Ashûk carried the deer back to the clearing, feeling almost giddy. He sat opposite Fleetfoot, the deer between them, and together they skinned and dressed the animal. Their eyes frequently met, and shy smiles were exchanged. He felt a fullness in his chest he'd never experienced before.
She knew who and what he was, and she did not turn from him. When all else in his world had been destroyed, he felt renewed when he looked upon her face. He could accept that he was a wild creature, as she described him, if only because she was not repelled by it. No, she embraced the wildness in him, for it matched her own.
Perhaps they used different tools - she a knife and he his claws - but they both ate their meat raw. She spoke to him of her own exhilaration when hunting, and her words struck a chord of familiarity in him. Ashûk found he enjoyed it when she spoke, for her hands fluttered about like birds in her excitement, and her eyes lit up like stars.
How could any of his kind look upon someone like Fleetfoot and want to destroy her?
When night fell, and they were drowsy and full from their meal, Ashûk followed her into her hollow, long having forgotten his nakedness.
"Lie beside me," she whispered, taking his hand and drawing him down. Suddenly nervous, he awkwardly knelt on the furs and watched as she removed the hides she wore.
"Do you...," Ashûk began worriedly, "do you want... mating?"
Her brow pinched slightly. "I think not. Tonight, at least, I wish only your body next to mine. Your hands upon me. My hands upon you."
Not trusting himself to speak, he merely nodded. Though she'd set the boundaries, his member ignored them. He could feel himself hardening, but dared not look lest she also notice. Better to simply ignore it. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he lay on his side facing her, pillowing his head on one arm. Fleetfoot settled herself more calmly. Her smile was warm and teasing.
"You are terribly nervous, Ashûk," she gently chided. "Come. Touch me, and fear nothing."
Swallowing, he slowly reached out and rested his hand on her hip. Her hand slid over his waist, and he felt a slight pressure against his back as she urged him closer. Groaning inwardly, for he feared what she would say once his cock was touching her, he inched forward until her small breasts pressed into his chest. The feel of her made him tremble and his breath came faster.
"I feel you," she breathed, tipping her face up and stroking his cheek with hers. "I feel you."
Seemingly of its own accord, his hand smoothed over her hip to her buttocks, and he clutched her flesh, his claws pressing but not breaking her skin. A slight gasp came from her, and she closed her eyes, a half smile on her face. She obliged him with a like grasp of his own backside. Then her hand slowly traveled up his back, exploring the shape of him, tracing the ridges of scars left behind from harsh discipline. Loathe as he was to release her, he caressed her smooth, unmarred back in return, and wondered at it.
Untouched, she was. Pure and innocent. He didn't dare claim her as his own, for he did not think himself worthy of such a treasure.
Ashûk's thoughts were pleasant imaginings of hunting at her side and mating under the stars as he drifted off to sleep, a gentle smile on his face. He held her close, breathing in her scent, memorizing it, knowing it with every sense. She became a part of him, and he unknowingly became a part of her, for her own senses were just as keenly attuned to him as his were to her.
The wild creatures slept on undisturbed until the break of dawn, when a thundering voice startled them awake.
"Hoooom, what is this?"
Opening his eyes with a start, Ashûk beheld Fangorn looming over them, one gnarled hand holding the moss aside like a curtain as he glared down at their intimate embrace with a most disapproving expression.