Spooky Love

Cerise x Howleen

*Ever After High and Monster High*
~*~

Her bare feet left imprints on the damp soil as she ran through the wet woods. It had rained earlier that morning, but the sun was out now, as well as the creatures that live in the woods. Squirrels scavenged for nuts, birds collected twigs, and deer gnawed on the moist grass. But the wolves that roam the lands? They ran.

And she ran with them.

Her red hood flowing behind her like a trail of blood.

After Raven had declared that the Rebels should write their own destinies during Legacy Day, Cerise fled to the human world as soon as she could. She had done research way before the events of Legacy Day, and what she found had struck her to her very core.

Others like her live in the Human World. People with wolf-like abilities. People who, like her father, can turn into wolves. Werewolves, the realm calls it. Cerise can't turn into a wolf like the werewolf monsters in this realm can, but she has the ears, eyes, and heightened senses of one. She's one of them. One of the pack.

Which was the first thing she searched for. Luckily, Cupid, who had lived a long time in the Human Realm, helped navigate her in the right direction, which led Cerise to Monster High. Cerise was put off by the idea of starting school again, but when she was told that werewolves go to the school, she was sold.

And meeting Howleen definitely sealed the deal.

Cerise has known she's liked girls for a few years now; since she was thirteen. Like another big secret of hers, (being half-wolf that is), she kept her bisexuality in the closet. Not even her best friend Raven knew. Cerise had planned on coming out to her once they graduated Ever After High, but alas...plans change. No, instead, she came out in the middle of the school year at a new school. All with the help of Howleen, her fierce and loyal werewolf girlfriend.

And fortunately, FaceTime and text messaging works amongst the realms. Which means Cerise was able to come out to Raven, who has her 100% support and love. However, it's one thing to come out to your friend; it's a whole different level when it's your family. It's also something Cerise wanted to do in person rather than over the phone.

But it's been a year since they graduated. A year since she came out. A year since she and Howleen became a couple. She's able to visit her home-realm, but Cerise is scared. She's afraid coming out to her parents will be a grave mistake.

Sometimes she feels silly for thinking this way. After all, according to them, their society had a strict rule of Royals not romantically mingling with Rebels, especially if they were destined to be the Villain of the Tale. Her parents were never supposed to be together. Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. And to this day, their love and the question of who Cerise's father is, is a secret that may never be revealed.

So why should she do the same? Why should she come clean? Why should she emerge from the shadows? Her parents have been safe all these years living in hiding. That's what Cerise wants for her and Howleen; safety. She's not saying that she doesn't feel safe with her parents, but...one can never be too sure.

However, she also wants acceptance and support from those who mean the world to her. And if they truly don't support and love her, then why should she even consider them Pack? Why bother with those who would want nothing to do with you? Especially when there are better people more worthy of your time and company. Cerise knows if she doesn't come out, she'll never know if they love her unconditionally or not.

Cerise stops running when she makes it to her favorite spot in the woods; a cliff, which shows hundreds of trees along the horizon. It's Autumn time in the Human Realm, so the leaves are all sorts of colors. Red, brown, yellow, orange, green. It's her favorite time of the year, and the festivities that the people of the realm host are just as fun as the ones back home.

This is my home now though, she thinks as she stares out into the open space, It has been for the last year. It was never supposed to be permanent though, but...

Cerise's wolf ears twitch at the sound of noise coming from behind her. She looks and sees Howleen in wolf form. She's just as beautiful as an animal as she is in her human form. Thick, orangish-brown fur, big golden eyes, and the sharpest of claws and teeth. She walks up to Cerise on all fours before shifting into a cloud of orange and pink smoke which reveals her human self.

"The plan was to go hunting," is the first thing she says, "not tree gazing, Cerise. What are you doing in our special spot?"

Cerise smiles softly at the word 'our'. "I just needed a place to think real quick, is all. I can't really think straight to hunt right now." She plops down on the ground and starts picking at the grass, feeling a little sheepish that she couldn't control her thoughts for one moment and had let her instincts carry her away from her task. "I'll try not to do it again. Can we sit for a moment, though? I know the pack is hungry, but–"

She's cut off when Howleen crouches down to kiss her nose. "Of course we can, silly. There's nothing wrong with needing a breather. Are you okay?" She sits next to Cerise, looking concerned. "Is this about seeing your parents and coming out to them? You don't need to unless you feel safe and ready."

Cerise nods. "I know. It's just..." she sighs then leans back so she's laying down on the grass, not caring that it's wet from the morning rain. "Everything is so perfect right now. There's no conflict. I don't want to be the cause of that happening. But then it's like...I also don't want to keep you a secret from my family. I don't know what to do."

Howleen leans back to lay next to her and says: "You've got to really think deeply on what you feel is right, my love. Consider the pros and cons, but please don't let me be an influence. This is about you, Cerise. I'm fine staying in the shadows with you no matter how long it takes."

"And what if I never want to leave the shadows?"

"Then that's exactly where we'll stay."

Tears brimmed Cerise's eyes, but she didn't let them fall. Howleen's sister, Clawdeen, worked hard on Cerise's makeup, so she doesn't want to ruin the work. "I love you." She blurts, smiling. "Thank you for being so patient and understanding."

Howleen leans forward and kisses her nose again. "Of course, babe. But guess what?"

"What?"

Howleen quickly gets to her feet. "I love you more than you love me!" She shifts into wolf form and dashed towards the trees.

Cerise scrambles to her feet, stumbling over her red hood, and shouts: "No, I love you more!" She finds balance and chases after her werewolf girlfriend, feeling envious that she couldn't turn into a wolf too. A feeling she never felt while at Ever After High. Over there, she wanted so desperately to be human, but over here? She wants nothing more than to be a full werewolf.

She used to be so ashamed of her wolf-heritage, but ever since coming to Monster High, she's learned to embrace it like she never thought she would. She doesn't hide her ears and isn't afraid to use her wolf sight, which changes her eye color to gold. She doesn't hold back her speed and strength. And while she knows she's not a full wolf, she also knows that she actually is in the only ways that count. Heart, mind, and soul. She doesn't need to shift in order to be a Child of the Moon. She doesn't need to shift to be part of the Pack. Because Howleen's family welcomed her with no hesitation.

And as she's running after Howleen, she couldn't help but wonder if her own mother ever chased her father like this when he was in wolf form. It made her smile against the breeze that kissed her face and blew through her now white hair, streaked with brown stripes instead of the other way around like it was last year. She wondered if her mom ever felt envious at not being a werewolf like her father. Or if her father wished to be human like her mother. And here Cerise is...the perfect combination of both. Wolf and Human.

Maybe she has nothing to worry about after all. Her parents' situation and Cerise's aren't too different. Maybe if they were to look at Cerise and Howleen, they would see themselves.

Because after all, just like her mother, Cerise was a girl...

That fell in love with a wolf.