celes im fuckign haunted. lohen knowing that albedo has to have some competitiveness in him somewhere. he’s always striving to learn and improve, surely there has to be SOMETHING he can say or do to spark it. he just knows albedo’ll keep up with him if he can get it right. there’s tons of needling and teasing and albedo just lets it all roll off him like water off a duck’s back. responds in his usual way that shows he isn’t playing around, but knows lohen is. maybe albedo gets in a few jabs back, nothing huge but enough lohen is well aware that he’s not upset by any means.
poison doesn’t work on him. none of his usual tricks do. albedo can almost sense any trap he might set like he’s got a sixth sense— of course his connection to geo probably helps. it’s almost impossible to catch him unawares. it frustrates lohen and thrills him in the same measure. surely there’s something. there HAS to be something.
and then he finds out that something is you. he notices it and it isn’t his usual jealousy, glaring at anyone who lingers just too long with their eyes on you. albedo looks at you like he does at a flower the moment its petals unfurl, or like two birds flying and resting at the same nest, or the way he seems so satisfied by the perfect crunch of a leaf underfoot in autumn. and lohen is shocked because he isn’t mad. he’s not even jealous. and all of a sudden he does something he almost never does.
“y’know,” he says, leaning in close, the words meant only for the two of them, “you probably can suss it out, but… they like it pretty rough, y’know?” he grins and albedo’s eyes flicker. for a moment his lips move like he doesn’t know what to say. his cheeks somehow manage to pale— perhaps that’s simply the “chalk prince”’s way of blushing? it’s cute. wait, that’s a surprising thought.
“really?” he still replies so evenly, enough to make him want to make it worse. “i… can’t say i’ve thought about it.”
“liar.” lohen doesn’t kiss and tell. no, no, normally the idea of anyone else craving you the way he does pisses him off like nothing else. but seeing albedo’s stony demeanor crack is nothing short of addicting. “c’mon. i know you have.”
the dusting of chalk covers his nose, soon reddening just a bit at the edges. oh? does it respond to warmth? “… i try not to make it a habit to daydream about other men’s partners,” he replies almost cautiously. “especially for men like yourself.”
“no, no, now i really wanna hear. tell me. or i might just let a few details slip… ooh, maybe i’ll be able to turn this dust to gold.” he lightly traces his fingertips down the bridge of the other’s nose. it goes white again where the cold of his hand touched.
“… that… isn’t the order, you know, it doesn’t… follow that…”
he’s flustered. he may as well have just taken some kind of drug because there is no way in hell lohen’s going to show mercy now…
EL I AM GOING TO EXPLODE INTO A MILLION PIECES OH MY GOD. OHNMY G O D. ?????????
albedo who's so very cautious, trying to sense whether this is another trap, albeit not a physical one. and lohen who set it, because yes it's absolutely a trap, just not the way albedo thinks! no, no. he's not going to be in any trouble for looking at you, for whatever little crush he might have on you. but seeing albedo flustered... lohen may as well be a predator that just smelled blood.
he so dearly hopes you'll forgive him for spilling all your dirty little secrets to the chalk prince; after all, he's seen you interact with him. granted, it's nothing like when you interact with lohen himself; you aren't flustered or stammering, eyes darting around nervously. but he notices the way you're eager to please the alchemist when he comes around with a request for an ingredient, or the results of a combat enhancing potion. wide eyes, standing extra straight, voice saccharine and higher than usual. yes, lohen feels quite sure you'll forgive him.
