Eat me, guts and all: Aether x Scaramouche

The beginning : Scaramouche's POV

How do you explain Aether? He's the prettiest man I've ever met, and I've killed many men. I should know. I want to see his pretty face scattered and whimpering. On the verge of destruction, and he's there because I drove him there. I want his fingers to claw to the edge and not reach it. I need him at the brim of pleasure that's indistinguishable from pain. I need him to look back in anger, but his eyes are a haze since he's so into it. That's what I need, but I can't tell him that.
He looks back at me with his hair in a messy braid. I agreed to join him on this journey as I insisted it was too dangerous to do alone. What if I have ulterior motives? His eyes are way too trusting. He said he wanted to visit Inazuma and go back to Tsurumi. Something about a little boy. From what he told me, this island is dangerous. I don't trust a stupid fairy to protect what is mine.
"Scar- I'm sorry, Wanderer? Do you want to rest now?" Aether said.
"Why? Are you tired?" I said, "I don't care what you call me... As long as it comes from those lips, I'm okay with anything."
"No! I'm not tired. Don't say things like that, or I'll seriously leave you here."
I know that's an empty threat because his ears are red like wild berries. Gosh, he's so adorable. I dread the day I self-sabotage this relationship, and I just enjoy his company so much. Suddenly I hear rumbling coming from a ruin guard. I glance at Aether, and he's noticed it too. He unsheathed his sword, and damn, he looked so cool.
"Aether."
"Scara.."
"Please stay back, I would hate for there to be a scratch on that pretty face of yours," I said finally. I know Aether can take care of himself, but I don't want to feel useless. I'm surprised he even backed down for me. I ran up the ruin guard and felt the metal brush underneath my feet. Once I reached the head I could tell it was already powering up the attack. I used anemo to hit its core. It was already almost down to the floor then- dendro suddenly hits the back of it. Three grass blazes in the ruin guard's chest. A bit of overkill from Aether. I jump down from the ruin guard to the ground. It wasn't a long jump since it was already descending.
"Aether. What the fuck. I told you I could handle it. Do you not trust me?"
"It's not that I don't trust you! It's just that you act as if I'm just a doll."
"That's a crazy thing to say to a puppet."
"Look Scara, I didn't mean to-"
"Save it," I said and continued walking in a faster pace. I know I'm acting like a child, but I wanted to show Aether I could protect him. He couldn't even trust me with that. Aether followed behind me, and the awkward silence followed us. He told me the history of this island, and it's truly a sad story. Ruu didn't deserve what happened to him, and Aether wanted to see how the island was doing. It wasn't bad, just inhabitable. The mist has been around so long that no one ever bothered to make a civilization here.
Aether stares at me with his green eyes that resemble when the flowers blossom in spring. Filled with so much light and love that you can't help but get lost in them.
"Stop that."
"What?"
"Looking at me like that... Stop it."
"Okay," He says but his eye contact doesn't waver. As we walk, he leads me to the huge purple tree. The tree glimmered like amethyst and filled the entire air around it with its glow. Aether kneels down in front of the tree- seeing him on his knees something I would pay for- and he says,
"I don't know what you're feeling right now Ruu. Your death was unfair and the adults around you had failed you. Right now you're in a separate island that it's not my time to visit yet. However once my time comes, I'll sing you a song you like for how ever long you'd want."
He then brushes his knees and gets up. As he gets up he looks back at me and says, "Don't say a word." I just stare back and nod. I could've sworn I saw a tear roll down his cheeks but I remained silent. We walked together not saying a word just letting the howls of the wolves into our eardrums.
I stare at him but his eyes are anywhere but on me, "Helloooo? Is anyone home in there?".
"God! Scara, can you shut the fuck up?" His palms are still wiping his tears. His face is reddened and his eye looks swollen. I offer him a side hug and he olds my arm as if it was the only that was nailing him from floating away. I feel his blond hair brush on my arm and I'm met with unfamiliar comfort. We remain in this position in a while.
"Alright! Let's go home, okay?"
"Home?"
"I mean- my home. In liyue.. if you want to come. I mean you don't have to, of course."
"No, I'll come. If I leave you alone, who knows what'll happen. I might meet you with less of a brain than I left you with," I respond as I grab his hand. Our fingers intertwined as we make our way to the boat. I look at the boat which I personally find a stupid way of transportation. Though Aether can't bring himself to use waypoints anymore. Ever since Paimons been gone.
I shift in the boat in a position I found comfortable and Aether places his head on my shoulder. The boat can lead itself so it isn't a problem that my hands were now tied. The moon seems brighter as the boat leads us farther from that island.
I feel his breath on my neck and I'm finding it hard to control myself. Whenever I looked down at him, his eyes were already connected to mine. His pale hands were resting on my lap which was already too close to a dangerous zone. I sat there in silence as I felt the distance growing smaller. His seating position had changed to a point where his body was basically clinging to mine. His face was on my chest and his arms were around my waist. And his legs- his legs..
The boat makes its way to liyue harbor. I turn to him and get up slowly trying to not end the position we were in too quickly. As expected there was no one there to come visit us. Though if he was alone I was sure that there would've been people ready to welcome this adventurer. But I'm here, so it's different.
"We're here already?" He asks.
"Obviously"
"Where's everyone?"
"Why don't you take a guess?"
"Yeah I know but really no one's here. Look!"
He was right. The lights were all off and it wasn't that late. There wasn't a single soul around. All the vendors were empty but it seemed as if everyone had disappeared. The work items were still there as if it was in use. Yet it seemed as if they just vanished in the process of closing up.
We both see a familiar figure walk up and from what I could tell it was Xiao. I already personally didn't like Xiao and whenever Aether asked for the reason, I couldn't properly tell him.
Xiao walks up to us with his mask on and as soon as he takes it off. There were soulless eyes beneath them. His stare was piercing which caused me to take a small step back. His eyes shift to Aether and it softens.
"Where have you been?" Xiao exhales softly with his focus still on Aether.
"Well me and.."
"They're gone. They're all gone." Xiao looks at both of us with concern. As he said that, a million questions went through both me and Aethers' head.
Aether then asks, "Where did they go?"

"Death took them."