All for you

Water

Aether: Can Paimon come or do you want me to send her somewhere maybe?

Xiao: I want you alone if that's possible...

Xiao looked at Aether with an unfazed look on his face as he stated his sentence. Aether's grip on the bag of reward from the guild thightned up due to the stress he had. The thought of being alone with Xiao always made him nervous without knowing why.

Aether: Okay will do!

He left to go find Paimon who was probably eating with the chef of the Inn.

Xiao looked at the lake he has seen everyday for all these years. From the highest balcony of the Inn, here he was watching over Liyue for centuries.

He already mourn the fact that he would probably never or rarely come back here. But looking at it again was always bringing him back. It was from here that he saw that bard in mondstat... this stranger saved his life, saved him from his karmic dept. It was from here that he watched over the traveller since he knew him. Yes, he did ask Aether to call out his name if he faced danger but each time the fight was getting more intense, a certain yaksha was always « walking by ».

He smiled and closed his eyes, tilting his head down.

He would miss Liyue.

____

Aether: Let me open my eyes now. It's getting longg

Xiao: We are still not there, be patient.

Aether: Aghh-

His foot kept tripping over the rocks there was on the ground. The blindfold he had was keeping him from walking normally.

He reached for Xiao's arm.

Aether: Archons, have you never leaded a blind person? Give me your hand.

Xiao looked back at Aether who was reaching out his hand with a serious look on his face. Well, the visible part of his face.

He was glad that the blond couldn't see at that moment. Cause he was probably so red that it would have been embarrassing.

After a few minutes of walking hands in hands, they finally got where Xiao wanted and he undid Aether's blindfold, slowly.

Aether: Why are you doing everything to make me loose my temper toda- W-woah-

He looked at the scenery before his eyes in awe as Xiao walked beside him, proud of the reaction he earned.

Xiao: After years of living on the same nation, you discover secret places like this...

They were on a cave that looked like a normal one at first. But if you walked for a while in it, you could come here, to an underground lake who was getting the water from a fall that was meters and meters long. The air was fresh and you could say that you were on the surface. Animals and some insects lived here too making the place even more lively.

Xiao: Do you like it?

Aether couldn't answer, he just walked to the water and looked at it, seeing his reflexion on the blue water. This water didn't even had the same color as the surface one, like someone have cast a spell on it.

He saw another reflexion come by his side to replace his braid on his shoulder and play with his hair a little.

Aether: I love it so much...

He turned around to Xiao with sparks in his eyes, looking as innocent as an angel. Xiao promised himself to never forget how beautiful the light from the insects were reflecting on Aether's body. His hair looked even more golden then normal.

Aether: Are you okay? You're staring...

Xiao: I- uhm...

Aether got up and walked in the water without getting any clothes off. Once he was wet to his knee he turned on himself and dared Xiao to come get him before he started running away and swim.

Xiao did got his shoulder pad and his shirt off before jumping to find Aether who was already sitting on a rock by the fall, waving at him with a big smile.

Xiao: I didn't knew you were that fast... and what are you gonna do now with wet clothes like that huh?

Aether: Don't talk, ur pants are wet too.

As soon as Xiao sat beside him, Aether pushed him back in the water and jumped after him.

Xiao: I shouldn't let my guard down around you i swear-

He was cut off by a wave coming from the other.

Aether: Come on now, you don't wanna fight me? How kind of-

It was now his turn to get under water due to a wave he couldn't possibly escape. Once he got out of the water he heard a giggle. It surprised even Xiao.

It's when Aether looked at him with wide eyes that he stopped and started blushing instead.

Xiao: What.

Aether: Your... you were...

The blond covered his face to his nose in the water, still staring at the adeptus in front of him.

____