Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The morning sunlight, which entered through a gap in the curtains swaying with the cool breeze coming from the open window, lightly illuminated Kinich's small apartment, and the sound of a kettle boiling echoed through the silent room, alerting him that the water was hot and despite still being sleepy, he quickly turned off the heat and began to make the coffee.

Kinich watched the water and powder slowly mix as he waited for all the liquid to pass through the filter and go into the bottle, making the smell of fresh coffee fill the room in a pleasant way.

However, Kinich's mind was far from the present, stuck in his memories of yesterday's encounter. Every time he remembered it, his cheeks turned red, especially when thought about his action at the end. The feeling of embarrassment took over, since this was a new situation, to the point where he didn't know how he should behave properly, which made him sigh in frustration.

"Why did I do that?! It was so unnecessary."

Once again the memory of the kiss on the cheek he had given reappeared in his mind and Kinich cringed a little as he hid his face with his hands, and the red color quickly spread to his ears.

“Ughhh... how embarrassing...”

But, despite his embarrassment, a small smile grew unconsciously as he thought of Aether.

“Ah! The coffee!”

In the middle of his ramblings, he remembered that he was still making the coffee, which had already strained completely, and quickly removed the strainer used to discard it, closed the bottle and took it to the table in the center of the room, where he sat down to have breakfast, and poured some of the liquid into a cup that was already there.

The heat of the coffee warmed his throat and its flavor calmed him little by little, as the caffeine took effect and in a few seconds Kinich already felt more awake. His thoughts, however, continued to run wild, and even as he ate, couldn't stop thinking about the blond, and whenever he remembered how kind he was, his heart would fill with a feeling that was unfamiliar to him.

"This is so confusing...ugh...should I text him?"

This doubt arose in his mind as he unlocked his cell phone, deep down hoping to have some message from Aether, but what shocked him wasn't whether or not there was a new notification, but rather the time, almost making him choke on the piece of bread he was eating when he saw the numbers on the screen.

"I'm going to be late!! What's wrong with me?!"

Hurrying to finish what he was eating, Kinich just put the dishes in the sink, gathered his things and ran out of his apartment, hurrying down the stairs towards the sidewalk. Usually he left early enough to complete his commute calmly, since he lived far from his work, but today he completely lost track of the time, most likely due to all the thoughts that took his attention away from reality.

If he was fast enough, he might still be able to catch the train, but if he wasn’t, he would have to wait for the next one, and that would be a problem. Determined not to be late at all, Kinich ran through the quiet streets of Liyue, dodging the few people who were passing by at this hour, not caring if they thought he was strange, and being careful not to trip over any of the bricks on the sidewalk. He knew that not far ahead there would be a street to cross, and looking from afar he noticed that the light was still open for pedestrians. Kinich knew that if the light closed, the minutes he would waste waiting for it to open again would be the reason he would possibly miss the next train, so if he hurried his steps, he could cross the street safely and on time.

“Hm... if I'm fast enough...”

Taking a deep breath, Kinich increased his running pace and entered the asphalt crossing to the other side, keeping an eye on the traffic light that was almost turning red, and at the exact moment he put his foot on the sidewalk, the light turned red and the cars sped down the street and without looking back, Kinich resumed his path to the station.

When he got there, he ran down the stairs and went straight to boarding, and luckily the train was still there. Kinich boarded quickly and only when he was inside could he stop and take a deep breath, resting his hands on his hips as he caught his breath, his face red from the effort, as the wagon began to move.

“haaa...haa... that was...aahh...close.”

Relief took over and his expression relaxed, feeling calmer, Kinich looked around and tried to find an empty seat, but it seemed that this time he would have to stand, so with a tired sigh, he held on to the nearest bar. While waiting for his stop, Kinich watched the landscape through the window, contemplating how the sun gradually illuminated the buildings with its golden rays, beginning to awaken the city, indicating that another busy day would begin in Liyue. This became a sight that Kinich had grown accustomed to every day since he moved here. As the buildings and structures passed by, he got closer to his destination, and just as he was about to stop at his stop, Kinich was already positioned near the door to get off. The sound of the train braking indicated that its movements had completely ceased, and the doors officially opened after the audible signal, allowing Kinich to deftly move to leave, following the flow of people out of the station.

Once he reached the street, he decided to check the time once more, and his worries eased when he realized that he wouldn't be late from here on, meaning he could walk calmly to the coffee shop the way he liked.

The sound of people opening their shops, their conversations and laughter, the cars passing by, the sound his own feet made as they came into contact with the stone sidewalk accompanied Kinich. The leaves of the typical Liyue trees painted the sidewalk yellow as they fell, producing an interesting glow in the sunlight, which gradually warmed the city's temperature.

As he passed an old-fashioned tea shop, Kinich was greeted by the owner, a kind lady who would share some of her wares with him whenever she could, as she was arranging her display.

“Good morning, Kinich-kun. This is a lovely morning, isn’t it?”

“Good morning, Madame Ping. The weather is really nice today.”

“Hoho! Great things are going to happen today, I’m sure! Ah! I almost forgot! I have a new supply of teas, so I’ll give you some.”

“I appreciate it, but there’s no need to give them away, I can’t keep accepting your products for free like this.”

“Hoho, don’t worry so much about such details. Think of it as you helping me test out the new flavors.”

Without waiting for a response, Madame Ping walked into the shop to get the tea, and Kinich resigned himself to this situation. He shouldn’t have been surprised really, since this scene happened almost every day. By this point, it was clear that Madame Ping was a very persistent lady. The cool morning breeze was soothing and the sun warmed his skin pleasantly as he waited, taking in the city scenery, and he was lost in his thoughts once more, but the old lady’s voice returning brought him back to reality and the small box in her hands caught his attention.

“Here you go! I’m sure you’ll enjoy the taste of this one! There’s a bit of glass lily in the recipe this time!”

“Thank you, I’ll try it then. I have to go now, have a good day Madam Ping.”

Tucking the small box containing the sachets carefully into his bag, Kinich bid the old lady farewell.

“Have a good job too young boy, and don’t forget to enjoy the moments in life.”

Kinich didn't usually believe in people's good will, but he knew that Madame Ping's sincere smile and the concern and affection in her voice were truly genuine, which made him feel strangely good to the point of smiling slightly and with a farewell wave Kinich resumed his path and a few more blocks ahead he arrived at the coffee shop, seeing Furina, who was already unlocking the door, and when she saw Kinich, came towards him excitedly, with a huge smile.

"Good morning Kinich!!! Tell me everything about your date!! I want to know every detail!!"

The question took him completely by surprise and inevitably made him think again about the previous day, making his face heat up and since he didn't know how to describe a good answer, he ended up saying the first thing that came to mind.

"Good morning, Furina-san. And the date... was good."

This simple description clearly didn't please Furina who put her hands on her hips to try to look angry as she spoke.

“That’s no good answer! Come on, I asked for details! Your date was definitely more than just ‘Good’! Otherwise you wouldn’t be blushing like that!”

“That’s…!”

Kinich tried to think of a way to disagree, but Furina wasn’t wrong, so sighing in resignation, he agreed to tell her, however before he could say anything, Scaramouche’s voice came.

“What are you losers so excited about so early? It’s not even nine o’clock yet.”

“Good morning to you too, Scara!”

“Good morning, Scaramouche.”

Since they had already gotten used to Scaramouche’s bad-tempered personality, they were not fazed by his rudeness. In fact, this was Scaramouche’s normal greeting.

“We’re talking about Kinich’s date!”

Furina explained as she opened the door and everyone was allowed in to start setting up.

“Is that so? So tell us how it went. You didn’t humiliate yourself too much, did you?”

“I hope not.”

“Go get changed and I’ll start setting up the display case, so while we get things sorted, you can tell us everything.”

Kinich and Scaramouche went to the staff room, where they left their things in their respective lockers, and quickly changed into their uniforms, and in a few minutes they were back to help Furina.

“So, tell us how it went.”

Knowing that he wouldn’t escape this interrogation, Kinich, who was turning on the coffee machines, the computer and the music in the room, thought about where to start telling the story.

“Aether picked me up in his car to take me to a kind of natural viewpoint here, from where you could see the whole city.”

Kinich paused as he remembered how much he had enjoyed the trip.

“It was a breathtaking view, so beautiful it was. He said it was one of his favorite places.”

“It really looks beautiful! Where is it?”

“I promised Aether I would keep the location a secret. He said it would be a place only the two of us would know.”

“Ohhh! That’s so romantic!! What else?”

“Argh, how treacly! Don’t tell me you like that kind of cheesy stuff!”

Scaramouche, who was writing the day’s special on the board above them, gave up pretending to be uninterested in the conversation and wanted to provoke a little, after all, he wouldn’t be himself without his snide comments. But Furina provoked him just as much, after all, she already knew how to deal with that personality.

“Don’t be annoying Scara, you just don’t like to admit that you like those things too.”

“This has nothing to do with it!!! Why would I want such pathetic things?!”

“You may not confess, but even you want to be loved.”

“I don’t need this!”

Kinich watched this tug of war, finding it hilarious how Scaramouche didn’t know how to deal with the tables being turned against him, until Furina’s attention returned to the previous conversation.

“Okay, just ignore Scara’s comments and keep telling Kinich.”

“I had a good time with Aether there, we talked a lot, and I enjoyed every moment I had with him, but there’s something worrying me a little.”

“What is it? Tell us so we can help you.”

“Include me out of this!”

Despite the immediate complaint, Scaramouche still continued listening to the conversation. Kinich mentally debated whether he should tell or not, because he felt extremely embarrassed to recount what happened, but since he was the only one to bring up the subject, he could go ahead and vent. With his face red and his eyes averted to his feet, he began to speak.

“I think I may have been too impulsive at the end of the date...”

He had to pause to find the right words to describe it.

“I mean, I think I did something unnecessary for a first date.”

Furina and Scaramouche listened attentively and thought of all the possibilities of what Kinich could have done, each crazier than the other.

“Just tell me what the hell you did! Not that I care, of course.”

“Yes, explain better.”

Taking a deep breath, Kinich spoke at once, his face even redder and the embarrassment taking on enormous proportions in his mind.

“I kissed him on the cheek before getting out of the car and going to my apartment!!”

There, he said and shyly looked at his friends and both Scaramouche and Furina were paralyzed with a blank expression on their faces.

“It was too much, wasn’t it? I’m sure I shouldn’t have done that, I don’t even know if Aether wanted that...”

The first to come out of the shock was Scaramouche who exclaimed in disbelief.

“You have to be kidding me!! That’s a ridiculous concern!! I really thought you had done something horrible!!”

“What?! What do you mean? And what did you think it was?”

“The way you were talking I thought you had climbed on his lap or tried to have sex, or something.”

“What!? That wasn’t it!! What crazy thing are you thinking!”

Scaramouche’s sentence made Kinich’s face turn as red as a ripe tomato and the color easily spread to his neck. He felt even more embarrassed now than before, even more so as he unintentionally imagined the scene Scaramouche had created.

“There’s no way I would have tried something so bold on the first date!”

“Then you have to rethink what you consider to be a concern in your life!”

“Pff- Hahahaha... sorry... haha... I didn’t expect that! Hahaha...”

“Why are you laughing Furina-san! It’s not funny!”

Kinich pulled his headband up until it covered his eyes a little due to embarrassment, in an attempt to hide from the two in front of him, of course that didn't hide the color on his face.

"Sorry... ahh... right..." Taking a deep breath Furina controlled her incessant laughter. She didn't mean to make fun of Kinich, but this was so unexpectedly cute of him that her immediate reaction ended up being to laugh. "Scara is right, however, you know, your concern was unnecessary."

"...was it?"

Still covering his eyes, Kinich shyly asked.

"Yes. Trust me when I say that your action wasn't too impulsive. It was actually something innocent and sweet on your part. And I'm sure Aether appreciated this gesture."

"Do you think? Are you sure it didn't bother him?"

"Knowing that idiot blond, it's certain that after you did that he must have had a giant goofy smile on his face. He must have felt on cloud nine."

"Did you notice his reaction?"

“No, I ran out of the car, embarrassed and afraid of his reaction.”

“Well, despite that, Scara must be right. If you had looked, you would have certainly seen Aether smiling from ear to ear.”

Thinking about it for a moment, Kinich felt calmer. He had no way of knowing for sure whether Furina and Scaramouche were right or not about Aether’s reaction, but if they both said he had nothing to worry about, then it wouldn’t hurt to trust them. Fixing his headband in place and with renewed confidence, he faced his friends again.

“If you’re sure, then I’ll stop thinking about it too much.”

“Yes, next time don’t come with that nonsense– Ouch! Furina!”

Scaramouche looked shocked at the girl who had pinched his arm hard and, rubbing the sore spot, asked irritably.

“What’s that for?!”

“So you don’t be rude! Kinich has never gone out with anyone before, so it’s obvious he has doubts!” Furina then looked at Kinich and her tone of voice softened as she spoke. “Don’t mind Scara. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to talk to us, okay?”

“Why include me again?”

He complained quietly, so that Furina wouldn’t turn her anger on him again.

“I’ll keep that in mind, and thank you, you’ve helped me a lot already.”

“I’m glad. But now the free time is over. Back to work!”

Furina announced excitedly and went to turn the sign hanging on the door to announce that the store was open, starting another busy morning. With his mind much lighter, Kinich took his place behind the counter, ready to serve everyone who came in, while feeling happy for having met these incredible people and made friends like this.

---*---

The clear blue sky without clouds was a contrast against all the tall buildings of Liyue and the light breeze, which spread the sweet scent of the silk flowers planted in several flowerbeds along the sidewalk, gently swayed Aether’s long braid, and the freshness of the morning was comforting to him, who had just left the academy.

“I think today is going to be a great day, for some reason.”

Allowing himself to enjoy the gentle breeze against his face and admiring the sky, Aether let his mind go blank, but his moment was interrupted by the sound of a shrill horn, making him jump in fright and as soon as his heart calmed down, he could look around in the direction of the sound, getting irritated when he realized it was his sister.

“Lumine! Do you want to scare me to death?!”

“You weren’t listening to me so I had to bring you back to the world of the living. And do you want this ride or not?”

“Yes, I will, after all today I was very excited and trained hard.” Aether paused thinking about the reason for this as he walked to the car. “But how could I not be excited after yesterday? I will definitely have energy for the rest of my life!”

“Oh no, don’t start that again! I swear, if I hear one more time how much you loved every moment of your date, how cute you think Kinich is or how happy it made you, I’ll drop you right here and you’ll have to walk all the way to work! No matter how much your body hurts!”

Lumine sighed tiredly as she listened to Aether babble on about it. Of course she was proud and happy that her brother’s date had gone well, and she wished only the best for this situation, but Aether had already told her every detail since yesterday, when he called her to everything, and having to hear him say it over and over again could be a little tiring.

Quickly getting into the car before Lumine could carry out her threat, he looked a little annoyed at his sister although he understood the reason for her irritation, since he was really repeating that a lot, but he couldn’t help it, he was so happy and wanted others to know it.

“Okay, I’m not talking about this anymore, but it seems like you hate this situation...”

“I don’t hate it, but you sound like a broken record. Last night you video called me to tell me everything, so you don't need to talk about it again.” “Sorry...” Despite apologizing, Aether couldn't shut up about it. “But the best part was the kiss on the cheek. I never thought I would feel like this.” Lumine sighed tiredly, although she didn't blame her brother, after all she knew he just wanted to express how happy he was, so she would let him talk a little more. And of course, as a good sibling relationship, teasing can't be missed. “You're freaking out about a simple kiss on the cheek. It almost seems like you're a puritan who's never had other much bolder experiences.” “I've really had my share of experiences in relationships, and for sure many of them weren't just holding hands.” After all, Aether met many people in all his travels, and it was inevitable that he would end up having love interests. “But none of them were something so... intense. You're right, it's the first time I've felt like this, so in love!” The difference between Kinich and Aether’s previous relationships was precisely the way Aether felt. In the past, he may not have been ready for something serious, since his focus was on traveling, and because of this, his romances were also fleeting, never lasting, always ending when he left. But with Kinich, it was the first time that Aether wanted to have something concrete, to create a life with him. Who knows, maybe this was a little influenced by the way he decided to live now, but whatever started this strong desire, Aether was grateful to meet Kinich at this stage of his life. “I understand you. Traveling was a great time in our lives, but at some point I also started looking for stability in one place. I think it’s inevitable. And when Childe came into my life, I was even more certain of this decision to stop.” Nodding silently, Aether looked out the lowered car window, feeling the breeze on his skin, watching the bustling city pass by, the scenery changing from block to block, children walking to school, businessmen in fancy suits already making hectic phone calls, vendors already in full swing selling. This lively view of the city brought a smile to Aether's face, while his mind pondered sending an early text. He didn't want to be a nuisance, but he decided that it didn't matter at the moment and a good morning text wouldn't be a big deal. Aether: Good morning. How was your night? He didn't expect an immediate response, after all, he knew Kinich was working at the moment, so he didn't worry and put his cell phone back in his backpack. Just then, Lumine parked the car in front of a tattoo shop. "We're here." Getting out of the car, Aether walked straight to the entrance, where he saw Xiao, who had arrived almost at the same time as them. "Good morning, Xiao. You got here faster than us today." “This time Venti didn’t wake up with me, so I left the house early since I didn’t have to make him coffee.” “Haha, Venti is certainly to blame for 90% of your lateness and I’m sure it’s because you can’t deny those big eyes.” “Shut up. It’s nothing to do with it. I’m just… trying to be a considerate boyfriend.” With his cheeks dyed red, Xiao tried and failed to deny the truth. “Come on Xiao, there’s no need to be ashamed of telling your best friend that your biggest weakness is Venti.” “That’s not true!! You’re exaggerating!” Giving a look that could intimidate anyone, except Aether who already knew how to discern when Xiao was really angry or not, he tried to deny the reality. “Deny it all you want, everyone knows that you wouldn’t deny Venti practically anything.” “Shut up, and who are you to say anything? You were all flustered just from exchanging numbers with a cute boy.” “I’m not ashamed to admit it. I really was in heaven just talking to him.” “You…! You’re shameless!” “Have the girls stopped arguing so we can open this store, or are we going to have to wait longer?” Lumine was looking at the two with tired eyes and her arms crossed, who was not in the mood to deal with this nonsense at nine in the morning. “Sorry...” Xiao was embarrassed and apologized, immediately going to open the door. Aether didn’t care much and just preferred to stay silent, after all he had fun teasing his friends. As soon as they entered, everyone started to tidy everything up and turn on all the LEDs that decorated the store. While he was putting his things away in the back room, Xiao remembered something Venti had asked him to do, and searched his bag for some specific papers, and when he found them at the bottom of it, he returned to the reception. “I almost forgot, but Venti asked me to give you some tickets.” “Tickets for what?” Changing her attention from the client’s schedule, Lumine asked interestedly about the subject. “For a music festival in Mondstadt. Venti will be performing.” Handing the invitations to the two, Xiao finished explaining what the occasion was, and both Aether and Lumine were very interested in the invitation, after all any performance by Venti was wonderful, however something made the blond raise an eyebrow in confusion. “Xiao, wait, I think you gave me an extra ticket.” To Lumine it made sense give two tickets, since she had Childe with her, but not Aether. “It wasn’t a mistake, Venti got you two too.” “Huh? Why?” “Isn’t it obvious? You can invite whoever you want to accompany you.” “Whoever I want… Oh! I see! I’ll thank Venti later for this.” As soon as Venti’s intention became clear, Aether felt extremely grateful for the help. Thanks to this, he had a great chance to go out with Kinich once again. “I’m glad I didn’t have to explain everything in detail. At least that old processor in your head didn’t completely die.” “Give me a break Xiao, it’s nine in the morning. I haven’t fully woken up yet.” “A lame excuse to cover up the fact that you’re an idiot.” “You can be an idiot when you want to, right?” “Apparently I’m working with two idiots.” Holding back a laugh from her spot at the counter where she was watching the hilarious scene, Lumine called their attention. “Put this silly argument aside and get ready, because the first client arrives in half an hour.” “Who is it?” Looking at the information on the schedule, Lumine answered. “His name is Arataki Itto. He’s getting another large tattoo. And he’s scheduled to do it with you Xiao.” That name drew a tired sigh from Xiao in anticipation, since this guy had been here before, and he remembered his peculiar personality, always tiresomely excited and having to deal with that early in the morning is not what he wanted, and for some reason this guy loved Xiao, saying that they were brothers in a past life or some nonsense like that. “Couldn’t you have scheduled him later?” “You know it’s not that easy.” “Okay... I’ll... prepare myself mentally.” “Good luck Xiao.” With a sneer Aether made fun of his friend’s situation. “Because this tattoo will probably take all morning.” “Shut up Aether.” Aether was laughing at Xiao’s grumpy face, thinking he had won this one, but his sister’s next line was a bucket of cold water on his mood. “You also have a client scheduled for half an hour. It’s Childe.” “What?” “Ha! Who’s laughing now, clown!” “Lumine, please tell me this is a bad joke!” “It’s not. He specifically asked you to do this, he even took the morning off work just for this time.” “Not him! What did I do to deserve this?!” “It’s karma for making fun of me.” Childe must have done this on purpose, because he definitely knew that this would piss Aether off early in the morning. It’s just like that redhead to do something like this. “I’ll get ready then.” Looking as if his soul had left his body, Aether apathetically agreed with the situation. “Anyway, thank Venti for the invitations Xiao. You can be sure that Childe and I will go.” Lumine’s comment temporarily shook Aether out of his dejected state, reminding him of this. “I’ll go too. I don’t miss a single one of Venti’s performances. I’ll confirm who will go with me later.” This made him think about how to invite Kinich, and about to take out his cell phone to send a message, he had a better idea. He would invite him personally, then stop by the café later. “Okay, now let’s go, we both have a battle ahead of us.” “Unfortunately...” Taking a deep breath, Aether and Xiao went to prepare their instruments, looking like they were going to war, making Lumine laugh softly at this reaction. “So silly... hihi.” Opening a magazine to pass the time, she enjoyed the silence that took over the reception, until of course her noisiest customers arrived. “OJOU-CHAN, I’M HERE!” “HAHAHA, THE GREAT ARATAKI ITTO HAS ARRIVED.” These noisy voices were so loud that they easily echoed from the reception to the tattoo parlors, drawing tired sighs from Aether and Xiao, each in their respective rooms, making them accept this fate. This is going to be a long morning. ---*---
The soft music playing from the coffee shop's speakers was one of the only sounds in the quiet environment, since there were no customers at that moment filling the place with their conversations and laughter or the sound of silverware. This was something that Kinich secretly appreciated and taking advantage of the lack of people to serve, he occupied himself by sweeping the floor. In about half an hour he would leave and other employees would take over the last hours of the day, but that didn't mean he would leave the messy environment, so he always tidied everything up before leaving. Today's shift was calm despite the large number of customers and Kinich felt extremely light, as if nothing would go wrong. He was so absorbed in what he was doing that he didn't realize that he had unconsciously started to sway his body to the rhythm of the music and in a few seconds he was dancing while sweeping. He also didn't notice the sound of the bell above the door ringing or the footsteps of someone coming in. This someone who was shocked by what his eyes captured and froze in front of the entrance with his mouth open in surprise. “Wow...” He whispered so as not to ruin the dazzling moment that was unfolding. As he turned around, Kinich caught sight of the entrance and finally noticed the existence of an unusual audience of only one man, which made him completely freeze his movements, widening his eyes in panic. “Aether!!!” Embarrassment taking complete control over him, making his face turn redder than a tomato and stuttering because of the tremor in his voice, he tried to explain. “T-that’s... no... I-I mean... pretend you didn’t see anything... please.” Averting his eyes to the floor and pressing his lips together, Kinich tried to hide his embarrassment, and holding tightly to the broom handle as if it would support him, he mentally cursed himself. Seriously, how idiotic he was, he couldn’t even explain properly, while waiting for the imminent disgust that would come now. “That’s a request I’m incapable of fulfilling. I never thought you could dance so well, Kinich.” Not expecting this reaction, Kinich looked at Aether in disbelief, thinking this was a joke, but his sincere expression left him embarrassed. “What?” Calmly approaching Kinich, Aether smiled affectionately to reaffirm his opinion. “I said you dance well.” “You can’t be serious?” Frowning his face in distrust, Kinich still didn’t want to believe it, after all, until today he had always been told that “this” he called dancing was ridiculous and he should never do it again. In fact, he doesn’t even know what got into his head to dance today, knowing full well that he shouldn’t. “I’m serious. You have perfect rhythm moving your body.” “That...” ...doesn’t make sense and Kinich doesn’t understand why Aether is so sure about it, that’s what he almost said, instead he chose to end this uncomfortable subject. “It doesn’t matter. Can we not talk about it anymore, please. I... don’t dance.” Feeling Kinich’s discomfort growing and realizing that he clearly didn’t want to talk about it, if the tightness of his hands on the broom handle, his tense shoulders and his lips pursed in a straight line were any indication, it was clear that this was a boundary that Kinich was making very clear that he was not yet allowed to cross and, despite wanting to understand why he was reacting so tensely, he obeyed and stepped back to respect it. “Okay. I won’t bring it up again.” Letting out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding, Kinich felt the tension escape his body and reaffirmed to himself that he would never make a mistake like that again. Aether’s quick acceptance also helped to restore his calm, an action that he appreciated, since he was worried that he might end up insisting. “Did you come to ask for something? I can prepare it for you.” Then he would finish setting up, something that should have been ready already if he hadn’t been distracted. “Oh, don’t bother. I came here to talk to you.” “Ah, it was because I forgot to reply to your message! Sorry, I saw it, but I didn’t have time to write one.” “What…? Oh, no, it has nothing to do with that. I figured you wouldn’t be able to reply to me.” “It must have been because of what I did yesterday then, I’m sorry, it was an impulse, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Kinich was clearly spiraling into panic now, because he must have done something wrong for Aether to come talk to him in person and despite his friends’ claims earlier, they were definitely wrong, and in the end Aether hated it and…
“What?! That’s not it either. And just to clarify, I liked it.” With his cheeks slightly flushed, Aether admitted what he felt. “It was... lovely.” This broke the endless cycle of negative thoughts that Kinich was sinking into and, looking at Aether confused, he ended up being taken aback by his slightly shy expression, leaving him speechless, since he hadn’t thought the blond could make that kind of face. Kinich’s stunned silence made Aether decide to continue explaining and with a fake cough to dispel his embarrassment he spoke. “I wanted to invite you.” “Invitation to what?” Taking the ticket out of his bag he handed it to Kinich, who looked curiously at what was written on it. “A music festival...?” “Yes, my friend is performing that day and gave me an extra invitation and I thought you might like to go. But if you don’t want to, that’s okay.” Kinich thought about this proposal for a while as he looked at the ticket and considered refusing. He had never been to a festival, so he didn't know if it would be comfortable for him or not, but one look at Aether's hopeful face made him swallow his refusal. After all, he didn't dislike music and could make the effort. "Okay, I'll go." "Really!? Thanks! I'll send you a message later with the information. See you later!" Aether's happiness was so immense that without thinking twice he gave Kinich a big hug before happily leaving the store, not realizing how shocked he left him with this spontaneous reaction. "Huh!?" His face heated up at the speed of light and clutching his clothes tightly, right above where his heart was, he felt his heartbeat accelerate, his mind frozen in this act, not knowing how to react. "Huh!!" "Hello, Earth to Kinich, are you there?" Scara's sarcastic voice appeared out of nowhere, trying to provoke him, since he had been silently observing this exchange for a while, finding it incredible how neither of them noticed his presence at the counter. "Scaramouche?!.... Huh!?" “I can’t believe it! You froze because of a fucking hug. How ridiculous.” Scara’s provocation snapped Kinich out of his trance and irritated him a little, especially since there was truth to this argument. Seriously, what the hell was going on with his head?! “I didn’t freeze, I was just… surprised. And where were you? Were you going to leave me to clean up all by myself?” “Whatever you want to believe. And where I was is none of your business, but I didn’t intend to leave you alone. In fact, you were so busy flirting that you didn’t notice that I finished cleaning up the counter here.” “Flirting!? I wasn’t flirting, just chatting.” And now that he looked, everything from the counter inwards was indeed organized, meaning all that was left was to finish sweeping. Kinich felt pretty stupid now. “You really did clean up, thanks. I’ll finish my part.” Carefully putting the ticket in his pants pocket, he went back to what he was doing before, not only because he wanted to finish his work, but also as a way to escape this awkward conversation. “Running away, you idiot, but whatever. It’s none of my business. Since I’m already done, I’ll get ready to leave.” Without caring about an answer, Scaramouche went to the changing room in the employee lounge to change his clothes and leave. Alone again, Kinich sighed in frustration. This was all crazy, and by the archons, he was still embarrassed, so to divert his attention he focused all his energy on the task at hand. By the time he finished sweeping everything, Scara had already left and the other employees arrived. “Good afternoon Kinich-kun.” “Hello Kinich!!!” “Good afternoon, Kazuha, Xinyan.” Sensing that Kinich seemed a little out of it, Kazuha looked deeply as if reading his soul and asked worriedly.
“You seem a little strange, did something happen?” “No, nothing happened, I’m just tired. It’s been a busy morning. I’ll put the broom and dustpan in the pantry.” Once again making an excuse to avoid having to answer, Kinich quickly went to the store’s pantry. Sometimes it was terrible to have such perceptive friends. If Kazuha realized so quickly, it’s because he’s not in control of his emotions yet, and as soon as he put everything away, he went to the locker room, changed from his uniform back into his own clothes, and leaned his forehead against the door for a few seconds to calm down. When he felt a little calmer, he grabbed his things and left. “Ah! The ticket!” Almost forgetting, he rummaged through his pants pocket until he found the paper and carefully put it inside his bag. Maybe he was a little anxious about this day, after all it seemed like fun, besides having Aether's company, which made him smile slightly, and on the way out he passed by the kitchen and said goodbye to Furina, who only waved in acknowledgement, since she was very busy at the moment, baking some more snacks. When he left the coffee shop he said goodbye to Kazuha and Xinyan and started his way home. The weather at two in the afternoon was different from the early morning, a stronger and hotter sun, turning the simple walk into a pilgrimage in the desert.There was also much more noise at this time, from cars, people and animals. Even so, Kinich enjoyed these moments too, and liked to observe the differences between the periods. Passing by Madame Ping's store he greeted her quickly, this time without stopping, since the lady was busy serving, and at this calm pace he reached the station, caught the train back and before he knew it he had already arrived and resuming his steps he headed towards the apartment observing everything around him. The children who came back from school happily and the tired parents who accompanied them, the full restaurants, the birds singing non-stop, in a way it was a sight he saw every single day, but strangely it never got tired of. Maybe it was because despite being the same, everything was also different. The lady who watered the flowerbed every day was the same, but her clothes were always a different color, the young man who sold crepes, always with different flavors for different people, even the animals looked the same, but they weren't. That was what Kinich liked to observe, how life always changes. Before, in his old house, he could never observe it this way. When he arrived at his apartment, he was greeted by the silent emptiness, the commotion of the world staying outside the door, but to avoid becoming depressed about his loneliness he went to clean up the mess he remembered leaving in the morning. The water was at a good temperature at this time and while he was rinsing the dishes he was going over the events of this morning, feeling terrible about all the mistakes, but he decided to focus on something that wouldn't destroy him so much mentally, that being the date he would have with Aether at the weekend. Kinich has to admit that he is looking forward to going out with him again and started to think about what he would wear that day. When he finished washing the last dishes he went straight to his room to look at his clothes and felt lost. "I... I don't know what to wear... Should I go formal? Or not? Are my clothes even wearable?" Taking shirts and pants out of the closet he was feeling more and more terrified, since all he had were sweatshirts, jeans and loose clothes, and to make matters worse everything was terribly old and worn out, after all Kinich never had a chance to renew his wardrobe, since the little money he earned was for other more important needs and if he showed up with even a single new piece his father would hate it, so he preferred not to risk his wrath. But now he needed something to solve this problem, but it seemed clearly impossible, until an idea came to mind. Maybe Scaramouche could help him, since he always dressed well. He quickly called and after a few rings Scaramouche answered. 'What do you want?' "I need your help. Aether invited me to a music festival and-" 'I know, I heard that part. And what do you need from me?' "I don't know what to wear." '... And what the fuck does this have to do with me?' "I noticed you always dress well, so I thought you could help me." '.... ugh, okay.... but don't think I'm doing this because I care or some shit...' a slight silence on the other end until the voice of Scara came back. 'It's just because I have nothing better to do. Tell me your address and I'll go check on this situation.' And without further ado, he hung up. Not bothered at all by his attitude, Kinich quickly sent his address in the chat with Scara and waited for his response. Scara: I'll be there in 30 minutes. While he waited, he tidied up his apartment a little and before he knew it, half an hour had passed and a knock on the door caught his attention. Looking through the peephole to confirm who it was, he opened the door when he saw it was Scaramouche, allowing him to enter. "You live in a small place and quite far from work. How can you stand being here?" "It's not like I had a choice, it's what I could afford when I moved and what I can afford to keep." "I didn't mean it to be offensive. I just said it without thinking." Scaramouche didn't really mean it in a derogatory way, he was just shocked by the distance Kinich had to travel every day. He, who lived half an hour from work, already had to wake up at least an hour and a half earlier to not be late, so he wondered how early Kinich had to get up. “I know it wasn’t on purpose. Never mind, I’ll show you my clothes.” Kinich didn’t feel too offended by the words since it was an inevitable fact. As soon as they got to the room, Scaramouche took the liberty of opening the wardrobe and for a few seconds stared at the clothes in silence as if he were frozen in time, then, when he moved, held the tip of his nose, making a frustrated face before looking at Kinich in disbelief. “Do you have to be kidding me?! This can’t be all you have!?” Feeling a little embarrassed by his situation, Kinich looked away to the floor while a slight blush rose to his cheeks. “This... is all I have.” What was his fault anyway? These clothes had actually been with him since he was little, since his father had opted to buy sizes twice as big as his at the time, so they wouldn't have to buy new ones when Kinich grew up. Realizing that he had made Kinich uncomfortable with his terribly rude speech, Scaramouche was quick to clarify, because again he had no intention of hurting anything. “I didn't mean to be rude, I just said too much again. I mean, you just moved here, so obviously clothes aren't your main concern. It's understandable.” “Yeah, I really haven't had time to think about it.” “Anyway, let's see what we can do.” Scaramouche analyzed each piece, but his grimace grew with each piece of fabric he looked at, until in the end he exclaimed tiredly. “It's not possible!!! All of this...” he pointed to the pile of clothes on the floor. “It's unusable!! It's all faded, stained and old! There's no way to do miracles with this!” A feeling of sadness took over Kinich, because he really didn't know what to do now, and sullenly sat on the edge of the bed. If not even Scaramouche could find a way, then how was he going to go out with Aether? He didn't want to have to cancel the date because of this, but he also didn't want to look ridiculous in front of the blond. "Okay, plan B then." "What? Do you have another idea?" "Of course, we're going shopping!" "Shopping? I'd love to, but I don't have the money for it right now." Crossing his arms, Scaramouche looked at Kinich seriously as he spoke. "And who said you're going to pay. It's my idea, so I'll pay." "I can't accept this for free! It's not fair, I can't compensate you immediately and I'll only cause you problems." There was no way Kinich would accept this, both because he didn't like being in debt to others and because Scaramouche wouldn't get anything in return. It went against what he believed, so he was quick to deny it. “Agh, you’re already causing me trouble, because if I leave here without solving your problem I won’t be able to sleep, since I’ll feel like I failed and I hate the feeling of failure, not because I care about your situation, of course.” Calmly thinking about his next words, Scaramouche played his final card. “Besides, who said it was free? You’ll pay me obviously, in the time I want and as much as I want, so I refuse your refusal.”

Speechless, Kinich could only stare at Scaramouche in surprise. After all, he definitely didn't expect that he would have a way to leave him with no way to refuse. Sighing, he decided to accept, since the arguments were good. "Okay, I'll accept your help, but you can be sure that I'll make it up to you." Rolling his eyes at Kinich, Scaramouche disregarded his last statement and headed towards the exit. "I know you will, but it doesn't matter now. Let's go, we don't have time to waste." "Now?" "Yes, you idiot, the sooner we resolve this, the better for me." Reaching Scaramouche, who was already waiting in front of the door, Kinich quickly put on his shoes to join him and, locking his apartment, the two left. The trip from his apartment to the destination that Scaramouche was guiding them to didn't take long, and they were soon in front of a large clothing store. "I usually buy clothes here. They have all kinds of styles." As Scaramouche led him through the endless aisles crammed with hangers, Kinich felt increasingly confused. He had never been to a store like this before, so he didn’t know where to start or what to choose, and if it weren’t for Scara’s company, he would probably be panicking right now. “Okay, let’s get a little bit of everything.” “What do you mean? Isn’t this just an outfit for going out with Aether?” Without taking his eyes off the clothes on the hangers, Scaramouche explained. “Yes, but we’re also going to buy you clothes to wear on other days. What’s the point of having an outfit just for going out with Aether and having nothing for yourself on other days?” “For me?” This hesitant question finally made Scaramouche look at him with a serious expression. “You seem like the kind of person who is always doing everything for others, and in the end forgets about himself.” “That’s not far from the truth...” Mentally debating what to say to that, Scaramouche sighed wearily and carefully chose his next words. “Listen, I’m going to teach you something. You can do things for others, offer your help and everything, but never forget that you exist too, that you matter and that you’re a person too. So you need to do things for yourself too, it’s your right.” Kinich had to take a while to absorb what Scaramouche had just said, since his whole life he’d been told that he didn’t matter and had no rights, so it’s hard to assimilate with what he’s used to, but he kind of knows that Scaramouche is right, because if he hadn’t recognized in some way that his life wasn’t right, he wouldn’t have run away from home in the first place. “I think I understand what you mean, even though I hadn’t thought of it that way.” “If you understand, that’s a start. Let’s pick out the clothes then.” Without giving him time to get an answer, Scara started grabbing clothes after clothes and throwing them to Kinich to hold and in a short time there were so many clothes piled up in his arms that he could barely see in front of him, having to crane his neck over the clothes to see where to go. “Hmm... Scara... I think that's enough.” “Maybe just a little more.” Widening his eyes in shock, Kinich exclaimed loudly, something that was not very typical of him, but this answer was so absurd that his reaction was instantaneous. “A little more?! I can barely see my feet with the amount of things you gave me!!!” With a thoughtful expression and holding his chin as he analyzed the chosen clothes, Scara took a moment before deciding and when he did he nodded in agreement, but then he realized that Kinich couldn't see him properly and quickly spoke. “Yeah, you're right. It really is enough.” Kinich sighed in relief when he realized that he wouldn't need to convince Scaramouche and allowed himself to relax again. “What do we do now?” “Let's go to the changing rooms and try them on.” The relief was gone as quickly as it had settled in Kinich's mind when he realized he would have to prove all of this, giving way to instant fatigue, and wondering how he had forgotten this important detail, he sighed in resignation, since there was no going back now, Scaramouche would kill him if he gave up like this, and with discouragement in his voice he agreed. "...Okay... let's go..." "Why that downcast voice? It won't take that long." And with that statement Scaramouche walked ahead making Kinich have to catch up to him quickly so as not to end up getting separated and while he maneuvered with some difficulty the clothes in his arms so as not to bump into anything while trying to keep up with the other's pace, he didn't notice when they reached the changing room, only noticing when Scaramouche stopped in front of two entrances to talk to a girl with tied-up black hair, who looked expressionlessly for a few seconds at the pile of piled-up clothes and sighed deeply before speaking. “Why are you always the one causing me trouble on my watch...” “Oh stop complaining, you idiot astrologer, you should be used to it by now, since I do this almost every month.” “I’m not a stupid astrologer!! Get it through your head once and for all that astrology is something extremely important and real.” The girl seemed extremely offended by what Scaramouche said and angrily pointed her finger at his face while emphasizing her argument. Unfazed by this strong reaction, Scara just rolled his eyes as he replied. “As if I would believe in this nonsense about stars being able to predict the future.” “Oh, you...!!!! Well, you know that—” “Anyway, let’s leave this discussion for later, right now I need to solve his problem, so let us go into the changing rooms, Mona.” That sentence from Scaramouche made her temporarily forget her anger and when looked in the direction of Kinich, whose arms were already tired from holding the clothes for so long, the girl, who he now knew was called Mona, seemed to remember that there were other people here and felt embarrassed for falling for Scara's provocation, so to regain her posture she gave a cough and pretended that nothing had happened.

“Okay, I’ll make an exception for you, as always. Take advantage of the fact that there’s no one there and come in.”

Without wasting any time, the two of them went through and went to the first free fitting room, which he found quite spacious and comfortable, but Kinich was curious. After all, what did she mean by making an exception?

“Why did she say that to let us in? We’re not allowed to come and try things on?”

“Have you never been to a store like this?”

Scaramouche asked instead and, seeing Kinich shake his head, continued.

“Usually, you’re only allowed to bring a few pieces into the fitting room at a time. Here, for example, you can take ten at a time. But since I don’t like going back and forth, I always take everything I want at once. At first, Mona argued with me about it, but over time she gave up and now she only lets me through, as long as there are no other customers here.”

That cleared up his doubts and Kinich understood Mona's resignation, Scaramouche could be extremely stubborn when he wanted something, and he kind of identified with her, since he himself was being dragged into this situation by force by Scaramouche. Not that it was completely horrible, Kinich was grateful for his friend's good will, but it was clear that he had no choice here.

"Okay, let's start with these."

Taking the clothes that were being handed to him, Kinich looked at them and was a little uncertain about the shirt.

"Are you sure this one is good? Isn't it a little short?"

"You don't like it?"

"Oh, it's not that I don't like it... I've just never worn one like that..."

"I see, so try it on to see if you like it or not."

"Isn't it strange for a boy to wear something short like that?"

“It’s not. There’s nothing wrong with it. If you know certain people, you’d see that they wear things even shorter. It’s common and there’s nothing strange about it.”

Understanding where his hesitation was coming from, Scaramouche confidently stated to calm his concerns and it seemed to work, as Kinich agreed and went to try it on. As he changed into the clothes, Kinich had to admit that he liked seeing himself in them despite the strange feeling. The top, which was white, tight, high-necked and sleeveless, perfectly contoured his torso while highlighting his slim waist and the loose jeans balanced the look. He felt handsome and cute at the same time, as the clothes showed off his small stature in a nice and elegant way.

“So? Have you changed yet?”

Opening the door he let Scaramouche see how he had looked, and after observing for a while he seemed to like what he saw.

“I knew it would look good on you. How do you feel?”

“I’m feeling a little weird, I admit.”

“In a good way or a bad way? Like, do you feel uncomfortable?”

Kinich thought for a moment as he looked at himself in the mirror again, and he didn't feel uncomfortable. In fact, he actually liked what he saw.

"I feel comfortable. I'm just not used to wearing short clothes like that. But I like the feeling I get when I see myself wearing them... I feel pretty."

He had never been able to wear something like that before, and since he didn't dislike the feeling, he decided he could give in and wear these clothes. After all, there was no one to stop him now. It would just be a matter of time before he got used to them.

"That's not bad then. The important thing is to feel good in what you wear, and if it's just a matter of habit, that's easy to deal with. This is next."

Without wasting any time, he threw more clothes at Kinich and pushed him back into the dressing room. And the rest of his afternoon was just that, trying on clothes after clothes and showing them to Scaramouche. In the end, he didn't even know how long it took to try everything on, but what he was sure of was that the store was already closing when they finished.

"That was the last one. Let's go to the checkout."

Kinich thanked the archons for finishing, because he was sure he would faint if he had to put on another outfit, his body was so tired, and he couldn't stand changing clothes anymore. At least the suffering wasn't for nothing and Kinich managed to choose good clothes, and of everything Scara made him try on, there were few that he didn't really like.

When they were about to leave, Scara gave him two large bags with clothes inside, while the other two stayed with him.

"Where did you get these bags?"

"I asked Mona to get them so they would be easier to carry. Let's go."

The two of them walked to the cashiers, but halfway there, Scaramouche saw something that caught his attention.

"What's your shoe size?"

"Why do you want to know that?"

"There's no point in taking a bunch of clothes and not having a suitable shoe to go with them, so let's choose."

"That wasn't part of the deal, so I can't—"

"Don't even waste your time with this, I've decided, so we're taking shoes. You choose or I choose, and you'll have to keep whatever I take forever."

“...okay. I’ll choose.”

He carefully looked at the shoes and found a very interesting mid-calf boot, and luckily it had his size. It was a dark blue color that had a gradient to black.

“What do you think?”
“It’s pretty. The color is also good, despite being blue, it’s more on the black side, so it’s easy to match with other clothes. Pick a pair of sneakers and sandals too.”

“Why sandals?”

“In case it’s ever hot and you might want to wear something cooler. Take a look, they have some really nice men’s models.”

Without questioning further, Kinich picked out a pair of black and white streetwear-style sneakers and a pair of gray sandals that looked comfortable on him.

“Good choices, now there’s just one more thing for us to get, but it’s close to the cash register, so let’s go.”

“More things?”

“Yes, a perfume and a lip balm.”

Before Kinich could even open his mouth to deny it, Scara glared at him with a look that seemed to say he would slap his hand in his face if he complained again, so to avoid his friend’s wrath, Kinich bit back his words.

The perfumes and other products were really close to the cash registers, and there were so many options that Kinich didn’t know which one to choose, so he waited for Scara’s advice.

“Which one do you recommend?”

“I like three in particular. This one...” He picked up a tall purple bottle. “It’s the violet flower, the scent is soft and sweet.”

He sprayed a little on Kinich’s wrist and the scent pleased him quite a bit, it wasn’t too overpowering.

“There’s this one too, the silk flower one.” He picked up a round pink bottle and sprayed it on Kinich’s other wrist. “It’s a little stronger, but it’s also nice.”

This one didn’t please Kinich as much, despite smelling nice, he found it too strong for his taste.

“And the last one is the qingxin one.” He picked up a square white bottle and sprayed it on his own wrist so Kinich could smell it.

“It’s weaker, but it has a soft touch.”

Too weak for Kinich, if he had to buy one he’d prefer something that was a little more noticeable.

“They’re all great perfumes, no matter which one you choose.”

He thought calmly about his options and after a few seconds made a decision.

“I liked the Violet one the best.”

Hearing the answer, Scara picked up a closed purple box that was behind the test perfume and then went to the shelf next to it and picked up a small box, probably the lip balm he mentioned before.

“By the way, why the lip balm? Aren’t these things made for women?”

“Of course not. Only idiots classify personal care by gender. After all, men also need to take care of themselves, and if they want to wear makeup they can too. There’s nothing unusual about that.”

It was probably an idiot who taught him these concepts then, that’s what Kinich thought. He really had a lot to learn from real life, and now that he had the freedom, he would do his best to learn what he had never even been allowed to before.

“I see, so, is this one good?”

“Yes, I like this one mainly because it really protects and also gives a light touch of red to the lips. It’s nothing exaggerated, just to give them some life.”

“Okay.”

“By the way, when you can, also buy some skin and hair creams. You hardly need it, because your skin and hair are naturally very beautiful, but if you take care of it, it will look even better, and you can never be too careful.”

He had never thought about it, but at some point he would, so Kinich kept this advice in his memory.

With everything they needed, they finally went to the checkout, where a woman with brown hair and an eye patch was waiting for them, and she looked tired, since she had probably been there for a long time.

“What’s up Beidou?”

“It had to be you to give me this trouble, kid. You stayed until the store closed again.”

This comment made Kinich wonder how many times Scara had done this.

“What are you complaining about? My purchases probably made you reach your goal for the month.”

The woman laughed out loud at the sharp response before speaking again.

“Hahaha, you’re right. I don’t really mind, actually, since it’s always fun to see you do all this just to see Mona.”

“What?! Who said I do this to see that idiot astrologer? I just like to renew my wardrobe.”

With an amused look and clearly not believing Scaramouche, Beidou maintained her statement.

“Normal people don’t do this every month. They usually take a little longer. Your crush couldn’t be more obvious! You literally only come here when it’s her turn.”

“It’s just a coincidence.”

“A coincidence that happens every month?”

“Of course it is! Do you think I would do something so pathetic as come shopping every month even though I don’t need to just to see her?”

Beidou didn’t answer anything, but her mocking expression said it all.

“You know that this problem only exists because you can’t be honest about your own feelings.”

Kinich wasn’t fully aware of this current situation, nor did he know that Scaramouche did all this for Mona, but what he was sure of was that doing something like this is just like him, since even to help him with his current problem he made up an excuse to pretend it wasn't because he cared about Kinich, then there was even less chance of him being honest about her.

“There’s nothing to be honest about! I’m always fighting with her, how can that be interpreted as liking her?”

“Have you ever heard that teasing someone is also a way of showing love?”

“That’s ridiculous! I don’t tease her because I like her, it’s the opposite actually.”

Scara was turning red, whether from anger or embarrassment, Kinich wasn’t sure, but this was the first time he had seen him so disconcerted, it was even a little funny. The proud Scaramouche, who always said he didn’t care about anyone but himself, losing his composure when talking about a possible crush.

“You know what, it doesn’t matter. Just pass on our shopping.”

“As you wish, boy, but let me give you one last piece of advice.” Looking seriously at Scaramouche, Beidou spoke. “Life is shorter than you think, so don’t waste time on nonsense and pursue your happiness. Both you and Mona, one of you two will have to let go of your pride and tell the truth, or all the beautiful moments you can create will be lost.”

A deep silence took over Scaramouche, his expression became thoughtful as her words sank into his mind and although it wasn't directed at Kinich, it also made him reflect on his own life and how much he was preventing himself from being happy out of fear. The desire to dance again reappeared and made him feel lost again, the doubt of whether he should stick to his past decision or whether he should take a risk created a tug of war in his mind, while he was stuck between fear and the prospect of being happy again, the confusing feelings began to overwhelm him as he debated mentally, not knowing what to think.

He couldn't think about it...

Couldn't he?

He shouldn't think about it...

This is complicated...

It was better not to think about it...

Yes, he wouldn't think about it, for now...

"There's nothing to talk about, just... forget about it."

"The one who spoke isn't here anymore."

Taking the clothes Scaramouche was holding, Beidou ending the subject once and for all and undoing the tension that had formed. Kinich also stopped his thoughts that were getting out of control and focused on her hands as she ran the clothes through the checkout.

“By the way, don’t say the price out loud, Beidou. This is a gift for the idiot here, so it would be rude for him to know.”

“Okay, kid.”

“But if I’m going to pay you, wouldn’t it be better if I know the total amount?”

“I’m the only one who needs to know that. I’ll tell you how much you need to pay and in whatever time frame I want.”

“But—”

“I’ll decide. As soon as Beidou says the total, I’ll tell you how much everything will be and how long you’ll be paying me over.”

“But—”

“And if you’re worried about the price or anything, forget it. I buy so much here that I already have thousands of discounts and coupons accumulated. I’m sure this purchase will be half price.”

“He sure has a good accumulation in the store, hahaha!”

“Shut up Beidou! Anyway, don’t think about it and just accept it quietly.”

Scaramouche is definitely one of the most stubborn people Kinich has ever met, and he knows it’s impossible to argue or try to change his mind, so all he could do was accept this defeat and promise himself that he would compensate him properly.

“And that was the last piece. How are you going to pay?” Scara glanced discreetly at the screen and pointed to something Kinich couldn’t see and faster than anything they had done so far, he took his card out of his wallet and paid.

“Okay, all set, boys. You’re free to go. Good luck unpacking.”

Beidou said goodbye to them as he handed over all the bags, some to Kinich and some to Scara, but there were so many that Kinich could barely count.

“How much am I going to pay you?”

“You really want to know that, right?”
“Yes.”

Looking thoughtfully at Kinich, Scara thought for a few seconds before answering.

“Pay me one hundred moras for eight months, starting next month.”

“The total for everything was 800 moras?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Kinich couldn’t believe this result, because he was sure that all of this would have been at least over a thousand moras, Scara was certainly lying about the total amount, so Kinich thought about arguing about it, but one look at his determined face made him decide not to. If Scaramouche did this it was because he wanted to and nothing would change that. If it were anyone else here Kinich would have been suspicious of all this goodwill, but he had known Scara long enough to know that he was more sincere than he seemed about his intentions. He might never admit it, but he had a strong desire to support his friends, and that alone convinced Kinich that there was nothing behind these decisions.

“Okay, I’ll do it, but… how are we going to leave?”

The two were outside the store, which already had its doors down, since it was almost seven at night when Kinich looked at his cell phone, standing with their hands full and looking completely lost.

“Have a good trip back, bowl cut. Too bad you don’t have a car with you.”

Passing through the only door still open, Mona came out mocking Scaramouche as she shook a key in her fingers.

“HUH! At least I have money to shop like this all the time, unlike a certain astrologer who is always broke. It’s a miracle you have gas in this old car.”

“YOU...!!! I’m not broke, I just have a lot of books to buy and they’re expensive! I was even going to offer you a ride, but you can very well manage on your own!” With less anger, she turned to Kinich and with condolence in her voice said. “I’m sorry you’re stuck with him, good luck.”

“I’ve gotten used to it by now, but thanks for the support.”

“HEY!”

“Anyway, are we going to take the train?”

“No way, it would be a very unpleasant trip. I’ll call a taxi.”

They didn’t have to wait long because a car was soon in front of them and the driver looked a little nervous when he saw the amount of things that would be crammed in and almost decided to abandon the ride, but Scaramouche was faster as he opened the door and got inside followed by Kinich, their bags piled on their laps and between them, some even on the floor, but miraculously they all fit in the small space.

“Okay, we can go.”

“R-right. This is the address, right?”

“Yes.”

“W-well, let’s go then.”

The trip was calm, since at this time there wasn’t much traffic and Kinich looked out the window at the night landscape, so different from the morning. The streetlights were already on and the buildings and car headlights lit up the darkness, people were closing their establishments and heading home. A calm song played on the car radio and he discreetly drummed his fingers to the rhythm, feeling content and satisfied. He couldn't thank Scaramouche enough for all of this, but he would be forever grateful. As he watched the lights fly past them and the landscape change from one place to another, they soon arrived at his apartment.

"Here we are. I hope the trip was good."

"It was, thank you for that."

Kinich thanked him kindly as he got out of the car and Scaramouche just nodded and as he got out he confirmed that they had picked up everything, then paid the amount through the app.

"Thank you."

The driver confirmed the payment and as soon as he thanked he started the car and drove away. The two wasted no time and quickly went up to his apartment and entered, going straight to his room, leaving all the bags on the bed. Scaramouche opened the closet door and began to take out his old clothes.
“Do you have any big trash bags?”

“Yes, I do, but why?”

“Just so we can put these somewhere and then get rid of everything.”

“I see.”

“If you have any attachment to these clothes or something, you can keep one or two as cleaning cloths or something. But not to use..”

Kinich didn’t answer with words, instead he went to the laundry room and got a big bag and came back. He picked up the first item of clothing, an old black blouse, faded and with stains that only he knew what they truly meant, and threw it into the bag without hesitation.

“I don’t need to keep them. They’re no good, I have enough cleaning cloths.”

That wasn’t the only reason. These clothes were a memory, a weight on his back. Whenever he saw himself in the mirror with them, he couldn’t help but think about how he had been when he lived with his father, his appearance in these fabrics being the same as in the past and the feeling that he was still trapped was enormous. In the end, it’s not a lie when they say that objects hold memories. There was no way to describe the relief he felt when he threw the clothes away. Kinich knew it wasn’t enough to end all the chains that were tied to him, but it was a start, one less weight and one step closer to the freedom he was seeking.

“That’s great. That’s the right decision.”

“Why the other option then?”

“In case you’re the type of person who clings to things, like my sister is. It’s always a pain to get her to let go of old things.”

“Do you have a sister?”

“I’ve never talked about it?”

“No, you don’t talk about yourself much.”

“The subject probably never came up and since no one has ever asked...”

“Are you the type of person who only tells things if they ask you?”

“Yeah, and what’s wrong? You’re like that too.”

“You got me there.”

They continued talking as they emptied the closet, Scara told him about her younger sister, Raiden, and how she could be a little brat, recounting his stories with her, but Kinich knew there was affection in those complaints.

“She always asks me to help her buy new clothes, even though she doesn’t need them. It’s a pain, but I help.”

“It’s because you care.”

“What? Of course not! It’s because… I don’t want to get scolded by my mother for denying my sister.”

“If you say so…”

“Okay, that’s the last one.” Closing the bag, Scara sighed. “By the way, I’m going to send all of this to a seamstress I know. She’s probably the only person in all of Teyvat who will be able to make something useful out of it.”

“That’s good. At least it won’t go to waste.”

“Let’s get the new ones now. Bring some scissors.”

“For?”

“Cut off the labels.”

“Oh, right.”

Kinich didn’t delay and grabbed a pair of scissors and the two of them began this arduous task and after creating a pile of paper, which went straight to the trash, they started putting everything away in the closet. It took a while and when they finally finished it was almost nine at night.

“Finally. Let’s set aside the one you’ll wear on Saturday, so you don’t get desperate on the day and bother me again.”

“Why do you think I would do that?”

Scaramouche looked at him blankly.

“You would. I’m sure of it.”

“So, what is used to wear in these events?”

“It’s usually somewhere in between. A festival doesn’t call for super formal clothes, like operas or things like that, but you can’t go sloppy either, so… this will be perfect!”

He chose a pair of black jeans that went down to mid-calf, loose on the legs but tight at the waist, which outlined his curves perfectly, and a dark green shirt that was tight and sat above his belly button, with short sleeves and a high collar, and lastly his new sneakers.

“This is going to be perfect. That idiot blond might faint when he sees you!”

“Isn’t that bad then? I don’t want him to faint!”

“I meant it in a good way. I don’t mean he’s going to literally faint, I just mean he’s going to love seeing you like this.”

“Oh!”

“Seriously, don’t take everything people say seriously.”

“I’ll remember that.”

“Anyway... now it’s over.”

“Yes, do you want to spend the night? It’s pretty late.”

Kinich wasn’t offering this just to make it up to Scara, it was because he was worried about his friend’s safety.

“No, thanks. I have a limit of interactions per day that I’m comfortable with, and this whole day has easily exceeded that, so sleeping is definitely beyond that. I’d rather go. Don’t worry, I’m already calling a taxi.”

“If you’re sure, then that’s fine.”

Kinich followed Scaramouche to the door, where they said goodbye, and watched from the entrance as he left with the bag of old clothes, but before he could go down the stairs, he said one last thing.

“Scara.”

The aforementioned looked at him over his shoulder, stopping in his tracks.

“Thank you for today, you’ve helped me a lot and you can be sure that I’ll make it up to you. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask for my help.”

“You’ll never let this go, will you? For now, don’t think about it too much, but if it makes you happy, if I ever need it, I’ll tell you.”

And with that, he went downstairs carrying the bag and left. As soon as he was out of sight, Kinich went in and locked the apartment, tiredness began to set in and he yawned loudly. Maybe it would be better to sleep, after all tomorrow was still Wednesday and he had a long day of work ahead of him.

---*---

The rest of the week flew by and before he knew it, it was already the night before his meeting with Aether. Kinich had received a message from the blond saying that he would pick him up at his apartment at seven in the morning, so he was already packing his things so as not to forget anything that day. He wouldn't take much, just what he considered important, like his wallet with some money, his documents, the ticket and medicine if necessary. Nothing major, but in the rush of the morning he might leave something behind.

He needed to get a good night's sleep too, so he got ready quickly, turned off the lights, lay down on the bed to sleep and closed his eyes, but sleep wouldn't come no matter what he did. Tossing and turning, Kinich tried to force himself to sleep, but his mind was more alert than ever and despite his attempts, he couldn't stop thinking about Aether. He was very anxious about tomorrow and inevitably started thinking about what could happen, so many good and bad scenarios, and this took over his head.

“Crap!”

He sat up in bed frustrated, throwing the blanket away with his exasperated movement, staring at the semi-darkness of his room, due to the little light from the streetlights and cars that entered through the crack in the curtain, as if his solution lay in this space.

“I have to sleep!”

He really did, otherwise he would be very tired tomorrow. He threw his body back on the bed with a huff and pulled the blanket up, trying to silence his mind. Kinich closed his eyes and refused to open them until he fell asleep and his efforts were not completely useless since little by little he began to stop his thoughts and, although difficult, without realizing it sleep came and his mind was taken over by a pleasant silence, finally managing to sleep.

When he woke up again it was already morning, the dim light dimly illuminated the room, creating a slight darkness, and the alarm clock rang non-stop, irritating his ears. Still groggy from sleep he turned over in bed and blindly looked for the device, groping on the dresser until he found it, to turn off the loud sound.

When his finger touched the screen and the noise finally stopped, Kinich turned over in bed again and stretched, still lying for a while wrapped in the covers, but decided to get up for good or he might fall asleep again and that would be a disaster. With slow movements he uncovered himself and sat on the edge of the bed, where he stayed for a while still half asleep, just staring into space. He looked at the time and saw that it was five in the morning, so he could get ready calmly.

Stretching, Kinich got up and still a little groggy from sleep went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face in an attempt to chase away the drowsiness once and for all. It kind of worked, since now his mind seemed to be working again while he brushed his teeth.

Kinich had planned how he would get ready until Aether arrived and went to get some coffee. The hot liquid was a pleasure for his palate along with the delicious aroma that filled the kitchen. Little by little, the caffeine did its job and woke Kinich up completely, taking him out of his lethargic state. As soon as he finished eating everything, he washed the dishes and went to the next step on his list.

“Well, I better take a shower.”

Without wasting any time, he gathered his belongings and went straight to the bathroom. The warm water was a delight on this mild morning and as he let his skin be taken over by this sensation, feeling his limbs slowly warming up, Kinich began to bathe. Without further ado, he washed himself completely, and finished rinsing the products from his hair. Finally, he got out of the shower and wrapped himself in the towel, drying himself quickly to get dressed.

When he was ready, he went back to the bedroom and looked at himself in the mirror, feeling satisfied with his appearance. The choice of clothes fell perfectly on his body, contouring his curves precisely, and Kinich felt charming and cute, even if he didn't show it in his expression.

Taking the blow dryer with precision, he dried his black locks until they were dry enough to leave his hair the way he liked and make the two braids he always kept, finishing his hairstyle by tying his bandana in its usual place. Then remembering Scara's tips, he sprayed a little of the perfume, enjoying the soft scent and applied lip balm lightly, which really did leave his lips a delicate shade of red, but Kinich liked how it looked. He would put off putting on his sneakers until he went out, but when he looked in the mirror he already felt perfect.

He grabbed his bag and went to the living room, where he sat on the couch next to the open window and waited, deciding to look at the time, he realized that it was only five minutes after six, that is, almost a whole hour to wait.

“It seems.... I got a little ahead of myself...”

Not a little, Kinich was so anxious that he woke up very early and got ready very quickly. Now he had nothing to do, and he tried to distract himself while he waited for time to pass. When he got tired of sitting, he started walking around the apartment, checking if everything was properly turned off, if the windows were locked, looking at himself in the mirror once more to make sure everything was okay, checking the items in his bag, filling a bottle with fresh water, putting it away with the other things and sitting down again. He looked at his cell phone screen once more and now it was twenty minutes to seven. He huffed in frustration as he rested his elbows on his thighs and rested his head in his hands, looking boredly at the landscape outside. He watched the city movement early in the morning, listening to the birds sing and watching how the sun rose as the minutes passed. He also watched how the light entered in his own apartment, illuminating the dark rooms with its golden color. Quite beautiful in his opinion.

Once again he got up and this time went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. When he finished washing the glass he had just used, he heard the notification sound on his cell phone and quickly dried his hands and ran to see what it was.

It was a message from Aether saying that he was waiting outside. Kinich could barely contain his happiness when he read it and without realizing it he smiled non-stop. Not wanting to keep him waiting, he grabbed his things and ran to the entrance, putting on his sneakers at the speed of light and unlocking the door, going outside. He almost forgot to lock it again in his haste, but luckily he looked at the key in his hand and before he got too far from the entrance he went back and locked it. He stood there for a few seconds taking deep breaths to calm his emotions.

“Haaaa, I'm nervous, what's wrong with me? This way Aether will think I'm an idiot. There's no reason to be so hasty.”

And with a few more deep breaths, Kinich felt in control once again and this time more calmly he went downstairs and outside. He looked around, but didn't see Aether's car anywhere, which confused him. But then a soft horn caught his attention, and turning his head in the direction of the sound, he almost forgot how to breathe.

There was Aether, wearing a short, loose beige top on his torso, collarless and sleeveless, which highlighted the muscles in his arms deliciously, loose black jeans, and black sneakers. But one of the things that caught his attention the most was his hair. His beautiful golden strands, which seemed to reflect the sunlight, were tied in a high ponytail. All this while he was sitting on top of a big, beautiful black motorcycle with gold details on the trim. Kinich wouldn't admit it out loud, but Aether was looking really hot right now, and he felt his cheeks heating up just by looking at him.

"Good morning, Kinich!" Aether looked at him shamelessly and said with a huge smile. "You look beautiful in those clothes."

"Thank you... you also look very hot—I mean, very handsome too."

Aether didn't say anything so as not to embarrass Kinich even more, but he understood what was going to be said initially, and found it adorable how his face turned red and how he got confused as he tried to correct himself.

Kinich didn't know what was embarrassing him more, if it was Aether's compliment or his almost slip-up for speaking without thinking. By the archons, how could he always embarrass himself in front of Aether? He tried to change the subject so as not to embarrass himself even more.

"I didn't know you could ride a motorcycle."

"Heh, that's one of my hidden skills." He admitted with pride in his voice before continuing. "I thought about coming to pick you up by car, but mine is still at the mechanic."

"But what about the one you used the other day?"

"I borrowed it from my sister. I hope you're not disappointed that we're going by motorcycle."

"There's no way that's a disappointment... it's actually pretty cool."

Averting his gaze from Aether, Kinich admitted embarrassedly, feeling his cheeks heat up. Aether chuckled lightly, pleased with this confession, and felt his ego inflate a little.

“Let’s get ready to go then, come a little closer.”

Doing as he was told, Kinich saw Aether taking one of the helmets hanging on the handlebars and letting it sit on his head. Aether was concentrating as he tightened the buckle and his fingers accidentally brushed the skin of his neck, causing Kinich to shiver slightly, and if it weren’t for the helmet, his burning skin would have been clearly visible to everyone.

“How is it? Is it tight?”

“It’s good.”

“Okay... by the way, that perfume is delicious.”

Before moving away completely, Aether complimented it, after all he smelled a soft and deliciously sweet scent when he approached Kinich, who blushed at the sudden speech, but was happy. Scara was right, Aether really liked it, he would have to thank his friend for insisting on taking the perfume.

“Thank you... yours smells very nice too.”

And it wasn’t a lie, Aether was wearing one with a strong and striking scent, but it wasn’t sickening, quite the opposite, it was delicious, and Kinich couldn’t help but love it.

Aether smiled slightly at the shy compliment as he put on his own helmet, and although he wasn’t seeing it, he was sure that Kinich was making an adorable expression, before helping him climb onto the back of the bike and without meaning to, this became one of his favorite sights, after all Kinich climbed on his shoulder and Aether admired the flexibility of his legs as he passed to the other side with ease. That could give him some ideas, but he abruptly stopped his thoughts before they went down the gutter, since it was definitely not the time or moment to think about such things. By the archons, this was just an innocent action by Kinich, and Aether was thinking about such nonsense, and embarrassed by his own polluted mind, he turned red, even though only he knew. To forget about it, he focused his attention on something else, which was Kinich's comfort.

"Do you feel comfortable?"

"Yes, I am."

"Okay, I'll start the bike then. You can hold on to my waist if that makes you feel safer, you don't have to hold back."

In truth, he wanted Kinich to hold on to his waist, but he wouldn't force it.

"It's fine like this."

"Okay, but don't hesitate if you want."

And with that, Aether started the bike and with the engine sounding loud, he left with the bike. Kinich was taken by surprise by the sudden speed and in his fright he grabbed onto Aether, hugging his body tightly around the waist, and when he realized what he had done he felt mortified, since he had acted on impulse, and when he was about to withdraw his arms and apologize, he felt one of Aether's hands lightly touching his before he put it back on the steering wheel, and Kinich understood that maybe this was something he wanted, and even if it wasn't, the blond didn't seem bothered, and since Kinich also didn't find it uncomfortable to be hugged like that, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to give in to it this time, so he allowed himself to relax and leaned against Aether's back comfortably.

Aether himself felt like he was in heaven, with Kinich hugging him like that, and a huge smile took over his face, so big that it was painful, but it was impossible to contain all his happiness. Accelerating a little more, the sound of the motorcycle echoed through the quiet streets of Liyue as Aether skillfully maneuvered between the vehicles, and the wind against their bodies was somehow pleasant, giving a feeling of freedom.

Little by little, the initial fright that Kinich felt was replaced by the euphoria of doing something so liberating. Here, on the back of Aether, feeling the breeze against him and watching the city fly by. No, in fact it was as if they were flying, he felt lighter than ever, he even wished Aether would run a little faster.

The landscape changed and when he realized it, they were already outside the city, entering the road that would take them to Mondstadt. Holding tight to Aether, Kinich observed a scene that he had not yet glimpsed, since the only route he took was from work to the apartment and from the apartment to work, and whenever he had free time it never occurred to him that he could do something different from his daily tasks. Instead, he spent most of his time isolated in the solitude of his apartment. It was quite sad now that he thought about it, but since he was never taught that he could do things for himself, it was inevitable that he would repeat some of the patterns of the past. So Aether has no idea how his mere entry into Kinich's life is changing the entire perspective he had grown up believing in until today. Kinich was very grateful to have Aether in his life, or rather, to allow Aether to enter his life. He was glad that he had decided to give this new situation a chance.

The golden foliage of the Liyue Sand trees decorated the road they passed, transforming everything into a huge sea of gold, conveying an elegance that only the nation of contracts possessed. Hidden in the middle of all the gold, Kinich saw ancient ruins, and a desire to explore them grew in him. After all, he had always inexplicably wanted to go on an adventure, and now that he had a chance, he would not hesitate, and he wondered if these places were open to the public. He wishes they were, and when he has time, he intends to return here.

Turning a corner, an archaic-looking building built on top of a huge tree caught Kinich's attention, making him curious about what this place could be. When they were very close, Aether slowed down and maneuvered the motorcycle into the parking lot of the place and as soon as he turned off the motorcycle, he took off his helmet to speak.

“What do you think about a quick break for something to eat? I don't know about you, but I'm starving.”

Kinich also took off his helmet before answering.

“It might be okay for me, but I probably won't eat, since I ate before leaving home, so I don't—”

Rudely interrupting what he was talking, his own stomach made a loud sound, completely belying what he had just said, making him die of embarrassment and his red cheeks were quite visible. Trying to regain his composure, he spoke as if nothing had happened.

“Well, maybe it wouldn't hurt to eat a little...”

“Haha, let's go then, you'll love the food here. Can you get down by yourself?”

“Yes.”He didn’t wait for another answer and easily lowered his body. “By the way, what place is this?”

As he hung the helmets on the handlebars, to make them easier to move around, Aether answered.

“It’s the Wangshu Inn. It’s a perfect place for those who need to rest. And the owners are very kind people. I’ll show you around.”

“Have you been here before? Oh, and are you going to leave the helmets like this?”

“Yes, I’ve been here many times already, and yes, I trust that everything will be fine, after all, there’s no reason to take the helmets without the bike.”

Well, if Aether didn’t worry then Kinich wouldn’t worry either, and followed the blond up the stairs. He found it interesting that the entire building was built out of wood, and it seemed to be quite old, since this was certainly in the style of ancient Liyue.

“This place… has it been around for a long time?”

“Yes, since the beginning of Liyue. I asked the owners about it once, and they told me the story of the Inn. They say it’s really hard to keep the structure the way it was before, and that they’ve had to do a lot of restoration, but they’ve always kept the original essence.”

“Wow, they must really care about this place.”

“This Inn has been in their family for generations.”

As Kinich looked around at the structures, Aether led him to a table outside, where they sat down, and someone soon came to serve them and handed them two menus.

“What would you like?”

Reading through the options, Kinich looked for something that didn’t seem too expensive and that was also light for the time, after all, it was still morning.

“I’ll have the vegetarian Abalone, please.”

It sounded delicious from the description of the dish, making Kinich curious about its flavor. Aether seemed to have made up his mind as well, as he soon placed his order as well.

“I’ll have the sautéed shrimp, please. Oh! And a sunset flower juice.”

The waiter wrote everything down and then turned to Kinich once more.

“Would you like a drink to go with it?”

Kinich thought for a moment and decided that yes, a juice would be nice, and they weren’t expensive.

“The same as Aether’s.”

“Anything else?”

“A serving of Almond Tofu, please.”

Taking Aether’s last order, the waiter left, saying that their order would be delivered soon.

“It’s really nice here, the atmosphere is great.”

“Isn’t it? I knew you’d love it, so imagine how delicious Chef Yanxiao’s food is! I never regret stopping by!”

“Do you come here often?”

“There was a time when I spent days exploring this part of Liyue, so the Inn became like a second home.”

“I was curious, but what part of Liyue are we in?”

“This is called the Dihua Islet, but it’s also located right next to the Guili Plains. Speaking of those plains, you might have noticed some ancient ruins on the way.”

“That definitely caught my attention, do you know what they were?”

“Yes, I explored every single one of them. These ruins were part of an ancient settlement that lived here a long time ago. They were ruled by the goddess of dust, Guizhong. But it was all destroyed in the war of the archons, and all that was left were its ruins. At least that’s what all the ancient manuscripts I’ve found say.”

Kinich listened to every word with extreme attention and admiration, and the desire to see this piece of history for himself grew even more, but what amazed him the most was the way Aether told it. He seemed so excited, so passionate about what he was talking about.

“You really like to travel.”

Hearing these words, Aether smiled, but his smile was weak and a dark cloud seemed to cover the brightness in his beautiful golden eyes, which normally shone like golden topaz, and Kinich didn't like seeing this melancholy on his face, it seemed wrong.

"Yeah... I like it, no, I love it. But it's been a long time since I stopped."

"Can I ask why?"

Aether pondered silently, his expression for the first time since Kinich met him was empty, and he was about to apologize for clearly bringing up a probably unhappy subject when the blond spoke.

"It's okay. To be honest, it wasn't a specific reason, but a combination of them. My sister and I have always traveled together for a long time, but there comes a time when things change, people change, and we need new goals. That's what happened, at that time we needed to stop, we wanted different things."

And an accident that occurred at the time was also a big factor in this decision, but Aether wouldn't burden Kinich with those problems now. This meeting is supposed to be happy and not sad, but one day, who knows, he might tell the whole story.

“I understand, I also left home for a similar reason. But do you feel like traveling again?”

“Without a shadow of a doubt! I don’t know when, but I’m going to travel again!”

And who knows, Kinich might go with him. Maybe he’s too optimistic, believing that the two of them will be together by then, but Aether wants to believe that they will.

An awkward silence took over the atmosphere and, not liking the sadness that this subject had triggered, Kinich thought of something to change the focus and an idea soon came to mind.

“And how did you start boxing?”

“It was quite random, actually. I had no idea what to do with my life and it was frustrating me, so my best friend invited me to train with him, saying that at least I would be doing something good for my health. And in the end, I liked it more than I imagined.”

“And what do you like about it? Maybe it’s strange for me to say this, but I can’t understand why it could be pleasurable. After all, it’s... violence, isn’t it?”

This was a sincere doubt for Kinich, and one that he really needed to clarify, perhaps to calm his deepest concerns, but he needed to understand what Aether liked about this, this type of violence. It was more important than he could admit. Pondering the question, Aether made a thoughtful face as he searched for the right words to convey his answer.

“It’s not the violence that I like, it’s the adrenaline of fighting someone on equal terms, the feeling of euphoria when overcoming my own limits and winning.” His expression was calm and sincere as he spoke. “But just to clarify, I would never fight someone weaker than me. I don’t think it’s fair. It would be like taking advantage of my strength to destroy someone, and it would end up becoming unnecessary beatings. That goes against my morals. I would never raise my fist against someone defenseless.”

Kinich was overcome by a myriad of feelings upon hearing this, most of them being relief, because just the fact that Aether made his beliefs clear had destroyed many of his fears without even knowing it. Deep down he feared that Aether would say he liked violence, but the blond surprised him by answering completely the opposite of what he imagined, and Kinich believed his words, which were so sincere and raw that there was no doubt that he was telling the truth.

“I believe you... however, I would have to watch a fight to really understand what you feel.”

“You don't need to feel obligated to do that. Boxing is a violent fight, and not everyone has the stomach to handle it. And that's okay, really. I would hate myself if I put you in an uncomfortable situation, so don't worry.”

“I’m touched by your concern, but I want to see. I believe I’ll be fine. Maybe not anytime soon, though, but when I feel comfortable, I’ll go.”

“If you’re sure…”

“I am.”

“Then when I’m going to participate in a competition, I’ll let you know.”

“Deal.”

Before they could continue the subject, the waiter brought their food, which smelled delicious and looked great, making their mouths water.

“Here it is.”

“Thank you.”

Without wasting time, they both took generous bites. Aether was enjoying every bite and his happiness was clear on his expression, and Kinich was pleased to see that the sadness from before was gone, and the blond seemed back to his typical mood, so he tried his own meal and his eyes widened in ecstasy. The food was delicious, exactly as Aether described, and each bite was better than the last. Kinich was so delighted by the taste that he unconsciously smiled and ate quickly, letting his expressions show. Seeing this, Aether smiled even more. He loved these moments when Kinich gave in to his feelings.

“Yummy?”

“Hmhm!”

He was so focused that he couldn’t form a coherent sentence. Aether wanted to laugh at how adorable Kinich was, with his cheeks puffed out from the food and his eyes wide with happiness. He looked like Paimon, and without meaning to Aether spoke out loud.

“You look like Paimon.”

Finishing chewing and swallowing, Kinich asked clearly confused.

“Who’s Paimon?”

“She’s my younger sister.”

“Do you have more than one sister?”

“Yes, and an older brother, Dainsleif.”

“You guys are a big family.”

“Does Kinich have any brothers or sisters?”

“No, I’m an only child.”

“That’s cool too.”

Maybe, if Kinich had had a normal childhood, but he wouldn’t get hung up on that detail. They finished their portions and Aether took the Tofu.

“Let’s share.”

“Huh?! Did you get it for me too?”

“Of course, you can’t leave here without trying this dessert! It’s almost a ritual here!”

“Okay then.”

They each took a little and when Kinich put a piece in his mouth, he almost exploded with happiness. This tofu was delicious, it was soft and firm in a perfectly balanced way, sweet, but not too sweet and the flavor of the almonds was the highlight of the dish.

“This is delicious!”

“Isn’t it?!! It’s one of my favorite desserts!”

The tofu disappeared as if it had never existed, and when they finished, they both remained silent for a while, happily watching the sky.

“Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Before we go, there’s a place I want to show you.”

As soon as they paid, Aether declared and this piqued Kinich’s curiosity and once again he went after Aether. This time however, the blonde made a risky move and without hesitation firmly grabbed Kinich’s hand, making him surprised by the sudden act, his cheeks became extremely red, but he didn’t remove his hand from the grip, no matter how embarrassed he was feeling, since the warm sensation in his chest was greater than his shame. Aether's hand was stronger and more calloused than his, and he would be lying if he said that he didn't like it.

So, letting himself be pulled by Aether, the two of them climbed higher and higher into the hostel, and along the way Kinich wondered how they had built this staircase around the tree. They reached the last step and Aether continued pulling him into the hostel, where he greeted the people there, who seemed to already know who he was, since they called him by name. Kinich imagined that they were the owners or employees.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see and you'll love it, I'm sure. It's beautiful."

They climbed more stairs, up to what Kinich believed to be a balcony on the top floor, and when he caught sight of the view from there, he was shocked at how beautiful it was. A breathtaking sight, and letting go of Aether's hand, he leaned over the railing, looking at everything he could. From here he could see the entire Guili plain, every part of it. All the ancient ruins scattered around, the huge river that crossed the place, a village not far from where they were, the beautiful plants that decorated everything, the people, cars, the mountains in the distance, the beautiful sky, and everything together seemed to create an enchanting work of art. Kinich was amazed, he didn't even know what to look at first.

"So? Beautiful?"

"Beautiful!? Aether, this is breathtaking! The view from here is magical!"

"I knew you would like it. Whenever I pass by here I make a point of staying on this balcony for a while." Approaching, Aether leaned on the balcony very close to Kinich, looking at the landscape serenely. "It's as if time stopped."

He was right, time seemed to freeze as Kinich admired the view, how the sun's rays reflected beautifully on everything, the cool breeze that ruffled his hair and the tree branches, the comfortable silence, so different from the rest. It truly seemed to envelop them in an eternal calm, as if they were in a small paradise on earth.
“Did you know that there’s a tale here at the Inn that says that in the past this balcony was an Adeptus’ favorite place?”

“Is that so? And what’s the story?”

“It says that one of the Yakshas, who were Adeptus who served the Geo Archon and gave their lives to protect Liyue, the demon conqueror, Alatus, would stay here in this place to observe the entire Guili plains, guarding these lands from monsters. Apparently this was a good point to act whenever necessary.”

“It makes sense, you can see everything from here.”

“A curious fact, they say that this Yaksha loved almond tofu.”

“Huh!? That’s kind of funny.”

“Right! Have you ever imagined this powerful warrior melting with pleasure over a dessert?”

The image just passed through his mind, and both Kinich and Aether laughed, Kinich a little more restrained and in the end he disguised his laughter with a cough. However, it was too late, because Aether had already heard his laughter and even though Kinich held back, he found it beautiful. His mission in life from now on was to make Kinich smile freely, without holding back.

Silence took over again, but it was a comfortable silence, which filled them with peace as they observed the vast landscape of the plains, so good that they almost wished to stay there forever, only having each other for company.

“We could stay here and never leave, couldn’t we?”

“I would like to, but we can’t, after all, life doesn’t stop. And it would be better if we left, actually, so we don’t get there so late.”

“Hehe, you’re right. But it’s a shame though, because if time could stop I wouldn’t hesitate to stay with Kinich forever.”

“You...ugh, don’t say such embarrassing things...”

Struggling to give a proper answer, he felt the heat spread easily to his ears with this innocent phrase from Aether, who only laughed gently at Kinich’s cute reaction. Archons, he was screwed, after all his heart was easily taken by how adorable Kinich was, and all Aether wanted most now was to make him feel loved. He didn't know why he felt he should do this, maybe there was no reason, maybe it was destiny... but in the end it didn't matter why, just that he wanted to do this. Aether didn't even know if what he felt for Kinich was love or not, it was too early to determine, they had barely known each other for a week, but what he was sure of was that there was an enormous force pulling him towards Kinich, that made him want to be with the other, want to take care of him, but time would tell him the answer, so he wouldn't worry for now.

"Well, let's go then. If we leave now we'll arrive in Mondstadt around nine."

Aether walked a little ahead, and taking one last look at the landscape, Kinich soon joined him, but he missed something. The feeling of having Aether's hand in his. This time the blond didn't do anything, and Kinich wouldn't dare admit that he wanted this contact again.

He thought of a bold idea in his mind, and as they left the balcony, he pondered whether or not to take the risk, finally deciding to throw away any hesitation and, before he could regret it, he timidly held Aether's hand, who looked at Kinich in surprise, who looked away embarrassed while his face acquired a deep shade of red, since this was an unexpected attitude and, as he was usually the one to initiate physical contact, he was unable to hide the shock on his face, but it didn't last long and ended up transforming into a smile from ear to ear, his own cheeks blushing slightly with happiness, and before Kinich could change his mind, Aether grabbed his hand firmly. The two left like that, hand in hand, but clearly happy.

As they passed the reception, Aether spoke quickly to the woman behind the counter.

"See you later, Mrs. Verr Goldet, it’s look amazing here as always."

"It's always a pleasure to welcome you. Don't take so long to come again."

“Don’t worry, I have plans to come back in the future. And send my regards to Mr. Huai’an and Chief Yanxiao.”

“They’ll be happy about it.”

“By the way, is the elevator working?”

“Yes, it is, feel free to use it.”

Saying goodbye as they left, Aether led them in the other direction, and Kinich questioned.

“Was there an elevator here?”

“Yes, well, it’s usually used to transport goods and for employees. It’s not really open to the public.”

“Then why are we going there?”

“I come here so often that they gave me special permission, though I don’t know why they would do that for me.”

“You’re the kind of person who wins everyone over, that must be why you get all these perks.”

“Do you think so?”

“...Yes...you’re kind, and your happiness is kind of contagious.”

“I’m glad you think so highly of me!”

Not feeling the need to speak, the two silently entered the elevator that descended to the ground floor, holding hands, they stood side by side, almost touching their shoulders, and observed the view through the elevator bars. Before they knew it, they were at their destination and soon headed towards the motorcycle. Aether put Kinich's helmet on before putting his own on, and without further ado, they got on the bike.

"From here, we'll go from the Dihua Islands to the Stone Gate, which is on the border between Liyue and Mondstadt."

"What are these places like?"

"Very beautiful. If we had time, I'd stop at all of them to show you, but unfortunately, we'll only be able to look at them in passing while we're moving."

"No problem, I understand. We can come another day just for that."

"We'll definitely do that. And when we get to those regions, it'll be very visible."

"Really?"

"Yes, the difference in the landscape is quite striking."

And with that last word, he lowered his visor and started the bike, and this time Kinich didn't hesitate and put his hands on his waist, which made Aether fill with joy, so much so that his heart beat like crazy. Laughing happily, he pulled the bike out of its place and with the engine roaring loudly, they returned to the road, flying at high speed, leaving behind only dust and tire marks on the ground. Kinich took one last look at the image of the Inn moving away on the horizon and smiling happily, he leaned on Aether, now looking at the road in front of him.

The landscapes of the region changed little by little as they zoomed past them and, exactly as it had been said, when they passed the Dihua islets, the golden trees had been practically completely replaced by a vibrant green, and Kinich would almost have thought they were outside of Liyue if it weren't for the typical buildings of the nation. The river that accompanied them practically side by side on the road reflected them on the surface of its crystal clear water, almost as if there was another version of them moving along with it, only submerged. Kinich's eyes didn't know where to look, wanting to capture all the scenery he witnessed, both the green forests around him and the long river that followed his path. Everything was very beautiful and made him love it all. They passed through many different places on this tour, teahouses, small towns, fishermen on their boats, until they finally arrived at the Stone Gate that Aether mentioned, and it was charming. Although it was quite old, showing all its years of existence in its worn stone, and certainly not in all its glory of its beginnings, it was still a huge monument that was proud of its existence, surrounded by huge mountains, on one side of Liyue and on the other of Mondstadt. Kinich believed that the perseverance of remaining almost intact despite the passage of time was majestic in itself. His eyes caught a glimpse of a path full of ruins of old buildings, and he wondered where these ancient structures led. He would ask Aether about it later. The landscape continued to change and now all Kinich could see were vast and beautiful green plains, with pine trees scattered throughout the region. Unlike Liyue, which exuded a golden elegance in its lands, Mondstadt exuded an air of pure freedom, and Kinich understood why this nation was named as such, because just by watching the endless serene fields he felt as if his soul was light, being carried by the gentle wind. In the middle of all the greenery there was a huge mansion surrounded by grapevines, and the smell of fresh fruit seemed to be carried to them, the elegance of the place was striking against the calm that surrounded him. He wanted to take a closer look at it at some point, maybe even walk among the grapevines, he thought. They continued along the road, passing through a small valley full of small houses, passing through a calm and enchanted atmosphere, where lively people talked and laughed as they went about their business. But as he turned his gaze to the left side of the road, Kinich almost gasped when he saw the enormous lake that surrounded the city of Mondstadt, the sun's rays shining on the calm surface of the water. It was so magical, so divine, that it seemed as if time around him had frozen. Maneuvering the motorcycle to pass over the bridge, unintentionally scaring some pigeons that were there with the sudden noise and making a little boy scream angrily, Aether took them into the majestic city. The buildings here were completely different from Liyue, being taller and thinner and with more pointed roofs. There were also far fewer tall and modern buildings, since it was a much smaller and more rural city than Liyue, most of them maintaining the archaic and original style of the past. But what stood out the most at this moment was that every corner of the city was decorated with flowers and green and white ribbons, in addition to the music that played on every corner. Mondstadt was certainly a lively and free city. Aether slowed down to enter the parking lot and stopped the bike in the first space he saw, and the two were able to get off to stretch their legs.

Taking off his helmet and placing it on the handlebars, Aether fixed his ponytail, since the elastic had loosened a little inside the helmet, so he retightened his hair to make sure it wouldn't come loose, but this movement highlighted the muscles of his biceps and made his shirt rise, allowing Kinich a great view of the blond's ripped abs, making his mouth water and open his lips a little in shock. How could Aether be so hot?! Kinich was lucky he hadn't taken off his helmet yet, since his face looked like a ripe tomato, but this wouldn't help forever, since he would have to take it off and his face didn't seem to have plans to cool down any time soon, so taking a deep breath he took it off trying to hide his face a little and handed it to Aether, who placed it on the other handlebar, and when he looked at Kinich he couldn't help but notice his red cheeks, but he didn't think much about it nor did he seem to care that much. "You're a little red... It must be from getting hot from wearing the helmet." “It must be. I’m not used to wearing one and it’s hot today.” Sighing in relief, Kinich was grateful that Aether hadn’t questioned him further and concluded that it could be because of the helmet. “Ah! Let me fix your hair, it’s a little messy.” “Huh!?” Kinich was shocked by Aether’s sudden approach, taken by surprise and didn’t know how to react, he just stood there paralyzed as his fingers delicately ran through his black locks, adjusting them one by one, massaging his hair lovingly and finishing by re-tying the bandana knot. “There! Like new!” “I...ugh...thanks...I didn’t imagine it would be messy.” “It’s nothing! The helmet does that sometimes.” He said with a huge smile on his face and extended his hand to Kinich, who took it without thinking twice. At this point, the strange thing was not having his hand in his. “Before we go to the event itself, I have to take you to the most famous spot in this city. There’s no way you can come to Mondstadt and not go to these places!” “And what are these places?” “If I tell you, the surprise won’t be any fun, all I can say is that we’re going to climb to the top of the city. But I’m sure you’ll realize what it is long before we get there.” Kinich was curious, but he let himself be guided by Aether, who made them climb many stone stairs that crossed the entire city, and he was right. At one point on the climb, a huge statue located right in the center of the city became visible. It was so big that even from afar one could see it, and when they finally reached its feet, Kinich looked at it with wide eyes and his jaw dropped in astonishment. It was so tall that it shaded a good part of the square and Kinich had to tilt his head up to get a full view, to the point that his neck hurt a little, and although it was certainly many decades old, it was so well preserved that it seemed to be no more than ten years old. “Wow!” “Shocking, right? The first time I saw it, I was also surprised by its size.” “Does this statue represent the Anemo Archon?” “Yes, it is in honor of the Anemo Archon, Barbatos, the God of freedom. This statue is as old as the nation itself, and to this day the people of Mondstadt pray to their archon.” “Wow. Their people must be truly devout. Do you believe that the gods still exist?” “Hmmm, that’s a good question and the best answer I can give is: who knows? Maybe they do, maybe they don’t, but you know, in the end it doesn’t matter, our lives won’t change. I like to believe that we make our own destiny, regardless of who is there.” Aether said it with such confidence that Kinich could only stare at him in awe and those words echoed deep within his heart. He makes his own destiny… Kinich wants to believe this too. “Look a little closer. There is an inscription at the foot of the statue that says this is the portal to Celestia.” “There is?... Oh!” He saw it, in beautiful and ancient letters, but there it was. What could the people of the past have meant by this? Kinich walked around the statue to get a better look at all its angles, and in the midst of his excitement he forgot that he was holding hands with Aether and didn't even notice that he ended up pulling him along, making the blond laugh softly, but he didn't complain or break Kinich's concentration, since this curious reaction of his was captivating. While Kinich observed the statue, Aether observed Kinich with affection.

Kinich's curious eyes took in every detail and something else caught his attention. A huge building with towering towers at the end of the staircase. "What is that place?" "Uh?" Aether was taken out of his trance by Kinich's voice and, looking away from the boy in front of him, to the direction he was pointing, he replied. "It's the Mondstadt Cathedral. Do you want to go see it?" "Can we?" "Of course we can!" And so the two quickly climbed the steps and were soon standing in front of the cathedral's façade, which was full of ornate sculptures drawn on the stone, in addition to the elaborate stained glass windows. So elegant, emanating a powerful aura, of something that should be respected. "Shall we go in?" "Can we?" "Yes, it's open to the public." "Then let's go." Opening the heavy wooden doors, Aether led them inside, and Kinich was so astonished that he had no words to describe it. The sun shining through the stained glass windows made the interior of the cathedral shine with vibrant colors, coloring every detail of the place, from the pews to the altar. The thick, tall columns that stretched all the way to the ceiling, showing how high it was inside, were so detailed, made of pure stone, the seemingly simple floor on the ground reflected the sunlight and the colors of the stained glass beautifully, as if it were creating its own work of art, and Kinich felt like he was walking in the halls of something divine. “Enchanting, isn’t it?” “Yes, it’s beautiful...” He walked down the aisle to the altar, observing every corner, his footsteps echoing through the empty cathedral, and this time Aether let him go alone, preferring to watch Kinich from behind. The sight of Kinich walking calmly down the aisle was stunning and Aether thought he was watching an angel, especially with the way the color of the stained glass reflected in his beautiful hair, black as the night sky, and in his eyes, which looked like two emerald stones that normally didn't emanate any speck of light, now shone due to all the lights around him. It wasn't that Aether disliked how his naturally lifeless eyes were, in fact it was a detail that he believed made Kinich even more attractive, a unique charm of his, but Aether had to admit that this current view of Kinich was also breathtaking. From his perspective it was as if he was shining like a divine being, and then Kinich stopped right in front of the altar and Aether almost had a fit, especially when imagining what it would be like if Kinich's clothes were replaced by a beautiful white dress. Oh Archons, he was going crazy, because he just imagined what it would be like if this was his wedding with Kinich. "This cathedral...it looks magical." “Yes, I agree. It makes us go crazy...” Averting his gaze to the stained glass windows, Aerher said with a bit of embarrassment in his voice, due to his own thoughts and ironically made fun of himself, despite Kinich not having noticed the tone of his speech while watching the details a little more, the stained glass windows, the altar and even sat on one of the benches, until he felt that he had seen everything, and thought it would be better for them to go to the event. “I think we should go now, so we can catch the event from the beginning.” “Let’s go then.” Heading towards the exit, Kinich timidly took Aether’s hand and without looking at his expression pulled them outside, and Aether smiled happily that Kinich was getting comfortable enough to start contacts on his own. However, as soon as they were at the beginning of the stairs, Kinich stopped, after all he didn’t know where to go. “Which way?” “This way, follow me.” This time it was Aether who took the lead and led them down the stairs towards the city’s main gates, accompanied by the music and the gentle breeze that ran through the entire city. “Are we going outside the city?” “The event venue is near the whispering forest. So we’ll only have to walk a little.”

Walking calmly along the dirt road while being shaded by the many trees around, Kinich felt at peace, enjoying the scent of the flowers that surrounded them, and the silence of the forest was gradually replaced by lively music that grew louder the closer they got to their destination. As soon as they arrived, Aether took them to the ticket office to hand over their invitations, and they were soon allowed to enter the event, and many feelings took over Kinich as he was bombarded by the joy of the place. There were people smiling, singing and dancing everywhere, game stands, food and many other activities spread out in long lines, loud music playing and at the end of it all, Kinich saw a large stage, where he assumed the performances would take place. “Aether! You’re here!” A short girl with short blonde hair wearing a blue dress came running towards them, accompanied by a tall red-haired guy. This must be the sister Aether had spoken about. “Hey Lumine!” “Hey buddy!” “It’s good to see you too, Childe.” “And this new face would be...?” As she asked, Childe shamelessly stared at Kinich with an intense gaze, as if he were reading his soul, making Kinich a little uncomfortable with the strength of his gaze. Lumine, who realized what Childe was causing, slapped his arm, making him look at her like an offended puppy. “Why is this, Ojou-chan?” “Because it’s not polite to stare at people like that, you make them uncomfortable with your intensity.” Turning to Kinich, she continued speaking. “Don’t bother yourself too much with Childe, he does that to everyone. I’m Lumine by the way, Aether’s twin sister.” “It’s okay. It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Kinich.” “Yeah, my bad, buddy, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m Childe by the way.” “It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” “Now that everyone has been introduced, when is Venti’s presentation?” “It’s the last one, at the end of the day. Venti is waiting for us near the stage with Xiao.” Childe then rested his arm on Kinich's shoulder as he spoke to him. “That's it! Come on comrade, you need to meet the others.” “Comrade?” Aether looked at Kinich with a look of sympathy as he placed his hand on his shoulder, and spoke like someone consoling a child. “I'm sorry Kinich, but Childe liked you, and unfortunately he's a clingy jerk. My condolences.” “Hey comrade! You is making me seem unbearable to deal with!” “You're unbearable. Only Lumine can put up with you.” “Ojou-chan! Tell me you don't think so too!” “Well, Xiao and Venti are waiting…” Walking away with quick steps, Lumine tried to avoid this topic, only for Childe to run after her with crocodile tears. “Ojou-chan!!!” “Let's go too.” Aether said laughing at the scene in front of him and holding Kinich's hand, they followed the other two. Kinich felt relieved, after all what Aether's friends and sister would think of him was a concern he did his best to suppress, and admits that he was a little nervous when meeting them in person, but seeing how easily they accepted made him calm down. "Heyyy!!! Everyone!!" An energetic boy with black hair in matching braids happily jumped in place waving at them, next to a serious guy with tattoos on his right arm and piercing golden eyes. "Xiao, Venti, hello. This is Kinich." "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you." Well, Venti he had met before, but Xiao had not, who analyzed him with a sharp look, which made Kinich feel temporarily apprehensive, after all it seemed like he was being judged as worthy or not, but after pondering a bit Xiao came to a conclusion and softening his gaze he greeted Kinich.
“It’s nice to meet you too. And good luck with holding on to Aether, his excitement can be contagious.” “What’s that supposed to mean, Xiao? You’re saying it like it’s something bad.” “I’m just annoying you.” “You… Just ignore it, Kinich.” “Don’t worry, whatever it is, I can handle it.” Everyone ended up laughing at this exchange, as it was quite funny, especially since both Kinich and Xiao spoke with serious expressions despite being joking. “And are you guys looking forward to my performance? Because I am! So much so that I’ve already gone over the song and choreography a million times! Xiao, hug me!” Xiao barely had time to react, as Venti was already clinging to him, he was only able to move in time due to his six reflexes and the fact that he was used to Venti’s spontaneous movements. However, his face seemed to never get used to it, as he blushed slightly. “You’ll be fine, Venti.” Patting his boyfriend gently on the back, he calmed him down. “You know everything by heart, and you’re the best at it.” “Xiaoooo. I love you!” With his eyes shining and a huge smile on his face, he declared and gave Xiao a kiss on the lips, making him blush all the way to his ears. “Venti!!” “What’s wrong, my Xiao? It was just a peck on the lips.” “These two, hahaha.” Aether laughed lightly and wished he had the courage to give Kinich a peck like that, but he wasn’t going to rush things. “Anyway, let’s meet up for Venti’s presentation here. What time is it?” Lumine asked, after all she wanted to enjoy the event with Childe a little. “It’s six in the evening. There’s plenty of time until then, it’s only ten now.” “Okay, then I’ll see you again at six. I’m going out with Childe. See you.” And so Lumine and Childe left together, with the redhead hugging her from the side. “Kinich, do you want to go for a walk with me?” “I do.” “Have fun, you two. Don’t forget to try the wine stand! They have delicious apple cider.” “Thanks for the advice, Venti. See you.” The two then mingled among the people and stalls, holding hands, wondering where they should go first. “Do you want to go to the games first?” “That’s a good idea, since I’m not hungry yet.” Avoiding all the people around him, Aether led them to the first game stand he saw, and it was a ring toss game. “Is there a prize you want here?” “Huh?” “Choose and I’ll win it for you.” Aether knew how to be a true gentleman, so it was obvious that he would win all the games for Kinich, who was looking at the blond surprised, but he didn’t mind the idea, so he looked carefully at the prizes on display and a large plush in the shape of a pixelated green dragon caught his eye. Would it be ridiculous if he said he found it cute and wanted it? Aether noticed Kinich’s hesitation and saw how he bit his lips slightly as if he was considering something and following the direction of his eyes, noticed that he was staring at a dragon plush. “Did you like that plush?” “Eh! It’s...strange...?” “No, it’s actually cute.” “Cute!?” “Yes, Kinich is very cute!”

Kinich blushed, but said nothing, and Aether smiled as he paid for the five rings available, and asked how much he would have to hit to get the big plush.

“You have to hit all five rings on the furthest peg.”

“Easy.”

“That’s what everyone says.”

Ignoring the young man’s whisper, Aether turned to Kinich and said with confidence,

“Kinich, look, I’ll hit them all.”

And just as he said, Aether hit ring after ring as if it were the easiest thing in the world, he didn’t even seem to have any difficulty, which left the attendant’s jaw dropped, and Kinich secretly loved this display of skill, Aether was so cool and intensely focused on what he was doing.

“Here’s your prize...”

Looking as if his energy had been drained, the attendant listlessly handed the plush to Aether, who was grinning from ear to ear.

“Thank you.” He then looked beaming at Kinich, holding out the plush as if it were a treasure. “Here, Kinich, for you.”

“Thank you.”

Kinich accepted the plush and held it tightly to his chest, smiling shyly. Holding hands again, they walked around the stalls, playing all the games available. Kinich had a great time, and also won a few games, but Aether had the highest tally of victories. Along the way, they also tried many of the food stalls, and Kinich had to admit that the Mondstadt cuisine was delicious, especially a moon pie he tried, made by a woman named Eula, who, because she knew Aether, had given them a special price.

At this moment, the two of them walked at a calm pace through the stalls, bathed in the now orange rays of the sun, due to the fact that it had already begun to set, their hands stuck together as if they had been glued together, the cool breeze of the evening was a relief for Kinich's tired body, after all, they had been walking almost non-stop all day, and holding the plush toy tightly against his chest, he looked in Aether's direction, admiring how the orange color seemed to make him even more beautiful, his golden hair seemed to shine, so dazzling that Kinich almost thought he was walking next to a God. To stop his thoughts for a while, otherwise he would end up getting stuck in them, which could lead to some embarrassment, he started a conversation.

"You're very good at these kinds of games."

"Hehe, I'm a multi-skilled person."

Aether then looked at the last game stall and one of the prizes caught his eye, a simple necklace, but that in itself made it stand out from the rest. An ordinary black cord, but what made it unique was what hung from it, a stone in the color green mixed with gold, as if someone had combined an emerald and a golden topaz into a perfect mix, and it reminded him of Kinich's eyes. "Kinich, there's one more game, and I'll give you something surprise." "A surprise? Okay." In this game, one had to knock down all ten figures that represented Durin with a ball with Dvalin's face on it. Certainly a creative game that used the history of the nation as a setting. It wasn't an easy game from what Aether saw, since the person in front of him only managed two out of ten. He needed to balance strength and aim here, and as soon as was free, Aether bought the moves, and concentrating, threw the first ball, and knocked down the first figure squarely. At first, Aether didn't seem to be exerting any effort, but when he looked closely, Kinich saw how the muscles in Aether's arm moved slightly, and with throw after throw he knocked down all the figures, and was amazed by his serious and focused face, so different from his happy side. Kinich liked both sides. "And... victory for me! I'm officially the nightmare of game owners!" "Yes, you definitely are. You were... so cool like that..." The sudden compliment almost threw Aether off balance, and he blushed slightly, feeling a little embarrassed, but very happy, after all, Kinich didn't praise often and in the rare moments when he did it was enough to make him feel like Celestia, and with a huge smile stared at Kinich with a face like a silly in love. The blonde's slightly embarrassed expression made something warm inside Kinich's heart, without understanding what it could be, but it was a good feeling, and this was another unexpected side that he loved about Aether, and the way he was looked at made him feel strange, but a good strange, Kinich just didn't know how to identify what those sensations were.

“Choose your prize, sir...”

Being brought back to reality by the irritated voice of the attendant, and indifferent to his bad mood, Aether pointed to the necklace, and when it was given to him, he held it out to Kinich, who looked at the jewel in admiration. “Wow, that’s a beautiful necklace.” “Turn around so I can put it on you.” Blushing, Kinich did as he was told, and Aether skillfully slipped the necklace around his neck, in the process ending up getting close to Kinich’s back and his breathing close to his neck sending shivers down his spine, stopping when he moved in front of Kinich, looking to see how it looked. “It looks beautiful on you.” Kinich hid his blushing face behind the plush, but was smiling nonstop. Aether was awesome, and he loved this affection. “You’re exaggerating...” “I’m not! It matches your eyes.” “Oh! You..ugh...” “Hehe, what do you think about having a drink? Venti recommended the wine stall.” This mere sentence made Kinich freeze tensely in place, feeling his anxiety grow rapidly, after all he doesn’t like alcohol, but could he be honest? Would Aether get mad if he said he didn’t want to go to this stall? He debated mentally for a few seconds, not knowing what to do, and his doubt must have been clear in his expression because Aether looked worried and asked. “Kinich? Is something wrong?” “No, I’m just tired from walking so much.” A lame lie, but he said the first thing that came to mind, and he’s sure Aether didn’t buy it at all, if the way he raised an eyebrow and was silent for a while before speaking with seriousness in his voice. “Kinich, if there’s something bothering you, you can say it. I promise I’ll listen to you.” That was the statement that made Kinich make his decision and taking a deep breath he spoke the truth, ignoring the fear in the heart and his hands that began to tremble, which he tried to hide by gripping the plush tightly. “I don’t like alcoholic beverages.” Silence took over them for a few seconds while Aether processed the information, definitely not being what he imagined it could be, because the worst scenarios went through his head in those seconds, and with a calm but slightly astonished expression, he asked doubtfully. “Is that all?” “Yes. Will you... be upset if I say I don’t want to go to this stall?” Aether understood what was happening and looked kindly at Kinich, answering softly, mainly because he felt the tension in the way he spoke, and something inside him told him that he should calm his concerns. “I won’t be upset. If you don’t like it, the least I can do is respect that. If I got upset because of that, then I would be an asshole.” “So, is that okay with you?” “Yes, no problem at all. Let’s go to another stand, I saw one that makes delicious milkshakes.” The fear that was growing in his core disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place and releasing the air he hadn’t even realized was holding, Kinich held Aether’s hand and followed him happily, feeling grateful that he didn’t question his motives. They spent the last few minutes together until it was almost six o’clock and so as not to be late they went to the stage, where everyone was already gathered, with the exception of Venti. “So? Are they going to start?” “Yes, Venti has already gone to get ready.” Lumine answered, and as she said, a harp music started playing, and Venti was in the middle of the illuminated stage, wearing a green bard costume, playing. “Hello everyone, I, Venti, your beloved local bard, officially begin my performance.”

And with that, he began to play a more lively song on the harp, accompanied by a full choir behind him, and then a beautiful song produced by him began, enchanting everyone who listened. Venti began to move from one side to the other on the stage, dancing to the rhythm of his music, and the people imitated, and when Kinich realized, everyone around him was dancing happily, even Childe and Lumine, and even Xiao was swaying his body to the rhythm without moving, looking lovingly at Venti. The music was sensational and made Kinich feel desires, which he thought he had buried deep in his heart. Aether put their things in a corner and walked confidently towards Kinich, who was stagnant while looking at Venti. "Kinich." Upon hearing Aether's voice, he came out of his trance and looked at the blond with his hand extended towards him, and without understanding, he looked confused. "Dance with me?" His eyes widened when he heard this, and without knowing how to respond, he remained silent, holding the necklace like an anchor, and a war began in his mind. “If you don’t want to, I won’t insist, but something tells me that you do, so what do you think?” “Isn’t it... weird, that I’m a boy and dancing?” He asked in a low voice and looked down at his feet, remembering one of the phrases that had been said to him to stop him from dancing. “Why would it be weird? There’s nothing wrong with that, look at all the men dancing.” With that, Kinich looked at Aether in shock and the calm and confident expression broke any argument he might have had ready. Looking around, he thought that there really was nothing wrong, everyone was dancing happily and without caring about anything, so why was he holding back? After all, who was he afraid of displeasing here? “Do whatever you want Kinich, there’s no one to stop you.” This was like a reality shock for him, after all Aether was right. The only person who wouldn't like this wasn't here, and he could never again tell Kinich what he should or shouldn't do. He had been holding himself back from doing what he loved for so long, so many years, but now he had a chance to do it again, and if he didn't do it now, might never have the courage to try again, so he shouldn't let his shadow block his happiness. Taking a deep breath and despite shaking a little with fear, he weakly held the outstretched hand, and understanding the implicit answer, Aether firmly grabbed his hand and quickly pulled him towards him, getting into the rhythm of the music, holding Kinich's waist as they spun around. Kinich was taken aback by the sudden movement, but he easily managed to keep up with Aether's steps and before he knew it he was spinning in his arms in perfect rhythm. His feet seemed to have a life of their own as they moved from side to side, and in no time Kinich was dancing perfectly to the music, which seemed to make him fly towards freedom. Aether kept spinning Kinich around and around, pulling him away and bringing him back to himself with perfection, and Kinich moved his entire body beautifully, as if he had been born for it. All the fear and apprehension that had held him back until today were completely forgotten by the euphoria of doing something he loved so deeply again. He felt as if he were freeing himself from the chains that held his feet in place, it was as if he were truly free now. His happiness was so great at this moment that Kinich didn't even notice that some people had stopped to watch him dance and started to applaud. Aether was also enchanted by Kinich's perfect movements and was only following him by a miracle. Kinich was a spectacular dancer and was taking Aether's breath away. Venti also saw this spectacle from the stage and smiled happily, because as an artist he was sure that Kinich was a natural dancing talent and he needed to have him by his side on stage. Maybe this was the dance partner Venti needed to improve his performances, but he would tell him his proposal later. For now, should focus on what he was doing, which was singing beautifully to make this party even more lively. It was always a joy to see that his music made others dance freely and happily like that. After all, that was why he played, precisely to make people let go. Venti wasn't even annoyed by the attention shifting from him to Kinich. Quite the opposite, he was even happier, because it meant that his music was good enough to make someone dance like that. At some point, Aether let go of Kinich and let him dance a little by himself, but so that he could observe him better. What a heart-stopping scene. Kinich seemed to shine as he moved, his steps synchronized, his waist swaying, and what was even more spectacular was the huge smile on his face, flushed with effort. Kinich was truly happy dancing, and this was a shot to Aether's heart.

When he realized the song was ending, he joined Kinich again and they finished their steps together with the last note played, Kinich in Aether's arms, the two breathing heavily, looking at each other in a trance, forgetting the existence of the world around them until loud and joyful applause was heard around them. Finally noticing the crowd that had formed around him, Kinich was astonished, even more so when all these people seemed to be praising him. He was so shocked that he felt overwhelmed. Coming to his senses, he felt the need to escape all this commotion. "I... need to breathe..." He spoke softly so only Aether could hear and ran away before getting an answer. Aether didn't have time to react and could only watch Kinich disappearing into the crowd, but something told he should go after him, so asking his sister to take care of his things he ran in the same direction Kinich had left. Tried to think where Kinich could have gone if he wanted to get away from the crowd, and in this direction there was only one place free of people. Aether ran until he reached the edge of the lake that surrounded the city, and there was Kinich, sitting on the edge of the slope watching the water below, and walking calmly towards him, Aether sat silently beside him, staying like that for a while, watching the moonlight reflecting on the calm surface of the water, making it seem like the lake was glowing and the light reflected softly on their faces, until Kinich broke the silence. “I’m sorry for leaving like this.” “It’s okay, but can you tell me what happened?” Looking at Aether thoughtfully, Kinich considered for a while before sighing lightly and returning his gaze to the deep water, he spoke. “I got a little overwhelmed. It’s been so long since I’ve danced that I forgot what it felt like.” “And how did it feel now? Was it good?” “It was... amazing... I was happy doing it.” “So... what made you like this?” “It’s the reality shock, I guess. I’ve been told my whole life that I was horrible doing this, that everyone would hate and despise me, that it was wrong because I was a boy… which I believed and I never danced so freely and in front of other people again…” Kinich needed a break to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat and Aether didn’t press him to continue, instead he watched the starry sky with Kinich, while thinking about what was being said. How could someone be so unloved to the point of saying such horrible things to Kinich? Now he understood where his apprehension came from. “So everyone there applauding and praising me is something so… strange to me, so unusual. It’s kind of hard to understand that what I was told before wasn’t the reality. So since I’m not used to praise, I… panicked and ran away. Pathetic, right…” “It’s not pathetic. It was your reaction to a new situation, and it’s completely understandable.” “Are you… sure about that?” “Yes, these are things that only time helps us control.” “Are you saying... that I can get over it?” “You’ve already started to get over it, after all you were able to dance so beautifully, as if nothing could hold you back, and you liked it, right?” “Yes, I loved dancing again.” “See, you’re already freeing yourself from the past. Now forget what this idiot said to you in the past and believe me when I say that you were splendid.” “Was I?” “You was, I was even breathless. You looked divine when you danced.” Aether looked at him with such affection and trust that Kinich believed every word he said. “Did I dance well then?” “Yes, you were beautiful. You are beautiful.” Aether said this while gently caressing Kinich’s blushing cheek and without realizing it the two began to get closer, Aether’s thumb lightly brushed Kinich’s full lips, glancing sideways at their shine. Kinich also seemed in a trance and his eyes went down from Aether’s eyes to his lips that were close. As the distance between them decreased, the air seemed to compress around them, and when they were less than an inch apart, Aether took courage and kissed Kinich. Just a quick peck and pulled away, but before he could go too far, Kinich joined their lips again in a more eager kiss, wrapping his arms around Aether's neck, who in return held Kinich's waist firmly, responding to his intensity and deepening the kiss.

The two put their feelings into this kiss, and passing his tongue over Kinich's lips, who sighed in surprise and opened his lips a little, Aether stuck it in Kinich's mouth, guiding the rhythm. Kinich didn't mind at all, liked the feeling of Aether dominating him, and just enjoyed the intensity of his tongue dancing in his mouth. Archons, it was so good that he was running out of air and a little drool ran down the side of his chin, in addition to the feeling of Aether's strong hands holding his waist firmly. This was too much, it was incredible and Kinich loved every second of it. But they both needed air and having to abruptly stop the kiss, they rested their foreheads together while catching their breath with strong breaths. They stayed like that for a while, calming their heartbeats and smiling happily at each other. Pulling away a little, just enough to look Aether in the eyes, Kinich said fondly. "That was... sensational. I think I love kissing you." Aether laughed happily, he was in heaven, and looking lovingly at Kinich he also admitted happily. “I loved kissing you too. Archons, maybe I love you...” “Do you love me?” “I think so, although it’s too early to be sure.” Kinich wanted to cry, but out of happiness, because no one had ever said they loved him, and hiding his face in Aether’s chest, admitted his sincere feelings. “I don’t know if I love you either, since it’s the first time I’m experiencing these things, but I’m sure I feel something very strong for you, maybe it could be love.” “I think we’ll both find out in time then.” “Yes.” They stayed embraced like that, together, watching the huge lake and the silver light of the moon pushing away the darkness, the sound of the distant party behind them, and only the starry sky and the deep waters being witnesses to this moment of their union, being enveloped by a personal and calm atmosphere, separating them from the rest of the world for a few minutes. This was a moment just for them.