#Cossy/Felis Helix

[dyno511]

Thank You for The Best of You

Summary: Cossy's birthday is coming around and everyone's found out he's never had a Chuck-E-Cheese's birthday party.

Word Count: 4355

Author's Note: This was a birthday gift for my friend <3

Read on Ao3 | Masterlist

        Most mornings were quiet in the Fischer house, today however, was not most mornings. Any time Sibylle’s friends spent the night, it was bound to be a chaotic morning but the family would have it no other way. The laughter from the group was enough to let being woken up in the morning go. Heinrich made his way to the kitchen, starting breakfast for the bunch and his youngest daughter, waiting for Sibylle or Mycena to make their way down to apologize for waking him up.

        As the man cooked, a girl appeared across from him. A grin on her face as she watched her father make pancakes for everyone. To any outsider, it was clear they were related, the girl looked so similar to her father, they even had the same grin. Once you got to know them, It was even clearer. The way they cared about others, the way they talked to people, the way they joked, it was all the same.

        “Sorry we woke you up, Cossy had a nightmare and Myce didn’t know how to help so I just woke everyone up before they did,” His daughter nodded at him, taking a seat on a stool.

        “It’s alright, you don’t have them over that often anyways. Is everyone coming down?”

        “Yeah, Myce and Cossy are making everyone apologize to █████ for waking her up though so they might be a minute,” Sibylle nodded, doodling on some junk mail from the day before.

        Silence filled the room as Heinrich finished up the pancakes and Sibylle drew, only for it to be broken as Hireath and Cossy joined them, Mycena, Gail, and Felis following behind.

        “I’m fine Hireath! It was just a nightmare don’t- hey! Put that down!” The younger pleaded, laughing as the brunette chased after him with a spray bottle. The rest of the group watched, filling their plates with the finished pancakes.

        Before Hireath could finally get Cossy with the spray bottle, another interrupted, Felis, smiling at Cossy as he led him to the table.         “Eat before Hireath ends up dumping the whole spray bottle out on you,” A chuckle escaping him as he took a seat next to Cossy, nodding to Hireath as she joined them all.

        Quiet chatter emerged from the group as breakfast went on, silence never having a chance to emerge. Each of them looked so happy, from Sibylle and Mycena, with their constant stolen glances, Gail and her laughter as she spoke with everyone, Hireath’s snarky comments, to Felis and Cossy’s worrying over each other, making sure the other was alright after Cossy’s nightmare or the entire group being awoken to calm the former down. Heinrich wondered what it was like to be so comfortable in a group of people so different from each other. At the end of the day, it didn’t matter, as long as all of them were happy.

        And then the comfortable breakfast was interrupted as the youngest Fischer daughter ran down the stairs, yelling for her father and sister’s help with a fox that had managed to climb through the open windows of her sister’s loft.

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        Gail and Felis had rushed out of the house the first chance they got, promising they’d meet the rest of their friends at the Chuck E. Cheese as soon as they were done. The pink haired of the duo had promised she’d help Felis pick out a good gift for Cossy in time, he just didn’t expect her to wait until the day they planned to celebrate. Then again, Gail always had an odd way of getting things done and never let Felis down when it came to helping him navigate his feelings for Cossy.

        The ride to the mall was almost as eventful as the morning had been, at some point one of them had turned on the radio and neither could help but sing along, whether they remembered the words or not. Then, they’d ended up passing the mall twice, getting distracted by whatever song they were singing or money making scheme they had come up with. On top of missing the mall, finding a parking spot ended in them almost running into a family that ran in front of them, only missing them by a hair before finally getting a parking space and rushing into the mall before anything else could happen.

        “Alright, Gail where are we going?” Felis turned to the girl next to him, unsure of where to even start.

        “Hmm, Let’s see, oh! That jacket Cossy’s been looking at everytime Mycena takes us shopping? Oh wait.. I think Mycena and Sibylle got him that and some clothes to match it..” She muttered, looking around as she thought

        “Maybe some cooking stuff?” She shouted, pointing towards a few houseware outlets.

        Felis thought for a moment. He knew Cossy would like that but he wanted it to be more special, something Cossy would smile at the same way he smiled at him. “What did you get him?”

        “Oh.. about that that’s part of why I came with you, I know what I’m gonna get him I just forgot to get it!” Gail sheepishly admitted, pulling out her phone to check what store she needed to head to.

        “We can head there first, I think I have a few ideas.”

        The duo continued their adventure into the mall, passing the clothing stores they’d gone to with Mycena a few weeks ago and the craft shop Sibylle had begged them to stop by on their first group mall trip. One shop caught Felis’s eye when they’d nearly reached the shop Gail was heading towards. None of the trips they’d taken had brought them in the shop but every time, Cossy would stop just for a moment and look at everything. A photography shop, Felis knew he liked photography, he just wasn’t sure how much, but remembering how his boyfriend had looked at the displays, maybe this was the gift he was looking for.

        “Hey Gail! I’ll meet you back at that pretzel place in the food court, I think I found what I wanna get Cossy!”

        Before giving her time to react, Felis headed into the shop and began looking for the best camera they had. That’s when he realized these were all too expensive to buy on the spot.. The only way he’d actually be able to buy it today without spending what he and Gail had made from their sandwich scheme was actually taking up Mycena’s offer to spend a bunch of her money to make sure this party went great. Felis sighed as he called the smallest of the group, hoping she wouldn’t put him on speaker.

        “Hi Felis!” Mycena’s high pitched voice came through the phone, he could hear Cossy in the background, playing with whichever of Mycena’s cats was by them.

        “Hey, um… how opposed to buying a really expensive camera would you be?” He whispered, hoping she wouldn’t blurt anything out and ruin the surprise for Cossy.

        Silence was all that came through the phone until he heard a door shut.

        “Text me how much and then… check your card balance and you owe me so much pineapple juice, Felis.” The serious tone at the end of that sounded nearly threatening if it wasn’t coming from Mycena Amanita, the kindest person any of them knew. However, she’s very serious about her pineapple juice so best not to get her bad side for that deal.

        “You got it boss, thanks, um.. What’s he up to?”

        “Playing with Max and Luci and Pineapple and Bink bonk too! Bye bye Felis, I’ll tell him  you said hi,” With that, the call ended, leaving Felis chuckling, questioning why that girl names her cats these things.

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        They had time to waste until the rest of the group got here and Heinrich showed up with the cake, so, as always, the two were ready to be the bane of every child in the building’s existence. Sibylle never really cared about games, she cared more for drawing and making people’s day worse. Hireath was near the same but she adored making children mad, especially these two kids that were always there when the group was.

        Both were shorter than average kids that never left Hireath and Sibylle alone, even though Mycena babysat them and begged them to leave her friends be. Though, now, it has turned into more of Hireath and Sibylle messing with them, only for Myce to start begging them instead of the children. There was just something about the brats that pissed the duo off, maybe it was Hireath’s general need to be a public menace or Sibylle loving to take up Mycena’s attention.

        “Hey, brat move. We wanna play,” Hireath grinned at the two in front of them, watching as the smaller of the pair backed behind its friend.

        “Back off, we were here first Hireath!” The older of the kids, Mossy, barked back at her, turning back to its game as the brunette joined them.

        “Too bad, you’ve had your turn now shoo.”

        Sibylle watched the children run off and joined Hireath as they went from game to game, waiting for the rest of their friends to arrive. Neither was sure when it had turned into a competition to get the most tickets, but at some point, they’d found themselves racing around the arcade for games to beat the other at or were easy ways to get more tickets.

        An hour went by before they’d even realized Gail and Felis had been here, waiting at a table as the two ran around, only joining them to set down their jackets and some tickets before heading back to their competition. About 150 tickets later, Heinrich showed up with the cake and █████. The pair giggled as they walked past Hireath and Sibylle, gesturing for them to join them at the table with the rest of the guests.

        “How much do you wanna bet Mycena gives all those tickets to Cossy later?” Hireath muttered, taking a seat across from Sibylle.

        “If she does, that’s up to her but she’d be adorable for it no matter what.”

        A collective sigh came from the group, all but Heinrich, who sat chuckling at his daughter and her endless love for that girl.

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        Cossy sighed, squeezing his eyes shut as his best friend dragged him along. Mycena made him promise to keep his eyes closed until they got inside this place and as much as he thought it was kind of fun, he hated not knowing where they were going. Especially with all the chatter and noise the building she’s dragged him into was filled with.

        Following along, Mycena steered him through what he’d guess was a crowd, stopping at a quieter area that reeked of cheap pizza and… was that cake? It smelt like cake, but he couldn’t be sure.

        “Mycena, can I open my eyes yet?”

        “Hm… not yet! Just stay right where you are though, and I’ll tell you when!”

        Cossy sighed, listening to the soft chatter around him while he waited. Before Mycena had told him he could open his eyes, singing emerged from in front of him as he opened them to see the people he called home.

        “Happy birthday Cossy!”

        He was shocked, they’d done all this just for him? There was a delicious looking cake in front of him, all his friends around him, a questionably huge pile of prize tickets and even presents. He didn’t get it, why had they done all this?

        Before he could find himself crying, Felis pulled him back to reality, leading him to the seat next to him and placing a couple party hats on both their heads.

        “Alright, guest of honor, what do you wanna do first? Pizza? Cake? Games? Presents?” Felis smiled at him softly as he waited for a choice. Really, Cossy would be fine just sitting here with him and their friends, but if he had to choose..

        “Cake first, maybe no pizza it kinda smells like fake pizza in here and then presents?” Cossy mumbled, looking away from his boyfriend’s adorable smile before he ended up staring at it the entire time.

        Giggling emerged from Gail and Mycena, watching the two sneak glances at the other as Heinrich cut everyone a piece of cake. Whether they were scheming or just happy for their best friends, Cossy would never know. He didn’t have much time to think about it anyways since his slice of cake was slid in front of him and Felis had already started talking to him.

        “What did you and Mycena get up to today anyways?”

        “We went to visit Ileine, he wanted to spend some time with me today but um… I’m assuming that was part of everyone’s plan to keep this a surprise?”

        Felis chuckled, leaving Cossy in awe as he listened to him speak.

        “Surprisingly enough, no, that wasn’t part of the plan. Mycena just wanted to tag along in case Ileine almost told you or ended up keeping you all day, don’t worry about it.”

        Their conversation went on as they ate, one of the pair always leaving the other watching with a smile on their face. Felis told him about the adventure he and Gill ended up having, Hireath and Sibylle butting in to explain their Mossy and Creature fiasco that wasn’t really a fiasco, and Cossy telling his boyfriend all about he and Mycena’s time with Ileine earlier. He could do this all day, talk to Felis, that is. He was a great listener and talker on top of being so lovable.

        “Oh, um.. Do you wanna go ahead and open your presents real quick? We can keep talking after it’s just that I think you’re gonna really like all of them so,” Felis smiled, stacking all the plates together as he waited for an answer.

        “Oh! Right, yeah.. Um… which one do you all want me to start with?” Cossy muttered, a little overwhelmed, it looked like each of them had gotten him something. They didn’t have to do that, really.

        Noticing the look in her best friend’s eyes, Mycena hopped up from her place across from him and handed over one of the presents. Probably from Sibylle considering the scribbled words on the card, Cossy couldn’t quite make it out so he settled for grinning and nodding towards her before taking everything out of the gift bag.

        It was the jacket he had been looking at weeks ago.. Cossy had been wanting it but just didn't have any clothes that would make it look good. Before he could thank Sibylle, he noticed the other clothes in the bag, the exact ones Mycena had told him would go well with that jacket. It was weird, as far as he knew, Sibylle didn’t really care for him at all, why’d she go and get him a gift?

        “Don’t give me that look, just ‘cause I don’t show I care doesn’t mean I’m not getting you a birthday present, you can be all sappy about it later.” She waved him off, leaning back in her chair as she doodled in her sketchbook.

        Cossy and Mycena’s quiet laughter went unnoticed as Gail sheepishly handed over the big box for him. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that obvious this one was from Gail, he thought maybe it was from Hireath or maybe Mycena, she was usually a go big or go home kind of gifts person. Opening the box, Cossy was greeted with tons of cat themed baking utensils. They were adorable, and he couldn’t wait to use them, even if it was just to make treats for everyone here right now.

        “Thank you Gail, these are adorable.” The boy grinned, giving the heterochromic girl a huge hug as a thank you.

        “Any time, Cossy. I thought you’d find them cute plus Felis wasn’t there to argue over which ones were cuter!” She chuckled, gently smacking the top of Felis’s head as she spoke before returning to her seat beside him. Only for the pair to start bickering immediately.

        Mycena hopped back up from her seat, grabbing a taller box from the presents, placing it in front of Cossy. A Build-a-Bear box? There were a million things it could be and with how unpredictable Mycena was when it came to gifts, there was no telling what it was. Careful not to break the box, the taller one opened it, staring at the stuffed animal it held. That’s why Mycena was asking what his favorite eevee evolution was last week.

        The stuffed animal in the box was an umbreon, taking it out of its box, Cossy grinned, hugging it only for the sound box in it to go off. Laughter and shouts of “We love you Cossy!” brought him to tears, he didn’t expect this at all. When did she even get everyone to Build-a-Bear for this? The tears wouldn’t stop falling. He loved his friends so much and this was such a small gesture but it moved him so much.

        “Wh- Cossy, don’t cry..” Mycena’s voice softened as she hugged him. Cossy knew she didn’t mean to make him cry, and they weren’t sad tears anyways, it was just unexpected and he loved it so much.

        “No! No it’s fine Mycena, they’re happy tears. I just,” a sniffle interrupted him as he returned the hug. “It’s just that I didn’t expect it, any of this really. Thank you, I love it and I love you guys so much, you mean the world to me.”

        He barely noticed when Felis and Gail joined the hug, Hireath following behind them. She wasn’t one for hugs so she settled for just patting Cossy on the back, and that was fine by him. The tears only stopped when he’d ended up sneezing, causing everyone to back away as giggles emerged from their group.

        Cossy decided he’d pick the next present, a smaller box with a note from Heinrich on the tag. A thank you for being friends with Mycena and Sibylle, hanging out with █████, and a happy birthday wish from both him and the youngest of the people gathered around the table. Turning over the note, he noticed a sentence written on the back, scribbled down in glitter ink. “Your gift from me is my silence and general not here-ness during this party, you’re welcome. From, █████ Fischer.”

        Chuckling at the note, Cossy opened the box. It was nearly filled to the brim with cat toys and treats, all for his pet, Max. The cat had ended up either losing or wearing out all his previous toys and Cossy just never had the chance to get him new ones. Max was going to love these, and he couldn’t wait to show him all of it.

        “Thank you, Heinrich, Max is going to love these. And thank you █████ for your gift too.” Cossy smiled at them both, placing the box with the other opened gifts.

        Only two were left unopened. He didn’t know which to open first, the smaller present or the one clearly from Felis. Maybe he’d leave Felis’s for last, he wanted to save it, maybe just so he could spend the time watching his boyfriend’s smile. So, Cossy settled for opening the small gift first. A small leatherbound notebook with symbols etched into it and a note on the inside of the cover. Hireath’s handwriting was familiar to him, they’d shared class notes all the time and too often, Hireath would toss notes to Cossy in the middle of class. The only thing is, he couldn’t tell what this was for.

        “Hireath, what is this?” He examined the small notebook as he waited for her response.

        “You wanted me to teach you about all the witchy stuff I get up to, so that’s where we’re going to start. We can stop by Mycena’s shop this weekend and get some stuff,” She grinned at him. A smile was always rare from Hireath, and she rarely ever admitted they were friends.

        A grin broke out from Cossy’s confusion as he sat down the book to hug her. To everyone’s surprise she returned it. Before the moment could last any longer, Hireath shrugged him off and directed him towards the final present, Felis’s present. Really, Cossy didn’t need any gift from him, Felis being with him was a gift he would take over any others.

        Cossy was careful not to accidentally tear the bag like he had with any of the other gifts, he wanted to hold onto this one most of all. He noticed Felis watching him as he took each thing out of the bag, a bunch of embroidery patches, a small bag, a photo album, and a heavier than expected box. The patches were the letters of his name, Callisto, and a small star shaped one as well. What he’d put them on right now, he wasn’t sure. Before he opened the box, he turned and placed a kiss on Felis’s cheek, a preemptive thank you for the gifts. Leaving Felis to sit there staring at him, Cossy opened the box, staring down at the camera it held.

        “Oh, Felis, you didn’t.” He turned, hugging the man next to him.

        “I did, you kept stopping whenever we walked by so.. I got you the best camera I could find, even if Mycena paid for it.” Felis snickered, returning the hug and the kiss from only moments before.

        “The camera's all situated so you can use it whenever you want. I just wanted to get it situated in case you wanted to take pictures now?” The small smile on his face only melted Cossy’s heart.

        Before he could get lost in staring at Felis, Cossy turned on the camera and headed over to a spot where he could see the people he considers his family. Each of them were watching him, waiting to see what he was up to, only for Cossy to snap a picture as █████ ended up throwing a napkin at her sister’s face, in turn causing chaos across the group. Cossy wouldn’t have it any other way though, after all, this is why he loved them all so dearly. There was never a dull moment with them.

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        Sitting on his bed, Cossy had finally printed out the pictures from that party. Each one of the people he called family. The second picture he’d taken was of Mycena and Hireath arguing over some kind of flower, another of Felis and Gail scheming, Heinrich and █████ heading over to some games, and Sibylle sketching out someone, likely Mycena. That was around when Gail had ended up taking the camera from him. He didn’t really mind though, he wanted to sit with Felis for a bit. He loved him so much and the camera was such a perfect gift.

        Huh. He didn’t remember Gail taking this picture. It was of him and Felis staring into each other’s eyes. Cossy never realized how the way they looked at each other looked from the outside, but he loved it. If he had any doubts that Felis loved him just as much, this photo took all those away. Felis was looking at him like he was the only person in the world. And it felt a little selfish, but Cossy, quite frankly, wouldn’t have it any other way.

        The next photo was one of he and Mycena fiddling around with the Build-A-Bear’s accessories and Sibylle sitting next to them, playing with Mycena’s hair. Sibylle didn’t seem to like Cossy all that much but she tolerated him, for her. Anyone that would do that much for Mycena was good in his book. Especially considering she never intended to actually hurt his feelings.

        One of the last photos he’d printed out was another of Felis and himself, this time, the kiss they’d shared before everyone was getting ready to head home. Maybe he understood why Gail and Mycena were always giggling over the pair, they were pretty cute when they were like this. Cossy smiled at the photo, reaching for a pen as he flipped over the photo. Scribbling down on the back of the photo, Cossy smiled down at the note.

        “I love you, Felis.”

        The last photo taken, he didn’t even remember. He knew █████ was helping carry everything to Heinrich’s car, just not that she had taken a photo of everyone on the walk out. Mycena and Cossy were running ahead of everyone, laughing over something he couldn’t remember. Felis and Gail were following behind them with Hireath, each waving their hands around, likely arguing over something. A little closer to the camera, Heinrich and Sibylle were following behind everyone, as always, so clearly father and daughter.

        Cossy loved everyone in the photo so dearly. Mycena was the best friend he could ever ask for. Felis was in all honesty, the love of his life. Gail was an amazing friend, even if she wasn’t the brightest at day. Hireath was one of his first friends and that meant so much to him. Even Heinrich and Sibylle, despite not being close with either, loved them too. Heinrich was like a father to him, always looking out for Cossy when he was over and Sibylle, despite not really talking to him, cared about him because Mycena cared about him, and that was alright with him. Every single one of them, Cossy loved them so dearly and wouldn’t know where he would be as a person without them.

[dyno511]

Do you like or like, like me?

Summary: Felis can't bake and Cossy gets home and decided to help him bake the cookies he's been failing at all day.

Word Count: 1378

Read on Ao3 | Masterlist

        Alright, maybe baking wasn’t Felis’s thing. Callisto was usually baking with him so he could get away with just following along with what his fiance did or asked. Cookies should not be this hard to make but he’d managed to burn three batches already and Callisto was probably already on his way back. Mycena wasn’t here to help him either, she’d left early this morning. Something about wanting to go find someone? At least it meant the cookies could stay a surprise, it just would have been easier if someone could help, he didn’t want to give Callisto burnt cookies.

        Another batch of burnt cookies later, and he was close to giving up for the day. The entire house smells like smoke and honestly, it’s really not worth the panicking Mycena would go through when she got home. He felt bad, he’s been trying to make these for Callisto all morning only for them to not work out at all. With a sigh, he walked around the house, opening all the windows to air out the smell. The least he could do is not worry his fiance or their daughter over a failed attempt at a surprise. 

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        It’s been an hour and the house is still reeking of smoke. It was too late to do anything, Callisto was back and walking through the door already. They both stood there, opposite sides of their house, staring at each other. Callisto looked confused and Felis, well, he looked like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. He’d been trying to air out the house before Callisto got back and it was too late now. 

        “Felis? Did you start a fire or something? You’re not hurt are you?” Callisto’s confusion was replaced with worry quickly as he rushed over, inspecting his fiance’s face and arms for any sign of burns.

        “No, Callisto, I'm fine. I just..” Felis really didn’t want to admit he was far from the greatest at baking, at least not to Callisto. He took a deep breath, he wasn’t going to lie to him so he might as well just say it right now.

        “I attempted to make you cookies but burnt the first four batches and decided to give up for the day.”

        Laughter wasn’t what he was expecting. Every little giggle from Callisto was beautiful, even if Felis didn’t understand why he was laughing over this. Maybe it was funny, Felis has been just following along with whatever his fiance did when they baked all this time just to turn out to not even be able to make cookies. 

        Before Felis could explain himself any further, Callisto places a soft kiss on his cheek. It always gave him butterflies when he did that, even if they were about to get married in a few weeks. Everything about Callisto really was perfect to him. He was beautiful and kind to people that didn’t deserve it and he knows both Callisto and Mycena didn’t understand it when he said it before but he really does sparkle in his eyes.

        He watched in silence as Callisto kept walking, following him into the kitchen. What was he up to? It didn’t matter. Every single thing he did was beautiful to him, even if it was something as small as just cleaning up. Callisto cleaned off the counters and got out everything for a new batch of cookies, softly humming to himself as he focused.

        “C’mere, I’ll teach you so you don’t give Mycena a heart attack next time.” Callisto grinned at him as he lit the last scented candle Mycena hadn’t managed to find and throw out.

        “Alright alright, I tried to air it out. It’s just that,” he sighed, stopping next to his fiance, “Did not realize how long the smell of smoke hangs in the air, I guess.”

        They baked in silence for a while, careful not to mess anything up. Once the dough was all ready, that’s when the quiet ended. Somehow, they’d ended up spilling the flour that was meant to keep the dough from sticking to the counters. Both were silent for a moment before Felis’s laughter broke the silence and in turn, Callisto followed.

        Baking with Callisto, the person he would do anything for, was much better than baking alone. Mistakes weren’t as stressful to make and hearing Callisto’s laughter was beautiful. Really, Callisto in general was beautiful but right now, he looked amazing. Maybe he was just head over heels for him but nothing compared to Callisto’s smile or laughter. 

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        Finally the cookies were done, all they had to do was decorate them. The house also smelled much better now. About a dozen heart shaped sugar cookies were spread out across the counter, icing and sprinkles sitting around them as well. The pair sat together at the table decorating one each, always stealing glances at the other whenever they got a chance.

        Each cookie Callisto decorated looked adorable, he seemed so focused and got everything right, and Felis’s? Well. They looked good but they were nothing compared to the other’s. That was alright though, Callisto would like them and that’s what mattered to him.

        “Hey, Felis?”

         “Yeah?”

        Callisto stayed quiet for a moment, finishing a cookie for Mycena before he spoke. “I love you, and I’m really glad you want to spend your life with me and that we took in Mycena and that you wanna marry me.” 

        That caught him off guard, Callisto had a habit of rambling but this felt a little bit out of nowhere, not that it wasn’t welcome of course! “Well, who wouldn’t? You’re amazing Callisto, you really are.”

        Soft laughter came from the man across from him, they both knew they struggled thinking they deserved the other but they loved each other and at the end of the day, they wouldn’t have it any other way. Felis loved Callisto so much and he knew Callisto loved him the same. Their life together meant the world to both of them. They had their own comfortable home, a bunch of pets, and Mycena. Everything felt like it just fell into its perfect place. They were happy.

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        It was pretty late when the door opened to let in the final resident of the house. Cossy and Felis had been cuddled up on the small couch Mycena had practically dragged into the house herself, insisting that they needed a comfortable chair downstairs. She stared at them for a moment, processing that they were even using it. She’d been gone all day, deciding she’d rather spend Valentine’s Day alone where everyone who would notice how much she hated this holiday was out of sight.

        Felis had his arms wrapped around the voidling and Cossy was resting his head on his shoulder. They looked so comfortable and trusting like this. She probably had them worried sick, she never stays out so late. She’d have to apologize in the morning but for now, she’d let them sleep.

        It’d been a very long time since she’s had parents that were so in love, and ones that were willing to at least try to wait up for her to make sure she got back safe and sound. It smelt nice in the house too, what had they even up to today? The small girl looked around until her eyes landed on the sugar cookies. They’d made some for each other and some for her as well. It was a gesture she didn’t see coming. Especially considering this is supposed to be a day for lovers, not for the people you call your children. 

        Reaching into the cabinets, she pulled out the old blanket she had brought with her and wrapped it around the sleeping couple. They were so happy and it was adorable. She was happy with them taking care of her and it meant the world to her so the least she could do right now was to make sure neither of them got cold and they had gotten to have a good day together. 

        “Goodnight you two, I hope you had a good Valentine’s Day with each other.” 

        Taking her cookies with her, she went down the ladder to let her fathers rest and to get some well deserved rest of her own. 

[dyno511]

Pretty Little Things Wilt Away

Summary: Mycena has to remember the one thing from her past that she hates to ever think about.

Word Count: 4430

Read on Ao3 | Masterlist

        Everytime she had that dream, it was the same. Never a single difference, despite it being such an old memory. A life she’d never even be close to again. The scent of freshly baked strawberry pies, the sound of laughter echoing from a field next to a beautiful home, music floating from the town square. Always a dream she would give anything to turn into reality. It made her sick to wake up from it, to wake up and remember she was still in Thornbrook where the first people who made that pain melt for even a moment, were dead. Where she was dead but still on this plain, exhausted out of her mind.

        Maybe that was why she’d been insisting on spending the night at Cossy’s so often. The dreams were harder to remember when she was there, it was easier to not wake up bawling her eyes out. Easier to pretend all she’d lost wasn’t so bad. She had family again and that was enough for her. She could breathe now, every second didn’t feel like stolen time. Time her family could have had, time Sibylle could have had. She was thankful Cossy and Felis welcomed her into their home with open arms.

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        Normally, Mycena would have jumped at the opportunity to help Cossy bake. She would have, really, and then she smelt strawberries and every little memory flooded back. A woman with dark hair dodging the children following behind her as she baked, small hands picking the leaves off of strawberries one by one. It made her sick to her stomach, a lot of things made her feel that way these days. This time though? This time was worse. The tears just started coming and they wouldn’t stop, no matter how many happy things she thought, no matter how many weird plants she could name off the top of her head, it wouldn’t stop.

        “Mycena? Are you okay?” She couldn’t tell you when Cossy had walked over or how long he’d been there. Right now, everything felt like a blur.

        “Hey, Felis, can you get her some water?”

        Anything else they said was drowned out by her crying. She could barely breathe right now, focusing on what they said didn’t matter anymore. She wanted to stop crying, she hated crying in front of people. The tears needed to stop and they just wouldn’t. Everything was so quiet except for her. Twenty years of bottled up grief was finally unraveling all because of a smell. 

        What felt like hours went by before the crying stopped. She still couldn’t tell what was going on around her but at least she could breathe now. At some point, Cossy and Felis had taken her outside and let her sit in the grass. Huh. She didn’t remember telling them that always made her feel better. Inside the small home, Cossy and Felis were talking. It sounded like a conversation with another but there was no other voice. 

        “We’ll take care of her, I don’t..” Cossy’s voice trailed off, almost as if he was interrupted.

        The silence told her all she needed. Sibylle was there, probably worrying herself sick over the girl.

        “We’ve got this Sibylle, she’s going to be fine. We took her outside like you told us to, now let us take care of her.” Right. Felis always knew what to do when someone was freaking out. 

        She wanted to start crying again, she missed Sibylle. Maybe she would have been crying if she didn’t feel so exhausted. Watching the dew on the grass, she listened, curious on what Sibby was thinking right then. Always worrying over her, always putting Mycena over her own needs. She hated it from anyone else but Sibylle? Sibylle made her feel like the most perfect girl in the world. Right now, though, she didn’t feel that way. She wanted to never be seen again, it cost her everything the last time she felt this way and she couldn’t afford to lose everything again. 

        “I’ll tell her, just, not right now. Go take a walk or something, you can’t help her now.” He was right, Cossy was always right about things like this. Sibylle can’t help and even if she could, what good would it do?

        “How are you feeling?” She didn’t notice Felis taking a seat beside her, or that he’d even left the conversation inside. 

        “You know, you don’t have to keep everything to yourself, right? You’ve been through alot Mycena.” He kept talking, what he wanted her to say, she couldn’t guess. Frankly, she couldn’t say anything about it right now, she was too tired. Instead, she’d change the topic.

        “Is she in there?” Her voice sounded wrong, it was so quiet and broken. It didn’t matter anymore, everyone here had seen her at her worst now so what was the point of trying to be the happy person she appeared to be.

        Instead of an answer, she was met with silence. Right. What do you even say to a girl who can’t see the one she’s asking about? Nothing was said for a while, only the sounds of the animals and nature around them remained. She could make sense of everything around her now. Every bug that crawled across the blades of grass she’d been watching, they lived their lives without worry. She missed being like them. She missed being so intune with nature that she could tell you exactly what was wrong with the wilting flower on the other side of the yard. She missed being warm. She missed not scaring off the deer in the woods by her house. 

        Felis stayed quiet, letting her sit with the silence. What he was thinking, she couldn’t tell. He probably thought she was a weak excuse for a lunar path, most people did. She was. She couldn’t control any of her abilities, she lost control so easily. She was small and physically weak. Her emotions were always a mess. At least when she was a gaia, she knew who she was. She couldn’t kill people with one outburst then. Nobody knew how pathetic she was either, always crying over stupid things.

        “She’s in there, arguing with Callisto about coming out here to you. I think we both know if she did, you’d be crying again, hm?” Maybe she was wrong. There wasn’t anything there but worry. 

        “You know, last time this… Last time I cried like this, she died. So.. yeah even though I can't see her, I would be crying again.” 

        “Do you wanna talk about it?” That got a laugh out of her, unexpected and bitter, but still a laugh.

        “It wasn’t even over her, it was the damn strawberries for the pie. Pretty stupid, huh?” 

        There was that silence again, another moment where he didn’t know what to say to her. She was a mess, wasn’t she? Crying over fruits again. The pineapple wine was one thing, with that it wasn’t such a clear memory. Small moments where she was telling her mama Wren how much she hated carrot cake and then a surprise of pineapple carrot cake that night for dessert and racing her sisters to the table for it. The pie though? That was one of the few memories she never lost, a perfectly completed puzzle. She remembered that entire day perfectly, she just never understood why that day? It wasn’t that different from the daily life her family shared.

        Cossy stepping into her view startled her, she wasn’t expecting him to convince Sibylle to stay inside so soon. She watched the voidling she saw as family take a seat beside her, he looked so concerned. She hated it. He shouldn’t have to worry about her and neither should Felis, they had a wedding to plan and look forward to. Cossy’s voice broke her out of the thoughts this time, reminding her she wasn’t alone anymore.

        “You promised me you wouldn’t keep everything to yourself anymore, we’re not going to force you to talk but it’s not stupid, okay Mycena?” There it was, Cossy being the best friend she could ever ask for.

        “Can I ask what it was about? Since it wasn’t her?” That caught her off guard, wasn’t telling Felis it was the strawberries answer enough? 

        Cossy looked over at his fianc e , a puzzled expression on his face. They both waited for the girl to speak, Felis curious on what the answer was and Cossy wondering how Felis had gotten more out of her than he ever had.

        “Strawberry pie. My moms made the best strawberry pie. I haven’t had any since I was eight because the smell always… It always makes me cry. I guess today was just one of the bad days.” 

        Laying back in the grass, she stared up at the stars. It was night now, how long had she sat out here? It was weird, she was used to feeling as though time was barely moving but today, it was going too quickly. She could have sworn it had only been a few hours since Cossy started baking. Now that she thought about it, she was really tired now too. Crying was exhausting, maybe she could take a nap right now?

        Whatever Cossy and Felis were saying didn’t translate in her mind. She was comfortable and safe. Quiet conversation went on between the pair as she drifted off to sleep. Whatever they were talking about, she could ask tomorrow. For now, she wanted to rest.

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        Mycena woke to laughter in the halls, when did Cossy and Felis’s house have halls? Actually, when did she have a bunk bed there? When did she share a room with a third person? Maybe she was still half asleep. Going to wipe whatever tears were left from her cheeks felt odd as well. That scar she had grown so used to in the last twenty years was gone. It was gone? That didn’t make sense. 

        No scar, a large room with three beds, laughter from the halls. Oh. It made sense now. She was dreaming again, though this seemed new. Her childhood room had never been so lonely in the other dreams, and the frequent one, it always started in the fields. Crawling out of her covers, she listened to the laughter grow quieter as the others ran down stairs. Why hadn’t they woken her again? 

        “Morning sleepy head,” A girl with split hair leaned down from the top bunk, a toothy grin on her face. Had it not startled her so much, Mycena would have started crying all over again. Out of all the faces she still saw in her dreams, Celia’s and mama Daphne’s were the only ones that were never clear.

        “You look like you saw a ghost, c'mon you can’t still be scared of ghost stories, Cena.” Celia tumbled down from her bunk, landing on her feet and taking a seat next to the smaller. 

        “I’m not! I just… had a bad dream, that’s all.” Her sister was here in front of her, twenty years worth of dreams where she never saw her face, so why this dream?         “Good, I can’t have you being a big baby on our birthday!” Oh. That’s why. This was more than just a memory, this was reliving the worst day of her life. The nightmare she had lived with her entire life. This dream would either go one of two ways, it would end with flames dancing around her or candles being blown out. If she could have, she would have gone back under the covers and waited for the fire to end her dreaming. Anything but reliving this. Not today, not after all the crying she did while she was awake. 

        The door opening to a blonde gaia and a taller girl with purple and raven hair prevented that. With all three of her sisters in front of her, she could nearly piece together what mama Daphne looked like again. Almost. It was still fuzzy to her, anything she could scavenge from the depths of her memory were fragments. She couldn’t remember her voice either.

        “Alright birthday brats, come on, Mom asked everyone in the village to hold all their requests until tomorrow just for you two.” The taller of the new arrivals would have sounded rude to any others, but Mycena remembered how rare her kind side showed and calling them brats was often a term of endearment from her sister. Sylvie was always that way, something she had learned from mama Daphne. Maybe it was because they both took on roles in the village at such young ages. 

        Cove burst into the room next, the small shark running straight to Mycena for a hug. It was funny, he had been so small on this day yet in the present, in the world she knew, he was taller than mama Wren. He looked so happy here, so full of hope and joy, not a single scar on him either. She wished he had gotten to stay that way, unharmed by the world they live in. Her baby brother deserved the world and instead, everything that was for him was ripped away in the blink of an eye. They were all that was left of the Amanita name and neither was enough for the world. 

        “Happy birthday Cena and Celia!” Cove’s voice was so small. Knowing that out of all her siblings, he was the only one that ever got to grow up, it made her sick. He deserved a family the most out of all of them, he never did anything to anyone. Everything about this dream made her sick to her stomach. The fear of if it would turn into a nightmare or a dream of what could have been was devastating.

        At some point, the five of them ended up in the town square without their mothers in sight. How they got here, Mycena wasn’t sure. This dream felt too real. Camellia had run off to talk to a boy she’d always spent time with and Sylvie was stuck with the youngest three, careful to watch for anyone with even a weird glance at them. She didn’t realize back then, but people in the village looked at Celia and Sylvie with disgust in their eyes. It wasn’t everyone, but it was more than you’d think for such a close knit community. Mama Wren got the same look from people, albeit, there was more malice behind it with her. Now that she got the chance to think about it all, so much more made sense. They hated her mama Wren and her sisters.

        A group of smaller kids, maybe around Cove’s age, ran up to them, dragging him off to play. This day started so normally. How did it ever get to the point she was dreading? Everything seemed right. What was it? It was right in front of her and yet, she couldn’t place it. Maybe the dream was drawing her in, everything seemed perfect but something was wrong and she knew it from the start. Celia’s laughter from one of the stalls only made it worse. This was one of the last times she heard her sister’s laugh and she didn’t know until it was too late. 

        “Celia! Cena! Come on, mom wants us back by the house so we don’t take too long getting back to dinner.” Sylvie was waiting by the tree in the plaza, Cove and Camellia by her side. It was odd, they both had just ran off and they were just in the market? On top of that, this wasn’t part of the memory. At least, not part of it that she remembered. What was about to happen?

        Before she knew it they were in the fields near their family home. No. No, this was not where this fit, it couldn’t be. Just like the dream she’d had the night before, she watched as her siblings’ laughter echoed through the field, a game of chase ensuing. Mycena hated this. The one dream she’d had over and over all these years was part of the end of it all. The memory she held so close to her heart was part of that day. It made more sense at least. The pies and the music. The village square always had music when someone was celebrating. But now? That music made her sick to her stomach. She never understood why it was playing, their birthday was never a public party.

        Standing in the field, she listened. Taking in every sound she missed so dearly before it was ruined by everything that would follow. Her sisters chasing each other through the wheat, Cove playing with the axolotls in the pond, the music, the sound of her mothers from the open kitchen window, laughing as they baked. She could even hear her own heartbeat, a sound she’d lost a long time ago. Everything felt odd. Then the smell hit her. The strawberry pie. That’s it felt okay, even if it was just for a moment.

        “Kids! Come on! Food is ready!” Shouting from the kitchen window, a voice she hadn’t heard in her dreams since she was little, mama Daphne. 

        Each of her sisters raced into the house, Cove following behind them. She wanted to follow, she would. But for just a moment, she was terrified. Celia and mama Daphne were the two faces she couldn’t place for so long. Would she see her face again? It didn’t matter. This dream would end badly either way. Every step she took felt like she was walking to her death. 

        It reminded her of the years after Sibylle’s death, she’d found her way to the home of another lunar path only to beg him to kill her. She’d been following the man for two days at that point, and she expected to be lost to the world moments after they were face to face. Instead, she was called pathetic and weak. The other lunar path refused to end her suffering and turned her away, sending her home with a newfound hatred for even existing. In this case, it was as though she was walking into that house all over again only to really be killed. She knew how this night would end. 

        Stepping into the dining room, everyone was seated. Mama Wren, Sylvie, Camellia, Cove, Celia, and even mama Daphne. If anyone were to walk into this room not knowing any of them, they’d believe they were all friends rather than family. But when you got a closer look, each had similar features and mannerisms. She could see her mother’s face for once. It was like looking in a mirror, the only real difference being their eyes and mama Daphne’s lack of a burn on her face. Even their hair was the same, that dirty greenish brown color that was always framing their faces perfectly. It made sense now on why she could never remember her face. She hated looking at her own because she couldn’t remember what it looked like before.

        “Alright, alright! Cove, Camellia, go get the presents your uncle sent them and Sylvie, can you go grab the cake?” She spoke with so much confidence, a born leader.

        “Yes ma’am,” The three split off, each laughing as they left the room. 

        She hated this dream. There were parts missing and the idea of living through this all over again made her sick. At some point before mama Daphne sent those three off, Mycena had taken a seat next to mama Wren and everyone had finished eating despite her never moving after entering the room. It was odd. She didn’t get to dwell on it long, Sylvie returned with the cake and Camellia and Cove were each carrying a small gift box.

        Once again, things skipped around. This time, she was sitting by the pond with mama Wren, her stuffed fox, Nimbus, in tow. Odd, Nimbus wasn’t in her room that morning, where was he before now? Mama Wren was braiding her hair, telling her some story of when she and mama Daphne were young. She enjoyed the time with her mother so much, they’d always sit by the pond at night before walks. Mycena used to wait for her all day, excited for a chance to help her make sure everyone in the village was alright for the night. 

        “There, your hair is all braided. Did you have a good birthday?” She was always such a soft spoken person, so kind to everyone.         “Mhm! It was the best! I really love my fox, I’m gonna name him Nimbus!” Oh. She used to be so small, so safe. That day she started thinking it was going to stay amazing and then in just a few moments, all that perfect happiness would be ripped away. 

        Mama Wren took the little gaia’s hand in her own, leading her into the village so they could begin their nightly routine. Mycena knew where this dream was going now, it would play out as that last day the Amanita family was ever seen. Every step the pair took, she wanted so badly to wake up, to not have to relive this. The music in the square had stopped and chatter was quiet. Something was wrong and whatever it was, it was more than what was about to happen. 

        Each house they stopped by, everyone was asleep. There had to have been a party, that would explain the music from before. It was odd, usually at least one person was sure to stay up to greet them each night. The only house that answered their knocking was an old man, the one that was always sure to greet them and never went to the village parties. 

        “Ah, Mrs. Amanita and if it isn’t one of the birthday girls. How has your day been?”         “It’s been amazing, sir. We’re just doing our usual rounds, except everyone’s been asleep when we’ve stopped by. Was there a party today?” She sounded worried, almost as if she knew more than she’d let on.         “Mm. Yes, that man that’s been very persistent in his issue with you…” The old man trailed off as his eyes caught something bright in the reflection. 

        Mycena smelt the smoke before she could register mama Wren running. Right. This is how everything happened. He stopped talking and she ran for her life. She knew she should have stayed with the old man but she followed anyway, desperate to warn her mother even if she couldn’t.

        By the time she caught up, mama Wren had already run into the house and the screams started. The flames engulfing her childhood home had made it to the fields and begun making its way to other parts of the village. Everything she knew was burning before her eyes. Her home was crumbling, screams she could recognize echoing through the air. Everyone in that house burnt. She heard it with her own ears and when she wanted so badly to run in there and save anything she could, the flames reached her. Everything was so bright and so warm. It was terrifying. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------         She managed to wake up right as the flames touched her, too scared of the pain. She didn’t want to open her eyes. It wasn’t often her face hurt but the pain was back. She knew it was in her head but it was still there, burning at her. It took her a moment to hear the people in her room, Cossy was sitting at the end of her bed, Felis was somewhere in the room and considering Sibylle was here before she fell asleep, she was here too.

        “She’ll be alright, she’s stronger than even she realizes.” Cossy believed in her too much. She was pathetic and weak.

        “Callisto, she’s going to have to talk about it at some point but.. I don’t think either of us know how to get her to.” Right. Felis and Cossy cared about her like she was their daughter but god, she has never had a parent that lived. So how long until her luck costs her them as well?

        There was silence for some time and Mycena felt a gust of cool air close to her. It was her Sibby, god she missed her. Cossy and Felis listened, small laughs shared between them. Whatever Sibylle was saying, she got them to stop worrying for just a moment. 

        “As much as I don’t like Sibylle, she’s right, she’ll talk eventually, let’s just give her time.” 

        Cossy reached over to move Mycena’s hair from her face, an attempt to keep it from getting soaked by the tears. Instead, she flinched, the pain she thought wasn’t actually there becoming far too real.         “Shit! Sorry, did I wake you up?” He sounded so worried, she felt bad. He didn’t do anything wrong.

        “No, I was awake already. I just.. My head hurts, I’ll be okay.” Her own voice sounded wrong. It was so broken and quiet. She almost sounded sick but she knew it was just from all the crying.

        “Are you sure? You were crying an awful lot while you slept,” Felis made his way over, taking a seat on the floor beside her bed.         She wanted to cry again, they cared about her so much and she didn’t understand why. None of it ever made sense. How long would it be until she lost them too? They were so quiet right now, like she was fragile and a single sound could break her.

        “Promise me something?” Everything was so quiet now, compared to her dream. It was odd.

        “Yeah? What is it?”         “Don’t die… or leave me behind.” She muttered, rolling over so she couldn’t see them anymore. She didn’t want to see their faces right now, and she certainly didn’t want to see the stuffed animal on her night stand. 

        Both of them stayed quiet for a moment, likely trying to figure out what they thought was wrong.

        “We promise, alright Mycena?” Cossy spoke first, giving her a hug as he spoke.

        “Mhm, promise. You’re not gonna be alone anymore.” 

        Maybe this was enough for her, Cossy and Felis meant the world to her right now and she knew a promise wasn’t going to do anything, but it was enough for her. And Sibylle may not be where she can see her but knowing she’s here is enough for her too. She’d tell them everything one day but today, that dream and the pain she was in, she’s keeping it to herself.