Chapter Text
Thoma thinks that last night was a dream. There’s no possible way it happened. He’s probably hallucinating or something.
He wouldn’t put it past him– oh no, absolutely not. The first week when he arrived in Inazuma, he wasn’t entirely conscious. He got a good 3 hours of sleep in four days. Maybe that also was a major factor. But everywhere he went, all he could see were the faces of Mondstadt. He kept imagining his little squadron of friends.
They threw a party for him, before he left. It was nothing major– just some cake, music, festivities. Diluc and Jean brought their turtles. Lisa baked scones. Eula made a little dance, Albedo showed him an alchemy trick. Rosaria and Sucrose put on a little play.
He hadn’t seen the last four yet. Thoma wanted to, so, so bad. Minus Albedo, who he’d seen during the Irodori festival. But after all, meeting him again wouldn’t be too bad.
Thoma rolls out of bed– literally. He was already on the edge of it, and he didn’t bother getting up. So he roll, roll, rolls off and lands on his back with a thud. He half-expects no one to notice. He’d think it’s such a big house, one thud probably isn’t anything.
But both Diluc and Adelinde enter the room, to the sight of Thoma splayed on the floor.
“Sir Thoma! Are you alright?” Adelinde says, holding out a hand. She’s already put together, as always. She’s up at the crack of dawn, organizing. Meanwhile, Diluc looks like he just got up, himself. His eyes are droopy and his nightshirt sags at the sleeves, obviously kept light to accommodate for the hot summer weather. And his hair– oh dear lord, what a mess. His red hair stuck up in every which way near the top, and though his bangs stay put out of his face, the rest of his hair cascades down his shoulders.
“I’m alright,” Thoma manages. “Don’t worry!”
Diluc lets out a relieved sigh. “You had me worried there, for a second.”
THOMA WILL NOT THINK ABOUT DILUC’S MORNING VOICE. HE WON’T.
But, oh, Barbatos, was his voice so incredibly deep when he’d just woken up. Thoma doesn’t think he’s going to live through this month. He’d have to write to the Kamisato siblings. But if he did that, Ayaka would probably rip the letter to shreds. She’d keep him there. Just to suffer.
Thoma thinks he’s going to die.
So maybe the LAST news Thoma was expecting to receive was that of the relationship between Rosaria and Sucrose. But he was happy for them. It was just… unexpected.
Diluc brought him out to Dragonspine. Apparently, he had some ‘secret business’ and he told Thoma to go visit Albedo. Sucrose was there– along with, apparently, her girlfriend.
Rosaria had never been fond of Albedo. She always thought there was something sketchy about him. On the other end, there was Kaeya. Completely enamored with him. Kaeya and Rosaria got on just fine, as did both of them with Sucrose. But the two of their opinions on Albedo had greatly differed.
So, when Thoma had walked into Albedo’s little alchemist cave… it was a shock. The conversation went a bit like this:
“Hey!” Sucrose waved at him. “Jean told us you were in Mondstadt. Diluc said he’d bring you here. Where is he?”
“Hello, Sucrose! He’s got some other work to do.”
Sucrose had pulled a face.
Something exploded at the station Albedo was working at, and he sighed, diminishing the flames that had singed the edges of his hair. “Workaholic,” was all he mumbled.
Rosaria was busy spinning her signature knife. She caught it, mid-spin. “It’s nice to see you. I guess,” she muttered.
“Oh!” Sucrose exclaimed. “I forgot to mention. Rosaria and I…” She walked over, and Rosaria put her knife back in a pocket. Then Sucrose held her hand, to make a point. “We’re, um. Dating.”
Albedo sighed again. “Sucrose, could you pass me the crystalfly cores?”
She grabbed a bottle off of the shelf nearest her and handed it to Albedo, all the while not letting go of Rosaria’s hand.
That’s how Thoma, Sucrose, Albedo, and Rosaria ended up trekking across Dragonspine. Well, mainly because they’d run out of starsilver ore. Albedo kept quiet. So did Rosaria. Sucrose happily talked to Thoma and updated him on things.
“So… are you and Diluc… together? Yet?” She questioned
Thoma sputtered. “No! Of course not, why would you-”
Sucrose rolled her eyes. “You used to look at him like he hung the moon. He talks about you like your name is written in the stars. It’s obvious.”
“Is it really?” Thoma looked down. He does suppose he hasn’t exactly been hiding his feelings for Diluc. He just didn’t expect Sucrose to know.
Was it really that obvious? Ayaka and Ayato teased him for it, but that was because they’re like a second family to him. And they treated him like he was their little brother. Even if he was barely younger than Ayato and older than Ayaka by several years.
But then Diluc found them, crimson hair flecked with snowfall, red eyes softer than ever, cheeks dusted with pink from the cold (Thoma knew he never handled cold weather well), and well. The look Sucrose gave Thoma as he basically stared at Diluc. That, Thoma thinks, was the most telling look of all.