It was a beautiful winter day in Petropolis. Valentine's Day was only a few days away, and there was a lot of hustle and bustle. Card shops were selling valentines like fresh bread and everybody was getting into the swing of things. Even crime it seemed had taken a leave. And TUFF HQ was no different with all the decorations and everyone making valentines. Dudley was in the snack room helping himself to the heart candy no doubt. He was just about to finish his second bowl's worth of candy hearts when Kitty walked in and saw what he was doing.
"Enjoying the sweets are we?", she asked him as she walked over.
Dudley could tell by the tone in her voice that she didn't approve of what he was doing and he stopped right away.
"Sorry Kitty, I got carried away."
Kitty sighed heavily.
"If I didn't tell Keswick to make sure that we had an extra large supply of candy hearts, I would've made you pay for all the ones you ate."
Most of the other agents were hanging up heart decorations around the inside of the base. Red, pink and white hearts were seen on the walls, hanging from the ceiling, and even the trash cans had a heart or two plastered across them. Dudley and Kitty helped out for a bit and then a call came in. The huge screen lit up and then Dark Wolf showed up.
"Is this TUFF HQ?", he asked.
"Sure is.", Kitty answered as she walked over to the screen with Dudley right beside her, "Is there a spike in criminal activity?"
"Again?", Dudley asked, "But I'm worn out."
"Relax.", Dark Wolf stated, "This isn't a fighting mission. It's an errand."
"An errand?", Dudley asked.
"Yep. My base is low on valentines so I sent my best team out to pick some up.", Dark Wolf informed, "Would you mind giving them a hand?"
"We're on it Dark Wolf.", Kitty answered, "And we'll also pick up some extra candy hearts if they haven't ran out by now."
Kitty and Dudley hung up on Dark Wolf and soon were heading to the chutes when Kitty paused. Dudley noticed this and stopped also.
"Kitty, what's wrong?", he asked her.
"Dudley, I remembered that I need to help out around here.", Kitty stated, "Can you do this errand alone?"
Dudley started tearing up. Kitty may be the new chief of TUFF, but recently she seemed to have too much to do to spend time with him anymore. Kitty could see that Dudley wanted her to come, but she was firm. How was Dudley going to learn how to solo missions if she was always there?
"Dudley, it's only a trip to the market to see if Dark Wolf's operatives need a hand. You can handle that can't you?"
Dudley sniffled, but in the end he knew there was no use arguing so he went down the chute still wet in the eyes. Kitty felt a little bad for him, but a job was a job and she had a big one to do.
The market was really packed. Everybody seemed to be in a rush to get the finest valentines and decorations. Dudley hardly found a parking spot before he could get in.
"Why couldn't Keswick make it so my car can become a paperweight like Jackal's cycle?", he muttered to himself.
Jackal was one of Dark Wolf's finest operatives and it seemed that ULTRA had all the latest gear in espionage tech. Who could blame them? As Dudley managed to get inside the store, it was clear that the vibe was set. Valentine's Day decorations were all around and even bouquets of chocolate roses were arranged. As he made his way to one isle, he almost bumped into someone and seeing it was Jeremiah Jackal and his partner Iris, quickly got himself pulled together.
"Well look who's here.", Jeremiah stated with a bored kind of tone.
Iris however seemed nicer this fine day because she dusted Dudley off and smiled his way.
"Shopping for decorations too?", she asked him.
Dudley just sighed and from the look on his face, Jeremiah could tell something was up.
"Okay, what's wrong?"
"It's Kitty.", Dudley sighed, "She hardly has time for me these days and I kind of miss that."
Iris thought for a moment and put her hand on his shoulder.
"You know Dudley, what you need to do with Kitty is ask her on a date."
"A what?", Dudley asked.
"A date.", Jeremiah informed, "Take her to dinner, take a walk in the park, talk to her."
Dudley was still lost so as they finished up their Valentine's day shopping, Iris and Jeremiah explained how dating works. By the time they were at the checkout, Dudley still needed a little more information.
"First thing you do is talk to her." Jeremiah stated as they brought their stuff to the car, "Ask her for a boat ride in the new lagoon. Leave the rest to me and my group."
By the time Dudley got back to TUFF HQ, he was a little nervous( Okay he was a nervous wreck. Give him a break). What if Kitty didn't have the time for him? What if she said no? As he pondered this he failed to notice that he was already at his desk.
"How am I going to tell her?", he asked himself.
"Tell who?", Kitty asked.
Dudley yelped as he saw Kitty looking over him.
"Kitty, what are you doing at my desk?"
"Dudley, this desk is...wait, this is not my desk. Never mind.", Kitty stated.
Dudley had a tendency to hang out at Kitty's desk back in the day. Dudley was sweating as he gulped.
"Dudley, are you okay?", Kitty asked him.
"Sure, no problem.", Dudley said rather quick as he clenched the desk seat rather tightly.
"Okay, well I need to get some reports filed so if you need me, I'll be in my-"
"Kitty.", Dudley said cutting her off, "I was wondering if you could take a boat ride with me sometime."
"Are you asking me out?", Kitty asked in wonder.
"Yeah.", Dudley said in a relaxed tone, "I'm asking you out."
Kitty thought for a bit.
"Well, let me get my filing done and meet me this Friday. Sound good?"
Dudley smiled.
"Works for me."
Kitty went back to her duties, but Dudley was a little shaken. Kitty just accepted his date. Now what? As if on cue, his communicator went off and it was Jeremiah.
"So, how did it go?", Jeremiah asked.
"I got myself a date on Friday.", Dudley said feeling unsure.
The following day, Dudley was a nervous wreck. Tomorrow night was the time he would take Kitty out and he didn't know what to do. Luckily Jeremiah was around with Iris to give some advice.
"Remember, just be yourself and you'll be fine.", Jeremiah stated, "Listen to what she says, answer right away, and keep eye contact."
"Why's that?", Dudley asked.
"So she knows that you're telling the truth.", Iris said.
Dudley, Jeremiah and Iris were at Dudley's house or tree house I should say. Dudley just sighed.
"I've never actually gone on a date with Kitty before.", he sighed.
"Dudley, do you want me to help you with your date?", Peg called from the house garden.
Mrs. Peg Puppy was planting in the garden near Dudley's tree house and overheard the conversation. Dudley was not pleased to hear that.
"I'll be fine Mom.", he called back, "I can take someone out just fine."
Just then, Peg showed up inside the room after walking in through the open door. That only made Dudley more irritated.
"Dudley, I know for a fact you need help by the way you answered me.", Peg said as she walked over.
"Mrs. Puppy, we do appreciate your dating advice.", Jeremiah said as he could see that Dudley wanted his space, "But Iris and I are more than able to help him out."
Peg could see that Jeremiah ment what he said, but paused to put some chocolate cupcakes by the door.
"I also made some Valentine's Day cupcakes in case you get hungry.", she informed before she left.
"How could she be cooking while working in a garden?", Jeremiah thought to himself.
After Peg left, Dudley helped himself to a couple cupcakes which helped him relax. After a couple more hours, Dudley had formulated a date. The rest of the day went pretty okay. And before Dudley knew it, it was almost time for the date. Jeremiah had came over to help out.
"Got anything to wear?", Jeremiah asked.
Dudley shrugged and Jeremiah knew that Dudley shirked pants, but this was a special occasion. He brought Dudley to his room and started rummaging through his closet.
"Jeez, don't you organize your stuff once in a while?", Jeremiah asked.
"Sure I do, I just choose not to.", Dudley answered.
After a while, Jeremiah finally found something nice. And after a few minutes, Dudley was wearing a fancy tuxedo. Dudley paused to examine himself in the mirror.
"Yep, you look the part.", Jeremiah told him, "But now you need to relax. Just be yourself and you'll be fine."
A while later, Dudley had gotten everything set. The park was set for those long romantic boat rides and some couples were already taking the first rounds on the ride. Dudley waited for a while and just when he was about to give up, Kitty walked over.
"Did I miss anything?", she asked.
Dudley saw her and he was stunned. Kitty was wearing a flowing, sparkly purple dress with a gray vest. She also had gray gloves on with red slippers on her feet.
"You didn't miss a thing.", Dudley said dreamily.
After Dudley and Kitty got into their boat, Jeremiah saw that this could use some music. He called his fellow operatives on his communicator.
"It's time to set...the mood.", he stated, "Iris, you ready?"
"I'm set.", Iris called back.
"I'm good too.", Dorian reported.
"Let's get romantic.", Jeremiah said.
As the boat drifted into the romantic garden grotto, Dudley and Kitty began to hear beautiful music playing and Jeremiah came onto the bank playing on a ukelele. That was when Jeremiah began to sing.
"There you see him, sitting there right by the way. Sure he's not what you expect, but there's something about him."
Jeremiah quickly dropped behind a brush when Kitty looked his way. Jeremiah continued after Dudley and Kitty moved past. Some of his fellow operatives joined in.
"Yeah, you like him. Look at him you know you do. Maybe he likes you as well, but there's one way to ask him. Just start with the word, then move on to the next. Go on and tell him so."
"You know Dudley, this is a very nice ride.", Kitty said as the music kept playing, "You look so good in that tuxedo."
"Thanks.", Dudley said blushing, "You look really nice yourself. Hey Kitty, I was thinking that maybe we can do this again sometime."
"When we have the time." Kitty told him, "But sure, I'd love to go out with you again."
By this time, Dudley and Kitty's boat had reached the willow tree gazebo structure which was the final place on the ride. Two of Jeremiah's fellow agents opened the willow curtains as the boat came near and Jeremiah continued to sing.
"Now's your moment, floating down the smooth lagoon. But you better do it soon, cause no other time is better. He sees it in your eyes and you see it in his. Tell him so."
Here is where Jeremiah went all out. His fellow agents( including Iris and Dorian) joined in as Dorian put the romantic mood into high gear. Dudley and Kitty really felt strongly in touch with the music, and soon, they were holding hands.
"Dudley", Kitty said as she gazed into his eyes, "I really had a nice time here."
"So did I.", Dudley answered as he gazed back the same way.
And here is where it gets good. Slowly, but surely Dudley and Kitty felt their faces getting closer, and closer and it looked like they were going to kiss. Until the manager of the ride( a stork) rudely interrupted it by blowing an air horn.
"Move it along already!", he yelled, "You're holding up the line!"
Dudley and Kitty finished the ride and soon were back at TUFF. Getting ready to go home. Dudley and Kitty had changed back into their usual clothes and Dudley was feeling kind of down.
"Sorry about what happened back there.", he told Kitty as they got ready to leave.
"It's fine Dudley.", Kitty told him, "It was nice while it lasted."
"Oh Kitty, I got something for you.", Dudley said as he pulled out a paper heart and handed it to Kitty, "Happy Valentine's Day."
Kitty looked at the heart and read the poem on it.
"Roses are red. Violets are blue. Happy Valentine's Day. From me to you."
Kitty gushed as she put the paper heart over her own.
"Thanks Dudley.", she said as her eyes got all watery.
Dudley blushed again. It was a pretty good Valentine's Day after all.
A/N: the boat ride is based off "Kiss the Girl" from the Little Mermaid. I don't claim anything.