A/N: Now that I've poked around a few different genres, I decided I would start a romance fic.

Just a minute... Before you all have heart attacks, I just wanted to say a few things. Primarily, this plot comes chronologically after the ending to my other story, "A Destiny Entwined," and reading just a little bit of that beforehand will help you understand a lot of the details here. I'm not doing any shameless self-promoting, I'm only telling you how this story can be interpreted less confusingly. Therefore, if you don't want to read my other fic, then feel free to screw it because I ain't the boss of any of you wonderful fiction-goers.

But I digress. The second thing I want to mention is that this may or may not stay up on the board... If it turns out to be as bad as I anticipate, I'll throw this project in the garbage and just stick to adventure or creepypastas. It even has the dreaded, disgusting, horribly cliche Fox/Krystal pairing in it! DUH... DUH... DUUUU- but that's only mentioned a few times. There's a more important ship that occurs later in the story, so stay patient. Then perhaps the content of this crappy, gooey love story can be more enjoyable. Also, keep in mind that it's only the intro. This is important.

Ugh, I talk too much... So yeah, leave a review if this is too ridiculous to even finish reading... or if you would like to give tips and other useful hints to help me improve my writing. Yeah, that'd be nice.

Enjoy reading!~

PICKING UP CHICKS

forDummies

Written by |:PastaUnit:|

What a nice summer day it was… No, to say that would be an understatement.

A smooth, lustrous texture of blue painted its way across the atmosphere without a hint of any cottony cloud to obscure the morning sun, which smiled its way down upon the peaceful landscapes of Corneria in gentle rays of gold and orange light. They were portrayed and mirrored beautifully by the ocean, which displayed tens of thousands of sea-green diamonds that swayed gently to the rhythm of the zephyrs that coasted slowly across the water's surface. The slow-moving currents gradually made their way towards a glistening, sandy shoreline and lapped onto its soft surface in tiny waves. In return, the playful splashes of foam produced a tranquil, lulling ambience that filled the air and accompanied the beautiful setting.

Farther up the shoreline and across a small pasture of tall green vegetation, there stood a quiet line of colorful houses and huts, among them a small, multi-apartment structure. It boasted only two stories, but the wall that faced the ocean consisted entirely of glass. Every room on that side of the building shared the wondrous, incredible view of the seemingly endless shoreline. The summerhouse's interior was a tad simplified, but still neatly kept and clean, and it contained bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, a living space, and a small fenced deck at the top of the building. It was perfectly fitting for a lengthened vacation for a small group or family, and its relative location was away from the urban hubbub of Corneria City. It seemed to be one of Mother Nature's most placid relaxation sites.

It was here that a familiar team of mercenaries resided temporarily as a reward for their hard work to rid the last few traces of black matter that existed throughout the Lylat. After successfully completing a long and arduous list of errands issued by General Peppy, the Star Fox team was left to relax on their own for a short while as the galaxy was deemed safe from any other threat that could throw the system into another frightening apocalypse.

There couldn't have been a better time to finally hang loose.

Inside one of the bedrooms, where the only pieces of furniture in place were a wardrobe, a mattress, and a desk with a lamp hanging over it, the door swung open as Fox McCloud tiredly dragged the last of his luggage through the threshold, hurled it beside the bed, and sprawled out onto the covers and pillows stomach-first with his arms and legs hanging out over the edges, all while expelling a loud and exhausted sigh. He was dressed in a sleeveless tank, a pair of jean shorts, and a pair of flip flops… After having to sport his signature outfit for weeks on end, he was glad to finally be able to dress casually. Removing his aviators that he had been wearing during the long journey to the house, Fox smiled to himself as he closed his eyes and stretched out while alone with his thoughts. Finally, his team was done getting everything out of their vehicles… Falco, Krystal, and his new teammate Sky, whom he had lost track of right when they arrived at their destination. Perhaps he was somewhere on the beach, already enjoying himself, perhaps even meditating.

He's not much of an extrovert… Not only does he blend in with a crowd without being noticed, but he always seems to be by himself. Obviously there's no need worry about him, but I do it anyway sometimes.

The vulpine paused and thought about the lynx for a moment. He knew, despite how much Sky seemed to be secluded, that if you sat down and had a discussion with him he could continue talking for however long his conversational partner wanted to. His optimistic personality was a great addition to the team. Fox only wished he could have a more outward personality…

Suddenly, the vulpine's thoughts were interrupted as a warm yet cheerful whisper serenaded into his ears from right outside the open doorway. Fox perked his ears up, identifying the voice as female; it was soft, playful, and a bit sexy as well.

"Fooooxy~"

He turned over on his backside and looked over at the door, craning his neck a bit as he smirked and replied almost as softly as the whisper, leaning his upper body forward and resting his elbows on the mattress.

"How'd you find me here, Krys?"

A beautiful vixen stepped out and revealed herself. Her fur was a silky smooth, light purple shade, and she was dressed in a cute pink summer blouse, which was much different than what Fox was used to seeing her wear (i.e. her dark bodysuit and tribal clothing), but she looked quite… adorable. She rested her arm against the door frame, gave a cute giggle and batted her eyes at the spellbound vulpine.

"That's a no-brainer, silly! I detected your thought patterns from the outside, hee-hee~"

Krystal was without a doubt one of the most incredible, gorgeous girls that Fox had ever fallen in love with. Her dazzling aquamarine eyes could instantly lure any man into a deep, lustful trance, and her attractive, slim and curvy figure enhanced that effect immensely. The glistening shine from her amazing smile could have rivaled the light radiating from the Solar. Now, this wonderful goddess stood before Fox, putting on another one of her flirtatious acts just to see him turn red-faced and stutter shyly like he always did when she made any sort of tease.

Fox, however, felt a fluttering warmness soar through his body that was too potent for him to be conscious of his bashfulness. He found himself asking how he could possibly have ended up with such an amazing girl, and he considered himself one of the luckiest men alive.

"Fox, I consider myself to be luckier. I've found so much happiness in my life by simply being your teammate."

The vulpine perked his ears up in surprise, then shook his head and turned his attention back to Krystal after she read his thoughts, giving a pleasant chuckle and throwing his legs over the edge of the bed. He sat up straight and folded his hands in his lap in a relaxed fashion.

"Heh… I just find it a bit hard to believe. I know I'm the team leader, but that doesn't make me more special than my friends. Even though I'm just an average Joe, I've never had more joy anywhere else in my life than where I am right now."

As Fox was giving his response, the vixen slowly made her way towards him, swaying her hips just a tad in a playfully teasing manner as she spoke in an even softer tone.

"Might I remind you how many times you've saved your teammates' lives, mine especially, by putting yourself fearlessly in the face of danger? An 'average Joe' would never be capable of doing that. You should know, you really are special."

That triggered it. Fox's face flushed red under his fur, and he scratched the back of his neck while laughing gently and looking down at the floor a little.

"Aww, Krys…" He responded while stuttering, "I-I just didn't want anyone getting hurt, y'know?"

"Exactly," the vixen sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "and even though you might not value yourself as much as you should, I do. It only makes me admire you more. Sure you might have had some slip-ups, but you easily matured and made up for them. I can't think of somebody I'd rather be with than you."

After a few-second pause, on impulse Fox wrapped an arm gently around Krystal's shoulder and smiled wider, feeling more warmth pass through his body. In return, she laid her head on his shoulder and scooted closer so that their sides pressed against one another.

"Thank you, honey," Fox spoke in a warmer tone, "it means a lot to me that you would think of me like that."

"You're always welcome." Krystal sighed dreamily and closed her eyes, keeping herself still while her chest rose and fell slowly, "Also, don't forget why we're here~"

"Heh, I was just thinking of that. The beach looks incredible, the weather couldn't be any more perfect, and there's nothing else that we could possible worry about."

The vixen smiled and looked up at Fox once more with sparkling eyes and whispered excitedly, "I know! Isn't it fantastic? I'm greatly looking forward to this!"

Fox unknowingly had his muzzle inches from Krystal's. They were both locked in each other's gaze for almost a minute until another voice rose from outside of the room, one belonging to a very annoyed Falco Lombardi.

"Yo, Fox! Wanna help me look for Mr. Galaxy-trotter? I can't find his white furry ass anywhere!"

The vulpine and vixen lowered their heads and simultaneously exhaled as they both stood up. Fox stretched around a bit while Krystal perked up momentarily, making her way towards the door and exiting while calling out behind her and waving.

"I almost forgot! There was something I needed to retrieve from the vehicle. I'll be back in a minute."

Fox waited until Krystal left before he rolled his eyes at the avian's request, telling himself that Sky would show up soon enough, and strode over to the door to close it while whistling nonchalantly.

As he closed it, however, there was something behind the door that startled him so much he nearly jumped out of his flip-flops. He had to suppress himself from letting out a yelp as he stepped back and folded his ears back once he recognized with shrunken pupils the silhouette that sat crisscrossed right next to the door frame seemingly in a meditation position. Sky Felis appeared out of nowhere in the place that Fox least expected, as usual, wearing his signature tranquil facial expression as though nothing were wrong at all.

"Wh-What the…!" The surprised vulpine exclaimed, "Sky, how long were you there?!"

The white lynx twitched his ears and turned his head towards his leader, blinking his eyes in confusion while letting out a "Hm?", then he smiled pleasantly and returned Fox's stare with his bright set of topaz pupils, seemingly unaware of the situation at hand.

"Ah, hello there, Fox. I was here before you came in the door."

The vulpine made a hand gesture as though he were saying "what the hell" as he furrowed his brows and attempted to calm his voice down.

"The walls in this place are too white… No wonder I couldn't see you. Were you watching us?"

The lynx turned his position more towards Fox and allowed the sunlight to shine off his brilliant, snowy fur. Sky's thin yet bushy tail swayed back and forth very slowly while he rested his palmed on his knees. He was also casually dressed, wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts and the same brand of flip-flops that Fox had. As he shook his head in response to the vulpine's question, his long lavender locks of hair that dropped from the top of his head almost to his shoulders swayed and fell almost gracefully, and his tufted ears twitched once more.

"I was watching, but I was not paying attention."

"Then why didn't you say anything?!"

"I did not want to disturb your interaction. I apologize if I was invading your privacy, but I can assure you that my mind was elsewhere." The lynx's peaceful smile did not fade. Fox tried to stay annoyed, but he just couldn't be angry with his placid teammate. Instead, he sat back down on the edge of the bed once more, and Sky stood up to lean against the wall in his same relaxed manner.

Falco's voice echoed through the house again, "I'm assuming by that girly squeal he popped up out of nowhere and scared you?"

Fox laughed again and crossed his arms, exclaiming loud enough so that the avian could hear his response, "If you were in here, you'd be flappin' your feathery ass out the window in a heartbeat."

"Screw you!"

After a moment of laughter, the two males just sat in silence for a few minutes. One was waiting for Krystal, but apparently she was still out looking for whatever she went to retrieve in the first place. The other was just finding a spot to practice relaxation techniques. Sky and Fox just soaked in the sunlight as it flooded in through the window, and the muffled sounds of the rolling waves soothed them both and complemented the calm setting.

Fox decided, as he tried to keep from nodding off, to start up another conversation.

"So uh, Sky…"

"Yes, sir?"

"Have y- wait, don't be so formal. Just call me whatever you'd like."

"Sorry, Fox."

"Right, so um… I was just curious about something."

"What might that be?"

Fox hesitated before continuing, "Could you… maybe… describe Princess Zephyra for me again?"

Sky tilted his head slightly, "What about her?"

"Like… What happened between you two?"

"Does this relate to what just occurred in here between you and Krystal?"

Fox turned a bit pink, "N-No, it doesn't. I kinda just… wanted to see if perhaps you could name a few more details or just some related memories."

"Everything I've already told you about what happened between us in the Wind Kingdom, you already know."

"Right, right…" The vulpine thought for a moment again, then continued. "I guess that leads me to another question… What does love mean to you?"

"I'm… I'm sorry, could you clarify?"

"Like… to love. Have you ever wanted to be together with someone? Or maybe see the Princess again?"

"Surely you would know that I would practically sacrifice myself to return to Celestia or Div Sablast… And yes, I wish I could see Her Majesty again, but the subject of love doesn't hold as much importance to me as it might to you or others."

"So… I take it that… it hasn't crossed your mind much."

"Correct."

"Hm… so what if you did give it some thought?"

"Eh?" Sky raised an eyebrow.

"I'm saying, what if there was some nice girl you passed by who wanted your digits?"

"My what?"

"Oh wait, you don't have a phone… Forget what I just said. But what if there were girls interested in you?"

"I would… definitely be flattered, but…" Sky blinked his eyes at the ground in contemplation, "I don't know if I would immediately want to accept her proposal."

"Whoa, man, don't think of it like that," Fox waved his hand a bit and chuckled. "It's a way of saying 'Hi, I'd like to get to know you a little, so here's a way of keeping in touch with me if you ever want to,' you know what I mean? Like… flirting?"

The befuddled lynx could only understand the last word in Fox's explanation, "Oh yes, I can… see what you mean, partially. Flirting is when a male or female acts in a certain manner to draw attention from a specific person, is that correct?"

"Yup, pretty much," the vulpine confirmed. "More commonly, there's a lot of deliberately cute acting going on where the flirter flaunts his or her best characteristics and makes them appealing to whoever they're trying to get the attention of. Some examples of flirtatious gestures are, say… giving open contact information privately, dishing out a boatload of flattering compliments, 'accidental' body touches, maybe pulling one or two light jokes or pranks just to mess around or have fun, making some teasing references to things like physical or sexual interaction, or just directly confronting him or her and pulling a variety of romantic and cheesy lovey-dovey stunts so that they don't have a choice but to look in the flirter's direction."

Sky pushed off from the wall he was leaning against and now stood up straight, listening intently to Fox's explanations and trying to make the best sense of them. The lynx knew that a relationship wasn't at the top of his priority list, and he had never before witnessed any of the bizarre occurrences Fox had just mentioned, but he could perhaps take his leader's advice and consider being romantically involved with a girl. Seeing that Sky was thoroughly intrigued, the vulpine decided to add another detail to the mix.

"I know from what you described in the story of the Wind Kingdom that the Princess had to at least have flirted with you in some way."

"W… What?" Sky seemed taken aback slightly, but surprisingly instead of taking offense, he asked rather naively, "Y-You mean that Princess Zephyra would do such things as flaunt herself like that to get my attention?"

"Hang on a sec, I said those were common here. It doesn't necessarily mean that those gestures are the same in every other planet or galaxy. If I could take another guess, I'd say that whatever kind of flirting she did must have been extremely subtle compared to what would have went down in a place like this."

"I never suspected her of being remotely flirtatious…"

"Bingo," Fox chimed and grinned. "She was able to lessen the gap between you two just gradually, over the long years you spent at that place, until at last she deepened the bond and sealed the deal in just one move."

"But… what would the reason for that be?"

"When you first arrived at the Kingdom, the Princess saw something in you that stood out from the rest. She was able to distinguish, exactly as you told me in your story, 'a speck of dust among titans.' As a result, she only wanted to get closer to you somehow, and out of all the outcomes that could have followed, the fondness you two shared with each other was what made her want to be more than just your friend."

Sky only stared in awe at Fox as he gave a legitimate breakdown of his relationship with Princess Zephyra that happened long ago and became nothing but a mysterious memory. The lynx didn't have a full understanding of everything that transpired, but he caught enough of the gist to realize how oblivious he had been towards his apparent first love. He sighed and looked down at the ground with a slight sense of disappointment, but then he nodded once and looked back up at the vulpine, sunlight illuminating his topaz pupils as it continued to flood in through the window.

"Thank you for that clarification, Fox."

"Yeah, not a problem. I think I might have gotten a bit carried away, but let's get back to the original question-"

"W-Wait a moment," Sky interrupted and bashfully rubbed his shoulder, "I'm not sure I can give it a shot…"

"Aww, c'mon!" The vulpine laughed and held out both of his palms to the side to reason, "You want my honest opinion? I think you could be with just about any girl on this planet! You're polite, kind, loyal, and selfless, you're pretty cool and handsome with that snow-white fur along with your eyes and your hair, and you have one hell of an attractive, toned, and defined body that would leave the ladies gawking. Your style and personality puts the cherry on top!"

With this, Sky chuckled nervously and turned a bit red under the fur on his face, but he swallowed and asked once more for confirmation, "Are you positive?"

"Absolutely!" The vulpine nodded his head quickly, "You're more than capable!"

"Thank you, Fox. It means a lot, and I hope I don't throw those flattering words away and disappoint you."

"Sky, there's no need to worry about failing! Just go out a- hold up, you're saying you'll try?"

"Heh… er, um, yes! I'm willing to try!"

Fox displayed a thrilled grin on his face as he stood up from the bed's edge and exclaimed excitedly, "Alright, that's awesome! Glad you finally found your confidence!"

The lynx nodded in return and responded shortly after his leader's moment of happiness calmed down slightly, "But I shall need one favor."

"Anything for you, bud, what's up?"

"There is no doubt that I shall need your help to keep my spirits up. Could you… continue to give me advice?"

Fox crossed his arms and kept his grin, then he held out a thumbs-up and said, "You got it! Dr. McCloud, at your service!"

Just then, Krystal opened Fox's door and poked her head in to see what the commotion was. She looked at both Fox and Sky as they returned her gaze in silence with blinking eyes. The vixen asked with a cute giggle.

"What are you boys discussing in here?"

"It's nothing, honey! How's unpacking been?" Fox replied quickly.

"Oh, it's a work in progress, but I believe I'm just about done. Actually, I was going to head down to the shoreline shortly after, in case you wish to tag along~"

Fox's eyes widened at the thought of seeing Krystal's perfect swimsuit figure openly lying out in the sand under the colors of the Cornerian sunset, then he opened his mouth to accept her invitation when she cut him short.

"Just get ready and stop visualizing me naked if you want to go, Foxy. Hee-hee!" She laughed cutely once again as she exited the room and began walking down the hall to her room to finish unpacking. Fox was left red-faced with embarrassment as he scratched his head and sighed, shaking his head yet still smiling before he finally looked back up to Sky with his hands on his hips.

"Right, so as I was saying, I'm gonna be your wingman! Any questions, Sky?"

"Yes, um… When can we get started?"

So there you have it. I leave it in your hands to decide the fate of this teetering fic... Well, not entirely. Still, just tell me your thoughts about what's going on so far if you want to, give me some criticism, suggest a few elements I can add to make this more solid, or just do nothing. All of the above are acceptable. Anyways, thank you all very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!

I'll be updating "A Destiny Entwined" pretty soon, so be on the lookout.