\\Your calming embrace\\ Xiaother fanfic

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Art from @cocoya0011 on twitter

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Aether woke up not so long after Xiao had left him on the bed, he sat up and called paimon, still no reply. It was weird to aether that paimon wasn't replying to him since she always does. So, aether got up and headed towards the room he booked for paimon. He knocked on the door "..." no reply. Aether knocked again and again still no reply. At this point, he knew something was off he was lucky he saved a spare key to paimon's room. Aether put the key in the keyhole and unlocked the door, he slowly opened it, expecting to see a small floating child with white hair but there was no one there. "Maybe she went back to mondstad?" Aether thought. He immediately went to the room Xiao had borrowed him and packed his stuff.

Aether didn't have much stuff since paimon was always the one who carries his bag. All he had was his clothes and some extra stuff he got from paimon. He wasn't really sure paimon went back to mondstad so he set out at night to go around Liyue to look for her. By the morning, aether had already searched almost half of Liyue but found nothing. Without paimon he wouldn't be able to teleport which means it took him awhile to go around Liyue. If he could teleport he'd be more than halfway by now. Aether was tired even though he had alot of sleep, he didn't know why. He took out some candy paimon bought him from Liyue, it was tanghulu. The people had put the tanghulu in a bag for adventures or travelers to take. On the bag it says "recommend to eat in less than 2 days" Paimon got Aether the sunssetia and the berry ones.

(the thing I said about being able to keep it for 2 days is not real if you're gonna eat tanghulu just eat it right away it's more delicious that way)

Aether took the candy out of the package and ate it as he continued to walk. It definitely energized aether a little bit more, the taste was like eating fruit flavored candy. Sweet, and the sugar on the fruits tasted amazing. Aether finished up the tanghulu and put the sticks back into the bag then closed it. He placed the bag with sticks back into his travel bag and continued to look for paimon.

Back at whangsu inn

After the night, Xiao came back to the balcony. He wasn't in the best shape but still managed to teleport into the room he had borrowed Aether. once he teleported in, he saw nothing but a plate of almond tofu and a piece of paper that wrote,

"hey Xiao! I went to look for something and probably won't be back for some time. Here's some almond tofu I made for you! take care!!
-Traveler"

Xiao was a little disappointed by this. He placed the paper back into the bedside table and took the plate of almond tofu up and ate it. It was delicious to Xiao. after Aether had left, Xiao started coming into the room everyday to check if Aether was back. It had been a month since Aether had left and no one had heard of him. Xiao couldn't sense him in Liyue either, so he suspected that aether must've left to mondstad or sumeru. After awhile, Xiao went back to how it used to be. His karmic debt worsened and he was back to his cold, scary self similar but worse than before Aether arrived. Deep inside Xiao missed Aether, he missed how he gives him a warm slime everytime talk even though they hadn't interacted as much. He missed the feeling when he was around aether. it was as if his karmic debt is a raging person that calms down when Aether is around. aether gave him peace for the first time in millennia he did not know how aether did it.

with Aether,

Aether had already searched everywhere for paimon but still no sign of her. He was getting worried he had been to Liyue and mondstad "where else could paimon be? Inazuma would be impossible is paimon in sumeru?" He thought. Aether tried calling paimon again. "Paimon are you there?" He said. Still, there was no reply, Aether sighed, then decided to go back to Liyue. When he reached Liyue, he heard someone behind him. A familiar voice spoke,"turn around." a voice he hates to hear. An Abbys herald. Aether turned around to see an abbys portal but no Abbys herald. he tried turning back but something had pushed him toward the portal. Aether went through the portal, a few seconds later he fell from some endless celling.

Aether quickly got up, to his surprise,Aether saw Paimon. She looked like how she always looked just unsettlingly quiet. "PAIMON???" Aether shouted has he ran towards her paimon turned around "TRAVELER" paimon said, floating towards him as he was running towards her. "TRAVELER YOU CAME TO SAVE PAIMON!" paimon said seemingly tearing up, her voice shakey. "save you?? Paimon what's happening?" Aether asked paimon, "well when paimon was trying to get you and Paimon something so she can match with you she heard a voice behind her so she looked around but paimon saw nothing but a black circle with starts then the next thing she knows she's here!" Paimon said "..." Aether said nothing. Paimon got here the same exact way he did. "How long have you been down here?" Aether asked paimon. "Uhh paimon doesn't know it feels like a few minutes?" Paimon said Aether's expression changed to a clearly shocked one. "Paimon.. I've been trying to look for you for a month or more now.." Aether told paimon "a month? But paimon just got here??" Paimon said "paimon why did you look so quiet earlier it was almost like you were dead" aether asked paimon "huh?? Paimon was screaming for help until she saw you running towards her" The emergency food said, still not having a clue of what's happening "Paimon I don't think we're in teyvat right now but I might know how to go back" aether said to paimon then he grabbed her hand "but I might need to use all my strength for this, get help if I pass out. Call out to Xiao if he doesn't reply then try again." Aether said, looking at paimon seriously. "Okay paimon's got it!" Paimon said preparing herself for what was going to happen. Aether nodded as paimon held his finger with her hands and just like that, they're out of there.

Immediately after they arrived back to teyvat, Aether was starting to feel weak, but he did not pass out. The traveler used whatever strength he had left to pick himself up, his hand were wrapped around Paimon's shoulders as she tried to carry him. "teleport.. to whangsu inn" Aether whispered, thankfully paimon heard the whisper and they arrived at whangsu inn. Aether gave paimon some mora and let her get a room while he rested at the balcony.

A few minutes later, he heard footsteps, the footsteps stopped Infront of the blonde. "Traveler?" A familiar voice spoke. Aether immediately shot his eyes open and looked up to see Xiao. Aether wanted to say something but he didn't have the energy to, so all he did was give Xiao the same warm smile he always gave him. "Traveler are you okay? It has been 2 years and you do not look well." Xiao said as he kneeled down to try to help the traveler. Just then paimon came to check up on aether. "Traveler! Paimon got a room but there's extra mora left do you want to get food? Paimon can get you food" paimon asked Aether. He looked at paimon and slightly shake his head seemingly trying to say "no thanks" after paimon nodded, Xiao helped aether up by carrying him bridal style. "Paimon right? You're coming with us. I need you to explain what happened. Why is traveler this weak?" Xiao asked paimon. "Yes paimon's name is paimon and also it's a long story. paimon will let Ae- traveler explain to you when he wants to." Xiao teleported paimon, Aether and himself to the room he borrowed Aether. He laid aether down on the bed and let him rest.
Once Xiao was sure aether was asleep he turned his head toward paimon. "Tell me what happened. I do not have the time to wait for the answers." Xiao told paimon coldly "well.." paimon started.

Back at the place

"How could you let them escape? you know my brother can teleport and you know he is smart enough to be able to understand what was going on." Lumine scolded.

"I'm sorry your highness.. we will make sure to keep him locked up the next time we get him." An abbys herald said.

"Forget it. If he doesn't want to stop then I'll have to deal with him myself. Get out of my sight."

(Today's part is a day early since I stayed up all night planning and writting it hope you liked it thank you for reading)