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The anxiety and fear among the four of them is palpable. Each can not come to terms with what has happened and what this might mean. Each feels the shame of their actions as they know this could have been avoided. All of them are skilled and experienced enough to know better. Yet, it’s their fear for their ally’s wellbeing that outweighs that shame that burns in their gut.
Aether chews on his bottom lip, his honey-golden eyes are distant as they stare off at nothing. The words are spoken lowly by his companions don’t reach his ears and it isn’t until the doctor steps out from the small room, the one that their friend resides in, does he hear anything coherent. His face is solemn and the little hope that any of them had is quickly shattered.
Amber turns into Jeans shoulder, having been leaning against her as she feels the most shame and guilt for what happened. Aether can’t feel anything for her in the moment, though he doesn’t blame her and is sure that no one does.
“I’m sorry, but there is little we can do here for your friend.” The words sound as equally distant as Aether’s gaze. So much anguish burns within him in that moment that he’s quickly refusing to accept that his friend is a lost cause. He may not have known him for long compared to the others, but he hurts just as much at the prospect.
“There has to be another way.” Diluc is the one to speak up, having been dragged along by his brother and regrettably a part of this entire ordeal. He had taken up the mantle of the most worried, which no one is surprised by.
“I…” The doctor wipes at his brow. They can all see that he has tried his best and yet that doesn’t ease the aching in their heart at all. “If you wish to say your last words to him, now… now would be the time.”
Silence falls upon them all. It’s painful. It can’t be cut with the sharpest of knives. The aching is palpable. None of them know what to say nor do any of them want to accept the truth or gravity of the situation.
“It’s all my fault.” Amber breathes out, the tears cascading down her face. Her statement earns a glare from the redhead. Even Aether understands that this is not the time for self-pity, even if her intentions hadn’t been that.
“No. I refuse. There has to be another way.” The crimson gaze turns to the doctor, the passion clear. Aether wouldn’t be surprised if fire burns around them. The intensity of his conviction makes the air around them harder to breathe.
Even the doctor shirks under the gaze.
“We should go see him.” Jean reasons, urging Amber to walk with her into the room where Kaeya is hopefully resting without pain. They pass by Diluc without sparing him a glance, not wanting his wrath to turn on them. They would accept it and understand it, but would rather not deal with it. They just want to see their friend. If the final moments could be without pain, that would be a mercy they’d give anything for.
Aether finally raises his gaze to Diluc. The anger is at the thought of losing the captain, but he knows it’s more than just that. It isn’t just because they had a history together. It’s because they have something. Aether understands the pain, even if he hasn’t experienced it himself.
“I’ve heard of a legend in my travels.” The traveler speaks softly. It cuts a bit of the tension between the doctor and the tavern owner. “Of the Geo archon granting blessings for payment. Is this something we could seek out, doctor?”
The request sounds so ludicrous that the doctor’s shocked expression would be funny if not for how both men are staring at him. The expectation of an answer is clear. Even Diluc isn’t shrugging the idea as fantasy.
“Ah, it’s… that’s just a legend. It’s a folktale. I… wouldn’t recommend seeking out the archon, even if he were to ever show himself, the quest for him would most certainly worsen your friend’s condition.”
“But it’s a possibility?” Diluc is directing the question to the traveler. It doesn’t seem that he cares for the doctor’s opinion any further — he did say that his brother would die, a reality that Diluc would never accept.
“I’ve only heard of it in passing. We would need to leave immediately. I don’t know if we should take him with us, though. Like the doctor said…” Aether won’t say the impossible consequences out loud — they clearly won’t accept defeat.
“Let us not waste time. We must return quickly.”
Aether watches as Diluc turns to prepare for their journey. He glances to where Kaeya is and wonders if maybe Diluc should say something to his brother just in case…
He shakes his head, taking off after the redhead shortly after. It isn’t his place.
*
The storm comes out of nowhere.
The rain is relentless, the thunder and lightning feeling all too close as they continue their trek up the mountain. The legends directed them and led them to a small village that had felt all too deserted. The few people who they saw looked out of place, something about them feeling uncomfortable. Neither of them let their discomfort show and only their determination to find the archon who could possibly save their companion.
Aether’s foot slips on an unsteady rock, Diluc’s hand quick to reach over and grasp around his small arm. He tugs him over to the more sturdy ledge that he has found.
“I don’t know if we can continue in this, Diluc.” Aether speaks, almost shouting over the torrential downpour.
“We have to.”
Aether bites at his lip. His honey eyes gaze at the mortal, knowing there’s a desperation that reflects in the dark shadows under his eyes, the tension in his shoulders, the inability to sleep. Aether has gone on just as much, feeling the weariness but determined to see this to the end.
He nods his head, accepting Diluc’s help to get to the next ledge, the man’s longer legs assisting him in reaching it and the strong grasp on his waist being enough to get him up those last few inches.
They will get there. It’s a race against time.
Aether ignores the shiver that runs down his spine as if there is someone watching them.
*
The cove in the mountain had seemed impossible to reach, but between the two of them there is enough experience and determination for them to get there even as the storm worsens the closer they got.
Diluc reaches it first, reaching down to help Aether up the last few feet. Getting his feet back on solid ground is a relief, his heart calming from the constant fear of falling. Adrenaline is the only reason he hasn’t meant his doom.
Once he’s standing tall, he wipes at his eyes as the rain doesn’t reach them under the curve of the mountain. He reaches to ring out his braid and it’s then that Aether realizes Diluc is without his fur trimmed coat. He can only imagine how heavy it had been during their climb. There is only an increasing amount of proof that Diluc cares for the captain. Aether hasn’t questioned it a single time.
“How much further?” Diluc asks, taking out a small meal of bread and meat from the bag with their dwindling provisions. He hands Aether a ration first.
The traveler accepts the offer and takes a bite before answering. “This should be it. The legends all spoke of it being here. It’s also where the villagers said we should meet the archon. Nothing said how we were supposed to summon him, though…”
Diluc finishes his small portion. He turns, adjusting and redoing the ponytail of cherry curls. His dark eyes survey the empty cove for anything that might give away their next step. Even though the cove is empty, he hasn’t given up hope. Because that’s all that’s keeping him sane at this point, Aether knows. He understands the power of hope more than anyone, after all.
“Maybe if we make it clear to him that we aren’t simply here for his assistance. Maybe he needs proof that we will give something to him…”
“What do you think he might ask for?” Diluc ponders, mostly to himself.
More silence between the two. It isn’t that either of them are all that talkative to begin with. Now it only feels wrought with tension.
“What would you give, Aether?” Diluc asks, maybe in hopes that he has the same thing to offer an archon, a being with unimaginable power and the sole ability to save his brother.
“I will give anything.”
Maybe it’s the seriousness of the claim, or the sincerity behind it, but the electricity in the air pales in comparison to the crushing weight of power that surrounds the two of them. Neither can breathe suddenly. Both are forced to their knees. Senses become dull as the ground shakes beneath them.
Aether can see that Diluc is trying to rise to his feet, but struggles as much as he does. Aether can hardly draw his gaze away from the ground before him. Fear riddles through him before he can control it.
“You will give anything, young traveler?”
The words aren’t spoken in the conventional way. It sounds as if they resonate from around the two of them and yet echo within their minds all at the same time. It’s all consuming and forces an answer from Aether before he can think about it; it’s not as if the answer is different regardless of how much time he takes to answer.
“Yes.”
“So be it.”
Confusion is the last thing that Aether can recall feeling before the crushing weight of power renders him unconscious. His last thought is concern for Kaeya and Diluc. If this takes his life, at least it would be for another.
*
When Aether’s thoughts come back to him, the traveler is first aware of the warmth that surrounds him. It’s not quite suffocating, but is almost too comfortable. It feels overbearing as he forces his eyes open, needing to understand what he’s buried beneath. To say that he’s shocked when his vision clears is an understatement.
His breath is taken from him as he follows the length up the archon’s body to the immortal gaze that is solely focused on him. He bites back a choked noise of fear when the sharp, white teeth come into view.
“Do not fear, young traveler.”
That voice again echoes within his head and throws him for a spin. He feels almost nauseated by it, not able to comprehend how something could speak from inside his head. He doesn’t care that the voice is soothing, a deep timbre that gives him the comfort of home.
“Where… where is Diluc?” Aether almost hesitates to ask, but needs to be assured that his friend is okay.
“I sent him on his way. I only need one of you as payment for my blessing, and as you made it clear you would do anything, I chose you.”
Aether swallows as he looks over the mane of wondrous hair, the colors shockingly beautiful. But all in all, as amazing as this creature might be… he’s surrounded by a dragon. Not just any dragon — (though he’s not sure if other dragons exist) — but the Geo Archon, what did the locals call him? — Rex Lapis.
“So what does that mean for Kaeya? Did you save him?” Because what would all of this be worth if Kaeya would still die?
“It is what you bargained for, is it not?”
Yet, it seems too good to be true. Aether isn’t wanting to doubt the archon aloud, and so turns his attention back to the body that he’s encased in. The long form of the dragon is curled around him, acting as a nest for Aether to be rested in. The scales along his back look hard as rock, glinting in the light of the fire that had been lit at some point while he was unconscious. But what he’s pressed against is the soft belly of the dragon, the feel of his flesh warm and reminds Aether of a snake. They’re both reptiles, aren’t they?
The low grumble of the archon causes Aether to startle, raising his eyes to look into the intense gold that burns through his soul.
“I am no snake, traveler. Do not insult me.”
Oh. So his thoughts aren’t safe.
Aether once again chews on his bottom lip, forcing himself to stay calm even though he could be moments away from being killed, torn apart with ease by a being far older than he could imagine. It’s not like him to overreact to things, but he knows that he should at least be feeling a sense of unease, if nothing else.
“I do not wish for you to panic, young one. After all, this could be enjoyable for you as well.”
En...joyable?
Wide eyes blink curiously and he can’t help that he’s trying to rise from the comfortable warmth of the dragon’s body. This is most certainly not where he should be. And he should definitely be feeling something more than uncertainty or confusion by his situation. Whatever the purpose of his presence, if it means that Kaeya will survive his mortal wounds then he wouldn’t dare refuse his situation.
“Will you kill me?” Aether ponders aloud even though it’s clear that his thoughts aren’t safe.
“Would it satisfy you to die?”
“No.” His answer is quick. Aether has no desire to die and only will to continue on, to find his sister and possibly leave Teyvat when all is said and done. “What… what is it you want with me?” Because even if he has agreed with it, Aether still wants to know what lays in wait. Anything is worth a friend’s life, after all.
“Words will not suffice. I will show you, traveler.”
Aether gulps, looking away from the dragon’s all knowing eyes and towards the mouth of the den, ignoring the presence of items and furniture that Aether knows hadn’t been present before. There’s a pile of books in the corner, trinkets on a shelf, and a bed off on the other side. That implies that either someone resides here or… the archon has the bed there for one reason.
He closes his eyes, takes a breath, and accepts his fate. It’s worth it, he tells himself.
*
Aether has been stripped of his clothes. Well, the archon had told him to strip off his clothes lest they be destroyed by claws and teeth sharper than the highest quality blade Aether has ever seen forged. His fingers shake the entire time that he removes another article of clothing. It still doesn’t occur to him the purpose for this, or what is being asked of him. All he knows is that he must go along with this to ensure Kaeya survives. He knows that if Rex Lapis has the ability to save him for a deal, then he has the ability to take that back if the deal is revoked.
The traveler’s back faces the wall of the den — since that’s what he accepts this place to be — as he reaches to undo the braid that draped down his back. The archon had asked that of him, too.
“Are all beings so pretty from your world?”
Hearing the voice in his head will never get easier, Aether decides. He shivers in the cool air and gives a small shrug. He ignores the warmth that spreads to his cheeks at the compliment. He doesn’t feel all that pretty, and simply wishes he will be told what is going on.
“I don’t… I don’t know. Maybe? I’m not that… that pretty.” Aether has never considered himself pretty, and yet the dragon is looking to him with those intense golden eyes, the scales along his form bristling, and the gorgeous mane of hair shifting and seemingly changing colors with the flickering of flames. If anything, he might find the being before him gorgeous if not still compelled to feel calm and at ease.
(Aether has realized that there is fear underlying all of this. It must be some form of magic to keep him calm despite everything. There are few people who could feel brave and naturally at ease sitting naked before a beast with claws and teeth that could flay flesh without difficulty.)
“Lay back, small human.”
Taking a shuddering breath, Aether shifts down the bed enough to lay back on the pillows. His flaxen blond hair fans out around him. His skin is flushed with embarrassment and there’s goosebumps that rise over his flesh. The gaze that settles on him continues to make him feel uncomfortable. He can’t believe he’s laying bare before a god. What would his sister say?
He has to remind himself that Kaeya’s life is worth it.
The firelight is just enough to allow Aether to see the look in the dragon’s eyes. It feels so intense, and he feels stilled by it. He should be fighting, but it’s worth it, he continues to tell himself.
All of this is worth it.
He watches with bated breath as the dragon’s large muzzle comes near him, the hot breath continuing to suffocate him. There is little explanation of what to expect before the long, forked tongue slides along his stomach, just beneath his naval. His back arches before he could help it, tickled by the sensation and wanting to squirm away. He has to fist his hands to resist the urge to fight off the dragon. His survival instincts are telling him that he should, that he needs to.
“Be good for me and I can be good for you.”
Aether doesn’t know how this could be good for him in any sense, yet that forked tongue is once again sliding over his bare flesh. It sends another shiver down his spine and he would very much like to not know what the archon’s tongue feels like. It’s long and rough, almost like a cat’s as it slides up his sternum. His head tips back as if he could avoid the sensation but he lets out a small whimper anyways. This may not be what he had in mind when offering to do anything, but if this will suffice, Aether can swallow down his worry and survival instincts for it.
Honey-golden eyes are directed away to the opening of the cove. He looks at the dark clouds that still surround the mountain. It’s likely a precaution to ward off treasure hoarders, or maybe it’s a test to see who is worthy of having their request granted. It only serves to distract Aether for a few moments as there’s a dragging of sharp teeth along his chest. It’s so close to piercing his skin that he cries out and pushes at the muzzle of the dragon before he even realizes what he’s doing.
The huff of air that brushes over his face is hot, feeling like a bad sunburn after a day at the beach. Aether gasps and freezes in the fear that he hadn’t been able to feel before. It’s as if that blanket that covers him is removed and all he should have been feeling this entire time. It’s more suffocating than the heat he’s surrounded in. Tears spring to his eyes and his heart feels about ready to burst from his chest. He wants to fight even more now, but is still from fear.
“You offered yourself, traveler. Yet, I will release you if you do not wish to continue.”
Kaeya. He has to think of Kaeya. It isn’t Aether’s fault that he had become as injured as he did, but it would be Aether’s fault if the man died because he couldn’t sacrifice his autonomy to save him. He can do this, whatever it consists of.
“How… how long will you… keep me here?” Aether pants out, still finding it hard to breathe and think straight.
But it seems that at his submission, the blanket is being laid over him once more and his heart calms. The adrenaline has eased. Aether can breathe once again. If all it takes is to please the archon, then how hard can that be?
“Until I am satisfied with your offering. It has been quite some time since a virgin wandered into my home.”
Aether wants to deny out of habit that he’s inexperienced. But if his thoughts aren’t his own in that time, then he couldn’t very well attempt to lie to the archon. He might as well allow the truth to be known so there is no need for him to be reminded of his place — he doesn’t want his full emotions to be felt again; that fear is debilitating.
“Good… now relax for me… you will enjoy this.”
The blond wonders if this will be a genuine enjoyment or something that the archon brings onto him. He’s not sure what would be worse: Enjoying this organically or being forced to enjoy it. Aether isn’t sure he wants to find out.
*
The rough tongue slides down the length of his spine. Aether’s back arches and his fingers curl into the surprisingly soft bedding. His eyes flutter close and he’s doing his best to keep his thoughts on anything but how he’s enjoying this. The fear that he had felt earlier is far from his mind as he’s actually enjoying how it feels to have those claws run down the sides of his legs and guiding them apart. It causes him to shiver and yet he’s not resisting any of it when those teeth graze along his flesh once again.
“Ah!” A sharp noise leaves the traveler even though he’s willing at this point. The tongue has slid down to his tailbone, dipping down between two rounded cheeks to prod at his body all too intimately. He really didn’t expect that , but the calming sensation that lays over him helps his tense muscles relax and allows the long tongue, the heated tongue feel so deeply within him.
It’s a shock when it happens, when the rough sensation of the forked tongue presses into his virginal hole. He knows he would tense if not for the way the archon forces him to relax, his breath even coming out slowly up until the muscle slides into his body more so than he thinks anything rightfully should. He only ever considered being entered when alone and it was dark and without anyone knowing his private thoughts.
He can’t help how he responds, though. A high-pitched moan is sliding across his tongue, torn from his throat and he’s struggling to find air when he’s pushing his hips back for more stimulation. It’s not right, he tells himself, but there’s little he can do when the tongue starts to thrust in and out of him. This is the most obscene thing he could have ever considered to be part of. His entire body is flushed with embarrassment and he’s filled with shame that is hard pressed to overcome the pleasure that’s thrumming through him.
“Ah… oh… that’s… that’s not… you have to… hafta stop.” Aether whines, turning to press his face into the pillow so he could hide the whimper that he definitely doesn’t want the archon to hear him make. It’s embarrassing enough that his body is responding favorably and without his permission to something like this. And that’s without even acknowledging the erection that hangs between his legs, precum dripping onto the soft blanket beneath him.
“Enjoy this… it will go faster if you enjoy this, young traveler.”
Even though Aether shakes his head, he can’t deny that he is enjoying this and has no idea how much time has passed since he laid out for the dragon. It doesn’t matter as he’s already accepted he will be put through the trial of being enough to please the dragon all for the sake of his companion’s life.
What more is there to enjoy, Aether can’t help but wonder. Though he knows that he’s likely to be in for a surprise when the tongue slides from his body and there are claws once again at his thighs and hips. He’s struggling to find his breath when anticipation burns through him. The face of the dragon is at the back of his neck, nuzzling and breathing in while the tongue sensually traces a few notches of his spine.
“Let me own you for the night, traveler… you won’t hurt for a moment. It is what you offered to me, is it not?”
It isn’t exactly what Aether offered, but it’s what he’s willing to give.
*
Aether’s hands hold onto the sides of the dragon’s face, his teary eyes staring with absolute shock as his body is rocked into again and again. The stretch isn’t painful and his body isn’t resisting which can only be attributed to the same magic that has completely wiped his fear away. Either way, Aether is crying out with every thrust, his back arching and legs spread so wide for the dragon to continue to push into him. Aether can’t count the amount of times that he’s been entered at this point, nor the amount of times he’s cum, but each time the dragon is licking up his seed and releasing a content purr at the taste.
The way that the dragon has really been focusing on Aether’s pleasure is really not what he had expected. It’s lighting every nerve he has on fire, every bit of him is shaking with the intensity of what he’s being made to feel. Aether had been a virgin before this, but now he wonders why he ever waited if this is what he could have had all this time.
“You will never find such pleasure with another, little one.”
(A part of him knows it’s true; he knows only the archon could satisfy him to this extent.)
“Oh, please! Ah, please… I-I can’t… ca-an’t take anymore!” And yet Aether’s legs are spreading wider, wrapped around the dragon as much as he could. He is a small human, as the archon continues to remind him, and the dragon is so much larger than someone should be able to take.
“You will take more.”
Aether whines and one of his hands falls down to his stomach, pressing at the bulge that is created again and again when he’s thrusted into. He really feels as if he’s about to burst and yet he never wants it to stop. How can something like this feel so brilliantly even if he’s sure it’s sinful in countless different ways.
Another orgasm crashes over Aether before he realizes it. His eyes roll to the back of his head and he screams hoarsely something nonsensical.
*
Aether’s face is once again pressed into the bedding and he can’t even muster up the strength to hold onto the bed. His feet are dangling off the side of it, only held up by the force of the dragon’s body pushing into him again and again. It’s ruthless in all the right ways. Aether’s body feels raw and he thinks maybe it might be too much but each time he thinks this, there’s another wave of pleasure that’s forced over him, a blanket that hides his exhaustion and weariness.
And then he comes again.
His skin is slick with sweat, his stomach cramping with the force of the dragon’s cock filling him out to unbelievable lengths. His hair sticks to his face even as he tries to turn to look at the dragon after he’s caught his breath again.
“Archon… please…”
“Please what, little one?”
“Kiss me.”
The feel of the rough tongue sliding into Aether’s mouth has him gasping out, his body seizing at the sensation of the hot breath fanning over his face as his jaw drops to let the dragon lick inside of his mouth. The tongue is so thick that it feels almost too much for him to handle, but the warmth of it is entirely worth it.
His hand curls around the bottom of the archon’s muzzle, holding his face there as he allows the tongue to crowd his mouth in unspeakable ways. He knows that this isn’t a desire from the dragon, but instead is his own. He’s so far gone in all of the pleasure that he doesn’t even care.
*
Aether doesn’t have to be on his knees, he’s sure, but something tells him that the angle is what the dragon had been hoping for. There’s something so powerful in that gaze that Aether wants to shy away from it as his fingers wrap around the impossibly large girth. It’d already been in his body and yet that’s not stopping him from leaning forward and drawing his tongue along the head of it. His eyes close to hide his embarrassment despite how hungry he is to know the taste of the dragon who had yet to find his own release. Aether doesn’t know how this is a satisfying deal when he’d not come yet.
“Look at me. I want to see your pretty eyes.”
Shame is far from Aether’s mind as he lifts his gaze, lips doing his best to wrap around the double-ridged head but finding it quite hard to. The rumbling from the dragon sounds so much like a purr that Aether is comforted by it. He feels more relaxed and with a bit more stretch of his lips and a slight strain on his jaw, he’s letting just the head of the dragon’s cock into his mouth.
The grumbling gets louder, but Aether doesn’t even have a hint of fear within him.
He suckles the head, his tongue dragging back and forth across the slit as he encourages the dragon to come. Isn’t that what he wants? It’s what Aether finds that he wants in this moment, likely any moment. He doesn’t think he has ever wanted for something so much in his entire life.
“Aren’t you sweet… keep your mouth open.”
Aether nods his head, pulling back just so his mouth is cupped around the head of his cock. His honey golden eyes are glossed over with pleasure as they stare up at the dragon he knows he should be afraid of. It doesn’t matter as there’s a heavy growl that vibrates through every bone in the human’s body and the cock he holds in his hands twitches when he comes.
The amount is unbelievable, unexpected. Aether struggles with high pitched whines as he tries to swallow what he can. The cum is hot as it spills from his mouth, dripping down his chin and to his chin. His cheeks are full of it and when he can’t swallow enough, he pulls back to try and catch his breath. His pretty, teary eyes have to close when ropes of the hot fluid spurts over his face, landing in his hair.
Seeing is impossible for the time being until the dragon leans down, that warm, forked tongue once again sliding over his flesh. This time it’s to clean up his own mess. Aether whimpers and is already reaching to be brought back against the dragon. Hours ago, he hadn’t thought he would enjoy this.
And yet he wants — no, needs more.
*
Aether knows he passed out at some point.
When he wakes, it’s to the soft caress of a cloth running over his skin. He shudders at the cool air, but is basking in the care that his more than sore body is in need of at the moment. He can’t even think to consider the warmth that spreads through his belly. It’s situated deep within him and makes him feel full in a way he’s never experienced before.
“You are safe to wake, little traveler. I have had my fill.”
It takes yet another moment for Aether to realize… that voice wasn’t spoken from within his head. He forces his eyes to open and turns his head enough to see who sits next to him. His breath catches for an entirely different reason than it had earlier. He has to bite his lip to keep the sound from leaving him when he’s so clearly still overwhelmed. He has no filter, it appears.
“You can call me Zhongli.” His hand, plated in a gold color, continues to drag the cloth up Aether’s sweat-damp body. Aether can’t help how he stares. “You did well, young traveler.”
Aether swallows down the knot that lodged in his throat and he looks truly at the naked man — god before him. The strength that oozes from him isn’t purely physical. So much of it is sheer power that it doesn’t leave any doubt that this is the Geo archon, Rex Lapis. Not that Aether was going to bother denying it after all the work he had been put through.
“Work?” Zhongli chuckles, rising from the bed that Aether was laid out on. “I believe I did all of the work.”
The blush is colored rouge on his cheeks, but Aether is trying not to look too embarrassed for having even thought it when he knows his thoughts aren’t his own. He looks over the colored skin of the god, black and gold lining and emphasizing muscles. His shoulders and chest are broad, the physical strength clear in just how he stands, giving way to a slim waist and hips with a —
That was in me?!
Aether’s thoughts feel like a shout as he stares at the double ridged cock that lays soft between his legs. Along the sides were raised ridges lined vertically, the color gold and matching his lined forearms. The girth is… substantial even while soft and Aether is stunned as he simply stares . That alone couldn’t possibly fit within him, let alone if that belonged to a larger creature, a dragon. He truly doesn’t remember being coherent enough to appreciate it before.
“I didn’t hear you complaining all throughout it, little one.”
All of the pet names have Aether blushing further and he feels warmth settle in his chest. When he attempts to push himself up, he finds that he has no strength to do so and falls back to the bed with a soft ‘ooph’.
Zhongli laughs softly and looks over him with a smirk that forces Aether to look away. The warmth on his cheeks deepens. “When you are able, you may leave. Our deal is completed. Your friend’s life is safe.”
Aether hesitates in believing this, but nothing that the dragon had said thus far has been disproven. He will feel better seeing Kaeya in the flesh, but can wait until he can gather his bearings.
Zhongli turns from him, clothes appearing on his form and covering each inch of his skin. Aether can’t say that he misses the sight of the muscles and knowledge that he had been used by the archon so… carefully.
“Is that really it? That’s… all you wanted?” If there is a note of disappointment, Aether doesn’t realize it.
The archon turns back to him and crosses his arms over his chest. He smirks as he looks at the reclining man and Aether can sense the amusement at the weakness he feels. “Are you offering more, little one?”
Aether flushes from embarrassment at the fact that he doesn’t find shame in the want he has for the god. Who in their right mind would when he looks that way? Regardless of the fact if he had been a dragon when he penetrated Aether so thoroughly.
“When you decide what it is you want, you know where to find me, little one.”
Before Aether’s eyes, the archon dissipates. The warmth of his power no longer surrounds the traveler and he can’t help how the cool air makes him shiver. When he turns his gaze to outside the cove, there is no storm that would slow his descent. With little reason to rush, he takes this time to recover the strength in his limbs and not think about the fact that he…
Wants.
*
“Aether, there you are!” Amber is the first to bound over to him. Aether feels worse for wear. There are marks that his clothes barely hide, but the weariness is clear enough on his face. He hadn’t rested on his way back to Liyue Harbor. He simply wanted to return to ensure that Kaeya was alive and well. By the way that Amber is without the guilt that she had before, Aether would say he is. But now he can see that she has been consumed by worry for his well-being. “We were so worried about you! When Diluc said the archon kept you—”
“Is Kaeya okay?” Aether interrupts her to ask, just needing to know that what he had done had been worth it. He ignores that a part of him wants to return to the dragon.
Amber blinks in surprise at the interruption, but is nodding her head quickly, her smile bright as she’s already tugging Aether to the small apartment that they have resided in to wait for Aether. “He’s in here! He’s all healed. It really was a miracle.”
Aether just wants to sleep. When he steps inside, he sees Diluc is across the room from Kaeya, the azure-haired man resting in a chair at the table. At his entrance, there is a flurry of commotion as they all rush to his side, needing to know that he’s okay, that he’s really there, to ask him why he’d done it, to ask him how he’d done it.
“It doesn’t matter.” Is all Aether says. He brushes off their concern with a small smile. He looks to the Calvary Captain and gives him a small nod. “I’m glad you’re okay, Kaeya. Now, if you guys don’t mind, I’d like to get some sleep.”
They all so readily agree, though it’s Diluc that walks with Aether to the apartment that they rent for him, a small room that would suffice in allowing him to catch up on his rest.
“He said he didn’t want me.” Diluc speaks quietly as they get to the door. There’s something akin to shame in his gaze, though Aether can’t be sure with how tired he is. “He said I wouldn’t do. I’m sorry, Aether. I shouldn’t have… I didn’t want to leave you, but he said he could save Kaeya.”
Aether shakes his head, not sure if he wants to think about how he had been the only one who could do this if what Diluc says is true. “It’s fine. He didn’t… I’m not hurt. I’m just glad Kaeya is alive.”
“Aether… you were gone for four days… what did he want? What was it that I could not give”
There’s a dark rouge upon Aether’s cheek as he shakes his head. He doesn’t know how to explain and he isn’t sure he wants to share that with anyone to begin with. “It’s… it was nothing. I’m just glad it all worked out. Now I need some rest… but I’ll be ready to travel tomorrow.”
Diluc nods, accepting the answer. “Sleep well, Aether. You deserve it.”
Aether heads into his room and hardly sheds of his shoes and scarf before he’s collapsing onto the neatly made bed. His body still aches. He just needs to sleep.
“Sleep well, little one. You deserve it.”
Aether shivers and feels the blanket of warmth settle over him. There’s a small smile on his face as he falls into a content sleep.