Bloom (ManxMan)

Who Isaac Really Is

"We are the champions, my friends." Andy dang along with the song coming through the speakers. He had put on his Queen playlist and had been dancing around the kitchen.

Isaac laughs as he watched Andy from where he was at the side of the door. Andy was cutting the skinny pineapple cheesecake into tiny bars. He set them on a large white tray and placed a cherry on each of them. He then grabs a small saucer and carefully placed four pineapple cheesecake squares on it with cherries.

The song changes to Radio Ga Ga and Isaac couldn't help but laugh when Andy began to wiggle, trying his best to dance and sing on key. Andy doesn't jump, he just turns and continues dancing, wiggling his fingers as he beckons Isaac to come closer.

"A fan of Freddie then?" Isaac asks as he takes Andy's hand in his and began to dance, raising their hand up and giving Andy a spin.

"No. I'm a fan of Queen. The entire band, not just the lead singer." Andy replies, still bobbing his head to the song. Isaac smiles at that and they danced for the remainder of the song. When the song was done and another song comes on, Andy led Isaac to his seat and set a plate of the pineapple dessert on the table.

"Try this. It's a pineapple cheesecake cake with cherries. This was made with a secret ingredient, don't ask what it is because I won't tell you." Andy says with a small laugh. He held a fork out to Isaac who took it. The prince was staring at the dessert with a hesitant look.

He really wasn't a fan of pineapples but he had promised Andy he would try out his recipe. It's not like he was going to keel over and die from eating one forkful of what was a delicious pastry since it was made by Andy himself.

Andy held his breath as he watched Isaac cut a small piece and slid it into his mouth. The cake melts on Isaac's tongue and the rich flavor of the combination of both pineapple and cheese was fantastic. Mind blowing even.

"This is ... good." Isaac said and takes another slice and another until he was done with the pastries. Andy's smile was so bright, Isaac thought it mirrored the sun.

"Of course it's good. I made it." Andy laughs, he does a little spin in the kitchen, his arms raised at his side like he was staring at a crowd.

"You are so modest, it's unreal." Isaac sassed as he get up from his seat. He placed the plate in the dishwasher and made his way to Andy after he takes a large gulp of water.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Andy winks.

Isaac shakes his head fondly at the man. He had never seen nor had any one ever regarded him like that. No one has spoken to him like this, like he was just a regular person, like he was just one of the guys. Andy doesn't see the Crown, he just sees Isaac as a person. Not a Prince, not even as a soon to be King.

"What's the plan for today?" Isaac asked as he pulls on a hideous bright red apron with yellow and purple large stripes.

"There's a pick up for the birthday cake." Andy points at the cardboard box on the large counter. "There's also a private birthday party thrown here for a little boy, he's turning five and he wanted a large tea party, complete with shortbreads, cookies and the lot." Andy says with a bright smile, his excitement clear on his face.

"So what do I have to do?" Isaac asked.

"It'd be lovely if you could help out with the birthday tea party." Andy clasped his hands in front of him, bouncing a bit on his feet and Isaac is so so gone. Andy was adorable, kind, sweet, he was everything Isaac never thought he'd find.

"Anything for you." Issac replied.

The pick for the cake went by smoothly. The cake was s three layer chocolate cake, dark chocolate at the bottom, milk cocoa chocolate in the middle and tempered couverture chocolate at the top, the icing was a mixture of chocolate and vanilla and Andy had designed it with skittles on the top and Oreos imbedded in the sides of the cake.

Isaac had stared at the cake for a good ten minutes while wondering what it would taste like. Isaac had come to shop at six and Andy was already done with the cake. Isaac has been shocked to find out Andy wakes at four thirty and gets to the bakery at five to begin baking. While Annie, the girl who works with him, comes in at five thirty. Isaac also found out all the pastries were made fresh, nothing besides ice cream cakes were kept in the freezer. Both Andy and Annie made enough pastries to sell out for the day.

The birthday party started at eleven. Isaac has been expecting a huge crowd because Andy had said a birthday part for a little boy. The only people present for the party was the little boy, his mother and his aunt and a large collection of teddy bears and dolls.

The little boy had a flower crown on his head and he was smiling so brightly that Isaac was left in awe. Even though none of the little boy's age mate was there he was still happy, passing around a small pot and pouring tea into the tea cups.

Andy had a permanent smile on his face and even joined the tea party. Just when Isaac was about to pull off the glasses, the door to the bakery was pushed open and a boy walks in. His cheeks were red, a shock of brown hair on his head and freckles on his face. There was a large wrapped gift in his hand and an even bigger smile on his face.

When the birthday celebrant sees the boy, he screams "DANNY!" and ran towards him. The new boy drops his gift and wraps his arms around the boy.

"Happy birthday, Freddie!"

Andy's jaw drops and he looks at Isaac who was biting his bottom lip so he doesn't laugh out in shock. Andy had been listening to Freddie Mercury that morning and now, a little boy named Freddie was having a birthday tea party in his bakery. What were the odds.

The birthday boy, Freddie dragged his friend Danny to an empty seat and placed a tea chip and saucer in front of him. Andy moves to take a small tray of custard filled donut when Isaac stops him. He pulls off the glasses at the white chef's hat that Andy makes him wear. Freddie deserves a wonderful birthday and a lovely surprise. Even if the surprise was him, Prince Isaac, the Crown Prince.

There was one thing he learnt as a prince and that was, sometimes you only need one friend. Just that one friend who would love, fight for you, always be there for you and protect you. It was something his mother had drilled into his head as a kid. And this little boy Freddie, has that, if Isaac was correct.

"Here you go." Isaac said as he placed the tray of custard on the table. Freddie's eyes almost popped out of his head when he sees Isaac.

"Oh my god! Mum!!!!" Little Freddie screams. Andy had to cover his mouth with his hand while Annie happily giggles. The two little boys were staring at Isaac in awe.

"Happy birthday Freddie." Isaac said with a smile. "I like your flower crown."

Freddie blinks owlishly. But Danny speaks up on his behalf.

"Thank you, Prince Isaac."

Freddie's mother looked like she was about to cry, the hand holding a cup of tea was shaking and Andy made his way towards her. Besides the children in the charity foundations and besides the various media outlets, no one had ever seen the prince personally. Well, no regular citizen that wasn't a politician or related to celebrities.

Once Freddie gets his voice back, he holds up his little tea pot. "Would you like to have tea?"

Isaac chuckles and takes a seat on one of the chairs. The prince glanced at his friend and winks. Andy hadn't stopped smiling and Isaac was tempted to ask if his cheeks weren't aching him.

Freddie leaned over and poured Isaac tea, his mother looked about ready to jump in if the tea even spills a little out of the cup. "Thank you for coming for my party. No one wanted to come."

Isaac heart aches at that. He knew better than to ask why, that would hurt the little boy more.

"Well, they are missing out. Your mum sent me an invite and I was so excited." Isaac glances at Freddie's mum who was now sitting, her eyes trained on her little boy and her hand on her chest as if trying to calm her heart.

"Really? My mum sent you an invite."

Isaac nods. He gestured for the boys to lean closer, once they did, he says. "She wanted it to be a surprise. You can take as much pictures as you want. I forgot your gift in my car, I'll send someone to your house with it, if that's okay?"

"Mummy! Can Prince Isaac send someone to the house? Please mum?" Freddie asked and he gets a nod in response.

The tea party went on swimmingly. Freddie's birthday cake was an Oreo ice cream cake. The little boy he smashed Danny's face into the cake and Danny had rubbed the cake all over Freddie's face. By five, Freddie was in the car with Danny while his mum was thanking the Prince.

"Thank you so much. I don't know how you got here but you made his day." She said. She hands Ksaac a paper with an address written on it. "I wasn't sure if you were serious about the presents but..."

Isaac places a hand on her shoulder. "I am. I'll send someone over tomorrow. Feel free to post the pictures everywhere. If he needs to see me again, you can give the owner of the bakery a letter and I'll respond in kind."

"Thank you so much."

They leave after that, Annie following behind. She gives him a mock salute and made her way out of the bakery, leaving Isaac alone with Andy. Isaac draws the blinds and turned around.

Andy was staring at him, an unreadable expression on his face. Isaac walked closer to the baker, the need to be closer, to touch, to hold, to kiss him, growing stronger.

"What you did for that little boy..." Andy trails off, he drops his gaze to the ground and Isaac scowls at that. He always wants to see Andy's face. He placed a finger under Andy's jaw and tilted his head up.

Andy's expression was clear, there was a vulnerability that Isaac hadn't seen before, his eyes were shiny and Isaac was so gone. What was it about this man that made him crazy? That made his heart beat fifty times faster? That made him want more?

"He deserved it. Children deserve to be happy."

Andy licks his lips and raised himself on his toes. He pressed a kiss to Isaac's cheeks and settles down. Isaac felt like his heart was in his throat, his fingers were itching to hold Andy by the waist, to pull him closer and kiss so hard his toes curl.

"I liked seeing this side of you. The carefree side, the side no one else sees. Not only children deserve happiness. Everyone does. I do, Annie does, my mother, yours and you. You deserve happiness too." Andy whispers, his voice soft. Andy gives him a bright smile and did something that always made Isaac's hand shake. That made Isaac want to cry out in frustration.

He walked away.