Freddy's First Date

Part 3

"Why do we need..." Mercy scrunched her nose. "Worms?"

Freddy hooked the worm onto the hook, his hands moving on instinct as if he had done this dozens of times, which he had. "It's bait."

"Are they going to die?"

"Uh..."

Elvy chose that moment to run off the dock and jump into the water. Freddy exhaled, relieved.

I'm really starting to love that pup, he thought.

"Elvy!" Mercy yelled.

She jumped in after the dog, swimming with speed unusual for her age. The two started splashing around, Mercy laughing and Elvy barking happily.

"She's a strong swimmer," Freddy said, sitting down next to Azalea.

She stared out onto the lake, watching her buoy bounce up and down with the ripples from the splashing. "Yeah, it's a law back home that all kids need to learn how to swim."

Freddy cast his line. "More places need to do that."

"Mhm."

Azalea reached for Freddy's hand without taking her eyes off of the water. He could feel the heat rush to his face and guessed he was as red as a tomato. How she was doing all of this so casually, he would never know.

"Is this okay?" she asked.

"No, don't worry." Freddy winced. "I mean, yes, it's okay."

Azalea gently squeezed his hand. "I get flustered too."

"You do?"

She nodded.

"But you're so... calm." Freddy said. "You always look amazing." He blushed even harder, which he didn't know was possible.

"I've had a lot of practice," Azalea said quietly. "My mom isn't in the best place since dad was dishonorably discharged. I don't want to give her more to worry about, y'know?"

"He was dishonorably discharged?"

Azalea nodded again, sighing. "He was turned into a vampire by Varrick Valentine and attempted to murder the King Consort."

"Oh."

Azalea's fish buoy went underneath the surface. The two teenagers leapt up from the bench.

"What does that mean? What should I do?" Azalea asked.

"Pull up!"

She yanked her rod with so much force, the hook flew behind, looping around a nearby tree branch. The hook had no fish, no worm, and was completely straight. Freddy smirked, trying his best not to laugh.

"I don't understand." Azalea looked at the dangling line. "Where is the fish?"

Freddy couldn't hold back his amusement and started to laugh. Azalea looked at him, her fists on her hips and a very confused look in her cocoa eyes. That made him laugh even harder.

"What's so funny, Freeman?" Azalea asked.

"You pulled... so hard..." Freddy gasped between laughs, "that the hook... was ripped..." he wheezed, "out of the fish's mouth!"

Azalea rolled her eyes as Freddy fell onto the planks of the dock, laughing so hard he was crying. After a few seconds, she snorted.

"You look so stupid," she said.

"And yet, you wanted to come on a date with me," Freddy said, smirking.

She held out her hand and looked away. Freddy took it, pleased to see that she was blushing. He glanced back out at the water and saw that his buoy was submerged.

"I'm going to help you this time, alright?" Freddy handed her his fishing rod, keeping his hands over Azalea's. "Now, we're going to pull back on the rod."

Together, they pulled back quickly but not with as much force as before. Freddy could feel the strain that he grew accustomed to when fishing with Grandpa Jacob, and felt a familiar adrenaline rush.

"Reel it in, nice and easy," Freddy said, moving her hand to the reel.

Together they quickly spun the reel. The fish got closer and closer, splashing everything around it as it moved. The two lifted up the pole, a large bass flailing around from the line.

"We did it!" Azalea laughed.

Freddy smiled, taking the fish from the line and hooking it onto the stringer.

"Congratulations Azalea," he said. "You caught your first fish."

Azalea kissed his cheek, making him blush. "Thanks to you."

"You missed," Freddy muttered, leaning in close.

Azalea wrapped her arms around his neck, closing the gap, and kissed him. 

"What are you two-" Macy started to say, holding Elvy. She wrinkled her nose. "Ew."

. . . . . . . . . .

Thank you guys for reading! And special shout-out to ShounakMitra0 for sticking with me!