Work Text:
"Just where is he...?"
Shadow Milk Cookie was floating aimlessly through the halls of the Vanilla Kingdom. He had last seen Pure Vanilla Cookie, the Cookie who brought him here - forcefully, in his opinion - the day prior. He hoped to see him after the latter would be done eating, but even after waiting for a long time, he never entered the dining hall. Even though he had prepared such a lovely prank for him.
Naturally, he had to let his anger of not being able to fool the Cookie – who had caused all of this himself - out, so he entered the kitchen, setting everything in it on fire using one of his destructive spells. There had been Cookies inside, he knew that, but he pretended he hadn't noticed.
However, he couldn't fool himself any longer as he began to drink in the screams of his victims. It was music to his ears, and it always would be. No matter how Pure Vanilla Cookie tried to "fix" him, this is who he would remain as. If Pure Vanilla Cookie couldn't handle seeing the aftermath of leaving someone as important as him alone, then he would have to reduce his time of absence. Shadow Milk Cookie was in no way at fault here. He kept telling himself that. Fortunately, his conscience hadn't plagued him in a long time. He wasn't sure if any leftover empathy even still existed within him. Most likely not.
As he was lost in thought, someone approached him, pulling him out of the air and smacking him across the face. It was the person he had waited for. His eyes immediately lit up and his lips curled into the biggest of smiles.
"Ohh, Vanilly! Where have you been? I missed you!!", he exclaimed as he took the other's hands in his, floating up again to tower over the Cookie that was taller than him if he stood on the ground, and smiled like nothing had happened.
"Are you out of your mind? You just committed attempted murder! These chefs would have died had I not appeared in time!", Pure Vanilla Cookie yelled, yanking the other out of his dreams. He pulled his hands away with an angry look on his face.
The Jester placed a finger on his own lip and tilted his head slightly, a questioning look on his face. "Isn't that your fault for bringing me here and then abandoning me?", he asked, his voice low and serious.
Pure Vanilla Cookie stared at him dumbfounded. Then he responded, his voice annoyed: "I didn't abandon you, Shadow, I was busy and we didn't see each other for 14 hours." Taking note of the other's genuinely confused look, he sighed and calmed himself. Then he began again in a softer tone: "Come to my chambers, please. I will give you all the time that you lost. I'll just spent 5 more minutes here cleaning up the mess that you made."
Shadow Milk Cookie nodded and obliged, lazily floating off in the direction of the other's chambers. He heard the sound of Pure Vanilla Cookie using his magic to extinguish all the flames and return the kitchen to its original state.
Despite being slow and lazy, the Cookie of Deceit reached the designated chambers earlier than the other. He tossed a few ornaments and framed photographs of Pure Vanilla Cookie and his friends to the ground, until he was satisfied with the destruction he caused. Then he slumped himself onto the desk, theatrically throwing everything that was on it to the ground as well. He gazed over his ‘artwork’ with a satisfied smirk on his face.
Just as he leaned back, stretching his back after such hard work, Pure Vanilla Cookie entered his chambers. He didn't look angry when he saw the destruction, but there was something else on his face: disappointment. "Shadow Milk... are you okay? Did I do something to anger you?", he asked, his voice quiet and careful. He approached the other and took his hand into his own. It was contradictory, since he had just pulled them away earlier.
Shadow Milk Cookie was annoyed that the other was acting so selfless; he hated the kindness he radiated, it contradicted everything the Beast embodied. But he was also satisfied that he had broken the other so much with his outbursts, he wouldn't even get mad at him anymore. He'd just think that he himself did something wrong. And then he apologized. That's what he would always do. He was so predictable.
Before he got to utter a reply however, Pure Vanilla Cookie spoke up: "Apart from all your destructiveness, I think you have one major problem. You're attached to me, so when I don't give you attention for even a few hours, you get angry. This isn't okay. I want you to change your ways. I know it may not be easy, but the way you're acting right now will only end up hurting you, too."
What was he saying? Shadow Milk Cookie, the great Shadow Milk Cookie, Beast of Deceit and master of this world, attached to that foolish Vanilla Cookie? So much so that he would crave his presence more than anything, going insane when he was nowhere to be seen?
"Since when did your ego become so big, Vanilly...?", he hissed, "I do not need you. I am merely doing this out of spite. To make you regret your decision of bringing me here, you hear that?"
Pure Vanilla Cookie stood there, unfazed, unchanging, yet with that same disappointed expression on his face. Shadow Milk Cookie was starting to despise it.
"I didn't put any chains on you.", Pure Vanilla Cookie began, his voice a bit more determined now, "If you really hated it so much, you could leave at any moment. You're just staying because I offered to be friends with you." He sighed, squeezing the other's hands.
"So fulfill your promise! Spend time with me, or things like this will happen!", Shadow Milk Cookie yelled, his expression one of anger and his voice filled with spite.
"Shadow... I am spending time with you. You are almost always by my side. But can't you see that I need some time alone?", he asked, his voice soft and pleading.
"Tsk.", Shadow Milk Cookie grunted in response. He couldn't deny that what the other said was true. He, too, needed some time for himself, after all. But he didn't want to lose an argument against the other. That was simply unacceptable. He removed his hands from the grip.
"Spend more time with me. If you don't, I will destroy your precious castle, crumble your dear friends and make your life a living nightmare.", he demanded, his voice dripping with malice. He cupped the Cookie's cheeks in his hands as he did so, his fingernails digging into the pristine dough.
Pure Vanilla Cookie frowned. He wasn't getting through to the other, and he could feel his anger. He didn't want to give in to the other's wishes. For once he had to stand up for himself. But the Cookie of Deceit was just desperate, since he had been sealed off in that silver tree for so long, and Pure Vanilla felt like he owed him kindness and compassion because of that. He was in deep conflict with himself.
Upon noticing the Cookie of Truth's uncertainty, Shadow Milk Cookie began to grin. He had him right where he wanted him, and he could feel the satisfaction creeping up in his body, giving him a high he craved so much.
"Forget everyone but me... only I matter to you. You belong to me.", he whispered into the other's ear, his tone sweet and innocent.
Pure Vanilla Cookie sighed. He knew the other would never give up on trying to ‘own’ him, whatever that meant. It was pointless to convince him otherwise. Yet, he still wanted to comfort him. So he just pulled him into a hug. He could sense how much the other needed one. Shadow Milk Cookie just gave in. He loved being in the other's presence, and he was naturally welcoming of physical touch. The Cookie of Truth had placed his hands onto the other's waist, drawing circles on it as well as his back as they hugged. Shadow Milk Cookie melted into the embrace, his arms wrapped around the other's neck and his face buried in the crook of it. He smiled against the other's dough and whispered: "was that so hard now?"
"No, of course not. You are just too clingy for your own good.", Pure Vanilla Cookie responded, knowing how this would rile the other up.
"I'm not- ugh.", he was about to get mad at the other for calling him clingy, but he knew that wouldn't work while he was literally clinging to him. Without breaking the hug, he repeated his demands.
“I still want you to spend more time with me.”
“Mhm. I will try my best.”
“And I don’t want you to talk to White Lily Cookie so much anymore.”
“I can’t do that, she’s a dear friend of mine.”
“Am I not a dear friend of yours too? Are you saying she’s more important?”
“No. You both are equally as important to me.” Pure Vanilla drew circles into the other’s back, tightening his embrace.
“Equal…? I can’t accept that! I want to be the only one that matters to you!” Shadow Milk’s voice began to break as tears began welling up in his eyes.
“I care about everyone. You’ll have to accept that at one point. I don’t want our friendship to drift off into an unhealthy direction.”
“…”
Shadow Milk Cookie disappeared into the shadows. He was gone. And the next morning, Pure Vanilla would wake up to the screams of innocent Cookies that were the victims of Shadow Milk’s anger. The anger that he had caused. He sighed.
This was the truth of their relationship.
A truth the Cookie of Deceit would never accept.