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Espresso never liked the New Year.
It was always treated as a big deal in the Republic. The times after Christmas were depressing, so the city cookies decided to make the sun shine brighter with New Years' festivities. There was a giant countdown clock in the middle of the town square, silently ticking down until there were ten seconds left of the year. Then, all the cookies and their lovers would give each other a passionate kiss and bleh.
Though he didn’t hate New Years, he didn’t like it either. That’s why he’d always spend it alone in his lab working on new projects, or with a few close friends that dragged him out of the house.
Fortunately for Espresso, most of the closest friends he had made other plans for the day.
Keyword: most.
He planned to meet up with his sister to discuss a project that afternoon. It was a few days before the thirty-first of December and he had no plans.
“I’m so sorry Espresso. I planned to spend time with you but Cream Puff cookie didn’t have anywhere to go! I promised her we’d spend this New Years together,” Latte cookie spoke.
“No worries, my dear sister. It’s very kind that you’d offer to spend your day with her,” he adjusted the glasses on his face and gave a small smile.
“Thank you for understanding. What plans did you make for New Year’s Eve?” She folded her hands together leaned on them to peer at her overworked brother.
“I have no plans as of today. I’ll probably just work on an experiment.”
“Espresso! You can’t just stay cooped up in your lab during this time of the year! You should go have some fun!”
“And what ‘fun’ do you suggest I have-“ right as Espresso finished, the jingle of the entrance bell rang throughout the small cafe.
“Ah, Carrot cookie! What a lovely day it is, huh? The purist of snows on the ground! Not the best for combat, but it made for a festive Christmas!” Madeline cookie strolled in and leaned on the counter next to Carrot cookie. As he skimmed over the pastry menu, Espresso cookie averted his gaze back to Latte cookie.
“What about spending time with Madeline? He doesn’t usually do much for any holidays,” she suggested.
“Nonsense. I’m sure he’s planning some extravagant party that I have no business attending.”
As fate may have it, Madeline and Carrot’s booming voices caught both of their ears.
“What plans do you have this New Year’s Eve? I hope you’re not going off to fight as you did on Halloween,” Carrot cookie asked.
“No no, definitely not. I don’t have any plans. I was just going to walk around the town square and watch the countdown.”
“Well, I wish you the best of luck with whatever plans you may have.” Carrot cookie adjusted her cafe cap and gave Madeline a friendly wink.
“My thanks to you Carrot cookie! Now about this hot chocolate…”
Espresso turned back to his sister and was met with a smug look.
“See? He’s not doing anything, and you love walking around the town square! Why don’t you just ask him?” Latte threw her hands on the table excitedly.
“I will not spend my day with that buffoon. I’d rather spend my time working on something important,” Espresso huffed and looked away from the knight.
“Oh don’t be so bitter, Espresso. It’s time for you to get out and live a little instead of working on the project after project. Besides, I know you have a soft spot for Madeline,” she winks. Espresso stared, dumbfounded.
“…Excuse me?”
“You think I haven’t noticed the way you glance and stare at him when he enters a room? I think It’d do you some good to spend some quality time with him,” she says.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about Latte. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must-“
“Espresso! Latte! My two smartest pals, how are you?” Much to the coffee cookie’s dismay, Madeline caught sight of them and strolled over. He plants himself right next to Espresso in the booth as Latte stifles her laughter in a gloved hand.
“Well, Madeline. And you are?” Espresso forces down a sour face and folds his hands on the table in front of him.
“I’m quite alright myself, thank you!” Suddenly, Madeline gasps loudly, gaining the attention of two other tables nearby.
“Say, do you both have any plans this New Year’s Eve? If not, we should walk around the town square together!”
“Actually, I have plans with Creme Puff cookie. But my brother here has no plans, you two should hang out together!” She smiles at Espresso and receives a stern glare that goes unnoticed by the knight.
“That would be magnificent! What do you say Espresso?” They both look expectingly at the coffee mage. He sighs deeply.
“I suppose we shall, it would only make sense anyway-“
“Thank the heavens! This will surely be the best introduction to the New Year! Anyway, I must be going, I have many knightly duties that need tending to. Farewell friends!” He takes a stand and confidently walks out of the cafe, bell ringing once again.
“Why must you make my life so hard, Latte cookie?” He pinches the bridge of his nose, right where his round glasses meet.
“You’ll thank me later Espresso. I’ll be waiting~,” she takes a sip of her overly sweetened coffee and smirks.
When the day of New Year’s Eve finally approaches, Espresso almost completely forgets about his plans with Madeline cookie. He didn’t want to think about the Republic, or his family, or anything like that. So, he stayed cooped up in his lab for most of the day, trying to ignore anything on the outside of the experiment’s room.
Until he heard three firm knocks on the door.
“Espresso cookie? Are you in there?” Madeline’s voice rang off the door outside, barely audible inside the lab. Still, Espresso rushed to the door after hearing it, and mentally cursed himself for caring so much about the knight’s presence.
“Ah, there you are! I tried going to your house first but nobody answered. I figured this would be the place to find you next,” Madeline stood there, dressed not in his knight armor, but in a blue winter coat. It had fluff coating the edges of the hood and stored a yellow long sleeve shirt underneath. He wore a necklace signifying The Divine and brown snow boots on his feet. He was certainly dressed for the weather, and Espresso’s face heated instantly.
“Are you feeling well? You’re looking a little red…” Madeline reached out to brush his fingers along his forehead, causing Espresso to flinch back.
“No no, I’m quite fine. Can we stop by my house before I walk? I must have lost track of time,” he says, clutching his cloak as the cool air finally hits him.
“Of course! There’s no rush, well, at least until midnight,” Madeline laughs and holds the door for the mage.
He mutters a ‘thank you’ and rushes to his house nearby. Madeline follows next to him with a wide smile.
“I won’t be long, make yourself at home,” Espresso says as he opens the door and rushes upstairs.
In his room, he quickly changes into a black-knitted turtle neck and brown overcoat that almost reaches his ankles. After lightly brushing his hair outwards, Espresso descends down the stairs. Madeline has wandered towards the walls, looking at its contents. Once he sees the coffee cookie, his eyes widen just the smallest bit and he stares. After a few seconds of this, Espresso decides to comment so the silence is filled.
“You’re staring,” he accounts, bluntly.
“Ah, excuse me. Shall we be off?” He bends his arm hear his waist, offering it for the mage to take.
Espresso rolls his eyes, but hooks his arm with Madeline’s anyways. “We shall.”
———
“I know you’re a coffee cookie, so this should be obvious, but why exactly did you start doing coffee magic?” The pair had been walking for a few hours, talking about nonsense and whatever came to mind. Espresso started to realize that he and Madeline had much more in common than he previously thought.
“Well, why did you become a knight?”
“To protect people, and I enjoy doing it!”
“I became a coffee mage to protect people, and because I enjoy it,” he smirks and looks up at his counterpart. Madeline chuckles and Espresso continues.
“Though, I wasn’t planned to be a mage. My parents wished for me to become a lawyer and refused to pay my tuition to study magic. When I asked them why my sister could study magic and not me, they said that ‘I was not fit for magic,’ and ‘magic is a girly education.’ They’re still in the Republic,” Espresso recounted.
“How did you manage to pay for school?” Madeline asks. His voice is uncharacteristically soft.
“I had to try my best to get a scholarship. To get a scholarship, you must present whatever magic you know to the headmaster and teachers. On that said day, I presented, and they must have seen something great in me. My school tuition was almost fully paid, I just had to work overtime for a bit. Latte did her best to raise money for my cause, but I didn’t want pity. I apologize, I’m rambling,” he cuts himself off.
“Don’t apologize, I asked in the first place. Besides, the magic you perform is magnificent Espresso,” Madeline slows his walking a bit.
“Oh please, Latte can do the same level of magic I can-“
“The whole kingdom agrees with me you know? You’re a very strong and talented mage, any student of yours is Incredibly lucky,” it’s his turn to cut off Espresso now. He pauses and grows silent.
“…Thank you, Madeline,” he says, smiling up at him. Madeline’s face warms up and he hopes Espresso can’t tell, maybe blame it on the cold outside.
“May I ask why you left the Republic? I thought you would like all the festivities they make.”
“Well, as much as I loved their spirit, they just- didn’t care about their cookies. My parents didn’t have a lot of money, and they got no help. When my father fought for the Republic, he told his general what was going on with my family. He…he didn’t even bat an eye. He just told him ‘there’s nothing I can do about that’ and gave him his weekly paycheck. Then I found out about the Pure Vanilla Kingdom. I promised that I would protect cookies just like my father did,” Madeline’s gaze blurs as he thinks about his family.
“Did?”
“He died in battle a few months before I left the Republic. My mother lives with my aunt now,” He looked down, sadly.
“I’m sorry Madeline.”
“Don’t be, it’s in the past. My mother is doing well with my aunt. We write weekly and I send her some of my paychecks when she needs it. I’m just happy to be helping people,” his sad smile turns into a gleeful one.
“Yeah, since you’re a general now. Maybe I’ll be assigned to your team sometime?” Espresso tries to lighten the mood as the sky darkens.
“That would be wonderful! Imagine Madeline cookie and Espresso cookie fighting side by side against the evil Dark Enchantress cookie!” He spreads one arm out in front of him, as if referencing something in the air that’s invisible. His other arm is still occupied by Espresso’s hooked arm.
“We should probably be heading to the clock now, I suspect midnight will be approaching any minute now,” Espresso says.
“Oh, let’s go then! We wouldn’t wanna be late, would we?” Madeline and Espresso head to the swarm of cookies around the town square clock.
A few familiar faces can be seen throughout the edge of the crowd. The ruler of the kingdom, Pure Vanilla Cookie, stands with his grandson. Custard Cookie III starts to point excitedly at the timer and gets Pure Vanilla’s hat set on his head. The detective Almond cookie sits on the fountain edge with his cat, watching in case any magic mischief goes on. Latte cookie and Creme Puff cookie start making their way over to the fountain, hand in hand. Almost every cookie in the kingdom has shown up, but a good few remain in the calmness of their homes.
The coffee cookie’s mind briefly flickers to the Republic crowds and lights and sounds and-
Madeline squeezes his hand, probably noticing the change in breathing. He calms down and they stand a bit back as to not be overcrowded and smushed. Madeline goes silent for a minute, which slightly concerns him. The cookies of the town begin to count down.
“Espresso cookie, may I tell you something?”
“Yes, of course, go on.”
“10!”
“Ever since I met you, I was infatuated.”
“9!”
“A-And you fascinate me every time I see you.”
“8!”
“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same as I do because I’m happy to just be your friend.”
“7!”
“But it’d really like this to be a date, and I’d really like to wake up next to you on cold mornings together!”
“6!”
“I’ve seen the way you act around me, but after tonight, I hope you’ll at least give me a chance.”
“5!”
“I really like you Espresso, and I want you to know it!”
“4!”
“May I kiss you, Madeline?”
“3!”
“…What?”
“2!”
“May I please kiss you?”
“1!”
“You may.”
“Happy New Year!”
Espresso gently takes Madeline’s lips against his own, feeling love swell his heart after Madeline’s confession. His chest becomes all giddy as the French cookie sets his hands on his waist, under his coat. Madeline smiles into the kiss and has to pull away.
“I- aha, I don’t really know what to say,” Madeline chuckles, his cheeks heated with blush.
“Well I do. Madeline, when I met you, I thought you were a big, dumb narcissist-“
“Well that kinda hurts-“
”But I don’t see you like that anymore. You’re sweet, and kind, and put everyone’s well being over yourself. I like you Madeline, and I want you to take me out on a date,” he looks into the knight’s eyes and tangles his hands in his blonde hair.
“O-Okay! Yes we shall! Uh, how about I take you to breakfast in the morning?”
“That sounds lovely, Maddie.”
From the fountain, Latte saw the two and smiled fondly.
“Professor? What’re you smiling at?” Creme Puff cookie tugged on her dress from down below.
”Oh, just me being a great sister once again.”
”You mean those two? I was wondering when they’d get together,” Almond cookie joins in, petting his black cat.
“I think we all were.”
They watched as Espresso and Madeline looked up to the sky to watch the fireworks and connect their lips once more.