Work Text:
Croissant cookie had a problem.
It had been a couple days since she had been rescued from that other timeline, and despite her initial drive and enthusiasm about taking action and stopping the timelines from collapsing once and for all…it had slowly been replaced by The problem. Said problem being strong, very distracting, very annoying thoughts. Thoughts centered around a particular cookie.
None other than her boss, who also, happened to be herself. But…not exactly.
Timekeeper was someone particularly strange to describe. On some days they were practically a concept, thinly separated from her reality by the absurdity of their self and their behaviour, so foreign to the idea of their long lost mortality that it made her question if there would come a day where she stopped viewing herself as a person at all. On others, they were a mirror of her, their laugh echoing across the halls in a way that made her doubt, even if momentarily, if it hadn't been herself who produced such a sound. The sparkle in their eye when she talked about her gadgets practically identical to the one present in her own gaze when she proudly finished a new creation, or succesfully fixed something. They occupied her mind constantly, something that wasn't particularly new to her, in fact, she was already used to it. But lately her fixation had been getting in the way of her work—something that, while admirable considering how hard it was to distract her, was proving to be...concerning
It was eating away at her efficiency. Her precision. Her speed. Witches, she had nearly misplaced a piece from one of the newer employee's timecraft during repairs, and if one of the other cookies from the TDD hadn't pointed it out to her, she might've not even realized. Who knows what could've happened if she had left it out? The thought sent shivers down her spine as she shook her head, pushing it away. It hadn't happened, and no one had gotten hurt.
But they could've, which is exactly why she had to find a solution to The problem, and quick.
If there is something that Croissant cookie prided herself in, it was her ability at solving any and all problems that came her way. Most of the time, at least. Usually, a matter as silly as her little fixation wouldn't even be counted as a problem, but given current circumstances…distractions were not something she could allow herself, even less when they were getting in the way of her far more urgent, far more important tasks. So, she had to fix it.
She sat down on her desk, her foot tapping against checkered floors. Alright, so for starters. Where did this problem even come from? Or more specifically, when did it become The problem?
The answer came to her surprisingly easy. Maybe a little too easy.
It all pointed back to her little…escapade with the director, when she first had returned to the TBD. They had gone around time fixing bifurcations here and there, putting the timeline neatly back in order together. But…more than that, it really had felt like she was doing most of the work while Timekeeper simply observed her behaviour curiously, gently taking over when she made a mistake, and then letting her try again as if nothing had happened. They had gone around like that for a while, serving her as a refresher of just why she did her work the way she did.
It felt wrong. Letting tragedy unfold again even as she was perfectly capable of stopping it—for the sake of retaining what little stability their timeline had left. But at the same time, it felt invigorating, seeing the look on their face everytime she chose to set things straight again. Hungry. The intensity of their gaze making her look away as they chuckled sofly, pulling them both into another moment in time, and again.
"I do hope you keep showing these fascinating sides of yourself!" They had said after they finished, grasping her chin and tilting it upwards ever so slightly. "That way, I won't get bored!"
It had send shivers down her spine, panic arising as she demanded to just return to headquarters already. Soon enough she had been dragged into more work, proving to be be enough of a momentary distraction to stop thinking about cold gloved hands on her skin, but not for long. Because soon, it had turned into The problem. Which…she already went over.
She was thinking too much about them. Their face, their mannerisms, their hands. And Timekeeper themself was not helping. Almost every time they were in the same room they would come over to her and start touching. Poke her face,wrap their arms around her shoulders, or directly fully lean over her back while asking what was she working on.
On one particular ocassion, she was half-asleep during one of their visits and didn't notice their approach, so they had accidentally slammed her into her desk when doing their usual 'leaning their full weight into her back' thing, causing her to hit her nose. Hard. But after the initial panic had died down and Timekeeper pulled back with a muttered "whoops" , she could only realize, in horror, that she hadn't hated that.
But perhaps they were the key to solving The problem. Witches, they were the root of The problem, so she'd be damned if the solution wasn't to be found in the same place. Person. Same person.
Who also happened to be her boss. And herself—but not exactly—. Right.
So.
How was she going to approach this? If she put Timekeeper at the center of things she had quite the number of options to pick from.
Firstly and most obviously—and the choice she should probably pick—, she could simply tell them. After all, they were her, but from a different time and timeline. Whatever it is that troubled her, they'd probably understand, because it was her, and who better to understand her than—Okay, she's starting to go in circles. Back to the point, she could tell them and it would probably be the fastest, safest, and best course of action. So—
She was absolutely not going to tell them. Too embarrasing. How would she even approach the topic? "Yeah, I've been thinking nonstop about you to the point its starting to distract me from my work and I don't know what to do about it, can you help me?" "No, mhm, I've been having trouble focusing because all I can think about is you." "Can you slam me against my desk again, but purposefully this time? Please be careful with my nose though."
…Better stop there.
Except…perhaps she could approach them about it. Just…not with that. She just had to come up with another reason. But she likely would only have one chance to go about it, or else she'd be forced to tell the truth which…she didn't even want to imagine. They would never shut up about it, and more importantly they would never let her forget about it. So what would she say to them?
…Perhaps she should change her approach. Instead of 'how can I fix this?", "What do I want to get out of this?". Yes, that was better.
…What does she want?
"Can you hold me for a while? I think it would help me clear my head."
While that could work for other matters, she hardly thought it could be a permanent solution to The problem. Something else.
"I've been feeling stressed lately, do you mind if I hide in your office for a while?"
Too subtle. Something else.
"Can you slam me agaisnt my—"
No. Absolutely not. She was not taking that direction. Besides, she doubted it would even work. Something else.
"Can you kiss me?"
Wait, what?
"I can't get your touch out of my mind, I want to know how your lips would feel agaisnt mine."
No, she couldn't say that, it was too direct, where had this even come from?
"I can't think about anything else, I need—"
"Croissant cookieeee~!"
Shit.
Croissant cookie turned around towards where the voice came from—perhaps too fast, considering how her back hurt from it—, and was met with the sight of the person she wasn't exactly sure if she wanted to see or not. "Timekeeper." She greeted them, voice flatter than she intended it to be. They looked at her curiously.
"Weren't you supposed to clock out like an hour ago? Or are you overworking yourself again?" They asked, already approaching her atop their sonic embroiderer, a mischievous smile on their lips. "You shouldn't do that, you know? It could be bad for your health…"
You are bad for my health. "I was…about to clock out, actually." She turned away from them, gathering her stuff in her bag in a rather hurried manner, set on continuing her planning somewhere more private. Definitely not in front of them. "I planned to do more tonight but…I've been struggling to find my focus." Not exactly a lie, was it?
"Hm…Is that so?"
Arms wrapped around her from behind.
But not around her shoulders, like usual.
"Well, you have been looking quite…distracted, as of late." They rested their chin on her shoulder, arms pulling her closer from where they circled around her waist. Croissant stiffened where she stood. "Are you going to tell me why?"
Can you kiss me?
"I've had a lot on my mind lately." She blurted out, almost too quickly. They hummed in response, one of their hands slipping down to play with the sleeves of her jumpsuit. Croissant's hands trembled lightly.
Its okay. She could still weasel her way out of this situation. In fact, if she played her cards right, she could even get what she wanted out of it. She took a deep breath as discreetly as she could. "These past days have been…"
"Stressful?"
"Yes."
"Hmm…" They sighed against her neck. Her mind went blank. "My poor Croissant cookie…you've just had so much to deal with!"
"I could use a distraction." This wasn't going like she planned.
"You could use a distraction." She nodded. A little chuckle escaped them. "What kind of "distraction" are we talking about here?"
Can you kiss me?
"You know this thing, pratice kissing?" That's it, there was no way she could still salvage the situation. Her cheeks practically burned, her heart beating at a rather alarming rate.
"Oh?" She felt them tilt their head to the side, leaning a little further on her, as is she wasn't already threatening to collapse into a puddle from embarrasment. "So like kissing…but not for real?"
"…Sort of." She shrugged, suddenly finding the seams in her bag very interesting.
Until the arms around her waist retreated, and she was spun around rather enthusiastically. "I'll take a guess here and say you want to do that with me, yes?" They tapped their fingers on her shoulders, floating above the ground slightly. Expecting an answer.
Croissant's mouth opened and closed a couple of times before words finally returned to her. "I-I mean…if we kiss its like practicing with a mirror, right…?"
"…Right." Their gaze sharpened, and for a moment, it felt just like when they were traveling across time, fixing bifurcations, and setting tragedies back into place.
Hungry.
"S-Since you are…"
"You?" They floated closer still, gloved fingers trailing down her shoulder blades into her forearms. She bit back a shudder. "Yes. A reflection, a glimpse into what is to be." they crooned, gaze softening. They pulled her forward, causing her to stumble and instictively reach for their shoulders to steady herself, only after a couple of seconds realizing the position they were in.
So close…it was almost enough to send her spiraling. She was standing on her tiptoes, yet they still towered over her, casting a dim shadow. She found herself unconciously staring at their lips, unaware of the gaze mirroring her own. "We both know there's a lot more to you than that." It was practically a whisper, this close.
"So are you gonna do it?" Their tone was hardly louder than hers, but it was still enough to snap her out of her daze, her eyes now darting up to meet theirs. "I mean, you are the one who asked to, so…"
"O-oh. You're okay with…?"
"Would I still remain here if I wasn't?"
"…Fair point."
"Mhm. Now, shall we?" They descended from where they floated, landing on the floor delicately. Beautifully. They were still taller than her, but at least it wasn't by such a wide margin anymore. They leaned forth, slowly, yet didn't close the distance fully. No, they were waiting for her to take the step, weren't they?
She swallowed thickly, unsure how to approach this still. Her body practically begged her to stop overthinking everything for once and just dive in like she so desperately wanted, but she still doubted.
Tentatively, she tilted her head to the side, hands leaving Timekeeper's shoulders to cup their face instead. Hesitantly, she pushed forward, eyes fluttering closed as she closed the distance, brushing their lips together softly. Timekeeper exhaled against her mouth. It felt terrifying. It wasn't nearly enough.
More boldly, she pressed closer still, sealing their lips together as she let out a deep sigh, her entire body shaking as she kissed them before she slowly pulled away, giving them one last peck and opening her eyes. Only then noticing they hadn't closed theirs. She blinked.
"Oh dear," they giggled, "you are very bad at this."
Ah. So that was it. Well, there it goes, she blew her chance and it did nothing to help The—
One hand left her arm, moving to grasp her chin instead. "Would you like me to take over from here?"
Her eyes widened. She almost stumbled back in surprise but forced herself to remain in place, just staring up at them, trying to process their words. "W-what…?"
"I mean…we're pratice kissing, right?" They clicked their tongue, looking to the side for a moment, before returning their eye to her. "So I think it's okay for me to show you how it's done, wouldn't you agree?" Their smile widened, not letting go of her chin.
"I…yeah. Yeah, you're right." She nodded, almost too eagerly.
They hummed in response, and the hand that remained on her forearm moved to her back, flushing their bodies together. "Just one thing." They moved forward—well, backwards for her—until the back of Croissant cookie's legs hit her desk, one of their own pressed in the space between. Oh. Oh. "Support is important" They stated simply, before clearing their throat. "Shall we, then?"
"Y-yes."
"Fufu. Very well."
In a second, the hand on her chin went to the back of her neck, pulling her forward into the other's mouth, cold fingers tangling into her hair almost viciously. She let out a little surprised noise, yet it was swallowed down by the other. Timekeeper tilted their head to the side, slotting their lips together and deepening the kiss, barely giving Croissant any time to keep up with their pace. She squeezed her eyes, hands returning to the other's shoulders, practically holding on for dear life.
Timekeeper pulled back ever-so-slightly, yet only to nudge her lips to part, which she complied with strange curiosity to, before the little space was closed again, cold enveloping her mouth.
They sighed against her, moving at a slower rhythm, perhaps noticing her struggle. Whichever the reason, she appreciated it, as she tilted her head as well, arms moving to wrap around Timekeeper's shoulders, pulling them closer, reclining into the desk just a smidge. They were right, support was important.
They let out a small giggle against her mouth, and allowed their hand to wander up and down her back, tracing little swirls on the surface, sending a little jolt up her spine, before something else occupied her mind.
Timekeeper's lips left her mouth, instead moving to press kisses on her cheeks and jaw, the hand on the back of her neck tilting it roughly, before they moved to press kisses there, instead. Croissant yelped, eyes opening wide in bewilderment, blinking rapidly before relaxing again, soothed into the rhythm—one of her hands moving to the back of Timekeeper's head and pressing them closer to her neck.
Yet, they pulled back, a thoughtful expression on their face, as if they were considering something. But before Croissant could ask what was wrong, they looked her in the eye.
"I apologize in advance."
"Wha—?"
With a swift move, they pushed her down into the desk. Hard. The impact wasn't painful, yet it still left her gasping for the brief moment her mouth was unocuppied before their lips enveloped her once more, even more intensely than before. She still melted into the contact, arms wrapping around their middle as the leg between hers pushed up, drawing a rather…embarrasing noise out of her. She thought briefly, how bad this would be for her posture. But she didn't have any mind to think about that right now.
In fact, she didn't have any mind to think about anything right now.
They pulled her off the table's surface, pressing their bodies together again, and Croissant could only wonder as to where they even got these kinds of ideas from. They moved at a faster rhythm now, and Croissant did her best to keep up, noticing the way their breath quickened against her mouth, feeling a faint tick, tick, tick against their flushed chests.
One of their hands moved to untie the jumpsuit around her waist, gloved fingers slipping under fabric—
"W-wait, WAIT—!" Croissant cookie pulled back abruptly, nearly choking on her own spit before breaking into a coughing fit. Timekeeper helped her straighten up, her expression still cheerful yet with a tingue of concern.
"Sorry. Too far?" They started. "I didn't mean to scare you. Probably should've asked first…"
She cleared her throat, shaking her head, only then noticing the thread of saliva between their mouths. Her cheeks burned red again. "Err…uhm. Its alright, really. I was just surprised." She rubbed the back of her neck, a little sore from…all that. "I mean I thought we were just..." Kissing? She only then realized how stupid that sounded. Whatever they were doing at that point was far beyond kissing. In a way, she couldn't blame them for getting the wrong idea.
"Ohhh, right, practice kissing." They chuckled, seeming to share the thought as well despite her not saying any words. "Well then! I hope that was enjo—errr—helpful, for you." They tilted their head to the side, and only then did it click to Croissant, like cogs falling into place, a single, yet quite obvious thought.
They knew.
Oh witches, of course they did.
They must've noticed the way her expression changed, as they hurried to pat her head, and neatly tie the sleeves of her jumpsuit around her waist again. "Oh, don't you worry, Croissant! This can be our little secret, besides—" they leaned forward, just right beside Croissant's ear, "I quite enjoyed it, myself." Yet before she could say anything, they pulled back, fixing their collar and hopping back onto the sonic embroiderer.
"Well! Would you look at the time! Its getting quite late, so you and I should probably get going!" They chirped, and Croissant stared at them dumbfoundedly for about 6 seconds before she remembered how to breathe.
"Yeah. Yeah—we should." She nodded, picking up her back from the floor and making sure everything was still inside, the ghost of their touch all over her already making her miss the closeness. A time rift opened behind them.
"Oh and, by the way, Croissant?" they started, turning back to her. She tilted her head at them.
"I wouldn't mind doing this again, sometime."
She almost dropped her bag again, turning around like a flash—but they were already gone.
"…."
…Oh witches. That had actually just happened. And not only that, but it was extremely likely that they knew her intentions from the get go and were simply playing along for their own amusement. And she was so entranced by how smoothly things were going that she didn't notice. Of course.
The urge to run up to a wall and bang her head against it was strong. But what good would it do? What was done was done…
She could only hope that if they ever did this again, it would be on a nicer, softer surface.
…
…
…
…Yeah, that definitely only made The problem worse.