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He’s done it.
He’s really done it.
After having emptied most Fontainian grocery shops, started a chaotic bulle fruit shortage that nearly got him apprehended by the Gardemeks, some encouragement from Furina, almost a hundred-something failed attempts and a rightfully pissed Liyuen chefーAether has finally mastered the art of making crepes suzette.
Making them was not as easy as it looked. His past trials ended up like utter abominations; pale, soggy tissues and charred pancakes that looked just as unappetizing as anything the Raiden Shogun cooked. It was so bad the Iudex himself chuckled upon seeing one of his first plated works, and those misshapen monstrosities went as far as to terrorize Aether in his dreams.
Unbelievable, how difficult balancing the ratio of cream and flour was when it seemed like the easiest part. But the nightmare was finally over.
Aether nearly cries at how beautiful and golden-brown the crepes turned out, along with that sweet, fruity scent and the luscious, honey syrup coating itsー
“Look, kid,” someone sighs gruffly from behind him, “I highly doubt the guy upstairs will finish the rest of your mess even if you asked, and with your floating friend missing, I sure as hell ain’t gonna be the one eating them either.”
The traveler peers over his shoulder. Smiley Yanxiao looks miserable, and behind his broad back is the mess of his own doing. Quite frankly, the inn kitchen looks as if a storm passed through it. “At least clean up your disaster, will you? I can’t cook for the mouths I have to feed downstairs.”
“I promise I’ll tidy it all up,” Aether chuckles nervously. “And as for the foodー”
“We can hand it out to our guests outside,” a new voice interrupts, “after we give them a bit of a fixing.” Verr Goldet has her hands clasped in front of her in a professional pose. “And if they end up liking it, we can add it to our menu as a foreign dessert. A splendid idea, don’t you think so, Yanxiao?”
The burly man groans, knowing that he can’t talk back to his employer. “Seriously, another one? I’m a one-man army around here!”
“I have all your concerns noted already, and we’ll hire additional help for you in due time,” the lady smiles patiently. “And as for the mess, Zhihua and Yuhua will both come up shortly to assist. I’m sure our guests can wait another minute for your delicious food.”
She then winks at Aether. Go hurry to your lover boy already.
Ever the shrewd boss and wingwoman, Verr Goldet. Aether thanks her profusely for the intervention and all but sprints up to the topmost balcony, unable to wipe the giddy smile off his face. His boyfriend awaits.
They now did this more often whenever Aether’s on a break from traveling, these little lunch dates. Sometimes he allowed himself to be fed even though he denied needing sustenance as a yaksha, or that his face would scrunch in such a cute manner that Aether sometimes forgoed feeding him entirely in favor of getting handsy with him instead.
And while the adeptus often asked him not to try too hard for his sake, Aether never listened. He didn’t want to bring him only almond tofu, even though it was his indisputable favorite treat. Aether wanted to give the yaksha his love in different ways whether through kisses, words of comfort and heated touches, or even something as ordinary as food, to make the yaksha understand that he is deserving of these small joys.
Thankfully, Fontaine had a variety of dishes that would surely suit his delicate and sensitive palate; in the past he politely rejected most of Sumeru’s more savory meals, and blanched at Mondstadt’s oilier dishes with a disgusted scowl. Surely the crepes will be fine.
And, as always, the wide blue sky, the golden shower of gingko leaves and the distant silhouette of Jueyun Karst complement the man already seated at their table very well.
Xiao’s aureate eyes were trained on the birds trudging along the tabletop, the little ones that rested in Wangshu Inn’s eaves during the day. The adeptus evidently enjoyed their company, nodding slightly to the finches’ chirps like they’re having a conversation.
Aether would take a picture, but his hands were full at the moment.
The floorboards creak and the adeptus turns to him. The birds fly away the same time a light breeze passes by; Xiao looks absolutely gorgeous like this, sunbeams shining down on dark hair that tousles with the wind.
“You took your time,” he says, and there’s a small smile on his face.
Aether thinks: Oh, I love you so much.
“I wanted to make sure everything’s perfect for you,” he says dumbly, mouth dry and full of cotton at how radiant his boyfriend looks today. And it isn’t as if he’s not; there’s never a time Adeptus Xiao looked anything less than pretty, even caked in mud and the dried blood of his fallen enemies. If anything, it makes him look sexy.
(Xiao doesn’t have to hear that embarrassing thought.)
“There is no need,” the adeptus shifts to face him properly, eyes now finding the plate in his hand. “May I know what you have made today?”
The traveler sits down opposite the adeptus and slides the plate towards him with a careful hand. “Crepes suzette, a specialty snack from Fontaine. All yours to enjoy, my pretty little yaksha.”
Xiao’s mouth flattens into a line, and the traveler tries his best not to chuckle at how his cheeks redden at the mildest of teasing. Regardless, Xiao spares no time in cutting a small piece with a knife and delicately places it in his mouth.
He says nothing, but his lips quirk up a little. A good first reaction. Xiao slices another portion and continues eating.
The traveler can’t help but sigh as he watches the creature before him hum quietly with every slow chew. Xiao looks very relaxed right now; gone is the restrained severity in the yaksha’s posture and movements, perhaps typical of the adepti, and he all but slouches back against the chair as he finishes the first of three crepes Aether prepared for him.
Then he doesn’t really say anything else. Xiao does not try the fruit slices nor does he touch the jam, only sparing it one cursory glance. And it should be normal to Aether, how private Xiao is, butー
“Well? How is it?”
“Passable,” Xiao says as he all but scarfs down his plate. The second crepe is now halved.
Aether rests his cheek on a hand with a melancholic smile, trying to fight the mild anxiety that popped out of nowhere and failing. The adeptus’ face doesn’t show a hint of distaste at all, and honestly, that is what’s making everything feel too much.
Because Xiao is quiet as he eats. Xiao will only eat food aside from almond tofu if Aether begs him to, and really, Xiao will eat anything he makes. Because they are dating now and Xiao is just physically incapable of saying no, always expecting a thorough lashing at the end of his gentlest refusals.
Aether tries not to let it affect him, but Archons how it makes him feel blue.
“Xiao, do you like my cooking?” he asks without realizing.
The yaksha looks up at him immediately, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights, and Aether bites the inside of his cheek. You idiot! he thinks, you weren’t supposed toー
“Yes,” Xiao says at once. “Yes, I do. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just… It’s my first proper attempt, but I still want to know what you think of them. For example, the flavor… Is it too sweet or too bland?” Aether says slowly. “You seem to be fine with them, but I want your honest opinion. I mean, sometimes it’s hard to tell what you like in the food I make andー”
And all of a sudden Xiao freezes, lowering his knife.
The adeptus looks at Aether as if he remembered something terrible, then his expression shifts into something the blond has never seen before. He looks so… lost in his thoughts, and Aether knows what that means, alarm bells ringingー
“Xiao?” Aether says, raising his voice a little. His hand reaches out to touch his boyfriend’s wrist comfortingly. “Xiao, hey. Are you alright, dove?”
Xiao blinks quickly, reorienting himself before he ducks his head down. “I… I apologize. I am not very good with words.” He tries to pick up his knife again and struggles, hesitating before finally giving up. He looks back at Aether with that same incomprehensible look. “I assure you that I amーI really am enjoying myself. I like everything that you make, Aether.”
Aether backtracks anxiously, now rubbing Xiao’s wrist soothingly with both hands. “Look, Xiao. I didn’t mean to suggest that you weren’t,” he frowns. “It’s just… Sometimes I worry I’m being too much and you’re forcing yourself to eat to make me happy and…”
Something in Xiao’s expression breaks at his admission, but it’s so brief that Aether misses the opportunity to do something about it.
“Do not worry about it,” the adeptus replied, and the traveler knew him well enough to recognize it as a dismissal. But as Aether expected (and feared) his mood had already soured, and the atmosphere remained quiet all the way until their lunch ended.
As soon as Aether is done cleaning up the table, lest he gets reprimanded again by Smiley Yanxiao for leaving another mess, he accompanies his boyfriend to the balcony railings.
“Xiao, listen. I’m really sorry about earlier,” Aether says, thumbs digging into Xiao’s palms the way he knows the yaksha likes. “It was stupid of me, insinuating something like that out of nowhere. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He carries on with his maundering when the yaksha keeps looking at him oddly in silence, “I know this whole dating thing is still new to you, but I want you to know you’re a great boyfriend, the best even, and I lovー”
A thumb gently presses his rambling mouth closed. “Overthinking again.”
The traveler finds that Xiao is smiling now. He’s obviously still in turmoil deep inside with the way his eyes reflect a foreign kind of sadness, yet here he is, comforting him instead. Aether hates that he caused all this. “I understand. I promise I am not angry.”
Aether knows he’s stupid as rocks, but if there’s anything he’s proud of himself for, it’s being assertive especially when it comes to his boyfriend. He will always hold him tenderly yet firmly even if he tries to fly away, to let him know he won’t let go of him so easily. “Then,” he asks carefully, gently, “can we eat dinner together later on?”
“I… have to patrol,” Xiao diverts his attention to the wooden floor. He’s always been terrible at lying. They both know this, but it hurts Aether, how Xiao goes and does it anyway.
“Iー o-okay,” Aether swallows, not keen on arguing further lest he becomes the cage that frightens his bird into hiding. His hands reach to hold Xiao’s face instead, rubbing at the soft skin beneath his eyes. “If you ever change your mind… You know how to find me.”
“Mm,” Xiao covers one hand with his own and brushes his nose lightly against Aether’s, the tender action reminding the traveler of avian courtship rituals. Aether’s kneecaps should be turning into jelly, but it’s not as pleasant knowing Xiao’s still upset about something. “Call for me if you need my assistance.”
Assistance, Aether notes, now feeling just as dejected. So he really is in that headspace right now. “I will, Xiao,” he promises anyway, hopeful. “Please stay safe.”
Xiao nods, squeezing Aether’s hand once before disappearing.
It’s not really surprising that the yaksha fails to show up all day and night, so Aether spends the rest of the evening venting to the weary Paimon about his own idiocy.
What is surprising is that Xiao is present for lunch the very next day as usual, already seated at their designated table by the time Aether is done with his commissions. The traveler has a plate of almond tofu as an apology, and a small bouquet of fresh qingxin to drive the point home.
“You are late,” Xiao reprimands without any heat, tilting his head to the side when the traveler keeps staring at him in startled confusion. “Is something the matter?”
“N-no, I was justー” Aether stammers nervously, “I thought you were still mad at me.” Hell, it is Aether himself who looks more upset, if his sleepless, bloodshot eyes are any indication.
“I told you before I am not mad,” Xiao patiently reassures him, holding a hand out. “Come here.”
Aether whimpers as he hurriedly sits down by his side, a small dollop of snot comically dangling down his nose as he watches Xiao brush his fingers tenderly against the white petals. “D-do you really want to eat with me today?”
“Oh, you,” Xiao sighs fondly, setting the flowers aside to carefully wipe the mess off the blond’s face with his sleeve. He then kisses his cheek, murmuring, “Always, Aether.”
If anyone heard that unbecoming noise he made… Well. It doesn’t matter.
This time it takes a while to finish lunch when the yaksha spends most of the hour asking Aether to please stop staring at him, nudging the traveler’s barely-touched plate in his direction with an exasperated look.
But Aether can’t really help it; all he feels right now is pure exhilaration. He whittles away at his barbecue ribs in small portions because he’s just too busy basking in his relief, pressing adorations and apologies to Xiao’s soft (and now crimson) face.
Only when they parted ways for the day after coddling each other for hours and himself already halfway across Bishui did the traveler realize that in his hurried desperation to see Xiao, he had fed him suspicious almond tofu earlier.
Aether thinks of wringing his own neck, but he can’t really make it up to his boyfriend if he’s dead. He leaves it for tomorrow.
“Xiao, my dearest flower. I’m so, so, so sorry.”
The aforementioned man’s eyebrows furrow in concern at his sudden string of apologies. “What is this about now?”
Aether sits beside him today, and this time he brings actual, edible, virtually perfected almond tofu, painstakingly cooked last night and fresh out of his teapot abode’s mist flower bundle of a fridge.
“I’m a fucking idiot,” he breathes out. “I fed you curdled almond tofu yesterday.”
“What does that mean?”
Aether reaches down to rub the yaksha’s soft stomach gently, and he’s so concerned with his health that he fails to hear the muffled moan that escapes Xiao. “Means that it has been out for a while, probably even expired. Did you have a stomach ache? Are you adepti immune to diarrhea?”
“I… I do not know,” Xiao presses his forehead against Aether’s neck weakly. “I am alright, so…”
“But you ate it without a single complaint,” Aether pulls his hand away but lingers closely. “Are you sure nothing’s wrong with you?” he frowns at the yaksha’s boneless figure propped up by his side. “I don’t want you forcing food down your throat if it’s gone bad, Xiao. Especially if I made it.”
“But it tasted fine. I did notー” Xiao starts before stopping mid-sentence, eyes wide in their shock. He then seems to change his mind immediately, saying instead, “A-ah, yes. You are right. I will not do it again.”
Aether rubs at his side, close to his tummy again, a mild tease. “Promise you’ll tell me if something’s off? Flavor, texture, everything?”
Xiao looks torn between looking flustered and strangely apprehensive, adding a delightful color to his face. “I… I promise.”
Something else thinks in Aether’s stead.
Later on he kisses his lovely bird goodbye, and instead of heading down to the harbor, Aether chooses to wander around the vicinity of Qingce Village. The quiet green pastures bring him a sense of content and clarity, different from the blood-pumping vitality of the city.
It shouldn’t linger in Aether’s thoughts, Xiao’s earlier words and mannerisms, the way he acts differently whenever they eat albeit subtly. There’s no problem. Xiao loves him, Xiao loves eating with him. Everything’s fine.
But it lingers anyway.
This time, Aether cooked consomme for Xiao’s lunch. He always had an easier time cooking soups since Lumine loved them, and he was certain the yaksha would also appreciate this light meal. He garnished it with chopped green onions and added a pinch of salt to taste, smiling at his flawless work before heading up.
Xiao is present already, looking like he’s off to fight a war instead of a lunch date with the adorably determined way his face is set.
(And Aether is trying not to look at Xiao in an inquisitive manner. He feels like a giant asshole, to even think of harboring the tiniest bit of suspicion towards his boyfriend. But his eyes and his head still go ahead and search for clues regardless of his feelings.)
Xiao dips his head to take a whiff of the soup, a million thoughts running through his head. That’s new, Aether notes curiously, watching as the yaksha observes the clear broth.
“Is this soup?” he wonders out loud. “The color is fascinating. It looks more like tea.”
“It’s like that because of the way it’s made,” Aether explains with a smile, always eager to answer Xiao’s curious questions. Perhaps he can show him the ropes next time. “Go on and give it a try. It tastes nothing like tea.”
So Xiao dips the spoon for his first taste. And he hums after several spoonfuls, evidently delighted with the warm, homely sensation running down his throat. Aether can’t help but smile eagerly when he asks, “Well? How does it taste?”
“…Salty,” the yaksha replies after much deliberation.
“Salty,” Aether repeats. “Too much or too little?”
Xiao swallows before replying, staring right into Aether’s eyes, “Perfect.”
(Somehow Aether thinks he knows that something’s up, even if he can’t really find a name for it. And his subconscious, for some unfathomable reason, takes Xiao’s words as a challenge.)
The blond smiles, a thumb brushing away the dampness of Xiao’s petal-soft lips. “I’m glad.”
Aether sets aside the plan of cooking fish and chips for Xiao’s lunch today, because try as he might, the itch really bothering him for some time can no longer be ignored.
So, almond tofu it is. With a twist.
He gets a weird look from Smiley Yanxiao as he cooks. Aether assures him all is well with a friendly smile before taking the cold platter up to their usual date spot. The sky is cloudier today, but the chances of rainfall are perfectly low.
“Hm? No Fontainian food today?” Xiao asks when he spots the familiar meal in Aether’s hands.
Aether’s eyebrows go up. “Did you want something different today? I still have several unused recipes stored in my bag.”
“Ah, no,” Xiao immediately says, flustered, “I was just wonderingー”
“Stay for dinner tonight, then,” the traveler cooed with an enamored smile, “and I will cook you something new.”
“I do not wish to take advantage of your kindness.”
“That’s not the same,” Aether says as he sits down across Xiao, placing the almond tofu in front of the adeptus. “I’m always looking for a reason to be with you longer.”
Xiao’s lips open and close, struggling to come up with a retort. In the end, the yaksha huffs and eats his lunch, quietly grumbling under his breath about how he can never win against Aether, the deep blush on his bare shoulders now stark against pale skin.
Pretty, Aether thinks.
“So how is it? The almond tofu.”
“Do you really have to ask?” Xiao mumbles over mouthfuls of the stuff. “You have perfected the recipe a long time ago. It is good and sweet, as always.”
Aether’s smile falls slightly. “Is that so…”
The two slip into peaceful silence again. Xiao’s cheeks are round as he chews, gratified by the soft, melty cubes in his mouth and blissfully unaware of the way the traveler watches him. In fact, he looks so content that Aether considers backing away from his initial plan out of guilt and regret.
Because the truth he discovered wasn’t as terrible as he thought. It was honestly far from a festering wound on Aether’s heart, really. This was more of a stray thread on clothing, tiny and harmless.
But the more it got frayed, the more trouble it would cause in the long time for what it’s worth.
I just want to understand you, Xiao, Aether thinks.
So he decides to rip off the band-aid. He lets the adeptus enjoy his treat a little longer, only speaking once Xiao is halfway through with his meal.
“Xiao,” Aether says softly, more out of curiosity than anything else. “My flower… You can’t taste anything, can you?”
The yaksha nearly snaps his neck at how fast he looks up, but nothing in Xiao’s face speaks of pain; there’s only a deep, raw fear that catches Aether off guard.
“You… H-howー have you always known?” he asks quietly, almost accusatory, and Aether doesn’t really understand why Xiao looks so agitated right now.
“No. I never really suspected anything until recently. But… the almond tofu you’re eating right now, you said it’s sweet,” Aether explains patiently, taking care to sound neutral, “even though I didn’t put any sugar in it.”
Xiao’s jaw trembles, and his eyes shift down in guilt, piercing holes on top of the table.
Aether’s heart painfully seizes at his despondent form, ten thousand apologies ready on his tongue. But then the adeptus speaks.
“I… I did not mean to deceive you,” Xiao mumbles, his voice uncharacteristically shaky. “I did not want you to stopー” he catches himself and shakes his head in frustration, lower lip nearly bitten bloody. “I simply did not want to burden you with my lackings. I betrayed your trust, and Iー” Xiao then pauses, his jaw clenched, “I deserve your wrath, Aether.”
“What? No, no, please don’t say that,” Aether opens his arms, beckoning. “I will never be mad at you for something as small as this, Xiao. I promise. I only asked because I was wondering.”
“I lied to you,” the yaksha insists, close to clamming up entirely. “I hurt you, Iー”
“Stop it,” Aether sighs, one hand placed on top of Xiao’s. “You didn’t hurt me at all. Let’s talk about this, please? Only if you want to.”
Xiao squirms in his seat, still tense but visibly yearning for any semblance of comfort. The traveler huffs with a slight shake of his head, giving the yaksha’s arm a gentle tug.
“Come over here, you silly bird.”
The adeptus hesitates for a single moment before standing up from his seat. Xiao climbs atop his lap and hugs Aether’s torso, face buried deep in his scarf. His soft, distressed whimpers send shivers down Aether’s neck, ruffling tufts of blond hair. It’s bittersweet, the way the traveler can clearly feel Xiao breathing in, sharp, fast and irregular like he’s trying to meditate and failing.
Aether holds him by his slender waist, resting his cheek atop the crown of turquoise hair. “Hey. Relax, okay?” He kisses his scalp. “I’m here for you. I won’t ever leave.”
“…Mm.”
It doesn’t matter if Xiao will take an hour or even a year to gather his turbulent thoughts; Aether will wait forever if necessary. He caresses his sides soothingly, feeling the yaksha melt against him, and he wishes the world could just stop here in this perfect moment, so that his precious bird’s jackrabbiting heart can safely find time to calm itself down.
Xiao murmurs after a long while, sounding both choked and upset with himself, “I… cannot taste anything.”
Aether hums in acknowledgement, holding him closer. “Can you tell me what it feels like?”
“I rely on scent to tell flavors apart,” Xiao mutters quietly, gloved claws bunching around his cape, “but try as I might they are always vague, never really connecting. However, I can… feel it,” he adds unintelligibly, “in my mouth. The texture, the warmth, the cold. I am used to it since I do not need to eat, but it is frustrating when you make something for me.”
“It was evident during our last few lunch dates only if you thought hard about it,” Aether chuckles, kissing his soft hair. “Since when have you been dealing with this?”
“Far too long,” the adeptus admits. “Even back then, when I was with my oldー” then he flinches slightly in his arms, hugging him tighter now, “back then in the past. I cannot recall anymore. Perhaps I have always been broken like this.”
“Howー” horrible, Aether thought, but Xiao didn’t need to hear that. His quick trip to Bubu Pharmacy the day before revealed that ageusia was triggered by a variety of factors, but head trauma, infections and exposure to toxic substances were the red flags that stood out to him. And coupled with the fact that it was supposed to be temporary…
It made Aether’s blood boil. Aether never felt this kind of rage, one so cosmic and unfathomable that he wanted to go back in time and kill Xiao’s former mistress over and over, for all the damage she left on him.
He shakes his head. There’s little he can do about it now. It’s better to discuss this condition in-depth with Baizhu or even Zhongli; Xiao doesn’t need his barely-healed traumas cruelly brought to light once more.
“How inconvenient it must’ve been for you.”
“Yes. It felt excruciating, having to lie to you every single time. Butーbut I could not help it,” Xiao shuts his eyes tightly. “I really… wanted to keep eating with you.”
“Is that why you never told me?”
A small, shaky nod.
“You know that your condition won’t ever stop me from cooking for you,” Aether says resolutely, and he tucks aside the hair that falls over Xiao’s face with a hand. “What do you think about me finding medicine? Perhaps I can go to Sumeru, the researchers there areー”
“I would rather die than burden you even more, Aether,” Xiao says firmly, in that detached tone Aether hates. “I mean it. You cannot spend the rest of your life trying to fix me.”
“But you’re not a burden to me, Xiao,” Aether slips one hand inside the open cut of his shirt, massaging the tense muscle hidden beneath. “I’m a horribly selfish man. I want you happy, safe and protected, and I also want to share your troubles and pain. I want everything of you, and I’m prepared to give up anything for that.” His lips trail to a locked temple. “And we can set this discussion aside for now if it’s too upsetting for you, but please don’t be entirely averse to the prospect of getting help. After all, who else will taste the recipes I master, if not my lovely songbird?”
“But Iー” Xiao digs his face against his clavicle, “I do not deserve it,” he whispers weakly.
So Aether replies in turn, unyielding yet kind, “Yes, you do, Xiao. Always.”
He pulls back and holds his poor, selfless bird’s cheeks firmly, taking in the sullen look on his face. Aether presses a kiss to the purple mark on his forehead, digits tracing the sharp bone of his face. “Xiao. Look at me, my dove.”
His beloved goes.
“Please don’t ever feel ashamed of yourself around me,” Aether pleads earnestly. “We’ve seen each other at our worst and it changed nothing between us.” He sees Xiao quiver under his bright, smoldering gaze. “I’ll never cast you aside for anything. Xiao, you’re wonderful, and you mean the world to me. I love you. I love to cook for you.”
“I… I know,” Xiao breathes out shakily, eyes wet. “I love eating with you too, Aether.”
Aether takes in the forlorn yet tender look in his eyes, reflecting the traveler’s face like pools of molten gold, and he smiles before kissing Xiao on the mouth.
And Aether goes, too. Slips inside easily because the lovely yaksha lets him, bent on leaving some evidence of himself inside, drawing lines that Xiao will trace with his own tongue later on.
When he pulls away, Xiao’s face is warm and wine-red. His eyes are heavy, a serene, sleepy expression on his face, and his bitten lips are glossy from the wet kiss, colored cherry from lip tint to the bruising.
“Well?” Aether asks.
“Well,” Xiao echoes with a sigh, nuzzling his cheek against Aether’s palm.
The traveler grins, pecking Xiao’s lips briefly. “Can you taste me?”
“Oh, Aether,” Xiao sighs, “I wish I could.”
“See?” Aether cradles the back of his head and the small of his back, heart fluttering when his boyfriend purrs at the tender, protective gesture. “You’re allowed to want that and many other things, so please don’t stop me from finding ways to help you. I want to ease your pain… even just a little.”
“Mmm,” Xiao acquiesces as he gazes at Aether’s fond expression, arms sliding beneath his cape to seek the traveler’s warm skin through gloved claws.
Unexpectedly, he closes the distance between them again with a surprise peck, and the traveler feels his stomach churn pleasantly at the action.
“Xiao?” Aether mumbles softly when he sees the dazed look on the yaksha’s face as he pulls away.
“It is still faint to me but,” Xiao murmurs, “I think you are… saccharine. My mouth waters.” His beautiful amber eyes are eclipsed by wide, dark pupils. “Incredible.”
And there it is, their recurring contrast. How Xiao’s hunger is restrained and careful compared to Aether’s, fierce and ravenous.
“If you want me then I’m all yours,” Aether presses solemn lips to both of his cheeks, cognizant of the quiet, broken sound Xiao makes. “You’ll always have all of me, Xiao.”
And because he’s starved, Aether takes Xiao’s chin and kisses him over his sweet little mouth again, remembering his taste for the yaksha until he does. He feels a pair of slender arms twist around his neck, deepening the kiss, the fire in their hearts burning like an idle stove.
Today, Aether has time to improve the recipe of Sweet Dream. After decorating the soft, sizable lumps of almond tofu with colorful tapioca pearls, he douses a concerning amount of osmanthus syrup over them akin to a fireman on a mission (to which Smiley Yanxiao regards with a look of genuine horror), and garnishes the plate with fresh qingxin flowers.
He thanks the stupefied chef for letting him borrow the kitchen again and sprints up to the balcony, where Paimon and Xiao are waiting for him. The pixie is already done with one of her three courses, a bowl cleaned off fish bones and spicy stew, and she is recounting a humorous incident in Fontaine while the yaksha listens, hands folded atop the table.
And when Xiao sees his favorite dish headed his way, he straightens up comically, the yellow of his eyes swallowed by expanded pupils. It’s a terribly adorable sight, and it makes Aether’s cheeks hurt from all the grinning.
“Here you go,” the traveler announces as he settles down beside Xiao, a kiss to his temple ready. “One Sweet Dream for the handsome gentleman named Adeptus Xiao, my guardian and boyfriend.”
Paimon cringes. “Did you really have to say all that?”
“Thank you as always, Aether,” Xiao says, ears and cheeks both rosy from the endearment. He nudges his nose against Aether’s jaw once before leaning down to take in the ambrosiac scent, his tiny mouth curling into a pleased smile.
He picks up the ladle. Lumps of white slip inside his parted mouth and the yaksha hums in muted satisfaction, cheeks stuffed.
Aether’s heart is full and ready to burst.
“There’s a whole extra pot downstairs if you want more,” Aether adds. Bits of white cling to his lips and jaw and it takes everything in Aether to not lick it off Xiao, if only to see his shocked expression. A lock of dark green hair sticks inside his mouth thanks to the osmanthus syrup, and the traveler lifts a finger to brush it off. “How does it taste?”
His golden eyes, when he looks his way, are resplendent. Beautiful twin suns that leave Aether feeling all warm inside.
“It tastes good,” Xiao mumbles, and he’s never sounded happier.
Aether gets it. “That’s great.” And because he really can’t help it, he kisses Xiao’s soft cheek, giggling against rosy skin when the yaksha flinches and relaxes all in a span of a second.
And as if eager to reciprocate, Xiao brushes his lips to Aether’s jaw in quiet thanks, and the traveler squawks so loud it makes the sleepy finches nearby scatter in a panicked daze.
It’s okay. He understands Xiao a bit better now, and he will slowly know more and more until the yaksha can’t hide anything from him anymore. Aether wouldn’t trade this progression and contentment for anything in the world, because there’s no greater joy than having Xiao, and to be solely his in turn.
Unbeknownst to them, Paimon squints her eyes from across the table, trying hard to comprehend what she had certainly just missed.
What the heck just happened while I was away?