Work Text:
Sitting in his barely illuminated pillow fort with a still sleeping Queenie beside him, still tucked under a colorfully stitched quilt that was made by him and Ragatha, Kinger was holding a photo album with eyes full of nostalgia. Over the time he had stayed within the circus with Queenie, they had done everything to make new memories despite the circumstances against them.
“….Hmmm….” Kinger hummed as he traced his gloved fingertips along the edges of the book.
Still, every time he looked at a picture that showed him and Queenie together sometimes with the other cast members smiling away in the photos, he couldn’t help but wonder how many memories he had forgotten in the world. Since arriving, he felt that his name wasn’t the only thing he had forgotten over time.
“….Oh Kinger, what are you doing to yourself…?” Kinger asks himself shamefully as he pinches the bridge of his non-existent nose.
Shutting his eyes, he tried to remember all of those times he spent with her and even tried to remember her real face but to no avail. All he could remember was times in the botanical garden, where they went to the zoo to see the animals, and even to a butterfly exhibition where she got him to finally enjoy insects. That day…
Kinger felt his eyes opening in genuine horror.
That was them celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary!
And the worst part was, he can’t remember the exact date! Who knows how many times that day has passed in the circus without it being celebrated?
“Oh, how could I have been so careless?” Kinger asks himself before he looks at Queenie.
His beloved, his wife, and the only woman that Kinger had ever loved like an equal, sleeping on the pillows and that handmade quilt covering most of her body as she laid still and peaceful. Queenie looked absolutely beautiful no matter what in his eyes, and Kinger felt his heart break knowing that their relationship was never properly celebrated. Sure they had romantic dinners and outings, but nothing like what they had done for their anniversary.
Still, he reached out and tenderly stroked her cheek with his hand and felt the subtle shift in her breathing as she leaned into it. That made his heart feel better seeing how happy she was in her sleep, making him wonder just what she was dreaming about.
“…Don’t worry, honey…I’ll make it up to you…” Kinger quietly says, before leaning down and kissing her on the cheek.
Queenie shifted after the kiss, making a soft noise as she snuggled into the pillows, which further made Kinger fall head over heels for his wife. After ensuring she was still asleep, Kinger went back to thinking as he sat close beside her.
“…What else did I do with her…?” Kinger thought out load as he scratched his chin.
His mind was blank a few times but, he did remember more often than not that he and Queenie did baking as a hobby when it came to Friday nights. The time they decided that they could bake something new, something fun, and something tasty for sure. Kinger remembered they baked cookies, cupcakes, actual whole cakes, and even some croissants that took several tries to actually perfect.
But an idea struck Kinger as his eyes finally lit up, remembering that one day, Queenie had proposed brownies layered with a balanced coat of buttercream. It was a fun recipe that they had found in one of Queenie’s baking books, amongst the other treats they have made then, and it started on from there.
“…The best dessert we made before coming here.” Kinger reminisced to himself, not noticing Queenie shift and sit up.
“Good morning, dear…” Queenie tiredly said, propping herself up and resting her cheek against his.
Kinger perks up before wrapping his hand along her waist and bringing her close, looking down at her with adoration.
“Good morning, honey…” Kinger replied just as kindly, leaning in to kiss her.
The gesture is returned and Queenie yawns as soon as they pull away, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she then rested her hand on his chest as she exhaled.
“Oohh….what are you up to, my love?” Queenie asked as she looks up at him with those lovely brown eyes of hers.
“Many things my dear…but mostly how much I miss how we celebrated our anniversary.” Kinger relied gently as he looks at her with his icy blue eyes.
This sparks more energy into Queenie as she shuffled to sit up properly, a gasp escaping her, as she too realized what he was saying and deep shame fills her eyes as she takes his free hand.
“Oh honey…I genuinely forgot, I…” Queenie said apologetically, until a kiss gently hushed her.
“No…” Kinger said after, pulling his lips away and looking at her sincerely, “…Don’t blame yourself,‘I forgot too. This circus life? Really scrambled our brains. I’m not even sure if it is today.”
“But still my dear, I genuinely miss what it was like…” Queenie sighed as she leaned her head against his shoulder.
“Which is why I’ve been thinking…and I might have an idea.” Kinger said with a hopeful expression, and watched her closely.
“An idea? Surely you’re not thinking of some ambitious adventure to petition to Caine.” Queenie joked, giggling as she saw him roll his eyes playfully.
“I was thinking something a little less ambitious, something simple. How about…we bake again?” Kinger asked as he felt his heart race with the sight of her eyes glistening with delight.
Queenie’s eyes lit up at the mention of baking, and her head lifts from his shoulder to properly look at her husband with a genuine expression of pure affection and excitement.
“Honey…that is a wonderful idea.” Queenie praised with glee as she begins to sit up.
Helping Kinger stand, Queenie smiled as she looks up at him as she holds both of his hands. In return, Kinger takes her hands and squeezes gently.
“But my dear…do we still have a book for that? If we don’t follow the recipe, it’ll be quite a mess!” Queenie questions as she walks out of the pillow fort with him.
“My memory may not be sharp sometimes…but when it matters most, I think I have an idea.” Kinger said with a wink as he has a gleam in his eyes.
And with the way his voice fell low with a determined smile, it was one Queenie knows that it can only lead to something outrageous.
—————————————
“And…there we go!” Kinger said as he closed his eyes, opening his hands, where a baking book materialized into his palms.
“Are you sure there will be anything normal in the book? Sometimes I think Caine’s influence will add some exaggerated content.” Queenie asked as she looks over his shoulder towards the book.
It was a book that had a pink cover with a generic looking cake as the front cover, with the words “101 BAKING: YOUR FAVORITE DESSERTS IN 1.”, with Kinger nodding as he opens the book and skips the pages flawlessly.
“I’m sure there is, in spite of what the circus tries to do, there’s always some normalcy. You ought to hear what Zooble said about the Spudsy’s adventu- ah ha!” Kinger says then exclaims as he finds the brownies he’s looking for.
It’s a page describing how to make brownies with a layer of butter cream topping, with Queneie examining the measurements of the recipe as well as the ingredients very carefully to find anything that seems off or doesn’t belong in a brownie.
“All clear, honey? Or is the recipe calling for stupid sauce?” Kinger asks as he lets Queenie read it over.
“Mmmm…it looks normal, measurements are reasonable, and no signs of anything that would cause harm or any sicknesses from random ingredients. We’re all set, dear!” Queenie says as she sets the book on the counter, propping it up.
“Right! Time to get the ingredients! What do we need?” Kinger asks as he opens the fridge.
“First, get some butter…then, grab some eggs…” Queenie lists off, hearing Kinger grab everything.
“Uh huh?” Kinger asks as he sets the stick of butter and flour down.
“Then…grab some flour!” Queenie announces as he looks back to see Kinger checking the cabinets.
Kinger grabs the bag of flour, then some sugar, cocoa powder, and a bag of chocolate chips. Grabbing some vanilla, Kinger also finds a couple of bars of chocolate in the candy stash of the kitchen, snatching that and setting it on the table. Finally, he gets the salt from the countertop.
“I got everything we need!” Kinger calls out gleefully.
“Perfect, now, let’s get started!” Queenie says with a clap of her hands as she looks over the steps.
As they begin to start preparing the ingredients to be converted easily to make the brownie batter, they are being watched casually by a curious Jax. Jax, as of now, was just relaxing against the wall as his arms are crossed but had a face full of mild awe.
Soon, it wasn’t long before Ragatha walks over and sees what he’s watching. Queenie preheating the oven and Kinger chopping then melting the butter slices and chocolate together in a sauce pan.
“…Whatdya suppose they’re making?” Jax asked quietly as he doesn’t look at Ragtha, but knows she’s there.
“Hmm…I’m not sure…” Ragatha murmurs, resting her chin on his shoulder before feeling his hand on her waist.
After a while, Kinger poured the contents of the mixture in a proper bowl after some cooking before adding in the remaining ingredients like the eggs, and vanilla before adding in the salt, flour, and cocoa powder before whisking.
“Hmhmhmm…” Kinger hummed a tune as he examined the mixture, keeping an eye on it, before adding in some of the chocolate chips.
“Looking good so far, honey?” Queenie asks as she checks the oven.
“As smoothly as a caterpillars metamorphosis!” Kinger exclaimed as he holds the whisk proudly.
“Good! Now let’s get that mixture in the pan!” Queenie exclaims as she gets the gets the pan, lining it with parchment paper.
Kinger pours in the mixture and evens it out with a spatula, just as Zooble and Gangle appear next to Jax and Ragatha quietly as they could smell the raw scent of chocolate batter from far away.
“Woah…what’s going on here…?” Gangle asks as she lifts her head up to get a better look.
“Kinger and Queenie look like they’re baking something. Looks really good from over here.” Ragatha replies, her eyes gazing towards the pan as it’s being set in the oven.
Jax, with a nod, grins and adds in, “Y’know…maybe once they got their fill, maybe we should ask if we could have some?”
Zooble gives him a look, a raised eyebrow, and crossed arms but with a shake of her head she glanced at Ragatha as well.
“Maybe, but it’s better we let them do what they do. It’s really up to them if they want to share.” Was all Zooble said before she glances back, “…Huh, guess we’re all here now.”
The four of them turn to see Pomni walk over, smiling a bit as she waves a little.
“Hey guys! What’s going on here?” Pomni questions as she takes a look.
As it happens, Kinger had turned the timer on and backs away as Queenie prepares to make the buttercream when the brownies are baked and cooled, which further excited him as he goes over and wraps his arms around her from behind.
“We need to start doing this again…” Kinger whispers his voice was low, warm, and filled with genuine glee.
Queenie instantly relaxed under his hold as she brought her hand to his wooden cheek, feeling how soft and warm he is under her touch, before turning her head and kissing him where their lips would be.
“…We should, “Queenie began to say as she softly rubbed her thumb along his face, “especially since it makes me feel happy doing something normal…”
“Even we need a break from the wacky and the strange…” Kinger jokes, his voice light and full of humor as he leans into her palm.
For the next half an hour, Queenie and Kinger take the remaining amount of time to talk as the air begins to fill with the soothing aroma of baking brownies, the sound of their banter as they exchanged memories over their past together, and being unaware of the fact that the rest of the circus cast were watching altogether as they settled nearby. Even Caine had joined in on the action, having floated down and standing beside Pomni as he fiddled with his cane.
After two minutes have past, the unmistakable sound of a clock alarm chimes loudly to announce the time was up and to take the brownies out. Kinger grabs some oven mitts, opens the over, and lets the excess scent of brownies fill the air as he gawks in awe of the brownies.
“Oooohh…” Kinger marveled, sliding his covered hands to grab the brownie tray and rest them on the counter.
Queenie approaches with a tooth pick before stabbing it down gently through the brownie slab, before pulling it out and seeing no wet residue.
“Baked to perfection, dear.” Queenie says with a smile, “Now all we must do is let this cool before she we put the buttercream on.”
“Sounds like a plan, now how does that…” Kinger trails off, just as he looks up.
He sees their fellow digital circus residents, and Caine, staring wide eyed and in awe of the brownies he and Queenie had prepared. Queenie also see them and gives a light laugh as she holds his hand.
“Oh dear…I believe we may have attracted some attention.” Queenie’s voice picked up an airy and sweet giggle as she looks at everyone’s suddenly bashful faces.
“W-We’re sorry to disrupt, we just smelled something good and wanted to come check out what was going on!” Ragatha calls out as she sheepishly covers her face.
Kinger’s laugh comes after, just as warm and humored as his wife’s giggles.
“Ragatha, my dear, don’t worry. We’re just baking to celebrate our wedding anniversary.” Kinger gestures to the cooling brownies, then brought a finger to his chin with a thoughtful look.
Then he turns to Queenie with a glint in his eyes and gestures to everyone that’s watching nearby, who look both curious and a little hungry.
“Perhaps we should expand the celebration, my dear…?” Kinger questioned, winking as an unmistakable smile was on his face, if it were to exist.
Queenie’s eyes lit up and she took his hand before kissing his knuckles.
“It’d be nice to celebrate with some company again…come!” Queenie whispered before turning and calling everyone over, “Come sit down and we’ll share!”
Jax hollered in delight as he went ahead first followed by Ragatha, Zooble, Gangle, and Pomni as they chatter together. Caine still stands there, looking a bit awkward as he sees everyone taking a seat while Queenie grabs a bottle of what looks like cider and some glasses, before she turns and looks at Caine.
“That means you too, Caine. Please…come join us.” Queenie calls out as she nods to him, her eyes full of sincerity.
Caine, who’s eyes suddenly went wide and bright with delight, scurried over without thinking twice and propped himself on a seat next to Pomni as Queenie poured everyone a glass of cider. Disturbing the glasses equally, she pours herself and Kinger some as Kinger checks the brownie temperature.
“I believe these are cool now! Would you like to do the honors, my dear?” Kinger questions while holding a spatula to her, and the buttercream prepared in a bowl.
“With pleasure, honey.” Queenie’s reply came smoothly before she took the bowl and spatula after setting down the glasses.
Kinger sets some plates down as everyone waits patiently, excitedly watching as Queenie spreads the top of the brownies with buttercream. As she spreads them evenly on the top, a flicker of mischief appears in her eyes before she carried the batter coated spatula to Kinger as he talks to everyone. As he turns to look at her, she dabs a small dollop of buttercream on his cheek before kissing that spot and tasting it.
“OH!” Kinger exclaimed as his face turns bright red, hearing the joyful laughter of everyone else in the room before he looks to Queenie, who is smirking.
“Gotcha…” Queenie whispered in his ear, but not before she gets a kiss from him.
It was a deep kiss too, which he immediately also tasted the sweet buttercream on her tongue, smooth and sweet. After pulling away, he raised an eyebrow.
“You’re so sneaky…I love it.” Kinger whispered with praise, grinning as Queenie grins back.
Soon, the buttercream brownies were cut evenly into small slabs before being served equally amongst everyone at the table as they drank cider and talked.
“Thanks for letting us have some, Kinger…!” Gangle thanks before taking her fork.
“You all are a part of this family, to me and Queenie…” Kinger began saying as he gives Queenie her slice, before going to get his, “…And I absolutely do not mind if we have moments like these together.”
“Damn straight.” Zooble says as she lifts her glass to that, “You both are more welcoming and friendly than my folks.”
“And we are thankful for that, Zooble. Now…why don’t we all eat and have some fun?!” Queenie asks as she takes her fork too.
With that, Kinger and Queenie took the first bite of the brownie slices they had taken. Immediately their tastebuds were filled with the warm, baked, chocolate fudge flavoring that is the brownie as the cool, sweet, and light buttercream balances out the texture of the brownie. The audible sound of moans and hums of delight filled the area, as everyone openly enjoys the brownies they had been provided.
“Light, not too heavy, chunky, or too chocolate…perfect…” Kinger managed to say before he took another bite, “…and the buttercream…”
“It’s like my tastebuds are in heaven…” Pomni said with adoration of the dessert on their plate, openly enjoying her food.
Kinger takes a sip of the cider, which fires his tastebuds with the zapping taste of the apple flavored drink which washed away any remaining bits of brownie on his tongue which further made him satisfied in his and Queenie’s efforts.
With another taste of the brownie, Kinger watched everyone all around him and Queenie laugh away, drinking, and eating as he hears some remark on hoping they can do this again in the future. Queenie scoots over closer to him as she takes his hand.
“…What are you thinking of my dear?” Queenie asked as she squeezed his hand gently.
“Oh…nothing crazy. Just, happy that we can do this again like we used to.” Kinger replied with a mesmerized glance towards his wife, “…and I won’t forget this time.”
“I know you won’t…” Queenie assuredly whispered back before leaning in and kissing him again.
“I hope not…I still blame myself from time to time for…” Kinger began to say before he stops himself, knowing now was a bad time.
“Shhhh…” Queenie shushes before pressing a kiss to his lips again, ensuring he doesn’t linger in those thoughts of his.
The mixed taste of sweet fluffy brownies and apple cider made him melt into her kiss, though to the outside world it looked like two chess pieces pressed together, for them it was like an actual kiss.
Grounded, Kinger closed his eyes as he pulses away and holds Queenie close.
“…Thank you, honey…I don’t know what I’d do without you…” Kinger sighed out.
“…Same…” Queenie admits with a small smile as she closed her eyes too.
The rest of the group were already sneaking in some seconds as Caine pours himself another glass.
“Should we…” Ragatha tried to ask, before Caine shook his head.
“No no no…let them. It’s…the least we can do.” Caine says as he looks at Ragatha, a smile on his face.
In secret, Caine makes a mental note of this head, storing it in his system, before starting a timer. For one year, counting down, until the next for their wedding anniversary again. Additionally, he adds a reminder alert for one week before that date.
[INFORM KINGER OF HIS UPCOMING ANNIVERSARY]