Chapter 1
Third-person POV
A few days later, Trey went to visit Twilight with a box of chocolates and a bouquet of blue roses and sakurasou. He
“Oo, what’s the occasion?” She asked.
“I wanted to ask you out. On a date. Just us,” He was so flustered that he had almost forgotten the last two parts.
“And the gifts?” She raised a brow, seeming amused by his loss for words.
“Oh, right. I thought they’d help me plead my case.”
“You seem so nervous that I’d feel a little bad for saying no. But don’t misunderstand. I’m not agreeing out of pity. I’d like to go out with you.”
“So, it’s a yes?”
“Yes,” She smiled.
“Oh, thank goddess,” He sighed in relief. “On the way here, the possibility that you’d say no crossed my mind.”
“I think you’re overthinking. We’re already married and agreed to be mates so I can’t think of a reason I’d say no. It’s more likely that I’d ask to reschedule.”
“Right. I guess I was so nervous that it slipped my mind. Does Thursday night work for you? My Friday and weekend are packed. But we can pick another night if you’re busy.”
“Thursday around nine works for me.”
“Great.”
“So, where are we going?” she asked.
“It won’t be a surprise I tell you,”
“How am I supposed to plan my outfit then?”
“Come on. I’m trying to be mysterious and romantic. Fine, just dress casually. Is that enough info?”
“Yes, that was all I was asking for.”
“Cool. Would it be possible to meet your dad too?”
“Is there a reason?”
“Yes. Think about it. I’m just a random guy who married his only pup out of nowhere without meeting him first. We pretty much eloped and it must have left a bad taste in his mouth.”
“I see your point. I’ll ask him if he’s free that night.”
“So, what kind of things does he like?”
“Are you thinking of getting him a gift? I don’t think you’ll be able to win him over with a bribe.”
“I know that but it could be a step in the right direction.”
“Ok. He likes A5 wagyu steaks but I’m not sure if that’s an appropriate gift for a first meeting. He also likes collecting those hand-carved Netsuke figurines but maybe that’s too pricey for a first gift,” She paused for a moment and tapped her chin while thinking about it.
“I need some time to think about this,” She finally said. “But I’ll send you a list of possible gifts before then so you can pick something. Oh, and it’d be great if it were something practical. Unlike me, he does mind things lying around with little to no use or value of any kind.”
“I guess I can work with that.”
“So, speaking of meeting in-laws, I can meet your parents sometime next week.”
“You can stay at my pack during that time. It might make things easier.”
“I’ll think about it. But them being my in-laws won’t excuse certain behaviours.”
“Like what?”
“I’m not saying they should readily accept Natsumi or like her immediately, but I do expect them to acknowledge that she’s part of the family and even though she’s only a pup, she does deserve to be treated with decency and respect. If they can’t do that, it’ll be the first and last time I see them.”
“I understand,” He nodded. “I’ll make sure to talk to them about it before you meet them.”
“Good.”
After he left, Twilight went to visit her grandparents.
“Hey, Grandpa. Where’s Grandma?”
“She went to the store, Pumpkin. She should’ve been back by now, but knowing her, she might be stuck arguing with someone. Her impatience and road rage are just something else.”
“I can wait for her to come back.”
“You don’t have her short temper, do you?”
“Maybe a little bit. But nothing serious.”
“I can’t believe idiots still exist,” The front door slammed. “You’d think they’d be extinct by now,” She said while walking into the living room.”
“Hey, Grandma.”
“This is a nice surprise. Did I keep you waiting for long?”
“No, I just got here.”
“That’s a relief. So, what brings you here?”
“Do you have anything that could help with the eye-magic thing?”
“You can do it too?”
“Yes, but it’s limited. My husband and I weren’t seeing each other often, so it wasn’t much of a problem, but plans have changed.”
“I might have something that could help. Let me go check if I still have it first.”
She disappeared into another room. There was a lot of shuffling and what sounded like furniture being moved around. She then went out and came back with a ladder.
“Don’t mind me. I’m just going to look in higher places.”
Before Twilight knew it, half an hour had passed.
“Grandma?” She called out. “It’s ok if you don’t find it. It’s not urgent.”
“No, it’s all right.”
“Don’t bother trying to talk her out of it,” Her grandpa said. “She’s already committed. I keep telling her it’d be easier to look for things if she was more organised, but she counters with something about organised chaos.”
“I found them,” She came back with a pair of glasses. “My parents got these for me while I still couldn’t control it. The lenses have anti-demon magic. Let me know if they still work or not. If they don’t, I can get you a new pair.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, grandma.”
