Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Looey was a funny toon who made everyone smile. The children love him, and so do the other toons. Not only that, but he was also just a friendly guy to hang around. His bright, cheery, and goofy personality was what made him most charming.

But there was one thing that Sprout couldn't understand about him.

He couldn't understand how Looey could be so insecure and have such low self esteem. Often times while they're on runs, he noticed how paranoid Looey seemed-- As if he was constantly being watched.

Today he was on a run again with the balloon toon, along with some others. Secretly, the strawberry has been keeping a close eye on him. He observed and took note on how often Looey would fidget anxiously and look around himself.

"Looey, EAE!" Bassie shouted, alerting Looey.

Shortly after, Looey arrived at the elevator. He smiled nervously, his head seemingly more smaller than usual. It has been deflated.

"Ahah.. Sorry guys! I got hit again!" 

Sprout sighed as he approached him. "Don't worry. I'll fix you up."

Looey's ears perked up, his eyes going wide as he shook his head profusely. "Sprout! No need to heal me! I'll be fine! You should think about yourself and the others first!” The last thing he wanted to be was a burden.

"Oh, come on Looey," Sprout groaned. This wasn’t the first time Looey had refused a heal, and it’s starting to annoy him. "Everyone else is at full. It's better to be safe than sorry. And besides, we will be fine as long as we have you.” 

"But Sprout!-"

Sprout shoved a cupcake into the balloon's mouth, causing him to shut up immediately. Looey looked defeated as he chewed the cupcake. ‘What a persistent guy he is..’ 

Once he finished digesting it, he began fidgeting around with his fingers as they waited for the next floor to arrive. It was completely silent between the two as they stood next each other, the other toons in the elevator’s chatting starting to diminish into silence as Looey couldn’t help but zone out and be bothered about his bad thoughts.

He got hit again.. It’s floor 29, almost floor 30. And he allowed himself to get hit again. He shouldn’t be taking so many hits, especially since the only healer here was Sprout and he heavily needed to rely on tapes. There are other toons here who are working harder than him. They extract machines, boost others, and have abilities far more useful than his. And for him? All he does is just walk in circles repeatedly with the twisteds following behind. 

“Hey, you okay Looey? You’ve been staring off into space for a while.”

Looey’s thoughts were interrupted by the healer. He quickly stood straight up and put on his biggest grin. “OH! Yeah, I’m good! Just thinking about things.. Heh!”

Sprout patted his back, concern clear on his face. Looey felt his cheeks flush. Sprout was far too kind. Not only to him, but to everyone. There has been countless times where Sprout risked his life to save others. He would throw himself in to attract the twisteds away from Rodger, nearly getting hurt, and Rodger would thank him with relief. Everyone seemed to like Sprout and he could understand why, but sometimes he needs to think about himself too. He cares too much about the others..

"Hey, Sprout? Are you sure you have to take care of everyone's health?"  he asked suddenly.

Sprout looked down at Looey, his expression seemingly unreadable, but then he gave a small smile. "Looey, if I think you need some extra care, that's my call, we're a team!"

Sprout's words were intended to be words of reassurance, but it only seemed to make Looey frown. "... I know but.. I'd hate to waste your-"

"Looey, you're never a waste of anything."

Upon hearing that, the balloon blushed harder and quickly looked away, trying to avoid eye contact with the strawberry. "Sorry!! Nevermind!! Pretend I didn't say anything!! HAHAHAha AHem-"

Sprout placed a hand on his shoulder, his grip a tad bit tight, which made Looey tense up harder. "I’m not sure what has been up with you lately Looey, but if you need to talk to someone then I’m here. Okay?”

Looey just stared at him, his flustered expression softening. “You’re so nice..” he mumbled quietly.

“What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you.”

“U-Uh! I said sure! I’ll gladly take you up on that offer in fact! AHAHAhaha!!” Looey nervously sputtered.

Sprout just raised an eyebrow at him before turning away. Looey’s face flushed with heat of embarrassment. He must totally think he’s weird now. Or maybe he thought he was already weird.

The elevator dinged, alerting the toons that they have ascended onto a new floor. Once the door opened, all the toons went out to look for machines. It was a calm floor, the twisteds not as dangerous as the “main” ones. Looey stretched and sighed, preparing himself to get this floor over with.

“Just 6 more floors until this is all over..”

————————

It was finally floor 35, the floor that the toons agreed to stop their expedition at. They arrived back to the lobby, the toons coming out seemingly tired. Vee, despite being a robot, seemed pretty wiped out herself as she trudged her way to her own room. Though, Looey was probably the most tired out of all of them. Since Pebble, Goob, Flutter, or any other toon great for distracting wasn’t available to backup distract today, he had to do all of it himself. Yatta would try to help but got herself hurt. Multiple times. All of that running around had him pretty exhausted. 

“WOOOO! GLAD THAT RUN IS OVER!! I could REALLY use some CANDY right now, HAHAHAHA!”

Yatta chirped energetically as she playfully poked her elbow into Looey’s shoulder. Looey chuckled in return and weakly poked her back. “Wow Yatta! I don’t know how you could feel so much energy despite that long run we just had. Heheh!”

“It’s probably because of all the CANDY I’VE EATEN! BUT I WANT MORE!!”

The piñata was always a bundle of energy, regardless if she has gone through a long and gruesome run or not. But even if she insists she’s fine, Looey can’t help but feel concern for her. Yatta was one of his best friends, they’ve been together through thick and thin, and her risking her life just to help him earlier caused him distress.

In the corner of his eye, he sees Sprout walk by with the most worn out expression. He remembers the conversation they had earlier in the elevator and he felt himself blush again. Maybe he should really talk to him after all, but today probably wasn’t the best time for it after seeing how tired he looked.

“WELL I’m going to GO TO MY ROOM NOW!! SEE YOU TOMORROW BUDDY!”

Looey and Yatta exchanged hugs before going separate ways. The balloon toon went to his room and once he arrived he immediately flopped down onto his bed. His eyes closed and he instantly fell asleep.

“Looey, you’re never a waste of anything.”

Sprout lifted a hand to caress Looey’s cheek, his smile wide but soft. The clown’s tail wagged uncontrollably as he looked up at Sprout, a wide smile on his face in return.

The strawberry rubbed his other hand over Looey’s head, continuously petting him. He then brought Looey closer and wrapped his arms around his waist. 

“Looey..”

“Y-Yes Sprout?”

“I hope you know how important you matter to me and to everyone else here at Gardenview. You’re not a burden and everyone loves you. When will you come to the conclusion to see that? You’re silly, kind, and put a smile on everyone’s faces.. And that includes me as well.”

“You’re saying too much. Not all of that could be true..”

Sprout inched his face closer to Looey’s and closed his eyes. Looey blushed but he didn’t move back, closing his eyes as well. Their lips eventually meet and they share a loving kiss. They weren’t even dating, so this was all so sudden, but he wasn’t opposed to it. His heart skipped a beat, he could taste the sweet flavor of Sprout’s lips.

After a few more seconds they pulled away, a loving gaze from Sprout as he looked at him. 

“Why did you kiss me?”

Sprout simply chuckled and pulled Looey’s cheek playfully, causing the aforementioned to whine a bit. “Well, to be quite honest, it’s because I love you Looey. Why else would I have kissed you?”

“Oh Sprout, I don’t know what to say..”

“I’m sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have kissed you without asking first..”

“N-No! Don’t apologize! I liked it!!”

The swirling pit of heat in the balloon toon’s stomach deepened as he said that. He looked away from the taller toon, beginning to feel even more shy after admitting that out loud. 

*RING RING RING RING*

Looey yelped and fell out of his bed, landing face first into the floor. He groaned as he slammed his hand against the alarm clock, his other hand rubbing against his eyes.

The blur in his vision disappeared shortly, and he shook his head to get his mind out of the clouds. Once he regained consciousness, he could recall the events from his dream, and he put his face into his hands in embarrassment.

What kind of dream was that!? It was odd to have such dreams about your friends, especially if you kissed them! Looey felt ashamed for dreaming about his good friend Sprout like that. His hand clenched his chest, there is no way that Sprout would ever see him that way. Get yourself together!

In an attempt to forget about the strange dream, he got up and stretched. It’s time to start another day at the “lovely organization” of Gardenview. As he does every morning, he puts on the same polka-dotted shirt that he usually wears, brushes his teeth, and goes to his vanity mirror to apply his clown makeup. It’s not much, but he just puts on the same green and purple blush on his cheeks, and then ta-da he’s done with getting ready. He bet that if anyone saw him without the usual makeup on his cheeks they would react as if he were naked, causing him to laugh to himself a bit. 

He walked out of his room to meet with Yatta, as they would usually do. Yatta was already there waiting for him in front of the cafeteria and waved her hand to him. “OVER HERE!!”

“Good morning, Yatta!” Looey waved back as he approached her. As he got closer to the cafeteria he could smell the sweet scent of pancakes cooking in the kitchen, his mouth drooling automatically. “Wow, the pancakes smell so yummy!”

Yatta squealed excitedly. “I KNOW RIGHT!!? Oooh I can’t wait to pour so much SYRUP ALL OVER IT!”

Looey and Yatta entered the cafeteria with drool practically dripping from both of their mouths. They sat down at the seat assigned to them by the toon handlers. Fortunately for them, they placed them together, probably because they were the circus troupe toons. Shortly after, the toons known best for their baking abilities came out of the kitchen with a big cart of pancakes on the tray. Cosmo, his smile warm and welcoming as always, places a bunch of plates and utensils on a side counter. 

“Eat up, everyone! Sprout and I prepared these pancakes just for you all!” 

Many toons sat up eagerly and began getting in line to get their breakfast. Sprout and Cosmo stood there with wide smiles on their faces, pleased to see everyone eager to eat their hard work. The mention of Sprout and seeing him stand up there struck Looey with the odd dream he had last night, causing his cheeks to heat up with red.

Yatta got up with no hesitation and immediately got in line, not noticing she had left Looey behind at the table. He can’t get up and face Sprout after that dream he had. He’s too embarrassed, he definitely can’t go talk to him today now. So like the idiot toon he is, he just sits there at the table. 

‘It’s fine. I could just skip breakfast. It’s not the first time I’ve skipped anyway!’

Eventually, all the other toons got their share of breakfast, all except for him. There was one plate left and pancake, and that one was obviously for him. Cosmo and Sprout looked around, seemingly trying to look for the last one who has yet to get their breakfast.

“COME ON BUDDY!! Why haven’t you gotten your breakfast!?” Yatta exclaimed as she dumped a whole bottle of syrup on her pancakes. 

“O-Oh, uhh.. Not hungry? Haha..”

Yatta didn’t fall for the obvious lie he had made. “I’ll just get it for you!!” 

He watched as Yatta made her way back to the cart and grabbed the last plate of pancakes. She talked to Cosmo and Sprout and pointed towards him, Sprout and Cosmo shifting their gazes to look at Looey. He smiled nervously at the two and waved awkwardly, sweat starting to roll down his face. Sprout just looked at him with the same look of concern he gave him the day before, which made Looey sink down in his chair.

Yatta came back and placed the pancakes in front of him. “There!! CMON! Let’s EAT!!”

The girl stuffed her face with the hot cakes in front of her, while Looey just poked at the pancakes with his fork. He still couldn’t get that dream out of his head, and now that he saw Sprout he can’t look at him without that dream coming to haunt his mind. 

And what’s worse is that he is pretty sure Astro saw his dream, knowing how the celestial toon has the ability to peer into other’s sleep. He hopes he doesn’t have to run into him either, otherwise it would be very awkward between the two. 

He looks to Yatta, the piñata still happily scarfing down her breakfast. She is his best friend and he knows he could trust her, but not even he thinks he should talk to her about the dream. He’s not sure how Yatta would react or even think. He sighs, he feels as if he needs to get this whole situation off his chest, yet he feels as if he has no one to tell it to.

“You’re not going to eat?”

Looey jumped up to see Sprout standing at their table, the strawberry toon’s arms crossed as he looked down at him. 

“Hi Sprout!” He quickly masked his nervousness with that goofy smile he usually does. “I am going to eat!…. Eventually! HahahHA!”

Sprout pulled out a chair and sat down with the circus duo. “Looey, about yesterday… You said you’d take up my offer on talking to me, right?”

“Um, yes.”

“Alright, then how about you come meet up with me at my room after you’re done? I’m really concerned for you, you know..”

The healer put his hand on Looey’s shoulder, the same shoulder that he had put his hand on in the run from yesterday. The clown blushed and shivered from the touch. “Okay, if you insist..”

Sprout then smiled and got up, walking away back into the kitchen. Yatta looked at her best friend with confusion. “What was THAT about?” She asked with syrup dripping down her chin.

Looey got a napkin and wiped the syrup off her face. “Well, I agreed to talk to Sprout yesterday about.. Something! Haha!”

Yatta tilted her head at him, but decided to not question any further. She was too focused on the sweet breakfast in front of her. 

Looey sighed of relief when she didn’t press any further. Hopefully the conversation they’ll have won’t reveal too much, or be too awkward.

Chapter Text

Like Looey promised, he goes on to visit Sprout’s room after breakfast. His heart pounded quickly, feeling more and more anxious each step he took closer to the strawberry’s room. He knows Sprout’s intentions are to just console him, and he appreciates his concern, but in the back of his mind his consciousness is telling him to admit his strange dream.

If he were to tell him his dream, would Sprout see him differently? Or would he help him get through it? What if he doesn’t want to talk to him anymore and thinks he’s a creep? It is weird to dream about kissing your friend after all..

He stood outside the main toon’s door, taking a gulp before knocking on it. Shortly after he could hear the ruffling of footsteps from inside the room, and then the door opened to reveal the person who he has been anxious to see.

“There you are, Looey! I’ve been waiting for you.” Sprout said with his usual huge grin, stepping aside so Looey could walk in.

This was the first time Looey has been in Sprout’s room. In fact, it was the first time he has ever been in a main toon’s room, and he could tell that the mains get better treatment than the non-mains. Sprout’s room was much bigger than his own and he could even see that the healer has got his own queen-sized bed!

‘Why would he need such a big bed if he’s the only one who lives in this room!?’

Sprout caught him admiring his bedroom and chuckled. “Like what you see?”

“U-Uh, yeah! You’ve got such a big bed for someone who sleeps by himself! I wish my bed was as big as yours.”

The strawberry sat down on one end of the bed, patting the spot next to him for Looey to sit. “Well then you’ll get to experience how it feels. Come right ahead! It’s comfy.”

Looey blushed slightly. The same guy he just dreamed of kissing last night is inviting him to sit on his bed. Although hesitant, he eventually obliges, occupying the spot next to the healer. As he sat down he could feel the soft mattress under him, feeling as if he were sitting on clouds.

“Wow.. It’s even softer than my own bed. Haha.. You mains really do get special privileges, don’t ya?” He laughed awkwardly.

“Come on now, I’m sure your bed can’t be all that bad.”

Sprout made direct eye contact with the balloon, or well, he was trying to make eye contact. Looey looked everywhere except at Sprout, which puzzled him a little. That wasn’t the main point though, so ignoring the fact that Looey wasn’t looking at him, he began with the purpose Looey was visiting him for.

“So since you’re here, we could finally talk. I’ll start. To be honest, I’ve noticed you acting.. How do I say this? Anxious? Insecure? It’s as if you’re always being watched. Is there something or someone bothering you? I’ll be here to listen to you as much as I can.” he started off, making sure to not immediately pressure Looey into saying anything.

Looey fiddled with his hands in his lap, looking down with a drop of sweat. He bit his lip and exhaled slowly before replying. “I.. I guess that does happen often, yeah… Well, do you really think the children loved me? Did they think I’m actually funny..?”

“Of course they did. What makes you think they didn’t? I always saw them in a laughing fit when they were with you.”

“I don’t feel like they thought I’m funny, or that they loved me. The truth is, I felt like they were laughing at me.”

Sprout frowned upon hearing that. Looey is a sweet, kind, and funny toon. If it’s true, he doesn’t understand why the kids would ridicule him. The healer put a hand on the clown’s back, rubbing his back in slow circular motions to comfort him. “And what makes you think that?”

“They only laughed when I did something that caused me pain. I tried to entertain them with tricks and stuff, but they didn’t seem to even care… And when I tripped over and hurt myself, they laughed at me.”

A tear began to form in Looey’s eye. Sprout notices immediately and scoots closer to Looey, wrapping an arm around him.

“I feel less important than the other toons.. Yatta is a cool acrobatic and the children love to watch her perform. Razzle and Dazzle are great with their theatre acting, I saw how invested the kids were when they watched them.. If I can’t even make a child laugh without harming myself, then I’m just a useless toon..”

Sprout loved the children, but after hearing how they treated Looey it caused his stomach to twist. He never expected the kids to be so rowdy, but he assumes he had never seen that side of them since he was one of the more beloved characters of the cast.

Sprout wiped a tear off of Looey’s cheek and handed him a tissue, the balloon smiling a bit to show his gratitude despite his tears. “Oh Looey, you’re not less important than ANY of us.. Children, they could be awful sometimes. I’ve had my fair share of rude ones myself…”

The main toon can recall all the times a child has been rude to him and Cosmo, demanding for sweets like a brat.

“I know it may seem impossible for you to realize this as of now, but there are kids who genuinely think you’re funny, or that you’re a great entertainer. And I’ll be honest, I’m one of the ones who think you’re funny Looey.”

Looey looked up at him with teary eyes. “Really..?”

“Of course! Your silly jokes, goofy puns.. They never fail to crack a smile out of me.”

The balloon toon wiped the tissue across his eyes and widened his smile, his tail wagging a tiny bit. “I’m glad to know that at least someone finds me funny..”

Sprout grinned, feeling happy to see that Looey was feeling a bit happier, but he wanted to make him feel even better. He decides he should tell him a funny story.

“Hey, wanna hear something funny that happened with a kid one time?”

“Oh, sure..” Looey looked up at him expectantly, making sure to put his full attention on him.

“Well, you know how I mentioned that I’ve had my fair share of rowdy children, right? There was this one kid who was really bratty and kept demanding Cosmo and I for more desserts! And you wanna know what happened next?”

Looey tilted his head at him curiously. “What?”

“Cosmo was about to hand him another slice of cake, but he ended up slipping and accidentally shoving the cake into the kid’s face! The poor kid had frosting all over him, he even started to look a bit like a ghost.”

Sprout laughed to himself a little bit, and his laughter must’ve been contagious because Looey began laughing too. The tears on Looey’s face completely disappeared, and the frown on his face has been replaced with his goofy smile.

“Hahaha! Wow! Talk about karma!” Looey giggled.

“Right? Hahaha!”

Their laughter continued on for a while as Sprout went on to tell more funny stories that had happened with the children, and Looey would listen attentively, clearly enjoying his time with Sprout.

As Looey listened to him, he couldn’t help but stare at him. That healer.. He is gorgeous. Handsome. Charming. He’s so sweet and funny.. Sprout is literally perfect. He’s everything that Looey probably can’t even come close to being. Sprout is always there for everyone because he is so caring, he’s always by someone’s side when they need it.

Maybe he was staring at him for too long because Sprout had stopped talking..

“Your face is a bit too close to mine, buddy.” Sprout finally spoke up.

Looey immediately recoiled back, his eyes wide with a tint of blush on his cheeks. He hadn’t realized he leaned in so close. “OH! I’m sorry! I’m not sure what got into me ahahA..”

“My storytelling must be that good, huh?” Sprout joked, causing Looey to chuckle a bit.

“O-Oh yeah, definitely because your storytelling was so interesting! Couldn’t help but lean in to get all the details haha!”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better now. I don’t like seeing my friends so sad like that. Anything else you need from me, Looey?”

Looey didn’t miss the opportunity to take advantage of this. Although he was a bit shy to ask for such request, he went through with it anyway.

“Is it okay if… you could give me a hug?”

Sprout blinked, he didn’t expect Looey to ask for such intimate attention, but a hug is just a hug. “Sure.”

The strawberry brought his arms out and Looey immediately leaned in, wrapping his arms around Sprout while the other did the same to him. The healer felt cozy and warm which made Looey unconsciously smile while his tail wagged happily. He didn’t want this hug to ever end.

As for Sprout, he noticed how Looey was nuzzling against him, and he must admit it was pretty cute. After a few more seconds, the two pull away from each other (making Looey feel a tad bit disappointed).

“Thank you, Sprout. You’re so kind.”

“Of course. I’ll do just about anything for the people I care about.”

Looey got up from the bed and looked to the door. “I guess I need to leave now. I’m sure Yatta is waiting for me.”

Sprout got up and walked him to the door. “If you need to talk to anyone again then you know who to come to!”

“Yeah! The same goes for you, Sprout!”

And with that, Looey leaves and walks off to find Yatta, his smile wider than ever. He doesn’t know why he feels so giddy, could it he because he actually likes Sprout that way? He thought that silly dream was just something random, but maybe it’s actually true that he viewed Sprout more than just a friend.

His tail is wagging uncontrollably and he finds it extremely hard to stop.

“Woah, you’re excited. What’s got you all worked up?”

Looey looks up to see Connie, as smug as ever with her laidback smirk. “Hey Connie! It’s nothing really, haha! Have you seen Yatta around?”

Connie just shrugged. “Nah. Haven’t seen her all day after breakfast. If you do find her please tell her to stop leaving candy around my room, it’s annoying having to clean up after her.”

“Haha! Will do!”

Chapter Text

After the day Looey and Sprout had that conversation at his room, they’ve grown closer each day.

They would occasionally hang out whenever they could and enjoy each other’s company, learning something new about the other as each day passed.

Sprout didn’t know that the mismatched-colored cheeks that Looey had were just makeup. He thought that they were natural this whole time. You could imagine the shocked look in his face when he saw Looey without the makeup, it was like the equivalent of seeing someone naked.

And as for Looey, he had no idea that Sprout was actually afraid of the dark, which was interesting because he seemed to do just fine during blackouts in runs. Sprout just tells him that it’s his will to protect and take care of the others is what keeps him brave against the darkness. But funnily enough, the main toon has a nightlight in his room.

Today the two had planned to hang out again since they weren’t going to be busy today. Yatta was going to be in a “Fast Extractors Only” run along with Glisten, Vee, Connie, Brightney, and more. It was mainly the toons who knew how to complete the machines faster than others. Yatta seemed pretty excited to be included so Looey didn’t want to stop her from doing it.

And Cosmo was going to be spending time with the Easter toons. Since Easter was going to end soon, he wanted to share some of his recipes with them and bake some Bonbons with Cocoa before they had to leave. Sprout has never personally had a bonbon himself, so hopefully they’ll share once they’re done!

“Hey Looey, are you almost done?”

“Yeah! Sorry, just a second! This is going to be my first time trying to bake.. I hope I don’t mess up!”

Looey walked out of the closet, a sheepish smile on his face. He was wearing an apron, but it wasn’t just any kind of apron, it was one of Sprout’s aprons. And while Sprout thought nothing of it, Looey definitely felt shy wearing one of the strawberry’s clothes.

“I hope I tied it on right.”

Sprout walked over to him to check. “Ah, it’s a little sloppy, but don’t worry— I can fix that.”

He untied the strings of the apron to retie it, his hands brushing against Looey’s back which triggered the balloon to blush.

“There you go. This should be good enough.” Sprout said once he finished tying the perfect bow.

“Thank you Sprout! Hahaa.. S-So what did you have in mind?”

Sprout took out a big bowl from under the cabinet along with some other baking tools. “I was thinking of baking a cake! I know you’re new to this whole baking thing, but as long as you have my help it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge for you.”

“But what if I mess up? I don’t wanna ruin anything, you know!”

“Oh please, you’re going to be fine. You have me here.”

“Whatever you say..” Looey mumbled.

Looey walked up next to Sprout and watched as the healer organized all of the baking tools. There were several bowls, a wooden spoon, a whisk, tablespoons, etc. He felt nervous doing this, yet excited at the same time, though he was mainly afraid of messing up in front of Sprout. He knows he isn’t immediately going to be an expert at baking, but he wants to impress him.

Sprout handed him a pair of gloves. “What flavor cake do you want?”

“Umm.. Anything is fine, really! You’re the baker here so you should be the one to decide!” He said as he slid on the gloves.

The healer hummed in thought. Even though Looey said that they could make any flavor, he wanted to make something that Looey liked.

“Okay, so how about birthday cake flavor? I know you love those.”

“A-Ahaha, oh but Sprout we should make something that you like! Not just me-“

Sprout shut him up by placing a finger against his lips. He sighed and shook his head at the shorter toon. “Looey, you’re too permissive. You need to think for yourself sometimes.”

“Okay, you’re right. I’m sorry Sprout..”

The healer smiled, taking out the ingredients for the cake. “So shall we get started?”

“Yeah!”

—————————

After a very messy, yet fun and educational session of baking, their cake was finally done. Sprout allowed Looey to take the honors of decorating the cake, which he probably shouldn’t have let him because the cake was looking like as if someone didn’t know what they were doing and decorated it while blind.

Looey felt a bit embarrassed about it, but Sprout just laughed it off. “The cake looks great!”

The clown rubbed the back of his neck, a bashful look on his face. “Thanks! But you don’t needa lie to me, heheh..”

The healer bumped his shoulder against him. “No, really. It looks great.”

He took out some plates and utensils and handed a pair to Looey. “Let’s try it!”

Looey watched as Sprout cut the cake into several slices. If this cake was good, he’ll definitely consider saving some for Yatta and a few other friends of his. He can imagine the happy look on Yatta’s face when she returns back from her tiring run and is greeted with a cake from him.

“Here you go. I hope you like it,” Sprout said as he placed a slice of cake on his plate.

“Thank you, Sprout!”

Looey took his fork and scooped up a piece of the cake and put it into his mouth. It was moist, fluffy, and delicate. It’s sweet, but not too sweet, which was absolutely perfect, and the taste of birthday cake was just the cherry on top.

“Mmm, this is so good! You’re such a great baker Sprout!” He exclaimed as he shoved more cake into his mouth.

“Oh, you’ve got some frosting on your lips. Let me get it off for you.”

And before Looey could even register that Sprout was in front of him, the healer placed a hand on his cheek and used his thumb to flick the frosting off his face. Looey’s face flushed with heat as he processed what just happened.

“T-Thank you..” he managed to croak out.

Sprout simply just smiled at him, unaware of how red Looey’s face was. “It’s no problem! I’m glad you like the cake, but you also made it as well, so I’d say that we BOTH make a great baker!”

“Aw, you’re too nice Sprout.. A-anyways, is it okay if I could pack some of the cake up? I wanna share this with Yatta! I know she’s going to love this.”

“Of course! You don’t even have to ask.”

Sprout helped Looey box up the cake, making it look all nice and fancy with a ribbon on top. Looey held the box in his hands, his smile wide and cheerful. “Thanks so much! I had so much fun today, really!”

“Haha, I did too Looey. I heard that Yatta’s on a run. Want me to take you to the elevators? I could also wait with you if you want since I don’t have anything else to do right now.”

“Oh sure!! If you insist!”

The two walked out of the kitchen, still a tad bit messy with flour, sugar, frosting, etc. all over them. As they went on their way to the elevators they made small talk, most likely just talking about random things.

Looey looked down and remembered that he was still wearing Sprout’s apron. “Oh, I’ve completely forgotten about the apron. I’ll take it off as soon as we get there.”

“Oh, no need. You can have it if you want.”

“W-What? Really?”

“Yeah, of course. It’s no problem, I have plenty of other aprons, and besides this one looks cute on you.”

Looey blushed at the compliment. He didn’t know if Sprout was just trying to be nice or if he was actually trying to flirt with him. “Cute? Ahaha, thanks..!” He sheepishly laughed it off.

Sprout had realized what he said and waved his hands out of embarrassment. He kinda just let his mouth run on its own. “Oh, wait! Sorry, it’s not like that! I mean yes, it’s cute, but I don’t mean it in that kind of way!”

“It’s okay, I get what you meant haha..”

They arrived to the elevators and what perfect timing, Yatta and the other toons come stumbling out of the elevator, all of them seemingly in perfectly good shape and pretty hyped up.

“Whew, what a run! I’m glad we’re back so I can finally tend to the library!” Brightney chirped.

“Ah yes, the library is where you reside most. Perhaps I should pay a visit sometime,” Rodger said in response, walking alongside her. “Who knows! Perhaps I may discover something new from those books.”

“Hey, don’t forget me. I’ll tag along too the next time ya go there, I gotta see what’s so good about being a bookworm.” Connie chimed in.

Meanwhile the other toons were all having a regular conversation, Vee and Glisten seemed to be arguing with each other. Vee tapped her foot angrily and Glisten crossed his arms.

“GLISTEN! What did I tell you about taking the machines by ele!? You know that I am slow! I do the machines by the elevator!”

“Okay, and? It’s not my problem you’re so slow! And besides, those machines deserve to be used by someone as perfect as me!”

“Oh you LITTLE-“

Sprout immediately intervened before it could escalate into something worse, walking between the two arguing toons. “Woah, woah! Calm down with the yelling! What’s wrong!?”

“Get out of here, Sprout! This isn’t any of your business.” Vee seemed even more annoyed now that Sprout was getting in the way.

Sprout huffed. “Vee, calm down. What did Glisten do to make your gears grind so badly?”

“He’s so selfish and only thinks about himself! He knows how physically slow I am yet he doesn’t save any of the machines by elevator for me!”

Glisten just scoffed and looked away from the two. “Oh girl, please! Stop being so dramatic. There were tons of other machines yet you decided to stick by me the whole time and kept yelling at me to hand over the machine. You were quite literally wasting your time!”

Sprout put a hand to his temple and sighed. Knowing how stubborn the two were, it was going to be difficult trying to make them calm down. And what’s worse is that Vee and Glisten argued with each other often, so this wasn’t the first time Sprout had to deal with them.

Looey watched from afar and felt bad for Sprout. He’s always throwing himself in the worst situations possible, and while yes it is good to stop friends from fighting, it was also bad to just get yourself involved in the first place. But Sprout’s overprotective and caring nature doesn’t stop him from acting like a big brother, or even like a parent.

“HEY BUDDY!”

Yatta approaches him with a wide grin on her face. She sniffs the air and notices the box in his hands. “WOW!! Is that.. CAKE I smell!? It smells so yummy!”

“Oh, hey Yatta! Yeah, it’s cake. Sprout and I baked it together. Do you want a slice? Haha, I’m sure I already know the answer to that one!”

Yatta jumped up and down excitedly, her tongue licking her lips. “YES YES YES!! I want cake!”

Looey chuckled at his excited best friend. It was always so endearing to see her get excited over the littlest things like sweets. He takes out a slice of cake for her and sets it on a paper plate, as to which Yatta takes immediately and shoves the cake down her throat.

“Oh hey there, Looey! Is that cake?” Brightney and the others came up to the two.

“Yeah! Would you guys like some? Sprout and I baked it.”

Rodger nodded his head eagerly. “Oh, why yes I would like a slice. That run has left me quite famished.”

Connie rubbed her hands together and sniffed the cake. “Yum. Smells good. I would like to have one too. The cake looks a bit messed up though. Eh, who cares. Cake is cake!”

Brightney nodded, agreeing with the other two toons. Looey smiled and placed more slices of cakes on the plates for everyone to enjoy.

Shortly after, Sprout, Glisten, and Vee meet up with the rest of them. Glisten and Vee had salty expressions on their faces while Sprout tried his best to keep up a smile.

“Oh Sprout, I must say that this cake you and Looey baked is absolutely delectable.” Rodger said as he saw them approaching.

“Thank you! I’m glad you guys like it.”

Looey looked to Glisten and Vee, the two still had upset expressions, but perhaps some cake could help fix that. “Hey you two! Turn those frowns upside down and come enjoy some cake!”

Although hesitant at first, they eventually agree to have a slice. Glisten ate the cake and you could say that all of his anger left his body once he tasted that oh so sweetness on his tongue. As for Vee, she couldn’t really eat, since what she does is place food into a compartment in her wired stomach for the nutrients to be consumed. Feeling more energized by the nutrients did help her feel better though.

Sprout and Looey beamed, pleased to see that the two were feeling a lot better. They all spent the rest of the time together enjoying the cake.

Chapter Text

That night, after the group of toons had eaten their cake and said their goodbyes, they all parted ways. Of course Looey escorted Yatta to her room as she excitedly told him about the fun— yet risky encounters they had during the run.

“AND the twisted was THISSS big!!” Yatta dramatically extended her arms out widely. “YOU have NO IDEA how scared I was!!”

Looey chuckled as he walked beside her. He could never get enough of his best friend’s loud and cheery nature. “Wow! Sounds scary. Too bad I wasn’t there to protect you huh?”

“WHAAATT? Pfft, Looey! I’ll be SAFE as long as I HAVE MY CANDY!!”

“But you were scared! Cmon Yatta, just admit it!” Looey playfully bumped into her, causing her to stumble back a bit.

Yatta grinned mischievously, her sharp teeth flashing as she bumped back into Looey. They both laughed louder than they should have— probably loud enough to wake someone up.

They make it to a stop in front of the acrobatic’s room. Yatta’s door had glitter and candy wrappers glued to it, which fit her perfectly.

The piñata yawned and looked to Looey with half lidded eyes, her sleepiness clearly taking over. “It’s TIME to SLEEP now!” Her voice still boomed despite her drowsiness.

The balloon toon began to feel the same, his eyes fluttering shut. “Yeah.. Goodnight Yatta.” Looey brought his arms out for a hug, as to which she reciprocated immediately.

“You’re my BESTEST friend EVER , Looey!! Goodnight!” she said as they pulled apart, then slipped into her room and shut the door.

He turned away and began heading towards his own room, a droopy smile on his face. The words Yatta had just said repeated like a broken record in his head: ‘You’re my BESTEST friend EVER, Looey!!’

‘I’m so glad to have a loving best friend.’ He thought.

Once he arrived to his room he was about to flop straight onto bed, until he remembered he was still wearing Sprout’s apron. His lips automatically curled up into a smile as a familiar warmth filled his cheeks, his heart thumping happily at the memory of their baking session earlier.

He untied the apron and slipped it off, then held it close, snuggling his face into its fabric. It smelled sweet like the baking ingredients they used, and it reminded him of Sprout.

Looey climbed into bed, his arms still hugging onto the apron tightly. His eyes closed almost instantly and he drifted off into a deep sleep.

————————

The next morning came quicker than Looey expected. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, arms still half-hugging Sprout’s apron. With a yawn, he finally sat up, warmth still lingering in his chest.

He felt more refreshed than usual. It must be because of the apron that he slept with. His eyes were groggily, yet a little smile cracked through the sleep on his face. A part of him wants to wear the apron again, but at the same time he didn’t since it would probably be embarrassing.

Looey got ready for the morning and hung the apron in his closet. He was definitely going to wear it again another time.

Shortly after, he found himself in the cafeteria, sitting with his best friend Yatta and two other friends who decided to join them for breakfast today: Shelly and Astro. It was truly an unusual combo of toons to be together, considering the fact that they seemed so drastically different from each other, but that didn’t stop them from hanging out every now and then.

“Cosmo and Sprout always make the best french toast, I swear!” Shelly said as she spread more butter onto her toast. The fossil was quite the messy eater— her lips greased with butter and dotted by bread crumbs.

Astro chuckled lightly at the sight. “Shelly… You’ve got something on your lips..”

“Oh no! I do?” She quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped her face.

“Haha! You and Yatta are practically the same when it comes to eating,” Looey teased, glancing at the piñata. “She’s always getting it all over her face!”

Yatta perked up from her plate, and sure enough, her face was just as messy as Shelly’s. “HUH!!?”

The three toons burst out laughing(Astro’s laughter a bit quieter), while Yatta tilted her head in confusion. They all continued to converse while enjoying their breakfast, but Looey could tell something was wrong. He noticed how Astro would look at him every so often, like he wanted to ask him something but kept changing his mind.

“Astro, you keep looking at me! You got something on ya mind?”

“O-Oh, uh..” the celestial toon glanced at every direction before meeting Looey’s eyes. “No, it’s nothing…”

“Awh, come on! I know a lie when I see it! What’s the matter, buddy?”

Astro looked over at Shelly and Yatta, who were fully engaged with their own conversation, most likely talking about candies and dinosaurs or something, then back to Looey.

“Hey, so.. I know it’s not really any of my business, but.. I know how you feel about Sprout,” he whispered.

Looey’s eyes shot wide opened, his ears shooting straight up. He had completely forgotten about Astro’s ability to look at dreams. “AH! Y-You do!? HAHA— Of course you do!!” He could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks a mile per minute.

“Yeah, sorry… I shouldn’t have looked, but I like to make sure everyone had good dreams before I fall asleep myself..”

“Please don’t tell anyone! Especially Sprout!” He pleaded, hands clenched together as if he were praying.

“Don’t worry… I won’t tell anyone…” Astro reassured, and Looey felt himself relax(just a little bit).

“I’m honestly surprised, though… Never expected you to like Sprout…”

Looey caught the tiny smirk tugging at Astro’s lips. He was so obviously just teasing him now. The balloon toon sunk down into his seat, wanting to disappear into thin air, or deflate until he was nothing but rubber. “It’s a long story! Sort of! Hahaha— Well, not really…”

“I’m here to listen… If you want, of course…” the moon toon offered, his tone more gentler now.

Looey laughed nervously. “W-Well, I don’t see the point in fighting it anymore, hahaha….”

He took a deep breath, his fork playing with the waffles on his plate.

“I don’t even know where to begin.. I mean, I-I’ve always thought that Sprout was just a cool and great friend! He’s so caring and kind.. He’s always looking out for everyone and he bakes the best sweets!”

Astro smiled quietly and nodded, letting him ramble.

“But then I started to feel weird around him.. Like, I feel happier than I usually do! My tail wags like crazy! Whenever he even talks to me I just feel something strange and fluttery in my stomach!!”

He looked down, his cheeks practically burning. “And then I started dreaming about him… and you know what happened…”

Astro held up a hand, chuckling softly. “Yeah, yeah… I understand now… Do you want to tell him how you feel..?”

“W-What? No! I couldn’t…” Looey objected quickly, his long ears drooping down to his sides. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship. I don’t think he even sees me in that way, so it’s better to play it safe! Right?”

Astro could tell that Looey was just coping. The forced smile on his face was way too obvious. He felt bad for the silly toon. “Well, it is safe… Sprout isn’t the type of guy to stop being friends due to some feelings… And it doesn’t hurt to try…”

“But this is all too soon! I really don’t think Sprout likes me like that… Maybe I just won’t tell him how I feel at all!”

“Okay, okay… I get it… But just take my word, Looey… In certain situations, such as this one, it’s better to not bottle up your feelings…”

He leaned in a bit closer. “When you’re ready, even if you don’t feel like he reciprocates your feelings, it’s better to be honest and get it off your chest than letting it eat you up inside…”

Looey shifted in his seat, his tail flicking. “Y-Yeah, you’re right…”

“Mhm.. Take your time, and only do it when you’re ready…”

Before Looey could respond, a loud clatter interrupted the moment.

“WHOOPS!!” Yatta’s voice loudly rang out as her fork launched itself across the table. “The fork just SLIPPED right outta my HAND!! HAHAHA!!!”

“Uh oh! Five second rule!” Shelly dove out of her seat to catch the fork, sliding across the floor as if she were a football player. “Saved!”

The shell returned to her seat, handing the fork back to Yatta before turning to the boys. “Hey, now what were you guys whispering about over here? Mind if you fill me in?”

Astro bit into his french toast. “Mm.. We were talking about… The stars, planets, and the solar system…”

Shelly bounced excitedly in her seat. “Oooh! Speaking of the solar system, did you know that when dinosaurs existed, the solar system was on the opposite side of the Milky Way? That means that dinosaurs saw a completely a different night sky than we do today!”

“Oh really..?” Astro said, playing along.

Shelly began to go on a whole ramble about dinosaurs while Astro just listened attentively, nodding his head every once in a while.

Looey sighed of relief, grateful that Astro saved them from having an awkward conversation with Shelly. He turned his gaze towards his plate that held his half-eaten waffles.

‘He’s right.. I shouldn’t bottle up my feelings for too long. When I’m ready, I’ll tell Sprout how I feel.’

Just as Shelly was about to mimic a dinosaur’s roar, the kitchen creaked open, and out came Sprout with his disheveled leafy hair and an apron barely tied around his waist.

He seemed tired; his eyes droopier than normal, shoulders slouching, but still kept that soft yet focused expression he wore all of the time.

Shelly was the first to notice. “Sprout doesn’t look like himself today. I should make sure he’s okay.”

She hopped out of her seat and walked over to meet him halfway, her voice softening as she spoke to him. The two began chatting quietly.

Astro turned his attention back towards Looey, his usual frown on his face. “I wonder what could’ve happened to Sprout…”

Looey was probably the most worried out of them all, though he stayed seated and just watched the two main toons converse from afar.

His gaze lingered on Sprout, exhausted but still smiling. He’s trying his best for everyone.

“I want to be there for him too, just like how he was there for me..”

Chapter Text

“I’m telling you Shelly, I’m fine. Just didn’t get enough sleep last night. If anything, I should be the one asking you that.”

Shelly didn’t believe a word he said. “Sprout, you’re always looking after us.. It’s time we look after you. Please?”

Her eyes shimmered with worry, trying to make the most irresistible puppy face as possible. Unfortunately Sprout still persisted, repeatedly saying that he was fine along with “just tired.”

Shelly pouted. “You’ve said that for the sixth time now! Come on!”

“Shelly, I’m okay! I really am!”

Sprout pushed a big, bright grin onto his face, using every bit of energy he had left. But Shelly still wasn’t convinced. She sighed, shoulders slumping as she finally gave in.

“Okay.. just don’t overwork yourself. Please?”

He chuckled lightly, moved by her concern. “Of course. Don’t worry about me.”

“Would you like to join me and the others?” Shelly asked, gesturing towards the table where the others sat.

Sprout hesitated. Taking a break to relax sounded amazing right about now, but he still had a load of baking left to do and he didn’t wanna leave Cosmo doing all the work. 

“I’m sorry Shelly, but I’ll have to pass. I have a lot of work to do.”

“Okay! Just don’t push yourself too hard!”

He watched as she skipped back to the table, rejoining the others. Sprout sighed and stretched his arms and back, and oh boy did that stretch feel good. He really needed that.

The baker turned around to return to the kitchen. He walked back in, the familiar scent of sweet ingredients filling him completely. 

Cosmo glanced up at him, worry etched in his sweet face.

“Hey, I told you that I could handle the baking alone..” the cake roll said, mixing the batter. “You look exhausted. You can talk to me, you know. We’re best friends…”

Sprout frowned. He didn’t mean to make anyone worry, especially his best friend Cosmo. 

He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away. “I.. I couldn’t sleep last night. I was busy thinking about something..”

“…Or rather, someone.” He mumbled quietly. 

Cosmo tilted his head to the side(nearly losing balance). “Huh? What?“

Sprout had a light blush tint his cheeks as he just sheepishly laugh it off. “It’s nothing! Just thinking about what recipe I should bake next!”

The cake roll eyed him with concern, but decided to not question any further. 

The strawberry toon got back to work, helping Cosmo prep up some more desserts. They had a lot of sweets to bake since a kid was going to be having a big birthday party at Gardenview. 

It wasn’t uncommon for parents to host big birthday parties here. The children love the toons, and he could swear that almost everyday was scheduled for a kid’s birthday party.

Sprout tried to focus on folding the dough, but he could feel Cosmo watching him.

“I swear it’s nothing.” Sprout muttered again.

“I didn’t say anything?” Cosmo replied, raising a brow.

Before either of them could say more, the lights overhead flickered. A low electric buzz filled the kitchen, and then-

“Hey, hey, hey, Berry Boy!”

The voice of a snarky gameshow host boomed through the speakers of the kitchen, causing both of the bakers to shriek from surprise.

Sprout glared up at the speaker, his hands tightening around the rolling pin. “Vee!? I hate it when you call me that!”

A robotic laugh could be heard from the speaker. “I’m sure you’re well aware about the birthday party today, right? Well, I’ve been tasked to host a gameshow for the children! And do you know what that means?”

Cosmo and Sprout shared worried glances with each other. “What?”

“You, Sprout, is the favorite toon of the birthday kid! Which means you get to star as my special guest on my gameshow! And that means I need you to meet me at the stage IMMEDIATELY so we could prepare!”

Sprout nearly dropped the rolling pin, his jaw dropping. “W-What? But I need to help prep the desserts for the party-

“I’m certain Cosmo can handle it by himself! This is important because not only will the children be watching, but so will the whole world! We’re going to be LIVE and on AIR !”

Sprout shot a helpless look at Cosmo, who shrugged with a weary smile.

“Well… I did say I can manage the baking alone.” Cosmo said.

Sprout frowned. “Are you sure? I’d hate to leave you working all by yourself.”

Cosmo chuckled softly and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Sprout, come on. I’ll be fine. You heard what she said, you’re the birthday kid’s favorite toon. Any minute now and the hoard of children will arrive.”

“Okay, if you say so. But if you need any help then call me and I’ll be right by your side.”

The speaker crackled again, Vee’s voice buzzing excitedly. “EXCELLENT! Arrive soon, we’ll be waiting!” And then the speaker shut off.

Sprout sighed, removing his apron and setting it aside on the counter. “Alright. I better go see what Vee’s cooked up.”

“Probably not nearly as good as what you cook up,” Cosmo joked, giving him a little nudge.

Sprout smiled faintly, nerves bubbling up in his chest as he stepped out of the kitchen and followed the signs taped along the hallway—each one impressively drawn in glittery crayon with “TO VEE’S LOVELY GAMESHOW!!” and arrows pointing dramatically in all directions.

As he walked toward the stage, Sprout didn’t seem to feel tired anymore. The exhaustion he had all morning had lifted, replaced by a nervous surge of energy. The adrenaline must’ve kicked in when Vee surprised him, and as much as he hated to admit it, he had to hand it to her. She sure knew how to wake someone up.

Once he arrived to the stage, he noticed not one, but two figures standing there. Vee stood on a tall podium, jotting things down onto a clipboard, while Glisten threw his arms out in the air dramatically as if he were a ballerina.

The two seemed locked in some sort of heated-yet-fabulous conversation, until Glisten twirled around mid-gesture, his eyes lighting up.

“Well, there you are, darling!” he sang, practically skipping toward Sprout with a flourish. “We’ve been waiting! You simply cannot start a spectacle without its centerpiece!”

Sprout blinked. “Weren’t you two just arguing yesterday? What are you doing here?”

Vee let out a robotic chuckle, eyes still looking down at the clipboard. “We were. But today, we’ve had a little… reconciliation. A strategic alliance, if you will.” 

“A redemption arc!” Glisten added dramatically, throwing both arms out wide. 

“Of course..” Sprout muttered, already feeling the beginnings of a headache.

Vee finally looked up, her pixelated face smirking. “Glisten will be assisting me as my Co-Host for today’s gameshow festivities. He came up with a really interesting and exciting theme.”

The healer raised a brow, cocking his head to the side. “And that is…?”

As if on cue, a pink and glittery banner that said “Know Your Sprout” in big and bold golden letters dropped down from the top of the stage. Vee and Glisten looked at each other knowingly, before shifting their gazes back onto the berry boy. 

Glisten was the first to speak, sassily flipping his non-existent hair with a hand on his hip. “You see, my dear, THIS is a show made by a perfectionist such as myself!”

“Mind giving me context please??” Sprout groaned, putting his face into his hands. 

“There will be six contestants and they are required to answer questions about you. Whoever gets the most questions correct win and receive a prize,” Vee explained, wagging a finger teasingly at the strawberry. “And that prize will be a delicious baked sweet handcrafted by you!”

Sprout groaned louder, dragging his hands down his face. “You’re making ME bake for the winner!?”

“Well, yes,” Vee said, her screen flashing a laughing emoticon. “You’re one of the few toons here who make the best desserts in Gardenview!”

“How humiliating,” Sprout muttered under his breath.

“Humiliatingly sweet!” Glisten added with a wink. “Now then, Sproutsy, any minute now and the audience will be here! Hurry along, get onto that platform right there!”

The mirror pointed towards the highest platform that had a pink and glittery throne-looking seat on it. Sprout just sighed, he had no choice but to obey. 

Shortly after, they hear the doors swing open as a group of kids arrive, eager to be at Gardenview. Cosmo was then seen walking out of the kitchen with a huge cart of desserts, that was soon after swarmed by the children. 

“The audience is here!” Vee cheered, immediately grabbing the stage’s camera. “It’s almost time to go live!”

Sprout sweated nervously as he sat in his seat. He only really thought that he was just going to be baking today and that’s it, but he never expected his day to escalate into this.

“I’d rather be baking with Cosmo while nearly falling asleep than doing this..”

After the children got their desserts, they all came flooding into the stage room to sit in the chairs. Glisten nodded at Vee, and then she gave the camera a *CLICK* signaling the camera to go live.

“Welcome, welcome!” Vee greeted, microphone in hand. “To another episode of Vee’s Gameshow!”

Glisten came into the view of the camera, grabbing hold of Vee’s microphone. “Co-hosted by yours truly, Glisten!”

In the background they could hear the kids squeal and cheer. 

“For today’s gameshow it’s going to all be about one of our most beloved toons in Gardenview! Starring our special guest… Sprout!”

The camera panned to Sprout who just sat there awkwardly at first, but then he sat up straight and waved to the camera. “Hey everyone!”

Vee tapped her microphone, bringing the attention back onto her. “For this game, we will be answering questions to see who can get the most facts about Sprout correct! Now it’s time to introduce our contestants!”

A spotlight swirled around the stage as music blared from unseen speakers.

“Contestant Number 1: Shelly!”

The shell toon walked onto the platform, waving around enthusiastically. Once she spotted Sprout on the throne, she gave a huge smile and yelled. “Hi Sprout! I thought you were busy today! I’m glad you’re here!”

“Contestant Number 2: Astro!”

The moon toon shuddered as he shakily walked across the stage onto his platform, an anxious look in his eye. He clearly did not want to be here.

“Contestant Number 3: Yatta!”

The acrobatic cartwheeled onto her platform, making the kids ‘oooh’ and ‘ahhh.’ She bowed and waved once she landed on her feet. “I’m so EXCITED to be HERE!! I hope the winning prize is CANDY!!!”

“Contestant Number 4: Goob!”

The cuddly and fluffy toon dragged his long arms across the stage as he staggered onto his place, his goofy eyes and silly smile widening. “Hi guys! I’m happy to be included!! I can’t wait to give everyone hugs!”

“Contestant Number 5: Flutter!”

The butterfly toon flew calmly into her spot on stage and silently waved her wings at the crowd. On her podium they had thoughtfully given her a whiteboard to write her answers on. “…!”

“And lastly, Contestant Number 6: Looey!”

The balloon toon walked onto stage with an anxious expression, his smile wobbly and ears slightly drooping down, but he gave the biggest smile he could muster and waved to the children. “Hey, little friends! Heheh..”

The audience of kids erupted into applause and giggles as each contestant took their spot. Confetti canons popped off from both sides of the stage— probably scripted by Vee.

Sprout, still stiff in his glittery throne chair, noticed Looey, and so did the other. They smiled sheepishly at each other and gave small waves.

“And now,” Vee said, her voice booming with giddy excitement, “it’s time for the first round of… Know Your Sprout!”

The pink and golden banner above them shimmered in sparkles, and Glisten struck a pose so dramatic it made a few kids gasp in admiration.

“Round One is called… ‘Strawberry Basics!’” Vee announced. “Let’s see who knows the most basic facts about our berry boy.”

Sprout hunched slightly in his seat. “Please don’t call me that…”

“Question one!” Glisten twirled a card in his hand and pointed dramatically. “What is Sprout’s favorite dessert to eat? NOT bake, but EAT?”

Each contestant scrambled for their buzzers, except for Flutter, who calmly wrote her answer on her whiteboard.

“Contestants, lock in your answers!”

Shelly: “Mint ice cream!”

Astro: “Uhh… Red velvet cookies..?”

Yatta: “Is it… CAKE?! I mean, who doesn’t love CAKE!? I see Sprout BAKE them ALL the TIME!!”

Goob: “Hugs!! Wait, that’s not a dessert… Um, chocolate pudding!?”

Flutter: (Holds up Whiteboard) “Vanilla parfait!”

Looey: “It’s… Um… Almond cheesecake!”

There was a drumroll.

“And the correct answer issss…”

“Almond cheesecake!!” Vee declared, her pixelated screen flashing an image of a cheesecake topped with almonds. 

“Ding ding ding!” Glisten sang, snapping his fingers in Looey’s direction. “We have ourselves a winner for round one’s first point! Looks like someone pays close attention to Sprout’s snack preferences!”

Confetti and streamers blasted from the corners of the stage again as the children clapped and cheered in delight. The scoreboard behind the stage lit up with a glowing star under Looey’s name.

Sprout glanced at Looey, a bit stunned that he even remembered his favorite dessert. Almond cheesecake? That was right… He didn’t even think he’d mentioned that to anyone other than Cosmo. At least, not seriously. But Looey had remembered. Somehow that made his face feel warm.

Shelly turned her head toward Looey, her face in awe. “How’d you know that? I don’t think he’s ever mentioned that before!” 

Looey’s face flushed slightly, and he tugged at the collar of his shirt. “He, uh… well he didn’t exactly tell me. W-When we were hanging out together one time, he seemed to really enjoy eating it. I remembered.”

The audience gave a collective, “Awww!”

Vee snorted out a digital static laugh. “Wow, someone’s got a good memory! Or something else going on.” 

“Allow us to continue!” Glisten trilled, clearly enjoying himself as he posed like a ballerina again. “We’ve got more trivia coming! Let’s see how the rest of you fare at the upcoming questions!”

Vee flickered her screen to emit the sound of a loud DING! as the second round began.

“Round Two: ‘Sweet Secrets!’” She declared.

Glisten shuffled through the cards, gasping as if this one was scandalous. “Ooooh! Now this one’s my favorite!” 

Sprout shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Okay, now I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Question Two!” Vee announced “What does Sprout like to do in his alone time?”.

The contestants scrambled again, Flutter scribbling her answer on her whiteboard with silent determination.

“Lock in those answers!” Glisten piped up.

Shelly: “I swear I know this one! Uhh, is it going out for a walk?”

Astro: “U-Umm… Read a book..?”

Yatta: “BAKE SWEETS!!”

Goob: “Give all of his friends warm and snuggly hugs!”

Flutter: (Holds up whiteboard) “Relax and drink tea”

Looey: “O-Oh, uh.. Sleep in? Ahaha..!”

Drumroll.

“And the correct answer isss…” Vee paused, her pixelated screen generating an image of some tea. “Relaxing and drinking tea!”

The kids clapped politely as Flutter gave a small dance of her wings in response.

Sprout sat up in surprise. “That’s.. That’s actually right!”

“Wait… how did you know that?”

Flutter just offered a warm “smile” and made a little ‘reading’ gesture with her legs.

“She’s very observant,” Glisten whispered to Vee. “Almost unsettlingly so…”

For the rest of the night, the gameshow went on. The audience was entertained, and the contestants were all having fun. Well all of them except for Astro, who was still fighting stage fright, gripping his blanket like it was his last lifeline. 

Eventually, the final round came to a close, and Vee announced the winner with a triumphant “DING-DING-DING!”

“And the winner of Know Your Sprout is…” She paused for dramatic effect, her screen cycling through flashing lights.

“ Flutter! ”

The butterfly toon gave a graceful flap of her wings, her expression calm but proud. The kids clapped, and Goob even leaned over to give her a celebratory hug.

Sprout stood up slowly, brushing stray confetti from his lap and stepping down from his throne. “Alright, Flutter. You win. One custom-made dessert from me… I’ll even throw in a little flower on top!”

She responded with a silent, delighted clap of her wings before floating offstage with the others.

Soon, the crowd of kids was led out, giggling and sticky from the gameshow and sweets. The other contestants wondered off to different corners of Gardenview, chatting about the game or trying to snag leftover snacks from Cosmo’s cart.

That left Sprout alone onstage, until he turned and saw Looey lingering behind.

The balloon toon rubbed the back of his neck, his long ears still drooping slightly. “Hey Sprout…” Looey mumbled, shuffling closer. “Are you okay? That was… A lot. And this morning you didn’t look too good..”

Sprout smiled softly, patting Looey’s head. “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for checking up on me. I mean, it wasn’t that bad, but I wasn’t expecting to be the centerpiece to a trivia fiasco!” 

A blush crept up to Looey’s face as Sprout petted his head. He looked down and fiddled with his fingers. “O-Oh haha, yeah! You did great though, sitting up there with.. All of those eyes watching you.”

“You didn’t do so bad yourself. You got a lot of questions right too! You even remembered my favorite dessert.”

Looey chuckled, voice a little shaky. “Yeah! Of course I did. I remember when we hung out in your room and you looked so happy eating that almond cheesecake! I just figured it must’ve been your favorite from that joyous smile alone.”

Sprout’s smile grew wider, clearly touched. “That’s sweet..”

Looey hesitated for a moment, then asked quietly. “Also, I-I’ve been meaning to ask, but why were you so tired this morning? You helped me last time, so…. now I want to help you.”

The strawberry toon perked up, a faint blush dusting his cheeks, before letting out a short laugh. “Oh, it’s nothing important. I just couldn’t get enough rest last night, that’s all. Thank you though.”

“Oh, okay. If you say so..” Looey said, glancing away for a brief moment. “It’s getting late so you should rest. Goodnight Sprout!”

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the taller toon for a hug. Sprout stood there surprised for a moment, before grinning and hugging him back. 

“Goodnight, Looey.”

Chapter Text

Rodger paced back and forth, droplets of sweat rolling down his glass face like a rainstorm.

He glanced at Toodles, who just sat there contently drawing with crayon on a blank piece of paper. 

Today was really important. Like, seriously important. There was a run that he’s supposed to go on with a few others. Since the elevators have been discovered to now descend even further, they're able to reveal new floors and twisteds. The perfect opportunity for research.

But he can’t go if no one can watch the young child. 

Connie shrugged. “Ohhhh no. Sorry, I’d like totally watch the kid, but I promised Gigi I’d pull some pranks with her later.”

Finn laughed and patted Rodger’s back. “Sorry, but I can’t baby-bass-sit the child! I’ve got my own school of work to do!”

Teagan sipped from her teacup, lips pursed with one pinkie finger up, before turning to look at Rodger. “My apologies, dear. I’m afraid I won’t be able to babysit today. I’m hosting a big tea party. Perhaps another time.”

Blot tilted his head at him, then spoke in a series of mostly incoherent sentences there were hard to understand. “.sucric eht rof stca wen emos ecitcarp ot evah I tub ,yrroS !regdoR iH” (Hi Rodger! Sorry, but I have to practice some new acts for the circus.)

He even bothered asking Shrimpo for help, clinging to the smallest glimmer of hope that—for once—he’d be nice. But to his demise, Shrimpo just glared up at him like he always does and yelled. “WHY WOULD I BABYSIT YOUR PRETEND-KID? I HATE YOU!!!”

The magnifying glass toon had asked nearly everyone to help watch Toodles, but unfortunately for him no one seemed to be available.

“Mr. Rodger? Why do you look so sad?” The girl asked innocently.

Rodger straightened up, adjusting his suit with a forced smile. “Ahem.. Toodles, do not worry. I’m not sad, I am in fact delighted! It’s just, I’m afraid I cannot find anyone to take care of you while I’m gone..”

Just as he said that, two figures with green leafy hair and long ears walked by. He hadn’t asked them yet, so he wasted no time.

Rodger immediately hopped to his feet, running after them. “Excuse me! Sprout! Looey! Wait!”

They both stopped in their tracks immediately and turned to the source of the urgent voice. 

Sprout smiled and waved. “Hello Rodger! What’s up?”

Rodger caught up to them, looking desperate but trying to appear composed. “Apologies for the sudden intrusion, but… I don’t suppose any of you, or even the both of you together, would be willing to take care of Toodles for a while?”

Sprout and Looey looked at each other, then back at Rodger. The clown toon seemed pretty hesitant at first, and the healer just fidgeted with his scarf, but by the way how desperate Rodger looked they just couldn’t say no.

“Sure! I guess we can watch the kid for a bit!” Looey said finally, his smile shaky and unsure.

“Oh good!” Rodger exclaimed, and he immediately grabbed both of their wrists, dragging them to where Toodles sat. 

“Toodles! I’m back and Mr. Sprout and Mr. Looey will look after you! Now don’t cause them too much trouble, okay?”

The eight ball toon smiled widely, waving excitedly as she giggled at Looey. “Hahaha! Hi Mr. Sprout and Mr. Looey!”

Sprout waved to the girl while Looey sheepishly glanced away.

Rodger hurriedly glanced at the clock on the wall. “Oh dear! I’m almost late! You both have my sincerest gratitude! Farewell!” And before the two could say anything, he had already run off.

Sprout broke out into a fit of gentle laughter meanwhile Looey just giggled to himself. 

“Now what was that about?” Sprout hunched over, holding his stomach. “I’ve never seen Rodger so panicked before! He usually only gets like that when there’s something new to research on.”

“Hahaha! Right? He’s usually so dignified and composed..!” Looey added, laughing along with him.

Even though Toodles had no idea what they were giggling about, she started laughing too. “Mr. Sprout! Mr. Looey! Hahahaha!”

The baker smiled softly as he knelt down to Toodles’ level, patting her head. “You get to hang out with two of the coolest guys now, huh? So what are we going to do with you?”

Toodles lifted up a piece of paper to his face, showing him her drawing of her and Rodger holding hands in messy crayon. She seemed proud of it, her grin wide with triumph. 

“Look, look! I drew me and Mr. Rodger investigating mysteries together!”

“Aww, how adorable.” Sprout cooed.

Looey knelt down to look at the drawing with a warm smile. “That’s a cute drawing, Toodles.. Are you going to show it to Mr. Rodger when he comes back?”

“Mhm!” She nodded her head enthusiastically. “I want to be just like him when I grow up!”

The cuteness hit them so hard, Sprout and Looey practically melted.

“You’re going to be a great detective.” Sprout said warmly.

Toodles beamed, bouncing on her heels. “Okay!! Now I want to practice being a detective!”

Looey chuckled, amused by her enthusiasm. “What case do you have to crack, Detective Toodles?”

She gasped dramatically, then looked towards the cafeteria, exaggerated eyes. “Hmm… yes! Someone took the last cookie from the snack plate!!”

Then she pointed towards Sprout and Looey. “Which one of you ate it!?” 

Sprout threw his hands up in the air, pretending to be scared. “Oh no! It wasn’t me, I swear Ms. Detective!”

Looey put his hands behind his back and faked a guilty expression. “Not me! I would never eat the last cookie!”

Toodles narrowed her eyes dramatically and began pacing in front of them like the detectives she had seen from movies. “Hmmmm… Very suspicious…”

She suddenly dropped to the ground and pointed at something near Sprout’s foot. “A clue!!

The main toon blinked and leaned down. “What is it?”

She picked up a small chocolate chip crumb with exaggerated care and held it up like it was an expensive artifact. “Crumbs! Evidence!”

Looey gasped. “No way…!”

Toodles spun around and pointed an accusatory finger. “Mr. Sprout! The evidence leads to YOU!”

Sprout stepped back, holding a hand over his heart. “Me?! But- but I love almond cookies! Those were chocolate chip!”

Toodles squinted suspiciously.

Looey leaned in, whispering, “He does say that… but he could be lying…”

Toodles tapped her chin thoughtfully. Then her eyes landed on Looey’s shirt… and her face lit up with realization.

“You! Mr. Looey!! You have crumbs on your shirt!!”

Looey looked down, and sure enough, a few little cookie bits clung to the fabric of his shirt. He gasped. “Oh no!! I’ve been found out!!”

Toodles pointed at him triumphantly. “Guilty as charged!”

Sprout burst into gentle laughter while Looey dropped to his knees in fake defeat. “Detective Toodles… I have failed you…”

She ran up and tackled him into a hug. “Don’t worry, I forgive you!!” she giggled.

Sprout smiled and patted her head. “That was some top-tier detective work, Toodles!”

She beamed again. “Thanks! Being a detective is really hard work!”

Looey gave her a thumbs up. “But you’ve already cracked your first case. That’s pretty impressive!”

Toodles put her hands on her hips, proudly standing between the two boys. “Now I want juice!”

Sprout chuckled and stood up. “Then juice it is!”

As they walked into the kitchen, they bump into two suspicious looking toons, cackling behind the counter with flour and sugar all over themselves. 

Looey noticed who they were immediately. “Connie? Gigi? What are you two doing?”

“Shoot! Our cover has been blown!” Gigi exclaimed, quickly standing up, trickles of flour falling behind. 

Connie floated up from the counter, also revealing the mess she had made of herself. She snickered. “Oh, well if it isn’t the silly balloon and the overprotective berry boy. I see that Rodger put you two in that babysitting position, huh?”

Toodles peeked out from behind Sprout’s leg, squinting at the suspicious duo. “Detective Toodles is on the case once again…”

Sprout crossed his arms with a gentle but pointed look. “Cosmo isn’t going to be very pleased if he finds out you two burned the kitchen.”

Gigi stuck out her tongue, bits of powdered sugar clinging to her cheeks. “Psh, relax! We’re baking experiments.”

“With a heavy emphasis on the experiment part.” Connie added, her smug smirk never leaving her face as she brushed flour off her ghostly arms.

Looey raised an eyebrow. “What were you two even trying to make?”

Gigi held up a charred, gooey lump that vaguely resembled a cookie. “These! They were supposed to be triple-fudge lava cookies with a secret caramel filling!”

Connie floated upside down. “Buuutttt… They ended up turning into triple-threat abominations instead.”

Toodles gasped in horror. “Those aren’t cookies… Those are evidence!”

She marched forward, pointing at the sugary disasters. “I hereby declare you both kitchen criminals!”

Gigi dramatically fell to her knees. “Nooo!! Not kitchen jail!!”

“You’d have to catch us first, kid.” Connie snorted.

Looey giggled. “Toodles, should we interrogate them?”

“Take them to the juice table. We’ll make them talk.” Toodles nodded, very serious.

Sprout, playing along, guided Connie and Gigi toward the table. “Alright, alright. We can have juice first, interrogation second.”

Gigi muttered to Connie. “This is why I don’t babysit. I don’t have the stomach for courtroom drama.”

“Speak for yourself! This is already better than the prank we had planned.”

Looey leaned over to Toodles. “I think you’ve got some very sneaky suspects on your hands.”

Toodles puffed her cheeks and nodded. “But I’m not giving up! I’ll solve this case and Mr. Rodger will be so proud of me!”

As they sat down at the “juice table,” Sprout poured everyone a glass of sweet apple juice. Gigi licked her lips and began gulping down the liquid, Connie pulled out a straw magically out of nowhere and started sipping the juice, Looey smiled at Sprout before drinking, and Toodles grabbed her cup with a tight grip.

“Alright! Spill the sugar!” she demanded, adjusting her imaginary badge.

Gigi leaned back in her seat, arms crossed. “I’m not saying a word without my lawyer.”

“I am your lawyer,” Connie replied smugly, lounging in midair. “And I advise you to plead… God, having this type of power is awesome.”

Toodles gasped. “Aha! So you admit you were behind the cookie incident!”

“I mean… yeah,” Gigi said with a snort. “We were trying to make some treats for everyone but we sorta, kinda… exploded the oven.”

Sprout nearly spit out his juice. “Exploded the oven?”

Connie waved her hand casually. “Not explode explode. Just… let’s say it made a weird noise and now you and Cosmo probably need a new one.”

Looey leaned toward Toodles, whispering behind his hand. “That sounds pretty guilty to me.”

Toodles stood on her chair, hands on her hips. “Then it’s true! You are the Cookie Culprits! I’m sending you both to kitchen jail for reckless baking!”

Connie mock-gasped. “Not kitchen jail! I have flour allergies!”

Gigi sighed dramatically. “Fineeee. We’ll serve our sentence. But only if we get visitation rights… and free dessert.”

Sprout chuckled, shaking his head. “I think your sentence is helping clean the mess you made before Cosmo finds it.”

“Ugh, fine.” Gigi said, standing up and stretching, a cloud of powdered sugar puffing off her sleeves.

Connie floated behind her. “This better count as community service.”

Toodles pumped a fist. “Case closed!”

Looey offered her a high-five. “You did great, Detective Toodles! Rodger’s going to be so proud.”

She grinned as wide as her little cheeks could stretch and slapped his hand. “Yay! I can’t wait to tell him when he gets back!!”

Sprout smiled warmly, watching the excitement bounce off of Toodles. “He’s going to love hearing all about your first big case. I’m sure of it.”

Toodles beamed. “I hope so!”

“I know so!” Looey said with a grin, glancing at the juice table. “Should we clean up now before Cosmo comes back and thinks we threw a party?”

Connie floated past them with a bucket and mop she had took from the closet. “Honestly? I kinda did throw a party. Just a very small, and very explosive one.”

Gigi snickered, following behind her with a spray bottle and a cleaning rag. “Let’s just say the oven got a little too lit. Hah!”

Sprout rolled his eyes fondly and started wiping down the table. “Alright, party’s over. Cleanup time.”

Toodles saluted. “Detective Toodles is ready for cleaning duty!”

She ran to grab a tiny rag from the counter and started “scrubbing” the chairs. Meanwhile, Looey collected empty cups, and Gigi half-heartedly swept flour into a pile while making dramatic sighs and rolling her eyes from the moon and back.

Connie hummed a jaunty tune as she twirled the mop back and forth, swaying her hips with rhythm. “You know, for a babysitting gig, this turned out pretty entertaining.”

“Don’t jinx it,” Sprout said, wringing out a dishcloth. “We still have an entire afternoon to go.”

Toodles stopped scrubbing and gasped. “More time with Mr. Sprout and Mr. Looey!? That means we have more cases and mysteries to solve!!”

Looey let out a playful groan. “Oh no..!”

“Toodles, wait!” Sprout called as she zoomed off toward the hallway, throwing her rag onto the floor. “At least finish your juice first!”

But it was too late. She had vanished around the corner, ready to find her next clue.

Looey chuckled as he nudged Sprout’s side. “Should we… follow her?”

Sprout sighed, smiling despite himself. “Well Rodger wouldn’t be too happy if we left her unsupervised.”

From the other room, Toodles shouted: “MR. BOXTEN!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING SUSPICIOUSLY LINGERING AROUND HERE BY YOURSELF!?” 

Followed by an anxious voice: “T-Toodles? I’m not doing anything suspicious! I’m just sitting here!”

Gigi rolled up her long sleeves and wiped her hands on her apron. “Yeaaahhhh, you two are doomed.”

Connie raised her eyebrows with a smug grin. “Welcome to babysitting. Taking care of kids is a lot, ain’t it?”

The two boys exchanged a look— and with a soft laugh, they both set down their cleaning rags and took off after the eight ball toon.

Hours passed, and the two babysitters finally got the young toon to sleep. She slept peacefully in her bed, mumbling something about discovering the mystery of stolen fossils from Shelly. 

Looey looked at her fondly and pulled the blanket over her. 

“I had.. A lot of fun today..” he whispered.

Sprout glanced at him. “I did too.”

They both sat there quietly, watching the young girl sleep. Looey felt strange— him and Sprout taking care of a child together. His cheeks dusted with a soft pink the longer he dwelled on it.

It almost felt like they were parents. The thought stirred a fluttery and nervous feeling deep in his stomach.

“You’re really good with kids,” Looey said suddenly. “I mean… You literally bake for them. W-With Cosmo, of course.. It’s like you’re a big brother to them, y’know..?”

Sprout chuckled quietly. “Thanks. I guess so, yeah. That’s what we toons do, right? We take care of the children who come here.”

Looey nodded and opened his lips to respond, but the gentle creak of the door interrupted. Both boys looked towards the door, panicked at first, but felt relieved once they saw that it was just Rodger.

Rodger peeked his head in, his usually sharp and polished look slightly disheveled from a long run. His suit was wrinkled, and his eye drooped slightly, but he immediately softened when he spotted the scene before him.

He then stepped inside quietly, rubbing a hand gently over Toodle’s forehead. 

“I must say, I am impressed.. You two may be the best babysitters I’ve had so far…” the magnifying glass whispered. “I hope she didn’t cause too much distress.”

Sprout smiled softly. “She was a handful, but nothing we couldn’t handle..”

“Yeah.. We had a blast…” Looey added, grinning widely.

“Thank you both again.. I shall repay you both sometime in the future. I suppose you two should be going then?”

Sprout gave a polite nod. “Yeah, we should probably head out. It’s getting late.”

As the two boys made their way to the door, Rodger called out softly, “Oh- Sprout, Looey…”

They both turned.

“…You two make a very good team,” he said, adjusting his suit. “Whether it be solving mysteries or… keeping an eye on Toodles. Haha.”

Sprout blinked in surprise before smiling again. “Thanks, Rodger.”

Looey scratched the back of his head, cheeks dusted pink. “Heh… T-thanks.”

With a final wave, the two slipped out the door into the quiet hallway.

After a moment of silence, Looey nudged Sprout gently. “Hey… we really did do a good job, huh?”

Sprout looked over, eyes a little tired but full of fondness. “Yeah. We did.”

Looey fidgeted with the collar of his shirt, his heels bouncing up and down. He looked up at Sprout with an unsure expression, and Sprout looked at him with a clueless smile.

“You okay? You look like you want to say something.” Sprout said.

“U-Umm, well.. Not exactly say, but more like.. do.”

The healer tilted his head to the side. “What is it?”

Looey blushed furiously, looking to the side to try and hide his red face. “W-Well, I’m not sure if I should do it…”

Sprout’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Looey?”

Silence.

“Screw it!” And then without a second thought, he just winged it. He leaned up quickly, placing a peck on Sprout’s cheek before pulling back and turning away.

The healer stood there with a stunned expression, followed by a gentle smile. 

“Oh.. Oh wow.” He murmured, a little dazed.

Looey covered his face with his hands, groaning softly into them. “Aghhh, I can’t believe I just did that! I’m so sorry-“

Sprout blinked a few times, still processing, his cheeks now just as pink. “You.. kissed me.”

“I-It was just the cheek!” the balloon toon squeaked. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know what I was thinking!”

Sprout raised a hand gently, his voice low and reassuring. “Hey… It’s okay. It’s not weird.”

Looey paused, turning back to face him while lifting his face from his hands.

“I liked it,” Sprout added, now grinning shyly. “I, um… I didn’t mind it.”

Looey just blinked at him. Once. Then twice. And then his entire face went pink. 

“A-Ahaha- OkayI’mgonnagobye!!” he blurted, practically launching himself down the hallway in a flustered sprint, his ballooning arms flailing behind him.

Sprout didn’t even try to stop him. He just stood there in the hallway, watching the blur of yellow, green, and purple vanish around the corner.

“…He’s so cute,” Sprout whispered to no one in particular, hand brushing over the spot on his cheek where Looey had kissed him.

Chapter Text

Looey had never run faster in his life. 

Not even when twisted Pebble chased him could compare.

His heart thudded like a drum as he darted through the hallways of the toon rooms, cheeks burning with embarrassment. 

“I can’t believe I did that!” he screamed internally. “I kissed him. I kissed Sprout. What was I thinking?! I should’ve waited until I told him my feelings first like Astro said I should do!”

He burst into his room and slammed the door shut behind him, back pressed to it as he slid down to the floor. His long ears drooped down and cheeks puffed with each panicked breath.

He groaned, curling his knees up to his chest as he wrapped his arms around them. “I’m never showing my face again..” he muttered, grabbing a blanket from his bed and dragging it dramatically over his head.

He spent the next few minutes curled up contemplating his life choices until he eventually drifted off to sleep. His back was definitely going to be sore from sleeping like that.

———

“LOOEY!! BEST FRIEND!! BUDDY? ARE YOU IN THERE!?”

Yatta slammed both hands against the clown’s door, knocking as if she were being chased and needed to get inside.

“You didn’t meet up for breakfast like we usually do!!”

Blot stood beside her, his singular eye laced with concern. “..gninrom lla mih nees sah eno oN .yako si yeooL fi rednow I ..on hO” (Oh no.. I wonder if Looey is okay. No one has seen him all morning..)

The piñata didn’t frown or show sadness much. Her face was always plastered with a smile, but this time, she actually frowned. Her lips curled downwards slightly and her eyebrows faltered with worry. 

“I really hope Looey is ALRIGHT! I might need to get Vee to lockpick his door again!”

Blot blinked. “?..niagA” (Again..?)

Yatta just looked down at Blot and returned to her usual grin, not bothering to answer his question(and leaving him incredibly confused and concerned). She continued to bang on the door until they heard someone groan.

“Okay, okay- I’ll open the door..” 

They both stepped back as the door creaked open, revealing what seemed to be a blanket ghost with long ears. Looey pulled up the blanket slightly, ducking his head under so he could see. 

Yatta snorted at the sight, meanwhile Blot just looked at him with worry in his eye. 

“There YOU are!! Why are you hiding yourself!? Cmon!!” The piñata toon laughed as she invited herself into his room, Blot following behind.

“?teknalb eht htiw s’tahW ?doog uoy ,yeooL” (Looey, you good? What’s with the blanket?)

Looey pulled the blanket back over himself, covering his entire body’s upper half. “I’m good! Of course I’m good! Couldn’t be better! This blanket? Oh, it’s just really cold this morning, you know? Haha..”

Yatta crossed her arms and looked at him suspiciously. “You say that every time you’re SPIRALING! What happened this time? Did you go on a run and get hit twice on the FIRST floor again?!”

From under the blanket, Looey groaned. “Worse..”

“?tahW” (What?)

“I-It’s nothing too important…”

Yatta and Blot looked at each other, their eyes half-lidded, clearly not convinced. The acrobat then put her hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks. 

“LOOEY!! We are BEST FRIENDS! You can tell us anything!!”

“.yddub ,kcab ruoy evah syawla eW !haeY” (Yeah! We always have your back, buddy.)

The clown peeked from under his blanket, his lips wavering from hesitance at first, but then he sighed. 

“Alright. You guys are right.. Just don’t make too much noise, okay?”

Yatta and Blot looked at him expectantly, the piñata toon’s heels bouncing up and down with anticipation and the mime toon giving all his attention.

Looey gritted his teeth, his eyes flickering to all over the room before looking back at his best friends. 

“O-Okay, so..” he paused, his tail wagging slightly out of anxiousness. “I did something I shouldn’t have done..”

Yatta gasped loudly. “HUH?! WHAT HAPPENED!! Did you KILL someone-“

Looey immediately placed both hands over her mouth. “Shhh! Yatta! I said to not make noise!”

Blot widened his eye and stepped back. “.truoc ni uoy dnefed t’nac I tub ,uoy evol I ,yeooL ?!enoemos llik did uoy oS !tiaW” (Wait! So you did kill someone!? Looey, I love you, but I can’t defend you in court.)

Looey slapped a hand to his face and shook his head. “No no no! Nothing like that!!”

“?tahw nehT” (Then what?)

“I.. I kissed someone. On the cheek. Last night.” He confessed as his cheeks progressively grew warmer.

The room went silent. Even Blot, who usually filled awkward gaps with some kind of backward mumbling, was dead quiet.

Looey slowly removed his hand from Yatta’s mouth.

“…Seriously?” she finally asked, blinking.

“Y-Yeah” Looey muttered, hugging his knees again. “I really regret it..”

Yatta let out a dramatic gasp—quietly, this time—and dropped to her knees next to him. “You kissed someone!? Aww Blot, our Looey is in LOVE!!”

Looey stuffed his face back into the blanket with a groan. “Yatta don’t make me regret telling you guys..”

Blot carefully approached and patted his arm, wiping a fake tear away. “!uoy fo duorp m’I !yad siht ees ot evil d’I thguoht reven I” (I never thought I’d live to see this day! I’m proud of you!)

Yatta got up and jumped onto Looey’s bed, rolling around on it. “Wait wait wait! But WHO did you kiss!?” 

There was a pause.

“Well.. It was…. Sprout..” Looey finally said, digging his face deeper into the blanket.

Yatta froze mid-roll, legs kicking up into the air and then flopping down again as she twisted herself to look at Looey with stunned eyes.

Blot blinked once, then twice, before his eye widened like a saucer.

“!?tuorpsS !?TAHW” (WHAT?! Sprout?!)

Yatta launched herself off the bed like a party canon, scrambling over to Looey’s blanket burrito and hugging him tight. “LOOEY!! You BOLD guy!! You have to tell us what happened next! What did he say!?”

“Well he told me that he.. liked it. And I don’t know what this means.. I mean, maybe he liked it because he thought it was a friendly gesture! Yeah, that’s probably it! Hahaha..”

Blot rolled his eye, though he let out a small chuckle. “.ecnarF ekil secalp ni evil uoy sselnu yaw cinotalp a ni keehc s’dneirf rieht sessik eno oN .no emoC” (Come on. No one kisses their friend’s cheek in a platonic way unless you live in places like France.)

“YEAH, LOOEY!! I don’t think he thought it like that! He totally LIKES you for sure!” Yatta chimed in, tightening her embrace. “We should have some celebratory CANDY!!”

Looey peeked out from the blanket just enough to reveal one wide, mortified eye. “Guys, no! It’s not something to celebrate! I just- I just don’t even know what to do now! I’m too afraid to leave my room and show my face..”

Blot shrugged, nudging him gently. “.reverof edih t’nac uoY !mih dessik uoY .si ti tahw si tI” (It is what it is. You kissed him! You can’t hide forever.)

Yatta tore the rest of the blanket off of him and put her hands on his shoulders, shaking him aggressively. “LOOEY!! THIS IS YOUR CHANCE! He said that he LIKED IT! Go tell him how you feel!!”

Looey flopped back onto the floor dramatically, arms splayed out as he groaned. “You guys don’t get it… What if he only said that to be nice..? You know how Sprout is.. He’s too sweet and caring. He probably doesn’t want to hurt my feelings..”

“.ti tuoba tsenoh eb d’eH .no enoemos dael ot epyt eht t’nsi tuorpS !ti gniknihtrevo er’uoY” (You’re overthinking it! Sprout isn’t the type to lead someone on. He’d be honest about it.) Blot said as he shook his head disapprovingly, arms crossed.

Yatta grabbed Looey’s arm and pulled him back up into standing position. “Yeah, what Blot said! Listen to us buddy!! So how about this? We help you tell Sprout your feelings! Confess!!”

“O-Oh, I don’t know.. I’m not so sure about that…”

Yatta placed her hands firmly on her hips, giving Looey her best “no nonsense” stare. “NOPE! Too bad! You already started this, and now it’s time to follow through! You don’t wanna leave Sprout HANGING, do you?!”

Blot nodded in agreement, stepping beside her. “.daeh sih ni drocer nekorb a ekil enecs taht gniyalper ylbaborP .uoy tuoba gnikniht pots t’nac eh teb I dnA. mhM” (Mhm. And I bet he can’t stop thinking about you. Probably replaying that scene like a broken record in his head.)

Looey’s ears drooped again, but this time with more fluster than dread. “But what if I mess it up..? What if I say the wrong thing and it scares him off? Or- or worse.. What if he laughs at me?!”

Yatta gasped like he’d just cursed at her. “Sprout?! Laugh at you?! Looey! He wouldn’t dare!! Like you said, he is too NICE! I doubt he’d laugh at you! And if he did, I’d throw a pie at his face!”

“.ecaf sih ta eip a worhT” (Throw a pie at his face.) Blot repeated solemnly, as if this were a sacred vow.

Looey stared at them both, the corners of his lips twitching in amusement. “You guys are ridiculous… But that’s why you guys are my best friends. I love you both.”

“AWWW!! We love you too, buddy!” Yatta exclaimed with a sharp toothy grin, throwing an arm around his shoulders. “And we’re not letting you WIMP out on this. You love him, don’t you?!”

Looey’s face turned bright pink as he looked away. “I… I think so…”

“You don’t think so! You DO so!” She nudged him with her elbow. “Come on! Let’s go find Sprout!!”

Blot opened the door with Yatta pushing a squirming and reluctant Looey whining “Noooooo!” out of his room. 

They herded him down the hallway like two determined sheepdogs corralling a very stubborn sheep. Looey dug his heels into the carpet. “Nooo no no— guys wait! What if he’s BUSY?! What if he- what if he’s baking and I get in the way and then we both catch on fire?! And then the whole building burns down and we all go HOMELESS?!”

“LOOEY,” Yatta groaned, still pushing him forward. “If you spontaneously COMBUST in the middle of a heartfelt confession, then at least you’ll go out in flames of LOVE!!”

“.emalf a ni pu gniog truh t’nac tI .elbammalf ton uoY” (You’re not flammable. It can’t hurt going up in a flame.) Blot added, though his tone was more comforting than logical.

Looey gave an exasperated shriek, feet scrambling as he flailed. “You’re both INSANE!”

Yatta grinned. “We learned from the best!”

They turned a corner, and Blot pointed ahead with a silent little nod. There, just inside the kitchen, was Sprout. The strawberry toon stood at the counter, sleeves rolled up, gently mixing something in a bowl. He looked peaceful, like always, with flour dusting his cheeks and a faint hum leaving his lips. 

Looey froze. He immediately turned and tried to bolt in the other direction, only to be caught by the back of his shirt.

“NUH-UH! You’re staying right here, mister,” Yatta whisper-yelled, planting her feet. “Go talk to him! Now!”

“!su tsurT .kniht uoy sa dab sa eb t’now tI” (It won’t be as bad as you think. Trust us!) Blot gave him a pat on the back and a little encouraging shove.

Looey gulped. His hands wrung together as his tail twisted around his leg. “…Okay. Okay, I’ll do it…”

He took a step forward. Then another. His feet felt like lead, but his heart was thudding like a drumline. One more breath.

“Hey, Sprout?” he called out as he entered the kitchen, voice small and shaky.

Sprout looked up, a little startled, but then smiled warmly once he saw who it was. “Oh- Looey! Hey! Good morning. I was just about to make some crepes. Do you want to help?”

Looey hesitated… then smiled nervously.

“A-Actually, Sprout… there’s something I wanted to talk about first..”

“What is it? Is it about last night..?” He asked, his tone more gentle. 

Looey’s breath caught in his throat. The way Sprout asked — that soft, careful tone —made it very clear he’d been thinking about it too.

“Y-Yeah…” Looey mumbled, inching deeper into the kitchen. His fingers fidgeted with the hem of his shirt’s collar, eyes glued to the floor. “I… I’ve been kinda freaking out all morning. And Yatta and Blot sort of dragged me here before I could keep hiding under my blanket forever. Haha…”

Sprout chuckled softly. “I thought I heard them yelling. You okay?”

“I don’t know…” Looey looked up at him with wide eyes, his voice barely above a whisper. “Did I mess everything up…? With the kiss, I mean..? I-I’m sorry if I did!”

He began to go on an endless ramble of apologies. “I just- I just felt like it was the perfect moment to kiss you! I’m sorry! I’m really sorry! I shouldn’t have done that! You probably think I’m so weird now and you never want to see my face again and-“

“No, Looey. You didn’t mess anything up.” Sprout interrupted gently, setting down his mixing bowl and wiping his hands on a towel, turning to face him fully. 

Looey’s ears twitched. “I didn’t..?”

Sprout shook his head, cheeks lightly turning pink. “I meant it when I said I liked it. I didn’t say that to be nice or to spare your feelings. I said it because… I really did like it.”

Looey blinked, stunned silent for a moment. His brain scrambled to catch up.

“Y-You did..?”

“Yeah,” Sprout said, a shy smile tugging at his lips. “I’ve been thinking about it all night, actually. Wondering if maybe… you felt the same way about me that I do about you.”

Looey’s jaw dropped slightly, his face going redder than ever. “Wait- Hold on. What!?”

Now Sprout looked away bashfully, his hands gripping the edge of the counter. “I… I didn’t realize it at first, but even the littlest things you did like remembering what dessert I liked, or the way your tail wags when you laugh made me feel.. Warm inside.”

The strawberry toon walked up to him and took his hands in his, holding them tightly. “You don’t have to be sorry about anything, okay? You’re funny, cute, and put a smile on everyone’s faces. And I love you for who you are, Looey. You’re my favorite clown.”

Looey’s breath hitched. His chest swelled with so many emotions at once, he thought he might just float away like the balloon he was. His hands squeezed Sprout’s back, his eyes wide and glossy, like he couldn’t believe this was really happening.

“You… you love me..” he whispered, voice trembling.

Sprout gave a nervous chuckle, his thumbs brushing gently over Looey’s hands. “Yeah… I do.”

Looey blinked a few times, then let out a dazed, giddy laugh. “Oh gosh! Oh jeez- okay- uh- wow- HA!” He nearly bounced in place, the air in his chest feeling too big to hold.

Then, before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned forward and buried his face into Sprout’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around him tight. “I love you too..” he mumbled into the fabric of Sprout’s shirt. “I really, really love you too.”

Sprout’s arms curled around him like second nature, gentle and warm and careful. “I’m so glad.”

They stood there for a bit, just holding onto each other like they were afraid to let go. Looey’s heartbeat, once frantic and chaotic, settled into a softer rhythm against Sprout’s chest. His face was still warm, but now it was from comfort, not panic.

Sprout rested his chin lightly on top of Looey’s head. “You know…” he murmured, “I was planning to add whipped cream to the crepes.”

Looey snorted into his shoulder. “Of course you were.”

“Well… maybe now I should add a little bit of sweetness from someone else, too.” Sprout added shyly.

Looey looked up, beaming so hard his eyes crinkled. “Sprout.. That was so cheesy!”

Sprout’s smile turned sheepish. “Yeah… but you love me anyway, right?”

Looey playfully flicked his cheek. “Yes, of course I do!”

Sprout laughed— soft and breathy, the kind of laugh that warmed the whole room. He leaned down and bumped his forehead gently against Looey’s, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment. “Good… because I plan on saying a lot more cheesy things if it makes you smile like that.”

Looey’s face flushed again, but this time he didn’t shy away from it. His tail was practically wagging uncontrollably behind him as he gave Sprout another tight squeeze. “Sprout…”

Sprout blinked, his smile softening as he looked down at Looey, still wrapped in his arms. Looey’s voice had quieted to a barely audible murmur.

“Sprout…” he mumbled again, now fidgeting with the hem of Sprout’s scarf. “Can I… um…”

Sprout tilted his head slightly, waiting patiently. “Yeah?”

Looey’s ears twitched. His cheeks were glowing pink, and he avoided eye contact. “Can we… maybe kiss for real this time? L-Like, not the cheek kind. The real kind. On the lips…”

Sprout’s eyes widened slightly, then softened with a warm, tender expression. “Looey…” he said with a laugh in his voice. “Of course we can.”

Looey looked up, eyes glimmering nervously. Sprout leaned in slowly, making sure Looey had every chance to pull away.

And he didn’t.

Their lips met in a sweet, gentle kiss. Sprout tasted like strawberry shortcake: fluffy, soft, and incredibly sweet. His lips were like clouds— light and warm. Kissing him even felt better than winning the lottery.

When they finally pulled apart, Looey giggled, looking dazed. “Heehee...”

Sprout chuckled, bumping their foreheads together. “I think that was just your brain short-circuiting.”

From around the corner, Yatta let out a dramatic squeal, and Blot whispered, “.em ot deneppah reven sihT” (This never happened to me.)

Looey blinked, then groaned, burying his face in Sprout’s chest. “Ohhh no. They saw that!”

Sprout smiled and gently rubbed his back. “Let ‘em see. I don’t mind.”

“…I kinda don’t either.” Looey giggled.

♡

Chapter Text

IN LOOEY’S ROOM—

Looey looked at himself in the mirror, adjusting the white ribbon tied to one of his ears (insisted to be worn by Yatta) with a sheepish expression.

“Oh, I don’t know… I feel like this is too much,” He muttered, messing with the tails of the ribbon. “I mean, a ribbon? Was it really necessary..?”

Yatta and Blot, who stood on both of his sides, just gave encouraging smiles and nods.

“You look cute!” Yatta chirped, clapping her hands together. “I think the ribbon suits you perfectly! Sprout will LOVE IT!!”

Blot silently nodded his head in agreement.

Looey sighed as he watched his best friends’ reactions through the mirror, a blush creeping up to his cheeks. “I’m nervous..”

He then turned around to face them fully, a frown on his face. “What if I do something embarrassing? Like I mess up, and then he thinks I’m a total loser! A laughing stock!”

Yatta rolled her eyes and Blot just facepalmed. 

“..niaga og ew ereH” (Here we go again..) 

Yatta huffed. “LOOEY!! You’re not going to MESS UP!”

“Okay, okay- I know I’m just overthinking it.. I just can’t help but feel and act so weird when I’m around.. him!”

Blot gave Looey a gentle pat on the back.
Yatta, on the other hand, marched over and grabbed both of Looey’s shoulders, giving him a dramatic shake.

“You’re acting like he’s a big scary TWISTED! Sprout LIKES you, SILLY!!” she said, puffing her cheeks in frustration. “He’s gonna be NERVOUS too! Probably even more nervous THAN YOU!”

Looey groaned, his cheeks going impossibly red. “Yatta!”

Blot giggled, which sounded like a quiet, gloppy hiccup.
“.su raeh dluoc enoyreve teb I !duol os era uoy ,attaY” (Yatta, you are so loud! I bet everyone could hear us.)

Looey buried his face in his hands, muffling a whine. “You guys are impossible sometimes!”

Yatta stuck her tongue out. “You’re welcome!!”

The three of them stood there for a moment, and Looey peeked through his fingers, eyes flicking back toward the mirror.

“…Do you really think he’ll like it?” he asked softly, tugging again on the ribbon. “The ribbon, I mean. I don’t usually wear stuff like this…”

Blot gave a double thumbs-up. Yatta nodded confidently.

“He’ll melt. GUARANTEED! And If he doesn’t, I’ll PERSONALLY drag him back here and make him STARE at you until he gets it!”

Looey giggled sheepishly, swatting a hand at Yatta. “Yatta, you are ridiculous.”

“I’m YOUR ridiculous! Now come on! I bet he’s waiting!!”

Yatta and Blot escorted Looey out of his room as if they were his royal escorts, even going as far as bowing down to him, earning a chuckle and an eye roll from the balloon toon.

The circus troupe eventually arrive to the cafeteria where they saw Sprout and a few others: Vee, Astro, and Shelly— waiting, sitting at one of the tables while chatting about something.

As soon as they walked up to the main toons, Vee smirked. 

“Hey, berry boy. Your boyfriend’s here. I think we should take our leave now,” She teased. 

Shelly giggled and Astro, ever so subtly, had a small smirk on his face. Sprout groaned as he felt his cheeks flush.

His blush deepened as he tried (and failed) to keep a straight face. “Vee, stop.”

“I’m just saying what we’re all thinking,” Vee said smugly, adjusting her green bowtie with sass. “C’mon, Astro. Shelly. Let’s give the lovebirds some privacy.”

Shelly stood up, bouncing excitedly. “Have fun, you two!!” she whispered dramatically behind her hand before skipping off with Vee and Astro.

Yatta gave Looey two overly enthusiastic thumbs-up. “GOOD LUCK!!” she whisper-yelled before she and Blot scurried off after the others, giggling all the way.

And just like that, it was quiet.

The cafeteria had emptied, leaving only the two of them behind. The clown fidgeted with the ribbon on his ear, then quietly slid into the seat across from Sprout, eyes glancing to the side.

“H-Hi Sprout!” Looey managed to say, trying not to sound like he was melting.

“Hi, Looey…” Sprout replied, his flustered expression softening to a warm smile.

His eyes flickered up to the white ribbon, and his smile grew wider.

“You look really cute. I didn’t think you’d dress up for me, hehe..”

Looey flushed. “Yatta made me wear this! She said that you’d like it…”

“Mhm. And she’s right, I do like it,” Sprout hummed, nodding his head. “I’ll have to thank her later.”

The healer reached into his bag and pulled out what looked like a neatly wrapped sweet, setting it gently on the table. Looey blinked, curiosity lighting up his eyes.

“Did you make this?”

“Yeah, I did…” Sprout unwrapped the package, revealing a generous slice of cake with soft frosting and delicate decorations. “I baked it for you last night. It’s your favorite.”

Looey stared at it in awe, his smile growing, but there was a hint of guilt in his eyes.

“Aw, Sprout… You didn’t have to! I didn’t bring anything for you! Oh no…”

Sprout chuckled softly. “Don’t worry about it. I did this because I wanted to. For you.”

He picked up the fork and cut off a small bite of cake, then held it out toward Looey with a grin.

“Say ahh~”

Looey’s eyes widened, ears twitching as a blush crept across his face. “Sprout…?”

“Hm? You don’t want cake?”

“I- I do!” Looey stammered, sitting up straighter. “I just wasn’t expecting you to feed it to me, haha…”

Sprout tilted his head, still smiling. “Too much?”

Looey looked at the fork, then at Sprout again. His expression softened into something fond and fluttery.

“…No. It’s sweet,” he murmured, leaning forward slightly. “You’re sweet…”

And then, without another word, he let Sprout feed him the cake.

Light, fluffy, and sweet.

Even if it was cold (probably refrigerated beforehand) it was delicious. Birthday cake flavor. It tasted just like the one they’d baked together before… Only better.

Maybe it was because Sprout had baked it with love.

“Mmm..” Looey licked his lips, lapping up any leftover frosting. “You’re amazing, Sprout! It tastes so good.”

Sprout smiled, his gaze tender. “Anything for you.”

Looey glanced down at the fork in Sprout’s hand, then up at his face. His fingers fidgeted in his lap before he quietly reached forward and took it.

“Um… can I…?” he asked, barely meeting his eyes. “Feed you? Just- Just to be fair!”

Sprout blinked in surprise, then gave a soft chuckle. “Just this once.”

Looey carefully cut a small piece of cake, his hands trembling slightly, and held it out with concentration.

“Say ahh~”

Sprout leaned forward obligingly, a grin tugging at his lips. “Ahh~”

Looey brought the fork into his mouth and watched as Sprout ate the cake, eyes wide with flustered anticipation.

Sprout chewed thoughtfully, then smiled.

“Mmm… yeah, still perfect,” he said. “Tastes even better coming from you.”

“You’re so cheesy,” Looey giggled with a blush. “But you were the one who made this cake!”

“I know,” Sprout said, leaning in slightly, “but you’re the one making it sweeter.”

Looey let out a shy laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, Sprout, you’re just saying that!”

Sprout laughed quietly. “It’s the truth.”

There was a pause. Looey’s ears twitched.

Then, slowly, he picked up another small piece of cake and held it out again, this time his hand a little steadier. Sprout met him halfway, taking the bite without breaking eye contact.

Once he finished, Sprout gave a playful grin. “Hey now, I made this cake for you. I shouldn’t be eating all of it.”

He reached out and took the fork back, offering the next bite to Looey again. “Let me feed you.”

Looey opened his mouth, still blushing furiously, but accepted it. “Mmm…”

The healer continued to feed him until only crumbs were left on the plate. Looey sat back with a soft sigh, cheeks pink and eyes full of love. “You’re spoiling me…”

“Heheh, I know.”

Chapter Text

AHHH BERRYFUNNY SO SCARY