In The Midst of Snow

To Tell or Not To Tell, That is The Question

Externally, Aether may be silent. But internally, he was screaming his head off. How the hell did Xiao manage to figure it out? Aether was pretty sure he pulled off his clueless acts well enough that no suspicion ever came to light. Not even Morax and Guizhong questioned him about that too. And if they knew, he was sure they would have asked him during their questioning earlier.

Was it something that he had hinted solely between him and Xiao? Was it also the reason why Xiao had wanted to bring him to the Vermilion's abode, so that he could interrogate Aether without anyone interfering?

Aether gulped. What should he do? Dodge the question? Play clueless? Admit it? He wasn't sure what would happen if someone knew he was from the future. Sure, he was here to change the future, but not destroy it. His existence in this time was already something that should not exist. Was it alright to risk more?

"W-what makes you say that?" Aether laughed nervously.

Xiao took a step back, so that they could see face to face. He looked really uneasy, but there was also a crease in his brows, like he was thinking really hard.

"There are...a couple of clues that I put together," he said slowly as if scared he might be scolded for being wrong.

Aether, wanting to know what he gave away, only pursued his lips and kept quiet.

"Your nightmare was one of the biggest hints."

"I remember you mentioning eating my dreams," Aether said thoughtfully, putting a hand on his chin. "But to be honest...I don't really remember my dream being, ah, eaten."

If Aether thought Xiao couldn't be any hotter, Xiao cocking his eyebrow proved him otherwise.

"You don't-" Then, as if realising something, Xiao sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I should have seen this coming. Sorry, that was my bad."

"Your bad?" Aether asked, tilting his head.

"Those who had their dreams eaten would not remember it at all," he grumbled, apparently disappointed with himself.

"Oh." But now that Aether knew that he had no recollection of it, he became superbly curious about what Xiao had seen. "So...what was in my dream? That you saw."

Xiao's amber eyes fixed directly at him and Aether felt like he was the target of two beautiful lethal lasers.

"My death."

Aether's breath caught in his throat. He quickly looked away, not wanting his expression to give anything away. Yet his heart suddenly hurts so much now. The despair he felt when he realised he was directly at fault for the cause of Xiao's death, the feelings he had shoved into a corner in his head and tried to avoid by burying himself in his current mission, it all sprang up to him with just two simple words.

He was breathing in too fast. He had to calm his breathing-

"Aether!"

On a whim, Xiao grabbed Aether's arm in an attempt to pull him back to reality. He was utterly shocked when Aether turned around, eyes wide with fear and seemingly hyperventilating.

That expression. One that he knew too well.

But Xiao pushed back his own bubbling feelings and awkwardly hugged Aether. He tried to position his arms like how Aether did just now, patting his head uncertainly. He wasn't sure if he was doing this right. It had been some time since he had hugged someone, so hopefully his hug can still convey his intention of comfort.

He was surprised when Aether clenched the back of his ragged clothes. Desperately, as if telling him to stay and not leave him. Xiao had never seen this side of Aether before. Up till now, Aether had always been the personification of the sun, bright and cheery and kind.

Yet, this side of Aether made Xiao like him even more. Aether was still a living being. He can still feel sadness, fear or despair. He wasn't perfect, but that made him all the more realistic.

Eventually, Aether's breaths slowed down and his grip on Xiao's clothes slackened.

Xiao, feeling responsible and guilty, mumbled, "I'm sorry for bringing that up all of a sudden."

Aether laughed, even if it sounded a little shaky. "No need to apologise. You were just answering my question. Sorry. I guess the cat's out of the bag, huh?"

Tearing himself away from Xiao and opening his arms with grandiosity, Aether proclaimed, "That's right. I'm from the future."

Xiao didn't know what to make of that. Now that he knows, what should he do? Would it change anything?

"Why are you here, then?" Xiao asked, crossing his arms.

Nostalgically, as if remembering something sad, he said softly, "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

Huffing, Xiao took a couple steps forward so that they were nose to nose.

"Try me," he challenged.

Instantly, Aether's arms drooped and the smile was wiped off of his face to be replaced by one of sadness.

"I made a promise," he murmured. "To fix the future and to save my sister and you."

Grimly, Xiao clenched his fists. "So it's true that I died then? In the future."

Aether nodding was enough to confirm his suspicion. Sighing, he looked to the uninhabited giant tree. He wondered how he had died and whether he had died with any regrets. He wanted to ask Aether, but judging from his reaction from Xiao mentioning his own death, he might want to put it off later. Today was already tiring enough for both of them.

Remembering his dead clan, Xiao felt tears threatening to brim in his eyes. It was with all his power that he managed to push them down and focus on what they might want him to do from now on; he wanted them to rest in peace, after all.

Turning back to Aether, Xiao asked, "So, is there anything I can help you with?"

"H-help?" Aether spluttered, as if he wasn't expecting Xiao to do so at all.

"Might as well, now that I know." Xiao shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't think you have any evil intentions. From what your nightmare and some other details showed me, it adds up to what you said. So yeah. I trust you."

What he did not say was that Aether was the light of his life during a time of despair. Even though their initial meeting was not meant to have happened, it was still a very important memory to Xiao. An apple and his company were good enough to shed some hope into his dark world.

Even with everything that had happened, Xiao still felt indebted to Aether. After all, no action or object was enough to replace the light he had lit in his heart - even more so now that he knew one of Aether's objectives was to prevent his end.

He was glad when Aether managed his usual smile this time. In fact, he couldn't help but grin himself too.

"I trust you too, Xiao," Aether said with his radiant beam.

A/N:
Aether: A🅱️🅱️le
Xiao, internally: A new core memory!