Burning Up | Cookie Run Kingdom (Espresso x Madeleine)

♪~♡Finally♡~♪

ᴇꜱᴘʀᴇꜱꜱᴏ ᴄᴏᴏᴋɪᴇ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ

Espresso blinked in shock.

Did he... Just say he loves me?

He felt a sudden rush of warmth flood his face. He couldn't believe his ears! Madeleine just told him he loves him!

"What?" Espresso asked, still confused and in slight denial.

"I said I love you," Madeleine stated firmly, his face turning a soft hue of pink.

"M-Madeleine..." Espresso stammered. He could feel his panic begin to melt away.

This sudden confession of love... It distracted Espresso from the constant looming danger of his insanely high temperature, 7th-degree-burn-giving hands.

Espresso didn't know what to say. He stopped trying to back away from Madeleine. He just gazed into Madeleine's shiny blue eyes.

Madeleine got closer, his grip loosening some more. "Espresso, can I kiss you?"

Espresso blushed more.

Now he's asking to kiss me!?

He hesitated to answer. He had never thought about Madeleine in a romantic light before, but now that he had, he realized it wasn't much different from how he normally thought of him...

Do I want him to? Do I want him to kiss me?

Espresso gulped as he realized the answer to those two— pretty much the same— questions.

Yes, yes I do.

He nodded slightly and Madeleine started leaning in slowly, his face tinted red as well. Was this really happening? Did Espresso really take this long to realize he liked Madeleine this way!?

The moment the gap between the two men closed, their lips met in a gentle, yet short kiss. Only a few seconds passed before they parted.

"I-I..." Espresso looked down at himself, any and all panic from before completely gone. His eyes widened when he realized.

"M-my hands..." He spoke softly.

They've stopped glowing..?

He gasped happily, beginning to smile, "They're not glowing anymore..!"

Madeleine smiled too, "Does that mean you'll stop running away for fear of my safety now?"

Espresso nodded. A wave of relief and joy crashed over him. Acting on pure impulse, he looked up, grabbed Madeleine's arms, and hugged him.

When he pulled away, he was on his knees and his hands were still firmly placed on his arms. Madeleine's face was slightly redder as he chuckled.

Espresso suddenly remembered the mystery of what exactly was going on with his hands. He pulled his hands away from Madeleine's face and he looked down at them.

Confusion flooded his body. What had stopped it? What even started it to begin with!? Espresso's nervousness returned.

And his hands began to glow softly.

He froze.

Not again. No... No no no no...

Madeleine looked on in worry, "Espresso?"

"No..." Espresso's panic only grew. So did the glow and heat of his hands.

Madeleine gently held Espresso's wrists, "Hey, calm down, it's okay..." He said softly, trying to soothe Espresso.