Work Text:
Perhaps splitting up was a bad idea.
The Ancient Altar reeked of malice, feverish with poison. Flowers smiled, leered at the passersby. Purple miasma hazed everywhere, it was a sickly sight.
The priestess cookies couldn't stress enough that time wasn't in their leisure, so Gingerbrave had decided to split up the cookies in pairs.
Each go to a sacred altar. Plant the tree branch. Avoid conflict. Meet back. A very much mundane plan that Espresso was fine to do on his own. He even insisted to just simply go alone. After all he has proven himself to be quite the adversary against these monsters. Coffee magic is powerful and Espresso uses it to its full potential. He can go himself.. That is until Madeleine stepped in, loudly proclaimed that he'll go with Espresso. The latter’s face grimaced.
And they were walking together.
Alone.
Together alone.
The walk to the altar was insufferable, to say the least. Madeleine, who always would take the front lines during battle, walked beside Espresso. Despite the tense atmosphere the forest offered, Madeleine’s overzealous demeanor never faltered. Of course, he’s always like that. Overzealous, boastful, overconfident even in such a situation.Espresso secretly rolled his eyes. Why hadn’t he refuted in the first place? How could he have ended up alone with such a pompous, egotistical--
Thoughts were interrupted when Espresso felt the back of Madeleine’s hand brushed against his knuckles.
Oh.
”Oh, apologies my friend. I didn’t realize that I was too close.” Madeleine chuckled, side stepping away. A part of Espresso lamented over his touch.
“Why do you walk so close?” Espresso squinted. “I would like my personal space, thank you very much.”
“A space that I indeed do respect! However, the forest here proves quite dangerous. I simply was just keeping close just in case.”
“Just in case what?” The mage raised his eyebrow. “Just so you know, I volunteered to do this alone. Madeleine.”
“And I volunteered to go with.” Madeleine interjected.. “Gingerbrave did say to go in pairs. You going alone would be against his words and the Divine’s.”
Ugh.
As mentioned. Insufferable.
Espresso did not refute to what Madeleine said however, despite his desire to. He simply rolled his eyes and kept walking. Madeleine shrugged and followed suit.
He still walked beside Espresso, hands hovered close to the mage’s.. Espresso noticed this.
And Espresso did nothing but simply walk as he did. Involuntary thoughts crept his mind for touch. A traitorous part of himself seemed to yearn.
He restrained himself.
They reached the altar.
Finally.
It wasn’t much. Crumbled pillars surrounded with what look like marked indents and barely towered and paled comparison to the overgrowth.Rubble was everywhere. The center laid empty. Perhaps this is where he’s to put the branch?
Madeleine had gone to scan the altar, his sword and shield ready at his side.He stamped the ground a couple of times and when nothing happened, looked at Espresso’s way and gave a hearty thumbs up. Espresso couldn’t help but snort and nodded back.
“It is safe, my dear friend. We may do our mission now.” Madeleine chuckled.
“So it seems.”
Madeleine walked down the altar while Espresso walked towards, exchanging glances as they passed by. The knight gave him a smile before settling himself nearby. Their knuckles brushed past each other again. Espresso gave no comment, neither did Madeleine.
He placed the branch on the center and stepped back. Roots crept, formed, dug straight to the earth and grew.
It grew and grew and grew.
A pink tree towered over the pillars and before him. It shone and drove away the purple miasma in its surrounding area; flowers hissed and coiled its thorns away.
Looks like a job done.
Espresso turned around, failing to notice the light drawing behind him.
“ESPRESSO!”
..?
The next thing he knew, Madeleine was in front of him. The knight had his shield up, protecting both cookies from an energy beam. His aura manifested in blue and pushed back, successfully diverting it to a group of nearby trees, making short work of them. His sword cut through the air, firing a crescent of energy towards the offending target.
The creature, bellowed and recoiled from the damage. It snarled and hissed at the two.
“Thank the Divine you are safe! My sword will make quick work of this monster.”
Three slashes. The monster howled. A bash on his shield. The monster choked. Two feints. It was an impressive display for just one lone cookie. Madeleine knew and basked in it.
Slash. Dodge. Feint. Beam. Parry. He repeated until he was sure the creature couldn’t read him.
Madeleine seeped his momentum and fired an uppercut. He missed.
It took advantage of this, and fired another energy beam, this time, properly aimed. Madeleine dodged too late and his hand suffered. A light waft of vanilla smoked out of the knight’s hand as he clutched it, involuntary dropping his sword in the process.. The creature’s eyes prepared for another attack. Madeleine, wide eyed, readied his shield, intending to deflect---
He felt that familiar shift of gravity.
...And the scent of coffee.
The creature convulsed as magic seeped under it. Blackened aura manifested, whirlpooling the creature from below. It howled and tried to escape upward, but the more it struggled, the more it was sucked in.
Madeleine blinked, about to react to the turn of events until he felt warmth on his hand and a yank.
The flowers jeered at them, thorns attempted to block the way. Espresso used Madeleine’s sword like a machete, hacking away and slicing thorn and root clean.
He guided Madeleine as they went through and ran back halfway they came before stopping. Espresso finally gave out a sharp exhale.
“Why did you…?”
Espresso lifted a finger at Madeleine. “You are insufferable.”
“Did the Divine forget to tell you that we are supposed to avoid conflict?”
“The Divine told me to protect you.” Madeleine huffed. “I shall honor Gingerbrave’s request, but you shall come first.”
“The Divine got you injured.” Espresso sneered.
He paused, noticed he was still clutching Madeleine’s hand. The knight’s hand had brown sears all over it, contrasted to his usual light skin tone. Espresso sighed and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, tenderly wrapping around Madeleine’s hand. The knight still did not let go.
“I’ll have your burns tended when we get back. Do not lose my handkerchief.”
Madeleine smiled and then chuckled.
“I would not dare to.”
Another pause. Espresso’s mouth twitched hesitantly then sighed.
“Thank you…” he quickly muttered, secretly hoping Madeleine didn’t hear.
They walked together. Espresso’s finger laced around Madeleine’s covered hand. Madeleine noticed but did not comment. He liked it.