Time and Being || Albedo

34 - Meant to Be

finals are done and i'm not sick anymore!! a new chapter to celebrate!

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A ray of sunlight peeked through the bedroom window. Albedo's eyes drifted towards the blinds, watching the floating particles of dust as they refract the entering light. The room was warm with color, gently filling with the light of the rising sun.

He had woken up early, the memories of the previous night still fresh in his mind.

His boots and gloves that lay on the floor by the bedside, neatly kept. During his sleep, his hair had loosened, resulting in a slightly scruffy look.

Normally, he was one to rise and head straight to work but as his teal blue eyes finally fell back onto you, who lies by his waist sound asleep, he decided against starting the day.

Instead, he played with your hair, sweeping it behind your ears as he ran his slim fingers through your mildly tangled locks. Soft snores left your nose with each small breath, your eyes held gently shut as you slept within his arms.

You were fairly clingy in your sleep. Not once had the alchemist been able to pull from your sleepy hug, but despite this he didn't anger or protest, never wanting to leave your grasp in the first place.

Last night you let your emotions run dry. The events at the headquarters mixed with deprivation of sleep and the stinging memories that the Dawn Manor held made it increasingly difficult for you to hold your head.

The pressure of it all caused you to crumble at Albedo's feet and he had done his best to pick you up again.

As you clung to him and cried, the alchemist had brought you to lay on the bed and held you to his chest as you spilled your thoughts. Your worries started in the past, you had told him the small rabbit doll was a gift from your late mother, but as you continued to mumble words into his ear he realized your vulnerability came from the stress of that night.

You were frustrated with yourself for being unable to do anything. For sitting in a corner and letting it all unfold without being of any substance. You blamed yourself, for your own actions on the mountain.

If you hadn't been so foolish and listened to Albedo, perhaps you would still have had the mobility to fight last night.

Now that cursed sword was in the hands of the Fatui and you only thought it was your fault.

Of course, Albedo denied your words, quietly thinking it was all his own fault. But you responded with words that baffled him. As he tried to assure you you responded with a simple passing comment, "They want you because you're special. It's not your fault you were created differently."

Though he did not ask, the words didn't leave his mind.

Not long after you said this, Albedo's rhythmic stroking of your hair caused you to drift asleep, he followed soon after.

Even after a night's rest, he woke, still pondering exactly what you had meant. 'Created' wasn't a term humans had used for emotional development. He had distinguished terms that would be used to describe himself long before he was introduced to human society. It was what taught him to humble himself, to understand that he'd never meet the standards of what true humans were.

Manufactured, synthesized, molded.

'Created' was one of these words.

It was no coincidence that you had used that word, it was one of the more gentle ways you could've mentioned that he was a homunculus. A being birthed from alchemy.

This soft mention was likely the reason the alchemist wasn't displeased with the idea that you already knew. Rather, he was more so relieved he didn't have to find the right means of telling you himself.