To Bask in a Ray of Sunlight: a XiaoAether fanfiction

Chapter 28

•

"I want not a sound out of you regarding this matter."

She slowly paced around his office, the soles of her shoes clacking against the glossed wooden floor. The man only heaved a sigh, anxiously tapping his fingers on the surface of his desk as he was still bewildered by the situation that the Traveler has gotten him into.

"Only Aether knows about 'my' whereabouts, isn't it?" Her amber-colored eyes pierced through his skull, intimidating enough to melt everything it lays upon. Nonetheless, the Harbinger had faced worse. "Indeed, it is."

"The Gateway to Another World will open during the summer solstice."

"...today."

She nodded. "I am sure my plan wouldn't go perfectly......but I trust you with this."

He turned his gaze towards the window, where the soft rays of the sun can be seen peeking out behind the mountain ranges of Liyue.

"I owe Aether a lot, after all."

•

Aether.

"I feel like my inventory is going to burst..." I held the bag above my palm as I felt the unusual weight of the belt over my hip. Paimon only flew around, nervously humming. "The tension from the other side, however," Paimon glanced over to where Xiao and Childe were sitting across the wooden table,"is giving Paimon chills. Oh, don't mind Paimon, Paimon will just hide somewhere...safer." and there she goes, disappearing in a blink of an eye with constellations slowly fading at her last trail. This made Tartaglia chuckled before turning his eyes back on me.

"A heavy inventory? Oh my," Tartaglia laid a palm over his cheek, forming a worried expression on his face. "I can buy you another one if you like." He offered.

"Do you even had a single financial problem your whole life?" Xiao said in his usual tone, yet a bit of annoyance was evident. Despite his intimidating demeanor, I felt a soft tug on my scarf and saw a hand. I took it and gave Xiao's hand a light squeeze--a random assurance.

Tartaglia had obviously saw it yet paid it no mind. "Well, I believe I work hard enough for me not to experience such things." However, he turned to Zhongli who was peacefully drinking his morning tea beside him and wore his playful smile on his lips. "May I hold your hand, Mr. Zhongli?" The confused funeral consultant only raised an eyebrow at him. Still, he raised his hand and let Tartaglia took it with his own. He beamed at Zhongli's consent as Xiao growled. I gladly took the position as a spectator and quietly watched them three.

"I haven't given any blessings for you to be that intimate with him." Xiao scoffed at the ginger. Tartaglia, on the other hand, gave a teasing smile in return. "I don't need you blessings, though?"

"You--"

Loud noises of the two arguing echoed around the four corners of Tartaglia's booked private room of a fine-dining restaurant whose name I can't remember. Fortunately, Zhongli was sitting across me and started a conversation despite the chaos the other two were causing. "Such a shame that we wouldn't be able to stay for a little longer."

I nodded. "Still, it is a memorable journey. My adventures with you were undeniably one of a kind." A chuckle was shared between us amidst the yells of anger from our companions.

Zhongli took a deep breath before he spoke. "I do apologize as I had chosen not to share any information that could've led to your sister."

"I--"