Dedicated to Crystalgurl101 and any other CrystalxStan luvvahs out there! Woo!(WT2 will come in due time. Don't worry; I haven't abandoned it!) (I might have over-exaggerated Bijou's accent… so forgive me! 0o) Permission granted by Crystalgurl101.
Just the Way You Are
Stan braced himself as he came across the clubhouse one bright, spring's morning.
Today was the day.
The day he was going to confess his feelings for Crystal.
He had been holding it in now for a while, and it was driving him insane! Stan couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy whenever the girl went to speak to any Ham-guy, except himself. He was overprotective of Crystal, always walking her back to her cages, always asking questions to make sure she'd be safe, visiting her when she was sick…
Oh, yes, it was love all right.
Stan was as good as late, but he had his reasons. He had spent most of his time before coming finding the prettiest flowers in the field and going to a candy shop to get a sunflower seed carved into a heart. After all his preparations, he was ready to go in.
Or so he thought.
Stan stood tall and held his head high, about to push the door open and waltz into the clubhouse. But suddenly he stopped, butterflies zooming into the pit of his stomach in an abrupt gesture.
Darn apprehension.
He commanded his paw to open the door but it wouldn't. Eventually Stan just opened the door with his left arm seeing as his right on refused to function properly.
He finally stepped inside. He glanced around, looking for Crystal. "Man, where is she? My flowers are losing their freshness! It needs tha fresh for tha pimp-ness!"
Stan took his bouquet and put it in a vase upon a shelf, where it should remain safe. The sunflower seed had to stay with him, however. He couldn't risk it getting lost or whatnot.
Unfortunately for him, it was going to be a 'whatnot'.
Stan walked around the clubhouse, finally spotting Bijou with Pashmina and Penelope, knitting in a corner. Any other day (before Crystal had came back into his life, that is) he would have went over to flirt. But today, he had a completely different idea.
"Hey, girls. Have you seen Crystal?" Stan asked casually, making sure as to hide his seed from view.
Bijou shrugged. "Non, mon ami. Why?"
"Just wonderin', I guess," Stan responded. "Thanks, anyway."
"What is it, Penelope?" Pashmina turned her attention to the younger hamster, (whom was trying to get her attention). "Crystal is going to be late?"
Stan whipped his head around to face Penelope. Crouching down, he asked eagerly, "Really? Like, really really?" Penelope nodded, jumping up and down. Stan smiled brightly. "Great! Thanks, Penny!" So she is coming, after all. The flirt hugged the toddler and pranced off.
"I 'ave never zeen 'im zo 'appy before!" Bijou said, moments after Stan had left them.
"Or to ever have hugged Penny, either. I wonder what's gotten into him?" Pashmina and Bijou exchanged knowing looks.
"Crystal!"
…
Stan waited half an hour before Crystal came.
"Sorry I'm late, guys!" she exclaimed. "I had to go to a hamster convention with my owner!"
"That all right!" the Ham-Hams chorused, and they went back to what they were doing. Stan smiled, and stood up. Time to confess. He sighed, the butterflies growing stronger.
Stan approached Crystal. "Hey, Crys! I have to tell you something…"
Crystal smiled brightly, her flower clip sparkling as it caught the light. Yeah, it was pretty, but Stan was nearly blinded by it. Crystal didn't notice. "Shoot!"
"Crystal, I-" Stan was interrupted by Cappy, whom rushed up to Crystal.
"Crystal, Crystal! I drew a picture!" Cappy eagerly lifted his picture to show the girl. Crystal smiled gently. "That's a fabulous picture you got there, squirt!" She ruffled the hair she could get to underneath Cappy's hat. Cappy beamed and ran off.
Crystal bent back up, and looked at Stan. "You were saying…?"
Stan nervously scratched the back of his head. "Uh, yeah. Crys, I really meant to tell you this a while back… I-"
"CRYSTAL!" Stan stifled a groan. Yet again, he was being interrupted. Crystal looked over to Pashmina, the source of the yell.
"WHAT?" she yelled back.
"WHERE'S THE PINK YARN?" Of course- a typical Pashmina question. Kind of like Cappy asking where the hats were.
"ON THE FIFTH SHELF, TO YOUR RIGHT IN THE SECOND CLOSET!" Stan was surprised. Crystal knew her way around almost better than Stan did.
After a bit of rummaging around in the closet, Pashmina called back, "OKAY! THANKS!"
Crystal grinned and turned back to Stan, an expectant look on her face.
Stan took a deep breath. "Okay. Crystal, I really, really… what is it now?" He had stopped because Crystal was starting to a get a rather funny look on her face.
"Sorry, Stan! I just really have to go to the bathroom now!" She squirmed uncomfortably. Stan sighed. "Go, then! Relieve yourself, bud." Crystal smiled gratefully and dashed off.
At this rate, I won't ever get a chance to tell her! Stan complained to himself.
CRASH! Stan jumped as he heard something crash. Somehow, something told him what he was about to witness next was going to ease him any further.
The flirt reluctantly turned around. To his horror, he saw the vase of flowers on the ground, the beautiful glass vase shattered in a million pieces. "Oh no!" he cried out. He picked up a limp daisy. His flowers; his beautiful flowers! Gone!
Cappy and Penelope stood sheepishly by the shelf from which the flowers fell to their doom, a ball between them. "I-I'm sorry, Stan! I didn't mean to, honest!" He glanced at Penelope, then back at the Stan pleadingly. "The ball just got out of our control…"
Stan managed to refrain from smacking the children (as it wouldn't give a good note to Crystal). Instead, he sighed. "Okay, kids. This is broken glass we're talking here! Move it!" he barked. The children didn't need further prompting. They were just glad to be out of trouble.
Stan sighed again. "At least I still have my sunflower see-" Stan's eyes widened in realization that his seed was not with him. That could only mean one thing…
"OXNARD!"
Stan rushed over to Oxnard. He asked him with ever-growing anxiety, "Where's my heart-shaped seed?"
It was too late.
Oxnard turned around, half of something in his paws- HALF OF STAN'S HEART-SHAPED SUNFLOWER SEED! Stan could feel the anger burning inside of him, and he lunged for Oxnard.
Crystal stepped out of the restroom only to see her best friend tackling poor Oxnard, and all the other Hams yelling, "Fight! Fight!" What happened the five minutes I was gone?
"Hold it!" Crystal yelled. Everyone stopped. Crystal watched all the Ham-Hams still crowding around Stan and Oxnard. "Well? There's nothin' to see here! Get moving!" The hamsters shuffled along, leaving the scene. Stan was still yelling at Oxnard.
Crystal rushed over, and pulled the boy off. "Calm down, Stan! You're a right mess! What's gotten into you?"
Stan glared at Oxnard. "More like what's gotten into him!" He pouted. "What's gotten in everybody!" he wailed. Tears brimmed his eyes.
"Shhh, shh!" Crystal soothed the frustrated Stan. Oxnard left in a hurry. After he was gone, Crystal decided to prod some more. "What's wrong?"
"Everything! They keep interrupting me when I wanted to tell you I like liked you but then you had to use the bathroom and the little kids broke my vase AND ruined the flowers I had for you and Oxnard ate the heart-shaped seed I spent most of my money on and now I have nothing to dazzle you with!" Stan panted long and hard after his speech.
Crystal was shocked. Stan like likes me? Omigawd, omigawd, omigawd! YAY! "You don't mean to say you like me, do you?"
Stan sighed. "I knew you didn't feel the same way… Stupid Cappy. If only I had those flowers-" But in the midst of his grumbling, Crystal captured the boy in a kiss.
She smiled at him after they broke apart. "I'm flattered you got me flowers, and spent your money on me, but honestly Stan! I love you just the way you are!" She embraced him.
Whispering in her ear, Stan asked, "Wanna be my girlfriend?"
"Of course!" Crystal exclaimed happily.
"Will you kiss me again?"
Crystal rolled her eyes, but kissed him anyway. And out of nowhere, all the Ham-Hams began to clap and cheer for the new couple.
Crystal smiled lovingly at her new boyfriend. "Don't forget- I love you just the way you are."
Fin.
Oh, mann. That was crazy. Gimme feedback! LALA! REVIEW!