Ship?-Albether
Since this chapter has so much cussing (the only other cuss word was from the A/N of the last ch) and the...tonal shift of the last chapter, I've decided to bump the rating of this from Gen to Teen.
Aether fucked up.
Aether fucked up big time.
Dragonspine was becoming more and more of a familiar place to him. A cold and unforgiving terrain, so unlike the rest of safe sunny Mondstadt. Yet the freezing air and snow piled trees held some charm to it. And his heart was rather receptive to these kinds of things.
So one would think that the grand hero would be smart when going about this place. To understand the short list of dos and don'ts to ensure his survival.
And yet?
He was fucking freezing. Suddenly and for the first time understanding how Reckless Pallad felt when he got lost in this snowy domain.
His limbs felt nearly locked in place and static. His lids were assaulted by the ice forming on his long laches. His back; an indescribable cold to the point of numbness covered it.
He struggled, but like an animal in a tar pit, it was fruitless.
All because he slipped and fell into the water.
He couldn't understand how someone like Childe could stand this.
He felt like he was going to die, that the water that covered his skin seconds ago formed into sheets of ice.
He was so cold.
Where-where is Paimon?
His little companion was shrieking earlier. Horrified at seeing her friend slid right onto the thin ice, only for it to break under his weight. He was pretty sure it was her who tugged at his hair first. As if she could support his weight and lift him up with her tiny body.
How sad, now that she's gone. She probably fled to a source of warmth with this place being out in the open.
He was gonna freeze to death alone it seems.
This idea in of itself is more upsetting than death.
He had always hoped that if he died, he died together—with her.
Lumine…
Such a stupid dumb mistake like this caused the hero who pacified a dragon and witnessed the fall of a god and threw the plan of a tyrant goddess out the window-
He would die for no reason at all.
He laughed at the irony of it all, but it comes out as more of a wet cough.
He was just looking for starslivers to upgrade a weapon for a friend of his. Who knew a fetch quest would be the end of him? Seems like everyone he meets wants him to do such. And yet…
A traveler who jumps from star to star would lose his life to the chills of water.
He lets out a hot puff of air between his frozen lips and closes his eyes.
Goodnight Twin of Void.
Aether does something he didn't anticipate. He stirs.
He doesn't get time to think or process what's going on. The moment he moved was the moment he hears a voice enter his ears. "Aether? Aether! Are you awake?"
He attempts to open his eyes just a smidge, but the sudden light and warm air causes him to clamp them shut. He groans.
"Oh thank archons." The voice sounds relieved and the next thing he knows is that there's hands cupping both sides of his face. A thumbing stroking his left cheek, and his head is brought forward for a kiss to his crown.
It's Albedo, his sluggish cloudy mind registers. No one else would dare do this to him.
He lets out a sigh of relief and notices the blankets he's swaddled in. The toasty source of heat to his back is pleasant.
He is cradled against the alchemist's chest.
"Hey, let Paimon see him! Aether!"
His little friend is shushed by the ashy blond. "Paimon, lower your voice. He just regained consciousness." He clears his throat before giving an order. "Timaeus, could you fetch some water and reheat the porridge for him?"
"Yes, of course." There's shuffling of feet after that, and Aether can only assume Timaeus went to work with the mini kitchen near the front. He can't really see over the other's shoulders right now.
He feels a hand caress his cheek again. "Are you alright?" Came the soft spoken question. It was tender, it was concerned.
Aether clears his throat before answering. "I suppose… I am now."
"Hmmm." Albedo's face is hard to read sometimes, now is no exception.
"You scared Paimon so bad!"
He's startled by Paimon's voice ringing in his ear. He slightly adjusts his head to take a look at her.
His little fae friend looks like she had been crying, her eyes puffy and her cheeks puffed out. She's pouting.
"Paimon… You saved me." She got help in time. Thank the Progenitor Goddess.
To his confusion she furiously shakes her head. "No no no! Paimon didn't do anything. Paimon only got help. Albedo, Sucrose, and Timaeus did everything."
"Sucrose is here?" His surprise was audible.
"I'm right over here Aether, I got the warming flasks for you."
He looks down to finally notice the glass flask Albedo was holding. Inside was a tiny fiery seelie like thing.
"I probably should check your temperature." The green haired girl pops into his view with a device he assumes was going to measure his temperature.
Albedo wordlessly grabs his hand to lead to his apprentice. She holds his wrist against the thingamabob, and nothing happens.
At least on his end.
"Improvements, but still cold." She hums.
"I suspected as much."
Aether falls back to sleep after.
He was jolted awake by Albedo who insisted that he at least eat before clocking out again.
Embarrassingly, Timaeus fed him the 'not as bland as he would've thought' porridge. The others didn't trust him to have steady hands yet. He had some water after and rested in Albedo grasp longer.
"Did you really just slip into a body of water?" The ashy blond whispers in his ear. He tugs the blanket over them more.
He chuckles. "I know, stupid, right? I...I just fell."
The other sighs and presses his face into the crook of Aether's neck. "A miscalculation like that could've gotten you killed. If Paimon had not been fast enough to notify us… And what if we were stationed further away?"
His lips curl downwards. When he glances up to look at the other, it's obvious they purposely pretend not to be paying attention to the hush conversation. "'m sorry…"
Albedo holds him a little tighter and Aether doesn't dare complain.
Changing the summary bc I feel like it. The old one was the following:
Series of Genshin Impact drabbles. Just fluff and stuff. Mostly Lumine as Traveler but will swap with Aether too. Will take requests! :)
(Lots of lowkey Traveler/Venti stuff.)