Chapter Text
As Albedo finishes to read Sucrose’s investigation, he can’t help but smile proudly at her work. Everything is so organized that it makes for an easy read and the way she lays her discoveries are interesting, as well as her results. He can notice from the corner of his eye that she’s waiting for him to finish reading, ears twitching in a nervous trait he has learned to recognize, almost as if she’s trying not to disappoint him.
Sucrose never disappoints.
What’s more, she has come such a long way and the complexity that entails her latest research plus her amazing results are a merit that’s more than worth congratulating.
So he does what he must, and praises as much as he can every elemental part of her work, watching amused as her cheeks turn to a deeper shade of red with every word that leave his mouth, even though Albedo knows what he’s praising is completely right.
She’s so embarrassed she takes her hat off and hides her face underneath it. That usually wouldn’t do for Albedo, who wants her to have more confident when taking the praises that she deserves, but at the same time understands the struggle and Sucrose has done such a good research he’s going to let it pass.
Her ears are still twitching and he briefly wondered what if those where human, would they be as red as her face too? Probably yes. Definitely yes. He finds himself unable to ignore them and her soft looking mint hair. In one impulse that he usually controls, Albedo ruffles her, now confirmed, soft and luscious hair in a few quick strokes and can hear an equally soft buzzing sound when he does.
Albedo stops and so does the buzzing. He caresses more carefully, enjoying the texture between his fingers as he listens closely to what he had concluded, it’s Sucrose’s purring. Sultry and unbelievably cute, just like her. Although he had never been one to be fascinated for something so simple, he can’t stop moving his hand and recording her voice deep into his head like it’s the formula for some incredibly important alchemy reaction.
He’s so into it, he fails to notice how Sucrose has taken the hat off her face and now is looking directly at him, cheeks beet red and bitten lips as she can barely find the voice in her to speak.
“M-Mister Albedo… Please stop”
Letting go immediately, words of sincere and overly polite apologies get stuck in his throat when he sees tiny tears slide down her face and watery amber eyes can barely meet him.
Bump.
“…Ah”
Bump. Bump.
For the first time in a long time he doesn’t know what to do as he freezes in place, his heartbeat rate going up and he hopes, for the life of him, there’s not a tint of red in his face.
“I-It’s not because I hated it or anything, Mister Albedo.” Sucrose quickly explains, taking a step back and Albedo respects the bravery it takes for her to still make eye-contact with him after her tears had dried “In fact, I deeply appreciate your praises, but this…This is so embarrassing.”
The last part is barely a whisper as she sprints out of the lab, her research papers forgotten in his other hand as he watches in a daze how quickly her figure disappears of his sight.
That…
For all the Archons in Teyvat that… That was so unbelievably cute.
How could a single human being be so adorable? Albedo thought he already understood why some people in Mondstadt called her a “Harmless Sweetie” - she’s caring and kind and smart and obviously sweet - but this level of cuteness was completely otherworldly.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn’t the time to think about pointless things like that.
The fact is, was it cute for him or not, Albedo had made her cry. Something atrocious, even for him. As every action has a reaction, of course, he had to make up for it.
And so, Albedo, the Kreideprinz and recognized alchemist, went running after Sucrose after slapping himself in the cheek.