The Hound and the Hare

A new take on a classic of Aesop's Fables

The sun was setting as they sat, the girl with her back to the tree and the young man in the branches above.

“Give me a reason to trust you.”

He smiled shallowly. “You’re still here, aren’t you?”

She sighed, but she wasn’t yet defeated. She tossed her pale blonde hair back and looked up at him. “You aren’t exactly someone I can ignore. I just want to know if I’m going to be able to trust you, or if that’s going to bite me again.”

He leapt down from the branches, landing on his feet. His mangy hair swayed in the breeze as he turned to her and grinned. “No promises that I won’t bite. You liked it last time.”

She waved the comment away. “I don’t mean literally. You know exactly what I mean.”

The smile vanished from his face, and suddenly he seemed hurt. “I don’t think I ever wanted to hurt you. I’ve never met anyone like you or… well, had a fling before.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “A fling?”

He laughed, teeth flashing again. “What else would you call this? I’m not saying it won’t go somewhere, though…”

She shrugged. “I saw you. You saw me. Interest, I guess.”

His upper lip twitched and he drew closer. “Come on. You guess? Don’t try to play it cool with me.”

She shrugged a second time. “I am cool. You’re the one that keeps hounding me.”

He ran a hand through her hair and even tweaked her ear. “You intrigue me.”

She stared up into his eyes. “And so?”

“So?”

“Can I trust you?”

They kissed. He just smiled.

© 2015 ARevenantKingdom [ARK]

Author's Note

A challenge from "C. Rose" to write a story based on one of Aesop's Fables, preferably one including a dog. I chose "The Hound and the Hare", and my reference will be linked.
I couldn't resist a little wordplay towards the end.

Reference of Original:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/aesop/aes177.htm