Genshin Impact BL DISCONTINUED

Something in common (Diluc/Aether)

My past days were a bit of a rollercoaster, so here's a chapter about depression, understanding, compassion and healing. Even if sometimes there is no happy ending.

I know that there are some mistakes, but I was way too lazy to correct them. Sorry!

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"...I hope some day... I'll make it out of here ....even if it takes... all night or a hundred years....need a place to hide, but I can't find one near....wanna feel alive....outside I can't fight my fear....", sometimes when the darkness had enveloped them and Paimon was fast asleep, Aether just watched the night sky, every twinkling star up there and tried to breathe again. He felt suffocated, crushed between the weight of his heart and the sorrow of his soul. Sometimes he hummed a tune he remembered from his childhood in the hope to feel a little closer to Lumine, sometimes like today he sang whatever was on his mind softly. Over the last few weeks, a song emerged from it that he would never let anyone hear. Aether had enough. Enough of the endless search, enough of the endless tasks, the long journeys, the lonely days and even lonelier nights. The day on which he had seen her, on which Lumine had simply left after all this time, this day had squeezed the last spark of life out of Aether's lungs. What was the point of this journey if she didn't want to return to him? Return home with him? What was the point if she didn't want to hold her own brother in her arms after all this time? All the months? The years?
Aether knew for a long time that his feelings, his mood had taken a dangerous way down, that he would have had to be careful not to get lost, but in this moment, in these nights he didn’t care at all. And if the stone ground beneath him had wanted to engulf him, he would have welcomed it. Everything. He would have welcomed anything that would have relieved him of pain for a moment, for a second.

"You're alreaaaady awake?", Paimon asked and looked at Aether rather reproachful, yes, she had the feeling that something was wrong, but hoped that it would be improved through occupation, chatting and especially, food. Maybe more rest. She hadn't noticed that he almost never slept anymore, only that it didn't seem to be much, just as he hardly seemed to eat anything.
"Hmh, I don't want to waste too much time, after all, we'll be pretty busy today.", a sentence that Aether had often said in the last few weeks, no matter if it was true or not. 
"Will we? Paimon doesn't remember any plans for today..."
"I told you we'll have to collect some resources. Dandelions, Sweetflowers, Sunsettias, Iron chunks, slimes and different types of wood. To get all that we will be on the road all day, but don't worry, I have already prepared lunch for you and if you want to rest, just slip into my backpack, I'll carry you."
"...ehuh...Paimon can't wait to see what you made for lunch!"
Aether simply nodded expressionless. He tidied up his bedroll and went to begin today's journey at the nearest teleporter.

-

Hours later, Paimon took a nap inside the backpack after eating her lunch in one go. Several times she had suggested that Aether would take a break, but he never agreed. It was uncomfortable between all the collected resources, but the sleepiness after eating was enough to make her fall asleep in just a few seconds. Paimon didn't hear the blond's low humming, nor the tormented sound he made after his legs gave up to carry him. She didn't hear the quiet sobs he couldn't suppress when he was forced to rest  leaning against a tree, nor how he cursed himself as his legs trembled heavily when he wanted to get up again. It wasn't the first day that went like this. It was one of many. One of many for weeks. And one of many for weeks in which he would just continue at some point, no matter how much he had to fight against the fatigue, the soreness of his muscles, the dryness of his throat.
And one of the many days in which he would wake up plagued by nightmares after only a few minutes, even if he could hardly bear the exhaustion. Even if he actually didn't want to wake up anymore.