Oh, partner and romance? Psshh, Forget it. He had Kuro, and that was all he needed. They had been through everything together, from the good times to the tough ones. Why complicate things with a partner when he already had such a loyal companion? It's a miracle that you popped into his life, a charming little innkeeper who offered room and board at a too-good-to-be-true price when him and Kuro first arrived at The Island.

At first, he expected nothing more than a 'very friendly' friendship. Turns out, it's hard to resist someone who treats him and his employer like they deserve all the happiness and kindest things in the world. That's when his feelings for you started to change, even though he wouldn't admit that he may have been falling for you, love that you are so caring, and kind, and...

"—Attractive" The thought slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it, making both you and Kuro turn to stare at him. Mortified, Mickbell scrambled to backtrack and find an excuse, until he finally landed on holding up his bread and declaring, "I was talking about how attractive THIS...bread is!"

The half-foot man's desperate attempt at deflection was met with nothing but incredulous laughter from you, leaving Mickbell a blushing mess, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I meant the bread looks attractive! I mean, delicious! The...uhm...golden crust and fluffy interior makes my heart skip a beat!" He said, trying to redirect the conversation and cover up his initial blunder.