The Bet (Kaebedo)

Chapter Two

Albedo was sitting in the cafeteria, alone as always, at a table slightly hidden from the others. It didn't change anything though, nobody ever wanted to sit with him, but the blonde didn't like the idea of many people being able to look at him.

But right now, he wasn't thinking about other people looking at him. He was only thinking about one person.

Albedo couldn't understand why a guy who had been ignoring him for the three years they had been together in classes, suddenly took interest in him and... flirted with him ? 

"How did he notice me ? Nobody ever does. And why did he talk to me ? I'm probably not really interesting. And why did he... flirt with me ? Is he...?" His thoughts were taking over his mind.

 He glanced at the blue-haired boy, who was apparently arguing with his ginger friend. 

Then he shook his head. He was overthinking this whole situation. Kaeya was really popular and had this reputation to flirt with anybody who crossed his path, without considering their age or gender. Albedo forced himself to stop imagining things. He couldn't get his hopes up. It would just end up being way too painful for him to handle. He should forget about all of this and keep going with his studies. 

As he convinced himself that he should do so, his gaze automatically directed to Kaeya, who was leaving the cafeteria, widely grinning. As he was about to leave, the blue-haired stopped and turned over to face Albedo, as if he knew the blonde was looking at him. Kaeya gave him a wink with a smile, before finally getting out of the room, leaving Albedo as a blushing mess. It would definitely be more complicated to forget him than he thought...

°°° 

Because he had this tendency to overthink things, he couldn't sleep at night, and the next day, he had never looked more like a zombie in his entire life. He even almost slept in class, which he couldn't given he was in the front row and couldn't sleep right in front of their amber-eyed teacher, still rambling about the Archon War which happened way too much time ago to be interesting.

°°° 

When it was time for the lunch break, Albedo quickly left the room to go and get some coffee at the cafeteria.

Kaeya decided to stay in the room for now, because he was really sleeping during the class and needed some time to wake up completely. He decided to look around a little.

His little brother was chatting with Jean, a junior from two classes underneath, but was only one year younger than Diluc since the red-headed skipped a year. They were eating lunch together, and Kaeya could see the both of seem blushing a little. He smiled. He was happy to see that his brother had with him people he could count on and protect at all costs.

Itto was arguing with Sara, a girl from the class next to theirs, about some beans she put in the bento she prepared for him. Itto was allergic to beans, and also way too dumb too understand that the most important wasn't the beans but the fact that the girl who apparently hated him made a lunch especially for him. He sighed and laughed at the same time. He wouldn't understand if these two weren't together before the end of the semester.

Ayato and Thoma were being all lovey-dovey as always, making Kaeya hesitate between finding them cute and wanting to hit them for having what he secretely dreamed of. Thoma was feeding Ayato his bento with his chopsticks, both of them chuckling and blushing. Kaeha decided to turn away from them before jealousy overwhelmed him.

Finally, Childe was as always chatting with Mr Zhongli. He had apparently offered him a bento, to prevent him from finding an excuse to leave, and was smiling more than ever.

As he was watching all of his friends eating, he suddenly realized that he had forgotten to bring any food with him. He sighed. He should go to the cafeteria and buy something then.

He stood up and began to walk to the door, before he slightly slipped on something. He looked down at the floor and recognized the novel Albedo was often reading. He picked it up while feeling his face flush a little. He tried his best, tough he couldn't help but observe and remember every little detail about the younger blonde.

 Everything about him seemed so pure, so beautiful, the way he tucked strands of his long hair behind his ear when it bothered him, the way he blushed and adjusted his glasses when a teacher interrogated him, or the way the color of his face changed just yesterday, when he was teasing him. He was so easy to read, but at the same time so mysterious.

"Wait, what am I thinking about ? I should be the one making him fall for me, and not the opposite !"

Kaeya strongly shook his head as he stopped his thoughts in the way they were going, and stepped forward, the book in his hand. He would give it back to Albedo later. 

As the blue-haired young man went past the teacher's desk, Childe looked at him with a smile meaning "If you don't hurry up a little, I'll win !". Kaeya sticked his tongue out at him like a kid, before turning his back to him. 

As he made his way in the corridor, he thought. 

"Childe is kinda right though... I'm sure Mr Zhongli knows he is flirting with him, he is just playing with him. And I'm sure Childe is aware of that too. But even though Mr Zhongli won't let Childe get him like that, he could give up at any moment. So I have to hurry up... Okay, that's decided ! When I find Albedo and give him his book, I'll try something ! Alright !"

°°°

As Kaeya was talking with himself, Albedo was going through the corridors too. He forgot his novel in the classroom, and was scared he would lose it, and get yelled at by the scary librarian because of this.

He ran a little faster, before stopping suddenly as he saw Kaeya in the middle of the empty corridor. He prepared to go back, not ready to face him, before he saw his book in the taller boy's hands. He took a big breath, before letting out his soft voice.

"- Hum... Excuse me ?"

His words apparently made Kaeya snap out of his thoughts, to realize the subject of these was right in front of him. 

"- Oh ! Albedo, it's you !"

The smaller blonde couldn't help but blush a little as he heard his own name in Kaeya's mouth. 

"- I found your book", continued the taller, "it actually fell on the ground, haha !"

As he was talking, Kaeya made some footsteps in his direction to come closer to the blonde. Albedo, still flustered, didn't really notice.

When he got close enough, the blue-haired suddenly took Albedo's wrist in his hand and dragged him along to an emptier corridor where nobody ever came. The blonde just had the time to let out a little "Wha- ?" before he found himself stuck between the wall and Kaeya's taller body.

Albedo went silent when he realised the situation he was in. The boy in front of him was silent too, the only thing he could hear and feel was his heavy breath next to his own. The blonde didn't know what to do as he stared at the other's star-shaped blue eyes, and as Kaeya stared back. Albedo felt his face heating so much that he was almost sweating, as he was so flustered that he couldn't do anything than standing still. 

Kaeya had leaned in a little so that his face was in front of the smaller's one, and he slowly let his right hand get off from the wall it was previously standing on to prevent Albedo from fleeing immediately.

Albedo shivered a little when the taller's hand touched his cheek, as he slightly ruffled his skin. Kaeya then cupped his cheek with his hand, still looking at him in the eyes. 

But as the blue-haired's finger was about to stroke the blonde's lips, he seemed to realize something and suddenly stopped. A blush covered his face and he got back. Albedo was even more lost than before, but couldn't refrain the thought that he was missing the older's touch.

"- I-I'm sorry", mumbled Kaeya, as lost as him, "I didn't mean..."

He had turned his face so that Albedo couldn't see it. He handed his book to Albedo before excusing himself, leaving Albedo extremely flustered and lost, unable to do anything in this empty hallway.

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Date of publication : May 6th 2022

Word count : 1460