Doughnuts and Ax Belts and Really Weird Dates

Please comment and tell me what you think!

So, in case my mentor tracks you down and asks you, tell him I'd been seeing the human for at least a month before he asked me out. In the mornings I go to this doughnut place near my... living quarters. Of course I try to stay in the corner... you would too if you were me. But although I tried almost every corner table, I still got stares and points, if anyone noticed me at all. So one day I got there early and I picked a different corner table. I sat back with my six doughnuts, leaned against the wall, and tried to block out everything in the real world. That's when he came. You might be expecting me to tell you all about his gorgeous blue eyes, or his soft, wavy brown hair. But that's honestly not the first thing I noticed. When Hoff walked into the shop, got one doughnut, and made straight for my table... the first thing I noticed was his hands. They. Were. Built. How can you have built hands? I don't know. But if hands can be totally ripped in every way, Hoff's hands are those hands. The rest of him... meh. Not anything to catch your eye. But his hands... every muscle, every vein, stood out stretched and taught. If you're wondering why I was looking at his hands, um... no real reason. But my height kind of restricts my vision. It's a little weird. Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked. Long story short, he came over to my table and sat down before he noticed me. That's really not amazing. It happens to me a lot unfortunately. That's why I sit in corners. When he finally did notice me he jumped out of his chair. Then he looked around to see if anyone saw him jump. I cleared my throat and sat up as straight as possible, and said in a very dignified and grown-up voice, “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you.” but when a... being like me says that, it just sounds like a fairy tale. Looking around again, Hoff sat down, clutching the table with his really built hands. “It's fine,” he said. “I was just startled.” he shook his head, smiled a truly dazzling smile, and settled into his seat. We didn't say another word the whole time. But I gave him two of my doughnuts, for which he seemed very thankful. Just as I was getting up to leave, he asked, “So, are you coming here tomorrow?” I nodded. Then he said, strangely enough, “This table is the most sheltered from the rest of the seating area. You can sit here again if you want.” I nodded again. I left the shop. I went back to my living quarters. And the next day I went back to the doughnut shop, sat at the same table, and tried not to talk.

Every day it was the same. Every day he asked me one question. Every time I answered it. But one thing I always noticed... he was very polite and kind. The questions were never prying. He did his best to make me feel nice and accepted instead of making me feel like a strange zoo animal. So about a month later, the day came when the question Hoff asked was, “Would you like to go out to dinner tonight?” my heart started pounding, I can tell you. I could practically feel my ears turning purple. I hoped my hair would cover them. Tell me if I'm wrong, but if a boy human asks a girl human out to dinner, that means it's a – date? - and the boy possibly loves the girl. I was pretty sure the same rule applied to boy humans and... me. I gulped a few times and twisted my be... hair. I looked at his eyes – which, by the way, are actually green – and then I gulped again. But I nodded. And smiled. And then he smiled at me again, with that full-faced, joyful grin.

When I got back to my living place, I went straight down to the cook and demanded. “Aunty, what do human girls wear when they go on dates?” She turned away from the sink, wiped her hands, and her arms, and her eyes, and her spectacles. “Well, deary, they wear dresses.” I looked down at my own garb. “Not... armor?”

“No, deary. Most human girls aren't in danger every second of their life.”

“Oh.”

“Mhm.”

“Aunty?”

“Yes, deary?”

“How old am I? In human years?”

“Deary me. In human years you would be... about sixteen.”

“Sixteen? Instead of twelve?”

“Yes deary. Sixteen.”

“Oh. Good-bye, Aunty.”

“Bye now, deary. I must get back to work.” She paused slightly, cocking her head. Then she put her spectacles on, winked very distinctly, and said, “See you tomorrow, deary. You'd best go get ready.” now my ears turned bright pink, I'm sure. I ran to my chambers and set about sewing a dress. I hoped my mentor wouldn't come looking for me.

The dress was pretty by human standards. I thought it looked odd. But Hoff smiled when he saw me in it. We met at Harry's – that's a small diner near the doughnut shop – and he helped me into the chair. Why do humans make chairs so high? Ugh. I will never know the reason. I smoothed down the braids in my bea... my hair. Then Hoff sat down right across from me, looking very nice in his button-down shirt. And he ordered our food while I hid behind a menu.

“How old are you?” was the first question he asked. I smiled. “Sixteen.” I said proudly. “How old are you?” “I'm almost eighteen.”

“Oh.”

“You look very pretty tonight.”

“Thank you.”

“What's your name?”

Name? Oh. Right. I never had told him my name. How come he had never asked for it?

“I'm Dunna. Why didn't you ask me before?”

He actually winked at me!

“I don't think it would have been proper.”

This didn't make sense. Of course it was improper for dwar... for my kind to ask the name of a deary. But boys always asked girl's names. Humans, that is. I squinted at him.

“How did you know that?”

“I'm not telling yet. Are you going to ask about my hands?”

I rolled my eyes. I was having fun.

“Eventually.” three minutes passed.

“Why are your hands so strong?”

Hoff smiled. I loved that smile.

“Because I make these.”

He reached into his jacket and pulled out the last thing I expected to see. It was a belt. A dwarf belt. Woven masterfully, with an intricate design. The loops and holes and buckles were all carefully placed. It was beautifully done. I couldn't help it... I reached out to touch it. And it was soft! “It's for you. If you want it.” how could I say no? I took the thing in my hands. “I don't know what Mentor would say if he found me with it.” now he was surprised. “You have a mentor? Who is it?”

“We're never-”

“Supposed to disclose it, I know.” he paused, "Your beard looks lovely like that."

"Thank you."

I fingered the belt. Hoff stared at me. Our food came. We ate it all without a word. But it was fun anyway.

“You're a lovely dwarf-maiden.” Hoff said.

“You're a nice human.” I said.

“This was a weird date. Do you want to do it again?”

“I love weird dates, Hoff. Of course I do.”

So tell my mentor, if he asks you, that I'm not being a bad dwarf-maiden, liking a human. There are plenty of reasons for my actions. Like doughnuts, and ax belts, and really weird dates.