#pudding? pudding.

⠀⠀(y/n) seemed to be reluctant. as much as she was a close friend of seigi, she wouldn’t dare believe he would put this much trust to her.

⠀⠀apparently, her raven-haired friend was catching up with the rapid orders the customers had reserved and his boss, richard de vulpian, was instructed to further stay back home as he just recovered from a nasty cold.

⠀⠀“you’ll be just giving him pudding,” seigi reassured her on the phone. by then, (y/n) was already inside the de vulpian household because she was a regular there, courtesy of her frequent visitations with seigi. furthermore, she’s the kitchen’s best friend. “besides, you already made it.”

⠀⠀“yes, but that was because you were around to share it with me. and mr-”

⠀⠀“richard. come on, (y/n). you’ve been acquainted with him already and he even permitted you to address him by his given name.”

⠀⠀she sighed, tapping her fingers on the cold, marble counter in the kitchen. seigi had a point, but still. why would a common person like her was allowed to address someone whose stature can be comparable to a god?

⠀⠀“i will drop by and give him pudding. but, please, as much as it bothers you, i would still address him formally.” (y/n) dropped the call. pocketing her phone, you carried the plate of pudding to the study room. where else the handsome jeweler might be?

⠀⠀(y/n) padded down the long, elegant hall. it was decorated with vases filled with exotic flowers and marvelous paintings hanging on the walls. she was too mesmerized to realize she has finally reach her destination. the only indication she was there was when richard opened the door.

⠀⠀(y/n) flinched and nearly drop the plate.

⠀⠀heavens!, she thought. a heart attack was almost sufficient! “mr de vulpian!” (y/n) stammered as she faced the dashing blond gentleman. he always have that effect on her - to remain stand still and breathless at the sight of him.

⠀⠀recognizing the female, the reserved man etched a smile on his lips. if he knew better, he could have been expecting a rolling gem. he greeted, “hello, (y/n). fancy seeing you here.”

⠀⠀(y/n)’s hands were quaking, too astonished to register what he said for a few moments.

⠀⠀it was like this for a few silent moments - a pair of striking azure eyes staring down at a gleaming pair of (e/c) orbs, unblinking; no words were uttered because of the uncertainty in the air; a pair of hands firmly dropped on the sides, another pair invisibly quaking under the harmless scrutiny of the man.

⠀⠀the piercing intensity of the gaze made (y/n) squeamish and squirmish internally that she decided to look at another piece of interest - the pudding on the china plate. richard followed her switched gaze.

⠀⠀“pudding?” he calmly inquired.

⠀⠀“pudding,” (y/n) replied, affirming his guess.

⠀⠀he opened the door wider and gestured for the (h/c) beauty to come inside. he beckoned, “bring it with you. i’ll have it while i study.”

⠀⠀(y/n) had always knows richard has a vigor to study foreign languages and this was for him to easily communicate with his customers from all across the globe. this made him an efficient businessman in his line of successful career.

⠀⠀(y/n) nodded and followed him swiftly. he sat down on the chair before a small, round table. it can fit two people who planned to dine on it. she took the other chair and placed the sweet treat before him.

⠀⠀“thank you,” the jeweler smiled. he took the fork and sliced a piece of it. raising the fork to his lips, he bit on the pudding and ate it.

⠀⠀(y/n) was anxious of what he thought about the pudding she made. of course, she’s a very decent chef and baker. she had to be since she’s opted to live independently from her parents back in the province. working in the city was hard, but taking care of herself alone was harder. (well, she had a support system of friends but she decided it’s best if she provide for herself.)

⠀⠀the lovely sweetness of pudding exploded in richard’s mouth and it caught him off-guard. he had never tasted such a heavenlier pudding! it was just the right amount of sugar and creaminess mashed together in one. when it traveled down his throat - delightful! he felt his eyes brightened up and gleam even brighter than the precious gems. his gentle smile turned child-like and mirthful as he finished the first bite.

⠀⠀“where have you gotten this pudding, (y/n)?” even your name sounded lovelier-sweeter when he addressed you! “this tastes like heaven itself.”

⠀⠀the praise made (y/n) flustered. why wouldn’t it? it came from the world most-renowned jeweler and it’s like having a king complimenting a common folk. well, at least to her, anyways.

⠀⠀“well,” the girl said. “i made it.” she didn’t say it so with much enthusiasm. instead, she hunched her shoulders and tore her eyes away from the pudding and the jeweler - a turning point of being flustered, indeed.

⠀⠀to richard, her reaction was a darling. he said, “i love it, (y/n). tell me, if i ate this all up, can i have more?”

⠀⠀the request sounded like a child asking for more candy! but, of course, how could (y/n) refuse? besides, he liked it- no, he loved it.

⠀⠀(y/n) answered, “of course, mr de vulpian. you can have the whole pan.” she joshed with the last line, seeing that the atmosphere lightened.

⠀⠀as reserved as he was, richard face turned even sweeter to look at - a gentle, beaming smile at (y/n) and a dreamy-euphoric look in his eyes. as if he was in love!

⠀⠀no, no, no. certainly not. you’re getting ahead of yourself, (y/n), she chided as she maintained the gaze with her own eyes. admittedly, those piercing blue eyes made it impossible for her look away, despite badly wanting to look at something else that won’t cause her heart to flip or her stomach to squirm.

⠀⠀“that’s what i like to hear,” he finally said. he finished the plate at once, which didn’t surprise (y/n) at all. instead, she fondly gazed at him. of course, she fully knew his attention would be onto the pudding. when he finished, (y/n) immediately grabbed ahold of the plate.

⠀⠀she said, “i’ll get you some more.” honestly, she wasn’t sure to give him a plate or the whole pan of pudding. but she decided to be respectful and hand him a plate or two.

⠀⠀he nodded. but as she stood, he added, “make it two, please.”

⠀⠀figuring it would be an extra plate for him to consume, (y/n) nodded and left promptly. once she’s out of the door, she breathed a sigh of relief.

⠀⠀little did she knew, the reserved jeweler can be cunning in his own rights. of course, it wasn’t his plan in the first place, but he decided it’s about time he ought to listen to seigi.

⠀⠀this little game has to be done and be over with.

⠀⠀he has one last gem to cut and its his and hers.

⪩ ☁︎．note: republished for archiving purposes; heavy wip; under semi-hiatus.

“Yes, but that was because you were around to share it with me. And Mr-”

“Richard. Come on, (Y/N). You’ve been acquainted with him already and he even permitted you to address him by his given name.”

She sighed, tapping her fingers on the cold, marble counter in the kitchen. Seigi had a point, but still. Why would a common person like her was allowed to address someone whose stature can be comparable to a god?

“I will drop by and give him pudding. But, please, as much as it bothers you, I would still address him formally.” (Y/N) dropped the call. Pocketing her phone, you carried the plate of pudding to the study room. Where else the handsome jeweler might be? 

(Y/N) padded down the long, elegant hall. It was decorated with vases filled with exotic flowers and marvelous paintings hanging on the walls. She was too mesmerized to realize she has finally reach her destination. The only indication she was there was when Richard opened the door. 

(Y/N) flinched and nearly drop the plate. 

Heavens!, she thought. A heart attack was almost sufficient!

“Mr de Vulpian!” (Y/N) stammered as she faced the dashing blond gentleman. He always have that effect on her - to remain stand still and breathless at the sight of him.

Recognizing the female, the reserved man etched a smile on his lips. If he knew better, he could have been expecting a rolling gem. He greeted, “Hello, (Y/N). Fancy seeing you here.” 

(Y/N)’s hands were quaking, too astonished to register what he said for a few moments. 

It was like this for a few silent moments - a pair of striking azure eyes staring down at a gleaming pair of (E/C) orbs, unblinking; no words were uttered because of the uncertainty in the air; a pair of hands firmly dropped on the sides, another pair invisibly quaking under the harmless scrutiny of the man. 

The piercing intensity of the gaze made  (Y/N) squeamish and squirmish internally that she decided to look at another piece of interest - the pudding on the china plate. 

Richard followed her switched gaze.

“Pudding?” he calmly inquired.

“Pudding,” (Y/N) replied, affirming his guess. 

He opened the door wider and gestured for the (H/C) beauty to come inside. He beckoned, “Bring it with you. I’ll have it while I study.”

(Y/N) had always knows Richard has a vigor to study foreign languages and this was for him to easily communicate with his customers from all across the globe. This made him an efficient businessman in his line of successful career.  

(Y/N) nodded and followed him swiftly. He sat down on the chair before a small, round table. It can fit two people who planned to dine on it. She took the other chair and placed the sweet treat before him. 

“Thank you,” the jeweler smiled. He took the fork and sliced a piece of it. Raising the fork to his lips, he bit on the pudding and ate it. 

(Y/N) was anxious of what he thought about the pudding she made. Of course, she’s a very decent chef and baker. She had to be since she’s opted to live independently from her parents back in the province. Working in the city was hard, but taking care of herself alone was harder. (Well, she had a support system of friends but she decided it’s best if she provide for herself.)

The lovely sweetness of pudding exploded in Richard’s mouth and it caught him off-guard. He had never tasted such a heavenlier pudding! It was just the right amount of sugar and creaminess mashed together in one. When it traveled down his throat - delightful! He felt his eyes brightened up and gleam even brighter than the precious gems. His gentle smile turned child-like and mirthful as he finished the first bite. 

“Where have you gotten this pudding, (Y/N)?” Even your name sounded lovelier-sweeter when he addressed you! “This tastes like heaven itself.”

The praise made (Y/N) flustered. Why wouldn’t it? It came from the world most-renowned jeweler and it’s like having a king complimenting a common folk. Well, at least to her, anyways. 

“Well,” the girl said. “I made it.” She didn’t say it so with much enthusiasm. Instead, she hunched her shoulders and tore her eyes away from the pudding and the jeweler - a turning point of being flustered, indeed. 

To Richard, her reaction was a darling. He said, “I love it, (Y/N). Tell me, if I ate this all up, can I have more?”

The request sounded like a child asking for more candy! But, of course, how could (Y/N) refuse? Besides, he liked it- no, he loved it. 

(Y/N) answered, “Of course, Mr de Vulpian. You can have the whole pan.” She joshed with the last line, seeing that the atmosphere lightened. 

As reserved as he was, Richard face turned even sweeter to look at - a gentle, beaming smile at (Y/N) and a dreamy-euphoric look in his eyes. As if he was in love!

No, no, no. Certainly not. You’re getting ahead of yourself, (Y/N), she chided as she maintained the gaze with her own eyes. Admittedly, those piercing blue eyes made it impossible for her look away, despite badly wanting to look at something else that won’t cause her heart to flip or her stomach to squirm. 

“That’s what I like to hear,” he finally said. He finished the plate at once, which didn’t surprise (Y/N) at all. Instead, she fondly gazed at him. Of course, she fully knew his attention would be onto the pudding. When he finished, (Y/N) immediately grabbed ahold of the plate. 

She said, “I’ll get you some more.” Honestly, she wasn’t sure to give him a plate or the whole pan of pudding. But she decided to be respectful and hand him a plate or two. 

He nodded. But as she stood, he added, “Make it two, please.”

Figuring it would be an extra plate for him to consume, (Y/N) nodded and left promptly. Once she’s out of the door, she breathed a sigh of relief. 

Little did she knew, the reserved jeweler can be cunning in his own rights. Of course, it wasn’t his plan in the first place, but he decided it’s about time he ought to listen to Seigi. 

This little game has to be done and be over with. 

Just simply thinking about his assets made the her flustered herself. She wasn’t supposed to think that way for two reasons. One, she’s behaving like a love-twittered high school girl, which she was highly embarrassed of. Two, why would she think of him that way when he probably didn’t even think of her as more than friends?

Alright, the last sentiment stung, but then again, so was reality. 

(Y/N) shook her head. She needed to have a clear head before she face him again. Heaven only knows what words might come from her lips if she hadn’t deleted them already. 

She left the door ajar, so she simply entered the study room. She found Richard keenly reading a book that had a foreign title. When she put down the two china plates on the table, she sat down as well and peered over the cover of the book. It read, ‘Der Kleine Prinz’. 

(Y/N) quietly smiled, knowing full what he was reading. Of course, although she isn’t as studious as Richard when it comes to foreign languages, but she had been dedicating herself to learn Deutsch (German). It was only, of course, was to pass by time. 

For a while, she didn’t made a sound and only relaxed to the sound of the flipping pages and the tapping of Richard’s foot as he read the book with vigor. (Y/N) figured he had already gone far in learning German, so he’s likely testing himself if he could fully read a book solely translated into the language he’s learning. 

When Richard was about to flip the page to one of the middle chapters, his darling blue eyes peered over the book and he saw (Y/N)’s relaxed presence before him. 

Her (H/C) mane brushed off to one side, exposing a part of her face to luminescent sunlight that was coming from the wide, shiny windows. Her expressive (E/C) were gleaming with a mirthful glint in them. Her soft lips were etched into a half-smile as her eyes were focused to him. 

She’s quite a bonny when she has that look, Richard thought, returning (Y/N)’s meaning smile. He slowly put down the book and cleared his throat. 

“I’m sorry if I had ignored you for how long,” he said apologetically. “The book was just fascinating as it was a helpful aid to me.”

(Y/N) elicited a giggle. She breathed out and said, “It’s alright. I know you must be neck-deep in learning a new language. Seigi told me you are learning a new one.”

“Oh, yes, and it’s Deutsch or more commonly known as German,” Richard confirmed. He pushed the book gently aside and grabbed a plate of pudding. With one plate in his hand, he told you, “Go and have the other plate. Dine with me.”

When he prompted that, (Y/N) couldn’t seem to believe what she just heard. She never characterized Richard as a greedy type when it comes to sweets. He’s too good, too respectful to show that. But she thought ‘he always preferred to eat sweets that were silently deemed as his already’. It’s not borderline greedy or possessive, in Richard’s defense. 

At first, (Y/N) only eyed the plate. Glancing back and forth at Richard and found no harm in partaking in the pudding she herself made, she shrugged and took the plate. Slicing a piece of the pudding with the shiny silverware, (Y/N) took a bite of the pudding and she agreed with herself: the pudding is a delight to the taste. Now she can understand why Richard wanted another plate. Well, either that or his sweet tooth was being strung again. It could be either of the two or dangerously both. 

While (Y/N) was busy daintily eating her piece of pudding, Richard stole a glance at the bookmark he placed on the very last pages of the book. He may be reading a famous piece of literature in another language, but that doesn’t mean he can’t find the words he’s been meaning to say. He knew the whole story through and through and it’s only through effort when he has gotten to find the exact words he wanted to express to (Y/N) through the dialogue of the the Little Prince. (In German, of course; the very language (Y/N) could understand fluently.)

(He knew that through Seigi, so give him some credits to even ask about (Y/N).)

Richard finished his plate first. (Y/N) was still eating halfway through her sweet treat. 

“One savors the sweetness through etching the delight that was felt in memory,” Richard commented at (Y/N), fondly chuckling. 

A sugary smile made its way to (Y/N) and she wholeheartedly agreed with his words, saying, “You have a way to express sentiments, Mr de Vulpian.”

Richard blinked his eyes. Then quietly said, “I thought I had told you to address me on first name basis... (Y/N).”

“I still find myself quite uncomfortable calling you ‘Richard’,” (Y/N) admitted. “I felt like we are still acquaintance, not confidants.”

“Well, on the contrary, I felt like we had known each for a quite considerable time,” Richard quipped, crossing his leg over the other one. “One could say since the genesis of time.”

His comment almost made her drop the plate on the polished floor. After all, she wasn’t expecting him to say that. She knew Richard - he’s a stone-cold beauty that has a heart of pure gold encrusted with all the beautiful jewels in the world. And because his heart was like that, his words would always turned out to be precious sentiments on their own. But she never knew he would share such affection with her. 

“Well, Richard,” (Y/N) said, halfway confidently addressing him the way he wanted. “How could you say that so easily? We never talked as much as a close mutual have. We never shared deep sentiments as much as a close friend have. We never seemed to be acquainted any more than this.” She had to point it out. 

Richard pondered on what she had said. It’s true that they were never really close. They were not as close as he is to Seigi. But he couldn’t deny the fact he saw her everywhere, even when she was not there in his sight. Admittedly, her form just always appear around him whenever he thought of her, but reality would come down crashing onto him that (Y/N) wasn’t really there. 

His attitude towards those happening made him think that his heart might be yearning for something - or rather, someone. He couldn’t deny what he felt and he even confronted Seigi about it. His friend confirmed his feelings and told him he had an affection to (Y/N). 

But would he dare admit that and risk a significant part of his dignity? 

While he was known to have a way with words that were laced with the most clement emotions of humanity, he wasn’t quite sure if he can express his declaration that would be polished with the most humane emotion - love. 

The clock ticked.

Seconds passed by.