Work Text:
The city-park in Mondstadt is a popular place to hangout, either with your friends, family or lovers. Or just anything.
Sucrose sits on one of the benches, dressed properly, as if she's waiting for someone to go our with. There's a little story on how she ends up like that.
-
"Go on a fake date? Sure"
"E-eh??? Y-you're not q-questioning further?"
"I've known you too well, you'll soon elaborate the reason you ask me out." Albedo chuckled replying to his colleague. Hands fixated on the keyboard, typing some files and stuffs, but he's listening to Sucrose.
Sucrose then elaborated her reasonings. There has been a guy who keeps on asking Sucrose out. She has rejected him several times but it seems the guy won't give up. Sucrose must pulled her final trump card. Convincing the guy that she's already dating.
But she isn't. She doesn't have a boyfriend nor girlfriend.
So the only option she has is... to ask someone to be her fake lover for a whole day. Albedo's the first target. She has known him for a few years already since they started work at the same place. One of the person she could find comfort with. Though she was thinking there were chances of their friendship could break if she said so.
But there weren't much option.
And surprisingly it went smoothly.
-
"Hi there, sweetie"
The girl is startled by the voice greeting her. It's Albedo.
"Eh? Did I get carried away?? My bad..."
"N-no it's fine! I read about c-couple things online yesterday.. And uh, i-it will be easier to convince him!"
She prepared to such extent to reject the man who's been pestering her. Must be a tough one.
"A-anyways... I told him we'll be meeting him at the ice cream parlor. A-and I will t-treat you after once things are settled!"
"Then let's head there shall we?" He offers his hand to hols with hers. But it seems Sucrose suddenly malfunction. "Eh, I guess we don't need physical contact then... It's fine, it can be covered." He puts his hands back to his pocket, slightly upset but he covers it quickly.
.
They arrive at Wangsheng Ice cream parlor and sit at one of the outdoor seats. It will be much better to handle if things get out of hand.
Albedo excuses himself to go to the lavatory, leaving Sucrose sitting behind while seeing the ice cream menu provided.
"Hello, Sucrose. I came as you said..." The familiar voice sends chills down to her spine. She knows this will come but this is also unexpected.
"Ah, T-Tommy... Y-you see...."
Tommy sits down on the chair across Sucrose without any of her consent. "So, have you decided?"
Sucrose sits still, remains solemn, but her mind is all batshit and she suddenly feels numb. Both of her hands intertwining, covering her thumbs which are rubbing against each other.
"I-i've told you before! The answer remains the same. I-i can't go out with you."
"Come on, why don't you just go out with me once and maybe it will change your mind?"
"A no still means no. N-now please respect my decision." Tommy's hands immediately grab Sucrose's. Holding them tight, ain't letting go.
Sucrose is terribly frightened. It seems things are getting out of control. She looks away hoping someone would help.
"Excuse me, sir. That's my girlfriend. Don't your parents teach you to not still other's s/o?"
Her only hope arrives and quickly lightens Sucrose's panic. Albedo puts on a death glare, frightening enough to shed one's body to pieces.
"Y-you never told me you have a lover?!" Tommy complains, not admitting defeat.
"I-is that necessary? It's a personal matter for me whether to tell you I h-have one or not. Now would you please???"
Tommy's stuck between the blond's death glare and the mint's agitated voice. He admits defeat.
-
Albedo brings over a serve of banana split for a portion of a coupl... Two persons. Placing it right in front of the still-too-stunned-to-speak Sucrose.
"Are you alright? Calm down. Everything's fine. He won't be pestering you anymore." He hands her a spoon for her to eat the banana split. "I should have break his finger or a few..."
"T-thank you for covering for me!!"
"No need, it's... What friends do," He scoops himself a small bite of the banana split. "And anyways, the banana split is on me...."
"B-but then... How will I repay you??"
Her willingful tone surprises Albedo. A few glimpse of ideas pass through but he shakes his head after, before giving her a smile.
"Well, the flowers here are blooming, mind accompany me to see them? I would love to sketch the flowers."
-
That's how the 'Fake Date' continues, or whatever Albedo thinks of. Sucrose--unilaterally consider this as a payback--doesn't realize of Albedo's intentions.
It's not she's getting 'used', she surprisingly enjoys it. Maybe because of how often they are together at work and extra work.... Seeing a new side of Albedo or Sucrose, opens up their mind.
Sucrose doesn't often get to see Albedo live-sketching. It's pretty amazing to watch. Just in a few strokes, the shape of the windwheel aster can be seen clearly. She enjoys it in awe.
Albedo--dislikes someone peeking him during his sketching time--feels slight nervous. He wants to share his process, yet he fears of imperfection. He knows well there's no perfection in art. Mistakes happen or rather it's part of the art which makes it perfect. His thought running wild on what if he messes up. And everytime he glances at Sucrose who is observing the flowers, he makes a minor mistake and quickly pulls himself back.
This 'Fake Date' is waaaay to dangerous for Albedo. It's merely spending time together with no romantic intentions--or albedo is taking his lifetime chance to do such things that he should apologize because it's inapproprite--enjoying the flowers, drawing them, enjoying Suc- excuse me what.
"A-albedo, th-thank you for helping me out. I'm- I still don't know what will happen. But a-are you fine with me just accompanying you as a payback? I-I can g-get you some snacks or help you with your workload... Or.."
Sucrose begins to ramble things again. Albedo lands his index finger on her lips, gently hushing her. Nodding his face with a sincere smile, insisting her, 'it's fine.'
Sucrose picks up the message. But still she feels indebt. She keeps on insisting.
"Then... Maybe we should go out on our next fake date?what do you say?" He spits out it. There. That's it. It kinda blows off. Uhm.
Sucrose stones. Staring at Albedo with an unreadable expression.
"Uh forget what I just said... Merely a jest... Uhm..." Albedo then tears out a page of his sketchbook and hands it to Sucrose. "Consider this as a gift from me to you. It's just a simple sketch.... I gotta go, I think Alice is calling me uh..., bye~" And abruptly he stands up and leaves Sucrose behind.
Sucrose observes the sketch Albedo gave to her. It's a field of windwheel asters, with a little Sucrose in the middle of it. Pretty cute and beautiful she admits.
Her heart is thumping faster than usual. Is this some symptoms to a disease? Or that mutual feeling which everyone called it L...?
Sucrose flips the paper and finds a message.
'If you would like to... Maybe we can go out on the next fake date next week?'
Sucrose smiles. Well, it's quite a fun one.