"the stars sparkled above"
aether x reader
fluff ❧ you and aether share a moment beneath the stars
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His hand never left yours. Always gently caressing your fingers, the soft brushes of his gloved hand. The gentle warm breeze of Mondstadt brushed by as the sea of stars above traveled slowly.
It was relatively silent between the two of you. Paimon had fallen asleep whilst the two of you were stargazing and Aether just stared at the world above him.
You, on the other hand, was far too occupied with glimpsing at the cute blonde-haired traveler beside you to fully commit your attention to the stars.
"Aether...?" You called his name out quietly. To which he replied with a hum.
You shuffled your body a bit closer to him, feeling the warm heat that radiated off of his body. "Will you stay for a bit? You can stay in my place in Mondstadt. " You saw Aether chew on his bottom lip. The answer was obvious.
"I wish I could, but... I need to find more clues about the whereabouts of Lumine..." He muttered quietly, turning his attention to you. His soft eyes met your slightly disappointed ones. a wave of guilt hit him.
"I'm sorry (y/n)—" You laughed quietly, "no no it's okay. I understand. Family comes first." He pouted slightly at your words. "You're important too, you know." You smiled at his words, it made your heart flutter.
"Stop! Or you'll make me blush." Heat rose to his cheeks at your words. "O-Oh sorry..." He apologized sheepishly.
You giggled at his reaction and turned your head to face the stars once more. "How have your travels been?" You asked quietly, wondering what's beyond the borders of Mondstadt.
"Liyue is beautiful at night... I hope you can see it." You smiled, imagining the orange glow of the lanterns, the smell of Liyue cuisine when walking through Liyue Harbor, the wondrous mountains and nature surrounding the Harbor.
"Maybe... You can tour me around Liyue Harbor someday," you laughed quietly. Mondstadt was nice but sometimes you wished you could go out and explore like the adventurers, the Knights, like Aether and Paimon.
You felt Aether squeeze your hand quietly which garnered your attention immediately. Your eyes fell on the blonde haired boy who turned to meet your eyes.
"When are you leaving for Inazuma?" You whispered as the wind brushed by, your hair carried by the wind.
"Next week," he replied. his words sunk into your mind, it stung a bit. Aether was gone for months in Liyue and was finally back for merely a week.
A week to spend your time with the stupidly adorable traveler you have fallen for.
"Where are you planning to stay?" You asked. Aether had been staying in Angel's Share spare storage room along with Paimon. You noticed the dark circles beneath his bottom lashes.
"Hmm, not sure. I was planning to ask Jean if there was a room the Knights could provide for me." You nodded quietly before an idea popped into your mind. "How about you stay with me?"
A blush flushed his cheeks. Aether turned away from you, stuttering out, "y-you have a small space. I-I wouldn't want to bother you anymore than I already have."
You rolled your eyes, shuffling closer and gently hugging him from behind. "It's no trouble. Besides, we get to spend more time together." You embraced him tightly, worried that if you were to let go, he would disappear.
His hand fluttered over yours, gently holding it against his stomach. "Are you sure?" He asked quietly.
"I'm sure," you muttered back in response, nuzzling into his neck. His blonde hair gently tickled your nose as you sought warmth from him.
A sigh left his lips before he turned around to face you. His eyes glossed over your features before a smile laced his lips. "Thank you for always being nice to me." You laughed quietly, just barely above the sound of the whistling leaves.
"Thank you for being yourself," you gently pulled him in, holding him tightly to which Aether responded back by pressing a quick kiss against your neck.
The stars above sparkle like jewels. The world beyond your reach passed as the two of you sat there, relishing in one another's arms. To savor the mere seconds of every passing moment.