It was a quiet breakup.
There wasn't any yelling, nor object throwing. It was just them and the decision to make it official.
Childe and Aether sat facing each other. A small coffee table was between them. There were no drinks, no food, nor any comfort on it.
Maybe one of them would have shed a tear or two. Or maybe both of them would've if they hadn't saw it coming from the very start. But there was none of that. Just the heaviness in their chests.
"I think we should stop," Aether said. "I mean... I think it would be better if we stopped this." He had his hands in his lap, eyes staring at his fumbling fingers. "Whatever we're doing."
"Right."
Childe leaned back into his seat and looked out of the cafe window. The sky was dark and grey. It was going to rain.
He could remember just a year ago. It wasn't raining then. It was the sunniest day of his life.
It was just the day of a very ordinary lunch at the very same cafe. The sun shone in, and it lit Aether in a warm light. His golden hair almost looked white in the sunlight. And his eyes. Those eyes looked at Childe's like he was the only one who existed. It made his heart skip a beat then.
Childe said a joke, it wasn't very funny, but Aether had laughed none the less. Childe thought he was looking at an angel with the way Aether's nose scrunched and his hands flew to his face to hide his grin.
But it wasn't the same now. It was going to rain and that bright sunlight was gone.
It should hurt more to hear those words from Aether, Childe thought to himself. A small part of him was wishing that Aether would scream at him like before. Just something. Anything. Tell him everything he did wrong and how he wasn't enough. Then, maybe it would hurt more. He wanted a real fight, for them to draw their swords and clash until there was a victor. To prove that it wasn't all for nothing. But there wouldn't be anything left either way. Just the end.
Instead, this was all so... anticlimactic. Like the last moments of an old, withered leaf falling to the ground. A soft landing with nothing else to it. There was nothing to say. They both knew. Childe could tell by the way Aether looked at him.
He didn't look at him the same anymore.
Neither did he. Aether would always be beautiful, that much was for sure, but he no longer made his heart skip a beat like the first day they met. Aether was still as beautiful, if not, even more so. But now, it was Childe who couldn't meet those pretty golden eyes.
The end had been in the air for so long, Childe was surprised he couldn't tell when the countdown had started.
"I guess... this is goodbye then?" Aether asked, and it almost seemed as if he was looking for an answer that could change the end of this story. But Childe couldn't change the story. They both had already written the end to it. The characters' stories were already wrapped up, they had their start and their zenith, but now it was time to close the book.
"Maybe," Childe replied, "we could still see each other." As friends, perhaps.
The blond stared at him, his eyes unmoving. "Would you want that?"
Yes. No. Maybe. Did he? It would be a lie to say he wanted this to end. He didn't want to break up with Aether. He didn't want to part with the person who he showed him love and kindness. Not so soon anyway.
But if it's meant to be, then maybe it would be in the stars again. Sometime in the future. Sometime never.
"No." He forced a smile and finally met those golden eyes. "No. I don't think so."
Aether took a deep breath. "Alright. I understand. Thank you. For telling the truth."
They didn't exchange any more words. Neither of them said it, but there was still an unspoken agreement to remain acquaintances, to greet the other if they ever saw each other again on the other side of the street, ask how each other were, and maybe a smile or two.
If Childe was ever going to walk around the streets, maybe he'd see Aether with his little floating companion and give a wave. And Aether would smile and wave back. But that was it. They were strangers after all. No. They were more than strangers, but not quite the lovers they once were.
And Childe would be on his own way. He had already promised to go with Zhongli and show the man a few good sights of Snezhnaya, even though the other didn't need much escorting.
Then he would return to the battlefield and fight until the Fatui had reached its goal. And maybe Aether would return to his travels across Teyvat, searching for his sister, searching for a home. They would find their paths, and they wouldn't have to cross again.
