First story, been buzzing around this for awhile. All rights to Sly belongs to Sucker Punch and kudos to them for making such a great anthro character!

Sly Cooper was always a sucker for fireflies. Yes, small little insects that graced the night with bioluminescence and added a sort of starry night just above the ground that could be captured. Sometimes, when he would stare at them, he'd imagine him and Carmelita dancing together in the fields of grass the little critters frequented. The thought of the above mentioned vixen brought a sigh from him. From his perch in the tree, he held his knees against his chest as he stared at the fireflies dancing in the park on the outskirts of Washington D.C. Even though he promised to not return to this city, he couldn't help it.

Even though it was all a lie, he was enamored, he was whipped.

He was in love.

He watched a pair of fireflies in particular dance around each other in the crowd and he looked away. There was a time where that was he and Carmelita; two lights in a dark world. He had enjoyed his time with Interpol, but being the sincere fur he was, he couldn't bear to live the lie. So he told her the truth.

"Carmelita...You here?" Sly crept into their shared apartment late from work. He had told her he was staying late to do a report, but he was really finishing off his resignation and picking up an important file on a crime ring in Eastern Europe that had taken an interest in stealing artifacts from large museums just to sell them to private collecters. While common, the scale and precision these furs worked with was astounding and of particular interest to him.

"I'm here Sly..." Carmelita said as she strolled out of their shared bedroom in nothing but a bathrobe. Sly immediately apologized and turned around. Carmelita smiled at his actions, knowing he was the eternal gentlefur. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yes...I do. But when I finish, will you give me ten seconds again?"

"Wha-" Carmelita felt a cold shudder go through her as she caught on. "When did you remember...?"

"The question is when did I forget?"

Silence overcame the couple and Sly heard Carmelita to him. Her paw reached up and grabbed his shoulder.

"You know why I lied Sly..."

"I think I do."

"I lied because...I wanted to have what I couldn't, no matter what. It was foolish and selfish, but mi amor, it was my choice."

"I turned in my resignation. I can't live this Carmelita. I love you, I really do. But lately, the criminals have been ahead of us. I mean, last week...we lost that rookie officer. I've lost my touch, and my dearest, so have you. In order for us to get back into the game, we must once again play cops and robbers."

Carmelita's paw on his shoulder started to shake and he turned to face her just in time to get properly decked across the face. The metallic taste of blood erupted in his mouth as the thieve's reflexes refused to react as he slammed into the wall and slid down it.

"You never really cared for me! It was all a game you filthy criminal! You're not getting ten seconds, you're not even getting one! I regret ever risking my ass for you! you! you!"

Sly stood up and kissed her so hard that she ended up pinned against the other wall with him against her. The taste of his blood heightened the experience and when their lips parted, she kept her eyes closed and listened as a window opened and a cold, Paris winter breeze rolled in.

"Our situation was a lie, but the love wasn't. I'm going to be with you one day Carmelita Montaya Fox. I swear by my ancestors and the Thievus Racconnus I will do so." And with that, he leapt from the window and vanished once more.

Sly read in the papers the next day about him regaining his memory from 'stumbling' upon his old file. He had placed his old file in his desk so Carmelita would avoid any suspicion, and it worked. She, however, was not placed onto his case. Due to their obvious romantic involvement, the Chief stated that the department would cite a 'conflict of interests' if she was to work the case. Even though officially, she was cleared of suspicion, the atmosphere at the Interpol office was too much for her to handle, so in a turn of events that made even Sly's jaw drop, she quit and was picking up by the C.I.A. in America.

Which brought raccoon to this park this night in this city in this country to stare at these fireflies. He knew that just across the block that Carmelita was throwing a birthday party for one of her co-workers. Even though he was a master of stealth and infiltration, the mere thought of crashing a C.I.A. party sounded like suicide to him. His sensitive, trained ears picked up the sound of goodnights, farewells, and impatient males, which signaled the party was over. Sly smiled and snuck from his perch and collected several of the floating stars in a bottle and walked across the street long after the cars from the party had left. He easy traversed the wall of Carmelita's home and found that the window in her bedroom was still openable from the outside just as he had left it. He slid it open and placed the jar on the windowsill and placed his calling card on it and dropped down. He slowly made his way to the sidewalk and stood there patiently.

Carmelita walked out of the bathroom refreshed. The party, while upbeat and quite enjoyable, was a nuisance. The amount of males flirting with her was very unnerving. Sure, she appreciated the occasional compliment, but their lingering was becoming quite harrassing. She sighed and went to crash onto her bed when she felt a breeze. She shuddered and brought her bathrobe tighter on her body when she remembered she never opened the windows. She turned slowly to the open window and saw the jar with the raccoon card on it and felt adrenaline pulse through her and her heart rate pick up. She made her way over to it and lifted it up and stared at the fireflies within it when she looked through the glass and saw a distorted shadow next to the street. She put down the jar and rushed down the stairs, praying that her criminal would still be there. She burst out the front door and saw him still standing there, that stupid cocky grin on his face.

"Happy anniversary."

"You never forget, do you?"

"That's better than a 'It's only an anniversary if we're together.' or 'Freeze criminal!' I was expecting."

"Sly..." she whispered as she crossed the yard and came within arm's reach of him.

"Yes Carmelita?"

"Why do you do this...to us both?"

"Do what?"

"Can't you come back to me...por favor...I need you."

Sly's grin turned into a gentle smile as he blinked. "What was that?"

Carmelita growled in frustration as her fiery temper finally came out. She grabbed him by the collar and glared at him furiously. "I've waited two years since you left. I wait and wait and wait. You never miss a holiday or anything. You're here and you're not at the same time. I'm tired of the damned lonely nights and the days where I come home to emptiness. I need you ringtail. I need you in my life!"

"That's all you needed to say."

"And once mo-What?" Carmelita blinked in confusion.

"I've given up stealing. When you gave up Interpol, I saw that even though you were living your dream, you found yourself wanting something even more than that. So I set out to do the same. I made a choice. I traded my family's vault and it's treasures for you."

"What...?" Carmelita was now definately utterly confused.

"The vault is filled with treasures of a lost time. Historical artifacts that are priceless. In exchange for the vault, the United States has granted me citizenship and under the table, a pardon for all my crimes in this country at least. I have a few new friends working on the other countries still trying to extradict me. But...I'm free. For the first time in my life Carmelita, I can walk by a police station and not have to worry. I came here to come back to you if you would have me, and well, here we are. In the street. Confessing our undying love."

Carmelita was so stunned by this, and knowing how honest Sly was, that he wasn't lying that she did the only thing that could express her shock. She fainted.

The feeling of a warm and wet rag slowly roused Carmelita from her sleep. She firstly noticed it was morning, and secondly noticed the handsome Cooper sitting on the edge of her bed nursing her.

"Sly...did you really...?"

"Yes. Bently and Murray, along with Penelope have also been covered by this deal. I did the only thing I could think of to be with you. It wasn't easy, but when I figured it out, I knew it. You sacrificed all you knew, so why shouldn't I? After all, a relationship is a sacrifice. You sacrifice your time to be with another, you sacrifice your true personality to only show it them, but it's so worth it. Besides, I never thought you'd be a fainter."

"Oh shut up ringtail!"

"Fine, but on one condition. You marry me."

Silence filled the air between them as Carmelita's jaw dropped and she slid up in bed and stared at him. "Que!?"

"Marry me Carmelita Montaya Fox. Marry me. No more lies, no more seperation. Just you, me, and a life of perfectly legal living."

"Can you even spell 'legal' Sly?"

"It starts with an 'L' for ' I love you', right?"

Carmelita smiled and leaned forward. Sly met her halfway and they kissed softly, like a first kiss all over again. In many ways though, it was. They broke apart and Carmelita looked at the jar with the card on it and blushed before she nodded lightly.

"I'll marry you Cooper, so long as you promise me that if you're going to do something stupid and illegal, you'll tell me first. I know that some group or organization somewhere, someday will demand your special touch to bring it down." Sly looked away in shame as he realized she was right. "Just tell me mi amor. Be honest. No more lies, right?"

"Yes, no more lies. And in return, I want you to promise me that you will never try to arrest me." Carmelita smiled at his request and then whispered quietly.

"But what about kinky handcuffs?" As if on command, Sly turned scarlet and stuttered a response of incomprehensible syllables. Carmelita sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. She always loved to fluster him, just the way he frustrates her. When they broke apart, Sly pulled a ringbox out of his pocket and kneeled before the bed to formally propose. As she was sliding the ring on, she quirked an eyebrow and had to ask.

"Where'd you get the ring?"

"I get a severance pay from Uncle Sam for giving up billions of dollars worth of heirlooms for such a low price. However, only what was in the contract was cheap. I walk away the victor though because I have my priceless jewel before me. And I'll never let it go again."

Carmelita blushed slightly and slid out of bed to stand up next to the raccoon and hug him tightly. As they embraced, he whisper sweet nothings into her ears. They sat down on the bed and talked of their two years apart until the sun began to set. As it did, the only light in the room soon was the fireflies. The couple noticed them and opened the window and set them free. As they watched the magical bugs fly off into the night, Sly's paw laid lovingly on top of Carmelita's. He brushed his fingers against the ring on her finger and felt his heart beat quicken.

Sly Cooper was a sucker for fireflies.

But he was in love with Carmelita. And that, unlike the flicker of the bugs that came only at night, was eternal.