Journey | Albedo's Descent Book 3

Chapter 11: At Home

"What?! Big Brother Albedo! You can't leave yet!"
"Why not?"
"Because Klee needs a goodbye hug and kiss! And Kaeya needs a big ol' Smoochie Doochie [TradeMark] as well!" Klee frowned up at him.
Albedo chuckled, "I won't be gone for long. Only a couple of days." He knelt down and gave her a hug, "just bug Kaeya if you get lonely, okay?"
Klee nodded, "Klee will!"
Kaeya sighed exaggeratedly, "Aw man, why you gotta tell her that?"
Albedo kissed Klee's forehead, "because Klee deserves some Kaeya Time, too."
Kaeya sighed, "I guess everyone just can't get enough of me."
"Klee can get enough of Kaeya's complaining, though!" Klee put her hands on her hips.
Albedo chuckled as he stood back up.
"... that was a little harsh," Kaeya pressed his hand over his chest.
"Hehe! Klee will bug Kaeya lots and lots!"
Kaeya looked terrified.
Albedo leaned up and gave Kaeya a kiss on the cheek, "I'll see you guys soon."
Kaeya suddenly turned to Albedo. He grabbed Albedo's hand tightly, smooshing his fingers together. He placed his other hand behind Albedo's head as he pulled him in for a "real" kiss.
Albedo's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Kaeya to do something like that out in the open... and in front of Klee.
Klee let out the loudest gasp her little lungs could. Her ponytails practically stood up straight as she slapped her hands against her cheeks in pure shock.
Albedo felt his face getting warmer. He didn't know where Kaeya had gotten this sudden burst of confidence from.
Kaeya pulled back slowly, his lips spreading into a smirk. Though, it didn't give off the energy he intended because his face was completely flushed. "That'll give you something to look forward to. Consider it an incentive to come back sooner."
Albedo opened his mouth to respond but he had no words for this...
Luckily, Klee had plenty of words. "Yeah!!! Albedo needs to come back soon!!! Or else Klee will make Kaeya soooooo tired he can't kiss you anymore!"
Albedo held in his laugh, "just don't kill him, okay?"
"Ah! Albedo, you subject me to such tortures!" Kaeya faked betrayal.
"Then survive for me," Albedo smiled as he turned to leave. "I promise you'll have something to look forward to as well..."
Kaeya blinked, "huh? Albedo, wait! What do you mean?!"
Albedo just smiled to himself as he walked away.
"Hehehe! Albedo probably means that he'll kiss you on the lips for real!"
"You really think so?" Kaeya seemed to take this very seriously.
Klee frowned, "does Albedo never give you real kisses?!"
"Ah, well, he kisses me when you aren't around..." Kaeya said quietly.
Klee put her hands on her hips, "and how often is that?"
Kaeya hesitated, "that isn't important Klee. Our- our relationship isn't grounded in kissing."
"You dumb dumb! I know you like kissing my Big Brother! Stop denying it!"
"I'm not denying anything!"
"Oh, so you admit it!"
"No, that's not-"
"Ha! Ha! Klee wins!"

Albedo felt amazing. He was back in Dragonspine. The frigid air was an odd comfort, but a wholly welcome one.
He had gotten his inspiration back as well. That was something he hadn't even noticed he had lost. He hadn't actually painted anything in at least a week.
Not anymore. He stepped back and looked at his final product.
He smiled, it was such a plain painting of just a strange boar he had ran into on the way up the mountain. But he loved it.
Albedo pulled his gloves back on after putting his supplies away. He couldn't stop smiling for some reason. Everything was so much better now.
His mind was clear. He didn't have to worry about Klee or Kaeya. There was no one around to distract or bother him. He didn't have to do anything specific, just studying whatever he felt like studying.
For this trip he had planned on mapping out the stars. He recalled the traveler mentioning something about how the stars of Teyvat were nothing like any they had seen before. Albedo planned to offer this as thanks to the traveler for all they had helped him with. And hopefully use it as a bargaining chip to make sure the traveler didn't say anything to Kaeya about the 'Imposter' incident. That would certainly complicate things and make Kaeya even more worrried.
Albedo put his hands on his hips, looking around his camp. What to do now? He couldn't do much about the stars until night came. He would probably just go exploring for a while, see what new things had happened since he was last here. ... but it was so warm in here... He had even put in weighted tapestries at the cave entrance to keep the wind out. So it was especially insulated and incredibly warm.
Maybe Albedo would just take a little nap before going out again...

Albedo woke up a good two hours after he had fallen asleep. A solid nap in his opinion. And it had been wonderful.
Maybe all the bad things were just in his head. All the gross and worrying feelings were just the side effects of his anxious mental state surrounding his work. Albedo felt silly for not noticing sooner.
He peeked out of his camp entrance, wondering where he should go exploring first.
Albedo knew were he needed to go, but he didn't entirely want to. Honestly, he felt a little crazy to do it.
Even so, Albedo walked out of his camp and headed down the mountain to the northwest.
Wiping his hands together after disposing of some annoying Fatui agents, Albedo arrived at his destination.
He slowly entered the warm, glowing alcove. He gazed around at the flesh-like walls of stone around him. He always felt claustrophobic when he came here.
Albedo stopped before the heart that was taller and wider than his entire body. Albedo took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts.
"Durin... I don't even know if you can hear me... but I have a few things I want to say to you..." Albedo sat down, looking up at the rhythmic beating.
"First, I think there's been a misunderstanding between us..." Albedo continued unperturbed by the lack of response, "Rhinedottir didn't... she didn't play favorites like you thought she did. I... I am not saying I understand how you feel... I don't know if she was responsible or involved in your demise. I just want to clarify that I..."
Albedo found this a lot harder to say out loud than it had been in his head. He took a moment to pull himself together.
"Durin, she didn't love me any more than you."
Albedo clenched his jaw, feeling emotions he didn't want to. While trying to fight the tears coming to his eyes, he stared up at his brother, imagining him in his magnificent draconian splendor.
"She... I do not think she loved any of us. I know little of how parents should act... but I feel she didn't see us as anything but creations to fulfill a purpose. In the end... she even left me, too..."
The light from the heart seemed to grow dimmer, but it could just be the water obstructing his vision.
"I don't expect you to forgive me so easily, I'm not here to ask for that." Albedo blinked repeatedly, trying very hard not to start crying. He'd never told anyone out loud before. Why was everything so much harder to say out loud?
"I only want you to understand that... That it's not anyone's fault she left. It just who she is. It... it isn't your fault, Durin... You didn't make yourself, so how could you become something you weren't made to be? How could you change how she made you, if you aren't her?"
Albedo held his mouth closed for a long time and his hands were gripping his arms tightly. He stared down at the ground. The light hurt his eyes.
A few shards of Scarlet Quartz broke off and fell to the ground as the mountain shook.
Albedo looked up. Against his better judgement, he expected someone to be there. He wanted someone to be there.
The heart continued to beat in time. Albedo got onto his feet slowly. He walked over the the crystalline organ and placed his bare hand against it.
He pressed his forehead against the warmth, speaking what he knew they both needed to hear.
He whispered with closed eyes, "nothing you could have done would have made her love you."