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“Ah, Albedo,” Aether smiled as radiantly as only he could. Paimon waved her little hand to Albedo, flying by — just a little behind. “I came to...”
Albedo hugged him so tightly and unexpectedly that even Paimon let out a quiet "oh".
“...to say goodbye, I am aware,” he felt Aether pressing him closer to himself, and that, somehow, made this encounter feel even more bittersweet. Albedo buried his face in Aether’s shoulder; the last thing he managed to see was Paimon disappearing into her favorite nothingness, leaving behind nothing but a pile of pale constellations. Letting out a ragged breath, he continued, “I’ve given this a lot of thought, you know?”
“...can imagine,” Aether whispered, slowly stroking his back under his coat.
“Although this is not exactly my area of expertise, I even savored the idea about the possibility of inventing a pocket lightning rod,” he gave out a weak chuckle, as if this idea seemed even more stupid to him after being told out loud. “The one that would fit even in a small pendant. And then, as I began pursuing information about it, I realized just how useless it was — although, perhaps, two weeks of continuous study just was not enough. Even so, I…” he paused, swallowing. “...I wouldn't have had enough time anyway.”
“Albedo...” Aether sighed softly, touched by such a peculiar concern, but still having no desire to provide his dear alchemist with additional stress.
“Well, that's not the main point, is it now?” Albedo tried to imitate a more upbeat tone, but he was never one of those good actors. “You came to say goodbye. And so...” he got up on his toes and pressed an affectionate kiss on Aether’s forehead. That added to the aching sensation in Aether’s chest. “Take care of yourself out there, please,” and he once again hid in the safety of the warm shoulder, “and... think of me. Sometimes. Write me, too, perhaps. But— in truth— I do not count on that. For… obvious reasons.”
Aether ran his palm through the silky ashen hair, stroking it gently— as gently as the gloves would allow.
“Sure thing. But, also,” he was still holding a semblance of a smile on his lips… “Remember to eat on time.” …which turned into a grin.
Albedo froze.
“...Yes, of course.”
“I’ll never forget you, rest assured. And I’ll definitely come back. Everything will be alright,” and, as Aether gave the top of Albedo’s head a sloppy kiss, he suddenly noticed how the corners of his own eyes became quite a bit wet.