Confessions

by princessinstability

Chowder has grown up, and is married with Panini; however, their relationship is starting to crumble, and Chowder finds himself getting closer to his friend and rival, Gorgonzola. Meanwhile, Panini, feeling abandoned by her husband, begins to find new love in an unexpected place.

10. Chapter 10

Chowder pulled on his coat and stepped outside after a long day of cooking with his apprentice, whom he had just tucked into bed. If this had been him 20 years ago, he would have found himself in the kitchen, sneaking in a midnight binge of all the delicious foods in the refrigerator, but now Chowder had gained a sense of control over his monstrous appetite, and took more joy in going on midnight strolls across town, where he had a quiet yet scenic space to think.

The candles that lit the streets of Marzipan at night reminded Chowder of Gorgonzola and the confession that he had made, and the bold return of affection that Chowder had somehow mustered up the courage to perform. Doing it didn't require much thought, but then again, Chowder was hardly known for acting on anything other than pure instinct. But now that his relationship with Panini was at stake, Chowder felt the need to delve a little bit more into his mind and try to find a better sense of self. Where did he want to go? What did he want to do? Chowder had so many questions flooding his mind, but no answers at the moment.

Chowder then began to contemplate talking to Mung about his dilemma. After all, he and Truffles had managed to sustain their marriage for over 700 years, and it was still going strong. Surely, they had to be doing something right. Maybe the solution was to try and make his and Panini's marriage work somehow, similar to how Endive and Schnitzel had managed to.

But then what about Gorgonzola… The burning tingling sensation that Chowder had felt the moment he had instinctively pressed his lips against Gorgonzola's still permeated his being. He couldn't forget that. He couldn't forget Gorgonzola's soft embrace, even though he was half-unconscious at the time. He couldn't forget all the adventures that he and Gorgonzola had gone through together, even though Gorgonzola wasn't the friendliest to him at the time… but Chowder was able to tell that he was hurting inside, given the incident at the Apprentice Games, or the time that he had given Gorgonzola a sweater for Knishmas, and it had touched him to the point that he had burst into tears. Seeing the softer side of Gorgonzola was a rarity for Chowder, but one that continued to affect Chowder in the aftermath. In a way, he felt very protective of him. He hoped that he wouldn't have to let him go.