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spiriteddreams · 2 years

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Minutiae Act III: Aeipathy

Aeipathy: (n.) an enduring and consuming passion

Pairing: Albedo x GN! Reader Synopsis: Its been a year since the events with the mutated Cryo Regisvine occurred and you continue to conduct research in Dragonspine alongside Albedo. But as Aether and Paimon return once more, new secrets hidden within the depths of the mountain begin to surface and you learn there’s much more to Albedo’s past than you could ever imagine. With a new threat looming over Mondstadt, you can only wonder, what is the cost of loving a man whose history is blurred by snow and ice? Warnings: feels, slightly suggestive near the end but no nsfw Word Count: ~7.1k Series Masterlist here! A/N: she's here she's finally here and done!! thank you everyone who waited for this last act, i'm so so sorry it took me forever to write!

Cold wind swept through the camp, a chill running down your spine as you watched Albedo’s eyes slide to the entrance of the cavern, staring over your shoulder in silence. The silence was overwhelming, choking even as you waited for him to speak. He flexed his hand, staring at his fingers, shoulders still tense and eyes hard as if he was trying to find the right words to speak. The conversation that you had just had with Aether’s presence had clearly set some tension between the two of you, but you were well aware that it was Albedo’s turn to act. You shivered as another gust of wind swept through the camp but Albedo was quick to act, pulling you farther into the camp. Though his actions were hasty, his touch was gentle, almost as if he were afraid you weren’t real.

Without Aether and Paimon there, the camp felt almost too cold. Albedo’s silence wasn’t comforting and he seemed to be trying to figure out the right words to say as he wrung his hands. It was unusual to see him losing his composure like this, yet you waited. The fire in the corner flickered with life, filling the silence with crackles and warmth.

“I’m sure you must have questions.”

“I have more than questions.” Albedo looked up sharply at your tone. You winced slightly at how it came out, but you couldn’t help but feel the bubbling anger that was rising. He had been lying and keeping secrets throughout the entire investigation, and while you understood that it was likely for yours and the other’s safety, that didn’t mean you could brush it all aside.

His plan, his utterly stupid plan that he kept so close to himself had allowed for the rest of you to be in the presence of the imposter for much longer than you would have liked. You wrung your hands together, palms starting to feel sweaty as you let out the breath you were holding and moved around to stand behind your desk. Albedo pulled up a chair to sit at his, just next to yours, waiting for you to speak. There was a lot in your mind, words bubbling to the surface but not quite ready to be said. You needed to be careful about addressing this, lest you started an argument this far up in Dragonspine.

“Can we sit down?” You asked quietly. He nodded and pulled you over to the table and chairs set up by the fire that crackled with warmth. Neither of you spoke as you busied yourself with making warm drinks for one another. Two steaming cups sat across from each other, wisps of steam snaking up from the surface and caressing your face.

“How… how do you have an imposter?” It was a heavy question to start with, but it was at the front of your mind. It was the biggest question you had for Albedo, with the entire mess behind the two of you.

“It’s rather difficult to explain.” Albedo’s hands wrapped around the cup. One gloved finger moved to circle the rim of the cup, soaking in the condensation that had begun to build up. “I’m not the only creation by my master’s hand. I was not the first… synthetic human to be created.” Albedo refused to meet your eyes, sharp turquoise focused on the cup in front of him. He was silent for a moment before he sighed.

“The Primordial Human Project, I cannot say much about this for various reasons, I hope you can understand.” Albedo looked up and you nodded. While it stung that Albedo couldn’t be honest with you, especially about something so precarious as this, you could understand why he was sworn to silence about certain things. The knowledge that Albedo held of this world was probably deeper than any other person in Teyvat, with the exception of a select few, you supposed. But with such immense knowledge and power, there was only so much he could reveal to others. And with the growing tensions between the rumours of Khaenri’ah resurfacing and Aether’s travels revealing more and more about the world, secrets were a fickle thing. They could rebuild or shatter relationships, tear apart friends, bridge lovers. And the secrets that stood in the way of you an Albedo, whether his or your own, there was only so much the two of you could do to meet in the middle.

“It was started by my master, Rhinedottir, who spent years studying the art of alchemy. I was— I am a result of this project, and have since continued to live up to its name since I have come into being.” Albedo paused and glanced over your shoulder to the open cave entrance. “I was surprised to find out that I had an imposter, and one who decided to take my form as well. It is still a phenomenon that I am trying to understand, so if you would allow me some time to better explain it to you…?” He trailed off, not quite knowing how to finish. It was clear that Albedo hadn’t yet gathered his thoughts, just as you were still reeling from the previous events.

“Take your time.” You nodded. You nudged him to drink and he shot you a small smile.

“When Aether and Paimon return.” He hummed and locked his gaze with yours, “I’ll have a proper answer for you.” He ended with a nod, a silent promise that he would answer the questions you had. You lifted your own cup to your mouth, lowering your eyes to avoid his stare. He was searching for something inside of you, forgiveness, hope, you weren’t quite sure. And while you wanted to brush the past few days behind you, the intensity of it all still kept your mind alert.

“I’m heading back down tomorrow to visit my brother in the manor.” You decided to change the subject. “I’ll return in a day’s time.” Albedo leaned back and hummed in acknowledgement. A comfortable silence stretched between the two of you, your eyes beginning to flutter shut as the exhaustion of the day began to rest on your shoulders.

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The short trip back to the manor had been rather uneventful. The adventurers and knights who you had seen on your way down and back up greeted you with happy smiles and you couldn’t help but notice how blissfully unaware they were of the dangers that surrounded you all. Perhaps it was a blessing, or a curse, not knowing the reality of the world around you. You couldn’t help your chest from tightening when you saw Joel at the adventurer’s camp at the base of the mountain, happily making snowmen with Amber. He was so young and yet the dangers of the world were already finding a way to sink their claws into his innocence.

“I’m not late this time.” You knocked on the door to Diluc’s study and let yourself in. He sat with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, hair tied back and hand on his forehead as he stared down at the papers in front of you.

“Welcome back.” He offered you a tired smile. Falling into the chair across from him you pulled out a small stack of papers from your bag and placed it on the table.

“As you requested, the report that you wanted to see before I submit it to Jean.” It was the longest report you had written. With Eula’s help, the two of you had spent hours poring over the details from your recent time in Dragonspine, ensuring that there wasn’t any detail missed. Albedo’s secret, however, would be left for only you and Aether to know.

“I thought you said Kaeya would see it first.” Diluc said dryly, sitting up with attention as he thumbed through the papers, quickly scanning over the words.

You grinned, “I was, but I didn’t feel like making extra trips back and forth between Headquarters and the manor.” Diluc smirked and quickly tried to cover it with the papers, but you were quick enough to spot the smugness on his face..

“Besides, a trip to visit my favourite brother? I’m not going to miss out on that.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that.”

“Too late! That’s such a pity to hear that coming out of my favourite younger sibling’s mouth.” Diluc’s head snapped up to see Kaeya stride into the room, moving to stand behind you as he rested his hands on your shoulders and pressed down gently.

“I’m your only younger sibling.” You twisted to look up at him. He tilted his head and offered you an uncaring smile before reaching forward to slide the report off of Diluc’s desk to read it for himself.

Diluc shifted to face you. “You invited him?”

“I ran into him on the way and he tagged along.” You shrugged. Kaeya let out a dramatic scoff, “Please. You asked me to come.”

“I did not!” You shifted in your set and poked at his leg harshly, causing him to let out a sound of protest and step away. The two of you began to throw petty words at one another in the middle of Diluc’s office, unaware at how he was staring at the two of you. It felt familiar, and yet it wasn’t. All three of you had grown, and where Diluc’s father had once sat and listened to the three of you squabble about the most unimportant of matters, Diluc now sat in that chair and watched as you and Kaeya bickered mindlessly. You, who had grown from the little child that held onto Diluc’s hand as he tugged you along the hallways of the manor to go train with him in the courtyard, now sat in front of him as a Captain of the Knight of Favonius. He had watched, from behind the bar at the Angel’s Share and from his desk in his office at the manor, as you had grown to become the person who was still bickering over pointless things with Kaeya. And Kaeya, cocky and arrogant, proud as he strolled through the streets of Mondstadt had grown as well. From the timid boy who hid behind the door because he was afraid to play with you and your brother, to the easy going yet resourceful Captain he was today. He sighed to himself and moved the reports from Charles back in front of him, tuning out the noise as you and Kaeya continued to poke fun at one another.

Kaeya had ended up staying the night, wanting to finish his argument with you before leaving to go back to the city. When the time came for you to head back up the mountains, you had already forgotten what had sparked the argument, leaving both of your brothers with a warm hug and an attempt to make them promise not to fight one another. That promise would be broken within a day, you had no doubt about it.

Albedo was working at his desk when you returned. He had stood up instantly, greeting you with a hug and pulling you inside. You couldn’t help but immediately look at his neck, the slight fear that he could have been the imposter still lingering in your mind. Albedo, noticing your stare, didn’t say anything, but dove into asking you questions about your visit to the manor. It wasn’t long before the two of you were pulled away to finish your work. There was much to be finished, and knowing that Aether and Paimon would be returning soon, there was the need to finish as much research and paperwork as possible.

“I need to do something.” Albedo turned to face you. He fiddled with the clasps of his coat, pulling it closer as he cast a glance to the entrance of the cave. You looked over at him, ready to stand but hesitated when you found Albedo already looking at you. You could see it in his eyes, the silent plead for you to stay.

“Where are you going?” Your voice was tinged with worry. Your palms pressed against the table, ready to push yourself to your feet. Albedo’s eyes flickered to your movements and he shook his head.

He cleared his throat, “I just want to survey the area one more time.”

“You’re lying.” Your words cut through his, cold as the snow that had begun to fall outside. Albedo blinked at your words, mouth opening slightly and eyebrows twitching up. “I’m not stupid. You’re being too short and vague. And your hand is hovering over where you summon your sword.” You pointed out before he could argue. Albedo’s hands dropped to his side but he stared back at you with an unwavering will.

“I’m coming with you.”

“No you are not.” This time it was Albedo’s turn to surprise you. You stared at him with your mouth pressed into a thin line. Despite the fire that flickered in the corner of the cave, and the waves of heat that wrapped around your body, it felt as if the cold from the outside was quickly seeping in. Both you and Albedo stood at odds with one another, unwilling to back down.

“Where are you going?” You demanded, pushing yourself to your feet. Stepping around your table you hesitantly walked towards him. Albedo was silent, eyes turning cold as he stared at you, as if waiting to pounce.

“Like I said, I’m going to survey the area one more time.” The words fell from his lips with ease, calmly and without a hint of hesitancy. You glanced out at the cave entrance, watching the snowflakes drift to the ground and sink into the snow that was beginning to pile up.

“So why can’t I join you?” Your gaze slid back to his, holding your chin higher.

Albedo stared back at you and without further explanation he said, “I’m going to look for my imposter.” Silence.

“I thought your imposter was dead.” You narrowed your eyes at him.

“Perhaps. However, we cannot be too sure.” Albedo was too calm for your liking. You stepped away from him and moved to stand outside, ignoring the way the snow stung against your skin. You didn’t summon your weapon to your hands or make any move to activate your Vision, instead stood with your back to him, waiting. Seconds later, Albedo was standing with you outside of the cave entrance, arms brushing but hands unwilling to tangle with one another. They stayed glued at your sides, neither of you willing to break the tension that was beginning to wrap around your throat.

“This is something I need to do alone.” Albedo didn’t look at you as he spoke, “Please.” He wasn’t asking you, that was clear enough. You turned your head to look at him, watching as snowflakes caught on his lashes and hair, melting away with the warmth emitted from his body. He sucked in a sharp breath, hand coming to his side as if to draw his weapon.

“My story. Yes, I should have known.” Albedo murmured next to you and inhaled the sharp cold air. “Master’s failed specimen in the dragon’s belly. This is where the story truly begins.” He nearly scoffed at the end of his sentence and looked over at you, his eyes tracing down your figure and back up.

“If we switched places, if you were the survivor, then as the abandoned experiment, the failure of the Primordial Human Project, I’d wanna replace you too.” Albedo looked up in the distance. You tensed and followed his stare, mouth parting as you looked up towards one of the cliffs in the distance. There stood Albedo, no, the imposter, alive, arms crossed as he sneered down at the two of you. You swallowed thickly, so he was still alive. “I would replicate your appearance, study your alchemy, and create miraculous life forms to divert your attention. I would wait for the right moment, then dispose of you and the sole people to have known your secret. And then… I could finally experience the joy of being brought into the world.” Albedo was speaking to you and yet he wasn’t. He was telling you his secret, but addressing the imposter who had raised his chin and turned away to stalk back to wherever he had come from.

A hand lifted yours and you flinched at the feeling. Albedo raised his eyebrows at your actions but held onto your hand gently. It was then that you realized how cold your hands had become from standing in the snow and staring. He lifted your hand up and pressed his cold lips to your gloved fingers, head dipping slightly as he kept his eyes locked on yours.

“Please don’t follow me. This is something I need to do alone.” He murmured the words with his lips brushing against your fingers. A shiver ran down your spine as your mouth parted slightly in shock. Here was Albedo, being so effortlessly smooth to convince you to stay in the cave, while retaining that cold and unrelenting stare of his.

“And what if your imposter comes here.” The words barely made their way out of your mouth as Albedo lowered your hand but interlocked your fingers. His thumb brushed over the uncovered sliver of skin from where your coat and gloves couldn’t meet.

“I trust that you’ll be able to tell my imposter from me.” He dipped his head closer to yours. “And that you’ll do whatever it takes, as a Captain, to ensure the safety of the people of Mondstadt.”

“And as your lover?” You took a shaky breath.

“I know that you’ll make the right decision. After all, I’m putting my trust in you.” Albedo’s face was close to yours and you stepped back quickly, nodding as you took a deep breath. You felt his grip on your hand tighten slightly, as if he thought you were going to pull away from him. He let go far too soon for your liking, stepping away and glancing back up at where his imposter was standing. His hand hovered by his side, weapon materializing in his grip as he stalked in that direction without glancing back.

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“Albedo! (y/n)!” You looked up from your work to see Paimon waving at you both excitedly as she floated next to Aether. The blonde traveller offered a smile, extending a warm greeting to you both.

“Aether, Paimon.” Albedo stood up from his desk and moved to greet them. “I suppose your story is ready.” Paimon flitted around excitedly and you caught Aether shooting her an exasperated look.

“Yup yup! How about you? Do you need some more time?” Anticipation bled from her voice and you couldn’t help but smile at how eager she was. You let your pen fall onto the desk and gathered the papers in front of you, tapping them on the table to straighten them out. Albedo moved to lean against your desk as the travelling pair moved closer.

He glanced over at you for a moment, “No need. I am also ready to tell my story.”

“Paimon calls dibs! Paimon first!” She shouted, waving her hand ecstatically. Albedo chuckled and held out his hand in waiting, prompting her to go first. Aether moved to stand on the other side of your desk so that the four of you made something of a circle. He was careful not to lean against the wood and not knock over the stack of papers that sat at the edge.

“Okay, here goes!” She floated closer, “Once upon a time, there was an evil researcher who went into the mountains and did a crazy experiment on whopperflowers to transform their appearance. After a lot of pain and suffering, the whopper flowers finally took on a human form Then, they stood by the side of the mountain to wait for unsuspecting bypassers…”

“To whoever spoke to them, they would ask some questions, such as: ‘Who am I?’ ‘Who are you?’ If the bypasser got the wrong answer… the last sound they’d make would be a ‘yelp’ before the whopperflower ate them alive in one bite!” Paimon ended her story with a flourish, throwing her hands into the air and dramatically falling backwards.

Albedo stared at her, “Oh, truly frightening.” He didn’t sound bored, but rather slightly amused at Paimon’s story and exaggerated storytelling. You bit your bottom lip, glancing away slightly so as to not give away the amusement on your face.

“Yeah, Paimon is truly frightening.” Aether nodded, not believing his words at all.

“Hey! None of you are scared at all!” She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled, taking in the expressions on your faces. You hummed and rested your chin on your hand.

“Perhaps we’re just really tough.” You offered, earning a scowl from Paimon.

“Don’t go nitpicking, okay! If you don’t like the story, go write your own!” She wagged her finger at you and Aether. You looked over at Albedo for a second, surprised to see him watching you with a fond expression. You could feel heat rising on your cheeks as you cleared your throat and turned back to the floating fairy.

“In that case, I would add some horror elements in.” Aether mused, “After the whopperflowers eat someone… they would turn into that person!” Paimon’s eyes widened at the idea.

“In other words, the whopperflowers would ambush and then completely replace their victims.” Albedo continued off of Aether. “And then adopt their newfound identity.”

“And then what? Go back to where the person lives? Enter their home? Eat their whole family?!” Paimon shook her head, “Huh, Paimon made up this story, but now Paimon’s the one who’s scared by it.” She floated closer to Aether, as if hoping the traveller would protect or comfort her. Aether simply looked over at her with a grin, making no effort to offer a hand.

“It’s a good story, may I write it down?” You tapped the pen on your table. “I may bring it up in future conversations.”

“What for? Just to scare people with?” Paimon narrowed her eyes at you. You shrugged, offering her a half smile. Sometimes it was difficult to not throw in a teasing comment at the little fairy.

“Yes.” Albedo answered for you.

Paimon crossed her arms over her chest, “You’ve got a real mean streak, Albedo!” She began to ramble on about scaring people and how she would be wary about the next time she spoke to him. You watched with silent amusement, head tilted on your fist as you stared at Albedo. He seemed so relaxed, leaning against your desk, one gloved hand splayed out on the surface to support his weight. Your eyes traced over his calm features to his hair, where the hair tie you had tied into place earlier was starting to fall loose. Bits of hair were beginning to fall out of his braid and yet he remained so effortlessly pretty.

“So what’s your story?” Aether redirected the conversation to Albedo. You saw a smirk begin to tug up on his lips, a clear sign of trouble. You had asked him earlier about the story he was planning to offer the traveller but he had given you a lazy shrug, claiming that it was a secret for now. You had half a mind to remind him of the words you had whispered to one another just days prior but if he was planning to tell you and Aether a story, then perhaps he had something up his sleeve.

“Mine is a bit longer than yours. It starts with an alchemist.” Albedo stood up straighter. He extended his hand, a branch materializing into his hands, gold sparks pulling everyone’s attention towards him. “A great alchemist once created Subject One. Subject One was her proudest achievement, and successfully blended into human society. No one ever would have thought that this friend of theirs was in fact a synthetic human.”

“However, unbeknownst to Subject One, the alchemist had tried the same experiment many times before he had come into being. Some of the rejects from failed experiments had been discarded, but had not died. Subject Tow was one such failed experiment. He was swallowed by a great dragon that came to rest upon a snow swept mountain. Many years later, he was resurrected by the dragon’s mysterious power. He saw all kinds of people on the mountain, including… Subject One, who had somehow, miraculously, blended in among them.”

“Never in Subject Two’s wildest imagination had he thought it possible for experimental life forms such as they to deceive everyone so successfully. He saw the way humans accepted Subject one as a friend, witnessed their affection as they addressed him by name. This was what Subject Two wanted. Now, all that Subject Two desired was to replace Subject One and take the joy of his existence for himself.” Paimon shifted closer to Aether and whispered something in his ear. He didn’t react, staring intently at Albedo as he continued his story.

“Subject Two began to unfold his plan. He stole Subject One’s books and notes and studied all that Subject One had learned from the alchemist. Subject Two was highly intelligent and he learned quickly. He changed his face into an exact replica of Subject One’s face. Then, he found a plant with mimicry capabilities and transformed it using dragon blood and alchemy. And so, not only did Subject Two transform his own appearance to perfectly match that of Subject One, he also created a third entity: Subject Three.”

You inhaled sharply and caught Aether’s eye.

“But Subject Two wanted to become a perfected human. So, he erased the mark on both his and Subject Three’s necks, for these marks were symbols of imperfection. It was probably a subconscious act, an instinct. He so desperately craved to become a perfect human being that he forgot something: human beings are defined by their flaws. Subject Two’s plan was meticulously crafted. Subject Three would draw Subject One’s attention. After Subject One disposed of Subject Three, he would assume the thread had now disappeared, and would let his guard down. The next moment that Subject One was alone, Subject Two would make his move. He would eliminate Subject One and become the only one remaining. He would secretly replace the Subject One of everyone’s memories, and inherit his identity, residence, clothing, sword, name, and friends. People would have no idea that the individual they knew had become someone else from one day to the next.”

“But just before Subject Two could carry out his plan, a few strangers entered the mix. Subject Two made contact with one, but was unable to do so with another. They found that they could somehow sense he was different from Subject One.”

Paimon let out a frightened sound, causing all eyes to turn on her.

“What’s wrong? Are you scared?” Albedo’s tone was playful, but you could feel the seriousness that bled from his story. He was doing a great job at fooling Paimon, clearly. But it was obvious that you and Aether could understand the double meaning behind his story.

Albedo continued his story, leaning back against your desk. “They became a new stage in Subject Two’s plan. More people that Subject Two had to dispose of. It’s as if there were three identical roses in a garden. Only one of the three was a fine specimen, while the other two were defective specimens that bore poisonous thorns. In all the world, only the gardener who tended to them could tell which was the good specimen. People do not like poisonous plants. Only a perfect rose can fetch a high price. If the inferior specimens wanted to conceal the fact of their worthlessness, they would have to take the gardener out of the picture using their poisonous thorns. This is exactly what Subject Two was thinking. So he hid in the shadows and waited patiently. Maybe soon, he would get his chance to become truly human.”

You shifted in your seat, allowing for his words to sink in.

“Whew, that was intense. So what happened after that? Did Subject Two’s plan succeed? Paimon can’t bear thinking about it…” She shook her head and looked back up at Albedo hopefully.

“Fortunately it is just a story, and even in this story, Subject Two did not succeed. But you can never let your guard down on Dragonspine.” Albedo replied simply as if he hadn’t just told you and Aether the cruel and unbelievable truth. “Monsters mutated with Durin’s power and blood are also creatures of Rhindottir, just like me. You must beware of all such creatures.”

“Don’t say that.” You snapped, “You’re not a monster.” Albedo blinked at your sudden tone and gave you an understanding smile.

“I’m glad to hear that. It’s okay. I know what I am. Aether and I are both… ‘different,’ so there is no need for me to hide the truth.” He smiled gently and let out a breath. “The only thing is that sometimes, when I think about how mighty the power of alchemy is, I feel so small. As beings who set foot in this world, how arrogant are we in desiring to control our destiny, and in desiring to create? Is creation an arrogant act? If not, why do we call the ones that created us and control us, ‘gods?’ If it is, then what qualifies us to call ourselves creators? How far must we take our reverence and respect, and what purpose does it serve?”

Aether was silent for a moment. “How did you feel when you took out the imposter?”

“Nothing special.” Albedo let out a breathy laugh, “But whenever I think about it, I feel a twinge of grief.” You wanted to reach out to grasp his hand to offer him comfort, but Aether and Paimon were still standing there. Aether looked deep in thought, Paimon looked as if she barely processed any of the information that Albedo had just revealed. Silence enveloped the cave, allowing for all of you to take the time to think. But it was interrupted too soon when a loud voice called out for Aether.

“Thought we might find you here.” Eula and Amber made their appearance, the former greeting you with a nod, the latter with an excited wave. You returned the sentiment and stood up from your desk, moving to stand next to Albedo.

“We’re here to deliver a message from Cyrus. There’s gonna be a big event down at the base camp, and they want you there too!” Amber grinned at Aether, her hands propped up on her hips.

“Winter camp is nearing its end. Apparently, even provisional instructors are required to attend.” Eula sounded exasperated but Amber hit her arm lightly. You couldn’t help but smile at the endearing relationship that was blooming between the pair.

Albedo cleared his throat. “Then I won’t keep you. We have some things to attend to here, so forgive me for not seeing you down.” You felt his gloved hand brush against yours, a promise to talk once the others left. None of them stayed for long, not with the need to get back down to the camp to attend whatever event Cyrus had put on. Amber, Aether and Paimon waved goodbye whilst Eula stood back for a moment. She stared at Albedo for a moment before glancing at where his hand covered yours.

“Stay alert. I’ll see you both back at Headquarters.” It was a thinly veiled warning, mostly directed at Albedo. He sighed as Eula disappeared from view and turned to face you properly.

“She’s never going to be relaxed around me, is she?” Albedo complained lightly with a smile.

“Between what happened last year, and what happened in the past few days? I’d say give her some time.” You patted his chest, sliding your hand up to his shoulder and playing with the stray bits of hair that had come loose from his hair tie. He made a noise of agreement, eyes watching you carefully as you stood so close to him. There was still a lot to be said, stories to be shared and understandings to be met. But with Albedo, patience was the most important. Patience with him, and for yourself.

“Why don’t we head back to Mondstadt early?” Albedo glanced around the camp. “I think we deserve a break.” You nodded in agreement but didn’t move to step away from him. Forget the imposter, forget the Knight’s of Favonius, right now, it was just you and Albedo, and that was enough.

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Returning to Monstadt was the break you finally needed. Jean had shifted some of your workload to the other Captains, giving you the chance to take a step back from missions and have a bit of time off. Just a few days after arriving back in Dragonspine earlier than you had intended to, you found yourself with Kaeya, catching up on his latest endeavors whilst walking through the plaza.

“(y/n)! Kaeya!” You looked up to see who had called your name, only to see Aether standing next to a waving Paimon. You offered her a wave back, thinking she just wanted to say hi, but she began to gesture for you to come their way.

“We can finish talking tomorrow, don’t worry.” Kaeya nudged you in their direction. You agreed to meet him the next morning for breakfast before sending him off with a quick hug.

“What can I do for the two of you?” You smiled, greeting Timaeus warmly.

“Paimon wants Timaeus to come up with something that will turn Paimon’s sunsettias into juice and keep it fresh!” She nodded her head, as if she had just come up with a brilliant idea. You tilted your head, thinking about a possible contraption that could work.

“New research project, Timaeus?” You jolted in surprise at a sudden voice. You turned to see Albedo moving to stand between Aether and Timaeus. He greeted the others warmly, and Timaeus instantly began to explain the situation at hand. You couldn’t help but turn to glance at Albedo’s neck, relieved to find that the star was still there.

“Majorly important, that’s what it is!” Paimon wagged her finger, “If you can manage to invent this, we’ll never have to worry about fruit going bad ever again!”

“That’s impossible!” Timaeus argued back. You glanced over at Albedo to see if he would say anything and nearly choked when the sight of his bare neck greeted you. He didn’t seem fazed at all, but you swore you had seen his marking there just seconds ago. You felt your mouth going dry and you blinked twice rapidly, praying this was simply a result of your tiredness from the day.

“Turning fruit into juice is not hard, but keeping it fresh is more difficult. But if you simply want to keep the fruit from rotting, there are many ways to achieve this.” Albedo spoke smoothly as if nothing was wrong. “Am I correct?” Your eyes snapped up to find him staring at you. Your mouth fell open in shock and you glanced over at Aether, only to find that he had the same expression on his face. You shook your head slightly and looked back down at his neck. The mark was… back.

“What’s wrong? Is there something on my neck?” He tilted his head slightly, exposing the column of his throat to you, a smile beginning to tug up on his lips.

“No… it’s fine.” Aether helped to answer for you. But the look the two of you shared was enough to confirm that he had seen it too.

“From the look on your face, it’s as if you thought I had just played a practical joke on you that was in exceedingly poor taste.” Amusement laced his words and you squinted at him, crossing your arms over his chest. You were going to give him a piece of your mind when you get back to his apartment later that night. He continued to talk with Paimon about burying fruit in Dragonspine, entertaining her idea while giving no sign that he was sorry about the stupid prank he had played.

“But they’re just Sunsettias. I think you are only so attached to them because you don’t have much fruit of this quality in your possession.” Paimon looked offended by what he had said. “When someone’s pockets are full and their spirit is fulfilled, they don’t easily fall prey to this kind of yearning.” He glanced between you and Aether as he finished speaking. Paimon let out a noise of understanding and sighed, shifting to tell Timaeus that it was okay that he wasn’t able to come up with a special machine for her idea. The alchemist looked miffed at her statement but didn’t argue back.

“It was nice to see you all.” Albedo spoke up again and snaked an arm around your waist, nearly making you flinch in surprise. “But I do have dinner plans. We will see you all around soon.” You felt him tug you gently, a sign that he wanted to head home. Bidding the others farewell, you let him lead the two of you away, slipping into the quiet street where Albedo’s apartment sat at the far corner. He fished out the key from his pocket and opened the door, holding it open for you to walk inside. His apartment, unlike his laboratory in the Knight’s Headquarters, was much neater. Minimastically decorated, there were few items lying around, most of which were either Klee’s toys or items you had left behind after your many stays there.

“Could you actually grow Sunsettias in Dragonspine?” You shrugged off your coat, placing it in his outstretched hand. He too, had taken off his coat, leaving him in his sleeveless tunic and gloves that he was already pulling off.

“Dragonspine is too cold for ordinary fruit trees to survive. But… if, one day, Dragonspine did become home to gardens and orchards, there would be more reasons for people to visit. Perhaps, a little life is the key to attracting people.” He mused. You couldn’t help but let your mind drift to his story. “Life may exist in all kinds of unfathomable forms and in all manner of unthinkable environments. Mysterious, yet tenacious… Perhaps this is what makes life so special.”

“It’s what makes you so special.” You said without hesitation. Albedo stopped what he was doing, casting you a look of surprise. His brows were raised and his mouth was parted open, a light dusting of red blooming across his cheeks. He chuckled and moved around you, hands resting on your waist to nudge you aside gently so he could walk around the kitchen island as he searched for spices to make dinner with.

“Aren’t you bold?” He tossed you a wink. You grinned back, falling into your dinner routine with him. These rare moments, the ones where you got to spend the night with him and cook dinner instead of stumbling to bed to fall asleep, were some of the moments you treasured the most. Cooking dinner led to sharing a meal while sitting next to each other, before preparing for bed, all while staying close to one another with touches lingering just a second longer than they usually did.

“You seemed stressed earlier while we listened to Paimon’s idea.” Albedo commented as the two of you moved around one another. You rolled your eyes and made your way to his room, happy to finally get some rest after a long day.

“You’re not funny for that.” You tossed him a half-hearted scowl. He grinned back in return, rummaging through his desk. You stood by the foot of his bed, arms crossed over your chest.

“On the contrary, I think that the expression on your face was rather funny. I wish I had gotten a picture of it.” He hummed. Standing up straight, he turned back to you with a knowing look. He took a step forward but you held your ground as his hands came to rest on your waist.

“Jean’s given me tomorrow off.” Albedo murmured softly, “And I know that your shift starts later tomorrow.” He moved closer, eyes flickering between your eyes and lips.

“You’re not leaving my side anytime soon.” His voice was low and you almost didn’t catch his words with how his hands gripped your waist, the two of you stumbling backwards until you fell back onto the bed. Hands came up to tangle in ash blonde hair, tugging slightly as his mouth pressed against yours for heated kisses. He pulled away breathlessly, staring down at your figure. One of his hands came up to cup your cheek and he pressed another kiss to your lips. His shoulders dropped and his eyes fluttered shut, his warm breath brushing against your cheeks.

“Thank you.” He mumbled softly, eyes opening to watch you. One of your hands untangled from his hand and moved to run up and down his back in comfort. “Thank you for staying by my side, for undoubtedly believing in me.”

“Hey, it’s okay. All is said and done.” You smiled up at him. The hand that was still playing with his hair tugged through the tangles gently, patting his head in comfort. He nodded in agreement and sighed, shifting to lay next to you. Your hand found his, your fingers tangled together as he pulled you closer, the perfect position to rest in.

When you woke up the next morning, Albedo was still asleep. You had shifted so that you were lying on your stomach, face pressed into his chest that rose and fell steadily. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, bouncing against his face and illuminating his features. His lashes fluttered against his cheeks as you shifted, but he didn’t wake, only pulling you closer. You brushed away the strands that fell in front of his face and shifted closer to him. As you waited for him to wake, you traced mindless patterns along his arm, a sleepy but content smile upon your features as you lay in his warmth. When his eyes finally flickered open, striking turquoise that seemed to glow in the morning sun, you greeted him softly with a chaste kiss.

“Good morning, my love.”

reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated! <3 a/n: thank you to everyone who has stuck with me and patiently waited for this last act. i'm sorry it took so long, but i hope it meets your expectations! Minutiae Taglist: @serami00 @bunny-rambles @miqueren @soleilaire @frantheseer @divinechampions @corvus-mellori @mi4-r4y @kleelogy @kazeniya @k4miyatoato @miiltrix

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