Work Text:
It was a warm day in Spring, not too hot nor too cold a perfect day for some gliding and adventuring, Aether was finishing up some affairs as the honorary knight of Mondstadt, competing his daily commotions and collecting those sweat sweat primogems from Katheryne, he ran into the first... Second person he had met in this new world, the outrider Amber, just as energetic as always, she always seemed to make his day just that little bit brighter
"Oh, Aether Hi!" The outrider shouted gliding towards him "You seem busy should I leave you?" She asked him out of concern.
He had been pretty busy lately, doing bounties, requests, making sure storm terror was a bay, making sure the people of Mondstadt were safe and happy, the worst of them all was dealing with Klee when she decided she wanted to plant afew bombs and eradicate a hilichurl camp
The Blonde chucked at her concern, he gently rests his hand on the outrider's shoulder tenderly squeezing as he admits "I'm not busy just... well bored, doing tasks all the time makes me want to explore and have a little fun, let off some steam, ye know?" He asks Amber waiting for her to respond.
The outrider had an idea and with a competitive smirk she asks "How about we compete, hehe~ you are my Rival after all"
she gently punches his chest a wide and warm smile on her face "I have a few things in mind we can do, how about..." she thinks for a moment "Best off three we can do..." she rests her fist under her chin as she looks up into the sky thinking once again.
"Yes, How about... A gliding race, might as well give me a free point!" She joked before continuing "A target destroying challenge, ye destroying targets most to be destroyed gets the point and..."
Aether chimed in and said "Well how about hunting, you enjoy hunting right and whoever can gather the best boar in 15 minutes wins?" she suggests waiting her response.
Ambers eyes light up as she grabs his hand and exclaims in an existed voice "Thats perfect let's get started them, meet me at uhhm, Starsnatch cliff!" Without even a chance to respond the outrider had charged towards the exit to Mondstadt, the blonde chuckled to himself "Wow she really is energetic and..." his cheeks tint a light shade of red "Cute~"
After a quite tiering climb Aether had caught up with the Knight who was at the edge of the cliff her glider and goggles at the ready, she looks over her shoulder and waved at him, she dashes towards him her long brown hair and red ribbon flowing in the wind.
"You took longer than I thought" she said playfully grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the cliff laugher as she did.
Aether took a seat at the edge and equipped his glider, without warning a small flying thing appeared at said in her both charming and obnoxious voice.
"Paimon will be the judge! Paimon will wait at that tree..." Paimon points toward a tree about 700 metres away "First there wins right Amber?" Paimon asks her who was answered with a very eustatic nod. "Ok Paimon will leave now Good Luck Traveller!" She shouts as she flies off, Aether sighs at the pixey thing, she really was a handful.
Amber walked towards him and rests on hand on his shoulder "I forgot to mention, whoever wins gets one request from the loser ok." Aether nodded and got ready to depart
"3-"
"2-"
"1-"
"GO!" The outrider shouted before leaping of the cliff, Aether using his quick thinking used his Anemo powers to shoot himself of the cliff taking the lead by a wide margin, Amber watched in horror and pouted as she shouts "CHEATER!" Aether looks over his shoulder and chucked "You didn't say I couldn't do that!" Amber chuckled "I guess your right... This doesn't mean I'm going to lose!"
After a good five minutes of a race were a lead was constantly being overtaken by the other person Amber won by a small margin, Aether fell to the floor and lied on his back panting, he raised his first into the air as he shouted "CURSE YOU VENTI! YOU TONE DEAF BARD!"
Both the Nomad and the outrider laugh to themself, he rose from the floor and said to her "Good job Amber, I can see why you are the gliding champ" she puff out her chest and laughed "Your right and you better remember that, anyway next challenge!"
While the two were gliding Paimon had so graciously set up some targets for them to use, for her size she was pretty good at making targets "Uhh Good job Paimon... I guess?" Aether said in both total confusion and being genuinely impressed, Paimon chucked boasting on how she is quite capable.
Amber readied her bow and in the one minute they are given she took down 25 targets, with help from her baron bunnies of course, Aether clapped and made his way over to the targets taking small Iron Chunk out of his backpack, as the timer started she threw some into the air and shouted "Windblade!" small chunks hurdling towards the targets, unluckily he get 24 targets meaning... Amber won, all he could do is sigh and clap, Amber jumped in triumph congratulations from both Paimon and Aether made her blush out of embarrassment.
They returned to Starsnatch cliff to watch the sun set, after some time Amber sighed and rested her head on his shoulder making the Traveller look away in embarassment, she asked stuttering slightly "W..W..Well what is... is your request A... Amber?"
Amber pulled away from him and hesitated for a moment before grabbing his shirt and pulling him towards her kissing him, the kiss was short but tender, she pulled away her Hazel eyes locked onto his Golden eyes, her face as red as her bunnies she stammered "T...that~" Aether reached over and gently cupped her chin and pulled her into another kiss. His fingers slowly running down her soft silky locks, he pulled her into him her head resting on her chest, she stroked the back of her head and said in a warm tone
"That was my request too Amber I really like you... Like alot, but there are others I like too S-"
Aethers words were cut off by Amber's finger, she looks at him and says "Aether you dummy, 1. That kiss was nice 2. I know so don't worry Aether, I trust you, and well I may be competitive, but I don't mind sharing~" She snuggled back into him, and he whispered against her scalp
"Thank you~"