The Bebop Blues - [Animal Crossing | Tom Nook x Reader]

Chapter Three | I Thought You Were Bae

          Was he truly that out of touch when it came to dealing with his feelings – beyond those of business, acquaintanceship, and friendship?

          …Maybe so.

          Having the human around doesn't help much with lessening the sheer strength of that feeling, though he can't exactly complain with how happy and energized their presence makes him, breaking away the monotony of each day, and helping him confront his past without letting his doubts consume him as badly as these once did. 

          "Hey, Tom!" they call out, heard loud and clear despite them being nowhere around. "Tom! Over here."

          His ears perk as he tries to follow the sound of their voice; he catches on to a soft rustling noise from the orchard nearby, so it doesn't take long before he finds them.

          Of course, it's by them bursting out of the big cherry tree next to him, legs hanging onto a branch while their face lays upside down. 

          They grin when he stays frozen from shock, though they soon show concern by approaching him with a soft hand over his shoulder when he fails to snap out of it. 

          "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you that much, buddy. A little more, and I'd have to catch your soul with a net!"

          They stay upside down even as they say that apology, and – more than the scare itself – he worries that them staying that way for too long could result in blood rushing to their head. 

          "Anyway," they add, smiling. They pull their hand back and reach for their pocket to retrieve something from it. "I didn't climb up here without a reason." The human offers him a tiny, black box and a brighter smile when he meets with their eyes. "I saw this at the top of the tree. Do you know who it could belong to?"

          Tom takes the box and helps them back to firm ground before opening it.

          "Let me see…" His voice trails off as he stares at the contents inside. "This is…" 

          'Oh, dear; oh, no,' he thinks to himself, chest hurting with how fast his heart starts beating.

          His hands tense against the item and he feels sweat run down his forehead, yet he tries his best not to let any of that show. Inside the box he's holding rests a single, silver ring, like an engagement one of sorts: simple, but elegant. It glistens and glows as he turns it this way and that, and judging by its size, it's clearly designed for an animal's paw rather than a human hand.

          And that observation brings forth an explosion of questions into his mind.

          Had they truly climbed up a tree to retrieve such a specific item?

          Or had they placed it there on purpose?

          And if the answer to that last question was yes, then…

          He shakes his head and lets out a sigh.

          It's ridiculous to even consider that a possibility.

          That is, until he looks back toward the human and sees they're offering a hand out to him. Said hand displays a finger with a similar ring on it, the only difference between the two being theirs is bronze instead of silver. His heart skips and his eyes grow wide, permanent tiredness disappearing from his gaze as he stares at them, at a loss for words.