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Albedo knew something was wrong.
He first noticed it two days ago, after returning from another one of his Dragonspine expeditions. When discussing his findings with Kaeya, the Cavalry Captain had been strangely…distracted. Staring off into space, slow to react. His smile was off. There were bags under his eyes, which wasn’t that strange, but they seemed more prominent than usual. He looked more gaunt than he had been before Albedo left. Something was haunting him.
But when asked about it, he shrugged it off entirely.
Then there was this morning.
Albedo had been waiting a good half an hour past the time they had planned to meet up at Sugar & Spice. He managed to distract Klee with some papers and pencils, but he knew it wouldn’t last forever. She was getting antsy. He sighed.
“Klee, go ahead and pick out some snacks. We’ll bring them to Kaeya.”
“Okay!”
That was the plan, but when they arrived at Kaeya’s office, he wasn’t there. Albedo chewed on his lip as nervous energy bubbled up in his chest. The office was messier than he last remembered it. Kaeya was a neat person, and definitely not one to leave important documents lying around without his watchful eye.
The Quartermaster’s quarters were in a much neater state than the office, but Kaeya wasn’t there either. Albedo gripped the doorway as he wracked his brain. There were only a handful more places Kaeya could be if he was still in the city.
A tiny hand grabbed at his coat.
“Big brother Albedo?”
He snapped out of his thoughts, realizing he must be worrying Klee with his silence. He kneeled down in front of her, patting her head.
“It’s okay, Klee,” he said and handed her the bag of sweets. “Here, I want you to hold onto these for me while I go find Kaeya. Can you do that?”
Klee nodded, “Yeah! I’ll keep them safe!”
Albedo smiled, “I knew I could count on you.”
He dropped her off at the lab with Sucrose before taking off. He willed himself not to run, to remain calm. It wasn’t as if Kaeya was in any tangible danger. In fact, he probably wasn’t in any sort of danger. And yet, Albedo’s heart was racing.
No one in headquarters had seen him that morning, so he headed back into the city. He was certain Kaeya was somewhere within the walls, considering that they had planned to meet.
His shadow darkened the doorstep to Kaeya’s house and he froze. He gripped the key in his pocket, turning it over in his palm in some attempt to relax. It was rare for him to drop by unannounced, but Kaeya had told him that he was given that key for a reason. He knocked before unlocking the door and pushing it open.
“Kaeya?”
No response.
Albedo stepped inside and closed the door, slipping off his shoes. The house didn’t look any different, and yet somehow it appeared to Albedo like the warmth had been sucked out of it. It was quiet.
“Kaeya?” he called again, a little louder.
The lights weren’t on. Albedo checked the first floor for any sign that the knight had been by recently. His shoes were at the door, messily flopped on their side in the middle of the entranceway. There were a few old cups and dishes in the sink. The mistflower box was getting low on food.
Albedo turned his gaze to the second floor.
He’d never been in Kaeya’s room. Actually, he was pretty sure he’d never been upstairs. The stairs creaked underfoot, the sound unbearably loud in the otherwise silent house.
The upstairs décor reflected that of downstairs, with just as much care put into making a refined space. However, Albedo couldn’t help but feel that there was something missing. There was a lack of personal touch. He passed by an office space and a small library before coming to a door at the end of the hallway. It was slightly cracked open.
Albedo stood in front of it for a moment, took a deep breath, and pushed it open. It creaked back on its hinges, likely kept purposefully unoiled.
The room was similar to the rest of upstairs, well decorated but lacking spirit. There were clothes laying across a chair and the floor around it, a stack of unhung paintings propped up to one side. There was an empty box tossed aside on the bed. And then there was Kaeya.
He was hugging in on himself, the sheets brought up over his knees. His navy blue hair fell unkempt across his back. His arms were pulled into himself, and he seemed to be staring at something in his hands. He had a delayed reaction to the sound of his door opening, his head shooting up to get a look at the intruder. One of his hands made for his pillow, and Albedo got the sense he kept a weapon hidden there.
However, Kaeya relaxed upon seeing who was at the door. It was then that Albedo noticed how glassy his uncovered eye was, the tears threatening to fall.
“Albedo…” Kaeya croaked. “What are you…?”
His voice galvanized Albedo into action. He was immediately by Kaeya’s bedside, taking in the thin frame and sunken eyes. How long had Kaeya been alone like this? When was the last time he ate something?
“I was waiting for you, at the bakery,” he replied. He regretted it when Kaeya’s expression turned to guilt.
“Oh, that’s right, we were going to…I am so sorry–” Kaeya stuttered over his words. He started to get up but Albedo placed a hand on his shoulder in a gesture to remain seated, whispering to him that is was okay and not to worry. The movement caused the object in Kaeya’s hand to slip free, landing on the bed between them.
It was a vision. A pyro vision, specifically. It gave off a gentle, warm light. Perhaps too gentle. It seemed a bit dimmer than Albedo would expect of a vision.
The two of them stared at it in silence, before Kaeya reached over to grab it again.
“Ah, this is just–”
“Kaeya.”
Hearing his name, he looked up. Albedo moved to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching out to hold Kaeya’s free hand. Knowing he had his partner’s full attention, he spoke.
“Kaeya, I’m worried about you,” he said slowly. “Please, talk to me? What is going on?”
The tears began to fall, despite Kaeya’s efforts to stop them. He sniffled as he rubbed at his eyes, then let out a shaky breath.
“It’s Diluc,” he finally said. The red glow of the pyro vision could be seen despite his tight grasp on it. Albedo connected the dots.
“Something happened to him?”
Kaeya nodded, “The vision flickers sometimes. It’s been doing it more often the last few days, then last night it…”
Albedo moved closer to him, helping to wipe some of his tears. Kaeya looked towards him, the most heartbreakingly distraught expression on his face, and Albedo thought the sight would crush his heart to dust.
“It went dim,” he whispered. “Only for a few seconds, but the light died. It’s stronger now, but–”
Kaeya was cut off by an involuntary sob. The hand Albedo was holding squeezed back tight. The alchemist noticed that his companion’s breath was coming too fast. He placed his free hand on Kaeya’s cheek, getting his eyes to focus on him once again.
“You’re breathing too fast,” he spoke softly. “We need to slow down, can you take some deep breaths for me?”
Kaeya tried but shook his head. His inability to take a full breath was beginning to make him panic more. Albedo quickly brought up Kaeya’s hand and placed it against his chest. He then took a deep breath, held it, and released it.
“Like this. I want you to follow me, okay? As best you can.”
They stayed like that for several moments, Kaeya slowly beginning to control his breathing. His pulse no longer raced at breakneck speed under Albedo's fingertips. Kaeya's body started to relax, his shoulders losing their tension and his hand no longer desperately gripping Albedo's own, as if the alchemist might disappear at any moment. Once his breathing settled, his energy disappeared completely and he leaned in to rest his head against Albedo's chest. The alchemist gently combed his fingers through his long blue hair, holding him.
“He’s all that’s left of our family,” Kaeya mumbled into his chest. “I can’t lose him, too.”
Albedo nodded, unsure what to say. The vision was glowing even more brightly now, as brightly as his own if he wasn’t mistaken.
“He will be okay,” Albedo whispered back, hoping that his words would be proven true. “He will come back.”
Kaeya fell asleep leaning against him. Albedo lay him down in the bed, taking a tissue and cleaning up his face. Reassuring himself that he would be alright, the alchemist slipped downstairs and tidied up the kitchen area. He worked quickly, not wanting to leave Kaeya alone for too long.
He brought a glass of water up with him, and was glad to find the other still resting peacefully. Albedo contented himself by quietly looking through the artwork stored in the room.
An unknown amount of time passed before he was alerted by the soft rustling of the blankets. Kaeya sat upright and looked around, blinking to clear his eyes. Once again, he relaxed the moment Albedo came into his view.
“How are you feeling?” the alchemist asked, handing him the glass of water. Kaeya accepted it gratefully, taking a few small sips.
“Exhausted,” he replied, but before he could continue he was interrupted by his own stomach growling. “And hungry, apparently.”
Kaeya gave him a weak grin. Albedo replied with a small smile, taking in his frame. The Cavalry Captain had always been lean, perhaps more on the wiry side. But he looked painfully thin now.
“When was the last time you ate something?” he asked.
Kaeya looked away, “Honestly, I don’t remember. It gets hard to eat when I’m…like this. It’s not that I don’t want to, more like I just can’t keep it down.”
The cavalry captain sighed, running hand through his hair, “I’m sorry for worrying you. And for missing our date.”
“You don’t need to apologize, Kae,” Albedo said softly. “Thank you for trusting me with this, I know it’s very personal for you. I just want you to know that I’m here for you. You aren’t alone.”
Kaeya stared at him, eye wide. His lips quivered slightly before curving up into the first genuine smile Albedo had seen from him since he got back to the city.
“Thank you.”
There was a knock at the door. Albedo was the one who answered it, since Kaeya was busy finishing up in the shower. He absently wondered who it could be when he opened the door and a child ran into him, hugging him with her little arms.
“Klee?” he said, startled. “What are you doing here?”
“I got worried!” she told him. “If I waited any longer I would’ve eaten the snacks, and then I would’ve broken my promise to keep them safe!”
Albedo smiled and shook his head. A soft chuckle came from behind him, and he turned to Kaeya standing there with his hair wrapped in a towel.
“I’ll get some coffee going,” he said. “And some juice for Klee.”
“I went ahead and made coffee while you were showering,” Albedo called to him as he started walking towards the kitchen. Kaeya waved a hand in acknowledgement and disappeared to grab cups and plates.
He ushered Klee inside and noticed she had a curious expression. She was pouting slightly, and turned towards him.
“Why did Big Brother Kaeya look sad? Did something happen?”
Albedo was always surprised by how much insight the little girl had. She picked up on subtle things so easily. He scooped her up in his arms, bringing her to the couches.
“Kaeya has had a stressful week,” he explained. “So we need to treat him extra nice today.”
Klee nodded emphatically, “Okay!”
Kaeya returned with a few mugs and the coffee pot. He set down a glass of apple juice for Klee, who eagerly accepted. They divided up the baked goods among themselves. Klee picked off a few of the fruits from her tart and placed them on Kaeya’s plate, who just stared dumbfounded at the action. Kaeya ate the gifts, but didn't touch much of the rest of his food. It was progress at least, Albedo thought.
“Big brother Kaeya,” Klee said sweetly. “When I feel sad, it always makes me feel better when someone gives me a great big hug. Like this!”
She wrapped her arms around herself, rocking back and forth, hugging tightly to show him. Kaeya glanced for a moment at Albedo, who just watched passively as he ate his cheesecake. She jumped up and stood by Kaeya, her bright expression seeming to fill the space around her with sparkles.
“Is it okay if I hug you?”
Kaeya reached out and ruffled her hair before getting out of his seat and kneeling down in front of her.
“I would love that, Klee.”
She almost squealed in delight, doing a little hop to wrap tightly around his neck. She stood on her tiptoes as she gave him a big hug just as she had demonstrated. Kaeya returned it, and Albedo caught a glimpse of tears filling that periwinkle eye.
Kaeya then stood up, taking Klee with him who shouted in delight at suddenly being so high in the air. He spun them around once, laughing.
“Thank you, Klee,” he grinned. “That was very helpful. I feel much better now.”
She was still in his arms and squirmed slightly to turn towards Albedo, who was watching them with a warm expression as he finished his cake. She gestured towards him.
“Come here, big brother Albedo! You have to give big brother Kaeya a hug too!”
He stood up and walked over after finishing the last bites on his plate. He saw a mischievous look flit across Kaeya’s face and immediately understood the intent.
Kaeya grinned, mock concern lacing his voice, “Oh no, look out Klee! You’re about to get squished!”
“Wha– oh no! No, no! Don’t squish me! AAAAHAHAHAHA!”
Albedo acted swiftly and wrapped himself around the both of them, successfully trapping the small girl between them. Klee's giggles rose in volume as he squeezed a bit tighter, but not so much to hurt. Kaeya’s laugh joined in, music to Albedo’s ears, and eventually he did as well.
Following that morning, the upstairs section of the house slowly became filled with paintings.
They started in the hallway, making their way into the office and the library. An old masterpiece signed C.R. would find its home on the wall opposite of Kaeya’s bed, one depicting an owl and a peacock. And next to it hung a framed sheet of paper depicting three familiar figures holding hands, drawn only in pencil.