The Scent of Love
It was another ordinary day at the Littlest Pet Shop. While most of the pets were having fun, a few were snoozing. Sunil Nevla was one of those few. The mongoose was sleeping peacefully. He snuggled against what felt like a very soft pillow. Suddenly, he dreamt of being locked in combat with his most hated enemy, a vile cobra. As he squeezed the cobra's neck, he couldn't help noticing that it felt... fuzzier then it should have...
"Excuse me!" A familiar voice blared. "Just what do you think you're doing to my tail?!"
Sunil was jolted awake. As his eyes opened, he realised his "pillow", and the "cobra" he'd been throttling, was in fact, the tail of Pepper Clark, who by the looks of things, had been jolted out of a sleep of her own.
"Oh, my!" Sunil gasped, releasing the skunk's long appendage. "My apologies, Pepper! I... thought that was a pillow..."
"Yeah, well, you should count yourself lucky, pal." Pepper said hotly. "If you had squeezed this thing a little harder, you'd've had a way worse wake-up call, if you catch my drift."
"Indeed, I do." Sunil shuddered. "Sorry again."
"No problem." Pepper shrugged. "Just... don't let it happen again."
"Of course." Sunil nodded.
Pepper walked over to Zoe, who was chewing on her favorite squeaky lobster.
"Can you believe that Sunil?" She griped. "Messing with my tail like that..."
"Well, to be fair, Sunil does have a habit of grabbing things in his sleep, and you were sleeping right next to him." Zoe noted. "Why were you sleeping so close to him, anyway?"
"No reason." Pepper replied. "There was just a softer pillow there."
"Now that I think about it, you seem to be sleeping close by him a lot lately." Zoe smirked.
"So?" Pepper snorted.
"So I'm thinking you may possibly... like him!" Zoe smirked.
"Ugh, gross!" The tomboyish skunk grimaced. "No way!"
"Really?" Zoe sniggered. "Because it would explain a few things. Like how you're always teasing him..."
"Big deal." Pepper waved it off. "I tease everyone. Even you, little miss diva."
"But you go out of your way to tease him." Zoe declared. "I've always wondered why..."
"So not the reason!" Pepper huffed.
"And let's not forget the little dance you two shared after 'Operation: Gailbreak'." Zoe giggled.
"That was a victory dance!" Pepper protested, blushing lightly. "Spur of the moment, that's all!"
"I don't know why you're so resistant." Zoe declared. "I think you two would make a lovely couple."
"I'm resistant because I don't like him that way!" Pepper growled.
"In all honesty, Pep, you could do worse." Zoe added. "Vinnie's none too bright, and Russell? Well, he's nice enough, but a bit of a control freak..."
"I'm sorry." Pepper glared. "I don't recall joining this dating service."
"Very funny, ms. comedienne." Zoe said drily. "But this is serious."
"And I'm seriously not listening." Pepper retorted.
"Such denial." Zoe smirked. "It must be love."
"No it's not!" Pepper yelled, blushing again.
"I rest my case." Zoe declared.
"Zip it, Trent." Pepper walked away angrily.
"Run all you like, Clark." Zoe chuckled. "But you can't escape love."
Pepper went to a corner of the day camp to sulk. She was outraged at Zoe's wild accusations. And yet, there was a nagging doubt at the back of her mind. Maybe Zoe was right. Sunil was a good friend, but now Pepper was starting to feel differently about him. She was often annoyed at his meekness, and she did tease him a lot, though he never returned the favor. He was always friendly and pleasant towards her. In truth, that was what she most admired about him. And then there was his striking gold-colored eyes...
'Wait, what?!' Pepper shook her head. 'Where'd that come from?'
Pepper's brain seemed to be rebelling against her, conjuring up more romantic, Sunil-centred thoughts. Even the stubbornest skunk couldn't fight her own mind.
'Now what am I supposed to do?' She thought, stroking her tail. 'Even if I do feel... that way for Sunil, I can't just come right out and tell him. ...Can I?'
Pepper continued her musings until snack time.
"Here you go, sweeties." Mrs. Twombly poured the food into their bowls.
The pets rushed over. As they ate their food, Pepper suddenly realised she was standing a little too close to Sunil. She sidestepped slightly, leaving the mongoose with an expression of mild confusion on his face.
Pepper cursed her sudden bout of shyness. It didn't help that she wasn't used to feeling "girly stuff." As the pets finished their lunch, she took a deep breath and approached Sunil.
"Yo, Sunil". She said, as nonchalantly as possibly. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Of course, Pepper." Sunil smiled.
Pepper led Sunil to a private corner of the day camp.
"Soooo, about before..." She mumbled.
"Again, I am very sorry." Sunil apologised.
"Ah, no big deal." Pepper shrugged. "A tail this big kinda gets in the way sometimes."
"I would suppose so." Sunil agreed.
"Sooo..." Pepper said nervously. "Sunil, can I ask you a question?"
"You certainly may." Sunil nodded.
"What do you think of me?" Pepper blurted out.
"What do I think of you?" Sunil repeated, confused.
"Yeah, exactly." Pepper nodded. "And be honest."
"Well, honestly... I admire your outlook on life." Sunil declared.
"My... outlook?" Pepper asked.
"Indeed." Sunil smiled. "You can find humor in almost any situation. I've always admired that about you."
"Thanks." Pepper blushed.
"Not to mention your 'in-your-face' attitude." Sunil continued. "I find it quite refreshing at times."
"Yeah, well..." Pepper mumbled. "You've got a pretty good attitude yourself. You're a real nice guy, Sunny-boy."
"Sunny-boy?" Sunil repeated.
"What, you never had a nickname before?" Pepper retorted.
"I didn't say I didn't like it... Pep." Sunil smiled.
Pepper found herself chuckling goofily.
"Okay, follow-up question." She rubbed her arm. "Totally unrelated matter... ever had a girlfriend?"
"What?!" Sunil gasped. "Uh, no..."
"Would you... like to have one?" Pepper asked.
"Well, I, um..." Sunil mumbled, wringing his tail in his paws. "Do you... have anyone in mind?"
"Kinda." Pepper half-smiled. "We've been friends for a long time, huh, Sunil?"
"Yes, we have." Sunil smiled awkwardly.
"But now, I feel like... maybe we could be more then friends." Pepper mumbled.
"This isn't a joke, is it?" Sunil asked skeptically.
"No joke, I swear." Pepper replied. "Full-on seriousness. What do you say?"
"I... I would like that, Pepper." Sunil blushed.
"You would?" Pepper gasped. "Really?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Sunil smiled. "You're fun to be with, and... and actually quite alluring, if you don't mind my saying so."
"'Alluring', huh?" Pepper smirked. "Never been called that before. What about me is 'alluring'?"
"Y-your eyes." Sunil stuttered. "You have very nice eyes."
"I do?" Pepper blushed.
"Yes, you do." Sunil nodded. "The most lovely rose-colored eyes in the world."
"Thanks, Sunny-boy." Pepper leaned against the mongoose, wrapping her tail around him at the same time. "Your peepers aren't too shabby, either."
"So... what now?" Sunil said nervously. "I've never been in this kind of situation before."
"Me neither." Pepper shrugged. "What say we try a little improv?"
Pepper kissed Sunil on the cheek, making him blush even harder. In response, Sunil wrapped his arms around her in a hug. Pepper's tail suddenly released it's "happy" scent.
"Should've seen that coming." Pepper joked.
"Did I forget to mention how much I love that smell?" Sunil sighed.
"Yep." Pepper chuckled, snuggling closer to her new-found beau. "But feel free to remind me... like, all the time."
"I will keep that in mind." Sunil delivered a light peck to Pepper's nose.
Zoe, who had been watching the whole thing from behind a stack of cushions, smirked widely.
"Knew it." She gloated to herself.
The End.
(Littlest Pet Shop and all associated characters are the property of Hasbro and the Hub.)