Stay With Me~ |Xiaother|

Hope for better tomorrow... (8)

It's been over 4 months since they have started looking for Aether. Nothing was found. But he couldn't possibly just disappear as if he never existed. Childe's hope faded as days passed by but Xiao...he wasn't able to give up. It took so much effort for him to get closer to Traveler. He never cared for such things or tried to do his best getting closer to somebody as if it was a battle on which the fate of the whole world depended. But in the end it meant nothing since his beloved ditched him and was not to be found.

"It's useless." Said Childe as he sat down after days of walking.

He looked up to see a cold gaze of Yaksha met his eyes. It was all he needed to know. It ensured him that Xiao didn't give up... won't give up for the time being. The always sullen and lonely adeptus next to the blond man was a completely different person. Instead of a stoic face and indifferent eyes looking at everything lifelessly, next to him...he was curious, wanted to understand Aether's feelings and behavior, wanted to get closer to him. And this was something wonderful. The same Yaksha who had always pushed everyone away was now doing everything to keep this boy with him. Zhongli and Tartaglia were there to help him do it.

Ajax thought for a while and something come to his mind."Sumeru..." The ginger said. It made dark-haired boy take his attention on to the Fatui Harbinger."We sill have Sumeru...it's the last place for us to visit and see if he's here." He replied when he saw in the boy's eyes confusion."What are you waiting for?" Tartaglia heard as he closed his eyes.

He opened them immediately and saw Atalus already walking away. He got up and ran towards him. As he finally grabbed his hand and breathed heavily."I don't wanna slow you down...but you know...the way to Sumeru...is...opposite direction?" He said as he laughed lightly still taking deep breaths. Xiao turned around and walked forward not waiting for Childe.

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When they crossed the border between Liuye and Sumeru they gave each other look."Any specific plan?" Asked Ajax."Look for Aether." Yaksha simply announced and moved forward. Wow, how originally. Tartaglia though to himself.

"This plan of yours is going to get us killed you know that?" With those words ginger got the attention of Xiao."What do you except me to do, ask you for advice in making new one?" adeptus replied."Okay, we're just going to do it my way." Fatui Harbinger sighted."You mean the way that has literally never worked before? At all?" Drak-haired boy mocked him.

"I-...What are you talking about? All my plans-" Ginger couldn't say what he wanted as he go cut in the middle of what he way saying."Are total failures." Xiao ended his sentence."And why is that?" Tartaglia tried he's best to prove he was right." 'Why?' Do I really need to give you exact example for you to understand how awful you are at making plans?" Yaksha faced him.

"Then find at least one sample of me having a bad plan?" Childe argued."Ignoring Aether to make him worry and then approaching him like nothing ever happened to make him more clingy." Alatus spoke."Just once it didn't work the way it was supposed to and you saying that all my plans are useless." Ajax fought."Trying to manipulate Zhongli to get his gnosis, fighting with Traveler in the Golden House. There's more, do you want me to continue?" Conqueror of Demons said not sparing Fatui a single glance.

"We'll do it your way then." Said defeated ginger. "Anyway, wandering around in place you don't know is a waste of time." Fatui harbinger continued."The sooner we find local people the better."

They wandered till the sunset. As they were about to find a place for camp they heard someone coming closer to them. Then Alatus felt that someone bumped into him. When they turned around to see who it was, he eyes saw a little green-haired girl. As the ginger saw her he smiled and came closer to her.

"Hey there!" He said as his smile got bigger."Hello. Can I help you?" She replied."Actually yes. Have you perhaps seen a short boy with long blond hair? Usually he would tie them in braid. He has amber eyes. He usually would wear shirt witch cut exposing his stomach, big pants witch are supported by belt. On his hands you could see gloves and as for his feet he would wear shoes witch go all the way up to his knees." Fatui Harbinger said with hope she may know something about Traveler whereabouts.

"Could you tell me what is his name?" Asked girl.From the way she said it they could tell she knew something."It's Aether" Said Xiao as he begun to get feeling she has some information that might be important for them."Well, I'm sorry but I don't know him nor have I seen anyone like that." Replied green-haired girl.

At the same time she said it her look wandered towards the place she was heading to. With her eyes looking around from one direction to another she made it clear to both of them that she was keeping something from them.

"Are you sure? He's quite well known." They pressured her hoping she would say something more but it didn't work."I'm sorry but I can't help you. Besides I have important matters to do so if you excuse me." She replied after a while with fake smile. As she said it she headed towards her previous direction. They waited for a while and followed her but they lost her as they were is Sumeru for the first time and didn't know where to go.

The moment Xiao realized she disappeared from his view he knew he made mistake by not stopping her in the first place. They finally had chance to get closer to Aether yet they ruined it. As Yaksha was lost in his thoughts blaming himself for what happened he suddenly felt hand on his shoulders. When he looked up he saw Childe with that strange smile of his. Something was not right. They lost their trop of the only person that could get them to Aether and he was smirking like that?

"Head up!" Said Tartaglia. His face looked as if he found a new toy he wanted to play with. Like a predator that saw a perfect prey and was already planning on how to get it or more like a maniac...killer that found a new victim and started imagining how he kills and tortures that person.

"We may have lost her...but don't forget that we'll still find her over again, no matter how far she runs or how many time she hides." As he said that he looked Xiao straight in his eyes. "And when we do we might as well claim we found your runaway lover."
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They were travelling around Sumeru for next few weeks. Even thought they were tired they were too motivated to take rest. After all hey haven't been this close to Aether for more than 8 months now.

Slowly as they made no effort in two weeks they started to feel as if they failed again. They planned to go back as they heard of place they didn't know. It was village in the forest that they passed next to as they first came to the Sumeru. That was the only place they haven't checked. If they were to find that girl for sure would be there.

Without thinking to much they went towards Gandharva Ville.
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- 1290 words