(: The Awkward Age Gap and the Joyful Unveiling of a Renewed Friendship :)
The royal garden was a sanctuary, a place where the air hummed with the gentle magic of growing things. Usagi and Sterling walked along a cobblestone path, the conversation flowing easily between them, no longer a frantic flood of questions, but a comfortable, back-and-forth rhythm. The relief of finding her friend was so immense that her innate rabbit instincts seemed to be on full, uninhibited display.
"Oh, look!" she chirped, hopping to the side to admire a rare moonpetal bloom. "They're so perfect! The petals look like they're made of frost."
Sterling watched her with a fond smile, his own posture relaxing in a way Usagi hadn't seen on anyone else in the castle. As she turned back to him, delighted, she noticed a faint shimmer around his head. With a soft whoosh, two pointed wolf ears, the same midnight-black as his hair, emerged from his scalp. A matching tail, thick and elegant, appeared from his spine, swishing lightly behind him. He didn't seem to notice or care, simply letting his wolf self show in her presence.
Usagi's eyes widened, a squeak of pure joy escaping her lips. This was the Sterling she remembered, the playful, open wolf pup who didn't hide his true nature. "Your ears!" she exclaimed, reaching out a hesitant hand. "And your tail! They're so... elegant! You just let them show!"
"Only around people I trust," he replied with a soft laugh, his ears twitching at the sound of her voice. It was a simple statement, but to Usagi, it felt like the greatest compliment she had ever received. He trusted her with his whole self, something few shifters in this kingdom ever did. Her happiness was so pure and so overwhelming that she bounced on the balls of her feet.
"This is amazing! I've only ever seen Lyraen in his full form, but never his ears or tail!" she gushed, unable to contain her excitement. Her rabbit ears twitched with her joy. "How old are you now? You must be so much older than me to have a job like this!"
Sterling's expression was serene, his wolf ears cocked with interest. "I'm twenty-four this year," he said calmly.
Usagi's boundless energy came to a sudden, screeching halt. She stared at him, her mouth slightly agape. A slow, creeping wave of realization washed over her. She was twenty-six. She, the small and easily excitable cottontail, was two years older than the tall, poised, and unbelievably handsome butler who had just revealed his wolf ears and tail to her.
Her face flushed crimson. Her ears, which had been standing so proudly, drooped in mortified embarrassment. The image of her hopping with excitement, gushing over flowers and wolf ears like a giddy child, played back in her mind. Her small, happy bunny tail went completely still. It was the most awkward she had ever felt.
"Oh," was all she could manage to say, her voice barely a whisper. The air, which had been so comfortable, was suddenly thick with her own self-conscious shyness. She felt so silly, so childish in comparison to his calm maturity.
Sterling, sensing her sudden shift, tilted his head. He took a small step towards her, his voice low and soothing. "What's wrong, Bunny? Does it bother you that I'm younger? The years don't matter when you've waited so long to find someone again." His words were calm and reassuring, but they held the weight of a maturity that made her feel even more like a child.
Usagi could only stare at him, her thoughts a jumbled mess of embarrassment and relief. The joyful, unburdened reunion was now complicated by this small, but incredibly awkward detail.