The next morning the sun slowly filled the room with its bright light and warm rays. Aether woke up before Xiao this time. He quietly sat up in the futon and looked down at Xiao who was still sound asleep. His chest slowly raised and fell with light snoring. Aether couldn't help but smile as he watched Xiao rest so peacefully.
'He looks so innocent when he's asleep. I'm glad he's starting to relax more and his karmic debt is fading.' Aether thought.
Aether leaned down and kissed Xiao on his cheek before he crawled out of the futon hoping to not disturb Xiao. He tiptoed to where their clothes were and quietly got dressed. Aether opened the door and took one last look at Xiao before he exited the room.
___________________________________________________________________________
Xiao was walking down a long road lined with fully bloomed sakura trees and the sky was all white then he came to a stop and sensed someone behind him.
"Alatus..." The voice spoke up.
Xiao recognized this voice and turned around to see the silhouettes of four people standing behind him. His breath caught in his throat when he saw that the other yakshas were standing there. His mouth fell open as he continued to stare.
"How are you guys here?" Xiao finally managed to ask.
"We are only here in spirit," Indarias answered.
"..." Xiao couldn't find the right words. His mind was still in shock from seeing his comrades right in front of him. "I miss you...I'm the last yaksha..."
"This is true. You are the last but we are very proud of you Alatus." Menogias replied. "You have remained so strong and carry the yaksha name with pride."
"You are doing a great job kid!" Bosacius exclaimed with pride.
Xiao could feel his eyes start to water as he heard those words escape their mouths. Xiao couldn't stand anymore, his legs gave out from under him and he collapsed to his knees.
"I don't want to be alone...I wish I could have saved you all.." Xiao choked out between sobs. His body felt numb and his heart felt like it was being ripped right out of his chest.
"Alatus..." Bodacious spoke softly, "listen to me. We are no longer suffering but know this, we will always be by your side, we live on in your heart. You are not alone."
"Xiao..." The voice called out from behind him.
Xiao knew this voice, it was so familiar to him, so beautiful in his ears. His heart sped up as he turned his head around to see that Aether was standing there holding out his hand with a bright smile across his face.
"Aether..." Xiao whispered out.
Xiao turned his head back towards the yakshas after he heard them speak again.
"That boy is very special. You two were destined to meet. He may be able to become a yaksha just like us Alatus....No... Xiao. That is your name now." Bonanus spoke up.
Fresh tears started to stream down Xiao's face again as he listened to them speak. He closed his eyes and wanted to scream out in agony but then they spoke again snapping his attention back to them. He opened his eyes and saw that they were smiling.
"Xiao, continue to live on and honor the yaksha name." All four yaksha's said together.
Xiao held back his tears and stood up. He whipped away the tears from his face and he nodded his head.
"Thank you...I promise to live on and honor the yaksha's. Goodbye, may you finally Rest In Peace and never suffer again." Xiao said as he bowed his head. He turned around and reached his hand out to grab Aether's hand.
Aether pulled his hand gently towards him and started walking down the road with Xiao by his side. Aether looked at Xiao and smiled brightly at him and Xiao smiled brightly back at him, soon the dream slowly faded away and a white void engulfed the dream.
________________________________________________________________________________
Xiao felt the warmth from the sun hitting his skin and he could hear birds chirping outside. He slowly blinked his eyes open, the room was brightly lit from the sun. He continued to blink as he waited for his blurry vision to subside. Xiao let out a soft groan as he slowly sat up and his vision finally came into focus. He looked down to his side and saw that Aether wasn't next to him.
"Aether?" Xiao called out as he looked around the room from the futon.
Xiao got out of the futon and saw that Aether's clothes were missing. Xiao quickly got dressed and went looking for Aether. He walked down the hallway when he ran into one of the maids.
"Umm...Excuse me, but did you by chance see Aether? The blonde-haired boy that is with me?" Xiao asked the maid.
"Oh yes! He's in the kitchen right now. He said he wanted to borrow it. The innkeeper gladly agreed to let him use it. That's where you will find him." The maid answered, then she bowed her head and continued down the hall leaving Xiao puzzled.
Xiao walked down the long hall until he rounded the corner to where the kitchen was. He pushed through the doors and saw that Aether was wearing a blue-colored apron with the inn's logo on it. His hair wasn't in a braid-like it usually was. It was pulled up into a high ponytail exposing his neck, making his hair flow down his back in gentle waves.
'His neck...I want to bite it...' Xiao thought to himself. Xiao's mouth was starting to water.
Xiao stood at the doorway in a daze as he watched Aether cook in front of him, he could feel his face turn red the longer he stared. Xiao snapped out of it when Aether turned his head and noticed him standing in the doorway.
"Oh! Hey Xiao! Did you sleep ok?" Aether asked as he smiled.
"Umm...Yeah, I did. What are you doing anyway?" Xiao blushed a little and asked. Seeing Aether in the kitchen with an apron made him look so adorable.
"I thought I'd make us some breakfast. You were sleeping so soundly I wanted to surprise you," Aether answered. "Now sit down. The food is almost done!"
Xiao smiled and he sat down at the table and watched Aether cook. The aroma in the kitchen smelled amazing. Aether finished and walked over with plates of food in his hands and set them down on the table. He placed what looked like a salad and fried egg down in front of Xiao. He looked up at Aether with a confused face.
"Aether...You know I can't stomach this kind of food." Xiao said. He watched as Aether sat down on the other side of the table.
"I know... but I want to cook all kinds of dishes for you, not just tofu all the time. I have learned so many recipes during my travels and I want to cook them for you. I believe you'll enjoy human food if you give it a chance and if you can't stomach it I won't force you but try please." Aether replied.
"...." Xiao fell silent as he stared at the dishes in front of him. The smell they gave off smelled good to him. "All right...I will try if it's you who made it." Xiao finally caved and took a bite of the food. To his amazement, it tasted delicious and he didn't feel sick at all.
'This...Tastes amazing! What is going on?! I normally can't chew this let alone actually enjoy it...' Xiao thought to himself as he continued eating. Aether stared at him with an excited face, waiting for Xiao's answer to how the food tasted to him.
"So? Are you feeling alright?" Aether asked as he continued to watch Xiao eat.
"It tastes delicious..." Xiao finally answered. He continued to devour the food in front of him. "I would like to try more of these dishes you make in the future if you do not mind cooking for me..." Xiao's face turned red and averted his eyes away from Aether.
"Sure! I'd love that!" Aether responded with a bright smile on his face.
Xiao looked back at Aether and smiled. The past couple of days had not been easy for Aether. Xiao knew he was struggling to recover, but was determined to see that beautiful smile again. Helping him heal from the loss of his sister progressed slowly. Despite this, Xiao vowed never to leave Aether's side, honoring the promise he made to Lumine to protect him.
"Aether...we should probably start planning the wedding soon if that is alright with you," Xiao spoke again as he took another bite.
"Yeah, I was going to ask you that myself." Aether returned. "We should probably go talk with Zhongli and the others for help."
"Agreed. I already spoke to him about it and he said he would be more than happy to help. We should probably go see him after we check out." Xiao said as he chewed his food.
Aether joined him with eating the rest of the food that he had made. Once they were done they cleaned up the kitchen and thanked the innkeeper for allowing Aether to use it. Xiao and Aether went back to their room to gather all their belongings and check out.
They left the bathhouse and made their way to Zhongli's house. Aether and Xiao were holding hands as they walked down the main street until they reached Zhongli's house and knocked on the door. They heard Zhongli on the other side of the door permitting them to enter. Xiao opened the door and entered with Aether behind him. They entered the living room and saw Zhongli sitting on the couch drinking tea with Childe who was sitting in a chair on the other side of the coffee table.
"Hi, Zhongli! Oh, Childe's here too," Aether said as they entered the room.
"Greetings comrade! Zhongli asked me to join him for some tea." Childe grinned and waved a hand at Aether and Xiao as they entered the room. Xiao just averted his eyes as Aether continued to talk.
"We came by to talk to you about-..." Aether was explaining but Zhongli cut him off as if he knew what Aether was going to ask.
"I take it you two are here to talk about the wedding?" Zhongli asked as he set the cup of tea down on the table.
Xiao's face turned red the moment Zhongli asked and he was feeling nervous about the whole situation. His mouth felt dry and he couldn't find the right words so he remained quiet. Aether nodded his head and spoke.
"We were just talking about that before you showed up. And I made some arrangements, we were just waiting on you two. Shall we head to go pick out your clothes?" Zhongli spoke again.
"Sure, Let's go!" Aether agreed without hesitation and everyone made their way to the shop.
Along the way, Aether and Zhongli mostly chatted with each other. At one point, Childe asked Xiao if he was interested in sparring later but Xiao stayed silent and ignored Childe as they walked down the street. He was deep in thought. He remembered the dream he had last night and it left him confused. In his dream, he was living peacefully with Aether by his side after he said goodbye to the other yakshas. Over the centuries he's been alive he didn't sleep well, let alone have a good dream. Xiao was having a hard time believing that he had such a bitter-sweet dream.
They reached the clothing store and stood outside for a couple of minutes. Aether followed behind them up the stairs but noticed that Xiao didn't move and he had a troubled look on his face. Aether walked back down and grabbed Xiao's hand making him snap out of the trance he was in.
"Xiao, you all right?" Aether asked with a worried voice.
"Yeah, I'm ok." Xiao turned his head away from Aether.
"Xiao..." Aether whispered and squeezed Xiao's hand. "I've been with you long enough to pick up when something is troubling you," Aether pressed on.
"I promise I'm alright. I'm just nervous about all this. All these human traditions are so new to me." Xiao answered, shaking his head.
"Yeah, I'm nervous too. But I'm also excited," Aether chuckled and grinned. "Lot of this is new to me as well, it's a lot to take in and can seem overwhelming but just know I'm here if you need me."
Xiao looked at Aether and grinned, making sure Aether understood that he was all right. Xiao followed behind Aether as they walked up the stairs and entered the store. They walked up to the front desk where Zhongli and Childe were talking with the clerk. The clerk saw them walk up and greeted them with a warm smile.
"Ah! hello! How may I help you, fine gentlemen?" The sales lady greeted them the moment they entered the store.
"We are here to pick out ceremonial garments for these two here. They are getting married very soon so we need to find the appropriate clothes for them to wear." Zhongli answered.
"Tsk, honestly I don't see the point in all this. My clothes are fine as they are." Xiao huffed out. Aether laughed nervously next to him.
"That simply will not do. And with that Xiao, you will be first." Zhongli returned.
"What?!" Xiao growled out. Zhongli walked up to Xiao and grabbed his hand, pulling him away from Aether. "Zhongli let go of me!" Xiao demanded as he was being dragged down the hall.
Aether chuckled with Childe, then the sales lady approached Aether.
"Right this way sir." Another sales lady spoke to Aether and he followed her down another hall and disappeared out of sight.
"This should be interesting," Childe whispered out as he took a seat in the waiting room.
"This is so stupid...Why are these ceremonies so complicated anyway?" Xiao growled out.
"It is a tradition that must be followed. You want to look your best on this special day. I'm sure Aether will love to see you in those garments on." Zhongli answered from the other side of the wall. He returned to the waiting area with Childe and waited patiently for Xiao to come out.
Xiao blushed at the thought of seeing Aether in beautiful garments similar to his. The thought made his mind wander as he glared at the hanfus that were hanging up on the wall. The sales lady picked out two for him to try on and told him if he wanted to try on some more to just let her know. One of the hanfus had a dark purple top and pants. The other one had a dark blue top with a white undershirt and dark blue pants that matched, the sleeves had gold dragon designs on them and sparkled as the light hit them.
'I still don't understand these mortal traditions. Why must we dress up in these silly garments? None of it makes any sense to me.' Xiao's face scrunched up as he continued to glare at the two hanfus, a low growl escaped his mouth and he clicked his tongue as frustration set in. 'But I will do it for Aether. I wonder how beautiful he'll look. I'm excited to see what he picked out.' Xiao thought.
After a few more minutes of pondering to himself, he let out a sigh and grabbed the dark blue hanfu off the hanger, and laid it down on the chair that was in the room with him. He then stripped off his clothes and began to put the hanfu on. Xiao let out a couple of growls here and there as he struggled with the thin fabric to not tear it as he was putting it on. After a few minutes of wrestling the garments on, he was fully clothed. Xiao could see that the hanfu covered his entire body, leaving only his fingers and feet visible. The hanfu felt so strange to him, the fabric was so soft and light against his skin, not like his usual tight-fitting clothes he wore all the time.
'These clothes are so strange. Not meant for slaying demons, that's for sure. Why do mortals wear these things anyways?' Xiao thought.
The dragon designs on the sleeves cast gold rays as he moved about in the tiny room. Xiao turned to face the full-length mirror that was hanging on the door and was speechless at the sight in front of him. Two gold eyes stared back at him. He blushed as he continued to stare at his reflection of himself and how much he has changed after meeting Aether. The sleeves covered his arms down to his wrists, hiding his tattoos underneath. Xiao lifted his left hand and looked at the bracelet that Aether gave him and grinned as memories of that day filled his head. Xiao was brought back to reality after he heard Zhongli call out from the other side of the door.
"Xiao? Are you almost done?" Zhongli asked.
Xiao let out a sigh before he opened up the door and walked out into the viewing room where Zhongli and Childe were sitting patiently for him. He stood in front of them and averted his eyes away, he could feel his face getting hotter.
"Not too bad if I must say so myself. The colors look good on you." Zhongli finally spoke up after a moment of silence.
"He looks very handsome, the colors of the hanfu look good on him," The sales lady chimed in.
Xiao couldn't make eye contact with them and he felt so embarrassed. His main thoughts were on Aether and where he was. He wanted to see what Aether was going to wear.
"Where's Aether...?" Xiao asked as he looked around.
"He's in another room getting dressed. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to see him. So go change back, we'll buy these for you." Zhongli answered.
"Are you serious?" Xiao glared at Zhongli, but Zhongli only nodded. Xiao's shoulders slumped after hearing Zhongli give him the bad news. He let out a sigh as he returned to the dressing room.
"Guess you haven't told him about not being able to see Aether the night before the wedding huh?" Childe asked Zhongli.
"No I have not," Zhongli answered back. Then he noticed Aether walking out of the dressing room and made his way to the viewing room.
Aether had on a hanfu much like Xiao's but he had a white top with a gold design of qingxin flowers on the sleeves and the bottoms were red. Around his waist was a white belt tied in a bow.
"He looks beautiful." The sales lady spoke up from the corner of the room.
"Do you think this is too much? D-Do you think Xiao will like it...?" Aether asked, his voice laced with nervousness. His face was pink from blushing and he looked around the room for Xiao.
"Aether! You look amazing!" Amber spoke up from behind the sofa where Zhongli and Childe were sitting. Amber, Bennett, Ganyu, Keqing, and Paimon arrived at the shop.
"Ah, good to see you all made it," Zhongli said as he turned his head to look at the group behind him.
"Sorry, Ganyu got caught up with something and we fell behind," Keqing answered. Ganyu chuckled nervously and bowed her head as she apologized.
Aether was feeling even more nervous now with so many people present. His mind wondered while the others talked and looked him over. The outfit he wore was completely different from what he normally wore. The fabric was thin and soft against his skin making him almost feel naked. He thought about Lumine and wondered how'd she react if she saw him like this. She'd probably play with his hair for hours fixing it to go with the clothes. He missed Lumine and thought about her all the time. Being next to Xiao helped ease the pain but the loss of losing Lumine was still there. Aether could feel his eyes water as he watched everyone talk amongst themselves.
"Aether you all right?" Keqing asked, bringing everyone's attention to him.
"Yeah...Just thinking about my sister and how she'd react if she saw me like this..." Aether answered back, he sniffled a bit and wiped away the tears falling down his cheek.
"I think she would be very proud of you Aether. She will always be with you in your heart. Remember that." Zhongli spoke up. "She'd want you to be free and happy. She saw the love you and Xiao have."
"Thanks..." Aether replied. A small smile appeared on his face which made Aether blush.
"How much are the two garments?" Zhongli asked the saleslady.
"For the two boys...30,000 mora." The sales lady answered.
"Good, we'll buy them both today," Zhongli said as he nodded his head and looked at Childe.
"Don't expect me to pay for them...." Childe returned and glared at Zhongli.
"You will pay for it or else..." Zhongli growled out, making Childe whimper.
Aether couldn't help but snort to hide his laughter.
"All right, go change back before Xiao returns. We'll be getting these garments. We still have a lot to plan out." Zhongli spoke again.
Aether nodded his head and went back to the changing room to change back into his normal clothes. Aether disappeared from sight and not long afterwards Xiao emerged from his dressing room, Xiao was back in his usual attire and waited with Childe and Zhongli in the waiting room for Aether to return. The entire time Xiao waited he wondered what outfit Aether picked out and what he looked like wearing it. Zhongli made it clear that Xiao was not allowed to see Aether in it until the day of the wedding but this left Xiao flustered and nervous at the same time. Aether appeared from the changing room with his normal clothes and met up with Xiao and the others. Zhongli talked with the sales lady and made arrangements for payments on their outfits. Xiao instantly grabbed Aether's hand and laced his fingers with his. Once everything was settled everyone left the shop to plan out where the ceremony will take place.
After spending hours looking around the city they decided to have the wedding at Wangshu inn. Xiao and Aether both agreed it was the best place to hold it since the inn was the place where they first met and there was plenty of room for all the guests.
"Aether...Can we go somewhere for a bit?" Xiao asked as he looked at Aether. They were both standing off to the side as the others were talking about gifts and decorations for the wedding.
"Hmm? Sure. I'd go anywhere with you." Aether replied. A smile appeared on his face.
"Zhongli, Xiao, and I are going somewhere for a bit, ok?" Aether spoke.
"Sure, I will handle things here with Verr Goldett," Zhongli replied.
Xiao gripped Aether's hand and teleported them away. Xiao had teleported them to a secluded spot on top of a mountain. Aether recognized it was the same mountain that had the hot spring Xiao loved very much.
"What are we doing here?" Aether asked with a puzzled look on his face.
Xiao didn't say a word as he started walking towards a tree that had sakura blossoms blooming pulling Aether behind him. They stopped at the base of the tree, there sat a small stone shrine with writing on it. Aether was so confused as to what this all meant then Xiao finally spoke up.
"I had this made for you...It's a memorial for your sister." Xiao answered. "This memorial was made to honor Lumine for everything she's done. She was a hero." Xiao's voice was shaky at the end. Xiao placed something in Aether's hand.
Aether looked down at his hand and in it was Lumine's flower clip she always wore in her hair, the same one Aether made for her. Aether's eyes started to water.
"She gave this to me and told me to give it to you if anything were to happen to her." Xiao continued.
"Thank you," Aether whispered out. "And Xiao, thank you for being here for me...I miss her a lot and this memorial you made for her is beautiful."
Aether walked up to the shrine and placed some flowers next to it. He kneeled in front of it and clasped his hands together, closing his eyes.
"I love you Lumine..." Aether whispered out, Aether was doing his best to hold back the tears flooding his eyes.
Aether was about to get up but he felt Xiao wrap his arms around his waist from behind and place his head against the back of his neck making Aether shiver as he felt Xiao's breath against his skin.
"Xiao..." Aether said in a soft voice.
"I love you Aether..." Xiao whispered out, slowly squeezing Aether's waist. Then he released his arms around Aether and stood up. Xiao reached a hand out to Aether.
Aether looked up and grabbed Xiao's hand which pulled him up to his feet. Xiao started walking with Aether behind him.
"I love you too Xiao," Aether spoke up, making Xiao stop and turn to look at Aether who was still walking, and stop right next to Xiao. "I'm not going anywhere and I will live on and honor my sister. Thank you for making the memorial for her." Aether continued.
"We should head back, it's getting late and we have a lot more to plan for the ceremony," Xiao replied with a smile crossing his face. Aether nodded his head and Xiao teleported them back to the inn.
*The next morning*
The next morning, Xiao and Aether woke up early and spent time together with Amber and the others planning out the decorations and music for the wedding. Verr Goldet agreed to hold the wedding at the base of the inn; she even made sure the inn would be completely booked only for wedding guests. Aether was looking over the food menu with Xiao when Zhongli approached. Aether had prepared some chili-mince cornbread buns as one of the dishes for the wedding and wanted to see if Xiao liked it so he made some samples.
"Verr Goldet pulled out a recipe for the wedding and show me how to make this dish so I made some samples for you to try." Aether said, he placed the dish down on the table and hand Xiao the fork.
"Honestly, as long as it's cooked by you, I'll try anything...." Xiao said, he took a bite of the food samples Aether prepared.
"How does it taste?" Aether asked.
"It's really good. I like it, maybe a little less chili and it would be excellent." Xiao mumbled as he continued to chew on the food. He took another bite before he heard Zhongli call out his name which almost made him choke.
"Xiao...Come with me," Zhongli spoke. Both Xiao and Aether snapped their heads up as Zhongli grabbed Xiao's hand and started pulling him away from Aether.
"What?!" Xiao replied as he tried to break free from Zhongli's grasp.
Aether looked on with a puzzled look on his face. Amber walked up to Aether and giggled as Xiao was being dragged away and cursing at Zhongli to release him.
"Looks like Xiao didn't get the memo." Amber chuckled.
"Huh?" Aether replied, he was so confused.
"Xiao can't see you for the next couple of days. It's bad luck and the wedding is fast approaching! So you are stuck with us until the ceremony." Amber explained.
"Oh...I see..." Aether responded, Aether almost jumped when Amber grabbed his hand and started pulling him along.
"Come on! We got things to do!" Amber yelled out over her shoulder. Aether couldn't help but smile and allowed Amber to pull him along.
*Hours later*
"Zhongli! Let me out of here!" Xiao growled out as he tried to smash his way out of the jade shield that surrounded him.
"No, I let you out, you'll go straight to Aether. It is bad luck to see him the night before the wedding. Didn't Verr Goldet tell you this?" Zhongli returned, he sat on the couch sipping his cup of tea with Childe.
"Tsk..No she did not! This is ridiculous...all these silly human traditions...I don't understand them sometimes..." Xiao replied.
"You are the one who fell in love with him and this is a very special moment in your life, it should be celebrated the correct way. It is a tradition in the mortal world." Zhongli countered.
Xiao punched the jade wall again but he didn't even leave a dent in it. Xiao just let out a long-winded sigh before he finally sat down in silence feeling helpless and defeated by not being able to escape his prison. He looked out the window as the moon slowly rose in the night sky.
"Aww...He's pouting," Childe said with a chuckle.
"Childe, don't..." Zhongli growled out, before drinking his tea again.
'Why is all this necessary? I just want to be with Aether...I just don't get it...humans make the simplest things so tedious, Xiao thought to himself.
Nightfall had covered the sky above and chased away the sun's light. Leaving the moon to slowly rise in the dark blue sky. Aether had spent most of the day in Liyue gathering the rest of the decorations and supplies for the wedding with Amber and the others. He returned to the inn but Xiao wasn't there. Verr Goldet said that Xiao would be staying at Zhongli until the wedding which meant Aether was by himself for the night. The wedding was set for tomorrow night and after everything that happened earlier, he felt drained. Aether stripped off his clothes to where he was only wearing his boxers and crawled into bed. Aether just laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling, his mind wandered about Xiao, and of course the wedding. He was so nervous about everything, Amber and the others kept his mind occupied during the day but now that he was alone thoughts ran through his head. Few minutes passed and Aether's eyelids felt heavy and his vision started to blur, before he even realized it he had passed out.
*The next morning*
Aether had woken up early, he got out of bed and walked out to the balcony that overlooked the land. The sun was just about to rise from the horizon. Aether could see a slither of light slowly rise over the horizon. Aether let out a yawn as he stretched out his arms, the sun's warm rays blanked the land then Aether heard Bennett walking up to the railing. Bennett had stayed at the end along with the others and turns out he woke up early as well.
"Hey, Aether. You're up early? Did you sleep all right?" Bennett asked as he leaned on the railing.
"Mhm..." Aether replied with a nod.
"Are you excited? About the wedding tonight?" Bennett asked.
"I'm not sure...All this is new to me...I'm not sure how to feel. I have so many butterflies in my stomach right now it's hard to think straight." Aether responded, he looked out towards the sun as it climbed slowly in the sky and chased away the darkness of the night.
"Try not to think about it too much! What matters most is that you love Xiao and he loves you deeply!" Bennett replied, giving Aether the thumbs up.
"Yeah..." Aether whispered under his breath, a smile crossed his face.
*Later on, that day*
Verr Goldet was bustling about with everyone around the inn making final preparations with everyone. Aether mostly stayed with Bennett while helping when needed. The bottom of the inn had tables decorated in red cloth with gold lining. The tree was also decorated with red lanterns throughout the branches and along the stairs. The inn reminded Aether of the lantern rite festival and he was excited to see the lanterns light up once the sun disappeared. Xiao and Aether decided to hold the wedding at night. The altar wasn't very far from where the tables sat. Chairs for the guests lined both sides of the path leading up to the altar. Aether and Verr Goldet finished putting up the rest of the decorations just as Amber, Ganyu, Paimon, and Keqing arrived.
"Wow! Everything looks so pretty! The lanterns and the decorations are so colorful!" Paimon shouted as she floated up to Aether.
"Are you ready for this Aether?" Amber asked as she approached.
"Yeah," Aether nodded his head.
"All right! Let's go get you ready then! It's getting close to nightfall!" Amber said with excitement. She grabbed his arm and started pulling him up the stairs to the inn. The others chuckled and followed behind.
Aether didn't realize it but time had passed by fast and night was almost upon the land which meant the wedding was happening very soon. That thought was starting to make him feel nervous. Bennett left to check up on how Xiao was doing and would be back later.
Aether reached the room, opened the door, and walked inside. The girls followed in behind him. Aether's hanfu was delivered earlier and was hanging up in his room, waiting for him to put it on. Aether grabbed his outfit off the hanger and went to the bathroom to change into the hanfu while the girls waited for him in the bedroom.
Aether was standing in front of the mirror completely dressed in his hanfu. He hardly recognized himself, he looked so different and it was making him feel both excited and wondered what Xiao would say once he saw him wearing this. Zhongli made it very clear that Xiao was forbidden to see him and his outfit until the night of the wedding. Once Aether was fully clothed he exited the bathroom. His face was red as a tomato the moment he opened the door and heard the girls tell him how amazing he looked.
"Now let's work on your hair Aether!" Amber said as she motioned for him to sit down.
Aether smiled and obeyed, he sat down and allowed Amber and Ganyu to unbraid his hair and comb it. Aether was lost in a trance as Amber and Ganyu played with his hair, styling it in different ways and talking to themselves. Keqing and Paimon chimed in now and then but the words they spoke didn't register with him. The feeling of someone combing his hair made him feel relaxed and warm inside. Memories of his sister flooded back in his mind, he thought he heard Lumine's voice at one point but it was Xiao's. Amber suddenly snapped Aether out of his trance and he was yanked back to reality.
"Aether? Hello?" Amber asked.
"Huh? What? Sorry guess I zoned out," Aether replied, he blinked a couple of times and saw that Amber was looking at him with a confused face.
"What do you think?" Ganyu chimed in and held up a mirror in front of Aether.
Aether looked at it and saw that his part of his hair was pulled up into a bun, the bun was held in place with a gold-plated qingxin flower and a red ribbon that was tied in a knot and had tassels hanging down on the ends. The knot was tied in a way that brings good luck and fortune for anyone wearing it, Verr Goldet informed him of the meaning and of course the color palette of the decorations. The rest of his hair flowed down his back in gentle waves. Aether loved the pin and the clothes he was wearing. The colors stood out from the color of his hair and the fabric was soft and free-flowing. Aether made sure to wear the crystalfly clip in his hair. He placed it right next to the flower pin...
"You look so cute Aether!" Amber cheered on, "Ganyu did an amazing job with your hair!"
"Xiao is going to love this!" Paimon chimed in.
"Wha...Thank you!" Aether couldn't help but smile brightly at how beautiful his hair looked. His face turned a little red as Xiao popped in his head.
"Was my pleasure! Now we need to hurry up and finish getting ready!" Ganyu clapped her hands together and gathered up everything and they left the room. Bennett arrived and entered just as the girls left.
"Wow, you look great!" Bennett said the moment he saw Aether.
"Thanks! Did you check in on Xiao?" Aether asked as Bennett entered the room, he was already dressed in a sleek deep red suit with a white undershirt and a black tie around his neck.
"Haha...Yup! He's fine, Zhongli kinda kept him locked up. The guy is stubborn, he tried several times breaking out of the jade wall but it didn't work. He hated being away from you." Bennett chuckled a little as he placed a hand on Aether's shoulder.
Aether couldn't help but chuckle a little. To be fair he wanted to see Xiao too but kept his promise and stayed at the inn. Aether stood up from the chair and walked towards the balcony. The sun was starting to kiss the horizon turning the once bright blue sky into a reddish-orange color. A light breeze blew through Aether's hair and made his hanfu ruffle gentle against his skin.
'Lumine...I hope you are proud of me...' Aether thought to himself. 'I am so happy that I met Xiao and fell in love almost like it was fated to happen...but know that I will always keep you close in my heart.' Aether turned on his heels and went back inside to finish preparing for the wedding.
*Couple Hours later*
It was finally night and the inn was lit up by all the lanterns scattered throughout the branches and along the stairs. Xiao arrived with Zhongli and he was lost at how beautiful everything looked. The lanterns glowed and sparkled amongst the leaves. Below the inn, the tables were decorated with glaze lilies and qingxin flowers. The altar waited not far off from the sitting area and it too was decorated with flowers. All of Aether's friends showed up and people from Mondstadt and Liyue were there as well so the inn was crowded. People chatted with one another. Xiao couldn't help but grin at the sight in front of his eyes. Everything looked magical, bright, and warm, a feeling he yearned for, for so long, and here it was all because he fell in love. Xiao was snapped out of his trance by Zhongli.
"Amazing isn't it?" Zhongli asked as he stood next to Xiao. "I wonder how beautiful Aether will look." Zhongli grinned as he said this.
Xiao's face turned bright red at the thought. He hadn't seen Aether in days and he still had no idea what his outfit looked like. Xiao was wearing his hanfu, the other adepti placed a small glaze lily pin in his hair for good luck. Aether was on Xiao's mind all night long so he didn't sleep well last night.
"Where is he?" Xiao asked as his eyes looked around for Aether's golden hair.
"You'll see him soon enough," Zhongli answered.
"Hey! Xiao! Glad to see ya!" Venti called out as he ran up to him. "I never thought I'd see the day you'd get married?"
Xiao then noticed someone walking upright behind Venti and it was Albedo. Xiao's vision started to turn red at the sight of him and remembered what happened back at Dragonspine.
"What are you doing here?" Xiao hissed out, he clenched his hands tightly and was on the verge of exploding.
"Relax, I'm only here to drop off a gift for Aether, yaksha boy. Then I will be on my way." Albedo snapped back and walked right past Xiao only to say something under his breath. "I'm glad he found someone like you. Take good care of him, and don't ever break his heart or you'll have to answer to me."
Xiao just averted his eyes and let out a low growl then walked away from Albedo and leaving Venti with a puzzled look on his face and walked towards the altar where the priest was setting up. Xiao heard Zhongli say something to Venti but ignored them for the time being. The moon was slowly ascending the starry sky above and the wedding was about to start. Everyone gathered and sat down at their appropriate seats, Xiao stood next to the priest and waited for Aether to show. His heart rate picked up the moment the music started playing and soon everyone stood up to honor Aether who was now walking slowly down the path towards him.
Xiao's head went blank the moment he finally saw Aether and the palms of his hands started to sweat a little as he nervously waited when the urge to leap towards Aether was tearing at his heart. Aether was dressed in a hanfu much like his; the top was pure white with gold qingxin flower designs on the sleeves but his bottoms were red. Part of his hair was pulled up into a bun with a flower pin in his hair, the rest of his hair flowed down his back in soft waves and Xiao couldn't tear his eyes off him as he approached the altar and finally stood next to him. The lights from the lanterns made the night sky light up brightly with a warm yellow glow and Aether shined beautifully against the light. Xiao couldn't help but cry at the sight of seeing Aether in front of him. Aether looked Xiao in the eyes and smiled brightly at him, Xiao grabbed his hands and held on to them as the priest began to speak, everyone sat back down in their seats and remained quiet.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are all gathered here tonight to celebrate these two beautiful souls in love," The priest spoke, he looked at Xiao and Aether then at the crowd.
"Xiao and Aether, have you come here today to be legally married? Do you pledge to choose respect, kindness, and compassion toward one another, to listen deeply to one other, and to speak to one another truthfully, today and always?" The priest asked as he looked at Xiao and Aether who were both looking at him then back to each other.
"We do," Xiao and Aether responded in unison. The priest nodded his head before continuing.
"Your love is something that you both cherish, so much so that it's moved you join in the union of marriage and create a home together. Today, you dedicate your lives to giving one another happiness and support." The priest paused then went on. "Do you have the rings?" He asked.
Aether pulled out the ring that was for Xiao and Xiao did the same for Aether. Verr Goldet told them that they had to switch their rings before the ceremony so they could put each other's rings on the other.
"Very good. Now Xiao do you take Aether as your husband? To love and to cherish for all entirety?" The priest looked at Xiao but Xiao kept his eyes locked on Aether.
"I do, Aether is my best friend and the person I treasure the most. I wish to stay by his side. I love him with all my heart..." Xiao answered, his face was flushed red as those words escaped his mouth.
"Excellent, Aether, do you take Xiao as your husband? To love and to cherish for all entirety?" The priest asked Aether next.
"Yes, I will be by his side from this day forward. He's the one who made me feel at home here in Teyvat and he means everything to me...I want to be with him..." Aether answered, his voice was a little shaky near the end, tears filled Aether's eyes as he looked at Xiao.
"Very good. Now, Xiao take your ring and place it on Aether's left hand and Aether you do the same with Xiao." The priest instructed.
Xiao took Aether's left hand and placed the jade ring that belonged to Aether on his ring finger. Once that was accomplished Aether did the same for Xiao. They held hands afterward and waited for the priest to continue.
"Now, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you officially married.
You may now seal these vows with a kiss!." The priest finally spoke.
Xiao cupped Aether's face and gently kissed him on the lips. The moment their lips touched a sea of lanterns was released by everyone sitting in the isles. The lanterns slowly ascended into the night sky above. Making the sky sparkle brightly from the dancing lights of the lanterns as they floated freely in the air. Everyone stood up from their seats and cheered as Xiao and Aether enjoyed their kiss. Xiao broke away from Aether's lips and wiped away the tears that fell down his face. Aether wiped away some of his tears as well.
"I love you, Xiao," Aether whispered out, Aether placed his hand on Xiao's face and smiled brightly.
"I love you too Aether..." Xiao whispered in return. Aether grabbed Xiao's hand and they started walking down the path to where everyone had gathered.
Barbara stood on stage to announce that she was about to sing for Xiao and Aether and that it was time for them to dance. Aether was shaking by the announcement as they walked upon the small stage with Xiao. Xiao turned to face Aether, he placed one hand on Aether's waist and held the other one in his hand. This made Aether's face turn bright red as he saw that everyone was watching, then he heard Xiao speak.
"Don't worry, just follow my lead," Xiao whispered out next to Aether's ear.
Aether nodded his head and the music started and Barbara began to sing. Xiao started to slow dance with Aether. He gently guided him through the steps as the music played out around them. Soon the world around them vanished and all that was left was Xiao.
"Xiao...I didn't know you could dance?" Aether asked in a hushed voice.
"I do not know of any human dances. However, this particular dance is very ancient, it has been passed down from the yakshas. It is a very special dance as it means that we will be together forever." Xiao replied. Xiao smiled and his golden eyes shined brightly with the lights from the lanterns.
"I will only perform this dance for you and you alone Aether." Xiao kissed Aether on his forehead and pulled him closer. Aether just relaxed in Xiao's arms and let him take the lead. Soon the song ended and Xiao kissed Aether which caused everyone in the audience to clap and cheer.
The celebration continued with beautiful music throughout the night, eventually, everyone sat down and ate dinner. People brought all kinds of dishes both from Mondstadt and Liyue. Xiao requested that no alcohol would be present at the wedding as he did not like the drink and that people should be themselves during the ceremony and not drunk. At some point, Xiao wandered off from the crowd for a bit. He stood in the field and gazed up at the moon, his mind wondered.
"So much has changed recently...I still can't believe that I fell in love..." Xiao spoke to himself, Xiao looked down at his hand where the jade ring rested and the bracelet Aether gave him, Xiao's memories played out in front of him, which made him grin. He turned on his heels and went back to the party.
Xiao made it back to the dinner table, noticed Aether running up to him and hugged him tightly. Aether was giggling and his speech sounds slurred. Xiao could smell alcohol on Aether before he reached him.
"Hey, X-Xiao...*hic* You look p-pretty..." Aether slurred his words, his face was flushed red and he was having a hard time standing up on his own.
"A-Aether?! Why do you smell like alcohol?!" Xiao growled out as he held Aether in his arms keeping him from collapsing, Xiao snapped his head up when he heard Diluc speak.
"My apologies, it seems the tone-deaf bard here snuck in some alcohol and poured some of it into Aether's drink when he was distracted," Diluc explained as he held up the bottle.
"Hey...Xiao come drink with me! Ehe..." Venti shouted from the dinner table.
Xiao let out a sigh before he picked up Aether and started walking away from the crowd. Xiao thanked everyone for coming and swiftly left. Xiao walked on in silence until Aether spoke up again.
"Hey, Xiao...Why did we leave...*hic* I wanna stay longer! *hic*" Aether said, he started to wiggle around in Xiao's arms which made Xiao growl.
"The wedding is over Aether..." Xiao said in a flat voice, Xiao came to a stop in the middle of the road and let Aether's feet touch the ground.
Aether wobbled a bit once his feet hit the ground but Xiao held onto him so that he wouldn't fall over and land in the dirt. Aether's breath still smelled like alcohol which made Xiao let out a small sigh as he bent down in front of Aether and gestured to him to climb onto his back, which Aether obeyed. Aether let out a small squeal the moment Xiao stood up and started walking again.
Xiao continued to walk down the dirt path in silence for a while, with only the moon's glow to guide him. The night was cool and calm, the trees and grass rustled as a light breeze blew which ruffled Xiao's clothes as he walked.
"Xiao..." Aether whispered next to his ear.
"Yes?" Xiao asked, he looked out the corner of his eye at Aether.
"Are you mad at me...? Did I mess up again...?" Aether asked shyly.
"No, I'm not mad at you," Xiao replied, Xiao could tell the alcohol in his system was starting to weaken and his speech wasn't slurring anymore.
"Where are we going? Aren't we going back to the inn?" Aether lifted his head and looked around.
"No, we aren't going to the inn anymore, it's a surprise," Xiao answered.
"Oh..? Why not teleport us to where we are going then?" Aether asked.
"I want you to have a clear head for tonight, so we are walking to our destination," Xiao whispered out.
"..." Aether fell silent and laid his head back down on Xiao's shoulder.
Xiao just smiled and listened to Aether's soft breathing next to his ear. Xiao continued walking in silence. Only the sounds of Xiao's footsteps on the dirt path and the sounds from the crickets could be heard.
'Aether...I love you so much I hope to always see you smile and be happy with me, that is my only wish.' Xiao thought to himself. 'Tonight I want it to be very special for us so I hope you are sober by the time we get there, and I hope you like the surprise I prepared.'
To be continued in chapter 13
Notes from me
Sorry, it took me so long to get this chapter up. I struggled with this one and got writer's block a lot and I've been super busy irl. So enjoy everyone!! Let me know what you guys think in the comments! Thank you VirdisDrachen for being my beta and giving suggestions super helpful! The next chapter will probably be the last one for this book <3