Lament of the Moon S&H - Ch.08: Dancing no Bara - Ep09
#9 of LoM 08
Hazard took Rinami to the only good place he knows in this city, Beverage Cloud, as they found a small table for two outside the café. He ordered a glass of orange juice for both of them and as they waited for their drinks, they sat awkwardly silent for a few minutes; neither of them knowing what to start with.
"Oh God, he's gorgeous! Much more handsome than I imagined! I remember finding him very cute when we were little, but holy crap, did he grow up damn fine! Look at that sexy body! And those glasses make him look so... Oh dear, I gotta stop before I swoon in front of him!" Rinami was thinking to herself, admiring the golden wolf sitting just in front her. Even after all these many, many years, her feelings for Hazard hadn't changed a bit. In fact, they grew tenfold the moment she reunited with him last night at the circus. She had the fondest crush on him since they were little toddlers, and in her eyes, he hasn't changed at all, except for looking fully matured and ruggedly attractive.
"Are you... okay, Rina?" Hazard asked the vixen, getting self-conscious by her staring at him so intently for so long.
"Oh! Yeah, I'm good! I'm just still overwhelmed by all of this, finding you and all, and I'm comparing how you used to look back then to how you look now. You've grown very well!"
"Heh, well, it's been like over 500 years, after all," Hazard chuckled, and smiled back at her. "You look... great too, Rina."
Rinami blushed brightly, "Umm, th-thanks, Hazard..." she swayed her eyes away from his, getting shy suddenly.
"So, anyway, I wanted to ask you. What happened to them... my family? After I... left?" the wolf then hesitatingly asked, as if he didn't actually want to know the answer.
"Oh... Well, they left the town a year after you left. I haven't seen or heard of them since then," Rinami answered him frankly.
"I see..." Hazard breathed jadedly.
"I'm sorry, Hazard. I was actually hoping you'd have some news about them..."
"It's okay, Rina. I'm sorry I left you all. It must've been hard on you, being alone. I wanted to be a strong man, someone who could be counted on, and come back to everyone. But, I ended up being a selfish coward and ran away. I've never been the same, after that... incident. I think being cursed is my punishment, for my sins," Hazard said regretfully, smiling wearily. He then felt Rinami's hands grab one of his on top of the table, holding it gently.
"You did what you believed in, be it right or wrong. It's all in the past now. It took us a long time, but we finally found each other, and I have no regrets, even if being cursed was the price. It's our fate, and I always believed in it," Rinami softly said to Hazard, gripping on his hand tighter. The wolf looked back at her and saw her smiling sweetly at him and that instantly eased him up. She was the same Rinami he knew, the girl next door he always hanged out with, day in and day out, and shared his most cherished childhood memories with. The centuries had changed very little of her, and he found that to be an amazing thing. His hand gripped hers, smiling back at her.
"I'm impressed, Rina. I would've never imagined that you had it in you. But you're right. No point mourning about the past. I'm here now. You're here now. And I'm glad for that."
"Yes! Me too!" Rinami nodded gladly. Their order then came in just in time for a little merriment, as Hazard lifted up his glass of cocktail juice for a toast.
"To us, and things to come."
"To us!" Rinami chirped and clanged her glass against Hazard's, but he clumsily slipped it off his hand and it broke and spilled over the table.
"Oh shit! Damn me!" the golden wolf grimaced.
"Oh dear... you're still as 'hazardous' as ever, aren't you?" Rinami remarked with sheepish expression. Hazard merely chuckled back at her, scratching his cheek bashfully. "Oh my! You still do that cute cheek-scratching thing when you're embarrassed! You haven't changed at all!" the vulpine eagerly exclaimed.
"Keep it down, Rina! We don't need to attract more attention..." Hazard retorted whisperingly, getting more embarrassed. "Crap, now I need to order another glass," he then sighed, referring to his spilled juice, but Rinami took his fallen straw from the table and placed it in her glass alongside her own straw.
"There! We can share!" she cheerfully said, taking a sip from the tangy colorful drink. Hazard felt a little flustered at first, but he quickly shrugged it off and smirked back at the vixen, sharing the juice with her, as Rinami smiled happily at his acceptance, her fluffy tail wagging. This turned out to be rather nice first date to her.
To be continued...