Sweetie? An Espresso x Madeleine Fanfic

I

The private library was still and quiet. A cookie sits alone, a book in his lap: The History of the Coffee Trade. He reads slowly and thoroughly, as if trying to give each word space to fly through his mind, to give it a spot on the stage, in the spotlight, before moving onto the next one...

"Sweets, can you tighten this?"

The soft but assertive voice echoed from the door, interrupting his trance.

Madeleine Cookie looked up from his book. Espresso was leaning against the doorframe, his expression calm. He continued to speak:

"I got it almost to my liking but I just can't get it to close. Seems like I need a big, strong, man to help me.." The last sentence he cooed, as if he was mocking someone, as he brushed Madeleine's chin with one delicate finger. Such a delicate touch sent shivers down Madeleine's spine.

Madeleine finally took notice of the fact that Espresso had his cape draped over his arm, and most importantly that he was wearing a corset, made of an ornate black fabric. Its ties hung loose, dragging slightly across the floor
"Of-of course, dear! Right away..."

Madeleine set down his book on a side table, Espresso - his cape on the back of an armchair, and the two met at the centre of the room...

❖

"...now, pull the next lace"
"y-yup, just a moment!"

Espresso stood still, only rarely shifting weight from one foot to the other. His arms loosely crossed, his gaze drifting around the room. Madeleine's gaze, on the other hand, only had two points of interest: Espresso's back, further down which it drifted with each subsequent, crossed-over lace, and Espresso's face, glimpses of which he caught on occasion over Espresso's shoulder...

"Now pull it tight."

Espresso's voice was crisp as the morning air.

"Ye-yes my darling..."

Madeleine carefully, yet firmly grasped the cords...and gave them a swift pull.

The air was pushed out of Espresso's lungs. A disgusting guttural sound left his lips, like he was punched in the sternum.

"Oh-oh, my dear! Are you alright?? Did...did I pull it too fast?"
"It's...quite alright...I just need a moment to adjust."

Espresso took a few deep breaths, hands on his hips. Madeleine watched him, and the twinge of guilt left his mind. A flustered feeling replaced it soon after Espresso spoke again:
"I saw it, you know. The way you were looking at it"
"Wh...what?"
"I am not sure what you wanted more though. My body...or the corset"
Madeleine blushed. He scrambled for words to piece together, for a sentence to say in retort, yet he was interrupted again:
"Would you like to try a corset, Madeleine? I have a few spare, you know."

"Dar-Darling, you know I would be far too large! I wouldn't want to break such a delicate garment..."

(("Oh of course you would be too large"
"What"
"What"))

"We could get one tailored for you then, if that is what you would want."

"I...I don't think that would be necessary!"

They shared a few seconds of silence, Madeleine averting his gaze, pretending to fix his hair, Espresso swaying slightly from side to side and tapping his cheek with his finger.

"So it was me then? That you were transfixed by? Or wait, perhaps..."

He took a step forward, his fingers resting again on Madeleine's chin.

"...there is something more?"

Madeleine swallowed. Not a coherent thought could cross his mind when Espresso touched him so ((cause this man only has ONE braincell and Espresso fucking fried it with how HOT he was-))...Espresso halted Madeleine's thoughts once again.

"Is it perhaps the knots, the elegant strands of silk that interest you? The look in your eyes... your expression when I asked you to wrap it around my waist..."

His thumb caressed Madeleine's cheek, who over the course of conversation had turned jam red.

"...were you perhaps wishing the cords were around your waist instead, Madeleine?"

Madeleine felt light, like he could leap for the ceiling...

Or fly out the window. Face first. Into the ground.

"My stars, I don't see this side of you often! Are you quite alright?"

Espresso placed his hands on Madeleine's shoulders, as if pushing his slowly ascending soul back into its vessel.

"Yeah I'm...I'm alright"

A subtle grin played Espresso's lips like a lyre.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know. We can talk about this in private at some point, if you want."

"Y-yeah...maybe. Thank you Dear."

Espresso pecked Madeleine on the cheek

"That's quite alright, sweetie."

With that, Espresso took his cape from the chair, draped it back over his arm, and left the room.

Madeleine slumped back into his armchair and picked up the book once more, but not a single new word crossed his mind, for that stage was booked for another, much more interesting star...