"i can't guarantee it will work, but ..." albedo sets a small flask on kaeya's desk, the look in his eyes gentle and concerned, "... i've ... put together something i hope might help. at the very least ... it should grant him a few hours' uninterrupted sleep --- and hopefully a dreamless one; i know it's been ... bad, hasn't it." he does not expound further; the stories he's heard from some of the dawn winery's servants have been enough.
(there's no doubt kaeya's been going through hell and back.)
there's a pause, and then albedo circles the desk, taking a knee by kaeya's side and gathering kaeya's hands up into his own. "and now, kaeya," he says softly, pad of his thumb rubbing soothingly back and forth across kaeya's knuckles, "i want you to talk to me. how are you holding up, truly ... ? have you gotten any rest --- have you eaten ? not taking care of yourself won't speed this along ... and i think we both know it's the furthest thing from what your brother would want."
there’s a sense of GUILT weighing heavy on his chest once he’d returned to the halls of the ordo, fully intending to make the trek back to the winery the moment some work was done.
lounging back on his chaise with a stack of files had clearly been the WRONG choice, he realized upon waking with a start hours later. moving everything back to his desk, his renewed attempt to work soon failed as well, gaze turning unfocused within moments. unsure then of how much time passes, it’s belatedly that he notices soft steps approaching, a latch clicking.
( there were three people allowed to enter kaeya's office without first knocking; one was currently away on a mission and wouldn't return for another few days, the second laid low in bed with a fever that had yet to break. and the last, well... it's only because kaeya knows it's him that he makes no move to straighten from his slumped position. )
his coat is still tossed haphazardly on the distant chaise, eyepatch... somewhere on his desk. probably buried by the paperwork that he'd been staring at listlessly seconds before. odd eyes find the alchemist's face just a little too slowly, falling down again as the form in his grasp is set back in the stack it came from.
simply put, kaeya was a WRECK.
staring at the vial a second too long, the cavalry captain all but deflates once albedo's words sink in. whether from relief or exhaustion, he doesn't quite know. likely BOTH.
❛ why must he ALWAYS be like this? doing everything alone, no matter how risky... he should have said something, he should've asked me- ❜ his words are cut off with a sharp inhale, a shake of the head.
a gentle squeeze of his fingers drags him back of his steadily spiraling thoughts, mismatched gaze falling to albedo's features, creased with worry, before shifting away. his cheeks darken with shame as his eyes land on his breakfast, sitting COLD on the far corner of his desk. no doubt albedo had already noticed the dark shadows under his eyes, as well.
he wouldn't lie to albedo. he couldn’t if he tried.
❛ i know, 'bedo. I KNOW, but i just... can't. i've tried, ever since he got back, but i CAN’T. ❜
a shuddering sigh as his eyes fall closed, a shake of his head when the nightmares replay in his mind's eye. ( diluc never waking up; a second grave next to their father's ) . blearily, he blinks the blond back into focus, sitting up a bit straighter, slipping his hands free. ❛ i'll be fine. i'll bring that medicine to him once some of my paperwork is finished. ❜
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