Elements of Love II Albedo x Sucrose

Painting in Guili Plains

"M- um, Albedo, maybe we should stop for awhile?" Sucrose said, barely catching herself in time. Ever since they had departed from Wangshu Inn, she had been making more of an effort to call him Albedo, although it was a hard habit to shake. "The scenery is quite beautiful here."

Albedo shot a devastating smile at Sucrose, making her blush uncontrollably. So maybe her feelings for her mentor had manifested over the course of the trip, but it wasn't like they were going anywhere. Albedo would remain Sucrose's mentor, and nothing more. His feelings towards her weren't anything more.

Although, it was getting increasingly difficult to remember Albedo's feelings toward her every time Sucrose said his name, or he smiled at her, or even simply spoke to her in that quiet, gentle, well-mannered way of his. Sucrose worried that by the end of their journey, she might do something she definitely, definitely shouldn't do. 

Like kiss Albedo.

"Sucrose?" Albedo asked, waving a hand in front of her face.  With a start, Sucrose realized that she had been drifting off into space. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, ah, apologies. I was, um, thinking about something." Sucrose said, flushing again. 

"Hmm," Albedo said, a half-smile on his face. "Do you need me to repeat what I asked?" He was looking at Sucrose with an indulgent grin, blonde hair messy in the wind. 

"Ah, uh." Sucrose thought quickly to herself. She didn't remember what Albedo had asked. "Um, yes."

"The question was: what kind of landscapes do you think are going to be in Guili Plains?" Albedo said, laughing. "And you answered: yes." 

"Oh, uh, my apologies." Embarrassed, Sucrose gazed at the flat grasslands dotted with gray ruins. "I guess I wasn't really paying attention, ah-Albedo."

"No, it's alright." Albedo blushed and looked at the ground. "Your presence is enough for me."

"Ah, thank you." Strange. Sucrose was always comforted by Albedo's presence, but that was because she had feelings for him. Could it be that Albedo had feelings for Sucrose too?

Maybe Sucrose should test out her hypothesis. 

"I can, um, help you set up your painting supplies." Sucrose offered, extending a hand. "If you want."

"I- I think I'm fine for now," Albedo smiled, rifling through his bag and pulling out assorted pots of paint, and a few brushes. He placed them on an portable easel, turning in a circle to assess the landscape.

Sucrose moved away quietly, running her fingers along the edge of the wall of the ruin. There were barely any ruins in Mondstadt, except maybe the Thousand Winds Temple. It was really quite peaceful here, although Sucrose guessed that there might be more ruin guards here, seeing as there were more ruins.

Crossing a small stone bridge, Sucrose bent down to examine a few local pieces of flora, making small notes in her notebook. Sighing, she sat down and leaned back against the wall of the ruin, breathing in the warm and humid air. 

"Sucrose?" A voice called. 

"Oh! I'm over here, Albedo." Sucrose responded, brushing off her clothes and standing up. "I was just examining some of the local plants around the ruin."

"May I take a look?" Albedo asked, rounding the corner. His hair was rumpled, a half-smile on his face. 

"Uh, sure." Sucrose offered her notepad to him, explaining several of the different flora she had encountered, observations, and possible experiments she might like to try. Pointing towards different features of the plants, Sucrose's face lit up, doing what she loved the most. 

"That's wonderful, Sucrose." Albedo said, handing the notebook back to Sucrose. Their fingers brushed, sending sparks down her arm. She drew back, fingers wrapped securely around her notebook. 

"Um, I wanted to ask, why did you address me so formally all the time? Before I asked you to just call me Albedo, I mean." He wondered, looking down nervously. 

"Well, it's the due respect, from a student to her mentor, right?" Sucrose said, unsure if she was giving Albedo the answer he wanted. She didn't know where this was going.

"But what if I wanted to be more than your mentor?" Albedo asked, stepping closer to her, dangerously close. Sucrose had to lean backwards against the wall to look up at him, her breath coming short.

"Wh-what do you mean? We're already, um, friends." Sucrose stuttered, her cheeks covered in pink. Her back was pressed against the gray wall, Albedo was so close to her.

"Not just friends, Sucrose." Albedo lifted a hand, his fingertips light on her cheek. He leaned forward, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. "More." Albedo whispered against the shell of her ear, sending a shiver down Sucrose's spine. 

"M-more?" Sucrose murmured, her thoughts warm and small as she watched Albedo's throat bob as he pressed a forearm against the wall, near her head. 

"Of course. How could I not want to be more than friends with you?" Albedo closed his eyes, cheeks and ears flushed with pink. Sucrose's lips parted softly, an 'oh' escaping them. 

She gave up on words and kissed him.

Albedo's body reacted as if he'd been waiting for this moment, pressing Sucrose against the wall with fervor. Her lips opened, inviting him in. Albedo's hands wrapped around the back of her head, the side of her face, moving even closer until barely a thread of air could slip between them. 

"Ah," Sucrose whispered, the sound muffled as Albedo stroked a thumb over her cheekbone. She met him, stroke for stroke, pushing and pulling, her body on fire. A low, heavy weight settled in her stomach, responding to Albedo's growing insistence.

"Not-not just nothing?" Sucrose pulled back, ever so slightly, to whisper against Albedo's lips. His eyes drifted over her face, smiling at whatever he saw.

"Not just nothing." Albedo said, and ran a finger through her hair lovingly. 

It was dark out, the stars sprinkled through the sky, uninterrupted by artificial light. Sucrose leaned her head against the wall, tilted backwards. Her hand grasped Albedo's, right by her side.