Puss and Kitty really did love each other when they were together the first time. They just weren't very good at it. Every romantic gesture he offered back then seemed to be more for the sake of his ego than it was to impress her. She knew this in the back of her mind, but never talked about it. She would tell him if his lines were corny, or the lyrics to his songs didn't make sense. But it was always playful. She tried to ignore all the real problems, and he remained entirely oblivious to them. Until, she assumes, Santa Coloma.

Now, every romantic gesture and dumb line he uses is for the sole purpose of seeing her roll her eyes or hearing her call him "idiota." She calls plenty of people that, but she has a special way of saying it that Puss says is the most romantic thing he's ever heard. Perrito doesn't really get it, but isn't worried as long as they're both happy.

Puss at one point describes her to his friends as the love of all his nine lives. She corrects him to say they only met when he was on his third or fourth life, and from then on she's the love of the vast majority of his lives. She doesn't give him a sincere laugh or smile when he does things like this, nor does he expect one. He does whatever he can to be scoffed at. That's when he knows whatever he does is working.

But Puss isn't always on, the way he used to be. His entire existence is no longer a performance. She sees it whenever she or Perrito get into some kind of trouble. If Perrito tries to run into the street without looking, Puss sticks his arm out in front of him and scolds him in Spanish. If a bandit or a bounty hunter tries to hurt one of them, Puss stops showing off and starts fighting like it's for his own life.

One night, while they attempt to steal an artifact from some low-down gang in some gloomy woods, Perrito stumbles out into the open and is spotted. The gang seems unaware that he's anything other than a common stray, but one of the members kicks him aside toward a rushing creek. It takes everything for Kitty and Puss not to rush in and kill them all right then and there. But then Perrito is taken by the current, and they have to move.

Kitty holds the bandits off while Puss grabs Perrito by the sweater and pulls him out of the water. The sweater slips off, and Perrito grabs a nearby bramble with his teeth. He whimpers as Puss makes his way toward him.

Kitty doesn't even register the fight. This heist isn't fun anymore. She can only act on instinct. It's a blur until they're gone and she hears Puss call:

"You made fine work of them, mi vida!"

He and Perrito are back on land. Puss wrings out the sweater as much as he can. Perrito is dazed. He doesn't even shake himself dry. They lie low at an inn the next town over.

They try to dry the sweater – and Perrito – by the fire. Perrito is quiet as he stares at the ratty sock on the floor. Puss and Kitty know the look, and they can only wait for a reaction. Tears pool in his eyes. He presses his paws down on the sweater and rips it apart with his teeth. Then he steadies his breath, hides under a pillow on the bed and sobs.

Puss narrows his eyes at the pile of wet fabric scraps for a moment before saying, "I'll be back." He picks up his sword and leaves.

Kitty sits on the floor by the bed until the crying subsides. She gently lifts the pillow and finds him cowering with his chin resting on his paws. He sniffles and looks up at her with tired eyes.

"I'm sorry," he says.

"I am too."

"I just don't get why –"

"You'll never get why," she says. "There was no reason, and the sooner you stop trying to find one, the happier you'll be."

"Oh," he says. "Well, I'm already pretty happy. You know, most of the time."

"You should be. You should never have to think about those people again." She looks at her paws and rolls her wrists. They're sore tonight.

He moves from under the pillow and sits next to her. She pats his head, and he wags his tail. Eventually they fall asleep there.

Kitty wakes up when Puss gets back, but Perrito doesn't stir.

"Where were you?" she whispers.

"Flea market," he says, and shows her a white knit sweater, probably made for a child.

She smirks. "Somehow I don't think there was a market open at this hour."

"Somehow I think you're right."

"Why did you bother bringing your sword?"

"Just in case."

He tosses her the sweater, and she carefully slips it onto Perrito, who rolls over but doesn't wake. She feels a pang in one of her paws, so she holds her wrist and winces. Puss hangs up his things on the rack by the door and climbs onto the bed next to her and Perrito. He takes the hand she's holding and kisses it gently.

That's when she knows.

Puss is more protective of Perrito in the days following. Overprotective, one might say. He keeps getting up to check on him at night. He knows Kitty notices, and he knows it's irrational, but he can't get back to sleep if he doesn't. During a walk through town, Kitty has to wait for Perrito to roam out of earshot and tell Puss to lay off.

He sighs. "You're right."

"I know."

"I know you know. Look. The fact is, he believed in people too much before, and now I'm afraid he won't believe in them at all." He's finally getting used to this new level of candor he gives her. He likes it, regardless of the circumstances.

She smiles. "He knows he has us."

They watch him prop himself up at a baker's stall and sniff the offerings. He gets a little too curious about a chocolate cake, and the baker is quick to snatch it away.

"Trust me, amigo," says the baker with a chuckle. "You don't want this one."

"Oh," says Perrito. "Okay. How about that one?" He points his nose at a berry tart. The baker lets him have a sample.

Puss smiles.

The three of them spend that evening joking over leche and berry tart, and Perrito gets more embarrassing death stories out of Puss.

A few weeks later, they're staying at a friend's childhood home, which happens to be a castle. Puss is jolted awake before dawn when Kitty playfully wacks him with his own hat. He sits up and sees her putting her shoes on. She's wearing the hat, naturally. Puss rubs his eyes and groans.

"Mi vida," he says. "If you want a hat, I will get you a hat. I'll get you all the hats in Far Far Away. I'm sure I can pull some strings."

"I'm not much of a hat person," she says, and adjusts the one on her head. "Come on."

She doesn't give him time to ask where they're going. He quickly dresses and follows her out of their room.

It's still mostly dark out when they arrive at a huge oak tree on a cliff by the coast.

"Impressive," says Puss. "And we had to be the first ones here today?"

She doesn't answer. She takes a few paces back to get a running start and jump onto the first branch. He climbs up after her.

She sits a few branches up, on the biggest one she can find, and leans back on her paws. Puss sits to her right and she finally puts his hat back on him. They look out over the water. The rising sun makes it one of the most brilliant things he's ever seen. Not the most brilliant, but Kitty is right there and it's really not a fair comparison.

"Remind you of anything?" she says.

Everything is blue and purple and white, and it looks like where they fell back in love.

"How did you know –"

"Fiona said this was the best view of the ocean. Sunrise is an added bonus."

He yawns. "And sunset wouldn't have the same effect?"

"Nope."

Her eyes dart between him and the ocean. He looks down and realizes she slipped a ring onto his left hand when he wasn't paying attention. His eyes widen.

"Wha – this?" He holds up his paw. "This is how you –"

"It is," she says. Her face is a blend of self-satisfaction and a rarely displayed anxiousness. "I think we can get it right this time, don't you?"

He laughs softly. "I do."

He reaches into his boot and pulls out a short dagger. He hands it to her and closes her paws around it. She holds it up to the light and examines it. It's brand new – well, almost. The hilt is made of blue crystal, with a star engraved on the pommel.

"I'll get you a ring if you want one," he says. "But I thought you might have more use for this."

She twirls it around in her hand. "Had this ready to go, did you, gato?" She points the blade at him.

He shrugs. "I've been waiting a while. I would marry you tomorrow if you wanted, but…"

She looks intently at him.

He holds his left hand and twists the ring a couple of times. "I needed you to…be ready."

She kisses him, and now he understands why she chose sunrise. There are a lot of people he'll be thrilled to share the news with later, but right now he doesn't want anyone here but Kitty.

She pulls his hat down in front of his face. "Tomorrow, hm?"

He fixes the hat and nods.

"I'll do you one better," she says.

They find a chapel and elope that morning. He worries their friends might be upset at not being invited, but it's unfounded. Perrito starts jumping around the dining room and wagging his tail the second he sees the ring. Donkey makes a crack about being snubbed, but really everyone is just happy for them.

"Sí, sí," says Puss at breakfast. "The unthinkable has come to pass. Puss in Boots has been captured."

Kitty rolls her eyes. "Idiota," she mutters.

More beautiful words have never been spoken.