Eula's Honorary Knight

by AGeekyWriter

Aether was hoping to catch Eula knowing she'd squared away some days off for herself months ago. After getting swept up into an adventure with Klee and Kayea, he finds her already in Sumeru on the trail of a cousin within the Lawrence clan. As they navigate the strange domain serving as a summer Paradise, Eula and Aether get reacquainted from their long months apart. (Porn w Plot)

Hello my dear readers! I have finally finished my smut with plot, plot with smut Eula fanfiction. I started this halfway through the previous summer update in Genshin so I do apologize for my tardiness. I'm currently traveling around right now which also slowed this release a bit. And this is also what prevented me from properly preparing for Fontaine lol.

Eula is my main genshin waifu. And she already has several lovely fanfictions between her and our dear Traveler. But enough is never enough I'd say. I was partially writing this because I was finally able to get her due to her last re-run during the Summer Paradise event. I had no idea how the Genshin Pity system worked during her first run and I was in the middle of moving and fell away from the game during her second. And we all know how long we had to wait for her latest re-run lol.

So the goal for this one was simple as I joked with the first sentence of my notes. I wanted to give Eula and Aether a wholesome reunion and some sexy times together during the summer paradise event. As always please be patient as I edit out errors and feel free to leave comments and criticisms as you please. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy what I have to offer as always.

Back to editing and writing for my manuscript and my Jalter summer fic.

EDIT: So I forgot to shamelessly plug my twitter and other things. I'm AGeekyWriter on X and pretty much everywhere else. I update my stories and progress there. Even Kick, and Youtube. However, I don't have much of anything going on the streaming sites as I wait to tackle that at some point.

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###Aether###

Aether prided himself on being fairly observant due to his vast plethora of experiences. Eula wasn't at Favonious headquarters as he thought she might be. She had mentioned it to him in passing several months prior during the windbloom festival that she would have some time off. Even more, it had been mentioned again through their correspondence only a couple of months ago. It was then he thought for certain to hang out with her. Remembering how sometimes she would often get when left alone with nothing to do but think and drink.

While he was stoutly the first in line to admit that the Spindrift Knight was very cute to hang out with while she was drunk, he hoped that she could avoid reaching such a low if he took her out for some fun. He still recalled that particular night with vividness when their relationship had started to blossom into something more.

But all seemed for not in the halls of Favanoius Headquarters. He made a mental note to compose a letter for her, as he had freed up his time, meaning to ask after her. It would be easy enough to ask Jean or Lisa to give him a place to send the letters knowing that they probably had a better insight into where Eula might be.

"Oh, you miss her, don't you cutie?" Lisa's hat tilted with her a bit amused.

Aether sighed but nodded, there was no shame or point in admitting that much. "And I'm a little worried. You know how she can get when left on her own with little to do and nothing to keep her focused."

The librarian chuckled and hummed her agreement. "Speak to our acting grand master, I'm sure she'd be delighted to help. Her backlog of paperwork is mostly done since we've all managed to pull our own weight together better than normal."

"I see," Aether gave her a salute. "Thanks, Lisa!"

"Come by anytime cutie." Even as the door closed behind him, he could hear the Librarian start humming to herself again as she continued her usual work in the library.

What happened next was a bit of a whirlwind that even he'd been caught at least a bit flat-footed by. Somehow he was getting roped into Klee's next big summer adventure along with Kaeya. Paimon had a laugh and was worried about it. got underway.

He realized only after they'd asked the strange magic totem that he never got the chance to ask Jean about Eula's whereabouts. Aether was disappointed, but he hid it well. After all, with Kayea and Klee around, things were never going to be boring. Plus, Klee had that childishness about her that made him smile regardless of what he was feeling.

That did little to sway the worry that they'd ended up in the wrong place since both he and everyone else, had forgotten to teach Klee how to properly pronounce Gandharva Ville. He made a quick glance around once the light had faded and blew out a breath of relief as he found himself near the familiar tree town of Sumeru.

"Well, that was a close one!" Paimon gave him a worried glance before blowing a breath of relief.

At that, he could only agree.

They were on the crest of a hill looking down over the town and he thought among the greens and browns that marked the residents of Sumeru and forest rangers of Gandharva Ville, his eyes fixed onto the abnormal. A look of icy cold blue disappearing beneath the roof of one of the residents.

He shook his head and when he looked again it was gone. Aether wanted to laugh at himself, feeling almost boyish at the thought.

There was no way Eula was out this far for her vacation.

Eventually, the party descended the hill and made the roundabout on the rooted ramp heading to the tree. It split off, one heading toward Collie's residents, and the other the main tree. They were meaning to get forest rangers' help anyhow.

And after another fuss of Klee wanting to drop a small Jumpty Dumpty into the river below to see a splash, despite her promise otherwise had reasoned she would simply ask for permission instead. Which…begrudgingly Aether had to admit was better than her just…bombing things as she pleased. They once again, had to implore that it was not good for the native fish and animal residents, but they did eventually make it to the Collie's doorstep with no accidents.

However, that small potentially minor incident had faded like white noise when he spotted the familiar Spindrift Knight already there speaking with Collie. That preconceived notion seemed getting wiped out as quickly as it had formed. As much as he was happy to see her, trying to ignore Piamon's smirking his way, something was off. Whatever they had been talking about, had been serious. Eula had taken notice of their approach and in her own way of…professing etiquette had offered them a neutral way of entering the conversation.

Aether prided himself on being observant, and Eula was very uncomfortable at the fact they'd all arrived quite suddenly. She was, of course, good at hiding it at first until Kayea had started teasing her.

"...Seriously? Bring the whole gang, why don't you? Tsk…" She touched her forehead.

He huffed wanting to wind the situation a bit back down. Aether understood quite keenly that she didn't like being caught off guard. "Well since we are all here…Who's about some afternoon tea?"

Though, while he was certain he could tell something was wrong, he wasn't quite sure if the others had picked up on it outside the immediate obvious frustrations.

However, with Paimon speaking to him about Eula not being thrilled. He got a fast sense of it growing more obvious as the seconds went by.

"If you're trying to accommodate me, there must be some misunderstanding. I'm fine. There is nothing embarrassing about running into colleagues in the wild," She said

Collie hadn't worked with Eula extensively before outside of Amber being the main reason the two knew each other at all. The girl had as well, some familiar social awkwardness that followed Sucrose. There was a chance Eula could play it off for her.

Klee was a child and wasn't on the lookout for such things.

The cavalry captain, however, had teased her, much like Aether himself did. He wasn't quite sure whether he could pick up on Eula's discomfort. However, Aether decided to air on the side of caution, knowing that Kayea liked to play things close to the chest and that he was more observant than what he liked to let others in on.

Aether chuckled, "It's just tea." She sent him another meaningful glance.

Guess her walls are up for the moment.

Kayea however only gave credence to his thoughts and pressed ahead. "Great! I'm sure there is a fascinating reason behind why you are all the way out here in Sumeru. Do share it with us."

The Traveler could only hope he hid his wince at the barb well. Even if he shared the Cavalry Captain's curiosity, only one of them would be on the receiving end whatever Eula decided as a fit vengeful punishment. Worse yet, he thought he could see a smirk on their eye patch Favonius captain.

Kayea sure looks like he is getting a kick out of this.

"If you must know, it's a bit complicated." She explained, eyes hardening a little, as her mask elegantly fell in place as if all had been normal. "...But, simply put I'm searching for a cousin of mine from the Lawrence clan." Her eyes flicked to him more meaningfully in answer to Kayea's questioning, before her eyes flicked back to the cavalry captain.

He held his breath as he suddenly understood.

There was a time when the two of them had gotten some rare time to themselves together. It was the day before Eula's birthday, and Amber had warned that her friend could use the extra company around those days even if she would never admit it. Eula had opened up about how tense her relationship was with the rest of the Lawrence clan. Worse yet, helping to put her own father into prison for being in cahoots with Fatui had made the relations even worse.

It explained her discomfort as well. He glanced at Kayea wondering if he knew just how sensitive this topic was to Eula. It was either luck or simply curiosity that he made no move to interrupt the Spindrift Knight.

She continued, "He went missing recently, and after searching his home, we found evidence that led us here. He seems to believe that somewhere in Sumeru, lies the key to restoring our clan to its former glory." Eula paused for a moment.

Aether took his chance to run it all over in his mind.

Former glory…

Paimon cracked a joke about her cousin joining the Academia. Aether felt the need to add on, in the hopes that their joking and teasing would distract Kaeya more from the truth of the matter at hand.

Still, Aether rather doubted it.

Eula pressed on, "I doubt he came here to learn. He's much too old to start getting a basic education now, and from what I know of him, I doubt he has any interest in intellectual pursuits." She folded her arms. "All he cares about is restoring the clan's honor. Nothing wrong with that idea in principle, but I'm not certain how fanatical he is about it. So there is no knowing the lengths he might go to." Eula straightened up, drawing herself up to her full height, which in heels and a step above him, made her figure seem a little imposing. "As a knight, and a member of the Lawrence clan it's my duty to make sure he doesn't bring harm to others."

And that, Aether knew, was about as close to Eula's true feelings as they were going to get in a public setting like this. He pressed his lips into a line as Kayea spoke knowing the man had a fondness for rubbing nerves just enough to bug people.

"Oho…If this is true, then your cousin must be quite a man of action. Traveling alone to Sumeru from Mondstadt is no mean feat." Kayea sent the traveler a grin.

He tried not to wince again.

An admirable trait in isolation…

"Nor is daring to make me personally concerned about his safety. Hmph, he has no idea what's coming to him."

Aether could feel his own headache forming. He now at least understood why Eula had gone missing in what was supposed to be her time off. Her vacation had been upended by a concern. A matter private enough that she hadn't left him so much as a note as to where she might have gone.

He blew out a breath.

Paimon either thankfully moved the conversation to Eula before it got out of hand in a matter of which they might have bothered the Spindrift Knight, to something else that was…more humorous than serious. Teasing her about how caring she was despite her attempts to hide it.

Aether couldn't resist a small smile at that, knowing that was exactly why he was so fond of her at the end of the day.

Klee added on. "Yeah, she's the best! She brought me some Moon Pie last time!"

And now Aether didn't bother to hide his amusement as to which end of the stick Eula preferred getting in this conversation. Aether opened his mouth to comment, and he made sure that she saw it.

The Spindrift Knight coughed, interrupting whatever tangent he might spew out. "He is family, after all…Anyway, I'll make sure to find him and escort him back to Mondstadt." She took a breath and her blush faded. "Now, back to you…How and why did you all suddenly show up here?"

Aether still shrugged and saw his small chance, "Well I would've come out here anyways if I knew where to find you. We promised to share a pair of foamy reefs when you finally got some time off, remember?" He gave her a bit of a sheepish grin.

Eula almost got to the point of pouting at him, but she remained composed with the teasing. "I'm being serious," She said.

He blew out a breath.

Having to talk about her family has probably caused her enough grief.

"You're right, you're right, sorry." He nodded once and debated where he should begin. But decided to go with the short version, noting later that he would add in private that he had been in Mondstadt really to search for her. Instead, he started when he arrived at Jean's office after visiting Lisa.

###Eula Lawrence###

For Eula a whirlwind of things had happened. She'd forgone the idea of having fun the moment her cousin had disappeared looking for this mysterious place that granted wishes. It was business and the mild teasing she could deal with. They used the magic letter of invitation to get them to the place they wanted to go and it had dropped them in the middle of the desert.

She had scarcely had the time to process the fact that the Traveler had shown up. One of the few people she respected and liked. And one of the last people she'd ever wanted to drag into the Lawrence Clan's seemingly endless pervasive issues. It was he who drew the most focus on their sudden appearance.

At most, she expected that Collie might join her on her search, but she'd never have guessed that the Traveler would just show up. Nor that she would gain a magic invitation to shortcut her journey that she'd expected to take up all her time.

Maybe. Just maybe…I could finish this fast enough, and get back home with enough time to spend a couple of days with him.

The beating sun of the desert took its toll, and she'd gone through her entire water canteen in the first couple of hours. She tensed when she felt a nudge at her arms.

Aether was there offering her his own water canteen.

She huffed, "I'm fine."

He shook his head, "Even Piamon's starting to notice." He pushed the water into her fingertips. "I'm also used to traveling in the desert now. I spent a few months out here a while back dodging raiders and exploring ruins…" Then more quietly he insisted. "Take it, Eula."

Eula bit her lip, sometimes he hated it when he talked to her like that. But she let it slide, just this once. She rather missed the way he called her name sometimes. It had been too long since they'd last spoken. "Oh? When I last got your letter you'd returned to Inazuma for some business as I recall."

He nodded once. "I've been bouncing between Inazuma and Sumeru a lot recently. Liyue being the go-between." He bowed his head to her, and as some sand on the hot wind blew past them. "I missed you."

"Hmph," She took his water canteen and said nothing.

Gently his hand touched her fingers though he didn't grab them. She liked that about him, respecting her request to keep their friendship hidden during business hours. But he still spoke quietly for her to hear him. "We'll talk tonight okay?"

She hummed, the noise more accepting. "Excellent," She said, swallowing another swig of water. The headache abated only a little.

It was another hour before they had come up with another idea of how to get in. Klee exercised either a spell or special request that got them sanctuary. The beating heat had given her quite the headache and she thought she might pass out from heat exhaustion. It was a near thing, and she knew how undignified that would've made her look.

All the others but her seemed to weather it better, even Klee seemed to manage the heat well.

She blamed it all on the fact that they'd used some magical device to teleport to Sumuru, unlike her, who'd spent a fair bit of her time traveling on the road to get there.

Which is why she huffed out a breath of relief as the desert heat suddenly turned into a much more temperate temperature, as trees and greenery spanned the world now around them. The others celebrated as she leaned against the tree. Blowing out a breath and wiping her brow. She heard footsteps coming up behind her.

It was like the desert had vanished altogether.

"You okay?" He asked again.

"Better." She admitted, she even rewarded him with a small smile over her shoulder. She offered his empty water canteen back. There was another moment of silence that passed between them as the two of them picked up the rear. Klee saw the first opportunity to jump into the shallow water just beneath the waterfall.

The current wasn't strong so no one worried.

Collie and Paimon loved the idea and followed suit, the former ripping off her boots and her cape scarves.

Kayea was amused and followed in a bit more slowly wading into the water as he threw his cape off onto the shore.

Klee cheered.

It was just what they needed after what had seemed a very fruitless search for hours in a desert.

Eula saw Aether watching them with a small smile on his face. And she saw his want to join in, she nudged him and pointed at a small trail toward the waterfall. He nodded in silent agreement with her and fell in step beside her.

Aether and Eula hiked a bit further towards the waterfall, the bend hidden mostly behind a few trees and some overgrown plants that neither of them recognized. The second they were out of sight, Aether grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers.

She smiled and returned the grasp on his fingers. With the privacy the corner afforded them she could now at least get a small taste of what she'd wanted all along. Eula stepped into the stream first and smiled as she waded deeper into the center. It was a little deeper here than where the others were. The stream was narrower, and the cool mist washed over her face.

The water came up to about the middle of her thighs and she breathed in the cool air with a small content smile.

Aether chuckled, as he unfastened his cape, and did the same for her.

No one really seemed to care much about their clothes getting wet after the desert. And Eula couldn't really blame them. Though before Aether returned to shore with their capes, she held firmly onto his wrist and looked at him pointedly.

The blonde traveler stared for a moment and then glanced down the stream, noticing the others were still hidden from sight even from where they were. He smiled then and wrapped his free arm around her back.

She leaned down. She liked that her heels made her taller than him; they were much closer in height without it, at least to a point where neither had to do much leaning to get closer to one another. That smile he saw in his eyes was enough for her to close the rest of the distance. Their kiss was chaste and quick, and so very much unlike all the frustrations she was carrying with her to this strange place.

Once more she weighed talking about it.

He chuckled as he kissed her knuckles before heading back towards the shore.

With a grin, Eula straightened up and fell into the water like a pin, well and truly washing the remains of the desert and the sweat off her body. She bobbed up and swam back towards the waterfall against the gentle current. "Ha!" She smiled as she came to a stop again peering at the shore.

Aether had left their capes together and was already wading back to join her. "I've missed your smile too." He said.

"Hmph, saying such ludicrous things out here." She feigned a frown. "I will have you know that there is nothing special about it." She made a proud and dignified hum again. " I will certainly seek vengeance for this, and will demand full compensation once I've won." She puffed out her cheeks as she turned again drawing nearer the waterfall.

It was all for show of course as she'd gotten what she was after. The sound of his laughter as he drew closer. That had been the goal after all. Normally her rough edges seemed to bother most people. In a way, the way the Traveler acted, reminded her a bit of Amber. They were more amused by her edges, and therefore more accepting of them. His laughter made her smile just a bit wider.

For a moment, she could forget why they were here. And that it was once again her family likely causing problems. She wondered if it would somehow affect Aether's opinion of her that she hadn't left him a note. Eula shook herself from the thought and once more stood up in the stream a bit closer now to the waterfall. She touched her headband making sure it was still in place, and it succeeded in partially keeping her wet hair out of her face.

Aether drew closer, "I'll look forward to it than Lady Lawrence." Though without touching upon it, and perhaps he didn't understand fully, or he understood more than she thought, the way he'd spoken her last name was near enough to make her blush. A subtle reminder that it was truly something he didn't care about.

Something he never did.

She pouted at him as he got close to her and with a grin he just flopped right in face first a few feet away, being sure she saw his smile first. She could track the blonde hair getting closer beneath the water's surface then she shifted. "Wait- wait I just-" Eula reached down to grab his shoulders and found herself still dragged back under the water.

And when she came up she couldn't resist. Her shoulders were shaking with laughter, in the most undignified way. And before she could recover fully, he'd plucked her right back out of the stream in a bridal carry.

She splashed water at him.

He grinned and dropped her back in.

This time it was she who grabbed his legs out from under him. She could scarcely hear his laughter before it was muffled back into the depths of the small current running past them. Eula grinned again as his hands grabbed both her cheeks as he came to his feet and kissed her again. Much longer this time.

Archons how I missed him.

It had been a long few months. She returned the kiss as fervently as she could, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and his hair. One of his hands roamed her back, while the other likewise pressed against her neck.

Her blush intensified and she delighted in the light blush on his cheeks when they both finally separated for air. The last of that headache induced by all the recent events seemed to fade. She touched her forehead and let out a sigh of relief.

Aether took a breath and they put a foot of space between them, though he was sure to firmly wrap his fingers around her hand as if to affirm he was there for her. He nodded a couple of times at her his small smile growing. "You look better…less worried."

She huffed, "Who said I was worried?"

Did Collie figure something out?

Aether chuckled, "No one needed to." He ran his thumb up and down her palm. "Those who know you well would notice. Had I run into Amber before coming here, I'm fairly certain that she would've filled me in about you as well. If she spotted you leaving at any rate."

Eula made a face, pressing her lips into a line. "I…made sure she didn't. It's my family's fault after all for the state we are in. We should be the ones to make sure to fix and correct our own problems. Bringing Amber in would've only made trouble."

The Traveler snored, "What, and I won't cause trouble?"

She smiled a bit. "You do, but you'll wait until the situation escalates to a point before you involve yourself." Then her smile faded at the thought of her cousin and even though it was in her head, she rubbed her cheek from a phantom pain she'd felt. "Amber…probably wouldn't let me take the lead on talking him down."

Aether sighed and put a hand on his hip.

She could tell he didn't like that suggestion.

"Is he…one of the more…dogmatic members of your family?"

A polite way of asking if he's like my father.

She shook her head, "Not that I can remember. We are the same age and…he was…fairly reasonable as I remember him…but I haven't seen him in years." Eula returned the grip on Aether's hand. Rather enjoying his comforting presence. It gave her just a little more measurement in confidence to be open. "And I'm an outcast…there is no telling how he might react to me being the one to come after him."

She crouched down into the water at her feet so it was up to her neck. She smiled a little up at Aether. "We can talk more about it tonight."

He kissed her wrist, "As you say, mi-lady." Then like her, he fell over like a pinwheel into the water.

Once more she was grateful for the water's cooling effect. She suspected that the kiss would've made things more difficult for her to cool off. She was also certain that Aether himself would also have escalated things if not for that. It would've been quite embarrassing if the others rounded the corner and found them in a more precarious state.

Thinking on the others, they had only a few more minutes of privacy as they both drifted back towards their capes left at the shore. Klee had swam upstream with Kayea following close behind to keep an eye on her. The young girl thankfully had left her backpack ashore, and she was swimming against the current.

It was enough to break them apart fully for a while longer. Aether and Eula weren't necessarily trying to hide anything, but at the same time, Eula really didn't want to be teased more about that right now. The pair sat on the shore and became Klee's ardent supports when she reached the edge of the waterfall. The Traveler cheering, and Eula smiling and clapping.

She stuck her hands in the air giggling as Kayea plucked her from the water with a grin and tucked her under his arm.

Collie and Paimon came up the stream next and after a few more minutes of fooling around and refilling their water canteens, they were off again to explore this strange new domain they'd ended up in.

All the while Eula worried what wish her cousin might be attempting to make. If the legend was right, she worried about the outcome of such a wish. Given the state of the domain they were in, such a thing that could grant wishes would have power. She could only hope that it would be contained.

###Aether###

It was once they met with Sangonomiya Kokomi: A Priestess and Iydia, the apparent manager of the domain that everything started to become clear. Eula was rather quick to agree to them splitting up and tackling different problems. Eula was intent on tracking her cousin down as quickly as possible.

Aether was fine with that and agreed. One of the things he liked about Eula after all, was her ability to her own in a fight. Whatever trouble she might encounter she would be more than capable of dealing with. Furthermore, of the two, he had far more experience with puzzles meaning he had far better uses elsewhere. They managed to snag a quiet goodbye when they parted from one another, agreeing that they would meet back at the small village in the center of the domain for dinner.

Admittedly, he suspected it was her attempt at getting him away from the problem. The only reason she was accepting Collie was because she wouldn't fully understand the political situation she was forced to be in.

"Eula is quite the go-getter isn't she?" Iydia asked him. She'd already reached the top of the floating rock and she was looking down at him. Unwinded and seemingly unbothered by the climb.

Doesn't like to work, but is unphased by a climb? She's definitely not normal.

The Traveler kept that observation to himself. Perhaps he would share it with a few others when given the chance later.

"Paimon has to agree with that." The small white-winged creature flew up the rest of the way to join Idyia. "Eula often likes to present a cold front, but she is always the first to volunteer when there's work that needs to be done." She nodded once to herself as if proud. "Mhm, Eula is definitely a go-getter."

He sighed and jumped to the next thick branchy vine growing out of the stone and decided it was smart to keep quiet. His thoughts instead drifted to the divine priestess that was here in the domain with them. She was very very far from Inazuma. She was also a bit of a puzzle solver too but she was focusing on something in the village for the moment.

Kokomi probably shares my opinion that there's something off with Iydia.

Iydia nodded, humming. "I can see why everyone likes her." She puffed out her cheeks as if pouting. "Sheesh, I wish I could be so bold. Let's split up the team and solve all of the problems at once."

Aether smiled to himself a little. Realizing he might use this to tease Eula later when they met up again. She was the one who needed reminding that no one cared about the disgraced clan Lawrence beyond the borders of Mondstat, and say for scant few traders that make the journey from Liyue to deal goods.

Paimon laughed. "Eula loves to dance. Maybe we can get her to put on a show for you in the circus theaters you mentioned."

Iydia clapped her hands together, "Oh! That could be fun!" Her eyes flicked to him as he finally reached the top to join them. "You've seen her dance before right?"

He nodded, "Only once. She's rather private about it when amongst the knights. But if you ask her, I'm sure she might say yes." Aether's small smile fell when he saw the rickety wooden rope-suspended bridge in front of him. He could hear Piamon chuckling at his dismay at the sight.

The lady host of the domain tilted her head. "Am I missing something?"

Aether shook his head, "Nope, I'm just going to equip a glider before I step onto the bridge."

Paimon snickered. "Experience talking."

The rest of the trek up to the spinning device in the center was calm. There was the oddly placed hilitroll in the domain and he didn't want to ask how it was possible they ended up here. Aether sighed when he got a good view of the place. "That's a pretty sight right there…" He could see the whole path they'd taken when they'd first arrived. And he could see others, over the hills. The tents where Eula was trying to go…the places where Klee and Kayea were heading.

Paimon hummed, "That's amazing!"

He smiled.

Iydia nodded, "Yeah, even though I live here, I admit I don't ever tire of that view myself." She smiled a bit at him. "Though if you plan on bringing Eula here, I think you might pack a picnic to go with you."

Aether tried not to look uncomfortable at the suggestion. Instead, he offered her a small smile, knowing Paimon was smirking somewhere behind him.

Iydia simply smiled knowingly and without mirth.

"Yeah…I just might."

###Eula Lawrence###

Eula and Collie had returned earlier than everyone else that night. Having found that parts of the domain seemed to have been locked from the central mechanism and the small town of Hydro Eidolon. Iydia had been kind enough to point out where they would be sleeping for the night. There was something that functioned as a bit of a homemade inn. Functioning differently from the hotels of Liyue and Bed and Breakfasts of Mondstat. Here it was a fully stocked kitchen but no staff or signs of pre-made breakfast. The Hydro Eidolons seemed to prefer staying outside. Eula thought it was their way of respecting the privacy of visitors.

With a sigh, she left her claymore up against the side of what she had taken as her room for the night. Then with a stretch, she stepped back out into the main room of the small empty Inn. She hoped there rather might be a bottle of wine to help cull the bubbling frustration she was currently experiencing.

It had been a long and interesting day, but the last hours of it had been not but frustrating dead ends with parts of the domain being locked away. It meant that her cousin was still frustratingly out of her reach.

Collie was already back outside of her room and was humming to herself bouncing on as she explored the cupboards for something to eat.

Cooking might help.

She glanced around the main empty room and sighed, realizing that everyone was probably going to come back hungry. With a huff, she approached the kitchen. "What are you doing Collie?"

The ranger stiffened upright and turned around. "Oh- Eula!" She rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry, I…didn't hear you." She looked away with a pout. "Can't be doing that in the field…" She muttered to herself.

Eula's lips twitched upright into a small smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to conceal my footsteps. Habits, I suppose." She walked into the kitchen and rolled up her sleeves. Her eyes scanned around for pots, pans, and baking sheets. Deciding privately that if she could she might want to make Aether something for dessert. "Want to help me prepare dinner for everyone?"

Collie blinked. "Oh-yeah! Sure!" She grinned a bit wider. "I was just thinking that. Though I'm not sure what we can make. There seems to be a rather large assortment of things…" She made a gesture re-opening some of the cupboards she'd just gone through. "We can definitely bake some fresh bread."

Eula hummed, "Yes that's a start."

It took them about ten minutes to settle on the meal they would cook and how much of it they wanted. Eula tried setting aside some extra things for a dessert which she and Collie differed on. Eula wanted to make something from Mondstat's cuisine, while Collie wanted to splice something of Sumerian Culture with something from Mondstat. Eventually, Eula agreed and she had to let Collie take the lead.

After a few moments, it became clear to her that the forest ranger that Amber was so proud of, was right at home doing just that. Her confidence seemed less feigned as she worked on the strange sort of Padisarah Pudding pie. It was bound to be interesting, she agreed.

They were nearly finished when commotion came as others arrived. Klee and Kayea were the first back to join them, the former bouncing up and down being sure to run over and give Collie a hug and while she didn't hug Eula, she made sure to say her greetings.

Eula had a hard time fighting a small smile with that. Everyone including herself never denied Klee had a certain strength in the world to lift people's spirits.

Kaeya moved to sit across the island table separating him and Klee from the kitchen proper. He then pulled out a bottle of wine and left it on the table with a small smile. "I had one on me before I was whisked away from Mondstat. Something told me that I would end up following Klee. Jean and Lisa knew they were going to send me probably long before I knew." He tilted his head a little.

"I see," Eula commented and folded her arms. "And you are choosing to share?"

"No, consider it my gift." Kayea bowed his head a little. "We are fellow knights after all…and consider it my thanks for the dinner I've yet to taste."

Eula reminded herself privately that as often as Kayea sought to get on everyone's nerves. Either with his charm or deceitful wit, or usual teasings he'd often made, there was still a good person in there buried beneath that.

Maybe she related too much. She smiled, "Thank you, I gratefully accept. And I hope dinner will be to your liking." She turned away and just before she could get back to work. She was reminded that with Kayea it was always a double-edged sword.

"And worry not, the Traveler is not so far behind me. He stopped to talk with Kokomi on his way here."

Eula's eyes narrowed a bit at that.

Was that a bid to make me jealous? Or was he simply remarking on an unasked question?

She didn't dignify it with a response and chose instead to focus on the dinner she and Collie were making. Collie winded up next to her, nearly bumping into her. Eula knew Amber wouldn't have hesitated to bump into her. "Kayea used to sort of scare me…" She offered a small grin to Eula. "I think though…he is a good person."

She huffed, "Don't be fooled by it." With a huff she straightened upright, turning her nose upright at the conversation. "That man will spring things on you, especially when you're considered a friend or someone he trusts. Or worse, you simply amuse him." That last part she suspected is partially where she fell in. Though Kayea respected her, he would never lose a chance to poke some fun at her.

Collie eyed her, and then tilted her head with a small nervous smile. "I-I think you're a good person too!" She blurted out.

The nerve of this girl.

Eula frowned at her.

The forest ranger still smiled nervously at her.

Still, trouble talking with others then?

It was then that Paimon came through the front door. "We're back!"

"Oh, Paimon!" Klee hopped across the room. "I collected some samples, and some flowers, and some ingredients I want you and the Traveler to see." The Spark Knight slumped her backpack on the floor.

Kayea sounded amused. "Indeed, Klee worked really hard collecting samples today. I think she would also enjoy a Forest Ranger's opinion as well?" He smiled at Collie, "When you have the time of course."

"Oh. OH, y-yeah, of course, I can help with that." She looked at Eula. "We're almost done here anyways right?"

"We have only our strange pie that's baking. But I think I can manage." She turned away and leaned behind the counter for a moment. With dinner close to being ready, it was time to start setting the table. Before she got the chance to make the comment, Collie snatched the plates from her hand and hopped off to the main room. She once again offered only a nervous and awkward smile.

Kokomi and Aether walked in through the front door shoulder to shoulder just behind Iydia. The latter of course was relieved to learn that she didn't have to do anything for dinner. And made the first excuse to leave. The former pair, however, seemed to be deeply engrossed in discussion on a particular topic.

The lady Lawrence would never admit to feeling just the tiniest bit of jealousy at them. But she could see as well a depth to their friendship as they shared a laugh, coming over to join Klee.

It was just the nature of things she expected. Aether was a Traveler, after all, going from land to distant land. It should be no surprise then, that he would stand to make friends outside of herself and those in Mondstat.

Eula forced herself to look away, now alone in the kitchen as Collie took to setting up the tables for their dinner. She folded her arms and leaned against the counter eyeing the oven and the pie. It was in the time of being left alone that her mind started to wonder just what her cousin might be up to.

Her lips twisted.

And there is no way to hide it from Aether either.

Chances are he would find out either for himself, or he would find an excuse to go with her. It had been hard enough to have him around through the whole incident regarding her father's collusion with Fatui. And now history seemed to repeat as one of the few people she was trying to keep away from these embarrassing affairs was witnessing yet another one unfold before their eyes.

She sighed and touched her forehead.

Bastard. I hope you don't embarrass yourself when I get you.

"Uh-oh, I know that look." His voice was light and amused as he approached.

Eula had only with practice managed to keep down her yelp of surprise. Aether had a knack now for sneaking right up on her. Her expression formed a pout at him.

He chuckled as he moved to join her. He took hold of her hand again and kissed her fingers. This time, however, he didn't let her hand go as he leaned against the counter right beside her. With her heels, she had quite a considerable height over him. It was just enough to restore her small grin.

"I'm fine…" She said, "At least…fine enough to finish out the day."

Aether hummed, taking the real meaning in her words as she'd hoped. He reached up and tenderly brushed her hair, smoothing it out under her headband. It was those little things she was growing addicted to.

He then slowly pulled her into a hug, it was loose at first. Until she found her arms tightening around him and growing firm to keep him close. She let out a tense breath, having grown more and more tired, and eventually, she leaned into him. Resting her head down against his cheek. "Sorry, for not leaving a note…I was in a bit of a rush…"

He chuckled warmly for her. "I know," She felt his lips brush the base of her ear. "I'm here now. We're here now. Together, and that's what matters to me the most."

She nodded once. Then after a few seconds more she pulled away, her hand still wrapped firmly in his. She looked away bashfully and cleared her throat. "After dinner…" She eyed him for a moment. "I mean unless you're tired…"

"I'll be there…tired or not." He nodded once looking over his shoulder back at the things Klee was laying out in a line for everyone to inspect. Aether smiled a little and hoped he looked as cool as he might've sounded. "Been away from you for too long to pass up the chance no matter what." He grinned a little. "I'll be a little on the later side...but I'll be there." He then looked back at her. "Which one's yours?"

Eula bit her lip and tried to ignore her rising blush. "The one furthest away from everyone." She folded her arms, hoping he'd understand the reason as to why she'd tried her best to arrange that.

There was a twinkle in the Traveler's eye that put her at ease and told her understood perfectly. Aether tugged at her fingertips again and stood up to kiss her again. She gladly accepted the gesture with a small smile, some of those frayed nerves finally fading away.

The day had been a long, complicated, and arduous one. But it was finally starting to wind down properly.

Eula had only one last thing to gauge of Aether before night well and truly fell around them. Whether he would like the new pie recipe that she and Collie had worked on together.

As they parted she tracked that cape of his as he walked out of the room, with Klee bounding toward him intent on jumping on him to drag him back to all the samples she was oh so proud of collecting.

It was enough for even Eula to form a small smile as she looked away content to listen to the seeming peacefulness that pervaded the small lobby of their building. It was a sound she was quite content to listen to as the pie finally finished.

Dinner was served only a few moments later, and all of them piled onto one big table in the center of the room.

Klee and Kayea took turns asking about Kokimi's life leading a rebellion against the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma. Eula paid closer attention when that story turned to the Traveler's involvement, in charge of Sword Fish II. She ate quietly and listened attentively. Slowly she found herself reassessing her initial appraisal of the Kokimi as a simple priestess that could fight. She had a gifted mind for strategy that might even give the legendary Captain Beidou of the Crux a run for her money.

Aether grabbed her fingers under the table.

She stiffened a little, blushing red as she turned to him with surprise. "What?"

"You're glaring." He offered her a small smile.

Eula pouted a little, "No fair. I will have my vengeance for it."

He chuckled and didn't let go of her hand. Not until it was time to part ways as dinner ended. The pie had been a hit as both Eula and Collie had hoped. The dinner mess, they were informed, would be taken care of by the Hydro Eidolons in the morning. Still, Aether decided to pile them all up in the kitchen to square away her mess.

Kayea went to help the Traveler.

Kokimi retired to her room first.

Collie offered to share her room with Klee since the young girl wasn't keen on spending time in a room alone since they were on vacation. Collie didn't have the heart to say no after such a heartfelt declaration. They were the next pair to head off to bed. With Klee bounding around and making sure to collect her hugs from everyone.

"Well, Paimon is also spent." The floating white creature stretched her hands high in the air floating over to Eula and offered her a smile. "Goodnight Eula!" And then she floated away.

"Night." She said, quietly in reply and her eyes tracked Paimon to her room to finally go to sleep. Leaving her alone at the table, and the sound of the boys stacking dishes and piling things for Hyrdo Eidolons to clean properly in the morning.

With a final hum, she got up and eyed the kitchen as she passed, where the two boys were chatting and sharing a laugh of some kind. She smiled a little to herself as she closed the door to her room behind her, being sure to leave it unlocked for the expected company that would follow. She was tired, she realized as she walked over to sit on the bed, removing her shoulder cape and laying it over the chair.

Now of course she was left to her own thoughts, something she realized was a bit of a dangerous pastime as she ran a hand through her hair. She sat at the edge of her bed and waited for a few moments in silence.

What if my cousin attacks us?

It wasn't that neither she nor the Traveler couldn't defend themselves. But she would need to be careful. It would perhaps only serve to Ostracize her further from her family. She bit into her glove for a moment.

Stupid things to worry over.

Eula peeled the glove off and tossed it over where she was intending to pile the rest of her gear and clothes. Her sword is still leaning against the wall near the door. Easy for her to grab on her way out if she were in a rush. With only a glove and her cape off she hunched over her expression darkening with twisted lips.

She didn't know how long she was like that whittling away at the time she probably should have spent sleeping.

A gentle knock on her door pulled her free from those cascading thoughts. The knock had been merely a courtesy as Aether opened and closed the door behind him, locking it. He draped his sword next to hers and paused halfway across the room as Eula straightened up to look at him standing there.

He had a small smile on his lips, but it faded a little when he saw her. "You're overthinking again." He chided a bit gently with a hand on his hip. "Your cousin?" Aether asked quietly after Eula didn't respond.

She nodded once. After all the work they did today trying to explore this new domain the only conclusion that she'd come to is that he was at fault for part of it. Of what part, and to what extent he wasn't sure. Her fingers curled into the fabric of the bed and it was the closest thing to letting out the extent of her indignation and anger.

Eula winced though when Aether saw her arm twitch.

His smile once and truly dropped. "Sorry, I guess the joke was inappropriate." Aether scratched the back of his head and then moved the rest of the way across the room. The bed sunk a bit next to her.

She heard more than saw him pulling off his own glove and wrapping her hand up in his. Eula peered at him again, biting her lip. "I am sorry too…" She muttered quickly. "I should know better by now than to try and keep you away from my family drama but…" The Spindrift Knight felt the words clog in her throat. The reason why she didn't want him to. The guilty pleasure that she took just spending time with him.

Guilty.

He watched her for a moment and moved to take off his cape with his free hand. Aether didn't want to let her fingers go. "Still worried what others will think of me just for being near you?"

Eula didn't respond to that either, but she bit her lip. It was an answer in of itself to the guilt she had just by being near him. "My cousin…I don't know what's gotten into his head. From what I remember, he was as prude as the rest. But I never imagined he would've pulled a stunt like this." Her eyes narrowed and she forced herself to look away.

Aether tossed his cape away and touched her bicep.

She stiffened at the touch before she relaxed. Her eyes flicked to him and this time they were there to stay peering at him.

"I didn't realize how tired you were," Aether commented.

Eula wanted to protest at first. It was something she hadn't tried to think about all day. Her morning had started in her own camp on the way to see Collie. A lot of different things have happened since then. Then she firmed her lips. "I'm fine, Aether. Being a knight of Mondstat has long since prepared me for days like today where I've gotten little downtime." She turned away from him slightly.

Though his fingers caught her chin and she looked back at him.

His face was much closer now, and she could feel a rush of heat coming to her cheeks, even as she didn't shy away.

His voice dropped an octave or two now that they were close and he smiled. "I wasn't talking about just physically. I admit it slipped my mind that you had traveled all the way from Mondstat to Sumeru on your own until just now. Klee's strange invitation only carried you the rest of the way...but...this is supposed to be your vacation."

Eula didn't say anything, instead, she reached up with her hand, her fingers curled into the fabric covering his chest and her eyes softened a little. "I'm fine," She said, though this time was a lot less confident than her previous answer. "It's what I have to do."

Aether nodded, "I understand." His warm smile made her heart flutter and it was a smile she could sense as he pushed their lips together. It was a more emotionally driven and desperate kiss than the one they snuck at the waterfall. The taste of his lips was the only thing that had given her mind peace throughout the day.

She wrapped an arm around him to keep him against her for as long as her lungs could stand it. Even as her lungs burned and the tongue brushing against hers was near enough to chase all those darkening thoughts away at once.

A reminder that he really didn't care what others thought of him around her even if she did.

Guilt.

The feeling still overwhelmed her and threatened to ruin the moment. His thumbs gently rubbed away the wet trails that coated her cheeks. The smile was still on his lips through the whole of the kiss while it lasted and it was there when they finally parted for air. "But for now at least, we're here together now. And you know that you won't be able to talk me out of helping you."

"Aether," She whispered as her lungs began to recover.

He hummed and kissed her again this time it was chaste, at the base of her lips and again on her chin. And another on her neck.

Her arms grew firm around his back. "I'm tired…" she whispered. She knew he would appreciate her honesty. She didn't like being that open with other people. Eula hated it when others made her feel a sense of vulnerability.

The Traveler came up after peeling away her tie and kissing her just above the collar. She shuddered at the touch of his lips, and the feeling of warm breaths against her skin was a stark contrast to the hard and lonely nights she'd spent during the past week trying to catch up to her cousin.

His eyes peered at her. "Tired?"

Eula bit her lip under those warm eyes of his. "Don't-" She forced herself to let out a breath. "-stop." She hoped he could understand. The Spindrift Knight leaned away from him and reached her arm down to her boot. She tugged on the zipper and Aether's hand fell over hers. Her eyes flicked to him.

He shifted off the bed with a small smile. "Allow me," Aether smiled and kissed her exposed leg as he started to tug the rest of the boot off and away.

Eula was content with his suggestion and let go propping herself back up on the bed. Instead, she focused on his clothes wondering what she might want to take off first. Thinking he could do well to lose his boots when he'd finished.

Thought another kiss pulled her from her thoughts once again and she bit her lip.

He kissed the top of her foot and then trailed a few up to her knee and thigh.

"Aether-" She huffed out warningly. Her eyes narrowed a bit toward him.

"Sorry, I know you're impatient." He grinned, "But I've missed you." He ran his fingers through the webbings of her toes as he went to kiss her cheek. Peeling away the rest of the stocking to follow the heeled boots.

The kiss was thankfully quick. Eula ran her fingers through his hair.

She hummed a pout at him. Eula wasn't entirely displeased with the suggestion that he wanted to take it slow when it came to her. However, she could feel a fresh wave of heat rising to her cheeks, as his nose and lips brushed her upper thigh. His hands had already moved to her other booted heel, tossing it behind him and onto the floor.

Eula decided she couldn't leave him to do all the fun and worked on her top, removing a few of the accessories. She was always hesitant to remove her vision. But a kiss at her navel and his warm breath through her clothes and his hand finding hers still against the bed sheets ground thoughts to a halt.

He looked up at her with a wink.

She forced herself to take a breath and pouted at him.

It was a wordless exchange as he reached up and gently pressed her hand over her vision. Eula could feel her breasts starting to strain against the fabric of her clothes, her sensitivity starting to elevate. She tucked her vision and the base underneath between her thumb and index. With the others, she tugged against his hand around the other half of it as they removed it together. Then she let it go and watched his hand place it on the nearby nightstand where it would be within easy reach for her.

Eula's blush was only worsening with the heat starting to spread through her.

Aether kissed her left breast through the fabric of her romper top.

She bit down on her lip to prevent a noise that would've escaped her otherwise. With her free hand, she worked on the breast clip strapped around the base of them. She felt Aether tug off her cuff above her bare hand. The strap around her chest loosened and she tugged it away, forgetting it somewhere behind her.

Her legs closed around his knee.

As she laid back against the bed flushed and face red. They kissed again and she relished the taste of his lips against hers, and wrapped her arms around him, running her gloved and bare hand through his hair.

Aether removed one of his gloves.

She worked around his knee, her fingers tracing down his bare abdomen to his pants, and started tugging them loose. The small waste capes falling away. His knee brushed her core and this time the small moan escaped whether she intended it or not.

He kissed her neck again and she tightened an arm around him again, with the other she forced herself to sit up. Pushing them both upright enough for her to get her hands on his boot.

She enjoyed his chuckling at her quick fumbles. But got him right back when she yanked his leg out from under him.

Aether let out a small yelp, managing to catch himself on her legs that she stuck out for him. Eula let out a breath with the weight and slowly lowered him back to the ground offering him a grin.

"I'll count myself lucky that you're a strong lady." He blew out a breath of relief as he laid their head and shoulders on the ground, his legs now in Eula's hands.

She hummed. "Don't think I didn't appreciate the work of your slow caresses Honorary Knight." Eula did the same thing to him, as he'd done to her. She removed his boots and trousers, kissing the top of his feet, and then the arches underneath. Leaving him only in his underwear.

Aether huffed, and she could feel him twitch under her fingers.

She grabbed the last loose fabric between her, and some of her pleasure for the night. Eula grabbed it and was happy to feel the sense of firmness already there because of her. She nourished the sound of his groan at her actions. She contented herself, however, with simply removing the fabric with her gloved hand.

Aether was back against her fully in an instant. Their bare hands and gloved hands intertwined for a second on either side of her as he held her pinned.

Another flurry of kisses as she grabbed his shirt, and he worked on hers, loosening the zippers and straps that held her romper in place. He was just the barest of hints faster even with hands now freely fondling her breasts.

The moans escaped from her lips and the twitches and jerks of her body were coming more freely now. She bit her lip and it did little else to prevent them from coming unbidden. Sweat started to gather on her brow, as heat started to gather at her core.

He freed her shoulders first from the unitard romper. Then worked his way down, crossing her arms above her. With the unitard romper still on them, restricting her movements just a little further.

She pouted at him.

He kissed the underside of her just-exposed breasts as she fought to get the rest of the top away from her. The pout was gone in an instant from another heavy breath that escaped her lips. The despicable fabric now only agonizingly in the way. He teased her for only a few seconds before she was able to freely yank it off.

All she had left now were just a pair of black panties that were already half off, marked with a small wet stain, and the glove she'd already forgotten. His knee brushed her core again, and she shuddered, wrapping her arms around his torso and pulling him down on top of her. She grinned into their next kiss, her worries and troubles slowly disappearing with each second.

Of that, she was only ever more thankful.

He kissed her, fondled her, and his fingers drew closer up her thighs, then down her navel. She bucked against his knee and huffed as she pushed herself just a little bit away with a moan. She tried to get her fingers on the rest of his top.

Aether paused, kissing her neck and lips so she could focus on removing the rest of his clothes. Focusing instead on kissing her breasts.

Eula's toes curled at the touch of his tongue, and she bit her lip. "Aether-"

"Eula," He whispered back, his blonde braid brushing against her chest as she managed to finally rid him of the rest of his top.

Aether's fingers finally rubbed against her core.

"Ah-". She huffed, "Don't stop." She pleaded with him again. Her thighs closed around his wrist as she arched her body up against his. Wanting all of him pressed against her. To be as close to him as possible.

The months of being apart were all rushing back and those lonely cold nights had only grown worse as she journeyed on her own to Sumeru. Thinking of how she wouldn't get to see him. She shuddered against him as the corner of her mouth was kissed.

He curled and pinned one of her arms above his head kissing her elbow, and her shoulder. He only hummed an acknowledgment. The vibrations of his throat against her skin are enough to draw out another smile.

She firmly ran her gloved hand through his hair, her bare hand wrapped around his back. "Mmm-" Eula's eyes fixed to him as her toes curled and her fingers tightened with the tension as she became acutely aware of the strokes of his fingers. It was so distracting and fulfilling all at once to have him so close once more.

Teyvat itself seemed a distant memory now, with all her shared duties personal and professional. She kissed him by the ear.

Aether hummed at her and tiled her face only a bit so that he could snag her lips once more. She moaned happily with a wide smile she reserved only for him.

She finally released him and fell back against the bed, her face flushed once more gasping for air. "Oh archons Aether…I've missed you-" She bit her lip when the movements of his gloved fingers against her core continued. Eula massaged her own breasts, tucking her nipples between her fingers and applying pressure that she liked.

Her body jerked at the movement of his fingers.

"I missed you too, I forgot how honest you are after long and hard days-"

She hummed a pout, but his other hand cupped her cheek and straightened her to face him, fingers combing through the hair, and under headband loosening the article.

"Sorry…" She whispered again and looked away.

Aether applied only pressure enough through the hand cupping her face to pull her eyes. "Stop worrying so much about my image…it won't ever change how I feel you know that right?" He then smiled at her. "You're beautiful my Spindrift Knight, in every possible way." He kissed her left nipple between her fingers.

Eula bit down on her lip to prevent the next moan he was working at with the stroke of his knuckles against her core. "Mmm- ah-Aether. I'm close just-"

He kissed her lips to seal her plea, though he understood her completely, his fingers working a bit faster. And she moaned into his lips.

Archons- yes!

Aether pulled away from her, though her fingers were still moving, and he squeezed his hand around hers on her breast. "You're very tense-" He hummed a bit teasingly at her. "Want a massage?" He smiled and raised a brow at her.

She hissed, "Don't you-mmff-" Eula slapped a hand over her own mouth. "Ah- don't stop. I can't take it." Her thighs closed around his wrist again, as if wanting to lock him into his work until she came.

His chuckles were warm. "Of course mi-lady. I would never stop what I've only started." Aether leaned in again and tucked a nipple between his lips, rubbing his tongue over her. With her free hand, she grabbed a handful of his hair.

"Good-" She huffed out.

It wasn't as agonizingly slow as she'd worried he'd be with her. At her request he continued steadily until at last she felt the heat boil over, the pleasure wracking her from head to toe. She turned on his knuckles leaning sideways against the bed as the pressure of her thighs squeezed against him.

"Ah- ! Aether-"

Her fingers curled into sheets and her legs tucked up a bit as if curling into a small ball. His hand stroked her neck and her cheek straightening her against the sheets of the bed even though was now on her side. He continued the strokes of his fingers on her entrance and clit long into the pleasure that consumed her.

Because of that, she couldn't keep still.

"Fuck-"

Aether laid on top of her pushing his chest against her shoulders, pushing her deeper onto the bed sheets. The heat of his body ran over her as her left breast was pressing into the fabric of the sheets.

She looked at him with hazy eyes as she once again gasped for air. Eula brushed the blond locks that were falling loose from his braid and kissed him for it. She relished his tongue in her mouth again, as the squeeze of her thighs on his hand finally started to loosen. The slow moan still escaped from her lips when his hand simply rested on her warmed core unmoving.

But she had the wherewithal to eye him again with a more coherent mind. "I'm not-...sure I have the-mmm-" She licked her lips. She could still taste the leftovers from that special pie in their kisses. "-patience for a massage." Eula rolled back onto her back from the awkward position that she ended up in as Aether picked himself up off her.

He kissed her nose.

She grinned with some giddiness in her expression.

Aether looked at her pointedly. "I mean both Eula. Not one or the other." He tilted his head from side to side, and ran his other hand through his hair, as the other slipped up from her core to rest against her navel. "You do feel far more tense than normal…like you're wound up almost." He offered her a small smile. "In more ways than one really."

Eula was quiet as she thought, she hadn't considered combining the two. Though the idea was appealing to her she admitted it in private. Her hand roamed the traveler's bare chest. And she slowly squeezed her breast again with her gloves.

A sign he'll take as me being far from finished.

"I don't know if I have the patience for it." She reiterated. Eula looked at him pointedly. Even as the previous waves of pleasure had started to fade. She could start to feel the slow build as her body begged to go again.

It's been months.

He nodded once, "And if I promised to balance giving you a massage with our other needs?"

She feigned a small pout at him, "Don't think I can't feel those throbs against my legs Aether…I" Eula looked away. "I…want you to have fun too." That also had been a long-lasting concern of hers when they started.

The worry of not being good enough. She was just the Spindrift Knight after all. Not the Honorary Knight, not the Captain of Swordfish II. Nor all the other titles he'd been constantly collecting. Even if he promised that he would never stop telling her how he felt about her. There was always that doubt cemented in her mind. It was quiet most nights with him. But only nights where she was alone to think of her problems it often managed to resurface. She blinked and she saw Aether's brow furrowed.

Sometimes he's too damn observant.

Aether leaned in, "And what makes you think I'm not my sweet?" He kissed her right nipple, and ran his hand over her left, working his way up to cup her cheek again.

She bit her lip.

"I know what it's like traveling alone on the roads, you know. I know the tension you can get from having to force yourself to sleep on the ground." Aether smiled. "And you have a habit of not complaining about the little things which makes you very admirable in a way." He tilted his head a little. "But this is a rare chance for us both to unwind."

Eula feigned an indignant pout. "Fine, if you so readily want to give me a massage, I'll accept." Her fingers curled a little into the skin of his chest. The other she interwove over the one cupping her cheek, following his hand down to her breast as he leaned in close. His lips were barely an inch away. It reminded her just a little of how much he wanted to take the time to explore her tonight. She blushed at the thought of him missing her that much. "Mmm," Her pout increased. "Under two conditions." She added quickly.

Aether smiled and tilted his head, "I'm listening."

She huffed and held up a hand. "That when the massage devolves back into…well…" The red tint in her cheeks seemed to grow more intensely. "That you allow it to remain devolved." She firmed her lips at him.

He feigned thought which made her eyes narrow. Then he chuckled, "Fine, what else?"

Eula dared to smile a little, "I want to be on top for a while." She looked away, "Especially since I…I'll be under you for the massaging parts?" Eula let his hand go and reached up to her headband. The frill decoration on the side of her hair was still neat despite the undressing.

The Traveler nodded once. "Then I have only one thing to ask you in return." The gentle firmness of his fingers on her skin returned as he cupped and supported her neck, gently tilting her head up. "Don't be afraid to talk to me when we're done. I mean you know…more about how this situation is eating up at you."

She blinked and tried to ignore that blur that had gathered at the edge of her vision.

I'm not going to cry.

She had a shaky inhale.

Not at something so simple.

Her lips twisted and she squeezed her eyes shut. It didn't help us much as she realized when she could feel his thumbs wiping away at her cheeks. Both the gloved one and the bare one. She swallowed that feeling that was whittling away at her and when her eye subpoenaed again. "Okay," she agreed. "I promise."

"Stupid girl."

Aether kissed her gently.

"A Lawrence must be the epitome of elegance and perfection."

His warm breath on her seemed to relax some of her desperate attention away. And she relished the taste of his lips once more until her lungs started to burn. When she came up for air she found she was clinging to him with both arms, and he lowered her gently back against the bedsheets.

###Aether###

Eula had turned around, resting on her chest. He could see her eyes on him, and if not tracking his movements out of the corner of her eye. She'd only just barely agreed to let him do this for her. It was an opportunity he wasn't going to waste. He smiled a little at her, as he spread her legs just a little.

"I've wanted to kinda do this for a while…" He spoke with some honesty.

She hummed, "Why didn't you ask?"

"Too…impatient myself." He chuckled.

Eula snorted, "So of course on the night I'm feeling impatient?"

Aether wrapped both hands around the heel of her right foot and started applying some pressure. Under the arch and between her toes. He could feel the hard tensions and slowly started to massage them away. "Well…I've noticed how stressed out you are, you know?" He smiled a little at the way her toes curled around his fingers.

"Mmm?"

"I just thought it would make…it more meaningful tonight in that way." He brushed his lips against her ankle and kissed her. "We all can use that from time to time." He kissed the side of her foot too. All the while his fingers went to work slowly working the tension away. He glanced up at her again.

There was a pout in her cheeks, and her face was a little red.

Read her like a book?

He huffed a chuckle.

Or she's growing impatient again.

No matter her glare, he took it to mean that he should move on. So he did, and switched to her left foot and did very much the same thing. He thought it was important to kiss her in the same parts too whether she cared or not.

He caught the curling of her fingers in the sheets.

Maybe I underestimated how lonely we've both felt apart.

Aether worked his way through her legs, turning and pressing into her calves. One of those movements earned him a muffled moan. And it earned her a few extra kisses on her skin, knowing she enjoyed the warmth of his breathing.

Eula's eyes followed him and her head tracked him turning from one side to the other as she kept him in her vision while he worked.

"Lie still." He commented, "You're only winding up your neck further.

She huffed and dragged a pillow from the head of the bed to rest her chin on. "I swear I'll have my vengeance if you keep nitpicking at everything." Eula pouted at him and it made him smile just a bit wider.

He snorted at that and kissed her calf. Aether was sure to smile against her skin, knowing she could feel it. Then he started taking the part of her leg through the motions of a massage, applying and loosening pressure the tension he could feel in her muscles down there. It was as bad as he thought it might be. Aether had never known Eula to go get a massage, and the last couple weeks she spent traveling and today were more than enough to do a number on her whether she admitted it or not.

He kissed the back of her knee as he switched to the calf.

Eula's breath had turned shaky.

Aether glanced up and saw her gripping the sheets, her face buried into the pillow she'd dragged over and propped herself up on. It was like this as he worked his way up the way to her inner thighs, and he could almost feel the heat radiating off of her.

He kissed on each side, as his fingers dug firmly into her gorgeously curved cheeks.

A noise escaped her lips as he stretched her skin gently around. She glanced over at him, and she could see the warning glare in her eyes.

Aether was moved upward kissing her lower back, pressing down firmly on her back hips, and working her way up to her shoulder blades. His throbbing member pressed into her thigh as he did.

Eula was reaching a point of neediness.

He straightened her arms out on her sides again as his hands continued to massage their way slowly up her back. His face was near her neck now and he kissed her there as he worked on her shoulders. "My sweet, Spindrift Knight…" He whispered and kissed her behind her ear.

A heavy breath escaped her, "H-hurry- ah." She stretched again. She stared at him with an eye closed, a beat of sweat falling from her temple. She huffed, "-up."

Aether hummed into her ear and picked up his pace at her request again. As he worked his way down from her shoulders to her wrists. Once more alternating and kissing down the length of her skin as he went. He could feel a dampness against his knee as he brushed her core, and felt her body shiver.

Eula moaned into the pillow.

"Is it working?" He asked, trying to filter the smugness out of his voice. He didn't want to get her riled up right now. Eula, while beautiful no matter the expression on her face, always seemed to tug at his heartstrings the best when she was happy. The rarity of the sight to him is what made it worthwhile.

She pouted at him for a moment as she eyed him over her shoulder now laying on her left cheek. His fingers touched her neck and massaged in a slow circle there while with the other, he intertwined their gloved hands. Slowly he lowered himself, pressing all of him against her. Even if the throbbing heat of his member twitched and strained needily close to her core.

Eula shuddered, "Aether-" She muttered. There was that haze growing in her eyes once again and she moaned as he kissed her and turned her head to meet him. She shoved as much of her tongue into his mouth as she could manage. "Fine- yes, you know it's working." She said almost breathless again.

Aether chuckled. "I'm not trying to force an admission from you. I genuinely want to know if it's helping you relax."

"Mmm-it's-fffwa." She clamped her teeth down onto the pillow as his hand found her entrance again. Her breaths were heavy. "I…haven't felt this relaxed in months-" She admitted with a furious blush. "Now just fuck me already!"

She grabbed him by the braid of his hair intent on keeping him close to her. She angled back and rubbed her entrance against the stiffness waiting for her. Eula bit down on her lip to prevent a moan and her eyes flicked over her shoulder at him.

He chuckled, his nose almost touching hers. His gloved hand was still pressing hers against the bed sheet. "I understand my promise, but I would like to tell you-" Aether grimaced as a groan escaped his lips. "That-ah…I'm only halfway done."

"I rescind my qualifications," Eula stated, huffing out a breath. "I admit it feels good, but I'm not willing to wait. Fuck me, and then finish massaging me. Then fuck me again." She kissed his lips and tried to impress upon him that she genuinely wanted him to continue. But she was getting desperate for him again.

His fingers curled inward through her entrance and she bucked back into him with a moan.

His free hand wrapped around her chest and pulled her a little upright. She supported herself as she looked back at him, as he got back to his knees. She found she wasn't able to remain there even as he added a second finger inside of her, the motion didn't stop.

For Aether, it was like he could feel the twitches of pleasure that wracked through her body. He wrapped an arm over her chest as he bent over her for a moment pulling her up. As his fingers moved, he could feel the pulses as she bucked her hips back into him again. Once more his throbbing member strained a bit, eager.

He kissed her beneath the ear.

Needy as I am today.

Aether smiled and kissed the underside of her chin. She kissed him on the side of his temple and wrapped an arm back around his neck like a hook, wanting to keep his lips close with easy access. He obliged when he straightened out, straightening her up with him, pressing her back into his chest, and squishing her breasts and nipples under his arm.

She moaned into his lips as she kissed him. Her free hand went down and grabbed the wrists of his hands to slow the motions inside of her. Eula breathed out slowly as she danced her own fingers over her clitoris.

"I missed you Aether." She said again, nearly breathless.

He kissed her to cover her mouth again as their tongues danced with one another. He hoped it conveyed his answer. Aether enjoyed the vibrations of her noises against his lips. He wrapped both arms around her and pressed her back as much against his chest as he could manage.

Even as he did he kissed her shoulders as she rubbed her core up against him again. He could feel the anticipation as both of them seemed to twitch with hunger. "Aether-" She huffed out against his cheek.

Aether groaned, "Yeah, I'm on it." He chuckled, and finally, he brushed his tip against her properly and entered.

The twitches of her body and the way her body's walls started to squeeze around him was nearly enough to drive them both over the edge in that instant. Aether's breath strained and Eula let out a moan.

Her underwear bounced against her knees, tying her two legs together. She didn't care enough to get it off as she squished herself against him and grinded the length of his shaft as it stuck its way into her.

"F-fuck-" Her expression twitched and she huffed against his ear as she turned to kiss his jaw.

His kiss ended up somewhere near her nose.

"It's been too long Eula-" He groaned into her ear and pumped forward into her as they tried to find rhythm. She paused, allowing him for the moment to take the lead, knowing Aether would let her keep her word, later.

Aether held her against him, as she grinded against his chest, her breasts bouncing and her nipples squeezing against his arm holding her.

She wanted to scream from the pleasure as it took hold of her. The feeling of him grinding up against her insides and straightening out as he pulled it near free and shoved it all the way in again. One hand still played with her breasts. His gloved hand had grabbed her chin, tilting her head to kiss her lips.

She moaned.

Aether huffed out a groan in her ear.

The noise and movement made her shudder against him. She grabbed his hip and with her gloved hand ran a hand through his hair. "Oh Archons-"

"Eula-" He kissed her again, snagging her lips.

Aether had grown familiar with Eula enough to know when she was rapidly approaching her climax. The walls around his cock started to clamp down on him as if to squeeze him. She moaned as her arms fell away from him. Grabbing onto the arm over her breasts and pushing his arm harder against her.

Just a little longer.

"Ah-" He huffed out a breath. He obliged her silent plea, squishing them, and hugged her tighter, smiling into every kiss they shared as their tongues wrapped around one another. He danced his arms over her hard nipples.

He could feel his throbbing member twitch, begging for its own release soon. He pumped faster, deciding to oblige the feeling. Eula's moans grew louder and his groans grew more frequent alongside her.

The pleasure that wracked her body finally reached its peak as she wrapped her arms around him, just wanting to keep him close. "Ah-!" the moan escaping her lips unreserved as she felt him clench against her. The firm grasp of him as she came around him. The warm feeling in her core only growing with both of their moans.

He kept pumping into her for a few seconds more. Aether winced, picking up his pace until at last he felt the tension give way to pleasure as he released. He moaned into her ear as they both fell forward onto the bed. With him on top of her and still twitching inside of her as his release started to slow.

Eula moaned again and he could feel the movement of her fingers against her stomach, pressing in against her skin and the length of his shaft still inside of her. The warmth flooding through made her heart beat faster, and the pleasure all the more memorable. The feeling her body had oh so craved in the months apart, finally getting what it wanted. "Aether-" She whispered his name with pleasure.

"I love you too, Eula." He said back in answer to something unsaid. He kissed the back of her neck even as their shared pleasure started to fade once more. He moved some of her damp blue hair away from her neck running fingers through her hair, and kissed her again. He tucked a hand under her headband that was still there.

Their gloved hands intertwined together over her clit, and her circular motions paused at the touch of his hand to hers.

She moaned more slowly and relaxed into his touch. Her eyes flicked over her shoulder at him.

He smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her nose earning from her a giggle that to him was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. Eula's laughter, however, was a rare thing even in the privacy of the time they shared together.

Slowly he pulled himself out of her.

Eula's breath shuddered, still sensitive to her recent climax. She bit her lip as she eyed him carefully. Even as he slid out of her it caused her some pleasure. He ran fingers through her hair again and angled her head, and her lips just enough for him to snag another kiss from her. Her eyes were welled a little.

He made sure to kiss them too when she closed her eyes.

"I love you." He whispered again reminding her.

I will say as often as you need.

###Eula Lawrence###

Despite the upbringing and perhaps the harsh reality of the world around her, the noble outcast, she always coveted the idea that someone might see her for who she really was. Someone who she was trying to be always. Amber had been the first of course, to Eula's irritation at first…the girl had wormed her way past her barriers and planted herself as a firm friend. When people turned Eula's patronage away, Amber was the one who stood up for her.

The outrider hadn't done anything that would dramatically create a scene. She did however make a point to drag Eula into those particular establishments on her own whim sometimes and essentially dared anyone to speak ill of her in her presence.

It was also Amber who understood first the importance of Aether not only to Mondstat but how unaffected he would be with Eula. Aether had no relation to the history of Mondstat even if it had been retroactively told to him. Even as he learned of Eula's family and her history and fallout with them to a degree, he'd already spent enough time with her for those kinds of things not to factor in.

But even with all the work Amber had done, Eula still had felt particular about what to share with the girl. While she had no doubt Amber would support her no matter what she'd said, her friend was rash sometimes.

Eula cursed herself still over the simple fact of all this. That despite everything that had happened, Aether, the stupid oaf had made her out to realize that she was a romantic at heart.

Slowly the pleasure had faded, morphing into a simple comforting warmth, of having his body wrapped around hers. At her request, he picked himself up so she could turn around and face him again.

Her chest was squished against his as she ran fingers through his hair and down his back. Her brows furrowed with the intensity of their next kiss. "Mmm-" She smiled into his lips and simply refused to let him go. Her blue hair was sprawled and slick with some sweat against the sheets behind her head. Her headband was a little off-straight, but still on. Her gloved hand was caught and intertwined with his as he pushed her hand back up to be parallel with her shoulder.

With her other, she snaked it around his neck and tried to pull him closer. She paused when she touched some unfamiliar shape to his skin. As her hand had lowered to his abdomen. Her smile turned into a pout.

Another one.

Aether could sense her musing. "Yeah…" He trailed off as he came up for air. He pulled away only a little to show her. The roughed skin around the new scar. It wasn't something sharp she realized upon seeing it. It had been something blunt and hard enough to leave a dent. "I would wear armor…but I heal fast anyhow…it should be gone in a few months' time.

That too was something she'd learned about him. His scars and wounds faded and disappeared. How he accomplished such a feat without visions had made him an enigma to many.

Her lips twisted a little. It was just another thing that could have prevented their reunion. She wanted to complain about it, but she knew it would be foolish. It was then he seemed to notice her new one too.

One that stretched from her collarbone to her shoulder. It was mostly gone now when compared to his. The discoloration to her skin was only slight, the mark barely visible. She wanted to kick herself for being too obvious about noticing his and he might not have noticed hers. She had little doubt that he could tell that it was a sharp object.

He fondled her nipples gently and kissed down the length of her scar as his knew brushed her core.

Eula grit her teeth and her hand snaked around his back. "Sorry…I would've told you but-" To her surprise, he only chuckled at her.

"Short on time together today." Aether agreed, "What happened?"

"Ruin guard," She stated simply. "Floated and had its missiles and a spinning blade, came too close to Mondstat. Amber eye and were sent to dispatch it." She frowned a little and laid back against the bed as his kisses trailed off the scar to the underside of her chin. "-hugh-" Eula's breath tensed. "H-happened only a week after we parted last."

He hummed against her skin.

She pressed her lips together and shuddered with a hum, her eyes closing to enjoy the sensation of his lips trailing now up her neck to her chin. The kiss when it reached her lips was chaste, and she opened her eyes on him.

He put her hand over his scar. "Sumeru…" Aether offered her an awkward smile. "The story as to how I got it though is…pretty wild." He blushed a little with the intensity of affection apparent in her eyes as she looked him up and down.

Eula raised a brow. "More wild than all the stories I heard of The Traveler as I passed through Liyue, fighting old gods of the ocean?" She offered him a small smile as she pulled his other hand to her face. She kissed the wrist beneath the glove.

He chuckled, "It was…kind of like those big ruin guards, only purple, larger, and…" He tilted his head from side to side. "Piloted. There was someone inside trying to kill me. He also was in possession of an Archon's powers."

She smiled a little.

Not so different then.

Her fingers tugged gently over his roughed scar. Even if he kissed her and pressed against her again earning another low moan from her lip. "The fight at the academy you mentioned in your letters right?"

He nodded once.

Eula tried to pull her knees apart a bit and found her underwear still hooking her knees together. She tucked her knees in a bit to grab her underwear, sliding them off. Or rather she tried to, Aether snagged her just before she finished, pressing them together again as he kissed her and ran his fingers over her.

She giggled, a little. Her damp underwear hung around the ankle of her foot, but now at least it was no longer a nuisance. She wrapped her legs around his abdomen for a moment intent on keeping him close as they kissed each other deeply again. Under her fingers, she enjoyed his body's twitches at her touch.

Aether hummed at her, "You're delaying."

"I'm encouraging you to finish quickly-" She retorted. His hand tugged at her hair and stretched her back against the bed. Slowly she loosened the grip of her legs around him and his hands brushed her core a few times.

The warmth and sensitivity sent small aftershocks through her as another small needy moan escaped her lips. Eula closed her eyes and grabbed the sheets as she laid herself out. "Just hurry up with it."

The Traveler chuckled, "Of course my sweet Spindrift Knight." He kissed her naval and deliberately avoided kissing her core as he trailed down to her ankles. His hands intertwined with the webbings of her toes, flexing them a little apart, and rolled them. He kissed the top of her foot.

She bit her lip.

Aether pressed his fingers into the arches of her foot again. Though since he'd done both of her feet previously, he didn't linger there this time. He worked on her shins, muscles around the bone, once more trailing his kisses upwards.

"Ah-" Eula's fingers dug into the sheets as her hands curled into a fist.

His gloved hand went to hold hers as he worked around her knee.

Eula had to admit Aether was right. All the effort she'd been putting in at Mondstat, and then her journey here had made her tense and her muscles tight. She'd been unable to relax on the road between other travelers and the looming threat of other monsters that roamed the land constantly. She bit her lip. It was as if she could feel the hard nights she'd spent sleeping on the ground being slowly rolled away.

She was one of the most prominent members of the Knights of Favonius. So of course, camping and sleeping in uncomfortable places came with a job description. It still, however, clashed with her upbringing. A girl pampered by the higher echelons of society even though there was a different set of difficulties that had come with it.

Days thrown into a closet had come to mind.

But still, such a life afforded her certain living comforts where her life as a knight had not. She could sink into bliss with this feeling now bubbling up inside her. It was also the way he was unwinding her that was driving her mad. Already she could feel her body craving more, as her nipples stiffened again. She moved to massage it with her other hand, better than gripping the sheets with strength and tension often reserved for her sword.

Aether caught on and loosened his touch on her other hand now that she was paying all her attention to the touches on her skin. Her eyes closed, and her lips pressed into a line as he worked his way up once more from her inner thighs.

"Oh-Aether…" Eula purred his name as all those sore aches and signs of hard work faded away to his firm working touches. She massaged her breasts in the meantime with one hand, and with the other she spread her core open, feeling the wetness against her fingers. He kissed her wrist above her core, as he moved up merely holding her fingers steady against her entrance as she angled her index inward. Her toes curled, and a strained whine escaped her.

Aether worked on her naval next, kissing just above her belly button, running his hands over her skin, and applying gentle pressures that eased her. He knew just how hard she had to keep the center of her mass lithe and in shape. The hefty sword, the technique she used to fight. The occasional dance she would put on in private for either him or Amber.

For the moment Eula was content to slowly play with herself, while he tended to the rest of her body. She moaned a little as she moved her finger around, drawing it gently across the walls of her entrance. Her breaths started to grow heavy again and she looked up at him with a small grin.

His fingers and kisses had worked their way to the base of her breasts, and he kissed where the curves began. The webbing of his hand snagged her nipples as she lowered her arm away, and he bounced her breasts gently from one direction to the other.

Eula pumped her finger in and out of her entrance, she felt his knee brush against the knuckle angling into her core. The body heat was enough to make her crave. She arched back her hips making a slow bounce. "Archons…hurry up."

Aether chuckled between his kisses. His hands worked her shoulders and then began to work the skin on her arms.

A needy whimper escaped her when he gently pulled her damp fingers free to massage her arms. She feigned a pout at him for only a moment while he pressed his knee up between her legs. She grinned at him, and slowly ground her core against the warmth of his skin. The skin of her bicep was turned and pressure was applied. Her bare wrist beneath the glove was kissed as he massaged his way up her arm. With her other hand, she tried to hold his knee in place, sliding her hips, "F-fuck-Aether."

The Traveler hummed, "I missed how much you loved me too." He kissed her elbow while he touched her. Eula felt her thigh tap his throbbing shaft on one of her motions.

She grinned a little and managed to whisper at him between breaths. "I missed your wants for me-guh-" She felt her body convulse a little, and she forced herself to slow down with wide eyes.

He smiled a little at her.

Eula blushed and gestured gently with the arms he'd still held, tucked against his hips. "Hurry."

Aether nodded, "Of course." He made quick work of the rest of her arms, making sure that no part of her skin was left untouched, uncaressed, or unkissed. It was more than enough to lull her in more.

She ground up against his knee again a few more times, whimpering and moaning. She looked at him pointedly when he kissed the tips of her fingers, a sign that he was finished with all but her head. But she was content to leave it be. He loved touching her face, he would do that sort of work when they were cuddling after anyhow. She curled her center, shifting upwards enough to put her face to his.

And the movement made her freshly aware of all the looseness of her muscles thanks to him, as she kissed him on his lips.

He wrapped an arm around as her saliva slipped out from her lips as he tugged on her tongue. His fingers brushed her entrance and rubbed her in a few small circles eliciting another passionate sound from her against his lips.

Eula held back no longer as she grabbed his wrist and directed his fingers back inside of her. Her breath hitched and bit on her lip, before it was pried away again with the touch of his, offering her tongue freely to him.

His gloved hand, pumped into her.

Her body twitched again at the touch, her moans growing increasingly desperate as they were growing disgustingly filthy.

"How unfit for a lady."

She practically laughed giddy into her next moan at the thought of the memory. Aether laid her back against the sheets and gently offered to take over again just for a moment. He hadn't forgotten his promise to her of course, but he was content to just enjoy her enjoyment. He smiled against her skin, her hips bucked under the rhythm.

It was a smile she knew all too well. "Archons Aether!" She bit her lip and rolled away, a dizzy haze started to settle over her. The room seemed to blur around Aether, as his blonde hair slipped lower, kissing her naval. Her mouth grew moist with saliva, anticipation, and hunger. She combed her fingers through his hair.

She convulsed again, hips bucking. "Ah-" Her body started to shake and tension wracked her muscles, all at once, before she collapsed against the bed. Her waves of pleasure washed over her, still savoring the long overdue cravings her body demanded. Her hand gripped Aether's hair, a sign she wanted more. "Archon's please-"

He obliged and leaned down fingers still in her, spreading themselves even as she convulsed with a gasp from her flooding orgasm. His tongue rolled over her skin and it stroked her like fire just above her entrance.

Her legs twitched and his hand had wrapped around her thigh in order to leave him some space. Eula closed her thighs as her eyes went wide, realizing that Aether hadn't stopped, pleasure already starting to build up again through her climax. Watching him smile at her despite her heavy breaths.

She bit her lip to prevent the scream.

I love him.

Her blush grew with intensity.

Life is so much more bearable with him here.

She wanted to cry with an overwhelming feeling bubbling up inside of her, the way her heart started to dance. The sweat glistened on her brow, seeping into her hair as she touched his hair. Her breaths grew into pants again.

With her gloved hand in his hair, the other she used to massage her needy nipples. She could feel a strain in them growing.

This build-up lacked all the slow-paced anticipating hunger the others had. The others had degrees of anticipation. This one lacked its pretense. She was as greedy and needy as he was and bent a knee over his shoulder. Her toes curled as the feeling of warmth started to spread through her.

The sheets were slick with her, and the remains of their cum.

His sweat dripped over her chest when he came up for air only long enough to kiss her at the base of her nipples, her face for the moment too far from where he worked around the slickness of her entrance.

Until at last she came again, her walls clamping onto his fingers, his tongue rubbing her still through the conclusion as she pumped her core into his mouth. Her hips bucking and still begging. Her body twisted and jerked even with the firmness he'd held onto her until her twitches and panting moans started to subside.

She bit her lip again.

"Aether-" she breathed.

"My sweet Lady Eula." He huffed with a grin wiping the sweat from his brow. His hair is messy and unruly now.

She snorted at the messy bedhead she'd given him. Her eyes are still sweet with all the feelings she rarely ever could let out from between her lips. She dragged his hand to her lips and suckled away on his fingers while he pressed the other against her navel, and kissed the hard nipples on her breasts.

"My Honorary Knight-" She tried.

In the small quiet that followed, even if she felt his member pressing into her thigh, they still did some gentle things to one another. Keeping each other warm, and paying one another sharp attention.

With that tender care she loved in between his occasionally rough hunger, he gently put her leg back down onto the sheets. His fingers ran through her hair and thumbs brushed her chin and fingers rested on her temples. She whispered against his lips with him so close. Three words quietly for no one to hear but them.

It was a private admission reserved only for him.

She smiled, warm against him. Her limbs holding onto him as if she would never let him go far. As if everything depended on it and her smile twitched as he kissed her lips. She glided her gloved hand down from his cheek to his chest. Whispering another sweet nothing into his lips as he nibbled at her neck.

The twitch of his warmth pressed a little further against her thigh, and she could sense his need for her growing.

Curling a bit she pushed them upright, her breasts squishing against his chest as they both sat up facing each other in one another's arms for a moment. His nails tugged at her skin as she grabbed his hips.

Eula whispered quietly. "You're mine."

"I'm yours." He kissed her as if to reinforce the idea. It helped with her confidence in their relationship sometimes.

She smiled a little and whispered to him, "Lay back~." She dragged her gloved hand down across his belly button, going lower and grabbing a hold of him as his throbbing twitched. Eula was oh so delighted in his hissing moan.

With an eye closed he nodded at her with half a grin, and did as she bayed him, laying back where she had been. Her wet stains across the sheets touching his skin. The sort of thing that might've once embarrassed her given how unladylike she was being. However, those were the remnants of someone she'd been only when they'd first met.

She straddled him and licked his neck, enjoying the throbbing of his twitches against her thighs. Her gloved hand grew with gentle firmness as she guided him to the right spot. Precum stained her glove. Her smile twitched and her own moan escaped as she started to slide herself down onto him. Nasty unreputable wet sound as the length of him started to fill her once more. "Oh~" She hissed out a breath.

Aether's fingers were right on her biceps, but not restricting. He groaned out from beneath her. "Archons Eula, you're so warm."

"Melting…" She managed with a huff. "Fuck Aether…" She fell forward a bit, supporting herself with her other hand against his chest. Her brows knitted together, her expression tightening and loosening. Saliva slipped from the corner of her mouth as she threw herself at his lips.

Aether hummed into her, eagerly awaiting her touch as she ground her breasts against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

She pumped her hips slowly, to the needy moans of both of them. "Fuck-" Her breath hitched and her sore body seemed to grow tender as the ecstatic waves of pleasure wracked through her. Eula's hips came up all the way and she could feel the emptiness strain her as her want grew near uncontrollable.

Aether guided himself this time, hand straightening him out as she came down, and he slid slowly right back in. In the meanwhile she licked her own glove, tasting the essence of his leftovers. She bit down on her middle finger to prevent the scream that surely would have taken her as the head of his shaft slid into one of her more sensitive spots.

He groaned and grinned up at her an eye closed with a wink.

He is holding himself back.

Eula's heart fluttered a little.

Well, I can't have that now, can I?

Eula leaned in and kissed him enjoying his shivers as much as he was enjoying her own. She slid her hips back down halfway the length of his shaft this time. Then she moved her hips around the movement, sending pleasure flooding through both of them.

He wrapped his gloved fingers around her gloved fingers. He intertwined their hands as she grabbed him firmly on the chest shoulder with her other. She slid down again and bit gently into his skin. Her nails in his blonde hair started to dig into his skin too.

Aether groaned, hands still wrapped into her skin. One gently rubbed her clit, the other squishing her nipples and breasts when she wasn't pushing them together.

She pumped down on him again a bit faster this time. Eula was desperately holding herself back too, biting her lip hard when she straightened out, enough to cause her some pain that was slowly feeding into her pleasure. Just the smallest and barest hint of distraction. The taste of his tongue and his skin was fresh in her mind. The fire in her skin only craved yet more. "Archons…oh Archons."

"Eula~" He whispered.

The noise turned wet and desperate, as another tense moan escaped from her lips. Her body felt loose thanks to him. As she tightened the grip of her thighs on his hips finally coming down the length of him all the way. "Aether, you make a mess of me-" A beat of sweat rolled down from her temple.

His fingers rolled through her hair and wiped the sweat away, not caring as they continued to make a filthy mess of one another. Months of waiting for their reunion the stress of things that had happened in the interim since they'd parted. She nearly collapsed on him as she pumped up and down the length of him again. The warm throbbing in her, and the movement of his fingers against her clit was making her vision blur.

Her nails dug into his shoulders as they kissed passionately again. She rolled her hips again and pulled him a little with the movement of her body. That warmth was flooding through her about to burst again. Though this one was different, she could feel the anticipation of it. Her toes were curling and her fingers were shuddering against his skin whenever her tight grip loosened.

Aether moaned as she shifted and she enjoyed watching his face scrunch up with a groan as he tried to catch his breath.

Aether.

She played with the base of his shaft against her, gently massaging him with her gloved hand, her own juices sliding down from her thigh against her wrist. She bit down on her lips to prevent the needy scream.

He blew out a breath as he twisted a little against the bed sheets, but focused instead on grabbing her and holding her against him. Both of them felt feverish enough, refusing to let any space or distance get between them now.

She reciprocated his touch by wrapping her other arm around his neck and pushing up against his chest. She rolled her hips thrice more picking up her pace as she was going along. Days of being sore and days of walking and traveling weren't going to stop her from this. Eula had already decided she needed this.

Aether too, was content with it. Steadying her on him whenever she bucked against him perhaps a note too far.

The wet slapping noises and their muffled moans continued to grow with intensity. "Fill me." She hissed out. "Don't you dare pull yourself out Traveler." She grit her teeth trying to hold her climax back even if it is already threatening to spread through her.

He huffed out half a moan and half a laugh. "Wherever you want dear."

"Good," She whispered. "Ah~" Her eyes clamped shut as a sensation nearly stole her away from him. The climax now is like a flood crashing against a fastly fast-breaking wall. She wouldn't hold it in much longer. She came up and down repeatedly as fast as she could. Her eyes brimming with watery happy tears.

Aether was here with her after all. And all her worries were gone. Even if she was worried she knew the truth of it deep down. That the Traveler wouldn't leave her over something so petty and small. She knew him to be far better than that and all her worries were going to be proven baseless yet again.

Her heart raged with determination despite that fear as the wall finally crumbled under the torrent. She moaned loudly, the pleasure shook her body against him, toes curling into the sheets as her fingers curled into his hair and dug into his skin. She tried to pump her way through it but found her body unresponsive.

She was shaking against him, as he wrapped his arms all the way around her and intertwined his hands behind her back between her shoulder blades. He moaned into her ear as he didn't allow her to get far from him. Her breasts and hard nipples were squished against her chest and he seemed to grow larger as her walls closed around him.

He then took over their rhythm for both of them. It was short and brief, thankfully as quick as she'd been making it. Pushing her through even more of her climax as he moaned again into her ear, and she could feel him tense against her. Ecstasy overtook her senses as she gave herself away completely to the sense of them being together.

The warmth flooded her core as he came inside of her again. Those wet slick sounds continued as she came around him too, flooding the bed even more with their mess.

Archons, yes. Yes….

She moaned into his ear as he felt him sliding in and out of her. Until he finally started to slow. Her fingers slid up to grab his chin and direct him to kiss her. He obliged and tugged at her hair a little so she tilted her head as they kissed.

He fell back against the bed with her still on top, neither of them moving to free themselves from their entangled embrace.

They continued thrice more late into the night. Until finally the long hours had threatened to be overwhelmingly cumbersome. With how tender she felt and the long hours of the previous days catching up to her Eula, despite her best efforts was slowly nodding off in his arms.

A firm touch of his fingers tilted her chin upwards, her eyes sluggish. She protested, not wanting to move much anymore. Only she felt Aether's tongue in her mouth. Just enough to lull her away from sleep. She rested against his hand when they parted, her headband tickling his fingers and his chin. A small whine escaped her, "Aether…"

He nodded at her knowingly. "My sweet Spindrift Knight, I love you. And no matter what your worries and troubles are, I'm always willing to share them."

She nodded once and could feel her eyelids growing heavy again. "Trust you…Travaler…" Her voice muffled against the sheet stretching her limbs as far as she could. "Alwasy~" The stretch was the last she could give as she exhaled slowly as her limbs stopped listening to her. Eula turned only enough for her lips to press into him.

There was the gentle touch of his fingers against her gently motioning across her face and tucking her hair to make neat of what they had turned into a frizzy mess from their frantic actions. She smiled into his skin as sleep finally overtook her.

Leaving the Traveler alone with her. The only worry was that pang in his heart, hoping that maybe this time he would have finally gotten through to her.

He could feel the soft warm breaths of air against him as he too laid back with one final stretch. Aether wrapped both of his arms around her gently, content to enjoy watching her sleep soundly in his arms.

"Always." He whispered back, not expecting a response.

###Epilogue###

Her cousin was amenable and while the situation had threatened to devolve at first…things were quickly turning right back around. It was an unexpected turn for him given everything he'd heard about going in so far. Everything Eula had warned him of. And worse yet, he allowed his imagination to get to him.

It wasn't until late that night when Eula arrived at his room and he saw the genuine smile on her face that he knew she was going to be alright. He stood up immediately when she wasted no time in grabbing hold of him.

"Someone finally understands." She whispered. "Someone in my family knows-"

He smiled and held her close, and he could feel her fingers shaking against him. From relief, terror, and jubilance all at once. "I know, I know," Aether filled his voice with all the joy he could for her. He returned her embrace with all the firmness she'd given him. Her heels once more added considerably to her height over him.

"I can't believe it." She whispered.

Aether chuckled and whispered soothing comforts as he spun her around as if she weighed nothing.

Eula giggled and laughed as they both collapsed onto the floor with a thud. Her hands stopped shaking quickly, and soon enough it was just her embrace as they rested in one another's arms. It was with reluctance that they answered Kokomi, Collie, and Eula's cousin's call for dinner being ready.

And it was only when they were all finally seated at the table, did Klee ask a question that had been bothering her all day.

"Say, Kayea, why are Eula and the Traveler only wearing one glove today?" She bounced a bit in her seat.

The Cavalry captain smiled, "Well, Klee, you see when people have their gloves off."

Eula had turned red. "Oh, you must stop!" Her voice carried across the table.

"What?" Kayea gave her a sly grin. "I was only going to say that we need to wash them like the rest of our clothes. And given that you're both expert swordsmen…it stands to reason you don't want to sacrifice the extra grip completely."

Eula's brow twitched.

Aether blushed but managed to laugh.

The others joined in.

Under the table, however, their gloveless fingers remained intertwined.