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aether was tired. he was tired of doing the daily commissions given to him everyday since he entered mondstadt. he was tired of people expecting things of him. he was tired of complete strangers asking things of him. he was tired of being lied to. he was tired of fighting everyday in hopes of getting closer to finding his sister. he was tired of talking. he was tired of paimon constantly bugging him about food. he just wanted a break.
today, he couldn't bring himself to speak. it cost too much of his energy to do such a mundane thing, and yet he still lets himself be a doormat to other people and fight. it was five in the afternoon, and he just didn't want to do the commissions. but paimon kept bothering him about it. she didn't seem to notice his day long silence, and he doesn't know whether he should laugh or shed a few tears at that. regardless, he still lets himself walk to the first commission.
on the way to the wangshu inn, some guy called out to aether. he kept walking, pretending as if he couldnt hear him. but alas, paimon wouldn't just let that slide.
"aether, paimon thinks that guy over there is calling for you! let's go over there and see what he wants," she then grabbed him by his scarf and tugged him along. regrettably, aether let her. as they got closer, the stranger spoke.
"hey! thank the seven that you heard me! my wagon broke, and i was hoping that you would be able to help me getting my supplies to the harbour before it starts to rain?" aether couldn't find his voice, so he was ready to decline for once in his life by shaking his head. that was ignored by paimon speaking for him instead.
"of course! we can help with that," paimon clapped her hands together, bouncing in the air. she turned to aether, as well as the man, both looking at him expectantly. he sighed inwardly and reluctantly nodded his head.
"thank you so much, traveller!" the man bowed and clapped his hands together in thanks. aether didn't feel like he was being thanked.
~
a few minutes after they left the man at the harbour with his supplies, it finally started to srpinkle. at least it has yet to become a downpour, or maybe aether shouldn't jinx himself. as their walk, or well aether's walk, progressed towards wangshu inn, the rain had started to steadily get heavier. the thought of possibly getting sick crossed aether's mind. if he did, then perhaps he'd finally get his break.
paimon eventually slipped away into her little odd pocket dimension because of the harsh downpour, and aether felt jealous of her. he didn't say anything and kept walking.
when aether finally arrived inside the walls of wangshu inn, paimon popped back up.
"wow, you look like a drowned hilichurl!" paimon exclaimed. aether just looked at her, unimpressed and already aware of that fact. he could feel his long hair, heavy with water, pulling down his head and inflicting him with a headache. verr goldet gave him a concerned look.
"did you walk all the way over here in that rain? are you okay, aether?" his tense shoulders loosened just a bit at hearing the genuine concern lacing her voice. aether looked over at her, and her face dropped just the tiniest of bit. "if you want, you can rest in one of the rooms, free of charge," she spoke softly.
aether wanted to say yes, gods he wanted to say yes. but once again, paimon spoke for him and he was getting tired of it.
"he's gotta finish up his commissions first before the end of the day!" he saw how verr frowned at paimon. she shifted her feet uncertainly. is it okay for him to admit that he felt just a little good at seeing verr's reaction to paimon's actions? he just wanted a break, please.
"maybe i can ask xiao to clear out the hilichurls instead?" before aether knew he was doing it, he shook his head no. he was upset at himself for not accepting the possible break, but he didn't want to bother the adeptus with something so simple. xiao already had enough on his plate, and aether didn't want to add anything more to it.
verr hesitated, "alright.. if you're sure. but at least wait for the rain to stop!" she begged softly, but it was obvious to everyone that the rain wouldn't be letting up anytime soon. paimon opened her mouth to say something in response, but the smell of food caught her attention first.
"oooh!! paimon smells something good! she's gonna go see what the smell is," she then promptly turned and left towards the kitchen. aether wondered if smiley yanxiao was listening in on their conversation and decided to distract the fairy.
aether didn't realize his tense shoulders had returned until verr spoke up, albeit more quietly than before.
"please go rest. i'm sure that tired is an understatement on how you're currently feeling," and she was right to think that. despite the obvious break she was pushing him into, he still hesitated. she gave him a stern look that only a mother would give to a young child disobeying the rules.
aether nodded after a few tense moments of silence and verr smiled at him. she silently handed over one of the room keys, and aether turned around to walk up the stairs to said room.
as he walked closer to his room, he noticed that it was just a few doors down from the top balcony. as much as he wanted to sleep in a comfortable bed, he wanted to at least say hello to xiao, even if he wasn't there. he walked past his room and to the balcony. as aether saw the view to be still filled with harsh rain, he thought that xiao perhaps wasn't here. there is no way that the yaksha would be on the roof or on the balcony when it'd be raining this hard.
even as aether thought this, he still wanted to say hello. it wouldn't be the first time he spoke to empty air, anyways, he's sure of it. he knows that xiao is there sometimes, probably listening. however, recently he's been showing up in person more often. aether walked to the edge of the shielding the roof gave him from the rain.
aether opened his mouth to say 'hello,' only to find that his voice still refused to work, and it just frustrated him more. why couldn't he just say a simple hello, to someone that might not even be there, to someone that he has come to care for and grow close to? someone that he's no doubt gained affections for?
belatedly, he realized that that pent up frustration from the last several weeks, to months, had turned into silent tears. when was the last time he let himself cry? he felt his body shake from the cold and the water still sticking his clothes to his body uncomfortably. his silent sobbing only seemed to make his headache worse for him. he couldn't make his body move from the spot it had decided to root itself to.
aether was tired, and he simply hated that. with the way things have been going, he may not likely reunite with his sister once more.
he came to when he felt a pair of arms holding him. they were careful, gentle, as if one wrong move would shatter him. he soon then registered the warmth coming from the body that he was being pressed up against. aether melted unwillingly into the other's embrace and continued to silently cry. somewhere in his mind, he knew who it was that was holding him, but he was just too tired. his arms were limp at his sides as he pressed his face further into xiao's chest. aether could faintly hear his deep and scratchy voice saying something to him, but aether didn't know what. all of his senses were fuzzy, and it felt like his ears were filled with cotten. his body was buzzing, but he couldn't feel it. aether felt paralyzed.
aether didn't register being carried to his room, or being put down on the bed, calloused hands undoing his braid and fingers softly running through his hair. he didn't register those same hands carefully taking off his armor and laying him down on the soft bed, properly. at this point, aether's eyes had closed, sleep finally welcoming him. he could hear a faint hum through his veil of sleep, and the feeling of a warm blanket covering his still shivering body.
before he slipped away into sleep, he felt a pair of soft lips kiss his forehead. a light breath feathered over his skin as words were said, and a rough hand came up to cup aether's cheek, thumb wiping away already dried up tear tracks.
"rest, aether. i will be here when you wake," xiao spoke softly, and aether heard his words this time.