𝐀𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 | Genshin Impact

ɢʟᴀɴᴄᴇꜱ

FORTY EIGHT

TEN MINUTES. TEN minutes were all Albedo had left to unwind from the hours spent staring at nothing but his own unfinished experiments. The alchemist sat at his desk, a pencil in hand as he sketched mindlessly without any rules. There wasn't anything in particular he wished to see on that page, but even then he couldn't seem to rid himself of the headache that was growing with every second that passed.

No matter what, he found himself sketching the same thing over and over.

In trying to create something else, he absolutely despised feeling as though it were a chore. And if he could not enjoy it, then that's usually how a majority of his half-finished sketches would end up in the trash.

Albedo straightened himself on his chair, fingertips tracing over the delicate lines. He stared down at it, his eyes narrowed and completely unamused. A breath of air escaped his nose in the form of a sigh, and his hand rushed to crumple the paper. It wrinkled loudly, crushed by the force of his hand. Then, Albedo swung his arm lightly, tossing it perfectly into the bin nearby. But unfortunately for him, it rolled out from the accumulated pile of unfinished works, landing on the floor with a light sound.

All became quiet as he sat there, contemplating how to spend the remainder of his minutes Sucrose had encouraged he take.That was, until the familiar sight of (Y/n) rushed into the room.

"I need your help," Was all she said, her footsteps quick and heavy against the floor.

His eyes flickered upwards, lashes filtering out the sunlight that cascaded from the nearby window. Albedo kept a fixed gaze on her as she approached him from across the room.

Albedo felt his body stiffen. Could she tell he couldn't breathe? He hoped she didn't.

Once she was just across his desk, she lifted her hand for him to see. "I have a splinter," (Y/n) explained. "And I can't seem to get it out myself."

He stared down at her hand.

"I was with Noelle when we sat down on a bench outside the headquarters to relax," She explained. "I had placed my hand below and that's when I felt something sharp on my skin."

Albedo slowly spoke. "I can certainly try to assist..." He said.

(Y/n) pulled an extra chair from behind her and placed it next to his. "Great," She said as she sat down, placing her hand in his. And with the other handed him a pair of tweezers she had been holding onto the entire time.

The alchemist reached for it slowly, taking it between his own gloved fingertips.

Longing wasn't enough to describe how often he thought to have her hand in his again. He wondered if she knew this, and if she'd laugh at how absurd it sounded. But the feeling blanketed him for a while now. And even when he didn't want to think about it, it couldn't help but cross his mind.

(Y/n) noticed from the corner of her eyes how concentrated he became. Guessing he was most likely nervous or unsure of himself, she turned to him and asked, "Is everything alright?"

As he lifted his gaze, Albedo stared wide eyed at her. Almost as if a million things were running through his head but he couldn't pick one amongst the rest to say.

It was only a brief moment before his expression could turn relaxed. And in turning back to her hand, the ends of his lips slightly curved upward. "In truth, I wouldn't know where to start..." His voice was soft and gentle.