Chapter Text
When Creme Brulee Cookie stepped on that mahogany stage, a soft silence swept over the entire ballroom. Or maybe that was Linzer’s heart stopping for just a beat.
It never failed to amaze her how beautiful Creme Brulee Cookie was. His curtly cut blond hair tied in a small ponytail with a black velvet bow bobbed while he walked. He always tied it up for performances, though it was mainly just for appearances. His face seemed equal parts pretty and handsome, and the way his hair framed his face just accentuated it. The glistening ivory keys his fingers brushed looked refreshingly cool in the warmth of the room. Linzer could see the veins in his hands from frequent fingerwork, running up taut forearms, and she felt her face flush. She almost thought she saw him looking directly at her.
What was new was his outfit. For performances, he usually wore a yellow-ish dress shirt with the collar popped and a matching fancy white vest and creased dress pants. For this performance, he had gold adornments, such as rings on each finger, and a cocktail suit similar to Mint Choco Cookie’s down to the masquerade mask. She thought he almost looked like the Phantom from Phantom of the Opera, if the Phantom was maybe one of the most handsome men Linzer had ever seen.
She knew he was probably sweating under that mask, afraid his performance wouldn’t be as good because of the giant fire blazing in the hearth across the ballroom. ‘Since it’s frigid outside of the castle, make it warm and cozy on the inside.’ Creme Brulee Cookie always worked best in colder climates. It helped him focus.
When Creme Brulee began to play, however, all other sidetracked thoughts were muted, which was a rare thing for Linzer Cookie. She always found that listening to him play made her mind the most sound. How could he ever worry that he wasn’t good enough? Linzer understood, as she overthought her own work much too often as well, but Creme Brulee was extremely talented, and he knew it.
People on the floor stopped for a moment, to analyze the new music, then waltzed to the magical sound. Linzer rested her chin on her hand, watching. That would be the dream, wouldn’t it? To have someone you love, moving in unison to beautiful music? Close and intimate, in the most perfect way. And she could look into his hazel eyes…
Oh my. A little too lost in thought. Maybe tonight the music wasn’t working to quiet her mind as well as it does when she’s touching up a manuscript.
As Linzer continued to watch the dancers, she spotted Cocoa Cookie and Mint Choco Cookie in the midst. He twirled her elegantly while she laughed, so overcome with joy at the wonder of this whole night. The way Cocoa’s pearl headdress moved and reflected light was very pretty. Maybe she could describe something like that in her book about the gala.
Creme Brulee Cookie’s song ended much too early, but it too received a standing ovation that lasted a long time, with occasional shouts for an encore ringing above. Rather than giving in, Creme Brulee simply bowed, and with an air of humility left the stage as fast as he could.
Cocoa and Mint Choco returned to the table, eyes alight and faces flushed.
“This is Linzer Cookie! Who I told you about!” Mint Choco looked as if he could barely contain his excitement as he reached to shake Linzer’s hand, which she accepted dutifully.
“Your music was lovely.”
“Oh, thank you! I really appreciate that. I’m a big fan of your works.”
“That’s sweet, thank you. I actually went to this party tonight as inspiration for the next book in the Miss Waffle series. Maybe I’ll add an expert violinist instead of a pianist this time.”
Mint Choco and Cocoa sat down at the table. Linzer assumed they were holding hands underneath, considering how flustered they seemed and how their arms were so slightly angled away from their bodies.
“Might I ask where the two of you met up tonight?” Linzer asked.
“Like… where Mint Choco was after his performance?”
“Yes.”
Mint Choco spoke up. “Behind that curtain over there. It leads to backstage. Cocoa and I met up after I had left there, though. Why do you ask? For your book?”
“No. Well, actually, maybe. That’s smart. I need to speak with Creme Brulee Cookie.”
Mint Choco’s eyes widened. “Creme Brulee? He’s so closed off though… Do you know him?”
“...We’ve met once or twice. I just wanted to compliment him on his performance.” Linzer stood up and placed her champagne on the counter. “Thank you. I’ll leave you two alone for a bit.”
- - -
Linzer wove between dancers as she approached the stage area. Her heart fluttered with anxiety imagining her first interaction with Creme Brulee Cookie since the holiday train incident.
“Hello, Linzer Cookie.” A voice, comfortably familiar yet enough to make her jump, came from behind her.
Linzer regained her composure before turning around. “Hello, Creme Brulee. Fancy meeting you here.”
“I might say the same. Were you looking for me?”
“..Mayhaps. I saw your performance and thought it might be nice to talk to you again.”
“Thank you for your consideration. Did you enjoy it? My performance, that is.”
“I did. Very much. You’re a very talented musician, Creme Brulee Cookie. I do hope you know that. Although I assume you thought your performance was lacking?”
This finally made Creme Brulee smile, and Linzer in turn as the two of them laughed. “Severely.” Creme Brulee rubbed his nape. “It’s rather loud in here, would you like to continue our chat-”
“Another time..? Shame; I was looking forward to meeting with you.”
“-Somewhere else. In the performers section. There are lots of enclosed places to chat.”
Linzer flushed. Why did she just cut him off like that? Her heart was pounding in her ears from embarrassment and nerves. There was no reason for him to make her so nervous.
Creme Brulee offered his thin, gloved hand; he had lots of experience in being a gentleman afterall, and Linzer Cookie was definitely a fair lady. She graciously accepted and let him lead her into a side room that was obscured by a velvet black curtain.
Inside was a cacophony of random sounds that still somehow seemed to fit together nicely. String instrument tuning, brass players circled around a rug emptying their spit valves (gross), singers warming up their voices, the list could go on. People chatting warmly in small groups with small glasses of whiskey and other drinks smiled and nodded as the two of them passed by. Linzer supposed this was an environment Creme Brulee Cookie was used to, but it was all splendid novelty to her.
A marvelous pink grand piano sat in a corner, adorned with hollyberries and mistletoe. The lid was mostly closed in an attempt to make the sound quieter so as to not disturb the people outside. Linzer wished she could stop and look, run her fingers across the elegant keys or sit in the plush seat, but she was led along by Creme Brulee into an empty individual practice room off to the side.
When the door closed, a very noticeable hush fell over the two of them. “Sound-proofed,” Creme Brulee explained, with a gesture at the walls.
Linzer smiled at him, noticing a shift in attitude now that they were alone. “Was that piano out there yours? Pink doesn’t seem like your color~”
Creme Brulee sat in a chair in the corner. “Haha. No, it’s not. If I am remembering correctly, it was part of a big gift from the Hollyberrian Kingdom. We’re allowed to practice on it, but we were very sternly warned about damaging it.”
“Hm.”
A long pause. “Working on another manuscript?”
“You know me. Would you like to hear about it?”
“Of course.”
Linzer grinned, watching Creme Brulee shift into a position more comfortable for listening. In the past, he was always such a good listener. No matter what, he had this certain air of indifference, but Linzer believed she knew how to read him like a book. There was passion and feeling behind his words, behind his golden eyes, he just had no way of expressing that noticeably. It was one of the things she loved most about him. The way he cared.
She explained in great detail and depth (with no spoilers, of course,) the goingons of the next installment in her series. Not once did Creme Brulee Cookie break his stare. “It’s funny, actually, I came here tonight to gather inspiration for the next book.”
“Aren’t you still writing the current one?”
“Yes,” Linzer admitted, “but there’s so much opportunity for inspiration in the world, everywhere you look! Just the prospect of this grand event seemed almost eye-opening, y’know? Certainly you find inspiration for your own personal compositions in places, yes?”
Creme Brulee Cookie stood up, crossing the small room and gently taking Linzer Cookie’s hand in his own. “You have always had a unique eye for beauty that I haven’t seen in many others.”
Linzer froze, face flushed. “W-Where did that come from? Not to say you aren’t a man of sentiment, but…!”
“My apologies,” Creme Brulee muttered as he dropped her hand and let it dangle at her side. Remaining warmth seeped through her own silk gloves and made her head spin. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to hold and be held by him. Maybe the champagne was starting to get to her head.
“It-It’s quite alright. Um, would you like to sit out there? I have a couple holding my table, there’s an extra seat I wanted to hold for you…”
Creme Brulee’s attitude shifted again, seemingly grateful that Linzer wasn’t harmed or offended by his closeness. “That would be lovely.”
“Don’t lie, Creme Brulee. I know you’re not one for social interactions,” Linzer remarked as she took her turn leading him out the door.
“And I know you aren’t one either. If you can deal with it so frequently as a renowned author, I can deal with it occasionally. Thank you for looking out regardless.”
While Linzer led him back out into the ballroom, the two tried their best to enjoy the way their hands fit so perfectly together after years of practice.
~ ~ ~
Mint Choco and Cocoa were talking together, deep in conversation, when the other two returned. Mint Choco and Creme Brulee greeted each other civilly, having already met before. Creme Brulee reached and planted a kiss on Cocoa’s hand in introduction, eliciting a giggle from her. Why hadn’t he done that with Linzer? Because they already knew each other? She found herself wishing he had, wishing he had kissed her when he held her hand so gently in the practice room.
The group of four continued small talk for a while, until bits of the ballroom began to quiet once more, drawing everyone’s attention. The symphony playing switched to a slower, more romantic tune. As if on que, Mint Choco swept Cocoa away to the dance floor for a waltz.
Heavy silence settled, lingering until Creme Brulee turned to Linzer once more, hand extended. “...A dance?”
“Are you sure? We don’t want the table to get stolen-”
“Linzer.” Creme Brulee’s voice told her it would be okay. She was just nervous from the idea of such close contact after years of not.
“..Okay. You’re right.” She took his hand and the two of them walked out onto the floor.
The dance started slow: small circles with their hands folded onto each other. Linzer rested her head on his shoulder/chest with a bit of gained confidence, which Creme Brulee allowed, his posture straightening. With her head on his chest, Linzer could hear his heartbeat quicken, making her feel jittery. It was like a scene from a romance book. Ooh, a romantic sub-plot could be a good twist… an antagonist killing for the sake of love…
Every person on the ballroom floor moved in sync as the dance quickened. Linzer picked her head up and did her best to step in time with her partner.
“You’re very good at this,” she remarked, looking up at him.
“..I’ve had experience. Remember, before-”
Linzer quickly planted a kiss on Creme Brulee Cookie's lips, silencing him. He leaned into it, feeling the taste of her lip stain as she smiled. While their feet moved, Linzer's arms wrapped around his neck, fiddling with the hair at his neck, and Creme Brulee held her corseted waist lightly.
"Thank you," Linzer said as she pulled away, "for being here. Hanging out with me. That's all I wanted."
"Besides your manuscript, of course."
"Haha, yes. I think we need to do things like this more often. No matter where our work takes us, or anything related to that. We can make it work if we try again. I enjoy spending time with you so, so much."
"I love you too, Linzer Cookie."