My Fair Lady (Dark Cacao Cookie x Fem!Reader)

Chapter 27

The sweet, lingering smell of fresh baked berry pie wafted through the cottage, though it was clear that it had been a long time since the pastry was made. (Y/N)'s mouth tingled despite being full from breakfast. Maybe she could squeeze in another bite...

"I tried to clean up the place a little before you checked it out for the first time, but I wasn't able to fix that," Dark Cacao said, pointing to the remnants of a broken bookshelf with some of its books still spilled on the floor, others neatly stacked into piles next to it.

"You've treated this place like it's your own," (Y/N) admitted. "What's with the smell of the pie? Did you bake something too?"

"Well-" the prince oomphed as he carefully sat down on a humble loveseat, "I didn't, actually. I was kind of wondering who baked something too."

In the middle of (Y/N)'s admiration for the cozy abode, she had snapped back into her previous disappointment when she remembered why they first entered.

"So tell me why you decided to dump your whole life away?" she whipped around, crossing her arms with a stern look while she leaned against a door frame. He seemed to shrink a bit at her sudden shift of character. Good, he knows I'm not screwing around anymore, she thought.

"Alright," he sighed, "This may take a while to explain, but bear with me, okay?"

(Y/N) cocked her eyebrows as if to say "Go on."

"I'm sure you're more than familiar with my relationship with my father... in fact, the fight you saw between me and him was barely scratching the surface. I was, well... on the brink of ending things with him, to say the least."

"So you just decided to ditch him? Well thought out, Dark Cacao," she huffed.

"No! It wasn't like that, I swear. I'm not lying whenever I say I was through with him, there was nothing to save my father from what is happening right now," he stuttered, his face flushed from embarrassment. "When I saw you going through that blizzard, the only thought I had was: 'Wow, now that's what a real, strong cookie looks like.'"

(Y/N) felt flattered, but his that fact. She got up from leaning against the frame and took a seat next to him, keeping space between them to distance herself. "You know what I told you, I'm not as strong as you think I am. I would have died if it wasn't for you."

"Sure, but (Y/N), I'm telling you, I had never seen such a brave cookie before! My father has tried so hard to prove to me that he's as bold as you, but he always falls short. The moment I picked you up in my arms was the moment I saw who you were. You were alone, barely dressed for the weather, carrying nothing else but a lantern and an empty satchel, but you still kept pressing on despite your own conscience telling you to just give up? Do you know how difficult it is to find that type of courage in my kingdom?"

She chewed on her lip without a response, avoiding his desperate gaze. From her peripheral she swore she could see his eyes glitter from what she guessed was tears.

"I looked up to you, and I can't even explain why I, a prince, who you said has everything in the world I could ever wish for, looked up to a cookie who ran away from her kingdom, all alone and ill-equipped? You sparked something in me. I wanted to try harder, just like you went on your thousand mile journey to a new life."

His hand softly enclosed upon hers, quickly snapping her gaze back to him. That glitter in his eyes was definitely not tears.

Oh no.

Oh no.

"I want to start my new life with yours, (Y/N). We both don't deserve to live in such horrible conditions."

"You don't even know why I left in the first place," she shakily answered after a pause.

"The utter pain you've shown me tells me everything I need to know," she could feel the prince's breath softly blowing against her lips.

For a moment they stood there, both studying each other with new emotions. The tension grew unbearable between them. The prince's face began to soften, his eyelids fluttering for a moment. The dough of his skin held a chocolate aroma that filled her senses to the brim. On one hand, (Y/N) wanted to cusp her hand against his cheek, softly holding him to where when she blinked, she knew he would still be there. On the other, she was revolted by the thought. It felt like she was a thief of the night stealing something that wasn't hers.

"May I start my new life? With you?" his voice dropped to a quivering whisper.

(Y/N)'s eyes dropped down to his lips for a split second, holding herself back with all the remaining strength she had left. It felt like an eternity, craving nothing but the lost prince who was right in front of her. Without her realizing, his soft lips slowly pressed against hers.

Dark Cacao, you're too tempting...

There was nothing else on (Y/N)'s mind but the way she never wanted to let go of him in the moment. The way his body seemed to fit to hers like a puzzle, every groove matching perfectly, the rhythms of their hearts being in sync, their hazy aromas mixing, it was all perfect yet dizzying at the same time. Subconsciously, her hands snaked through his hair. His arms similarly began to trace along her back, slowly resting her back on the seat.

"Take me wherever you go, (Y/N)," the prince's voice breathlessly begged.

"I will," she responded, crashing her lips against his once more to taste him again before he spoke.

Always.

Word count: 1000