The sun was again high in the sky the next morning when Ryu's eyes fluttered open groggily. Immediately his mind went to the events of yesterday afternoon. Had he actually DONE what his body was telling him he did? He shook his head. No it wasn't possible, after all things just didn't seem to fall into place, it was, after all, just too good to be true. He yawned and moved to stretch, because for some reason he ached all over, even in places he didn't know could ache. As he moved he suddenly felt something against him. Something warm, soft, and very close. Something was also tickling his neck, lightly, but sensuously. His head turned, and his eyes went wide.

He and Nina were lying close together. She was still asleep, snuggled up close her breathing warm and tickling his neck. She also had a very big smile on her face. The thing that made Ryu panic, however, was she was still naked, and when he looked, so was he! His mind raced to the events of the following day. Had they? His memories confirmed everything. They had! He groaned audibly as he flopped onto his back, cursing himself. It was then as if on cue, Nina began to stir. Slowly her eyes opened, and she moved the upper part of her body over him and come to rest on his chest, her breasts lying lightly on his bare chest. The feeling made Ryu's mind race.

"Hi Ryu." she said dreamily.

Ryu's hand came up to stroke her hair a bit, and he replied before his mind could stop him, "Hi angel.did.did we do what I think we did?"

Nina blushed heavily, her eyes gazing into his and she nodded. "I.I believe we did." she said quietly.

Ryu sighed a bit and flopped his head back down on the soft sand. So they had. He had finally given in and made love to Nina, sealing their relationship. He had been fighting for so long, only now to find his barriers destroyed and his heart unfrozen. He was again free to love.

As Ryu looked at Nina, there on his chest, he could see she was beaming and she radiated a sort of energy that she hadn't had before. He knew she was basking in the afterglow of their actions, and as he stared at her some more, he realized she looked even more beautiful than before.

He smiled a bit and said a bit hesitantly and quietly, "Last night was.magic."

Nina smiled back and brought herself forward, her chest rubbing up against his a bit, causing Ryu to shiver and smile, then said, "I know Ryu, you have no idea how happy I feel."

Ryu smiled again and said, "I think I have some ideas."

Nina grinned a bit mischievously and said, "oh really?" Ryu nodded, "of course!" "Then show me." she said seductively.

Ryu chuckled and replied, "don't you mean tell you?"

Nina shook her head and brought all of her body over Ryu, her eyes glinting again with that mischievous, not to mention sexy glint, "no, I mean SHOW me."

Ryu groaned as her leg rubbed slightly against his thigh. He got the message and slowly brought his lips to hers, and they were again locked in a passionate kiss.

They made love again, for a second time during those early afternoon hours on the beach, and time again seemed to slip by them until the sun was again sinking into the distance. Ryu yawned and sat up, still groggy from earlier. Suddenly the time dawned on him.

Shaking Nina hastily he said, "Nina c'mon we better get back to camp, Kray's going to be wondering where we are!"

Nina murmured sleepily, still wrapped in the towel, "mm.so soon?"

Ryu nodded hurriedly, "yeah, c'mon lets get back to camp."

They both got dressed behind their own respective boulders at the side of the lake, and despite Nina's many attempts to peek at Ryu as he was changing, all failed as he slipped behind the rock before she got any good looks in.

"Nuts!" she muttered.

It took them no more than half an hour to return to camp. As they broke into the clearing Kray looked up at them from the fish he was cooking.

"So, where you two been? It's been nearly a day and a half already." he said with a chuckle and a wink.

A sweat drop trickled down the back of Ryu's head and he laughed nervously and blushed a bit, "Um we.err just were, um talking.yeah for awhile. and time kind of slipped away from us, so we had to spend the night at the lake."

Kray smiled and nodded, "mmhmm, suuuuuuure you two were."

He grinned a knowing grin and gave Ryu a wink.

Nina saw it and flushed an even deeper shade of red whispering to Ryu, "you think he knows?"

Ryu winced, "I'm afraid to ask, look you go get some rest before dinner ok? You look tired."

Nina nodded a bit, then smiled a devilish grin and elbowed Ryu in the ribs, "your fault mister."

Ryu grinned back, "I know, but its one thing I gladly accept the blame for."

Nina laughed a bit then retreated to her tent while Ryu went and took his seat next to Kray at the fires edge.

Kray was the first to speak, "so did you and Nina, you know."

"Know what?" asked Ryu smiled a bit as he stared into the fire.

Kray cleared his throat, "did you and Nina um.go bump in the night?"

Ryu smirked at his friend's lousy attempts at metaphors then said chuckling, "please Kray we're all adults here, out with it man!"

It was Kray's turn to blush as he stammered the question out as fast as he could, "f.fine! DidyouandNina," there was a slight pause as Kray tried to hide how red his fur was turning around his face, "sleepwitheachother?"

Ryu's laugh shook the clearing.

After Ryu had finally stopped laughing, Kray raised an eyebrow and said, "I take it by your reply, that it's a yes, no?"

Ryu chuckled a bit and nodded, suddenly blushing seemingly from head to toe. It was Kray's turn to laugh as he slugged Ryu on the shoulder.

"Ryu, I'm surprised, after all that, you've finally found a soft spot within."

Ryu was still blushing as he replied, "yeah well, those eyes have a way of getting to you."

Kray grinned some more, "she does have a way of growing on you doesn't she?"

Ryu nodded, "yeah.she's like, almost everything Kira was, I just can't believe my grief clouded over my judgment until now, and perhaps what happened was just that, guilt covered over grief, I'm not so sure anymore."

Kray smiled and patted his friend over the back, "don't worry, you'll figure it all out eventually, just give love its time, you'll see its one of the most wonderful feelings ever."

Then Kray sniffed the air.

"Well, smells like the salmons done, you might want to wake Nina from her cat-nap, just no naughty stuff before dinner." Kray grinned and winked.

Ryu blushed again and gave Kray a playful swat, "HEY, we're not that bad you know! We can control our hormones!"

Kray laughed, "You'll see, Ryu, you'll see."

With that he turned and went back to tending the fish, chuckling as he did so, as a blushing Ryu went to go wake Nina up.

Dinner went by pretty quick. Silence was not an issue as while they ate they talked and laughed about things from their childhood. Despite many of their repressed emotions lay in that area, they tactfully skipped over anything that would be hurtful. Especially any mention of Kira and her history with Ryu, as both Kray and Nina knew that part of Ryu's heart still ached. Finally the meal was done. Ryu stretched out and shut his eyes and dozed off.

Nina smiled as she watched him nap, "he's so angelic when he sleeps." she sighed dreamily.

Kray chuckled, "Well you'd know first hand now wouldn't you?"

Nina flushed crimson, her wings drooping a bit.

"Did you.ask him.about what WE did?"

Kray laughed.

"Sure did!" he replied with a grin, "he sang like a bird after I confronted him with the truth!"

Nina was still crimson as she asked, "how.how did you KNOW? It was like when we got back, you already KNEW, how is that possible?!"

Kray smiled and replied, "There's something you should know about Worens Nina, not only do we have a keen sense of hearing and sight, we also have well developed noses and can smell certain things very easily."

Nina blinked, looking a bit dumb, "What? How's that mean you.wait, you mean?" She pointed to Kray's nose, "That smelled us?"

Kray grinned, "yup! Actually I smelled the scent of you two on each other so I knew immediately when you two came forward you had been with each other in a closer.capacity."

Nina tried not to act like the blushing schoolgirl, but failed miserably and blushed an even deeper shade of crimson.

"Honestly Kray?" she asked.

Kray nodded, "yup! Clear as I can smell new rain on a spring day!"

Nina blinked, then murmured, "amazing, such wonderful creatures out there exist, and I never knew."

Kray puffed up with pride a bit, "of course! We Worens cherish many things, so we learn to be more in tune with them, so we can understand them better. The world is a big place, we wish only to learn more about it, in fact I've read in Worent there exists a big meditation chamber so Worens can close their external senses down and learn to sense life from within."

Nina nodded and replied with awe, "amazing.have you ever been there to see it by yourself?"

Kray shook his head sadly, "alas no, my.parents died.when I was very young, I spent my years as a cub growing up under the foster care of Humans, alongside Ryu and." he hesitated and choked a bit, trying not to say the name, "and.him.he saved my life.when the Imperials attacked, at the cost of his own.god damn it, why the hell did he have to do such a selfless act, god damn him WHY!"

At that Kray collapsed, nearly sobbing.

Nina startled, knelt, and said softly "Kray.its alright, he let you live at the cost of his own life, he wanted this. He probably knew you stood a better chance outside of the village than he did, he knew you have the power the avenge him and everyone that died."

Kray pulled in a ragged breath, "I know.damn the fucker, why." then he stood, his eyes narrowing, the tear streaked fur looking like war paint. "They'll pay.they will all pay." he growled as he unsheathed the knives at his side. "I will spill their blood when I get the chance.then they'll know what fear is."

As Kray finished this sentence Ryu woke up.

Ryu yawned and looked at Kray and immediately he was up, next to Nina, with his enraged friend.

"Kray, calm down man," he said softly, "as you said earlier, we'll get through this.all of us, together."

Kray flinched a bit as his friend's hand touched his shoulder.

Ryu continued talking calmly despite the subject manner, "We won't do anything good if we're dead Kray, c'mon.lets get you to your tent.you need rest, you've probably been up way too late for the past night or so."

Kray nodded and looked at Ryu, his face finally showing his weariness.

"You're right Ryu," he said, "I just need.rest.that's all."

And with that he retired to his tent, brushing past Ryu and dropping his knives. Ryu wrapped a protective arm around Nina. She was shivering.

"I've never seen him loose it like that," she said quietly as she curled he slender arms around his midsection, hugging him tightly to her. I mean he's always been so calm and collected.it was really scary Ryu."

Ryu sighed, "Faren, Faren's family, and I were the only family he ever knew. He lost Faren and his parents, and he almost lost me, he's scared Nina.very scared. I recognized that look on his face the minute I saw it. His eyes, they were contorted, warped, their usual keenness was gone, instead there was only a dull, glazed over, blank stare."

Nina shivered again, changing the subject, "Ryu, lets go to bed, its getting cold."

Ryu nodded, "Ok." And with that he kissed her softly on the lips as they retired for the night, back into the tent they both shared.