Chapter Text
Albedo was sitting at the table in his office, eyes sunken with lack of sleep and a cup of coffee by his side. The sun had long since set, yet he was still writing a report about his most recent achievements. Which mainly contained distributing cooling-potions to locals to combat the summer heat. But the material expense and time he worked on it still counted into the Knight of Favonious's budget. And he'd be stupid not to write those down and end up unpaid.
It's been Barbatos knows how many hours since he ate dinner. But the alchemist was fairly used to the pressure behind his eyes from a lack of sleep and the rumbling feeling in his stomach. After all, his homunculus nature allowed him to. His body fed solely on elemental energy. Any amount of human food he ate, he only did to put on a good image in front of others. Or to enjoy the taste of it. Everytime he had the opportunity to mix a bit of an elemental concoction into it, he did so. Just how the coffee in front of him right now was spiked. His body felt exhaustion and hunger. But it wasn't alive, so those were mere feelings that bothered him, but wouldn't kill him.
Much to Sucrose's dismay, who didn't know about his unique condition. Actually, no one but Alice and Rhinedottir knew. Not even Jean. So Albedo didn't really fault his assistant for worrying about his well being. If he saw her working a solid twelve-hour shift with nothing more than a single apple in his stomach, he'd get quite distressed as well.
Usually he liked to disregard Sucrose's concern with a little bit of guilt in his gut. But this time, he figured he might as well stick to her teachings about a healthy work-life-sleep balance and pack up. Cleaning his workspace seemed like a hassle. So he didn't do it, only picking up the coffee to empty the rest into his stomach with a big sip.
By the time he was ready to walk out the door, the first rays of sunshine were already beaming through the small window of his office. And the alchemist cursed to himself.
Now there could be people out. People to scold him for being in the office all night. And what Albedo wanted least of all right now was to have to hold a conversation.
Locking up his lab, he made his way down the odor‘s hall. He wouldn't see it for a good week. Today he would rest, and the day after that he'd start an expedition to Dragonspine. The laboratory up in the mountains always provided much more comfort to him. Better equipment, a quiet and cool climate, natural resources right at his doorstep and no co-workers holding him on edge.
Social interactions really weren't his specialty. Sometimes he wondered if applying for a job at the Knights of Favonius had even been a good idea in the first place. He had been working perfectly fine by himself before, after all. Whether that was the case or not, he had a tendency to make it quite clear that he preferred to be left alone. Which most people had picked up on quite quickly.
Most people...
"Good morning, Sir!"
Kaeya greeted him with a cheery smile as they passed each other in the hallway. Hardly able to come up with a fitting response in time, Albedo chose to simply not answer. Walking past the cavalry captain, which brought Kaeya to an abrupt stop.
"Hey, now. I'm talking to you. Don't you know that ignoring greetings is considered rude in most parts of the earth?" The taller man looked at Albedo with an offended scowl in his brows, though that subtle and ever present smirk on his lips didn't fade.
"Ah. Yes, apologies. Good morning."
Albedo was tired. And dreading what might happen if he stayed any longer, he turned on his heels, heading for the main entrance. Which, apparently, prompted Kaeya to reach for his arm and hold him back. Rather irritated by that, the alchemist turned around to face the latter again.
"What. Don't look at me like that", he chuckled, letting go of his arm. "I'm just trying to have a conversation with you, is that so bad? Fellow knights always say you're hard to get along with. But I bet you just need someone to look really deep-"
"I'm taking my leave now."
"Wait!"
Once again, Albedo found himself pulled back by his shoulder. Their eyes met, silent for a moment, before Kaeya spoke with a bit of pity in his voice. "Oh dear, you look horrible..." His hand found the side of Albedo's cheek, cradling him as if he was a piece of porcelain; too weak, breaking with the breeze.
It set something inside of Albedo off. A certain aversion he had been feeling quite often when interacting with the cavalry captain.
"What I look like is none of your concern."
He was about to turn away again, an edge of anger in his voice.
"Ah- You can stay in my office.”
Kaeya quickly added, as if desperate to keep the blonde around. “With such a sleep-deprived body, wouldn't it be a bother to walk all the way back to your apartment? Just rest up here for a while."
The smile on Kaeya's lips seemed...
as unreadable as ever. So insincere it might just be sincere. On his lips for such a long time, it had ingrained itself into his skin, muscles growing taught to never let that smile go ever again. This was his default, always had been since the moment they met. And it made it quite difficult for Albedo to read or understand the other man. Did Kaeya ever not pretend? Or was that just his personality….
You see, Albedo was a person who valued truth and sincerity over every courtesy and bit of kindness there was. If he couldn't read someone's body language, couldn't take their words at face value or didn't know what they expected of him- all chances at friendship were lost. Even a simple conversation with someone who didn't understand this way of communicating could be stressful enough for the alchemist, he'd do anything to avoid that person.
And Kaeya just happened to be a prime example of that.
“Sir, I don't think that will be necessary.” He looked to the ground, not feeling comfortable with the eye contact anymore.
“Why not? Don't you want to camp out at my place once in a while?” The smile on the captain's face indicated a joke. But Albedo didn't consider what he said funny.
“Not… really.”
“Don't you think it would be fun?”
“I-”
Suddenly, Albedo found his chin lifted by a delicate finger, forcing him to look up. Only to take a deep breath and immediately search for anything else to look at but the face inches from his.
“I have quite the comfortable couch, you see. And i'll be as quiet as you need me to be~”
A headache was forming in the back of Albedo's head, gnawing at the few nerves he had left. Everything was starting to feel dim and shaky, like reality was distancing itself.
“I'm….a little overwhelmed….”
He felt quite helpless… and that feeling frustrated him. He didn't know what kind of answer he'd expected to his plea for help from the cavalry captain. Yet he was rather confused when his world tilted, body shifting and a strong arm wrapping around his waist.
Wh-what…?
Yet he didn't have the energy to voice his surprise. He hardly even had the energy to fight back as he was carried over Kaeya's shoulders to what he assumed to be his office.
***
“I'm so glad you decided to visit me!”
Kaeya beamed as he sat the alchemist down on the couch in his office. Albedo was still out of it, his mind having to wrap itself around what was going on for a moment longer. The dizziness from before hadn‘t worn off yet and his breathing still needed to slow down.
Had he just been…. Picked up? Just like that?
And Kaeya had been talking all the while he carried him, not even bothered to see Albedo be in distress.
The alchemist was baffled. But words still hadn’t come to him yet. So instead, he took a deep breath and looked around the room. And found it to be actually quite comforting. The lights had just been dimmed by Kaeya, the latter was sitting down at his desk and…actually being quiet for a change. There were no sounds piercing his ears, only some birds chirping outside of his window. And Albedo always considered that sound rather comforting.
“You're… not gonna tell anyone I'm here, right?”
Another positive was that the couch was facing away from Kaeya.
“Hm? Oh, you want to stay here in secret? That's intriguing”, the captain chimed back. “I'll keep this meet up our little secret, then.”
Whatever that tilt in his voice was supposed to mean, Albedo couldn't tell. And he didn't want to be able to tell.
"Sure”, he gave back half-heartedly. He only wanted to sleep and therefore fell flat onto the couch, feeling his eyes shut within seconds.
“You know, I'm not above having a little fun while we are alone. Do you play poker? I never really go out with you a lot, so I wouldn‘t know…. Albedo?“
But the alchemist was already deep asleep. Kaeya chuckled in disbelief and amusement. Then, he picked up a small blanket that was lying on a shelf, threw it over the alchemist and crouched down next to the couch.
"You worked through the night again, huh?"
He remained there for a moment, taking in the sight before him. It was a bit weird to be staring at a sleeping man so intently. But he felt this moment was a rare one, and he shouldn't let it slip away so easily. How often would he get to see Albedo, the beautiful and admirable Kreideprinz, resting peacefully. On his couch, no less.
Hesitating for a moment, Kaeya took off his gloves. He only wore them for aesthetic purposes anyway. And with a gentle hand, he reached out to let his fingers glide over the blonde's cheek.
It was an intimate touch, no questions asked. Kaeya was very aware of that. He would never dare to caress Albedo's cheek like this when the other was awake, either. That was simply begging for his hand to be slapped away.
But what else could he do when the alchemist always rejected even the smallest advances towards him? Apparently, he wasn't even good enough to be the blonde's friend. And that fact alone hurt more than it should.
Yet here he was. Lying on his couch, fast asleep and resting. It came as a surprise to Kaeya that Albedo could be comfortable enough around him to fall asleep in the first place. He really didn't seem like the kind of person to trust- anyone. Ever.
So, maybe Albedo liked him more than he let on after all?
The taller man scuffed.
Albedo was probably just too tired to care......
Disappointing, but very likely.
Displeased with his own thought process Kaeya stood back up and walked back to his desk. To him, the day had just started. So a big workload was still ahead of him which he should concentrate on instead of Albedo.
A good two hours must have passed by now. The early noon sun was intense and hot already. Even though Kaeya had previously pulled the red curtains shut the heat still reached into his office. Uncomfortable, Kaeya took off his coat and tossed the fabric onto the couch.
Upon seeing said couch he couldn't help but wonder if Albedo, too, would be too hot under his blanket? In fact, since he arrived his mind kept on wandering to the blonde beauty sleeping on his couch again and again. Since the couch was facing away from him, the alchemist was luckily out of his sight. Who knows if Kaeya would have been able to get anything done if he was able to see Albedo. Yet it was Albedo's constant shifting and soft snoring that brought the alchemist back into his mind again and again. It was a pain having to listen to his love interest sleep so peacefully right in front of him.
Albedo seemed so close yet painfully out of reach. Walking over again, sitting down next to his legs, proceeding to do his work down at the small table in front of the couch… Yeah, he couldn‘t do that. If Albedo was to wake up during that, he‘d probably kick him off the cushions.
After a short while Kaeya had to realize that he was staring at the back of the couch. Not only that, he was also holding his breath-
“Archons, Kaeya. Concentrate!" , he hissed at himself, pulling his eyes away from the couch and slapping his own cheek a few times for good measure. He's already wasted too much time thinking about Albedo and completely neglected his work.
This was not what he had imagined would happen when he invited the Alchemist into his office this morning. He had hoped for them to sit down together, have a talk, maybe. Get Albedo to see that he was pretty easy to get along with. Honestly, getting any reaction other than a monotone ‚okay‘ and some excuse to escape the situation out of the blonde would already satisfy him for months to come!
A few seconds later Kaeya's forehead met the desk in a frustrated sigh.
The Captain`s brain was empty.
The most stupid crush he had ever had had mushed his brain, there was no way to restore it back to function.
Even more frustrated than before Kaeya reached into his desk, pulling out a package of cigarettes. He stood up from his chair and headed for the door. A break was in order. Even if Jean didn't like it when he smoked at the job, he had to do it anyway. It put a bad light on the Captains of the Knights of Favonius. Which Kaeya understood- but an addict has his urges.
As the Captain walked past the couch he took the opportunity to swiftly tap his finger to Albedo's head.
"Oh Albedo... You're going to pay for this~", he mused with a playful yet dreadful tone in his voice.
"...pay for what..?"
Halfway to the door, he stopped.
"Albedo?" Uncertainty lingered in Kaeya's voice as he turned back around. How long had he been awake for? The smaller figure stretched. Arms lifting into the air so his back could form an arch. It looked rather adorable. And Kaeya momentarily forgot what he was so worried about.
"It's too hot..."
The blonde pushed the warm blanket off of him and sat up straight. Still groggy from sleep, his torso swayed a bit. Yet he found his balance again quickly, rubbing his eyes to get rid of the crust there. Eyes scanning the room, landing on Kaeya and then simply looking up at him expectantly… A wave of heat rushed to Kaeya’s head and he had a hard time remembering what he left his desk for.
Something...
something related to...
The cigarettes, right! Quickly he crouched back down to the couch, his eyes meeting Albedo's. Which made the beating in his heart only spike higher. But he ignored it.
"Kreideprinz, I was about to take a quick break." He holds up the pack of cigarettes.
"If you feel the part, why not join me?"
The blonde was still rubbing his eyes and staring off into the room, seemingly not showing any interest in paying Kaeya attention. Or answering the proposal he had just made. It made the captain nervous, fingers starting to fidget with the edges of his fingerless gloves.
As Albedo still didn’t answer, he had to take look down and take a deep breath. It was just a proposal for spending the break together. Whatever was going on in the alchemist’s head will not be as bad as your body is making it out to be. Calm down, he has rejected you before.
"Hmmmm..." the other hummed in thought, taking his sweet time to consider. Maybe he even did it on purpose, keeping Kaeya on edge. Why else would he drag this out so much.
Albedo, on the other hand, was still rather numb from the sleep and in no condition to make decisions. Let alone smart ones. His brain was buzzing and his body tingly from the heat.
“It’s too warm in here….”, he mumbled, before reaching out an arm for Kaeya to grab. "Help me up, please.."
With delight, Kaeya took the hand, helping Albedo wiggle out of the blanket. The blonde was still wearing his gloves. Just as he hadn’t bothered taking off his coat or shoes as he had fallen onto Kaeya's couch earlier in the morning. No wonder he was hot. Standing tall on the floor again, the captain took the liberty of adjusting Albedo’s shirt.
"Here, let me help you."
And with a quick hand, he reached under the hem of Albedo’s coat and pulled it back. The fabric clung to the blonde, not falling off in one go but instead being stuck halfway down his arm. Ready to get on his knees to tug the coat further, Kaeya leaned in only to find the alchemist take a big step back. In his frenzy, he almost tripped over the couch. Feet hitting the padding below on its wood-frame.
"Don't strip me!"
Startled, Kaeya froze.
He looked up at the other. A soft blush had settled on his cheeks and his face was scrunched up in discomfort.
“Ah-”
Albedo definitely misunderstood! He wasn't stripping him he was just trying to be nice-
“You should learn to respect personal boundaries some more.”
With those words, in his ever-monotone voice, the blonde took off his coat by himself and passed Kaeya to exit the room.
The captain didn’t know what to say. He was still stumped. And considering that Albedo was currently leaving without him, he decided on a whim to simply not say anything. Instead, he rushed out the door and after Albedo. The sharp pain being so blatantly rejected still ringing in his chest.
"Shall we head out?"
He tried to brush his crushing mood off by simply smiling. To which the other luckily nodded his head.
Albedo didn’t know what about Kaeya made him so prone to pushing boundaries. Was it not obvious that Albedo enjoyed his space? Did he have to push himself onto the other this much? Not only was Kaeya constantly initiating physical contact, he also had a tendency to talk over the blonde. Like he owned the conversation.
Albedo would describe Kaeya like a riddle or an ancient script he didn't have the translation to yet. The alchemist could see that Kaeya was putting on a show 90 percent of the time, but he had no means of deciphering it. Every conversation they've ever had was completely surface level too. Not once have they done more than Smalltalk in between shifts or at breaks.
A shame, really. Albedo could only really bloom when having deeper, personal conversations. They actually piqued his interest. Hearing what other people have experienced and being able to piece a more accurate version of said person together was delightful. It helped him to comprehend the other. Which had not only been a fun pastime for him, it also helped tremendously.
But Kaeya was a lost cause. Albedo didn’t trust his social skills to get close enough to Kaeya for him to open up. So he never seeked a conversation with him. Kaeya's oddly flirtatious and teasing personality didn't match well with his own. It deterred him, confusing him and overwhelming him.
***
The break they took was long. Or at least, that's how it felt. Most of the time there was simple silence lingering between them. Not the good kind. The kind where both parties clearly wanted to leave the situation.
Luckily the rest of the courtyard was rather loud, drowning out the awkward silence between the two captains. From one end of the city two dogs kept barking at each other. Kids were running around the small fountain and eventually even a couple of Knights passed them.
Kaeya was having a hard time sparking a conversation with the seemingly still tired alchemist. No matter what topic he picked, the conversation always only lasted a few seconds. Whether it be the weather, Albedo's research, Klee or painting. None seemed to get Albedo engaged. Even if those were supposed to be his hobbies, his interests.
"Tell me, do you always ignore others? Or is that just a thing you do at noon?", Kaeya spat agitated. He flicked at his half burned down cigarette, letting the ash fall to the ground rather aggressively. He's never had issues talking to others before. Heck, even Diluc was more talkative!
"What do you mean?"
Albedo tried to sound as genuine as possible.
"I mean, that you're obviously not enjoying this very much."
He sighed. "Look, you're an interesting person and I'd like to find out more about you. But you're giving me a really hard time over here."
The look in Kaeya’s eyes was akin to a puppy who was just denied food from its owner. A face Albedo had actually never seen on Kaeya before. If that information affected the blonde, he didn’t show it. He only stared at the floor, trying to find an answer to Kaeya's desperate words.
"I don't mind getting to know you either. But you are hard to comprehend."
Albedo looked to the side now, avoiding eye contact as much as he could. "It stresses me."
"I stress you?"
Oh no... Albedo said something wrong. Had he been too straight forward? He should have sugar coated his words more. After all, especially Kaeya would take offense in such a statement.
"I didn't mean to offend you. I just simply don't know you that well yet. There are a lot of uncertainties when conversing with you. I'll have to get used to it."
That should have saved the situation...
There was silence for a moment in which Kaeya seemed to assess Albedo with piercing eyes. "Hmmm... If you say so."
His voice was smooth yet slightly judgmental, as if he didn't quite believe Albedo yet. He took a deep draw from the cigarette still in his hands, trying to calm the churning feeling in his gut.
Which was when it hit him.
Such a perfect opportunity!
"Well then, why don't we go out together? I'd recommend dinner at Good Hunters." He leaned forward a bit, closing in on the Alchemist with his usual smile back on his lips and the cocky attitude restored.
It bothered Albedo. But he could still handle the pressure of being looked at by those blue eyes. If only the alchemist had some more emotional and social intelligence, he would have surely figured out what was upsetting him. But alas, that was not something to acquire in a day.
So with a sigh, he settled on his decision.
“Alright, that is fine”, he agreed to the dinner. The idea was not thrilling and would certainly take a big chunk of energy out of him. But since Kaeya was so insistent, he might as well.
And who knows, maybe luck was on his side and he'd actually enjoy the evening. Those events do happen on occasion.
And Kaeya could do backflips. His mind was racing and heart jumping in joy.
Did he actually get a date with Albedo?! It seemed so surreal. Never had Kaeya dreamed of this day.
"That's great! I'll meet you this evening then."
The taller man's smile was so big it would have reached his ears, if that was possible.
"Ehmmm-"
Albedo had to step in and cut the others' excitement off. "I'll be gone for a good week. Expedition to Dragonspine. So this evening- or the entire rest of the week isn't going to work for me." Albedo almost felt guilty having to break such bad news to Kaeya. After all, the taller one’s happiness was not to be overlooked. An interesting and seemingly out of character reaction for Kaeya. Curious.
And just as quickly as Kaeya's eyes had lit up with sparkles, as quickly it was dying out again. Disheveled, he looks Albedo in the eyes before realizing what he must look like right now. An unsightly image, not even close to the confident person he strives to be. Quickly, he cleared his throat.
"That's completely okay."
His throat feels dry. "When is the earliest you'll be free then?"
"This Saturday."
So almost a week. Kaeya cursed at Barbatos in his head.
"Oh- Sir, your cigarette" Before Albedo could finish his warning the cigarette in Kaeya's hand had already burned down to his finger, making Kaeya drop it in surprise. Quickly the taller man stepped on it, extinguishing the leftovers effectively.
"It's alright", he huffed, picking up the last bit of the Tabaco. "We should head inside anyways, don't you think?"
"I'll be heading home immediately."
Albedo stared at Kaeya for a second, as if expecting a particular reaction. But then decided to not linger and go on ahead on his own.
"See you next Saturday."
The alchemist lazily waved goodbye before heading off towards his own home.
The Cavalry Captain, after being left alone in the courtyard, watches Albedo leave for a bit longer until he can't make out his figure anymore. He had to collect himself and think about what had happened. The disappointed feeling of having to wait a week was quickly replaced by the fact that he had a date.
An actual date!
His grin grew wider every second.
Such an opportunity, and he won't mess it up!
For Albedo, on the other hand the meetup only added more stress to his schedule. Though, as soon as he'd be up in Dragonspine, he could relax again. Arriving at home he quickly undressed, yet stopped when his shirt was in his hands. It smelled of Tabaco.
He lingered with the shirt in his hand for a moment before tossing it in a corner with the rest of his clothing. His head full of Dragonspine and Kaeya he quickly fell asleep.