Solar Frost ☼ Kaebedo Week 2022

Kissing Under Fairy Lights

"Well, just know that I'm just as excited to see your lovely face, dear Alchemist," Kaeya said with a grandiose air, bowing just the slightest. "Besides, what are you even doing here?"

"I'm collecting crystalflies and picking up a shipment of grapeseed oil." Albedo said, crossing his arms in annoyance. "The last one I needed disappeared right as you appeared."

"Terribly sorry. Perhaps I can help you find another one?"

Strange of Kaeya to offer to help. Normally, Albedo could find him wandering around the Knights of Favonius Headquarters, a bit drunk, looking for someone to bother. Sometimes, secretly, he hoped Kaeya would come and talk to him.

"Alright. Please alert me when you see another one, and do so quietly." Albedo instructed, nervous as to how this would play out. Kaeya was not exactly known for being very stealthy.

The two wandered around the vineyards under the hot midsummer sun, searching for a speck of Anemo residue. A few caretakers were dotted around the insides of the grapevines, and as Kaeya and Albedo passed by they waved, and then turned to whisper behind their gloved hands.

Surprisingly, Albedo found that he rather enjoyed Kaeya's company. He wasn't actually as overly loud or annoying as he had originally found Kaeya, rather quietly conversational. And maybe, as Kaeya leaned in close to point out a crystalfly that had flown by, Albedo enjoyed the way Kaeya was so close to him, close enough that their shoulders brushed.

Albedo scooped up the crystalfly and capped the jar with satisfaction. Kaeya's face was flushed, but Albedo suspected it was just from the heat.

"Would you like to accompany me back to Dragonspine? You seem rather heated. The cool air on the mountaintop can do wonders." Albedo offered, pretending that he invited people to spend time with him at his research facilities all the time. All the time. There was nothing particularly nerve-wracking, or butterfly-inducing, about this encounter at all.

Kaeya turned even redder and rubbed the back of his neck, presumably to cool down. "I don't know if I'd be able to take you up on that offer. I have— things to do. Things, work. Cavalry Captain work."

Albedo raised an eyebrow at Kaeya's rambling. "It's not a problem. Enjoy yourself."

On the walk back to Dragonspine, Albedo's mind started spinning wildly. Kaeya, with Albedo on Dragonspine? What was he thinking? Kaeya would probably be less interested in the work Albedo was doing and more interested in pestering him. Doing things like sitting distractingly, or touching his hair and smiling.

Archons, Albedo had really been shaken up by the encounter. And yet, he couldn't stop envisioning the possibilities.

---

"Master Albedo, you've got to leave Dragonspine sometime. You're due to present your creation to the citizens of Mondstadt in three days, and you haven't even tested it properly yet." Sucrose insisted, waving one gloved hand at the laboratory, her nose wrinkling at the papers scattered everywhere.

"Besides, it's so cold up here. I don't know how you manage to work through it," said Mona, wrapped in a thick coat.

Even though Albedo and Mona were good friends, she rarely ever visited him on Dragonspine, claiming that it was too cold for her sensitivities. Albedo thought it was more a problem with the clothes she was wearing, being paper thin and resembling more of a swimsuit.

"I'm fine. You two don't need to worry about me, and besides, Sucrose, you know I wouldn't showcase anything without testing it first." Albedo reassured them, popping open another jar of grapeseed oil.

Mona sighed, and left without another word, shivering with cold with each step she took. Albedo gave a small smile and a slight nod, so then Sucrose was gone as well.