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“Good afternoon, Blanche,” Kaeya hums, approaching her stall with a smile on his face. She looks up from her receipts and smiles back.
“Good afternoon, Captain Kaeya. What can I get for you today?” she asks, and he reaches out for her produce.
“I need two bags of carrots and one bag of tomatoes. And if you’ve one of those cooling bags to keep them fresh whilst I travel, that would be superb,” Kaeya requests, and Blanche nods.
“If you needed to go order something from Sara as well, I can pack that up for you in the meantime,” she points out, and Kaeya laughs a little. Is he truly so predictable?
“Thank you. I will be back as soon as I can,” Kaeya agrees, and he takes the few steps over to the Good Hunter, where Sara is smiling at him.
“Going back up to Dragonspine?” she asks, and Kaeya can only grin.
“I’ve truly become a man of a schedule, haven’t I?” he asks, and she laughs.
“It doesn’t look bad on you, Captain. What do you need today?” she teases, and he pulls the sheet of paper out of his pocket again.
“It was… chilled meat? Two cuts?” Kaeya says, and Sara nods. She disappears behind the counter for a moment, and returns with two frosted boxes, and sets them on the counter. “Amazing. What do I owe you?”
“Only 320 Mora. It’s not too much work to chill the meat,” Sara grins, and Kaeya nods, dropping the Mora into the waitress’ waiting hand.
“Thank you, Sara. I’ll see you later,” Kaeya picks up the boxes of meat, and steps away in order to obtain his vegetables. Blanche is speaking to Eula, but his frosted bag is sitting on the counter. He hesitates, but steps up beside the Spindrift Knight. “Captain Eula, what a lovely surprise…”
She turns to him, and gives him a rather tight smile, which Kaeya has learned is her attempt at a normal, smooth smile. It… isn’t as effective as she hopes. “Captain Kaeya. I assume you will be ascending to Dragonspine this afternoon,” Eula states, and Kaeya chuckles mildly.
“That I am. Someone has to make sure the Investigation Captain is on schedule, you know,” Kaeya hums.
Eula makes a face, as if she’s about to ask a question, but as she opens her mouth, a dawning of realization makes its way on her face, and she furrows her eyebrows as she says, “Right. I will… see you both at the Captain’s meeting in a few days, then. Thank you, Blanche.” She gives them both the same, strange smile, before taking her bag and stepping away from the counter. Blanche waves goodbye, before turning to Kaeya with a frown.
“What did you have to scare her off for? We were having such a lovely conversation about the Outrider,” Blanche pouts, and Kaeya widens his eye in surprise.
“I meant to do no such thing! I simply have places to be and times to be there, dear Blanche. I’m sure you and Captain Eula can speak about the Outrider another time,” Kaeya teases, and he takes note of the way she lights up unreasonably. “How much do I need to pay you? For my produce and the inconvenience.”
“Oh my, nothing for the inconvenience, Captain Kaeya. Just the 270 Mora will be fine,” she giggles, and Kaeya sighs. He won’t truly take no for an answer, so he counts out the Mora he plans to give in his hand, drops in on the counter, takes his bag, and salutes jovilly, before slipping the meat into the bag and walking down the steps, out of the plaza, out of the city. There’s a quiet shout of “Captain Kaeya- you’ve given me too much!” but he ignores it, and before he knows it, he’s on the quiet path to Dragonspine.
After the Traveler’s extensive visit, the population of hilichurls has dwindled significantly, and Kaeya honestly isn’t sure how he feels about it all: sure, being able to travel without the worry of being attacked is wonderful, but he knows who those cursed creatures used to be. And- now is definitely not the time to be thinking about such a depressing topic.
Not now, when he’s on his way to have dinner with his partner, with fresh ingredients for goulash and a new bouquet of self-picked cecilias for them. There’s also a cardboard box that Sucrose and Timaeus asked him to deliver, for an experiment of theirs, they said. Kaeya has learned to ask Albedo rather than his apprentices about the experiments; Albedo knows that Kaeya isn’t the most astute scientist, and while he’s genuinely curious, he finds it hard to follow the excited-apprentice talk.
They’ve been doing this a lot lately, while Albedo took a quarter-long “break” to go study on Dragonspine. There aren’t exactly a lot of adventurers willing to deliver consistent letters between the two lovers, and with two radically busy captains, oftentimes letters aren’t the best way to communicate. So instead, they always have dinner at the Dragonspine camp, on Tuesday evenings. Kaeya brings up the ingredients, and Albedo cooks it, with the permission of Harris to use his space.
So when Kaeya finally rounds the corner and makes it up the stairs of the camp a few hours later, he’s mildly shocked to see that Albedo is nowhere to be seen. They’re usually at the picnic table, but they’re not in the moment, but sometimes Albedo is speaking with an adventurer: they are easily the most informed person about Dragonspine.
But every adventurer seems to be either talking to someone else or preoccupied with their own business. Harris is awkwardly fussing around his kitchen, wiping down a counter that seems to already be sparkling clean. Kaeya sets the bag of goods on the ground, then his own, extra bag beside it.
“Chef Harris, I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Kaeya quips, and the chef flips around, an awkward chuckle escaping him.
“Ah- Oh, hello, Captain Kaeya. You’re not interrupting anything at all- I was just waiting for you and the Investigation Captain to arrive, although, I haven’t seen them yet.” Harris shuffles awkwardly on his feet, and Kaeya frowns.
“So Al- the Captain hasn’t arrived yet. My suspicions were correct. I may have to ascend that frozen hell myself,” Kaeya sighs, and Harris’ eyes widen further from his general, mildly terrified expression.
“But Sire, night is to fall soon! You cannot trek up the mountain this late in good conscience!” Harris argues, and Kaeya shakes his head.
“If the Captain has not yet arrived, I can only assume that something is the matter. They do not fail on punctuality, not by their choice,” Kaeya points out, and Harris simply lets out a gulp, before nodding.
“I will pray to Barbatos for your safety,” he remarks quietly, and Kaeya feels no need to grace such a meaningless phrase with an answer. He picks up his bags and sets off across the once dilapidated bridge, also newly fixed, thanks to the Traveler. There are no qualms about this like the hilichurls: Kaeya has no displeasure in a rebuilt bridge.
The trip up Dragonspine is similarly quiet; Albedo has cleared away monsters once a week for the last few months, which teaches some of the monsters an easy lesson. Get in the blond’s way, suffer the consequences. The cold does not set in Kaeya’s bones as it should, his vision already leaving him mildly cold.
After he clambers his way across the bridge to Albedo’s camp, and turns into the cave, he is instantly hit with a wave of comfortable warmth, from the several lamps and fires spread across the cave in order to give the feeling of an insulated building. The several lab tables are an absolute disaster, with potions and papers scattered every which way, and in the middle of the tornado, the calm of the storm, is Albedo, slumped over a table, fast asleep.
Soft snores echo out in the cave, and Kaeya drops the bags, shoulders slumping with relief. As Kaeya approaches, sitting in the chair across from them, inspecting their face closer. Albedo may be the investigation captain, but Kaeya has a few investigation skills of his own, and they tell him that someone’s been overworking themself. From the stranded experiments around the room, to the shaded bags under the alchemist’s eyes, it’s clear that Albedo has forsaken themself for productivity. Again.
Kaeya cannot help but let out a sigh, but doesn’t move to wake them. If they haven’t been sleeping, then he ought to let them; Albedo is prone to sleeping poorly in general, let alone when they stop doing it for a while “for science”. (Their words, not his.) Instead, he considers what he should while he waits. Perhaps he could prepare the goulash in advance, so that he has something to do while he waits for Albedo to wake up.
That… should be nice. Yeah, Albedo will surely appreciate that. Kaeya leans over the table and smooths down Albedo’s hair, (mildly greasy, he notes), before standing up and trekking back over the entrance, where his bags lay, abandoned. There’s a cooking pot over one of the fires, and Kaeya takes a long, hard, look at it before he picks it up and washes it out. Albedo told him that their cooking-ware had little engravings on the side, and this pot did; a little starry sky that reminded them of home.
It didn’t take long for Kaeya to start the goulash, although it likely won’t taste as good as when Albedo makes it. They’re lovely in that way, making everything better than expected. He’s just stirring it, when a noise echoes out through the cave that makes Kaeya stop in his tracks. He’d been sitting on the ground, lounging while he looked into the stew, but he popped up and scrambled to his partner’s side.
Albedo was shifting a bit, which made Kaeya nervous, because of how precariously balanced they were on the stool-chair next to the desk. So without too much thought, he leaned down and picked up the alchemist, pulling them closer so that they wouldn’t fall. The couch they’d set up for Klee called to him invitingly, and Kaeya thinks to facepalm himself when he realizes he ought to have moved them here when he arrived.
But Kaeya sits down, and adjusts Albedo so that they’re still laying comfortably against him, their head on his lap. He then begins to call to his lover:
“Albedo, darling… Albedo…” he tries, running his thin, deft fingers through Albedo’s hair. Albedo groans, and turns on their side, their face looking towards Kaeya’s stomach. “Albedo, lovely, I’m going to need you to wake up, please,” Kaeya requests, and Albedo groans again, before something seems to hit them, and they shoot up, body curling away from Kaeya. The cavalry captain froze, waiting for Albedo to say something.
“No-no-no-no-no-stop-stop-please-no-”
“Albedo, breathe for me, c’mon, please,” Kaeya interrupts, his hands hovering above the shaking form of Albedo. They hiccough, breaths stilted on sobs, and curls deeper in on themself. “Lovely, c’mon, you’re alright, I’ve got you.” Kaeya says quietly, and Albedo unexpectedly pulls back into Kaeya’s hands. Albedo flips around, still choking quietly on sobs, but reaches carefully for Kaeya’s hands. Kaeya lets them squeeze his hands, until they put their hands on the other side of Kaeya’s, and waits.
“Kae- can-” Albedo tries, but the words don’t seem to make their way out of their mouth. Kaeya cocks his head, and frowns.
“Take your time, okay? I don’t know what you need in this moment, but I want to help,” Kaeya says, and Albedo, who hasn’t looked up yet, nods.
“Pressure,” Albedo says, and the dots connect in Kaeya’s head: Albedo wants him to squeeze his hands. Kaeya acquiesces immediately, and Albedo sighs in relief.
There’s a few minutes of silence, of Kaeya just squeezing and releasing their hands, until Albedo takes a deep breath and pulls themself into Kaeya’s open lap, their face in his shoulder. Kaeya hums, and wraps his arms around Albedo’s smaller torso.
“What’re you doing here?” they mumble into his shoulder.
“We had plans, lovely. It’s Tuesday,” Kaeya replies, and Albedo stiffens. “It’s alright; I mean, you being forgetful is usually a bad sign… but I’m not mad or anything.”
“I’m sorry. I… I forgot to keep track of the days. It’s not- I didn’t mean to…” Albedo apologizes, their voice small and guilty. Kaeya gives Albedo a squeeze, and hums again.
“I know. I started dinner; why don’t you clean up your lab a little bit while I finish it up,” Kaeya suggests, and Albedo groans, burrowing deeper into Kaeya’s side.
“It’s just… a lot. I don’t… It’s a lot,” Albedo repeats, and Kaeya leans forward to press his face into Albedo’s head, as if he were kissing their scalp.
“Then nevermind it for now. We can eat first, get some energy back, and then I can do my best to help you. Even if that just means holding stuff and talking to you while you do most of it,” Kaeya insists, and then he does kiss their scalp, ever so gently. And it seems like those were the right words for the Captain to chose, because a beat later, Albedo has melted into Kaeya’s lap, those last bits of tension forgotten.
“Yeah, okay,” Albedo says, “Will you stay tonight? Dragonspine is even more dangerous at night, and I can make you a bed and-”
“I don’t need excuses, ‘Bedo. I’m sure Jean will understand if I’m back later tomorrow. Besides, I made sure to clear my schedule until the evening tomorrow. I always do, just in case,” Kaeya reminds them, and Albedo just peels themself away, standing up and facing the couch.
“You’re too good for me. Let me help with the… goulash? Is that what I smell?” Albedo asks, and Kaeya grins.
“Yeah, it is. Sure, let’s… actually, c’mere,” Kaeya requests, standing up alongside his partner and outstretches his arms. Albedo looks at him suspiciously for a moment, before relenting and stepping closer. Kaeya simply pulls them into his chest and gives them another kiss on the crown of their head.
“I love you,” Kaeya mutters, and Albedo hums, loosely looping their arms around his body as well.
“I love you too. Thank you,” Albedo replies, their voice quiet as well. Kaeya sighs, before pulling back.
“You don’t need to thank me. Let’s go make some dinner- oh, I almost forgot!” Kaeya laughs, and lets go of Albedo to scramble back over to the cave entrance, where he looks around for his second bag, leaving Albedo to stand awkwardly beside the goulash.
“Forgot what?” Albedo asks quietly, confused.
“I brought you flowers this week, for Valentine’s Day. Jean and Lisa were insistent that we celebrate it, although I know you aren’t one for such sentimentality,” Kaeya explains, and produces a bouquet, mainly of Cecilias, but other small flowers fill it out to make it more complete. Albedo’s eyes widen in shock, and Kaeya furrows his eyebrows.
“They’re very pretty. I have a- one moment,” Albedo steps over to a cupboard, towards the one with cooking tools and items. An intricate clear vase is hidden behind a few pots, and Albedo sets it on the counter. They fill it with water, and then take the bouquet from Kaeya, setting the stems within. Albedo sets the vase on the table beside the couch they sat on a mere moment ago.
“They’re lovely, Kae. Thank you,” Albedo says, and Kaeya nods awkwardly. He makes his way towards the goulash, and they both silently begin to mix it up, swirling and adding ingredients.
“Would you like it if I brought you flowers more often?” Kaeya asks suddenly, and Albedo gently sets the spoon down across the top of the pot.
“I wouldn’t… dislike it. They remind me of you… they remind me that I am not so alone, when I am working. I forget, you- not- I forget time. I do not forget you,” Albedo stumbles over their words, and Kaeya shakes his head.
“Right, yes. Okay. I understand, ‘Bedo. Don’t worry,” Kaeya gives them a soft smile, and Albedo laughs quietly, a small chuckle that warms the cryo allogene’s heart.
“I think it’s done,” Albedo says, gesturing to the pot, “the goulash.”
“It smells… done,” Kaeya replies, and steps away to grab the bowls from Albedo’s cabinet. Two bowls and spoons, and Albedo keeps up their smile as Kaeya turns back. “You’re so smiley, lovely.”
“I admit… I did not realize that I had missed you so much until I had seen you again,” Albedo answers, mildly uneasy. Kaeya sets the bowls down next to the cauldron, and pulls Albedo into his chest again.
Kaeya squeezes them, words escaping him in this moment, and Albedo seems to be in a similar state, just letting Kaeya squeeze them tight.