Chapter Text
Aether stretched his arms lazily, a soft yawn escaping his lips as the morning light filtered through the curtains of his room at Wangshu Inn. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, he rubbed at his eyes before finally pushing aside the warm blankets and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. The cool wooden floor sent a small shiver up his spine, making him hesitate for a moment before standing up fully.
Still drowsy, he went through his usual morning routine—washing his face, brushing his teeth, and trying to shake off the last traces of sleepiness clinging to him. The water was refreshingly cold, helping to clear his mind, yet something felt... off. There was a strange sense of unease in the back of his mind, like he'd forgotten something important. But no matter how much he tried to grasp at the feeling, it slipped away like mist.
Just as he was about to brush it off entirely, a sudden knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. He blinked, surprised. Who would visit him this early?
Still clad in his adorable pajamas—ones Paimon had insisted he wear because she said they made him look "extra cozy"—Aether shuffled over and opened the door.
To his surprise, Xiao stood there, his usual stoic expression in place, though there was something… off about his posture. His arms were crossed, and his golden eyes flickered with something unreadable, something tense.
"Oh! Xiao! Good morning!" Aether greeted with a bright smile, completely unaware of the events that had transpired in the dead of night.
He had no idea what he had dreamed of.
No idea that he had unknowingly summoned the vigilant yaksha in his sleep.
And certainly no idea why Xiao was standing there now, stiff as a statue, clearly struggling with something that made even the conqueror of demons falter.
Xiao, meanwhile, had spent a great deal of time considering how to approach this situation, but seeing Aether’s bright, carefree expression first thing in the morning was making it even more difficult.
He struggled to maintain his usual stoic demeanor, but the faint flush on his face betrayed him. Taking a steady breath, he forced his expression into neutrality, though his gaze refused to meet Aether’s directly.
"Traveler," he greeted in a low voice, his eyes shifting to the side.
Aether tilted his head slightly at Xiao’s odd behavior. Usually, the adeptus was composed—distant, even—but today, there was something different about him. His arms were crossed a little too tightly, his posture stiff, and his golden eyes, which normally held a sharp intensity, were avoiding direct contact.
"Xiao?" Aether blinked, puzzled. "Is something wrong?"
Xiao inwardly cursed at how natural and innocent Aether sounded. How was he supposed to bring this up? Oh, by the way, you called out my name in your sleep last night. And then you whimpered. And for some reason, that flustered me so much that I nearly lost my mind.
Absolutely not.
"...Nothing," Xiao muttered, trying to will away the heat lingering on his face. "I was simply checking in."
Aether gave Xiao a warm and kind smile, one that only made things worse. "That's nice of you! But you didn’t have to come all the way here just for that."
Xiao clenched his jaw at Aether's shy response. If only you knew what I went here for.
Aether stretched again, oblivious to the inner turmoil happening right in front of him. "Well, since you're here, do you want to have breakfast with me? The innkeeper always makes something delicious in the morning."
Xiao should have said no. He should have left right then and there. But against all logic, he found himself nodding stiffly.
"Alright," he relented.
Aether beamed, stepping aside to let Xiao in. "Great! Let's enjoy our breakfast together." He says, his warm smile never leaves his face. And as Xiao followed him inside, he made a silent vow.
He doesn’t need to know. Ever.
Or so he thought. Because their relationship will take a different course the following days.
"Verr! I'm fully awake now. What's for breakfast?" Aether called out cheerfully as he approached the innkeeper, his golden eyes bright with warmth. "Oh, and please add Xiao to my bill."
His radiant smile was enough to brighten even the gloomiest morning, and Verr Goldet couldn’t help but smile in return. Over time, she had grown quite fond of the traveler—after all, he frequented Wangshu Inn so often, always seeking out the Conqueror of Demons. Sometimes, she even found herself wondering just what kind of relationship the two shared.
"Good morning, Traveler. And to you as well, Sir Xiao," she greeted, gesturing for them to follow her toward the kitchen, where her husband was already busy preparing food.
"Please include some almond tofu for Sir Xiao," Verr added, knowing well that it was the adeptus’ favorite. Her husband simply nodded in understanding before continuing his work.
Before long, Aether and Xiao found themselves seated in a quiet, secluded room—far away from the crowds and noise of the main dining area. It was a deliberate choice, of course. Xiao had always hated being around too many people, and Aether, ever considerate, had ensured they could eat in peace.
As the dishes were served before them, the enticing aroma of freshly cooked food filled the small, secluded room. Aether eagerly picked up his chopsticks, his mouth already watering at the sight of the steaming plates.
“Wow, everything looks amazing as always,” he hummed in delight before turning to Xiao. “You should eat too, Xiao. The almond tofu looks perfect.”
Xiao, who had been unusually silent since they sat down, merely stared at the dish before him. His thoughts were still clouded by the events of the previous night. Even now, in the quiet of the room, his mind replayed the way Aether had called out to him in his sleep—the soft, vulnerable way he had whispered his name. It was maddening.
“…Xiao?” Aether’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He blinked, realizing Aether was watching him with concern.
“Tch,” Xiao exhaled sharply, as if frustrated with himself, before reaching for his chopsticks. “I am fine,” he muttered. “Eat.”
Aether studied him for a moment longer but eventually shrugged and dug into his meal. The comfortable silence between them was only broken by the occasional clinking of chopsticks against porcelain.
Then, as Aether was halfway through his meal, he paused, a thought surfacing in his mind.
“You know, I feel like I had a really weird dream last night,” he mused aloud, tilting his head slightly. “But I can’t remember what it was.”
Xiao’s grip on his chopsticks tightened.
Aether continued, completely unaware of the way Xiao had suddenly gone rigid. “It’s strange, though. I woke up feeling like something happened, but it’s just… gone.” He let out a small laugh. “Oh well, I guess it wasn’t important.”
Xiao, meanwhile, was doing everything in his power to keep his expression neutral and to stop his cheeks from flushing.
Not important?
If only Aether knew.
The quiet atmosphere lingered between them, only the occasional clinking of chopsticks against porcelain filling the space—until Aether broke the silence once more.
"But… I can’t stop thinking about it," he admitted, absentmindedly poking at his food. "I don’t know, it just feels weird. Like something is nagging at me, but I don’t know why.”
He took a small bite of the almond tofu he had ordered for himself, savoring the sweetness before absentmindedly licking his lips.
Xiao nearly choked on air.
His grip on his chopsticks tightened, his body stiffening even more as Aether continued to ponder over his forgotten dream.
"It’s strange," Aether murmured again, his golden eyes flickering toward Xiao. He immediately noticed the way the adeptus had completely stopped eating—his usually fluid movements frozen, shoulders visibly tensed.
“Ah, sorry for rambling,” Aether said, offering a small, sheepish smile. But the concern in his expression remained as he tilted his head slightly. “I know you said you were fine, but… you seem really tense. What’s wrong?”
Xiao cursed inwardly. Damn it.
Of course, Aether would notice. He was always perceptive when it came to the people he cared about.
But how was he supposed to explain this? Oh, nothing’s wrong, I’m just trying not to think about how you whimpered my name in your sleep last night and how it completely shattered my composure and made me crazy.
He let out a slow breath, forcing his expression back into neutrality. "It’s nothing,” Xiao muttered, setting his chopsticks down. “Just eat.”
But Aether didn’t look convinced. As his eyes studied Xiao’s face, it was clear he wasn’t planning to drop the subject so easily. His narrowed his eyes slightly, unconvinced by Xiao’s dismissive response. The adeptus was always reserved, always distant—but this was different. He wasn’t just avoiding the question; he was actively tense, as if something was gnawing at him from the inside.
"Xiao," Aether called his name more softly this time, setting his chopsticks down. "I can tell something’s bothering you. You know you can talk to me, right?"
Xiao remained silent, his gaze locked onto the table as if he could will away the conversation altogether. His mind raced for an answer—anything to steer the topic elsewhere. But nothing came.
Aether sighed, leaning forward slightly. "You won’t even look at me. Is it something I did? Tell me. You can talk to me." His voice was laced with genuine worry, and Xiao hated how it made his heart clench.
He shouldn’t be acting like this. He shouldn’t care this much about a meaningless dream Aether couldn’t even remember. And yet, his body betrayed him. The image of Aether murmuring his name so softly, so helplessly, played on a loop in his head.
“…No,” Xiao finally answered, his voice quieter than usual. "It’s not you."
Aether frowned at Xiao's response. He's definitely bothered by something. "Then what is it?"
Xiao inhaled sharply before finally forcing himself to meet Aether’s gaze. "Drop it, Traveler." His tone was firm—colder than he intended.
Aether blinked, slightly taken aback. But instead of retreating like most people would, he simply studied Xiao for a long moment before leaning back in his seat.
"Alright," Aether said, though the hesitation in his voice was evident. "If you don’t want to talk about it now, I won’t push you. But always know I'm here for you."
Xiao should’ve felt relieved. He should’ve been grateful that Aether was letting the conversation go. But instead, all he felt was the lingering weight of unspoken words between them. And worse—he had the sinking feeling that this wouldn’t be the last time Aether brought it up.