♢ to a world without you ♢ | xiao x aether |

| my love for you.. |

A/n: Konnichi-wassuuuuppp bestie's your favourite toaster licking writer taru here >:) ARIGA-THANKS GOZAI-MUCH MINNA-SAN FOR 600 READS me and rhe chan were very happy for your votes and reads.. we hope to get this story to 1k before next year and we are very grateful.. LET'S HAVE A GOOD MONTH :) 

⚠ (Chapter prologue: xiao believed that aether only said "I love you" out of lust and that he didn't actually care for xiao) ⚠

| author pov: 

Aether sat on the bed.. his eyes were filled with tears his mind flooding with pain and confusion.. did he not love xiao, was it all just his lust. No, it can't be, after all he cares for him he wants to be there with him he couldn't bare the loneliness without him.. but yet here he was trapped in agony and heartbreak once again. 

He heard that xiao had teleported outside the door. In that instance the blonde dashed out of the room to find him. He had heard a tumbling noise. Once he reached the stairs he noticed xiao looking at him blood trickling down his face after he had fallen, his eyes red and full of tears. But this didn't stop the yaksha as he kept on running non stop. Once they had gotten out of wangshu Inn, xiao felt dizzy but he must keep running. 

Aether: "XIAO!! PLEASE!!" 

The adeptus continued on his path. The words of the blonde may have sounded persuading but right now he didn't want see nor hear his voice.. it all upset him too much. 

Aether: "xiao... i- I'm sorry..." 

Aether was panting heavily he stopped running and decided to walk in the direction the raven hair went in. After all its not like he'd go far with that injury.. turns out that he had gotten further than aether had anticipated. 

Once the mortal reached a place near the harbor he noticed zhongli. He had xiao in his arms. The dark haired male stared at the mortal boy. 

Zhongli: "please tell me that you weren't the cause of this-" 

Aether had nothing to say to the older male after all there was nothing to lie about.. and that he would openly tell the truth. The blonde nodded in defeat. 

Zhongli: "I'll be taking him to the pharmacy.. in which your tagging along-" 

The darker hair male wasn't too upset at the mortal- no one's perfect and relationships have their rise and fall, not to mention who was he to judge on a young males love life. But zhongli couldn't help but feel sympathy towards xiao- The adeptus showed the blonde nothing short of love and care.. so what could have lead them down such a path.

Once arriving at bubu pharmacy, zhongli placed him on a bed in the infirmary and let qiqi begin to treat him. Aether wanted to cry- he sat in the corner staring at xiao asleep. 'It's all my fault.. he can't love an idiot like me' 

The adeptus was looking better but was still asleep. The blonde approached his unconscious body. His face hovered over the yakshas. The blonde bent down and kissed him on the lips, hoping he would wake up. He whispered.

Aether: "forgive me.. I'm sorry.. wake up and I'll take care of you.. so please."

Zhongli had seen this gesture and called to talk with him outside the infirmary. Aether bowed in shame, zhongli was like a father figure to the yaksha and it was dissapointing to have zhongli see him in a horrible way. 

Zhongli: "now... I care for an explanation.." 

Aether bowed his head in shame. 

Aether: "...he doesn't believe me when I confess my true hearted feelings to him.." 

This was an unusual case indeed. 

Zhongli: "how did it happen" 

Aether: "well.. it's- a bit complicated." 

Aether explained everything- the guilt was so overwhelming he wanted to just fall down and cry. After leaving zhongli the blonde went back to check on the sleeping adeptus only to find him missing. Zhongli had also noticed this. 

He couldn't have gotten far so aether had searched around liyue harbour. Unfortunately no sign of him from anyone. The blonde gave up in defeat after countless hours of searching. The blonde returned to the hill by the harbor to look over the horizon, this was where he first noticed his true feelings for xiao. 

The adeptus took his gloves of and noticed the pale yellow thread on his wrist- it was the thread aether had given him. He smiled at the sight of it and remembered all of their memories of that night. 

'If I hadn't taken your memories that night, would life be different now..?' 

Aether: "XIAO!!" 

The yaksha recognised the voice.. the blonde ran up and hugged him tightly. Aethers face was drenched in tears. After he had a breakdown the blonde stared into the other males eyes.. 

Xiao: "Aether I'm-" 

The yakshas words were cut off by the blonde's sudden kiss, it was gentle but yet surprising. 

Aether: "I love you xiao.. don't leave me again- I don't want to be without you!!" 

Aether wiped of xiao's tears that were starting to form in the corner of his eyes. The two embraced eachother. 

| meanwhile in the bushes: 

Paimon: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! THE SHIP HAS SAILED!!!" 

Paimon high fived zhongli. They were eating popcorn through their whole conversation. They left before anyone could notice them and didn't notice the new arrival..

.

.

.

.

???: "my my~ who knew you'd be such a slut.." 

The blonde looked over at this person. He realised it was-

.

Albedo...

. 

Aether: "i- i-" 

The pale male approached xiao. 

Albedo: " new bait I see.. but I will allow you to enjoy yourselves" 

With that he left and dissappeared. Xiao looked over at aether. 

Xiao: "you alright?" 

The blonde nodded in disbelief. 'What is he doing here of all people' Aether didn't have much of a past with albedo he never knew him personally nor was interested in him. 

At the inn xiao hummed aether to sleep. 'Who is he- what does he want..' as the job of an adeptus is to protect liyue.. so could this male be a threat? 

A/n: PLEASE BE PROUD OF ME 😢 I TRIED and this part was so bad where did my inspo go AAAAAAAAAAAAAA HELP!!!!

word count: 1027