Days twenty-six of MerMay prompt month.

I'm behind by a day, but I am trying to catch up. One of these days I will have a double update... I hope. :x

Here's a long chapter to make up for it.

Rainstorm - Isabella

Isabella had the best day at work ever! Not because of the customers or because the work had miraculously become easier, but because she was just so blasted giddy, and it rubbed off on everyone around her. She would giggle at random times, maybe do a spin here and there as she walked to the kitchen to place orders. Her smile was so wide that, by the time she got back home, her cheeks were sore—not that she wanted to stop smiling.

She was so happy!

After her shower, she lay there on her bed gazing at the glowing stars on her ceiling (probably tacky now, but she still liked them). She wriggled on her bed a few times, filled with anticipation and nerves. He asked me out, she squealed mentally. Ferb asked me out! She wiggled again happily before a yawn overtook her. She was tired, but oh so exuberant.

Honestly, that day had been the best day she'd had in a while. After seeing that thing leap out of the water the night before, on top of her completely downward spiral after Ferb declined going with her that evening, she hadn't slept well. She tossed and turned nearly all night, two memories in particular beating at her mind relentlessly until finally she got up before her alarm went off.

Those two memories were the image of Ferb's face and the tone of his voice when he, obviously very reluctantly, said no to her. The second memory being the creature that leapt out of the water.

It had been a long night of highs and lows.

Then, opening the door for her planned outing to the dock only to see Ferb standing (okay, slumping) there, panting as if he had just sprinted a mile (or three) was like a shock to her system. Isabella felt like she had fallen down the rabbit hole. And then he came right out and asked her on a date–no hedging, no hinting. They way her heart pounded, she knew it was really happening and of course she could only say yes!

Very emphatically too, at least after the initial shock faded.

She covered her face with her hands, remembering her mom's very embarrassing response both that morning and when she arrived at the restaurant…

"Isa!" Vivian said, catching sight of her beloved daughter donning her apron.

Isabella glanced up, knowing her mom would take note of her broad smile, but not being able to do a thing to hide it. "Sorry I'm late, Mama," she said, already knowing what her mother was going to say.

Vivian placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at her. "Why are you here, Mija?"

Isabella giggled softly, her heart feeling so light. "I'm here for work," she answered blithely.

The older latina scoffed. "You could have skipped. You know I would have understood. I had already called for backup!"

Isabella shrugged as she walked by, giving her mother a quick hug before exiting the break room. "It's alright, you can send them back home. I'm here now." She walked up to one of her tables. "What can I get for you?" she asked them with a radiant smile.

"Mija! You're not giving me anything!" her mother cried before the customer could order anything.

Surprised she had followed her out there, Isabella faced her mother—she usually stayed in the back, running the kitchen. She grinned, her eyes sparkling. "You haven't asked anything, Mama."

The customers, regulars of Nosh Olé, watched mother and daughter curiously as Vivian actually stamped her foot. "Isa please! What happened between you two?" She walked closer, bringing her hands up in a pleading gesture. "Por favor necesito saber!"

Isabella giggled even though she wanted to hide her face. "Mama!" she squealed. "Stop, please! You're embarrassing me!"

"That's my job, Isa!" was her easy riposte. Vivian was not one to be deterred. She poked her daughter's side. "Tell me. Tell me. Tell me."

"Okay!" Isabella exclaimed, laughing. "Okay. Mama," Isabella reached out and grasped her mother's hands, stopping them from poking her again. She stared her in the eyes, a serious expression on her face. "We went to the dock, but all we did was talk… and hold hands…" she finished shyly, turning her face away from her moms hoping she wouldn't see the blush creeping up nor the smile that threatened to grow even wider.

If this kept up, her face was going to split!

Vivian bounced happily, pulling her hands from her daughters in order to clap. "Oh! My mija has a boyfriend!" she announced to the entire restaurant.

"Mama!"

Isabella pulled a pillow from behind her covering her hot face and suppressing a squeal of delight.

No matter what her mother thought, Ferb was not her boyfriend.

… yet…

The next morning somehow came too soon and not soon enough. Isabella had thought about calling Gretchen and Adyson, or maybe Holly, to help her get ready, but decided against it. There was no reason she couldn't put off their teasing for another day (or so). She was lightheaded with happiness, and she didn't want to ruin that with any anxieties the girls might push on her.

She pulled her phone out, scrolling through the messages she had shared with Ferb the day before. Her mom was so elated with everything, she didn't even lecture Isabella about having her phone out at work. Ferb said he would come by around four that evening, and he explained she should wear a pretty dress and comfortable shoes—something she could dance in.

She thought she already knew what she wanted to wear, but when she pulled out the sparkly pink dress… something didn't seem right. It looked… childish. She was tempted to call her mom, but she had already left for work. And she didn't want to call one of the girls, because then that would defeat the purpose of putting off their teasing for another day… With a frown, Isabella turned back to her closet.

She pushed through all of the dresses she had hanging up, nothing catching her eye. She scowled, crossing her arms as she studied her closet. Dancing dress… dancing dress… she thought over and over. She sat down on her bed, thinking hard. The last time I did any dancing was… well, prom. She scoffed—there was no way she was going to wear that fancy of a dress for her first date with Ferb. But other than those times, she'd only ever done any dancing at her cousin's weddi—

She leapt up, eyes wide, and she rushed back to her closet.

Mari's wedding!

Even though she was a good few years younger than Mariana, she had still been required to wear something that matched the theme for the family photos…

Isabella pulled out the dress bag and laid it on her bed before unzipping it, revealing the blue party gown. She ran a finger over the fabric and a dreamy smile formed on her face.

It's Ferb's eyes… she thought.

She had just enough time to put the dress in for a quick wash and dry (thankfully it wasn't dry clean only! Why had she stuck it in the back of her closet again?) before the clock struck four. She had finished her hair and makeup while waiting for the dryer to finish, and after attacking the dress with her mom's steam-iron, she was ready!

All except for the butterflies in her stomach, but those weren't going anywhere.

The doorbell rang almost on the dot, and she nearly jumped off of the couch because her nerves were going haywire. She clenched her fists and took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself before standing to answer the door.

Ferb was so handsome… She smiled brightly at him, unsure what to say—she was struck at the sight of him. And, by the look he was giving her in return, the same thing had happened to him. With a blush, she clenched her purse in her hands. "H-hey," she whispered.

"Hi," he said back on reflex, his voice rough, his own cheeks reddening.

Isabella raised her shoulders slightly, not enough for the sleeves of the dress to fall. Ferb finally pulled himself from his stunned thoughts and he raised a hand for her to take. "You look beautiful," he told her as she grasped his hand, stepping through the doorway.

She gave him a pleased smile before noticing something different about him. "You cut your hair!" she exclaimed.

He raised a hand, brushing the now shorter strands where his usual braid used to be. "Yeah," he murmured.

She lifted her hand to brush aside the hair that fell over his forehead and noticed the blush on his cheeks become darker. "It looks great," she told him. His eyes sparked with delight and she thought the new haircut somehow fit him better than his former one.

Before she could turn to close the door behind her, Ferb stopped her. "If you're alright with it, I think we should drive your car," he said, glancing up at the sky that Isabella just now realized was rapidly darkening.

"Oh! Yeah, definitely." She grinned at him. "Wouldn't want to ruin that lovely suit of yours."

Ferb's cheeks darkened again, but he brushed her bare shoulder. "I was thinking more of you than me." His eyes were dark, like the ocean right after a sunset, and she felt shivers running up her spine as she dove into their depths.

She cleared her throat, nodding once and turning back to grab her car keys from the hook.

Even though she was the one driving, Ferb held the door open for her. It wasn't too surprising though, he had always been a gentleman. He hurried around while she started the car, and as soon as they were on the road, he told her where they were heading.

Dancing with Ferb was just as fun as she remembered it to be. The music seemed to speak to him, and through him to her. She never had to worry about missteps or him not catching her. Somehow Isabella just knew where he was going to be and when he was going to pull her out of a spin.

But her favorite moments were the times he would bring her in close, his hand firm but gently on her back, his eyes locked onto hers. There was no need for words between them, not when they could read each other with just a look. She felt like she could easily sway in his arms forever, but eventually her stomach told her it was time for another activity.

Ferb grinned when he heard the growl coming from her torso and Isabella flushed. "Hush you," she demanded, squeezing the shoulder she held under her hand. "We've been dancing for a while. You can't blame me if I get hungry."

Ferb shook his head, the arm against her back somehow bringing her even closer to him. "No, I can't. I'm hungry too…" His gaze softened, the humor fading. "I'm not ready to let you go yet," he admitted, his voice a whisper.

Isabella felt her heart jump, but she could only agree with him. "Me neither," she breathed.

His hand flexed against her back once more before, with a sigh, he released her and stepped back. "Shall we?" he asked, holding his elbow out.

Isabella giggled. "We shall," she said, copying his accent and laughed outright at his wry frown.

Ferb flagged down one of the young servers as they sat at an empty table where they could watch the dancers enjoying themselves and he brought them each a plate of spaghetti and some water, asking if they would like anything else to drink. Both declined, water being fine for them.

"Tell me," Isabella began, spiraling her pasta. "When did you learn about this?"

Ferb swallowed. "My mom heard about it from a friend of hers, who is here somewhere helping out with the fundraiser."

"Fundraiser?"

He nodded. "An organization is raising funds for a summer camp."

Isabella hummed, reaching for a breadstick from the middle of the table. "That makes sense. Spaghetti is cheap in bulk, but it can make for an elegant dinner."

Ferb's eyes twinkled. "Perfect for a date."

She sighed, hopefully not overtly dreamy, and gazed into his eyes. "Very much," she agreed."

It wasn't until they were done with their dinner and were eating the cheesecake that Isabella realized that there was more to the random and frequent displays of apprehension Ferb had than just their first date. When they were interacting and teasing each other, he was completely fine, if a little flirty—and she loved it. But every once in a while, he would stare off into space or watch her when he thought she couldn't see him.

Something was bugging him…

She pretended to gaze out at the few dancing couples that were still there, waiting for him to look at her again with that thoughtful gaze. As soon as he did, she turned back to him with an eyebrow raised. "What's wrong?" she asked pointedly.

His eyes widened and he looked at her like a deer caught in the headlights, which was an apt description because he had been caught. His cheeks flushed as he realized that too and he set his fork down. "Nothing is wrong," he promised. "I… I have something I need to tell you, and I have been trying to figure out how..."

Isabella felt her stomach tighten. "Is it something bad?" she questioned, her voice tense.

Ferb's eyes snapped to hers in alarm. "No! Not bad… At least, I don't think so…" he rubbed his forehead. "I… I haven't actually ever told anyone, so I don't know where to start."

Isabella took a deep breath and forced herself to relax. It wasn't bad… Maybe it was something awkward? Or a secret he thought she deserved to know before they really got into dating… She bit her lip. "You are positive it's not something you think is wrong?"

He easily shook his head.

"Will I think it's wrong?"

He looked at her in amusement, which did a lot to quell the storm within her. "If anything you will smack me for not telling you sooner, but then you would be kind of thrilled, I think."

Isabella smiled at that and rested her hand against his. "Then don't worry about it too much. I will remember that you wanted to tell me today, and whenever you decide to spill, I won't hold it against you." She winked at him, which made him chuckle.

He squeezed her hand. "You're amazing," he began, but what else he was going to say was lost when a loud boom sounded from outside, followed by a flicker of lights. Ferb and Isabella shared a glance and together they stood, heading for the door.

Before they left, the music stopped and someone was heard over the microphone, saying "Sorry folks, the storm is cutting our dinner and dancing short tonight. Please leave a review on our page if you enjoyed yourselves and we will try to do this again soon. Drive safe, and have a good night."

Kitsune

The word kitsune is a direct translation for "fox" in japanese. They are intelligent beings who take the form of a fox or a woman with fox-like features, such as ears and tails. While some kitsunes were tricksters, many of them were portrayed as faithful guardians, friends, and even lovers.

The more tails a kitsune has—as many as nine—the older, wiser, and more powerful it is. Because they were considered so powerful, some people would consider them a deity and make sacrifices to them.

The actual origin of the legends of the kitsune is unknown. The earliest written text dates back to 794 AD, with other mentions in 810–824 and 934 AD.