TMiL Alterverse
Pride and Survival (part 9)
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The rest of the week leading up to the day of the barn dance was 
pretty much the same as the first day. Each day, Tantei A would 
look forward to seeing Ainoko. The two of them quickly became 
good friends and slowly, as time progressed, they began to 
become even more.

The first indication that their relationship had passed beyond 
that of mere friends was when one of the calves had wandered 
into the moutains and they'd worked together to get the poor 
thing home. It hadn't been difficult or very treacherous, but 
Ainoko had slipped and had fallen, with a shriek, into a mud 
puddle. Tantei A had helped her up and their eyes had met. For a 
moment, there had been something... a spark of romance 
perhaps... then the reality of the situation had set in and the 
two of them had burst out laughing. But though the spark of 
romance hadn't erupted into full flame just yet, it didn't go 
out, and its embers continued to warm their hearts, bringing 
them to that level that somewhere between friendship and love.

"So, what's he like?" Chibiko asked.

"Who?" Ainoko asked.

"That boy you're seeing." Chibiko smiled. "The one like you." 

"Well, he's very nice."

"I hear you invited him to the dance." her uncle, Mr. Tachibara, 
asked.

"As a new neighbor." Ainoko replied.

"Oh?" her aunt asked. "Is that the only reason?"

"What?!" Ainoko found herself blushing under her fur. White fur 
doesn't hide blushing very well, however, and Chibiko spotted 
it.

"Ainy's got a boyfriend! Ainy's got a boyfriend." the little 
girl sang merrily.

"I do not!" Ainoko protested, with absolutely no conviction 
behind her words.

"Oh, so you *do* love him." her aunt smiled.

"Auntie, please!" Ainoko yelped. "We just met."

"So?" her aunt shrugged, taking  bite of her own meal. "Your 
uncle and I only knew each other a few days before we married."

"It was an arranged marriage." Ainoko pointed out. "Its not the 
same."

"Maybe the gods arranged this one." her uncle offered. "I mean 
you both are of the same species and all..."

"Well... if the gods show up and hand me a wedding kimono, I'll 
be more than happy to..." Ainoko blushed as she realized the 
full import of what she was saying. 

Her aunt smiled.