Work Text:
It was almost midnight, and the only sources of light came from soft streetlights and twinkling windows from the buildings above. Drops of rain dripped off high rooftops, hitting the ground with chaotic rhythms.
A train slowly rolled into the nearby stop, and a green cookie wearing a scarf stepped off. He adjusted his hair and tucked the scarf closer to his face. Flecks of rain from the open air beyond him caught in his hair as he walked to the exit.
He didn't want to admit it, but he was cold. Every time he exhaled, he could see a puff of his own breath linger in the air before him.
He walked to the edge of the platform and looked around. The rain had slowed, becoming thin sheets of mist comparable to fog, clinging to his face. The cookie sighed; he had forgotten his umbrella at home.
Thinking that the location was just a couple city blocks away, he decided to tough it out and begin walking. What would a few minutes of light mist do to him?
Guided by the blurred shapes of light among the sheets of water, he began to walk on the street. Drops of mist landed on his face and hair, but he simply wiped them off and continued.
As he walked, the rain began to increase in intensity once again. Gentle mist slowly grew to small droplets, then, getting larger and larger, until the cookie was walking under wave after wave of downpouring water. The streetlights turned into tiny pinpricks of light. All he could see was rain for miles ahead.
His hair was soaked, as well as his coat. He lifted a wet sleeve to wipe heavy rain out of his eyes, to no avail.
The bar must be close ahead, he thought. Surely just a few more blocks. How long had he been walking? he didn't know.
Anyone who was possibly out at this hour would've thought this cookie was crazy, drenched in rain and struggling along a wet pavement.
And it was at this point that someone did notice.
The cookie could see nothing but water dripping from the sky, glinted gold with streetlights, but now there was a darker, flickering light, an orange and red glow slowly coming into view. It reminded him of a candle.
He squinted as a glowing silhouette slowly came into view ahead of him. He couldn't make out the features of this cookie at all, except for the light they were emitting.
But as they came closer, he quickly took note of the figure's flaming hair, flickering under a huge umbrella they were holding. His heart skipped a beat.
The figure started to walk— no, float briskly towards him, and suddenly, he was standing right in front of the most comforting warmth he'd ever felt, accompanied by a familiar face.
"…Fire Spirit?"
"Windy!!"
Fire Spirit was right up against him, his umbrella perfectly covering the both of them. He was wearing a thick overcoat that reached all the way down to his ankles, gloves, and boots floating a few inches off the ground. "What the heck are you doing walking in the rain like this? You'll catch a cold!"
"I have a better question. What are you doing out here?"
"Millie told me to meet him at some random bar out in the city to try this new element themed drink that was added to the menu," Fire Spirit chuckled. "Kinda dry, but pretty flavorful for a cocktail."
"That's peculiar," Wind Archer said, "I'm here for the same reason."
"Hahaha, what is Millie up to this time?" Fire Spirit laughed, "Seems like he's trying to tell us all something secretive over a few drinks or something."
"He's probably just having fun now that the war is over," Wind Archer sighed, "Am I the only one still thinking that we should at least… lock in a bit?"
Fire Spirit burst out laughing. "THE guardian of nature, using slang?"
Wind Archer wished he could take his words back. "Moving on… I have to get to the bar. I'll see you around."
"Not when it looks like you've been dunked in the ocean. Come on, I'll walk you there."
"No, I'm okay. Don't want you to get extinguished," Wind Archer stepped back out of range from Fire Spirit's warmth and into the pouring rain again. Immediately he regretted everything.
always so considerate of other people, Fire Spirit thought to himself.
He held out a gloved hand. "It's no big deal. This umbrella and coat is keeping me nice and dry."
Wind Archer reluctantly took his hand and stepped back under the safety of the umbrella. Fire Spirit's flickering hair was a burning fireplace, keeping him toasted.
The two started walking into more downpouring rain.
"Haven't seen you in a while," Wind Archer commented, after a while of silence. "You used to come to the forest all the time."
"Wow, I thought you hated when I visited."
"You keep nagging me about different plant species and if they're fireproof." Wind Archer said. "But I wouldn't say that I hated it…" he added quietly.
Fire Spirit's hand brushed his. "I was resting up in the Dragon's Valley. Everyone's so tired after the war. Figured you were too."
Wind Archer hummed. "I guess everything has been too quiet after the war, and I should like it, but…" he paused, "It's so out of the norm for the world to be on pause like this. It's too peaceful."
"The war took out the balance of Nature and all of us with it. The road to recovery is a long one, I know, but I didn't expect it to be this long. It's like I still have some unfilled duty to do," he continued, finally voicing his bubbling thoughts to another guardian.
The two stayed quiet for a bit, listening to the rain bounce off Fire Spirit's umbrella.
"And now that that blue beast cookie is on the loose, it could be any day until he attacks again," Wind archer finally added. The matter had been weighing on his mind ever since he left the battlefield, having felt the blue cookie, unstable with stolen life powder and an amalgamation of souls escape into nowhere. The unsettling chill he first felt at the laboratorium came back for the second time then.
He didn't even know why he was spilling all of this to Fire Spirit. He could've confided in Millennial Tree, or Sugar Swan when she'd recovered, but he chose this flaming cookie who annoyed him to no end.
Maybe it was because he was another guardian like him? Or maybe it was because they went through the same things together, fighting for Cookiekind against all odds? Or was it something else?
Without thinking, he shifted to grab Fire Spirit's hand, warming up his freezing fingers. Even through the gloves, Fire Spirit always felt like the first wave of heat that washes over you when you stand in front of a fireplace.
Fire Spirit's eyes shifted down to their hands clasped together, then back to Wind Archer. "Let's just savor this peace before something else crazy happens."
Wind Archer nodded silently. He decided not to push the matter further.
The two didn't realize, but as they approached the bar chatting, the rain had cleared up significantly, reducing back to a light drizzle akin to when Wind Archer first left the train platform.
Finally, Wind Archer looked up to see a large yellow neon sign pointing to a glass door.
Fire Spirit gestured to the door. "Welp, this is our stop."
Wind Archer looked down and realized all his clothes and his hair had been completely dried by Fire Spirit's flickering flames. he felt warm and cozy, a drastic comparison to his past, drenched self just an hour or so ago.
Fire Spirit jokingly bowed, smiling. "After you, my wind."
Wind Archer was caught off guard by what he had just said.
"W-what?" He spluttered.
It was suddenly too warm in his scarf. The chill he had felt an hour ago had been replaced by a flush in his cheeks.
Fire Spirit only chuckled, seemingly unaware of the chaos he had caused in the green cookie's brain. "I'll come by the forest tomorrow, yeah?"
It took Wind Archer a couple seconds to adjust himself. "I-I suppose."
He looked around, forgetting why he was there in the first place. The neon sign. The rain. The door. Fire Spirit's hand. Right, right, right.
"Right!" He blurted out suddenly. "I'll see myself inside."
He stepped into the awning of the bar, letting go of Fire Spirit's hand, and suddenly, his body was cold again.
He turned back, looking back at Fire Spirit, who stood there.
Was he waiting for something?
For what?
Wind Archer realized the cookie had something more to say. He quickly tried to decipher what Fire Spirit was trying to imply this entire night.
Was he even trying to imply something? Maybe he was overreacting way too much, maybe his brain was still acting up from the chaos of the war. Wind Archer racked his brain on what made him come to this ridiculous conclusion.
The offer to walk him here, the hand holding? Fire Spirit never pulled away the entire walk to the bar.
And the nickname? Wind Archer's head was spinning even more now. All he could think of was the way he said it. It was almost like a cute, sweet name a lover would give—
Oh.
Oh.
Did Fire Spirit…
No, that couldn't be right. There was no way he… liked him. He would've spilled his guts about it ages ago if he actually had feelings for him.
Or would he? Would he have kept it all to himself, scared because he didn't know what the other felt?
Wind Archer knew he would probably do the same. Feelings like this were so complicated, and he didn't have the mental capacity nor experience to actually act upon them.
Tell him, you idiot, a voice sounded in the back of Wind Archer's mind. Tell him that you've loved him for ages.
Wind Archer shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be questioning his relationship with another guardian. He was here to hang out with Millennial Tree, maybe try a drink or two. letting loose after so long.
But… he felt like taking a risk. Just tonight.
He cleared his throat.
"Thank you for walking me," he said, trying to act composed and calm. "Get home safe. Don't get extinguished."
His heart pounding in his ears, he approached Fire Spirit, grabbed him by the collar and kissed him on the cheek.
God, he was warm. Like a cup of tea that was on the verge of burning your fingers, yet the heat simply spread throughout your hands, arms, and body.
When he pulled back, Fire Spirit's flames had started flickering uncontrollably, threatening to burn through the large umbrella.
For the first time since forever, the fiery cookie seemed like he couldn't find any words to say.
"w-wh-hu-wha—" was all he could manage.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Wind Archer said simply.
He turned on his heel, smiled, and opened the glass door.