ᴄʜᴇᴍɪᴄᴀʟ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ - ᴀʟʙᴇᴅᴏ x ᴏᴄ

Chapter 7 - Closing Wounds

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For You to Stay - Mira K
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"Tell me something, Albedo," the brunette whispered beside the man with ash-blonde hair. She looked up at him with reddened eyes, her blue eyes meeting his teal ones. There was a moment of silence between them. She said, "what if Kaeya had taken me?"

Albedo ran his fingers through her hair methodically. His face showed no expression. She hated when he was unreadable. Secrets lead to nothing more than betrayals, coming from someone who had kept a large one for the majority of her life.

He hummed quietly, thinking hard about an appropriate response. Sucrose took this as a sign to leave them alone. The assistant dipped her head and grabbed her empty bag, dashing out of sight in an instant.

Melanie watched her leave with uncertainty. If the meek girl felt the need to depart, then her question wasn't as innocent as she originally thought. She chewed on her bottom lip and looked down at their boots resting against each other. Blue met black in a gentle touch. The golden lining of his boots clashed with the gray of her buckles on her own, but it was meaningful.

While Albedo continued to ponder his response, she continued to absorb the little things. For the first time, she really acknowledged the shaft of his boot. The black lines formed an intricate pattern towards the collar. The rich blue interior of the design matched the aesthetic of his shirt. Gold and blue, she began to notice, was his appropriate attire.

He cleared his throat, causing her to gasp. Melanie looked up at him quickly to find him smiling. A light shade of pink dusted her cheeks in embarrassment. She lowered her head and tried to shield herself from his amused gaze, but he only lifted her chin with his index finger and thumb. Damn, he knew how to get to her.

She submitted. Her eyes widened when he leaned in, his lips meeting hers in a passionate kiss. The gesture of reciprocated in an instant. Albedo's hands snaked their way through her wavy brown locks. He applied the slightest bit of pressure to the back of her head, pushing her closer.

Melanie felt her heart flutter in her chest. He was kissing her, like, genuinely kissing her. Not just a little peck. She smiled in the kiss and wove her fingers through his ash-blonde hair, lightly tugging on his braid. As stereotypical as she knew it was, she felt like fireworks were exploding around her, or butterflies flourishing from the shadows to sparkle around a rainbow. It was a wonderful feeling, one she was happy to share with him.

He was the one to pull away for a breath, but in a manner she didn't expect. Still weaved in her hair, hands held firmly onto her head to keep her in place. Albedo's eyes glowed with love and passion for her. His breaths came out in short pants, but it didn't stop the words from rolling off of his tongue with ease.

"If you were taken, I would have fought tooth and nail to return you back to your rightful place. Kaeya is a decisive man, but he is partisan in his beliefs. The deal I established with the Acting Grandmaster is beyond the Captain's field of expertise."

"I know you, Melanie. We can work this out with time. It's only day 2, and I don't want you to feel pressured like the others plan to. If it comes down to drawn swords and Geo meeting Cryo, I'll stand up for my faction when words fail."

Melanie blinked in surprise. It sounded more like the draft for a declaration of war, but it made her beam. Tears prickled in her eyes, a few rolling down her face. She laughed at this, especially when he wiped them away with his thumb.

"You really do care..." she said.

"I've always cared because you're the one I love," he cooed. "Not little Flora, or the Outrider, not even Sucrose. You."