Enter the Hound: The Origin of Inu

Chapter 13: Puppy Love

 

            Inu and Frostfire stood outside of the sushi bar and conversed while waiting for Austin and Nadine.  Inu’s family had come into town for the holidays and were occupying themselves at the hotel while she met with her friends.  She really should have been on her way back to the hotel, but she didn’t want to leave without settling things with Nadine.

            “I can’t believe that it’s Christmas Eve already,” she said, leaning against the building.  “It doesn’t feel like it at all.”

            “It’s the lack of snow,” Frostfire replied.

            Inu shrugged.  “It’s more than that.  There aren’t many decorations around town.  Only one or two radio stations play any Christmas songs.  The streets are pretty much dead.  It’s like the holiday just snuck up on us and no one’s noticed.  It’s weird.”

            At that moment, Nadine came out of the sushi bar and walked away without so much as looking at Inu.  Austin appeared seconds later, lingering just long enough to tell Inu that Nadine just needed some time to think.  Inu was hurt, but she understood.  Frostfire volunteered to drive Inu home, allowing Austin to keep an eye on Nadine.

            “You don’t have to drive me home,” Inu said when Austin left.

            Frostfire shook his head.  “It’s no trouble at all,” he replied.  “I’d be happy to drive you.  It would give us a chance to, you know, hang out and get to know each other better.”

            “No,” Inu laughed.  “I mean, you don’t have to drive me home.  I walked here from the hotel.  It’s only a few blocks up the street.”

            “Oh….”  Frostfire blinked.  His hair frosted over and his cheeks burned violently red.  “Um…okay then….”

            “Would you care to drive me to the hotel instead?” Inu asked, unable to keep from smiling at Frostfire’s discomfort.

            “Yes!  I, uh…I mean, yes, of course I will.”

            Once again Frostfire offered Inu his arm, and once again she took it.  She supposed she should feel odd about being treated so nicely by a guy she hardly knew.  Sure, she had seen him around campus, and Austin was always talking about him; but until the Genome incident, Inu had never really gotten to know Cori-O.  Despite this, taking Frostfire’s arm felt like the most natural thing in the world.

            ‘He’s cute, single, and a real gentleman,’ she thought as Frostfire walked her to his car.  ‘For once in your life, Ash, don’t question it.  Just enjoy the moment while it lasts.’

 

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            “Grandma, when is Aunt Ashley coming back?”

            Tawnie looked down at Dominik, who was playing “army guys” on the floor of their hotel room.  For a vacation this long with this many people, Joe had splurged and booked a suite so that he and his wife could have some space away from Dominik and Kelly.  It didn’t quite work out that way; Dominik was practically attached to his grandpa’s hip.  Still, at least they more space to spread out, and that was what mattered.

            “Soon, hon,” Tawnie answered.  “Ashley had to meet with some friends for lunch and make sure they’re okay.”

            “Are they sick?”

            “No, but they had a very bad experience.”

            “What kind of bad experience?”

            “The kind you don’t ask about,” Kelly said as she entered the room, having gone to fetch ice and snacks from the machines.  “Keep your voice down, kid.  I could hear you all the way down the hall.”

            Dominik’s eyes went wide.  “Wow, your ears are about as good as Aunt Ashley’s,” he said.

            “No,” Kelly replied, “you just talk too loud.”

            Placing the ice bucket on the table, Kelly reached into the pocket of her hooded sweatshirt and pulled out a pack of fruit snacks.  Dominik’s eyes grew wide.  He raced across the room and hugged his mother’s legs, asking eagerly if the fruit snacks were for him.

            “Maybe,” Kelly said with a sly smile.  “You wanna know what you can do to earn them?”

            “What?” Dominik asked, his eyes glued to the little foil package.

            “Pick up your toys, and then go to the window and watch for Aunt Ashley,” Kelly answered.

            Frowning and feeling like he was getting the raw end of the deal, Dominik nonetheless did as he was told.  Meanwhile, Kelly got comfy in a chair with the ice bucket in her lap and began to eat the ice cubes.

            “Do they have the good kind?” Tawnie asked as she watched Kelly crunch on an ice cube.

            “Oh yeah,” Kelly said.  “Small and round, the best kind there is.  I wouldn’t have bothered otherwise.”

            “Aunt Ashley’s here!” Dominik yelled.

            Kelly shook her head.  “Damn, that didn’t take long...”

            “And she’s with some guy!”

            Tawnie and Kelly flew to the window just in time to see Inu climb out of an unfamiliar car with a very attractive young man.  He wasn’t especially tall, but he was slim and had a gorgeous smile.  His dark hair seemed to sparkle in the sunlight as he and Inu stood and talked in the parking lot.

 

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            “Thank you for driving me,” Inu said as she and Frostfire stood in the parking lot.

            “Dou itashimashite,” he replied.  “It was my pleasure.”

            “You speak Japanese?” Inu asked, smiling at the familiar expression.

            Frostfire laughed and shook his head.  “Only a little,” he said.  “I’m in the first year courses.”

            “Abernathy sensei, right?”

            “Hai.”

            “I’m so sorry.  Just wait until you reach second year.  Yamada sensei is a lot better.”

            “I wanted Johnson sensei, but her class was full.”

            “That’s because she’s the best.  I was lucky and just barely managed to get into her class last year.”

 

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            “Holy shit!  He’s hot!”

            “Kelly!”

            Dominik tugged on Kelly’s shirt sleeve.  “Are they gonna kiss?” he asked, a note of disgust creeping into his voice.  Kelly reached into her sweatshirt pocket and pulled out another packet of fruit snacks.

            “Here,” she said.  “Take these and go bug grandpa.”

            Dominik had no problem following those orders.  He was gone before Kelly had a chance to return her attention to the window.

 

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            “I don’t suppose I could get you to be my tutor?” Frostfire asked.

            “I’d love to,” Inu replied.  “Any time.”

            Frostfire nodded, his hands in jacket pockets.  An awkward silence hung over the couple.  It was time to part ways, and yet neither seemed to know quite how.

            “So…”

            “So…do you want to come up?  We’re going out for dinner later, and you’re welcome to join us.  Unless, you know, you have something else to—“

            “No,” Frostfire interrupted.  “I mean, no, I don’t have anything else planned.  Are you sure your family won’t mind, though?”

            “Nah,” said Inu.  “They won’t mind.  They’re very warm, open minded people.  They’ll love you.”

            Frostfire reached out and gently took Inu’s hand, smiling as a soft blush spread across her cheeks.

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            “I can’t believe it,” Tawnie said, smiling as she watched the couple below.  “It finally happened.”

            “What?” Joe asked, lurching into the room with Dominik attached to her leg.  “What are you two so wound up about?”

            “Ashley found a stud,” Kelly said, her eyes glued to the window.

            Joe just shook his head.  “And me without my gun.”

            “Joe!”