Hearthway Hollow

Delaynie: Part Three

Female Reader x Male Monster.

I've been living with Delaynie for a few months now and it's been wonderful to say the least. After my grandmother died, I felt like I might have a relapse again, but Delaynie was always there for me no matter what. Big Billy offered to buy my grandmother's place for more than it was worth. Then Mrs. Locklear came in to place a bid on the house. It started a whole bidding war, which ended with me having more money in the bank than I ever expected. I ended up selling to Billy - after all, he is my family now.

I know my relationship with Delaynie might be a bit strange. Not just because of the whole werewolf thing, but because I have asked that we wait until I'm in a place where I'm comfortable with myself to move forward intimately. I am exceedingly lucky that Delaynie understands. He even confessed to me that he felt it was best that we wait, considering some of his previous history on the subject. So for the moment, sex is off the table.

It's wonderful, though. Living with Delaynie in his apartment above the dance studio gives us a view of the forest behind us, and the beautiful downtown street in front. My favorite time of the day is morning, just as the sun is peeking over the mountains and the colors of the sky are fading from one to the other. I wake up warm and snug in bed, often smelling the breakfast Delaynie is cooking. I make the bed and start a load of laundry before I join him.

I learned Delaynie was a bit of a mess when I first moved in. He lived among what he called 'organized piles', which weren't just limited to his clean clothes and dirty clothes. I was a neat freak, something of a coping mechanism for my mental illness. I like to live neat, tidy, and organized, and not in piles. So I kept everything clean while Delaynie made sure I took care of myself. He helps me keep track of my medications and doctor's appointments, and he's even served as my therapy dog - or, well, wolf. He cooks breakfast, I take care of lunch, and we alternate making dinner. So far, it's been a pretty good setup.

I walk into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from my eyes as I sit down at the table. I've been wearing Delaynie's shirts to bed. They're massive on me, but so comfy.

"Good morning," Delaynie sets my coffee down on the table. "Sleep well?"

"Mhm." I reach for the steaming cup and hold my hands around it. The mornings are getting colder and colder as Fall inches closer to Winter. October is a busy month in Hearthway Hollow, and they take their Halloween very seriously. All month long, the businesses compete with their decorations and storefront windows. The restaurants and cafes create themed meals, drinks, desserts, all trying to one-up each other to win 'Best Treat' during the Halloween Festival. Delaynie has been working especially hard to prepare his students for their performance at the festival. Billy has begged me to work for him during October, and I've been working with Kamilah on decorating the store while also preparing the haunted house. I've never seen a town so into Halloween before. It's nice.

"What are your plans for the day?" Delaynie sets down plates of waffles and bacon on the table, passing me the raspberry jam.

"Kamilah and I are going down to that massive craft barn in Asheville," I yawn, smearing the jam over the bacon and waffles.

"Oh no," Delaynie huffs. "What's that brother of mine got you doing now?"

I shrug. "He just gave Kamilah and I a wad of money and said 'don't bring a dime back.'" I shake my head. "He has so much stuff in storage already. I don't know why he would need any more."

Delaynie smirks. "He's been in a war with Mrs. Locklear since he first got here. As long as he beats her, he's happy."

"Why are they like that?" I ask.