LicoVamp: Magic Lovers

Over Tea

Herb, Sparkling and Vampire cookie together finished washing the fresh produce. Sparkling insisted he stay in the kitchen to organize the fruits and vegetables into Herb's pantry. Meanwhile the others chatted over tea in the other room.

The conversation had quickly shifted to news from the kingdom and the gossip Sparkling overheard at the bar and recited to Herb a while ago. Vampire was always amused by the cookies way of sharing information. As he lay comfortably on the short cotton couch he slowly tuned out the cookies voice until a sentence was clear through the noise.

"What is the standing between you and Licorice Cookie?" Herb said, from what Vampire was able to make out.

Vampire shot up from his laid down position and snapped his head toward Herb. "the what-?"

"Like, how's it going? You seem to really like him, You guys still just friends or-?"

Bubbling blond hair peeks around the door frame then quickly shoots back away. Vampire sees this from the corner of his eye and he knows Sparkling is just as curious as Herb is to know the response.

However, Vampire honestly can't respond with a confident answer. He looks at his drink as he gently shakes it and then looks up at the ceiling.

"I told him I loved him."

"Again?-"

"No- Well yeah but properly this time, and he said it back so..."

"...so?"

"I'm not sure, we haven't really, talked about it since."

"Since when?"

"Last Night."

The two turn their heads as they hear a slam from the other room. Vampire can't tell if Sparkling dropped a fruit or slammed his head onto the counter out of disappointment. Either way, Sparkling was certainly listening intently on the conversation. Even quickly calling out "I'm alright," to ease any worry the other two may have had, and making sure his interruption doesn't stop the conversation.

Vampire turns back to Herb, who looks happy, but disappointment oozes from every curve of his forced smile.

"Wow..." he says, trying to fain enthusiasm but the silence between speaks volumes.

Vampire shifts his weight around in the couch and sighs, "I don't think I'm good at the whole... communicative- relationship- thing."

"Yeah." Sparkling Cookie loudly chimes in from the other room. Footsteps follow as he walks into the room, drying his hands with a towel from the kitchen. "Your problem, Vampire," he sits down beside Herb, directly across Vampire. "Is you barely speak."

"What?- I talk! I talk all the time!" Vampire defends himself.

"You talk a lot in general, but when it comes to genuine, serious conversations you barely get a word in."

The way Herb turned and nodded along in the middle of Sparkling Cookies sentence made it clear that he too believed what Sparkling was saying.

Vampire shakes his head, "Then what?"

"Carry the conversation! Don't wait until it's engaged, just say what's on your mind and guide the conversation, and don't stop until you've said all you wanted too."

"And if that doesn't work, Mint Choco Cookie is really good with this kind of stuff! He should be back tomorrow," Herb adds.

"Mhm..." Vampire hums blankly. His attention noticeably shifts as he gradually lifts himself up from his seat. "Hey Herb, Can I take some of those grapes? I've been eyeing them for a while."

"Help yourself, Vamp." Herb says warmly as Vampire disappears around the corner to the kitchen. Herb follows with his gaze, afterwards falling on Sparkling Cookie who happened into his sight.

"It was nice of you to help out Vampire, even if you don't like Licorice Cookie." Herb whispers to Sparkling, placing his free hand on Sparkle's knee.

Sparkling shrugs. "End of the day, he's still my friend."

"And your a good friend! Just, maybe be a little nicer with the advice," he giggles.