Where Can I Find Popular Xiao X Aether Fanfiction Crossovers?

Finding good crossovers with Zhongli and Aether isn't easy. There's a big difference between what's popular on Archive of Our Own versus fanfiction.net. AO3 has become the main hub for this ship lately, especially for anything involving other games. I'd start by filtering the Genshin Impact fandom tag for Zhongli/Aether, then adding the 'Crossover' and 'Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence' tags. You'll see a lot of stuff blending with 'Honkai Impact 3rd' or 'Tears of Themis', which makes sense. Some of the older stuff on FFN tends to be more action-focused crossovers, but the writing can be hit or miss. The best ones I've found recently had them wandering into 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' or a cultivation novel setting. Those authors really get the dynamic between Aether's traveler energy and Zhongli's ancient, weary god thing. You might need to sort by kudos from the last two years; the 2020-2021 surge had a lot of lower quality fics. Honestly, Twitter can be surprisingly useful if you follow specific fan artists who write threads, but it's a pain to navigate. Discord servers dedicated to the ship sometimes have channel for recs, and people there will often share links to their favorite crossovers that you wouldn't find just by searching tags. The real treasure is finding an author you like and checking their bookmarks; they usually have curated lists of similar stuff.

If you're hunting for slow-burn 'Aether x Xiao' fanfiction, I get the thrill — there's something about Xiao's standoffish vibe slowly thawing toward the Traveler that hits me in the soft spot every time. My go-to spot is 'Genshin Impact' sections on Archive of Our Own because AO3 has the best tagging system for exactly the kind of pacing you want. I usually set fandom to 'Genshin Impact', relationship to 'Aether/Xiao' (or 'Xiao/Aether' — authors swap order), then add a tag filter like 'slow burn' or 'mutual pining'. Sorting by kudos or hits helps me find long, well-loved serials that take their time building tension. I also follow a few authors whose style I trust — if one of their stories nails the pacing, I check their bookmarks and series for hidden gems. FanFiction.net and Wattpad are useful too, but they need a bit more patience. On fanfiction.net, I rely on Google site searches like site:fanfiction.net "Aether Xiao" "slow burn" because the site's native filters aren't as tag-friendly. Wattpad tends to be hit-or-miss, but if you search tags 'Aether x Xiao', 'slow burn', 'slow-burn', or 'slowburn' you'll often find multi-chapter romances and AUs that stretch the teasing-out of feelings across many updates. Tumblr is great for one-shots and rec lists — search tags like 'AetherXiao fic recs', 'Xiao x Aether fic', or 'slow burn xiao', and you'll find curated lists or thread-style recs where people drop links to complete series. Reddit communities, especially the 'r/Genshin_Impact' fanfic threads or dedicated fanfiction subreddits, are fantastic when you want personal recs; I once posted a request while on my lunch break and got a page-long list from people who wrote exactly the slow-burn vibes I was after. A few search tips that saved me hours: try variations of the tag — 'slow burn', 'slow-burn', 'slowburn', 'mutual pining', 'will they/won't they' — because authors use different phrasing. For deeper slow-burns, prefer multi-chapter works or filter by word count (I look for 30k+ to get more breathing room). Also scan content warnings and ratings; many slow-burns explore heavy themes like trauma, healing, or mature romance, so be ready to check triggers and the tag list. If an author marks a work as 'Series', follow the series page to keep reading in order — nothing kills immersion faster than reading chapters out of sequence. Personally, I like finding an author whose voice resonates and then bingeing their backlog between commutes — there’s a cozy satisfaction to watching Xiao's guarded lines break down over dozens of chapters while I sip tea. If you want, tell me whether you prefer canon-era slow-burn (post-event healing, gradual confession) or AU domestic/college vibes, and I can point you to places to look or suggest search phrases that fit the mood. I'm always excited to swap recs or help narrow things down based on tone and content warnings, because some slow-burns are gentle and careful while others are angsty and painstakingly slow in the best way.

I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time diving into the world of 'Genshin Impact' fanfiction, especially when it comes to the dynamic between Aether and Xiao. Their slow-burn tension is one of those rare pairings where the unspoken emotions and gradual development make the payoff so satisfying. One fic that absolutely nails this is 'Embers in the Wind' by a writer named LumosNox. It’s set in a post-archon quest scenario where Aether, still reeling from the weight of his journey, starts noticing Xiao’s silent protectiveness. The author does an incredible job weaving in small moments—shared glances, accidental touches, Xiao’s reluctance to admit his feelings—until it all crescendos into a beautifully crafted confession scene. The pacing feels natural, and the way they use Liyue’s landscapes as a backdrop for their growing intimacy adds layers to the story. Another standout is 'Fleeting Light, Eternal Shadow,' which takes a more introspective approach. The fic explores Xiao’s internal struggles with karma and how Aether becomes his anchor. What makes it special is how the author balances action with quiet moments, like Xiao teaching Aether how to glide properly or them sharing a meal at Wangshu Inn. The romantic tension simmers for ages, with Xiao’s tsundere tendencies clashing against Aether’s patient persistence. The payoff is worth every chapter, especially when Xiao finally lets his guard down during a stormy night, admitting he’s terrified of losing Aether to the same fate as his past companions. For something with a darker twist, 'Chasing the Horizon' reimagines their relationship in a universe where Xiao is slowly losing control of his karma. Aether, determined to save him, becomes the only one who can calm the storm inside him. The slow burn here is agonizingly good, with Xiao pushing Aether away out of fear while Aether refuses to give up. The fic’s strength lies in its emotional rawness—Xiao’s vulnerability is rarely shown in canon, but this story peels back those layers. The final confession, set against the ruins of Guili Plains, is a masterpiece of catharsis. If you prefer lighter, slice-of-life slow burns, 'Lanterns in the Dark' is a gem. It’s a modern AU where Aether works at a teahouse and Xiao is a regular customer who never talks—until one day, he does. The build-up is filled with tiny, meaningful interactions: Aether memorizing Xiao’s order, Xiao leaving anonymous notes of appreciation, and eventually, them bonding over shared loneliness. The romance unfolds like a quiet sunrise, and the ending, where Xiao finally asks Aether out during the Lantern Rite festival, is pure serotonin. Lastly, 'The Weight of a Thousand Years' takes a mythological approach, framing their relationship as a destined bond across lifetimes. The slow burn is interwoven with Liyue’s lore, and Xiao’s hesitation stems from believing he doesn’t deserve happiness. Aether’s unwavering faith in him chips away at that armor over time. The fic’s climax, where Xiao realizes Aether is the reincarnation of someone he once failed to protect, is heartbreaking yet hopeful. The way they reconcile this with their present feelings is nothing short of poetic."

I've noticed most Keqing/Aether crossover fics end up on Ao3. The tagging system there is just too good for pairing-focused stuff, and you can really drill down into fandom crossovers. I tried searching on FanFiction.Net once, but filtering for a specific ship across multiple games felt like trying to find a specific coin in a wishing fountain. That said, I did stumble across a few on SpaceBattles and Sufficient Velocity forums. The vibe is different—less romance-focused, more about the mechanics of, like, combining Genshin's elemental system with another world's rules. You get these detailed, plot-heavy discussions in the comments that sometimes spin off into their own story threads. The actual fics are buried in those creative writing subforums, though, so you gotta dig.

Crossovers involving Diluc and Aether are a fascinating trend because they often pivot on themes of hidden identities and shared burdens. A really common one I've seen—and frankly overdone but still kinda works—is pulling them into the worlds of 'Final Fantasy', especially VII or XV. The whole 'grumpy guy with a tragic past teams up with the optimistic traveler' dynamic slots right in. Diluc becomes a sort of Avalanche-adjacent figure, maybe even a Turk if you want to flip it, while Aether's journey to find his sister mirrors a lot of FF's lost-sibling quests. They get to clash over methods, with Diluc's vigilante justice versus Aether's more diplomatic approach, before inevitably becoming a powerhouse duo. Another big theme is the 'isekai' or 'transmigration' setup, but reversed: characters from other series get dumped into Teyvat. I've read a few where, say, Cloud Strife or Geralt of Rivia ends up at the Dawn Winery, and the story becomes about Diluc and Aether dealing with this interdimensional refugee. It's less about the crossover characters themselves and more about how their presence forces Diluc and Aether into a protector/mediator role together, which can highlight their latent similarities. Those are the ones that stick with me, the ones that use the crossover to probe their characters rather than just smash action figures together. A niche but really fun angle is the 'coffee shop AU' or 'modern AU' crossover, but with a supernatural twist. Like, what if the cafe Aether works at in a modern setting is secretly a front for the Men in Black or the Hunter Association from 'Hunter x Hunter'? Diluc, as a wealthy businessman, gets drawn into the weirdness, and suddenly they're investigating paranormal leaks together. It strips away the Genshin power systems but replaces them with another fandom's rules, which forces their relationship to develop purely on personality and wit. I tend to skip the massive battle crossovers—'Avengers assemble in Mondstadt!'—because they often lose the intimate character study that makes the pairing interesting to begin with.

Man, I was just on this exact hunt last week! The Venti/Aether tag is huge on AO3, obviously, but filtering for crossovers is where it gets messy. You can use the 'Crossover' tag filter, but then you have to sift through stuff where they're just cameos. I had more luck searching the 'Genshin Impact' fandom tag and then adding specific crossover fandoms I wanted—like adding 'The Legend of Zelda' or 'Final Fantasy' to the 'additional tags' field. Honestly, some of the best ones I found weren't even tagged as crossovers, but just had characters from other games show up as part of the world. There's a pretty sweet one on AO3 called 'Winds of Another Sky' that's a FFXIV crossover where Aether is a WoL and Venti's... well, still Venti, causing chaos in Eorzea. Tumblr has some snippets too, but you gotta dig through reblog chains. The real tricky part is when you want a full fusion, not just a character drop-in. Those are rarer, but man, when you find a good one where Teyvat is just one continent in a bigger world, it's magic. My search is never really over.