Chapter 7 – Sweet Sanctuary

Antonia woke up, feeling dizzy. She was lying on her couch, partially atop the man she had dragged up the stairs to her penthouse apartment from the restaurant. Her head was comfortably placed on Siebold's shoulder, her arm over his chest, his arm around her shoulders. They had been making out. A lot. For how long, she had no idea.

She glanced over at the clock and was surprised to see it was only five in the morning, considering the seven course menu had taken around two hours to get through… no, a little more than that, perhaps. It had gone pretty well. Then she had served him Cherry Blossom. And he kissed her…

Antonia stared in front of her, her gaze focused on Siebold's hand that was placed atop her own, but her mind was going through a series of mixed emotions that didn't seem to fit together at all, which made her confused. Lost. I need to clear my head, she told herself, I really need to process...

Careful not to wake up the sleeping chef, Antonia rose from the couch and made her way over to the kitchen. Here she felt at home. Safe. The kitchen was more or less a sanctuary to her, and as she stepped in through the door, she immediately felt a bit more focused. That was a good start.

Her gaze wandered through the kitchen as she started going through her pantry, looking for something she could make without having to borrow anything from the restaurant pantry. Speaking of which, Renae would probably be arriving around seven to go through the inventory. Bless her. Antonia found apples, magost berries, cream, flour, sugar, eggs, marzipan… yes, just about whatever would do. She just needed to bake. Right now.

~A while later~

Siebold opened his eyes and blinked. He was lying on a couch in a rather large living room that looked rather cozy yet elegant. A single small lamp, formed like a cherry tree, was lit, casting a warm and soothing light over the room. Antonia had fallen asleep with him on the couch, but she wasn't there anymore.

Antonia… Siebold sighed to himself, feeling somewhat content. She had served him the most extraordinary, magnificent masterpiece of a dessert, and he had kissed her. More importantly, she had kissed him back. She had taken him upstairs to this enormous penthouse apartment, not that he had had the time to have a tour of it yet. He had mostly acquainted himself with Antonia's delicious lips… her skin… and then her couch. And judging by the lovely smell in the apartment, she had found her way to the kitchen.

Siebold rose from the couch and stretched. He looked around and then headed in the direction the wondrous smell was coming from, assuming he would find the kitchen. Indeed, he did.

Antonia was sitting on a bar stool by the table, forming cherry flowers of different sizes out of marzipan, putting them neatly on a tray one by one. Now Siebold also saw the cause of the lovely smell, or rather, smells: some golden apple tarte tatins were neatly lined up on a bench, and a bunch of melting moments-cookies with whipped cream and magost berry jam were elegantly presented on layered trays. Antonia herself looked lost in thought, more or less mindlessly working on the marzipan flowers. If they became that beautiful when she wasn't focusing, how beautiful would they be if she actually was?

Siebold walked up to her, waited until she put the flower she had been working on down on the tray before gently placing his hands on her shoulders. She tensed up a bit, as if part of her had been aware of his presence, but had forgotten to tell the other part of her that fact. Siebold proceeded to lightly, but firmly, massage her shoulders and she slowly relaxed into the touch.

"It smells lovely in here, Antonia." Siebold said.

"…thank you." She managed to answer. Darn, he really was skilled with his hands, like one would expect a chef to be.

"You're troubled, I can feel it." Siebold continued. Antonia's heart pumped a tad faster, being confronted like this. On the other hand… maybe it was time to talk. She drew a deep breath, and then sighed.

"I'm just… confused." She started, searching for words as Siebold continued to work his way through every tense muscle in her shoulders and her neck. "I was comfortable and confident up to the point when I started plating up the Cherry Blossom. That dish means a lot to me. It's not only the signature dish for Fleur de la Cerise, it's the signature dish for all my restaurants, my personal signature. As I said, my baby. You know this already, but placing that plate in front of you… it felt like I placed myself on that plate, like I laid exposed right there before your eyes. The feeling was overwhelming. I wanted to, and at the same time, I really didn't. I felt so vulnerable." She paused, letting out a slight moan as he proceeded to work more carefully on her neck.

"Then… well, your critique. Right from your heart. Like you knew I had placed my heart on the table, taken it from my chest and offered it to you. You were honest before, but for the last dish, it reached another level of honesty. I felt like I was going to crack, break right there. I was ready to run away when you stopped me. Held me. Kissed me…" She moaned again as Siebold worked his way up on the sides of her head.

"I lost my ability to think properly, or whatever I had left of it, everything just stopped. I remember kissing you back. I remember taking you with me up here. When I woke up a while ago I felt dizzy, like someone had injected a cloud into my head. I needed to collect my thoughts, and so I decided to come here, to the kitchen. My sweet sanctuary. This is where I feel at home, safe and alive." Running out of words, Antonia let herself go in the sensation that was Siebold's hands massaging her thoroughly and carefully, feeling and finding every knot.

Siebold didn't speak until he finished treating Antonia's muscles, and then he gently turned her around on the bar stool so her back was facing the counter and he stepped in front of her. When sitting this high up, they were almost at eye level, although Siebold was still taller. Antonia looked up into his ocean blue gems while he gazed into her sapphires. He leaned on counter, trapping her between himself and it.

"Tell me, Antonia…" He said, their faces not quite touching, but extremely close, "…and be honest… no, I don't need to tell you that, you will be anyway. Tell me, now that you have collected your thoughts a bit, do you want me to stay or leave, and why?"

Antonia didn't answer. Instead, she leaned forward enough to give him a short, sweet kiss, before letting go again. Siebold nodded.

"I agree." He said. He kissed her passionately, his hands leaving the counter to embrace her tightly. Antonia's arms found their way around his neck, tangling into his blond hair and pulling him closer. Dear Arceus, he was a good kisser…

They broke apart a while later, out of breath, immediately locked in each other's gaze again. Antonia was the first to speak.

"Have some tarte tatin and melting moments with me. Then you should go, for Renae is coming to do the inventory in an hour and you and I should both get some sleep before service tonight."

"True." Siebold said. "We should. Thankfully it's Monday, earlier closing times…" He raised an eyebrow, eyeing her. "I would fancy some tarte tatin and melting moments, it smells delicious in here. But will I see you later?" A smug smile formed on Antonia's face.

"I'll make us some tea. And yes, you will see me à tout à l'heure." A smile just as smug appeared on Siebold's face.

"Trés magnifique."