((What Comes After A Storm?))

Chapter VII

A week passed ever since Dice asked Cuphead out and tomorrow they will go out into the mainlands to have fun. They wanted to invite Mugman too but he said he wanted to stay home and let the two enjoy themselves. 

Cuphead was in his room packing a few clothes and a framed picture of him Mugsy and Elder Kettle. It was a nice memory to have around. Dice had already packed some of his things and was now on his way to buy tickets to the mainland. They weren't very expensive, but it was enough for Dice to roll his eyes at the sight of the price. He didn't say anything mainly because he didn't want to start a scene and have the residents of inkwell isle hate him even more. Once he bought the tickets, he walked home and spent his time planning on what the two will do.

Cuphead was kind of nervous of this trip because he never went outside the inkwell isle before. Mugman tried to calm him down and it ended in Cuphead almost canceling the trip. But he calmed down in the and waited for the next day to come

-

Dice was waiting by the docks, holding his luggage and waiting for his little cup to show up. As he was chatting with Captain Briney-Beard, telling jokes or listening to the guy's sea stories, he could see in the distance that Cuphead was making his way over to them. He waved him over and once Cups saw him, he rushed over to him

"Ready to leave Cuphead?"

"You bet it Dice!"

They got one of the boats, showed their tickets and made themselves comfortable as they made their way to the mainlands.

Dice was leaning against the ledge of the boat, smoking a cigar as he looked over the water. Cuphead was sitting next to him, leaning against him and staying silent. They didn't need to say anything for them to feel good around each other. In their silent moment, Cuphead caught a dot in the distance that slowly grew bigger and bigger. The mainlands.

-

Dice helped Cuphead off the boat once they reached the docks and their first plan was to find a hotel to stay at. They walked around the busy streets, taking in the smell of the city and looking at all the things inkwell isle didn't have. Dice stopped in front of a hotel that looked pretty clean and from the look of the building's structure, it was brand new. The two walked in and Dice asked to see pictures of the rooms before they decided to book one. They had five different rooms. One with a single bed, one with a double bed, one with two single beds and one with two double beds. After a bit of thinking they decided to book the one with the double bed. Once they got their key they got into the elevator and his second floor.

"Did you get everything you need?"

"Yup! I even got a medkit in case something happens"

"Cuphead you're going to be fine."

"Have you been to the mainlands before?"

"Well no, but i grew close up close to it so every time something happened here, there will be rumors spreading on my isle"

"I see. Where do you want to got after we unpack"

"Well its still early in the morning and i assume neither of us ate breakfast so i thought to stop a bakery or something to get something for the morning."

"Sounds good to me! I want a muffin"

"Is that all you want?"

"Yes...Maybe....No...."

Dice couldn't help but giggle. The doors opened the two went over to their room. Room 009. They opened the door and they were hit in the face by the smell of mint and pineapples. This room was spotless. The two wasted no time exploring the apartment and testing it. It was pretty good for a new building. Maybe no one has rented it before. Either way, they were happy with it and once they unpacked their things they went off to explore the mainlands.

-

Their whole day went smoothly. In the morning they went and got themselves sweets from the bakery just as promised and Cuphead couldn't help himself and got more than he could eat. But Dice didn't mind and packed the rest of the sweets for later. Once they ate they started walking around the streets and looking for new places to explore. They found a carnival that was ten times bigger than the one at home. And because of that, the two spent the next three hours going on rides, buying cotton candy or corn and buying souvenirs. They rested an hour at the hotel, sitting in bed together and having a pleasant conversation until the sun began to set. Once they were rested they got up and went out, this time going to the beach. It was still winter, so the beach was empty but it was nice to just walk around and talk, share a few laughs and even silent moments where they just looked at the small waves and smiled. They decided to sit on flat rock and look out at the ocean. Cuphead let out a sigh and looked at Dice.

"Dice... why did you ask me out? I mean... You were never the type to want long lasting relationships"

"I know... It's just that... You make me feel different. I've been with dozens of women who turned out to have disappointing personalities or just didn't act like they were interested in me. But you. You are a very interesting person."

"How come?"

"When you first stepped foot in the casino I thought you were just another greedy customer who wanted nothing more than to win easy riches. But you motives were not dirty. I heard you talk to your brother about wanting to get enough money to repair the house, and how he told you it might be dangerous. But you didn't care. You were determined to do something right. You looked like you wanted to prove that you are not what you seem. And you did. I thought you would give up after the first boss but you didn't. You kept on pushing through so you could better yourself. So you can prove that even if you make a mistake you can work your way up and fix it. And at the casino. You always know what to say to pursue people. You're careful with your words. You make sure to not say the wrong things in front of the wrong people and you're good at that. Yes there have been times when you acted nasty but nobody's perfect. But that's what drawn me to you. You never give up and that's something that i love about you."

By the time Dice was finished, Cuphead was in tears. He has never heard anyone say those things to him. Cuphead started shaking a bit and he leaning against Dice

"Why do you always have to say such embarrassing things..."

"Because i know you love it when people say this stuff to you...~"

"Well yeah but.... sigh Thank you... For everything"

"You're welcome~"

Dice wrapped an arm around Cuphead and held him close they shared yet another silent moment.

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A/N: YESSSSSSSSS i did it! i'm actually quite satisfied with the result of this chapter. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i did writing it!