Chapter Text
Albedo was curious.
Perhaps it was his experimental side taking over, urging him to find the answer and reach a conclusion. Perhaps he felt obliged to understand more of Kaeya’s family - or past family - given that they were romantically involved. Perhaps he was just blatantly curious, as many human beings are, regardless of how far he was to being one.
Nonetheless, one fact still remained; Albedo wanted to know .
And if he wanted something, he was going to get it.
✦
“Big brother Kaeya!”
The bluenette turns, eyes scrunched together slightly in a smile, as Klee throws her weight into Kaeya’s leaning embrace. He easily picks up Klee and places her on his shoulders, then Kaeya greets Albedo. The blonde smiles, too- walking side-by-side with his two favourite people in the entirety of Teyvat tends to do that to him. As they pass through Good Hunter, Klee’s stomach grumbles hungrily. Kaeya chuckles as Klee flushes slightly, self-conscious. Albedo recommends they take away something to eat while walking. Kaeya grins knowingly, striding confidently to order something.
A few minutes later, Albedo sees Kaeya turn back to him with Klee chomping happily on a hashbrown. Kaeya clutches two Chicken-Mushroom Skewers in one hand and hands him one.
Their fingers touch, and Albedo feels himself flush slightly all over. Sometimes, Albedo wonders if love is supposed to be this simple- a feeling that you want to know that person for the rest of your life.
That’s not the point of today’s endeavour! He didn’t go through all the hassle of peeking at Kaeya’s calendar sneakily and also taking a day off his own calendar to go out together. He has something he wants to find out!
They wander past the gates of Mondstadt, heading in the general direction of Windrise. Klee is quiet for the first part of their journey, still focused on munching on her hashbrown to do pretty much anything else. Kaeya doesn’t try to make small talk, instead choosing to stroll in comfortable silence while slowly eating his skewer, something Albedo appreciates.
As they walk, he absorbs his surroundings hungrily, trying to memorise the colours of wild birds scattering through the sky, the way the wind blows through grass softly, the way the clear sky contrasts Kaeya’s ocean blue eyes.
They gradually make it to Windrise’s Statue of Seven, and Albedo notes that they still have plenty of time since the sun showed they weren’t anytime near noon yet, so they decide to stop at the statue briefly. Klee goes around, staring at the fishes with wide, curious eyes. Kaeya sweeps around the statue with a random broom found somewhere amongst the scattered piles of leaves. Albedo gently places their picnic bag to the floor and uses his vision to summon a flower to pick a few bird eggs. He rescues a stray cat amongst the branches. After a while, he finally gets the cat to trust him and picks it up gently to set it down on the ground. When he turns back to tell the duo that they should get going, he finds Kaeya teaching Klee how to catch a Crystalfly without hurting it. There’s a tender yet pained look swimming in Kaeya’s eyes, almost like he’s reminiscing.
Albedo can’t stand the sadness underneath the bluenette’s eyes, so he calls towards Kaeya and Klee to get going.
“Klee is fine with walking,” she says, wedging herself between the pair and interlocking her tiny fingers with both of their hands.
“Let’s go then, Spark Knight Klee,” Kaeya announces, tousling her hair slightly.
They continue walking towards, straying past Hilichurl groups and stray slimes. Occasionally, they encounter a few slimes, but they’re completely eradicated with their team combination- Klee applies elements, Kaeya enables them in elemental bursts of cryo to form melt, and Albedo provides shielding and the occasional swordwork here and there.
When they get to Falcon Coast at last, Klee still is full of energy. The walk wasn’t very long, and the only reason why it took a rather long time to get to the beach was because they had stopped often. Albedo estimates it will take little time to get back to Mondstadt City- about an hour at most.
As soon as Klee sees the coastline, her eyes shimmer. Turning to the two adults, she gives them her best puppy eyes.
“Can I please play with the fish?” she asks, and Albedo nods. With a delighted squeal, she immediately lets go of their hands, kicks off her shoes and socks and runs to frolic in the water.
“Just don’t go too deep!” Kaeya yells after her, to which Klee responds with an acknowledging “‘Kay!” afterwards.
Albedo sets down their picnic supplies. Kaeya helps him unfold the mat, laying it down on the sand. He also sets up the umbrella as Albedo picks out a tube of sunscreen and three hats.
He hands Kaeya the sunscreen and two hats, placing one on his own head. He doesn’t need protection from the sun, but it’s better to teach Klee good habits before she learns about this. He chuckles to himself, watching Kaeya jokingly wrestle Klee back to the sand to slap some sunscreen on her. He doesn’t get to put on her hat, because at that moment, runs off somewhere along the shore, leaving Kaeya chasing after her.
“Hey!” Kaeya yells, running as he kicks up sand on the shore, “Spark Knight Klee, get back here!”
Albedo diligently pulls out three pieces of toast, keeping the cling wrap on as to avoid flies.
Then, he waits.
✦
They’re back soon, Klee straight-up devouring her Fisherman’s Toast. Albedo sways with the soft breeze, listening to the waves crash onto the shore and basking in the scent of salt, fresh air and toast.
As soon as Klee is done, she hops off to go and make a sandcastle. Kaeya and Albedo both stay behind, not having finished their food yet. They watch her pile sand into a big tower, digging out moats and smaller towers.
Albedo looks at Kaeya, and even though he’s looking at Klee, the captain’s eyes seem further away, looking at something that wasn’t quite there.
Albedo clears his throat.
How do I mention it without being awkward?
“You’re thinking something,” Kaeya interrupts his thoughts.
“So are you,” Albedo replies, carding a hand through his hair.
Kaeya turns to face the blonde, setting his chin on his palm and leaning forwards, intrigued. His hair is messy from chasing Klee around and there is sand on his left cheekbone.
“Tell me, then.”
Albedo yanks his eyes away from his partner, cheeks slightly blushing.
“I have a question,” he tells him.
As Kaeya nods, he asks, “Do you have family?”
Suddenly, his whole demeanour shifts. He slumps, eyes downcast. The air between them changes into something more serious. The fact that Kaeya feels comfortable enough to show vulnerability and doesn’t hide this to Albedo softens his heart.
“I had a feeling you’d ask,” Kaeya says, laying his head down on Albedo’s lap as the shorter beacons him closer. “I did.”
Albedo waits. Eventually, Kaeya removes his eyepatch and closes his eyes.
“You already know I was left in Mondstadt to become a spy,” he whispers, “Master Crepus was kind enough to adopt me.”
Master Crepus , Albedo thinks, Of course. Master Diluc’s father .
“I grew up under his care. Diluc- Diluc was my brother.”
Albedo doesn’t miss Kaeya’s voice break slightly. He doesn’t comment on it, letting the other time to recompose himself.
“I was his shadow, following him everywhere, watching him flourish and shine in the spotlight. Yet, not once did he forget about me. I was the weaker brother, the less handsome one, the less sociable brother. He’d always defend me against his seniors and teach me a lot of cool sword tricks. We got along so well. I thought… well, I thought I was needed.”
That wasn’t too unexpected. Of course, Albedo’s heard rumours. Rumours of the past, of two brothers who were inseparable and always were seen together.
The alchemist ran his fingers through silky, blue strands of hair, twisting them gently into small braids.
“On Diluc’s eighteenth birthday, Master Crepus… he tried protecting us. He passed away.” Kaeya hesitated, long enough for Albedo to sense he was debating whether or not to say something else. He ties the braids, then says, “You can tell me, you know.”
Kaeya nodded and, after a quiet sigh, continued speaking.
“We… fought. I told him about my origins and how I was a spy at Mondstadt. He blamed me for our father’s death. I angered him. I wanted him to get mad at me. I wanted him to kill me. Ironically, I got my Cryo vision when he tried to.”
Kaeya shivers. “Diluc kicked me out of the house. He ran away, somewhere to Snezhnaya, I think, and was missing for, like, three years. Gone, no word, just disappeared off the face of the Teyvat.”
He breathes in shakily. “I thought he was dead in a fucking ditch somewhere, Albedo.”
Albedo rubs circles on Kaeya’s back, soothing and slow, even as his heart shatters for the captain.
“Then, one day, he just suddenly came back. By then, I had replaced him as Cavalry Captain.”
Albedo’s appetite is gone, replaced by a pumping anger in his veins. Suddenly, the afternoon heat feels oppressive as the sun beats down on their backs.
Albedo has the sudden urge to find the tavern owner and strangle him. Instead, he privately prioritises that as first on his mental to-do list and kisses his partner’s forehead tenderly.
“I’m sorry,” is all he says.
Kaeya is silent for a while. His next words make Albedo’s heart drop.
“I don’t really blame him.”
Before Albedo can protest, Klee springs up and runs towards them, energetic as per usual.
“Big brothers! Look, I made a sandcastle!”
Albedo shoots Kaeya the we’re-definitely-talking-about-your-self-esteem-issues-later look. The bluenette chooses to pointedly ignore it, instead matching Klee’s contagious energy and immediately bouncing up to spectate Klee’s sandcastle. Albedo trails along, head swimming with thoughts.
“Big brother Albedo?” Klee asks, “Are you sad?”
Albedo huffs out a small laugh. “No, Klee, just thinking. Why don’t you explain the castle to me?”
“Okay! I named the city Mondstadt, But Better! Look, here is the bridge which people can walk across to get into the city! And here…”
Albedo shakes his head. First, focus on Klee first before thinking about anything else.
✦
Albedo calmly packs up and tidies their belongings after a long and exhausting, yet well-spent (at least, in his opinion) day. Their huge umbrella snaps shut easily and folding the picnic rug back together was unbelievably easy. He stuffs them both back into his bag, then slots the plates back into the bag as well. Finally, he gets up to follow the pair, who had run off to find seashells along the shore.
“Klee?” he calls, even though he knows they didn’t wander very far, “Kaeya?”
“We’re here, big brother Albedo!” Klee’s animated voice yells back.
Albedo approaches the source of noise, feet scrunching in the warm, sun-baked sand. “I hear you!”
He hears a small giggle to his left, behind a noticeably large rock, wide enough to hide two people. A flicker of blonde hair dashes behind the rock. He drops his bag and glances to his right, making a show of searching everywhere for Klee and Kaeya.
“Hmm,” he says loudly, “Where could you be?”
“Boo!” Klee pops out from behind the rock, followed closely by Kaeya.
They tackle Albedo, laughing as he sprawls beneath the sunset, scattering seashells about. A sudden wave of something washes over him. It’s the feeling that he wants to stay under this exact same sunset forever, basking in both the warmth of the sun and the presence of two of his favourite people. The smell of Mondstadt’s salty sea envelops him, along with the faint scent of pine trees. He feels warm, content, loved .
Kaeya and Klee soon join him, spreading their arms straight and making little sand angel indents.
Albedo peers - almost shyly - at the bluenette beside him, watching him laugh with his eyes closed, looking entirely at peace as he flaps his arms and legs to make angels in the sand.
He wonders how long it took for the man to finally find a sense of contentment in his own existence. Albedo hopes he can keep that feeling of pure joy forever, even if forever is only until tomorrow.
I love you , the thought shocks him to his core. Yet, the feeling is also calming. He feels like someone had told him that the world was ending tomorrow. I love you, Kaeya, just as I love Klee. I love you like I love Mondstadt, like I love Cecilias, like I love painting, like I love early mornings .
Like a mantra, his mind chants, I love you, I love you, I love you .
✦
They walk in silence, hands slotted together, Kaeya adjusting Klee on his back every few seconds, save for the occasional jingle of the collected seashells. She was already spent when they got to Windrise, something which Kaeya had already noticed early on. He had offered to piggyback her, something she had nodded sleepily at. Almost immediately, she had dozed off, a smile still present.
They don’t talk, and it’s alright.
Albedo knows there are more problems to solve tomorrow, conversations he needs to initiate between him and Kaeya. He has a stack of workload piled up in his office in Dragonspine, and he hasn’t given Sucrose his results for a recent experiment. His current sketches perhaps need a little refining, and he has yet to finish his painting of Dragonspine’s scenery.
Those can wait , he thinks, and that thought surprises him. Right now, you exist, and you’re okay with that .
Kaeya bends down, unlinking their fingers to carefully pick a beautiful Windwheel Aster and tucks it gently into Albedo’s hair.
Do not rush. Do not hurry. You have all the time in the world .
Kaeya’s smile is soft and vulnerable and almost angelic in the last rays of sunrise. A warm gust of wind ruffles beautiful blue hair in the air as Kaeya relinks their hands together.
The moment feels right. Everything feels right.
“I think I love you, Kaeya.”
The faint surprise fades from Kaeya’s widened eyes, slowly dilating his pupils.
“I think I love you too, Albedo,” he murmurs back after a few seconds, “I think so, too.”
Albedo turns to watch the sunset. He grips onto Kaeya’s hand just a tiny bit tighter.
Nothing is permanent , his mind supplies, you know this better than anyone else . This, whatever it is, isn’t going to last forever.
But it’s okay, because I love him .
And he loves me .