"Sable, Sable!"

Sable was woken up frightfully from her sleep by Mabel's shouting, who came running into their one bedroom in the building. Sable woke up in a confused state, seeming she was always the one who got up first.

"Ugh…what's wrong, Mable?" Sable called grumpily over to her. The light bombarded her sensitive eyes as she made out the figure of Mable walking towards her excitedly. She produced a piece of folded paper, a smile beaming across her face.

"You've got mail!" she said. Sable saw nothing exciting in this and groggily sat up in her bed, taking the paper. But Mable hadn't finished, and said something that would shock Sable into an alert state. "It's from Tom Nook!"

Her tired eyes shot open suddenly. Darting her gaze to her sister, Sable could tell that she wasn't lying to her. Her expression said it all.

"…Can I read it alone?" Sable asked. Mable, fully understanding the situation, nodded before walking out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Sable felt the very atmosphere around her become tense as she nervously unfolded the letter. Holding it with one hand and grabbing the pajama leg tightly with the other for stability, she began to read out loud.

Dear Sable,

If you're reading this message, then you might be wondering why it's been so long since we've last talked to each other. I hope to explain everything about how I feel and why we haven't spoken in this letter; it might be long winded and a bit of a rant, but please bear with me.

I heard you crying last night as I was walking back to my house. I couldn't beat my curiosity and decided to listen in, so I apologize if that was against your wishes. However, when I heard that it was because of me, and the fact that we just haven't communicated in so long, it had me thinking. I went home and unearthed my box of mementos from the city.

I felt so guilty, Sable. Writing this, I'm struggling to understand why our relationship fell quiet. You sent me shirts for my birthdays in the city, and I laid them out on my bed. I also found a picture of the two of us together amidst the shirts, and I'll admit that I was struggling not to cry. How could I forget the amazing friendship we had?

I want to say I'm sorry for any pain or sadness I've caused you. I know I've been ignorant and forgetful, perhaps even selfish. Now that I remember how golden our days together were as friends, I want to stop the gap that grows between our lives. I want to be just as happy as I was before I went to the city. Happiness that we felt when we were children; that's what I want to feel, and it's what I want you to feel as well. I want to be rid of the gap, just like the gap our parents never had.

I remember the mantra my father told me when I was at risk of losing a cool head: Stop those thoughts, control your mind and replace the things that you despise. They were words that helped me keep my sanity when I was in the city, but I suppose I accidentally replaced our relationship in all the kafuffle. I prioritized stupid things, like Bells, and success. I was wrong. Nothing is more valuable than friendship, and I feel like an idiot when I found out that my misgivings had made you cry that night.

'You're old', I hear you say. But Sable, age means nothing to me now, just because you're older doesn't mean I don't want to stop knowing you, it doesn't mean that I don't care. I realize that my ethics towards life, all the crusades for a quick Bell, I don't believe in it anymore. It was all just stupidity caused by my youth. Moving to the city, leaving you here, everything outlandish I did were just pathetic acts for a worthless cause: money.

I could go on forever, but I'm running out of space on this paper. To put it shortly, I want you back in my life. I want to be happy and I want to make you happy. Can you ever forgive me for leaving you in the dark for so long? Whatever you decide, you'll know where to find me.

With love, Tom Nook.

"…Mable?"

"Yeah, sis?"

"Look after the shop for a bit. I'll be back"

"What for, sis?"

"I need to pop out for a few minutes…"

She saw that Nookway was open, but as she peered through the glass, he wasn't in sight. Nervously, she stepped to the automatic door; it opened silently.

Walking in, she peered around to try and find Tom Nook. The shelves were up to chest height, but Sable should have been able to spot him easily from behind one of them. As she quietly and slowly paced in, she suddenly noticed his voice humming quietly.

"In the beginning…"

She looked about, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice.

"When we were winning…"

She took a few steps further into the shop; she knew it was Tom Nook's voice. She felt her heart flutter; his voice was sweet and tuneful.

"When our smiles were genuine…"

Sable knew she was getting closer to the source of the voice, she checked down the first aisle. No Tom Nook.

"In the beginning, when we were winning…"

She checked the second aisle, but Tom Nook was still absent. His voice, however, was getting stronger. There was one more aisle to check; Sable heartbeat rose and her face flushed slightly.

"When our smiles were genuine…"

As she turned her head to scan the last aisle, she found him; his back turned to her and on his knees. There was a bottle of disinfectant by his side; he was scrubbing the floor. Sable watched silently as he continued to sing to himself, utterly unaware of her presence.

"But now unforgiven, the everlasting, everlasting…"

Sable noticed the sad tone to his voice, it sounded as if he were crooning in sadness. She jumped as she watched him getting up to his feet, and before she could do anything, he turned around and found her.

Tom Nook had been feeling nervous throughout the space of time he had hand delivered his letter into Sable's mailbox. It had been so long he had stood face to face with her before. He stared, almost in shock, towards her eyes, before swiftly examining the furry tartan coat she was wearing. She always knew how to dress well.

"Hello, Tom" Sable said quietly. Tom Nook, still stunned that she had come to see him, stepped closer towards her.

"Sable" he whispered. "…How have you been?" She hummed in response, taking her hands. It was obvious that she was shy; both of them thought that their meeting had been a long time in the making.

"Tom, I read your letter" she said quietly, showing him the letter he had so passionately written the night before.

"Oh…" Tom Nook hummed, looking away nervously. "A-and what did you think?"

"…I thought it was beautiful" she said, releasing a small smile. She then opened her arms and walked towards Tom Nook, taking him into her arms and holding onto him. Straight away, Tom Nook lifted his own arms and grasped her tightly, trying to keep his composure. Sable felt her own calmness become unstable in Tom Nook's arms, and before long, the two of them were quietly sobbing in each other's shoulders.

"I missed you so much Tom…" Sable uttered, drying her eyes quickly. "Please, don't you ever do that to me again"

Tom Nook pulled his own head away so he could look at his dear friend's face. He felt his heart bubbling with joy; a smile broke from his face. He started to shake his head, holding his tears back.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Sable" he said quietly, kissing her cheek and stroking her hair tenderly. "I have too much love for you to do that now"

They remained in an embrace for what felt to be an eon. They both knew that there was a future in store for both of them, and their romance seemed to continue undaunted, despite their lengthy exile. Even if something were to happen to either, both knew that life was too short to be taking things for granted. With a renewed spirit in mind and a refreshed love for each other, in company and personality, they knew that their bond would be everlasting.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the story, I certainly do love writing about this pairing, I think they're dope. Check my other stuff, y'all!