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The moonlight shone through the window and onto the floor below, the stained glass distorting its delicate light on the ballroom floor. The air was sweet, thick with the smell of berry juice and overcrowded rooms. The annual celebration filled the air, everybody laughing and chatting away loud enough to cause one to go deaf if they were not careful. Today's celebration was one of utmost importance to the kingdom, Royal Berry’s bakeday. An entire day centered around the one, and only, prince and son of Queen Hollyberry Cookie. Even if this was the case, it never felt like it to Royal Berry. He tried to appreciate the lavish and expensive festivity, after all it was all for him. But, he never enjoyed them. In fact he dreaded his bake day for 16 years straight. He tried to request a different form of celebration, but he could never muster up the courage to tell his mother that he hates the loud noises, hates the excessive drinking, hates the eyes on him, hates how it was never about him. It felt like just another excuse for Hollyberry to drink herself blind. Like she even needed one.
Royal Berry snapped out of his thoughts, realising he was glaring at a wall for who knows how long. He looked around him, hoping that nobody had seen him staring a wall down and probably losing. He wasn’t that intimidating, especially at his age. He could only hope that he didn’t mean those words about his mother in reality, and it was merely an intrusive thought.
He glanced around at the party around him, the ball was full of cookies from all over the kingdom, all a variant of a different berry flavor. Some were dancing, some were talking loudly, and there seemed to be a berry juice contest brewing at the buffet table.
How much longer am I going to have to stand here? Royal Berry asks himself, taking a sip of the berry juice in his wine glass. His face scrunched up at the taste, sticking out his tongue and letting out a noise that can only be described as almost gagging. He wasn’t even sure what he had been waiting for, the grand dinner had already commenced hours before, including the cake and presents. He felt guilty for it at times, having everything he could ever want, showered in gifts and grand feasts, yet all he wanted was silence. He often fantasised about waking up late in the morning, and sharing a quiet breakfast with his mother. Later they would go for a walk in the garden, just the two of them. Maybe he could even try to arrange for his friends to visit, so they can all eat dinner together. Royal Berry had always wanted to show Dark Choco sweets, so it would be an even bigger deal for him. He would only receive a few gifts, some practical, some gags, but he would cherish them all the same. At the end of the day, he would go to bed, with Hollyberry singing a song to him, or maybe tell him a tale of her adventures as a young girl. The stars would twinkle outside the window, like they were slowly blinking at him. He would slowly drift off to sleep, warmth in his heart.
Thought that was all just a fantasy. He was still standing there, feet aching, back sore, and ears starting to ring. He quickly looked around him again, slowly placing the Hollyberrian juice on a nearby table as he took a few swift steps back, slipping into darkness. He quickly walks down the hall, arms behind his back. The chatter and stomps slowly fade out, and suddenly he is aware of his heels clopping against the floor, and his breath cutting the air as he swerves and cuts corners. He takes his arms behind his back to open the door to his room, slipping inside before locking the door with a soft click, slinking against it with a long sigh. He usually did this on his birthday, slipping away as soon as he could without seeming rude, and hiding for the rest of the night. He takes off the crown on his head and sets it aside on his bedside table, long forgotten as he takes off the sash around his abdomen, throwing it on a chair. He stands in front of the mirror, hands on his cape pendant-
Clink!
He whips his head around towards his window, humming in curiosity. He waits a few seconds, stunned. Nothing happens.
He turns back to the mirror, hands going back to his berry pendant-
Clink!
He turns his head again. Am I going insane? He thinks to himself, walking over to the window and unhooking the latch, pushing it open.
Bonk!
A pebble thrown directly at his face causes him to wince, holding his face with a gloved hand as he groans.
“Oh shit!” A familiar and panicking voice spoke from below, making Royal Berry gasp in surprise, immediately looking down to find Dark Choco and Vanilla Fudge standing together. Dark Choco gazes up at him with slanted eyes, trying to see him better. “I didn't mean to do that!” he yells, hands on either side of his mouth. Royal Berry chuckles a little at the chaos. “I forgive you!” he yells back.
“What are you doing here?”
“Come down! I have something for you!” Dark Choco yells back, making a ‘come here’ motion with his hands. “And wear something nice!”
Royal Berry looks at himself, what he was wearing right now was his best outfit. It fit him perfectly. “Hugging all the right places” as the royal stylist would say. And the white with gold brought out the red and pink in his hair and eyes. He determines that yes, this was something nice.
“I’ll be down right away!” He gave Dark Choco a thumbs up, who gave one back as well. He quickly closed his window, locking it again, before quickly rushing out of his door, cape flapping a little behind him. He snuck out one of the side doors that led to a spiral staircase. He almost tripped in his excitement to get down. Once he reached the bottom he pushed open another door to go outside, giggling to himself.
He followed the castle walls, passing the room where his bake day party was taking place, ignoring it without even a slight halt and made another dash to where he last saw Dark Choco, who was standing there with his back turned. “Dark Choco Cookie!” He called out, huffing and puffing from all the exercise he just did, if one could even call it that. Dark Choco turned to face him, and instantly took his breath away all over again. He was wearing the most beautiful hanbok, literal artwork embedded onto it and lined with gold and shining purple. His hair framed his face beautifully, and his red eyes shimmered in the moonlight.
Dark Choco smiled a little in embarrassment, trying to hide it with a snide remark that only came through in his expression; he too was awestruck by Royal Berry’s beauty, eyes sparkling like the gold embroidery on his clothes. Once they were finished ogling each other from the ground up, Dark Choco finally spoke. “W-ow you um” hr rubbed the back of his neck, fingers tangling with his pitch black hair. “Happy bake day, Royal Berry Cookie…” Royal Berry felt his face heat up just a bit, bowing slightly to his friend. “Thank you, Dark Choco Cookie.”
“I would like to show you something.”
“So I have heard.”
Dark Choco extended his arm in a bent position towards himself, Royal Berry hesitantly locks his own arm with his, smiling softly as he was led away from the castle and into the forest. It was not far, but still out of view from the royal celebration. A lake, surrounded by flowers and dancing fireflies. To the side was a gazebo, vines creeping up the railings to the roof, where roses bloomed. “The old Gazebo?” Royal Berry asks. It is cool looking now, but it has always been there.
“Not that.” Dark Choco answers, leading the other inside. A piano stood in the far corner, Vanilla Fudge dusting it off and tuning it with his staff hugged into the crevice of his elbow. He waved to the two when they both walked in, and they waved back. “What is all this?” Royal Berry asks, his arm unlinking from Dark Choco’s, who bows to him, one hand behind his back. “I wanted to give you a present, before your bake day comes to an end.” He took Royal Berry’s gloved hand into his own, gently kissing the knuckles covered in soft fabric. Royal Berry feels his face heat up completely, almost tripping over himself like his own words. “I- Wha-” he sputters, forgetting all the formal royal training drilled into his head at a young age. Dark Choco glanced over to Vanilla Fudge for approval, trying to hide his own sputtering nervous demeanor. Vanilla Fudge gives him a smile and a small nod.
Vanilla Fudge sits down in front of the piano, the stool creaking under his weight. He gives a certain signal with his hands and unfolds a piece of paper. Dark Choco doesn’t look at the Vanillian any longer, his attention focused on Royal Berry, whose blush might start a bonfire if further reddened. Dark Choco stands fully, interlocking their fingers together. His movements flow almost as if he’s practiced this action until it was engraved into his being, every step calculated and performed. “May I offer you a dance?” He stares down at Royal Berry with hopeful eyes that mirrored the other's nervousness. Their eyes were similar in colour, passionate red that can only be found in the deepest pits of one's soul, shared with their one and only.
Royal Berry stepped closer, cautiously placing his hand on Dark Choco's waist, trying his best not to caress the area. “You may, soldier.” He teases a bit, letting out a small giggle. Dark Choco smiles a little, placing his other hand on Royal Berry’s shoulder, with the hesitation of a performer improving in front of a large audience. The piano started, the soft tune twirling in the air of the night. Their bodies moved slowly, trying to set a pace they both could sink into with ease.
As the tune continues, adding more notes as the seconds pass, the two find themselves spinning around their center ground until it is replaced with their chests pressing against each other, a bridge between their ponding hearts. For a moment it was like they moved as one, and for once in this entire night, Dark Choco moved on his own. His shoulders relaxed, Royal Berry’s hands caressing to the other’s back, it felt natural. Like the witches themselves baked this moment specifically for them both to relish in all its glory.
When the music fades into the background and their breaths circle each other from the sheer closeness of their forms, Royal Berry holds Dark Choco steady and dips him down, the other's hands now sinking into his red hair to support himself against the gravity desperately trying to pull him down to the cold, worn down floor sprouting dahlias of various dark colours through its cracks.
Royal Berry had felt a surge of confidence that night, where he was usually quiet and nervous among the loud noises of celebrations never meant for him, the soft melody of a piano, the soft feeling in his chest when he gazed at the other prince, surrounded only by his most trusted friends, it was like his voice was heard without needing to make a sound.
Dark Choco felt his heart twist and turn in his skin. He looked into Royal Berry's eyes like he was the only thing that mattered. Training, fighting, duties, were all irrelevant when such a person was in front of him, holding him close, locked into a dance so unfamiliar yet natural to him. The harsh cold skin he developed from his kingdom, slowly thawed on this moonlit night, melting right into Royal Berry's hold so gentle.
Their eyes close, relishing the moment where their bodies feel to combine as one, lips pressing against the other in a feather light embrace only they were comfortable with. The kiss didn't last long, only a few seconds. They pull away, eyes opening to gaze at each other again, soft blush dusted on their cheeks. Royal Berry, with his arms growing tired, steadily lifted Dark Choco back to his feat, looking back up at him once again. Royal Berry has always been shorter than Dark Choco, but looking up at him after that moment of connection, felt wrong; however, only in his subconscious did he feel it, the uncanny valley of this formal position.
The music stopped, and their hands slowly left the warmth of each other's bodies, stepping back like pieces of land falling into inevitable continental drift, distancing themselves but still feeling the others touch deep down beneath the surface.
“Thank you.” Royal Berry professes, bowing slightly to Dark Choco, who reciprocates the bow, a little deeper than Royal Berry’s which he doesn’t notice. “The pleasure is all mine.” They both stand straight again, the blush on their face more prominent now. Royal Berry pushes his body forward towards Dark Choco, capturing him in a hug; his face pressed against his chest and arms squeezing his waist as tight as he could. “This is the best bake day ever… I love you, Choco.” Dark Choco freezes when those words are uttered so close, so intimately, addressed to him and him only. His face flushes a deeper red in complete embarrassment. What would father think of me now? He pushes this thought aside and reciprocates the hug, but not as tight as to not squish the smaller prince. They felt complete almost, like they were never supposed to be apart in the first place. It was a feeling so unfamiliar to them both, and it had then a high like no other drug.
—
Bonus!
Royal Berry thought about how warm Dark Choco felt against him, and how his pecs felt against his cheek, squishing his face and the muscle like a lavish pillow. He really liked this position and felt guilty for that exact reason. He always loved how strong Dark Choco was, and wished that it didn’t affect him this badly. Vanilla Fudge casted a spell towards Royal Berry, sending a message into his mind. “Gay ass.” That fuck- Oh my witches can Vanilla Fudge Cookie read minds???
He opens one eye to look at Vanilla Fudge. Judging by the fact that Vanilla Fudge didn’t react to his thoughtful cursing or his belief that he could read minds, he was probably just commenting on the general situation rather than his perverted thoughts.