Wallowing | Albedo's Descent Book 2

Chapter 10: Reunion

The door was unlocked. Lisa let Albedo inside, saying nothing.
She knew she was supposed to keep an eye on Albedo, but this was something the two needed to do alone.
As the door closed Kaeya wrapped the large comforter closer around himself. "Sorry, Klee, I don't feel like talking right now..."
Albedo stopped at the foot of the bed. What was he supposed to say?... He wasn't sure how he felt, either. There was an odd pressure inside his chest that made it hurt to breathe.
Albedo remembered how being around Kaeya felt. He enjoyed Kaeya's company, but this felt very different. It were as if he had become an entirely different person, living someone else's life for them...
"Oh, ho? So Albedo can be sweet~"
"It was nothing," Albedo had stated plainly.
"Nothing? Do you really think I value you so lowly?" Kaeya smirked as he placed both his hands at Albedo's waist.
Albedo looked to the side, "it was only a hug..."
Kaeya rested his forehead against Albedo's, "but it meant everything to me."
Did Kaeya still feel that way?... He didn't know why but he was afraid that Kaeya didn't feel like that anymore... Were his own emotions really gone? That was an oddly terrifying thought.
Albedo walked over to the side of the bed that Kaeya wasn't occupying. He carefully sat down facing away from the Cavalry Captain, unsure what to do.
Kaeya poked his head out, "Klee-"
Albedo closed his eyes, afraid of what Kaeya would say. Was fear an emotion?...
Kaeya blew air out of his nose, "isn't this just lovely?" He spoke sarcastically to himself, "how stupid do I have to be to imagine you here as well?"
The Captain laughed, "you look so real, too. It's like I could reach out and touch you."
Albedo bit his lip. Why did it hurt to hear that Kaeya was so in denial of his existence?
Kaeya rolled his eyes, "do you know how awful it's been? Seeing you in Klee every time I look at her. Knowing you aren't here anymore." He held his mouth closed, pushing back his tears, "it's agony, Albedo."
Albedo took a shuddering breath. He remembered feeling like this before he would start crying, but he didn't have any tears. "I'm sorry..." Now that he thought about it, he only remembered ever crying once or twice...
"I don't think I can live if you aren't here..." Kaeya reached out and took his sleeve. "It's-" he realized what he had done.
Kaeya's eyes widened as tears began to stream down his face. He let go and pressed his hand against Albedo's back. He made a pitiful excuse for a gasp as he pulled at Albedo's clothes, "are you-"
Albedo turned to face him, "I'm here, Kaeya..."
Kaeya slowly pulled Abedo into his arms, scared to believe this was real, "don't ever do that again."
Albedo nodded, "I plan not to..." He closed his arms around Kaeya as well.
"If you do, I'll never forgive you," Kaeya's voice was cracking as he held in his sobbing. "I love you."
Albedo relaxed into Kaeya's grasp, allowing the taller man to squeeze him tight. He couldn't remember being held like this before, by him or anyone. He didn't dislike it... It had been so long since he had felt warm...
Kaeya didn't let go of him for a long time. Albedo only realized how long it had been when there was a knock on the door. He looked up, assuming it was Lisa.
"Shh," Kaeya held him closer, forcing him back down, "I'm not letting you leave so soon."
Albedo blinked, "soo... you're going to hold me hostage?"
Kaeya nodded, "yes. And I'm not the least bit ashamed."
Albedo smiled as he laid the side of his head against Kaeya's chest, "that's fine... I don't really mind..."
Kaeya ran his fingers through Albedo's hair, "did Lisa make you take a bath?"
They were both whispering, ignoring the knocking that happened every few seconds.
"How did you guess?"
Kaeya sighed, "you smell nicer than usual. She probably scrubbed you raw, huh?"
Albedo chuckled a little bit, but the action sort of hurt, "yeah... how did you guess that, too?"
Kaeya scratched his head, "we all end up getting bathed by Lisa at some point."
"Really?"
"Everyone I've talked to has been," he shrugged.
"Really?"
Kaeya laid his head on top of Albedo's, "yup."
Albedo was puzzled, "I didn't know Lisa had such a strange hobby..."
Kaeya laughed, "it's not really a hobby. It's more of a... I guess she's acting as a mother..."
"Hello?" Lisa called through the door, "our hour has been up for some time!"
Kaeya pulled back, giving Albedo a questioning look, "what does that mean?"
"I'm only allowed upstairs for an hour each day. Technically, Lisa's supposed have her eyes on me the whole time."
"Don't go..." Kaeya covered them both in the comforter, "you can just hide in here..."
"I wish," Albedo pushed it off, "it should only be until we're certain I'm..."
"You're what?" Kaeya asked.
"... safe..." Albedo finished.
Kaeya shook his head, "but... if you leave how do I know you'll come back..."
"What do you mean?"
"It feels like you'll leave again," Kaeya squeezed Albedo's hands.
"I'm not going anywhere, Kaeya."
"Promise me."
"I..."
"Promise me," Kaeya locked their pinky's, "please."
Albedo knew this was a promise he probably couldn't keep, "I... promise..."
Kaeya gave him one last hug, "thank you..."
Albedo nodded as he got out of bed. He walked to the door, looking back at Kaeya.
The Cavalry Captain gave him a small wave, only his eyes peeking over the covers.
Albedo waved goodbye as he opened the door.
Lisa looked relieved, "I thought you would never come out!" She looked over Albedo's head, "I don't even get a hug as a thank you?!"
Kaeya spoke quietly, "I'll hug you later... I'm not wearing anything..."
"You're naked?!"
Albedo and Kaeya spoke at the same time, "no."
Lisa blinked, "wut?"
"I mean I'm not wearing anything nice..." Kaeya explained, "and I don't feel like getting up right now..."
Lisa rolled her eyes, "yeah, whatever. But I'll be collecting with interest!" She closed the door before Kaeya could protest.
Then she sighed, "let's get you back downstairs before Jean finds out. I'll see if I can bring you some stuff to make it more comfortable, too."
Albedo nodded as they walked, "about what you said earlier... I don't think my emotions are gone... I can still feel things, they're just... distant. Like I can't quite reach it... When I was with Kaeya I was able to smile, so I-"
Lisa turned to face him, "does this mean you have to learn how to feel emotions again?"
Albedo blinked, "I don't think I ever had to learn... I've always had emotions..."
"Hmm," Lisa tapped her chin, "why would your creator give you emotions if they only needed you for tasks..."
Albedo shrugged, "I don't know. If they had wanted a child I'm sure they would have made one."
Lisa agreed, "you are such a mystery Albedo."
Albedo chuckled, "maybe that's why Kaeya likes me so much."
"Maybe," Lisa giggled, "I also know it's because you don't care about how he acts."
Albedo tilted his head.
"And maybe because you're so oblivious," Lisa pat his head as she opened the door to the stairs.
"I... wouldn't consider that one of my best qualities..." Albedo grew a bit embarrassed.
"But I'm sure Kaeya likes the challenge of flustering you," Lisa chuckled as she descended with Albedo by her side.
"I thought that Kaeya only liked me because of how I look... and I know a lot of people like my voice, so maybe that-"
"Hey, Albedo?"
"Yes?..." He didn't particularly care for being interrupted, but he knew he owed everyone in Mondstadt a lot...
"Why is it you like Kaeya?"
Albedo stopped as few steps from the foot of the stairs.
Lisa looked up at him from the bottom. He was barely taller than her. She was giving him a serious look, "I don't know how much you love him, but I know that Kaeya probably would have killed himself in the next few days. Klee told me that he doesn't eat much anymore and all he does it lay in bed all day. I hope you know how much you mean to him."
"I..." Albedo was at a loss for words. Would Kaeya seriously be unable to live if Albedo wasn't here?...
Lisa turned and rounded the corner, "come on, you can give me an answer once you're fully yourself again, okay?"
Albedo hurried down the stairs, "ah, okay..."