Cookie Run Request Book

Sparkling x Herb - fluff

A/N: All I got for this request was "fluff and confession" haha. It's not entirely a confession but I hope it's still nice.

Sparkling flipped over the sign on his door to 'Closed' with a sigh. It has been a busy day. He didn't want anything more than to head to bed, but he still had cleaning to do.

He picked up a washcloth and got to work, wiping down tables until they were spotless. He was about to move on to the next when he spotted something under one of the tables.

It was a leaf. He was certainly unsure why it was there, let alone how it got there, but he picked it up, anyway. He gently traced the edges with his fingers, a smile forcing itself to his face as memories of a certain gardener came to him.

Herb hasn't shown up all day, but that was okay, Sparkling would tell himself. Herb had no business coming in every day. He knew that, but he couldn't help but ache for his presence.

He leaned on one of the stools, staring at the stray leaf as his mind was filled with memories of the gardener. His washcloth was long forgotten, but that was alright. He had all night to finish cleaning.

The sound of the door opening shook him out of his thoughts. He snapped his head up in surprise, taking a step forward to escort whoever came in.

"I'm sorry but we are closed-" he started, but quickly cut himself off when he noticed who was standing in the doorway.

"I know." Herb replied with a smile. He carefully closed the door behind himself. He was holding a pot of lavenders, a slightly larger set of flowers than his usual plant.

"Hello Sparkling Cookie." he greeted timidly.

"Hey Herb. What brings you in today?" he asked with a smile, quickly pocketing the leaf he was holding. Herb looked around the bar before he replied.

"I wanted to give you this."

He gestured to the pot he was holding with a smile. Sparkling raised his eyebrows.

"How come?" he asked, walking over to take the plant from his friend. Their hands brushed for a moment, surprising both of them.

"I've noticed you've been more stressed lately." Herb began explaining as Sparkling brought the flowers to the storage room. "Lavenders have a great calming effect."

Sparkling chuckled, gently patting the flowers once he set them down.

"That's very thoughtful of you. Thank you."

Herb looked at the abandoned washcloth on the table.

"Are you still cleaning up?" he asked, turning to Sparkling when he came back.

"Yeah. Busy day." the bartender smiled sheepishly. Herb walked over to his storage room and grabbed a broom.

"Let me help then."

"You don't have to."

"I can't let you stay here until midnight to clean alone." Herb gave him a stern look.

"Alright. Thank you, then." Herb's expression softened, a slight smile creeping up to his face.

Sparkling moved back to the table he left behind, wiping it down a couple of times before moving on again. Herb began sweeping the floor, collecting whatever items he found.

He jumped a little when he backed into something, quickly turning around to check what it was.

Sparkling felt something bump against him. He turned around, only to be met face to face with the gardener. He felt his cheeks heat up, pressing himself closer to the table behind himself for more space. Herb stared back at him with wide eyes, his face just as red as his.

They broke eye contact simultaneously, both of them going in opposite directions. Sparkling rubbed the back of his neck, quickly turning back to the table he was cleaning.

Herb speed walked to the backdoor, picking up the trash can that was sitting beside it.

"I'll throw this out." he called quietly, making his way out before he even got a reply.

"Okay." Sparkling replied, mentally cursing himself when his voice came out much higher than he intended. He paused, suddenly remembering something.

"Wait!" He yelled after Herb, but it was too late. He heard the familiar sound of his drains creaking, followed by water splashing. He hurried after him, stopping in the doorway.

Herb was soaking wet. He turned to him with a frown, which reminded Sparkling of one of those videos of wet cats Mint Choco showed him. He put his hand in front of his mouth, trying to suppress a chuckle.

"Are you okay?" he asked shakily. Herb's frown deepened, crossing his arms as he nodded. "Okay. Let me get you a towel."

He hurried off, speeding up the stairs to his apartment for a warm towel. Herb was already sitting on a stool by the time he was back. He handed him the cloth, giving him an apologetic smile.

"I haven't had the time to fix my drains since the storm a few days ago." He began explaining as he put on some water to boil. "It crashes down whenever I open that door."

"That's very dangerous, Sparkling! You could get hurt!" He stared at him with wide eyes. Sparkling gave him a sheepish smile.

"I'll get to it soon, don't worry."

He mixed the tea leaves with the water, putting two sugar cubes in the cup as he slid it over to the gardener. Herb stared at him for a moment with a worried expression before he thanked him for the tea.

Sparkling walked over to him, sitting on the stool closest to his. He clicked his tongue, taking the towel that was wrapped around Herb's neck.

"You gotta dry your hair first." he reminded him, gently rubbing the towel on his head. "I don't want you to get sick because of me."

"Yet you're okay with risking yourself by not fixing it." Herb muttered under his breath as he took a sip. Sparkling stared down at him, but Herb returned the challenge, holding eye contact firmly. He rolled his eyes and ruffled up his hair.

"Hey!" Herb laughed, holding onto his arm with one hand. Sparkling felt his heart flutter from the grin the other was giving him. He opened his mouth to say something, but everything he could have said slipped his mind.

Herb felt his face heat up from how close they were to each other. He stared into Sparkling's eyes with a grin, the bartender's baffled expression making him chuckle.

For a moment, they felt like it was just the two of them in the world. The moonlight lit up the bar, basking them both in silver light.

"You look magnificent." Sparkling breathed out. Herb blinked at him in surprise, feeling his heartbeat speed up. He tightened his grip on his arm, afraid to let go lest the moment disappear.

Sparkling leaned closer hesitantly.

To his relief, Herb didn't pull back.

He hovered close, their faces almost touching. He swallowed, putting a hand on the gardener's cheek. He felt Herb's breath against his skin.

"Is this okay?" he asked quietly. Herb nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Sparkling finally closed the distance between them, kissing the other gently. He closed his eyes, feeling all the tension evaporate from his body. At that moment, it felt like everything had finally fallen into place.

They pulled away after what felt like an eternity, which realistically was only a few seconds. Herb looked away, swallowing nervously.

"Does this mean you like me back?" He asked nervously. Sparkling stared at him for a moment before breaking out in laughter.

"Yes. Yes it does." he replied, giving the other a warm smile.