Another day Another Love Story {Xiao x Aether}

'You want to get mar-'

bro say what, cringe. anyway

Aether POV

"Aether?"

I opened my eyes being half awake. "Hmm" I hummed while nestling my head into his neck. Xiao got up and I nearly fell. He paced around the room for a minute, his ears bloody red. "Xiao?"

He looked at me, then walked over and stood in front of me while I sat on the bed.

"Aether, we've known each other for a while now, and... you make me really happy. You make me feel like I'm allowed to love someone. I've been too scared to uh... what I mean is.." Xiao was lost in thought, I was confused.

Is he worried about the war? He shouldn't have to be, gods if only I never-

"Tomorrow isn't always promised." Xiao said, I looked up and he was on one knee, "Xia-"

"And given what is happening, I don't know if ill see you after this week. If- If you leave me... please Aether, I love you." He pulled a ring out of his pocket, a star-shaped gem (this is an actual gem in genshin.) with a silver band with swirls around the gem. It was small enough to fit under my glove. Paimon, she knew.

"Please, Aether will you marry m-"

"Yes!" I didn't even give him time to finish the sentence.

I tried to move but Xiao was quicker. He pulled me into a kiss, "You know..." I said breaking away from him, "I was going to propose this week... But lost the ring during the incident." I said crying happily.

"No, you didn't!" I looked up and saw Paimon holding my ring for Xiao in her hands. I laughed, "Paimon went back and found it," She flew over and placed it in my hand. Xiao was smiling, "Xiao will y-"

"I will." I laughed, "Now you're cutting me off." I placed the ring on his finger and he kissed me again.

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Xiao POV

I placed Aether in the bed. I stared at the ring he had on his finger, he took the glove off all on his own and didn't hesitate at all. I moved my left hand under him, he was resting on my arm, "Is this what happened to your earring?" I said brushing his hair with my fingers, the ring was blue, Anemo. I fell asleep next to him, next to my fiancé.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aether left with Paimon to find his sister and I stayed to help the mortals prepare for war. None of them are used to the cold, but the snow storms give us good cover.

Our plan right now is to have archers on the hills, each group must be accompanied by someone who has a Pyro Vision. Amber is on the left and Yoymiya is on the right side of the hills. Each getting ready to attack. Those with Polearms are placed on the front lines separated into 3 groups one with Toma, Hu Tao, and Xiangling being the Pyro users. Behind us are the sword users with Bennet as their source of heat and a few from Inazuma. Yanfei will be in charge of keeping a heat source where there isn't one. The two Pyro claymore users, Diluc and Xinyan are on the inside, just in case any enemies break our formation.

The Hydro and Electro users are split into pairs, so they have a better chance of activating an elemental reaction. While those with a Geo shield are spread out similar to how the Pyro users are.

Cryo users are on standby, along with the Anemo users. Minus me, venti and Jean.

I am my own group, everyone has already been told Aether and I will fight side by side since he isn't affected by my karma and can bring me back if I go too far.

It took us 5 days to go over this plan with Kokomi, while we were going over our last chance to make any changes, Aether came through the tent. No one uttered a word until Ei spoke up, "Traveler how were your travels?" Aether looked up, he was angry. "Fine," he said, his voice echoing in the quiet tent. "How are the plans going?" he asked, walking up next to me, he's angry and upset something happened.

Kokomi started going over it one last time, "It's a good plan..." Aether said thinking, "But it's best to have the archers placed behind the enemy. Where they can't see them and it leaves little room for error when it comes to hitting our own troops." Kokomis eyes widen, she looked at the plan and then back at Aether. "My father will come back in the same position he left in, have the archers in the back and have them prepare to fight the enemy archers. They will be stationed here." he pointed to a spot on the map. "Where are we going to be placing the injured?" He asked.

"We plan on taking them out of Dragonsp-"

"No, that won't do that'll take too much time and it'll take too many soldiers off the field. Here.." He pointed to the body of Durin, "Inside here is Durin's beating heart, it is warm in there and only has one exit which is behind our army, it's perfect. Close and no need for a Pyro user to keep everyone warm." Aether said looking up. "I agree!" Kokomi said smiling. "I didn't know you were such an expert at war-" she paused, "Sorry... I know this isn't your first." Aether shook his head no. "It's alright, it's not your first either."

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Ei and I were still in the tent with Aether. "Your sister?"

"I found her." He said looking down. "What she say?" Ei asked.

"That she won't help, she said and I quote. 'Good, let Teyvat get what it deserves.' how could she... When I mentioned-" He looked at me, Aether was upset, I hugged him. "It's ok... we don't need her." Aether nodded while digging his head in my shoulder.

I looked to EI while hugging Aether, she nodded and left. I teleported Aether to our room at the Inn. "Sit," I said, Aether sat on the bed and I sat next to him. "What happened?" I asked, Aether looked at me with tears in his eyes. He then laid down on the bed, covering his eyes with his arm. "I told her everything, about our father, the war, and.." He paused. "And us... but she said she didn't care. H-how could she not care? I'm engaged and she doesn't care??"

I laid down next to him, "Aether.."

"Mm"

"I don't care what she thinks, we could.." I stopped talking to think, then I found myself playing with Aethers braided hair. "Lie saying that she's fighting. I could be the deco-"

"No." Aether said cutting me off.

"You will do no such thing." He said sitting up and wiping the tears from his face. I sighed and closed my eyes, I felt Aether lay back down. I opened my eyes and saw him staring at me, "We could lie.." I said. I looked at Aether's ring finger, he was wearing his gloves but had his ring on top. I moved his hand to my mouth and kissed it. "I don't want you to get hurt." Aether sighed. "I won't Aether." He nodded

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~One week later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once more a week passed, we were all on the battlefield, and without warning the stars started to fall. Aether and I were together, Aether is the only one that can calm my karma, and it's safer for the others if it's just the two of us fighting Aether's father. I looked at him while he was looking up at the brightest falling star, "I love you." I whispered knowing Aether couldn't hear me.