Immortal | Aether x Venti | Genshin Impact

Long talks

Third Person's POV

After everything was said and done, things just continued on happily. Venti and Zhongli continued to discuss about everything, including what they're doing in their present days, hobbies, and basically introducing themselves over again. 

The tension was now completely gone and the room was just filled with this cheery atmosphere that even the waiters and waitresses smiled at it. They kept talking and talking, Venti would sometimes joke around that would even make Zhongli laugh. 

They agreed to avoid the past since it would just bring on misunderstandings, arguments, sadness, and would just make the atmosphere all serious and tense again. And knowing that would happen, naturally they would avoid it no matter what. The past is past. No reset button to get back to it. You just move on, improve, and get better.

Of course they would know all about that. Them being immortal, archons, gods, or whatever, they'd know full well how all of that feels. So, they're basically used to it by now. Granted, it did leave them a scar that would forever be painful if they'd remember it, but seeing how nice and good being in the present feels like, it was basically healing them. As well as their new partners and new people they can feel comfortable with.

On the other hand, we have Aether and Childe who was walking back to Liyue. Childe was just consoling Aether on what he was going to do. Asking questions, giving advice, and telling light-hearted jokes to kind of ease his worries. Which indeed worked but, Aether couldn't stop thinking about what he was going to do after that. 

Thinking about whether or not he messed up, or whether Venti has already lost feelings for him and all that. Due to his panic, he said everything in his mind and thoughts out loud, which then means that Childe heard every single detail and word. And him seeing how his friend was panicking so much, he just comforted him and listened to him rant on and on.

They were quite slow on the way back because of Aether partially freaking out and Childe using different things to distract Aether from what he was thinking about so seriously. But, these distractions didn't work as Aether was so focused that he didn't even pay attention to Childe at all. Well, he still followed the road to the way back at least.

Now, they both enter Liyue once again, and Childe just held Aether by the arm to try and drag him away from bumping into people, but at the same time leading him to the destination too. 

"H-hey, we're getting close so, can you... shut up and talk in your thoughts instead?" Childe whispers at Aether who was still saying everything out loud, but due to this comment, Aether stopped talking out loud and he shut up indeed.

Childe then nods, seeing Aether obediently following what he asked him to do. As he then let go of his arm, scared with what his partner might think if he saw him basically dragging Aether so roughly. He then opened the door to Liuli Pavilion, only to be greeted by a warm atmosphere.

Zhongli and Venti were just talking and laughing, filling the air with a calming atmosphere that almost made him want to just sit down and maybe take a light nap. He then taps on Aether's shoulder, who was behind him still thinking intently, telling him to come in already. Aether nods and also gets greeted by the same feeling.

"Pretty..." Aether says, mumbling but Childe perfectly heard it. At first, he wondered what Aether thought was so pretty. He thought maybe the wallpapers, the nice decoration, the furniture, hell even the waitresses but, he looked at what Aether was looking at and it suddenly seemed so clear.

He was calling Venti pretty. His eyes were basically hearts, and his mouth was just open so slightly. This sort of reaction made Childe laugh a little, completely disrupting the atmosphere and making Venti and Zhongli flinch in surprise. They then look to where the laugh came from. 

Only to see Childe standing at the door way, scratching his head, looking as if he was feeling guilty in breaking the atmosphere. Zhongli then simply smiles at him sweetly that he feels as if he fell in love all over again. Zhongli then raises his hand in front of him and waves, gesturing to come to him. And Childe did go indeed. He immediately sat down next to him. 

Meanwhile, Aether was just left at the door way, having absolutely no clue on what to do. He looked at Venti, but every time he did, he couldn't stop blushing. He was pacing, back and forth, worried about what to do. Venti then smiles at him and also gestures him to come sit next to him. Aether simply breathes in, and then breathes out, calming down afterwards and then sitting down next to Venti.

With this, they four of them have been reunited and mostly all long talks were finished. No more seriousness, no more questions to be asked, no more things to be explained, and what remained was just the seemingly happy future ahead of the four of them. Well, currently, Aether isn't included there because he was still busy worrying about what to do.

Not only did he misunderstand Venti's confession, he also deemed and assumed it was 'platonic'. Which he was worried about hurting Venti's feelings so much that he would stop loving him completely. 

He gripped on the artifact that he got, also thinking about when to give it to Venti. But seeing as how things are going, he was thinking that maybe now was not the right time to do it. Maybe as a gift? A birthday gift? A valentines gift? And kept going back and forth at all the thoughts he's worried about. Giving a temporary answer to all of them so that he could just keep calm and look normal as possible.

Venti then notices him, looking anxiously and was also worried at what had happened between him and Childe. He looks back at Childe and, the boy seemed to be doing okay, happily talking with Zhongli. So what did happen to make Aether look like this? 

The only thing that's left is for them to have a long talk with each other.