Page 8 of The Vanishing
When Haruka bonded with Yuna the first time, his inherent nature hadn’t changed so drastically. In this new bond with Nino,everythingis different: their open communication and overall dynamic. The passion and love he feels is more consuming—almost feral. Submitting to the allure of it… Haruka still hesitates, but he’s growing accustomed to it.
Nino lifts his head, amber eyes shining. “Have a seat and I’ll pour you a glass.” Obedient, Haruka moves toward the table as Nino speaks from behind the counter. “I have another surprise for you, but it’s not quite ready yet. I need more time.”
“When can I anticipate this surprise?”
“Mm… maybe next month?” Nino chuckles. “I bit off a little more than I can chew. How’s the translation project so far?”
“Challenging. Excellent.” He makes himself comfortable at the table and glances out the window. The cherry blossom trees in the courtyard flutter in shadowy pink hues, swaying against the nighttime breeze. “I read many things in Latin for pleasure, but my comprehension of legal terminology is rusty. I will need my lexicon and dictionary next time I visit.”
“How are the Fujiharas?” Nino asks, setting a generous glass of Merlot before him.
“Wonderful.” Haruka picks up his glass and takes a sip before continuing. “Their nest is always warm and welcoming.”
“I think… we have that too,” Nino says from the counter, arranging the plates.
“Of course we do.” Haruka watches him, confused. “It was not a point of comparison.”
Nino walks around the counter, two dinner plates in his hands. “You really like the twins, right? What are their names?”
“Shion is the girl and Amon is the boy. Yes, they are delightful. What do we have?” He looks down at the artfully plated food. It smells of fresh herbs—warm, buttery and rich.
“First course is pan-seared scallops with salsa verde. We’ll have three courses altogether.”
Haruka’s mouth is already watering as he picks up his fork. “Il secondo?”
“Second course is breaded filetti di cernia with sesame seeds and roasted vegetables. We have a little molten chocolate chili cake for dessert.”
God help me.How did he end up with this creature? This handsome, wholesome vampire that nourishes him and indulges him. That loves him and helps him. Haruka has faced much hardship and tragedy—the loss of his parents as a child, an unprecedented broken bond. With the appearance of Nino, it feels as if life has offered sincere recompense in one incredible, sweeping gesture.
“You have outdone yourself,” Haruka says. “This is divine. When you give consulting advice to your clients in Kansai, do you also suggest recipes?”
“Sometimes, but… I try not to stick my nose into their menu too much, especially if it’s food I’m not familiar with. If I see a need because it’s impacting their financials, I do give some general advice.”
“Such as?” Haruka asks, taking another bite of seared and buttery scallop. It flakes and practically melts in his mouth.
“I tell them to keep their menu small. Large menus with too much variety can be a business killer. For one, it’s expensive to keep so many ingredients in stock. Two, it impacts quality.”
Haruka nods. “They freeze things to extend the shelf life.”
“Exactly, and I don’t like that,” says Nino. “My philosophy is, make your food fresh and make it well. A smaller menu will help set them up for success. Most family-owned restaurants in Japan are good about that. I haven’t run into anything too crazy, which is why I avoid taking on major chains as clients.”
“Yes, with a larger business, I imagine it would be strenuous to make changes across various locations. Frozen foods are also inevitable for distribution.” Haruka takes his final bite of scallop, excited for the next course. He looks over at Nino, and his mate is staring into a half-eaten plate.
“My love, why are you not eating?” Haruka asks.
Something is distracting him. Unless they’re both receptive to it, they cannot explicitly read each other’s minds. As a general rule, they have decided it is better to give each other privacy.
Nino takes a deep breath before flickering his radiant eyes up at him. “I… I’ve had something on my mind the past few weeks. It feels like a topic we should have talked about by now, but I just never really…”
“Nino, what is it?” Haruka asks, his chest tight from the sudden shift in the atmosphere.
“You… and Yuna. You were bonded with her for ten years, right?”
“Yes,” says Haruka, his voice patient but his body tense. The last thing he ever wants to discuss is his previous mate. Especially on the night of their very young anniversary.
Nino rakes his hand through his hair, a clear indicator of his stress. “Why—why didn’t the two of you have children? Being together so long, it seems like you would have.”
Sighing, Haruka sits back against the chair, his appetite ruined.
