Bloom (ManxMan)

How They met Again

"You actually used the word 'f**k' when you talked to the prince?" Annie asked and Andy groans again. He's trying to pull out a new batch of arm sized cookies from the oven. He's got his oven mitts on and he's just waiting for the timer to go off before he pulls it out.

He had told Annie what had happened at the Palace and she just couldn't stop making fun of him.

"How many times do I have to tell you the same story again and again. It's been two days already." Andy said, jumping a bit when the timer goes off. It's five in the morning and the store opens at seven, they just had two hours to get ready.

The croissants were done and already in the glass display, so were the cupcakes and biscuits, all that was left was the cake loaf and the cookies that were thankfully now done.

"It's not my fault you disrespected the Crown Prince." Annie shrugged as she stacked the paper cups on one side and cartons of different tea on the other side.

"Please don't remind me. I'm just going to keep on believing I dreamt that and prepare for the coronation. The Queen says she's going to send over the kind of pastries she wants at the coronation." Andy said as he pulls out the hot pan from the oven, he pulls off his oven mitts and grabbed the spatula. He carefully placed the cookies on the large white tray beside him.

"Did she tell you why she picked you?"

"All she said was I had a very important admirer who loves my baking."

"Maybe it's the prince." Annie said.

"Maybe you watch too much movies." Andy shoots back and Annie sticks her tongue at him.

It doesn't take long for him to arrange the display in the main store and to add cake loaves to the display. Many elople were fan of his cake loaves, especially the red velvet with vanilla cream and diced strawberries on it. He even artfully pours chocolate syrup on it, in form of his initials. A.O. P.

When Andy was done, he pulls off his apron and hangs it on the wall. He ran his hands down his shirt, nodding when he sees he had managed not to get his clothes stained with flour.

When he checks the time, he sees it's 6:47 am and cheers. He was done early. He grabbed a cup and a ratchet of coffee. He pours it into the cup and adds hot water, two spoons of sugar and milk. Annie was sitting in the middle of the store, typing away on her phone, a cup of tea in front of her.

"Here." Andy said as he slides a plate of cookies and biscuits towards her. They chat as they eat, Andy nibbling on his biscuits. Annie had on a green sweater and bright blue pants and red sneakers, her hair styled in a ponytail.

By seven, Andy flips the sign from CLOSED to OPEN. It takes a few minutes until people starting pouring in. Annie and Andy get to work, handing out plates of pastries and watching customers make their own tea or coffee.

The money goes into the cash register and people are given their change along with their receipt. By ten, everything settles and the crowd dwindles. There were only a handful of people in the store, eating and typing away at their phone or laptop or talking to someone.

"I've got to check on my Mum. Can you man the fort?" Annie asked, pulling her phone from her pocket. Annie nods and waves her off. She blows him a kiss and floats out of the store.

A few minutes later, the store was empty save for an old man reading the papers and munching on some of Andy's biscuits. The door was pulled open and in walks a tall man, a large cap on his hair and thick framed glasses. The stranger had on a black shirt and black jeans with thick brown boots.

Andy stared at him warily. "Hi. Welcome to That's So Pastry."

"So this is where you work?" The person says and Andy frowns, he takes a step backwards and tries to not freak out. He doesn't know who this man is. Though... he realizes, the strange man sounded familiar.

"Do I know you?"

"Yeah." The man replied and promptly took off his glasses. He raised the cap up a little and Andy almost ran out of his store. The f*****g Crown Prince was standing in front of him.

"You look like you're about to run away." Prince Isaac says.

Andy scoffs and crossed his arms. He shakes his head before saying. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Can I get a couple of cookies and a cup of coffee?" Prince Isaac says.

"To go?" Andy asked hopefully.

"Eating in." The prince said. "Do you mind if I eat somewhere private?" Prince Isaac adds and Andy nods. He grabs a small saucer and stacks a couple of cookies on it. He gets what Isaac was talking about, a prince couldn't just eat out like it was such a normal thing to do. Hell, Isaac didn't even bring Andy security detail. His disguise was a pair of glasses and a cap.

"Is the kitchen okay?" Andy asked and Isaac nods. Andy gestured towards the back and Issac hops over the counter. "You could have just used the door?" Andy said with a dry tone while pointing at the small door on the other side of the counter.

"I didn't see that. It's so small."

"It's not my fault you are a giant." Andy replied. "Your highness." He adds.

Isaac laughs and Andy stares. The sound was so... for lack of adjectives on Andy's part, amazing. Isaac's head was thrown back a bit and there were crinkles by the side of his eyes. f**k, Isaac was ridiculously fine. Andy had seen this man on television, on posts on the internet and they never did the man justice.

"Just head in and I'll bring your food."

Isaac gave him a small salute before going through the doors. Once Andy was done, he leaves Annie who had come back in to man the store. He finds Isaac looking at the ovens and the different colored aprons hung on the wall.

"Here you go." Andy said as he placed the tray of pastries on the table. Issac grabbed one of the chair and slid it close to the kitchen counter.

"Come and sit."

"I have to go out front."

Isaac raised a brow. "Are you saying no to the Crown Prince?" Isaac said and Andy placed his hands on his hips as he stared pointedly at Isaac.

"I'm saying no to Isaac who doesn't know how to say Please." Andy snaps, his head tilted a little bit.

"I can say please in twelve languages." Isaac said, gesturing to the chair beside him. Andy finds himself laughing as he hops into the counter, his legs swinging.

"Why did my mother want to see you?" Isaac asked.

"She wants me to cater for your coronation. I'll be in charge of pastries." Andy said with a grin. He wasn't sure why he was smiling this much and why his palms were this sweaty. His heart was jack rabbitting and it was because of the man in front of him.

And Isaac just wasn't any man.

He was a Crown Prince.

"Your pastries are fantastic. I love how big your cookies are." Isaac said and Andy smirks.

"Is that an euphemism for something?" Andy wiggles his brows.

"You've got a dirty mind, Andy."

"I was born this way." Andy laughs. Isaac chickened and shook his head. He finished the cookies in record time and took his time with the coffee.

"Do you also cook or do you just bake?" Isaac asked. It's a question that Andy hasn't actually been asked a lot. He angles his body a bit more towards Isaac.

"I actually don't like cooking. I prefer baking." Andy replied honestly and Isaac almost chokes on his coffee.

"You are but you don't cook? How does that work?"

Andy shrugged. "It means, I don't like dicing and the smell of seasoning on my hands. Onions aren't really my things and many other things."

"It's okay. Many people don't like a lot of things." Isaac said.

"What don't you like?"

"Pineapples, I don't like the taste or smell or feel." Isaac said and Andy couldn't help but laugh. This man was ridiculous. Isaac saying pineapple and making a snotty face was the last thing that Andy was expecting.

"Have you tried pineapple flavored treats?" Andy asked and Isaac shakes his head.

"Not really."

"How about I make you some treats and you tell me what you think?"

"For how long?" Isaac asked.

"Until you tell me to stop." Andy replies and holds his hand out. Isaac reaches out and gripped Andy's hand in a handshake. Tingles zapping up both their hands.

"Fine. As long as you don't mind if I hang out here."

"Sure. You can even help out if you want."

"I could be your Royal Taster." Isaac said and Andy laughs.

"What if I poison you?"

"You want to kill me?" Isaac asked. "I could just press a button and you will be arrested on the spot."

"Then you won't get to eat my fantastic treats." Andy hops down from the counter and made his way to the oven. He had kept a couple of cake loaves there. One vanilla and the rest chocolate velvet.

He pulls it out and places it on the table. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he feels Isaac step closer to him. Andy quickly reached for the small pack of berries and spun around, successfully halting Isaac who was now standing in his personal space.

"Here." Andy says lifting a berry up.

Isaac don't take it. No. The Prince leaned down instead and closed his lips around the fruit and leaned back, chewing slowly. Andy doesn't look away from the Prince and Isaac doesn't look away from Andy either. The air between them is charged and sweet and there's a swooping feeling at the bottom of Andy's stomach.

"I stay here, you feed me pastries and I help out in the kitchen." Isaac said, his voice low and his eyes searching.

"We have a deal."

"Why do I feel we should seal it with a kiss?" Issac smirks and Andy giggles. Andy shakes his head at the Prince and pushed him back a bit, his hand pressed to Isaac's chest.

"Stop being silly."

"I've been called a lot of things and silly isn't one of them." Isaac says, taking a step forward despite the weight of Andy's hand on his chest.

"Well, I'm telling you, you are silly. I'm not going to play this game with you. I'm not going to be one of those people you take to bed and dump when you lose interest. I don't do one night stands." Andy says firmly, his legs shaking and knees weak. This close Andy could smell Isaac, the expensive cologne, he could feel the heat of the Prince underneath the palm pressed to Isaac's chest.

"Okay."

"We can be friends though." Andy said. "It'd be neat to be friends with you. I once had a poster of you when I was little. Even then I knew we'd be awesome friends." Andy said and Isaac laughs again. Andy likes it. He likes knowing he could get Isaac to laugh this freely.

"I agree. It would be lovely to have you as a friend." Isaac said. He slowly reached a hand up and cups Andy's cheek, his thumb slowly stroking Andy's jaw.

"You've got the most beautiful eyes I've ever." Isaac said, his voice deep and a look in his eyes, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Like he was in awe.

"Thank you."

"Okay, friend." Isaac said as he drops his hand and takes several steps backward and Andy lets out a breath he hadn't known he was holding until Isaac took a step back. "How about I have a bit of that chocolate cake?"