A Taste Of Courage - Cheflotte One Shot

Are you sure?

When Agatha told Charlotte that the only way to earn Chef’s respect was to be "brave, unafraid, and to see her as an equal," something shifted in Charlotte’s mind.
For so long, she had been both intimidated and mesmerized by Chef’s presence, but this advice gave her a new perspective.

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Later that evening, Charlotte closed up the nursery, slowly locking up and gathering her things as she waited.
She knew Chef would be leaving in a few minutes, and she couldn't shake the urge to see her just once more before the night ended.
With her purse in one hand and the keys in the other, she moved to the corridor and saw Chef — a woman with a past as fierce as her culinary skills — heading toward her car, a matte black Range Rover.

Charlotte quickened her steps, her heart pounding.
"Chef!" she called out, her voice carrying through the quiet evening air.
Chef stopped and turned around, looking at her with a mixture of impatience.

“What?” Chef’s tone was sharp, almost annoyed.

Charlotte hesitated, her words fumbling, “I-I just wanted to…”

Chef raised an eyebrow, mocking.
“You? You wanted to what? Go on then, use your words!”

Agatha’s words rang in Charlotte's mind, and she steeled herself.
“I just wanted to say… your cooking was incredible today,” she managed, her voice soft but steady.

Chef scoffed, rolling her eyes.
“That’s why you’re holding me up? To tell me something I already know? Charlotte, really, you—”

“And I also wanted to say that… you look really nice today,” Charlotte added, her voice dropping as a slight smile tugged at her lips.

That caught Chef off guard.
Her usual composure wavered as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, glancing back at Charlotte with an unexpected vulnerability.
“Thank you?” Chef replied, her tone tinged with confusion.

Charlotte took a small step forward, her gaze holding Chef’s.
“Actually… you always look nice. Not just today,” she said, her voice laced with a warmth that surprised even herself.

Chef, visibly flustered, instinctively took a step back, only to find herself pressed against her car.
“Charlotte… what is this?” she murmured, her usual confidence shaken.

Charlotte tilted her head, voice low, teasing.
“I don’t know. You tell me.”

Chef paused, a slow smile curving on her lips as she finally understood.
“Oh… so this is how you want to play it?” she said, straightening up with a glint of challenge in her eyes.

Charlotte's smile grew, the space between them shrinking as she replied,
“I mean, you’re the chef. It’s your call, isn’t it?”

In a swift, almost impulsive move, Chef spun Charlotte around, pressing her against the car, her hands sliding to Charlotte’s waist.
For a moment, they just looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. And then, with a tension that had been building for far too long.

As Chef leaned in, the lingering tension between her and Charlotte finally snapped.
Their lips met, tentative at first, but quickly grew with an intensity they’d both held back for far too long.
Chef’s hands slid from Charlotte’s shoulders down to her waist, her grip firm but filled with a surprising tenderness that contradicted her usual bluntness.

Charlotte’s heart raced as Chef’s hands held her in place against the cool metal of the Range Rover. She instinctively reached up, her fingers threading through Chef’s hair, pulling her closer, deepening their kiss.
Chef responded with a low hum, a sound that sent a jolt through Charlotte.
This was so much more than she had expected.

The way Chef moved against her, every touch filled with purpose, made Charlotte feel like she was truly being seen.

As their lips parted for a breath, Chef looked down at her, her gaze intense and unreadable. Charlotte saw something new there — a softness that caught her off guard.
Chef reached up, her thumb tracing along Charlotte’s jawline, her lips just brushing the sensitive skin beneath her ear.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Charlotte?” Chef’s voice was a low murmur, filled with an unmistakable hint of amusement.

Charlotte let out a soft laugh, surprising herself with her own boldness.
“You’re the one who always says that people should take risks,” she whispered back, her fingers tracing light circles on Chef’s collarbone.

That seemed to push Chef over the edge.
Without another word, she brought her lips back to Charlotte’s with renewed urgency, her hands moving down to her hips and pulling her close until there was hardly any space between them. Charlotte’s head spun, their breaths mingling in the cool night air as she surrendered to the moment, her body pressing eagerly into Chef’s.

They broke apart only briefly, both breathing heavily.
Chef gave her a wicked grin before leaning back in, taking Charlotte’s face gently between her hands, pulling her in for another deep kiss that left no question about what they both wanted. For now, nothing else mattered—just the two of them, the unspoken tension finally unleashed in a way that felt both exhilarating and long overdue.

"Would you like to come over?" Chef murmured softly.
Charlotte glanced at her phone to check the time, a small smile spreading across her lips. "I’d like that."

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A/N:
Did somebody say "JUST EAT???"
Okay, sorry 😭
Anyway - honorable mentions to the TLC group chat.
The Cheflotte brainrot is getting to me!!!