One Flirtatious Knight

Chapter 14: Dinner With the Ebrum Family

"Hey! Hope I'm not too late." Kitsune greeted as she was let into the Ebrum's household.

"Not at all! You're just in time!" Tiff chirped in reply as she closed the door. She faced the living room, where two people could be seen sitting. Kitsune assumed these were her father and brother. There was a delectable smell in the air, which she immediately detected as a freshly made dinner. "Mom! Dad! Tuff! Kitsune's here!" She called.

And it was at that moment, Kitsune realized Kirby was here, as the cute little puffball hopped up from the couch. Due to his small stature, Kitsune hadn't even noticed him. "Poyooo!" He cheered, throwing himself into the dame's legs.

"Hey lil guy!" Kitsune chirped, scooping him up in her arms. As she looked up, she saw Tiff's family approach. She had guessed her mother was in the kitchen. She gave a slight smile. "And hello to you all! Sorry we haven't met sooner."

"Oh, that's quite alright! You must've been very busy, so we understand!" The father stated, holding a hand to her. "It's a pleasure to properly meet you, Kitsune. I'm Sir Ebrum. These two are my lovely wife Lady Like, and our son Tuff."

"It's quite lovely to meet you, darling." Lady Like greeted, a very prominent Hungarian accent being audible with her words. "Dinner's about ready! Just give us a moment to get the table set." She said, smiling as she returned to the kitchen.

It was Tuff's turn to speak up. "Are you really a knight?" He asked, looking up at the taller woman.

Kitsune chuckled. "But of course. I've been training for it since I was little!" 

"That's awesome!" Tuff cheered.

"What made you wanna be a knight anyway?" Tiff asked.

The dame gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her neck. "Honestly? I just thought swords were cool, and being something of a hero would be even cooler. Clearly, all these years later, my mindset hasn't exactly changed." She stated. 

Before either of the children could question further, they were all called to the table. Kitsune fumbled with the ribbon of her mask, taking it off and placing it on the table next to her. The family -aside from Kirby and Tiff- stared for a moment. Perhaps it was because they were so used to the other knights' secrecy, but it was interesting seeing a different knight's face.

Tuff seemed almost bored at how normal she looked. "Aw man, I thought you'd have more scars or something." He muttered, before his mother gave a scolding "Tuff!"

He shrugged. "I'm just saying! I bet Meta Knight has cool battle scars. Too bad none of us have ever seen his face." 

Kitsune tensed a bit. 'Geez, I really hope that's not one of the bigger reasons he doesn't hide his face all the time. I'd feel horrendous if I exposed his insecurities like that if that's the case...' She thought.

"That's none of our business, Tuff..." Tiff huffed.

Lady Like nodded. "Meta Knight probably has his reasons, darling. We have to respect his boundaries." She stated.

"In any case..." Sir Ebrum spoke up, looking over at the female knight. "You were called here on business, weren't you Kitsune? What does the king have you doing?" He asked.

"Hopefully not driving you too crazy, I hope." Lady Like chimed in.

'Ah, so Tiff hadn't told them yet.' Kitsune thought, tapping her fingers on the table. "Funnily enough, he called me to duel Meta Knight, since we're talking about him."

"Duel him?!" Lady Like repeated, gasping slightly. "For what purpose?!"

Kitsune shrugged. "Because apparently 'things have been pretty boring around here lately' -his words, not mine- and I guess he decided to have his greatest knight duel another greatest knight from another kingdom." She explained. "Apparently, he thinks it'll make great entertainment."

She gave a soft chuckle, a fond smile on her face. "Though... I don't think he expect Meta and I to get along so well. We've been hanging out a lot, and he's a pretty sweet guy." She explained.

The parents looked at each other, a bit intrigued. "Sounds like you have a high opinion of him!" Sir Ebrum commented.

"Oh, definitely!" Kitsune sighed, glancing out the window. "He's so cute- even though he would definitely argue with me on that. I guess I'm not surprised I ended up getting a crush on him-!" She cut herself off, covering her mouth. 

The entire table went silent. Even Kirby stopped eating just to look at the woman. Kitsune could feel her cheeks heating up as she gazed back, occasionally glancing away. "I... I-I mean, uhhh..." 

"You have a crush on Meta Knight?!" Tiff exclaimed.

"Bleghh, lame..." Tuff groaned.

"Tuff! Shush!" Lady Like scolded, clearing her throat. "Forgive the intrusion, but that's quite endearing! Do you plan on telling him soon?" She asked.

Sir Ebrum hummed. "You know, I can't say I know if Meta Knight's ever established wanting to be in a relationship before.. It could do him some good, and I'm sure Tourmaline, Sword, and Blade would be happy for him." He stated, before taking note of Kitsune's reaction- which seemed to be a mix of embarrassed and... anxious?

"But err.. Don't worry- we won't tell him. That's up for you to decide!" He stated.

"...Meta finding out isn't what I'm worried about..." Kitsune confessed, sighing. "It's Dedede."

Tiff raised an eyebrow. "Dedede? Why would you care if he finds out?" She asked.

"Because I was hired here for... an alternate purpose. Unfortunately, I can't tell you. Falling in love with my quote-unquote 'rival' is definitely going to put a damper on it- should I let my emotions get in the way." She sighed, facepalming. "Which... My friends will tell you I'm somewhat notorious for doing. Acting based on emotions, I mean..." 

She looked up. "I apologize for asking such a dumb favor, but... Could you please keep this information between us?" She asked.

'She's talking kinda formally now... I guess she's really serious about this.' Tiff thought to herself, giving a reassuring smile. "It's alright, Kitsune. Your secret's safe with us." She stated.

Kitsune exhaled, shoulders slumping in relief. "Thank you all. It's greatly appreciated." She responded. "Though, believe me, confessing has been something I'd definitely been considering..." She mumbled to herself, which only Tiff heard.

Though, Tiff decided not to say anything. That wasn't for her to respond to.

'Honestly... I should probably think of a way to confess to him. Probably not something super elaborate. But it should definitely be special somehow.' Kitsune thought. Unbeknownst to her, her expression was giving away her thoughts. Her face was slightly tinted red, and she had a very thoughtful look in her face. Sir Ebrum and his wife couldn't help but quietly laugh to themselves. They were both thinking the same thing, and they knew as such.

Young love was in the air, and it was adorable... Okay, well, maybe not "young" but either way.