"Why are we doing this again, Charlotte?" Aether asked.
"We were caught in public, Aether…don't you remember?" Furina was by his side, her face was flushed red.
Oh right… Aether remembered.
The soft breeze ruffled their hair as they walked together in a cozy park in the city,
"Have you ever wondered how everyone would react if we announced our relationship, Aether?" Furina asked him out of the blue.
Aether was caught slightly off guard and turned his gaze toward her, the corners of his lips lifting in a genuine expression. "I haven't given it much thought, honestly," Aether admitted. "Though I think some people have begun to notice. We haven't exactly been the most subtle of couples…"
Furina giggled, her cheeks tinted with a rosy hue. "I guess so…Don't tell me you don't like it, my witness ?" she teased, scooting closer and playfully giving him a gentle headbutt, hoping to elicit an adorable reaction.
"Are you trying to embarrass me, wifey?" Aether teased. Seeing her act like this was too cute.
Furina halted for a moment, releasing her hold on Aether abruptly. As he continued walking, he soon realized the absence of Furina by his side. "Furina?" Aether called out, searching for his momentarily disappeared girlfriend.
"W-W-Wifey?" Furina stammered, her face so intensely red that it seemed as if she might explode. Desperately trying to conceal her embarrassment, she turned away, a shy smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Did you just call me 'wifey'?"
"Hm? No, I didn't," Aether feigned ignorance. Furina rushed towards him until she was face to face with him.
"Yes, you did! Don't try to play dumb, Aether!" Furina wasn't so gullible.
"You must have misheard me, wifey. I've never called you that."
"You did it again!"
"Nope. You're delusional." Aether continued his teasing, a playful smirk gracing his features.
"Fine!... Hubby!" She huffed, puffing her cheeks in mock frustration.
"You saying that won't do a thing, you know," Aether chuckled, pulling her into a warm embrace. "But I didn't know you wanted to marry me, wifey. I'm touched." His words were accompanied by a gentle squeeze, sealing the moment.
"Why are you so mean to me," Furina whispered as they held each other, the mixture of affection and playfulness in their relationship made Furina love him even more.
"Because you're my girlfriend, that's why," Aether replied with a tender smile. "Fine, fine, how do I make it up to you?"
"Kiss me, then take me out on a date again," Furina whispered.
"Your wish is my command, Lady Furina."
Aether and Furina leaned in and kissed each other on the lips. However, they didn't realize a passerby took a picture of them.
"It's as La-Miss Furina said. You two were caught in…an intimate moment and a colossal wave of rumors has begun spreading like wildfire. Miss Furina graciously accepted our request for an interview yesterday, so here we are," Charlotte explained, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"But I must say, Aether, I never expected the both of you to be romantically engaged," she added with a playful giggle, hoping to unveil more layers to their story.
"Alright, alright, so what burning questions do you have for us?" Aether tried to move the conversation forward, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"Hmm…let's see here. Ah! A simple question to start – how did this captivating relationship begin?" Charlotte inquired, leaning in as if expecting a thrilling tale. "Either of you can answer."
"Ever since the Flood, we've grown closer. That's pretty much the gist of it," Aether answered nonchalantly as if downplaying a grand narrative.
"That's it? Miss Furina, surely you have something more to add," Charlotte pressed, not satisfied with Aether's seemingly bland response.
"I'd have to agree with Aether here. That was pretty much how it unfolded," Furina shrugged, her expression maintaining a veil of mystery.
Are they both working together to avoid spilling too much info? Charlotte wondered. Their answers could have been more interesting, in her opinion. She needed to find a way to divide them. Get them to turn on each other so she can extract more info for her article. Bland answers just don't sell.
"I- I see. Okay, next question. Who fell first?" Charlotte asked. Surely that'll get them to turn on each other.
Aether and Furina exchanged a glance, a silent conversation passing between them. Were they engaged in some form of telepathy, or perhaps involved in a subtle test of each other? Charlotte couldn't quite decipher their unspoken connection. Maybe it was time for her to find a significant other. Whatever those two were doing was foreign to her.
"She did" "He did". They said in unison before laughing together.
Even Charlotte was envious of their peace and the ease with which they shared a laugh. She may not have been successful in turning them against each other, but at least the answer was sufficient for her article.
"Okay…I'll just jot down that the both of you did. Moving on…Ooo, how do you both balance your lives together?" Charlotte inquired.
"Dating doesn't mean that we abandon our separate lives. She continues with her pursuits, and I with mine," Aether responded his words carrying an air of independence.
"We simply dedicate time for each other and allocate it wisely in between our busy lives. Given my less flexible schedule, Aether adjusts his timetable to accommodate mine, and I greatly appreciate that." Furina seamlessly continued from Aether's response. Charlotte blinked, struck by the synchronicity between their thoughts as if they were truly in sync.
"Wonderful…That's great to hear. Hmm…Some of our readers are curious, what did the both of you think of the other when you first met each other." Charlotte probed further.
"Someone who was either very brave or very stupid for challenging a divine."
"A weirdo."
They both share a laugh.
"I see…Alright then, for the final question. This is the most requested question from… I'd say all of Fontaine. When will the wedding happen?"
Despite answering all the previous questions with no issue, Furina froze at the last one. ' Wifey ' continued to play in her mind. She remembered what Aether said yesterday. She wanted to marry him. She really did. But the concept of marriage was so wondrous that she couldn't believe such a thing could happen to her. Five hundred years of telling herself that romance and love were not something she could ever get.
Seeing Furina frozen and unable to answer, Aether decided to step in.
"We do plan on marrying, but we haven't decided on a date yet. When we're ready, all of Fontaine will know." Aether answered clearly.
"That should be it. Thanks for your time. Have a nice day, you two!" Charlotte concluded the interview.
"Are you okay, Furina?" Aether asked a quiet and contemplative Furina.
They'd returned to Furina's house and sat on her bed, a peaceful haven for their thoughts. Sensing her introspective aura, Aether drew her into a warm and reassuring embrace.
"I'm fine, Aether," Furina said, her voice was soft.
"Hey…all that marriage stuff isn't that important right now, okay?" Aether tried to comfort her.
"No, it's not that. I want us to marry…it's just all of it is so new to me. It's the first time in my life that the possibility of marriage is in front of me, so it's quite overwhelming, honestly."
Furina admitted.
"Furina…I don't want to force you into doing anything. We'll do it once you're ready, alright? No buts." Aether reassured her, his voice was understanding and warm.
"Alright, hubby ." Furina let out a short giggle.
Aether blushed, caught off guard. "H- Hubby. You got me there, Furina"
"It finally worked, huh? I'm happy." Furina said, smiling once more.
Five hundred years of suppressing your emotions *should* cause some damage to someone. But at least they have each other. Also, please Aerina fans...write more Aerina fics :,(
I'm kinda sad that Aerina isn't that widely accepted by the community. I just can't imagine Furina being with Neuvi, it just doesn't feel right to me somehow, as I see them as Father-Daughter or just good friends, really. Then again, Furina herself admitted that she was never close to anyone during her time as Archon until she met Aether/Lumine which made me love the Aerina/Fumine ship more. But alas, I'm just one member of the community.
Don't mind my ramblings. But *do* mind my request for more Aerina fics. I need MOAR!