Chapter One: An (Un) Modest Proposal:

Rob couldn’t hold back any longer. It had been a year now. He loved Noiz so much. It was time for the next step. The mouse wanted to marry the cat! Crazy, huh? Love is like that.

A proposal takes planning. Everything had to be just right. The ring, timing, and mood. It had to work out. They took planning. But, Rob needed some help.

First was the timing. Problem already. Noiz was always busy. This time of year was worse. Midterms were coming up. That went extra work. He couldn’t catch her during the day. Noiz didn’t have time to talk to him then. Okay, the day wasn’t good. So, when?

Rob turned to the staff boys for help at lunch one day. He finished up his ramen in the bowl. It shouldn’t be hard. They all knew each other for a year now. They were all close, right?

“I want to marry Noiz-sama!” he announced. All talking at the table just stopped. All eyes on the mouse now. He nervously bit his lip. T.J. blinked.

“Why?” he asked. Rob shrugged at him.

“I love her,” he declared. “I love her and want to marry her.” Silence again. Rob waited for an answer. Art lowered his spoon.

“You have the ring?” he asked.

“Almost,” the mouse said. The men looked puzzled.

“What do you mean ‘almost?’” Tony asked.

“I just need a little more money,” Rob said.

“Do you even know what ring to buy?” Tony questioned.

“Yes,” the mouse said with a nod. “I have that planned.” Tony breathed out.

“Good for that one.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Tony shrugged at him. “Just saying!”

Rob kept his eyes on him.

Art cleared his throat. “Anyway, what else do you have?”

The mouse thought about that for a moment. He shook his head at last.

“I see…” T.J. said.

“That’s why I need help,” he said. “What else should I do?” The boys took a moment to ponder this. Tony grinned.

“Purpose in bed!” he said. They looked at the Russian man. Rob blanked at him, lost.

“What?” he asked.

The Russian man shrugged at him. “Why not? She always wants something different, right?”

Rob nodded. “Yes.”

Tony shrugged at him. “So, purpose in bed.”

“What if it fails?”

“Hey, you won’t know until you try.”

Rob pondered the idea for a moment. He finally nodded.

“I’ll try it,” he said. The Russian man grinned.

“Good boy,” he said. Rob sat back in his chair. This could work…

Rob picked up the ring once he had got the payback to buy it. He made it to the jewelry store after school and work. The mouse picked up the ring as planned. The clerk smiled and winked at him.

“Good luck,” she told him. Rob nodded at her.

“Thanks,” he said. Then, he left the store to head home. He had the ring; now to get the cat.

He got home before she did. Rob pulled out his phone and made a text.

“You busy tonight?” he typed. The mouse hit send and waited. Noiz messaged him back.

“No why?” she wrote.

Rob tried to make himself calm down long enough to write. “Come home tonight. I have a surprise for you.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll have to come home and see.”

“K…”

“Come on, I’ll make it worth your while!”

“Alright.”

“See you in bed.” Rob closed his phone, smiling. Right, time to get ready. The mouse headed up to Aiko Suite.

Later that evening, Noiz made it home. She had a tiring day. The cat just wanted a bath and to go to bed. But, Rob had a surprise for her. “Hope it doesn’t involve too much movement,” she thought. She closed the door behind her and took off her shoes before coming inside. The cat made herself a TV dinner and ate alone. After she cleaned up the mess, Noiz went up the stairs to Aiko Suite.

Noiz slowly slid open the door. She glanced around for a bit.

“Rob?” she whispered. “You asleep?”

“Not yet,” he whispered back. “Are you coming to bed yet?”

“No sex tonight, okay?” she asked. “I’m tired.”

“Don’t worry,” he said. “It’s nothing like that.”

“You promise?”

“Yes, yes. Now are you coming to bed?”

“Alright.” Noiz got undressed and changed into a light blue nightie. The cat slid into bed with him. Rob rolled over on his side and kissed her on the neck. He nuzzled the skin as kissed it again. She pushed him off of her.

“Mousey,” she complained. “Not now! I’m too tired for that!” Rob didn’t listen. He leaned in close to her ear.

“Marry me, Noiz-sama!” he whispered. The kitty’s eye shot open wide as she shot up right in bed.

“What?!?” she exclaimed. Rob lied next to her, shrugging.

“Well, why not?” he asked. “We’ve been dating for a year. We work and live together. I love you and you love me. So why not get married?” Noiz blinked at him once.

“So,” Rob went on. “Will you marry me?” Noiz only stared at him with a blank face. Rob frowned as he sat up.

“It’s no, isn’t it?” he asked. He cured himself softly.

“I knew this wouldn’t work,” he mumbled. “Damn you, Tony!” Noiz raised an eyebrow at him.

“Tony?”

“Yes!” Rob breathed out as he looked down at his lap. “I wanted to purpose to you, but didn’t know how. So I turned to the guys for help and Tony suggested that I purpose in bed! So…”

Noiz kept her eyes on him. “Tony suggested that you purpose in bed?”

“Yes!”

Noiz thought about all of this for a moment. “I see…” Rob looked up at her nervously.

“So… what do you say?” he asked. Noiz pondered it over a few seconds more. Rob waited with a pounding heart. Noiz finally smiled and gently took his hand.

“You know what?” she answered. “I think I will!”

Rob began to see stars. “Really, you mean it?”

“Yes.”

“Wow… uh… here!” He handed her the box. Noiz took the purple velvet box and opened it up. She giggled.

Rob looked at her, confused. “What?”

Noiz looked up at him and smiled. “You could have presented it better.”

“Oh.”

“It’s beautiful, though.”

“Really? You like it?”

“Yeah.” Noiz took out the ring and slid it on. “It fits. See?” The cat showed her per her new ring.

Rob smiled. “So it does.”

Noiz smiled back at him. “Anything else?”

Rob shook his head. “No.”

“Can I go to sleep now?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Night, babes.”

“Sleep well.”

The kitty lied down and went to sleep. Rob lied back with a smile on his face. “Thank you, Tony!” he thought with eyes sinking into a sleep of their own.