Chapter Text
“You do not have a damn right calling me that anymore.”
The voice so familiar tore through Kiwi Cookie's dough, the mix of bitter and yet unequivocally warm made him speak before he really thought.
“I never learnt your actual name, Menace .” He states teasingly, a smirk that borders with a genuine smile plastered over his face.
He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. At first he thought that he was mistaken - how many other cream cookies are out there - but he would not confuse that soft creamy hair, those determined eyes and loud, threatening tone with anything else.
He didn't hear his friend asking him to leave it and let the cookie obviously busy at work be. Kiwi was uncharacteristically, worryingly entranced.
Kiwi Cookie hasn't seen this cookie… ever since he quit the racing. Or, rather, when both of them did.
The cookie had the expression of pure exasperation and anger, puffy cheeks and burning red eyes; Kiwi had memorized it well. The same one he's seeing right now, and frankly, somewhere deep inside him right now, he's questioning why he's even bothering - that's so unlike him! This cookie clearly doesn't want anything to do with him. They cut that red string tying them together long ago. And yet-
Yet-
“Likes of you don't need it.” The cookie hisses, “Now get out of my way before I squashed you!”
With a I think he means it mumbled by his side, Kiwi steps away, but never do his eyes leave the other; as he gets into that familiar road roller, and as he yells at some other cookies on the road this and that, and as he goes on his way to continue his work, while Kiwi was dragged away; Kiwi’s sight never leaves that single point, until that creamy hair disappears from his vision completely.
“No way, Menace, it's you! Right here!”
Is he some kind of idiot?
“What's gotten into you, dude?” Dino-sour Cookie shakes Kiwi Cookie by the shoulders, and Kiwi finally snaps back to reality. “Who's that Cookie?”
“Just… an old acquaintance.” Kiwi Cookie shakes his head, and smiles dumbly. He returned to the bike he dropped upon seeing… him , wincing to himself. Thankfully, Dino’s little buddy was obediently guarding it.
“Nuh-uh,” Dino-sour retorts, “You don’t run to meet me like that, I don’t buy it.”
“Because your pet attacks me!” Kiwi shoves Dino-sour, chuckling, “I’ll… I’ll tell you later, okay?”
The idea of having to… admit, tell about his racing days to someone he met much later- well, it wasn’t the most favorable option he ever had to consider. Frankly, he’d very much rather not do that. Past is in the past, it was a fun gig when it lasted.
But Dino-sour Cookie was not going to let the sleeping cakehounds lie, was he.
“It’s… kind of super personal, y’know?” Kiwi added, hopping on his bike.
***
Busy cafe might’ve not been the best place to stay and talk dark past secrets with your good friend, but it seemed a better option than a chance of Dino-sour’s sister overhearing. Kiwi smiles to himself, it was a little silly how hard he tried to hide it - it wasn’t wrong , as far as he knew, the circuit was still operational. It wasn’t illegal or anything.
Moreso was his little… bond, he had formed. He twirled the glass of his sweet drink in his hands, almost avoiding looking at Dino-sour Cookie. The shiny crimson-ish liquid glittered as it’s hit with light shining through the window. It seemed like Dino-sour wasn’t starting his own drink and treats on purpose , drilling holes in Kiwi Cookie’s helmet with how intensely he expected to hear his “exciting” life story. He could feel his leg impatiently bouncing under the table.
“Sooooooo…?” Dino-sour Cookie leans in after long silence.
“So,” Kiwi Cookie takes a deep breath, looking up, but no more confidence he’s been trying to collect was present in his expression, “I kinda did racing before.”
Dino-sour Cookie nods enthusiastically, handing pieces of his gummy treats to Jellysaur sitting beside him.
“And I was kinda good at it.”
“No kidding.” Dino-sour Cookie snorts, “You’re awesome.”
“Thanks.” Kiwi Cookie mumbles, suddenly flustered.
Another pause lingered over them, Kiwi kept twirling his drink and Dino-sour kept not drinking his. At some point he was looking at Kiwi’s, an eyebrow raised. Different cookies came and left, laughter and joy filling in the establishment. Somewhere out there, great discoveries are being made. And another part of the Earthbread, heroes might be saving the world. And right now, here, Dino-sour Cookie is exhibiting the miraculous skill of patience no one who’s ever known him could ever imagine that he could possess.
Kiwi Cookie felt his insides crumble, realizing just now that doing it in public, but also one to one was a terrible mistake . He had nowhere to run, and his bike was in the repair shop. He didn’t have a phone or anything. No excuses and ways out were in sight.
Stupid.
“So,” Dino-sour broke the silence again, “Was that cookie, like, your rival, or somethin’?”
“Ehhh,” Kiwi Cookie slid down in his seat, grimacing while trying to find a better answer, “At first, maybe.”
“Mhmm.”
“He’d been doing it far longer than I had.”
He can’t tell how long exactly, and thinking about it now, he didn’t know if anyone ever really had a clue. It seemed, just like Kiwi Cookie, he just appeared on the tracks out of nowhere one day, and claimed the spotlight immediately.
Menace of the Circuit . Whatever he was riding before, he’s always seen him riding a monster of a road roller. Giant and intimidating, a machine no one dared to try and get in the way of. The rider no less intimidating, personality so boisterous and loud, so inspiring and exciting .
The glass in his hands made a grating sound as his fingers scraped its surface in a tight grip.
He was looking for… something, when he took to racing. So young and- and lonely. Then, he was lonely.
Perhaps he thought he found something special then. Coming so far.
Dino-sour was getting visibly irritated. Whatever understanding and patience he had, was running out quickly.
“I mean, when I entered, he was already a champion, and I’m not sure he ever had the status taken from him. It’s kind of wild, y’know?” Kiwi Cookie smiled. “He didn’t like that I wasn’t afraid of him.”
Interest was just barely reignited. Kiwi Cookie bit the inside of his lip, he bit his tongue.
“But we were both staying on the tracks as late as possible. I haven’t met him much outside of the gig, it didn’t feel like I really needed to, and he didn’t pry either. It was…”
Kiwi Cookie catches Dino-sours suddenly curious and excited look, turning away with embarrassment over his vulnerability he’s been desperately trying to hide.
“It was nice!” He groans. “Moments when it was just the both of us against the world!”
He found out that the cookie wasn’t just a mindless maniac, that Kiwi was the first to bring back the fire in his jam, his uncomfortable boredom was lifted, that the circuit was worth the time after all. That there are cookies who get it .
Kiwi Cookie was free, and he needed that rush of speed and danger, the smell of tires and the roaring of engines - he was in his element like never before, or since. And there was a cookie that looked forward to giving him a good challenge.
“There came a day when it was me, claiming the very first win - breaking the streak the Menace held. Part of me was, like- It felt like I took something from him, but he actually…”
The red scarf that he wore, jam red and soft, and smelling sweet of cream and strawberry, Kiwi Cookie has never put it away since he got it - only when they cut ties, that he couldn’t bear looking at it anymore.
He could’ve sworn they’ve gone so much further than they did before. And yet, and yet , they still didn’t know each other’s names.
A kiss that sweet, he was never going to forget. All the rough exterior he managed to get so close to look through, to see that red eyes were not of danger but love, that a scowl and a sneer could turn into the happiest smile. And somehow it never took away from his strength.
“He actually what?” Dino-sour Cookie snaps his fingers in front of Kiwi Cookie’s eyes. He carefully took away the glass that Kiwi Cookie was holding, fearing it might crack under his grasp eventually.
“He was happy for me.”
“But that’s awesome, ain’t it?” Dino-sour Cookie shrugs, leaning closer over the table. “What’s the big deal then? The cookie looked like he was going to crush you on the spot.”
Ah, yes, that’s what it was about, right. Why in the world was there so much animosity. And Kiwi Cookie has already got himself all emotional about what was before .
He slides down again, as if the more Dino-sour Cookie was closing the space between them the more he tried to get under the table. For a second he wondered how ridiculous it must be looking from the side, but it mattered less even quicker.
“We had an argument.”
“Yeah?”
“And he really didn’t like what I had to say.”
“What was it though?”
Kiwi Cookie put his hands over his face, rubbing it a little as he was looking for words, again. What was he to say? How is he supposed to say it?
That he didn’t go about the fight Menace got into right? That he wasn’t on his side? That he said his attitude was far too destructive? That he put people in danger? That Kiwi didn’t get a chance to say that he knew Menace had no intention to bring serious harm to people? That he screwed up? Is that what he has to admit?
“It’s complicated.”
“C’mon, dude, don’t tease me.” Dino-sour Cookie whines.
“I just wasn’t a good friend. I should’ve been there for him when he needed me, but instead I said things that he really didn’t need to hear. From me.” Kiwi Cookie’s voice lowers, and he clears his throat, “He’s a loner, but I don’t think that it’s by choice. I just made that worse.”
Kiwi Cookie sighs, sitting back up properly and finally taking a sip from his drink. He couldn’t look at Dino-sour, shame spreading through his dough every second that Dino-sour was not responding. His Jellysaur was resting by his side.
“...Dino-sour Cookie?” Kiwi Cookie calls out quietly.
“Well, that’s just stupid.” Dino-sour plops back into his seat and for a moment gets surprised that his plate of treats was empty - he didn’t eat any of that - instead also pulling a straw in his mouth and slurping rather quickly. “If you feel bad then go talk to him! I see him in this town all the time whenever I come around, bet he lives somewhere around here. Sure as hell he works here!”
“But- But he doesn’t want to see me.” Kiwi scrambles for words.
“Because you also just provoked him today! Not cool, dude!”
That was true.
Dumbfounded, wide-eyed, he stared at Dino-sour as if all the secrets of the world were just revealed to him. Head in his hands, he didn’t blink as he stared down at the table again.
“What do you say, stay over by our place, go on a ride round town tomorrow?” Dino-sour Cookie smiles, “I know he’s got to be around. Just apologize like you mean it! Maybe get on your knees and cry, you’re good at that.”
“Hey!”
Dino-sour Cookie booms in laughter, sharp teeth glistening, even Jellysaur was startled as it jumped on his lap. Kiwi Cookie smirked.
“Maybe you’re right.” Kiwi Cookie says, “I need to own up.”
“Mh-mhm!” Dino-sour nods approvingly, “On a clear head, tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
It was going to be a rough, devastating, absolutely soul crushing day tomorrow, Kiwi Cookie thought, finishing up his drink along with Dino-sour. There was a whole evening ahead, that he should be spending laughing and having fun with his friend, before the inevitable departure, for them both - and no one knows when they are to see each other again. Dino-sour was right. If there was one thing Kiwi hated, it’s the lack of closure. If there was another thing he hated, it’s having to be the one to bring it.
Maybe, deep inside of him, hope for that bond he shared to come back started to wake up. To know of a soul in this world that understands him, someone he dared to push away for no good reason. For a chance that Cookie will let him in again, and will smile at him like he used to.
Menace… It’s been so long.