Hello everyone!! Sorry for the long wait!! I just started college and a new job so I've been busy, but all the feed back encouraged me to write another chapter. Thanks and enjoy!!

"Am I interrupting something?"

Haru and Ame both blushed and shot up to their feet.

"Nope, nothing."

"Sureeeee..." Asuka said, still giving them that sly grin.

"Y'know Ame, a tryst is usually at night."

Ame suddenly felt very hot. He fought the urge to take off his jacket and melt into a puddle.

"Pfft, I'm only kidding!! Ame, do you need a ride home?"

He was suddenly reminded of his original motive.

"Thanks, but I'm actually on my way to the nature center. I was just stopping by."

"I was just walking Ame to the bus stop."

"Okay, no need to rush." Asuka winked as she drove by the two of them. Causing a blush to rise on their faces again.

The rest of the walk was quiet, and a little awkward. Instead of leaving when they got there, Haru decided to wait for the bus with him.

Ame almost wished she would leave so he wouldn't have to get on the bus. But she refused to move even after the bus came into view.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later"

"Yeah, bye" Ame said as he walked onto the bus. Haru looked at him a little sadly for moment, before making a split second decision and running on the bus as the doors were closing.

Ame looked at her in shock for a moment, then she pushed him over to a seat as the bus driver told them to sit down.

"What are you doing???"

"What, I can't go with you?"

"But you didn't even tell Asuka you were leaving! And what about the twins?!"

"I can text Asuka and she is perfectly capable of watching the twins."

Ame gave an exasperated sigh before resigning to fate and slumping into his seat.

He was hoping to get off the bus on the next stop, but with Haru with him, that wouldn't be possible.

He prayed no one he knew would get on the bus. Of course, the universe was against him and his old elementary school teacher got on.

Ame groaned inwardly when his teacher spotted him and made her way over.

"Ame-kun!! I haven't seen you in years! How have you been?"

"Fine." Ame said, trying to maintain a facade of calm.

"I've been so worried! You've never been very sociable and were always getting in some sort of trouble with the other kids, so I wasn't sure you'd be able to mature properly without an education."

Ame was mortified. This ignorant, busybody teacher was laying all his insecurities and secrets out. Right in front of Haru.

Haru glanced over to Ame and saw dread staining his features.

This teacher had to be stopped.

"Hello, I'm Haru. My family and I just moved into the neighborhood next to Ame's. He has been showing me around and making sure we are well acclimated."

Ame breathed a sigh of relief when the teacher's attention was diverted from him. Haru was beaten with questions until the next stop when they rushed off the bus, away from the nosy teacher.

Ame stared at the ground, he was unbelievably embarrassed. But what bothered him more was how Haru was staying silent. Usually people would pity, or scold him. He took a deep breath and...

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

Haru looked surprised at his reaction. Then, she smiled at him.

She started walking with Ame trailing behind her and said,

"Everyone has their own circumstances for situations they are in. Whether it's self-afflicted or unavoidable, it's not my business to judge them. But if they are willing to share their reasons with me, I am more than happy to offer my support."

Ame gaped at her. He was so tempted to spill his entire life before her. Every secret. Every problem. Every fear. Every hope. Every disappointment. But he couldn't.

He couldn't recklessly out his family. No matter how badly he wanted to share his innermost thoughts with her, he couldn't.

'I'm gonna be a little boy all the way home.'

He quietly chanted in his head his sister's favorite saying. Although it was childish, it reminded him of his responsibility.

He just hoped she would understand his silence.

She looked at him for a moment, before turning away and began humming as she walked. They walked the rest of the way in silence, besides Haru's quiet humming.

It was a very relaxing song. It warmed him and he cursed his squeaking boots again as he strained to hear the melody. Ame realized this was the very same song Haru was humming when he first saw her.

They finally reached the Nature Center, and to Ame's disappointment, Haru stopped humming.

To his surprise, the employee's where happy to see him again. He received a few hugs, and some people ruffled his hair.

By the end of all the hello's Ame's hair stuck up in ten different directions and Haru barely stifled her laughter as Ame grumbled while he tried to push it back down.

"Let's walk around a bit." And he received a few catcalls as he pulled Haru away from the crowd.

"Wow look at that!"

If Ame tried to count how many times she said that, he'd be there all day. Something as simple as walking around the Nature Center fascinated her so much. Then he remembered her walking around the forest.

"Do you like animals?"

"Oh yes, I love animals. I've always wanted a job involved with animals. I thought about being a Vet for a while, but I get sick at the thought of blood. So right now my dream is to be a nature photographer. When I got my first camera I was so excited I nearly passed out..."

Haru was talking so fast, Ame could barely keep up with what she was saying. He had never met anyone so passionate about something. She was constantly surprising him. He never knew what to expect from her. He just kept his mouth shut, and hoped she wouldn't collapse from lack of oxygen.

When they finally got to the wolf cage, Haru got quiet. The room felt unnaturally silent after Haru's ranting.

Haru was surprised. She had only met a wolf once before and this wolf was completely different from the wolf in the forest.

She couldn't think of the right word to describe him.

'This wolf seemed...depressed?. No that's not it... he's empty. Like all personality, ambition and life has been sucked out'

'The wolf from the forest had such a strong presence. He was mysterious and subdued, yet he commanded all your attention. But he also seemed...lonely. Hana-san said there were no wolves in the area so he must be the only one left.'

It occurred to Haru that the wolf is actually similar to Ame. That was why she was struck with a weird familiarity when she met him. Not only is their presence the same but their eyes are practically identical. They had the same amber color that drew her in. She could tell Ame didn't think much of himself, much to her frustration. And that idiotic teacher was doing more harm than good by butting in.

Haru glanced at Ame. What he had said earlier about his father was still stuck in her mind. Usually when people hear about her dad, they pity her.

It's infuriating. She was proud of the way her dad took action. He was willing to risk his life in order to save someone else's. But, despite that, she was still traumatized from the events of that day.

She got urge to cry just from thinking about it. She tried to shake off the depressing thoughts and realized she had been staring at Ame. He had obviously realized because his face was bright red, and he refused to make eye contact.

Haru stifled a giggle at his adorable awkwardness.

'Do wolves get embarrassed too?'

"We should move on to the next exhibit."

Ame nearly jumped when she spoke. She had been staring at him for about a minute, but it felt like an hour to him. He was relieved when she finally turned away.

When they finally made it back to the main entrance, a few employees were there to see them off.

They were in the middle of saying their goodbyes when a thought struck Haru.

"Have you guys heard anything about a wolf in the area?"

Ame's heart leapt up to his throat.

"Wolves? Wolves haven't been seen here in ages! Why do you ask?"

"Well... the other day I was in the forest and I saw one."

Ame was going to pass out. They had managed to keep their secret for so long, and now it was in danger. As he was running through potential consequences in his head, a loud laugh interrupted his train of thought.

"pffft...HAHAHA! I'm sorry sweetie but you must be mistaken. Wolves are extinct in Japan!! It's impossible for one to be here."

Haru's face got red and she visibly bristled.

"I know what I saw! I'm not stupid, I know what a wolf looks like!"

The employee tried to reign in his laughter but failed miserably. Ame was relieved, but felt bad for Haru.

Haru was a pretty easy-going person, but one thing she couldn't stand was people making fun of her. Making her feel stupid. She had had enough.

"I can prove I saw a wolf! I managed to get a picture of him on my camera!"

Haru yanked her phone out, furiously tapped on it, and then shoved it into their faces. Ame pushed his way to the front and felt the floor drop out from under him as he stared at a picture of a wolf... Him.

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