"Hey are you listening?" Misai glared.
"Oh, sorry, what?" Kat snapped her divided concentration back on Misai, who looked rather perturbed (but he always did) standing right in front of her. Kat's attention had wandered when she had noticed her beautiful Raven some distance away and talking to one of the Banga tribe members about something. It didn't get by the blonde that when Raven had flipped her hair to the side as she usually did, it unveiled her neck with the faintest of bite trails running down it, making Kat distracted in more ways than she was too excited to think about.
"Your wage had to be cut this month, due to Vogo complaining that our ore quality isn't as good as last month. If you ask me, things are only gonna get worse from here on out, especially when the Council is talking about another tax hike." Misai scoffed irritated, while handing over the pitiful amount of monetary gems into Kat's surprised open palm. The amount wasn't even heavy in her grasp.
"Wait! What? That's all?! But I've been working my butt off this entire month!" Kat protested, counting the measly amount of gems that apparently took her an entire month to earn. She was really hoping for a bigger payout than this because she had plans to take Raven out on a date to a new ice cream shop in the expensive part of Vendecentre. Actually all of Vendecentre was really freaking expensive! And ever since they had started secretly dating, it was seriously draining her bank account. Her gorgeous, gravity shifting partner could eat an ice cream stall's entire supply in one date, if Kat had enough money for it. But looking down at her meager pay in hand, it didn't look like her and Raven were going on any dates any time soon.
"Just take your share before it's gone. I'm sure Lisa will think of something to get things back to normal." Misai scratched the back of his head, reiterating it like a mantra because he had to say the same thing to everyone else on the settlement when he handed out their pay. But Misai felt a choking in his throat for some reason when he looked at Kat's defeated expression and the way her lip pouted out slightly, just like that. She glanced sadly down at Dusty next to her, which irked Misai a little bit more than the others.
Because Kat was way too adorable, even when she was like this. It made Misai narrow his eyes, annoyed at the unintended increase in his heart beat, while his cheeks started to uncharacteristically heat up at her. As much as he tried to ignore it, Misai couldn't deny that Kat had sparked something in his heart ever since she had accidently drifted onto their Banga settlement, thinking the drifter girl delusional at first for exclaiming she was a flying cat queen.
As Kat turned away, ready to sulk off, Misai engineered a plan. A plan to tell her finally what he had been trying to tell her once before about his true feeling for her,
"Say, uh, Kat. Look, if you really need the gems right now, you can, uh, go out on an ore survey with me. But only if you need extra gems this month! It's not like I need the help or anything, I can do it on my own but if you don't have any other jobs lined up right now and, uh, if you need the money, you can tag along with me and-"
"YES!" Kat snapped around so fast, almost putting Misai in a daze as she latched onto the boy's hands with her own, giving him her most thankful, puppy dog look of gratitude, "Oh, you'd be a life savior Misai! Anything you need surveyed just leave it to your friendly, neighborhood Gravity Queen!"
Misai's face burned at their sudden, arousing contact. Angrily he ripped his hands away in turmoil at the effect this girl had on him,"ALRIGHT you don't have to grovel, just let me get suited up and we can head off. You know, you won't make much from this and it'll be hard work for the rest of the day. I don't want any slacking!"
Kat nodded at everything he said, not really listening at all, already fantasizing about her and Raven's ice cream date.
"Just don't make me regret this!" Misai stormed off the other way, lest she notice the hard thumping and mad blushing that was going on at the opportunity that this outing would allow. He was going to confess. Finally!
But, when it came to be the end of the day, Kat seemed more confused than anything when she finished her survey with Misai. The Banga boy made her go to the furthest areas to survey ore each time and every time she came back with an exceptional portion of samples he seemed to get more and more mad at her.
What the heck? Wasn't he the one that asked her to help him in the first place?
She made sure to get all different kinds of samples in each area. And some places were really freaking far, even for her strong gravity gauge. So why was he so mad?
But whatever, at least he still had paid her. So, now she could find Raven to go on their date. Kat just had to chalk it up to Misai being under a lot more stress lately with Lisa working him to the bone and the council cutting everyone's wages. Probably, even his.
Now he was standing with his back to her, awkwardly scratching the back of his head, muttering to himself. Should she just go without saying goodbye?
"Well, thanks again Misai, let me know if you need any more help..." Kat sang awkwardly, trying not to make him angry one last time for no apparent reason she could think of. Scooting away, in the corner of her eye she saw a blue streak pass below the clouds, which made her heart skip a loving beat. All of a sudden she really had a strong yearning for some much needed ice cream!
Shaking, Misai realized it was now or never. He clenched his fists, with his back turned to his gravity shifting crush, while he took a big breath in to let it all out.
"Uh, so Kat, thanks again for the hard work today and, and I'm sorry if I was a little short with you. It's just I wouldn't have gotten this much data without your help but really that wasn't why I wanted you to come with me today. Er, Kat I've been keeping this secret for a long time now, and it's really been bugging me that I haven't been able to tell you the truth, but I gotta tell you now,"
Misai felt every artery in his body ready to burst at how nervous he was, but he willed every part of himself to continue, "Look, I don't dislike you, I mean I don't hate you - gah!- no that came out wrong! What I really mean is, we should go survey each other - gah no! -, I mean together! Survey together sometime as… boyfriend and girlfriend."
He didn't have the guts yet to turn around and see Kat's expression at his confession so he rambled on, trying to let everything he had built up for so long off his chest,
"Look, ever since we met… I've had feelings for you. Not just because you're Kat, the Gravity Queen, but because I really like who you are. You're friendly, optimistic and always willing to put yourself out there for your friends. And I admire that in you Kat. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is… if you'd like to grab dinner, in a way that isn't just on a 'friends' basis… then I was wondering, maybe - oh hell, look Kat will you just go out with me?"
Misai turned around in one swift motion. It was now or never and he was ready to hear what she would say after his long pent-up speech.
Unfortunately, Kat wasn't there anymore. Feeling super bad this whole time and too shy to stop the man's apparent ramblings to himself, Cecie squeaked out, "Uh, Misai, sorry but Kat left a while ago." In Kat's place, somehow Cecie had shown up, looking very much out of her comfort zone (but didn't she always?). She stood, tiptoeing on her feet, while she fidgeted with her doll.
Huh!?
"Sorry Misai, I know you tried this before... but I couldn't… so, you were going to ask Kat to go out-"
"-Cecie ! Never tell this to anyone! Do you hear?" Misai was shaking from flaming embarrassment. When did Kat leave? How did he not know?
"But… but-"
"I'll buy you food. For the world pillar's sake for your continued silence I'll buy you anything that you want, if you just leave it as that."
A small, nervous smiled sprouted on Cecie's lips, as Misai aggressively scratched the back of his head, almost making a bald spot in his purple hair waiting for Cecie to make the deal.
"Oh… okay, thanks, Misai," she whispered, locking away (again) Misai's proclamation of unrequited love for the gravity queen behind closed doors. Although she didn't tell Misai this, she also knew Kat was dating Raven. Luckily, her tiny amount of confidence didn't need to tell him because Kat had asked Cecie to keep her and Raven's relationship their own little secret too, just for now.
To which, Cecie couldn't say no to another free meal. Actually, the girl couldn't say no to anyone, at all.