The traveler and the yaksha | Xiao x Aether

After the incident at Dragonspine, Aether went searching for Xiao. There was no sign of the Adeptus anywhere. No one had seen or heard from Xiao since he disappeared. Not even Zhongli knew where he was. Weeks passed and Aether was starting to think that Xiao was purposely avoiding him. He'd try to call out his name but he wouldn't come no matter how many times he tried. Verr Goldet even helped with making his favorite food, Aether would wait on the balcony for hours but Xiao still refused to come to the inn. Aether went to check his room, but it showed no signs that Xiao had returned. Aether's heart drops, seeing the room completely untouched, his memory of the morning he woke up in Xiao's bed. The vivid image of Xiao standing in front of him when his eyes opened, bright amber eyes staring back at him, his hair and body drunched from the shower he had just taken.

'Maybe, I have fallen for Xiao after all.' Aether thought to himself, his face turning a light pink in color. He turned on his heels and left the bedroom.

As time passed, Aether was getting more and more worried. Panic was starting to set in. Aether's heart felt like it had a hole in it, like something was missing. He only started feeling like this after Xiao took off. Aether felt guilty for what happened back at the mountain and he wanted to explain and fix things.

As the days went by, Aether felt numb to most things. his mind was plagued with thoughts of Xiao, where he was and if he was alright. There were nights where he couldn't sleep at all. Nightmares of Xiao getting hurt kept him from getting a good night's rest. When Aether cooked food to eat it had no flavor in his mouth, so he refused to eat. Paimon was worried so she finally told Aether what Xiao told her one night when Aether had disappeared and to why he probably reacted the way he did.

*Flashback*

"Paimon, can I tell you something and promise me you won't tell anyone?" Xiao looked at Paimon as he spoke.

Paimon nodded and listened to what Xiao had to tell her.

"It's mostly about Aether... I've been spending more and more time with him and it's getting to the point he's all I can think about..." Xiao told Paimon, but then the next few words that came out of his mouth surprised him and possibly made him confused at the same time. "I...I think I'm in love with Aether..." Xiao finished, his face was blushing as those words left his mouth.

"Paimon had a feeling you liked him like that. Hehe... and I was right! Nothing wrong with it. But are you sure it's love?" Paimon questioned him.

"Honestly, I'm not sure... I've never had this feeling before so I'm not sure if this is really what love is..." Xiao trailed off as the word bounced around in his head. "Paimon, please don't tell him what I just told you. I want to tell him when I'm ready ok?" Xiao looked at her as he said this.

"Hehe... don't worry Paimon's lips are sealed! I won't tell, promise!" Paimon said and smiled.

"Thank you Paimon." Xiao smiled as he looked up at the crescent-shaped moon above them.

*Present*

Paimon told Aether that Xiao planned on telling him, but held back after what happened in that forest. Paimon believes Xiao didn't think it would be right for him to confess his feelings seeing how torn up Aether was.

'Where the hell are you Xiao... Are you ok?' Aether thought as he was standing on the summit of one of the mountains in Liyue. He spent all day searching for the Adeptus, he was hoping the height of the mountain would help him find Xiao faster, but his efforts were in vain. It was starting to get dark. Paimon went with the others as Aether kept searching on his own, he tried over and over calling out Xiao's name.

"Xiao!! Please, I need to talk to you!!" Aether yelled out over the valley, but Xiao didn't answer the call.

'Please I need to see you again.' Aether was lost in his thoughts as he headed down the mountain and back to the inn. He would rent a room there now and then in hopes of Xiao showing up. But like before Xiao was refusing to come to the inn. Aether made it down the mountain and started making his way back to the inn, the day was over, nighttime was fast approaching and he needed to rest before he could resume searching for Xiao.