Work Text:
Albedo was the best at everything.
He was a top scholar, after all, overachieving in many classes such as the arts, music, English and basically every academic-related subject possible.
Ayaka was similar. She was an exchange student, new to the land of Mondstadt, who thought highly of her studies and achieved classes easily in a breeze.
Both were quiet, completely oblivious to their ever-growing popularity, many students finding them cute or talking sweet things behind their backs.
But paths between the pair didn’t cross until one fateful day in the theatre.
Ever since she was little, Ayaka performed traditional Inazumian fan dances for hundreds to see. The practice wasn’t popularized in Mondstadt but managed to convince the school council to allow her to open a fan-dance club where they would perform every once in a while.
Unfortunately, the only participant was her, she’d often pair up with the regular dance team, working on her own fan dances in the theatre on Friday afternoons. She was determined to spread the fan-dance agenda and make her home country proud.
Another Friday afternoon passes and Ayaka finishes her dance for the third and final time, dropping her arm holding the fan just below her waist, with an arm up in the air. The music stops, Ayaka sighs and takes a step back to evaluate the situation.
She puts her whole heart out in these performances, even in her practise sessions, she’s huffing from how hard she works, scanning the room in a way to focus on anything else but her fatigue. She jumps a little when noticing a blonde man in the distance.
They make eye contact. Awkward eye contact to be exact. Ayaka knew about Albedo from all the talk going on about him. She was more aware of his popularity than he was. But the rumours were true, despite being a quiet mysterious man, he was rather attractive with his shoulder-length blonde flowy hair, whilst messy was tied up in a small section. His eyes reminded Ayaka of the ocean and his face shape was comparable to a fashion model.
Ayaka completely covering her face from her blush, calls out “What are you doing here?”
She notices a sketchbook in his arms, carried with a pencil. He quickly shuts the book in a panic, properly sitting up “Pardon me? I can’t hear you because you’re covering your face, my apologies.”
He was as polite as Ayaka could imagine, she reluctantly throws her hand to the side to respond “My name is Ayaka, why are you in the theatre? Are you watching me?”
He smiles, patting the seat beside him in the audience to indicate for Ayaka to join him. ‘How strange’ Ayaka thought, making her way towards him.
“In art class, we have been assigned to draw something we were drawn to. I wasn’t quite sure what to draw but I heard this music out of nowhere, so I thought to check it out. I hope you don’t mind, but I drew you with one of your fans.”
He quickly flicks open the sketchbook, passing it over to Ayaka to take a quick glimpse. Ayaka gasps, it was like nothing she’d ever seen before. The lines were so intricately done. Despite being black and white, it looked like it came from a photo.
“It’s beautiful”
“If you let me take a photo of it, I would love for you to have it” Albedo suggested “Your dance was very beautiful, I wish to give it to you as thanks for unknowingly allowing me to watch”
He tears the card off the page for Ayaka’s possession. He was about to leave before Ayaka could say goodbye.
“WAIT, WAIT!” Ayaka frantically yells, running off to the blonde in the distance.
“Hmm?” Albedo stops in his tracks. There they were again, locking eyes, this time in a spot of daylight.
“Is it possible to commission you? I have a very important performance coming up in three months and need a banner for it so I thought-”
“Hmm” Albede rubs his temple “I’m sure I can, this fan dancing of yours tells a story, correct?”
“Well, yes and-”
“I would like to figure out the meaning of the story you’re presenting to us before creating said banner, may I acquaintance you on your future practices?”
Ayaka blushes, eyes to the ground. She’s never had someone request to watch her practice. If anything, most of the time she’d kick someone out. Like the one time her dear brother Ayato walked in on her dancing, a slight compliment caused him to be sent out of the room. But Albedo is creating a whole banner for her, she’s got to play things fair.
“I’m here every Friday, same time as now if needed”
“Excellent”
The following Friday, Albedo most definitely didn’t forget. He arrived early even, pen and paper in hand, prepared to examine the dance at full, taking notes, nodding in amusement throughout Ayaka’s whole practice.
She chose to overachieve this time around since she now has an audience of one. Instead of practising the dance three times like usual, she decided to perform four times, Albedo suggesting she’d take a break after the second time around.
She splashed water over her head, beginning to tie her hair up, but with the stress and sweat, she struggled to keep it up.
“Here, let me help” Albedo suggested, taking the hair tie from her hand, beginning his work on her hair “I do my little sister's hair all the time”
The silence between them crept and Ayaka felt unbalanced. It’s not like her to feel so jumpy around a guy. She quite literally grew up around a bunch of them, having butlers and houseworkers and all. But something about Albedo was so gentle compared to the rest of the school. He matched her in many ways, he was a gentleman, something that reminded Ayaka about the workers back in Inazuma. Oh, how she misses her home.
“I noticed you changed the dance up from last week” Albedo states out of nowhere.
Ayaka's heart thumps at the idea of Albedo knowing the dance's true meaning. If by the coming weeks, the banner ends up not matching her story, she was going to let the blonde get away from it, claiming he got the story spot on even if it’s completely off.
“I decided to change its story to be more relevant to today” She replies, playing with her thumbs. Albedo was done with her hair, she looked as beautiful as ever in the mirror.
The next following weeks Ayaka only ever seemed happy on Fridays, anticipating Albedo’s visit to her dance practices. They very rarely cross paths during actual school time. They had different classes and hung out in completely different areas with completely different people. Occasionally, Albedo would wave out to Ayaka when passing by.
Rumours were spreading about the pair. It all started when Kaeya quickly popped in to return a borrowed item to Albedo. Kaeya would make an off-hand comment to another student that he saw Albedo sketching Ayaka whilst the performance, the rumours just spread on from there.
“Are you sure you’re not dating him?” Yoimiya questioned.
“No- what makes you think that?”
Albedo like always seems oblivious to the rumours. He spoke nothing of them. It made Ayaka wonder how he truly felt about her because she most definitely had the feelings for him, but felt maybe he was just overly friendly.
The night before the performance and it would be three months ago when they first met. Albedo stated he started on the banner a few weeks ago as he figured out the meaning behind her story rather quickly. Ayaka was intrigued to see his interpretation of her dance.
One last twirl and Ayaka falls to the floor with a loud thud, causing Albedo to be immediately at the rescue.
“Are you alright Ayaka?” He panics, holding her around the waist and shoulder, laying on the floor with her. She was too puffed out to be blushing over their position.
“Yeah-just” She puffs “Really nervous”
That is one thing Albedo notices, when anxious, she would be out of breath. At first, he thought it was tiredness or the fact she’s overworking herself, now he thinks it’s a mix of a bunch of ordeals.
“Maybe you should rest for tonight, tomorrows a big day”
“But I need to practice-”
“You won’t be able to perform if you can’t stand up tomorrow, let’s get you home dear”
Maybe Ayaka was creating something out of nothing, but was Albedo just referring to her as ‘dear?’
Ayaka was convinced that Albedo was some mind reader and a master artist because right in front of her was a masterpiece.
A girl- supposedly to be Ayaka was dancing in a field of flowers shaped like hearts, in the arms of a man unknown.
“This is your interpretation of my story?” Ayaka asks, star-eyed.
“Blossoming romance” Albedo states “Am I at least close?” Albedo wounders.
Ayaka nods, pulling the blonde into a hug. He was only slightly taller than her, but she still needed to step on the tip of her toes.
“Ayaka- you’ll do great out there” Albedo whispers into her ear, causing the girl to shiver “I know you’re nervous so how about this, perform the best you can, and I’ll kiss you when you return”
Ayaka looks up to him, stunned in a blank expression. She couldn’t even imagine how red her face was right now. If Yoimiya was with her, she’d yell ‘I TOLD YOU SO!’ and expect twenty dollars from some non-existent bet.
“AND NEXT UP- KAMISATO AYAKA!” The loudspeaker calls out.
Albedo just gives her a soft smile, placing a kiss on the back of her hand “good luck out there” Was the last to be said from him before the soft, traditional music played out loud.
Oh, and did Ayaka perform her best.
She was always so elegant like she was back in Inazuma, her handwork with the fan was something she should be very proud of.
And her storytelling was on point, her moves represented a girl who once met a boy out of odd circumstances, where they would just grow and grow, many of the people around them grew jealous. But it was okay because the boy and the girl were happy, peaceful and innocent, lovingly staring at one another, appreciating each other's existence.
One hand raised in the air as the light dims around her, the crowd erupting all around. But that’s not what Ayaka was focusing on. As instructed, she dashed behind the stage, running through the crowds of unfamiliar or familiar faces of the students and staff. She would find Albedo, just entering from behind the school with a bouquet of flowers.
“Albedo!” she flung herself onto him “You bought me flowers?”
“I very well did” He smiles “I wanted to give them to you after the show”
And as promised, Albedo pulls her into a quick kiss on the lips. She was warm and sweaty, and he was the cold she needed to cool down.
“I’m very proud of you,” Albedo says, once their lips separate.
“I know, now can you please kiss me more?” she smiles.