Heartbroken, Nutcracker sat in the corner and cried incessantly, thinking how ashamed he is of himself for messing up in front of Tiffi. He was discouraged by the way he thought of himself proving to be the very best lover she could ever appreciate. He felt the blues coming up to his heart as he cries more and more sorrowfully.
"Why?", he sadly said to himself. "Why did I came up with this particular idea I know will go wrong? Why did I put myself in this kind of situation? Do I feel like a nuisance to her? Do I?" He looked at the mirror, then down at his feet. "When I was about to say what I'm going to say, I freaked out. I pushed myself too far and ended up like this. Down in dumps, in solitary. I bet Tiffi won't love me after going through all this crap."
Tiffi was listening through the restroom door. She cannot understand why he felt this way towards her, even though they were still young, and there's more to know than just love and relationships. She knocked on the door, but there's no answer from him. He still felt somber for embarrassing himself in front of everyone, including Tiffi. No wonder he's just so ignorant at love at first, then a gloomy manner struck him like lightning.
Nutcracker was still sobbing, thinking negative thoughts about himself. "I really am nothing but a cowardly and useless soldier who just wrap presents and crack nuts and that's it. I couldn't be much more helpful like Tiffi. Maybe I'm not the right guy for her. Maybe I'll just give up and leave this mess anyway."
Tiffi couldn't bear listening to this anymore. She knocked on the door with all her might, loud enough for him to hear. "Hey! Get your butt over here and let's talk!"
He jumped in fear.
Oh gosh, she heard me! What do I do now? Should I apologize to her or what? Ohhh, this is gonna be pretty bad! No, it won't be! Snap out of it! You're making it worse. He went to open the door, and Tiffi was standing there looking all bitter. "What were you doing in there all alone? If you want to say something, tell me right away! It won't hurt me."
He took a brief moment to realize what he's been really doing to impress her all along. The kindness, the attitude, and the intelligence he has to let out to be seen and heard. By proving himself worthy, he's shown her courage, integrity, and of course, a lot of Christmas spirit. He lives to protect, serve, and help others like a true soldier. That is his dignity.
"I-I...I'm sorry Tiffi. I'm sorry that I caused you despair. What I was really trying to say is that I, uhhh, I r-really don't know if you like me or not. I wanted to show you my worth in me so that you can be happy of who I am. Anytime I look around for somebody who needs me or just wants to be my friend, it's going to be you. Because you're the one that matters most to me. And sometimes, when the going gets tough, we work together to lift it. We do great when we're together. I just don't know at first."
Tiffi felt inspiration rising in her head as she listened and spoke. "Well, to be honest, I didn't know much about love either. I do love my father and my sister, but that doesn't mean I'm really into love. So I figure that you must have had somebody to love you like, in your childhood, your parents. I really miss my real parents and so does Kimmy. But it brings back good memories when she and I get together for some fun. I-It's like 'sister love', you know what I mean? So it means the same for you too, right? Do you have any parents or siblings who loved you when you were little?" She remembered the time when they were in the flower field, frolicking around and picking flowers. It was indeed a peaceful memory she kept.
For Nutcracker, life isn't easy when no one supports you on anything, not even your friends and family. "I...I don't have a family. I spent my life as an all-working machine trying to get everything done ASAP. Every day, every year, I worked non-stop without any help from anyone. Then one Christmas Eve, a portal appeared in the night sky while I was delivering presents to everyone in my home town. I was pulled in by the intense gravity. Then I landed in a strange, bizarre world I never even heard of. I felt like I was being captive somewhere until I met you and your father. I felt like I'm part of a real family. And then I met the others--Yeti, Misty, Odus--everyone seems nice. They are part of the family too. You make a twist to my life. When we get older, we'll start our own family and live happily together forever."
Tiffi cried and smiled. "I-I, I never knew you would live a life like this. You deserve to be with me now and forever!" She gave him a big ol' bear hug, shedding tears and smiling as she squeezed him tightly, almost suffocating him, turning blue.
Then she stopped, letting him breathe in fresh air. "C'mon, let's go have dessert. Can't wait to try the Strawberry Lover's Cake. It's gonna be so delicious!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him along with her back to their table, where their dessert menus were already laid out. They took a quick peek at the menu, thinking of what they wanted for their dessert. Tiffi of course, wanted a slice of the Strawberry Lover's Cake and Nutcracker wanted the Heart-Melting Chocolate Lava Cake. The waiter then arrived taking their orders and leaving.
Okay, let's try this again. Tell her the one thing you always wanted to say. You've got to focus! He thought harder as he gave her a dandy look, putting him one step closer to owning the girl of his dreams.
"Hey uh, Tiffi. I-I got one more thing to say." he started speaking. Even if Tiffi wanted to be with him, he still wanted to show off his feelings for her. "C'mon, you can say it", she said in a pleasant but sarcastic voice. He didn't want to overdo it, as he will pass out again and she will not take him back. He thought warm feelings as he explained to her everything he has done for her and how he changed her life. He felt proud of himself for sharing such wonderful sympathy to a young and innocent girl. His heart was beating steadily. It seems like he's been controlling his actions and was calmer than himself earlier.
He took a deep breath and said that one phrase he always wanted to say to her his entire life. "I-I uhhh, I...I love you. I love you so much Tiffi. I love you more than anything sweet in the world. You make my life sugar sweet when you're around with me. I'm sorry if it takes me this long to say this. I hope you love me back."
Tiffi, who was smiling in awe at the moment, drew him in and they shared a long, sweet kiss 💏 that lasted for about 10 seconds, then stopped to catch their breath. He can't believe what just happened at that moment. He felt like passing out now, but the emotions he is feeling right now kept him up. He finally did it. He got her to finally give him something he wanted most of his life--a true love's kiss. He congratulated himself in his head, thanking himself for doing the right thing to win someone's heart. He also wanted to thank his friends for their help too. Friends always help friends, and he will do his best to help her out on any situation like a real soldier. She will help him out too.
Their desserts have arrived no sooner after. They look so sweet and delicious. Tiffi wanted to share some of hers with Nutcracker, and he wanted to share some of his with her too. They began eating, tasting the creamy and chocolatey goodness in their mouths. They talked more and laughed. It was the most exciting, enjoyable, and loving memory for the two to keep. They will never, ever, forget their time together as it goes on and on in the Candy Kingdom, never to be ceased.
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