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The bright rays of the sun were beginning to illuminate the room. Though Kaeya wanted to sleep on he knew that he would soon have to wake up, thus a dissatisfied growl left his throat, trying to cover his face with the pillow so that he could doze off for even a few more minutes.
An unconcealed chuckle caught his attention, his still-asleep brain picking up on the fact that the person who was supposed to be sleeping next to him was not in bed. Resignedly, he turned to where the laughter came from, opening his eyes and blinking several times to get used to the daylight, seeing his partner sitting on the sofa in the room drawing something, his fluffy tail wagging lazily up and down. At the same time, Albedo had a tiny smile on his face that, along with the rays of light coming from the window, made it seem as if he was in the presence of a divine being.
“Are you awake yet?”
“Five more minutes…”
“If I give you another five minutes then you're going to ask for more and more until we're late.”
The halovian sighed, mentally debating whether it was worth ignoring it all and going back to sleep, after all, he knew perfectly well that Albedo was more than capable of fixing everything in less than fifteen minutes, but as if his partner knew exactly what he was thinking about he found himself on the floor tangled in the sheets, so he had no choice but to get up once and for all.
“I've let you sleep long enough, you have less than thirty minutes to get ready if you want to be on time for the joint interview with Miss Robin, considering that she is the one who is going to sing most if not all the songs in the film.”
Kaeya couldn't help but tense up at the mention of the singer's name, Miss Robin was kind and pleasant enough to spend time with as long as their busy schedules made it possible, but there was something about the halovian that made him uneasy, and Kaeya wasn't sure if it was the aura around her or her brother.
Albedo noticed his small gesture, and before he could even move to take a shower he had his arms full of his partner's embrace, his scent flooding his nostrils and relaxing his posture completely.
“Better?”
“Mhm.”
“Good, because I have to get the outfits and make-up ready before the interview, so you're already running late.”
Before he could say a single word he simply received a quick kiss on the lips before Albedo disappeared out the door, making him smile and shake his head before heading to the bathroom for his morning routine.
The first time he met the foxian was during his first visit to the Xianzhou Luofu, so many years ago that he lost track of the number.
Kaeya distinctly remembers parting ways with his then manager, getting lost in the bustling streets of Aurum Alley full of merchants, so instead of looking for the person he had parted ways with, he decided to settle down at one of the food stalls, assuming that he would be found at some point.
Unfortunately, all the tables were taken, and Kaeya was already ready to look for another place when he felt some light taps on his shoulder, turning around to see the most beautiful being ever seen in his mind, especially with that fluffy tail and those ears that made the foxian look adorable despite having a rather neutral expression on his face, which was replaced by a small smile the instant the — at that moment — stranger told him that he wouldn't mind sharing a table with him if he let him draw him... And well, who was Kaeya to refuse such an offer?
At first, they were silent, with the foxian looking at him intently from time to time before returning his gaze to the notebook in which he was drawing with great concentration, occasionally making small gestures that made Kaeya try not to melt with tenderness, beside the fact that the stranger was extremely attractive, to the point that Kaeya found it hard to take his eyes off of him.
“Who are you waiting for?”
The question brought him out of his reverie, blinking a couple of times before his words finally registered in his brain.
“Oh, I've just started my acting career and I've been invited here so I can document this place since the director of the play wants to use some local legends as inspiration.”
“I see, no wonder you're so pleasing to the eye, it's satisfying to draw you, especially considering the heterochromia in your eyes… I'm sorry I don't have any colour to put it down on paper, but maybe another time.”
He set the notebook down on the table, turning it so Kaeya could see the drawing. He couldn't help but be surprised at how detailed it was: it was as if he was looking into a mirror, with every little detail captured to perfection, even the way he was smiling as he was lost in thought as he watched the Foxian was impeccable.
“This is…”
“You can have it.”
He looked up to see the expression on the other's face, and it was that smile that finished flipping his heart towards the kind and talented stranger.
“May I know your name?”
“Albedo.” His smile softened, turning his face slightly to one side as if debating something before he simply closed his eyes and said: "What's yours?”
“Kaeya Alberich.”
“Well, Kaeya, I hope to see you on the screens soon. I wouldn't mind drawing you again.”
Before he could say anything else, his manager appeared out of nowhere, bursting into tears and apologies for losing sight of him, basically dragging him away from the Foxian, who, still smiling, waved one of his hands in farewell, leaving Kaeya to wonder if he would ever see the beauty who had managed to steal his breath the first time they met again.
“Remind me why I agreed to this interview?”
“Because the director of this film is just starting his career and the best way to promote it is to use the two most famous stars of the moment.”
Kaeya sighed, closing his eyes so that Albedo could finish the eye makeup without any problems. They were preparing the final details before the interview, and if there was one thing he hated about having to make a public appearance, it was not being able to have Albedo by his side during those moments: since his partner wasn't in the entertainment world beyond being his manager, people didn't care if he was present or not, though they certainly preferred it when Kaeya was alone.
Their relationship is also no secret as to hide Albedo from the public, but the foxian preferred if the attention was not on his person more than usual: it was hard enough to separate his work as his manager and his career as an artist without people discovering that they were the same person.
Still, the sensation of his partner's delicate hands carefully working to get everything just right along with a light humming managed to relax him as always, knowing that Albedo enjoyed the moments they had alone to prepare everything.
“All set."”
Carefully he opened his eyes, blinking several times to get used to the lighting in the room again and smiling at the fond look on Albedo's face.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” he couldn't help but laugh a little as he said it: so many years and that tradition of greeting each other after Albedo had finished with his eye make-up was not lost, like a little good luck ritual before some filming or interview.
“We have fifteen minutes before you have to leave, do you wanna do something in the meantime?”
“Hmm… Yes, there's something I want to do.”
“Well, you tell me and-”
Before he could walk away with the brushes and other stuff, Kaeya grabbed him around the waist and pulled him onto his lap, making Albedo gasp in surprise at the action, before he laughed and let himself be hugged, which made him happy: just having his partner in his arms made his day better, and having fifteen minutes to cuddle with Albedo before an interview where he would have to spend time with Miss Robin… He definitely needed to recharge, and Albedo's weight on his lap as he hugged him was more than enough for that.
“I almost dropped all the make-up on the floor.”
“Mmhmm…”
“You could have warned me.”
“Yeah.”
“You're hopeless…” Albedo's hands began to stroke his hair, careful not to ruin his hairstyle, a gesture that made his smile bigger.
“That's how you love me.”
Albedo laughed, and hearing that sound so close to his ear was the best music he could ask for at the moment.
“Touché.”
The second time he saw Albedo was in Penacony, when the shooting of the film that was based on Luofu legends was almost finished.
For reasons still unknown, the make-up artist in charge of him and half of his team resigned after a rather heated argument with the director that was never known how or why it started, let alone what led to that end. Filming had to be temporarily halted because of that as the rest of the make-up artists didn't have physical time to work on all the actors in the film efficiently, and finding people to replace them wasn't going to be easy with the amount of other productions going on at the time.
Their meeting was purely by chance, with Kaeya lounging in a coffee shop in the Golden Moment trying to go unnoticed by taking the form of a pepeshi. Not far from where he sat, there was a table occupied by six people, three of whom were foxians, something he didn't notice until he heard a name that had been running through his brain since his visit to the Luofu, his attention drawn to what the members of that table were saying.
“… and that's why you need a different kind of job.”
“We all cannot be plant experts like you, Dorian.”
“But you can't be cooped up most of the day doing experiments!” Said Dorian banging the table with indignation, and he certainly looked almost identical to Albedo, with the colour of his eyes being the only visible difference at the distance he was sitting at. “You need to socialise more.”
“Says the one who'd rather spend hours in a greenhouse than socialise.”
“Elynas, this is about Albedo! Doesn't it bother you that our brother only interacts with us?”
The taller of the vidyadhara closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly to one side thoughtfully, while the second of them just sighed and shook his head, further exasperating the Albedo-like foxian. While they seemed to be in a somewhat heated discussion, the two younger ones seemed to be drawing very calmly, as if they were used to the other four always having conversations like that.
“Albedo, you could use your artistic skills to get a good job here in Penacony.”
They all looked at the shorter vidyadhara of the two in the room as if he had grown three more heads and four more arms, and Kaeya couldn't help but agree with those words: just one drawing that he had framed at home was more than enough to tell him what an enormous talent with drawing Albedo had, and if his siblings — at least he thought so with the context and the similarities between them even though they were not all of the same species — recognised that gift as well…
“I don't know, Durin: I like drawing, but I don't think I can make a living out of it.”
“Bah! Nonsense! You can't just draw, you can do lots of other things! It's not for nothing that Mother and Aunt Alice always ask you to help them when they have to get ready to go out.”
“Mama loves it when you help with her make-up.” The only girl in the group intervened in the conversation with that sentence before returning to her drawing.
Hearing that made an idea cross his mind, and though rejection was the most likely outcome, it didn't hurt to offer the foxian to work as a make-up artist for the last few filming sessions they needed: they'd almost have enough staff to get everything back on track, and if Albedo did his make-up the way he drew then Kaeya was sure they'd be subtle yet noticeable works of art at the same time.
With that thought in his head, he plucked up the courage for a few moments to let the conversation between the siblings flow a little more before rising from his seat and approaching, clearing his throat a little to catch the strangers' attention and giving them a small smile before greeting them, getting a confused look from everyone until something made Albedo recognise him without even speaking, but the foxian said nothing at all.
“I'm sorry to interrupt but I couldn't help overhearing part of your conversation, and right now we need make-up artists to finish shooting a film, so if you want you can stop by and talk to the director to see if you can get a short job contract.”
Several seconds passed in which six pairs of eyes stared at him as if he was crazy until they all processed what he had just said and, before Albedo could say anything, the one with the name Elynas was the first to answer.
“How do we know you're not trying to scam or steal from us with this proposal?”
Kaeya knew there would be suspicion, considering they were in a fairly public place and that his appearance was just a disguise for safety — even if he was just starting his acting career, the team agreed that being discreet was the best way to avoid any kind of accident or drama before the film's premiere — didn't help to build trust at all.
Luckily for him, Albedo had recognised him despite his disguise.
“It's okay, I know him.”
As he said that, they all turned their heads to look at him with surprised expressions at such a speed that for a moment he thought they would wring their necks or something from the abrupt gesture.
“Who are you and what have you done with my younger twin?!”
“Dorian, you're overreacting, you know I interact with other people, even if it's not very often.”
“Those are the people who sell you what you can't collect on your own for your experiments and the people from Aurum Alley who know you since you go to eat and draw in the area quite often.”
“You see? I talk to people.”
“But not with foreigners!”
“Dorian, that's enough.” Elynas had to intervene before Albedo's twin brother became even more hysterical at the new information. “Albedo, when did you meet…?”
Everyone looked at him, and it was then that Kaeya realised he hadn't introduced himself, feeling rude for going straight to a job offer instead of introducing himself out of politeness.
“Kaeya Alberich, an actor starting his career. Albedo and I met a few months ago when I visited the Luofu for documentation. This is not my normal appearance, it's just a disguise for safety while I'm wandering in the dream while we find make-up artists to continue shooting the film.”
“So the job offer is real…” Dorian muttered as he scrutinised him with his eyes.
“I'm sorry if it seemed like a farce, it's just that we're desperate at this point and you were close by and I couldn't help but overhear you talking about Albedo needing a job so…” He turned his gaze to the foxian, who was quite thoughtful. “What do you say? Do you accept?”
Albedo smiled, and that gesture made his heart skip a beat at how beautiful the foxian looked while smiling. When he nodded, Kaeya had a feeling that his career was about to take a giant turn as soon as it began.
Luckily for him, that feeling was correct.
Having to wait for Robin to show up made the interview start to annoy him more and more: they had already been waiting for over an hour and the singer showed no life signs. Kaeya would have preferred to go back to the dressing room to cuddle with Albedo than to be on the set waiting for the star of the moment to decide to grace them with her presence.
Both the show's host and the film's director tried their best to hold a conversation, but the combined facts of not wanting to be part of the publicity campaign and the other main star of the film taking so long were more than enough to put him in a bad mood.
Just as he was debating whether it would be rude to get up and leave, Robin finally made her presence known. The singer looked completely dishevelled as if she had run a marathon to get there.
Kaeya wanted to berate her for being almost two hours late, but luckily for the singer, the host sent her and a team to get ready and catch her breath, and knowing that Robin was already there took away all of his excuses for leaving, so he had no choice but to resign himself and make himself comfortable in his seat.
Fortunately for him, they let him go back to his dressing room while they waited for Robin to be ready, so without a second thought he got up and, at a swift pace — though slow enough so as not to seem desperate to get out of there — he made his way to where out of the corner of his eye he had been following his partner's every move, grabbing him by the hand as soon as he passed him and dragging him back to the dressing room with him.
As soon as he had closed the door he wrapped Albedo in a hug, and his boyfriend laughed before he hugged him back and, with that gesture alone, he felt all the negative energy leaving his body.
“This brings back memories…”
“Hm? How so?”
“The first filmed interview of your career was similar, with you not wanting to be part of it and the other main star of the film arriving several hours late… Do you remember they had to postpone it for another day because of that?”
“Ah… I completely forgot about that.”
A small laugh escaped him at the memory of that first failed interview. Back then he and Albedo were just acquaintances bordering on being friends more than anything else, and to think that, several years later, they would be in a committed relationship…
The weight of a small box hidden in the inside pocket of his suit coat reminded him of how much he wanted to take their relationship a step further, but that due to his busy schedule with the latest film he hadn't managed to find the ideal time to propose to his partner. Even though he was sure to receive an affirmative answer from Albedo, there was something in the idea of the ideal proposal that held him back: his beloved foxian deserved only the best, and Kaeya couldn't afford to ask him that casually, no, that moment had to be special and unique just as Albedo is, a work of art.
“You know, it would be a pity if they cancelled the interview in the end… I quite like the way you're dressed: it's simple but elegant.”
“Are you praising your ability to put together beautiful outfits or the way I can look perfect in whatever I wear?”
“Hmm… I dunno, I dunno… It's true that the white sweater you're wearing drapes well on your body, it's one of my favourites and I wanted to see you wearing it today. I had a hard time deciding whether to leave you in that one and show off with the accessories or just give you a suit coat… I was between grey and black because I also wasn't sure whether to go with a two-tone look or do a full gradient, but in the end, I let the white of your sweater help highlight your necklaces while you wear black… Yes, I definitely put a lot of thought into your outfit, but you being so handsome helps you pull off your clothes so efficiently and I can allow myself all sorts of creative freedom.”
The way Albedo watched him as he said all that was so intense that he couldn't help but blush: as much as his partner had a very adorable side, he also had a gift with words that managed to leave him speechless, and the fact that, in his partner's eyes, Kaeya is a blank canvas he can work with… That's a great honour, something Dorian kept telling him when they started their relationship — besides the multiple threats of poisonous plants in his food if he ever made Albedo's smile disappear.
“Albedo…”
Just when he thought he had found the ideal moment to ask for his partner's hand in marriage, several quick knocks on his dressing room door interrupted him along with the voice of a staff member announcing that they would begin in five minutes.
A growl rose from the depths of his soul: damn interview ruining the first perfect moment he'd had in months!
“Were you going to tell me something?”
He shook his head and reluctantly let go of his beloved Albedo, knowing that if he hugged him any longer, he'd never get out of the dressing room for that stupid interview.
“I just feel like getting back to the real world… This whole interview thing has never been my cup of tea, but unfortunately, it's part of the job.”
Albedo sighed with an amused smile adorning his handsome face, and oh did he feel like kissing him, but if he started that… Then no one was going to get him out of his dressing room for hours, because kissing Albedo is like a drug: addictive and hard to stop, always wanting more and more…
His mind was wandering too much, and if he wanted to get the most tedious part of his job over with as soon as possible, then it was up to him to get moving and get out once and for all.
Kaeya couldn't wait to finally get back to the real world so that he could just cuddle with Albedo until late and rest for a few days before the release of the damn movie.
From the first time he saw Kaeya, Albedo knew he had found his muse.
He had gone out that day to try and find some new inspiration — something difficult considering that the people who passed through Aurum Alley were always the same ones or tourists with little personality or presence of their own.
So when he first saw the halovian he was drawn to him almost immediately.
He never expected to meet Kaeya a second time, nor to start working for him, but most of all, Albedo never expected to find himself completely in love with Kaeya and to be in a relationship with him.
He still remembers the very beginning of their relationship and how hard it was for them to stay away from the spotlight, as well as the constant criticism and harassment from Kaeya's fans. The first two years were filled with constant arguments and Albedo fleeing back to the Luofu with his family to get away from all the negativity that was being fostered around his beloved.
To think that Kaeya, who hates interviews, did one exclusively to shut the mouths of all those who kept on damaging their relationship… That day he fell completely for his boyfriend, and even now, after several years together, he couldn't help but fall in love with Kaeya a little more every day: the many different gestures from his partner, those moments of silence filled with each other's company without needing to say a word, working together on each new production regardless of the team of professionals hired, Kaeya always consulting with him before deciding whether to try to audition for a new role or not…
His artistic career has also been on the rise since he started getting together with Kaeya, although keeping both sides of him completely separate from the public eye was tricky: there were days when he wanted to reveal his real name to all those who simply knew his name as an artist and his works — keeping his face and identity hidden was not easy, but having many overprotective older brothers and a performer boyfriend helped a lot in making it easier.
There are many days with long shoots where Albedo can't help but draw Kaeya while performing: being his manager and make-up artist gives him certain advantages in terms of access to the film set, and being able to see his partner glow while doing what he loves most, seeing his halo shine so brightly because of the great happiness he feels while performing, not to mention the way he stands out among the other cast members, be it during a shoot or a live show.
For that and many things he hates how the public forced Kaeya to have to wear an eyepatch over his right eye because of his unusual heterochromia, his beautiful combination of blue and gold in which Albedo loves to lose himself for hours in the solitude of their living quarters, those eyes that caught his attention so much from the first time he saw them: dancing like two-coloured flames full of life, flames that refused to be extinguished.
Flames that Albedo saw diminishing during the time filled with negative comments; flames that Albedo vowed to protect and not let die out no matter what.
To follow the path of Nihility is difficult, and to do so without someone who could bind him to reality and prevent the abyss of IX from consuming him was to live his life in a constant hell.
At least it was until Kaeya appeared, who became the tether he needed to survive what it takes to go down that path, his anchor and key to staying sane and stable.
Kaeya was his salvation in every sense of the word, and so Albedo swore that he would never let anything bad happen to him, that he would keep his flame alive, that he would make him happy until the end of their lives.
Starting to work in the entertainment world was no excuse to stop practising with the sword: his style was always different from all those taught in the various ships of the Xianzhou, so he had to learn on his own, containing the nihility inside his very being for years, bleeding that nihility during some days when it wanted to consume him, days when his brothers have had to knock him out to prevent him from losing himself to it.
Even knowing that they are in no danger and that Kaeya also can fight and defend himself on his own — and how could he not if his boyfriend follows the path of the Hunt, always faithful to achieving the goal he has in his sights — Albedo cannot help but want to be the one to protect him at all times as if that was his role from the moment Kaeya officially accepted to be his tether to contain the nihility inside him that was trying to destroy him.
For Albedo the simple fact that he could be by Kaeya's side was more than enough to go on with his day-to-day life, even if with the amount of work he started to have since he left home he had to give up his alchemical experiments almost completely — there are still days when he is free enough to indulge in his old routine, but if someone were to ask him, alchemy is no longer a vital part of his life as in the past, but just a hobby he resorts to from time to time.
If he had to be honest, lately he felt that things were not going well at all in Penacony, as if the nihility inside him was trying to warn him of some upcoming danger, and so many bad feelings were what prompted him to have this interview — which, luckily for both of them, would be the only one related to the film — to take place that day so he could drag Kaeya to visit his family back at the Luofu — Klee kept writing him every day asking when they were going to visit her, and he sure missed his little sister (more like cousin, but she insisted that they were siblings, and who is Albedo to say no to her?).
For a new director on the market, Albedo had to admit that he had a lot of faith in the success of the film and how ambitious he was with the cast of characters in general, plus the young man coming to him every day for wardrobe ideas that went with what he had written and the possible changes was what made him have more work than usual during the last months: going from being someone not directly involved with the shooting beyond Kaeya's makeup to having to be constantly next to the director and the props and outfit teams giving advice and directions…
That film was an odyssey, but Albedo wouldn't change anything that happened no matter how much someone asked him to.
Especially after being able to work closely on all the outfits that Kaeya would wear throughout the filming, and wow did his partner look like the prince described in the script: elegant, dazzling to the point of looking like he was born to play that role even in real life.
Of all the outfits, his favourite was the one at the end, full of symbolism related to the peacock, which, by pure coincidence, was Kaeya's favourite animal, to the point that many times during the filming Albedo could not help thinking that the director had written the role of the protagonist just for Kaeya, as if he had wanted him to audition for it from the very beginning.
Even if that proved to be true, Albedo could not blame him: many more experienced directors would hire scriptwriters to write a character that only Kaeya would be able to bring to life, so one more would not be a novelty, although it was certainly different in this case, as it was a newcomer who wrote and directed that script.
He couldn't help but smile at how genuinely happy the director was to talk about his film without telling a single spoiler, and the fact that Kaeya and Robin occasionally stepped in to help the young director put him at ease: his partner was slow to relax and act in front of the cameras as if he was happy to give the interview for the nearly half hour in which the director was talking about his writing process and how much he enjoyed the filming and the various problems the whole team had to deal with during the months they were working on the film.
“But there are a lot of things I have to thank Albedo, Kaeya's manager, for!” When the director said that, he couldn't help but tense up completely: he didn't expect his help to be mentioned, in fact, the director never gave any hint of mentioning his extra involvement beyond the credits of the film. “To be honest, having someone with so much knowledge of fashion and styling was a relief for me and the costume team… Without him, I don't think our work would have been able to shine in the same way!”
“Well, if Mister Albedo doesn't mind joining us for the rest of the interview, I think it would be great to hear the thoughts of the manager and partner of the actor of the moment, Mister Kaeya Alberich… Of course, only if they agree to it.”
Albedo crossed his gaze with Kaeya, clearly trying to convey that he wasn't prepared to participate in any kind of interview that day: he has been in interviews with Kaeya on occasion, but so rarely that he can count them on one hand. But there was something in the only visible eye of his partner that made him curious, a gleam that appears when his boyfriend is planning something, so without further ado he entered the recording area — luckily he usually dresses so that if a situation like that were to happen he wouldn't have to change clothes or anything like that — with a confident step to mask the nerves he felt about being in front of the cameras again, sitting next to Kaeya since there was a gap to his right on the couch he was sitting on.
The focus of the interview shifting to him was not unexpected considering that the director mentioned how much he helped out during the filming beyond what he usually did as Kaeya's manager and make-up artist, but he still wasn't prepared to answer so many questions with confidence: being in the public eye was more his partner's job than his, even if he often participated in photo shoots with Kaeya since there were magazines that wanted the “full pack” in the images.
“It must be wonderful to be able to have someone so well-versed in all kinds of artistic disciplines, but I wonder… Miss Robin, you also have some acted scenes in the film from what I understand, what was it like working with someone like Mister Albedo?”
“Uh? Well… I have to say that Albedo has always been a very kind person even outside of work, so working with him is… Easy, because Albedo makes everything feel natural around him if you know what I mean.”
“Yes, yes, I perfectly understand!” The host seemed overly happy with that answer alone, as if he hadn't expected anything else from Robin. “There are so many rumours about Mister Albedo and it's so hard to find a moment to interview him… We know quite a lot about Kaeya and we are also aware of how long the two have been together as a couple, but the public can't help but want to know more! Especially with the latest rumours flying around the streets, do you know them?”
After so many months of focusing on the filming of the movie and his work as an artist so that it wouldn't be suspicious for him to disappear for a long period of time, Albedo didn't have time to keep up with the various rumours and celebrity gossip that people in Penacony spread around as if they were breathing, so he could only shake his head, hoping that the rumours wouldn't be negative again as Kaeya's fire would start to dwindle again, and that was simply unforgivable.
“Rumour has it that you two are engaged… Can you confirm or deny if it is true? After all the years you've been in a relationship, we assume you've considered marriage.”
Every hair of his fur rose at that unexpected question, and it was not as if he disliked the idea of marrying Kaeya, but he could not believe that the common public was eager to know whether they were going to marry or keep their relationship as it was at the moment.
Taking the next step… Kaeya being his tether for his overflowing nihility is a bond that can easily surpass marriage depending on the relationship between the Nihility pathrider and their tether, and since in his case with Kaeya they were romantically involved with each other, even if deep down he wanted to make their bond official in front of the public…
“Ah… The public's curiosity has just ruined everything I've been planning since shortly before the filming began…”
Kaeya's comment brought him completely out of his thoughts, turning to look at him with an expression of confusion at the resignation in his partner's only visible eye.
“What do you mean, Kaeya?”
The halovian stood up, walking a little until he was facing him with all the cameras rolling in their direction and the rest of the people in the room watching intently in dead silence, and when Kaeya reached inside his suit coat where Albedo knew he had a pocket and placed his left knee on the floor, holding the small golden box with rainbow feather details in his hand… That was more than enough to get his heart rate racing without even beginning to say anything to him.
“Well… I was planning to do this another way, in a slightly more private setting, where we'd both be comfortable and it just felt right to propose this, but if the audience is so curious, I thought, why not give them a little show?” Kaeya's smile was infectious, and Albedo couldn't help but smile too. “Albedo, we met by pure chance in the streets of Aurum Alley, from the moment I saw you I was completely infatuated with you, to the point that, when we met again by mere luck here in Penacony during the shooting of the first film of my acting career, I couldn't help thinking that this is destiny, that our paths are intertwined to such an extent that we will meet again and again, whether in this life, in a new one, in another universe or whatever comes to mind in that brain of yours filled with so much knowledge that it's beyond comparison.
“When you confessed your feelings to me on one of our nightly walks, I felt like the luckiest person in the world, and every moment by your side manages to strengthen that and make my love for you grow day by day, that's why…” Still with a smile, he opened the little box showing a beautiful but simple golden ring that Albedo was sure was engraved inside, diverting his gaze to the two necklaces that Kaeya always wears that represent both of them with a fox and a peacock. “Albedo, you're the one I want to spend this life and every life I have by my side, so would you do me the honour of marrying me?”
If it wasn't for the cameras recording them, Albedo would have kissed Kaeya until he was breathless. Instead, he simply nodded and repeated his affirmative, throwing himself into his now fiancé's arms, unable to believe that he had just asked him to marry him and that in a few days, everyone would be watching it on television.
But that didn't matter at all, as Albedo couldn't be happier next to the halovian who changed his life completely, who gave him the light that was missing in his world.
