How Kaeya and Albedo fell
Their fall was slow, featherlight, and sweet. No one saw it coming but when their friends look back on it, they should never have been surprised.
Albedo painted whatever he wanted, and he found it fascinating to paint the cavalry captain, who was all too happy to be a model. Albedo would find new details every time, with every painting he appreciated a new aspect of Kaeya. Kaeya is not the only thing he paints, but he is the only thing he paints consistently. He gets to a point where he no longer needs him to model, but would never turn down the offer. He thinks nothing of this, simply painting a coworker... then painting a friend... Until one day, he slides to his knees, paintbrush in hand, as he feels the realization of how madly in love he's fallen.
Kaeya's fall is quicker than Albedo's but no less overwhelming. It starts with the modeling. Then stolen glances during Knights meetings. Then he realizes how he anticipates the alchemist's return from dragonspine, and he misses him more than he's missed anyone else before. He doesn't have the words to put his feelings together until Albedo finally returns from this trip and Kaeya's world lights up when he sees him, he's breathless and can't form words other than to welcome him back to Mondstadt
There is no formal asking out or admission of feelings, not for a while at least. Kaeya visits Albedo's lab more, where Sucrose notices the small fond smile that Albedo has on his face, and the slight flush of his cheeks when Kaeya gets close.
Jean notices how they lean towards each other almost instinctively during meetings, where they've started to sit directly next to each other. She notices the red on Kaeya's cheeks when she mentions Albedo to him, not in relation to him, but as a general Knights thing.
Diluc, Venti, and Rosaria notice when Albedo starts to come to the tavern with Kaeya. Albedo, who had never frequented the tavern nearly as much as Kaeya, who now sits comfortably next to the cavalry captain as he converses. They notice the casual touches, and no one says a word.
Their first kiss is a surprise to them both. Kaeya was in Albedo's lab, Sucrose was out doing some field research so they were alone in the lab. Albedo is talking out loud, not directly to Kaeya but using talking to him as a way to get his thoughts out and make some connections.
As he makes a breakthrough in his thoughts, he gets so excited because he's been working on this experiment for weeks. As he finishes writing down his conclusion, he looks up to see Kaeya, leaning on his desk, watching him fondly, and he pulls the captain in for a kiss. He doesn't even know where the impulse comes from, and Kaeya is caught even more off guard. Their first kiss is soft, and patient, yet feels like they are saying "finally".
Well they pull apart, they both slowly open their eyes, both flushed a deep red, but they smile at each other and leave the lab, hand in hand.
After that first kiss, it's like a dam has broken. They feel no need to talk about what is happening between them because they've both known for a while. They are seen holding hands, they steal kisses in the street before they part, they openly have dinner together, and are often lost in their own little world together. Everyone around them can see that something has flipped.
And Kaeya and Albedo are content.
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