𝐀𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 | Genshin Impact

ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪꜱ ᴅᴏᴠᴇ

All she could do to express herself was cross her arms over the other. "Why isn't it you?" She asked with a slight frown.

"Who said it wasn't me?" He retorted.

(Y/n) felt everything around her come to a still frame.

"...I just," He continued. "I think you need to see the world."

"But a world without you isn't fun," She spoke up. "I'd rather stay here and marry my best friend."

(Y/n) glanced up at him. "There's nothing out there. Not for me, at least."

Henri looked the other way. She truly believed the world was no place for her to step into, not even for a little bit. He felt his hand begin to crumple the journal still in hand, listening as the pages bent with gentle force.

You'd think it was because he was angry. But he wasn't. More than anything, he wanted to cry. 

Noticing how quiet he became, (Y/n) suspected he was thinking about her refusal to explore the land beyond their home. She never understood why he was so adamant about it, but he was never clear in his answer when she'd ask either.

So instead she moved a few strands of hair from his face, flashing him a subtle smile. There was no point arguing when she knew the answer. 

"I'm content here," (Y/n) explained. "Don't think otherwise."

The young woman then stood from his side. She faced him, her lips still curved upward. "When you get better, and when we're married, we'll go see the outside together. Just like you promised me all those years ago."

❦

A knock at the door pulled her out of her deep thoughts.

(Y/n) glanced up from her desk towards the entrance that was slowly pushed open. Light from the dimly lit hallway poured in, bouncing off the back of the blond who strolled in.

"Albedo," She greeted him with a smile.

The lead alchemist merely gave her a slight wave. And once he had made his way across the room, his lips parted open to speak. "Are you... busy?" He asked politely. His eyes had met hers.

(Y/n) shook her head. "I'm always busy. But that's my job," She said. "Did you need something?"

"I do, in fact," He said. "Earlier, Sucrose had accidentally brought me a book I hadn't asked for. Not too long after, she mistakingly placed it in a box it doesn't belong to..." He then looked over towards the shelves with a disgruntled look. "...And now, it's somewhere in here."

"I'm guessing it's really important if you want it back," (Y/n) said as she pushed herself away from the desk to stand.

Albedo kept his gaze fixed on her. "Returning the book isn't for my sake," He said. "It's for the librarian."

Lisa. 

(Y/n) had heard her name once, and it wasn't in good context. Swallowing, she said, "...I heard she goes after those who forget to return books."

He nodded his head. "So you understand why it's imperative I find it."

The woman nodded her head. "Of course," She said. "Lucky for you, I remember where I had put that box Sucrose handed over to me."

Albedo looked relieved. "Then we should have no trouble returning it to it's proper place." He took a step back. "After you," He said, waiting for her to take lead.

(Y/n) gestured for him to follow, turning the corner on one of the tall shelves. She placed a fingertip to her bottom lip, her (e/c) eyes glossing over several boxes. 

She placed her hands on her hips when spotting it high above on the furthest ledge. "It was hard enough putting it up there..." (Y/n) groaned. "I don't know how to get it down."

Albedo spoke up. "...I might have a solution for that," He said.

After gesturing her to take a few steps back, the alchemist took a knee, placing a hand to the wooden floor. The vision below the collar of his shirt began to emit a somber glow, which resulted in a swarm of elemental particles traveling through his arm right down to his gloved fingertips. 

Erupted was the crystallized structure of flowers, followed by smaller ones stacking above the other. (Y/n) watched the glistening shards stabilize, and then she glanced towards Albedo.

"That's incredible," She laughed. 

Albedo offered his hand, to which she took. 

(Y/n) stepped onto the glass flower, a bit nervous about falling. But once she reached the top, she dove her hand into the box to grab the book that sat above everything else. Once she took hold of it, she fished it out, glancing over towards Albedo to show him. 

But as she took a step back to climb down, she lost balance.

Albedo caught her from behind, both his hands supporting her arms from underneath. The book fell down with its contents open, and the alchemist's creation dissolved to glittering matter that faded in a matter of seconds.

"Are you... alright?" He asked her.

(Y/n) nodded her head. Instead of answering him, she bent down to pick up the book, dusting it off before handing it over to him. But before it even touched his palm, her gaze fell over the title, and upon reading it did her eyes widen in realization.

"This book..." She whispered. "I know it."

Albedo glanced upward from the book towards her face. 

She raised it closer towards herself, her eyes skimming the cover like something dear she had lost long ago. Albedo took a few steps to where he now stood alongside her, his eyes following her hand as she opened the book.

"Are you familiar with it?" He asked.

(Y/n) nearly gasped. "Familiar with it?" She repeated. "I practically know this book by heart!"

Her eyes skimmed the words. "I used to read it all the time with a close friend of mine. It was my favorite and he didn't mind hearing it all over again."

Shutting the cover, (Y/n) seemed to shake away the memories. She then handed it to him, seemingly forcing it into his grasp as if she couldn't bare to hold onto it any longer.

"Here you go," She smiled. "You should return it before the librarian goes looking for your trail."

Albedo stayed in place as he watched her leave. He then glanced from where she stood towards the book, his lips sounding out the title on the front.

"The Boy and his Dove."

TWENTY NINE