Chapter Text
The rest of the day is spent more or less in quiet contemplation, the funeral putting a dour mood over the four. Aether prepares lunch and encourages everyone to eat - especially Morax, who doesn’t feel like it, but after reminding him that he’s growing an egg inside him now and needs nutrients, he forces down as much as he can. The pattern repeats at dinner, after Aether pulls Morax away from kneeling in front of Xiao’s altar, which he had been doing for most of the day by that point.
The sun hangs low as they eat their meal and a chill sweeps through the air. Childe shivers despite the fire.
“Should we head back tomorrow?” Aether suggests, not wanting to spend a third night on the hard ground.
“I think that’d be good,” Childe says. “I do prefer actual beds to sleeping on the ground.” He gives a halfhearted chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.
Morax nods; the longer he stays here, the longer he will dwell on Xiao and wonder if there was anything he could have done differently to possibly save him, even though he knows erosion is all but irreversible.
“We will set out in the morning,” he says. “Return to the city... perhaps spend the day there, and then leave the day after tomorrow.”
“Are you still planning on coming up to Mondstadt?” Venti asks. Childe nods and then glances at the others.
“That’s what we were planning,” he says, with agreeing nods from Morax and Aether.
“Would you like to travel with us?” Morax asks Venti. “Or must you return more swiftly?”
“Nah, I don’t need to be back for a while - my concert run just ended. I’d love to travel with you guys! If you’re okay with it?” He looks over at Childe and Aether, and the latter grins widely.
“I’d love that!” he exclaims.
“I’m certainly not opposed,” Childe agrees.
“Great! It’ll be so much fun~” Venti says, grinning back.
The mood now lifted, they finish their dinner and retire to the stone shelter to rest, all cuddled up with one another.
- - - - - - -
The morning is much the same as the previous one, with Morax making breakfast. There’s little conversation, however, everyone focused on cleaning up and preparing for the trip back. It won’t take terribly long, but they’re all eager to leave and put this harrowing event behind them.
Morax returns their shelter to the earth once it’s cleared out, leaving the land looking none the wiser. They start venturing back, but he cannot help looking over his shoulder at Xiao’s shrine every so often; he feels like he’s leaving his friend behind. But there is nothing for it; he is gone.
Childe seems to sense his sadness and slips his hand into Morax’s as they walk, giving it a comforting squeeze. When the shrine is almost out of sight, Morax gives it one more final goodbye before turning ahead and not looking back.
Not long after, Venti gets tired of the silence and starts talking in an effort to lift the mood about whatever comes to mind. He tells them about his concerts and how fun they were, and how he’s excited to play more of his music for them, and maybe they can even come to one of his concerts! Though the timing wasn’t ideal, as he doesn’t have another for a while, but that will just give them more opportunity to travel to see him again and whatnot. Morax appreciates his chatty distraction, which does indeed lift the mood, and the rest of the return trip seems to fly by.
Luckily for them, Aether’s car is still where they parked it, however Aether groans when he sees the two tickets stuck under the front wiper.
“No overnight parking,” Venti says, reading a nearby sign. “Whelp! That’s unfortunate.”
Aether looks at the amount and shrugs. While slightly expensive, it’s definitely something he can afford. “It’s fine, I can pay them. I’m glad we stayed out there rather than worrying about tickets.”
“Are you sure?” Childe asks, feeling guilty for the unexpected cost. “I can help pay, if you’d like.”
“Nonsense,” Aether says, knowing that he’s more well off than Childe is. “I got it, it’s totally fine. Don’t worry about it, please.” He gives Childe a reassuring smile as he tucks them back into his bag.
“Alright. Thanks, Aether.” He smiles and kisses his head. “Let’s head back to the hotel, hm?”
“Oof, I hope they didn’t give away our room,” Aether says as they all pile into the car. “They shouldn’t have, since it was an open-ended reservation. I guess we’ll see!”
- - - - - - -
They return to the hotel and find that their key card still works, so they pile into the room and onto the bed, exhausted both emotionally and physically from the trip back. Morax wraps his arms around Childe, who in turn hugs Aether. Venti cuddles up on Aether's other side and strokes his hair, enjoying the closeness of the four of them.
It’s not long before Aether starts to shift uncomfortably, trying to hide what is quickly growing between his legs.
“Aether?” Childe asks, noticing the movement.
“S-sorry...” Aether mumbles. “I’m really touch-sensitive...”
“Would you like some help with it?” Venti asks with a coy grin, sliding a hand between Aether’s legs and making him jump slightly.
“Um- you don’t have to, I- I know it’s inconvenient,” Aether says. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t get turned on so easily... it can be annoying to deal with.”
“It is no annoyance at all,” Morax assures him.
“Yeah but like... it isn’t really a great time for that...”
“Every time is a great time for a blowjob,” Venti says with a light chuckle, sliding down so his face is even with Aether’s pelvis. “I’ll take care of you~”
“You can’t help your body’s reactions,” Childe says, slipping a hand under Aether’s shirt to play with one of his nipples as Venti gets to work. Aether inhales a sharp, shuddering breath as a tremble runs through him from the incredible sensations suddenly graced upon him. Venti’s warm, soft, velvety perfect mouth surrounds his cock, expertly taking the length into his throat and working him to his full. It doesn’t take long, especially not with Childe teasing his nipples and kissing his neck, and he lets out a moan that he tries to keep quiet as he bursts into Venti’s mouth. The bard, ever skilled with his tongue, spills nary a drop, and eagerly licks him clean once finished. Aether relaxes with another soft moan and takes a deep breath, still feeling a bit guilty that his boyfriends have to deal with him so often.
“There,” Venti purrs, scooting back up to lie beside him. “Better?”
A flush crosses Aether’s cheeks and he nods. “Thank you...”
“Any time, gorgeous,” Venti teases before leaning in and giving him a quick kiss. They settle back onto the bed together and spend some quiet moments cuddling before Morax speaks up.
“I may have a solution to your worries,” he says.
“Huh?” Aether looks over his shoulder at Morax, who sits up.
“You are concerned with sporadic and unpredictable erections, are you not?”
“Um... yeah,” Aether says, blushing in embarrassment.
“Then perhaps you would like to try one of these.” Morax extends a hand towards Aether, whose eyes widen as he sees three stone chastity cages perched thereupon. One is a nub much like what Venti had been wearing what seems like so long ago, one is slightly larger in the shape of a flaccid penis, and one... well. The last one is a flat cage, and definitely the one Aether is most intrigued by. Truthfully, he’s been interested in chastity cages for some time, but has never broached the subject before. He almost did, back when Venti visited for the first time, but he figured he shouldn’t have such a distraction from studying for finals, and then they left on their trip, and now they’re... here.
“Whoa,” Childe says, eyeing the cages. Each has a golden Geo symbol on it that no doubt channels Morax’s powers.
“Are you interested?” Morax asks, and Aether nods.
“Yeah, I, um, absolutely,” he stammers, still having a difficult time voicing his kinky desires even though he knows he won’t be judged for them. Almost tentatively, he reaches out and takes the flat cage. Through the center hole extends a short, hollow rod intended for insertion into his urethra.
“Going flat immediately?” Venti asks with a grin.
“Well... I have kinda been thinking about it...” Aether admits. “And I’m not really that big to begin with...”
“If you decide you do not like it, we can always adjust the size,” Morax says. “Or remove it entirely. Though I am going to cage you, know that you can request it be removed at any time.”
Aether nods. “I trust you,” he says, turning the cage over in his hand. He can feel himself starting to get aroused at the thought of Morax entirely controlling his pleasure, and blushes more. “Let’s do this one.” He wants to put it on before getting another erection. Morax smiles and vanishes the other cages before moving over to Aether, who stands up. Morax kneels in front of him and separates the parts of the cage, first slipping the ring under his balls and adjusting the size slightly to secure it, then slipping the urethral tube into his cock. Aether bites his bottom lip, shivering slightly at the odd, yet not unfamiliar, sensation. Morax fits the parts together and adjusts them slightly before fusing them, ensuring that there is no way for Aether to remove it himself without breaking the stone - and, given that Morax made the cage, he doubts that’s even possible in the first place. Morax presses the cage against Aether’s pelvis and the boy twitches as he feels the rod moving inside his cock.
“What- is that?” he gasps.
“The urethral tube is growing slightly,” Morax explains. “It is molding perfectly to your insides, so it cannot be pulled out. This will ensure a tight seal for when you must use the bathroom as well as ensuring that it does not move. You will not need a strap to hold it in place.”
“Incredible...” Aether breathes, reaching down to touch the cage once Morax moves back.
“How does it feel?” Childe asks, curious about this kink he was not exposed to prior to Venti.
“...secure,” Aether says with a satisfied smile.
“Mmm, I’m not so sure, maybe we should take it for a test drive~” Childe grins at him and slides off the bed, standing in front of Aether and grabbing his ass. Aether squeaks and blushes heavily. Heat thrums through him and he can feel himself straining against the cage, but of course it does its job and keeps him restrained.
“I th-think we should,” he says, pressing his body against Childe’s. He can feel the man’s erection poking into him and shivers at the thought that he’s never going to have one himself again - not until Morax releases him, at least. Then, a thought occurs.
“Um, Morax, is the cage bound to you like, um, those rings have been? Will I only be able to orgasm with you now?”
“It certainly can be, but currently it is not restricting your ability to orgasm. It is also able to entirely restrict it, independent of my own. Perhaps in the future I will not tell you which setting it is on.” Morax chuckles as he sees Aether’s face flush a deeper red. “Would you like that?”
“V-very much so,” he says. Not knowing when - or even if - he’ll get to orgasm is incredibly tantalizing. He truly will only be able to serve his boyfriends, and not have to worry about his own pleasure.
And speaking of, Childe has already pushed his pants entirely off and laid him on the bed, legs already spread wide. He shudders and moans as his boyfriend teases his entrance, but is momentarily distracted by Morax getting off the bed and walking away.
“Morax?” Childe asks.
“Please, do not stop on my account. I am simply not in the mood currently - I am going to take a shower,” Morax says. Xiao’s loss must still be hitting him hard. Childe feels kind of bad that he didn’t think about that before jumping into it with Aether.
“You sure?” he asks.
“I am positive. Please, do not let me stop you,” he says before walking into the bathroom.
“I’ll go check on him,” Venti whispers before floating after Morax to join him in the shower.
“Mmm, it looks like I get you all to myself this time~” Childe purrs, trying to get back into it. He leans down and kisses Aether, who lets out another soft moan.
“Y-yeah,” he breathes, excited to be Childe’s sole focus. Group sex is great, but so is sex with just one other person. Variety is the spice of life, after all. A shiver runs through him as Childe runs his hands over him, exploring the body he knows so well, before trailing down to gently ring his cage.
“This will be so much fun...” Childe purrs, looking down to inspect the new adornment. Aether, his face completely flushed, nods.
“Y-yeah,” he breathes, then gasps as Childe leans down and runs his tongue over it. He shivers even though no physical pleasure was gained from the gesture, tantalized instead by the restriction of it.
“You like that?” Childe purrs, running his fingers over the cage and teasing his balls. Arthur nods again, much to Childe's delight. “Good... cause you're stuck now, bidden to Morax’s whims~”
“I know,” Aether breathes, looking down at the cage, then Childe. “And- yours, I suppose.”
“Hmm, I wonder if Morax would follow my direction if it were to tease you,” Childe ponders. “I could make you walk around with one of his plugs in, pulsing you at random all day... oh.” He straightens up, an idea forming in his mind, and he grins deviously at Aether. “We could use a remote vibrator... then you wouldn’t know which one of us was pulsing you. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” He stands and walks his fingers up Aether’s chest, teasing him.
“Yes- I would-” Aether gasps through an anticipatory shudder.
“And we could make you guess which of us has it, and if you got it wrong... well.”
“W-well? What- would you do?” Aether stares up at Childe, desperate to find out.
“Why, punish you, of course,” Childe says with a dark chuckle as he leans down and kisses him. Aether presses into the gesture, hungry for the affection.
“How?” he asks, his voice breathless.
“Well... perhaps that isn’t for you to know yet~” Childe teases him, reaching down to squeeze his cage and balls. Aether whines and spreads his legs, desperate for Childe’s cock to douse the burning desire within him. Childe, taking the gesture as a hint, slides his hand farther down and toys with Aether’s inviting entrance.
“Hm? Is there something you want?” he teases, feigning ignorance.
“Yes- I- I want- you- please!” Aether exclaims, gripping the blanket beneath him. “I- need you to fuck me- please!”
“Hmm, well, I suppose, since you asked so nicely...” Childe grins and takes a moment to spread some lube on his fingers before pressing two into him. Aether gasps at the wash of pleasure and tightens around them, but it’s not enough.
“Don’t- bother with that, I- I need your cock-” he gasps out, not wanting to take it slow. Childe chuckles to himself and pulls his hand away.
“Alright then, little slut, we can go straight to that,” he says. “You have been such a good little boy this evening, after all. You can get a little reward~” He lines up and pushes the tip in, which causes Aether to cry out and throw his head back, overwhelmed with sensation.
“Yes- more-” he begs, moaning and shuddering as Childe works himself in. He goes slowly, knowing Aether is unstretched but still able to take him, wanting to minimize the amount of pain caused. But Aether doesn’t seem to care about that, crying out for more as his boyfriend moves within him. Spurred on by his enthusiasm, Childe snaps his hips forward and buries the rest of his length into the boy beneath him, who - from the sounds he makes - thoroughly enjoys it. He sets a fast pace, marveling at just how good Aether makes him feel, not just physically, but in their relationship as well. Warmth and pleasure spread through him with every movement and he leans down, capturing Aether’s lips in a kiss. Aether throws his arms around Childe’s neck, keeping him close as they passionately make out and wildly fuck, sharing in their passion and pleasure.
“Don’t cum until I tell you to,” Childe growls after some time, when he can feel his own orgasm beginning to build. He wants to watch it come out of the cage, fascinated by the whole situation. Aether gasps out what could generously be called an acknowledgement, so wrecked by pleasure that he can barely speak. Even so, he finds the strength a few moments later to let Childe know that he’s close, so close. Childe grins and stands up, pulling Aether to the edge of the bed so he can keep fucking him while having a perfect view of the action.
“Alright, you can cum,” he says, not slowing his pace even a bit as he hears Aether’s moans grow in pitch and volume, even as he feels Aether writhing on the bed, even as he sees little blobs of his finish spurt out of the cage keeping him bound. It’s so erotic that he loses all sense of self-control and orgasms on the spot, slamming into his boyfriend and filling him.
“Oh fuck,” he gasps, panting from exertion and ecstasy as their pleasures meld into one, Aether shuddering and squeezing around him. “That’s- that’s so fucking hot.”
Childe stands there, holding Aether’s legs, for a few moments as they both come down from their euphoric highs. At some point Childe pulls out and lies down next to Aether, pulling him into a hug that the boy immediately nuzzles into, enjoying the closeness and post-coital bliss.
“You are so amazing,” Childe murmurs, stroking Aether’s hair.
“Mmnnn... so’re you...” he mumbles in return.
“We might want to shower after the other two are done,” Childe suggests gently.
“But ‘m tired now...”
Childe laughs softly. “I can carry you.”
“Mmmkay...”
- - - - - - -
Morax sighs and nudges the bathroom door shut behind him, but looks over when - after a moment - he doesn’t hear it close only to see Venti slipping in behind him.
“Venti, it’s alright, I’m just not in the mood,” he reminds the bard, who nods in acknowledgement.
“I know, I’m not here for sex,” Venti says, stepping over and sliding his arms around Morax’s waist. “I just want to shower with you. And... to let you know you aren’t alone. In your grief, I mean.”
Morax looks down at him for a moment before returning the hug.
“Thank you, Venti,” he sighs, closing his eyes and resting his head against the bard’s. “I... spent so long thinking he was gone, only to...” He trails off, perhaps not wanting to voice his feelings.
“I know,” Venti murmurs, closing his eyes. “I understand what you’re going through, Morax. I know you were much closer with him, but... but I loved him too. You don’t have to explain it. And... you don’t have to be okay. It’s okay to be sad for a while, to not be up for sex or anything like that. No one’s going to fault you for it.” As if on cue, they hear one of Aether’s cries from the other room.
“Thank you, Venti,” Morax murmurs, rubbing his back. Normally, he would dryly crack a joke about how Venti usually isn’t into philosophy or something along those lines, but he’s not particularly in the mood for their usual banter. Instead, he reaches over and starts the shower to let the water warm up and to obscure the sounds coming from the other room.
“Of course,” Venti says softly, taking a step back so they can start undressing. Once their clothes are suitably removed, they step into the shower together. Venti floats up and rests their foreheads together: an invitation for a kiss that Morax accepts. He wraps his arms around Venti once more to support him and brushes their lips together, taking comfort in the presence of another who knows his pain. Venti returns the gesture, stroking Morax’s cheek as they softly exchange kisses - not in a sexual, passionate way, but with a quieter understanding of comfort between them. One or both of them may have had some tears slipping down their cheeks - it’s hard to tell under the spray of the shower.
Eventually they get around to actually washing themselves, a welcome cleansing of the past couple of days’ accumulation of dirt from roughing it out in the semi-wilderness. Morax feels oddly refreshed when they’re done - his grief had not been entirely washed away, of course, but it feels more manageable. Especially with his mates by his side - he knows, with time, that this too shall fade.