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"Why do you care so much about him, since you treat him so badly?" Skurvy yelled at K. Rool. K. Rool froze for a couple of seconds, not knowing what to say. He had an answer, but… he just wasn't ready to say it… not now, not here. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and jumped out of the minecart. He pulled Klump towards him, protectively holding the general close to his side, away from the pirate.
"If you want to take my general away from me, you'll have to go through me first." K. Rool growled, teeth bared. Skurvy growled as he started to raise his hand cannon, aiming at K. Rool's head yet again, as K. Rool leaned his head towards Skurvy, growling back as well. Klump, becoming nervous, especially since it was becoming more clear the two were about to come to blows. Klump got out of the king's grip, put himself between the two Kremlings, and shoved the two away from each other.
"Both of you, calm down! I need some time to think. I'll tell you my decision in the morning, ok?" Klump asked. K. Rool and Skurvy looked at Klump before sighing, frustrated, before they both backed off and said with an annoyed tone, "Alright, fine."
***Two Days Later***
K. Rool was sitting on his throne thinking about that argument two days before on the night of The Kongo Bongo Festival Of Lights. Yesterday Klump had come up with a compromise. And thank Kore, it had involved Klump getting to stay with K. Rool. Sure, it meant Skurvy could visit Klump whenever the pirate felt like it, but Klump was much more important to K. Rool than the frustration caused by having to tolerate that rude brainless buccaneer. Getting the general to stay had been much more important to K. Rool. And...not because Klump happened to be the best strategist in K. Rool's army. No, it was because...well, frankly, K. Rool had found something that had made the general much more important to K. Rool than just because Klump was his best general.
It had only happened a couple of months ago before The Kongo Bongo Festival Of Lights but had happened nonetheless. K. Rool had started to feel strange whenever the general was around. Even when he wasn't around, K. Rool found himself thinking about his general, sometimes even daydreaming or dreaming in his sleep about him. K. Rool had recognized the feeling immediately. He was in love. This wasn't the first time he'd been in love, after all. But, it was the first time he had felt it so intensely.
And that had been the answer to Skurvy's question that K. Rool had refused to say. K. Rool cared because he had fallen for Klump. But... he wasn't just ready to admit that, not yet at least. He still had to figure out what he was going to do about this.
He wasn't even exactly sure if the general was even interested in him. He had noticed little, or sometimes bigger, things that the general had said or done that made him have his suspicions even before he had fallen for the general. But still, he just wanted to be completely, positively, absolutely sure that the feelings were mutual.
For once, he just... didn't know what to do. He never liked opening up his heart. It made him feel inarticulate and weak-kneed. But it's not exactly like he liked the pain of an aching, pining heart either. So what in Kore's name was he supposed to do?
Should he say something about this to his dear general, Klump? Or stay stubborn as ever and suffer from the ache of his yearning heart? Or… maybe, just maybe… there was a way to say it without explicitly saying it? The Kremling King's eyes widened as an idea suddenly struck him.
"That's it!" K. Rool shouted. He put his hands to the sides of his face as a silly grin spread across his face as he asked himself, "Oh, how could I have so absolutely stupid?! I don't have to say it directly to Klump, but I won't have to hurt myself in the process either!" K. Rool laughed a little before putting his hands back down to his throne's arm, and mumbling in a slightly exhausted tone, "I could just flirt with him, drop a few hints here and there. There would be no need for me to say it directly to him to make him notice even a little and end up possibly making myself ''King K. Fool'' in the process. Not to mention it'll help me vent my feelings out a little.."
K. Rool let out a sigh and leaned his head against his non-clawed hand. While it was true that he wasn't ready to tell Klump, or anyone else for that matter, about how he really felt about his precious, sweet, little general, a little hint here and there for Klump couldn't possibly hurt. It gave him a way to release the feelings without the possibility of making himself look like an utterly idiotic lunkhead by opening up his heart and getting rejected.
He could look for any signs from Klump before maybe admitting his feelings. He directed his gaze towards Klump's room, he froze, his grin became a little lovestruck, and his cheeks turned a light red, as he saw his beloved, and adorably sleepy-looking, general, apparently having finally woken up from his slumber, slowly walk out of the room, and towards the kitchen to make breakfast.
K. Rool found himself spellbound and found himself unable to look away from Klump until the general had completely left his line of vision. K. Rool sighed, finding himself exhaling a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding in the first place. He noticed how fast his heart was racing and he sighed again, lovestruck, his expression becoming fond, as he thought, Kore, I'm in love, aren't I? He looked down, and slowly shook his head, chuckling a little before quietly whispering to himself, "Yes."