Unseen | Caramel Arrow Cookie x Affogato Cookie

Distracted

"Oh.." Affogato felt woozy. Sensation returned to his limbs. Small thoughts and images of Caramel Arrow filled his mind. About her hair, her breath against him, the warmth of her skin, his arms and hands wrapped around her. He must be going crazy. Then, as consciousness began to return, he remembered last night's events. Oh yeah. All of that happened.

Caramel Arrow chuckled silently, hearing Affogato groan on her bed. He was awake now. She didn't say anything, allowing him to wake at his own pace.

A minute or two passed, Affogato kept his eyes closed, but noticed a cold sensation on his ankle. "..Huh..?" He opened his eyes, just barely, and looked towards his ankle. It was lifted up by three pillows. And.. now that he thought about it, where had Caramel Arrow gone? He lazily sat up, putting his hand on his forehead and over one eye. He groaned. Waking up was always the worst.

He opened both of his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. Caramel Arrow was sitting at her desk. She was wearing a white tank top, rather than her usual watcher uniform. For a second he didn't recognize her. Her hands were above and behind her head, messing with her hair. She was putting her long hair in her bun and ponytail, the way she always had it. She was staring at him with a smile. Her shoulders, arms, and armpits were showing. Honestly, seeing her in such a casual look made his heart skip a beat. She closed her eyes, and made a flattered noise. She looked down. He was staring at her. He blamed it on his tiredness.

Caramel Arrow finished up with her hair and opened her eyes again, locking eyes with Affogato. She began to feel a little self conscious. Her hands fell and she waved at him with a semi-nervous smile. "Hey, Affogato. Good morning."

Affogato shook his head to stray his eyes from her. He needed to wake up. Hopefully she didn't think the wrong way of him. He sighed, sitting up straight. "Good morning, Caramel Arrow." He looked at his iced ankle. He pointed at it and looked at her for an answer. "Was this you?"

"Oh, yes, I iced your ankle for you. I woke up early, so I thought to do it for you."

"Huh. Thank you." He assumed she'd been awake for over thirty minutes, so he removed the ice pack and twisted his body so that his legs hung over the side of her bed. His head still felt light. He looked up at her. "Where is your uniform, Caramel Arrow?"

"Well.. it was a bit dirty, so I decided to wash it. I hope that's okay with you."

"Psh," He shook his head. "What you decide to do with your clothing is not for me to approve."

She laughed nervously. "I know, I just don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, or anything."

He raised a mischievous brow. "Uncomfortable that you're wearing a white tank top?" She shrugged in response. He hummed in a teasing manner back.

"Anyway, Affogato, earlier I was informed about your lie to the gatekeeper last night. Why did you do that?"

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I merely was stressed and wanted to be alone while I looked for you. Your disappearance made me worry greatly, you know." He grabbed his boot.

A large smile crept to her face. He really cared about her. "You're so sweet, Affogato."

"I am just looking out for my friend." He said, strapping on his boot.

A genuine, soft sigh escaped her. "Truly, I thank you for what you did last night." She spoke a bit quietly. "I really needed that."

Affogato recalled him cuddling with her and hearing her vulnerability. Now, it was like he was staring at a whole different person. Yet they were the same. "Of course. I would do it again for you." He would do it again under no serious circumstances, too.

She smiled sweetly. "Thank you." She stood up as he finished putting on his boot. She then hugged him. "My dad would've loved to see all you've done for me."

Affogato hugged back and sighed. The guilt for her father was still there. But he was glad to help her cope with it in any way. They separated quickly. "I am repaying the favor."

She chuckled. "Yeah, I guess we both help each other, don't we?" Her head tilted.

Affogato nodded his head, eyes straying. He looked around the room, noticing little intricacies about the room with its decor. Soon, he noticed his staff leaning up against a wall. She had even thought to bring his staff back for him, too? How did she even know it was gone? As Caramel Arrow moved towards a window and opened it to look outside, he stared.

…

She's a keeper.

…

He shook his head. Enough with this nonsense. Perhaps starting his day with breakfast would clear his mind from the gutters. He stood up and stretched. "Okay," He now felt the bareness of his own body. He has to get all his robes on, his boa, his headpiece, and his hair in order. There was no way in hell he was walking out of here looking like this. He sighed. "Right." He muttered to himself.

Caramel Arrow closed the window. It was nice and chilly outside, but a perfect temperature for outdoor activities in the Dark Cacao Kingdom. Maybe she'd hit up Crunchy Chip later and ask for a run. It'd make her feel stronger and better, she knew that. As much as she loved her father and wanted to keep his memory, she also knew she had to move on. It's what he would've wanted for her. And she had Affogato to thank. She wished she could always feel good like this, although resigned to eventually feeling bad about her father's tragic death. But for now, she was going to enjoy the warmth and comfort Affogato had helped her develop.