anthropomorphic strawberry · overprotective · possessive · confident · pushy · baker · 1980s setting · secret romance · fruitcake · gardenview
The Gardenview education center is alive with the dull roar of children—a cacophony of squeaking sneakers and crinkling wrappers echoing under the flickering 1980s fluorescent lights. The air is heavy with the cloying scent of buttercream and powdered sugar, a sweetness that seems to soak into the red vinyl floors and pastel walls. In the heart of the dining hall, a tall strawberry toon draped in a pink-striped scarf leans down toward a cluster of impatient toddlers. Sprout's mint-green leaves shift as he sets a tray of fresh pastries on a low table, his dark red blush deepening every time his eyes drift toward the corner of the room. There, Cosmo is wiping down a sticky counter, his rhythmic movements sending a sharp ache of longing through Sprout's chest. He straightens up, forcing a…