Helping Albedo Out With His Research By Day And At Night He Researches You Under The Covers. 😏 He

photos for keepsake

ʜᴏᴍᴇ⠀┃⠀ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ⠀┃⠀ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛɪɴɢ⠀┃⠀ᴍᴀsᴛᴇʀʟɪsᴛ

CORRUPTING YOUR CLOSET PERVERT ROOMMATE

☰ ⠀ ❝ i never knew you were such a pervert. ❞

DETAILS !⠀your roommate has been cooping inside his room A LOT and you wonder why the hell he needs a lot of tissues. you also started to question the constant groans echoing on the hallways during the wee hours of the morning. as so, you went ahead and conducted your little investigation. [ featuring SCARAMOUCHE and ZHONGLI in a modern collage AU with fem! implied reader ]

————⠀ SCARAMOUCHE

it was like an unspoken rule between the two of you, establishing boundaries and setting in some warnings whenever you two prance and laze around the apartment at different hours of the day. scaramouche was pretty strict when it comes to his own activities and responsibilities and you were carefree and passionate about your own hobbies and every little thing that interests you. with both of your ways of living contrasting one another, it was hard to find common ground but somehow it all worked out in the end... save for the fact that it's you who did all the job in pushing your relationship from mere strangers who share the same apartment space to friends (as to what scaramouche had undoubtedly cringed at).

it took you months to even have your roommate look at you whenever you pass by the little hallway separating your own little spaces. even when you bid him a sweet "good morning" or let him share some bacon and toasts you made for breakfast, your efforts used to be left in vain but now it was the opposite. ever since the day you brought him his favorite drink (that you noticed he'd buy every. fucking. day) when he was having his finals, you gained the ability to jab and playfully bark back at every playful insult running past his mouth the next day he sits with you for breakfast.

"you know? you can be cute when you're this soft around me," you once remarked during a movie night you somehow got him to participate in. note how his eyes would glare at you, throwing a popcorn directly at your face which you returned with an equal amount of jest as you started poking his side.

"stop fucking doing that," he groans when he felt your fingers press down the flesh of his torso, you just laughing so gleefully beside him. as the distance grows smaller, the harder it was for scaramouche to handle how his thoughts ran from one idea after another. he can feel how your breasts would brush so gently on his arms, taking note of how you weren't wearing a bra underneath the large shirt. next is how your thighs would flex as you kneel and sit down at his side... it grows worse when he sees how your short rides up to expose more of your skin as you leaned back after he admitted your shitty victory.

and since then, as the movie had finally ended, as the two of you retreated back to your own rooms, you went back to having no contact with scaramouche himself.

you were worried. well, it wasn't the first time you two had poked at each other's things and that wasn't even the worse that you two have let the other feel. but the way he acted as if you were back in day one had hurt you, no, you were disappointed as he was being a bit unfair in treating you like this. whenever he sees you frowning or sulking in the apartment, he was the first to barge in insults at how ugly you look and it honestly made you feel worse during the early stages of your relationship. but the small acts of kindness (that he does in his own twisted and cruel way) aren't left unnoticed when you'd see a bar of chocolate or a small bag of your favorite snacks hanging on your doorknob.

so you wanted to do the same thing for him as well.

and there came the day where you finally have enough time to confront him. your professor was kind enough to dismiss the class 15 minutes earlier than he used to so you dashed your way back to your apartment. you were a bit nervous since you don't even know where to start but knowing how difficult scaramouche would be, it doesn't matter as long as you manage to grab a hold of him.

as you insert the key to your door and twist the knob open, you were welcomed by complete silence. you thought that maybe he was out to eat but you saw his shoes at the entryway. you sighed, merrily, as you quickly discarded your shoes and went to walk through the living room all the way to the small hallway.

and that's when you heard it.

hushed grunts and the familiar creaking of his chair echoing through the walls. scaramouche's voice was strained, laced in such discomfort that you almost stepped inside his room out of sheer concern. but you quickly halted on your track, heart beating fast to gloriously stain your face with such warmth as you heard your name being moaned out loud.

oh.

slowly and gently, you twisted the door to his room, smiling when you found it unlocked. inch by inch you reveal scaramouche's body settled on the comforts of his chair, hands pumping up and down his cock leaking with so much precum. the faint glow of his computer screen had illuminated some colors on his flushed skin, his eyes were shut close to avoid any sort of distraction while his hand was desperate for more stimulation.

and following the old movie fashion when you caught someone doing something naughty, you tiptoed your way towards him, lung constricting as you held in a deep breath as you wanted to surprise him as much as he had surprised you.

"you really are cute, aren't you scara~," you whispered behind his back. he was surprised, almost falling out of his chair but you quickly caught him and leaned down to meet his strong gaze.

"why the fuck are you so early?" he says through gritted teeth, finding it hard to spat any insults when he was busy shoving himself right back inside his shorts but you stopped him from doing so. "out. g-get the fuck out of here." oh, is that a stutter you hear?

"but you looked like you needed an extra hand with your problem," you whispered while looking down at his still hard cock, forming a bump underneath his shorts. as you are supposed to look at the dark little patch stain on his shorts, what had you smiling more was the picture he has on his phone. "i never knew you were such a pervert."

amidst the scolding hate scaramouche felt to you and himself, his mind had snapped out of the haze of vexation when his eyes widen and his hand scrambled to grab his phone and immediately pressed on the power button to turn it off. "to hell f/n, you weren't supposed to—,"

humiliated, for once scaramouche felt all his frustrations crashing down at him in waves. all those prurient inclinations just to feel some sort of relief because of the ache you had caused him came in unyielding hurls of shame to what he thought to be his ice-cold heart. your smiles, the gentleness in your voice, the smart way you raise a banter with him—he had grown so fond of those little things that he grew attached to and longs more for the fuzziness you have him experience.

but you made it hard for him to admit all of these feelings raging inside the thick iron walls he had set around himself. he doesn't like the way you made him feel so weak and soft around you and when it grew worse as the time he saw you in a very suggestive post, he can't help but try to distance himself.

but fuck that photo of you in a swimsuit, fuck him feeling so horny over you.

"but what if i want to?" your sudden outburst caught him off guard, pausing when he saw the dark glint in your eyes and yet the worry shimmers right above the surface. "do you know how much i hate the way you ignored me for days?"

you fumed while you settle in between his legs. he intently watches your every move, hating how he hissed when your hand went to pull his cock out of the confines of his shorts. he hates how he whispered curses when you steadily pump on his aching dick. he hates the way his eyes practically begged to be touched, his fingers sink deep in his palm as he doesn't even fucking know where to hold onto to.

"tell me, do you want this scara?" gentle, despite the dirtiness there is to your intentions.

"j-just fucking suck on it, f/n." he grunts, eyes looking away, once more escaping your gaze. you didn't like that, you were frustrated as much as he is so when you raise a hand and gave his cock a light slap on the tip, you saw how his body trembled and his hips buckling in reaction to the pleasurably painful sting on his cock.

"is that the proper way to ask? after being so fucking shitty to me, scara?" you glanced and saw the lustful gloss on top of his dark pupils. he had his teeth biting down his lower lip, bits of his pride pours out whenever he moans. "come on, you can do better than that."

"p-please, just... suck my cock already." and you grinned at the expense of his embarrassment but also to satiate what he had always longed for the day you barged in his life. slowly you gave the tip of his cock some experimental kitten licks, erupting a cute high-pitched cry from his lips. the cold look on his face melts, his cheeks were blushing, eyes locked on his cock which you continue lapping the tip with your tongue, his bottom lips plump and red from biting so much...

ah, you can already feel how the two of you would spend more time with one another behind closed doors.

i really look like i have my favorites, huh?

————⠀ ZHONGLI

zhongli was absolutely the sweetest roommate you could've asked for.

were you being a bit biased with this? maybe but you never met someone so dashing and yet so down to this earth with all the humane and silly qualities you never knew someone who looks so perfect to have. he is sweet, really as he often knows how to brighten up your day with the simple compliments he'd throw at you before you went out to start your day. he would sometimes even bring back food he got from his friend who was filthy rich (you wondered how zhongli met him and didn't decide to stay with him).

sometimes, he'd even accompany you out to grab dinner from a fast food dinner. his towering height would often loom over you, making you feel safe to enjoy late-night walks. but the downside to that is he often forgets his wallet (he pays you though, don't worry) and his comments about some things were quite odd. it fascinates him, despite it going against what you think so you never have to worry about it as long as he doesn't dance around the subject for more than minutes.

zhongli, you're amazing roommate who also seemed to know a lot about history was really adorable in his own way. you would often be caught just looking at him as he explains to you the government records accumulated from the known liyue qixing. even when the topic would easily bore out people, you were there to listen and smile at how passionate he was while he was telling you more data he had grown to memorize by heart.

with how mesmerized you gazed at him, the more he can feel himself gets swoon away with the feelings he slowly harbored towards you.

it started out as an innocent interest with how you often be around him and just adorably hanging on every word he'd say. maybe that's what drove him to make you feel so special. next came the nervous ebbs he'd feel once he got to see more sides to you. from how your hair would stand up in places, how he'd witness your vulnerability as you trust him enough to listen to the thoughts and worries your heart had been stressing over—as he experienced how much you treated him more than what a friend does, from the simple kiss on the cheeks, the sweet wave you'd give him whenever you cross paths in university grounds, the way he was always the first one to hear your plans and would even be invited throughout the whole agenda... he can't help but reach the end of what used to be an innocent flow of his emotions as he can't help but crave more of what you have to offer.

but zhongli doesn't have the courage to ask what he wants from you.

he tested the ropes of his patience, discerning how taut it was to be able to withstand the blows of his own desires. he held nothing but utter respect towards you, he adores you and cherishes you as his roommate even when his mind screams more than what he tries to label the two of you as.

but with loosely severed strings and scarred purity, one can't hold back and soon he had surrendered to the decadence of such depraved yearning for pleasure.

zhongli thought you were out shopping with your friends, giving all the time he needs to focus on bringing himself any sort of comfort by using his hand. he imagines how it'd be your nimble fingers massaging small circles on his thighs, slowly riding its way up to the middle of his legs and meet his cock that rests so painfully between the cotton fabric of his underwear. as he sat down on his bed, back laid perfectly on the headrest, his legs parted and his cock now standing up to kiss his abdomen—this was the moment where he imagines it's you who was touching him.

so sweet and slow, taking your time in sliding your smooth skin against his skin, your lips teasing on his lips, eyes solely focusing on his dreamy golden orbs, mouth whispering nothing but love as he would do the same. he wishes for all those to come true but...

his hand will work, for now.

"oh d-dear f/n," he stutters out your name. his eyes were pressed closed as he let his mind work and do what needs to be done. the heat inside his body felt too bothersome to simmer down with a cold shower nor he would be willing to take his problem to other people who he knew would be willing to help. but no one can ever satisfy him, not when he felt so your pointer finger sliding up from his foot, your fingernail smoothly tracing a straight line that meets the joint of his hips. it was too good to feel your palm rests so gently on his hips, four of your fingers now making their way to his aching cock, rubbing along the shaft where the veins were prominent as it throbs painfully on your hold.

"please, i-i need you to... make me cum, please," zhongli grunts when he felt your fingers resting at the fat cockhead and messily smothers all the precum on the reddish tup. his mind going overdrive with his imagination.

"if you wanted me to, you could've just asked you know?" your voice loomed over his thoughts and when he opens his eyes, it was you who had your hand on his cock. the same smile he grew to love was plastered serenely on your face, calming the embarrassment he must be feeling when you sat down beside him and continued stroking his cock. "you looked like you're in pain, zhongli. may i?"

obediently, he replied with an eager nod.

"come on, use your big boy words zhongli. you can do that right?" big boy. the word had let go butterflies to rage in the pit of his stomach. he can't stop himself from flushing, hips buckling when you wrap your hand around the base of his needy dick. "use your big boy words like how you did earlier."

and he did, pliant and sweet, like the zhongli you always know but this time.... it was for other reasons and maybe, just maybe you now know why he was so good to you.

☰⠀TAGLIST⠀ⵓ⠀@lucifucker ະ @colourless-cora ະ @nshasy

☰⠀NOTES⠀ⵓ⠀i am dedicating the scaramouche prompt to @noiwillnotdothefandango because of the "kana is horny for scara so i'll make her hornier" agenda on disc. i love you so much 🥺 i know he is a bit ooc here but i can't help it 🥺🥺 i tried my best not to indulge so much in my own take for virgin scara but here you go 🥺 also thank you for @daddyscara for engaging on my horny thoughts about virgin scara on dms too. you the og, i love you so, so much.

i miss the feeling of home

to be included and loved without limits

Diary o' 18th April 2022

Chicken floss bread with choc milk for breakfast.

When I was walking along the school hallways, I saw a student getting lectured by our discipline teacher for wearing sport shoes and i probably looked terrified or soemthing because he averted his gaze to me and stared at my shoes, then called me there too...

"Cannot wear these type of shoe ah." "Ok." "Blah blah blah..." "Ok." "Ok u can go now."

MY SECRET TECHNIQUE 😈😈😈😈

-

When walking to my class, I saw a morning session teacher probably. He was really fun to talk to.

"Heyy u know where is 2M class?" "Huh why is it your first day?" "No, just my class is currently being used by 4A." "Oh, then I don't know also." Then i see people on the fourth floor waving to who knows what and i point at them and say, "Oh, there?" because i thought it were my classmates lol... "Um no that's form 5 LOL." "Oh.." Then i see my responsible class monitor (U saved me!!) and i shouted her name and waved goodbye to the teacher.

we are using the science lab as a replacement for our class for the first period. i put my bags down and liting asks if i want to go buy the math workbook our teacher wanted us to purchase. while talking to her i looked in my (not so serious anymore) crush's direction and he was looking back at me. i looked away quickly and continued talking to my friend. when we were preparing to leave i looked again to confirm that he was staring and he was. hm. he always does that, looking at me for so long then doesn't look at me for the rest of the day like 🤬🤬🤬.

in recess liting asked me what i ate for breakfast and instead of chicken floss i said dog food... LIKE ON ACCIXENT 😨😨😨😨...

"你吃什么” “狗粮 面包”...

i like math class actually 😍😍💪💪

-

in pjpk me and liting sneaked to the toilet when teacher wasn't looking. we took turns in the same stall because the other toilets weren't working. we talked to each other while pissing if that isn't friendship idk what is!

then we also snuck to the equipment room after we finished our business. THERE WAS SO MUCH STUFF IN IT ❤️❤️❤️❤️

There were rugby balls, bow (with no arrows for some reason), BASEBALL MITTS, CATCHER'S HELMET, BASEBALL BAT AND SOFTBALLS, HOCKEY STICKS AND MORE!!!!! I wore the baseball mitt with a softball in my hand for a while and liting was holding the bat until teacher found us out lololol.. she said in PE we could only play with the mainstream sports... 😒😒😒😒☺️

we mostly chilled in pe.

-

- we first walked to the upper centre of the field and sat on the ground talking, then walked in a circle once and were motivated to longjump

- we ran and jumped, used a dry leaf as an indicator... she and i jump same length lolol

- then we ran 3 laps from the middle of the field to the slope...

- we are very exhausted, we take off our masks to breathe for a while.. it is certainly nicer without a mask! the breeze~~~

- we walked another lap around the big ass field, resting on a tree near the slope later

- it was time to go home, while walking back to take our bags i saw my (blah) crush mock kissing his best guy friend and i dont know if they really kissed or not they just snickered so loudly after.

DINNER

fried pork fatty sweet and sour flavour???, broccoli and cauliflower, fried chicken (i got the drumstick), po lei shang choi!!!

- i watched major again after dinner, it was so good!!! i like all the characters again!!

emergency diary copy paste

6.11morning roti canai breakfast. rabbit hole of social media. chemistry notes. lunch longbeans spicy, ginger chicken yum, sour potato slices, naipak. banana. ttdi library hehe so cun cuz absolute focus, j rock n phonk. had a blast playing w my stickers. so cold. went to 1u mr diy so happy hehee felt like myself again. bata shoe kinda meh. burger king stalk st nicholas school acc see what shoe they wear haha. so fun went to inside scoop the cashier so friendly. blueberry yogurt, coffee almond fudge & raspberry sorbet. yum. went to hobility n stayed there for so fucking long Helpppp it was at least 20 mins there i was investigating evey fucking product HAHAHA. it was the first time i did sth like this cuz there were no salesmen n i enjoyed it so much. esp talking abt ultraman n jia tong to dad. "yo wtf ultraman is my generation one lol". hehe so many cute figures. and wafers, gachapon, pre order shit. lolol so ecstatic exploring the damn shop until dad realised xiao gu was here as well. we walked to pjpac and next gen theme park. lolol talked to her there it was so comforting and reality sank in - goingyo sg tmr. not that scared and sad anymore. dinner waisekai so happy hehe. took pics. lou shu fun soup fishball. sugarcane water. talking to liyeen so fun. went 1u again refund brush hehe.

For the event:

Albedo +

Tysm! (＾∇＾)ﾉ♪

𝟓𝟎𝟎 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 - 𝐚 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢

take part - here!

pairing - albedo x gender neutral reader (royalty au!)

genre - fluff

word count - 2668

a/n - hello hello!! this is such a pretty photo, kinda reminds me of a botanical garden :) i think those flowers are hydrangeas so i tried to incorporate them into the drabble as much as i could :D ik it's daytime in the pic but for the sake of this it's nighttime ok shhhh. i kind of struggle to write for albedo a bit but i did as best as i could :) i also went v e r y overboard with this :')

content under the cut!

marriage is an odd thing, strong and supportive in theory but fickle in execution and nature, it often made no sense to you whatsoever. so imagine your surprise when your parents, the king and queen of fontaine, came to you and informed you of your betrothal to the crown prince of mondstat: prince albedo.

to many, a betrothal to prince albedo would be a dream. from what you've heard he's quite handsome although a bit socially inept and possessed a mind rivaling that of the most brilliant scholars. you'd be lying if you said part of you wasn't curious, but that part of you was also being swallowed by an inevitable fear of what was to come.

marriage was a thick, steely cuff shackled to ivory floors in your opinion, you'd exchange your freedom in for your country as your duty requires you to, but then what? live a life locked up in a palace with some man you barely know as your husband? the mere thought of it had you running to the nearest bathroom and dry heaving over the sink.

on top of the weighty betrothal, you hadn't a sliver of an idea of what prince albedo looked like exactly. sure, you knew he was a bit quiet and super smart but asides from that? you had nothing to go off of.

and it seemed like you never would officially know what he looked like until the day of your marriage when your parents made it their mission to hide portraits of the prince that had been sent over to your palace as a gift. you tried to sneak a glance under the cloth draped over one of the paintings only to be harshly reprimanded by your person in waiting and dragged off for more nobility training.

the week before you were to be shipped off to mondstat and married, your parents came to you smiling ear to ear. "the monarchs in mondstat have arranged for an engagement ball! isn't this exciting?" and of course, like always, you nodded and went along with it. but in reality you wanted nothing more than to slink away and indulge in your hobbies that had nothing to do with royal duties or marriage.

and now here you stood, greeting one person after the other as you stood beside both your parents and the monarchs of mondstat. guests swept across the marble dance floor, skirts billowing akin to faint smoke. you gripped a flute of champagne in one gloved hand and the other mindlessly fussed with an over-the-top heirloom on your neck. "stop slouching!" your mother hissed, lightly tapping the side of your arm with her elaborate golden fan. you sighed and straightened your back, sending her a look that practically read "happy now?"

bored out of your mind, you had nothing to do but look around and take in the sights (asides from repeating the same basic greeting every thirty or so seconds). the king and queen of mondstat had spared no expense in decking their ballroom out with the finest of decorations and food hailing from the best of cooks and pastry chefs. you glanced towards the side past your parents who stood on either side of you. the king and queen of mondstat were busy being greeting other guests, but you saw no one who looked like they could be the crown prince.

you'd noted down a few possibilities of who albedo could be: the gentleman with inky blue hair and a striking eyepatch who had entered an animated discussion with a guard. or perhaps the stony-faced redhead who looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here. yet none of them seemed probable to you, that eyepatch man was much too chatty and though the red head was a strong contender for a while, he didn't seem quite socially inept.

though the mini hunt for your betrothed played out like a game in your mind, it didn't help distract you from the overwhelming presence of people that surrounded you. from each and every corner and side came flocks of nobility, ambassadors, lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses, you name the title and they were there. after answering far too many questions for your liking and speaking in tongues that left you with a lump in your throat, you quickly excused yourself to the bathroom only to end up lost within the grand halls of the palace.

"this is ridiculous..." you grumbled, hiking up yet another flight of stairs and passing another intricate porcelain vase that you'd sworn you'd seen twice in trying to navigate the palace. you wondered if you'd just been going around in circles until a certain door caught your attention.

unlike the wooden oak doors that defined many of the rooms in the palace, these doors were purely glass and framed by uncarved wood with some of the leaves still intact. the twisting branches were something like you'd seen in the few alchemy classes you'd taken previously. curious, you placed your palm on the wooden handle and twisted it open.

before you was a sight unlike any other you'd seen before.

tiled paths lined from the door lead inwards towards a stunning indoor garden. along the sides, beds bordered by hedges held silky hydrangeas both violet and ocean blue which surrounded tall, stalking trees that protruded their way up in the middle of the flower beds. bushes and other varying greenery sat in the beds, neatly crafted to form elegant circles. in the middle of the garden, a beautiful beige marble fountain sat spewing water from the top.

for a moment you simply stood by the door and observed with your mouth agape, completely engulfed by the garden that seemed to jump right out of your favorite fantasy novels. you glanced around cautiously, and when you caught sight of no one else, you traversed deeper within.

the only tangible sounds were the soft clicks of your shoes across the tiles and the gentle trickle of the fountain which reverberated throughout the lush garden. as you approached the fountain, you noticed tiny multicolored butterflies hovering over the marble borders. you perched yourself on the edge and watched them flutter around you with curious eyes.

"hello there..." you quietly whispered to a stunning golden butterfly that landed on the tip of your finger.

"i see you've met auric." a voice suddenly broke through the calm silence you had been engulfed in.

you whipped your head around, a tad frightened. at first, you saw nothing but darkness. "w-who's there?" you asked, rising from your seat and looking around.

from the darkness of one of the leading paths stepped forth a young man.

but this was no young man in particular, in fact this was most definitely the most handsome man you'd ever seen in your entire life.

bathed in moonlight, his ashen locks were neatly combed and braided to the back. his attire was that of the finest garb, you noted. gold lined his dark blue overcoat, the tails embedded with dots of silver and aquamarine. but most of all, his stunning cerulean eyes sucked you in like a whirlpool and held you in its swirling grips.

"the great spangled fritillary," he politely smiled, gesturing to the butterfly on the tip of your finger, "scientific name speyeria cybele." he finished, walking closer to you.

"but to me, that butterfly's name is simply auric." said butterfly was still on your finger, flitting its wings every now and then. how it hadn't flown away with your movements, you had no idea.

the name tasted familiar on your tongue, "auric? like the chemical term?" he nodded, placing his white gloved finger near yours.

the butterfly, or auric rather scuttled off your finger onto the man's. "correct, meaning-"

"of, related to, or derived from gold." you eagerly finished for him. he seemed surprised but nodded. "yes...very good. are you perchance a scholar?" from the look on his face, it seemed if you were to lie about your status as a monarch he'd see right through it. and yet you couldn't exactly risk giving up such sensitive information to a complete stranger who had you alone.

"not exactly, i am merely...associated with the royal family of fontaine." lying wasn't exactly your specialty, but for now it seemed like he bought it.

"ah, i see. i too am also...associated with the royal family of mondstat." with a gentle flick of his finger, auric the butterfly fluttered away back to hover over the spewing water.

"is the ball not to your liking?" he asked. you fumbled with a response, knowing that this man was closely associated with the royal family could mean your answer here would be very important.

"i- um, the decorations are quite lovely!" you quickly blurted out, unsure of what else to say.

"ah it pleases me to hear that, are you having a good time?" you nodded your head yes, but from the looks of it you didn't seem too convincing. "you mustn't lie, it's very unbecoming. it's alright if it wasn't to your liking. i'm not much for parties myself." the mysterious man sat himself down on the edge of the marble fountain and gestured to the empty space next to him. "you're welcome to keep me company while i avoid social interaction." you snorted and placed yourself on the space beside him.

"that's a bit contradictory you know."

"i'm well aware, but the clashes of duty and desire are almost always contradictory are they not?" he ended with a charming smirk. smartass, you chuckled and nodded.

you thought back to the butterfly that had perched itself so tamely on your fingertips. "are you a researcher of butterflies?" you asked as you looked up at the fluttering insects that still hovered above you.

"i would consider myself so, i know more about them than most people." he hummed to himself. "and you? you seem awfully intelligent for someone merely associated with the royal family." you gulped and hoped he didn't see through your ruse.

"i- um, i'm in charge of the younger monarch's...educational teachings. yes-! i'm their tutor." you quickly weaved a lie. it had holes and gaps but it was the best you could do for now.

"you might be interested in the royal library then. if you ever return to the palace i'll be sure to show you." your ears perked up at the mention of a library.

"i'd like that, sure." you smiled. so far you kinda liked this man, he'd been nothing but courteous to you but within was a deeper layer that seemed to rest just beneath the surface. you couldn't lie, your curiosity was beginning to get the better of you. you tried to avoid his gaze yet his eyes bore into you, almost as if analyzing your every move.

"you seem...bothered by something. might i ask what?" you fiddled with the ends of your gloves and sighed.

"am i that obvious?" you peered up at him from your hunched position, a tiny sheepish smile on your face.

he merely waved his hand and dismissed your question, "not particularly, i'm just fairly observant."

perhaps it was the fresh air, or the lack of pressure on your shoulders you'd left behind in the ballroom, but you felt your resolve crumbling bit by bit.

"i'm to be wed soon," you mumbled more to the ground than him, "and i'm not sure if i'm ready to be tied down. or if i'll ever be ready for that."

you hadn't raised your head to check if he was still listening, but from his quiet breaths and slight hums of understanding it seemed he was.

"i see, marriage is quite the hassle i must agree. i simply wouldn't have the energy to expend into maintaining both a relationship and my academic endeavors," you nodded in complete understanding, "but then again, perhaps a relationship wouldn't be too hard to maintain if it were the right person."

"the thing is, i've never met my fiance. i have no idea if he's right for me."

he hummed and you watched from the side as auric fluttered down onto his finger once again. "being someone as lovely as you, your fiance would have to be a fool not to treat you right." he smiled, giving you a reassuring look.

the butterflies in your stomach swirled upwards with his compliments and you hid you flustered eyes in the confinements of the suddenly very interesting ground.

"thank you, for the reassurance i mean." you mumbled.

"of course, i believe you're in good hands."

the curious side of you was clawing away at your sides, demanding that you know more about this mysterious man. the more rational part of you however, demanded that you hold your tongue and treat this as a formal encounter. of course, you chose to be complicated.

"if i might ask for your name?" you boldly asked.

before he could even get a chance to open his mouth and reply, a nearby clock sounded the bell ten times. you whipped your head over and suddenly remembered that your mother would be looking for you.

"i don't mean to cut this short but my mo- i mean! the queen will be looking for me. i must hurry back." you picked yourself up and bowed hastily. as you turned to dash out of the door, he caught your hand in his gloved one.

he seemed to not know what he was doing at first, but cleared his throat and placed a feather light kiss on the back of your silk covered hand. "until next time." he nodded politely at you. if you weren't a mess before you sure as hell were now.

where he had formally kissed your hand and been polite, you managed to squeak out a "goodbye!" before scurrying off.

by some miracle you'd managed to find your way back to the ballroom and stumbled to your parent's sides with less grace than you were taught. your mother turn to you with a worried look, "where have you been?" she hissed lowly under her breath.

"got lost," you panted, smoothing out the fabric of your clothes.

"oh my dear (y/n)! i've been looking for you!" you snapped your head up as the call of your name. your future mother-in-law bounded towards you and took both of your hands in her warm ones.

"i've finally found that elusive son of mine, i'm so very eager to have him meet you." she giggled and clasped her hands together.

your stomach did backflips- did she just say you're finally going to get to meet the man you'd spend the rest of your life with? it was a bit overdue in your opinion, but better late than never you supposed.

you waited expectantly, the nervous butterflies in your stomach began to flutter with each second as you watched the queen of mondstat filter through the crowd for her son. at the thought of butterflies, your mind wandered back to that handsome man in the garden and auric the beautiful golden butterfly. he had the most lovely voice too...you almost thought if you listened hard enough past the classical music and chit chat you'd hear the soft bass of his calm voice.

"(y/n)?" brought away from your thoughts, your eyes fell upon those same cerulean eyes that you'd just seen earlier.

your mouth fell agape and you couldn't hide the immediate shock on your face. "you!" you pointed a finger at the ashen haired man you'd encountered in the garden.

"yes, i'm prince albedo. i apologize i should have introduced myself in the garden but," he paused for a moment to extend his hand, "you seemed much more inclined to hide your identity. i thought i'd do the same." your head swam with thoughts of all kinds as you hesitantly placed your hand in his.

the sly glint in his eyes let you know that marriage to him might not be as shackled as you thought.

Tea Prompts!

Link to the prompts here :)

Tags: Kaeya, Albedo, Diluc, Dainsleif, Tartaglia x gn!reader(separate), fluff mostly, angst if you s q u i n t, Diluc/Kaeya story spoilers

milk tea; what are their kisses like?

Kaeya Kaeya kisses like an avalanche, sudden and passionate and heavy. He’s not coy, he’s not slow, he knows what he wants and his kisses reflect that. Pulls you in by the waist or cups your cheeks and tilts your face to his. He tastes faintly like wine, which is funny, because his kisses leave you breathless and intoxicated, wanting more.

Dainsleif Slow and meaningful, every kiss has a place and a time. A reason behind it. He’s touch starved and afraid and that shows in the way he grips your jaw and holds you close as he kisses you like it’ll be the last time every time. He doesn’t know the meaning of soft, there’s only you, and him, and his never ending quest to defeat the Abyss. He tastes like the mixed drinks he consumes at night and during the day he tastes faintly of something you couldn’t begin to explain.

Tartaglia His kisses are suffocating and are never short or without some sort of battle for dominance. He kisses like the ocean, pulling you down and washing over you with his essence. He tastes like how you imagine victory would taste, it's all very interesting. He’s a lot of tongue and teeth and gripping you tight no matter who is watching, he doesn’t care, he just wants to show you how he feels, and oh boy do his kisses somehow always convey how he feels.

Diluc Heated and needy, so so needy. He’s touch starved but in a really different way than Dainsleif. Away from prying eyes he’s touchy and needy, hands roaming your body, your hair, you. He’s so warm and he tastes like cinnamon hearts. Diluc insists one hand must be in his hair at all times when he’s kissing you, and his hair is so soft and fluffy it’s hard not to indulge. In public he prefers chaste kisses but he’s not above pulling you away for a proper kiss.

Albedo Experimental, curious, it changes every time. He always tastes of chalk and the lollipops he steals from his fellow captain’s desk. A surprising amount of less lip on lip action, he likes to roam with his mouth, find out what makes you tick, where to kiss to get certain reactions. Sometimes he’ll reenact a scene he read in one of Lisa’s romance novels. He’s just curious and his kisses and their always changing nature certainly reflects that.

peppermint tea; what do they get excited about?

Kaeya Kaeya is versed in a lot of things. Perfume making, hand to hand combat, horse training, how to read body language, wine in food, wine in drink form, wine in general. But nothing quite gets him excited like a good chat about the wine making process. He learned from his adopted father what goes into making a good wine, and perhaps he’s not part of that family anymore.. But he still remembers how they do it and the intricacies always excite him. So much goes into a fine wine you would not believe- And look at that, he’s been talking for the last hour and for once Diluc isn’t annoyed. You win :)

Dainsleif History, ohhhh my archons. He can talk about history all night if you let him. He talks with his hands when he’s excited about something, drops whatever he’s holding to start gesturing wildly like how the French do? It's cute. Besides history though, he knows, much like Kaeya, quite a bit about alcohol and has no qualms discussing what makes a fine drink. And beyond those two facets of his personality. You’ll find he gets quite excited over.. Flower crowns? Make him one and his eyes light up, star pupils widening as he puts it on. You swear the stars became hearts for a second there..

Tartaglia Man loves fishing like all the chads do. Can talk about fishing all day. Can talk about battle strategy all day, too. And how fishing is good battle practice- Focus, Ajax. Right! He likes dogs, feeling their soft fur between his fingers. He also gets really excited when you ask about his family. He’s pulling out his wallet where he has at least two dozen photos of his siblings and parents. He’s got a massive family, you realise very quickly as he lists their names and little things about them. It’s the only time you’ve ever seen his dull eyes shine, even though it's just a smidge. There’s a shine when he talks about his family.

Diluc Tell him you’re thinking of learning the piano and watch how quickly he pulls his gloves off and leads you to the grand piano in the winery. Invites you to sit beside him so he can teach you the basics. He’s incredibly skilled at piano, and wants you to share in his hobby. Can talk about pianos all day, apparently he knows how to fix them too? Even if pianos are dull to you, indulge him. The way he lights up is to die for, he’s not one for idle chit chat, but pianos?? Man won’t shut the fuck up. Truly, it’s nice. To hear him talk so much

Albedo Another one for the mundane shit tbh. Flowers, light sweet foods, science, dusty old tomes, the truth of the universe- His curiosity is his ‘excitement’. He doesn’t show excitement like the others but you can tell he’s excited when he’s talking about a species of flower and his words sort of slur together as he talks at a fast monotonous pace. Or when he finishes an experiment and you’re the first person he runs to with the results like he just uncovered some great big thing(everything is a great big thing in pursuit of the truth!) You’ll notice that he actually really wants to share his curiosity with you. You. You make him excited, his favourite lab partner.

pomegranate tea; at what point did they know they loved their s/o?

Kaeya When he realised you saw past his lies. The “I’m fine, dove! What? Want my attention?” sort of lies. The moment you began to see past them, you started to hold him, but you never really pushed beyond letting him know you were there. That’s when he realised he had done the unthinkable. Kaeya Alberich had fallen in love, with you. And honestly? Screw the ancient plot. With you by his side, he could conquer the world, but he’d much rather wake up to your kisses instead.

Dainsleif Dainsleif hates to admit it, but he is the kind of man who falls in love with everything around him. The flowers that bloomed despite the harshest conditions, the comforting breeze, water against his skin, the stranger on the street he just passed. So he had always loved you in the way he loved everything. But he realised he really loved you when you traced the leylines on his arm, no fear, no hesitation, just adoration in your eyes. Watching you, he realised that while he loved everyone and everything in the way a guardian does. There was nobody he wanted to protect more than you.

Tartaglia Some may say it's when you bandage his wounds with worry and panic, when you show him that you love him. But really it's when you listen to him talk about his family, talk about how he actually didn’t like his job but he had to do it, for them, he says. And you never judge him. Running your fingers through his hair as he recounts his regrets, when the bloodthirsty warrior persona is gone and it's just Ajax, the boy who liked to fish and listen to stories. When you’re just you, the person who cares about him underneath his title. Love is such a strong word, such a strong feeling, but every time you look at him when he talks.. He loves you.

Diluc Another one for team loves too much, truly. He’s so scared all of the time. His family is gone, and he blames himself for it, he pushed Kaeya away, he couldn’t save his father in time. So accepting that he loved you was not something done easily. But watching you interact with his brother, being kind to someone he still loves who he knows is suffering. Your kindness as Kaeya’s smile falters just a little bit. It's then that he realises he loves you. And the moment the last patron is gone he doesn’t hesitate to bury his face in the crook of your neck and tell you how he feels, no matter how scared he is.

Albedo Love? What is love but a chemical reaction? Albedo doesn’t understand relationships let alone love. All he knows is his heart ticks faster when it sees you, the pulsating grows louder in his ears and it confuses him more than anything else. Watching you interact with Klee, smile on your face as the young girl shows you something or another. Albedo wishes to study this feeling, understand his diagnosis. Is he dying? Contagious, perhaps? Book after book and his answer lies in commitment and he wonders if he can commit. But then you look at him as he rambles on and on about a topic he’s well aware you don’t care about and he decides. Yes. He can commit.

And there will come a day when you suddenly go, oh. That’s why. That’s why it was worth living and sticking around. I understand.

And then the moment passes, and you might forget again. But that’s okay, because life is an abundance of such moments. They will come back <3

DIARY:

14th of March 2022

--

i woke up from a dream that i was in kinokuniya and checking out an official sketch of asuka from the animators of evangelion for rm169 after looking at a really thick art book. IT WAS HEAVEN!! i recall not wanting to wake up bc of how heavenly jt was and because i thought about waking up, i actually woke up. DANG!!"#!#!

i sat in the living room for so long and only went out to eat at 12. i got jean first thing in the morning (12am), on her birthday!!!! i "broke down" because i didn't know whether to eat at my favourite western restaurant or at mcdonalds. we were going to stop by my M grandmother's house for lunch again so i can't order anything too lavish but i also wanted to eat in the restaurant!!! i can't eat anything non luxurious in there... my parents made the decision for me.😇

set meal: garlic bread and mushroom soup, fillet o fish in sour oil (for me), two scoops of ice cream (vanilla n chocolate chip).

oh my dar. was my grandmother's dishes tasty! garlic prawn (it was so good the flesh tasted salty and springy even without its shell), yaumak, broccoli and carrots, fried chicken, sweet and sour chicken...

we sat in her house for so long because it was raining dog and cat😒😒😒. i wanted to go back so bad but i couldn't. i mostly read and surfed the internet there. (and watched two episodes of sasaki and miyano...)

when i came back to my P grandparents' house i immediately dashed toward my laptop bc i downloaded valorant this afternoon. i waited for my dad and mom to finish showering while playing a practice match. i suck at this game, never playing again.

dinner was ok i really liked the potatos and rice! while it was raining the mama cat was letting her kitten snug into her tummy for a few hours. its so darn cute!!

after dinner i spent all my time relentlessly scrolling through shopee in hopes of finding good sanrio gifts for my friend whose birthday passed two days ago. until now. its 23:04!!! and i think I've found it.

one thousand and one nights with you (is not enough to spend)

note from kin: the title is from that song in twisted by starkid, but that’s about as far as the similarity goes

anyway you’re visionless and basically run a little witch shop in mondstadt, with flowers and cool gemstones and mysterious powders and potions and stuff. albedo gets a lot of his alchemy ingredients from you (also he’s dating you but not a lot of people know that)

fandom: genshin impact

character(s): gn! reader, albedo, plus a surprise venti cameo

pairing(s): albedo/reader

warning(s): i don’t know albedo that well so he might be ooc? also this is so cheesy it’s a little ridiculous

genre: fluff

“I’ll be going now, boss!”

You smile and return your assistant’s cheery goodbye wave as he disappears off into the night outside, freshly-filled coin pouch jingling at his hip. As the door swings shut with quiet click, your surroundings fall into quietude.

The candles keeping the room lit are beginning to burn down to stumps, throwing most of your shelves into shadow. You take a sip from the steaming cup sitting on your counter, then stand up to begin taking inventory and closing up shop.

The silence is comforting after such a long day. You’re not entirely sure what brought on the sudden increase in customers, given that your shop is tucked away in a quiet little corner of Mondstadt that not many tend to linger around. That had been a deliberate choice, and so was the lack of advertising - your speciality is the individual, not the crowd.

Still, you can’t say that it isn’t nice to have the increased income. More profit means better wages for your assisstant - and more Mora to buy even more cool things to stock.

You pass about an hour ambling around your shop, rearranging your products and making sure that everything is in order. Then, just as the bat-shaped clock on the wall chimes one o’clock, the bell above the front door jingles, and you hear quiet footsteps enter.

You don’t pay it any mind at first, instead focusing on rearranging the little bottles of various dusts and extracts on one of the ingredients shelves. A hand settles on the small of your back, and you feel the new arrival’s presence come to a stop beside you.

“We’re out of powdered lizard tail,” You say without looking at him.

A pause. Then a quiet chuckle. “That’s how you want to start the night?”

You smirk. “The night started a good while ago, darling.”

Albedo sighs as you turn to face him, though his soft smile betrays his faux-exasperation. “I did tell you I’d be late today.”

“You tell me that you’ll be late every day,” You reply, sliding one final bottle of powdered crystalfly into place, then move over to sit on your front counter. He follows, settling just beside you.

“I have a lot of things that need attending to,” He shrugs, leaning over and snatching your drink without asking. You shake your head, but let him take a sip from it anyway.

His eyes flicker up to look at you over the rim of the mug. “...though, of course, you’re the most important one.”

You laugh and bat at his shoulder. He doesn’t make any effort to avoid it, eyes twinkling as you smile. “Why not come round more often if I’m so important, huh?”

“Do you think I wouldn’t if I could?” He asks with a scoff, setting down the mug and gently nudging you in the side. “We both have jobs, [Name]. We need to actually do them.”

“Oh, I know that,” You return his nudge and hop down from the counter again. Albedo sighs a little at your restlessness, but follows as you swipe the keys from your drawer and open the door again. “But it doesn’t hurt to take a day off every now and then.”

“I’ve already taken far more in the last month than is reasonable,” Albedo says with a shake of his head, stepping out into the street at your indication and waiting as you shut and lock the door. “Grandmaster Jean will get suspicious.”

“Psh,” You dismiss, waving a whimsical hand about and nearly knocking the sign off of your door. “Why is it that you’re not telling her about us, again?”

“She doesn’t exactly like you,” He says, absently linking his hand with yours as the two of you begin walking aimlessly in no direction in particular. He’s removed his gloves, you notice. “You did set up shop without permission when you first got here.”

“Ah, right…” Now that you think about it, you seem to remember her shooting you a rather nasty look when you passed her in the street last week. Why she continues to hold a grudge is lost on you - after all, you did get the necessary documentation and everything eventually… though, to be fair, the method you used wasn’t exactly legal. “...well, forget her.  What do you want to do tonight?”

“Hmm,” He swings your linked hands about for a moment. “I saw a lot of dandelions growing just outside the walls earlier. Why don’t we go pick some seeds?”

“If you want to pick dandelion seeds, why not ask Sucrose?” You ask as he begins leading you in the direction of the main gate. “She’s the one with the Anemo vision.”

“Sucrose?” Albedo repeats, turning his head to look at you. His irises almost seem to glow in the darkness of the night, brighter than any of the stars above - it’d be unsettling if it wasn’t so beautiful. “Why would I want to go seed-picking with her?”

You raise an eyebrow. “...well, I’m assuming you need them for an experiment, and Anemo-blown sunflower seeds are always far more effective in that area.”

“If I needed them for an experiment, I’d just buy them from your shop,” He shakes his head. “This isn’t an ingredient hunt. This is different - it’s special.”

“Special how?” You question as the two of you walk through the gate. Albedo guides you over to a particularly thick cluster of dandelions just a few feet away, nestled in a lush copse of grass.

“Special… like you.” He cups both his hands around one of yours, the one that he’d been holding just before, and guides it over to one of the tallest plants. “Go on, show me that trick again.”

You laugh a little at his almost childish inflection, but do as he requests anyway. Albedo pulls his hands away from yours and watches as you carefully pluck off the head of the dandelion without disturbing any of its fluff-topped seeds, allowing it to rest on the tips of your fingers.

“There’s no trick to having a delicate hand,” You say as he watches your every move with the utmost concentration. “It just takes practice.”

Carefully securing the little bit of stem left at the bottom of the dandelion head between your index finger and thumb, you slowly raise your hand so that it’s suspended just above Albedo; he ducks his head a little, closing his eyes as you bring up your other hand to ever-so-gently flick the seeds from the head. The seeds drift about in the still night air for a brief moment before landing in Albedo’s blonde hair; their white colour is barely distinguishable against it.

He opens his eyes again as you pull your hands down again, lifting his head slowly so as not to disturb the little decorations you’ve added to it. “...so what did you grant me this time?”

“A good night’s sleep,” You say playfully. “As the seeds are carried away on the wind, so too will all your worldly burdens be blown away.”

He shakes his head, and several seeds are dislodged by the motion, vanishing quickly into the night. “If only it were that easy.”

“Hey, it worked last time,” You counter, sitting down in the grass. Albedo follows suit, reaching out and plucking a dandelion of his own - though with a lot less deftness than you did.

“That wasn’t the dandelions,” He says plainly, blowing lightly on the dandelion and watching the fluff disperse and disappear into the dark. “I just sleep more soundly when you’re beside me.”

You chuckle. “Sweet talker. So you’d sleep like a baby if I was around all the time, then?”

“Perhaps I would half the time,” He answers, smiling in a way that tells you that he knows exactly how sappy what he’s about to say is. “But I wouldn’t sleep nearly as well for the other half. I’d be too busy looking at you.”

Despite already knowing that it was coming, you can’t help but feel your heart flutter slightly at his proclamation. “I could say the same about. Bet you’ve broken a good few hearts with looks like that.”

“Then so be it,” He shrugs, eye-lids falling a little as he gives you a devilish little smirk. “Yours is the only one I care about.”

“When did you get so charming?” You flick him in the nose, effectively wiping off the smug look on his face. “Have you been studying love poems or something?”

“Love poems aren’t really my area,” He says, drawing back and rubbing at his nose a little reproachfully. “But Lisa and Kaeya have been giving me plenty of tips on my… 'romantic endeavours’, as they say.”

“Those two…” You shake your head. Kaeya and Lisa managed to find about your relationship with Albedo almost as soon as he’d confessed to you, though luckily they’d agreed to try not to mention it around Jean. “Have those tips been working?”

“Isn’t that a question for you to answer?” He picks another dandelion and blows it directly at you. “Is your heart being stirred?”

“Not while you’re blowing seeds into my face, it isn’t,” You shield yourself with one hand, pushing it in front of Albedo’s face to obscure his field of vision. “Quit it!”

He does drop the dandelion at your request, but, unusually, doesn’t give you a verbal response. You’re just thinking that he must be planning something when he suddenly leans forward and kisses the centre of your palm.

You immediately pull your hand back, feeling yourself heat up. Albedo leans forward, cocking his head to the side with a smile. “What about now?”

“You’re insufferable,” is your only reply.

Albedo’s smile turns into another smirk. He knows exactly what he’s doing. “I’m yours.”

“Mine, now? How nice,” You say, still trying to act unbothered. You can tell it isn’t working, though.  “Am I allowed to get a refund if you don’t work as expected?”

“Would you ever want to return me?” Albedo counters. You can’t exactly say yes - that’s both mean and untrue -  so you just sigh and shake your head. He smiles, clearly pleased.

You’re about to say something else when you hear a series of uneven footsteps coming from the gate. It doesn’t sound like a Knight of Favonius on patrol - in fact, it sounds more like a drunkard.

Albedo shuffles a little closer to you as a figure stumbles out of the gates. It’s someone you vaguely recognise by their green clothes - the bard who often plays in front of the statue of Barbatos. He’s holding a bottle that’s already half-empty, and you have a feeling that he’s already had a lot more before it.

The bard looks over at you and Albedo, and while you doubt he can recognise your faces what with both the darkness and the distance, it’s obvious enough that the two of you aren’t just a pair of good buddies hanging out. He raises the bottle in your direction with a hiccup.

“Wonderful night to meet a lover!” He calls, voice ringing so loudly that you’re sure that he just woke up a few residents of the city. “May your relationship last long as the wind blows!”

He doesn’t wait for a response before beginning to stumble his way across the bridge. As he goes, he exclaims to no one in particular, “The air is crisp tonight! Such good wine - what a wonderful city!”

He quickly disappears into the darkness. You exchange looks with Albedo. “...how much do you think he drank?”

“Far too much,” He replies amusedly. “He’ll regret it come morning.”

“And it isn’t too far off now,” You say, checking your pocket watch. “Will you be heading back to headquarters tonight?”

He considers, then shakes his head. “I don’t have anything that’ll need attention tomorrow morning. So, if you’ll have me…”

He doesn’t finish, but you already know what he’s asking. “There’s always room for you to stay over - you should know that by now, shouldn’t you?”

He smiles a little bashfully at that, and nods. “I suppose so… thank you.”

“You might as well move in at this point,” You comment, shifting slightly on the spot and patting at his arm. He holds his hand out obligingly, and you thread your fingers through his. “You’ve left at least three sets of pyjamas over already.”

Albedo opens his mouth to respond, and you shake your head, placing the index finger of your free hand to his lips to shush him. “Yeah, yeah, I got it, Grandmaster Jean’ll get suspicious…”

He blows on your finger to get you to retract it. When that doesn’t work, he pretends to bite at it, which is a lot more effective. “...I will tell her eventually. Just not now.”

“While you’re on the rocks,” You say with a nod, squeezing his hand. He sighs and nods as well. “But I still don’t think she’d fire you over who you’re dating.”

“Maybe not, but I don’t want to get any more on her bad side,” He mumbles. “She’s still annoyed about that floor I melted.”

“Didn’t you tell her that I was the one who made you drop the potion?” You ask, thinking back to that particular day - when you’d learnt that Albedo is very susceptible to your flirting when he’s in the middle of an experiment.

He shakes his head with a chuckle. “I didn’t think you’d appreciate me tattling. Besides, it isn’t like she punished me.”

“Well, you’re basically untouchable at the end of the day,” You comment, lying back in the grass and pulling Albedo with you. “It’s them who need you, not the other way around.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” He says, adjusting himself so that the two of you are pressed flush against each other. “If I hadn’t started working for them, we’d never have met.”

“We would have crossed paths eventually,” You say, smiling coyly when he turns his head to face you. “Though better sooner than later, I suppose.”

“Far better sooner,” He says, returning your smile with a much softer one. “I’m glad we did.”

Another dandelion seed drifts out of his hair and lands in the grass as you look at him. You'll be keeping this one for a long time, you decide. Probably forever. You like him.

You think he likes you, too.