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Every experiment that Albedo's genius mind undertook, Sucrose was always more than happy to accompany him and make new discoveries.
It brought her happiness to help her mentor in whatever he required; mixing potions, analyzing data, being the second opinion when it comes to the results. Sucrose took every opportunity that Albedo gave her as if it were her last, expecting to be able to predict what was going on in every corner of his head when a certain variable did not behave the way they expected, curiosity and amazement gathering in her entire being when she noticed that even someone as distinguished as him could make mistakes.
Mistakes lead to new discoveries, that Sucrose knows it very well and really, it shouldn’t surprise her as much as it did that the new experiment has failed, given the conditions.
But exactly what... What are they supposed to be discovering now?
⊰ ✧ ⊱
It had to be one of the many investigations her mentor was conducting after the trip to Dragonspine. Using his geo power and knowledge of the universe, Albedo had created a replica of the meteorites that the traveler had used to his advantage when fighting, a fake elemental ability contained in a bottle, similar to Sucrose's early attempts at developing her Astable Anemohypostasis Creation – 6308.
The theory was correct, the ingredients were too, and the only thing missing to publish the research was to prove said theory.
That’s why, when Albedo asked for her company, Sucrose immediately agreed. The tests had gone perfectly, the elemental ability working just as it he had done when the traveler had used it, until a tremor in the ground caused both alchemists to look into each other's eyes. Experiments gone in the background when feeling the unnatural tremor that shook the meteorites. Attracted by the geo power they gave off, a Stonehide Lawachurl was approaching at full speed towards them.
It must have been from the panic and adrenaline rushing through their veins at that moment (if it hadn't been for that, Sucrose was sure they wouldn't have made the same mistake), instead of attacking - or running away, something completely valid in their situation. -, Albedo dropped one of the elemental ability tests and be it luck or misfortune, from the depths of the earth, the meteorite decided to trap them both inside it.
It was too fast and Sucrose is amazed at having been able to even process it, in just a blink the daylight disappeared along with a scream from her, the tremor (almost earthquake, to tell the truth) was enough to bounce sideways all the meteorites that were in place. And what was supposed to be a meteorite seemed more like a barrel as it rolled them downhill to somewhere.
Per se, it was difficult to think when her head kept spinning downhill, data and analysis of what just happened lost in the spiral that her unfinished thoughts formed, by the time her eyes get used to the dim light that enters through the cracks from the meteorite and fuzzily she can see a pale blond blur near her shoulder, which proceeds to complain in a voice that sounds incredibly similar to her mentor's.
Waking up, though still dizzy from the spins, her breath catches in her throat as she realizes that, indeed, that’s her mentor.
"M-Mister Albedo" His hands are around her head, in an attempt to protect her from hitting the curved dark walls in which they are trapped. The concern settles in her chest when she does not receive an answer “Are you okay? Do you need help? Does something hurt?"
“I'm fine, Sucrose. Dizzy, but fine."
With a groan, Albedo slowly rises from her shoulder to meet his assistant's eyes, much closer than he wanted. Trying to place more distance between them, his head collides with their momentary prison and, wrinkling his nose at the annoyance, Albedo has no choice but to stick flush with what is now the ceiling to avoid touching her, even if that barely leaves enough room for their noses to not touch for just about four inches.
"How are you?"
His breath fogged up her glasses and Sucrose's cheeks flushed as her vision clouded from the action.
"I believe I d-don't have any damage worth mentioning, Mister Albedo."
She does her best to answer in one sentence and she succeeds. Confirming that what his assistant says is true, Albedo nods.
"I'm going to try something ..." He warns her as he raises his hand and slams a cracked wall hard. Sucrose's ears and shoulders both jump at the loudness of the sound and she doesn't know if it's because of that or because of the pain that Albedo feels in his hand, that his face turns contrite. "I’m sorry for this. I don't think we can get out of here anytime soon, if we try something with visions then the destabilization of the elements in this meteorite could cause us to explode, and even if we do get out now, that Lawachurl may still be around."
Sucrose gulps nervously at the explanation and he soon puts on a soothing smile for her.
"There’s no reason to worry though, I made sure to put a time limit on these creations in case of any eventuality." She nods, unable to trust that her voice isn't shaky and Albedo, completely unaware of this fact, tries to make a joke in his attempt to calm her down "You know, geo constructs… Almost ridiculously sedimentary."
When Sucrose doesn't laugh or even hints that she's heard him, Albedo begins to worry.
"Are you really alright, Sucrose?"
For her part, Sucrose tries hard not to be aware of the closeness in which their bodies are. However, the problem is that the more she tries not to feel the warmth of his body, the more sensitive she becomes to it.
She can feel every movement of her mentor's arms brushing against her ears, unable to control the small flutter they make through the nerves, her legs are forced to be flexed by the reduced space and between them Albedo's leg brushes dangerously close to her, making her breathing more erratic than Sucrose would like to admit.
And apart from that, there's also ...
"Sucrose?"
The soft, concerned voice of the person she most admired. She must have answered right there, that was more than clear, but she was enjoying too much the closeness of his blue eyes, the way his pupils dilate when he looks at her and the three points on his irises that she had never been able to study in detail before, similar to an alchemy table that was about to explode in concern.
"I-I'm fine, Mister Albedo."
Squirming in her place, Sucrose swallowed hard.
She was fine… For now.
⊰ ✧ ⊱
Hours had passed, or minutes that felt like hours, by the time the darkened expression of her mentor seemed to find an answer to doubts that remained hidden from Sucrose’s mind, which is already busy enough trying to maintain what remains of her composure.
It was hard to see a few moments ago, glasses fogged up from conversation and eyes that have not yet gotten used to the sudden change in brightness around them, but now Sucrose can perfectly distinguish the blush that adorns Albedo's cheeks, golden hair glinting and cascading around his face as he tries to look anywhere but at her.
...She wasn't the only nervous one, apparently.
Albedo shifted from his place and that movement caused the knee that was barely touching her to do so completely, making her release a sound that she refuses to describe beyond having her completely mortified that it came out of her in the first place.
"M-Mister Albedo!" They are both completely burning in a strong blush at the action and Sucrose is sure that she is moments away of crying out of shame "Please... Please don't move..."
It's barely a whisper what she manages to say, but it's enough for Albedo to immediately pull back as far as he can (which isn't much) bumping into walls in doing so and being unusually clumsy in his movements.
"A-Ah... My mistake, Sucrose."
This is the first time she has heard his voice so breathy and shaky, almost unsure of saying something he shouldn't, and that inevitably reminds her a bit too much of her own person. She can recognize herself in the nerves that make Albedo's arms shake, in the raged breathing that goes in rhythm with the rise and fall of his chest (which he tries very hard not to collide with hers), and that she is sure goes hand in hand with his heartbeat.
It's unusual and strange, but at the same time, the reminder that even he can lose his cool reassures her.
A warmth that has nothing to do with the temperature that has built up around them forms its own path to her chest and despite the contradictory feelings that tell her that she should get as far away from her mentor as possible, but that she wants him as closer to her as they could be, makes Sucrose smile sweetly. A smile just for him.
If she was to be trapped with someone like this, then she’s happy that it is with Albedo.
A bead of sweat falls to her cheek, distracting her from her own thoughts, and as she stares at him she notices that he is making a kind of expression that she had not seen before. His bright eyes have darkened slightly and while the affection in them has not diminished one bit, from the way her mentor bites his lip, it seems he is trying to control himself from taking something he can't wait any longer.
"…Sucrose."
Something in the way her name sounds like he’s worshiping her sends an electric jolt that causes an immediate tinkling in her low stomach. She somehow manages to remove her hands from where they lie at her side to bring them to her cheeks, in an attempt to hide the fiery red color that is there.
As much as she wants, she can't take her gaze away from his as she fidgets in her place.
"Y-Yes Mister Albedo?"
He takes a deep breath and Sucrose realizes that even in this dim light, he looks incredibly charming.
"Can I… Can I kiss you?"
The unexpected question seems more like a plea on Albedo's lips and this time she can't control the urge to completely hide behind her hands out of embarrassment.
… However, she doesn't push the question away.
After a few moments of dying internally, Sucrose nods, more to herself than to him. Revealing her face, she ignores the tears pricking in the corner of her eyes to take Albedo's cheeks into her hands - which burn to the touch, perhaps even more than hers - and gives them a light caress with her thumb.
That's all the affirmation Albedo needs to get her glasses off her and let his weight gently touch Sucrose's body underneath, a tremor attacking them at the contact. Carefully, Albedo's lips gently rest on hers, enjoying the contact that clouds her thoughts of any possible data that has been previously collected.
As they part, a slight sigh collides with her lips before Albedo proceeds to launch himself to devour her lips as if it were the first and most delicious meal he has ever had. Their tongues intertwine and Sucrose stifles a moan in his mouth when his body presses tighter against hers, and she doesn't know if it's the lack of air or how good his incessant caresses feel what it’s making her feel so dizzy.
Her hands venture out to explore each golden thread on the nape of Albedo's neck and she can't help but make his name without honorifics sound like a muffled prayer between kisses as he tangles his fingers through the pale mint of her hair until they reach her ears and strokes them, his knee pressing just where she needs it. Sucrose wants to drown in the way he consumes her, how he makes her chest tighten with the almost unbearable heat they feel in the confined space and how uncomfortable and unnecesary the layers of clothing between them are, that don't let her touch his warm skin.
"Sucrose..." It’s barely a second when Albedo rests his forehead against hers to breathe between his incessant attack. "I never thought I'd say this, but I want to mess you up so badly.”
Her breath caught as soon as he said it, heartbeat stuck in her throat where he managed to pose his sighs, removing the brooch of her vision to untie her cape and expose the pale, soft porcelain her neck is made of and then bite lightly, causing stars to dance in Sucrose's half-open eyes. Albedo sets about painting the white canvas of her skin with pinkish marks, muttering praises between one place and another, completely wrapped up in how adorable she could be.
A slight breeze cooled the fire in which they felt trapped inside the meteorite and with the trembling of their bodies, after a few seconds, both looked at each other with wide eyes.
…A slight breeze?
Sucrose looked to the side, where the dark walls were nowhere to be seen and instead, the wide landscape of green grass swayed and lush life stretched to the horizon. Upon seeing her mentor again, she discovered that he was just as (or even more) embarrassed as he very awkwardly pulled away from her, giving her space to breathe and to sit as well, Sucrose hides her face between her hands.
What was supposed to happen now?
Her mind raced at a mile an hour as she pondered the possibilities of the outcome of this detour in the investigation. She certainly didn't regret what had happened, but she wasn't ready to admit the feelings boiling in her chest after what they just did.
…And although is only been seconds since that they have separated, nevertheless, Sucrose already misses the closeness in which they were.
"Sucrose ..." Weakly, Albedo's voice distracts her from her daydreams. He licks his lips and the yearning gaze he directs to her is enough to trap her all over again "... I believe we still need more data to publish this research."
The silent question flies between them as he opens his arms to make room for her, an invitation to summarize what they were up to and truly, she has no choice but to nod as she approaches him.
Because every experiment that Albedo's genius mind undertook, Sucrose was always more than happy to accompany him and make new discoveries.