AN: Thanks for joining again! This chapter was such a pleasure to write since it was from Cosmo's point of view again! More to come of course! ;D
Truly, Madly, Deeply Chapter 4
It was during the daytime at the diner and Cosmo was scrubbing the counter as well as setting shakes down for the customers who sat there. The place wasn't slammed exactly but it was busier since it was the afternoon during the bliss of the summer. The most popular order by far included milkshakes, which Cosmo couldn't help but order himself. Luckily he got an employee discount so making his own strawberry milkshakes with the kitchen ingredients was a benefit. Of course he made sure to clean up the huge mess he would leave after angering the cook but that's besides the point. Everyone including his boss knew of Cosmo's recklessness at this point but they couldn't fire him as they were a bit short staffed. The manager had told Zephyr to let him start serving the customers because of this so the blue haired fairy had no choice but to begrudgingly let him.
"Okay Cosmo, today we are changing things up a bit…" Zephyr began, keeping all his thoughts of 'this is going to go horribly wrong' to himself.
Cosmo looked up from the counter for more of an explanation with a smile, "What is it?"
"Well I know you have mainly been on cleaning duty and more recently serving the customers here at the counter… but the boss said you need to start serving the customers at the tables and booths. Like bringing them the food and everything… Do you think you could handle that?" He asked with a lack of assertiveness. He could just think all the worst possibilities behind his hazel eyes.
Cosmo blinked in disbelief but felt overjoyed they were giving him more of a chance. With sparkles in his eyes he proclaimed, "You mean it? Can I take their orders too?"
"NO! Uhh… I mean! No, we should start here first and see how you do. Does that make sense?" He sputtered unintentionally. He may have not thought that highly of Cosmo but still didn't want to make that known.
With a careful nod, Cosmo was still satisfied by this. First he started off with just beverages such as water and shakes but then slowly worked up to foods like burgers and fries. He was never ordered to serve them simultaneously as Zephyr made sure to help him out. His first few orders made it without a hitch until came around to the fifth table they served.
It was a table with an older couple as wrinkles were forming under their eyes despite the same youthful twinkling that was kept aflame. All they ordered was two burgers with fries along with two simple waters. Zephyr carried the meals over, leaving Cosmo with the drinks. With a silver tray in hand, Cosmo made sure to carefully upkeep his balance as he floated across the restaurant.
"You can do this… you can do this…" The green haired fairy muttered to himself, eyeing the plates.
However, overthinking and Cosmo do not go hand in hand so the overwhelming wave of paranoia washed over him. Before he could make it over to the table, one of the glasses tipped to the edge causing it to spill all over the floor. In panic at his mistake, he floated down to the ground to pick it up but slipped like a fool as he landed right into the pitiful puddle causing him to drop the tray and second glass along with it. Hearing this, Zephyr turned around to this with an unsurprised frown and started to rush over.
Unfortunately the older lady of the couple saw this and began to laugh as she turned to her husband, "Oh dear, kids these days are so terribly clumsy but they remind me so much of you when we were young~!"
Her magenta bearded husband gave a hefty chuckle at this, "Oh hush! I could only imagine what it's like being in that poor kid's shoes right now! It was awful being stuck with a low paying job helpless with not a clue in the world of what to do! I was like that till I met you honey~!"
"Aww you really mean that?" She asked, batting her eyelashes while playing through her jade colored hair.
Her husband took her hand within his own, "Every time. I love you, just as much as I have for the past 69,982 years. Happy anniversary, baby!"
"Happy anniversary to you too, honey." Then they both leaned in as their lips touched.
Cosmo just stared at this, quietly overhearing it all. Those two fairies met each other and have stayed together for that long? How was that even possible? He thought to himself if there was anyone out there that could stand him for even a mere 1000 years, let alone almost 70,000 years? He wanted to go over and ask how they did it but his questions would've probably come off as doltish but he was already used to that. As sweet as all that was, Cosmo had to be brought back down to Fairy World by Zephyr pulling him up.
"Cosmo, get up!" Zephyr exclaimed, picking up all the glasses, platters, and singular tray. "Look I don't have time for this because there are more customers coming who need their orders taken. I need you to go to the back for now and get the mop to clean this up! Got it?"
Before Cosmo could answer with a nod, the sapphire fairy hurriedly flew off to the front. Sighing at this, Cosmo went the opposite direction as his head hung low. He was saddened a bit at this because he was mad at himself for screwing up something so pathetically simple. Then again that wasn't a rare occurrence so why did it matter? He went to the back to think before going back out there again. Was he always going to be like this for the rest of his life? Deep down he sure hoped he wasn't because he wouldn't ever get anywhere. Was he always destined to be reckless and alone? If he screwed up such simple tasks there's no telling how he would be in a relationship with someone. He would probably mess that up too, knowing him. He wasn't on the verge of tears or anything but he still took a deep breath and went to go get the mop. On his way towards the back closet, he made sure to take his time as he still needed time to clear his thoughts.
No! What was he thinking? Like he had told Zephyr, if he finds the one they'll love him for him no matter how heedless he could get. Why was he overthinking? If anything, that older couple showed him that they changed for the better when they met each other. Then something in his mind rang.
"Hey server boy, get back out here! We need somebody to take these orders out to table 5, pronto!" The cook yelled from the kitchen area, ringing the bell to get this attention.
Cosmo nodded but froze at the realization of how large this order was. It looked like it was meant for three people so he wasn't sure how he was going to carry all of this. He first grabbed all the shakes but then unsurprisingly knocked over the mint one as its contents of whip cream and ice cream splashed everywhere, including the burger with veggies that went along with it. Cosmo frowned as he heard a sigh from behind him.
"Cosmo… I'll just take it." Zephyr said, taking the other two orders with ease. "Look I understand that mistakes happen and we're under a lot of pressure but I can take these two orders out."
Cosmo just stood silently, staring at the floor as he was almost on the verge of tears about how he yet again made another mistake. Something else that wasn't even new to him. With him multiple mistakes in a row wasn't a strange occurrence.
Zephyr saw this and continued, "How about this… How about you take the third order out there when it's ready."
Cosmo looked up with hope once more and smiled, "Really?"
Zephyr reflected the expression, pleased to see that familiar side of his coworker again, "Yes. I know you can do it."
As he floated out, Cosmo followed but went behind the counter to see the table where he could finally prove himself again.
The table that gave him hope.
His green eyes scanned to see Zephyr drifting over to a table with three girls that looked about his age. He should've been intimidated by this but he kept his cool. Just because they're teenage girls doesn't immediately conclude that they are evil, right? One had bright blue hair, but a lighter, softer shade than Zephyr's and another had flaming red hair of frizz. Then his eyes landed on the last member at the table. All he could see was the cascade of rosy curls in a ponytail with a large swirl that laid gently upon her head. For some reason that captivated him. He couldn't quite see her face as it was just her back.
Cosmo was about to float away but she turned when Zephyr began speaking to her.
Then time froze once more.
Her face was absolutely beautiful. All she did was smile, her teeth full and white as a strawberry hue graced over her curved lips. Her cheeks were light with a similar color, mirroring her piercing eyes. Then her flourishing curls swayed carefully in a bouncy manner as she turned back to her friends.
Even though she was turned away again, Cosmo couldn't rip his gaze away from her for some reason as he felt his cheeks burn. Then the odd feeling of his heart racing began as he clutched his chest. 'What is happening?'
Zephyr finally came back and tapped Cosmo's shoulder when he didn't respond, "Hey uh… the last order is ready."
Cosmo blinked, returning from his daydream cloud. "Oh! Right!"
He quickly but as well as taking extreme care of grabbing the tray, especially this time. As he floated over to the table, his heart began pounding harder within his chest, cheeks probably pink with blush as they could be. All thoughts from before were thrown out as all that was left was the girl with the pink swirly hair. He only saw her for a few seconds before but it felt like he had known about her for longer.
He thought all of the possible compliments he could tell her when he got there, "Hey, your hair is pretty! Did you style it yourself or is it natural?" or his favorite, "I love your dress! It reminds me of mac and cheese!" The possibilities were endless. Just like how he felt about her.
But low and behold, he has pulled a 'Cosmo' yet again. A big one.
He was in such a trance of the girl that filled his thoughts that he wasn't watching where he was going. As he knocked into the table, time slowed as the graceful frosty liquid of mint splattered everywhere.
Right then and there, Cosmo knew that all hope was lost.
Before realizing the true impact of the damage, he wiped the melting ice cream off his face as well as picking away the pieces of tomato from the burger from his eyes. As he begrudgingly pried his eyes opened, he let out a shaky gasp.
His eyes widened in pure horror as the main victim of the biggest mistake of his life was not only himself but the girl that caught his attention with her beautiful curly hair. Now it was all his fault. The hair, her pretty face, her macaroni dress! All ruined because he was the clumsy and reckless Cosmo Cosma.
With a sudden rush, all the fears and negative thoughts he held overflowed through him again. There was no use pitying himself anymore, the first girl that he ever stopped and looked at differently than the others, was now going to respond to him in disgust. Their first interaction would result in her despising him. He should've known that it was too good to be true. He deserved to have his heart broken and taken away because every chance he had he would never succeed. All he needed to know now if she was okay, if he hadn't hurt her with his mistake.
As he braced himself mentally, he expressed with immediate concern, "I- I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
What she did next was a total shock to him. Having prepared for insult and humiliation, the girl instead nodded and smiled at him. "Yes, I'm okay. Are you?"
He couldn't have helped but smile back at her. That was a first for him. No one ever asked how he felt after his mistakes. Everyone let them define him and he couldn't do anything about it. "Yes… I am, I am more than okay." He paused, staring at her. He got a closer look at her face, even though it had ice cream and chocolate dripping down her face. Man, she was still pretty even then. He sighed to himself, before jumping at the realization of what he said. "I mean! Let me get this cleaned up for you."
He turned away from the table as he found his escape to the back once again. Except this time he didn't feel like kicking himself. Was he embarrassed? Well yes, he looked like a total fool in front of the whole restaurant, the two fairies at the table where the incident happened, and most importantly the pretty pink haired girl. Was he still happy though? Yes, that pink haired girl didn't respond with wrath but instead with kindness. He added that to the list of most attractive things about her. (Yes, he was writing all these down when he got home) It was odd because no other fairy had ever made him feel this way. A way where he felt like his screw up wasn't that most horrible thing ever. That was something he loved about her.
Love.
Not to be confused with being in love. Not yet but he knew he wanted to get to know her. Love is the very thing he knew nothing about before, he knew at least one thing about how it starts. Now all he needed was fate to pull them together again.
