"What is this, like the third time?" Tanya said with a chuckle as she sat down on the couch next to Badgerclops, who had a sleeping Mao Mao snuggled up in his arms.
"Yeah, but I don't mind." Badgerclops was smiling fondly at the sleeping cat, who purred with each sleepy exhale.
"How was your date last night?" Tanya asked after taking a sip from the coffee mug she held. She also turned the TV on, which coincidentally, played some romantic movie with a couple on a date.
"Pretty good." Badgerclops gave Tanya a smug look as she turned back to the badger with an almost pleading look.
"Oh come on, give me some details!" Tanya scoffed at Badgerclops's next words.
"I don't kiss and tell hun." The badger began to pet the top of Mao Mao's head, looking down in delight when the sheriff snuggled closer to him.
"Did you kiss?" Now Tanya wore a smug expression.
"Wh-what?" Badgerclops's cheeks were completely pink with embarrassment.
"You heard me~" Tanya puckered her lips and made kissy noises to tease the badger.
"Ah-well th-that's none of your business!" Both of them became quiet when they heard a certain cat make little sleeping sounds as his head rubbed against the badger's shoulder. Badgerclops leaned down to kiss the top of Mao Mao's head, except he hadn't been expecting Mao Mao to be awake, and he definitely hadn't been expecting Mao Mao to tilt his head up so Badgerclops's lips met his.
As the badger looked down in surprise, he felt Mao Mao smile against his mouth. Realizing Mao Mao had meant to kiss him, Badgerclops closed his eyes, feeling a little thrilled shock go through him.
"Finally!" Came a little voice from the bedroom doorway. Everyone turned to see Adorabat flapping her way toward them, the biggest and happiest grin on her face.
"A-Adorabat!? You weren't supposed to-" Mao Mao's blubbering was stopped when the blue bat wrapped her arms around her favorite hero.
"I've been waiting for that ever since you guys came to Pure Heart! I can't believe you guys are finally together!" The two sat there as Adorabat ranted on and hugged them both repeatedly, Tanya sitting on the other end of the couch, laughing her head off.
When Adorabat finally settled down and went to make her breakfast (Tanya following behind to make sure she didn't set anything in fire), it left Badgerclops and Mao Mao there, both blushing and staring at each other fondly.
"So..." Badgerclops tried to ask the question burning in both of their heads, but found he couldn't bring himself to ask.
"Yes." Mao Mao answered back almost immediately, moving closer and kissing his badger again. Badgerclops put his hand on the back of the cat's head, deepening the kiss, and once again making the cat's mouth smile against his, causing the badger to smile too.
When they had to break apart for air, Mao Mao rubbed his head gently on Badgerclops's shoulder, purring softly. Badgerclops pulled the cat into his lap, petting in-between his ears, making his purrs louder.
"Well someone's happy!" Badgerclops exclaimed with a snicker.
"Because you make me happy." Mao Mao spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Really?" Badgerclops blushed, not expecting such touching words from the usually abrasive cat.
"Mhm." The sheriff spoke in an almost trance like state as he put his palm into Badgerclops's, interlocking their fingers.
"Mao Mao, I love you." Badgerclops was pleased when Mao Mao turned to look at him, his dazzling green eyes boring into his.
"I love you too, Clops." They kissed again, but it was cut short by a ringing noise coming from Mao Mao's desk.
"The phone?" Badgerclops asked. Mao Mao looked over his shoulder at the ringing phone. It was once again covered in dust because of how little it was used. Mao Mao begrudgingly got up from his snuggling with his badger and went to see what was interupting them.
"This better be good." The sheriff's tone was sour until whoever was on the other line spoke, making his eyes grow wide and his face, pale. Badgerclops sat quietly as Tanya and Adorabat re-entered the room and sat on the couch. The three kept silent and listened to what they could hear from Mao Mao's conversation.
"Oh! S-sorry I-" The person on the other end spoke, but it sounded like mumbles to the three on the couch.
"Uh huh..." Mao Mao's mood was slowly getting more and more sullen with each word the person on the phone spoke. Whatever the person said next visibly upset Mao Mao.
"But I don't-"
"Why can't-"
"I shouldn't have to-" The person Mao Mao was talking to interrupted the sheriff again, acting as if he hadn't spoken from what the three on the couch could deduct.
"Okay..." Mao Mao sounded defeated.
"I understand..."
"I'll be there as soon as I can..."
"Of course I'm excited! I'm thrilled!" Badgerclops grimaced, hearing the lie in Mao Mao's voice.
"I...love you too..."
"Yeah..."
"Okay..."
"Bye..."
Mao Mao hung up the phone and turned to the others, not meeting their gazes.
"Who was that, Mittens?" Tanya asked, worry filling her tone. Mao Mao didn't do anything to show he would respond, he just stood there looking completely shattered.
"Mao Mao? What's wrong?" Adorabat flew over to the cat and landed at his feet, looking up into his eyes, trying to read what was bothering him.
"Come on dude, talk to us." Badgerclops was pondering going over and cuddling the cat until he decided to speak, but seeing the cat like this made him think even cuddles wouldn't work.
It was a solid two minutes of silence before Mao Mao spoke to them.
"That was my sister on the phone...my family wants me to move back home." The other three gasped in union, but then Badgerclops chuckled.
"It's not like you're actually going...right?" The expression on the sheriff's face said otherwise, and the badger didn't like that.
"You did..." Badgerclops looked betrayed.
"What!?" Adorabat cast her eyes between Badgerclops and Mao Mao, "Mao Mao, you can't leave!" The little deputy looked absolutely heartbroken.
"I'm sorry Adorabat, but I have too..."
"No you don't!" Tanya stood up, storming over to the cat, "Just like always, you're letting your family keep you from what you want! You don't have to leave if you want to stay, Mittens!" It didn't seem like any of Tanya's words were getting through to Mao Mao.
"Tanya, they're my family."
"I thought we were you're family." Badgerclops's words were sudden and harsh, but also hurt. He wore the expression of a wounded animal as he stood up.
"Badgerclops, I-" Mao Mao hurries over and reached out to his badger, but felt pain strike his heart when Badgerclops pulled away from his touch, as if he'd catch fire if the cat touched him.
"No...go to your family. You obviously still think you need to impress them." Badgerclops didn't turn to look at Mao Mao as he started walking to the front door, ready to take a LONG walk to the Valley.
"Badgerclops, look at me." The sheriff demanded, but his deputy didn't turn to him, he didn't even stop.
"Look at me!" Mao Mao shouted this time, causing the badger to stop, but he still didn't turn. Badgerclops's hand was on the door handle, about to pull the door open.
"Please look at me..." Mao Mao's voice was barely above a whisper. Badgerclops still didn't turn to look at him, he just opened the door and walked out, leaving the cat to stare after him, stunned.
Mao Mao turned to Tanya and Adorabat, but they just followed behind the badger. Adorabat's little eyes were filled with tears as she perched on Tanya's shoulder. Tanya walked past Mao Mao, sparring him one last glance of disappointment.
"Adorabat..." The little bat turned to glare at her hero as she and Tanya went out the door. The anger and betrayal in her eyes almost made Mao Mao burst into tears.
So the sheriff just stood and watched as his friends...his family...walked away from him.