11 End of the outing

Kaito felt somewhat ashamed of his behaviour. He had behaved in a manner not befitting his status at all. He had shown such obvious weakness in front of someone whom he was meant to protect and he felt mortified over the whole issue, his face almost red.

But then he took in a deep breath and calmed himself down. It was alright. He could still salvage the whole situation and save the day that was almost on the verge of being ruined. All he needed was to have a little confidence in himself and apply his charms.

Noah had always been someone who was not easily impressed and who did not pay attention to small details so this would all be soon forgotten. What he needed to do was to make some strong enough memories to overpower the embarrassing ones.

He let the arms fall around him, the comfort retreating to give way to the chilling cold inside his soul. But as much as he wanted those arms back, he knew he had to make do with the cold for the time being.

Maybe once he was strong enough to ignore it, he could ask Jess for comfort. She would do that for him, wouldn't she? Somehow, his feelings were conflicted.

And then those blue eyes stole his attention, all his being coming back to focus on their owner, Noah.

"Let's go eat something now. Any preferences?" Kaito did not even wait for Noah to confirm his own desire, he just dragged the other by the arm. Obviously, he was confident enough to guess what Noah would like and what not he would like.

He had spent enough mealtimes with the others in the past life to actually know his preferences. It did not come to his mind at all that the time might have brought some changes to the taste buds of his once friend.

Nope, he would rather trust his instincts than logic.

The first stop had been the traditional restaurant with classic spice dishes. Kaito's plate consisted of strong flavours but Noah had always been a fan of extreme - extreme salt, sweetness and spice.

The other had once claimed that there was a certain limit below which everything tasted as bland and non-appitising. It had been a hit or miss in the old days but he believed that this time would be a hit.

This was a restaurant known for its strong flavours and he had visited this place before once with friends. Jess had stormed out due to the strong smell, her still underdeveloped nose not being able to handle it at all.

But Noah was a different case and always had been.

And somehow, he felt that after he had his outburst, the other had been a little more readable. Like the current small twitch on the face which betrayed his interest in the food shop.

"Will we be dining here?" The fox asked, his tone not betraying any of the interest that was visible on the face and Kaito grinned as a reply.

"Yes. Since the sun is about to set, we can have dinner here before continuing" Kaito had so much he wanted to explore with the others. There were rides he wanted to take the other on before they had to leave.

But then Noah made a face which meant that this was not a good strategy at all.

"I'm afraid that will not be possible. Your grandfather had booked us accommodations already and I'm afraid we would need to hurry up to make it on time. I'm afraid if you don't have any serious business here that we hurry" Kaito felt bumped at the tone of the other's voice.

He knew what the other was saying - they had no time on their hands and the dinner would provide the last entertainment. Also, now he was sure that the other knew he was just playing around without any serious business.

It was a bittersweet moment for him to realise that the other finally felt comfortable enough to talk to him but not enough to indulge him in any way.

"Spoil my fun, why don't you?" Kaito pouted but he knew from that fact that he was having no effect on the other. Finally, he sighed out and ordered the food.

It was the same spicy recipe for both of them, one of the classics of the restaurant but with extra spice. Hopefully, it would provide just the right touch for the other.

Noah did not make any noise while eating but did not initiate any conversation with him and Kaito missed the easy chatter of his family and friends. By the time he gathered enough courage and thought up a good enough topic to begin a conversation on, the other was already finished.

And he was not the only one to do so.

Kaito had not noticed but his own platter was more than empty of any crumb of food. He quickly finished whatever was left when he saw the other looking at him with an indulging gaze and his cheeks gained a little colour with a skipped heartbeat.

As soon as the last bite was in his mouth, he stood up awkwardly and made his way to the paying counter. The small queue gave him enough time to gather his wits and look down at his feet in wonder.

He felt a little warm and content, the feeling fading as he stood in the queue for longer but it had been there, there was no denying it. It was something he would like to say that he had never felt before.

But that would be a lie - an utter and total lie because he had felt like this before. Before his rebirth, there had been moments like this - full of bliss and content.

Had it been Jess? His parents? The people who brought him up?

Or had it been Noah back then too? He could not tell since most of his feelings at that time had been a jumble of mess, twisted up inside and even his wolf could not figure him out.

But he knew that it had been a safe and happy time for him, his salvation. And now it was back and he wanted more.

Once he made his way back to the table, Noah was still sitting stiff, cautiously looking around the place from time to time.

"Let's leave. You know the way forward?" Kaito asked, finally realising that he knew virtually nothing about the whole journey. All he knew was the final destination but not how to get it.

"Yes. I've made this voyage before with other masters" Kaito did not ask because the tone had turned into a wistful whisper on the other's lips and somehow he figured that it would only spoil his own mood if he did so.

Finally, they exited the theme park, both carrying a new set of precious memories. The guard who had guided them inside before scanned them with a searching gaze but then relaxed and let them pass.

The car started again and the journey continued.

The drive was long and stiffening with silence. Somehow, all the progress that was made before seemed like a mere shadow and Kaito wondered if that even had been progressing. Noah was once again his closed-off self, his walls uptight.

But it was not unpleasant at all.

Soon the car came to a stop right in front of a very traditional and expensive-looking establishment. Kaito almost jumped in his half-asleep state when his side door opened and a white face came into vision, backed by the natural darkness of the night.

"We're here master" Noah was the one to open the door, his face impassive as he further opened the door fully. Kaito took a deep breath to stabilise himself before he stood up too and took the hotel in.

It was located in a small valley, its sides surrounded by a series of mountains and local flora. Small foxes and other animals ran about the place but the most alarming was the smell.

There was a very subtle smell, non-human in nature and it was obvious that this place was anything but a normal place for humans. His wolf brisked at the obvious challenge of the scent and he almost let out a growl.

But then Noah knocked on the door, a certain ripple in the air and the smell changed all of a sudden.

It was more pleasant and comforting, the aura it gave off oh so very familiar and he felt himself almost melt. The aura was of the family, of blood and honour.

It was the aura of his home castle but it no longer existed.