Genshin Impact Ships + Random Stories! (Requests Open!)

A Traveler's Fear

   Aether's peaceful slumber was short-lived as he abruptly woke up in a cold sweat, tears in his golden-yellow eyes, flinching harshly at a large crash of thunder outside the walls of the Kamisato Estate where he was currently staying. Ayaka and Thoma absolutely would not let Aether go meet with the resistance until he had completely recovered from his injuries, Thoma had stayed with him. Thoma was also in hiding and couldn't leave the Estate anyhow, not until everything calmed down. Raiden Ei had struck the traveler with some mighty lightning and had it not been for Thoma, Aether would be dead.

   After being struck by lightning, Aether hadn't been the same, he hadn't slept properly in a good quantity of days, being that thunderstorms were so common in Inazuma. When lightning struck somewhere nearby, Aether's back flared up and pulsed waves of pain across Aether's whole body. A strangled cry came from Aether as he tore his shirt off, trying to figure out what in Celestia was going on with him but to no avail. 

   Fortunately, Aether's struggling had caught Thoma''s and the golden-blonde barreled into the room, a horribly concerned look on his face, tears rolling excessively down Aether's cheeks, a pleading look on his face, "T-Thoma it's so painful." Thoma rushed across the room to Aether, eyes wide when he realized the heavy purple scar that ran all along his back, branching out and taking the shape of a tree. Thoma quickly grabbed a pain-soothing salve, he quickly took to applying it to Aether's back. The traveler flinched harshly but did his best to sit still for Thoma. Thoma quickly applies as much as he can to Aether's back, worried by the sheer heat that radiated from Aether's back. Once the lightning nearby ceased, the glow diminished significantly as did the heat, Aether tiredly blinked, his head drooping, almost passing out from the intense levels of pain. Thoma sighs gently and gets up, turning to go grab something. Aether, however, stops him, a bright blush adorning his cheeks and a tired look in his eyes, a hand on Thoma's.

   "Please don't go Thoma," Aether's golden-yellow eyes meet Thoma's before the caregiver gives in with a gentle nod of his head. Thoma sits on the bed with Aether, setting his back against the headboard after readjusting the pillows. Thoma pats the bed next to him for Aether to sit next to him.

   Thoma did not expect Aether to crawl up into his lap and collapse against him, Aether wraps his legs around Thoma's waist, chests pressed together and Aether buried his head into Thoma's shoulder, his hands gently pressing onto Thoma's abdomen. Thoma tenses up slightly, a slight blush coating his cheeks. After a short minute, Thoma relaxes and wraps his arms gently around Aether's waist, "I've never meant anyone who survived the Raiden Shogun's lightning." Thoma spoke in kind, "Thank you but you shouldn't have ever taken that hit," "I needed to, I need answers, but it wasn't the Raiden Shogun who struck me." Confusion floods Thoma's mind, "What?" "It was Raiden Ei who struck me, the electro archon, Raiden Shogun is some sort of puppet Beelzebul made." "How do you know that?" "I snuck out, to speak to Yae Miko, she spoke of it and said Beel made the Shogun so Ei could stay in her own realm to avoid the truth, a place called the Plane of Euthymia," Aether spoke sleepily, missing the fact he basically just told on himself and how he'd snuck out.

A hum comes from Thoma, his fingers gently carding through the traveler's blonde hair. "I should be mad about you sneaking out, but you better not do it again, not until you've rested up and gotten better during lightning storms, the islands have a large number of thunderstorms, especially Yashiori Island, where you have to meet with the general." Aether nods tiredly, eyes drooping again, calming down greatly with the physical contact, practically melting at it. A yawn falls from Aether's lips, "go back to sleep, Traveler." Aether nods gently and rests his head on Thoma's shoulder once more, almost instantly falling into a deep slumber.