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“You need to socialize more.”
The statement was said with such nonchalance that Sucrose was taken off guard. Albedo didn’t even look up from the crafting table as he said it!
“That is- is a strange request,” Sucrose mumbled. “I don’t see how it pertains to my research.”
“It matters because you’ve been working yourself to the bone.” Albedo continued his work, although his focus was on the conversation at hand.
“I do collect bones but I don’t see why that matters.”
“It’s an expression.”
“Apologies. I socialize with you a lot. Does that not count?”
“I’m your teacher and boss, Sucrose. Of course it doesn’t.”
“O-oh.”
“Listen, Sucrose.” He finally looked up, putting a hand on her shoulder. “As your friend, I care about you. Look at yourself.” He raised a piece of fabricated glass.
Curious, Sucrose gazed at her reflection within. There were clear bags around her eyes, which had a fatigue unbefitting of an Alchemist.
“When was the last time you had a good night of sleep?” Albedo asked. The fact that Sucrose had to stop and think was enough of an answer already. “I have to take drastic measures. You are to take a break for the next week.”
“W-what?” The mint-haired girl squealed. “T-the whole week?”
“Yes. No work. You are to relax.”
“But my research-“
“Will be flawed if its creator is tired.”
“But what will I do?”
“Sleep. Read a book. Stargaze. Whatever hobbies you find, do them. So long as they aren’t Alchemy.”
Hobbies. Did Sucrose have any? She used to read with her childhood friends, but since one of her best friends died and her other converted into a shut-in, she hadn’t been as interested in novels and stories. She collected bones, but that was Alchemical in nature.
Were those really the only two things she did for fun?
“W-what do you do to find enjoyment?” Sucrose asked, desperately hoping to find an out.
“I draw,” Albedo began. “I read. I spend time with people I care about.”
“You have a little sister and a boyfriend. It’s much easier for you.”
“Which is why you need social interaction. You need to make those connections.”
“I-I have connections! Like Lumine!”
“And?”
“Um. Paimon?” Albedo’s raised eyebrow taunted her. “There’s Collei, but we only really talk through letters. I played cards with Fischl one time.” She furrowed her brow, continuing to think. “Timaeus? He’s more of a coworker, though…”
“You keep on thinking,” Albedo suggested. “I have an important date to get to.”
“Have fun with Kaeya,” Sucrose mumbled. Once the Chief Alchemist was gone, she collapsed, placing her head on the table. “What am I going to do?”
* * *
Sucrose had trouble sleeping. Naturally, she decided to take care of her many plants to try and tire herself out. What that resulted in was her falling asleep at 3:16 AM, waking up at noon.
She stumbled out of bed, putting her glasses on groggily.
As she walked to her kitchen, she passed by so many plants. Frankly, the inside of her house was like a greenhouse. Alchemically modified plants of all sorts surrounded her, bringing a sense of comfort that not much else could bring. Maybe her bone collection. Maybe.
She grabbed an MRE and a Pyro crystal. Upon Swirling the crystal, the meal began to heat up. It was bland and tasteless. It had all the necessary nutrients that one could need, though. The real treat was a piece of alchemically made candy. Or two pieces. Or a handful. It wasn’t Sucrose’s fault they were delicious (although it literally was).
Returning to her room to get ready, she passed by her mirror. Her reflection wasn’t something she liked to dwell on. Her ears still felt out of place to her. Her figure wasn’t as slim as many of Mondstadt’s other women, too. She was an outlier among the joyful faces she saw every day.
She put a plant in front of the mirror as she got dressed.
Forcing a smile, she stepped outside. How could she meet new people? Socializing was one thing that she had never been good at. Where did people usually spend their days? Why the answer she thought of was “the gate,” she did not know.
She stood there for far too long, trying to greet those she didn’t know.
“H-hello- You are Sucrose- wait-“
“Do- Do you want some c-candy?”
“I like collecting b-bones. What about y-you?”
She got all sorts of weird looks and stares. Frankly, she would have as well. Dejected, she began the walk back home.
Whispered words fell upon her ears as she did, though.
“Really? There’s a new Flowers for Princess Fischl book coming out?”
Sucrose’s ears perked up. She hadn’t read those books in years, but she’d always enjoyed them. If there was a new one…
Maybe rereading one of her favorite childhood stories would be a good way to spend her break.
The Knights of Favonius library was a familiar place to Sucrose. She passed by Lisa, giving the sleeping librarian a nod. Hopefully Jean wouldn’t find out about her slacking (or maybe she enjoyed Jean’s punishments. Sucrose wasn’t one to understand relationships).
Careful steps were made down to the fantasy section. Flowers for Princess Fischl volume 1 was where it usually was when the eponymous princess wasn’t reading it herself.
She reached her hand out, and she collided with another.
“Oh, my apologies,” another woman said. Sucrose recognized her as Mona Megistus, an Astrologist of great renown. They had interacted before during the Windblume Festival, but the extent of their meeting was solving the Hexenzirkel riddle. They didn’t get time to talk after, especially with Sucrose’s focus on Collei at the time.
“N-No, you took the book first,” Sucrose stammered. “I’ll j-just get out of your h-hair.”
“Nonsense, I’ve read this plenty of times. I just wanted to get caught up before the new book releases. I can just read it some other time.”
“I-I insist. You should t-take it!” Sucrose pushed the book into Mona’s hands.
“How about this? We can read it together. How does that sound?”
“Together?” Sucrose remembered when she and her friends would read together. She’d never thought of trying that again, though. “M-maybe.”
“Sucrose, right? You’re Albedo’s student.”
“Y-yes. And you are Mona Megistus.”
“Please, just Mona is fine. I didn’t take you as a Princess Fischl fan.”
“I read them as a k-kid. I heard there was a new one and I wanted to refresh my memory. You’re Fischl’s companion, correct?”
“‘Best friend’ is the proper term.” Sucrose blinked. Part of her thought she and Fischl were a couple. “Come on, I can reacquaint you with the world.”
Mona brought the book to a nearby table, taking a seat and opening it to the start. Sucrose nervously joined her, sitting beside the Astrologist. She fidgeted with her hands underneath the table. Was this making friends? She’d have to consult Albedo on that.
“So what was the last book you read?” Mona asked.
“H-huh?” Sucrose panicked. “V-volume 6.”
“Volume 6 comes out next month.”
“O-oh- I mean 3! V-volume 3!”
“It’s okay. You can take your time.”
“I r-read volume 3 when I was n-nine. The world was so v-vibrant.”
“It is quite nice.” The two began to read the novel, although Sucrose couldn’t help but feel distracted. She wasn’t sure what it was. Was it the way Mona seemed to hum softly as she read? The soft curves of her face? The way her hat accentuated her features? Sucrose shook the thoughts out of her head, returning her focus to the book.
When the sun began to set, Mona leaned back in a stretch, yawning. Sucrose barely caught herself staring. The way the sunlight hit Mona’s body was just mesmerizing. Sucrose was frankly a bit jealous of her figure (yes, it was definitely jealousy).
“It’s getting pretty late,” Mona said. “Go ahead and keep reading if you want.”
“N-no, I really should be g-going back home.” The rumbling of Sucrose’s stomach caused Mona’s ears to perk up and Sucrose’s to flush. “O-or maybe I need to eat.”
“Well, how about Good Hunter? It’s my treat.”
“Good Hunter? That’s a b-bit fancy, isn’t it?”
“It’s the most casual restaurant in Mondstadt. I’ve been meaning to spend my latest paycheck, anyways. Come on!”
“A-alright. I suppose.” Sucrose followed her out of the library and to Good Hunter. The waitress, Sara, waved to them as they approached.
“Mona! It’s been a while,” she said. “The usual?”
“For me, yes,” Mona answered.
“Oh? You seem to have a lady friend today.” Her tone seemed to imply something, but Sucrose wasn’t sure what.
“U-um-“ Sucrose panicked. “I’ll just have a f-fisherman’s madame- sweet mada- Fisherman’s Toast!”
“A shy one, huh, Mona? I think I’ve seen you by that Alchemy stall.”
“Sucrose here is a student of Albedo’s,” Mona explained. “And I’m just treating her to a meal. Nothing more to it.”
“Oh, boring. I’ll get your meals ready. It’ll be about 15 minutes.”
“Thank you, Sara.”
Mona and Sucrose sat at one of the few tables they had, the Astrologist taking off her hat and putting it on her lap.
“Sucrose, you’re staring,” Mona said.
“W-what?” Sucrose yelped. “I was?”
“Hehe. You’re not subtle.”
“What?” Sucrose genuinely had no idea what she meant. “S-So Mona. What does an A-Astrologist do?” Small talk was what friends did, right?
“Well, I do readings of future events. If you’re asking about me specifically, I write the daily divinations section in the Steambird.”
“Interesting. S-so your readings. How do- um.”
“Well, there are several ways. The way I do it is a method my master taught me. It’s called Hydromancy.”
“Hydromancy,” Sucrose repeated. “I must admit, the arcane is unfamiliar to me.”
“Then how about I do your divination as an example?”
“W-what? Right h-here?”
“It’s simple, really.” Mona brought her hands over the table, creating a watery sigil. Stars within it shifted into the form of a flask. “Ampulla.”
“W-what is that?”
“Your constellation. Everyone has one. Mine is Astrolabos. It is in the stars that our futures reside. My Hydromancy reflects the stars.” Mona turned the sigil, its light reflected in Sucrose’s wide eyes.
“W-what do the stars say about my future?”
“I foresee good fortune in your future. A chance encounter will change your life for the better.”
“Cryptic.”
“The stars can be unclear at times, but this seems certain. Change can be good.”
“I p-prefer consistency.” Sucrose shied away as Mona dispelled her sigil.
“What about you, Sucrose?” Mona then asked. “What does Alchemy entail? Albedo hasn’t shown me much.”
“My specialization is Bio-Alchemy,” Sucrose began. “The improvement and fabrication of plants and wildlife.” When she stopped, Mona looked at her as if to say “keep going.” Sucrose cleared her throat before continuing, “My current research is on flowers and how to enhance their properties. I have discovered a process to improve the sweetness and size of sweet flowers, for example. Wildlife is more complex than that. I have been able to recreate a Hypostasis using elemental remnants, however. An Anemo Vision is quite helpful in the refining of… I’m rambling, aren’t I?”
“No, it’s quite alright. You seem very passionate about Alchemy.”
“I-I am. It’s easier to show the results than to explain them, however.”
“Then how about you show me some of your experiments sometime?”
“Y-you want to see them?” Sucrose’s eyes were wide, like a puppy’s.
“Of course! I’d love to.”
“You’d l-love to-“ Her panic was interrupted as two plates of food were placed in front of them. On Sucrose’s was three slices of fresh toast, topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and chopped shallots. Mona’s was a salad with mushrooms and cherry tomatoes with small pieces of grilled chicken.
“I see neither of us are eating big,” Mona chuckled. “You also ordered Klee’s favorite snack.”
“Mister Albedo has made fisherman’s toast for her on many occasions. I tend to have some when I can. Klee’s is also good, although I don’t know how she makes it taste like fish. I’ve watched her make it. There’s no fish in it.”
Mona laughed softly. She probably had stories about Klee of her own. The two spoke gently to each other throughout the meal. Simple questions intended to get to know the other better. By the end, they were both fulfilled.
“So,” Mona began. “When are you showing me your experiments?”
“H-how about tomorrow?” Sucrose answered. “I keep a f-few in my house.”
“Well, that sounds like a plan.”
After the two parted ways, Sucrose couldn’t help but feel a pain in her stomach. Was she sick? She might have needed to cancel with Mona. The symptoms she felt seemed different to any malady she’d heard of, though. It was nothing some rest couldn’t fix.
* * *
When Sucrose woke up the next morning, there was this strange sense of anticipation in her chest. Was she looking forward to seeing Mona? The prospect of a new friend was somewhat exciting, she had to admit. Another meal of an MRE and candy was consumed, a good start to the day.
She waited in anticipation. How would Mona react to her home? Why did she care so much about that? A knock at the door broke her out of her stupor.
“Coming!”
Sucrose rushed to the door, opening it wide. She was met with the sight of Mona, dressed more casually than usual. Her usual leotard was swapped out for a blue dress that accentuated her figure well. Her signature hat wasn’t present either, replaced by a large bow.
“You l-look,” Sucrose began. What could she use to describe Mona? Pretty seemed too forward. Too romantic. They just became friends- they were friends, right?
“You’ve been staring for twenty seconds,” Mona blurted out. “How do I look, exactly?”
“W-w-what? You- um- good. Yes.”
“Smooth.”
“I disagree…” Sucrose stepped away, twiddling her fingers together. “U-um- you can come in!”
“Thank you. You look good, too.” Sucrose felt her face grow hot.
“Y-you got all dressed up for this. I’m j-just in my normal outfit.”
“And it looks good.” Mona chuckled.
“L-let’s just- um-“ Sucrose shied away, pulling her hat down to cover her face. “You can see some of the samples already.”
“Yes, I can.” Mona approached one of the many plants, squinting her eyes. “Is this a Windwheel Aster?”
“Y-yes it is! I managed to increase its size by five times. You’ll note that the number of petals has also been increased as a result. It picks up wind far better than a typical Windwheel Aster.” Using her Vision and a vial, Sucrose summoned a small Hypostasis. It only lasted a moment, conjuring a wind that blew into the flower. Its petals began spinning like a pinwheel. “The petals are curved inward so as to facilitate more aerodynamic movement. The stem has also been thickened to support the increased total force required to push all the petals.”
Mona listened to every word. Not a single bit fell upon deaf ears.
“You mention very specific alterations,” she asked. “How do you manipulate them to such a degree?”
“I modify their seeds! Specific combinations of materials and elemental properties can facilitate different effects. For example, internal Bloom reactions in a seed’s core can increase the flower’s overall size. Using crushed dandelion seeds as the catalyst for applying Dendro allows this process greater precision, as I can choose the amount to use.”
“I see. Does this process work for all seeds?”
“No. Some have their own elemental states that I must study.”
“Fascinating.”
“Y-you actually find this interesting?”
“I do. I grew up learning magic and mysticism. The sciences are new to me.”
“I thought you and Albedo were friends, though.”
“Out of circumstance. We don’t interact much outside of matters relating to our masters. Besides, you make this far more interesting.”
Sucrose’s face heated up, hotter than the domain of the Pyro Hypostasis. Her ears wiggled on their own, causing Mona to chuckle.
“So what other alchemical creations do you have?” Mona asked. She began walking around, gazing at the various plants before stopping. “Is that a Jumpty Dumpty?”
“A collaboration with Klee,” Sucrose explained. “This one can walk in addition to bouncing. Its explosives are disarmed, so you don’t need to worry about any explosions.”
“That’s a relief.” Mona then approached a vial with some sort of crystal inside. “And this one?”
“Candy. Want a taste?” Sucrose took the crystal out, offering it to Mona. The Astrologist gingerly put it in her mouth. After a little bit, satisfaction filled her face. “It’s composed of components from sweet flowers, sunsettias, and mist flower corollas.”
“Seems fitting that you’d make these.”
“What do you mean?”
“A treat as sweet as your name.”
Sucrose stood perfectly still for two whole minutes. The only reason she moved after that was from Mona resting her on a chair.
“I-I’m sweet?” Sucrose then blurted out.
“Oh, you’re back,” Mona chuckled. “I thought you left Teyvat for a moment.”
“I c-couldn’t do that. Interstellar travel is not possible with our technology- you meant that as a turn of phrase.”
“I did.” The way Mona spoke was so gentle. There wasn’t an ounce of teasing as she said it. It made Sucrose feel warm inside. “So what other creations of yours can you show me?”
“S-so many. It would take ages to go over all of them.
“Then how about you show me how you make one?”
“I do not have the necessary materials with me here. Tomorrow maybe, I can show you.”
“I’d love that.”
* * *
Sucrose kept thinking about that day after it ended. What about Mona made her feel so strange? What even was that feeling?
Either way, she had promised Mona a demonstration. That meant performing Alchemy. Alchemy which Albedo specifically did not want her to do that week.
Mona knocked on her door a little past noon. This time, she was wearing a slight mishmash of clothing, a cardigan on top of her usual leotard.
Sucrose thought as hard as she could, trying to prevent herself from staring. Somehow, Mona rocked that look as well.
“Same look?” Mona asked. Sucrose was wearing her usual attire once more.
“I-it is the clothing of an Alchemist,” she explained. “It’s the safest to wear if I am to demonstrate my work to you.”
“I suppose that makes sense.”
Sucrose stepped outside, stammering, “p-please follow me.”
She was hoping to avoid Albedo, use the Alchemy Table, then leave.
Unfortunately, she immediately bumped into him.
“Sucrose,” the Kreideprinz deadpanned. “I thought I told you to take the week off.” He looked past her, stating, “Greetings, Mona.”
“I do apologize for making your assistant work,” Mona began, “but I asked her to show me her process. If that will be an issue, we can do this another day.”
He raised an eyebrow as he replied, “Oh? I suppose it would be alright.” Sucrose was confused by his change in behavior, but decided not to dwell on it. Now, she had a chance to impress Mona.
“I suppose I’ll show you a basic flower modification,” Sucrose began. Bio-Alchemy was second nature to her at this point. She could replicate her prior creations with ease. While she couldn’t explain every step perfectly, Mona was smart enough to fill in the blanks herself. Albedo watched as well, stepping in when Sucrose got too eager. In the end, she had a selection of Alchemically modified seeds.
“Y-you can keep them,” Sucrose stammered, placing them into Mona’s hands. Her hands lingered there for a moment, taking in how soft Mona’s palms were. They were cold, but it was a comforting degree, likely a side effect of using Hydro.
“Thank you, Sucrose,” Mona smiled. Sucrose could stare at that smile for hours.
“I c-can help you plant them. T-tomorrow perhaps?
“Thank you for the offer,” Mona replied. Her smile faded away. Did she say something wrong? “The Steambird wishes for me to give a talk for them. I’m leaving for Fontaine tomorrow.”
“W-what?”
“I’m sorry, Sucrose. I should have said sooner.”
“N-no, it’s… it’s alright.” A pit formed in Sucrose’s heart instantly. Why though?
When Mona left, she let out a deep sigh, placing her head on the Alchemy table.
“So how long have the two of you been together?” Albedo asked. He was still there?
“T-together?” Sucross asked, leaving her head in its place. “What do you mean?”
“Together. Dating. Courting. Whatever you want to call it.”
“W-w-what? We a-aren’t together!”
“You aren’t? You two certainly act like you are.”
“We’re just friends!” After saying that, Sucrose’s ears dropped. Was that really so bad to admit?
Taking a seat, Albedo then asked, “What do you feel about Mona?”
“She makes me feel happy. I enjoy hearing about her work. I enjoy telling her about mine. We can talk about books. About our lives.”
“You’re blushing.”
“I-I am!?!” Sucrose shot back up, hiding her face in her hands. “W-why?”
“Is it possible that you like Mona?”
“Like her?”
“Feel romantic attrac-“
“I know what ‘liking someone’ is!” She slumped back, taking her glasses off and setting them onto the table. “Do you really think I could have feelings for her?”
“That’s what it looks like to me.”
“Are you a love expert now?”
“I do better than you,” Albedo said, completely deadpan. “That wasn’t meant to be derogatory.”
“It certainly felt that way.” Sucrose let out a heavy sigh. “I need some time.”
“Take some. Timaeus will pick up your work.”
“Thank you Mister Albedo.”
“You can drop the ‘Mister’ you know.”
“It doesn’t feel right without it.” Sucrose let out a dry chuckle. “Thank you.”
“Of course. It’s my pleasure.”
Sucrose left to return home-
“Sucrose, your glasses.”
“R-Right.”
* * *
“Bedrot” was the colloquial term for what Sucrose did the next morning.
Mona. Was she attracted to Mona?
The Astrologist was quite attractive, Sucrose had to admit. Both physically and emotionally, even.
She had thought about it for far too long, long enough that she had probably spent most of the day in bed.
What could she do with the day? Something that could distract her from thoughts about Mona. She considered reading, but that just made her think about her. Alchemy? Not only was that a reminder, but Albedo wouldn’t want her working. What she really felt she needed was something sweet.
So she made her way to the Cat’s Tail, stepping inside with a sigh. She didn’t like eating or drinking in public, but she figured it would enhance the distraction.
That Katzlein bartender, Diona, was happy to hear she didn’t want alcohol, gladly making her a cup of sweet tea. One day, Sucrose would have to apologize to her about the discreet study she performed. She tried finding an open table, but a certain guest caught her eye.
She also seemed to catch his one eye.
Kaeya waved her over to him. What would she do? Find a different table? Sit with him? Run away?
Stand perfectly still was her answer, at least until she decided “sit with him” was the best option.
“Well, I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said, smirking. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“H-hello, Mister Kaeya.”
“Please. Just Kaeya.”
“I disagree.”
“What?”
“What?”
Sucrose blinked, unsure how to continue.
“You’ve got a look on your face,” Kaeya began. “It’s like when Albedo is deep in thought, only not as cute.”
“Flattering,” Sucrose deadpanned.
“I jest, of course. You do look deep in thought, though.”
“What are you doing here instead of at Angel’s Share? I thought that was more of your place.”
“Eh. Rosaria’s out with Barbara so I don’t have a drinking buddy. I swear something is going on between those two. Besides, Klee wanted to see Diona.”
“Where is she?” Sucrose immediately looked around, trying to spy any hidden explosives. Kaeya pointed to behind the counter, where Klee was helping Diona make juice. “Cute.”
“You still haven’t told me what’s wrong.”
“Do I have to?”
“It would be a shame to not take advantage of this chance meeting, don’t you think?”
“I s-suppose.” She twiddled her thumbs. “Mister Kaeya?”
“Yes?”
“How did you know you were in love with Albedo?”
“Deep question. Could it be that this little Alchemist has a crush?” The blush on her face confirmed the answer. “I won’t pry, don’t worry.”
“T-thank you.”
“But if you want to know.” Kaeya pondered for a moment. Perhaps he was finding the perfect words to say. “It was after a mission in Dragonspine. I was injured by some monsters. He took me to his camp and nursed my wounds.”
“That’s sweet.”
“That’s not when I fell for him.”
“Oh.”
“It was the next day. He checked up on me and made sure I was rested. There was this concern on his face that just felt… It was something I’ve never seen him do for anybody else. I realized that this was special. That I only wanted him to do that for me.”
“I s-see.”
“We didn’t start dating until a few months later. He asked me to model for a painting. He asked me out in the middle of it, can you believe it? Then he got upset when I messed up my pose! The gall!” Kaeya clearly remembered the memory fondly.
“It’s fascinating.”
“What is?”
“How l-love can change someone.”
“It seems to be changing you, too. So, are you going to ask the lucky guy out? Or is it a lucky gal?”
“G-gal.” Sucrose flushed. She’d never revealed her preference out loud.
“I figured as much.”
“W-what’s that supposed to mean?” Sucrose hid behind her hat, face as red as an apple modified to be redder than usual.
Kaeya laughed, explaining, “I just know these things. Whoever she is, she’s lucky.”
That was the best compliment he could have given.
No more words were said.
She had a new goal.
* * *
When Mona returned, it was several weeks later. Apparently some incident occurred in Fontaine. Luckily, she had confirmation that Mona left before anything bad could have happened to her.
She loved Mona. That is what she knew now.
She waited by Mondstadt’s gate, sitting in the shade of a tree. A bouquet of flowers was on her lap, each modified by her to match the colors of her and Mona’s outfits.
Mona’s distant voice sparked a joy in her that she wanted to feel every single day.
She stood tall, waiting at the city entrance with her flowers in hand.
The moment the two locked eyes, there was an understanding there.
The words were unspoken.
I love you.
I love you too.
“M-Mona,” Sucrose began, rushing over and handing over the bouquet. “I-I made these for you! I was waiting for your return!”
“Sucrose?” A baffled Mona said. “Thank you. I- I thought about you a lot during my trip.”
“I-I’m glad. D-do you want to stop by my place? I m-made food for you.”
“Well, I’m not one to say no to free food.” Mona’s chuckle was angelic, a perfect harmony, at least in Sucrose’s large ears.
The smell of amateur cooking wafted through Sucrose’s entire house. Mona took it in with a smile.
“What’s on the menu?” Mona asked.
“I-It’s a meal of my own creation.” Leading Mona into the kitchen, something besides MREs and candy was going to be eaten for once. “My Nutricious Meal V. 593.”
“Oh?”
Sucrose placed a platter onto her table. Inside was a very green crab, ham, and veggie bake. Maybe it was a bit heavy on the vegetable side, though. Sucrose knew Mona like salads, at least.
“It’s delicious,” Mona smiled, satisfied.
Sucrose then opted to pour some drinks. For Mona, she got a sweet juice. It was a gift from Albedo, apparently made by Klee. Sucrose simply had a potion of her own creation.
“You drink potions during dinner?” Mona asked. “Are you sure you don’t want some of my drink?”
“I-it’s a v-very important potion. It, u-um. It makes me more feminine.”
“Ah, I see.” The implication wasn’t lost on Mona, just the intricacies of Sucrose’s gender weren’t that important to her attraction. “If you ask me,” she smirked, “you’re already the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“Y-you flatter me. I’m… not that pretty. I wish I looked like you.”
“It’s not simple flattery. I think all of you is gorgeous.”
Suddenly, Sucrose didn’t feel as bad about her body. Sure, she was a bit chubby, but that didn’t matter to the woman she loved.
“M-Mona,” Sucrose stammered. Now was the key moment. The instant that would change everything. “Can I- I can- c-can- I- I-“
“Yes, Sucrose?” Mona tilted her head.
“C-can I k-k- I- can- I-“
Mona already knew what the question was.
The gap was closed in an instant.
And all Sucrose felt was pure bliss against her lips.
* * *
“And that’s the last one!”
Quite some time had passed. It was eventually decided that, as the two of them already lived close to one another, why not move in together?
So, Mona’s belongings were being transferred to Sucrose’s house, the larger of the two. Mona’s tenant was more than happy about that.
Now, they had two rooms for themselves, an Astrology room with all of Mona’s expensive equipment and an Alchemy room for Sucrose’s experiments. The latter’s plants were still the main decor, though.
The final step was merging Mona’s collection of books with Sucrose’s.
“This is quite the selection,” Mona began, placing some of her books onto the shelf.
“I’ve collected them since I was young,” Sucrose explained. “There are quite a few rare picks there.”
“Original copies of ‘Legend of the Shattered Halberd?’”
“It’s the predecessor to ‘Flowers for Princess Fischl.’”
“Of course, I thought I recognized the author’s name. You know, Fischl hasn’t actually read this one?”
“Funny.”
As Mona continued perusing her girlfriend’s collection, she paused, breaking into laughter.
“M-my sweet,” she cackled. “You’re too silly, sometimes.”
“W-what do you mean?” Sucrose questioned, ears folding and turning red at their tips.
Mona reached into Sucrose’s bookshelf, pulling out three books: the first three volumes of “Flowers for Princess Fischl.”
“O-oh. I must have forgotten I owned them.”
“Hehe. Maybe that was the best mistake you could have made.”
Mona approached Sucrose, cradling her close.
“I love you, my sweet.”
“I love you too.”