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

I don't deserve it.

"But as for which of the Seven took your sister... I'm sorry, I don't know"

"I cannot say. I understand, but I must apologize. This is my contract"

"Once you've reached the end of your journey as I did, you will see for yourself the true nature of this world"

"Not yet! I haven't reached my journey yet!" – Aether closed his eyes anxiously when the shiny end of the spear was a centimeter from his eyes. – "I want to live!". The darkness surrounded him once again, the same old feeling appeared once he had his eyelids shut closed – the void, the emptiness. However, this time it was different, this time traveler didn't want to stay here – in the realm of coldness, calmness, darkness. The regrets were flashing in front of him, all this journey shouldn't have ended like this, in the moment when he was finally beginning to feel excited about the new day, the moment when he was ready to start a new chapter – a chapter for this world, the moment when the world around the blond finally felt like home. Aether wasn't ready to give up yet, but what was there he could've done? The helplessness felt scary. Those people he will leave behind, those stories he will never be a part of those feelings he will not express – Aether just couldn't accept that it is the end of everything. But the death was following him, like a shadow, ready to spread its hands and grab the boy swallowing him completely.

A split-second, on which traveler's life was dependent, lasted for what felt like eternity, was abruptly interrupted by the ringing noise, which echoed in the back of the mind. This sound was enough to return traveler back, forcing him to open his eyes and admit his destiny. There was no pain – but Aether had known for a long time that it is exactly what it felt like – nothingness – no pain, no emotions, no feelings. The boy opened his eyes the second he heard the noise, as if it was the last moment, he was granted to look at the world that Aether was about to leave, to look at Xiao for the last time.

There was he – standing with his arms down and his body frozen, however his eyes were alive – they were widened from the picture Aether saw before him. Xiao was down on one knee and his arm pulled to the side, panting like he was just running a thousand miles. His mask was gone, revealing the angry and worried expression on his face. Aether heard a cluck from the left and turned there just to witness how the spear that Xiao repelled crashed into the old oak tree, piercing it through. The Yaksha raised his head almost immediately, his eyes full of horror and pure panic met with Aether's.

- Aether! H-How are you? Are y-you hurt? – the trembling voice jumped on high and low pitch, as Xiao was trying to calm his breath and probably his mind as well. Aether didn't answer – he stood there speechless, trying to process what just happened with his mind still doubting that everything before him was real, that he was alive.

The yaksha raised his eyebrows with the plaintive expression frozen on his face. His golden eyes darted between traveler's, looking, no, rather searching for a response, for a reaction, for the answers to his question. However, seeing the shocked expression of the blond made his heart sink instantly. He staggered away, taking several steps back in disbelief of his own actions, his head now looking down at the ground in front of him.

"I nearly killed him right now...He could've died because of me right now, in this instant!" – the Adeptus raised his hand staring at it blankly, tracing the blood sheds that were left from all the fighting he did. His mind was becoming foggy, his head was spinning around, causing the feeling of dizziness appear inside of Xiao.

- You are a living weapon. You are a living weapon. "Please, not now, leave me alone" – the voices gloated around him, singing the words like a happy melody, some of them were screaming, others purely laughing at him. - Now he saw who you truly are, Alatus, and he is terrified by you! – they filled his head, leaving no space for Xiao's consciousness. The dark-haired couldn't take it any longer, he couldn't send them away, and deeply in his heart, he knew that they were right. The way Aether looked at him blankly just now, the way he was frozen to one place, the dark-haired knew what it meant – traveler feared him, he was scared for his life around him. Xiao had to disappear, fade away, dissolve into the air, run away to some place nobody will ever find him. But he couldn't, he couldn't even move a single muscle. – Alatus! – the voices called him playfully. – You've ruined it! You've ruined it again! Listen to us, Alatus!

- ...Ao! – the warm quiet voice was squeezing in the head of the Yaksha, catching his attention almost instantly. -Xiao! – it echoed almost like the dark-haired was alone in the large hall inside of his mind. – Can you hear me? – there was something sweet about it, the sudden warm wave covered Xiao's whole body, interrupting the non-stopping whispers and screams. Adeptus found a flick of strength within him, giving him the courage to fight the evil voices, shut the corrupting thoughts inside down. And he did. The vision started to become clear, as the Yaksha saw a warm light figure kneeling before him.

As his mind was returning back to reality, the dark-haired noticed, that both him and Aether were sitting on the ground and that the blond was calmly caressing his hand while repeating the same words over and over again.

- It's okay, I am okay. – his voice was soft, it sounded almost like a lullaby to the Yaksha's ears, calming him down as he was returning to his consciousness.

- Aether... - he whispered so quietly, afraid that the second he will show traveler that he is back to normal, the other would simply run away.

- Xiao, you came back! I was so worried, you, you just stared at the ground for so long and then you collapsed on it with your hands on your head squeezing it so tightly, that I thought you would just crash it any second! – the blond chattered on one breath. – I was trying to bring you back, but you weren't answering me! – the Yaksha met the amber eyes and his mind felt like it was being electrocuted – the image of the terrified look on Aether's face appeared from his memory, forcing him to remember everything that just happened once again.

- Are you hurt? Did I hurt you? – the same worried expression appeared on Xiao's face. Even a thought of traveler being in pain because of him was overwhelming, terrifying.

- I should be the one asking you that! It wasn't me who fell on the ground unconscious for at least 10 minutes! – the boy laughed awkwardly, trying to reduce the tension of the situation. – I am okay, you saved me!

- I almost killed you. I...- Xiao's voice trembled. – I could've killed you. – the disgust of his own self was written in between the lines of what the Yaksha just said. – I could've... - the boy shrugged to the touch as he felt his face being held from both sides by the ungloved hands of the traveler.

- Xiao, it's not your fault, you did nothing wrong. I was careless for suddenly appearing right in the heat of the battle, anyone would've reacted the same way as you, don't blame yourself for that. – the blond smiled while staring inside the sunset eyes of the other. – But you saved me, you were so fast, even I wasn't able to react on time! – Xiao met the soft eyes of the other with a remorseful expression, if Aether didn't know him better, he would've thought that the boy was about to start crying, however the Yaksha just continued to silently look at the blond.

- I don't deserve your forgiveness. – even through the meaning of these words was heartbreaking, Xiao's tone of the voice seemed calmer and, in some way, even happy. – I don't deserve your kindness. – Aether's eyebrows jumped as he noticed the hint of the smile appear on Xiao's face. In instant, his heart filled up with joy and happiness, his stomach filled up with butterflies who tickled his whole body from inside.

- Remember it the next time you grumble at me for taking you to the Liyue Harbor to do commissions! – he laughed cheerfully, patting the Yaksha on his shoulder. – So, it's getting late, wanna return to Wangshu Inn? – Aether stood up and put his hand up for the Adeptus to lean on it, worried that the other was still feeling unwell after losing consciousness. Xiao looked at him with a confused expression on his face, lifting one of his eyebrows to the blond, but, to traveler's surprise, nodded and accepted the hand, leaning on it lightly while standing up. Pleased with the unusual reaction to his actions,  Aether started walking with the satisfied smile not leaving his face, while the other stood there in silence, observing how the blond was getting further and further away from the domain.

"The next time... - warm and unfamiliar feeling rushed through Xiao's heart. – I really don't deserve you, Aether."