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Pandora woke up alone in her bed.
That was strange. Pandora always was the one to wake up early, struggling to let go of her beloved when doing so. PQ stayed up late, and slept in frequently. She placed her hand on the empty spot next to her. Where could she be?
Next, she checked her phone. Maybe she sent her a text announcing her departure? Or she was online on the discord bickering with someone? There was no trace of the fairy on any socials.
She guessed she would have to do this the old fashion way. She scrambled out of bed, yawning. She didn't bother to change out of colourful pajamas. She wasn't trying to impress anyone. It didn't matter. She needed to find Pumpkin Queen.
Once she got herself ready, Pandora opened the bedroom door ajar—the light blinding her eyes— and whispered,"Pumpkin Queen?"
"Yeeees," The familiar voice of her lover responded in her usual manner, coming from their kitchen. Pandora stepped away from the door. She now had a full view of the queen herself.
Truth be told, she was adorable. Pandora blushed. She barely wore anything other than her iconic dress (and her nightgown, but that was only for Pandora's eyes to see), so seeing her in such a casual outfit sent Pandora into a twist.
Her cosy cardigan draped off her shoulder. The cardigan was white lined at the edges to resemble icing on a gingerbread cookie. The custom patches of orange added a pop to it. Underneath, there was a light green lace tank top. Wearing that during the middle of winter was a bold choice, but Pandora couldn't care any less when she looked so pretty. She caught herself staring at her girlfriend for way too long.
The goddess in question lit up."You were worried about me, weren't you, my love?" she teased, putting away her cooking materials."You don't need to be. I'm never going to die." she humbly bragged. There she goes reminding Pandora that she was in love with an eldritch being.
Pandora rolled her eyes affectionately. "I'd never be worried. I was just making sure you were really gone. Maybe then I could live in peace. You're so good at driving me crazy."
"You love it," PQ grinned. She was damn right. "Don't just stand there. Come closer. I don't bite. At least for you."
Pandora hadn't noticed she was still at the door. She must have been too stunned from the outfit."I appreciate it," Her moving feet echoed through their house, stopping when she hopped on a chair by the kitchen island.
"I've made tea if you would like some." PQ grabbed two matching mugs from behind her. Those mugs were the ones Pandora painted herself for both of them. Pandora thought she threw them away.
"Sure," Pandora took the customized cup out of PQ's hands and took a large sip. There was something familiar in it that wasn't quite right. She could not place her finger on it. It tasted like Autumn. Autumn! That was it. "…Does this have pumpkin in it?" she inquired.
"What do you think? You have to get your daily amount of pumpkin somehow."
Pandora kept drinking it. It didn't taste bad by any means. She probably wouldn't have noticed it if it weren't for the fact that she was hyper aware of pumpkins in everything. She would much rather have this than raw pumpkin. Quickly, the cup was empty without her even noticing it.
PQ finished up her cleaning and sat on the chair across from her, holding the remaining mug of what she assumes is full-on pumpkin tea. "Do you like the new decorations? I woke up early to set them up," PQ asked, trying to stir up small talk.
Were there new decorations? She failed to notice them. Looking around, she spotted red, green fairy lights adorning the walls, a mini artificial tree in the corner with pumpkin ornaments, familiar pumpkins in their usual spots—this time carved and painted with Christmas theming in mind. Under the tree, there were small presents. She couldn't wait to see what was inside of them. But alas, she would have to wait until Christmas day.
"It's a nice change for Christmas," she commented. It genuinely brighten up her mood slightly. She was so used to the Halloween and pumpkin decorations. "Although, it would look more festive without the pumpkins."
PQ subtly chuckled."You know I can't do that, love. It wouldn't be me without pumpkins."
"It was worth a try," Pandora muttered.
"I may love you more than any other pumpkin in the world, but you cannot convince me to abandon them. They're my children, no matter what."
"I'm their evil stepmother, trying to get rid of them." she playfully said, making little hand movements for dramatic effect. She could not take herself seriously, giggling through her next sentence. "Force them to do chores around the house."
PQ's laughter joined Pandora's giggles. "That would be a good idea. Child labour."
Suddenly, the oven timer went off from behind PQ. Was she cooking something? The area did smell like pumpkin treats, but Pandora thought it was a new perfume PQ was wearing. "Oh! Looks like they're done already," she declared, "Excuse me while I get the cookies I made for us out of the oven." She hopped off her chair and headed towards the oven.
"Are they pumpkin flavoured?" Pandora asked, already knowing the answer. She wouldn't be surprised if PQ found a way to make pure pumpkin Christmas cookies. Probably with a little bit of magic.
"And pumpkin shaped too!" PQ exclaimed, her head fully in the oven, trying to retrieve their treats.
The edges of her lips widened in a playful smirk. "Of course they are."
PQ returned to the kitchen island, baked goods in hand. They were neatly organized on the baking sheet. They were molded to perfection. Pandora wondered how long it took her to make them. She doubted it was that long. PQ was a spectacular baker and cook. But only for pumpkin related recipes. Everything else she tried to cook was a disaster.
"Be careful, they're hot," she warned.
"I know."
"Don't touch them then. It'll take a couple minutes to cool down." Pandora nodded.
A minute passed. Then another.
It probably was long enough. Pumpkin Queen didn't specify how long it was. She was fine! She—as soon as PQ turned away— grabbed a cookie from the baking sheet. She, then, dropped it back on the sheet, clutching her hand. Thankfully, her hand wasn't burnt.
"What did I say?" PQ folded her arms.
"Sorry," she sheepishly replied.
PQ's expression turned into adoration. "Don't apologise, love. It's cute,"
After a few minutes of cooling, they began to eat the cookies. Pandora wasn't expecting to like them very much, but they exceeded expectations. The texture was the thing she was most worried about. Luckily, they were soft and gooey on the inside, just like she likes them.
While eating, Pandora observed a small speck of food on PQ's lips."You have something on your face," she commented.
"I do?"
"Here, lemme wipe it off," Pandora reached over the counter, tissue in hand. The counter wasn't very long, but she still struggled to reach far enough. For stability, using her other hand, she grabbed PQ's chin.
She successfully wiped the crumbs off of the fairy's lips, before PQ pulled her into a warm, inviting kiss. She melted into it like (pumpkin) ice cream on a summer's day. The taste of her usual pumpkin-flavoured lip gloss stained her mouth. It may have lasted for a few seconds—some might say it was insignificant— but to Pandora it was her life force.
"I hate you," she muttered, breath hitching with PQ's.
Pumpkin Queen's tinted lips transformed into a sly smile. "Aw, I hate you too."