Tom and Isabelle were working a shift in the town hall. Tom was typing away on the hall’s laptop and reading daily documents. Isabelle was writing notes in her notebook, and checking her teal notebooks for more information. It was a normal day in the workplace on the island. 

Isabelle put down her pen and looked up at Tom. She noted Tom’s focused face as he typed on his laptop. She mentally noted how hard he had been working up until this point. He was always a hard worker who failed to give himself the time to rest. He would usually do this through his nephews, but even then, it’s not truly a rest if you’re still looking after children, is it? She wasn’t sure. How would she possibly know? She didn’t have children of her own. 

“Hey Tom?” She asked softly. 

“Hm? Yes Isabelle?” he replied, looking up. “What do you do to wind down after a long day?” Isabelle asked. 

“Hmm…” Tom thought for a moment. “I usually take care of Timmy and Tommy. Helping them close the store, taking them to the house and reading them a bedtime story before tucking them into bed.” Tom explained. 

“I see…and…after that?” She asked. 

“Well…I usually go to bed myself.” Tom Nook replied. “This old raccoon needs his rest after the long shifts, yes yes.” Tom Nook admitted with a chuckle. 

Isabelle widened her eyes. “You don’t read? Or do any hobbies after work?” Isabelle asked. 

“Well you see, Isabelle…work IS my hobby.” Tom Nook admitted. “I worked hard to get to this place. No time leftover for funny business.” Tom replied. 

“...Funny business, huh?” Isabelle sat back and crossed her arms. “I personally prefer calling them ‘hobbies’. They are supposed to help you learn more about yourself and add some variety to your life.” Isabelle explained. 

“Well…Work does that same very thing for me.” Tom explained. 

“You’ve gotta be getting bored of work…” Isabelle reacted. 

Tom chuckled. “Something tells me you’re confusing my feelings for your own, hm?” She teased.

Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Sure…whatever you say.” Isabelle said. 

Tom went right deep into his work once again. It was like Isabelle hadn’t interrupted him at all! Some things just don’t change, do they? 

Well, Isabelle was determined to change that. Right here, right now. 

Isabelle got up out of her seat and picked up her seat. With the chair in hand, Isabelle walked up to Tom’s side of the desk. “What are you doing exactly?” She asked him, placing the chair beside him and sitting down. 

“Nothing interesting for you.” Tom replied. 

“Oh really? Try me.” Isabelle encouraged. 

Tom raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked at his screen. “Uhh…” He muttered, unsure how to react himself. 

“Tell me.” Isabelle encouraged him again. 

Tom sighed and scratched the back of his head. “Well…I’m working on a spreadsheet of our representatives' earnings in Bells.” Tom explained. “He has paid me 10,000 bells today, which is 1000 more bells than yesterday.” He explained. “If [Player] continues giving 10,000 bells everyday, he should be able to pay for his house upgrade in about 197 days.” Tom admitted. “Though, I have a feeling [Player] will pay different lump sums of money daily, which may decrease his loan payment days.” Tom Nook explained. 

“Wow…That’s a lot of work for our representative.” She admitted. 

“But telling by their payments, it’s not impossible.” Tom admitted. 

“And you’re charting their progress because…” Isabelle asked next. 

“Because I like to know about their daily progress.” Tom admitted. 

“Ah…” She muttered. 

“Is that all you want to know?” Tom asked. 

“Well…” Isabelle muttered, thinking for a moment. “I do want to know more about you.” She admitted. 

Tom nodded his head. “Ask away.” He replied. 

“Like…What are Timmy and Tommy like?” She asked. 

Tom chuckled. “You say you want to know about me…and yet, you ask me a question about the twins?” Tom mentioned. 

Isabelle smiled and looked away. “Maybe…” She teased. 

Tom shook his head with a smile. “Alright.” Tom cleared his throat. “Timmy and Tommy…they’re typical children. Outgoing, rambunctious, mischievous little tanuki children.” He told Isabelle. 

“I see. What else?” She asked. 

“Timmy is the most quick-witted little tycoon I have ever met.” Tom Nook admitted. “And Tommy is a sensitive mastermind. And together, they are the perfect duo to take over the Nooks corporation after I retire.” Tom explained. “I am very proud of the tanuki’s they have both become.” Tom Nook admitted. 

Isabelle smiled and patted his shoulder. “If they are wonderful kids like you tell me…then just wait until they’re fully grown!” Isabelle reacted. 

Tom closed his eyes with a smile under his little snout. “Don’t make me get ahead of myself, Isabelle. They won’t be pups forever.” Tom warned her. 

“I won’t, I promise.” Isabelle replied happily. 

Isabelle looked at Tom out of the corner of her eye. Tom spoke so highly of the twins, and it was adorable. But he rarely ever gave himself enough of the credit. 

Tom could feel Isabelle’s gaze on him. “.....Do you…need something?” Tom asked. 

“Are you ticklish?” She asked absolutely out of nowhere. 

Tom’s body froze in place. His typing paws had paused in place, and he had stared at the computer for a little longer than he was expecting. He didn’t even have anything to say in response. The only thing he was able to really say was: “Uuuuuhhh…why?”. 

Isabelle smirked. “Oh, just curious.” She replied. 

Tom closed his laptop and turned to look at Isabelle. “I know you're planning something devious. You’re not exactly stealthy.” Tom told her. 

Isabelle giggled and poked his side a couple times. “Is that so?” She teased. “Tell me, Tom: What exactly am I planning?” She asked. 

Tom jumped and attempted to push her hands away. “IsaBELLE-” Tom squeaked as a claw poked him square in the ribs. “StOP-” He tried and failed to cover his sides. “Please! We both have work to do!” Tom reacted. 

Isabelle chuckled. “Come on, Tom. You haven’t even answered me.” Isabelle told her. 

Tom stared at her. “A-About what?” He asked. 

“I asked you ‘Are you ticklish?’ earlier.” She reminded him. 

“…You wanted an answer?” Tom asked for clarification. 

Isabelle leaned her head back and laughed. “Why else would I ask you?!” She reacted. 

“I don’t know!” Tom reacted. 

“You don’t know if you’re ticklish or not?” She teased as she poked and scratched his furry sides. 

“That’s nOTWHAT-” Tom threw his head back. “BAHAHA-?!” He reacted, surprised by his own cackle. 

“I think you’re very ticklish!” She declared. “And personally…” She shoved her paws into his armpits with pure excitement on her face. “I think you need a break from work.” She told him. 

Tom threw himself against the back of his chair and cackled rather hysterically. “HAHAHAHAhahaha!” He squeezed his eyes shut, showing off a few of his eye wrinkles as he wiggled around in an unintentionally aggressive manner. “IHIHISABEHEHEHELLE PLEHEHEHEASE!” He yelled. 

“Goodness, you’re louder than I thought you’d be!” She reacted. 

“SHUHUHUHUSHHH!” Tom yelled back. 

“But shushing wouldn’t be as fun! And you know this.” Isabelle replied confidently.

Tom attempted to curl up similarly to how Mayor Tortimer would’ve curled up into his shell. 

“Trying to hide from me?” Isabelle teased before moving her paws to his neck. “Well I hate to break it to you, but you’re not going anywhere.” She declared proudly. 

Tom gasped and widened his eyes. Oh NO! “P-PLEASENO-NOT THERE!” He pleaded. 

Isabelle smirked. “Not where? Not here?” She poked his neck. “Not this sensitive neck right here?” She scritched his neck insanely gently. “Not this exposed, fluffy little neck?” She kept teasing in a voice only her twin brother would’ve heard. 

“NaaaAAAHAHAHA! EEEEEEHEEEHEEEHEEEHEEHEE!” Tom screeched and squealed. 

Isabelle was thrown off by this reaction at first. Isabelle and Tom had been friends for ages by this point. So seeing a serious businessman completely lose control of himself, was so out of character! Tom had always tried to present himself as a reserved, charismatic businessman. So it was almost shocking to see him squealing and losing his composure! Is this the same person?! Where’s the proof? How can we be so sure that this is the same person?!

It didn’t matter if Tom’s words were coherent or not…Isabelle seemed to have an answer for every single comment. 

“PLEHEHEHEASE-” Tom pleaded. 

“Goodness, you’re giggly! Does it really tickle that much?!” Isabelle asked. 

Tom attempted to nod his head amidst his giggly laughter. 

“How ticklish?” She asked with a smirk as she fluttered her paws up his neck towards his chin. 

“WAHAHAIT WAITWAIT-!” Tom squeaked and struggled to cover up his ultra sensitive chin. 

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how ticklish is your chin?” She asked curiously. 

Tom gasped as her finger presented itself mere millimeters away from his chin. He knew that if Isabelle so much as touched his chin, it would be all over. He would lose all his composure, and surely die from the embarrassment alone! And all it would take…was a tiny, simple touch.

The claw finally touched down…but it was only for a second. But that second was all it took for Tom Nook to disappear. The ticklish coworker she had been playing with in the town hall, had suddenly disappeared from her field of vision. 

Isabelle widened her eyes and pulled her paw back. The desk chair that was seating the raccoon had become completely empty. What the- Where did Tom go?! Isabelle looked around the room, flabbergasted by his sudden disappearance. Did he teleport?! There’s no way…no one can teleport like that. Not even the representative is capable of teleportation! 

Suddenly, the back door opened, revealing an exhausted, slumped-over Tom Nook. He was holding a cup of water in his right paw, while leaning against the doorframe with weariness written all over his face. The man looked like he just ran a marathon. 

“Oh my gosh- Are you okay?!” Isabelle asked, running up and offering to help carry him. She gently grabbed his arm and tried to wrap it around her shoulders, so she could place part of his weight onto her. 

But Tom didn’t interpret her actions like that. He assumed that her actions were part of her new elaborate plan to tickle him all over again. So naturally, Tom doubled over and pulled away before falling down. Isabelle took his water cup and let him fall. Isabelle watched as Tom curled up into a little ball the moment his body hit the floor. He wasn’t even able to stop the extra  giggles from leaving his snout. It was somewhat adorable, and still quite out-of-character for the man. 

Isabelle smiled and continued to watch as Tom sat himself up. When Tom reached for the water, Isabelle gave it to him. Tom drank the rest of the water in one big gulp, before huffing. “Are you happy with yourself?” He asked, looking up at Isabelle with a loopy smile. 

Isabelle’s heart dropped for only a second. Did she do something drastic?! Were her actions out of line?! 

…but the Shih Tzu felt immediate relief the moment she saw Tom’s crooked smile. Everything seemed to be okay. He wasn’t angry at her…and she was thankful for that. 

Tom got up onto his feet and got himself some more water from the water jug. “What time is it?” Tom asked. 

Isabelle looked over at the analog clock up on the wall. “It is…10 to 5.” Isabelle said. 

Tom hummed and speed-walked to his desk. “I promised the boys I would make them fish and chips for dinner.” He admitted. 

Isabelle raised an eyebrow. “And you have the time to do that?” she asked. 

“I will as soon as I leave.” Tom replied. 

Isabelle laughed and watched as Tom closed the laptop and put his book away. Then, he pulled out his Nook Phone. “That must be the boys.” He said before picking up the phone. “Hello?” He said. 

Isabelle turned her ear to the right, to attempt to hear what the boys were saying to him. 

“I’m on my way now, Timmy. Alright?” He told him. 

Isabelle smiled as she closed her notebook and schedule.

“I know my voice sounds groggy, but that’s none of your concern.” Tom told them. 

Isabelle looked up, and giggled silently into her paw. Unlike the boys, she knew EXACTLY why Tom’s voice was a little raspy. 

“Alright, I’ll see you in a few minutes. Bye.” He said, before hanging up. “Alright. That’s my cue to leave.” He told Isabelle. “See you in an hour, Isabelle.”