Pure (Albedo x reader)

Ghost in her reflection

Later on the path to Mondstadt, you and Albedo retrieved Klee before she could blow up a nearby lake. Of course, the Alchemist scolded her and reminded her that she'd get grounded if Jean caught her.

That is, if.

Anyways, the day you returned home was growing old and once you got home accompanied by the blonde pair you found a few things have changed. Things seemed more messy, a few stray papers had fell onto the floor.

"oh yeah, you were investigating a fatui outburst right?" he nodded, Klee running to fetch her pencil and paper, "I assume they didn't know of your missing, since the outburst was related to an 'Unknown girl of great power'" he rubbed his temple as he re-read the paper.

"It was truly a nuisance  to deal with" his gaze followed Klee as she came running down the stairs, "I'm gonna go out and beat up some bad guys!" she hollered, "I thought you were gonna draw?"

She giggled and shook her head, "Nope, I'm gonna go find some treasure!" Albedo chuckled softly and waved as the small girl ran out the door, picking up the fallen papers. "Do you still want to conduct that experiment? It's not too late and I'm not sick any more"

"i think you need a little recovery, I'm sure being stuck in one place for too long doesn't feel nice after being kidnapped" the stack of papers gently hit the table to properly and neatly stack them up.

"And now that i know why you survived that snow storm on Dragonspine, my original intention is complete"  he took a glance out the window at people decorating the walls of the city with Cecilia's.

"Hm, the festival will begin in a few days.." he said softly, acting slightly uninterested, "A festival!?" seeing your excitement, he sighed. "The windblume festival, full of flowers, love, and many different activities.."

"It sounds like fun! but..you don't sound excited..?" he shook his head, "I find the festivities pointless, though the decoration isn't worthless, in fact it creates quite the beautiful scenery for drawing.."

"Really?" he smiled and nodded, "i haven't gotten a good chance to draw the festival since i was always out of town.." he allowed his mind to envision the Barbatos statue decorated in wreaths of Cecilia flowers.

"i can't wait...wait..what part of the festival has love in it?" he set the neat papers down and sighed, "Last i checked, during the Windblume festival you give flowers to those you care for, i have received flowers before.."

"Ooh! maybe I'll get flowers!" you yipped cheerfully, "Ah..perhaps.." slightly bouncing up and down, Albedo grasped his sketch book and glanced over at you. "Have you returned to Starsnatch cliff yet?"

you shook your head, "Then, shall we? it'll waste all that pent up energy you contently have.." he opened the door and took a step out, not waiting for you unless you chose to come along. "Hey! Hold on!"

"Are you still salty about when i forgot to tell you about my divinity..?" he sighed and shook his head, "I will not lie, i was hurt. though wasting time being bitter about it does nothing..." like normal, his cold gaze glanced over to look at you.

"Y'know, i met an old friend who escorted me to stone gate, turns out, he told me i would join the god of anemo Barbatos and the god of geo Rex lapis.."

"A old friend? I assume he was immortal, perhaps an adepti?" your expression was enough to tell him he was correct, "Your too smart..it's scary" he looked to you with confusion "My common knowledge is not scary"

"What's common knowledge to you isn't common knowledge at all!" he sighed, "You really have to much energy.." he allowed a half smile onto his face, the orange sky complimented him well.

"Hey your smiling!"

when you tried to poke his face to bring out the fact he was smiling, he turned his head away from you, faintly chuckling. "Now your laughing! I've been blessed!" Klee could not have been more correct when she said he looked pretty when he smiled, because when he truly smiled, it was like heaven.

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"Starsnatch cliff is crawling with hilichurls, so do try and stay close for once?" you observed his sword skills with child-like excitement, "Why do you look so excited? It's common to use a sword.."

you followed closely behind, watching the hilichurls evaporate and the blood on his sword doing the same, "Well i don't remember if i could fight or not, so watching it's so refreshing and fun.." his green gaze wondered for a moment.

"Fighting is fun in situations, but now it's only a waste of time and energy" the wind rustled his hair, yours gently swaying with the breeze. "Cecilia grow up here, so i visit quiet often" although Albedo was very cautious of your movements to ensure you weren't lacking behind or getting distracted.

he could never stop you from running ahead of him all the time, so, as you did so he allowed you. running till you reached the edge then coming to a halt.

It was almost as if in that very moment so many things chose to come back, Venti and Morax's appearances as gods, there standing in the archon war, and even your own standing. but why those memories?

Gruesome and full of bloodshed, why not the joyous ones that Xiao mentioned? Drinking and having fun on a cliff above the shore in the nation of the wind, why not those?

"Hm, you seem distraught..?"

just infront of you stood a ghostly figure, one that shared a fearful amount of similarities in appearance other then a cracking face sculpture and a haunting smile and the crystal shape on his neck, which seemed to be leaking blood, Albedo and this figure look all the same.

"H-hey Albedo.." once he caught up with you he didn't seem to take notice of any ghostly figure or being that floated just off the cliffs edge. "Hm, you seem distraught?" you tried to step back away from him, fearful of what you saw and how they repeated the same sentence.

"Hey, be careful.." his soft voice helped comfort you, how he was slow to approach you just to be careful and safe, "I think you need a little time to relax, I'll let you come to me"

And with that, he took his sketch book and moved off to the side about a dozen feet away, drawing a patch of blooming Cecilia flowers, he was calm, so why weren't you?

This feels a little messy, but hey, i want to put tiny angst for fluff next chapter.