Solar Frost ☼ Kaebedo Week 2022

Paper Perfection

the prompt: art, transformation, Dragonspine

just fluff and albedo being confused honestly

enjoy!

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Albedo rolled his hand in its glove, hearing his wrist pop. Painting all these portraits was seriously taking a toll on him, but it wasn't like he had a choice. Painting was normally quite enjoyable, but not when he was painting person after person after person.

The current Knight he was painting was nearly done. As Albedo put on the final touches, he remembered Jean telling him to suck it up and smile through it. The only reason he was here, painting portraits of the Knights of Favonius, was for Jean anyway.

Jean had gotten him out of a mandatory meeting for the Knights of Favonius Captains all the way in Liyue, and now he owed her a favor. Albedo didn't think painting every single person in the Knights of Favonius measured up to getting him out of a meeting, though. He was only on the 37th person, and his hand was cramping up after weeks and weeks spent painting people.

"Could it be? Head Alchemist Albedo?" A charming voice asked, and Albedo spun around to see the most infuriating person in existence.

"Hello, Cavalry Captain Kaeya." Albedo greeted him coolly. He had never liked the Cavalry Captain that much, something about the way he talked and walked and smiled made Albedo's stomach feel like it was turning a windmill. Even now, the smile Kaeya gave Albedo made his cheeks heat in annoyance.

There was no way Jean actually believed that Albedo would paint Kaeya. She knew about his past annoyances and grievances about him, and how his mere presence irked him. Albedo didn't think he could stomach being in the same room as him for an hour, let alone being focused on him for a week.

Albedo dashed out of the room, leaving a bewildered Kaeya behind.

---

"Jean, you understand my past predicaments with Kaeya, don't you? I can't possibly work with him!" Albedo pleaded.

"What I can't believe is that you just walked out on him like that!" Jean cried, eyes flashing in annoyance. "You promised me you would paint a portrait of every single Knight of Favonius, and I expect you to hold up on that promise. Or, I could schedule another meeting for the captains in, say, Sumeru?"

"Please don't," Albedo said, sitting back down in a chair in Jean's office. Jean really could be frightening when she wanted to. There really was no other alternative, not if Albedo didn't want to travel all the way to some random nation for a meaningless meeting.

Sighing, he returned to the painting room, where Kaeya was still waiting, arm perched lazily on one side of the chair.

"Worked it all out, hm?" Kaeya asked, sitting up straight again. "Took you long enough,"

Albedo ignored him and set to work stretching the canvas, determined not to look at Kaeya. He may have been exerting a little too much pressure when nailing in the canvas, but it was therapeutic at the very least.

The moment he picked up his pencil to start the base sketch, Kaeya shifted. And stopped. Albedo snorted in annoyance, his pencil scratching against the canvas. Kaeya shifted again.

"Stop shifting, please." If Albedo was forced to work with Kaeya, he would at least do it courteously.

Kaeya wasn't saying anything, a rare moment, and Albedo looked up in surprise. His eyes caught Kaeya's, the glowing lamplight flickering down on them and lighting up the blue in Kaeya's eyes. Albedo's eyes dipped just a little bit, looking at Kaeya's mouth.