You've begun to feel like home. Xiao x Aether.

Just this one time.

In a second they both were sitting inside Aether's room in Wangshu Inn. Traveler's breathing was becoming calmer, and the pain was diminishing within seconds. For this time, Xiao still was holding Aether in his arms, waiting for him to calm down.

- Aether, repeat with me. Breath in, one, two, three, breath out. Again... - Aether did everything Xiao told him to, which was actually helping him to calm the pain. The storm outside was still going on outside, but the fact that they were inside did make it easier to cope with the pain for the blond boy. After yet another minute's traveler was already feeling much better, now noticing how close he had been with Xiao's face this whole time, making him blush a little. The fact, that cold gloved hands were still resting on his shoulder wasn't helping as well.

- I'm okay. – Aether finally said. It seemed like the Yaksha did not believe him, as his hands were still holding on to him and his eyes still focused on blonde's face. – Xiao, I'm okay. – the boy repeated himself to assure the Yaksha yet once again with his words.

This time Xiao heard his words and blinked a few times, realizing the position they were in, then quickly standing up and taking a few steps back. the yaksha turned his head to the side, looking at the ground a bit embarrassed of his own moves, which was left unnoticed to the traveler.

Aether carefully stood up, one hand holding the back of his neck, where the scar was. He was genuinely thankful for the help of Xiao, for saving his life, but at the same time he was embarrassed of the fact, that the dark-haired boy saw him in such weak state, not being able to kill a simple Thunderhelm Lawachurl.

"He must think how weak I really am right now, - Aether thought with sad look on his face, - "He must think that I am pathetic, not capable of handling a simple battle on my own. No wonder he was so annoyed last time, he probably saw the scratches and thought how embarrassing of him it was to be friends with me." – these thoughts were eating the boy up, his eyes were filled with tears, but he could not possibly let the Yaksha to see him crying.

- I'm sorry. It must have been troublesome for you to save me; I know you were busy today. Not to mention how pathetic I probably look in your eyes right now. – Xiao finally looked at the blonde boy and his eyes widened, when he saw Aether looking down with tears running down his cheeks to the wooden floor. This painful scene made the Yaksha's heart ache, as if hundred arrows were shot in his chest. Without second thought, he came up to him and wrapped his arms around Aether.

Caught in surprise, Aether just stood there for a couple of seconds, not even knowing what to do. The pain he felt in his body didn't matter right now, nothing did – not the battle with Raiden Shogun, not the civil war in Narukami Island, not even the meeting with his sister – his mind went completely blank, leaving the calm silence, which he had been looking for the past few months. He finally wrapped his hands around the wet cold body, holding on to his back, millions of butterflies flying in his stomach.

- Never. – Xiao spoke under his breath near the ear of Aether, which made his body shiver. – Never say such things. – such a short phrase was enough for the blond boy to start crying into the shoulder of the other.

- I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. – just hearing these words made Xiao's grip even tighter, making wrinkles on Aether's clothes.

The Yaksha didn't know what exactly the reason was he apologized for, nor the reason he was in such pain due to the lightning, but he put it aside for now. he was right from the beginning – something happened in Inazuma, something so terrifying, that even strong traveler could not handle it. The sympathy Xiao felt for him was so strong, that he decided to let him do what he felt was right in this exact second, not caring about the karmic debt that could affect him. This one time he let himself freely hold the blond boy tight to himself, comfort Aether in a way he would always want somebody to do to himself.

After few minutes, Aether stopped crying, and Xiao heard a soft and calm breath near his ear. Slowly putting his head away, Yaksha found that the boy felt asleep, his cheeks still glowing with the remaining teardrops, the area around his eyes slightly red and hair wet from the rain.

"So beautiful." - Xiao thought, carefully touching his face to remove the wet tear stains from it. Then he realized what he just thought and red paint covered his face. He cursed himself for even thinking that, while slowly lifting Aether on his hands and putting him on the bed, covering his body with the blanket. Aether grabbed the blanket with his hands, wrapping it around him as he was hugging it, still sound asleep. He looked so calm, so happy when he was sleeping, so Xiao could not help but stare at him for a couple moments.

The Yaksha bent down to Aether's face and whispered under his breath, - wherever you are, whatever you are facing, just call my name and I will come. I will always come, Aether. – then he turned around and teleported out of the room.

With green and black smoke, the dark-haired landed on the top of a mountain, sitting down on the rock, not caring about the rain that was still pouring cats and dogs. His head was spinning, his heart was filled with new and unknown emotions, which he did not know how to cope with. He was mad, mad because the boy didn't tell him anything about the burden he obviously carries on his shoulders from his trip to Inazuma. He was grateful, grateful that he accidently ran into Verr Goldet, who told him about the commission and that Aether went there to deal with monsters, after which Xiao immediately left to look for the traveler, but at the same time he was furious, that Aether did not call his name to come and save him, to help him deal with the monsters. But most certainly he was sad, sad because it hurt to see traveler in a state he is right now – broken, tired, injured. So many emotions suddenly appeared in Xiao's heart the moment he saw Aether after the long journey he was on, and the poos Yaksha did not know what to do with them, how to sort them out, nor did he understand what it meant to have so many mixed feelings about someone. The only thing he knew for sure – regardless his willingness to stay by Aether's, despite his needs to see his face and his smile, to listen to his stories and hear his laugh, he should stay away from him. Ha has to, for Aether, for his safety. Traveler was already hurt, Xiao did not know how, but he was, and the burden, the memories were haunting him these days, bothering him with the Yaksha's presence would only worsen his state. Xiao's karmic debt in addition to this would ruin him completely, would cause him even more pain than the one he is in right now – and this is the last thing Xiao would want to do to traveler.

"I learned my lesson long time ago. – a few raindrops landed on the Yaksha's face. – I won't come close to you. Everyone I cared about were in constant pain, all of them died because of me, but I won't allow this to happen again, especially to you." – Xiao did not know why, but Aether was the only person who made him feel something, something unknown to him – warmth, uneasiness, sadness, worry. And he would do anything what's in his power to protect traveler, even if it meant to forbid himself to see him, touching him, feeling him. That is his burden, his curse, which cannot be broken, nor can it be destroyed. Xiao knew all of that, but why did he still felt like his heart just got torn to a hundred pieces?