Work Text:
Kaeya Alberich has never been a good sleeper. Ever since he was young, his dreams had relentlessly tormented him with figures from his past and scenarios from deep within his worst nightmares. He’s spent all of his waking hours dreading the cold of night and what it would bring, which is why he was awake at 3 am on a Monday morning, right before he was due to set out on an expedition of their neighboring county, Liyue.
Currently, he was nose deep in a fascinating book about hillichurlian ballads. He wasn’t going to lie, the sleep daemons were starting to claw their ways into Kaeya’s body but the more he did to keep awake the less the grip of sleep held him. Sighing, he paused his reading to look out his window. Kaeya was sat in the northernmost corner of his apartment, on the desk that he used to finish up last minute assignments that Jean would bring him.
His desk was more colorful than Jean or Amber’s desk, decorated by mounds of Cecilias and Calla Lillies. On the wall, pinned by thumbtacks, were paintings that the Chief Alchemist, Albedo, had made for him. Even with their imperfections and smudges, Kaeya still insisted that he should hang up every single one right on his desk, so that he could see them and be reminded by the alchemist every time he sat down to do the dullest work known to man.
Albedo.
Gods, where was Kaeya to start about that image of perfection? The wispy, blond hair that fell down to his shoulders, the light puffiness of his eyes from not sleep, the constant splotches of bright paint that covered his hands and sometimes his face, and the way Albedo would constantly shower Kaeya with out-of-character care and attention, in ways that Kaeya had only seen him act around his little sister, Klee. It would be an understatement to say that Kaeya admired the man’s beauty— nay, Kaeya may have fallen in love with him over the course of the the few years they’d worked together. Suddenly, a jolt of drowsiness pulled him from his thoughts, and he continued the hillichurl book, seeking an escape from the daemons of sleep once again.
Kaeya wasn’t sure how much time exactly had passes since he has picked up the book again, but the next time he was pulled from his reading was by a sudden, somewhat loud, knock on his door. Unusual, in more ways than one, for a Monday at 3am. Reluctantly, he got up from the oak chair and dragged himself to the door.
“Big Brother Kaeya!” a girl’s voice floats out from behind the door, way too energetic for this time of day.
Klee?
“Kaeya, open up please. I know you’re awake.” says the one and only alchemist Kaeya was just fantasizing about.
No time for questions, Kaeya, just open the door.
He forces his weak hands to open the door, and the action beholds one beautiful, sleepy, Albedo and an energetic Klee waiting for him.
“What’s going on?” He manages to force out of his lips without sounding too sleep-deprived and slurring his words together.
“Uh-“ Albedo starts, before being cut off by Klee.
“Big Bro Albedo was working on an experiment and BOOM everything went FWAH and now our house is full of these weird smells and LOTS of fog!” She smiled wide and gestured with her hands, trying to explain the sheer size of the haze. “And now we need somewhere to sleep, and Big Bro Albedo wanted to sleep with you!!!”
Before Kaeya could react, Albedo interjected. “Klee, I did not say that, I was simply inferring that Kaeya’s place was the nearest and it’s still quite cold outside, so therefore his place would be the most logical to crash at.” The blonde was good at not letting his emotions show, but Kaeya could see a hint of pink dust his cheeks. What was he supposed to make of that? Would I be embarrassed if Klee said something like that to a coworker?
Klee smirked, and weaved under Kaeya’s arm, bounding inside, leaving Albedo and Kaeya alone at the doorstep.
Silence.
“Uh, well, come in.” Kaeya moved himself away from the door and beckoned the alchemist inside.
“Right, um, thanks.” Albedo stumbled inside and threw himself down on the couch, clearly exhausted. Kaeya knew that the couch wasn’t the comfiest thing in his apartment, so seeing Albedo nearly fall asleep on it was painful to watch.
"Albedo." Kaeya whispered, while seating himself down right next to Albedo's head, gently stroking the ethereal blonde hair that he often imagined next to him at all times. "Why don't you two sleep in my bed, and I can take the couch?"
"NO!!" Klee jumped onto Albedo, forcing a loud groan to come out of the alchemist as Klee shook him awake. "I wanna sleep with both of you!! Otherwise I won't sleep EVER EVER EVER." She crossed her arms and firmly planted herself on Albedo's legs.
"Klee-" Kaeya started.
"Nope, nuh uh, come on Big Bro, I'm tired and you give really good hugs." Klee jumped off and dragged Albedo by the hair and Kaeya by the hand to the blue haired man's bedroom. When did she get so strong? Kaeya made a mental note to stop training her that often so she wouldn't do this again. The elf child literally flung the two of them onto the bed with forces enough to break a god's arm and dove in right after the two men.
Somehow, by some miracle, Albedo was still half asleep, so the blonde simply crawled under the covers, seeking warmth and coziness. Reluctantly, Kaeya followed, and Klee snuggled herself right in between the two, grasping tightly to Kaeya's arm.
For a while, there was quiet, and Kaeya lay in the bed that hated him, flushing a deeper red than Klee’s jacket. Thank the archons that t=it was so dark, or else Klee or Albedo may have noticed. The only sounds that could be heard were crickets and the soft breathing of the people next to him. Just as Kaeya let go and began to drift off, Klee sprang up again.
“I need my pajamas.” She leaped off the bed and grabbed her bag, digging through until she found a (relatively clean) pair of sleepwear. “I’ll be right back, Big Bro Kaeya!” Klee made her way over to the bathroom and shut the door, leaving Kaeya and Albedo alone together. If Kaeya wasn’t nervous earlier, he definitely was now, because gods Albedo was so close to him and on my gods was that his hand brushing him chest and he’s pulling Kaeya closer and-
Albedo was hugging Kaeya. In the alchemist’s sleep-deprived haze, he’d found comfort and love in Kaeya’s embrace. He’d found the most touching affection in the simplest form of love.
“Kae…” Albedo mumbled into Kaeya’s chest, burying deeper into the blue haired man. “You need to sleep too.” Kaeya’s heart grew warm and fluttery with the new nickname.
“‘Bedo.. I’ve tried.” Kaeya took this opportunity to stroke the alchemist’s hair again, and Albedo leaned into the touch as if he’d been waiting for it for centuries.
“How can I get you to sleep?” Albedo finally looked up into Kaeya’s eyes, using his calloused hands to brush aside strands of hair in his face, before lingering at his eyepatch.
“It’s okay.” Kaeya whispered. Because if there was anyone who’d he’d ever feel comfortable with sharing his eye, his deformity, it would be Albedo. Kaeya knew deep in his heart that Albedo wouldn’t consider it a mistake of genetics or anything of the sort— Albedo would find beauty in it. And maybe that was what Kaeya fell in love with about him.
Albedo slowly slid off the eyepatch and finally, Kaeya saw the love of his life with both of his eyes. He took the sight in— sleepy Albedo, hair ruffled and matted, gazing at the blue haired knight with the most sincere lobe Kaeya had ever seen. It rivaled the way the moon looked at the stars, how the sea loves the sky.
“Kae… You’re beautiful.”
“You think so?” This time it was Kaeya’s turn to flatter and use his hands to trace circles all over Albedo’s face.
“I do.” Then suddenly Albedo and him were kissing and god it felt like his heart was swelling out of his chest as Albedo pressed his lips softly all over his face, loving and memorizing every inch of him, from his scars to the very tips of his ears, even going as far to nuzzle into his neck.
“Then you better hurry up and love me before Klee gets back.”
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The sun rose slowly, as if the gods were reluctant to take away Kaeya, Albedo and Klee’s safe haven. When the sunlight finally did spill through the drapes and Kaeya had to get himself up to leave for the expedition, he had to carefully detach himself from Albedo and Klee’s warm embraces. A surge of protectiveness flew threw his body, driving him to place delicate kisses on both of their cheeks, as a charm against all evil. Kaeya didn’t want to leave this family, his kid, but duties would call, and relationships could be figured out later.
It was only after he’d left that he realized that he hadn’t had his usual nightmares that night.