Camo had woken up with eagerness. He was excited. Although Camo was usually eager when it came to his feelings towards Sodo, today was especially different. He couldn't help but feel a mixture of enthusiasm and anxiousness. It was about time that he confessed his true feelings to Sodo. First off, however, he had been asked by Peb if he could sew up a special suit for him to wear at the time of confession. Although a bit reluctant, Camo accepted the jackal's offer.
The opossum decided to stay in his pajamas. Upon opening his door, he was met by Peb who had been standing behind said door. The sudden sight of the jackal made Camo jump a bit.
"Holy crap, you scared me," Camo gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I was gonna ask you if you wanted to go sew up your suit right now!" Peb shouted.
"How long have you been out here?"
"Like, since I woke up!"
"I see, that definitely answers my question," Camo replied sarcastically.
"You didn't answer mine, though," the jackal reminded him.
"Oh yeah," Camo yawned. "Um, I just woke up, so… could I get breakfast first? Or make some in case there isn't any?"
"Okay, I'll wait for you!"
Peb ran off to his bedroom, where Camo could hear him greet Nono. Camo still felt very glad that the coyote was back home, and for once home felt normal again with his presence returned. The opossum sat down at the kitchen table, where he encountered the black panther brooding in the kitchen.
"Hey T," Camo waved at him. The panther waved back.
"If you're wondering what's for breakfast, it's just toast and rocks of coal," T.O frowned.
"Wait, seriously?"
The black panther nodded.
"What happened to the rest of the food?"
"You know how the Raggoons trashed the house yesterday?" T.O asked.
"Mhm."
"Well, they also ate all of the meals we had," T.O explained. "So now I'm gonna have to go to the grocery store and get weird looks from other people while I shop."
"That's terrible."
"It is, but the Raggoons are still locked in their cages. Might let 'em out later today? I don't know."
Camo wasn't opposed to the idea of letting the Raggoons go. However, given he needed to meet up with Peb later for something extremely important, he didn't want to risk them screwing everything up like they did yesterday. The Raggoons were as undisciplined as kindergarten children, and to tame them would be an impossible task.
"Please don't," Camo begged.
"Why?"
"I'm meeting up with Peb later because they're going to sew me a really nice suit so I can ask Sodo out, and I can't have the Raggoons ruin their hard work," Camo answered. "I hope you understand."
"That sounds… silly…" T.O claimed.
"Hm?"
"I mean, why would you need a fancy rich guy suit to ask a person out?"
"I think it'd be romantic," Camo smiled widely.
"That's sweet and all, but what if he rejects you?"
"I…"
Camo paused. What if Sodo did deny his feelings? Surely he would've said something about his emotions by now.
"I try not to think about it," Camo answered at last. "I don't want to focus on negative thoughts because I want to be as positive as can be. Be a gentleman to myself, after all."
"I like that," T.O said. "Well, I wish you luck with your confession. So you're finally gonna do it, huh?"
"Yup."
"I'm asking seriously though. Are you actually going to ask him out this time?"
"Yes, I will, trust me."
"Great!"
The panther handed the opossum some toast and rocks.
"Here ya go. Enjoy your, err, breakfast."
"I'll try to, thanks."
Camo really enjoyed the toast that T.O usually made, so he saved that part of his breakfast for last. He decided to munch on the rocks he was served, and it didn't leave much of a good taste in his mouth. It wasn't the worst thing he's ever eaten, but he was hoping for something better. He didn't finish all of the rocks, for little bits of them remained on the plate; besides, he didn't want to finish them anyway. He had toast to consume, which he had eaten rather quickly whilst saving the flavor within his mouth. He had placed his plate inside the sink, and was about to go to Peb, but immediately turned back so he could wash it.
When he had finished, he had seen Peb waiting for him outside his bedroom door. He was about to head on towards his room, but Sodo had just exited his own bedroom before Camo was able to enter the hallway.
"Oh, h-hi Sodo!" Camo exclaimed, stuttering in the process as a result of the sudden encounter.
"Hey," the hyena greeted back. "Did I bother you or something?"
"No, of course not! I just, you just came out and, I, uh…"
Camo couldn't think of what to say to him; he had not been prepared to socialize with the hyena just yet. Attempting to make the entire situation less awkward than it had already been, Camo noticed Sodo had been wearing new clothing. The hyena had donned a beige coat possessing a black radiation symbol on the back of it. His pants were black as per usual, but these pants alone were rather new as they did not possess any tears within them. Additionally, his pants were tightened around him via a black belt.
"I, uh, just couldn't help but notice the new clothes you were wearing!" Camo continued.
"Oh, so you noticed then, hehe."
"Yup."
"Yeah, these were new clothes I had bought yesterday after I left," Sodo explained. "I uhh, really like these clothes. I feel like a different person in them, ya know?"
"I understand."
"I was gonna go out and just walk, but I also wanted to bring my sketchbook with me so I could draw some things. I uhh, I can't find it, though. Have you seen it?"
"No, I haven't unfortunately," Camo frowned. "I'm sorry."
"Ah, it's okay, really," Sodo assured him. "I just really need to find it before anyone else does, especially those Raggoons. There's some important stuff in there that I, uhh, don't want anyone else to see, really."
"I really hope you find it."
"Thank you," Sodo appreciated graciously. "Oh, and by the way, how do I loo-"
The hyena was interrupted by an impatient Peb, who had been waiting for the conversation between the two to wrap up already.
"Can the two of you hurry up already?!" Peb interrupted. "I thought you didn't like conversations, Sodo!"
"Hey, I have a better idea!" Camo shouted back. "Can you wait for us to finish talking? Go back to your room and wait!"
"Pfft, fine then," Peb walked back into his room.
"Okay, so, what were you going to ask me again?"
"Uhh…" Sodo muttered. The hyena had become uncomfortable talking.
"Hey, it's okay, bud," Camo comforted him. "Just ask the question, he's not gonna interrupt you again. I promise."
"Okay then.." Sodo spoke up. "Uhh, how do you think I look? B-be honest."
"Well, I think you look amazing, bud! It's really nice to see you in new clothing! I should get some different clothes for myself sometime soon."
"You mean it?"
"Yes, I mean it. Besides, you look good in anything!"
Sodo blushed. "Hehe, thank you.
The opossum hugged the hyena tightly for a little moment, and Sodo had hugged him in return. They stopped hugging each other, and then they both went their separate paths. Camo knew Sodo was going outdoors, but to where specifically he possessed no clue. Nonetheless, Camo finally went to Peb's bedroom, greeted by a bored jackal.
"Ugh, finally!" Peb groaned.
"It was just a few more minutes, Peb," Camo pointed out. "You can't wait a few more minutes? I thought you wanted things to work out between me and Sodo."
"I do, but maybe next time hurry the conversation up?"
"No, next time you need to be patient!" the opossum lectured them. "I hope you apologize to Sodo whenever you get the chance about what you just did. That was extremely rude!"
"Ugh, fine, I'll apologize to him later," Peb whined. "So anyways, about the tuxedo, how do you want it to look?"
"Just like any normal tuxedo, really," Camo explained. "White button shirt, which I already have a few in my closet that fit me a bit. A black vest. Black suit and pants. You get the gist; I know you know what those kinds of tuxedos look like since you told me you watched that Ripper in London movie."
"Yeah, I know what you mean but…"
"But what?"
"I don't have black colors, dude," Peb said. "I only have pink!"
"What?!"
"Yeah, I love pink so I'm sorry but I don't think I'll be able to make a black tuxedo. I could make a pink one, though!"
"Uhh… okay then, that's fine," Camo answered instantly. He wasn't sure how to feel about Peb lacking the colors he wanted. At the very least, he was going to get a tuxedo, just not the way he initially imagined it. He did his best to think up how he'd look in a pink tuxedo. During this, he had grown nervous about whether or not Sodo would like him in such attire. Would he? Would he not? Would he slightly like it but slightly despite it simultaneously?
"Are you okay?" Peb asked.
Camo was going to respond, but he had been interrupted by Nono barging into the room. He was carrying something inside of his paw.
"Okay Peb, Nono went into Sodo's bedroom and-," the coyote stopped talking. "Camo, what are you doing in Peb's room?"
"Ohh, I'm making a suit for him!" Peb answered for the silent opossum. "Also, shhh! Don't say anything."
"Okay, Nono will keep quiet." The coyote hid what was in his hand behind him.
"You were in Sodo's bedroom?" Camo asked suddenly.
"No," the coyote lied, looking away as he did..
"I know you're lying to me, Nono."
"How can Camo tell that Nono is lying?"
"Because, Nono, you're not making direct eye contact with me and I can clearly see that you're hiding something from me, as well as the fact that you LITERALLY just said that you had come from Sodo's bedroom," Camo exclaimed, taking a breath. "And also, Peb had told you to be quiet. So tell me, what were you doing in Sodo's bedroom?"
"Nono won't tell," the coyote smiled.
"I really decided to bring him back here so he could pull these shenanigans again, huh?" Camo thought to himself. He was upset at the way Nono had been behaving. The opossum didn't really enjoy that Nono was snooping around in Sodo's bedroom, given the conversation he and the coyote had the day before within the foggy forest. By the way Nono had been acting, Camo felt as if the heartful conversation the both of them had after their argument had taken place led to no alterations whatsoever.
Camo was rethinking the whole situation however. He couldn't expect someone as dysfunctional as Nono to change a segment of their character within the span of a day. Nonetheless, the opossum expected change from him anyway. It was similar to Camo's situation, whereas it took him quite the while to change his intimidating character into a less terrifying one. He wanted Nono to know that he wasn't going to permit this misbehavior from him at all.
"SODO!" Camo screamed. The room had shook a bit due to how loud his shouting was.
"Shhhh, shut up, Camo!" both Peb and Nono complained in unison. The both of them were distraught that Camo would do such a thing.
"Nono found something for you, Camo," the coyote tried to reason with the opossum, who was clearly pissed off at the duo.
The hyena ran in immediately, curious as to why Camo called him here.
"Did you need me for something?" the hyena asked.
"No!" yelled Nono.
"Yes!" shouted Camo.
"Uhh, yes, I wanted to apologize about what happened earlier," Peb interrupted. "I didn't mean to disrupt you and Camo, and I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable."
"Ohh, uhh, it's fine I guess…" Sodo mumbled.
"ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!" Camo yelled. He let his anger get the best of him, and he attempted to correct himself immediately. "Everyone, please just be quiet. Not you, Sodo, but you, Peb and Nono, zip it."
Nono and Peb, who were both intimidated greatly by the opossum, as they used to be whenever he did act out in an aggressive manner, kept silent. During the moment, it was as if the entire house had become as quiet as the dead. It wasn't until Sodo himself broke the silence that the conversation sparked up again.
"So, why did you need me, Camo?"
"I wanted to say that Nono was in your bedroom and I think he took something from you," Camo answered him.
Raising an eyebrow, the hyena turned to the coyote, who had been chuckling a bit.
"Why were you in my room?"
"Nono won't tell you," the coyote giggled. "Nono will keep his reasons a secret."
"What do you have? Is it my sketchbook?"
The coyote didn't answer, but the silence alone was enough to answer Sodo's question.
"Give me my sketchbook back, idiot!"
"Nono says no!"
Sodo had shoved the coyote back, kicking him after doing so. He found his sketchbook and took it back. Peb could only stand back, as they were afraid of intervening within this small fight that had just taken place. Nono was not afraid of the hyena at all; he could never be, given he has known him for so many years. It'd be weird for the coyote to fear the hyena, but he still maintained paranoia around the opossum, which had been presented just recently when Camo had shouted at all of them to keep quiet. Instead, Nono was rather surprised.
Camo could only feel a combination of both fear and shock from the hyena's actions. Other than what Camo has seen from battles Sodo had participated in, as well as the recent nightmare the opossum experienced, Camo never genuinely got to witness rage within Sodo. This was his first time seeing this, and it was most likely due to the fact that nobody ever really bothered him in any way, up until now. Camo couldn't help but admit to himself that he did like seeing such energy within the hyena in situations such as these, but of course, Camo preferred him being calm most of the time.
Sodo turned to the opossum staring at him. "Thank you for telling me, Camo. Means a lot, really."
"Hey, no problem."
Sodo didn't respond as he left the bedroom. To Camo, there wasn't really a reason for him to answer back anyway, so the hyena's silence didn't bother him at all. Meanwhile, the lengths Peb and Nono had reached for purposes unbeknownst to Camo disturbed him highly. How they could do such a thing at a time like this where the opossum was currently planning ways to confess his love to Sodo, he could never understand.
"Are you guys going to explain to me why you did all that to Sodo?" Camo asked.
Nono stood silent, but the jackal bumped his shoulder. "Just tell him."
"Nono snuck into the bedroom under Peb's command, hehe," the coyote confessed.
"Why?!"
"Me and Nono wanted to try to get any information on the hyena to help you figure out how confessing to him could work out," Peb elaborated. "Interesting, and useful information of course. Unfortunately, Nono only found the sketchbook, which I did tell him to find since I thought there'd be something in there. Was there something in there, Nono?"
"Nono did find something that could make Camo not feel worried about this confessing thing anymore," the coyote stated. "Nono basically found-"
"No, stop," the opossum interrupted. "I don't want to hear what was in that sketchbook of Sodo's. That book is his privacy and it's such a shame to know that you took a look in there, Nono! We talked about not sneaking into other people's business, did we not?"
"Yeah…" Nono whimpered, feeling ashamed like a child who had been caught doing something they shouldn't have committed.
"And as for you, Peb, what the hell are you encouraging Nono for? You should feel just as bad since you were also involved in this. Now you have another apology to owe to Sodo."
Peb's ears went down. None of the two felt so happy about themselves, and although Camo felt a little bad about lecturing these two after the wholesome moments they had experienced with each other, they needed to indulge in humiliation. These actions of theirs shouldn't be treated like everyday occurrences; Camo understands the duo themselves are dysfunctional, but the opossum only sought to develop limits. In addition to this, he sought to ensure that everyone followed those limits, being aware there are some lines they shouldn't cross at all.
T.O had walked in the bedroom. "Hey, what's going on in here?"
"Nothing, just a bit of an argument is all," Camo explained. "But anyways, I was in here to get a tuxedo for myself. Ain't that right, Peb?"
"Ooh, yeah!" Peb shouted. They ran to the closet looking for their tape measure, and then ran back to Camo. "Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Oh, can I stay here then?" T.O pleaded. "I've been feeling lonely, as well as quite forgotten… ain't that right, readers?"
"Of course you can stay, T!" Peb accepted.
Everything seemed to be going back to normal. Camo was being measured by Peb, and Sodo was probably somewhere else, whether that be in the house or within the depths of the outdoors. Additionally, Nono was fiddling with his hat a bit, and T.O was just watching the opossum being measured, humming a quiet melody to himself as he spectated. Camo still felt bad about getting aggravated towards his friends though, even if they did deserve such responses for their actions. The opossum decided to begin a light hearted conversation with the jackal in charge of his outfit.
"So Peb, tell me, how did you and Nono meet?" Camo asked. He was quite curious as to how the duo met, especially since they were two individuals Camo could relate to on a person level. This relation of course was based on the terms of love statuses instead of personalities.
"What do you mean how did they meet, Camo?" T.O questioned. To the panther, it sounded as if Camo were trying to imply that Peb and Nono were dating.
"Oh, me and Nono are dating, T!" Peb came out. "Might as well tell those I trust, right?"
"Wow, I didn't know you two were dating!" T.O freaked out. "Dang, I've really been learning a lot more about you guys over these past couple of weeks. Does Sodo know?"
"Yeah, Sodo definitely knows," Nono answered out of the blue, bored of playing around with his black cowboy hat.
"Uhh, Peb, how did you and Nono meet each other?" Camo asked again, a bit upset that his question was completely glossed over by T.O's.
"Me and Nono knew each other when we were kids!" Peb began to say. "We didn't start dating until we were young adults. I asked Nono out, and I was all straightforward with it too! I'd suggest you ask Sodo out in that way, Camo."
"I will keep that in mind. Thank you, bud."
"No problem!" Peb shouted.
"So, what made the two of you fall in love with each other in the first place, though?" Camo asked.
"Me and Nono have a lot in common. We were also looking after each other when we were kids, so our bond was very strong. We did gain affection towards other people, but when we grew up, we learned that no matter how strong our affection may be towards others, it would never be as amazing as the affection we felt towards each other."
"That is genuinely sweet."
"Hehe, thanks! I'm really glad Nono is my partner. Whenever I'm calm, I always calm Nono down whenever he's agitated, and whenever I'm all energetic me and Nono usually go crazy with each other!"
Camo understood the context Peb was delivering. The crazy actions regarded doing stuff like graffiti or snooping around, not the dirty thought that had suddenly come into the opossum's mind.
"Okay, I'm finished with the measuring!" Peb cheered. "So now that I got the measurements, I can finally work on the suit for you!"
"That's amazing!" Camo smiled. "H-how long do you think this will take you to complete?"
"Hmm, about 5 to 6 weeks really, why?" Peb asked.
"5 to 6 weeks?! There's no way I can wait that long!"
"Aww, why not?" the jackal frowned.
"I plan on confessing this week!" the opossum exclaimed. "Don't you usually prepare clothes in such a time span?"
"Well, yeah, but this is a fancy tuxedo we're talking about, Camo," Peb reminded him. "It's gonna take time to implement all the beautiful details. Art can't be rushed, ya know?"
"Yes, I understand that and all, but I do want to confess to Sodo as soon as possible," Camo claimed. "I'm tired of hiding my feelings from him. I know I'm bisexual, and I know I'm in love with Sodo."
"Okay then, that's fine!" Peb grinned. "Maybe I'll make you a tuxedo when you do have time, then. Guess we'll have to wait for your wedding day with Sodo."
Camo gasped. "P-Peb!" The opossum couldn't help but blush, as everyone laughed at Peb's silly remark. Camo also laughed a bit as well, seeing Peb's comment as exceptionally funny.
"Besides, you don't need a fancy suit to confess your feelings for someone, ya know?" T.O intervened. "If someone only loves you based on your appearance, then they don't actually love you. Remember that."
"I will definitely take your advice to heart, T," Camo told him. "It just means a lot that you guys are so supportive of me about all this."
"Of course!" T.O smiled. "Anything for a friend, bud."
Camo felt exceptionally confident about this entire situation. As a matter of fact, he decided to wait no longer. He was going to confess to Sodo today no matter what. No more waiting for perfect opportunities, today WAS the perfect opportunity.
"I'm going out to find Sodo," Camo told his friends. "I'm going to tell him I love him and see how he responds."
"Awesome!"
"Hey, good luck!"
Everyone in the room had emitted such celebrations for Camo. They were all proud of him for finally making his decision to confess. Camo felt as if he were the elephant in the room, or in his physical case, the large opossum in the room. He enjoyed this feeling of comfort from his friends, and his confidence only increased as the wholesome moments continued.
"Wait, do you know where you might find Sodo, though?" T.O asked him. "He could be anywhere, that guy."
"I do have one particular place in mind," Camo answered. "If he isn't there, I'll return home and wait for him unless he's already at home."
Exiting Peb's bedroom, Camo checked the hyena's room to see if Sodo was there. Surely enough, he wasn't. As a result, the opossum traversed outdoors, preparing himself to enter into the cloudy town in search for his crush.
"Hey, you got this, Camo!" Peb shrieked with eagerness. "Don't be afraid, okay?"
"I won't!" Camo said.
"Nono believes in you!" The remark itself made Camo smile more than he already was.
"Camo, I've been aware you've been feeling like this for Sodo for so long and I am just super proud that it has all come to this," T.O began to speak. "I'm so happy you've managed to explore your identity and become proud of who you are. Just knowing that you're feeling this happy makes me rather emotional."
The panther wiped a tear away.
"If it doesn't go well, we will be here to comfort you, Camo. I seriously hope that all goes well between the two of you though."
"Thank you, T," Camo appreciated. "To all of you, thank you so much. It means a lot to me. You all mean a lot to me."
T.O hugged the opossum immediately. Peb and Nono had also joined in, forming a group hug. Camo had embraced all of his friends into his arms, appreciating their company greatly. The hug lasted for what seemed like minutes, and eventually it came to a conclusion. Camo walked off into the depths of the outdoors as his friends watched him make his way towards the hyena, whose heart he had been longing for for a long time.
The sky had gone from a bright orange to a smooth purple as time went on. Camo kept walking through the cobblestone sidewalks of the town, admiring the scenery set in front of him. The outside was rather cold as the wind blew within the air, scattering leaves and plastic bags either across the surface or into the clouds. Camo placed his paws within the small pockets of the brown vest he had been wearing. His paws didn't fit within his pockets entirely, but it was the little bits of warmth he could feel inside the pockets that he appreciated.
The cold atmosphere didn't stop Camo from enjoying the beauty of the town. Many houses were lit up with yellow lights, and in some of the front yards, a variety of children were playing like kids would usually do. In some other front yards, adults sat at their porches, admiring the view the same way Camo had been doing during the sequence of his walk. What Camo loved the most though had to have been the appearance of the sky. Its purple glow only spoke beauty, and Camo couldn't help but feel mesmerized. It's not like he minded appreciating such a sight, anyway.
The opossum could tell he was nearing the lake due to the trees and small lamp posts along the pathway where people could walk. As he continued walking, he could also see the lake itself as well. It glowed crystal clear under the purple sky as leaves fell into the water. He walked into the park surrounding the lake, and he noticed a bench with a certain hyena sitting on it. Camo was right about Sodo being here, and he was honestly very lucky to have been correct.
The opossum walked towards the hyena's location. He noticed he was on his sketchbook drawing something. He didn't want to see what the drawing was, however, seeking to prevent himself from invading Sodo's privacy.
"Oh, hey Sodo!" Camo called his name from a distance.
The hyena looked towards the direction of the opossum. "Oh? Uhh, how.. What are you doing here?"
"I was just looking for you was all, hehe," Camo answered. The opossum did his best to try and not sound creepy in any way, as if he had been stalking the hyena the entire time. He wasn't like T.O, who usually watched other people all the time. The opossum could only hope Sodo wasn't feeling weird about Camo's sudden appearance.
"I see," Sodo said. "Uhh, how did you, like, find me here?"
"I just… I just walked here was all, and I didn't expect to find you here at all. I was just looking for you because I didn't want you being alone this late at night."
"It's not that late, the sky hasn't turned so dark yet," Sodo clarified.
"I guess."
Camo felt as if he was already messing the entire thing up. The whole conversation started off awkwardly, and just like that the opossum began feeling anxious.
"No Camo, stay calm," Camo told himself in his head.
"Can I sit with you?" Camo asked the hyena.
"Uhh, sure, knock yourself out," Sodo said, rapidly closing the sketchbook within his paws.
Camo sat down with the hyena, gazing at the crystal lake as he sat. Sodo watched the lake with Camo as well, admiring the scenery as well. Camo didn't enjoy the silence as much as he enjoyed it beforehand, though. He came here for a reason, and that reason was to pour his heart out to the hyena next to him. This was the perfect opportunity, sitting right beside him. After all, there was no point in waiting anymore: the hyena likely knew Camo had some kinds of feelings towards him given the way the opossum had been acting lately.
"I didn't come here for no reason, though, you know?" Camo started to speak.
"Huh?" Sodo said.
"There's a reason I came here to see you, and that's because I wanted to talk with you about some things."
"Oh… well, what kind of things?" Sodo asked him.
"I'm pretty sure you're well aware that I have a crush on you, yes?" Camo wanted to be sure.
"I've known for quite a long time now, actually," Sodo said.
"Since our kiss, right?"
"Nah," Sodo declined. "Way before that."
"W-wait… really?" Camo stuttered, gulping after he stopped to speak.
"Yeah.
"Well, how did you know about that?"
"Before we went to the Cloudy Carnival, I heard you and T.O talking about me through the walls. Uhh, that's all I heard really. You never said anything else, unless I don't remember very well. But uh, yeah, I do remember you said you had a crush on me."
"Oh god, now I feel a bit embarrassed," Camo squealed.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sodo apologized. "I didn't mean to make you feel that way…"
"No, it's alright, Sodo," Camo reassured him. "It's not your fault. But thank you for telling me, though."
"No problem," the hyena responded. "I'm just, surprised is all."
"I can't blame you really," Camo said.
"I mean, I'm surprised you'd fall in love with me," Sodo proceeded to explain. "Out of all the people you could choose, and somehow you fell in love with me? It doesn't really make sense…"
Camo became concerned. His nervousness grew slowly but surely due to the hyena saying this. Camo didn't fear rejection, but he was afraid Sodo hated himself for something. What that something was though, Camo didn't know. The opossum chose to not interrupt Sodo's dialogue, as he was about to continue speaking.
"Nobody that I've ever dated liked me at all. Nobody I've met back then liked me either. I find it hard to believe people care about me now. Even if they show me a lot of care, it's just difficult to think that they do, and uhh, I hate that I think that way, really. Nobody should have a reason to care about me, and nobody should have a reason to get together with me either."
"We could be together, if you want, that is," Camo said, hoping to lighten the mood. "It might not be exactly the way I thought my love life was going to be ever since I was little, and it might not be exactly the way you thought of yours either. But true love itself doesn't have limits. So... why should we limit ours?"
Sodo didn't respond, which extremely worried Camo. He was afraid of rejection, but he couldn't hold onto such a secret anymore. It needed to come out, no matter what consequences were to arise from doing so. He waited patiently for a response, and eventually, a response he was given.
"You know, I honestly would like to be together with you," Sodo confessed. "Like, I wouldn't mind, but… I'm just afraid, really."
"What are you afraid of, then?" the opossum asked softly.
"A lot…"
Camo pondered for a bit before speaking again. "Are you afraid of getting into another relationship?"
Sodo didn't answer. He could only frown during the entire discussion.
"Are you afraid of me not loving you? Because… I kid you not, Sodo…"
Camo tried not to tear up on his words. He was close to shedding tears, and he didn't mind if they were to come out. He had felt extremely terrible for the hyena and the way he had felt. It depressed the opossum knowing that Sodo felt as if he himself didn't deserve to feel affection. Knowing that this was only a gist of his problems pained him even more; he hated seeing Sodo so sad.
Remembering the small conversation the both of them had at the forest was also painful to remember. Camo recalled the hyena being sad because he thought Camo only intended to experiment with his feelings. Of course, this wasn't true in any way whatsoever, but the fact that others maintained such intentions towards the hyena within the past was unfortunately true.
Although Camo had been frustrated towards Sodo in the past, Camo wasn't going to hurt Sodo. Not now. And Camo would make sure of that. Never in a million years could he imagine doing such a thing.
"...I love you." Camo confessed.
Those three words shocked Sodo. The hyena had never heard such words stated to him in a heartfelt sense. Sodo never got to hear that from his former "partners" who he trusted with all of his heart, only to be heartbroken by them when he realized they wanted nothing to do with him. Just knowing Camo wanted him in his life though felt so amazing. The hyena felt loved, and that's all he ever wanted in a relationship.
"I love you too," Sodo began to cry.
Camo smiled, shedding tears of joy that Sodo accepted his feelings, combined with tears of sadness as he had simultaneously felt terrible for what the hyena had gone through. Sodo immediately hugged him, and Camo embraced him back tightly.
"Thank you.." Sodo sniffled. "I'm sorry for crying…"
"It's okay to cry, bud," Camo told him. "You don't have to be sorry."
The two hugged for what felt like hours, but as they ended their embrace, they noticed only minutes had gone by. The sky remained purple, and the weather remained windy.
The two gazed into each other's eyes. Camo got to see the hyena's beautiful eyes once more after all. It was just exactly like the time he had looked at him back when they first hung out when watching movies together.
"Hey, can I ask you a question real quick?" Camo asked suddenly.
"Uhh, sure," Sodo sniffled a bit.
"W-why have you been very overprotective of your sketchbook recently?" Camo said. "You didn't want me looking into it when I first came to you for help on drawing, and then you shoved Nono down to get your sketchbook back. I'm just curious, is all; you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"Well, since you and I, like, love each other, then I guess I can show you what I've been hiding."
Sodo got his sketchbook and flipped through the pages. Upon reaching the page he was intending to find, Sodo handed him the sketchbook.
"You can take a look, I guess..." Sodo gulped.
Grabbing the sketchbook, Camo saw that Sodo had sketched up the opossum himself. The sketch was very detailed, capturing everything about his casual appearance. Next to the neatly done opossum was Sodo himself, who didn't appear to be completed; his mohawk wasn't there, and he didn't look like he had been colored with pencil, either. From the looks of the whole drawing, however, the drawing showed the both of them in love with the other.
"It's not finished yet, so I'm sorry if it looks a little weird," Sodo stated. "I could try to finish it right now if you'd like, since I still got some of my pencil le-
The opossum interrupted the hyena.
"Sodo, this is amazing!" Camo blushed. "I love this so much. This means a lot to me."
Sodo was heavily surprised, but he didn't how he was feeling. The hyena was satisfied with the opossum's response to the drawing he had been hiding from him. Camo handed Sodo the sketchbook back, and the hyena continued to draw in it.
"Wait, but does this mean you had a crush on me, too?" Camo asked. He felt stupid asking, considering the night where they kissed should have answered that question for him. However, the opossum desired clarification as the hyena had been confusing him for quite the while now.
"Y-yeah, I've had one as well," Sodo responded. "Uh, I didn't really know if these feelings were real or not, considering I've had 'em for years."
Camo's eyes widened. "Years?!"
"Yeah, but it's not my fault, though..." Sodo continued. "Back when we first met and you helped me pay for somethin', I don't remember what it was, I was kinda flattered. I didn't know if you inviting me over to your place was your way of asking me out or if I was out of my mind. Whenever someone does something good for me, I can't really tell if it was just like, an act of kindness or if there were romantic intentions behind it, ya know?"
"Pfft, yeah, of course I do," Camo sympathized. "As a teenager, I couldn't really tell the difference myself. Back during my speed dating days, however, I kinda managed to learn the differences the hard way..."
"Ouch, sorry to hear," Sodo said.
"It's good. Before I moved away from my parents, they always reminded me to be a gentleman. It got harder to be one though with all these people hiding behind masks. I could tell when some of the women were just pretending to be nice, but then sometimes there genuinely were some that actually felt attracted to me."
"So, what happened with them?"
"The next guy they met was supposedly better than me."
"Well, it's too bad I wasn't there at that speed dating thing then. Would've loved to have met you there."
"Aww, you're such a flatterer, Sodo," Camo turned red. "But unfortunately, it was just opposite pairings there. And also, I didn't know I was into men up until recently thanks to you and your charm."
Sodo blushed. "Maybe I'd wait for the whole thing to be over and then come talk to you...? But I probably wouldn't have.
"Why?"
"I'm not the best at socializing."
"You socialize pretty good now," Camo complimented him. "I mean, just look at us having this conversation right now!"
"I mean back then I was terrible at socializing," Sodo corrected himself. "I likely would've waited, attempted to walk up to you and say something, embarrass myself and then walk home alone like I usually did."
"You had a home before I met you?" Camo asked with concern in his voice.
"To me, home was whatever a good sleeping spot would've been for the night."
"Oh... so you were a drifter, then?"
"A homeless drifter. Cut ties with family and friends back there, because too many bad memories were in the place I once lived and not many of them helped. I kinda regret leaving my family, but it was for the best. I felt like a burden to them."
"How come you felt that way? You're not a burden in any way, bud!"
"If I tell you, promise me you won't get mad if I dump out everything onto you?"
"I promise."
"Why would he assume I would get mad at him, though?" Camo thought to himself. "He must've told other people the same story but experienced aggressive reactions. If so, to hell with those people in particular."
"Well, my grandma passed away and my parents weren't really fond of talking with me and my three younger siblings, but especially me. I was the oldest, so they cared for me the least. Mom and Dad fought, and they never took the time for us, and I just wanted it all to stop since my siblings would cry a lot and I was always stressed. Eventually, my wish kinda came true."
The happy mood that emerged from Camo and Sodo stating their first "I love you's" to each other slowly disintegrated as Sodo continued with his story.
"I caused my parents to divorce since they saw the texts I sent to this guy I was with at the time, and they couldn't believe I was dating another person. I was surprised that it wasn't just because the person I was gay. They told me I shouldn't be trying to get with other people considering the only thing I do is just ruin other people's lives with my laziness and moody personality... could you imagine how I felt when they told me that?"
"Not very good, I imagine..."
"Yeah," Sodo sighed. "Mom kept the kids, and my parents argued over who was going to keep me. I solved that by running away from home. Broke up with my boyfriend because I felt like a burden to them and I blamed them for being the reason my parents figured out I was gay, even though it was really my fault. Any guy I met along the way experimented with me or abused me like I was some toy to them."
Sodo shed a tear from his left yellow eye, resembling emotions of sadness. Camo placed his arm around the hyena to comfort him.
"Well, you most certainly aren't a burden to me, and believe me when I say you haven't ruined my life in the slightest like your parents said you would," Camo stated with an inspirational tone of voice. "You haven't ruined the lives of any of the other Criterion members, either. If anything, you've enriched our lives, especially mine. I'm so proud of you for making your own decisions, and I'm glad you and I met."
Sodo sniffled. "Thank you."
The two of them smiled, looking at the lake for a while. The opossum was extremely happy that Sodo mutually reciprocated Camo's feelings, and he was glad he took the time to vent. The hyena was just happy Camo wasn't angered in any way, and that last comment of his made him really happy. Of course, Camo wanted to make the relationship official, and so he decided to ask one final question.
"Well, after everything that's happened between us, would you like to date me?" Camo asked him.
"Hell yeah," Sodo responded lightly. "I would like that, yeah."
They both smiled at each other as they continued sitting on the bench. Camo was excited that everything had gone well, but he was currently hoping that eventually Sodo would be more comfortable about discussing his problems of the past. Although the hyena did provide many details on the experiences he's been through, the way he spoke about them still came off as a little vague to the opossum. Nonetheless, the past was not something Camo wanted to focus on at this moment. Right now, he was focused on Sodo, who was just as excited as he was given the rapidly wagging tail.
The two leaned in, getting closer to each other at a slow pace. Closing their eyes, they were able to share another kiss with one another. The opossum placed his paw on the hyena's head, stroking it while they continued to kiss. The kiss lasted for quite a while, and to the both of them, that was perfectly fine. They wanted this moment to last forever.
To think that this would have never happened had Camo not taken the time to talk to Sodo back when they first met at a small store, as well as not taking the time to bond with the hyena more ever since their significant breakfast together surprised him heavily. The opossum had never felt happier. The best part to him about the kiss was not just the fact that this wasn't taking place within a dream sequence, but the fact that the kiss didn't debut due to drunkenness. The kiss they shared was genuine. The two were clearly in love with each other, and the moment they were sharing proved that very well. Camo no longer had to stress over rejection, and Sodo no longer had to dwell on his misfortunes of the past.
It was all over now.