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The cold breeze of dragonspine hit harder as she walked up the mountain with her father. She hadn’t been up here in quite a while. The ground work was supposed to be done by her mother this week, but he hadn’t returned from his trip like he was supposed to. So now, a worried daughter and her father were going up the mountain in hopes of finding him. Though deep inside, they both knew why he hadn’t returned. “Is it just me, or has the weather gone a lot colder since the last time we came here?” The man chuckled and turned to her daughter. “It’s possible, neither of us have been up here in quite some time princess. Plus, the weather has always been unstable around these areas.” She sighed and looked up ahead, trying to keep the wind from getting to her eyes. Her mothers camp wasn’t too far from here now. “Have you gotten any letters recently?” the man asked. The girl chuckled. “I have. They’ve been complaining about the annoying electro whopper flowers and the abyss mages. Especially Mal, apparently, since he has a hydro vision, he gets electrocuted often.” She finished with a laugh, snow up almost above her ankles, staining her long skirt. He also laughed with her. “Your brothers are quite the duo aren’t they? They love to fight and spar, but the moment things go wrong they panic and ruin everything.” The girl elbowed him. “Don’t say that like they’re useless! They were chosen specifically for this mission.” The man looked at her apologetically while grabbing his side. His daughter had quite the strength despite being an alchemist. “I apologize princess, that’s not what I ment, I was just teasing. Can’t a father have some fun while teasing his children?” The girl looked at her unimpressed, the man had smugness writtnen all over his face. A comfortable silence followed them as they finally arrived at their destination.
Just as they had suspected…
Albedo was slouched over his desk, barely awake and still trying to take notes on the ink spilled pages. He had overworked himself.
Again…
They both sighed in disappointment but also in relief that nothing bad had happened. “Alright, come on that’s enough working for you mister” Albedo jolted up at the sound, not expecting anyone to be in the cave but himself. Turning to the source, he saw that his husband and daughter had arrived. “Kaeya, Suki?.. What on Teyvat are you two doing here?” Suki made her way towards his desk that was filled with research notes and smudged ink. “Obviously so that we can pry you away from this state you are in! You were supposed to come back 3 days ago, we got incredibly worried that something happened!” Still in a haze, Albedo looked at the calendar just across his desk. He did indeed stay in dragonspine longer than anticipated. He sighed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to this time. The main research I was working on led to another, then that to another and it went on and on and on… What day is it again?..” Suki sighed as Kaeya started approaching his husband. “It’s the 27th of December love. Two days before Mal and Jace come home for the New Years celebration.” Upon hearing that, Albedo no longer felt sleepy. “Wait what?! Two days?!” Giving him a hug from behing Kaeya responded to him. “Yes love two days before our sons come home, we don’t want them to see their dear mother in such a state do we now dear Cheif Alchemist?” Suki sighed at her fathers antics. “You two can get lovey dovey later, we still need to get down the mountain.” She looked outside. “And we should be quick too, looks like a storm is closing in, as if the weather wasn’t cold enough.” Kaeya hummed and released his husband, this time picking him up bridal style. “Wha- Kaeya! I am perfectly capable of walking down the mountain myself.” Kaeya ignored his protests and continued walking towards to cavern exit. “Come on now Suki, you said it yourself. We must get down this mountain.” He turned to his daughter that was looking through some maps. “I did say that, but unlike you dear father I think ahead. So I’m making a route to avoid things such as avalanches and monsters. If you could be patient for a few minutes I would be glad to join you. Or are you that impatient Cavalry Captain?” He scoffed at her as Albedo had a smile on his face, trying to keep his chuckles in.
Curse her for getting his smugness…
After what seemed like forever they finally made it down the mountain. “Did you HAVE to make the longest route ever Suki?” Kaeya breathed out, panting cause of how tired he was. Albedo had fallen asleep not so long into the journey and was in a deep slumber in Kaeya’s arms. “Would you rather we took a more dangerous route while mother was in such a vulnerable state? Besides the route was only an hour long, you have been out in the wild a lot longer than that.” He scoffed. “Yea, while having light weight on me, not a grown ass man, plus this is a mountain!” Suki just chuckled in amusement. “Mother is far from ‘grown’ and he is as light as a feather father, is the cavalry captain getting old?” Kaeya just stared at her unimpressed. “Enough of that, what edge of the mountain are we on?” She looked around. “Judging by the scenery, I’d say the far left end. The dawn winery is close to this place, we can rest there. Plus, I haven’t seen Uncle Diluc in a while.” Kaeya groaned. “Do we have to?” He and Diluc had put their differences aside a long time ago, though they still loved teasing each other and Kaeya didn’t know if he could take that in his state right now. “Unless you want to walk 2 hours to Mondstadt, yes we have to.” He was already exhausted from the walk and Albedo needed proper sleep, so he reluctantly agreed to visiting his brother.
The walk was only half an hour and it wasn’t really surprising that Kaeya busted through the door and quickly made his way upstairs to sleep as soon as possible. Suki just chuckled as she heard a familiar voice. “Ah, there’s my favorite niece!” She just chuckled and turned to her Uncle. Diluc was coming towards her with a writing board in his hand. He was probably counting the wines and making sure they were fresh before her father busted in. “I’m the only niece you have Uncle.” She chuckled as she ran up to hug him. Diluc laughed softly with her. “Irrelevant”
A few hours passed and she was settled in the main living room with Diluc while her parents were sleeping upstairs. A fireplace in front of them as they shared some hot chocolate. Suki was busy telling him why they crashed his place without any warning. “So yea that’s basically it.” Diluc hummed. “Albedo really needs to stop that. Two days ago Kaeya came to me asking if I had seen Albedo since he was supposed to be home the other day. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack.” Suki laughed in return. “Yea that sounds like dad, he’s always worrying about us all the time.” Diluc took a sip of his drink before responding. “He has good reason to y’know. Paula’s always going out without anyone to protect her, it increased ever since she got her vision. She honestly reminds me of Klee when she was younger.” Klee, the spark knight of The Knights of Favonius. She was in her twenties now, a lot more responsable. Though she has heard stories from her aunt, Acting Grand Master Jean, that she was a lot less responsible in her younger years. Going fish blasting with her Dodoco and bombing lakes. Her father had also been a part of some of her crimes, accordingly punished afterwards by a very angry Jean. “She gives me mini panic attacks whenever I can’t find her around the winery. Sometimes she comes back with dirt all over her along with some scratches. She just never learns, no matter how much me and Jean scold her for it. Just like Klee. She had been to solitary confinement countless times yet still continued to bomb lakes and bury treasures.” Diluc chuckled at the memory of a very sad Klee when she got caught by Jean. Suki also laughed at this. “Yes, but Paula is a kid, I’m not a kid anymore, and mom’s a grown ass adult even if he overworks himself sometimes, what is he worried about?” Diluc’s smile faded a little. “ He’s worried because he doesn’t want to lose his family, Mal and Jace being all the way in Inazuma is already worrying for him. Along with Albedo overworking himself and you going on dangerous expeditions he worries more, resulting in him being a worrying mess… He lost a lot of people on his journey Suki, I wasn’t there for him for a very long time after the incident. I’m glad we’re on good terms now and I really regret not talking to him before. Honestly it’s pitiful how we needed an eight year old girl to yell at us to realize just how much we missed each others company…” They both went silent, only hearing the slight sounds of the fireplace. “I see…” She responded, not really having the right words. A comfortable silence enveloped them as they both drifted to sleep.
“Bye bye Uncle Diluc, see you on the New Year celebration!” Suki waved at him, her parents waiting for her at the front door. He waved back but quickly stopped and bolted inside when he heard a crash. She chuckled asuming it was Paula that got dropped off by the winery early today. ‘Poor Uncle Diluc…’ Meanwhile her parents were having a little conversation. “Slept well love?” Albedo hummed. “It was nice, the winery has quite soft beds.” Kaeya hugged him from behind. “That’s good to hear sunshine, you still need rest though, don’t think I don’t see those eyebags.” Albedo sighed as he recalled Suki’s conversation with Diluc last night. He had overheard it while getting water from the kitchen. Honestly Kaeya wasn’t the only one worried sick, he was too. Just like Suki, Kaeya also went on dangerous expeditions and battled countless monsters. It’s not like he doesn’t have fate in them, no, Albedo is aware both his husband and his daughter is more than capable of taking care of themselves, more than anyone in fact. However he is also worried that one day either would come home would severe injuries, or maybe not come home. Seeing little scratches on them when they return is enough to make him go full mama mode on them. He understands Kaeya, and can’t wait for his children to come back home for New Years. ‘The triplets shall be reunited after months apart’
They got home rather quick and Suki immediately excused herself to the Alchemy lab. Just like her mother she absolutely adored alchemy and loved experiments and obvserving. Albedo smiled as she ran off to the head quarters. “Now that we are alone love…” A voice came from behind. Kaeya held him from behind and started kissing his neck. Albedo let out a small hum as he turned around and captured his husbands lips. Kaeya nibbled on his bottom lip for entrance which Albedo gladly gave, days without his lover he didn’t realize just how much he missed him. He put his hands around the taller mans neck and pulled him closer. Their small make out session ended because of the lack of air they both felt. Albedo, still holding his lover, rested his head on Kaeya’s neck, tiredness from before coming back to him. “Tired love?” Kaeya asks while planting a kiss on his head. Albedo softly hummed in response. “Come on then, let’s get you to bed.” Albedo felt himself get carried to the bedroom, eyes barely open. He felt as Kaeya helped the other change into more comfortable clothing and took of his boots. He laid down with Kaeya next to him, snuggling into his chest. Kaeya let out an amused chuckle. “Missed me that much?” Not having the energy to respond, Albedo just snuggled more. Kaeya couldn’t help but smile.
“Rest well my love…”