My Lost Starshine (Willy Wonka x Reader)(2005)

9

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The chocolate room stretched before you like a dream made real—endless green meadows of spun sugar, trees heavy with chocolate leaves, the air thick and sweet enough to taste on every breath. 

The river flowed slow and dark, molten and perfect, its surface catching the golden light from the impossible sky overhead. 

You stood near the back of the group, one arm wrapped protectively around Charlie's shoulders, letting the wonder of it all sink in slowly.

Augustus Gloop turned to Charlie with a chocolate-smeared grin.

"Would you like some chocolate?"

You felt the instinctive urge to pull Charlie behind you, to tell the boy no, he doesn't need anything from you—but you bit your tongue. 

Let it play out. Charlie was too kind for his own good sometimes.

"Sure," Charlie said softly, polite as always.

Augustus's smile twisted. "Then you should've brought some."

The words landed like a slap. You sighed quietly, drawing Charlie a little closer to your side.

"Don't mind that mindless boy," you murmured into his curls, keeping your voice low. "He'll get what he deserves. I just know it."

Across the meadow, Violet and Veruca had linked hands in an exaggerated show of friendship.

"Let's be friends," Violet chirped.

"Best friends," Veruca echoed.

They immediately looked away from one another, smiles dropping the second the other wasn't watching. 

You almost laughed—such strange, spoiled little creatures. You weren't surprised, not really. Some children were raised on silver spoons and never learned what kindness tasted like.

Willy's voice carried over the gentle rush of the waterfall.

"An important room, this. After all, it is a chocolate factory."

Someone—Mike's mother, probably—called out, "Then why is the door so small?"

Willy laughed, that bright, musical sound you hadn't heard in years. "That's to keep all the great big chocolatey flavour inside."

He flung the small door wide.

The sight stole your breath.

A chocolate waterfall thundered down from a high cliff of rock candy, churning the river into frothy waves of deep brown. 

The scent hit you like a warm embrace—rich, dark, impossibly pure. You felt Charlie's small hand tighten in yours.

"Now, do be careful, my dear children," Willy said, planting himself in the center of the path. "Don't lose your heads. Don't get overexcited. Just keep very calm."

Charlie stared, wide-eyed. "It's beautiful."

You rubbed slow circles on his back, smiling down at him. "It really is."

Willy's gaze flicked to you both for a heartbeat before he continued.

"What? Oh, yes, it's very beautiful. Every drop of the river... is hot, melted chocolate... of the finest quality." 

He gestured grandly toward the falls. 

"The waterfall is most important. Mixes the chocolate. Churns it up. Makes it light and frothy. And, by the way—no other factory in the world mixes its chocolate by waterfall, my dear children."