The Spark [Xiao x Aether]

Awakening V

"So eager to keep going each and every time, aren't you? If you could just give up everything would be so much easier. Now, let yourself fall deep within the abyss, and don't try fighting it back. You'll be doing us all a huge favor. Even if you do manage to live, what then? Eventually, everything will be burnt to ashes all because of you. Your mental state will be worse than ever and cause everyone a great amount of damage. Close your eyes and accept your already written future. There's nothing in this world worth you seeing. You had enough here." A female voice echoed through the traveler's head repeating these same words over and over.

Aether could still feel his body falling down from the sky but he couldn't do anything about it. He wasted all his energy on the strange shadow entity. The voice in his head kept fading away the closer he got to the ground.

As intense as the situation was, he wasn't afraid. He knew he wasn't going to hit the ground and die. He smiled and started to admire the sky of Teyvat for some time as wind started to mess up his hair making it move in all different directions.

It took some waiting but after some moments the boy felt a gentle pair of hands wrap around him and the wind curtain suddenly stopped as he got teleported to a different location on the ground.

He didn't doubt his lover with this, he was willing to entrust his life to the other at any point in time no matter what.

"I told you to be careful." The Yaksha spoke as he let go of the blonde, letting him fall roughly onto the ground. "I feel like no matter how many times I try to keep you safe you never listen. You could've called me to help you fight."

"Xiao...you know I don't want you to be in danger."

"I feel the same about you. If you keep putting yourself in danger like this all the time you'll suffer great consequences. What if I hadn't caught you?"

The blonde supported himself with his arms and sat up trying to act tough.

"We have known each other for so long that I know I'm safe with you even when we aren't together. I'd do the same for you if you were dying in a whole other world." He tried making the Adeptus worry less but it didn't seem to be working. The concern on his face just grew.

Xiao sighed and kneeled down close to the traveler's face and started inspecting his body making sure there weren't any terrible injuries. He seemed to have forgotten about the blonde's healing ability. Aether wanted to say something about it but didn't just so he could laugh about it later.

"You don't get what I'm trying to say, Aether."

"No. I get it. Really."

"Then why keep risking your life!? Back then you were the one who taught me that fighting isn't always necessary so why have you turned out like this?"

"This is something I have no choice over. If I hadn't stepped out who knows how many innocent mortals would have gotten hurt." He tried explaining as his vision slowly began fading away.

The boy stood up without any trouble after healing himself in mere seconds. It was as if nothing happened. His vision was still a little dizzy but he managed.

"You're gonna die if you continue getting yourself into this." His lover started while crossing his arms and looking away. He couldn't stand looking at his boyfriend anymore.

"But I'm okay, see? Don't worry about me and take a look at this!" The blonde grabbed Xiao's chin which was looking down to the ground and pointed it upward to the sky.

Still, with a concerned and slightly annoyed look in his eyes, the Yaksha realized how the giant crack had closed and the shadows have disappeared. All the risky things his lover did weren't for nothing. He was mad with the traveler constantly risking his life for a world that wasn't even his. Why couldn't the two just live a peaceful life without any fighting?