Posting after Midnight cuz I have the next five days off and I can channel my inner night owl! This chapter is longer than originally intended, but hopefully worth it!
depr.56789: Thank you! You're a pretty good writer too despite English not being your primary language. Yeah, Wanda has it pretty rough right now, and in this chapter, we'll find out whether Cosmo regrets his decision.
DoggyPocky: I'm still learning things about non-binary and the difference between that and androgyny; sometimes, for some reason, I get those mixed up. Who knows, Susie may or may not be a psychic ;) And Rose is actually not the same race as Toronto, but LeShae and Susie are. Yes, what Sandra did was irrational and against the law, but essentially, she saved Toronto from entering into a broken system where we don't know what future he could've faced.
McSgwizzle: Hmmmm, Sage working for the Floyds...I wonder. In Thornton's case, it really could go both ways; Ahmaud and Breonna, two vulnerable teenagers, had their newborn stolen from them with no explanation, but Sandra did so out of good intentions and to make up for what she lost. As far the Rhonda stuff I've been gassing, all your questions shall be answered soon *insert evil laugh*
Seated on Rhonda's couch, Cosmo waited for Rhonda to finish getting ready for their date. Besides the 'special surprise' that he had no clue of what it could be, she kept most of the details about the date a secret. She did tell him not to get too dressed up, so he figured his green, short-sleeve v-neck layered the white t-shirt and denim jeans with his normal combat boots would suffice.
Checking his phone for the current time, he found that he'd been waiting for over an hour. Normally it didn't take Rhonda a whole hour to get ready, specifically for anything casual like she claimed this date was. They may not be in any huge hurry, but he wondered what was taking so long. Deciding to go find out for himself, he got up from her couch and floated down the single hall to her bedroom on the left, giving the door a few knocks. "You okay in there?" he asked through the door, only to be met with no response.
Finding this strange, he twisted the knob as it'd been unlocked the whole time, and when he opened the door, it took all his strength to keep his eyes from bulging out of their sockets.
There she was, full face of makeup, silk porcelain skin radiating in the natural lighting of sunset glowing through her single pane window, navy-blue curls flowing elegantly past her shoulders, laying on her arched back with legs spread, an arm hanging over the propped knee while the other supported the sensually smiling cheek in her palm…
Wearing nothing else but a black, silver-rhinestone thong.
He felt as if he could hear his heart thumping madly in his ears. For having never seen a near-naked woman in his life, his eyes couldn't deny how…*ahem*…'lush' the upper half of her body was. "…w-wh…" the whizzing of his brain stuttered out of his mouth "…w-what are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious?" her silk voice spread smooth like butter. "It's the 'special surprise' I've been teasing."
His confusion was now more confused.
Taking her precious time, she switched her hips in her float towards him, one finger in her suggestive smirk. "I wanted to try a quickie before our date."
"…q-quickie?" Cosmo squeaked, a tickle in his throat.
"Yeah." Rhonda stopped just a few inches away from him, running that same finger from her lips down the center of his chest, reaching to his belt buckle. "I think it's time we finally show each other how much we want each other…"
"R-rhonda…" Cosmo brushed her finger away, rejecting her motive. "…why now?"
Her giggling to his question didn't lessen his uneasiness. "C'mon; you've been holdin' out all this time with your 'waiting for the right time' excuses…" she placed an amorous hand over his cheek, crimson eyes staring deeply into his shamrock-green. "…but I think we shouldn't keep delaying the inevitable, cuz I know you want me…" heat surged through his veins when she steadily inched closer, shortening the distance between their lips. "…just as much as I want you."
Before Cosmo could object, she drew him into a kiss so passionate that when he closed his eyes, his willpower caved into his physical instincts.
Through repeated kisses, she tugged him by the shirt, directing their bodies backwards until she allowed him to straddle on top of her over her grey duvet, parting her lips to let his tongue dance with hers. Her fingers combed through his hair as he supported his weight with both hands against her sides, their hips swaying together in lustful harmony. She reached for the base of his shirts, and he broke their kiss as she lifted both shirts to reveal his bare torso. The same sensual smirk widened as she watched Cosmo staring at her admiringly, apparently liking what he saw, and when she used a finger in a motion for him to come closer, he obediently leaned down to kiss her again, this time letting his hand get a feel for all the woman of her upper half.
She breathed in a moan of as his hand fondled her breast, rocking her head back when his lips began planting kisses beneath her neck. Her fingers clawed his back as the swish of his hips quickened against her pelvis, the same level of ecstasy washing over him. He had no idea what he was doing or even why he was doing it, but whatever he was doing, he couldn't help but enjoy it.
So many thoughts flooded his mind as Rhonda reached to unbuckle his belt. Was this really it? Was he seriously about to take the next step? He opened his eyes to Rhonda unfastening his buckle, yet Rhonda's face was replaced with the soft overlay of his ex's perfect, porcelain skin, her breath-taking fuchsia eyes, and her signature swirly pink hair…
…his first love.
As if shocked by the spark of his subconscious, Cosmo stopped himself, the 'fight or flight' indicator picking a really awkward time to kick in. He shot from the bed and stumbled back, falling to the floor as Rhonda sat up hastily from Cosmo's fall.
"Are you okay?!" Rhonda asked frantically, perplexed to why everything just stopped. "What happened?!"
Honestly, Cosmo couldn't explain it either. "…I-I just…" he struggled to find the right words. "…I-I dunno…"
"If you're worried about protection, I have a condom." Rhonda ensured, thinking that had a little something to do with it.
"No…it's not that…" Cosmo lifted himself from the floor, straightening his jeans before re-buckling his belt.
At this point, Rhonda became impatient. "Then what the heck is it?"
"…I…" Cosmo really didn't want to admit something like this to someone like Rhonda, yet even he knew he couldn't keep pretending this truth about him didn't exist. "…I…" he looked away, totally embarrassed at how immature he was about to make himself look in front of someone so 'seasoned.' "…I'm still a virgin…"
When he forced himself to meet her gaze, her crimson eyes gawked in disbelief.
"…are you frickin' serious?!" Rhonda felt no need to hide her growing frustration. "You had a whole girlfriend-"
"That doesn't mean we had sex…" Cosmo interrupted, bothered by how close-minded she was coming across.
Staring disapprovingly, Rhonda then rolled her eyes before rising from her bed, groaning deeply as she flew over to her vanity. "…Sheesh, dude…"
"What!?" Cosmo felt extremely offended. "Is that such a bad thing?!"
"So you mean to tell me you dated Wanda on and off since sophomore year of high school," Rhonda paced back and forth, beginning to conclude her assumptions about Cosmo had been way off. "and y'all never had sex, not once?!"
"We've had close calls, but no, we haven't!" Cosmo flew to the bed to retrieve his shirts that were tossed to the side, more furious than originally intended. "Sheesh, why are you acting like this?!"
Rhonda scoffed, crossing her arms over her bare chest. "…then maybe she should be your first."
With every last bit of nerve pinched, Cosmo's glower creased at the girl he once believed he could learn to love. "…what is your problem!?"
Switching gears like the flip of a light switch, Rhonda floated towards Cosmo, pleading in her gaze. "…why don't you want this?"
"…it's not that." Cosmo frowned, more torn in what he truly wanted. "…I-I'm just not ready."
"But there's plenty of fairies your age who've done this before!"
"I'm not most fairies."
"Cosmo, c'mon…" she took both of his wrists, placing his hands to cup her breasts as he stared quizzically to her. "…you can't deny how much you love this…"
"Rhonda, please." Cosmo gently broke from her grip, genuinely trying to reason with her. "I'm not ready for this."
The pain of rejection painted all over her hurt expression, that hurt expression didn't take long to turn into resentment. "…should've known I was wasting my time."
When she whisked herself away to her dresser-drawer for a T-shirt, Cosmo's misunderstanding questioned "What are you talking about!?"
"Imma keep it short and sweet; I like sex, and I like men who like sex." she took out the black T-shirt she normally slept in to put on. "I only kept you around because I was waiting to see if you'd be just as good in bed as you are at kissing."
"…w-what?!"
Rhonda snorted haughtily. "What? You thought I was looking for something serious?! If you seriously thought whatever this is would turn into anything more, than you must be a bigger idiot than people say you are."
"…so that's it?" his emotions bubbled to the surface, unsure of what else to do but stare at her like a lost puppy "…we're just…done?"
Unfazed by his hurt feelings, Rhonda, now fully clothed, flew passed Cosmo to her bedroom door, opening it as she crudely uttered "I want a man, not some useless little boy."
Ouch.
Her words slashed his core, shattering what little ego he had left, and her 'Idgaf' stare stabbed his soul ten times as deep. Forcing on his shirts, he gave Rhonda one last glower before storming out of her room as Rhonda promptly slammed the door behind his exit.
Glossy fuchsia orbs stared mindlessly towards her window as Wanda's silent tears continued to fall. Curled on her side atop her bed, the sun had since fallen under the horizon, leaving an ombre of magentas and violets as stars peeked through the atmosphere. There was no other light source in her room but the subtle glow of the sunset, her surroundings applicably as dark as her soul.
After her tutoring session with Endigow, Wanda had returned to an empty apartment, both roommates out and about somewhere. With no energy for anything else, Wanda simply entered her room, shut the door, got on her bed, and cried. The true reason for her tears were unknown, yet they just kept streaming for hours, no sobs, no sniffs, just disheartening tears…
Her phone buzzed throughout the time she lay still in her room, probably texts from everyone checking in on her as always. She ignored her phone, no motivation to even lift a finger. Not even the comfort of her blade intrigued her enough to move, as if paralyzed in a numbing abyss. One thing she actually appreciated about this numbing abyss; her mind felt too numb to think, to dream, to ponder, to replay haunting memories…
Everything felt empty.
Mind, body, spirit…all empty.
Yet she was still crying, once thinking her tears had finally dried.
"Wanda?" she heard Susie's voice of concern through her door, followed by a couple knocks. "…Wanda, can we come in?"
Wanda groaned, assuming who 'we' could be. She truly appreciated the people in her life and was grateful for their love and support but…they didn't deserve to fall down the same rabbit whole, didn't deserve to be stuck with her at her rockiest of bottoms.
"Please, Wanda?"
Knowing Susie more than likely wasn't going to give up, Wanda warily reached for her wand resting on her nightstand and used her magic to open the door, and her eyes squinted faintly from the hallway light beaming from behind into her room. With only the view of the back of Wanda's fuchsia curls, Susie and Spike gave worried looks to each other before Susie entered alone, Alewandro and Spike leaning on both sides of the doorframe as Susie ventured to Wanda's bedside.
"…hey, hun." Susie kept her approach tender, noting the tears still trickling from her best friend's vacant stare. "…how're you holding up?"
No response.
"Would you like to come hang out with us?" Susie asked anyway, though not in a pressing way.
Still no response.
When Susie turned back to the two men in the doorway, her eyes requesting any assistance, Spike then entered the room, speaking from Wanda's behind in a persuasive tone. "We're not doin' much since there's been a change in plans."
Finding enough energy to roll over onto her back, Wanda directed her squint towards Spike, speaking just above a whisper. "…why?"
"Thornton's mother was arrested after turning herself in." Alewandro informed, he too entering the room to stand next to Spike. "He cannot afford the set bond, and his birth parents do not want lend a hand in bailing her out so…" he exhaled deeply. "…he is not taking it so well."
Rose had only told Wanda snippets of Thornton's situation and wished she could empathize more. Her relationship with Little Mamma was nowhere near what Thornton's is to Sandra. "…what about Rose?" she thought to ask, noticing her other roommate's absence.
"She's with LeShae helping to talk Thornton down." Spike answered. "They understand more to the larger extent of what he's feelin' right now and…he didn't wanna bring everyone's mood down."
"…then why do I have to come?" Wanda murmured, her strength rebuilding enough to sit her up in bed. "I don't want to bring your moods down either…"
"The get-together was mostly for you anyway." Susie solemnly admitted, turning in the bed to face Wanda. "You need to be around people who love you instead of isolating yourself like this."
Wanda drew both knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself. "…what if I wanna be alone…"
"That has not been good for you." Alewandro commented sincerely. "And everyone has the same opinion."
"Plus, now it's just the original Poofy Pants crew." Spike spoke with a casual lift of his shoulders, adding a slight pause. "…minus, 'we all know who.'"
Wanda let out a groan; they might as well have just said his name, wouldn't have hurt any less. "I don't wanna go anywhere…"
"It's more like a 'stay in and chill' sort of thing." Spike clarified. "We figured we'd just listen to music, drink, y'know, just vibe out. Somethin' I think we could all use…"
"…do I have to?"
"You do not necessarily have to," Alewandro lightheartedly replied. "but we would highly suggest you do anyway."
Wanda blinked begrudgingly. "…so I have to."
"You won't regret it." Susie grinned convincingly. "Trust."
Pff, sure…Wanda thought to herself …just like I didn't regret giving my heart just for him to stomp all over it…
Cosmo's fuming fueled his four-block travel from Capricorn's Cave, flying down the sidewalk past residential properties with fists balled and a biting lip. A surge of anger led him to punch the metal gate fencing another complex, his fist throbbing in instant regret. Grunting as he held his reddened fist, he leaned to let the metal fence support his weight, eyes watering from both the physical and mental pain hanging like a dumbbell in his chest.
Should he have seen this coming? Should he have known that getting in his pants was all Rhonda cared about him? All of their conversations, how she wanted to get to know him, how she accepted his point of view when no one else did, how nice she was, was that all for an ulterior motive? Here he was wanting something more to come from their attraction for each other; was her end game simply to sleep with him and that's it?!
And just because he didn't want to sleep with her, he wasn't a man?! Gee, as if he didn't question his own manhood on the regular. As if he didn't hate himself enough already because he was 'wimpy', because he still had the body of a stupid little kid. He wanted to be the man she dreamed of, her man. He chose her, and this is how she acts?!
Nah, he can't just sit and take that level of disrespect; not anymore. Instead of running away like a little boy, he should go be a man and tell her what's what! This not how this is gonna go, and what he will not tolerate is her big, smart mouth.
He has to stand his ground, put her in her place. She can be a lil' thot all she wants, he could care less at that point. But he was gonna make sure she put some respect on his name!
Taking his wand from his back pocket, he poofed himself in a green cloud back to her apartment directly in front of her door, wanting to get this matter settled asap. Remembering that she hid an extra apartment key under her welcome mat, he used it to get in. She'd specifically revealed her extra key's hiding place in the event he wanted to escape his roommates or just wanted to get away, basically opening her place for him to enter at free will.
Shutting the door behind him, he could hear some commotion coming from behind her bedroom door, something along the lines of rhythmic claps and a woman panting in pleasure. Those pants grew louder the closer he floated, also hearing another man's voice as he tells her to "take this thick pencil like a sharpener."
…uh…
1) Who actually says that?! 2) What does that even mean?! And 3)…
Why does that voice sound like Snarki?!
More curious than confused, Cosmo cautiously twisted the door knob just enough to where the door didn't creek, and every bit of what burned his eyeballs practically made him dry heave…
Through the creek of the door was the slit view of Rhonda bent over on her knees atop her duvet, void of any clothes, and his blonde-hair blue eyed superior equally as naked down to the dirty-blonde hair on his chest and other 'areas', hitting it from behind as Rhonda's eyes rolled back and mouth agape from her moans of pure ecstasy.
He couldn't control his mouth from gasping, bulging eyes stunned in what could best be described as 'the worst possible nightmare.' Wooooooow. She literally wasted no time moving on to the next peen she could snag! And from Snarki?! Someone she constantly talked bad about, finding everything and anything to mock about him…
How desperate can you be…
With no time to close the door, he took out his wand and high-tailed it out of there.
. . . . . .
Mind swirling in a chaotic frenzy, Cosmo flew across the parking lot leading to the Enchanted Forrest, too frantic to think about why he chose this location to escape to. There was simply no time to think, no time to put any ounce of logic into what just transpired over the course of a mere twenty minutes. His limbs began to shake, his heart raced faster than ever before. He felt both freezing cold and melting hot, as if his temperature was just as confused and out of whack as his psyche.
What the heck was he supposed to make of all this?!
For all he knew, Snarki could've been a backup all along. She broke up with him just to sleep with that dirty bigot. Talk about hit it where it hurts…did she care about him at all?! Or was that just to get what she wanted out of him, too!? Pretending just to make him more attracted to sleeping with her. What a conniving little shrew…
His train of thought (or lack thereof) was interrupted by a very potent smell the deeper he traveled into the forest, something that almost mimicked a skunk. His nose flinched before he used both hands to cover it, soon realizing his hands couldn't mask the smell from burning his nostrils. What is that!? Cosmo, wanting to run away, noticed a backpack sticking out from behind one of the tall trees, followed by someone's combat boots. He floated closer to the boots, trying his best not to gag from the unpleasant stench, until he got a better view of the owner of said boots and said backpack.
A fairy with purple and black cyberlox falls and purple skinny jeans took a slow drag of the white bud before blowing out the smoke, the air around them a hazy fog from whatever was rolled in that bud. Cosmo stared at the fairy, puzzled by what he saw, and the fairy happened to glance to their right to see the green fairy staring at them to which the fairy, both embarrassed and bothered by the unexpected attention, simply stared back through their indigo eyes coated in black eyeliner.
"…uh…" Cosmo wasn't sure what all to say except for "…sorry…" He then turned to leave, hoping to push the awkward moment behind him along with other awkward moments of that day.
"Wait!"
Halting his flight, Cosmo turned around to the fairy as they motioned for him to come over with a finger. Finding this odd but doing so anyway, Cosmo guardedly loomed closer to the fairy, watching as the fairy held out the bud with an outstretched hand.
"Wanna smoke?"
"…uh…n-no thanks." Cosmo stuttered with a questioning stare. "I don't."
"Ah." the fairy lifted their shoulders, bringing the bud back to their lips for another puff. "Just looked like you could use it is all."
Cosmo grumbled from the headache forming in his head, wiping one eye with his palm. "My brain feels like it's gonna explode…"
After exhaling a trail of smoke, the fairy took it upon themselves to make an introduction. "I'm Endigow, by the way."
Cosmo wasn't in the mood for cordialities but decided to be nice, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Cosmo."
Realization lighted in Endigow's memory. "Wanda's ex-boyfriend?"
Arching a brow, Cosmo inched forward suspiciously. "…how do you know that?"
"She's my tutor." Endigow revealed, flicking the bud against their finger to remove excess ashes right before they corrected themselves. "…well…used to be."
"…oh." Cosmo stared at the bud in Endigow's hand, not recognizing what it was. The bud looked too 'rolled' and full to be a cigarette, too small and more 'earthy' smelling to be a cigar.
Catching on to Cosmo's curiosity, Endigow held the bud to Cosmo's eyelevel. "It's Fairijuana."
Cosmo's eyes widened quizzically. "Fara-who?"
"Fairijuana." Endigow repeated. "Y'know…Fairy Jane?"
Cosmo was a deer in headlights.
"…well, anyway." Endigow took a shorter smoke, leaning their head back against the bark of the tree. "Sure you don't wanna smoke?"
"Yeah." Cosmo murmured, feeling a bit lightheaded just whatever he was breathing in. "I'm good."
"You sure you good?" Endigow probed. "Cuz you don't look too good."
"I'm not, honestly…" Cosmo took a seat in front of Endigow, thinking if he got off his feet, the dizziness would subside.
Endigow sensed something deeper troubling the green fairy, a 'hunch', if you will. "…wanna talk about it?"
Sighing heavily, Cosmo roped his arms around his drawn knees. "…I suck at life."
"Dude, we all suck at life." Endigow scoffed, flicking the blunt once more.
"No, you don't get it." Cosmo lowered his eyes, more ashamed of himself. "…I really suck at life."
"Yeah?"
"Big time…"
Endigow inhaled more of their herbal, the weight on their shoulders growing lighter with every drag. Wanda wasn't very open about her past relationships or really with anything in general, so they didn't have much to judge other than how broken she seemed from whatever happened between her Cosmo. "Can I ask you something personal?"
Cosmo raised his gaze with a shrug. "Sure."
"Why did you and Wanda break up?"
Cosmo stalled, feeling as if his heart quaked just from such a simple yet complex question. "…you're not very subtle, are you."
"Nah." Endigow let out a faint laugh. "Not when I'm stoned."
"…stoned?"
"Are you avoiding the question?"
"No, I just…" Cosmo looked away, everything he felt so sure about now the biggest uncertainty of his life. "…I dunno anymore…"
"You don't know why you broke up?' Endigow quizzed.
"I mean I thought I knew why…" Cosmo tried to explain. "…but now I don't."
"So answer me this." Endigow twisted the end of their blunt into the grass, putting in out as it had served its purpose. "Do you still love her?"
Ugh, again with the crazy questions! Hasn't his brain had enough chaos for one day? "Where are you getting at?"
"I'm asking because I know for a fact she still loves you."
Cosmo's face drew a blank. "…no, she doesn't."
"She does." Endigow spoke as if absolutely certain. "Because if she didn't love you, she wouldn't still be this heartbroken. She would've moved on with someone else already. I mean…" Endigow grabbed their backpack, reaching for the candy they bought in anticipation of the munchies. "…you guys broke up a while ago, I'm assuming?"
"Yeah, but she's moved on before." Cosmo disposed. "This isn't the first time we broke up."
"Oh?" Endigow pulled out a bag of sour-patch kids, tearing the bag to access the sugary goodness. "What happened the first time?"
"…our parents broke us up." Cosmo started picking at his nails, reliving his uncomfortable past. "…well…mostly my mom…she hates Wanda."
"So you broke up with her then, too?" Endigow wanted to get a better understanding, popping a sour-patch kid in their mouth.
"…I did…" the weight of his past decisions weighed heavy on his spirit.
"So how'd you get back together?"
His brows creased thoughtfully, recalling the very day their love had been rekindled. "…she broke up with her ex…because she realized…she was still in love with me."
"…so I ask again." Endigow reached for another piece of candy. "Why did you guys break up this time?"
"…because…" the more he thought it through, the more the anger once directed at Wanda turned inward. "…I thought she was still involved with her ex…"
"Why would she be if she broke up with said ex just to come back to you?"
This was the same point everyone else had made in some form or another, how if Wanda truly wanted to be with Juandissimo, she would have stayed with him instead of breaking his heart for her love for Cosmo. That if Wanda wanted to take Juandissimo back, she would have broken up with him to do so, or she would have done so when things between him and her went on the downward spiral to dysfunction.
"…I-I didn't actually go sleep with Juandissimo"
That night was the perfect opportunity for her to do so, and from the way she distanced herself from Muscles Magoo when he bothered to notice her in class, either Magoo hit it and quit it (which didn't sound much like him) or…Wanda was being truthful.
"Want some?"
"What?" Cosmo snapped out of his head, seeing the bag of candy outstretched to him. Realizing Endigow's offer, Cosmo waved his hand, respectfully declining. "No thanks…"
Digging back into the bag, Endigow continued their round of twenty questions. "…was it you?"
"What do you mean?"
"The reason you guys broke up." Endigow specified. "Couldn't've been cuzza her."
Cosmo slit his brow, slightly offended. "…you barely know me, and I don't know you from a rock on the ground."
"I'm just making an assumption." Endigow raised their shoulders, not meaning to offend anyone. "I mean…she tears up just from even mentioning your name."
His slit brow softened, and a small squeak escaped "…she…she does?"
"The one time she mentioned you, yeah." Endigow clarified. "Plus, she said you broke up with her so, it couldn't have been because she stopped loving you."
Hearing these words made him think about the moments leading up to the breakup, the times he got upset with her when, in actuality, there wasn't a reason to be upset. The times he'd play these mental games with her, accusing her of lying, twisting her truth. Turning everything around to where she remained at fault. Placing the blame of his distrust directly onto her, ignoring all the ways he'd reach for a reason not to trust her. If she was guilty, she wouldn't have sounded as hurt as she did, she wouldn't have been as depressed, or as withdrawn.
"I stayed loyal to you when everyone else said I shouldn't! I stayed because I know what you've been through and I know you haven't been yourself because of it!"
And man, did he go through hell. From his manipulative witch of a womb bearer to that same demon twisting his head with her gaslighting. From her beating him senseless to then blaming him for her abuse. And in the end, she pretended to make amends with him, after his attempt to end his life, just to screw with his insecurities bashing the fact that he should have killed himself right so she wouldn't have to deal with him, messing him up in more ways than one.
Wanda was there through it all; she let him cry it out, gave him the space to deal yet still offered her shoulder to lean on. She stuck by him, and even though she went behind his back to help Juandissimo, if he took the time to really mull it over, he could conclude that was the one and only time she ever lied to him…
"I loved you…so much! With everything in me! I thought if I tried, if I didn't give up on you, you'd come back to me…"
She didn't give up, not for one second. Even when he was so mean to her. Even when he'd ignore her texts and calls simply because he didn't feel like dealing with her in that moment, or when he'd pick an argument or find any reason to fault her for lying just to 'test' her loyalty. There were more than enough chances and justifications for her to drop him like a hat, but she didn't…she never did…
"…but it seems like you were reaching for an out this whole time…and I'm such a fool for staying with someone who clearly didn't love me anymore…"
He then realized that he'd made one of the biggest mistakes of his life.
"…I…" his fingers scratched at his hair, lowering his forehead to rest against his knees. "…I'm horrible…"
Still snacking on their sour-patches, Endigow raised a brow. "…because…?"
His eyes began to sting, shutting them as tears brimmed. "…how could I do that…"
Endigow was thrown by how quickly his head shot up, brimming tears now glossing over his eyes. "…you okay?"
"…I gotta…" his hands still scratched at his hair, nails digging into his scalp. "…I gotta fix this…"
"Imma need you to be more specific."
He sprung from seat, taking out his wand to disappear in a cloud of green, leaving without much explanation.
The sudden escalation of events left Endigow in a bubble of utter confusion. "…the heck just happ…how high am I!?"
Cosmo materialized in the parking lot of Scorpio's Layer and hurried to the second floor where he knew the girls' apartment would be. Whether it was the contact high or his guilty conscience, he needed to mend what'd been broken.
Inside the girls' apartment, the overhead light was dimmed to provide a low-light setting as the hand-held radio played Soft Rock from the coffee table, background music for the four fairies seated on the floor surrounding it. Susie sat beside Wanda while Spike sat next to Alewandro, all facing the circular organization of red cups in the middle. Each layer of cups differed in strength of alcohol mix, the outer ring being the lowest mix of rum and punch up to the lone center cup with at least 90% alcohol content.
"Okay." Spike finished handing everyone one card faced down, picked from the 52-card deck next to the ring of cups. "So, the object of the game is, we all get a card, we flip the card, and whoever has the lowest card has to drink."
"What if there's a tie?" Susie asked.
"Then you'll draw another card for the tie breaker," Spike explained. "and whoever has the lowest card out of that tie breaker has to drink. And you have to drink all of whatever's in the cup, and we go until we reach the cup in the middle."
"How come I have never heard of this drinking game before?" Alewandro turned to Spike in his inquiry.
"Went to this summer camp one time, a bunch of kids made up this game." Spike commented. "Of course, since we were kids, we did this with vinegar, but since we're all adults here, the alcohol is a nice little 'twist.'"
Having been silent since they started, Wanda's blank stare was directed to the couch. Everyone else gave questioning glances to each other, and Susie gave Wanda's shoulder a gentle nudge, pulling her from her trance. "…Wanda?"
Wanda looked around as all eyes fell on her, growing more tense the longer they stared. Why did they have to look at her like that, like she was some fragile thing they were afraid to break?
A loud knock on the door caught everyone's attention. "I'll get it." Susie assumed it was the pizza they ordered being delivered, so she went to answer the door. She unlocked the bolt lock and twisted the knob, instantly disgusted by the sight she saw.
"What are you doing here?!" Susie grilled, soon wincing from the scent she sniffed afterwards. "…and why you smell like weed?!"
"Is Wanda home?"
"Why is that your concern?!"
Overhearing the exchange, Wanda gawked when she spotted the green fairy in front of Susie in the doorway, her heart freezing in its defense against breaking down further than it already has.
"Please, Susie…" Cosmo pleaded, aware that he deserved her hostility. "I just wanna talk to her."
Susie rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I'm not letting you cause more damage."
"Please!" Cosmo begged, a little more urgently. "Just let me talk!"
"You need to leave." Alewandro came to Susie's defense, standing sternly behind her.
"No, I need to talk to Wanda!" Cosmo wasn't backing down, not when this needed to be done.
Alewandro called b.s. "What could you possibly have to say to Wanda, anyway?"
"I wanna apologize!" Cosmo pleaded his case. "To all of you, but mostly to Wanda!"
"…Cosmo?"
Everyone, including Cosmo, turned to where the meek call came from, and Cosmo could see his first love, hugging herself by the coffee table; he could almost cry from the broken spirit evident in her red eyes, puffy eyes.
"…Wanda…" he softened his approach, speaking past Susie and Alewandro directly to the pink angel. "…I just wanna talk."
"Oh, give me a break!" Susie huffed, pushing Cosmo back. "Stop with the bull!"
"…it's okay…"
Susie whirled to her best friend in bafflement. "Seriously?!"
"Wanda, you don't have to listen to him." Spike politely reminded, going to lay a consoling hand on her shoulder. "You don't owe him anything."
Cosmo eyed Spike, not expecting the backlash to hurt as much as it did.
"…no…" Wanda spoke above a whisper, in no mood for any struggle. "…whatever he has to say, let him say it."
Reluctantly, Susie flew away from the doorway with Alewandro doing the same, not stopping the unwanted guest when he entered inside. Carefully, Cosmo inched closer, but the more he inched, the more Wanda backed away, now rubbing both arms as she willed her tears not to fall. Cosmo felt disheartened at the scene, wishing he could just go wrap his arms around her, yet he knew as well as anyone that would only make everything worse.
"…Wanda, I…" Cosmo's mind was so frazzled it was difficult searching for the right words. What were the right words, anyway?
Struggling to make eye contact, Wanda's claws dub into the fresh scars beneath her sleeves, causing her to flinch.
"…I'm…I'm so sorry…" What a pathetic way to start. 'Sorry' can't heal the deep wounds he knows he inflicted. "…I'm really…really sorry."
Wanda looked away in contempt, in denial of his apology.
"…I shouldn't have done all the horrible, awful things I've done…" Cosmo continued, trying his best to ignore the many glares tearing holes into his confidence. "…I-I…I shouldn't have treated you the way I did…"
Refusing to meet his pleading eyes, Wanda attempted not to roll hers.
"I should have never gotten involved with Rhonda…" he spoke in a way to curse himself more than to apologize. "…I…should have known…s-she didn't love me…" his fingers fiddled anxiously with each other, the memory of Rhonda and Snarki bringing a bile taste in his mouth. "..she didn't love me…not like you always have."
The latter part of his sentence led to her directing her glossy glare to him.
"You always loved me…you never stopped…and I don't deserve your love…" he felt his own tears fall, not bothering to wipe them. "…I've ruined everything…I-I know that now…"
She slit her brow, resentment brewing the longer he kept yapping.
"…please say something?"
He would regret asking that of her, her words just as bitter as her tone of voice. "…If you expect me to believe that straight bull shitting out of your mouth, then you're more of a pathetic, scummy idiot than I thought."
"Oop." Susie snapped a concurring finger with Alewandro and Spike shooting bewildered glances towards Wanda, proud of Wanda for speaking her mind. "…go off then, sis!"
He jerked from the bullet hole to his spirit, shocked that Wanda would even speak like that to him, even at her angriest. Yet he pulled himself together, inhaling a deep breath to calm the anxiety trembling in his bones. "…I deserve that…and I deserve that and more for how cruel I was to you…"
She saw something in Cosmo's eyes that she hadn't seen in the longest time…pure remorse. The remorse the old Cosmo would have when he realized he was out of line, a look that almost made her want to forgive him. The tears trickling down were also confirmation, because he if wasn't sorry, he wouldn't be crying.
…and yet…her heart had been shattered too much…far too much. She'd be a fool to lead him to believe his actions towards her would all be forgiven and forgotten just from a few words anyone could say to try to take the guilt and shame off them…
With no falter in her glower, Wanda spat "Alewandro, Spike…get rid of this clown."
Another bullet pierced through his soul, shooting through his heart. "…W-Wanda-"
Wanda fled away, flying to the couch where she curled into a ball against the couch's arm. Susie came to her aid, sitting next to her and drawing Wanda close to her once Wanda's hitched sobs came after the floodgates broke in her soul.
"Wanda, please!" Cosmo cried as Alewandro and Spike restrained Cosmo by his arms, dragging him despite his kicked his legs in protest. "WANDA!"
"Don't make this any harder on yourself!" Spike firmly advised, both he and Alewandro tossing Cosmo out from the apartment.
"C'mon, guys!" Cosmo's voice cracked. "Please don't-"
He almost got slapped in the face from how hard Alewandro slammed the door, hearing the click of a lock. He threw himself to the door, fists pounding against it "PLEASE! I'M SORRY!"
Hearing Cosmo's muffled cries from behind the door only made Wanda cry more hysterically, and every surrounded her in their best attempts to calm her down.
"PLEASE!" Cosmo was sobbing at this point, continuing to pound the door as if to save his life. "WANDAAAAAA!"
The impact of banging his fists started to break skin, tiny specs of his blood coating the wood, and after a few more attempts, he ceased his banging just to wither to the ground, doubling over his knees as his overwhelming regret took over his emotions. No matter how hard he wailed, how hard he screamed, they were left unheard.
The silver, crescent moon glimmered throughout the city, accompanied by twinkling stars against the deep navy backdrop of the sky. Cosmo had traveled all the way to the cemetery, allowing his trees to flow as he wandered through the many rows of rustic gravestones.
Dreams of his father completely stopped the moment he committed himself to Rhonda. Not thinking much about it at the time, he felt sort of relieved. He could sleep through the night again without disruptions from dreams he couldn't explain. But right now, in this vulnerable, lonesome moment, he wished his father came back. He wished Papa Cosmo were there, to be physically in his comforting embrace. To hear his laugh, to see his smile. To listen to his words of wisdom…
The words of wisdom he failed to listen to before.
Remembering where Papa Cosmo's tombstone was, he sat on his knees in front of it, palming his face as more sobs shook his shoulders. Papa Cosmo was right…and he was wrong. He'd forgotten how much he loved Wanda, rejecting her true love for the fantasy of another woman. Seeking another woman's love when he had all the love he could ever need right in front of him. Seeking the love from another woman that never existed in the first place.
And now…he had no love.
…in a twisted way, his mother was also right. After all the pain he's caused her, Wanda realized what a waste of life he is, and now…he's left with nothing. His father was dead and his mother was dead to him, the friends he had now hate his guts, the woman he thought loved him tossed him aside as easily as lifting a finger, and the woman he always loved with all of his heart couldn't stand to look at him, wanted nothing to do with him.
He was nothing, and he would always be nothing…
"Yo, what's wit tha waterworks?"
Cosmo's tears shot up from the strange voice behind him, originally thinking he was alone. When he turned around, he almost did a double take. The figure before him looked like an older mirror image of him; same pale ivory skin, same shamrock-green eyes, same green shag reaching just past his shoulders…except his nose seemed exceptionally large. Dressed in a simple white button-up with cuffed sleeves rolled to his elbows and a loose black tie around his popped collar, he tucked one hand in the pocket of his dark denim jeans footed with black leather button-toe shoe while the other hand twirled his wand in his fingers.
Using his arm to wipe his eyes, Cosmo stared wonderingly at the fairy with a sniff "…d-do I know you?"
"Probably not," the fairy coolly responded. "but I most certainly know you."
Cosmo slowly brought himself to his feet, eyes remaining on the older fairy in attempts to gage what he was thinking. "…h-how…do you know me?"
"C'mooooooon." the fairy half-smiled, motioning towards his face. "You don't see a resemblance?"
Cosmo blinked. "…w-what do you mean?"
"I've seen ya once or twice at my pop's grave, here." The fairy then pointed to the tombstone behind the younger fairy, the one that read 'Cosmo Caesar Cosma.'
"…w-wait…" Cosmo didn't understand. "…I-I don't have siblings."
The fairy snorted. "On ya mom's side, you don't."
"…I…" So much chaos clouded his mind; how much more could his brain handle?! "…I'm lost."
"Then allow me to introduce myself! Two words." Holding up his hand, he raised one finger for each word spoken. "I'm Schnozmo. Two more words."
The fairy now known as Schnozmo held the same hand repeating the same action, and Cosmo's mind spun wildly in bewilderment from the two pivotal words Schnozmo spoke next…
"Your brother."
To be continued…
AN: Whew, chile...
I debated whether to include Schnozmo since he appeared just once on the show and Cosmo was originally deemed an only child, but I was like "why not?" (seems to be my answer to everything these days.) I also had the idea to make them half brothers based on their appearance on the show; they both look exactly like their father but Cosmo has slightly more resemblance to Mama Cosma. Made me play with the idea that Papa Cosmo had another relationship before meeting Mama Cosma.
FYI cuz I've gotten a few questions about this before; I know I usually reply to reviews in the newest chapter, but if you have any questions you want answered after reading this or any completed fic, feel free to leave them cuz I reply if you have PM.
With all that being said, thanks again for reading the craziness that is my mind. Be safe as you enjoy any Memorial Day festivities (if you celebrate, that is.)
See ya when I see ya :)