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Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe Cole should give up on this whole thing. But they didn’t want to seem ungrateful. Tita Amara had worked so hard, and they didn’t want to just toss what she’d made for them aside like it was nothing. And they actually really liked the dress. The only thing they were really worried about was--
“Can I open my eyes yet? I’ve been waiting for five minutes! I wanna see!”
--Clémente’s reaction.
“Uhh, not yet!” said Cole. “I’m… just gimme a second!” They brushed themselves off, plucking a stray hair from their arm. Okay, don’t panic. This couldn’t end too horribly. Clémente wasn’t a judgmental person. Not towards Cole, at least. So what could really go wrong? “Okay…” they said. “You can look now.” Clémente removed their hands from their eyes, and they instantly lit up like a candle. “Ahh, look at you!” they exclaimed. “You’re so pretty!” Cole’s face instantly felt hotter than brimstone. They cupped their cheek as they looked away. “C-C’mon, it’s not that big of a deal,” they mumbled. The younger Lark pulled their hands away, squeezing them. “Don’t be silly,” they insisted. “You’re beautiful, honeysuckle! Never, ever doubt that!” The little knight placed their hands where Cole’s had been on their face. “On a similar note,” they continued. “how do you feel?” With the way they looked at them combined with the dress, how was Cole supposed to hold back a smile? “Really, really pretty,” they replied. Giddiness took hold of both of them, and they rubbed their noses together in a fit of giggles.
“That’s what I like to hear,” said Clémente. They looked just as handsome. “You look like a proper white knight,” they said. Clémente pulled them out of their shared room. “Does that mean you’re still the princess?” they asked. “I thought you didn’t like that.” Cole shrugged, following Clémente down the stairs. “I’m starting to accept it,” they replied. “It’s really not that bad. As long as you’re my fearless champion.” They instantly regretted saying something so cheesy. When had they become so bold? “Always and forever, honeysuckle,” beamed Clémente. “There’s no other princess I’d rather serve. You’re the best!” They were so insistent of that. But Cole had no idea what made them so great in their eyes. If they could understand that, they could probably bring about world peace. The two reached the parlor, and Clémente bowed extravagantly, extending their hand. “Might I trouble my princess for a dance?” they mused. Cole laughed softly. They were so cute. “I’d be honored,” they replied, taking their hand. Their fingers laced together, and Clémente pulled them along in a bouncy sway to a song they composed on the spot.
“Life without you is just like chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips - it's just flour”
“And flour makes chocolate chip cookies, but you need the chocolate chips to make the cookies better”
“And I'm probably missing some steps”
“But that's how you make chocolate chip cookies… with you”
Cole couldn’t help but laugh. “How can I be compared to a cookie?” they wondered aloud. Clémente smiled, spinning Cole in place. “You can be compared to a lot of sweet things,” they replied. “Because just like those, you’re wonderful! In fact, you’re even better!” Somehow, Cole had developed a slightly thicker skin towards Clémente’s constant praise. They could handle it better, but it still gave them butterflies. So they decided to let the butterflies out the best way they knew how: in song.
“And love sounds kind of complicated”
“Maybe we should celebrate that, really, it's simple as this”
“That life without you is simply never as good”
“As when you're here and there's no one to miss”
It was true. Life was a million times better when they were with Clémente. They were like a shiny crayon that made the world Cole drew brighter. They were the sun in Cole’s otherwise dismal sky. They couldn’t picture a world without them anymore. They said it and they meant it: Clémente could ruin Cole. And while they couldn’t convey that easily in words, the power of music granted both of them a voice stronger than the might of the earth itself. Their voices united in a soft duet as the floorboards creaked beneath them.
“Life without you is just like chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips - it's just flour
“And flour makes chocolate chip cookies, but you need the chocolate chips to make the cookies better”
“And I'm probably missing some steps”
“But that's how you make chocolate chip cookies… with you!”
Their noses brushed together as their giggles filled the room. “We sound really good together,” said Clémente. They really did. And singing with them was one of Cole’s favorite things. “Thank you,” said Cole, leaning against their shoulder. The golden-blonde child hugged them tightly. “For what, honeysuckle?” they asked. Oh, where to begin? There was nowhere to end, but they were willing to pick one thing for now. “For being the chocolate chips in my cookies,” they replied. Clémente was more than just chocolate chips; they were the sugar in Cole’s lemonade and the cinnamon in their apple pie. They cupped the elder Lark’s cheeks pressing a kiss to their nose. “You’re the cutest,” they chimed.
Cole could never understand how Clémente could adore them so much, but they wouldn’t question it. It made them happy, and that was all they needed.