Genshin Impact BL DISCONTINUED

Research (Diluc/Albedo)

I'm not exactly an artist but this includes an attempt to draw eyes. 🙈

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Surrounded by stillness and cold night air, Albedo sat on one of the walls of Mondstadt, the moon the only light that illuminated the paper in his hands. Sleepless he used the moment to devote himself completely to art and his thoughts. The sketch on paper slowly turned into one of the many masterpieces that adorned the alchemist's laboratory. But he himself was dissatisfied. For some time now he had been looking in vain for a new muse, for inspiration. Albedo put the paper aside and sighed, looking at the moon and stars, inattentive to the things around him.

"Watch out!", was the last that he heard before the burning shield of a hilichurl hit him and forcibly tore him from the wall. The pain he expected from the impact did not occur. When he opened his eyes surprised, he was looking into bright red eyes, caught  and saved from the impact by the real hero of the night. His eyes meeting the other's longer than necessary, fascinated by their color and the warmth they radiated. A slight blush graced the blonde's cheeks even if he wasn't aware of it.
"You weren't hurt this time, but you better be careful.", Diluc said as he dropped the alchemist and turned to leave.

"Sucrose!", Albedo called her name when he entered the laboratory a little later, before he realized that she had fallen asleep at the table.
"..ngh...ah! I'm sorry!", Sucrose mumbled, embarrassed and startled.
"...do you need ...something?"
"The red color palette."
"It's ... pretty late ... shouldn't you ... get some rest?"
"I can't let a moment of inspiration slip away. The silence of the night is just right to devote yourself to this inspiration."
Sucrose just nodded, knowing that he couldn't be stopped anymore and handed him the red colors that lay next to her. In order not to fall asleep again, she went home after preparing some tea and food for him.

When she returned the next morning, Albedo had already disappeared, paints and brushes spread out on the table, with a drawing of some red eyes in the middle.
"..are these.. Master Dilucs eyes?...When did they ... meet ...?", the young woman mumbled to herself as she looked at the drawing.

Albedo had also heard the stories about the hero of the night, although he already knew who he was, solving this riddle wasn't the reason why he was sitting on the walls of the city again the following nights. Although he came to find inspiration from the redhead to turn it into art, he just watched him most of the time, rapt by the beautiful spectacle that the flames of his vision created.
"Fascinating... it seems to be as destructive as Klee's vision, but his way of using it is far more graceful.", he whispered, still focused on every movement of Diluc's body and his sword.

Absorbed in jotting down his observations, Albedo did not notice the footsteps approaching him. 
"Watching me? Is there a reason for that?", Diluc asked sceptical as he stood next to Albedo. Throwing a look at the drawings, he realized that the alchemist had been watching him for quite some time.
When Albedo finally looked at him, he almost got startled and quickly gathered the drawings together.
"...This has no meaning.", he replied a few seconds later, getting up slowly, holding his utensils and drawings in his hands.
"I see. As long as you don't get in my way, it doesn't matter to me either.  Please keep my activities to yourself.", Diluc said when he turned away to leave him alone again.
"The way you deal with fire is very different from what I am familiar with. It fascinates me. Would you be willing to give me an hour of your time?"
"To serve what purpose?"
"Research. If that appeals to you more than my personal interest."
"I am not interested in research."
"Well, then allow me to pay for your time."
Diluc sighed. It didn't make any sense to him why Albedo was even willing to pay for his time.
"One hour."