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Albedo was good at observing.
After all, both alchemy and art — the two things Albedo primarily filled his time with — required a lot of it. Observe changes and consistencies and more in an experiment; observe focal points, colours and more when painting a landscape; observe, observe, observe. It was just something Albedo was used to.
Most recently, though, the Chief Alchemist of Mondstadt had found a new subject he was particularly interested in observing: the bright-eyed, golden-haired Honorary Knight named Aether.
“It’s a little embarrassing to do this while you’re watching me so intensely, Albedo,” mumbled the Knight in question as he rummaged through his bag for ingredients. “I’m just making soup.”
The two of them were at Albedo’s camp in Dragonspine, sitting across from each other by the campfire. It had become somewhat of a routine for the pair — once every few weeks, or whenever Aether had time to spare amidst his adventures across Teyvat, he would come visit, and the Chief Alchemist would run a few simple ‘experiments’ on him while they chatted.
Some days, the experiments were simple, and much akin to the tests Albedo had conducted when they had first met. A few rounds of monster fighting, a course or two of gliding, the usual. Other days were less conventional. Today, for example, was centered around cooking.
“It’s just an ordinary onion soup, based on a recipe I got while I was in Fontaine,” Aether insisted. “Throw a couple of ingredients in a pot, mix mix mix, and ta-da! Soup. I’m not doing anything special and you know it.” He waved his ladle around for good measure. “Just soup!”
Albedo bit his lip, amused. He shook his head gently. “This too is an important part of my report,” he mused. “It’s for section 5 of the ‘Food, Nutrition and Other Forms of Sustenance’ chapter. I’m to observe how the otherworldly traveler prepares his meals.”
Aether squinted, not quite buying Albedo’s flimsy excuse. He faked a glare for a moment, grumbling, then burst into a fit of laughter.
“You know you can just say you want to hang out, right?” Aether laughed, shaking his head fondly. “You don’t have to keep using your ‘observation report’ as an excuse. I’m always happy to spend time with you.”
Albedo looked up from his clipboard to look at him, the calm, serious expression on his face unchanging. Had Aether not known better, he might’ve thought that the Chief Alchemist’s intentions truly were focused purely on his research, but the playful twinkle in the other man’s eyes betrayed him.
“I’m not sure what you mean, Aether,” Albedo replied smoothly. “This sincerely is important research. Though you know that most, if not all of us, in Mondstadt hold you in high regard, the fact remains that you’re not from this world. Things could happen even if we don’t want them to, and it’s always better to be prepared.”
He watched as Aether pouted slightly, an action he wasn’t sure the traveler was even aware of. “As such, it’s imperative that we understand more about you,” Albedo continued. “Not just for the sake of Mondstadt, but also for your own safety during your travels in Teyvat.”
”Well, yeah, I get that, but…” Aether grumbled. He reached down to play with his braid, flicking locks of golden hair back and forth. Albedo’s expression softened.
“Though… I will admit, I quite enjoy being with you as well,” he relented.
Aether instantly brightened, his sunny smile returning to his face at once. “Yeah? I knew it!” he teased, stirring his pot. The rich, pleasant aroma of onion soup was slowly starting to waft throughout Albedo’s camp. “And I feel the same way.”
In truth, Albedo knew that there was more to his experiments than what he told Aether. Hell, even Aether knew. It was a rather poorly kept secret, but one Albedo held on to for convenience nonetheless.
A simple glance at his compiled observation notes, as it turned out, was enough to figure out the truth.
“…‘he plays with his braid when he’s being stubborn or feeling bored’,” Kaeya read aloud, an eyebrow raised as he flipped through Albedo’s documents, “…‘when he draws his sword in a hurry, he sometimes flicks his wrist in slightly too sharp an angle. It’s rather adorable, however, the sparkle in his eyes whenever the enemy he’s defeated drops something precious.’”
Albedo let out a light, airy laugh. He’d made the mistake of leaving his notes out in the open, and the cavalry captain had spotted it with ease. It wasn’t as if he was hiding anything suspicious, but… He had to admit, hearing the notes he’d written about Aether read out loud was making him just the tiniest bit flustered.
How charming he is, when he bites into something delicious. His eyes light up like stars. In a way, he resembles one himself.
Today, we lay down in the fields around Starsnatch Cliff and just talked. Even while doing seemingly nothing, he always seems like he’s having fun. I would like to know how he relaxes in his home world.
I find myself rather charmed by Aether today as well. I’d like to —
“You can stop there, Kaeya,” Albedo coughed awkwardly.
Kaeya’s lip twitched, but he respected his friend’s wishes. “Of course.” He set down the notes, but continuing to lean against Albedo’s desk. “I trust this is all part of your observations as well?”
Albedo’s eyes narrowed. “…Yes,” he answered hesitantly, covering his face with a gloved hand, “It’s important that research conducted in any capacity is thorough. Now please leave my camp before I run out of poor excuses. In the first place, Kaeya, what brings you to Dragonspine?”
The cavalry captain beamed. He retrieved a few documents from his pouch and handed them to Albedo. “From Jean,” he informed him. “The Windblume Festival will be taking place soon, as you know. These are your assignments. Aether has already agreed to help out the Knights with setting up the festivities, so maybe you could use this chance to go on a date—ah, I mean, conduct an experiment.”
Albedo shook his head, embarrassed. “I… I suppose it would be a good opportunity,” he admitted. “But this purely is for research. Really.”
“I’m sure it is.”
“Kaeya…”
“On that note,” Kaeya hummed, “I will say, Albedo, that there’s something important you’re missing from your research regarding Aether and his behaviour.”
The alchemist glanced at him. He crossed his arms, his head tilted slightly. Kaeya was a trusted friend, but sometimes it was a little tricky to tell where his teasing stopped and his genuine advice began. “Oh? And what might that be?”
Kaeya smiled. He gave a playful little bow. “You’re the one conducting the research, are you not? Next time you’re with Aether, why don’t you try and figure that out for yourself. I’ll see you soon, Albedo.” And with that, he had swiftly exited the campsite, disappearing from the other man’s view.
Though Albedo was fairly certain that Kaeya had just been messing with him, he didn’t want to rule out the possibility that he truly had missed out something completely. After all, what sort of alchemist, then, would that make him?
Hence, now, as he set up the alchemists’ stand in Mondstadt’s main square, Albedo made sure to pay extra attention to the habits of his favourite blonde traveler.
“That’s perfect!” Aether laughed. He was helping to set up decorations around the plaza, bounding around the place assisting one person and the next. As helpful as ever, Albedo thought. He felt warmth blossoming in his chest every time Aether made eye contact with him and waved.
“Albedo, do you wanna hang out once we’re done?” Aether called.
“I’d like that. You might have to wait a while, though.”
“I’m good with that!”
Albedo smiled. Throughout the day, he watched as Aether continued being his usual sunny self — but, while it was lovely as always, he wasn’t quite picking up what Kaeya had been trying to hint to him. It hadn’t seemed like Aether was acting any differently than normal.
“…Albedo, is there something bothering you?”
Albedo blinked, snapping out of his trance. “Huh?”
The traveler stood before him, eyebrows furrowed in concern. “You’ve, uh, been staring at the ground for a few minutes now. Sorry if I interrupted your train of thought.”
Albedo shook his head, then sighed. No point overthinking things, he supposed. All around them was the festive cheer and banter of Windblume preparations; he didn’t want to bring Aether’s mood down by making him worry. Certainly, he was someone who learned by observation and testing, but sometimes the easiest solution was to just be straightforward and ask.
“Aether,” he asked slowly, not quite sure how to phrase his question, “is there anything bothering you at the moment?”
Aether stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. His expression melted into one of fondness and amusement. “That’s exactly what I just asked you,” he snorted. “Really, what’s gotten into you, Albedo?”
The Chief Alchemist bit his lip. “No, it’s just… As you know, I’ve been observing and recording your behaviour for my reports—”
“—you mean our hangouts you’re too embarrassed to just ask me for—”
“Ahem. Reports.”
“Right. What about them?” Aether giggled.
“Well, it’s just…” Albedo sighed. “Over time, Aether, I like to think I’ve come to understand more about you. I know how you fight, I know how you prepare your meals. I know why you do some things the way you do, and I can more or less predict patterns in your behavior. Clearly, unless circumstances beyond our control should take place, you aren’t a threat to Mondstadt. If anything—” he crossed his arms — “…with the way you take care of yourself in the wilderness sometimes, I’d say you’re more of a threat to yourself.”
Aether nodded slowly. “I… suppose so, yes.” He wasn’t that reckless, was he?
“But humanity can never completely be predictable. Try as I might, I will never fully be able to understand you,” Albedo continued. “I know this, and yet…”
He glanced away. “And yet, I find myself wanting to,” he admitted softly. “More than any observation report or experiment can reveal. I want to know more about you, Aether.”
Aether’s eyes were wide. Albedo could say such sweet, sincere things sometimes. He wondered if the other man even knew half the effect he had on him. He smiled nervously. “…What brought this on, in the middle of festival preparations?” He asked.
Albedo glanced away. “I’m not sure. Something Kaeya told me,” he confessed. “He said I was missing a crucial part of my observation reports. And while I firmly believe that there’s always more to learn and improve on when it comes to research, just… the thought that I might be missing something important related to you made me unsettled. As if that was something I didn’t want to accept.”
The golden-haired man’s heart skipped a beat. “…Oh?” He whispered.
Albedo looked down. Aether’s hand reached for his own, and he found himself accepting it easily. The warmth of the other’s palm intertwined with his own.
“‘How the traveler sustains himself in the cold’,” Albedo mumbled, thinking of his reports. “How he fights off monsters while minimizing damage to the surroundings, and how he does so while maximizing it. How he treats the people of Teyvat, a world to which he is foreign; how he reacts to wild plants, either ingested, used as medication or otherwise. How he plays with Klee.” He frowned, looking at Aether with a gentle, yet fierce determination in his eyes.
“What am I missing?” Albedo mused. “Surely, there is plenty more to cover. I could write novels alone on the subject of you, Aether, and never once grow bored. But there’s something important I feel that’s just barely out of my grasp, something I’m not necessarily forgetting, but am just unaware of, something, something—”
“Albedo.”
The alchemist paused. He looked at Aether, whose heart was so full it felt like it was about to burst into confetti and decorate the town even further. “…Yes, Aether?” Albedo asked.
“I have a feeling I know what it is,” Aether smiled. “But even I have barely experienced it myself. Your report might be… well, if it’s anything like the subject matter, then it might be shaky and clumsy and full of silly mistakes. It won’t be perfect, but I think… No, I know it’s worth trying. Is… Is that fine with you, Albedo? Do you still want to learn more?”
Albedo’s eyes sparkled. “…Always,” he nodded. “If it’s about you, Aether, then of course I want to know more.”
Aether beamed. “Perfect,” he said softly. “I have to get back to setting up the decorations for now, but… I’ll see you later?”
Albedo smiled. “Yes. Absolutely,” he confirmed. “And maybe, perhaps, during the festival itself, we could walk around together?” He asked hesitantly. “As… as a date?”
Aether grinned. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Kaeya beamed, his arms crossed as he leaned against the entrance of Albedo’s Dragonspine camp. He glanced around the alchemist’s place, where over time things had begun to appear in pairs. Two scarves, two pillows, two mugs of hot cocoa. Two lives, two stars, forever intertwined.
“So did you find out what you were missing from your ‘observation reports’ on Aether?” He teased, knowing fully well what the answer was.
Albedo smiled. He flipped through his newest stack of observation notes. Some chapters were updated consistently, and this was one of them. “Naturally. An alchemist has to be thorough in his research, after all,” he laughed. “Though… I’m not quite sure this part needs to be submitted to Jean.”
He filed his notes together and set them aside for safekeeping. “Now, shall we head back to Mondstadt?” Albedo suggested. “There’s more work to be done here, but I need to pick up some documents from Sucrose first.”
Kaeya moved to follow him, but on the way out, he couldn’t help but notice the title of the notes Albedo had just set aside. He couldn’t help but let out a little smile at how cheesy, yet simple and sincere it was.
“Sure,” he agreed. “Let’s head out.”
[ Chapter xx: Behaviour Regarding Interpersonal Relationships — How the Otherworldly Traveler Falls in Love. ]