𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 (Wolf & Diane Foxington)

❻ 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲

With their steps disordered and clumsily confused, Diane and Wolf stumbled out of the city subway system, large bottles of unpaid champagne hanging from their paws. The two had their arms around one another's shoulders, keeping each other on their feet as they climbed up the steep staircase that led to the surface, emerging from the underground train station.

The duo had found themselves right squat in the middle of Diane's peaceful, quiet neighborhood, on their way back to her living residence. Or, as Wolf likes to call it, 'The Great Crimson Paw's Hideout'.

Wolf and Diane, silently laughing in-between drunken hiccups, walked down the familiar path Diane always took to get back home. They tossed the empty champagne bottles into the nearest trash cans, or at least, attempted to, hearing the glass shatter loudly as they made a landing impact. Diane smacked her paw over her mouth, trying not to burst out with hysterical laughter as Wolf grabbed her paw, racing down the sidewalk and out of sight. They were already out at such a late time, it would be a shame to be caught just for being loud and obnoxious while the neighborhood slept.

As they came upon Diane's modest, cozy bungalow, the laughter between the two had died down, allowing for the two to catch their breath. Once they had reached the front door of her place, they had gone quiet, knowing that their enjoyable night had, unfortunately, come to an end.

Diane, after staring at the door for a few seconds, cautiously spun on her heels and faced her date. Wolf looked down at her, bummed to be calling it a night, but pleased to have shared this experience with her: his new favorite person to be around.

"...I guess this is it?" Diane slurred, her eyebrows tilting downward with disappointment.

"I mean, does it have to be?" Wolf wondered with a sliver of hope, swaying his shoulders with restrained eagerness.

"...I'm tired," she told him, further bringing down Wolf's mood. "And, I have work in the morning."

"Damn," Wolf sighed, only for Diane to take a step closer to him, her paws finding their way into his.

"Wolf," she whispered sincerely, generating a more genuine and profound mood, contrary to their playful mischief from earlier. "I had a good time. Really."

Wolf just stared into her tired eyes, the glimmering green of her emerald irises still shining through. Though she was fatigued, Wolf could see a tiny sliver of yearning in her gaze. She didn't want to call it a night, either. Neither of them wanted it to end here.

"Thank you," she expressed, her grip on his paws growing tighter.

Wolf's brows furrowed. "What for?"

"...I haven't felt this way in a very, very long time," Diane breathed, their heads growing closer. "Thank you for bringing that feeling back... Even if it was only for one night... I needed it."

She then grabbed the lapels of his suit and tugged on them, making his drunken appearance look a tiny bit sharper. Using the sleeves of her coat, she wiped away the eyeliner under his nose and removed his glasses to see his face in full complexion.

Wolf had never felt so seen before by her. It was like she was staring into his soul with this intimate passion, this unquenched thirst. He could see her throat move as she swallowed, holding back that yearning he noticed in her earlier.

"Thank you for bringing it back to me, too," Wolf replied, shoving his paws into the pockets of his pants. "...But we can't ever do it again, can we?"

"No," Diane sighed, closing her eyes. "We can't."

"Alright, then," Wolf accepted the fact that tonight's journey was over. "It was fun while it lasted."

"Tonight was fun," Diane nodded, a smile growing on both of their faces. "I hope this relationship, whatever it is, continues."