Chapter Text
If there ever was anyone out there who could convince her friend into quitting their endless endeavor of probing into her love life; Sucrose would love to meet them. In fact, she'd be willing enough to kiss the soles of their feet in gratitude. She kids you not, as charming as Mona was, she could be quite suffocating during her slaps of boredom. Which, more often than not, occurs whenever they spend their free time with each other. Sucrose insisted on taking advantage of the vacant schedules by studying.
It would either be Sucrose burying her nose under a thick book or dead set on finishing her work in weeks advanced. For someone as extroverted as Mona, needless to say, it wasn't her general idea of 'hanging out' but eventually came to accept after befriending the timid girl. She was insufferable but the only one who stuck with her despite her isolated character. Not that she didn't enjoy being around Mona, she just thought of all the people she'd prefer mingling amongst bigger groups, an assumption her friend brushed away with a scoff and a roll of her eyes. 'You're a pleasant companion, regardless of how closed off your shell is' she reasoned, Sucrose always took it with warm smiles and an unforeseen surge of hugs.
They've been best friends for nearly five years ever since they were seatmates in 12th grade. Yet despite the time-frame, Mona had not changed at all. Including her tiring tendency to procrastinate the tasks she'd soon find herself rushing for weeks after.
“Hey, let's take a break.” Mona puffed, stretching her arms forward with a tight growl.
Sucrose sighed and shook her head. “But we just took one 10 minutes ago." She lowered her textbook, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
She shrugged. "Yeah, so another 10 for break time!"
"You're not going to finish your work at this rate though!"
"Hmp, how uptight!" Sucrose smiled, knowing no bite was laced into her friends' words. "Anyways, have you see--" She groaned.
"No, and please refrain from asking anymore! You know I'm not interested" Sucrose frowned, wishing her friend would just drop the aggravating subject.
"Oh hush now! You're adorable! I'm certain someone out there must have some interest" Mona insisted, taking a brief sip on her 3rd set of iced coffee for the past 5 hours. Not that she could blame her, she's as guilty of the staggering addiction. "And besides that wasn't my question. Have you seen the new library a few walks from here?"
Sucrose blinked, shaking her head to urge her to carry on. "Apparently it just opened yesterday. You're in luck since it's just a corner away from your workplace. Thought you might be interested!" She reciprocated her smile and nodded.
Strangely, there wasn't a single library close to their campus and their dorms. The nearest one was a city away that could take about an hour to reach, and she didn't have enough time for that alongside her studies and part-time job. Their own school's resources had been burned down during a fire months ago, it was still currently under construction. She enjoyed the tranquility, the complete loss of noise except the gentle flip of yellowed pages and the occasional chatter between the librarians and its people. She took note in checking it out later on.
Mona pulled her cellphone out of her purse, a disgusted frown pulling at her lips and a groan that followed after it redialed despite her immediate click of the red button. "What's wrong?" Sucrose confided, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. Mona seemed to notice her apprehension as she raised her head and smiled sweetly to ease her worries. In spite of her brash nature, she was nothing but ever considerate for her friend.
"Nothing to dwell upon, don't wo--"
"Hey! God Dammit woman, stop ignoring my calls!" Sucrose flinched and squeezed her shoulders in an attempt to make herself smaller as she darted her eyes alternately between her friend and the man standing rigidly behind her. The identifiable bowl cut and the overbearing voice confirmed the identity of the man as described by Mona. She often saw him either arguing or flirting with her friend, which usually was shut down due to Mona's obliviousness. How she managed to be unaware of his rather obvious crush was beyond Sucroses' likewise oblivious understanding of romance.
The subtle flinch of Mona's eyes didn't go unnoticed, warning Sucrose to keep her mouth shut if she wished to get out of the predicament unscathed. "Would you shut your yap? You're embarrassing. As if your presence wasn't enough."
"I think you're overestimating my concern of making a scene." If she wasn't listening so intently, Sucrose would've missed the weak growl rumbling from their unexpected company.
Mona rolled her eyes, shutting her laptop and gripping her cup tightly. Is she-- "No shit sherlock, you could twerk in front of the president for all I care. Your calls will, nevertheless, remain ignored."
Sucrose expected an outburst, or perhaps a tantrum, mentally visualizing the way his face might just go red from anger paired with ears ready to compete against steam produced from a boiling kettle. It was always like that, their banter bordered between murderous and flirtatious, that even Sucrose managed to catch up to. They just couldn't get their hands off of each other; by definition (in their case) they could hardly resist tearing their hair apart from their scalps, waiting for their impending baldness.
To their utter surprise, Scaramouche conceded. He sighed, as if releasing all of his frustration into that one release of breath and sat down beside them. He briefly glanced at Sucrose as though apologizing and what seemed to be far too out of place from his usual arrogant and cocky demeanor. She took a glimpse at her friend nervously, finding that her face had yet to recover from the shock with her lips slightly parted and her eyebrows high enough to reach her hairlines.
The silence felt longer than it should be for merely 5 seconds before he broke the tension. "I just-- maybe-- Fuck, can we talk about this?" Please. It was left unsaid but certainly not unnoticed, not by Mona at the very least considering the way her face relaxed and settled into defeated confusion. Sucrose gulped, feeling entirely like she shouldn't be there. Her concerns were voiced out and confirmed after the side-glance Scaramouche sent her. "Alone." He finished with an edge of strain from his voice. She brings no offense to the two, but she'd rather be anywhere than there and the man's suggestion was enough for her to sag in relief. Yes! An excuse to leave.
Mona faced her fully, her mouth pulled into a thin line and nodding. She didn't need to say anything. Sucrose took her sling-bag and cradled her incredibly expensive textbooks at the crook of her elbows (albeit clumsily with a few books nearly dropping to the floor) She ignored the grimace on their face, saving herself from further embarrassment before smiling anxiously at the pair.
She stuttered, her voice a pitch higher and cracked than it should be. Get a hold of yourself. "I, uhm, should probably go now. Thank you for the coffee, Mona. Have fun!" She mentally face-palmed, disappointed at her lame parting. Sucrose hurried off not without looking back once and seeing her friend smile, making her worries dissipate to loosen her shoulders. She smiled back before leaving the establishment.
----
"Timaeus!" She huffed with a grin, waving at the brunette running towards her from across the road.
He stopped in front of her, catching his breath. "Hey! Thought you ladies were going on a date?"
She giggled. "Well, someone just barged in since apparently she wouldn't answer his calls. I think he'll entertain her more than I can." He tilted his head in confusion before realization dawned and nodded his head in understanding. There was narrowly a single guy who could keep up with the girl's competitive and stubborn nature, nearly everyone knew of their rough dynamic. It wasn't as if the two bothered to take their squabbles elsewhere other than in front of their friends. The amount of inquiries they received from other students questioning the nature of their relationship was astounding, reminding Sucrose of just how popular the pair really was, both individually and as an infamous duo. If they were to be honest, even she didn't know exactly what they were despite their friendship.
He snorted, shaking his head in amusement. "Yeah that sounds nice and all but think about the poor witnesses. Have to get their ears bleed with all their yelling!"
Sucrose smiled, dismissing him. "No, I don't think so. He was fairly patient with her blows"
He shook his head once again, eyebrows raised high with shock painting his features. "Look, I just checked the news this morning and the world isn't ending yet. What's the catch?" Timaeus flailed his arms around animatedly, making Sucrose chuckle in response.
"I don't get it either, but it's a start!" He nodded, humming under his breath. "In any case, I wanted to get a ride but my phone was dead and no taxi was on sight. If it's alright, can I fetch a ride?"
"Sure thing! I have my car parked in a friends' driveway not far from here. Where's your drop?"
"Have you heard of the new library?"
"Oh! Yeah my roommate actually works there. Just tell him we're friends and maybe he'll give you special treatment" He winked at her playfully.
She flapped her hands incredulously in front of her chest. "No! I'll live without it. Really, please don't bother!"
"Don't give me that! Don't worry, he doesn't bite. Maybe. But he's polite, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
"But--" He cutted her off.
"You know that I'll still call and tell him about you, right?" She frowned, contemplating his offer before sighing and nodding her approval. No point in refusing at this rate.
"I-- alright. I hope it's no bother" He grinned and beckoned her with a quirk of his head. They arrived at his friends' house, sending a few formalities and farewells before hopping on. She filled the awkward silence with music of her choice and wondered about their destination.
-----
"Sometimes you're far too cunning for your own good, Timaeus. Mona's no different though..." He laughed, pulling to a halt in front of their stop. Sucrose gaped at the sight, her heart surging with warmth and nostalgia after months of being deprived of its comforting environment.
"Yes I know you're welcome." She smiled before reaching into her wallet only to be stopped as he grabbed her wrists. "No can do, Miss! My car, my rules." Sucrose sighed, dropping her arms to her side after. He chuckled in triumph.
She gave up trying to reject her friends' kind advances. Every day, she did wonder how she managed to surround herself with wonderful people who actually enjoyed and anticipated her company. She stepped out of the car and onto the tiled ground just in front of the doors opening up to her haven of books. "I can't win against you. Thank you for dropping me off!"
"No sweat! Give Scaramouche my regards if you see him around. Poor guys' been tense since 2 weeks ago." She nodded, saving that piece of information at the back of her head to deliver to Mona later on. "I'll see you some time, Bye!" She waved him goodbye, a kind smile washing her nervous features.
Sucrose turned around, facing the rather cylinder building shyly as she peeked beside the frames of its doors. She heaved a breath, sliding the doors open with her palms tightly clutching the strap of her bag and hunching her back. She looked around, eyes ravaging and heart beating against her chest in glee and apprehension. The smell of fresh and wise wafted her nostrils, the familiar scent of vanilla and a hint of coffee danced around the room happily as it settled against her skin in a comforting and chilly embrace. The atmosphere led her on, guiding her steps almost cautiously but not without admiring its interior. It was exactly how she enjoyed her libraries, somehow-- traditional. Each wooden shelves adorned with books of kindred genres and a sign hanging in every gap of the crevices. She looked down at the floor, marveling at its texture even through the feels of her sneakers. In lieu of tiles were carpets of soft red hue that didn't feel straining to the eye and would definitely feel cozy enough for her to sit down and skim through her books in a small quiet corner.
If she was ever to convey her favorite aspect of it. One word, wood. On another note, perhaps she could live here. Working wouldn't be so bad either. The facilities look stable and impressive enough and maybe the librarian will be a pleasant company to--
"Excuse me." She flinched. "How can I help you?" Sucrose turned her head. Finding the source of the light and charming voice that managed to race her heartbeat faster than it already was. She was no different than a man stranded on a deserted island with zero recollection of how to bring up conversations without being absurdly awkward. To her credit, she didn't let out a single embarrassing noise or clumsy movement as she stood frozen, staring at the man behind the counter.
He wore his messy blonde hair in a half-ponytail, with bangs framing his fair delicate face. His eyes held a sharp edge but a soft turquoise pinning its place on her face, which, by the way, did not help the rising blood to her cheeks. Almost like a prince hauled from a fairy tale or a man straight out of those magazines filled with gorgeous models (the ones Mona always seemed eager to leer at.) It appeared he didn't notice the crimson of her humiliation as he called to her in repeat, but now with a tint of concern on his voice.
"Miss?" She broke out of her shameless ogle, fighting down the urge to blush. One which she partially succeeded after stuttering in response.
"Hi! Yes-- er-- I apologize. I must've been distracted." She coughed, praising herself for not fumbling on her sense of speech.
He smiled politely. Oh My Gosh. "Not to worry. If you have any queries, feel free to approach me."
She nodded with a warm but nervous smile. She didn't trust herself not to do any more activity that'll embarrass her more than she already had. Sucrose had always been weak in front of attractive people, her first encounter with Mona back then was no different either.
She spared one last glance at the man, finding his gaze still set on her. For the love of God, please stop looking at me! Whatever higher being was out there must've favored her immensely as her prayers were answered by the evasion of his head to the opposite direction. She came there to use her eyes so she could read, not to gawk at some handsome guy who happened to work at their library. Sucrose sighed and looked around for the fiction section, she had enough academics for the day. A little escape from reality wouldn't harm her role as a dedicated student.
A certain handsome librarian might though.