Melt
I rested up against a tree, light filtering through its dense branches. I woke from my sleep, observing the girl wrapped around my side. I traced her form with my hand, the curve of her hip, the dip of her waist, the plane of her stomach. I raised my arm, resting a finger against her check. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled, her red cheeks raised with the corner of her lips.
"Morning," she said hazily with a yawn. She stretched her arms upward, and rested them back on my shoulders, using me to pull herself closer to my face.
"It's past morning," I told her, observing the shadows cast by the pine forest that cut into the green fields and the blue, ice covered rivers below.
"It's still cold, feels like morning." She nuzzled herself into my shoulder. "At least you're warm." A quick gust of wind rushed by, rustling both the branches above us and her long red hair. "It's still so cold," she said, pulling closer to me. "How is this relaxing?"
"Well, I guess warm blood helps," I joked with her. She huffed up and loosened her grip.
"You human boys are so rude," she said turning away. She kept her face turned away, a pointed ear slanted downward. I smiled, pulling myself up. I looked over the hillside, down at the grand valley below. Pines dotted the landscape, and rivers lined the land, each covered in melting snow and ice. I turned to walk away, but felt a pull on my leg. I turned back to the snag, her hand grabbing my pant leg. She was blushing, unable to look me in the eye.
"I'm, "she struggled to say, blushing, looking away. "I'm still cold." I smiled, reaching my hand out.
"You're hopeless," I told her as she grabbed my hand. I pulled her up, her tail uncoiling beneath her, her eyes meeting mine.
"I'm cold blooded you jerk," she said pouting. She began to sway side to side, her eyes falling shut.
"Siia?" I asked as she fell into my arms. She buried her face into my shoulder, tightening her arms around me.
"You're warm," she moaned. "So warm in this cold." She nuzzled into my shoulder, her tail wrapping itself around my leg. My hand fell to her hips, passing my hand across her long body.
"Your tail is soft," I said. "I'm surprised how soft the scales are."
"Fishing for compliments," she said, her eyes closing. "I still like them though. You'll make a great father."
"What?" I jumped back, jostling her awake. "I mean, it's a little early for that isn't it?" I said rubbing the back of my head.
"Well," she said moving to my chest. "That's why you're my boyfriend right? So you can help my people grow."
"I'm not against that no," I said sheepishly, lifting my hands in front of my face. "But it seems so sudden to bring it up." She stared at me with an indignant look in her eyes.
"You humans are so strange," she said sliding around me. "You wait so long for something so important."
"It's just that," I said as she slipped over my feet. "we don't want to ruin it by going into it too fast. And, how we would even," I stumbled over the next words. She cocked her head to the side, intrigued. "I mean, you're part snake, and you're race is all female and." She interrupted me, placing a finger on my lips. She smiled.
"We have been mating with humans for some time," she said. "That's how we've continued on for so long. And we don't lay eggs, we still have live births like you humans do." She smiled. "The only real difference is our lower half." She smiled, leaning on my side. "the obvious snake tail," she smirked. "That and we're all women." She slid up close, our faces nearly touching. "You know, I've not seen a penis before," I turned red at the words. She closed her eyes and giggled. She moved backwards, holding her arms behind her. "You are too cute. Good thing too. If it weren't for you human boys being so cute, we'd have died out a long time ago." She leaned up against the tree, her body exposed to the light. The sun passed through the leaves, casting spots of light on her dress. A white sundress that fell past her hips, her long red tail growing past it. She caught me staring, and blushed. She turned her head to the side, looking down the hill.
"This place may be cold," she said. "But it is very beautiful." I walked up to her side, and looked down with her. I looked at the rivers, the snow had melted further, and the current speed up. I noticed in the rivers closer to us were logs, being brought down to mills downstream.
"It is nice," I said. She slid closer and wrapped her arms around my torso. "Maybe soon," I said. She turned her head, locking her eyes with mine. "I can see us together." Her eyes welled up, and she began to cry, a smile forming underneath her eyes. She shifted her weight in front of me, grabbing my hands.
"Six children?" she asked me. "A house out in the country?" she pleaded with me, looking at me with wide eyes, like a puppy.
"Sure," I replied half serious, lifting a hand to her cheek. Tears of joy fell from her eyes, bracketing her smile. She buried her face into my chest. I placed my hand on her head, "And there's a big oak tree, perfect for climbing." She pulled herself out of my chest and looked at me.
"I love you," she exclaimed. I stood filed with awe. I hesitated to respond, trying to find the right words to say. She lifted her head, and stared into my eyes. I smiled and rested my forehead against hers.
"I love you too," I said, and I kissed her. Our lips lightly touched at first, but she pushed back harder, deepening the kiss. She pulled back breaking the kiss, and buried her face in my chest again.
"And a bay window, overlooking every river," she said. "Right there," pointing near the tree.
"I thought it was too cold?" I asked her.
"Shut up."