Lizzie's Recovery ♡

Everyone’s eyes glue onto you as you reach your hand into the opening of the sack and pull out…

Something beady and stringy finds itself in your fingers, and you can't help but roll your fingers over the points and curves of whatever it was- and even if it wasn't sharp enough to break skin, something a little pointer grazed against the back of your knuckles as you wrapped around whatever the object was. A charmed and beaded bracelet, and judging by the colored stars… you knew exactly who the owner was, you've seen him wear the thing so many times before when you joined him in the kitchen.

You'd feel like a bad friend if you didn't know.

But maybe you shouldn't have snapped your head so fast towards Cosmo's position. Not only did your neck pop a bit under the quick whip around, but you also made the poor dessert visibly jump just a little. He actually pointed at himself with the same startled look across his face, only to relax just a little bit as you dangled the bracelet in the air for everyone to see.

Dandy whistled softly and clicked his molars together, dragging the bag of items and trinkets away from you.

"Guess I don't need to call out names then! One less thing for me to do," He grinned. It didn't look all that sincere but you couldn't be bothered to linger on it as Cosmo closed the distance between the two of you and gently took the bracelet from you, and tucked it away into the safety of his jacket pocket.

Neither of you are given a chance to really say anything to each other before Dandy's already ushering you both off to the gift shop at the end of the hall. You tuned out the soft bickering between Dandy and Vee- who didn't seem all that eager to be used as a walking timer.

The walk to the gift shop was quiet. But not uncomfortable. You and Cosmo had been friends for so long that being stuck alone together didn't seem all that bad- the only noise shared between the two of you was him nervously checking the string of the bracelet.

"It's not tangled up is it…? If I had known what it was before I pulled it I would've…" you trailed off as you stood to the side, allowing the cake toon to step into the Christmas themed gift shop. They really didn't hold back on selling the wintery feel.

It was cold.

Either they were really committed to the bit or the heating was busted. Or maybe it just wasn't enough with the open train tunnel not too far off.

Cosmo hummed and screwed his face. "It's not, I just want to make sure everything's fine- I was actually planning on putting one of the kitchen tools in but… I don't want anyone getting nicked on something and- …honestly I don't know what else is in the bad, so…" He trailed off as the open storage door caught his attention.

"You think Dandy wants us to hide away in there? Looks dark…" You could see the dust particles floating around even from here. The sight alone made your throat itch.

You really didn't want to go in there. You really… really didn't want to go in there, you'd much rather brave the cold draft for a few minutes than suck in stuffy air.

By the looks of it, Cosmo didn't want to go in either… and almost hypocritically you nearly teased him for the look that spread across his face as he stared deep into the storage room. Even just focusing on it seemed to make the blackness inside grow deeper. Darkness was weird like that… maybe you'd ask Vee why that was, she seemed to know a lot.

"We can just sit down next to the door, if Dandy wanted us to go in the room he should have said that outright," You finally broke the silence that stretched on. At least thirty seconds must have been wasted, but was that really a big deal? There were still six left to go, and you were sure you could get the toon all to yourself another time- not that you had any reason to have sole ownership of his attention at any given time.

"Yeah… that's probably for the best, I don't want you getting any of that dust in your eyes," He mumbled softly as he stepped to the short plastic chairs set to the side. Child sized, but perfectly toon sized. The perks of being made to only stand at a few feet tall, it definitely came in handy for sneaking around. Though… the last time there was a company wide hide and seek there were a few scares from the more dedicated hiders.

Yatta. Yatta won. Of course she did- but in everyone's defense she was quite literally in the walls.

"You mean you don't want any dust in your icing- I'd hate to see you scrape it off and go bald for a bit," You finally allowed yourself to tease him. He was sweet, in every sense of the word, but sometimes you just couldn't help it.

And he took it like a champ, at least when it came from you. Because he knew you didn't mean any harm by it.

You two really were close.

It didn't even register how physically close the two of you were as you took up the chair next to him and leaned forward on the cold top of the table. Some drawings and toys still splayed across it… absentmindedly you snagged one of the still blank papers for yourself and started scribbling some lazy doodles with one of the abandoned crayons.

"I'm not- it's not being bald." He huffed softly. "…and I was actually going to ask if you wanted to help me make more icing… maybe even help pipe it on…" Cosmo took his own paper and started scribbling down something on his own.

…This was nice, actually.

You snorted.

"You'd really trust me to give you a new style? Do you reeeeeally think that's wise?"

The current color in your hand was swapped out for another- honestly you weren't even paying attention to what you putting to paper. Keeping your hands empty and free felt weird.

Brusha would be so jealous of your artistic ability, obviously.

The stretch of silence between the two of you went totally unnoticed by you as you continued to make a mess of the paper in front of you. It was also lost on you that Cosmo had put down the crayon in his hand and watched you close. A hard stare, but it wasn't angry. Not even upset. But it'd still have given you pause if you just looked back up at him for even just a moment.

"I'd trust you with anything," Cosmo finally broke the near perfect quiet between you both. Soft. But serious. "I think you have… a good judgment, actually- of taste! And other things?"

His scribbling finally picked back up just in time for you to look at him.

"Really? So you're saying if I gave you a mohawk you'd rock it no problem?" You snorted. You could imagine it now, whether or not it'd be feasible to make it out of cream and have it hold it's shape… maybe you could find some gelatin, that gave things structure right?

"You never know, maybe I could pull it off… but…" He tugged on the soft hood of his jacket. "You think it'd match my style?"

You purse your lips and squint at him. Even putting your hands up to really sell the look as you tried to visualize.

Okay maybe he couldn't rock a mohawk, but that didn't stop you from indulging in the idea of "what if!"-

"Maybe a mullet, but I'm not sure if I can style it right… not the best with… well, food stuff. That's your thing, and Sprout's thing. And-"

He got the point.

You trailed off.

It wasn't really a lie. Baking really wasn't your thing. Sure you weren't helpless in the kitchen and you have gotten better with time, but you still weren't anywhere near Cosmo's skill level- even if he had a tendency to burn a good chunk of his batches.

That was a timing and memory thing, not a baking thing. At least that's what it was to you. You were sure he could recite most of his recipes off the top of his head without consulting the countless papers he's scribbled them on. With verbal proof and physical, you've seen the way he instinctively grabbed for ingredients like muscle memory. The same kind of confident flow you've only seen from toons who you knew recited and practiced.

He was committed. And you were casual.

Once more Cosmo put down the crayon in his hand, and looked at you.

The eye contact would have been weird if he were anyone else. But you didn't look away as he scanned over your face.

"You did good in the kitchen today-"

"Because I had three people over my shoulder making sure I didn't mess anything up," You cut him off, albeit a bit harsher than you intended. You reel yourself back in with a sigh. "I don't mind being bad in the kitchen, honestly, I know I have other talents. I don't have to be some… master of all, or whatever,"

A shrug, but that didn't deter the other toon from trying to uplift you.

"We weren't really hovering, we all had our own parts," He glanced to the door of the gift shop for a moment. Suddenly everything felt too open and exposed- maybe you two should have just sucked it up and went into the storage room. It was probably too late for that now, I mean, it'd look weird if you just randomly got up and went into the side room.

"Our own batches, I mean… and I tried one of your cookies, and they were really good. You're improving," The scribbled on paper he had was pushed away as he turned in his seat to face you. "And I'm not just saying that because you're one of my best friends,"

"Wooow I'm still competing with Sprout for that title?" You teased.

He didn't smile or laugh.

You mumble an apology and try to ignore the conflicted look on his face. The way his eyebrows pulled closer felt a certain way.

"I remember the first time you came into the kitchen, you burnt your hand pretty bad," He mumbled softly as he eyed your fingers. It didn't leave much of a scar, only visible if you squinted. You didn't draw back as Cosmo took your fingers in his- slow and careful. Almost hesitant, like he was waiting for you to tug yourself out of his hold.

"But you were still so proud of the end product that you didn't care about that, and I think that's more important- you… you're having fun spending time with us in the kitchen, right?" He asked softly as he traced his fingers over the faint mark the hot baking sheet had left you with- honestly the entire ordeal back then was a little… funny looking back.

You had knocked the corner of the baking sheet on the fridge, and you thought you could get away with one handing the pan. One oven mitt. Without thinking you tried to catch the pan with your other hand.

The cookies were only halfway saved- still soft from the oven, most slid.. squashed against the raised lip of the pan.

You were so upset in the moment but as soon as the pain died back, the taste was actually.

…Nice…

Not perfect but it served as just enough motivation to bring you back to the kitchen despite the flaking dried up skin of your palm and fingers.

"…I am," You mumbled softly as your fingers twitched against his. The movement snapped his eyes down to your hands, and finally he tugged his away from yours.

"Sorry- sorry I should have asked before-" He mumbled, but he wasn't given the chance to launch into a string of awkward apologies as Dandy dipped into the doorway- the flower stopping right in his tracks when he found that neither of you were in the storage room.

"Ah- Thought you'd both go on and hide up in there-" He mumbled as his green hand remained clung onto the doorway. He pursed his lips, and sucked in his cheek. He didn't look that upset about it, maybe even relieved at the sight that it just looked like the two of you sat down and did nothing.

Weird, but at least he didn't drag this out as he spun on his heel.

"Well… uh…" Dandy's teeth clicked together awkwardly. "Next round is starting soon, so I recommend you two up and get outta here so the next duo can have their privacy,"

And with that he left, leaving you and Cosmo alone in the gift shop.

You both cleared your throats at the same time. And then swallowed back laughter- thank god for the both of you being nervous wrecks. You might've both say with the weird tension all night if you couldn't find the humor in anything.

"Why don't we go get some of the desserts before Yatta decimates them," You rose up from the plastic chair.

How the kids could sit in them without issues was beyond you. Your lower back was hating you right now.

"I actually tried one of your cookies earlier, it was good,"

"Was it?" You waited for Cosmo by the door, just as you had when you entered. He hummed, jogging up to your side. "I was actually kind of worried- think I tricked myself into thinking I got the sugar and salt mixed up… again.."

"It's a common mistake! Boxten did the same thing the other day… they really do look similar… I've actually been thinking about asking Brusha if she could paint one of the containers so they don't look so similar…" He rubbed the back of his head.

"…we could ask her when she's free.. think we can butter her up with a treat?"

Alas, you'd both have to wait to pursue the paintbrush- the two of you had walked right by her as she walked by Glisten's side to the gift shop.

That was certainly… a pairing. Maybe it'd be best to ask her for a favor tomorrow, something you and Cosmo both agreed on as you stepped to the already ravaged treat table.

even if you're a distractor the floors are likely going to go by extremely slowly if its just the two of you- but whos to say you guys arent in a full team? i like to headcanon the slow extraction speed and small skillcheck comes from cosmo being overly cautious- hes the same way with his baking- ...and while standing next to him assuring him that hes going to do great can help... its not a perfect solution

youre like his personal scarab- you search for healing items and bring them back to him... at least when theres no one already hurt or hes low on supplies- but he insists you at least keep a bandaid or two on you- regardless of how you interpret his ability in universe, he cant just sling out heals willy nilly on the spot

god forbid if youre the teams distractor, hes going to be so worried about you- if the elevator timer gets too close to running out... hes going to debate running out of the elevator trying to find you, just for you to come in at the last second. please dont do that to him, his little heart cant take the stress on top of everything else

speaking of you potentially being a distractor, hes going to be nearby at all times to make sure hes there to heal you if something happens. trip over finn or toodles? get grabbed by goob? hes sending a heal your way within seconds- and thats saying something big for him because he really doesnt like seeing the state the twisteds are in, what with their leaking wounds and dripping ichor. those were your friends at some point- his friends too