Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You know which one she’s staying in, right? Go on up, she should be in right now. "

“Thank you,” Aether nodded at the landlord outside the apartment building before heading in. He climbed the flights of stairs to reach the right floor and quickly found himself standing before the door of Fontaine’s (former) biggest star. “…Maybe I should’ve brought a gift.” It was his first time actually visiting her home. After a moment of thought, he elected to cook something for her in her kitchen; eating macaroni all the time must be getting stale, wouldn’t— “AHH!” BANG!

“Furina?!” Without a second thought, Aether opened the door and ran in. The former Hydro Archon’s new residence, in stark contrast to her previous lavish abode, was cramped and a bit of a mess; the living room, kitchen, and dining room were relegated to their own little corners of the room which meant that upon running in, he immediately saw what was wrong. Kneeling by the kitchen counter was Furina covered from head to toe with and spitting out flour; evidently from the ruptured bag on the floor in front of her, she was moving it around after baking when she tripped and fell on top of it. Now realising he had overreacted a tiny bit, Aether let out a relieved sigh as he went to help her.

“Ow…"

“Here, take my hand," Aether offered, which Furina gratefully tried to accept. As she was blinded by the flour, it wasn't exactly easy for her to find him— prompting him to take her hand to help her to her feet.

"Thank you…" An embarrassed Furina expressed her gratitude before asking him to get her a tissue or towel. A minute later, she finished cleaning her face and thanked Aether again for helping. "…Wait a second." She looked at him again and blinked, making sure he was actually there. Seeing that he was, she wiped her face with the towel again and looked back. "Aether?! What are you doing here?! You didn't break the lock, did you?!" She was in so much trouble with her landlord already! If he found out she busted the front door too then—

"No, you didn't lock it…" Aether pointed out as he glanced at her entrance. "And I heard you screaming so—"

"I got it, thank you very much," sighed Furina. Not only did she forget to lock her door, Aether just saw her in an embarrassing position. Even if they were sort of friends now, he could have at least the decency to send her a message that he would come by that day. She could've started making lunch early and had something for them to eat. Her look of slight frustration must have been more apparent than she thought as Aether quickly apologised for coming in uninvited. “It’s fine. I’m not angry, just… Is there a reason for this visit?”

“No, there’s no particular reason. I was just in the neighbourhood is all.”

Right, the Adventurer’s Guild was up the stairs from here and she lived across the street from the blacksmith, both spots Furina knew Aether frequented. She shouldn’t be surprised that he would think to check up on her at some point. “I see. Er… allow me to change first then we can talk. Please take a seat and wait,” She was not exactly presentable as a host anymore… Excusing herself to her bedroom, she tried to change and freshen up as quickly as she could but admittedly, it was no easy task taking off her clothes and putting on another set. Once she was done, she came back out with renewed enthusiasm. “Apologies for taking so long, Aether, I… oh…” However fast she thought she was in changing, it clearly wasn’t fast enough; Aether was nowhere to be seen, making Furina assume he got tired of waiting and just left. “I’m sorry…” she sighed to herself. And here she thought Aether was patient and kind enough for her.

‘It’s fine… I only need to cook for myself now.’ Bright sides where they were and all that. She returned to her kitchen to resume the cake she was baking before her minor accident. However, to her surprise… it was already done? ‘Huh?’ Next to the closed recipe book she was following was the perfectly baked pound cake she hoped to make. Only after a few seconds of confused staring did she notice the note tucked slightly underneath the plate. She carefully pulled it out and read what was written.

I’m really sorry, Furina, but I remembered there was something I needed to do today. As an apology, I finished your cake for you. I’ll try visiting again tomorrow.

—Aether

It was short but Furina could tell how sorry he felt in his writing and especially actions. The flour on her floor had been cleaned up too. A part of her did feel miffed that she couldn’t make the cake herself but silenced it to enjoy her lunch. The former Archon picked up the plate and moved her (or Aether’s) cake to her dining table. After making another quick trip to take another plate and utensils to eat with, she cut a slice for herself. She cut a smaller piece from her slice and ate it.

She took her time chewing and savoured the flavour. At last, she swallowed it and could describe her feelings— “…Lonely.”

Chapter Text

“Here again today? Go ahead.”

Aether bowed in appreciation before once again entering the apartment building and up the stairs. He had finished his commissions early today and as promised, went to visit Furina after sending Paimon away to hang out with Navia again— this time without anything pressing on his to-do list. He knocked on her door thrice before calling out her name. “Furina?” He heard another bang though less loud than yesterday before hearing fast footsteps coming towards the door. It swung open to reveal a frantic Furina who was clearly in the middle of cooking again judging from her stained apron.

“Aether? I was expecting you to come later!” She exclaimed in shock at seeing him. 

“Did I come at a bad time again?”

“N–no, not at all. I was in the middle of making lunch.” A nervous laugh escaped her, prompting her to clear her throat and regain her composure. “Come in, come in. You don’t mind waiting a bit longer, do you?” She welcomed him in and closed the door behind them. 

He was always fine with that, especially since he not only came early today but also didn’t wait for her the day before. ‘I still need to apologise for that…’ “Furina, about yesterday—” He tried to say but she waved it off.

“Don’t worry about it. I know what it's like to be busy,” she told him with a cheery smile on her face. “You’ve already apologised with that cake. Thank you for that and for cleaning up my mess.” While he didn't doubt Furina was grateful, Aether couldn't help but think she wasn’t saying everything she wanted to say— mainly due to said cake still being on her dining table. A glass dome covered it with a single slice cut out. While he admittedly wasn't as acquainted with Furina as he wished prior to her trial (not for lack of trying; she was pretty busy as Archon), he knew for a fact she had a sweet tooth. For her to have only eaten a single slice since yesterday was… concerning.

Before he could question her about it, Furina asked him to sit down while she finished making lunch. Now that she mentioned it, he finally noticed the scent of something delicious wafting from the kitchen; more specifically, a pot currently boiling on a fire. He also noticed the bowl of boiled spaghetti on the countertop next to the stove. Seeing as there was little else to do, Aether went to sit facing Furina in the kitchen. He watched her in silence as she resumed where she left off, adding seasoning and mixing the pot of what he presumed to be the pasta sauce while consulting her cookbook. However, it didn’t take long before the visitor got sick of the quiet waiting— “How have you been lately, Furina?”

“Huh? Oh, I’ve been doing fine,” she answered after a moment to realise what he said. “I’ve gotten letters from various troupes requesting my ‘genius insight and expertise’ for their plays but I’ve turned them all down. The letters were all addressed to the Palais so I don’t think I need to worry about anyone knocking on my door to ask in person… aside from you, of course.”

Aether couldn’t help but let out a small nervous chuckle at being called out like that. “You don’t need to worry about that either; I’ve learnt my lesson from last time.”

“…Have you?”

Her voice was tiny and meek but he still heard her. Aether’s mind raced as he tried to figure out what she meant; he hadn’t asked her to do anything like that again so what was she talking about? Or did she think he was only visiting to ask another favour? “I’m only here to see how you’re doing if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“That’s not… never mind,” sighed Furina before redirecting the conversation to him. “And what about you? What have you been up to recently?”

“…Aside from my Adventurer work, nothing much,” Aether answered after a moment of worried silence. Evidently, he was mistaken and said the wrong thing. “Charlotte's been badgering me for a full-length exposé on my life. I've said no but she's persistent.”

“You too? She used to send me letters requesting interviews for the Steambird back when I was still the Hydro Archon. I was… too busy. That's the downside of being a celebrity; everyone wants your attention,” the former Archon shrugged before letting out a happy and satisfied hmph . “There we go. The sauce is ready!” Furina hummed as she prepared their meals at last. The wait was finally over as she brought the plates of spaghetti to the table. “Tadaa~ Please enjoy!” It was hard not to crack a smile at how pleased she looked with herself; Aether certainly found that to be the case.

He started eating slowly, mainly due to how hot the sauce still was but also out of fear of the taste. Furina might have been following the recipe to a T but she did spend most of her life having someone else cook for her. If Ei had taught him anything, it certainly wasn’t how to cook. It was only recently since she stepped down from her position that she started preparing food for herself. To his mild surprise, it tasted good.

‘Oh right, this is what she’s been eating all the time.’ Aether mentally slapped himself for forgetting that fact. It was only natural that she’d be great at making pasta. He complimented her cooking, making her smile brighter.

“Thank you, Aether. To be honest, this is my first time trying this specific recipe so I was unsure how it’d turned out. It makes me happy you like it,” she admitted with a little nervousness in her voice. “Um… the cake you made yesterday was pretty good too. I mean, I only ate a bit but it’s one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of eating— and that’s saying something.” Aether accepted the compliment with a small chuckle. He offered, “If you want, I can make another one after you finish that one.”

“I’ll only finish that if you eat with me,” Furina counter-offered before quickly adding, “It’s not right that you don’t get to savour your own work. I can’t finish it on my own anyway.” He doubted that but it wasn’t like he wanted to dispute her, not again for something so minor. Besides, something sweet was nice, especially one he himself made. 

Furina made the main course while he made the dessert— leftover from yesterday but dessert nonetheless. It was… nice if Aether had to describe it; just the two of them eating together with Aether continuing the conversation where they left off. He talked about how he was finally getting used to the sort of commissions unique to Fontaine, how the Steambird rewarded him with a new pair of glider wings for his work, and more. Throughout it all, Furina listened intently with awe in her eyes.

Once they got to the cake, Furina proved how much she liked desserts by eating two and a half slices by the time Aether finished his first. That was all he felt like eating which unfortunately meant it was nearly time for him to leave. He wasn’t sure if Furina was fine with him sticking around longer than needed; he had visited to see how she was doing and now that it was clear she was holding up just fine— “It was nice talking to you, Furina. Although I think I didn’t give you the chance to talk much.”

“Don’t worry about it. As I said, I’ve not done much of note for a while,” she laughed cheerfully. “I also like hearing what you’ve been up to; there’s never a dull day with you, isn’t there?”

“Unfortunately not.” Aether shared her laugh before finally saying goodbye. As he was about to leave her apartment, Furina asked if he would visit her tomorrow too. “Hmm… I can’t promise that I’ll come by tomorrow but I’m sure I’ll visit soon.” While Paimon would (likely) not mind staying with Navia and eating her special macaroons, Navia herself might start to suspect something was up if he constantly sent his companion her way.

Not that there was anything wrong with Navia knowing he was visiting Furina. Not at all. Regardless, his answer satisfied Furina who smiled as she nodded. “Then we shall meet again. Until next time, Aether.” 

As the Traveller walked away from her apartment building, he felt a weight he didn’t realise he had left his shoulders. After the disastrous visit the day before and the rather not-actually-a-visit that first time, a hidden part of him was anxious to actually spend time with Furina— the real Furina —as friends. ‘Third time’s the charm and all that…’ He just hoped next time would be just as successful as this time.

Chapter Text

Yesterday was… enjoyable; it was brief but having someone around felt great. Furina could pat herself on the back for earning Aether’s praise for her cooking. While him arriving early caught her off guard, it wasn't a terrible surprise. Sitting across from him while eating was an odd feeling but not one she disliked either. She even got her appetite for cake back with him around and devoured two more cuts after he left.

However, with Aether gone again, the feeling of emptiness crept back into her apartment. She managed to stave off the cold for a while but still couldn't help but sigh at her situation. It didn't feel like the day before yesterday when she at least had something tangible to look forward to; Aether said he could only promise to visit her sometime in the future, not today. Technically, that did not mean he couldn't drop by later but Furina knew better than to get her hopes up. In any case, she continued with the rest of her day after lunch and occupied herself by finishing one of her old novels she never found the time to read.

As for this morning, all she did was read again while eating a bowl of macaroni. “So boring…” she muttered to herself. She didn't mean the book itself but how she occupied her time; it was completely at odds with how she used to spend her time before stepping down as Archon but if she had to choose between how she lived before and now, she’d always choose “now” without question. All she wanted was to put her previous life behind her and live the way she wished without the weight of being Archon keeping her down. She was just Furina now,  not Lady Furina or the God of Justice or whatever title she held and she was completely fine with that. It was better for her life to be boring and stale than exhausting and suffocating.

Still, she wished there was someone she could talk to. The Salon Solitaire were absolutely adorable and great and so much more but they ultimately can't talk back to her… maybe cuddling with one of them would hel—

— knock knock

Furina shot up from her sofa faster than her mind actually registered someone was at the door. She went to open it after taking a moment to calm herself. “Hello, Ae— oh, Clorinde.”Furina hoped her former subordinate didn't notice her slip. “I thought you were going to visit Saturday.”

Clorinde raised an eyebrow which briefly confused her.“It is Saturday, Lad— er, Furina.”

‘…It is?’ That couldn't be right. Clorinde last came by Tuesday, the day after Furina spent cooped up in her apartment by herself, and the day after that was when Aether first visited… then yesterday was… Furina’s confusion quickly turned into embarrassment. “Oh, it looks like I lost track of time,” she laughed, hoping to hide her embarrassment only to prove it to Clorinde. “Come in, come in. Sorry for the mess.” It wasn't that messy, not nearly to the extent it was when Clorinde first visited but she hadn't cleaned any of yesterday's dishes yet.

Clorinde didn't see anything wrong, however; if she did, she didn't mention it. “Don’t worry about it, Furina.” The duelist had a small smile at her former Archon’s slobby behaviour. “Did you have someone by?”

“Err… yesterday, I did,” Furina nodded after sitting back down on her sofa. “Aether wanted to see how I was doing and stayed for lunch.”

“Is that so? And he was here Wednesday too?”

“That’s right, although he was only here brief… Wait, how do you know that?” Furina could’ve sworn Clorinde had more of a grin than a smile for a second. Still, the latter explained Navia mentioned to her that Aether had been going somewhere by himself the last couple of days, leaving his companion with the president of Spina di Rosula. ‘Now that she mentioned it, Paimon wasn't with him…’ That had completely slipped her mind though she ultimately didn't mind. She wouldn't go as far as to say she hated the flying child but her “drama queen” comment still left a bitter taste in Furina's mouth.

“So?”

“So… what?” What was Clorinde waiting for? Wait, she wasn't asking for gossip, was she?! “A-Aether and I are just friends, there's nothing between us,” she tried to say as her face started heating slightly. 

However, that wasn't what Clorinde was interested in. “I was asking how it felt to have someone other than me over.” She sounded amused at Furina’s reaction but was clearly more interested in her feelings.

Furina initially hesitated to answer but spoke up after a second. “It was nice but… strange. I never expected him to come by and check up on me since… At any rate, he promised he would visit again soon,” she admitted to Clorinde. “I don't really know why he’s so interested in me but I do appreciate his concern.”

“Then tell him that the next time you see him. I am sure he'll explain why he is “so interested” in you,” Clorinde let out a small chuckle before producing a plastic bag with a small cake box from behind her… somehow… “Here, a gift from a certain someone.”She put the bag on Furina’s (cheap) coffee table as the latter tried to figure out who she was referring to. “I ran into him before coming here. He unfortunately had to work to do before it left and asked me to pass this to you.”

‘Is it who I think it is…’ Furina thought as Clorinde apologised that she also had work to do and had to leave soon.  “It’s fine. Thank you for coming today.” She said goodbye to her old bodyguard as she left. Now alone again, Furina checked the box to see it was a gift of chocolate eclairs; it had been some time since she last ate any so she’d cherish it… for about 10 minutes before they were all devoured. She then resumed what she was doing earlier— eating macaroni and reading her book while not trying to think how pitiful she looked.

Tomorrow was another day; she only had to get through today…

Chapter Text

“Hey, are you listening? Watch where you're walking, Aether!”

He was only vaguely aware of Paimon’s warning as he descended the stairs. His eyes felt heavy and his mind mushy after a long day’s work for the Adventurer's Guild. It was only mid-afternoon but after running (and swimming) all over Fontaine for his daily commissions, all Aether wanted to do was collapse in bed and sleep till the next morning. Unfortunately, it was increasingly looking like he’d fall asleep then and there on the street in front of Furina's place.

‘Oh, it's been a while since I last visited…’ About a week now if he was keeping track correctly. She'd appreciate him dropping by, right? “Come on, Paimon.” Paimon initially expressed confusion about why they were coming here but Aether told her not to ask too many questions. Furina’s landlord was nowhere to be seen so Aether just let himself in and went up the stairs.

—knock knock

“Just a second!” Furina's muffled voice came from the other side. The door soon opened to reveal the tenant’s surprised face. “Aether? Oh, and Paimon…” The disappointment in her voice was hard to miss but she continued speaking in a polite tone. She welcomed them in and told them to take a seat. “You really need to tell me when you're coming by. I would’ve cleaned up early.” Her living room wasn't that dirty, at least not in Aether’s tired mind. “To what do I owe this visit?”

“I’m—” Aether tried to say but let out a yawn instead. The two sat down on her couch as Aether explained what he had done that day. “Sorry, I just finished reporting to Katheryne. I was sent all over Fontaine today…” 

“I told him to just go back to our place in the sewers but he wanted to stop by here first,” Paimon added with a sigh. She glanced around Furina’s room for a few seconds before giving her opinion. “So this is how the great Hydro Archon lives now? Paimon would have thought someone as prestigious as you would be living it up a bit more.”

“I appreciate the compliment but do you really have to say that,” Furina grumbled at the floating companion. However, her obvious annoyance immediately disappeared the second she turned towards Aether. “Oh, before I forget, thank you for the eclairs from the other day. They were delicious.”

“AH?! They were for you?! Why wasn't Paimon informed of this?! Have you been keeping secrets from Paimon, Aether?!”

Aether naturally ignored his companion's screaming and said to Furina to think nothing of the gift. “I bumped into Clorinde at the shop and she mentioned she was going to visit you,” he explained, easing into the couch’s soft cushions. “So how've you been?”

“I’ve been doing the same as always. I actually went out to see a play a couple of days ago. It wasn’t a large-scale production but I enjoyed it,” Furina smiled as she remembered the play. Aether was not sure why but seeing her happy couldn't help but make him feel at ease. “Clorinde dragged me to watch it… Well, it was Navia who dragged her to watch me and Clorinde wanted me to come along instead of staying cooped up inside my home.”

“And you didn't refuse them?” He asked after another yawn.

“I wanted to at first but I felt bored that day.”

“I see why, this place doesn't have that much to off— Ow! Hey!” Paimon crossed her little arms at Aether slapping her in the side. “Paimon is just saying, you know…”

“Other than…othing. I've got…letters…” Furina’s voice felt more distant the more she spoke. “Um… Aether?”

“Yes…?”

“There's some… ask?”

“What?” Aether replied. He didn't actually know what she said but made an educated guess. 

“Why…” Furina trailed off at first, her eyes glancing towards Paimon. “Never mind. You can ans… time. But if you wan… stay and nap, I don't mind.” All Aether picked up was ‘nap’ and just like that, a switch flipped in his head. His vision darkened and before he realised it, he had dozed off.

When he woke up, it was already nighttime. It must have been late already as the lights were out and Paimon was also floating around sleeping, mumbling something about eating eclairs. There was a blanket wrapped around him which was certainly not there earlier. ‘Furina must’ve done this,’ he concluded. His body still felt sluggish but decided to get up anyway. He had no idea how long he was asleep and thought it would be best he didn’t intrude on Furina’s private space any further.

“Eh? We’re going now…? Can’t we go in the morning? Furina promised she’d cook breakfast for us,” Paimon groaned upon being shaken awake. While that sounded nice, they really should get going. “Alright, alright— yawn …”

As Paimon floated over towards the entrance, Aether lightly knocked on Furina’s bedroom door. There was no response, prompting him to knock again. “Furina?” He gently opened the door to see the lights also out. Still, he could hear her faint snoring confirming she was asleep. “…I’ll write a note again…” He muttered and almost closed the door. However…

“…leave…” “Huh?” A mute cry made him pause. “Furina?”  There was no response again. After a moment of consideration, Aether quietly entered her room and went to her bedside where he confirmed she was asleep and simply sleep-talking.

“…n’t leave…” she muttered in a small voice again.

For a few moments, Aether stood there before letting out a long sigh. “…You’re very needy, you know?” He complained under his breath as he sat down on her bed. He could stay until he felt sleepy again. Paimon wouldn’t complain, right?

Chapter Text

When she woke up, Furina felt better than she had in a long time. She usually woke up feeling terrible most mornings from restless sleep as a result of lingering nightmares and anxiety from her time as the Archon. She was sure she had the usual nightmares last night too, so it was odd she was feeling so refreshed.

In any case, she got out of bed and yawned as she exited her bedroom. “Hmm?” A delicious scent filled the air, originating from the kitchen. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Aether was doing.

“Good morning,” the Traveller smiled at her, raising his spatula. “I should be done in a few more minutes. Hope you like pancakes and eggs.”

“W-wait, what do you think you’re doing?” She was the hostess here; she was supposed to be the one making breakfast! Furina joined him at the stove and watched him cook with a small annoyed pout.

Aether skittishly scratched his head as he explained himself. “I know you promised to do it but I feel bad for staying here last night out of the blue. Let me do this as thanks at the very least.”

‘Well… stopping him now wouldn’t make any sense…’ And what he was already cooking was good; taking over in the middle would more than likely lead to her making a mess of it. As such, Furina let out a defeated sigh and reluctantly let Aether finish cooking. “—but I’m cooking next time.” “Yes, yes,” Aether chuckled before telling her to sit down and wait. Furina shuffled to her dining table and took a seat, resting her head on the wooden surface while using her arms as cushions. “…Hey, Aether?”

“Yes?”

Once again, Furina had the chance to ask that question that’s been bugging her for the last week. And once again, she was hesitating. Paimon was still asleep on the other side of the room so she couldn’t use her as an excuse again nor Aether’s exhaustion. She took several deep breaths to prepare herself before finally— “Here you go.” A plate of stacked pancakes was placed in front of her followed by another with sunny-side-ups. Aether hummed as he returned back to the kitchen to prepare another plate for himself and his companion. “What were you saying?”

She stared at the food before her and decided… ‘Later then…’   Enjoy breakfast, worry about Aether’s intentions another time. Her stomach was already grumbling anyway.

After waking Paimon, the three ate breakfast in relative quiet (well, Paimon was a rather loud eater in Furina’s opinion) and soon finished. Furina naturally complimented him for his cooking but unfortunately, it also meant Aether would leave again. “You’re leaving already?”

“Yes, I need to get some things down in the Fleuve Cendre,” Aether said with regret in his voice. Paimon also complained about how she thought they could rest a bit longer since the Guild was only up the street. “No use whining, Paimon. The sooner we go, the sooner we can retire for the day,” he told her before turning back towards Furina. “We’ll see you later then?”

“Later…? Of course, you’re always welcome here.” Furina had no issue with him coming by even if she wanted to ask why he kept doing so. But at least she had another chance at asking him later that day. They bid each other farewell for now and her two visitors left (for one of them) to work, leaving Furina alone in her apartment again. She summoned Surintendante Chevalmarin and played with her seahorse construct for a bit before deciding to do something for once.

She may like making pasta (or so she told herself) but Aether might not appreciate it as much. Weekends were usually when she went out to buy groceries anyway so might as well; she just needed to decide what to make for lunch…

Chapter Text

After making a roundabout trip to the Spina di Rosula hideout in the sewers and back to the Adventurer's Guild, Aether was already exhausted. It was only the start of the day though; he knew it’d only get worse. The commissions he received today from Katheryne were all easy; the hard part was making the trek to each and every location…

‘North of the Institute, Erinnyes Forest, underwater…’ Hilichurls, Eidolons, and chasing that weird jellyfish. All the standard commissions in Fontaine. And the last one—

“Ooh, it's in Poisson!” Paimon exclaimed upon seeing the last location on the list. “Why don't we go see Navia while we’re there? I’m sure she’d appreciate us dropping by.” As there was no reason not to, Aether went along with the suggestion. Meeting Navia would have to wait till after he was done with his commissions; 

“Thank you very much! You really are as good as everyone says,” the requester praised Aether after completing the frankly easy delivery quest. What they needed, he already had plenty off so it was done before it started.

In any case, travelling here and there was tiring but not as much as the previous day. With all four commissions done, all he needed to do now was to return to the Court of Fontaine and talk to Katheryne again. However, that was for later; right now, it was time to see their friend again. Fortunately, she was around and free to have them around.

“It’s great to see you again, Aether. It’s been a while since we last talked like this,” the president of Spina di Rosula smiled as they sat around a table of snacks and tea. “Paimon was a great company but admittedly not the greatest person to talk to…”

“Heyy, Paimon is right here, you know?”

Navia let out a small giggle at Paimon’s reaction and subsequent feasting on macaroons. “Yes, sorry for saying that. But I do wonder what you were doing those days without her, or is that a secret, partner?”

“Well… it’s not exactly a secret but…” It was embarrassing to admit; Navia might not be the type to spread gossip but Aether knew she'd be teasing him about visiting Furina in private. However, he didn't want to hide anything from her either. After a few moments of consideration, he decided to tell her what he was doing.

Navia's response, however, was not what he expected. “Uh huh, I already knew. Clorinde told me about you visiting Furina.” He was spot-on about the teasing though. “I wouldn't say you weren't careful but do think what would happen if the press gets wind of this. The famed Traveller having secret nightly rendezvous with the former Archon: a story like that will sell like hotcakes.”

“…It wasn't nightly,” Aether timidly corrected.

Of course, Paimon had to open her mouth. “But we did stay at her apartment last night.”

“Oh really ?” The mischievous grin on Navia’s face terrified Aether.

“Navia, please don't—”

“I have not the faintest idea what you're worried about, Aether.” She took a sip of her tea and hid her grin behind the cup. After finishing her drink, she asked Aether about something else. “How has Lady Furina been? I hadn't seen her in some time either.”

“She’s doing alright,” he answered; his mind wandered back to what happened last night though. Her sobs in her sleep naturally put that idea into question but Aether believed she was doing well considering all that happened. But… that didn’t mean she should be left to her own devices. “Why don't you come with us then? Paimon and I will be dropping by her apartment after this.”

“As much as I would love to, I am unfortunately too busy at the moment,” Navia turned down that offer. “But do stay a bit longer, we have much to discuss other than your tryst with Miss Furina.”

“Try—?! Furina and I aren't like that!” 

“Sure, sure, I believe you…” Navia’s grin somehow grew larger.

They continued their conversation after that, talking about minor things like recent happenings, upcoming happenings, and other miscellaneous topics. Eventually though, it came time to say goodbye to Navia. She gave them a box of macaroons for Furina. “Come by again soon, you hear me? I’ll have Clorinde drag you here if you don’t!” She waved them goodbye as they left Poisson and went on their way to the Court of Fontaine.

“Thank you for completing today's commissions. Here is your reward,” Katheryn gave her usual congratulations. “Farewell, Adventurer, and thank you for supporting the Adventurers' Guild.”

“Now that that’s all taken care of, what should we do now?” Paimon asked as they walked away from Katheryne. “Do you want to check some shops first or do you want to go see your new girlfriend righ— WAAHHH!”

Paimon’ll recover from getting flung into the air; she always did. ‘Why did you have to put such weird ideas in her head, Navia…’  

Chapter Text

‘Now then… what food does he like?’ Furina asked herself on her way to the store. She could do what would be expected of someone like her and make some Fontainian-styled dinner; Aether would also not be used to Fontainian cuisine to the level he would be for the other nations. And Paimon… well, she’d eat anything if it was edible enough. However, a part of Furina couldn’t help but wonder if he had a preference for Mondstadt or any other style of cooking.

She did have some cookbooks from the other nations, having gotten them mainly for how they’d make different types of sauce but it was now coming in handy… well, later. In hindsight, Furina knew she should’ve checked them first before going shopping for ingredients. Not doing so led to her maybe spending more than she should have at the store and having problems seeing where she was going; the two paper bags were stuffed to the brim and heavy, making walking back to her apartment difficult. Furina prayed to whatever deity was watching over her to not trip. However, the blessing she was bestowed was quite different from what she wanted.

“Lady Furina?” The soft-spoken and concerned voice belonged to none other than the esteemed diver, Freminet. Furina couldn’t see him but there was no mistaking his voice. “Do you… need some help with that?”

Furina wanted to act tough and decline the offer but fortunately, her rationality won out. “Thank you, can you take one of the bags please?” Her voice cracked slightly as she felt one of the bags slipping from her grasp. She let out a relieved sigh when Freminet grabbed one out of her arms and asked where to. “Follow me, my home is this way,” she led him down the street. “Oh, and please. There’s no need to call me Lady Furina any more.”

“If you say so, Lad— I mean, Miss Furina.” That was slightly better and Furina didn’t have the heart to correct him any further.

At their pace, it was a few more minutes until they reached their destination; Furina thought it be nice to fill the air. “How have you and your siblings been lately, Freminet?”

“We’re doing fine. Lyney was hired to provide entertainment for a party this weekend,” the diver shared. “Even though everyone knows we’re Fatui, he’s still as popular as ever.”

Oh… right. That reminded Furina of what she did all that time ago. “Er… I’m sorry about that,” she apologised. “I exposed your secret to everyone for no reason.” Though she thoroughly believed he was guilty, her revealing his true allegiance proved useless and unneeded since it turned out Lyney wasn’t. She’s yet to talk to him or any of his siblings and apologised for it since then. ‘Well… they got me back in the end…’

To her surprise, Freminet accepted her apology without a hint of resentment. “It’s alright, Miss Furina. I believe Lyney would say the same too.” Furina felt a weight lifting off her shoulders upon hearing that. A part of her did wonder if he was telling the truth but as of right now, she accepted it as fact. Maybe someday, she could actually face the trio and truly ask for their forgiveness, especially for all they’ve done for Fontaine. 

Soon enough, they reached her apartment building and went up though Freminet restrained himself from entering Furina’s flat; he stood by the door and waited for Furian to take her bag back instead. “Thank you for helping me today, Freminet. Here, as a token of my gratitude.” Freminet tried to refuse the Mora she wanted to give him but Furina was not taking a no for an answer. In any case, she bid him goodbye as he left to resume doing whatever business he had in this part of the city. ‘Now that I think about it… why was he around? ’ Not only did he live on the other side of town, but his line of work took him out of the city… Well, his official work anyway.

‘No, there’s no need to wonder about that.’ Furina shook her head and instead focused on what was important now: figuring out what she was going to make for lunch.

In the end, Furina settled on making some Mondstadt-styled dishes. She thought they came out well enough and was excited to hear how they’d taste from Aether. He had more experience in that department after all. By the time she finished cooking and laying out the plates, it was almost the usual time when Aether would drop by… not that she kept track of that.

—knock knock

Furina knew she would've died of embarrassment if there was anybody around as they would have seen her skipping from joy. She herself didn’t know why she was so happy but didn’t stop to question it. She opened the door and greeted her guests again, “Welcome back, Aether.” It was impossible for her to hide the smile on her face, especially when he smiled back.

He (and Paimon) had also brought back a gift— some macaroons from Navia as they visited earlier in Poisson. Furina didn’t have enough time to make any desserts so it was rather serendipitous. Like before, they simply enjoyed eating together and chatted about their day. Aether naturally had more to say, of course, and Furina found herself hooked on his story. He was only talking about what he did for his commissions but she listened to every single word.

Aether also complimented her on her cooking, saying that it was great for how inexperienced she was in this style of cooking. They soon finished lunch and even though she tried to stop him, he helped her with cleaning the dishes. Paimon had excused herself earlier to take a nap, leaving them alone for the time being which provided Furina with the opportunity to ask the question that’s been bothering her for a while now. “Aether?” She finally spoke up as they were nearly done.

“Hmm?” He looked up from the plate he was wiping. “What is it, Furina?”

“Why do you keep coming to see me?” She asked quietly, both nervous and embarrassed to hear his answer. He didn’t answer her immediately and was clearly thinking of the right words to say.

After a minute of tense silence, he finally opened his mouth. “I—” “It’s cause he likes you.”

“WHAT?!”

“Paimon, go back to sleep.” In contrast to Furina’s loud reaction, Aether was completely exasperated. “Don’t listen to her, Navia put strange thoughts into her head. And to answer your question… I don’t really know to be honest.” That… was not what she expected to hear either. “I know I’m worried about you but I feel like that’s not the only reason.”

“Is that so…” Her heart was finally calming down from both the anticipation and that unexpected joke from Paimon. “I guess it’s not important if you don’t know, right? But if you don’t mind… will you keep visiting me?” She knew she was overstepping her boundaries a bit and putting him on the spot but—

“Of course. I was already planning on it,” Aether replied without any hesitation, catching her completely off guard. She asked if he was serious to which he nodded. “So long as you don’t mind me also cooking from time to time. That’s not to say your cooking is bad, but I don’t feel great letting you do all the work every time I come over.”

Furina could hardly keep up with what he was saying and didn’t realise she was nodding until Aether said she could count on him. Before she knew it, Aether and Paimon were already leaving for the day. She said goodbye and sat on her couch in silence for a few minutes; at last, her mind caught up with all that happened.

“I… don’t mind this arrangement,” she smiled to herself.

Chapter Text

When Furina asked him that question all those weeks ago, Aether genuinely had no idea what to say. While he did have concerns over her mental health following that nightmare she had, there was something more to it— he just didn't know what. That was another reason for it and the only way for him to understand what that was was to continue seeing Furina.

“Welcome back, Aether” quickly became words he was intimately familiar with as they were what greeted him every time he visited her. It still surprised him how quickly they adjusted to this new routine of theirs. He didn’t visit Furina every day— not at first. But as the weeks passed, it was harder and harder for him to have an excuse not to. Paimon teased him about it, but he knew she meant it in good faith.

“Oh! Welcome back. You’re early today.” —Every now and then, he would arrive earlier than usual while she was still in the middle of making lunch. When that happens, he’d offer a hand and give her some tips and tricks he had picked up in his travels. Most of the time, she defaulted on boiling pasta, especially when she wasn’t expecting him to come that day. It wasn’t bad per se, but Paimon tended to complain about eating the same thing every time. “It’s what comes easy to me, okay?” She pouted. “And it’s not like it’s bad, right Aether?”

She turned her head towards him expectedly. Aether thought about mentioning how he was also a little sick of pasta but didn’t have the heart to be that honest, especially with how proud Furina her cooking. Instead, he just nodded and told Paimon it was rude to say that when they were guests. “Uh… Paimon thinks at this point, we’re not just guests…” She muttered under her breath.

“Oh, hey Aether. Welcome back…” —A few times, Furina would greet them with little energy. She’d still put up an effort to smile and seem alright but it wasn’t enough to convince him she was doing fine. Furina’s usual excuse those days was that she slept late and hadn’t fully woken up yet. It was such a blatant lie even Paimon picked up on it. “Is it really that unbelievable for me to have a bad sleep schedule?”

When she acted that way, Aether asked if he could stay the night. Furina was naturally surprised at his request but didn’t mind it as much as he thought she would. They’d talk until evening— although it was mostly him recounting his various adventures to an engrossed Furina. She enjoyed listening to his stories and did so with stars in her eyes. After that, they’d make dinner together; Furina always told him she could handle it on her own but Aether insisted; since he was staying over, he wanted to contribute somehow.

Following that and a peaceful dinner, they usually continued where they left off but sometimes Furina wanted to take things easy and read a novel in silence. She offered him something to read but he quickly learned most of what she had was in Fontainian. “Hmm… I better buy a translation dictionary next time,” she muttered to herself.

Once it came time to sleep, Furina would give him her spare blanket and pillows. “Good night, Aether.”

“Good night, Furina. Sweet dreams.”

“...You too.”

Though the lights were off, Aether had a hard time sleeping, unlike Paimon who was mumbling about food as she floated around. There was something on his mind that kept him awake. Once he thought it was the right time, he got off the sofa and went over to the bedroom door. He’d be the first to admit what he was doing was questionable but he wanted to make sure Furina was alright. Usually though… she wasn't. That wasn't to say she was hysterical or anything but most nights, she was clearly suffering from terrible dreams. Quiet whimpers would fill the air as Furina muttered incomprehensible begs. Some nights were worse than others but Aether knew the only thing he could do was comfort her the best he could.

“Don't worry. No one is going anywhere.” With only that initial nightmare to go off of, Aether tried to assure her she wasn't going to be left alone again. He hoped she could hear him in her sleep and sometimes it worked, but other times, he had to risk it and take it a step further. He held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze; after a few minutes of that, she'd settle down as whatever nightmare tormenting her withered away for the night.

Aether would stay there, sitting next to her and holding her hand until his eyes felt heavy. Only then would he leave her bedroom and go to bed. He gave her sleeping form one last glance at the doorway and muttered something under her breath. “Sweet dreams, Furina…” 

“So, word on the streets says you and Miss Furina are seeing each other.”

“Pfft! What?!” Aether coughed out after nearly choking on his tea. He stared at Lyney who had the cheeriest of grins, unlike Lynette who just rolled her eyes and resumed eating her slice of cake. Lyney had invited him to join him and his sister for tea that day. Paimon, unfortunately, was whisked away by Navia earlier as the latter needed her help with something, saying that Paimon was “the perfect size” for what she needed. “What are you talking about?”

“You tell me, Aether. All I know is that people saw you two walking together and laughing a few days ago. That’s not to mention you’re seen going by her home every day,” Lyney explained in a teasing tone. “So, what's going on with you two?”

‘A few days ago… Oh…’ “I was helping her with groceries that day. We talked along the way and I cracked a few jokes.” That was it. To think people would overblow something like that. “As for me visiting her, I won't deny it… Wait, not many know where she lives. How do you—”

“Don't focus on the details, Aether.” Lyney's smile was so innocent looking but Aether knew better than to trust him on that. “So how are things going between you two? Swimmingly, I hope?”

Aether had no idea how to answer him— there was just too much going through his mind to construct a full sentence. “We’re doing fine,” he said without realising until it was too late. “Wai—”

“Then I'm happy for you, Aether. Out of everyone in Fontaine or Teyvat really, Miss Furina was the last person I thought would steal your heart,” his friend interrupted him with a laugh. “I honestly believed things between you two would be irreparably damaged following her trial.” Aether didn’t blame him for thinking that— in fact, he believed the same for a while. Now though, their relationship was going strong.

‘Wait, no—” “Furina and I are…” Aether tried to say something but trailed off. Until Lyney had brought it up, he hadn’t really given his relationship with Furina much thought. They were certainly friends now— or at least he believed so —but they weren’t anything more than that. But he hadn’t asked her what she thought of him either… “…I hate you, Lyney.”

“You wound me, Aether. Here I thought we were friends.”

Aether rolled his eyes at Lyney’s acting. “Why were you watching Furina anyway?” He asked. How else would they know he was visiting her regularly… Unless Navia mentioned it to them.

“Oh, we weren’t watching her per se. We no longer have any reason to,” Lyney answered— it didn't take much thinking to figure out what he meant by we . His expression also changed to one of hesitation as he confessed. “Ur… Please understand that though we personally see you as a friend and Father would rather keep things cordial, she has to be cautious. You are, after all, the biggest thorn in the Fatui’s side.”

He couldn't really fault them for that; he still fought any Fatui he came across in the Fatui countryside (even if they usually attacked him first). He was still a bit miffed at learning he was being spied on though.

Before either of them could say anything, Lynette finally contributed to the conversation. “Just continue what you're doing and Father will leave you be. She'd eventually rule you out as a threat if you don't bother the Fatui while in Fontaine any more than you usually do.”

“I would have thought after everything, the Fatui here would know I’m not looking to start a fight,” Aether let out a long sigh. “I know you have no choice but to do what Arlecchino asks you to but it hurts a bit.”

“We feel the same way too. I hope we’ll never have to go against each other; I’d hate myself if we had to hurt you or Miss Furina every all we’ve been through together,” confessed Lyney which made Aether fall silent. After a few moments—

“Furina and I aren’t together.”

Lyney let out a snort at what he perceived as a denial. “I mean it, Aether, I’m happy for you and Miss Furina. After everything, she deserves happiness. I hope you’ll be able to give her that.” Aether felt his face warm up at Lyney’s unneeded approval. “Well, then. Where were we…”

Their tea party continued for a bit longer with Aether eventually saying goodbye to the twins. Furina would probably wonder what’s taking him so long. As he was walking, his mind went back to his earlier musings of his and Furina’s relationship. What exactly were they now? ‘Damn you, Lyney. You’re making me second guess everything…’

—knock knock

‘We’re just friends. Nothing more,’ Aether continued to tell himself as the door opened to reveal Furina. “Oh, welcome home, Aether.” She muttered before turning around and walking back. Aether followed her and closed the door; his mind was still distracted to the point he didn’t notice Furina had stopped and bumped into her.

“Furina? Is something wrong?”

“No–nothing!” Her voice cracked as she shook her head before calming down. “Er… I just have a lot on my mind right now. I still haven’t cleaned up after myself and Clorinde.” At her mentioning that, Aether glanced at the coffee table to see there were still two teacups and plates on it. What caught his attention more though were the documents on the table too. He couldn’t see what was written clearly but he could tell they were official paperwork for something judging from the lines of texts and boxes. “Don’t mind that, it’s nothing important,” she told him when he asked. Furina then quickly went over and took the papers. “Can you start cooking, please? I need to put these away first.”

Without waiting for his answer (though he was willing to do so), Furina ran into her room and shut the door behind her. 

“What was that about…” He muttered to himself before shrugging. He could figure that out later; for now, making lunch was a priority.

Chapter Text

It didn't escape Furina’s notice the days Aether stayed over were the days after she had a worse-than-usual bout of nightmares. It was also those days when her nightmares were tamer to non-existent. Furina didn't know how she felt about that— Aether being the reason she could sleep better at night was odd to think about.

To be honest, she didn't know what to think of Aether in general either. Their relationship now was a far cry from how it started; she was sure they were friends but it was hard to say for sure if they were just friends. Furina had seen enough plays and court trials to know what was going on between them was not typical friendly behaviour.

That was not to say she disliked it of course. Even if she was against him cooking as a guest, Furina appreciated the effort and liked the food he made. His staying over regularly and occasionally helping her buy groceries helped stave the feeling of loneliness she had when at home. She knew she was being a fool in ignoring the signs but she dared not get her hopes up; it was better they stayed as friends anyway.

“Good luck with the Guild.” Furina usually told him when he left in the morning. That morning was no different as she said goodbye to him (and Paimon). As soon as the door closed behind him though, a tired sigh escaped the former Archon. ‘Well… at least Clorinde is coming over today…’ The dull boredom that usually awaited her every time Aether left was not going to get her today.

She briefly contemplated taking a walk before making the preparations for Clorinde’s arrival but decided against it. She didn't want to risk being seen by the public yet— not by herself. Instead, she lazed around in her bedroom for a bit until it was time.

“You know, I've heard of a peculiar rumour that's been going around lately.”

“Hmm? What about?” Furina asked with slight disinterest in her voice. She normally didn't put too much stock in such things as they tend to overblow things— especially as more and more people talk about it. That wasn't to say she didn't believe any rumours but she always looked at them with some scepticism.

As she sipped from her cup, Clorinde said with complete seriousness, “Apparently, the former Hydro Archon has a new boyfrien—”

“Pfft!” Furina spit out her tea and came down with a coughing fit. It took her nearly a whole minute to recover before her eyes snapped towards Clorinde, who was calmly drinking her own tea. “Ae–Aether and I are only friends. Nothing more.”

“Oh? I didn't even imply it was him.”

Furina rolled her eyes at her attempt to tease her. “Who else could it be? It's not like I’m meeting with anyone to the same extent as him.” Not even Clorinde came close; her former bodyguard still had her job after all.

“So is there any truth to these rumours?” Clorinde asked.

“I just said we aren't together.” Furina's face was slightly flushed as she made that denial. However, she noticed Clorinde’s eyes were not on her but on something else in the corner of the room. She followed her gaze and— “...Okay, so he stays here sometimes. That doesn't mean anything!” The pillows and blanket Aether used were neatly folded away there; Furina had neglected to bring them in that morning.

“Don’t you two take turns cooking every night?”

“No.” …that only happens on the nights he is around but she wasn't going to tell Clorinde that. “And even if we were together— which we aren't — what difference would that make?”

“For starters, I’d have to congratulate you on taking a step forward with your life, Furina. I may have only worked for you the last few years but throughout that time, I never saw you interested in a potential suitor,” Clorinde smiled.

“Well… things are different now.” Even if she was ever interested in anyone back when she was Archon, she couldn't in good faith pursue them or let them pursue her. Their entire relationship would be built on a foundation of lies and she was always expecting to bow out of her role eventually. If that were to happen when there was someone standing by her side… “And none of those people trying to win me over were my type anyway. Even if they were to come out of the woodwork and try to court me, I’d still turn them down.”

“And if it were Aether to ask you out?”

Furina was sure her face was impersonating a tomato now after that question. However— “To be completely honest, I don't know,” she sighed, completely catching Clorinde off guard. “I’m not sure how I feel about him nor am I sure how he feels about me. I… don't know what we actually are at this point.”

“Is that so…” Clorinde muttered. However, to Furina's surprise, she smiled. “I believe you’ll figure everything out, Furina. And whatever conclusion you come to, I'll always be here to help you— all of us will.”

“Th… thank you, Clorinde.” Furina was grateful she said that, but she had the sinking suspicion Clorinde was expecting her to come to one specific realisation…

After seeing Clorinde off, Furina collapsed onto the couch and let out a long sigh. The Champion Duelist had stayed a lot longer than she thought she would and it was about time for Aether to come back. She should start making lunch but she was too troubled to do so. Clorinde’s question was stuck in her mind on a loop.

What if Aether did ask her out?

She honestly had no clue how she'd react. She liked him, of course, but not to that extent… right? Thinking about it was only making her feel more complicated. There was also the possibility he'd only ask her out cause he was tired of home cooking and wanted to eat something different. In that case, she'd naturally say yes. But what if it was another scenario? What if he—

— knock knock

Oh, speak of the devil…

Furina tried to shake those thoughts away as she got up to answer the door. As much as she disliked it, she'll have to leave cooking duties to him today— “Welcome ba— Oh, monsieur Lévesque! What a surprise!” Instead of Aether, it was her landlord standing outside her door. Her confused feelings immediately turned to worry, especially when she noticed the documents in his hands. “Er… I didn't do anything wrong, did I?” She knew she was on thin ice following the flooding incident but she didn't think anything happened since then to warrant another visit.

Fortunately, he eased her worries and told her he wasn't here for anything terrible. He still wished to talk to her privately though, and asked if he could step in. 

“Of course, of course! Do you want tea? I was just entertaining a guest and still have some left though it might be lukewarm.”

“There is no need, Miss de Fontaine. I won't be here long,” he declined as he entered the apartment. “Is the Traveller here? He may want to be here to hear this.

“No, he's not back yet. He should be here soon assuming he didn't get caught with anything.” Furina noticed him raise an eyebrow when she said ‘Not back yet.’ 

“Hmm, too bad. Then I'll need you to tell him for me,” Lévesque told her before clearing his throat. “Miss de Fontaine, how thoroughly did you read your lease? Specifically, about letting another person stay the night?”

“I… admit I skimmed through that part of my contract.” At the time she had no reason to read that thoroughly. It wasn't like she was expecting to do that…

“Before you worry, you haven't broken anything in our agreement— about that —but to refresh your memory, it's fine if you let a friend of yours stay over. What I'm taking issue with is the Traveller specifically. Am I wrong in saying he spends most nights here nowadays?”

Furina wanted to deny that it's been most nights but after a second of thinking— “Every other night, yes…” 

“And where does he go when he's not here.”

“I believe he stays in the Fleuve Cendre. The President of the Spina du Rosula is a friend of his and she lets him stay at their base there.”

“I see, I see… Is it his official address in Fontaine?” She shook her head and told him Aether doesn't have anything tied to his name in the whole nation. “Then that makes this easy. Here, have him fill it out.”

He handed over the papers and Furina scanned through the documents. She recognised the first one immediately: it was the same contract they were talking about— the terms and conditions for residing in the building. The second was also familiar too… wait… “Ho—hold on just a second! You want him to move in with me?!”

“He already has, hasn't he? He's certainly stayed here enough to be considered so legally.”

‘He has?!’ He's only slept here for about… half the time in the last month and a half and… visited here basically every day… ‘Oh.’ “Is that really enough for him to be considered living here?” She asked on the brink of dying from shock and embarrassment.

“You know more about the law than me, Miss de Fontaine. What do you think?” Lévesque asked with a hint of a grin. “Though if I were to ask others about your current arrangements, what do you think they'll say?” Seeing as Clorinde was already throwing shade at her, Furina knew the answer to that… “If he’s already staying here, might as well make things official. It makes things easier for me.”

“Bu… what am I supposed to tell him?!” 

“I'll leave that for you to figure out. I expect a reply by next week. Now, that is all I have to say so I bid you adieu. ” With a smirk on his face, her landlord excused himself and left the panicking Furina to her devices. Her mind was racing as she stared at the documents set on the table; various scenarios ran through her head on ways to approach Aether about this but every single one of them ended with her mental construction of him turning her down. The last few ended with her dying of embarrassment. She knew that she might be overblowing things but that did little to calm her down.

‘How am I even going to approach the topic?!’ She quickly lost track of time as she agonised over everything. As if she didn’t have enough on her mind already?!

—knock knock

And there he was. Furina tried her best to appear calm as she went to open it, her head still full of conflicting thoughts. “Oh,” she let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding. A part of her had been dreading that someone else might have been there to make her day worse. Sure, Aether was also the last person she wanted to see at the moment but it was better than nothing. “Welcome home, Aether,” she greeted him without a second thought before stepping back to let him in.

…

…

…

‘WHAT?!’ Furina’s mind shut down as she registered what she just said. ‘Welcome home?! Home?!’ Why did she say that for?! What was Aether going to say? What will everyone else say if they learn she—

“Ow— Furina? Is something wrong?” Aether asked after accidentally bumping into her. It seems that he didn’t notice what she said either and was worried when she suddenly stopped in the middle of her tracks.

“No–nothing!” She was sure her voice cracked there but Furina quickly recomposed herself. “Er… I just have a lot on my mind right now. I still haven’t cleaned up after myself and Clorinde.” She gestured towards the coffee table… only to immediately regret it when she noticed the papers were still there too. Aether noticed them too and asked about it to which she answered, “Don’t mind that, it’s nothing important.”

Furina quickly ran over and took them. She definitely looked suspicious but she wasn’t thinking clearly anymore. After asking him if he could start making lunch, Furina retreated into her room and slammed the door. ‘…Damn it all,’ she cursed her luck; at this point, she knew for sure Celestia was punishing her for what she and her mirror self had done.

Chapter Text

Furina was hiding something— that much was obvious. It had been a few days since Aether saw those documents. Since then, Furina was clearly troubled by them. When he tried to ask her about it, she acted cool and told him it was nothing. However, her stuttering and flustered face betrayed her, and there was something she needed help with.

Since Furina was not telling him (or Paimon), Aether needed to figure it out himself. His first idea was to sneak into her room and look for it (which was not that hard since Furina was a heavy sleeper), but Furina has since taken to locking her door. He shouldn’t have been surprised; Furina knew he had a habit of snooping around and was taking precautions. For his next idea, he decided to go to the Palais Mermonia. Unfortunately, that too was a dead end— Sedene the Melusine told him she could not help as she couldn’t begin to theorise what kind of document he saw could be.

“What else could I do…” Aether muttered to himself as he walked out of the building. Maybe he could ask Lyney for help? He and Lynette were escape artists— they could do a reverse escape into a locked room, couldn’t they? ‘No, I shouldn’t involve them.’ They have better things to do than help him with his relationship issues.

…Navia would tease him for just simplifying it as relationship issues.

For now, he was going to go on with his day; he had told Paimon to head back to Furina’s apartment ahead of him when they got back to the city so that he could do something on his own. He also wanted to stop by the bakery but hadn’t yet turned in his commissions to Katheryn so he headed for the Adventurer’s Guild first. Once he got there and got his usual “job well done” from her, Katheryn told him that someone sent him a package.

The problem? It had been sent to his old address in the Fleuve Cendre…

—knock knock

“Coming!” The door opened to reveal Furina’s relieved face only for it to turn to worry upon seeing Aether exhausted. “Did something happen?!”

“No, no. Nothing’s wrong…” Aether answered while out of breath, “I just had to make a quick detour down to the sewers again…”

“I… see…” muttered Furina as she stepped aside to let him in. “Lunch is ready; we were waiting for you to return.” He heard Paimon cheer at his arrival as well, saying that Furina wouldn’t let her take even the smallest bite until he got back. Aether had to silently commend Furina for being brave and bold enough to stop Paimon from eating.

Then again, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of Mademoiselles Crabbelleta’s tackle either. In the few times he’s interacted with the Salon Solitaire members, their bloodlusts were more terrifying than nearly everything else Aether had encountered in his travels. Forgetting about the terrors that were Furina’s summons for the time being, Aether collapsed on the sofa that served as his bed for most of the last month. “Go ahead and eat without me. I need to rest for a moment.”

He sunk facefirst into the soft cushions, letting his weary muscles relax. A part of him wondered why there was no elevator yet; maybe he should bring it up with Navia. Surely she would be exhausted from going there and Poisson regularly too… 

“Here,” Furina’s soft voice pierced through his exhaustion. He glanced up to see her put a cup of tea. “Get your rest. We’ll be sure to leave some food for you, right Paimon? ”

"Huh? Oh, yeah yeah! Just get some sleep, Aether,” his travel companion called out from the kitchen.

“I’m not that tired.” Aether rolled his eyes. “...Hey, Furina?”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“What have you been hiding from me?”

At this point, Aether just wanted to get straight to the point. Though a part of him feared offending or scaring her for being so blunt, she fortunately was only embarrassed as she tried to deny everything.

“I— I don’t know what you’re talking about, Aether!” She stuttered out.

“Oh, is this about those papers?” Paimon asked which made Furina respond with, “What papers?”

“Come on, Furina. You know you can trust me,” Aether tried to say but that prompt a different reaction.

“Trust you?!” This time, she was thoroughly infuriated. “Last time I trusted you, I— you know what? Never mind.” She scoffed.

Guilt suddenly filled Aether as he realized she was still hurt by his betrayal. “I—” He began to say but Furina cut him off.

“No need to dwell on that anymore. It’s in the past,” the former Archon sighed, already knowing what he wanted to say. “You want to know what I’ve been hiding? Fine. My landlord wants you to move in.”

“He… what? ” “Your landlord wants us to move in?!”

“Now you get why I’ve been avoiding the topic. How was I supposed to approach you about it?” Furina asked rhetorically. “And it’s mainly Aether he’s interested in.”

“Wh—Why does he want me to move in exactly?” Aether asked, his previous feeling of guilt being mostly replaced with shock.

“It’d be more accurate to say he wants to make it ‘officially.’ You’ve been staying here long enough to be considered as such in the eyes of the law so he wants to add your name to the lease,” she explained with a hint of a pout.

Aether had to take a moment to process that information… then another moment… and then another… “Say that again?”

“Oh come on, does Paimon have to say it for you to understand?”

“Hey!” The offended fairy(?) protested.

“No, no. It’s just… I’m having a hard time processing it,” Aether murmured. “You want me to move in?”

“Don’t misconstrue my words. It’s not me who wants you to move in; it’s my landlord,” Furina corrected him. “So what’s your answer? He’s coming by tomorrow and would want the papers then if you’re moving in.”

‘An answer?! Now ?!’ This was happening way too fast. “And if I don’t sign those papers?” Aether just hoped Furina would recognize his curiosity and not take it the wrong way.

“He didn’t say to be honest but I assume he’d just bar you from staying him as much as you usually do,” shrugged Furina. “That or maybe sue me.”

“Sue you?! Is it against the law or something?!” Paimon cried before— “...Actually, it probably is knowing how Fontaine is.”

Knowing that now, there was only one thing Aether could say. “Where do I sign?” He couldn’t let that happen— not again. Besides, if that means he wouldn’t need to commute from the sewers up to the main city again, then it was to his favour too.

The next day…

“Just sign here and here.”

Following monsieur Lévesque’s instruction, Aether filled out the rest of the necessary paperwork to make his move official. “Is that everything?”

“Everything you need to sign, I only need to confirm the details now,” he replied, taking the papers from Furina. “Hmm… There’s a few spaces you left empty but I guess those parts are optional…” He muttered as he inspected the details as the others waited with bated breath. “...Except this part. You do not have a surname?”

“Uh, no,” Aether answered.

“Is that so...?" It’s technically fine since you don’t legally have one but that might make the paperwork difficult,” Lévesque hummed before his face lit up. “Oh I know.” He took the pen and wrote something in the unfilled box. “That should be everything now. Thank you for your time, Traveller.”

As he got up, Furina naturally tried to get answers. “Hey, wait! What did you put in—” bang “...there…” He was already out before she finished asking. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this…?”

“I’m sure it’s fine." Aether tried to assure her but even he felt a little suspicious about it. “I guess… we’re housemates now?”

“That we are…” she muttered, letting the reality sink in. There was only a single question in both their minds.

What now?