Albedo, Albedo
Chapter 1: Faded
AN: "Albedo, Albedo" is another side project I've been trying to get away from, because let's face it, Escape and More Than Ever should really be updated. But inspiration is a tough thing, so here we are.
If you enjoy Zelda fics (FireEmblem, LoK, or RWBY) then check out Kokiri-Hylian-Hero who helps me with ideas for stories. Find them through my fav authors list.
Rated T for now. Probably a little AUish, or at least not really following all of the rules of Ben 10 completely. Ben is 19. Albedo is psychically 19.
Enjoy-
Ben had one job. One job, and that was to keep an eye on Albedo. Which had been easy at first. Well, not easy, nothing was easy about being around that stuck-up, know-it-all, but it hadn't been so difficult at first.
At first it went exactly how you'd imagine it; they got on each other's nerves, they annoyed each other, they would fight and then they would come back the next day and do it all over again. But still, that was expected after all of the things they had both done. All of the crap Albedo had done, really. But being around Albedo was bad enough, being around a broken Albedo? That was hell. Ben already had to keep an eye on him—which he hated, but accepted—but now he had to really keep an eye on him. Worse yet, he had to take care of him, watch after him. It was like helping the wild animal that just ate your arm, knowing full-well that the animal might still bite the other hand that's feeding it.
It wasn't like Ben could get out of it, though. Max had reasoned that it was best that Ben was the one, for several reasons. And honestly, Ben didn't believe any of the reasons, and had tried to get Max to find someone else, but it was impossible. Maybe the one reason he did believe was that Ben was the most willing; after all, nobody in their right mind would agree to watching Albedo.
So clearly Ben hadn't been thinking when he had eventually and reluctantly agreed to do it.
It had been about two weeks since he had agreed now, and he tried to think of the other "reasons" Max had believed in Ben to motivate himself while he drank his morning smoothie.
"He may not like you, and I know you don't care much for him, but you two know each other."
Ben supposed this was at least somewhat useful, but not in the same way that Max meant. To Ben, this just meant he wouldn't be tricked as easily as anyone else—if Albedo were to try to trick anyone, or when, for that matter. Though Ben had pretty much pushed for this project, it wasn't because he trusted Albedo. Because he didn't. Ben only threw his vote in on this because he had felt he had to. Max had been on the fence, and everyone else who knew Albedo thought the obvious thing, "Let him rot."
Ben had tried to contact Azmuth and ask him about it, but Azmuth told Ben that it wasn't his decision, and that he wasn't going to interfere with Albedo unless he absolutely had to. Ben thought this would be a absolutely-need-to situation—considering what had happened—but apparently not. Albedo's old mentor had decided he was pretty much done with him.
So everyone who actually cared one way or the other debated it, including his cousin and her boyfriend—not that what they said held much importance in comparison to what the Plumbers thought. Ben was sure that Max's opinion and his own were the ones held with higher regard. Which both terrified and amazed Ben. And maybe that's why he couldn't decide at first. After him and his grandpa threw around ideas for as long as they could—before Albedo gave them no choice—they had come to their decision.
Snorting a little, Ben stared at his drink, still trying to figure out how it had ended up being him who had to watch Albedo. No good deed goes unpunished, or something, he guessed.
"If anyone can do this, it's you."
He rolled his eyes at the thought, half pondering if Grandpa Max had mostly been buttering him up. Sure, if Albedo decided to do something that would be annoying, but not very difficult to handle. He couldn't understand at all what Max meant with that one. Why him? Why was he the best option? Because Albedo had his DNA? Had his face, more or less?
He was pulled from his thoughts, though, when Rook and two other Plumbers approached his table, Albedo standing among them. Ben stood up, meeting Albedo's eyes at once and trying to gauge Albedo's mood today, but just like every day, Albedo kept his emotions well guarded behind the mask that was his face.
"Sit," Ben said, motioning to a chair across from where he had been sitting. Albedo didn't say anything as he sat down; he never did, never even argued. But Ben didn't think about it too much, turning to Rook, "Joining me today?"
"I was told that that might not be the best idea, Ben." Rook gave him a weird look, like he was hoping Ben would catch onto some other meaning in Rook's words. Ben frowned at him, shaking his head, and Rook sighed, "Albedo is-erm, having a bad day."
"Rook? English?" Ben asked, still confused. He knew he wasn't getting the whole picture, and he hoped that that was Rook's fault and not just his own fault for being daft.
Rook glanced at Albedo and then back to Ben quickly, looking reluctant, before pulling a note from one of the bags on his belt. Ben couldn't be more confused by the situation, but he took the note that Rook was now holding out to him. He unfolded the small bit of paper, glancing towards Rook. The words written there were small and messy, but Ben could still read it. He glanced towards Albedo too now, but Albedo didn't look up from where he was sitting.
Sighing quietly, Ben looked back to Rook and shrugged as he handed the note back, "I'll see you later, then."
"Call me if you require my assistant with anything." With that Rook turned, taking the other two Plumbers with him, but Ben still called after him sarcastically,
"What, you mean when he suddenly becomes dangerous?"
Rook didn't respond, just throwing Ben his "Ben-this-isn't-funny" look, and Ben gave him a grimace-smile in return, meaning he didn't care. He liked to think they understood each other so well. He sat back down at the table after him and Rook had finished their exchanging of looks, deciding to re-focus on his smoothie. Small talk—if you could call it that—never goes well with Albedo anyways, so it was probably better to sit in silence until he had something to actually say. And sitting in silence with Albedo was generally more comfortable for both of them, so the more silence the better.
And yet he found himself thinking about the note, and found himself wanting to ask about it. He glanced up, trying to be subtle as he sipped his smoothie. Albedo wasn't looking towards him, but to something off to the side, and yet Ben got the feeling that he was looking without really seeing. His eyes weren't focused, they weren't wandering, they were just...far off.
Ben decided now wasn't one of those time where silence was better, or that maybe this was the exception to the rule, but either way he didn't need Albedo thinking—well, whatever it was he was thinking.
"Hey," Ben finally broke the silence, biting his lip as he tried to decide what to say while red eyes finally met his. "So...you're having a bad day." It wasn't a question, and yet it wasn't really a statement. Ben knew for sure that it was regrettable, though.
Albedo shrugged lightly, glancing down now and grabbing a few chili cheese covered fries. He was more or less a shell of who he had been. Didn't speak like he used to, and didn't look at Ben like he used to. In a way, Ben really missed some aspects of Albedo's old personality, before everything else happened. He missed bantering with him, which was the weirdest thing, and he didn't really understand it, because something in the back of his mind told him he should be happy that Albedo is finally quiet, and not an annoying, snarky, know-it-all.
He just couldn't find it in him to be thankful though. Sure, at first, he displayed some of who he was. And at least it was familiar at first, the way they would fight—even though Albedo had still been eerily quite, but they did annoy each other...at first. But at some point during the two weeks, it was like they reached some sort of understanding; Albedo needed Ben, and he made things easy for Ben as long as Ben was careful around him and didn't bother him.
Which, Ben supposed that should be considered a good thing. It was his job to help Albedo, and Albedo wasn't trying to be difficult. And yet...he still wished things could be different.
He sighed more loudly than he intended to, catching Albedo's attention without meaning to. Ben stood then, deciding to just play it off. "I'll go get you a smoothie." Albedo nodded.
It didn't take long to order the smoothie and pay for it, and he didn't even bother asking Albedo to go with him, as he wasn't far anyways from the window Ben was ordering at, just a few tables away.
He placed the smoothie on Albedo's side of the table when he returned and sat back down, knowing that Albedo wouldn't want any direct contact. Albedo took the smoothie, mumbling a low thank you under his breath, one that Ben barely caught.
"So...how are you feeling?" Ben asked, mostly because he didn't know what to ask, but he hoped it wasn't obvious.
Glancing at him, Albedo continued to sip on his smoothie for a moment before responding. "Great." With the look on his face, the disinterest, it was clearly sarcasm, but the way he said it didn't sound right. It sounded more empty than sarcastic. Ben frowned.
"Right," Ben nodded, "That's why you only wanted me to be here."
Albedo's jaw tensed visibly at that, holding the smoothie cup slightly tighter and drinking more now, as if to avoid talking about it. Ben couldn't help but enjoy any reaction he could get, though. Still, he knew pushing Albedo too much wasn't the way to go. "If you want to talk about it-"
"I know." Albedo said quickly, not looking at him.
"Right, so...anything you want to talk about?" Ben asked cautiously, taking another sip of his smoothie.
"No."
Ben stared at him, wanting to pry, but he shook his head. That wouldn't help anything, not right now. So he didn't ask again, and they spent the day mostly silent, and Ben took him with him to go shopping, before heading back to his house to play some video games, because why not? If he had to watch Albedo he might as well have some fun too, and he was at least keeping an eye on Albedo. Albedo mostly watched him play, which he seemed to somewhat enjoy, but eventually Ben did switch to something they could play together, even though Albedo was awful.
And Ben had to show him how to play a bit, which was...well, interesting. "No, no, the other button does that." Ben corrected him, pointing to the other side on the controller, and Albedo frowned, "I knew that, I just tapped the wrong one." He sounded annoyed, and they had another practice fight to test him again, to which he again pressed the wrong buttons, and somehow walked off the side of the platform.
"How did you even do that?" Ben asked, laughing at him, but Albedo didn't find it amusing, and only glared at the screen.
He did, eventually get pretty good at it. And then Ben realized it was already getting late, he was meant to take him back to his holding cell at some point. He sighed and glanced at the clock on his wall in his bedroom, and then looked back to the character selection on the screen, before getting up to turn it off.
Albedo didn't protest and followed him from his room quietly, and into the hall leading to the living room and kitchen. Ben shouldn't have been surprised when his mother walked up from the corner of his eye, seeing as it wasn't that late, but he still jumped of his skin slightly, swearing under his breath.
"Didn't mean to startle." Sandra said, though she was smiling at his reaction, "Heading out?"
"Ahh, yeah, I was just..." He trailed off, glancing to Albedo, "Taking him back."
"Mm, well, alright. There's some dinner I can heat back up if you want to stay and eat first?" She offered, and Ben couldn't say no to the way she was looking at him, so hopeful and he knew she'd be sad if he turned her down now. It didn't help that he had skipped dinner. And so did Albedo, actually.
She re-heated the food and Ben set the table while quietly enjoying how uncomfortable Albedo looked, sitting in one of the chairs at the small table. He tried not to smirk or laugh at it though, and somehow managed to do a decently good job, as neither of them seemed to notice.
His mom didn't get anything to eat though, saying she already had dinner, but she stilled stayed and sat with them, drinking water and asking Ben how he's been and what he's been up to. Ben tried to keep his answers vague, not wanting to say what he had really been up to; not because he didn't want her to know—she already knew some of it, anyways—but because Albedo was sitting right there, and dealing with him was what he had been mostly up to.
It felt too strange to talk about too much, though. Yet, she ended up bringing it up directly.
"How've you been lately, Albedo?" She asked after a while, smiling a little at him.
Albedo glanced at her then, his face well masked, as usual. "I'm fine." There was just a hint of annoyance in his words, but she either didn't noticed, or didn't mind it.
"That's good, then." She said, nodding a little and drinking more of her water. Ben felt like an awkwardness would settle between the three of them, but in the next moment she started telling Ben about things that had happened recently with her friends, or their family, or even the neighbors. Really anyone they knew, which he didn't entirely mind. Was nice to hear about mundane things sometimes. And...at least her going on and on was normal to him.
It was almost relaxing, in fact. Almost. He still started to get tired of it pretty quickly, and eventually found an escape. "Want seconds, Albedo?" He asked when he could without fully interrupting her.
"No." Albedo said quickly, looking slightly annoyed by him.
"You sure?" Ben said, "Plenty more."
Albedo glared now, before getting up from the table and walking towards the dark living room.
"Where are your manners?" Ben called after him, trying not to smile again, and Sandra shook her head, smiling a little bit.
"He's fine." She said then, standing up and grabbing the dishes. Ben stood too then, smirking a little without meaning to. "Here, I can help with the dishes."
"It's fine-" She started, but he quickly interrupted, "I want to." And he did. It was normal. It was boring. It was...nice. She nodded then, smiling at him, and she hugged him and said goodnight before heading off, leaving him to wash the dishes in silence, which he found he enjoyed.
He washed their plates, cups and even a pot and a few pans that were soaking in the sink already. Which didn't take very long, but long enough really. He had sorta lost track of time anyways, but was soon heading into the dark living room, realizing he didn't know where Albedo was, but it didn't take long to spot him on one of the couches, seemingly asleep.
He approached him quietly before shaking his shoulder a little, "Albedo."
Albedo didn't move much though, didn't even mumble anything in his sleep, and Ben leaned towards him to make sure that he could hear him breathing. "Albedo, come on." He said then, shaking his arm a little again, and this time Albedo flinched, trying to pull back and suddenly kicking Ben's side at the same time, making Ben move back a little.
He watched as Albedo glanced around, taking in his surroundings and clearly taking a minute to realize where they were. Albedo stood up then, though he stood too quickly, almost falling and Ben reached out instinctively to help him, grabbing his upper arm, but Albedo pulled away again, stumbling, but regaining his balance fairly quickly.
Ben stared at him for a moment, not knowing what to do or say. "You okay?" He asked, even though he knew he wasn't supposed to.
"Ah, just disoriented." Albedo explained quietly, which Ben hadn't expected, and it left him staring for a moment, before pushing his luck. "You sure?"
Albedo glanced at him then, his red eyes barely visible in the dark room. He only hummed in response this time, and Ben nodded.
"You ready to head back then?" He asked, heading towards the door, but Albedo didn't say anything, just followed him out into the crisp night.
Ben could tell, he wasn't ready to head back. Because when they did, it was like Albedo was trying to find some way to prolong or avoid it. Ben wasn't sure why, though. Maybe it was because he didn't want to be in his cell again, or maybe there was something more. Maybe it was a desperate attempt to go free. Ben couldn't tell.
"Well," Ben cleared his throat, "Not gonna make them force you back in, are you?" He asked then, referring to the Plumbers nearby, watching them from a distant, but ready to act if needed.
Albedo shook his head, yet he moved away from the entrance to the cells, instead going back down the hall a bit, and the Plumbers nearby almost stepped forward, but Ben held up his hand to tell them to hold on, or back off, for now. Albedo wasn't running, after all.
So Ben joined him instead, walking down the hall a little at his side, "You okay?"
Albedo didn't answer though, glancing at him. He clearly heard him, but looked down again, staying silent, and then he finally stopped, knowing better than to walk out of the hall completely. That would be a little too far.
Though, even with him behaving as much as he was, Ben was lost as to what to do.
"You know, asking me if I'm 'okay' is pointless, Tennyson." Albedo said suddenly, not harshly, but just quietly, with what sounded to Ben like a hopelessness.
Ben sighed a little then, feeling something heavy settling in him. He leaned against the wall, watching Albedo. "Yeah? Why's that?"
Barely glancing at him, Albedo leaned against the wall next to him. "Because my answer doesn't matter. If I'm okay then you'll say good, and if I'm not you'll ask me why. But either way, it doesn't change anything. It doesn't matter, so the question is pointless."
"Humor me?" Ben asked, tilting his head as he stared at him, and Albedo sighed this time, so Ben went for it again. "Are you okay, Albedo?"
"I don't think I am."
"Mm. Why's that?"
Albedo glanced at him now, his red eyes guarded, his mouth a firm line. He stares at Ben for a long minute. "I assume you would know that already."
But Ben shrugged, not allowing Albedo to get away with it that easily, "I can't know how you feel exactly."
"No, you can't. And if I tried to explain, you wouldn't understand."
Ben swallowed with difficulty. He knew Albedo was reaching a limit to this now, yet he didn't want to let it go. "You don't know that, either."
Albedo didn't say anything now, his harsh gaze on the wall across from them, and Ben thought that was the end of that conversation. He pushed away from the wall now, heading towards the other end of the hall, it was pretty late already, after all. And he had probably pushed Albedo enough for one night.
"Tennyson?"
He stopped, turning back to Albedo now in confusion. "Hm?"
"Leaving now?" Albedo asked, his voice not giving anything away, but Ben found that funny, because there was only a few reasons why someone would ask that anyways.
Still, he tried to not smile. "Yeah, it's kinda late."
Albedo nodded, looking down, before pushing off the wall headed in the other direction, back towards where the cells were.
"Albedo."
This time Albedo stopped and glanced towards him. "Goodnight." Ben said, keeping a smile off his face with effort.
"Goodnight." Albedo returned, sounding stiff. Ben didn't leave right away though, watching Albedo reluctantly head off to where he allowed the Plumbers to lock him back up, and even then, leaving felt harder than usual, but still, he finally turned away.