Before the night end

I wonder if he ever looked down at me and he's proud of me?

A soft tapping, soft whistling, and the soft dripping of tap water irritated him. However, all the tension he felt faded away as he noticed the bouncing blonde hair and the smiling face he loved so much. He smiled slightly and pushed away from the motorbike that stood behind him and grabbed the blonde who cuddled up to him. He looked at his face and kissed him with feeling at which the slightly shorter boy chuckled and returned the kiss. 

When they finally moved away from each other, the younger one straightened Xiao's hair, who only rolled his eyes at the gesture. Aether, on the other hand, unconcerned, pulled his hair into a light ponytail, releasing a piece of tramps to let them hang slowly against his face. 

"Let's go to the beach, please Xiao!" 

The older one laughed in agreement, causing the blonde to smile wide, who immediately sat down on his property.

How did Aether become the most important person in his life?

 
~~~ 

He looked at the blue sky smiling slightly under his breath. He adjusted the jacket that was on Aether's shoulders, then kissed him on the head, which the younger one pulled back and smiled slightly. Xiao straightened his hair with his free hand and then looked at the sky again, drawing the attention of Aether who also looked there. 

"Aether"

The blonde looked at his boyfriend again with interest written on his face.

"If one day the stars shine brighter," he began, closing his eyes and tilting his head back, "know that one day it will be me. I'll shine the brightest for you."

Aether blinked several times as he tried to shake off the tears that were starting to find their way out. Xiao looked at his face and kissed one of them, grabbed the boy's hand and entwined with his.

"You will only be my brightest star Xiao"

~~~ 

Machines screeching, screams, screams, crying and shock. 

Aether was standing among the nurses who suddenly flew out of room 302 shouting among themselves, "Get a drip!" or "Call a doctor!". He felt an inscrutable fear that paralyzed him to the point where he couldn't move his legs. He felt he was pinned to the floor, as if his legs had been nailed to a board. He wanted to ask something, scream. But he felt his throat knotted like a knot, and all he could make was a soft squeal that he couldn't hear himself.

The only thing he heard was the shrill scream of women and the screams of men who called for an ambulance to be called immediately. The action he had before his eyes went too fast. 

Too fast.

He looked to the side as he heard someone calling his name. When tears ceased to destroy his long-blurred view, he managed to notice his twin sister - Lumine and parents who were running after her, worried about the condition of their son. When the woman finally reached him, she gripped his pale face in her hands, feeling tears streaming into her green eyes. The father was standing next to him, feeling as if he was about to cry in a moment.

"He ... He .."

"Don't cry Aether anymore. Xiao is strong, he will come out of it."

~~~

He sat and looked at his hand lying motionless on the mattress. He was weak and tired and sad. 

With the happiness of a man, he became only his wreckage, his shadow that always followed him.

Ganyu, who had been standing by the blonde for some time, worried about his condition, wiped her tears and then through the window in the door she looked at the green-haired man, Dr. Baizhu, who talked with her and Xiao's fathers. From the worried faces of Zhongli and Childe, only one thing could be expected. 

It got worse and worse.

The blue-haired girl looked at Aether again and then tried to start the conversation with a low voice. 

"A..Aether? You've been sitting here a long time .. Come home, rest please, your parents and Lumine are worried about you .." 

"I can't Ganyu. Sorry," he looked at the girl, who sighed softly. "Can you leave us .. me alone?" 

Ganyu looked at his tired face then left the room without a word. 

Aether looked at Xiao's hand again, which he took and kissed it lightly. 

"Don't leave me, Xiao. There is still so much before the night ends. There is so much that I want to tell you before it ends .."

~~~

Dead.Xiao is dead.

These were the last words that buzzed in the blonde's head as Dr. Baizhu left the Xiao room. Everyone who stood by her stood in shock, some even sobbed. 

However, it was not them who reacted the worst. 

The worst reaction was Aether, who broke free from his parents' hands and burst into the elder's room screaming and crying. 

It couldn't be true. Xiao was strong, he was supposed to get out of it. They were to have a beautiful future in the house of Xiao's grandparents by a beautiful lake, they were to get married, adopt a dog or cat, and maybe even a child. This is what Xiao and Aether wanted. They wanted a common future that had just burst like a soap bubble. 

They didn't even try to get him out of the room. They knew it would be for nothing. He would try to go back there anyway, no matter how many times. It was the last night he could see his face. His lovely face, which he loved so much, now lying limp on the bed with a few rubs and a stitched gash on his cheek. 

The screams he was making were heard by patients all over the hospital that night.  

~~~

Here he is today. 

Almost 30 years old man with a wonderful job, but without a partner by his side. He was sitting in his room one dark night staring at the stars and smiling slightly. 

Lumine, who was standing in the doorway, came with the tea in her hands closer to him, adjusting the blouse and pulling it more over her hands. She looked at the sky and then at her brother. 

"You know Lumine. Sometimes I wonder if he ever looked down at me and he's proud of me?"

Lumine looked up at the sky again and smiled slightly. 

"Aether, He' is definitely proud of you." she said, "Parents and little Yu are waiting for you. Don't keep Ganyu and Keqing waiting too!" she added after a moment leaving the room.

Aether laughed a little then looked up at the sky again noticing one of the stars that shone the brightest of all. He put his hand to the glass and let the air out, which he held in his lungs for a moment. 

"You will only be my brighest star Xiao. I love you, whether you are next to me or not".