Sprout was in his room in the Toon Rooms, pacing back and forth restlessly. His mind was running nonstop.
“Shit… Shittt.” He muttered, burying his hands in his face. “How could I forget??? Stupid, stupid…”
His bedroom door opened, and Sprout quickly looked up with mild curiosity. Who was just walking into his room like that?
It was Cosmo.
“Heey… Sprout, good morning.” Cosmo entered without hesitation, giving a small wave.
“Hey… Dude, do you need something?”
“Just checking on you.” Cosmo shrugged.
“Checking… Why?”
“Oh… It’s just that this year, we’re not spending Valentine’s Day as ‘the two single bros of the year,’ right?” Cosmo stepped closer to his best friend.
“Yeah… Yeah, you could say that.” Sprout sighed.
“But so? What are you planning to give him?” Cosmo playfully nudged his friend.
“About that… Uh.”
“You forgot.”
“It’s not my fault.” Sprout grumbled.
Cosmo let out a long sigh.
“You had so much time to think of a gift for your boyfriend, Sproutt…”
“Hey? It’s my first time, it’s really not my fault if I forgot….” Sprout gestured vaguely with one hand. “And also… I don’t know what to give him. I’ve been really busy lately helping everyone and Vee with her stuff, it’s complicated.” He ran a hand through his leaves.
“Hm… I don’t think the gift itself matters that much.” Cosmo rested a hand on the table nearby. “He loves you, right? Probably anything you give him will make him happy… As long as it comes from you.”
“I just— I don’t know, I wanted to give him something nice.” Sprout sighed.
“Have you thought about giving him flowers?”
“…Flowers.” Sprout pondered for a moment. “I don’t know… Do you think flowers are really that meaningful?”
“Why not give him flowers and some sweets? You guys can spend time together anyway, I think that would make him happy.”
“Uh huh… Maybe.” Sprout snapped his fingers. “But where would I get flowers???”
“Wellll… You could check with Dandy, he sells everything, doesn’t he?”
“I don’t want to.”
“…Teagan?”
“No.”
Cosmo sighed.
“Come on, Sproutsy! You’re making this difficult.” He placed a hand on his forehead. “I can go with you to see Teagan, how about that?”
“Acceptable.” He grumbled.
“Then let’s go! I saw her heading to her room.” Cosmo gestured, starting to walk out of Sprout’s room.
Sprout followed right after, trailing behind his best friend. Being the last one out, he shut the door, quickening his pace until he was walking side by side with Cosmo.
“So…” Sprout began, walking with his hands behind his back, while Cosmo kept his in his hoodie pockets.
“Hm?” He tilted his head slightly, looking at Sprout.
“Are you really spending Valentine’s Day alone?”
“Nah, I was thinking of hanging out with Shelly or Boxten? If they’re available, of course, playing some video games would be fun.”
“Isn’t Boxten spending time with Poppy or something?”
“…Probably Shelly then.”
“What about Tisha?”
“Maybe alone.”
Sprout laughed, while Cosmo let out a sigh.
“Maybe you’ll get to spend time with Shelly, you know?” He nudged him slightly. “…You two are prettyclose.” Sprout murmured, looking away.
Cosmo glanced at his best friend suspiciously.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing…”
“Sprout.”
“It’s just— Ever since I started dating Astro, it seems like you’ve gotten closer to Shelly again, huh?”
“Ah…” Cosmo paused briefly. “You could say that…”
“Do you like her?”
“Don’t start.” He gave Sprout a small shove, huffing.
“Come on! I’m curious.” Sprout laughed.
“I feel like you just want revenge for all the times I teased you about liking Astro.” Cosmo grumbled.
They arrived at the elevator.
"And I can't?" Sprout looked at the elevator.
"...Nah."
Both of them stepped inside, heading to an alternate floor of the Toon Rooms— where Teagan’s room was, at least.
They walked down the hallway, passing by some toons who seemed to be going somewhere together. A few even passed them as they headed in another direction.
"You think Vee is going out with someone?" Sprout started again.
"Vee... Uh... I don’t know? Wasn’t she hanging around with Shelly a lot recently? They seem close, I’d bet on that." Cosmo shrugged.
"Nah... I really doubt Shelly is an option— maybe Brightney?"
"She already seems interested in someone." Cosmo gestured vaguely.
"Hmmm... Maybe... Teagan..."
"A real option— I think??"
"Huh... If I see her, I think asking about Tisha would be a good idea."
"And why??? They hate each other."
"Exactly, just to annoy her!"
"...Why are you like this?" Cosmo rolled his eyes.
They reached Teagan’s door.
Cosmo stepped forward while Sprout simply crossed his arms, staying in place.
He knocked on the door.
...
It took a few seconds, but soon it opened.
Teagan was the one who answered. She was well-dressed as always, and a sweet fragrance drifted from inside her room.
"Oh, hello, darlings! What brings you boys here? Have you two come to enjoy a lovely cup of tea with this lady?" Teagan greeted them with a warm smile, resting one hand on the door.
"Ah... No, but thanks, Teagan." Cosmo smiled back.
"Then, what do you desire?" She placed her free hand on her hip, waiting for an answer from either of them.
"We just came to check if you have... flowers?" Cosmo gestured.
"Ah, yes! Of course... It’s for today’s special occasion, am I right?" She stepped aside, seemingly inviting them in.
"You could say that..." Sprout replied.
"Depending... You do realize that flowers hold meanings, don’t you? I need to know exactly what you’re looking for." Teagan walked further into her room.
Cosmo and Sprout exchanged glances before stepping inside. The scent of tea grew stronger.
Teagan’s room was simple. A piano stood in the corner, and a table with a few chairs was clearly set up for a tea party. Some letters were scattered on the table.
Sprout had rarely been inside the teacup’s room, but it was visually appealing. She seemed to appreciate her friends a lot, judging by the number of portraits on the walls— especially one of Rodger.
Of course, they were close, but not in a romantic way… Their relationship was confusing, even though neither Teagan or Rodger showed any interest in each other.
Teagan had always had a stronger affinity for women.
Sprout blinked— Teagan and Cosmo had been talking since they entered, but apparently, the strawberry had zoned out in the meantime.
"How about these?" Teagan held up a bouquet of purple flowers— wild hyacinths.
"Sprout?.." Cosmo glanced at his friend.
"Purple flowers..?" He paused to think.
"You could also go for white roses, they have a wonderful fragrance." Teagan gestured with her hand, setting the bouquet aside.
"I think some roses would work well, right?" Cosmo playfully nudged his friend.
"I guess? But I feel like he’d like some purple-colored flowers." Sprout let out a frustrated sigh— he had no idea what to take.
"...Anything works, you know! He wouldn’t care that much..." Cosmo placed a hand on his forehead.
"Okay— Okay, white roses it is. Thanks, Teagan!" Sprout looked at the teacup again.
Teagan already had a bouquet of white roses ready, with some yellow flowers mixed in— probably for contrast.
"Here." She offered the bouquet to Sprout.
Sprout accepted it gratefully.
He simply stared at the bouquet in his hands, lost in thought, wondering how Astro would react. Would he like it?
Teagan’s attention soon shifted to Cosmo, and she smiled gently.
"And what about you, Cosmo? Why not take a bouquet for Shelly?" Teagan rested her hands over her long dress.
"Ah—" Cosmo was caught off guard and chuckled awkwardly. "Haha... No need." He gestured vaguely.
"Really? I'm sure she’d love to receive a bouquet from you, dear." Teagan was quite observant when it came to romantic interests— it was no different with Cosmo. The way he and the little fossil spent time together was quite evident.
"She’s right, you know?" Sprout teased.
Cosmo let out a small grumble.
"No need... really."
"Well, alright." Teagan clapped her hands together.
"Thanks again, Teagan." Sprout started leaving the room, with Cosmo following behind, staying unusually quiet.
"You’re welcome! Good luck with your day, you two. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to come find me!" She waved as she slowly closed the door.
Sprout and Cosmo left the Toon Rooms. The goal now was to do something special for Astro— a treat would be nice, maybe wrapping some chocolates in a small package. That would look pretty… maybe.
"So... the next step in your 'perfectgift' is sweets?" Cosmo finally spoke after they had been walking for a while.
"Mhm, do you think we can find something in the kitchen to use?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"If they haven't already used up all the ingredients."
"...I highly doubt any toon here knows how to cook properly."
"Well, if they don’t know how to cook, then they probably wasted even more ingredients, right?"
"...You’ve got a point." Sprout sighed in frustration. "I just hope there’s something left to use..."
They headed to the elevator, returning to the main Toon Rooms. There wasn’t much movement at the moment, but a few toons were still around.
Before anything else, Sprout stored the bouquet in his room and made his way to the kitchen on that floor. Of course, Cosmo helped him prepare the sweets and even pack them, which ended up catching the attention of a couple of curious toons.
BecauseofCOSMO, they took longerthan they should have— after all, the little cake just had to help others in some way, and this was one of them.
They finally finished what they started, with Sprout holding a small package filled with heart-shaped sweets. They were a bit wonky since Sprout wasn’t great at shaping hearts, and they didn’t even have a mold to do it properly.
"All done!" Sprout huffed triumphantly. He was happy with the result, but there was still a bit of doubt in his mind— would Astro really like what he had made?
"Now you just have to find him." Cosmo commented.
Both headed straight to Sprout’s room to grab the bouquet.
"...I wonder where he is at this hour…" Sprout sighed.
"Have you tried texting him?"
"Huh…" Sprout pulled his phone from his pocket, sending a message to the moon. "Maybe we could meet in the lobby?"
"Too crowded, huh?" Cosmo shrugged.
"...Kitchen?"
"...Weird option, but probably the best??"
Sprout nodded slightly— there wasn’t really a good place in Gardenview that wasn’t already filled with twisteds. The kitchen was the least crowded place and, somehow, a comfortable spot for Astro.
"Wellll… I guess I’ll be off then. Good luck." Cosmo gave Sprout a small pat on the shoulder— or at least tried to. Given their height difference, it was a bit tricky.
"Ah, wait!" Sprout fiddled with the bouquet, pulling out two flowers and handing them to his best friend.
"....Okay, this is kinda—" Cosmo took them anyway.
"They're not for you, you know, they're for you to give to Shelly..." Sprout looked away, pretending not to care much about what Cosmo would say in response.
Cosmo stared at him. Intensely.
....
"Okay. Just remember all rooms are next to each other— don't stay up toolate...You knoww...." Cosmo walked off without explaining himself.
"What do you— Dude?!— What do you mean by that????" Sprout huffed, watching Cosmo walk away with two flowers in hand. He was in disbelief. Okay. He wasn't going to put effort into trying to understand what Cosmo meant. Actually, he already understood, but he’d rather pretend that wasn’t exactly it. Whatever.
After a few minutes... Sprout noticed someone approaching. There were still a few toons around, but he could recognize that heartbeat anywhere— it was calm, though it carried a hint of nervousness.
He quickly hid the bouquet behind his back, slipping the chocolate package into his pocket. Then, he saw Astro’s figure finally appear— he looked a little nervous, just as Sprout had suspected.
"Heeyy... I haven't seen you all day, moonie." Sprout gave a soft smile as the moon drew closer.
"....Hello.. Sprout." Astro smiled back, his usual small, closed-lip smile.
Astro’s voice... the way he sounded always warmed Sprout’s chest. It was comforting how Astro always stayed close to him— he never seemed to have a problem being near Sprout.
"So... Valentine's Day, huh?" Sprout chuckled nervously, still not looking at his beloved. He didn’t know what to say from there— his head was spinning with thoughts about what he should say. He shouldn't be worrying so much, right?—
"....Ssprout." Astro's sweet voice was heard once again as he took a small step forward, a slight smile on his face.
It was clear that the moon was nervous as well—Sprout could tell by his heartbeat.
"Why don’t you... try Stop thinking for.. a bit..?" Astro pulled his blanket up over his mouth, partially hiding his mouth as he looked at Sprout.
"Thinking..." Sprout sighed, placing a hand over his face. "Ah— Man... Sorry."
"Pf—It’s okay...! It's... cute when... you're being silly." Astro averted his gaze.
Sprout looked at him again, slowly lowering his hand from his face, his cheeks slightly flushed.
"...You do know you're the main reason for that, right?" He let out a small, goofy smile, looking away just like the moon.
Astro chuckled softly.
"Well..." Astro removed the blanket from his mouth. "...You called me here, so..?"
"Oh, right— I wanted to give you your present." Sprout extended one of his hands, revealing a bouquet with carefully chosen flowers for his beloved.
Astro's eyes widened slightly in surprise before he smiled softly.
"Ah... You didn’t have to, you know...." He gently took it.
"Do you like it???" Sprout asked with a hint of expectation.
"Mhm..." Astro nodded. "It came... from you, so I'd like it either way."
"Really?"
"Really... I like you a lot, Sprout." Astro looked directly at him.
Sprout’s chest warmed again, and he clasped his hands together as an overwhelming restlessness filled him. He wanted to run off and scream about how much he loved his boyfriend. But he’d probably be labeled as weird. And people would laugh. A lot. So that wasn’t an option for now— he’d just react physically instead.
"I... I like you a lot too, moonie." He grinned widely.
A brief silence settled between them until Astro flinched slightly.
"Oh... Wait, I have something... for you too." He started fumbling with his blanket.
"Hm?" Sprout tilted his head, curious.
"....Here." Astro offered something to him.
Sprout took a look— it was a small box. He carefully took it with open hands.
"And what’s this?"
"....A music box."
"Oh..." Sprout turned it around in his hands, noticing the key to wind it up. So he did.
"...I didn’t know what to give you." Astro shrugged. "...Everything I thought of... you probably already had, like... gloves, an apron... It wouldn’t be that cool, I think." He muttered. "...So... this is it, sorry if it’s not to your liking—"
"Hey— I like it!" Sprout cut him off.
"Really...?"
"...Yeah, at least now I’ll have something to remember you by, my love." He chuckled softly. "Ah, man... I wish I had given you something better."
"...It doesn’t have to be the best, Sprout."
Silence settled once again between the two as Sprout watched the little box play its soft melody. There was a small moon carved on it... It truly would be a keepsake.
Astro fidgeted with his blanket, clearly unsure of what to say. Just being near Sprout already seemed enough for him.
Sprout glanced at him from the corner of his eye before fully turning his head to face him.
Astro didn’t seem to notice.
Sprout smiled slightly before leaning in.
...
He placed a soft kiss on Astro’s cheek.
The moon flinched, startled by the sudden kiss, and of course, his face turned bright red.
"Sooo... Howwww about we go watch a movieee?" Sprout laughed nervously, already starting to walk away.
Astro stood frozen for a moment... He watched Sprout leaving before quickly following him, letting out a quiet "mhm" that sounded like a hum.
Sprout had forgotten to give Astro the chocolates.
But well... He’d remember at some point.