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Hot Chocolate & Marshmallows

Male Reader x Female Monster

The Cauldron Mountains sit steaming in the distance, so hot that even the snow doesn't rest on them. The people who live there, the Caldera, are known to be strong, resilient, and terrifying. They are said to be extremely tall, with bodies that are capable of withstanding the heat in the Cauldrons. They have rich dark skin that is beautiful to behold, charmed to keep them safe from the heat.

Ever since I was little, I have been mystified by the stories of the Caldera. My family has done trade with them for generations, though they are rarely seen - they always send a liaison to do business for them, since they don't like leaving the Cauldron Mountains for colder regions. My mother tells me the Caldera are extremely proud, and they don't want to show their weakness away from their beloved volcanic region.

My family are confectioners; candy and sweets have always been our trade. We moved from Pirlipat to Drosselmeyer to build our factories and get closer to the Caldera, for it is the Caldera who make the most sought-after confection of all: chocolate. Deep within the Cauldron Mountains, they use the veins of heat to temper chocolate. My great-great-grandfather started a relationship with the Caldera because he wanted to provide the best chocolate known to mankind. It took him months to finally build favor with the Caldera people. When he did, they appointed the liaison to do their business, since the Cauldron Mountains were too hot for my family, and the snowy fields of Drosselmeyer too cold for the Caldera.

Recently, my father has been working on a secret project, toiling in the kitchens day and night to create a new sweet for the upcoming holidays. I've tried to give him my ideas, but my father is quite stubborn and has been hesitant to let me take more control of the business. Since I was young, I was so excited to take over the family business. I wanted to create sweets to bring joy to the darkest times, sweets the world would talk about long after I was gone.

But ever since the passing of my big brother, my father has been against the idea of me, the youngest, becoming the heir. My brother was everything my father wanted - strong, handsome, and intelligent. I was a disappointment - pretty, soft, and sensitive. I enjoyed ballet, art, and fashion alongside my deep love of cooking. My father says I should have been born a girl. But I am a man, even if I do prefer the 'feminine' as my father puts it.

I'm closer to my mother anyway, and she loved my brother and I just the same. She taught me to cook and bake, how to make confections that aren't only mouth-watering but beautiful to the eye. She is truly the mastermind of my father's success, but he can't accept that, hence his present anxiety in the kitchen.

One afternoon my father calls us into the dining hall, where he intends to present his newest confection. I sit beside Mother while he serves us each a plate with a rather unassuming slice of chocolate cake on it. "Go ahead!" He claps his hands together excitedly. "Try it, try it."

"I was expecting something much grander, dear," my mother says sweetly, "the way you acted, I mean. You make chocolate cake all the time."

He laughs and nods. "Yes, yes, but this is different! Just try it and you'll see."

I take a bite. Nothing seems remarkable about it. It's just chocolate cake, although there is a flavor missing, something that makes the Caldera chocolate so wonderful.

"What do you think?" My father leans in close as my mother and I try to work out the cake's secret.

Mother dabs her mouth with a napkin. "It's fine, dear. What are you so excited over? Your cakes are always good."

My father seems fit to burst with glee. "You can't tell the difference, right? It tastes just as if I used Caldera chocolate, right?"

"Dear, you're going to strain something," Mother teases. "Tell us the big surprise before you're on the ground."