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When the first rays of light began to filter through the small gap between the curtains of the room, Aether knew that it was already dawn and it was time to start a new day.
It was Sunday so he could afford to take a break from his usual daily activities; stop thinking about dungeons and commissions to fulfill and slow down a bit, and take the time to "admire the scenery", a piece of advice that many of his friends had given him lately.
He already had plans ready in his diary. He would go to visit a pet shelter that was located on the outskirts of Sumeru city. In addition to Paimon, he would have the guidance and accompaniment of a very special person.
"Mmmm…"
And speaking of that person.
He moved slightly in an attempt not to wake her as she rested placidly on his chest. Unfortunately, his efforts were unsuccessful.
"Aether, it's too early yet." Babbled a sleepy Nilou as she tightened her grip around the boy, snuggling up once more to prevent warmth loss.
“Nilou, we have to prepare things for our visit. If we stay here, we'll be late." Aether warned before planting a kiss on her forehead causing the girl to let out a contented sigh. He made one more attempt to free himself from the redhead's surprisingly powerful grip, but needless to say, he didn't succeed.
"You can continue sleeping if you want, I'll wake you up once breakfast is ready." He commented, but the only response he got was silence.
“Nilou?”
Looking down, Aether could see that the girl had fallen back asleep in record time, completely ignoring his earlier request.
His reasoning led him to the conclusion that now that Nilou was knocked out from sleep, he could get up and go to the kitchen without any problem. He just had to move carefully and maybe apply a little force.
Or at least that's what he thought.
Paimon woke up to the delicious aroma of pancakes and toast, as well as the magnificent crackle of fried eggs and bacon strips. When it came to food, the little fairy had such keen senses on par with a wild animal.
Wiping away some of the saliva that leaked from the corner of her mouth as she imagined the amount of food that would be on the table, she quickly floated towards the kitchen door. When she entered, she gave one of her most energetic and warm greetings.
"Good morning Aeth— Aether?"
The sight that greeted Paimon was…quirky to say the least. Standing in front of the kitchen was Aether dressed in his pajamas, cooking like every morning, all normal up to that point. What was definitely out of place was the reddish cloak that covered his entire back.
When the pixie zoomed in, she could see that it wasn't cloth hanging from his back, but rather, hair.
As if she were a koala, Nilou had wrapped her arms and legs around Aether and now rested her entire body against his back, not even caring about anything other than keeping as close as possible. From what she could see, she seemed to be half asleep.
Sensing the presence of his faithful traveling companion, Aether spoke. “Oh. Hello Paimon. I hope you slept well."
Paimon didn't reply. She just watched with an expression of disbelief plastered on her face.
"Paimon?" Aether repeated. "Is something the matter?"
"No, nothing." Paimon fell silent again, she could already feel the headache settle in her head. "Why are you two…?"
"Well, it's hard to explain." Aether scratched his cheek while smiling sheepishly. "She didn't want to get up and—"
"Wait!" exclaimed the fairy. “It's too early for this. Paimon just wants to eat her breakfast in peace."
After a few minutes, Aether had already served enough food for five people. One ration for him, one for Nilou, and three for his gluttonous floating friend.
Before sitting down, he turned his head and whispered in an affectionate tone, “Nilou, breakfast is served. Time to wake up."
Groaning slightly, the redhead descended and landed safely on the ground. She kissed Aether's cheek before taking a place at the table and gently rubbed her eyes before opening them fully. Before eating and with her senses more or less recovered, a broad smile spread across her face and she greeted the new day ahead.
"Good morning, Aether. Thanks for the food.” She let one last yawn slip out in the middle of her words.
Paimon wanted to complain. She was there too! But she preferred not to make a fuss. Not when she had so much food to devour.
Breakfast passed without major inconvenience accompanied by various topics of conversation. It was mostly Aether and Nilou who were talking, Paimon just nodding or shaking her head as she stuffed her cheeks with the delicacies the blonde had prepared. When they were done, they packed up a few things they would need before leaving, put on their traditional attire, and set off for their destination.
As soon as they left, and as usual, Paimon disappeared into her pocket dimension, leaving the couple alone so they could enjoy a little (more) alone time.
During the walk, Nilou performed some basic dance steps, then she extended her hand to Aether who gladly accepted it, after, they began to perform a simple dance.
A step back, a pirouette, a step forward, the steps complemented each other and even though they both thought it was simple choreography, it was amazing how they could move in such a precise and elegant way while walking.
The grand finale left their faces so close that it was inevitable to give in to desire, and without thinking twice, they had already connected their lips in a tender and chaste kiss.
Such innocent and trivial activities reinforced the bond they had formed, making both of them even more convinced that their relationship was more than just a passing crush.
Simple and fleeting moments that for them were like priceless treasures.
They finally reached the shelter and Aether could see what Nilou was referring to when she told him about the place. It was a really big space with multiple animals, mainly dogs, running around. He was amazed when he saw how the dogs had no problem living with some cats that were lying in the courtyard sunbathing, considering the natural rivalry between these two species.
“Miss Nilou! Traveler!" They heard someone call out to them. Turning around, they saw a woman jogging toward them.
Nilou immediately recognized the woman and greeted her energetically, “Kaede! Hi!"
Aether just waved as he waited for the woman to catch up with them. Judging from the attire she was wearing; she was surely working as one of the shelter's keepers.
As soon as she arrived with them, she introduced herself properly. "Hello. It’s a pleasure to welcome you here.” After uttering those words, she directed her gaze towards Aether. “Traveler, it's nice to finally meet you. My name is Kaede. I was already curious to know who was the lucky one who caught Miss Nilou's attention."
Aether's cheeks were beginning to turn scarlet, but before he could say anything, Kaede cut him off, "She also informed me that this is your first date, which is why I saw to it that the entire place was spotless."
"Kaede!" exclaimed the redhead with a flushed face. "I asked you to keep that a secret."
After Nilou's plan was accidentally uncovered, they began touring the venue's facilities with Kaede's guidance. The shelter had everything necessary to welcome all those domestic animals that arrived there. The main building was divided into two blocks; one area for cats and another for dogs. From time to time, Nilou would also add her comments about how the idea of creating a place where they could take in those pets that were cruelly neglected by their owners came about.
After nearly an hour and a half, the tour came to an end. The group had dispersed to take on different activities; Kaede mentioned that she would attend to her duties again, Paimon went to the place where the kittens were to play with them, Nilou didn't move far from Aether and went to where some of the dogs they saw when they entered were playing.
On the other hand, Aether felt strangely more tired than usual so he decided to look for a place to replenish his energy, luckily, he found a cut trunk of a tree not far from the main courtyard.
He took a seat and let his eyes wander.
Almost immediately he could make out Paimon throwing a small ball of yarn with which she kept the cats and herself entertained. Her boisterous laugh echoed through the air as she floated from side to side, chased by multi-colored kittens.
Finding Nilou was also not difficult. The dancer was surrounded by a pack of dogs of different sizes and furs, it seems that they already knew her, after all, Nilou told him that she usually frequents the shelter during her free time.
The girl fed the herd and immediately began to play with them. Aether followed her with his eyes, seeing her happy gave him a sense of peace that he had rarely been able to experience since his arrival in the nation of wisdom and knowledge. Nilou's playfulness and determination were qualities that the blond found admirable and tender to a certain extent.
Suddenly, Aether's train of thought was derailed as he felt something wet make contact with his fingertips. Looking down at his hand, Aether saw a pup with white fur and brown spots that had inadvertently approached him.
He picked up the little animal and lifted it onto his legs, then he said, "Hello little friend, are you lost?"
"Woof! Woof!" the pup barked, almost as if it was answering the question Aether had asked.
The traveler giggled as he tickled the little dog's belly, which let out some happy barks from time to time.
When he brought the little one close to his face, it began to lick his cheek, although they had met a few minutes ago, they were already beginning to get along. For a moment, he was tempted by the idea of replacing Paimon and taking the pup as his new companion.
He half smiled. He wouldn't be able to do that to her.
“Hey, Aether! That isn't fair!" He heard Nilou call out to him from a distance. As soon as she got closer, he could see that she was pouting. "That is my place! I want to do it too!"
"Oh, no problem," Aether replied as he handed the puppy over to the girl. "I guess you want to spend time with this little one."
Aether sensed that Nilou probably wanted to play with the pup as well so he handed it over, holding out his arms but not getting up from his seat.
For the second time that day, Aether had jumped to the wrong conclusion.
"I didn’t mean that," Nilou replied. She picked up the little animal and gently set it down on the ground.
Without warning and before Aether could react, the redhead sat on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and began to pepper Aether's cheek with a series of kisses full of sweetness and affection.
Aether could already feel all the warmth that was building up not only on his face but on his entire body as well. Trying to compose himself, he said, “N-Nilou, what are you—”
"I already told you." Nilou replied, “This is my place. I also want to show you my love.”
Ignoring the rattle inside his chest, Aether welcomed the feel of her lips on his skin. Returning her attacks, he wrapped one of his arms around her waist and turned his head slightly, just enough for his lips to gently brush hers. Although surprising at first, Nilou didn’t flinch.
“Hey Aether, Paimon thinks we could—” The faerie fell silent when she saw what her best friend and what would likely be her new longtime partner was up to. She turned around and went back to the kitty area, but not before whispering,
"Paimon will be back later."