its us in every universe
Xiao wakes to the sunrise filtering through the windows of his room in the Wangshu Inn, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He rolls over in his bed, the white sheets pooling around him as he stretches his arms and legs.
It takes Xiao a few moments, his sleep-addled brain not quite working at full speed, but eventually he realises that he feels the presence of an Adeptus nearby.
At least, Xiao thinks it’s an Adeptus, because the presence is not one familiar to him. Normally, he can tell if Zhongli, Ganyu, or one of the other Adepti is visiting, because theirs have distinct flavours. Ganyu feels like a cool, winter breeze, while Zhongli has an almost oppressive feeling of weight around him, so on and so forth.
So, when Xiao feels a presence like the ocean itself – unending, and inexplicably calm yet tempestuous – he starts trying to figure out if there are any Adepti he has never met, perhaps from Chenyu Vale, or somewhere south of Liyue Harbour.
He only thinks for a moment, before deciding the best course of action is to just go out and meet the Adeptus for himself. Extricating himself from the oh so warm sheets, Xiao shivers at the cool morning breeze on his exposed skin while he searches for where his clothes ended up following last nights… activities…
‘I wonder where Aether is…’ Xiao thinks, as he dresses himself, memories of last night leaving him blushing ever so slightly. While he was certainly no longer unfamiliar with the ephemeral pleasures of flesh, he is still getting used to thinking of these things as normal, acceptable things that everyone does, centuries of repression and self-deprivation having settled deep into his being.
“We will take however long it takes, Xiao,” Aether had told him one night, as their legs tangled and their breaths mingled, when Xiao asked him whether he was irritated by his struggles with intimacy. The way Aether smiled, so blindingly bright and warm, as he said those words were a balm to Xiao’s soul, aching with insecurity.
Xiao brushes those thoughts aside, barely chuckling to himself as he fixes the last of his accessories, before exiting his room in search of the mysterious Adeptus.
It doesn’t take long, as Xiao steps out onto his balcony and sees someone speaking to Verr Goldet at the front desk. For a moment, Xiao regards the stranger, his eyes narrowing as he takes in what he can of his appearance. His hair is short and dark, a long white and teal coat adorned with embellishments framing his body.
He certainly does not recognise whoever this Adeptus is, as he slowly steps down the stairs, Verr Goldet and the stranger both turning at the sound.
Nothing is said as Xiao continues walking, only stopping when he is a few paces from the stranger, both staring at each other. There’s a subtle tension in the air, one which must be obvious to Verr as she clears her throat.
“I’ll just be… attending to something else,” she speaks, before quickly vacating the desk and all but vanishing to somewhere that isn’t where Xiao and the stranger are.
More silence passes, before eventually the mysterious figure speaks.
“Hello, my name is Dan Heng,” he greets, his tone neutral, but not impolite.
“Adeptus Xiao,” he responds, and Xiao does not miss the flicker of thought in Dan Heng’s eyes at the title.
‘He doesn’t know what an Adeptus is…’ Xiao thinks, as they continue to stare at each other, the tension slowly rising.
‘If he isn’t an Adeptus… then what is he?’
Dan Heng, sensing the possible threat, bites the bullet and tries his best to diffuse the tension.
“I’m a traveller from afar, on an expedition to learn and archive information,” he explains, still speaking carefully, and Xiao can tell that it’s not the truth, or at least the full truth.
“I’m here with my… partner, he is somewhere in the are-”
He’s cut off by a pair of shouts echoing from somewhere on the surface, though for Xiao, one of the voices is as clear as day, ringing in his ears.
“XIAO!”
“DAN HENG!”
There is naught a moment of hesitation as Xiao teleports to where he senses Aether’s presence, materialising just a few hundred metres from the base of the Inn, in the Guili Plains.
There, Xiao sees his beloved sunrise, sword drawn as he fights against a silver-haired man wielding… a bat?
“Just listen to me!” Xiao hears the silver-haired one shout as he parries an attack, but Xiao can tell Aether isn’t listening, his eyes narrowed with a singular focus he has rarely seen.
Xiao draws his jade spear, ready to jump in, but the battle is – amazingly – too violent for him to join without risking Aether’s life.
“You will not bring a stellaron onto this world!” Aether yells, his voice more emotional and unrestrained than he’s ever heard it before, and Xiao’s heart aches, though Xiao can’t help but wonder just what Aether means when he says stellaron. Whatever it is, he’s never heard of it before…
“You don’t understand-” the other tries to interject, but Aether doesn’t relent, continuing to slash and lunge, singularly determined.
As Xiao stands there, spear in hand, he isn’t surprised when the not-Adeptus Dan Heng appears, evidently having run from the Inn. He is, though, somewhat surprised to see Dan Heng wielding a spear not too dissimilar to his own.
For a few moments, both Xiao and Dan Heng watch their respective partners fight, gripping their spears tightly, ready to pounce should the opportunity arise.
The opportunity doesn’t come, as Aether and the silver-haired one continue to fight, and eventually Xiao turns to Dan Heng and asks, somewhat awkwardly.
“Your… partner?”
Dan Heng only barely nods, not looking away from the fight, though he continues to not make any moves.
As Xiao and Dan Heng continue to stand there, watching, Xiao eventually has an idea.
“What is a… stellaron?” He asks, glancing over at Dan Heng, and he doesn’t miss the way the other grimaces.
“A stellaron is a… device, a powerful one. It can act as an almost limitless source of power,” Dan Heng explains, a hesitance in his voice that betrays the fact that he’s omitting something important.
Luckily, Dan Heng continues, when he senses the tension.
“Power that can destroy entire worlds… some take to calling stellarons the Cancer of All Worlds.”
Oh. That would explain why Aether is so…
Xiao glances back at the fight, and sees that it is still just as violent, with Aether sending powerful attacks at the other.
Yeah.
“And your partner brought one into the lands under my protection?” Xiao asks, the tension that was slowly rising now skyrocketing, as his fingers itch on his spear.
Dan Heng grimaces once more, as he tries to abate Xiao’s rising anger.
“Caelus… my partner… he’s a vessel for the stellaron. He was built to contain it, and its safe inside of him.”
“You just said it can destroy entire worlds.”
“We still don’t fully understand it, but he is special. He’s not a threat.”
A moment of silence passes, Xiao and Dan Heng staring at each other, and Xiao looks deep into the other’s eyes. He sees in those eyes, something so deep, so sorrowful, and Xiao recognises it as the ocean he could feel when he first woke up.
The moment passes, and Xiao lets out a breath, closing his eyes, and Dan Heng follows suit.
“If you have lied to me, I will personally ensure your execution,” Xiao murmurs, and Dan Heng simply nods. Fortunately for Dan Heng, Xiao misses when Dan Heng mutters “Wouldn’t be the first time…” under his breath.
They both turn back to their partners, still fighting each other, and watch for a few moments longer, before Dan Heng speaks up.
“Should we…”
“Yeah.”
With a sigh, both step forward, calling out simultaneously.
“Aether!”
“Caelus!”
The fight pauses, with both of them panting for air as they turn to look at who called their names.
Though, it doesn’t stop Aether from continuing to yell.
“I’ve seen enough worlds destroyed by stellarons in my life, I refuse to see another!”
“Aether,” Xiao speaks softly, but firmly, stepping forward to take one of his sunrise’s hands in his own. Beyond the fierce determination, Xiao can see a haunted pain in Aether’s eyes, and he knows this is one of those stories from before Aether came to Teyvat that he refuses to talk about. He understands why.
Luckily, Aether softens at the sound of Xiao’s voice, and the gentle touch of his hands, as he lets out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.
As Xiao glances over at Dan Heng and his partner, he sees Dan Heng leaning in, cupping the other’s cheek and making sure he isn’t hurt. He watches the silver-haired one nod, before taking a deep breath and standing back up properly.
Xiao turns back to Aether, murmuring, “I want you to listen to what they have to say, Aether.”
Xiao can see just how conflicted Aether is, as his eyes flit between his lover and the person he had just been fighting, before he swallows thickly and nods his head. Hesitantly, he lets his sword dissipate, the jade cutter vanishing into the air, as Xiao follows suit.
When Xiao turns back around to face Dan Heng and the other, he sees that they have already disarmed themselves, and are waiting.
Xiao and Aether slowly step forward, until eventually all four are stood in the plains, opposite each other.
After a few moments, the silver-haired one speaks up, “Can I explain what’s going on now?”
Aether nods, somewhat sheepishly, as Xiao threads his fingers with Aether’s holding his hand.
“I promise you we have no bad intentions,” he continues, looking between Aether and Xiao.
“The stellaron inside of me is safe, I promise,” Caelus implores, and Aether turns to look at Xiao, looking for his reassurance.
He nods, speaking softly.
“I spoke to Dan Heng,” he gestures to the other, before continuing, “and he personally assured me that it’s the truth.”
Xiao watches as Aether considers it, until eventually he lets out a sigh, the last of his tension bleeding out as he accepts the words. Caelus does the same, now that his life is no longer being threatened.
And not a moment too soon does Caelus then flip like a switch, going from weary to cheery, as he claps his hands.
“Great! Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we need to properly introduce ourselves!”
Xiao and Aether are, of course, taken aback at the sudden change, but aren’t given any time to dwell on it, as Caelus powers forward.
“My name is Caelus, and I’m a member of the Astral Express, a group of Trailblazers exploring the universe, and this here is my wonderful boyfriend, Dan Heng, the archivist and bodyguard!”
Dan Heng sighs, shaking his head at his boyfriend’s antics, but knowing that deep down, he wouldn’t want it any other way. Aether, though, furrows his eyebrows, as he looks down at the ground, before his eyes widen.
“Of course…” he chuckles, shaking his head too, and Xiao realises he must be familiar with what Caelus is talking about. It also clears up what Dan Heng had left out in his introduction, that when he said ‘afar’, he really meant ‘somewhere on the other side of the universe’.
“We’re here to learn about this worlds people and cultures,” Dan Heng speaks up, his arms crossed as he stands next to Caelus.
“And maybe to see if this is a nice place to settle down,” Caelus tacks on, and Dan Heng’s crossed arms are suddenly uncrossed as he (lightly) smacks his boyfriend in the side, scowling. Unfortunately for him, Caelus only cackles, and Xiao begins to realise that this Caelus is something else, with even more energy than Aether.
‘He can never meet Hu Tao…’ Xiao thinks, dreading what calamity would ensue should the two ever cross paths.
“He can never meet Hu Tao…” Aether whispers to Xiao, reading his mind, before speaking up.
“My name is Aether, I’m a celestial traveller, though this world has become something of a home through some… complicated circ*mstances.”
Caelus and Dan Heng nod along, before turning to look at Xiao, and suddenly he’s gripped by the crippling anxiety of having to introduce himself properly, unable to simply say ‘Adeptus Xiao’ and trust that they will understand what that means.
“I am Xiao. I’m the guardian of these lands.”
Aether, luckily, doesn’t outwardly chuckle at how stiff Xiao is when he speaks, though he does squeeze his hand gently. He knows that later when they are alone, he’s going to have to endure Aether’s teasing comments about trying to be more personable.
With the introductions out of the way, Xiao suddenly gets the impression that he’s staring into a mirror, as he looks at Dan Heng and Caelus, the similarities between the pair and himself and Aether not escaping him. When Xiao turns to look at Aether, and sees a similar expression of thought, he knows that the similarities are plain to everyone present.
“So then, would you guys be willing to be our tour guides?” Caelus asks, knowingly, and Xiao doesn’t even need to hear Aether say yes, as he sighs.
-
Caelus is talkative. Moreso than Aether, it turns out.
As the four made the trek to Liyue Harbor, even the blonde has managed to become ever so slightly weary from all the conversation, glancing ever so slightly at Xiao as if to say, “Is this what it feels like for you?”
Fortunately, Dan Heng had sent the pair a sympathetic look, before he took over conversation duties. Despite also seeming like a quiet guy, Aether gets the impression Dan Heng is very much to Caelus what Xiao is to Aether.
Despite Xiao’s aversion to conversing and socialising with others, as long as it’s with Aether, he could go for hours (something he realised much to his embarrassment after a night of talking with Aether). Aether imagines that Dan Heng is the same with Caelus.
Fortunately, as the mountains part and the path comes into view of the sprawling harbor, Caelus is immediately enraptured, dragging Dan Heng off at a frankly startling pace, as they check out all sorts of street vendors and stores.
This leaves Aether and Xiao alone with each other for the first time today, considering Aether had left before Xiao woke up, and immediately Aether turns and buries his head in Xiao’s chest, heavy with exhaustion he had been concealing.
Xiao doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around his sunshine, embracing Aether warmly.
No words need be said for now, though he knows they are going to have a conversation shortly, an important one at that.
“I’m sorry you had to see me like that earlier…” Aether murmurs, an uncharacteristic shame in his voice.
Of course, Xiao doesn’t need to say that he doesn’t care, that nothing Aether could ever do would make him seem any less than perfect, so he instead opts to ask.
“What is your history with the stella… stellar…”
“The stellaron,” Aether supplies, sighing. “Stellarons are almost universally a… bad thing.”
Xiao doesn’t respond, simply humming along, giving Aether the time to talk, as Xiao listens.
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and where there’s a stellaron, there’s something terrible happening.”
As Aether speaks, Xiao can hear the weight of his words, and he can tell Aether is talking from far too much experience. But even with that in mind, Xiao isn’t prepared for what Aether says next.
“A stellaron is what destroyed my home world.”
Words, so sorrowful, far too dark for such a bright person. Xiao instinctively holds Aether more tightly.
“You’ve never told me about your home,” Xiao murmurs, not a question, but an observation, and one that makes sense now that Xiao understands it is an undeniably traumatic memory for Aether.
“It was beautiful…” Aether whispers, wistfully. “The most luscious field and forests, with sunsets like fire, stars and nebulae that painted the night sky.”
Xiao closes his eyes and imagines the picture Aether paints with his words. He imagines walking with his lover through the meadows, hand in hand. Picking flowers, putting one behind Aether’s ear, Aether putting one behind his own.
“And now it’s gone… because of a stellaron.”
Xiao rubs Aether’s back soothingly, able to read between the lines. The tone of Aether’s voice, the situation at hand. He’s scared. Truly, genuinely scared for this world, despite the assurances of Caelus and Dan Heng.
“It’ll be alright,” Xiao speaks softly, warmly, and Aether has to chuckle at those words, because it’s what he has told Xiao numerous times when Xiao was concerned about something.
“You can’t use my own words against me,” Aether pouts, jokingly.
“I just did,” Xiao responds, smiling just barely in response.
A comfortable silence washes over the couple as they continue to embrace. Aether feels less tense in his arms, so Xiao knows he at least did a decent job of comforting his partner, when normally its Aether comforting him.
“Thank you, Xiao,” Aether murmurs, pulling back to look Xiao in the eyes, with such a gentle smile that Xiao doesn’t even hesitate.
Xiao leans forward, placing a soft kiss on Aether’s lips.
“Always, forever and always.”
And it’s worth it when he sees Aether blush, looking to the side bashfully.
Unfortunately, they are interrupted when they hear someone (Caelus, of course) yelling from the distance.
“Hey lovebirds! What are you doing all the way out there? Come on!”
Aether chuckles, but Xiao can hear the way he is masking the remnants of anxiety he has over this whole situation.
“It’ll all work out, Aether. I promise.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Aether responds, rolling his eyes, but underneath he’s clearly thankful for Xiao’s support. He pulls back and links his hand with Xiao’s.
“Let’s go see what they are up to, I suppose,” Aether says, as they begin to walk the path down to the red bridge, watching Caelus in the distance waving at them ridiculously while Dan Heng stands to the side, looking like he wants to jump into the river.
‘This is sure to be interesting,’ Xiao thinks, as they walk towards the other couple, mentally preparing himself for the day of showing Caelus and Dan Heng around Liyue Harbor.
-
After many hours of exploring and experiencing the culture that Liyue has to offer, the four return to Wangshu Inn, retiring for the night. On the way, Caelus (predictably) cannot stop talking about all the things he got to see, and how he can’t wait to continue seeing what Teyvat has to offer.
“Everything is so cool!” Caelus espouses to Dan Heng for the fourth time (or was it fifth?).
“It’s like the Luofu, but even more beautiful!”
They are sat on Xiao’s balcony, a table and chairs having been filched from the spare room, on hand for the dining area beneath the Inn.
It’s at this moment that Aether makes a catastrophic mistake.
“You think it’s beautiful now, you should see it during the Lantern Rite,” the traveller chuckles, before innocently taking a sip of the drink Verr had brought out earlier, unaware of the chain of disaster he had just set off.
“Lantern Rite?” Caelus asks, intrigued, and Xiao speaks up.
“An annual festival which involves food and dance, among other things. At the end, everyone lights a lantern and puts wishes in them, before sending them out into the night sky.”
Caelus’ eyes sparkle, before the final domino falls, in the form of one question.
“When does it next happen?!”
“You actually just missed it a few days ago.”
Silence.
And then, a sniffle.
“Y-You mean… its… another year until it happens?” Caelus asks, his heart wavering, and the resemblance between the trailblazer and a sad puppy is almost uncanny.
“Aww, it’s alright Caelus, there’s plenty of other stuff to see,” Aether responds, but it’s too late.
Caelus bursts into tears, sobbing in anguish, as Dan Heng sighs and moves to embrace his boyfriend, holding him tightly while the receptacle for a device capable of wiping out every trace of life on the planet as they know it wails into his boyfriend’s chest about how it’s not fair.
Aether looks to Xiao on what to do, who promptly sends a befuddled look right back, as if Xiao is going to be better equipped for this. Aether would laugh at how confused Xiao looks if only Caelus wasn’t having a breakdown just a few metres away.
Luckily for the two of them, Dan Heng is indeed Caelus’ boyfriend, and has had more than enough experience with these situations.
With a silent sigh, he leans forward into Caelus’ ear, and whispers something quietly. The result is almost instantaneous, as Caelus suddenly stops sobbing and gasps.
His face is still blotchy, stained with tears, but it at least seems that something has brought his spirits back up.
“I think we might head to bed for the night, it has been a long day for both of us,” Dan Heng stands up as he speaks, holding Caelus’ hand. Caelus nods along, though he seems distracted – probably by whatever Dan Heng whispered to him.
They quickly excuse themselves to their room, walking down the stairs, and Aether turns to Xiao with a knowing look.
“They are definitely going to ha-”
“Don’t even.”
-
After a few hours of explaining some basic Teyvatian and Liyuen customs and getting the most important ‘DO NOT IN ANY CIRc*msTANCE DO THIS’ stuff out of the way, Dan Heng and Caelus are equipped to go out on their own without fear of accidentally becoming wanted fugitives (though, Aether was delighted to hear that the two were not unfamiliar with running from the law, much to Xiao’s chagrin).
It's necessary, of course, as Aether has a journey he must continue, and Xiao has a nation to watch over and protect, so the two can’t always be available to show Dan Heng and Caelus around, though they’ll certainly do as much as possible.
So, the trailblazers take to exploring Liyue, hiking through the mountains and seeing the sights during the days, before returning to Wangshu Inn at night to recuperate. After all, with Verr so graciously offering the pair a heavily discounted room for as long as they need (with the condition of telling her about all the things they’ve seen in their odyssey across the universe), how could they refuse?
This results in Xiao and Aether hearing about the rest of their travels once every few nights, when they haven’t been able to accompany the pair on their journey. They hear about their adventures through the mountains of Liyue, how they accidentally wandered into Cloud Retainer’s domain (Aether had found it hilarious, Xiao had not), and all sorts of other tales.
With each gathering, Xiao and Aether find themselves enjoying Dan Heng and Caelus’ company more and more. They are easy to talk to, such kindred spirits to their own, so it makes sense.
So, it’s inevitable, though not any easier to hear, when the trailblazers announce that they are leaving Liyue to explore some of the other nations.
They are all sat on Xiao’s balcony, the table and chairs from the first night having become a permanent fixture on the deck, having dinner, when Caelus speaks up.
“Dan Heng and I are leaving for Mondstadt tomorrow morning.”
His voice is meek, as if he’s nervous. After all, he’s just told their only friends that they are leaving and won’t be able to see each other for a while.
There’s a moment of silence, which Caelus quickly fills, nerves spilling over.
“I’m sorry that we only told you now, we’ve planned it for a few weeks now, but we never knew how to tell you, I know that you-”
Aether cuts Caelus off when he stands up suddenly, and walks over to give Caelus a friendly hug, smiling broadly.
Caelus stops, gasping quietly before laughing embarrassedly, realising the nervousness was all for nothing.
“You don’t need to worry about anything, this is great!” Aether speaks, pulling back to ruffle Caelus’ hair. He glances over at Dan Heng, looking to do the same, but decides against it at the stare he gives back.
“It is inevitable that you would decide to explore further lands,” Xiao speaks up, his voice ever stoic, though Aether can easily pick out the emotion hidden beneath. It’s a subtle disappointment, and he knows that it’s because Xiao actually enjoys their company (as much as he would never admit it).
And so, the night quickly shifts to a celebration, Aether having gotten several bottles of liquor for the four to enjoy from Verr. Toasts are made and shots are downed as the night passes by, and someone (probably Caelus) suggests they play truth or dare. As any self-respecting drunk person does.
“Truth or dare, Aether!” Caelus laughs, his ears tinged pink from the alcohol. Of the four, he’s certainly the most affected, clinging on to Dan Heng affectionately.
“Hmmm, truth!” Aether responds, and Caelus takes a moment to think.
“What was your and Xiao’s first kiss?”
Xiao crosses his arms, pouting, as he braces for this. Aether simply grins.
“On our first lantern rite, back when we were still just ‘friends’, Xiao refused to accompany me into the city for the festivities.”
Xiao scowls, knowing that Aether is trying to embarrass him here.
“But when he saw how disappointed I was, he leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek, before disappearing!”
Caelus cackles, as Xiao does his best attempt to appear invisible. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work. He even catches the slightest hint of a smile on Dan Heng’s face, and that’s how he knows it’s over for him.
Fortunately, luck is on his side, as Caelus pipes up once more.
“That’s not that bad, our first kiss was when Dan Heng tried to give me ‘CPR’ but had no clue what he was doing!”
Xiao watches as Dan Heng becomes embarrassed instead, pouting, and as he watches, he begins to understand just why Aether enjoys teasing him like he does. If this is what it looks like from the other side…
The conversation continues, drinks being shared, as all four slowly succumb to exhaustion. Eventually, they all head to bed, having enjoyed one last night together, drinking and laughing all the while, before the inevitable departure tomorrow.
-
There is a rare, sombre mood among the inhabitants of Wangshu Inn.
It’s to be expected, when the two trailblazers who had called this place their home for the last few months are finally stepping out and exploring beyond the horizon.
Caelus, Dan Heng, Aether, Xiao and Verr are stood at the path underneath the inn. The sun is yet to rise, though the sky is slowly brightening, dawn just a few minutes away. Caelus and Dan Heng have, on their shoulders, packs full of supplies, food, and everything else they could possibly need.
Yanxiao cooked a frighteningly impressive amount of food for them, refusing to take no for an answer when they said that they couldn’t possibly take that much without any compensation. Verr found it adorable when Yanxiao quickly left thereafter, not wanting anyone to see that he was genuinely saddened by their departure, hiding away in his kitchen.
The final checks are made, Verr running over the list of things they have for the third time. ‘She really is like a mother…’ Xiao thinks to himself.
“There’s no need to worry, we’ll only be gone for a few months!” Caelus laughs, finding the amount of concern and sadness on everyone else’s faces endearing.
“And if it comes to it, we know who to try and find in each nation from Aether’s experience,” Dan Heng continues, yet something about that seems to rub Xiao the wrong way. There’s something itching in his mind, irritating him, but he can’t figure it out.
Aether sighs, walking forward to give Caelus one last hug, and nodding at Dan Heng, as the sun slowly peaks over the horizon, their next journey about to begin.
“If that’s all, I think we’ll be off now,” Dan Heng speaks, and they are just about to begin walking off when Xiao suddenly speaks up.
“Wait!”
All the others turn in surprise, such a sudden outburst from the adeptus almost unheard of, and it leaves Xiao momentarily embarrassed, before he continues.
“If you awake to a knife at your throat, if monsters dig their claws into you, if death comes knocking at your door, call out my name. Adeptus Xiao. I will be here when you call.”
Caelus beams, running up and giving Xiao a quick hug, before running back, while Dan Heng simply nods, understanding the gravity of the promise Xiao just made, as they walk off into the sunrise.
Xiao simply watches, their silhouettes shrinking, before closing his eyes and sighing.
He can already feel Aether’s teasing incoming.
“Oh Adeptus Xiao, how heroic,”
“Aether…”
“If they awake to a knife at their throats,”
“Aether.”
“Call out your name,”
“Please.”
“You will be there when they call.”
Xiao sighs again, as Aether giggles.
“They must be pretty important to you for you to make that promise to them.”
Xiao looks out at the horizon, though the silhouettes are gone now, gone to explore another nation.
“I think they are…” Xiao murmurs, and a few moments later, he feels Aether rest his head on his shoulder.
“I think they are as well…” he murmurs in response, as they simply watch the sun rise, content to bask in the moment.
While it may be sad to watch friends leave, they know they will one day return. Perhaps when they do, they will bring back whatever flower blooms from the seed that has been planted.
Only time will tell.
-
The first letter arrives on an otherwise ordinary day. It’s delivered to the inn like all the other letters that normally arrive, but this one is different.
Verr scrunches her eyebrows as she looks at who it is addressed to.
“The Sun and the Moon, Wangshu Inn, Liyue”
After just a few moments of thinking, though, she realises just who it’s for, and smiles knowingly.
Later that night, when Aether and Xiao finally get into bed for the night, when Xiao goes to turn off the lamp, he pauses when he sees the envelope.
“Do we normally get mail?” Xiao asks, and Aether makes some sort of confused noise, though it’s muffled by the pillow he’s buried his head in.
Xiao looks at the envelope quizzically, before picking it up.
“The sun and moon?” He mutters confusedly, as he opens the letter, only for a bunch of photos to fall out.
When he sees the subject of the photos, however, sighs in understanding.
“Come look at this, Aether.”
Aether grunts, before rolling over, pouting.
“What is it…” he grumbles, before immediately perking up.
In Xiao’s lap lay a number of photos from Caelus and Dan Heng’s journey, each with a handwritten explanation on the back.
The first photos show Caelus and Dan Heng in Sumeru. In one, Caelus is holding a rather dangerous looking mushroom, about to take a bite, while Tighnari looks like he’s about to have a conniption. In another, Dan Heng and Al Haitham look to be having a deep and engaging discussion. On the back, Caelus has simply written ‘nerd sh*t, boring’.
The next photos are in Fontaine, with various people from the nation. Dan Heng and Neuvillette stare at each other in one (‘Dragons…’ Caelus simply captioned that one), and in another, Caelus watches Lyney and his siblings do some magic, his eyes wide with wonder.
The final photo is of Lumidouce Harbor, and the ship moored there, with the caption ‘Dornman Port, here we come’ indicating Mondstadt to be their next stop.
Xiao collects the photos and puts them back in the envelope for now, for safe keeping, as Aether sighs.
“I miss them…”
Xiao loops his arm around his sunshine, leaning against him gently.
“I know,” he murmurs in response, understanding the feeling completely. As much as he hates to admit it, somehow the trailblazers managed to find their way deeper into Xiao’s heart than most others. Not as far as Aether, of course, but he’d be remiss to say that they weren’t following in Aether’s footsteps.
“Just a few more months…” Aether mumbles tiredly, as his eyes slowly slip closed, and Xiao takes the moment to finally turn off the lamp as he intended to, and lay Aether down.
Xiao wraps his arms around Aether as they lay together, and slowly drifts to sleep alongside his lover. Though, where normally his dreams would consist of him and Aether together, this time two more join, laughing and dancing with them.
-
Aether has been bugging Verr at least twice a week for several months, waiting for another letter from Caelus and Dan Heng, when finally, the day comes. Aether practically sprints over to Xiao when he gets the letter, unable to wait to open it.
They’re sat down at the table on Xiao’s balcony when they open the letter together, looking through the photos from the trailblazers’ journey.
Where the last photos left off before they got to Mondstadt, these photos pick up in Mondstadt City, with Caelus and Venti drinking at the Angel’s Share, while Diluc looks ready to throw the pair out onto the street (‘Note: Never let Caelus near alcohol’ Dan Heng wrote).
The next photo seems to be a selfie Amber took, with Caelus climbing the tree at Windrise in the background, while Dan Heng stands on the ground looking very alarmed as Caelus keeps on climbing higher and higher (‘Bring your boyfriend next time you visit Mondstadt, Honorary Knight!’ Amber wrote).
The next photos are from the Alcor on the journey from Dornman Port to Ritou, one with Beidou, whose got Caelus in a headlock, another with Kazuha and Dan Heng talking about various forms of literature. Finally, the last photo from the Alcor is of Caelus and Dan Heng stood at the bow, Caelus with his arms outstretched while Dan Heng embraces him from behind (‘I’m flying, Dan Heng!’…).
Next, its Caelus and Dan Heng in Ritou, Caelus taking a selfie as Dan Heng deals with the paperwork required to actually be allowed in, as Caelus deadpans at the camera. Bureaucracy, the only thing that could make even Caelus weary. With that affair out of the way, though, they finally get through to the rest of Inazuma, visiting the various places. A photo with Heizou at the Detective Agency shows Caelus impressed by his investigative skills, while one with Yae Miko at the Grand Narukami Shrine shows Dan Heng suspicious of the ever-elusive woman.
Various photos of the rest of the Inazuman landscape follow, the various islands and their landmarks, the Mikage furnace, the Watatsumi Shrine. So, it’s no wonder that Xiao and Aether’s guard is down when the next photo is revealed.
Caelus and Dan Heng are in bed, stripped of their normal clothing. Dan Heng is sprawled across Caelus’ chest, his face buried in Caelus’ neck. Red marks can be seen on Caelus’ neck and Dan Heng’s back, while he holds the camera high above himself, smiling. The caption? ‘Can’t wait to be back in Liyue.’
Xiao’s face burns a bright red, while Aether chuckles nervously. Both of their hearts race.
Can’t wait indeed.
-
Aether is in Liyue Harbor when he hears some murmuring in the crowds. He stops for a moment to try and listen to what people are saying.
“The Crux were sighted on the horizon this morning…”
“I heard that the mighty Alcor is in the harbor right now!”
Aether doesn’t hesitate as he runs towards the port, wanting to see it for himself. He’s been waiting for months now, and he can’t wait.
Running through the busy streets of Liyue Harbor, Aether barely avoids running into several people as he makes his way to the pier.
Finally, the Alcor comes into view, and he bolts up the gangplank, ignoring Beidou as she tries (and fails) to greet him. He is focused on just one thing.
Caelus and Dan Heng are scarcely prepared for the force of one (1) blonde-haired traveller barrelling into them at full speed, barely avoiding falling over by some miracle.
Aether’s hold is tight as he embraces the trailblazers, not wanting to let go. Caelus chuckles while Dan Heng simply smiles, before both embrace Aether in turn.
“We missed you too,” Caelus murmurs, gently rubbing Aether’s back.
He enjoys the sensation for a few moments, before barely whispering under his breath.
“Xiao…”
In a flash of green, Xiao appears on the deck of the Alcor. He’s about to ask Aether what he needs, when he sees what’s going on.
“Oh, you’ve returned,” Xiao settles for, speaking stiffly, as Aether finally pulls back from the hug.
“Indeed, we have,” Dan Heng responds, similarly stiff, as they all stare at each other.
There’s an awkward silence for a few moments, before Aether breaks it.
“It’s Lantern Rite in a few days, you’re just in time.”
Caelus beams, finally getting the opportunity to experience the festival, though it’s a sharp reminder that it has been nearly a year since they first arrived in Teyvat.
“I can’t wait!”
The four eventually make their way back to Wangshu Inn, Caelus and Dan Heng talking about their journey across the various nations, from Sumeru to Fontaine, Mondstadt to Inazuma. It gives Xiao and Aether the opportunity to mentally link the photos they got to the journey, understanding just how everything unfolded.
The conversation scarcely abates for the rest of the day except for when Verr or Yanxiao greet the returned trailblazers, and even through dinner and desert (Yanxiao had insisted) the conversation just continues to flow on and on.
But as the night grows dark, and the four continue to talk, something slowly begins to simmer between them. A byproduct of the flower that grew from the seed planted long ago, before Dan Heng and Caelus left to travel the rest of Teyvat. It started small, but even the smallest flames can turn into an inferno, given the opportunity.
Silence stretches between the four as they recognise it. It’s in the lingering gazes, in the way Caelus’ face seems to be warmer than usual, the way Aether’s leg bounces up and down, the way Dan Heng folds his arms, the way Xiao picks at his gloves.
Whatever feelings that have grown over the last year finally begin to weigh down on all four, threatening to swallow them all as they simply stare at each other, no-one knowing what to say.
Caelus clears his throat.
“So… did you guys like the photos we took?”
The suggestion is lost on no-one, though Aether maintains some morsel of dignity.
“A-Ah, yes, the photos you took of the scenery in Sumeru and Fontaine were fantastic, and it was great seeing old friends as well…”
Caelus isn’t satisfied, though, as he rolls his eyes and continues.
“Were there any other photos you liked?”
Dan Heng huffs, clearly impatient, as he keeps his arms crossed.
“We are trying to proposition you,” he grunts, and Caelus turns to smack him in the arm.
“Dan Heng! What happened to ‘let’s try to be subtle about it’ huh?”
“It’s doing no good dancing around the question when obviously everyone is thinking it.”
“That doesn’t mean we just go out and say ‘Oh, we want to have sex with you!’ with no propriety!”
Meanwhile, Xiao is trying his best to sink into his seat, his face burning a bright red, while even the usually unperturbed Aether is struggling to keep calm, a blush slowly forming.
Aether clears his throat, and the trailblazers cease their bickering, listening with rapt attention.
“I… think I speak for both of us when I say that we would be interested…”
Aether mumbles, and Xiao continues to sink lower and lower into his chair, even though he agrees.
Caelus’ eyes widen, and Dan Heng sucks in a breath.
“Shall we-”
“Yes,” Xiao interrupts, standing up stiffly before he quickly walks away from the table and towards where his room is. The other three look at each other for only a moment, before scrambling to follow him.
The walk to Xiao’s room seems far too long in the moment, and when Aether thinks about it, the last time he was this nervous to go to Xiao’s room was the first time they went to have sex. Now, with two more joining them in the bedroom, that feeling is back in full force.
They all pile into Xiao’s room awkwardly, and the trailblazers take a moment to look around and appreciate the space.
After several years of Xiao dating Aether, his room has transformed from barren and empty to full and lively, with ornaments and trinkets from Aether’s journey scattered around on furniture made by the traveller himself, shelves with photos and books, flowers in vases, nice curtains and lights, so on and so forth.
It’s comfortable. Cosy, even.
Though right now, it’s also stifling, as the two couples look at each other, waiting for something – anything – to happen.
Caelus is the first to break.
He shrugs off his coat, throwing it into some corner as he speaks dramatically.
“Man, it’s so hot in here…”
Dan Heng rolls his eyes, but follow his lead, taking off his own coat (though he politely folds it and sets it down nearby).
When they begin taking their boots off, Xiao and Aether get the memo and follow along, getting more comfortable. Xiao sets down his accessories on the dresser, Aether takes off his scarf and boots.
They all sit down on the bed, facing each other, as Aether clears his throat.
“How about we begin by simply kissing each other… just to break the tension.”
Caelus nods, before quickly swooping in and placing his lips on Aether’s, a quick and short kiss, before he grins.
To his credit, Aether isn’t too phased as he turns to Dan Heng, who merely shrugs. A moment later, Aether leans in and kisses him, a little longer than the earlier kiss, and Xiao would be lying if he said that watching Aether kiss Dan Heng didn’t stir something deep within him.
Unfortunately, when Aether pulls back, Xiao realises its now his turn, and the nerves from before are suddenly ten times worse.
He doesn’t even realise he’s spaced out until he feels Aether’s hand grasp his own, squeezing reassuringly as Aether looks at him with care in his eyes.
“Are you alright?”
Xiao closes his eyes, before barely nodding. It’s not convincing, but Xiao wants to be alright, he wants to do this, and he says as much.
“I… want to do this…” he whispers.
“Don’t push yourself, take as long as you need.”
Xiao sighs, before opening his eyes and looking at Caelus. Thankfully, Caelus is more careful with him than he was with Aether, slowly shuffling forward until their knees brush.
Caelus leans in, stretching his hand out to hold Xiao’s cheek, as he murmurs.
“Is this alright?”
Xiao nods silently, and when Caelus leans forward, Xiao lets it happen, simply going with the flow.
It’s short but its sweet, and the smile Caelus has on his face when he pulls back almost blinds Xiao.
The kiss with Dan Heng follows shortly after, easier now that the barrier has been surpassed, and things become more and more natural.
Aether moves over to Dan Heng once again, slowly pushing him to lay down as Aether crawls on top of him, and Xiao watches with wide eyes until Caelus beckons Xiao closer.
“How are you feeling?” Caelus asks, as he slowly lets his hand rest on Xiao’s leg.
Xiao lets out a shaky breath, before answering.
“I’m not sure…”
He glances over at Aether and sees that his boyfriend is now shirtless, as he makes out with Dan Heng.
Caelus looks over as well, before continuing.
“If you are having doubts, we can always stop. You and Aether are boyfriends, it’s important that you are both comfortable with this.”
Xiao shakes his head, dismissing the concern.
“It’s fine, I just…”
Xiao trails off, not knowing how to say it, but Caelus understands.
“Would you like me to take the lead?” Caelus asks, and Xiao nods.
Slowly, Caelus manoeuvres Xiao so he’s laying down on the bed, opposite Aether, as Caelus straddles his hips, and Xiao sucks in a breath when he feels his erection press against Caelus’ own through the fabric of their pants.
Caelus groans, as he experimentally rolls his hips, before he strips off his t-shirt.
Xiao gazes at the trailblazer on-top of him with wide eyes, in awe at the beautiful specimen. His body is scientifically perfect, and it makes sense, Xiao supposes. He is an artificial body, a receptacle for a stellaron.
When Caelus rolls his hips again, Xiao lets out a gasp, the friction against his co*ck tantalising. He lets his head fall back onto the pillow and closes his eyes.
When he opens them, though, he sees Aether, hair splayed across the pillow as Dan Heng slowly fingers him, preparing him, and Xiao’s heartrate skyrockets, watching his boyfriend mewling while another man explores his body.
Xiao’s hips jump, whining all the while, and Caelus chuckles softly, taking it as his indicator to speed up a bit.
He helps Xiao out of his clothes until he’s completely bare, his co*ck resting against his stomach, hard and aching.
Caelus licks his lips at the sight, as he slowly works his way down Xiao’s chest, settling between his legs.
Xiao peers down, letting out a long groan when Caelus licks a stripe up his co*ck, before swallowing his co*ck in one fell swoop.
His hand finds its way to Caelus’ hair, tangling into the silver locks, as Caelus begins bobbing his head and up down.
Distantly, he hears what sounds like Aether org*sming, but he can’t find it within himself to look away to find out what it was, when Caelus is doing an expert job of swallowing down Xiao’s co*ck, quickly bringing Xiao towards his own org*sm.
Xiao lets out low groans as Caelus continues, his breathing increasing as he gets closer to his peak.
So, he’s understandably lost when Caelus suddenly pulls off his co*ck with an obscene gasp, the fading sensation of his impending org*sm leaving him unsatisfied.
“Please…” Xiao manages to whine, and Caelus chuckles.
“Don’t worry, just give me a moment.”
Caelus quickly divests himself of his pants and boxers, before straddling Xiao’s hips once more.
“Wait-” Xiao’s eyes widen as Caelus lines Xiao’s co*ck up with his entrance seemingly without any preparation, but Caelus shakes his head.
“It’s fine, I already prepared.”
Xiao is about to say it doesn’t matter, and that he should let Xiao make sure, but Caelus is already sinking down onto his co*ck with a breathless moan.
“f*ck…” Caelus gasps when he’s fully seated, and he doesn’t even give Xiao a moment to get used to the feeling before he’s raising himself back up, and sinking down once more, setting a slow but deep pace.
Xiao’s hands settle on Caelus’ hips as he helps the trailblazer ride his co*ck, gently thrusting up in time.
“Yeah… just… like that…” Caelus moans between each thrust, and Xiao can tell that he’s not going to last much longer.
Fortunately, it seems Caelus isn’t either, as his co*ck twitches with each thrust, bouncing up and down, leaking pre-cum onto Xiao’s stomach.
“Close…” Xiao manages to grunt, and Caelus nods, picking up the pace as his moans get louder.
The knot in Xiao’s gut builds and builds, threatening to come undone at any moment, until finally he gasps, his hips bucking up into Caelus as he releases everything that has built up over the months.
Caelus falls forwards as he too falls over the edge, letting out a long whine as he spills onto Xiao’s stomach and chest, before resting his head on his shoulder as they both come down from the high.
As Xiao takes deep breaths, his heartrate slowly calming, he looks over and watches as Dan Heng f*cks Aether, his boyfriend’s legs circled around Dan Heng’s hips as he gets f*cked deeply by the other.
“He’s beautiful…” Caelus murmurs softly, as he gazes at Aether, and Xiao could never disagree. Even while getting f*cked, the way his golden hair spreads across the bed, framing his head like he’s an angel, it is breathtaking.
“He is.”
Slowly, Caelus pulls off Xiao’s co*ck with a slight wince, before properly laying down on-top of him, resting for the moment. Xiao enjoys it, the weight. It’s grounding, reassuring, as Caelus leans in to give Xiao another kiss.
The kiss is deeper this time, sensual, as the sound of Aether getting f*cked by Dan Heng continues in the background, the atmosphere so wonderfully charged and passionate.
Caelus eventually pulls back, sighing almost dreamily.
“I think you should f*ck Aether while Dan Heng f*cks me,” Caelus murmurs, as both watch their respective partners, waiting for them to finish.
“Mn.” Xiao simply grunts, nodding his head.
Xiao watches as Aether’s toes curl, before finally his back arches as he org*sms, covering his chest in his own cum. Dan Heng continues thrusting through Aether’s org*sm, chasing his own release. He groans loudly as he buries himself deep in the traveller one final time, finally falling over the edge.
Caelus slowly gets up off Xiao as he shuffles over to Dan Heng, letting his hands wander over his boyfriend’s chest as he murmurs something to him. Xiao doesn’t care to listen, not as he slides over to lean his head against Aether’s.
Aether hums softly, his eyes still closed as he comes down from his org*sm, though he knows it is Xiao.
“Good?” Xiao whispers, and Aether nods.
Xiao watches as Caelus flops down next to Aether, laying on his side, while Dan Heng positions himself behind his boyfriend.
“Do you want to go again?” Xiao asks, and Aether opens his eyes to stare at his boyfriend with a deadpan look.
Xiao simply shakes his head, exhaling in amusem*nt as Aether slowly turns to lay on his side, facing Caelus.
Xiao positions himself behind his boyfriend in much the same way as Dan Heng, and now Xiao sees the vision Caelus had.
As Xiao slowly sinks into Aether, the feeling is much different to how it normally is, what with having already been f*cked by Dan Heng. He leans forward to press his chest to Aether’s back, holding his boyfriend tightly as he begins to thrust slowly.
Opposite them, Dan Heng does the same, as Caelus and Aether themselves lean forward to kiss, their co*cks rubbing against each other.
It’s a much slower, more intimate pace this time as Xiao and Dan Heng f*ck their respective lovers, an action fit to truly be called ‘lovemaking’.
The sound of skin on skin, of squelching and moaning fills the room, as all four give in to the moment, embracing the sensuality wholeheartedly. They are baring their hearts to each other, being vulnerable and letting each other in, and making a promise in the most intimate way possible. The flower has bloomed, the small flame has grown into a hearth fire, capable of warming their very souls.
What feels like hours pass, with all four content to bask in the hazy, dreamy feeling, taking as long as possible to get to their climax. When they do find their release, it’s quiet; a light gasp, a soft moan as euphoria floods their veins, though it’s by far the best org*sm they’ve all experienced.
An overwhelming satisfaction settles deep into their bones as they simply lay there, no-one daring to interrupt the moment as silence fills the room save for the sound of their breathing.
Xiao takes the moment to reflect on everything that lead up to this, how that day he first met Caelus and Dan Heng unfolded, and everything since then. He thinks about how, now, there will be two more additions to his everyday life, but also how he’s glad for it.
Slowly, sleep overcomes all four of them, Aether and Caelus the most affected having been f*cked twice each, and Aether mumbles tiredly.
“Let’s all sleep…”
Caelus makes a noise of approval, already halfway there, and while Xiao would normally emphasise the importance of cleaning up after sex – just this time – he thinks he can let it go to maintain the sanctity of the moment.
So, they all settle down, as Xiao pulls the blanket to cover everyone, Dan Heng helping him. Xiao wraps his arms around Aether, burying his face into his lover’s neck.
“I love you,” he murmurs, though he knows this time, he’s not only saying it to Aether. Of course, the others can’t hear it, so he knows when tomorrow comes he’ll have to say it again – properly this time – but for now, this is enough.
Xiao drifts off to sleep, more content than he’s ever been before, and he dreams of dancing with three others, instead of just one.
-
The sun has fully risen by the time anyone wakes up, the exhaustion from last night having well and truly knocked them out.
Through the night, the once ordered sleeping arrangement managed to decay into nothing more than a tangled mess of limbs and bodies. Everyone’s limbs are numb from being positioned in some terrible way, but as Xiao struggles to disentangle himself from the nest and sit up, he can’t find it within himself to say that he didn’t thoroughly enjoy last night.
Aether makes a noise of complaint in his sleep when Xiao pulls away, though he immediately leans forward and embraces Caelus, which Xiao chuckles silently at. Even in his sleep, Aether is uncontrollably affectionate.
Though, when Xiao glances over at the other side of the bed, he sees Dan Heng looking at him before nodding. Xiao nods back, and silently slips out of the bed, shivering slightly as he’s exposed to the cool morning air. Unfortunately, while he would like to cover himself up, he knows that doing so would only dirty his clothes, so birthday suit it is.
Xiao walks to the adjoining bathroom to fetch some washcloths and towels, running the cloths under some warm water to dampen them. Looking at himself in the mirror, he does his best to fix his dishevelled hair, though he knows it will take a shower to tidy himself properly.
With warm, damp cloths and towels in hand, Xiao returns to the bedroom, where he sees Aether and Caelus stretching, evidently having woken up in time he was gone, and Xiao is a touch disappointed that he didn’t get to watch it, but there’s always next time.
‘Next time…’ Xiao wonders, and he smiles inwardly at the thought.
“Thank you…” Aether mumbles as Xiao hands him one of the cloths, and he wipes himself down, doing his best to clean what he can for now, while Dan Heng helps Caelus with the same.
“Ugh… we should have cleaned last night…” Caelus groans, as he reaches between his legs to try and clean what he can, though it’s fruitless.
“Sorry…” Xiao responds, guilty, but Caelus immediately shakes his head.
“No, don’t be. It was great.”
“But you just said-”
“I say a lot of things.”
Xiao’s eyes scrunch together in confusion, while Caelus laughs, and Xiao simply shakes his head.
“We should shower…” Aether murmurs, stretching his arms above his head while yawning, and Xiao could never tire of the sight of his sunshine’s perfect body the morning after.
Slowly, all four make their way to the bathroom, Xiao and Dan Heng helping their respective boyfriends as they struggle to walk properly.
Unfortunately, the shower isn’t big enough for four, so they have to split themselves between the shower and the bath.
Dan Heng and Caelus take the shower, after Aether shows them where and what the various products are, while Xiao runs the bath, making sure the temperature is perfect.
The sound of running water and soft humming fills the bathroom as everyone takes the time to clean themselves, washing hair and scrubbing bodies.
“We love you two, you know that right?” Caelus speaks up, his voice soft and gentle.
“And not because you two were the two to help us get our bearings here,” Dan Heng follows Caelus’ lead, as he rinses his boyfriend’s hair.
“I mean, I think we fell in love with you for the same reason we fell in love with each other,” Caelus’ finishes.
“I think it’s the same for us,” Aether responds, as he relaxes into Xiao’s arms in the bath, and Xiao simply hums his agreement.
It’s silent for a while, and then:
“I love you,” Caelus murmurs.
A moment later, Dan Heng follows.
“I love you.”
Then Aether.
“I love you.”
Xiao feels his heart pick up slightly, taking a moment to breath, before he utters the words.
“I love you.”
The flower blooms.
-
The four are stood in Xiao’s room, dressing themselves following their shower and bath, when Caelus begins staring at Dan Heng pointedly, raising his eyebrows expressively, as if trying to ‘subtly’ signal something to his boyfriend.
Xiao and Aether glance at each other, before turning back when Dan Heng sighs.
“I suppose, now that we are at this point, I should tell you the truth.”
Dan Heng’s voice is weary, uncommon for the archivist, and Xiao braces for what sounds like a difficult conversation.
“I told you when I first met you that I am the archivist and bodyguard for the Astral Express. While I didn’t lie, I wasn’t entirely truthful.”
Xiao narrows his eyes, trying to figure out where this is going, and it takes him a while. It was nearly a year ago, after all, but he gets it eventually.
‘If he isn’t an Adeptus… then what is he?’
The thought had been pushed to the side given the more pressing issue of their boyfriends trying to kill each other, but now it’s back in full force.
“I think Xiao realised something was missing when we first encountered each other. I could sense his presence, so I assume he could sense mine.”
“I thought that you were an adeptus when I first woke up that morning.”
Dan Heng nods.
“Indeed. While I am not an adeptus, I…”
Dan Heng trails off, not quite sure how to say it, so he shakes his head.
“I’ll just show you.”
He moves to be in the middle of the room, and Caelus grins, like he’s watching his favourite movie.
Xiao is about to ask what is going on when Dan Heng closes his eyes and takes a slow breath.
And then, Xiao watches as power shimmers over Dan Heng’s skin, watches as his normal clothes fade into beautiful silks, a sleeveless white shirt not too dissimilar to his own, with sashes and ornaments that remind him of his own.
The key difference is the presence of two light blue horns atop Dan Heng’s head, and the long hair that billows down his back, and Xiao is transfixed by the graceful beauty.
When Dan Heng opens his eyes once more, there’s something regal in his gaze, and Xiao understands that whatever Dan Heng is, he has to have once held unimaginable power.
When Xiao glances over Aether, he can tell Aether is thinking much the same.
“I am what is called a Vidyadhara, a Scion of the Aeon of Permanence.”
Dan Heng’s voice is lower, full of a gravity he normally only hears Zhongli speak with, and while he doesn’t really understand what Dan Heng means when he mentions some ‘Aeon of Permanence’, he gets the gist.
“Before you stands Dan Heng, former Imbibitor Lunae, High Elder of the Xianzhou Luofu.”
Xiao and Aether stand in awe of the Vidyadhara, Xiao understands why Caelus was grinning.
This is awesome.
Eventually, Dan Heng grows embarrassed as the two gawk at him, his pointed ears turning red.
“Please, say something…” he mutters.
“How cool!” Aether exclaims, as he runs forward to fuss with his clothes, examining the details more closely.
“These clothes remind me of Xiao’s, so elegant and beautiful!”
Dan Heng sighs as Aether fiddles with his clothes, allowing the traveller to explore the changes.
Though, when Aether’s hand gently brushes against one of his horns, he lets out a sharp gasp and flinches away. Aether’s hand retracts quickly, as if he just got burnt, but Dan Heng interrupts him before he can blurt out an apology.
“It’s fine, it’s just… sensitive.”
Dan Heng mumbles, a blush slowly forming, and Caelus pipes up.
“He likes it when you touch his horns during sex.”
“Oh…” Aether murmurs, his eyes sparkling with untold ideas for next time.
“He also has two-”
“Cae.”
Dan Heng interrupts, an exasperated look on his face, and Caelus simply laughs.
Xiao’s mind races with these new revelations, when Aether speaks up, and he can’t interrupt before the trap has been laid.
“You know, Xiao also has another form.”
Xiao deflates, knowing that it’s too late.
“Oh really? Show us, Xiao!” Caelus speaks enthusiastically, though Dan Heng interrupts.
“Only show us if you are comfortable, Xiao,” and Caelus has a sheepish look on his face, though he doesn’t hide the fact that he does really want to see Xiao’s true form.
He sighs, as he shakes his head barely, wondering just what he did to deserve this. He can hear Aether’s voice in his mind, however.
‘It’s because we love you, Xiao.’
Xiao closes his eyes as he channels his adeptal powers, feeling his illuminated beast form slowly come to him.
The shriek of delight when a small, round, teal bird appears will echo in his mind for days to come.
-
Aether and Dan Heng are in the hills of Qingce Village, collecting various flowers and herbs, when Aether asks the question.
“How do you deal with it?”
Dan Heng pauses, turning to face Aether, waiting for him to clarify.
“How do you deal with not being the High Elder anymore, I mean.”
Dan Heng considers why Aether is asking this, the traveller’s voice uncharacteristically sorrowful.
“Why do you ask?”
Aether sighs, hanging his head, before speaking.
“I used to be royalty as well,” he murmurs, and Dan Heng nods in understanding. Somehow, he had gotten the impression, deep behind layer after layer of masking and facades.
“I think about how, if I was still the High Elder, I wouldn’t be able to stay with Caelus, or indeed you and Xiao either.”
Aether nods, though his face is still full of sorrow, and Dan Heng understands that it’s not always so easy.
“Of course, I still have moments where I wonder what could have been, but given what happened, I don’t miss it,” Dan Heng continues, and Aether hums in response.
Silence settles between the two as they continue to gather some more supplies, until Aether speaks up once more.
“It really did suck being royalty…” he chuckles, and Dan Heng lets out a soft, amused exhale.
“It really did, but now we have each other.”
Aether looks at Dan Heng, and the sincerity in his voice makes his heart melt.
“Yes, we do.”
-
The demonic activity is always worse on the lead up to Lantern Rite, the spirits of bygone eras stirring with more wrath than usual.
This unfortunately leaves Xiao unable to spend as much time with his new boyfriends as he’d like to, but it also leaves him more vulnerable to the influence of his karmic debt.
Of course, over the last few years, Aether has managed to coax Xiao into being more candid about his struggles, and it has certainly helped. His karmic debt has been less heavy with Aether by his side, with someone to help him through the darkness.
So, it’s all the more shocking and distressing when Xiao doubles over somewhere in the Dihua Marsh, gasping and sputtering as the miasma claws at him, threatening to overtake him completely and reduce him to madness.
He stumbles forwards, hands clenched around his spear as he falls to the ground, his vision narrowing as he feels the darkness rising.
‘No… no!’ Xiao cries out in his mind, as he struggles to maintain control. He tries to think of Aether, he thinks of Caelus and Dan Heng, of how he can’t leave them, but all that comes to his mind is visions of Aether standing over him, sword plunged into his chest as he cries, sobbing some apology for how it had to end this way.
“-ao! -iao!”
A voice is barely audible over the shrieking of the spirits haunting him, and distantly Xiao realises that its someone calling his name.
‘I’m sorry…’ he thinks, but the voice continues.
“Xiao, come on!”
He feels something envelope him, and the warmth that follows fights bone-deep coldness from his debt. Slowly, but surely, his vision returns, and the spirits fade away.
He slumps down, his body racked with exhaustion, as he hears a sigh.
The arms around him tighten, and Xiao’s about to thank Aether for saving him once more when the voice continues.
“Xiao, what’s going on?”
Oh.
That’s not Aether.
That’s Caelus.
Caelus, who previously had no idea about Xiao’s karmic debt, but now does.
Caelus, who just watched him nearly succumb to the madness.
“Xiao, it’s alright,” Caelus murmurs, seemingly sensing the distress Xiao is in, as Caelus embraces him from behind.
Xiao takes deep breaths, slowly calming down, as Caelus soothes him, until eventually Xiao opens his eyes again.
“Caelus…” he speaks, his voice hoarse.
“Yes?”
Xiao takes a moment, before speaking, his voice quiet and meek.
“Can you… help me back to the inn?”
Caelus doesn’t even hesitate, helping Xiao up and carrying him bridal style through the marsh. In any other situation he would object to being demeaned like this, saying something about not having respect for the Adepti, but in this moment, he couldn’t care less.
He relaxes into Caelus’ arms as he’s carried back to Wangshu Inn, closing his eyes as the warmth settles inside of him, comforting him.
Before he knows it, he’s laid out on his bed, stripped of his boots and accessories, as Caelus tucks him in. Luckily, Aether and Dan Heng aren’t here right now, so Xiao doesn’t have to face all three of them at once.
“Xiao, can you explain what happened earlier?”
He sighs, knowing that there’s no easy way of explaining this.
“You know that I protect these lands, and have done so for hundreds of years, correct?”
Caelus nods.
“What you don’t know is that my job is to purge the remains of bygone evils that infest the soil.”
Caelus’ eyebrows scrunch together in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
Xiao pauses for a moment, trying to figure out the easiest way of explaining several thousand years of the history of Liyue.
“Millennia ago, there was a great war between the gods of Teyvat to decide who would rule the nations. Many gods perished, but their remains linger to this day, full of hatred.”
Caelus listens carefully, his full attention focused on Xiao.
“This hatred caused great damage to Liyue and its people, so it fell to the Yakshas, a particularly ferocious group of Adepti, to purge the lands.”
“Are you saying you are one of the Yakshas?”
“Yes.”
Caelus nods, before asking.
“What does this have to do with your…”
Xiao sighs.
“The remains of old gods are not so easy to purge, and every time we do so, it comes with a price. Karmic debt, the hateful remains that cling to us, never letting go, always threatening to take over. For every Yaksha, death is an inevitability.”
Caelus looks downcast as he listens to the grim reality.
“Who are the other Yakshas?” Caelus asks, and while Xiao knows it’s the natural question to ask, it doesn’t hurt any less.
“There aren’t any. I’m the last one.”
It’s silent, save for the faint sound of breathing, until Caelus moves and lays down next to Xiao, hugging him from behind.
“You shouldn’t get too close to me, the debt I carry does not discriminate and will corrupt anything it can.”
But Caelus is undeterred, embracing Xiao tightly.
“Yeah, and I have a bomb inside of me capable of destroying whole planets.”
Xiao’s eyes widen slightly, before he thinks it over, and it’s when he is about to argue that he knows Caelus won’t let anything bad happen that he understands why Aether was always so insistent on befriending himself.
He huffs, and Caelus lets out a chuckle, having won the argument.
“Rest, Xiao,” Caelus murmurs, and Xiao doesn’t think twice, letting himself drift off in the arms of the trailblazer.
-
When Lantern Rite finally comes, Caelus is elated.
Aether accompanies Dan Heng and Caelus through the harbour, which is even busier than usual what with the festival and everything going on. Caelus looks around in awe at the decorations adorning every building and every street, running from stall to stall and buying as much as he possibly can.
Aether walks alongside Dan Heng, slowly following Caelus’ mad dash to experience everything he possibly can, as they watch on in amusem*nt.
“So, Xiao?” Dan Heng asks, glancing at Aether.
“He’ll be joining us tonight, atop Mount Tianheng. He doesn’t enjoy the hustle and bustle of the harbour, especially during the festival.”
Dan Heng understands. Even when he was High Elder and was expected to attend all sorts of events and menial festivals, he wasn’t hugely fond of them. They were too loud, with too many people for his liking.
“Dan Heng, come look at this!” Caelus calls out, and Aether smiles knowingly, shoving Dan Heng forward.
Aether watches with a smile as the trailblazers experience the festivities, content to sit back for once.
“Traveller, it has been a while.”
A smooth, deep voice appears to his right, and he turns to see Zhongli standing there, hands held elegantly behind his back.
“Zhongli, indeed, it has,” Aether smiles back.
Zhongli nods, as he watches the trailblazers with an inquisitive look, and Aether prepares himself for the impending conversation.
“While I may no-longer hold the Geo gnosis, I am still powerful enough to recognise when something, or someone descends to Teyvat from beyond.”
Aether grimaces, suddenly regretting never having spoken to Zhongli about this. He thinks back to what happened when he and Lumine tried to leave after the cataclysm, knowing what the Heavenly Principles are capable of.
“Do not be so concerned, Traveller, I trusted that you knew what you were doing,” Zhongli chuckles, and Aether lets out a breath, relieved.
“Though, I am surprised that there wasn’t even a hint of anything from those above…” Zhongli continues, and Aether knows what he’s implying.
“The keeper is fading away…” he murmurs, and Zhongli nods.
The conversation pauses as they watch Caelus and Dan Heng for a bit, as Caelus drags Dan Heng from stall to stall.
“They remind me of you and Xiao,” Zhongli observes, and Aether hold back from making a sarcastic remark about how he never realised.
“I hope that they are as pure of heart as you and Xiao, too,” Zhongli concludes.
“They are, I promise.”
Zhongli smiles gently, before sighing.
“I suppose I should be off now, Director Hu sent me off to enjoy the festival… “You should enjoy it while you can, old man” she said…”
“That sounds like Hu Tao,” Aether laughs, rolling his eyes.
“Indeed, it does. Happy Lantern Rite, Aether.”
“Happy Lantern Rite, Zhongli.”
Zhongli turns and walks away slowly, and Aether hopes he’s doing well. He knows what it’s like to live a life as long as Zhongli’s, knows how it can weigh down on you.
“Aether, come on!”
He’s pulled from his musing, and he shakes his head, smiling, as he walks to catch up with the trailblazers.
-
Aether, Caelus and Dan Heng sit atop Mount Tianheng, watching as the sun sets over the horizon.
They are exhausted, after hours of being dragged around by Caelus from one end of the harbour to the other, but they are glad they got to experience it.
Caelus sits with the materials to make lanterns for everyone, focused on trying to make them as close to perfect as possible. The look on his face when he heard from the street vendor that they are called Xiao lanterns had been priceless.
Speaking of, in a gust of wind, Xiao finally appears, and Aether quickly goes over to him, giving him a chaste kiss and hug.
Before Xiao can even say hello, Aether is already checking him for any injuries, concern etching his face.
Xiao sighs, remembering how upset Aether had been to find out Xiao had been hiding how bad his karmic debt was. The last time he saw Aether so upset was back in the Chasm, after he sacrificed himself…
“Aether, it’s alright,” he murmurs softly, looking into Aether’s eyes to be as sincere as possible. Aether fists his hand in Xiao’s shirt, before letting go and letting his hand drop to his side.
“I know…” he mumbles, and Xiao can’t help but embrace his boyfriend once more. It’s not his fault that he worries.
As he holds Aether, Xiao feels another pair of arms embrace him and Aether, and then another, as Caelus and Dan Heng join the hug. For a while, they just stand there, all embracing each other, content in the moment.
Eventually, Xiao looks out over the harbour, and sees the first lanterns slowly floating out to the sea, and he pulls back from the hug to get a better view.
“It’s beautiful…” Caelus whispers, following Xiao to the edge of the mountain.
Dan Heng walks over to where the lanterns Caelus made are, and Aether helps him light them, before handing one to Caelus and Xiao.
“Normally, people write their wishes on pieces of paper, and place them inside the lanterns before letting them go,” Aether explains, as he lets his lantern go first.
“But for the first time, my wish has already been granted.”
Dan Heng follows Aether, letting his lantern join the growing cloud of lanterns released by the people down in the harbour.
Caelus’ eyes sparkle, the glow of the lanterns illuminating his face, as he lets his lantern go next.
Finally, Xiao looks at his lantern, an object he once regarded as useless trash, and sees what everyone else sees.
Once upon a time, people released Xiao lanterns to help guide soldiers at war back home.
Now Xiao, the eternal soldier, the Vigilant Yaksha, releases a lantern.
Because, finally, he is home.
