Title- As the Cookie Crumbles
Summary: Powdered Flarts have been known for inducing romance (or in Panini's words, just famous for romance), but while some hope for true love, others ignore its sweet signs. It remains a favorite of Panini's, that is until she finds that she can't bake them just right in time for Valentine's Day. What's Ceviche's take on the pastry? What sort of magic do these cookies hold?
Disclaimer- I never owned nothing no how.
A/N: Who doesn't love 'love triangles'?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At Ms. Endive's Tasteful Foods, the same precision skills and dedication that made Ms. Endive's catering business and tutelage one of the best was failing in one respect:
Powdered Flarts.
Panini stood at her workspace, a batch of freshly baked Powdered Flarts -deemed "imperfect" by her standards- laid scattered haphazardly around her. A frown was beginning to form on her catlike features, as her rose colored eyes regarded the sweets with disappointment.
Panini had been baking all morning. Today was one of those "real-world experience" days, where Ms. Endive allowed Panini her own stand to simulate how owning a catering business would be like, and since Valentine's Day was right around the corner, Panini had chosen to bake Powered Flarts. Except…..
They didn't taste right.
Panini had done everything. She had made sure to use exact measurements, consulting both the book and Ms. Endive, whilst selecting the finest ingredients she could afford to use, and baking it at just the right temperature and taking them out at the perfect moment. Yet somehow in the time that it took that seemingly perfectly baked tart to reach her experienced taste buds, it had changed. It was like the very touch of her hand had changed them, or that after leaving the warmth and safety of the oven, they had regressed to something totally…unwholesome. Something was either missing or entirely wrong with the dessert.
Even as these confused thoughts ran through her mind, she knew how ridiculous they sounded. She was a proficient apprentice, and the kitchen itself could not have been a factor in the tarts' strange transformation as it remained clean, as per Ms. Endive's orders. The only thing that she couldn't rule out just yet was that something was wrong with her.
Overall the day had left the usually cheerful cat with a tad bit of droopy sadness as she prepped the tarts for sale.
Panini's stand was set up suspiciously close by to Mung Daal's catering. It wasn't any coincidence that she chose to sell her Flarts here. The cat/bear/bunny girl liked to make her affections known, even if it was one-sided. Besides, Chowder was the very inspiration for her Flarts, and she knew he'd eat anything.
Panini waited several hours for Chowder to show up, her hands occasionally cushioning her head as she daydreamed of them together as boyfriend and girlfriend. Somehow, she couldn't get the idea out of her head that they were perfect for each other. Years of constant rejection couldn't shake the idea. Either it was meant to be or she was in a serious state of denial. Panini was lulled out of her monotone reverie by the sound of a door opening. Whipping her head around eagerly, Panini pinned her sights on her target as he made his way out of Mung's.
"Hi, Chowder," She greeted in her usual love-struck way. Her mood was greatly cheered at seeing her purple, 'pants-for-a-hat'-wearing, so-called boyfriend. Just seeing him made her chest feel lighter and her heart beat faster with anticipation.
"Oh, hey, Panini," Chowder replied warily. For a moment the two of them just stared at each other, one itching to get away and the other waiting for a marriage proposal.
"SoooOoOoOooo…..," Chowder said when the silence had dragged on too long. "I just gots to go to Gazpacho's for a dish Mung's making…..so I'll see you later?" he ended uncertainly.
"Wait, Chowder! Don't you want to try one of my Powdered Flarts?"
"Flarts? What's that?" Chowder had a genuinely confused expression on his face. "Do they have anything to do with farts?"
Panini was speechless. How could Chowder forget Flarts? It was one of the first things they've shared together when they first met all those years ago! Flarts were practically their special treat.
"They have nothing to do with farts." Panini rolled her eyes at that very idea. Boys could be so immature that way. "They're shaped like hearts, hence Fl-arts!" She said this whilst shaking a tart about wildly.
Crumbs started raining down, and it was only when the cookie had all but disintegrated in her hand that she realized what she had done. 'Great, not only does my touch make the food taste rotten but it also destroys it.' she thought glumly to herself as she inconspicuously pushed the tray of Flarts to a relatively safe distance away from her. Giving an uneasy smile, she returned her attention back to Chowder.
"You can have one, Num Nums."
"I'M NOT YOUR BOYFRIEND!"
A cloud of dust rose up as Chowder sped away, leaving a teary-eyed Panini and, strangely enough, Ceviche.
As if an episode of Chowder couldn't get any more awkward.
A moment of pregnant silence followed, only to be broken by Ceviche.
"So, um, whatcha got there, Panini?" He thrust a hoof at the sadly forgotten cookies. Panini had been so busy musing over Chowder that she hadn't sold a single Powdered Flart. She told him just that.
"Powdered Flarts, huh? What are they…." Panini felt like this was déjà vu all over again. "flirty tarts?" Ceviche blushed at the implication.
Despite the void she felt at Chowder's rejection, Panini could feel herself smile a little bit at Ceviche's embarrassment. She rubbed the unshed tears from her eyes a little and asked him how long he'd been standing there.
He gave her a sheepish look, ironic considering his features, "Before Chowder came over. I'd just gotten back from one of Pate's workouts and saw you over here. You seemed pretty distracted…" he trailed off at the last bit.
'Unbelievable! He'd been there the whole time?!' Panini didn't think she was one to ignore a friend, not to mention that Ceviche was her best friend (she can't really imagine Chowder playing that role, as it were, he might not even like her), and not even Chowder could distract her so much that she ignored the presence of another person standing right in front of her.
As a way of response, Panini hastily pointed at the Flarts and blamed them for the distraction. Only after saying it did she realize how true that actually was. "It's just that….they don't taste right." she explained lamely.
Ceviche examined one. "They seem alright to me. Here, I'll buy one to prove it."
"Don't bother, Ceviche. Just take it, they really aren't that great."
He shook his head. "No, Panini, it's okay. If you made it, I'd be glad to pay the price for it." Panini raised an eyebrow at that, but continued insisting he take it free of charge.
"But-"
"Just take it, Ceviche!"
"Fine!" That said, Ceviche bit into one of the Flarts. It didn't take long to see that he was obviously enjoying it.
"Well?," asked Panini as she eyed him skeptically, "How are they?" For all she could tell he was just exaggerating to make her feel better.
"They're great! I don't know what you're so upset about." He smiled as he looked at her. "It's perfect."
Panini was speechless. Was she hallucinating or did she really hear that? Her tarts tasted perfect, perfect, to him. This called for further investigation. If they aren't the problem, then…
"Lemme have a bite."
Ceviche paused in eating his half-eaten cookie. The question, or rather, questions, were written clearly on his face.
She sighed. She knew she was being bossy, having not asked politely, but this was an emergency! She had to know what was wrong and she had no time to indulge in answering discomforting questions.
"Okay, if you must know, I think that there's something wrong. Whether it's me or the cookie has yet to be seen. So could you please let me have a bite?" she said the last part in a whine. Her eyes softened up and her small, delicate lips puckered up into a pout. She was a regular cutie, puppy dog face and all, begging to be obeyed.
"Alright," Ceviche said as he gave in, "technically it is your Flart anyway." Ceviche shrugged as he made to hand it over to her.
"Woah, woah, woah, woah!," Panini dodged his hand and looked up at him, the cutest of smiles playing on her face. He could only guess as to why. "You've got to feed me. How else am I supposed to know if I'm contaminating the Flarts or not? You saw how I annihilated that tart in front of Chowder. Pleeeeeeease, Ceviche?"
If Ceviche wasn't already embarrassed by the situation, he was now. His cheeks burned crossing-light red, and he found himself tongue-tied. Here was his crush, asking him to feed her like they were boyfriend and girlfriend! How she could still be oblivious to his infatuation with her was beyond him, but would this be the moment?
Ceviche nodded, trying to play it cool, and what happened next definitely was a surprise to both parties.
Panini was leaning over her booth toward him, and for some reason he felt compelled to lean in close too. She was still, her mouth open in anticipation.
Ceviche, for his part, didn't do anything right away. He was still incredulous of the strange request, and so didn't know what to do or even feel while doing it. He just went with his gut feeling and tried his best not to imagine all the things that could go wrong at the moment.
His hand shaking just a tiny bit, he tilted her head a little for better access and gently pressed the cookie into her waiting lips. Expertly, she closed her mouth on the cookie slowly as if trying to contemplate every bit of its flavor, the soft sugary crisp, and the warmth of her holiday creation. Ceviche, probably unconsciously knowing better that this was one of those 'once in a life time' moments, pressed forward to the distracted girl and was immediately captivated. He watched her dark lashes close over those cherry orbs of hers, as if to block out all outside distraction, and as close as they were he bathed in the smell of Panini's distinct sweet fragrance mixed in with the aroma of the already alluring Powered Flarts. It was as if everything about this moment just attracted him closer, and closer, and closer. Their noses could almost touch, their warm breaths mingled, his heart raced, and the tips of his fingers were getting excruciatingly close to her lips, all the while his hand that was once holding Panni's cheek grew a mind of its own and found its way sliding down her neck, feeling at its every crevice and curve.
Ceviche felt like he was in a dream while his fingers caressed her lips as Panni finished the treat, and as her tongue softly grazed his thumb, his feelings suddenly burst into hormonal overload making the desire to just bend down lovingly and let his emotion consume him almost become reality when two crimson eyes open and his world crashed back into place.
"Ahhh!" he quickly jumped back as if scalded and practically stumbled over his two feet. Great, he thought embarrassedly, and I thought I was suppose to be a graceful dancer. Ceviche pulled himself from his thoughts and watched wildly as Panni looked at him oddly for awhile before she dismissed it. Apparently Ceviche is just always full of surprises.
He went scarlet but refused to lose his cool. If she had noticed his intentions then he'd just have to face it, for once in his life.
For awhile they stood there. Panini was looking down at the floor for some time as if thinking deeply and Ceviche was trying to brave through this silence and prepare himself for what could come next. He was ready, if anything, to give her his honest answer on a silver platter with his heart next to it, or if he must, lie like the scoundrel he felt like at the moment to keep the friendship. Honestly he couldn't believe he'd be selfish enough to attempt to kiss Panini and risk their friendship which he cherished most. Ugh, fool! But as he was midway torturing himself Panini looks up at him with her big pink innocent eyes in the most confused questioning manner and he stopped himself. Here it comes, after all.
"Ceviche," Panni said slowly as she leaned into him, already filling up the space he had put between them. "They taste fine!" Leaning back suddenly, Ceviche was left empty-handed while a confused-looking Panini regarded the tarts once again.
Strangely enough, they had tasted flawless, way different from how they tasted before back at the kitchen. Maybe she was imagining all of this?
She looked to Ceviche, to the Flarts, and then to Ceviche again. There was some kind of connection between them and she had to know what.
"I just don't get it, Ceviche. I was sure that those tarts were bad, tainted even," she looked down to the tarts, and picking one up, took a bite, "but now it's as if there never was a problem."
"Well, who knows what Powdered Flarts do to people." Ceviche said. "It isn't like they really have powers or anything, right?"
Panini sighed. "I guess." A long moment of silence followed, when she perked up. "Hey, Ceviche. I'll see ya later okay? I gotta close up shop, Ms. Endive will be waiting for me."
Why she would be happy to leave was beyond him, but he said his goodbyes and left, still dazed by the cookie encounter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note:
Okay, I know that this story might not have made sense so I'll explain the significance of the Powdered Flarts. Basically they represent romance, and romance is something that Panini loves, Chowder hates, and what Ceviche knows of. Of course Chowder doesn't remember the Flarts (even if he did, all he would remember was how dry they were.), because he's still in the 'girls are icky' phase and so doesn't give romance much thought. Panini on the other hand obsesses over it, trying to make it perfect, but the scene with Chowder and the crumbling cookie represents her romance with Chowder ending. In opposition to that scene we have the one with Ceviche. It should be obvious that Ceviche's little crush for Panini starts something between the two and Panini realizes why the Flarts tasted a little off before.
Yup a lot of fluff. And I'm not declaring pairings just yet cuz I find both equally cute, it's just that I thought Ceviche needed more love in this fandom, so here. Seriously, if Panini really wanted a boyfriend, she should've stick with what she has and not in someone who's clearly not interested. If this fic was more into the future then I would say that Chowder has more chances with Panini because they're the same species and because they are both into cooking.