Countdown: 5 days
Espresso's Pov
My phone buzzed and I fished it out of my pocket. It was 5 am, and I was preoccupied with brewing my morning coffee... but seeing it was a message from Dark Choco, I opened it, interested. He rarely used his mail, he didn't like all the spam he got apparently.
Dark Choco:
To Espresso:
4:12 am
Dear Espresso:
I know this is your email, and that you're usually up early...
I snorted at the word 'usually.' I am always up early!
m̨̘͇͎͔͍̏̄á̲̱̺̪̟̼͠d̪͖̼͖̮̗̲̐̇ͧ̾͠ȅ̶͖̞̈̾ḽ̨̟̤̙̮̩̩͋̋ͬͥẻ̯͇͚̳̙̕ị̷̬͓̼̳̮̾͗͋̉n̪̫̎̆͛͝e̼̙͙̩͖̤͍ͧ͠?
Except maybe when Madeleine sleeps with me.
....So Caramel Arrow said to text you, and I agree with her. We would've told in person, but we needed to head back to the Cacoa Kingdom... Father said it was urgent.
My eyes widened and I raised an eyebrow. Urgent? I thought, worried, Oh, that sounds concerning.
We know that there is a chance that this is Affogato's doing, but my father sent his fastest messenger bird with a note tied to her leg. There's no doubt that it is his handwriting and his bird.
It wrote that unknown cookies from who-knows-where suddenly showed up and began attacking the kingdom. He is confident they'll win against them in the end, they already defeated the first group a few hours earlier, but he is concerned that they'll send in any remaining reinforcements. We couldn't risk it in case.
My old friend, please tell everyone else, even the annoying red-head (Don't tell her I spoke ill of her, I'd like to do it to her face if she needs to know), that I and Caramel Arrow have left and may not come back in time for the ball, unfortunately.
Hopefully, you see this, I'm going to kill some cookies and Caramel Arrow says she won't stop me as long as it isn't excessive since they were the ones who attacked first
From your friend,
Dark Choco
I blinked at my phone. His email was typed as if he was writing a letter on paper... that was the only thing that didn't make me send a flaming coffee bean out the window.
I groaned and slammed my coffee mug onto the table with a loud slam.
This wasn't Affogato's doing, it was Madeleine's parent's doing, Strawberry Vanilla Madeleine, and Cream Madeleine.
They were rich enough and had a reputation and power. They'd be able to convince cookies to walk to their deaths in the hope of being paid and living through it.
Affogato may be able to pull it off, but he wouldn't go as far as to do that for revenge on the Dark Cacoa Kingdom, I'm positive. He'd rather take a shortcut and poison the king after robbing him and send his old scholars to do so as well so he doesn't get blood on himself.
I tapped my nails on the counter, thinking to myself.
I need to tell my friends and acquaintances quickly.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
But they'll get annoyed and angry if I were to wake them up at 5 am.
Tip. Tip. Tap.
What if I informed Pomegranate first? I don't quite care if she yells at me.
Tap. Tip. Ta-
"Espresso?! Wachu doing?" Madeleine's voice rang drowsily from the bed.
I gave a small yelp and stopped my tapping, "My apologies, was I tapping too loud?"
"Hm?" Madeleine said, confused.
Madeleine stumbled into the kitchen, his shirt off, towards me, showing his toned body. He leaned in from behind me until I could feel his breathing against my neck. Heat spread from my cheeks to the tips of my ears and my breathing hitched.
Was he going to bite me-?
I stood perfectly still and-
Thunk.
Madeleine dropped his head onto my shoulder, relaxing his whole body weight onto me. I staggered from the shock and weight. Violently, I stood up, making Madeleine make a were noise from the back of his throat and back off from me, rubbing a pink jaw.
"What was that for?" Madeleine grumbled, glaring at me.
"You shocked me," I tsked, sticking my tongue out immaturely.
"Hmmph, what a nice boyfriend you are," He said sarcastically, "It's not my fault I'm this tired. You kept sleep-talking."
"Then just go back to bed- wait, what? No, I wasn't sleep taking," I denied, confused, "Tsk, whatever. Sleep on my shoulder if you need."
"Yeeyyy," He softly mumbled and collapsed on me.
I tsked and went back to brewing my coffee like I originally planned to.
Affogatos' Pov
I stared into the curtained hotel room where Espresso was supposed to be staying at and angrily pounded the tree beside me, shaking a few leaves down. I shook off the leaves from my shirt, disgusted by the dirt it was bringing onto me. Espresso. He was the root cause of many problems, or maybe it was the other way around.
Caramel Arrow.. and that dumb emo bitch prince... was here. In the Republic. Either than the run-in with the bastard, Red Velvet, thankfully not the bitchiest cookie of darkness member, I had been successfully stalking my beloved. Until now.
My fists clenched at my sides, but this bratty sibling's parents just had to start creating reasons and opportunities that were impossible to pass to Espresso's friends to leave.
I didn't give a crap about those other cookies, but Caramel Arrow? That was a different story. And she was the one case where I physically can't follow her because she was going to return to the Cacoa Kingdom.
I wanted gems, delicious sweets, power, and her love. I wanted her love and acceptance. I wanted her to only want me. I don't want to only have riches. I could get rich almost everywhere if I played the right cards.
Honestly, should I even continue my bargain with these siblings? They're already aware of what their parents are doing and are adapting to that plan. There is no room for me, unfortunately, to say, and it'd be easier for e to level now. Ugh, if only I was born into a noble family.
"Umm, is everything okay?" A feminine voice stuttered, bringing my attention to a blonde-haired girl with brown eyes shorter than me.
I scoffed in the back of my mind. Who was she to pester me?
In my head, I thought: 'fuck off," but I said out loud instead, "Ah, I'm absolutely fine. Don't worry about me."
She gave some sort of weird girly giggle and handed me a piece of paper with the words, 'text me' ad a phone number on it.
She smiled and batted her eyelashes, even twirling her hair, "Contact me if you want to relax later."
"I will," I smirked back at her and she turned to flounce away.
I rolled my eyes.
If I made a stupid fuss as Espresso did with Saphire, I'd get lots of rumours about my looks, and I'd be jailed or executed by now. That gosh I was cunning.
I huffed and strode in the opposite direction towards the hotel where I was staying at. It was close by, but not too close. Perfect for seeing my beloved without her knowing. Fat good that does me now.
And those words those annoying siblings said to me. Something along the lines of, 'You're hot, but Espresso's hotter.' Not that care too much about what comes out of their mouths, but it does get on my nerves.
It was like what Pomegranate said when she teleported me out of the Dark Cacoa Castle.
~~~~
"Hod did you get caught>" Pomegranate growled snappily, "Why would you risk what you built up and our deal?! Are you fucking stupid, pretty boy?!"
"Like you'd know," I argued, rolling my eyes.
"Ugh, I can't believe you," She said, rubbing her temples.
She flashed her mirror, and I grabbed my sceptre, "I will inform my master of your behaviour and failure."
"Wow, of course, you would," I said aggressively, "If it's so irritating, why go all this way to find and catch him? Dark Enchantress shouldn't have let him leave in the first place."
"Don't offend my master," Pomegranate growled.
"And someone like you wouldn't understand," She continued, snarling, and I gasped, highly offended.
"I don't see how I lack any of his characteristics, in fact, I'm better," I said haughtily, "I'll gladly do whatever you say for the right price."
"You're shallow," Pomegranate said. Likewise, I shot back in my head.
"For starters, he's more good-looking, although to me you both are insufficient and unattractive boyfriend materials. He's way more powerful than you are, you'll never catch up, and he actually got Caramel Arrow to like him. He gets so many cookies to like him in fact, and that makes me want to rip his throat out for what he did, and-"
"Ugh, shut up," I yawned, tossing back my hair.
~~~~
I pouted.
What's with everyone's obsession with Espresso? He's so bitter and bland.
Well, perhaps I should give up on Caramel Arrow for now. Maybe in a different universe, she'll be mine and she'll love me.
Maybe I should use my cunning mind to continue doing shady deals, marry into a wealthy family, and flirt with cookies. Some bitches do like me, as they should.
But it wouldn't be the same. It never will be without her.
Never.
But I can't do anything better than the fallback after breaking off the contract.
It won't be the same because she is kind to everyone. She is kind to young cookies even though they're filthy. She's pretty and she's strong. I wanted to be her god. I wanted her to accept me. I wanted her wanted her wanted her wanted her.
Why can't I? It's unfair.
It's unfair. this world.
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Word count: 1555
I said that I'd like to upload every 4-5 days... but due to a math camp I'm going to, the next time I'll post may be in 2 weeks-
Also, I'm finally/nearly done with my first webtoon episode! Immi post it in estimated 9-10 hrs :>
My ACC is called: Crkmsxn, I can put a link in the comments tmw.. also my art isn't the best sry.
Anyways, have a good day/night!
- Crimson