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"As wine bottles are corked, so too my lips are sealed."
Amber has always been an early riser. Her grandfather used to tell her that 'the early bird gets the worm', and the outrider does agree that getting tasks done first thing in the morning brings a certain kind of accomplishment.
Thus, she has the privilege to observe the quiet streets of Mondstadt under the sunlight of dawn. She watches merchants set up their stalls, gets to have the joy of helping a frustrated Diona retrieve Cat's Tail's little felines that have escaped sometime during the night, and most importantly, gets to see her fellow knights' bed-hair from straight out of the dorms.
Though it has come to her attention that she hasn't seen Kaeya's messy bed hair in nearly a week.
Amber thinks it's preposterous. Kaeya always gets back to his dorm late at night as either an alcoholic mess or a workaholic mess—regardless, he's usually one to wake up just an hour before he has to report in.
But lately, when the girl comes back to headquarters to officially get the day started, the cavalry captain is already seated on his desk, head deep in paperwork.
So, since the outrider has the time, she decides to indulge in her curiosity and find out why and how Kaeya is waking up earlier than her.
❀❀❀
He must be teleporting.
Well, maybe it was a bad decision to travel on rooftops instead of just... the ground—but that's not the point! How is Kaeya getting away from her sights so quickly and efficiently?
"Sir Kaeya?" Sara from Good Hunter ponders as she prepares Amber's breakfast; a delicious plate of Tea Break Pancake. "Well, he did come by yesterday. It was a few hours before opening time when he ordered some food."
Amber's bunny ears twitch at the information—it could be valuable for her mission! She ignores how she didn't see Kaeya that yesterday morning, despite always taking this route to the Cat's Tail and back. Maybe he had a disguise on? "Do you mind telling me what he ordered?"
"Oh, they were all such sweet dishes," the cook recalls. She digs around a basket full of papers, most probably past orders made. "Let's see... Satisfying Salad, Fragrant Mashed Potatoes, Tea Break Pancakes, some sunsettias and apples, and a whole lot of Mint Jelly."
The outrider's eyes turn wide, then she squints in confusion. She never saw any of those foods in headquarters. "Did he go anywhere else after that?"
Sara hums as she makes the last preparations for Amber's pancakes. "Well, I saw him walk towards the stalls by the entrance. Maybe you could ask Miss Flora?"
❀❀❀
"I'm sorry," Flora smiles apologetically once Amber asks her about Sir Kaeya. "I can only tell you that I did see him, but that's it."
The outsider blinks at the statement. "He's not threatening you or anything, is he?" she whispered.
The young girl shakes her head. "He would never, at least he said so. It's just our little secret," she answers with a sweet little smile that Amber couldn't possibly resist.
"I see, well thank you," she said. Her eyes fall onto a few of the displays on the table, the gears in her head twisting and turning. "Also, may I have some small lamp grasses?" she absent-mindedly requests, to which Flora happily prepares.
Amber notices that the flower shop was running low on Cecilias, but maybe it's because they only grow in one area.
She eventually pays for her flowers with some mora and a smile, then waves the young girl goodbye as she continues with her day. Morning has already officially begun, she can deal with this silly little shenanigan some other time—some delicious pancakes are waiting for her to devour right now!
Lisa has been noticing some suspicious things lately.
Mainly, the fact that Kaeya is getting work done fast.
Commissions are completed in an hour—30 minutes if it's easy enough—when they usually get done after lunch. The knight often procrastinated, loitering around in his office or around town to get himself into the mood to work. Sure, he gets the job by the end of the day, but that was barely getting by.
And now, he's finishing all his tasks before dusk—and then he's asking for more?
"Did you drink some weird wine again?" Lisa questions upon her visit to Jean's office, though the Acting Grand Master wasn't actually there. Kaeya was seated on the table near the side, files of paperwork and documents neatly stacked next to him.
The cavalry captain raises an eyebrow. "I know I used to drink on the job, Lisa, but that was months ago," he stated. He stretches his arms as he's done with another document—didn't he start on that just 40 minutes ago?
"I am a changed man. So no, I did not drink any weird wine."
Lisa clicks her tongue, taking a seat on the chair in front of Kaeya. "I can see that, but the change is quite suspicious."
"What's there to be suspicious about?"
"Well," the librarian begins by gesturing at the mountains of now finished paperwork on the table. "Darling, this amount of work normally takes you 2 days to complete. You started this at 12 and now it's only 4 in the evening."
The knight looks around, slowly realising what she meant. He rests his head on his hand as if he himself is in shock, then motions for Lisa to come closer; the woman is sceptical, but leans in anyway.
"Miss Lisa," Kaeya whispers in a low voice. There is a hint of hesitation (and embarrassment?) in his tone, but she doesn't mention it. "Would you like it if you were to... receive flowers daily?"
She tries her best to not choke on air.
"Lisa, Kaeya," Jean suddenly bursts into the office along with a few knights trailing behind her, her face painted with obvious irritation. "There's been growing activity of the Abyss Order near Starsnatch Cliff, I'd like to get it done by tonight if possible."
Had the young master notice them huddled up a little too close for comfort around the table, she doesn't speak any word of it. Instead, she motions towards her desk and gathers a few things. Lisa looks at Kaeya indicatively ("we're gonna talk about this later") and quickly follows behind her.
The cavalry captain deflates at the sudden added workload, but immediately disregards it once he catches sight of elegantly braided blond hair passing by the office, presumably to follow Master Jean.
Lisa notices it too, but she's a little too preoccupied with another blonde of her own to remember much.
Noelle thinks of herself as someone reliable and trustworthy.
But this... this is quite the secret to keep.
❀❀❀
The maid busied herself yet again with another session in the library, her head deep in bundles of books that she hopes could be finished by the end of the night. The traveller was also kind enough to accompany her, though the sleeping figure that laid on the table suggested otherwise.
Noelle's focus lost itself the moment she heard a sudden giggle in the library. It was so brief that the maid wondered if she was dreaming of it—maybe it's time for her to call it a day.
"I'm running out of places to put these, why are you so stubborn?"
She perks her head out from the book, carefully looking around for the source of the sound.
"It is merely my way of showing affection. And don't lie to me, I know you're using them for your experiments."
Another giggle faintly echoes in the library; Noelle feels embarrassed for some reason.
"There's no use escaping your keen eye, is there? I wonder where you got that from."
"Well, I like to pay attention to things I like, after all."
Was that... Sir Kaeya's voice? And...
"Honorary Knight," Noelle gently shakes the other awake, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think we're done for now, why don't we head out?"
The traveller lets out a yawn and moves around the chair to stretch. "Sure thing... wait, how long have you been studying for?"
Noelle quickly puts a finger over her lips, indicating that they should be quiet, then does her best to collect her books as silently as possible. "It doesn't matter. Why don't we go have some late night tea?" she suggested with a smile.
The both of them shuffle around the library with faint footsteps, arranging books back to their original place before scurrying out of the library without another sound.
"Are you bringing that book back with you?" the traveller asks, gesturing at the book in her hands—Vera's Melancholy. Noelle simply nods, explaining that she was almost finished with the book and wanted to finish it overnight.
Besides, how would she explain that she saw Sir Kaeya sleeping at one of the tables hidden away in the corners of the library, a single Cecilia tucked in his hair. Or how he was accompanied by the Chief Alchemist, who looked at him with such fondness and tranquillity?
It seemed like a very... personal moment. But it isn't any of her business, so she should try to forget it.
"Noelle, your face is kinda red," the traveller mentions. The maid nervously laughs it off, blaming her slowly warming face on the cold, late-night breeze.
Sucrose swears, to Celestia and Lord Barbatos himself, that she did not see her teacher and the cavalry captain together in the laboratory.
She didn't see Mister Albedo treating a small cut on Sir Kaeya's hand in such a caring and kindly manner, and she definitely didn't see the knight show his gratitude by kissing the alchemist on his forehead.
If anyone asks, she didn't see anything.
Well, it would be easier if it only happened once.
❀❀❀
"Mister Albedo," the young girl calls out absent-mindedly during one of their experiments. It was a particularly slow day, and besides, today's research didn't seem like it was going anywhere. Albedo hums in acknowledgement, though his eyes were still on the papers on his clipboard.
"I don't mean to pry into personal affairs, but are you and Sir Kaeya..." Sucrose trails off, unsure of how to phrase her question.
Albedo's eyes widen for a split second, she even thought he looked flustered for a moment, but his usual calm demeanour soon resurfaces. "Apologies, what did you say?"
Sucrose's face blushes a light red. "Ah, well—It's not that I'm against it or anything! B-but, it's quite difficult to, you know, enter the lab when you two a-are..." she fixes the glasses on her nose as a means to hide her embarrassment; Albedo also has his face turned away.
"I see," he brings a hand to cover his face, as if he felt shameful for getting caught in the act. "I will try to... not do such things in the lab from now on, then. Forgive me if it's inconvenienced you,"
"Oh, nono! It's fine if you want to, it was after work hours, after all. It's just... quite awkward to want to retrieve something from the lab, and I can't find the right moment to interrupt."
A moment of silence hangs between them—this is why they avoid talking about these things.
Albedo turns to her for a brief second, his mouth open as if he wanted to say something, but no words come out. It's the first time Sucrose has seen her teacher so speechless.
She clears her throat before speaking. "I haven't told anyone, of course," she whispered. This isn't anything illegal, so what exactly is she worried about? "But I wanted to tell you, just in case. I apologize for meddling."
"No, you've done nothing wrong. Sir Kaeya can be quite a distraction sometimes," the alchemist said. Sucrose nods her head, then catches a little smile forming on her teacher's lips. She then turns her attention back to their experiment; a small glass tank filled with a slime and a few flowers in front of it. It goes unnoticed by the creature, as it chooses to stare at the two alchemists instead.
"I don't think they can eat anything else besides elemental energy, Mister Albedo," Sucrose comments, staring back at the slime. The way it blinks is quite adorable.
"Well, they don't exactly have a mouth," Albedo added. "I mostly wanted to see how they would consume something, but I suppose we'll need a change in food," he writes a few things down onto his clipboard, knitting his eyebrows in deep thought as to how they should continue.
A knock from the door catches Sucrose off-guard, but before she can ask who it is, a man with dark blue hair enters the lab. Kaeya freezes in place once he notices her; Albedo has yet to leave his pondering mind.
"Good evening, Sir Kaeya," the young girl greets. Albedo is quick to turn his attention towards the knight, who smiles upon seeing him.
"Good evening, Sucrose. Working hard this late at night?" the captain said. The two alchemists turn their heads to a vacant window, only then realising how late it's become.
Albedo puts his things down on a nearby table. "I think we should call it a day, Sucrose," he announces. The student nods her head and grabs a few things before excusing herself, purposefully pretending to be unaware of Sir Kaeya entering the lab and stealing a kiss on the forehead from the blond.
"I'll be sure to collect some elemental energy induced items for the experiment," she said just as she was about to leave.
"Oh no, no need to trouble yourself," Albedo motions to grab the few flowers in the tank, the slime trying its best to stick onto his gloved hand. Its efforts are admirable at most. "I'm sure Sir Kaeya here wouldn't mind aiding us."
Sucrose giggles when she sees Kaeya's confused expression but doesn't really question it, choosing to simply help Albedo in any way he can. She dismisses herself with another farewell, leaving the two men alone.
Not long after she shuts the door, she hears warm laughter coming from the inside.
As she walks out of the Ordo's headquarters, she spots a fallen Cecilia just by the foot of the stairs—they're exclusively available at Starsnatch Cliff, so why has she been seeing them nearly everywhere lately?
Diluc is someone who knows what's always happening around town but acts like he doesn't.
Sara's thinking of hiring another cook? Maybe she should, as it seems that the Fatui have demons in their stomachs. The Adventurers' Guild is missing their young Pyro user again? Diluc saw him by Wolvendom yesterday, maybe he should tell them that...
So when Kaeya stops showing up at Angel's Share for 2 weeks straight, with no rhyme or reason why, how can Diluc not grow slightly concerned?
His worries are soon answered when Diluc arrives at Mondstadt's gates one early morning, spotting the usual drunkard of a knight buying flowers from Flora's dear little shop.
❀❀❀
Diluc has no reason to hide—but he is, situated behind a tree that has a conveniently perfect view of Floral Whisper. Quinn and Beatrice are also absent from their usual stalls, probably out to grab materials and doing deliveries (much to the redhead's favour).
"Sir Kaeya, I can't keep supplying these Cecilias. At this rate, I might as well tell you where they grow," the young girl stated, looking particularly worried.
Cecilias? Interesting.
Kaeya's shoulders appear to drop slightly. "I understand, forgive me for troubling you with my demands," he apologizes. Flora shakes her head, giving a knowing smile in return.
"It's alright. But the Windblume Festival is coming up, so you know that I have to stock up on supplies," she explained. Despite that, she moves around her pots and crates to fetch out a bouquet—one arranged beautifully with a mix of nearly every flower available in Mondstadt. "But since you're such a valuable customer, I thought to at least do this."
Diluc may not be able to see Kaeya's face, but he's certain that he's beaming at the sight of the floral arrangement.
The redhead, however, is so confused.
Kaeya proceeds to thank Flora endlessly for the surprising gesture, paying a pretty penny for it. They exchange goodbyes, and soon enough, the knight is walking towards the direction of the Ordo's headquarters. Diluc had left his spot the moment the florist presented the bouquet because there is no way that he wants to know who it's for.
But then again, this isn't the first time Kaeya's bought flowers for someone?
He's not having some... unrequited love, is he?
Or even worse—it's mutual.
Diluc cringes at the thought; who could be lovesick enough to fall for an idiot like Kaeya?
Jean may not seem like it, but she is exhausted.
Well, maybe it is obvious, considering how Lisa has been paying her more visits and more tea than usual, as with the upcoming Windblume Festival. She has to make sure no attacks are made during the event, what else would a leader like her be doing?
But lately, the aching in her head has lessened, and the time she spends on sleeping has increased.
The moment she realizes the usual mountains of paperwork on Kaeya's desk is completed by sunset when he would usually stay overtime to do so (he says that he's always 'in the mood to work' during late hours, but Jean thinks it's because of the peace and quiet), she becomes curious of the reason why.
"He's visiting a certain someone," Lisa muses when Jean mentions it to her. The librarian has a coy smirk on her lips like she has a secret she wants to tell. "Why don't we follow Sir Kaeya during the festival? I'm sure you'd like to know who that someone is."
"Are you implying that you know who it is?"
Lisa pauses, looking at the ceiling in wonder. "I have my suspicions."
Jean doesn't like to meddle in her colleagues' personal affairs, but she cherishes Kaeya deeply—they grew up together, so how could she not? She needs to make sure that this person is someone she can trust.
It wouldn't hurt to see who the cavalry captain has wrapped around his little finger.
❀❀❀
"Say, I think we lost him."
"That's impossible, he's tall and his hair is blue," Jean stated. But as they stand among the crowd, she can't help but sigh at the disappointing truth. "You're right. How did we lose him?"
The two women move towards the sidelines to stand under some unoccupied stalls. Lisa takes the opportunity to grab them both some refreshments, while Jean keeps an eye out for any suspicious activity.
Mondstadt is hustling and bustling like usual. But now with the Windblume Festival, the streets are busier with children and merchants, along with bards and poets performing to their heart's content.
Jean takes in a breath, basking in the atmosphere of the city. She sees her sister, Barbara, along with the traveller in front of Cat's Tail, trying one of Diona's brand new brews. She then spots Amber and Noelle by Beatrice's stall, both of their faces having a light blush as if they're dealing with some sort of love dilemma. Eula is hiding behind a tree, spying on them? Jean doesn't want to meddle yet, at least it seems like nothing's wrong.
Just then, a man with short blond hair that looks far too familiar walks past her.
"Albedo?" Jean calls out, to which the alchemist turns to her in slight surprise.
"Master Jean," he greeted with a habitual nod. "Are you out on patrol?"
The woman hummed. "Lisa and I were just taking a break. It's quite fancy seeing you here though, I thought you asked for a leave to Dragonspine not long ago?"
Albedo smiles—a rare sight indeed, maybe the festival's joy is rubbing off on him—and pulls out a letter from his coat. "I have a delivery to make before I leave. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not! You can stay for as long as you'd like, I won't be stopping you," Jean said, hoping that the other could sense the sincerity in those words. She rarely sees Albedo outside of headquarters, after all. "Also, have you seen Kaeya around?"
The alchemist freezes for a split second upon hearing that name, or at least Jean thinks so. "No, I have not. Would you like me to tell him anything if I do?"
"Ah, no need. I haven't seen him since morning is all," she lied. How could she tell him that she and Lisa were trying to stalk the man?
"I see. Well, I'll be off now," Albedo quickly excuses himself. Jean waves him goodbye and soon loses sight of him, his figure slowly blending into the blur of the crowd.
A drink is suddenly presented to her face; Jean sees Lisa raising an eyebrow at her.
"What?"
"Your drink," the librarian said. Jean accepts the drink with a 'thank you', sipping on the cold beverage; it tastes of sunsettias and lavender.
"Also, you didn't notice the flowers in his hair at all, did you?"
The blond stares at the ground, then at the other woman in complete confusion. "There were flowers in his hair?"
Lisa lets out a giggle at the response, looking as if she's found the last piece of the puzzle. "Not just any flower, a Calla Lily. They were so delicately woven into his braids too."
Jean seems to have connected the pieces too, as she nearly spits out her tea in disbelief.
Klee has noticed some interesting things lately—her big brothers have been hanging out with her a lot! They used to be so busy before, Albedo doing experiments in that cold winter place, and Kaeya with all the paperwork he has a headache doing all day and night.
But now, Klee has been seeing them more than usual. They go to all the places and blow up all the fish, and big brother Albedo makes them the best Sunshine Sprat when they're done! How could Klee not be happy?
But in the midst of blowing up the fishes in the river, the young girl can't help but notice that her two big brothers like to smile a lot, especially at each other.
That's nice—big brother Albedo needs to smile more! And big brother Kaeya's smile looks more... genuine.
❀❀❀
"Klee, we're going back to Mondstadt in 30 minutes, okay?" Albedo calls out to her.
The girl vigorously nods her head and returns to her usual fish collecting. Master Diluc was kind enough to allow them into the rivers near Dawn Winery, under the promise that the river is the only thing they blow up. Though, those cryo slimes must not have been part of it, right?
Klee was quick to blow the creatures up, but Albedo was quicker, grabbing a little one while it was making its slimy escape. It now rests in Albedo's arms, and it looks quite tame despite being in captivity.
As he and Kaeya sit near the riverbank, the girl can't help but listen to their conversation.
"I wonder how they develop eyes, since they form out of elemental energy."
"Are slimes your topic of experimentation right now?" Kaeya asked, looking at the creature in question. "Just the other day, you and Sucrose were trying to feed it."
Albedo lets out a giggle, remembering back to the time he asked Kaeya to apply cryo onto the flowers. It didn't do much of a difference. "Master Jean didn't allow us to do any dangerous experiments during the festival," the alchemist holds the slime up, turning it to face him. "Although, they are quite adorable, no?"
Kaeya hums in agreement. "Though, not as adorable as you."
"I knew you'd say that. You're not very creative with your lines anymore, aren't you?" Albedo deadpans.
Kaeya chuckles at his response. "There's no need to sugarcoat when what I'm saying is true," he stated. He moves his hand to gently tuck Albedo's loose bangs behind his ear, then smiles upon seeing his face more clearly. "Would I be lying when I say you're adorable?"
At that, Albedo blushes. "Archons, you're embarrassing."
"And you're adorable."
"You already said that."
Kaeya shrugs. "You sound unconvinced, so I'll just say it until you agree."
"Big brother Albedo, can we bring this falcon home?" Klee practically shouts despite not being that far from them. The falcon ruffles its feathers upon hearing her voice, nearly flying away in surprise.
Albedo wordlessly hands the cryo slime in his arms over to Kaeya as he gets up from his seat towards the girl. "Klee, where in the world did you get that?"
The falcon whistles when it sees the alchemist. "It was sitting on top of my hat. It was so quiet that I didn't even feel it!" the girl exclaims.
"I see," Albedo hums. He doesn't know how she didn't feel such a big bird on her head, but then again, her bag isn't exactly the lightest too. He holds out his arm, patting it in an attempt to call the falcon over.
The bird, completely ignoring him, flies past him instead. When Albedo turns around, he's surprised to see Kaeya patting the falcon —who rests on his arm like it always belonged there—with a playful smile. The cryo slime he previously had in his arms was now regrettably jumping away.
"Vennessa! How are you doing, dear?" he asked as he ruffles the creature's feathers, to which he is replied with another screech.
"Do you know this bird?" Albedo, ever the curious man he is, couldn't help but question.
"Of course. Well, this is actually..." Kaeya trails off. His smile from before fades far too quickly, soon replaced with a look of... nostalgia? "This is Vennessa, Diluc's pet falcon ."
The two blonds look at him; one is confused while the other is understanding.
"Come," the alchemist said, reaching his arm out again. Vennessa moves her head around to observe him, but gives in anyway when she flies over to grip at his arm. "You stay with Klee, I'll bring Vennessa back."
Kaeya seems worried, but he doesn't mention it, casually dismissing it with a smile.
What concerns he has about exactly—Albedo isn't quite sure.
Albedo knows more than anyone that Kaeya has practically been buying out Floral Whisper's flowers as of late.
The alchemist has trouble keeping count of all the flowers he has—from Windwheel Asters to even Glaze Lilies (they cost a fortune, where did he get enough for a batch?), there is absolutely no more use hiding the flora that takes up all the space on his once unoccupied desks.
Sucrose thinks it's lovely, and Timaeus likes the new change. 'It seems more lively' they both comment, despite it being an absolute hazard for the lab.
But Albedo secretly agrees. The stinging smell of chemicals has lessened since he has a reason to actually clean up the place, and his eyes see more colours than saturated reds and blues. His cheeks are starting to hurt from smiling so much.
Though when someone apart from his two assistants asks why he's been in such a chipper mood, he surprisingly has no idea what to reply—a reddening face and an excuse to dismiss himself as quickly as he can is all they get.
Perhaps Diluc has a rough guess, which is why he agreed to let Klee blow up the river near the winery in the first place.
❀❀❀
"Sir Diluc," the redhead turns away from his leisurely grape-picking towards the sound. Albedo stands behind him, Vennessa seated contently on his gloved arm.
"Chief Albedo," Diluc feigns surprise. The redhead is dressed in a simple white long-sleeved shirt, along with comfortable looking slacks and a pair of farming boots. His hair, tied into a ponytail, makes him seem like a different person. He puts his sunflower hat down and stands up to meet Albedo's eyes. "How did you know I was here?"
Vennessa takes flight and moves her way to Diluc's shoulder in a forceful yet graceful motion. Albedo shows momentary surprise at Diluc's unfazed expression. "There was dirt and grape residue on her claws. A simple deduction, really."
"I see," Diluc nods in understanding. He eyes the alchemist rather sceptically. "Quite an observant one, aren't you?"
"I'm an alchemist, Sir Diluc. It's but a natural process."
The air feels... awkward between them.
Diluc lets out a strained cough. "Well, thank you for returning her. If there is nothing else then I'll resume with my work," he is quick to collect his things, Vennessa flies from his shoulder to the top of his sunflower hat; the image is quite ridiculous to look at.
"Actually," Albedo calls out before Diluc can make his leave. The blond has a stern expression, though Diluc can barely make out his reddening ears. "If I may ask, do you know what flowers... Kaeya would like?"
The redhead widens his eyes in surprise. "I..." he stands there awkwardly, unsure of how or what to answer. Albedo isn't facing him, fortunately, or else he'd see his confused and flushed expression.
"He likes... everything."
"Pardon?"
Diluc makes a weak attempt to hide behind his sunflower hat. "He's fine with anything. You could give him a dandelion and he'll be grateful already."
The alchemist silently nods, making a mental note of that.
"But if nothing's changed, then he likes Calla Lilies and roses," the redhead added. He takes a glance at Albedo, who looks far too content with that answer.
"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind," he said. The alchemist was about to excuse himself to return to Kaeya and Klee when he turns to look at Diluc again. His next words are spoken rather cautiously.
"You don't mind if... I ask you about such things in the future, do you? I'm aware that you two aren't exactly on the best of terms, but I'm not quite sure who else to ask about these things. And I don't want to accidentally do things that could potentially hurt him—"
"Albedo," Diluc momentarily interrupts, seemingly unaware that he's dropped the formalities. "Maybe you could try asking Kaeya himself. He's rather straightforward sometimes, too much so for his own good."
He grabs him firmly by the shoulder, but his intentions are still shown to be genuine. "But, of course... I wouldn't mind as well," he whispered.
"Just nothing too personal, alright?" the redhead smiles. It seems like he's invited himself into another mess, but has he never been involved when it comes to Kaeya?
Albedo smiles back, and he can see why his joke of a brother has seemingly fallen for him. Maybe they're both lovesick fools.
"No promises, Diluc."
Venti is often carefree. He spends his days waking up in random corners of Mondstadt, sings a ballad or twenty for the rest of the morning, takes a nap near Windrise in the afternoon (he'll chat with the traveller if the chance presents itself), then sings some more and crawls back to Angel's Share like a child by sunset.
Not today though; the bard feels nosy, and the wind tells him that there's a secret or two hanging in the air.
The wind proves itself useless, as the secrets it carries is spilt by a certain knight himself.
❀❀❀
"Venti~" Kaeya singsongs, quite possibly drunk off his mind. Diluc eyes the man from the other side of the bar, wiping some cups clean and refusing to acknowledge the two in the bar with him.
The bard doesn't get drunk as easily, but his face always says otherwise. Dark shades of crimson decorate his cheeks as he's in his 3rd (7th?) drink in, though his mind is only slightly tipsy. "What? Don't say my name like that."
"I need better gifts~" the knight speaks of his woes, his head resting on his hand while the other holds his cup of wine. He swirls the cup, the liquid inside threatening to spill. "I've been giving him flowers for months, I need som'thing better..."
Venti sits beside him with a look of deep pondering on his face. His own cup of wine is put down as he uses his hand to bonk his head, thinking of whatever could solve Kaeya's dilemma.
"Food?"
"He only likes sweets."
"Clothes?"
"He wears his lab coat all the time..." Kaeya stated, though he mumbles something in the likes of 'my shirts' and 'too big', paired with another drunken giggle.
"What about s'me wine?" Venti hiccups, maybe he's a little more than tipsy now. "Nothing's better than some good ol' wine n dining!"
"Oi, I just wiped the counter you little bard," Diluc suddenly interrupts. The other two look at the counter, and surely enough, Venti's cup from before was knocked over, with several puddles of red wine staining it—luckily it was almost empty.
Venti merely giggles innocently. "Apol'gies, Master Diluc. Your wine is simply too good~" he attempts to butter the redhead up with compliments, but it's mostly futile since, well, Dawn Winery's wine is the best in Teyvat.
Diluc rolls his eyes at them. "Just take him out on a date. Windrise, Starfell Lake, Starsnatch Cliff—take your pick."
The knight groans, from the throbbing in his head or the flimsy suggestion, nobody knows. He drops his head onto the counter, then makes a pained noise. "He's always... busy..."
"Look at you making excuses," Diluc clicks his tongue. "I'm sure if you asked, he'd find a way to clear up time."
The trio turns to silence upon Diluc's advice. Either it's a bad idea or Kaeya's already passed out, and judging by the sleeping figure before him, it's probably the latter. Venti's eyes look like they're about to give in any moment now as well.
Sounds of patrons leaving and glass clinking fill in as background noise while Diluc continues his work. The bard has long since fallen asleep, his head dropped onto the bar counter with his arms acting as pillows. The counter isn't even dry yet from the mess he made earlier.
Diluc lets out a sigh. "You two are as difficult as ever," he whispers. It's like caring for two manchildren who like to drink wine and pass out without a worry in the world.
He'd like that feeling too; not having to worry about anything.
At the last hour before locking up, a certain alchemist stops by to pick up his drunken lover—leaving Diluc impressed that he can carry a man that's bigger than him. They exchange nothing but a few pleasantries, and the redhead maybe says a little tease or two.
Diluc is left with Venti, and as they leave the tavern, the bard giggles softly into the nightly air, humming tunes of ballads Diluc once heard as a child. The wind blows by again, carrying another secret for Venti to hear and forget.
"Starsnatch Cliff," his words are drowsy, and the redhead is sure it's mostly sleep talk. "Wouldn't that be wonderful, Master Diluc?"
The man in question glances at him in return, nodding in agreement, despite not knowing whatever he's talking about.
"I suppose so, you drunkard," he answers, not acknowledging the fact that Venti has never once asked who Kaeya's lover was.
But now that he thinks about it, was it always a secret? Or did no one just care to meddle into such things?
Kaeya may have been drunk out of his mind that night, but he listened to Diluc's simple advice.
"I'm sure if you asked, he'd find a way to clear up time."
And apparently, drunk Kaeya decided that asking that very question during their trip home was a very wonderful idea.
"Hey Albedo~" Kaeya giggles at the sound of his name leaving his lips, feeling his cheeks and heart grow warm. The streets are cold and quiet, illuminated by the streetlights as well as the plethora of stars in the night sky.
The alchemist, who is effortlessly supporting his lover by his shoulders, hums upon hearing his name being called. "What is it, Kaeya?"
"Do you—" hiccup "Do you w'nna go on a date?"
Albedo stops in his tracks, making Kaeya lean into him. "Uhm—" he mumbles, and the grip he has on the knight begins to tighten. "W-why the sudden question?"
Kaeya mumbles some gibberish of his own, then weakly points at a nearby bench on the side. Albedo takes the hint ("Sure, we can take a break,") and decides to plop Kaeya onto the unoccupied seat.
"Albedo~" the knight calls, gripping at the alchemist's coat. "Albedo..."
"Yes, I'm here."
Kaeya giggles like a child. "My Albedo," a pair of arms suddenly snake around the other's waist, pulling him close. "My flower~"
"Kaeya, please..."
"So d'you agree?" the knight interrupts. He looks up at him with drowsy eyes, drunk off of wine and maybe love. His smile is contagiously lovely under the glow of the night light.
"Well..." Albedo rests a hand on Kaeya's head and absentmindedly strokes the messy set of blue locks. The smell of blueberry and wine come off from him. "I suppose... it's alright."
"Really?"
The alchemist nods. "I have time about next Friday. I have to babysit Klee in the morning, though."
Kaeya shakes his head. "We have to babysit Klee," he corrected.
Albedo chuckles; Kaeya's heart immediately does some weird complex flips. "Yes, we have to babysit Klee. I presume you want our date to occur during the evening?"
The knight smiles again, nodding his head while he hugs the alchemist tighter. Date—that sounds like a very nice idea. "Starsnatch Cliff?"
Albedo returns the smile with one of his own, with cheeks flushed a gentle red. "That sounds lovely."
❀❀❀
And so, Kaeya has everything set.
As promised, their Fridays were cleared up—and after a very busy day of babysitting the adventurous little Spark Knight, the two dismissed themselves from headquarters and began their trip to Starsnatch Cliff as soon as the sun had begun to set. The weather is nice and clear, with no signs of rain or any problems arising at all. Such a wonderful opportunity has presented itself.
"What's in the bag?" Albedo asked the moment they leave Mondstadt's gates. Surely enough, a leather bag of average size is carried by the knight. It somewhat resembles Klee's bag.
"It's a surprise," is what the other merely answers, a mischievous smirk dancing on his lips.
So maybe Albedo wants to kiss it off his face, maybe catch him off-guard, not that he's brave enough to do so. "Hmm, and here I thought we agreed to not keep any secrets from each other," he teases.
"Now now, my flower," Kaeya whispers, that silly little nickname sounding far too endearing than it should. Albedo wonders why his heart refuses to settle whenever he uses that name, despite being called so since a month or two ago.
"How could I have such intentions? You see right through me so clearly, whether I like it or not. I couldn't possibly hide anything from you."
"Is that so?" Albedo eyes the knight playfully as if he was silently making observations.
"Of course. Now tell me, what have you deduced thus far?"
The alchemist hums, looking up into the sky as he pieces the information together. "A bag of that size can only hold so much, perhaps some clothing and some books? Though I'm sure I heard some clanking coming from it, although quite subtle, of maybe metal—utensils?" he pauses, a hand tapping away at his lips in deep thought.
"You didn't pack for a picnic now, did you?"
Kaeya smiles, looking like he was proud of Albedo's attempt at that conclusion. "Yes, and no."
Albedo makes the tiniest hint of a pout and the knight has to resist every urge in his body to kiss him right then and there. Actually, nobody's here. And even if there was, who cares?
Without warning, Kaeya steals a quick peck on Albedo's lips, lingering only a second longer because it's always so addicting to taste the small inkling of sweetness and honey on them. Albedo's breath hitches once he registers the scene, then he's melting into the kiss by the next second.
When Kaeya pulls away, the alchemist appears bewildered and embarrassed, with blown pupils and a softened expression on him that makes Kaeya want to kiss him until morning comes.
Albedo turns his gaze away when he snaps out of it. "Archons, you little..." he proceeds to cover his reddening face, mumbling who knows what to himself.
The knight smiles in triumph. "Come on, I'll only tell you what we're doing once we get there," he stated. Gently, he reaches out for the hand that covers his lover's face and—after planting a featherlight kiss—laces their hands together. It feels warm, and it feels like the butterflies around them suddenly came to a group in his stomach.
"No need to be embarrassed, my flower."
Albedo's face is still red from the kiss before, but they continue their trip to Starsnatch Cliff together, their hands never once letting go along the way.