⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚...thinking about Albedo slowly falling in love:
drabbles, headcanons, short scenarios. not proofread. a bit self indulgent. gn reader. ac: jotto75 on twt
⋆‧°𓏲ּ𝄢 Albedo having a crush would include:
Albedo finding himself stealing glances at his crush throughout the day. His heart flutter, his cheeks would go slightly warm, and his thoughts drift off... he finds himself lost in the little details. The way they do things, the light in their eyes when they get excited, the sound of their laugh, the little mannerisms.
Albedo desperately tries to convince himself it is nothing. But every time he sees them, his composure cracks. All his logic and reason crumble.
Despite Albedo's usual calm and collected demeanor, he is unable to shake the growing attraction he feel towards this person. He finds himself constantly looking for chances to be around them, even when there is no reason to, and his thoughts frequently stray to them. His heart would flutter at the thought of them, and Albedo would have to mentally shake it off to stay focused. He can't help but notice how the other person intrigues him, even when he is lost in a flurry of thoughts. The more he spends time with them, the more his interest grows, and he catches himself stealing glances their way, admiring their features. He often finds himself wanting to engage in deeper conversations with them, wanting to understand their mind better. His usual aloof and stoic demeanour would soften around them, showing a more carefree and open side of himself. He'd find himself wanting to spend more time with them, even if it meant taking time off from his experiments.
Whenever his crush is nearby, he would find himself watching them more closely, taking note of their every gesture and word. He would also find himself smiling more often when they speak to him and trying to extend the interaction as much as possible. Albedo's interactions and demeanor subtly shift when in his crush presence. As a usually composed and reserved individual, he becomes slightly more talkative and expressive, even cracking a few jokes here and there. His usual serious demeanor softens, making way for a more relaxed and open side of him.
Albedo would tend to be more attentive to them, often seeking them out in conversations. His gaze would linger on them longer than usual, and he'd subconsciously find himself doing thoughtful gestures like offering them his coat if they were cold or bringing them their favourite food. His eyes track their movements, the way their fingers trace a page, the tilt of their head when they’re thinking. He sketches them absentmindedly in his notes, then quickly flips the page if someone approaches. He also notes their habits:
"They always tap their pen twice before speaking... They prefer their tea without sugar..."
He initiates more than usual. Normally, others have to seek him out: Sucrose, Timaeus, the Knights. But with this special someone? He’ll linger after meetings, make excuses to discuss their shared interests:
"Your latest sketch... I noticed the symbolism. Would you care to elaborate?" (In case his crush is an artist too)
... or he casually mention his next expedition:
"Dragonspine is quite treacherous... though I suppose you wouldn’t be deterred."
The awkwardness amplifies. Albedo is already socially stiff, but around his crush? His pauses grow longer. He’ll adjust his gloves unnecessarily mid-conversation. If they compliment him, he might stare at his alembic like it’s suddenly fascinating while his ears turn pink.
He would do subtle favors. Albedo is helpful to everyone, but for his crush? He’ll quietly slip them rare alchemical pigments:
"For your art. I had no use for them"
.. or jot down notes on ancient magic he thinks might interest them. If they’re injured, he’s already preparing a salve before they ask.
He'd have a staring problem. Albedo is observant by nature, but with his crush, his gaze lingers: the curve of their smile, the way their hands move when they talk. If caught, he’ll blink slowly and redirect to a very serious topic:
"Fascinating weather patterns today."
He's try to find a defensive distraction. If someone teases him about it? He’ll suddenly become deeply engrossed in explaining Khemia’s metaphysical principles to the nearest uninterested bystander. (poor boy, he'd look so cute-)
He pines quietly: late at night, when his lab is empty, he might trace the lines of a sketch he made of them, wondering. He crafts small gifts, a vial of luminescent ink for their art, a rare book on ancient magic, leaving them where they will find them, unsigned.
He defends them openly. If someone dismisses their interests, Albedo intervene with calm but firmness.
"Magic, like alchemy, follows its own logic. Their insights are... valuable."
There are subtle shifts in behavior. For example, he lingers. If they are nearby, Albedo will delay returning to his lab, finding excuses to stay:
"I suppose I can finish this calculation later..."
Or he might "accidentally" cross paths with them more often than necessary, conveniently needing the same books or ingredients they do.
Incredibly, he stumbles. Normally eloquent, Albedo occasionally fumbles words around them; he pauses mid-sentence, clears his throat, corrects himself with a slight flush. If his crush compliments him, he might glance away, murmuring something vague like: "Ah, it’s... merely adequate work."
He engages more. While he’d typically defer deep discussions "Another time, perhaps", with his crush, he initiates them, asking their opinion on alchemy, magic, even philosophy. He wants to hear their thoughts, to match wits. He might even share unpublished research with them, something he rarely does.
...and, of course, Albedo's friends and coworkers have noticed the shift in the chief alchemist too.
Kaeya being the perceptive and playful soul that he is, teases Albedo about it. He is relentlessly teasing. He drops blatant innuendos just to watch him tense up, or "accidentally" lock them in the library together.
• "You've been extra 'distracted' lately, huh, Chief Alchemist?"
• "Oh? Chief Alchemist canceling research time to ‘review reports’ with a certain someone? How… unusual."
• "Careful, Albedo; some alchemical reactions are... explosive."
One day, the Captain casually leans against a wall, arms crossed:
"You know, I heard {name} enjoys stargazing. Hypothetically, if someone wanted to ‘coincidentally’ be on the cathedral terrace tonight…"
"Oh, {name}! Albedo was JUST talking about how fascinating your work is. Weren’t you, Kreideprinz?"
Sucrose notices immediately. She’s observant, and Albedo’s sudden interest in someone outside his usual research topics makes her blink behind her glasses. Sucrose adores Albedo, not romantically, but as her mentor and friend. Seeing someone like him actually interested in someone (instead of dissolved la samples) sends her into a well-meaning frenzy. She stammers, flustered, trying to be supportive but terrible at subtlety. She notices Albedo reorganizing his workspace just before that specific person visits. Sucrose also tries (and fails) to subtly encourage him, then she'd panic when Albedo actually takes her advice, and hides behind her notes to eavesdrop: the first time Albedo and his crush actually have a moment, Sucrose drops a tray of glassware to "break the tension" (it does not help). She would even ask a lot of "hypothetical" questions, like directly approaching Albedo's crush or subtly confronting Albedo himself.
• "M-Mr. Albedo, you’ve been... um, borrowing a lot of books on mystical arts lately? Not that it’s strange! B-But, ah… {name} does study that, don’t they?"
• "Um! {name} mentioned that the-they enjoy your notes on elemental reactions! Maybe you could... discuss them? Over tea?"
• "D-Do you prefer thoughtful gifts or verbal affirmation? Asking for a... friend." Later, she'd refer to Albedo: "They said they like both, so you should—"
"Please stop."
Or she "accidentally" engineers situations, like:
"C-Captain Albedo! I, um, noticed {name} 's work on ley line disturbances overlaps with our current project... Should we invite them to consult?"
Albedo didn't look up, merely offering a soft, thoughtful 'Hmm' as he made a final, minute adjustment to the conductor, causing its gentle glow to stabilise. Little did he know, that he'd be later left alone with {name} in the pristine atmosphere of the lab as Sucrose took three swift steps back toward the exit. She then fled the lab, leaving them alone as she muttered a hurried, transparent excuse about how she "forgot" an urgent errand back at her station.
Despite his own confusion, Timaeus says nothing directly. Rather, he watches the slow dance of glances, lingering handshakes, and stolen moments with both curiosity and Sucrose's complicity. He'd often be whispering to Sucrose:
"Is the Captain sick? He just used three whole sentences to explain something to {name} . For me, he just says ‘Do better’ and sighs."
"Timaeus, please, focus on your own survival."
One afternoon, Timaeus and Sucrose sit nearby, ostensibly assisting with organizational tasks, though their attention is often drawn to the Chief Alchemist’s work. Suddenly, a shadow falls over the parchment. {name} haa approached without a sound, their movements habitually graceful and quiet. {name} casually leans over Albedo's shoulder to examine his work, their proximity immediate and unexpected in the otherwise measured space. The effect on the usually unflappable alchemist is instantaneous; the grip on his pen tightens, his knuckles blanching white against the dark wood. His focused concentration shatters. A creeping flush begins at his collar and quickly spread upwards, until his face turns pink, contrasting sharply with his pale hair and the cool, controlled environment of the room.
At that point, Timaeus intervenes almost innocently: "Oh! Are you feverish, Captain? Should I fetch a ther—" He doesn't get to finish the medical term, as Sucrose immediately silences him as she kicks his shin under the table. The dull thud of her heavy boot connecting with Timaeus’s leg barely audible, but incredibly effective. Timaeus lets out a sharp, stifled gasp, his eyes watering, and he clamped his mouth shuts instantly, finally comprehending the delicate social dynamic he has just pulverized. Albedo remains perfectly still, and his face a deeper shade of rose.
One day, instead, he dares to say:
"You know, Captain, I always thought you weren’t interested in relationships. But you’ve been mentioning {name} quite a bit recently!"
"Fascinating. While we’re on the topic of observations... your last experiment’s margin of error was 47 percent. Shall we revisit that instead?" ( Timaeus immediately regrets all his life choices.)
Sometimes, Albedo uses the deadpan redirect technique:
"I mention Sucrose frequently as well. Would you like to analyze that next?"
Sucrose, eavesdropping, almost fall off a stool. "W-WHAT?!"
Other times he just get the silent treatment, in which Albedo simply stares at him just long enough for sweat to form on Timaeus’ brow… then returns to his work without another word. (Then Timaeus spends the next week triple-checking his alchemy formulas. )
If that person is present during any of these exchanges, Albedo’s ears turn pink, but his voice remains lethally composed: "Timaeus, unless you wish to personally recalibrate every alembic in this lab, I suggest you focus on your work." (This is how homunculi perish.)
"Do you think he’s mad?"
Sucrose jumps slightly, almost knocking over a beaker of crystallized dust. She stabilizes the glassware with a shaky hand, her large, protective goggles reflecting the worry in her eyes. "M-Mad? No, no—well, yes, but not—ugh, Timaeus!" She then gestures wildly but quietly toward Albedo’s office door. Her movements frantic, communicating a level of panic far exceeding that of a simple failed experiment."You literally pointed out his crush in front of them! D-Do you have a death wish?!"
Timaeus straightens up, still rubbing his leg, the concept seemingly failing to register beyond a theoretical annoyance. "But... wasn’t it obvious?"Sucrose groans, pressing her palms to her temples. She leans over the workbench, her whisper tight and almost desperate. "O-Obvious to us! But Albedo is Captain of the Investigation Team! He operates on subtlety! And now you’ve—!" She fails to find a word strong enough and instead makes a small, strangled noise. The young lady looks at Timaeus dead in the eye, her voice dropping to a theatrical, terrified hush."He’s going to ‘reassign’ you to Dragonspine specimen collection for a month!"
Timaeus pales. The image of the frigid, windswept peaks and the dangers lurking there is clearly terrifying."Wait, really?"
Sucrose nods gravely. "And worse; he’ll make you enjoy it. By the time he’s done ‘mentoring’ you, you’ll volunteer to study Cryo Whopperflowers in a blizzard."
Timaeus swallows hard, his throat dry.
"...Should I apologize?"
Sucrose sighs, shaking her head. "N-No, just… pretend it never happened."
A moment of heavy silence pass. From behind them, the creak of Albedo’s office door opening. The sound is unnervingly soft, yet it shatters the silence like a gunshot .Both of the two young alchemists freeze. Sucrose is faster, her self-preservation instincts immediately kicks in, backing away from the corridor. She practically vanishes down the hall, shouting her justification over her shoulder. "I—I just remembered! I have to... calibrate the spectrograph!"
Timaeus is now alone, standing like a condemned man beneath the cold glow of the lab lamps, his back to the silently emerging Captain. He starts sweating.
"Hello Sir... I was saying, Uh....Hypothetically… if I said I was struck with temporary amnesia...?"
Klee is almost oblivious, but accidentally helpful too. But she likes {name} because they give her candy and draw funny pictures for her. Little Klee, blissfully unaware of love's complexities, only knows one important fact: Her Big Brother Albedo is happier lately. When {name} is around, Albedo laughs more. Klee doesn't know why, but she loves it. She takes it upon herself to be the perfect, enthusiastic matchmaker. She may be a child, but she has all the confidence of a tiny cupid...She often drags {name} into Albedo's lab without warning, then runs off giggling when Albedo stiffens mid-experiment. Klee also leaves very obvious hints (" {name} likes Cecilias too! You should pick some for them!") without realizing she’s meddling. Ah... how adorable are these children.
• "Mister Albedo is smiling more! Is it because Rei is coming over later? You should marry them!"
• "Albedo, why do you draw {name} so much? They’re pretty! Like a sparkly knight!"
• "Big Brother Albedo! Your face is all red! Like a sunsettia! Is it because {name} is here? Jean says people turn red when they loooove someone!"
"Klee. That is… not—"
(Klee grabs both their wrists.) "We have to go fish-blasting together! Albedo never lets me go unless you’re there too, {name} ! Wink wink!"
(flatly) "Klee, no one is winking."
(laughing) "I’d love to see Albedo fish-blasting."
(resigned) "...I’ll bring the extra gunpowder."
• "Big Brother Albedo, can {name} come play with us? They make sparkly things happen with their hands!"
Later, she bounces up to them:
"Albedo smiles more when you’re here! Do you like him too?" (Albedo almost drops whatever he's holding, he's face composed but pale.)
Lisa is amused. She’s seen this before, brilliant minds tripping over their own hearts. Being a librarian, few secrets are safe from her. She sees the way Albedo stammers when that one specific person smiles, she notices the extra glances between them, and knows Add something's up.
"Ohoh? Has our stoic Mr. Albedo finally found something to distract him from his notes? How novel."
She would try to indirectly matchmaking, like sending them both on "research errands" that conveniently require teamwork, or slides a book on romantic poetry across the library desk to Albedo with a knowing look; "For… research purposes."
Jean is the more sympathetic one. She has known Albedo for years now, and raises an eyebrow when she notes him hanging around that specific person more often than usual. She catches him staring at them during one of their meetings, a hint of a smile on her lips.
In short, he’s still Albedo: quiet, methodical, reserved, but this person makes him falter. And for someone who values control? It’s equal parts thrilling and mortifying.
