𝐀𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 | Genshin Impact

ᴅᴇꜱᴘɪᴛᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ

FORTY TWO

WITH ALL HIS previous unfinished works, this one was sure to keep Albedo at bay.

Despite who (Y/n) was—someone he didn't know quite yet—he still enjoyed her company. The two could sit together for hours without saying a thing and still cherish the moment. He'd never met someone quite like her. It made the process easier.

In exchange for his equipment, he now had a few tools he'd use for his artistic work. And right across from him, sitting on a lovely chair, was (Y/n).

"Once again," He spoke up. "Thank you for agreeing to this." The stick of charcoal in his hand disintegrated at the tip when scratched against the canvas' surface.

Without moving much, (Y/n) slightly nodded. "This beats collecting dust in the archives..." She admitted.

The alchemist's expression relaxed. "Only someone who has a heavy mind would want the position you have," He joked lightly.

(Y/n) happened to glanced back over at Albedo. "What?" She referred to that look on his face.

Albedo kept his gaze fixed onto her. "Do you?" He had this smug expression. There was no other way to describe it.

The woman's brows curved as her eyes narrowed with slight confusion. She had never seen this side of him before.

"You want to know if I have a lot to think about?" She asked.

"...If I may," His eyes shied away. He then mindlessly played with the charcoal stick. "I want to use you as reference for an idea I've had in my head for a while. I want to know you a bit more, to have a better picture."

(Y/n)'s lashes covered her eyes as she glanced down. "Aright then. A heavy mind, huh?" She repeated. "If I'm being honest, I guess I do have a lot to think about. Or rather, I tend to think about a lot of things while I work."

Albedo hummed in response to let her know he was listening.

"I think back to Fontaine and the people in it," (Y/n) continued. "I think about my best friend. And his health, it never leaves my mind." Her words slowed down towards the end.

"I'm a private person," She followed up. "So by me opening up to you, it means I trust you."

At this, the alchemist met her gaze. "Trust?" It was barely noticeable, but the end of his lips curved upward.

From where she sat, there were small trickles of light that fell from behind his figure. It bounced off his white coat, giving him a slight glow. It filtered through the strands of his ashen-brown hair, illuminating the single threads that were untucked from his preferred style.

She took the time to explore the ocean in his eyes. They were calm, with the slightest tides pulling over the sand. But the ocean is still the ocean. And it is deep with layers unseen.

Albedo was like the single flower you'd find growing beneath a pile of snow. Cold but lively. Granted she didn't know much about him, but it made him all the more intriguing.

(Y/n) had made up her mind.

"Hey, Albedo. Why me?" She asked. "Why'd you ask me of all people to help you with this?"

Albedo's hand halted. He then glanced up at her, their gaze meeting. "It's simple. I think you're quite attractive," He said it so bluntly.

(Y/n) stared wide eyed at him. She wasn't sure what to say.

He then stared down at the canvas. "...That and you're right across from me. It's easier to reach you." Nice save.

The woman let go of the breath she hadn't even realized she was holding until a burst of fresh air entered her lungs to remind her.

"It doesn't hurt to capture the essence of someone when drawing a portrait," Albedo explained. "There's always something new to learn, this way." After all, he was a slight glutton for knowledge.

"Drawing is a..." He paused briefly. "A good way that allows me to relax. It's a habit formed long ago, initially for research purposes but, I unconsciously found myself engrossed in it."

The door to the room was suddenly opened. Looking over towards the entrance, in walked Kaeya who looked rather disgruntled.

"Albedo, I need a second opinion," He looked for the alchemist before his gaze settled over the man. And then, he spotted (Y/n).

"(Y/n)," His expression relaxed, as if all the tension of the day had washed away. "My, what a surprise. I hadn't thought you'd keep Albedo company."

As much as (Y/n) enjoyed Kaeya, she knew it was only a matter of time before he'd find something to pester her about.

"You said you needed a second opinion?" She reminded him. "What for?"

"Nothing imperative..." The captain strolled towards Albedo.

Kaeya loomed over his shoulder, eyeing the portrait with his visible pupil. (Y/n) hadn't seen it herself, so she was trying to read his expression while he glossed over it. There was a split second his lips curved upward, and she supposed it told her everything she needed to know.

"You think you could make me one?" He asked the alchemist. Though, there was a double meaning behind it no one caught.

"I suppose it depends," Albedo responded.

A smile found its way over Kaeya's lips. "I'll leave you to it then," He said.

(Y/n)'s attention flickered from his fleeting figure back towards Albedo.

"Are you?" She asked him once Kaeya had left through the door.

The young man raised a brow. "...Am I?" He repeated.

"Going to sketch a portrait for him?" She explained. "Like he had asked.

Albedo stifled a laugh. "Oh, of course," He said. "After all, I'd only need three strokes of the pencil to sketch Kaeya. One for the face, one for the eyepatch string, and one for the eyepatch itself."

At this, (Y/n) couldn't help but laugh.

Yes. He supposed he could get along with someone like her.

By chance the two bumped into each other, their conversations were never forced. Just knowing someone like that, it honestly made him feel relieved.

Maybe now he understood why Kaeya treasured her so much. Going as far as looking for her any chance he got. He'd seen the way the man would look at her, with a smile he didn't think existed until she stood before him.

The alchemist recalled a conversation the two had, it was about her.

"No matter what I do or have done, she never makes me feel bad about it." Kaeya had said. "Accepting me for who I am without making me feel judged, what more could I ask for?"

He was certain Kaeya could foresee himself unraveling without intention. That was just the type of person she was, he said.

As he continued the portrait, Albedo hadn't realized, but he discreetly folded his fingers—the ones from his free hand—against his palm repeatedly. Almost as if trying to remember what it felt like to hold her hand like the other day.

FORTY TWO