Wolf's Teasing

The afternoon soon bled into evening, and the festival was fast approaching. If not for Eny’s constant reminders, Jere and Ylfa would have completely forgotten about it - or, in Jere’s case, forgotten in favour of doing whatever Ylfa wanted, which was talk. She hadn’t stopped. Her voice was sweeter than he remembered, her expressions vivid and natural. It clicked for him then - he could store as many memories as he wanted, but none would ever come close to the real thing.

The real thing made his heart pound.

There was a first time for everything, but once that moment passed, it was never the same again. And all things, even good ones, eventually came to an end. So he made a vow - one he hard-coded into his processors even as he sat listening to Ylfa speak.

He would stop collecting moments to replay later.

He would live in them instead.

He would experience everything he could with the ones he loved.

And savour it.

As soon as he finished making that vow, fate handed him his first chance to act on it: the festival. So when the sky darkened and Eny’s whining to hurry up finally reached critical mass, he stood and offered a hand to Ylfa.

“Come on, we’ll miss the festival.”

She blinked in surprise before her smile returned - she hadn’t stopped smiling since the moment she’d stopped crying.

“Okay! I’ll get changed…”

Eny’s eyes glittered.

“So will I!”

She bolted to her room, feet padding rapidly down the hall. Ylfa giggled at her enthusiasm. Jere savoured the sound, letting it ring in his mind and echo through his newly treasured present.

Then she looked at him. Smiled. Winked.

His heart hammered hard enough that his internal dampeners flickered in protest.

Something was about to happen.

He wasn’t prepared for what - Ylfa clasped his hand, firm yet gentle, and whispered with no fear of Eny overhearing:

“Come help me change.”

His heart skipped, stumbled, then tried to escape entirely. But before he could respond she was already tugging him toward their room. His processors scrambled for an appropriate reaction, but his vow held him steady. So he followed without protest.

She pulled him inside, shut the door, and released his hand. Her kimono lay neatly folded at the foot of the bed. She turned to him with a mischievous grin, lifting her arms.

“Come on, don’t be shy.”

He swallowed involuntarily, stepped forward, and - guided by precision algorithms he absolutely did not want to acknowledge at that moment - slipped her short-sleeved top off in one swift, efficient motion. He kept his gaze carefully raised, even though he knew she was wearing undergarments.

She noticed and smirked.

“Wimp.”

He stiffened. She laughed softly and turned around.

“Unclip me, please.”

He had no choice but to look down now. Her back, bare and warm-toned in the fading light, made his breath hitch. With gentle, trembling fingers he unclasped her black bra. It slid down her arms and fell away.

She stayed facing away as she slipped into a fresh one, holding the ends behind her back for him to fasten. He did so, hands careful, and heard her sigh happily.

“I’m really looking forward to this.”

He finally managed a word.

“Y-yeah?”

She reached down, unfastened her skirt, and let it pool around her feet before stepping free. Her black underwear was fully exposed, but he kept his eyes locked on the ceiling like the world’s oldest, most anxious saint.

“Yeah. I hope there’s a dance.”

She wrapped the kimono around herself, and Jere helped pull it into place over her shoulders.

“A dance?”

She nodded, folding the left over the right.

“Mhm. I haven’t had a good dance in ages. And I’ve never danced with someone I love.”

She tied the koshi-himo and let Jere tighten the back.

“What’s a dance like?”

He secured the Taiko Musubi around her waist.

“It’s one of the most romantic things a couple can do.”

The obiage and obijime went on next.

“Really?” he murmured.

She turned to face him, eyes glowing warmly.

“Yeah. And I’d love to do it with you.”

In Jere’s mind, it immediately became another new thing to experience. He didn’t hesitate.

“So would I.”

She smiled and took his hand. She was every bit as breathtaking as the first time she’d worn the kimono - a woman anyone would admire, and one the other girls would envy for more reasons than one.

“Then let’s make sure it’s the best night of our lives, okay? A celebration.”

He nodded, smiling back. For a long moment they simply stood there, lost in each other, words forgotten.

Then Ylfa blinked.

“Oh! I wonder if Eny’s alright. She’s been strangely quiet… oh.”

Jere understood instantly. Eny had been listening telepathically - of course she had. That was why she hadn’t come racing in to show them her outfit.

And right on cue, the frantic rustle of a child scrambling to get changed echoed down the hall.

Ylfa clapped a sleeve over her mouth to muffle a laugh, eyes sparkling.

“I… I suppose we should go hurry her up.”

He grinned and motioned to the door.

“After you.”

She fanned her face dramatically, hiding half of it in her sleeves.

“Why, what a gentleman. Thank you.”

He followed her out, heart thumping with anticipation.

Tonight was going to be one of the most monumental nights of his life.

The walk down to the village was slow and romantic-

or it would have been if not for Eny’s constant calls.

“Come on! We’re late!”

It had absolutely no effect.

Neither Ylfa nor Jere felt even remotely rushed. They only exchanged a knowing glance, arms looped together as they continued their unhurried descent toward the distant sounds of celebration in the valley below.

Eny threw her hands up dramatically.

“This isn’t fair! If you’re going to act so lovey-dovey then I’m going to go by myself!”

She wasn’t bluffing. But it didn’t matter, because Ylfa simply smiled.

“Okay, honey. Make sure you find Effie and the other kids and stay with them, okay?”

Eny nodded - surprised, but not enough to question her good fortune. She darted off immediately, her small feet smacking against the dirt as she sprinted downhill. Within seconds she was nothing but a flurry of limbs vanishing into the trees.

Silence settled behind her.

Ylfa exhaled softly, happily, and leaned her head against Jere’s shoulder as they resumed their leisurely pace.

“You know,” she murmured, “I’d like kids of my own one day.”

Jere raised an eyebrow.

“Eny isn’t yours?”

She chuckled through her nose.

“I don’t mean that. I mean I’d like to have kids one day.”

The hint, subtle as a boulder, still flew directly over Jere’s head.

“That sounds nice.”

Ylfa giggled and let it go.

“Yeah? You like children?”

He shrugged.

“I’m using Eny as a basis, and I like Eny, so yes.”

She grinned.

“Children aren’t all versions of Eny.”

He shrugged again.

“Then I can’t answer your question, can I?”

Ylfa laughed quietly.

“No, I guess not.”

She rested her head against him again, pulling herself closer until her chest pressed softly against his arm. His heart rate jumped, processors throwing up soft warning prompts, but Ylfa continued her thoughts as if nothing had happened.

“I hope they have some nice food.”

He opened his mouth to answer - but she suddenly straightened.

“Oh! What are we going to tell everyone? As far as they know I’m still deaf.”

Jere ran through thousands of possibilities in a fraction of a second, discarding them one by one.

“I think… we should just say you got better. That it healed naturally. Do you think that’s believable enough?”

She grinned.

“Sure, we can give it a shot. It’s not like anyone will complain anyway. I mean, I am a Formy after all.”

He smiled back.

“A very beautiful Formy.”

Her cheeks warmed instantly, and she burrowed herself snugly against his arm again, one ear brushing lightly against his cheek.

“You’re getting very good.”

He grinned - his processors logging the victory with great satisfaction. The lights of the village were just beginning to peek through the trees below when she whispered, soft as drifting snow:

“But it’s you who needs more appreciation. I can’t express how thankful I am to you for looking after me. I love you, darling.”

His heart performed a chaotic series of movements that no medical textbook would condone, but he took it in stride, lowering his head gently to rest atop hers - careful not to brush her ears too firmly.

“If you’re happy,” he murmured, “I’m happy.”

Ylfa chuckled with her mouth closed, perfectly content. She was so incredibly grateful that a million small coincidences had carried them to this moment, to this life, to him.