FSE

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February 13th, 23:03

The moon was shining brightly over the city of Paris. So bright that you could easily see its reflection in the many puddles that the rain had left in the evening. Most people were at their homes, already in bed or enjoying a hot drink in anticipation of the so-called most romantic day of the year. But this wasn't the case with Inspector Carmelita Fox.

The Interpol agent was chasing down two criminals, a couple of skunks who managed to break into one of Paris's most renowned jewelry stores and escape with a very expensive necklace. The young vixen ran after the thieves, who unsuccessfully tried to stop her by knocking down several trash cans. She eventually caught up with them in an alley with a tall fence at the end. The skunks didn't think twice and started climbing. One of them made it to the other side and the other one threw him the bag they had their loot in before Carmelita pulled him off the fence. The inspector tried to go after the skunk that had the necklace, but his partner clung to the vixen's leg and made her fall on her back to the ground before she could reach the top of the fence.

Frustrated, Carmelita did a kip-up, kicking the skunk right under the chin in the process. She then hurriedly climbed the fence and looked around the street, no sign of the criminal that ran away with the loot.

"Mierda..." she cussed in Spanish.

After cuffing the thief she previously kicked, the inspector took him back to the crime scene, where Interpol agents examined the broken shop window and Police officers questioned the owner, a middle-aged beaver who was furious about the break-in.

Carmelita handed the criminal she caught to the police and explained the situation to her coworkers, who immediately got to work after receiving orders.

"What do you mean he got away with the necklace?!" jumped the store owner, who overheard their conversation.

"Sir, calm down, I-"

"Don't tell me to calm down, do you have the slightest idea of what that necklace is worth?"

"Look, I can understand your anger, we are setting a search perimeter around the area. It's just a matter of time we catch the thief and get your necklace back."

"Well, you better, 'cause otherwise I'll have a talk with Interpol's head of security about the incompetent woman they've sent."

"I am Interpol's head of security." Carmelita's words changed the beaver's expression, who quickly apologized and let the vixen work.

The inspector, upset by the store owner's behavior, went back to the alley where she lost track of the skunk. Carmelita carefully observed the other side of the fence and its surroundings but found nothing. Eventually, the vixen decided to give up and call it a day. She had been working almost all day and fatigue was starting to kick in.

The sound of her footsteps filled the empty streets of Paris as Carmelita walked down them, the pavement was still slightly wet and the distinctive smell of rain was present in the cold winter breeze that made the vixen put her hands in her jacket pockets. There was nothing she wanted more at that moment than to get home and go to bed, but she first had to stop at the station to file the daily report.

Her tired eyes focused on many things, such as the streetlights that illuminated her path and the rooftops across the street. The latter reminded her of a certain raccoon she had chased across those same rooftops dozens of times.

The inspector hadn't come across Sly that day. It made her wonder what he would be up to, but knowing the ring-tailed thief, it was unlikely that the answer to her question was any good.

When she arrived at her workplace, Carmelita walked into the elevator and, once the doors closed, she leaned back to the wall and growled about her back pain caused by the fall in the alleyway earlier. The elevator stopped and the vixen took a deep breath before exiting. She took off her leather jacket before opening her office door and tossed it on the couch.

Carmelita was determined to get the report done as quickly as possible, but a single glance at her desk stopped her. A surprised smile was drawn on her face when she saw the bouquet of roses and the box of chocolates and pastries someone left for her. Unfortunately, the young vixen didn't have time to think about secret admirers, after looking up at the wall in front of her, the smile on her face vanished. The same person that left those gifts for her also made a heart out of post-it notes, most probably taken from her desk drawer, around the dartboard she had hanging on the wall, which had the picture of a very familiar raccoon stuck on it.

She immediately started to rummage in the box and the bouquet until she found what she was looking for.

"Of course..." said the inspector as she held a blue calling card, just like the ones Sly had left her on several other occasions.

February 14th, 00:00

Just as the clock struck twelve Sly came through the window and sat on its ledge.

"Goodnight, Inspector Fox... and happy Valentine's Day." he greeted the vixen, who quickly dropped the calling card and drew her shock pistol.

"Cooper..." she growled "... You have some nerve showing up after breaking into my office."

The raccoon remained calm and gave Carmelita a flash of his charming smile.

"Don't overreact, Carmelita... it's not like it's the first time."

The vixen grit her teeth.

"By the way, I'm curious about the dartboard, do you have many copies of that picture of my face or are you just bad at throwing darts?" Sly teased her.

"Enough, Ringtail... give me one good reason why I shouldn't pull the trigger."

"Well... you didn't read the card."

"Huh?" she arched her eyebrow in confusion.

"My card..." the thief pointed at his trademark calling card, which the inspector had dropped.

Carmelita placed the card in front of her with her boot and started to slowly reach for it without taking her eye off the raccoon, who rolled his eyes and jokingly raised his arms. Once she got it, she unfolded it and read it out loud.

"Will you be my Valentine?"

The vixen frowned.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Well, one expects at least an answer after asking out a pretty girl."

"Cooper, if you think that just because you stole a bunch of flowers and sweets I'm going to spend a single minute of Valentine's Day with a thief like you, you're dead wrong."

"Whoa, Carmelita, who do you take me for? I bought those... I can't say the same about this though" admitted Sly as he put his hand in his backpack.

The inspector, still wielding her gun, was ready to growl at the raccoon again, but she froze once she saw what he took out.

"The necklace..." she immediately recognized the piece of jewelry that was stolen from the irritating beaver's shop "...You filthy raccoon, give it back!"

Carmelita was perplexed when the thief did as told and tossed her the necklace. She caught it in mid-air and quickly went back to pointing her gun at the raccoon, who didn't move a muscle. The young vixen, confused by Sly's unusually pleasant demeanor, took a look at the piece to make sure it wasn't a forgery.

"Alright, Cooper, what's the catch?"

"Look, Carmelita, I know you probably think this is some kind of game, but I can assure you it's not, there's no catch..." the thief got off the window ledge and set foot in the inspector's office, whose warnings he ignored "... And the flowers, the sweets, the card... are not a game either." his voice shifted into a more sincere tone.

"What?" she said under her breath.

The vixen kept her arms firm and her sights on the raccoon, but that didn't stop him from slowly walking towards her.

"We've known each other for almost five years and I can still recall the time we first met, at the opera... since that night, my heart belongs to you... and every time that you chase me, point that gun at me or curse me for getting away, I feel things inside me that words can't even begin to describe."

Carmelita was left speechless. She had always rolled her eyes at the thief's attempts to flirt with her during their encounters, but this time it was different. Sly didn't just say a cheesy line and winked at her before running away. He was spilling his guts right there, in her office, in front of her.

The inspector lowered the gun as the thief's eyes gazed into hers with an honest stare.

"Sly, I-"

The young vixen fell silent when she felt how the raccoon gently held and caressed one of her hands.

"Carmelita, I want you to know that I'm willing to do anything to be with you, even if it's just for a night."

His smooth voice pleased the inspector's ears. They had been repressing their true feelings for a long time and hearing how Sly was opening up to her just made her want to kiss him, but she knew she couldn't do that.

The thief's expression saddened when she stepped back from him and looked away while crossing her arms.

"Dinner." she broke the silence in the room.

"Huh?" responded Sly, somewhat confused.

"We can go out for dinner, but just that... no dancing, no walks, just dinner."

The raccoon's face lit up.

"Oh, Carm-"

"But under one condition..."

"Anything."

"You and your gang have to abstain from any criminal activity for... a month, starting tonight."

"Deal." he didn't even think twice and offered her his hand to shake.

Carmelita was surprised by Sly's lack of haggling, but she maintained firm and sealed the deal with a handshake.

"Eight o'clock in the square with the two big fountains?" suggested Sly.

"The Place de la Concorde?"

"That one."

There was a pause.

"Goodnight, Inspector Fox." the raccoon walked to the window and waved at her before leaving.

"Goodnight, Ringtail." said the vixen under her breath.

After a few seconds, Carmelita's office was filled with nothing but absolute silence. The only thing she could hear was her heartbeat, which got faster as questions began to flood the inspector's head while she walked around the room and tried to calm herself down.

"Why didn't I arrest him?"

"Why did I agree to that?"

"Why is he so-"

The vixen let out a frustrated grunt and took another look at the necklace. It was true that she had arrested several criminals with the help of Sly, but the ring-tailed raccoon had never returned such a valuable piece for no other reason than to help her.

That got her thinking, how did he exactly get his hands on the necklace? He wasn't the one that broke into the jewelry store, and she knew the thief well enough to know he wasn't the type to hire street thugs to do his dirty work.

Sly had reminded her on various occasions that he only steals from other thieves, so the most possible explanation was that he stole the necklace from the skunk that ran away in the alley. But, she only lost sight of him for a few seconds before climbing the fence. How did he do it?

Before Carmelita kept asking herself more questions, her eyes fixed on the heart made out of post-it notes the raccoon made around the dartboard. Suddenly, the loving words of the thief came back to her head.

"...my heart belongs to you..."

"...I feel things inside me that words can't even begin to describe..."

"...I'm willing to do anything to be with you..."

As much as she had done so in the past, Carmelita couldn't deny that she also felt something for Sly. Under all that anger and rage the raccoon put her through, Carmelita was fond of the thief, even if she knew they could never be together.

The young vixen took all of the notes off the wall and threw them into the paper bin. She thought of doing the same with the bouquet of roses and the sweets Sly had left on her desk, but the inspector finally decided against it.

Carmelita took the gifts and left her office after quickly filling the daily report on her computer.

While the fox gave the necklace to someone that would return it to its annoying owner, the raccoon climbed up to the roof and rejoiced. He had been building the courage to open up to Carmelita for months, and the fact that she listened to him and decided to give him a chance, regardless of the condition she imposed on him, filled his heart with pure joy.

After a five-minute drive, the inspector arrived at her apartment. She used her keys to open the door and flipped the switch that turned on the lights.

On her kitchen table, the vixen had a vase with a few plastic flowers. She took them out, poured some water into the vase, and replaced them with the roses Sly gave her.

She didn't feel like having dinner, so Carmelita just brushed her teeth, put on her pajamas, and got into bed. As soon as the fox lay down, she felt a great relief on her back and legs, although she couldn't say the same about her heart. Every time the vixen closed her eyes she saw his smile, not the cunning smile that pissed her off and drove her crazy at the same time, but the heartful smile his lips drew as he confessed his feelings to her.

Carmelita snapped out of her fantasies with the ring-tailed thief once she remembered the deal they made. She wouldn't have to deal with Sly's shenanigans for a whole month. That would make her job a lot easier, right? She just had to go on a date with him... on Valentine's Day.

8:00

Carmelita's alarm clock, punctual as always, woke her up with a loud beeping. The vixen rubbed her eyes and yawned before getting out of bed and stretching as she walked to the bathroom. After taking a quick shower, she put on a navy blue turtleneck sweater, matching pants, and combat boots. Then she walked to the kitchen to have breakfast.

She saw Sly's gifts on her kitchen table, right where she left them the previous night. The roses were still fresh thanks to the water she put them in, and the box of pastries remained unopened. The fox was curious about the contents of the box, so she opened it. Inside, there were half a dozen fondant-covered croissants, which smelled incredible. Carmelita took a bite and felt how the chocolate melted in her mouth. Since the croissants were small, she had two with a cup of coffee.

Once she was done with her morning routine, the vixen put on her brown leather jacket and yellow gloves and left her apartment to go to work, just like any other day.

A few minutes later, the fox arrived at the international police station. She greeted some of her coworkers in the hall and used the elevator to get to her office. Carmelita tossed her jacket on the couch as she walked in and, before she took a step more, spotted a blue raccoon-shaped card on the floor. She picked it up and read it to find out it was the same one as the previous day.

"Will you be my Valentine?"

At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." said the vixen after putting the calling card in her pocket.

"Morning, Inspector Fox..." greeted Sonia, a lynx and the constable she entrusted the necklace to last night "...I just came back from last night's jewelry store, the owner was very thankful we found his necklace in such a short time."

"Good job, Constable Sonia. I'm glad I could trust you for this task."

"Thanks, boss." the lynx smiled before closing the door.

Alone again, the vixen took out the calling card and walked to one of her file cabinets. She kept all the cards that Sly had left at the scenes of the many crimes he had committed over the years in one of the drawers. Carmelita saved them as evidence, but part of her knew they had some sentimental value for her. There wasn't a feeling like the one she got every time the fox saw one of those blue cards replacing a recently stolen item.

The vixen put the card she was holding with the rest and closed the drawer. Then, she grabbed her jacket and went on patrol. Carmelita spent most of her shift making sure Sly kept his end of the deal. She kept a careful eye on the many rooftops in which they had already met and had her phone always at hand, in case someone else spotted the ringed-tailed thief.

The hours went by, and since there wasn't a sign of Sly or any of his friends, the vixen went back to the station to catch up on some paperwork.

There were only a few days in which Inspector Carmelita Fox left work at the end of her shift. This was one of those days. She was used to watching over Paris until nightfall, but this time she thought that having dinner with one of the most wanted thieves in the world was more than enough overtime.

Due to a traffic jam in the city center, it took her almost half an hour to get home. Once she arrived at her apartment, the vixen took a shower. She wrapped her body and hair with towels and stood in front of her closet to choose her outfit.

Carmelita ended up picking a beige knit winter dress with a turtleneck, complemented with a thin black belt around her waist, dark leggings, and a pair of boots that went up to her knees. But before dressing up, the fox finished drying herself with her fur dryer.

Already dressed, the young vixen applied some eyeliner and dark red lipstick, as well as a few sprays of perfume. Once Carmelita got her handbag, she was ready to go.

As the fox left her apartment building, she checked the time on her phone. There was more than enough time for her to walk to their meeting point, so she did.

She strolled down the streets of Paris, passing by the bakeries, cafes, and many more stores that were decorated for such a special day.

Seeing all the happy couples that were celebrating their love reminded her of Sly. A part of her felt guilty for not being truthful about her feelings and giving him such a cold response when he opened up to her. But, what was she supposed to do? A thief and an Interpol officer could never be together. Then, why was she going on a date? The fox had convinced herself that it was so she could forget about the Cooper gang for some time, but deep down, she fantasized about spending a night with Sly where she didn't have to use her shock gun.

A few minutes later, the vixen arrived at the Place de la Concorde, which was packed. The square was one of the most important landmarks of the city, and the fact that it was February 14th just attracted more people.

Carmelita walked to one of the fountains the raccoon had mentioned the night before and waited there. She looked around at the people walking by, trying to spot the thief between the crowd.

"Inspector Fox," Sly's unmistakable voice made her turn around.

The raccoon had a warm look on his eyes. He was wearing a white shirt with a garnet tie, a dark vest, matching pants, a grey jacket, and brown shoes.

"Cooper," the fox greeted him back and crossed her arms.

"You look stunning as always." he smiled.

The vixen was flattered, but she was also surprised by how the raccoon looked almost unrecognizable without the clothes she was used to seeing him in.

"You look... different without the hat and the mask." Carmelita carefully observed the raccoon's facial features, especially the natural mask his dark fur drew around his brown eyes.

"Is that a compliment, Inspector?" he leaned towards her.

"You wish..." she said while mimicking his smile.

There was a pause. Sly looked at the fox tenderly, making her blush a little.

"Shall we get going?" said Carmelita as she put her hand on her hips.

"Of course..." he answered in a gentle tone of voice.

Before the vixen could take a step, the raccoon offered her his arm to walk. She thought about it for a couple of seconds but ended up accepting.

Sly and Carmelita left the square arm in arm.

"Are you sure you don't wanna go dancing? I know a great pl-"

"Don't push your luck, Ringtail."

"Alright, alright, just dinner it is."

The fox and the raccoon kept walking down the street until they arrived at the restaurant Sly had chosen. It was a small establishment, nothing too fancy. The exterior was simple, decorated with just an awning that had the restaurant's name. As soon as they walked in, the couple was delighted by the atmosphere. Dim lighting, soft music, and candles in the center of the tables.

"What do you think?" he asked as they looked around.

"I must admit it's a nice place..." she said while they sat at a table.

"I'm glad you like it." he smiled before taking a look at the menu.

Carmelita did the same, but instead of the menu, her eyes focused on the raccoon and his carefree smile. She couldn't deny Sly was one attractive raccoon.

"Say, Carmelita..." he interrupted her thoughts, "...how is that a young and beautiful woman like you didn't have plans for Valentine's Day?"

"Well... it's not easy to have a relationship while you travel around the world catching criminals." she did her best to seem like Sly's sweet-talk didn't appeal to her.

"Then I must thank you for taking time off your busy schedule, Inspector... I, truly, am a very lucky raccoon."

The vixen didn't have time to reply. A waiter approached them as he apologized for taking too long and took their orders. Since Carmelita didn't pay attention to the menu, she ordered the same as Sly. The waiter told them it would take a few minutes and went to the kitchen.

"So, Ms. Fox...do you have any hobbies besides raccoon hunting?"

"Don't be so smug, Ringtail, of course I have hobbies... And what's with all the questions?"

"I was just trying to make some conversation... Sorry."

Just a look at the raccoon's saddened eyes was enough for Carmelita to realize that she perhaps was a bit harsh with her answer.

"I go skiing from time to time..." she said while looking away.

Once they made eye contact again, Sly's good-natured expression made her smile unconsciously.

The waiter came back with a bottle of red wine the raccoon had ordered for them. He uncorked it and served it on two glasses.

"By the way, Cooper, I forgot to thank you for the necklace."

"Oh, don't even worry about it, Carmelita... You know I'm always glad to help you."

Sly wasn't lying. Even if they weren't on the same team, the raccoon had shown on several occasions that he was willing to go off his criminal plans to lend her a hand. Like when he risked his life to save her from Clokwerk, when he freed her from The Contessa's prison, or when he took care of her when she spent a night unconscious in the Australian Outback a few months back.

"Sly, can I ask you something?" Carmelita's voice shifted to a more serious tone.

"Shoot"

"Why do you... do what you do?"

"You mean thieving?"

She answered the raccoon's question with a nod of her head.

"Well... all of my ancestors were thieves, and their knowledge has been passed from generation to generation. You could say it's the family business. Although, that's not the only reason... there's also you."

"Me?" she asked while arching one of her eyebrows.

"Yeah... Which kind of master thief wouldn't want the best of the best chasing after him? Especially when she's such a brilliant, talented, and beautiful woman."

The inspector's cheeks turned red, but before she could even say a word, the waiter interrupted them once again to bring them their food.

As soon as he left, Sly raised his cup and proposed a toast.

"To us."

Carmelita stared at him for a brief moment. His eyes were sparkling with passion, and his lips were drawing a glowing smile. The vixen felt how her skin got hot as her heartbeat sped up.

The fox managed to keep control of herself. She reached for her glass and raised it as he did.

"To us."

They both took a sip of wine and started to eat. Carmelita was pleasantly surprised by the food. It was good to know that Sly didn't only have good taste for the art he stole.

As they ate, the vixen and the raccoon began to remember their many rendezvous in the past. Mesa City, China, the party in Rajan's palace, the Canadian train tracks, Venice, the ACES competition, the list goes on.

When they finished, the raccoon politely offered to pay for dinner, but Carmelita, knowing how he got that money, proposed that they split the bill.

The couple left the restaurant shortly after. During the time they were dining, the sky's blue turned darker, and the moon, pale as always, began to shine proudly alongside the stars.

"So... Can I walk you home?..." asked the thief "...I know you said just dinner, but I'd rather make sure that you got home safe... I-It's not like I think you wouldn't, I mean, I know for a fact that you can take care of yourself."

Sly showed some of the first-date nervousness that he had managed to hide during dinner. Carmelita thought it was cute and let out a genuine and fond smile.

"Sure." answered the fox before offering him her arm to walk.

The raccoon replied with a smile and they both started walking. Even if she wasn't willing to admit it, Carmelita was having a great time. However, part of her felt heartbroken that it all was going to be over in a few minutes.

Her pessimistic thoughts were interrupted by Sly, who, being slightly shorter than her, leaned his head on Carmelita's right shoulder. The vixen immediately felt a chill that traveled through her body and warmed her heart. She turned her head to him and, after a few seconds of hesitation, the fox put her arm around the raccoon, whose chest was overflowing with joy.

The inspector and the thief walked like that for around ten minutes, until arriving at Carmelita's apartment.

"Well, this is it..." she said.

There was a short pause.

"I had a great time tonight, Carmelita... I wish we could do this more often." Sly's words matched the sincerity in his eyes.

"You know we can't do that, Sly..." she looked away.

There was another pause.

"What if I offered you another month of criminal abstinence?"

"Sly, I'd rather that this stays as a one-time thing."

"Did you... not have a good time?" he asked in a low-spirited voice.

"It's..." the vixen closed her eyes and took a deep breath "...it's not that, Sly. I just think that it's unethical to go out for dinner with a criminal in exchange for him staying home for four weeks."

"Then why did you agree on tonight?"

The vixen had cornered herself. She didn't answer and, while she kept questioning if it was worth it to keep holding back her feelings, the thief got closer to her and gently held her hands.

"Carmelita, I know that you think this is wrong but, if you give me a chance, I'm sure that we'll find a way... together"

Their eyes met and the inspector felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest. She just wanted to pull him by the tie and kiss him, but her stubborn and overthinking head kept telling her not to do so.

"Except we won't" she pulled her hands away and turned her back on him.

"How can you be so sure?" Sly asked, disheartened.

A few seconds of silence passed.

"Don't you think I haven't thought about it?"

The thief fell silent. The vixen turned to him and looked into his eyes before gently holding his face. The raccoon's heart caught fire as he felt her soft and warm hands.

"Sly... I know that our relationship is... unusual. You run, I run after you, and sometimes we have these moments where you help me or I help you... and I wouldn't change them for nothing in the world..." the thief's heart began to race "...Tonight has been great, and of course, I'd also like to do this more often... but you have to understand that we can't... We belong in different worlds."

"But I love you."

The vixen opened her eyes widely at his words.

"Sly-"

"I do... and I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say that you're the most wonderful woman I've ever met... and that I'd be willing to give up anything just to be with you."

Carmelita was lost for words once again. Sly had managed to make her forget about all of the worries that tormented her.

Now it was just him and her.

Without saying a word, the vixen carefully put her hand on the raccoon's cheek and slowly leaned in. They both closed their eyes and joined their lips in a kiss that tensed Sly's tail and ears. Carmelita's other hand traveled up the thief's chest and caressed his other cheek, while Sly delicately wrapped his arms around the vixen and let his tail surround her legs.

It felt amazing.

Eventually, they broke the kiss to catch their breath. The raccoon had a genuine and joyful smile on his flustered face, while Carmelita, who was also blushing, gently caressed one of his ears.

It was then that all of her worries came back. The vixen tried to clear her mind and avoid thinking about Interpol or how going out with Sly could be dangerous for both of them. She tried to picture a scenario in which they could be together like she had done so many times in the past... but, just like then, it didn't work.

The thief was holding her tight, unaware of what was going on in her head.

"Everything alright, Carmelita?" he asked once he noticed her lost stare.

Her expression turned sad as she stopped caressing his fur and rested her head on the raccoon's chest.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Sly asked, concerned.

"I'm sorry, Sly..." her voice broke as she slowly pulled away from him "...but I can't do this." she turned around and wiped away the tears that began to flow from her eyes before walking into the building.

"Carmelita, wait!"

His attempt to stop her was in vain. He lost sight of her once she crossed the lobby and walked up the stairs.

Sly stood there for a few seconds as he felt a wounding sensation growing inside his chest. It all happened too fast. He thought of going after her, but finally decided against it and began to walk back to his gang's hideout.

The raccoon had his gaze fixed on the pavement as he walked past the cafes that started to close and the couples that were still out cherishing love. Every time he thought of her, Sly would sense a feeling of anguish that went from his chest up to his throat.

Sure, he was aware of the odds being against a relationship between them, but he thought they could somehow make it work. He knew that Carmelita had always been very serious about her job and he wasn't expecting her to just quit Interpol and run away with him... he just wanted a chance.

That anguishing feeling turned bittersweet once he remembered the fox's delicate and soft hands holding his face as their lips melted in such an extraordinary kiss. Oh, what he would give to go back to that kiss.

In the meantime, Carmelita had made her way up to her apartment while trying not to burst into tears. Once inside, she rested her back against the door, closed her eyes, and tried to calm her agitated breathing. After she started to feel better, the vixen took a deep breath and got up. As she walked across her living room, she noticed the roses on her kitchen table, which caused tears to roll down her face.

The vixen covered her face and let out a cry full of regret as she lay down on the couch.

"None of this was supposed to happen..." the vixen said to herself "...I shouldn't have agreed to this, I shouldn't have kissed him, I... shouldn't have stormed out."

Carmelita felt like her behavior had been slightly unfair. Their night had been delightful and Sly poured his heart out just for her to walk away.

She felt bad, but what choice did she have? They couldn't be together... right?

Doubt and regret began to flood the inspector's head. She got up from the couch and walked into her room to go to bed. The sweetness of the raccoon's lips and the coziness of his embrace filled her with remorse. Once the vixen put on her pajamas, she got under the covers and tried to fall asleep as she kept trying to get rid of the emotional turmoil in her mind.

Meanwhile, Sly had already arrived at the Cooper Gang's hideout, which was an old Parisian house next to Le Théâtre Formidable, Dimitri's nightclub. When Sly walked in the door, Bentley and Murray were watching TV on the couch.

"Hi, buddy." the pink hippo greeted him.

"How did it go with Carmelita?" asked the turtle, curious.

"It was fine..." said the raccoon as he joined them on the couch.

"Really? You don't sound very convinced." pointed out Murray.

"Well... dinner was great, but then Carmelita said that she being a cop and me being a thief would... complicate things."

"I mean, she does have a point..." said Bentley "...but, hey, look on the bright side, at least you got a date on Valentine's Day... Penelope is back in Holland and all we could do is talk on the phone."

"I know, I just wish we could... be together..." said Sly with a saddened voice.

"Oh, don't worry, that's just a matter of time." said the turtle.

"A matter of time?" replied the raccoon.

"Yeah, you two are obsessed with each other. Your relationship, as... peculiar as it is, is bound to have a romantic denouement..." explained Bentley.

Sly and Murray looked at each other, slightly confused.

"My point is that you and Carmelita are meant to be... if you guys hadn't hit it off a few years back, we would probably be locked up by now." continued the turtle.

"Hmm, I never thought of it that way..." Sly showed a small smile.

"On another note, you'll be happy to know that we are in the final phase of our plan for the Cooper Vault retrieval..." said Bentley.

The raccoon suddenly remembered the deal he made with Carmelita, which his friends knew nothing of.

"I know that thanks to your dad's old friend, we have the directions to Kaine Island. But I've been doing some digging on ThiefNet for the last couple of days, and I've happened to find an exclusive exhibition about islands of the Pacific Ocean that premieres tomorrow in the National Marine Museum, right here in Paris."

"Now that's convenient..." commented Murray.

"Are you not excited, Sly? If we get our hands on a map of Kaine Island, we could know where the vault is exactly located and carry out our plan with more precision." Bentley was concerned about the raccoon's expression.

"Y-yes, it's great. I just...is there a chance we could postpone the heist?" Sly shrugged.

"Postpone it? Sly, we've been planning this for over a year." said the turtle.

"I know but I... kinda agreed with Carmelita that we would stay out of the business for a month."

Bentley and Murray looked at each other.

"Why would you do that?" asked the smartest of the three.

"It was her only condition for us to go out and I didn't think about it... I basically accepted immediately." explained the raccoon.

"Sly, you can't just gamble our plans away in exchange for dinner dates with Interpol officers." replied the turtle.

"I know! It was stupid and selfish..." the raccoon sighed "...I just wanted her to give me an opportunity."

There were a few seconds of silence. Murray looked at his two friends with saddened eyes, the big guy didn't like it when there were fights between them. Bentley noticed this and tried to come up with a solution.

"Look, Sly, we get that you don't wanna break your promise to Carmelita. So, how about this? We could postpone the vault heist for two weeks and instead of stealing the map, we can simply take a picture of it."

"Wouldn't it be easier to take it from the internet?" asked Murray.

"It would, but, unfortunately, there is little to no information about Kaine Island on the web."

"So we just walk in and take a picture?" Sly arched one of his eyebrows.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, you see, the museum doesn't allow cameras, and the resolution of a mobile phone camera is not going to be good enough. You'll have to sneak in past closing time, look for the map, and use the high res camera in your binocucoms to take a picture of it."

"Sounds easy... and besides, breaking into a museum and not stealing anything is only half a crime" commented Sly.

The gang agreed to go to sleep and to continue planning the museum break-in the next day, that way Bentley would have enough time to prepare a slideshow.

The raccoon took off his clothes and got into bed. The darkness and the silence of the night drove him to mindlessly stare into the ceiling as a broken-hearted feeling and a bit of guilt ate him up. Although they weren't going to steal anything, he felt like that would be false-hearted to Carmelita. Sly also thought back to what happened outside her apartment and wondered if they could ever be together. His concerns slowly began to vanish as he recalled the kiss one more time. It was true that it hadn't been their first one, but it sure felt way more passionate and tender than the rest. The thief ended up falling asleep while fantasizing about his fox.

Speaking of whom, Carmelita was also giving free rein to her imagination. She finally brought herself to put her worries aside and to embrace her feelings for the thief, which resulted in a very amusing dream.

It had been a long day for Inspector Carmelita Fox. She had been trying to crack a case all day. Luckily for her, just a few minutes ago, she arrested the criminal she was looking for with the help of a charming volunteer.

Since she was working abroad, the fox went back to her hotel room. It was always the same story when she had to travel. Carmelita would have an entire room for herself and no one to share it with. At least until that night.

As soon as she got to her room, the inspector took a shower and prepared to go to bed. She put on a red nightgown and, before getting under the sheets, decided to take a look out the window.

"You were amazing out there today, Inspector Fox." an unmistakable voice interrupted her.

Carmelita looked at one of the balconies that were above her and saw him. He was wearing his usual blue clothes, alongside his cap, mask, and, of course, his irresistible smug smile. Instead of telling him off, the vixen decided to take the compliment and play along for once.

"Thanks, Ringtail, I appreciate you giving me a hand from time to time."

"Well, I like to think of us as a great team."

"Hmm... I like to think so too. Say, since you've been so helpful tonight, how about you come inside and we have a drink?"

"R-really?" Sly was surprised by the vixen's friendly behavior.

"Yeah, consider it a one-night truce."

The raccoon was hesitant due to the radical change in the inspector's actions. He was used to her yelling at him and this kinda caught him off guard.

"It's okay if you don't want-"

"No, no, I do... I... I mean if you're okay with it..." he smiled, nervous.

"I am" she smirked before walking back into her room.

Sly jumped down to Carmelita's room balcony and saw how she opened the minibar next to her bed.

"I have beer, tonic, sparkling water-"

"Beer's okay..." said the thief as he walked towards her.

The fox grabbed a couple of beers. She gave one to Sly and they drank them while talking about the case they just solved. After a few minutes, the couple was sitting in the bed, one in front of the other.

"I mean it, Carmelita, I wouldn't mind helping you out more often."

"Well, then I guess I couldn't refuse to lend a hand to such an attractive, charming, and loving raccoon on occasion."

There was a pause. They both looked at each other with confidence and slightly flustered cheeks. Carmelita cocked her head while smiling before resting her hand on Sly's leg. The thief mimicked her smile and got closer to her. He gently held her chin and she delicately placed her hands on his chest to feel the raccoon's rising heartbeat.

"By the way, you look amazing in that." Sly complimented the vixen, who let out a genuine chuckle before running her hands up to his neck and kissing him.

It was a sweet and brief kiss but it didn't take long for their lips to meet again. This time the thief smoothly ran his hand down her hips and Carmelita took off his hat and mask. Without breaking the kiss, Sly fell back on the bed and the vixen placed herself on top of him.

They both gasped for air once their lips parted ways. The thief was lying on his back and the inspector was practically sitting on his abdomen. Carmelita, then, decided to unhurriedly slip her hands under Sly's sweater. The vixen enjoyed the feel of the raccoon's well-built body, as well as the softness of his fur. Meanwhile, he simply rejoiced in Carmelita's affection.

In a quick and sudden move, the fox was able to take the thief's shirt off, exposing his grey chest.

"Don't you think this is a bit unfair?" jokingly said Sly as he sat up.

"Then I guess we should even things out..." replied Carmelita in a seductive voice as she traced patterns on his chest with her fingers.

They smiled before kissing one more time. This time the raccoon's tongue teased her as his hands smoothly took care of the nightgown. Sly surprised her with a few neck kisses that made her arch her back before his eyes focused on her body.

"You're beautiful..." smiled the thief before creating a path of small kisses that began in her neck and went all the way down her chest.

February 15th, 10:15

Carmelita woke up suddenly in cold sweats. Her pulse was racing and it took her a while to catch her breath. She, then, noticed the sun coming through the window and reached for her alarm clock to check the time.

"¡Joder!" the vixen cussed in Spanish when she realized she was late for work.

The inspector took a quick shower, got dressed, and left her apartment. She cursed her alarm clock as she drove through the streets of Paris until arriving at the International Police Station. As head of security, she was responsible for assigning the duties of the officers under her charge. That's why she expected a bunch of Interpol officers waiting for her or one of her superiors ready to tell her off. To her surprise, everyone seemed to be doing just fine in her absence.

"Oh! Inspector Fox, you're here..." Sonia received her.

"Good morning, Constable. I apologize for being late I-"

"It's alright, I took the liberty of getting the duties list from your office and passed it around to everyone."

"Oh... You did? Great job, Sonia. I'm impressed."

"Thanks, boss... I'm impressed that they actually listened to me... they were all so busy talking about you that I-"

"Talking about me?" the fox crossed her arms.

"Yeah, you know... talking about how good of an inspector you are..."

"Sonia, why don't you tell me what they were really saying?" Carmelita didn't believe a word she said.

"Well... Last night people saw you leave with a bunch of gifts and some think that the reason you were late today is that you... spent the night with someone."

Carmelita took a deep breath.

"Constable, I want to make something clear... I'm not going to let my private life, let alone my love life, become water cooler gossip around here, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am"

"Because it's nobody's business who I spend the night with or who I don't."

"Of course, ma'am."

"Now, go back to your desk and get to work..." Carmelita's voice shifted into a calmer tone.

The lynx nodded and obeyed.

"And thanks again for taking care of the list... I really appreciate it." said the fox before going into her office.

As soon as the door closed behind her, the inspector rested back her head against it and took a moment to process all that had happened in the last hour, putting special attention to the reason that she woke up late. Although her dream seemed short, it kept her in bed for more hours than she used to sleep. The vixen vaguely tried to think back to the fantasy. Unfortunately, all she could recall was a grey blur.

Determined to get some work done, Carmelita sat at her desk and turned on her computer. While the machine booted up, her eyes drifted to the wall in front of her. The vixen got up from her chair and walked up to the dartboard she had hanging on the wall. She took Sly's picture and stared at it while her lips drew a small smile. Carmelita folded it and put it in one of her desk drawers as she cast her mind back to the night that photo was taken.

Before she could even notice, the fox was daydreaming about the thief again. She ignored the butterflies in her stomach and tried to focus on work, but that didn't go as planned.

The inspector stumbled upon a folder in which she saved all the evidence regarding the raccoon and couldn't resist taking a look. Inside the folder, she found all of the reports she had written after her encounters with Sly. There were also some pictures, like the ones the Cooper gang took the night they took care of her while she was unconscious in the Australian outback. All of those memories made her feel a warm sensation in her chest, growing bigger with every heartbeat.

Eventually, she snapped out of it and tried to be productive again. She closed the folder, pulled up her mail, and went through her list of pending paperwork. The list wasn't very long, but the problem was that Carmelita couldn't decide what to start with.

The minutes went by, and that warm sensation turned into an insufferable headache.

She backed away from her desk, covered her face with her hands, and took a deep breath before deciding to take the day off and go home. Maybe, if she got better throughout the day, she'd be able to work the night shift.

Back at her apartment, Carmelita put on comfortable clothes, took an aspirin, and made a cup of peppermint tea in hopes of easing her headache. She then closed the curtains in the living room, put the TV on, and lowered the volume before laying down on the couch and wrapping herself in a blanket.

Despite oversleeping, the vixen felt drowsy. That's why, after finishing the tea, she snuggled up on the couch and tried to take a nap. Carmelita yawned before closing her eyes and hearing how the sound of TV began to fade. The fox was comfortable, warm, and cozy. But still, she couldn't fall asleep.

It was then that the thought of fantasizing about Sly came back to her mind. The fox smiled as she imagined the raccoon holding her as he ran his hands delicately over her body. She would feel his gentle breathing while their chests pressed against each other. And she'd also look into his eyes as their snouts slightly touched before gifting themselves with a passionate and kindhearted kiss.

*CRASH*

Carmelita was woken up from her trance by a sudden and loud noise that came from her balcony. She got up and drew the curtains of the balcony door aside to reveal the cause of the noise, which was none other than the thief she was indulging in fantasy with. At first, the inspector was more surprised than anything, but she frowned once she noticed a broken flower pot on the floor, which the raccoon was trying to pick up. They made eye contact, and Sly nervously smiled before the fox opened the sliding door.

"Cooper, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Carmelita. I accidentally knocked it down, and I-"

"I mean, what are you doing here?"

"Oh. Well... after what happened last night, I wanted to check if you were alright and, since you weren't at work, I figured you'd be here."

"I'm fine, Sly... What about you?"

"Me too..."

"Are you sure?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I get that, with your job, dating a thief isn't ideal. It would be very problematic."

Carmelita sighed in agreement before paying attention to Sly's outfit. The raccoon was wearing a red hoodie and a pair of grey sweatpants. She was still not used to seeing him in regular clothes. It made her wonder how many times she could've possibly come across him without her knowing.

"I'm sorry about the plant..." the thief interrupted her thoughts with his apology.

"Oh... don't worry. I haven't watered any of these in weeks..." admitted Carmelita before walking to the kitchen to get a broom and a dustpan.

Sly offered to pick up the remains of the flowerpot that were on the floor, so the fox let him. As she observed him, the inspector thought back to her actions the previous night.

"Do you have a trash can?" asked Sly as he held the dustpan, which was full of dirt and pieces of ceramic.

"Uh, yeah. In the kitchen."

The raccoon emptied the dustpan in the trash and turned around to find the roses he gave her on the kitchen table.

"I see you didn't throw out the flowers..." he said while walking back to the balcony.

"Of course I didn't, they were a gift."

Sly smiled and they both stood there, awkwardly, for a few seconds.

"Well, I think I should get going..." said the thief before stepping out onto the balcony.

"Sly, wait..." she grabbed him by the arm "...about last night... I owe you an apology."

"Carmelita, it's okay-"

"No, it's not okay. We were having a great time, and I ruined it by being rude and inconsiderate."

"I don't think you were rude and inconsiderate." he smiled.

"How can you say that when I ran away after we..."

"Kissed?..." Sly smirked, "...Because I know you're worried about risking a lot of things if we start dating, especially your job."

"Sly, I'm not afraid of losing my job... I'm afraid of losing you."

"What?" Sly was perplexed.

"If we started dating, and word got out, we'd have to live on the run... and if something happened to you, I would never be able to forgive myself." the fox crossed her arms and looked away.

"Carmelita... I've been running from you for the past 5 years, and, look at me, I'm still in one piece. Any bush-league cop they put in charge has nothing to do against me... or us."

"But it wouldn't be just Interpol. You and I both have many enemies around the world..."

"We have each other..."

The vixen let out an honest smile before taking a step forward and hugging Sly, who corresponded her affection by holding her tight. She rested her head on his right shoulder, and the raccoon surrounded her waist with his arms. A soft and pleasant feeling of comfort overflowed their hearts.

"What if we tried?" the fox broke the silence in the room.

"You mean dating?" the thief backed off in a sudden move, but his arms were still holding her.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?" he smiled, excited, as his tail began to wag.

"I am." the vixen smiled like him as she wrapped her hands around his neck.

Sly leaned in, and they merged their lips in a kiss that made them close their eyes. He rested his hands on her hips and pulled her closer to him while Carmelita fondled his face with her hands. They broke the kiss to catch their breath, but their snouts kept pressing on each other. The thief planted a series of small kisses on her face until their lips met again. This time their tongues played together while Sly ran his hands down Carmelita's curves. He softly caressed the base of her tail as the fox stroked his chest. It felt so right to love each other.

After breaking the second kiss, they gasped until breathing returned to normal. Their cheeks were flustered, and their tails were wagging around in excitement.

"You know? I'm working tonight, but maybe tomorrow you could come over for dinner."

"I'd love that."

After arranging the details of their date and exchanging a few more signs of affection, the raccoon got ready to go.

"Sly..." said the fox before the thief could jump over the balcony handrail.

"Hmm?" he turned to her.

"Use the door." she chuckled.

"Oh. Right." he got back inside and said goodbye with a kiss.

After the door closed, Carmelita jumped to the couch with excitement and celebrated. Sly also rejoiced. He enthusiastically punched the air while smiling like the raccoon in love he was.

Once calmed down, Carmelita decided to have lunch and get some work done. She submitted some paperwork and chose a job for the night shift before taking a nap to be well-rested for work.

Just like all morning, the vixen couldn't get the thief out of her head. So, since she took a liking to her fantasies with her now-boyfriend, her mind kept working its magic.

Carmelita hated these kinds of parties, the ones where she had to shake hands with a bunch of strangers and fake a smile while standing for two hours. This time it was the opening of a new art gallery. The owner partnered up with Interpol for security purposes, and he wanted to thank Carmelita and her team by inviting them to one of those boring parties.

Between handshakes and greetings, it took her almost 15 minutes to get to the bar. She ordered a drink and looked around the room. It was full of rich people that had little interest in art and only cared about making more money. After finishing her drink, the vixen decided to get away from the dull chattering and the monotonous music, so she went upstairs.

The fox walked into the restroom and washed her face before motivating herself to get back to the party.

"Good evening, Ms. Fox." a voice greeted her as soon as she walked out of the restroom.

Carmelita didn't have to turn around to know that a charming and cunning thief was standing right behind her. She tried to draw the gun she had under her dress, but the raccoon was faster than her. Sly grabbed her by the waist and went into the restroom. He used his foot to shut the door and carefully put the fox against the wall.

"Get your hands off me, Ringtail!" she growled.

The raccoon smiled and did as told. Carmelita looked him up and down. The thief was wearing a tuxedo. It wasn't the first time she saw him in one, and she couldn't deny that he looked better than in his thief outfit. His hair looked nice, his eyes looked deeply into hers, and his scent was delightful.

"What the hell are you doing here?" the vixen furrowed her brow.

"Well... a certain fox lady stole my heart, and I was hoping you could help me with that..." the raccoon surrounded her body with his hands and got closer to her.

Carmelita felt a strange and exciting feeling of weakness. She didn't like not being in control of the situation. But this time, it was different.

"You look amazing in that dress..." he said with a soft voice.

His compliments made her blush. The thief smiled again before gently caressing her cheek with his thumb and holding her chin. They made eye contact again, and Carmelita felt how her heart began to race after their snouts touched.

Even though he was doing a great job hiding it, Sly was as nervous as Carmelita. All of his past loving approaches were rejected by her shock gun. But this time it seemed like the one.

"Carmelita, I know that you think I'm just a filthy thief, but I-" he was interrupted by the vixen's lips.

The inspector opened the door a bit and took a look down the hall while the raccoon just stood there with a dumb smile on his face. The coast was clear, so she took the thief's hand and walked out of the restroom.

"Where are we going?" he asked while looking around.

She just shushed him before walking into a janitor's closet. Carmelita shut the door with her back and didn't bother to turn on the light. The vixen surrounded his neck with her arms and planted a kiss on his lips. Sly replied by bringing her closer to him by the waist. She loved the way the thief's tongue teased her as his chest pressed against her. Right after their lips parted, the raccoon kissed her neck, causing her to let out a half-suppressed moan. Sly smiled satisfied and kept pleasing the fox.

Carmelita was trembling with pleasure, and her face was all red. With every kiss that thief planted on her fur, a chill ran down her spine, filling her with satisfaction.

"Sly..." she called him.

"Mmm... Sly..." mumbled Carmelita as she tossed and turned in bed.

Eventually, the vixen woke up from her dream and realized she was by herself, which made her more impatient for their date. She looked at the time on her phone and thought it was time to get ready for the night shift. So, she took a shower, got dressed, and prepared something to eat to take to work.

As for Sly, he and the gang were preparing for the museum half-heist. Bentley had finished his slideshow and was setting up his projector.

"Alright, gang, listen up..." the turtle started explaining "...We have two ways of getting into the museum. One is through the main door. There will probably be guards, so you'll need a disguise or some kind of distraction. The other way is through the skylight on the roof. It is riskier but, since Sly is the one going in, I know he's gonna pick this one..."

"Read my mind, buddy." said the raccoon.

"Now, once inside, you'll have to use the guide I got from the internet to locate the exhibition that we are looking for. Then you just take a picture of the Kaine Island map and head out the way you came in. Got it?"

"Get it, snap a picture, get out. Got it." the raccoon gave a thumbs up to his friend.

After the slideshow, Bentley made sure that their binocucoms were operative. Since this was an easy job, the raccoon figured that he wouldn't need his cane. So, once everything was ready, Sly grabbed his backpack, put on his mask and hat, and went out the window.

Sly loved coming across Carmelita every night he went out thieving. He got a kick out of every frown, every curse in Spanish, or every missed shot of her shock gun. And as much as he enjoyed that thrill, he simply couldn't afford it tonight. He just had to get in and get out.

The raccoon arrived at the museum and climbed to the roof. He was committed to doing this, but he kept hearing a voice in his head that nudged him about his deal with Carmelita. He began to question if it was worth it to take the risk of breaking in, but compared to something he had done in the past, it didn't seem like that big of a deal. Still, he was worried about messing things up with the fox.

It was then that another voice started to ring in his ear.

"Sly, come in. Do you read me?" said Bentley through his binocucoms.

"Loud and clear, buddy. I'm in position." answered the thief.

Meanwhile, Carmelita, who was almost two hours into her shift, was having dinner. She took out the sandwich she had packed earlier and got a coffee from a vending machine. It seemed like a peaceful night for her. After all, who in the world would want to steal from a boat museum?

That's right. By chance or fate, Sly and Carmelita had ended up in the same place without even knowing it.

As she ate, the fox kept an eye on the security cameras. She was surprised by the many ship-related works of the museum. Ship parts, ship paintings, ship models...

One floor above, Sly had made his way down the skylight. He whipped out the museum guide and located the Pacific Islands exhibition. The raccoon, sneaky as always, moved while looking out for the guards that walked around the place with flashlights.

The thief finally arrived at a room full of maps. Some were hanging on the wall, and some were displayed in a showcase in the middle of the room. Sly inspected all the maps one by one, but none of them were of Kaine Island.

"Bentley, the map isn't here..." he whispered into the binocucoms.

"That can't be. My source told me it was supposed to be there."

"Well, it's not here."

There was a silent pause that lasted a few seconds.

"Bentley?" asked Sly.

"Okay, there should be room nearby where they store the valuables. Try taking a look there."

"Got it..."

The raccoon wandered around the halls cautiously while looking for the room. He ended up stumbling upon a door that said: Authorised Personnel Only.

"This must be it..." said Sly before putting his innate ability to open locks into practice.

Less than a minute was enough for him to open the door. Once opened, he switched on the lights to reveal the many artifacts and pieces stored in the room.

"Jackpot..." he closed the door behind him and took out his binocucoms "...Bentley, I'm in the room."

There was a security camera in the room. And when Sly turned on the lights, one of the monitors in front of Carmelita lit up. The fox got closer to the screen and watched in disbelief as the raccoon had trouble unrolling the map on the floor. She rubbed her eyes, double-checked, triple-checked. Part of her wanted that raccoon to be a vulgar and ordinary thief, but those clothes and that tail pattern were unmistakable.

"Un-fucking-believable" she gritted her teeth, grabbed her gun, and left the surveillance room.

*snap*

"Got it." said the raccoon after taking the picture.

"Great job. Now put the map back and skedaddle..." advised Bentley.

Sly began to roll up the map when the door suddenly opened. His ears tensed before he turned around to come face to face with Carmelita, who was furious for catching the thief red-handed. The raccoon dropped the map and slowly put his hands up as his lips drew a nervous smile. He desperately wanted to explain the situation to her but, before he could even say a word, the fox let out a frustrated growl and closed the door. Carmelita thought of confronting him but, instead, she just walked away while clenching her fists and furrowing her brow. The thief tried to follow her, but the other guards that were around made him take an alternative route.

The vixen left the museum with the excuse of getting some fresh air. Small and thin raindrops paved her way as she strolled down the street, blinded by rage. It didn't take long for her to take out her frustration on a trash can that, surprisingly, stood upright after several kicks.

Once she stopped, Carmelita rested her back against the nearest wall and covered her face with her hands as she failed to hold back the tears that began to roll down her cheeks. Why? Why did this happen to her? The fox had been scared of following her heart for years, and when she finally decided to give love a chance, it only took a few hours until problems arose. Perhaps they rushed things a bit too much or, even worse, maybe her much-desired life beside the thief she was in love with had always been set for failure.

"Carmelita!" yelled Sly from a distance.

The fox raised her head and saw how the raccoon walked towards her, looking a little fatigued.

"Don't!" she drew her gun and stopped him from getting any closer.

"Carmelita, please-"

"Oh, shut your mouth, you no-good, lying, crook." she aggressively interrupted him.

"But I wasn't-"

"But you weren't what? Doing anything, right? It's always the same with you, Cooper. And I'm tired..." she slowly began to lower her weapon "...I know that I should be used to it by now, but I... don't know what to believe anymore."

Her sad expression broke Sly's heart.

"Carmelita, I can explain..."

The vixen looked through him with a piercing stare, which eventually disappeared after making eye contact with the thief, whose eyes reflected his honesty and regret. Maybe she had blown things a little bit out of proportion. The inspector crossed her arms and nodded at the raccoon, allowing him to continue talking.

"Look... the truth is that I'm just a miserable dumbass that threw away the only chance he had with the love of his life for a stupid picture of a stupid map..." he looked away.

"A picture?"

"Yeah, it's a long story. We needed a map of some island on the Pacific for something we had been planning. But, since we had that deal, I convinced the guys to try to keep it crime-free. That's when Bentley came up with the picture thing. I thought that would be better, but it wasn't... I still fucked things up."

"Sly, I'm sure you had your reasons for doing this. But when you give your word to someone, the least you can do is not go behind their back as soon as they turn around."

"I know. I'm sorry. I swear that if I could go back, I'd stop myself from doing it."

"You say that because you got caught..."

Sly looked down at the floor, ashamed, as his ears leaned back. Meanwhile, Carmelita stood firm. The couple didn't notice, but they had been walking, unconsciously, towards each other during their conversation. Now they were just over 6 feet apart from each other.

"What if I give myself in?" jumped Sly after a few seconds of silence.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous."

"I'm serious. I'll serve my time and then we'll-"

"Sly, I know that I've been trying to put you behind bars for the past five years... but I don't want to spend the next five seeing you just 10 minutes a day and handcuffed to a picnic table."

"Then, what do you want?"

"You, you stupid raccoon..." said Carmelita before swallowing hard "... I just want to be with you." her soft voice caressed the thief's ears before she took a step forward and hugged him tightly.

Sly, surprised, quickly hugged her back.

"Carmelita, I'm so sorry. I-"

"I know, I know... It's okay..." the fox felt the side of Sly's face with her hand "...how about we forget about the deal and tonight, hmm?" she stepped back to make eye contact.

"R-really?" he raised both of his eyebrows.

"The deal was just a dumb excuse for my conscience to be clear after I went on a date with you. And tonight... Well, if I'm gonna date a thief, I should get used to him stealing things... or sneaking into museums past his bedtime to take pictures with flash." she chuckled.

"Hey..." Sly pretended to be offended.

They both laughed and looked into each other's eyes before smiling and finally noticing the rain that was pouring over them.

"I should probably go home now..." said Carmelita.

"Aren't you gonna go back to the museum?" Sly pointed back at it with his thumb.

"It's a boat museum. They'll be fine." she shrugged.

"In that case... Do you mind if I accompany you?" he asked while cocking his head.

The vixen smiled and offered him her hand to walk together. The thief mimicked the inspector's smile before pulling her closer and taking her by the waist.

As they walked, Sly rested his head on one of the fox's shoulders, just like he did the previous day. He also took off his cap and gave it to Carmelita, a gesture she appreciated even though it didn't prevent her from getting wet. They tried to take refuge under the awnings, terraces, and balconies of the buildings they walked past, but that didn't help either.

Once they arrived at Carmelita's apartment, the couple took cover under the small roof that was over the main door of the building. They were both soaked and slightly shivering since it was also very cold at that time of the night. The fox wrung out the thief's cap like a rag and gave it back.

"Is dinner tomorrow still on the table?" asked Sly as he put it on.

"Yeah, sure..." replied Carmelita, who believed the cap looked way better on him than on her.

"Good... Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow..." the raccoon leaned in for a goodbye kiss, but the inspector stopped him by putting her hands on his chest.

"Sly, why don't you come upstairs? You can take a shower, and I'll give you some dry clothes... I mean, you're soaking wet, and I don't want you to catch a cold..." said Carmelita as she ran her hands down the thief's grey arms.

It was true that the vixen was worried about Sly, but she also didn't want the night to end right there. The raccoon responded to the fox's concern with a smile before accepting her proposal.

They got in the elevator, and Carmelita pressed the button corresponding to the floor of her apartment. During the short ride, they didn't say anything. They just looked at each other with reserved smiles.

*ding*

The couple got out of the elevator. The vixen used her keys to open her apartment door, then she walked Sly to her bathroom. After showing him where the towels were, she went to get him some dry clothes while he got in the shower.

The fox heard the sound of the shower turning on as she opened her closet. She took an old navy blue t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants for Sly, as well as a black tank top and some comfy plaid pants for herself. She went back into the bathroom and left the clothes for the raccoon on a small stool. The vixen also dried her fur with a towel she ended up dropping on the floor before taking the thief's wet clothes to wash them.

After leaving them inside the washing machine, Carmelita turned on the heating in the apartment and prepared a hot drink for Sly.

A couple of minutes later, the sound of the shower stopped, and the raccoon stepped out of it. He wrapped himself in a clean towel and dried his arms, chest, head, and tail before spotting the fox's fur dryer and using it. Once he was done, the thief put on the clothes Carmelita left for him and walked out of the bathroom.

"You have some hot cocoa in the kitchen..." said Carmelita, who was waiting outside.

"Oh, thanks..." he replied, smiling, "...and thanks for the clothes."

The vixen walked into the bathroom and did the same as Sly. She took off her clothes, stepped into the shower, and let the water hit her on the head and back. After scrubbing her body and rinsing the foamy soap off her fur, the inspector turned off the shower and grabbed a towel. Like the raccoon, she began to dry herself with it before using the fur dryer. Then, once dressed, she tied her hair in a bun and walked out of the bathroom carrying her wet clothes. Carmelita did with them as with Sly's and put the washing machine to work.

When the fox walked back to her kitchen, the thief was waiting for her.

"Hey, do you mind if I borrow an umbrella? It's still raining." he took a sip of the hot beverage she had prepared for him.

"Sure..." the vixen walked up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders "...but you could also spend the night here..." she said confidently.

Those words made Sly blush. His ears leaned back, and his lips drew a dumb and excited smile on his face. He left his mug on the counter before gently surrounding Carmelita's hips with his hands and letting her hold his face with one of her hands. The fox played with one of the raccoon's ears before pulling him towards her and kissing him.

The kiss was short but passionate. Once lips broke away, they stared into each other's eyes while their snouts slightly touched. The fox and the raccoon listened to the breathing and heartbeat of the other before she suggested they go to the couch to be more comfortable.

As soon as they sat down, the fox hugged Sly by the waist, making him fall back on the couch. Then, she rested her head on his shoulder and cuddled with him.

"Do you mind if we stay like this for a bit?" asked the vixen as she wrapped her legs around one of the raccoon's legs.

"Not at all... I'd stay like this forever..." replied Sly, who seemed to be in a dream.

Carmelita placed her hand on the thief's chest and felt how it went up and down. She began to softly kiss his neck while her hand slipped under the raccoon's shirt and started to draw patterns on his bare chest. Then, she slowly stroked Sly's grey fur, which made him fluster.

"Carmelita, that feels amazing..." said Sly as he closed his eyes.

The vixen just smiled and kissed him on the cheek before running her hand up to his neck and holding him tight. An immense feeling of warmth and security overtook the couple. The thief enjoyed the feeling of the fox's breathing on his neck, aside from her delightful scent. Meanwhile, Carmelita rejoiced in the soft touch of the raccoon's fur.

"Sly..." said the vixen.

"Hmm?" replied Sly, who was in a deep state of comfort.

"Do you remember, last night after dinner, when you told me you love me?" she hugged his arm.

"It's hard to forget a moment like that. Why?" he smiled.

Carmelita sat up and placed her body on top of Sly before holding his face in her hands.

"Because I love you too." said the vixen before sealing her lips with his in a breathtaking kiss full of desire.

After the kiss, they both gasped for air as their eyes locked, knowing what was to come.

The thief smoothly ran his hands around her waist and leaned in for another kiss while the fox wrapped her arms around his neck. Sly began to slowly sit up and, once they both were sitting one in front of the other, he gently pushed their bodies forward. Carmelita fell back and, now, the raccoon was on top of her. He playfully pinned her arms down by the wrist, which the vixen seemed to like.

He softly kissed her cheek and moved down to her neck. The thief teased her with his nose for a while before he started with the kisses, which sent shivers through Carmelita's veins. The vixen's agitated breathing and a few repressed moans let Sly know that he was doing a good job, so he kept going.

At a certain point, the raccoon released the fox's arms, but she did nothing to stop his kisses, nor did she want to. While she basked in his affection, the thief slipped his hands under Carmelita's top tank, just like she did before with him. He explored her lower back, which made the fox arch her body.

They could feel their racing hearts as their chests pressed against each other. It felt amazing. Sly moved back up to Carmelita's lips and melted them with a kiss in which their tongues took part.

Inexplicably, the thief lost his balance during the kiss and fell off the couch.

"Are you okay?" asked the vixen, worried.

"Y-yeah, yeah..." said the raccoon as he sat up.

Flustered and with an excited smile, they both looked at each other for a few seconds while they caught their breath.

"How about we go to the bedroom?" suggested Carmelita as she caressed one of Sly's ears.

"O-okay."

After another kiss, the thief got up and picked up the fox to carry her. She held tight and got back to the raccoon with some neck kisses as he walked across her apartment.

"Carmelita..." said Sly after stopping in front of the vixen's bedroom door.

"Mhm?"

"Before we... There's something I need to tell you..." his words caught the fox's attention.

"What is it?" asked Carmelita as she pulled away from his body, leaving her arms around his neck.

"I've... never been intimate with anyone before..." said the thief, smiling nervously, as he looked away to hide his blushing face.

"Oh, Ringtail..." the vixen got off from his arms and started to gently caress his face "...that's nothing to be ashamed of..." her soft hands got them to make eye contact again "...don't worry, I'll make sure you have a night you'll never forget."

Their lips joined in a tender kiss that restored Sly's confidence. Without breaking the kiss, he opened the bedroom door and carried Carmelita to the bed. The lights were off, so it was almost a miracle that they didn't stumble with anything.

The feeling of each other's hands running over their bodies in the dark while their tongues teased each other was incredible. Sly was the one on top until the vixen wrapped her legs around him and rolled over, taking the initiative.

The raccoon let her kiss him all over the face: on the forehead, the cheeks, the nose. Everywhere except the mouth. After some more teasing, Carmelita licked her lips in anticipation for a sweet and intense kiss that left Sly panting and more than satisfied.

While he recovered from the kiss, the fox turned on the lamp on her bedside table so they could see more clearly.

The thief sat up and rested his back on the headboard of the bed. Immediately after, the vixen sat on his lap with one leg on each side of his body.

"You're such a handsome raccoon..." said Carmelita before smoothly taking off the thief's shirt, exposing his grey chest.

The fox smiled and admired Sly's athletic and well-built body. She began to softly run her hands down his chest and apply little kisses along the way.

Just before she reached a more sensitive area, the vixen traced her path of kisses back to the raccoon's face. She placed her hands on his shoulders and moved them down to his hands before guiding them to her hips.

The thief understood and got rid of her top tank to reveal the fox's bare chest.

"Like what you see?" asked Carmelita as she put her hands around his neck.

"You're gorgeous..." whispered back Sly, who was captivated by her body.

The raccoon began to slowly caress her lower stomach, which had a lovely cream color. He placed his hands on the sides and left both his thumbs in the middle. Then, his hands began to gently climb up her chest. He was able to feel how the fox's heart began to race as he got closer to his destination. Sly softly kissed her lips before one of his hands moved to the back and the other one enjoyed the softness of one of Carmelita's breasts.

After the kiss, the later hand joined the other one on the fox's back as the raccoon's lips made their way down her chest, leaving a trail of wet kisses behind. The vixen couldn't avoid moaning a couple of times as she felt Sly's playful tongue fondling the most sensible part of her breasts.

The fox decided to return the favor, so she gently pushed the thief back before going back to kissing his neck, this time more intensely. Meanwhile, her left hand tickled one of his ears as the right one ran down his chest.

"Mmmph..." Sly moaned to the feeling of Carmelita's hand rubbing his bulge through his sweatpants.

The vixen moved down to the raccoon's waist before, unhurriedly, taking off his pants. She had never been with a raccoon, so she didn't know what to expect. Needless to say, she wasn't disappointed.

It was fairly generous in size, and it matched most of his body's color.

"Like what you see?" asked the flustered thief while wearing his charming smile.

Carmelita smiled back and started to softly stroke Sly's member, to which he replied with a satisfied sigh. As she went up and down, the vixen ran her other hand through his body: his chest, his stomach, his thighs...

The movement of her hands sent chills up the thief's spine. Then, she placed her head over his length and teased him with her lips while making eye contact. Carmelita applied little kisses that were answered with more and more throbbing, as well as moans.

She slowly licked it from the base to the head, the most sensitive part. Once there, the fox made sure to use a lot of saliva to fondle it with her tongue.

Sly felt like his soul was getting sucked out of his body but in a good way.

"F-fuuuuck, Carmelita..." he moaned when the vixen began to use her whole mouth.

The fox gently massaged his balls as she orally pleased the raccoon, who couldn't avoid panting at the feeling of her soft hands playing with him while her tongue went up and down his erection. Carmelita went deeper and deeper as her throat adjusted to Sly's size, which ended up pushing him to the limit.

"C-Carmelita, I'm gonna-"

Knowing what was coming, the vixen went as deep as she could and felt his pulsing cock before the thief reached climax.

After catching her breath, Carmelita placed her body on top of Sly. The raccoon was still lying down, feeling like his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

"That... was... incredible..." he sighed.

The fox smiled, satisfied, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Maybe now you can show me what that mouth of yours is capable of..." whispered the vixen.

Her words and his stamina helped him recover faster. The raccoon wrapped his arms around Carmelita and held her tight while he kissed her neck. To get on top, Sly rolled over without stopping the kisses.

The vixen closed her eyes and felt how the thief's lips began to slowly move down her body. On his way down, the raccoon got a bit distracted with her breasts. Carmelita enjoyed the gentle way Sly loved them, so she didn't mind at all.

Once the trail of kisses got back on its way, the thief's hands ran down her curves until arriving at her hips. The raccoon slowly undid the knot on the waistline of her pants as if it were the bow of a gift before taking them off, revealing her sex.

True to his nature, Sly teased her for a bit while making eye contact. He was delighted by the scent of the fox. And she rejoiced in the feeling of his breathing over her body. Once her body was practically begging him, the raccoon began to use his tongue.

Carmelita let out a moan full of satisfaction, which was like music to the thief's ears. Sly was surprised by her warmth and wetness. This was a new whole sensation of pleasure for him, and it felt incredible.

Although the thief was inexperienced in the practice, he had some basic knowledge of women's anatomy, so he made sure to treat her most sensitive part with special affection.

As his mouth kept on working hard, Sly held on to Carmelita's thighs right before she wrapped her legs around her head to push him deeper inside her.

"Mmmm... Sly..." she moaned to the feeling of his tongue.

The flustered vixen couldn't help to bite her lower lip as she clutched her bed sheets tightly. The raccoon was completely devoted to her and her pleasure.

"Sly..." she called him after releasing her from her legs.

The thief came to her call but, before he could even say a word, Carmelita kissed him and held his face with one hand.

"I need you... inside..." she panted.

The raccoon replied with a sweet kiss before placing his hips over the fox's so their bodies pressed against each other. This time he didn't fool around and teased her.

The couple let out a well-pleased moan before their hips began to slowly move. It took them a while to find the perfect tempo, but it was worth it. After they did, Carmelita wrapped her legs around Sly, and their hips began to gently thrust against each other. The room filled with moans as the thief's member went deeper inside the vixen.

At that moment, they didn't care about anything else but themselves. They loved each other, and nothing or no one would prevent them from being together.

As she enjoyed her raccoon, Carmelita stroked and kissed the arm he leaned on the bed. Meanwhile, Sly felt his whole body melt to the feeling of his fox's body.

"Carmelita... I'm close..."

The vixen pulled the thief closer and kissed him before tightening the embrace of her legs, making him reach a glorious orgasm that he'll remember as one of the best ones of his life.

The kiss left a slight trace of saliva between their lips, and they both panted for a few seconds while looking into each other's eyes and smiling.

"I love you..." he said, softly.

"I love you too..." she replied before their lips joined in yet another extraordinarily passionate kiss.

While their tongues enjoyed each other, Carmelita started to move her hips again. Sly was still hard, but now he was also extremely sensitive.

The vixen accompanied her torture with some neck kisses, which sent shivers up his spine. She had complete control over the raccoon, who was in heaven at that moment.

Carmelita also began to run her hands all over his chest and back while she gently moaned the thief's name in his ear. Sly, who was on the verge of collapsing from so much pleasure, tightly embraced her before thrusting his hips a few more times and cumming again.

They both relaxed their bodies and lay on the bed as they caught their breath.

"A-are you okay?..." asked the vixen.

"...huff...that was...huff... so hot...huff..." said the raccoon under his breath.

Carmelita chuckled and kissed him on the cheek before pulling out Sly's dick and sitting on his lap.

"I'm glad you liked it... Although, I probably should've warned you..."

"Oh, not at all. I like a woman that takes what she wants whenever she wants..." he sat up and started kissing her neck.

"In that case... how about round four?" suggested Carmelita.

"Sounds great..." his kisses became more intense.

"But I was thinking that now we could..." her words caught his attention "...here, let me show you..." she reached for her bedside table drawer.

"Please be handcuffs, please be handcuffs..." the thief said to himself.

Indeed, Carmelita took out a pair of handcuffs from the drawer. Sly hid his excited smile behind a suggestive one and put his hands up. The vixen smiled back and carefully cuffed him to the headboard of the bed.

"Well, I guess that's what I get for snooping around a beautiful fox's house this late..." the raccoon tried to set up a role-playing scenario.

Carmelita decided to play along, so she held his face in her hands before grabbing his chin.

"Listen, Cooper. The next time I catch you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, I'll hang you by that ringtail of yours..." the vixen got closer to his face "...But just this once, I'm gonna let you off with just a warning." she said before kissing him.

Sly loved it when she took control. And right now, he was completely at the fox's mercy. She began by caressing her ears, and, once their lips parted, she moved down to the back of her neck. The raccoon softly moaned as he enjoyed some more neck kisses.

Slowly, Carmelita's mouth made her way up to one of the thief's ears, where she applied a couple of kisses before gently nibbling it.

"Mmm..." Sly felt how chills traveled up his spine.

As her lips trailed back to his grey neck, the vixen felt how Sly's erection pushed against her ass. She moved her hands down to his shoulders and lifted her hips, placing them right above his member. Carmelita decided to give the raccoon a taste of his own medicine, so she teased him by slowly rubbing her sex against his length.

The thief's moans amused her. But, after a while, she gave in to her desire for him. The fox pushed her hips down and allowed him to slide deep inside her.

Between the warmth and wetness of the vixen, her hip movements, her kisses, and her hands running up and down his chest, Sly felt like he was on cloud nine.

"Ahhh... ahhh... Carmelita..." moaned the raccoon.

"Shut up, you filthy criminal." said the fox after covering his mouth with her hand, which turned him on even more.

The thief couldn't hold it back anymore, so Carmelita pushed her hips down to get Sly's entire throbbing cock inside her before he filled her with his seed. The couple moaned loudly as they simultaneously orgasmed. Right after a wave of pleasure and satisfaction traveled through her body, the vixen rested her body on the thief's chest as they both calmed their agitated breathing.

"I hope the dirty talk wasn't too much..." she said while wrapping her arms around him.

"You were perfect, Carmelita..." answered the raccoon.

The fox smiled, proud, and reached again for the drawer to get the handcuff key. After she freed Sly, he immediately held her face and kissed her with passion before holding her tight, with no intention of letting go.

They both lay there, between their body fluids and the addictive smell of each other's sex, until Carmelita had an idea.

"You know, we could both use another shower..." she suggested.

"Yeah... But I think I'll be better if we take it together... to save water and all that..." he replied.

The vixen chuckled and kissed him on the nose before they got up and walked to the bathroom. Since there were no clothes to take off, she just turned on the shower, and they hopped in.

After the water hit their bodies, they each took some shampoo and started lathering each other up. Sly took care of her back, hair, stomach, and legs, saving the best for last. On the other hand, Carmelita was nowhere as discreet. After washing his grey back, she began to play with the ringtail she had been chasing for years. Then, she moved to his chest and went all the way down to his lower stomach. The vixen tightly hugged him from behind before reaching for his member and washing it carefully. While one of her hands took care of that, the other went back to his chest.

Sly closed his eyes and let Carmelita's hands work their magic. The vixen was pleasantly surprised to see that his dick got hard again.

They rinsed off the foam and began kissing while their hands explored each other's bodies. This time it was the raccoon who took the initiative. He put the fox with her back against the wall and began to love her breasts.

Sly and Carmelita liked their control change dynamic. They both loved to dominate and be dominated by the other.

As their lips enjoyed, the thief kept caressing and gently squeezing the vixen's breasts. She moaned when she felt his erection rubbing against the most sensitive part of her sex.

"W-wait..." she said.

The raccoon, thinking he had done something wrong, immediately stopped. To his surprise, the fox just wanted to suggest a new position. She leaned against the wall and offered her backside to him.

Sly smiled and placed his hands on her hips. He slipped his erection between her legs and began rubbing it against her sex. At the same time, his right hand traveled up her chest and softly squeezed one of her breasts. Then, he gently pushed inside her. It didn't take long until the bathroom filled with their moans after his hips began to thrust against hers.

Sly took his left hand and gently stimulated Carmelita's clit, making her legs tremble. She begged for him to keep going as she moaned his name, which was like music to his ears. The thief was pushing all the right buttons, and it ended up making the fox reach climax first. Shortly after, the raccoon slowed down before delivering one last thrust and meeting her in heaven.

After he pulled out, the thief hugged her from behind.

"You know we gotta wash up again, right?" said Carmelita.

"Worth it..." answered the raccoon before taking the shampoo bottle.

Once the couple was properly clean, they got out of the shower and wrapped themselves in a pair of towels before taking turns on the fur dryer. Then, they put on the clothes that were lying all over Carmelita's bedroom floor before changing the bedsheets.

Ready to go to sleep, the inspector and the thief got into bed and cuddled. They enjoyed the soft touch and fresh smell of their fur as they exchanged caresses.

"Mmm... Your fur is so soft..." said the vixen as she stroked his stomach under his shirt.

The raccoon, who felt how sleep was beginning to kick in, had his eyes closed and was just adoring the feeling of the fox's hands.

"Sly..." she softly called him.

"Hmm?" he answered without opening his eyes.

Carmelita sat up, making him do it too. Before Sly could even say anything, the vixen held his face.

"I love you."

She had already said it before, but those three words still warmed the thief's heart like it was the first time.

"I love you too, Carmelita."

The raccoon caressed her cheek with his right hand, and they stared into each other's eyes. It was then that they knew that everything was going to be alright and that, together, they could face any adversity that came their way. Because that's love.

After a sweet and tender kiss, the fox turned off the lamp on the bedside table before they went back to cuddling. And just like that, while holding each other, they fell asleep.

Sly spent the next few days in Carmelita's apartment. One of those days, the topic of the boat museum came up. The raccoon explained to her the plan to retrieve his family's fortune from Kaine Island and, to his surprise, the vixen was interested in participating. The gang didn't seem to have a problem, so, about a month later, they all left for the island.

The plan was executed perfectly. Dr. M was defeated, and they managed to open the Cooper Vault. After moving the fortune of Sly's ancestors to a safer place, each member of the gang got their agreed share and went their way.

The Guru returned to Australia to teach his mystic art to a group of rock stars, the Panda King returned to China to live close to his family and screen all of his daughter's suitors, and Dimitri became a celebrity skin diver. Bentley and Penelope stuck together and started working in their new lab, and Murray completed his training with the Guru and became a race car driver with his van.

Meanwhile, Sly decided to retire and leave his thieving past behind to go on a life-long honeymoon with Carmelita, who resigned from Interpol. The two traveled the world together and fulfilled their dream of living a life side by side, a life full of love.

FIN