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The day was extremely quiet, unusually so. Hu Tao left to search for Qiqi, Childe was not around causing trouble, no clients, the weather was good… In the dimly lit hall of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor, Zhongli could finally allow himself to take his well-deserved break, a warm cup of tea waiting for him on the table. As he was getting ready to take the first sip, the door flung open, and a short young-looking man stormed inside, causing the Geo Archon to sigh in disbelief. Celestia allowed no breaks…
“Hey, Rex Lapis. What makes for a good birthday present, for humans?” The black-haired man stopped, crossing his arms and staring intently at the Archon. He had far more expertise with humans, that was for sure. He had been living among them for a long time, after all. However, such a question was… really unexpected, coming from him.
“Well, it really depends on the person, there is no general rule… However, I must say I am surprised. Who is the lucky person who managed to garner your interest?” Zhongli reasoned for a second, before realizing something. There was only one human the young man could stand… “Is it for the traveler?”
Those words made the man’s cheeks turn unusually pink, and he tried to divert Zhongli’s attention by looking elsewhere. Not that he actually managed to, anyway. He only made him far more curious. “Does it really matter who’s it for? Are humans that picky?”
“I don’t think they are. And if it is a decent person, I think it’s the feelings behind the present that are appreciated. Therefore, you should think about this by yourself. A heartfelt gift is much better, don’t you think, Xiao?”
“Whatever. I don’t know. I never gave nor received birthday presents in my life.” The man grunted, frustrated. He came to Liyue in the hope of finding a decent answer from his mentor. Why was he being so vague? He didn’t want to admit who the present was for, not that Zhongli didn’t catch up with that already, but it was extremely embarrassing to say it out loud. However, if the odds were that he could tell him something more… Well, maybe it was worth the embarrassment. “… It is for Aether.”
“Well, he is the only human you can stand. But how come you want to give him a birthday present? It is not like you.”
“I just… thought I could thank him for the Lantern Festival.” It hadn’t been long since that day, where the blonde boy basically forced him to go to Liyue to look at the lanterns from up close. He was reserved about it, and was unwilling to admit it to the traveler, but he did enjoy the push. Seeing them from the city outskirts really was different than seeing them from Wangshu Inn. And, more importantly he was the one to bring him there. Saying it with words, however, was extremely difficult. That’s why he thought a gift could have been better, and the right occasion was just there. However, even choosing a gift turned out to be a too high of a hurdle when he knew nothing about humans.
Zhongli reflected on the matter a while longer, shaking then his head. “As I thought, I really cannot give you advice. If it is a present to give as thanks, it must come from you. I believe he is not picky, however. I am sure he will like whatever you gift him.”
That was bad. Really bad. He bet all he had on Zhongli, and now the embarrassment really had been for naught. He could feel his face flush, while he clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Wasted my time and breath. Whatever, I’ll figure it out somehow.” With that said, the Yaksha stormed off the same way he came, leaving Zhongli dumbfounded.
“I smell something interesting coming. … Ah, the tea is ruined now. Dear Celestia…”
If Zhongli wasn’t an option, he was forced to either ask around in town, or think about it on his own. Both prospects were horrible. Reasonably speaking, however, he obviously had more chances of finding a solution by speaking with townsfolks. He had to find someone to ask to, it couldn’t be someone random. However, the only people from town he knew aside the people from the parlor were the ones from that time with Osial, and for sure he didn’t want to mingle with the Qixing. He tried to recall if he ever heard Aether talk about someone he knew in Liyue, and remembered he once heard him speak about the daughter of Wanmin Restaurant during the Lantern Festival. What was her name? Xiangling? He wasn’t really sure. And he wasn’t sure of how good of an idea it was either. Well again, he didn’t really have a choice… He headed to the restaurant, and once he got there he noticed a group of adolescents in front of the kitchen. Two boys and one girl, to be precise. Maybe the girl was the Xiangling he was searching for…? He took a deep breath, approaching the group with a solemn aura.
“Excuse me. Are you the daughter of the restaurant?”
“Hm? Yes, Xiangling at you service! What can I do for you, sir? Do you have a special order you need to place?” This girl was… too energetic for him. He didn’t really know how to handle her. Well, at least he remembered well her name.
“No, not really… Uh…” Now, for a direct question? He could guess that a question without a context would only arise more questions, so maybe… it was better to go in a more roundabout way. “… I have a… friend… I need to give a present to. And it’s someone you know. You know Aether, no? Well, I’m not good at choosing presents, so I was thinking I could ask for help from someone he knows.” Yeah, that was a good way to put it. At that name, however, the boys with Xiangling, one with icy blue hair and the other with deep blue one, perked up, seemingly recognizing it.
“Oh, you know him too? He once helped me with an exorcism!”
“Ohhhh, yes, the very good traces I passed you. I remember well.” The darker haired boy smirked in a devilish way, turning then to look at Xiao. “In any case, he once assisted me too. He is indeed a nice liege. If I was you, I would gift him a book. Knowledge is always well accepted as a gift.”
“Xingqiu, you really don’t get it. If it’s a gift, it must be a protection talisman! To protect from evil spirits.”
“Oh yes? I believe he is better than you at protecting himself, Chongyun…” It wasn’t long before the two boys, apparently named Chongyun and Xingqiu, started bantering. What a lively bunch…
“Let them be! They’re always like that! Anyways, I don’t know him all that well either… But, if I must say, I’d tell you to give him something nice to eat! Food can always fill your heart, if you prepare it with love! Anyone likes a nice tasty dish!” Well, she wasn’t wrong, he did have some food he enjoyed too. And Aether did indeed have a habit of trying to bribe him with Almond Tofu. Was that the reason? Was food that important in humans’ eyes…? If so, it wasn’t a bad idea. However, now the problem was another one.
“I don’t know how to cook tasty things, though.”
“Well, what matters is love! And I can’t believe you really don’t know how to cook anything! You look like the competent type!”
“… I don’t know how to cook anything besides Almond Tofu,” Xiao said with a soft voice, preparing himself to the worse.
“… Wow. Is it that bad?” Xiangling’s face was… amazed, to say the least. “Hmm… Well, you need a crash course, then! I’ll teach you! Choose a recipe, and I’ll teach you how to cook it like a professional!” There it was, the worse. Having her as a teacher felt like a pain. But then again, he needed someone to teach him…
“Fine. But you choose the recipe. Something that tastes and looks good. Whatever is fine. I don’t know his tastes in any case, so I’ll trust you on that. The difficulty doesn’t really matter. I’ll learn.” If he had to do this, he might as well go all in. He could surprise him.
“You got it! I won’t go easy on you, though… uhm…”
“Xiao.”
“Yeah, Xiao! … Wait, are you that Xiao?! The Vigilant Yaksha?!” Typical human reaction… He had gotten used to it, by now.
“Yes, that would be me. I look forward to the cooking lessons.”
“I’ve got an idea, if you don’t mind.” Xingqiu intervened, smiling sure of himself, while the girl was still dumbfounded at the sudden revelation. “Why don’t we organize a surprise party, while we are at it? We can help too.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea, for once! As long as there’s no Jueyun Chili in the food, I’m in.”
“Yes… Of course, no chili for Chongyun…” The two’s banter started again, while Xiao got more uneasy. That… was a nice thing in itself, but not to him. Not only he would have had more people to handle, it wouldn’t have been anymore a present from him to Aether. That made him quite upset, and Xiangling caught on that.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea! Why don’t you organize a surprise party for him? Call all his friends from Liyue, let’s make food and prepare decorations together… It’s gonna be a super nice thing to do, you know?”
“… That defies the meaning, though…” The young man muttered to himself, thinking about it. He would have been happy, for sure, but… he had to find another present. Conflicted, he pondered for a while, and in the end, he decided to accept the girl’s proposal. He had quite a lot of work on his hands, now.
The following days were extremely frenetic. Preparing parties was much more exhausting he thought. Was it necessary to make all those paper flowers? Blowing all those balloons? Luckily, a lot of people ended up helping them, but… it was really a lot of work. Xiangling was also a strict teacher, more than Xiao ever imagined. But she was also really skilled, and made everything look extremely easy and intuitive, so in just a few days he became good enough to help her with the preparations. He had to admit, humans weren’t as bad as he remembered them, and he somehow ended up enjoying the whole ordeal. Even when he was not actively present, Aether always ended up being the tie between the Yaksha and humans…
It wasn’t long before the actual birthday arrived, and it was only then, finally free from all that kept him occupied in the previous days, that Xiao realized he still didn’t have a birthday present. He only had a couple of hours to think about it. Things were really looking grim. He had no one else left to ask to. Zhongli wouldn’t answer. He already cooked for the party. Books or talismans didn’t look good as presents. What else…? He was strolling through the city to bring to the parlor the last things for the party, when he noticed in a corner of the street a Glaze Lily. The sun was beginning to set, and the consequently the small flower was starting to shyly bloom. He never looked at it from so close, but it was amazing. It had such strength, to bloom despite being in a small flowerbed… And it only bloomed at night. It was extremely fleeting, so why did it look so pretty? Just… like humans, he thought. During those days, he could see only the beautiful side of humans, not their hideous one. He came to understand… there was good in humans. That not all of them were cruel. That they too struggled to live and bloom, just like that small flower. He thought… it was probably too dumb as a gift, especially for a man. But a Glaze Lily felt like a nice present. It was so weird, thinking of a Yaksha gifting a human a flower… But he wanted to give it a shot. He hurried back to the parlor, leaving everything there, and then headed to a flower shop to buy a Glaze Lily. Aether would have arrived soon. He sent him a message, telling him Zhongli needed to talk to him and to go to the parlor at 9. All that was left was waiting for him.
The crowd in the parlor was quite substantial. The group of adolescents who helped him, the staff of the parlor, Qiqi and Baizhu from the Bubu Pharmacy, the leader of The Crux, the Qixing members too… Even a couple people from Monstadt and Inazuma showed up at Xiao’s invite. Aether was really well liked wherever he went. The big crew, however, was... quite noisy, and it was Xiao’s duty to make rounds and tell everyone to keep it down, or they could be heard from outside. It was really a unique scene, the Conqueror of Demons supervising a birthday party... But it was a nice feeling, knowing it was to surprise someone he cared about. After a couple of rounds, the door creaked, opening slowly, and everyone hid in the adjacent rooms to hide. Only Xiao, Zhongli and Hu Tao remained in the main room, greeting Aether as he entered.
“Good evening! I hope I’m in time.” The young man bowed, smiling at the three.
“Paimon’s never late! Of course we’re in time!” Xiao made sure to not mention the party to Paimon, of course. Knowing her, the cover would have been blown in three seconds, or even less.
“Perfectly so. I am sorry for the late hour, but work is keeping us occupied.” Zhongli smiled back, looking at Hu Tao in search of support.
“Yeaaaaaaah, a whooooole lot of work. I’ve been chasing Qiqi all day long! And I still can’t catch her! I even told her I’d give her a discount! I’m losing in this bargain, you know?!” Xiao was sure he heard a small childish voice from the nearby room answering Hu Tao. Luckily, that snake doctor was keeping the young jiangshi in check.
“Ahem.” Zhongli tried to catch again Aether’s attention, hoping to distract him from Qiqi’s gaffe. “As I said. We are quite occupied, that’s why I had to ask Xiao to contact you.”
“Yeah, Paimon thought it was strange! That loner wouldn’t show up even if we called him!”
“Now, now, Paimon... Don’t be rude to Xiao.” Aether was always considerate towards him. He was always trying to understand his motives, the reasons behind his shyness, if it could be called so. And of course, this was no exception.
Zhongli turned to look at Xiao, nearly waiting for a response. Did he want him to take the situation in hand...?! He wasn’t ready for this. He was already doing his best to hide the flower behind his back...! However, he couldn’t stagger now. It was... an important moment. He focused, nearly looking menacing because of it, and looked at Aether. “Yes, it was extremely important to have you here today. It could be... only today.”
Aether looked perplexed, but after a second he realized what he meant. “Oh... Did you call me here because of it...? I didn’t think you knew...” The blond youth scratched his cheek, slightly embarrassed. He didn’t expect this. Well, that was good, the surprise worked. Now, Xiao just had to give the signal for everyone to come out.
“Mh, I knew. And... I told everyone.” At the word everyone, the crowd jumped out of their hiding places screaming ‘surprise!’ so loud that Aether jumped back from the shock. He really didn’t expect all those people there to celebrate his birthday. And not only people from Liyue, but some from Monstadt and Inazuma too...!
“How... So many people...!”
“All little Yaksha’s work! Amazing, right~?” At Hu Tao’s words, Xiao’s cheeks flushed. He wasn’t supposed to know. Not like this, at least.
“Really...? Did you... organize this, Xiao?” Obviously, it was a surprise to anyone who heard it during the preparations, so it was the same for Aether too. After all, it was something extraordinary, to see him so invested in something that was not fighting demons. Now that he was on the spot, he could only nod, unable to speak, but noticing how the boy’s face lightened up with a huge beaming smile. “This is so unexpected...! Ah, really, I’m so happy...!”
“He didn’t just ask around! He also helped make the food and the decorations! And he’s a fast learner in kitchen!” Of course, Xiangling couldn’t hide her enthusiasm, being the one that proposed the idea to let Xiao organize everything. More than everything, though, she was happy that the plan worked, and that it made Aether happy as Xiao wanted. It wasn’t long before people started approaching the blonde boy, and the black-haired man ended up left out. He wasn’t good at being in crowds, anyways. Luckily, he managed to hide the flower from his sight, and decided to use the occasion to hide it in a safe place before he could see it. He wanted to avoid giving it to him in front of everyone, it was better to find a moment to take him outside.
The party started, and the guest of honor was of course the center of attention. He was always surrounded by people, smiling at him and wishing him a happy birthday. It wasn’t long before Xiao realized... he didn’t really fit there. He was the one that made everyone gather, but he wasn’t really included. He knew well just a couple of people, mainly the Adepti present, he wasn’t talkative, he wasn’t smiling either... and he couldn’t approach Aether either. He was having so much fun, it would have been better to leave him with the ones who could handle better than him the party. He just interacted for a while with Zhongli and Ganyu and ate something to see for himself if the cooking was acceptable. He didn’t really need food, anyways. When the time to open the gifts arrived, Xiao froze. Everyone brought a gift. Of course. It was a birthday. Everyone had been told. So, everyone prepared a gift. And... everyone had a much better present than him. How could a single flower compare to such gifts? He didn’t give it enough thought. He was getting uneasy, the air was suffocating. So, when no one was looking at him, he sneaked out on the parlor’s terrace, staring at the small flower in his hands as he rested against the balustrade.
“Really, what was I thinking...? This is really no place for me. I’m not made to be among people,” he muttered to himself. The party was a success. However, he couldn’t convey anything at all. Not his congratulations, nor his thanks. To him, it was an utter failure. While he was thinking by himself, he heard the door behind him open. He turned, expecting Zhongli and one of his sermons... However, the one who was there was the birthday boy himself.
“There you are. I had been searching for you everywhere. I though you left without telling anyone again...” Aether smiled worriedly, while Xiao hurried to hide the flower.
“I... have learned my ways. You would get disappointed if I did.”
“I get disappointed even if you leave the room without talking to me even once, you know?” He laughed, reaching Xiao and resting besides him. He wasn’t supposed to be there. He had to be with everyone, celebrating... “Can I ask you something?”
“You already did.”
“Ah, right!” Another laugh. He looked... nervous. “How come... you organized this? It’s not like you, to interact with so many people. Especially humans.”
Straight to the point, huh.
“... I was at my wit’s end. I was trying to figure out a birthday gift. I don’t know anything about humans, and Rex Lapis wouldn’t help me. I tried to ask the Wanmin’s heir and her friends, and this came out. Not like it turned out like I wanted.” He felt defeated, admitting this, but he wanted to be sincere for once.
“How come? It was a success. Everyone really had fun! And the food was good, and the decorations pretty.”
“It’s not like I wanted everyone to have fun. Sure, it was not so bad preparing it. But... it defied the meaning.”
“Which is?” Aether was really perplexed. He didn’t know what Xiao wanted to say.
“... I wanted to thank you. For... the Lantern Festival. It was nice. I thought it would be a good opportunity to thank you with a gift. But the party wasn’t really my gift, and what I chose... is not the best.”
“You have a gift for me...?!” The blonde’s eyes sparkled, the moon and the city lights reflected in it. They were beautifully sincere. “I want to see!”
“It’s... really not worth it.”
“It’s a gift! And it’s yours! Of course it’s worth it! And, anyways, organizing all this is a huge gift, you know...? It was surely really hard for you! But you pushed your limits for me. That makes me happy.” Really, how could a smile be so radiant? The Yaksha made a contrived face, before deciding to unfold his arm and show him the flower he was carefully hiding. Before Aether could say anything, he started to talk, and for an unusually long time. Well, it was his birthday, he could make an exception.
“I know it’s not a gift on par with the ones you received. They were much better, there is no denying it. I’m not good with these things, and it was extremely hard thinking about something. But... I saw a blooming Glaze Lily, while coming back to the parlor. I thought that Glaze Lilies are like humans. They struggle, and even in the most horrible conditions they bloom beautifully. In these days... I saw not all humans are inherently bad. There are good ones too. And then I thought... I already knew that. Because you are there. And you too are... like the Glaze Lily. Even if you can’t meet your sister, you still fight and search for her, and never stop looking forward.” The Yaksha found the strength to look at him more proudly while talking, extending him the flower. He wasn’t thinking back on what he said, or he would have ended up regretting it and blushing madly. Aether, however, just stared at him blankly. It took him a moment to start moving to take the flower, his face completely red.
“... Let me ask something. That... was not supposed to be a... love confession, right?”
A confession? Was that what it sounded like? The Yaksha wanted to answer sarcastically, but he really couldn’t. He could only blush back, looking elsewhere. “It... wasn’t. But I guess... you can take it as you see fit.”
At those words, Aether smiled happily, despite the red on his cheeks. “Then what were you worried about? This is the best gift I could ask for! I never received a flower as a gift! It’s so romantic.” The boy smelled the flower, satisfied. “They really are extremely fragrant. Now I understand why Zhongli likes them.”
Xiao was... amazed. Really...? Was really such a small and frail flower the best gift? Because... he picked it up while thinking about him? Was it really that easy to pick gifts? He felt suddenly better. So well, that he couldn’t hide a smile, wider than the ones he rarely showed. Aether was happy because of his gift and what he said. That was all he could ask for. He got the message across.
The boy, however, caught on his smile, and looked at him as if he were entranced. Now, that was a sight. The best one he ever saw in all Teyvat. He couldn’t really hide his excitement, and moved forward towards him, stealing a kiss on Xiao’s cheek. The Yaksha flushed completely, moving a hand on the cheek that was just kissed, and stared agape at the blonde boy while he was running away, a mischievous smile on his lips, the very same that just kissed him.
“I changed my mind! It’s not the Glaze Lily or the confession! Your smile is the best gift!”
“Wha... Wait! Wait, where are you
going...?! Aether!”
———
Teyvat’s
exploration was still really long, and
the sun was scorching on the way to Sumeru. However, just one look at
the
pressed Glaze Lily bookmark he always carried with him was enough to
bring a
smile on his lips. He really wanted to go back to Liyue.
“Hey, traveler! Since when did you carry a Glaze Lily around? It looks so pretty, Paimon wants one too!”
“What? No way! It’s my second most precious gift! I won’t ever give it to anyone!”
“Wait, then what is the first one?”
“That’s a secret only I know!”