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Cosmo wiped down the counter of the kitchen in circular motions, making sure every little crumb was gone. She'd been baking cookies with Boxten earlier and he'd gotten startled by Shrimpo, which had unfortunately caused him to knock the flour over and have it explode everywhere. Cosmo said she'd take care of it, and though the kitchen was a mess for the rest of the evening, a bit of late-night tidying up was better than none at all! Even if she was tired... very tired. But what else was new? She felt tired all the time. Still... sleeping was definitely next on her to-do list for the night.
Ding-dong!
The sound of the elevator brought Cosmo out of her thoughts. She turned her head toward it but couldn't see past the boxes. Had it even made a sound...? Goodness, she really did need to sleep... Hallucinations were not a good sign.
She turned and dropped the little wipe in the trashcan before remembering to quadruple-check the oven. Upon inspection, it still wasn't on. She knew she'd definitely turned it off originally, but on rare occasions Sprout came in and made a little treat—though that wasn't something he liked to do without Cosmo, but it was always safer to make sure he hadn't anyway—and she sure didn't want to burn down what was left of this place. It's all they had. Ah, but that was a rather somber thought, hm..! It seemed the evening's lonely air had gotten to her. She'd better finish up.
Ding!
Okay, Cosmo was sure she wasn't just hearing things that time. She turned around to catch Astro looking up from using the countertop timer, blinking a few times before retracting their hand into their blanket with a meek smile.
"...Bit of a loud timer, hm..." They commented in their usual soft, quiet tone. It was a bit awkward, but Cosmo knew all too well that's just how she was and not an outward showing of genuine discomfort. Her face lit up as if she were cured from her tiredness as she bounded over to her partner.
"Astro!" She greeted happily as the taller opened their blanket to accept the inevitable hug. Cosmo wrapped her arms around their slim figure and let herself melt into the little paradise that was the inside of their blanket. Four familiar arms wrapped around her in tandem before promptly lifting her from the ground. Despite being used to this, she still entertained it with a little affectionate sound as she wrapped her legs around them to keep her balance. The moon looked up at her with a fondness that made her heart skip a beat.
"Sweetheart," they cooed, the familiar petname only causing Cosmo's tail to wag more. "It's so late. You should be sleeping."
Astro leaned against the counter to set Cosmo down on it, standing between her legs as they watched her intently. Cosmo felt giddy to have Astro this close again after so many hours apart.
"I couldn't leave the kitchen as dirty as it was!" She rebutted, though her tone was closer to playfulness than anything of challenging nature. "You should have seen it! It was almost as bad as the time Sprout tried to make those beignets!"
"That is quite the mess," Astro remarked, clearly entertaining the idea of making fun of Sprout's lack of skill in the kitchen. The strawberry wasn't entirely terrible at his supposed talent, but he wasn't all that great, either. It was amusing to both of them for different reasons.
Cosmo leaned in to press her forehead to Astro's, something that made herself feel at ease immediately. She wasn't even worried about being tired anymore. Something about Astro always made her walls fall down immediately, not worrying about anything but them. She wrapped lazy arms around their neck and pulled them ever slightly closer.
"I'm almost done, cuddlebug," she murmured, voice dripping like honey with tenderness. "Once I'm finished I'll go to bed."
"Mmm, you've worked enough, love. Come to bed with me," Astro beckoned, using their magic to untie Cosmo's apron from behind. The swiss roll arched away from this, but didn't protest. She merely pulled her face back from Astro's with a pout.
"I can't just leave it dirty! That would be irresponsible." She had very good reasoning for her motivations, but Astro clearly had their own idea for what she should be doing. They leaned down and rested their chin on Cosmo's chest, the latter leaning back onto the counter with her elbows to compensate for the angle they were trying to achieve. Two of four arms—the lower set, she assumed—slithered around her waist and to her back in order to assist in holding her up as well.
"Is imperfection such a bad thing?" Astro mumbled, their voice muffled by the fabric of Cosmo's—now loose—apron. "I think the flour gives it a pleasant charm."
"No you don't."
"No I don't," Astro admitted, sighing through their nose. Cosmo couldn't help but giggle at their response. They were acting just like Sprout. Despite their differences, they were both just as needy as the other when it came to Cosmo. Unaware of the train of thought she was having, Astro continued trying to convince Cosmo. "...It isn't terrible, though. Surely your best friend loves you enough to finish what you started."
"He loves me in other ways," Cosmo clarified with a soft smile. "Cleaning my messes isn't one of them."
"Sprout Seedly, always so unforgiving..." Astro let out another huff. Their frustration was cute. Cosmo wanted to see it more, but decided to be nice instead.
"I'll be really fast so we can snuggle, okay?" she offered. Astro's eyes only became more half-lidded and Cosmo rolled her own. "Don't be like that, Astro."
"I'll clean it for you in the morning," they declared, pulling Cosmo closer with the arms they had wrapped around her. "Please let yourself rest, Cosmo dear. I'll take good care of you."
Something about Astro's words made Cosmo's stomach swirl. Her ears flattened as she melted to their touch. Oh, Cosmo...! You're letting them get the best of you again!
Just as she was trying to push the idea Astro proposed away from her mind, the latter had leaned in inches away, clearly asking for a kiss at the very least. Despite their pushiness in trying to get her to leave the kitchen with them, they were awfully shy to do something as simple as kiss her... Cosmo always found that aspect of them cute, though. Even after the two had been dating for a while, they still got nervous to do anything outwardly romantic. She pursed her lips but stayed where she was.
"You're so needy, Astro," Cosmo giggled; a breathy giggle that rang like a gentle melody in their ears. Despite her previous defiance, she leaned in and kissed the moon back, silently wishing her arms were free to caress their face as she did so. As if Astro had the same thought, a third arm emerged from their blanket that eagerly made its way to Cosmo's star-freckled cheek. The warmth of her face against their cold palm made her shiver. Even in its coldness it was so familiar she craved it like sugar... Goodness! Sometimes she feared how infatuated she was with them... Such strong attraction was previously foreign to her up until she began liking the other in a romantic manner.
Astro pulled back after a few moments only to dive right back in, their lips pressing ever so gently against Cosmo's. The swiss roll sighed into it, feeling awfully serene for someone whose elbows were aching from leaning on them for so long. Whether this sudden calmness was due to some kind of natural sleeping agent in their saliva or due to how comfortable she was around them was hard to say. Likely both.
"Mmf—Astro," Cosmo huffed, trying to pull back despite her position not allowing much movement. The latter caught the hint and pulled back themselves, watching her shyly. "I want to kiss you a lot too, but could we do it in your room rather than here..?"
It seemed to occur to Astro at that moment the same thought Cosmo had earlier—Sprout's rare tendency to come into the kitchen at night and bake. Sprout already didn't like seeing Astro around Cosmo. If he saw them bent over her kissing her like there was no tomorrow in their kitchen... Neither wanted to deal with the strawberry's lectures.
As if the universe had a cruel sense of humor, Cosmo heard the elevator ding again. The two froze like deer in headlights but quickly scrambled away from one another once the elevator doors hit the floor. Cosmo hastily hopped off of the kitchen counter and brushed off her apron just as Sprout walked around the corner.
"Cos?" He asked with a tilt of his head as he approached his best friend. Cosmo was sure she looked guilty with her flushed face, so she put on her last resort; her puppy eyes.
"Hi, Sprout," she greeted pitifully, playing up her tiredness. "I've been cleaning for so long... I asked Astro here to help, but we're both just so sleepy..."
"Are you sure Astro isn't making you tired?" Sprout asked, voice full of suspicion. The fact that his suspicion was redirected to Astro was expected, but Cosmo knew she had a handle on things. Sprout was too predictable to doubt.
"No, they just got here. Don’t blame them..." she groaned, letting herself nearly fall into Sprout. Not only was it a good way to suck up to him while also showing how tired she was, but she also just wanted to hug him anyway. He looked taken aback for a moment, but the both of them knew this was a common thing for Cosmo. The only difference is Sprout wasn't picking up on the fact that Cosmo was putting on an act to cover up the previous scene. The swiss roll looked up at him with pleading eyes, now making her act terribly exaggerated. "Would you be my hero...?"
"Okay, Cos, quit being a baby," he sighed, clearly stifling a laugh. Despite his verbal rejection, he hugged her back and petted the back of her head. "But sure. It already looks pretty much clean to me."
"That's because you never properly clean it," Cosmo huffed, resting her chin on Sprout's chest.
"Then you clean it."
"Sprout...!"
"I'm joking, I'm joking!" Sprout chuckled, patting Cosmo's shoulder and stepping back to end the hug. "I'll get it done. It'll be a piece of cake."
"Clever pun," Cosmo bantered as she gestured a hand toward Sprout as props. She caught a glimpse of Astro, who was looking at the designs on the wall to keep themselves busy. Poor thing. "I was hiding a bag of pretzels for myself behind the fridge, if you want them... I'm gonna go to bed."
"Score!" Sprout celebrated, making a beeline for the countertop wipes. If there was anything that motivated Sprout, it was a snack break.
Cosmo turned to Astro, who was still zoning out at the wall. She discreetly took their hand to grab their attention and their ruminant-like ears went from a flattened state to an alert one. Something in Cosmo wanted to ask what they were thinking about, but it was likely better to leave before Sprout turned around and saw their closeness.
After neatly hanging up her apron in the kitchen, Cosmo led her partner to the elevator and pressed the button, watching from the corner of her eye as they stayed ever close but didn't dare touch. Once she was done directing the elevator's destination to the mains' rooms, she turned to them expectantly.
"You look a little down," she murmured, bumping her shoulder against their blanket as a subtle form of affection. She thought of ways to cheer them up, soon after remembering her favorite activity to do when she was feeling blue. "Do you maybe want to bake cookies with me tomorrow?"
"...No, thank you for your offer though, Cosmo. I'm sure you'll be busy," Astro sighed, giving the other a little look of gratitude; no smile, though. Their formality bothered Cosmo. If Astro didn't give up until they helped her earlier, then she definitely wasn't going to give up until she helped them with their problem.
"Aww, but c'mon," Cosmo urged, pressing a paw against their blanket as an offer to take one of Astro's hands. The latter obliged but said nothing more. "You know I'm never too busy to spend time with my star."
Astro didn't—or maybe couldn't—say anything. They let her guide their hand to her cheek again, this time somehow more tender than the last. She leaned into their touch (despite her technically being the one to initiate it) before turning and kissing their palm. "...Well—if you reconsider, let me know. I'll have cookies ready just in case!"
"Alright, sorry. Thank you." Their face softened from that of a somber one to something doting. Cosmo still didn't understand what had gotten her down, but as long as she helped distract them from it, that's all that mattered. They were all that mattered. Cosmo swore she could have kissed them a million times then and there if the elevator ding didn't bring her out of her thoughts. Her head turned toward the door, then right back to Astro.
"Don't apologize, Astro!" She reassured them, kissing their hand one last time before taking it to lead them to their room. It was a very short distance considering the limited amount of main toons Gardenview had. "C'mon, I know you're dying to sleep."
"Maybe dying is a bit of an extreme exaggeration..." they sheepishly clarified just as Cosmo opened the door. The moon's room never ceased to amaze her. It was all so... blue. Little luminous stars were all over the room, and every surface looked like she could sleep on it. It was so Astro; it was paradise.
Astro used their magic to shut the door behind them—locking it to avoid any more Sprout burst-ins—as Cosmo hopped onto their ever soft bed. She rolled around in the sea of blankets, each side billowing according to her shifting weight.
"Your bed is always sooo soft!" She squealed, drowning in the sheets. Astro bent themselves over the bed to look face-to-face with her, blinking down at the swiss roll with a little smile.
"I don't ever have to change it," they reasoned. "I don't have any reason to change anything, really..."
"I like that about you," Cosmo hummed with a big smile, holding her arms out in an attempt to pull Astro closer. It worked just well enough for them to lose their balance and stumble forward, quickly placing four arms on either side of Cosmo to avoid falling on her. The blanket was merely draped over their back now, and the inside looked like a sea of stars that went on for infinity. Cosmo giggled at the result of her getting exactly what she wanted. "You're predictable, too."
"...I get that a lot." Astro's nightcap twitched against the side of Cosmo's leg like a cat's tail. Cosmo just smiled and wrapped arms around their neck in response.
"I wouldn't want it any other way, you know," she hummed, the sound of her swirled tail battering against the bed being the only noise louder than their own breathing. "It's comforting!"
"Mmm, I suppose," Astro sighed softly in agreement, their gaze glancing down at her lips ever so often. So needy. "Though I've heard predictability can be boring."
"You're too unique to get bored of," Cosmo cooed sincerely. Astro's star flared up bright as ever, causing Cosmo to giggle as she screwed her eyes shut to protect her precious irises from the sudden harsh light. Astro stammered out a few vehement apologies but Cosmo pulled their head down to kiss the top of it as assurance that it was okay. One kiss then turned to two, then three, then a hundred little kisses peppered all the way from their forehead until their lips were a breath apart. Cosmo's eyes flicked up to meet Astro's. "Are you sure you want to go to bed so soon?"
"...Not when you're here like this," They murmured ever quietly, their breath ghosting Cosmo's lips just before they took a sharper breath in. They looked utterly enamored with her; and they were. "...I could live an eternity awake if it meant getting to spend every last second in the world with you."
"I like the ever-poetic sound of that, Shakespeare, but we aren't immortal. I don't think I could stay awake forever anyway," Cosmo contemplated playfully, pressing her forehead to theirs once again to allow distance to grow between their lips; a cruel tease. How fun it was to not cater to every whim of the other party—letting herself throw away her compulsive need for give, give, giving. She liked dangling what they wanted right in front of them and watching them crave it ever more. ...Of course, being kindhearted made this feeling short-lived as the sympathy settled in, but it was a quick fun tease nevertheless. For once she got a break from giving everyone everything they wanted without a second thought. Ah, but she couldn't do that forever... not with Astro, anyway. They deserved to be given exactly what they wanted.
"Then let's at the very least have tonight." Astro's desperation was clearly beginning to surpass their shyness because they ever gently kissed Cosmo's top lip as they spoke. Cosmo let out a soft giggle at the sight of them looking so hopeless above her.
"Okay then, cutie-pie. Tonight we can stay awake a little longer," Cosmo cooed, finally closing the gap between their lips for good and Astro immediately melted into it with a previously unforeseen hunger that, in a way, bewildered Cosmo upon being met with it so fervidly. They shifted their body weight entirely forward to allow her to sink deeper into the pillows and blankets as their lower arms found their way around her waist while their upper arms stayed beside either side of her head. Everything that had built up over the course of the night felt like it had been released in that moment, swirling together in a flushed mess of feelings.
Astro's need to get closer became even more apparent as she leaned further onto the bed, leaving little room for Cosmo's legs as they became pushed against their torso and lifted from the soft comforter below. She didn't mind, though, as she was much more involved in holding their face in her paws as she kissed them over and over again to really care all that much. Instead she simply moved them to either side of their hips to let them lean in further for more if they so pleased—and they very much took such an opportunity. It's as if the moment Cosmo let them have her, they wanted it all; fervently taking every part of her for themselves. Their hunger left a swirling in the swiss roll's stomach, her kisses deepening in tandem. Being craved never felt so good.
Their lower set of hands drifted up from below her hoodie and caressed her midsection—something that caused her breath to hitch but definitely not something she opposed. She used her legs' placement as leverage to pull Astro fully onto her rather than above her, to which the latter did just that. Astro was now fully on their knees with their chest pressed against Cosmo's as gentle sleepy kisses turned to those of pure insatiable need. Little gasps of excitement escaped from either of them in brief moments where their lips were apart for long enough to take a breath before diving right back in. Astro's lips felt like heaven to Cosmo. And considering how wonderful everything around her felt, she considered for just a moment she had been transported there already. It wasn't until Astro officially pulled back for good to reveal a trail of spit connecting the two's lips that she was quickly pulled back to reality, getting flustered at the sight of it. They'd gotten so caught up in everything, they hadn't realized how... far they'd gotten. Astro leaned back to straddle Cosmo—not something inherently on purpose by Astro, but very much welcomed by Cosmo—wiping their mouth with an embarrassed look on their face.
"M-My apologies, Cosmo," they stammered shyly, wrapping the blanket back around them. "I didn't mean to get so carried away. You're just... so sweet..."
"It's okay, really," Cosmo clarified, grabbing the bottom of her hoodie that had ridden up and pulling it back down. "Though I guess I was wrong about you being entirely predictable."
"Mmm?" Astro didn't give a fully verbal response to this despite their amusement, simply choosing to turn to the head of their bed and peel back the comforter they had just made out on. What an impolite thought, Cosmo...! She really needed to word her thoughts more prudently.
"Is it time to sleep already?" Cosmo whined, not wanting the conscious segment of their alone time together to end so soon. Astro simply nodded as they fluffed their pillows. "What happened to staying up, cuddlebug?"
"If you wish for a pleasant dream, you have to be the one to fall asleep first," Astro reasoned.
"Okay, okay! You're right..."
Despite Cosmo's disappointment, she was more than happy to climb into bed with the moon. As soon as they got themselves comfortable under the thick comforter, Cosmo turned her back to them and scooted into their arms, letting them embrace her ever tenderly. It was so comfortable she felt as if she could fall asleep immediately, which was just a matter of Astro lifting an arm to Cosmo's forehead, and...
Cosmo peacefully fell asleep. Astro, knowing her all too well, decided to give her a dream of all of her friends and family giving her gifts, because the toon of generosity deserved the same abundance back.
Holding her closer, Astro let themselves drift off into their own paradise; a complete recollection of the night that had just happened. Such genuine precious time with Cosmo was far better than any kind of fantasy she could ever think up.
Sweet dreams, Cosmo.