Chapter Text
Albedo glances at the clock. Hm, it’s almost 10:30 now. Thinking back on it, we’ve been sitting here for about two and a half hours now just talking about ourselves and occasionally cracking a joke or two, huh? Strange how time works. Well, I guess ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ after all.
“Mmm… ‘bedo,” Kaeya drawls out, words laced with a few too many drinks, “hey, did y’know you’ve got really pretty eyes? Hehe.”
Oh, Archons no. He is not that drunk. He has to be messing with me--
“They look like…” Kaeya interrupts. “like… like small lamp grass! They’re big and pretty and they look nice to hold! Wait… that sounds weird… um, uhh, what I’m trying to say is--”
“Yes, Kaeya, my eyes are beautiful, should I… take you home?” He pauses to put his hand out for the other to take. “You look like you could use some rest.” He finishes with a deep sigh.
“Oh? Like…” Kaeya “winks.”
“No, not like that. You seriously need some rest.”
“Awwwww. Fine~” Kaeya whines while leaning his hands on the table in an effort to help himself out of his chair.
“It seems to me like I may need to help guide you back? I’m fairly confident that I know the right way to your place; I’m pretty sure almost all of the Knights do at this point. You do find yourself in all sorts of trouble, don’t you, Alberich ?”
“Nu-uh, I can handle myself! This is nothing to a man like yours truly!” Kaeya protests.
“And I’m sure of that but I worry that your confidence might be your own downfall tonight. I’d feel much better if you let me lead you back, alright?”
“Mmm fine…” Kaeya pouts.
Now about five minutes from home, Kaeya shouts “Hey, ‘bedo… back when we were leaving the tavern, did you call me by my first name?” He asks, barely conscious yet still walking. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you do that before.” He drunkenly chuckles.
“I, uhm, I suppose I did. Do you… not like it?” Albedo mumbles from underneath Kaeya's weight.
“No, Archons no ! It’s something that’s been bothering me all night, honestly. You’re the only one who calls me ‘Alberich,’ you know?”
“O-oh… is that so? Well… I suppose Kaeya it is then…”
And back to the awkward silence we go. Well, he is quite… out of it… right now. It’s probably for the best that he’s keeping his mouth shut. I wouldn’t want him doing anything either of us, maybe even possibly the ground, would regret. I’ll just continue walking him home and--
“Hey ‘bedo~” Kaeya waves with one of the hands that’s over Albedo’s shoulders.
Oh no. This can’t be good.
“You should stay the night~ it is gettin’ late after all and you do live a decent length away~”
“Kaeya. No. I have things to attend to back at my place, I can’t just stay here with you. Klee will most likely want something with me in the morning, she almost always does. Whether that be forcing my hand into making her ‘most favorite strawberry pancakes in the world’ or her ‘big girl coffee,’ which isn’t even coffee, might I add.”
“Albedo~”
Wow. He managed to say my name all the way through this time.
“No, Kaeya, I can’t. Some of us have very important things to attend to in the morning. You know how Klee can get, Kaeya. If I don’t preoccupy her with her breakfast she might go ahead and destroy Mondstadt while I’m not watching her.”
“But Jean’s takin’ care of Klee for the night, isn’t she? ‘m sure she wouldn’t be too upset about carin’ for her ‘til you get back~”
“I-- ugh, you won’t give up until I back down, will you?”
“ Nope ~”
“ Fine . But I’ll leave as soon as I wake up, okay?” Finally giving in, Albedo sighs out with a pinch to the bridge of his nose and continues walking.
“Well, we’re here. Do you have your key?”
“Mhm.” Kaeya sluggishly reaches into his pockets for his key. He pauses for a moment.
“Don’t tell me you left them at the tavern.” Albedo sighs for Archons know what number of times tonight.
“Nuh-uh. They’re right here, want ‘em?” Kaeya says playfully while dangling the keys over Albedo’s head.
“Yes, please hand them over. I’d prefer not to mess around for much longer out here. It’s cold outside and I’d much prefer to be inside as soon as possible.”
“Mhm.” The very tired and very tipsy Kaeya mumbles.
Freezing metal falls into Albedo’s hands and he almost jumps. “I didn’t know keys could get this cold, even in this temperature.”
“‘s probably because of my vision. Was right next ta it.”
“Ah.”
I need to get him to bed soon. He’s getting worse and worse by the second. I don't know if it’s the alcohol or the sleepiness but he’s really starting to lose it.
“So… is this the right key?”
“Mhm.”
“Cool.” Albedo unlocks the door. “Now… which room is yours?”
“‘s first door.”
“Alright. Well, do you need any help from here? You should probably change into something more comfortable. You know, since you’re in your usual clothing?”
“Can do it.” He yawns out.
“While you’re doing that, I’ll go ahead and find somewhere to make myself comfortable for the night. Shout if you need anything.”
“Don’t.” The taller man barely standing on his own two legs whimpers.
“Don’t? Kaeya, is something the matter?” Albedo tilts his head in confusion.
“Stay… With me… In here…”
I hope he isn’t getting the wrong idea, I want to make sure he’s fine but I… don’t want there to be some absurd misunderstanding in the morning.
“Don’t… leave… please.” The other voice pleads, almost sounding like there may be tears forming in his eyes.
Albedo’s eyes widen; he's never seen Kaeya so… vulnerable before.
“S-sure, whatever you need. Would you at least get changed first? I can’t have you passing out on me now.”
“Mmm.”
After pacing back and forth for a few minutes, Albedo hears a “Done” from the door behind him.
“Alright, coming in. I…” Albedo stops at the sight of what Kaeya’s wearing.
Coming out of the master’s bathroom is a very extravagantly dressed Kaeya. He’s wearing a long fur and silk robe which trails behind him on the hardwood floors along with a very obviously oversized corset-shaped shirt that’s barely buttoned underneath.
Oh my Archons there’s no way those are his actual pajamas. That’s what he wears to bed? I mean, I know he has an interesting taste in fashion but… isn’t this a bit much? How is he comfortable? Plus, isn’t he barely conscious? How was he able to change into that so easily?
“Hm?” The now immensely overdressed and slightly confused Kaeya pats the bed, attempting to straighten it out.
“I, uh, wow. You sure do have a specific taste and aesthetic to uphold, don’t you?”
The man in the robe nods and starts to lie down on the bed.
“Well, is there anything I could change into? Of course, just an oversized shirt would be fine.”
Kaeya points over towards the very obvious wardrobe right next to Albedo and the man beside nods back. “Well, give me a moment then.”
Albedo quickly grabs the first shirt he sees and is only somewhat shocked to see that it’s another oversized, corset-shaped shirt.
Well, if it’s oversized on him, it’ll be even more oversized on me. I shouldn’t have to worry about the shape of it too much anyways.
“I’ll be out in a second, Kaeya.”
I’m… alone. In a drunk Kaeya Alberich’s bathroom. Changing into one of his shirts. This has to be some sort of bizarre, extended dream. There’s absolutely no way this is happening right now. I’ve got to make sure he’s really the Kaeya I know and love in the morning. Oh Archons, what if he hates me in the morning? What if he takes this the wrong way and thinks I took advantage of him?
No, Albedo, stop thinking like this. He wrote you a poem to confess to you. He was the one who agreed to go to dinner with you after you kissed him out of nowhere. If he didn’t care for you, he wouldn’t have agreed to dinner. It’ll be okay. We can talk to him in the morning. After all, Jean shouldn’t be too upset if she has to worry about Klee in the morning, right?
After allowing himself some time to collect his thoughts, Albedo gently knocks on the door before he leaves the bathroom. He flicks the light off and closes the door behind him. Finally, he looks over to the quite decently sized bed that his beloved, Kaeya, is lying on.
“Done?” Kaeya tiredly mumbles out.
“Mhm. So, uh, what now?”
As if he had expected this question, Kaeya immediately pats a spot close to him on the bed. “‘Nuff room here. C’mon.”
“O-oh. Okay.” Albedo awkwardly shuffles in. “Like this?”
“Mmm--” Kaeya murmurs while pulling Albedo in even closer, almost like a child hugging their favorite stuffed animal.
Albedo really, really tries to form some sort of sentence to say in the midst of the silence but can’t quite form anything. He was only able to form a single train of thought.
I would have never thought that Kaeya would be the snuggly type. Well, at least while intoxicated. It’s kind of cute, honestly. I wish I could stay here forever.
“‘bedo…"
The sudden utterance of his name makes Albedo stir in his spot. “Y-yes?”
“‘ve never felt this… comfortable before… I wanna stay here forever…” Kaeya whispers into the other’s ear.
“Yeah… me too, Kaeya, me too.”
“ I love you, Albedo . ‘N that’s not the alcohol speaking.”
“I- I love you too, Kaeya . And that’s not your charm speaking.”