Chapter Text
“Are you alright, sweetie?”
Sweet Sapphire jumped. He didn’t recognize the other cookie. He had blond hair, and he was… really tall. He smelled like vanilla. Why was his flower blinking at him? It looked weird.
“I’m fine!” He shouted with a small stomp. He didn’t need help. “They’ll be back soon!”
The tall cookie bent down. He extended his hand, Sapphire hopping away, his wings fluttering anxiously.
“…are your parents around?”
“I—no, but they’ll come back! They said they would! So… they have to…”
“Okay, okay… what’s your name?”
“I’m Sweet Sapphire Cookie.”
“I’m Healer Cookie. Do you know where you are?”
Sapphire glanced around. He… didn’t actually know. There was a tower… or… whatever. But… he didn’t really…
“I don’t—I don’t… know…”
Healer frowned, “Okay… It’s getting dark, do you wanna come into the Spire? I’m sure Fount would be fine with it, I don’t want to leave you alone out here.”
Sweet Sapphire took his hand reluctantly, “I… I guess.”
Healer smiled, leading Sapphire into the tower. As soon as they entered, Sapphire glanced up. It was giant. The stairs spiraled far up, so far he couldn’t spot where they ended. There was a small stage, the stairs beginning to the right. Healer took him up the stairs.
Where were they going…? Why was he following him? What if he was lying and he did hurt him? He shouldn’t have followed him. He wanted to run back down, but they were already so far up. He looked over the side and froze, pushing himself against the wall.
“Sweet Sapphire? Are you alright?”
“I—I don’t…”
Healer stopped, sitting down beside him on the stairs.
“Are you scared of heights?”
“No!” Sapphire snapped, "I'm not scared!”
“Okay. I can wait until you’re ready to go up.”
He didn’t want to go further up.
He whined, grabbing onto Healer’s arm.
Healer tilted his head, “Could I pick you up?”
Sapphire nodded. Healer scooped him up, allowing him to rest his head on his shoulder.
Healer smelled nice… It was calming. Sapphire wanted to just fall asleep. He’d been alone and walking around all day, he was tired, but he didn’t know if Healer was safe to fall asleep on… and what if he got mad?
Healer was still holding his flower. It still looked scary. It was looking at him… and it looked worried.
“Why’s the flower looking at me?”
The flower’s eye turned away.
“Ah, I can’t see well through my actual eyes, and so the staff helps me to see!”
“It looks weird.”
Healer chuckled, “Well… I suppose it’s a bit odd. But it helps me. I don’t always use it, but it’s nice to be able to see sometimes. Plus, I probably wouldn’t have noticed you without it.
“I guess that makes sense. It still freaks me out!”
“I know, a flower with an eye on it isn’t exactly… comforting,” He turned it away from him, “You don’t have to look at it.”
Sweet Sapphire closed his eyes, snuggling into Healer’s neck. He was warm…
Were they in a hallway now?
Healer stepped through a doorway, setting Sapphire down on a bed. The blanket was fluffy.
“I’ll be right back, okay? I need to go get Fount.”
Sapphire tilted his head. He’d mentioned Fount twice now.
“...Fount? Like, the Fount of Knowledge?”
“Mhm!” Healer’s face flushed, his hand going to a ring on his finger, “I’m… rather fond of him.”
“Oh! Like… in love?”
Healer nodded, “We got married a while ago…”
“Uhm…” Sapphire pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket, “I—I don’t know what it says, but my parents said to give this to the Fount if I found him, so could you?”
Healer took the note, scanning over it with his staff’s eye, slightly crumpling it as he read.
Sweet Sapphire leaned forward, “What’s wrong?”
Healer put on a smile, “Nothing, sweetheart. It’ll be alright.”
He stepped out, leaving Sapphire alone in the room. It was starting to get dark with the sun going down outside.
He grabbed one of the pillows, squeezing it tight.
What was going on? Did he just get kidnapped? His parents had to come back right? They’d come back. They’d told him to find the Fount, so they probably knew he was here. If that cookie was being honest at least…
The door opened again, a blue cookie stepping through. He glowed a little bit. He seemed smaller than Healer.
“You’re Sweet Sapphire, right?”
He nodded.
“I’m the Fount of Knowledge,” he said, “I…”
Sweet Sapphire blinked at him. The Fount was holding the note, staring at it. He was… upset.
“What?” Sapphire asked, “What is it…?”
The Fount sighed, “Your parents left you here, right?”
“They didn’t leave! They said they’d come back…”
“Aw, baby…” the Fount pulled Sapphire into a hug, “I don’t… I don’t think they’re coming back.”
“No. No, you’re lying to me. You’re lying, they said—!”
“Can you read?”
“Kind of… not well… Why?”
The Fount frowned, “the note you had…” he pointed to a line. Sweet Sapphire squinted at it.
“What does it say…?”
“They expect me to keep you, basically.”
Sweet Sapphire froze, looking up at the Fount.
“What…? I— they wouldn’t!” He sniffled, his small hands grabbing at the Fount’s robes. Fount hugged him again, rubbing his back.
Sweet Sapphire looked up at him, his vision blurred with tears.
“I—” He snuggled closer, “Did I— do something wrong?”
“No.” The Fount stated, placing his hands on Sapphire’s face, “You’re still a kid, you couldn’t have done something warranting abandoning you like that. They— they told you they would come back?!”
Sapphire nodded.
“...Witches, I can’t even—” Fount sighed, “Do you wanna stay? I could find somewhere else you could go if you don’t, but you can—”
Sweet Sapphire nodded, “If— if they don’t come back.”
The Fount picked him up, “Alright. Do you need anything? I could get you something to eat, or—”
“Mhm, I’m hungry…”
The Fount opened a portal, “Er— do you want to try going through it?”
Sweet Sapphire blinked at it.
“Sure! It looks pretty…”
He grinned, “Hold on!”
Going through the portal felt weird. It almost felt like it didn’t happen, but it did?
“What’dya think~ Pretty cool, right?” The Fount said, setting him down on a chair, grabbing some jellies out of the fridge.
“Yeah! It was fun! I… think. Can we do it again to go back?!”
Fount handed him a plate with jellies cut into small pieces and a fork, “Of course we— oh, orchid!”
Sweet Sapphire perked up, “Who?”
Healer had just stepped in, kissing Fount on the cheek, “My Fount. How’s things with Sapphire?”
Fount looked toward him.
“I dunno. I—I want my parents to come back but— Fount’s nice!”
Healer smiled, “I… suppose you’re staying with us?”
“I guess. I don’t like being left here…”
Fount tilted his head, “Do you remember where you lived? I—”
“No. I don’t.”
“Oh. Witches, I’m sorry Sapphire, I wish I could help you more…” Fount frowned, grabbing his empty plate and placing it in the sink.
Sweet Sapphire clenched his fists.
“Maybe… If they didn’t want me then I don’t— I don’t want them either!” He bit his lip, his shoulders shaking.
Healer placed his hand on his shoulder, “It’s alright if you want to cry.”
“I’m fine…” Sapphire muttered, laying his head on the table, “I’m just tired.”
Fount picked him up again, “You’re dirty. You need a bath.”
“I’m not that dirty!” Sweet Sapphire said, crossing his arms.
“Yes you are, bud. You can clean yourself if you want, but you need to take one!”
Sweet Sapphire huffed, latching onto him.
“‘M not taking a bath.”
“Please? I can probably get you a change of clothes, too. Or clean your own…”
“I don’t wannaaa!” he whined, brandishing his wings angrily.
Healer stepped in, “Sapphire, if you don’t clean yourself up you could get sick. Especially if you have a cut or wound anywhere. Please?”
“I don’t wanna get sick…”
Healer nodded, “So?”
“...Fine! I can clean myself though!”
Fount opened another portal, stepping through it with Sapphire and placing him in front of the bath tub. He snapped his fingers, filling the bath with warm water, then pulled a towel out from the cabinet.
“Okay! Here’s the soap, and a towel, and you can call if you need anything, alright?”
“Mhm. I’ve got it!” Sweet Sapphire yelled, attempting to shove Fount out of the room.
“I’m leaving, I’m leaving…”
•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•
Fount shut the door carefully behind him with a frown.
How did someone just leave a kid like that…? Especially just… alone. Couldn’t they have at least made sure he was with him first?
Fucking imbeciles.
Fount sighed, going to his room.
Healer was already pacing around, his staff leaned against the wall.
“...My Fount?”
“Hey orchid.” Fount opened his other realm, pulling out a uniform from the academy. It… wasn’t the best, but it would do until he could sew something else.
Healer hugged Fount from behind, “Are you alright?”
Fount set down the robes, leaning back into Healer’s hold.
“I’m fine. I’m just… worried about Sapphire. How could someone just leave him behind like that?! He’s still a little kid! He— Witches, what the hell… They didn’t even— make sure he was with me! He could’ve gotten hurt, or lost, or… ugh.”
“I can’t stand it either. I barely even spotted him, and I don’t know what would’ve happened if I hadn’t. But… I suppose that we’ll take care of him for now.”
Fount nodded, pulling away from Healer’s hold.
“I should probably go give him this,” Fount said, grabbing the clothing off his desk, “I’ll be right back.”
Fount teleported back to the bathroom door, knocking on it gently. There was a splash, then a yell.
“What?!”
“I got you some clothes, is it alright if I come in to set them down?”
“Uh… ‘m almost done, give me a minute!”
Fount leaned against the wall, waiting for Sapphire to open the door. A few minutes later, he did, covering himself with a towel. Fount passed it to him, the door shutting again before Sapphire reappeared with a twirl.
“See! I did all of it by myself!”
“Mhm… buddy.”
“What?”
“You still have a ton of shampoo in your hair.”
“No I don’t!”
“Yes, you do. Come on, we need to rinse it out.”
“Nuh-uh! I’m not going back in there!”
Fount sighed, “Look, you don’t have to go all the way back into the bath, but at least let me rinse your hair out.”
Sapphire stomped, “No! I don’t wanna!”
Fount grabbed his hand, pulling him back into the bathroom. Sapphire pouted, placing himself firmly on the floor, refusing to move at all.
“...Sweetie.”
“Hmph!”
“How about if I do it with you?”
Sapphire looked up, “Do you even need to wash your hair?”
“Well— yes, even if it’s magic, it still needs to be washed. Hold on…
Fount turned on the faucet, placing his head under it. It was a bit cold, but he waited for it to soak his hair and then grabbed the shampoo.
“Come here, bud,” he said, pouting the space beside him as he lathered his hair in shampoo. Sapphire scooted forward, still trying to pout, but watching Fount.
Fount summoned a small cup, filling it with water.
“Okay, I’ll show you first, and then it’ll be your turn, okay?”
“...fine.”
Fount leaned his head against the tub, placing his hair inside.
“You don’t have to go back in the water, but we have to pour it on your hair, like this,” Fount explained, pouring it over his own hair, “It might take a few tries, considering you have so much in your hair…”
“You have just as much!”
“I have more hair too. Anyway, it’s your turn. Come on, lean your head back.”
Sapphire huffed, though he placed his head over the tub.
“Sapphire, if you lean forward like that you’re only gonna get more soap in your eyes.”
Sapphire covered his eyes, “There!”
Fount chuckled, filling the cup up again, “I guess that works…”
It took a few minutes, though Fount finished getting all of the shampoo out of Sapphire’s hair. He then grabbed a towel, trying to dry Sapphire’s hair before he started fighting again.
“Okay, We’re almost done, we just need to brush your hair—”
“No! I don’t wanna!”
“...Saph, you can go to bed right after, please?”
“I. don’t. wanna.”
Fount sighed, picking him up, “Alright, I get it… I hate it too. What if I let you take breaks while we’re doing it?”
Sapphire didn’t respond, pressing himself into Fount’s shoulder.
“Sweet Sapphire. You need to brush your hair.”
“Fineee!”
Fount smiled, taking them both through another portal into Sapphire’s room—well, technically it was a guest room, but it might as well be Sapphire’s now—then setting him on the bed as he went back through to grab a hair brush.
Fount sat down behind him, humming as he ran the brush through his hair. It was a lot less tangled than he had expected, though it still took a while to work through. Sapphire didn’t seem to mind as much as he’d thought he would either, only asking for a break twice.
“Okay… I think we’re done,” Fount smiled.
Sweet Sapphire ran a hand through his hair, stepping toward the mirror across the room.
“Thanks, I guess.”
“It’s not a problem, sweetie.”
Fount began to walk out, though he stopped when the kid grabbed at the end of his robes.
“Uhm— I don’t— wanna be alone right now.”
Fount blinked at him, then turned around, sitting down beside the bed.
“Alright. I can wait until you fall asleep. Then I’ll leave, okay?”
Sapphire nodded, hopping into bed, immediately curling up around a pillow.
Fount kept his word, waiting until he was sure Sapphire was asleep before he left the room, shutting the door carefully.
Saph was handling it surprisingly well for being left behind. Fount just… didn’t know if he could really care for him.
He opened a portal, immediately falling onto his own bed on the other side, met with Healer kissing him on the cheek.
“Is Sapphire alright?”
“I think so. He didn’t want to be left alone when he went to sleep, though…” Fount muttered, pulling Healer close to him.
“Of course he didn’t. You let him know you were leaving right?”
“Yea. Didn’t want him to freak out if he woke up and I wasn’t there.”
Healer snuggled into Fount’s side, his breathing evening out as he fell asleep.
Fount just hoped Sapphire wouldn’t wake up in the middle of the night...
•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•————•☆•
Sapphire nudged the door open, holding a pillow, and sat down on the floor. Fount and Healer were still asleep, right?
"Are you two awake," he whispered.
Fount peeked an eye open, "Sapphire, what are you doing?"
"uhm— I woke up."
"And?"
"...and I didn't wanna be alone."
Fount nodded, "I see... well, you can stay in here tonight, but you shouldn't sleep on the floor."
"Well I wasn't trying to wake you up," Sapphire said, trying to shout and whisper at the same time.
"Just come up here, there should be enough room. You're not sleeping on the floor."
Sapphire scooted into the end of the bed, "I wasn't planning to..."
"You can come to the top if you want."
"No."
"Alright, just don't kick me in your sleep."
Sapphire curled up around the pillow he'd brought with him. It felt nice to be with these two... even if he'd rather be back home.
They were nice enough.