Hessuel was sleeping in his room when I came back, silently watching him nap. I draw my finger on the bridge of his nose to the tip. He's like a pale cabbage sound asleep. Only a few days have passed since I reunited with him, but now that leaked news is trying to withdraw the happiness I have. My hands automatically caress my baby bump. I lost one already and I can't afford to lose two this time.
But what can I do against the goddess? Unless I become an Eldar like Haiban. It has only just begun, I won't let anything postpone my dream again. That's how I'll fix myself for the good of this relationship.
☪ ✧ ✧
My delusion tricked me, I thought I'd been cuddling Hessuel's squishy arm but it was just a pillow and the blanket is covering me again. Hessuel is gone—the same scenario this morning. What's different this time is the suffocating burnt food that woke me up! I flip the blanket away and run down the stairs! I almost stumbled for the nth time! In the kitchen doorway, my mouth was in the shape of a scream but nothing came out when I found Hessuel dancing half-naked while burning the food in the cave stove.
Still, my mouth is left open. This is the very first time seeing him shake his hip to the left and the right while humming energetically. His recovery is confusingly inconsistent but I like this change! It was only a matter of seconds when I realized I had the pillow with me, so I hugged it while watching him. Now he's twirling his waist while turning the burnt meat. I pulled back my laugh even though the bitter scent pervaded the whole house—exhaust couldn't handle its one job.
He laid the ladle and tongs beside to wash his hands on the sink, cups water, and washes his hair backward. I pinch my chin as I watch him and the tiny drops on his naked back. He claps, stretches his arms and shoulders, then transfers the burnt chicken drumstick to a dry bowl from that boiling oil. He's dancing again when he turns around to the kitchen island but jerks his hand the second he saw me.
A piece fell, scorched him, and he dropped the whole bowl. The cluttering sound alarmed the dogs and they barked toward the kitchen. I hurried to help Hessuel pick up the drumsticks until the dogs distract us! He gathered every piece quickly to help me stand up again.
"I think you're not supposed to move too much," he said.
"You're the one who's supposed to be resting." I touch his forehead. "Don't be too confident in dancing lest you'll relapse after it. What else do you think you're doing?"
"Preparing for lunch. I just... tried." All the burnt chicken drumsticks are on the kitchen island. I inspect them one by one. "Uncle Cor told me the basics of frying and it should look golden brown."
"But it looks golden black. Pfft!" I cover my mouth. Perhaps it's my shortcoming for not preparing lunch for him, he must be hungry now. Fortunately, they are still untouched raw in the frozen storage chest. I wash my hands first. "Leave this to me," I bragged. "You're my patient and you oughta rest under my custody." He's observing me closely.
"Dan, you're pregnant. Just instruct me what I should do and you—"
"I'm pregnant, not fractured."
"I mean you feel heavier than normal and the longer you stand, you'll feel numb."
My shoulders fell down and stopped what was occupying my hands. "Are you insinuating that I got fat?"
"Swell. That sounds exotic."
"And what makes it exotic than fats?"
"It almost sounds the same as my name. Hesswelling. That will remind you of me."
I furrowed my eyebrows at him and eventually shook my head with a smile. "You should've given me a foreword that you'll spill corny jokes."
He picks an onion from the basket. "Don't be annonioned."
"I'm not annoyed, I'm just hungry like you!" I'm starting to feel it and it's a bad sign. The meal must be served before an ill will pregnant werewolf burns the whole house into golden black!
"Here's the golden black fried chicken~!"
I throw flour on him when he's teasingly trying to feed that bitter chicken to me! "Hessuel! Really!? That's what you'll feed us!?" I laughed.
"Feed you with laughter, yes."
I tap the tip of the ladle on his forehead. But then he sticks his forehead on mine for a brief moment of silence—staring at my lips.
"If only kisses can fill you..."
"It will." I gently pull his face for a smacking kiss. He made the next move afterward, softly rubbing his affectionate lips on my lips as I responded with the same energy. He said in the middle of our kiss,
"You may add rice to fill you up better."
He kisses my chuckling lips and he slides down to my birthmark and neck. Clinging onto his shoulders, I'm on the verge of giving in when the burning scent of fried chicken is permeating my keen smell again! Unintentionally, I thrust Hessuel, "Oh, goddess!!" I screamed and proceeded to cook again!
☪ ✧ ✧
The dogs are watching us feast on the kitchen island. Hessuel is giving them a pricked piece of chicken to court them, he said—especially my dangerous tiny dog, One. Apparently, I've eaten more chickens than him, or he's deliberately letting me? He peels the skin off his chicken piece and gives it to my plate. "Skin is the best part of fried chicken. You can have the best," he said.
"You're cringing me." I feed that offer to him. "I prepared the food for you so the best thing you can give me is to appreciate it... And eat it! Keep that in mind every now and then."
"Alright. Thank you for the food," he prayed. I kicked him under the table! He squints at me with a playful smile. "Dan, I was thinking, would you consider migrating to Lanbarc in Small Vil.? I can't abandon Uncle Cor's farm. My livelihood is there and I've started that profession, I have patrons, and rights. Maybe we can prosper in that land."
"You think? I understand it's your home. It's hard to leave behind what you've started. I'd love to migrate there but there are bothersome consequences. Lanbarc is filing complaints against werewolves because of the rabid incident. We would be subject to humiliation once our neighbors find out we are a werewolf family. For me, we can visit Lanbarc occasionally for Cormelio. Moreover, Plandreas is slowly becoming the land of werewolves."
"Your point is better," he agrees. "Then I'll settle on another plan. I should sell that property for investment. You've got your own land here. Maybe I could at least apply my profession and start over again in selling veggies. I miss that. Then we can construct additional rooms in this house for our twins, or kids."
I touch his forehead and say, "That's thoughtful of you. I will only permit you to execute that plan if your recovery is consistent for three consecutive weeks." Then I pick another chicken piece. "Do you see? You have no appetite. I'm more greedy than you. I'm not limiting your plans, but if you seriously want to achieve that goal, then consider recovering as a prior part of your plan."
"Of course, Dan. Yet I'm not at peace every time I wake up providing my family nothing and it makes me fail in everything, as a husband and father. It's been six months and I haven't done anything for the three of you."
"Alright~" I smile widely at him.
But what if the Moon Goddess is genuine with her words? that she'll erase the whole werewolf race? How will she perpetrate the warning? She told me before Linly that she'll force call all her children. She's been giving clues to me! And to think that she only wanted to inform me despite having several moon servants, I must be the hybrid standing out in her perspective.
"Dan? Are you not happy about my plan?"
"What? How come you said that?"
"You look disturbed. And you've been disagreeing with my actions..."
"No! It's just that—"
"I know I deserve this. I should be bound in chains in the dungeon. I've done a terrible thing to the Vengeance pack. I admit I was blinded with wrath because of Cormelio's death and because I thought I lost my mate..."
"Hessuel, it's—"
"You were there to stop me but I harmed you and the twins—"
"Hessuel! It's over now! And I didn't blame you even the slightest!" I look at my favorite crystalline eyes closely. "I pushed you into that choice. And we've reunited again not to dig the rotten treasure of the past, we're here to start again for the better. And you'll help me fix myself."
"... Right."
He's back to being humble. I can imagine his teary sparkling eyes and wagging tail, the reason I giggle out of the blue. I hurried to sit beside him, titter, then gnaw his arm. Without questioning, he embraces me and gnaws my neck too near the mark! After the generous laugher, I said,
"I have work for you."
"What?"
I pinch his perfect nose. "How to be my househusband… as a werewolf."