Once at the condo, Atlas began to lift one of his dumbbells. Even though she was not as strong as him, Connie decided to do exercises with Atlas and it seemed to bring them closer together. Tripod was even exercising by Atlas's feet and was able to lift a weight with his tail as he did push-ups.
"Hey, Aunt Connie; why don't you feel Atlas's muscles?" Darla suggested.
"Darla!" Connie called with a laugh.
"Aw, come on, I do the same with Urchin all the time." Darla insisted.
"Yeah, same here, I do the same thing with Atticus." Mo added.
Connie blushed then. Cadpig then appeared to be feeling Tripod's muscles for herself. Darla decided to give her aunt a little push over to Atlas. Connie laughed as she then came into Atlas's open arms.
"Well, hello there." Atlas smirked.
"Hello there, big strong and handsome," Connie giggled before blushing. "Um, is it okay if I feel your muscles?"
"If you'd like to." Atlas smiled.
"O-Oh, thank you..." Connie replied shyly before doing so and enjoyed it very much. "Ooh~..."
"You like what you see?" Atlas asked as he started to flex his muscles.
Connie seemed to squeal. "Very much, yes."
Atlas continued to flex his muscles and where he wasn't letting his ego get to his head while doing so. Connie marveled and gushed. Atticus rolled his eyes with a smirk.
"Looks like they're enjoying each others company while letting the muscles bring them together." Mo smiled.
"How romantic..." Cherry shrugged, she didn't think muscles were everything.
Mo started to feel Atticus's muscles as he started to flex them himself.
Cherry sighed and she left the condo. "I'm gonna take a walk..."
Cherry then left the others and walked down the street, passing various other people. She soon bumped into a familiar court composer. She fell flat on the sidewalk and shook her head with a glare. "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE-...Forte...?"
"Hello there, Cerise." Forte smiled.
"What are you doing here?" Cherry glared at him slightly.
"I thought I'd check on you..." Forte knelt in front of her. "Enjoying your vacation?"
"Yeah, I guess..." Cherry said. "Everyone's ogling over muscles, but that doesn't matter to me... I always go for smart and exotic guys."
"Interesting." Forte said as this would give him an idea.
Cherry then stood up and dusted herself clean. "Man, why do I always gotta be such a klutz?"
"I don't think you are a klutz." Forte said.
"What brings you to the big city?" Cherry asked as she tried to get away from him, but he walked beside her anyway.
"Drell sent me here." Forte said.
"Ugh! Drell! Of course!" Cherry face-palmed. "I just wanna teach that man a lesson he won't forget!"
"Oh, trust me; he'll learn a lesson one day." Forte assured her.
"He better..." Cherry snarled. "I just wanna get him back for torturing me all these years."
"Why not just sent Atticus after him and make him pay?" Forte asked.
"No, I want him to suffer from me..." Cherry replied. "The dog will bite back!"
"Whoa... You got it then." Forte said.
Cherry growled and shook her hands. "Sometimes I just wanna go up to him, rip his still beating heart right out of his chest... And show it to his face... Just so how he can see how cold and blackened it is before he dies..."
"I think I like you this way..." Forte smirked.
"I thought you might." Cherry said.
Forte smiled to her. Cherry glanced at him oddly.
"I am fascinated by you, Cerise..." Forte pulled her over into his arms as she held her, nearly leaning slightly against her. "You are so different than modern children in this day in age..."
"Uhh..." Cherry gulped. "Thank you...?"
"You're welcome." Forte said.
Cherry shivered slightly as he stroked some of her hair behind her ear. "How long have you felt this way...?"
"Long time..." Forte replied. "Especially when you became a teenager... You were so sweet and innocent as a child, then you became graceful and desirable as you got older... I can't contain my feelings any longer for you..."
Cherry seemed to blush as he looked deep into her eyes, showering her with compliments. And where she soon noticed that she was actually blushing around Forte.
"Ah, so you turn pink when you blush." Forte noticed.
Cherry looked rather weak in his grasp. "I guess so..."
"You okay?" Forte asked.
"I think so..." Cherry looked down. "It's school too... I'm not sure I can pass anymore... I've been too social lately..."
"That's actually a good thing." Forte said.
"I know, but my grades are slipping..." Cherry replied softly.
"Perhaps I could help..." Forte offered. "I could try to tutor you..."
Cherry looked disgusted at the word.
"It won't be like the past." Forte said.
"I don't know..." Cherry lowered her head.
Forte put his hand under her chin and made their eyes meet. "Let me tutor you, Cerise..."
Cherry slowly shut her eyes. "I need your help, Maestro..."
"Perfect." Forte said.
"Okay, Maestro..." Cherry said, calling him by his title instead of his last name for a change.
"We'll start after your vacation." Forte said.
"Understood, Maestro..." Cherry replied. '
"Cerise, a favor?" Forte prompted.
"Hm?" Cherry asked.
"Could you call me 'Charles' when we're not around other people?" Forte requested.
"Charles...?" Cherry asked. "Why would I call you-"
"Please." Forte begged.
"Okay... Charles..." Cherry then said.
"Thank you." Forte said.
"Erm... 'De rein'." Cherry replied in French, which amused the court composer.
While those two were getting along again, the others were enjoying their time together. It was about 4:00 in the morning. Cherry yawned sleepily as she came back to the condo and then climbed into the guest bed to get some sleep. Atlas was sharing Connie's bed with her. They appeared to be cuddling with each other in their sleep.
The next day soon came by quickly.
"Cherry, time to wake up..." Atticus called.
"Fifty more minutes..." Cherry grumbled.
"Pancakes." Atticus whispered.
"MOVE IT!" Cherry ran out of her guest bed.
"I knew it." Atticus smirked.
Cherry looked around. "Where are those pancakes?"
"In the fridge," Atticus came behind her teasingly. "Wait for everyone else and you can have some unless you wanna cook."
Cherry scoffed at him.
"I thought so." Atticus smirked.
"I wanna hurt you so much right now..." Cherry glowered.