"Just tell her how you feel," Ben urged Ariel as they set up the café for a private evening. "Simple. Direct. You're a dog-person-thing. Dogs are direct."
"I'm not a dog. I'm an aswang who happens to have a dog form."
"Same energy. Now, flowers?"
"Flowers seem... human."
"Blood bouquet?"
"That's a thing?"
Ben produced a bouquet of roses—except the roses were deep red and the vase contained what was definitely not water.
"Blood roses. Very romantic. Very creature-appropriate."
Ariel stared at it. "This is either the sweetest gift ever or a serial killer's Valentine. I can't decide."
"Both. That's the point."
Glad arrived at The Bleeding Bean to find it closed for a "private event" that apparently involved just her and Ariel.
"Ariel? What's—" She saw the blood roses. "Oh."
"Yeah. Oh." Ariel took a deep breath. "Glad, I've known you for... not long. A few months. But in creature time, that's like years. And in that time, you've become the most important person—creature—person—in my life."
Glad felt her wings twitch nervously. "Ariel—"
"Let me finish. I'm not good at words. I'm better at barking. But I need to say this." He stepped closer. "I like you. More than like you. And I know you've been alone for a long time, and I don't want to rush anything, but I also don't want to wait another century to tell you how I feel."
Silence.
Anino, watching from a corner, looked deeply invested.
Glad opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
"I—" She stopped. Started over. "I haven't done this in 112 years. I'm not sure I remember how."
"Neither do I. We can figure it out together."
"You want to figure it out together?"
"I want to try. If you do."
Glad looked at him—this strange, sweet man who turned into a dog and sold enchanted amulets and brought her blood brownies when she was sad.
"Okay," she whispered.
"Okay?"
"Okay, let's try."
Ariel's face broke into a grin so wide his ears popped out. "Really?"
"Really. But if you break my heart, I'll eat yours."
"Fair. Completely fair."
They stood there for a moment, unsure what came next.
Anino yowled impatiently.
"Right. Hugging?" Ariel offered.
"Hugging sounds good."
They hugged.
It was awkward. It was wonderful. It was the start of something neither of them expected.
Back in Dumaguete, the creature network exploded with the news.
Glad and Ariel are official!
The Manananggal and the Aswang!
POWER COUPLE!
Tita Hanya's Facebook page crashed from the traffic.