When I made sure Alkair was gone, I sheepishly walked towards Lucario, pensive and looking out into the darkness. I hesitated to move any closer, as he seemed to have completely forgotten about my presence : but I moved one hand to his arm. He had a slight reaction of surprise, before his eyes settled on me and he relaxed again.

"What... happened?" I asked, having lost most of the conversation.

"He is gone for good. He will leave us alone."

"Are you sure...?"

"Yes."

I moved my hand down to his and intertwined fingers slowly, pressing my cheek against his arm. There was an emotion in his voice I couldn't decipher. He sounded like he had steeled himself. Like he had barred some emotions from coming out, and he couldn't fully relax anymore.

I was aware of being the source of all this conflict, and guilt weighed me down, along with the frustration and shame of having been interrupted at such an inopportune time.

"I'm sorry that all this is happening," I continued. "Maybe it was a bad idea for you to come back to me. Maybe you wouldn't have to hurt your friends if I hadn't..."

Lucario's demeanor changed entirely. He stepped forward to be right in front of me, and softly grabbed both my cheeks, having me lift my head so I could look at him. There wasn't a hint of rancor in his eyes, although perhaps a bit of reprimand.

"Leo. None of this is your fault. This is simply how things are. And I do not want you feeling guilty for your choices, or for mine. Is that clear ?"

"Y... Yes..."

"Good."

Maintaining eye contact with him proved a little difficult, and I blushed slightly, hugging him again. It was a good excuse to avoid his powerful gaze, and allowed me to bury my face in his fur.

"Shall we go back to your house ?" he whispered softly. "You'll need to sleep soon."

·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·

Hidden by the dark veil of night, Lucario was able to sneak into the village. Much like a shadow, I could see him silently hop onto rooves and slink into shadows while I walked through the streets.

It was strange, seeing him in my home again. The same awkwardness I was experiencing fluttered on his face for a moment as I closed the door behind us. He moved to sit cross-legged on one of the little rugs I had set down in front of the hearth, in the middle of the room, where a few scant embers were the only light source. I removed my light coat and shoes, observing him from the corner of my eye. His face was stern, betraying no strong emotion, and he did not speak.

I took the time to turn on the paper lantern next to my futon, behind some opened doors further into the house. Warm light filled the rooms, illuminating his pensive face, his eyes fixed on nothing. I walked up behind him, and kneeled, gently wrapping my arms around his body, head resting on his upper back, his fluffy hair surrounding my face.

Emotions began to possess me shortly after I had snuggled up to him. Wordlessly, and perhaps unconsciously, he conveyed his inner conflict to me. The emotions were too raw, the sensation too new and vague for me to understand in detail, but it was all I needed to know to reassure him. Lucario shifted slightly, moving one of his hands to mine. His were warm, and I squeezed him tighter, affectionately.

"...I was meant to lead my clan," Lucario began. "I was born as an alpha, superior in size and in physical prowess to my peers."

I was taken aback by his sudden opening up. Intent on listening correctly, I moved to sit next to him, looking up at his face. He returned the gaze, with a timid smile.

"Alphas do not get a name in my clan. They are considered the archetypical, ideal form a Lucario can take. Thus, they are simply Lucario. Much responsibility was put on my shoulders from the moment I hatched, and I happily welcomed it, revelling in the admiration and respect I was given."

His eyes went back to the hearth. Tiny dots of orange danced in his red eyes, his expression that of remembrance rather than melancholy, and determination rather than sorrow.

"But at the base of admiration and respect lies power. It requires one to be superior to others, and is kept through painful strife and endless fighting. Kindness is not a thing my peers burden themselves with, in their search for dominance : it is a weakness, much like any and every thing that does not relate to furthering one's power. Mates are merely a means for one's lineage to persist, and rarely, if ever, are feelings relevant in that choice."

Hesitantly, his hand moved to mine, and held it. I took that as enough permission to rest my cheek on his arm while he continued to speak, showing him as much tenderness as I could ; tenderness that was meant to comfort, more than to kindle.

"I grew tired of this meaningless race for strength. I ran away. Alkair, who was my first and only student, a very promising Lucario with sensibilities much like my own, will now be leader in my place. I know he will change our clan for the better."

Surprisingly, he decided to look into my face again : but his well-spoken manners had faded into very subtle embarrassment as he considered what to say next, and I blinked, surprised, still listening.

"And now I am... here. Somehow."

I smiled. I can't believe it either, I thought. Everything had changed so fast.

"I hardly believe it was coincidence that you caught me that day. Perhaps I wanted to believe something more could be expected from humans. Perhaps your aura..."

He cut himself off at those words, smiled sheepishly, and shook his head no, before gently caressing my cheek. The motion was clumsy, a clear attempt to imitate human affections, but it felt tender and loving. I pushed my cheek into his palm and closed my eyes.

"I apologize for making you sit through the ramblings of a failed leader."

"Lucario."

The stern tone of my voice took him off guard, and he froze, blinking, as I looked at him with half lidded eyes.

"You need to stop apologizing for being who you are. You are wonderful."

His mouth remained open in a speechless expression as he stared at me. I grabbed his hand and turned my head to kiss at his fingers and palm, tenderly nuzzling into the stunned pokemon's paw before speaking again, my voice soft, my words audible only to him, lost to the entire world, meant only for his heart.

"I love you. You're okay, Lucario. You're safe now. I will make sure of it... At least, to the extent of my limited abilities."

I had never seen him cry, and doubted I ever would, but perhaps his drooping ears, quiet sigh, and his body relaxing under the weight of emotion were as close to that as he'd get. I smiled up at him with compassion.

"...I see," he simply answered, his telepathic voice sounding muffled, as if his emotions made it hard for him to concentrate.

His arms gently wrapped around me. Once more, he held me to his body, nuzzling into my neck, in an embrace we'd had several times now, yet always as powerful, always as tender, always as loving. I squeezed him with as much strength as my little arms could muster, giggling softly into his fur. His large body, his warm fur, his strong arms, utterly enveloped me.

"Silly, silly little human. I'm... I'm the one who's supposed to protect you," he continued, voice still muffled. "You can hardly defend yourself, you're small, you..."

"Hey, hey!" I interjected, suddenly pushing him at arm's length and staring defiantly into his eyes, smiling. "Maybe I don't have claws, but I can make some mean onigiris ! Can't be strong without a good meal in your stomach, right ?"

He smiled, cocked his head to one side slightly.

"I apologize. Yes. You make some "mean" ogiris."

"Onigiris."

"Onigiris."

Chuckles flowed out of me once more. More than anything, I felt happy. He radiated warmth and love. He didn't need to say it back. I saw it. I felt it. The way his hands gripped my shirt possessively, shaking a little. The pure emotion in his eyes. His deep, tender voice. Seeing that vulnerability from this mountain of a pokemon, likely powerful enough to take down my house with a few punches, just made me want to kiss him.

And I did, of course.

Leaning forward, pushing myself up slightly on my hands, my lips met his. He growled in surprise at first, but accepted it so quick that he had to have been waiting for this moment. Grabbing my cheeks, he returned the kiss the moment I was going to pull back. Possessively, powerfully, did he kiss me. I could even hear a little growl, or a murr, as he kissed, and kissed, and kissed, unbothered, both him and I, by our inability to breathe. Large paws squishing my face, his whole body moving forward enough that it was forcing me to lean back slightly, and slightly more, until I just fell back again with a squeal.

Lucario's hands went to each side of my head and I finally had to push him back to breathe, gasping, love-stricken eyes meeting love-stricken eyes.

"L-Lucario..."

"I wish for nothing more than to be your mate, if you'll have me."

"I believe I've already agreed to that," I replied happily, trying to hide the sudden increase in heart rate that simply sentence had caused me.

"I will repay you for your words, I-"

"You already have."

"I... have?"

"With a kiss like that ? Absolutely. But that's the second time you've pushed me on my back today. I'm beginning to think you have a thing for being on top of me."

His ears perked up and his eyes went a little wider, as his tail began to swish back and forth in the air. I raised one eyebrow, waiting for an answer while caressing his chest, slightly amused and intensely enamored.

"I apo-... I- um..."

"You almost apologized again."

"It is a difficult habit to break. Do you... mind me being on top of you ?"

"Do I look like I mind ?"

He looked down at my hands caressing his body slowly but thoroughly, moving from his chest, to his sides, to his stomach, and, daringly, even down to his hips and thighs. He blushed brightly, and his tailwag became faster. I had no idea if he was doing it consciously or not, but it was the most adorable thing in the world.

"R... Right. A useless question."

"Mh-mh. Now, how about you stop being worried, and kiss me until I pass out ?"

"Until you... pass out ? Leo, I don't know that that would be very good for y-"

He did not have time to finish his sentence before I grabbed his cheeks and forced him into another kiss.

The contest for control lasted for about a second before I melted again at his growls and his gripping. His claws scraping at the rug next to my head. His other hand on my chest. The tender sounds of kissing filling the room as it continued, broken every now and then by gasping and the soft whispers of names. With nothing to interrupt us now, as the last embers of the hearth faded, and the only sound was that of our love, Lucario and I embraced each other and kissed until we were too exhausted to leave each other's arms. My hair unkempt, shirt half lifted, his fur ruffled wherever I petted or gripped him ; we basked in that moment of realizing the silliness of our eagerness, while we lied on our sides, barely aware of the uncomfortable rug we were on.

"We should sleep," I said after what felt like an eternity of wordless intensity.

"Agreed."

It took us all of our might to get up, and I even stumbled a little, only to be caught in his arms, before we managed to head to the room at the back of my house, closed the doors behind us, and slept in a much more comfortable spot, with the lights turned off.

Drowsiness, along with absolute comfort, took us quickly. We fell into a deep slumber, clutching each other's bodies as if our lives depended on it, hearts beating in unison.

·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·

I don't remember the dreams I had that night ; only that they were exhausting, and that I had a troubled sleep. In fact, I found myself suddenly awake, eyes wide as a burning pain filled my stomach and chest.

I had to gently move Lucario's arms away from my body to sit up. I realized my breathing was labored and my limbs were shaking slightly. I felt sick, almost feverish, but my head didn't hurt. Lucario woke up at that moment and rubbed his eyes, before sitting up to look at me.

"What's wrong ?"

"I... I don't know. It's hard to breathe. It feels like I'm burning inside."

It became clear that this constant roiling of fire was unlike anything I'd ever felt. The pain subsided when Lucario put his paw on my arm, but barely. His hair began to float gently and his eyes glowed as he looked at me with worry. I was simply staring at the ground, clutching my chest, sweat running down my back.

"...The aura linking."

"Huh...?"

"Back at the beach. When I asked to read your aura, I linked ours together. It's a ritual between Lucario mates. But your human body isn't made for that."

"T...then what am I supposed to do...?" I asked, looking up at him for reassurance, for wisdom, beginning to panic a little.

"Those are simply emotions. Mine. Your aura isn't used to receiving someone else's. You need to breathe deeply. Look at me, and breathe."

His calmness anchored me somewhat. I held both his hands, locked eyes with him, and began to breathe more deeply. It was difficult, and the pain became more manageable, but did not fade. I squeezed his hands hard, clinging onto him, trying not to let panic get ahold of me. What he called emotions were nothing but a constant churning, raw, impossible to even decipher typhoon, and after about two minutes of silence, nothing much had changed.

"It's... It's not stopping..." I said, weakly, my voice becoming increasingly anxious.

Lucario frowned and thought to himself for a moment.

"We were interrupted."

"Huh?"

"Back then. Alkair appeared while we were linking. We never completed the ritual. I feel a similar whirlwind inside me, but you do not have my training. Raw, tumultuous aura is swirling inside you, untamed."

His eyes met mine again. His soft hands moved to my cheeks. "Would you allow me?" he asked, to which I simply nodded, unsure of what he meant, but desperate for relief. He leaned forward, and began to kiss me, ever so softly, ever so slowly.

Warmth began to flow into my body from our linked maws, like the current of a river whose perfect temperature cooled my inner tumult. I feebly gripped his chest fur, too weak to really return the affection, letting him hold my face, letting him kiss me, accepting his aura, warm, loving, powerful.

The pain settled. The mist cleared inside me, revealing the emotions that had been obscured before. The strongest of which was love. Deep, pure love. Shared between us both. I found the strength to embrace him and pushed against his kiss to return it, shivering now of feelings that were soft and addictive.

Even when the kiss broke, we barely moved apart. I looked into his beautiful eyes as he did mine. His hands had moved to my body, and were caressing me.

"Feeling better ?"

"Yes. It still feels a little... overwhelming, though. But not painful."

"Mh. Ideally, it shouldn't be overwhelming."

"Then, is it always going to be like this ?"

"No. I did say we had been interrupted, no?"

It took a moment for my brain to catch up. My eyes went wide and I moved back a little, gauging his reaction to see if my mind had gone to a place it really shouldn't have. He was simply gazing, wistfully.

"O-on the beach, that night..." I began, stuttering slightly.

"Mh-mh."

"Before Alkair arrived... Were we really about to..."

My face went bright red. I gasped when I felt his hands softly moving down to my hips : his ears had lowered slightly and I could discern a little blush, that shyness of his barely peaking through from the patient love he was displaying. Images of that moment flashed through my mind, right before Alkair showed up. Lying on the beach together, my legs around his hips. Remembering where my body was hottest.

"I...is it really okay?" I asked with a shaky voice.

"Only if you deem it so."

He moved his muzzle to my cheek and began to kiss me there, moving down to my neck. He wasn't pushing me, wasn't hurrying me. Simply sharing a quiet and gentle moment.

I couldn't deny the way he made me feel. Couldn't deny the reaction my body was having not only at the thought of what he proposed, but at the way his hands travelled from my hips to under my shirt, lifting it slowly, making me gasp once more. My breathing increased all over again, but not out of panic this time.

"A-are you telling me this is another ritual for... becoming mates among Lucarios or something...?"

"Sometimes. This is our choice to make."

"Oh god... Lucario..." I whined, from the long lick he gave across my neck and shoulder.

His soft hands had almost fully lifted my shirt as he continued to kiss my neck tenderly ; he began not only to kiss, but to nibble, biting softly down at this sensitive, weak part of my flesh. Cruelly, as if he had pressed just the right mechanism, found just the right weakness, that biting got me to entirely melt in his arms. He began to growl, while he made me feel his claws pressing against the bare skin of my back. I whimpered. I couldn't deny how much my body was craving him. And he was very efficiently making my mental barriers crumble.

The biting stopped for a moment for him to growl in my ear, his voice in my head a tender whisper. "Let your alpha take control," he rumbled, and those words utterly, completely sealed my fate.

He barely needed strength to push me down on my back. I lifted my arms to let him remove my shirt, my eyes and mind in complete haze. His hands stopped at my waist while I shivered from the cool air meeting my skin, eyes transfixed. His dominance faded for a moment.

"Is it okay for me to...?" he asked, his fingers fiddling with the sides of my pants.

I nodded, a shy, silly smile painted on my face.

Soon, bare skin met bare fur, love entangled in a tight embrace and a powerful union. Quivering sighs filled the night as a painful but perfect bliss entered my mind, entered my body, the Lucario's strong frame on top of mine, then embracing me, lifting me, having me sit on his lap, buried in his fur while this long and intense burst of sensations continued. Soft bites on my soft flesh, harder bites that left marks every now and then ; clawing, and huffing, and growling, repeating motions and words until we couldn't bear to continue, yet did, pushing ourselves, sweat and love and desire oozing out of every pore, a first time, the best time, a time for excess ; too much, not enough, his embrace too tight but just tight enough to hold me as we rocked and shook for minutes on end, only ever stopping for our lips to meet and our hands to feverishly grasp at the other, my timid voice overpowered by his groans, going back down to the ground, the futon's covers messily pushed aside and wrapping clumsily around shaking ankles, two rough bodies, raw bodies, meeting and clashing, shrouded in darkness and in pure hunger, voices growing in crescendo, the tying of a primal union, nails digging into fur, claws digging into ground, growls, howls, moans, one dominant, one receiving, a prolonged and powerful moment... and then quiet.

Raspy breaths. Shaking limbs. My arms and legs would not let go of him. It didn't matter if my muscles were sore or my joints were locking up. I held him to me, much like he squeezed my body to his. No words, but heavy sighs and quiet, disbelieving moans. My giggle, shy and quiet, ringing into the night.

A bit of moonlight shone from the nearby window, illuminating his face, adding a shimmering white glow to his crimson eyes. My hand caressed his cheek slowly as he smiled down at me.

"I take it you agree to further my lineage ?" he teased, his telepathic voice a little strained.

"Oh, shut up."

I pinched the tip of his nose softly and he shook his head. Tender laughs filled the room.

When silence fell upon us again, Lucario looked down at me with an expression that faded into shyness. I gazed, giving him all the time he needed for whatever he wanted to say. He made a strange face, cleared his throat, then opened his maw.

"Thhrr..tha...k... yorr..."

I blinked.

"Did you-"

Lucario's embarrassment was clear to see as he waited for my answer, tail wagging shyly behind him.

"I've... been practicing. Your human way of speaking is difficult," he continued, telepathically this time.

"Lucario, that was incredible !"

Giddy as hell, I squeezed him to me while laughing loudly, happily. His face switched to surprise for a moment, before he laughed with me, holding me tight.

"Your real voice sounds even deeper and cuter than your telepathic one!"

"I do not think the term "cute" applies to my voice..."

"You don't get to decide that. You're adorable."

I kissed his cheek, and nuzzled into it as he growled in fake anger, giving lots of little nips at my skin, which tickled me more than they hurt, but I played into his "show of dominance" and didn't insist, making a mental note to call him cute a lot more. The moment passed as we both sleepily cuddled with each other. I, too, had a little something I wanted to tell him. I hesitated for several beats before I whispered softly.

"I've been thinking..."

"Mmh?"

"We could find it together."

He froze.

"What do you mean ?"

"Your name. We can find ideas together. Find ones you like. You have all the time and freedom in the world to figure it out."

I heard no response. But he buried his muzzle in my neck, hiding his face. I could feel him smile. That was all the answer I needed, and I held him softly, caressing his back. Not another word was spoken, and none were needed, as we loved and comforted each other deep into the night.

Two fates, so vastly different, so distant, wove together that night. Once strangers, now entangled like the thick roots of vines that grow no matter the weather or how steep the surface : budding today, but soon to be a magnificent tapestry of leaves and love. The hopes of an alpha, and the feelings of a human bloomed that night into something beautiful, something I hardly believed could happen to me. Whatever the hardships we would face, I knew in this moment, with unshakeable faith, that we would overcome them. Hopes and feelings were born that night, tied in endless bliss, tonight and forevermore.