"Tenur! Dinner's ready!" Daryl's voice came from the kitchen. The smell of dinner was extremely desirable.

Despite hearing her mother's yelling, Tenur replied with a short "Okay" before heading back to his room.

As he entered and closed the door to his room, he heard the rapid foot falls of a girl about his age rushing up the stairs. Instantly, the closing of the door quickened, but it could not beat Sarah's speed as she stuck a foot through the door, preventing it from closing.

"Tenur please! Listen!" Sarah cried out, her voice slightly hoarse from the previous yellings.

"I've got nothing to say. Besides," Tenur replied coldly. "you're free to do whatever you want, and I'm free to think whatever I will." With that, he forcibly pushed against the door, threatening to crush Sarah's foot if she didn't retract it. Reluctantly, Sarah pulled back and was left outside. The door shook several times as Sarah tried her best to push it open, but Tenur's body acted as a stopper, preventing the door from budging.

Several more tries later and the attempts stopped. He could hear a muffled cry slowly intensify on the other side. Deep down, he felt bad for making her cry, but one thought of what she did made his blood boil and freeze simultaneously.

As the sounds of crying turned to choking, he felt the urge to open the door and comfort her, yet heavy foot falls and the creaking of stairs told him there was no need. My help is not needed, the thought swished through his mind.

Following the nearing of the heavy footsteps, the sound of human feet moving could be heard as faint voices could be heard through the door. There was a knock on the door, followed by Laura's voice. "Tenur, it's me." He was aware the sound of choking was almost nonexistent.

He peeked under the door's gap, seeing only a pair of feet almost the size of a watermelon. Since Sarah probably gave up now, he reasoned it safe to open it and speak with Laura.

Contrary to expectations, the moment he opened the door, he was faced with a teary eyed Sarah standing just beside the door way, swallowing her cries, and Laura who's expression was filled with sympathy and annoyance as she looked alternately between the two. His heart was bitter as he tried to shut the door again, but Laura's thick, fat hand extended and stopped the door from closing. It was impossible to threaten to crush her hand from forcibly pushing against the door.

"Come on, stay mature," Laura felt his attempt and casually pushed open his door, showing off the strength of a troll. She proceeded to sit on his bed, which Tenur felt like more work had to be done later. "Talk it out."

Tenur crossed his arms and stood against the now open door. Mistaking the act as agreeing, Sarah quickly tried to enter, not caring to balance herself for fear he would change his mind. Yet, her hurried figure was stopped by Tenur extending a hand at chest level. Due to the momentum carrying her forward despite the hand attempting to stop her, his hand touched her well-developed bosom and instinctually, Tenur had tried to close his hand. The result was Tenur grasping one of her pride and Sarah crying out in a high pitch and cute voice due to her body still being sensitive from the previous activity. Tenur stiffened from the voice, Sarah became sexually aroused despite the improperness of the whole situation and Laura was surprised. Laura's gaze was one of disbelief as she stared at the now horny Sarah who forcibly suppresed the sudden surge of libido.

The whole situation lasted for ten awkward seconds. No one wanted to move and break the fragile atmosphere. If someone said they could hear the sound of a needle dropped during then, none of them could say it wouldn't be true.

The moment was only shattered by Daryl's slightly angry voice yelling "Dinner's ready" to which the three of them jolted out of the reverie. Sarah scrambled to gather herself, but by the time she was prepared, Tenur had already grabbed Laura's hand and pulled her to the stairs.

"W-wait!" Sarah managed to squeeze out the shout, but Tenur's footsteps remained steadfast. The troll and human pair walked down the stairs while avoiding the hole made by Laura, and Sarah hurried after the two of them.

As they arrived at the dining table, Daryl was already there. Tenur took the seat beside his mother and gestured for Laura to do the same but ignored Sarah. It took a while before Daryl realised something happened between them and gestured for Sarah to join them out of politeness.

Sarah looked at Tenur, her gaze unmoving and desperate. She ran several simulations in her mind where she joined in on the dinner and sorted out the problem between them. As she stood there unmoving, Daryl asked again.

"Sarah? Do you want to join us?"

Sarah panicked slightly at the repeated question. She knew if she didn't take the chance to mend her ties with Tenur now, their relationship will only worsen, and the next chance might not come soon too. Steeling herself, she prepared to say the necessary words.

"I-"'d love to. "-'m afraid I can't." She looked at the mac and cheese on the table as her lie formed readily. She put on a smile as she spoke. "Cheese doesn't sit well with me."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Daryl looked slightly disappointed and something else, but Sarah wasn't sure if the other emotion was relief, which would make no sense. She deemed the emotion something from her imagination. "Perhaps you can join us next time." Daryl's words echoed in her mind.

...next time...

The words hurt. It prod at the thing she hoped wouldn't be true, and yet here Daryl was, speaking of it so casually.

Sarah hid the pain by plastering another smile, this one looking more genuine than the first one. Even though her insides were cringing and boiling away from the current conversation, she forced her mind to ignore the burning sensation in her stomach. "Alright. I'll be heading home now." She waved at Daryl and turned around. Inside her mind, the only thing she saw now was Tenur's cold expression at seeing her. Her intuition told her this could be the end of their relationship and there was no chance to mend it at all.

"Tenur honey, please accompany Sarah." Daryl suddenly said, the words like a ray of sunshine upon her grey, dull mindscape. Laura looked surprised just like before, and tried hiding her expression behind an unreadable mask, but ended up with an expression that looked more like a funny face than anything.

Tenur looked just as surprised, but not at Laura. He steeled himself as he stood up and accompanied Sarah to the door. The girl was surprised, and a small bit of optimism appeared in her thoughts.

Once they were outside, Tenur shut the door and breathed out a sigh, his face now an unreadable mask. One thing was for certain, the coldness in his expression ws gone. Sarah, filled with a tad bit of hope, looked at Tenur with watery eyes as she grabbed Tenur's hands.

Or at least that was what she tried to do.

Tenur suddenly graspped Sarah's arms and stared into her eyes. Given the sudden development, Sarah was surprised. She then looked confused and hid her relief on Tenur being the one who wanted to mend their ties first.

"I-I..." Sarah's voice was beyond timid as she heard about such situations before and never thought she would ever get into one like this. In such a situation, it would've been normal for the female to struggle as the male reeled her in hugged. They would cuddle for a bit, cry emotions of joy and live happily after. The first part was true as Tenur pulled her in and hugged her tightly. It was good, she thought. After she heard Tenur sobbing, she was sure the situation she read about is happening and felt a little proud at being able to guess the outcome. Relief washed over her as she thought it would be a happy ending, even though reality often times dissapoint.

"W-why...W-what...?" The words came out when she heard the sobs were not of joyful nature, but one of sadness.

"D-don't speak..."

She complied.

This went on for several dozen seconds before he released her. Sarah thought this was it. The mending of their ties would be complete from here on, she thought.

"I-"

"We should stop seeing each other from now on." Tenur's voice was cold and flat as he said it, but there was a hint of sadness within. The tears on his face were dry, and he rubbed away any traces with his sleeve.

"Tenur please! Let me explain myself!" Sarah begged vehemently.

This wasn't supposed to happen! Everything's been going along with the stories so well! Tears streaked down her face as she watched Tenur, head down, turn around and enter his house.

"Tenur..." The words came out softly from her mouth and her knees buckled, causing her to fall prone in front of the door that looked so small until a moment ago.

Despite the pessimism overwhelming her thoughts, her intuition had switched directions. It told her chances would come soon again, and mending their ties would no longer be impossible. Yet she was drowning in her own sown sorrow, unable to hear the words her gut told her.