Work Text:
The first time Albedo met her, he thought she was weird. He couldn't forget that day when he actually saw her sitting at the edge of their school rooftop before standing up and raising her one foot as if she's jumping off. He didn't want to witness such scene so the first thing that came up to his mind was to call her and stop her.
But Albedo didn't knew her name that time so instead, he accidentally called her an idiot, making the girl flinch and lost her balance at the sudden voice coming from behind her. Thanks to his reflexes, Albedo luckily made it in time to catch her wrist and prevents her fall. The students below watched them in horror and some of them starts panicking and running to call a teacher.
She just stared at them before looking up to see who had saved her.
"I-If you're planning to kill yourself, you have s-sixty percent of surviving in this height, idiot." Albedo gritted his teeth before using his strength to pull her up back to the rooftop.
When the two of them successfully landed on the floor, she slowly sits up and look at him once again. She looked shocked and in disbelief and Albedo didn’t liked that reaction.
She furrowed her eyebrows when she saw him glaring at her. She raise her arms as if surrendering before saying,
"Safe, no scratches, still moving. No need to glare at me." she grinned and stood up. She held out her hand to help him but Albedo just smack it away and stands up on his own.
"Why did you do that?" he asked
"Do what?"
"You're planning to jump, right? Why?"
"I wonder..." her grin disappeared for seconds while looking at the distance. Albedo stared at her. Her eyes looked so dull and empty and he thought if that was how the others see him, emotionless. But that eyes... it looked so empty he almost wonder if it were dead.
But what he said next made her turn her head to look at him in shock. Even he, himself, was shocked at his words.
"If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."
Her eyes remained wide as she stared at him but she is quick to change her reaction back to her usual one--emotionless. She look away and starts leaving without giving him a response. Albedo only watches her left until she's out of sight.
Yes, she is weird. At least for him. He couldn't read what's on her mind so it makes him feel curious about her. He always see articles about teenage suicides online so maybe--just maybe, he could help her get through whatever she's going through right now. If he have to befriend her, then he would do it. He will do everything just to make sure she would not do it again.
"I'm Albedo."
"I know."
"You do?"
She rolled her eyes and shifted on her seat. "Duh, everybody knows you. Not only you're the famous future scientist, you're in an insanely advanced class."
The two of them are currently in the rooftop. Ever since that day, Albedo always find himself going here to see her. It’s been a week ever since he saw her here. They didn't have training for the whole week because they have examination coming this friday. He wanted to go to the library to study and at the same time, he wanted to stay here. Because he's not paying attention to everyone in school that much, she is not familiar to him. They may ran into each other before but they didn't acknowledge the other's presence so they are totally strangers to each other.
But now, it's different. Completely different.
"Your name. What is it?" Albedo asked, sitting on the floor next to where she's sitting.
"People used to call me (name)." Albedo furrowed his eyebrows at her weird response but still continue asking,
"Last name?"
"You're not planning to add me on social media or something, right?"
"No."
"Then there is no need to know. You call me (name), I call you Albedo. Fair enough?"
He sighed, "Alright."
It is always like this. She's too good at dodging his questions. Albedo could almost feel an invisible wall between the two of them that prevents him from getting to know her. Whenever he would try asking about her, (name) would easily shrugs it off and change the subject to him, or experiments. She is fine talking about anything.
Anything but about her.
And that's when Albedo realized that she isn't weird.
She is a mystery.
Days has passed, the examination was over, and club meetings and training has returned. Before going to the lab, Albedo would always go to the rooftop to check on (name). He told her that he will be busy because a tournament is coming up so they need to focus on training. When he told her this, (name) just laughed.
"Why are you telling me that?" she asked, now grinning "I'm fine without your company so don't worry about me being lonely."
Albedo just stared at her. Her words were a bit sharp that it made him feel sad, disappointed. He feels like she never acknowledged, or appreciated his presence whenever they're spending their time together on this rooftop. But he put aside that weird feeling and sighed.
"I'm just worried," he said "I never had any idea what's on on your mind. What if you jump from here?"
"Oh, you're still worried about that. I see." she avoided his gaze and looked down from the railings
"(name), you can talk to me. I'll listen."
"I don't have anything to say to you." she said, still not facing him "But... thank you."
Her voice was soft and it made Albedo smile a little.
"You have to promise me." (name) didn't answer him "Promise me you won't try attempting it again. That's not going to answer anything."
"I don't keep promises, you know." her voice was cold but when she turned to look at him, there was a small smile on her face "Because they're meant to be broken. And in the end, they're just words."
"But you can trust them."
"Trusting would only give you pain."
"You can at least believe in them."
"We can, of course. But it will just make us miserable in the end so, no."
She always have comebacks for everything.
Albedo would admit, her words hurts like a knife but they were true. He, himself, is not fond of making promises but he at least trusts them. He remember her mother once told him,
"A broken promise is not a lie. You might lose half of your trust, but it is not a lie."
"You must be thinking I'm such a negative, but that's just how I grew up so I hope you're not offended." Albedo just nod at her "Aren't you going to your training now?"
"Yeah.." he said and stood up. (name) looked down at him.
"You're going to the finals, right?"
"Hm?"
When he met her gaze, his eyes widened.
She's smiling.
A genuine one.
"Well, make sure you win, then. You’re the future scientist Albedo after all, so you should win." she jumped to stand in front of him. She stared into his blue eyes and her smile vanished as she uttered her next words at him, "And when you come back, I promise..."
"(name)..."
"I know I said don't believe in promises, but.. I will tell you everything when you come back here. My name, and everything about me."
"(name)?" Albedo nodded when Kaeya repeated her name "Never heard of her."
"Really?" he asked
"Yeah. But her name, it sounds familiar to me." Kaeya put his hand on his chin as if remembering where did he heard that name. Albedo waited patiently but he immediately have a bad feeling when he saw his friend's face turned into a small frown. "No, I don't know her."
"I see.."
"Why don't you take her to your training, or like, invite her to join our lunch?" he suggested "I also want to meet her. I mean, it sounds like she's an interesting person."
Interesting?
Was Albedo interested in her, too? She's been nothing but a mystery to him ever since meeting her.
“Is she the girl you met at the rooftop?”
“Yeah..”
"Oh? Is our leader has a girlfriend now?" an annoying voice joined them but Albedo ignored him.
"Hey, Diluc, do you think I'm right?"
"No." was the quick reply from the redhead beside hi
"Shush, boring~"
When the afternoon class started, that was the first time Albedo couldn't focus properly because of her.
"What are you doing?"
(name) flinched when she heard a voice from beside her, so she slowly raise her head and met Albedo's gaze looking down at her with a small smile on his face. She closed her notebook and her grip on her pen tightened.
Albedo's smile faded when he noticed that her face was pale and her (eye color) eyes are widened in horror like she didn't expect him to be here.
"A-Albedo?"
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" (name) didn't answer him. She continue staring at him before she tore her gaze away from him.
"S-sorry... I-I.." she took a deep breath before looking up at him again "You don't have training?"
"It's lunch time so it's fine." Albedo sat beside her "So--"
"Please don't say it."
"What?"
Instead of giving him an answer, she push the notebook she's holding to his chest and gave him a small smile.
"I don't know where to start, so I wrote it.." she's still avoiding his gaze and Albedo doesn't know why.
"(name), please look at me."
"Nope."
She stood up and sat on the railings like she always do. Albedo just stared at her before turning his gaze on the notebook she gave to him.
"Open it later, when you come home, or after class." her voice was so light and Albedo starts having another bad feeling about this. He didn't know what to say so he just keep his gaze locked on the designs. The school bell rang so he stood up and look at her.
"The bell has rang, let’s go." he said
"I know," she chuckled, her back's still facing him, "Don't worry, I'm fine so you can go ahead first."
"How about you?"
"..."
"Hey."
"..."
"Come on, you're going to be late for your afternoon class."
"..."
Albedo sighed and raise his hand in attempt to grab her arm but she stepped back abruptly to stop him from approaching her.
Eyes widening and hand still mid-air, he slowly look up at her once again. "(name)..?"
"I never had the chance to explain everything to you," she said, back still facing him "I know you were wondering why I'm always here, right?"
Albedo was speechless. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to open his mouth to say something but no words would come out.
"Ah.. it's really going to happen... I can finally rest.."
"..."
"I'm sorry if I couldn't tell you everything. But I'm happy that I met you, I mean it." finally, (name) turn her head to look at him over her shoulder with a smile.
A soft and genuine smile.
“That notebook is my only friend before meeting you, so I don't know if that would help you understand me a little better.." she chuckled and stood up "I wanted to know you more, I wanted to spend more time with you.. but it's impossible now."
She jumped from the railings to stand in front of him. She looked up at Albedo and raised her hand to wipe his cheeks but stopped midway. Instead, she put her hands behind her and smiled a little.
"Wow, didn't knew the Albedo can cry." she grinned
"What.. what happened?" his voice cracks but he still managed to speak because he wanted to know the reason why she's acting weird “Please tell me, (name). I’m starting to have a bad feeling about this—"
"Please close your eyes."
He did.
But he wanted to open it again as soon as he felt her cold hands against his cheeks. She put her forehead against his and wiped his tears with her thumb before saying,
"..Thank you, and I'm sorry. I promise… I will find you.”
A small gust of wind engulfed him, and Albedo felt her hands leaving him. By the time he opened his eyes, (name) was gone. Leaving only him, and her notebook that she left behind for him.
He lowered his head and closed his eyes again because he couldn't accept it. He couldn't accept that Ying is gone. Now he knows why she refused to talk about her.
Damn... was I too late?
He stood still there, refusing to move nor open his eyes. Because when he do, he will not see her there- sitting at her usual spot, or standing in front of him.
“…bedo?"
…huh?
He slowly open his eyes and raise his head and what he saw before him surprised him.
(name) is standing in front of him. Alive and in flesh. But she looks more mature and taller. Those familiar (eye color) orbs is staring back at him in concern. Albedo was speechless. He tried to open his mouth but no words would come out.
What…?
He frantically look around, and strangely, they're in the same spot- in the rooftop. His heart starts beating fast and he didn't have any idea what happened. What was that?
"Oh god, are you okay?? You suddenly stopped moving so I got worried... is everything okay?"
Your voice.. it's exactly the same as hers.
Instead of answering you, without thinking anything, Albedo grabbed your arm and hugs you tightly. You’re surprised at his sudden action but you strangely let him embrace you.
"W-what's wrong?" you asked
Albedo starts crying silently. He doesn’t have any idea what’s gotten into him all of a sudden. Part of him was confused and part of him was happy, and relieved.
“You’re here… you're here...” he whispered, “I’ve been waiting for you, (y/n).”