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"Diluc?"
Albedo tentatively entered the Dawn Winery after knocking a few times. He was supposed to meet Diluc to purchase some grapeseed oil, but the wine tycoon was nowhere to be found.
Most of the time, Albedo didn't really visit the Dawn Winery. He wasn't that friendly with Diluc, and he wasn't an alcoholic, so there was really no reason. The only thing he needed today was the grapeseed oil, for his creation for the Windblume festival.
The Acting Grandmaster Jean had instructed him to come up with something new or special to showcase during Windblume, and Albedo had, rather reluctantly, risen to the task. The last thing he needed for his experiments was a carton of grapeseed oil and this was the only place Albedo could think of that would sell him that much, in that amount. Hopefully Albedo would be able to collect some crystalflies as well. He had heard that, while pretty, they were quite a nuisance for caretakers of the vineyard to work around.
"Can I help you?"
A voice startled Albedo out of his wandering thoughts. He looked up, and his eyes met that of Diluc's butler, Elzer.
"Yes, actually. I'm here to do some business with Diluc, and I was wondering where I could find him."
"Ah, Master Diluc has told me about your appointment with him. Unfortunately, other complications have risen at an outpost in Liyue, where he has ridden off to immediately. He's instructed me to tell you that everything you need should be in the vineyards. If you have any other questions, please come find me or one of the workers." Elzer said primly.
Albedo thanked Elzer and wandered off into the vineyards. It was a good thing he had a few empty glass jars from the time that he had helped Sucrose with some failed botany project. They would be just the right fit to house some crystalflies.
The extensive vineyards of the Dawn Winery stretched out before Albedo, lines of vines punctuated by the occasional worker in brown garb. Albedo could already spot a few flickers of crystalfly residue floating in the air, making him all the more eager.
Albedo had known Diluc long enough to know that he wouldn't mind if Albedo took a few for research purposes. He could grab some crystalflies first, and then the crate of grapeseed oil, and be on his way back to Dragonspine within the hour.
---
Albedo's jars were almost full when he spotted the last crystalfly he needed, one or two rows over. He moved stealthily over, careful not to disturb the crystalfly lest it fly away. Honestly, Sucrose was much better at this sort of thing.
In his determination, Albedo forgot to look down at the ground and tripped over something solid, landing on the ground with a thunderous thud. He looked up just in time to see the crystalfly pop into nothing, leaving behind pale green-blue shimmers.
The thing under him that Albedo had tripped over gave a light grunt and shifted underneath him. Fuck. It was a person?
As the person got up, a very familiar head of blue hair came into view, and Albedo wanted to bury his face in the dirt. Of all people, why Kaeya?
It wasn't that Albedo hated Kaeya, really, it was just that the man made him nervous. It was a kind of nervousness that Albedo hadn't experienced before, where his stomach twisted and his heart raced and the back of his neck heated.
"So eager to see me, huh?" Kaeya said, brushing dirt off of his clothes.
"Not particularly." Albedo responded, composing himself into indifference. He pretended his cheeks weren't pink.
"Well, just know that I'm just as excited to see your lovely face, dear Alchemist," Kaeya said with a grandiose air, bowing just the slightest. "Besides, what are you even doing here?"
"I'm collecting crystalflies and picking up a shipment of grapeseed oil." Albedo said, crossing his arms in annoyance. "The last one I needed disappeared right as you appeared."
"Terribly sorry. Perhaps I can help you find another one?"
Strange of Kaeya to offer to help. Normally, Albedo could find him wandering around the Knights of Favonius Headquarters, a bit drunk, looking for someone to bother. Sometimes, secretly, he hoped Kaeya would come and talk to him.
"Alright. Please alert me when you see another one, and do so quietly." Albedo instructed, nervous as to how this would play out. Kaeya was not exactly known for being very stealthy.
The two wandered around the vineyards under the hot midsummer sun, searching for a speck of Anemo residue. A few caretakers were dotted around the insides of the grapevines, and as Kaeya and Albedo passed by they waved, and then turned to whisper behind their gloved hands.
Surprisingly, Albedo found that he rather enjoyed Kaeya's company. He wasn't actually as overly loud or annoying as he had originally found Kaeya, rather quietly conversational. And maybe, as Kaeya leaned in close to point out a crystalfly that had flown by, Albedo enjoyed the way Kaeya was so close to him, close enough that their shoulders brushed.
Albedo scooped up the crystalfly and capped the jar with satisfaction. Kaeya's face was flushed, but Albedo suspected it was just from the heat.
"Would you like to accompany me back to Dragonspine? You seem rather heated. The cool air on the mountaintop can do wonders." Albedo offered, pretending that he invited people to spend time with him at his research facilities all the time. All the time. There was nothing particularly nerve-wracking, or butterfly-inducing, about this encounter at all.
Kaeya turned even redder and rubbed the back of his neck, presumably to cool down. "I don't know if I'd be able to take you up on that offer. I have— things to do. Things, work. Cavalry Captain work."
Albedo raised an eyebrow at Kaeya's rambling. "It's not a problem. Enjoy yourself."
On the walk back to Dragonspine, Albedo's mind started spinning wildly. Kaeya, with Albedo on Dragonspine? What was he thinking? Kaeya would probably be less interested in the work Albedo was doing and more interested in pestering him. Doing things like sitting distractingly, or touching his hair and smiling.
Archons, Albedo had really been shaken up by the encounter. And yet, he couldn't stop envisioning the possibilities.
---
"Master Albedo, you've got to leave Dragonspine sometime. You're due to present your creation to the citizens of Mondstadt in three days, and you haven't even tested it properly yet." Sucrose insisted, waving one gloved hand at the laboratory, her nose wrinkling at the papers scattered everywhere.
"Besides, it's so cold up here. I don't know how you manage to work through it," said Mona, wrapped in a thick coat.
Even though Albedo and Mona were good friends, she rarely ever visited him on Dragonspine, claiming that it was too cold for her sensitivities. Albedo thought it was more a problem with the clothes she was wearing, being paper thin and resembling more of a swimsuit.
"I'm fine. You two don't need to worry about me, and besides, Sucrose, you know I wouldn't showcase anything without testing it first." Albedo reassured them, popping open another jar of grapeseed oil.
Mona sighed, and left without another word, shivering with cold with each step she took. Albedo gave a small smile and a slight nod, so then Sucrose was gone as well.
The real reason Albedo had been unwilling to go down to Mondstadt was because of that infuriating man, Kaeya. The fear that he would bump into Kaeya was too much to think about, so Albedo had been hidden on Dragonspine, dedicating all of his energy into his creation.
It had been around a week since the incident at the Dawn Winery, and while Albedo preferred the chill of Dragonspine to the buzz of Mondstadt, he was running low on food. Granted, fish wasn't the worst, but there were only so many ways to cook it.
Albedo's mind kept diving into the memory of Kaeya turning and smiling at Albedo in that genuine, charming way of his, the kind of smile Albedo had nearly never seen. The way Kaeya's cheeks were red (because of the heat, Albedo reminded himself), and the way he offered to help.
Bumping into Kaeya while buying supplies would be too much, too embarrassing. While the possibility was small, it was still a possibility, so for the three days until Albedo absolutely had to go down to Mondstadt, he would stay up here, comfortable.
---
Albedo had specifically asked to showcase his new creation at nighttime, and he was secretly pleased to see several people gathered by the central fountain of Mondstadt, waiting eagerly for him to arrive. A few people were most likely just there to catch a glimpse of the notoriously reclusive alchemist.
Jean was already waiting in front of the crowd, and gestured for him to come forward. As Albedo walked through the crowd, he noticed that Kaeya was there. His presence didn't fail to make the back of his neck hot, in the already warm summer night.
"What I have created for the Windblume festival this year is something known as Faerie Lights. Based off of innovative lighting technology from Fontaine, I added the possibility of free movement and individualized each orb using crystalfly residue." Albedo absolutely lit up when talking about his research, and almost forgot there was a crowd in front of him. "After some experimentation, I used grapeseed oil provided by Diluc Ragnvindr to give the shine a more subtle glow."
"Bottles will be available for distribution after the showcase," Jean cut in, noticing the crowd's excitement and Albedo on the verge of launching into a long speech.
Albedo uncorked the glass bottle and poured what was inside onto his hand. The crowd gasped theatrically as small orbs of various colors spilled onto his hand, similar to water. Before they could slip out of his grasp, Albedo scattered them into the air, where they bobbed up and down, and started to glow, lighting up the sky with the mixed colors.
The rainbow of colors illuminated the sparkling eyes of the crowd, and Albedo felt himself smile with satisfaction at a job well done. His eyes searched the group of people as they surged around him to collect a bottle, and found one pair that made his heart leap into his throat.
The past week of sheer embarrassment faded away as Albedo stepped off the platform and started walking towards Kaeya, watching his eyes spark in the faint glow of Faerie Lights.
"Wonderful job. Now I finally know what you were doing in the vineyard," Kaeya commented as soon as Albedo was close enough.
"You never did tell me what you were doing in the vineyard," Albedo teased, a soft smile on his face. Around them, people started sprinkling Faerie Lights into the air, filling the night sky with colors.
"Maybe I'll tell you if you go on a walk with me," Kaeya propositioned.
"Where to?"
"Wherever you wish to go, dear alchemist."
---
The couple ended up at the Windrise statue, far away from the bustle of Mondstadt and surrounded by glowing elemental statues. Kaeya paused as the reached the foot of the statue and turned to Albedo, a soft smile on his face.
"Could you show me your Faerie Lights again?" Kaeya asked, a tentative look on his face.
Eager to demonstrate his creation, Albedo complied, pulling out another bottle. He repeated the same steps, bringing another smile to his face as he watched the lights hover in the air.
"You know, Kaeya, I really do appreciate you helping me find that last crystalfly." Albedo ventured, after they had both sat down on the grass and leaned backwards, watching the Faerie Lights and the waving of the tree branches.
"I'd do anything for you, Albedo. I hope you know that."
Albedo sat up, startled. Was he really that important to Kaeya?
Sitting up, Kaeya turned to Albedo with the same smile that Albedo never saw. The lights twinkled softly overhead, illuminating the shine of Kaeya's hair and the moon on his cheekbones.
Albedo leaned over and pressed the lightest of kisses against Kaeya's cheek.
Softly, slowly, Kaeya pressed one finger to his cheek, right where Albedo had kissed him. Albedo's cheeks flamed.
Kaeya flopped back down into the grass and lay there, while Albedo gazed upon him. Music could be heard from the edges of Mondstadt, and lights twinkled overhead. A crystalfly flew over and touched Albedo gently on the nose. The night went on.