Work Text:
There was a chill in the air that heralded the arrival of winter.
Knights gathered in the candle lit courtyard, their laughter echoing around the cobblestone walls. People were dancing to the delicate music that drifted through the night. Tables lined the edges of the yard, platters of food set upon them courtesy of Good Hunter. Servers threaded through the crowds, balancing trays of drinks with practiced ease.
Kaeya lifted a glass off the tray of a passing server. He stared at it moodily as he swirled the drink in his hand. It was a dandelion wine from the Grandmaster’s personal collection. Ordinarily, he would be enjoying himself. Fine wine, good food, and plenty of entertainment to be had. But…
“Why the gloomy face?”
Lisa’s expression told him she had a good idea why and he had little interest in humoring her.
“You know why,” he said, taking a large sip of his drink.
“Missing your sweet Prince?” she teased.
Kaeya raised an eyebrow at her, the air around him growing more frigid.
“Alright, alright, that’s enough,” Jean stepped between the two. “The expedition team leaves tomorrow morning, so let’s enjoy tonight.”
She turned towards Kaeya, slipping the drink out of his hand and passing it to Lisa, “Come here, we’re dancing.”
Lisa waved them off with a smile. Kaeya could only watch dumbfounded as Jean dragged him away towards the dance floor.
“Uh, Jean, what are–”
“You’ve been miserable all week,” she interjected. “Ever since we learned that the Dragonspine expedition team was held up by an early snowstorm you’ve been listless.”
They stopped in the middle of the courtyard. Bodies twirled around them, fabrics fluttering through the air. Jean placed a hand on his shoulder.
“So, we are going to dance,” she said firmly. “And you will let yourself have fun.”
Kaeya felt bad for making her worry, but he tried one last time to escape, “What about Lisa? Shouldn’t you be dancing with your partner?”
“She agrees with me,” Jean shook her head. “Enough of that. Are you going to lead, or shall I?”
He grinned, placing his free hand on her back. They slipped into the rhythm of the music, blending in seamlessly with their fellow dancers. Having spent many hours of practice dancing in their childhood, it was like second nature to them.
As they twirled about the courtyard, Kaeya couldn’t help but glance occasionally into the crowd. The thought that perhaps this time he would catch sight of that familiar ash blond hair and teal eyes was too much to ignore. He never misstepped, never faltered in their dance, but Jean picked up on it immediately. She sighed to herself, a sad little smile gracing her face.
“You miss him a lot,” she said simply.
The words cut through the music and Kaeya startled at them. He thought about denying them, but knew such a thing would be pointless. It was more than obvious to anyone who had been around him in the past several days.
“I do,” he replied. “More than I had expected.”
“I’m glad you two have grown close, he’s good for you.”
“While I agree, I can tell there’s more in that statement than you’re letting on.”
The two broke away for a moment for an underarm turn. Jean hesitated to respond after they rejoined, unable to meet his eyes.
“It’s just…ever since Diluc left you’ve changed. You closed yourself off to everyone, even me,” she said slowly, more to herself than to him. “But you’ve opened up to Albedo. So, I’m glad.”
Kaeya was a bit surprised by her words, but he knew them to be true. He had thrown himself into his work. Protecting Mondstadt was his way of atonement, the only thing he could cling to after that fateful day. He hadn’t told Jean what had really happened. He wasn’t sure he ever would, if he could help it. He didn’t want to know how her mind might change about him. Or worse, about Diluc.
He had hated the pitying stares. They made his skin crawl. How could he open himself up with that kind of discomfort?
“I– I’m sorry, Jean,” he whispered. “For worrying you.”
“You don’t need to apologize, silly,” she replied. “I’m your friend, I’m always here for you.”
Kaeya gave her a rueful smile as the music came to an end. The audience around them clapped as the dancers exited the floor for a break. Over the crowd, Kaeya could make out Grandmaster Varka’s booming voice as he complimented everyone.
They found their way back to Lisa, who handed him his glass and a few chicken-mushroom skewers. He accepted them gratefully.
The three friends continued to chat as the celebration progressed. The moon overhead traveled across its arc, the breeze picking up slightly and sending the candles flickering. Music began once again as the band returned to their places. Kaeya could see the torn expression on Jean’s face.
“You two have fun,” he told them. Jean still seemed unsure on whether to leave him, so he continued. “I’m okay, really.”
“Alright, if you say so,” Lisa said, grabbing hold of Jean’s hand to lead her away. Then, before they disappeared completely, she turned to shout back. “The night isn’t over, you know. Anything could happen!”
Kaeya frowned in confusion at her words, but before he could ask her to elaborate she had already disappeared. He watched from the sidelines as his two friends danced, their blue and purple silk dresses dazzling the eye.
Dancing with Jean had lifted his mood significantly, but there was still lingering disappointment and fear. He had no doubts about Albedo’s survival abilities, but snowstorms on Dragonspine were no laughing matter. Was he safe? When would he return? These thoughts had been plaguing him ever since the message arrived about their delay.
Another cold breeze blew into the courtyard, sending light and shadows dancing wildly all around. Kaeya could see his breath linger in the air, but the warm glow of alcohol and his natural resistance to the cold overcame any discomfort. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting his thoughts wander with the music.
He became aware of a person approaching him from the side. Thinking it was Jean coming to check on him again, he preemptively shut down any invitation.
“You go ahead and dance, I’m doing alright over here.”
“Oh?” came a familiar voice that was decidedly not Jean’s. “And here I was hoping you might be interested in dancing with me tonight.”
Kaeya choked on nothing at all, his eyes snapping open as he turned towards the newcomer.
Albedo was wearing his cold weather clothing, the thick cloak slung over his shoulders still damp with snowmelt. His hair was messy, the usually well kept braids beginning to fall out of place. And while he was doing a good job of hiding it, he was panting slightly, his cheeks still rosy from exerting himself. Kaeya blinked a few times, his mind processing what he was seeing.
“I– you–” he stumbled through his words. “Did you just get back?”
Albedo graced him with a warm smile and Kaeya’s worries suddenly seemed so far away. The alchemist nodded.
“I told you that I would be back for the celebration, and here I am,” he gestured vaguely to himself. “I am a bit late though and certainly not dressed for the occasion, so I do apologize for that. I hope I didn’t worry you.”
“No, it’s…” Kaeya couldn’t quite find the words.
“You weren’t worried about me?” Albedo tilted his head, his expression a mask of innocence. Kaeya backpedaled.
“Of course I was worried! I’ve been worried sick all week and–” he paused, narrowing his eyes at the alchemist who now looked quite satisfied with himself. “You are a menace, you know that?”
Albedo just shrugged, “So, about that dance…?”
Kaeya extended a hand, “I would love nothing more.”
He was delighted when Albedo placed a hand in his. Kaeya held him gently as they moved through the crowd, ignoring the expressions his friends were making when they noticed them. He brought them to the center of the courtyard before placing his free hand across Albedo’s shoulder blade, waiting for the right moment to join the dancers around them.
“I’ll lead?” he asked to confirm. Albedo nodded.
“Please.”
Kaeya began to move and Albedo followed suit. It dawned on him that they had never danced together before, so he kept it simple to get a feel for his partner’s experience. Their steps were easy and graceful, the movement of their bodies falling in sync. Albedo matched him well, with only a few missteps here and there.
The music swelled and Kaeya decided to step it up a bit, leading him through a spin. Albedo’s cloak trailed behind him as he followed though, extremely eye-catching despite its simple nature.
They remained on the dancefloor for an unknown amount of time, everything else melting away. For all they knew, they could’ve been the only people dancing. It didn’t matter. Kaeya was too happy to be back in Albedo’s presence to care. In the back of his mind, he wondered when he had gotten so attached to the chief alchemist.
By the time the music was ending, it was as if they had danced a hundred times before. Albedo ended it with a dip, allowing himself to fall back into his partner’s support. They breathed heavily, now all too aware of how tired they were.
Kaeya brought him back up to stand, realizing that they were in fact the last people remaining in the center of the courtyard. There was applause from the crowd. Kaeya spotted Jean and Lisa, who waved at him with big smiles on their faces.
He turned to Albedo, who was starting to get uncomfortable after realizing that all eyes were on them. Kaeya couldn’t help but press a kiss to the back of the alchemist’s hand, gaining all of Albedo’s attention. He lingered there for a moment before pulling back.
“Welcome home.”
Albedo squeezed his hand.
“Glad to be back.”