[Survey] Lovely Surprise

“Ah honey, would you still love me if I was a Boolew?”

This was the sort of question Clicks always expected from Miel, odd, a bit silly, and very, very earnest. They’d come to know the other Xero to be quite sweet over the last few years they’d been together, and with a sigh Clicks would find a suitable answer for their partner’s wandering thoughts.

“I’d love you even if you were the world’s slipperiest, smelliest little worm alive. You’d be just as sweet and twice as handsome.” Miel simply nodded and went back to reading his book about the many different native plants around their shared home. The purple Xero smiled fondly at him then returned to the tiny origami lizard they were carefully constructed. While the question hadn’t surprised them, they had, for a moment, feared that Miel had caught on to what they were up to. Clicks only had a few days before their anniversary, a usually casual but intimate night they’d spend talking or having a nice dinner together. But this year Clicks really wanted to hit it out of the park. They wanted to make Miel smile and curl up beside them thinking of how loved he was.

So Clicks had decided to try something new. As a fairly well known artist, they could always try to get them into a nice club or a new event, but Miel wasn’t too social. He really did prefer spending his days in the forest or reading books at the shop they liked to frequent. So that sort of thing was out of the question. They could try something adventurous! Like SkyDiving or Bungee Jumping! But Miel wasn’t much of an adrenaline junkie… Then they had the best idea they’d had since they mixed blueberry jam and ru berries together for the best blue paint anyone had ever seen: a puzzle hunt!

Miel was the sort of Xero that wanted to figure out new things in the world, he was voracious for new discoveries. So a puzzle hunt filled with riddles and clues would get him excited! Clicks would even make it nature themed. They started the planning weeks ago, finding new spots in the forest to explore, recruiting the help of some of Miel’s ranger friends, even going so far as to create a giant map of locations to visit along the way. It was perfect! But there was one issue: getting Miel to come with them.

Clicks thought over their plan laboriously. They couldn’t just… tell Miel they had a surprise. Clicks blushed just at the thought of being that upfront. No way. No how. WAY too intimate! They couldn’t try to be suave and romantic in front of him! That would be so silly!

No… instead they’d leave a tiny letter, folded in the shape of Miel’s favorite lizard. Inside they’d write the simplest little note. ‘Happy Anniversary Sweet Boy! Hope you don’t mind but I have a little quest for you. Come down to the stream near the house and you’ll find a lost wanderer waiting for their hero. They’re rep-tired and need a brave man that knows the forest to get them home… I’ll be waiting ;)’

It was perfect! Clicks finished the last of the  origami lizard and once Miel had fallen asleep with his book on his snout, they padded over and gently rested the tiny green lizard on Miel’s forehead.Once assured it would stay, Clicks ran out the house as quietly as possible and snickered the whole way to their meeting spot. They were sure Miel would be happy as a clam.