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After finishing up the last of his paperwork, Kaeya had decided to go out on a stroll around the Headquarters of the Knights of Favonius. He went over to the library, greeting Lisa and others around. He quite enjoyed walking around with no aim in mind after work. It was much more relaxing than sitting around going through dozens and dozens of documents Jean had given him.
Kaeya finished his round in the library and continued his stride in full pace. As he made his way down the hall, he noticed Sucrose, pacing back and forth. This wasn’t an unusual sight, she was always one to worry often. Nevertheless, he decided to approach her from behind to see how she’d react.
“GAH!” Sucrose yelled out as soon as Kaeya placed a hand on her shoulder, clearly startling him as well, “Oh, it’s just you, Sir Kaeya,” She adjusted her glasses and looked away from the taller man.
“Now, now, you can drop the formalities, Sucrose. You’re always so caught up with them, let loose every once in a while,” Kaeya said, stepping back from Sucrose. Her gaze traced its way back to the floor, as she fiddled with her hands. She didn’t seem too happy, particularly stressed out. Her saddened expression worried him, “Is everything alright?”
“Ah, well…” Sucrose thought for a moment, before her eyes lit up in excitement, “Actually, you’re the right person I need right now!”
“Oh, and how could I, a mere Knight, help the Chief Alchemist’s renowned assistant? Is it for an experiment? Or might it be… something personal?” Kaeya asked, making the shorter girl blush. She looked from side to side trying to find the right words to say, fiddling with the hem of her dress.
“Uh, well you see… um…” Sucrose fumbled over her words. She could never get through a conversation with the Cavalry Captain, she’d always get too embarrassed for her own good. He seemed to love teasing her, but she had a hard time laughing it off as easily as he does. While yes, he means well, she can’t help but feel very awkward around him.
“Hey, I was just kidding,” Kaeya said, trying to calm her nerves, “In all seriousness, what do you need me for? I’m more than willing to help you with anything you may need.”
Sucrose cleared her throat, her feeling of embarrassment washing over her. She found her words and went on to say, “It’s about Albedo.”
Kaeya seemed shocked by this. He didn’t expect her to need help with Albedo, of all people. Since they worked together, he assumed they had a close relationship. This meant something had to be off. He began to feel worried without having even heard the news yet. He beckoned her to continue.
“You know how he is with his work, continuously working on something he’s interested in and only stopping once he gets bored,” Sucrose continued, voice shaky as always. Kaeya responded with a nod, allowing her to take her time explaining the situation, “Well, this is one of those times. Except this time, he hasn’t left his laboratory in a few days, and I’m really getting worried. I’ve tried talking to him, convincing him to get out even if only for a few hours, but he doesn’t listen. I’m thinking maybe you could convince him to go out for the day and take a rest? The two of you get on quite well, and you’re much better at convincing people to do things than I am.”
Kaeya hummed as she finished explaining. She looked up at him, for what seems like the first time ever, with a pleading look on her face. She really, really was worried, which had rubbed off onto Kaeya minutes ago. Despite his usual calm and cool demeanor, he couldn’t help but worry for Albedo’s wellbeing.
“I see how it is,” Kaeya brought a hand up to his chin, “I can never seem to truly understand him. Either way, I’ll try talking to him about it and convince him to take a break.”
“Thank you so much, Kaeya,” Sucrose bowed ever so slightly, expressing her deepest and genuine gratitude.
He smiled, and walked past her, “Don’t you get too caught up in work either,” He said, before walking down the hall to get to the one and only Chief Alchemist’s laboratory.
Kaeya approached the door to Albedo’s laboratory, standing in front of it for a minute or two. He debated on just barging in and dragging the alchemist by the collar, but he didn’t. He instead went for the simpler, and gentler, approach of just knocking.
Knock. Knock.
No response. Kaeya knocked once more, this time saying, “Albedo, are you in here?”
Again, no response. Kaeya began to worry. Sucrose had been keeping watch for a while, so he was sure to be in there. Yet, he wasn’t responding at all, which had Kaeya’s concerns grow larger and larger. He knocked one last time, but nothing came from it. He couldn’t stand it any longer and barged right in, but the sight he saw was distressing.
Before him was an untidy workplace, something he never expected from the Chief Alchemist himself. Papers were scattered all over the place, each of them filled with notes of every kind. There were even different substances in jars and beakers alike scattered just as the papers were. Albedo must’ve been experimenting quite a lot, Kaeya thought to himself.
Kaeya looked around to find the one and only Albedo, only to see the man with his face first into his desk, completely unmoving. He rushed over to him in a panic and shook him awake. The alchemist didn’t utter a word, so Kaeya shook him once more, this time with a lot more force.
“Albedo? Albedo! Wake up!” Kaeya practically yelled, shaking Albedo aggressively, earning a grunt from the man. His worries washed away slowly as Albedo turned his head over. However, Kaeya's stomach dropped at the sight of his face.
Albedo had dark circles around his eyes, which led him to believe he hadn't slept in days. His skin was quite pale, was he not eating either? Kaeya swallowed his concerns and gave him a gentle smile.
"Are you alright? You don't look very well," Kaeya said, gently rubbing Albedo's back. After all, he did give the poor man a rude awakening.
"Why are you here?" Albedo asked flat out, his voice coarse and dry. He hadn't been drinking much water either, the Cavalry Captain thought.
"Poor Sucrose had been worried sick for your well-being," Kaeya explained, "She simply asked me to come and check on you since you wouldn't listen to her yourself. Seems she was right to be worried, you're looking quite… disheveled."
Albedo groaned again, "I think I'm fine, thank you very much," He began getting himself up, seemingly not fazed by his current state. Kaeya's expression began to fade into a frown as he saw Albedo walk to the other side of his lab, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work."
"Nuh-uh," Kaeya said, walking over to the alchemist, "You're going to work like that? When you're completely drained? You haven't eaten in days, or even slept for that matter, have you?"
"And why does that concern you?" Albedo asked, his voice venomous, unlike his usual calm self.
"Because I care about you."
Albedo tilted his head back, and thought for a second. He looked over to the Cavalry Captain himself, who's eyebrows were furrowed and his lips curled down into a frown. He never usually sees the man this vulnerable, let alone this concerned for his health. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Your concerns are appreciated, but-"
"I'm not giving you a choice, Albedo," Kaeya interrupted, grabbing the man by the wrist, "You need a break. You can't just keep pushing yourself like this."
"But my research-"
"Oh my Barbatos, Albedo won't you look at yourself for just one second?" Kaeya's voice began to crack, his expression becoming even more upset. A rare sight to see, Albedo thought.
Kaeya dragged him over to the mirror he had in his laboratory, placing his other hand onto Albedo's shoulder to get him to look straight into the mirror. Albedo hadn't looked into a mirror in a while, he had been too caught up with his new research after a day in Dragonspine.
And boy, was the man that looked back at him completely disheveled.
He finally saw the state his own face was in, with dark circles around his eyes and pale skin, he felt uneasy. Not to mention his clothing was entirely wrinkled from not having changed in who knows how long. Research was more important than his own hygiene, he thought, but erased that thought quickly from his mind.
He was a complete mess. And he hated that.
"Can't you see? Don't you understand why Sucrose and I are so concerned?" Kaeya said, his grip on Albedo's wrist tightening as well as on his shoulder. He looked down at the alchemist, who only looked at his reflection in shock.
"I…" Albedo started, but couldn't utter another word.
"You do, don't you?"
Albedo nodded. Kaeya then looked down and dragged the alchemist out of his office.
"Where are we going?" He asked, but quickly shut his mouth after getting a good feel for the dryness in his throat.
"To get you a fresh set of clothes and most importantly a shower," Kaeya explained, " We've still got a nice day ahead of us, but we need to get you sorted first."
Kaeya dragged him around Mondstadt, to get to his residence. They earned a number of stares, less because of the fact that Albedo was a walking mess, but more so because the one and only Cavalry Captain was dragging the Chief Alchemist around the city. Albedo had tucked his head down, but Kaeya was walking with a confident stride as always.
After a few minutes, they quickly got to Kaeya's house, a nice and cozy home. It wasn’t too special, but it was enough for Kaeya to get by. After all, he spent most of his days at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters or at the local tavern. He quickly opened the door and gestured for Albedo to enter, which he gladly did.
“Welcome, don’t mind the mess,” Kaeya said, closing the door behind him.
Albedo looked around. What Kaeya considered to be a mess was underwhelming compared to his own laboratory, but he shrugged it off, “I don’t mind.”
“Good, good,” Kaeya said, waltzing over to his room, with Albedo following close behind. The Cavalry Captain went through his drawers, looking for clothes that would fit Albedo, “Do you mind loose fitting clothing? I think that it would suit you quite well, but at the end of the day it’s up to you. Unless you don’t want to wear my clothes, that’s perfectly fine. Though, I assure you that they’re clean, and much better than the ones you have on now.”
Albedo looked back down at his own clothing. It was filthy with remnants of substances from his experiments, he couldn’t go around Monstadt in this. Wearing Kaeya’s clothing couldn’t be any worse than what he already had on, right? “I don’t mind. We’re already here, so I suppose there’s no harm in that.”
Kaeya smiled and handed him some simple, yet nice, clothes. A simple, yet very well kept, white shirt. The sleeves were puffy and the ends were frilled, Albedo was never really one to wear shirts like these. The pair of pants he was handed was a pair of black tight fitting pants. They’d probably be too long on him, so he’d have to roll up the cuffs, Albedo thought.
“Will these do? They’re some older clothes of mine, they don’t fit me anymore. They should do the job, shouldn’t they?” Kaeya said, now facing him. Albedo nodded.
“These are fine, thank you,” Albedo replied, a slight smile on his face.
“Before you get into the shower,” Kaeya started, now walking to another area of his house. Albedo followed him into the kitchen. He poured them both glasses of water, and handed one to Albedo, “Here, drink up. You need it.”
Albedo gently put down the clothing on the counter and took a sip from his glass. The chalky feeling in his throat began to fade away, which left him in satisfaction. He drank the whole glass in one shot after the first sip and handed it back to Kaeya.
“I knew it,” The blue-haired man smiled, chuckling to himself, “You can go shower now, it’s down the hall. I’ll plan out what we’ll be doing for the night in the meantime.”
The alchemist quickly went down the hall and got into the shower. Kaeya smiled, he was glad he was getting Albedo out for once. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn’t dragged him from his laboratory? Kaeya shook his head, getting rid of the thought from his mind.
He went back to planning out the night in his mind. He thought of the perfect night for the two of them; a simple date- well, a night out- for dinner, a sightseeing trip around and maybe, just maybe a trip to the tavern.
It didn’t have to be a date.
But Kaeya wanted to think of it as one.
As a dinner date where he’d get to just observe Albedo’s every movement, and how he always moved with grace, even when he’d eat. Well, that’s what Kaeya liked to think. Knowing the alchemist, it would definitely be the case. As a night out to go sightseeing, but secretly just observing the way Albedo’s hair fell perfectly in place on his head. How bright his eyes shone in the light, and reflected right back into his own.
Kaeya felt his face flush just thinking of Albedo and all his perfections. He tilted his head back, leaning onto the counter of the kitchen. He took another sip of his water, cooling his heated face. He couldn’t help but get flustered when thinking of him, even though he could easily think of anyone else just fine. He knew what this meant, but didn’t want to admit it to himself just yet.
Moments later, Albedo stepped out from the shower, in new clothes, looking much better than before. Even though the dark circles under his eyes remained, he was glowing brighter than before.
“You look great,” Kaeya said abruptly, something he wasn’t intending on saying out loud. Albedo looked at him in confusion, his expression growing into a smile. Kaeya averted his gaze, staring down the hallway instead.
“Thank you,” Albedo said, drying his hair with the towel in his hands, “And thanks again for letting me use the shower, it was really appreciated.”
Kaeya looked back at him, “It’s really nothing, you needed it after all, so who am I to refuse helping you out?”
“I suppose you’re right…” Albedo trailed off, “So, what exactly will we be doing tonight?”
Kaeya hummed, “I was thinking of going over to Good Hunter for a simple, yet refreshing meal. I wouldn’t want to overwhelm you with anything too fancy tonight, is that alright? I was also thinking of going on a stroll around Mondsatd, what do you think?”
Albedo nodded. Though he never really preferred going to restaurants, Kaeya seemed eager to take him, so he just couldn’t refuse, “I honestly don’t mind where we go, as long as we eat. I’m getting quite hungry.”
“Shall we?” Kaeya gestured towards the door. Kaeya made haste to the exit, Albedo following quickly in his steps.
Good Hunter wasn’t far from where Kaeya lived, meaning they got there in the short time of a few minutes. They each ordered themselves some Fisherman's Toast as well as Chicken-Mushroom skewers. Kaeya also got himself a Calla Lily Seafood Soup, seeing as he was practically starving. He had so much work to do during the day, he simply forgot to eat. Albedo never really had a big appetite, even in times like these, so it was no surprise that he didn’t order much else.
They began to eat, Kaeya going full at it, while still being proper. Albedo took small and delicate bites. His expression turned happier now that he was eating some proper food. While it may not have been much, he was glad to be eating again. He couldn’t help but think about the research he left behind, but his thoughts were washed away by Kaeya’s sweet smile at the sight of him enjoying his food. Albedo smiled back, taking another bite of his food.
Once they finished their main meals, Kaeya took the pleasure to order them a plate of Tea Break Pancakes as a dessert of sorts. Albedo’s eyes widened; he just loved dessert.
They split the dish and finished it in minutes. Of course, they were chatting every now and then, but that was kept to a minimum. Kaeya took the time to watch Albedo eat, glancing up at him between bites. Albedo seemed really, really happy to be having such good food. It was a relief to Kaeya that the alchemist was enjoying himself. At times, Albedo would look up at Kaeya, meeting his stare, and instantly looking away. Kaeya chuckled under his breath seeing the man quickly look away, eating bite after bite of the pancakes until the plate was clean.
“Thank you for the meal,” Albedo said, putting his plate to the side for the waitress to come and take away.
“You’ve been saying ‘Thank you’ an awful lot tonight,” Kaeya teased, “It’s my pleasure, Albedo. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.”
Albedo felt the heat rise to his cheeks. Kaeya smiled seeing him clear his throat and look off into the distance to cool down. He then got up and paid for the meal. The two went off to the next location of Kaeya’s choice; Cat’s Tail.
Albedo wasn’t much of a drinker and ordered a simple non-alcoholic drink. Kaeya on the other hand fetched himself a nice drink from Diona. She looked at him with pure anger after handing him the drink, almost like she didn’t want him to enjoy it. He gave her a smile as he asked for seconds, which made her even more upset. Kaeya paid for the drinks once more, which left Albedo feeling bad.
“Are you sure it’s alright for you to be paying for all of this?” Albedo asked, gripping tightly onto his drink., “It seems to be a lot of Mora already…”
“Like I said, it’s fine,” Kaeya replied, finishing up his drink, “Everything we’re doing tonight is to allow you to rest, away from anything work related. I’m not going to make you pay for your break, that just doesn’t make any sense.”
“I suppose…” Albedo took a sip of his drink, which was definitely refreshing. He hadn’t had much to drink besides water for several days, so this new taste was quite enjoyable.
Once they finished up their drinks, Kaeya escorted Albedo around Mondstadt. Of course, it was a usual tour for the both of them, but it was still nice. Albedo had been holed up indoors for Barbatos knows how long, he had almost forgotten how lovely the city he resided in was. Despite it getting late, there were still many people around having their share of fun. Kaeya stopped to chat quickly with the people passing by, but kept his attention on Albedo at all times.
They passed Flora’s flower shop, which was just about to close. Kaeya quickly requested to buy a flower, to which Flora just couldn’t refuse, even if it was getting close to her bedtime. He bought some Cecilias, Albedo’s favorite flowers. He handed them to him, but took one and placed it in Albedo’s hair. It had dried completely during their time out, which let the Cecilia rest perfectly in place right above his ear.
“Perfect,” Kaeya said, stepping away to get a good look at the alchemist, “You look stunning.”
“Kaeya, that’s...” Was all that Albedo could let out. He looked down at the flowers, they were beautiful. Kaeya stepped closer, getting the alchemist to look up at him.
“What? Am I not allowed to appreciate this fine work of art in front of me?”
Albedo tucked his head back down at that comment. Kaeya laughed cheerfully, gently stroking the shorter man’s hair. To his surprise, Albedo pressed his head against the Cavalry Captain’s chest, bringing them close. His hold on the cecilias tightened, as he hid his face away from the world. There weren’t many people around, Flora had gone inside and so had many others.
“Is something wrong?” Kaeya asked, his voice as gentle as can be. He kept stroking Albedo’s hair with the same delicateness as before.
“You’re…” Albedo struggled to find his words, he was never the best with speaking, let alone in these circumstances, “You’re too much.”
“Oh? I’m sure you’re enjoying it, your face is quite hot, you know?” Kaeya said, bringing Albedo even closer than they already were, “Yup. Definitely hot. Such a nice feeling.”
Albedo tried to swallow his embarrassment away. He tried to remain calm, but he just couldn’t. Not after all that has been happening that evening. He didn’t hate it at all. In fact, he loved how Kaeya would tease him. It got him all flustered, feeling butterflies in his stomach. Just as flustered as when he would imagine himself with Kaeya, being held this close. Now that it was a reality, he just didn’t know how to react other than hiding himself away. He could only see darkness, Kaeya was embracing him tightly enough for no light to filter through.
Kaeya was being patient with him, waiting until he was comfortable to release himself from this embrace. He always loved teasing the alchemist and seeing how he’d react. Having Albedo all pressed up against him felt like a dream come true. He wanted to jump up and down, maybe even spin the alchemist around and press a kiss against his lips, but instead waited in this position. He feared ruining the moment with all the ideas he had in mind. Just standing around like this was just as enjoyable though.
Moments passed, and Albedo finally dug his head out, gently pushing away from Kaeya. He let the shorter man go with no hesitation and smiled.
“All better now?” Kaeya asked, gently Albedo’s cheek. He smiled, nuzzling his head into the taller man’s hand.
“Mmhm,” Albedo hummed.
“There’s one last thing I’d like for us to do, is that alright?” Kaeya asked, to which Albedo nodded.
He then took Albedo by the hand, taking them up past the market district and to the Anemo God Status Plaza. Up there was a breathtaking view of the city of Mondstadt, which looked even prettier at sunset. The two of them went over to the edge and leaned over, taking in the breeze from up above.
“Our city is absolutely amazing, isn’t it?” Kaeya said, looking at Albedo. The alchemist was looking off into the distance, entranced by the view. The cecilia on Albedo’s head began to fall, but Kaeya quickly caught it and placed it back right where it was. The alchemist looked back at him, his eyes shining brightly. Kaeya smiled, before taking a deep breath.
“Don’t you see how important it is to take a break every now and then? Please don’t overwork yourself this much again,” Kaeya said, stroking Albedo’s face once more.
“I know, and I’m sorry for making you and Sucrose worry,” Albedo said, sighing, “I just get so carried away with my work, it’s hard to stop. Especially when it's just so captivating I just have to learn more.”
“That’s okay, you just need to learn when it’s time to take a step back. Even if it’s just for a few minutes or a whole day, you deserve the break. You need to be in tip-top shape to continue working, Sir Chief Alchemist.”
Albedo smiled, “I suppose so. Thank you, Kaeya.”
The two continued to look out in the distance and the sun set and the moon rose. Albedo felt his eyelids get heavier, leaning his head onto Kaeya’s shoulder. Albedo yawned as he remained in that position for a few more instances. The captain took notice of this and asked, “Would you like to go home?”
“Mm… Not my home,” Albedo stated, straightening his posture, “How about we go to yours?”
Kaeya felt a bit shocked by the offer, but didn’t decline. He held onto Albedo’s hand, the other man holding on just as tight. They walked back to Kaeya’s house, drowsiness almost completely overtaking the alchemist. The Cavalry captain unlocked the door, letting the both of them in.
“Would you like for me to sleep on the-”
“No. Let’s go to your room,” Albedo didn’t even let Kaeya finish his suggestion and overlapped it with his own straightforward one. Kaeya chuckled.
“Wow, so direct,” Kaeya teased, “Fine then, let’s go.”
Kaeya led them to his room. Albedo placed the flowers on the nightstand and instantly laid himself down on the bed, getting himself all cozied up under the covers.
“Is this your house now?” Kaeya asked, looking for a pair of clothes to get changed into.
“Might as well be,” Albedo’s voice was muffled. He turned back to see the alchemist all wrapped up in the sheets, his eyes fluttering shut.
“Already moving in? I did not expect you to be the one to take these steps so quickly,” Kaeya said, as he slowly took his clothes off. Albedo peaked to see what he was doing, and immediately shut his eyes seeing a shirtless Kaeya at the foot of the bed. The blue-haired man turned to see the covers completely pulled over Albedo’s head now. He finished getting changed, but decided to ditch his shirt.
He went over to Albedo, pulling back the sheets, “You were so forward just seconds ago, what happened to that?”
Albedo eyed Kaeya’s frame. It was already getting dark, but he could still see Kaeya quite clearly. His chest was well defined, hair falling perfectly in place against his figure, catching Albedo’s eye. He stared for a few seconds, before immediately looking away. Kaeya leaned over Albedo, smirking as he watched his gaze avert back and forth from him to the wall.
“What’s the matter? Can’t handle me now?” Kaeya leaned in closer to Albedo. The alchemist tried looking him straight in the eye, but drowsiness began to take over him, his eyelids feeling heavier and heavier.
“Mm…” Albedo hummed, shutting his eyes, “I couldn’t handle you to begin with.”
Kaeya dragged his hand along Albedo’s face, leaning in closer and closer. He placed a soft kiss on his forehead, carefully plucking the cecilia from his hair. Albedo was too drowsy to process what had happened and simply nuzzled his head into the pillow. His eyes were shut tight as he drifted fast asleep.
Kaeya walked over to the other side of the bed, laying down next to Albedo. He got under the covers and pulled the alchemist close, embracing him from behind. Albedo didn’t budge one bit, already sleeping soundly. The captain tucked his head into the crook of Albedo’s neck.
“Goodnight, my love.”