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The nights after a tough extraction run were always quiet, this one was no different. Sounds of conversations slowed and the lights low hum would be their equivalent of a tumbleweed.
Only few would exit their rooms, if they did, it was to pace or ask for a quick snack before bed
Though, it was one of the few routines where Sprout could really keep to himself; He’d use his last batch of cupcakes a few hours ago, ending their extracting earlier than intended. If only he had more tapes, more time..
Sprout bowed his head, there was no need to wallow if it was already done. Now, he just had to keep smiling. For his friends, his sake.
Grabbing a handful of sprinkles, he gently shook them out and watches them fall atop the wave of frosting. Decorating fresh sweets was always calming to the berry; When he was free, he enjoyed personalizing each and every single one for all the toons in Gardenview. Their faces never failed to surprise him!
As Sprout worked, he failed to check in with the time. How many hours had passed? If any? Adding the finishing touches, he glances towards the oven’s bright green digits, 7:38 PM… If he remembered correctly, they had another run to do the afternoon tomorrow..
That was definitely gonna be a drag. Upon checking the rations, he nodded to himself. Should be enough if all goes well!
Taking the handles of the muffin pan, he immediately turns to place these babies in the fridge and–
Finds Astro INCHES AWAY FROM HIS PERSON!?
Sprout yelps as he almost loses his grip on the pan, nearly dropping it all together; Astro’s shoulders quickly jump and shuffles back at the sudden noise, a surprised look on his face.
Sprout sets the platter on the counter, his hand lightly gripping his scarf. He lets out the tiniest ‘phew!’, catching a moment for himself.
Right. Astro had a knack for this kinda thing. Always forgot that.
A moment of silence passes, neither of them daring the speak.
Astro nervously looks away, contemplating if he should go back to his own business or not. Sprout wasn’t sure if he WANTED Astro to leave.
All answers pointed towards no.
It isn’t long before Astro breaks through the quietness of the room, a soft string of words managing to echo through Sprout’s ears. His head lifts, intent on listening whatever the other had to say.
“Sorry… Didn’t mean to scare you. I was just checking.. if anyone was out before bed.”
It suddenly clicked in his head.If Astro was here, heee should also be getting ready for bed.. He was pretty much done here anyway.
He waved it off, slightly embarrassed at the fact he was so caught off guard.
“It’s no biggie! Just ah– Make yourself known next time? I don’t want anyone to eat ground cupcakes for the next week if you’re gonna be sneaking up on me like that!”
Sprout dusts his hands off before moving to rest on his hips as his smile relaxed. Astro responded with a silent hum, his mouth a straight line while his gaze stares at the spotless floor. Tough crowd.
Sprout and Astro, while friends, never really a one-on-one talk. Sprout often thought it was his own fault for that, Cosmo was always his go-to for that kinda stuff..
He scratches at his chin, unaware on just how to keep this conversation going.
Thankfully, it was Astro taking the lead. Surprising! Taking small steps, he stands near the counter, overlooking the treats. Sprout, of course, takes notice of it and quickly takes the item, and holds it out. Astro’s eyes widen, his arms tightening the blanket around his form. He looks to Sprout, leaning back as he watches the berry’s eyes shine brighter. Was that even possible?
“You should save these…” He musters, as if taking this one thing will leave him bedridden.
Sprout shakes his head, still holding his steady hand out.
“I insist. You forget I can whip these up in less than a minutes notice!”
”…”
Hesitantly, Astro takes ahold on the offer. Well. Not with his own hands, of course. Sprout’s fingertips tingle at the contact, watching Astro’s magic slowly raise it to his face and takes a small bite. Looking to his hands, there’s starry residue. It isn’t long before it wisps away, the sensation going along with it. Neat!
Astro begins unfolding the baking liner, chewing on the edges and taking in the soft, spongey texture. The taste was too sweet for his liking. the frosting overwhelming his mouth with it’s texture and flavor intake.
Didn’t mean it wasn’t good. He just preferred the more savory batches Sprout would make. Per usual, Sprout really does honor the award for ‘Best cook around’.
Though, with a second thought, he doubts Sprout would even accept it, saying his usual “Cosmo helped too!” or “It isn’t all thanks to me.” It was a sentiment Astro appreciated from the baker.
“So…” Sprout started, Fingers clasped together. He swings back and forth, almost tipping himself over in the process. The tips of Astro’s mouth perk at the sight.
He continues, “Are you gonna be joining us tomorrow? We still need to figure out groups and such. Would love to have you! If you’re well-rested, that is.”
It was a simple invitation. They had alot of work to do the next day. With Pebble out of commission and Goob’s turn on the calendar not being for another day or so, their two top stars weren’t able to make their job easier this time around. If it came down to it, Sprout honestly wouldn’t mind distracting..
With how easy his stamina gain was, Astro would just be a plus one in that regard. They did pretty well on a team! When Astro wasn’t losing consciousness during elevator time.
And when he was on the machines.
And after the runs.
Hm..
Astro opened his mouth before closing it a second after. Would he really do much..? He wasn’t as well-versed in machinery like Vee or Rodger.. He could do pretty well despite that, considering the upper-hand he always had.
Then again, he’d have to see Dandy again. Their last interaction hadn’t been the best..
Actually, it was probably the worst they had.. Maybe it was best he just keep to himself, That would—
A waving hand inches away from his sight breaks his train of thought,
“Astro? Are you already spacing out? I can’t believe this! You’re falling asleep before I can even specify the details!”
Luckily, Sprout’s tone wasn’t malicious as the phrasing sounded. Still, Astro briefly apologizes as he returns to his options. There was nothing stopping him from saying no, right? It’s not like he was being forced to say yes on the account of their friends.
Sprout kept his entire attention on Astro, the moon’s starry eye shining realizing this. He’d turn his head, a small dusk of blue coating his cheeks.
Taking a deep breath, there was a decision already made before he could fully think about it.
“…Okay.” he calmly accepts.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
A whirling voice would open up, hushed sentences becoming a pattern. It tugged at his heart, who was there?
Sprout slowly opened his eyes, groaning as his head pounded in pain and his vision blurred. His entire body felt sore to the touch, the pink stripped scarf he adorned nearly choking him.
Attempting to get a better grasp of the situation, he glances around; The low dimmed lights, the sounds of frequency playing before going out again, along with the boxes and entirely blue color scheme..
This was one of the personalized floors for Astro. It was bigger than the other areas, hiding their gruesome counterparts through every crevice. He always felt disturbed being here, despite whose face was plastered everywhere.
Something wasn’t right. Were the others here? How did he fall asleep in such a dangerous area? Taking a closer listen, he couldn’t hear any indications there were any twisteds nearby…
It emitted a familiar sense of dissonance within the toon, it tugged at his gut naggingly.
Sprout had to find his friends. But who did he pair up to begin with? Attempting to stand up, a sudden force grabs at his wrist, stopping him in place.
Sprout spun his head around, terrified to be ripped to shreds as soon as he found who it was; Only to be met with Astro’s calm demeanor, sitting beside him with a book in lap. Half the pages had been shifted through, minimal pictures placed.
“Sprout..? Where are you going? We haven’t finished the book yet.”
Sprout blinked, allowing himself to plop back on the beanbags they were situated with. He struggled to find the words, the most logical response but… he couldn’t find it.
He swallowed despite his dry mouth, leaning back into the space. He finally finds a reasonable question, the volume of his voice even startles himself, the quietness almost incomprehensible.
“…Why are we here?”
Astro didn’t even bat an eye, instead a curious expression follows as he uses right hand to flip to the next page. His hand on Sprout’s wrist remained, clearly more relaxed at this point.
“You asked for a more quiet, secluded space. Do you… Not like it?”
The question seemed so innocent, Sprout almost felt guilty to deny such a thing. At the same time– He’d been here on a cycle, witnessing so many of their companions explode into spilled ichor. The words caught in his throat like he was caught in a lie. He partially was.
“I do! I do, it’s just…”
“Not what you expected?”
Astro would smile at Sprout, as if that’s what he thought the berry was thinking. Now that’s a sight he hadn’t seen in a while. Unfortunately, Sprout felt himself ease more into their environment, the world around them slowly being forgotten as they melted in each others company.
Then, Astro’s hand deliberately trailed it’s way closer towards Sprout’s hand, almost asking for permission. Brushing over the small bumps of his knuckle, Sprout tried to analyze anything to indicate a mistake, an accidental graze, something to make Astro apologize profusely.
Nothing.
It sent Sprout’s heart into a frenzy.
That was. Oh, That was very new.
Astro was never the most forward type, he rarely took notice of any possible advances thrown his way. Sprout never made his too obvious.
He hoped.
Oh, who was he kidding? This was too good to be true, even then, Sprout felt like he could jump up and down at any second. Like every week debating if he should croak in turmoil had finally paid off, and he didn’t even make the first move!
Sprout’s hand was turn to the surface, allowing their hands to interlock in a way that was uncharted territory. Astro jumped a little at the contact, ignoring the longing gaze Sprout had been giving him.
They would remain like this for what felt like hours, Sprout leaning more into the touch. His head would fall softly on Astro’s shoulder, pretending to be interested in whatever novel Astro had picked for them.
However, or why they decided on this specific spot, this specific line of actions leading up to– Whatever this was; Sprout wasn’t going to complain.
Just as he was finding a good moment to take another nap, The subtle shift of movement and a thump of the book closing interrupted Sprout’s enjoyment entirely.
Picking his head back up, The drowsiness he was experiencing suddenly drained as Astro pressed a fleeting, affectionate kiss to his lips. Sprout’s breathing hitched, his jaw tightly locked in a tight smile.
As Astro pulled away, a dumbfounded Sprout was shaken to heaven and back.
“Astro—?”
Without warning, a loud knock sent a jolt through his spine, Followed by a robotic belt of exaggerated trumpets.
”Oh, SEEDLY!!”
Sprout GASPED awake, his upper body shooting up, just to be met with his same old room, striped wallpaper and posters hanging loosely. He frantically placed a hand where the kiss was placed, instead being met with dampness. No tingling whatsoever.
Scowling, he scrubbed his face dry and threw the covers off. To call it a nightmare would be too off, but it felt too intrusive to be considered a simple dream.
He scampered to find his scarf, rushing to securely tie it around his neck; All the while, the insistent (and impatient) jingle of his doorknob shook with glee.
”Rise and shine, Berry-Boy! Don’t wanna keep us waiting now!”
… It was a rough start to a day. But no matter! It was gonna be fine!
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
This particular day was in fact, NOT fun. In the slightest.
His party had either been reduced to a puddle of ichor early on, or more specifically, one decided to sleep in.
Leading Sprout here.
Running from the pitch black, the loud stomps following too close behind him, snarling and slobber running down his neck. Sprout wheezed, nearly tripping on his own feet. He lost the other 4 twisteds on the way, eventually getting bored of the sharp turns.
All but Pebble.
The clicks of the countdown finalizing to the last 10, the light of the elevator room growing brighter and brighter with each step.
His legs felt like jelly. He wasn’t sure he had more in him. The amount of machines they did should be enough for Dandy. It had to be! Finding himself to the last second, he tossed himself into the shaft. The chomping of Pebble’s jaw inches away from his head.
Just as he reached the white tiled floors, the metallic doors closed with a resounding BOOM.
“Sprout!?” Cosmo shouted, rushing over as his figure shadowed over the flickering lamp.
Laying there felt like a reward, sprawling with the heavy weight of uncertainty finally off. He got injured so much due to his clumsiness.. If it hadn’t been for Cosmo, Sprout would surely be a goner. Oh, the rest of them did not miss out on this.
It was then he realized: There was no jingle of Dandy opening the shop to them, none of that fancy music he played, no fresh cards given to them for the next round, there was only a resounding silence.
Then, the elevator rattled violently before the noise of a line reeling vibrated the shaft, the floor level finally decreasing with each minute. Sprout let a heavy sigh.
A hand abruptly came into view, calling to him. Sprout took it with grace, using all his weight to pull him to his feet. Cosmo’s eyes were full of tenderness, whirling Sprout around in the process, looking for any lasting injury. “Are you alright? You landed pretty hard there.”
Shaking out all the dizziness out of his body, he looked himself over for any serious pain. He WAS fine, a few scraps here and there, should probably get his leg bandaged.. Swiping the dust off his chest, he shrugged.
“Mmh. Alright enough.”
Just the vague answer alone left Cosmo a little uneasy.
The trip back up to the center was unusually quiet, no conversations taking place or quips about the past floors. Sprout seemed lost in his own world, barely responding to Cosmo’s questions. It was a just a tad worrying, and he wasn’t just gonna let this go! This was out of character for the guy.. Especially with his performance.
As soon as the elevator doors slammed open, Cosmo wasted no time.
He grabbed Sprout by the arm and guided him through the center, following a set trail in mind. Sprout barely had time to register the sudden motion, nearly stumbling over his own feet over the pace.
“Hey–! Cosmo? What’s the with rush?” he huffed, trying to keep up. Was he always this exhausted?
“Seriously, Cosmo,” Sprout tried again, “Where are we going?”
They passed through the kitchen, into the hall where the other toons resided.
There were a few clusters of familiar faces, waving a quick hello before returning to their passing conversations. Sprout pouted, he’d much be more interested in whatever they were on about than this.
Reaching Cosmo’s room, Sprout would be pushed in as Cosmo soon followed after, right before sticking his head out and looking around. Once the coast was clear, the Swiss roll would close the door quietly, turning to Sprout.
Before Sprout could even get a word out, Cosmo opened his hands out, clearly wanting a set topic discussed.
“I know I asked already, But are you fine? Not- Physically, I know that but like.. fine fine?”
Was he that easy to read?
What a stupid question.. Of course he was. Especially with Cosmo… It wasn’t like he was going to keep this charade up any longer, he doesn’t even think it was inherently possible! Sprout shakily chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Promise you won’t laugh?” He trusted Cosmo to keep this between them, it was the fact that he was actively saying this out loud that was the problem.
Cosmo crossed over his heart, before taking a hand, zipping his lips and tossing an imaginary key away.
“I’ll try my best! No guarantees!”
That only made Sprout glare at him. Cosmo physically felt his body shrink, shaking his head in the process.
“Okay, Okay! Promise. I swear.” He relayed. Cosmo was a great listener, he always wanted the best for everyone around him. That’s what made Sprout intrigued by his character in the first place!
Groaning, he buried his face in his scarf, the fabric muffling his frustration with the soft material. He couldn’t tell wether or not his closed off breathing was making his face redder than usual. His posture would slump, looking far away from who was in front of him.
The single thought of Astro sent him in a frenzy of fantasies, further pounding down the truth he was, honestly, scared to face. Why did he keep this a secret for so long?
He didn’t know himself.
Choosing to be the better man, he huffed all the air he could into his lungs. It was now or never.
“I think– No, I KNOW, that I have a crush on Astro. I may have had it.. For some time now. And I’m just only telling… You. Instead of him.”
. . .
Were those crickets he was hearing? Or was that just his imagination?
. . .
Cosmo snickered, his grin widening before he burst into a full-blown laughter. Bending over, he clutched his stomach, his body shaking with delight.
Sprout’s frown deepened. With an exasperated eye-roll, he stepped forward, slipping an arm around Cosmo’s shoulder to steady him.
“You promised you wouldn’t laugh!” Sprout scolded, his voice sharp with a faux frustration. “Promised!”
Cosmo didn’t even try to hide it, as he wiped away a stray tear. If Sprout had the option and right mind, he’d walk away and never look back. Or better yet, lock himself in his room and pretend this entire moment never happened. That actually sounded… more peaceful than this. Maybe he will.
“Cos’, I hate to break this to you, I don’t think it was THAT funny.”
A cough broke the last remnants of Cosmo’s laughter. He straightened up, exhaling a final amused sigh as he finally took the time to compose himself. Sprout could tell the other wanted to laugh again, the shakiness of his breathing told it all. The pastry would clap his hands together, avoiding Sprout’s eye contact.
“And you’re just figuring this out.. Now?” Cosmo asks, taking Sprout aback. Sprout squints, raising an eyebrow. Cosmo was clearly hiding something, it was putting the berry on edge.
Sprout’s eyes strained as he crossed his arms. “What do you mean by that?”
Cosmo pursed his lips, rocking on his heels as if debating WHAT to say. His hands fidgeted, before shoving them inside the pockets of his hoodie.
“I mean… I think it’s a little funny you’re only figuring this out now? Nothing on you! It’s just..”
Cosmo hummed, bringing a hand to tap against his chin. He, then snaps his fingers, making an impressive click.
“Oh! You know, like when you’re talking about our recent adventure, and he pretends to listen but he’s totally staring at you instead? Or when he keeps making up silly excuses to be around you! It’s not in Astro to really.. Do that!”
Sprout’s face grew hot, his arms being thrown out. “That—that doesn’t mean anything!” He turned around, back facing Cosmo. It couldn’t have been that. Could it? He never took the time to really analyze Astro in his cues…
Did he have some sliver of hope? Sure he did! It was all he had to his name,
“Astro is just… like that! He’s friendly!”
Cosmo deadpanned, Sprout couldn’t be this bad at reading his surroundings. “Uh-huh.”
Sprout groaned, pressing his palms to his face. This wasn’t happening. He did NOT come here to be interrogated about their habits. He came to confess a stupid crush, get some mild teasing, and maybe— JUST maybe. Some advice.
Instead, Cosmo was acting like everyone and their handler knew everything about their situation. Which they didn’t!
“Okay, whatever,” Sprout mumbled, waving a hand as he looked to open the door. “Forget I said anything.”
Cosmo stopped him in place, reaching to hold him back. “I’m just saying! you might not be as hopeless as you think. If you wanna tell him, now’s probably the time!”
His heart crumpled into a little ball. If it wasn’t for that dream, wasn’t for his head giving in, he would’ve been fine!… Unless…
Oh. That makes alot of sense if that was the case.
“Absolutely not.” Sprout relays, closing his eyes and nearly grabbing the knob there. Sprout would only stop once he felt a weight abruptly disappear from his shoulder.
Cosmo’s eyebrows curled, lifting his hand away and creating a distance. He’d understand if it was too early! But it’s been so long, it was driving the roll crazy!
Sprout exhaled sharply, running a hand through his leaves.
“Sorry. You don’t need this.”
He rubbed his arm, glancing behind him to see Cosmo rubbing his hands over eachother.
Sprout rolled his eyes, a smile present nonetheless. “…If I told him, Do you wanna hear the details..?”
Cosmo grinned, eyes widening with excitement, as he nodded eagerly. It was like he was waiting to hear this!
“Of course I do! Don’t leave anything out now!”
That made Sprout’s nerves less erratic. It wouldn’t be all that bad than it appeared. Now, all he had to do was confront the dreamer about topics, topics that seemed more and more scarier to discuss.
He would say his goodbyes to Cosmo, promising to come back later. He’d keep his word no matter what.
Now the hard part was FINDING Astro.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Beginning his search was anything but easy. The most obvious and, luckily for his sake, the closest place to start was Astro’s bedroom.
The distance between their rooms wasn’t very far. Just a short walk down the hallway, but every step felt heavier than the last, a reminder of how absurd this whole plan felt.
It didn’t take long to find the door. That familiar dark blue door stood out like a thumb. A thin layer of dust coated the metal plaque at its center, untouched and forgotten. Stickers coating every inch of the blue wood—stars, planets, and constellations scattered in chaotic patterns.
He quite liked how decorated Astro’s door was.
Sprout swallowed his nerves down.
No stalling, he told himself. The sooner this was over, the better. No planning, no overthinking, it was just going to be him and his instincts.
Raising his hand, he let his knuckles meet the wood. A soft tap .
“Astro? You in there?” His voice wavered, quieter than he intended. He tried to make his appearance more liking, patting his leaves down and readjusting the way his scarf folded. What if Astro didn’t even like him the way Sprout did?
He shook his head. That’d be a last minute thought for later.
His gaze dropped to the floor, catching the faint, soft glow of blue bleeding from beneath the door. The gentle pulse of light that bathed the threshold beneath the door.
He waited, holding his breath, expecting the glow to break
A shadow moving past, a gentle response, the handle turning, anything.
But nothing came.
He swallowed the growing unease and knocked again, this time with a little more force. Maybe Astro still wasn’t up? He cleared his throat, making himself more apparent
“Astro? Hellooo? ” He trailed the end in a singing tone as the second knock was heard.
The open arms of silence rushed through.. Well, that was first off his list. He rubbed his temples together; If he were a sleepy, closed off toon, where would be the least obvious area to be?
With a frustrated huff, Sprout turned away and made his way down the hall. If not his room, then where? It couldn’t be that hard.
However, it was Astro he was talking about.
If he wanted to hide, he could.
Sprout slapped his forehead, would this really be the best option? Why was he NOW thinking about this?
…The library was his first stop.
The hefty doors creaked as Sprout peered inside, the shelves blocking the full view within. Opening the left side, he promptly closed it as quietly as he could. He didn’t adventure much in here, mainly because he grabbed almost all of the cooking books for him and the kitchen. It served no other purpose to linger.
Walking more inside, the sounds of him passing would be muted due to the carpeted flooring. The environment was warm, the smell of the books and their aged pages being a nice, stark difference between what he was used to.
“Astro?” His voice bounced off the walls, looking past the tall towers of knowledge. Still no sign of that familiar blanket.
Nothing. Just stillness.
Sprout’s jaw tightened. Hm.
Next on the tour was the dining room , being relatively close to the more casual area. The floors remained squeaky clean, artificial sunlight catching on polished table and neatly arranged chairs.
Furrowing his eyebrows, still no sign of Astro. This place wasn’t that huge, minimal spots to really stay in. He checked further in, the kitchen remained empty. He circled the room, checked behind the high-backed chairs, even peered under the table like an idiot.
His heart thudded faster now, not from fear—but from frustration. The dream… That dream wouldn’t leave his head, and every second spent chasing Astro made it feel more real. The warmth of that imagined kiss still lingered, no matter how hard he tried to erase it off.
What if it wasn’t just a dream? What if Astro…
He didn’t let himself finish the thought.
Finally, his footsteps carried him toward the living room . It was spacious, thanks to the curators taking in account of just how many of them there were. Couches worn in, the two lamps in the corner with minimal webs collected.
He finally caught sight of that night cap, slumped over with his eyes forward. He stood in the doorway, watching just how peaceful Astro looked.
The soft hum of the TV played in the background, replaying an episode long forgotten from the press. It seemed Astro didn’t seem all that invested in the scenes, his attention lowering like he was on the verge of passing out.
Sneaking in, Sprout silently stepped over and placed himself inches from Astro. The couch was soft in it’s cushion, yet still creaked when weight pressed against it.
Astro blinked, slowly turning his head toward him, eyes widening with curiosity flashing in between. “Oh. Sprout.. Hello.”
Sprout shifted more comfortably, crossing his legs as he tried to sound as casual than he’d ever sound.
“I…” His voice cracked. He coughed, forcing the words out before he could back down. “Is it alright if I ask you a question? Something dream related?”
Astro’s expression twisted into confusion. “Dream related..? Uhm.. Sure.”
Sprout figured out just how to explain it, as his head hit the sofa’s backrest. His gaze would follow Astro’s,
“So, you can control dreams? Give them and all?”
Astro tipped his head, the folds of Astro’s hat moving as he did.
“I can..? Why do you ask.”
Right! He had to continue. “I had this dream, right? It was normal. Sorta. You were there! We were on one of your levels and..”
He didn’t dare to mention the countless times he’s had similar nightly calls. Astro simply nodded, appearing clueless of what’s next to come. Sprout felt like jelly that was gonna drop at any moment!
“It wasn’t anything monumental, we were just chatting, like usual. Buut.” He trailed off, this was the worst moment in Gardenview history. Though, Astro remained silent, awaiting an answer. His fingers bunched together, leaning away.
“..I’m just asking if you had part in even giving me this little message. If you knew about MY feelings and– I don’t know. Rub it in my face?” Sprout nudged.
Astro’s expression scrunched with tension, his mouth parted as he sputtered.
“What..? Sprout, what are you talking about?”
Sprout pouted, now HE was confused. He scratched at his arm nervously. Did Astro really not remember? Maybe he got caught up with other’s dreams, he needed a reminder!
”You know! The kiss? You don’t remember anything of that nature?”
The room went completely silent, the episode on the tv had ended and comforted their presence with static. Sprout froze.
For a split second, Sprout could’ve sworn he saw the faintest blush creeping across Astro’s face. It was almost too small to notice.
”You.. assumed I gave you that scenario?”
The weight of Astro’s words hung on the edge of Sprout’s ears, his mind drifting from ending this conversation as soon as possible or staying and accepting it. He knew the latter was the best but if he had a say, he’d rather go back to Cosmo and rant about how silly this whole scheme was.
Feeling too small in the room, Sprout tugged at his collar.
”..I guess I was a little gullible to think you were planning it from the start, Hah..” It was a poor shield, laughing it off. It was working. His eyes would wander, finding the wall around the most interesting thing in the world.
Suddenly, A hand found it’s way against Sprout’s cheek. The touch was awkward, unexpected, tender. Looking back at Astro, his eye was unreadable, however the flush present on his face being more real than ever. It made the berry’s heart skip a beat, as he leaned more into the palm.
Astro’s words were careful– filled with quiet intent.
“Do you really think I would do something like this? To make fun of you?”
Astro’s response sent a jolt through Sprout. He raised his shoulders in tired movement, shrugging it off in an effort to seem nonchalant.
He was in it bad.
Sprout replied with as much energy as he could muster up,
”No. Never. I just.. I wanted an excuse.”
Astro hummed, guiding Sprout closer to his form.
”Because it’s easier to think it was my doing, rather than your own..”
Astro sighed once finishing his statement, their closeness not even bothering either party. Sprout would ask about it at a later date, but would get interrupted by Astro asking his own question.
“Did it… mean anything to you?”
The question hung heavy in the air, thicker than the silence that followed.
Sprout stared down at his hands, heart thudding in his ears. It took him a moment, longer than it should’ve to find the right words. It wasn’t just a dream. Not with how real it felt. Not with how real Astro felt.
It was the most alive Astro had ever seemed in one of his imaginings; Bold, guarded, close. And if Sprout was being honest with himself, he wished it hadn’t ended so soon. He would’ve stayed there forever if he could’ve, lost in that moment where everything felt simple and safe.
He knew it would never be that way, not in the center. But there was no saying he couldn’t try!
Finally, his voice broke through the thick silence, soft but steady.
“It did.”
Astro’s eye flickered, the tension in his shoulders easing just a little by the second.
Like those two words were enough to unlock something that was kept from everyone else but them. His lips twitched, just shy of a smile, but his eye.. It were clearer than ever, Shining with something Sprout couldn’t quite name.
“Oh.” His voice was soft, thoughtful.
“Well… I’d be happy to.. Say it held some meaning for me.”
Sprout’s breath hitched. His heart felt like it had been yanked straight into his throat. Did Astro just—
Astro shifted closer, slow and deliberate, like he didn’t want to scare him off. “I mean… if that’s what you want,” he added, voice dipping into something gentler, teasing , anything but cruel.
Sprout’s brain scrambled for a reasonable thing to say. But all he could do was stare, cheeks burning, every inch of him burning with relief and cheer.
“I—” His voice cracked painfully. He choked, a dumbfounded smile being the only thing he could muster. “You’d… really want to?”
Astro’s smile finally broke through, mushy and genuine. “..I like to think I would.”
The space between them suddenly felt impossibly small. The static on the TV buzzing in the background, but Sprout barely noticed it now.
His whole world had narrowed to the warmth in Astro’s eyes and the impossible hope blooming in his chest.
“Okay,” Sprout whispered, the tightness of his chest releasing in a wave. Astro would open his blanket, his 4 arms wrapping around Sprout and promptly engulfing him with the covering.
Astro leaned in just a little more, close enough for Sprout to feel the warmth radiating from him.
“Okay.”