Chapter Text
Aether was born deaf, but Lumine was not. Lumine taught herself and Aether sign language. She was always there to help him understand what's going, or what to look out for...
Now that she is gone, Aether had hard time in Tevyet understand anything. Aether lucky had Paimon who was quick to learn his language and was able to help him out...
Meeting Xiao for the first time was odd. Aether could tell Xiao was quiet person like him. He wanted to learn more about Xiao, he seemed the most interesting person he's ever met.
~~
After Xiao saved Aether from falling to his death. He let go of the Blonde. Xiao was listening to Ningguang and out of the corner of his eye he saw the blonde looking at Paimon.
He furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms. How rude... Xiao thought.
Later the night Xiao saw Aether in Mountains. He was trying to wash something in the river and Xiao noticed a groups of hilichurls growl at the sight of Aether.
Xiao turned his gaze towards Aether and notice he wasn't moving or grabbing his sword to protect himself. Xiao was about to jump in and kill the hilichurls, until the hilichurls threw a rock at Aether and it grabbed his attention.
Aether killed the hilichurls quickly and went back to river to continue cleaning whatever he was cleaning but was jumped when Xiao was Infront of them.
Aether eyes went wide. Xiao frowned. "Where you so lost in thought you didn't hear them?" Xiao asked.
Aether tilt his head, and then made a shocked face. He quickly started to search for something.
Xiao watched Aether as he took a out notebook and started to flip through it. When Aether reach the page he held it up and Xiao read it.
Sorry, I'm deaf!
Xiao's eyes went wide. Aether took out peice of paper but stopped when he saw Xiao sign to him.
'Fuck me- why didn't Paimon say anything about you being deaf?' Xiao signed.
This light Aether's eyes up. He quickly signed back.
'That's my fault. I asked her not to tell people.' Aether signed.
'I see..' Xiao replied.
Xiao remember what happened earlier. He called Aether rude because he was facing Ningguang when she was speaking... He was facing Paimon so she could tell him everything she was saying.
Xiao face palmed and it startled Aether.
'Why did you do that?' Aether asked.
'I called you rude for not facing Ningguang when she was speaking...' Xiao signed.
Aether let out small giggle.
'You aren't the only one. Ganyu did that too.' Aether signed.
Aether smiled at Xiao. They grew closer ever since that night.