In the cold mountains of Dragonspine resides a certain alchemist best known by the people of Mondstadt as Albedo. Most think of him as distant and independent, only focusing on his studies when he isn't exploring the vast landscape, but there is muc...
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Albedo crawled to her side, deciding it was the better place to be. He took her hand in his to kiss it gently, his lips soft and warm against her skin. A light blush crept onto her pale face. The simplest of things brought color to her cheeks, and the little things were the ones to tip her over.
"It must be serious, huh?" Melanie whispered, leaning her head against his strong frame. Her weight was supported with ease with a simple adjustment of his hand resting fanned on the ground behind him. She went farther by sitting perpendicular to him to rest her entire head on his belly.
The alchemist gazed down at her lovingly, appreciating the gesture beyond its intention. He stroked her hair gently, running his fingers through the thin locks and occasionally braiding the ends with skilled movements. Each braid he made was carefully disassembled for him to continue his play.
"It's a good kind of serious, Melanie. One we can thoroughly indulge ourselves in without fear intertwining itself into our voices." He continued his methodic stroking, lulling her into a state of inner peace. Occasionally, her eyelids would slowly close, only for her to jolt herself awake soon after she caught herself. "I want to talk about us." Melanie slowly shifted her gaze up to his, but not in surprise or shock. She smiled, giggled softly, then returned to look into the roaring flames beside them. The light flickered as each branch was consumed in flame, leaving behind a blackened ash on the bottom of the pile.
"Where do you see us, say, a year from now?" Albedo asked her. His fingers continued to run through her hair rhythmically. He seemed at peace with it, bringing them to a mutual atmosphere.
Humming a song to herself, she thought about the possibilities. In a year, she could be doing numerous things. There was a chance she'd be back on the streets with Finn and the others, but the prospect of strolling around the land with Albedo at her side was more tasteful to picture vividly.
The sun would be warm, the bees would buzz through the thick bouquet of cecilias in her hands. Everyone would walk by with kind smiles, others curving their lips to murmur a quick 'awww' to themselves. Melanie and Albedo... the most loved couple in Mondstadt. That's what she could imagine; a life with the man she loved. It was happiness.
But the other option wasn't completely out of the discussion. She'd still visit Albedo, yes, but Finn would redirect them all to Liyue, where the alchemist would never be able to find her. Hunger would always bite at her stomach, and her clothes would be dirty and torn. There was a biting chill, milder than in the cavern, but enough to bring goosebumps to her arms. Happiness was not in the form of a silver insignia.
She closed her eyes, sighing softly. "I see us hand-in-hand walking up the steps of the Knights with bright smiles on our faces. The Knights are friendly to us both; we seem to be one."
Upon opening her eyes, Albedo was nodding slowly to himself, but neither in agreement nor dismissal. He was back in his imaginary bubble of thought, quite possibly a different scene painting itself for him with more vibrant colors and hues.
"I envision a similar scene," he told her, popping his bubble to look back down at her. "You're happy, I'm proud. The way you walk is full of passion and energy. I can't help but smile at the woman in front of me, but a different title comes to mind."
Melanie snuggled her head deeper into him, curling up against his body with a soft whine. "And what would that be?" she asked, still fighting the urge to fall asleep.
He laughed softly, a welcoming sound to her ears. "That's a secret I cannot disclose. I'll have to keep you wondering."
She raised her arm to smack his chest playfully with the back of her hand. A grumble of protest from her was followed by Melanie burying her face into his chest instead of his stomach. He waited for her to situate herself before proceeding with playing with her hair, especially since she moved quite a bit.
"But you see us together, hm?" Melanie asked randomly once he was twisting a braid once again.
"I must say that I do, because I don't want to ever let you go. I want to always be able to call you mine and protect you with my life. That honor would be beyond my wildest dreams, if I had any outside of my life mission, that is."
His words touched her heart dearly. Any expression of love from him was outstanding the more often it happened. Over time, he taught himself how to express his feelings. He studied the way of understanding certain desires, and how to work well with a partner. Everything he did now took time for him to absorb.
"You make life brighter, like I'm meant to be a person in this world. The chances you give, the potential you see in every being, it surprises me. When you only see the good and ignore the bad, something about it makes me love you even more." Melanie yawned into her hand, feeling even more tired than before.
Albedo huffed with amusement. "That's not all me. Everything seems possible when you're involved-"
"Then let me be yours forever," Melanie interrupted sleepily. She dragged on a few of her words, but not enough to distort their meaning. "Keep me close enough for you to embrace. Let me be what keeps you going throughout the years."
Her eyes came to a close, her breathing evening out and deepening with sleep. Albedo awkwardly dragged himself over to a stray wall to lean against with as few movements as possible. He tried to remain perfectly still to ensure she remained asleep, something he would have been able to achieve without such dire measures being taken.
Finally, he situated himself against a cave wall. The fire was farther away than he wanted it to be, but at least she was resting peacefully on him. Joy swelled in his chest now that Melanie was safe with him and not freezing in the wilderness alone.
"Then let me be the one who shelters you from the cold. Let me bring a smile to your face with a simple phrase," he cooed softly. His fingers continued to run through her hair, one hand at a time to keep the feeling constant. Occasionally, he'd take a few tendrils and cross them over each other to form a braid like before, only this time more neatly.
Melanie cracked open an eye and smiled up at him. "Be those things, and you'll never lose me."
Albedo tilted his head to the side, momentarily freezing his hands. "I've studied you from the moment we met. I put in the time to understand who you are as a person, how you grew to be who you are, and what it takes to be the one you love."
"Oh yeah?" she hummed quietly, letting her eyes close slowly. "'S not creepy at all..."
He released a breathy laugh, sounding more like an amused scoff. "No research could have taught me enough about you. Only by growing this close can I predict your thoughts and movements."
Melanie yawned softly, her voice heavy with sleep. "Where are you going with this?"
"I'm ready to be yours if you'll take me."
"Took you long enough..." Her features relaxed as she drifted into her slumber. This time, she didn't wake up to respond anymore. A deep sleep was upon her, one with dreams she'd never had before.
Albedo seemed to understand in an instant, so he let her rest. One of his hands gently cupped her face, his thumb rubbing her cheek as he gazed into her sleeping face.
