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The wall of Kaeya’s office had slowly become a treasure trove. He supposed that this was only natural for a ‘pirate’, after all what was a pirate without treasures? But this collection was not of items that he had plundered. They were gifts.
“The luster of this starsilver is particularly brilliant.”
“Here, I drew this sketch of a crystalfly over by Dawn Winery. They tend to gather around vineyards. Do you know why that might be?”
“I found these pressed calla lilies in one of my old notebooks, so I made a bookmark out of them for you. Do you like it?”.
"I noticed that the cup you prefer has a chip in it, so I created a new one for you. I hope you don't mind."
He had asked Albedo about the gifts once. All the alchemist had replied was that the items reminded him of Kaeya.
There were other gifts too, though Albedo wouldn’t consider them as such. Going out on a long expedition? He would slip Kaeya a potion that helps decrease fatigue. Caught Kaeya admiring a small trinket? Albedo would casually hand it to him not long after. And Kaeya was fairly certain that Albedo was the one who kept leaving flowers on his desk.
Sometimes he would find little sketches hidden on pages of reports. Perhaps not the most professional, but Kaeya never minded. They broke the monotony of reading through the paperwork, even if only for a moment.
Then there was that painting. Kaeya had yet to find a good place to put it. The conversation that surrounded that particular image was of a sensitive, emotional topic. Surrounded by endless fields of grass and a clear sky, he had bared parts of his heart to the alchemist, and Albedo had accepted it. He had painted it, even. The canvas sat neatly wrapped in his room, but even with cover over it he could still see his own image surrounded by a field of cecelias, a soft smile gracing his face.
Kaeya soon found himself anticipating the little gifts, and wondered if he was taking Albedo for granted. But he saw the little smile on the alchemist’s face when he would find Kaeya reading a book, a bookmark of pressed calls lilies between its pages. The knowing glint Albedo’s eyes when he found Kaeya admiring the mysterious bouquet in his office.
They were small acts, but they filled Kaeya’s days with warmth, like the sun peaking through a gray sky. After so many years of being stuck in the gloom, these little rays of thoughtfulness were bringing back something he thought he had lost.
Kaeya was often told that his efforts were appreciated. Grandmaster Varka had said so on many occasions, particularly after the many successful cases Kaeya had solved. Jean told him that she appreciated him on a daily basis, and his fellow knights spared no expense praising him. The citizens waved at him when he wandered about the city, and he would sometimes receive free samples from vendors.
And yet, he still felt hollow. He knew, logically, that he should take pride in these accomplishments. He should feel good about them. And he did, to an extent. Still, they were short lived moments, overshadowed by a feeling that it was only natural that he had accomplished such things. It was to be expected. It was his duty.
It was his penance.
But then the shelf in his office began to be filled with little trinkets and sketches and the words ‘I thought of you’. The gifts were wholly separate from Kaeya’s achievements. They were simply a form of appreciation for his existence, not for what he could do or for what he was expected to do.
So Kaeya made a vow to show Albedo that same kindness, to ensure the alchemist felt appreciated and to lighten the burdens he knew Albedo carried if only just a little.
~~~
Albedo had read about different ‘love languages’ as part of his research into romance. He appreciated what he learned, but ultimately didn’t think about it much after the fact. Putting people’s preferred expression and reception of love into defined boxes didn’t interest him. If there was one thing he had learned about humanity, it was that trying to confine people to arbitrary little boxes never worked. People were too complex for that.
That being said, he would be remiss if he didn’t acknowledge the patterns he had begun to notice in his relationship with a certain Cavalry Captain.
If Albedo had to choose a box for Kaeya, he would choose ‘acts of service’. Yes, that seemed to adequately describe the way the knight preferred to express his affection.
“Oh, well if it isn’t my favorite alchemist! Anything I can assist you with today?”
“I’m running to the cafeteria for a bite, want to join me? Too busy? No problem, I’ll bring you something.”
“I grabbed you a coffee from Good Hunter, thought you could use a pick-me-up. Don’t worry, I added an obscene amount of sugar, just how you like it.”
“Your hands are cramping up on you? Not to worry, I’m pretty skilled at giving hand massages.”
At first, Albedo was a bit resistant at letting Kaeya do so much for him without any prompting. More often than not Kaeya was buying him snacks, or a drink, or spending extra time doing little tasks for him. At one point he wondered if Kaeya had been expecting him to reciprocate in a similar way, and worried he may have offended him by not doing so.
He asked Kaeya about it once. All he had said was that he enjoyed helping Albedo out, it was natural for him to do these things. He didn’t expect anything in return.
Outside of work, Kaeya would often invite Albedo to his little place out in the city. It was an escape from headquarters, where they spent the majority of their time. It was blissfully peaceful, with no interruptions.
Albedo couldn’t recall when it had started, but at some point it became routine for him to spend a few days out of the week at Kaeya’s house. Perhaps it began after a particularly close call during one of his many expeditions into Dragonspine. Albedo couldn’t get sick, at least not traditionally. But he had been caught in an avalanche, and it did a number on his well being.
Despite being medically cleared, Kaeya spent an inordinate amount of time fussing over Albedo. At first, Albedo couldn’t understand why he seemed so frantic, but after spending some time thinking about it he realized that Kaeya was simply acting on long held fears. The Cavalry Captain had lost too many important people, he couldn’t lose another.
Albedo supposed that incident is also where the baths started. Part of their routine also included Kaeya drawing up baths for him. The alchemist had never spent so much time bathing before Kaeya introduced him to the wonders of nice smelling bath salts and soaps. It was relaxing, and something he never would’ve done for himself.
Kaeya’s acts of service extended far beyond Albedo himself, and he found himself oddly endeared watching the knight perform them for the people around them. Sometimes Kaeya would assist Sucrose in watering her multitude of sweetflowers, or help a struggling knight carry boxes of casefiles down to storage. Sometimes he would pick up patrol shifts for knights who needed a break, or take up teaching swordsmanship to aspiring knights.
Albedo knew that Kaeya had dedicated himself to Mondstadt, everything he did was for the place he called home and the people he considered friends and family. In some ways, the alchemist wondered if his conviction was healthy, or if it stemmed from some deeply rooted struggles he had yet to fully uncover.
Either way, Albedo made a silent vow to support Kaeya, just as he supported everyone around him.
~~~
Kaeya and Albedo’s relationship had brought about a few changes to the Knights of Favonius.
Namely, if someone was looking for the Cavalry Captain and he was not in his office, then they would naturally head to the laboratory where the Chief Alchemist worked. More often than not, Kaeya could be found helping out around the lab, or laying on the couch reading a book.
On the other hand, if someone was looking for the Chief Alchemist and he was not in his lab, they would naturally head to the Cavalry Captain’s office. More often than not, Albedo could be found talking about his expeditions into Dragonspine as Kaeya listened intently, or sitting on a chair in the sun as he sketched away.
If neither Captain could be found, then they had likely taken the day off and any reports or messages would be handed to their subordinates. But wherever they had disappeared to, it was highly likely that they were together.
Sometimes they could be spotted heading out the front gates carrying canvases and paint. Adventurers had often found the pair sitting in some of Mondstadt’s most scenic locations. On occasion, they were joined by the little Spark Knight, a blanket laid out on the grass and tasty dishes spread around as they wove flower crowns or chased Klee around.
The knights also knew that if work kept them apart for too long, the Cavlary Captain would often be found staring at the icy mountains or at the shelf in his office and the Chief Alchemist would lock himself in his lab working until he fell asleep at his desk.
Their relationship interested many of the knights, as the two Captains seemed so different. And much of the time they spent together they did so quietly, side by side in silence with their own separate activities.
Once, a newly initiated knight asked them about it. The Captains merely blinked at him, as if not understanding his question, before exchanging a glance and answering in unison:
“We just like spending time together, that’s all.”