My Warmth Is Yours

Chapter 16: An Afternoon Like Any Other

Albedo ran a hand through his hair, pulling out his braids. He tried not to look directly at the sun, but this late in the afternoon it was low and was in pretty much everyone's eyes.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow, bright and early! Get some sleep in the meantime. Let the wind lead," Huffman declared with a salute. The senior Knight of Favonius was, at least temporarily, the leader for the cohort of new Knights. He was a good man, and Albedo didn't actually mind him. He was friendly, but respected people's space- which could apparently be rare in Mondstadt. That was something Albedo had learnt the hard way- Mondstadters could be very… touchy. It was a little strange, the way some people seemed to ignore the concept of personal space, but it wasn't something he was unfamiliar with. If anything, it was an indication of the positive social state of the city. Being comfortable with that kind of communication and knowing the people around are also usually comfortable with it can only be brought about by a stable and inherently safe atmosphere and law enforcement. Essentially, the political state of Mondstadt is in a position where fear, oppression or widespread stress is not often observed in the public state. Which is inherently a positive sign, although being so close with people is still a little uncomfortable.

Returning Huffman's salute, Albedo left the Knights of Favonius headquarters. If everything went according to plan, he should be meeting Aether by the Goth Grand Hotel so that Aether could show him around the wild areas near the city. Since Albedo had been accepted into the Knights a few days ago, Aether had taken it upon himself to ensure that he knew exactly where everything was in the nation. They'd started with Galesong Hill and gone around, and over the week Albedo had come to look forward to these outings. Often they would talk while Albedo sketched, and yesterday Aether had sneakily taken some Cecelias from Starsnatch Cliff and put them in Albedo's hair. It was time they would spend together alone, watching the sunset from what felt like the edge of the world. For Albedo, who was often tired from the long days of knight training, it was a perfect opportunity to relax. And as unlikely as it seemed, Albedo enjoyed having Aether's presence to himself. There was something about having a reason for a social butterfly like Aether to stick with him that made him unusually happy.

Unfortunately, when Albedo arrived at the plaza in front of the Goth Grand Hotel, his housemate was nowhere to be found. The only indication Aether had ever been there was an envelope on a bench with Albedo's name on it, in messy Teyvatian writing. Opening the letter, he was met with a folded scrap of paper with the same messy handwriting.

"I got called off to help get rid of some Treasure Hoarders, and I gotta help some friends with other stuff too. Sorry, I promise I'll show you Starfell Lake next time. I'll see you tonight, hopefully.

-Aether"

That last sentence was followed by what looked like a scribbled out drawing of a heart.

Albedo sighed, closing his eyes. It's to be expected of someone nicknamed the Traveler. I shouldn't be so disappointed. Despite his thoughts, he still couldn't help but feel his heart sink as he refolded the letter. I suppose I'll just have to go back to the house on my own. Slipping the envelope in one of his pockets, the knight left the courtyard, leaving the city by a side exit. It was easier to enter the Traveler's Serenitea Pot without anyone around- having seen the Traveler do it himself, he knew quite well how strange it was to see someone disappear into thin air. Still, he had to get back in there somehow, so he brought out the Realm Dispatch, closing his eyes as he switched between realms. Theoretically, he could keep his eyes open, but he'd learned firsthand that it wasn't a good idea, as the dizzying visual effects and the sudden weightlessness of the transition were a surefire recipe for passing out if he wasn't careful. Better to keep his eyes closed.

It was warmer inside the sub-space realm than it was outside- which was lucky, because it was currently winter and the wind was cold. The wind never stopping in Mondstadt could be quite the downside sometimes. Waving a little hello to Tubby, the large bird(?) Who managed the realm, he shoved the doors open, greeted by the comforting warmth of the main hall. Leaving his boots by the door, Albedo curled up on the couch, slowly taking off the few pieces of armour he had and unlacing his sword from his belt. The fire was going, and the clock on the wall said that it was around 3 pm. The thickness of his clothes made him a little hot, but the slightly stuffy air was warm, making him sleepy. He hadn't realised just how tired he was from the hard day of training- perhaps it was a good thing he hadn't been able to go with Aether to some corner of Mondstadt. Slowly, his eyes fluttered shut, and he drifted off to sleep.

He was woken by the chatter of Aether and Paimon entering, shutting the door behind them. His mind hazy, the once-prince rubbed his eyes. He'd slept in his uniform, unfortunately. I must have been more tired than usual. Well, with today's kind of training, I'm not surprised. Looking over his shoulder, he could see from the Traveler and his companion's movements that they were still buzzing with energy from whatever they'd been doing, Paimon giggling and poking Aether in the shoulder as if teasing him. He met Aether's eyes for a brief moment before his roommate looked away.

"O-oh, hi Albedo! Sorry I couldn't take you to Starsnatch Cliff earlier, did you get my note? Once I started doing stuff people kept asking me for others, and I, uh, kinda got carried away…" he laughed sheepishly. "Anyway, uh, have you had dinner? 'Cause Paimon and I already did… but there's stuff in the cupboards if you haven't. A-anyway, it's a little late, so, uh, I'll see you tomorrow I guess…" the traveler gave him a little wave and practically ran for their room. Paimon followed, an undreadable expression on her face. Albedo watched him go.

How strange. He's usually happy to see me. Is he hiding something?

…did he write that note and leave on purpose?

He pulled the slip of paper out of his pocket.

The handwriting looks rushed, which makes sense for what he wrote.

Am I being delusional? Or is he avoiding me?

I suppose I'll just have to wait and see.

He sighed. Well, there's nothing I can do for now. I might as well just have some dinner.

He got up and left for the kitchen, the stuffy air now suffocating. Or perhaps it was his worries wrapped tight around his heart that were the ones closing up his throat.

I shouldn't worry so much. Surely I'm overthinking things.

Right?