now. One, two—”

“Oh, here we go,” Diluc mumbles.

On three, Aether stops dead in his tracks just in time, but Kaeya slams the entire cup back and almost falls over. Or he pretends to, maybe, because it pulls laughter from Amber and Albedo, and it looks more dramatic that way. He does cough, however, very much for real, and smiles at Aether through the gaps between his fingers. “Whoa— cough— that’s strong stuff— ack—”

“It literally isn’t, you’re just not made for chugging,” Diluc sighs, patting his brother on the back. He smirks, shooting Aether a quick wink.

“Excuse me? You’re gonna take that back by the end of the evening, little Lulu, just watch and learn!”

“We can drink together instead,” Albedo mumbles nonchalantly, staring at Kaeya. “If you want to. Feel free. I’m here anyway, might as well. Do you want to? Only if you want to, it’s up to you, but we certainly could.”

Snickering, as if more drinks equals faster adulthood, Kaeya takes him up on that.

Aether still sits frozen in place, with the cup at his lips and the liquor teasing at his tongue. He could, technically, just take one sip and call it a day, but it feels way off. His consciousness is weighing onto him too heavily, even more so than the pressure of Venti encouraging him and Lumine and Albedo already starting on their second servings.

One sip, he tells himself. Just one, and then I’ll tell them I fucking hate it and I’ll make sure Lumine feels too embarrassed to drink more too.

Jean makes the decision for him: she wriggles herself out of Amber’s arm lock, plucks the drink out of his hands, and shoves it into Venti’s instead. “If you want it gone so badly, just down it yourself, bozo!”

“Don’t need to tell me twice. Want me to get you something else, birthday boy?” Venti’s bright green-blue eyes sparkle with glee, and he rises to his feet. “There’s soda too, and lemonade, and I’ve got some Fonta if you still wanna feel cool?”

“J-just water, thank you,” Aether stammers, and Venti salutes him before rushing to the kitchen downstairs. “Thanks, Jean.”

Man, that was a close call! Where did he put his phone again—with the boy not even being allowed in the same room as alcohol at thirteen, almost fourteen years old, Xiao is surely not gonna believe that Aether almost just..!

Oh. Right. Sighing sadly, he pulls up his knees.

“You good?” As the girls chat and dance together, and Kaeya and Albedo drink, Diluc scoots in beside him. “You should’ve told me you didn’t want to drink, I’d have hit them both in the head for coaxing you anyway.”

“It’s fine,” Aether mumbles. “Whatcha got there?”

“Proper wine. Whatever those guys are downing is unfiltered blasphemy. Pretty sure my father would agree.” Diluc shrugs casually, as if he knows so much about this stuff at his almost-fourteen-years of age, and he sits back against Venti’s large bed.

Whatever. It’s Aether against all of them, clearly, or maybe Aether and Jean against the rest, but for now, Jean is only keeping a hawk’s eye on everyone instead of making them stop. He supposes she has judged the situation to be safe enough as long as this is the pace that’s maintained, and she doesn’t want to spoil the fun.

Aether quickly side-eyes Lumine, who keeps that cup in her hand like it’s an accessory.

.. Maybe he could also try the tiniest…—no! Nuh-uh! Never!

“Come on.” Diluc pulls Aether up against himself. “Just relax, dude. It’s your birthday. I’m keeping an eye out too, anyway. Wanna send a picture to Xiao, make him jealous of how cool we are? He doesn’t need to know you aren’t actually drinking it.”

Aether hasn’t told him about the fight they had. “U-uhh, maybe later, when, uh, when we’re all… Just later!” he quickly stammers, not wanting to, either. “Besides, I don’t know if he’d be jealous, exactly. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like alcohol.”

“Wow, two goody-two-shoes? No wonder you guys like each other so much.”

Pfft… Aether decides not to think about it anymore and gratefully takes his glass of water once Venti returns.

The three of them decide to play a previously unopened board game Venti’s parents apparently still had lying around while the others are occupied with their own things. Despite claiming he has never played it before, Venti is somehow a god on the playing field, so Aether and Diluc eventually decide to team up, hoping that will offer them the slightest chance at dethroning the king.

It’s super fun, super frustrating, it’s got Diluc threatening murder in a dark alleyway, and as he hears his sister laugh, the upbeat music Amber has switched to swells in his chest, and Kaeya nearly KOs him with a well-meant snack slam straight to the head, Aether’s worries slowly seep away.

Maybe this won’t be so bad, after all. This might just be a fun birthday yet.

Two hours later, Aether is hiding in the bathroom, whilst loud house music blares from Venti’s bedroom down the hallway.

He has no idea what to do; Lumine is woozy and physically unable to shut up, with Venti, Rosaria and Kaeya playfully poking fun at her “being drunk on her birthday” so loudly that he still hears it through the bathroom door. Jean is trying to steer the situation as well as she can, calling upon the children’s sense of shame like she’s in charge of an office, but no can do. They’re being super over the top about it all, feeling so incredibly mature.

“Chug, chug, chug!”

Just like in teen movies, they are cheering someone on. Should be either Kaeya proving his worth or… surprisingly, Albedo. He has been downing the liquor like he’s drinking lemonade, and Aether is beginning to fear that the older boy has no clue how to go about drinking this stuff safely, and no one but Aether is noticing it!

Am I the only one here who’s taking this seriously?

Well, no, he supposes Jean is too, but… ugh!

It started going south about half an hour ago. No longer engrossed in the board game, Aether had noticed Lumine still sipping on a dreaded booze cup, and he had done his absolute best to make it as evident as possible that he’s drinking anything but the forbidden fruit juice. But nope, no shame. If anything, she just raised her eyebrows at his continuous refusal to join her.

What should he do? At least Amber, Jean and Diluc have been moderating, Venti knows how to hold his liquor, and Sucrose didn’t even stay over—but Aether is the only one who hasn’t touched the stuff all evening. Albedo, for one, has definitely been overdoing it, and Aether isn’t sure if it’s just the anxiety making it bigger than it is, or if Lumine is really overdoing it too.

If he were to declare the party over, he fears they’d jeer at him. The kids are finding their sneaky little alcohol escapade way too much fun!

Sighing, he pulls out his phone, mindlessly scrolling through his tabs without finding solace in any of them. He wishes he could call Xiao; he might know what to do to snap everyone out of it. After all, his ass would get hanged if his dads found out he was drinking at the ripe old age of thirteen.

But he can’t. He can’t turn to his sister, who is clearly having fun. Can’t turn to her friends. Not to Diluc, as he isn’t disapproving per se—he just thinks the others are behaving a little too extra: “It isn’t that special.”

He can’t turn to his best friend—hell, he isn’t even sure if they’re best friends anymore. He misses him so, so much. At least, if only he could call him, he feels like he might have been able to deal with everything that’s been happening as of late. The blonde boy sniffles softly and pulls his knees up as he hides away behind the patterned shower curtain.

More than ever before, Aether feels truly, earnestly alone. Like he really is residing in a world that isn’t his.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Jean finally got a hold of the rowdy bunch once Albedo threw up and Rosaria got sick too, and everyone realized that no, maybe this was not all sunshine and rainbows and sheer dumb fun.

It probably would’ve been less of a downer on the mood if Aether, at any point, had just piped up and told them to knock it off—but shit, dude, this sure did the job!

The kids, too worried about getting the wind whooped out of them if they called any of their parents, tried to fix the situation as best as they could, Jean and Venti quickly taking charge as the eldest in the group. Luckily, when it comes down to it, Venti cares about his friends—and he knows what to do in situations like these.

After taking care of Albedo and tucking both him and Rosaria into Venti’s bed with their faces turned to the door, everyone awkwardly shook it off and decided to switch to water and Fonta. Dazed initially, they played some party video games until everyone was laughing again, watched a two-part horror flick about the Abyss that Aether mostly spent hiding behind the Ragnvindr brothers, much to Kaeya’s joy, and went to bed.

Come the morning, Aether opens his crusty eyes, curled up in a sleeping bag with Lumine. She’s drooling on him, conked out. She reeks of alcohol, but he simply rolls his copper eyes and runs a hand through her long, blonde hair. He pulls her a little closer, suppressing a relieved sigh when she groans in her sleep, affirming her position among the living.

Stupid idiot. He hopes she wakes up with a killer headache, just to rub it in.

This has got to be the worst birthday he’d ever had. Oh, how dearly he wishes he could tell Xiao all about it.

Notes:

Aether continues to experience the consequences of the summer, little dude is having it rough. The kids sure like thinking they are, in fact, not kids :')

The new chapter is up! We're riding this angst train a little longer... Still sorting through some shenanigans over here, so I am very grateful for you guys' patience with my uploading speed! I hope everyone has had a nice week. See you next weekend! ♡

Chapter 27

Xiao almost throws his phone across his room when he gets yet another “found you” text. Fuck Kaeya and all he stands for, he doesn’t think he has ever hated someone this much. He would’ve blocked him if it wouldn’t have resulted in questions he doesn’t want to answer!

If it weren’t for that stupid blue bitch, he and Aether might still be…

It isn’t Kaeya’s fault though, is it?, whispers a taunting little voice in the back of his mind.

.. Obviously it is!

Huffing, Xiao turns on the LED-strips he has stuck all around his room. The blocky white furniture is gone, replaced by elegant, sharp, black models instead. His toys and stuffed animals stand on black shelves or sit in black storage boxes, or on top of them, if it looks nice. His bed, once a white single sleeper, is now a regal, black, full-sized bed, and his sleep is so much better for it!

Only his walls, the dried Cecilia in a picture frame now tucked away in a drawer in his desk, still need a new coat of paint—but he hasn’t really felt up for the task yet, and doesn’t know who to ask for help.

It felt refreshing to finally throw all that childish shit out. The broody bunch would surely eat his room makeover up if he sent them pictures, but he can’t bring himself to text them because… well.

The cold winter months are creeping closer as fall draws to a stormy conclusion outside, and Xiao has been feeling incredibly lonely. Junior high isn’t as bad as he feared, initially. He got into the school he wanted. He’s doing track. Not much else he can ask for.

Sure, it isn’t great, but his new team is fun, they’re actually helping him get good at javelin throwing, and he isn’t struggling to keep up half as much as Retuo expected he would.

Shenhe is with him, thankfully, but he hasn’t made many new friends. They still get ostracized. And for some ungodly reason, his father took one look at Xiao and Shenhe sitting together on the couch, decided this sight that has been present for years was suddenly “a little strange”, and forbade him from bringing her over anymore.

Miss Xianyun was, of course, flabbergasted by this sudden development. She genuinely likes Xiao, always has. But whether it be because of her devotion to her beloved daughter’s safety or because of what Shenhe calls “the weird tension in her shoulders whenever she talks about your old old man and his… shenanigans”, she’s going along with it, for the time being. 

Unfortunately, until Miss Xianyun takes a stance, the two have to make peace with only seeing each other at school. Xiao never would have thought he’d actually want the woman to show up at his house and make a scene.

Of course, Ganyu’s friends are still there. Loud and proud, present as ever. Xiao can hear her and Keqing giggling in her bedroom at this very moment! Apparently, nothing’s “a little strange” about that.

Sigh… he doesn’t even want to think about it anymore. He just wishes he had Aether, but… he messed up. The Starfell boy’s birthday was three whole days ago, and it’s the first time since they started the tradition that Xiao hasn’t sent him a gift. Hell, he hasn’t even sent him a text congratulating him on getting old.

Xiao should’ve messaged back at the start of October. But he had overheard his parents argue about money, about Zhongli’s plans for his own birthday, and about Xiao’s attitude the day before. He had felt bitter about the fight, about that painful summer memory, and hadn’t responded. And now that the bitter feelings are gone—oh, even if it was only an emoji, or a picture… he should have sent something.

Aether never sent anything again, and… now it just feels awkward to text first.

What if they aren’t best friends anymore? And for what? A stupid joke that Xiao couldn’t take? Kaeya calling Aether cute and being all over him? Aether maybe… liking that or whatever and—ugh, was something so childish really worth this friendship, when everything is already so different?

Xiao had noticed it the moment the Longwangs had arrived in Starfell. The sense of wonder he had always felt wasn’t there, and he’d simply tried not to think of it. Retuo was gone with Ganyu constantly, all of a sudden, leaving Xiao and Zhongli behind. Their family hadn’t felt like a family to him. For the first time in his life, he had felt adopted.

With Aether, he had felt safe, like there was still something that was how it was meant to be. But now, jealousy and anger have fucked that up too, and Xiao wishes he could turn back time and take everything back.

He stares at his wall without really seeing it. Time slowly ticks by, until he hears a knock on his door.

“Little bird? May I come in?”

Xiao rolls over his bed in his haste to sit upright. “Uh, sure!”

Zhongli enters with a small tray in his hand, carrying a bowl of reheated soup dumplings. “The girls came down to steal some snacks earlier, and I figured you might want some as well. Am I correct?” His smile narrows his tired eyes.

Xiao laughs a little. “Yeah, why not,” he says nonchalantly. “Thanks, Dad.”

Zhongli’s shoulders sag ever so slightly as he deftly places the bowl on the nightstand, home only to the stand that holds the expensive, high quality replica Yaksha mask. It looks even more imposing on an all black surface. “I am so glad you are speaking to me again,” he sighs, not for the first time. “Are you doing alright? How is your school work coming along?”

Oooo. Crap. “Uh… It’s… coming.”

“.. You haven’t started, have you?”

Xiao forces a hopeless grin.

“That won't do,” Zhongli says, a little stricter. He seats himself upon his son’s crinkled sheets, brushing his tousled dark brown hair behind an ear. A Cor Lapis earring shimmers in the blue LED lights. “Remind me of our agreement.”

“I know, I know,” the dark-haired boy groans, popping a dumpling into his mouth. One hour of guaranteed studying a day, finish at least half of his homework if the total is too much, yada yada. “I’m just busy, that’s all. I’ll get to it, Dad, don’t worry.”

“Busy with what, exactly?”

Being depressed, Xiao thinks.

Zhongli raises his eyebrows knowingly. For a moment, two pairs of warm-toned eyes stare each other down—but eventually, Zhongli averts his gaze. It reads as an act of affection.

Xiao enjoys the warm, strong arm that wraps around his shoulders, pulling him in close, and for a moment, he can’t believe he spent months avoiding this like his life depended on it. He drops his head against his dad’s chest.

“What ails you, sweetheart? Has Aether still not spoken to you?”

Oh. Yeah. I blamed Aether.

“I… he did,” Xiao lies, not wanting the worried crease in his dad’s forehead to get even deeper. “A little. Uh,” quickly, in fear that it starts hurting too much, he changes the topic, “I kinda miss Shenhe. Ganyu and Keqing are being super freaking loud and I guess I just wish me and her could take revenge right now.”

Zhongly pulls his mouth taut, as if something distasteful rests on his tongue—but he quickly pretends otherwise. “Ah… I see. It was not his finest decision, I must admit, but,” he says, running his long fingers through Xiao’s dark hair, “your father is just being protective of you, my little bird. I suppose he isn’t quite ready to see his eldest… date. Perhaps it’ll make him feel old, hm?”

Although he tries to give his words more power with a little joke, Xiao knows too much by now for it to land. Pfft, yeah, sure. He doesn’t even like Shenhe like that, and he never will!

I already like…—

“If you miss her that much, why don’t we strike a deal? If you can promise me not to make a mess, you can invite her over whenever your father and I are out. As long as she’s gone before we get home, well, if nobody knows, it never happened. How about it?”

“If Father finds out, he’s gonna be furious,” Xiao mumbles. “It’s stupid that I even have to sneak around at all. Ganyu gets to invite her friends over all the time, I mean, Keqing has been here three days in a row now and I don’t see him complaining about that.”

“You’re his eldest, sweetie, you’ll be the first to leave the nest,” Zhongi says with a sly little wink. “Gods, no, don’t you even think of it—you’re way too young for that! In any case, your father just worries for you. Parents do make mistakes sometimes, and I am sure he will rethink this decision eventually. But for the time being, just know it was one made out of love.”

Xiao loves his dad very much, and he, too, is glad they’re talking again. But the older he gets, the more he notices how good Zhongli is at pulling the biggest bullshit ever out of his ass with the straightest face ever conceived. Nonetheless, he simply, obediently, nods.

“Still stupid that Ganyu gets to have everything, though. If he loves both of us, why not just treat both of us the same?”

Zhongli pretends he didn’t hear that. And considering what Xiao knows behind his parents’ backs, that’s for the best.

“Well, I had best grade some more papers.” The brunette presses a kiss against the top of Xiao’s head and rises to his feet. “One gets off burnout watch and is immediately sent back onto the battlefield, haha! I will call you when it’s time for dinner, alright? Make sure those dumplings are devoured by then, and discard the evidence.”

“Got it.”

“And Xiao,” as Zhongli strides towards the door, placing his hand upon the doorknob, he looks back, “please do remember Ganyu is your little sister, and she cares for you as such.”

Uh-huh.

“I understand how you feel, but she has been missing you and—oh, just… think of what I always told you when you were little, about the importance of your bond. No matter how much things may change, a sibling is someone you will always have by your side.”

Yeah, sure, whatever.

“Fiiiiine. We’ll go commit crimes or whatever later.”

“Ha, I will take that as something positive.” As Zhongli opens the door, the golden-accented sleeve of his tight, black blouse rides up his forearm. Xiao spots something dark on his wrist, a little purple in shade, almost.

“What’s that?” he asks.

Zhongli’s gaze quickly flits down and with a big smile on his face, he nonchalantly fixes his cuff. Just as easily, the fabric hides the patch of skin from sight once more. “Oh, it’s nothing, sweetie. Must have bumped into something.”

“Pfft, seriously? Be more careful!” Rolling his eyes, Xiao salutes him, and he doesn’t think much else beyond such clumsiness not really suiting his dad. “See you later, Dad. I’ll, um, try to work on school stuff before coming down.”

Maybe he should, just in case his father decides to grace him with some words today. Last thing he wants is another full-blown rant on how he’s never going to reach anything in life at this rate, “for he’s wasting all his time on nonsense and frivolities”. Ugh.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Winter, Year 6

 

Nearly two weeks later, well into November, winter has truly settled in Liyue Harbor. With it, it brings gray clouds, an incredibly frigid breeze, and early darkness in the evenings. Xiao huffs out hot breath, which condenses in front of him, and zips up his black and teal sports’ blazer.

The city is still bustling with life, as expected from Liyue’s capital city: it’s noisy with traffic, the smell of street food hangs thickly in the air, and the lanterns and street lights lining the sidewalks and red houses are lit. The sight stands stark against the inky black sky—you’d almost think it’s the middle of the night.

But it’s about eight in the evening. He finished track practice not too long ago, and he’s already on his way home. That’s only something to note because normally, he stays outside to roam the streets of Liyue Harbor for as long as he can afford without giving Zhongli a heart attack.

On any other day, the dark-haired teenager would be haunting Yujing Terrace without entering, trying out foods he can actually afford, sitting and performing acrobatics on the many ledges the city has to offer to play phone games and test the limits of his physical abilities, and the likes. Anything to provide a reasonable excuse for staying outside just a little longer.

But on any other day, he’s alone after school and sports. Today, Ganyu had made the rather spontaneous decision to await her brother, all perked up and ready by the gates of his junior high school with Beidou and Ningguang in tow. The three had insisted on watching Xiao’s track practice till the end, Beidou even claiming she’ll get into his school and join his team next year, but… when the two girls had finally invited Ganyu to leave with them, she had refused.

It was weird. Ganyu rarely refuses her friends.

Xiao shoots the eleven year old walking beside him a quick side-eye. She’s kicking a pebble ahead of her as they meander through crowds of people. Other than that, they remain mostly quiet, with Xiao occasionally whipping out his phone to check the time.

“If you just want to go home, you should,” he says, not for the first time. “You could’ve been home hours ago. Or, hell, you could’ve been with your friends right now. What if they’ve gone to do something fun without you and you’re missing out tremendously right now, huh?”

Not to mention, Retuo is probably worried sick about his little girl.

Ganyu looks up, her thick, golden brown hair bouncing along. She’s clutching tightly onto the straps of her dark blue school backpack, enough so for her knuckles to turn white. “But I wanted to watch you throw sticks in the grass,” she says, her jaw set.

Xiao suppresses a huff. “It’s called javelin throwing, and I will get gold for it one of these days.”

“Sure you will, hehe.” Ganyu’s light eyes, almost lilac in the glow of the street lanterns, twinkle with glee. She playfully shoves up against him. “You’re still not getting anything better than fourth place!”

“Tsk… Ganyu, I’m serious. You could’ve just gone home.”

Ganyu’s happy face fades away.

The Longwang siblings weave their way past a row of food vendors, the smells of delicious, freshly made rice buns, meat skewers, spicy noodle soups and meaty dumplings overlapping in their noses. Xiao’s mouth waters, but he has told himself that if he were to make a purchase, Ganyu would probably want some too—and he doesn’t feel like getting flack from Retuo if she doesn’t get her way.

Ugh. He should just take her to the nearest bus stop and go home, get this over with. At least they’ve already missed formal dinner time, so nothing will be tying him to his chair downstairs.

“Do you want to get rid of me that badly?” Ganyu mumbles with sorrow, and Xiao’s throat tightens.

He doesn’t answer, unsure what to say.

“.. Oh. Okay. I just thought, well… you’re always gone until really late after school, and once you’re back, you go straight to your room. I figured that if I wanted to see you, I should just come cheer you on at practice or something, so…”

Why does hearing it kind of hurt? Xiao jams his hands into the pockets of his blazer, tucking his chin and mouth into his collar. Something about the tone in her voice, he supposes…

Just like he stopped giving Zhongli a hard time, he honestly isn’t all too sure about how cold of a shoulder he should give his sister. But it’s just so infuriating. Every time Retuo is anywhere remotely happy, it’s because of her pulling off some of the most mundane, painfully average shit ever, and on his worst days, it makes Xiao sick with envy. Their father smiles at her, all the time, over virtually nothing. Xiao? He can count himself lucky if he gets a look at all.

“Thanks for coming,” the thirteen year old says, trying to keep his tone professional. “Maybe I did throw the javelin a little further with some cheering. But you really don’t have to come over and bother me at school, you know. You can just do whatever with your friends, I’m sure that’s more fun anyway.”

“But I’m your sister,” the small girl whispers, “and you’re my brother. Why aren’t we acting like it? Like Aether and Lumi do?”

Yeah, well, maybe because you were actually wanted by both parents.

Then, another little voice whispers to him: but is that her fault? Isn’t it good that she doesn’t understand what is happening in this house, and continues to live a life free of concerns?

No! This should be made even somehow. An eye for an eye, a distant brother for a distant father. Right?

But at the sight of Ganyu’s eyes, devoid of their usual little spark as she sadly lowers her gaze, Xiao narrowly convinces himself to be a little less ruthless in his thoughts. He realizes that she doesn’t actually have anything to level the playing field with, if she has no idea what the hell is going on.

Sisters are sisters, no matter the circumstances. He hears Aether’s words in the back of his mind.

.. Fine! You know what, just this once, he will be the bigger person—because yeah, at the end of the day, Ganyu is his little sister.

“Wanna play a game when we get home?” he asks, and after a moment of hesitation, he wraps an arm around her shoulders. “I’ll have to shower first, but, I don’t know, if you want to, we can. It’s whatever, really.”

Ganyu relaxes against him, and the sad cloud that seemed to have been hanging above her, dissipates with her smile. “I’d like that,” she says. “Hey, Xiao, do you wanna know what I’ve been up to today?”

“Save it for Father, he’ll love to hear every word.”

“Nah, I want to tell you. It was wild, you know! I bet you won’t even believe it.”

With a sigh, Xiao nods. But he, too, manages to crack a smile that doesn’t hurt as though he’s trying to stitch his own lips into a curve when his sister’s pace livens up. Ganyu begins her story, telling him all about the kids at school who had tried to come for her, but Keqing had heroically blasted them down where they stood (“Literally,” she firmly reiterates, just in case Xiao was doubting her super cool and pretty bestie). He feels like a storm is being quelled within him.

Xiao leads his sister past a dumpling cart run by an elderly woman, and decides to cave in: they missed dinner and he just finished doing sports, he’s starving! He gets them both a serving of five fresh dumplings, and the cart is set up in such a way that they get to watch the woman prepare them live from their seats.

Ganyu’s voice gets louder and more cheerful as they go, her gestures growing grand, and Xiao bursts out laughing when she accidentally throws herself off her stool.

“Idiot!” he exclaims.

“Just help me up, jerk!” Ganyu shouts, kicking her legs. “Xiaooo—don’t be freaking mean!”

Man… When Xiao managed to drag himself out of his slump and warm up to his dad again, he was so, so happy to have someone to hug at home that he could have cried if he hadn’t stood right in front of an already worried Zhongli. And now that he’s chowing down on dumplings with his sister, fucking up her hair and yapping right along with her, he feels like a brick has been lifted off his back.

It feels nice to let go of such heavy things.

When he shoves Ganyu’s dumpling into her face and ‘out of reflex’, or so she claims, she straight up kicks him in the knees, Xiao wonders if maybe he should let go of last summer’s brick of discomfort as well. If it wasn’t worth his family, then it shouldn’t be worth Aether, either.

What if he just picks up his phone tonight, and texts him?

Notes:

Today on: Xiao considers whether his teenage angst is worth everyone he loves. More at ten! You've got this, tiny, we believe in you :(

Got hit with the AO3 author curse of goin’ through it 😔 /lh - I won’t go into too much detail (it’s not all bad though), but! I am still doing my best :> I will never drop this fanfic, especially now I’m so close to completing it in my drafts, but I do predict that I will continue to struggle with maintaining my uploading schedule until further notice… I am super sorry about that.
I hope you guys have had a great week! See you as soon as possible with the next update! ♡

Chapter 28

It is so much easier said than done, oh lord. For some reason, deciding to be the bigger person with his dad and sister had come much easier to Xiao than taking the first step toward fixing things with Aether! It’s much more grave; his family kind of owes him, he feels like, because they’re family, but Aether, well… he most certainly does not.

The boy could quite literally tell him to piss off and never speak to him again, and Xiao wouldn’t be able to do a thing about it. It’s a dreadful thought.

No, surely Aether wouldn’t do that to him! Even though I screamed at him, and already told him those exact words.

Gods, if Xiao could do it at the time, then who is to say Aether can’t do it all the same?

He is almost happy when Ganyu drags him from the shower straight into karting. She’s out for blood; he notices as much when he slides into first place, only to have her mercilessly throw every item she’d been hoarding on him until he comes in dead last.

Tsk, annoying little brat! He tries to cheat his way to victory by shoving her into his black carpet, and still, she kicks his ass fair and square.

“Haha, you suck! You lost so many times you might as well tattoo an L right on your forehead, weiner!” Ganyu shouts, standing in front of the large TV with her hands placed akimbo on her waist. She glows with triumph.

“Fuck off, obviously I just let you win because Father would beat my ass otherwise,” Xiao sulks, his pride wounded from getting thoroughly humbled by his eleven year old sister.

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yuh-huh!”

Before he knows it, Zhongli calls curfew for both of them, ending all his excuses to stall.

With fingers that are itching with nerves, the Liyueren boy pulls his blanket over his head and snuggles into the sheets. By then, Ganyu has long since left for her own room, claiming his Yaksha game to play to completion as her prize for defeating him, and he has already wished Zhongli goodnight.

Retuo is still out. Long day at work, which isn’t a first-time occurrence. He may come home at unexpected times, but for now, he’s gone.

All Xiao needs to do is… text. Simply tap some letters, form some words and send them off to travel across the world in his stead. Deep breaths, count to ten, and go. He takes his phone in his hands, feeling like he can’t swallow right until the very moment he has entered the cold, dead chat with his best friend.

Wow, it feels awful. Nibbling on his lip, Xiao reaches for the cat plushie Aether had made for him, and he pulls it tightly against his chest. It smells like the crisp, earthy detergent Zhongli uses to wash the bedding, and that, if possible, makes the whole ordeal even worse. Xiao has to bite back a quiet whimper.

Okay, no, this is pathetic. Come on, he tells himself, just send one message and see what comes of it. Maybe Aether will be happy to finally talk, too.

 

[23:00
Me: Hey, Aether…

23:05
Me: Um, so… junior high is fine I guess, nothing sucks more than it has always done. Lol. How’s your last year before death coming along?

23:17
Me: I guess you’re already asleep. Just reply when you can, if you want to. Sleep well, bunny]

 

Sigh… It was worth a try.

Xiao dejectedly shoves his phone under his pillow. He stares at the inside of his blanket until his eyes start swimming in gray and brown blobs, and he’s holding his breath, fearing the reply will truly never come. He may as well have to go to bed with this sense of dread cradling him in its cold hands.

Then, the special notification alert he set up for Aether goes off.

Huh..?

Yes!

Xiao’s heart leaps into his throat. A beat of excitement sets his hands ablaze, and he yanks his device back as fast as he can, expecting the world and nothing less.

 

[23:30
Bunny🐰: So… I guess we’re just gonna pretend nothing happened?]

 

Oh. Xiao doesn’t know why he had imagined a different response. Why he thought Aether would praise this joyful day, and virtually jump him as though they hadn’t seen each other in decades. When he skims over the message once more, the dark-haired boy feels a mixture of relief and regret.

 

[23:30
Me: That what happened? Lol

23:31
Me: I’m so happy to see a message from you again, you have no idea. I might actually cry]

 

At first, Aether is typing for what feels like literal hours, but may have only been a minute or five, six at most. Xiao is biting his nails, holding off on blinking so as to not miss the message box popping up.

But instead of a message, the phone screen suddenly lights up with Aether’s caller ID.

Oh, fuck me.

“H..hello?” Xiao rasps, as he slowly brings the phone to his ear. It took so much out of him already to just pick up the stupid phone. “Isn’t it… late over there?”

“Yeah, but eh. It’s fine.” Aether’s distorted voice sounds close to the phone, but Xiao hears distance in his tone. “I didn’t think you’d pick up, but uh, well, I’m glad you did.”

“I-I didn’t think I’d pick up at first either. Wait, I know how that sounds, hold on. Please don’t hang up. I missed you so much and—” Oh my gods, stop talking! “Um, Aether, I…”

This is so much harder than he thought it would be.

It’s quiet for longer than one would consider comfortable for a phone conversation. Neither boy knows what to say, both equally as unsure of their own right as their own wrong. They both blame each other and themselves, as well as forces that may or may not have had everything to do with why their fight escalated that day—Kaeya, Lumine, Retuo, Ganyu, Aunt Annette, a crush, a crush—

“I’m sorry,” Aether finally mumbles, and that feels wrong, somehow. “I-I’m so sorry for that stupid fucking joke I made. It wasn’t funny, and it was uncalled for, an-and I get why it upset you so much, I think, maybe, but I—”

“No!” Xiao quickly interjects, lest the guilt eats him alive. “I’m sorry. You were only joking, but I guess I was just really pent up and I blew it all the way up for no reason, and—”

“But it was such a cruel joke, I shouldn’t have—”

“But I was being a sensitive asshole about it and—”

They both interrupt each other, pause, they speak and shut their mouths at the same time… and finally, the two burst out in laughter as quietly as they can manage, so as to not wake their respective family members.

On the other side of the phone, Aether smiles; Xiao may not be able to see it, but he hears it in his voice, which, slowly but surely, seems to be bridging that distance. “I guess you were being a little bit of a bitch about it,” he says.

Xiao chuckles. “Yeah, and I guess you could’ve made literally any other joke on the planet, but okay,” he retorts playfully.

“Guess so. My mom would probably kill me if she knew I’d said that to you. Or anyone else, for that matter.” Aether sighs. “I’m really sorry. It was uncalled for, and it nearly cost us, and… I’m sorry. I’ve really missed you too.”

“I missed you way more.”

“Haha, no way.”

They talk some more. It’s a little hesitant at first, a little shy, but they each try their best to regain the vigor they’re used to from each other. They shoot banter back and forth, and despite the fact that it feels just the slightest bit forced, it makes Xiao happier than he’s been in months. Both kids seem to be ignoring the elephant in the room, finding it too daunting of a task to bring up when they are only now hearing each other’s voices again.

Xiao can make peace with housing the elephant, honestly.

But Aether has other plans. “Hey, Xiao,” he starts, meekly, as if he’s scared. Xiao is sure he hears keys in the door downstairs. “You really did not take that joke well. And the entire summer, it was like you were kind of just going along with the flow because you had to, and something was obviously not right. Please tell me what happened.”

What time is it?

“Why’d you get so up—”

“Wait, shh.”

The heavy front door slams shut. A grunt follows, as does the jangling of keys being tossed into the designated key box and the thump of shoes hitting the ground. Before Xiao knows it, heavy footsteps are ascending the stairs. He holds his breath, his heart ruffling in his chest as he shoves his phone underneath his blanket, his ears perked for what’s to come.

Oh man, this can’t mean anything good. Why the hell is Father coming upstairs, fresh out of a late-nighter?

He damn near implodes when the footsteps actually pass his room. For a moment, he thinks he’s toast, and he leaps under his covers to pretend he’s asleep, but it’s Ganyu’s door that opens.

“Huh? Hi Papa.” She sounds wide awake. “Welcome home. Ack! Ugh, stupid mobs.”

“Er—I figured you would be asleep, little one. Still up playing games, are you? Having fun?”

“Yeah. I beat Xiao at karting, so now I get to borrow his Yaksha game. It’s kind of difficult, though.”

“Haha, well, I cannot imagine this puny little game can hold up against you for long. You’ll have  the, what do you kids call it… highest score in no time.” Retuo’s voice sounds incredibly tired, but he’s smiling through the strain.

“Pfft, sure! Whatcha got there?”

“This—? See for yourself. Who knows, perhaps it’s what will help you defeat this foolish computer?”

That playful tone… why is it making Xiao so envious?

“Whoa… Wait, are you for real? But this is super duper—I’d put it on my birthday list because it was expensive.”

“I know, I know, but you have been doing so well, with those rising grades and how seriously you’re taking your extracurriculars. Such feats deserve a reward, no, to nourish your motivation? Didn’t I tell you I’d get you something?”

“Well, yeah, but… but it wasn’t supposed to be this, silly!”

What on Teyvat did she get? Xiao perks his ears, trying to distinguish the sounds of the packaging, turmoil swirling in his gut. It better have been really posh fucking food or something.

The conversation goes on a little longer. Ganyu is in awe of whatever she just got, and Retuo laughs, not quite trying to be quiet. It's not like Zhongli would hear, all the way downstairs—but there is another kid in the bedroom right across, which he seems to assume is vast asleep. He makes her promise not to tell Zhongli and expresses again how proud he is of her, thanking her for upholding the family’s reputation so well.

When Ganyu asks if work went okay, he answers with a soft-hearted: “Ah, it could have been better, but you know what they say; nothing remedies a poor work day quite as well as coming home to a happy child. Now, I had better go and rest these weary bones of mine. Goodnight, sweetie. Don’t stay up too late, alright?”

“I’ll just defeat one more level, maybe. Ohh, I bet the sound quality is gonna be awesome with these! Goodnight, Papa. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

The door to Ganyu’s room closes with the softest click. Xiao hears his father’s back crack as he stretches.

Half of him screams to get up out of bed and greet his father in the hallway, show him he’s still there, and he has worked hard too, and he can cheer him up just as well as Ganyu can. The other half of him dreads it, painfully reminded of last month, when he was out in the hallway at the wrong time, and Retuo had challenged his sense of responsibility because he was still awake so late. The man hadn’t shied away from calling him a disappointment.

Okay, Xiao supposes that what he’d actually said was that his actions were immensely disappointing—but it still hurt.

The thirteen year old listens to the heavy footsteps descending the stairs, and takes a couple of deep breaths. This is fine. Everything is fine. When he’s sure that the coast is clear, he slowly pulls Aether out from underneath his pillow.

“Back,” he breathes through his teeth, staring into his dark room. “Sorry. I-I just, uh, my father came home, so I had to pretend I was… asleep. Late-nighter. You know how it is.”

“You sound sad.”

“Hm?”

“You honest to the gods sound like you’re about to cry.” Aether’s voice isn’t taunting or teasing, but incredibly concerned. Xiao hadn’t even noticed the tremor in his own voice. “Why are you sad? Does it, um, maybe have anything to do with why you were so distant this summer? And that time you wanted me to just… talk to you, what was up with that?”

“It’s nothing,” Xiao says abruptly.

“It’s clearly something, I’m not an idiot.”

“It’s nothing. Just drop it, okay?”

“So you’re still gonna be like this.”

Hmph.

“Okay. Fine. I’ll hang up then.”

Wait, what?

“I-if you’re just gonna act like we aren’t even friends at all, I’m gonna hang up the phone,” Aether reiterates in a tiny little voice. He stands his ground when Xiao blubbers out hasty protests. “I’m serious! We’ve been inseparable for years and I feel like the entire summer, you kind of just forgot that. You were upset constantly and never told me why, and all of a sudden you exploded on me like you’ve never done before, and now, this is the first time we’ve talked in months.”

Xiao fiddles nervously with the hem of his white and teal pajamas, letting Aether’s words wash over him. He thinks back to last summer, and even the year before that, when Aether was complaining to him about mundane issues, and it had felt like so much more sat hidden under the surface. He wants to shoot the ball right back, tell Aether he hasn’t exactly been honest either... but he’s unsure if he should.

This wasn’t supposed to turn this heavy. All Xiao wanted was for it to go back to how it has always been.

“Fine. I’m sorry. My father has been acting like a dick lately,” he then says, when it’s quiet a little too long and he’s overcome with the fear that Aether might actually hang up. “And I guess it’s been getting to me. It’s just… work. His work is eating him up where he stands, that’s what Dad says at least, and sometimes he just kind of lets it get the better of him around me.”

“Oh. Wow. And… what about Ganyu?”

“Nah, not her. I’m the eldest, I can handle a little more. If you have to believe Father sometimes, you’d think I can handle everything, haha.” He tries to play it off with a lighthearted jab at Retuo. Better yet, he tries to make it as light as possible as soon as possible: “I’m sure it’ll be fine, you know, it’s whatever. I just didn’t want to bother you with it.”

Will he accept it?

“Huh, what the hell, that’s so stupid! Ugh, parents are so fucking stupid sometimes. You don’t deserve that, I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind next time I see him.” On the other end of the phone, Aether suddenly sounds like he’s dangling upside down, and Xiao is sure he can hear him mutter something under his breath about him never being able to bother him, but he doesn’t catch the details.

“It’ll be fine, honestly. Now you at least know what was up. What about you, huh?” Xiao, sagging with relief, crosses his legs and places the cat plushie in the middle. He runs his fingers across its egg-shaped head and mismatched face. “I know you were way more down in the dumps last year than you let on.”

Aether snickers, and Xiao doesn’t even need to tell him he could just as easily hang up the phone too: “Guess you got me. I suppose I was just way more scared of being alone this year than I thought, and, uh, my brain’s been acting like… crazy weird. N-not uhh—nothing to fuss about! Uhh—”

“Haha, what are you getting defensive for? Aren’t our brains just being weird in general?” Xiao says. Aether mumbles something he can’t quite catch again, about it being ‘different’ and ‘about you’.  “It’s okay, Aether. Even if your brain is being weird, you’re still you. How are you managing? Anyone I need to beat up for you?”

“More like everyone! They’re even bullying Lumine now, which is insane because she’ll still actually fold them. It somehow just doesn’t deter them anymore the way it did when the others weren’t in high school yet.”

Straight-up bullying..? Oh, Xiao does not like the sound of that. He’d always thought that the kids at Aether’s school were just being jerks for no reason, he didn’t know it was severe enough for it to get a name.

“I will fight all of them,” he mutters angrily. “I’m coming over right now and I’m beating all their asses so hard they’ll see stars from their buttholes.”

To that, Aether bursts out in genuine, hearty laughter, and he immediately invites Xiao to come live in his pocket so he can always protect him. In turn, he promises to square up with Retuo whenever he’s being cranky—if only it were that simple. Xiao laughs with him all the same, though, and fantasizes right along with him about heroically jumping in to save Aether from the bullies, much like Keqing supposedly saved Ganyu today. He will destroy them and make them disappear, ‘just trust him’.

They only shut up for a moment when Xiao hears both his parents come upstairs and warns the other thirteen year old. Aether still giggles, and Xiao hisses at him to shut it or he’ll come for his ass too.

“Retuo, my love,” he hears Zhongli say softly, “would you please humor me for a moment?”

Nobody replies. Sullen footsteps stalk away, to the master bedroom in the back. With the parents heading off to bed, the stillness of the night well and truly falls over the Longwang residence.

“This is nice,” Xiao finally mumbles. “I’m so happy we’re talking right now.”

“Uh-huh. Maybe we should,” Aether takes a deep breath on the other side of the phone, “I mean, what if we told each other, from now on? When something’s wrong? Honestly, like, no glossing over the details.”

“.. I don’t know.” Xiao surprises himself with his answer. “I guess we should, but—I like that when I talk to you, all the worries seem to go away for a moment. Just a charm you’ve got about you, I guess.”

“Pfft, shut up, loser… I get it though. Me too. But you’re, um, too important to me to lose you over something dumb like misunderstanding each other just because we never say what’s bothering us. I was so scared you’d never talk to me again.”

“But what if the worries seep into what makes us so good? And… and ruin it?” Xiao bites down hard on the insides of his cheeks, feeling a sharp lump trying to fight its way up his nose. He tries to stop talking, but he can’t convince his heart to cooperate with his mind. “Starfell already feels so much different than it used to when we were little. What if ‘us’ starts feeling different too? I don’t think I could handle that, Aether. I really don’t.”

Nothing will be as it once was anymore.

“Xiao…” Aether’s voice is very quiet, then. “No amount of trouble is ever gonna get between what makes us ‘us’, I’m sure of it. Things will change, and it’s terrifying.”

Tell me about it…

“But,” Aether says, more confident, “I found it worse when I was dealing with it all alone. Don’t you think it’ll be less bad, maybe, if we brave it together?”

Xiao doesn’t speak.

“I promise I will never see you differently. Maybe we will change, but never so much that you don’t have a safe place to come back to anymore.”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh.” Aether hesitates for a moment, before squeaking: “Do you promise too? That you, um… won’t leave me?”

What a stupid question.

“Yeah.” Xiao lifts his cat plushie to his face, and tenderly rests his forehead against it. He closes his eyes, and imagines Aether’s forehead is leaning back against him. If he perks his ears well enough, he hears the Starfell forest, and when he flares his nostrils and breathes in the detergent, he instead smells the Reisenders’ fresh harvest, and the wet dirt after rain. “When you call my name, I’ll be there all the same, whether the demons are on the outside or attack you from within. I care so much about you, Aether. And I guess I do owe my best friend honesty, if I don’t want us to not be on speaking terms anymore.”

“B-best friend! Yeah, uhh, yeah! You’re my best friend, that’s what you are, definitely.”

The blonde boy’s awkward stutters lighten the atmosphere once more.

“Hehe… you’re so cute, bunny.”

“No way, you’re cuter!”

“I-I’m really, really sorry. For… everything.”

“Me too.”

The boys continue talking for hours on end, catching up on everything they haven’t been able to tell each other for too long. They giggle, they jeer at each other, they both hide under the covers when the other hears a noise; as if they’re sitting together on the same bed, rather than being hundreds of kilometers apart. Xiao rolls on his back, stretching his legs above him and balancing his cat plushie on his feet as Aether tells him all about the absolute disaster that was the twins’ thirteenth birthday.

Hoping to give it a positive spin still, Xiao decides he’ll surprise him with a much belated birthday present. It’s gotta be a good one—the best one yet. Maybe something with a Cecilia, to show how much he means to him.

Wait, what is he thinking—!

Maybe something with a heart since you wanna be all lovey-dovey and cringe anyway, he thinks to himself.

Ack, wait, no—! What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Flustered, Xiao hides his face in his blanket, muffling out his words at Aether, who has no idea what he’s saying and it might honestly be for the best.

“Getting grumpy all of a sudden, huh?” Aether says playfully. “Man, I wish I could see you right now, I really love when your face scrunches up!”

Oh my gods—?

Xiao should not have imagined Aether’s face actually speaking those words to him. Stuttering and stammering, hot and red until all the way down his neck, he tells his best friend to stuff it or he’ll hang up then and there. His heart is fluttering around his chest, a sensation he hasn’t felt amidst all the times it has raced as if to anxiously run away from its demise in ages, and he quickly changes the subject.

By the time he finally does hang up the phone, he hears songbirds singing ballads to one another outside his window, and his sleek, black digital alarm clock, fashioned to the likeness of a garuda, reads 5:45 in the morning.

With an elated sigh, Xiao shoves his phone under his pillow and drops himself into it, curled up around his cat plushie. He’s so happy, he could lie down on a cloud and drift away forever, and that’s exactly what he intends to do for a few more hours.

The special notification sound goes off before he gets the chance.

 

[5:46
Bunny 🐰: Night ♥️!!!!!!!!!!]

 

Oh… With a warmth in his chest that puts a drought in his throat, Xiao pulls his phone a little closer. Through misty, tired eyes, he sends one last message back.

 

[5:47
Me: Night. You are everything to me ♥

5:48
Bunny 🐰: Whoa that’s gay!!!!!!]

 

Yeah? Good.

Notes:

Ganyu was in fact wholly expecting she'd get posh food, Xiao is somewhat correct there :') Other than that... rip tiny. It's okay though, he's going to do the... the thing ever next chapter! /lh
The good news is that the lads have finally reunited! It took a while, but they did it <3 Proud of them!

Finally on winter break... I will need some of it to catch up on work, but I will definitely be using most to chill for a hot minute and write silly shenanigans. I hope you guys have been well, thank you so much for being patient with me! See you next time ♡

Chapter 29

Notes:

The current ages:
Xiao - 14
Aether+Lumine - 13
Ganyu - 12

Spring, Year 7

 

“Watch your tone, kid, you’re on thin damn ice as is. You better be home in time for dinner today or you can expect to go without for the rest of the week, you hear me?”

Whatever. Whatever.

“If you say so,” Xiao mumbles into his phone. “Not that it’ll even make a difference whether I’m there or not, but whatever helps you sleep at night. Bye.” He hangs up without hearing his father out any further, resisting a pang of fear.

Xiao has well and truly given up: whatever he used to have with Retuo is no longer there, and the boy has very little faith that it’ll ever come back. Nothing he says will make Retuo sing his praises, no gold medal in track is golden enough, no 100/100 in the wrong subject is high enough. He would have been flamed as soon as he got home regardless of whether it’d be in time or not—either for being late and giving Ganyu a bad example, or for anything else Retuo can think up in the moment and giving Ganyu a bad example.

Sighing, he swings his legs from the high ledge he’s sitting on and gazes out over the actual harbor of Liyue Harbor. He snaps a picture of it, sending it to Aether like he’s been doing practically every day; the longer he stays outside, the better, and showing him Liyue Harbor gives him a mission to use as cover. He has social media now, too, but he doesn’t care to use it unless it’s to video call… or stalk everyone.

Honestly, he should’ve already given up in November last year. The thing that Retuo got Ganyu, as a reward for being the best fucking thing to ever happen to him? A super high tech headset worth more than Xiao’s life, which she was initially supposed to get for her twelfth birthday from both Retuo and Zhongli because it was seriously that expensive. And Retuo just got it for her like it was nothing.

Of course Zhongli had to be told at some point, seeing as her birthday was coming up, and Ganyu had felt guilty for hiding it from him. She had set up a rather elaborate way to tell him without actually telling him, trying her best to make it look like an accident… and he was distraught, to say the least.

He had tried to play it off like always, just to make sure Ganyu wouldn’t feel bad, but it had felt like a stab in the back from Retuo. No matter how much he had insisted that it was unfair of Retuo to pull a stunt like this, yet deny him his own salary and maybe a little more to get Ganyu something of somewhat equal value, Retuo wouldn’t hear it.

Naturally, Xiao knows the details because he heard them fight about it. He is really beginning to think that even if Retuo still doesn’t know one of the kids knows everything, he at least no longer deems it necessary to be secretive about his disdain for his husband as long as Ganyu isn’t around. As long as it’s merely Xiao, it should be fine.

The dirty look he’d gotten before he left for school this morning, had most definitely been intentional.

Either way, Zhongli had settled for pitching in on the smartphone that Ganyu was also meant to get for her birthday, and took her out for a fun day at the amusement park together, using funds he’d held back from that month’s salary. Which Xiao also knows he did, because Retuo yelled at him about it as soon as he got the opportunity.

Xiao’s fourteenth birthday last month hadn't been ideal. Aether had sent him an amazing gift: a self-made teal and black, beaded bracelet with a little moon pendant on it. “Super cheesy,” the blonde had warned over the phone, but Xiao loves it. He likes that they send each other things they can keep forever.

Other than that… let’s just say Zhongli had meant for it to be a lot grander than Retuo eventually allowed it to be. He was told they had to watch their funds. Sure. Rich as all hell, but they needed to watch their funds. Sure.

All things considered, Xiao is surprised it took him this long to just throw in the towel.

He smiles when Aether sends him an adorable selfie back, and to tease him, he returns it with one of him blowing a kiss. Seeing Aether die in the chat is one of the best things the guy has to offer over such a long distance!

As he’s about to get up and tiptoe across the ledge in the mellow spring breeze, bound to scare a dozen old aunties who fear he doesn’t have the impeccable balance to stay upright, Shenhe texts him as well.

 

[18:51
Shen🌺: Dude

18:52
Me: What lol

18:53
Shen🌺: *open image*
             Look at this ._.]

 

It’s the also-fourteen-years-old girl holding up a pair of scissors, and she has cut her white bangs in such a way that they cover one of her eyes.

 

[18:54
Shen🌺: Wanna come to the back porch and let me fuck up your hair? Mom’s out so she won’t know you’ve been here ._. Don’t think she’d care anyhow, but you know it’s easier to pretend you saw nothing when you actually saw nothing]

 

Huh. Xiao furrows his eyebrows. The haircut doesn’t look half bad, actually, though he isn’t sure whether he should trust her with scissors near his own face. And his hair hasn’t been cut in months, it’d definitely stand out if he came home looking different up there. Then again… it shouldn’t even matter, Retuo will be surely irritated regardless of anything. Might as well let Shenhe do her thing, right?

Yeah, why not? What does it matter?

 

[18:56
Me: Stay there, omw

18:57
Shen🌺: Yeaaaa]

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Two hours later, Xiao slams the front door shut behind him and kicks his shoes off by the designated shoe rack. He catches his own gaze in the entrance mirror. His hair, once dark grayish-blue, now sports the pitch black kids’ dye Shenhe still had lying around, and she has cut it in shaggy layers, with side-swept bangs. It’s a little ridiculous and quite a drastic change, but Xiao likes it just for that. He tries to ignore his nerves.

It’s well past dinner time, and the teenager braces himself before he shuffles into the big hallway.

Before he can get to the stairs, the sliding doors to the living room are shoved open, and Retuo, grand and imposing, steps into view.

“Oh, you are in big trouble,” he says, his voice booming across the hallway. “Even when I explicitly tell you to be on time for dinner, you bring up the audacity to be a no-show. You may think you’re so mature, but you're barely—huh—what the—?”

“Hi,” Xiao says, tucking his hands into the pockets of his black, baggy jeans. His heartbeat is heavy and fast, but he forces himself to meet Retuo’s shocked, golden brown glare head-on. “Sorry. Got caught up with something.”

Retuo doesn’t know what to say for long enough to bring him some amusement. “What the fuck did you do to your hair?” he then exclaims. “Are you insane?!”

Xiao flinches. “I-I cut it. Put some dye in it too, but it’s temporary unfortunately. It’ll probably wash out in a month or two.”

“Good gods. Oh no, oh no, no, no. Lord of Geo, aid me!”

The commotion in the middle of the hallway causes stumbling upstairs, as if no less than three pairs of feet are tripping over each other in their haste to see the show, and Ganyu soon appears at the top of the stairs. She’s followed closely by Beidou, Keqing and Ningguang, the latter of whom smacks her hands over her mouth in disbelief.

Xiao greets the girls with a curt nod and a small smile.

“Xiao, wipe that shit-eating grin off your face!” Retuo is much less keen than him, stomping up to him to grip onto his shoulders. Xiao reels back in earnest surprise, but his father fists a handful of dyed hair, turning and twisting it as if it’s a gold coin he’s examining. “Unbelievable… unbelievable! Something is deeply wrong with you. You’re coming upstairs with me this instant, we are washing this out of your hair before it sets.”

“Ow—!” Xiao exclaims, and the nerves turn to fright and regret. “Dude, chill, it’s just hair!”

“Do not address me in such a disrespectful manner! It’s not just the hair, you crazy brat, how well do you think this action of yours will translate at school? What will they think of this family?! Piss poor grades, already dressing like a delinquent, now you look like one too, and what about Gan—”

“What is going on here?” Zhongli, still with one rose gold earbud in his ear, rushes out from the living room, looking like he just heard the fire alarm go off. His eyes are wide with shock, and he drops the book he was reading on a nearby cabinet.

“Your son is insane, that’s what!” Retuo shouts. He promptly shoves Xiao, who had been obstructed behind the graying man’s large frame, in front of him. “Look at this and tell me he does not look like a maniac!”

Xiao, still rather shaken up, feels a little awkward when Zhongli’s jaw drops. “Oh goodness—oh, erm…”

Silence.

“Well! That is… lovely, my little bird. Truly… quite expressive, yes.”

The newly raven-haired boy can tell he’s lying through his teeth.

“Thanks, Dad,” he says, despite it. “I-I was feeling spontaneous, so I thought, why not? Don’t worry, it, uh, it was free.”

Zhongli is trying his best to keep his grimace positive, and offers him a weak thumbs up. Retuo, on the other hand, cannot believe his eyes. Or his ears, for that matter.

“We are supposed to be a team on this, Zhongli,” he growls through clenched teeth. “This is going to severely impact his image at school, and ours in turn. It’s outrageous, it looks hideous, hell, before you know it, he’ll be committing felonies at this rate! First you encourage his tasteless, low-class clothing style, and now this?”

I don’t even always dress this shabby, Xiao thinks, digging crescent moons into the palms of his hands. Normally, he looks plenty classy—even if a little gloomy.

“It’s just hair and it is a natural, prevalent color, Retuo, give it a rest,” Zhongli sighs. “Our son is simply expressing himself, becoming his own person, if you will. I think we ought to encourage such matters, don’t you agree?”

“Give it a—you have got to be kidding me! You want him to look like a criminal in the making then, huh, do you?! I can’t believe this. I cannot believe this. Both of you are out of your minds, but what am I to expect at this point.”

Upstairs, Ganyu quietly ushers her bewildered friends back to her room. When Xiao catches her gaze for a moment, just before she disappears from sight, she’s glaring at him.

“Xiao, that shit better be out of your hair before summer starts or you’re not coming, you hear me? That is final. I will not have the reputation I spent years working to build tarnished by a brat trying to be a rebel.” Retuo grumbles under his breath and shoves Zhongli aside. Without ever having noticed his daughter’s presence, too angry to look around, the man disappears into the living room, shutting the sliding door with a soundly bang.

Xiao exhales the breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding, and his face relaxes into a real smile. “I honestly thought he’d take it a lot better, with how little attention he’s been paying to me,” he says softly. “Didn’t think he’d notice the color at all. Funny, huh, Dad?”

To his surprise, Zhongli’s shoulders sag with exasperation, and he rakes his fingers across his face. “Xiao, my little bird, please,” he says, gently placing his hands upon his eldest’s shoulders. “I do not know who cut your hair, but if you ever want something drastic like this done again, please discuss it with me so I might take it to a professional next time.”

“So… you really don’t like it?”

“I do, it is just… you know how difficult it has been to appease your father lately,” Zhongli muses, softly plucking at the shaggy tips of Xiao’s hair. The eye shadow around one of his eyes seems a little darker than that on the other side, up close like this, and it becomes especially noticeable when both eyes narrow. “He worries for you, and actions like this may only aggravate it. I don’t agree with him, I do believe that you are at the age where experimenting with your appearance is healthy, but… a head’s up next time, sweetheart, please.” 

Xiao nods, and as if to prove that Zhongli really doesn’t mind his hair, he kisses the top of his head before chasing him upstairs. He promises to bring him some leftover dinner later.

It’s as if the girls have been laying in ambush, waiting for him to pass Ganyu’s room. He jumps back with a cry when suddenly, three pairs of hands are all over his head, chanting “ohh”s and “ahh”s. Only Ganyu is holding off on touching him.

“Oh my gods, Xiao,” his little sister echoes, her eyes wide with shock. “This is terrible, what the hell were you thinking?”

“Nothing,” Xiao snaps, irritated, “and it isn’t terrible, it’s literally just a haircut and temporary kiddy dye. I did not realize you and Father were fucking married to what I had. Anyway, it’s only hair. No idea why he had to get that mad about it…”

Ganyu scoffs and crosses her arms. “It’s not weird that he’s mad at you, just look at yourself! You look… y-you look scruffy!”

Wow. Okay, ouch?

“I dunno Ganyu, it looks pretty cool to me,” Beidou says with a shrug. Grinning, she brushes her fingers through Xiao’s hair, as if she can’t believe he had the balls for this and wants to make sure it isn’t secretly a wig. “Great job, dude! Just when I thought you couldn’t get more emo.”

“Thanks.” Xiao quickly swats her hand away and pulls up his shoulders defensively.

“It’s just the cut that sucks,” Keqing chuckles, nudging Ganyu, who has gone quiet. “Please for the love of the gods, do something tasteful next time. But the dye kind of makes it work, I guess? Maybe once we’re all used to it, it’ll suck less.”

“Honestly I was kinda considering adding some red to my hair,” the thirteen year old brunette cuts in, “like, real red. This might’ve just convinced me! What do you think, Ningguang?”

“I think you are all nuts,” Ningguang mumbles, still staring at Xiao’s hair. She frantically strokes her long, impeccably groomed, white-blonde hair, as if she cannot fathom ever putting anything in it. “Red..?”

The girls begin talking among each other about what kind of color they’d want their hair to be if dyeing it had no consequences, and Xiao notices that Ganyu is still looking at him. Tsk… What does she want now? When he shoots her a glare right back, she guiltily bites her lip and averts her gaze.

He leaves the girls to talk and disappears into his bedroom.

The door clicks shut. He exhales.

.. That was scary.

He hadn’t noticed how fast his heart has been racing until now. A dull thumping still resides where his hair was grabbed, too.

He got really, really mad at me.

Xiao isn’t sure what overcame him; he wanted Retuo to really look at him, to notice him, even if only in anger, but somehow he didn’t think his father would actually…—

No! It’s okay, whatever, this is fine! He never truly expected this cut to garner much love from his family anyway—especially Retuo.

But he knows who would like it. Muttering under his breath, he throws his bag against his sleek black desk, and whips out his phone. He sets himself up in the darkest corner of his room and sends a selfie to the broody bunch group chat.

Diluc and Rosaria are immediately going batshit over it, commending him for his commitment to the “dark lord”, and Rosaria demands that he allow her to match because “she will cut it right now, don’t test her, they’re gonna look hot together on their next reunion”. Ha, at least he can shove that one into his pocket.

He sits down in his black gaming chair, pushing his keyboard and mouse aside, and sends another selfie to Aether. You know, just for fun. And… this one gets to have a little spice.

He takes it from a slight downward angle, making sure his neck and collarbone are visible, and sticks his tongue out, just for fun. Maybe he should’ve put on a necklace..? Nah, the bracelet he got from Aether is already showing, that’s enough.

 

[21:13

Me: *open image*
       Look what I did lmfao

21:16
Bunny 🐰: ???????????????????????????????????????????

21:16
Bunny 🐰: OH MY GODS XIAO YOU DIDN’T

21:16
Bunny 🐰: THAT LOOKS RIDICULOUS OH MY GODS!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!

21:17
Bunny 🐰: I fucking hate you 😭 I can’t believe you can pull that off!!!!!

21:17
Me: That bad huh lol

21:18
Bunny 🐰: It’s AWFUL and it’s perfect!!!! I’m gonna make out with you and your stupid ass cut 😭

21:17
Me: HAHA get over here then! I’m still waiting on yesterday’s kiss too, scammer

21:18
Bunny 🐰: ON MY WAY RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!]

 

Heh… Nothing beats the wildly fluttering butterflies Aether can send whirling down his stomach with just a few texts. Xiao twirls his hair around his finger, still needing to get used to the intensity of the darkness himself too, and feels a little more accomplished than he honestly meant to.

He puts his phone down, deciding not to test his luck any further, and works on his homework until he has heard Ganyu’s friends leave the Longwang residence for the night. He realizes then that Zhongli hasn’t brought dinner upstairs yet, and he has gotten quite hungry.

With a rumbling stomach, the boy gets up and, regretfully, he makes the trek downstairs to get some food for himself. No matter what he encounters, he’s sure he won’t be surprised by it.

Indeed—Ganyu’s friends have barely been gone for fifteen minutes, or Zhongli and Retuo are arguing about Xiao’s hair. Quietly, for Ganyu’s sake, and otherwise unaware of their surroundings, Zhongli tries to make a case for Xiao whilst all Retuo can muster is any word in the dictionary to bring the both of them down. He chastises Zhongli for his horrible parenting that led to this, cusses out Xiao for “mutilating himself” behind his family’s back, tells him how horrible of an influence Xiao will be on Ganyu if he keeps it up like this, and goes as far as to bring up the dreaded name: Guizhong.

Zhongli is left sputtering and stuttering, trying his best to stand tall. As Xiao silently steals some leftovers from the fridge, his dad snarls how this may just as well make Retuo rejoice then, as, if anything, Xiao’s new haircut makes him look less like Guizhong.

“So you finally admit it, huh, after all these years. He does look like her.”

“Used to.”

“Don’t you fucking get ballsy with me now, Zhongli. You’re shaking where you stand, you know damn well how lucky you are that I am to receive a call any moment now. Did you ever even want to get married?”

“Of course I did, how could you possibly ask me such a thing?”

Sighing, Xiao takes his leftovers back to his room with him. He doesn’t know if he should feel happy or sad that the fight itself hardly fazes him anymore. The topic, however… He doesn’t know who Guizhong is, he has no clue what she actually looks like other than, supposedly, like him. And yet, it feels like she’s looming over him like an evil shadow, wanting to do him harm.

If not for her, would Retuo still hate him as much? Why was he adopted? Was it really because Zhongli would rather be somewhere else?

He puts the cold crab roe tofu down on his desk and sinks into his chair, tilting it all the way back so he can stare up at the boring, white ceiling, illuminated by the light of his LED strips.

Hm, maybe it’d look cool if it were black and gold, with one of those black chandelier lamps Diluc always sends pictures of in the broody bunch chat. He wonders if he’d be able to paint it by himself. Those walls still need work done, too, and… and…

Sigh…

It’s much later when Zhongli finally knocks on his door. Xiao has just started an online game, headset on his ears, and doesn’t notice his dad’s presence until he’s already in the room.

“Ah,” Zhongli says softly, closing the door behind him. He looks incredibly weary, and rather than the black, low-cut blouse he was wearing before, he now dons a dark brown turtleneck sweater. In his hands, he’s holding a tray full of warmed up golden shrimp balls and simple snacks. “You already ate?”

“Huh?” Xiao quickly pauses his game and puts his headset down. “Uh, sort of. Just a few bites.”

“When were you downstairs?” Although Zhongli’s voice has very little life behind it, his question sounds grave.

“Don’t know, I was rushing it ‘cause I’d already entered a lobby. In the game, I mean.”

Xiao feels like the relief on Zhongli’s face might actually be worth the lie. The tall man slumps forward, placing the tray on Xiao’s desk, and opts to take the cold food with him. He offers his son a small smile, and sets to leave.

That’s when Xiao gets an idea, and his mouth speaks before he can give it a second thought. “Dad, can you tell me about her?”

“About who, my little bird?”

“Guizhong.”

Zhongli’s hand pauses on the doorknob, as though he has been struck by lightning. “.. How do you know her name?” he asks intently, and for a moment, Xiao fears he has upset him.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

Rather than coming clean entirely, the fourteen year old shrugs as nonchalantly as he can without looking douchey and claims that he has only heard the name mentioned once, in passing. “I’m curious, that’s all. C-can you, uh… please tell me?”

“Haha, well, you shouldn’t worry about such things, sweetie.” Zhongli grins like he’s keeping a slice of lemon on his tongue. “I will be going now, alright?”

Maybe I should let him.

“Dad, please,” Xiao says instead.

Be it because of the argument from before or the hint of desperation in his son’s voice, Zhongli sighs with such exhaustion that he seems thousands of years old, and caves in. He moves toward Xiao’s bed with slow strides, sitting down on the very edge, and he pats the space beside him.

Xiao swallows thickly, joining at his beckoning.

“She was, well, I suppose you could say that… Oh, she was everything to me, the moon and the stars, the sun at dawn and dusk.” Zhongli closes his mouth, looking doubtful. As if it pains him, but not necessarily because of her. “I—Xiao, I really… can’t.”

“Why not?” Xiao whispers.

“It would hurt you if I said too much.”

It makes him feel awfully helpless.

The boy gently rests his head against his dad’s shoulder, silently promising him he can handle it. He isn’t too sure if he truly can, but he feels like he needs to know. When Zhongli wraps an arm around his shoulders, he buries his face in his comforting grip.

“Guizhong and I,” Zhongli says, then, “we got married at a very young age. Don’t get me wrong, it was because we wanted to. We thought we would have a long life together if we started early. Ironic, isn’t it?” He laughs without any joy. However, it does sound reminiscent—like the memories that are coming back aren’t all bad. “She got sick. It was manageable, at first. But, as these things go, it got worse and worse over time. She was taken from me in the end. Six months pregnant at the time, as well.”

Feeling a combination of understanding and gloom, Xiao hides away deeper into Zhongli’s arms. “Dad, did you… did you adopt me because I looked like her?”

“Why are you asking me this, all of a sudden?” Zhongli whispers, softly rubbing his arm.

“Did you?”

“.. It was one of the factors.”

Ah.

So it’s true, then. Everything Xiao has heard, of Zhongli going behind Retuo’s back to adopt him, and doing it because he looks like his dead wife—

“Please don’t misunderstand, my little bird. I love you as I would my own.”

“Because I could’ve been your own instead?” Xiao asks.

It’s like Zhongli has been frozen in time. His hand, which had reached up to gingerly stroke Xiao’s head, has come to a full stop mid-motion, and his breathing is shallow. If Xiao couldn’t hear his quick heartbeat thumping against his head, he’d think his dad had just straight up passed away.

“I…I’m sorry,” the boy stutters, thinking he may have gone too far. “I just…”

“Xiao.” When Zhongli speaks again, the firm warmth has returned to his voice. He sounds like he’s smiling—the same calming, serene smile he has always worn, except truly, earnestly real. “It is true that if Guizhong had lived, your path may have never crossed mine. But she didn’t, and you came, and every single day, I am so, so grateful for that.”

He gently tips Xiao’s jaw up, and the look he meets him with is pure adoration. Loving, kind, beaming with the bond between a parent and a child. Unbreakable. “It’s true that my life could have looked different,” he says, leaning in until they touch foreheads, “but I don’t want it to. I have you, I have Ganyu, and your father. You are my family, and I’m a much happier man for it. I would not change it for the world. I love you so much, my baby.”

Xiao swallows thickly. “But Father is, like… not happy with it, is he?”

There is a pang of understanding in that fond gaze.

“.. Ah. So that’s what this is about.” Huh? “You have heard it, have you not?”

Oh, shit. Caught in the act, Xiao quickly averts his gaze. He guiltily nibbles on the insides of his cheeks, wishing he’d called quits then and there.

Zhongli sighs, pulling him in for what has got to be the tightest hug he’s ever had. “He’ll turn around,” he says, full of promise. It’s a bittersweet one, which shakes up his voice. “Work is draining him, and you must understand that… Well, I was never secretive about my past, he knew everything before we started dating—and I have made some choices when I was younger that I should perhaps have discussed with him first, and I… I-I suppose I’ve been testing his patience a little too long and—”

Why do you sound like you might cry..? Xiao tries as he might to tilt his head up, but Zhongli won’t let him, smothering him in this hug like everything depends on it.

“I-I, erm, I will fix it, alright? For our little family.” This promise is only sweet, desperately so. “When Guizhong died, she took all the color in the world with it. When I met your father, he brought it back. I love him so much more than—more than he believes at the moment, but—oh, don’t you have to head to bed, sweetheart? It’s a weekday, you’ve got school tomorrow.”

“Dad—”

But Zhongli gives him another firm squeeze, and veers upright. Before Xiao can blink, the smile looks like plastic again, and Zhongli elegantly fluffs up his hair. “I apologize. Don’t you worry about a thing, alright? Everything will be okay, I will make sure of it,” he says with a smooth wink, and he practically dances to the door like a crystalfly gliding on the wind. “Well, I had best go back and keep that big grumpy monster some company! You mustn’t dawdle, go finish your food and brush your teeth.”

He leaves Xiao to his own devices to wish Ganyu goodnight, just like that.

Huffing, the raven-haired boy, feeling like he’s filled with sand, flops down in his chair and blows his hair out of his eyes. He’s unsure whether he’s satisfied with what he got or not. The promises that Zhongli made just now, they weigh on him as much as they make him happy.

“It’ll be alright,” he mumbles to himself, jamming some warm leftovers into his mouth. Dad will fix everything. One of these days, Father will no longer hate me.

But something still feels weird. Zhongli never cries, so why—

He’s startled by his phone suddenly going off with messages.

 

[22:02
Gnanyu: sorry about before. ur hair looks fine :( I just need to get used to it I guess :(

22:02
Gnanyu: I didn’t think papa would actually yell at u

22:02
Gnanyu: was weird…

22:03
Gnanyu: lumi has also dyed her tips black and it looks pretty cool. do u think papa will let me dye my hair icy blue since u already made urs a different color anyway? :3

22:03
Gnanyu: *open image*
              kind of like this!! :3]

 

Sometimes she likes to abruptly remind Xiao of the fact she’s got a smartphone now by relentlessly spamming him to death. Grumbling, Xiao opts not to respond, scarfing down his food so he can take a shower and brush his teeth. Man… his mind is so jumbled he could just as well proclaim the hair dye has seeped into his brain, but that’s a historically old-fashioned take if he ever did hear one.

Later, when he’s lying in bed and is just about to wish Aether goodnight and threaten him that if he doesn’t get kissed tomorrow, he’ll be dead meat once he gets back to Starfell, the Mondstadt group chat livens up.

“You better be here when I open my eyes in the morning, bunny,” he whispers into a voice note, hot in the cheeks, and he quickly goes to see what’s up.

The Mondstadters are yelling back and forth about how excited they are for the summer, and that they have big plans for the Longwang siblings. Right, Ganyu is also in the chat now.

“hi guys!!” she types, and also: “hehe, I see Xiao is still here >:3 he did the weirdest thing to his hair ever, but it’s also kinda cool, u guys will see for urselves soon!”

.. Man.

With a sigh, Xiao opens their chat. “That’s a nice color, you should give it a go,” he types back. She’s over the moon, and it feels nice.

The siblings end up texting until late, about all the haircuts they could, hypothetically, get, and the colors they could, hypothetically, slap on their scalps.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The next day, during dinner, Ganyu actually brings up how she wants to dye her hair ice blue, and Xiao honestly half expects Retuo to set up an appointment at the hair salon then and there. But, surprisingly, he doesn’t take too fondly to the idea, and Xiao actually cannot believe his ears when he tells her no!

Dejected, Ganyu looks down at her plate. “But Xiao’s hair is black now,” she mutters. “And it’s not like we’re that far apart in age. Why can’t I dye it too?”

“I think ice blue would suit you, my little qilin,” Zhongli says, and Ganyu’s face immediately lights up.

“Xiao did not get permission, and he won’t be getting it for anything permanent anytime soon with the stunt he pulled,” Retuo says sweetly, ignoring his husband. “Besides, isn’t your hair perfect the way it is? Many girls would kill to have such a beautiful golden shade, you know. Do you remember how much we used to look alike, before your old father started going gray?”

Xiao realizes then and there why Retuo is telling his princess no, and his eyebrows sink down to glare viciously at his honey char siu.

“Hehe, yeah, true… We can match gold and silver now, though! That’s pretty cool, and Dad can match us with bronze. And Xiao…” Ganyu thoughtfully taps her chin. “Coal, I guess? Not to be mean, but I don’t know what else is black.”

Zhongli laughs softly, and nudges him under the table. “Coal can be compressed into diamond,” he says wisely, “with a tight enough squeeze. How about we all huddle together and hug it out until we’re gold, silver, bronze and diamond?”

“Pfft, Dad, don’t be so cheesy.” Ganyu is plenty cheerful, no longer seeming to mind that she won’t get to dye her hair. “I think Xiao might combust if he gets too much affection. But you can be a diamond, Xiao!”

Feeling bitter despite how hard he tries to tell himself that this is not on his sister, Xiao shoves some food into his mouth. He chews it soundly to let everyone know he would like to focus on dinner here. 

Yeah, gods forbid Retuo’s little Ganyu doesn’t look like him anymore.

Notes:

Xiao... no.... not the classic emo haircut.... Xiao nooo you silly goose what did you dooo....!! /j
A big lore drop has come as well... including the reason why I'd made Ganyu's "natural human hair color" gold in this AU :')

Last chapter of the year! But not the last chapter of the week, if all goes well. On my end it's,, sure been a year, definitely hoping 2025 will be better. It isn't 12 AM for me just yet, but I am wishing all of you a happy 2025 all the same!
I can't remember if I've said it before, but the chapters will also be getting longer more often as the tinies get older and their feelings get more complicated! :>
See you soon, if all goes well ♡ Very soon!

Chapter 30

Summer, Year 7

 

“Hey kitt—oof!”

Aether crashes to the ground from the force with which Xiao runs him over, strong arms wrapping around him so tight that it knocks the air out of his lungs. He narrowly manages to catch the both of them, or they would’ve been toast. Still, he cheers with mirth and clutches the Liyueren boy tightly to his chest, and they roll around over the Reisenders’ property until their clothes are dusty and they have to cough the gravel out of their lungs.

He’s so happy to be close to him again like this. Sure, they’ve been talking about their grand reunion all spring, but especially with how they parted ways last year… Let’s just say Aether had a whole lot of reasons to look forward to this!

And Xiao came straight from his summer cottage the second the Longwangs had arrived, as if any time not spent on this property is time lost to him too.

“You’re so heavy,” Aether complains when the older boy buries his face in his neck. But he doesn’t exactly take the first step in letting go, holding onto him even tighter instead.

“Good, because I’m gonna kill you.” When Xiao looks up, his almond-shaped eyes are flickering playfully underneath his heavy eyelashes. “You’re such a bitch, dude. All, day, every day you tell me you’re gonna kiss me tomorrow and what do I get when tomorrow comes? Not a kiss, I can tell you that!”

I would if I could get away with it…

With a heart beating up a drum solo, Aether waggles his eyebrows at his best friend—rather, his crush—and he carefully documents every single little twitch in Xiao’s face when he declares: “You wanna kiss me so bad, huh? Come on then, big boy, give me a big ol’ smooch right now.”

Stuttering and sputtering out all kinds of curses, Xiao practically flies off of him, trying as he might to hide his face behind nonchalant shrugging and that ridiculous haircut of his. It’s really cute.

 This is what Aether should’ve done to test the waters: sheer old dumb fun taken to the max, that he can just as easily brush off as their friendship advancing another stage. Laughing, the blonde teenager scrambles to his feet as well, placing his hands akimbo on his waist.

Xiao wouldn’t have changed much this year, if not for his hair. His clothing style has become just a little less “edgy rich boy” and a little more “edgy rich boy in an emo phase”, all black and baggy and of high-end brands—but that cut absolutely takes the cake. The faded black dye brings out the green undertone of his hair, and it’s clear it has been growing again, only amplifying the shaggy look it has to it.

Despite it, he looks like himself; still a little round in the face, but his proportions are less janky than before, and his arms and shoulders are clearly more toned than they used to be. When he smiles, it’s like his entire face joins his mouth. Even his electric eyes narrow like those of a cat.

Aether, still panting with effort, slumps a little. “Ugh, I hate you,” he mumbles, leaping forward to yank his friend close one more time.

“Ow, fuck—I missed your stupid face too, bunny.” Xiao eagerly accepts the hug, and coughs an awkward crack out of his voice.

“Damn, those guys are clingy,” Albedo, stationed by the fence, states rather loudly. He’s got his headphones on, phone in one hand whilst the other sits tucked in the pocket of his khaki shorts. “Clingier than normal, I would say. Have we missed something?”

“Eh, that’s just them at this point,” Lumine sighs. The tips of her hair are still kind of green from the faded black dye.

Albedo scrunches his nose. “Sucrose just texted. Ganyu has been successfully acquired.”

“Nice. Hey, bozos! Are you guys coming to the mall with us or not? We’re gonna get milkshakes to celebrate our reunion.”

Aether looks up from getting half squeezed to death, half spun around by Xiao, and shoves his face away in his attempt to wiggle free. Oh… Well, actually, he was kind of hoping to… Well, okay, so maybe it sounds suspicious if he just says it out loud, but with how they ended off last year, he was hoping to hang out with just Xiao for now.

You know, to, uh, rebond, or whatever excuse sounds best!

“Erm,” he says, doubtfully rubbing the back of his head. “I guess, maybe, if Xiao—”

“Nah, we’re going foraging,” Xiao says decisively, hoisting his sports bag on his shoulder.

“We are? Ouch—Y-yeah, we are!” Aether shoots him a glare, rubbing the arm he punched.

“You guys have fun though.”

“What, seriously? So childish.” Aether’s sister throws her head in her neck, but she doesn’t try to convince them any further. Instead, she turns to her friend, and they begin discussing where to take Ganyu for the best reunion snack experience ever had.

The sun stands high in the sky, bathing the Reisenders’ farm in bright rays of warm light. The plants in the greenhouse have just been thoroughly watered, and rainbows cascade down the still-wet glass, drawing spots of colors on the trampled ground surrounding it.

Everyone is just about to leave when the front door to the old farmhouse swings wide open.

“Hold on, wait just a minute!” Wanda comes trotting out of the house, wearing exceptionally dirty overalls. She has her gardening gloves swung over her shoulder, but in her hands, she’s carrying a tray with six see-through bidons of freshly juiced sunsettia lemonade. Her copper eyes are glimmering with joy. “I made you kids some lemonade for the road! It is a Saturday, after all, who knows how well the buses will behave themselves?”

“Mom, we aren’t little kids anymore!” Lumine exclaims, flushed with embarrassment. “We’ve got money for our own drinks.”

“Haha! I know you’re so mature and grown now, but as your dear old mother, I simply must insist.” With a wink, Wanda goes around with the bidons either way. “Albedo, sweetheart, this one is yours. I made sure to take out all the chunks.”

“You want some?” Aether asks Xiao, who is already steadily making his way toward the tall grass in the back, like he’s on a mission.

“Don’t need it, I’ve brought stuff of my own.”

Oh?

Wanda sees her daughter and her friend off, but quickly notices the boys climbing over discarded wood and spare car tyres in their attempt to sneak away. “And where are you two off to?”

They both freeze in their tracks. “Uhh, well—”, “Erm, you see—”, they stutter in unison, and Xiao seems to have forgotten that he pulled the foraging scam out of his ass just before.

“If you don’t have anything to do, how does harvesting the tomatoes and cucumbers sound? They should be fresh for the taking, and you might even earn a bite or two! And the Lord of Anemo knows I could use a little break in this heat.”

It’s a lot less easy to turn down Wanda’s big eyes and wide smile than it is to turn down Lumine, and Aether follows Xiao’s gaze when he casts it over the large vegetable garden.

“Eh, fuck it, works just as well,” the Liyueren boy says with a shrug, so Aether turns to his mother and dutifully accepts.

Twenty minutes later, Aether has pulled his favorite set of scruffy overalls, the ones that are torn at the knees and full of self-applied sunflower and butterfly patches, over his ratty beige t-shirt. (It has a faded logo of some kind on it—no idea what it used to represent, it’s a hand-me-down from his dad’s.)

Xiao is also dressed for the task, wearing a pair of Aether’s old overalls, and, snickering, Aether notes that brown is not his color at all. He sticks a small rake and a shovel into the pockets of his own overalls, shoves a pair of large, leather gloves onto his hands, and guides Xiao to the tomato plants in the far back.

“You sure you don’t mind?” he asks, putting his sun hat on his springy blonde hair, which reaches just past his shoulders this year. He cut it out of necessity, but… honestly, he’s been thinking of letting it grow out. All the way, this time. “Kinda sucks to be doing garden work on your literal first day of summer here.”

Xiao ties his emo hair into a short wolf tail, blowing his side-swept bangs out of his face. “I don’t care as long as it’s with you,” he says, and the sheer confidence with which he does is earth-shattering for Aether’s poor heart. “We weren’t really gonna go foraging anyway.”

“Oh.” Aether tries as he might not to let it show he’s blushing. “Uhh… in that case, let’s uhh, let’s get to it! A-alright, so, I don’t suppose you’ve ever picked tomatoes before, but they need to have a deep red color. Anything greener means they’re not ripe yet, and anything darker means they’re overripe. Also, be careful of the spiders.”

“Haha, I know what a tomato is supposed to look like, dork!” Xiao’s voice breaks tremendously on the last beat, and drops an entire octave before shooting right back up. “Eugh—What the hell?”

Pfft, that was ridiculous! Flinging obligatory best friend jabs at his head, Aether pushes past him to get to the plants, and challenges him to a match of who can pick the best tomatoes. Xiao, competitive as usual and happier than he ever was last summer, immediately accepts.

The boys spend their time plucking tomatoes until their backs are sweaty and their arms are heavy with labor, talking about Aether’s upcoming first year of high school, their ideas for the summer (or whatever they’ve got, which is spectacularly little), and whether or not this tomato is actually deep red or the sun is just making it look that way.

Xiao gets a call at some point; Ganyu, Aether assumes, just because Xiao firmly tells whoever it is that no, the two are not taking the bus to town for some lame movie they undoubtedly won’t want to see. Rolling his eyes, he continues studying a tomato. “Is this red or not?”

“Er, yeah, but it’s got like, eight little legs at the top, so you might wanna…” Aether chuckles fondly when Xiao yelps and immediately drops the fruit, but rather than giving in so easily, he braces himself for all he’s worth and attempts to chase the spider off. Wiping the sweat off his brow, the Starfell boy adds a few more tomatoes to his basket.

When the sun starts to sink behind the tree tops and the afternoon breeze brings cool air with it, the teenagers flop down at the base of the emptied-out tomato plants, panting and cursing the heat. The air is ripe with the smells of plant-based fertilizer, deodorant, a bit of sweat, and wet weeds. Aether lays sprawled out, eyes closed, and wishes his aching limbs would turn to pudding.

“Hey,” he hears Xiao’s voice beside him, and he shudders as if he just hit his funny bone when he feels two gentle fingers brushing dirt off his cheek. “You good?”

“Yeah.” Better than good, actually.

“I’ve got something for you.”

When Aether opens his eyes, he sees Xiao has seated himself right beside him, offering him a bottle of coke. He’s holding something else, too: a small, gift-wrapped box, safely tucked into the palm of his other hand. Huh..?

“‘Cause my dumbassery cost you your birthday present,” Xiao says, passing him the box.

Huh?!

Aether quickly shakes his gloves off and fumbles the box out of the forest green wrapping paper. It’s a small, cardboard jewelry box with a Liyueren logo on it that he can’t read. When he opens it, what he finds is a bracelet just a little too big for him, made of brown beads and Cor Lapis. A little sun pendant hangs from the center of it, matching the bracelet he made for Xiao.

It matches. We’re matching! Aether feels like he has won the lottery, staring at the bracelet in disbelief.

“It’s kinda cringe, but, I don’t know,” Xiao hastily says, adding a grotesque shrug. He shyly hides away behind his bangs. “I thought I’d have it made for you because… because. And I didn’t know what else to get. I-if you don’t want it just let me know, I’ll get you something else, it’s whatev—” He’s abruptly cut off.

Aether grips onto him a little tighter, smiling from ear to ear. “Lucky for you, I’m an enthusiastic supporter of spine-curdling cringe,” the thirteen year old mumbles. “Thank you. I like it, really!”

Xiao doesn’t hug him back, too stunned to speak. It’s okay, though; the gift has already done the talking, and Aether feels like he should get to be a little delusional and imagine them matching because the pair of them going on a date isn’t as un-plausible as it probably is. It’s not like Xiao can read his mind anyway, so there’s no harm done, right?

Aether slips the bracelet around his wrist before anything else can be said or taken back, veers to his feet, and pulls him along. “Okay, let’s finish up here! Last to the cucumber patch is a moldy sock.”

They chase each other to the cucumber plants, and just aim to harvest all the ripe plants before the afternoon hours end. That way, they’ll hopefully still get to enjoy some late snacks before Xiao has to head home.

“Holy shit, look at how massive this cucumber is!” Aether exclaims, wide-eyed at his find, frantically waving for Xiao to come over. Did this one eat all the others’ fertilizer or something?! It’s got to be at least 50 centimeters long, his parents are going to be ecstatic!

“Huh, nice,” Xiao says with a basket of cucumbers and tomatoes in his arms, peering over his shoulder. He leans in, using Aether as his support. “Almost as big as my dick.”

“Oh, har har, joke of the century. How does it feel to be the funniest guy alive?”

“Who said it was a joke? Just wait until you see it.”

“What—No, ew!!” This time, Aether’s voice breaks as well, and he almost chokes on his own spit in surprise.

Laughing at each other’s voice cracks, they combine forces to harvest this obnoxiously big cucumber, and take turns posing with it like middle-aged fathers with freshly caught fish. Aether gets a little shy when Xiao reels him in close to take a selfie of them holding it together, and just kind of hopes it doesn’t show on the picture.

He also adds two tomatoes to the base when Xiao is holding it. Because it’s funny.

They end up working until sunset, huffing and puffing as they take four full baskets back to the farmhouse. The labor is reverberating within their sore muscles.

Thankfully, Wanda is ready to reward them with freshly baked apple pie, and just a little bit of mora for the trouble. Grinning at each other, the boys bump their slices of pie together and flop down by the front door, feeling all cool and accomplished while knowing damn well at least one of them is going to wake up in the middle of the night with killer muscle aches.

Wondering out loud if they’re still banned from the arcade, they finish their food and count their mora. Aether leans against Xiao’s shoulder, the other’s hand running up his back to rest on his neck, and they decide to formally set up some plans. They suppose the playground is out of the question entirely lest the mothers throw a fit, and if their ban truly hasn’t been lifted, Aether proposes that they go to the comic store they found last year instead and see if there are any game events going on right now.

When Lumine saunters onto the property with a bag full of shit she’s going to struggle finding space for and it’s finally time for Xiao to go, they press their foreheads together to swear they’ll meet up first thing tomorrow. Aether watches as the Liyueren boy tucks his hands into the pockets of his overalls and heads down the long dirt road, and he peers at the summer cottage in the far distance.

Its lights are on, illuminating all the windows with yellow, and the forest stretches onward beside it.

“See you tomorrow, kitty,” he mumbles.

Sure, it may not be the most glamorous first day of their vacation—but after last year, they’re just happy to be together again.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The Longwangs do spectacularly little as a family this year, even just one parent going out with one child seeming out of the question, so the kids kind of just make do. The girls do, erm, whatever it is they’re up to, and the boys—they make the best of their changing summer.

Things may feel different from when they were little, but… they won’t let it stop them; much remains the same, too, and when it does not, Aether and Xiao will simply unite to find new angles from which to tackle their worries.

Lazing around in their base feels childish? Okay, they’ll call in Travis and make him help them add some upgrades to accommodate their changing needs. It’s mostly just size increments to make sure they can continue to sprawl out and stand up if they so desire, but they also really want a door because it seems cool to have one, so by the gods, they will have a door! And safe, working electrical outlets!

Hanging out on the playground is no longer viable? Fine, they’ll venture deeper than they have ever done before into the Starfell Forest, hoping to find some sort of abandoned climbing spot where they won’t be disturbed by people who don’t want them there.

The miles upon miles of tall grassland, once so mysterious and full of secrets for two little boys, is hardly of interest anymore to the teenagers who have already seen it all? Alright, well, they’ll just take the bus to town to scavenge goodies, traverse the many old alleyways and downtown residential areas, and eat paprika potato tornadoes. Xiao still doesn’t love them, but Aether is glad he humors him.

The change isn’t as daunting anymore. Aether finds that he may even be willing to embrace it. It gives him hope for the future: maybe more is possible than he thought. Maybe one day, Xiao and he might even…

Gah, brain, please!

They are often invited by their sisters to hang out with them, either with or without Albedo and Sucrose. Go on adventures along the hiking trails, come to the touristy parts of town so they can try their hand at the paid activities Starfell is revered for, join them at the annual Starfell Country Fair—hell, go shopping with them and the city kids in Mondstadt City.

But right now, it’s just very important to the boys that they find their way together.

The only exception to this is when Diluc comes to stay with Aether for two nights, under the pretense of taking the initiative himself if Aether wants to be a little bitch and stay gone so badly. He comes alone, by train, all the way from the Dawn Winery, and the very first thing he does is point out Xiao’s hair and clamor about it like no tomorrow. He likes it. “Very edgy, kind of cringe, ten out of ten.”

Aether notes that he has dark circles under his eyes and seems a little deflated, but Diluc insists that it’s nothing. Just stayed up too late. As though to make Aether forget about it, he promptly shoves a bag of marshmallows into his hands.

Aether convinces Xiao to stay over those nights too, delighting in how much fun the three of them have together; they watch movies in the living room, bother the crap out of Lumine, help out in the garden, and drag Diluc to town by foot (he curses the lack of reliable transport). There, Aether is promptly shoved into Starfell’s tiny Andrius’ Howl against his will so the two broody emo losers can mix-’n-match their broody emo loser outfits.

He flops down on a bench in the fitting area, kicking his legs until Xiao appears before him. He’s donning an exceptionally fitting, fully committed alt outfit: a wide-hooded, black cloak jacket, baggy pants tucked into high boots, and a tight, tattered black turtleneck top, flattering in all the right places.

Aether can only stare at him, wide-eyed. His heart flutters in his chest, and he wonders if Xiao realizes how… well, how pretty he actually is. He tries not to stare too hard at his exposed waist in particular. What would it be like to hold you there..?

.. Oh my gods, what is wrong with me?!

He doesn’t get the chance to say anything regardless; blushing, the raven-haired boy mutters something about this looking stupid and his dads would kill him if he showed up wearing it anyway, and he quickly disappears into the fitting room. He comes out in something more regularly broody.

Aww… Aether puffs his cheeks, but decides not to fluster him when Diluc reveals himself as well, wearing a fully committed outfit that he, on the other hand, seems exceptionally comfortable in. It looks really cool, too. The blonde watches as the two send pictures of each other in some chat with Rosaria, and he opts to peek over Xiao’s shoulder to see the full thing.

“ ‘The broody bunch’? What—why am I not in that group chat?” he pouts.

“Become a little more emo and we’ll think about it,” Diluc replies, and Xiao smiles warmly, wrapping Aether in a comforting hug.

“We can make an even cooler group chat just for you,” he coos. Aether’s cheeks turn hot, and he’s grateful when Diluc, taller than either of them, decides to wrap his arms around them and lift them a couple of solid centimeters off the ground to ensure they don’t get so engrossed in each other that they forget about him.

Nah, let them have their dumb depression chat! Getting to hang out for real is better anyway.

Diluc gets a call on his second day, and, unfortunately, this leads to him deciding to go home early. He doesn’t say anything about it, but the vibe that hangs around him has become exceptionally grave, and he refuses Aether and Xiao’s offer to accompany him to the train station.

Aether texts him about it later, but… he only gets a vague apology for dipping out on the fun. Hm…

Halfway through their vacation, Aether notices that he hasn’t really stayed at the summer cottage yet. He only comes over to pick up Xiao, and he always just… kind of awkwardly waits for him at the door, whilst Retuo looms over him, asking him generic questions about school and his parents that Aether somehow feels like he can answer incorrectly.

He has been a little wary of Retuo because of what Xiao told him, but even so, he wonders why the big guy has been regarding him with such chilly scrutiny. He thinks he’s imagining it at first, but whenever the twins come over to pick up their respective summer break bestie, Lumine definitely receives a warmer response.

“Don’t sweat it, bro,” she keeps saying. “The big guy is just getting old and cranky. Ganyu’s words, not mine! Guess that’s what ya get for being like… 53? 54?”

Fine; Retuo has always been much older than the rest, so he supposes it checks out. But it’s still unpleasant. It truly seems as though Longwang Senior would rather not see him around at all, and the difference between Lumine and him… it’s just so stark, and not even subtly so.

Does Retuo treat his kids that way, too? If this is what Xiao meant… is it worse than he let on?

No! I can’t think like that, surely no parent would do that!

Firmly shaking his head, Aether shoves it away into the obscurities of his mind. Instead, he dutifully reminds himself of that time when they were young and Retuo drove Xiao and him to town, giving two dumb little kids all the spending money they could wish for. Not to mention, the time he bought the same two dumb little kids super expensive candy canes, Xiao dropped his, and he simply got him a new one.

Eh, parents are stupid sometimes. Aether doesn’t want to consider that Retuo’s stupidity may be outlasting his kindness.

The boy is happy when the Reisender twins are finally invited to watch movies on the Longwangs’ huge flatscreen TV by Ganyu and Zhongli. When the pair arrives, Retuo doesn’t greet either of them, too caught up in his work; the guy has turned half their massive, wooden dinner table into a home office desk.

Aether quite likes the summer cottage; it’s nice and rustic, with little changes about the interior itself, and it’s almost regal in the same way that the ever impeccably groomed men always look a little out of place wherever they go. It’s such a different vibe from Aether’s home, and he might just like it for that, honestly.

The movie night starts out amazing. The TV is positively huge, and of great quality. They’re all having fun and sharing homemade snacks as they continuously interrupt the movie with their own silly quotes, and Aether sits peacefully nestled in a super fluffy, clearly brand new blanket on the ground, with Xiao and Ganyu. Ganyu tosses popcorn into his mouth with great accuracy at his every request, and Xiao lets both Aether and Ganyu snuggle up against him.

Lumine, royally seated on the couch between Retuo and Zhongli, is telling the Longwangs all about their school life in rosy-golden colors, with Aether adding sarcastic little coughs for effect whenever it gets just a little too good to be true.

Retuo is praising her take-no-shit nature. The graying man is smiling widely, strikingly handsome with that beard of his, and Zhongli looks like he’s glowing with happiness.

Then, out of nowhere, the movie is paused, the conversation is about Aether’s contrasting lack of presence and… it does not sound nice? At all? Which is weird because Aether literally doesn’t even live here? Lumine quickly says he’s actually quite fierce himself, then Xiao protests Retuo’s disbelief, which Retuo takes surprisingly unkindly to—and suddenly, Zhongli just unpauses the movie and turns the volume all the way up to overshadow Retuo’s voice.

Zhongli sits there, stiff as a board, as Retuo gets increasingly more annoyed with him, until the older man finally gets up, flings an out of pocket insult at his husband’s head, and stomps upstairs. The rest of the family stays behind, embarrassed to hell and back.

They finish the movie in silence.

The twins return home utterly vexed by what happened. They shoot each other uncertain glances as they walk a kilometer down the dark dirt road, accompanied by a waxing moon and the distant cries of foxes in the forest.

“So… that was weird,” Lumine says.

“Uh-huh.”

“Who the hell pissed in that guy’s salad this morning?”

“No idea! Why was he even turning against me, all of a sudden?” Aether whines, to which Lumine vigorously nods her head. The twins rant loudly to each other, poking fun at this night and complaining until well into their bedroom. They toss a ball of socks back and forth between their alcoves, wondering out loud if Zhongli is mad at Retuo, and they giggle mischievously.

“No sex for him, I’m sure. He’s gonna have to jerk it by himself if he wants any action tonight!” Lumine declares, raising her fist in justice well served.

“Ew, Meen, that is disgusting.” Aether shrieks with laughter and throws the socks in his sister’s face. “I don’t wanna imagine those two going at it!”

“Who, Retuo and his hand?”

“Lumiiiiine, stop!”

“Haha!”

Lumine’s upbeat attempt to leave them both with an indifferent outlook on a, quite frankly, cartoonishly ridiculous situation, does work wonders for the hollow pit in Aether’s stomach. More than anything, he’s just confused; surely this has got to be a one-time thing, or does Xiao deal with it often?

Once he’s sure his sister has fallen asleep, he texts his best friend. The other boy apologizes profusely for what his father said about Aether, but he swears it’s fine when Aether pries about his own wellbeing. “Like I told you before, Father is really just burned out from work I think,” Xiao texts, “and he lets it get the better of him sometimes. Should’ve just stuck to tormenting me, though, you were a guest. bro is so fucking lame 🙄”

For real.

 

[22:30
Me: You okay tho? Really? :(

22:20
Kitty🐱: Yeah lol, it’s whatever

22:20
Kitty🐱: Doing better than Ganyu, parents scared the crap outta her 💀

22:21
Me: That’s sad…

22:21
Kitty🐱: Meh, it’ll be fine. Dad sent us upstairs, so we’re just watching the next movie in my room now. Some glittery animated magical girl one for the baby

22:23
Kitty🐱: *open image*
              Blep]

 

It’s a selfie of Xiao and Ganyu, cuddled up in a blanket and sticking their tongues out at Aether. He furrows his eyebrows, but huffs out a breath through his nose in relief.

 

[22:23
Me: Aw, booooo, I wanna watch with you guys!!!!!!

22:23
Kitty🐱: Come in through the window then ♥

22:24
Kitty🐱: Aw nvm, Ganyu says you can’t intrude on sibling time >:3 (the emoji was her idea lol don’t call me cringe)

22:24
Me: BOOOOO!!!!!!!! Friendship has ENDED with her!!!!!!!!!!!! We’re gonna go somewhere cool tomorrow and she can’t come with >:(((]

 

And he would have climbed through that window too if it weren’t for her, damn it! The thirteen year old smiles, finding solace in the fact that the Longwangs seem to be okay together. He tucks his phone underneath his pillow and curls up under his blanket, letting the rhythmic breathing of his sister and the chirping of the crickets outside lull him asleep.

Notes:

Romance is not dead, it is in fact stored in the obnoxiously humongous cucumber from the Reisender farm ☝ These two are in so deep, and they have no idea... <3 Aether is a simp, spread the word!!!
And a little bit of extra confusion for the little bun, as a treat, as he wonders why a grown man is trying to beef with him out of nowhere.

First chapter of the year <3 Happy new year to everyone, may 2025 be kind to all of us! This chapter was very soothing to write after the mess these two have been through. There is a little bit of angst still, but at least they're back together and better than ever.
I will be going back to college soon unfortunately and my second assessment is coming up, so while I won't be going on hiatus, the next update will likely roll around in about two weeks. Gotta get on that assessment grind :')
In any case, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and see you next time! ♡

Chapter 31

The two sets of siblings hang out with each other a little more often after that. A new sense of solidarity has formed between them: significant enough to make Xiao more willing to spend time with Ganyu, but not large enough to make Aether want to go out of his way to do literally everything the girls are trying to hound them into doing.

Yet another invitation to Mondstadt City is turned down, when Lumine and Ganyu are set to take the train there for another round of big city trouble with the big city friends. Lumine casually insinuates Kaeya misses Aether, and now that Diluc has hyped it up, Rosaria really, really wants to see Xiao’s hair for real, and just think of all the things they had planned, guys!, but…

Nah. Too long of a trip.

The pair does gladly take their sisters up on their offer to go swimming together. They take the scenic, less parkour-heavy route to their usual spot, not feeling like working for their mora in this heat. Xiao holds onto his sister as they march ahead of the Reisender twins to claim the best spot in the cave at Starfell Lake first, but Lumine simply decides to cheat and slips into the bushes to arrive first anyway.

They swim for hours, conquering each other’s mossy rocks and trying to learn how to catch fish barehanded from Xiao. They attempt to drown each other half to death in some sort of underwater gladiator fight, and consider taking pictures in the water before they come to their senses and realize one of them is definitely going to lose their phone. When they finally get hungry, they splash and crawl back on land like aquatic worms deciding they’re ready for arms and legs.

Lumine has brought an entire cooling bag full of popsicles and drinks, Xiao stole the leftovers from last night’s dinner, and Ganyu sacrifices her large towel a grass-and-sand-free lunch. It’s no makeshift barbeque, but even without grilled meat, they have an amazing time. 

Aether notices Lumine has snuck two of Travis’ beers in-between the sodas, and his jaw sets tightly. Wow, seriously?

Ganyu is the first to grab one, though. “Hey, this isn’t soda,” the twelve year old says with furrowed eyebrows. She blows her sundried golden hair, long and shiny, out of her face.

“Nope. Feast your eyes, because it’s way better,” Lumine says nonchalantly, raising her chin with pride. “That’s the stuff, Ganyu—you know, alcohol. Beer, specifically. Pretty cool, right?”

“Oh. Yeah, guess so!” She weighs the can in her hand for a moment, looking thoughtful. “Well… I’ve already got it anyway, so you guys can fight over the other one. Cheers, everyone.”

Huh?! Aether’s eyes nearly bulge out of his head. Even Lumine looks taken aback, backpedaling on her oh so cool words so fast she trips over her tongue.

Luckily, Xiao snags the beer from his sister before she can pop it open, and she shouts in disdain, puffing her cheeks. “Absolutely not, you’re way too young for that,” the older boy says strictly, dangling it above his head so she can’t reach it. “Knock it off! Do you want to die, huh? Because fun fact, this stuff actually kills little fetuses such as yourself.”

“I’m not a fetus! Lumi has drunk it, and she’s only a year older than me!” Ganyu whines. “Ugh, come on, jerk. Nobody will find out!”

“But I’m the one who’s toast if they do! Father would pop a cap in my ass and I’m not risking it for you. Besides, Lumine is just mad stupid, do you really want to be like her?” He sticks his tongue out at the blonde girl, who rolls her eyes.

“Blegh, you're so unfair. Fine! Can I have a coke?”

As Lumine hands her friend a can of cola and they flop down to bask in the sun and watch videos together, Aether scoots closer to Xiao, who is still lightly stirring the beer in his hand. The boy’s eyes glimmer behind the curtain of thick black hair, and Aether holds his breath. 

“You gonna drink it?” he whispers.

The fourteen year old shrugs. “Guess I could. But… not now. I’ve already got an edgy haircut, I think booze might be pushing it a little.” Chuckling, he tosses the beer back into the cooling bag, and the boys decide to take some well-deserved rest as well.

The lukewarm water of Starfell Lake, heated comfortably by the unrelenting sun this summer, calmly ripples over the riverbank. Aether squints his eyes against the bright light shining through gaps in the canopy above, his hands folded on his stomach. He lets Xiao pull him up against him, and a yawn escapes his lips as the swimming fatigue creeps into his muscles.

“Why’d you cut your hair anyway?” he asks.

Xiao, who has wrapped his arm around him, shrugs again. “I wanted to,” he says. “Shenhe cut her hair and offered to do mine and I thought, you know what, why not?”

“Heh, fair enough.” Aether rests his cheek against him. “What’s she like? You’ve been name dropping her for decades, but I’ve never seen her.” Parts of her school uniform, maybe.

“Huh. Wait, you’re right. Okay, here, look.”

Aether waits until Xiao is done shifting, and his phone screen appears before his eyes. It depicts the picture of a smirking Xiao hugging a Liyueren girl with snow white hair, cut in bangs that cover one of her icy eyes. She looks rather neutral, offering the camera the most joyless peace sign Aether has ever seen.

She’s beautiful, from her soft lips to her smooth hair, and Aether's eyes swiftly glide to her boobs and back up, the action flustering him. She’s holding onto Xiao, and he feels a pang of envy in his chest. They get to see each other every day, no doubt, and they’re clearly close enough that Xiao would trust her with scissors around his face…

“This is her. She’s my best friend in Liyue Harbor,” Xiao says softly. This only makes Aether more jealous, which is super fucking embarrassing. Xiao can have other friends, obviously! Even when Aether wants to be a little more than friends, but those other friends just happen to be obnoxiously beautiful girls! Huffing, the thirteen year old closes his eyes.

“She looks kind,” he says.

“You’re hilarious, she’s literally the devil!” Xiao laughs with fondness, sighing as he curve tosses his phone backwards onto the pile of the kids’ clothes. “We met in kindergarten and have stuck together since. I wouldn’t survive school without her. You know, weirdos unite.”

“Pfft… Just that?”

“Mhm, simple hometown friends. That’s all.” Xiao squeezes him, for a moment too long.

It’s a really confusing gesture for Aether’s poor, jumbled mess of a brain. He feels like his organs have melted, and he tightly grips onto Xiao’s bared, mildly sunburnt skin as he reads into it to the likes of which he’s never done before. He’s sure that if he spoke right now, he’d bumble and stumble through it worse than your average scripted high school romcom protagonist! So he firmly shuts his mouth, and listens to their sisters giggling at their videos, the rippling of the lake, and the sound of Xiao’s heart.

“Whoa, hiking holiday in Sumeru? Damn.”

“Ha, yeah, Beidou’s parents go places. I think this is way better, obviously… but it’s still kind of cool that she gets to go somewhere different every summer. Imagine if we got to explore the Avidya Rainforest.”

The girls are talking now, a little too loud for Aether to remain in his comfortable little trance.

“Sure, but I bet she’s never been in Starfell before. You know what would be fun—what if you guys each brought a friend next year? We could do a huge group get-together.” Lumine sits up, and Aether hears the steadfast grin in her voice.

He glares furiously at the canopy above.

“Oh gosh, that would be so cool!” Ganyu shouts, formally startling their brothers into motion. “Keqing has been dying to see my summer place, she’s gonna say yes no doubt! Er… I mean, I’d ask Beidou if you wanna lure her here, but… uh… I don’t really… Hum.”

Okay, so, to be fair, the question probably stems from Lumine wanting to meet Ganyu’s friends… but Aether can’t help but feel like this is a targeted attack on him or something.

Shenhe seems to be Xiao’s only other close friend, his Diluc, in a way, and Aether shouldn’t want to take that away from him. But damn it, what if they meet and Xiao can finally compare them side by side, and the beautiful girl ends up being so much better than the blonde hick town hillbilly? Agh!

It shouldn’t even matter, but his crush-riddled mind is whispering all kinds of doom thoughts in his ears, and Aether really does not like the idea now. Unfortunately, Ganyu is already sold and Xiao is kind of entertaining it, and Aether silently curses Lumine.

They swim until the afternoon comes around and intend to stay longer yet, until Zhongli crudely spoils those plans by blowing up Xiao’s phone; the boy has to leap from the water to stop the constant ringing. Apparently, it’ll be storming in the evening, and he wants his children home as soon as possible.

Lumine has missed a call from Travis, and Aether checks his phone to find that his parents have also texted him about the rapidly approaching midsummer storm. He looks up: the sun is sinking into a distant bed of big, dark cumulus clouds that look to be heavy with rain. Aw… Should’ve been lame and checked the weather before going out, he supposes.

Groaning and complaining in disappointment, the teenagers pack up camp and take each other home.

The storm breaks loose in all its glory just past dinnertime. Aether is sitting by the little window in his shared bedroom, head propped up on his hands as he watches intricate forks of lightning lancing through the pitch black sky. Raindrops are tap dancing on the roof, turning the yard down below into a war zone of deep puddles and mud.

Well, that’s gonna be horrible to plow through.

The storm took their electricity down, as per usual when one strikes, so the Reisenders had all just decided to call it a night. Lumine is reading a book in her bed with an old flashlight propped up on her shoulder, playing her music a little too loud through her earbuds. Aether simply gazes outside, hoping the electricity will magically pop up on its own again so he doesn’t have to help his father get his ass up on the roof tomorrow.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Come the end of the fifth week of summer, Xiao gets grounded. Staying indoors by force, phone taken away, the whole shebang—Ganyu had to come sullenly tell Aether about it.

He had kind of seen it coming; they stayed in town way too long, missed the last bus (the 23:30 one), panicked, and had to call Travis awake to beg him to come pick them up. Xiao ended up missing his curfew by a whole hour.

It was an honest mistake, but a mistake nonetheless and the Longwangs are stricter than the Reisenders either way, so Aether reckoned Xiao wouldn’t be getting off scot free. But he got grounded for a whole week, and that’s terrible—it’s their last week together!

Aether anxiously paces around his room. It’s already been three days, and the date of the Longwangs’ departure is creeping ever closer. They can’t have a repeat of last year, they just cannot, he would die! He would simply pass away and cease to exist. Why their entire last week over one honest mistake?

Lumine had suggested they make their parents talk some sense into the Longwangs, but Aether thinks that might only irk them. No, if anything is to be done, the teenager will have to take matters into his own two hands. He won’t just idly sit here and let their last days pass them by again.

That night, Aether hides away in his bed and waits patiently until the entire house has gone quiet. Lumine is snoring in the alcove across, but he is wide awake, staring at the clock on his phone: 02:00. Any sensible adult would surely be asleep by now.

He takes a deep breath and throws his blanket off of him.

It’s like walking through a minefield; the twins have only gotten messier as they get older, albeit the mess is fewer toys and more clothes, and the way downstairs is only a tad better. Aether clenches his teeth as he tries dodging all the gardening tools, shoes, clothing pins and daily household items merrily strewn about. He holds his breath, sliding into a pair of socks he’s about seventy percent sure are his (good enough), and yanks his heavy, brown leather shoes over his sunshine yellow, checkered pajama pants.

It’s probably chilly outside now that the hot days are behind them, so he snags a random coat along as well. Trying his best not to scrape too soundly over the worn-down wooden floor, he pulls the wicker basket he’d prepared earlier from underneath the underutilized wooden shoe rack. No way is he going to risk raiding the fridge in the dead of night!

The coat, as turns out, is his mom’s. Aether pulls up the sleeves as he marches down the Reisender property, to the long dirt road taking him to the Longwang summer cottage. His steps are heavy when he looks up to the ink black sky. The stars are twinkling in abundance, and he lets out a relieved huff.

Carefully, like he’s a burglar on a stealth mission, he sneaks into the neatly kept front yard and shimmies around the grand cottage, dodging the plants, blooming lilacs, and climbing ivy. He knows Xiao has a window in the south wall of the house, but he fears he won’t be able to reach that one because of the porch. Luckily, the bedroom has another window in the east wall. And the one Ganyu has there, seems to be closed. Whew!

Hastily, Aether snags some pebbles from the ground and positions himself underneath Xiao’s window. The first floor seems higher up than ever before, somehow. Still, he sticks his tongue out in concentration, aims one at the glass, and throws.

He misses the first handful of times, but finally strikes true when he is about to curse the world. Grinning widely with renewed confidence, he throws a couple more. The curtains inside eventually shift, and he hears the rattling of rather old, brass window locks inside. Two pale hands push the window up, and Xiao finally sticks his bleary face outside.

“Huh?” he murmurs, yawning. “Aether..? What the hell are you doing here?”

His bedhead is truly incredible, holy shit.

“Come outside,” Aether whisper-shouts, hoarse with excitement. Obviously the last thing he wants is to get caught, but the thought that he might, makes this all the more exhilarating. He points at the wicker basket in his hands. “I brought goodies.”

“But I’m grounded.”

“I know, that’s why I came. We’re not gonna part ways so suddenly again.”

Xiao rubs his tired eyes, and for a moment, Aether fears he has lost his rebellious streak. Maybe he seriously got his ass handed to him, badly enough for him to grow unsure… But then, he shoves the window as high up as he can, and swings his legs over the windowsill.

“You’re going to have to catch me if I fall,” he whisper-shouts back.

Aether’s heart leaps into his throat and he squawks helplessly when Xiao latches onto the drainpipe, jumping out the window, just like that. He almost drops his basket, but sees the lean muscle bulging in Xiao’s arms: his track star life has got him covered, for the time being.

Whoa… Aether swallows a buildup of spit, and quickly stops staring.

Xiao thuds down on the ground beside him, barefoot and wearing nothing but some pajama shorts and a t-shirt. But if he is cold, he doesn’t let it show. “Whatcha got?”

“Only one way to find out.” Aether takes the other’s hand in his own and promptly drags him off.

They don’t go far, but they make sure to cover enough distance so they can talk out loud if they so desire. Aether has brought a small, crocheted tablecloth with him, which he lays out on a patch of grass that looks grayish blue in the dark night. He pulls out a bag of chips, some of his mother’s homemade tea break pancakes, and two cans of soda—Simple, but sweet!

Just in case this is the last time they are to meet before the Longwangs go back to Liyue.

Aether flops down on the tablecloth, sprawling his limbs akimbo with a grin on his face. He pats the space right beside him, waggling his eyebrows playfully. “The best seat in the house, all for you!”

Xiao snorts, taking him up on thay. His eyes glide over the loot. “Aw, no beer?” he teases, and Aether scoffs, shoving a can of soda into his hands.

Together, they make themselves comfortable.

“So, how does it feel to be grounded in the last week of summer?” Aether inquires with pretend severity, as he passes the bag of chips around. 

“It’s the absolute worst, I cannot believe Father actually stole our entire week,” Xiao groans. He runs his fingers through his messy bedhead, spitting hair out of his mouth and sweeping his bangs to the side where they belong. “Plegh—Dad tried to talk him into making it three days instead, but believe it or not, me staying outside for one hour too long was the biggest fucking crime ever committed apparently. Well, whatever, I’m glad you’re here now.”

“Wow. Me too! I seriously thought we were going to just split up again, like last year. No warning or goodbyes, just… gone.”

They grimace at each other.

“But luckily you’ve got your super cool and awesome Prince Charming to whisk you away from your bedchamber window. Aren’t I romantic?” Aether winks—and the speed with which Xiao suddenly has his flaming face covered by hair, and the shake in his voice as he calls him a cringy loser, light a fire in the Starfell boy’s stomach.

They pop the lids off their sodas and each unceremoniously shovel a handful of chips into their mouths, neither feeling deterred from spewing crumbs everywhere when they talk. The soda is cleared out fast… a little too much so. Xiao complains about an aching stomach until a rather loud burp rids him of his ailments, Aether tries to outdo him there and fails so miserably he almost chokes, and, hiccuping from laughter, they flop on their backs on the tablecloth.

Automatically, they snuggle up close, grinning from ear to ear.

Thousands of stars twinkle in the sky above them, and Aether feels that Xiao is holding his breath. He swallows through a thick throat, softly dropping his head against the raven-haired boy’s chest. The other’s arm snakes around him, slender fingers trailing across his shoulders. From one to the other they go, down to his upper arm, which they grip onto with a certain tenderness that has his heart skip a beat.

Oh man, oh man… Aether hides away in Xiao’s shirt. I wish I could actually fucking kiss you already.

But fear strikes before impulse can, so he hastily throws that thought into the deepest dungeon of his mind and hopes Xiao can’t reach them there. This may as well be the last night they have, so he would genuinely rather die than turn it into another disaster.

“Wow,” Xiao whispers, and Aether feels his chin against the crown of his head. “Seems like all the stars are out tonight. Were there ever this many?”

“We did this when we were little once,” Aether says, “except I was the one getting grounded after.”

“And it wasn’t nearly this late, huh?”

“Hehe, yeah. Makes this one a little more special. Maybe that’s why there are so many stars tonight, to make it even more worthwhile.”

It’s a nice thought to have.

“You know, we have an old story about the stars, back home.” Xiao’s fingers squeeze Aether’s arm.

“Y-yeah?” Shit, his face has got to be hotter than the sun by now.

“Mhm. I don’t remember it exactly, but it goes something like…” Aether follows Xiao’s hand as he points out a long, beautiful road of stars, coiling through the sky. “Once upon a time, there were two lovers, but they were forbidden from being together. And to keep them separated, they were banished to opposite sides of the river in the sky. All those stars right there.”

“How sad…” Aether mutters. What is it with Liyueren tales and their sad undertones, and their sad movie adaptations, and their horribly sad, fifty episode drama adaptations?

Xiao laughs, solemnly promising it gets better as he points out two bright stars, far away from each other, separated by the twinkling road. Now, Aether is the one to hold his breath. He listens to Xiao’s voice, high and clear as crystal, but the thrum of the future sits deep in his throat, ready to come out.

“See, the crane adepti of old felt pity for them, and I suppose it is pretty sad. So, they assembled a big bridge to help the lovers cross the stars so they could be together for one day. And to this day, the cranes do it every year, forming a bridge right across that starlight river so the lovers can meet again.”

Aether hums, clutching tightly onto the soft fabric of Xiao’s shirt. “It did get better,” he whispers.

“Mhm,” Xiao agrees, “it may not be much, just that one day, but at least they’ll always find their way back to each other.”

“I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”

“I’ll miss you more.”

The two fall quiet, but Aether doesn’t mind. He cuddles up against Xiao a little closer, big, copper eyes rolling up so he can see all the constellations from the cushion of his best friend’s chest. He extends an arm, tracing the road of stars with a finger, finding peace in knowing the lovers will be brought together again next year. He relishes the hand raking calmly through his hair. More than ever before, he wishes the night would never end.

Notes:

They get to have nice things and commit funny little teenager crimes!! As a treat!! The xiaother is xiaothering incredibly and neither of them has the slightest clue, bless their precious little hearts <3 /lh - I love getting to write about their summer shenanigans most I think,,

Got struck by a last minute large assignment and then an exceptionally unfortunate assessment. But! At last,, the next chapter,, I hope it was worth the wait 👉👈
I've been starting to get a little burned out college-wise and haven't had much time or energy left for hobbies as of late :( You guys left a lot of nice and fun comments on the last chapter which I am super grateful for, so I will still be trying to answer them even if in a shorter way than usual, but I can't guarantee much of myself right now unfortunately,, Thank you so much for being patient with me though! I really appreciate it - and no matter how slow I may get with updating in light of recent developments over here, I promise I will never drop this fic!
We're almost caught up with what I have so far too, which is both exciting and a little scary 😳 In any case, I hope you guys have been well! See you next time ♡

Chapter 32

Notes:

The current ages:
Xiao - 14
Aether+Lumine - 14
Ganyu - 13

“What about next weekend, then? I’ll be free both days. Hey—Xiao, wait!”

“Aw, come on! She’s been working up the courage all day, don’t be a dick!”

No way, leave me alone!

Clenching his teeth together, Xiao shoves the classroom door shut in a couple of students’ faces and stomps down the hallways. He aims for the wide open school gate as he glares daggers ahead of him in agitation.

Some boys from his year look after him in passing… but they don’t say a word. Those smartasses have been laying off for months now.

At first, it was a super welcome, albeit rather strange change in the peer behavior Xiao was used to. Now, though, a slow buildup spanning months and a fall break has escalated into a completely alien experience.

Jeers and harsh jokes flung at his head from across the school courtyard have turned into small talk, sudden shoves and shoulder slams have turned into hesitant, amicable arms around him that he will immediately shake off. They’re complimenting him, too, when they used to go out of their way to make him feel othered.

And it’s not just him. Girls try to gain Shenhe’s attention constantly, boys trip over their feet in their haste to hold her book bag for her when she hardly wants them to. Hell, girls need to hold her stuff for her at all costs! They even try to laugh it off when she says something incredibly violent-minded to get them to leave, instead of shrieking and calling her a creepy weirdo like they used to do.

Even now, Xiao is fresh out of getting assaulted by a bunch of classmates, who had nefariously lured him to an empty classroom and cornered him there so that one of them could ask him for his number… and even a… a date .

He has never been asked on a date before!

The dark-haired boy’s face is scarlet, his cheeks burning hot, and he frantically yanks the collar of his messy school uniform up. The tie, donning the color of his second year of junior high, sits half around his neck and half around his shoulders. He’s breathing hard through his teeth, obscuring his face behind the high flaps of his collar.

His dad would probably tell him it is “ever so flattering to catch the eye of a fair lady like that”, all sly and mischievous, but Xiao feels ticked off more than anything. After all, he’s fairly sure he can tell why this change of heart is happening, all of a sudden: he and his bestie are becoming, dare he say it, conventionally attractive.

It’s fucking ridiculous! Almost comically so, truly. Xiao’s proportions make more sense, his features have been getting more sharp and defined, and his voice is, rather quickly, losing the high pitch of childhood. Shenhe has had a growth spurt, with her towering half a head above all the others in their class, and her chest and hips have truly come to their rights.

And now that they’re “hot”, well, their parents’ money is suddenly a blessing instead of a curse. Everyone who treated them like garbage throughout elementary school is practically groveling at their feet!

Xiao is still deeply flustered when he has safely reached the bus stop, looking forward to getting home and washing the ick off of him. It’s halfway through December, but it’s a warm winter this year. The final remnants of dirty, gray snow are melting on the crowded Liyueren sidewalks, leaving it treacherous, as every wrong step could send one slipping and sliding into the nearest stone wall.

The bus is in time despite it, though, coming to a shrieking stop before him. Together with a bunch of students from higher grades, he boards.

Man, he needs to tell Aether about this. He feels so… gross! That girl had touched him, just his shoulder, just to be friendly—but she’d obviously done it with flirtatious intent that Xiao is still reeling from . There’s only one person who should get to touch him like that, and that would be, well, Aether.

Huh. Yeah. He pictures Aether’s sparkling copper eyes narrowing, full of carefully crafted allure, as he places the palm of his hand on his shoulder and tickles his fingers up to his neck… Just the two of them, alone in the empty classroom, and Xiao is cornered, and Aether leans in more and more, speaking in that special, inviting voice that the wrong people keep putting up for him… until finally, they…—

He has barely whipped his phone out or he hastily tucks it back into the pocket of his black winter coat, looking around guiltily to make sure nobody read his mind. He blows his hair, which has fully regained its regular color and the usual amount of tousled, out of his face, and tries not to be swept along in the generous curve the bus makes.

If only Aether would flirt with him like that—real flirting, not just goofing off.

If only him finally realizing he’s in love with the Starfell boy had brought him a little more than just a confirmation he isn’t simply embarrassing, confused, sweaty and crazy…

See, at least Xiao can thank the bozos who think they can freely go from bullying him to trying to actually get with him for giving him the reference material he never used to have. Now, he understands he wants nothing more than to tell Aether he likes him, and truly have it mean something.

But alas. Teyvat will explode before Xiao finally gets to have it easy.

Every time he tries to gauge where they stand, he’s met with the same wall of utter sunshine as always. He can be the ballsiest bitch on the block and send the most suggestive, most butterfly-inducing, most saccharine sweet comment ever into the world, and Aether will pause, giggle, and wittily return the favor.

And… that’s that. It’s like wading through the mud with your eyes closed.

He desperately wishes he could gain clarity, but he can’t just straight up ask. He’s not some common fool, he knows perfectly well that if he came clean and confessed and Aether doesn’t feel the same, there will be a weird tension that’ll linger between them forever. That’s the last thing he wants to happen, but it sucks that the only other choice he gets is to just suffer in silence by himself.

Argh, this is the worst!

It’s raining by the time Xiao gets off the bus, a wet blanket of frigid water that could’ve been snow if the temperature had also been just a little colder, and he quickly rushes home. There, the fourteen year old immediately wrestles himself out of his soaked boots and coat, and trots upstairs. He doesn’t bother shouting greetings into the living room.

When he enters his bedroom, he almost trips over the buckets of black, teal, and gold paint he had stacked by the door; he catches himself on the door frame just in time and grimaces, rubbing his sore toes. “Fuck—”

His room is a mess because of these. His furniture is already positioned away from the walls too, and most of the things he won’t immediately need are sealed off with plastic, so the bedroom, normally grand and spacious, now feels cramped.

Ganyu will help him with the painting. Last summer, when Xiao was grounded, they made a start on their Starfell bedrooms as well: Ganyu set up the base of a beautiful ginkgo tree spanning across two of her bedroom walls, and they painted his room all black first, before she sketched out Yaksha markings across all the walls. She’s getting good, he must admit.

Xiao groans and stretches his arms above his head, opting to stall out his “one hour of studying a day” as long as possible. Okay, time to wash the uncomfortable shame funk off his skin. He is going to be thinking about this day for the rest of his life, and not in a good way.

He takes his time in the shower, well over thirty minutes. Once he’s done acting out an elaborate scene of how he should have actually handled that confession, with such incredible dignity and poise that nobody would ever dare to corner him again (and maybe something would attack the school halfway through, and he’d have to save everyone, and they would be so grateful they would do what he says forever and he would make them leave him alone), he dries himself off and wiggles into an old, black tank top and a pair of shorts. Eugh, he should get some new ones that actually look good on him.

When he catches his reflection in the mirror, he stops to think.

It never used to show much that he does track, honestly, but the lean muscle he sports now definitely states otherwise. Electric eyes curiously follow the curves of his bared, pale arms, as if in awe of them. A tattoo would look really good there. Retuo would surely kill him, but Diluc and Rosaria are constantly sending hypothetical future tattoos in the broody bunch chat and they look so, so cool. Diluc already knows he’s getting one for his sixteenth birthday, too.

Hmph, maybe one day. Xiao isn’t even on thin ice with Retuo anymore; he’s already treading water, begging for warmth and gasping for air. Every new step is one too far.

He wonders what Aether would think of a tattoo on him. He nibbles on his lip, imagining the potential amazement. He might get a really intricate one, which Aether can trace with his fingers to his heart’s content, and…

He shivers at the thought, nearly feeling the fingertips on his skin, traveling far beyond the confinements of the tattoo. It sends a zap down his spine, and twists up a warm coil in his groin.

Whoa—okay, too far, too far, way too far! Why does this keep happening? Stupid— body! Xiao hastily finishes up and, red as a beet, he rushes to his room, shielding his waist from sight.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Dinner isn’t a family occasion tonight; lately, Retuo has just been cooking and leaving the finished dishes on the stove, and everyone scoops up their fill before disappearing into the darkness. They keep the leftovers for Retuo’s late-nighters, so that Zhongli doesn’t need to whip up any of his own elaborate… attempts.

Zhongli is saddened by it. Xiao once heard him tell Retuo that if he’s going to be a pissy fucking bitch whenever work is involved, he should haul his ass and all his work-from-home nonsense up to one of the designated studies so his family won’t suffer from his attitude problems. Then, perhaps they can finally have a normal dinner again.

Okay, he didn’t say it exactly like that. He was way more dulcet and mellowed out about it… but Xiao secretly wishes he would finally just snap for real.

But, at the end of the day, he does not mind getting to scarf down his meals within the safe confinements of his bedroom. Anything to not be downstairs.

Xiao finishes his food whilst watching TV, and nearly breaks his ankles tripping over a paint bucket again when he goes to store the plate with the others he has stacked on his desk. Grumbling in annoyance, he decides to make this Ganyu’s problem one way or another. She has her friends over for dinner today; should be fun.

He steps into the hallway between their rooms, and with the necessary flair, he throws the door to her bedroom wide open. Feigning intrigue, he props himself up against the doorpost.

All four girls inside shriek like they’ve just seen a ghost, stumbling around like they never learned how to walk because the TV is their only light source and they can’t see shit because of it. Beidou throws a pillow at him on instinct, which he dodges—also on instinct. Luckily it’s always a pillow she goes for, because that thing smacks into the wall behind him with force.

“Am I interrupting anything?” he asks, one eyebrow climbing up.

“Get out of my room, loser!” Ganyu exclaims, Keqing’s head in her lap, as she flaps her hands at him. “No brothers allowed!”

“I’m not in your room though.” Xiao points at his feet, which are positioned well in front of the threshold. “Technically, your room starts on the other side of this border here.”

“You are in my room!”

“No, I’m not.”

“Oh my gods,” Beidou groans, and she climbs over Ningguang’s legs as the blonde pauses the movie they were watching. “You better be careful, little man, I will not hesitate to throw you down the fucking stairs.”

“Ooo, shiver me timbers, I’m so scared. I’m literally not even in the room.”

“But you’re standing in the door frame! I will punt you, shortstack!”

“Technically, yeah, but I’m not in the room . You’re going to kick me when I’m literally not even in the room? That’s incredibly morally unethical of you, Beidou. Truly absurd.”

Beidou looks like she’s either about to rip her hair out, or his throat.

“Your brother is so annoying,” Keqing says to Ganyu, sitting up with an irritated squeeze of her lips. “I was just getting comfortable, too.”

That seems to give Ganyu enough incentive to bring out the big guns: “Xiao, go away or I’m telling Papa,” she says, squinting viciously.

Damn it.

“Ugh, fine. See you later, idiots. Have fun watching your mundane little movie.” Xiao leans inside to grab the doorknob, twirls around on his heels, gives all of them the finger, and flips on the light switch right before he closes the door behind him.

He snickers when they all shout at him.

The girls stick around for a while, so all he can really do is anything that can be done silently lest they attempt to eavesdrop on him again. Just girly things, he supposes. When everyone has finally gone home, he takes out his phone.

 

[22:30
Me: So we’re painting this weekend right?

22:31
Gnanyu: no. im mad at u 3:<

22:31
Me: Aw, really? No chill time with your poor, lonely big brother who has never in his life set a singular foot inside your bedroom?

22:31
Gnanyu: no 🙄

22:32
Me: Not even when I promise I’ll get u your favorite baozi? ♥

22:35
Gnanyu: ………… ok fine! painting this weekend but we can’t take up all of saturday bc of my comp :3

22:35
Me: You did not just get bribed 💀 gullible ass, I’m not getting you shit

22:36
Gnanyu: i hate u but actuslly

22:36
Me: HAHA loser can’t even type]

 

Xiao lets Ganyu spam him to death, sliding comfortably underneath his fluffy winter blanket. The message count is climbing rapidly, but he sees Aether is online, and his heart skips a beat. He pulls his cat plushie up against his chest, resting his cheek against its mismatched, fucked up little face.

 

[22:40
Me:  I see you

22:40
Bunny🐰: YOU!!!! YOU LEFT ME ALONE FOR HOURS!!!!! UNFORGIVABLE!!!!!!!!

22:41
Me: NOOOO please I am so sorry, you’re so right and correct, how dare I get me an education 💔💔

22:41
Bunny🐰: YEA WHAT THE FUCK!!!! I’m way more important and if you don’t think so you’re cringe >:(

22:42
Bunny🐰: How are you doing?? How was school??? It’s so late!!!!

22:42
Me: Meh, the usual. Died in class, got harrassed, but in the good way I guess, which is still weird as fuck. Also some girl asked me out in some random ass classroom for some reason?]

 

Aether types for a long time, and Xiao is holding his breath.

 

[22:44
Bunny🐰: NOOOO that’s so dumb >:((( at school, seriously? No class, you deserve that one terrace place and nothing less!!!!!! I’ll just do it myself next time!!!!!!!!!]

 

See, Xiao has no idea what to make of that! Is this a joke or is it serious, are they just boys being boys or is there more behind it? They’ve been clingy for years—are they being super fucking gay because they’re conjoined at the hip at this point, or because there’s more to be found on Aether’s end as well?

Groaning, just a tad melancholic, the fourteen year old rolls onto his back and holds his phone above his face. Do you like me too, or have we already strayed too far beyond the possibility?

 

[22:44
Me: I’d like it better if it was you tbh. Don’t like being surrounded by strangers. How was your day? Anyone give you shit?

22:45
Bunny🐰: It’s still going!!! I think. Definitely feel like my first year of high school is going better than Diluc’s, at least I didn’t get detention in the first couple of months for beating up a bitch behind the bicycle stands🧍

22:45
Me: Lmfao. Edgelord. Are those two still being weird?

22:46
Bunny🐰: Yeah but I don’t really wanna talk about it rn, maybe later :(( School’s fine!!!! It’s easy peasy, I’m obviously the best in my entire grade with my sexy 6/10s for everything ✨

22:46
Me: Whoa! Truly the smartest of your time! Astounding! Marvelous! The great minds of the past better start shaking in their boots!

22:46
Me: So… nobody is bothering you?

22:46
Bunny🐰: Nope!!!  promise :D

22:47
Bunny🐰: And if they did, i’d just call you

22:48
Bunny🐰: *open voice message*]

 

It’s Aether’s slightly distorted phone voice, calling Xiao’s name in various levels of overdone, dramatic lamenting and silly voices that crack himself up until he snorts. Snickering, Xiao records himself blowing a raspberry.

Maybe… just maybe, one day…

They talk until late, about school and their home lives in all the colors of the rainbow, and miscellaneous nonsense that makes him kick his legs and swell with joy. Eventually, Aether falls asleep; Xiao only knows because he gets a wall of keyboard smashing, which he normally never does, and nothing after that.

Oh, he’s so cute. Xiao places his phone on his nightstand and flops down with bravado as well, clutching onto the cat plush.

He closes his eyes, thinking of Aether resting by his side, arms wrapped around him and fingers digging into his shirt. His mind’s eye can see the other’s big smile, and hears him talk as if he’s right beside him. His springy hair would be tickling in his nose, and Xiao doesn’t know who’s taller right now, but it doesn’t matter; in his imagination, Aether’s leg is already riding up his own as they lay tangled together.

It’s a bare leg. Although Xiao was sure that he put on shorts before bed, his legs are bare, too. He can feel the contact. Heat rises to his cheeks—and down to his… uh, somewhere else. A soft growl escapes his lips, and he hides away as far as he can, letting his imagination run rampant.

Man… if only. The way he pictures it, it would be wonderful! Everything would finally make sense. They would love each other despite the baggage, or annoyances, or anything, and…

Sigh. He's sappy. He wants to hold his best friend’s hand and for it to mean something. He wants him to call out his name the way he does best, with the affection and sincerity that makes poetry look tame. He wants to see him shine like the sun in a glorious future, and wants him to grace his eternal night like the stars.

But what if it’s only so good in his rosy thoughts, and reality is different, and Aether is only being, well, Aether?

In any case, Xiao sleeps very well that night. Comfortable and cozy, he dreams of a copper sunset and dancing stars, and just a little more than that.

Notes:

Ganyu's out there casually violating the Geneva Conventions' "I'm telling dad" rule, can u believe this?? It be your own little siblings smh 😔✊ /j

The calm before the storm...

Chapter 33

Come the weekend, the Longwang siblings are supercharged and ready to paint Xiao’s room. It’s just past dinner time, but they decide they deserve some snacks as they work, for they will surely be moving mountains tonight. Xiao tries to get Ganyu to go downstairs, but she loudly declares he didn’t get her baozi and therefore he owes her servitude, so… unfortunately, he will be making the trek into the dragons’ den instead.

It’s fine. Feeling as though, now that he knows who Guizhong was, there couldn’t possibly be anything left lurking within the shadows, Xiao has become rather numb to it all. Do the fights make his heart race? Always! But surely they cannot impact him any more than they’ve already done.

He slides into the kitchen and, automatically, perks his ears. Nothing. Just the TV on sub-zero volume, and the rhythmic tapping of laptop keys. Good.

While he was sure he saw a bag of chips in the snack drawer before, all that’s left now is those nasty, spicy crackers old people like, and he refuses to bring those with him. He perks his ears again, and hears some packaging crackling inside. A quick peek tells him it’s not his father; he’s focusing on his laptop at the head of the big dinner table, professional office headset on his head.

Okay, well, if they aren’t fighting…

Xiao quickly snags the crackers along and toddles to the comically large, L-shaped ivory couch, where his dad is reading a book. Clearly, the TV is just kind of there for the ambiance. The open bag of chips lies beside him on the plush cushions.

“Hi Dad. Fancy a trade?” Xiao inquires seriously, holding up the bag of crackers like he’s advertising a premium powerfood. “I have something way better than those lame chips.”

Zhongli puts his book down with a chuckle, pretending to mull it over. His amber eyes narrow mischievously. “Hum… well, the temptation is great. Would I regret missing out on such a delectable trade?”

“Oh, definitely, these crackers are freshly harvested from Mount Aocang. It’s said that the archons of old themselves graced them with their, uh,” Xiao thinks for a moment, “divine flavorings. Eating these would be more than a wish come true, many would kill to have this opportunity!”

Thoroughly amused by his son’s act, Zhongli dips his head and solemnly makes the exchange. Xiao grins in self-satisfaction, and he has already almost passed the dining table to leave when Retuo removes his headset. He speaks up mildly beside him.

“Zhongli.”

They both freeze.

“Yes?” Zhongli responds politely, gesturing for Xiao to go ahead and return to his room. Xiao, though, stubbornly plants his feet into the ground.

“It was payday today.”

“Er, yes, indeed.”

“You didn’t transfer all of it. How many times do I have to ask this of you?”

“Oh.” Zhongli looks a little nervous, and he chooses his words carefully: “I’m just… keeping some with me, in case of an emergency, my love.”

It doesn’t please Retuo, though. He firmly extends a large hand, glaring back over his shoulder. “I can take care of emergencies, you ought to know that. Give me your phone.”

Xiao can only exchange a confused side-eye with his dad before the brunette sighs and gets up. He shuffles over the carpet on his indoor slippers, fishing his smartphone out of his back pocket, and he places it deftly in the palm of Retuo’s hand. Their thumbprints have always been in each other’s phones, so getting in poses no problem for him.

Xiao can just barely see the screen: he’s finding his way into a banking app, and it seems as though he automates something there. Changing the PIN code required to get into the app is criminal, Xiao feels like, but Retuo does it anyway. The teenager’s jaw drops.

“What are you looking at?” Retuo asks him, shoving the phone back into its owner’s dejected fist. “You’ve got some grades to hoist from the trenches, I reckon. Shoo.”

Wow, seriously?! Xiao defensively raises his hands, his forehead creasing with irritation. But before he can begin to consider risking it all and clapping back with all he has, a tingle of nerves at the prospect of it already tickling his tongue, he feels Zhongli’s tense knuckles in the small of his back. They nudge him toward the kitchen door.

.. Fine. Yet, despite the defeat pricking in the back of his throat, the unfairness of it boils Xiao’s blood; it’s Zhongli’s salary! Is it that imperative that it not be spent on frivolities?

If you are not going to snap, at least let me do it , Xiao thinks forlornly. Internally cursing the world, he stomps up the steps, making sure that it is heard downstairs. He’s almost grateful when he hears obnoxiously upbeat pop music coming from his bedroom.

Ganyu is waiting there with her arms akimbo on her waist, wearing a dirty shirt and tapping her foot along with the music she’s blasting from her portable bluetooth speaker. Her long, golden hair is tied into a high ponytail, and she has already opened up some paint buckets.

“What took you so long?” the thirteen year old exclaims. “The paint is drying up! Okay, come on, we’re going to put down black base layers first." She shoves two paint brushes into Xiao’s hands and yanks him toward the windowside wall.

Once the siblings get started, it’s not long before the uncomfortable situation downstairs has sunken away into the obscurities of Xiao’s mind. Xiao gasps when Ganyu accidentally paints his forearm, and he “accidentally” jams his oozing paint brush against her cheek in turn. She shrieks with disdain, trying to paint him on purpose as well, but Xiao swiftly ducks and she falls right into his brush instead. They laugh it off, working steadily on the walls as time creeps by.

“Nervous for your competition tomorrow?” he asks, straining as he carries the next full bucket of black paint to their spot. Ganyu has begun adding some teal streaks where the paint is already dry, and they’re still trying to figure out how they’re going to make the ceiling black and gold without amassing a war zone of splotches on the sleek, hardwood floor.

“A little. Maybe a lot,” Ganyu sighs. “It sucks I can’t skip out on some more. Don’t wanna embarrass myself in front of all those people, an-and Keqing will also be watching. What if I miss literally all my arrows?”

“You’ve been practicing for at least a year. You can land those suckers.” Xiao was kind of just thrown head first into his first track competition, but apparently, because it isn’t a team sport, the archery club members get to opt out when they don’t feel like participating.

Ganyu has been doing that since she started, but she’s in her last year of elementary school. If she wants to continue doing archery in junior high, she’ll need more credit than just participation.

“Maybe…”

Xiao firmly shakes his head; “Bullshit. If I can throw a javelin, you can get a medal for archery.”

“Heh, guess so… Are you coming to watch?”

With the tip of his tongue sticking out in concentration, the dark-haired boy tries to paint around an electrical outlet they forgot to tape off.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Ganyu adds quietly. She places another streak on the wall. “Papa said he’d be cheering me on for sure, so if you’d rather stay home, that’s… that’s okay.”

“Out of the question,” Xiao says decisively. “Utterly preposterous. I’m not missing my little sister’s first real competition, what do you take me for?”

She glows with happiness, and he feels just the slightest bit pleased for it. “Pfft, did you swallow a dictionary?”

“Eat ass.”

They work until late in the night, even tempted to go until morning. They could afford it, the competition won’t be until the late afternoon. But Ganyu, clearly not used to staying up until her face explodes like her brother does on weekends, almost falls asleep once or twice.

Smiling, Xiao puts his brush down and scoots toward her. “Come on, champ,” he mumbles, squirming his arm underneath her armpits to help her up. “We’ll finish the rest on Sunday.”

“Nooo, I’m so,” Ganyu yawns soundly, “close. One more hour…”

“Nope, you need to stock up on energy for tomorrow.”

It takes some more whiny back-and-forthing, but his sister eventually solemnly salutes him and slumps to her own room. She forgets her speaker and… well, everything else.

Xiao closes his door and looks around.

The walls, once obnoxiously white and dull, are pitch black, with some of them already donning teal streaks. With a giddy grin, he paces around his room, admiring the sharp black furniture and black and teal walls from every angle. The Yaksha mask Ganyu has penned down the base sketch of, looks just like the real deal.

It’s exactly as he had hoped for, and it’s almost perfect—just needs one more addition. At long last, the teenager opens a drawer in his desk and takes out the picture frame holding the dried Cecilia from Starsnatch Cliff within.

Pointedly, he hangs it above his bed, enjoying a childlike sense of accomplishment.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Ganyu wins gold for her very first competition, and it’s like a hard reset for the family. The first dinner held at the table since ages is a true work of art, and Retuo is happier and more easygoing than he has been in months, cutting both Xiao and Zhongli some slack. The golden archery medal is shining on the wall above the picture cabinet, replacing the real Yaksha mask Zhongli had once kept there, but the man has made peace with it, for Ganyu’s sake.

Xiao has tried his hardest to make peace with her medal being displayed before any of his achievements ever were, too. She was so relieved by her results that she actually cried in Keqing’s arms, and he supposes she’s worked hard for it, so… it’s fine.

Hurts. But it’s fine. Sisters are sisters, no matter the circumstances. He must remember those words.

December is drawing to a suspiciously sweaty end, and Xiao and Shenhe have arranged to meet at the crane estate. Today, he’s going to beg Miss Xianyun to let him take her to Starfell, as Lumine had suggested. A little early, but he’ll probably have to marathon between convincing her and then convincing Retuo, who still doesn’t fancy seeing the two together. The sooner he starts, the better.

Xiao tucks his hands deeper into his pockets, regretting his heavy choice of coat. He descends some stone staircases, passing a little perfume shop and a pottery.

A couple stands before the pottery window, making googly eyes at all the handcrafted vases and jars, and Xiao spots them holding hands underneath their large sleeves. The woman pulls her lover away, and they trot down the busy sidewalk together.

Tsk, so lame.

Yet, Xiao wonders what it’d be like if Aether and him walked down the Liyueren roads hand in hand like that. Breathlessly, he pictures snow instead of a discount summer: he would take the Starfell boy to the best restaurants, and guide him to Yujin Terrace so they can gaze over the lotus ponds and take pictures with the antiques. Maybe post them to social media for the others to gawk at. They can visit the harbor and share street food, and… they can each take a bite at the same time, so Xiao can pretend it was intended to be a kiss.

The teenager giggles, sweet as honey, when he thinks of Aether’s sunny face covered in deep-fried crumbs, and the sound frightens him out of his thoughts. Egh—what is he, some kind of smitten little schoolboy?! Stop being so embarrassing about it, gods!

He travels to Shenhe’s house with zero distractions like he’s a junkie on a mission, wearing a focused death stare that would have bystanders think he is one.

Miss Xianyun is an engineer and a damn successful one at that, so if there was ever a house that could surpass his own in bulk and style, it would be hers. The crane estate is large, wholly fashioned after the days of old, and the courtyard is filled with traditional Liyueren ponds and little spirit shrines. Real white cranes, the sole reason Xiao has been calling it “the crane estate” since he was little, parade around the place, bugling at him when he makes his way down the well-maintained, cobbled path to the front door.

Those things used to scare the crap out of him as a kid, but he thinks they’re gorgeous now. He clicks his tongue at one of the older ones, and it clicks its beak back in recognition.

Okay, here goes. Holding his breath, he rings the bell.

Shenhe answers the door, wearing her casual black and white indoor clothes. They greet each other briefly, and Xiao gets the idea they’re running on a timer or something with how often she casts a glance over her shoulder.

“Come on,” she says, brushing her long, white hair behind a pale ear. “Mom isn’t intending to keep you here for long, so we better get down to business. I guess she’s still wary of Retuo or something.”

“Pfft, I’d feel insulted if that wasn’t such a constant state of mind for me,” Xiao says, rolling his eyes, and he leaves his shoes by the door.

“Honestly.”

Contrary to how it may sound, Xianyun greets him with an ever welcoming bow. “Xiao, dear,” she coos, standing in the center of the living room in a striking, dark blue gown, with her sleek, black hair done up, “do come in, one has already prepared you a cup of jasmine tea and snacks. One does not mean to brag, but one’s culinary crafts should certainly not be underestimated.”

Shenhe pushes Xiao toward the designated tea table. He grins sheepishly at her when Xianyun begins doting on the teens, hardly making it evident that she still has the same stance on their friendship as before.

As such, it comes as a genuine surprise when he asks her if Shenhe can join him on their annual Starfell vacation, and she says no.

Dejectedly, Shenhe drops her gaze. “But why not?” she asks, gripping onto her thighs. “How many times do I need to insist that Xiao and I are just friends? If I had wanted him, I’d have had him already. No offense, Xiao.”

“None taken.”

“In any case, nothing will happen to me, so I don’t get why—”

Xianyun, who has seated herself across the children, gingerly raises her hand. Shenhe grows silent, and Xiao hastily swallows the elaborate protest he was already preparing.

“One apologizes, my dear child.” She drums her teal, manicured nails into the table. “One has no desire to irk Retuo Longwang. It would, ah, complicate the situation considerably, do you not agree?”

“Well…” Xiao eyes Shenhe, a little confused. “I suppose? But I can talk to him about it. I was already planning to, anyhow.”

Xianyun shakes her head a single time. “For the time being, one would prefer that this tantrum of his runs its course as smoothly as possible. This, unfortunately, would entail that one waits for the right opportunity to take one’s stance, and now is simply not it.”

“Mom, pardon my language, but you’re the baddest bitch in town,” Shenhe says. If Xianyun were bothered, she masks it perfectly well behind her glowing pride. “Why can’t you just tell Mr Retuo to shove it now?”

“Yeah,” Xiao agrees glumly, “clearly you’re on our side. Why pretend you aren’t?”

To that, Xianyun simply laughs. “Oh, you… One does adore how simple the world seems through the eyes of a child.” She allows them each to select another homemade raisin cookie (it tastes better than it sounds!), and folds her hands. “One supposes it would be unfair to continue obscuring fact behind fiction at your age. Clearly, he is no longer trying to.”

Uh… why does she look like she’s about to pry open something she shouldn’t? Xiao’s mouth tightens into a thin line, and he chews on his cookie with long, slow drags of his jaws.

Indeed, as though Xianyun knows she’s going to tug at strings here, her voice shifts into a smooth, lilting tone, meant to soothe. “Truly, Zhongli’s decision to marry a much older man after he lost… ahem—well, it still vexes one to this day. One supposes that it could have worked out quite alright, let one not be the judge of all older men in Teyvat, but Retuo Longwang has always displayed rather… interesting manners.” Despite her tone, her hand gestures much resemble those of an auntie mercilessly spilling tea at a Lantern Rite dinner. “Foolhardedly self-sufficient. Could not be caught depending on anything but his own capabilities to save his life, like a gemstone trapped beneath the rubble of its own hubris. Always working, always focused, blind to the world around him.”

She seems to be reminded of something, her lips forming a soft “o”. “Ah, one has indeed known your dad since, erm—well, since he was with—erm… attending university with oneself and with… It—it was rather tragic, let us not dwell on it.”

.. Since Guizhong? In uni?!

Xiao sits perplexed—and by the looks of it, Shenhe as well. Sure, whenever their parents interacted, they’d had the faint idea that Zhongli and Xianyun may have known each other more personally at some point, but… they were just stupid little kids, who had never cared to ask. Never even cared enough to really pay attention to it.

“Either way, had it been up to one to decide, he would have waited.”

“You guys are friends?” Xiao asks in disbelief, trying to picture the two calling each other for elaborate rant sessions about coworkers and traffic and shit, or whatever adult friendships look like. No, he can’t do it—Xianyun has never even stayed over, for as far as Xiao can remember, and the same goes the other way around. It has always been a mere exchange of pleasantries!

“Once, we were.” Xianyun casually sips her tea. “We had differing opinions on Retuo, as you may have deduced. Retuo is—was— is a good man, pardon one’s indiscretion. Zhongli brought him many good things, turned him away from work and opened his eyes to other joys in life, and he returned the favor. But one did not fancy the co-dependency Zhongli built upon him, and the way in which this was not discouraged.”

This feels like illegal information, as if they have walked in on the holy grail of knowledge beyond their years. Xiao half wants Xianyun to stop talking, but his curiosity is stronger than ever; as it seems, Zhongli has a few more skeletons in the closet than just his dead ex wife.

“To one, it was painful to witness. Zhongli was a very profound, strong man, striking awe wherever he went.” The words are laced with nostalgia, bittersweet in nature. “Retuo even more so. Immensely proud, yes, but as indomitable as the foundations of the earth. They were quite compatible, and one must admit they have always looked happy. Yet, one cannot help but feel that once he started dating Retuo, your dad went from having everything within his grasp to having nothing to hold onto—as though he needs Retuo’s power to stay afloat.”

Is that what it looks like to others?

Xianyun briskly waves her hand around, like she’s swatting at mosquitoes. “Of course,” she says, “when one brought up one’s concerns about Zhongli’s dwindling independence amidst a—Shenhe, my sweet child, do cover your ears if you wish—marriage of one’s own that was running terribly out of hand, Retuo pointed out that one was not to talk about relationship affairs.”

Beside Xiao, Shenhe has not covered her ears, but he feels her hand reach for his under the table. So he takes it, and squeezes. Her face, for a change, portrays significant emotion: she looks incredibly taken aback.

“When that turned into a lengthy divorce, one’s credibility only tanked down further. Retuo would bring it up whenever one wished to address the dynamics in their relationship, and he would spur Zhongli to speak against one’s bold attitude. One was an improper example, supposedly, and simply envied how good they were together. It seems as though the serpent’s word was heard, for Zhongli himself suggested distance between us, in the end. There was little more one could do in such a position. It is a pity.”

Xianyun’s shoulders sag. “Unfortunately, one’s concerns feel more justified now than ever.”

As if she suddenly realizes she has been monologuing to a pair of flabbergasted children, the woman then chortles, much like her cranes, and hastily pours everyone more tea: “Well, nevermind all that! The point to take away from this is that one knows what one is doing when a careful attitude is required. Would you kids like another snack? Perhaps even two, hm?”

They sit in silence for the longest time, sipping their tea and nibbling on their cookies. When Xianyun decides it’s time for Xiao to leave, she veers upright and gestures for the pair to follow her. Her answer about Starfell is final, but Shenhe will at least get to bring him to the bus stop.

“Xiao, dear, do not take it to heart,” the woman says kindly, when Xiao steps over the threshold with feet of lead. “One truly hopes that you now understand that one is just doing what is best for all of you.”

Xiao nods to please her, and hastily follows Shenhe through the garden.

“Well then,” Shenhe says. She fluffs up her coat, sounding sullen. “That was… wow. I guess it was kind of awkward for them when we became best buddies in kindergarten, huh? With a history like that.”

“Yeah.” Xiao feels strange, as if his core is off-center. “Huh.”

This is absurd. He genuinely thought he had braved the worst when he had learned a little more about Guizhong, and he sincerely hopes that what Miss Xianyun shared today is just how it comes across to her, and not how it actually is. Retuo used to be a horrible workaholic before, apparently, blind to the world until Zhongli gave him vision—but now, he seems to be reverting to his old ways.

Surely his father wouldn’t want to impede on his dad’s freedom, though? Before work drained his soul, they had always loved each other so much… And it’s not like he’s constantly an asshole, twenty-four-seven, all day, every day!

But changing the PIN code on Zhongli’s banking app has gained an insidious edge that makes Xiao uncomfortable thinking back to it, and he wonders if he has grown out of the luxury of naivety.

Notes:

Xianyun casually coming in with the lore drop of the century, thanks Xianyun <3
It was but a small storm! 😳 Though Xiao's mind is definitely going through it right now. Imagine a friendship withering away so much that you literally befriend the kid of your dad's former uni bestie, but neither of you ever even notice they used to be such good friends :( Leaves one to wonder what Zhongli even has for himself, if not his family...
(Also, I am working with the theory that Retuo/Azhdaha is the Geo Sovereign that Morax got his Gnosis from! ><)

New chapter at last! I hope to get the next update in a little sooner, we're about to enter one of my favorite little arcs I've written for this silly story thus far hehe 👉👈

Chapter 34

Spring, Year 8

 

“Hey blondie~”

Aether jerks upright. He has been bent over his homework for the upcoming period all break, praying that he gets it done before the sound of the bell. The fourteen year old intentionally chose a quiet, lonely little table in the school cafeteria for it, but of course, he can leave it to this guy to find him anyway.

“Hi Kaeya,” he says as the taller, dark-haired boy seats himself next to him on the bench with bravado, elegantly crossing his legs. “Pulled out the tights again?”

“Why wouldn’t I, don’t I have the most perfect legs for it?” Kaeya purrs with a teasing edge to his low voice, propping his head up on a hand.

With those black tights, he’s wearing a beautifully extravagant tunic that highlights all his best features, and he wears a fluffy, dark blue pellerine as well. Aether can’t deny he is very, very pretty, and he seems to be plenty aware of it.

“Heh, fair point.”

Kaeya’s icy blue eye narrows into a sultry, suggestive siren gaze, and Aether hastily looks away. It’s not necessarily because he has become more openly flirty towards him as of late and Aether isn’t too sure how to deal with it without severely hurting the older teen’s feelings, but… that black eyepatch covering the other eye still gives him the shivers.

His spine clicks into place when Kaeya snakes an arm around his waist anyway, and he quickly hides in his tattered notebook.

“Making homework? Tut tut, you’re way too good of a kid, Aether. That teacher taught my class last year, she won’t kill you for not bringing it once.”

“Yeah, but I’ve already not brought it multiple times,” Aether says sourly. “She’s going to run out of patience one of these days. Kaeya, please, a little uh—space.”

Kaeya sighs, pretending to be terribly hurt, and stops scooting in closer with every breath they take. “Fiiine. Maybe I can help out, hm? What if I give you some of my answers from last year?”

“Wait, you still have them?”

Aether is sure Kaeya just winked at him, but the patch makes it difficult to guess. “Mhm, I should have some pictures on my phone. You’ll have to give me a kiss in return, though~”

A kiss? N-no way, Aether couldn’t possibly! He stutters and sputters out protests, all of which Kaeya waves off, but the Starfell boy cannot help but feel like he would be betraying his own feelings or something, even if it was just a playful peck on the forehead. What would Xiao think, if he knew?

Okay, well, it shouldn’t matter because they’re literally not even dating. But to Aether, it matters!

“Not to worry, you’ll like it for sure! Let me just get my—”

“Don’t talk Aether into cheating, moron.” A gruff voice pipes up right above them, and both boys yelp in surprise. “As if your lackluster answers could do more than just tank his credibility down to the core of Teyvat anyway.”

Tension quickly rises around the table. Aether swallows thickly, seeing Kaeya purse his lips with disdain. Uh-oh…

“Aw, please excuse me, blondie,” the fifteen year old says. His tone is suddenly chilly, and he gets up with a deadly cold expression on his face. “Looks like somebody doesn’t know how to mind his business. We’ll hang out later, okay?” With that, he whips his luscious, wavy hair over his shoulder and strides away.

Sighing with exasperation, the other fifteen year old Ragnvindr brother flops down beside him. His bright red hair looks rather unkempt, and because he is so pale, the dark circles under his fiery eyes are all the more visible. It doesn’t help that he’s still wearing all black, too.

Aether twiddles his thumbs. Egh, it’s so awkward to meet up this way.

He noticed it immediately, once the introduction week of high school was out of the way and he was finally allowed to roam freely: a heavy atmosphere between Diluc and Kaeya, which lingers everywhere the two forces collide. If they do not need to stand, sit, or even as much as breathe in the same space, they will refuse to. They’ll ignore each other when they can, and confrontations are painful.

“Hey,” Diluc says. “Have you eaten?”

“No, um, got no time,” Aether mumbles. He rubs his hands over his thighs, which are hidden within a pair of worn down, messy, oaken brown dungarees. “Need to finish my homework.”

“Fuck that.” Diluc hoists his black, leather book bag on his lap and pulls out his lunch box. Homemade, by himself; smells delicious, as per usual. He offers Aether a crispy hashbrown. “Nourish your brain, how do you expect to think without fuel?”

“Ooo, yum! Thanks, Luc.”

“Don’t mention it.” Diuc fiddles with the hem of his heavy, wide sleeve. “Sorry. About Kaeya and such.”

“It’s okay, really,” Aether says, nibbling on his hashbrown. “I mean, I do wish you guys would make up, but—er, I’m not going to force it, so…”

“Ha. Not gonna happen until he apologizes. .. Sorry.”

He places his fingers on Diluc’s arm and gives a squeeze. “It’s fine, dude. I’m here whenever you need me.”

See, at first, Diluc had just brooded in utter silence and secrecy. Aether had only known what Venti gossiped about within Lumine’s circle: supposedly, Diluc told Kaeya that he has no right to hog so much of his father’s attention, because he’s adopted. Just like that. And when they fought about it and Kaeya told him that he was the favorite anyhow despite not even being related by blood, “so choke on that”, Diluc almost took his eye out.

Which is wild! Diluc may be fierce, but only to those who deserve it, so hearing that he essentially assaulted his brother had shaken Aether’s worldview to the core.

Luckily, the twins had finally obtained the nuance halfway through January. And, uh, Lumine had hit Venti in the head.

Turns out half of it was a big misunderstanding, but Aether tries to think of the cause as little as possible; out of fear for the future, and respect for the Ragnvindrs.

At least he doesn’t need to be afraid of Diluc! As he told him: “Also, I did not almost take that bastard’s eye out. Okay, he got a scratch and it’s gonna scar, sure, but he’s being way too dramatic about it. Just yank that stupid patch off as soon as you get the chance and you’ll see.”

Aether shoves his hashbrown into his mouth and quickly bends over his homework again, spewing crumbs everywhere. He’s got about eleven minutes left before the bell, so he’ll have to say “fuck it” and hope for the best.

Diluc hasn’t said anything in a while, but out of appreciation, he has gently dropped his head upon Aether’s. He watches him struggle with the work, gnawing on a hashbrown of his own, and Aether groans in despair when he thinks of his imminent downfall next period.

“Need me to explain that formula?” Diluc asks softly.

“Yes please,” Aether whines, “this is gonna be the death of me.”

With Diluc’s help, his homework at least looks like he tried by the time the bell rings. Students all around the cafeteria hastily fly up from their tables, most leaving their school lunches and empty snack packaging strewn around their tables in their attempts to make it to their classrooms without getting squished by the masses.

Diluc haphazardly shoves Aether’s books into his trusty, worn, dark brown backpack, and Aether flies upright. One wide dungaree strap falls over his upper arm, but he decides to let it sit.

When the year started, the twins had huddled together and mutually agreed that they had one chance to live life by their own rules and if they didn’t take it now, they’d surely never get the opportunity again. So, on day one, they had shown up in their familiar, comfortable hick town rags with as much confidence as they could muster.

It had been absolutely terrifying, Aether had literally been unable to eat breakfast out of fear he’d throw up. To this day, he’s fairly positive it’s one of the scariest things they have ever done, and that’s counting the time when they were eight, maybe nine years old, and had gotten lost in the Mondstadt City alleys late at night.

They, honest to the seven archons, had anticipated the worst: name calling, bullying, physical violence, the whole shebang.

But apparently, high school cares less about what people are wearing than Aether had always feared. In fact, his regular clothing style is kind of considered… cool? Some of his classmates have called him “grunge” a couple of times, which sounds like a good thing.

If people do think him silly, they don’t make it as obvious, as if teenagers prefer to do their othering within their own little cliques. And there are bad apples, sure, such as some kids they went to elementary school with and the teens that somehow feel provoked by their outfits, but Diluc has those losers shitting bricks with his existence. The redhead is back in business with a vigilante reputation better than ever, since he, uh, actually fought someone last year.

It’s not perfect… but Aether likes this way better than elementary school, that’s for sure!

He survives the homework checking, only earning a stern talking-to from his Math teacher. He grins at Rosaria, whom the twins share a class with, and the three of them wiggle into the hallway to track down their next classroom.

Lumine throws her head into her neck to fire teasing complaints into the atmosphere when Aether is immediately intercepted by Kaeya, who insists on following them to the door.

“Stop being so loud.” Rosaria fluffs up the lace collar of her bell-sleeved black blouse.

Kaeya does not, in fact, do that.

They climb a million staircases because students are not allowed to use the elevator unless they’re literally dying, and round a couple of crowded corridor corners. Aether spots out Diluc sitting by a balustrade that gazes down on the floor below.

Diluc watches them pass, his jaw tightly set. So, Aether quickly apologizes to Kaeya, shoves his arm off of him, and pretends he’s suddenly in a hurry.

After school, when he’s waiting for the others to join Rosaria and him in the school courtyard, Jean and Venti are the first to make it outside as well. Diluc follows closely, though, and they enthusiastically greet one another. Aether chuckles when the younger Ragnvindr brother pulls him into a tight squeeze and spins him around—but in comes Lumine with Kaeya in tow, and at the sight of the two, the older brother’s normally sparkling attitude dims down. His grin falters, his eyebrows sink.

Feeling guilty, Aether clears his throat. He amicably rubs Diluc’s back and steps away from him to pretend he’s going to discuss today’s biology lesson with Rosaria, whilst they make their way to the bus stops as quickly as they can. Naively, the teenagers believe they can still beat the Mondstadter work crowd.

He’s happy when the arrival of the twins’ bus rids them all of each other.

 

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. The tension persists in the group chats, too, and Aether has to toggle between the brothers even in text format, not wanting them to think he’s picking favorites in such dire times. He resorts to just appearing offline until they go offline too in the end.

Aether sighs and bounces his leg under his desk, the back of his chair positioned against his wooden single sleeper in his super cramped little attic bedroom. A pen dangles from his mouth, his yet to be touched homework dutifully stalled out in front of him on the birchwood desk. Yellow light bathes the scene in warmth, and his window is wide open to invite a mellow spring breeze inside.

This room is so small that as soon as he gets even the slightest bit sweaty, he stinks up the place within minutes. One good fart and he’s dead. So, better be safe than sorry, even if it means fighting mosquitos all night.

Xiao’s birthday gift to him watches over him, sitting atop the one book shelf he has space for: it’s a round, teal-blue plushie the size of the palm of his hand, depicting what Xiao says is a garuda. But cartoony, and cute!

It’s holding a plush glaze lily in its beak, which Xiao playfully called “a sign of love”. Aether doesn’t know how true that is, but he has decided not to look it up, lest the bubble gets popped.

Every time he looks at it, his thoughts get fuzzy with wishes of dating and romance. Naively, he hopes the gift he sent Xiao for his fifteenth birthday is achieving the same effect.

He taps away on his phone, seeking any distraction he can get his hands on. Ugh, do teachers seriously not realize that so many kids not finishing their homework in time may be a sign? He’s got more important things to do, too, not just school twenty-four-freaking-seven!

Luckily, every time the weekend rolls around, he can use going home to visit his poor papaw and mamaw who miss him so dearly as an excuse as to why he hasn’t done anything. But if you have to believe the teachers, that’s akin to committing a crime and using a free-out-of-jail-card to get away with it.

Aether looks at his digital alarm clock and nearly explodes when he sees he hasn’t even been “working” for twenty minutes. It feels like hours have passed.

Does the suffering ever end?

He perks up when finally, his special notification sound jingles through the small box he calls his own. Well, there’s his distraction for the night!

 

[22:50
Kitty🐱: Already asleep?? Damn 💀

22:50
Kitty🐱: Guess I should’ve finished up earlier. Fucking oNe HoUr Of GuArAnTeEd StUdYiNg A nIgHt lol I crave the sweet embrace of death. Goodnight bunny ♥️]

 

Heh. Aether’s chest swells with happiness. His jumbled mind eagerly grabs the heart emoji and uses it to attain the world record of jumping to the most outlandish conclusions ever. Obviously he’s super in love with me! Completely over the moon! He’s gotta be, right? Right? Right?!

Oh, he shouldn’t be stupid, it’s only an emoji… I bet he sends it to lots of people. Like Shenhe.

Aether quickly shakes his head, not wanting to put a damper on the mood before they’ve even gotten started. All these feelings are horrible. He can’t think about Xiao’s stupid face for one minute or his stomach explodes with flocks of butterflies that soar to all the right places when he’s lucky—and the wrong one when he isn’t.

Sighing, he throws his brain in the garbage bin and scoots his chair closer against his desk.

 

[22:50
Me: Nooo come back, I’m awake!!!

22:50
Kitty🐱: ? Oh hi lol?? You’re on offline though, don’t know if you know

22:50
Me: I know :(( it’s just temporary, I don’t want Luc and Kaeya to know I’m still here

22:51
Me: ‘cause then they’ll each be in my DMs asking me why I’m not talking to them and I don’t want it to be awkward🧍

22:51
Kitty🐱: Bet it can’t get any more awkward than the group chats already are. Even my lurker life feels compromised somehow lol. Lemme talk to those bozos

22:52
Me: HAHA you can if you want!!!! Idk if it’ll help, Jean has been trying her best to mediate too but they’re not exactly susceptible to it ://]

 

That one sucks extra bad because, since Jean is clearly failing, Aether feels like he needs to step up his game and take it upon himself to go the distance in her stead. After all, maybe he’s a little closer to them than her. But it’s so difficult, it is an incredibly delicate situation and Aether fears he’ll come across as insensitive if he goes too far.

 

[22:52
Kitty🐱: What are they being so pissy for 💀

22:52
Me: Well!!! It is a good reason, it’s just difficult

22:53
Kitty🐱: I bet, bun. On my way to cuddle the struggle away lol

22:53
Me: Yes please!!!!! 🥰 I need help so bad

22:53
Kitty🐱: Yeah? Catch me doing attempt nr 5000 then and asking again, what is up with those two?

22:53
Me: EeeeeeeeeeeeeeXiaonotagainnnnn

22:54
Kitty🐱: Can’t help out if I don’t know bun, just sayin’ ♥️]

 

Good point.

Man! What if he just… threw it out there? Maybe Xiao really does know what to do, somehow. Surely Diluc wouldn’t mind? He already ought to know that Aether normally shares everyone’s business and their mothers’ with Xiao, right?

The teenager runs his hand through his springy blonde hair, and breathes his nerves away.

 

[22:56
Me: Okay fine because it’s you, but prepare for the rest of your evening to be ruined…

22:56
Kitty🐱: Hey, don’t worry about anything. Just tell me. I’m here  <3

22:57
Me: You’re the best actually]

 

And so, Aether begins typing. He tells Xiao about the horrible atmosphere the brothers have bred among themselves, which affects everyone if they allow it to, and the months he spent having only Venti’s gossip to go off of because Diluc was only ever brooding by himself.

He pauses, unsure how to get the high note out in a way that doesn’t make it sound so… real. Confrontational, a living thing.

Diluc had come to him eventually, and cleared everything up with just a few words. Not many were needed, and Aether would never have made him say more, regardless. Diluc had never hugged him so tight before, and he cannot remember any other moment he has ever seen the boy cry.

Deciding there is no right way to say it, Aether just goes for the next best thing.

 

[23:07
Me: Crepus has stage 3 cancer. And everything is still too unsure to bring Luc and Kaeya any peace of mind right now. So… that’s it]

 

He sighs, slumping over his desk until his chin rests in the dip of his notebook. He’s still chewing his pen.

 

[23:10
Kitty🐱: Oh. Damn…

 

23:11
Me: Yeah… That’s why they’ve been stressing and fighting. See I was trying to keep it to myself out of respect so I never told you. But MAN, idk what to do anymore :((

23:11
Kitty🐱: I get it bun, honestly. I’m sorry for being dry, I’m just not sure what to say here. I thought they were just having foolish teenager problems. Wish I could hug you right now :(

23:12
Me: You know I’d never turn down a treat like that, but Luc and Kaeya could probably use it more💔

23:12
Kitty🐱: I bet :( I’ll think about it

23:13
Kitty🐱: Can I ask Shenhe, she’s better at stuff like this than me

23:13
Me: Sure

23:14
Kitty🐱: Hold on

23:14
Kitty🐱: Sorry…

23:15
Me: It’s okay 🥰

23:20
Kitty🐱: Okay so, Shenhe says they’re probably trying to cope with how drastic this is, and need help realizing family is especially important at a time like this and they really aren’t helping each other or their dad by taking out their stress on each other (she also says hi btw)

23:22
Kitty🐱: I really don’t know if this is disrespectful, but perhaps you can tell Crepus we’re rooting for him and he’s always in our thoughts, and he’s got this? He’s a strong guy, isn’t he? Diluc and Kaeya must’ve gotten it from somewhere :)]

 

Heh… Maybe, if he gets the opportunity to. And he supposes it’s worth trying to reunite the brothers through the power of family, but Jean may just as well have already been doing her best to do that. Aether coos fondly at his phone nonetheless, and expresses his undying gratitude in a way he hopes will make Xiao pull that adorable stutter-face of his.

The homework lies forgotten as the boys talk about happier things, and Aether arches all the way out of his chair to read into every little heart Xiao sends. He wishes there was a way to tell if he’s just sending them because they’re that close, or because there’s more to it.

As much as Aether wants them to be more than friends and his spoony, smitten mind takes everything sweet as a damn near confession, his logical, anxious mind keeps explaining everything away like it’s a professional sport: Xiao sends a heart? Well, friends do that! Xiao calls him “darling”? Well, they’ve known each other for years, it was probably about time they advanced to the next level of cringy nicknames! Xiao says “love u” before he goes to bed? Well, friends love each other!

Xiao says “gods how I wish I was in those sheets with you right now”, or “I’m freezing, I need you here”, or “oh no way, we’re going all the way next summer, we’re making out as soon as I see you”? Well—okay, like, well—

Aether’s face is already getting hot thinking about it, and he really, genuinely thought he had some solid backup for his desperate desire for more there.

But then he found out that Lumine, Amber, Jean and Sucrose talk to each other like that in their girl group chat all the time! A day where Lumine doesn’t tell one of her friends “gods babe, you’re so gorgeous, wedding when?” is a day they simply haven’t talked enough.

Just gals bein’ pals, apparently. So now, he can only think that whatever the hell is going on in his chat with Xiao could also be just guys bein’ dudes…

 

[00:40
Kitty🐱: Ughh I really wish I could get some food right now, but if I go downstairs and run into my father, I think I will honestly just kill myself lol

00:41
Me: NOOOO DON’T KILL YOURSELF!!!!

00:41
Me: WITHOUT ME!!!!!!!!

00:41
Kitty 🐱: LMFAO

00:42
Me: Want me to get you a snack??

00:42
Kitty🐱: Yeah sure, just toss it into my mouth

00:43
Me: Will do!!!!

00:43
Kitty🐱: Thanks darling

00:43
Kitty🐱: You know, you’re kind of a snack yourself. Wouldn’t mind having you in my mouth

00:44
Me: That’s GAY

00:44
Kitty🐱: Your mom’s gay 💀]

 

Aether stares at his screen, thinking for a moment. Smirking mischievously, his fingers fly over the screen with a clear goal in mind.

 

[00:50
Me: Alright then, I’ll come over and we’ll see how much you can take <3

00:51
Kitty🐱: All of it if you let me ;)

00:51
Me: HHFHGUH]

 

So… that backfired.

 

[00:51
Me: HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT

00:52
Kitty🐱: I GET BORED SOMETIMES

00:52
Me: WHAT. you CANNOT be for real 😭😭

00:52
Kitty🐱: 🙂

00:53
Me: Idiot 😭 What happened to HOLDING HANDS?????

00:53
Kitty🐱:  You already know yours will always fit in mine ♥️

00:54
Me: Hehe c:

00:54
Me: HOLD ON you’re not getting away with this so easily, Xiao Longwang!!!!!! BFFR WHAT DJD YOU DO 😭😭

00:55
Kitty🐱: 🙂

00:56
Kitty🐱: Hey bun, look

00:59
Me: ?? I’m looking. did you die

01:03
Kitty🐱: *open image*]

 

Pfft, sure took his sweet time with that one. Aether giggles and taps the picture, and—

The blonde nearly flies into cardiac arrest on the spot. He immediately slaps his hand over his screen. Dear gods. A pool of heat spreads from cheek to cheek, like a marigold blooming in spring, as he whips his head around to make sure nobody is secretly in the room with him right now.

No fucking way. No way. Nuh-uh. No way!

He swallows through a throat more dried up than the fucking Desert of Hadramaveth, and slowly peels his hand off the screen. Automatically, his toes curl into the wooden floorboard in delight. No way, no way, no way…

It’s, well, it sure as hell is a picture of Xiao. His face is only half on it, though; just his jaw, his mouth curving, with his teeth holding onto the fabric of a flattering black tank top. The lighting is weird—very blue, somehow. The LED strips, it’s got to be those.

His stomach is on display, and half his chest too, the super ugly cat plushie Aether once made for him peeking playfully into the frame. And while one hand is clearly holding up the phone to take the picture, the other… Aether stares, utterly entranced, at the fingers the dark-haired boy has hooked into his shorts, pulling them ever so slightly down over his hip.

Aether has seen his stomach before, obviously! Countless times, on hot days, and he isn’t the only one who did. But… but this is different. This feels special, this is just for him. This meant for only his very own eyes, and his heart leaps up into pink clouds in excitement.

What should I do?, he thinks, and suddenly, he is stressing out big time. Is this a sign? Are we… is he… does he like me, after all? What do I do?

He should reciprocate! If he wants Xiao to know he feels the same, he should send something too—right? Maybe take it a little further, make it a little spicier, so Xiao cannot possibly mistake it for anything else? Agh!

Aether must’ve taken too long to make up his mind, because Xiao texts again.

 

[01:06
Kitty🐱: What do you think, should I get a tattoo here? Father would hate it but Dad would think it's pretty cool, so idk, it’s kinda just up there]

 

.. Are you fucking kidding me?!

Aether promptly drops his forehead onto his desk. He feels immensely embarrassed: he was so close to sending something even more out there in return, something even more revealing, and now it turns out Xiao may as well have sent that same picture to Shenhe!

 

[01:08
Me: Whoaaa that’d be so cool, you should totally do that when you can!!!!

01:09
Kitty🐱: Heh, I knew you’d like it. Maybe one day!]

 

Aether is reeling. His heart is pounding so hard within the confinements of his chest that it may break his ribs with its vigor, and he feels like his body has caught fire. He smacks his dry lips and continues to stare at the picture like it’s a tantalizing forbidden fruit, just barely out of reach, trying its darndest to lure him in for a bite nonetheless.

The whiplash of it all sends his mind spiraling into all the best thoughts in the world, from holding hands to kissing under the stars to laying there together doing so much more, mingling with the shock of what he was seriously about to do and shame over wanting it so fucking bad to begin with.

Damn it, Xiao. Please give him a proper sign already.

 

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

Meanwhile, a thousand kilometers away, Xiao buries his flushed face into his pillow in a hysteric fit of nervous, giddy, tired, adrenaline-filled cackling, wondering what on Teyvat he was thinking. Luckily he thought up a way to save face just in time, before Aether could call him gross! Hopefully he isn’t too upset with him.

Maybe he thought it was hot, though, a meek little voice whispers in his mind.

Xiao firmly shakes his head. Nope! Shut up, never think again, you miserable, lovedrunk wretch! You horny, degenerate loser! Goodnight forever!

Notes:

Do you ever read back on the stuff you said when you were 15 that you thought was peak rizz and cringe your entire spinal cord into the atmosphere? That’s gonna be these two in a couple of years🧍
They continue being oblivious despite everything <3 Though I do suppose it gets a little more difficult when you think you’ve finally got a lead, and then you figure out what girl friendships are like… /j

I am so sorry for the incredibly long wait. Been stuck in a series of unfortunate events, and the burnout got me 💔 Right now I'm essentially in full survival mode...
But! The new chapter is here at last :> We're entering what I think may just be my favorite "act" to write to date... And something orange is coming... >:)
Thank you so much for being patient with me! I will do my best to make it so the wait for the next chapter won't be as long as this one. I also super appreciate all the comments you guys have left in the meantime, and I will try to get to them still! At the very least to the ones asking questions. Y'all are so sweet,,
Until next time! 🥺♡

Chapter 35

Summer, Year 8

Spring comes to an end, and with it, so does what was left of Aether’s academic confidence. He swears the teachers left all the most difficult tests for the end of the year, because this is getting ridiculous! The last thing he wants is to be held back a year and risk everything going to shit again once he’s all by himself, and the prospect of it is enough to instill the fear of Barbatos in him.

But Xiao seems willing to do whatever it takes to see him thrive: as soon as he hears Aether is genuinely scared, he demands that they video call every night to have their study sessions together. They can “help each other out” that way.

Although Aether is a little skeptical because he’s convinced there’s no way the two of them will actually study, he still agrees.

Listen, hanging out is hanging out!

Xiao takes it seriously, however; he really wants him to do well, and helps in any way he can. They still have fun, but manage not to distract each other from the task at hand, and Aether catches himself enjoying every moment of something he normally fucking dreads. They’re studying together, and they can see each other while doing it—as if they’re classmates, with the same work and the same stress about it. Sharing their space, instead of being so far apart.

Luckily, he actually procures results, too. That is to say, a 7/10 is still better than a 5/10, so he’ll take it. As long as he isn’t failing, he’s succeeding! Right?

It may not be smooth sailing just yet, but he can rest easy about passing the year, whilst longing for what the summer will bring.

 

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

In the last two weeks of school, the older teens come with big news.

“Transfer student?” Lumine asks.

“Yes,” Jean says, deftly placing her sandwich down. The group has assembled at one of the corner lunch tables in the school cafeteria: Lumine, Kaeya, Diluc, Jean, Venti (!), Rosaria, they’re all here. Diluc and Kaeya sit on opposite ends of the table, and the younger Ragnvindr brother only talks to Rosaria—and to Aether, when he’s paying attention.

He’s sitting with them today, not wanting to cram the final bits of work into his well-deserved lunch break this time. There’s no point in going the extra mile when school is about to end anyway.

“Lame,” Kaeya sighs, stretching his legs one by one. “He’s got horrible taste, has he even looked at this sorry excuse of a school?”

“You’re here. What does that say about you, then?”

“Shut up, Rosa. Anyway, what’s he here for?”

“As I’ve understood, he has come to make our acquaintance today, but he will be joining our class starting next year,” Jean replies without missing a beat. “A sensible decision, it would hardly be efficient to throw a new student into the pit in the last two weeks of the year. I reckon he’ll be roaming the school to get familiar with the building.”

“What’s he like?” Rosaria asks monotonously, peering past Diluc.

“I, er, don’t know him personally, but he took his introduction seriously, so I expect great things from him.”

“He’s filthy rich, and from Snezhnaya,” Venti chimes in, grinning. He gently bobs his head along with the music playing in the one earbud he’s wearing, his dark, braided hair bouncing. “Told me so himself!”

“Oh. I doubt he would want to hang out with us commonfolk then.”

“What? Nonsense, I’m such fun~ I bet I can charm him with a song, maybe he’ll even become our friend. The more, the merrier, don’t you think? Obviously it’s up to him, but we can give it a go.”

Aether listens to their bickering and shrugs. Meh, if the transfer student will be in Jean’s and Venti’s class, he’ll be about two years older than him too, and the chance he’d run into the guy will be abysmal. So, this is not his problem.

Besides, filthy rich? He shivers; the only nice rich guy he’s ever met is Xiao. And from Snezhnaya, to boot? Er… well, to be fair, Aether hasn’t actually ever met someone from there, and even though frequent rumors don’t do the nation many favors, he doesn’t want to assume the worst from someone he hasn’t met based on hearsay about their home!

.. But on account of the guy being that rich, he would still really rather avoid him.

The break ends, and the group parts ways. Aether has a free period, along with Lumine and Rosaria, and he smiles Diluc goodbye before quickly making his way to his locker.

 Can’t let Kaeya see that he’s being cool with his brother, even though they’ve literally always been, lest he hurt either of their feelings.

Aether wishes they’d make up already, but… he knows that’s not for him to decide. He meanders around groups of fellow students, trying not to breathe too much through the miasma of deodorant, perfume, sweat and school canteen chicken sandwiches that hangs thickly in the air, and finds his locker. 

The fourteen year old jams a generous collection of loose papers inside, joining an even more generous collection of loose papers. As the amount of people in the hallways dwindles to the usual numbers during classes, he whips out his phone.

 

[12:00
Me: FINALLY LUNCH BREAK baby please get over here, I am dying, help me 😭😭😭]

That was just a bit of theatrics to lure Xiao over faster, but unfortunately he hasn’t read it yet at all. It’s been an hour. Furrowing his eyebrows, his heart ruffling in his chest, Aether’s thumb types up a message stating he misses him and his little heart will shatter into a thousand pieces if he doesn’t give him attention right this instant, while his other hand maneuvers his books into his locker. With puffed cheeks, he sends the message.

Deep down, he wonders what Xiao’s face would look like; annoyed at the pushing, or maybe flustered that Aether would miss him that much? Red all the way to the tips of his ears, so pretty when he frowns… hehe.

“Girlfriend problems?” a casual, low-pitched voice with hints of a strange accent asks, right behind him.

“I fucking wish,” Aether sighs, still balancing books, lost in his rosy pink thoughts.

.. Wait—

“—AAA—?!” He whirls around, slamming his temple into the locker door with such force that he sees stars. “Ouch—!” His big, copper eyes furiously blink tears away, and, like a deer caught in headlights, he jerks upright.

A boy stands before him, at least half a head taller than him and most certainly about two years older. He has eyes as blue as sapphires, and his tousled hair is bright orange, like a lively flame on a pit; adding in his sharp jawline, he looks shockingly handsome. A toothy grin slowly spreads across his pale, freckled cheeks, and a mischievous glint shimmers within that gemstone gaze.

Aether swallows, rubbing the sore side of his head. The boy is wearing very high-end, luxury brand clothes, from his super expensive-looking, stylish jacket to his polished leather sneakers. Yet, he’s carrying himself with an air of nonchalance that promises he is capable of causing problems if so desired. The combination sends a beat of nerves up Aether’s throat.

Uh-oh.

“You wish?” The tell-tale tone of trouble rests in the boy’s elated voice, and he shrugs his shoulders, a prominent collarbone peeking over his blouse. The accent he speaks with, Aether now realizes, has got to be Snezhnayan. “You just send such a desperate little text to some random girl outta nowhere? How tacky, comrade!”

Yep. Rich and Snezhnayan. Oh, fuck me and my luck, Aether thinks, closing his locker.

“N-no, uh, he’s my friend,” he says, not wanting to give the wrong impression. “My best friend in fact, and—”

“Ah, he, I see. Mhm, mhm, and you wish there was more to it?”

“.. Uh, w-well, yeah, but—”

“And it’s advancing pretty slowly, yeah, a little too much so?”

“Yes? Wait, no. I don’t know, maybe, but, hold on—”

Abruptly, the boy slams his hand into the lockers and leans over. The metallic ring hurts Aether’s ears, and he shrinks in on himself in fright.

“Well well, sounds to me like you’ve gotta work on your game then!” the other says with mirth, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “Dontcha worry about a thing, comrade, let me give you a hand and you’ll have him right where you want him in no time.”

What the hell is going on?! Aether feels like he’s under fire, getting bombarded by a confusing mixture of genuine kindness and somewhat threatening familiarity, bordering intrusion.

“How about you tell me a little more about him first? I’ll need to know what I’m working with.” The boy nudges him amicably.

“I really don’t—”

“Come on, don’t be a stranger.”

But you literally are a stranger! “I just want to—”

“Are you always this difficult?”

“S-sorry, but,” the blonde then says, at wit’s end, “who even are you, dude?”

The boy’s gaze darkens, and Aether fears he may have messed up there. If anything, he sincerely wishes that unsettling smile would have faded with the joy in his eyes, too.

“.. Whoa there,” the ginger-haired teenager says, his eyebrows climbing higher into his forehead. “Feisty. Pretty sure all I did was chat you up. What are you pulling an attitude out of your ass for, huh, cute little thing?”

“What’s your… your name, I mean?” Aether quickly stutters.

“No no, comrade, don’t go singing a different tune now. Call me Ajax. Tell me,” the boy, Ajax, speaks in a much lower voice that, although it hasn’t lost the cheer, has gained a somewhat dangerous edge, “are you being rude on purpose, or are you just trying to piss me off? Thought we’d be friends, you and I.”

Aether backs away under the pressure of the taller, older guy leaning all the way into his personal space, clutching his hands to his chest. He swallows, taking in that wolfish leer nervously. Shit, that can’t be good.

“What’s your name?”

“Aether.”

“You really oughta cut the poor new kid some slack, Aether. How about we take it from the top and try again?” Ajax cocks his head to the side, as if in warning, and wraps his arm around Aether’s shoulders with the force of a bear trap shutting down. “With a little more feeling this time.”

Aether clams up like an oyster, trying to save face by looking unbothered.

Great! So the transfer student is a dick, and of course he has it out for him. He grits his teeth. Gods, please don’t tell him he actually saved up an entire year of finally not getting bullied, just for this to happen at the very last minute!

“Ooo, you’re getting annoyed,” Ajax says, intrigued. “That’s so cute, you’re so cute . Think you’d get away with punching me?”

And get into even deeper shit? As if! Why does he sound like he isn’t even discouraging it?! Ugh, and of course, the one time Aether actually wishes to run into a teacher in his free period, nobody is stalking the hallways either.

“Um, see,” he tries, not sure how else to get out of this other than by talking it right enough and hoping for the best next year, “I-I’m sure you’re a great guy, but I actually need to go, so, er, maybe we can hang out… later?”

Ajax looks like he just unwrapped the best fucking present he has ever received, and Aether regrets not dutifully keeping his mouth shut.

Horrible memories of lonely breaks hiding away in classrooms, countless sleepless nights, and not even Lumine being able to do anything, plague his mind. Please no, please no, please no… damn it. I don’t want to be bullied, I don’t want it to be bad all over again. Please, please leave me alone.

For a moment, he feels genuine fear.

“Hey, lighthouse. Leave my brother alone.”

Aether nearly sinks through the floor; he must have taken too long to show up outside, because Lumine has appeared in the hallway, leaning against the lockers with a deep crease in her forehead. He frantically mouths at her that he’s got everything under control, not wanting her to catch the brunt of the bullying for his sake too.

She just rolls her copper eyes, though.

Okay, yeah, Aether supposes he could have gone with a less obvious lie.

Ajax looks surprised for a moment, but he quickly connects the dots. “Huh, that is adorable, you two look perfectly alike!” He shakes Aether back and forth, his motivations ever unclear. “Haha, no worries, girlie; we’re just on our way to becoming best friends. Right, Aether?”

“Uh,” Aether says intelligently.

“See? So why don’t you turn around and leave us be.”

“Dude, trust me when I say Aether does not act like that when he wants to be your friend,” Lumine says, and she peels herself off the steel lockers. “Anyway, you better leave him be or you’ll be answering to me.”

“Aw man, I’m truly, positively terrified. What were you gonna do, huh, messy little girl scout? What is up with you guys’ clothes, seriously.”

Yeah, it’s going to be elementary school all over again. Defeated, Aether wishes he had never entertained this guy at all.

“I’ll flip you, loser,” Lumine jeers with a confident grin on her face, crossing her arms. She makes sure Ajax can see how torn and ratty her navy blue jeans are extra well when she takes a step forward. “Looks to me like you’re just another insecure rich boy with a mouth bigger than the tool in his pants, I bet I could bench press you with one hand.”

Aether has to suppress an antsy laugh.

“ Oh? Now, that is something I would very much like to see.” Ajax energetically rakes his free hand through his hair, his smirk nothing short of excited. “Go ahead. Give it a try.”

“Aren’t you eager! Lemme think… I do want something in return for my efforts, if I’m gonna punt you into the sun anyway. Alright, wanna put your money where your mouth is while you’re at it? I’ll strike a deal if you do.”

“More than you’ve ever seen in your life, by the looks of it.”

“Great! Get your ass down to the courtyard then. I get a hundred mora if I can slam dunk your face into the floor, and I guess you get to bully Aether if I can’t.”

“Uh… Meen—” Aether really does not like the sound of that.

“Trust me, bro-bro. I’ve got this.”

Of course she does, but—see, Aether is just not comfortable with the way this Ajax-guy seems to be itching for that fight. He only realizes it now that he’s an observer: the guy was trying to rile him up before, wasn’t he? That force behind his actions, the sense of danger lurking around the corner…

But instead of Aether, it’s Lumine who gives him what he wants.

The three travel down to the courtyard. Aether scuttles after Lumine, mumbling back and forth with her, but she’s adamant on seeing this done; if not for Aether’s honor, then because she really wants the satisfaction of prying a hundred mora out of a rich kid’s sorry hands.

Aether tries not to pay mind to Ajax’s presence behind them too much. “Meen, how are you even gonna do this without getting in trouble?” he whispers urgently. “If the teachers catch you fighting, you’ll get suspended! Remember when Diluc did it and got banned from the school grounds for a week or two?”

“Hm…” Lumine ponders it for a moment. “Then I guess my summer just starts earlier than yours. Sucks to be you, heh.”

Huh—no way! “What if you get hurt?”

“I won’t! What’s he gonna do, city slap me? I’ll just farmland flatline him then.”

“That’s mega cringe,” Aether mutters dejectedly.

“You’re mega cringe. Anyway, lighthouse! We’re here.”

She and Rosaria have installed themselves on a wooden picnic table in the greener area of the school courtyard. It’s hardly secluded, and Aether nervously eyes a window that is sure to offer a view on what’s happening down below if someone were to look outside.

Rosaria is sitting on the table, using her coat as a cushion. She looks up from fixing her pitch black eyeliner when the trio approaches. Her dark purple, messy, short hair falls in her face, covering one of her pale brown eyes that she just worked so hard on.

“Who’s that?” she asks, pointing her chin at Ajax.

“Oh, no one, just some dude I’m gonna beat up,” Lumine shrugs, and Ajax barks out an amused laugh.

Aether tries one more time to talk his sister out of it, but remains unsuccessful. Ugh, great! He twiddles his thumbs and flops down beside Rosaria when Lumine and Ajax get ready. Both Ajax’s oversized jacket and Lumine’s old cardigan are discarded on the picnic benches.

Ajax stretches his arms above his head. “So, girlie, what are we doing exactly?” he asks lightly, cracking his neck left and right. “I’m open for anything, really. But I take it you wouldn’t want to go too far, lest there be nasty consequences in it for ya, so how about some arm wrestli—whoa, shit!”

Aether and Rosaria jump to their feet when Lumine straight up bull charges the guy in the gut.

“Nope, you’re eating concrete for bullying my brother,” she huffs, wrapping her arms around the sixteen year old’s waist as she tries to shove him, a whole head taller than her, into the ground. “First idiot to touch their entire back against the floor, loses!”

“You got it, toots!” Ajax is lost in the confusion for a moment, but quickly returns the favor by shoving Lumine face-first against his thigh. It would’ve been the cold, gray stone if she hadn’t changed the trajectory by gripping onto his arm, as if mercy was never even an option. 

He looks immensely pleased, the twinkle in his eyes giving his expression something wild.

They struggle for a moment, each trying to find solid grip on the other. Lumine shouts something jabby at Ajax when they both manage to get back up on their knees, and he responds with a solemn: “Like hell I’m just giving it to you like that, little barnyard bitch!”

Anger bubbles up in Aether’s chest, rapidly rising to his throat. “You say that to her again and you’re getting my fist down your throat too!” he snaps in a moment of sibling-solidarity-induced bravery, taking a firm step forward.

Ajax stares at him, pleasantly surprised, but doesn’t get to respond before Lumine leaps onto his back, locking her elbow around his neck. He almost throws her off, and for a moment, Aether worries someone is going to end up in tears with an actual broken bone or two. And by all seven archons, if it’s Lumine, Ajax had better count his fucking days!

They tussle and roll around on the concrete ground, a confusing, grunting knot of limbs emanating strings of cusses both in awe and disdain, wrestling with purpose. It’s clear that although Lumine has heart and certainly does not lack skill, the ever ecstatic Ajax is just bigger and stronger than her by design, and Aether nervously bites his lip.

“Should we break them up?” Rosaria mumbles beside him. She has pulled out her phone, snapping a few quick pictures. “Before someone actually sees? I didn’t think it’d get this heated.”

“I-I don’t know,” Aether says earnestly. He’s still ready to break Ajax’s nose if necessary, but Lumine seems really insistent on winning this fight and may as well do just that to him instead if he were to jump in.

Both teenagers are beginning to tire, but in Lumine, it’s a little more noticeable. Aether holds his breath when she takes Ajax into another headlock… but then, he notices that Ajax is sinking through his knees. His joyous grin splits his face in half as he wraps his arms around Lumine’s waist, and Aether is sure the bastard could’ve thrown his sister then and there, costing her the win.

Instead, he allows her to work him to the ground.

Huh?

Aether is actually sincerely taken aback when Ajax falls flat on his back on the concrete, still in Lumine’s headlock, and throws his arms up in defeat. “Alright, alright, you got me! Get off of me, damn!”

Panting, Lumine only does as he says when he actually taps her arm like they do in professional wrestling matches. She points a triumphant finger at him. “Ha! Get—whew—get bent, loser!” She turns around as Ajax climbs to his feet, slumping toward Aether and Rosaria.

Aether quickly welcomes her, glaring at Ajax over her shoulder. The other is smirking, swiping his slightly damp bangs out of his face.

What just happened there..? He could have definitely won that, what is he playing at?

“Alright, well, so you don’t get to bully Aether anymore,” Lumine says loudly, accepting the sleek, burgundy water bottle Rosaria is offering her. Her arms are all scratched up and bruised, but she’s playing it off. “And you owe me money.”

“Heh, guess a deal’s a deal. Here ya go, girlie.” Ajax pats the gravel off his pants and casually pulls a one hundred mora bill out of his phone case, under the flabbergasted gazes and dropped jaws of Aether and Rosaria. He shoves it into Lumine’s eager hands like it’s mere pocket change. “You’ve earned it. Let’s do that again sometime, yeah?”

“Okay, but next time you’re paying me two hundred.”

“Three hundred and I get to destroy you.”

“Sure tiger, keep dreaming!”

Aether can’t help but feel like Ajax let her win. Not out of malicious intent, though: he seems impressed by her guts, almost verbally commending her for simply coming straight for his throat like it was just another Thursday for her when he was still sure they’d do some boring arm wrestling at best. He must have given her bragging rights out of respect.

And now… the way he bumps against her looks, dare Aether think it, nice.

Lumine perks up next to Rosaria, fully abusing the bragging rights by calling Ajax all sorts of names that he diligently accepts, and he firmly wraps his arms around the two girls’ shoulders, inviting them for a snack run to The Good Hunter once they’re out of school.

“You can come too, pet!” he calls to Aether, who purses his lips. “You’ll get a nice little treat for being so feisty, how about it?”

Hmph… maybe he’s not so bad, after all?

 

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

So… Ajax is not bad, per se. He is very, very strange, however: his kindness is genuine, and he’s amicable and generous, very easy to befriend, much to Venti’s delight—but Aether feels like he’s consistently trying to push people’s buttons to get a rise out of them anyway.

He manages to track down the group after school at his leisure, claiming he has literally nothing to do other than scout out his new home city and the drab old school he’ll be attending next year. In the same breath he offers to buy everyone ridiculously expensive gifts as a “token of their friendship”, though, he intentionally wastes every drop of Diluc’s patience.

Aether hopes he’s not actually trying to convince the redhead to fight. Every time someone points it out, Ajax claims it to be playful bullying and nothing more, but… eh.

It’s super annoying anyhow, he keeps getting up Aether’s ass too and even tries it with Jean!

His charisma knows no bounds. Though he is not always around, when he does infiltrate the group, it’s like he’s meant to be there—and when he doesn’t, he looks perfectly fit to be on his own. Thanks to his little tiff with Lumine, he already knows where to get his fill of quips back and forth too, and she is indeed a great match to him: neither backs down, neither yields, and both end up with a bruise or two and grinning like idiots before Ajax treats her to yet another iced coffee that’s just a little more expensive than what he gets the others.

All it takes is a distant: “Hey, girlie!”, and Lumine is seated and ready, pink in the cheeks, smiling from ear to ear.

And Aether can only watch in horror as, slowly but surely, his precious sister develops an obvious crush on that orange-haired menace. He’s so sure she could have literally anyone she wanted if she set her mind to it: she’s pretty, she’s got a personality worth thousands, she’s more effortlessly social than Aether could ever hope to be and fits in anywhere she wants while unapologetically being herself…

But nope. Ajax has got her wound around his finger, even if he doesn’t know it yet, and Aether can only make her promise she’ll be careful.

At least, the blonde teenager tells himself as he peeks over Lumine’s shoulder on the last bus ride of the year, she seems really happy.

She’s giddily texting her girl-friends about her crush for the millionth time, and now they’re all yelling at each other about their respective crushes, if they have one. (Except Rosaria, who only just kind of calls men trash, “respectfully”.) She’s radiating joy.

That’s what matters, in the end! Who knows, maybe Ajax has a good side worthy of Lumine as his girlfriend, maybe, possibly, and Aether just hasn’t seen it yet. Slimy bastard, hmph…

Notes:

He's here and he's gonna make it everyone's problem, “hey girlie” guy taken in with the “bruh” girl, more at 10 ‼️/j

GOSH I'm so excited for this arc, I don't know why these chapters gave me so much joy to write but it's still one of my faves to date... Long since advanced two more in my actual fic document, but 🥹
In fact, since you guys have been so patient dealing with my absence, I am going to pull a funny... Gimme another hour... /lh

Chapter 36

The old, rose gold Range Rover speeds over the bumpy highway roads of Mondstadt’s peaceful countryside. Small fir tree forests, patchworks of fields that alternate between lush, green grass and dull wheat, and steep, rocky hills pass them by. The sun is setting on the horizon, painting the sky a myriad of oranges, pinks, and purples.

Xiao has his head propped up on a hand as he gazes outside, picking out the landmarks he recognizes: a run-down windmill that hasn’t been used in years, a big livestock farm in the actual middle of nowhere to such an extent that the boy wonders how one even were to access it, a rock that resembles a hunchbacked elderly woman. The car soars over another bump in the road, on the rhythm of his music. They’ll reach Starfell in an hour at most, and he’s excited for it despite the lack of Shenhe currently on the backseat with him.

Instead, he feels Keqing’s face drop against his shoulder—again. She must’ve conked out. Again. Rolling his eyes with thinly veiled irritation, Xiao turns his head. Indeed; the thirteen year old girl, whose long, light hair that, when it catches the light just right, looks to be a faint lilac, is drooling on his black and gold blouse.

Great.

He takes out one earbud, and is greeted by… silence. The radio plays Liyueren ballads on a low volume, but Zhongli is watching a movie on his phone with his own earbuds in, completely tuned out. Retuo only has eyes for the road. It feels like Xiao would be committing a crime if he were to cause a ruckus, even if all he does is release a heavy breath.

Ugh. Guess he’ll just let her sleep then, whatever.

Right as he wants to resign himself to his fate, he catches Ganyu frantically waving her hand at him from her seat. She pulls out all the pantomime she can think of to relay to him that she would be eternally grateful and do anything he asks (okay, perhaps not exactly that) if he could just give Keqing the teeniest, tiniest nudge that would magically transfer the girl from his shoulder to hers. Completely foolproof and inconspicuous, of course.

He pulls a face at her.

She shoots him pleading puppy eyes, shaking her entangled hands. “Pwease pwease pwease pwease,” her lips soundlessly mouth at him.

Fine then! But just so she’ll owe him.

When Keqing is snoring good and well on Ganyu’s shoulder, the latter being over the moon about it, Xiao scoffs and turns back to watch the road pass him by. The former abundance of street lights is thinning out: soon, he’ll see the first portion of the dense Starfell forest, and the first old, charming houses of Starfell itself.

By the time the car finally stops on the premises of the Longwang summer cottage, everyone it transports is groggy. In order not to tick one another off, they speak very little. Nighttime has fallen, and the long, quiet travel has worn them all down to their bones, so the unpacking will be stalled until tomorrow morning.

They arrive to find a battered note taped to their front door. It’s illuminated by their sun-powered porch lantern, and must have sat there for at least a day or two.

 

Welcome back, you guys! We’ve had a rough year here, so we jumped in to tend to your garden in the hours your gardener wasn’t there. Hope you don’t mind. Every plant made it through! :)

- Travis & Wanda 

 

The flower doodle they added to their names is a little ugly, but it was a valiant attempt.

“Oh, how kind of them,” Zhongli says, only his heavy eyelids betraying his exhaustion. “Look, my love. Perhaps we could compensate them for their work somehow, we’ve got quite some square meters they’ve had to cover.”

“Huh, who are they?” Keqing murmurs, leaning heavily on Ganyu. Her face is bleary.

“You’ll meet them tomorrow,” Ganyu promises.

Retuo doesn’t respond to Zhongli, but seems pleased enough to not make that anyone’s problem tonight. Just in time, Xiao stops himself from clicking his tongue in annoyance at the display, hoisting his black and teal sports bag over his shoulder, and he tries to remain hidden in the shadows whilst Retuo unlocks the place.

It’s dusty in the summer cottage, which makes sense. Another problem for tomorrow. Ganyu kicks her shoes off, eager to take Keqing to the first floor. Xiao expects that the guest bedroom will remain unoccupied for yet another year.

Retuo finally had spare keys made, and he solemnly hands one to Ganyu. The girl is hardly paying attention to his speech highlighting how he trusts her to be responsible and how careful she will need to be with it, too excited to show her best friend in the entire world her summer home bedroom “for real”, but he doesn’t reprimand her for it.

Xiao lets it be. He takes off his black brand boots and stalls them in the corner, and hangs his fashionably oversized sports jacket by the coats his parents left behind last year.

He hadn’t expected to receive a key at all, but he gets his from Zhongli. It is actually Zhongli’s own key, he recognizes the little earth dragon keychain dangling from it.

“Take good care of it, little bird,” the brunette speaks sweetly.

Smiling, Xiao slips the key into the pocket of his jacket. “Thanks, Dad. Night.” He’s too tired to overthink it right now, wanting nothing more than to dip out of life for a couple of hours.

When he throws his bedroom door wide open, he’s greeted by darkness. It stems not just from the night, but his black walls and sleek, dark, recently replaced furniture heavily contribute to it as well. The familiar feel of it pulls a sigh of comfort from him and, utterly spent from sitting on his ass in the exact same position for approximately thirteen hours, he flops down on his bed. Dust particles flutter around him, but he cannot be bothered to pat everything down right now.

Ahh… it’s so good to be back. Nestling deeper into a sense of safety, Xiao curls into a ball and sinks into a dreamless sleep.

 

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The sun is shining high up in the cloudless sky, and Xiao watches the dark teal bus to the train station pass him by, creaking with age as it rounds the corner. It’s Saturday, so that ought to be the only one he will see for the following four hours—or at all, if he plans his day just right. He sits perched atop the slanted roof that offers shade to the porch, chewing on a cold rice bun.

He crawled out through one of his bedroom windows, and his door is open to air out the musty, dusty smell the room has accumulated over the year, so he hears Ganyu and Keqing shrieking with laughter and yapping back and forth downstairs. Sighing forlornly, he shrugs his black jacket off his shoulders.

He wishes Shenhe could’ve come; it’s only the first day—hell, it isn’t even noon yet!—and these two are already more annoying than they’ve ever been before. Shenhe might not even have liked it here, but at least they could’ve complained about the younger girls together.

Xiao pulls up one knee and gazes out over the kilometers of wheat fields and high grass, finding the familiar farm house in the distance, and he begins to space out: he could’ve introduced her to Aether.

They seem as though they wouldn’t mesh, but honestly? So do Aether and Diluc… and if you had no context at all, Xiao and him hardly look like they would be as close as they are. So Xiao wistfully chooses to believe they’d get along splendidly, and lets his imagination take him through what-ifs and could-bes until a dot in the distance pulls him out of his thoughts. It’s a rapidly growing one, running down the dirt road like the wolves are hot on its tail.

The dot quickly becomes a proper teenage boy, beaming up at him with a grin so bright it could rival the sun on this first summer day. Xiao’s heart skips a beat.

“Hey kitty!” Aether shouts from across the road, waving with enthusiasm. An obvious drop in octaves rests in his voice, the subtly growing bass carrying it further than it has ever reached before. “When did you guys get here?!”

He’s got his wicker basket with him, and his russet brown, jean-fabric shorts are all tattered at the bottom; his knees are battered and bruised, and Xiao can only wonder how on Teyvat he achieved that. He chuckles under his breath, pulling up his shoulders as he slides off the roof.

“Hi bunny!” he shouts back, landing elegantly on the porch, as though this cost him no effort at all. He calmly brushes some loose strands of dark hair out of his face. “Yesterday evening! I would’ve called, but alas, I made the mistake of lying down in bed and—yeah.”

Aether laughs and wildly gestures for him to come over.

Oh, he is so cute. His eyes fit better in his face, and his voice has, indeed, dropped a little. His messy blonde hair has grown to his upper back, and by the looks of it, he has tied it into a low ponytail. He’s grown taller, as well—but not as much as Xiao this time.

Xiao spots the lean muscles of farm labor peeking from underneath the sleeves of the washed out, checkered yellow-and-white vest Xiao sent him for his twelfth birthday, rolled up to sit around his elbows. It’s no longer oversized on him.

When he smiles, it sets Xiao’s heart ablaze. He hastily fixes his jacket, and leaps in for the first hug of the summer.

Aether squeezes him tightly, burying his nose in the nape of his neck. “Lazy ass,” he says. “You should’ve called me the second you stepped out of the car. Or no, the second you drove into Starfell! I would’ve scaled your window.”

“Sure you would,” Xiao says with a smirk, running his slender hand up into the fourteen year old’s silken hair as he holds him close. “At midnight? Don’t get cocky. I bet you were already sound asleep before we even got to Starfell, snug as a bug in a rug.”

“No I wasn’t, I would’ve come so fast you’d actually fear my speed again! Ugh, and you’re taller than me too? Cringe. Come grocery shopping with me to make it up to me.”

“Huh, absolutely not.”

“Aw, come on, it’ll be fun!”

“No it won’t.” Xiao gasps when Aether lifts him off the ground, struggling through carrying him about a meter away before he manages to wiggle free. “Nooo, please don’t make me do chores on my literal first day—!”

“Suck it up, loser, we’re going and you’re gonna like it!”

They giggle, catching each other’s gaze. Gold clashes with copper in the late morning sun, and one could swear to see a spark zap back and forth. Xiao holds that contact for a second, and another, unsure whether to keep going or look away.

Yet, it does not feel awkward.

They both quickly avert their eyes in the end and clear their throats, but neither lose their smile.

“Let me grab my key,” Xiao says, his voice mellowed out. Deciding to be a little bolder yet, his hand brushes against Aether’s, before he playfully punches him in the shoulder. There is nothing new to the gesture itself, but… the intent behind it has a different load. “I finally got one, I suppose Dad will want me to use it.”

“O-oh, that’s awesome!” Aether stutters—just for a moment. “Then we can break in whenever, heh. And I won’t have to awkwardly stand outside with your father just kinda staring at me.”

“Eugh, anything to prevent that! Alright, bun, wait for me.”

Xiao hastily dashes inside to grab his key, feeling warm inside and out. He’s fairly certain he could conquer the world right now. Maybe this crush is not all bad!

Moments later, the teenagers are sauntering down the long country road, talking about this and that. Xiao watches as Aether swings his wicker basket back and forth, remembering when his hands were so small that he needed both to hold it upright.

That would be seven years ago.

They laugh over silly jokes, and Aether insists on racing him. Somehow, despite the array of gold medals Xiao has been raking in at his track competitions—he even got bronze for javelin throwing in the final match of the year—Aether sincerely does believe that it’ll only be a matter of time before he’s faster again. It’s sweet.

“You’re treating me to a muffin if I win,” Xiao says, removing his jacket with reserved nonchalance to reveal the sleeveless black top underneath. “And I will be getting the most expensive one, with almonds.”

Aether seems lost in a trance for a moment. “U-uhh, yeah, fine with me,” he quickly says with a casual shrug, and one would almost think him to be trying to one-up Xiao when he rolls his sleeves higher. Xiao’s throat goes a little dry. “You’re eating my ass if you lose, though.”

“Two delicacies to choose from? You won’t catch me complaining. Alright—one, two, three, go!” Laughing, Xiao bolts off, just barely catching Aether’s hopeless sputtering. Man, if only that flushed face was because of something more than embarrassment…

Could it be? No, surely not.

Even with his jacket flapping around his waist, Xiao is faster than Aether. His dash, carefully honed to perfection, is immensely difficult to conquer, and over the years, he has managed to teach himself to do more within the same sprint—though the second and third are notably shorter. But that really hardly matters when you’re already up ahead!

Aether groans, throwing his arms up in the air when he comes in second place. “Uuuugh, great—you win, I guess! Haha, fuck off.” He shoves Xiao’s hand away when he ruffles his hair.

“You can’t beat me anymore, bun. I’ve got the wind on my side now!”

They take a moment to catch their breaths, Xiao leaning back with his hands on his waist, and Aether doubling over, using his knees for support. He drops the basket by his feet.

“I like it when you call me that,” the blonde mumbles, heaving.

“Hm?”

“Bun. It’s sweet, I don’t know.”

O-oh…

With their stuff in tow, they continue. In the far distance, Xiao sees the outskirts of town; the cute little houses in pastel yellow and blue and pink, big gardens lush with plants. The hidden alleyways and meandering old streets, some cobbled and some made of cracked asphalt, and run-down fences and rusty street lights. Starfell seems ever frozen in time.

It’s a long walk, but it’s always worth it. Smiling, he turns back to Aether, and they each pull out their phones to take a picture like they are no better than a pair of tourists, and show each other the ones they never got around to sending.

He notices that in any picture Aether is properly visible in, he isn’t wearing his ever so polite church getup anymore… even in the ones that were obviously taken at his high school.

“My regular clothing style became cool, all of a sudden. It’s so weird.” Aether sighs when he’s asked, tucking his old vest into his ripped shorts. “I used to get bullied to hell and back for this and now people just call it a ‘grunge aesthetic’. I guess it’s fine since I can wear my comfortable clothes, but—man. Now the way I always felt as a little kid seems so pointless.”

His voice fades. “I was so relieved to finally have peace,” he mumbles, “but when I think of it, it’s infuriating.”

Oh, that sounds immensely relatable. Xiao groans; “Yeah, I get it. Apparently, the reason why Shenhe and I were picked on was because our parents are rich and it continues to stand out terribly, but now that we’ve both become hot and we’re rich, those exact same people are all over us.”

“Ah… are they?”

“Yeah. So embarrassing on their end, truly. And like you said,” Xiao kicks a small rock, “it’s infuriating. It makes everything feel as though it should have ended long ago.”

There is a short silence that tells both boys they are not alone in their anger, silly as it may seem. To the teenagers’ young minds, stuff like this is everything and more, after all, and not in a good way. They don’t need to ask each other permission, knowing they are safe in each other’s presence to rant like they have never done before—so they do.

Aether complains about the kids that don’t bat an eye, as well as those who compliment him, as well as those who still come for him until Diluc shoots them the evil eye from across the hallway. He rags on the church attire he’s been wearing for never actually doing him any good; why live years in discomfort for the sake of others, when it didn’t even matter in the end?

Xiao solemnly promises him that he will personally come to his school to beat the shit out of each individual who still makes Aether feel any less than he is. What are they gonna do, expel him?

On his turn, Xiao complains about the “friends” and, uh, suitors he has been having to dodge, especially the suitors, because those exact same kids never used to spare him a glance before. Some of them even used to alienate him at every opportunity they got. And Aether does laugh and call him lame, clueless, a no-game idiot… but a familiar arm hooks onto his shoulders.

“Let me at ‘em, I’ll make sure they’ll know they’ve already missed their chance,” he states, with an almost possessive edge to his grin.

Xiao is holding his breath when he steals a glance at him; maybe, after all..?

No. They’re just tearing into people, surely Aether couldn’t possibly…— but what if he is?

When they finally reach town, the groceries are quickly shoved aside. The boys scavenge Starfell for one Fontainian milkshake each, a paprika potato tornado to please Aether, and a sweet almond muffin to commemorate Xiao’s win. The arcade is willing to have them again, but in the years they have not been allowed inside, the teens have honestly lost their appetite for decades old video games and space-wasting prizes of abysmal quality.

Instead, they wander around the comic store and question each other’s willingness to deal with tabletop RPGs, trying to determine whether it’d be worth Xiao spending his allowance on taking one home just because it looks cool.

They take sips from each other’s milkshakes and steal bites from each other’s snacks. Xiao feels Aether’s arm around his waist as a grip of comfort, and he runs his hand up into the blonde’s bouncy hair. They bump heads together as they discuss the likelihood of Xiao getting arrested if he gave Aether one of his old school uniforms to mess around with.

They balance on run-down, cobbled ledges and flip off some actual tourists who can’t mind their business. They sneak peeks inside tiny from-home shops, wondering how you’d even go about buying something directly from someone’s house.

When they pass the bustling town bar, the number one hangout spot for Starfell residents to wind down after a long day and young adults to get together, they joke about going inside, and Xiao pushes a flustered, cussing Aether towards the wide open door. His hand rests in the small of his back.

One would almost think there is already something going on between them. No— something is undeniably there. Perhaps they are both, deep down, even aware of their shared feelings… but neither boy has the confidence to fully embrace them without the absolute certainty that they will not be the only one.

Too scared of losing what they already have, each for their own reasons.

They have so much fun that they almost forget to do the grocery shopping in the end, and have to forgo going to the individual baker, grocer and butcher in favor of actually bringing something home; only the supermarket is guaranteed to still be open and have everything they need at this hour. They just hope Wanda won’t hang their sorry asses for it.

Aether loudly laments missing out on a free sausage because the butcher shop is indeed closed, and Xiao poetically proclaims he can have his sausage for free if he’s brave enough. It’s received as the absolute worst joke of all time, whilst secretly really not being a joke at all.

Carrying the wicker basket between them, they make their way back over the country road. Their forms bask in the golden glow of the setting sun, cricket choirs chirping in the tall grass.

It’s going to be an even longer walk now that they have heavy cargo, and Xiao cannot even fucking see his house yet from this distance, let alone Aether’s. As he deeply inhales the clean air, he listens to Aether telling him about Lumine’s mega cringe crush on the most horrible man ever to be born and how he, obviously, would have way better taste in crushes.

Xiao catches his quick little look when he says that, and wants nothing more than to think the world of it.

On second thought, this walk could not be long enough.

Notes:

They're small and gay, your honor,, they'll get there one day, trust 🥹

An extra chapter, as a treat, because I'm excited..! /lh
Thank you guys for being so patient with me and these updates! See you next time hehe, hopefully sooner ♡

Chapter 37

Xiao is practically never home this summer. He does what he can to stay out of Retuo’s way, not wanting to take any chances.

Ganyu is touring Keqing around the entirety of Starfell Valley, it seems, often also gone from the early morning until the stars are out—either together, or with Lumine, and sometimes even Albedo and Sucrose. Lumine is over the moon that one of Ganyu’s very own besties has come along this year, and is all too keen on invading the summer cottage when she can to hang out with them.

This leaves plenty of room for Xiao to spend more time alone with Aether in the Reisender twins’ bedroom, rather than being banished to either the living room or their base.

Cuddled up in bed together, each doing their own thing on their phones, Xiao chances it once or twice: he slowly curls his fingers around Aether’s waist. Lets his hand roam over his thigh under the guise of pulling him a little closer.

Aether smirks, snuggles up to him tighter, and wraps his legs around Xiao’s. His attention is back on his phone, then.

Just like that, as if it’s the most normal thing ever, and Xiao simply does not dare to decide on his own accord whether it’s advanced friendship or something more.

When they aren’t rotting at home, the teenagers lurk around town, visiting shops, raiding their favorite food parlors, and finding themselves more shortcuts and old, picturesque alleyways to get lost in. Aether climbs the drain pipes and scales any wall that has old bricks sticking out just far enough to offer him grip, and Xiao balances on high ledges, and invades people’s rooftops. He meets his gaze from across the alleyway, each of them half obscured behind the laundry people hang out from their little balconies to dry.

To their surprise, old ladies snugly tucked into rocking chairs smile at them when they pass their windows, parents greet them, and little kids wave from inside the houses. Nobody tells them to get the fuck off the roofs, like they would have in any big city. One man even offers them some homemade jelly pudding in passing, and tells them to be careful.

They must have been adventurers of some kind in a previous life; maybe they both traveled, or did dangerous quests that required climbing and the likes, and did it so well that it has earned them both the goodwill of the people and the skill to do it again. Aether calls Xiao his awesome Yaksha when he effortlessly leaps from one high facade to the next, meters away from the ground, and Xiao blushes; he thought they had grown out of childish things like calling each other mythical beings, but… he likes that he’s been proven wrong.

Aren’t we still children? Don’t we get to be childish?

Nah, they’re past that, surely. Otherwise, Xiao would still get to feel carefree even without Aether around.

They also visit the big mall to see if there is anything they can do there. It doesn’t have much specifically tailored towards them, but they can make peace with the stores, food stalls, and well-intended, but rather embarrassing “teenager hangout spots” (which are really just a couple of colorful benches with empowering words written on them) it does offer.

Once, Xiao suggests that they finally go to that bar at the appropriate hour and try to get inside for real; surely they can’t be as strict with checking IDs in a small town as they are in a big city! And they could maybe actually try alcohol, and the likes. His eyes are glimmering with excitement, his smile eager.

At this point, with most people in the Mondstadt group chats being so open about having tried it (and many of them even enjoy it), he’s getting curious himself as well.

“I honestly don’t think my parents would like that,” Aether says tentatively. “I’m still dreading the day they find out about our thirteenth birthday.”

Oh, yeah, that was a fiasco. But Xiao can keep a secret or two, so Aether needn’t worry! “My father wouldn’t like it either, but that is on him.” He shrugs. “He doesn’t like anything I do anyway.”

“Huh..? What about your dad?”

Oh…

What is Zhongli’s stance on alcohol now that Xiao is older? He never brings it up because the risk that Retuo catches wind of it and misunderstands is too big… but he can imagine that his dad would not want his fifteen year old son lost in a bar far from home, late at night, getting drunk for the first time ever and perhaps dying in a ditch somewhere.

“I guess he’d be worried.” Xiao plucks at his collar, hiding guiltily behind his messy curtain bangs.

That’s that on the bar, then.

In the third week of summer, the Mondstadt teens decide enough is enough; Xiao and Aether have been getting away with avoiding them for way longer than they should have! Venti will be hosting a small party at his house in two days’ time, what’s with his parents’ constant absence essentially leaving the sixteen year old a place for himself to enjoy, and he insists that the boys, “for the love of the fucking archons and every being to have ever hailed from Celestia”, finally deem their friends worthy of a visit.

Their friends… Despite the playful threat lurking in the message, Xiao, with his knees curled around his cat plushie and his blanket pulled over his head so he won’t get caught still texting by the wrong parent, feels fuzzy reading it.

However, the anxiety quickly sets in: all good and well, but it’s a small party. A party. All the way over in Mondstadt City. He’s going to have to ask his parents—and asking Zhongli won’t be such an issue, he presumes, as the worst he can get is actually just a no. Maybe he could even downplay the actual party-aspect a little. But Retuo…

Could he get away with asking only Zhongli, or would that be like a declaration of war?

While he mulls it over, Aether is yelling at him over text, simultaneously excited and terrified to go. “Pfft, why fear?” Xiao types, you know, like a hypocrite. “They’re your friends, aren’t they? And maybe I’ll be there too!”

He doesn’t get a reply to that right away, even though Aether is most definitely in their chat. It leaves him to ponder his own thoughts.

Eh… Perhaps it’s not worth the hassle. Does he really want to go that badly? He has never been to a party before, but it sounds fun… but—ehh, the bar was already a no-go, not to mention, a stupid idea in hindsight, and why would a party be any better?

The group chat has been accumulating messages, so he quickly slides back in.

 

[00:10
Diluc: nothing from either yet huh. rip.

00:10
Venti: GODSSSSSSSS

00:12
Venti: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

00:13
Amber: Nahhh not the on hands and knees begging 💀

00:13
Venti: What?? It’s been so long! I don’t even remember what they look like anymore, and this while Dilulu got to see them last summer… What am I to you guys 😢

00:13
Bunny🐰: You saw me like three weeks ago man 😭

00:13
Lumine: AETHER IN THE GROUP CHAT?!?!?! NO FUCKING WAY!!

00:16
Amber: *cricket noises*

00:16
Diluc: way to make him retreat like a terrified rabbit.

00:17
Me: Real. My poor bunny…

00:17
Lumine: X I A O IN THE FUCKING GROUP CHAT?!?!?!?!?!?! NO F U C K I N G WAY!!!!!

00:18
Jean: Girl……… Anyhow, who is coming? Who is invited? What will we be doing?

00:18
Lumine: BRUH y’all are so mean to me 😭

00:18
Venti: Jean try not to suck the fun out of everything challenge (impossible)

00:18
Jean: Knowing you, I have to ask these questions 🧍

00:19
Gnanyu: I wanna come!! I’ll ask my dads tomorrow >:3 can I bring Keqing??

00:19
Venti: Of course baby!! The more the merrier :D]

 

Xiao almost flies upright, clutching onto his phone. If Ganyu wants to go, perhaps that will give him some more leverage with Retuo as well!

 

[00:20
Gnanyu: yippee! :3

00:21
Albedo: Good morning everyone. I have successfully managed to extract essence from a Cecilia, I will let you guys know what it does best as I study it further.

00:21
Amber: Nice!! looking forward to it 😊 Are you and Rosie coming?

00:21
Sucrose: >///<

00:22
Albedo: Perchance. Will Kaeya be present?

00:22
Diluc: shrug.

00:22
Amber: ^^;;]

 

There is a moment of tension. Xiao sees that Kaeya is online, clearly avoiding talking in the group chat as long as Diluc is there. Venti is typing for a good long while.

 

[00:24
Venti: Everyone is invited. All of you. No matter what’s going on in anyone’s private lives, you’re all my friends and all of you can come ♥️ I’m also inviting some classmates and neighbors, and I’ll see if the lighthouse wants to come to his first official Mondstadt party! Bet he’s never had one of those before!! And you guys can bring all the people you want too!!!

00:24
Albedo: Wonderful, thank you.

00:24
Lumine: BET I’m coming for sure, idc how much booze there is, I WILL BE SO THERE

00:24
Venti: What makes you think there’ll be booze??

00:24
Lumine: Venti…

00:25
Diluc: venti……

00:25
Jean: Honey………

00:25
Rosa💀: LMFAO]

 

Xiao exhales slowly. So there may be quite a few people there, some he won’t know… and there will, in fact, very likely be alcohol. He’s having second thoughts again. Aether still hasn’t replied, so he scrolls up to the message of Venti begging them to come as more and more new messages of excited Mondstadters and Ganyu gather down below, and only switches chats when the broody bunch pipes up in their own group.

 

[00:28
Rosa💀: Xiao

00:28
Rosa💀: Grab your boyfriend and come to that stupid party. We should totally match fits

00:29
Me: ????? He’s not my boyfriend though?????

00:29
Diluc: lmao

00:30
Rosa💀: Sure. Funny how you immediately knew who I was talking about. Anyway, I’m thinking we go full lords of darkness. Luc and I can even come over and shop in Starfell’s little howl

00:30
Me: That’s way too much effort for one small party lol

00:31
Diluc: idk, I think it kinda fucks.

00:31
Diluc: but it is short notice. i’ve got stuff going on.

00:31
Diluc: can’t just up n leave to buy clothes in the middle of nowhere.

00:32
Rosa💀: Oh my gooooood you guys fucking suck ♥️ Fine. Send me your sizes and I’m buying you tops that match with mine. And may the Abyss swallow you whole if you don’t put them on on party day

00:32
Me: Dude. maybe I’m not even coming

00:33
Rosa💀: You are coming ♥️

00:34
Diluc: real, get me an l.

00:34
Me: Bruh

00:35
Me: .. M for me

00:35
Diluc: you sure it’s not gonna be an s

00:36
Me: 💀 Fight me bozo

00:36
Me: Maybe I guess, depends, could be an S but barely then

00:36
Me: I’ll let you guys know if I can come tomorrow, or later today I suppose

00:36
Rosa💀:  Go short king go ♥️

00:37
Diluc: muah ♥️]

 

Finally, Aether replies. It’s a request to call, and Xiao immediately sits up. Silent as the grave, he moves toward the porch window and elegantly slips outside. He closes up carefully behind him. There, now he can actually talk.

“What’s up, bun?” he asks on-call. It’s a chilly night.

He hears some stumbling. “Sorry, had to get out of the house or Meen will be eavesdropping on me. Nosy ass.”

“Ha. You’re never going to guess who also had to flee from the house lest I awaken anyone.”

“Pffft! Gotta love risking it all with you. Anyway, are you actually going to the party?” Aether sounds perfectly inquisitory, but Xiao knows him well; he hears the nerves on the back of his tongue. “I’m waving at you, by the way.”

Chuckling, Xiao waves in the general direction of the Reisender property. “Rosaria and Diluc are forcing me,” he sighs, pretending to lament it. “It… it seems fun, honestly. And I do suppose it’s been a while since I’ve seen everyone. In the flesh, I mean.” Socials not counted.

He pauses for a moment. “It’s just a matter of asking my parents,” he adds, unsure. “I’m hoping Ganyu and Keqing have got me covered there.”

“Oh…” There is some more stumbling, a sound like metal denting. Aether may have crawled onto Travis’ pickup truck. “Well, if you’re going, then… I guess I should.”

“Hey… What’s wrong?”

The phone remains quiet long enough for Xiao to get worried. He sits up a little straighter, half willing to jump off this roof right now and find the pickup truck in the dark of the night by touch alone if he must.

Aether speaks, then, and it sounds heartbreakingly soft. “I’m just scared of what it’ll be like, you know, with drinking and the likes… I’m sure they’re going to. Lumine might lie about it to our parents, if they don’t pass the alcohol check tomorrow. What if it’s like our birthday and I just end up wishing I was literally anywhere else, and I am the only one who feels that way? I don’t want to feel alone like that again.”

“Don’t worry, starlight.” Xiao’s voice drops into a low, gentle lull, one of which he was not aware he could even do. He pictures Aether sitting in front of him, and wishes he could rake his fingers through his hair. He swears he heard Aether gasp just now, too, on the other end of the phone. “They are your friends, right? They've looked after you before, and I’m sure they’d do it again. And I’m going to do my best to convince my dads to let me come, too. You won’t be alone, I swear it.”

“They’re Lumine’s friends,” Aether whispers. “I’m just the tag-along.”

Really..? “What about Diluc?”

“I…I suppose he is my friend.”

“Then he and I will look after you. For you, I’m always just a call away.”

“Hehe, wow… I thought if we ever went to a party, I’d be the one trying to get you to go.”

“Well, you sort of are. If you really don’t want to go, I won’t go either no matter what anyone else says. I’ve never been to a party, I bet I’ll be nothing but awkward.”

“No way. You’ll be fine, kitty,” Aether says, smiling close to the mic of his phone. The little nickname rumbles in his throat. “As long as we have each other, I wouldn’t mind going. Maybe we can dance together, that… t-that’d be funny I think, I-I don’t know. Er—You wanna maybe, uh, switch to video call..?”

Xiao’s heart skips a beat.

They can barely see each other on their phone screens in the darkness, but they video call for as long as they can afford, talking about the party and laughing at the faces they pull at each other. They wonder out loud which one of them would be brave enough to actually take a sip of the forbidden fruit juice, as Aether calls it. Aether streams a video for Xiao, and Xiao pretends they’re lying next to each other when they both inevitably, tiredly flop down on their respective impromptu beds.

As exhaustion considerably dulls their senses, and with it, their filters, they end up mumbling sweet nothings to one another that neither can properly process. Something about “bun”, about “starlight”. Something about cuddling in their base, something about kissing in the cinema, something about a half mumbled, half muttered inquiry for something a little more where they can get away with it. Aether yawns through a giggle, and Xiao is already almost lost to the dreamscape.

Unfortunately, knowing they would not get away with actually sleeping on the pickup truck or the roof, they have to call quits before either of them fully shuts down.

It’d be romantic to sleep under the stars some time, though, as something more than what they are right now. Xiao hopes he dreams of it tonight.

 

˙❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

 

The morning comes, and Xiao and Ganyu slink downstairs to ask their parents the big question. Ganyu has already alerted Keqing, who is trailing after her with her long hair still done up in her wild sleeping buns.

Ganyu is holding her hand in some type of way, and Xiao looks at it knowingly. He smirks at her, but refrains from adding kissy noises on account of them being on a serious quest here! 

They’ve even rehearsed their battle plan a couple of times: they’ll strategically ask Zhongli first, because he will invite Retuo into the matter, which would not happen the other way around. Ganyu is still convinced that everything is just fine despite that little fact, though, and thinks that once Retuo is involved, all it’ll take is some puppy eyes.

Yeah, sure—as long as she’s the one making them! But Xiao will make sure that it is.

He already knows that Lumine would lie if it turns out their parents aren’t quite on board with the idea of alcohol yet. Xiao and Ganyu, however, wouldn’t get away with lying even if they tried… so they’ll have to be upfront about the presence of it.

Zhongli is very, very hesitant at first; “Ah, and… how old is the oldest person there, little bird?” he asks, crossing his legs with an immensely serious crease in his forehead.

“Sixteen,” Xiao admits. “But they’re responsible! They’re the same people we met up with before, you know, our…”

“Friends!” Ganyu chimes in. “Right, Xiao?”

“Mhm! We’ve been talking ever since, so technically we have known them for a long time. And Aether and Lumine can vouch for them as well, they see them practically every day.”

“I’ve heard a lot about them, I would like to meet them if possible.” Keqing adds her two cents, putting on her extra professional and polite voice. 

“Oh, I see…” Zhongli’s face softens considerably. “Well, I suppose that if you kids will not be getting lost in a room full of nasty strangers, it should be alright. I wouldn’t wish to impede on quality time with your pals! What do you think, my love?”

The teens hastily exchange looks when Zhongli turns to Retuo.

The older man had made it look as though he wasn’t paying attention, keeping his eyes on his laptop screen at the dinner table, but he has most definitely been listening. Were it not for Ganyu and Keqing, he would have done worse than scoff when his husband addresses him, too. 

Xiao holds his breath as Ganyu directs her pleas at their father.

In the end, it may really just be the fact that it was Ganyu asking what did it for them. But Xiao is taken aside that evening. It’s the first time Retuo has talked directly to him out of something other than sheer necessity that summer.

He is told that he better keep a hawk’s eye on the girls at that party, or else he’s done for; no more electronics, no more going out, and he’ll spend the rest of the summer reading books on the art of responsibility in his room. There is no affection present, and even when Retuo seems to consider a head pat, he ends up deciding against it. He tells Xiao to behave, and goes back to the living room to work.

Xiao is left feeling hollow; anxiety gnaws at the corners of his mind, anger bubbling even deeper within, but he dares not let it out. He tries his best not to let it consume him.

Don’t think of it, just keep it in there, carry the burden, carry on. It’s fine! I will manage.

It doesn’t exactly help, though, that he quickly learns Ganyu and Keqing are very much planning to try alcohol at that party.

Aether later tells Xiao that his parents have allowed them to go too. Not just that, they apparently passed the alcohol check. All that entailed, though, was Lumine asking them their stance on it, and their parents sitting them both down and solemnly telling them that, because they’re getting older, they are expecting them to be responsible. They expect them to know that their actions have consequences, and as long as they are ready to face those, they will not be reprimanded for experimenting in a safe environment.

Wanda made them promise to be safe, look after each other, stay with their friends, and have fun. And that was that!

So… they will all be going, and they’ll stay the night. Xiao is both nervous and rather excited: it is his first party, after all.

Notes:

Oh my gods xiaother at the party..?? What will they do?? What could possibly go wrong..!! /lh
Rosaria is the emo/goth friend that pulls THROUGH...

Burnout got me in the end. Luckily I am on break now, but it's been a bit of a struggle going around with little to no energy,, I've been writing again at least - got a couple of unfinished pieces lined up in my drafts (some of which are extended stories of this fic) that I might also try to finish and post, and this fic is two more chapters closer to being finished too! I am still ahead hehe, and still excited to be posting this little arc... I wonder what the tinies are gonna be up to... >:) /lh

I... kind of missed it by a whole month, but! It's been a year since I've started posting this fic! Thank you to everyone who has stuck around despite the hurdles, I appreciate all the support so so much you couldn't imagine <3
I can now more assuredly say: see you guys next week on Friday or Saturday with the next update! ♡

Chapter 38

Although Travis did offer to bring all the teens to Mondstadt in the family van, they preferred going by train to feel more mature. It’s six in the evening when the Longwangs, the Reisenders and Keqing arrive at Venti’s place: a large, white townhouse in one of Mondstadt’s suburbs, distinguished from the other townhouses by the copious amount of illustrations painted on the walls. The wind, the mountains, a crying dragon… It's rather mystical.

Music sounds from inside, and the windows on the ground floor are beaming with colorful lights.

Xiao nervously reaches for Aether’s hand, and they each take a deep breath before following the girls to the front door. They’re dressed in full party gear: Ganyu is wearing the brightest dress she owns, Keqing is wearing a polite paw-print top and aubergine skinny jeans that she claims are perfect for dancing, and Lumine is wearing… Well, if Keqing’s top is polite, then her navy blue, round-necked, incredibly short one most certainly is not.

She’s also wearing makeup. It’s just some eyeliner and lip gloss, but Xiao has never seen it on her before, and, quite frankly, she is the last girl he would expect it on.

In the train ride over, Aether entrusted to Xiao that he wishes she’d just gone hobo style with him; Lumine’s boobs are barely still covered when she raises her arms all the way, but she took care of that with a lacy kind of bra that just has to be intended for this specific scenario. Aether said he wouldn’t usually care what she’s up to, but he supposedly knows who’s going to be there and specifically because of that one individual, this irks him beyond ends.

But he lamented how he doesn’t want to actually reprimand his sister either, and kind of just hopes that the certain individual in question won’t even notice what she’s wearing.

Unlike the girls, Xiao and Aether look plain. Aether has come in a dark brown hoodie and worn jeans, and since Rosaria is bringing a top for Xiao that she refused to send a picture of, he has put on a t-shirt for the time being, and some black ripped jeans. Anything goes with black, right?

Venti soon swings the door wide open, shouting greetings at everyone. He grins widely, absorbing Keqing into the group with the same familiarity he used on Xiao and Ganyu the first time they met; as if he has already known her for years. The girl perks up proudly, chin raised, and returns that energy.

The boys follow them inside, and Xiao has to endure another back-breaking hug from the slightly taller and older Mondstadter boy. He hangs his black jacket on the overstuffed coat rack and follows Aether into the living room, where the music is coming from.

Apparently, Venti has stuck to friends, the neighborhood youths (a lot of them!)… and that Ajax-guy. Lumine makes a beeline for him as soon as they step into the house, making a whole show out of announcing herself. The tall ginger grins wolfishly and snakes an arm around her, demanding to meet these new people with a leer in his vibrant eyes that seems nothing short of a challenge.

Suddenly, Xiao understands Aether’s concern, and he’s happy that, when it comes to Ganyu, it’s just Keqing. Not that she even knows that he can tell.

Can she tell that it’s Aether for me, too..? Never gave that much thought before…

Ajax is rather domineering and seems to do it on purpose, not afraid of repercussions… which means he can bite as much as he can bark. Call it an instinct, call it habituation because Xiao simply knows these things because he has to, but he feels it instantly. As such, he decides Ajax is better left avoided, and silently wishes Lumine luck with whatever the fuck she’s up to.

A mating dance, if he has to believe a shuddering Aether. “Anyone else, Xiao,” he whines, “she could’ve literally had anyone else, and she’s trying to get with that menace to society.”

“I suppose it is true then, what they say about teenage girls and bad boys.”

They snicker.

Ganyu and Keqing flit from Xiao’s sight as soon as they get the opportunity, claiming they’ll be tracking down Amber and Sucrose, and Xiao grits his teeth in annoyance. Shit! Though not as many as he had feared, these are still a lot of heads to lose two girls on a nefarious mission in.

Before he can do anything about it, the boys are intercepted by Diluc and Rosaria.

“Strip, shortstack,” Rosaria says monotonously, and Aether nearly chokes on his own esophagus in confusion.

Xiao blinks: she’s wearing a black, heart-shaped tube top with mesh sleeves and a mesh collar, roses embroidered in the little nets, and a pair of jeans with chains dangling from them. Her spiked collar and bracelets stand out most of all, and Xiao wonders what exactly they should be matching here.

But then his eyes glide over to Diluc, and he realizes it instantly; Diluc, too, is wearing a black top with embroidered mesh sleeves and mesh collar.

Xiao is horrified.

“.. No thank you,” he says, wrapping his arms around himself protectively. He quickly takes in the amount of unfamiliar faces around him. “I’m good, actually.”

Diluc blows his fiery red hair out of his eyes and crosses his arms. “If it fucks on me, it’ll fuck on you,” he says, and gods, does it fuck on him. “Hi Aether. Here.” He tosses up a small plastic bag of rock candies he was holding onto, which Aether catches with delight.

Xiao’s cheeks flush at the sight of Rosaria’s cleavage and Diluc’s accentuated arms. No way, he is not going to be that naked! “You know what, I’m just going to—” But he can’t hide away behind Aether or the broody bunch has latched onto his arms, dragging him to the staircase. Giggling, Aether waves after him, telling him he’ll wait here.

Xiao is even more horrified when he sees that both Rosaria’s and Diluc’s backs are almost entirely exposed, too. It looks good on them—but he is not going to be that naked!

He ends up being that naked.

Rosaria got a perfect fit for him, which unfortunately ended up being an S, and Xiao nervously rubs his meshed arms as the two fix up his top. Diluc smiles at him, taking off one of his own black lyre necklaces, which he puts on Xiao instead.

“Stay still,” Rosaria says, and she pulls her eyeliner from her small, spiked shoulder bag. Xiao groans, unmoving when she grasps his jaw with her cold, slender fingers and tilts his face up. He closes his eyes on request.

“Are you still considering putting a tattoo here?” Diluc asks, tapping Xiao’s right arm.

The feeling of a pencil scraping over the skin of Xiao’s eyelids is absolutely fucking awful, but he presumes it’s because he is not in control over said pencil. His asscheeks have never been this clenched. “Yeah, but I am aiming for an, uh… different place first.” Luckily, Rosaria is fast with it; she’s been doing this since she was twelve, after all, and it isn’t long before Xiao gets to see the world again.

“Cool.”

“How’s your…—?”

“Mm.”

Xiao takes the distance in Diluc’s eyes and the evidence of ever growing sleepless nights around them as his sign not to ask about Crepus.

The broody bunch takes their time ensuring that all three of them look positively lethal, offering Xiao their makeup and whichever accessories they can miss. Xiao’s cheeks are flushed and he tries to only glare, muttering about how much disbelief he harbors for how hot those two are. He hopes they didn’t hear it, but the music is not yet loud enough to reach Venti’s bathroom, and the pair exchanges a look of joy, thinly veiled behind intentional broodiness.

“We’re all hot as fuck like this, that was the explicit purpose of my mission,” Rosaria says, some pride shining through in her voice. “Alright, my fellow lords of darkness, let us grace these mortals with our presence once more.”

They are met with “ooo”s and “whoa”s once they return to the living room. Clearly, Rosaria reached her goal: nobody had expected them to match, and they garner more attention for it. Xiao feels a little embarrassed, though… or rather, unsure? He has never worn anything like this—hell, all of this is new to him. He doesn’t know most of the faces currently looking up at them with a mixture of confusion and admiration.

Ajax bows to them, theatrical, as if they actually announced themselves as the lords of darkness, and leans over to Diluc to whisper something in his ear. Only now does Xiao notice that it is newly pierced.

The redhead scoffs and tells Lumine to keep her dog with her, earning him a soft, rather loaded hiss from Ajax.

“What’d he say?” Aether asks curiously through munching his rock candies, popping up beside the three. It looks downright comical now that they’re actually dressed up, like a fluffy house cat confidently scooting in with three Rishboland Tigers.

“The usual,” Diluc says, shrugging. “Bitch wants to fight me so bad it makes him look stupid. If he’s that eager for a taste of both worlds, he should just come clean. I might even consider it.” He says the last bit extra loud so Ajax will hear it over the noise, and the ginger rolls his eyes. Rosaria and Lumine laugh softly, but the implications seem to fly over Aether’s head.

The blonde’s copper eyes are locked on Xiao’s top instead. Xiao feels them tingle against his arms, on his chest, across his neck. He swallows thickly, finding the other boy’s gaze, and he wants nothing more than to sincerely believe that it carries something incredibly wanting.

He must like me. Why else would he look at me like that?

Ugh, no, Xiao’s nerves must be playing tricks on him. The light has turned red, that could be contributing to it. Aether may as well simply be intrigued by this sudden change in wardrobe!

The boys band together again, opting to explore Venti’s house away from the others.

They find Ganyu, Amber and Sucrose in the kitchen, inaugurating Keqing to their group with a little ritual of their own. The girls are having a good time, sharing a bottle of Fonta together. Ganyu and Keqing are upset about the choice of drink, giving away that their plans to snag alcohol behind Xiao’s back are still on, and he’s just lucky that Sucrose shamed them into drinking soda with her for now.

Here, Xiao catches up with Amber, whom he hears little of because she’s gone to the same school as Sucrose and Albedo, with the downside that she doesn’t live in Starfell.

Aether drags him along quickly. Neighborhood teens they don't know are posted up in the hallways, filming little dances and taking pictures together. Some ask each other questions that should be way out of line, or make moves with specific intent, but they all just laugh it off, clearly into it.

Xiao swallows, watching a boy grind against a girl he doesn’t even seem to know that well, but she invites him to anyway. He turns to Aether, and almost feels disappointed when he notices how much the blonde is trying not to look at it.

They rush outside, trying to avoid more awkward, hormonal confrontations.

They find more people in the fenced off backyard, including Kaeya and Albedo. Kaeya, who is clearly avoiding Diluc, is donning an exceptionally flashy outfit that Xiao would expect on someone just a little older, and Albedo has joined Aether in the “plain as balls” department. They’re having fun by themselves, though it’s a little hard to see what exactly they’re up to, other than reciting brainrot. Albedo is wearing his headphones as well, but he looks content in Kaeya’s presence.

Xiao pulls Aether the other way.

In the living room, Lumine is stuck to Ajax like glue, Jean is assembling the snack table, and Venti is being an exceptionally good host for all these people. Most of the youths, however, have grouped up in their own little cliques to vibe and be silly—so that’s what Xiao and Aether do as well.

When the big clock on the wall above the TV strikes seven, Venti decides the hour is upon them: as though on the dot with it, he’s walking a tray of red plastic cups with alcohol around groups of friends and neighbors. He has already installed the means for everyone to pour their own drinks as well.

“Hey Diluc!” he calls over the heads. “When are you gonna start bringing in free booze from the winery, huh?”

“Shut up, Venti.”

Xiao looks up from the movie he’s been watching with Aether in the corner of the couch. “Shit,” he mumbles. “Those girls are going to be trouble. Be right back, I need to find Jean.”

“Good luck, I’ll be here. Can’t have the babies drunk at their first party,” Aether says with a soft smile, snuggling up as though he’s defending Xiao’s spot. The lights turn him blue, green, pink—and as if by design, the pink color lingers longer than the others.

Xiao’s heart skips a beat. Quickly, he bolts off to find the blonde girl.

It takes him way longer than he meant, so long that Ganyu and Keqing may as well have raided everything by now. At last, he spots Jean out, standing by the doorway from the kitchen to the pantry. She’s talking to a boy her age; it’s rather funny to see that she is wearing such classy clothes at a party, compared to his actual party attire.

“Jean!” Finally! “Uh, hi. Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” She’s quick to divert her attention, and Xiao feigns nonchalance under the scrutinizing gaze of the much taller boy.

“My sister and her friend are definitely going to try sneaking booze into their mouths behind my back,” he says, trying to sound casual. “Can you please help me keep an eye on them? I’d ask others, but… you kind of seem like the only one who’d actually take me up on it.”

The sixteen year old laughs wryly. “Haha… I can’t say you’re wrong, unfortunately. Not to worry, I have already been watching them on account of them being, erm, you know? Little.”

“Tell me about it. Thank you, Jean.”

She solemnly raises her cup, and Xiao salutes her, slithering back into the living room. 

Practically everyone has gathered inside. More people are dancing now, the furniture largely shoved to the side to make more room for it. EDM tunes are blasting through the townhouse. Someone has definitely been cranking up the volume, knowing they can get away with it because the neighborhood kids are here; no parent would want to be the one embarrassing their child in front of their peers by calling the cops and shutting the whole thing down.

Nibbling on the insides of his cheeks, Xiao reaches for an untouched cup of regular soda on the table and takes it with him. He finds Rosaria and Diluc voguing ominously at each other, he is certain he hears Keqing’s evil laughter somewhere off to the sides, and Ajax is haunting the center of the dance floor with Lumine.

Xiao can tell that Lumine is trying to impress the guy, and wonders if he also looks like that with Aether. He shudders and hides behind his cup. That would be so bad, gods!

Soon enough, he reunites with Aether and they stubbornly finish their movie. An odor of effort grows heavy in the air, and Xiao notices that some teens, ever eager, have already had a little more to drink than they probably should. The sight of awkward grinding is getting more common, and Xiao wonders if Aether would want to take him up on dancing yet.

Like that, specifically. Xiao really wants to be close to him like that. But… it would be odd to ask, wouldn’t it? Aether already intentionally wasn’t looking at it before.

But this time, he finds that his crush is looking. As if hypnotized by it, Aether watches two older teenagers swaying around each other like two peacocks trying to get laid. Rosaria has quickly found herself a partner like that as well: with a plastic cup in hand, she’s now gyrating for him like there is no tomorrow, and Diluc nods approvingly from the sideline.

Then, there’s Ajax and Lumine. Lumine very obviously wants something, and Xiao finds it shockingly obvious how willing Ajax is to give it to her… and how much she is not noticing it.

Is it truly this easy to spot out crushes? Can everyone tell that he has a crush on Aether—except Aether? Or is this just Xiao being extremely perceptive, or perhaps even being wrong about everyone? He turns to Aether, who is still entranced.

No, he cannot find the confidence to ask him to dance like that. He isn’t even sure if he could play it off as a joke—if he could poke fun at all these people for being just as fucking hopeless and horny as he is, except they actually have the balls to do something about it.

Eventually, Kaeya finds the two hidden away in their corner. Xiao should not be surprised when he immediately attaches himself to Aether, getting all close and friendly with him.

Well, of course he’s friendly, they are friends! But Xiao still grinds his teeth in annoyance.

Okay, this is fine, he strictly tells himself, welcoming the war flashbacks to summer two years ago for the sake of pulling it together. I am not going to give this the power to ruin us again. This was bound to happen at some point, anyhow. Kaeya isn’t even truly the problem.

Albedo joins too, sipping from a full cup of the rum mixture Venti has replaced some of the lighter stuff with. He keeps one hand pressed to his headphones, still talking about the dead spider he found the other day. Xiao is just considering telling them to go have a good time elsewhere when he feels his phone vibrating in his pocket. A text message.

Must be his dad, asking how it’s going. Perhaps he’d like to have a picture sent. Smiling with renewed cheer, Xiao wiggles himself between Kaeya and Aether, earning a surprised shout from the former.

“Oh, Xiao!” the dark-haired Ragnvindr brother sings. “So you are here, after all? You had me wondering, you’re so easily lost in such a tall crowd after all.” He narrows his beautiful blue eye sweetly. “Whoops—I meant big, of course.”

“Hello, Kaeya,” Xiao says politely. “You look stunning. I should also like to remind you that Aether is in fact shorter than me, and I don’t see you giving him shit for it.” He plucks his phone out of his pocket. “Hi Bedo. Want to be in the picture with us? It’s for my dad.”

“Perchance.”

“Ooo, we’re taking a picture?” Aether wiggles his eyebrows mischievously and snakes around Xiao, smiling widely. “I’m claiming the best spot! Tell me which pose to strike, I’m so on it.” His fingers spark electricity against Xiao’s skin, only the mesh fabric separating him from that slightly calloused, warm hand. Butterflies tango in his stomach.

They should fucking dance already.

Kaeya groans, wrapping his arms around Xiao’s and Aether’s shoulders to swing them around. “Uuuugh, losers. You’re both getting bunny-eared.”

“Technically you should only do it to Aether on account of the nicknames they have for one another,” Albedo says. “You can give me some, though, if you want to. It’s up to you. But you can. I will not discourage it.”

“Aww~ Bedo, my knight in shining armor, consider it done! Get in here.”

The text message that pops up on the screen, however, is not from Zhongli requesting an update and perhaps even a picture. Xiao’s stomach abruptly drops.

 

[21:05
Father: Ganyu is not answering her damn phone. I am assuming that you’re watching over her like a proper older brother? Answer me as soon as you see this, and tell her to keep an eye on her messages as well. What am I even getting you kids phones for if you aren’t using them? If anything has happened to her, you can wave all your privileges goodbye.]

 

That is the first text he’s had from Retuo in… weeks? It oozes with disdain and irritation, and twists his guts into a tight knot. He immediately taps out so the others don’t see it. Pretending as though nothing happened, he then tells them to pose with him and snaps a cute picture of the four of them, which he sends off to Zhongli as if he asked.

Kaeya and Albedo are plenty satisfied and proceed to mind their business, but Xiao soon feels Aether’s hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asks, standing immensely close to him to reach over the music. His breath ghosts against Xiao’s cheek.

Gods, it’s loud here. Loud, crowded, I hardly know anyone. Anxiety wells up from deep within—and not just that. Tears prick in the back of his throat. Melancholy overpowers him.

It’s not necessarily the text. It is the confrontation with the fact that his father does not speak to him unless it’s this. Unless it’s like this, even when Xiao cannot actually hear him.

“It’s a little crowded in here,” he says, his voice already thick. He does not want to burst in front of Aether—or anyone else. “I’m going outside for a moment.”

“Huh, do you want me to come with you?”

“N-no, it’s alright. Just stay here, please.” Xiao is already wiggling his way to the backyard, where the cool midsummer air hits him like a truck after all the heat that has been gnawing at him inside. The top he’s wearing stops literally none of it, and he quickly finds that he’s cold. The sky is getting darker, too; the sun has already painted the clouds pink and orange.

Xiao doesn’t take it in when he helplessly sits down on the patio floor. All he can do is cry. It begins slowly, but he can't stop himself from sobbing properly when the dams burst through. He can’t cut it short, either, for it just keeps coming and coming and coming.

What if Ganyu actually succeeds in his absence and gets her hands on that stupid alcohol? Someone is bound to yap about it, and Retuo would surely be furious. And he would pin all the blame on him, because he does not care to do otherwise. He does not care.

He doesn’t care about me. Didn’t even ask me if I was having fun.

Even trying to forget about it feels pointless. Everything is pointless. He doesn’t think of it, just keeps it in here, carries the burden, carries on... and amidst everything good, it still finds its way back to him.

Why do I keep going?

“Hey buddy! You okay?”

Venti’s voice startles Xiao immensely, wiring his throat shut to such an extent that he bursts into a coughing fit. What the fuck—?

“Getting some fresh air, huh? Can’t blame you! It kinda reeks in there, not gonna lie. Or are you waiting for the crowd to thin out? Completely understandable too.” The other dark-haired boy is beaming with joy, until he notices the condition Xiao is in. “Whoa… are you okay?”

Xiao hastily wipes his tears away, stuttering through an automatic affirmation—but Venti takes none of it. The taller teen promptly flops down beside him, his braids swinging along with his head. He nearly spills his drink.

Ugh, this is great! Xiao is shivering in the cold because this stupid top is too naked, and his teeth are clattering from the tears, and he feels so tight that he fears he might explode… and of course, this is the moment someone chooses to come sit with him. “I’m fine,” he squeezes through a mucus-filled throat. It sounds like he’s saying he’s fide.

Venti, whose motions are just a tad too boisterous, betraying that he is tipsy, places his plastic red cup down beside him. But… he smiles. It’s an exceptionally kind one, and he wraps an arm around Xiao’s shoulder, which he instinctively shies away from. “You’re not,” the sixteen year old says, “but you don’t have to tell me about it. Unless you want to, I mean.”

Xiao sniffles, furrowing his eyebrows. “I’m fine.” He insists on it, despite all the evidence pointing to the contrary. “It’s my burden to bear.”

“Pfft, so dramatic! I get that you guys’ entire shtick is being broody and hot, but you don’t have to add the edgy anime voice lines to it.” Venti chuckles and pulls back, pretending not to notice Xiao’s insulted huff. “You know, you seem like a music kind of guy.”

Xiao watches, dumbfounded, as the teen pulls a small instrument from his breezy blouse, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. A lyre..? How’d he even get that in there?

But… the questions stop mattering when Venti confidently scoots closer, and places the lyre to his chest, and strikes a chord. Xiao swallows thickly; the melody is calm and composed, yet full of whimsy. It sounds like dandelion seeds floating with the wind—like windflowers on high hills—like the power to strike down mountains instead chooses to cradle little people in hands of silk.

Venti wears the same kind smile on his face as he plays, and while he isn’t forcing Xiao to stay, he feels ensnared all the same. Retuo’s message becomes obsolete in the face of the song.

Xiao doesn’t really talk much to this guy. Sometimes he frankly even forgets what he looks like, until a new picture on his socials reminds him again. They aren’t on a commenting basis, let alone talking in their private messages. Xiao doesn’t think of him when he tries to picture all the faces he feels safe with. They are far from close.

But none of that matters to Venti. He sees that Xiao is suffering, and tries to work with what he has to make him feel better all the same.

He’s almost a little upset that it actually works; now, crying over a text seems so silly. “Thanks,” he mumbles, when the song draws to an end. “Please don’t tell anyone you saw me like this. Especially Aether.”

“I’m no snitch,” Venti says earnestly, and he takes his cup into his hand. “Your business is your business, I’m just here to lend a friend a shoulder to weep on. Want a sip?”

“.. Fuck it, why not.” Whether this is going to be a mistake or not, Xiao doesn’t care. He lets Venti put the cup to his lips, and tastes the drink inside as it trickles down his throat. It’s sweeter than he expected, much more so, with a strong aftertaste of alcohol that is not as off-putting as he had always believed it would be. Might just be the power of the mixture. “Oh, that’s… actually pretty good.”

Venti looks immensely pleased with himself. “Mhm, I’m a good mixer! Here, keep it, I’ll get a new one. Make sure to moderate, baby.”

“I’m not a baby,” Xiao says, looking at the cup Venti just solemnly folded his fingers around.

“You are to me! Ehe~”

“I’m only one year younger than you though?”

But Venti has already saluted him and disappeared back inside.

Sighing, Xiao takes another sip of his new drink. Venti is a good friend. A little too free in his antics, maybe, a little too fleeting sometimes, but he’s there when you need him.

In the time it takes him to recompose himself, he finishes the drink, and Aether finally joins him on the patio. He has no need to announce himself; Xiao recognizes his footsteps, which—is that weird?

“So… wanna tell me what's wrong?” the blonde boy asks, pulling up one knee. He leans against Xiao, gazing up at the sky. “I can handle it. You know we promised each other we’d talk when something’s bothering us.”

Xiao hums. They did, but… this is a lot. It feels like too much, even more so than it did years ago. He would rather stand alone than risk having his debris consume everything. “Just a lot to take in,” he says. “First time at a party and all that, and I don’t like half the people present.”

“Mm. Okay.” Aether is quiet, making himself heavier on Xiao’s shoulder. “I get it, it’s a lot and people are being super weird in there. If you ever wanna talk about what is actually bothering you, I’ll be here, though.”

“What, you doubt me, bun?”

“Well, I know you.”

He says it so meaningfully that Xiao’s heart begins to race. The breeze pulls a shiver from him, and he quickly folds his arms around himself to have an excuse to hide away.

Aether decides not to sink his teeth into the matter, though. They talk about different, more lighthearted things, and Xiao admits he’s had alcohol because he suddenly feels some sort of warm, woozy sensation traveling from his stomach to his head. It’s not bad; it was only one drink, after all. It’s just more present than he expected it to be, and his body did not take as long to take it in as he always thought it would, catching him off-guard.

Aether forgives him, just because he looks oh so cute with his pink nose and eyeliner stains, getting all excited about his first “big boy drink”. Xiao tries not to implode, allowing him to make fun of him some more.

He likes that it’s a little easier to feel happier now, and he is much more alert to the way in which Aether’s fingers find his hip, pulling him closer. It’s almost like he feels it more.

Darkness falls, and with it comes a more frigid wind. As the patio lights flicker on, Xiao rubs his basically naked arms, silently cursing the world. “Ugh, I’m fucking freezing. I am never trusting Rosaria with my clothing choices again.”

“You say that, but she got you a great fit! I love how you make it look.”

You do..? Touch me some more, then, now that I can feel it so well. But Xiao can’t bring himself to ask it, only challenging Aether with a jeer that is interrupted by his shivering.

Aether snickers. Without further ado, he wiggles himself out of his old, oversized hoodie, and hands it to him. “I don’t want you to freeze just to be my eye candy,” he says sweetly, contrasting his mischievous words. “This is sure to warm you up, I’ve been sweating in it and everything.”

“Ew, Aether,” Xiao chuckles—but his hyper-alert brain is vibrating, and his heart is ricocheting around his chest in anticipation as he slips the hoodie over his head.

First, there is only the scent of activated deodorant. Then… it hits him like fireworks. Up in his heart, down in his groin; smells like you. It’s like having Aether engulf him where he sits, in a way that is more intimate than a simple hug like they’ve always done. It’s different from all the times they have done this before, it feels otherworldly, it feels… intense.

He is sure he can hear his own heartbeat, and he refuses to look up from the collar of the hoodie for a good, long while, fearing his face will say more than his words ever could. Finally, he dares to steal a glance at Aether: he is glowing with delight, as if asking him how it is, wearing nothing but the thin, ratty t-shirt he had on underneath.

They could kiss, but actually. Xiao should kiss him. I am going to kiss you.

They stare at each other. Lean in, slowly, uncertain about each other’s intentions, yet safe in their familiarity. Xiao is so, so sure that the way in which Aether’s eyelashes flutter down, the way in which the shadows they cast ignites fire in his gaze as it locks in with Xiao’s, means he is promising him the world.

He is so sure that this is the moment. They are close. Aether’s eyes are burning, the beauty of it may be enough to bring Xiao to tears again.

Xiao feels his breath on his lips, and electricity bolts through him. I want you. I love you.

“Aether!” Diluc calls from inside, keeping Xiao from getting lost in the star that outshines the sun. “Come give me a hand, Rosa is shit-faced and I refuse to deal with it alone.”

“Am not!” Rosaria protests from somewhere in there, clearly shit-faced.

 It’s like they both snap out of a trance, and the moment is gone.

Gods- fucking- damn it.

Still, Xiao forces a laugh. Wow, how incredibly mature and adult of her. As Aether hurries inside, he burrows deeper inside the hoodie and sighs, relishing the smell of him embracing him. He won’t swat his vivid imagination away this time, picturing what no interruption might have brought them.

Time ticks by until well into the night, and the party devolves into something peaceful and chill; the neighbors leave, one by one, until only the friend group is left. Only Diluc and Kaeya avoid each other, the rest cannot wait to get some quality time with just the people they know. They turn down the music and settle into playing telephone and vicious card games together. 

Ajax is loud and present, even more so than Venti and Kaeya, and one hand is on Lumine at all times; her efforts have paid off, and she might actually be aware of it this time. She’s grinning like an idiot, resting against him and giving him a bombastic shove every time he playfully challenges her position out of the blue. Both are, if not drunk, at the very least clearly tipsy. And, uh… handsy.

Everyone is out on the patio now, and Aether is also getting cold in the midnight chill. Xiao opts to go inside and fetch him his jacket, which he happily accepts, and they poke fun at each other over how silly it is that they essentially swapped clothes for no reason.

But at the same time… See—sure, Xiao could have simply put on his own jacket, but doing it like this is so much better.

Now Diluc keeps smirking at them, though. He pulls them both into his lap when they find everyone else has already taken all the seats that are next to each other, claiming that they cannot be separated lest it means the end of Teyvat.

Xiao gets another text message that actually comes from Zhongli, halfway through a rather intense round of telephone. The praise for the picture and genuine interest in his kids’ enjoyment makes Retuo’s text even more irrelevant.

Jean passes around soda and water, refusing anyone who asks for something else, even the host, and she’s trying her best not to talk smack about Rosaria, Albedo and Kaeya, who should not have drank as much as they ended up doing at the exquisite age of fourteen and fifteen years old. She has stuck to her promise, too; Ganyu and Keqing haven’t managed to get their hands on a single drop of alcohol while Xiao wasn’t looking. Not for a lack of trying, probably, so he should think up a way to thank her properly.

The two are grumpy about it, but they quickly lose themselves in the games.

Xiao’s one cup of alcohol has long since faded into obscurity. But he thought the somewhat woozy, more alert, happier feeling was nice, so… maybe in the future, he can try it more seriously. Maybe even go all the way, too, and get that ultimate happiness boost people boast about.

Sleep catches up to them eventually, and everyone curls up in a good spot in Venti’s house to sleep. Xiao and Aether lie huddled up together on an air mattress, with Ganyu nestled snugly against Xiao’s back, and Keqing holding onto her tightly.

Lumine has disappeared with Ajax. Master bedroom privileges or something. Aether, though irritated, wasn’t worried about it: Sucrose and Albedo should be sleeping there too.

Despite the downer, Xiao finds that he had fun. He holds Aether’s head in his hand, gently dragging his fingers through his thick hair, fingertips tracing circles against his skin. The blonde is vast asleep, ugh, how does he even do that in a room full of people? Xiao is struggling; he only ever liked sleepovers when it was with Aether at the Reisenders’ house to begin with!

But it’s okay; he is so soft against him, his body fits so wonderfully against his own. Even if Xiao doesn’t sleep, he will at least know a night of peace. With a pleased sigh, he rests his lips against Aether’s forehead, figuring that the pretense of sleep will have his back.

This is good. This is perfect.

You are perfect.

Notes:

... And we all collectively face-palmed, thank u Diluc for having the absolute TIMING of all time. BUT THEY ALMOST-....!! Xiaother being xiaother, taking the mutual pining to the most extreme levels even in AUs smh /j

Next chapter's up! Thanking Retuo for absolutely nothing for this one, but all in all, the first party experience may not have been that bad in the end 💯 We can only wonder about next one...
I haven't been able to get to all the comments yet, but please know I have read them and I super appreciate the time y'all take to leave them, the kind words in them, and reading the predictions y'all are making!! I'm so glad this silly story brings you guys joy,, 🥺

Thank you for reading, and see you this Saturday or Sunday! ♡

Chapter 39

“Xiao! Gimme the duster!” Ganyu yells, waving her hands around until Xiao tosses it to her.

“I’m gonna need another rag, this stain won’t let up,” Keqing growls, furiously scrubbing the coffee table. “Why are you guys making me do this again? I’m a guest, so logically all I should be doing is sitting on my ass and watching you do it.”

“It needs to be spotless and this is faster! You are the best guest ever, though.”

“That’s up for debate,” Xiao mumbles, neither girl catching that.

It’s just a week since Venti’s party, and the Longwang siblings and Keqing are running around the house trying to personally make sure the entire place is pristine.

For the first time ever, the entire Mondstadt gang is coming to Starfell. They should be arriving in the early morning tomorrow, by train, because Jean is the only one both old and willing enough to start going for a driver’s license and she has yet to do so. Once they get here, they will be doing tourist bullshit together for a whole day.

It sounded kind of fun, from the way Lumine insisted that they set everything up. Xiao hasn’t done any true tourist things here since the last time he and the Reisender twins went hiking with Zhongli. But it’s the first time everyone will be seeing the Longwangs’ summer cottage, and the last thing the teens want is to embarrass themselves with a messy house.

Zhongli watches the kids with an amused hum, leaning against the staircase wall. “I can help, you know,” he coos. “It’s not as though I haven’t been keeping this house clean by myself all vacation long or anything…”

“It needs to be even cleaner,” Ganyu states, out of breath.

“Don’t worry Dad, we’ve got this,” Xiao adds.

They work until dinner time, the girls eating in Ganyu’s room and Xiao eating with Zhongli because Retuo has already retreated to the master bedroom. He spends half the night nervous for the next day, but something must have conked him out in the end; he wakes up with a violent jerk when his alarm goes off at seven in the morning. Stomping feet running through the hallway tell him his little sister and her bestie are already awake.

Groaning, Xiao hoists himself out of bed and gets ready for the day.

They will visit the tourist part of Starfell Lake, a place which he has not seen since he was a little boy, and hire one of those ridiculously expensive commercial motorboats there. He intends to wear something simple for it, something he doesn’t mind getting wet.

Xiao still hasn’t quite spoken to the guy, but the entire thing is made possible by Ajax; since he was at the party and slept over on top of the integration he had already done, everyone thought it appropriate to finally add him to the big group chat… and when they suggested doing a tourist thing together, he offered to pay for everything. For everyone. Just like that.

It’s... a little odd, but this ensures that Xiao needn’t worry about asking his father for more allowance!

He washes up and fixes his wild hair as best as he can, swiping his curtain bangs out of his face. The sun is already peeking into his room, promising a warm day, so he settles for a dark gray polo of which he rolls up the sleeves, and black knee-high shorts.

By the time the Longwangs have finished breakfast, the first set of fists bonks on the door. The second Zhongli unlocks and opens up, the Reisender twins push themselves inside. Lumine cheers when Ganyu and Keqing immediately fly up to greet her, and Xiao can barely brace himself or Aether flings himself around his shoulders.

“Bedo and Rosie should be here soon,” Lumine says. She holds up her phone, showing a picture Albedo took of Sucrose’s back. “The little thing is biking for her life. Oh, hi Mr Zhongli! Hi Mr Retuo.”

Zhongli greets her with a soft laugh and a dip of his head, and Retuo rumbles from behind his laptop: “Welcome back, Lumine.”

“Rosie is so precious,” Keqing sighs, a solemn hand on her heart.

“Yeah… I’m more precious though, right?” Ganyu asks.

“Hehe, obviously.”

This pleases her immensely.

“I will prepare a glass of iced tea for her,” Zhongli says. “Do you kids want anything?”

“Dad!” Ganyu shouts. The thirteen year old in the ice blue summer dress crosses her arms. “Don’t call us kids, we’re teenagers. You’re so lucky it’s just us right now.”

“My sincerest apologies, my fair young lady.”

Aether has practically danced Xiao through half the living room by now and, smiling, the dark-haired boy finally shoves him off of him. “Morning bun.”

“Morning,” Aether says cheerfully, adjusting the sun hat that Xiao once made him. Or, rather, decorated for him. “Morning Mr Zhongli! Morning Mr Retuo!”

“Good morning, Aether,” Zhongli calls from the kitchen. “Would you like some iced tea?”

“Yes please!”

Xiao furrows his eyebrows: Retuo said nothing. He is simply sitting there, glasses on the tip of his nose. Luckily, Aether hardly seems to be paying attention, and Xiao feels no need to make a big deal out of it.

With their drinks in hand, the teens wait for Albedo and Sucrose. They arrive quickly on Sucrose’s bicycle, and the small, light-haired girl is so grateful for the big glass of cold iced tea Zhongli offers her that she almost bursts into tears.

“She has fought the hills valiantly and reigned supreme,” Albedo says with a proud nod. “Good morning, Longwang family.”

“S-she would’ve done even better if you’d stopped growing when she told you to,” Sucrose mutters. The fourteen year old echoes the greet with iced tea in her mouth.

It’s not before long, then, that the entire Mondstadt gang arrives: already hot and sweaty (and Amber definitely has some emotions about the fact that the bus drove right past the cottage and proceeded to stop at a rickety old bus stop four hundred meters away), they invade the house like a cannonball of sound blasting through the door. A huge pile of shoes joins the ones that normally reside here, pair by pair.

Venti shouts for Xiao to “come get his usual”, cracking his spine in his tight squeeze. Xiao squawks awkwardly, watching from Venti’s arms as the other teens line up to introduce themselves to his parents.

Ganyu stands between Zhongli and Retuo, unable to help herself; she has to assist everyone’s introduction just a little bit, otherwise she will explode. “She always rocks the coolest clothes, as you can see,” she adds to Rosaria giving the two men her name, “and she always looks after everyone to make sure we’re safe.” That one is for Jean, who offers the pair her hand next.

Xiao tries not to dwell on the knowledge that Retuo’s sudden smile and openhearted attitude are really only there because Ganyu is. “Well, look at this bunch! You should have brought them over sooner, sweetheart, they may have met me in a better state.”

“Pfft, don’t be weird, Papa! You’re always in an, uh, good state.” Ganyu laughs it off.

Diluc, as per usual, greets Aether before anyone else. “Hey Aether,” he says, already sticking his hand into the pocket of his thin, black cloak. He completely ignores his brother.

Ajax is the last to enter the house, and he, on the other hand, seeks Lumine out first for a funny little fist bump. He is quick to turn to the parents, though, and Xiao raises his eyebrows in confusion when the guy straight up just… whistles when he shakes Zhongli’s hand. And... makes direct eye contact for much longer than he should.

“Powerful handshake ya got there, good sir,” the boy, even about as tall as Zhongli, says with an approving smirk. He politely dips his head at Retuo. “Ooo, don’t even need to shake your hand to know. I love the beard, by the way.”

Both parents seem a little confused, and Zhongli chuckles nervously, pulling his hand back. 

To Xiao’s horror, the guy then turns to him. “Ah, comrade! We never got the chance to talk properly at the party, huh? For shame, I wanted to feel up that back of yours!” When he wraps an arm around Xiao’s shoulders, it’s with intimidating force. “Just kidding, just kidding, I know you’re Aether’s. Bet you could chokeslam me anyhow, feel free to try it some time.” 

Aether’s property—? Chokeslam him?

Ajax leans over, and Xiao pulls a face when he mumbles, low and husky: “I don’t want to have to apologize for this, so hush hush, but your dad’s hot as fuck.”

“.. Dude?” Xiao squeaks.

Ajax amicably smacks him on the shoulder and turns right back to Lumine, Kaeya and Sucrose, who have perched themselves on the couch, as if he never said anything at all.

“What’d he say?” Aether asks, chewing on the marshmallows Diluc got him.

“Something weird.” Xiao honestly doesn’t think he should repeat it, lest it actually gets back to Zhongli. Worse yet—to Retuo. Thank the archons that Ajax at least had the common sense to be inconspicuous about it.

“Of course he did. Don’t let him get under your skin, that’s what he wants,” Diluc sighs, gesturing for Rosaria to come over. “Rosa, take a look at our boy. What’s your verdict?”

“Hm.” She studies Xiao for a moment before pointedly pulling up his polo, and she settles it right above his navel. “There, much better. Relish your tiny waist, twink of doom and gloom.”

“What the fuck, sis.”

Xiao looks down at himself and—huh… It looks kind of cool, actually. He could live with this!

The teenagers are all supplied with drinks by Zhongli, some already getting seconds, and fill the Longwang summer cottage with more life than it has ever housed before. They talk, laugh, and playfully tell each other to shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down and not cause trouble for Xiao and Ganyu. All the while, they wait for Jean and Ajax to give the go-sign, as Jean has marked out their entire schedule based on the time slot Ajax was willing to pay for.

Nobody actually mentions the fact that one guy is financing everyone, lest the parents grow concerned. Ganyu, however, does ask Retuo for more mora to take with her.

Xiao hangs out with just his best friend and the broody bunch at first—but soon enough, both he and Aether are absorbed by the entire group as they laze about in the sitting area and loudly complain about how long it takes for one fucking bus to get here. It feels so nice to be surrounded by so many people who seem to enjoy his presence… though he would never admit it out loud.

When it’s time to leave, Zhongli quickly takes his son aside, pulling him into a tight embrace just around the bathroom wall as everyone puts their shoes back on.

“I don’t know why I was ever so worried about you,” he whispers. It oozes with genuine pride. “You’re becoming such a wonderful young man, my little bird. You will make it just fine yet. Now, I wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of your friends, so I will remind you here that you ought to put on sunscreen every hour. Alright?”

“Pfft, thanks, Dad.”

Xiao leaves with a fluttery, happy feeling in his stomach.

The bus ride to Starfell Lake is the worst experience of all time; Jean had not accounted for the fact that they can only go as far as the town from the cottage, as travel apps don’t show that much for the middle of nowhere apparently, and they actually have to get on a shuttle bus between the town and the lake from there. Aether spends the entire time whispering to Xiao how they should’ve walked from the cottage and the twins could’ve shown them shortcuts and the likes, huddled up with Xiao in the same bus seat, sandwiched between the window and Diluc.

They get there in the end, some of them mad about the effort it cost them to do so, but the rest are mostly just very excited. Xiao gazes out over the enormous lake: lots of tourists are gathered on this side of it, participating in everything set up for them. There’s a small bungee launcher for whoever is brave enough to give it a go, a large amount of restaurants and other facilities (such as souvenir shops and showers) line the shore, and the rental boats are floating by a big pier that seems to be under constant surveillance.

People are swimming, sunbathing, and playing on the lakeside beach, and he spots a couple of boats already out on the water, some nothing but dots in the distance. The Statue of the Seven gazes out over the masses like a protective guardian.

The only thing Xiao cannot see from here, is their usual hangout spot—but that is honestly for the better. He’d hate for real tourists to find it.

The large group of friends wait for Jean and Ajax to get everything settled with the rental company. They come back with a man wearing a perfectly white sailor uniform by their side, who takes them to the boats whilst explaining their usage.

Ajax thought this through: he has rented one of the biggest models available, the only reason he didn’t go for the largest option being the lack of a sun cover on that one. The boat is white in color and its canopy has teal stripes on it, and both its sides are lined with cushiony seats. A table that doubles as a chest in which to keep valuables dry sits in the middle, and the engine hangs from the stern, with a black steering wheel sitting just before it.

Ganyu, Keqing and Amber immediately drag Sucrose with them to the seats in the bow of the boat, where they can catch the rays of the sun, and the rest follow promptly.

Diluc struggles to stay upright in the wobbly thing, and there is a moment of tension between the Ragnvindrs when Kaeya enters the boat effortlessly and does not offer to help his brother, heading to the front with the girls after muttering a snide comment. It’s quickly forgotten when Xiao and Aether jump in to help instead. Diluc flops down on a seat underneath the canopy and declares he will not be getting up for the rest of the trip.

At first, Ajax was to be the designated captain since it’s technically his boat right now—but when Lumine very casually reminds him that his lap will not be sat on if he’s standing up the entire time, he very casually realizes Jean is obviously the most ideal person to “wield” a boat, and leaves it to her. Jean was kind of looking forward to doing nothing for three hours though, so with an aching heart, she passes the task to none other than Venti.

“I have no idea how this thing works, so buckle up everyone!” he says, and he starts the engine under the loud cheers of his friends.

He sails the boat like a kid might ride a bumper cart, but this makes it immensely more fun. Amber pulls out some home-made snacks, Diluc bestows chips heaven upon them, and Jean reveals the entire arsenal of sodas and flavored waters she had stuffed into her bag—and so, they get to lounging.

Xiao has chosen a spot in the far back. It’s a bit loud, so close to the engine, but he prefers it over sitting in the sun. Aether has just wobbled back from claiming a bag of chips, nearly falling down next to him; the waves and ripples in the water are like speed bumps Venti isn’t slowing down for.

Gasping, Xiao quickly pulls him against him, worried that he might fall overboard otherwise. “Venti!” he shouts. “Learn to drive! Thanks, bun.” He puts the chip Aether offers him in his mouth.

“Pfft, no worries. If I fall I can just swim after you guys,” Aether says carelessly, smiling widely.

“Ever consider that I don’t want you to swim?”

“Ohh, got it, I’ll drown instead.”

“That is not what I meant and you know it.”

“Heh, maybe, but I like seeing your grumpy face.” With a shrug, Aether nestles himself against Xiao. His head falls softly upon his shoulder, and Xiao holds his breath. He watches as the blonde pulls his legs up on the seat, comfortably curling into the Liyueren boy, and whips out his phone. “Anyway, don’t move! I’ll die without my favorite pillow.”

Xiao twiddles his thumbs, feeling incredibly tense and hot. Conveniently, he opts to blame the weather for the latter. Gods, this is going to be the death of him. All fun and games at the start of summer, but after all these weeks..!

He peels his gaze away from the Starfell boy in his raggy overalls and uneven socks, and tries to find the most uninteresting thing on the boat to stare at instead.

Jean has put on sunglasses and looks like she either won a million mora last Tuesday, or is so vast asleep that an anchor would not wake her. Aside from her and Rosaria, who is hiding in the shade like a disgruntled bat, everyone has assembled around the chest-dubbed-table in the middle of the boat. Even Diluc has opted to get closer for the snacks, and… Kaeya hasn’t even scooted away from him this time. They smile faintly at each other.

Albedo has made a professional-looking makeshift mini-barbecue, which he pulls out of his abs—bag— hand— Xiao forces himself to ignore the fingers absent-mindedly trailing circles on his bare stomach. A barbecue, which the ashy blonde pulls out of his bag. Sucrose has brought a cooling bag, so the intentions are plenty close—clear.

Mffmmf..!

All the way at the front of the boat, enjoying the sunny side of life, Ganyu reaches for Keqing and tucks her light hair behind her ear in a gesture that is very obviously not just based on friendship. Perhaps it is not as clear to the bestie in question, but judging from Amber’s whistle and Sucrose’s thumbs up, Xiao is not the only one who notices how gutsy his little sister is right now. She even grins at the other two girls, putting her index finger to her lips.

Xiao would really rather not admit it, but she seems to have a much better grip on this shit than he does. Meanwhile, Lumine has assertively given Ajax her waist to hold onto, and the way the bold ginger caresses her as she sits on his lap suggests that she, too, is collecting win after win.

Hmph. Good for them…

“Whatcha thinking about?” Aether asks. His fingers now rake over Xiao’s thigh in languid, dragging motions. “Why are your thoughts always straying these days, huh? Am I too boring for you?” He pouts.

“What—of course not! How absurd, you could never bore me! I mean—You just—I—nevermind.”

Aether laughs softly, sitting upright. “You’re so cute,” he purrs, and the poor boy he rests upon melts into a puddle.

Okay, well, luckily no one saw that!

The sun rises higher into the sky, and Venti finally finds them a nice, secluded place in the lake. He shuts off the engine, under many relieved sighs, and pulls his bluetooth speaker out of his stylish shoulder bag to play them some music as he joins his friends around the table.

They had started a game of truth or dare, but gave up on it quickly when they realized the only interesting dare here would be jumping into the water. (The one who was dared to jump into the water refused to.) Instead, they are now playing two truths and a lie, basing who loses on a majority vote with no rebuttals to make it interesting. Last man standing wins!

“Okay, so, I have been called Abyssal spawn, derogatory, by the Cathedral clerics, I don’t wash my ass, and my hair is not actually purple.”

“U-um… I have never gotten more than an 8/10 for Mathematics—o-oh gosh, that’s the lie, is it too braggy? I’m sorry, let me try again…”

“Natural redhead, never felt the touch of a mother, can’t count to ten, please vote me out.”

The plan is to survive multiple rounds through the sheer power of tomfoolery, unless you’re Diluc.

Xiao doesn’t see the point of this, so he never joined to begin with, but Aether manages to stay upright round after round. Nobody is able to figure out which of his three hyperbolic truths is actually a lie, so the majority vote is never cast, no matter how obvious it is to Xiao that the outlandish bullshit Aether just pulled out of his ass is, in fact, bullshit!

Lumine’s pleas for everyone to join her bandwagon because she knows all the heinous little tidbits about her brother, fall on deaf ears; whether it’s to prolong the winning streak because it’s funny or to piss her off for shits and giggles, Aether reigns supreme.

It’s Venti who finally gets him: “Aether, my boy, I have complete faith in your soul crushing schlong, but I draw the line at you knowing how to make a chair from scratch. You can’t even nail down your own boyfriend, what makes you think you can handle furniture?”

Xiao chokes on his soda.

A mischievous wave of “ooo”s, “nahhh”s, and Ajax’s: “Are you just gonna take that, pet?” rise from the circle of friends, and Aether giggles sheepishly, quickly waving everyone off.

“Har har, Venti. I don’t have a boyfriend,” he says, but his voice… wavers. For a split second, Xiao catches his gaze: intense. Hopeful.

One by one, everyone votes his friend out, because now, doing it is funny.

“Aww, blondie, if you ever want yourself one, you need only call,” Kaeya croons with a playful wink—or Xiao assumes that’s a wink, given his tacky eyepatch, tsk. Diluc promptly smacks his brother over the head. “Ow! You just cannot stand to see me thrive, can you? First my eye, and now this?”

Diluc mutters something under his breath. It’s nice, hearing them talk to each other again.

Blowing a raspberry under everyone’s pretend booing, Aether sits down next to Xiao again. “Uuugh, they all suck,” he whines. “I could totally nail down my boyfriend once I actually have him! Right, kitty?”

Again. He did it again. Why are you looking at me like that?

“Whatever you say, bun. ” Xiao tries to play it off, pretending to be apathetic despite his thumping heart. “Just… try getting to that chair first, and make sure your massive dick fits on it too.”

The game continues, and all the while, Aether’s hand roams everywhere: a little touch on Xiao’s shoulder, against his waist, the small of his back. He looks so innocent while doing it, as if he’s pretending it isn’t even happening.

Xiao is hardly thinking straight, drinking in the sound of the beach music, of their chattering friends, of Ganyu asking Keqing to share a soda—the smell of Albedo’s makeshift barbecue, the fruit salad Sucrose worked so hard on, the salt emanating from Ajax as Diluc turns down yet another request to arm wrestle—the sight of Aether’s beautiful hair glowing golden in the light of the sun, the blithe pink in his cheeks, his neck revealed by the lakeside breeze.

Maybe I could…—I’m gonna. I am going to be assertive and make my move too.

The fifteen year old leans in. It cannot be called steady in the slightest; his strained shoulders are shaking, and he is cussing at himself in his mind. But his heart aches for it, and his gaze locks onto Aether’s shoulder. A small peck, swift and light. If he does it there, he can blame it on the ripples in the water. He can pull a lie straight out of his ass and claim he had lost his balance because it’s a stupid fucking boat, and who ever goes boating anyway?

He scoots closer, finding support on one hand, and waits for the boat to rock—and when it does, he throws all leftover caution in the wind. All his pent up frustration from that summer is collected in that lunge, and in the way Xiao, nothing but an awkward teenager, squeezes his eyes shut too tightly, and puckers his lips too much.

But the boat rocks a little too hard. His mouth finds the smooth, warm skin of Aether’s cheek, with such power that he feels the curve of his smile.

.. Huh?

All the sound in the world becomes obsolete in the cacophony of screaming that Xiao’s mind is doing when Aether turns to him, his glittering eyes wide with surprise. That blithe pink dusting his cheeks darkens, and Xiao has to resist pulling a face of shock.

The boys simply sit there, flustered, and stare at each other. Neither comes up with a weak excuse, neither rears back with disgust, neither laughs from the nerves. Xiao is taut with stress, but that quickly becomes insignificant: Aether is still smiling, the kiss glowing on his skin like an almost visible mark. His gaze softens. Xiao is sure that the look he offers him is one that nobody but him has ever seen before.

He looks so pretty… and it is just for him.

In the end, Xiao can only smile back. It’s a little uneasy, but in a good way. Their hands brush over one another. When Albedo, ready to dish out food, calls for everyone’s attention, they join in on the fun once more like everyone else.

The something that is most certainly there, even if neither of them is brave enough to fully embrace it, revels in this victory. Come the evening, though… they pretend nothing happened.

Notes:

Xiaother: but does he like me..? Does he really..?? Sigh… I suppose we will never know…… woe is me……
The others, watching them romantically edge each other all summer: 🧍
Rattles the bars of my enclosure RAHH XIAOTHER PLEASE… (I say, as if I am not the one writing this)

The chapter is up at last! As always, I super appreciate the comments you guys left on the previous chapter and I'm gonna try my best to get to them still. Thank you so much for taking the time to do that, time and time again,, 🥺‪‪❤︎‬
See you guys next time, hopefully next weekend if everything goes well on my end!

Chapter 40

Fall, Year 8

 

Rain plinks against the window, coating the outside world in a layer of dreamlike distortion and turning the Saturday afternoon drab and dreary. It strikes with force, forming puddles the size of small cars on the Liyueren streets. The Longwangs’ normally beautifully kept garden is littered with branches from surrounding trees, snatched by the violent gusts of wind that trek through the city. Not a soul can be found outside.

A couple of days ago, Liyue Harbor was struck by an October storm that has blown over from Inazuma, and with a promise that it will remain this rainy and windy for the foreseeable future, Xiao is forced to stay inside. School has been canceled; he supposes it does care about its students’ lives outside of academic acclaim, after all.

Well, no big deal. This is just his last year of junior high, no big deal at all! It’s not like he’s missing critical extra classes in his worst subjects or anything!

He should be happy that he doesn’t have to worry about school for now, but if he doesn’t make it into his desired high school, well… And being forced to stay inside with his family is about as fun for him as one can imagine, regardless. He longs for the freedom of the streets.

But there’s nothing that can be done; Zhongli would rather die than let his kids outside in this weather, and he keeps a hawk’s eye on every exit lest one of them chances sneaking out.

The dark-haired teen sighs and sinks deeper into his large bed, cast in the blue light of his LED-strips—the perfect color for his mood. Absent-mindedly, he scrolls through social media, with his chin propped up on his cat plushie.

Plenty of cozy fall pictures from Jean, some featuring her elusive little sister Barbara. She’s got the aesthetic social media style down to a T, her like count is astronomical and plenty of randos in her comments wish to have her life. It makes Xiao realize he knows spectacularly little about what her life is actually like—such as, why isn’t her sister with her, like, ever?  

A picture from Lumine, kissing a grinning Ajax with a possessive arm around her waist on the cheek. It’s a cute selfie; looks like she finally got him. She’s got black tips in her blonde hair again, and she’s wearing more obvious makeup. Her clothing style is changing, too, and Xiao doesn’t know what to think of it; he isn’t conservative or anything, but it’s just very… revealing.

He remembers her as the mirror image of Aether, small and full of mud and dirt and wearing old clothes sturdier than his will to live. She has changed so much, so fast. But… he supposes she is really pretty, and she should get to show it off.

A picture of the Mondstadter twilight, taken by Venti from his roof. The glass of wine sitting just within the frame, held by a dainty hand with perfectly trimmed nails that wouldn’t obstruct him when he plays his music, makes it unmistakably his.

A picture of a strong, pale humerus, showing the work in process of Diluc’s first tattoo—earlier than he was supposed to get it, which, to Xiao, suggests he did not wait for permission (even though it could be as innocent as Crepus deciding he would get it now). It’s a hawk, drawn in a beautiful art style reminiscent of calligraphy. Xiao stares at it enviously, really wanting the Yaksha mask on his hip.

He asked permission to get a tattoo for his sixteenth birthday a while ago, and though Zhongli seemed to be entertaining it, Retuo flat out ridiculed the entire idea and told him that he can have one when he’s either dead or disowned for committing a felony.

But perhaps, if Diluc has done it, he could somehow get away with it too. It’s not as though his parents ever ask to inspect his body or anything, and he wouldn’t strip around them! How difficult could it possibly be to hide a hip until he’s eighteen, right?

A devious little plan forms in his mind, but he continues scrolling when he firmly rationalizes to himself that all it would take is one misstep.

Plenty of images taken at school: Albedo’s science classroom at his superior high school—Amber luring Sucrose into surprise selfies at the same superior high school—Kaeya posing prettily in detention—Rosaria pointing her middle finger at the mathematics written out on the whiteboard—a first person point of view video of Kaeya running down the hallway with a stolen mop in his hands, which is probably what got him detention…

.. And a selfie from Aether. All that’s visible from his face is his sweetly smiling mouth. He’s wearing a new, hand-knit sweater with a fall leaf pattern. It was gifted to him by his aunt for his fifteenth birthday, and it’s a little too wide around the shoulders. But he’s holding the neck hole up in his fist, preventing it from riding down.

Xiao feels fuzzy; he got to see a much better version of that picture. That’s got to mean something, right? .. Or it’s just best friend things, you know, comfort level and all that? But they have already almost kissed, sort of, as Xiao likes to believe, and there was that peck on the cheek on the boat and—did that even count? They never discussed it… Argh, thoughts!

Rolling onto his back, he tracks down the selfie he got. An Aether-exclusive, as the Starfell teen had playfully called it, meant only for Xiao’s eyes. A teasing smile, more sultry lighting—and his collarbone on display, framed by his long, blonde hair.

Xiao has seen those parts of him plenty of times before, obviously, but that was different. It was never so deliberate, and didn’t carry such a load. He swallows.

He likes Aether’s picture on his socials, kicking his feet knowing he got to see his crush’s whole neck as if he’s an olden day gentleman who got a glimpse of an ankle, and shoves his eternal dilemma to the back of his mind.

Ajax has left him a fresh comment in the meantime, posted on a picture of him and his dad from a while ago. It’s really just a regular image, with the teenager posing broodily and Zhongli just sitting there, smiling that calming, earnest smile of his; nothing special. Xiao is pretty sure he’s got at least a dozen similar ones, taken throughout the years.

And yet. [S2g that man is obnoxiously hot, can your father fight?], the comment says.

What the fuck? Xiao grits his teeth in annoyance and immediately types up a retort. [Stay away from my dad, weirdo.]

[Bite me, sweetie ♡]

.. Okay, alright, he’s got to remember that Ajax is simply trying to get a rise out of him; at Venti’s party, he saw something in him that he liked, and now he just wants to rile him up until he caves in and goes for a punch. And unfortunately, Xiao has made it clear that making comments about his dad gets him riled up. According to Diluc, all he needs to do is show self-restraint, and that ginger menace will surely get bored of him eventually.

Xiao is debating on simply deleting the entire comment thread when Aether starts yelling at him in text format.

 

[15:02
Bunny🐰: HE DID NOT JUST COMMENT THAT 💀

15:02
Me: Alas, the evidence is right there……

15:03
Bunny🐰: NAHHH no worries I'm telling Meen to kick his ass 😭 MR ZHONGLI IS MARRIEDDDD AND LIKE TEN THOUSAND YEARS OLDDD THIS CANNOT BE REAL

15:03
Me: 💀 I KNOW

15:03
Me: Current objective: keep that dude as far away from my dad as possible

15:04
Bunny🐰: HEEEELP Ajax boutta enter his stepfather era, how does it feel 😔

15:05
Me: Frst of all if yu ever say that again I will literally kill u what the fuck 💀 Second of all… You got here faster than the joy left my body when I saw that comment. what were you even on my page for

15:05
Bunny🐰: LMAO SORRY

15:05
Bunny🐰: And I’m stalking you duh!!!! I love seeing you ;)

15:07
Bunny🐰: You are my bestie after all!!!! And we’re so far apart, it’s not fair :( And who else is gonna support you like this in your moment of despair????]

 

Xiao’s cheeks flush with warmth, pink blossoming on his pale skin. He clutches onto his phone a little tighter, wishing to indulge in this for as long as it lasts. Even if Aether did, technically, already burst the bubble.

I am so in love with you.

 

[15:07
Me: I love seeing you too. Every night you visit my dreams and every day you haunt my thoughts ♥️

15:07
Bunny🐰: whoa shit dude

15:07
Bunny🐰: Deadass??? 😳

15:08
Me: Yea bun, why else would I say it]

 

Xiao smiles softly as he types, imagining Aether in the place of his cat plush, wearing the new sweater that offers him such tantalizing views. Everything they did last summer must have done irreparable damage to his libido, because he shamelessly imagines Aether’s lips finding his own, and his hands traveling everywhere. No guilt, only muddled wants and needs.

“I love seeing you.” He hears his voice, whispering in his ear, and almost feels his breath.

The hopeless teenager has to suppress a groan.

 

[15:10
Me: Wish you were here, I actually miss having you close now

15:10
Bunny🐰: WHOA

15:10
Bunny🐰: That’s so gay, holy shit- like I think you actually peaked here in the amount of gay that you are 💀

15:11
Me: Just for you? The gayest ;)

15:11
Bunny🐰: Hehe~ Soooo… what would we do if I were there???]

 

Kiss. Touch a lot. Please. Xiao is trying incredibly hard to keep himself together and stay reserved, but it is getting shockingly difficult. Gods, he wants to bite the crap out of this plushie. His brain has rolled into the gutter like a phone falling between the bars of a sewer lid, and his hand can’t reach in deep enough to fish it out. But he has got to stay calm.

 

[15:12
Me:  I was thinking cuddles. Maybe I can stroke that kilometers long hair of yours too

15:13
Bunny🐰: Tell me why I thought that was gonna say kilometers long dick 🧍

15:13
Bunny🐰: You can stroke it either way tho

15:13
Me: 💀 STOP MAKING DICK JOKES WHEN I’M TRYING TO BE ROMANTIC

15:13
Bunny🐰: SORRYYYY

15:14
Bunny🐰: *open image*
                Wanna spice up your romance a little tho??🤭

15:14
Bunny🐰: JKJK HAHA SORRY

15:14
Bunny🐰: GOT A LITTLE TOO SILLY SORRY 😭]

 

Oh goodness. Oh lord. Oh—ohh lord.

 

[15:15
Bunny🐰: We could just cuddle and maybe game or something!!!!

15:16
Bunny🐰: You good? 💀 Please don’t make me regret sending that LMAO I can’t undo what has been done 😭

15:17
Bunny🐰: Kitty???? Hello??????

15:18
Bunny🐰: Xiao I WILL cry

15:19
Me: 10/10. Gorgeous. Came instantly, passed out after. Ceiling’s back to white.

15:19
Me: LMAO just kidding bun, but that’s a great angle on you ♥️

15:20
Bunny🐰: HAHA HEEEELP NO WAY 😭😭😭 OKOK I’M GOOD NOW I THOUGHT YOU WERE MAD OR TURNED OFF OR SOMETHING LMAO]

 

The opposite of that, more like. Xiao is staring at the picture Aether sent, dry in the throat, hot in the tummy. Can’t be real. Cannot be real. If this is a dream, I do not wish to wake up.

Never has he seen his best friend arch his back like that, in such a way that it intentionally shows off the curve of his rear. The curtains in his tiny attic roof are drawn, the warm light in the room comes from candles, and his thick, wavy hair is draped so beautifully over his shoulders. It’s almost like a painting, explicitly meant to be pretty.

No one would put that much effort into a silly picture for just a friend, right? Right?!

Even with only half his face on display, the blonde’s expression, that coy little lip bite of his, is nothing short of promising. Or maybe Xiao is just incredibly off the rails and needy, so he’s reading way too far into it and Aether is just doing it because it’s funny, but—gods! He is painfully aware of how deep in the trenches he is right now.

He giggles, gasps in shame, and buries his face in the sheets to curse out loud.

Yes, well, two can play that game, he tells himself bravely, thinking more with his groin than his brain at the moment. He is halfway through propping himself up on his arms and making sure his toned chest shows through his tight shirt when, downstairs, the doorbell rings. It’s barely audible through the howling of the wind and Xiao’s blood gushing in his ears, but the living room door sliding open with an agitated slam confirms there is someone at the door.

He hears his father’s footsteps and catches his grumbling; he calls Zhongli lazy for not doing it instead. He, too, is extra pent up, now that he cannot go to the office or see any of his underlings, pardon, colleagues, face to face.

Nervously, the dark-haired boy puts his phone away and perks his ears.

“Xiao! Get down here right now!”

Ah, fuck. That’s one way to kill the mood… With his stomach tied into a knot, Xiao slumps into the hallway. When he passes Ganyu’s room, he sees she’s got her headphones on, and she seems to be working on her school work. Just in case, he quietly closes her door.

He finds Retuo in the foyer downstairs.

“Afternoon, Father.” He speaks plainly, feigning complete apathy so as to not aggravate his father and earn a dreaded “watch your tone”, or “do not speak to me like that”, or “who fucking raised you, a pack of Hilichurls?” The teen does not understand how he is so abysmal at math when living in his own house requires this level of calculated effort.

“Tsk. What’s with the clothes, where is half of them? I swear, those delinquents you put up with…” Retuo is balancing a soaked package on an arm, his mouth twitching with disdain at the sight of his son. His thick, gray hair is done up in a messy ponytail.

Xiao looks down at himself. Encouraged by Rosaria and Diluc, he has been experimenting a little more with his style—you know, not too plain, but not too intense, trying to find his own thing—and cropped his tight turtleneck by hand to combine with wide black pants and belt chains. He knew he would be judged for it, but he had not intended to leave his room today.

“It’s just the style,” he says. “It’s called alt, I believe.”

“ ‘Alt’—? Kids these days… Put a damn shirt on, you look like a hooker.” Retuo waves it off. “In any case, look what the mail has brought in for you. I would think a kid raised under my roof would know not to go online shopping like a madman when it’s this bad outside.”

Xiao keeps his mouth shut, fidgeting with the rim of his pants. He doesn’t blink too often, and keeps his face neutral. Meanwhile, he fights to remember what he ordered recently that should arrive today—but he is hardly a big shopper, and all he can think of is the birthday gifts he got for Aether and Lumine, well before the storm even hit.

Could it be..? They were delayed because of the weather.

Retuo clicks his tongue in annoyance at the lack of response. “You will never force a delivery man to brave a category four storm for your own needs again, you hear me?” he bites, tossing the package into Xiao’s arms. He barely catches it. “We uphold a proper reputation here. Do try to keep up.”

Wow, thanks. Xiao clears his throat, hiding behind the package. “To be fair,” he says tonelessly, yet annoyed, feeling as though he needs to clear his name, “the storm hit during the processing period and then it was delayed because of it, so I did not technically—”

“Don’t give me backtalk.”

“Sorry.” He says it with reluctance. “I… will be going then. Goodbye.”

Retuo rubs the bridge of his nose, and sighs. His shoulders slump; tired, much akin to an old bear. “.. It’s fine, kid. You can unpack it on the table,” he says, gesturing for Xiao to walk ahead.

“Oh, I have tools in my room too.”

“What, are you allergic to the living room? Am I not allowed to see you anymore, is that it?”

You don’t even like me. Alas, Xiao cannot argue much more without risking war.

His back is tense as he carries the package to the dining table, and he peels the wet cardboard like a banana. Retuo sits down at his makeshift work-from-home desk, messy and full; Zhongli still has not gathered the balls to actually chase him to one of the second floor studies. Xiao feels his father’s gaze pricking into his skin as he unpacks his goodies.

“Such a curious package, my little bird.” Zhongli curiously perks up on the couch, a book about Natlan history on his lap. He’s using his fingers as the bookmark. “What did you get?”

“Nobody asked you anything, Zhongli,” Retuo rumbles from behind his laptop.

Zhongli sighs, but stays quiet.

Hmph. Xiao wishes he would retaliate, petty as it may be. At the same time—his palms are already sweating as is, and his heart feels heavy, so it’s probably good that nothing is escalating. He unwraps the items from their copious amount of bubble wrap; for Lumine, he got a blue necklace to go with the bracelet he got her a couple of years ago. If she still has it.

For Aether, though… Perhaps it’s a little cheesy, but Xiao figured that this would be the most surefire option for a gift that is most definitely romantic in nature: it’s a golden Cecilia hairpin with inlaid Brilliant Diamond leaves, made in Liyue in the style of Liyueren jewelry. It cost him all of last month’s allowance. Because of its strong association with the Mondstadter Windblume festival, the site he got it from advertised it as “the number one most perfect gift for your partner”, and he really hopes Aether makes that connection too.

“Looks expensive.” Retuo’s thick eyebrows slowly sink lower, casting a deep shadow over his prying eyes. “Who did you get that for?”

Shit. “Nobody,” the fifteen year old hastily says, but the thunderous glare that begins to etch into his father’s face tells him to change his mind. “I mean, Aether and Lumine. Their birthday has passed, but I—”

“Aha. And… pray tell, if you would be so inclined, which of the two is the disproportionately better gift for?”

“I, um… They’re not of disproportionate quality, but…” Why does it feel like Xiao can answer this question incorrectly?

He doesn’t even need to, in the end; “Oh, I see. Taking after your whore of a dad, huh. Don’t you dare lead that boy on.”

Xiao bites down on his lip, his heart sinking into the abyss.

On the couch, Zhongli audibly digs his nails into the pages of his book.

“I-I’m not… this is nothing,” Xiao lies, instinctively moving the hairpin out of Retuo’s reach. “Just some stupid pin, I suppose I was thinking of Starsnatch Cliff or something as I browsed the website. It means nothing.”

“Don’t talk to me as though I’m dumb, you brat. You have never offered Lumine such gifts, how could I possibly not connect the dots?” Retuo peers at Xiao through narrowed eyes, just barely over the edge of his glasses, and points an accusatory finger at the gifts. “I doubt that grungy farm kid would even find a use for the nonsense you blow your allowance on, and yet, you continue to do it. I know these little tactics—flattery, ridiculous brothel outfits, expensive gifts that you would never be able to afford without my money. Very reminiscent of the stunts your dad pulled on me. Seduced me quite well, didn’t you, Zhongli?”

“It was mutual,” Zhongli says without missing a beat, his tone flatter than Xiao has ever managed to achieve. “What we have has always been mutual. Xiao, why don’t you take these lovely gifts upstairs with you? You can borrow some wrapping paper from the—”

“Mutual? If I had known what I was getting into before I fell for your desperate siren tricks, I would have known to back away.”

“That is not what you said in our wedding vows.”

Oh no, oh no, oh no. I want to leave, please let me leave. Xiao clutches tightly onto the hairpin, trying to focus on the sound of his breath in his nostrils.

Retuo scoffs. “Well, it’s not like I was ever your first choice, so I don’t see the point of bringing those up. Your heart has always been unfaithful, you bitch. You’re just here for the money and a warm bed.”

“I am here for you and the children. Don’t say things you will regret.”

“Oh, shut up. If you had wanted to choose me, you wouldn’t have adopted a whelp that looks like your dead ex behind my back.”

“.. Let’s keep order in this house, Retuo Longwang.” Perhaps it is only because of Xiao’s presence that Zhongli retains his composure at this point, and Xiao is almost grateful for it. The brunette gets up, smiling fondly as he walks past Retuo. “Don’t take it to heart, little bird, he is just very tired from work. The grind truly never ends, does it, my love?”

Xiao swallows thickly, looking his dad in the eyes with half a heart as he softly strokes his hair.

“These are thoughtful gifts,” Zhongli continues, seemingly finding the hairpin especially interesting, “so I am not sure what your father is getting so incredibly fussy about. You have to be head over heels for someone to do the things I did, and feel the same way about someone to respond the way he did. Take pride in what you do, yes? I see nothing wrong with it.”

He may not be clapping back, but he is most certainly treading a line. Xiao nods nervously.

Under the ominous pressure of Retuo slowly rolling a pen between his fingers, a fiery golden gaze staring at his husband’s back as though he has personally challenged him for his throne and spat on his legacy while he was at it, Xiao pulls away, gathers up his things as fast as he can, and speedwalks to the stairs.

Way to kill the fucking mood.

Groaning, the teen trudges into his room and throws everything on his desk, flopping down face first on his bed. His phone is exploding with Aether’s spamming, but right now, Xiao hasn’t the heart to reply, preferring to continue their lighthearted, tantalizingly dangerous conversation without feeling like he’s committing a crime.

Perhaps he should finally relent and tell Aether, in detail, what is going on at home. It would take away the pressure of always acting like everything is fine enough, so as to not risk losing anything he finds comfort in. But at the same time… not only would he risk everything, but how would Aether feel, knowing there is something going on with someone he cares about that he cannot realistically do anything about?

Xiao knows his beloved; he would want to, and the fact that he can’t would kill him inside.

“I don’t want to put the pressure on you instead,” he whispers sullenly to himself, as his phone screen lights up again and again with Aether’s texts. He smiles, full of affection.

Whatever, in the end it is his own emotional baggage.

I will just have to shoulder the burden alone. Wouldn’t be this hard if Father weren’t such a fucking bitch, anyhow. What was this even about, how did Zhongli play into any of it? What does Retuo care about Xiao’s courting attempts when he barely cares about his wellbeing? Why can’t he just mind his business and leave him alone, why does he always have to pick a fight?

Xiao’s forehead creases in the center, and he sits up. He feels like doing something—anything at all—to show that it is not getting to him (it is, but— no!), and he can still do his own thing no matter how much his father is working against him. He wants to do something rash, just to prove that he will prevail, no matter what happens.

The plan he had concocted before, tempts him a little too well.

Brooding with a combination of anger and fear rivaling the force of the storm outside, Xiao leaps into his desk chair and logs into his computer. Swift as the wind, he tracks down the reviews of the best tattoo parlors in town.

Notes:

When it goes from :DD to :(( very fast but at least xiaother has got to be figuring something out right about now..!! Right? Guys please💔

The new chapter is here! We're heading into the next arc, and I'm definitely gonna need to pick up the pace a bit to stay ahead hehe. As always, thank you guys so much for the support on the previous chapter! I really appreciate it 🥺♡
Also, buckle up everyone, because this arc is gonna be long and rough read :’) We are in for an exceptionally bumpy ride…