Juliet went straight over to a table and sat down, propping her elbows on the table and resting her head on her hands. Perry hesitantly sat down on the chair on the other end of the table. "S-so…"
Juliet sighed and sat up straight. "I'm sorry. I was lost in memories. What drink do you want?"
He shrugged and grinned weakly. "I never got to finish my Ferbeer."
"I'll go see if they serve it," Juliet said, hopping off her stool and heading over to the bar.
Perry blinked and shook his head. There was no way this was happening. It was all just some crazy dream he was having. He was probably asleep in his office right now- Pinky hadn't even come in to check on him in the first place. How could he possibly be in a bar with Juliet? Just the two of them? They hated each other…didn't they?
She said she hadn't been able to stop thinking about you, his mind reminded.
That was true. And it was the same vice versa. But what did it all mean?
She's a rival. This is a one-time thing. Understood?
Perry sighed aloud. Why did it have to be a one-time thing?
BECAUSE SHE IS A RIVAL! the voice yelled in his head. YOU TWO ARE SUPPOSED TO DISLIKE EACH OTHER!
WELL, MAYBE WE DON'T! Perry's other voice snapped back.
This made Perry immediately feel awkward, like he was experiencing one of those shoulder angel scenes in some movies.
Luckily, Juliet came back at that point. She set two drinks down on the table and glanced at Perry. "Are you okay? You look like you're about to explode."
Perry blushed a bright red. "I guess we both get lost in thoughts easily," he said quickly, taking a sip of his drink to try and not humiliate himself anymore.
Juliet chuckled. "Yeah, I guess we do." She took a sip of her own drink.
"I… I can't believe you were really willing to do this…" Perry said quietly.
"You didn't deserve the treatment Peter gave you," Juliet said, equally as quietly. "He's MY friend, so I guess I felt responsible."
"Oh…"
"What? You sound disappointed."
Perry quickly shook his head. "I-I'm not. I guess I'm just really having a hard time wrapping my head around this."
"What, our real life Romeo and Juliet story?" teased Juliet. "Hey, I even have the same name as the female protagonist."
Perry blushed a bright red again. "Y-you m-mean… W-w-we…?!"
Juliet smirked. "We what?"
"Y-you said you didn't like me!"
"That was before I found out what type of person you really are." Juliet smiled. "Peter's been spouting bad things about you for two months. I agreed with all of them, until now."
"Gee, thanks," Perry muttered, mostly thinking about all the stuff Peter had been saying.
Juliet rolled her eyes and sat back, putting her drink down. "This was a mistake, wasn't it?"
"N-n-no!" Perry replied quickly. "I… I'm actually enjoying it…"
"I'm trying to make an effort!" Juliet cried, her voice growing shrill. "I'm trying to tell you that I have feelings for you but all you're doing is focusing on the fact that I used to hate you!"
"Wait…. What?" Perry blinked in shock. "You… You actually….. You…"
Juliet sniffled and tried in vain to stop tears from falling down her cheeks. "Y-yes. I-I didn't want to say anything because I thought you probably wouldn't feel the same way, but…I-I have feelings for you, Perry."
"J-Juliet, I…" Perry swallowed. "I feel the same way."
"Y-you…" Juliet wiped her eyes again and looked up at Perry in shock. "R-r-really?"
Perry nodded and smiled weakly. "R-really. T-that's why I-I couldn't take my mind off of you in the past couple of months."
Juliet smiled weakly back and reached across the table, taking hold of Perry's paw. "It-it shouldn't matter that we are rivals, should it?"
"N-no." Perry shook his head in agreement.
"Is it…is it too soon for a kiss?"
Perry blushed. "Really…?"
Juliet also blushed. "Am I m-moving too fast…?"
Perry got off of his seat and gently pulled Juliet off of hers and over to him. "Not at all," he reassured, placing a paw on her cheek.
Juliet smiled and, before she could stop herself, leaned in and kissed Perry on the beak. Perry quickly relaxed into it and put his arm around her back, holding her close. After all, only a couple hours before, he had thought that she hated him and that he'd never see her again. And now…now he was KISSING her. It was simultaneously a dream come true and the weirdest thing to ever happen to him.
When they broke apart, Perry looked into her eyes and could tell that Juliet was having a very similar thought process running through her head.
"That…was…" Juliet struggled to find the right words to describe her euphoria. "…indescribable…"
Perry blushed. "Y-yeah… It…was…"
"I-in a good way!" Juliet hurriedly added.
"Yeah…" Perry said again, chuckling.
"N-nobody we know saw that, did they?"
Perry quickly glanced around. "I-I don't think so, no."
Juliet sighed and hugged herself nervously. "We-we can't let anyone know about this. About…US."
"No, we can't. Th-that…. That would be bad." Perry glanced at the ground, and a small smirk came onto his face. "So is 'us' really a thing now?"
Juliet smirked back, though hers was weaker. "Do you want there to be an "us"?"
Perry leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Yeah."
Juliet beamed. "Me too."
Perry hesitated. "Then… We'll need to come up with a meeting time and place."
"Oh, yes…" Juliet thought. "What about here? There's a back room that can be booked free of charge."
"Great," Perry grinned. "That sounds good."
"Now, a meeting time…" Juliet frowned. "Morning or evening?"
"I think evening. I-if that works best for you…" Perry replied quickly.
Juliet smiled. "Peter always goes to the pub at about 7-10. We could come here then."
Perry nodded, the grin still on his face. "That sounds perfect."
"Good." Juliet smiled and kissed Perry briefly. "We should go now, before we're missed."
"Yeah." Perry managed another smirk. "So… Will I see you tomorrow, then?"
Juliet walked past him, flirtatiously tracing his jawline with her finger. "Absolutely," she said, smirking back, as she left the pub.
Perry watched her leave, feeling a light pink tint on his cheeks. There's no way that had just happened.
You better believe it did, said both voices in his head at the same time.