A Night Long Awaited

"Ask her out."
Fox looked at the blue feathered avian sitting next to him on the couch. He and Falco were in Fox's apartment in Corneria City relaxing and having a conversation they had had on more than one occasion. "Why?"
Falco rolled his eyes, "Why? Because every time Krystal gets within ten feet of you I see your legs shake. And you've know her a year, if your legs are still shaking after that long it means something."

Fox blushed, "Liar."

"No, total truth bro. Maybe they don't shake as much, but they still do."

Fox sighed, he really couldn't argue with Falco. Maybe his legs did get shaky every once in awhile when he saw her, Fox wasn't willing to say anything either way, but he did know he got nervous around her. Every time she was in the same room, every time she walked by, and especially when she said something to him Fox always found himself with more nerves than before a combat mission with the odds completely against him. "All right, so maybe I do get nervous around her. Why does that mean I have to ask her out on a date?"

Falco grunted, "McCloud you are one stubborn fox. Why won't you just admit you're smitten with her? Even Slippy can tell that, and he has the romantic awareness of a slug."

Fox snorted, "That isn't fair, I've seen you pass up more than one opportunity." Even as Fox said it he knew it was a weak argument. Krystal wasn't just an opportunity, she was the one, Fox knew it, and he had told Falco that once.

Falco shrugged, "Maybe. But even I'm not stupid enough to keep passing up the girl I've been secretly in love with for the past year. Especially when her apartment is right across the hall."

Fox frowned, Krystal's apartment was indeed just down the hall. When she had joined the team after Sauria she had needed lodgings, and seeing as the team usually occupied a single building while on Corneria Fox had been obliged to find her a flat in that same building. Falco was a floor up, as was Slippy, while Peppy was on the next floor down. Fox had been a little apprehensive when he had told Krystal that the only flat the landlord had was only two doors down from his own. Krystal however had been thrilled telling him it was perfect since she would be close to a friend. A year later and after a couple of new vacancies she was still there. "Well..." Falco looked at him expectantly, "All right I'll ask her. But where should I take her?"

Falco stroked his beak in thought, a moment later he answered, "Why not the Bushy Tail? You can have a drink, talk, dance, it would be perfect. And there isn't a place on this planet that's more Corneria than that place."
Fox nodded, the Bushy Tail would be perfect. It was out of the way, romantic, Fox knew it well, and he knew the owner well too. He just hoped Krystal would like it. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'll ask her tomorrow."

Falco shook his head, "Oh no you don't. You're going to ask her right now and take her out tonight."

"What?!" Fox practically barked, flustered at his friend's demands.

Falco smiled, "You heard me. I know exactly what 'I'll ask her tomorrow' means."
Fox sighed, he really was cornered. "All right all right. Why don't you get out of my flat and I'll go ask her."

Falco stood up, "Deal. But I want you to tell me the moment you've asked her. And if I don't hear from you within an hour I'm going to come down and drag you over to her apartment."

Fox stood up as well. "Deal." He shook his friend's feathered hand, this was going to be an interesting night one way or another.

Twenty minutes later Fox was in front of Krystal's door feeling so nervous he was surprised he was standing unassisted. Come on Fox, you've known her a year, gone into combat with her, she won't bite, and she does like you. But does she like me as much as I like her? Well time to find out I guess. Raising his hand he knocked on the door. A moment later the door opened and Krystal was smiling at him. "Hi Fox. What are you doing here? I thought you and Falco were visiting with each other."

Fox shook his head, "He had to go somewhere. I uh...I uh wanted to ask you something." Fox paused, this was it. Krystal was looking very curious, her ears cupped forward as she held onto the door. "Krystal, would you like to come to the Bushy Tail Swing Club with me tonight? To do some dancing."
Fox mentally prepared himself for the inevitable rejection, prepared for the words, "I'd rather not." He just knew they were coming.

"I would love to Fox. Should I wear something fancy?"

Fox's eyes widened. Had she just said yes? "Um yeah. I mean if you have it, it's not a super high end place really, but it..."

"Tends to have a classy old fashioned take on things."

Fox nodded, "Yeah. So if you have a nice dress or something that would be perfect."

Krystal smiled widely, "I might. When do you want to leave?"
Fox shrugged, it was already past nine, not that it really mattered. "Maybe ten? That'll give us both time to get ready."
Krystal nodded, "It's a date then, see you down there at ten."

"Yeah. Ten." As the door shut Fox grinned and thought I have a date! A date with Krystal! YES!

At ten o'clock that same night Fox McCloud was standing outside of the apartment building, his car sitting on the curb, waiting for Krystal. Fox was dressed in a brown suit jacket, a green shirt, and brown pants. He even had a tie that he was nervously fiddling with. He didn't usually dress like this, but when one went to a place like the Bushy Tail one was generally expected to look the part. Fox glanced at his watch, Krystal was running exactly two minutes late. For a moment he worried she wasn't coming. Pull yourself together McCloud, it's two minutes. You've waited a year, you can wait two more minutes for her to be ready.

"Fox?"
Fox looked up from the street beneath his shoes and his eyes widened at the sight before him. Krystal was dressed in a sparkling blue strapless dress that reached to just above her ankles with a slit up the side. The dress clung to what had to be literally every curve of her body. In her hands, which were covered in soft blue gloves that reached to her elbows, she was clasping a little white handbag which she held in front of her. Her hair flowed down to just past her shoulders, and her jewelry seemed to sparkle more than it ever had before. Fox thought she looked absolutely dazzling. "Krystal? You...You...Holy mother of God, where did you get all of that?"

Krystal blushed and looked down at her feet which were covered in blue sandals, "Well you said I should look nice."

Fox grinned and replied, "And you do. You look spectacular. Hell you look like one of the old singers from the Big Bands."

Krystal smiled back, "Fara said that it was a good look."

Fox was taken a bit aback. "Fara? You mean Fara Phoenix? She got all of this for you?"

Krystal nodded, "Yes. When I first met her she took me shopping for all of this. She said that if we were ever to go on a date that you would probably end up taking me to the Bushy Tail. She helped me to get the perfect outfit. And uh, she paid for it too. It was actually a bit expensive, I didn't want her to but she insisted."

Fox shook his head, "However much it cost I'm sure Fara could afford it. Her father could buy a planet if he wanted to. But if you got that when you first met her, that means you've had it..."

Krystal nodded, "About a year. I think she thought this would happen a bit sooner than it did."

"Oh." Fox replied, "Seeing you now I wish I had asked you all that time ago."

"It's all right Foxy, it's happening now, I didn't mind waiting for you."

Fox felt his heart flutter a bit at those words, she's been waiting for me. Oh McCloud how did you ever doubt that she wanted this too? "Krystal, I don't know what to say."

Krystal spoke reassuringly. "Don't worry Fox. Best thing you can do is take me to where we're going."

"Of course." Fox opened the car door for Krystal and helped her inside, his eyes widened a bit when he noticed that the back of the dress dived to just above her tail. All of a sudden Fox had a feeling he should be thanking Fara too. As soon as the door shut he went around and got into the driver's seat. Looking next to him he said, "Ready?"
Krystal smiled, "Ready."

Keying the ignition he started them on their way.

When the car stopped in front of a little building with a neon sign proudly announcing Bushy Tail Swing Club Krystal couldn't help but smile. She and Fox were finally on a date together, and it seemed there would be dancing here. Krystal loved dancing. Though she had never done swing dancing before, she had heard of it once or twice, and apparently most cities on Corneria had their own individual take on it. As Fox helped her out of the car she said, "Fox, is it hard to swing dance?"

Fox smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry. Corneria City swing dancing isn't all that complicated. I'll show you."
Krystal nodded and took Fox's hand, she noticed him blush at that. He was so adorable in that way, always blushing and getting bashful when she was around. She could sense how nervous he tended to get around her, she was glad he had managed to summon the courage to ask her out.

As soon as Krystal followed Fox inside her ears picked up on the sound of music. She could pick out that a great deal was on brass instruments, though she could also here the occasional flourish of a piano, the beat of drum, it sounded very lively. She looked at Fox and said, "Is that a live band?"
Fox smiled, "Of course. Every respectable swing club has a live band. And the owner of the Bushy Tail is nothing if not respectable. What do you think?"
Krystal smiled, she was already resisting the urge to at least tap her feet, "You know I rather like it."
"That's good, this is the music Corneria is truly famous for."

Fox walked up to the entrance to the club proper, a bear in a suit stepped in front of him and asked, "Reservations?"
Fox nodded, "You should find it under McCloud."
The bear pulled out a small tablet, found the name, and then smiled, "Go right in sir. Take whatever table you want."
Fox smiled back, "Thanks."

As they walked into the club and found a table Krystal looked at Fox and asked, "How did you get a reservation this quickly?"
Fox pulled a chair out for her, she sat down and he pushed it in. Sitting himself down next to her he said, "That's how." He pointed towards a red fox who looked to be about in his late fifties or early sixties, dressed smartly in a tuxedo that Krystal had a feeling cost a pretty penny.

"Fox! Pally! Been awhile."

Fox stood up and shook hands with the older fox, "It has. Happy to see my reservation still stands."
"Course it does, your folks had a standing reservation here from before they were married and we'll always have a chair for you and yours." The fox looked at Krystal, "And who might this be?"

Fox smiled, "Jim Fontaine, meet Krystal, my date for the night."
Fontaine offered his hand and Krystal shook it, he said, "Very lovely to meet you miss Krystal." He looked back at Fox, "I gotta get back to the band, but you have any requests you just let me know and you'll go to the top of the queue."

Fox shook Fontaine's hand again, "Thanks Jim."

When Fox had reseated himself Krystal asked, "You know him?"
Fox nodded, "Sure do. My parents loved this place, he's been the owner for forty odd years. They were actually some of his first customers. He sang at their wedding, and he's been a friend to me since I was born. He means it when he says there's always room for me, he would kick someone out if he had to."
Krystal smiled, "That's incredible. Do you come here often?"

Fox shook his head as he waved down a waiter, "Not for awhile sadly. But whenever I get the chance I always come and at least say hello, even if I can't stay. He appreciates it, he watched out for me almost as much as Peppy did after my dad died."
Krystal frowned and took Fox's hand for a moment, "I'm glad, he seems like a good man."
"That he is." The waiter made it over to them and Fox said, "I'll have a Cornerian Sunset. Krystal?"

Krystal shrugged, even after a year Cornerian drinks, especially alcoholic ones, continued to mystify her. She had never been much of a drinker, so it was a part of the culture she hadn't done much to absorb since she had been introduced to it. "I suppose I'll have the same. A Cornerian Sunset please."
"Coming right up."
As the waiter left Krystal asked, "Um, Fox, what exactly is a Cornerian Sunset? I haven't heard of it."

Fox smiled, "Nothing too strong. It's just a pink wine, they add something to it though that makes it glow. As you drink it the glow starts to fade. It's actually kind of expensive."

"I don't want you to spend too much on my account."Krystal said.

Fox's smile turned into a full on grin, "Didn't I tell you when I'm here everything for me and my guests is on the house?"

Krystal's eyes widened, "Seriously?"

Fox nodded, "Yep. Ever since my dad died that's been the policy for me. Jim's orders. Like you said he seems to be a good guy. That and I've never brought more than one or two different people at a time."

Krystal nodded, "He certainly does seem to be."

The waiter came back with the drinks, it seemed Fox had been serious, the drinks glowed just a bit. When the waiter set them down and left Fox raised his and said, "A toast?"

Krystal raised her own glass, "Sure. To what?"

"To blue vixens and jazz clubs. No better combination."
Krystal grinned, "Here here." She took a sip of her drink, it was good. She looked at it appreciatively, she noticed that, just as Fox had said it would, the glow had faded just a bit.

The two foxes sat there for awhile, enjoying their drinks, talking about this and that, and Krystal was amazed by how much more confident Fox seemed. When he had asked her on the date not more than two hours ago she could tell he had been scared to death. Now though, well he just seemed on top of the world. She mentioned the change, he smiled, "It's this place, I always feel comfortable here. I have a lot of memories in this place, and they're all happy ones."

"I'm glad." Krystal replied.

Fox smiled and asked, "Want to try some dancing now?"

Krystal wagged her tail, though she felt a little nervous, "Sure."

Fox got up and offered her his hand. As soon as the current song had come to an end Fox walked up to the stage and waved at Jim. The older fox walked over, "What song Fox? Anything you want."
Krystal could see Fox think for just a moment then he said, "Something lively. Swing Swing Swing?"

"Sure thing pal." Replied Jim. "I'll give you a minute to get on the dance floor."

Fox smiled and Krystal followed him to the dance floor, butterflies in her stomach. The song started and Fox said, "Just hold my hand and watch my feet."

Krystal nodded and focused on Fox's feet. They were moving very fast and seemingly in all directions. She almost yelped as she found Fox swinging her around so that their positions reversed. "Fox! Wait!"

Fox looked at her and smiled, "What?"

"I am totally confused, and I've danced a lot in my life. How the heck do I do this?"

Fox grinned, "I always forget you've never danced to this sort of thing before. I really should have shown you all of this when we first met. Well let me make it up to you. Corneria City swing dancing is simple, like I said, footwork," He quickly moved his feet in a seemingly random pattern, "Butt-work," He shook his rear quickly, causing her to giggle, "Be mature." Krystal giggled again, she had shaken her rear in plenty of dances, but seeing Fox do it just seemed very silly to her at the moment. Fox shook his head even as he smiled, "And tail work." He flicked his tail around several times. "Got it?"

Krystal shrugged, "It seems very random. Improvised even."

Fox's eyes lit up "Exactly!"

"You're saying I should just improvise?" Fox nodded enthusiastically, he certainly seemed to be in his element, now more than ever. "All right then, I can do that."

Krystal followed Fox's lead, moving her feet, butt, and tail, and trying her best not to step on any toes at the same time. Fox led her around the dance floor as the songs changed, Krystal was quickly losing track of time. Fully immersed in the music and the dancing she couldn't help but grin when Fox spun her, dipped her, and held for a moment. She looked up into his eyes and thought, So this is the Fox that has just been waiting to come out.

As yet another song came to an end Krystal, who was breathing a bit hard and could feel herself beginning to sweat said, "You think we could do something a little slower?"
Fox smiled, "Sure thing, I'll be right back."
Krystal watched as Fox made it to the stage and back in record time, "What song did you ask for?"

Her question was answered when the sound of Jim Fontaine's smooth as honey voice sang "I've got the world on a string..."

Fox took her in his arms and said, "Care to dance?"

Krystal smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, "You lead."

Fox began to lead them in slow circles around the dance floor and for a moment Krystal was certain that she couldn't be happier. What could be more perfect than this? Dancing to a wonderful, happy, romantic song, breathing Fox's scent, sensing how happy he was. They danced like this for a few more songs, Krystal had noticed that Jim Fontaine had spotted the two of them slow dancing, she swore he had smiled and mouthed, A few more slow ones Pally.

Eventually though Fox said, "We should really get back."

Krystal nodded and the two of them walked off the dance floor. When they got back to their table Jim was there, he smiled and said, "I hope you had a good night you two."
Fox and Krystal both smiled and Fox said, "Yep, I think so."

Jim said, "Good. Hope to see you two around some more."

"I would love that." Krystal said.

Fox took her hand and replied, "In that case we'll be back in a week. If that's all right with you Krystal?"

Krystal nodded, "That would be lovely. It's a date."
Jim grinned, "I'll make sure there's a table for you. Now the stage beckons, have a good night you two."
"See you Jim." Fox replied.

After that Krystal left with Fox, a smile dancing on her lips.

Back home outside of Fox's apartment door Krystal said, "I had a wonderful time Fox."
"So did I." Replied Fox. "I'm glad you liked the Bushy Tail."

Krystal smiled and took his hands in hers, "It was better with you there, especially when you've got your confidence."

"Ah. I've got to work on that." Fox replied, a bit of color coming to his cheeks and ears.

"Don't worry too much, you're cute when your bashful too. I'll see you in the morning." Before Fox could respond Krystal kissed him, it wasn't a huge kiss, but it was enough to, when she pulled away, make Fox stare at her speechless. "Goodnight Fox."

"G-goodnight Krystal. I uh...uh...Screw it."

All of a sudden Krystal felt herself pulled into another kiss, this one was much longer, much more intense, much more passionate, and much more enjoyable. Krystal put her hands on his cheek ruffs and smiled as he put his arms around her and dipped her just the slightest bit. When that kiss was over Fox said, "I'm sorry, but I've been waiting to do that since I met you."
Krystal grinned, "You know, so have I." Her expression grew a bit more serious, she had something to say. "Fox, I know we haven't dated or anything, but, I think I love you."

"Yeah," Fox said, "I think I love you too."

"Well then," Krystal said, "I think we are going to have to make sure and go on a lot more dates. But we should get to sleep. Goodnight again Fox." She said, a bit of a silly smile on her face.

Fox nodded, "Goodnight Krystal, no more kisses this time."

Giggling Krystal walked to her apartment as she heard his door shut. She was certain that this was the best night of her life, and she had a feeling that Fox felt the same way.

A/N: I suppose the Fox and Krystal first date story is not the most original idea, but I've been wanting to really try my hand at it for awhile. It took me awhile to really figure out how I wanted to do it, but some good jazz music sung by James Darren and Frank Sinatra helped to get me inspired and thus the story was born. That being said I would love to know your thoughts on it so make sure and leave a review! Until next time...

-general whitefur