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It was a curious thing.
Albedo furrowed his brow, deep in contemplation as he observed Kaeya playfully tickling little Klee. Her joyful shrieks of laughter echoing through the room should have warmed his heart, but instead Albedo found himself wrestling with a peculiar and perplexing sensation welling up from within.
What was this feeling?
Envy? Or perhaps even longing? Albedo scoffed. That would make no sense. Why should he yearn to trade places with Klee, to be the one squirming and laughing breathlessly under Kaeya’s nimble fingers?
Ridiculous.
Albedo had always prided himself on his rational nature, but this sudden desire was anything but logical. He decided to let them have their fun while he continued working on his sketch, determined to rid himself of this unfamiliar ache that bloomed within.
It was challenging to say the least, especially when Kaeya started chanting a small rhyme along with his tickles, which only increased the volume of Klee’s squeals of laughter.
“Again, again!” She cheered happily, clearly enjoying this little game of theirs. Kaeya chuckled and was clearly amused by her giggles.
“Alright, one more,” he then repeated his little rhyme, Klee’s face lighting up and giggling in anticipation.
Albedo found himself distracted again and watched. He was transfixed on Kaeya’s mischievous grin as he began to tickle Klee again, drawing out peal after peal of laughter from her.
The Chief Alchemist wondered, what would it feel like, to surrender himself to such unrestrained joy and exhilaration? To let his body be played like an instrument under Kaeya’s touch until he was gasping for air.
The thought was unsettling yet thrilling, he quickly had to rid himself of such thoughts and continue his small task at hand, no matter how difficult.
After a while of more giggles and laughter, Klee finally lets out a big yawn.
“I think it’s time for someone to head to bed,” Kaeya gives the child a small boop to her nose.
“Ohh,” Klee whines. “But I want to stay up with you and Mr Albedo!”
“Now, now, Klee,” Albedo chimed in. “We already let you stay up longer than usual. You need to get some sleep. I’m sure Kaeya wouldn’t mind escorting you to your room.” Albedo met his gaze with a knowing look.
“It would be my honor,” Kaeya stood up from his position on the couch, placing Klee down onto the ground before she gently takes hold of his hand. “Don’t forget to say goodnight to Albedo.”
“Oh!” Klee tugged gently from Kaeya’s hold on her hand to rush to Albedo. He knew what was coming and smiled as he held out his arms for her to embrace him. “Goodnight, Mr Albedo!”
“Sleep well, Klee,” he ruffled her hair as she left the embrace and returned to Kaeya, taking his hand. Albedo watched them leave the room where he was left in silence.
As he waited for Kaeya’s return, his thoughts annoyingly fell back onto the strange feeling of longing to be at Kaeya's mercy, if only for a moment. To be under him, begging and squirming with laughter under his control. Flustered and confused by this revelation, Albedo quickly shook his head, his face flushing hotly.
“This is ridiculous,” he ran a frustrated hand down his face then quickly repositioned his sketchbook into his lap to resume.
“What is ridiculous?” Kaeya’s voice startled him to the point where he dropped the sketch book from his grasp. He was back a lot sooner than Albedo anticipated; Klee must have fallen asleep the second she hit the pillow. “Is everything alright?”
“Yes, fine.” Albedo reached down to pick up his sketchbook, flicking through the pages to locate his recent work. “I take it Klee went to sleep fairly quick?”
“Out like a light,” Kaeya took his spot beside Albedo on the couch, but scoots closer to him this time now that Klee was no longer around. “What are you working on? You’ve been at it for quite a while now.”
“Oh,” Albedo stared down at his work, clearing his throat from the slight awkwardness of not having been able to achieve much from all the distractions before. “It would seem I couldn’t capture the feeling I was going for this evening.”
“I see.” Kaeya sounded almost suspicious, but Albedo kept his eyes locked onto the sketchbook in his hands. “You know, I couldn’t help but notice the look on your face earlier.”
“Hm? What face?”
“Oh, you know, that longing expression while I was tickling Klee,” Albedo could hear the smirk on the captain’s lips, which was a sign of incoming teases.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Captain.” Albedo dismissed. “You’re imagining things.”
“Am I now?” Kaeya purred teasingly, his breath tickling his ear. “So, it was just me imagining that longing look? Not at all a certain someone feeling left out and jealous, right?”
“R-Right.”
There was a moment of silence and Albedo could feel Kaeya’s gaze on the side of his face, igniting a small blush upon his cheeks.
“It’s okay, you can admit it – you want me to tickle you too, don’t you, Albedo?” Kaeya walked two fingers up Albedo’s sides up to his ribs in a teasingly unbearable tickle, enough to cause the alchemist to flinch.
Albedo gulped, his heart racing, simultaneously craving Kaeya's touch and dreading the implications of what’s about to come. “I don’t…”
“Liar,” Kaeya smirked, letting all his fingers on his hand claw at Albedo’s ribs, vibrating them to make sure the sensations are felt even through the fabric of his shirt.
“Pfft!” Albedo let out an undignified yelp and tried to squirm to the side, but Kaeya foiled his attempt by wrapping his free arm around the smaller man’s frame, locking him in place while the tickling fingers had a field day up and down his ribs and sides. “Kaeya! – ahahaha!”
“Yes?” Kaeya’s deft fingers mimicked the movement of a spider and scurried down his side and to the hem of Albedo’s shirt, where the hand then touched Albedo’s soft skin and began skittering across the planes of his stomach.
"K-Kaeya! S-Stop, I can't!" he managed to choke out, but there was no real protest behind the words. The sketchbook once again found the floor beside the couch and Kaeya used this opportunity to pin the blonde down onto his back. “Nohoho!”
“You say no, but isn’t this what you wanted, my dear?” Kaeya teased, his fingers scribbling around the soft skin of Albedo’s torso, digging into his ribs whenever he tried to reply only to send him into a fit of more contagious laughter.
It felt nice to be the centre of the Kaeya's world, if only for a moment, even if it meant enduring this sweet torture. Kaeya seemed to sense his enjoyment, which is why he didn’t stop. His blue eye twinkled with mirth and something deeper as he continued his ticklish assault on the geo user, drinking in the sight of Albedo so unravelled and carefree, cheeks glowing and golden hair askew from his squirms.
“I yield! I yield – hahaha! Kaeya, please!” Albedo wheezed out, the laughter finally turning silent which is when Kaeya gentled his ministrations and eventually eased off, allowing Albedo to catch his breath.
The blond sagged back into the cushions, letting the last of his giggles pass. Kaeya couldn’t help but find the sight endearing and leaned down to steal a kiss, swallowing Albedo’s startled gasp.
Once their lips parted, Albedo gasped for air before staring up into Kaeya’s beautiful eye. “Ok, I’ll admit… maybe you weren’t imagining things, after all.”
Kaeya chuckled, using his hand to gently tuck a loose lock of hair behind Albedo’s ear and then cupping his face gently. “I never realised you liked this sort of attention that much. You know that I am more than happy to oblige in any playful antics with you, all you need to do is ask.”
“I will keep that in mind. For now, I am quite comfortable laying here with you, if you don’t mind.”
“It would be my honor.”