Chapter Sixteen: Is There?

I would wish upon a star
But that star, it doesn't shine
So read my book with a boring ending:
"A Short Story Of A Lonely Guy"

Blink-182 - Story Of A Lonely Guy

Corneria City

The past few weeks had been quiet for the trio that was Wolf, Falco, and Erika. They had been keeping in touch with the Star Fox team, telling them they would take a month off to evaluate their actions and be ready to come back afterward. While they appeared to have made up in a single day, both Falco and Wolf knew that it would take more than just a simple apology and if they were to return to the skies, they had to know that this wouldn't happen again.

Out of the three of them, Falco seemed to have the largest change in attitude. The dream he had seemed to really affect him. While his old self would make appearances every now and then, he was beginning to come out of the proverbial shell and show the real Falco Lombardi. This was very clear when Erika was around him. Along with Wolf, the avian felt like she was someone he could talk to about his personal life.

With the sudden split with Serena, Wolf had been struggling to remain emotionally stable. Some days he would be just fine, but on many days he was a mess and couldn't function properly. He began to smoke a lot more than usual, downing a pack on a good day. The fact that Falco wasn't criticizing him for his actions was a plus for him though.

Erika was the odd one out for the group. She hardly knew either of her "roommates" aside from what Falco said during their personal conversations, and she wasn't exactly affiliated with the Star Fox team. As the weeks progressed, she did show some interest in asking if she could join but it wasn't an important matter on her mind.

The group had let everything hum along on its own, it would be time to return to their lives soon. However, there would be more to come before anything else happened…

Solar, the bright sun that had a deep meaning for Wolf since he met Serena. Now, it was a reminder of his mistake. But it still felt important for him, so on this cool morning he decided to watch it rise on the deck, knowing Serena would be doing the same. A cigarette hung off his muzzle, glowing faintly in the pseudo-darkness.

"You do this every morning?" Falco said behind him, causing the lupine to jump with surprise and the jag to fall out of his mouth.

"Jesus Christ don't scare me like that!" He growled. "What are you doing up at this time anyway? Last time I saw you wake up before seven was before Zoness."

"I wanted to talk to you in private before Erika got up for her morning jog."

"Jog?"

"What are you doing jogging in the middle of the city anyway? If I'm correct there's a perfectly good park for your feet to jog on."

"Yeah, she does it every day. She likes to keep herself in top shape." Although the avian didn't know it, he was unintentionally making Wolf feel worse. "I'm not sure if I should talk to you about this, but it's kind of important…about Serena." Wolf's tail stood up in curiosity. He found the idea of Falco asking about Serena to be odd and unlike him.

"I'm listening…" He mumbled as Falco took a seat on the wooden railing.

"Okay, I'm curious about when and how you knew that Serena was for you?"

Wolf stood silent, thinking about the question as if it were a life or death situation. Looking back at his first encounter with her was both exciting and depressing. He had been extremely depressed at the time of them running into each other one cool March morning, and the talk they had was a large ego booster for him. But was that the moment he realized she was for him?

"Probably the morning following our first date. We talked about our past for some time and then…we just laid there. I was just fine laying next to her and doing nothing. It was so calm and relaxing after spilling our secrets out for all to see." He stared at Falco with a smile. "That, was when I realized…now it's my turn to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Why the curiosity?" The bird had expected this to come up, so he came out and spilled the beans."I think I got some sort of feelings for Erika." Wolf snickered at the comment. "What's so funny?"

"You've never had any feelings for anyone Falco, are you sure about this?"

"Well, whenever I'm around her, I feel like I've had the breath taken out of me. I mean, I can keep my cool around her, but it's inside that I feel awesome."

"Have you told her that?"

"No…" Wolf took a moment to light another cigarette.

"I suggest you take it slow. However, if you feel like this is somebody for you, don't let her slip away." He took a quick drag. "You'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Falco understood the principles that Wolf was putting out. Letting go of one you might care for could be a fatal mistake. But for now, he thought taking it slow would be best for him. If things progressed, then he would as well. That's how life goes.

"Thanks Wolf, I'll have to speak with her soon. I just hope I don't slip up."

"Man, you've gone soft on us Falco!" They both laughed wholeheartedly.

"Hey, I'm still the same hardass I've always been. Difference now is that I am only when it's appropriate."

"Whatever you say Falco, whatever you say…" The lupine flicked the cig into the sand, watching it leave a small smoke trail as it hit the ground.

The two went inside, and said nothing more about their talk, there was no need to. All that had been said was said, and all that needed to be done was done. By the time they had gone back inside, Erika had already left the house. Falco's talk with her would have to wait for another time, and he wanted to make sure that it was the right one too…