Bonbon Bonanza

Technically Qi Yu has no taste for sweet things, much less chocolate but given the holiday that is Matetines, he supposes that it’s about time that he tries his hand in celebrating. The problem comes in the fact that the two of them are close but he hasn’t ever seen Ariel actually eat any sort of chocolate which means that he’s not sure what to do exactly. Really, he has carats now, more or less a job and the fact that he wants to thank Ariel in some sort of way for all of the help after he reached Burrowgatory. 

Which is why he’s with June of all buns in hopes of figuring something out even though Qi Yu would rather talk with anyone else. He’s not good with the buns with a bright attitude that’s enough to blind him and June happens to be one of such buns. 

“So you want to pick out some sort of chocolate for Ariel, even though the last time I heard, he hates sugar,” June says as he thinks as they step into the small candy store. “But he did eat quite a bit before you came along and kept on bringing any sort of sugar to pray for a Patientia.” 

Oh that, Qi Yu’s heard of that whole wait from Ariel first hand. Apparently it was the most awful thing ever to happen to said bun, next to finding out there’s no food in the fridge apparently. Somehow, Qi Yu thinks that that’s a lie. 

“Oh,” he replies, quiet. Sometimes he feels as if he doesn’t know Ariel at all. Not in now even after all of the time they spend together. “He only told me that it took months of waiting.” 

June snorts. “I thought he was going to fist fight the statue, though if you are looking for something to give him, I’d say that white chocolate or even the pricey milk chocolate would be a good idea. You can pick what it looks like.” 

Qi Yu looks at the variety of chocolates around the two of them. Part of him says that he should buy some more for June as a thank you. Do stuntmen have diets? Then again, would June even accept in the first place? 

Except one of the chocolate boxes does catch his eyes. There’s seashells in the box, a mix of all of the types of chocolate and he decides at that moment that he needs it for Ariel. That’s exactly what he’s looking for while June is seemingly picking out a different box filled with darker chocolate. 

“You think he’d like a bit of everything?” he finds himself asking as he picks up the box. “It’s not much but it should fit every conceivable possibility.” Really it just makes it a really safe choice because Qi Yu doesn’t want to misstep. 

June looks at the box of chocolate then back at Qi Yu, then back at the chocolate. It’s the look of someone also wanting to get the same chocolates but for himself, so Qi Yu grabs another box for no reason at all. 

“Oh, those are good,” the stuntman simply says before turning around to pay for the box of chocolates in his hands. Qi Yu cannot believe how oblivious he is. Or maybe June simply thinks that no one would bother offering him any sort of kindness. 

And that’s that, the two of them leave the candy store and he’s more or less not turning around the whole final interaction in his mind. For someone who knows his body more than everyone else, he concludes that June does not have a single thought going through his head at times. He means this in the most affectionate way that he can muster. 

Instead, he asks: “who’re you buying the chocolate for anyways?” 

June laughs, his voice ringing out like a bell. “Oh so you caught on quick that this isn’t for me,” the stuntman says simply with mirth in his voice. “Yeah I would’ve picked something with more sugar for myself if I’m being honest but it’s for my partner.” 

Qi Yu nearly trips over his own two feet at that comment. No one told him that June has a partner. No one in his circle bothered to update him about this! Suddenly he doesn’t know if he should hand over his extra box of chocolate but he also wanted to share because that’s what the holidays are for. Instead he simply nods. 

Then when they’re just about to get back to Ariel’s place, he decides the walk is agonizing enough given how the extra box of chocolate is practically weighing down his hands. He needs to give it to June, embarrassment and pride by damned. 

It feels like forever before they finally reach Ariel’s door and June smiles. Qi Yu decides at that moment that enough is enough and practically shoves the extra box of chocolate at June who somehow manages to grab it without a sweat. The cherubun has never been so envious in his life for that fast reaction time. 

“It’s a thank you, for helping me out with this chocolate gift,” Qi Yu simply says before shutting the door. He swears that June is laughing at him. 

–

“And then you just left him like that?!” Ariel says after eating all of the chocolate that Qi Yu just bought. “I can’t believe you had it in you!” 

His face has never been so warm from the embarrassment. Maybe he shouldn’t have tried to find someone else to buy chocolate with him. Knowing Ariel, he’ll never live this down like every single one of his firsts down here at Burrowgatory. Except in this case, Qi Yu thinks he deserves it. “I didn’t want to hear what he was going to say next. It’ll be all I’ll hear for the next few months.” 

Ariel, the ever patient partner, only laughs. “Well I’m sure that he’ll let you know how thankful he is for the box regardless when you see each other again.”