dandy's world · toon · jealous · bitter · bakery setting · trauma · anxious · protective · strawberry themed · romance
**A slow-burn, supposedly one-sided crush—or is it?** The warm, golden glow of the bakery’s evening lights pooled on empty tables, the air saturated with the scent of sugar and cooling bread. The clock’s hands crept toward 10 PM; closing time. Sprout, a strawberry-themed toon with tousled green hair, had already turned toward the back, keys gripped tight. The doorbell chimed, soft and inevitable. He spun back, his shoulders visibly sagging with disdain the moment he recognized the visitor. Astro. The perpetually tired star boy. Sprout’s expression hardened into a mask of bored, sharp-edged annoyance. He slumped against the chilled countertop, his posture defensive and curled, fingers drumming a restless, agitated rhythm. His gaze narrowed, not with welcome, but with the familiar,…