A/N: Bit of a short chapter today. The next one is almost done, however, so I'll try to get it uploaded tomorrow. Also bumping the rating up to T for this chapter, just to be safe!

As Nathaniel led her into the room and closed the door firmly behind them, Velanna wasn't sure whether the tingling feeling in her stomach was due to anticipation or nerves.

She let out a long, controlled breath, yet the accursed fluttering only seemed to increase as she watched Nathaniel dig in his pocket for the key, the metal clinking pleasantly as he fit it into the lock. Velanna turned away to distract herself, wrapping her arms over her chest and casting her gaze about the room. A plush carpet covered most of the floor, thick enough to curl her toes in, and a small but robust fire crackled beyond the hearth against the wall.

And then, of course, there was the bed: a lavish-looking affair heaped with pillows and consuming a truly obscene amount of floor space.

Velanna swallowed and took a step away from the fireplace. She felt quite warm enough already. Her arms tightened across her chest, and she resisted the sudden silly urge to wipe her palms on her clothing.

Behind her, she could sense Nathaniel's approach, yet she still jumped when his fingers brushed against her neck. She spun around to face him, just in time to catch the slight raise of his eyebrows.

"Are you all right?" he asked, lowering his hand back to his side. His expression grew both concerned and guarded, and Velanna caught her lower lip between her teeth, silently berating her own skittishness.

"Of course I'm all right," she said, the statement somewhere between an assurance and a snap. "You don't need to coddle me. I'm just—I—oh, curse it."

She reached up and grabbed his face with both hands, pulling him into a fierce kiss. His quick inhalation of surprise sent a jolt of satisfaction through her, chasing away some of the fluttering in her stomach, and she pressed harder, threading his thick hair between her fingers.

Somehow they made it to the bed, and she pushed Nathaniel down onto the surface, crawling up until she knelt between his legs. Somewhere between the door and the bed her hair had managed to free itself from its ties, and she paused to shake it back, letting it cascade over her shoulders. She heard Nathaniel's breath catch, and then his arms were wrapping around her and pulling her down, and she went without protest as his lips found hers once more.

Her fingers skimmed down his chest to grasp at the edge of his shirt, and Nathaniel broke the kiss long enough to raise his arms as she pulled the garment over his head. Velanna gave a hiss of impatience, balling the fabric up and tossing it away before settling her hands back on Nathaniel's chest.

Without warning, she jerked back as if scalded, giving a wordless yelp as she backpedaled off the bed.

"What in the name of the Creators—"

She stood rooted to the spot as Nathaniel pushed himself upright into a sitting position, eyes wide with alarm. "Velanna? What's wrong?"

"You—" She made a flailing gesture in the direction of his torso. "You're hairy. It's like there's an animal living on your chest!"

Nathaniel glanced down at himself, then back at her, his expression morphing from alarm to bewilderment. "I—what? Velanna, you've seen me with my shirt off before."

"Well, yes, but—" She broke off with an agitated huff, eyes darting everywhere but the bed. "That was always in the middle of a lake, or if you were having injuries healed and were half-covered up in bandages. Not like—like this. I didn't realize there was…so much of it."

She risked a glance at his face, pointedly refusing to let her eyes drift below his neck. He still appeared bemused, but one corner of his mouth looked suspiciously like it was threatening to quirk upward.

"This isn't funny," she hissed. "It's so…unsanitary. How can you stand it?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "It's no more unsanitary than the hair on my head. Or yours. It's just in a different place." He sobered, his gaze sharpening on her, but his voice was gentle when he spoke. "Do you want to stop?"

Velanna narrowed her eyes and stared pointedly downward, gathering her sarcasm around her like a protective cloak. "Do you think you can stop?"

He held her gaze, but his turned unreadable. After a moment, he spoke quietly. "I would never coerce you into doing something you didn't want to do. If you think that of me, we should stop anyway."

"I—" Velanna reached up to press her fingers briefly against her temples. "I'm…sorry. I didn't mean for—"

She cut herself off, huffing out a short sigh, and glowered at the wall.

The bed creaked under Nathaniel's weight. "The hair isn't really the problem, is it?" he asked, voice quiet.

The room seemed to grow unbearably hot, and Velanna resisted the urge to turn around, to see if the fire had freed itself from the hearth and begun to spread along the walls.

"Perhaps…" she began. Her throat was dry, and the words seemed to stick in her mouth. "Perhaps I'm not as ready to be with a human as I thought I was."

Even from where she stood, she could see Nathaniel's eyes dim, but he nodded. "I understand."

He moved to push himself off the bed, eyes traveling to the corner where she'd unceremoniously thrown his shirt. Velanna's fists clenched at her sides, frustration shooting through her like a misfired spell.

"Wait," she heard herself saying. "Just…give me a moment."

Nathaniel stilled, settling back onto the bed and watching her, a question in his eyes.

Velanna took a step toward him, then another, finally reaching out to carefully rest her hands on his chest. The hair seemed to bristle under her touch, but she fought back the automatic wave of revulsion, letting her fingers drift lower.

She closed her eyes, her hands slipping down toward his ribs. Beneath the fur, he wasn't so different from an elf. She could feel the warmth of his skin and the firmness of his muscles, and his heart thundered against her fingers like a galloping halla.

"Velanna." The word was barely above a whisper, but she could hear the strain in his voice. "Don't tease me."

She opened her eyes. Nathaniel's face was just inches from hers, his gaze riveted on her like a hawk, and his white-knuckled fingers curved like claws into the bedding.

Her decision made, Velanna slid her hands to his waist, and closed the distance between them with a kiss.