|"Tea & Confession"|Dandy's world| Reader x dandy|fluff|
Vesper is finally sharing this. It was originally a gift for a friend, but Vesper decided to open the frequency to everyone. Vesper really hope you guys like it!
[Taking place before the Gardenview shut down]
The lights of the Gardenview Educational Center were finally dimming, the echoed giggles of children replaced by the low hum of the ventilation system, as the building closed for the day. For most Toons, this was the time to recharge. Exept for a certain flower toon.
You stood in the kitchen part of Gardenview, you decided to help Cosmo and Sprout with baking today and thought you could tag along to help cleaning after Garndenview closed for the day. you setted down newly cleaned dishes in there place truning your gaze around to see that it where the last ones, you smiled and waved the two bakers goodbye them returning the gesture, before making your exit.
it was a long day and the only thing on your mind now was to get to your room and finally rest after a long day of helping your friends and entertaining visitors.
The soft clicking of your shoes against the polished floor tiles felt unusually loud in the silence. Usually, the air was thick with the scent of crayons and spilled juice, but now, it smelled of nothing but floor wax and the faint, lingering sweetness of the pastries Cosmo had been baking earlier. You rolled your shoulders, feeling the tension of a full day of entertaining finally begin to fade away, as a small sight escaped your lips.
That was untile a sertain rainbow coloured flowered toon caught your eye, the star of the show himself and one of your closest friends in GardenView, Dandicus Dancifer, or as most would know him as, Dandy!
It wasn't long before he noticed you as well, wearing his signature smile, perhaps a little too bright, as he approached you.
"[Name]! Just who i was hoping to see! Hehe..."
He said, finishing his sentence with a nervous chuckul
"It's good to see you too, Dandy"
You said as you retured a smile, not as big as his but still real.
He seemed to avoid your gaze as he kept gazing the floor, making you wonder what was on his mind for him to be acting so... unusually nervous? Dandy was never the type to get so flustred, of cousrse he is THE star of the show, you knew him since.. basically forever and he never acted like this before.
Before you could say anything he opened his mouth to speak.
"So.., you don't have any plans now? Right?"
He asked, as he finally looked up from the ground, waiting eagerly for your response
You could see the nervousness in his eyes, like he was holding his breath, terrified you might say you were too tired to stay or flat out no. It was a look that didn’t belong on the face of the most confident Toon in the museum. Usually, Dandy carried himself with the composure of a king in his kingdom, his petals always perfectly straight and his voice booming with a theatrical warmth and care for his friends. To see him like this...,fidgeting with his fingers, his eyes darting toward the hallway as if he were afraid another Toon might interrupt at any moment—...
"I don't have any plans" you said, making him pirk up, before continueing
"I just finished helping Sprout and Cosmo in the kitchen, why? Is everything alright?"
You asked with slight worry
He immedietly waved it off as he kept up with the nervous grin
"Everything is fine Dewdrop!"
'Dewdrop'? That was new, sure Dandy would ocasionly call other toons by diffrent nicknames, you included, yet 'Dewdrop' was a first.
"I was just wondering if my favorite toon would like to join me for tea? Now?"
Well this was also new...
Sure,You would have tea parties with your friends that also meaning Dandy, yet you usually would be the one bringing up the idea. But at the same time...
Since when was the last time you properly hanged out with dandy? Honestly you couldn't exactly remember.
That is now making you realise how left out he might've felt. I mean yes he literly is the most popular toon, and don't get me started on the amount of visitors...
You couldn't bring yourself to say no, he probably was as tired as you are, if not more. I mean hanging out with your bestfriend wouldn't be a bad idea? And honestly this converation made you forget how tired you were. So...
"Hm, sure! I would like to"
You said as The tension that had been keeping his shoulders squared snapped, replaced by a flourish of movement as he clapped his gloved hands together.
"Marvelous! Simply Splendid!" he chirped, his voice echoing a bit too loudly in the quiet hallway. He quickly caught himself, as he awkwardly cleared his throat "I mean... that is a very wise choice, [Name]. Truly."
The both of you walked down the hall that leads to your usual tea room, the one tucked away from the main activity centers where the louder visiting kids usually gathered to, you would also hang out with your friends there, sometimes with the calmer visiting kids.
To your surprise, the room was already prepared. He must have been setting this up while you were still elbow-deep in soapy water with Cosmo and Sprout. There was no clutter, no spilled glitter or stray crayons from the day's visitors. Just a small, circular table with two porcelain cups and a pot of chamomile that was still letting off a delicate curl of steam.
He pulled out your chair with a bow so low and lingering that it bordered on ridiculous, but the way he looked up at you, expectant and slightly breathless, made it hard to tease him for being dramatic, and it would probably be mean by how desprate he seemed a few moments ago.
You sat down before he made his was to poure you a cup before pouring one for himself, taking his own seat across from you.
"So.., dewdrop. You seemed to be queit the social butterfy lately heh—, you know! Help the others, entertaining visistors.., hanging out with the other toons"
He said as he lifted his cup, not queit drinking it
Your could've sworen that you saw a flicker of...what? Jealousy on his expression..?
It was subtle, but for someone who knew Dandy as well as you did, it was impossible to miss.
"I mean, I don't blame them!" Dandy continued, his voice taking on that familiar, performative tone, though it lacked its usual punch,perhaps even slightly forced "Who wouldn't want a moment of your time? You’re delightful, [Name]. Truly! But..."
"I wish that i.... we could spend more time togather..? I know that with the visitors it's hard and all but—.., please?"
He said as he almost sounded like he was begging,perhaps because he was. Looking at you with those pleading eyes,waiting for a reply.
Seeing him like this.., Dandy, the face of Gardenview, practically shacking into his tea—made your chest ache with a sudden, sharp pang of guilt. You hadn't realized how much your absence had affected him. To everyone else, he was the star of the show. To you, he was Dandy, your dandy. and maybe you’d forgotten that even stars need someone to support them.
you started, reaching across the table.
His fingers were trembling where they gripped the handle of his porcelain cup. When you gently placed your hand over his, he flinched slightly before nearly collapsing into the touch, his palm turning upward to wrap his fingers with yours. He squeezed so tight it was as if he were afraid you’d vanish into the peaceful halls if he let go.
you whispered, your voice soft in the stillness. "I didn't mean to make you feel like you were being left behind. I’ve just been... busy. I thought you were busy, too. You always have so many visitors, I figured you were happy being the center of attention."
Dandy let out a shaky, pathetic little laugh, his petals drooping low as he finally looked you in the eye. As he dropped the mask now leaving only the needy, desperate Toon underneath.
"The visitors don't matter, Dewdrop,not as much as you do..." he murmured, his voice cracking. "None of it matters if I can’t tell you about my day afterward. I can have a thousand children cheering for me, and still.."
He stopped for a solid second
"And..theres been something i've been meaning to tell you, [Name].."
"Oh? Really?" You said with curiosity
He took a shaky breath, his petals shivering as he looked down at your joined hands.
"I’m the star, aren't I? I’m supposed to be the one who keeps everyone smiling, and happy.." he whispered, his voice barely audible over the hum of the building. "But lately, [Name]... I feel like a flower trapped in the dark when you aren't around. I find myself looking for you in every crowd, listening for your laugh over the roar of the visitors. And when I don't find you... I feel so terribly empty."
He finally looked up, his eyes swimming with a raw, pathetic honesty that made your heart ache.
"I don't just want to be your friend, Dewdrop. I don't want to just be another Toon you help in the kitchen or share a polite tea with once a week." He let out a wet, self-deprecating chuckle. "I’m greedy. I’m terribly, horribly greedy when it comes to you. I want to be the reason you wake up with a smile. I want to be the one you come to when you're tired. I... I love you, [Name]."
He sighed before countinueing
"I know I’m dramatic, and I know I’m a handful," he added hastily, his words tumbling out in a desperate rush. "But I promise, if you’ll have me, I’ll be the best partner any Toon could ask for...please..?"
You couldn't help but feel how your heart hammered in your chest,feeling the warmth of the room.
You didn't pull your hand away,you couldn't, not from him never. Instead, you squeezed back, your thumb tracing his knuckle.
"Dandy.." you whispered, a small, breathless laugh escaping you. "You’re such a disaster sometimes. You really thought I was ignoring you?"
He blinked, his expression twitching to surprise. "Well... I—"
"I’ve been busy because I wanted to make sure everything was perfect so I could finally have some time with you" you admitted, feeling a flush creep up your cheeks. "I don’t care about the visitors, kinda..,and I don't care about being in the front row of a show. I just want to be with my favorite flower."
Dandy’s eyes widened, shimmering with a sudden, overwhelming relief. The "pathetic" slouch in his shoulders vanished, replaced by a glow that no museum spotlight could ever mimic. "Your... favorite? Truly? Even above—"
"Above everything, Dandy."
He let out a shaky, triumphant noise—half-sob, half-laugh—and stood up so quickly his chair nearly tipped over. He didn't wait for an invitation this time. He leaned across the table, his hands framing your face with a gentleness that bordered on reverence.
"My Dewdrop.." he murmured, his voice dropping to a low, melodic hum.
When he leaned in, it wasn't a grand, theatrical gesture. It was soft, hesitant, and tasted faintly of the chamomile tea still steaming in the cups. It was a kiss that felt like finding a patch of sunlight in a cold hallway...,a promise that, from now on, neither of you would ever have to feel left behin ever again.
As he pulled back just an inch, his forehead resting against yours, Dandy wore a smirk that was finally, genuinely smug.
"I’m never letting you go back to that kitchen, you know heh.." he whispered playfully, his thumbs lovingly brushing over the side of your face. Eyes full of passion and love "You’re officially booked for tea with the Star... every single night."
♥︎and you where looking forward to it & so did he♥︎
