Work Text:
Sucrose lays naked in the bath, steam covering his hairy stomach and privates, as he tries to relax with a firm mouth and heavy eyebrows. The mirror positioned above him has words written on it in lieu of a reflection:
Mirror
“Once Upon a Time, Rose Red and Snow White were forbidden lovers, only breaking it off when their sin finally caught up to them with tangible consequences.”
Sucrose opens his eyelids, revealing the loss of one eye.
Molasses and White stand in the doorway, hunched over ever so slightly, Molly gingerly carrying a yellow bathrobe in his arms as White keeps the beads (replacing the door) to the side.
Words hide in the shadows they cast on the floor with their hunched figure.
Shadows
“However, though they try as they might to make peace with this part of their past, certain feelings still linger at present…”
Molasses and White peep over Sucrose’s head, looking down at him with great interest.
Sucrose gets up, holding onto the rails of the bath, (White helping him up)
as he takes the bathrobe from his little brothers and shrugs it on his handsome body.
Molasses helps him by tying the strings of the robes together.
Sucrose casually looks at him, and White looks away, ears pinned to his head as he frowns.
Molasses stares deeply into Sucrose’s eyes, almost as if he was challenging him.
Behind them, the painting on the wall (The Swing: Fragonard) transforms into a collection of words.
Painting
“Even if one was clinging more to the past than the others, who may lie to themselves but can never fool their own heart.”
A first kiss.
The shorter one pulls away first, tongues connecting, and the taller man touches his brother’s lip with his thumb.
He then goes to kiss the other twin, whose mouth was open and waiting for him. As they kiss, the first twin sighs and turns his head to look at them.
Molasses
“Rose, don’t do this to yourself.”
Sucrose
“Call me Sucrose, lover.”
Molasses pulls away, jutting his hip out of his dress as he stands. White looks everywhere that isn’t Sucrose when he goes to speak.
White
“And wouldn’t you prefer a cute pet name? I know you suppose we’re dating now, don’t you?”
Sucrose looks at Molasses’s naked hip.
Sucrose
“Not when everybody and the postman calls me by that name. I want something personal for you, for us.”
Molasses scoffs, and leans his head against Sucrose’s broad chest.
White closes his eyes, putting his head against Molasses.
Molasses
“We’re married. You know this, you silly lion.”
Sucrose opens his mouth, about to reply.
Charmy
“They are.”
They turn to the side, and then to the other side, trying to find the source of the words.
Charmy
“Over here.
Loves, I’m here!”
Molly turns around, and spots Charmy crouching on the window, opening it with one hand as he grips the curtains with the other. He waves with his tail.
Sucrose
“Oh, you caught us.”
Charmy
“I am disgusted, you know.”
Molasses
“Oh love, you don’t mind, do you?”
Charmy
“Oh of course not, I love you too much to mind. But you love me more, right?”
Molasses and White walk to the window,
And pulls Charmy into the room. Charmy (still holding the curtain) rips the curtain from the rod, causing it to fall over the twins.
Molasses flails his arms underneath the heavy curtains as White stays still, as the two other men glance at him, than each other.
They make a move towards the trapped men, but stop as Molasses sighs.
Molasses
“Oh, this is a lovely amount of pressure, actually. Don’t mind me then, I think I’ll stay under here for a while. Sweetheart?”
White
“Mhm. It’s nice. Whatever you want then, Snow.”
The other two smile, happy with their lover’s enjoyment.
A beat passes, and Molasses brings his arms up to his chest.
Molasses
“Of course we love you more.”
Sucrose frowns, surprised, leaning back with his hair rising up like a cat’s.
Sucrose
“He’s lying.”
Charmy
“You’re arrogant.”
Charmy frowns sleepily.
He crosses his arms, leaning on one foot as his sword sparkles in the rising moonlight.
Charmy
“Okay, that was hypocritical.”
Sucrose smiles, sardonic.
Charmy
“But that doesn’t matter, not to the kingdom anyways.”
White
“Whatever do you mean, my prince?”
Charmy
“Do you think the people would accept who you three are,
The love you three share?”
Sucrose
“If they are as kind and liberal as you are, then maybe.”
Charmy
“Not many can be as open-minded or in love as I am.”
Molasses peeks from the curtain and looks between them.
White
“I believe he’s mocking you, my prince.”
Charmy blinks, confused.
He thinks for a bit, and pouts when he realizes.
Charmy
“That’s quite rude. I’m a great person, to make satire of me is absurd.”
Sucrose
“You think I care about what is absurd? I’m a grown man who wants to marry his little brothers.”
Charmy
“But you can’t”
Sucrose
“Yes.”
Charmy looks up, to Sucrose’s eyes, giving a serious look.
Charmy
“Because that would be mean, to me.”
Sucrose stares at him, mouth slightly open, dumbfounded.
Charmy
“We are much too good friends for you to steal my fiance behind my back.”
Sucrose
“That’s absurd! I don’t like you.”
Charmy
“You do. Quite a lot.”
White pats Charmy on the back as Molly rubs his cheeks against the prince.
White
“He hates you, prince.”
Charmy pouts once more.
Molasses
“He really does, for a reason I cannot make out.”
Sucrose
“HE actually got to marry you!”
Molasses
“That’s no good reason to dislike him! Oh Sucrose, just look at him. Charmy’s a sweetie pie.”
Charmy puts his paws together and makes a pleading face.
Sucrose
“Aw. You’re right, he is.”
Molasses and White smile at Charmy, love visible across their faces.
Sucrose turns his head up and to the side, making a ‘hmp’ sound.
Sucrose
“But, Molasses, I still don’t like him.”
Molasses
“Whatever. Oh, what do we now. We just kissed, we shouldn’t be doing that!”
Charmy
“Why not? I don’t mind, you still love me more.”
Molasses
“Because that’s cheating!”
Charmy raises a finger.
White
“We shouldn’t even be kissing him even if you don’t care.”
Charmy lowers his hand.
Sucrose crosses his arms, frowning.
Sucrose
“And why’s that, exactly?”
Molasses
“Because, you’re my brother! My own Anija! And I’m a Christian on top of that. What we did was disgusting in the eyes of God; Wrong, unholy, despicable…”
Sucrose puts his hands to his heart, touched, tears appearing at the corners of his eyes.
Molasses
“Oh, don’t cry…”
Sucrose
“You finally called me Anija.”
White
“You!...”
Sucrose
“Now, call me Nii-San~.”
White
“No.”
Charmy cocks his head.
Charmy
“Why haven’t they called you Annie-jah or Nissan before?”
Sucrose turns to him, and leans forward, casting a large shadow over the unintimidated, and slightly sleepy, Charmy.
Sucrose
“We were separated from a young age, by a wandering slaver, we told you this.”
Charmy
“I forgot, it didn’t matter to me where my lovers came from.”
Sucrose cocks his brow as Charmy puts his arms to his side, puffing out his chest and leaning froward, staring into his eyes.
Sucrose
“How charming.”
Charmy
“Oh no, Charming is my father!”
Charmy
“Easy mistake, to someone who isn’t as well versed in our culture as a native.”
Sucrose
“....”
Charmy
“For I am quite charming, myself. In fact, my own name is Prince Charming!”
Sucrose turns to Molasses and gives a confused, judgemental look. He reaches and pulls the curtain off his brother, who looks smitten with Charmy.
Molasses
“How did we become so lucky as to seduce such a lovely young cat?”
White
“Especially at your age.”
Sucrose
“Hey!”
Charmy
“What, it’s true! You two are what, in your golden years, so far? I myself am 31, a young and spright young cat I truly am.”
Molasses blushes, and covers his face. White rolls his eyes.
Sucrose goes over to Molasses (pushing Charmy with his hip) and takes their hands (one twin’s hand in one of his own), joining their fingers together.
Sucrose
“I would never imply your beauty was taken away by the years you spent being alive, Molasses and White.”
Charmy
“I never implied no such thing, and my love knows that, that he does. I am not smart enough to “imply” things, and everyone in the kingdom can attest to that.”
Sucrose
“Didn’t you brag to me of your great intelligence, just last night?”
Charmy gives the most deadpan look he can muster with his sleepy face.
Charmy
“I lied,”
Sucrose
“! You! Shameless cat you are!”
Charmy
“That’s fair. Nyah…”
Suddenly, a servant rushes in, carrying an empty bird cage.
Servant
“S-sir! The golden egg laying bird-”
Charmy
“Giants. I got it,”
He pulls on Molasses hair, having him lean down so they can kiss, before turning to the servant and placing a hand on his back.
Charmy
”Walk and talk, tell me the story of what happened, and I will kill that giant with no time to spare.”
As the walk away, Sucrose goes behind the twins and hugs their waist, placing his chin on top of his head. Molasses puts his hands on Sucrose’s, frowning sadly.
Sucrose
“What, did the slave master teach you how to seduce men?”
Molasses
“A talking cricket taught me.”
Sucrose
“How sweet of him.”
Molasses and White
“You sound upset.”
Sucrose turns them around, and places his hands on their shoulders, putting his head between the gap between their necks. .
Sucrose
“Are you really happy that you married that cat?”
Molasses
“Of course; Why do you ask? I gave you no reason to doubt my love for my prince.”
White
“I am quite satisfied.”
Sucrose
“Insane, you’re a canine and he’s a cat.”
White gasps, and covers his mouth with a hand.
Molasses
“Sucrose! You never believed in species discrimination, what are you lying to yourself like this?”
Sucrose
“It’s important to me! Really…”
Molasses
“I know you’re a decent lion, Sucrose.”
Sucrose turns around and puts his head in his hands, bending forward. White cocks his neck to the side, confused.
Sucrose
“I don’t GET IT. I LOVE YOU, why can’t I have you then?!”
White and Molasses
“Because it’s just not right.”
Sucrose smirks, turning back around and crossing his arms.
Sucrose
“Who do you think you are, Goldilocks?”
Molasses
“Oh what a lovely, fiery young woman, I could never be her. I’m (much) too passive.”
Sucrose pouts.
Sucrose
“You aren’t being very passive, now. Not to me…”
Molasses gingerly touches Sucrose’s cheek, before cupping it in his hand.
He kisses his brother on the cheek, before pulling away.
Molasses
“I do love you too, but you know we can’t be together.”
Sucrose’s eyes soften, and he looks at White.
White smiles, sadly, and shakes his head.
Sucrose wraps his arms around Molasses’s back and kisses him, and Molasses allows him.
Sucrose
“We’re long in the tooth, and we will die soon. You two. Spend your last years with me instead, not some young pompous prince who will quickly find a new partner after you’re gone.”
Sucrose rubs Molasses’s and White’s ears, looking at their chest, calm desperation across his face.
Molasses
“Sucy, oh, you old lion.”
Sucrose
“I finally found you again, and you already want to leave me? To leave our empire? To some small kingdom off the coast of India’s side?”
Molasses
“It’s a fine young kingdom, already gaining recognition as a major port site. I’ll be in wealthy company, and my prince will make sure treat me well.”
Molasses laughs, and loops his arms around Sucrose’s thick neck. White pats Sucrose’s back with both hands, rubbing up and down.
Molasses
“Charmy knows it so, you would surely hunt him across the continent, if you caught wind that he was treating us poorly.”
Sucrose puffs his chest out in pride.
Molasses presses his hip to Sucrose’s, teasing him with a smile,
and backs away.
White
“Come, let’s see to it that our bags were properly prepared for our vacation."
Charmy sits crouched down (frog style) on Sucrose’s lap. It’s clear the other man just woke up (and is in the nude), as he sleepily squints and glares at the man, confusedly frowning.
Charmy
“I miss them.”
Sucrose leans up from the bed, blinking the sleep away from his eyes.
Sucrose
“What was that? Speak up, good man.”
Charmy screams at Sucrose’s face.
Charmy
“I MISS MY LOVERS.”
Charmy’s words became too heavy and fell out of the speech bubble, crushing Sucrose under their weight.
Sucrose
“...A bit too loud, good man.”
Charmy helps Sucrose out from under the words, crouching down and pulling him by the hand.
After he helped him up, Charmy still held onto Sucrose, and Sucrose glances between their intertwined hands and Charmy’s serious expression.
Sucrose
“Yes…?”
Charmy
“I miss Snow White and Snow-White.”
Sucrose
“Oh!”
Charmy
“What do I do, now?”
Sucrose
“Why are you asking me, aren’t you worried I will sabotage you with bad advice.”
Charmy
“It would be a tragedy, if you held my hand this long, only to take the opportunity to betray me in the end.”
Sucrose pulls away his hand, blushing.
Charmy
“And my little siblings were all kidnapped by witches, so you’re the only one I can ask.”
Sucrose
“Forget being lonesome, go save your strangely large family!”
Charmy
“The eight of them were trained to be exceptional princes and princesses. The witches will be the ones needing our help, in that case.”
Sucrose rubs his face with the back of his hand.
Charmy
“Don’t do that, you’re an emperor aren’t you. Be more kingly.”
Sucrose sleepily scoffs.
Sucrose.
“Silence. I’m not worried about impressing you.”
Sucrose
“Besides, aren’t you from Bangladesh?”
Charmy pointedly stares.
Sucrose looks at him, dumbfounded.
Sucrose
“DID YOU COME all the way from Bangladesh, just to harass me?!”
Charmy raises his paw.
Sucrose
“And get off of me.”
Charmy
“No.”
A small knock interrupts them.
Dante stares intensely from the small crack in the bedroom door, warm light flooding into the room.
Dante
“Oyaji?”
Sucrose
“Go back to bed, Dante.”
Dante
“I don’t want to.”
Dante opens the door wider, revealing the rest of his body and the fact that he’s holding a small, mangled white dog stuffie.
Dante
“Oyaji, whose this?"
(establish how old Dante is, that that age is around how long MollySucroseWhite have been together, and that Charmy has only recently married MollyWhite).
Sucrose lacklusterly waves a hand towards Charmy, an annoyed look overtaking his sleep-wrought face,
Sucrose
“Your okaachan’s new husband, baby.”
Dante rubs his eyes with the back of his hand, yawning widely, showing off fierce fangs and a sharp tongue.
Dante
“Okay.”
Dante throws his stuffed animal at Charmy’s head, hitting him like a hard brick.
Charmy
“YOWL!”
Dante grins, open mouthed, toward his father, wanting praise.
Sucrose leans back down on his pillow, tail wagging against Charmy, whose holding his face with a hand.
Sucrose
“Strong form, baby. But a bit too much force on the throw itself.”
Charmy quickly rubs his face with his hand, scrunching up his features, annoyed and fussy.
Charmy
“Decent- ow- work, just how old are you?”
Dante
“I’m 12!”
Dante shows a “one” with one hand and a “two” with another.
Charmy, hand still on his face, gives a side eye to Sucrose through his fingers.
Charmy
“And were your parents together throughout your childhood?”
Dante nods, before giving a one shoulder shrug.
Dante
“Duh.”
Charmy
“...”
Dante
“Up until you came here, (sarcastically) mister prince sir.”
Sucrose leans on his side,
as the three stare in the air, not quite looking at each other.
Sucrose gently lifts his hand up, towards Dante.
Sucrose
“How about you go to bed now, baby. Let your oyaji settle this, now, as men.”
(all side angle) Dante nods, and dives into the room. Awkwardly, he grabs his stuffed animal, still pointedly looking away from Charmy. As he goes to the door, he turns around and gives his father a composed look, but a few tears poke at the corners of his eyes.
The door closes, shutting Charmy and Sucrose in darkness once again.
Sucrose looks up towards the ceiling, giving an empty smile.
Sucrose
“I wasn’t that good of a father. Always busy with the empire, you know.”
Charmy balls himself up on his knees, hair raised, staring at Sucrose warily.
Charmy
“... yeah. That’s why I have my siblings help me.”
Sucrose
“I guess I always expected them to leave me for someone easier. I never thought it would be-”
Charmy
“An arrogant, pompous, over-theatrical prince.”
Sucrose cocks his brow, looking down at Charmy.
Charmy
“...More than half their age?”
Charmy gives a toothy, cocky grin. He rests his cheek on his knee, appearing more relaxed, yet his fur and hair still remains risen.
Sucrose rolls his eyes, getting up on his elbow.
Charmy
“You lost to a whippersnapper, oyaji.”
Sucrose
“Since when do you know Japanese?”
Charmy cocks his head to the side, closing his eyes.
Charmy
“Even I can do my own research! You know that, right?”
Sucrose stays silent.
Charmy peeks open one eye.
Charmy
“You know that, right?”
Sucrose nods his head, long hair falling around his body and pooling on the bed around him.
The blanket has been pulled to the side from Charmy’s antics, revealing his handsome old body.
Charmy
“I bet you hate the concept of marriage, now.”
Sucrose
“What do you mean? I’ll move on.”
Charmy lays down and swings his legs.
Charmy
“I stole your partners. You’d probably complain and claim that marriage is a pointless social construct now, bitter from my therivery.”
Sucrose
“Everything that exists around us has been socially created. Nothing comes from nature but the ground and the sky. You might as well not do anything but live outside and eat from the grass, if you want to declare everything created as inherently wrong.”
Charmy
“Some would think they’d enjoy that, you know.”
Sucrose
“Hah! Cottagecore freaks.”
Charmy crawls onto Herbert’s stomach and curls up like a cat.
Sucrose lazily pets him, contemplating.
Sucrose
“I mostly moved on, you know.”
Charmy
“I knew! Nya <3.”
Sucrose frowns, squinting.
Sucrose
“How did you do that with your mouth?”
Charmy
“Like: Nya <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3?”
Sucrose shakes his head, moving on.
Sucrose
“Because they’re-”
Charmy flicks his tail around Sucrose’s wrist.
Charmy
“Because you knew you couldn’t ever compete against me, the adorable and ever dependable and very pink Prince Charming.”
Soft starlight falls across Sucrose’s eyes, making them shine as he squints.
Sucrose
“Because they’re the fairest of them all. Nothing could taint their souls for long, not even their beloved big brother and longest lover. I made peace with the very idea back when Molasses first approached me, asking for a simple kiss.”