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Agott wakes up with two capital p Purposes today.
Three if you count the usual, her daily routine. She likes routine because it keeps her in check, and it leaves no room for anything unnecessary.
Unnecessary like the mess of Coco’s fluffy hair when she finally drags herself to her bedroom door, after two attempts on Agott’s part to wake her, and the small smile of gratitude and ‘Morning, Agott she sends Agott’s way. Unnecessary, like the twist to Agott’s stomach at the sight of her, or the intrusive pink to her ears.
“Good morning,” She parrots, swishing back around, to clean up her study area. Qifrey will be calling for breakfast soon, and she likes to get some review in beforehand.
“Took you longer than usual to wake me up the second time,” Coco comments around a loud yawn.
Agott sighs as she reaches for a comb and outstretches it for Coco, who accepts it gratefully. “If you’re awake enough to notice that stuff then just get up, would you?”
Coco only laughs, bright as the morning sun, pulling the comb through her hair.
—
As fate would have it, today is different — because after her usual routine, and after breakfast and morning lessons, Agott beckons Qifrey aside. Her professor is crucial to Purpose Number One, and as such, sacrifices must be made, and dignities cast aside.
“I need help,” She announces, once she’s ascertained the room was cleared and no nosy stragglers remained in the vicinity.
Qifrey frowns at her in concern. “Is everything alright, Agott?”
She’d planned for this already, so she is only vaguely nervous at having to admit it outloud. She wrings her fingers in front of her. Locks her gaze safely on Qifrey’s nose instead of meeting his eye.
“I have a problem,” she starts, carefully.
Qifrey nods, with patience.
“It’s about Coco.”
“Coco?” Qifrey tilts his head in confusion. “Did something happen with you and Coco?”
“No! No, it’s just that—” Agott can’t even hold eye contact with his nose anymore. “She just smiles so much now. At me, I mean. And I want her approval of me. And I think about her too much. And… my heart pounds whenever… she’s near me,” her words falter into barely a mumble. She halfway wishes she could disappear right along with them.
Qifrey looks mildly confused, but the moment it dawns on him is as apparent as a full moon. He draws out a long, “Ahhh….” with a big fish-eating grin that Agott finds especially aggravating and unnecessary.
She points accusingly, flustered. “Stop it, what’s with that look?”
“My, my,” Qifrey can’t wipe off his smile, but he hums while he thinks. “Well, I will do my very best to help, but perhaps Olruggio would know better how to assist you…? He knows more about these kinds of things than I do.”
“No,” she says firmly. “I see the way you look at him. You’re just like me. It has to be you.”
Qifrey’s face slacks with a blink.
It might be the only time Agott has ever seen him thrown off balance. His face smooths over instantly, but the damage is done.
“Is it that obvious?” he asks after a beat. His ears are singed, lightly. Agott sighs.
“Incredibly.”
She watches, feeling miles better about her own pesky situation as Qifrey ghosts a shy hand across his cheeks, as if to wipe the color off himself. He exhales softly into it.
“Alright,” he relents, sheepish. “What can I help you with?”
This is it. The moment it ends.
She inhales, and squares her shoulders. “I need you to help me make it go away.”
All his shyness is immediately replaced by bewilderment, and he rubs his chin while he regards her. “I’m afraid it may not be as easy as that. Though I'd suppose distance is your first best bet in allowing a crush to fade.”
Agott’s face sullens. Qifrey laughs, hand on her shoulder. “Agreed.”
The knots return to her stomach, but for a whole new reason this time. That was a complete bust. Should she press him for a different answer? There has to be another answer. She doesn’t want to leave Coco’s side, as long as she can help it.
But these feelings are equally a nuisance.
Her complete lack of desire to stray from Coco, this occupation with Coco— it’s entirely a nuisance.
“I don’t want this anymore, Professor,” She laments quietly, eyebrows drawn and skirt bunching in her fists. Qifrey sinks into a crouch in front of her, craning to look her in the eye. She meets his gaze reluctantly. His expression is somber, and kind.
“I think you’re admirable, Agott. You try very hard to take care of yourself. Even then,” he places a hand on her back, right where her spine meets her ribs, where her ribs contain her heart, “you cannot loathe your heart into changing. I think you’ve learned that well.”
She frowns, quiet.
She’s not exactly sure what he means by that, but she’s not interested enough to ask. If he wanted to tell her to get a grip she wishes he would just say that instead. It’d suck a lot less than this.
“You’re far too nice about things sometimes, professor.”
“Oh? Thank you?”
“It’s not a compliment.” She points another finger at him. “It makes you so vague. I think some things you should be meaner about.”
He seems to find that incredibly humorous, as he laughs before he can answer.
“I won’t ever punish you for a crush, my dear. And I can’t help you punish yourself, either. But,” He lowers both knees to the floor when she looks at him forlornly, “If you wish for me to be more frank, I can do that.” He places both hands on her shoulders, zeroing in.
“You mustn’t run away. And you can do anything — be clumsy, incomplete, inexperienced, afraid — but you mustn’t run away. Do you understand?”
She’s shocked, somehow. That one was even worse.
Scowling heatlessly, she fires, “I’m gonna tell Professor Olruggio that you like him.”
Qifrey gasps, frown so immediate Agott has to bite down the laugh that bubbles up. “Agott, please don’t do that.”
She wasn’t planning to. It’s fun to poke fun at her professor, because he takes everything she says very seriously. His kindness makes him malleable. But Agott doesn’t bend. “I’m not a coward,” she declares.
Qifrey exhales, and straightens his back with a smile. “No, you aren’t.”
They are interrupted by footsteps padding by the entrance, and Olruggio looks like a deer caught in headlights when they both twist to look at him.
“Oh, Olly!” Qifrey lifts off the floor, making for the entrance way. “You mentioned you took a few days off; would you mind taking Coco to town? She needs to get fitted at the seamstress’.”
Olruggio looks less than pleased, as he lets Qifrey relieve him of the loaded shopping baskets he was carrying. “You can’t do it? I just got home.”
“And iced cream,” Agott whisper-yells, stealing her chance.
Qifrey glances back at her, then laughs. “And ice cream too, I suppose. Matter of fact,” he segues, as smooth-lipped and crafty as ever, “That’s just perfect. Agott, why don’t you join them?”
“Hey,” Olruggio interjects, “I haven't agreed to this yet.”
“I guess I could go,” Agott says, side eyeing Qifrey, who sends her a playful smile, “But only since I’ve got most of my afternoon review done already.”
“That sounds just wonderful, Agott.”
“Qifrey,” Olruggio complains, louder.
The two of them have a whole exchange in the span of seconds as Agott watches, all through eyebrow lifts and varied facial expressions. If Olruggio's pained look is anything to go by, he clearly lost.
He sighs, and turns to Agott. “Come on then. Let’s go.”
Well, figures. Agott has seen the witch object to Qifrey’s whimsies plenty of times, but she’s hardly seen him be successful at it. He’s got a long way to go if he ever plans to out-wile their professor. Not that Agott cares much in this instance who goes, as long as she can tag along. Purpose Number One was a bust, but maybe she can still salvage the day.
Though — Olruggio accepts defeat pretty well, all things considered.
Agott thinks Qifrey, at least, has nothing to worry about.
—
It hardly takes twenty minutes in town for Olruggio to announce he’s breaking away for a moment.
Apparently there’s a secret liquid that only adults can touch and not children or else their fingers will turn green and blue and it’s on sale right now, and actually tastes really good despite the polarizing reviews (Qifrey) and not to tell the other adult in the Atelier (Qifrey) that he bought it with them around because now that he’s seen it he has to pick it up right now, or else.
“And,” Olruggio finishes off, “I’ll be right back, I promise.”
“You’re a terrible babysitter,” Agott informs him. Coco nudges her arm a little, chiding Agott, don’t say that.
“You’ll be in my immediate vicinity at all times,” Olruggio parries easily, already rummaging behind his belt. “You’re under my watch, I’ll keep you safe. There's no question about that.”
Agott turns away. He didn’t have to take it so seriously, when she was just joking. Or mostly joking, at least. Coco immediately goes off about how cool that sounded, clenching her fists with her eyes sparkling as Olruggio laughs at the praise. Agott finds the whole thing unnecessary. She huffs when Olruggio pats her on the back.
“Professor Olruggio is so cool,” Coco sighs, while they watch Olruggio drift towards the stall in question.
Olruggio, a distance away, greets the vendor with a kind smile as he points to the bottle he’s interested in. He can be cool, if just a little.
“Someone’s gotta keep them on their toes,” She sniffs, looking away.
Coco only giggles. “You do a bit more than keep them on their toes, I’d say.”
They’ve accidentally meandered their way a bit further than they were meant to, but Agott doesn’t call attention to it, and neither does Coco. Their shoulders bump every now and then as they walk.
“You know, I’ve never really gotten fitted for a proper dress before,” Coco voices through the quiet between them, through the otherwise pleasant, muted chatter of the busy shopping town surrounding them. She clenches her fists again, drawing them up and down excitedly. “Maybe I’ll look something like those chariot ladies that’d visited before.”
Agott for one has zero recollection of any chariot ladies, though she is in no rush to interrupt her. Coco finds it hard to speak without smiling sometimes, and all Agott can do is watch, and be quietly starstruck by it.
“I’m definitely tagging along for Tetia’s fitting,” Coco adds, swinging her arms as she walks.
“She and Richeh are getting fitted the same day, aren’t they?” Coco hums in response, and Agott considers it. “Maybe I’ll tag along too, then.”
“I hope you will,” Coco turns her bright smile at her. “I’m curious what Richeh will choose.” Her clenched fists unfurl to cradle her own cheeks, sighing dreamily. “I just know Tetia will pick something breathtaking.”
Knowing Tetia, the probability is higher than 100%. Agott had already gotten a lecture once about how important fashion is to her, and while she still doesn’t entirely get it, she can understand wanting to reconcile your inner desires with your outside image, or wanting to become someone entirely new.
Clothes do make for convenient visors. Agott knows the wish to disappear all too well.
“She will,” Agott answers Coco. “I probably won’t wear a dress like her, though. I might— try a suit, or something, instead.”
She’s scared for Coco’s reaction, but peeks up for a moment afterward, curiosity getting the best of her. Coco’s mouth is agape a bit. She leans in, fists clenched again.
“That’s so cool,” She breathes, eyes full of stars.
Agott falters, and then doesn’t bother responding this time, only angling her face away to avoid Coco catching it flush pink.
“Oh, Agott, look!” Coco exclaims suddenly, patting repeatedly at her arm. Agott follows where her finger is pointing, squinting at a large calligraphed pink and blue sign hung up on top of a sizable stall.
“Free milk bread loaves for couples,” Agott reads off it. Before she can say anything else Coco has turned on her, eyes big and watery, hands clasped in plea.
Agott’s hand rests on her hip, feeling highly skeptical. She notes the young couples littering the stall and standing in line for the sale, how they all look good together. How none of them look like Agott and Coco.
“Would that even count for us?” She says, rubbing at her neck.
Coco doesn’t share her hesitance in the slightest, and she crouches low to the ground, beckoning Agott to join her. She sighs, and lowers herself too, tucking in her skirt.
Coco starts an invisible sketch right above the ground with her finger. “The game plan would be this. We go in,” She devises two circles and a straight line, “We fool them, we get free milk bread loaves, and slink right out. They won’t even know what hit them.”
Agott stares at the empty cobblestone, and then at Coco.
“…Right, and how do we fool them? Where will you find a fake boyfriend?”
“I don’t need that, I’ve got you. Look, I can hold your hand, like this,” She lifts Agott’s hand from her knee, and gently interlocks them, letting the two dangle in the air.
“S-see?” She gestures, suddenly sounding a whole lot less confident. Agott wouldn’t know, though, since the past twenty seconds were a whole lot to take in emotionally and physically, and she’s spending most of her time staring at their twined fingers, stomach similarly in knots.
“We look plenty like a proper couple.” Coco is looking at their hands too, and then up at Agott. “I think it’s worth a shot.”
In her daze Agott doesn’t know whether she agreed to it or not. Coco is kind enough to let go of her hand.
—
Agott spends the time on line nervously keeping her eyes trained forward. She wonders if the couples around them, all so much taller up close, are staring at them at all. Coco, despite her cheerful, idle chatter, seems to be fidgeting more than usual, too.
The front of the line arrives with speed. They’re craning their necks up to the vendor in no time, and Coco puts on her most convincing smile. “We’re here for the free milk bread loaves, Ma’am!”
The lady peers over the stall, putting out the cigarette she had in her mouth at the sight of them. “That one is for couples only, my dears,” she informs them.
Agott feels a spike of annoyance, but their twined fingers catch the vendor’s gaze first. The lady’s eyes lift, and shift between the two of them. “Oh…?”
Coco squares her shoulders, and tries bravely, “This is… this is my…”
Her hand tightens around Agott’s, whose own chest is aching weirdly. Watching Coco struggle to say it, even in pretense, is getting increasingly harder, and she’s seconds from stepping in to help when–
“Girlfriend!” Coco cries out a bit too loud in a desperate burst of courage. “She’s my girlfriend!” A few stragglers turn curiously towards the ruckus, and the vending lady looks stunned.
She spurts into a booming, boisterous laugh, while Coco shrinks in embarrassment.
“Understood, little lady,” She accepts a packaged loaf from an assistant behind her, and passes it on to them.
Coco, movements jerky, plants a kiss on Agott’s cheek after relaying her thanks, except she misses entirely and somehow ends up in Agott’s hair. In one last valiant effort she loops their arms back together and wobbles off with a burning Agott in tow.
“The cheek kiss was not part of the plan,” Agott hisses once they are officially out of sight.
“I improvised!” Coco wails. “I was scared she didn’t believe me!”
“You already had the treat in your hand, it didn't matter if she believed you or not!”
“I know, I’m sorry.”
“Why on earth are you sorry?”
“For putting you through that! For making you upset.”
Agott stops them, tugging Coco to a pause in front of her. “I’m not— do I seem upset? Coco, I just—” Her stomach is fluttering horribly, and her sleeve comes up to shield her red face. She exhales deeply into it, willing her heart to cease its thrumming. Coco’s face has somewhat matched hers when she lowers it, big eyes finding her own.
Her heartbeat hiccups.
“Forget it,” Agott mumbles, losing whatever brief bravery she’d found.
She doesn’t let go of Coco’s hand, leading them back to find Olruggio again. “Don’t apologize for stuff like that,” she adds, softly. Coco is uncharacteristically quiet behind her; Agott doesn’t doesn’t call attention to it, and neither does she.
—
Olruggio stares back and forth between the two of them.
His cloak is sporting a suspicious bulge in the back, where he keeps his spell book and pens. It’s the shape of a large, few bottles. He brushes it off easily when Agott points it out.
“Did something happen…?” He pivots instead, pointedly.
Neither of them can look at each other all that much, so the question isn’t unwarranted.
“Nothing, no,” Agott supplies unhelpfully.
Olruggio looks appropriately unconvinced. “Listen, if you two had some sort of fight…”
“We didn't! Look,” Coco takes Agott’s hand again, swinging and holding it up, showing off their looped fingers. “We aren’t fighting at all. Promise.”
Olruggio appraises them lengthily, eyebrows high enough they disappear behind his fringe. His eyes linger especially on Agott’s, looking like gears are churning in his head. She lifts her chin haughtily. And looks away.
“Well, alright then,” He moves on, “If you say so. Let’s go, it’s about time.”
He turns to lead their march to the seamstress shop. The bulge in his cloak comes into view again. “Not a word,” he says to Agott, who makes a childish face at him.
—
The dress has a golden, green, and pink finish, gilded tassels escaping the folds and crevices, patterning creeping up her torso and lining her puff sleeves. It glides through the air seamlessly as Coco twirls in it, absolutely giddy as Olruggio cheers her on. Or, as best as he can, at least, from underneath the piles of textiles and fabrics he was asked to hold.
She comes to an ungraceful halt, arms splayed outward as she awkwardly attempts to regain her balance. Olruggio hauls over the fabrics the seamstress asks for, and cranes around her to send Coco a grin. “It looks wonderful, Coco.”
She beams at him, embarrassed and happy. “You think so, Professor?”
He musses her hair fondly. “Sure I do. Agott,” Olruggio turns his smile to her, “What do you think?”
Coco looks up at her, too. She wrings her clasped fingers a bit. “What do you think, Agott? Does it look pretty?”
Of course it looks pretty. It looks incredible. She has a mighty glare ready for Olruggio later regardless, for putting her on the spot. “It looks fine,” she mumbles. “I don’t see the point of all the frills.”
Coco’s frown is immediate. “There you go again with that,” she puts her hands on her hips, all while Olruggio squints at her, craning to peer at her face.
“Huh… you…?” Olruggio draws back, and to Agott’s horror, looks like he just reached an unfortunate conclusion. One about Agott. One probably concerning Coco. “Is that— so that—?”
Indignance turning to confusion, “Is that what?” Coco asks.
“Nothing!'' Both Agott and Olruggio whirl on her, Agott far more frantic and Olruggio vaguely in delight.
Coco immediately backs down in surrender, laughing amidst her bewilderment.
Olruggio’s head cranks back to Agott, but she already has him pinned under a fiery glare. Silently, she dares him to bring it up. The expression on his face is somehow adjacent to the one Qifrey had given her, albeit a fair bit more silly, and not intimidated in the slightest.
She catches him meeting Coco’s eyes as well, but she can’t see around the arm Olruggio has hoisted on his hip and the pile of other dresses hanging off his arm — damned all those frills — what face Coco is making. When the both of them turn away and her line of sight clears, whatever might’ve been there is gone.
—
“Sorry we made you come all this way.”
Olruggio turns his head to look at her, as she bites into her well-earned loaf.
“You give me too little credit. I came ‘cause I wanted to.” He smiles, crossing his arms. “You saw. Qifrey reassured me it was only a favor he was asking, and that he completely understood if I was too tired.”
Agott looks at him flatly. “He said all of that?”
Olruggio isn’t discouraged easily, arms folding behind his head. His voice is light and teasing. “You just wouldn’t get it yet.”
Is that right. Well, given the pathetic state of her two professors right now she hopes she never does. She doesn’t say this, opting instead for, “I see.”
Olruggio looks satisfied beyond himself, his smile uncontained and painstakingly endeared. His palms find the stone of the water fountain they’re seated on, as they both watch Coco awe over a line of stuffed toys.
“...You’d better not tell Coco.”
Agott probably looks unconvincing and generally unthreatening with her cheek stuffed with bread so she grumbles for good measure, “And I mean it.”
“I won't tell her,” Olruggio chuckles. He leans back on one arm, regarding Agott next. “Though I’d say it wouldn’t matter, anyway.”
Agott swallows the bread down. “Huh? Why’s that?”
“You think you’re the only one who trusts me to keep a secret?” Olruggio smiles, evasively. Agott stares blankly at him, and wonders if it was worth correcting the guy. He is still illusioned and clearly very deeply mistaken. This is a hostage situation. It has nothing to do with trust.
“Just take my word for it,” he says, the look he gets when he’s imparting words very wise — a look that’s always self satisfied and vaguely insufferable, settling upon his face.
“I’m sure of it. You two will be okay.”
Well, it was nice of him to say, and at least half reassuring in its own way. The sun is on its way down, and the world is a kindly pink and orange, and Olruggio graciously doesn’t comment when she rests her head in his side.
If that’s how it is, she guesses she can try to believe it some, too.
—
Before Olruggio can usher them all home, Agott sets off on her final journey for the day.
The iced cream stall looms in front of her. The cool air washes her face. She stands on her tippy toes, peering over the side of the stall, meeting eyes with a teenaged vendor.
She looks mildly bored, and lets her head loll to the side at Agott’s materialization. “And how can I help you today?”
“I’d like a cup of iced cream,” She slides the money across the tabletop with her fingers. Qifrey’s meddlesome voice reverberates through her head, so she adds, “Please.”
“Ah,” The young lady says, reaching for the scoop. “You mean the Fluffy Fluffy Cream Ice Cream special.”
“Yes, the iced cream,” Agott repeats, wishing the vendor wouldn’t call it such an embarrassing name and so loudly too. It’s bad enough she’s been craving this treat marketed for children every day since Qifrey brought home the free samples he was given. She’d never had anything like it at the assembly, after all. Arkromes didn’t like the apprentice witches eating anything unnecessary and off-script, so she always had little to no opportunity to ever indulge in a snack.
Iced cream, huh? She allows herself a private smile, carefully unwrapping the cold treat.
It doesn’t so much as make it even halfway to her mouth before she’s bumped into roughly by the shoulder.
The town has considerably emptied out compared to midday, so there was plenty of room to walk around her, even in a hurry.
But of course it knocks her off balance. Of course her unwrapped ice cream is sent flying, and finds a new home in the dirt.
She lays stunned on the floor, watching the assailant jog off without turning to check on who they’d slammed into. She notes offhandedly that their clothes aren’t fanciful in the slightest. Nothing on them is reminiscent of the sea.
“Ah–!” Agott hears a hefty bellow from behind her, and turns to see Coco storming over, with Olruggio following a ways behind. “Agott, are you—? What the heck, you get back here!”
Coco barely stops for long enough in front of her, looking more appalled than Agott has seen her in a long time, before she’s stalked off in the direction of the perpetrator.
“Coco,” Agott stops her, grasping for her ankle. “Don’t bother. I don’t care.”
“Why?” Coco turns again to look down towards her. “That’s so rude and unfair to you! You deserve an apology!” From her place on the ground, the sky, the sunset, it’s all in flames behind Coco. Orange and green isn’t a combo Agott ever thought she’d find so pretty.
Conversely, her sad Fluffy Fluffy Cream Iced Cream is strewn across the dirt, somehow noble in its own right too. It was a last ditch effort to salvage the unsalvageable, anyway. She’s never been quite literally knocked to the ground before.
It could be her newest low, and yet somehow it doesn’t feel like one.
“It’s okay,” she chews on a smile. “Come on.”
“But… Agott…”
“Coco, it’s fine,” Agott laughs, unable to contain herself any longer.
It’s absurd, all of it. It seems enough to break down Coco’s defenses as she scrambles in concern, crouching to Agott’s level, who uses her elbows to sit up off the floor. There goes her uniform, too. She’ll ask Qifrey for help when they get home.
“Is everything okay?” Coco flounders. “Why are you laughing? You didn’t hit your head, did you?”
“It wasn’t a witch.” Agott grins, difficult to quell once she’s already started— something flooding through her, something warm as the sun. “I don’t think they knew me at all.”
Coco has finally forgotten her anger entirely, exasperated and laughing now, too, while she rises back up, pulling Agott up with her. “I don't really get it. That doesn’t change anything.”
No, Agott disagrees. It changes everything.
“Thank you for trying to defend me,” Agott says, smiling. “I’m really happy.”
Coco stares for a beat, mouth closing while she tries to smile back, lopsided and slightly dazed and incredibly embarrassed, “I mean, it's not like I was— you know— it’s not all that, really—”
Agott watches her fumble and only giggles more from behind her sleeve, which in turn only makes Coco all the more flustered.
She turns away from Agott a little, voice coming out in a pout. “...But, you’re welcome.”
Olruggio had gone off after the perpetrator in Coco’s stead, after checking Agott thrice over just in case something was broken or scraped so he could really let the douche have it. He’d made quick work about it, too, and while they wait for him to finish Agott jokes about how Qifrey would not have been able to take the diplomatic approach had he been the one with them instead— which she doesn’t expect Coco to find funny, but the girl tips her head back to laugh.
“I can defend myself, you know,” Agott speaks up, as they walk. Their shoulders bump every so often.
Olruggio is just up ahead now and waiting over a stone pillar for them, and Coco waves back at him, ducking under the curtain Agott holds open for her. “I guess so,” She responds, thoughtfully, waiting for Agott to cross too. “I could’ve opened that curtain for myself just now. And I can wake myself up on time for lessons too.”
Agott lets the curtain fall behind her. “No, you can’t do that one, actually.”
“...That is true,” Coco concedes, sadly. “But my point is, there's lots of stuff you could do by yourself. But… I’m here.” She bounces from Agott’s side, skip-hopping in front of her, hands swinging to clasp behind her back. “So why must you do them all?”
Her face starts to flush as her words settle between them, and she quickly adds, “O-or you know, it could be anyone that cares about you. Like Tetia or Richeh or professors Olruggio and Qifr—”
“Okay, okay,” Agott stops her. “I get it. …Thanks, Coco.”
She really is amazing, after all.
It’s not that Agott doesn’t understand her conviction. If anything, Coco is the one from who she learned most the value of living for others, too. Agott just never considered she also could be the other, and for maybe the first time, not have that a bad thing to be. The other, not meaning the abandoned, but the loved.
Agott can’t even be chagrined at her day going nothing as planned. She hadn’t realized a single purpose. She took the leap, and got nothing from it.
Not even iced cream. Just this nuisance crush.
Agott huffs through her nose, something between exasperation, defeat, and one last laugh.
“Come on,” She strides ahead. “Professor’s waiting for us.”
“Wait, but it’s not too late yet! Let's get you another of that, um…” Coco frowns in thought. “What was it called again? ‘Fluff’ something?”
Oh. Right. Agott glances off. “Hmm… can’t remember.”
“The tasty ice. It looked so cute and colorful and cute,” Coco’s eyes start to glaze giddily, and Agott squints at her as her true intentions begin to leak out.
Coco sighs, and then leans over, her smile warm and cheeky. “And of course, I know how bad you wanted it.”
Agott looks affronted. And then she looks away. “I— I didn’t want it that bad.”
“Yeah, right,” Coco leaves it, laughing softly. “You can’t fool me.”
“…You were pretty cool back there, though. Storming after that person and all.”
“Heh heh. Was I?”
“That’s why I like you,” Agott says, wistfully. “You charge in head first, and you lead with your heart. I think you’re painfully strong.”
Coco is silent beside her, but Agott won’t look at her, so it’s alright. She’s not yet brave like her, and that’s alright, too. “I like you,” She repeats herself. “I like you. I wonder what it’d be like to be like you.”
Coco’s emotions are clear as day in her voice when she finally responds, and Agott can imagine exactly what her face looks like without even looking up.
“...But you’re strong too, Agott. I… I…” She trails off helplessly. Searches for Agott’s hand in the dark, and squeezes, tight. Her hand burns in Agott’s like a proper furnace. If she knows Coco at all, her cheeks are almost definitely the same way.
Agott smiles, small.
“Okay. Let’s go. That ice won’t wait forever.”