"Oh come on, Mittens!" Tanya called through the bathroom door, "It can't be that bad!" The King had sent them all special outfits for the party and the sheriff's department and Tanya had forced Mao Mao to try his on in the bathroom before they got to see it.
"I'm not coming out, and I'm not going to the party." Mao Mao had been refusing to come out for ten minutes. Everyone else had already started to get ready. Adorabat was wearing a yellow flower dress with a matching yellow sunhat and a lemon yellow ribbon waistband. Badgerclops wore a navy blue suit jacket with thin, white, horizontal stripes, and a matching navy blue bowtie. Tanya had on her usual lime green cape with a strapless shamrock dress and a lime green skirt.
"Please, Mao Mao." Adorabat begged, "It doesn't matter what you wear, you'll always look like a legendary hero!" Badgerclops stifled a laugh, knowing the sheriff couldn't resist the blue bat's persuasiveness. A minute after Adorabat spoke, the bathroom door knob began to twist, and suddenly, there was the sheriff. He stood in the doorway, eyes casted on the ground in embarrassment as the others stared in awe at his apparel.
Mao Mao wore a red suit, with a black undershirt, and red tie. The fabric had a sleekness that went with Mao Mao's stature and fur perfectly, and on the right breast pocket was a little emerald dragon pin. When Mao Mao moved, the fabric gave a little shine, making each of his movements look like a ripple of light. Badgerclops couldn't help but notice the thin dragon pin gleamed like Mao Mao's eyes did when he'd just won a battle.
"Uhhhh...." Badgerclops couldn't speak. Mao Mao looked breathtakingly handsome. He couldn't put it into words. The cat's eyes turned thier gaze to him, only stealing away more if the badger's breath.
"So, what do guys think?" Mao Mao asked uncomfortably. He never like to wear anything other than his regular hero clothes. Apparently Badgerclops wasn't the only one affected by the sheriff's striking appearance, he was just most affected.
"Well..." Tanya started, loosing her words before she could think them.
"You look..." Mao Mao started fidgeting uncomfortably when Adorabat lost her words. It took a lot to make Adorabat speechless, and the cat didn't think it was a good thing.
"Maybe I should change ba-" Mao Mao got cut off by Badgerclops's voice.
"You look amazing. Absolutely perfect." Mao Mao felt himself blush, he seemed to be doing that around Badgerclops a lot these days.
"Uh...thanks." The cat as smiling like a total dork, somehow touched by the compliment.
"Well...um..." Badgerclops and Mao Mao stared at each other for awhile more, completely oblivious to the looks that Adorabat and Tanya were giving them.
"Guys, we gotta go!" Adorabat whined, trying to hurry them out of the door before they were permanently stuck there.
"R-right!" Mao Mao stuttered, getting everyone moving again. Before Mao Mao could get completely out the door to the arocycle, Tanya stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"So?" Tanya cooed with a giant smile.
"What?" Mao Mao asked, oblivious to what she was getting at.
"Did you see how Badgerclops was looking at you?" Tanya clasped her hands together excitedly.
"What about how he was looking at me?" Poor Mao Mao, completely oblivious to what had Tanya bouncing on her toes.
"Oh my gosh, Mittens he likes you!" Tanya was disappointed Mao Mao only stared at her.
"Of course he like me we're friends." Tanya gave an annoyed sigh at Mao Mao's obliviousness.
"Mittens, he LIKES likes you! Loves you! Has a crush on you! Do you understand!?" Tanya's smile only widened as Mao Mao's face went from his usual neutral hero look, and slowly morphed into a wide eyed expression of utter disbelief and shock.
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No! No way!"
"Yes way!"
"It's Badgerclops!"
"So!?"
"There's no way!"
"Yes there is! Why can't you except that he loves you!?"
"Because...because..."
"Because you love him to." It wasn't a question, Tanya had made a clear statement. She knew Mao Mao loved Badgerclops, but did Mao Mao know.
"Let's get going." Mao Mao grunted, walking out the door and completely ignoring her statement. Tanya followed behind silently, they had a party to get to after all.
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"I...I don't know what to say..." Mao Mao looked as if he was on the verge of crying while wearing a giant, genuine smile. He hadn't expected anyone to show up to the party, but here all the Sweetiepies were, standing under a banner that read, "Happy Birthday, Sheriff!", and all were wishing him a happy birthday and many mire to come. Even Pinky had cleaned himself up and was acting half way decent.
"Are you gonna cry, Mao Mao?" Adorabat asked, looking concerned.
"No!" Mao Mao sniffled, "Just something in my eye."
"Well then, can I give you my present?" Mao Mao only nodded in response, still struggling not to cry. Of course Adorabat's gift made it a lot harder. As soon as the hero's eyes landed on the paper he was holding, tears began to sprout.
"I love it, Adorabat." Mao Mao's voice cracked. Adorabat perked up and threw a hug around her favorite legendary hero, then flew off to mingle after saying happy birthday.
"Here's my present, Mittens, big softy." Tanya handed Mao Mao a palm sized green box topped with a forest green bow after he'd secured Adorabat's present in his breast pocket.
"I'm not a big softie." The sheriff mumbled, taking the present.
"Yes you are~" Badgerclops teased, earning him a scowl as Mao Mao opened the present. Inside was golden three pointed throwing star with tiny rubies around the circle in the middle. Mao Mao gave Tanya a questioning look.
"Don't worry~ I got it legally. I thought you might like it for your weapon collection." Tanya was pleased by the smile Mao Mao out on and gave him a hug. She also wished him happy birthday and went off to mingle. Mao Mao put the lid back on the present box and stored it somewhere on him that Badgerclops didn't see. Mao Mao was good at doing that.
"So did you get me a present, Badgerclops?" Mao Mao asked, turning to his friend and catching the badger off guard.
"Ah-well-yes! B-but can I give it to you outside?" Badgerclops suddenly felt uncomfortable giving Mao Mao his present with so many people around.
"Um...okay?" So the two went out onto the palace steps and sat down. They stayed in silence for a few moments before Badgerclops held out a small, blue box.
"Happy birthday." Badgerclops whispered as Mao Mao took the present and began to open it. Mao Mao raised an eyebrow as he pulled out a looped black cord with a small stone on the end. The stone was an orange/red clay color.
"Wait a minute," the sheriff studied the stone on the necklace for a moment, "I've seen this kind of stone before."
"It's a piece of the boulder me and those bandits were hiding behind when we first met." Badgerclops couldn't look Mao Mao in the eye. What had he been thinking? Getting Mao Mao a rock on a necklace!? Of course he wouldn't like it!
"Can you help me put it on?" Came a calm voice from beside the badger. Badgerclops turned to see Mao Mao had undone the clip on the necklace and was holding it out so Badgerclops could take it.
"S-sure!" The badger took the necklace and clipped it around the cat's neck. Mao Mao lifted the stone at the end of the necklace with his paw so he could get a good look at it. He sat there and studied it for what felt like ages, Badgerclops watching in dreadful anticipation all the while.
"This is why you were gone for so long the other day, wasn't it?" Mao Mao turned his gaze to the badger beside him, who nodded in reply.
"Thank you Badgerclops. It's a very thoughtful gift, and I love it." Mao Mao smiled gently, it astonished the deputy to see his friend look so, peaceful looking. Mao Mao picked up the stone on his necklace again and studied it in between his digits, silently swearing to never take it off. His life feels had changed when he'd met Badgerclops, having something to remind him if that day was absolutely spectacular to the sheriff.
"I'm glad you like it." Mao Mao let the stone fall against his chest and locked eyes with the his deputy. A sudden chill hit them, causing Mao Mao to shiver, and making Badgerclops instinctively wrap an arm around his cat friend and pull him onto his lap and drew him close to his chest. Mao Mao didn't object to the gesture, enjoying their shared warmth. Mao Mao and Badgerclops turned their heads to look at each other again, not realizing how close their faces were. Their face drew closer at a sluggish pace.
"Hey, Mao Mao." Badgerclops whispered, as if he were about to tell Mao Mao something special.
"Yeah, Badgerclops?" Their lips were so close that they almost brushed against the other's.
"I love-"
"What are you two doing!?" Adorabat's voice came from the doorway, "Their pulling out the cake! Come on!" Adorabat slammed the door shut as she put her head back inside.
Mao Mao and Badgerclops broke away from each other, each denying what they had been about to do. Badgerclops scolded himself for almost telling Mao Mao his feelings, there was no way Mao Mao reciprocated them.
Right before they re-entered the palace, Mao Mao grabbed Badgerclops's hand, making the badger stopped dead and turn to look at him.
"Yes, Mao Mao?" The deputy asked.
"Thank you again for the necklace, Badgerclops. I really do love it." Mao Mao's words warmed Badgerclops's heart, making his crush in the sheriff deepen even more.
"I'm glad you like it." And with that, the two re-entered the palace, almost forgetting to let go of the other's hand.