⛥ﾟ・。 Merienda

⛥ﾟ・。 merienda

synopsis: prequel two to pocus -- a year into your marriage to the minister of flour, and you two had failed to progress past that of acquaintances. so, to liven things up, you decide to deliver your husband's daily tea in a rather scanty outfit, hoping to ignite a spark... only to discover his deep, dark secret.

cw: fluff, comfort, angst if you squint, katakuri is a bit socially awkward, KATAKURI DOES NOT PLAY ABT YOU, he is now twenty-two, you are now twenty-one, katakuri's got it BAD, reader's kind of a baddie.

a/n: yall this took be sooo long

"I can't believe I'm doing this... I can't believe I'm doing this..." you muttered, utterly disbelieving of what you'd talked yourself into.

Carefully, you continued to push your huge cart—which carried an almost comically giant teapot with matching teacups—looking around nervously as you trekked through Brûlée's Mirro-World.

The vastness of the dimensional space was intimidating, despite your relatively large size, making you feel smaller than you already did in your ridiculous get-up.

Glancing down at yourself, you flushed, still completely baffled that you had allowed yourself to go through with such an embarrassing idea.

"I can't believe I'm doing this..."

It had been a little over a year since your union with the Minister of Flour—which you supposed was pleasant enough as far as political marriages went.

Of course, with Katakuri being her favorite son, Big Mom went out of her way to host a humongous, opulent wedding, which blew all others out of the water even for generations to come.

Major players from all over the world came to witness the spectacular sight, and all at once you were thrust into a realm of pirates, criminals, and racketeers, a humble baker's daughter suddenly a permanent member of the infamous Charlotte family.

Promptly, you were moved into his mansion on Komugi Island, where—unbeknownst to the public—you lived relatively separate lives.

Of course, the Sweet Commander wasn't heartless, and did his best to assist you in the transition in his own Katakuri-ish way.

He left himself open to any questions as far as how things worked among the crew, or identifying who was family and who was not.

But anything beyond that, sadly, was left entirely up to you.

You did your best to spend as much time with him as possible—despite your relatively busy schedule—hoping to learn more about your newlywed husband past Sweet Commander and strong.

Diligently, you worked, suffering through a year of respective isolation.

A year of stolen glances...

A year of fleeting touches...

A year of reddened interactions...

Within that time, you were able to find a few chinks in his armor, a small sum of instances in which a brief glimmer of the true, kind, generous Katakuri shined through.

And it was within those instances that you began to develop a crush on your husband.

All that, combined with a few external pressures of image and status, eventually led you to this very moment.

This moment... being where you were pushing a cart of your husband's favorite tea in nothing but a dangerously short, practically see-through, (f/c) nightgown.

And not only were you wearing the tiniest excuse for a dress known to man, but you were also wearing it... commando.

Safe to say, you felt completely foolish.

But, if there was one thing you were, it was determined, and you refused to back out now after coming so far.

Besides, wives did surprises like this for their husbands all the time...

Right?

Finally reaching Katakuri's mochi shrine, you smiled, pleased by the sight of the three patissiers diligently standing watch.

It warmed you to see the regard in which his crew—and in extension, his family—held him to.

They all thought so highly of him, and you couldn't help but think the same.

There was something about your husband that was innately regal, innately noble.

He carried himself with an air that made others instantly fall in line, so much so that it even had you straightening your back in his presence.

But intimidation be damned, you had a mission to complete.

'Time to turn on the charm...'

"Hiya, boys!" you waved, carefully making your way over to the chefs.

"Lady (y/n)!" they all exclaimed together, thoroughly surprised as they lowered themselves in a respectful bow. "It's an honor! To what do we owe the pleasure!"

Innocently, you shrugged, lazily leaning against the cart.

"Oh, nothing serious. I'm just hear to deliver my husband's tea. You forgot it in your rush and I figured it'd be a shame to let it all go to waste."

Visibly, a terrified quiver rolled down their spines, the fact finally donning on them that they had, indeed, forgotten the tea.

"Oh, dear! Please forgive us!" they instantly fell to your feet, wracked with fear. "It was an accident! The kitchen was completely backed up and we didn't want to keep General Katakuri waiting!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy," you assured, lifting their chins and greeting their sniveling faces with a smile. "It's all right. Things like this happen, and you chefs have a lot on your plate. I have the tea right here, so it's no harm, no foul."

Instantly, their glassy eyes turned starry, their cheeks dusting with a faint shade of pink at your gentleness.

A normal Charlotte would've at least slapped them around a bit.

'How kind! Lady (y/n) is the sweetest!'

"Anyways, I'll go drop this off to him then be on my way. Thanks a bunch!"

Instantly, a record scratch echoed within the bakers' ears, each one of them turning stark white as you began to push the cart toward the shrine.

"No! My Lady! You can't!" they exclaimed, protectively jumping in front of you and blocking your path.

Confused, you raised a brow, halting your movement.

"Huh? Why not?"

"It's not just you," the first one started, warily. "They say no one has ever caught General Katakuri in the act of eating."

"He's ceaselessly vigilant, and can't let his guard down, even during a snack," the second one chimed.

"The point of tea time is to unwind with friends," the third nodded, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. "But for him, it's a joyless act of nutritional intake and solemn meditation for his next battle."

"Well, I'm sure he can make an exception. I'm his wife after all," you attempted to reason. "Besides, I'm just giving him some tea, then I'll be on my way."

"Madam, you don't understand," the first one shook his head. "He is communing with the God of War's spirit in a solemn ceremony of the utmost dignity."

"It's a religious experience for him," the second one agreed. "No one can be allowed to... intrude?"

Somehow, you had managed to vanish into thin air right before their eyes, the tea cart being the only thing remnant of you left behind.

"Wha—? Where did she—MY LADY, NO!"

They all turned around, only to find that you were already sneaking into the shrine, carefully opening the sliding door before closing it behind you.

'You've piqued my interest, dear husband...'

"SHE'S DONE FOR!"

Now that you were really thinking about it, in the entire time you'd known him—even pre-marriage—you had failed to ever see Katakuri eat, much less pull down that scarf of his.

It made you curious.

It made you painfully curious.

Slowly creeping in, you were surprised by a rather melodic voice, which sounded an awful lot like singing.

"🎶 Oh, doughnuts! I love to eat doughnuts! Even the hole's a treat, doughnuts! 🎶"

Looking closer, you were finally able to see that it was your dear husband, lazying lazily with his back to the ground as he filled his rather large and pointy maw with your sweets.

'I don't believe it...'

Your eyes widened, face heating up at the sight of him so relaxed and happy.

Forget rare, it was a once in a lifetime sight.

And you were eating up every second.

'Commune with the Warrior God my butt... he just likes his doughnuts.'

"🎶 A snack attack, doughnuts! Lying on my back, doughnuts! A forbidden sweet, always knocks me off my feet! Doughnuts! 🎶"

He grinned, grabbing another one of your mouth-watering doughnuts with glee.

"🎶 This is my secret garden, filled with doughnuts! No judgement, just doughnuts! 🎶"

Though, in an instant, it was all undone.

In a moment of clarity, his haki had finally kicked in, revealing your presence to him as clear as day.

His breath hitched, eyes widening as they finally settled on you, meekly hiding in the corner.

His jovial mood melted faster than soft butter in a hot pan, and his entire aura shifted from merry to deadly as he quickly covered his mouth.

"(y/n)!" he growled, eyes blazing with fury. "What are you doing here?!"

"Katakuri, I—EEK!"

Your sentence was cut short as a mochi appendage wrapped tightly around your waist, harshly yanking you forward and toward him.

"What did you see?! Tell me!"

"Just you eating! Nothing else!"

"Why did you come here?!"

"The chefs forgot your tea at my bakery, so I came to deliver it for you!" you strained, struggling against his tightening grip. "Kata...kuri...! ...You're hurting me!"

"Don't you understand! You weren't supposed to find out!"

His entire world felt as if it was crumbling around him, the weight of what you had just discovered weighing heavily on his psyche.

This wasn't how he wanted you to learn about his true self.

Hell, he didn't want you to learn about it at all.

He wanted to remain the pillar of perfection and strength you had built up in your mind, remain the noble man you had come to know as your husband.

Sure, due to his stoic nature, the two of you weren't the closest, but one thing he learned while in your prolonged presence was that you had the annoying habit of being effortlessly charming.

Your blind kindness and persistent optimism were a stark contrast to his cold calculation, and thusly forced a fondness to fester deep within his chest from the moment you met.

He valued your opinion more than he'd ever admit to anybody, and now you saw him as nothing more than a monstrous fool.

A fate worse than death.

"Find out what?! What are you talking about?!" you winced, attempting to gain some wiggle room.

"My mouth, (y/n)! You saw it!"

"Yeah, so?! Why are you freaking out?!"

At that, he froze, eyes slightly widening with surprise.

'...What?'

"You're not... disgusted?" he asked, completely and utterly confused.

"Why would I be? There's nothing wrong with them," you raised, a brow, confused yourself by the outlandish question. "Katak...uri! ...You're... still squeezing me!"

Quickly, he loosened his grip—though not letting go—allowing you to take in a nice, deep breath.

"I'm... I don't understand," he stumbled, uncharacteristically, desperately attempting to grasp the words coming out of your mouth.

"Is that what you think of yourself? Disgusting?" you asked, brows furrowed with concern. "'Cause that's completely untrue, and it's important to me that you know that."

Dumbstruck, the Sweet Commander could only watch as you stared up at him with admiration, his arm seeming to have a mind of its own as it carefully lowered you to the ground, handling your body with the care of a porcelain doll.

Warmly, you smiled at him, sending his heart into a frenzy as you rested your soft hand against his toned chest, not breaking eye contact for a moment.

"You are Charlotte Katakuri," you started, proudly. "Sweet Commander... Strongest of the Big Mom Pirates... Pride of the Charlotte family..."

You paused a moment, giggling softly.

"Lover of Doughnuts..."

The man flushed, suddenly reminded of the rather poor singing you had been subjected to earlier.

How embarrassing.

"Your perfectly normal mouth doesn't take away from any of that," you continued, sincerely. "And if anything, it amplifies them because it is a part of you."

Slowly, you hand trailed up to cup his cheek, not shying away even when he flinched.

You saw absolutely nothing wrong with the way he looked, and if anything loved it even more.

'I knew he was handsome, but I never thought...'

"You've been holding out on me, Commander," you teased, very pleased by the sight before you. "Who knew my husband was so gorgeous."

At your praise, the general flushed redder than a cherry, unequipped for any sort of response to such a compliment.

"I..."

He froze, his gaze finally trailing lower and landing on your outfit.

In an instant, his throat went dry, hands suddenly becoming clammy and internal temperature shooting through the roof.

"(y/n)... what are you wearing?"

Glancing down at yourself, you suddenly remembered your awkward clothing situation, an embarrassed flush rising to your cheeks.

"Oh! Well...! I read somewhere that wives usually surprised their husbands with gifts like this... so I figured we were overdue..."

You quickly deflated, suddenly incredibly self-conscious under his intense gaze.

"You wanted to surprise me... with lingerie?" he asked, raising a brow.

Your face was as hot as a volcano.

"The woman at the store said it was a nightgown!" you whined, utterly mortified as you slapped your hands on your cheeks. "I didn't realize how short it was until I got home... and I figured it was okay since your guards didn't have much of a reaction."

At that last part, a vein in Katakuri's forehead bulged, his chest swiftly swelling with intense fury—and a hint of jealousy.

The "nightgown" was made of a flimsy, practically see-through silk, the fabric so weak the man was sure he could tear it apart like tissue paper.

Not only that, but the hem came up dangerously high—leaving a bit of your cheeks on display if you moved fast enough—and the neckline came down dangerously low—your breasts threatening to spill out at any moment.

He didn't need haki to sense what his men were thinking seeing you in your outfit.

And he didn't like it one bit.

"The patissiers saw you in this?" he asked, voice deadly calm.

None of this anger was directed toward you, of course, but to the bakers outside that had the privilege of seeing his sweet, beautiful wife so exposed.

"We talked for a bit before I snuck past them," you answered, raising a brow. "Why?"

"I see..."

With your answer, their fates were sealed, your husband already on the move toward the door.

They were all as good as dead.

"Wait, Kuri, no!" you suddenly realized, quickly rushing to block his way. "It's not their fault. They couldn't have known I'd be dressed like this when I came over."

Your eyes shifted, turning pleading as you looked up innocently into his dark-ruby reds.

The sight—along with the use of a new nickname—forced the man to stop in his tracks, blushing like a school boy.

When he became so pathetic, he had no idea.

But he supposed he had you to thank for that.

'Typical...'

With a heavy sigh, he caved, dropping his murder plan and opting to cross his large arms over his broad chest instead.

"Fine..." he nodded, begrudgingly. "But from now on, this outfit stays home."

Relieved, you broke into a wide smile, giving him a playful salute.

"Yes, sir."

Suddenly reinvigorated, you gave him a small spin, modeling the nightgown at all angles.

"But you never told me... do you like it? I mean, was it a good surprise?"

Re-examining you, Katakuri failed to find words to describe how beautiful you looked.

Your every curve was laid out for his viewing pleasure, your natural radiant glow only adding to the appeal.

You were like an angel... an angel that had managed to sneak her way into his secret paradise.

"I... do like it," he stumbled, slightly. "The dress goes well your complexion... and brings out the color in your eyes."

Your eyes widened slightly, pleasantly surprise by the insightful compliment.

He had a lot of sisters.

You keened at his praise, having never heard him say such sweet things.

"You're too good to me," you grinned, eyes flicking from his to his lips with a wanting look. "Can I... Can I kiss you?"

At your request, his eyes practically turned to saucers, the Sweet Commander feeling as if he was about to spontaneously combust.

You?!

And him?!

Kiss?!

Like, right now?!

Like, now now?!

"I... uh..." he stuttered like an idiot, unsure of how to handle this. "Are you sure?"

You suddenly realized how pushy you probably sounded, instantly dialing it back.

"I mean, only if you want to, of course," you sighed, quickly giving up hope. "Y'know what, it's fine. I'm sorry I made this all so weird. I just... I think I'm gonna head back to the bakery—"

"Stay."

Before you knew it, a mochi appendage was wrapping around your waist—its touch infinitely softer than before— preventing you from turning around.

You gasped, slightly surprised as your husband pulled you flush against his chest, looking down at you with an expression you had never seen on him before.

"Just stay," he exhaled, his mochi slowly morphing back into his hand, which rested atop your hip. "If you want to... kiss me... then you can. You're my wife, after all."

At the reminder, your heart skipped a beat, the words sounding even better coming off his tongue.

"Damn right," you grinned, carefully tossing an arm over his shoulder to pull him closer. "And I am very proud."

Unable to respond, the man simply turned rigid, allowing you to move as you pleased.

With bated breath, you leaned in, hooking your manicured finger on the hem of his scarf and carefully tugging it down, going slow since you felt him flinch.

Once again, you were met with the entirety of his handsome face, fangs and scars alike all there for you admire.

A privilege you would not take lightly.

"You are so beautiful, Kuri," you whispered with wonder, cupping his cheek in your soft palm. "I wish you could see what I'm seeing right now."

Nervous, Katakuri was quick to avoid eye contact with you, only humming in response at your praise.

But you moved right on your merry way, allowing your thumb to caress his cheekbone before you finally pressed your plush lips against his, making sure to be wary of his teeth.

But your worries were soon shoved back into the recesses of your mind, making way for the indescribable feeling of utter bliss coursing your veins.

It felt as if you had been struck by lightning and swept off your feet at the same time, the Sweet Commander having to tighten his grip around your waist in order to keep you from toppling over.

He tasted so sweet, and he felt so right, like coming home to a warm hug, or eating a freshly glazed doughnut.

As a child, you never understood what the fairytale books were talking about when they described a kiss as magical.

But now?

It couldn't have made more sense.

Just as quickly as the feeling came, it disappeared, the two of you separating so as not to get too caught up in the moment.

Teasingly, you licked your lips, glancing up at your husband with a mischievous look.

"I'd know my strawberry cream doughnut anywhere," you teased, resting your hand against his chest. "You taste just like 'em."

Flushed, his gaze slid away from you once again, though he managed to keep his hold on your waist.

"There's still more left over.... if you would like to join me for the rest of my merienda?" he suggested, nerves still buzzing through his stomach.

But to his surprise, you nodded vigorously, smiling as brightly as the sun—the sight effectively melting a large chunk of his hardened, mochi heart.

"I'd love to."