Chapter Twenty Five: Haru's Secret
Haru giggled and got off the lap, which now felt very empty to the Cat King. She walked over to the kitchen and grabbed a chair from the kitchen. She shook her head as she started down the hall, placing the chair near the middle so she could stand on it.
"These coincidences are getting a little too convenient. About the same time that you turned into a tree-" she cut off, knocking open the door in the ceiling that led to the attic. Baron walked over to her, and held the chair steady while she climbed up into the new hole. Even though she was still in running sweats, the half-cat couldn't help but admire how she maneuvered her way into the hole and disappeared through it.
'Ah, yes. That girl definitely has cat genes.' He had to restrain himself from purring, trying to focus on the task at hand.
"Well, about the time that must have happened to you, my grandma found a bracelet matching the one that you described. She didn't remember where, though." She appeared in the hole again, passing down a long box that had been taped shut. He grabbed it, setting it aside so he could help her down. She pecked him on the cheek before putting the attic door back in its place. Haru carried the box back to the kitchen table, Baron following her with the chair.
"She said when she picked it up, she could almost feel how special it was. It's a pretty thing, but she knew better than to actually wear it." Haru ripped off the tape, opening the box to reveal what Baron assumed to be childhood treasures. His love picked up a large stuffed cat, her eyes huge and lost.
"She was a bit more accepting of the idea that magic existed, and always assumed that when the true owner wanted the bracelet back, then it would be found." Shaking slightly now, she walked over to the sink, and opened up a drawer to pick out a strange needle thing that Baron didn't recognize. Haru walked over, and sat down in one of the chairs, as he sank into the other, wondering what she was thinking.
"She protected the thing her whole life. She never even told Grandpa about it." She uncapped the needle thing, and went for the stuffed cat's neck. Baron put one hand over hers, certain that the toy had been well-loved. That and it disturbed him to see her try to dismantle a cat. She smiled at him, and squeezed his hand.
"Don't worry; seam rippers are built for this kind of thing."
Trusting her judgment, he let her start to carefully pull apart the threads connecting the stuffed cat's head to the body.
"About a week before she died, Grandma called me to her and told me where she had hidden the treasure. She told me to keep it safe until the true owner came for it." With the head now off, Haru plunged her hand through the neck opening into the stuffing and pulled it out, teasing it between her fingers. Baron fought the urge to gag.
"I was only ten at the time, but I knew it was important to her, so I promised to keep it and not even tell Hiromi about it. I put the bracelet in the safest place I could think of; where no one would ever think to look." Her face lit up with triumph, and she started working on a harder ball of fluff.
"Mom nearly killed me when she saw how I ripped my favorite stuffed cat apart, but she still sewed it back together, not feeling the treasure through the fluff." She raised one hand at him, the promised bracelet between her fingers. Baron's magic sense could see the lines of silver running through the bracelet like water. He held out one shaky hand for it, and she firmly placed it into his fingers.
The bracelet immediately started glowing, and grew into a handsome crown right in the Cat King's hand. He gripped it like a hoop with one hand as he laughed and soundly kissed the brunette.
"Haru; you are a genius!"
She giggled and blushed at his praise. Fur aside; there wasn't even a difference in his kissing technique, which was just fine by her. She looked at the crown with interest, and then at her fiancé, picturing it on his head.
"I think I like your top hat better."
He chuckled and kissed her again.
"To be honest, so do I. This thing leaves terrible blisters, the times I have to wear it." He kissed her once more, this time lingeringly. Haru returned the soft kiss, loving how his fingers felt, running through her hair as she did the same to him. They both purred deeply with pleasure.
Suddenly, Haru broke off the kiss, remembering what he had told her earlier.
"Baron, you said… you only had a moon cycle to marry the girl that proposed to you, right?"
He nodded, the fact been temporarily forgotten. Even though it was the main reason for his renewed urgency in telling her the truth.
"That's right."
"And moon cycles are shorter than months, right?"
He nodded again, grinning at her.
"There are two more days until the cycle is complete." He took a deep breath. "If there were more time to work with, I'd court you a little longer, but-" he was cut off as Haru gently pressed two fingers against his furry lips.
"Did I ever tell you that my parents only dated for a week before deciding to get married? They always said that if you absolutely knew that you were supposed to be with a certain person, then you shouldn't have to worry too much about how long the dating process was."
He smiled warmly, and moved her hand with his in order to kiss it.
"Haru, I know we haven't known each other for very long, but… I would be honored beyond words if you would consider being my wife. I love you with all my heart and I swear to always be true to you. Will you marry me?"
She grinned at him, remembering that the reason she was trying to get the ring back was to give it to him anyway. She ran her fingers through his soft fur, loving the feel of it.
"Well, considering the fact that I proposed to you first… it'd be a little silly to turn you down."
Baron laughed happily and kissed her again, setting aside his crown to give her his full attention. They were both standing now, their arms wrapped around each other as their purring contrasted each other like a chorus.
Since time's a little inconsistent when one happens to be deliriously happy, it's hard to determine how long it was before the couple heard something crashing to the floor, signaling the presence of intruders.
Baron and Haru looked over, a little surprised to see Hiromi, Tsuge, and Makoto staring at them, a shopping bag on the floor slowly filling from a dark liquid that must have come from a broken jar.
The brunette realized how it must have looked to the trio; a human's body with Ron's outfit of choice, with an orange cat's head that's been hanging around her place for weeks, making out with her.
Tsuge stared a little longer as his eyes turned red with anger.
"Wait right there; I left the crow bar out in the car."