Bet [a short story] — Happy Birthday Blaire/Blaze! (Patreon)

Bet [a short story]

⇢ start the day off with a bet and see what it unravels from the past.

Happy birthday to my favourite werewolf!

B is definitely the most underrated out of the four ROs and deserves lots of love. I'd like to think that those romancing B are in for a treat and will have the best time doing so. There's nothing wrong with being soft and kind in a hard world.

Hope you enjoy this short story for their birthday, do tell me what you think.

—

“Way to turn this day on its head, B,” you mutter as you turn to them.

They let out a breathy chuckle and shake their head lightly. “I didn’t.”

You arch a brow and give them a strong stare. “You, one of the most sociable and extroverted people I know,” you continue, “practically just admitted that they don’t like celebrating your birthday.”

“No,” B counters back. ”I said that I’m not crazy about it. Is that so surprising?”

You wet your lips, noticing that you may have come across a topic that B has purposefully failed to mention for one reason or another—and though you want to get to the bottom of it—you know there are certain ways to go about it.

“Let’s put a wager on,” you say quickly, ignoring their question and watching as their brows raise. You elaborate. “Okay, not a wager, but a bet.”

The corners of their mouth twitch upwards. “I couldn’t possibly refuse one of those.” You’d use many adjectives to describe B: kind, considerate, selfless—daring is another, the side of them that isn’t the most visible to the naked eye, but it’s the same trait that pushes them to treat things as a challenge and not back down.

You smile and lean forward, let your eyes scan over their face—take note of the scattered freckles that have appeared due to the July sun—and nod. “I bet I’ll give you the best birthday you’ve had.”

B chuckles. “I don’t think that’ll be hard considering I cherish the days I spend with you.” Very smooth. “Though I accept wholeheartedly.” They stick out a hand for you to take and you do. Your fingertips glide over the gold rings on their fingers before they bring your hand up to their mouth, they press a kiss to it like it’s tradition, like your bet with them is now sealed. “And if I don’t have the best birthday ever?” they ask you.

“Then you would’ve spent the day with me and that’s still pretty good, no?” you say back smugly, taking in B’s laugh before you slip out of your seat.

“Touché.”

“Let’s go.”

“Where?” they ask.

“I’m taking you out.”

—

The two of you strayed from your plan…very much so. What was originally going to be a dinner became a hand-held walk along a cobbled street before B’s eyes latched onto an arcade, and the words ‘fancy a game?” fell from their lips. You were pulled in, and a game turned into one and then two until a handful more tickets were being bought.

“You have an unfair advantage,” you mutter with a groan. You crouch down to slip the air hockey puck out of your goal.

“Ah, an excuse as to why you’re losing badly.”

You give B a slight glare. “A perfectly valid excuse.” You slide the hockey puck to their side of the table and with ease, it’s sent back over to you.

“I’d like to think fully human me could beat you at this too.”

“Hm, I don’t believe that for a second,” you shoot back, not only with words but the puck is back in their half of the table. “Either way, human you would probably let me win.”

B snorts. “Becoming a werewolf didn’t change my personality, babe,” they say casually with short pauses between their words when the puck slots into their goal. B’s lips twist, the look of competitiveness and concentration is back. “We should play another game,” they mutter quickly.

“Because I’ve scored a point?” you ask with a laugh.

“Because I want to win,” they answer back with a teasing smile.

It’s ironic that your game ended in a draw, especially with the day starting with the words ‘I bet’. By the time you leave the arcade, hand clutching a stuffed animal, it’s nightfall. Not pitch black, but dark enough to see the fragments of stars twinkling in the sky. You’re once again off course: dinner and a walk before getting a cake has turned to finding a quiet park, getting a comfortable spot on a small hill and looking up at the sky.

Your hands brush against B’s every so often until they lace their fingers with yours. “Look at that, a half-moon.” The hint of relief is in their words before a smile quickly comes after.

You give their hand a squeeze. “Lucky us.”

B’s thumb rubs the outside of your hand and for a moment you’re silent. It’s peaceful, far from awkward—come to think of it, you’re sure you’ve never had an awkward silence with B.

“My mum made birthdays really weird,” they blurt out. It’s completely random, and breaks any train of thought you were having but you listen intently; turning away from trying to find constellations. “I was being honest when I said my personality hadn’t changed when I turned, but she didn’t see it the same. I was, still am, a different person to her so, yeah…birthdays aren’t something I look forward to.”

There’s a whole other story behind that, you can tell by B’s face, by the way their hand holds onto yours that much tighter as though they’re trying not to lose you.

You wet your lips and lay on your side. “Werewolf, human, whatever—I’d love you all the same.” The two of you have been through a whirlwind of adventures: some sentimental, some utterly dangerous, others in between that pushed you towards each other both literally and metaphorically. Three words like ‘I love you’ are probably thought a lot more than they’re said, but saying them now seems appropriate.

B leans on their side too. Their eyes are a little hooded, they concentrate on your perfectly entwined fingers before their eyes meet your own.

“We probably wouldn’t have met if I was human.”

“What a disaster that would be.”

“I don’t know,” B muses. “Life would probably be a lot quieter and I have been craving that for a while,” they joke.

Your eyes roll. “If this is your way of breaking up with me and telling me to leave, then—“

They chuckle before throwing an arm around you and pulling you closer. “You know I’d never do that.” You do, you don’t need to be told that but it’s a delight to hear it.

You and B are true-blue. Completely.

“You have more to you than being a werewolf, B,” you utter. “I’d happily tell that to anyone who thinks differently.”

“I appreciate that.” They wouldn’t have to tell you, you know they do. Their gaze goes back up to the sky for a brief moment. “You won.”

“What?”

“You won,” they repeat with a small smile before turning to you. “Your bet from this morning.”

I bet I’ll give you the best birthday you’ve had.

Your brows furrow. “We didn’t do anything I actually planned.”

“It’s not bad to steer off course.”

Your bottom lip sticks out. “We did the most simple things.”

“I like simple,” B fires back. “Not everything has to be spontaneous, the little things aren’t appreciated enough. I, for one, know all about that.” They go to sit up and you follow in suit, their arm stays looped around you. “Speaking of simple, we should order a takeaway.”

“I’d call you boring but considering we missed our dinner reservation to play air hockey, I don’t think that’s a bad idea.”

The two of you get and start walking back down the hill, B leans over and presses a kiss on your temple before their lips drop and brush over your ear. “We should have these bets more often.”