Carmelita zipped her small suitcase closed, placing her hands on the top, exhaling in a small sigh.
"You all packed, gorgeous?" the velvet voice of her raccoon husband called.
She turned her head as he appeared at the door, dressed in jeans and a simple white button-up collared shirt. His suitcase at his side, he offered a smile, casually leaning against the door frame.
With a smile that was faintly wistful, she nodded. "Yep. Ready to go," she told him.
They walked downstairs together, suitcases in hand, and walked into the living room of their Le Havre home, joining their friends who had congregated there.
Murray was kneeling down on the decorative rug in the center of the vast room, holding his rather large hands out to the very tiny foxcoon kit, coaxing the baby to walk to him.
"C'mon little buddy!" the hippo urged. "Come see your Uncle Murray!"
At six months old, the little kit wasn't quite ready to start walking, so he slowly crawled over to his 'uncle' instead, babbling unintelligible words.
But his attention was diverted as his folded ears twitched and swiveled at the sound of his mother's soft voice as she spoke to Sly while entering the living room with him.
A bright smile broke out on the kit's muzzle and he gasped excitedly. "Ma-ma!" he cheered, his ringed tail weaving happily as he held his arms out for her to take him.
Carmelita immediately rushed over to her son, scooping him up in her arms and nuzzling him fondly. "My baby," she murmured, dotting his face with kisses.
Sly couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Carmelita cuddle her little Rascal close, as if she hadn't seen him in days, as opposed to having seen him a mere ten minutes ago.
Rascal pawed at his mother's muzzle, clinging to her with a contented squeal.
"Carm, we really need to get going, if we don't head out now we'll get stuck in traffic," Sly reminded her.
Still hugging the tiny kit close, the vixen walked over to Murray, who got to his feet and walked over to join his warthog girlfriend, Tabby, where she stood.
"His bottles are in the fridge," said Carmelita. "And if he gets hungry just warm it up, but nor for too long, no longer than ten seconds, otherwise it'll be too hot. Oh, and he likes to be rocked before we put him down for naps or when it's his bedtime. He'll probably fall asleep while you're rocking him, but if he's still fussy and all else fails, remember that he's a clingy little guy, so he might just wanna be held for a while longer. Singing helps too sometimes."
Tabby gave a warm smile as she gently took the cooing kit from Carmelita. "We'll take good care of him, Carmelita."
"We've got everything under control," Bentley assured her from his spot on the couch. "You two have a good time."
"Ohhhh we will," Sly said, a cheeky grin on his muzzle. "It's going to be a weekend Mrs. Cooper and I will never forget."
Penelope, who was perched on the couch next to Bentley, tittered quietly at this.
Carmelita sharply elbowed the raccoon, a wordless way of telling him to can it. She then glanced over at the turtle. "And remember, you have both my number and Sly's as well, so if you have any problems, please call one of us. We can be back here as soon as possible if there's an emergency."
With an amused grin and a roll of his eyes, Sly grabbed his wife's wrist and led her to the door. "Carm, he'll be fine. Everything will be fine. There's four of them watching one kit. I think they can handle it. Now let's go."
The fiery vixen shot Sly a warning glare, turning to wave and blow a kiss to Rascal, who was already snuggling up in Tabby's arms.
Once outside, the couple loaded their suitcases into their black sedan, waving and saying one last goodbye to their friends before they got in and drove away.
[]
Sly gripped the wheel, steadying his foot on the gas pedal. He reached up to adjust the rear view mirror. His ears suddenly twitched at the sound his wife exhaling in a shaky breath. Glancing over at her, he noticed she seemed almost upset, her arms tightly folded across her chest.
"Carm?" Sly asked with a frown. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she mumbled, staring straight ahead, watching the afternoon clouds roll by overhead.
Now if there was one lady that Sly knew better than anyone in the entire world, it was Carmelita. He had the rather uncanny ability of picking up on the most subtle of changes to the Latina vixen's mood, and he could easily tell she was lying through her teeth with that mumbled "nothing".
"Carm, I know better than that, something's bothering you, what's up?"
"We just…" she trailed off, twirling a strand of hair in one finger with that same glum expression darkening her features. Her voice lowered until it was little more than a whisper. "We've never been away from him for more than a day, Sly."
A grin finding its way to the raccoon's face, he began to chuckle. "Rascal? Aw Carm, he'll be fine, trust me, Bentley said he'd be sure he'd contact us if there's any problems, but there won't be. Just relax babe." He reached out to put his hand on her shoulder, only to have her push it away.
"Both hands on the wheel Sly!" she scolded, jamming a finger out in front of her, gesturing to the busy highway ahead. "And eyes on the road."
With his trademark smirk gracing his lips and arched brows dancing over his eyes, he did as he was told and turned the majority of his attention back to the late afternoon traffic.
"You act like I'm a careless driver or something," he quipped.
"I wouldn't say careless, necessarily, but you've only had a license for, what? Three months now?"
"Three and a half, to be exact," he corrected her in a proud tone.
She pushed a few strands of silky cobalt blue hair out of her eyes. "Remind me again why I'm not the one driving?"
"Because, Carm, as I told you before, you don't have any idea where our little destination happens to be, and I do. Therefore, I'll be the one getting us there."
"I bet I could find my way there, if you'd just tell me where we're going," she muttered softly.
He shook his head, giving her a playful grin. "Sorry, no can do, Mrs. Cooper. For that, you see, would completely spoil the surprise, now wouldn't it, my dear?"
With a defeated huff, she leaned back against her seat, staring out the window on the passenger side. "I'd rather the surprise be spoiled than us get into a wreck Ringtail…"
Sly's reply came in the form of an amused snort. "Oh relax Carm, as if I haven't done things in my life that are a million times more dangerous than driving a car."
She gasped, her eyes wide as saucers. "Sly!" she cried. "Slow down!"
His head whipping forward, his gaze on the road again, he realized the traffic light had turned a glaring red and several cars were stopped in front of him. He abruptly slammed his foot on the brake, sending both he and Carm forward in a harsh jolt, the tires screeching loudly.
Carmelita glared up at him, a low growl building in her throat, and he grinned sheepishly in return.
As evening swept over France, they finally arrived at their destination, and Sly parked the car in an available space. He leaned over his wife, who was fast asleep in the passenger's seat. He hesitated to wake her at first, smiling warmly as he admired his vulpine beauty as she slept. After a few moments, he gave her shoulder a gentle shake. "Mon amour," he crooned. "Wake up."
She stirred with a soft groan, her eyelids fluttering. She looked over at him drowsily. "Are we…here?" She glanced around in confusion at the parking lot. It was now dark outside, the sky illuminated with stars and a glowing crescent moon. "Did I…did I sleep through the whole trip?" she asked, stretching.
"Just about," he answered with a small laugh before getting out and walking around to the passenger side to offer his hand to her. "And no, we're not quite there. We will be very soon though."
Her chestnut eyes widened in surprise, she gasped, staring up at a massive ferry docked up ahead. Her black-tipped ears flicked to the sound of the trunk slamming shut. Looking over her shoulder, she watched Sly walk up with their luggage. She met him on the sidewalk and gladly took her own suitcase. Her expression alit with excitement, she asked, "You're taking me to an island?"
Sly started to make his way up the sidewalk to the dock, taking hold of her hand. "Well, I was gonna wait until we actually got there to tell you, but it looks like you already figured it out. You're a sharp one, my lovely fox." He playfully tapped her on the nose with a finger.
Hearing the mild sarcasm in his tone, she scrunched her muzzle, swatting his hand away playfully.
After boarding the ferry with her, Sly escorted her to two open seats on the lower level. They hadn't been sitting for long when his lips curved up into a loving smile, feeling the soft fur of her cheek as she leaned her head on his shoulder. He reached over and began to sift his fingers through her hair, staring out at the night sky spanning over the never-ending blue waters of the ocean.
"We've needed this," Carmelita sighed, finally breaking the silence. She reached down and put her hand on his free one.
He stroked the top of her hand with his thumb. "Mhmm. You know, us thieves, we have to 'steal away' with good company every now and then," he said jokingly.
There was a long moment of silence. Then Carmelita murmured, "I'm still gonna miss my little guy."
The raccoon's eyes narrowing in a playful way, he smirked at her. "I have this sneaking suspicion that I've been replaced by someone…" he teased, tapping a finger to his chin.
With a roll of her eyes, she snuggled closer and laughed. "Oh please, Ringtail, you can't honestly think that. He's your son for crying out loud. I wouldn't even have him if it weren't for you."
"And I can honestly say that I most likely wouldn't have you here with me right now, if it weren't for him," Sly replied.
She slowly lifted her head to gaze up at him, brown eyes locking with brown.
"Have to find a way to make it up to him one day," he whispered, lifting her hand up close to his face and kissing the top of it tenderly.
Though they'd been together for several years now, he still knew just what to do and say to make her blush and give her a mild case of the shivers when he was pouring on the charm, a natural talent of his.
Not long after, the ferry stopped at a new dock.
The voice of the captain sounded over the loudspeaker. "Welcome to the island of Corsica. Please watch your step as you depart, and we hope you enjoy your stay."
The fox and raccoon filed out with the others, following the couples and families off the boat and onto the small dock.
"So, this is Corsica?" she asked, taking in the lush tropical scenery with an expression of wonder, marveling at the sheer beauty around her. Even at night, the island paradise was a sight to behold. "I've seen it on TV but I've never actually been here before. It's…breathtaking."
"Welcome to your little Valentine's Day getaway," Sly said to her.
She beamed back at her husband, her auburn tail swaying behind her at a relaxed pace.
[]
After checking in, by means of false identification of course, the two headed to their suite, which happened to be the penthouse suite, much to Carmelita's delight.
As soon as she stepped in, the vixen gasped and squealed with girlish excitement that she rarely showed. She gaped at the extremely lavish setting, her eyes practically shimmering as she explored the vast suite, running a hand over the gleaming marble tabletop of the dining room table as she walked by. She looked around at the paintings on the walls and figurines on the shelves, the potted plants placed in several corners. Running over to the sliding glass doors leading out to the balcony, she pressed her palms to the glass, relishing in the view of the island below.
"I'm guessing you like it?" Sly asked, humored by the sight of a bright-eyed Carmelita.
"I love it!" she cried. She turned and ran over to him, trapping him in a tight hug. But quickly after, she released him and looked up at him with a serious frown. "But how in the world did you pay for all this? And no jokes, I want the truth, Ringtail."
He shrugged lightly. "I had to sell some of my more valuable treasures over Thiefnet, some of which I've had for years…"
"Oh Sly," she murmured, sounding as if she felt guilty now. "I'm sorry..."
He grinned at her, snaking his arms around her and pulling her close. "Don't be," he purred, brushing his nose against her cream furred cheek. "You're my treasure now, Carmelita.
At hearing the sweet sentiment, she slipped her own arms around his neck and kissed him.
He gladly accepted her invitation, kissing back with feverish enthusiasm.
They parted to nuzzle, Carmelita's fingers gliding along the edges of her ringtail's handsome chiseled face.
Just then she spotted something out of the corner of her eye while she was still in his embrace.
"Oh!" she said, pushing past him and running down the nearby hallway. "Is that the bedroom?"
Sly heard her squeal again, and could only smile and shake his head before turning to follow her.
He entered the master bedroom just in time to see Carmelita leap onto the bed, collapsing onto it with a deep contented sigh. She curled up on the inviting down comforter. "Mmmmm, it's so soft!" she exclaimed.
Sly set their suitcases down by the dresser, walking over to the bedside. The next thing to happen took him by complete surprise: his wife taking him by the wrists and yanking him onto the bed. She giggled at the way he gawked in shock, and she crawled atop his body.
But instead of the moment turning steamy, she simply laid her head on his chest, closing her eyes.
Her smile grew wider as she felt his fingers dance across her back, tracing patterns along it. "Try not to get too comfortable," he requested, glancing at the digital clock on the nightstand. "I've got dinner reservations for us at Le Café Tropicale."
"Mm, sounds…tropical," Carmelita mumbled into his chest, followed by his soft chuckling, his warm breath feathering her cobalt bangs.
"I'll have to freshen up first," she informed him. "I'll need to take a quick shower." She jumped up and ran over to her suitcase.
"Think I'll do the same," her husband replied, slipping off the comfortable bed. "Can't be seen with such a pretty girl without cleaning myself up a bit too."
She grinned as she walked past him, removing her tank top on the way, letting it fall to the floor at her feet. She looked over her shoulder and winked at him before stepping into the bathroom and shutting the door.
Seconds later, he was at the bathroom door, turning the knob and slipping inside to join her. The way he saw it, it wouldn't hurt to indulge in a little appetizer before they went out for dinner. Right?
When they had showered and dressed, the two left for the Le Café Tropicale. During the short walk through the small but bustling city, they strolled along, hand in hand, fingers interlaced. They didn't say much during the walk, choosing instead to take in the lively atmosphere Corsica had to offer. The lights and sounds, the paper lanterns hanging overhead, the fragrant smell of the tropical flowers in bloom, the gentle breeze blowing in from the ocean. All of it together made for such a romantic display.
The couple dined in luxury, partaking in lobster and grilled scampi, with red wine to drink.
Sitting at the table across from Sly, the cop-turned-thief drank wine from her glass, smiling at the familiar taste. "It's been way too long since I've been able to drink again," she stated. "I'm so glad Rascal's finally getting used to drinking formula."
"Me too," Sly answered, spearing a small piece of lobster with his fork. "Now you can get back to enjoying the finer things in life. I mean, besides me, of course."
She grinned back, rolling her eyes. "Of course. You'll always be the finest thing in my life, Ringtail."
"Now that's what I like to hear Carm," he replied, his eyebrows wiggling in satisfaction.
He silently admired her from across the table, his stunning fox, her hair in a bun, a few blue ringlets hanging below it. The strapless dress she wore hugged her tempting curves, enticing the raccoon's eager mind.
"What's that crazy mind of yours plotting now, Sly?"
His eyebrows jumped as he looked up her. "Hm?" he hummed.
"Not trying to think up a way to run off, are you?" she teased.
He laughed, laughed at the joke, laughed at the utter absurdity of such a question. As if he could think of anywhere in the world he'd rather run off to. As if he'd rather be anywhere on earth than right here, with her.
"Oh no," he finally answered, picking up his wine glass. "If I do any running off any time soon, I'll be running off with you, and we'll be running back to the hotel."
Catching onto his words, a warm red color appeared on her cheeks, and she tucked a curl behind her left ear. "Behave yourself," she whispered with a smirk.
"You say that like it's easy. But the way you look tonight is making it a little more impossible with each passing moment, Carm."
They soon finished their peaceful dinner at the café, and left. They didn't run back to the hotel exactly, but by the time they entered the lobby, they were nearly sprinting. Whether it was the tension beginning to build or the alcohol taking effect, they couldn't be sure, nor could they be bothered to care. But something was making them approach the elevator at a rather hurried pace.
Sly's impatience got the better of him and he pulled his vixen into a heated liplock before the elevator door had even closed. He pinned her up against the wall, kissing her with passion of an intensity she hadn't felt from him in months.
She craved more, kissing him back.
A soft moan drifting from her otherwise occupied lips, she opened her eyes at the feeling of being picked up and carried down a hallway. But in a rush, she was set back down so her husband could unlock the door to their suite.
Sly, the normally cool and collected thief whose skills with his nimble fingers were second to none, was now fumbling with the key card, nearly dropping it twice before he successfully slid the card in and shoved the door open. He led Carmelita inside, the door shutting behind them with an audible click.
He heard her breathy giggle as he swept her up and resumed kissing her passionately, his mind rapidly becoming hazed.
They barely made it to the couch in the living room before clothing started to come off, piece by piece.
[]
Sunlight. That was the very first thing Carmelita's mind registered the next morning. Her eyes cracked open to bright rays of sunlight streaming in from the floor-to-ceiling window. She yawned and rolled over, still half asleep. She reached out and felt for her husband, yearning to be enveloped in his strong arms again.
Her eyebrows knitted together over her eyes in confusion, for all she felt were sheets and pillows. She sat up, looking around the room, now noticing how quiet it was.
"Sly?" she called.
No answer.
She stared down at the empty spot on his side of the bed, scowling. Where had he gone? And more importantly, why had he left without telling her?
The scowl still plastered across her muzzle, she crawled off the bed and dug through her suitcase, finally pulling a silk robe out so she could cover her bare body.
Now dressed, or at the very least, decent, she made her way into the main room of the suite, and that's when something caught her eye.
At one end of the dining table, a delectable breakfast of cherry crêpes (a favorite of hers) and an omelet had been placed, along with a rose in a vase. Next to the small crystal vase, there was a small gift bag.
Her scowl had faded, melting into a bright smile. "Oh Sly," she sighed, marveling at the wonderful surprise.
Curious about her present, she grabbed it up and reached inside. The object she pulled out perplexed her.
It was a small green bottle.
The puzzled vixen turned the glass bottle over in her hands, studying it. Sticking out of the top was a rolled up piece of paper. She plucked it out and unfolded it to see a message written in neat calligraphy.
Carmelita,
I know how much you love to cuddle after waking up, and I'm so sorry I left without telling you, but I had to go out to prepare for this evening. I have a surprise planned for you, but you can only receive it if you follow the clues I've left for you. And don't run off too far, as all the clues are somewhere out here in town.
The next clue is found inside the structure with four faces. Hope to see you soon, mon amour.
-Your Ringtail
A sound of glee escaped her lips. She adored scavenger hunts.
[]
Carmelita quickly dressed for the day and set out in search of the second clue. She searched all over the small town on the island, looking high and low for a structure that had four faces, but had no idea where to find one. Her first instinct was to look for statues. Perhaps one of them would be one of some bizarre four-headed creature.
But after thoroughly inspecting every statue in the central garden, she turned up clueless, literally.
No statue in sight had four faces on it, and she made sure to examine each marble figure with the utmost scrutiny.
After a while, she grew frustrated from being unable to solve Sly's clever riddle and took a break from her search. Wiping at the sweat forming on her forehead as the sun rose higher in the sky, Carmelita decided to take refuge in the shade of the clock tower ahead.
"Aye, es muy caliente aquí," she muttered. ("It's very hot out here.")
She wondered how much time she'd spent out here on her clue bottle hunt, so she craned her neck to check the time displayed on the face of the clock on the tower.
That's when it hit her.
Faces. Clocks have faces, and the clock tower she stood beneath happened to have four.
Her ears perking up to her revelation. "Of course! It was so simple!" She circled the tower, looking for any hint of green glinting in the sun against the drab gray of the stone tower wall. After scanning the lower section of all four of its walls, her sharp eyes caught sight of a small hole in the stone structure. She reached in, a grin spreading across her face as she victoriously pulled a green bottle out of the open space.
"Gotcha!" she whispered while plucking the paper out of the top. Unrolling it, she read the message.
While most fish swim in ponds or in the depths of the sea, you will find the next clue near a type of fish who prefers to stay out of the water. While looking for this clue, remember sometimes you have to look at things with a different perspective. Keep your chin up, and you're sure to be rewarded.
Carmelita tucked the bottle and its message away in her purse and continued on, now in search of some kind of fish. She trekked through the town square, weaving through the bustling crowd while she tried to find the kind of fish Sly had described among the many restaurants and shops splashed with bright blues yellows and greens. The distant beat of bongo drums sounded in the distance as Carmelita racked her brain, trying to decipher this next clue.
"Out of water," she mumbled aloud to herself while making her trek through the town square. "Well that could mean anything, anything that isn't directly related to water of course." She put a hand to her muzzle, deep in thought. "That's obvious, but what did he mean by that whole 'different perspective' part? Am I supposed to think like a fish or something?"
She shook her head at the ridiculous notion. "No, it has to mean something else…"
The vixen wandered the streets, hunting this supposed fish out of water, but soon enough, the hunger pangs in her stomach became too intense to ignore. Before she could keep going with the hunt, she had to find something to eat; it was midafternoon at this point, after all, and she was starving.
Carmelita strolled through the lively square, trying to find somewhere to get a bite to eat. Mmm, what am I in the mood for? She thought to herself. She spotted a pizzeria on the other side of the road, pursing her lips. Not really in the mood for pizza… She scanned the restaurant signs, looking for a place that offered cuisine she preferred, and walked by a fish market. Her nose scrunched, she grimaced in repugnance at the odor of the raw fish. "Think I'll pass on the seafood," she muttered to herself.
A quiet gasp left her lips when she made her second revelation of the day. She glanced over at the welcome sign hanging that stood just to the right of the market door.
It was in the shape of a fish.
Different perspective, keep your chin up.
The fish sign was suspended by small chains, which were attached to a small wooden beam that acted as the frame for the sign. The beam was hollow. And looking carefully, Carmelita could now see the neck of a bottle where it lay inside the hollow beam.
"Aha!" She tugged the bottle out, plucking the next message from it. She began to read it while she walked down the sidewalk, hunting down a place that served something more to her liking, like a grilled chicken salad, perhaps.
[]
The hunt Sly sent her on took nearly the entire afternoon for her to successfully complete, and once she retrieved the final clue bottle, she was glad her little unexpected adventure was over at last, though the hunt had been fun.
The final clue, which she had to venture under a decorative bridge to retrieve, read:
It would seem your wits are sharp my love, for you've found the very last clue. Well done. Meet me at the address below, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you get here. I'll be waiting for you on the top floor.
-Your Ringtail
An elated grin formed on her lips and she put the message away, setting out to find a taxi.
[]
Upon arriving at the address, she paid the taxi driver and ran up the stairs of the elaborate building. It was all the way on the far side of town, in a part of town that was scattered with immense architectural buildings, numerous grassy hills in the distance. The sun was soon to set over the skies over Corsica as the vixen headed inside the building.
When she climber the spiral staircase and reached the top floor, Carmelita stared in stunned silence at what was before her: a vast rotunda room, its ceiling in the shape of a spired dome, within which a marvelous painting of a cloud-filled sky adorned. On the other side of the room stood a small table, just big enough to seat two, two candles at its center, as well as a vase overflowing with red roses.
And sitting in one of the two chairs was a smirking raccoon. His head fur had been combed back and he wore a nice suit and button-down jacket.
"About time you showed up, lovely lady," he said. "Was starting to get worried that you got lost on the way here or something."
She huffed, crossing her arms, her hip popping to one side. "So sorry, I'm afraid I got held up, trying to decipher these intricate little riddles left behind by my dearest husband, whose idea of romancing a woman is to send her on a search for clue bottles, of all things."
"Just glad to see my intricate little riddles didn't stump you, Carm."
Her lips curved up into a subtle smirk and she shook her head. "Give me some credit Sly, searching for clues is something I used to do on a regular basis when I worked for Interpol."
That warm smile of his she loved so returned, and he got up and walked over to her. "Did you have fun at least?" he asked, grasping her hand.
"Of course I did," she answered with smile of her own. "All this, just for Valentine's Day. You really go above and beyond, Ringtail."
"I try," he replied with a casual shrug.
Carmelita studied her handsome date. Did he ever dress to impress.
She pushed her hair out of her face, in an almost self-conscious manner. "You look very nice tonight, Sly. That suit looks great on you." She glanced down at her own clothes with a grimace: a tank top, shorts and flips-flops. "You make me look so out of place now."
"Well…" Sly began, sprinting back to the table to retrieve a box he'd stashed beside it. He walked back over to her, opening the rectangular box, pulling out a dark red fabric. "That's why I got this for you."
She took the silk fabric from him, unfolding it and holding it at arm's length. It was a gorgeous burgundy gown, the skirt ruffled at the hem.
"And," Sly said, rushing back to the table. He knelt down, picking up his final gift, walking back over, and presenting it to her. "Got you these too."
Carmelita studied the sleek black heels in his grip, humored suspicion alit in her gaze.
"Go on, there's a bathroom down that hall there, go put these on."
"But…I'm all hot and sweaty…"
"From this humidity, you'd end up hot and sweaty eventually anyways. Now go change."
Her head shaking in disbelief, she did as she was told and went to change, returning in the formal wear.
When she returned to the table where he'd been waiting for her as she changed, he looked up at her, his eyes widening just slightly.
He'd pictured in his head what she'd look like with that dress on, but his imagination was nothing compared to the real thing.
"Carmelita, you look beautiful."
She adjusted the skirt of her dress, smoothing the ruffles down, trying to downplay the hot blush she felt burning in her cheeks. "So…this was your master plan all along huh? I still can't believe you went to all this trouble for me."
He tilted his head to the side. "Trouble? What do you mean? This was fun for me! And besides, seeing that smile on your face right now is definitely worth it all." He gestured to the table. "Now, let's eat, shall we?"
The two enjoyed a lovely dinner by candlelight, to the smooth melody of the violin in the background, and when they had finished eating, Sly took her out on the balcony, and asked her to dance.
"And what kind of dancing will we be doing this time?" she asked with a smile. "There's quite a few to choose from: the tango, salsa dancing, swing dancing, we've done it all."
"Too true," he said with a laugh. "we've definitely danced through life, that much is certain. But I was thinking more along the lines of a nice waltz?"
Her ears twitched in uncertainty. "A waltz?"
He nodded. "Have you ever waltzed before?"
She shook her head in reply. "Never in my life."
"Well I'll show you right now Carm. The steps are simple, for the most part. Here, just follow my lead." Sly looked over his shoulder and nodded to his violinist. "Maestro?"
The ferret violinist nodded, altering the tempo, playing at a slower, more relaxed pace.
Sly slipped an arm around Carmelita's waist, holding her other hand at his side. She linked her arms around his neck, and they began to waltz.
Sly took it slow, guiding her through the dance, helping her with the maneuvers, teaching her to use small steps when they spun around. It didn't take very long for the graceful vixen to get the hang of it.
"Now you're getting it Carm!" Sly exclaimed with a smile. "See? Nothing to it, you just gotta take small steps."
She nodded, lifting a finger to gently tap his nose. "Kinda like how I'm having to take small steps, getting used to all this thieving business."
The dance gradually morphed into a leisurely slow dance, the fox and raccoon embracing warmly, becoming lost in each other's' gaze.
"You're going to make an incredible thief, Carm," he murmured to her. "And…I know I say it all the time, but you honestly don't know what it means to me to have you in my life, fighting with me, as opposed to against me."
She chuckled lightly, leaning against him. "It's all about having a different perspective, right?"
He flashed a charming grin and took her face in his hands, placing a swift peck on her lips. "For sure," he mumbled against the kiss. "Happy Valentine's Day, Carmelita. Hope it's as happy as you imagined it would be."
"It's certainly been an interesting day," she told him, which earned her another chuckle from her dance partner. She hugged her body close to his, resting her head on his chest. "But yes. I'm always happy when I'm with you, Sly Cooper. You make special days like today all the more special."
"And you do the same for me."
She glanced out at the glorious sunset forming over the ocean. Watching the seagulls soaring over the lapping waves, she rested her chin on his shoulder. "You didn't have to do all of this, you know. Taking me out to dinner somewhere near home would've been more than enough for me Sly."
"I know," he responded, "but I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me. And it's been so much fun, stealing you away this weekend. And, though I've said it many times before, I feel the need to say it again. I love you, Carmelita."
Brushing her nose against his, she smiled back, her lidded eyes shimmering in the setting sun.
"And I love you, my Ringtail."