Werewolf Boyfriend Rudolf (complete)

    People never believed me when I told them about my hometown of Hearthway Hollow. They didn’t believe me when I told them that I would want to go back and grow old there. In college, everyone just wanted to get away from home. They didn’t think that a town as serene and lovely as Hearthway Hollow could exist.

    So when I eventually had to move back, it wasn’t a sore spot for me. I was happy to be home and surrounded by the people and places I loved. Granted, in the years I was gone, things have changed. There are new shops downtown, new buildings, and lots of new people.

    I was excited to come back and see my cousins. Canvas is getting married, and Rowan is still planning how to propose. It’s a bit of a shocker to me, I had never really thought of either one of them as the marrying type. I had never considered myself that type either. 

    I got a job at the Old Diner near the end of town. It was frequented by truckers and tourists, and the locals who came were teenagers who came to hang out for hours on end and order the cheap food. There were also the old timers, the locals who had been here since the founding of Hearthway Hollow and weren’t going to stop coming. Mrs. Locklear was often with them, ordering her usual of hot coffee and loaded hash browns. 

    Since moving back, I’ve been too busy to enjoy my town. I haven’t yet gone to go see all the new shops downtown or visit the new park. So, once everything has settled and I have a day off, I leave early one morning to wander the place. 

    Ages ago, when I was little, there was a part of downtown that was old as dirt and slightly rotting into the ground. It was known as the Ghost Town of Hearthway Hollow. Around that time, Big Billy had purchased it and was planning on renovating. When I was in high school, we had gathered to watch the demolition of the old buildings. After that, Billy had the foundation laid, but I never got to see what became of it. 

    To my surprise, the Ghost Town had risen again. The buildings looked the same but were brand new. Going under a small archway, it felt like you stepped through time! There were already people gathering, sitting around a fountain in the center of the square. They were coming and going from one shop, in particular, carrying big cups topped with massive amounts of whipped cream.

    I followed the crowd, going to a building that was painted white and brown with touches of red. As I look up, the sign said “Süßsauer Candy Shop.”

    My breath was slightly taken away, and I made my way inside. When I was little, my best friend and neighbor’s last name was Süßsauer. He and his family had moved to Germany just before the start of fifth grade. For years, the two of us traded letters back and forth, until one day, they just stopped.

    There’s a line to the counter, and I can hear laughing from up front. I stand in line, gazing around at the shop. Every wall was covered with boxes of candies and chocolates. There was one display that featured a wolf carved out of a solid block of chocolate. The front was one display case filled with bright colored confections and sweets, the likes of which I had never seen. I felt so in awe of it all, I barely realized I was now at the front of the line.

    “Hi, what can I get for-” the man at the front stops cold in his tracks.

    His big brown eyes are painfully familiar even if the rest of him has changed. I step up to the counter and look at him, my breath held in my chest. He’s tall, which is strange because I was always taller than him. His skin is a rich olive, and his hair is dark and curly, tucked under a little hat. His shoulders are broad, and his limbs are long. But his eyes haven’t changed.

    “What do you recommend?” I ask.

    He smiles, and a small laugh escapes. “Uhm,” he ducks his head down then looks back up. “I am right, right? It is you?”

    I grin. “If I think I’m right and it’s you.”

    He places his palm to his chest. “Rudolf,” he says, then motions to me. “Cheslie.”

    I nod, beaming like an idiot. 

    Rudolf glances over my shoulder at the line and holds up a finger. “One second.” he turns around, pouring from an old kettle and stirring it, adding things to the thick liquid inside. He tops it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings and hands it to me.

    “On the house,” Rudolf says. “I get a break in an hour. Can we talk then?”

    I grin and nod. “Of course.”

    He then gasps and points to the cup. “And don’t worry, it’s safe for you,” he replies. “Sugar-free and all that.”

    I grin. “You remembered!”

    He chuckles softly. “How could I forget?”

    I leave the shop, feeling so strange and happy at the same time. I never expected to see Rudolf again. I go outside, sitting on one of the many benches. I take a sip of the drink, finding it’s the most delicious hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. It’s rich and creamy with a hint of spice to it. If it weren’t so hot, I would have drunk it all in one gulp. 

    I always knew Rudolf’s family were candy makers. I would visit his home, and his mothers would be working away at chocolates or something. They never had an official business, but they made their money selling candy and confections to the people of Hearthway Hollow.

    One of Rudolf’s moms called them medicinal sweets. Since a good portion of the residents of Hearthway Hollow were werewolves, they all shifted, and that took a toll on the body. 

    “We make special chocolate for the werewolves of the world,” she told me, one day while Rudolf and I packaged orders. “I know you aren’t a were yourself, but when we shift, it can be painful at times. Sometimes, there are feelings like motion sickness or body aches. My family has been working on these chocolates for generations. Originally, they were trying to cure lycanthropy, but now, it’s a comfort.”

    Rudolf and his moms had left Hearthway Hollow to return to Germany, where both of them were from. Rudolf and I sent letters back and forth well into high school, although the amount of them dwindled to maybe once or twice a year before they eventually stopped altogether.

    This was my first time seeing him since fourth grade. I felt slightly nervous. I had missed him so much, but would we even like one another now?

    I watch as people come and go from the shop. It’s always busy, never a lull. Then, right as the hour changes, I see someone walk out from the back of the shop. He sees me across the street and makes a mad dash towards me.

    I stand up, and when I do, he tackles me in a great big hug. I gasp, nearly toppling over, so I cling to him for support. His arms are warm, and he smells like vanilla. I squeeze tight onto him, feeling the same comfort and warmth from when I was little.

    “I’m so happy to see you!” Rudolf cheers as he lifts me off the ground and shakes me. 

    I squeal and giggle until he sets me down. I look up into his face, realizing how handsome he’s become. I still feel like the slightly banged potato I’ve always been. I tuck my hair behind my ear and smile nervously up at him.

    “I didn’t even know you had come back,” I look him over. “How are your moms? Mimi and Anna.”

    “They’re here, they’re the ones working right now,” Rudolf is still grinning. “I am just-” he laughs. “I’m so happy to see you, you have no idea!”

    I nod along. “I’m kind of shocked, really,” I tuck my hair again. “I don’t know what to say or even do. It’s you!”

    “It’s you,” he murmurs.

    I giggle softly, and I just stare up at him. My heart is going a million miles a minute, and I can barely contain my excitement.

    Rudolf reaches out, taking hold of my hand and squeezing it. “I must admit,” he starts off. “I was a bit heartbroken when you weren’t here waiting on me.”

    I frown slightly and look away. “I was at school,” I reply. I look up at him. “You also never told me you were coming back.”

    He squeezes my hand and sighs. “I hate that we lost touch.”

    “Me too.” I murmur.

    To say Rudolf was my first love would be an understatement. He was my first everything. And yes, we were young when I felt this, just little dumb kids. But even as I grew up and wrote to him, I still felt that love. Even now, I feel it.

    “How was the chocolate?” Rudolf gasps.

    “Oh!” I glance down at the empty cup. “It was amazing! Are you sure it was sugar-free?”

    Rudolf chuckles. “Doubly sure. I didn’t want to see you get sick again.”

    My diabetes has always been a source of worry and curiosity for Rudolf. Since he came from a long line of candy makers, finding someone who couldn’t have candy was a strange thing for him. 

    Back when we first became friends and my family just learned I had diabetes, I got extremely sick and had to go to the emergency room. I was scared and sick, but when I looked up to see Rudolf standing in the doorway, I instantly felt better. Like I said, Rudolf was always my comfort, even when I was little.

    “I have all sorts of recipes I made with you in mind,” he admits. “I’d love for you to try them and tell me your opinion.”

    My cheeks are burning, and my heart hasn’t calmed down at all. “I’d like that,” I answer with a small nod. “I’d just like hanging out with you again,” I giggle. “I mean,” I feel like some flustered teenage girl with her crush. “We probably have a lot to catch back up on.”

    “If you’re free tomorrow, you can come over?” He points up above the candy shop. “That’s my apartment,” he tells me. “Come by, and I’ll give you a grand tour of the shop while we fill each other in.”

    “Yeah,” I agree. “Uhm, any certain time?”

    Rudolf grins. “As soon as you possibly can.”

    We quickly trade phone numbers before he has to go back to work. Even during his break, the long line never ceases. I see tons of people go in and out, sometimes with a hot chocolate, other times carrying bags and looking quite rushed. Apparently, Rudolf’s store was a needed blessing in the town. Ever since he and his mothers moved, their chocolates had been sorely missed.

    That evening, I’ve been invited to join Rowan and his girlfriend Gwen for dinner. I nearly forget until I get a text from Gwen asking if the menu Rowan gave her wouldn’t kill me. It would, of course, so she double checked a few restaurants with me she could order from.

    “I’m sorry this is sort of rushed,” Gwen tells me. She then looks over and scowls at Rowan. “Someone doesn’t know when to stop with the pranks.”

    “You should have known better, honestly,” I tell her. “This is the same guy who used to save up his money just so he could dare me to eat sugar straight from the bag.”

    Gwen looks horrified, but both Rowan and I are laughing.

    “She robbed me!” Rowan shoves me. “She would say she was eating the sugar, but really she was dumping it into my backpack.”

    “The only one of us with any honesty is Canvas,” I snicker.

    Rowan nods then reaches over and pinches my cheek. “Speaking of sugar, dear cousin,” he shakes my head back and forth. “You smell like chocolate. I take it you finally found your dear, lost love.”

    Gwen perks up. “Lost love?”

    I chuckle and swat Rowan’s hand away. “The owner of the Süßsauer Candy Shop was my best friend when we were little.”

    “If he was old enough, he would have courted you!” Rowan scoffs. “I’m shocked he hasn’t started to already. You two were gross.”

    I shake my head and smile at Gwen. “Rudolf and I were best friends. We were really close.”

    “They even wrote love letters to each other when he moved,” Rowan makes a disgusted face.

    I kick him under the table. “They weren’t love letters. And how would you even know?”

    “Do you still keep the letters in that little tin lunch box?” Rowan asks.

    I nearly snap my neck looking at him. “What are you talking about?” I scoff, feeling my hands get cold and clammy.

    “Canvas and I found it,” Rowan huffs. “You kept it hidden under that giant stuffed dinosaur.”

    “It was Godzilla, not a dinosaur,” I snap.

    “Not the point, either,” Rowan tilts his head towards me. “Canvas found the box, and when we looked inside, it was all the little dumb letters you two mailed back and forth. There was even still that friendship bracelet he made you. Not to mention all the Valentine cards, the card from when you were sick, the-” Gwen places her hand over Rowan’s mouth. 

    “You’ve made your point, dear,” she sighs at him.

    “So what if I still have it?” I grumble. 

    Rowan shakes off Gwen’s hand and then looks at me. “If he doesn’t start courting you tonight, I will be highly disappointed in him.”

    When I get home that evening, I’m shocked to see there’s someone on my porch. They jump when they hear my car, and something spills all over the porch. They turn, and I see a wolf with chocolate colored fur. 

    I stand there, staring up at them. They have a bouquet of roses in their jowls and, on the ground, there are gummy bears spilled everywhere. 

    I sigh, stepping up on the porch and taking the roses from his mouth. “Rudolf, what is this?” I murmur and place my nose into the roses.

    He huffs, his ears going flat and he looks away. “I thought you were asleep,” he grumbles, kicking a gummy bear into the bushes.

    I look up at him and put my hand on his arm. His fur is soft, and he still smells like warm vanilla. “Are you courting me?” I ask.

    He glances aside. 

    I smile and set the roses down. I put my arms around him, squeezing him tight. “I’m glad,” I sigh.

    Rudolf’s arms slip around me, and he rests his head atop of mine. “It’s ok?” He asks. “You don’t think it’s weird?”

    I look up at him. “Right away, when I saw you again, I knew I was with the person I’m supposed to be with.” I beam at him. “You don’t have to court me. I already accept.”

    Rudolf whimpers and pulls me tight into his arms again. “I’m still going to court you,” he murmurs. “I messed up this one,” he grumbles. “And I have so much more for you.”

    I squeeze him tight and then take him inside. I get a broom, and he sweeps up the mess of gummy bears on the front porch. I get the roses into water, and when he’s done, he sits in the doorway.

    “I should probably get back,” he says. “Will you still be coming over tomorrow?”

    I nod. “You said you had some things you wanted me to sample. I’ve been looking forward to it.”

    Rudolf nods. “I have a lot of them too,” he gasps. “I mean-” he looks aside again. “It’s just, I’ve always been thinking about it, and it’s sort of like a spite to me.” He looks back at me. “The person I love can’t have the things I make. So, I want to prove that wrong!”

    My heart is sputtering and leaping. It doesn’t quite know what to do with itself. “Spite is a better motivator than most,” I chuckle. 

    Rudolf dips down, kissing my cheek and then running his claws through my hair. “I’m so happy you're back,” he whispers.

    I take hold of his hand. “Me too.”

    After he leaves, I try to go to sleep, but I am far too excited. I get up and go over to my desk. I open a drawer and pull out the old tin, Wonder Woman lunch box. Inside, I still have every letter, every card, and every note passed in class that Rudolf gave me. 

I had always thought it was silly that I held on to these things. Even after all these years, I kept this treasure box somewhere within reach. For me, it was like a security blanket or a rabbit’s foot. If I kept these things close to me, I would stay safe and be ok. They weren’t just silly childhood ramblings to me, they were something much more.

I wonder if Rudolf did the same thing. Did he keep the letters and notes? All the silly valentine’s day cards? What about the matching friendship bracelet? Did he keep that old, dirty, tatted thing too? Maybe I was too sentimental and clung to things too much. But now, I’m relieved it’s all here, and I am back in the place where it all started. 

More than anything, I am relieved to know that I am not alone with my feelings. Rudolf has been with me this entire time. All these years and all the space between us, we still knew deep in our hearts that we were meant to be together. Would he think it was sad I had only gone on a few dates in my entire life? What would he say when I confessed I was asexual? Since it is Rudolf, I know he’ll understand. 

I get a few hours of sleep before my alarm goes off. I’m nervous but excited. When I see Rudolf, it will be our official first date. And after that, who knows what will happen?