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Agott hated Coco.
She hated her more than anything.
She hated her and her stupid long eyelashes. And her golden-green eyes. And the way they lit up when she got excited. And the stupid little dance she did when she was happy. And the way her hair (which had gone from chartreuse to a more apple-y green with age) bounced whenever she did that dance. And that little smile she made whenever she watched Puffpuff enjoy a snack. And the way she was always thinking of others. And the way she always tried to see the best in people, even when it wasn’t there.
Okay, so maybe Agott didn’t hate her. If she hated her, she wouldn’t let Coco mess with her hair as she fell asleep on her shoulder while she read.
Still, what she did hate was how fluttery Coco made her feel. Like there was a butterfly enclosure in her chest. It felt good, but Agott hated it. She hated that she couldn’t put it into words. Agott was good at understanding things. She was the one who understood when no one else did. She prided herself on that. But then (not) stupid Coco came along and flipped her whole world view on its head. And she was so mean to her for the first few weeks. How could anyone choose someone like that? But again, Coco’s whole thing was that she saw the good in everyone. She gave the benefit of the doubt to total strangers, even if there was a 99% chance they were going to slap her in the face.
“Uh-oh,” said Master Qifrey. “I know that look. What did Coco do this time?” Agott was staring at her mug like it owed her answers. She was up before everyone else, so Master Qifrey had invited her to join him for a cup of coffee. She didn’t drink coffee, though, so he just made her some hot cocoa. Cocoa. Coco. Dammit. “What didn’t she do?” replied Agott. “She’s like a walking ball of sunshine! I feel like I’ll go blind if I look directly at her, but I can’t help myself!” Puffpuff crawled onto the table, chittering for Agott’s attention. She gently thumbed at his soft fur as the elder witch chuckled softly. “Ahh, young love,” he said. “You remind me a lot of Olly. He was adorable when he used to pine over me. Especially when he tried to pretend he wasn’t.”
“I wasn’t pining!” countered Olruggio, who had just arrived. Master Qifrey simply sipped his coffee, a smirk about his lips. “Like that,” he said. “You know, Agott, I had a friend once who had trouble putting her emotions into words due to the environment she grew up in. She found that writing them down - even if she didn’t know what to write - made her feel better. She often did so in verse. Maybe you could give it a try.” Verse? Was he joking? What was she, a moonstruck playwright?! But… she was at the end of her rope. She might as well give it a try. “That’s... actually a good idea,” she said. She gulped down the rest of her cocoa, letting Puffpuff crawl onto her shoulders and wrap himself around her neck like a scarf. “Thanks, Master Qifrey!” she added before running out of the room.
Master Qifrey and Olruggio stared at the doorway she’d just left from. “That friend of yours,” began Olruggio. “Her name wouldn’t happen to start with ‘For-’ and end with ‘-tuna’, would it?” The white-haired witch took a sip from his coffee. “And what if it does?” he answered. Olruggio made a face. “I don’t think you should make a habit of sharing her ideas with the girls,” he said. Qifrey simply waved him off. “Oh, hush, Olly,” he retorted. “That woman has kids of her own. She’s probably more sensible than the both of us.” The Watchful Eye simply sighed in defeat, sitting down next to Qifrey.
“And by the way...”
“Hmmm?”
“I was not ‘pining’.”
“Sure, dearest. Sure.”
“Okay, Agott…”
Agott gripped her pen, an unfamiliar sense of vigor filling her veins. “You are going to write poetry,” she said. “and it is going to be great!” Coco deserved something nice. She was always thinking of everyone else. When the soles of Agott’s sylph shoes came undone, Coco just made her a new pair. When Tetia’s hair was a knotted mess, Coco showed her how to brush it painlessly. When Richeh was nervous about her speech (which a bunch of adults pressured her to give), Coco taught her a good way to beat the stress. She was a wonderful person who gave so much. A few saccharine stanzas weren’t going to compensate for everything, but it was at least a start.
After a solid two hours of failed drafts and frustration, Agott finally put together some decent script. She was pretty happy with the results. It wasn’t too sappy, but she thought it was sweet. In her flow, she’d also cranked out a few unrelated poems about things she’d experienced and feelings she dealt with. But most of them would remain private. She only tore out the one she would share with Coco, certain that she would love it. Now, you might be wondering: how would Agott go about giving something so mushy and sentimental to Coco? Well, she’d considered that. And she’d devised a master plan.
She’d snuck into Master Qifrey’s office and snatched an envelope and candle (she put them back afterwards). After the wax she’d dripped onto the top flap dried, she carved out a symbol of her own with a needle. Finally, she wrote ‘My Dearest Coco’ on the front of the envelope and set it on her bed. Now all that was left to do was wait, which she decided to do outside. And with her, she’d taken the Diadem Herb that sat in her pen jar. Once upon a time, Coco had brought it back to her from the Dadah Range. She had refused it at the time, but she discreetly went back to retrieve it afterwards. She cast a spell to preserve it forever and kept it in her room. She didn’t know why at the time, but now she knew it was to remind her of the debt she owed it.
Over the years, Coco and Agott had developed a… mutual fondness for each other. They decided a long time ago not to officially label it. For now, they were just… feeling their feelings and showing affection. Giggling and whispering under the covers after bedtime, linking hands whilst walking through town, placing chaste kisses on each other’s foreheads and cheeks… although overwhelming at first, it is oh so beautiful to be oh so adored. Agott knew Coco adored her, and Agott adored Coco. Years ago, Agott wanted nothing more than to get rid of her. Now she reveled in just how lucky she was to meet her. How lucky she was to have her in her life. That was why she was indebted to the Diadem Herb; without it, Coco would’ve walked out of her world forever.
“Agott?”
The young witch tensed at the sound of her sweetheart’s voice. She looked to see Coco approaching, brushing her hair over her shoulder (it had gotten longer over the years). “I just found the strangest letter on my bed,” she said, holding the envelope. “It’s addressed to me, but nobody signed it. And inside is probably one of the cheesiest but sweetest poems I’ve ever heard. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I had a secret admirer.” Cheesy, sure. But sweet? So Coco did like it. That was a relief, at least. “Really?” said Agott. “How odd.” She tried her best to play it cool, setting the Diadem Herb aside to focus on… striking two stones she picked up off the ground together. It was all she could think of.
Sadly, Coco didn’t seem to buy it. “Sugarplum,” she crooned. “did you have something to do with this?” Dammit. Nothing got past her. “I won’t tell anyone,” she added. Oh, what did it matter at this point? She practically knew everything. “What gave it away?” sighed Agott. Coco pulled the letter out of the envelope. “I’ve shared a room with you for years,” she replied. “You think I wouldn’t recognize your handwriting?” Fair point. Agott could probably recognize Coco’s handwriting blindfolded.
“Sugarplum, why wouldn’t you want me to know you wrote this?” asked Coco. Ugh, it was embarrassing. Agott dropped her head into her hands, trying to conceal her blushing cheeks. “I guess…” she began. “I thought that if you didn’t like it, I could fall back on that ‘secret admirer’ theory.” She didn’t know what she was gonna do if Coco ran with it, though. “Awww, Agott,” said Coco, wrapping her arms around Agott’s shoulders. “I thought it was lovely. And if I did have a secret admirer, I wouldn’t give them any thought. I’d just throw the letter in the trash.” Now Agott was glad Coco recognized her handwriting.
“Well, I’m glad you like it, honeydew,” said Agott. “Because I really do like you.” Coco giggled softly, poking Agott’s nose. “There you go again,” she said. “Still in a poetry groove?” Oh, she liked that, huh? Well, then why should Agott deny her more? “Oh, there’s plenty more where that came from,” she said. She clasped Coco’s pretty hands in her own, giving her knuckles quick, fluttery kisses. “No god can craft a kinder grace,” she mused. “than your sweet and lovely face.” The two of them slipped off the stoop and rolled through the grass. Coco shrieked with laughter as they tumbled, and Agott couldn’t help but join her.
“Oh, I’ve fallen oh so hard!” said Agott. “But for you, I’ve fallen twice as far.” Coco snickered, lightly batting her shoulder. “Okay, okay!” she said. “Don’t overdo it, sugarplum!” Overdo it? Agott was just being honest. She wove a lock of Coco’s hair between her fingers, pressing a kiss to the verdant strands. “I’m just speaking my heart, honeydew,” she said softly. “I know I’ve had trouble with that lately. I think we both have.” She slowly sat up, making sure Coco didn’t fall when sliding off of her. “I don’t mean to be blunt,” she began. “But I think it’s time we end this childish charade.”
She could tell from the look in Coco’s eyes that she’d made her blood run cold. “Don’t get me wrong!” she quickly added. “It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it. It’s just… we’re not kids anymore.” She remembered when they met their older selves. The two of them had ended up married, and it was unlikely they did that by keeping their relationship static. So Agott took both of Coco’s hands, bowing her head over them.
“I want more. I want everything. I want to be your everything. I want to share everything with you! The good days, the bad days, the rainy and sunny days… I don’t care. They’ll only be worth living if I live them with you! You and only you! Coco… I love you.”
There. She finally got it out. And she didn’t even need to write a poem.
For a long time, they were both silent. The only sound was the gentle breeze rustling through the grass. Agott had either ruined everything or made their entire lives. She released Coco’s hands and looked up to watch them cover her trembling lips. Oh, no. She was crying. The last time she’d made Coco cry, she’d nearly lost her to a dragon. Not because she’d made her cry, but the two events happened within fifteen minutes of each other. “Oh, Agott,” shuddered Coco. “What took you so long?!” She tackled Agott back into the grass. The two of them rolled in a patch of wildflowers before something squealed under Agott. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “Sorry, Puffpuff!” The little brushbuddy shook itself out before huffing and slinking up a tree to nap.
“I can’t tell you how happy those words make me,” said Coco. “I’ve loved nothing more than the time we spent together! Well, I love one thing more: you! Agott, I love you too!” She… she did? Love-love? Really? “I really mean it!” continued Coco. “I knew I felt something since we were kids, but only now do I understand!” That got Agott’s attention.
“Wait, that long?”
“Yes!”
“But I was so mean to you!”
“Only for the first month or so!”
“I was so mean!”
“Agott, hush!”
She pressed a finger to Agott’s lips. Her thumb then caressed Agott’s cheek oh so softly. Her fingertips were so soft. This was where Agott wanted to die. “So can I have a real kiss?” she asked quietly. Coco chuckled and poked her nose. She then leaned down and met Agott with a tender kiss on the lips, weaving their hands together. Agott didn’t care what she became anymore - a librarian, a Knight Moralis, or even a shopkeeper like Mr. Nolnoa. Whatever she did, she had one non-negotiable: she wanted to be with Coco.
Because Agott loved Coco.
She loved her more than anything.
‘A single glance from your lambent eyes’
‘Doth reduce the sun himself to sighs’
‘The way you cast a smile to me’
‘Commands mighty waves from the sea’
‘So when others run to higher ground’
‘I beg the tides to let me drown’
‘You speak of me like I am grand’
‘Like I may quell storms with just a hand’
‘When truly I might fall apart’
‘If you were not to cradle my heart’
‘Some say that love is but a chain’
‘Only a source of misery and pain’
‘If that is true, I invite its sting’
‘For I cannot ponder anything’
‘More painful than to be deprived of you’
‘My dearest lovely honeydew’