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It was a beautiful June day in Smiling valley, and everyone was excited, because it was a very special holiday.
Best friends day!
The one day a year where all the critters come together and exchange gifts and hugs with their best friends, to show each other how much they care.
But out of all the critters, a certain sunny orange canine was particularly excited.
He had asked Bobby to make him a ring out of shiny orange metal, which he planned to give to his best friend Catnap.
They had been best friends for a while now, and everyone knew them as BFFs, aka best friends forever.
But today, Dogday was wanting to take things to the next step.
He wanted to ask Catnap to be best friends forever and EVER. BFFAE.
Now that was commitment.
Everyone was in the park, setting up for the best friends day party.
Bubba and Bobby were putting up decorations, Kickin and Hoppy were setting up the music and chairs, and Crafty and Picky were setting up the snack bar.
Catnap, meanwhile, was cutting out some cardstock stars for friendship cards.
Dogday smiles, walking over to him.
“Hey Catnap!”
He says, getting the cat’s attention.
“Yeah?”
Catnap says quietly, turning his head to look at him, pausing cutting.
Dogday gets a bit nervous.
“I… I have something to ask you.”
Catnap nods. “What is it?”
Dogday smiles softly.
“Would you… would you like to be-”
“Hey Dogday!”
Bobby’s voice says, interrupting him. “Can you come help with decorations?”
Dogday’s smile falters a bit, turning around.
“Yeah, I'll be there in a second!”
He says.
He turns back to Catnap.
“I’ll be right back.” he says, before walking away.
Catnap nods, then continues to cut out paper stars.
~Paper star transition~
After all the decorations, music and snacks had been set up, the party was officially underway.
Dogday looks around, trying to spot Catnap, who had finished his cards and put them up in the trees, and had then disappeared by the time Dogday got back.
Everyone was having fun with their best friends.
Kickin and Hoppy were dancing together to the spunky music, Bubba and Picky were sitting and sharing a box of chocolate covered strawberries together, and Crafty and Bobby were playing with glow sticks, making them into necklaces and bracelets for each other.
Finally, Dogday spots Catnap off to the side, sitting by himself and looking up at the stars.
He smiles, walking over to him.
“Hey, Catnap!”
He says, causing the kitty to look up at him.
‘Oh hi, Dogday.’
He signs, smiling. ‘What’s up?’
Dogday steps closer.
“I have something to ask you, that I didn’t get to earlier.”
Catnap tilts his head.
‘Oh? What is it?’
Dogday takes a deep breath.
“Catnap, would you want to be-”
“Hey Dogday!”
Hoppy’s voice interrupts.
Dogday sighs, turning towards her.
“What?”
Hoppy smiles.
“Can you come solve a debate for me and Kickin?”
Dogday nods. “Of course!”
He says.
He turns to Catnap.
“I’ll be right back, okay?”
Catnap nods. ‘Alright.’
Dogday then goes over to Kickin and Hoppy, who were arguing about which one of them was the better dancer.
For the next 5 or so minutes, they both tried to out-dance each other with Dogday refereeing, the whole thing ending in a tie, and Kickin and Hoppy both walking away saying “Lame…”
Dogday smiles.
Finally, he could get back to Catnap after that pointless interruption, walking back towards the bench.
But then, when he got back to the bench, Catnap was gone.
“Really…?”
He looks around, seeing that he was at the snack table.
Smiling and mentally preparing himself for the third time, he walks over.
“Hey Catnap!”
Catnap turns to him, holding a plate of cookies and mini sushi.
‘Oh hey, what’s up?’ he says with a smile.
Dogday steps closer.
“Catnap, will you-”
“Hey Dogday!”
Dogday growls a bit.
“WHAT is it NOW?”
He says, turning towards the voice.
Bubba, who asked for him, stepped back a bit.
“Calm down.” He says. “I just need your help to fix one of the chair legs.”
He says. “It’s wobbly, and I’m afraid if someone sits in it, they’ll fall and hurt themselves.”
Dogday nods. “Okay, but it better take less than 2 minutes.”
He then harshly points at Catnap.
“And YOU, don’t move an inch.”
He says. “I’ll be right back.”
Catnap huffs.
‘Geez, no need to get all zesty…’
He says.
Dogday impatiently holds the chair while Bubba tightens the screws on the leg, making it strong and sturdy again.
“There we go.”
Bubba says, shaking it. “Nice and sturdy.”
He smiles at Dogday. “Thanks, Dogday.”
Dogday nods, turning away.
“Yeah sure, whatever.”
He says quickly, eager to get back to Catnap.
But when he went back to the snack table, Catnap was gone.
And this time, when he looked around, he was nowhere to be seen.
“Catnap…?”
He looked around, but he wasn’t by the snack bar, by the chairs, on the dance floor, anywhere.
“Bobby!”
Dogday asks, since she was the nearest critter to him.
“Where did Catnap go?”
Bobby looks a bit sad. “He left.”
She says. “He said he forgot something at his house and went to get it.”
Dogday’s whole body sinks down a little, tearing up.
“Are you serious…?”
He says weakly.
Bobby nods, gently petting his shoulder. “Sorry, Day.”
Dogday walks over to the park entrance.
“Well then.. if MY best friend isn’t here, there’s no reason for ME to stay…”
He says, walking off into the night.
Bobby sighs.
“Poor Dogday…”
She says, before going back to the party.
~Teardrop transition~
Dogday was sitting under his and Catnap's favorite tree, alone.
The party was probably over by now, and he still didn’t get to ask Catnap the big question…
He sighs sadly, looking at the ring.
“Maybe next best friends day…”
He says, putting it away.
He was about to go home, when suddenly, he heard Catnap’s quiet voice.
“There you are!”
Perking up, Dogday looks over to see his friend walk up beside him.
“Oh, hi Naps.”
He says with a small smile. “What are you doing here?”
Catnap smiles softly. ‘Looking for you, dum dum.’
He signs. ‘Why’d you leave the party?’
Dogday looks away.
“Because you left…” He says. “No point being at a best friends party if my best friend isn’t there…”
Catnap’s smile fades, gently putting a hand on his shoulder.
‘Aww, I'm sorry.’ He says. ‘I was gonna come back after I'd gotten the item I needed.’
Dogday looks back to him. “What item is it?”
Catnap smiles, and gently takes both of Dogday’s hands, making him blush a bit.
“Dogday…”
He says aloud.
Dogday gets nervous. “Y-yeah…?”
Then, Catnap pulls out a purple metal ring.
“Would you like to be my best friend…?”
He says. “Forever and ever…?”
Dogday was speechless.
Then, tears up, pulling out his own ring.
“Only if you’ll be mine.”
Catnap giggles, nodding.
“Of course I will.”
Catnap gently puts his ring on Dogday’s finger, then Dogday puts his on Catnaps.
Dogday admires his purple ring for a moment as it sparkles in the moonlight.
“I wanted to ask you at the party…”
He says. That's why I got mad because I kept getting interrupted…”
Catnap gently hugs him. “Aww, I'm sorry…”
He says.
Dogday hugs back, his tail wagging. “It’s okay.” He says. “At least I finally got to.”
Catnap purrs. “Indeed.”
The two now BFFAE embraced each other under their favorite tree, content that they had finally taken that big step, and solidified their connection to each other.
And they were happy.
Bonus: Director’s cut ending
After Dogday and Catnap had finally exchanged their rings, they were sitting together under their favorite tree, looking at the light of the full moon.
“Hey Catnap…?”
Dogday says, making the feline look over at him.
“Hmm?”
Dogday giggles, standing up.
“Can we cut the ‘super best friends’ crap and make out already?”
Catnap stands up, nodding.
“Please.”
And so Dogday takes Catnap by the waist, kissing him passionately on the lips and dipping him as he does so, Catnap returning it with just as much vigor.