SIXTEEN
HAND PRESSED TO the window, with a cloth between her skin and the cold, glass pane. Her arms hadn't known rest in a while, and the same could be said for the wolf boy who helped her.
After a day's worth of tidying the house, the interior was free of dust and cobwebs, even the little pieces of old wood that had fallen from the frames.
"Why don't we take a break?" (Y/n) suggested, wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead. "It'll give me a chance to read the books I got from the library yesterday."
The boy nodded an "okay".
The two made their way to the pile of blankets on the floor, the ones the girl placed in a corner to sleep on through the dark of night. It wasn't comfortable like the one from home, but she made do with what she had.
Razor sat down next to (Y/n) as she slid her fingertips against the soft cover, prompting it open to the index. Inside, hundreds of names and variety of plants greeted her, a smile rising to her lips.
Out of the blue, he spoke up. "You... go with Aether?" He asked.
"Hm?" She looked over at him. "Go where?"
"Festival," He said. "In city."
Her gaze dropped back down to the pages. "I don't think so... I kind of want to stay here, where it's safe and quiet."
Razor struggled to find the right words to say. His eyes darted around, lighting up when he found what he felt were the best ones.
"...Aether is there," He reminded her. "When I am not with you, he is."
"You're not wrong there," She flashed him a subtle smile. "I guess I'm still a bit shaken up from what happened, that's all."
Razor couldn't help but let out a subtle sigh. "...Want you to be happy," He said. "Have lots of fun."
(Y/n) flashed him a reassuring expression. "...I'll think about it," She told him.
The (h/c) haired girl then turned her attention back to the book, hovering it between the two as she parted her lips to speak. "Look," She pointed towards the image of a flower on the page. "You think these would look nice outside?"
"Very pretty," His face inched closer to the picture. "Like you."
At his sudden words, (Y/n)'s eyes flickered from the page towards his face. "...You really think so?"
The wolf boy glanced at her. "Yes," He said without hesitation.
(Y/n) felt a butterfly or two emerge from his response, She shook it off and cleared her head, focusing her attention to the book in her grasp. The two continued looking at the pictures inside the pages, making note of which ones would either look or do great for a garden.
❦
"Look at all this!" Paimon raised her hands into the crimson sky. "It's all so breathtaking!"
Petals fell from the garlands that were strung across the towering buildings, crowds alike bustled through the enormous streets of Mondstadt, making their way through the festivities and stalls that smoked with the aroma of local dishes.
"What do you want to do first, Paimon?" Aether asked as he followed his companion, watching in amusement as she marveled at the incredible beauty of the city at sunset.
"Can we try the food first?!" She faced him, sparkles in her eyes as her mouth watered thinking of the piping hot food she could devour.
"Let's go then," He motioned for her to follow him.
Before he could take another step, a pair of fingertips lightly tapped against his shoulder blade, prompting him to cast his gaze behind. There stood the (h/c) haired girl, her hand retracting to brush the hair out of her face and behind her ear.
"(Y/n)?" Her sudden appearance caused his lips to curve into a genuine smile.
"(Y/n)!" Paimon cried out. "You came after all?! What made you change your mind?!"
"I thought about it," She said. "And... I decided to give this a try."
Aether offered his hand for her to take.
(Y/n)'s eyes fell from his face to his outstretched palm, hers hesitating before lightly brushing it against his. The blonde intertwined his fingers with hers, pulling her along with him as he strolled through the people of Mondstadt.
Everywhere she looked, no matter if it was up above or down below, there were smiles all around her. The music, the constant roars of laughter, it was enough to carry her away from her problems for a moment.
The sun hit her face upon reaching the fountain in the middle of the city, and it felt warm, relaxing. She looked at Aether, who in turn looked back to flash her a reassuring smile.
She felt safe.
❦
It was nightfall by the time the three had indulged themselves in the activities and gastronomy. And so they sat on the ledge of the fountain, facing the stone wall and the endless stairs that were illuminated by the soft touch of moonlight.
"I think you play it like this..." Aether furrowed his brows, his fingers attempting to forge a rhythm with the plain, wooden lyre in his hands.
Paimon covered her ears with her hands, and in a loud voice said. "Sounds like a bunch of noise when you do it!"
"I can't say I'm any better," (Y/n) chuckled, her fingers strumming the lyre she had in hand.
Aether couldn't help but let out a laugh. "I think I'd rather miss a few notes like you than whatever it was I was doing," He explained.
The three let out a few giggles, but for the (h/c) haired girl, it all ceased when her eyes caught sight of the people before them.
Couples that walked by caused a sudden nostalgia for her, images of the night she escaped from her home flashing in her head. The sight of masks, the enveloping music, and the extravagant attire. It was all so clear for a second until her clouded thoughts vanished, leaving her to relive the fright of it all.
Aether noticed the sudden drop in her warm expression, her eyes growing wearier by the second.
"Are you alright...?" He lowered his head for a better view of her face.
"I'm fine," She kept her eyes to the floor. "Just reminiscing a few things."
"Care to share?" Aether took the lyre from her hands, settling it down against the stone with his.
"Would it have anything to do with a particular someone?" Paimon looked rather smug.
(Y/n) played with the ends of her short dress, her hands fidgeting anxiously. "...Yes, actually," She said. "Though I wasn't in love with my fiancé, so don't get it wrong."
"Fiancé?" Paimon raised a brow. "You have a fiancé?!"
(Y/n) nodded her head.
"Well?" The girl hovered over her shoulder. "What happened?!"
(Y/n) let out a gentle sigh. "I told you I was forced out of Liyue, but I never told you I'm from somewhere else far away," She said. "In truth, I was more or less running away from my responsibilities."
She took the moment to glance around, watching the pairs hold hands and laugh without a care in the world.
"I'd be lying if I said I've never wondered how different things would be if I stayed and continued to deal with my parents," She admitted. "Or if I loved him enough to put the idea of traveling the world aside."
Aether furrowed his brows, his eyes catching sight of the drawing crowds on the other side of the fountain. There, amongst the bards, he recognized a familiar teal cape. The beret that sat on his head hiding his dark hair, his slim figure illuminated by the few festive lights of the streets.
Music ensued, played by the bards as the people joined for a dance in the middle of the town square.
That's when an idea popped up in his head.
"Hey, (Y/n)," He nudged her. "Wanna dance?"
"Dance?" The girl repeated, almost in disbelief at what she was hearing.
"A dance sounds good!" Paimon agreed with the blond. "What a great way to end the night!"
The two watched as the white-haired girl maneuvered past the fountain, watching the crowd below her get into formation. That was when the blond turned back to look at (Y/n), his smile a polite one.
"What do you say?" Aether awaited for her response.
"Why not?" She finally gave in.
The two joined a pair of people amongst the rest, their hands all joining one another. The bards ensued the enchanting melody, one that caused a wave of smiles to form on everyone's faces.
They proceeded to move in one direction before letting go, everyone proceeding to join their partners. Aether mimicked the men, placing his hand on her waist while she placed her own on his shoulder, their free hands meeting at last.
As the song progress, (Y/n) felt more at ease seeing the relaxed expression on Aether's face. She found herself enveloped in his embrace, her hair dancing in the air as she elegantly recoiled outward. Her feet spun quite a distance from him, his arm holding onto her as she glanced back at him.
Looking at him, it made her lips curve twice as wide. She hadn't felt so relaxed in days, it was exhilarating to say the least.
She found herself back in his arms, however, was more or less surprised when he let go. Her eyes darted around, seeing as everyone switched partners.
It was confusion at first, she didn't know where she was supposed to go.
All the panic clouded her mind, and she hadn't noticed the misstep she took which landed her into the arms of the bard furthest from the rest.
SIXTEEN