[Co-written by GorgingGeorge ]

[Ship: Roguemond]

[NSFW?: No]

[Word Count: 4616]

Roguefort sat there on the bed in Almond's loft.  Why were they there? Well, once they were caught, there wasn't any room in the prison and even if there was, they would also end up slipping out of there, so the police decided to try a new form of imprisonment, house arrest.  But Roguefort's mansion was very decrepit and decaying, so they were being kept in Almond's home for the time being, with their cat, Lord Crumbles the third.

The doors in the loft were babyproofed so that the thief couldn't escape.  The doors had special locks on them, the windows... Well, the windows couldn't be opened to begin with, and they couldn't climb out of the vents in the middle of the complex.  Everything was set.

Roguefort just sat in the guest room waiting for everyone to go to bed.  Even though it was only 4:30 PM, they sat there stroking Lord Crumbles' fur.  But then the cat leaped out of their lap and stared at them.  "Oh right, it's your dinner time. " Roguefort said as they looked at the clock opposite them in the room.  "I don't have any of your food, my beloved Lord Crumbles, will you manage-"

They were then interrupted by the blue and beige cat meowing loudly, demanding his food to be given to him. "Lord Crumbles please, I understand your anguish, but I don't think the detective would have any extra cat food for you." Roguefort exclaimed to the feline, who kept meowing.  "I mean, I haven't asked him, but he probably wouldn't give it to the cat of a thief."

Then, out of frustration, Lord Crumbles left the room in search of Almond, upon which he found him in his study looking over some paperwork.  He meowed at him.  "Huh? Oh, it's Phantom Bleu's cat.  Uh... Do you need something?" Almond asked the cat directly.  The cat then meowed again.  Almond checked his watch to see that it was 4:39 PM.  "It's almost time to feed Constable Whiskers- Oh, are you hungry?" Almond asked.  He got up and walked to Roguefort's room, seeing that Roguefort was still there.  "Hey, does your cat have a preference for wet food or dry food?"

Roguefort looked at him. "Oh he doesn't mind either, but he prefers wet food." 

"Okay." The detective stated before leaving the room again to feed both of the cats. Lord Crumbles looked at the wet food in front of him, looking back at Almond before eating it up. Once he was done, he mewed at the detective and nuzzled his leg with a purr.

Roguefort was watching this from their room, gripping the door, watching as their cat nuzzle against Almond.  "Well, I'll need to get the lint roller out now for this white fur." The detective stated.  "It seems like he likes you."

Almond looked up and saw Roguefort peaking from the doorway to their room.  "You can come out of your room, you know."  Almond stated. Roguefort decided to come out of the room and walked towards the detective.  "Um... Thank you for feeding Lord Crumbles..."

"Hey, it's nothing, I knew you didn't have the chance to get anything from your old place.  Speaking of which, why do you live in such a run-down place?  Wasn't your family-"

"Don't bring them up please I don't want to remember that." Roguefort interrupted as they looked away from the detective.  "You only made me more invested... Though, I'll drop it, at least for now." Almond stated before checking the time. "Oh, I should probably make dinner. I usually just order something but since my job is now to keep an eye on you, I can actually make a meal. Though, I'm not much of a cook..."

"Ah well, you're being forced to put up with me, maybe I should cook?" Roguefort suggested. "I promise you I won't poison you."

Almond was hesitant at first but soon allowed the French cookie to get their hands on his kitchen. Soon enough, the apartment smelt of sweet croissants and crepes. "I hope you enjoy it." They stated before plating the food on the table. "By the way, when does Walnut usually get home from work?"

"Well, she usually comes home at 6:49 PM. It's currently 6:40 PMs, right?"

"It is. Well, I'll leave you to these-"

"You're not eating?" Almond asked, suspicious on why the cookie wouldn't want to eat the food they prepared. "Ah, well, um... I'm not hungry." They awkwardly laughed before their stomach made a growling noise. "Your stomach seems to disagree."

They were hungry, starving actually, but... Something in them made them not want to eat, especially in front of people. Possibly from being placed somewhere they shouldn't be. "Oh, well, I just want to be polite and offer you, the head of the household, the first pick."

"Is that how you did things?"

"Yes.  It goes head of the household then their spouse, then guests, then the children oldest to youngest. So go ahead."

Almond was hesitant for a bit before taking a bite.  It was something he had never had before. The croissants were so buttery and warm, and the crepes were as well.  He never had time to eat, so ingesting carbs like this was different and nice.  Once the detective was finished, Roguefort went in and started eating. They had two crepes and one croissant.

"Well, now then-"

"Dad I'm home." A voice called from the entryway. Walnut was back from her job.  "I see you have Roguefort secured."

"Yeah.  But they made food so you should probably get some."

"Wha- But what if they try to poison us?!" Walnut exclaimed.  "Why would I do that?" The thief asked. 

The younger detective just stared down at her food, using her magnifying glass to check for anything that might be tainting her meal. "With everything you've done I'm surprised you haven't tried to get rid of my dad permanently after every time you got arrested by him." 

"Uh, you think I would stoop so low as to crumble a cookie?" Roguefort looked genuinely hurt at the accusation. 

"Well, wouldn't you? Then you-" 

"Walnut that's enough." Almond said firmly. "I have tried their cooking and I can safely say nothing's been poisoned." 

She turned back to Roguefort, then to her plate of crepes. "Well if you say so. But I've still got my eye on you." She grumbled as she turned to eat. 

"Heh, must have been a slow day at work." They tried to joke, but hearing about killing someone got them to lose their appetite. "May I be excused." Roguefort sat up and placed their plate in the dishwasher, rushing back to their room with Lord Crumbles. 

"What's with them?" Walnut asked. "They're usually a lot cockier with themselves, mocking you and speaking only in riddles whenever they're caught." 

"Hm, I have a feeling it's something they're hiding. I'll try to talk to them. I'll go after I finish." 

"Why can't I come?" 

"They might get overwhelmed by two people inside."

Walnut just left it at that before just going to her room. Almond sighed and just put the leftover food away. "I know they're a criminal, but Walnut needs to have boundaries." He thought before checking on Roguefort. 

Speaking of which, the thief sat on their bed, blankets wrapped around them as they played with their cat. "Honestly, how could she say that to me? I know I'm her rival but that's no reason to assume I would plot murder." They ranted softly to Lord Crumbles, who just rubbed his face against their chest.   

"Ah, mon chat chéri [my dear cat], you always know how to make me feel better." They purred as they stroked his fur.  

"Um, I'm not interrupting anything am I?" 

"Gah- Detective!" The phantom thief exclaimed as they turned to the older man. "Please, next time you come in, knock before barging in." 

"Alright. Anyway, I came to apologize on behalf of Walnut-" 

"Oh, non non non [no, no, no], it's fine, I mean, I am her rival after all, so of course she'd be against me." They stated. It wasn't really fine, but they didn't want Almond to dig into their psyche.   

"Yeah, but it was still wrong of her to think that were going to crumble me. I mean it's not like you killed anyone before."

"Oui [yes]. I'm not doing what they did." Roguefort immediately stopped the moment they realized what they just confessed. "Erm, it was nothing! I mean I'm not going to do what that monster did, eh. I mean like any monster that would ever kill someone must be evil, right?" 

Almond wasn't convinced, but they didn't say a word until Roguefort was finally calm enough to speak again. "I suppose it's time I came clean, huh?" 

"Clean? Is this related to the state your mansion is in? I was surprised how dilapidated it was when I first entered, if it weren't for all the stolen goods, I would have guessed it belonged to Candlelight." Almond asked. "I promise I won't tell anyone about this." 

Roguefort sighed, placing Lord Crumbles in their arms for comfort. "Well for a start, my real name is Roquefort. I came from a very wealthy family, yes. But it wasn't to last... Have you heard of a family being assassinated decades ago with no survivors?" 

"I... wait, that was your family? But the newspapers said there wasn't a trace of anyone who could have lived." 

"Well, I did. And Lord Crumbles here, he was only a little kitten by then. I stayed hidden in the cellar."

Almond nodded, listening to them talk. He really wanted to write this down, but decided against this due to the fact that it would be rude and distasteful to do that. "I see..." 

"And, out of fear of being found out, I haven't moved away from the mansion, stealing things to sell back to the people I stole from, basically holding their valuables hostage, then I'd dress as my dead brother, Valdeon, to do the deals, as well as purchase cat food for Lord crumbles since it's been so long people don't remember what he looked like..." As they retold their memories, they held their cat closer to them, becoming more distraught.   

"But why couldn't you fix your home-" 

"Because! If I did, they'd know someone was still alive! They'd kill me like they'd killed my family!" Roguefort snapped, starting to freak out. Then, the memories of their parents' bodies lying lifeless flooded back.  

"Roguefort...?" Almond asked, but got no response from the thief, only uttering. "Je suis désolé maman et papa, je t'ai laissé tomber... [I'm sorry mom and dad, I let you down...]" as tears filled their eyes. Almond, starting to get concerned, not knowing what else to do, he pulled them close in a hug. 

This did help a little, at least to getting Roguefort out of a traumatized state. They clung onto Almond, softly letting their tears fall.

The detective awkwardly patted their back, doing whatever he could to calm them down. "I'm terribly sorry, I never wanted you to relive your worst traumatic memories." He whispered, stroking their soft blonde hair. "I promise you they won't ever find you." 

"H-how do you know that? If they find you, they'll kill you too, they'll find me and finish the job..." 

"They'll have to get through the entire Parfaedia police force before they can even land a scratch on you." Almond promised. "I will keep a lookout for anyone who might still be out there, murder will lead to them spending a life in prison." 

The Phantom Bleu looked up; Almond had never seen them this vulnerable before. Not even when they were at risk of serving a life sentence for stealing from the Dark Cacao kingdom, the detective was certain they were so overconfident that they would never be caught. "Th... Thank you. I, I don't know how to repay you. Especially after all the trouble I caused you for so long." 

Almond only responded by stroking their hair more. "Erm, your hair is so soft. I enjoy running my fingers through it." He admitted. "Um but I'll stop if it makes you uncomfortable." 

"No! Uh, keep going please. It's very calming for me."

"Alright." Almond stated before stroking their hair more. They just sat, holding Lord Crumbles with their hair being stroked. There was this newfound comfort being pet like this, as if they were a cat. A comfort they were unfamiliar to but were very accepting of. "So Roguefort-" The other cookie started before realizing the thief fell asleep in his arms.   

"Oh, uh, I'll leave you to rest then." Almond muttered softly as he carefully removed their arms off of him. Once out of the room, the detective went to shower. But, even if he was away from the blonde, the detective couldn't get them out of his mind. "Why did they seem somewhat... cute?" He thought as he turned on the water, trying to shake the feeling that was forming inside of him. 

It was currently three years after Walnut's mom divorced Almond, but the thought of even being in a new relationship was something he wasn't ready for. Besides, even if he had feelings for them, it would probably only be one sided. He thinks this since the detective was a more than a few years older than Roguefort.    

He looked at himself in the mirror. "Get a hold of yourself, love isn't something you can give." He muttered to himself before leaving the bathroom to go to his bedroom.

Constable Whiskers trotted inside, as if he was somehow aware that his owner was having some troubles of his own. "Huh? Oh, hey there little guy, I seem to be having some kind of romance troubles. At least I think so, I'm not sure. I mean I'm not sure if Rogue is even interested in romance, eep! I mean Roguefort. I can't just give them a nickname if we're not in a relationship." 

Whiskers gave his belly a soft headbutt, purring to cheer him up. "Oh. Thanks Whiskers, I'm just going through some rough times. Why am I having feelings for them? It's not like them and I ever had anything going on between us. I mean I don't think so anyways. Ugh, I need to sleep on this." 

But what he didn't know that Lord Crumbles could overhear the entire monolog. He nudged the door open with his paws, climbing up to join Whiskers on Almond's lap. The two cats just stared at each other, giving each other head bonks. "Heh, I guess our cats enjoy each other's company at least. I just wish it was that easy to talk things out with Roguefort." 

As the cats trotted out together, Almond laid back on his bed. He was so distressed by his sudden romantic feelings for the thief he had been chasing for almost five years that he didn't bother to get into his pajamas. He hoped that it would vanish after a nap, but it seemed to only grow stronger. 

"Almond? I-oh! Was I interrupting anything?" Roguefort squeaked as they opened the door, only to see Almond shirtless in bed. 

"Uh, it's nothing. Erm, can you pass me my shirt? Uh, if you don't mind." 

The thief tried their hardest not to stare as they got his clothes, up close the detective looked very handsome. He had a bit of a dad bod which contrasted his gaunt face, it was clear he didn't eat a lot on a daily basis. "I was going to ask if you were hungry for dinner, Lord Crumbles shook me awake." 

"That would be nice. I usually just order something quick from Jampie's diner or Pizza Cookie's new pizzeria."

"Ah, tres bien [very good]." They smiled. Almond just looked at them, their smile looked so genuine. "Um, is there something the matter? Do you not want me to speak French around you?" 

"No, I was just spacing out a little." Almond said as he got out of bed as he puts on his clothes. "Now then, Um, what exactly as you planning to make for dinner? If you're making crepes again there's still some in the fridge." 

"Oh, well, I'm not entirely sure, but I assure you it's not crepes. I don't remember the recipe completely, but I'm going to make Potatoes Au Gratin, I'm pretty sure it's a simple dish and you have all the ingredients for it." Roguefort said as they entered the kitchen, the kitchen already had everything ready for cooking. "Huh, I thought I put everything away-" 

"You did, I just took the things out that I needed, since it looked like you were planning on going to bed, I didn't want to just make something if you wouldn't be awake to eat it." Roguefort stated before starting to cook. The detective watched them do so. "Do you want any help?" He asked. 

"No, I'm fine, thank you anyways." The thief stated as they started layering the potatoes.

Almond watched from afar, only to hear Walnut come down with Whiskers in her arms. "I found him nuzzling up next to Roguefort's cat, they won't stop following each other around." She remarked, pointing to Lord Crumbles for emphasis. "I guess Whiskers never really had other cats for company." 

"Oh? I'm surprised, Lord Crumbles is rarely friendly around other cats. Especially other male cats. But it seems he has taken a liking to yours." Roguefort noticed. "Anyways, the gratin should be ready in about twenty minutes. Oh! Would you care for anything to drink? I know you're very fond of your coffee." 

"Dark roast for me, I like my coffee black." Almond requested. "Uh, and what would you like, Walnut?" 

"Just water." It was clear the younger detective was still uneasy about having Roguefort live under the same roof as them. "Why are you being so friendly? You only ever act nice for others when you're about to steal from under their noses." 

"Walnut, they wouldn't risk being sent to maximum security prison by violating their house arrest rules. Besides, we don't have anything of value here." Almond firmly said.

"You're defending them? Wait, dad you're not growing a crush on them, are you? You remember what Mom did!" 

"I... erm..." The detective didn't know what to think, he wasn't even sure if he truly was feeling love for Roguefort or if he was just feeling sorry for their situation. 

"Monsieur Detective?" 

"Ah! Uh, it's complicated... I need to think on this." Immediately Almond went right back up to his room, burying his face in his pillow.

Roguefort watched as Almond left. They wanted to follow him, but they couldn't abandon the oven, or else the gratin could burn. "Walnut... Why do you not like me? Or your father being with someone?" 

"Tsk, well obviously you're a criminal-" 

"But I am more than just a criminal. I have memories and trauma. And you just accuse me of things I have not done." Roguefort said. "Uh, well-" 

"I could change, honestly, being open about my past with your father is causing me to see things differently, if it weren't for my criminal record, I could stop being a thief and open a little bakery somewhere." Roguefort retorted before the child could respond. "So, you just don't have faith in me that I can change-" 

"Change is the problem! All this is happening too fast and I don't like it!" 

Roguefort paused. "So you're against progress?" 

"I just don't like how fast everything is going now... You move in, you make moves on my dad, next thing I know you're my parent, I can't adjust that quickly." Walnut said. "I see... Do you not like that?"  

"Of course not! Since my mom... She doesn't deserve to be called a mom... Her name is Pecan Cookie... And she left my dad since he was working hard for our family. And dad didn't take it well, locking himself in his room, only coming out to work... I don't want him to get hurt again..." Walnut stated.

"I see." Roguefort sat there silently, they didn't know how else to respond. It sounded like Almond's love life was more than a little rocky. "I promise I won't hurt him." 

Walnut just stared at them. "I still don't know if I can trust you." 

"Yeah, I don't blame you. But I can assure you I'm not trying to flirt with your father just to steal from under his nose. I stole because I had no choice." 

"No choice? You mean no one let you find honest work? I overheard Dad mention something about a family assassination..." 

Roguefort sighed, it wasn't as painful to retell their past as last time, but it still hurt quite a bit. "I took up the identity of the Phantom Bleu to sneak in and out without a trace, everything I keep goes right into making sure Lord Crumbles has everything he needs, he always comes first." 

"Wow, I was always taught that people only ever steal so they can be rich, or that they're thieves because they just want money and don't want to be honest people." Walnut admitted. "At least that was the case for everyone else me and my dad arrested." 

"Yeah... But many unfortunately are caught in a rough situation with no other way out. All they can do is take what they need, although not everyone ended up with their entire family taken from them." 

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know." Walnut didn't know if it was entirely true, but Roguefort sounded genuine for the first time. "Well, my dad and I went through some rough times too. He always put me and Constable Whiskers over himself, unlike Pecan."

"Your father is a very caring man, but he has to put himself first sometimes. I know I don't trust me, but if you're father wants to be with me, that's his decision to make." They said, taking out the potatoes au gratin out the oven.

"I know..." Walnut stated. "If it makes you feel better, I'll give up crime." The thief stated. "You would?"

"Sure, I mean, if I have somewhere my cat can be happy, and where I can live as well, I don't see a reason to steal." 

"Well... Alright. But if you break my dad's heart, I will kick you out myself."

"Ah, alright. For a child you sure are threatening." Roguefort smiled. "Though, on a serious note, I should probably check on your father." They continued before going to see how Almond was doing.

Almond was not good. He laid there, face buried in his pillow, overthinking his emotions. Were these feelings of pity or romance? It's been so long he doesn't remember what romantic feelings felt like. His over whelming emotional breakdown was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Who is it...?" He uttered out, muffled from his pillow.

"It's Roguefort, may I come in?"

Before Almond could even answer, the blonde entered the room.

"Are you feeling better?" They asked.  "Not entirely..." 

"Oh? Um, Walnut told me about your wife... Honestly I can't see how she could leave someone for trying to support their family." Roguefort stated sitting next to the nut detective on his bed. 

"Roguefort I... I know this is an odd thing to ask but... What is love...? I forgot what it felt like..."

The former thief blushed at the question.  "Love... It's a warm sensation you feel when around a person you really care about.  Someone you could never live without.  That's what love is to me, at least."  They stated. "By the way, the food is ready if you're hungry."

"I...  Okay, thanks, Roguefort..." Almond stated getting up with them.  Hearing it said to him like that made it easier to understand his emotions.  And that he was most definitely in love with the former thief.

On the counter was the finish potato dish. It was still warm as the blonde served it. As the three of them ate, Walnut stared at Roguefort.  "It's really good." She spoke. She sounded as if she didn't want to admit it, though Roguefort understood.  "Thank you.  I'm honestly glad that it turned out so well, it's almost as good as how my mother used to make it." They smiled softly.

Once they were finished, Walnut was sent to bed for it was her bedtime.  Roguefort went to do the dish but was stopped by Almond.  "Oh? Is something the matter?" They asked.  "I... No, nothing is the matter I just... Need to confess something.  Remember when I asked you what love was?"

"Yes, I do it was an hour ago."

"Well... The reason I ask is... I... I think I'm in love with you..." The older cookie stammered out. "... Are you serious?" Roguefort asked, blushing.  "If you don't like me back you don't have to-"

"Oh non, I love you too Almond, I just didn't believe it when it came from your mouth.  I always loved your dedication, but to know you're a caring and loving person is a bonus that I cannot resist." Roguefort confessed.  Knowing that the person he loved liked him back made Almond smile a little bit.

"Say uh, after we're done the dishes you wanna watch a movie or something?  I don't have any physical media but if there's a movie being broadcasted, we can watch it"

"A movie? Oh, I'd like that." The blond smiled.

Once Walnut was tucked into bed, the two cookies laid together on the couch. An old movie played but neither were paying attention to it, their focus was entirely on each other. "You know, I don't think I've ever been so close to anyone until now. It feels kinda nice actually, having someone you can snuggle with." Almond admitted, placing his head on Roguefort's shoulder. "Erm, you don't mind me curling up against you, right?" 

"Not at all, I missed feeling someone by my side as well. I never really had a serious love life, but I have had some flings. Some ended better than others, but with you I feel like this might last." The former thief cooed. "But I won't be like your last partner, I will continue to support you and your daughter. As well as our cats." 

Whiskers and Crumbles purred as they slept in the same bed, curled up together into a big floof ball. "Look at them, I have never seen Lord Crumbles so happy before. Not even the time I first gave him his special catnip toy." They cooed. 

"Yeah, Whiskers likes the company too. Mmn, maybe we should get some sleep too. I have a spare pair of pajamas, you look like my size." Almond helped him up. "You're very cozy, um. Can we snuggle in the same bed?" 

"Aww, of course." Roguefort purred, gently nuzzling his face. "Your face is so soft and clean shaven. Mind if I give you a little kiss?" 

 "A kiss? Oh, oh yes! Uh, I mean I would like it."

And so, the former thief lifted Almond's head up with their fingers and kissed him on the lips as well as on his cheek. Their smooth lips pressing against his somewhat chapped ones felt wonderful, almost dream like.  

"Your lips, their so soft." Almond stated simply. "Heh, merci~ I use lip balm." They smiled as they gave him another kiss. "Now, how about we go to sleep now?" 

"Sure."

As the two laid together in the same bed, almond felt himself becoming more comfortable with the idea of loving again. Roguefort snuggled close against the other cookie and they their breathing slowed as they fell asleep. And, soon enough, Almond fell asleep beside them, the warmth of someone else with him made him comfortable.