Confessions of a Clumsy Werewolf ft. Werewolf!Maki
At first, I was gonna do like a hot, frat boy/ bad boy Maki, but then I got the inspiration for this so here we are!
Genre: Fantasy, werewolf au, fluff, humor, romance
Pairings: Werewolf!Maki x Fairy!Saki
It was the peak of summer, the sun drenching the university in lazy golden light and the air thick with the smell of grass and heat.
Her hair was tied up in a loose side braid today, soft strands falling over her collarbone, framing her face like petals. A white milkmaid blouse hugged her shoulders, tied delicately at the sleeves. Over it, she wore a light green cardigan, airy and fluttering faintly with her movement. Her brown maxi skirt swayed with each step, brushing against her ankles. Her wings were folded and hidden beneath the cardigan, kept close and unbothered.
She liked the quiet of this time of day. The breeze. The warmth. The illusion of peace.
Laughter. Footsteps. Chaos.
From the other end of the walkway came them. A familiar group of boys barreling across campus like they owned it.
And his gang of loud, stupid boys â Taki tripping over a bench, Yuma waving around a half-eaten popsicle, Harua chasing Jo with a rugby ball. Typical.
And of course, Maki â tall, and rumpled in a way that felt unfairly attractive. White athletic tee stretched over his shoulders, sleeves rolled, jaw set. He looked like the kind of boy who left dents in lockers and hearts.
And he was looking at her. Making a beeline toward her.
Eyes locked. Purposeful stride. A stupid and confident expression growing on his face.
She instinctively picked up her pace, muttering under her breath.
âDonât come over. Donât come over. Donâtââ
Maki reached her before she could make it to the stairs. He stepped right in front of her, cutting her off like the six-foot wall of wolfish audacity he was.
âWow,â he said, arms crossed. âYou really dress like a mushroom farmer today.â
âI meanâlike a cute one,â he added quickly. âLike one that sells organic stuff and curses people in her free time. Earthy. Weird. Kinda witchy.â
Saki blinked. Her eye twitched.
âWow. You really know how to talk to girls.â
He scratched the back of his neck, flustered but pretending he wasnât.
âIâm just saying. Youâre the only fairy Iâve seen who doesnât try to be all sparkly and floaty. You just kind of⊠stomp around. In skirts. And smell like compost tea.â
âCompost tea? Stomp around?â
âOkay, that came out wrongââ
She smacked him squarely with her sketchbook. Right on his broad shoulder. He staggered a little, looking personally offended by the paper impact.
Behind him, his friends were dying.
âShe got you again,â Jo said, mouth full of granola.
âYou deserve that,â Harua added.
âWhat did I even say?â Maki grumbled, rubbing his arm.
Saki walked past him and huffing without looking back, straightening up her form and taking a deep breath while fixing her hair.
âYou talk like your brain is still buffering.â
He watched her go, hands dropping to his sides like even his muscles gave up on helping him flirt.
ââŠI meant she smells nice,â he mumbled to no one.
ââŠLike a forest. Not fertilizer.â
This had been going on since the last year of high school when Maki first transferred to her school halfway through the year.
He'd shown up like a storm cloud with sharp cheekbones.
And strangely⊠nice. To everyone.
Even the shy kids. Even the teachers.
From the first day, he had this strange thing with her.
Heâd point out the way she walked âYou walk like a wind-up toy.â
Comment on how she talked âYour voice is so soft I thought I was going deaf.â
Once he even told her, dead serious, âYou blink weird.â
At first, she'd assumed it was a misunderstanding.
Then she hoped it was a phase.
And then, she accepted it:
Maki just didnât like her.
Unfortunately, fate had a sick sense of humor. Because now, even after graduation, after her cautious dreams of leaving everything behind, he was here. At her university. Just as loud. Just as stupidly attractive.
She took her usual seat by the window in the lecture hall, sliding into her chair as the sunlight filtered across her notes. But her thoughts were tangled, refusing to let her focus. Her pen tapped idly against the paper.
He was nice to everyone else. Friendly. Laid-back. Charming, even, if you werenât the target of his unnecessary commentary.
What is it about me? she thought, bitterness curling in her chest.
Whatâs so special about me that he feels the need to make fun of me every single day?
She glanced at her reflection in the window.
Her braid was loose again. A few strands clung to her cheek in the heat. She pushed them back, adjusted her cardigan, sat a little straighter, like somehow that might make her less... mockable.
The professor began speaking, but her thoughts were already spiraling.
She wished she could ignore him.
She wanted to pretend his words didnât crawl under her skin.
But every time he spoke to her, every time his eyes landed on her, her whole body braced for another judgment. Another insult dressed as a comment. Another reminder that she was, in his eyes, weird. Wrong. Laughable.
Part of her still remembered what his smile looked like when he wasnât aiming it at her.
The professor's voice droned on in the background, but Saki wasnât listening.
Her gaze drifted to the window beside her, and through the shimmering summer haze, she spotted the rugby field down below. A few students were playing an impromptu game â boys laughing, shouting, tossing the ball around like overgrown puppies.
And right in the middle of them, of course â was Maki.
His shirt clung to him with sweat, his hair sticking to his forehead as he dodged, blocked, tackled. He was fast. Sharp. Wild. Like he had too much energy and nowhere to put it.
She watched him for a second. Just a second.
And then she saw it happen.
It wasnât a big deal, not to anyone else. One of his friends laughed and tossed him the ball again like it was nothing.
But Makiâs smile vanished in an instant.
He grabbed the ball and threw it into the ground so hard it bounced up and hit Jo in the leg. His shoulders tensed. His hands clenched into fists. His jaw locked.
He looked like he wanted to snap someone in half.
Jo laughed it off, said something teasing â probably something harmless â but Maki didnât take it well. He turned away, storming off toward the edge of the field with that familiar dangerous energy trailing behind him like smoke.
Saki sighed and leaned her cheek against her palm, eyes still half on him through the window.
Couldnât handle losing. Couldnât handle being teased. Couldnât handle anything, really.
He was like a volcano with muscles, always one stupid comment away from eruption.
She didnât deny it, he still looked good.
With that sculpted jaw, his sun-warmed skin, the way his veins popped a little too nicely in his forearms. He looked like every girlâs bad decision.
But Saki had always been a little more careful than that.
If he had even half a personality to match his face, she thought, maybe Iâd actually find him attractive.
He had a temper like wildfire and a mouth that only seemed to work when he was insulting her.
So she turned her gaze back to her notebook, tried to block him out again, and told herself â for the hundredth time â
âHeâs not worth thinking about.â
She tapped her pen twice.
But even then⊠she still hadnât turned the page.
Maki gulped down his water, the cold seeping through his chest like it was trying to cool the frustration simmering under his skin. His shirt clung to him, soaked in sweat and clinging tight across his shoulders and back. His hair was a mess, his hands still dirt-smudged from the game, and his jaw ached from how tight heâd been clenching it.
The outburst had passed. His friends were laughing again. The game had moved on.
His anger had cooled. Mostly.
But the stupid, infuriating feeling from the morning â from her â still burned at the edges of his chest.
Right in the shoulder with her sketchbook. Walked past him with a huff, her braid bouncing with every step and her cardigan fluttering like she had wind wrapped around her. Her eyes were fire and frost all at once â and they were always that way when she looked at him.
He groaned, dragging a hand down his face and tipping his head back toward the sky.
Why couldnât he just say it?
Just open his stupid mouth and say:
âYouâre really pretty.â
âI like the way you braid your hair.â
âSeeing your face every morning makes my whole day less miserable.â
Not when her voice made his brain static. Not when she got that look in her eyes â the one like she was bracing herself, like he was some thunderstorm she had to walk through.
âYou walk like youre crippled.â
âYou smell like compost tea.â
She hated him. Obviously.
And could he blame her? Heâd never given her a reason to think otherwise.
But damn it, heâd never hated anyone less.
He looked up toward the academic block and for just a second, he saw her.
Through the window. In that same seat by the window she always sat in, lit by the soft sun like she was painted there. Hair tied up. Arms folded. Her chin in her hand as she stared out the glass.
She was looking this way.
His breath caught â just a beat â before she turned away again.
Maki tossed the now-empty water bottle into his bag and muttered under his breath.
âYou blink weird.â He scowled. âWhat the hellâs wrong with me?â
He ran a hand through his hair, muscles still twitching with leftover adrenaline â or maybe just leftover longing.
Maybe if sheâd just hit me a little harder, he thought, it would knock the feelings out of me.
Sheâd just hit harder next time.
The sun had started to dip behind the buildings, turning the sky a soft orange. Maki walked back toward the dorms with his duffel bag slung over one shoulder, earbuds in but not playing anything. His shirt stuck to his back, still damp from sweat and grass stains, but he barely noticed.
Every step echoed with her name.
Her voice. Her frown. The way she didnât even hesitate before smacking him with her sketchbook like he was too far gone for words.
He groaned, running a hand through his messy hair.
He muttered it to himself, dragging his hand down his face. âReal smooth, jackass.â
Not her. Never her. Just the way everything short-circuited when she was around. He could charm anyone else on campus with a grin and a shrug â professors, upperclassmen, even the cranky guy who ran the cafeteria.
But the second he stood in front of her?
It was like his whole vocabulary collapsed. All his thoughts ran screaming for the hills and left him with scraps.
And yet⊠he kept doing it.
Kept saying the wrong thing.
Kept making her roll her eyes or slap him or walk away without even looking back.
Maki exhaled, shoulders heavy as he passed under the trees lining the path back to the dorms. A few fireflies blinked early in the evening light.
Let his bag slide off his shoulder.
Looked up at the darkening sky, fists clenched loosely at his sides.
Then he nodded once, jaw tightening.
âTomorrow,â he said aloud. âIâm gonna tell her.â
No stupid jokes. No weird comparisons to mushroom farms or herbal tea or picnic skirts. Just the truth.
That he liked her. That he always had.
That seeing her every day was the best and worst part of his life, because it lit him up and broke him down at the same time.
And if he was lucky â by this time tomorrow?
Heâd have her number saved in his phone with a little â€ïž emoji next to it.
He smirked slightly at the thought.
Because knowing himself, heâd probably blow it before lunch.
Back in his dorm, Maki had just showered and his room smelled like musk, body spray, and failure.
He stood in front of the mirror, hands on his hips, mentally psyching himself up.
"Okay. Just be cool. Be natural. You're alpha material. She's just a girl. A very pretty, magical, perfect girl with sparkly eyes and flower soap smell andâ"
"Focus, idiot." He tells himself before calming himself.
He exhales, rolls his shoulders, switches into flirty mode. He leans a little toward the mirror, eyebrows cocked, voice low and smug.
"Hey⊠is it just me, or is it kinda hot out here?" He says as he lifts the hem of his shirt slowly, revealing toned abs, giving himself a smolder.
"Waitâmaybe itâs not the weather. Maybe⊠itâs because youâre hot." He says in a low and hot tone.
He BITES his lip. Then immediately recoils in horror.
"NOPE. NO. WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT." He exclaims as he slaps his face.
He paces the room like a rabid wolf.
"âYouâre hot?! Sheâll think Iâm hitting on her. WaitâI am hitting on her. But not like a jerk!! Sheâs gonna slap me again."
He glares at his reflection.
"Why is talking to one fairy girl harder than winning the full moon tournament?"
He tries again, dropping the flirt, going for soft and sincere:
"I think youâre⊠cool. Not, like, cold. Like personality cool. Like⊠calming." He says nervously.
"Calming?! What is she, a cup of herbal tea?!"
He groans and lets his forehead thump against the mirror.
The next day rolled in warm and golden, the air thick with late-summer stillness. Maki had spent the morning fidgeting through classes, tapping his pen, bouncing his knee, looking around every corner hoping to spot her.
By the time break came around, his nerves were frayed and his shirt clung to his back despite the air conditioning. He wasnât even sure if heâd be able to say anything anymore â but he had to try.
So when he spotted her â sitting under that tree with her legs folded, sketchbook balanced in her lap, a breeze catching her cardigan just slightly â his heart jumped. She looked like something from a painting. Warm, glowing, unreachable.
He ducked behind a wall. Quickly smoothed his hair back with his fingers. Straightened his red sleeveless shirt. Adjusted his black baggy pantsâ bold choice today, Maki. Bold choice.
Then he crunched down three â no, six â breath mints at once.
Too strong. Eyes watering. He coughed into his fist.
Saki didnât even look up from her sketch at first â but the moment she sensed him, her eyes flicked up.
"What do you want, Mickey Maus?"
He froze mid-step, blinking.
Then he looked down at himself.
Red shirt. Baggy black pants. Yellow decals. Big-ass sneakers.
He frowned. âOkay. Thatâs mean.â
ââŠOkay, fair,â he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. âBut likeâimpressive wordplay.â
He cleared his throat, shifting his weight nervously.
Just tell her. Tell her sheâs pretty. That he likes her. That heâs been obsessed with her since high school and he doesnât even know why except maybe itâs because sheâs everything heâs not.
But instead, what came out was:
"Your outfit reminds me of the trolls from Frozen."
Absolutely deafening silence.
Saki slowly closed her sketchbook. Stood up.
Her expression was unreadable. Dangerous.
"What is your problem, Maki?"
Her voice was sharp, tight, angry.
âNoâwait, I didnât mean it like thatâ!â
She stepped back, her eyebrows drawn, mouth tight.
"Why are you always targeting me?"
"Go find someone else to obsessively annoy!"
And something inside him snapped â not with anger at her, but at everything. The pressure. The nerves. The fact that even when he tried, he still failed. His feelings, twisted and raw, came out in the worst possible way.
"Maybe if you didnât smell funny, itâd be easier!"
It hung in the air like poison.
People nearby turned their heads.
Sakiâs eyes widened â cheeks going red. Not from embarrassment, but fury.
âNO! No, I didnât mean like bad funny!â
He gestured wildly. âI mean â itâs like this feeling funny! Like I know itâs you, like I feel it from far away and itâsâ!â
Her bag slammed into his shoulder â hard enough to make him stumble back.
âDonât ever talk to me again, Maki.â
And then she turned. And walked away.
No look back. No hesitation.
Just storming off, braid swinging with every furious step.
A few people stared. He didnât even care.
The sun felt a little too hot. His mints were still burning his throat. His heart was somewhere in the dirt.
A low, involuntary sound left his throat â more instinct than thought â
âSheâs really, really mad todayâŠâ
he murmured quietly to no one.
And after a long, quiet momentâŠ
His voice came out small. Almost broken.
ââŠI just wanted to say you look like a fairy princess.â
âAnd you smell like the earth. Like flowers and moss and rain.â
Saki burst through the door of her dorm room and slammed it shut behind her. Her bag hit the floor with a heavy thud, but she didnât bother picking it up. She kicked off her shoes, cardigan already halfway off, and stumbled toward her bed like a girl possessed.
She dove face-first into the blankets.
The room was hot and dim, only a sliver of light coming through the drawn curtains. Her heart was racing â her skin flushed from running the entire way across campus.
Sheâd left in the middle of break.
Skipped the rest of her classes.
She rolled onto her back, chest heaving slightly, and stared up at the ceiling, eyes glassy with unshed tears.
âMaybe if you didnât smell funny, itâd be easier.â
The words echoed in her skull.
His sense of smell was ten times better.
If he thought she smelled weird⊠did that mean everyone else did too?
Her cheeks flushed red again, this time with embarrassment.
She slowly sat up and sniffed her shirt collar, frowning.
Earthy. A bit floral. Definitely her.
âWhat the hell does that even mean?â she muttered, scowling.
She threw herself back into the pillows with a loud groan, pulling a blanket over her face.
âWhy is he like this?! Why me?! Why always me?!â
Meanwhile, across campusâŠ
Maki sat in the cafeteria looking like a depressed, slightly sweaty mountain. His lunch tray was obliterated. Rice: gone. Dumplings: gone. Extra side of fried chicken: gone. Haruaâs dessert: also gone.
He chewed aggressively on a cucumber, jaw tight.
Across from him, Jo watched him eat with mild concern.
Maki didnât answer. Just stabbed a carrot.
Taki blinked. âIs heârage eating again?â
Harua leaned back, expression unreadable. âWhat did you do this time?â
Maki dropped his chopsticks and leaned forward, burying his face in his arms.
His voice came out muffled:
ââŠI said she smelled funny.â
Everyone at the table went still.
ââŠYou what?â Yuma choked on his drink.
Maki sat up slowly, expression full of shame and dumpling regret.
âI meant good funny! Likeâlike she smells like the forest! Or like⊠magic dirt! I donât know!â
ââŠDid you actually say the words âyou smell funnyâ?â
Maki let out a long, drawn-out groan and dropped his head back again.
Taki patted his back gently. âAt least youâre hot.â
âIâm not hot anymore,â Maki muttered into his arm. âIâm stupid.â
His friends shared a look.
Jo passed him a rice cracker. âYouâll figure it out, Miki Maus.â
Maki glared. âDonât start.â
Later that evening, the halls of the dorm were quiet â most students were either studying, gaming, or nursing the soul wounds of an exhausting school day.
Makiâs door was slightly ajar, and the sound of heavy breathing and soft grunting came from inside.
Jo, Harua, Yuma, and Taki stood outside, exchanging confused glances before Jo gently nudged the door open.
Inside, the room was dim, lit only by the golden hue of a desk lamp.
And in the middle of it all â shirtless, sweaty, and doing push-ups like his life depended on it â was Maki.
His back muscles flexed with each motion. His face was tense. His dog tags swung slightly with every movement.
Taki blinked. âOh no. Heâs entered his Man Pain Arc.â
Harua walked in first. âDude. Itâs almost 8 p.m. What are you doing?â
âYes. We gathered that.â Jo sat on his bed, eyebrows raised. âWhy?â
Maki huffed. âBecause I need to suffer while I think.â
Harua crossed his arms. âThatâs the dumbest thing Iâve ever heard. Respectfully.â
With one final grunt, Maki dropped onto the floor and flipped onto his back, chest rising and falling. He stared up at the ceiling like it had all the answers he didnât.
ââŠI have a new plan,â he said, voice low and serious.
The guys all leaned in slightly.
âA plan?â Yuma repeated.
âStep one: Apologize.â
âStep two: Keep trying.â
âStep three: Win her over.â
Jo squinted. âIsnât step three just⊠vague?â
âIâll figure out step three when I get there,â Maki grunted, sitting up and running a hand through his damp hair. âRight now, all I care about is making things right.â
Harua raised an eyebrow. âEven after what you said?â
Maki groaned. âDonât remind me.â
Taki whispered to Yuma, âI feel like we should start printing âIâm sorry for being meâ apology cards for him.â
âI like her,â Maki said suddenly, like it was being pulled from his chest. âI really like her. And Iâve liked her since high school and Iâve been a freaking idiot about it.â
He stood up and grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat off his neck.
âSheâs smart. Sheâs beautiful. She smells like moss and sunshine and books. And instead of telling her that, I told her she smelled funny.â
Harua, calmly: âYou also said she looked like a troll.â
Maki dropped the towel over his head. âIâm going to throw myself off the dorm roof.â
Jo clapped a hand on his shoulder. âDo it after you apologize. Timing is key.â
Maki sighed and slumped down on the edge of his bed, towel still over his face. His voice came out muffled.
ââŠIâm gonna fix it. Even if she hates me forever, I just want her to know I meant the opposite of everything I said.â
Taki pulled out a cookie from his hoodie pocket and handed it to him. âFor strength.â
Maki accepted it solemnly.
The next morning came with golden sun and a breeze that carried the soft scent of dew and wildflowers â and Makiâs nerves.
He was standing near the academic block, fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie, eyes scanning the crowd like a bloodhound on high alert.
Across the courtyard. Her braid was in its usual place, her cardigan fluttering gently. She looked calm. Untouchable.
He took a breath, preparing to sprint toward her.
His steps slowed. His nose twitched.
That overwhelming, sharp, artificial scent. Heavy and cloying.
Strong. Pungent. Not her.
He coughed softly into his fist, nose wrinkling.
Her scent was normally⊠gentle. Subtle. Earthy. A mix of wildflowers, pine, old parchment, and sunlight.
This was a wall of manufactured floral musk smothering everything she truly was.
Itâs because of yesterday.
She had doused herself in perfume because of what he said.
Guilt clawed at his chest. But he didnât stop moving. He picked up his pace.
Turned around with a calm expression that was too calm.
âI donât want to hear anything from you, Maki.â
Her voice was quiet. Tired. Firm.
She turned to walk again.
He didnât let her leave.
His chest heaved. His heart thumped like thunder in his ears.
âIâm sorry,â he said again, this time quieter. âFor yesterday. For every stupid thing Iâve ever said to you.â
She didnât turn around yet.
But she didnât keep walking either.
âI didnât mean what I said,â Maki continued, voice tight with sincerity. âNot a single word. Not the troll thing. Not the smell thing. Especially not that.â
She slowly turned her head, just a little â enough to glance back at him from the corner of her eye.
âI panicked,â he admitted. âI always do when it comes to you. And I hate it. Because you make me feel⊠nervous. Like Iâm always going to mess it up.â
Saki looked forward again.
Maki swallowed hard. âBut Iâm trying now. I swear I am. I just⊠I didnât want you to change how you are because of me.â
A breeze passed between them.
ââŠI like how you smell,â he said softly, so low it was almost a whisper. âLike wildflowers. Like the earth after rain. Itâs the best scent Iâve ever known. And I hated that I made you think otherwise.â
She didnât say anything.
But her fingers clenched slightly at her sides.
He didnât expect forgiveness.
He just didnât want her to keep hiding herself.
Back still facing him. Her fingers twitched slightly at her side.
She slapped her arm hard with her palm.
âWhy the fuck didnât you say that before?!â she snapped, spinning around with her nose scrunched up, eyes glaring.
She looked furious. Like full-body tired angry. And flushed. Andâ
She slapped her arm again.
âDo you know how much I wanna puke because of this stupid perfume?!â she shouted, fanning herself with the collar of her cardigan.
âIâve had a headache since breakfast!â
She stomped one foot. âI thought Iâd go nose-dead but NOPE, still fully functioning!â
ââŠWaitâyou didnât want to wear it?â
âNO!â she groaned, throwing her head back. âI only wore it because you said I smelled funny!â
He winced, guilt crashing over him again.
âI justâI thought maybe I really smelled weird and I started spiraling and then I couldnât stop overthinking it and now I reek like a goddamn department store flower sectionââ
Then let it out slowly, shoulders deflating.
Her face softened just slightly.
âI forgive you,â she said quietly, rubbing her temple. âBut if you say one more weird thing to me again, I will set your hoodie on fire.â
âLike⊠with actual fire orââ
And with that, she walked away â not storming this time, but with a kind of tired grace. She was still annoyed. Still perfumed. But sheâd forgiven him.
And for the first time in days, Maki could breathe again.
He stared after her, then slowly smiled.
A real one. Wide and toothy and relieved.
ââŠShe forgave me,â he muttered under his breath, clutching his chest like he'd just won the Olympics.
âDamn. That perfume is strong.â
Maki stood in place for a few seconds longer, still watching her walk away.
That braid. That tired stomp. The way her shoulders had just barely loosened.
She hadnât hit him. She hadnât screamed (well, not that much). She had listened.
He exhaled with a dumb, happy smile starting to spread across his faceâ
His mouth opened like a man watching a slow-motion car crash.
ââŠI COULDâVE CONFESSED.â
The words left his mouth in a gasp of horror.
He slapped his own face so hard it echoed.
âSTUPIDâWHY DIDNâT I SAY IT?!â
Jo, passing by a few feet away, paused mid-bite of a sandwich. âBro⊠are you okay?â
Maki didnât hear him. He was in full emotional collapse.
Hands in his hair. Knees slightly bent. Groaning into the air like a tragic romance novel protagonist.
âShe forgave me! She said âI forgive youâ and THEN she walked away!â
He gestured wildly at the space she had just occupied.
âIt was the perfect moment! It had all the emotional weight! And I just stood there like a damp towel!â
He sank to a squat, hands on his head.
âI wasted a cinematic scene.â
Jo slowly walked past. âIâm not touching this.â
Maki groaned, leaning back on the grass with a loud, exhausted sigh.
âNext time,â he muttered to the sky.
âNext time I swear Iâm gonna say it. No more push-ups and perfume-induced near-death experiences. Iâm gonna tell her. I swear.â
The wind rustled gently through the trees, like it heard him.
But it also kind of sounded like it was mocking him.
The next day, Maki showed up to class with a level of determination in his step and chaos in his soul that could only mean one thing:
He had mapped it out at 2 a.m., in a crumpled notebook between a half-eaten protein bar and an empty energy drink.
Step 2: Donât say anything stupid (ongoing risk)
Step 4: Tell her sheâs pretty
Step 5: Confess and beg the gods she says yes
And today, he was tackling Step 3.
Saki was walking through the garden path between classes, trying to escape the lingering headache from yesterdayâs perfume disaster. Her braid was a little looser than usual, and she was carrying a small book of pressed flowers tucked under her arm.
Wearing a white t-shirt that was almost suspiciously fitted.
âMaki, what are you doing?â she asked warily.
He turned, eyes wide like he hadnât expected her to speak first â despite obviously waiting for her.
âOhâhey! I was just, yâknow. Chilling.â
He held the flower like it was a peace treaty. âThis is for you.â
ââŠWhatâs wrong with it?â
âWhat? Nothing!â he said quickly, voice cracking slightly. âItâs just a flower! A normal flower!â
ââŠDid you pick that from the biology lab again?â
She sighed but took it anyway, holding it like she might still throw it back at him.
This was it. Step 3. Make her smile.
âYou, uhâŠâ he rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly shy. âYou look nice. Like⊠yâknow, peaceful. Like a vibe. Youâre very⊠vibes.â
Saki raised a brow. âVibes?â
âYeah. Like an aesthetic board. In a good way.â
She blinked. âDid you just compare me to a Pinterest board?â
Saki stared at him. For a long moment.
A small laugh, soft and unintentional.
Maki straightened up like someone had just tossed him a gold medal.
She looked away quickly, brushing hair from her face to hide the tiniest curve of her lips.
âI have class,â she said, walking past him.
He nodded, heart thumping.
But as she passed, she paused.
ââŠThanks. For the flower,â she said without turning.
Maki stood there, staring at the empty space she left behind, and whispered:
âStep 4, here I come.â
Classes were done for the day, and Maki was walking back to the dorms with a convenience store bag in one hand and a popsicle stick hanging from his mouth. The sky was shifting into that late afternoon gold, casting long shadows across the campus walkways.
He passed by the girlsâ dorm on instinct â it was on the route back.
He wasnât even thinking.
Her long hair was down for once, blowing gently in the breeze. She stood at the railing, hanging a thick blanket over the ledge to dry. The sun hit her just right â gold brushing against soft brown strands, cheeks slightly flushed from the climb, loose shirt fluttering faintly in the wind.
Like some kind of angel. Like a painting. Like a poem someone forgot to write down.
A sharp sting hit the side of his head as something small â and very solid â bounced off his temple and hit the ground.
Saki was squinting down at him, arms crossed.
âWhat are you doing staring at the girlsâ dorm? You perv.â she called.
âWHATâNO! I wasnâtâ! I didnât even know you were here!â
He held up his hands defensively. âI justâI was walking back from the store and I looked up and saw you! Just you! I swear!â
âAre you lying, Maki?â
âNo!!â he said instantly, eyes wide. âOn my life. My popsicleâs honor.â
That one made her blink. And exhale through her nose like she was trying not to laugh.
She stared at him a moment longer, then nodded slowly.
She turned slightly, shaking out the blanket. Her movements calmer now. Almost⊠peaceful.
And Maki, still flustered and still rubbing the side of his head, was just about to say something normal when his mouthâbetrayed him again.
It slipped out too fast. Too soft.
Saki blinked. Her fingers stilled on the blanket.
Maki froze, eyes wide in immediate regret.
He stood there like a deer in headlights, stunned by the words that escaped before his brain caught up.
ââŠYouâre really pretty.â
His voice had gone breathy. Dreamy.
Like heâd just realized it out loud for the first time.
The breeze moved between them.
For a second, her expression softened â just a flicker â before she huffed and turned back to the blanket.
ââŠIdiot,â she muttered under her breath.
But there was no rock this time.
Just a soft blush brushing her cheeks as she quietly smoothed the fabric.
Maki just stood there. Grinning like a lovesick fool, hand still pressed to the spot where she hit him.
Maki stood under the rooftop, the second popsicle sweating slightly in his hand.
Saki glanced over the edge, her loose hair brushing her shoulders, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
He raised the popsicle in offering.
She squinted down at him. âMaki, Iâm on the roof. Iâm not coming down just to get that.â
He shrugged. âYou can just fly down.â
The moment the words left his mouth, he felt it.
Saki went still. Completely still.
There was a pause â too long to be normal.
Then, in a voice too casual to be real:
She wasnât looking at him anymore. Her hands rested at the railing, fingers curled in.
âMy wings⊠theyâre cracked,â she added after a moment. âBeen like that since I was a kid. Permanently damaged.â
He froze, guilt slamming into his chest.
âSaki⊠I didnât know. Iâmââ
He took a step back. âIâm really sorry.â
She shook her head once, her tone dismissive but her eyes still distant.
âItâs fine. You didnât know.â
But he wasnât fine. His jaw clenched. He looked up again.
Then at the tall streetlight nearby.
âWaitâwhat are youââ
He backed up several steps.
He launched off the ground, one foot slamming against the curved base of the streetlight. His werewolf reflexes kicked in â the momentum vaulted him upward, foot pressing against the pole one more time as he kicked off with full force, catapulting himself into the air like a blur of red and sweat.
With perfect timing, he caught the edge of the rooftop.
Saki gasped as he landed neatly on the railing itself, crouched low, one hand steadying him while the other held out the slightly cracked popsicle.
Breathing a little hard. Smiling like a dumb hero in a shoujo manga.
âStill want it?â he asked, like he hadnât just performed rooftop parkour for frozen sugar water.
Snatched the popsicle from his hand and turned away, cheeks red.
He hopped down beside her and sat on the railing, legs swinging as she sat in the plastic chair nearby.
They sat in silence for a while.
The wind tugged at her hair. The sun dipped behind the rooftops. Their popsicles slowly disappeared.
âYou should keep your hair down more often,â Maki murmured, his voice casual but full of quiet wonder.
âNot that you donât look nice when itâs braided,â he added. âBut when itâs down, you look kindaâŠâ
Saki bit her popsicle harder than necessary.
âSay one more cheesy thing and Iâm pushing you off this roof.â
The sun was slipping low, casting long shadows over the dorm rooftops.
Maki stayed perched on the railing, popsicle in hand, face glowing with smug satisfaction.
Saki was sitting nearby, chewing on her own popsicle with narrowed eyes.
âSeriously,â she said, not even looking at him. âYou can get down now.â
âYouâre going to fall.â
âIâll fall dramatically.â
She rolled her eyes. âI will push you.â
But before he could respondâ
A sharp, commanding voice sliced through the rooftop air.
âWHAT do you think you're doing in the GIRLSâ dorm?!â
Maki and Saki both turned sharply.
Down below, standing with hands on her hips, was the dorm warden â a short, formidable woman in her late forties with a sleek bob and enough authority in her voice to make even grown wolves tuck their tails.
The wardenâs eyes narrowed like a hawk. âGet. Down. Right. Now.â
Saki stood up in alarm. âYou moron, youâre gonna get in troubleâ!â
Maki groaned as he dropped from the railing to the ground with a soft thump. He waved sheepishly down at the warden.
âSorry, maâam! Just⊠handing off a popsicle!â
âHanding offâwhat are you, a flying ice cream vendor?!â
He turned to Saki with an awkward little grin. âSheâs kinda scary.â
âShe is,â Saki muttered, looking mortified. âNow leave."
Maki gave her a wink. âLater, beautiful.â
She threw the popsicle stick at him. Missed.
He jogged towards his dorm, hands in pockets, while the dorm warden shouted something about protocol and boundaries and student conduct behind him.
By the time he disappeared from view, Saki was left standing alone on the roof.
Looked down at her half-melted popsicle.
Then shook her head with a quiet laugh she tried very hard to suppress.
Shirtless. Hair damp from a shower. One leg kicked up, then the other. His blanket twisted around him like a snake as he rolled dramatically for the fiftieth time.
He stared up at the ceiling like it had all the answers.
He grinned like a lunatic.
âShe actually blushed.â
He kicked his feet again like a schoolgirl on the phone with her crush.
He didnât even open it.
He was too busy replaying the moment on the rooftop: her hair catching the sunlight, the way her eyes went wide when he landed, the tiny flush that crept up her cheeks when he handed her the popsicle and called her magical.
âUgh, she looked so cute.â
He rolled over and groaned into his pillow.
His thoughts drifted then â past her blush and her laugh â to the way she had gone quiet when he mentioned flying. The way her voice had changed.
âThatâs why Iâve never seen her in the sky,â he mumbled. âEven during fairy races at the high school sports meets⊠she never joined.â
She had always been there. Sitting in the stands. Cheering quietly.
His chest ached. He had unknowingly talked about her wings and inability to fly. Guilt filled his heart.
He stared at the ceiling, brows drawn together. âShe wants to fly.â
He bit his lip, deep in thought.
What if⊠he could help her?
He wasnât a genius. Or magical. Or anything delicate.
Arms strong enough to throw rugbyplayers across fields.
âŠBut maybe not that crazy?
His brain circled back to his notebook â the one from three nights ago.
Step 2: Donât say anything stupid.
He sat up suddenly, eyes wide.
The realization hit like a tackle.
He slapped his hand to his forehead.
âAll the steps are done⊠all thatâs left isââ
And then he flopped back dramatically onto the bed.
The sun rose, and so did Maki â with the kind of determination that came once in a lifetime and was usually followed by heartbreak or a movie montage.
He stood in front of the mirror in his dormâs shared bathroom, eyes locked on his reflection.
His jaw was clenched. His shoulders were tense.
âNo more running. No more being a coward.â
He ran his fingers through his hair, intentionally leaving it slightly messy â just the right amount of "ruggedly hot."
âJust tell her. Sheâs beautiful. Magical. Amazing. She smells like forest rain and cinnamon and your heartbeat goes stupid when she blinks.â
He slapped his cheeks twice.
He popped a few breath mints. A few more. Spit one out because it was too minty.
Checked himself in the mirror again.
Tight white shirt. Loose black joggers. That wolfish, boyish confidence.
Maki exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders.
âToday is gonna be fruitful.â
He grabbed his bag and walked out of the dorm like a man ready to marry the love of his life.
Today was going to be fruitful.
And as the break hour came around, he had just the right idea.
âShe likes sweet things,â he mumbled to himself as he stood in line at the cafeteria. âIâll get her that honey peach drink she always steals from Taki.â
He paid for it, carefully held it in one hand, and practically skipped his way down the hall. He saw her near the courtyard doors, about to head outside â her braid swinging, wings tucked beneath her cardigan.
He adjusted his posture. Cleared his throat. Smiled a little. His hands were sweating again.
âSaki!â he called, heart thudding.
In a blink, Maki had tripped over absolutely nothing â because of course he did â and the entire cup of cold honey peach juice went flying straight onto her sundress.
The straw bounced off her shoulder.
Maki froze too, still crouched, one leg twisted like a pretzel from the fall, eyes wide in horror.
Saki slowly looked down at herself, soaked in golden juice, eyes twitching.
âI didnâtâ! I swear, I was trying toâ!â
The sound echoed louder than the cafeteria bell.
Makiâs face snapped to the side, and his heart dropped lower than the spilled drink on the tile.
She just turned and walked away stiffly toward the ladies' washroom, clothes dripping, her face red with anger and humiliation.
He just sat there, knees bruised, cheek stinging, and heart shattered.
Students stepped around the scene awkwardly. One of the cafeteria workers quietly swept up the cup and ice shards. No one said anything.
He slowly reached up and touched his cheek where she hit him.
His hand still held the receipt from the drink.
He took a deep breath and straightened.
She was the one he liked and there was no way a glitch was about to stop him.
As the day progressed, Saki had changed clothes and Maki had become determined to win her heart.
"I like your⊠uh⊠leaf dress thing. You look like a decorative salad." Maki said referring to her new change of clothes that consisted of a green fitted tee, a dark sage wrap skirt and skin tights paired with brown leg warmers and black loafers.
"Excuse me?" She deadpanned.
"I meant itâsâitâs nice! Earthy. Fresh. Not like the others who look like⊠grocery store salads?" Maki said as his voice laced with panic.
"Do you hear yourself?" Saki asked with an annoyed look.
WHACKâshe smacks him with her sketchbook and storms off. He groans and slumps against the nearest tree.
"...I was gonna say sheâs beautiful." He mumbled before groaning amd kicking a rock that then hit his head making him wince.
"Youâre the only one who doesnât smell annoying." Maki said nervously.
"âŠWhat?" Saki replied as she looked at him, confused.
"I mean, I always know when you're near. You smell like wind and moss andâugh, that sounds creepy. Forget it." Maki added, trying again.
"Is this another backhanded insult?" Saki asked while narrowing her eyes.
"No! Itâs like... pleasant! You're just... aromatically tolerable!" Maki exclaimed, panicking after seeing the look on her face.
Saki hits him with her tote bag. Again.
"You have exactly three brain cells." Saki said before walking past him with a huff.
"That are in love with you." Maki mumbled to himself before pouting.
"I think about you a lot before bed." Maki blurted out.
"âŠWhat?" Saki stopped mid-step before slowly turning to face him.
"NOT LIKE THAT. I mean like⊠your hair. Not yourâNO. NOT LIKE THAT EITHER." Maki said quickly after realising how wrong it sounded.
"I swear to the moonâ" Saki said in annoyance before cutting her sentence as she smacked him with her rolled-up class notes and stomps off red-faced.
"WHY do words betray me?" He groaned before scratching his head aggressively.
Saki was packing up her things under her favorite tree when Maki walked over, determined this time to be smooth. He was rehearsed and ready.
âSo⊠I was thinking⊠if you're always grounded, maybe that's why your grades are so high. Not a lotta distractions when you don't fly, huh?â Maki said after clearing his throat nervously.
ââŠWhat did you just say to me?" Saki asks, voice low and warning.
"I MEANTâyouâre smart! I just meant⊠like, you have more time to study âcause youâre not flying around?? Like the other fairies do. Not in a bad way! Likeâ" He tries to fix it after realising she might not have liked what he said.
Her shoulder bag slams into his side with fairy fury. His eyes widen, and he stumbles back, wincing and gasping.
"Owâwhat is in that thing, bricks?!" Maki says while groaning in pain and about to follow her.
"Stay!" Saki snaps and commands.
She disappears down the hill, not sparing him a glance.
He straightens up slowly, still rubbing his ribs, stunned.
ââŠDid she just⊠tell me to stay?â
Maki scowls and asks himself.
ââŠI mean I amâbut not like that.â
He huffs, crosses his arms. He stares at the spot where she vanished, whining softly.
He then sits. Right there. Under the tree. Grumbling about how that was uncalled for
âI hate and love how powerful she is.â He mumbled, feeling grumpy.
It had been a week since the fallout.
Seven long days of embarrassment, shame, and the distinct scent of failure that still clung to him.
Maki had thrown a rugby ball at the ceiling.
Heâd chewed through two pillows.
He nearly tackled Yuma on Tuesday just for humming Sakiâs name by accident.
He growled at Jo for suggesting he âjust move on.â
The sky outside the dorm windows was soft with warm light.
And Maki was slumped across the entire common room couch like a corpse, face half-buried in a throw pillow, tank top rumpled, a single breath mint on his chest like a fallen medal.
Across the room, Taki munched on cookies while scrolling on his phone. He peeked over lazily and said:
âShe kinda hates you. So like⊠why are you even still into her?â
Maki slowly raised his head from the pillow.
âAre you being for real right now?â
His eyes blazed like Taki had insulted his mother.
âSheâs. Incredible.â
Maki sat up straight, eyes wild, voice loud.
âSheâs the prettiest girl Iâve ever seen in my entire life, okay? Likeâstupid, jaw-dropping, eye-burning, ethereal levels of pretty. She looks like she came from a magical tree with sparkling wings and baby deer at her feet. And when her hairâs down? I canât breathe. I forget how to function as a person. I literally bumped into a door last week because she laughed.â
Taki slowly lowered his cookie.
âAnd sheâs not just pretty! Sheâs cool! She doesnât care about peopleâs opinions, she reads books with those little tabs in them, and she wears flowy skirts and draws wings all over her sketchbooks and has this weird way of rolling her eyes when sheâs pretending not to smile but I KNOW she wants to smile because her nose scrunches a little when sheâs fighting itââ
Harua peeked in from the hallway.
âHeâs doing it again,â he whispered.
Maki stood up now, pacing like a wild animal.
ââand she smells like the woods after it rains! Not perfume-y like other girls, but like real trees and sunlight and bark and it makes my heart do that thing where it feels like itâs gonna explode but in a nice way!â
âLike a heart attack?â Jo offered, poking in from the kitchen.
âYES! A LOVE HEART ATTACK!â
Taki raised his brows. âDudeâŠâ
Maki finally dropped back onto the couch, flushed and panting like he just ran laps.
His eyes locked on the ceiling, starry and dramatic.
ââŠSheâs Saki. Thereâs no one like her. Sheâs⊠her.â
Taki took another bite of his cookie.
ââŠOkay, yeah. That was kinda poetic.â
Everyoneâs heads snapped toward the source of the noise.
The sliding glass door to the dormâs backyard patio was open.
And standing just outside it, surrounded by scattered flower pots and a bag of snacks she brought as an apology fallen on the ground.
Takiâs cookie dropped to the floor.
Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Saki was still holding the drink she had just fetched from the vending machine. The straw had slipped from her lips. Her fingers were gripping the cup like it was the last tether to reality.
Her gaze slowly shifted to Maki.
To his flushed cheeks. His messy hair.
His entire dorm audience.
He could feel the blood rushing up his neck, exploding behind his ears, his wolf instincts SCREAMING to run.
Instead, all he managed to say was:
ââŠH-How long were you standing thereâŠ?â
Her voice was quiet. Shaky.
âSince⊠the she's incredible thing.â
Maki leapt off the couch like heâd been electrocuted, flailing his arms, eyes wide in absolute panic.
âIâI MEANT THAT IN A COOL WAY!!â he blurted. âNOT LIKEâACTUAL MEDICALâITâSâLIKEâA FEELINGââ
Saki just stared, still stunned, drink completely forgotten in her hand.
Maki looked around at the others in pure horror.
Taki whispered, âYouâre screwed.â
âListenâWAITâokayâokay, that came out all wrongâactually, no, it came out exactly how I meant it but I didnât think youâd hear it!â
He was full-on panicking now. Heart racing. Hands flapping.
âIt was supposed to be private screaming!! With the boys!!â
Saki blinked. âSo you think I smell like bark?â
â...he did say that.â Taki added.
âGOOD bark!! Likeâlike nature bark! Not like... old wood. Like sexyâno, wait, not sexy barkââ
Harua slapped a hand over his own mouth.
Saki slowly blinked again.
Leaving the back door wide open behind her.
The only sound was the click of her sandals and the quiet flutter of her cardigan as she disappeared back down the path.
ââŠYou died.â Jo said.
Maki slumped against the wall, breath gone, face in hands.
âI need to leave the country.â
Her face was burning red, her eyes wide in horror, and her hand clamped tightly over her mouth as if that could somehow keep the chaos inside her from spilling out.
Her mind was a blur. She barely registered the trees, the breeze, the path under her feet. All she could hear was the echo of his voice.
Sheâs the prettiest girl Iâve ever seen in my entire life.
Sheâs Saki. Thereâs no one like her. Sheâs⊠her.
GOOD bark!! Likeâlike nature bark! Not like... old wood. Like sexyâno, wait, not sexy barkâ
âOH MY GOD.â she squeaked into her palm, stumbling around the corner behind the dorms and nearly faceplanting into a bush. Her heart was thudding so loudly it felt like the whole campus could hear it. Like the entire town was probably hearing it.
She darted behind the nearest tree, back pressed hard to the trunk, trying to breathe.
âWhat was that?!â she gasped, eyes wild.
She bent over slightly, covering her mouth with both hands now, heat rushing to her ears. Her drink was still in her hand but she didnât even notice the drops slipping from the straw and onto her skirt.
âHe likes me?!â she whispered-shouted. âHe likes ME?!â
Her legs almost gave out.
She dropped her drink onto the grass and slid down to sit behind the tree, completely overwhelmed. Her hands were still over her mouth, but she couldnât stop the flood of thoughts in her head.
That voiceâhis voiceâwhen he said it. It wasnât mocking. It wasnât teasing. It had been⊠serious. Soft. Almost shaky.
And all those wordsâthose stupid, perfect, panicked wordsâhad come from him.
The Maki who tripped over nothing and always said the worst things. The Maki who teased her since high school. The Maki who once barked at a vending machine for taking his money. That Maki had just said she was beautiful. Magical. That he noticed when she tried not to smile.
Her heart gave a massive, reckless thump.
This couldnât be real. She must have been hallucinating. That mustâve been another werewolf in the dorm.
âStupid, dumb, big idiot,â she muttered into her hands. âWhyâd you have to say it like that?â
She took a deep breath and leaned her head back against the tree, staring up at the fluttering leaves.
But her heart kept beating louder, faster, like it had known all along.
And her lips were still trying not to smile.
Saki was walking past the quiet neighbourhood park, still trying to cool down, when she heard it.
She turned slowly, heart instantly picking up speed, and there he was â Maki, standing under the shade of a tree, hair tousled from running, a little breathless, and looking at her like she was the only thing in the world.
Her face began to heat up.
He took a step closer, then stopped, clearly nervous. He scratched the back of his neck, gulped once, then tried to speak.
âI, uh⊠what I said back thereââ he looked everywhere but at her, âIâm sorry if you didnât like it. I justââ his voice cracked a little and he winced, âYouâre⊠oh my gosh, I donât know what to say but Iâll say thisââ
He finally looked into her eyes.
âSaki⊠I like yââ
He didnât even get the last syllable out.
Because Sakiâs hands flew up, cupped his face, and she kissed him.
Right there. Right in the middle of the path. Soft and deep and with so much heat that Makiâs eyes almost popped out of his head.
His brain short-circuited. His heart howled.
Her lips were warm. She tasted like peach juice and magic. He forgot how to breathe.
When she finally pulled back, her eyes were wide, panicked, and her voice came out in a frantic gasp.
âThatâThat wasnât supposed to happen!â she blurted, hands still hovering near his face. âIâI'm so sorryâ!â
But Maki just stared at her like heâd been struck by divine lightning. His lips were parted, cheeks flushed, breath ragged.
Then, slowly, he reached up, cupped her cheeks, and kissed her back.
This time, he didnât hesitate.
And this time, she kissed him back just as hard.
They didnât need to say anything more.
Because the bark-scented, emotionally-stunted werewolf and the wingless fairy princess had already said it all â in the mess, in the flailing, in the chaos, and in the quiet.
And now, in a kiss that had been three years and multiple slaps in the making.
They slowly broke apart, breath mingling in the summer air, foreheads still close, faces flushed, hearts racing.
Maki stared at her like sheâd just rearranged his entire universe with one kiss.
Saki shyly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, still trying to catch her breath. Her lips tingled, her cheeks were practically glowing, and she couldnât look away from his stupidly handsome, dazed face.
âSoâŠâ Maki muttered, voice a little hoarse, lips pink and just slightly swollen, âI reckon you like me too?â
Saki let out a tiny laugh through her nose, eyes crinkling as she hummed softly and gave a small, shy nod. âMaybe just a little.â
His grin bloomed instantly â boyish, crooked, so full of joy it made her stomach flutter.
They stood there for a second, caught in a soft, awkward silence, both of them fidgeting with their hands like middle schoolers with a crush.
Then Maki cleared his throat.
âI⊠kinda wanna do it again,â he mumbled, looking at her from under his lashes.
Sakiâs face went redder than ever, and she rubbed her sleeve against her warm cheek.
ââŠI kinda want to do it again too.â
They stared at each other.
Their lips met again, with a little more desperation this time, a little more certainty. His hands settled gently at her waist, hers curled around his shirt, and they melted into each other like theyâd been waiting their whole lives to do this.
It wasnât perfect. It was clumsy, breathy, eager. His nose bumped her cheek, her fingers fumbled in his hair â but neither of them cared.
From behind a tree, Jo watched in horror, face blank.
Heâd followed Maki out of worry. But now?
He was witnessing full-on makeout madness in a public park.
ââŠI shouldâve stayed in bed,â he muttered, dead inside.
Maki and Saki kissed againâdeeper, more desperate.
âI came for friendship. I got trauma.â
And with that, he trudged back to the dorm, whispering to himself, âNever again.â
You never know, I might just post frat boy/ bad boy Maki one day.
I hope y'all liked it đ„č âšïž
Likes and rebloggs are appreciated đ€ âšïž
