Hold, Request and Wolf

Foebe watched with growing anxiety as her husband became more and more consumed by his pursuit of magic.

He was up early - sometimes before her - and on occasion didn’t even wait for her before leaving the house. She tried to tell herself that it was good he’d found something that interested him so much, but she could barely hide how upset it made her.

Days passed.

She spent her time in the guild, only across the street from her beloved, yet the distance between them seemed to grow anyway. She washed her clothes, and his as well. She gave rides on Neko-chan to children who wanted them, Hanabi being the first. She built a mental map of the city and chose a few places she wanted to visit with Joash.

She tried to tell him about them.

It was clear his responses were half-hearted. His mind was always elsewhere.

He always woke up with unmatched energy, and she always found him afterward more depressed than ever.

It became clear to her, after he stopped responding to her advances, that it wasn’t sustainable. Something had to be done.

So, six days after they arrived, she made sure to wake up first.

It was a natural ability she had - if she chose when she wanted to wake up as she fell asleep, she would almost certainly wake up then.

And she did.

Her eyes flickered open. Morning light was just beginning to glow behind the curtain.

She wasted no time.

She rolled, bare skin pressing against bare skin as she clambered on top of him. She wrapped her legs around his, then her arms around his chest, effectively pinning him in place.

His eyes snapped open in surprise, his mind kicking into gear as he realized he couldn’t move.

“Foebe?”

She scowled.

“I’m not letting go.”

He blinked.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m not letting go.”

“Why?”

“Not unless you agree to take the day off.”

He struggled against her hold, but she was far stronger than he was, and his ring didn’t activate. He gave up quickly.

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t understand?”

She grit her teeth.

“You’ve barely spoken to me in nearly a week!”

His eyes widened, but she wasn’t anywhere near done.

“I just want you to forget magic for one day and give me some attention! You don’t even sleep with me anymore! Do you have any idea what I’ve been doing this whole time?”

She was shouting now. Luckily, the soundproofing was active.

“What if I’ve been hurt and you haven’t listened? What if I’ve discovered I’m pregnant? What if I’ve been seeing other men?”

Joash’s heart twisted, aching. Foebe suddenly realized what she’d said. Her face contorted with remorse.

“Oh! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I would never cheat on you!”

The tears came quickly, desperately.

“I didn’t mean that… I’m sorry…”

Her grip loosened as she laid her head on his chest. But she felt his arms wrap around her, sliding under her arms and holding her against him.

He finally spoke, barely above a whisper.

“No… I’m sorry.”

Silence fell, broken only by her sniffles. Then she tightened her grip again, even though his arms were now free.

“I’m not letting go…”

He smiled softly.

“What do you want to do?”

She lifted her head. A small smile had returned.

“Lots of things.”

He chuckled quietly.

“What do you want to do first?”

Her smile widened.

“Beach.”

He squeezed her.

“Okay. Let’s go to the beach.”

She frowned.

“Won’t Galdur think you’ve given up?”

He grinned.

“Galdur’s given up on me. He says I learn too quickly.”

She blinked.

“What did you do?”

He smiled sheepishly.

“Autism.”

That was a new word for her.

“What’s that?”

“Oh, it’s a neurological thing-”

“Neurological?”

“Something different about my brain.”

She nodded, though she was clearly lost.

“Okay… and what powers does it give you?”

He laughed.

“Powers? I wish.”

He grinned.

“One of the few pros is that if I focus on something that interests me, I can put a ton of effort into it and understand it way faster than normal.”

She nodded again.

“So what did you do?”

“Made a working weather prediction parchment.”

Her eyes widened.

“You did what?”

He shrugged.

“It only worked for a millisecond before it went wrong because I’d drawn the letter ‘t’ wrong, but it did run.”

Her eyes sparkled.

“You managed to get a parchment to run in under a week?”

“It burst into flames-”

She shook her head.

“No, you don’t understand. A parchment starting to activate? That’s more than most people can do for at least ten to fifteen years. You’re not even from this world!”

She grinned.

“You’re amazing.”

A thought struck her.

“I’m being stupid. I’m sorry. Go have your daily lesson. You might make a working one today.”

He shook his head.

“No. Today we’re going to the beach.”

She looked momentarily stunned. Then she smiled and nuzzled into his chest again.

“I can’t wait.”

“Me neither.”

She grinned.

“You just want to see me in a bikini.”

“You’re not wrong.”

She laughed.

“Funny how you say that when I’m lying completely naked on top of you.”

“You forget that I’m also completely naked.”

She raised her head, smiling, and pulled herself up until her face hovered above his, close enough that her hair tickled his cheeks. She whispered, her breath brushing his lips.

“It’s still early. No-one else will be awake yet.”

She kissed him gently, then smiled again.

“You want to?”

He kissed her back, deeper. The moment shifted, the feeling between them taking on a new weight and warmth as he smiled.

“Of course.”

It was the perfect quiet morning to lead into a day sure to be filled with love and enjoyment.



End of Volume 1