After school, Albedo hurried to find Sucrose.

As soon as he caught a glimpse of light green hair, he rushed over to catch the girl from the crowd. "Albedo?" Sucrose spoke in confusion as her wrist was caught, stopping her from leaving.

"I have an update about Kaeya for you." Albedo breathed out, he didn't work out enough which caused him to lose his breath quickly after sprinting, he caught himself and reassured himself he wouldn't suffocate. Sucrose's eyes lit up, her hands wrapped around Albedo's wrist to pull them into a corner together off the main exit path.

"What did he say?"

"He said he thought you were nice, although he doesn't know you very well so he didn't have a lot to say," Albedo informed Sucrose as her smile dropped slightly, "However, I organized all of us to hang out tomorrow."

Sucrose gasped, restraining herself from jumping around in joy, "Really?! Give me the details!"

"Kaeya said he'll take us to the milkshake diner, I can be the third wheel for you two." Albedo felt his stomach turn weirdly at that; he shook it off for the sake of Sucrose, she'd surely hate him forever if she knew Kaeya liked him and not her.

Sucrose took Albedo's hands into hers, smiling sweetly as her cheeks dusted an embarrassed red, "Thank you so much! I owe you everything, I'm glad you're insistent to set me and him up."

"Of course, you're my friend, whatever I can do that'll make you happy." Albedo smiled back, his stomach still feeling as if it had dropped out of him. "I'll head home now, meet me at the exit tomorrow after school."

"Tomorrow? Amazing, way sooner than I thought!" Sucrose grinned, waving goodbye as she skipped past Albedo to leave before him.

Albedo's mind seemed to make the time run past that day, he hadn't even realized when the time struck two in the morning as he sat awake in bed, scribbling on his chemistry notes. He began drawing an eyepatch onto the face he had sketched out, until the overwhelming sense of... Something he couldn't describe washed over him like a powerful tsunami. 

Was it guilt? Albedo's heart heaved in his chest, dragging him down like a weight tied around his waist, his breathing picked up as he tried to calm down, what was causing this?!

He didn't even realize that his fingers had dialed Kaeya's number on his phone screen before it was too late, it was like the device just appeared in his hand, he didn't remember ever picking it up himself. Albedo heard the phone buzz a few times before a shuffling sound was heard from the other line.

"Hi," He hesitantly greeted, worried he might've woken Kaeya up, which he probably did judging by Kaeya's quietness.

Kaeya cleared his throat with a few soft coughs before speaking, "Albedo? It's two in the morning... Why aren't you asleep?"

Albedo's breathing had calmed down by now, his heart slowly rising again, "I'm not tired," He hesitated before adding: "I wanted to hear your voice."

He heard a weak giggle, "Did you miss me that much, Bedo? You can have all of my attention tomorrow, don't worry."

"...Thank you," Albedo replied after a few seconds, feeling his face warm up; he sunk back down in his bed to rest his head on the pillows, "I told Sucrose about tomorrow."

"Oh, okay. That's good." The blond bit his lip at how Kaeya's voice dropped to a flat note, he felt sick that Kaeya didn't like Sucrose, he was hoping more than anything that they'd flirt and get along after school the next day.

"I think you two would get along quite well." 

Kaeya went quiet for a few seconds, "Albedo, are you trying to set me up with her?"

Shit.

Albedo knew his cover had been blown, he bit his lip again and broke the skin, drawing blood that leaked into his mouth - an explosion of a copper flavor that he couldn't help but wince at. "No?"

"Be honest with me." 

Albedo felt himself freeze up, this was the exact feeling that Sucrose had described, the sudden fear of becoming like everyone else to Kaeya overcame him, and he spilled. "Okay, yeah. I am." Albedo was stunned to see that Kaeya's tactic of getting something out of someone actually worked, he felt a normal temperature surround him as soon as he was honest.

"Why?" Kaeya quickly shot back.

"I... Just thought you two would be good together, I'm sorry if I overstepped here."

He sighed, "Albedo, I know she likes me. You don't have to continuously cover for her."

Albedo sat there confused, did Kaeya know and entertain the idea of Sucrose's crush on him this entire time for his own amusement? Or did Sucrose really get the wrong idea and think she was being hit on when she wasn't? "Don't you like her too? She told me you hit on her."

Kaeya slid up from where he was laid down, making himself comfy to lean against the headboard of his bed, his lamp was flicked on as he fixed his duvet a little, "I don't, at all. I'll have to apologize for giving her the wrong message, I've been told that my tone of voice gives the wrong idea."

Albedo went quiet, treading as carefully as he could, "This past week, have you meant to come off as flirty towards me at all? Or did you also give me the wrong idea?" He almost immediately regretted his words, he had now put Kaeya in a position of confessing his feelings or revealing that Diluc was a liar, which Albedo highly doubted.

He heard as Kaeya's breath hitched before releasing, "Albedo... I like y-"

The blond dropped his phone, immediately cutting off Kaeya, "Albedo!?" Said boy rushed for his phone as soon as it hit the floor, he prayed to himself that Alice didn't hear and prayed harder that Klee didn't wake up from the racket.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" He said as he safely put the phone back to his ear, he had completely missed what Kaeya was about to say, he just heard his name before his fingers became slippery all of a sudden.

Kaeya felt his tongue be tied down by invisible strings, he no longer had that split second of confidence to confess how he felt, instead he settled on completely backing out, "Nothing, I forgot what I was going to say. I'm going to sleep now, I have to get up earlier than usual."

Albedo didn't even get a chance to say anything before Kaeya dismissed himself with a "Goodbye," as the line went silent and the deafening ring of being hung up on drowned his eardrums. 

Albedo cursed himself out, dropping his phone and not retrieving it after it slammed against the floor again, how he hadn't broken it yet was a mystery he couldn't solve, perhaps the glass? Pushing every thought he had aside, Albedo rolled over and practically passed out the second his cheek met with the soft fabric of his pillow.

---------

Even with what happened yesterday, Albedo still sat by the exit of the school the next day when all the classes had finished, it wasn't long until Sucrose popped up next to him. To Albedo's luck, Kaeya treated him the same as he had yesterday, giving him a greeting and not being awkward at all - Albedo was worried he might've accidentally angered the boy, but apparently not.

"Hey, we just have to wait for Kaeya now."

She grinned at this, continuously looking around like a lost child for the guy, Albedo almost rolled his eyes at how extreme this crush had gotten. Kaeya had to end up liking her back at some point, right?

It wasn't too long before Kaeya turned the corner, smiling at the two before they set off together, Albedo trying his best to walk behind his friends in order to try and make this relationship happen. Even if Kaeya knew of his intentions now, it was still worth a try.

Albedo quietly listened in as they walked.

It was mainly just common small talk, maybe they'd talk a bit more when they were sat down? It wasn't always the easiest to hold a long conversation when walking. The neon sign of the destination was suddenly in front of him, as Albedo realized they had already arrived, Kaeya waited patiently for Sucrose and Albedo to walk in first.

He followed behind, closing the door and insisting that Sucrose chooses where they sit, she chose a four-person table for the three of them. Kaeya sat down on one side, Albedo guided Sucrose to sit opposite him - Albedo wanted to sit next to Sucrose originally but instead decided to sit next to Kaeya so he and Sucrose could communicate through their eyes when Kaeya wasn't looking. 

They all got a milkshake each, Sucrose got strawberry and so did Kaeya, Albedo settled on a vanilla milkshake as they were usually sweeter to him. Albedo quietly sipped on his drink as he once again eavesdropped. 

"So, Kaeya, do you have any hobbies?" Sucrose asked, pretty much going off the most basic conversation list, although Albedo saw it was okay as this was their first time going out together. 

"I don't know... I guess you could say swimming? I used to do it competitively until the first year of this school." Kaeya said, Albedo didn't actually know that Kaeya was into swimming, he would've thought that he'd be told this before.

"Really? We could swim together sometime, I know this great beach by my house." The girl giggled, Kaeya awkwardly smiling at the idea, "I guess. If Albedo would want to, that is?" 

Albedo immediately wanted to melt on the floor, grab a chair, throw it at the window, deck the waitress and run out of there. However he sat there and didn't say anything for the sake of his own sanity, Sucrose filled in for him. "Oh, I meant just the two of us, haha...."

Kaeya already knew that, "Just us? Maybe, I'd have to go shopping for swimming gear most likely."

Sucrose looked as if she was about to suggest they shop together, although she kept to herself about that. Albedo knew that Sucrose was finally realizing that maybe she and Kaeya weren't a good match; there was a sudden courageous look in her eyes that Albedo wanted to sigh at, even if he really did want them together.

"Where do you usually swim?"

"Ah, I'll usually just use the pool in my backyard," Albedo internally facepalmed at the unintentional flex that impressed Sucrose, "I'll do a few laps and sit on the side afterward for a snack or a quick drink," Kaeya explained, taking a quick sip of his milkshake before looking at Albedo.

"Would you like to try this?" He gestured towards his milkshake.

Albedo wanted to, however, he shook his head, he needed Kaeya to completely follow through with the idea of him and Sucrose, until Albedo realized something. He couldn't force Kaeya to like Sucrose, his attention really was fixated on Albedo even though Sucrose was literally right there. This was supposed to be their... Date? Albedo didn't know what to call it, all he knew is he wanted to be the third wheel.

"Okay," And just like that, Kaeya picked up on his silent plea to talk to Sucrose and not him. "Sucrose, what are your hobbies?" He turned back to her.

Sucrose hummed with a smile, "I guess you could call chemistry my hobby, I study it a lot and dedicate a lot of time to it. It's one of my top subjects," She answered to follow with another question, "Are you free this weekend?"

Kaeya nodded, "Very interesting with the chemistry, well done on that. And yeah I am, why?"

"Would you want to go on a proper date over the weekend? Just us?"

Kaeya made a thinking sound, his brain screaming at him to say no whilst Albedo silently ushered him to say yes, the options clashed and his mouth moved by itself, "I'll tell you tomorrow, yeah? I want to see how this goes first."

"Oh, you want to get to know me more?" Sucrose's smile widened.

"...Yeah, you could say that." He leaned forward, and the two actually started getting along.

Albedo smiled to himself as they laughed and giggled, maybe this could in fact work and Kaeya could end up liking Sucrose back. Kaeya would finally be able to be with someone who Albedo thought as better than him, he knew that was how it should be, even if he knew deep down that he wanted Kaeya all to himself.

There was something about the guy that was so alluring, something that had drawn Albedo in for years. He dismissed it as distant admiring until Kaeya actually started speaking to him, he had only realized yesterday that he really did have feelings for Kaeya, there was no use in masking it anymore.

It was only then that he began to regret his decision, he should've straight up told Sucrose that he liked Kaeya himself, however, that would risk their friendship - but then again, if he had told her before he organized all of this, perhaps the reveal won't be as messy. 

Albedo blinked, he didn't plan on telling Sucrose after this. If everything went to plan, Kaeya and Sucrose would end up together, Kaeya would stop hitting on him and making Albedo fall harder, Albedo would finally be able to recover from these feelings by himself.

Albedo had a problem of not being able to tell platonic feelings from romantic ones, he often dismissed his feelings after a few instances of thinking he liked someone, beginning to romantically talk to them just to realize after a week he didn't actually like them like that at all.

Kaeya was the first person Albedo had properly fallen for, he knew these feelings were romantic, and he couldn't get over them and felt his world whither at the thought of him being with someone else.

Kaeya tapped on his shoulder, grabbing his attention as he snapped out of his still state. "Albedo? Are you okay? You've been staring blankly at the table for about ten minutes now."

Had ten minutes really passed that quickly? Albedo looked up at the clock, ten past five. They got out of school at four-thirty, meaning they had been sitting there already for about half an hour, Albedo took one glance at Kaeya and nearly cried on the spot.

He could see the love behind Kaeya's eyes, he didn't look at Sucrose that way, or anyone else. Kaeya only looked at Albedo like that, and it all rained on him at once that Diluc was being truthful, Kaeya really did like him. "I'm okay, sorry. Just a bit tired." Albedo eventually replied.

"We can wrap things up early to take you home if you'd like?" Albedo was about to refuse until he looked at Sucrose's concerned expression, she spoke up alongside Kaeya:

"I agree, we can take you home. I'd say we've hung out enough today considering I have a lot of homework to do... Do you have any homework, Kaeya?"

"I do."

"I could help? We can drop Albedo off and then you can come to my place to study for a bit if you'd like."

Albedo sat there quietly, his insecurities of Kaeya talking to anyone else wearing off as he unconsciously rested lovingly on Kaeya's shoulder. 

"Sure."

And with that, Albedo was taken home before both Sucrose and Kaeya disappeared into the same direction, he sighed as he tried his best to stay awake whilst finishing off any homework he had.