ᴄʜᴇᴍɪᴄᴀʟ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ - ᴀʟʙᴇᴅᴏ x ᴏᴄ

Chapter 19 - Aftermath

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Sunday Best - Surfaces
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Albedo struggled to continue his conversation with Jean. What the Acting Grandmaster wasn't aware of was his nudity. His clothes were laying on the bed, and he reached over quickly to retrieve his shirt, sliding it on with ease. As for his pants, that was an issue he couldn't get down.

"I apologize for the wait," he called to Jean. "Melanie wants a little privacy while I treat her."

"Truly, it's no problem. Take all the time you need!"

Melanie furrowed her brows, sitting up on the futon. She covered her chest with a blanket, wondering if she should say something. Her head continued to spin. A hint of green came to her face, something Albedo noticed instantly.

Pulling up his pants and tightening them caused a visible wince on the man's face, but it didn't slow him down in the slightest. He lay her back down on the bed slowly. There wasn't a bucket in the room, and even if there was, she was supposed to have a cold, not the flu. Her jacket was snatched from the ground and tossed to her.

Albedo leaned back down by her ear, whispering hastily. "Put it on, make sure it's tight around you. Cover yourself with the blanket, and try to look as sickly as possible."

"That's not a problem-" she whispered back. Doing as he ordered, she slid the jacket on her and tried to wrap herself the best she could. It only reached a little past her bottom with her laying down, but she figured Jean wouldn't bother looking down there.

Melanie gave him a nod, and he covered her with the blanket. Then, he stepped out to Jean in his t-shirt and shorts. "You can come in now. I don't believe she's contagious, but I wouldn't try to hang on her."

Albedo kicked a stool over by the futon for Jean, then brought another one for himself. His nervousness wasn't apparent, but Melanie knew he must be sweating bullets. She knew she was visibly overheating herself. The alcohol heated her body, but with the exertion from earlier, she was more than warm.

Jean seated herself the furthest away while Albedo sat by her head. The Acting Grandmaster put on a sympathetic look, truly believing their act. "I suppose this kind of weather isn't for everybody. When did she go downhill?"

Continuing the ploy, Albedo felt Melanie's forehead with the back of his hand. "Fever started this morning, but that's the body's reaction to the cold," he explained to Jean without breaking eye contact.

Jean placed her hand over her heart. "Poor soul! I won't stay for long then. Kaeya was the one who wanted me to check up on you guys before he returned from his current mission with the Honorary Knight."

Albedo nodded slowly, humming. "I wasn't aware of a mission being dealt to him."

"Well, it wasn't really my doing," Jean chirped in response, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. "He mentioned something about Master Diluc on a card, and that he needed to run. I-I didn't ask much more..."

Melanie closed her eyes, pretending to have fallen asleep. Her stomach churned uneasily from her spinning vision. She wished for Jean to finish up the conversation and leave. Obviously, Melanie was out of commission, so there was nothing more to do. Kaeya always taunted her, argued with Albedo, then left. Jean, however, seemed more interested in the alchemist.

"Ah, I'd heard of the game rising in the streets. Sucrose actually approached me about it, showing off a card with her image on it," Albedo replied calmly. "Diona spoke of it when Melanie and I delivered a new batch of flavorings."