no sugarcoating it

It was late. But Kohara was more than used to being up at odd hours. Their shop was always open until the early morning, it was the best time for the type of business xe offered, so they had grown used to a more nocturnal schedule. That night, however, their shop stayed closed, much to the chagrin of xyr customers.

They could suck it though, Kohara had a mission that night. They had an intense craving for Dan's dangos, seeing as how they had failed to procure any earlier in the day, and nothing and no one could stand in xyr way.

Dan's lock was too easy to pick, and it made Kohara make a mental note about changing their own locks soon.

With a soft click, it opened, and Kohara slithered inside.

Xe was very accustomed with the shop, stopping by everyday for a treat, sometimes multiple times a day. Dan was one of the few buns xe trusted with the knowledge of how intense their sweet tooth was. (They also could come up with only so many excuses about why xe showed up so often.)

Guided by their knowledge of the shop, Kohara made their way to the counter where Dan showcased his daily display of sweets. Scanning over it, Kohara couldn't even find a single crumb! A crumb!

They scowled. No way! It couldn't all be gone!

Quietly, Kohara looked around, trying to spot anything sweet in sight.

Clean tables, clean counter, empty display, blackboard with all menu items, mysterious door…

Oh! Of course! Dan would've put any leftovers away, so as not to spoil them!

Kohara made their way to the back, hooves making no sound, and rummaged through every cabinet and drawer they came upon.

Xe found plenty of ingredients, and a bottle of caramel syrup that xe was tempted to snatch if nothing else showed up, along with all sorts of kitchenware, a lot of napkins and even more straws.

No dangos. 

They would scream in frustration if that wouldn't give them away and promptly have xem banned from the store permanently.

They looked around once more, trying to see if they missed anything. There must be something!

Alas, all xe saw was what they had already accounted for. Cabinets, drawers, plenty of ovens, the door leading to the front, Dan ominously standing beside it, napkins…

Wait.

"Fuck!" Xe hissed.

Dan slammed the light switch on, eyes furious until they settled upon Kohara's caught form.

A beat of silence passed.

"Just what are you doing here, Kohara." Dan's voice rumbled. Kohara was glad that the anger in it was minimal, and overshadowed by sleepy confusion.

(Subconsciously, xyr brain hummed a pleased noise at how grave Dan sounded, and they couldn't help but wonder in what other situation Dan's voice would get so low.)

"Uhhh," They started, "Happy birthday?"

Dan blinked, face blank, "It is nowhere close to being my birthday." He crossed his arms, and Kohara finally noticed that his long hair was loose, framing his face delicately, and that he was shirtless and oh wow, those pecs… "And even if it was, what kind of gift is breaking into my shop?"

Kohara's tail swished side to side, and xyr ears twitched. They could already feel an intense embarrassed flush try and take over their face.

"...Um…" They shifted in place, hopping from hoof to hoof. Dan remained impassive.

The longer this stalemate, the more xe grew nervous, and felt a word vomit coming.

"You see, I really really really really wanted some sweets," They blurted, opening the floodgates, "But all day long I was busy and couldn't get any, and when I was finally free you had already closed shop and Taho was asleep, and Miyeon had a date so she didn't come home so no one could get one for me and by that time all I could think of was you and your dangos." Xe stopped for a single inhale, still too fast for Dan to interrupt, "And I swear I was going to pay!!! I brought all my money with me! But I just really needed your dangos. You don't understand how much they mean to me."

That seemed to drive a reaction out of Dan, just a light blush high on his cheeks.

Still, Dan kept quiet for a moment longer, watching as Kohara squirmed in place. Xe couldn't even run away, seeing as how Dan blocked the main entrance, and Kohara knew the backdoor exit was locked still.

Finally, Dan sighed, and grabbed the apron that hang behind the door. He tied his hair, and pulled a chair beside him.

"Sit." He ordered.

Kohara sat.

Xe watched as Dan went around the kitchen, grabbing things seemingly at random, before it clicked.

Dan is going to cook. Dan is going to bake. Dan is going to bake for them at nearly 2am.

They sniffled, and that caught Dan's attention from where he was measuring sugar and flour. He looked alarmed to see Kohara tearing up out of the blue.

"What's wrong?" He fretted, and Kohara was struck by how sweet the whole gesture was. Dan was a gentle giant through and through.

Now full on hiccuping, Kohara babbled, hardly intelligible, "Nothing! You're just… So nice. I broke into your shop for a dumb craving and you're baking for me and it's so late and you're a really good bun, Dan."

It took a minute for the words to fully settle in him, but once they did, Dan's face flushed again, and he nodded, albeit a little reluctantly.

"Of course I'm baking. You're my friend."

It only made Kohara's sobs louder.

—

When the sweets (sweets, plural, because Dan was nothing if a caring friend) were done, and eaten, Kohara sighed in delight.

"I'll keep something saved for you from now on." Dan mumbled, having watched Kohara eat with such gusto made him unbearably happy.

"Really?! Wow, you really are the best, Dan!" Kohara knew they sounded nothing like their usual self, but xe couldn't help it, Dan knew their most sensitive weakness, so what else did xe have to hide? "Ah, it's late, I should leave." They sighed again.

"No."

"No?"

"No. It's late. You're sleeping over." Dan declared, and motioned for Kohara to follow.

Upstairs, in Dan's apartment, Shibani occupied his bed. Dan shuffled over and laid down, pulling Kohara along.

"Sleep." He whispered, and so Kohara did.

(And, if, in the morning, they awoke to the sight of both Shibani and Dan's cute sleep-ridden selves and got the first batch of dango of the day… Well, xe wasn't complaining!)