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A quiet breeze drifted along and over the trees, bringing fresh green leaves to tumble down. A cliff’s edge remained unmoved as two beings walked alongside each other.
A red and white blanket was set down and straightened out with a pair of pale arms. Two pairs of legs sat down once it evened out, and a brown woven basket rested between the couple.
“It’s a nice afternoon,” A gentle voice spoke out as their head turned to the side, “Thank you for suggesting this.”
The other person smiled fondly, “Of course. I’ve been dying to get you out of that lab. You’ve been huddled up in there for days!”
The alchemist laughed almost bashfully, “I apologize for leaving you feeling alone.” He teased, “But I’m more than content to be able to spend the rest of the day with you.”
The smile grew, “I’d love nothing more.”
It had been a rough past few days for Kaeya. The return back to Sumeru left nothing but a swirling feeling in his stomach he hadn’t been able to escape for days now.
Albedo lifted the top of the basket, revealing it to be filled with pastries and fruits of all kinds. He dug his hand in to lift out the food, setting it back down gently on the blanket.
“You’ve been acting off today.” Kaeya couldn’t even feel surprised by the sudden change of conversation. He knew he’d been acting weird. And if he himself knew it, of course, his partner whom he spent days and nights with would feel the same.
A smirk, “And what would make you think that?” He asked, knowing that the answer would be concise and to the point.
“Staying up late at night with me instead of convincing me to go to bed, refusing to take off your eyepatch, staring at the star on my neck, the sudden interest in the forbidden section in the library… I could go on, but most importantly,” Albedo turned his head around and made sudden eye contact, “You still haven’t told me anything about your travels to Sumeru.”
Kaeya didn’t even bother to hide his impressed look, “Then I believe we both know what my sudden change of behaviour is related to.” He rolled his eyes playfully, reaching his hand in to find something in the basket.
Albedo sighed, placing his hand atop Kaeya’s, which was still fishing in the basket, “Don’t treat me like a stranger, please.”
A sigh, “It’s… complicated.” Kaeya replied. Instead of expanding, he raised the pale hand up to his lips, running the well-worn knuckles through his closed-lipped smile. Bits of paint seemed to be stuck across the alchemist’s arm, almost like scars that wouldn’t seem to fade away no matter how hard he scrubbed.
“Everything about you is complicated… That’s why I’m with you ,” Albedo said quietly, his body warming at the feeling of familiar lips across his hands and skin. “I’m an alchemist, for Gods’ sakes, I find your complications interesting . That’s not a valid reason for me to not know. You and I both know and are aware of that.”
“I don’t want to bring up things that should stay in the past,” Kaeya grumbled, gently letting go of his hand to pick up another berry.
“You and I are both beings that should have stayed in the past ,” Albedo stressed gently, watching as Kaeya looked back down at the array of food, zoning out for a quick and quiet moment. “That doesn’t mean anything. Not to us at least. What happened in Sumeru?” He pushed.
Kaeya looked past Albedo’s eyes, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts.
“I had no clue what my last name represented.” He finally said. He couldn’t help but wince at his own self-embarrassment. Memories of his past flew past and around him, almost as if they were making fun of him. It made so much sense, but part of him decided to push that thought, that theory, away. It made sense, but the idea of being the next in line for something he longer knew or even believed in was… it was a form of treachery to his own morals he didn’t even want to consider himself to be a part of. But no matter how much he didn’t like to be considered a part of the Abyss Order, it was stuck onto his back like the last name was.
Before his thoughts could spiral more than they already had, the pause from Albedo stopped before he replied, “Pardon me?” In a remorseful manner that made Kaeya look back at him embarrassed and with a moment of realization that he dreaded realizing so quickly.
“Oh, Archons , don’t tell me you already knew ,” Kaeya muttered, his face falling in shock. He knew his boyfriend’s expressions too well.
“... I thought you knew-”
Kaeya interrupted immediately, “Why wouldn’t I have brought it up in the first place if I knew?!” He said, almost appalled. This entire time, his own partner knew his past more than he himself knew and never bothered to bring it up. Kaeya never felt stupider than in that moment.
“Because, speaking of that land -” Albedo quickly looked around them, “-Is forbidden and dangerous knowledge! Especially knowing who we are! I don’t like talking about some things so I figured you would too!” He hissed out, despite his pitiful and guilty expression.
Kaeya’s brain, however, caught onto a different part of his statement. “Wait, what things are you hiding?” He asked.
Albedo sighed, taking a swing of juice, “Things I want to keep hidden, obviously.”
There was a deep breath taken from the two as they both calmed down from their shocked outbursts. They weren’t mad at each other, as it was more surprising than anything else.
“Well, who told you?” Albedo finally spoke up as he laid down on the blanket, his arms on his stomach and his eyes closed as his head looked up ahead at the bright sun and blue skies.
Kaeya hummed as he followed, leaning to rest his elbow down on the blanket and prop his head up against his palm, “Do you remember the blonde man I saw the Honorary Knight hanging about with?”
“Oh my, you finally spoke with him?” Albedo asked curiously.
“Yes! And it was dreadful . Do you know how hard it was to resist my jaw from dropping to the floor?! I looked like an idiot … just saying my surname aloud as if it were some ordinary Mondstadt name.” He mumbled the last part to himself as he scowled.
Albedo let out a stifled laugh, “Kaeya, how did you not at least have a clue ?” Albedo replied, peeking an eye open and glancing over at him.
He rolled his eye in response, “I mean, I mentioned that my name being linked to the Abyss Order solves some memories I have left over. But, I just assumed I was a distant noble of some kind.” Kaeya picked up a strawberry with his free hand and bit into it, “I ran as fast as I could out of that conversation.” He admitted through a bite of the fruit in his mouth.
Albedo couldn’t help but chuckle, “And all the way back to Mondstadt?” He smiled as he tilted his head to the side to look at him.
“Mm, more like all the way back to you .” Kaeya teased, smiling back as he moved the basket above their heads, wrapping his arms around Albedo’s waist and dragging him closer, kissing the crown of his head.
“I would have told you if I had known you didn’t know,” Albedo said after a bit. He scrunched his nose slightly, tickling Kaeya’s neck.
“I know you would have,” Kaeya replied softly, placing another gentle kiss on the top of his head, breathing in the scent of mint-scented shampoo.
Albedo visibly relaxed in his touch, “I’m sorry that’s how you found out.”
“I’m sorry too. It’s ok, I lived then and I’ll live now.” Kaeya sighed, dragging one hand higher to stay on his upper back.
“Have you told anyone else?” Albedo asked, slightly backing up to be able to see Kaeya’s face better.
He shrugged, “Only the Traveller and Paimon know.”
Albedo hummed, “Ah, well, it’s best to keep it that way.”
Kaeya nodded back in response. The more people that knew, the harder it would be to keep the secret within his circle. For all he knew, the Honorary Knight and their trusty companion knew more about his past than he did.
“I missed you dearly.” Kaeya confessed, smushing his cheek against the soft blanket instead of his boyfriend’s head.
Albedo looks towards Kaeya with a soft glint in his eyes, “I missed you too. I’m glad you came back here as soon as you could.”
A kind and soft hand stroked through dark blue hair.
“I almost told Diluc,” Kaeya admitted, biting the inside of his cheek.
Albedo’s hand paused momentarily, “Oh. You had to report back your findings to him because he sent you to Sumeru?” He resumed combing.
“Yes. It wasn’t as bad as I thought.”
A hum of approval from the blonde, “That’s good…” He continued with a note of hesitance, “Why did you almost tell Diluc?”
“He laughed at a joke I made.”
A feeling of pity hovered in the air.
Kaeya glanced away, but could feel teal eyes watching his expression intently, “Mm.”
“It wouldn’t have been a good idea…” Kaeya accepted, “Finding out his estranged brother is the last noble blood of the Abyss Order… oh dear.” He shuddered just thinking about it.
“It would’ve given you another scar.”
A pause.
Small streams of laughter began pouring out of Kaeya as he rolled his eye playfully. The pitiful feeling disappeared with the wind.
“You’re awful , I hope you know that.” He said, kissing Albedo swiftly before pushing himself back up into a seated position.
“I love you too.” Albedo quipped back, following Kaeya and switching to be seated as well.
“I love you as well.” Kaeya finally responded.
Another few minutes of quiet passed by, with the occasional noise break of someone eating.
Albedo spoke up first, “Does it scare you that the Traveller is so close to figuring it out?”
Kaeya considered the question for a moment, shifting his head back and forth as he finished eating the last apple slice.
“Scared isn’t the right word… Envious maybe?” He ended up responding. He wiped his hands on his pants before turning to his partner. The wind returned and pushed some hair out from behind Albedo’s ear. Kaeya quickly picked his hand up, curling the piece of blonde hair behind Albedo’s ear once again.
A nod, “I get it. But, I suppose there’s also a lot for them to go through.” His pale fingers drifted across Kaeya’s hand which lay motionless on the side of his face, simply there and caressing the soft strand of hair.
“They’ll get through it,” Kaeya whispered as if his voice held a secret only the two of them knew.
Albedo whispered back, “Agreed.” As if he knew the secret, “But, I am scared to see if we’ll play any part in it.”
Kaeya simply hummed before there was another small pause. He noticed there were a lot of those with the two of them. He didn’t mind.
“Can I ask something weird?” He asked after a bit.
Albedo gently took ahold of Kaeya’s hand and placed it down on his lap, “Mm?”
“After I left Sumeru… I felt a… change.”
“A change?”
“It felt almost… internal? Like, something had been dug up in me.” Kaeya swallowed, holding his free hand up to his chest and circling his palm over it in slow motions, “I- I don’t know what it was.”
Albedo looked at the gesture with a thoughtful expression, running his hand across Kaeya’s knuckles. “Something to do with Khaenri’ah?” He concluded.
“Probably? Likely? I… don’t know… It was after the Honorary Knight left with Dainsleif,” He blinked before explaining, “The blonde man.”
Albedo muttered the name to himself, “Sounds familiar. But unfortunately, no, I can’t say I felt the same way.”
“Mm. Well, I suppose it’s best to leave it be?” Kaeya asked with a slight smirk, staring out beyond the cliff’s edge. The feeling in his chest didn’t go away, but it eased ever so slightly.
Albedo nodded slowly, unable to resist smiling himself. He raised his arm, which held a bottle of apple juice.
Kaeya smiled back, raising his own bottle of dandelion wine and clinking it to the other.
The slight noise echoed throughout and across the edge of the cliff, heard for miles upon miles away.