𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 (Wolf & Diane Foxington)

❼ 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐍𝐨𝐭) 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞

The soft touch of the silk sheets underneath Wolf's paw was a pleasant sensation to start off his morning with. He cracked his eyes open just a sliver and was almost blinded by the gleaming rays of sunlight, poking through the blinds that draped over the bedroom window. Instinctively, he groaned and flipped onto his left side, facing away from it. 

With his eyelids still mostly shut, he stretched his paw outward, feeling the bed linen and the mattress beneath him, searching for the touch of another warm body. Once his hand reached the edge of the bed, he quickly realized that his lover was absent from the place she had slept in last night. 

Adjusting his blurry vision to his surroundings, he turned onto his back, staring ahead at the door that must've led to the bathroom. Beyond the door, he could hear the sound of a running shower being shut off with a metallic squeak.

Moments later, Diane had emerged from the bathroom with a clean towel wrapped around her chest and draped down to her thighs. Her eyes widened with delight to see that her date had finally awoken, approaching the bedside to greet him.

"Mornin'," Wolf yawned sultrily, rubbing his eyes as Diane sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at him from over her shoulder. 

"Good morning, Mr. Wolf," Diane spoke with a more professional, work-oriented attitude, strongly contrasting her many romantic moods from the night before. She stared at the digital clock on her bedside table, reading: "It's 7 AM. We've got about an hour before work starts, so I'd suggest you get yourself all cleaned up and ready to go."

Diane sat up, ready to change into her casual work attire, only to be stopped by Wolf as he grabbed her longingly by the paw. "Hey, hey, hey, wait..." 

Diane paused and sat back down on the bed reluctantly. Wolf could tell she was in a hurry, so he didn't want to cause her any more stress, but he couldn't just let her go so easily after everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. He gave her a warm gaze, fondling her paw with his thumb to ease her nerves. 

"Let me kiss you..." Wolf spoke so softly that it was barely a whisper, but in the quiet, peaceful morning, it was coherent enough for Diane to hear. She rolled her eyes, flustered, and leaned down to give Wolf his desired kiss.

The two made out, sensually and lovingly. They took their time with this one. It wasn't heated or driven by insatiable lust, but instead, slow and intimate. Wolf touched his paws to her cheeks, brushing his fingers through her slightly damp and exquisitely soft fur. Diane pressed her hands down on Wolf's chest, caressing his pectoral muscles with her fingers as he pulled her in closer, inch by inch. The soft, faint breaths between each kiss were beautifully romantic, as well as the tiny smacks of their tender lips as they pressed them together gently.

Once their muzzles had parted, Wolf held Diane kindly by the sides of her jawline, taking a moment to soak in the sight of her. He fell in love with the way the morning sunlight had projected onto her face, making her emerald green eyes glow with an innocent brightness. Her subtle smile did wonders to his mood, sending waves of bliss throughout his body. 

"I had a really good time last night," Wolf swooned, fully and undeniably infatuated with her. Never before had the canine been so head over heels for a girl, especially someone like Diane.

"I did, too," Diane admitted, holding her paw up to her muzzle and licking her thumb. She then proceeded to brush down a few stuck-up hairs on the top of Wolf's head, grooming and perfecting his raggedy fur. "But, what we did... It can't ever happen again."

Though he knew it was coming, Wolf still felt the tiniest bit disappointed when those words came out of her mouth. "...Shame. I was, sort of, falling for our partners-in-crime fantasy."

"I was, too," Diane confessed, resting her paws back down on Wolf's chest. "But, you know that can't happen."

"I know," Wolf sighed, tamely grasping her paw and squeezing it tight. "...So, where does that leave us?"

Diane tilted her head. It was a topic of discussion that she hadn't fully thought out yet. 

"We can still pursue that fantasy, can't we?" Wolf smirked, touching the tip of his nose to hers. "Just, without all the crime?"

"...Wolf," Diane stared down at his chest, hiding herself away from his watching eyes. "I really like you. But, I also really like my job."

"You can't have both?" Wolf desperately fought to have her. "I get that you want to keep your position and that, being seen with me, an ex-con, won't exactly boost your ratings... but I really think that we could make this work."

"It's not about popularity," Diane confessed, shutting her eyes with disdain. "I'm scared that, if I did pursue a relationship with you, Wolf... It may bring out the worst in me. Like last night."

"Diane..." Wolf began to caress her face again, feeling up her whiskers and calming her nerves. "It was one night. We were being reckless. But, if we do follow through with this... with us... We'll be better. I know we will." Diane stared into Wolf's eyes, a glimmer of hope breaking through. "We may bring out the worst in each other... but, we also bring out the best. You were the reason I have a better life. You were the reason I'm here today."

Diane, though she tried to fight it, couldn't help but smile. Her eyebrows tilted as her seemingly impossible desire for things to work out grew more and more. "You mean it?"

"I do," Wolf nodded, giving her a warm, comforting look. "You see, the thing is, Diane... With you, I feel safe. And comfortable. I feel more like myself when I'm around you. And, yeah, I know I have the guys, but... they've never seen me the way you do. When we first met, you saw a chance in me—an opportunity. You saw what no one else has ever seen in me before. With you, Diane Foxington, I feel safe, comfortable, and seen. I want us to work. I want you, Diane. And I'll be as good as I possibly can to have you."

In the past, Diane had always rolled her eyes at the trite phrase, 'butterflies in your stomach', but right now, she knew exactly what it meant and how it felt.

She would've never expected that Mr. Wolf—that shifty, sly, lowlife rascal that she'd first met at that stupid awards event over a year ago—would be the one for her.

And he would've never expected that Diane Foxington—that uptight and ambitious political authoritative figure that he'd caught a glimpse of on the television over a year ago—would be the one for him.

"Diane," Wolf breathed out, pulling her in by the back of her head. "I think I'm falling in love with you."

Diane felt her cheeks burn with elation. "W-Wolf..."

"It's okay," he interrupted, touching his finger to her lips. "You don't have to say it back. I'll wait as long as I have to until you feel the same."

"You don't have to wait," Diane grinned, leaning in and giving her canine lover an emphatic kiss. "I'm falling in love with you, too."

"...Wow, governor," Wolf chuckled. "I didn't think stealing your heart would be the easiest heist of my life."

"Stealing yours was easier," Diane smirked, causing Wolf's face to burn red. "You know, I never expected you to be such a softie."

With a giggle, she tapped the tip of the flustered wolf's nose with her finger, sitting up from the mattress and approaching her closet. "Now get out of bed, we've got some errands to do."

"Ugh, can't we call in sick for work?" Wolf whined, sitting up with exhausted unwillingness. 

"Work can wait," Diane spoke, searching her wardrobe for a business outfit to wear. "First, we're heading over to the city lost-and-found and returning everything that we stole."

"Seriously?" Wolf furrowed his brows, watching his lovely girlfriend pick out her clothing.

"You want me, don't you?" Diane smirked, picking his clothes up from the floor and tossing them at his head. "Be a good boy for me and hurry up. We've got a long day ahead of us."