Experimentation

A particularly cold afternoon had you shivering in your office seat and wheeling yourself towards the fireplace. You hadn't felt this uncomfortably freezing weather since your brief trip to the border of Dragonspine. You frantically rubbed your hands together and stretched them out to take in the fire's warmth. The friction wasn't enough to satisfy your expectations however it would make do for the rest of your time at the office.

The tinted window was decorated with soft and sluggish-growing frost while the weather beyond the glass was contradicting with clear blue skies. A concentrated breath escaped past your lips and you pouted as your breath took on a visual form. The flame in front of you fluttered at the arrival of somebody opening the office door.

"Y/N?" The Captain of the Investigation Team and very same Chief Alchemist, Albedo, opened the door and scouted the office in search of your whereabouts. His head peered past the half opened door, scanning his surroundings before finally settling on you by the fireplace. He let out a soft chuckle and let himself in, closing the door behind him.

Tucked under his arm was a clipboard with intangible scribbles and in his hand was a steaming hot beverage. He took the clipboard from in-between his arm and torso then placed it on the desk along with the hot beverage. The smell and warmth from the drink was beckoning for you to drift toward it. Albedo immediately understood and replaced the drink in his hand and made his way towards you. He leant down to hand you the cup, making sure your frozen fingers were secured properly around the drink in case you accidentally spilled it.

"Just as well I came to check on you, haha," he gave you a pat on the head and walked away briefly, "want me to turn the heating on?"
"It should be at its highest setting already," you reply.
Albedo checks the heating system on the wall and frowns, "Rightly so."

After checking the settings, he walks around the room and closes all of the blinds, explaining how having sunlight blaring through the windows during the cold season isn't a good strategy for trying to keep warm. He returns to your side and seated himself on the ground neighbouring you. "Is the cold keeping you from working?" You nodded, taking a sip form the beverage after blowing it a couple of times. "So if you were to warm up, you'd continue?" Another nod. "Or would you prefer to settle back home for the day?"
"No need," you respond, "I'm almost done for the day, plus it would be rude of me to leave so soon."

A subtle and gentle smile plastered across Albedo's face. He turned away, in an attempt to hide what seemed like an embarrassing emotion for him, it despite you already catching wind of his expression.

"Mr. Albedo?"
"It's nothing..." Albedo returns his gaze onto you. What he doesn't realise is that his hands were motioning for you to come closer to him. The alchemist furrowed his brows and questioned his own actions however the subtle smile was still showing on his face. He was clearly embarrassed. You waited a moment before Albedo spoke up again, "C-Come here."

At first you didn't understand where he meant for you to go. Shuffling a little more closer to him? On his lap...? Was this appropriate for a work environment?

"You wanted to warm up, no?"

Ah right.

You stood up and cosied yourself next to him. Albedo sat up a bit, adjusting his sitting position to allow you more comfort. He removed his arm from his coat sleeve and draped the fabric over your body to trap in as much heat as possible. Because of this, his natural scent slowly lingered its way to your nostrils. It was comforting. The drink was still warm in your hand and you contemplated whether you should quickly drink it and snuggle with him properly or continue using it as your personal hand warmer.

"Finish your drink," Albedo interfered with your thoughts, "it'll help you relax." You did as you were told, quickly gulping down the remainder of your gifted beverage and placing the cup to the side, out of the way. Afterwards your hands hesitantly slithered to wrap around Albedo's waist your head rested comfortably on his shoulder. Albedo drifted an arm also around your waist to secure you in his presence, while he wasn't to certain what he should do with his free arm. He wavered it about a bit, trying to decide where would be most comfortable for you before making his decision. Albedo hesitantly reached for your head to shuffle you even closer to him.