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For You to Stay - Mira K
0:01 ❍─────── 4:42
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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."
She laughed at this, knowing he had taken notice of her rancor toward his assistant. It wasn't entirely Sucrose's fault for the rumors among the citizens. All the girl wanted to do was learn alchemy from the master.
Albedo released her from his hold, and she wrapped him in a hug. She needed this touching moment more than anything. She squeezed him tighter when his arms found their way around her thin frame. He buried his nose in her hair and closed his eyes. "I love you," he murmured.
"I love you too."
A single tear rolled down her face. Melanie hid his face in his shirt, breathing in his scent. Quietly, she sobbed into his chest and allowed more tears to escape. She felt his hand rub her back reassuringly before he pulled away and smiled at her.
"There's no need for that, Snowflake," he said gently. He pulled her up slowly and brushed off the dirt her clothes had collected from the ground.
Melanie nodded and tried her best to dry her tears with her sleeve. Her heart was overflowing with happiness, and the only way she expressed that was through crying. She exhaled a shaky breath and inhaled deeply. This pattern continued until she was calm enough to speak again.
"I'm sorry, heh... It's just... I can't explain it."
Albedo nodded slowly. He gently squeezed her shoulder before he walked over to the wooden shelves on the other side of the campsite. A few bottles were brought over to the alchemy table to be displayed in front of him. He adjusted the order of each one several times before he found one he was content with.
"Now," he began, "we can get to the next item of business." Melanie glanced at him and tilted her head to the side. Her brows furrowed, but Albedo sent her a quick wink. She was taken aback by this, but understood what he was trying to do. "Diona has requested a formula to add to a new edition of drinks to celebrate an event. Of course, she recruited Sucrose and me to be in charge of three signature concoctions to add, but I feel as though you'll fit this better."
Melanie nodded slowly. "What do you have so far?"
Albedo rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He gestured at the bottles in front of him and said, "a few bases that require further mixing. It's still a work in progress. Sucrose isn't very interested in the goal, so I was wondering if you could assist me?"
"I've never really had alcohol," she admitted with a light blush. "But I'd love to help the Cat Tail out. You mentioned you have bases created already. What's left?"
The alchemist turned around and grabbed an empty burlap sack, holding it in front of him. "There is a special plant that will turn each of these formulas into something with an exquisite flavor. I'd like us to go out together and collect them."
Melanie's eyes widened the slightest bit. She had heard rumors about the connection between the alchemist and the surrounding nature but never before had she seen it before herself. Despite her rising excitement, she composed herself to nod once.
He mirrored her gesture and neatly folded the sack to be tossed over to her. She barely caught it, almost ruining its perfection, but held it delicately in her hands. It was only a sack that cost barely any Mora, but she didn't want to take any chances and appear clumsy.
Albedo walked out into the snowy terrain, leaving fresh prints in the fluffy snow. A quiet crunch followed each step he took. She followed close behind, so close that she filled his footprints before the cold winds could blow snow to fill them.
The wind picked up as the distance grew between them and the safety of the campsite. The alchemist pushed onward with ease, whereas Melanie required him to act as her shield. She was grateful for him; more so for not bringing any attention to it over actually blocking the wind.
The couple trekked through the mountains, hopping over fallen trees and climbing over large boulders in their way. Albedo appeared to know where he was going, though Melanie was following him blindly. She trusted him.
There came a point when they were walking on a narrow path between a mountain and a gaping hole. Whenever she looked down to confirm it was real, she saw several limbs of fallen hilichurls. She would pity them and look away, hoping she wasn't next.
Melanie took note of how eroded the path was. It was rocky and slick with ice, a recipe for disaster. Yet the man continued to walk with confidence. The traction in his boots must have been strong or else he'd be slipping worse than she was.
A stone slipped away beneath her feet and she felt herself floating. When she looked down, she was falling. Albedo turned around quick enough for his braid to slap himself in the face. His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist firmly in his hand.
She looked up at him with widened eyes. Everything in her body told her to scream in fear, but gazing into Albedo's eyes as he kept her from death, she knew she had to keep herself from doing that. Her teeth sunk into her lip, causing blood to pulse from it.
As she hung from his hand, she wondered why he hadn't pulled her to safety yet. Melanie looked away from his face and realized he was slipping as well, only more slowly. Her eyes met his again, though she wasn't sure if she could say that much. He was distant, lost in his mind.
Suddenly, he jerked backward, scraping her body against the rocks, causing her to yelp in pain. Now in a standing position, he planted his Solar Isotoma as close to her as possible. It lightly glowed beside her, and she understood in a moment. With an exchanged nod, he let her go, and she fell onto it.
Albedo took a few steps back as she rose into the air a bit farther than expected. Melanie stood up, swaying at the uneven balance. It was rising at an angle, a real problem for her. Without thinking, she dove onto the ground below her. A shower of snow and loose pebbles flurried around her.
She sat on the ground, slightly winded. He ran toward her, pulled her off of the ground, and hugged her tight.
"Are you okay? I'm sorry, I should've paid closer attention to you-"
Melanie pulled away and pressed her finger to his lips. "I'm fine, thanks to you. It was quick thinking you had! I promise I'm fine."
Concern showed in his teal orbs. He seemed uncertain and moved to wipe the blood dripping down her chin slowly. She licked her bleeding lip and pressed her hand to it to slow down the flow. "I'm fine," she said.
Albedo shook his head dismissively. "You've said it three times already. Let's continue, we're almost to the field. After we get back to the camp, you're staying there until I say so."
He turned away, making his decision final. Melanie furrowed her brows but didn't question it. She skipped ahead to walk beside him and hold his hand. Albedo took it quickly and held it tight.
It was a bit odd to think of how protective he was being at that moment. Maybe it was a good thing she was banished to the cold lands of Dragonspine with him. They were completely alone and he could express himself freely. Her motto was always "everything happens for a reason." It seemed to be coming true.
A smile crept onto her features. She pulled up her hood to hide it from him. With as smug as she was being, he'd know something was up.
They continued walking for a short period of time before Albedo came to a halt. Below them was a field of shriveled plants. Every single one was brown and hunched over, slowly wilting away. If she hadn't been with the Chalk Prince himself, she would have snuffed them indefinitely.
Now Albedo lowered himself from their small overhang and approached a large bunch of the plants. They had the structure of mint, but there was something different about them she couldn't explain.
The alchemist picked one up by its roots and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed, and he exhaled openly into the air. The puffs of hot air settled on the decaying stem of the plant. In a flash, the plant began to bloom into life. Its green exterior sprouted several leaves that glowed a faint white hue.
The air began to smell of a sweeter wood. She drank it in openly and smiled. Albedo walked over with it in his hand, delicately stroking a few of the leaves. "Marjoram," he told her with a matter-of-factly look. "It has a very unique taste compared to its minty relative. It has a sweetening component in it, but I feel like it would go best with a tarter beverage. This plant may even add an edge to it that Diona could build from."
Melanie nodded slowly, taking it from him when he offered it to her. She plucked a leaf off and set it on her tongue, allowing the taste to ripple over her tastebuds. It reminded her of a certain seasoning Sara used in her foods. The name failed to come to mind.
The burlap sack from before was pulled from her pocket and unfolded for the plant to be placed into. Albedo smiled at her before he turned to move on to the next one. There were many more plants to tend to, and he seemed to want all of them. Melanie followed him the entire time, not leaving his side.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ughhhh, I get chills every time I think about Albedo doing his little trick with the plants. Isn't it the coolest to watch in his idle animation? I kind of had to change some details just to make it more interesting, but I think I did good here!
Question of the chapter:
Who's your favorite character in the story so far?