Usagi's POV — Two days later
"S...Stop!"
I tried to push him away as his fingers trailed to the buttons of my shirt. My voice trembled, breath shaky. "Wh-What are you doing… Pl-Please stop!"
His lips hovered dangerously close to mine, eyes locking with mine, intense and hungry.
He looked right into my soul.
"You… Why are you being like this? I told you, i'll give you what you want on your birthday!"
My heart throbbed, My knees felt weak, nearly giving in.
"Okami-kun, it's just been two days and you're already back to how you were…" I murmured. "You said you're not just hungry for my body… then why are you—"
Before I could finish, his hand gripped my waist, then slid up slowly. He cut me off by placing his hand around my neck—not rough, but possessive, dominant. His voice dropped low, dangerous and hungry.
"Tch… Can you blame me?"
"After you said you wanted me too… my hunger just keeps growing, bunny…"
"I… I'm not ready, Okami-kun…" I whispered, legs wobbling beneath me. "I told you—I'll let you… just wait till I'm mentally prepared… then you can do anything you want…"
I clung to his arm to stay steady, my cheeks burning, but he just smirked. His hand gently lifted my chin again, making me meet those hungry eyes of his.
"Anything I want?"
His voice was husky, thick with want, making my breath hitch.
I paused, then nodded shyly, eyes fluttering. "...Yes. On your birthday… just till then… wait for me…"
He pulled back, his smirk turning darker—yet amused.
"Heh… You'll regret starving a hungry wolf for this long," he said, leaning in close until his lips brushed my ear. "Once I get you, bunny… I'll devour you in a way you can't even imagine."
I shivered, lowering my eyes, heart pounding in my chest.
"I'll wait," he added, voice gentler now. "But you better be ready… because I won't hold back."
The moment he stepped back, my knees gave in—I collapsed gently onto the floor, my breathing shaky, my chest tight. My whole body felt like jelly.
No matter how much I usually manage to make him listen… the moment he loses control, it's like I'm under a storm I can't push back. That look in his eyes… intense, hungry, overwhelming. He's way stronger than me, in so many ways. And yet, he holds back. Every. Single. Time.
For me.
Not because I begged. But because he chooses to.
Even now, when I see how much he wants me, how his desire wraps around every word, every touch, he still steps back. Because I'm not ready.
It's not that I don't want him—I do. Maybe more than I can admit out loud.
But seeing him struggle to restrain himself just because I'm being all self-conscious… it hurts too.
What if I disappoint him?
What if the momentI finally give myself to him… he finds out it wasn't worth the wait?
What if I can't live up to the hunger he's been holding in for me?
What if… he stops looking at me with that same desire?
"Urghh…" I groaned softly, pressing my forehead against my knees as my arms wrapped around myself. My chest felt heavy with worry I couldn't voice.
I want to be enough. I want to be someone he craves—not just now, but always.
But to be that… I need to be ready. Not just in body… but in heart.
I need to believe I won't break under the weight of his love.
I need to prepare myself. Fully. Mentally. Emotionally.
Just till the 23rd.
Just till his birthday.
I'll make sure I'm ready by then.
"Oi, Bunny... did I scare you that much?" he asked gently, offering his hand to help me up.
I glanced up—ahh, those eyes. They weren't hungry anymore. No intensity, no tension. Just soft, apologetic Okami-kun. He was back.
Phew...
I reached out, took his hand, and stood up. Then—smack!—I hit his shoulder with a light thud.
"Baka! I told you to behave till your birthday, or just forget about it altogether!! Hmph!" I huffed, puffing my cheeks as I crossed my arms in front of him.
"Sorry, sorry, Bunny…" he said quickly, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "I just... lost my mind for a moment there."
"Lose your mind?" I narrowed my eyes. "Baka… can't you be a gentleman for once?! I forgot to lock the bedroom door while changing, and you just barge in and start acting all funny!?"
He winced. "Y-Yeah, that was bad timing. But your shirt was riding up and—"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!!" I snapped, cheeks flushing red again.
"Okay, okay! I get it!" he raised both hands in defense, though he was trying hard not to laugh.
"You try something like that again and I swear… I'll really not forgive you!" I turned away with a final 'hmph', though my heart was already calming down.
He stepped a little closer, not touching me this time—just enough for his voice to reach. "Got it… no more crossing the line, okay? I'll wait, just like you asked."
I glanced back at him out of the corner of my eye. He looked serious this time. Sincere. My heart gave a soft flutter.
He really is trying. Even with all that hunger and impatience… he's still trying.
I sighed and murmured, "Good. Because I want it to be special… not rushed. Not like that."
He smiled gently. "Then we'll make it special. I promise."
"Good for you!!" I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes teasingly. "And if you've got so much time to play with heartbeats, then you better use that time to write more chapters for your story!"
Okami-kun chuckled and scratched his cheek. "Ahh, don't worry about it. Hina-san already gave me the day off. She said I've stockpiled enough chapters and that releasing too many in a week makes it harder for newcomers to catch up. So, she's sticking to a two-chapter-per-day schedule now."
"Ohhh~ is that so?" I smiled, impressed. "Hina-san really knows her stuff, huh? You've got a good manager on your side!"
"Yeah… thanks to you, Bunny." He gave me a soft look, one that made my chest flutter just a bit. "Anyway, what about you? You've got the day off too?"
"Oh, yeah," I nodded, leaning back against the couch. "Usually on weekends I take extra shifts since the restaurant gets crazy busy, but your mom's keeping it closed this weekend."
"Huh? What? Why?" His brows knit slightly, clearly surprised.
"She said everyone deserves a break," I replied, tilting my head thoughtfully. "But she also mentioned she's busy with something herself. That's kinda unusual, right? She always leaves the place to Hahari-san even when she's swamped… but this time she gave everyone leave."
Okami-kun looked thoughtful for a moment, rubbing his chin.
"Huh… that is strange. You think something's up?"
"Maybe?" I blinked, now equally curious. "She didn't say anything else, though. Just told me to enjoy my weekend."
He leaned back against the couch beside me, arms folded behind his head, his eyes drifting toward the ceiling as if trying to figure something out.
"Well... whatever it is, guess we both got a day off at the same time."
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. "Don't get any ideas, baka."
"Hehe~ too late," he smirked without even looking at me.
"Okami-kun… should we just spend our day like this?"
"Hm? What do you mean, Bunny?"
I smiled softly and laid down on the couch, resting my head gently on his lap. "Like this... I wanna talk with you. Is it okay?"
He paused for a second before his hand started patting my head gently. Then he leaned down and kissed my forehead with that warm, familiar tenderness. "It's perfect. Say what you wanna talk about?"
I narrowed my eyes playfully. "Who is this Lexi-chan, huh?"
His body tensed up as he panicked slightly. "Wha—?! Where did that come from?!"
I smirked. "Where did you take her inspiration from?"
He looked away, clearly flustered. "Wh…what are you saying, Bunny? It's just fantasy fiction! Dummy, it's all just my imagination—I totally made it up, no real-life inspiration, promise! Hehe...!"
"Hahaha!" I burst out laughing, unable to hold it in. "You panicked so hard, Okami-kun! I know, I know~ I was just teasing you."
He exhaled dramatically and leaned his head back. "Pheww… you scared me, dummy."
Hehe~ well… I just wanted to talk about how things changed after I got the internship at your mom's restaurant," I murmured, still resting on his lap, playing with the hem of his shirt.
"Ahh right," Okami-kun chuckled, his fingers gently running through my hair. "Who would've thought… six months later and she'd take you in as a full-fledged chef? You really impressed her."
"Hehe~ what do you take me for!" I puffed my cheeks proudly. "But it was all thanks to that pancake you taught me to make, you know?"
"Haha, no, Bunny," he smiled, brushing a strand of hair from my cheek, "that pancake was yours. I just showed you the basics. The rest—that twist you added, that little Usagi magic—that's what made her decide to take you in as her disciple."
My heart warmed at his words. I glanced up at him, lips tugging into a small smile. "You really think so?"
"I know so," he said softly, eyes meeting mine. "She doesn't take just anyone, you know. You earned her respect."
"Hehe~ and maybe…" I trailed off, a little grin playing on my lips, "it was right after I became an official chef at your mom's restaurant that she told me your birthday was coming up."
Okami-kun blinked. "Eh? She told you?"
"Well… not directly," I giggled. "You know how she is—she dropped these little hints, like, usagi chan you can take leave if you want on 23rd and many more then it clicked me"
He laughed, his hand still gently stroking my head. "That sounds like her alright…"
I smiled up at him, heart fluttering. "And it was right around then. When we celebrated your birthday for the first time together… and when we confessed our feelings."
His gaze softened, that familiar warmth shining in his eyes as he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
"Best birthday ever," he whispered.
My cheeks turned a soft shade of pink, and I nodded gently. "Mine too."