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“You know there are better places to sleep than on top of a notebook on your desk.” He lifted his head slowly at the sound of the voice and saw her leaning against the doorway. The amused smile on her lips as she pushed her body away and began walking towards him. “Like your bed? Your very nice bed that is soft and good for a tired alchemist whose sleeping schedule is terrible?.”
And by the time she had finished her sentence, he had already turned his chair around and opened his arms to wrap around her. He pressed his head against her stomach and smiled at the familiar soft floral scent that she always had around her. “I lost track of time.” “He muttered as she ran her fingers through his blonde hair, he let out a soft sigh and leaned into her touch. “Is that why you came, Lumine? To reprimand me?”
“One of the many reasons why.” She said with an amused tone and he tilted his head up to see her gazing down at him softly. Her golden eyes sparkling with warmth as she lightly let her finger graze and trace his jawline. “I also missed you.”
“Mmnnn…” He leaned his head to the side as she cupped his cheek with one hand, eyes closing slightly. “I prefer the later reason.”
“You are impossible.” She said with a soft laugh and his teal eyes opened again before he slowly stood up. “Albedo?”
“I think I need something to recharge. My body feels tired.”
“I’m sure I can whip something up for breakfast. Or maybe you’d prefer a cup of coffee?”
“Mmnn both sound nice but I found that one thing in particular would be the most effective.”
“Sleeping in a proper bed.”
“No.” He said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in closer. She let out a soft gasp that made his lips curve upwards. Leaning down, he pressed his forehead against hers and slowly inhaled. “This.” He whispered as he let his other hand rise to press against the back of her head, enjoying the feeling of having her in his arms.
“You silly man.” She said with a laugh before she put her arms over his shoulder and let out a sigh. “You silly silly man.”
“Mmhmn.”The soft smile on his lips as he enjoyed a quiet moment that belonged only to them. No distractions, no work, no quests, not a single thing but each other.
“You have terrible sleeping habits.” She huffed as her fingers played with the messy braid in his hair.
“I do.”
“You need to fix them. You need to sleep in a proper bed. You need—“
“Will you be there?”
She gasped and pulled away sharply and he couldn’t help but chuckle at their blushing face. As she blinked quickly, her cheeks reddening adorably. “Albedo!” She hit his chest once but that didn’t stop him from smiling and pulling her closer.
“It was an honest question.” Albedo couldn’t help his growing smile. There was nothing in the world more amusing or adorable than her bashful expression. Even after all the time they spent together, he enjoyed the fact that he could still have this effect on her.
“You are impossible.” Her laughter was bright and cheerful and he loved the sound of it.
“Theoretically speaking, if I knew you were waiting for me in my bed, I think I would be more inclined to come to bed.” He teased as the back of his hand lightly grazed her cheek. “I may even stay in bed longer if you were there with me.”
“I can see you are wide awake now.” The laughter in her voice as she pushed at his chest. He grabbed hold of the hand quickly and brought it between them. “Albedo?”
“Like I said..The best way to wake me up..is you.” His breath was soft against her fingers before he pressed a kiss onto her hand. Her lips were slightly opened at the heated gaze he gave her before he lowered her and held it in his. “Shall we have breakfast?”
Exhaling slowly, she gave his hand a squeeze before leading him out of his study. “I will get you back one day.”
“I look forward to it.”
“For how long will you be gone for?”
“Do you miss me already?” She tilted her head back and smiled at him. “Only a few days. They need my help back in Liyue and I know you’re busy with your experiments.”
“I could take time off.” He said as he wrapped his arms around her, Putting his head on her shoulder, he let out a sigh and nuzzled her neck. “I’m sure Sucrose could handle it while I’m gone.”
“You told me you are on the final stages. You said that to me when I tried to drag you to bed and you said you were close. It was your excuse for not getting a proper night’s sleep.”
“Sucrose can handle it.” He repeated as he held her tighter. He didn’t know when it began but he had become accustomed to her presence. Her warm and light touch made sleeping come easier as she pulled him away from his lab and into his room. He had almost looked forward to the way she’d put her arms over his shoulder, kiss his cheek, and tell him it’s time for bed.
“Albedo. It’s only a few days.”
“I have learned that even a few days without you can feel too long.” He kissed the nape of her neck, letting his lips linger against her skin. He felt her pulse as he pulled her in closer, not wanting to let her go. “Do you really not want me to go with you?”
“Of course I’d want you to come with me.”
“Then I shall pack a bag.”
“But you will not come with me because you are busy and you haven’t slept well and I will be working and—Albedo. It’s only a few days.”
“You make it seem like that’s supposed to appease me.”
“Does it not?”
“Not at all.”
“And why is that?” She turned her head to look at him, her golden eyes looking into the teal eyes that peaked through his blonde hair.
“Because…”He paused as he thought of a good reason but simply shook his head. “Only a few days?” He knew it wasn’t logical, the way he craved her touch, how he wanted to always be with her. How he felt his days were incomplete without her— he shouldn’t become so dependent on her and yet—
“Only a few days..You’ll hardly notice I’m gone.”
“Impossible.”
“Hmn?”
“I’ll notice it. I’ll always notice it.”
Sighing, she turned around in his arms and brushed away that fell in front of his eyes. “I’ll come back safely and as fast as I can. But you have to promise me something.”
“And what is that?”
“You’ll actually sleep in your bed and not on your desk.”
“With you gone, there is no incentive to go to my room.”
“Albedo.” The stern gaze, the small pout, it made him smile slightly before he leaned in and kissed her lips. “Albedo! I’m being serious.” She giggled as he peppered her lips with short and sweet kisses.
“I will try. But I make no promises, Lumine.”
“You really have a terrible sleeping habits.”
“Mhmm.” Holding Lumine’s face in his hands, he smiled down at her before he kissed her again. His lips lingering as their breaths joined and his senses were focused only on her. How she smelled like flowers and the earth. To the way she felt under his fingertips, soft yet sturdy, real in every way. How she tasted sweet like the pancakes they had shared for breakfast to the way sounds she made as he licked and kissed her deeply. As the heat rose in his chest, his arm tightened around her waist as he pressed into her. He could stay like this forever and be happy. Albedo opened his eyes slowly to see the flushed cheeks and her golden eyes, hazy as they gazed up at him.
“You are terrible.” She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him once more. “Absolutely terrible.”
“Well..I’m surprised.” Lumine breathed when she found him asleep on his bed. With an open book on his chest, she watched the slow and steady way his chest rose as he slept. Setting down her things, she moved quietly across the room and sat at the edge of the bed. “You actually listened to me.” Taking the book, she placed the bookmark between its pages before setting it aside on the side table. “…It should be criminal to look so pretty while one sleeps.”
She wanted to tease him, wanted nothing more than to hear what sort of comeback he would have but he looked so pretty when he slept. He looked so peaceful. She lightly traced the bridge of his nose, smiling when he scrunched it slightly. “You must have been very tired.” Her fingers lightly brushed past his ear, lightly touching his hair as she stroked it. Letting the soft silky strands fall between her fingers. Her hand moved slowly down his hair before she pressed it against the pillow under him. “I hope you have sweet dreams, Albedo.” Leaning down, she moved his hair slightly before she pressed a kiss on his forehead.
“I will now that you’re back.” A sleepy voice said and before she could pull away, a hand grasped her wrist and pulled her on top of him. “You know that I’m a light sleeper.” He chuckled as he held her in his arms. Moving her so that she was now on top of him as he held her close. He breathed in slowly and enjoyed the warmth that was so uniquely hers.
“How long have you been awake?” She shivered when she felt his hand run down her spine slowly.
“Since you came in and said you were surprised to see me sleeping on my bed.”
“So, you were just pretending to sleep while I said all those things.” Her cheeks were red as she pouted and hit his chest a few times.
“I thought it was a dream.”
“Liar.”
“Okay I’m lying. Welcome back.”
The hard gaze, the stiff way she sat melted as she slowly put her head down on his chest, enjoying hearing the sound of his heartbeat, feeling the way his chest rose as he breathed. She enjoyed the lazy way he played with her hair as he pressed his lips to the top of her head. “I think I regretted not taking you with me. It would have been more fun with you around and…well I missed you.”
His hand stopped moving. She had begun dozing off at his soothing touch, and she slowly lifted her head to look at what had changed. He had the same gaze as he did when he was trying to solve a problem that was bothering him. A problem that he did not have the answer to. Turning her head to the side, she frowned and tapped the tip of his nose. “Albe—”
Suddenly the arm that was on her back, snaked around her waist and pulled at her so that she was brought under him. Hovering over her, he looked at her with the same strange expression before he leaned in to press his forehead against hers. “You are terrible.”
“What?”
“You knew that I would have gone with you…and yet you chose to leave me behind…and then you say that you wish you didn’t…You’re playing with my heart, Lumine.”
“Did I upset you?”
“You confuse me. At first, I thought you were drawing a line, making sure that we don’t push the boundaries of our relationship…and yet we have not defined it. You confuse me…on whether or not I can pursue you…if I can…”
“Do you? Do you wish to…pursue me?”
His teal eyes lifted, slightly startled at her comment before he nodded slowly. “I wish to be by your side. I wish to stay there. I wish to be…a proper suitor.”
“You make it sound so complicated.”
“You make it seem so easy.”
“You overthink things. It’s simple. Ask and I shall answer.”
“Ask?” He whispered as he cupped her cheek with one hand, his gaze tender and gentle as he rubbed her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “There are an infinite amount of questions I’d want to ask you…”
“Then ask your first one.”
“May I kiss you?”
A laugh left her lips and his brows furrowed as she made light of his request before he was pulled down and he felt her soft lips on his again. “It’s a little too late to ask such a silly question.”
“Nothing is silly when it comes to you.”
“Doesn’t that answer your question?” She asked breathlessly as she pulled away and smiled up at him. “What is your next question?”
“Will you sleep with me?” Her eyes widened and her jaw slacked slightly. “Just sleep...You did interrupt a very nice dream I had with your touch.” Albedo teased before he kissed the tip of her nose.
“Just sleep?”
“For now.”
“Albedo!”
“Shhh..it’s very late..many people are asleep and unlike my lab..my bedroom is not as soundproof.”
“Albedo!” She said in a hushed whisper that was quickly stolen from her when he kissed her lips again. “You are—”
“Yours.” He breathed and moved to the side of the bed, bringing her to him so that her head was now pressed against his chest. “I am yours.” He put his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes slowly. “If you’ll have me.”
“Another silly question…that shouldn’t require an answer.” She whispered as she drew circles on his chest. Relaxing slowly in his arms before wrapping her own around him. Snuggling in closer to him as she enjoyed the feeling of his arms around her, the safety she felt, the feeling of being wanted and missed. “You’re mine.” She said with a yawn and he chuckled at the sound before he pressed a kiss to the top of her forehead.
“I am yours.”