Chapter Text
“Are you really trying to bribe me with cake?”
Kaeya slid the plate in front of Albedo with an obnoxious smile plastered on his face.
“Of course not, starlight,” he said, playfully offering the alchemist a fork. “Whatever gave you that impression?”
Albedo raised an eyebrow as he took the utensil, “What indeed.”
It was a slice of angel food cake served with a simple whipped cream and a handful of giant blueberries. He stared at the offending baked good like it was a treasure hoarder who had mistakenly stolen his research materials. The box it had come in was a plain white one. Albedo didn’t recognize it from any bakery in town.
“Just tell me what this is all about,” Albedo said as he grabbed his first bite. He could immediately tell it was ridiculously light and airy from poking it with the fork. What kind of heaven was he about to enter? And just what kind of hell awaited him after?
Kaeya didn’t respond immediately. He gestured for Albedo to take a bite. The alchemist recalled tales of ancient spirits tempting humans with delicacies and treasures, only for those humans to wind up contractually bound for eternity, or worse. He sighed and took a bite.
As he had suspected the cake really was heaven. It was light and sweet, like consuming the early morning sun.
Eternity doesn’t sound so bad, actually, he thought.
Kaeya watched, amused, as Albedo enjoyed the cake, “I take your blissful expression to mean that you like it?”
“I hope you know that I despise this side of you.”
“I think I can live with that,” Kaeya replied, popping one of the blueberries left in the box into his mouth. “Anyway, onto business. I need your help with an investigation. It's the Darknight Hero.”
“Mhm,” Albedo said, barely pausing between bites to answer. The captains held a meeting not long ago to discuss Mondstadt’s new resident vigilante. The mysterious cloaked figure had appeared within the last month. They had started out apprehending small-time criminals and taking care of monsters on the city outskirts. The knights only got involved after the Black Fire incident.
The entire case had Kaeya’s scheming written all over it, but Albedo had little interest in uncovering the truth.
Kaeya removed a letter hidden in his vest, placing it on the table next to Albedo. The familiar lettering was rough and heavy handed.
“The Grandmaster himself has ordered the Cavalry Company to investigate the area surrounding Dawn Winery,” Kaeya explained. “Supposedly the Darknight Hero has sighted there on more than one occasion. I would like you to join me.”
Albedo polished off the plate, the slice of cake a distant memory now.
“If the Grandmaster specifically asked the Cavalry Company to handle this, I don’t see what benefit there would be to having me tag along,” Albedo replied. “A heavy Knight presence would send our target into hiding.”
“That’s why it would just be the two of us,” Kaeya said cheerfully. “And we’re mainly there to take statements from the people of the manor, more a formality than anything else.”
Even less reason for me to be there, Albedo couldn’t help but think, despite fully understanding why Kaeya had come to him about this.
This wasn’t the first trip Kaeya had taken to Dawn Winery. Prior to the Black Fire incident, Kaeya had been invited to the Winery along with a handful of other high ranking knights and the Seneschal of the Church of Favonious. Albedo was certain he had gone to visit Diluc a few times after as well. But Kaeya tended to visit with at least one other person in tow.
“Plus,” Kaeya added in the face of Albedo’s silence, “If you come with me, I can get you more of that cake.”
Ah, so that was the angle he was going for.
“I didn’t realize the Dawn Winery had branched out into selling baked goods,” Albedo said.
“That’s because they haven’t,” Kaeya winked, “This cake was gifted to me courtesy of one Head Maid. It’s her secret recipe.”
“Of course it is.”
It would be too easy if Albedo could buy it for himself, after all.
Favors were a part of Kaeya’s arsenal, a layer of security. To be indebted to someone was a dangerous position in his eyes. So he disguised asking for help as a two way exchange, one he had the upper hand in. Albedo had a few guesses as to why.
He would’ve accompanied Kaeya regardless of how he asked, but if this gave his partner some semblance of comfort then of course he would play along.
Albedo sighed and Kaeya smiled knowing the alchemist was giving in. Kaeya hooked his foot around a leg of Albedo’s stool, dragging him closer. He held the last blueberry up to Albedo’s lips.
“Well?”
Albedo glanced once between the blueberry and Kaeya before holding Kaeya’s gaze. He let the silence drag on for some time. Albedo had already made up his mind, he just wanted to watch Kaeya squirm as payback.
Just as Kaeya reached his breaking point, Albedo ate the offered blueberry from Kaeya’s fingers. Perhaps he was imagining it, but it was the sweetest of the bunch.
“Alright,” he said, barely containing his amusement at Kaeya’s brief sigh of relief, “I’ll go with you.”
“Wonderful!” Kaeya replied. “How do you feel about leaving two days from now?”
Albedo raised an eyebrow, “So soon? Won’t we need time to discuss the details with Jean and–”
“Way ahead of you,” Kaeya winked at him. “I spoke with our Acting Grandmaster about it the day the letter arrived. We’ve both received the stamp of approval for this mission.”
“Of course you did. And how, pray tell, were you so sure that I would be free to join you?”
“Just a hunch.”
Albedo nodded slowly, glancing briefly at the plain white box the cake had come in. Kaeya’s preferences leaned toward spicy and bitter foods. Angel food cake was rather sweet, something that Kaeya could enjoy but was certainly not his favorite. And Albedo was more than aware that when it came to Kaeya, coincidences were not something to be taken at face value.
Albedo was not doing this for the cake. But he had to admit that he looked forward to tasting it again.
“Two days from now,” he agreed. “Is there anything that I need to prepare?”
Kaeya smiled, “Just yourself, everything else is already in order.”
Albedo wasn’t sure what to picture when he thought of the Dawn Winery. It was the home of the so-called “Uncrowned Kings of Mondstadt”. But more importantly, it was the home that Kaeya grew up in. What kind of place nurtured such a unique individual?
They had taken the path that would bring them to the front of the estate. The canyon walls were steep, the dusty road’s limited palette of browns and grays quickly becoming boring. When they finally left the steep walls behind, Albedo was greeted by the lush green of the winery’s expansive vineyards.
The land itself changed in an instant, like the winery was under the protection of a powerful magic. The air was warm and sweet. The mansion proper sat at the top of the gentle hill, its roof a warm but not overpowering brick red. The building itself was grand, as to be expected of the head of Mondstadt’s wine industry, but it displayed its wealth tastefully.
Kaeya’s expression was caught somewhere between wistful and sad. They had briefly stopped at the entrance sign to the winery, their horses casually munching on the grass that grew there. They sat in silence under the shade of a large oak tree until Albedo spotted a figure dressed in black and white waving to them from the mansion. He didn’t miss the way Kaeya stiffened in his seat.
“Ready?” he asked. Kaeya didn’t look in his direction, but nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Welcome Master Kaeya, Captain Albedo,” the figure, who turned out to be a maid, greeted them as they arrived at the front of the house. “I trust that your journey was a smooth one?”
She was a tall woman in her forties with a gentle countenance, though Albedo did not mistake the cunning that lurked underneath. Blonde hair framed calm and calculating green eyes. Her clothes were spotless save for the light traces of flour on her apron.
“Adelinde, always a pleasure to see you,” Kaeya replied. “And our trip was pleasantly uneventful, not a hilichurl or treasure hoarder in sight. Someone has been rather busy.”
Adelinde only acknowledged his last words with a knowing smile, “If it’s so nice to see me, then you should come home more often. It can get dreadfully boring around here without you.”
Kaeya feigned shock, his amusement all too obvious, “My! I can’t believe you would insinuate such a thing about the good Master Diluc!”
“Alright, enough of that,” Adelinde concealed her laughter behind her hand. She turned to Albedo, “Come down and introduce me properly to our guest.”
Kaeya hopped down from his horse with ease, quickly moving to Albedo’s side to offer a hand. The alchemist took it without thinking. But when he met Adelinde’s gaze again, a wave of self consciousness washed over him. She glanced curiously between him and Kaeya, lingering on where their hands were still touching. Albedo surreptitiously slipped his hand from Kaeya’s the moment his feet touched the ground.
“This is Albedo, the one I told you about in my letters,” Kaeya said. “Albedo, this is Adelinde, the Head Maid of Dawn Winery.”
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Adelinde,” Albedo said. “I am Albedo, the Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius.”
Adelinde grasped one of his hands in her own. Her palms held the telltale signs of a hard worker. She smiled kindly at him, a warm and knowing sparkle in her eye.
“Wonderful to finally meet you, Captain Albedo,” she said, then leaned closer to whisper. “Master Kaeya writes about you often. All good things, of course.”
Albedo knew his ears were turning red and just nodded in response. Adelinde squeezed his hand once before letting go.
“So, where is Diluc today? Not coming to greet his guests?” Kaeya asked, glancing around as if expecting Diluc to appear at any moment.
“Master Diluc and Elzer are away at the moment,” Adelinde explained. “I can send a messenger to let them know that you have arrived.”
Kaeya shook his head, “No need to go out of your way, I’m sure he is busy with something important.”
“Very well,” Adelinde acquiesced, then in a loud voice shouted, “Hillie! Moco! Come help our guests with their luggage.”
Albedo heard a high pitched squeak of alarm come from around the far corner of the house. Two younger maids sheepishly stepped out into view, curtseying upon reaching Adelinde’s side. She made a silent signal and the two stepped up to start unloading the horses.
“Would you like us to stable and water the horses?” Adelinde asked and Kaeya shook his head.
“No, we’ll take care of that ourselves,” he said. Adelinde nodded her approval.
“Understood.”
Hillie and Moco made off towards the house with their luggage in tow. They had only packed the essentials, so their luggage was not a burden. Before they could lead the horses away to the stables, Adelinde’s voice stopped them.
“Ah, Master Kaeya, my apologies but it seems that the guest room is not yet ready. It will take some time to prepare it…” she said. Though she was addressing Kaeya, her eyes were locked on Albedo, “…if you will be requiring two separate rooms?”
Behind her, Hillie and Moco exchanged a confused glance, but had enough sense of self preservation not to comment. Kaeya opened his mouth as if to respond but hesitated. He looked to Albedo, who wanted nothing more than for Kaeya to take on the responsibility of answering the question.
“...The guest room would be greatly appreciated,” Albedo finally said. Kaeya nodded in agreement.
“Yes, please do prepare the guest room.”
Adelinde smiled, “It shall be done. For the time being, I will have Hillie and Moco take your things to Master Kaeya’s room. I trust that you still know your way around the estate?”
“Not to worry, Adelinde,” Kaeya replied. “My memory is not so bad, I’m sure I can manage.”
Finally freed, they lead their horses around the side of the estate towards the stables. On one side was the main house, its walls looming overhead but without an oppressive force. If anything, Albedo thought the walls were warm and inviting, a far cry from the cold stone walls of the Lawrence estate that he had caught glimpses of in passing.
On the other side were the lush, green vineyards stretched over the hillside. The grapes were beginning to bud, the few open flowers an invitation to pollinators. Albedo was certain that crystalflies served no purpose in pollination, but they too drifted in and out of the vines. Albedo couldn’t help but wonder if the Anemo God had a particular fondness for wine.
Once inside the relative safety of the stable, Kaeya let out a soft sigh as he petted his horse’s muzzle. The gray mare pressed against him in consolation.
“What are you thinking about?” Albedo asked as he began to remove his horse’s tack.
“I’m…not sure,” Kaeya said, confused by his own words. “It’s just a lot.”
Albedo walked over and pressed a brush into Kaeya’s hand. Kaeya smiled at him and turned back to his horse. Kaeya’s mood improved as he walked through the familiar motions. They worked in silence, brushing the horses down, feeding and watering them. Once the horses were settled, the two dusted themselves off and walked slowly back towards the mansion.
Kaeya pointed out the different breeds of grapes in the vineyard, explaining the flavor profiles and the basic timeline for winemaking. He talked of the differences between grapes grown in different sections due to varying concentrations of sunlight received and those cooled by the river.
“We should take another trip here during harvest,” Kaeya suggested. “The winery can always use more hands for picking, and no one will mind if we eat a few.”
Albedo thought he looked good in this setting, so far from the secretive and conniving Captain. His smile was open and honest.
When they finally entered the estate, Albedo’s thoughts of it being a warm and welcoming place were solidified. The interior smelled like cinnamon and oak, but it wasn’t overpowering. Like Kaeya’s house in the city, the tall windows let in plenty of sunlight, and the candles scattered about gave the interior an inviting orange glow. The decor was tasteful as well, simple but clearly of high quality. Now Albedo understood where Kaeya’s eye for interior design came from.
“Albedo!” Kaeya said. Albedo turned towards the stairs where Kaeya waited for him, hand outstretched. “This way!”
Albedo took his hand and let himself be led upstairs. The walls were decorated with paintings. Albedo recognized the style, noting the familiar C.R. written on the bottom right corner. There were paintings of Dawn Winery proper, the Symbol of Mondstadt’s Hero, as well as views from various mountain tops from not only Mondstadt but Liyue as well.
Up the stairs, to the right, down the hall, and to the right again brought them to an open door. It was one of the turret rooms. There was a custom oak wood desk set at the farthest end from the door with a bed to the left. A soft circular rug covered the majority of the wooden floor.
The room had clearly grown up with its owner, but Albedo still saw remnants from Kaeya’s childhood. A wooden practice sword was hung on a wall, old paintings were stacked off to one side. There was a leather trunk at the foot of the bed that Albedo was willing to bet held many more childhood secrets.
“This is where you grew up,” Albedo said softly, more to himself than anyone else. Kaeya nodded.
“Home sweet home.”
There was a bitter undertone to the words.
Albedo glanced down the hall, noting the door they had passed by that led to the other turret room.
“I assume that the other room belongs to Diluc?”
“You assume correctly,” Kaeya confirmed. “Actually, this room used to be his. He gave it up for me when I first came to live with the Ragnvindr’s.”
Albedo tilted his head, “Oh?”
Kaeya scratched the back of his head awkwardly, “Yeah this room was closest to Master Crepus’ study where he spent most of his time, even at night. And Diluc was right down the hall.”
Ah. Albedo just nodded, not asking any further questions. Kaeya gestured for him to enter. Their belongings had been set down next to the bed. It was a small bed, only wide enough to comfortably accommodate one person. The blankets were, as to be expected, of a high thread count. They were scented with lavender, freshly washed.
Kaeya removed his elaborate overcoat and half cape, leaving him with just his undershirt and fitted pants. Albedo did the same. Despite this place of wealth, a simple shirt and pants seemed far more appropriate than their usual outfits. Perhaps in times of grand gatherings and balls the atmosphere would call for formal attire. But right now, it was simply a refuge for those returning home.
“Sit with me?” Kaeya asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Albedo nodded, sitting on his left. Kaeya hunched over, resting his head on Albedo’s shoulder.
“Is this the first time you’ve come back to this room since you left?” the alchemist asked. Kaeya shook his head.
“No, I visited a handful of times after the…incident. But it has been quite a while. It's all so familiar, and yet so different. I’m not sure how to feel about it.”
Albedo had only heard bits and pieces of the incident Kaeya was referencing. He knew that Kaeya had watched his adoptive father die during an attack by Ursa the Drake. He had read the reports back at headquarters once a long time ago while cleaning out the old storage room that became his laboratory.
He knew that Kaeya and Diluc had a falling out shortly following Crepus’ death, and that Kaeya had received his vision at that time. Then Diluc had left the country, and just recently returned.
Kaeya did not speak of the past very often, so Albedo had been careful to file away everything the knight said when he did. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but he thought he had a decent impression of what had happened.
“It’s okay to be unsure of your own feelings,” Albedo said slowly. “This place holds many memories for you, so it’s not surprising that you are overwhelmed by them. Take your time. Let yourself feel.”
Kaeya laughed weakly, “When did you become so wise, hm?”
“Haven’t I always been?”
Kaeya sighed, “Maybe you have.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a long time. The bright, midafternoon sun slowly softened into its evening glow. Somehow Albedo had managed to retrieve a book without disturbing Kaeya, who had fallen asleep at some point. His breathing was deep and slow, his weight pressed entirely against Albedo’s side with Albedo’s arm wrapped around his back to support him. He was slightly concerned that Kaeya was much lighter than he appeared to be.
Adelinde had checked up on them a handful of times, bringing Albedo a few snacks as Kaeya relaxed. She had giggled to herself the first time she found them and Albedo buried his face in the book. The blueberries were the same as the ones that had come with the angel food cake. Albedo finished them quickly.
It was strange, he thought, how this place that should be unfamiliar to him had such a sense of ‘home’. Albedo couldn’t think of a time that he had a true home. Until Mondstadt, he had always been on the move, traveling constantly without a place to return to.
Kaeya had always interested him. It started with the obvious, the star-shaped pupil that marked Kaeya as a child of Khaenri’ah. Then it was his personality, a convoluted mixture of truth and lies. His confident, suave persona was like a layer of watercolor over acrylics. The truth peaked through for those who looked close enough, but how many would become invested enough to try?
Kaeya was charming with and without the mask. He could match Albedo’s intelligence and make up for the areas that Albedo had no interest in. A skilled fighter, a talented vision user, and good with people.
Kaeya was a person with a home, and yet he rarely returned to it. From their brief interaction with Adelinde, it was more than obvious that Kaeya was still welcome here. Albedo didn’t think it was his place to say anything, but he found it curious.
He understood that Kaeya carried many scars, though he would never fully understand how deep those scars go. He couldn’t see Kaeya’s face from where he rested on Albedo’s shoulder, but his body was relaxed. He slept peacefully here, despite everything.
Here, between the rooms of the one he once called father and brother. Both who had left him behind, even if one was only temporary.
Kaeya stirred and it wasn’t until the footsteps reached the closed door that Albedo understood why. The relatively heavy wooden door flew open, abrupt but controlled enough not to slam against the wall. A man dressed almost entirely in black stood in the doorway, his hair a fiery red that glowed with its own inner flame.
“Kaeya you–oh,” the man’s voice had started out loud and immediately softened the moment he laid eyes on the figures in the room. Kaeya had jolted awake at the sound of the door opening and winced at the booming voice. Albedo just started wide eyed at the person in the doorway.
“Diluc?” Kaeya finally said, blinking away his sleepiness.
“Who else would I be?” Diluc huffed after getting over his initial blunder. He glanced between Kaeya and Albedo. The tips of his ears were red. “I see that you’re preoccupied. I’ll be in Father’s study.”
“Ah, wait,” Kaeya’s voice stopped Diluc who had already turned on his heel. “Where are your manners? At least allow me to introduce you to your guest.”
Albedo thought he heard Diluc grumble under his breath something along the lines of ‘you’re really questioning my manners?’. And yet the hot tempered man did in fact turn back around.
“This is Albedo, Chief Alchemist and Captain of the Investigation Team,” Kaeya said, gesturing towards Albedo.
“A pleasure to meet you, Captain Albedo,” Diluc said before Kaeya could introduce him. He walked forward with a hand outstretched. “I am the Master of Dawn Winery. You can just call me Diluc.”
Albedo stood up, noting that Diluc was surprisingly shorter than Kaeya and much more stocky in build, “Just Albedo is fine. It’s nice to meet you as well.”
They shook hands and Albedo could instantly tell how powerful Diluc’s grip was. It was clear that he was holding back much of his strength, the grip was firm but not crushingly painful.
“I’ll excuse myself,” Diluc said, once again heading out. As the door closed, he added, “Kaeya, meet me in the study at your earliest convenience.”
Not bothering to hear Kaeya’s reply, Diluc closed the door. Albedo stood staring at the space Diluc had just occupied and Kaeya sighed, dramatically falling back onto the bed.
“Can I please go back to sleep?”
Albedo could help but smile at the slightly petulant whine in Kaeya’s voice, “He did say at your earliest convenience.”
“That’s just polite talk for ‘this instant’ or ‘five minutes ago, you’re late where have you been’.”
Albedo laughed, “Somehow I have a feeling he wouldn’t actually mind if you did sleep a bit longer.”
Kaeya raised an eyebrow, “Where on Teyvat did you get that impression?”
Albedo shrugged, “Just a hunch.”
Truthfully, the first thought that crossed Albedo’s mind when he locked eyes with Diluc was that the Master of Dawn Winery truly was Kaeya’s brother. They were different on the surface, but their hearts were the same. Albedo wasn’t entirely sure where that impression came from, but it was strong enough that he trusted it.
“I suppose it wouldn’t be very gentlemanly to keep him waiting,” Kaeya said, fake resignation in his voice.
“Would you like me to come with you?”
Kaeya shook his head, “Not this time, but thank you.”
Kaeya stood and stretched. He started towards the door, but stopped before reaching it. Albedo, who had sat back down and already returned to his book, heard the hesitation in his steps and looked up to find Kaeya looking back to him. There was an air of contemplation about him.
Before Albedo could ask, Kaeya walked swiftly up to him, used his hand to tilt Albedo’s head slightly, and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. Albedo blinked owlishly at Kaeya’s soft smile.
“Thank you for coming with me,” he whispered. Then he slipped out of the room.
Albedo closed the book and lay backwards on the bed. The sheets were warm where Kaeya had been laying before. The shadows were lengthening now, sun a watery golden glow. One of the windows had been cracked open earlier, the gentle breeze carrying with it the sweetness of newly budding flowers. Albedo briefly wondered if he would ever find a place like this to call home.
His eyes fluttered shut as he fell into the warm embrace of sleep.