Cruel, aimless dream it was.

The day was beautiful. The winds gentle, birds quiet, and flowers sleeping. ‟Perfect weather for a game of catch" as dad used to say. And the town's sole human had no reason to be sad… sure, school was starting up soon, but, to more than make up for it, the girl he'd been obsessing over was suddenly very talkative with him. He got small-talk through texts often, he received phone calls filled with much the same thing. Today, he even had an appointment with her. Angel knows what they'd be doing, maybe it wouldn't be awkward small-talk. It was exactly what he wished for, he should be on cloud 9.

…Obviously not. There was a bitterness to it all. A cloying shadow hung over the sun and shaded the sky gray. Whatever reason the attention was for, he couldn't be happy with it. He'd turned and mulled it over countless times since, and the dejected Kris still couldn't come up with an explanation that let him see it in a nice light. The question was simple: three days ago, Noelle went out and… He'd thought it over and first impression was that it was obvious, and all his others would eventually coalesce back to that. His heart bemoaned some other explanation… but he couldn't find one even close to realistic…

So that's how it was. You fell short, better luck never. Maybe if he got a straight answer, he'd have bounced back quicker. Made no point caring about that anyway.

If he was an adult, maybe he'd been able to swallow it down and continue. Two was still pretty close to one. So maybe they could be pretty close to a couple.

He wondered how many more times he was going to pass those thoughts over until they stopped raising a giant nothing in him, drearily pacing that same old park he once asked for help in. Walking with a soda per hand, he was headed right to that old general hill, with the big captain tree. It was like there was an antenna to his head, a silent bat-signal only for him.

‟Sup." - He called out in a serene manner.

‟Hi… How'd you know I was here." - Said a dinosaur, hunched over on the short grass overlooking the hill.

‟I knew. Soda?"

‟Bought one myself."

‟Shame."

He let it fall and she caught it. The second teenager fell to the tree, trying to look at whatever she was staring at.

‟…It's been a while."

‟Really has."

Maybe it was the mood, but Susie's quiet had a different shade to it. It wasn't the fidgety unstable equilibrium that terrorized their colleagues. She was blanking into the weak sun with enough disquiet to imitate him on a bad day. She never seemed so small or speechless. It wasn't hard to take a guess as to why. He had no idea what to talk about, so he just threw his words along the rolling winds.

‟So what's up?"

‟…No idea, really."

He waited for the witty addendum, it didn't come. They just stood waiting in smug doldrums. The branches cutting through the air filled his ears.

‟…Actually, Noelle talked to me" - She looked to the sky, like she wasn't talking to anyone.

‟Hm? When?"

‟The other day at… dunno, like two or sumthin"

‟…What did you talk about?"

He took a deep breath as she seemed to mull it over.

‟She said she liked me."

‟… So, what was your answer?" - His voice came out shaky.

‟She didn't let me answer."

‟Huh?"

‟Liked as in, in the past… 'Used to' like me." - She took a quiet sip of her drink after that.

‟She called you out just to say that?"

A vacant chuckle escaped her maw, ‟Right? I was asking myself the same thing. Weird effing thing to say to someone…
…She didn't stop there though."

Without even knowing why, he interrupted ‟Did she look okay?"

She slightly turned her head confused, ‟Yeah? She wasn't… sick or anything, didn't see nothing."

The gears started turning in his head, irritatingly. It's like they had to rotate backwards, breaking all he knew to figure out what he just heard… Noelle didn't get rejected? It's not like it was impossible, but it was hard to wrap his little head around… There was a large time gap between 2 pm and when she came home, maybe she took the time to… cry?… but why would she if she didn't even get rejected? Did she try to confess and mess up? His head seemed to be unraveling, things made less and less sense. Trying to change how he looked at it… If that was true, If she never planned on confessing but still got that miserable… Then the mountain he would have had to pass was far, far taller than he thought… maybe, knowing that, he had done not that bad, he dared realize.

‟…I didn't get many words in. She really went on, y'know?"

‟What'd you two talk about?"

The dinosaur scooched her back up to the roots of the aspen, when a small grin escaped her, ‟…Of course you'd be curious."

‟W-what'd you mean?"

‟No point playing coy, Kris… You like her, don't you?"

‟…I do… How'd you figure it out?" - He felt himself sweat under the jacket. But she wasn't even looking in his direction.

‟Funny you say that… 'cuz I didn't figure it out." - The troubled dinosaur spoke with a great deal of pain creeping under her voice, like a geyser that long stopped erupting.
‟Noelle had to spell it out for me. I didn't even want to believe it."

‟What did she… spell out? Besides that." - Forget unraveling, his thoughts were tying themselves into knots.

‟… How she used to like me. And how she felt about you liking her… and… to be honest, I didn't catch all of it, I was kind of in shock.
…She talked like she was confessing a crime. Apologized a lot… told her she shouldn't be, but…" - She scratched her head.
‟And I thought just 'cus her parents were rich, she had it easy…"

A quiet moment passed between them, like an uneasy step up a staircase of glass.

She also asked me for 'permission', like I was her mom."

‟What permission would she need from you?"

‟Asked me if I'd be okay with you two going out… Like it's even my business."

She cracked open her second can, looking doubtfully into the red lasers shot out in her direction, ‟…S-she didn't tell you? She said she was going to you to c-co…" - She nonchalantly drank it, eyes to the side.
‟… You heard nothing, alright?!"

He followed a short thread from his eyes right to his head… She… was going to what? That was a prank. Weirdly complex, and unusually cruel prank… But. If he were to assume he wasn't… should he? His head split in twine.

If Noelle wanted to go and ‟confess" to him, she should have gone straight in, but she obviously didn't, and that was because… well, why? She may have needed time to calm down… and that would mean… His head hurt. Could it? No, obviously. Obviously not.

There were two base assumptions that he's always held: Noelle liked Susie, and he liked Noelle. Three points, two vectors. That's the starting point for all the napkin conjecture his mind birthed uncontrollably. But… if that, which he won't validate repeating, if it was true, it would mean he'd have to throw it out…

Noelle spent her time, trying to calm down because… she liked him? It seemed so far-flung, so fanciful and stupid and out there. Well, she obviously didn't hate him, but still… Why would you not want the boy you like to see you crying about your other… Actually, no… when he put it like that, it could make sense…

‟You alright there? I even placed a soda can on your face and you didn't move a finger." - The purple dino seemed a bit apprehensive about calling out to him.

‟I'm good… just, thinking about what you said."

‟…Did you forget you heard nothing? I said forget about it!"

‟But, is it true? That thing I forgot about?"

‟Shut up about it! Go and ask her if you care so much!"

He still stood wide eyed and even shell-shocked. So what? Was it true? Could it be? Had he climbed the mountain, just like that? He thought about it hard… a golden thread, it could connect everything and wrap it with a nice bow… it seemed to make sense… Did it? His thoughts were scattered on the grass knotted up in dreams. If… if, and he couldn't stress that if more… If Noelle really did like him… Then he could make sense of it, why she was apprehensive about letting him stay in the first place, the time difference, why she looked so mad at herself when he comforted her.

But, all that was an if. A shaky, crumbling if, ready to disappear and take the color back out of the rounding forest and the smoky clouds.

His dinosaur friend, despite everything, wasn't in the best of moods, ‟… I had no idea about any of this, you know… If only I wasn't so much of an idiot."

‟I mean, I did try to keep it hidden from you…" - It might have cut their friendship in two.

‟…If you had told me, I'd have… helped." - She said, letting the faintest of cracks in her voice.

‟Wish I could have."

‟Wish you did."

‟We're still friends, right?" - He perked up.

‟Don't even saythat dude, no girl's gonna ruin our friendship."

‟You do know you'rea girl too, right?"

‟Psh. Try and prove it, nerd"

‟Maybe I will, one day."

He stood up, blue jacket almost at odds with the palette of brown and greens of the park… At least, the dream took a turn. This is where he'll wake up conflicted, and forget all about it shuffling down the stairs… Maybe there was a bit more time left. He looked over the lake of trees and spotted it, in the distance… crouched low, on a short branch, from a young tree. There was a leaf, still there, curled inward on its stem. Little guy must have survived months of snow and winds and rain. Even now, he was going strong… he might just hang on till spring.

No chance anything'd survive, he used to think… but there it was.

Hard-headed fella, that one. Almost put a smile on his face.

He spoke up, almost in a stupor ‟You know, I have a… date? with her today."

‟Hm." - Her posture didn't shift.
‟…You're surprisingly busy, you know that." - She said into her jacket collar.

He wanted to walk away. Go on with whatever life has in store. But, more strongly than that, he wanted to know something. A question that had bore in and made its place in his head, so old he had a case file on it. This was the only time he'd ever get to ask it. He really should've let it go.

‟… Hey, Susie… before I go, can I ask you one last thing?"

‟Sure."

‟If… If Noelle seriouslyasked you to go out with her… what would you have said?"

The sky stood still, clouds stopped scrolling and wind didn't blow. She was silent and his heart stood still and no air came in or out.

‟I have someone else I like.

…Is what I'd say."

‟…Had no idea."

‟'Cause I was too scared to say anything."

She didn't look at him, or at anything really. And the reason she was cuddling the tree dawned on him. Kris tried to be his calmest ‟…I'll see you later, then?"

‟…When we both feel like it."

If only, he thought.

Maybe in another life.

The day was beautiful. The winds gentle, birds quiet, and his heart a jackhammer. The air stung cold and thin. The jacket let him sweat slightly. Worries ran amuck around the sidewalk. Like a bolt of lightning to calm his pulse, he spotted a deer in a coffee-colored dress lightly tapping her hoof next to his driveway.

Perfect opportunity for a prank… but nah, no point in laughing at her expense. He walked close enough and called out.

‟Sup?"

‟!? Kris?! H-How did you get—" - She pranced up to him hurriedly.

‟Had an errand to run. Am I late?"

‟Oh, right! And… a bit…"

And his thoughts died down and he was left standing there, looking at the ground as she probably did the same. He thought to crack the silence but a 'how's the weather' wouldn't break the iceberg forming between them. She, in her white sweater, had to speak first.

‟… Sorry for last Saturday, Kris."

‟You don't need to apologize for it." - It wasn't done out of spite, it wasn't her fault.

‟I do! I really did something bad… I thought you may not even show up today." - She was clutching the hem of her light brown dress tightly.

‟Well, I'd have shown up regardless."

‟Thanks. For being here…"

They were at a distance larger than usual, making space for that damn iceberg. She welled herself up and bit her lip up before she continued.

‟I tried to calm down and get myself presentable before I met you… I really thought I had it under control."

The image of a young doe alone on a park bench with only a handkerchief flashed in his mind.

‟In my head, you wouldn't have even noticed, but then you did… and you were so nice…" - She exhaled again. Regret palpable on her.
‟I wasn't thinking, and I was really horrible to you… and I could've screwed everything up."

That was enough, the fire in him stoked to a roar. He knew what the reindeer meant to do. He was only angry that she thought it wrong to be honest with herself. He stepped close and took her shoulders. Then leaned back just a bit to give her space.

‟…Noelle, did you forget who you're talking to? That won't be enough to scare me off, so don't be apologetic for being honest with yourself."

‟You-You—" - She looked up at him with a vexed expression.
‟… I can't tell if you're the nicest person I've ever met… or just thathard headed."

‟Both, I think?" - He took the opportunity to show her a great quirked eyebrow that she couldn't see.

‟Maybe… But Kris, I want to make something clear," - She shook her head.

‟I… did talk to my old crush- that day. But.
But it wasn't to profess my love oranything of the sort. Kris, I don't want you to think you're my second choice…" - Pleading, round eyes stared at him between his two hands.

‟Alright…" - For the moment, he ignored what she just said, he could be happy about it later, ‟Even though I'd almost be fine with that too."

‟Don't be! That's horrible! You deserve better than… that." - Again, she took it on herself, like even thinking about it made her guilty.

‟It can't be that bad, if you're with me."

She shook her head haughtily, getting the idea out of his head, ‟It is! Don't even joke about that…"

She exhaled and got the hair out of her face and probably didn't see the dumb grin on his face.

‟… I'm glad I didn't manage to mess it all up." - Her looking up with half-lidded eyes, and for a moment it looked like he was about to kiss her. Instead, she grabbed his hand off her shoulder, and pulled it down to her waist.

‟Enough of that! We have a bus to catch in 10 minutes!"

‟Huh!? We're going by bus?! Where?"

He looked at her snout back with its own planned mirth, ‟I guess you'll just have to see, won't you?"

He hadn't even realized she slipped her fingers through his.

Celestial bodies interweaved out in every direction, marvelous in all but their quiet. The walls having the same shade of dark as the floor kept twisting him around. It felt out there, all of it. One moment he was rushing along the streets of Hometown, and the next he was with the cosmos; they didn't even have to pay an entrance fee. He walked past a replica of the Sun, with enough text alongside it to make a book turn its spine up. His red-nosed friend didn't seem intent on reading any of it, passing over the attractions with mild interest, and when she wasn't they walked in a warbling silence.

‟(I didn't know they had a planetarium in Hometown.)"

‟That's because you don't get out enough. It's pretty well-known… (And you don't have to whisper.)"

‟(Aren't we gonna get screamed at if we're too loud?)" - A planetarium was basically a space museum, and last time Kris tried to have any fun in a museum he was stopped by a guard and grounded for a week.

‟No, silly. There's nobody around to hear you!" - She said that with a stark confidence.

‟I… noticed. Isn't it too empty to be pretty well known?"

‟Usually there's monsters around, but I booked it for the day."

‟… That, Huh?! …You did what?!"

‟It's not that big a deal…" - The great deer looked surprisingly innocent, like she didn't realize what she's done.
‟I tried to only get us a few hours, but that's not really feasible, so…"

‟That's a huge deal! You booked it just like that?" - How do you even book an entire building?

‟I-I know it was really forward, but… I wanted this to be as special as our first date.
Besides, anyone can do it, it isn't anything special—" - Was she serious? Is this power?

‟… If you used those powers more often, you'd be terrifying."

‟Terrifying? I just asked mom to place a phone call…
It's not like I can do this whenever. I have to start spring cleaning two weeks early to make up for the trouble." - He saw her grumbling face through the blue hue of Neptune.

‟I can help you with that, you know?"

‟I think you'd just make a bigger mess, Kris."

‟What?! I help mom clean every Thursday!"

‟Pfahahah! Sorry, I was kidding… I'd be glad if you helped. Any less cleaning's good for me."

And they got to walking and bustling around, completely uninhibited by anything but the odd guard giving them side-eye. He felt he was about to wake up in a sweat, wondering what he was doing. He gripped her hand tighter and it gripped back and it felt as real as anything else. He let himself float with her.

‟Hey… Noelle, you're being… surprisingly forward today."

A red dwarf orbited next to her, shrouding her in an unknown emotion, ‟I guess you noticed, silly me thinking you wouldn't… You know after our date, I stopped talking with you, right?"

‟Right."

‟And it wasn't because I didn't want to… I was a mess, frankly, and I wanted to be sure of what I was about to do. About you and… my other crush." - The last part went out of her mouth like she didn't want Kris to even acknowledge it.

They stopped, looking among empty space. He stared into her irises as she tried to find her words through it.

‟I did a lot of… really weird stuff, thinking back… but more than that, I really missed you Kris.
I wanted to talk to you again, each time you sent a message or called. It kept welling up in me… Saturday was, well, we didn't really get to be together… so I just really wanted to see you."

‟The feeling's mutual, by the way."

‟Pfeh, I guess. But, I also… overcompensated a bit… I was really anxious about today." - Her green eyes, shining brighter than the sun, again searched for something on his face.

‟I think I get it…" - He had to sigh though, ‟You should overcompensate more often."

He had no choice but admit it was beautiful, specks of real light were along the floor and item captions, except that there were only stars and Noelle Holiday, which in his mind he knew were equally as beautiful. He wasn't learning much, but he came to appreciate the vastness of space… And even in that maze of expeditions, she seemed like she had a destination.

After a long, dark hallway, she opened a thick door reached an observatory-like room with space moving all around them, a three hundred and sixty view of the cosmos. Like they'd left that Earth behind.

‟… Maybe I should go out more, if this is what I'm missing."

‟I know, right?… I love it here… Helps me remember how small we really are."

She looked so small staring out at the stars, bathed in a tapestry of reflections.

‟I think I get what you mean now."

Neither of them wanted to move, but the show playing around them they lost interest in. He stood and took it in for a moment, before a worried trill found his ear.

‟I'm sorry, Kris… I've been, really horrible."

‟Stop saying that. You haven't done a single bad thing." - He took her a bit closer again. Why won't it get through her head?

‟… If I wasn't so all over the place, you wouldn't have to…" - She took a pained gasp, ‟… you wouldn't have had to see me cry."

‟Noelle. I'm happy when you're honest with yourself. Because I love you. All of you. Not just what you want others to see. You not being perfect won't stop me."

‟I… wow… Gosh, Kris, where'd you learn to say that?"

‟I've been thinking about it since we rode the Ferris wheel." - Like two lucky comets, they got closer and turned to each other. He almost pulled his hand around the small of her back in reflex. Again, he stopped himself.

‟That's, a really long time ago…"

‟It is."

‟…You know, it's only around you I get like this… it wouldn't even cross my mind with anyone else.
I don't even know what it is… I thought you were a real jerk, too."

‟I'm happy to hear that… first part." - He said, with an easing smile.

‟…One day, I'll shoot myself in the foot speaking my mind around you…"

‟…Trust me, you won't."

‟Pfahah… I really am lucky." - She put both her hands on his shoulder, looking down into his collar.

‟How so?"

‟I don't think most girls have boys that like them as much as you."

‟Most girls aren't as great as you." - The cool dark could hide both their blushing faces. But he could feel her cheeks heating up under his hand… since when was he holding her face?

‟Oh, shut up, you big dork."

‟I'm just being honest."

She took a deep breath, he saw her look up apprehensive through that darkness, before it washed away in a warm question, ‟Can I… be a bit honest?"

‟Sure."

‟Right now I… really want to kiss you."

‟…Go ahead."

Her lips stole his. They grazed each other and twined in one. She went in deeper than he had, and leaned in with a mellowed passion. He felt her tasting him longingly, sucking him in. He returned the favor and leaned in forward as he gently wrapped around her back, losing that errant, nonsensical restraint. She tasted like love and happiness and he couldn't describe it any other way. In that moment they were alone in the universe, their breathing the only sound in space… She had no pulse, but if she did, he knew it would be beating along his. Just when he was about to open his eyes, his mouth was left hanging, with her taste and face next to his being all that was left of the kiss. He stared into her eyes, as flush and wistful as his, before it got too much and his face fluttered away.

He gulped, ‟…Aren't things better when you just ask?"

‟They… really are."

He was left there dumbstruck. With her around his arms. This dream, he knew. He won't forget it.

Eventually, she piped up again, oddly jittery sounding, ‟Can I… ask something else?"

‟I'm listening."

She took a deep breath, of him, from how close they were, and looked up with fear, ‟Kris, do you… want to be my boyfriend?"

‟Yes."

She softened In his hands, almost resting her head on him, ‟I knew you wouldn't say no, but I was still somehow afraid…"

‟Pretty stupid fear."

She took another long breath, her eyes closed. Of course, his head was too far for even the stars to find. His thoughts no satellite would catch.

Then, she tapped on his shoulder twice, like to switch out, ‟Sorry, Kris, you're just… really hot." After she was let go, and seeing his smug grin, she reiterated, ‟I meant your temperature, gosh."

‟I can't do much about that."

‟Don't worry, I'll just… start drinking more water?" - She palmed his hand strongly again, looking more and more like that's where she belongs.

His happiness spilled out of him in words, ‟…Hey, Noelle? I love you."

She chuckled at it, sensibly looking out around the rolling videos of constellations, ‟I… don't know about love yet, but I like you too, Kris.
Still… It makes me really happy whenever you say it. As selfish as that is."

That broke him out of his trance, ‟There's nothing selfish about that. I told you I can wait."

She looked straight at him, as they were walking pointlessly, ‟… And, talking about honesty. I think you could do with being a bit more honest as well, n-now that we're… t-together." - Seems someone wasn't acclimated yet.

‟Honest? I'm just happy to be with you."

‟I know that, Krismass… But I can't help but notice how you always try to treat me like a scared animal… you can relax now. I won't run off again… I promise—" - Her head to the side and her hand hunched up on her chest, as she tried to get through the embarrassment of that.

‟I'll try."

‟… And Kris, one more thing."

‟What is it?"

‟S-Since we're a couple now… if you ever cheat on me, I'll kill you."

He felt a pressure wrap around his hand, possessive in its grip.

‟…And if you ever cheat on me, I'll kill me too."

A strong-faced smile lauded her jowls, ‟… I shouldn't be the one bringing it up, should I? … But, I made sure I won't. Ever."

Again, He felt her hand get tighter around him in that dark. Almost like a pact.

‟So… you better not get tired of me, alright?"

‟I won't. Do I have to say it again?"

‟Pfeh… I guess I was worried over nothing."

He had an internal chuckle when He realized who the person Noelle was most worried about Him cheating with was. She was getting a sliver of what he'd gone through, even tasting a fraction of her medicine. If his best fr… girlfriend, kept getting cuter like that, he'd die before the new semester starts.

‟So… what do you want to do now?" - She perked her ears up at him.

‟I don't know, don't you have anything planned?"

‟I… don't, actually. I had no idea how this would go…"

‟Well… does kissing you again count?"

‟Normally, no." - She looked straight at him with a free smile, ‟But… I'll allow it… just this once."

Warm hues were ever-present in Hometown… anywhere you went, any time of the year, yellows and oranges just seeped in. It was right before the real stars entered, when the sun was just skirting the tree-line, it drowned everything gold like in a fairytale ending.

Like the morning sun coming on his eyes.

Even without it, QC's felt as much like home as the one two streets over. Like a part of childhood he'd neglected to acknowledge.

And talking about parts of childhood he should've been more grateful for…

‟Hey, Noelle?"

‟What is it?"

‟I love you."

‟…Haven't you said that enough already?" - He really hadn't.

Kris was the one with his back to the windows, so he didn't get to see her face framed by the golden light. Instead he could lose himself in her without a mean old sun bothering his eyes. His, girlfriend!, was smiling, not because she had to or she should be… just, from being with him… Noelle was happy to just be with him. He'd explode before they got out. It was welling up in him.

He felt her hand placed on his, and his face was dead-set on matching the red of his eyes. He really felt like there was too much to say for his mouth to open… eventually he chose to toast in the warm silence.

‟Welcome to QC's, what can I get you today." - Entered the most un-energetic cat on the planet.

‟Oh! Hi Catti!"

‟Hey Cat."

Catti raised a paw, as to say 'Yes, I understand we are friends', then went on ,‟… Need time to decide?"

‟Uh, no! We'll just get two soft drinks, and… some fries?"

‟Yeah, sounds good."

A sparkling fear came over his partner ‟I-I've heard of a thing called the, 'c-couple's sundae', can you tell us how… big that is?"

Cat's complexion didn't change as she raised her hand to indicate that it was roughly as big as her forearm… Unless that was width.

‟G-Gah! No thank you! If I ate that, Kris'd have to roll me back home!
M-maybe some other time…" - She had to add, looking embarrassed.

‟… Your order will arrive shortly." - Their barista left their booth quiet. And though she didn't say anything, Kris spotted the little dance her tail was doing as she walked away.

‟I forgot it was Catti's shift today…" - The star pupil's ears drooped down as she said that.

While they both waited, her brown fur and twitching nose, and cross-shaped antlers gently resting in the sun, all made for the prettiest painting he'd ever seen, and it almost broke his heart. She was looking off somewhere, she had thatforlorn face, the one he'd seen time and time again when she thought she was alone… and it almost bubbled to the surface, but she kept it hidden this time too.

The cutest reindeer shot an exasperated smile at him, her eyes still stuck to distant thoughts, ‟… This is all new to me, so I'm at a loss on what I should do, Kris… sorry if I'm so quiet."

‟Just being yourself is more than enough."

‟You keep saying that… you may be writing a check you can't cash, you know?"

‟Noelle, you're footing the bill this time."

The deer made a short choking sound from his bad joke, ‟Pfft- Fine! I'll try to just enjoybeing like this…" - In himself he knew that the sweet and wonderful and compassionate girl he fell in love wasn't an act, they weren't a mask.
‟…Whuh?"

He followed her eyes and looked at the table and— their order had arrived! Already? Just when did—

He saw a tail in his side eye, almost presenting their food as it left, he couldn't even hear any footsteps. They were either very involved in their conversation, or Catti had found a working nondetection spell…

He wanted some fries; hadn't eaten anything since breakfast now that he thought about it. She was just as content pecking in silence.

But there was still something sitting on His tongue, besides the salt… He wondered about saying it for a good minute. But hey, how much could it hurt? Not like it would matter in a few minutes, he let it shoot:

‟Hey, can I be a bit honest, too?"

‟Sure, go ahead Kris!… Even if it's something perverted, I promise I won't get too mad."

He gulped down his fries, and looked at the ceiling as he threw the words out, ‟About your other crush, I know it's Susie. You don't have to hide it like that."

He heard no response, he looked across and he saw two plates for eyes and a mouth half-agape.

‟…Y-you knew?"

‟Yup."

‟S-S-Since when did you know?!" - There was a desperation in her voice.

‟Since the Cyber World? …Actually, before that even. Since you forgot your keys that one time."

He saw her head fall in her hands and heard her feet gently tug on the booth bench as she released enough steam to make a teapot blush. She let out a sound that was both a yelp of embarrassment and a whine of help.

He endearingly smiled as she cycled the five stages of grief with sounds that were almost unbecoming of Hometown's favorite daughter. Eventually, head resting on the table and eyes on the closest wall, she grudged up some words, ‟…I thought I hid it so well, too…"

‟I think everyone except Susie herself figured it out."

He heard another low whimper of pain.

‟Couldn't you have… told me, that you knew?" - He saw slight tears of embarrassment well up again in her eyes… and it gave him a serene sense of deja-vu. The crying doe he remembered from his memories. It was still there, buried under all that beauty.

‟…I don't think that would have helped anyone."

‟You're not… mad, are you? That I like her…"

‟I mean, I've known it for months, so I'm used to it… I guess I was mad at the beginning, but not 'cause what you think.
I wasn't mad because it was Susie. I was mad because it wasn't me."

His collapsed friend mulled it over a bit, then the weight seemed to lighten off of her. She got up, ever-careful of her horns, and rested her head on the back of the banquette instead.

He had to add, ‟Not like I'm angry at you, or anything like that. I just don't like you hiding it." - Did she say she hid it well? She was almost worse than him at hiding it.

‟That's… no, actually, I still feel stupid for trying to hide it so much… gosh…" - A decoration bulb seemed to flash over her head and she tried to untangle something. Her face got progressively more puzzled.

‟…Kris, so you knew I had a crush on a girl, and you still tried to ask me out?! …Multiple times?!"

‟Yeah?"

‟It-It didn't even give you pause?! Did you not care at all!?"

‟I cared a bit, I guess… but not really."

‟That's… omigosh Kris, That's…" - Her green eyes changed from disbelief to a sweet freckled look he'd only seen that day.

‟I was about to say that that's incredibly stupid… and, it definitely is… but it's also genuinely impressive.
Did you like me that much?? What were you gonna do if I said no?"

‟…Didn't have a plan, really."

‟…I don't know if I should be worried or relieved…" - His cervid dinner colleague seemed more exasperated by the second. Even that seemed lovable in the setting sun.

‟…But I am flattered. If you hadn't been so obstinate… well, I'd probably be sitting alone in my room listening to music right now, pretending everything's fine…" - Kris shared a sad glance with her. Never in a million years would he have imagined Noelle the type… who knew they'd have that much in common.
‟You really are something else, at least, when it comes to this."

‟I guess I am."

For some reason, her nose lit up at him, ‟Don't give me that grin, Krismass. If you had tried the same tricks on any other girl, all you'd get is a restraining order!"

‟… I really am the luckiest guy in the world, then."

‟—Nngh." - He may have found a new favorite pass-time. Not as good as kissing and holding her close, but It'd have to do with the bulky table betwee—

He got a short note shoved into his open hand, he looked up and saw Catti again with her back turned and her tail twirling. Was she… hopping a bit? No, couldn't be…

Oh, he got the bill?

11.97$

-and you're taking over next Thursday's shift—come dressed by 6pm

He grimaced a bit as he fished out from his pockets, he did agree to take her shifts. But when he looked again, his hand was empty.

‟I said I'm footing the bill this time!" - Noelle's face turned oblique as she read the slip, ‟H-huh? But I'm super busy next Thursday…"

‟Uh, that's notpart of the bill! It's just—"

‟Wait, is this from Catti? Why's Catti making you work her shifts!?"

Walking down the quickly darkening pavement, their hands were together, almost compulsively, and they were both looking down in pregnant silence. Sometimes, one of them would look over at the other, they'd catch eyes, and smile… like they both knew how new and naive they both were… He thought the Soul helped with jitters like those… But the twilight yellow fading out and her pretty face with a brisk smile in the fresh air… It hit all at once with the happiness and he was lucky he was even walking straight.

‟I think we should end it here… today really tired me out." - She had a soft smile in her cheeks to say, 'not in a bad way, though'.

‟You too? I think I'll sleep for 15 hours tonight."

‟… Pfah. Good night, Kris." - Even though she said goodbye, her hand was still stuck to him. He looked at her and she looked at him, like a weird dare of who would let go first.

‟…You know, I'll probably have dreams about you."

Just like these.

And, before he even saw it, she stole his lips again. It was short, but there was a bold impulse in how she wanted and loved him. He could feel the want and happiness in it. As soon as the light taste of her mouth registered, she was standing three steps away, wearing his own mischievous grin.

‟Did I give you something nice to dream about?"

‟Y-Yeah…"

Not even his wildest fantasies matched up to seeing Noelle try to keep her hair and dress still against the rolling winds of winter smiling at him like he was the only one looking. He waved weakly while he watched her excitedly run the pavement to her own home. It really was a nice day, he thought, seeing the aurora of stars come into view and paint the sky. Then, when she was out of view, his other hand slowly perched up and pinched his cheek… Really hard, just to make sure. Until a wetness hit his eyes.

He really wasn't dreaming.