Trip for a Treat

“Are you sure you don’t want anything, baby?”

Valentine stood on the threshold of the front door, one hoof firmly planted on the welcome mat while the other lingered in the warmth of the inside. Her hand only grazed the doorknob, holding it open and an arm’s length away. She faced the inside rather than the journey ahead, eyes locked on the familiar doll form standing in the door of the kitchen a few feet away. Akio’s mitted hand wiped at the sweat on his brow, his crooked smile never wavering despite how clumsily fit it was. His hair, despite the constant perspiration he seemed to have, was not matted to his forehead. It instead fell in soft, slightly unkempt swoops to frame his face, the canvas for cuteness it was. The loopy grin and soft semi-circle eyes under fruit-sliced eyebrows never failed to pull Val’s heart strings into a fine tangle, her own face melting any tension she’d built there. He had the effect of the stars around him; instantly brightening a day and bringing a million lights into the night. 

“Well, um, maybe a kinako dango would be nice… But, um, you really don’t have to if you don’t want to..! You don’t have to waste any money on me…” His words nearly broke Valentine’s heart in halves, her lips angling downwards and her hand leaving behind the cool metal. She stepped fully back into the house, the cold wind from outside still blowing gently against her back. She closed the distance between her Akio quickly, her hooves making the meager length feel like nothing. Her hand found his cheek, brushing against it and feeling soft strands of blue that lingered there. His face bloomed pink, though Val knew the breeze had nothing to do with it.

“Don’t talk like that… Nothing spent on you is ever a waste, Kio. I mean that,” she murmured, pressing her lips to the plush pink of his cheek as her arms slipped around him to hold him close. Her fingers in the back idled near his apron, hooking onto the tie out of a mere desire to do so. She could hear him swallow, see the nervous lovesickness reflected in the droop of his eyes as she planted another kiss. He was putty in her arms, warm and close and irrefutably her angel. His head dipped in a hesitant nod, picking up pace as he seemed to try and maintain composure. 

“O-okay..! Okay, um, will do..! Anything for you, Val…” A tittering of nervous laughter accompanied his words, his heart racing in his chest and beating viciously against Val’s own. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head forward to nuzzle against the softness of his hair. It felt somehow easier to breathe there, like oxygen was more prevalent there and more suited for her lungs. She inhaled, feeling the strands move with the pull and press against her nostrils before being blown away with a quick exhale. Unwilling to leave his side even with his reassurances, she found herself rooted next to him in soft silence. She knew how fleeting his confidence could be - how easily it shattered like the glass parts of him were made out of. She shook her head, gently laying a kiss on the crook of his neck before pulling away to catch his eyes.

“I’ll be back soon, okay, Kio? You won’t even have time to miss me.” Val took his head into her hands, tilting it forward to lay another kiss on his forehead. The pink on his cheeks was practically glowing red now, sheepish grin dizzy but sure. He nodded again, this time controlled and slower than before. Their foreheads touched at the end, their horns grazing eachother as Akio’s hair spilled into hers. Their breaths synchronized, the two of them finding the same wavelength and holding steadily to it. 

“Okay, Val… I’ll see you soon… Say, um, hi to Dan for me..!”

Valentine rolled over their interaction in her mind as she walked to the dango shop she had in mind as her goal, clopping hooves and distant rustling going unnoticed along with the sights of the city. Each step she took was already familiar; known so well she didn’t feel the need to pay so much attention to it. All the buildings she passed were the same she always passed - whether it be for a quick stop at a shop in the city or a step made along the journey to the Rabbit Hole for another shift. Everything was some level of known, whether it be the acquaintance of a distantly planted tree or the friend of a shop she’d been in many times before. She could even recognize many of the faces walking, and their smiles and waves that she mimicked indicated they shared the sentiment. It was a comfortable state - living in one place your whole life. Valentine had only ventured to the outskirts of the city for curiosity’s sake, but none of it was worth a permanent change of pace. She was lucky to live so close to everything; to know her surroundings so intimately that a walk such as the one to Dan’s Dango wasn’t an intimidating one.

The building itself was surprisingly quiet for this time of day, a few curious succubuns wandering about in lazy minimality. Valentine was used to the shop being dense with people ready for an afternoon snack, though she supposed it was better not to look her gift horse in the mouth. Such a tiny crowd of other hungry succubuns meant she wouldn’t trouble Dan so much with the order she’d prepared. A happy hum escaped her for the occasion, following her whilst she weaved through the crowd of buns gathered for one reason or another and stepped to the door of the shop. 

Opening the door, Valentine was immediately met with a warm, fragrant air. She could smell the nutty aroma of the kinako just as well as the lightly burnt scent of the mitarashi, and the delightful mixture held her in the doorway for a few savored moments to take it in. She gently closed the door behind her regardless, trying to preserve the warmth before Dan could scold her for not doing so. Speaking of Dan… Where was he?

The inside of the shop was empty of succubuns, including the two that were most often seen lounging about. Shibani, she could wager, was simply taking a nap on the pillow pile per usual. But the whereabouts of Dan was a bit trickier to guess. He could’ve been anywhere in the store, or he might’ve stepped out for a moment to buy supplies. It was anyone’s guess, but Valentine supposed the best thing to do was stand around and wait. She had plenty to occupy herself; Dan being gone meant she had a few precious minutes to decide what dango spoke to her today. 

Talking with Akio earlier had brought the taste of kinako to her mouth just by the mention of it, and she swore she could taste the nuts even more now that the smell accompanied it. She approached the display cases, sweeping by them and humming to herself with a fist pressed over her mouth in thought. Now that she was close enough, the goma dango did look rather appetizing… Her mouth watered just thinking of the flavor, the perfect mixture of sweet and savory. It had certainly been her favorite since she’d first gotten a taste, though the strawberry dango was a close second. What she would really love to get her hands on was the rosewater mochi Dan sold during Matentines, but it would be a while before that ball began to roll. She could still practically taste it even despite its distance, that sweet, delicate flavor of -

“Can I help you?”

Valentine startled, jumping and landing off-balance before clattering to the floor in a heap. Her heart raced inside her chest, beating frantically against her ribcage as her eyes shot to whoever had interrupted her internal ramblings. Dan peered down at her with a raised eyebrow, lips pressed in a thin, hard line. Valentine noticed a bit of flour smeared across his cheek and a tray of steaming dango on the counter underneath his crossed arms, answering any earlier questions she had as to where he had been. She pushed herself up by the elbows, rubbing her head and trying hard to ignore how quickly her heart was still pounding inside her chest. She struggled to pull herself back onto her hooves, shaking her head and reminding herself to practice her landings in the future.

“Oh, yeah - sorry… I didn’t know where you were, you startled me.”

“I could’ve guessed.” His words were cold, blunt and dismissive of whatever nervousness she still had. It was almost familiar, just how straightforward he was. It reminded her of something - or, more aptly, someone - though she was too riled up to think of who it could’ve been. She dusted herself off instead, brushing imaginary dust onto her sheer-top. For a well-loved business, the floor was unusually spotless. Her palms remained the same shade they had been before her fall, no grayness or brown from dust or dirt even remotely visible. It was shocking, though she supposed it fit the bill for someone like Dan. She interacted with him very little - actually, most ‘interactions’ were strictly limited to buying what he sold.

“Right, it was kind of obvious… I hope you didn’t mind me looking. I needed some extra time; it all looks delicious. You make it by hand, right? It always looks straight out of an ad..” Valentine had to stop herself, realizing she was gushing a bit too much to the rather quiet man. Surprisingly, though, she could see his arms lose their tenseness and his eyes their fierceness. He didn’t seem relaxed; rather, he was comfortably guarded.

“I do. This is all me, every bit of it. Sometimes volunteers will try their hand at making it, but everything sold here is my own work. Do you have a favorite?” That was the most Valentine had heard Dan ever say. His own openness relieved Valentine of her tenseness, her heart settling back in place.

“Oh! I really like the goma, but I think my favorite has to be the rosewater you sell around Matentines… It feels like forever waiting the whole year to come back around, but it always makes it more of a treat to have it when it’s finally available! If it was sold year-round.. Well, I don’t think I’d know what to do with myself - it’s so delicious… And I love how you decorate it, too. I take pictures everytime before I eat it, y’know? It's just… It’s so obvious that you put so much work into it that it feels bad to just devour it without admiring it first.”

It was difficult to read Dan’s expression, his lips still pressed together in an even line and uninterested in turning either way. However, his arms uncrossed and he removed a goma dango from the tray of freshly cooked confections, presenting it to Val for her to take.

“You can have this. It’s on the house. Consider it a sample. As for the mochi…” he paused, allowing her to nervously pinch the dango stick between her fingers before continuing, “I’d be willing to give you lessons on how to make these yourself. Mochi is trickier than dango, so we’ll start with the latter first. Can I count on you to be there?”

Valentine felt a tug at her throat, excitement and confusion bubbling just underneath the surface. She almost didn’t know what to make of his odd sudden fondness, though she knew kindness wasn’t too difficult to find in Burrowgatory. Allowing herself a smile, she retrieved a few carats from her wallet and pressed them into open palm.

“I wouldn’t dream of missing it. In the meantime… Do you think I could buy a kinako from you?”

The corner of the taller doll’s lips curved upwards, so slight it would have been too easy to miss. 

“Coming right up.”