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Refined. Proper. A beacon of elegance. This was all the Heavenly Flower clan was, and more. This plain-to-see fact was even more fortified by their leader, the ever so radiant Banoffee Cookie.
The talented, pristine dancer with feet said to have been blessed by the heavens, as some knew him. Or the cold and mysterious charmer, as others knew him. Whether he was your friend or your enemy, it was impossible to deny how much power and cunning he truly had. He was ambitious, clinging to his goals and never letting go of his plans until he got what he wanted…
Well, that was how he was supposed to be. And yet.
“Nnnngh…” Banoffee blinked the sleep out of his eyes as he slowly opened them. The sun had not fully risen yet, and the room that he slept in was dimly lit. Despite that, Banoffee felt incredibly warm under the heap of silky bedsheets and the large weight that was currently pressing down on him.
Banoffee’s eyes shot open, then relaxed once he realised what was pressing down on him. Truth be told, Banoffee still had a hard time adapting to waking up like this. But as Banoffee took a look at his beloved, a small flush spread across his cheeks.
One arm wrapped around Banoffee’s waist, Affogato slept soundly on top of the dancer. His head rested in the crook of Banoffee’s shoulder, lips slightly grazing the skin of his neck. His hair was loose, and it tangled around his shoulders in brown and white locks.
This was the man Banoffee had fallen head over heels for. Despite being enemies, despite having a knife pointed at each other's back once upon a time, he was the one Banoffee gave his heart out to. Out of everyone else in the world, it had to be him.
How utterly ridiculous.
What would his sisters say? Banoffee knew Syrup would always be on his side, till death do them part. He would be lucky if Milky Cream gave him a chance to explain himself. Choco Milk and Mince Pie would just go along with whatever the others would say. Toffee would definitely be upset. And Sabayan Cream…he shuddered to even think of it.
Banoffee let out a sigh at his own thoughts before refocusing on the man sleeping beside him. Turning his head over and peering at Affogato’s face, Banoffee studied his sharp features and soft skin. The expression he wore currently was so different to the devious and charming smirk that Affogato mained every day. It was so peaceful, almost as if it was out of a romantical painting.
A small chuckle escaped Banoffee’s lips. In this state, Affogato seemed so endearingly innocent, and not at all like a cold-blooded traitor who tried to overthrow the king.
Banoffee knew he had to get up soon. Praying, feeding the birds and practicing his routines was part of the many things he had to do this morning. And while doing so, he had to be the epitome of perfection. Always one step ahead, always firm and resolute, always, always, always…
But right here, in the coziness of the near dawn, the only thing that mattered to Banoffee was the soft snoring of his lover.
Banoffee was snapped out of his thoughts by a soft groan that passed Affogato’s lips. He looked over to see the exile stirring, and opened his mouth to mumble a good morning. However, Banoffee shut his mouth when he realised Affogato was not waking, but was still in sleep’s deep clutches.
Affogato’s eyes were closed, yet his mouth was curling into a tight frown. He let out soft, almost soundless cries as his body lightly trembled.
A distant, heart-tearing memory. Banoffee knew he had plenty.
The clan leader’s heart felt a pang of sorrow seeing his beloved like this. Moving gently so as to not wake his sleeping lover, Banoffee slowly wrapped his arm around Affogato, resting one hand softly on his back. He inched his face forward and pressed a mild kiss to Affogato’s cheek.
“Shhh…it’s alright my dear.” Banoffee whispered quietly, softly stroking Affogato’s shaky back with his hand.
Affogato seemed to stop still for a moment. He suddenly gripped Banoffee tighter and buried his face deeper into the crook of his neck. The coffee cookie seemed to still be restless, but fortunately the trembling had stopped. A small sigh of relief escaped Banoffee’s lips.
Even when they spent their nights in different beds, sometimes Banoffee could hear his somnolent cries. He had only thought to pry into Affogato’s past life when they were enemies, to try and see if there was anything Banoffee could use against him. But it was like Affogato had lived in the shadows his whole life, there was no knowledge on almost anything he did before coming to the Dark Cacao Kingdom. Banoffee winced. Knowing what he knew now, connecting the dots was a painful thing to do.
‘It seems we both carry a lot on our minds, don't we?’ The dancer mused to himself. ‘Another similarity that we would’ve loathed to have in the past, I suppose.’
Banoffee rested his head back onto the pillow. He stared blankly up at the ceiling as he once again allowed his mind to wander around. Even though he loved Affogato like a fool, could this love truly have a happy ending? Setting aside his sisters, there would be a slim chance Banoffee could get away with hiding a traitor forever. Banoffee’s face started to grow forlorn as his mind played over every bad possibility in his mind.
A sudden movement beside him snapped him out of his thoughts. Affogato’s arms coiled tighter around Banoffee as he twitched in his sleep, his legs tangling together with Banoffee’s. Affogato mumbled something unintelligible before he quieted down again. Banoffee cast a quick glance over at him and strangely enough, he felt the worries on his mind ease up a bit.
There would always be time later to sort things out. Should he really spend such a peaceful moment worrying about such things right now? Perhaps if the worst was truly to ever come, he should try to enjoy as much of these quick pleasant moments as he possibly can.
Banoffee pressed another gentle kiss to Affogato’s face, this time placing it smack dab in the middle of his forehead. He then pressed his head against Affogato’s, and slowly started to close his eyes. Banoffee had always felt himself craving the warm comfort of a one who truly loves him. Now that he had it, Banoffee truly didn’t want to think about anything else.
As his eyes narrowed to a close, out of the corner of his eye Banoffee could see Affogato’s lips curl up into a cheeky smile.