There were times when Tuxing was quite happy to be with her sisters, and when the Five Elements were formed, running the martial arts school with them and being the leader of the team for the stories that had them taking all sorts of fantastic adventures was great. But things changed over time. Shuixing had found Nate, and that relationship had goon from fan of martial arts meeting a publicized "hero" at it, to good friends and teacher and student, to boyfriend and girlfriend, to bond-mates, and then husband and wife, with a beautiful daughter to raise. Huoxing, Jinxing, and Muxing had also found possible romantic partners, though some of the slowness there was different.
Gang was naturally shy and at times fearful that he wouldn't be good enough for Huoxing, regardless of how obvious that both of them were falling for each other. Muxing was more resistant about expressing it in the open with regard to Li-Wei, but much of this was a likely result of where the Elements had been before they became Animalians. And Tuxing had noted that Li-Wei was interested in Muxing and that in her own way, Muxing was also interested, but was resisting it. Though, the more Li-Wei acted in a more submissive manner to Muxing, the more Muxing's resistance to admitting it seemed to weaken. Jinxing and Mitsu were still getting along quite well, but their respective work schedules with Interpol seemed to limit when they could go on dates or consider the next step. And Tuxing had also found herself in a similar position.
It had started with the Year of the Tiger celebration and had Liao essentially broadcast that Tuxing was single and looking for a bond-mate. At the time, Tuxing hadn't been pleased, but then met Lenard Bearstone and his younger brother. Lenard was a Siberian Tiger Animalian and had been raising Mikey after their parents had died of Covid in the pandemic. In many ways, Lenard reminded Tuxing of her own role in looking after her sisters and she found herself coming to like him in many ways that went beyond simple friendship. She also found herself amused by Mikey's own personality and saw a family dynamic that she liked. While she and Lenard had yet to actually have sex with each other, Tuxing had found herself ever more in love with the man and that was all that mattered, and she found herself lucky to have found that in Lenard... and she wondered if Shuixing felt the same way with Nate.
But Lenard had responsibilities in Idaho that he couldn't give up in the way that Nate had been free to move to Heiya Island to be with Shuixing. It meant a long distance relationship, and to a degree it worked, but it would ultimately mean that the team of sisters that the Elements had been would HAVE to break up, as Tuxing had the freedom and the funds to move while Lenard did not... and to a degree, she could also move her martial arts lessons to the town in Idaho where Lenard lived in a cabin outside it and not too far from the border with Yellowstone National Park. And when Tuxing had visited, she found her own instincts liking the more forested territory in places than the rather open areas on Heiya Island. And that raised some hopes on Tuxing's part for a proposal from Lenard, though, for a time, things had been rough, with Shuixing's pregnancy and the birth of her calf providing some distraction over the summer along with some other unease might leave a distraction for Lenard.
Thus, Tuxing had made her way to Idaho for Halloween. Sure, it wasn't the most romantic holiday and was more for kids having fun, but sometimes some things could just have some special surprises. It would show Lenard that she wasn't going to force him to abandon his home or rob Mikey of his friends in Idaho, particularly after the death of his parents had thrown so much change into his life. It would present something possible family unit, which deep with her, Tuxing wanted that. In a way, she was jealous whenever Shuixing cradled her daughter in her arms or nuzzled her muzzle to Nate's. And so, she'd come to Idaho and was tailing around with Lenard as they took Mikey through the town as he went trick or treating.
"It was nice that you could come," Lenard said to her as Mikey moved up to the front door of the house they'd stopped in front of.
"Well... I had the time," Tuxing answered and putting a degree of playfulness into her voice, "and besides Maya has different sleeping schedules from the rest of us... I can hear Shuixing or Nate walking with her at times at night."
"So, you're escaping parenthood?" Lenard asked as he looked to Mikey who was returning in his bear costume, complete with plastic claws.
"Not really," Tuxing answered, "Maya is precious, and I love her as any aunt could. But, she is not my daughter, she is Shuixing's. If I were to be up all night with an infant... I would want that infant to be my cub. Whom I've carried." She paused to take Lenard's hand, hoping that maybe she could prod him into proposing to her, "and with male I've found worthy of being the father of my cubs."
Lenard blinked as Mikey took his other and lead them along to the next house.
"You're going to have a baby, Ms. Tuxing?" Mikey asked as he shook the bag of candy he had, "will you need something to eat?"
"No, I'm not pregnant," Tuxing answered, "the only one of the elements who was pregnant was my sister, Shuixing. Your brother did share the pictures of her and Nate with their daughter?"
"The baby doesn't have horns," Mikey stated.
"They'll grow in as Maya grows up," Tuxing told Mikey.
"And when you and Lenny have cubs...?" Mikey asked.
"Tigers do not have any portion of anatomy that would truly develop post birth," Tuxing spoke, "unless one is referring to the development in their eyes and ears, but that's more in their ability to function. The physical structures are all there at birth. But if anything like that were to be the case... I would prefer to be your brother's wife before that happens."
Tuxing didn't exactly want to be as blunt as that, as she felt if she was, any proposal that Lenard might have in mind would lose any romantic effect, but Mikey was still fairly young and innocent. Tuxing didn't want to say or do anything that would come off as untruthful. If Lenard had any sort of plans that Tuxing did not know about, she hoped he understood her answer to Mikey and would carry through with whatever plan he had. If not, she hoped her answer to Mikey would tell Lenard that her answer would be a yes and that she was waiting for him to ask the question. Mikey smiled.
"Then you'll like the treat he told me he had for you," Mikey said with a smile.
"Treat?!" Tuxing gasped, almost jumping up and down with excitement and looking to Lenard who looked a bit sheepish as he scratched at the back of his head.
"This is embarrassing," Lenard said slowly, "I... I've been working hard to figure out the way to do it... asking my coworkers who are married. Asking some of Mikey's little league coaches on how they proposed to their wives."
"Embarrassing to ask for my hand?" Tuxing asked as she pulled Lenard into a hug and nuzzled her muzzle into Lenard's chin, chuffing as she did so.
"I didn't want to distract from your apprentice's graduation from her high school, or from your sister's pregnancy," Lenard answered as he hugged Tuxing back, and chuffing back to her as well, "from there it was all about the right words... you've been... special to me. Ever since the Year of the Tiger contest. You made me feel... like me again in some ways, and you've been good to Mikey. I wanted it to be special in its own way. And I had it worked out to be at dinner after trick or treating... but someone..."
Lenard glanced over to Mikey who stood by with a smile that betrayed glee and mischief all at once. A strong hand on his chin turning his face back over to Tuxing and her dark brown eyes, famed by her black hair and the orange and black coat of fur. Seeing Tuxing smile was something that relaxed his own nerves and some frustration... as he had told Mikey a bit about his plan, but he'd hoped that Mikey would be able to hold his excitement in and let him set things up. Especially since Halloween wasn't known for being a romantic holiday.
"Don't mind his excitement," Tuxing instructed, "In a way, I'm sure he's as excited as I am."
"He likes you almost as much as I do," Lenard answered and then carefully got down onto one knee, "I can't offer you much, Tuxing... and I know... that it may be selfish of me to ask you to stay here... but... would you do me the honor..."
"YES!" Tuxing roared happily to him and pulled Lenard into a hug, "and it's not selfish... in some ways... there are things about this area that fell... like home, in an instinctive way."
"Thank you," Lenard managed.
"It'll take time to arrange things," Tuxing spoke, "including moving my things and seeing to a schedule for the wedding..."
"And the elements?" Lenard asked.
"They'll be fine," Tuxing commented, "Shuixing or Jinxing may take over the leadership role... and to a degree, Liao has grown up enough and learned enough that she could take over my element if that is what she wants. And in a way, I could still teach my style of Kung Fu here... which in a way, would mean that some things wouldn't change completely. The bigger thing will be more on travel and weather."