Work Text:
“Hey, Boxten?” Cosmo waved the music box over to the kitchen with one hand, the other still holding the bowl of ingredients.
“Oh, uhm… hey Cosmo.” Boxten walked over, his usual nervous expression on his face.
“Have you seen Sprout today? We were supposed to bake heals for the group run that left earlier.” Cosmo said, starting to whisk the ingredients in the bowl again.
“Oh, Sprout?” Boxten thought to himself. “No, I actually haven’t seen him today. Maybe try asking Dandy?”
Cosmo’s expression soured. “I would but… you know how everyone feels about Dandy.”
“O-Oh! Right… silly me.” Boxten laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.
Cosmo looked back down at the bowl of ingredients. “I hope he’s okay.”
“I’m sure he’s doing fine! I-I mean… he is Sprout after all!” Boxten said, trying to have a cheerful expression on his face to help cheer up Cosmo.
A small smile formed on the pastry’s face. “…yeah. He’ll be fine, wherever he is.”
+++++++
Cosmo had just finished pulling out a fresh batch of cookies from the oven when he heard the elevator ding. The usual sound of toons chattering was absent, which made Cosmo’s stomach twist in uneasiness. He turned around, a smile on his face.
“Hey! You guys are back just in time!” His eyes scanned the group exiting the elevator.
There was Vee, Looey, Toodles, Yatta, and Rodger. But something was wrong. Vee’s usual smirk was nowhere to be seen, Looey and Yatta both looked upset, and Toodles was grabbing onto Rodger’s sleeve and sobbing. Cosmo put the cookies down and ran over.
“What happened? Is someone hurt?”
Vee shook her head. “No, we’re fine but…”
“But?” Cosmo asked, the same twisted feeling in his stomach coming back. That’s when Poppy passed by, drinking a pop. She spotted the group and walked over.
“Oh! You guys are back!” She smiled cheerfully. But it was short-lasting, as her face immediately turned to confusion. “Where’s Sprout?”
Cosmo’s heart stopped. “Sprout? He was… in the run?”
Toodles, still crying, looked up at Cosmo with big and watery eyes. “I was being chased by Brightney… and the elevator was closing.” She hiccuped, sniffling in between sobs. “Mr. Sprout, h-he pushed me into the elevator but it closed on him!”
Cosmo’s face fell. He felt his stomach drop and he felt nauseous. “Sprout... is…”
Vee looked down, looking upset for once. “Yeah.”
Cosmo’s hands started shaking. No. No, no, no, no, no. Sprout couldn’t be- no! There was no way! Cosmo had just seen him yesterday, and everything was great! He had… he had confessed. They were building something! There’s no way he was gone… no way.
Cosmo felt his stomach churn and his hands flew up to cover his mouth.
“Cosmo-?” Rodger asked. “Are you okay-?”
Cosmo turned and ran back to the kitchen, headed straight for the garbage. He threw up in the trash can, tears stinging his eyes. He heard frantic yelling coming from behind him, but it was all muffled. His vision blurred with tears as he looked at his hands, his friendship bracelet still on his wrist.
“N-No… Sprout…” He whispered, feeling another wave of nausea crash over him. He leaned forward, throwing up again, tears streaming down his face. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see who it was.
It was Vee, her expression solemn. “I’m… I’m sorry, Cosmo.” It was the most genuine anyone had ever seen her.
Cosmo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, tears still running down his face. His heart was shattered.
He couldn’t go to sleep that night. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Sprout. His mind was filled with memories of baking with him, talking with him, loving him. It wasn’t fair! This whole ichor operation was all Dandy’s fault! Astro tried helping Cosmo with sleeping, but it was no use.
“Let me know if there’s any way I can help.” Astro had said before leaving Cosmo’s room.
Cosmo didn’t respond, staring blankly at the wall with dead eyes. He looked back down at his wrist with the friendship bracelet still on. After a few hours, however, he eventually fell asleep.
He dreamed of the day before.
Sprout had been in the kitchen early, already baking his signature cupcakes when Cosmo had walked up to him, nervously messing with the charm of his bracelet.
“Hey, Sprout?” Cosmo had asked, his voice small and nervous.
Sprout turned around, his eyes lighting up when he saw him. “Cosmo! Hey, what’s up?”
“I… I have something to tell you.” Cosmo said, already feeling his heart race from the anticipation and nervousness.
Sprout finished frosting one of the cupcakes. “Okay, go ahead!”
“I…” Cosmo took a deep breath, trying to get the words out. “I-I like you. A lot.” Before Sprout could react, he quickly added. “More than friends.”
Sprout froze, piping bag still in hand. “You- what?”
Cosmo immediately covered his face. “Don’t make me repeat it…”
Sprout blinked a few times before setting the piping bag down. Meanwhile, Cosmo could feel his face burning from behind his hands. Sprout laughed softly. “Hey… look at me.”
Cosmo peeked at Sprout through his fingers. Sprout reached forward and gently removed his hands from his face.
“I like you too.” Sprout said, smiling.
Cosmo smiled, a big and happy grin he couldn’t hide. “Okay! Uhm… that’s great! Yeah, cool- uhm…” He stumbled over his words, face flushing.
Sprout laughed again, still holding onto Cosmo’s hands. Cosmo stuttered for a few more seconds before suddenly stopping, looking at Sprout. His heart hammered in his chest and the words left his mouth before he could even process what he was saying:
“Can I kiss you?”
Sprout’s smile froze, and for a second, he looked genuinely flustered. “Like- on the cheek or-?”
“I think you know what I mean.” Cosmo said, still blushing.
Sprout swallowed nervously, a slow smile spreading across his face. “I- uhm… yes. Yes, you can.”
Sprout’s hands let go of Cosmo’s, moving to cup the sides of his face. His gaze flickered to his lips before meeting his eyes again. He could feel Cosmo’s heart racing, see the slight tremble in his hands.
Sprout slowly leaned in, stopping just a few inches away from Cosmo’s lips. Cosmo leaned in and closed the distance. The kiss was slow, sweet, everything Cosmo had dreamed of. Cosmo’s hands reached up to also cup Sprout’s face as the kiss continued, cupcakes forgotten on the counter.
When they finally pulled away, Sprout was also blushing, not making eye contact with Cosmo. “That was… uhm- wow.”
“It was perfect.” Cosmo said, which made Sprout blush even harder.
They both laughed, and for a moment, everything was perfect. Cosmo wanted to stay in that moment forever.
Cosmo jolted awake, his room dark and cold. The remnants of the dream stayed in his mind, a cruel reminder of what he had lost. But as the grief settled in his chest, something else also harbored there. Anger. And most importantly, determination. He sat up, looking at his nightstand. There were some discarded pops and candies, but his eyes landed on the medkit and bandages. He grabbed both and left his room, headed towards the elevator. Toodles spotted him.
“Mr. Cosmo? Where are you going?” She asked, clutching her stuffed plushie.
“I‘m doing a solo. I‘ll be back soon.” He said, briefly glancing at Toodles before stepping into the elevator, watching the doors close with a ding.
And with that, he traveled down… and down… and down.
When he reached floor 20, he heard it. The unmistakable sound of leaves. He stepped out of the elevator, already spotting the first machine. He was walking over when he saw him.
It was Sprout.
His twisted form was tall, covered in ichor. Cosmo froze. This wasn’t the Sprout he remembered. He had already been consumed by the ichor.
Cosmo did the first machine quickly, thanks to Vee’s remote, but in his mind he was angry. ‘Damn it, Dandy, this is all your fault.’ He thought as he completed the other machines. He didn’t know why he had came this far down to begin with. Had he really thought Sprout would still be normal? Alive? What was the point?
He saw the last machine but made no effort to walk over to it. What would he do once he was back with the others? The only toon be really cared about was Sprout, and he was gone. But what if… what if he could stay with him?
Cosmo saw Sprout again and walked towards him. Sprout, spotting him, summoned his tendril. It grabbed Cosmo, attacking him. He didn’t use his bandage or medkit. He just walked closer to Sprout, taking the hits.
He reached up and cupped Sprout’s face in his hands just like he did that day in the kitchen. For a second, he saw a glimpse of the old Sprout he knew. The Sprout he loved.
He could already feel the ichor from Sprout sticking to him, consuming him. But he didn’t run. He didn’t try to save himself. Instead, he leaned in and gave him a kiss before the ichor consumed him completely.
+++++++
No one saw Cosmo after that, unless they went on runs. The kitchen stayed mostly empty, after all, that had been Cosmo and Sprout’s space. The day Cosmo left, the others struggled with the idea of having to break the news to Ginger. But even if they had known that Cosmo was going out there to never come back, they knew they wouldn’t have been able to stop him.
Whenever Toodles saw Cosmo on a floor, it made her sad. He said he’d be back, but he never returned.
But at least he was with Sprout now. Even if he was consumed by ichor, they were together.
Forever.