The Gift

Summary: Fox gives Krystal a night to remember. . .

Foxdude33 here! This thing popped into my head while I was zoning out in my 6th period science class.

I just have one thing to say: Merry Christmas! Other than that, please read and review and try to enjoy the story, this is my first Romance one, so I don't know how good I am. . . Another thing, I'll be 13 on Dec. 14th. I don't wanna be a teenager! Can't stop the world from turning though, right?

Disclaimer: I don't freaking own Star Fox! I'm tired of saying it.

Fox walked out of the bright store, a small parcel in his orange paws. Once out of the store, he hastily crammed it into his jackets pocket. It was Christmastime in Lylat, a cheery time of year, where families tended to gather around a fire's warmth, singing old tunes about some old bear named Santa.

Fox pulled his jacket around his slim frame, helping to ward off some of the cold, which had just plopped itself around him like a fine cloak. It was the only thing he really hated about the holidays, the cold. Once Fox was out of the shop's entry-way, he started across the bustling streets of Corneria City. Having made it safely across, he spied a small, blue-painted pay phone booth. He slowly walked towards it, enjoying the scenery. Snowflakes danced around him, and he got a fair few stuck in his fur, and on his coat. He approached the phone booth, and entered it, as there was no line. Closing the door behind him, he searched his rather large pockets for one single object: a quarter.

Inserting his hand deep inside the cave of his jacket's left pocket, he successfully managed to pull out some gum, a candy wrapper, a receipt that he had forgotten to put in his Aunt's birthday present, and his wallet. He tried the same with his right pocket, but with the same result.

Sliding his jacket up a bit, he tried both pants pockets, but he couldn't find the small disk there, either. Sighing angrily, Fox left the booth in search pf a small 25 cent piece, stopping other pedestrians on their way to various destinations.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Outta my way, punk!"

"Ma'am, could you give me- -"

"Get away from me, you pervert!"

After about twenty minutes, Fox spotted a familiar back in the horizon.

"Falco!" Fox called happily.

The blue-feathered bird, hearing his name, turned around, toward the source of the sound.

His beak split into a warm smile when he saw Fox approaching.

"Hey Fox!" the bird returned.

Fox ran up to him, stopping only to let a mother and her offspring pass by, rather slowly at that, before walking the rest of the way to the avian.

"Hey. . . Falco" Fox panted, catching his breath.

"Yo yourself. You must be pretty desperate to come sprinting all the way over here. What's up?"

Fox explained to Falco his predicament. Falco guffawed loudly.

"A quarter! You ran all the over here, past a bridge, just to ask me if you could use a quarter? What did you do, buy a Gamebox 2000 and a couple games? Those don't come cheap, ya know."

"Something like that," Fox allowed.

"Sure, here ya go."

Saying that, the bird produced a quarter, and threw it the short space between them to Fox.

"You can never hand something to anything, can you?"

"No, not really," Falco said, chuckling a bit.

"Thanks, Falco." Fox mumbled.

After that conversation, Fox turned, and trudged back to the pay phone, which he now had enough money to access.

Butterflies flew in Fox's stomach as he neared the phone.

'I can't do this!' Fox thought.

'This may be your only chance, McCloud. Stop being so scared, grit your teeth, and do it!' his conscience advised.

"Here goes," Fox said softly, and picked up the phone from its rack on the wall.

A few key punches later, someone's phone started ringing. After about four rings, a cheery, feminine voice picked up.

"Hello?" asked the voice.

"Yeah, Krystal it's me, Fox."

"Oh, hi Fox! How's life in the city treating you?" the now revealed speaker queried.

"It's okay, I guess. Listen, can you come and meet me on the corner of Manchester and Rockwell?"

"Sure thing, I'll be there in a few minutes." After that, Krystal hung up.

Fox left and sat over at a nearby park bench, scanning the street around his slightly dark red pickup.

After counting all the cracks in the sidewalk beneath him (about 89) he heard the sound of screeching tires on pavement.

Fox looked up. A figure closed a car's jet black door, and out came the cerulean vixen that Fox knew only as Krystal.

Krystal then saw Fox, and began rushing towards him, her black coat flying behind her, like a cape catching the wind.

"Hey, Fox," she called cheerfully.

"Hey Krystal," he said, a bit softer now that they were closer together.

"What is it you wanted to see me about?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

Fox felt a hollow sensation in the pit of his stomach. Fear. He was afraid, oddly enough.

"Fox, what is it? What's wrong?"

Fox still didn't answer her, feeling suddenly warm in the piercing winter chill.

"Fox! Why aren't you answering me?" she asked again, concern now evident in her once happy voice.

"Well it's. . ." he began, but trailed off weakly.

"Oh." Krystal said sadly.

"You've found someone else. What was her name, Fara?"

Passerby were beginning to stare, sensing the unease in the female.

"No, no, it's not that. Not at all."

"Krystal," Fox began, as he crouched down on his knee, enveloping one of his paws in both of hers.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice quavering from happiness.

"Will you. . .? Will you marry me?"

Krystal stared, dumbstruck, into the patiently hopeful face of Fox McCloud.

For a few seconds, she didn't know what to say.

But then . . . "Yes!" she exclaimed happily. Fox closed the box, which he had just recently been holding in his other paw, and scooped Krystal into a warm, loving hug.

"I love you," Krystal announced happily. . .

The onlookers cheered loudly, happy for the couple. Snow danced around them, that night. It was a night to remember.

And one they both would never forget.

Fin

Well, folks, there you have it, my first one-shot and my first Romance story. Please, leave a review, tell me what you think.

Enjoy your holidays, and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!