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Gingerbrave slurped on the cream soda he was currently chugging down. He gulped it all down as the cup slammed against the table, and he gasped for air. His eyes lit up, sparkling with excitement at the lingering taste of cream. Wizard Cookie glared at him with annoyance at the sight.
“Did you seriously just chug that all down?”
The brave cookie looked up at his friend before grinning.
“Uh huh! A new record!!! The last one was thirty seconds! This time it was two!!”
“Whoa, Gingerbrave!!” Strawberry gazed in wonder.
Wizard Cookie shook his head dismissively.
“I swear one day the soda is going to pour out of you from drinking so fast.”
The trio of friends laughed at his remark, as the wizard shook his head with another sigh.
In the corner of the table sat the youngest boy. Custard Cookie, who would’ve usually laughed along with the older cookies, but was unusually silent today. solemnly staring at the ground lost in thought. As the giggling died down the strangeness of the emptiness from the usually joyful laugh of Custard made Gingerbrave turn his head, his smile lessening at seeing the usually pert child, quiet as can be seemingly lost in deep thought.
“Custard? Are you alright?” He asked worriedly.
The words echoed out into nothingness as the boy just stared out within his own mind, as if he was lost at sea the waves of memories overflowing threatening to crash into him.
Today was the day.
He was so unsure if he should give it or not. After all, it’s not like he was his actual father. He felt sick for thinking this was a good idea, he felt as if he was betraying his own father, whom he still hadn’t found yet.
Sure he was a descendant of him but that didn’t mean they were actually family, at least he was uncertain that the prior king saw him as family. Maybe it was the fact he was older than he was when they had first met, more prone to the thriving insecurity of his abandonment all those years ago.
But he couldn’t help but wonder if he truly should give something to Pure Vanilla, for Father’s Day. Would he accept him as seeing him as a father? Or would he bashfully take it and suddenly become distant from him? His predictions were surely out there but he couldn’t help but dwell on them. After all, it wasn’t like he was something as grand as he played on to be. He wasn’t a king, or a great healer, he was just plain old Custard Cookie.
He wasn’t good enough to be such a great healer and hero son.
“Earth! To Custard!”
The voice of Wizard Cookie rang out, surging him back to reality. His eyes widened as he shook his head dazed, peering up at the group's focus directly on him.
“Huh?…”
“Are you okay?”
Custard blinked as he struggled to find the words through his jumbled anxious thoughts.
“I…I’m fine.” He began, forcing out words to conceal his thoughts. His friends did not need to worry about such things as his own feelings.
“I apologize, I was just thinking! Mighty kings have deep thoughts at times!” He laughed, smiling.
They did not seem convinced. Custard's smile faltered a bit as he looked down at the table, the awkwardness tensing him up. Gingerbrave glanced over at his friends as they shrugged, the thick atmosphere with tension, making them struggle to try and help their friend’s bizarre behavior. The uncomfortable silence was disrupted by the bravest cookie’s confidence in finding his own words.
“What’s wrong Custard?
“You're acting really weird?” Wizard Cookie spoke afterwards.
“Did something happen?” Strawberry Cookie meekly asked, finding the courage to ask herself.
The young healer gripped his arm tightly. He frowned, face scrunching together. They didn’t need to worry about him. He was ruining a perfectly good lunch with his sour mood.
“I…I’m great. I just need some fresh air.” He stood from the table moving to leave.
“Custard…”
“I’m fine Gingerbrave!” He exclaimed before wincing back at the uncharacteristic of his own yelling.” I…I’m sorry I just need some time to myself.”
The boy rushed out of the inn leaving his friends even more worried. He sighed, he just needed some fresh air, then he’d feel calmer.
The night was gentle and serene.
Pure Vanilla sighed in content as he finished his letter to his dear friend. Sipping at his tea, the warm and sweet taste of the honey within added to the comforting atmosphere. He gazed at the fire, crackling warmly.
It was nice.
He felt all happy within this moment, not with just this conforming scenery before him, but seeing his dearest friends who had come to see him.
They had grown so much that Gingerbrave and his friends were almost eighteen. And Custard Cookie, joyful little Custard Cookie. He truly was becoming a great healer. He had given him a few lessons on magic much to the boy’s insistence, and he was truly proud of how powerful he was becoming only at the age of ten.
He hummed happily. He hadn’t ever been close to his descendants, especially after having amnesia for a long period of time after the war. However, the boy always seemed to be a source of light. A happiness he hadn’t felt in centuries, Custard was like a son to him. Ever since he had met him, it was like the child had awakened a sense of love and affection for him. He wanted to protect him, love him, and guide him. It was a parental instinct he hadn’t had in almost a thousand years, awakened all these decades later by his own youngest family member.
He had wanted to adopt him eventually, asking if he would like to stay with him here. However he was hesitant, the child seemed troubled by mentions of family. When he was younger he had been more enthusiastic, excited about following in his family’s footsteps. He was happy and hopeful that someday his dad would come back. The poor sweet child, the ancient hero, had been heartbroken when he had told the young one the truth almost two years ago. He was devastated and had collapsed into Pure Vanilla with a hug as he comforted him. He loved him with all his soul, his souljam seemingly even growing brighter around him.
A knock at the door had paused his thoughts as his attention focused on the few knocks. He got up brushing out his robes crinkled from sitting, and grasping his staff as he moved for the door. He opened it surprised to see Gingerbrave and his friends.
“Hello, friends.” He opened the door wider with a warm smile.” Is there something you need?”
The trio gazed back at each other with worried faces before looking back at Pure Vanilla. His smile faltered a bit at seeing their unease.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
“Pure Vanilla…something’s wrong with Custard. He hasn’t talked to us all day…we’re really worried.” Gingerbrave spoke, gripping his candy cane tightly.”
“He’s been acting strange all day, he hasn’t spoken a word which is very unusual for him.” Wizard Cookie added.
“And he won’t talk to us so…we wanted to come to you, and ask for help.” Strawberry Cookie murmured fiddling with the strings of her hoodie.
Pure Vanilla frowned at this. It was unlike the young one to act in such a way, especially to his close friends. The only time he had seemed so distant was the following days after the healer had told him his father had basically abandoned him. He grasped his orchid tightly. He brushed a hand on Gingerbrave’s shoulder reassuring him.
“It’s alright I will go talk to him. Do you know where he is?”
“I think he’s in his room. I saw him going in there earlier.” The wizard boy said.
“Thank you for letting me know about this. I will handle it no need to worry.”
Something was definitely wrong. He felt it.
Custard Cookie, sat in the corner of the guest room holding up the card he had made specifically for the healer.
It was a drawing of the healer and him, reading Happy Father’s Day. His clutch on it tightened in fury as he felt tears rise in his eyes. It was such a dumb idea. He made a mistake and he knew it. Why did he ever think this would happen? The king would never see him as his child. How could he when his own biological father had just left him? Disappeared.
Was he even worthy of being loved?
He felt tears dribble down his face as he sniffled eyes wincing closed before he crumbled up the letter casting it away on the ground, before he fell to his knees as he wept quietly. He shuddered as more tears poured out, and he curled in on himself.
Some king he was crying about such silly things, he knew would never come true.
The door creaked and he flinched as he heard a voice call out to him in the darkness.
“Custard?”
A warm voice called out, tone soft and filled with concern. The child froze, realizing that it was Pure Vanilla. He quickly moved to wipe his tears away even as more kept falling. The door clicked shut as he saw through the darkened room and the glow of Pure Vanilla’s souljam, the healer moving towards him slowly. His hazed eyes looked upon him in worry.
“Custard Cookie, what's wrong?” He spoke, kneeling to sit next to the boy. The child sniffled as he wiped at his tears with a clutched hand.
“Nothing…I’m fine-“ He drifted off feeling two gentle hands cup his face as Pure Vanilla wiped away the tears with the pads of his thumbs.
“You're not fine, little one. Please tell me what’s wrong…”
The gentle reassurance made Custard crack even more as he lowered his head, his small hands going to clutch at Pure Vanilla’s.
“It’s stupid to say…”
“Nonsense, please tell me…it’s alright.”
“I…I was gonna give you a gift…”
“A gift? You know I adore all your gifts, why would I be angry about that?”
“Because…” He started.” It was for Father’s Day….”
The healer halted for a moment in surprise. He actually saw him as his father? Custard Cookie shuddered at his hesitation as he heaved, crying harder, gripping the ancient’s hands tightly, afraid that if he let go he’d leave him alone.
“I…I’m sorry…I knew it was a mistake…”
Pure Vanilla would leave him. He would be left alone again, like how he was in the woods. He would be left by himself in this room to cry in the dark. A warm embrace around him made him freeze from his misery. The healer pressed him against his body as he held the child in his arms protectively.
“No.” He smiled, feeling such happiness.” This would never be a mistake.”
“But…I’m not your son.”
“Perhaps not yet but…if you want to be.”
“What?…”
“Ever since I met you I felt like you were my child. I know that’s a bit silly to say but…if you wish to I could be your…father if you would like.”
“R…really?”
“If you desire it I-“
Custard tightened his arms around him as he hugged him tightly snuggling into his chest.
“Please…please…” The boy whispered
Pure Vanilla, heart slowed at the desperate words, before he embraced him tighter, tucking the boy’s head under his neck.
“I promise…I will.”