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Aether and Xiao have known each other and gotten closer since the 3 years he got his sister back from the abyss. They still sit together on the roof of Wangshu Inn and gaze at the landscape.
“Hey Xiao.”
. . .
“I love you.”
“I love you too Aether.”
Aether scoots closer to Xiao and puts his arm around him, rather loose but it’s comforting to Xiao in ways that surprise him 5 months after Aether and him got together officially. They stay like this for a while, gazing at the falling sun.
“Hey Xiao.”
He turns to Aether “What is it no-”
Aether all of a sudden looks extremely bashful, turning a bright red and fidgeting with his hands occasionally twirling his braid.
“What’s wrong? I can fix it.”
“No, it’s okay… I uhhhh....”
“Quit hesitating. There is nothing that can trouble an immortal.”
“Xiao… I- I want you to wear something for me....”
He didn’t understand what was disturbing Aether so much for him to be clearly nervous asking the question. He understood even less why he would want Xiao to change. However he knew he found this bashful Aether to be ridiculously adorable.
“Is the way I dress bothering you?”
“No- No not at all! I just wanted to see you in something that’s all…”
“Tsk. I will never understand you.”
. . .
“What is this something you speak of?”
Aether perks up at this realizing he still has a chance. Xiao notices this change and figures he did something right for the sole reason that Aether looks happy.
“Well… I got these…”
Xiao sees the tell tale gold particles and knows Aether pulled something out of his inventory. He can’t exactly see what as Aether is hiding it behind his back.
“These what? You shouldn’t hesitate.”
Aether pulls out the fabric object. A black band matching Xiao’s hair colour with two extremely fluffy teal ears popping out of the band similar to how Sucrose or Diona’s ears look. Very rarely, Xiao in his immortal life is at a loss for words. Simply having a boyfriend is new to him, but the idea of cosplay pushed his limits of functioning over the edge.
“W- W- What.”
“Please Xiao! Just for a little while!”
“Is this why you were buttering me up? You even bought almond tofu from Smiley Yanxiao instead of making it yourself.
“I- I might have.”
“I like your almond tofu better, Aether.”
“Wha- That’s not the point here!”
Aether was a confused and blushing mess, as in three years of conversation, dates, and battles has Xiao ever made Aether such a blob with one sentence. He could handle things like the words “I love you” Because it was expected a lot of the time, it was a little cliche, he could see it as clearly as a sword lunging at his heart. This was more like a bow aimed at him, he didn’t know where it was coming from, where it was going to hit and when.
Xiao lived for millennia under the idea he was a brutal killing weapon used for war. He had “pleasures of the flesh” as he would like to call them, but he grew tired of it and saw it only as a nuisance, an unnecessary emotion. Whenever he was with Aether, he did not have that feeling, the knee jerk reaction to hate it and push it away. Instead Xiao embraced whatever he was feeling, as in the moment he felt his karmic debt would be lifted by the smallest amount. For Xiao, that was the best thing that he could ever think of. He would do anything just to be with Aether.
A few seconds of silence pass. Not unwelcome, but deep frying Aether’s nerves at the least.
“Let’s both wear them.”
“Wha- You’re full of surprises today Xiao!”
“Do you agree or not?”
“Let’s do it, let’s do it! I got a matching one for myself!
Aether digs around for the ears in question for a good 30 seconds, leaving Xiao to simply gaze at the evening glow of the sky. For the past three years not much has changed for them. Hanging out, helping Aether with commissions, sparring together. Xiao recognised Aether as a comrade, a confidant. Aether was the one to put a label on their relationship as boyfriends. While Xiao agrees with the label, he hadn’t thought of Aether’s feelings towards him. He figured Aether was simply using him for practice and help with his daily commissions. He didn’t think to make a move for over 2 and a half years. They’ve really only been an official couple for 5 months. For a pair of immortals though, they have all the time in the world to enjoy each other's company. Hence the cautiousness from the both of them. 3 years is simply a drop in the bucket. Neither of them would want the other to leave from a screw up after what was a short time for them.
“Found it! Sorry for the wait!”
“Time means nothing to me.”
“I can’t tell if you are interested in wearing the ears or are just playing along.”
“Enough. Put them on.”
“You want me to wear them first?”
“It does not matter.”
“I’ll wear it first then, because I came up with the idea!”
Xiao did not know what to expect. He did not expect a Catboy Aether when the sun rose. Catboy Aether is what he got. A yellow band with black cat ears has caused Xiao.exe to fail to respond. To Aether, Xiao’s reaction was worth all the mora in the world and then some. He’s a tomato at the moment attempting to look away at the sight that is Aether with cat ears but his body won’t listen to him. To a warrior such as Xiao, it’s his biggest disgrace. However his mind isn’t functioning right now so he can think about that later. Right now his only focus is on the adorable ball of sunshine called Aether.
“H- How is i-”
“Beautiful.”
“WHAT!?”
“You’re beautiful.”
“U- uh Thanks. N- Now you! It’s not fair for only me to wear this…”
“Come closer.”
“W-What?”
“I said, come closer.”
“O- Okay.”
Xiao is no longer the only tomato between the two of them. In fact Aether is blushing even more than Xiao at levels that don’t seem physically possible. He scoots closer expecting some form of physical contact; a hug or a kiss or something. What he doesn’t expect is for Xiao to snatch the black band prepared for him out of Aether’s hands.
“Hmph.”
“Wha- A- H- W- Huh?”
“What.”
“N- Nothing. Just… Nevermind.”
Xiao slots on the cat ears made for him fast and without much grace but it’s like time freezes in place. He simply stares at Aether waiting. Watching. Scanning for any sort of reaction from the otherworldly boy beside him.
Aether does not deliver with a reaction. It is the closest he has ever come to death, and that’s saying a lot given he fought numerous harbingers and high ranking abyss members. If Xiao was a computer that stopped functioning, Aether is a computer that was given a virus then dumped into an ocean. He can’t even breathe at the moment, in pure awe of how adorable Xiao looks staring at Aether not showing a shred of embarrassment.
“. . . Well?”
“Gay panic noises*
“What?”
“Y- Yo- You l- l- look really n- n- nice! Nice! Nice, you l- look nice.”
.
.
.
“Are you scared of me today?”
“Hu- Huh! What? No! What gave you that idea?”
“You keep stuttering when you speak. It’s getting annoying. Speak your mind. You can be more open with me Aether.”
“. . . Okay.”
“Goo-”
“I want to kiss you Xiao.”
Unsurprisingly, Xiao was not surprised. This is not the first time Xiao and Aether kissed. They’ve done it many times, even making out and sleeping together, but never further than that. Xiao doesn’t even need to sleep but he suspects Aether doesn’t either but they do it anyway. They both enjoy it so it doesn’t bother them. The one constant is that Aether always asks for permission before instigating. Something Xiao is both annoyed and fond of. Something about seeing an embarrassed Aether sets him off and wants to make that blush on his cheeks worse. So he accepts. Xiao dives forward with a bit too much force and clacks their teeth together. It makes Aether both gasp and chuckle into the kiss, putting his hands on Xiao’s face. Xiao is leaning against Aether, deepening the kiss even more and putting his hands around Aether’s back pushing them even closer together, prodding Aether’s mouth with his tongue. Aether gladly accepts and shifts his hands from Xiao’s face to his hair, combing through teal tips with dexterous fingers, occasionally flicking his ears. Xiao retaliates by pushing Aether onto his back, laying on the shingled roof with Xiao on top of him, not daring to break the kiss. What feels like hours pass before Aether breaks the kiss. He tilts his head to the side and brings Xiao close, into a hug. They’re both the colour of chili and are out of breath.
“I love you so much, it hurts.”
“I love you too, so allow me to ease your pain.”
“Always so serious with you. It’s a figure of speech Xiao.”
“Would you like me to change?
“Don’t you dare.”
Aether takes the opportunity to nibble on Xiao’s ear, causing Xiao to react making a sound resembling a hiss. Aether is not deterred, only making him want Xiao more. Xiao responds, biting at Aether with just the right amount of force, enough to sting, but not draw blood.
“Ow- Hey!”
Aether barely gets another word of protest before Xiao is liking the wounds much like a cat would, earning groans of pleasure from Aether. He pulls Xiao off of him lightly, but to anyone else other than them two, the force would have sent a mitachurl flying. Xiao is now sitting upright on Aether’s lap, his own way of refusing to get off of Aether.
“What, did you lose at your own game?”
“Those cat ears really suit you Xiao.”
“Why don’t you prove to me if they suit you?”
“Oh? Do you want me to catch fish for you? Laze around and sleep on your lap?”
“I like the sleeping on my lap part...”
“Why don’t we do that then?”
“What’s wrong with this position?”
Both of their voices are not what you would recognize. They’re both an octave lower and sultry. Pleasure and satisfaction drips out of them both knowing they are happy with the other and can risk some teasing banter. They’ve done it countless times before only in a short amount of time, this is no different, except for the slight fashion change. Even though Xiao doesn’t want to get off, he does, because he respects Aether and knows that they will listen to each other in a situation like this. He can’t betray that trust in the name of harmless banter. He lays right beside Aether and makes a move for his hand. Aether takes it willingly and casually, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“It’s uncomfortable up here isn’t it.”
“I’ve slept in worse, but yes, we can do better than sleeping up here.”
Xiao chuckles. He honest to archons chuckles. In this moment Aether wonders how he managed to snag such an amazing boyfriend like Xiao, he finds his aloofness charming and cute, and he’s much like a human when not going on about his past. He’s nice and considerate even when he tries his hardest not to be. He’s strong and beautiful with a nice smile Aether would love to see more of. A gust of wind appears and they vanish. Another reason why Xiao is an amazing boyfriend. They could make it to the bedroom without having to get up.
They’re still in the same position holding hands when they’re both lying in Xiao’s bed. They turn to look at each other, knowing the other one would do the same through some telepathic connection. In unison in a wordless exchange they go for a quick chaste kiss and doze off. Everything in the world to Xiao is inside his bed at the moment. For Aether it’s the exact same way + his sister, no doubt sleeping with Amber right now. He chuckles at the thought before closing his eyes in bliss.
Extras: 1
The morning after, Xiao picks up on some demons festering fairly close to the inn. He deals with them as usual, but something is off today. They’re afraid of him as usual, scream as usual, die as usual. But they seem to be hiding something.
“It’s the Conqueror of Demons! RUUUUNNNN!!!”
“No way. Him? HOLY SHIT IT IS HIM RUN!”
Xiao after exterminating all of them, holds one hostage, lying on the floor, pressed down by the tip of his spear.
“What are you planning?”
“Huh? W-We ain't planning nothing! I swear!”
“What were you hiding then?”
“Hiding? I’m not aware o’ no secrets!”
“DON’T LIE TO ME!” He presses the spear down further threatening to slice the demon’s head off clean.
“What were you laughing about before I arrived?”
“. . . Your head! We were laughing about your head! Don’t kill me!”
Slice.
“My head?”
Xiao feels the top of his head. It sobers him to realize he just vanquished a dozen demons wearing cat ears.
Extras: 2
Aether heads back to Mondstadt today after spending the whole day in Liyue. Xiao said he sensed some evil in the early morning and left. Aether left shortly after because he got brand new commissions in Mondstadt. Shoving the cat ears in his inventory he set off to do them.
Two hours later Aether comes back to Monstadt to find something to eat at Good Hunter and see’s Lumine and Amber sitting down getting ready to order.
“Morning girls! You just wake up?
“. . . Y- Yeah.”
Aether didn’t understand what the nervous stuttering was for until he realized the both of them looking at one particular part on his neck. He covered it with his hand pretty fast causing Amber and Lumine to burst out laughing.
“...awww We should’ve known! Going to Liyue for commissions? Please, you can’t keep your hands off of him! It’s ok bro, I support your relationship.” Lumine is sporting a gigantic grin on her face, while Aether is a ripe tomato.
“Shaddup! I wonder why you and Amber woke up so late today, hmmm?” It would be a good insult, if Aether wasn’t still covering his hickey with his hand. Nevertheless, it got them to shut up.
“Now enough about my love life, can we just have some breakfast?”
“How are you going to eat with one hand Ae?”
Aether can’t do anything but quietly eat breakfast while the two girls rib into him.