We were to be seated at a booth in a recently opened restaurant. Keru had styled her blue hair into a ponytail, and was dressed in a blue shirt, while sporting, surprise surprise, blue shoes.
"Here's your seats, sir and madame." The waiter said, as we reached our dining area.
I instinctively went to the right side of the booth, figuring Keru would chose the other side. Instead, however, she choose to sit next to me.
"Keru, you DO know you're supposed to sit on the other side, right?"
A confused look crossed her face. "But we are eternally bonded! We aren't supposed to leave eachothers side."
Kitsune tradition, I figured. "Fine. But I'd like to ask, why do you like blue so much?"
"Simple. I like the sky."
Nothing more was said. We ordered our food, and halfway through, Keru asked "Do you fear me?"
I was completely taken aback. "What?"
"My parents said that humans were cowardly and weak. They married me to you because we recently fell out of favor, and needed money."
"Then..." My heart dropped. Had I been tricked?
"So, I ask, do you fear me?"
I considered the question. On one hand, she was an incredibly powerful creature, at least compared to me. She could easily take me out. And, of course, she had only married me for money.
But everything about her betrayed what she was. Anyone who saw her eyes would never guess that she could hurt someone. And she was always so innocent, and nice to me. What would she think?
"No," I said. "I'm not afraid of you."
Keru smiled and lovingly embraced me. "I love you."
As her lips reached my ears, her voice changed. "Listen." She said. "I know how hard it can be to accept that this was for money. But listen, I don't care what my parents sat. They bonded me to you. Where I come from, that means something. And I want it to mean something between us."
Once again, I was surprised at how Keru thought. I had always assumed that Kitsune were snobbish and uncaring, but then I met her.
"Now, how about we get home, and change" A smile crossed her face as she finished the sentence. "Into something more comfortable?"