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The Dark Flour War had been hard on everyone. Royal Berry had to help Dark Choco find survivors in the rubbles of the Vanilla Kingdom. Well, he didn’t have to. He could’ve simply ordered his guards to do all the dirty work for him. But he didn’t. He lifted and scavenged the area in dirty white clothing, Dark Choco at his side. They had eventually found Vanilla Fudge under a broken table, torn painting weighing down on him. “Dad…” he mumbled, his hand the only thing poking out of the rubble. “Vanilla Fudge Cookie!” Royal Berry yelled, trying to move the heavy painting off of him. “Dark Choco-!” he called out. “I got you.” The stronger cookie moved the painting off with ease, as well as the table that was atop of him. Vanilla Fudge gasped, coughing when dust entered his lungs. The two princes help him onto his feet, arms wrapped around both their shoulders. “Wh-Where's my staff?” He kept his eyes closed, afraid of hurting his friends. Royal Berry looks around him, finding two pieces of the flower staff broken, magic pulsed out of it in electric waves. He bent down and placed the top piece with the flower in his hand. “Here…” The eye of the flower opens, looking around. “M-My-” Vanilla Fudge tried to walk away from their grip, but instantly stumbled to the floor. “It’s all gone…” Tears streamed down his face. Dark Choco had cringed at that moment, not used to strong emotions. Royal Berry however, bends down to wrap his arms around his friend, tears streaming down his face as well.
The rest of that day never got any better. They found crumbled cookies everywhere, none of them being Pure Vanilla or Hollyberry. They found Dark Cacao, who Vanilla Fudge had instantly used healing magic on as Dark Choco tried not to cry. Even after Royal Berry told him he could express his emotions, he just refused, blocking any sort of weakness from reaching the surface.
After the day ended, nothing else could be done. Hollyberry, Pure Vanilla, and Golden Cheese were nowhere to be found. And Royal Berry had gone home that night in tears, head in his hands as Jungleberry, his newly wedded wife, comforted him with arms around his shaking form. He was dirty, yet she didn’t mind. What did I do to deserve you? He wondered, never actually vocalising that thought. He had always had self esteem issues, having never felt like he was important in his childhood. Vanilla Fudge sat across from them both, broken staff across his lap, eyes closed. He didn’t make a sound.
Now, Royal Berry and Jungleberry were doing paperwork, finding out the best ways to help the survivors of that war, and wondering where to put the refugees. Royal Berry had of course taken Vanilla Fudge in, at least until he recovered. He was badly hurt after all, and healing magic doesn’t often work on oneself.
“Darling,” Jungleberry spoke up, making Royal Berry tear his eyes away from the paper sitting right in front of him. “Darling, I think you should go rest.” Her voice is weary, eyes squinting in concern. Royal Berry wipes his eyes with his sleeve. “I’m fine dear…” “C’mon, love, I know you are not being truthful.” She slides her hand across the table, brushing over his. He feels loved, cared for. He knew he chose the right woman to marry. Or maybe she chose him… “Go on, I’ll handle the politics until you feel well again.” She leans over the table and plants a quick kiss on his forehead, making him blush. “Mmm… Very well then, my queen.” he stands up as well, chair sliding underneath him. “Only if I get a kiss.” He taps his lips with his gloved index finger. Jungleberry scoffs and rolls her eyes playfully at his request, her cheeks turning red herself. “Okay fine you sap.” She leans in further to press her lips onto his, him tilting his head to the side in response. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, before they both pulled away. Jungleberry wipes her upper lip. “Ugh… Your mustache is growing again.. It is quite itchy.” He lets out a chuckle, raising his hand to squeeze her shoulder. “I know… I’ll shave it later… Maybe.” He pulls away from her embrace, admiring her for a few moments as she sat back down, taking her fountain pen in hand. He left the room with arms behind his back.
He walked down the halls of the castle, eyes glazing the portraits of his mother lining the walls until the ache in his chest became too much to bear, tearing his eyes away. He walked towards the guest room that Vanilla Fudge was in, standing in front of it for a few moments, just looking. There were no sounds coming from inside, making him a bit concerned. He unfolded his arms behind his back and reached for the door handle, slowly turning it and pushing it open. His eyes widened, and instantly went to cover his mouth to stop a loud gasp from disturbing the other prince, or former prince.
Vanilla Fudge sat there against the far wall under the window, curtains flowing beside him, covering and uncovering his slouched form. In his hand was a bottle of berry juice, a cup placed beside his bed but nowhere near him. Multiple other bottles surrounded him at his feet. He took a swing straight from the bottle, gulping down a quarter. Once it left his lips, red liquid dripping down his chin, his eyes locked onto Royal Berry, who looked away thinking he was about to feel pain at the sight of his eyes, but slowly looked back when he didn’t. Perhaps the juice had weakened the curse in his eyes? Royal Berry thought. Vanilla Fudge snapped him out of his head with a lazy wave. “Heyyy! Royal Berry Cookie, my dear friend!” he smiled, red eye-bags crinkling from the muscle movement.
“Vanilla Fudge Cookie… Where did you acquire so much-”
“Your maids offered me a bottle… And they just listened when I asked for more.” He took another swing, causing Royal Berry to flinch. He felt like a little kid again, his kind and gentle mother reduced to a drunken mess, so far gone she couldn’t walk. He went straight into that protective headspace, walking towards Vanilla Fudge, the once peaceful and coordinated prince, reduced to a blabbering mess. His perfect curls frizzed up and slinked down like a stretched spring, worn out and used. “Come on… let's get you to bed.” He gets down on one knee and slips his arms under Vanilla Fudge’s armpits, lifting him off the ground and directing him towards the bed. He felt the bandages under his button up pajamas, trying to avoid the injuries.
Vanilla Fudge let out a groan. “But the floor’s s’mo comfy…” he whines, tilting his head up to gulp down more juice. Royal Berry snatches it away from his grasp, placing it down on a nearby desk. “Vanilla Fudge Cookie, please… That's enough berry juice.” “Noooo!” he whines, pouting like a little kid as he is placed on the bed, placing a hand to his head, feeling a headache coming on. Royal Berry sits beside him, rubbing his back gently. He stayed there for a few moments, just silently comforting Vanilla Fudge. He thought about all those times his mother was in the same position, a feeling of resentment rising within him. Hollyberry was most likely dead, and most of his memories were of her getting drunk and taking care of her. He hated that his friend, someone who he thought fondly of, was acting the same way.
But he also understood. He lost his home, his father, his whole life. It was reasonable that this would be the result of his sorrow. He just wishes he had coped in a different way. He patted Vanilla Fudge’s back one last time before beginning to stand. “I’ll go get you some water-” he was suddenly pulled back down, Vanilla Fudge gripping his cloak tight and smashing his lips against the other man’s. His grip loosened and his arms went to wrap around his shoulders. Royalberry would’ve gasped in surprise if he had any room to breathe. He froze, hands shaking and eyes widening. The kiss was, on Vanilla Fudge’s part, passionate and full of desire, On Royal Berry’s end however, he did not kiss back, lips attempting to pierce, resisting the affection. He tasted like berry juice, the taste exactly like the pure toxicity it smells like. Vanilla Fudge pulled away to catch his breath, quickly going back in with his tongue ready to penetrate Royal Berry’s mouth, leaning his weight on him like he was trying to lay him down. Royal Berry quickly pushed him away, standing back up, panting, wiping his lips as he stared back at a confused Vanilla Fudge. “Y-You’re drunk Vanilla Fudge Cookie-”
“My dear friend… Please, I want you-”
“You don’t know what you want… I’m not going to take advantage of you in this state…” He crosses his arms across his chest, frowning at his friend in pity.
Vanilla Fudge pauses, looking down, more tears rolling down his cheek, sobbing into his hand that quickly went to cover his face. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… My friend…” he sobbed out, hiccupping and whimpering. He looked so pathetic, like a little kid wanting his mommy. Royal Berry could relate to that weakness to some degree, making him feel a little bad for pushing him away.
“I-I just miss him… Papa…” he took a deep breath in, letting out another sob. “I miss my papa…” his voice shaking with drunken despair, arms wrapping around himself in an attempt to feel comfort. Royal Berry cautiously steps forward again. Don’t kiss me again. Don’t kiss me again. He chants in his head as he wraps his arms around his friend again, embracing him fully now. “Shh… It’s okay… Everything is going to be okay. It will pass… This pain will pass.”
They stayed like that, this time Vanilla Fudge resisting the urge to violate his friend, and accepting the hug in full. Eventually, Vanilla Fudge passes out, and Royal Berry does the man a favor and gently lays him down against the pillow, tucking him in the soft, velvet covers. He goes to the private bathroom and pours a glass of water for him, placing it beside his head on the table. He sighs while looking down at him, feeling sorry for his friend. He wipes his lips again, the taste of berry juice still in his mouth, almost like it stained his dough.