Alternative title: You're My Favorite Home to Come Back To
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There were so many things Aether was absolutely done with. Be an adventurer, the Adventurers' Guild has said. It'll be fun, they'd said. This however begged the question what exactly the Guild classified fun as and why Aether was still going on when this wasn't anything he'd wanted in the first place.
"They haven't lied. Treasure is treasure!", Paimon tried to lift Aether's spirits. Or maybe she was mainly talking to herself because judging by her facial expression, Paimon hadn't expected to be let down like this either. And Paimon had an incredible tolerance toward other people especially when food or treasure were involved, as long as it wasn't Fatui (and as long as they didn't mock her, call her emergency food or treat her like Aether's pet ...? Aether wasn't quite sure how much teasing she was actually okay with).
"But was it worth it?" Aether decided to just drop back and sit on nothing but the ground, as exhausted as he was. It didn't matter to his clothing anymore anyway, considering that he had been swimming and climbing and freezing and sweating all the way to come here. Oh, and fighting. But fighting wasn't that much of a problem. "I don't know what to do with ... that."
Aether made a vague gesture at their final treasure tiredly. Then he drew a half-circle into the air next to him, calling for his inventory and pulling out a stringed item from its depths- the Windblume Lyre. Just seeing this instrument made his heart lighter and though he didn't know how to play it, he connected good memories with this particular instrument. Mondstadt during the Windblume festival had been so beautifully decorated and the people had been at ease, relaxed and playing games, just having fun. Even commissions during that time had been more of a reward than what Aether had been going through to complete this commission (and for what?). Oh, and then there had been the discovery of people's sides Aether hadn't known existed beforehand.
"It's not that strange for me to know how to play the lyre", Diluc had remarked back then during the music contest. Or that one time when Klee had bombed the balloons while everybody else had pulled their bow's strings gracefully, Fischl, Amber, god even Childe ...? All to break the highscore and prove their points.
Aether sighed heavily.
"Oh come on, Aether! See, I think these strings are imbued with some kind of energy!" Paimon flew closer to Aether, who had resorted to pulling mindlessly at the strings of the Windblume Lyre in his hands, desperately in need for a break. He had needed one ever since Inazuma. And as much as he loved meeting new people and making new friends, times like these made him regret life decisions.
"Can you play it?", Aether asked. He lifted his gaze on Paimon rather than the enormous harp standing before them, his voice flat.
"No, but-"
"Can I play it?", Aether interrupted her. Paimon slapped a hand against her forehead and shook herself before crossing her arms in front of her chest in defiance.
"You can learn it! We learned from Windblume that there's so many people out there who can play it, why not ask the tone-deaf bard for help for example?"
Aether sighed again. The lyre was a memento for their time at Windblume but this enormous harp in front of them (the reward for all their hard work), what was it for? Aether could maybe pretend that it could remind him of the Moonchase Festival. In a sense, Windblume reminded him of Venti, so why could this harp not remind him of Xiao, Xiangling, Xinyan and the others? The rest of the treasure hunt somewhat did, right?
He opened his inventory and carefully placed the lyre back there, before realising another part of the problem that he had yet failed to see. The harp was too big to carry. What in Celestia was he supposed to do with it?
"We should just destroy it and take the Mora for its individual parts", Aether suggested drily and rose from the ground. He dusted off his trousers.
"Nooo, you can't!" Paimon extended her hands left and right as she floated in front of the harp protectively. "Don't do it!"
"What if I'm tired of being nice ..." Done, Aether folded his hands in front of his face and inspected the harp from this standpoint, weighing his options. The wood seemed to be of good enough quality and like Paimon had said before, the strings must've been made with elemental magic. Hm ... how much could he get for this? And who would be willing to buy?
When Aether stepped closer to inspect, the instrument resonated with him in a way that only the Statues of the Seven did, waking his interest after the initial disappointment. His face lit up.
"You know what, Paimon? I don't even need to carry it. I have an idea."
Aether opened his inventory again without averting his eyes from the harp and pulled out a different item, a small teapot with adeptal energy. "In we go!", he joked, but made sure that his hand was firmly on the harp's frame before moving his core's energy toward the teapot to enter the Serenitea pot.
-x-
-x-
In a sense, the teapot was home. Not in a way that Aether liked living here though per definition this was a place he had created himself, could change the layout of at any given time and spent free time or rested at whenever he wanted.
Mostly, the teapot was home because of the people in here.
The statement had always been true because home was wherever he was with Lumine, and now without Lumine, there were a selected few others that weren't exactly replacement but part of his definition of "home". These people weren't here all the time either but Aether had done his best to share the possibility to enter this place at any time with the most important people to him. Albedo had been an incredible help with that.
Talking about Albedo, if there was anything to go by, the smoke rising from the rooftop of Aether's house indicated that the Kreideprinz was home at the moment. The smoke didn't answer the question if this was cooking or maybe one of Albedo's experiments since the house did have enough separate places for these (Aether's gift to Albedo), but Aether guessed he'd know soon enough.
Paimon dashed past him, flew on and disappeared into the house, while Aether took another moment to place the harp in his hands onto the grass, deciding that he'd deal with it later. Then, he followed Paimon. Just after a few steps, the fragrant smell enveloping his senses and relaxing the last bit of tension inside him told him that Albedo had indeed been cooking, and when Aether entered his home, he was greeted in varying intensity by a small group of people gathered around a table in the main room: Xiao, Zhongli, Klee and Mona.
"Hi everyone." Aether smiled and waved a hand.
"Mister Honorary Knight! It's you, you're back!" Klee jumped up and down on her chair, almost sending herself flying if not for Zhongli's quick hand on the back of her chair, steading it. "Albedo said you were in a different country?! Did you bring more friends? Do you need Albedo to give you more teapots? Will I meet them too?! Are they here already?!"
"There, there, Klee. Let Aether sit down first. As the saying goes, time may pass but the stars are timeless." Mona smiled at Klee, whose face changed into a stare of wide-eyed but curious confusion, and Mona's smile wavered, even more so when she realised that nobody else seemed to know what she meant either. Her cheeks ran pink, and she drew her shoulders up, reaching into her hair as she explained: "I- I mean ... we ... um so-"
Aether, who had moved to stand next to her, lifted an eyebrow at the two immortals at the table in silent question for an explanation but Zhongli had reached for his teacup and hidden his smile behind it, while Xiao just huffed silently and looked away. Fortunately, the confused silence only held for about two breaths.
"When our esteemed astrologist says so, then here's to the promise that this star is timeless too", a new voice saved Mona from her embarrassment, and in the next moment Aether felt warmth loosely embrace him from behind as Albedo stepped behind him. His head hovered over Aether's shoulder, a smile playing around his lips, as he carried two plates of a steaming dish past Aether's arm to place them onto the table, then switched sides and repeated with two more plates of Albedo's specialty over Aether's other shoulder. Aether followed his movement by turning his head and still a quiet gasp escaped him when Albedo pressed a small kiss against his shoulder's nape before retracting and straightening up again. He kept their proximity by resting the other hand on Aether's waist though. "You do carry the aura of the stars after all."
Going by the sparkle in Albedo's eyes, Aether wasn't sure that this could be said about him alone.
Mona cleared her throat and straightened up triumphantly in her seat, arms crossed in front of her chest.
"As I was saying", she picked up, "Aether has all the time of the world."
"Are you staying to eat? I have too many servings." Albedo's hand that lingered on Aether's waist drew small circles against his skin and Aether held himself back from cupping Albedo's face and showering it with kisses in return.
"Paimon would love some", Aether answered lowly in affectionate tone, somewhere subconsciously aware that they weren't alone. As much as he'd love to, he had also come here for a different reason and he needed to say it before he'd forget.
"Can you spare a moment to talk about a treasure I brought here afterwards?", Aether asked and pointed toward outside with his thumb.
"For you, always." Albedo placed a butterfly kiss on the tip of Aether's nose and disentangled his arms from around Aether's waist, leaving an empty feeling where his hands had rested. Only then Aether noticed Klee's very attentive eyes that were fixed on him, as the girl swung her legs back and forth, spoon tightly in hands. She was smiling. Aether smiled back shily.
"So ... it's good seeing all of you again." Aether pulled back the chair a bit and finally sat down at Mona's side, relieved when Klee turned her attention to her food instead of him. He was positive that the child would shower him with questions once given the opportunity though (and he was looking forward to talking to her; it had been so long). "How are you doing?"
"Our business has seen an influx of new costumers ever since Childe and Hu Tao have agreed on working together", Zhongli remarked over his tea. "He swears that it's normal for Harbingers and that his Fatui connections are of grave importance to this agreement ..." He gently put his tea down and reached for the chopsticks to start eating too. "However, I'm having reservations about taking over Inazuman business in order to upkeep Hu Tao's expectations. I plan on contacting the Raiden Shogun over this matter."
"Tartaglia is right about the Fatui though." Aether scratched the side of his neck. Paimon, who had been uncharacteristically quiet all this time, immediately clenched her fists and her hair visibly bristled because of a memory. She assumed the role of narrator for what happened to them in Inazuma with loud voice of indignation immediately, with some important digressions about the local food there, paired with her opinion on a couple of people and her obvious dislike for Fatui. Meanwhile, Albedo returned with more plates of food for himself, Aether and Paimon and sat down at the table's head.
Listening to Paimon recount their tale was almost magical. Almost - because the exhaustion of this adventure was still tangible in Aether's bones. It was a content but still heavy weight to shoulder.
"You should've called my name when you didn't feel well in the Shogun's palace." Xiao placed his chopsticks onto the table neatly folded, speaking up for the first time since Aether had arrived. There was a sharpness to his words but not his voice. Aether was familiar with it, and welcomed his concern. "I would've faced the archon of another nation without fail and protected you from treachery."
"He held his ground well on his own!", Paimon interjected with full mouth. It was incredible how she managed to talk and eat at the same time - probably something only true masters were capable of (after years of training, possibly).
"It wasn't treachery. The Raiden Shogun held her word", Zhongli explained calmly. That made Xiao turn and tilt his head. "She promised to let him go. She let him leave her palace - what came then wasn't part of her promise", Zhongli elaborated. "The Raiden Shogun had always been like this as far as I recall, though I do not know her particularly well."
"How do you know?"
"I have access to a variety of sources. Trustworthy sources." Zhongli smiled again, the depth and mystery of it not unlike the secrets held below a stone's surface and just as majestic. "How does Mona Megistus know her answers?"
"How does she indeed?" Xiao's gaze snapped to the other and Mona's chopsticks full with fish froze mid-air when she realised that the conversation had turned unexpectedly. Her eyes widened.
"What?", she asked in high pitched voice, but Xiao huffed, rose, assured her, "No worries", and left the company. He had finished eating. Mona stared, looked back at Zhongli, searched for words to say.
"Did I ... make him angry ...?" She was genuinely confused. She needed to consult Xiao's constellation for some answers later because no matter how much time they spent together, somehow she still couldn't read him. Something about him unsettled her deeply but since she was quite familiar with his Alatus Nemeseos through the many times she had consulted it already, she knew that there was more to him than he let on.
"He isn't angry. He's just one of those weird grown-ups like Diluc. But when he says it's no worries then it's no worries, Mona!" From the side, Klee gave her a wide smile that seemed to help Mona, and from her other side, Albedo lifted a hand and pat Klee's hair before pushing his half-finished food in the direction of the girls, propping his chin against his wrists and asking in Aether's direction: "So, what commission has you in its steadfast grip? You look like you had quite the fight."
"Treasure hunting." Recalling the hardships he was going through made Aether snap out of the comfort of their reunion and remember with a certain bitterness that once he left the teapot he'd be on that cliff somewhere in Liyue again. What a bother that the Serenitea pot didn't allow to leave wherever you wanted.
"But the world holds so many rare treasures just waiting to be discovered. Isn't that exciting?"
"If you don't need it", Mona spoke up, eyes strictly on the remnants of Albedo's food that she and Klee were sharing, "then you're always welcome to bring them here."
"It's not that I don't need it ..." Aether sighed and looked from Mona, Klee, Albedo and Paimon to Zhongli, thinking. "Maybe I really don't", he conceded to his own doubts that hadn't been voiced out loud. "I actually brought the ultimate price here, for your viewing pleasure. I didn't know what else to do with it."
"What is it?" All attention was focused on Aether now, eyes glittering like stars because in a sense, joy and enjoyment were as eternal as stars were and just as beautiful. Aether shifted on his chair.
"A harp. The one I wanted you to inspect", Aether said to Albedo and the chief alchemist knew instinctively that it was an invitation to leave the group. He took it with a nod and rose, ruffling Klee's hair as he passed her by. When Albedo had crossed the distance between Aether and him, he slang his arm underneath Aether's and bumped shoulders with an encouraging smile, humming tunelessly as they left outside side by side. Being like this made today and everything else okay, Aether thought.
(Aether really hoped that Lumine could feel this too, one day. She needed to make these people's acquaintances; it was an absolute must).
The harp was standing prominently in the distance where Aether had put it down, the instrument like a rock in a sea of grass caressed by soft winds. Xiao's figure was a bit away from it, the adeptus lying on the ground with his arms joined behind his head, back of his head resting against his intertwined hands. He was watching something in the sky but Aether didn't doubt that he had heard their approaching footsteps. Aether had noticed Xiao's interested glance in his direction before too but he wouldn't push him to talk to him at the moment.
Right now, this was the first time he had a little bit of time alone with Albedo, out of everybody's earshots.
"What do you say about someone giving off the essence of stars?", Aether asked nonchalantly. Albedo flashed him a sideway glance, then laughed lightly. This laugh was one of Aether's favorite sounds in all of Teyvat. He wished he could capture it and carry it with himself everywhere.
"Elaborate?", Albedo asked.
"'You two give off not only the fragrance of wind and earth but also of the stars'", Aether recited Kazuha's words with raised finger, fondly. "I think you two would get along fairly well, Albedo."
"If you say so. But I ... I'm marveling over the simple idea of a world of smell ... that exists somewhere outside of my current imagination ... huh, I ..." They stopped in front of the harp, but Albedo had no intention of breaking his train of thought. Instead, he turned his upper body to Aether, reached for his braid and pulled it over Aether's shoulder so that it rested there. Albedo lifted its end to his nose, deep in thought, eyes looking to somewhere far away. "To me, the stars smell like Windwheel Asters and amber. I don't expect others to understand it, but ..."
Albedo stilled when a hand closed around his wrist and forgot what he was saying when lips met his but he thought he might've thought about taste - and Albedo closed his eyes, melting into the kiss.
Aether broke away first, still holding onto Albedo's hand, gaze shily averted and cheeks dusted pink, lips still parted slightly. He would never grow used to the feeling of reaching out for his beloved nor the strong beating of his own heart throughout his entire body or on the opposite, the missing heartbeat for a second when Albedo was just ... there. He hoped he would never.
"It's nice seeing you again", Aether whispered under his breath.
"I missed you too." Albedo chuckled, reached out to brush over Aether's cheek and Aether leaned into his touch for a moment before turning to the harp that stood as silent witness next to them, string shining in the late sunlight. It was a beautiful instrument, especially here, surrounded by grass.
"Do you feel the elemental energy?", Aether asked.
"I do. I wonder if the energy imbued in the instrument has any effects on its sound but I am by no means a musician. If the time is right and the opportunity offered, I'd be willing to conduct experiments. Imagine coming back to the sound of music and laughter ..."
Coming home ..., Aether corrected Albedo in his mind. The sound of laughter, Klee's laughter, was clearly audible from inside to here already. It sounded so nice, so warm.
"It's possibly the Anemo element", Albedo hummed and brushed his fingers over the glowing strings. "From there, it would be interesting to explore the backgrounds of the Anemo archon and his relations to music and instruments as well as this particular instrument's history. Maybe the treasure you've discovered is greater than you've initially thought", he mused.
"Xiao?", Aether called, turning in Albedo's arms to throw a glance at the adeptus in the grass. Xiao's eyes were closed, he was seemingly sleeping. "When was the last time you've met with Venti?"
Albedo made a sound. "The bard could know some answers", he murmured to himself. "I'm impressed. I haven't thought about him though the answer was so obviously there. You never cease to amaze me ..."
Xiao cracked open one eye by a small margin.
"If you allow him to play the harp, he'll be over the moon", Xiao said and judging by his expression, he was omitting something. Aether made a mental note to ask later. Right now, he had to guide the conversation in the desired direction.
"You invite him. You have the Serenitea pot. Just tell him to come by and play whenever he wants. Venti will love that, like you said."
"Why?" Xiao closed his eye again. Aether disentangled from Albedo, closed the short distance between them and crouched next to Xiao, reaching out to poke his cheek. If it weren't him, somebody else doing that might be smacked away or growled at, maybe, or maybe nothing happened because Xiao's hands were firmly behind his head - but Xiao barely reacted to it (or maybe there was a certain Anemo user and a certain Pyro Vision holder of a certain Funeral Parlor who regularly did the same so Xiao had stopped being bothered by it at some point).
"Because I asked you?" Aether didn't mention all the other points that had made him propose this approach. There were so many: the possible relation between Venti and the harp was one of them; that Venti would be happy about spending time in Aether's Serenitea pot, with Aether's friends and found family, the other; that Venti would be also happy about being invited by Xiao specifically; that Xiao would enjoy Venti's company too though he didn't say it out loud; and then of course that all of them would be able to listen to beautiful music; maybe also the background story of all the things Albedo had mentioned, because somehow this harp had been where it was and it was imbued with Anemo energy - why?
"Hmph." Xiao's brows furrowed.
"Think about it, okay?" Aether rose again. His gaze fell on the house's entrance, where he could see his group slowly exiting the building, Paimon flying around them with wild gestures. "It's time to go back I think. I still need to get my primogems for finishing the commission. But I don't doubt that the harp will be in good hands."
"I'll take care of it." Albedo stepped next to Aether, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "I'll keep Klee's bombs away from the harp. We probably should return to Mondstadt soon anyway or Jean might worry."
"You're so responsible." Aether couldn't resist and pressed a quick kiss against Albedo's cheek. "I love you."
Albedo hummed in response.
On the ground, Xiao sat up in a fluent motion and got to his feet at the same moment when the small group closed up to them. It was time to say goodbye - and Aether knew that parting would be hard but it would be even harder the longer he waited. Parting also meant that they'd reunite again though. And Aether couldn't wait for when they reunited again.
Before Paimon and he could leave through their teapot after their (in Klee's case, tearful) goodbye, Aether felt a hand on his shoulder, holding him back for a moment.
"You're currently in Liyue, aren't you?", Xiao asked. "Call my name and I'll accompany you back as far as the wind carries. We can walk together."
"Will do -" Aether smiled, feeling the familiar tug at his elemental energy when he was being pulled out of the pot back to Liyue, "- Xiao."