Honey Bear
#37 of Writing Prompts
Hello everyone, I bring you another writing prompt courtesy of the Writing Corner, this time I took the valentine prompt of "When opposites attract" and had some fun with it. I hope you like it.
Terry stared at the clock with trepidation, his small nub of a tail shaking with barely contained glee. The brown bear clutching a light blue package to his chest with a tenderness rarely seen in such a big mammal, a goofy grin painted on his face. Maybe it was the silly expression on his face or maybe it was his imposing height and bulky build, but as he stood waiting in the middle of the terminal, not one soul bothered him. Instead, the crowd parted to avoid him, like a river's water when clashing against a rock, leaving the bear well alone. With a blink of red light, the numbers on the clock changed, bringing a wave of euphoria and nerves to the young bear. Terry's eyes shifted from the clock to the large monitors resting on the far wall, scanning the bright yellow letters for the number he had memorized before coming. But, much to his disappointment, the green flag of arrival had yet to appear on the screen for that bus. A sigh left the bear's muzzle, his round ears dropping close to his head.
"Only a few more minutes, just wait for a few more minutes and she will be here." Terry whispered to himself, pushing down the sliver of doubt that was surfacing into his mind.
Minutes passed slowly until at last the waited flag appeared on the screen. Life came back to the bear's tail, a bubbly and giddy feeling filled the bear's chest. He straightened the wrinkles of his shirt, the cream fabric struggling to contain his pudgy belly, then he dusted off his black trousers while he prayed that the newly sewn patches weren't that noticeable. He was just fuzzing with his fur when Terry's ears caught the sound of a loud horn coming from far away. Terry looked over the river of people surrounding him, his eyes fixed on the gates on the far side of the terminal. Dozens of people passed through the large doors, suitcases and bags in hand, moving with a determined pace. Bulls and tigers, mice and hawks, dogs and salamanders, Terry's eyes sorted all those and a dozen of other species as they searched anxiously for her.
Even with his height, the bruin had a hard time looking over the tightly packed crowd of travelers, colors and forms all melding into one in front of his eyes. Fortunately for him, a spot of bright orange caught his attention; rising above even the tallest of bulls there was a tall bag, its unusual and bold color screaming for attention. A smile came to Terry's lips the moment he saw the lithe form that held the overstuffed bag. His target found, Terry lost no time to make his way through the crowd, lifting his precious package over his head to keep it from harm and muttering quick apologies whenever he crashed into someone. Slowly but surely, he crossed the sea of people until only a few meters separated him from her; overcome by emotion a jubilant shout left his muzzle, sending more than a few glares his way.
The lithe panther came to a stop and turned to the side, watching an ecstatic bear wave his large hands her way. She waved back at him, her tail forming happy nines and sixes behind her. She stood in place as the bear bulldozed his way towards her, a small giggle leaving her muzzle as the bruin almost fell in his hurry. Terry shot a sheepish smile her way as he closed the distance, swiftly taking her into a tight hug, bag and all. His nose buried in the coal black fur of the top of her head, breathing the sweet scent of his beloved. Elisa on the other hand, nuzzled Terry's chest, a soft tinge of honey clinging to his earthy scent and she had no doubt of where it came. They remained in each others arms for what seemed like an eternity, just enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies. A not so polite cough forced them to break apart, the annoyed glare of an old badger sending a clear message to the odd couple. The pair muttered a quick apology before they walked away, holding hands.
Once they were out of the terminal, Terry took the chance to take Elisa into his arms again. The bear swung the panther in a quick circle, eliciting giggles from the feline and a laugh from the bruin.
"I can't believe you're finally here!" said Terry, caressing Elisa's shoulders with his free hand. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you a lot too my honey bear." She replied with a gentle smile, gazing into his cerulean eyes. "The ride felt like it was eternal, I swear I saw a snail go faster than us."
"You are joking!"
"I am not! When we were stuck in traffic on the outskirts of the city I saw it, I swear they even looked at us with shame." Elisa retorted, giving her boyfriend a playful glare. "Imagine how they must have felt when they saw a bus that was slower than them."
"Quite shocked I'm sure."
"You don't believe me?"
"As long as you tell me it is truth, I'm willing to believe anything."
"So if I tell you honey is bad?"
"Well, almost anything."
The two shared another laugh, open and full of mirth; their bodies seeking ways to remain in contact with the other. A sneaky tail that bound itself around a leg, a tender hand that caressed a neck, intertwined fingers that refused to let go.
"I brought you something." said Terry with a small voice, placing the small package in her hands. "It's not much but I hope you like it."
Feline curiosity drove Elisa to make short work of the package's wrapping, her claws cutting through the fabric with surgical precision to reveal a handmade bracelet; dark brown wood beads were connected by a black string, the wooden surface covered with bright images of flowers, jasmine, tulips and dandelions, her favorites. With trembling hands Terry took the bracelet from her grasp and gently tied it around her wrist.
"Do you- Do you like it?" asked Terry, his eyes looking anywhere but at Elisa's face.
The panther replied in the only way she could think of: She grabbed the bruin's shirt and pulled the bear down for a deep kiss.