"Miss Mie!" Sucrose ran over to the woman, looking a bit panicked.
"Sucrose…?" Mieko was confused as to why she was in such a rush. "What's the matter?"
"M-Miss Mie, have you seen Mister Albedo?"
"Oh, no, I haven't. Albedo went home last night, and he said he might be cooped up for a few days. He wasn't at the lab?"
"No, and he wasn't in the library…"
"Oh, maybe at home?" She got up and put her tools down. "Let's go and see if he's at his house, ne?"
"Y-You know where Mister Albedo's house is?"
"Oh, you mean he hasn't told you?"
"N-No, as we are only student and teacher, it was never prevalent…"
"I see… He's more private than I thought…" she nodded. They headed to Albedo's house, Mieko knocking. No answer came, but upon knocking again, the door was open. "Oh? Open?" she opened the door and glanced around. She walked into the house and looked around, hearing someone talking upstairs. She walked up the stairs, Sucrose following. "Albedo?"
"Mie?" A door opened and Albedo walked out, right to Mieko and taking her hand. "Hello, darling. What are you doing here?"
"Hello my dear." She nuzzled him. "Pardon the intrusion. Sucrose came running to my workshop looking for you. Did you forget about something today?"
"Ah, yes, that was today wasn't it?" He sighed. "Forgive me, Sucrose, I was caught up in research."
"N-Not at all Mister Albedo. I was just worried because you said it was very important-" a young woman in a hat walked out, Mieko's eyes going wide.
"Mona?"
"Oh, Miss Mieko." Mona said, smiling. "Nice to see you again."
"Yes, nice to see you too." She said, a bit surprised. As Sucrose and Albedo went to the lab to discuss, Mona sat outside with Mieko and they talked. "So Traveler brought you to Mondstat?"
"Yes. And I've been doing menial work for some extra mora."
"I see I see." She nodded. "Hows that working for you?"
"It's working well." She smiled. "Albedo hired me to do some research on my Catalyst."
"Oh, on your catalyst?" She nodded. "I see I see~" she felt… relieved? Then realizing she'd felt jealous that Mona had been alone with Albedo, and she pushed the feeling as far down as she could.
"So, how have you been?"
"I've been well." Mieko replied. A moment of silence passed between them.
"I um… Thank you… For giving me those snacks and the Mora…"
"Oh, of course. I was worried about you." She smiled.
"Worried… But I was a stranger."
"You're also a young woman, and you have good values." she pointed out. "Not selling your Scrying is a big thing. You could make money doing that."
"I… You're right but, it feels wrong to sell it." Mona replied. "Oh, by the way. Albedo said you were a jewelry maker."
"Yes I am."
"Do you think you could help me? I um… I broke one of my charms off and I can't fix it. I asked him for his assistance, but he insisted on me seeing you, since that was your specialty."
"Oh, a charm? May I see?" Mieko inspected the charm and where it had broken off from. "Ahh, the whole thing broke off…" she pouted. "We would need to repair this whole thing… Actually, now that I look, your cape has holes in it. And your tights have a few runs…"
"H-Huh? My tights?" Mona blushed.
"Goodness. I'll go tell Albedo that I'm taking you back to my workshop, I can't have a young lady walking around in shredded tights and a cape in such condition." she said, getting up.
"H-Huh? But you're a jeweler?"
"Not strictly. I make repairs in clothes too." she said, heading into the Headquarters before emerging and taking Mona to her shop. She had her change into some spare clothes, Mona insisting that she didn't have the mora to pay Mieko. "Pay me? No, no, no need." She shook her head. "As I said, I can't have a young woman running around in shredded tights and a cape full of holes." she stated. She worked worked on drawing a diagram of the findings that were broken and wrote the specifications, adding a few more things before tucking them into a folder. She then proceeded to work on Mona's cape repairs, using a gold thread on the cape to patch the holes decoratively before working on the tights, swearing about how she hated the material to herself. Albedo walked in with Sucrose while Mieko worked, watching her as Sucrose talked to Mona. As Albedo started sketching Mieko working, Sucrose and Mona smiled at each other.
"Isnt Miss Mie amazing?" Sucrose asked as Mona inspected her finished cape.
"Yes. Are those little embroidered parts on Albedo's jacket her handiwork as well?"
"Yes they are." Sucrose smiled.
"Amazing. It matches so well…"
"Hehe, Miss Mieko prides herself on working the client's aesthetics into the repairs as much as possible." Sucrose said cheerfully. "She and Mister Albedo are very alike that way, they put such care into their work…"
"I noticed. I… I think they look really good together."
"Don't they?" Sucrose smiled. "He always seems… Happier. When he talks to Miss Mieko."
"Yes, he does. Even the way he looks at her is so different…" Mieko eventually got frustrated with Mona's tights and went to get something from upstairs. She returned with a swatch book and some measuring tools.
"Mona. Stand here. Sucrose, I need your help with measuring." She stated.
"Shall I write your numbers down, darling?" Albedo asked.
"Please do." She stated, tying her hair up. Albedo smiled and took her notebook and wrote down things for her, in-between sketching her while she worked on measuring Mona. The two younger women were surprised because Albedo was assisting someone instead of just doing his own thing, but it made them smile. Once the measurements had been taken, Mieko handed Mona the swatch book. "Pick your favorite from the stretch section." She did as instructed, Albedo writing down the selection. Mieko kissed his forehead after. "Thank you, Albedo."
"Whatever you need, my dear." he smiled. "Shall I go and procure lunch?"
"If you don't mind." She cooed. "I'll pay you back later?"
"Mm, perhaps. We can discuss that later on." He got up, being sure to kiss her when the other two turned to give them some privacy.
After he returned with food and Mona tried on her new tights, she was stunned. "These are… Beautiful…"
"I'm glad you like them. I'm just sorry I couldn't repair the old ones. The material just won't sit still."
"N-No, not at all! Thank you for noticing it and trying." she said. "Are you sure I don't need to pay you…?" Mona felt terrible about using up materials without paying Mieko back. An unusual feeling for her. "Oh, perhaps I can scry for you?"
"No need." Mieko smiled. "You're helping Albedo with his research, aren't you? And like I said, you're a good person."
"Mie, aren't you being too generous?" Albedo asked her, a teasing tone in his voice.
"It's alright." she said. "Besides, Mona is your friend. Right?"
"Mm, perhaps you could call it that. Like Sucrose, I see her as an assistant." Mieko knew that meant Albedo had taken a liking to the girl as a sister of sorts. And as someone useful for his research.
"Mm… Well, all the same." she said. "She's helping you."
"Mm, so my assistants are suddenly privileged to receive your generosity?" he asked.
"It's hardly suddenly, Albedo." she replied. She went to the kitchen to get more tea, Albedo sending Sucrose and Mona off before he went to talk to Mieko.
"What's troubling you, darling?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Mieko paused, sighing.
"I'm sorry… My anxiety must have gotten the better of me." She replied. "I did it again…"
"Yes, you did." he turned her around and cupped her cheeks in his gloved hands. "Mie… You felt jealous this morning, didn't you? When you saw Mona in my house?"
"... I wasn't sure at first… It didn't hit me until Mona said you were researching her catalyst that I managed to pinpoint the feeling…" she tried to look away, but Albedo didnt let her. His unwavering stare made her smile. "I tried to push it down."
"And yet you gave her those brand new leggings that you made for free. Mie. That's a terrible coping mechanism."
"I know, Albedo." she lifted her hand to rest on top of his, leaning into that hand. "It's my way of trying to force the jealousy out."
"Well then…" he leaned in and kissed her. "Perhaps… You should let me show you? Why you have absolutely no reason to be jealous of another woman in my presence?"
"Sh-Show me?"
"Yes. Show you." His smile was so smug that Mieko almost melted just from that.
A few days later, Albedo was back in Mieko's house. "Shopping?" Mieko looked up at Albedo as he suggested they go shopping. "What for? Is there something specific?"
"No, nothing specific. I wanted to get you something, but I know you can be quite picky." He said. "So rather than try and surprise you, I thought we would make a date of it. After all, studying your likes and dislikes is a part of the experiment." he added.
"Mm, very well." she smiled. "When shall we go?"
"Well, if you're free right now…"
"Ah, that's why you brought me the Cecilias. You want me to shut down the shop for today." she sighed and stood up, smiling at him. "Alright, I'll indulge you." she pet his head. "Let me go get dressed." she went to change her clothes, returning in one of her nicer shirts and a long skirt. "Let's go." she offered her hand, walking with him around Mondstat, shopping the stalls and stores with him and pointing out her preferences to him as he'd requested. Upon entering the fancier clothing store, Albedo saw something that caught his eye. Not too fancy, not too simple. Mieko admired the piece with him. "It's quite lovely. And the details are beautiful." she said, smiling. "We haven't even been out here 2 hours, and you're already seeing things I'd like before I do." she added, chuckling.
"Are you two here on a date perhaps?" the shopkeep asked.
"Yes, we are." Albedo replied quickly. "Could she try this on?" he pointed to the mannequin.
"Of course." she attendant got the outfit off the mannequin, explaining that it was one of a kind, thanks to the handiwork of an embroidery expert. Mieko tried it on, and it fit her like a glove.
"You look beautiful." Albedo said, smiling as she stood and stared at herself in the mirror. "Like it was made for you."
"It really is pretty… But did you see the price tag? It's astronomically expensive." She added, smiling meekly. "I can't afford this."
"You aren't the one paying." He kissed her cheek, going to the shop keep and talking with them. It took Mieko a moment to realize what he was doing, but when she did, he was already back with a receipt, gently taking the tag off of the clothing for her. "And now it's yours, my darling Mie." He smiled at her, Mieko's heart jumping into her throat.
"A-Albedo, you didn't…"
"I did. I'm glad we found something. Now, let's continue. There are still some shops we have yet to visit." He took her hand and lead her out, Mieko shocked by the revalation that Albedo had just spent so much mora on her. And he certainly wasn't done. By the end of the day, he'd bought her 3 full outfits, shoes included. "Now all you need is to match your jewelry with them." He smiled at her, resting his head in his hands as they sat at Good Hunter, waiting for their food. "I quite like playing dress up with you, Mie."
"I can't let my guard down at all…" Mieko said, still completely embarrassed. "Why did you go so far as to also buy me lingerie? The shop keeper was too enthused about it too." She whined a bit, Albedo just smiling at how red she was.
"Well… I think you needed a confidence boost." he said. "And if I shower you in compliments and help you get dressed up like you are now… It seems to do wonders for you, aside from embarrassing you quite a bit." He chuckled. "So… May I dress you up again soon, Mie?"
"I have no occasions to dress up for, Albedo. Where will I wear all these things?"
"Perhaps… The yearly ball?"
"A ball?" Mieko asked.
"The Knights of Favonious host an annual ball." He stated. "I decline my invitation every year, but seeing as I have you this year, and I just bought you something befitting the occasion. Perhaps… You would accompany me?"
"Me? But I'm not a Knight." She replied.
"That's fine. You're friends with our Acting Grand Master, as well as Lisa and many others. I don't see why you couldn't come as my guest." He smiled. "Would that be an acceptable reason, since you don't seem to like it when I buy you things?"
"I…" She wanted to protest, but instead she sighed. "Alright, Albedo." She smiled. "Only for you."
"Thank you, Mie, darling." He took her hand and squeezed it. "I look forward to escorting you to the ball." He kissed the back of her hand. "Thank you for obliging me. Shall I pay you back tonight?"
"Albedo, please." She sighed, the blonde smiling. "Save that for home…"
"Yes, darling. Whatever you want."
((Some jealousy? Also, Albedo spoiling her is probably Lisa's idea. I don't know how realistic the ball is for the organization, but I do like to think they do this once a year, rather like a military ball.
-Winter Cheshire))