Now We Are Home

Flowers for Chiffon [Reader x Red Velvet]

Content: Small touches, precious Chiffon, Vampire Cookie being a slacker, and some angst over Red Velvet being mistreated.

Bonus points for those of you who recognize the title reference. And an apology if that story also broke your heart.

---

"You can not be serious, Vampire Cookie. Why do you want three Diggy Shovels, two Ginkgo Focaccias, and two Hearty Rye?"

"I mean... Why not? Live my best life, right? Sometimes my best life means some crazy stuff!"

The red-haired cookie stands - if you could even say that, as he's practically putting all of his weight onto the Tree of Wishes in a show of blatant laziness - before you smiling as if his request for the strange objects is not at all strange. You look at him incredulously before letting out a soft but exasperated sigh. He shrugs, knowing full well you would turn him down.

"Hey, worth a try! Have you seen my sister? Maybe I can pester her into giving me the stuff."

Vampire Cookie tilts his juice glass in his hand, swirling its contents in a circular motion as he watches you think about it for a moment. Alchemist Cookie had been lingering around the Flower Shop but you couldn't recall how long ago that was. You shift, walking away from the tree to peer down the road, seeing her farther down by the Jampie Diner. She looks rather angry, however.

"Vampire... Hey. Hey, wait a sec--"

"Oh, wait, I think I remember where she is. I'll catch you later!"

Just like that, he's gone. You were about to interrogate him because you remember now that he was supposed to be the cookie watering at the Flower Shop today. If he isn't the one doing it, then who is? You decide that the cookies will confront him on their own, especially his sister, and take it into your own hands to apologize to whichever cookie got saddled with being his substitute.

The walk is short but as you approach the Flower Shop and see the crimson mane of a certain commander, it suddenly feels much shorter than you would like it to be. He's always unhappy and short-tempered when it comes to being assigned to tasks like watering the flowers or jellybeans. Dealing with that attitude just isn't your forte but it has to be done.

"Red Velvet Cookie?"

Your voice comes out softer than you would like it to have because already you've come across as meek. He lifts his head and stares at you in a way that appears both agitated and curious.

"What? Do you have something to tell me?"

Ah, hell. It's hard to be apologetic when he speaks so strictly like that. For a moment you consider turning tail, saying something shallow like telling him he's doing a good job, but then you look at how he's watering. It's strange how he never uses his cake hand for anything, although it makes sense in this case that he would use his smaller cookie hand for just watering flowers.

"I'm sorry you had to take Vampire Cookie's place, Red Velvet... If I'd known, I would have come sooner."

The sincerity in your voice seems to actually have an effect because out of the corner of your eye, you see him relax. Your gaze shifts back to his face and he's frowning but it's not nearly as bitter.

"It's fine. The job needs to be done. Besides..."

He trails off and as if on cue, a little triangular white figure comes wiggling out of the flowers. Chiffon looks as if he had just woken from a nap, his short fur frosting poking out in places from rolling around, and you can't help but smile. You sit down on the stone to pet the little cake and he's more than happy to let you as he rolls on your lap.

Red Velvet's gaze softens as he watches the two of you. For so long, the cakes were judged and hurt by others. Seeing you - someone in such high power and so influential to the cookies of Earthbread - treat the cake closest and dearest to him with such love and affection means so much to him on a level you could never understand.

"He loves the Flower Shop. It's one of his favorite places in the kingdom."

You almost forgot the other is even standing there because you're so busy giving Chiffon all your attention. Looking up, you see he's smiling softly at you and your heart skips a beat. At times just like this you're reminded that Red Velvet is just a victim of circumstance; he never chose the very literal hand he was dealt by Dark Enchantress Cookie.

He sets the watering can down and takes a seat next to you. Your knees are touching slightly and although the contact would be nothing noticeable with any other cookie, it feels more intimate with Red Velvet. It takes some strength for you to not laugh at the thought that it was an honor to touch knees with the commander.

"Can you blame him? It's nice here. I would come and hang out here if.. Well.. It wasn't in the middle of the kingdom and all."

"Why let that stop you?"

Red Velvet tilts his head in curiosity, knowing you to be a rather courageous person. Without really thinking about it, he rests his clawed hand behind you to recline himself, but one of the digits is so close to your backside that you feel a slight stir. Wait, are you getting worked up over a cookie? Is that a sin?

"I.. I mean.."

You're pretty sure that's a sin.

"If you would like, we could have some sort of picnic here. I would bring Chiffon again."

Yeah, no, you've become a total sinner now for this baked good boy. The way Red Velvet is smiling at you, full of a hope and warmth you'd not seen before in him, is enough to send your heart into overdrive. He's let you see something no one else has and you want more.

"I would really like that. It's a date, then?"

Oh. Oh no. The heat rises to your cheeks as you realize what words just came from your mouth. Similarly, Red Velvet flusters, rubbing at his cake arm with his cookie one as he chuckles.

"Yeah.. Yeah, it's a date, then."

The two of you recover from your fumble and spend the rest of the afternoon planning your picnic, swapping stories, and playing with Chiffon. At some point you hear Vampire Cookie getting chewed out by both his sister and Espresso Cookie, the latter being the one you appointed to assign cookies their daily tasks. You couldn't help but mentally thank Vampire Cookie for his laziness working in your favor for once though.