Chapter Text
"Aether! Your package has arrived!" A female voice shouted from downstairs.
"Coming!" Aether shouted, his eyes shining. He jumped to his feet —disturbing his cat, Paimon — and ran downstairs, stumbling a bit. When he reached the door, his sister met his gaze with an exasperated yet affectionate smile.
"You'll never grow up, will you?" Lumine laughed before handing him a box. "Here, your thousandth game."
The boy's smile widened. "Thank you!" He laughed back before looking at the girl. "Want to play with me?"
"Nah, I'm going to watch a show now," Lumine replied, heading toward the living room and throwing herself on the couch. "Have fun, I guess."
"Alrighty!" The blond replied, waving. A moment later, he ran back to his room, almost tripping again on the stairs.
"Paimon!" he called, smiling. The cat stared at him lazily, lying on her back on the bed. "We're finally going to play Red Dead Redemption 2! I've been waiting so long for this!" he exclaimed, quickly opening the package and admiring the cover, as Paimon approached him. "Arthur Morgan is hot." he said with a laugh.
Aether promptly removed the game he was playing and replaced it with the new game's DVD. He sat in front of the TV and waited for the screen to load, practically vibrating in his seat. His cat settled into his lap, and he scratched behind her ear. While he waited for the screen to load, he opened his chocolate stash and took out a piece, quickly decimating it.
He hummed, waiting patiently for the game to open. However, as soon as it did, a burst of pink and glitter filled his eyes, making him frown.
"They probably changed the start of the game. Haha." He tried to convince himself, feeling sweat trickle down his temple. Curious, he clicked the big pink button that said "Start Game."
It didn't take two seconds after starting to realize it was a dating simulation game — and a very poorly made one at that. It has all kinds of clichés, the interactions are cringe-inducing, the female protagonist is a pick-me, and the guys are... abysmally ugly. Seriously, whoever programmed this can quit programming, because it was an insult to every game in existence.
Don't get him wrong, Aether has played dating games before — and even enjoys some, like Homicipher. But he likes them when they're well-made — that is, when the characters are pretty — and not whatever this programming aberration is.
'Damn the day I decided to buy cheap games on OLX.' He thought with a pout, moving to remove the game from the console.
However, before he could remove the DVD, something resembling a white egg began to emerge from the television screen. Aether let out a scream and backed away, startling Paimon, who meowed in protest.
The thing finally emerged from the TV. It had a black hood and a black cape with aquamarine accents, and also had the same on its body. The small creature carried something that looked like a magic wand.
The creature looked directly into his eyes before breaking into a wide smile. "Hello, Aether!" they greeted. Their voice was androgynous. "Did you like the game?"
Aether stared at him for a moment, his eyes wide. "W-What are you? How do you know my name!?" He questioned, pointing an accusing finger at the egg.
"Well, I'm Venti, the creator of this beautiful game, you silly thing!" Venti said. "And you've officially been chosen as the first person to participate in the 'Teyvat Dating Program'! Ehe." The creature said with a laugh.
"P-participate in what!" The blond stuttered, confused. "This must be a fever dream. Yeah. That's it." He spoke to himself.
The creature shook its head, crossing its tiny arms. "No, no, my dear. This is completely real! But it's difficult to explain, so please read carefully!" As soon as it finished saying this, the wand in its hand glowed, and a wall of words appeared on the television.
" If it's more than two lines, I can't read it." Aether stated with a tired look. "Explain it to me!"
The suspicious creature sighed, but still maintained an amused tone. "Well, Aether, you've been chosen as the first person to participate in this program, where you, who have rejected and shunned all romance options until now, now have several romantic partners! My duty here is to make you fall in love!" As he spoke, the egg floated around the room before finishing by making a heart with its hands. "And also considering Teyvat's low birth rate…" He added in a low tone, but it was heard nonetheless.
The blond's face fell into an indignant scowl. "And who said I want to date!?" he asked irritably. "I have everything I need! Games, chocolate, and my kitten Paimon!" he protested, clenching one of his hands.
The creature smiled evilly, as if it had expected this. "And that is precisely why these three items, your three greatest desires, will be confiscated indefinitely!" it exclaimed.
"You don't have the power to do that," Aether said, but grew more nervous when the little being stared at him with amusement. Suddenly, a strange sensation passed through him, and he felt a shiver run down his spine.
Seeing this, he rushed to look for his games, but when he opened them, he found only cereal bars in the boxes.
"No, no, no, no!" The blond cried, opening his games one by one and finding no DVDs. He turned to the rotten egg, pointing a finger at it. "Where did you put my games, you hellish carrion!?" he demanded, before freezing and turning back to his chocolate stash.
It didn't take long to realize that all of his chocolates had been replaced with peanut candy. Peanut candy!
"Chocolate is bad for your health!" the creature asked, licking their chocolate-stained lips.
"Hypocrite! You.." Aether began speaking, but was interrupted when his game boxes began to float and were sucked into the TV. "No! Wait!"
"All you need to do is get a girlfriend and then all your wishes will return, dear!" The white demon sang, waving their wand.
The blond clenched his fists. "The last thing I want is a girlfriend."
The creature pretended to think. “A boyfriend, then!”
Aether felt his cheeks heat up and he looked away. "I-I don't need that either!" he exclaimed.
"So, you want a boyfriend, not a girlfriend. I can work with that. You'll become the protagonist of an otome game! Tell me, have you ever imagined yourself surrounded by a bunch of hot guys?" The white ball said, raising their eyebrows and pointing their wand at the boy.
Aether's face turned red. "But isn't the goal to increase the birth rate?" he asked, hoping to dissuade the magical being.
The creature looked him up and down, as if analyzing him. "You know, nothing is impossible for magic… But that, of course, would be in the future. For now, you need to fall in love!"
The blond's blush deepened at the implication. "I don't need this yet. I already have a daughter, and she's Paimon!" he said, before freezing. "Paimon? Paimon!" And with that, he ran downstairs, ignoring the laughter of the floating being that plagued his existence.
"Lu! Where's Paimon!?" The boy asked in a tearful tone.
His sister gave him a strange look before pointing to the top of the air conditioner. "She's right there."
"Paimooon! Get down here! Pspsps!!" Aether whimpered, making exaggerated movements to get her attention, but nothing worked.
Suddenly, the front door opened, revealing Dainsleif, his older brother. The normally stoic man wore a smile.
"Dain! You're early today." Lumine said in surprise.
"That's right. It turns out I was transferred to Khaenri'ah." The blond man spoke softly, causing the twins to gasp in shock.
Aether froze so much that there might be cracks in his skin.
‘Dain… You work in IT… How come you were transferred!? Just like that!?!’
Oblivious to his younger brother's shock, Dainsleif continued, "I was thinking about you coming with me, Lumine. You've always wanted to visit there, haven't you?"
"Really!? That's great! Of course I want to go!" Lumine smiled, jumping off the couch.
Aether turned fully to them, tears in his eyes. "What about me!?" He whimpered.
"I think you're old enough to manage yourself," Dainsleif said, placing a hand on the younger boy's hair and ruffling it slightly when he saw that the look on his face looked like a kicked puppy. "It'll be okay. It'll only be for a year or two."
"Y-Years!?" The blond questioned, feeling like a deflating balloon.
It didn't seem natural. Ever since that happened, his siblings had become so protective of him that it was sometimes unbearable. And now they were just going to travel and leave him behind?!
He hoped they would at least take their time leaving.
They left the next day. And they took Paimon with them, too.
Aether sat down on the genkan, pulling his knees to his chest and feeling his eyes water. "I can't believe this is happening to me," he murmured. After two sniffs, he regained his composure.
He went back inside, grabbed his wallet and phone, and headed for the front door again, slipping on a pair of crocs. He ran out of the house.
Somewhere had to sell chocolate, right?!
Wrong.
At every store he passed, a different excuse was offered. The store was closed — during business hours! —, the stock was out, only fitness candy was available, pigeons ate the chocolate — which doesn't even make sense!
When he arrived at the last store he would visit, he fell to his knees when he saw that the shelves were completely empty. He looked more closely and noticed that... four chocolate bars were selling for fifty mora — and the other chocolate-containing sweets were on similar sale.
Aether clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth. 'I won't give in. If I can avoid any romantic attraction, this Satan-sent creature will have to give up and leave me alone!' he thought to himself.
Determined, he began to make his way out of the establishment.
'That rotten egg is going to see...' He thought as he opened the door. However, he froze when he realized there was a guy in front of him with his hand slightly raised.
The boy in front of him was only slightly taller than him. He had mesmerizing amber eyes. His hair was a shade of petrol blue with aqua green highlights, contrasting with his pale skin. His lips were slightly parted.
'What. A. Handsome. Guy!' – The blond thought briefly, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly, but it was quickly controlled.
The other boy's eyes drifted to the ground. When Aether followed his gaze, it soon became clear what had happened.
On the floor, lay a cell phone with a cracked and blank screen. It had clearly fallen with the corner pointing toward the floor.
The blond snapped out of his static state. "I'm so sorry!!! I-I can pay for the repairs!" He said frantically, waving his arms in front of him.
The other boy bent down to pick up the broken phone. "It's okay." He spoke in a cold, distant, yet sincere tone.
"A-Are you sure? I…"
"Seriously. It's okay." The boy cut him off mid-sentence.
Aether swallowed hard before giving an awkward smile and raising his hands, giving the handsome boy a thumbs up. "Okay then, bro! In that case, I'll... go for it!" And with that, he started running towards his house.
‘Get away from me, Satan!’ - He thought, directed at the creature that haunted him.
As soon as he walked through the front door of his house, he allowed a deep sigh to leave his lips, and he leaned weakly against the wall, feeling as if he was going to collapse.
"Oh, how cute! Could this be love at first sight? You'll start seeing each other everywhere, and soon you'll be together on a romantic date!" the creature sang, clasping their hands together.
Aether's face darkened, and he lunged forward, delivering a powerful kick to the creature, sending it flying and bouncing across the room and onto the floor.
"I broke his phone and it was all your fault, you damn egg!" he exclaimed.
The creature lifted its head. A single tear was in its eye, though it was still smiling. "Who would have thought you were the anti-hero type?" it said, before peeling itself off the ground. "Anyway! Time to return to the magical world! Enjoy the rest of the day; we'll have plenty to do tomorrow!" And with that, the being disappeared.
Aether sighed heavily. He could only hope he wouldn't cause even more damage in the coming days.
“And why are you following me?” Aether whispered, walking down the stairs towards the school.
"I have to monitor your progress, Aetherie!" the creature replied excitedly. "And you can speak normally, I always create an illusion that makes it seem like you're doing normal things while you're interacting with me!"
The blond rolled his eyes. "It's a shame that I'm going to ignore you then." he said irritably.
The floating being's smile sharpened and he backed away a little before slamming his wand down hard on Aether's shin.
The boy let out a small scream as he lost his balance and fell down the few remaining steps. He looked up to see the creature staring at him with a smug smile.
‘Devil.’ – He thought through gritted teeth.
He was about to get up, but was stopped when a sneaker entered his vision. Aether looked up, his soul nearly leaving his body when he locked gazes with the same amber eyes as before. The boy was wearing the same uniform as him.
They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before someone appeared from behind him.
“Give him a hand!” A boy with light blue hair and eyes said, nudging the other boy.
When the handsome boy started to extend his hand, Aether quickly stood up, placing his hands in front of him and shaking them lightly. "I'm fine! It was just a fright." he said nervously, feeling sweat break out on his forehead.
The yellow-eyed boy stared at him for a while, analyzing him, before shrugging and continuing on his way, followed by the other boy, who waved briefly at the blond.
Aether let out a sigh of relief, continuing to walk to his school. However, his attention was drawn against his will to the same boy from before.
He'd been stopped by a blushing girl, who held out a letter to him and declared her love. But to everyone's surprise, the boy maintained his monotone and expressionless face.
"I don't want to." He answered simply, abandoning the girl, who began to be comforted by her friend.
'How rude!' Aether thought, watching him from his peripheral vision. Still, he took advantage of being close to them to listen in on their conversation while waiting for the subway to arrive.
The handsome boy's friend approached him. "Why didn't you at least accept the letter? You didn't even need to read it. Poor girl." He said with a look of pity.
The other boy gave him only a brief glance. “If I accepted, I would give her hope. It was good to cut it off altogether.”
A pretty girl with brown hair tied in low pigtails approached the other boy, shouting a greeting in a high-pitched voice.
"Hey Xiao! You didn't reply to my messages. What happened?" she asked, pouting.
'So the boy's name is Xiao…'
— Ah… my phone broke.
Aether felt the air being sucked out of his lungs and it was as if an arrow had embedded itself in his chest.
“But aren’t you going to buy another one?” The blue-haired boy asked, tilting his head.
The handsome boy shook his head. “I’m broke.”
A second arrow came and pierced Aether's heart.
Maybe he should look for a job.
It seems that whoever rules the universe disregards the existence of Aether. It's the only explanation they have.
Why else would he run into Xiao everywhere in the school!?
He thinks he may have brought this on himself by asking his friend, Shenhe, who the other boy was and why he was so popular. She told him it was because he was cold and mysterious, which attracted girls — and even some boys.
But that didn't mean he actually wanted to run into the guy!
The blond tried his best to escape Xiao and simply avoid him, but it seemed the harder he tried, the harder it got! Even so, he didn't give up, and to his delight, the end of class soon arrived.
After saying goodbye to his friends, he hurried his way home, hoping not to bump into the handsome boy on the way home.
Fortunately, his prayers were answered and he quickly went into his house and changed his clothes, swapping his school uniform for a cat-themed short-sleeved sweatshirt and black shorts.
However, that's when he faced another dilemma: he had nothing to do. He spent the next few minutes searching for shows to watch on TV. He wasn't interested in any of them. He watched a few minutes of a random anime on Netflix, but soon got bored.
When he heard a growl in his stomach, he glanced at the clock and realized it was already past six o'clock. He sighed deeply, getting up from the couch and stretching. He headed toward the kitchen, intending to make dinner, but was interrupted by a suspicious movement.
He looked away, looking at the ground slowly.
There, standing innocently, was a flat, long-legged, and frightening-looking spider. It was about six centimeters long.
Aether jumped away with a shrill scream, running from the room. "Lumiiii…!" He cried, cowering in front of the exit door.
'Nooo, this can't be happening!' he thought, wrapping his hand around his hair and pulling lightly. 'Lumine is the one who usually gets rid of the bugs and spiders that show up here! It's not fair!'
As he lay suffering on the ground, his eyes caught sight of something. The insecticide. He wonders if it would work on that spider?
'I have to be strong,' he thought, taking a deep breath and grabbing the spray can. He aimed it at the creature — which was now in front of him — and pulled the trigger.
A harmless, pathetic little cloud came out of the nozzle.
The blond's face trembled and he threw the can on the ground in a moment of rage. "Of course it's empty!"
Unfortunately for him, however, the impact of the insecticide container on the floor seemed to alert the spider, which began to walk quickly towards him.
Aether's eyes widened as another scream escaped his lips. He ran to the genkan, threw on whatever shoes were in his path, and ran out of the house.
He settled onto a playground equipment near his house, bringing his knees together and burying his head in them. He had one different shoe on each foot and hadn't brought his cell phone or wallet.
How is he going to get rid of that spider?
A shiver ran down his spine just thinking about the evil creature waiting for him at home.
It can't get any worse, right?
The universe loves to prove him wrong, because soon after, thick drops of water started falling on him.
Aether let out a weary sigh, lifting his hood. He covered his arms, feeling the cold, rainy night air cling to him.
He got up to seek shelter, but suddenly he heard footsteps approaching, and his body tensed. He looked up, finding himself face to face with a man who appeared to be middle-aged. He wore a black hat, and the lower part of his face was covered by a white mask. He took a few steps away, ready to run.
"Hey, boy. What's a cute little thing like you doing in a deserted park at this hour?" the man asked, his voice scratching Aether's ears.
"N-Nothing. I'm going now…" The blond's grip on his hood tightened as the rain grew heavier. He started to walk quickly away, but was stopped by the man grabbing his wrist.
He gasped and tried to pull away, only to be pulled closer to the man. His heart raced, vaguely recalling memories that had long been buried deep within him.
With adrenaline pumping, he lifted his foot and kicked the man's privates with all his strength, which fortunately made him cry out in pain and let go. He started running as if there was no tomorrow, his vision obstructed not only by the rain but also by panic.
However, he didn't run far, as he bumped into someone else. He closed his eyes, expecting his back to hit the ground, but was surprised when he was pulled back up.
“Hey, are you okay?” asked the person he bumped into. His voice was familiar.
He opened his eyes, finding Xiao looking at him with his beautiful yellow eyes.
There was no time to admire his beauty, however, because the man chasing him soon appeared.
The color drained from Aether's face and he grabbed the other boy's wrist. "Come on, we have to-!" He was trying to get the other boy to leave too, but was interrupted when Xiao pushed him behind him and handed him the umbrella he was holding, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pocketknife.
The boy with petrol blue hair pointed the blade at the man who grabbed Aether.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of here and leave us alone." The blond couldn't see Xiao's face, but his tone was so icy it could start an ice age. He'd hate to be the one on the receiving end of that tone.
The man stared at them for a moment, his body language demonstrating fear — Aether would probably die of fear too if someone pointed a blade at him again — and then turned and ran away. He was a little surprised it had been so easy.
When he could no longer see the man, Aether let out a huge sigh of relief, handing the umbrella back to the boy.
"I think you just saved my life," Aether said, a little awkwardly. He half wanted to ask why the boy carried a pocketknife around, but wisely chose to remain silent.
The other boy tilted his head. "Didn't you see the warnings that there was a suspicious man prowling around this park?" he asked.
The blond froze, before giving a nervous laugh. "Haha... No." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Now, I need to go home..."
Aether started walking, but was stopped by Xiao.
"Wait. I can walk you home. Then you won't get so wet... and it's safer." The boy offered.
The blond was about to accept and thank him, but suddenly he remembered the egg and their plans, which were the bane of his existence.
'Probably everything that happened today was their doing... scoundrel!' He thought, clenching his fist. 'I'm not falling for that!'
Wearing the most serious face he could muster, he reached out and gently pushed the umbrella away. "Thanks, I don't want it." he said, stepping out into the rain.
The handsome boy frowned. "Stop being stubborn, let's just go." he said, pulling him back under cover.
“I already owe you too much!” Aether exclaimed. 'Good heavens, what a persistent boy!' he thought.
"Do you really want to go alone after what just happened?" He asked, causing Aether to stop.
The blond was, indeed, scared to death. But that wouldn't shake his determination. "I can do it!"
Xiao stared at him for a moment, as if studying him, before sighing. "Let's go to my place. I have a spare umbrella. I'll give it to you, and you can go from there to your place. I think it'll be safer," he said, starting to walk, pulling Aether with him.
"But…"
The handsome boy gave him a look that brooked no argument. "You owe me a lot, don't you? You said so yourself. So just do what I tell you."
The blond sighed, but decided to give in.
If that demonic magical creature was expecting some romantic stroll sharing an umbrella in the rain, he was sorely mistaken, because they didn't exchange a single word and the silence was uncomfortable.
After such suffering, they finally arrived at Xiao's apartment.
Aether stood in the doorway, his clothes and hair dripping wet. He let out a sneeze as the amber-eyed boy entered the house.
‘Just imagine your favorite characters, Aether. That’s all. You can do it.’ He said to himself.
It wasn't long before Xiao returned — and threw a towel over his head.
"Why were you out so late, anyway? Did you have a fight with your parents?" the boy asked curiously.
Aether felt his cheeks heat up, and he looked away, embarrassed. “Something showed up at my house… and I had no choice but to run away.”
"Like what? A thief?"
"No... worse. A spider," he said with a shaky voice. "And the insecticide had run out, and it came at me with everything. I didn't take my wallet, my cell phone, and I still had one of each shoe. What a humiliation." He cried, lowering his head.
A giggle caught his attention, and he looked up to see Xiao covering his mouth with one hand. The blond paused for a moment, staring at the other boy's face, thinking how cute his laugh sounded, but then frowned.
"Go ahead, laugh at my misfortune!" Aether said, crossing his arms.
The boy calmed down, looking directly at him. "Do you want me to go and kill it?"
‘Abort mission, abort mission!’ – His brain screamed, but he didn’t pay enough attention.
"N-No need! Seriously. I already…" He began, looking away, but was interrupted when Xiao approached.
“Why are you avoiding me?” The boy asked, frowning.
"I'm not avoiding you!" Aether exclaimed. "It's nothing... Uh... you can come if you want." He finished, making the boy look at him, but nod in agreement.
He closed his eyes for a moment, realizing how pathetic he must sound, but opened them again in shock as he felt something warm being placed around him.
"You left without a coat, too. Grab one so you don't catch a cold." Xiao said, wrapping a black zip-up sweatshirt around Aether. "Shall we?"
As they began the walk to Aether's house, the blond boy clutched his coat tightly, his cheeks rosy.
‘Mission failed.’ – That’s what he thought.