[The shift in position feels even more comforting than the last, with Aether held almost protectively against Dohalim's chest. Drawing a deep breath, he breathes out with a shudder, unable to stop the few tears that flow down his cheeks. But despite that, he really does feel better like this, feeling as though he doesn't have to hold back just for the sake of it.]

[He nods before briefly falling silent, as though considering whether or not to take up Dohalim's offer. But after a few moments, he decides to speak up again.]

Before she disappeared, I... I had a bad falling out with a friend, too. I told him I was falling in love with him, and when he rejected me, he almost broke our bond over it.

Everyone's told me I should talk to him to try and fix things, but... after how he talked to me the last time we met... I don't even know if I want to be friends anymore.

[Dohalim has no idea the true extent of just how cathartic this actually is for Aether. When he says he can't talk about these things, he means it -- everything is intrinsically tied to all the people he knows back in Teyvat, many of whom are here in Nippon. Trying to share his own feelings would no doubt end with unwanted advice to try and make both sides happy -- when really, Aether knows he needs to start focusing on himself and his own happiness. Otherwise, he may just never sleep again.]