4- Caramel

I keep running my hand through Strawberry's hair, his ginger curly hair seeming to wrap around mine as I let my fingers go through them.

His body is wrapped around my waist, his grip around me tight as I smile at him.

This was always my favorite side of him.

When he slept.

Not that I did not move every side of Ber, I did, with all of my heart. But I also was aware that he was tormented half the time he was awake, losing control and feeling guilt the next second. I knew that he barely meant half the things he did and I always felt sad when it happened.

Because that's how I was.

I was horribly soft and even I hated it sometimes.

It was why they all treated me like a baby, making sure I never left their sight and if I did, made sure at least one of them was on me. But I could take care of myself, they just didn't know that, or rather, didn't want to acknowledge the idea.

I hear the door to Ber's room burst open and Coco's voice screaming "Where are my boyfriends?!"

I quickly turn to him, making a gesture that he should be quiet because of the sleeping person on me and the new one below.

But I hear him giggle as he comes closer and realize he only did it on purpose. Possibly to see the reaction I would give and just for the heck of it.

When he reaches Ber and I, he sits on the bed, the smell of Cream wafting from him to me as I hold the urge to get closer, his eyes twinkling when he says "How are you brother?"

I give him a small smile "I'm okay"

"Sure baby?" He asks then comes closer, the movement making me take in a sharp breath as his grin comes on his face "Big Daddy here didn't hurt you, did he?"

I want to say no, that I'm actually okay because I am, but if Chocolate knew I lied, he would go ballistic and that was a side of me that terrified me "H-He didn't mean to Coco, I swear—"

The grin disappears, a small scowl now appearing. His eyes are scanning me fast, looking for the place I could have been hurt before he notices how I'm trying to hide my feet and he grabs my leg, a small cry leaving my lips before he hoists it up to the surface, his eyes falling on the bandage.

The scowl is replaced with a look of pain before he looks at me, then Strawberry "Did he— Did he break your leg?"

I quickly shake my head "H-He threw a chair at the door and I h-happened to be there—"

The horrified look on his face is slowly going away now, a lost one replacing it "Mistake?"

I nod "It really doesn't hurt that much"

He looks back at the leg, his fingers trailing it. I hold my breath in fear that he would apply pressure on it, just to see if I'm lying or not but he looks back at me, tears in his eyes "Are you sure Mel?"

I slowly shake my head.

He lets go of my leg, coming closer as he held my face "You'd tell me if he does anything you don't like, wouldn't you? If he hurts you again, you won't hide it like before, you'd tell me? You promised Caramel. You promised"

I nod again "I will"

He lets out a small laugh, pulling me into a hug as he squeezes tightly before he pulls away, his smile back on his face "Honestly, I actually thought I'd have to kill Ber"

If I had heard it from someone else, I would have been scared or surprised.

But not when I know that Chocolate isn't just someone else.

He meant every word he said when it involved me.

He suddenly stands, giggling "You haven't showered yet, you know how Miss D works right? She likes us clean before dinner and all, so you should go do that right now love"

I look down at the body of Strawberry still hanging tight on me "But I-I told Ber t-that I would stay here while Alex brings our food up"

His smile twitches slightly "I understand that honey but you know the rules. You aren't allowed to eat anywhere else asides the dining room"

"I know. I just think—"

"But it's okie!" He's smiling normally again "You can just go shower, come down and tell Miss D yourself. I bet she'd let you come stay with Ber if she thinks that's alright"

Of course, Chocolate did not want me alone with Ber for the main time.

I look at the male again, not surprised at how deeply asleep he was because that's how it always happened. Him getting angry at everything then going off like a light from being extremely exhausted.

"Are you worried that I would hurt him?"

I look at Coco as those words leave his lips, his face as expressionless as Cream's, which scares me a bit before he adds "I love Strawberry, Mel. More than I could ever explain, but I would never let anyone hurt you. You understand that?"

I nod.

He smiles again "And I won't, at least not this time so he's safe"

I let out a small sigh, trying to get Ber's arms off my body but he squeezes tighter before I successfully get him off, Strawberry rolling to the other side of the bed.

I take my legs off the bed, slightly wincing at the pain of my feet on the marble floored before I try to ignore it when I realize Coco's staring intently at me, wanting to see how bad it was.

I bite harder on my lower lip, ignoring the need to scream when I finally stand, letting out a small gasp when I do so.

I decide to look up at Coco and see his reaction, noticing him smiling at me as I begin limping out before he says "Oh by the way, how do you feel about the new girl?"

I pause, turning to him "I-I don't know. I haven't really spent that much time with her"

He's nodding, knowing I'm being honest before he giggles "I have an idea. Why don't you shower and go meet her at the room then take her down for dinner?"

My eyes widen "M-Me?"

He nods hurriedly "Uh-huh. I think it would be a good reason to get to know her better, that sort of thing"

He wants me to know her?

I nod anyway, knowing that the word 'no' wasn't really something Coco liked hearing as he says "Yay! I would just remain here while you get ready. Then meet you downstairs"

I nod again, walking out the door.

"Oh and Mel?"

I pause, turning to look at him "Yes, Coco?"

"I love you"

The weight of those words rest on my shoulders heavily, feeling like they would make me run out of breath all of a sudden but I ignore it, smiling at him "I love you too" Then head to my room.

When I'm finally there, I take off my clothes, stepping into the shower as I remove the bandage, pain creeping up my leg as I did so before I let out a small sigh when I'm done, the now purple bruise staring back at me.

Chocolate would have lost it if he knew the chair wasn't just aimed at the door but me and that was one thing I didn't want.

I knew that Chocolate loved Ber, it was extremely obvious half the times they were together even though the other half made it looked like they wanted nothing more than cutting each other's neck off.

But he was very protective of me after what happened last time.

I look at my hand, small pants leaving my lips as I stare at the long scar on it, the memory hitting me immediately.

Ber getting angry and lashing out at Coco.

Me trying to calm him down and getting a knife taken through my arm while I hid it and got an infection that caused me to get hospitalized for a while.

I shiver at it.

Chocolate, for one, had never stayed that long away from him since we met and the experience was hell for him. Plus, they were many things that he would never forgive himself for that included me but that day seemed to top it.

He had made me promise that if Ber tried to hurt me, I would fight back, and if I couldn't, I had to tell him.

I did as he asked, not because I wasn't scared of Ber, I was, anyone in their right senses would, but because I feared for him.

I had seen Chocolate protect me before. It was not a sight I wanted to see again.

After I'm done showering, I change into my Pyjamas, wrapping another new bandage around my leg before I limp off to Chocolate's room.

When I reach the door, I pause, my breath hitching as a thought comes to my mind.

Coco is extremely protective of me, he would rather I stay away from anyone that he was not very sure of.

So why would he send me to her?

Was he that he already trusted her, which I doubt, or he was planning something?

I shake off the thought. No, Coco wouldn't try doing anything to me, he never has.

But—But he has been behaving a bit weird today.

I shake my head again, knocking slightly on the door then I open it, poking my head through it "H-Hello?"

When I'm fully in, I notice the person standing infront of Coco's mirror, noticing that she's raising the top of her nightdress, her breasts in full display as I stare.

My throat goes dry immediately and I'm supposed to look away, emphasis on supposed to because I somehow can't.

But I remember that I would never be able to face her again if she catches me and I quickly put my hand over my eyes, shouting "I didn't see anything!"

I hear her cuss and there's something falling, but I keep my hand over my face, my emotions clashing at each other loudly before I hear her say "Sorry! Sorry about that!"

I don't remove my hands.

"I'm— I'm actually covered now"

I slowly remove my hands, swallowing again as I realize she's not covered, at least not everything.

Coco had given her one of his nightdresses that he only wore when he had something crazy going up in his head because it was lace and everything showed.

Example, the nipples peeking up at me.

She looks at her body, then at me, my face burning up as I try to look at her face but my eyes are somehow glued to her chest "I-I-I—"

I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

But the words don't come out fully.

She puts her hand on her hips "Shows too much huh? Thought so, but Coco didn't think so, or maybe he did, but he was being all cranky about it. Excuse me"

She walks to Coco's changing room, hearing the door shut as I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, my hands on my chest.

What was that?!

I couldn't even tell if she was disappointed or angry at me!

I facepalm again, feeling shame bury into me as I sit on Coco's bed before I realize that there's something shooting up from my pyjama trousers.

Oh God.

Let that be a pen of mine.

I hear Coco's closet open again as I put my hands over the bulge, noticing that she's wearing an older pyjama of his, a smile on her face "How about this?"

I stare at her, noticing that everything is covered as I nod, looking away from her to my feet "I-Its alright"

I see her walk to me and plop herself on the bed, staring at me.

My face is boiling again and I'm hoping she can look somewhere else but she doesn't before she says "I don't mind"

"What?"

"That your penis is erected right now"

My face reddens more as I try to hide my face, hearing her laugh "I guess it's not your fault honestly, or did you actually mean to look at me like that?"

"No!"

I look at her, noticing that she's smiling before I look away "I-I didn't mean to. Honest"

I keep looking away before I feel her hand rest on my head and then ruffle it slightly "You are the most normal one. If we ignore the stutter and the shyness"

As she takes her hand away, I look at her "Normal?"

"Well—" Vanilla looks forward, tilting her body forward and backward as if she's on a swing as she says "The ginger haired one is horribly aggressive. The white haired one has this ghost like behavior, like he's there but he's not and well— Your brother acts really creepy" Then she looks at me "I say this with the purest intentions"

I know that I should be upset about what she said, but it's so true I just say instead "How are you sure I'm not Coco?"

"Oh. It's simple really. You're not acting like you finished three bowls of ice cream and the sugar's gotten into your head"

As soon as she says it, my eyes widens and she panics "Oh. I've said something stupid, haven't I? I'm so sorry. I swear I didn't mean to. I just keep blabbing out nonsense honestly—"

Then I laugh.

It's the first time ever since today that I'm laughing this hard. I even have to hold the bed so I don't topple over and I see her look at me with worry, I know she didn't expect that "Or maybe you aren't as normal as I thought"

I pause, some laughs still escaping her as I face her "No, no. I mean— I'm not too close to the weird scale but it's just— You described Coco exactly the same way I did when I first met him"

"When you first met him?" She asks "Were you two not like some seconds old when you first saw one another?"

Oh, she doesn't know.

Vanilla notices the look on my face as she shakes her head "It keeps happening. Everything leaving my mouth outs me in trouble. This is why no one liked me to be honest"

"It's okay" I say gently, a small smile coming on my face "But no, I didn't know Coco when I was born, when we were born. Everyone knows. You're not from around here, are you?"

She shakes her head "Nah. I'm from Vino actually"

I backtrack "Vino?"

She nods now "Yeah. Is it surprising? Cause I know it's kinda obvious. Coco easily pointed out. Said my fashion sense needs his holy water"

I chuckle "Coco thinks everyone needs his holy water, and maybe it is obvious, but I've never actually met anyone from Vino. I haven't met many people anyway"

"Well I have" She replies "And people are nasty. PS, they don't like it when you say what's in your head. They expect you to be stupid actually, or that's what I noticed. Gotta be stupid to be liked"

"Is that why they don't like you?" I ask softly "Cause you say what's in your head?"

"Oh. That's one of it" Then she laughs, looking at me "Hey, your stutters gone. Did you notice?"

I blush, looking away "Y-Yes. It goes away when I feel c-comfortable"

"And it's back again" She says, chuckling "It's cool. I'm glad you're comfortable around me. Makes me feel like someone here actually doesn't hate me"

I look at her "They don't hate you"

"Okay. Maybe hate means they wish a train ran over me and got my innards out, but they'd rather I get ran over by a bicycle with a three year old guy riding it so I can get sued for being a horrible person just because the little brat hit me"

I stare at her, blinking "What does that even me?"

She shrugs "I swear I have no idea"

We look at one another for a while before we begin to laugh, stopping only when I hear a bell ring from below "Oh. That's Alex. He's ringing for dinner"

"Alex?" She asks "Another housemate?"

I shake my head "No. You've met all of us. He's our butler"

"Butler? That sounds fancy"

"Fancy? Everyone has a butler"

Vanilla shakes her head, putting a hand on her shoulder "No Pumpkin. Not everyone has a butler"

"Oh" I blush at the pet name "T-Then how do you get things done?"

She comes close to my face, my breath stopping on its own before she whispers "Ourselves"

I deadpan, watching her begin to laugh at my reaction as she moves away, then stands, her hand out "Come on, let's go down for dinner"

I stare at her hand, her blue eyes staring at me with a look that I had never really been given before.

Friendship.

Chocolate had wanted a brother immediately we met, Cream never showed any emotion on his face and Ber—

Well, Ber's and I history had always been rocky.

But this—

She was the only one I could officially call a friend.

And the thought makes me feel all warm and fuzzy as I hold her hand, ignoring the electrifying feeling it gave me as she smiles at me before I look away and say "Y-Yeah, l-lets go"