Chapter Text
“Oh please, Shadow Milk… You’re doing this on purpose. Can you move your legs aside so I can join you?”, Pure Vanilla Cookie complained, pressing his hands into his bare hips as he stared down at his other half, who was already sitting in the bathtub, back turned toward him.
“You should be grateful I let you see me this way. If you can’t appreciate a man’s legs, you don’t deserve the rest of him either.”, the latter snickered, flicking his long dark hair over his body, covering most of it. His head was propped up on his crossed arms, which were resting on the deck of the tub, while his curious gaze lingered at the tinted window as he watched the snow fall slowly. How unusual of him to be interested in such mundane things.
“Now where did you get that from? Please, make some space. The tub is big enough for the both of us. And besides, your current position is ridiculous.”, Pure Vanilla prompted one last time, glancing at the uncomfortably twisted way his other half was sitting in the bathtub, knowing well that he was going to wake up with back pain the next day.
Upon receiving no response he merely sighed, before dipping the tip of his foot into the water. However, a shriek escaped him, and he quickly pulled back.
“It’s cold!”, he yelled, fingers moving swiftly to the drain to release the water as he simultaneously turned the faucet to maximum heat.
“What? I thought you knew I liked it cold. In fact I’ve been more interested in the snow than in you.”, Shadow Milk Cookie stated innocently, finally turning to face him.
“Yeah, right. That’s why you’re sitting in my heated bathroom instead of the snow. My dear, I know you despise the cold. You simply inconvenienced yourself to pull a prank on me. That level of commitment deserves recognition.”
The Cookie of Deceit frowned. Was he really so dense to not understand that this action meant he didn’t want him there? Still, he shifted his legs to the side uncomfortably as Pure Vanilla finally joined him, the water lukewarm by now.
After closing the drain, the blond’s hand moved towards the other’s forehead, feeling his temperature briefly before it was slapped away. “My, you’re cold. You should really get your priorities straight. Is it your comfort or my disappointment which you value more?”, he asked snippily, pinching him against the forehead before drawing his arm back.
Shadow Milk put on a disgusted expression as he pondered whether he should respond to this or not. After all, it was clear as day that it was meant merely to rile him up. So, he decided to bother him with something else. His eyes fell onto the healer’s bare chest.
“Where’s your Soul Jam?”, he asked, “Lost it? Tsk tsk, should’ve given it to me, I would’ve taken better care of it.”
“Well, I took it off to bathe.”, Pure Vanilla explained, “Don’t tell me you’re still wearing yours.”
The jester smirked, finally turning his body towards the other and puffing out his chest a tiny bit. His Soul Jam was as radiant as ever, but his eyes were sharp, telling him that if he were to touch this gem, he would be dead.
“I see. How do you hold it up? It must be uncomfortable, are you sure you really want to wear it?”, Pure Vanilla asked, tilting his head in concern. The other still wouldn’t let the idea that he might steal his Soul Jam go.
“Of course! It’s my pride and joy. I’m never letting it out of my sight, for your slimy little fingers might try and grab it. And as for how it’s held up, it’s just a spell.”, Shadow Milk boasted, but his expression became softer when he framed his Soul Jam with his hands. “You taking it off tells me you don’t value it as much as I do. So, give it back!”
Pure Vanilla sighed. His other half was being difficult as ever. And yet… He was also extremely adorable. The way his wet hair covered his bare body as if he had anything to hide, how his face twisted into all kinds of expression during their conversation – yes, Pure Vanilla even enjoyed being looked at with disgust if it meant he was looked at at all by him – but of which his favorite was that gentle smile he displayed when mesmerized by the sight of his own Soul Jam, how his pointy ears twitched whenever the blond caught his attention, and the way his eyes lit up against his own will when he looked at him; which included the various eyes in his hair, some of which would even display little hearts.
Yes, this was, without doubt, the man he had fallen in love with. Even if Shadow Milk would do anything in his power to act like they were strangers, or to gaslight him into thinking he was merely his pawn, Pure Vanilla would always remember the kisses they had shared. Even if the other denied them, blushing furiously each time while he covered his face with his palms.
“Well now, that can be arranged.”, the blond chuckled finally, reaching out to where he had put his clothes.
“Had your fill of eyeing me up and down? Geez, I know I look stunning, but you are seriously desperate! Why did I even agree to this bath in the first place?!”, he froze as the Soul Jam of Truth was placed into his hands. When he looked up, all he could see was Pure Vanilla’s gentle smile. The smile he despised so much he wanted to shut it down with his very own lips.
No, what was he thinking? His cheeks turned crimson. He couldn’t reward him like this! He hated seeing that happy expression on the other’s face after he had granted him a kiss! But on the other hand… He had handed out his Soul Jam. If that didn’t deserve a reward, then what did?
It took one small glance back up at the other’s loving smile for him to change his mind. Quickly, he leaned in, placing a sloppy kiss onto his lips. A brief kiss. One that didn’t include their tongues intertwining. Then, he turned around, splashing water into the other’s face, fuming with anger at himself for what he had just done.
Pure Vanilla smiled in amusement. His lover was such a hypocrite. Always saying things he didn’t mean, pushing him away and rejecting his love, only to come looking for physical touch and closeness the next second. Afterwards, he would naturally deny it happened, and try inventing spells that would overwrite the healer’s memories to make him forget. Up until this point, no spell had ever worked. Not because Shadow Milk’s deceitful magic was weak, but because Pure Vanilla’s magic of Truth was just as strong as his. The two would cancel each other out, and none would ever win. Such was their fate. Such was Shadow Milk’s fate, when he had chosen to – more or less – accept his love for a Cookie who was utterly equal to him.
Angrily, Shadow Milk finally took off his own Soul Jam, not because Pure Vanilla had asked him to, but because by now he was truly craving his touch, and although he would rather die than admit it, he wanted to hurt neither himself nor the other with the sharp edges of the gems. So, he placed the both of them on the rim in front of him where he could see them, before propping his head back onto his crossed arms just like he had done before, facing the window.
By now, the water was deep enough, reaching Pure Vanilla’s chest while he was sitting upright – which didn’t mean much, considering he wasn’t a very tall Cookie, and neither was his partner – so he decided to turn it off.
He had originally wanted to make a bubble bath, but the other had shut the idea down immediately, saying that he hated the texture, and the bubbles would hurt his eyes; those in his hair, of course. That’s why Pure Vanilla tried something new. He stood up, reaching for the cabinet near the tub. Shadow Milk stole curious glances as his golden hair fell over his back, before turning around and acting like he had seen nothing. What the former was looking for was a bath bomb. It smelled like blueberries and would color the water a dark shade of blue. He was sure his other half would love it. So, in a moment of surprise, he threw it right into the middle of the tub.
The sizzling of the bath bomb startled Shadow Milk, and he contracted into himself, pulling his legs all the way up to his body. “Something touched my foot!”, he shrieked, and upon noticing the smell and the color of the water he screamed, “I’m melting!”
Pure Vanilla couldn’t hold back a laugh. How adorable he was! And how clueless. One would think that the Cookie who once called himself Fount of all Knowledge would know what a bath bomb was.
“Relax, dear.”, he soothed, getting closer to gently wrap his arms around the frightened Cookie, “It’s just a bath bomb. It changes the water’s smell and color. You’ll love it.”
Shadow Milk relaxed reluctantly against the other, his gaze fixated on the water. It did look cool. Like he was merging with the water, since his hair was of the same color. He grinned.
“See? It’s not scary at all. It’s comforting.”, Pure Vanilla whispered, placing a gentle kiss on the other’s forehead. The latter nodded and averted his gaze.
“Yes… It smells nice.”, he blushed, “You can let go of me. I now know what it is.”
“Ah, of course.”, Pure Vanilla quickly pulled away, breaking the hug.
“Well, we’ve been in here for a few minutes now… We should get to washing your hair. Want me to do it?”, he proposed awkwardly, but his smile revealed he was genuine.
Shadow Milk was about to shut down the offer, when he realized that agreeing meant he would be able to laze off. “Sure, do whatever you need to do.”, he responded, voice dry. But the tone of his voice didn’t matter, Pure Vanilla had learned months ago that the jester was also a damn good actor, and so sometimes the only thing that mattered were the meaning and context behind his words.
“Alright then, let’s start by applying shampoo. Which one do you prefer? Primroses or Vanilla Orchards?”
“Are those the only kinds you have? You disgust me. We both know you only chose them because Primroses remind you of me, and Vanilla Orchards of yourself, you sick little ego-centrist.”
“I also have one that smells like White Lilies-“
“I’ll take the Primrose one.”
Pure Vanilla chuckled as he squeezed the contents of the bottle into his hand. Meanwhile, Shadow Milk was grumbling as he propped himself up before him, back straightened and turned toward the blond. He awaited the other’s slimy fingers on himself impatiently.
To his pleasant surprise, Pure Vanilla’s fingers were warm and soft, and coated in a melty substance. Gently, he began massaging the shampoo into his scalp. Before he could finish however, Shadow Milk had collapsed back onto his previous position, head resting on the rim, although this time it wasn’t out of boredom, but because he genuinely enjoyed what was being done to him. A breathy gasp escaped him.
Pure Vanilla was startled, but didn’t complain; he simply continued working the shampoo into his lover’s hair, making sure to avoid the eyes. The sheer amount of care and affection he was being shown caused Shadow Milk to purr quietly – a habit of his. He had seen a cat do it, and had modified his body in a way that it would be able to replicate such sounds. Who knew the Master of Deceit wanted to feel adorable at times too?
“You make the cutest of noises, do you know that?”, the healer chuckled, working his way down the hair over his neck. He must have hit an especially sensitive spot, because the next thing he heard was a particularly lewd moan escaping the deceitful Cookie’s lips.
Almost immediately, he covered his mouth. “You didn’t hear that!”, he cried, but when Pure Vanilla reached out to touch his neck again, another gasp escaped him.
“As I said”, the blond snickered, “cute.”
Shadow Milk wanted to scream. Instead, he just remained where he was, because that meant he didn’t have to wash his own hair. Oh, how he loved using his other half. At least that’s what he told himself as the other’s gentle fingertips explored the underside of his chin.
“You’re disgusting.”, he tried growling, but his words came out as a purr. So much about being a great actor.
Slowly, Pure Vanilla worked his way down Shadow Milk’s long hair. The density of his eyes was highest in the middle of it, which was currently laying on the blue-hued Cookie’s back who was in turn resting like a shrimp on the rim, purring like his life depended on it. That’s why it was near unavoidable for Pure Vanilla to touch his back – which of course had to be extremely sensitive.
Shadow Milk twitched and shifted around slightly as his other half’s hot fingers graced his spine ever so often. When they accidentally hit the side of his waist, it was over for him. He shuddered so hard Pure Vanilla’s hands slipped, and even though he had been extremely careful, brushed against one of his eyes. The moment shampoo entered the sensitive iris it went red, and Shadow Milk screamed.
“What was that for?!”, he yelled, turning around swiftly.
Pure Vanilla immediately apologized, lifting his hands near his head as if he was a criminal. However, he couldn’t help but notice how red the former’s face had become, and that it was definitely not caused by anger. He was blushing.
“I can’t believe it!”, Shadow Milk cursed under his breath as he held the strand of hair with the poor, red eye under the shower head, rinsing it carefully, “He swears to fulfill one favor for me but he can’t help but mess it up!” The eye just blinked up at him confusedly.
“I’m sorry, Shadow Milk…”, the blond muttered once again, “But it was your restless moving that led to me making that mistake.”
“Oh spare me! I was only shivering because you couldn't keep your hands off me! You freak!”, the deceitful Cookie yelled, tears forming in his eyes. He never wanted to get this angry. But Pure Vanilla’s restless apologizing… How he had immediately handed over the Soul Jam… It was too kind for him! It disgusted him!
“How else was I supposed to wash your hair, when you are crouched over the bathtub instead of sitting upright?”
“Well, that’s… I was only sitting like that because you’re-“, Shadow Milk stammered, trying desperately to come up with an excuse. Now instead of apologizing, Pure Vanilla was arguing back at him?! What a fool! What a self-righteous, disgusting fool! He couldn’t believe it.
“Because you were enjoying yourself.”, Pure Vanilla answered for him. His voice had come out sterner than he had wanted it to. Really, he only desired to calm him down. But no matter what he said, it only made everything worse.
“Shut it! I was not enjoying myself! Your slimy hands shouldn’t be on me! You shouldn’t have been in here at all in the first place!”, Shadow Milk cried. He didn’t care that the other was right. Didn’t care that he would rather sit on his lap while the latter stroked his back than fight with him. He had started this fight, so he would end it.
He splashed a handful of deep blue water in the other’s direction as if he were throwing a tantrum. The wave he caused let another bit of soap to make its way into a different eye. He screamed in pain like a wounded animal. This was too much! He just wanted to go back to how they had been minutes ago. He never wanted this fight.
Trembling, he buried his face in his knees as his wet, soapy hair wrapped all around him like a cocoon. If self-loathing were anyone’s specialty, it would be his.
Pure Vanilla watched the overstimulated mess in his bath tub with concern in his eyes. “Shadow Milk…”, he began, but the other interrupted him in a shrill tone of voice.
“Stop!”
Carefully, the blond drew his hands back. There was only a faint sound of the surface breaking as he placed it on his lap in the water. From then on, he was completely still. Only Shadow Milk’s quiet sniffling echoed through the bathroom.
When even that had died down, Pure Vanilla finally exhaled. Had the water been this cold the entire time?
He had to say something. Had to deescalate this situation. Thus, he announced quietly: “Shadow Milk, I’m sorry. I should have been more mindful of your well-being. I’ll get out the tub now. You can stay in here for as long as you like. Okay?”
“No.”, was the simple response that followed.
“No? Do you want to get out as well? Shall I help you?”
“No. Stay.”
Pure Vanilla smiled. Even though the other’s voice sounded as sad as ever, he could sense that he had broken the tension between them a bit. If Shadow Milk was truly angry, he would’ve kicked him out right now. “Alright.”, he said softly.
After a while of neither of them saying a word, the latter gently reached out toward the strands of hair with the injured eyes in them. Using his healing magic, he dispersed their pain at once.
He could hear Shadow Milk gasp before he lifted his head. His eyes were red from the tears he’d been shedding.
“Don’t bother.”, he groaned weakly, but the pleading look on his face betrayed him.
The healer knew instinctively what to do. He wrapped his arms around the other’s slim torso. The latter just let it happen, even placed his chin onto the blond’s shoulder; which usually meant he was fine with the hug. At last, the cocoon he had built for himself fell apart, exposing his bare body in front of his other half for the first time.
Despite that, Pure Vanilla knew better than to stare. He knew there was only one reason as to why Shadow Milk had done that: He really wanted his hair to be rinsed. The shampoo had been growing stale in it, after all.
So, he reached out, grabbing the shower head with one hand, and began running the hot water over his other half’s back. His free hand would run through the hair, making sure all the shampoo was washed away and that it didn’t become tangled.
Shadow Milk settled down on his lap reluctantly, but when the other’s hands met his nape again, he couldn’t help but press his flushed face into his shoulder. At this point, he didn’t know if the current position or Pure Vanilla’s total obliviousness was worse, as he desperately tried suppressing the muffled moans that escaped right into the crook of the blond’s neck.
Naturally, the blond had only meant well, when he had begun rinsing out his hair, but now his fingers were running over his back relentlessly! Oh, and the hot water… it was driving him insane!
And to top it off, while his back was being assaulted with stimuli, he was looking for support in the arms of the very Cookie who was causing all of this! He should’ve said no to this endeavor when he had the chance, what was wrong with him?!
His train of thought was interrupted by a finger tracing his spine. He shut his eyes and buried his face so deeply into the other’s shoulder he thought they would merge into one. His sharp fingernails had long left evidence of a violent crime on the healer’s back and nape.
Finally, when all of the shampoo had been washed away, Pure Vanilla pulled back. He had to grasp Shadow Milk by the shoulders in order to detach him from his own – and when he let go, the latter simply fell backwards into the water like a sack of potatoes, before reemerging dramatically.
“I feel violated.”, he stated simply, but his voice sounded much too cheery, his eyes looked way too happy, and the blush on his face was way too dark.
“I’m sorry,” Pure Vanilla chuckled, “I can’t take your words seriously when you look like this. And besides, the only one violated here is me. My entire back is bleeding! You need to trim those claws of yours, seriously!”
“Not happening.”, Shadow Milk winked, before lifting his hands out of the water to cup his lover’s cheeks. His sharp fingernails really did resemble tiny claws. “You’re still my pawn. I get to hurt you whenever I want.”
“Sure. If it means soothing your pain, I’ll gladly take it.”, Pure Vanilla agreed, smiling brightly, “Anyway, are you okay now? Do your eyes still hurt? I really didn’t want for that to happen…”
Shadow Milk rolled his eyes. He was already feeling somewhat embarrassed at the fact he had had a meltdown over some soap.
“Tsk. You pretentious Cookie. Come here already.”, he deflected, before pulling the other closer until their lips met. Hungrily, the former started devouring them, pulling his lover onto himself.
Pure Vanilla smiled against the kiss, nibbling at the other’s upper lip. However, the latter had other plans, as his lips parted just a bit further, making way for his tongue. The blond happily obliged. He could never help himself when his little deceitful gremlin was begging for his tongue to enter his mouth.
Thus, he took his time exploring the place as if this were his first time in here. The jester was so wet and hot from inside… As if he had been waiting for this moment the entire time, merely holding back out of pride. The blond had to suppress a chuckle. Gently, he wrapped his fingers around his lover’s neck, wanting to find out how far he could push the Cookie who claimed he was the one inflicting pain.
Shadow Milk moaned eagerly in response as he tried intertwining the other’s tongue with his own, split one. By now, his back was pressed against the walls of the tub, and his head rolled back on the deck, pushing both their Soul Jams to the side. He seemed to enjoy his flow of air being cut off more than he would like to admit afterwards.
Pure Vanilla’s knee unconsciously made its way in between his legs, which only riled him up further. He pressed his palms against the back of the blond’s head, keeping him from pulling away.
Just then, the tip of the king’s tongue found its way in between the ends of Shadow Milk’s split tongue. The latter had to suppress a scream of pure pleasure.
“Your mood sure changes quickly.”, the blond stated, pulling back from the kiss despite the jester’s weak attempts at keeping him in place. He looked down at the overstimulated mess – only this time, it was the enjoyable kind of overstimulation. His snake-like tongue rested limply on his parted lips, while his sharp eyes were glaring up at him, as if asking when he would continue.
Pure Vanilla smiled fondly, stroking his cheek and mouthing a quiet “cute”. Then, he removed his hand from the jester’s neck. The latter gasped, ready to complain, when his beloved’s tongue made its way over his arteries. He sucked in his breath sharply while his back arched, and his arms wandered around the other’s head, keeping him in place.
The blond loved it when his other half embraced him like this, opening up to him and showing him his most vulnerable spot – the area where his Soul Jam would be attached usually.
He smiled against his dough as he began placing soft kisses onto it, his tongue trailing over that same area. He was not the type to leave hickeys. He didn’t need to. Shadow Milk was already so sensitive due to his years in solitary confinement, anything could get him going. It was always most amusing to witness his entire resolve crumble the moment someone even did so much as pat his head.
After placing one last kiss onto Shadow Milk’s chest he finally pulled away, admiring the mess before him. His eyes were pressed shut, his cheeks flushed bright red. That’s the result he wanted to see.
Carefully, he shifted back, removing his knee from the other’s body. Shadow Milk slid down the walls of the tub like a rag doll. Pure Vanilla decided to take the exhausted Cookie into his arms out of pity.
It took a while until Shadow Milk’s vision regained focus, and he held his head in pain. Turns out making out on the hard deck of a bath tub wasn’t at all good for the spine. He sighed against his beloved’s collar bone, suppressing the urge to take a nibble.
After he had rested for a few minutes, he lifted his head at last, until he could stare right into the very eyes of the Cookie he had fallen in love with. The latter smiled like he always did. Shadow Milk hated it.
“You… you make me so angry…”, he brought out while his hands wandered up his lover’s neck, “… But at the same time I can never get enough of you. It’s strange. And I love it.”
It took Pure Vanilla a while to figure out that he was responding to something he had said earlier about his mood switches. When he realized, he smiled fondly. “You love ‘it’?”
Shadow Milk rolled his eyes, boring one of his nails into the other’s throat, “Ugh, fine, I’ll say it before you start gaslighting me again! I love you. You, okay? No one else but you.”
“Wow, you even said it thrice. You must really mean it. I love you too, Shadow Milk. And I’m glad you’re here with me. Thank you for trusting me.”, the king cooed, admiring the jester’s image. His beautifully mismatched ocean eyes, the smooth, wet dough, his little pointy nose... “How perfect you are.”
“Ugh, you always have to ruin the moment with your corny sentimentalism and naiveté. Disgusting.”, Shadow Milk groaned, watching Pure Vanilla’s face twist into pure bliss as a blush appeared on his cheeks. “Disgusting masochist.”, he clarified, turning away while making sure to kick the blond in the process.
He crossed his arms over the deck once more, and directed his gaze back at the outside world. It had stopped snowing as darkness was creeping in over the lands. In a few minutes, there would be nothing left for him to look at, and he would have to make due with the unpleasant image of his other half, who was sheepishly grinning at him with pure adoration in his eyes. Oh, how disgusting he was…
“And for the record,” he paused briefly, pondering whether he should repeat his usual statement or not. He decided to settle for repeating it, because what he had just let the other do to him was way too humiliating to accept, “None of this ever happened.”