Chapter Text
Finding inspiration for sketches was a daunting task. Albedo has never had this much trouble figuring out how to lay out his thoughts on paper.
His creativity always seemed to just flow from him. But when that creativity has run dry, what is there to do? He's attempted several drawings of Huffman, but even those sketches that would normally take all day have dwindled drastically in quality, not to mention quantity. And at first, Dragonspine seemed like the perfect place to find creative stimuli from different organisms. Like how mushrooms, fungi, and other enzymes find fallen, decaying trees to be the perfect substrates. They seem to flourish on something that hardly provides any nourishment to anything else. That's fascinating in Albedo's eyes. But after drawing nothing but active biological organisms, -and the occasional Fatui Skirmisher with too complex of an outfit- one is definitely prone to getting.. what's the word?
Bored.
Which is what brings him here. Back to the city of Mondstadt. He figured that maybe, just maybe, drawing the townspeople and the stray cats or dogs that frequent the plaza of the city would give him a dollop or inspiration for a piece. But no. Nothing seems to stir anything in him. There's no spark in his mind that immediately stirs him to draw something nobody has ever seen. Which is exactly what he needs right now.
A sigh of frustration leaves his nose as he gently -not so gently- places his forehead on one of Good Hunter's wooden tables in defeat, rattling any condiments placed atop it. He wouldn't normally be this desperate for something as silly as a drawing idea, but from the people talking, to the shaking of his leg that normally calms him, every sound and movement seems to throw his brain off kilter. He just needs to find a calm place to rebalance his emotions so he doesn't lose it altogether. And he could've sworn he heard somebody talking to him, but perhaps he's just hearing things?
Then he feels a tap on his shoulder.
He lifts his head in surprise, only to see the Cavalry Captain staring at him with a teasing expression. But if he didn't know any better, slight concern embedded in his star-shaped pupils.
Or.. pupil.
"Ah, hello, Sir Kaeya." He nods his head slightly, though he can't tell if he's acknowledging the Captain's presence, or if he's trying to keep it from tipping forward from exhaustion. Perhaps both.
Kaeya gave him a worried smile. Though it was genuine.
"Everything alright, Albedo?"
Albedo hardly registered what he said.
"Hm? Oh! Yes, I'm alright. Just tired."
He heard Kaeya laugh slightly and ask him something else, but he honestly didn't have the energy to listen, nor did he care about what he asked. So just responded with an, "okay."
Kaeya got up from the table, and Albedo, with a fleeting sense of worry, wondered if he accidentally said the wrong thing just then. And that was enough to wake him up a bit.
He eventually returned, however, holding two plates of something Albedo couldn't make out. But when he set them down, he knew exactly what it was.
"..Are those-"
"Tea Break Pancakes. You guessed it!" Kaeya held his head up with the palm of his hand as he watched Albedo practically shove the four-layer stack into his face with zero hesitation. He figured the alchemist needed a boost in energy after how he responded to his questions.
***
"I'm alright. Just tired."
"I can see that. Do you need anything?"
"Okay."
"..How about some coffee?"
***
The last question was just a tease on his part, but considering the way Albedo didn't even respond, he figured taking him seriously was the better option.
"Feeling any better?" He asked eventually, breaking the silence between them as Albedo finished his pancakes.
"Much."
And he really meant it. The pounding in his head practically disappeared the moment he took the first bite of the honeyed cakes. Not literal honey, of course. Just.. disgustingly cloying, and thick on his tongue. Though, he would be lying if the said the taste was unwelcome.
"Good to hear." Kaeya smiled fondly at him, and if Albedo wasn't still so tired, he would've questioned the amount of giddy butterflies that practically erupted in his stomach at the pretty sight.
Too pretty.
He shook his head to rid himself of the feeling, and spoke.
"How did you know pancakes were a favorite of mine?"
Kaeya laughed slightly.
"I didn't."
Albedo simply nodded, though the look of confusion on his face didn't escape Kaeya.
"I simply thought you would need something to boost your energy. You seemed quite out of it when I walked over here," he explained, tracing the rim of his coffee cup with his index finger.
Albedo cleared his throat. "Ah, yes. I apologize for that."
Kaeya simply waved a flippant hand in his direction and gave him the same smile that squeezed his heart earlier.
"It's quite alright. I'm pretty tired myself."
But Albedo hardly caught that last sentence.
He was too focused on the stupid smile that wouldn't leave his face while talking to him. He felt something in his stomach that he couldn't quite describe, but he realized that this was exactly what he needed.
And he never admit this aloud, but Kaeya really was beautiful. Somebody that he wouldn't find anywhere else, even if he looked for thousands of years. He couldn't replicate his stature and build even if tried, but god, did he want to try.
He cleared his throat slightly, and with a slight heat in his cheeks, said:
"Kaeya, I hope you don't mind me asking, but could I sketch you?"
"...Pardon me?"
..Maybe he didn't hear him?
"Sketch you. Could I sketch you? You can decline, of course. I wouldn't want to force you into something you-"
"Sure."
And perhaps that's how he ended up in this situation, with Kaeya standing in every pose Albedo could think of as he let his pencil do the work. And he never would've expected this, but the way his hand just flows across his page while drawing this stupidly attractive man embarrasses him to no end. It was just so easy to sketch every part of him, and Albedo begins to wonder why he hasn't taken drawing him seriously before. It normally only takes about three or five strokes of his pencil to sketch him. His head, his eyepatch, and the odd strands of hair on the top of his head that can't seem to lay flat.
Okay, perhaps it only takes three.
And he would be lying if he said he didn't tease Kaeya by drawing that simplistic version of him. Just to see how he'd respond. And his reaction was definitely amusing, but he decided to take this seriously. Drawing Kaeya was something he didn't wanna take lightly. There was no denying the embarrassingly obvious feelings he has towards him, and there was definitely no denying just how much inspiration he gives him. And the most perplexing thing?
Albedo cannot understand him.
He always studies his subjects in order to understand them more. He's always wanted to capture their essence as best as possible, and he wants to covey that essence into his drawings. Yet he finds it impossible to comprehend the Calvary Captain, no matter how hard he observes him; the person who seems to shroud himself in a cold, dark, abyss that Albedo can't understand. Nothing about him feels genuine. Every coy smirk, every flirty remark, every playful sentence stated that totally dances around questions concerning his past, nothing about him feels real. But when talking to Albedo, his façades seem to disappear. And that cold, dark, abyss? That's a part of him. Probably the side of himself he wants to be rid of, but never has Albedo wanted to get to know that abyss more. Because looking at it from the outside, it's beautiful.
He's beautiful.
A lot more beautiful than he seems to realize.