🎐💫Lanterns|Xiaother one shots| COMPLETED (BEING RE-WRITTEN)

Praying to Celestia♡(Slight Angst)

Request by @sleepy-days OK- I HOPE I UNDERSTOOD THE ASSIGNMENT- I ADDED MY OWN SPIN TO IT- MAY MAKE THIS A FULL ASS STORY BUT IDK..//

"TRAVELER-" Xiao reaches a hand out as Aether jumps in front of him. Aether turns to him with a sad smile. Suddenly a  large beam of searing light pierces the atmosphere.

What the hell.. Xiao looks around as his vision begins to uncloud. He coughed, rubbing the side of his head. What just happened? and where was..

"Aether?" Xiao immediately stood up looking around for a sign of the beautiful blond. Where had he gone..

Now that he thought of it- it was silent. Dead silent. The battle that had previously roared between the siblings was gone. It was peaceful, too peaceful.

Xiao feels his heart drop as he steps on something making it burst like glass. He lifts his foot and looks down, his face immediately dropping. He falls to his knees picking up a singular earring, now dull and drained of color.

It was Aether's.. No no no no this isn't real. Where was he? Where had the blond gone?

Xiao feels tears drench his face as he reminiscences in past memories. He runs a hand against the statue in front of him. It was a statue of his lover, stoney and cold.

It was a beautiful yet sad sight. A statue made for the traveler, the savior of Tevyat, the boy who had sacrificed his life for this world. He ran a hand along the base of the statue, tracing his fingers against the slightly faded nameplate.

He bows his head, taking a deep breath. He started to pray. He wasn't exactly sure why- maybe it was the overwhelming amount of sadness he felt or maybe it was the longing for Aether's warm embrace.

He prayed to Celestia to bring his lover back, to help him through this grief. He just wanted to be loved by someone again..

"Aether.. Please- I miss you" The adeptus murmurs pressing his head against the statue's base.

"I've missed you too" a warm voice whispers, a smile tainting it's words.

Xiao gasps flinching. Was he imagining this? He slowly turned to see where the voice had come from.

There in one of the grassy fields of Teyvat stood Aether, crystal-like wings sprouting from his back and his braid swaying softly in the spring breeze.

Xiao felt his breath hitch- this couldn't be real- his traveler was dead, his lifeless earring still hung in his left ear. He reaches up to touch the earring.

"Aether.. You- your.."

"Hello, sunshine" The blond chuckles softly.

Xiao immediately runs forward, tackling him to the ground in the tightest hug he had managed in millennia.

The traveler squeaks, his entire body being crushed by Xiao as the adeptus holds him close. Xiao soon pulls back to stare at him, tears dripping down his face onto the boy below him.

"You're real, right?" Xiao asks, his hands sliding to both of Aether's cheeks to observe his face. The blond nodded, letting out a strained giggle as Xiao straddled his body.

Xiao wordless finds himself grasping Aether close, smashing his lips against the other in desperation, as if he would disintegrate under his grasp.

Aether returns the kiss, his hands tangling into Xiao's hair. The blond finally let his tears fall. In truth, he really had died but.. By some miracle he found his way back to Tevyat. He wasn't sure himself if he was alive or dead but all that mattered was the man kissing him.

Xiao falls back in the grass, unable to let go of Aether. The blond smiled pressing himself close to Xiao. Both felt tears run down their cheeks, making their hair stick down.