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An everlasting scent of flour lingered in each step he took, in each inhale of breath that mingled with blooming flowers and the faintest kiss of peach blossoms.
Everything around him was hushed, reverent—from the softened clack of his dark amour to the gentle chirps of birds nestled within pink bao-shaped trees.
Dark Cacao wandered the Garden of Immortals, greeted by lush blooms of peach bao flowers with each heavy, purposeful step.
The grounding weight of his Dark Choco Blade steadied him, a silent promise clutched close as he walked deeper along the winding garden path—his gaze trailing, yearning, searching for a certain cookie.
The sweet scent of peach blossoms deepened, blooming all around him—and then the world went dark.
Pale, delicately thin fingers covered his eyes, stealing his vision, veiling it in a darkness laced with warmth.
He could hear the careful, almost sheepish adjustments this cookie made to keep balance, shifting their weight forward, gently leaning into him with quiet familiarity.
A voice—honeyed and lilting—met his ears. “It seems like I have a visitor,” it crooned, soft as mist and every bit as intoxicating.
“Who have I been graced to see again, oh dear king of mine?”
Dark Cacao chuckled low, the sound rich and fond, crossing his arms. “Your childish antics will get you nowhere, Peach Blossom,” he murmured.
Gently, he lifted his hands to the ones covering his eyes, wrapping them in a gentle hold as he turned—as if the act of facing him again was something sacred.
Peach Blossom looked flustered, his delicate hands now wrapped in the warmth of his lover’s embrace.
Dark Cacao couldn’t help but let the fondness show, teasing, indulgent, “May this guest of yours be treated to the best the Garden of Immortals has to offer?”
Peach Blossom’s flush darkened in a way that sent a spark fluttering down the King’s spine—but before he could answer with clever poetics to soothe his pride, he was swept off his feet—quite literally—into the arms of Dark Cacao.
A small, startled breath escaped him—half gasp, half sigh—as he found himself cradled with ease, carried down the path once more.
And Peach Blossom Cookie could do nothing but relax, fully and entirely, within the hold of his dearest blossom.
His head nestled into the familiar curve of the King’s shoulder as they moved along the winding trail.
Dark Cacao broke the silence, though even his voice seemed gentle with affection.
“And what was so important that I rushed here from the Dark Cacao Kingdom to lend my blade in battle?”
Peach Blossom buried his face deeper into the other’s shoulder, pale white ears twitching in embarrassment.
A few mumbled syllables spilled from his lips, barely caught by the wind.
Dark Cacao tilted his head, leaning closer with patient curiosity.
“Dear, I could not hear your words. Can you repeat yourself?”
Peach Blossom grumbled, strands of petal-pink hair slipping from their perfect ties to veil his face.
Then—a soft, near-silent breath—and a pale hand cupped the King’s ear, drawing closer. His lips brushed against it, barely more than a whisper, “If this humble one admitted that he missed you, would you be opposed?”
A smile—rare and genuine—flickered across Dark Cacao’s face. “No, not at all.”
Peach Blossom leaned back again, resettling into the not-so-gentle angles of the King’s amour as though it were a throne.
“Then keep going forward along this path. By the end, my ‘urgent’ need for help shall show itself.”
Dark Cacao hummed, amused by the mischief glinting beneath the words. He chose, of course, to indulge it.
They passed beneath canopies of fruit trees and blooms of every shade, petals spilling overhead like a dream made real.
Shadows played gently across the path, and each scent curled around them—never overpowering, never clashing—as if the garden itself understood the balance between beauty and restraint.
It was a masterpiece of harmony. The kind that only Immortals could keep alive.
Dark Cacao would be the first to admit—his kingdom could not compare to this place.
But each land held a place in his heart.
One was his duty, his vow, a land guided by The Light of Resolution.
A kingdom shaped by hardship, by quiet resilience, and the lingering ghost of the Beast he’d once sheltered in his soul.
Of a Beast that controlled Apathy, that blinded and restrained his Resolution that reflected in her… childish ideals.
He had stumbled. He had fallen. But he had found his footing again.
Through the burden of his crown… through the warmth of two dragons who reminded him of the strength in tenderness…
And now, through shades of pink and pale white.
Through a teasing voice that dared challenge him with softness.
Through shared glances, and the endlessly dramatic complaints about stairs.
He had fallen in love. And never once had he wished to rise from it.
His thoughts scattered as they turned one final corner. He brushed aside a curtain of weeping willow branches—and paused, breath caught mid-step.
Before him stood a tree—magnificent and ethereal—its leaves shimmering beneath the warm sun like spun sugar.
It reminded him faintly of the snow-covered dark chocolate trees of his kingdom… but this one was white.
Truly white.
From bark to leaf, from branch to the roots barely breaking the soil’s surface before vanishing beneath Earthbread.
It was breathtaking.
And below it—a throw blanket, and a picnic basket overflowing with food.
He looked down.
Peach Blossom Cookie was already gazing up at him, lips tugged into a smug little smile.
“That is what I needed help with, so…”
Something was trembling just beneath the surface—hope, maybe. Or something more fragile. “Will you bless me with your presence on this fine evening?”
Dark Cacao was stunned. A picnic—with him?
If the Witches themselves had bestowed such a moment upon him, he would guard their will with the last breath in his chest.
He leaned in, pressing a feather-light kiss to Peach Blossom’s cheek, watching the flush bloom across his beloved’s face like spring after a long, cruel winter.
“Yes,” he said softly, as though speaking too loudly would ruin the moment. “I would be honored.”
With care, he lowered Peach Blossom to the ground, steadying him with a firm hand as his feet touched the earth.
And then—a gesture more intimate than any kiss—Dark Cacao extended his hand.
Waiting.
Until that pale hand slipped into his, fitting perfectly.
As if it had always belonged there.
He enjoyed the sound of that, always belonging to another cookie—especially one as virtuous and kind as Peach Blossom—who would always protect his heart.
The warmth between their palms felt like a balm against his coal heart, crackling at the sparks of warmth surrounding him.
They walked slowly, letting silence whisper sweet nothings into the air as they walked towards the tree.
The closer they got, the more magnificent the white tree became—it was nearly translucent.
Each vein cradled within each leaf shining through iridescent light, almost as if it were a pane of glass, filtering light into an array of ever-shifting colors.
Peach Blossom was walking just slightly faster than him, seemingly giddy as he skipped towards the picnic basket.
After a few more minutes of walking through the Garden, the sharp flick of the throw blanket snapped in the air, gently being laid flat across the lush green grass.
Dark Cacao stood near the edge of the blanket, his posture tense—as if he could not find it within himself to simply…relax.
Peach Blossom Cookie seemed to notice his dilemma, “Are you alright dear? Are you in need of anything?”
He shook his head, “No, nothing at all,” his voice tapers off, his vision tunneling until all he saw was his beloved.
All he could do to express this…feeling, was to reach his arms out and drag Peach Blossom Cookie into a hug.
The other Cookie was lying in his lap, legs lazily stretched out before him. He leaned down and dragged the picnic bag towards them both, flicking the wooden lid open.
A small yet plentiful bounty of jams and sugar cubes lined the picnic basket, with jelly berries of all shapes and sizes littering across.
Peach Blossom grasped a berry, pinching it between two fingers and raised it towards Dark Cacao's mouth, almost instinctively he ate the berry.
The flavor was—as expected of the Immortal Garden—bursting with distinct flavor.
An almost sweet acidic burst comes forth, yet the taste of gritty earth mellowed it out, a perfect mixture of texture and flavor for one simple berry.
If mastered, even the simplest of things can become true luxury.
Peach Blossom simply stared, his face showing not even a hint of emotion other than, ‘I told you it’d be good.’
Dark Cacao glanced away, “Stop with your smirking, showing off your gardening skills to a warrior such as I is pointless.”
Peach Blossom Cookie hummed, an obvious sign of disagreement, “Well, I think that anyone can enjoy a simple berry, plus…”
A cherry blossom pink hand cupped Dark Cacao's face, forcing him to face his beloved, “I enjoy seeing you find pleasure in the simpler things, even with the life of a warrior renowned as you…you never truly relax, do you?”
Ah, Peach Blossom you truly know how to flatter a cookie…fine, maybe this once he shall lay rest his Dark Choco Blade.
“Fine, this shall be a one-time thing—I cannot ‘relax’ as a mighty warrior of the Dark Cacao Kingdom, nor can I lay my Dark Choco Blade to rest.”
Peach Blossom laughed, his other hand blocking the small smile blossoming on his face.
“Oh but of course, your excellency will never put down his sword—at least until today,” the Gardener laughed, releasing Dark Cacao's face while giggling.
Dark Cacao crossed his arms, “Foolish, that’s what you are…but before I berate you any longer, may this king have another jellyberry?”
“Ah ah ah! What's the magic word, hm?”
Dark Cacao stared, “…You cannot be serious.”
Peach Blossom stared.
“…”
The staring match continued, “…”
Peach Blossom was the victor.
“Fine! By the Witches may I please have a jellyberry?”
“Oh but of course since you asked so nicely!”
Peach Blossom's voice was smug, his fingers fading once more to hand Dark Cacao another berry.
Even with the…less than appreciated bullying—he found this charming, in a way. If not loving.
Without a single thought in his mind, Dark Cacao swept down, pressing his lips against his beloved Peach Blossom.
It was chaste, a simple kiss, but coming from a man hardened by war and cold, it meant everything.
Both Cookies spent their evening conjoined with laughter, teasing, and with flushed faces full of joy and whimsy.
Nothing could disturb them, nor did they want to share such a meaningful moment with prying eyes.
It was soft, gentler than any flower petal, just two Cookies forced to harden their doughy hearts into rock—to now forever feel love, instead of strife, within their souls.
And maybe, by the end of it all—if he had never suffered the truest form of apathy…Dark Cacao would have never met the other piece to his melding heart.