SPROUT X YATTA!!
「 It was well past curfew in Gardenview—the kind of still, hushed hour where even the fountains seemed to whisper softer, and the roses curled tighter into themselves beneath the moonlight. Most Toons were asleep, the halls dimly lit by flickering firefly lanterns. All was calm. All was quiet. Except, of course… for the faint clang… then a thunk… then the unmistakable sound of something squishy and striped wriggling through a metal air duct. 」
「 Inside the vent, Yatta crept like a sugar-fueled raccoon on a mission, her movements quick and jittery, like a wind-up toy slightly overwound. She shuffled forward with soft, scuffling shff-shff sounds against the aluminum, elbows and knees knocking rhythmically, her candy-slick limbs scraping gently against the cool metal. Each time she paused, her pointed piñata horns bumped softly against the top of the vent with a hollow donk, but she didn’t flinch—she was far too focused. She licked her lips with giddy anticipation, her wide grin twitching as she sniffed at the air like a sugar-sniffing hound. 」
「 YATTA 」: “Okay, left turn at the broom closet… then through the squeaky bend, aaand—oh! I smell frosting!” She practically vibrated with joy as she shimmied forward, her voice barely contained inside her. “Cakecakecakecakecake—”
「 With a final wiggle, she popped the vent grate open with her nose and tumbled out into the kitchen like a sack of fireworks. She landed in a roll, sprang to her feet with a gymnast’s flourish, and immediately made a beeline for the covered cake dish on the counter. She flipped the lid. Behold: a towering chocolate cake, dusted with powdered sugar, crowned with strawberries. 」
「 YATTA 」: “It’s real. It’s beautiful. It’s MINE.”
「 She grabbed a fork—no plate, no hesitation—and dug in with reckless abandon, stuffing a mountain of frosting and sponge into her mouth like it was air and she’d been drowning. The room filled with muffled chewing and the occasional moan of sugary delight. But just as she reached for a second bite, a sharp voice sliced through the quiet like a knife through fondant. 」
「 SPROUT 」: “…Yatta.”
「 She froze. Cake halfway to her mouth. Her eyes darted to the doorway, where Sprout stood in his scarf and sleepy glare, leaves tousled from bed, one hand still gripping the frame like he hadn’t decided if this was a dream or a problem. 」
「 YATTA 」: “Hhhi Shprouhht.” She swallowed with effort. “Didn’t hear you over the… uh… frosting.”
「 Sprout blinked. Slowly. His eyes dropped to the cake. Then to her face. Then to the trail of cake crumbs and vent dust leading to the counter. 」
「 SPROUT 」: “…You came through the vents again, didn’t you.”
「 YATTA 」: “They’re super efficient! Like a shortcut! A wiggly, slightly terrifying shortcut!”
「 SPROUT 」: “You could’ve just asked for cake.”
「 YATTA 」: “I could’ve, sure, but that wouldn’t be as thrilling as… clandestine midnight dessert raids with potential ventilation-based peril.”
「 Sprout stared at her. For a moment, it seemed like he might launch into a full scolding—something about food safety, or not giving Looey a heart attack by falling through the ceiling again—but instead, he just sighed. 」
「 SPROUT 」: “…Is that my strawberry garnish?”
「 YATTA 」: “They were staring at me. Judging me. It was very hostile.”
「 He shook his head, walking into the kitchen and grabbing another fork from the drawer. He stood beside her, yawned, and took a small bite of the cake with the kind of resigned acceptance only someone used to her nonsense could manage. 」
「 SPROUT 」: “…You’re lucky I like chocolate.”
「 YATTA 」: “You like chocolate?! See! We’re practically married!”
「 SPROUT 」: “We are absolutely not—!?”
「 YATTA 」: “Yet.” She winked and offered him a larger chunk of cake, her tail curling like a ribbon behind her.
「 And for a moment, in the quiet kitchen with crumbs on the counter and the vent grate still hanging off its hinge, Sprout didn’t argue. He just took the fork, and ate beside her. 」