Windwheel

Ch7: Full Bloom

After a long spell of heavy rainfall, the sun had finally emerged, casting a warm glow over the surroundings. Xiao was sitting on the porch of his house, taking in the fresh air. The dew on the grass sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight, and the sweet melody of birdsong filled the air. However, despite the warmth of the sun, there was still a lingering chill in the air.

Today, Xiao was expecting a visit from Aether, and he was feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. He knew that there were things he needed to discuss with Aether, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to confront them. Sometimes, there are things in life that we'll never be 'ready' for, but we just have to go for them.

With that, Xiao comes face to face with Aether. The two stare at each other in silence before Xiao opens the door, inviting him in. The warmth of the house does not match the cold, distant air surrounding them.

Aether shuffles almost awkwardly behind Xiao. "Are we going to be talking this over in the living room, or...?"

"Upstairs, in my room."

"Alright."

The two walk upstairs slowly and quietly. Xiao's heart is racing, and every step he takes feels like an eternity as the pit in his stomach worsens. He's incredibly nervous, unsure of where to start, wishing he could just back out of this whole ordeal. But he knew he had to do this for both of their sake.

As they reach the top of the stairs, his mind begs for him to turn back. He takes a deep breath and opens the door to his room, revealing the space to Aether. Aether's breath catches in his throat as he takes in the room and the gravity of the situation dawns on him.

"Xiao, oh my gosh...."

The room has an abundance of different plants scattered about its entirety. Sumeru roses soak up the sun's light on a shelf, sweet flowers rest on his bookshelf, rainbow roses adorn his desk, and so many more of Teyvat's most beautiful plants decorate his room. Even though a lot of them are from different regions, they share one thing in common.

"They're all the flowers I've ever bought from you. I kept them. All of them."

Aether is speechless as he tours the room. He gently brushes his fingers over the petals of a few of them. Xiao takes his hands in his own, handing him some petals.

"These are rainbow rose petals. I dried them and pressed them. Be careful with them, they're delicate."

"Yes, of course, thank you," Aether says, nodding and glancing down at the petals. "But I don't understand. Xiao, it's beautiful here, but what are you saying?"

"Please, just listen. This is new for me and I want to make sure I'm doing everything right."

"Doing what right? You're not doing anything wrong, I–"

"Aether, can you trust me? Please?"

"Okay," he says, nodding and listening.

Xiao pulls a pot off of his desk. It's the only one without any plants in it. He hands the pot of soil to Aether, who looks confused.

"Aether, this was our windwheel. I tried to maintain it. But, in the end, I was careless. I killed it and I didn't mean to."

"It's alright, it's just a plant."

"No. Aether, to me, the windwheel was more than 'just a plant'. It was our plant. It represented us. Our relationship. And to me? That was worth more than anything. In the end, the plant died and it was my fault. That's why I pushed you away. I was afraid of ruining our friendship for... something I'm not sure I understand. But, in the end, I ended up ruining it anyway."