Albedo spent the next few weeks doing some light work and having it sent back to Mondstadt while he was with Mieko, also conducting research while she worked on her flower studies and drawing her designs. They were just finishing up taking photos of Mira in the prototype pieces, Mieko ecstatic about seeing the purple haired woman wearing her designs. "This is amazing…" She said softly, operating the Kamera she had bought for the trip. She had been using it for the scenery and the flowers, but she was glad that she was also able to use it for this purpose.

Once the photographs had been taken, Mieko felt a hand on her hip. "Yes, Albedo?" she turned to him, smiling.

"How are you feeling? Not exhausted yet?" He questioned. The light work seemed to be helping a bit, and all the time they spent resting in between also seemed to assist. However, he was wary of letting her out of his sight at this point, especially since she was spending a lot of time awake.

"I'm doing well today, I think." She smiled. "Do I seem like I'm not…?"

"No, it's not that." He replied. "Just monitoring your condition." They both looked up when they heard Mira call out to Cyno, seeing him run off.

"Ah, that doesn't look good…" Mieko said as Tighnari and Mira ran off after him. "Do you think they're okay?"

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Albedo replied. "It sounded like Cyno was professing his affections for Mira." He added.

"Eeh, that so?" She asked, smiling. "Well… I hope it all works out for them in the end." She said, a far off look in her eyes. Albedo nodded, taking her hand.

"I'm sure it will be fine."

"She what?" Diluc stood up from his chair and hurried to see Mieko, Natalie rushing after him.

"She collapsed downstairs, when she was about to come inside for some water." Adelinde bowed her head. "She's in the infirmary now, resting."

"They just got back from Sumeru, I hope she didn't get sick from that…" Natalie said, heading to the infirmary room with Diluc. Mieko had come to spend the day at the winery since Albedo had to, rather reluctantly, work out in the field, so he couldn't have Mieko around since she wasn't a knight. Diluc opened the door slowly and walked to the side of the bed, looking at Mieko laying there.

"Stop staring, Diluc. I'm fine." She said softly. "I was just dizzy…"

"Mieko."

"I'm fine." She repeated, opening her eyes. "I got up too fast from kneeling."

"You are not fine, you blacked out." He stated sternly. She sighed, Diluc checking her over. "Adelinde."

"I shall get her some cold water." She left the room and Mieko sighed again.

"How many times have you blacked out recently?" Diluc asked. "Did you encounter any more Abyss beings in Sumeru at all?"

"No, I didn't." She sat up. "Only idiotic humans trying to hurt other people." She added.

"And you didn't over exert yourself?" Diluc asked. "I will be asking Albedo when he comes to get you."

"I fought to defend a new friend." she sighed.

"Reaction caused?"

"Hyperbloom."

"Mieko. It's no wonder you're exhausted. Hyperbloom is far too aggressive a reaction if you were handling it without a healer."

"I'm fine." She retorted. Diluc sighed, reaching to pet her head. "Please, don't tell Albedo…"

"Don't tell him? Mieko-"

"Please, Diluc…" She looked up at him. "I… I can't let him worry about me anymore… Please."

"If it happens again, I won't let you avoid the conversation." Diluc stated. Mieko nodded. "Drink your water and go to sleep. I'll tell him you needed to lay down if you're still out when he comes by."

"Thank you."

"Asleep?" Albedo looked to Mieko, still asleep in the infirmary bed.

"Shall I wake her?" Diluc asked.

"No, that's fine. Has she been feeling alright otherwise?" He questioned.

"She seemed fine, when she got here… She looks pale, though." Diluc replied, looking mildly troubled.

"She has been… I asked her to see a doctor but she keeps avoiding it." The alchemist stated, shaking his head.

"I knew it." Diluc sighed.

"She wasn't well, then?" Albedo talked to Diluc outside, exhaling heavily as he wrapped up the explanation.

"I had someone look at her, she's definitely sick somehow, but the cause is unknown." Diluc added.

"Unknown, huh?" Albedo nodded. "Thank you, for looking after her."

"She's been like an older sister to me since I was a child… She used to look out for me all the time. Of course I would return the favor if she needed it." Diluc replied. He knew Albedo cared about her, and he knew that the Chief Alchemist was more soothing for Mieko than anyone else. "Make sure that you protect her… Because you're the only one she'll allow to do so." He added before heading back to work. Albedo balled his hand into a fist.

"That was a terrible way to say it." Natalie sighed. "Diluc is always like this…"

"Even so… I do need to protect her." Albedo replied to the girl.

"No, you don't." Natalie replied. "Mie can protect herself… What you need to do is protect her heart." She smiled. "Cause she's never done very well protecting her own…"

Months went by, and Mieko was having good days and bad ones. Albedo was doing his best to not interfere with her work, but some days he would hear about things going wrong. Today, he was talking with Mona. "Normally I wouldn't think twice about leaving a relationship alone due to it being too much to maintain… I do not understand why I can't do the same with Mieko…" Albedo stated simply. Mona nearly dropped her snack when he said that.

"That's because you're in love." Mona sighed at him. "Is it really that difficult for you to grasp? Miss Mie has been with you for 4 years, you clearly think about her more than almost anything else." She added. Albedo sighed.

"In love…" Albedo still didn't understand, even though he knew he was very attached to Mieko. "I see… Then I haven't just been saying the words because that's what she wants to hear?" He smiled a little.

"Have you been saying it just for that?!" Mona slammed her hand on the table, surprising the alchemist. "What is wrong with you?! Have you been toying with her this whole time?!" Albedo explained about the original arrangement, and Mona was 5 seconds from slapping him across the face. "You asked her out as an experiment, and she agreed?" She slumped down onto the table. "You're both idiots." She said. "You're an idiot for not just asking her normally, and she's one for agreeing."

"Am I?" Albedo asked.

"You are. It's no wonder she's always saying stuff about how she'd do anything for you… She's trying to please you because she doesn't want you to let her go." Mona pulled the brim of her hat down over her face. "And it's no wonder she's always so incredibly sad…"

"Sad?"

"She's living moment to moment, thinking that even a little slip up will cause you to walk away." Mona replied. "She's trying day in and day out to stay at your side, but she's always saying 'I don't want Albedo to worry.'. I thought it was just her trying not to concern you, but it was because she assumes it's still an experiment." Mona glared up at him. "You had better tell her properly, how you feel. Stop stringing her along. I can only imagine how she feels, having all that information and being so attached to you."

"Tell her properly?" Albedo questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Tell her it isn't an experiment anymore."

"But it is still an ongoing-"

"Albedo, that's probably one reason she's suffering so much!" Mona exclaimed. "Knowing you only think of your relationship as an experiment after 4 years? It's no wonder she hasn't completely fallen apart yet."

"Oh…" The realization hit Albedo, finally, that just because Mieko was 'alright with this being an experiment' didn't mean she wasn't stressed by it. But simply leaving wasn't an option now… He sat and pondered for a while about what to do, and what would be best for Mieko, Mona sighing to herself. She hoped that push would be of some help to Mieko and Albedo. Seeing them both tearing themselves up about this was ridiculous. Especially when everyone around could see how attached they were to one another.

"You… What?" Albedo heard the disappointment in Mieko's voice as he walked into the shop. There were 2 people in the shop with her, both bowing their heads to her. She put her hand to her face and sighed. "I can't believe this, you lost the shipment?"

"What?" Albedo asked, walking over to her. She turned to look over her shoulder at him. "How did you lose that shipment?"

"Albedo."

"Please, forgive us!" They explained the situation, Albedo listening and rubbing Mieko's back. This order had been lost in a sandstorm, and though efforts were being made to retrieve it, they had been unable to find anything yet. "We understand this is a huge loss, but we will be sure to repay you for any losses! This was our blunder!"

"Very well…" Mieko sighed. Albedo let them leave, hearing Mieko grumbling to herself as she flipped through her finance log. "That was an immense amount of Mora…" She closed the book and shook her head. "And the amount I need to recoup is too high…" Albedo watched her, smiling to himself. On days like this, he felt like she might be recovering a little. She kept grumbling to herself and checking around the shop until she noticed him staring at her. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Please, don't apologize." He replied, noticing her flinch at his words.

"I… But I'm…"

"You're having a hard time, thats all." Albedo replied. He knew the mishap would have happened at some point, but for it to be on this shipment? He knew Mieko well enough by now, she was panicking. Even if it didn't show as much as Sucrose or anyone else's panic, it was clear to him. "Let's go up to Dragonspine for the night." He said, making her turn to him. "You need to rest."

"I feel like that's all I've been doing." She replied softly. "I feel useless, Albedo…"

"You aren't useless, Mie." He replied.

"But I'm burdening you, clearly. You're constantly checking on me when you have work you could be doing… Experiments you could be performing… I'm distracting you…" She whispered. Albedo wasn't going to deny that, she was distracting him immensely. But he was letting her distract him. He never had any problems leaving people behind to do what he needed or wanted, but with Mieko it wasn't the same. He was compelled to watch out for her, he felt like he needed to protect her. He sighed, looking up at her.

"Mie… I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be, you know that." He said, leading her out of the shop and up the path to Dragonspine. Once there, Albedo got to work, letting Mieko prepare dinner at her insistence. They spent the night quietly together in his camp, Albedo keeping an eye on her as he worked. She didn't fall asleep immediately, but she seemed more at ease here than in her own shop at least. Albedo held some solace in the fact that he could do this much for her, looking up as the snow began to fall. "It's quite late for snow…" He said. "It should be spring already." He caught a snowflake on his glove, watching it melt. "I wonder… What caused this? The weather reports showed no signs of snow." He glanced back at Mieko, seeing that she was finally asleep. "Hm… I wonder if this is your fairy friend, watching out for you darling." He smiled a little. "It shouldn't be plausible, and yet… You have me curious." He went back to working as the snow continued to fall. "I wonder, Mie, if that's one of the reasons I cannot let you slip away?"

((Mieko falls apart, and both sides start to feel the strain. They try and work their way through it, though. After all, they don't want to be apart~

-Winter Cheshire))