1.
It's as normal a morning as most mornings go.
Sucrose yawns and rubs at her tired eyes. Her back is stiff and she regrets falling asleep on her desk the night before. By the time she arrives at the Good Hunter, she's a little more awake, her walk no longer an awkward shuffling thing.
"Exhausted as ever," says Sara in a tease of a greeting.
"Good morning to you too," says Sucrose, slapping at her cheeks lightly. "Nearly done?"
"Working on it." Sara turns away to set a coffee pot over the fire. "What kept you up this time?"
Sucrose rummages through her bag, pulling out two well-worn, ceramic travel mugs. "Oh, the usual."
Sara gives her an amused smile. "You know, when it comes to you, the usual can mean a thousand different things, and all of them anything but."
She isn't wrong. To Sucrose everything is fascinating, which truly, just makes a normal day for her. Even when it's staying up until near dawn studying crystalfly pupae.
"Ah," says Sucrose, rubbing at the back of her head sheepishly, "Nothing truly concerning, just something that momentarily caught my attention. Did you know that when crystalfly larvae pupate they entirely dissolve into a glowing gel, which in turn—"
Sara makes a disgusted face and Sucrose falls quiet, laughing softly. "Perhaps a bit too early in the day for such talk."
"There's never a good time for it. Really, Sucrose, that's just disgusting." Sara's only pestering though, so Sucrose takes it with good humor.
The kettle whistles and Sara pulls it from the cookfire. She pours the coffee into Sucrose's prepared travel mugs with practiced ease. "One for you," says Sara, as she tops off the first, "Too many add-ins that I won't bother to repeat, but they're definitely there."
Then she pours the second. "And of course, for the boss—bitter and black, no fuss no muss."
"Just like Mr. Albedo," says Sucrose with a fond sigh.
"Makes for easy work," says Sara as she empties the kettle out.
Sucrose caps the mugs, testing to make sure the lids are tight before taking them. "Right then. Sara, as always, you are a lifesaver."
Sara doesn't even respond, just gives a little wave as she scrubs down the now soiled coffee pot, and Sucrose nods before turning to take her leave.
The morning is young yet, the sun is still fresh in the sky. Perfect day for a well-brewed coffee, thinks Sucrose.
That is, if she can get to the lab before it cools.
2.
Sucrose is running late, regrettably due to her own accord.
She should've known better than to read a bedtime book. Should've known that it'd lead to midnight thoughts, which led to midnight experiments, which led to her slipping on her lab coat over her nightgown.
Pajamas aren't the best thing to wear while setting fabric coated in slime-concentrate on fire, but she remembered to wear her safety goggles at least.
And now, she has a potentially life-changing recipe for fire-retardant cotton.
By the time she reaches the lab, she can barely breathe, huffing and puffing as she tries to regain her composure. She's dressed, but not in her usual uniform; this time she's in a linen shirt that clashes terribly with her trousers. One of her socks doesn't match the other, but at least she'd managed a proper pair of shoes.
She adjusts her glasses, which sit ajar on her nose, and as she slowly opens the lab door, she prays to the Seven that Albedo hasn't beaten her there.
He hasn't, and as she slips in she sighs softly in relief.
She's barely made it by the tips of her ears, but—
Well, she'll still be able to make the morning brew at least. See, the thing about the coffee is that it isn't for her. Sure, she likes a warm cuppa in the bright early morning—the smell and taste wakes her right up.
But more than anything, it's for the boss, a man that really doesn't take care of himself. Always tired, always a little grumpy. Always perks up when there's coffee under his nose.
Sucrose finds that the day is that much better when he's properly presented with a steaming cup of care, and well—the smile that Albedo gives her in return? Just a gentle quirk of his lips?
She rather likes the way that fuels her day too.
3.
So, good news: her inspired, late-night, flame-retardant cotton experiment shows progress, and Albedo gives her permission to carry on.
The less-good news: gathering pyro slime concentrate is a harrowing thing while on her own, but somehow Sucrose manages while getting barely singed.
The worst news: while Sucrose loves to experiment and observe, and doing all sorts of things sciency, it sometimes comes with the caveat of being incredibly boring.
She's slathered up swatches of fabric in her carefully crafted pyro slime goo, and now she waits. She'd rather just set it on fire and watch how the flames react, but—
Well, she has to make sure that there aren't any adverse effects of the concentrate now that she's tweaked the recipe.
So, as Sucrose waits, she gets the brilliant idea to brew some coffee. Paired with a nice little tea cake, it'll make the most perfect mid-day snack. And lucky for her, there's an unused siphon that's been recently cleaned.
It's the perfect method for Sucrose, she thinks as she grinds up the beans. She watches as gravity and a vacuum work in tandem to force water into the upper chamber, soaking the grounds for a glorious brew.
Sucrose counts the minutes on her watch, and then pours out a mug. "Mr. Albedo," she calls over her shoulder.
He never takes long, poking his head through the door of his private office.
"Sucrose?"
"Coffee," she says with a wide smile.
As he steps into the room, she grabs a beaker from the fridge. Pours it into her cup, relishing the thought of almond milk.
Only it isn't almond milk. The moment the white liquid makes contact with her coffee, it explodes in her face. Albedo moves to go to her side, but stops when he sees that she's fine, if only a little stunned.
"Oh my," says Sucrose with a soft little cough. "I forgot that's where I put the nitroglycerin."
Albedo chuckles amusedly, and Sucrose's face burns pink. "Thank you for the coffee, Sucrose," he says, saluting her with his mug.
4.
"Sucrose!"
Sucrose turns to find Albedo smiling softly at her, in a way that could be described as perky— something that she's unaccustomed to seeing from him. It isn't that Albedo is devoid of emotion—of course, he isn't. He's just the quiet, contemplative sort who rarely wears affection so openly.
And this time, it seems to be directed right towards her, which in of itself is an absolute mystery. Sucrose feels her cheeks pink up and her heart beat faster, wonders if he might be able to hear it pounding as well.
Archons above, she hopes not.
They meet properly at the Good Hunter, Albedo lingering behind suspiciously as Sara sets about making the coffee order.
"Mr. Albedo," says Sucrose kindly, "Aren't you late to the lab?"
"There isn't a rush today," he says. "You grab our coffee every morning, so I thought that perhaps I'd meet you here and we could walk to work together?"
Oh, if that doesn't set her heart alight. Sucrose blubbers for a moment, unsure what exactly to say. But she likes it, the soft floatiness of her being, and how her heart soaks up the attention.
It's a small thing that she's likely looking too far into, but it's nice that Albedo is willing to spend some extra time with her. Sucrose is so used to ignoring her feelings and insisting it's only a little crush, that she'll happily take whatever she can get.
Even if it's just a simple walk back to work.
"There isn't a need for that, Mr. Albedo. You don't have to go out of your way to accompany me."
"It isn't out of my way," says Albedo as he looks at her, amused. "It's, quite literally, on the way."
"Mr. Albedo—"
"Sucrose," he cuts in, and she snaps her mouth shut. "We've worked together for some time now, yes? Will you please call me Albedo?"
"But I do—"
"Just Albedo?" He doesn't seem to be teasing her, his request seems utterly and wholly sincere.
"You're my boss," murmurs Sucrose softly.
"I like to think I'm more than just your boss," he says to her. "You're certainly more than just my assistant."
At that, Sara—who's been preparing their coffee in silence—looks up and between them, smirking when her gaze settles on Sucrose's face. Then, she wiggles her eyebrows.
And, oh, Sucrose is embarrassed, so utterly beside herself. She pinches at her puffed cheeks as she tries to find the proper reply. But she can't, her words lost, her heart fluttering because surely, he doesn't mean anything more.
Albedo is a blunt man who doesn't mince his words. He only says what he means. So unlike Sucrose when it comes to matters of the heart, because this is the one thing that she's unlikely to ever share with him.
"I—"
Sara saves the day. "Coffee's ready," she says, dropping those well-used traveler's mugs onto the counter. Sucrose sighs in relief as she takes them both into hand.
And then Albedo reaches out for his, his fingers ghosting hers as he takes the cup from her grasp. The touch lingers just a little too long to be casual. Sucrose can feel her face turn red like it's on fire.
He pulls away, though, smiling at her. It's soft and genuine, not his usual amused quirk of the lips; this is relaxed and subtle. Sucrose blinks. Sara blinks, far too interested for someone entirely uninvolved. And Albedo seems none the wiser.
"Well then, off to work I guess," he says. "Ready for more adventures?"
Of course, she is, Sucrose is ready for any day spent in the presence of the man she loves.
But, all that Sucrose says is, "Yes."
It must be enough. Albedo reaches out and smudges a thumb across her cheek, warm and soft. "Dirt," he says kindly, as though it explains anything about this incredibly strange morning.
The walk to the lab is comfortable despite the hammering within Sucrose's heart. Albedo says nothing else, only knocks their shoulders together gently as they stroll lazily through the streets of the city.
+1
Albedo is never surprised when he finds the door to the lab unlocked.
Sucrose should know better, of course, but she's always so distracted by work that he's thankful most wouldn't risk their health by strolling in unannounced. You never know what you might find, or walk right into.
He steps into the lab properly, shrugging off his coat and hanging it up. Then he spots her at her desk, cheek pressed into the polished wood as she snoozes.
"Oh, Sucrose," he murmurs softly, as he crosses the room. She's cute like this, when she's so relaxed. Albedo wishes that she would be like this normally, calmer in his presence. When she is, that subtle beauty of hers shines right through, and Albedo could watch it forever.
She always works herself too hard, the way her brains whirs kilometers a minute. First one to the lab, last one to leave. This isn't a rare sight, to see her drooling all over an open text.
Sucrose is always so good to him, the way she works so hard, the effort she puts into his research. How she takes care of him when he won't, how she always has coffee or lunch or tea at the ready.
Albedo sighs as he pulls away. It's his turn to take care of her, something he's thought a lot about lately. Sucrose deserves it, for someone to return the favor ten-fold.
His method isn't extravagant. Albedo sets a regular kettle to boil and doesn't bother to filter the water. Grinds the coffee a little too fine for a press, but it'll still work.
Sucrose's typical drink is the most complicated part—steamed almond milk, a carefully measured portion of honey. A pinch of sugar as well, topped with a splash of vanilla too. Not Albedo's taste, certainly, but this isn't for him.
She probably has no idea, how much he watches her with a smile, how much he admires her. How he pines for her gentle warmth as he pours through research notes.
It used to be his alchemy that drove him every day at work, but now it's Sucrose. He's tried, of course, to get her to see. Kind words and mild flirting, lingering touches, and nice walks outside the laboratory walls.
Sucrose is smart, she'll eventually figure it out. Until then—
Her drink isn't perfect, but it's been brewed with love. The mug is heavy in Albedo's hand as he leans over her and brushes his fingers through her bangs. The skin of her forehead is soft, her face serene without her glasses on.
"Sucrose," he says gently, moving to shake her just so.
Sucrose blinks awake slowly, eyes bleary with tiredness. Rolls her neck slightly as she grunts in discomfort.
Albedo tuts. "You shouldn't sleep here like that, you'll only be sore."
"Was working late," she murmurs, rubbing at her eyes.
"I've made you coffee," he says, setting the cup down beside her. He hands Sucrose her glasses when she starts looking for them, flipping through the work strewn over her desk.
"Mhm," she hums, putting them on and letting out a yawn.
Adorable, thinks Albedo, watching her with a smile.
And perhaps, if he's lucky, he won't have to pine for much longer.
