Welp, as usual, there's been a change of plans! Since I tend to go on and on and… on about stuff, this isn't going to be the conclusion. HOWEVER, the one after this will be (I promise). It'll be an epilogue. Brace yourselves for more soggy sentiment… ugh, lol. I can't help it, folks! Spandy just gets me all warm and fuzzy on the inside, hahaha. Anyways, I hope you guys like it! Thanks for reading and all your support! Also, I want to apologize in advance because this chapter takes a while to get to the dialogue. I babble a lot with details; what can I say? Lol.

WARNING: This chapter is really long and contains a huge, steaming pile of mush. Do not jump in unless you want to gag on sugary descriptions and candied dialogue.

Disclaimer: I do not own SpongeBob SquarePants or any of its characters.

Unified Hearts

7:15 a.m., the next morning…

The gargantuan sphere of light in the sky known as the Sun cast its warm, soothing radiance upon the cold, sparkling, blue ocean waters, brightening up each corner of Bikini Bottom and sending waves of peace, hope, and encouragement to make it a shining, new day filled with good energy for all the fish folks and other sea creatures.

Soon, it would be the same story for a certain married couple, who were still secluded from the rest of the watery world and wrapped up in their own (quite literally).

Yellow beams pierced the polyurethane of the Treedome, creating blinding, exquisite spotlights that would eventually melt some of the fluffy thickness of the glistening snow covering the grass. As the light took its time in moving, the specks on the surface of the white coat flashed the brilliant colors of a kaleidoscope, bringing a sense of winter charm to the entirety of the air-filled home.

Within the branches of the oak tree, the soft and pleasant song of chirping birds flowed out gracefully. Sandy always kept plenty of pets from dry land, and the addition of the feathery, flying creatures was a good choice for her. After all, she loved waking up to the beautiful noises that escaped their beaks, and today (when she would snap out of the quiet and private space of her mind), she would be hearing them again, but it would be so much more special than usual, considering that the little man, who had poured his heart and soul into her during the long night, would hear it, too.

Inside that tree, in the back of the room, where things were as silent as could be (except for the unique sounds of their snoring, which was much quieter than normal), lay SpongeBob and Sandy underneath the warmth of the heavy, comforting blanket and sheet, smoothed out over them as if it hadn't been touched; not even a wrinkle lined the fuzzy fabric that shielded them up to their necks.

Curled up like a ball in Sandy's fur-covered arms, SpongeBob slept on his left side, his mouth slightly open as he snored, and eyebrows raised above his eyes that were restfully closed. The moisture that had kept him hydrated all night (thank Neptune) made his breath extra foggy against Sandy's neck, which his nose and mouth were pressed up against.

Sandy, who shaded her husband from the bright sunlight showing through the still-open window, lay on her right side in a sound sleep; her cheek smooshed against SpongeBob's forehead with a light stream of drool draining out of her mouth and onto his flesh.

The scene was a heartwarming sight to behold; two people cuddling in pure affection and coziness, now fully enveloped in the sincere trust and love that had been given, received, and cherished throughout the freezing, moonlit nighttime. It was a strong, bold reality, as well as a sublime, romantic dream that signified true love and was even mysterious in some ways.

Sandy's left ear twitched from the familiar sound of chirping that entered it and was now echoing through her mind. Slowly, she was pulled out of her restful state and a loud snort rolled up her throat, shattering her inner world that played random clips of her gathering acorns, skydiving, and sleeping next to SpongeBob.

When her eyelids opened just a crack and she caught sight of the blurry image of the top of a porous head, she was instantly glad to realize that the last part of her dream wasn't just a dream, after all. The next thing that flooded her thoughts with happiness was the feeling of him clinging to her for warmth; his thin arms wrapped around her waist, his steamy breath blowing on her fur, and his torso pressed against hers, breathing in harmony with her.

Sandy shut her eyes after sleepily looking down at him, a grateful smile of tenderness and amazement as the memories from the night before swirled in her head like a cool breeze on a summer day. The strength she had given him to proceed on their journey was not wasted; even as scared as he still was, he did everything he could, using her encouragement, to take each slow, steady step with her, and he had proven himself to be braver than he thought he could be.

He loved her enough to give her all that he had, and that warmed Sandy's heart. The way that he endured every bump in the road made it that much easier for her to flood him with her love; together, they figured things out and swam across the unknown waters with faith, holding each other by the hand.

Really, she held his hand for many hours to keep him feeling secure and safe, and that only helped him that much more along the way.

Of course, at one point during the night, due to cramping of the fingers and built-up clamminess in their palms, she had to let go before switching sides with him on the mattress (after getting up to use the restroom), and that resulted in him eventually rolling off the bed and landing next to their pile of clothing. Even in her half-asleep state, she was alarmed when she rolled over to drape her arm over him, and he wasn't there.

SpongeBob had been shivering on the floor and having a nightmare for at least ten minutes before she noticed his absence. With a quiet curse of "what in tarnation", she had to lift him off the harsh surface as he whimpered in discomfort and fear, and she cradled him like a child to calm him down. After a few times of her shushing him, she was able to lay his freezing body back into the warm bed and pull the covers over them both, being sure to hold him in her arms so that there wasn't a chance of him disappearing again.

Her bed was larger than the one he had at the pineapple, so she was puzzled as to how he could've tumbled onto the floor so easily. Perhaps it had to do with him being unfamiliar with the sleeping space. Needless to say, she regretted letting go of his hand.

She knew, now that they were glued together for life, that she would be comforting him in instances such as this, which were different than other troubling times in their friendship because of the intimate nature of this situation.

At least it wasn't her tail that was responsible for him landing on the ground this time.

As he lay there snuggled closely to her, starting to hum and mumble a bit of nonsense in his sleep while wiggling in her embrace, Sandy was more than happy – thrilled, really – to be there for him the rest of his life, helping him in ways that might've not been possible before, and she knew he would do the same for her.

Her brain was telling her to stay awake, but her eyes told her to drift back off into the wonderland of her dreams. Moments passed, and her brain's request became the one she chose to take when SpongeBob yawned, stretching his sore legs and arms around her, as if he was just getting out of bed.

Hearing the tone of that voice that was unlike any other made her smile grow warmer – a lot like what was happening to her back as the sun continued to shine upon that area over the blanket.

Smacking his lips in sleepiness, SpongeBob, now feeling relief in his limbs, decided he had had enough of the stretching and placed his arms back down around her, nuzzling her neck with a little smile and releasing a content breath through his nose. His eyes began to flutter open with delight, and he remembered the magic that took over his heart while being with her.

When he felt the sensation of her hand gently smoothing the back of his head, he found that the "magic" was still alive and well, and something told him it would always be that way, so long as they were together.

Simultaneously, the two pulled back ever so slightly, and gems of sparkling blue met doe-like buttons of brown.

"Well… " she breathed out and smiled with fondness. "Hey there, lil' stranger."

After everything they'd been through together the last twenty or so years, they were anything but strangers, and boy, was he beyond grateful for that.

Looking into her truthful eyes that emanated how deeply she loved him was just one of the hundreds of things that was turning his whole face into a gigantic smile that was sweeter than the world's biggest slice of pie, topped with monster-sized cherries and a heaping dollop of whipped cream.

Being with her, no matter what time, was always a joy to his pure spirit. But after becoming closer to her last night than he could've ever imagined, that joy was multiplied times a thousand or more. His heart was leaping to the sky with jubilation and pumping with an appreciation for this strong, terrific woman, who gave him the courage to push through his doubts and fears; not just last night, but all the time.

Sandy's inquisitive nature came out to play as she studied the heavenly look that beamed from his face; his lower eyelids risen halfway above his eyes, his nose more upturned than normal, those freckled cheeks painted a light pink from the cold weather, and that mouth curved into more of a 'U' shape than a dang horseshoe – he was brighter and more beautiful than the greenest field of flowers in Texas and radiated a kindness that could penetrate stone.

He stared at her with love ardent enough to strangle one's heart, and it was making her feel that she could hold him like this forever. He may have lost an innocent part of himself – as did she – but that starry-eyed twinkle of his genuine and caring personality was never going to leave him.

He was just him. He was SpongeBob, and that was all she could ever want.

And the way he looked at her spoke of the fact that he admired her in the very same way. They loved each other for who they were, and that was a precious, wonderful thing.

Sandy, ignoring her question of how he could smile so hard for that long without breaking his jaw, shifted on the squishy pillow and rested her chin atop his head, allowing him to examine the fluffiness of the fur on her décolleté.

"Y'all hear them critters chirpin' away in the tree?" she asked softly, continuing to brush her hand caringly over his head.

SpongeBob could certainly hear what she was speaking of, and it was soothing to his ears, but not as much as her voice was to his soul. The only thing he could do was to nod in response. His mind was so clear yet so fuzzy with the loving touch of her hand against his skin, pulling him further into a blissful paradise that he wouldn't mind being in for a long, long time.

"They sound prettier than a set of chimes blowin' in the breeze on an old, wooden porch back home." She blinked groggily with a small smile as she remembered her life in Texas. There were a few times back then when she tried to make things work with one or two guys of her same species, but neither one understood her well enough to make her want to spend the rest of her life with them.

This creature in her arms, though, was a different, exceptional story that was just ongoing. She never thought she'd end up with a sea critter, especially one as unique as he was. But life has its own plans to throw at living beings, and the one it tossed in her direction years ago when she moved to Bikini Bottom was, she realized, the best blueprints for happiness and adventure she ever did see.

"Ain't it just a dandy sound?"

SpongeBob could thank Neptune a hundred times for letting him get to look into her eyes again when she pulled away and stared down at him, waiting for a verbal answer she wasn't going to receive; instead, his buckteeth pressed into his lower lip, showing that that smile was just as animated as ever.

She raised an eyebrow questioningly, in wonder of this intense, romantic daze that was burying him like sand at Goo Lagoon.

"I suppose I'll take that as a 'yes'."

SpongeBob's eyes shut in elation at the feeling of her lips against his forehead as she spoke, not minding the hardness of her huge teeth touching him, as well.

Falling in love with a mammal from the surface world – or falling in love at all – was not something that he ever expected to happen to him (and neither did anyone else in town), but he knew, as soon as he saw her wrestling that giant clam, that his life would never be the same. Besides, this was the ocean full of bizarre creatures and fantastic tales; an air-breather and water-sucker being together was just as right and normal as anything else that took place down there.

"Ya know, ya gave me quite a scare last night… tumblin' outta bed and such. I can't believe I didn't hear the thud when ya hit the floor. Normally, I have ears as keen as a horse, but I guess the howlin' of that dang wind blocks out more noise than I thought."

SpongeBob took in the intoxicatingly good smell that effused from her, shaking his head to rub his nose deeper into her fur.

He barely remembered when he fell onto the ground, but the part where he fully awakened to find her hugging him was a memory as powerful as the tingling sensation on his lips from when they kissed.

"You were shiverin' worse than ya did earlier on last night. But, at least you're warm now…" she pulled away slightly again and tilted her head to look at his face, discovering that he was now even more wonderstruck than before as he childishly played with her coat, staring at each fluffy, disheveled clump as if it were a tiny, adorable, helpless creature.

"…Ain't ya?" she nudged him with her chin, finally bringing his attention back to her face.

His eyes smiled like his mouth when they shifted down to her pink nose. Once again, the only thing he could do was nod – more dreamily now than the first time, filled with thankfulness for the strength of her arms that mellowed him like a cozy fire.

"Good," she breathed, smiling when he wrapped that wandering arm back around her waist and squeezed her, releasing the most satisfying sigh into her collarbone area.

In all their years of friendship, she had never seen him with this little to say before; not that she minded too much, but she had to beg the question: who was he, and what had he done with her Spongy?!

"Well now, someone's quieter this mornin' than a mouse sneakin' its way past a trap, huh?"

The teasing tone that drifted from her was only continuing to drag out that childlike bashfulness within him. She glanced down just in time to see him sink further underneath the covers, with his bubbly eyes showing, and his nose poking above the fabric.

"What do ya think you're doin'? Playin' hide-and-seek or somethin' like that?"

SpongeBob's cheeks faded from that bubblegum pink to berry red, and they lifted higher towards his eyes as his smile grew back into that 'U' shape, while Sandy's expression increased in its amusement, and she repeatedly flicked her finger over the tip of his nose.

"Hm? Is that what you're doin'? 'Cause I sure as heck ain't countin'."

It was too early in the morning to be playing games, but how could she possibly be irritated by it with that charming face showing before her eyes and making her want to destroy his ability to breathe by squeezing him to death?

Unbelievable… this guy just baffles me to no end, she thought as SpongeBob's face suddenly disappeared, now only showing the top of his head full of holes.

"Nice try, but I can still see ya."

Little did the squirrel know that he was biting his lip so hard, it should have drawn blood. Her face twisted up halfway in confusion when a familiar ball of giggles tumbled from his mouth, bouncing with infectious giddiness.

Apparently, hide-and-seek wasn't what the stinker was going after, but from the sounds of it, he did have a sneaky plan to attack her with.

"Hey…" she said, her voice rolling into playful suspicion. "What's goin' on down there— Gah!" a gasp of surprise escaped her once his little fingers ran in place on her bare stomach, tickling her into a frenzy.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" waves of uncontrollable laughter splashed out of her, and she immediately curled her body inward at the unbearable tingles traveling across her gut. "SpongeBob! Ya better— ha, ha! Stop before I— AH, HA, HA! Throw your sorry behind— HA! Outta this bed!"

As if his lack of speech wasn't shocking enough, the fuzzy assault on her belly ceased faster than the snowstorm in the Treedome did, right before the crack of dawn.

Perhaps he hadn't realized she was just joking and was caught up in the moment, which made her worry for a split second until his head popped above the blanket, and she was greeted with that same warm, heart-fluttering smile.

His eyes were a mixture of "I'm sorry" and "Tee-hee, I'm glad I got you. I wish I could've seen your face when you busted up laughing." He blinked three times, his eyelashes brushing against the pillow and making a faint shuffling noise.

Sandy's smile rose in its sweetness, now showing her other teeth that she didn't show that often. She wasn't totally sure, but it felt as though the pinkness in his cheeks was rubbing off on hers for the second time. Pulling her arm out, her hand came to meet that flushed area on the right side of his face, stroking it with the inside of her fingers and then switching the action onto her knuckle.

"You are the silliest dang critter to ever walk the ocean floor, ya know that?"

The sunlight was beginning to move past the blanket-covered wall of her back and was reflecting off his eyes, revealing thousands of little sparkles that made her wonder if he was still listening to her, or if he was drowning inside his thoughts. Either way, his expression was both ethereal and pensive, seemingly letting her know silently that he had something of great importance to tell her.

She had never seen anything like it from him; that curious side of her wanted to take over again and investigate, but the affection was pooling in her chest, and she needed to focus on releasing that first, starting with giggles that were almost as kidlike as his were.

SpongeBob's sleepy grin creased into a wavy line, twitterpated with how he was surrounded by her caring arms once more and received a sweet kiss upon his forehead. Geez, Louise! And he thought that Cuddle E. Hugs was good at giving… well, hugs; not to mention smooches.

He loved Sandy's aggressive side, but this tenderness of hers was something he could live with and just bathe in all day long (since he was a sponge, one could say he could absorb it, too).

"And ya know what else?" her whispering voice tickled the inside of his earhole. "I'd say it's about time for such a critter to get a taste of his own silly medicine…"

Her alluring tone made him nearly as confused as she was a few minutes ago. Now, just what was her plan of action?

"BAHAHAHAHA!"

Quicker than a flash of lightning, she had flipped him from his side to his back and was now on top of him, waging war on his sensitive abdomen and grinning as he kicked his legs back and forth through the air, falling into utter, pleasurable torture.

"Bahahaha! Oh, oh, S-Sandy! P-Please, don't— AHAHAHA! I CAN'T BREATHE! HAHAHA! Not the left pore! NOT THE LEFT PORE! BAHAHA!"

This was a far better punishment than kicking him out of bed. The fact that things turned from a heavy and uncertain night to a bright, cheerful, and worry-free morning brought a boatload of hope to Sandy's soul, and him finally speaking actual words made her even gladder.

"Why, what's the matter, Robby?" she teased as he tried to grab her hands but failed. "Can't handle such a big dose of your own— "

Ring, ring! Ring, ring!

Across the room, on the wooden coffee table, sat the push-button telephone with acorn-shaped ends on the receiver, currently bouncing on the hook with a call.

The loud mixture of their giggling stopped, and Sandy turned her head, glancing at the phone. "What in the…? Huh, I wonder who could be callin' at this hour." Leaving SpongeBob to plop back into his lovestruck daze, she crawled off his square body and jumped down from the bed, picking up the purple dress from the floor and wrapping it around herself.

As soon as she left his side, SpongeBob's heart already began to feel a bit empty. He knew she was probably coming back, but now she would be distracted by someone else, and that wouldn't make it very easy for him to let her know the thing that was first on his mind when he had looked into her eyes earlier and was begging to be shown more by the minute.

"Hello, this is Sandy," she said in a friendly tone, carrying the phone to the bed, sitting back down and pulling the dress off. After placing her pillow against the headboard so that she could sit up straight, Sandy reached down and covered her body up to her chest with the blanket, then ran a hand over the top of her tousled head of fur.

Her blank mouth morphed into a smile at the sound of the voice on the other end. "Well, howdy, Rosy! What's got ya callin' so early on this fine day?"

SpongeBob couldn't stop his teeth from biting his lower lip again, nor could he help the sigh of wonderment that flew out as he savored the way she spoke in that lovable Texas accent. He shifted his eyes from the ceiling to her face, wiggling under the covers and turning onto his left side to stare at her better.

A minute went by of Sandy's sister explaining how it was the perfect time to just say "hello" before her three rambunctious children would wake up to fill her day with insanity. Gradually, they talked about other things that siblings would likely chat about; SpongeBob was an only child, but with him and Patrick having so many things in common, they might as well have been brothers, so he could relate to that type of close conversation.

"Ha, ha," Sandy laughed, "well, golly! Is the trampoline really that gall darn big?! Wow, them kiddies are sure to have a blast on that sucker, ha, ha, ha!"

Sandy was unaware of the growth in intensity of SpongeBob's lovey-dovey countenance - that was until the sound of his finger tracing circles on the sheet caught her attention and she was almost blown back by how enormous his glittering eyes had become.

He stared at her like one of those frisky puppies that humans had as pets, only with loads more emotion, depth, and sincerity than was even fathomable.

Sandy listened to her sister continue to speak on the phone but was having trouble actually listening to what she was saying while those eyes were on her. With his left arm under the side of his head and his palm squished against his cheek, that look she had caught from before was burning brightly, wanting like nothing else to reveal why it was being shown.

"Uh-huh… yeah, I know what ya mean," Sandy said, one eyebrow raised as he averted his gaze for a moment, staring down at the sheet and lovingly brushing his fingers over it in a straight line, rather than a circle.

Although she was at a loss as to what craziness was happening to his head, she couldn't help but smile at how his look was making her feel. He was always endearing, no doubt, but this was something else.

"How's your little hubby doin'?" Rosy could be heard through the phone, which prompted SpongeBob to look back up, giving somewhat of a feasible answer without talking.

"Uh… well, he's uh…" Sandy pursed her lips to the side, digging through her mind and trying to clear up the fog he was creating. "He's doin' okay. He hasn't been feelin' much like talkin' lately, which, I'll admit, is a little concerning…" she held back a laugh and stared straight ahead. "And he's lookin' a bit… dazed, to say the lease, but overall, I'd say he's just— "

Great Neptune, what was he doing now?!

Sandy's eyes shifted to him while keeping her head in the same place. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw the way he gently picked up her free hand and was examining it like he had discovered buried treasure, twisting it from her palm to her knuckle and petting it like a sea bunny.

SpongeBob had no idea what kind of strange scene he was creating; he was lost in his own little world filled to the heavens with awe and enchantment, spilling all his appreciation onto the hand that had held his for so long during the night and had given him the strength that he desperately needed to put his mind at ease.

He loved that hand. It was more than dear to him, and that was apparent to Sandy, but she still didn't know why.

As he closed his eyes, tenderly kissed the back of the appendage and then caressed his cheek with it, Sandy figured that she would soon find out the "why" of this situation. Or, she would try to, at least (if she could get him to talk).

"…Just… just… fine…" she finally uttered, though she knew that couldn't even begin to explain what he was right now.

With a look of bewilderment, Sandy tightened her grip on the phone. "Yeah… yup, uh-huh," she nodded. "Well, it was great talkin' with ya, sis. Be sure to keep a close watch on them critters when they get up. Don't want them startin' a fire or somethin'… ha, ha!" she laughed at Rosy's sarcastic response of, "Oh, ya mean like they've done three times just in the last week alone? Nah, I surely don't want that happenin' again."

"Okay, talk to ya later. Love ya, bye!" with that, she placed the receiver back to its rightful home – the hook – and rested her hand on her stomach, looking at her husband, who still held her other hand against his face and wore a look of the purest affection known to fish-kind; his eyebrows creased together in ecstasy, and his smile more vibrant than a freshly bloomed daisy.

"Alright, SpongeBob," Sandy chuckled with a hint of concern. This game of his was rather adorable, but it was also making her head spin with questions that she never thought he'd have, such as, "Why in tarnation is he so happy?!" Knowing full well that he was happy 24/7. But today, it was as if that happiness was a person itself and had seen the kingdom of Neptune or something.

"I gotta say y'all are bein' cuter than a pony sniffin' a little cowgirl's hand, and that's sweet and all, but now it's kinda freakin' me out at the same time… is there somethin' on your mind that ya wanna tell me?"

Her heart suddenly jumping in its speed inside her chest was definitely called for after he opened his eyes and looked at her with that innocent gleam that was also pierced by a trace of mature introspection.

There was something on his mind alright; she had known it all along, and whatever it was must've been more important than the Krabby Patty, which was jaw-dropping, considering how much he cared about that sandwich.

And there he went, answering her without saying a word. He just sighed, his tone high-pitched and swirling with serenity.

Sandy was troubled, but another small laugh forced its way up her throat as he pressed his lips into her knuckle again. "Come on, SpongeBob… this is gettin' to be a bit silly. Are ya gonna tell me what's goin' on or ain't ya?"

"I don't want to tell you, Sandy. I want to show you. And that's not all; I want you to feel it, too, with this hand; the hand that has comforted me and made me feel so whole on the inside."

His voice was as soothing as raindrops on a windowpane, yet as frightening as thunder.

Sandy cocked her head to the side, showing that she was more lost than a child at an amusement park. "Wha— well, I— "she shook her head, allowing a smile to dance across her face. "SpongeBob, if I didn't know any better, and if it wasn't still cold as heck in here, I'd say you downed a big ol' tub of ice cream and got drunk off of it while I wasn't lookin'! Ha, ha…"

Her smile remained for a few more seconds until he slowly pushed the blanket away from his upper body, displaying a space that was large enough for a hand or two to fit in.

SpongeBob kept his shimmering eyes on hers and lead her hand with care to his bare skin, pressing both their palms flat against it.

Letting her mouth go slightly agape, Sandy breathed out shakily and moved her eyes to the place where their hands were touching. In all her years of doing dangerous stunts, riding bulls and horses at rodeos, and even hurtling towards Earth on a rocket ship through outer space, her heart had never pounded as hard as it did right now.

As for SpongeBob's organ, the rhythm was strong and steady yet not out of control, and it was functioning with a purpose much deeper than one could fully understand.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

Sandy's hand tingled and grew hot as SpongeBob's heart swelled within it over and over, visibly beating against his chest and puffing between their fingers.

"Do you feel it, Sandy?" he asked in a hushed, fascinated tone, smiling at her with soulful happiness. "It's my heart, and it's beating just for you. Can ya feel it?"

Now, it was her turn to gulp hard enough to swallow her uvula.

She was speechless.

The atmosphere around her had vanished; the only thing she could feel and hear was his pulse. The throbbing of what gave him life, and he was saying that it was doing so because of her.

To say that her insides were doing gymnastics would be the biggest understatement made in her entire life.

This tiny man who lay before her was the most tremendous blessing she ever had, could or would receive. Nothing else, no matter how valued they were in her eyes, could compare to everything that he was as a person, and what he was to her.

Sandy was dumbfounded; completely blown to smithereens. She could barely comprehend the sudden, heavy ache that was soaking every part of what made her a living being.

"Uh-huh…" she managed a slight nod, her vocal cords failing to deliver a solid response as her eyes stung, blinking out a warm tear that fell with more force than a rock getting thrown down a cliff. "I can feel it, SpongeBob… I-I can feel it better than the vibration from a stampede of cattle."

He knew she had turned her head so that he couldn't see her eyes transform into giant pools. The way that her voice threatened to bubble over with emotion struck that beating heart of his and pushed him into action. He sat up swiftly, lifting his left hand and wrapping it around both their other hands, still pressed against his chest.

"Good, I'm so glad to hear it."

He sounded relieved to finally let out his little secret, but when she looked back to see that his eyes were just as ready to spill over with tears as hers were, it was clear that relief was a mere speck drifting along in the universe of his other sentiments.

Love, passion, devotion, understanding, trust – he could go on and on, and he wasn't even saying anything about it. He didn't have to. Everything he wanted her to know was right there, written all over his face, especially in those blue eyes that she loved so much to stare into.

He sniffled, absorbing the kindheartedness she poured over him with her glowing eyes; the sun from the window lighting up the outline of her face as it shined behind her.

"Oop.. hehe, looks like you've got a little bit of unruly fluff sitting up there. Here, I can fix it," he giggled, taking one of his hands, licking it and petting her head to smooth her untidy fur back into place.

Sandy's lips quivered at his gentle, meaningful touch, her ears falling flat atop her head like a docile animal enjoying a person's pampering of them. It was time for her to fall into her own world of reverence and romantic fantasy.

The things that being in love did to a person was truly remarkable.

"Ah, there we go," he said softly, pleased with how his efforts paid off. "M-Maybe I should add a new hairbrush to my list of things to get you for your birthday… you little fuzzball."

The first time that he had uttered those words when they went to the Moon was irritating to her. But now, saying them with as many tears streaming down his cheeks as she had, and with such yearning love being sung to her from his face, she wanted to hear him call her that every day from now on.

They exhaled, creating one heavy sigh of tearful happiness and threw their arms around one another, holding on like they had no plans of letting go.

"Oh, SpongeBob…" she whispered with a smile, shaking her head as her chest trembled with each forceful breath that she took. "Don't you ever, ever change, do you hear me?"

SpongeBob pressed his arms tighter around her as a response to her serious, heartfelt plea. "Don't you worry, Sandy. Nothing could change me or the love I have for you. Not even if an asteroid came hurtling towards the ocean to kill us all in a fiery explosion." He smiled cluelessly into her neck.

She opened her eyes and focused them on his, leaning against his forehead with hers while cupping the sides of his face. "That don't even make no sense, seein' as how you'd be deader than a skunk gettin' scorched in a fire by a bunch of hillbilly hunters, but ya know what? You never make any sense, and I love ya even more for it."

"Bahaha! Well, if you think about it, when we die, I would still love you… we'd be together forever in The Great Beyond."

He just had to make her eyes overflow to excess, didn't he?

As she showered him with kisses pretty much everywhere on his face and head, he realized that this was the warmest he felt in so long, and it didn't have much to do with the sun becoming brighter upon them.

They sank back into the hug, stroking the back of each other's heads while SpongeBob buried his face into her fur again, letting go of one more sigh that told Sandy how quickly he was falling back into his trance.

"Alright," she began, taking a moment to turn her head around to look at the time on the clock that sat on the nightstand. "I suppose you'd better get your butt off this bed now and get goin'."

"Mmm," he hummed dreamily. "Get going where? I think I'd rather stay like this for… mm, I don't know, however much longer I have to live."

"Well, darlin', since we're on the subject of livin' and dyin', and if you want to keep this life for as long as ya can, I suggest you do get goin', or else Mr. Krabs is gonna have your spongy head on a stick."

"Hmm… what are you going on about?"

"Boy, you must be more out of it than I thought."

"Haha!" he was greatly amused by what he assumed was her joking nature coming through. "Oh, you silly squirrel, you. You say the darndest things. Ahh."

Rubbing her cheek over his head, Sandy smiled with mischievousness at how much longer it would take for him to freak out after her next statement.

"Mm, okay then. If you wanna be late for work, I ain't stoppin' ya."

"Hahaha! 'Late for work', ahaha! That's a good one, Sandy. Hmmm."

In the style of the frequent, grotesque facial expressions that were often made, SpongeBob's eyes popped open with dramatic shock; his pupils shrunken down to the size of peas, and the whites that surrounded his irises bloodshot like he had drunk ten cups of sea coffee.

"SCALLOP!" he exclaimed, pulling away from her and standing up near the edge of the bed. "I'm gonna be late for work! Whoa— YOW!"

Bonk!

Sandy's mouth flew open when his arms spun in circular motions to try to keep his balance, but he ended up falling backward onto the floor anyways.

"Oh my GOSH!" he sprang up, covering himself with his clothing from last night. "I'm gonna be late if I don't hurry up! Oh, Mr. Krabs is gonna— "

"Kill ya? Yeah, I know! That's what I've been tryin' to tell ya! Now, get in that shower before I throw ya in the bathtub and start scrubbin' ya myself!" she ordered, pointing a finger towards the bathroom door.

"Aye, aye, cap'n! I-I mean, Sandy… uh, dear, heh, heh."

And so, after a wild ride of trying not to slip while cleaning himself, digging through Sandy's drawers to find a pair of square pants and socks he had hidden away for when he would stay the night, scarfing down a slice of toast that was as dry as he was finally beginning to feel from the moisture in the dome slowly fading, and giving his wife the biggest hug and mushiest kiss, he was off to the Krusty Krab!

…Once he would regain his composure from falling down the stairs, of course.

A/N: Yeah, yeah. We all know Sponge doesn't have a... thingy, but this is fiction, darn it! Let's just imagine whatever we want, haha. I do hope you got some enjoyment out of this and didn't gag too hard from the mush XD. The epilogue (the real one this time) will be coming soon! Thank you so much for reading!