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"Thanks for coming over to help me out with the baking," Kyle said, carrying a bag of flour in his arms to the countertop.
"You're welcome," Vanilla replied as she tied the apron around her waist. "But I thought the party wasn't supposed to start until later in the evening. So why start now?"
Kyle grinned as he plopped the flour onto its place before reaching for two bowls and wooden spoons. "Well, I promised Malt that I'd bring in some baked goods. And those take a good long while to make. So I figured, better to strike while the iron's still hot, y'know?"
Vanilla giggled. "Fair point."
Just a few days ago, Malt had gotten the idea to throw a reunion party for the entire crew of the Taranis, which would take place in Petit Mona's diner where Boron's family worked. Kyle had gotten the idea to bring in baked goods for everyone, proving to the others how much he'd grown and matured since the war.
Of course, that was much easier said than done — his parents had gone on a honeymoon trip for the weekend, leaving their only son to hold down the fort. He needed a little bit of assistance…and with everyone else being busy with their own contributions, he knew there was only one person who was willing to help him out. And when he gave the offer to Vanilla, well…how could she say no?
"Consider it a date," she'd told him teasingly. Then she'd hung up right before he could make any kind of comeback.
Vanilla couldn't help but smile at the memory. And she knew Kyle was likely gushing about it as well.
She shook her head to clear the reverie and immediately got to work on making the dough for the gingerbread cookies. Putting together a mishmash of flour, butter, eggs, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon, the two Felineko measured the necessary amounts in two large bowls for them to mix together. It was messy work, and some stray flecks of flour did cause a few sneezing bouts, but soon their efforts were rewarded with two lumps of dough each.
"Now we roll the dough flat," Kyle said as he brought over two baking trays. "But make sure they're not too flat, or they won't bake properly."
Vanilla laughed. "You should know better than to underestimate me," she gently admonished him as she took out two rollers. "I was trained in the culinary arts, after all!"
Kyle chuckled. "I know, I was joking."
With each wielding a roller, they placed their doughs in front of them and proceeded to roll them as flat as possible. Once done, they then took out some stencils to form some shapes to put on the baking tray. Any leftover dough was then rolled and flattened to repeat the process. Soon, they were presented with two full baking trays, both possessing rows of gingerbread cookies that were ready to be put in the oven.
"Now, we just gotta put 'em in the oven and let them bake," said Kyle as he turned on the oven.
Vanilla nodded in agreement as she put the trays in the oven, noting to leave them there for twenty minutes.
The pair leaned against the counter with satisfied smiles on their faces, letting the time pass by. While Kyle stared at the floor, Vanilla stole a glance at her jacket hanging on the coat rack, reminiscing on how their relationship had managed to reach this point.
It had only been about a few months since Kyle and Vanilla had gotten together, but somehow they managed to make it work. They had a pretty amusing and lovey-dovey relationship, constantly flirting with each other in one moment, and then being mushy the next.
Even so, both Felineko were still hesitant on calling each other "boyfriend" or "girlfriend", just sticking to being friends for the time being, despite what anyone else would say. They also never got really far beyond cuddling or holding paws, or just simply being in the company of each other.
Well, Vanilla thought. That's all going to change tonight.
She cleared her throat. "So, how have you been lately?" she asked.
"Been doing okay, for the most part," came Kyle's reply. "Hard to believe that we've been dating for this long, and without actually being an official couple to boot."
He was smiling, but Vanilla could tell that there was a veil of sadness that covered his eyes. It was a surefire giveaway that he was thinking back to that one moment…the day he'd been soundly rejected by Hanna, his former love interest…
Kyle remembered that day all too well. It was such a perfect day, too, one that he'd arranged and set up all by himself. He even made the perfect gift for Hanna, one that he knew she might like: a tail ring similar to his own, crafted in gold and adorned with rose quartz gems — a symbol of love, from romantic to platonic. He'd hoped Hanna wouldn't say no.
Then again, he really should've learned to keep his expectations low.
He found Hanna by the fountain in the village square. There were a few other villagers present, but luckily they were all preoccupied by whatever it was they were doing. He grinned, knowing that he finally had a chance to tell Hanna how he felt without any outside interference or interruptions.
"Hey! Hanna!" Kyle called out, trotting up to the snow-white Felineko and catching her attention.
Hanna turned and, upon seeing Kyle walk up to her, smiled and waved hello. "Good to see you," she said. "You look to be in high spirits today."
He smiled back. "Y-yeah," he chuckled. He was trying so hard to suppress the purring in his throat, and he could feel the goosebumps prickling at his fur. "I mean, why wouldn't I be? A-after all, there's something that I've been meaning to ask you. In private, I mean."
"Oh?" Hanna tilted her head to the side, eyes now wide with curiosity. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, no, nothing's wrong at all. I just… well…"
Kyle took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Now or never, he thought. He only had one shot at this.
"U-um, listen, I just want to start by saying that I'm truly grateful for everything you've done, ever since we first met all those years ago," he stated, twiddling his dewclaws. "You really changed my life in a lot more ways than one."
Hanna giggled. "You changed my life, too," she replied. "And everyone else's." Her ear twitched. "But really, where are you trying to lead with this?"
Kyle's throat felt stiff and dry. His heart hammered in his ribcage as he dug his paw into his pocket, gripping the tail ring tightly. "Well, I remember something that my dad used to tell me. In my mom's side of the family, they have a sort of tradition where, if you really like someone, you make a tail ring to give to them…like a gift of sorts, if you will."
With a shaky paw, he pulled the tail ring out of his pocket and held it up in front of Hanna. The girl's eyes widened with surprise upon seeing the mix of gold metal and rose quartz stones gleaming in the sunlight.
"Kyle…" she breathed.
"I-I made this for you because I wanted to let you know that, even though we've been close friends for a while, I… I love you," Kyle admitted. "And, well, I'd be honoured if you would one day tie the knot with me." It felt so weird saying all of that, but it certainly paid off. At least, he hoped it would.
He hoped she would say yes.
He was trembling so much that he didn't notice Hanna standing there, her posture more akin to a frightened deerquus than a Felineko. She tentatively picked up the ring and examined it for a moment.
Kyle gulped through the gathering dryness in his throat. It was obvious that Hanna's mind was racing as she tried to formulate a proper response. He was so focused on her subtle actions that he didn't even take note of the dark clouds that were beginning to roll in, covering the bright blue sky above.
"Oh, Kyle…"
Kyle's ears shot upward as he took note of Hanna's expression, the tone in her voice. She looked so sad as she examined the ring some more. Finally, she sighed as she handed it back to him. She then stepped back and turned away, unable to meet the cream Felineko's gaze. "I… I can't accept this," she finally said. "I just can't."
No… Kyle's mind raced, his worst fears coming to fruition. No, no, no, please no! Why now? Why this?
"I'm grateful that you came all this way to tell me," Hanna began. "And it's really sweet of you to make something for me." She looked down, shuffling her feet. "Truthfully, though, I just don't feel the same way about you. At least, not like that. And I just…don't think it would be fair…for either of us…if I said yes. That's why I can't accept it… I'm sorry."
Kyle's heart, which had fluttered in his chest just mere moments ago, suddenly dropped down to the pit of his stomach, scattering the swarm of butterflies that once took up residence there. His entire world shattered around him as reality settled in.
Hanna…had rejected him.
He could feel his eyes growing wet, and he squeezed them shut. He hated having to make her feel bad about making her perfectly understandable decision. Besides, he'd always been good at stuffing down his sadness when it really counted.
"I… I understand," he said, his voice thick with tears as he forced a small smile. He'd been such a fool to think she'd ever felt that way for him. "I-I'm really sorry if I ever made you feel uncomfortable."
Hanna nodded slowly. "It's alright," she replied. "That was why you didn't ask me sooner, isn't it?"
She looked up at the sky, taking in the approaching clouds. "Still, if you prefer, we can stay as friends instead. Wouldn't that be a better option?"
"Yeah, it would." Kyle stashed away the ring back in his pocket, trying to keep his erratic breathing steady as he held back the tears that threatened to break through. He'd been soundly rejected, but at least their friendship wasn't ruined. That was all that mattered.
…Right?
"U-um… I just need a bit of time to process this," he stammered. "In the meantime, I'll give you some space."
"Okay."
With that, Kyle turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Hanna be just as Malt and Mei came trotting up to her. He didn't bother hanging around to listen in to their conversation; he needed to be alone. The more distance he gained, the faster his pace went until he was practically sprinting towards his house.
He'd arrived just as the first raindrops hit the ground and dashed inside, and then upstairs to his room. He pounced on his bed, hugged his pillow tightly, and sobbed into it, unable to hold back his tears any longer. He cried and yowled and cursed the heavens for shattering his heart, for ripping away his one chance at being happy, until his eyes dried out and his voice gave out.
In the days that followed, Kyle kept himself holed up in his room, only coming out to either eat or bathe (he had an image to maintain, after all). Even when Malt and the others stopped by to check up on him, he wouldn't even bother to move from his spot in the bed.
The depression he felt from Hanna's rejection of him was far worse than what he'd experienced in any of the three wars against the Berman empire. Normally, all it took was some words of comfort, and his morale would be restored in just a few hours. But this…this was entirely different. No amount of words could ever fix the grief he was feeling.
He couldn't even bear to look at that damn ring. He'd worked so hard to make it for Hanna, and she'd declined his proposal. He'd respected her decision, and he was sincerely grateful that she'd turned him down while she was still alive…but it still hurt!
When he did finally find the motivation to leave the house again, it had been Mei of all people who spoke to him. She'd found him in the village outskirts, holding the ring in his paw as he peered over the edge. He had contemplated on throwing it away, into the Cloud Sea where it could never be retrieved, when she came up to him and started talking to him. It was a difficult conversation, especially with Mei being stumped over the whole love concept, but the little dog girl was eventually able to get through to the cat boy by convincing him that he should still give the ring to Hanna…but as a token of their friendship instead.
Though Kyle was hesitant at first, he eventually did find the courage to come back face-to-face with Hanna. Remembering Mei's advice, he offered the ring again, but this time as an act of friendship.
To his surprise, Hanna accepted, happily acknowledging the fact that the two of them would still stay as friends. Though Kyle's hopes of getting together with Hanna had been all but dashed, he still felt much lighter with that massive weight finally off of his chest, and the two of them could look foward to a brand new future together.
"Kyle?"
Vanilla's voice made Kyle snap out of his reverie. He turned his attention to her, noticing the concerned look in her eyes.
"Are you alright?" Vanilla asked. "You've been crying a lot."
"H-huh?" Kyle put a paw to his face and held it out in front of him. Sure enough, there was a single tear drop that rolled down his finger all the way down to his palm.
"Y-yeah, just…just thinking back to that moment, really," he said, sniffling as he wiped his eyes. "I-I'm still not okay, but…maybe someday, I will be."
He turned to Vanilla with a small smile on his face. "And whatever comes my way, I know I'll be able to face it with you by my side."
Vanilla smiled as she sidled a bit closer to Kyle until their shoulders touched. She put a paw on his chest, which once bore many scars during the first battle against the Berman Empire, and he closed his paw around her wrist to keep it there.
"I'm glad you've started taking your rejection well," whispered the blue-grey Felineko.
"You took yours better than I did," Kyle pointed out.
Vanilla giggled. "That, I did."
She recalled how Lunet had once mistaken her and Malt for being a couple several times over. Even after everything was over and done with, she just still couldn't shake the feeling away. Eventually, she decided to just rip the band-aid off and tell Malt up front herself, if only to confirm that meddlesome old man's theory. Though she was disappointed when Malt turned her down, she was also immensely relieved to have absolved that one little issue. After all, though Malt was her role model, she only ever saw him as a friend.
She was quite surprised when Kyle bumped his forehead against hers. "I'm really glad to have you in my life," he said. "Thanks for being there for me where it really counted."
"I could say the same," Vanilla replied.
Kyle smiled as he moved to put a finger under her chin, tilting her head upward so that she could see the softness in his golden eyes. Her heart fluttered in her chest as her ear-tips turned pink.
No way this was actually happening. Vanilla Muscat, youngest daughter of the late president, was actually going to get her first kiss! And from a kindred spirit of Paresia, nonetheless! She purred in excitement and she closed her eyes as the two of them leaned closer, closer—
Kyle's eyes opened and he withdrew, a look of concern crossing his visage. "Hold on," he said. "How long did we agree to leave the cookies in for?"
Vanilla sniffed the air, before her eyes widened with shock. "Oh, cripes!" she exclaimed. "I forgot about them!" She bounced away from Kyle, almost knocking him to the floor, and rushed to grab a pair of oven mitts.
"Please don't burn, please don't burn," she whimpered as she opened the oven door. Behind her, she could hear the shuffling of a drawer door being opened as Kyle also grabbed his own pair of oven mitts. And then, she felt him bump against her, almost bowling her to the ground as their shoulders touched. Her face became flushed, but she paid no mind to it as she grabbed a tray and pulled it out of the oven, while Kyle did the same before turning off the oven.
"Oh, wow," Kyle chirped. "They actually came out a lot better than I expected."
Vanilla looked down at the trays, noticing that he was right. Not only did the gingerbread cookies look good (even though some of them were a little burnt at the edges), but they smelled good, too!
She grinned. "Why, but of course," she proclaimed. "I'd say it was a resounding success!"
Kyle chuckled as he grabbed his tray and carried it over to the counter. "Let's get these decorated so that they'll be ready for the party."
"Sure."
Together, the two of them began working on decorating the cookies, carefully applying dabs of frosting to ensure each one was made to perfection. Even with their full focus, Kyle couldn't help but steal a glance at Vanilla every now and again, a playful smirk creeping up on his face. It was only a matter of time before Vanilla took note of this, and it only made her annoyed at what he was up to.
She let out a sigh as she turned to face him. "Okay, what are you up to now?" she demanded.
"Oh, nothing," Kyle replied wistfully, tail flicking slowly. "It's just that you got a little something on your face."
"What? No I d—" Vanilla was cut off when Kyle suddenly squirted a dab of his frosting squarely on the nose. She gasped as soon as she saw the white cream that sat right in the middle of her face.
Kyle couldn't help himself, and he ended up laughing, feeling rather accomplished by the prank he'd just pulled on her.
Vanilla pouted as she swiped the frosting off her nose. How dare Kyle make her lower her guard, only to have the absolute gall to pull this off on her like this! Had he been getting his pranking lessons from Hack?
Well, let him have his laugh, she told herself, readying her own tube of icing to fire off. Because it wouldn't be long before she'd enacted her revenge shot.
"Man," Kyle said, breathless from his laughter. "You should've seen the look on your face!"
Vanilla smirked. "Oh, really?" she asked, just moments before squeezing the frosting tube, firing a splatter of the sweet, sugary substance square in the face.
Kyle stood there, stunned as the girl in front of him let out a giggle at her little revenge prank. Well, he certainly didn't expect her to retaliate so quickly. But hey, that's exactly what he liked about her…among other things, of course.
He chuckled as he wiped the frosting off of his face. "Alright, alright, ya got me there," he admitted. "Now, let's get the rest of these cookies frosted before the sun sets."
It had only taken them a few minutes to finish decorating the cookies, and soon enough each one was made to the most perfect way possible. The party wouldn't be for another hour, and Malt's house was just a few ways away, so Kyle and Vanilla decided to kill some time by relaxing in the living room.
Vanilla leaned back with a sigh against the sofa, feeling its soft, squishy cushions against her back as she took in her surroundings. Nearby, Kyle was busy setting up the gramophone, inserting the perfect record for this special day. Once he got the music playing, he then went over and took his seat on the sofa next to her.
For a moment, neither of them exchanged any words, opting to just listen to the music in silence. Vanilla appreciated it, if she was being honest. It gave her some time to think and process what she was going to say or do next. Especially with her coat still lingering in the forefront of her mind.
"You know, for being a village house, you really make the living room look like something you'd see in the city," Vanilla said, finally breaking the silence.
Kyle chuckled. "Yeah, its was something I wanted to do since we got back from the war. Figured that if I was going to live here, I might as well make it as comfortable as I could. Just, y'know, make it look a little bit urban."
"It's certainly quite an accomplishment."
"Thanks."
The conversation ended right then and there as the two Felineko continued to sit in silence. Then, Vanilla's ears perked up.
"Oh, yeah, by the way. There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."
"Hm?" Kyle's notched ear twitched.
"It's…well…it's something pretty important," Vanilla said, scratching her cheek in a display of nerves. "But I can't reveal what it is unless you close your eyes first."
"Aw, come on," Kyle whined. "Can't you just tell me now?"
"Shush! Close. Your. Eyes!"
Kyle grumbled, but did as he was told. For good measure, he even clasped his paws over his eyes and turned away.
Vanilla snorted and rolled her eyes as she trotted off to fetch her coat. She rummaged through one of the pockets until her fingers brushed against leather. Smiling to herself, she pulled out a small pouch before returning to her seat on the sofa, putting the pouch behind her back as she did.
"OK, you can open your eyes now," she declared.
"This better be worth it," Kyle said with a sigh as he opened his eyes and turned back around to face Vanilla once again. The Felineko girl had a wide smile on her face as she fumbled with the pouch behind her back.
"Ohoho, believe me, my dear, it will be worth it," Vanilla giggled. She then pulled out something smooth and metallic in the pouch and presented it right before him.
Kyle's eyes widened with surprise as he recognized the object as a tail ring. It was made of pure gold, with rhombus-shaped rubies encrusted into it. His throat went dry, and he found himself unable to say anything.
Vanilla took his silence as an opportunity to make her explanation. "Listen, ever since you told me you were from Paresia, I knew there had to be a kindred spirit in you. And I'll admit, I found myself being quite smitten by you. Much more than the other guys, anyway. You have a sense of dedication and passion that I could never find in any other regular old city boy, and I admire your compassionate heart and the care you show for others around you. The only reason I couldn't tell you was because of your former crush on Hanna, and when I heard that you were heartbroken over your rejection, well…who was I to turn away from a friend in need?"
Kyle slowly nodded, remembering how his family had gone on an outing to Pharaoh to try and cheer him up. He hadn't expected to bump into Vanilla, who had the day off, but the more they talked, the more they realized how much they resonated with each other. They had both been hesitant to enter a relationship together, so they decided to take things slow for the time being.
Vanilla gently held the ring closer to Kyle. "When I heard about some of your family traditions, I figured why not join in on the fun? It would be a good chance to show you how much I care for you. So, I made this ring out of my desire to deepen our bond together, and to tell you how much I adore you."
She placed the ring in Kyle's paws, allowing him to inspect it himself. "I, Vanilla Muscat, am asking if you would like to go out with me, and officially be my boyfriend." She blushed as she turned away slightly. "B-but, uh, you don't have to respond right away. You can wait until after the party, or even next month if you want. Also, I won't be upset if you decide to keep it platonic and have us remain as friends; I'm okay with that, too. I just don't want you to feel forced to say—"
"Yes."
Vanilla's ears twitched. She turned to face Kyle once again, her eyes widening at the sight unfolding before her. The cream Felineko was clearly trembling, his eyes wet with tears that he was failing to hold back as he cradled the ring in his paws.
"Oh, Kyle," she said. "Are you okay?"
Kyle slowly nodded in response. Sniffling, he reached up and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Just…give me a moment here," he told her. After a while, he took a few more deep breaths before raising his head to face Vanilla once more.
"Vanilla, I… I don't know what else I can say," he told her. "The hard work you put into this, and your speech…do you even realize how touched I am by all this?"
"But you still said yes, even though I didn't get to finish," Vanilla pointed out.
Kyle let out a smile as he clasped the ring over his chest. "And that's my answer," he replied. "Yes, I want to go out with you, Vanilla! I mean, I know I'm rough around the edges, and I know I'm vulgar…but all the same, I want to be by your side for as long as you'll have me."
Vanilla let out a resounding laugh as she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Kyle's shoulders while her tail snaked itself around his waist. She felt him immediately return the embrace, his arms coming around her torso while his tail was around her waist.
This was it. This was the moment she'd been waiting for. And boy was it worth it!
After what felt like hours, the two Felineko broke apart, smiling to each other while still locked in their embrace. Kyle offered Vanilla his tail-tip, allowing her to remove the gold ring that rested on it and replace it with the ruby-encrusted one.
"It's beautiful," he commented, admiring the red that stood out among the gold. "Thank you, Vanilla. This is something I will treasure forever." Then, much to Vanilla's surprise, he lifted a paw to his lips and gave it a light peck.
Vanilla felt her face grow red as she tried futilely to hide the blush on her face. Kyle took a moment to register her reaction before he realized what he'd done. He immediately let go of her paw and scooted away from her, his face turning the same shade of red as the rubies on his ring.
"S-sorry, I didn't— I— Goddammit, I should've asked beforehand, I—"
Vanilla let out a light giggle. "Kyle, it's fine," she said.
Kyle stopped stammering and glanced back at her, blinking those adorably bright gold eyes of his. "It…it is?"
She nodded. "You just caught me off-guard, is all," she admitted. "But that's okay, because that's how I know you love me…right?"
Kyle let out a sigh of relief, his anxiety and fear melting away. "R-right," he said sheepishly. "Yeah."
Vanilla smiled as she placed her paws on his shoulders, while he put his paws on her waist. They took a moment to gaze lovingly into each other's eyes, their fluttering heartbeats intertwined into a single entity.
"I love you, Kyle," Vanilla whispered.
"I love you too, Vanilla," he replied.
Then, their lips met as they kissed, finally closing the gap that had held them back for so long.
No matter what life threw at them, they'd get through it together.