#huddle for warmth trope?

[amielot]

They head back to the barn when the rain lets up.

@arialerendeair def gave inspo for this one hehe

[inazumass]

Animal Attraction - Laios x Beastman!Reader

No beta read this time, but I might add other chapters of this for f/m/ftm reader in the future on AO3 if there's enough interest for it. I try to make my smut as inclusive as possible but sometimes it takes away from the descriptors, y'know? Let me know what you think! https://archiveofourown.org/works/56591389

TAGS/Warnings: NSFW, Smut with Plot, Gender Neutral Reader, No Use of Y/N, Mild Themes of Forced Proximity/One Bed Trope (Kinda), Huddle For Warmth, Penetration, Gender Neutral Anatomy, Second Person Perspective/Freeform, Beastman/Beastkin Reader/Doglike Reader, Comfort, No Pet Names, Enthusiastic Consent, No use of protection don't be like Chilchuck, y'all

Word Count: 11.9k

As always, Minors DNI

Shadows stretched long across the wooden floor of the old bedroom where Laios sat in his bed for the night. This floor was quiet now but if anyone paused to listen they would be able to hear all the creatures off in the distance as they stalked their way through the dungeon. Their various calls and cries echoed off the far away walls of the vast cavern surrounding the ruins. 

It was cool here now, the crisp night air swirling through the alleyways and rustling the curtains. If it weren’t for the view out the window of the ruined structures littering the cave the old town was situated in, it might have been easy for anyone to convince themselves that they were in any regular old inn on the surface. 

There were few usable rooms left in the building now though, and the party had to make do with the last three decent rooms on the third floor. Not that anyone seemed to mind much… hell, most were grateful for a proper bed to sleep on for the first time in days. 

Down the hall Laios could hear the sounds of his party mates getting settled in for the night, their muffled speech unintelligible through the thick stone walls. He had settled into his bed, unfurling his bedroll over the old linen sheets as he stole glances at the newest member of their ragtag group.

He tried hard not to stare, but his gaze kept flickering up to the soft ears perched atop your head.

By now he’d known well enough not to question Izutsumi on her state after much scolding from the others and the sharp sting of her claws whenever she would get fed up with his pestering. Yet you were so vastly different in comparison to the sharper features of the party’s youngest member; your sharper more wolf-like features juxtaposed with the softer body of a human, the perfect fusion of man and beast. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like… he’d always fantasised, albeit not so secretly about what it might be like to have more animalistic features, were you more monster or more human? His thoughts were cut off quickly when your eyes flicked over to him, feeling his eyes on your back. Your ears flicked in mild annoyance, not exactly fond of the intrusive gaze.

“What are you staring at?” You sighed, all too used to the way people would size you up. The questions, the fear, the judgement.

“Your ears look so soft.” The blond smiled sheepishly as the words slipped out of his mouth without much thought. 

The sincerity of his gaze caught you by surprise, unsure how to respond as you stared back at him. You blinked slowly, momentarily thrown off by his unexpected offhand comment. He seemed genuine, his eyes holding a warmth that contrasted sharply with the usual wariness you encountered from other tallmen. After a beat of silence, you couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

"They're just ears," You replied, your tone light but tinged with a hint of amusement as your ears perked back up, "But thanks, I guess?"

He chuckled softly in return, a sheepish grin still playing on his lips. "Sorry, that was probably a weird thing to say, huh?" Laios asked, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he looked down at his lap.

"It's... different," you admitted, offering him a nonchalant shrug. "But different can be nice.” You said finally, earning another smile from the tallman.

His sheepish grin widened into a relieved smile at your response, his shoulders visibly relaxing as he let out a quiet sigh. "I'm glad you think so," Laios replied, amber eyes still avoiding your gaze. He knew if he looked back up he wouldn’t be able to resist staring a little longer. "I didn't mean to make things awkward."

You shook your head, offering him a reassuring smile of your own. "No need to worry about it. It's refreshing, honestly." You replied, sitting back against the old wooden headboard. Perhaps you had been wary of him for no reason, though you hadn’t fully dropped your defences around the group despite your curiosity about the knight. They had all been gracious enough to take you in when you were too injured to carry on alone.

You were certain if they hadn’t wandered by when they did you would have been doomed on your own. Now, you thought, you would be forever indebted to them for their kindness. That being said, you couldn’t help but feel out of place regardless of their continued kindness.

 “I’m sorry... I guess I was just expecting you to say something else.” You admitted. A sigh pushed past your lips as you hugged your knees, uneasy at even the smallest bit of vulnerability you’d shown him with your vague explanation.

Though he wasn’t the best at reading the emotions of others, he could see the way you curled in on yourself as if protecting something, your ears drooping against your head. It reminded him of the strays he would see back home, wounded, exposed…

His voice was gentle as he spoke, his gaze lifting to look you in the eyes as he searched for the right words. “I’ve heard stories of beastmen before… but you and Izutsumi are way cooler than any of them.” Laios affirmed, earning a little snort of laughter from you. “Seriously! Half tallman and half wolf, that’s… incredible!” He exclaimed.

You wanted to disagree, but something about the way his eyes lit up when he spoke had you believing it too. After all, no ordinary tallman could do what you could. Even so, you found yourself shifting in discomfort under his gaze. You had always been acutely aware of the implications of your existence, created from black magic… an abomination, a monster. 

Even now that you’d finally met someone like you, someone who couldn’t shift the way others in similar circumstances could, she was nothing like you. Though you suspected Izutsumi more than tolerated you from the way she would curl up between you and Marcille when she slept... half the time she complained that you reeked of dog smell, that you were noisy, and so on. You were nowhere near as agile as she was. Your form held little to be proud of; sharp teeth and claws, patches of fur scattered across your body. Both on the surface and deep within the dungeons black magic and all of its creations were things to be feared, reviled.

"Most people see me as a monster," you admitted bitterly, looking away from him as you hugged your knees a little tighter.

Laios’ brow furrowed slightly as he watched you retreat back into your shell. A monster? He wasn’t entirely certain what had compelled him to say what he said next, but the words came out regardless. “So what?” He frowned, his tone capturing your attention once more even if it was mostly due to the shock of hearing him speak like that. “Who cares what anyone else thinks?"  

The question was rhetorical and you knew that, yet you opened your mouth to speak anyways. The protests died on your lips before they could form entirely as he cut you off. “Their misconceptions about you aren’t going to change who you are.” The knight said firmly as he looked deep into your eyes, the intimacy of his earnest gaze causing you to look away again. 

Laios’ words echoed in your mind, resonating with a quiet strength that you couldn't ignore. You were silent for a long moment. Something about the way he spoke so confidently on the matter had you suspicious that he’d had to tell himself the same thing once or twice. "You're right," you replied, a newfound resolve coursing through your veins as you felt that unfamiliar spark of understanding for the first time in years. "Who cares what anyone else thinks?" You repeated.

For too long, you’d allowed the judgement and scorn of others to dictate your actions, to shape your perception of yourself. While it would take time to internalise it properly and truly digest the sentiment behind his words of encouragement, you felt a bit more steady for the time being. For now you would forge your own path alongside his party.

"Thank you," you said softly, meeting the knight's gaze with a grateful smile. 

“Of course.” He replied, laying back against his bed roll and looking up at the ceiling. He was torn now, frustration and mild jealousy gnashing their ugly teeth and gnawing at the back of his mind. Jealousy because he’d always dreamt of what it might be like to be a werewolf or something of the sort, frustration because others couldn’t see how amazing you and the other beastmen truly were beyond your respective abilities in the arenas. Questions swirled in his mind and died in his throat, even Laios knew that now wasn’t the time to ask. Beastman status aside, it irked him that you’d been made to feel that way about yourself.

You had laid down on your own bed before stealing another glance at him. Even in the faint glow that illuminated the room you could see the way his brow furrowed as he stared up at the vaulted ceiling, the mild tension in his jaw. 

“You look like you have something else to say.” 

He hesitated, his words caught in his throat… You couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him and whatever he seemed to be wrestling with in that moment. Despite the barriers that separated you… you shared a common struggle, not just on this mission but in life as a whole. You understood that now.

Laios hesitated, uncertain of how his thoughts would be received. "I do," he admitted. "But it's... complicated."

“Try me,” you replied, rolling over so you could face him properly.

Laios hesitated again, his gaze drifting back to the ceiling as he weighed the words in his mind. Even in the short few days you’d been with the group he knew you well enough to know that you deserved to hear what he said next.  "It's just... sometimes I can't help but feel a little... envious," he admitted, self-consciousness flooding into his senses as he spoke the words aloud. A part of him expected you to snap at him for saying something like that after he heard the way his words hung in the open air.

You didn't though, instead you just cocked your head slightly, curiosity piqued by his confession. "Envious? Of what?" He couldn't have meant what you thought he did. You were cursed. Even with the enhanced senses, your strength, your speed… the weight of the isolation had always felt heavier.

A faint blush coloured Laios' cheeks as he met your gaze, a sheepish smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Of you, actually," he confessed, his tone laced with a mix of admiration and embarrassment. "I mean, you're so... unique. You’ve got the best of both traits, you’re strong, you’re fast… you’re a skilled strategist, your sense of smell is unparalleled and… I can always tell when you’re happy because your tail wags even when you’re trying to be serious.” He looked back up and away from you once again as he realised he couldn’t stop the words from spilling past his lips, scratching the itch in his brain. 

“I know it’s only reasonable for people to be wary of the unfamiliar, it’s in our nature to want to keep ourselves safe from something that could be perceived as a threat. It’s the one thing we living creatures all have in common. But it’s just frustrating, because…”  Because you’re like me. Laios wanted to stop himself from saying what came out next, but he couldn’t help it. "...because sometimes it feels like no matter what we do, no matter how hard we try, we'll always be seen as outsiders," There was a resigned look on his face now, despite the bitterness of the frustration replacing his usual upbeat tone. "Like we're destined to be misunderstood, judged solely by the circumstances of our existence."

You swallowed hard, looking back up at the ceiling with him as his rant struck something within you. His words stung with that all too familiar ache of rejection. There was another beat of silence that passed between the two of you as the weight of his sentiment settled in.

“I know what you mean,” You replied, voice barely above a whisper. This time it was your turn to snap him out of it. “But you know what? Despite it all, we're still here. And that counts for something, doesn't it?"

He didn’t seem convinced, but you could see the way the tension started to leave his body when he finally rolled over to face you from across the room. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Laios replied, the ghost of a halfhearted smile on his pink lips. 

The two of you looked at each other in silence for a long moment, a silent understanding passing between the two of you in the night. It had been a long time since you’d had the liberty to have a conversation like this. Open, honest, vulnerable under the cover of the night, tucked away somewhere quiet...

“Thank you,” you couldn’t help but say it again, something about the heavy conversation seemed to lighten the invisible load on your shoulders. “I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve had a conversation like this.”

A soft chuckle escaped him, and he gave a slight bob of his head in agreement. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's nice to just... talk."

As the conversation continued to flow between you, the initial tension that had hung in the air slowly dissipated, replaced by a growing sense of ease and comfort. Though you both knew that you should have been sleeping, found yourself drawn to his company, his honesty and blunt nature was refreshing. As the evening wore on, bathed in the gentle glow of the flickering candles and soft hum of conversation, you couldn't help but feel grateful for having met the tallman.

You could feel the gentle caress of the breeze as it snuck through the open window, teasing the flames of the candles and sending shadows dancing across the stone walls of the old room. The soft light illuminated the room, creating an intimate atmosphere that seemed to envelop you both in its soothing embrace.

Neither of you were certain when you’d drifted off to sleep, the orange glow of the candles having been extinguished long before you’d woken up again. 

As your eyes fluttered open they struggled momentarily to adjust to the darkness surrounding your bed. With the old shutters closed and the candles extinguished it was near impossible to see at first but as your eyes adjusted your enhanced night vision came in handy. All was silent inside now, the rest of your party mates likely fast asleep… the only sounds were the frenzied rushing of the wind against the building and Laios’ light snores in the bed across from you. Even beneath the cover of your sleeping bag, you could feel the cold seeping into your bones. The tufts of fur that littered your body seemed to stand on end in the darkness, prominent goosebumps prickling across your skin 

Something was off, it was colder now. Too cold. You reached out across the gap between your beds, gently shaking Laios's shoulder. His skin was cool to the touch and you couldn’t help but notice the way he was shivering in his sleep. 

“Laios,” you whispered urgently, “wake up.” 

He stirred, breathing slow and heavy. He let out a soft groan as he blinked his eyes open, mirroring your earlier struggle to adjust to the darkness in the room now as his amber eyes searched for you in the blackness. '”What’s going on?” he murmured.

“It’s freezing… something’s wrong.” You explained, tugging your sleeping bag closer around you as if to further prove your point.

“It’s probably just the dungeon’s terrain shifting again,” he replied calmly, rubbing his eyes while his body settled back into consciousness.

A shiver rippled through his body as the chill settled in. This isn’t good, he thought to himself, trying to calculate the situation at hand through the fog of his lingering sleep. Each of the rooms had shuttered windows, so it was likely that the others were fine as well. Considering the rushing sound of the air currents outside it would be safe to assume that there was a significant risk for frostbite out there if left exposed. Staying inside the abandoned structure was certainly the better alternative… but without some sort of external heat source your muscles would easily become stiff and painful at this temperature before long. 

Laios huffed, his breath just barely visible in the dark. So that was it then. He glanced back over to you then, watching as you struggled to properly cocoon yourself in your sleeping bag to stave off the cold for just a little longer.

“We’ll be alright,” He said tenderly with a reassuring smile.

“I’m freezing, and you’re still shivering.” You groaned, clenching your jaw as you tried to keep your teeth from chattering.

He swallowed hard, weighing his options in his mind once more as he considered what he was about to say before he took a deep breath. “We should probably huddle together for warmth then.” Laios said solemnly. In an attempt to calm his racing heart he continued quickly: “Shivering all night in our sleep won’t help with the fatigue, right now our muscles are expanding and contracting really fast to try and generate warmth to compensate for the-”

“Okay,” you interrupted, too tired to keep up with his fast paced facts. 

As you swung your legs off the side of your bed he hesitated before sliding over to make room for you, watching in mild amusement as you shuffled your way across the gap in your sleeping bag before flopping down next to him in the bed. For once he was at a loss for words, not expecting you to take the opportunity so quickly, though he supposed it made sense. Even though you looked more human than beast, he supposed wolves were pack animals, used to close proximity with other members of their pack. Although- he interrupted himself in his mind, that would be dependent upon the particular species of wolf you’d been - his thoughts were quickly interrupted by the groaning of the old wood frame supporting your bodies as it creaked in protest against the added weight before settling again.

This was better, his warmth next to you helping to warm you ever so slightly, but you could still feel the sting of the cold as you laid next to him in your sleeping bag, struggling to get comfortable. Laios found himself hesitating again, although he couldn’t place exactly why. It wasn’t as if he’d never slept in close proximity to someone else. Hell, on this journey alone he’d spent countless nights sandwiched between other members of his party as they slept. 

You didn’t seem to have a problem with it as you squeezed in next to him, but he could still see the way you shivered as you tried to get settled.

“It would, uh… probably be more effective if we combined our body heat.” He muttered, swallowing the lump in his throat once more as he looked away from you. 

Silence stretched out between you for what felt like forever as he felt the familiar claws of self doubt scraping at the back of his mind. He was thankful when you finally put him out of his misery, shooting him an awkward little smile as you spoke: “Yeah, that makes sense… I’m alright with it if you are.”

He nodded firmly, still avoiding your gaze as he helped you get tucked in beneath his sleeping bag. If you noticed the shift in his energy, you didn’t show it as you cuddled up next to him, pressing your back into his side beneath the covers. Laios tried to remain calm as he laid your now empty sleeping bag overtop of his, adding extra insulation for the both of you. The wind whistled outside, the shutters stirring as cold seeped its way in through the cracks in the wood. You were grateful now for the additional heat, it sounded like the storm outside was picking up. 

The tallman let out a sigh, his breath a cloud of fog as he listened to the intensity of the wind outside. He sat up to tuck the edges of the sleeping bag beneath the two of you, ensuring that the cold couldn’t slither in between the two of you. He glanced over at you then in the dark, your soft features just barely visible in the dim light leaking in from the slits in the shutters. A little smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched your ears twitch against the pillow. You looked so comfortable, cute even. 

He pushed the thought aside as he laid back down beside you, his arm resting on the pillow above your head as he attempted to give you a little bit of space.

“I’m glad we found this place,” He commented, his voice a soft murmur above the sound of the rushing wind outside. Despite the chill, the room was calm in comparison to the storm outside. “We’re lucky we didn’t get caught out in that.”

“Mhm…” You hummed in response, already close to falling asleep as you nuzzled against his arm with a sigh.

Laios’ cheeks turned a deeper shade of red beneath the cover of darkness. He could already feel his heart rate picking up again and something about the way he couldn't take his eyes off you suggested it was due to much more than the cold. Here he could feel the way the soft fur of your ears tickled his arm, your bushy tail laid comfortably across his hips. It took every ounce of willpower in his body not to reach out and stroke the soft fur there, wanting to know exactly how the sleek fluff would feel against the roughened skin of his palms. He watched for a moment as your breathing slowed and evened out, realising it would probably be weird of him to watch you sleep. 

So instead he shut his eyes and tried to will his body to follow suit, to relax his stiffened muscles and calm the steady hammering in his chest. You grumbled softly as he tried to pull his arm away to readjust, gripping his forearm lightly as you pulled it back beneath your head. He winced internally. He was trapped now, he didn’t want to fall asleep on his back but would it be weird if he slept facing you? 

It would probably do a better job of keeping you both warm, sure, but why was it so difficult to just go ahead and roll over? His limbs felt heavy, would it be weird if he put his arm around you? If someone walked in would it cause some kind of misunderstanding? He wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with a lecture from Chilchuck on the importance of professionalism in the workplace. 

He lost himself in his thoughts again until he felt another shiver run down across your body. Poor thing, he thought, how were you still cold? He felt like he was burning up but if the cheek pressed against his arm was any indication of your overall body temperature you were still freezing. 

With a sigh he gave in and wrapped his other arm around your waist, maintaining a respectful distance from any of the more intimate areas of your body. 

You relaxed instantly into the touch, pressing back against him and pulling his arms a little closer as you seeked out the warmth. He tried hard not to look at you then, honey coloured eyes searching the ceiling in the darkness once again before he ultimately gave up and tried to close them once again.

It took some time for him to finally settle down enough to start falling asleep again, only to be interrupted by the way your tail started to wag in your sleep. At first he thought it was cute, wondering about what kind of dream you must have been having at that moment. It had to be something good. He’d always wondered what it was his childhood dogs had dreamed about when he caught their tails thumping against the ground where they slept. Briefly, he wondered if it would be rude to ask you in the morning. That was, until you shifted slightly in your sleep and it started to brush against him instead of the bed.

Laios sucked in a harsh breath through his teeth as your appendage brushed against the front of his trousers. He tried to shift his hips away from you only to earn a little groan of protest as he tried to move.

“H-hey, careful where you’re moving that.” He whispered, shakily. 

It was almost shameful how quickly that little motion had him worked up. Having spent so long traversing the dungeon with multiple people in close proximity to monsters… it wasn’t like he had a lot of time to himself. His cheeks burned with embarrassment as he tried to squirm away, only for you to grumble and push back against him in your sleep, tail still swishing lightly against his hips. If you didn’t stop soon he might blow a gasket trying to explain the growing bulge pressing into the soft fat of your ass if you woke up, or die of embarrassment, whichever came first.

“C-cut it out.” He hissed, the arm around your waist shifting so he could grip the base of your tail and stop it from rubbing against him further.

The pressure earned a low moan from you in your sleep and he immediately tensed up and froze.

“Ngh… Laios?” You muttered, voice husky with exhaustion as you came to once again.

Shit. His heart leaped in his chest as you began to stir. By now he could hear the rush of his heartbeat hammering away in his chest like the steady beat of a drum. He released his grip on the tail, too embarrassed now to fawn over how soft the fur was there. 

“Y-Yeah, I’m still here” He whispered, his throat dry as he let out another quivering breath. He stayed still then, trying to will you to go back to sleep with his mind so he could turn away and continue to ignore his growing problem in peace.

“What’s wrong?” You mumbled groggily. Even in your half-asleep state, you caught the tremor in his voice. Though you sensed no immediate danger, the wobble in his tone set you on edge. Turning to face him, you inadvertently brushed against him once more.

The moment the soft fur brushed against him again, he couldn't help but twitch as another wave of heat surged through his body. It was all too much, the close proximity and now your warm breaths fanning across his chest, it was too intense. His eyes searched the room in the darkness, avoiding your gaze as he searched for any sort of distraction to calm himself down before you noticed. Sure, it was a natural biological reaction to external stimuli but no amount of logic could spare him the shame that washed over him as he wondered what you might think of him. Your voice ripped him from his spiral once more as you repeated his name. 

Those two syllables had no right to get him as worked up as they did. Your tired voice sending another shiver down his spine as he swallowed nervously. Had his name always sounded that good on your lips?

“Laios?” You repeated, completely oblivious to his predicament until you shifted again and felt the bulge pressing into your thigh.

He winced, bracing himself for whatever it was that might come out of your mouth next. The blond prayed silently to whatever benevolent deity above might listen that you hadn’t noticed anything and he might be able to talk his way out of this somehow and turn away. But it was too late now, the evidence was there for anyone to see- or feel in your case. A soft oh was all you offered to calm his racing mind. Heat rushed into his cheeks as he fumbled for words.

“It’s-” his words broke off as you gently pulled your leg away from him, a soft gasp spilling from his lips as he fought the urge deep within himself to chase the heat in order to satiate the growing need in his abdomen. “I… I’m sorry,” he breathed, pulling away from you and attempting to give you as much space as he could within the confines of your shared sleeping bag after you’d finally let go of him. “I…” He wanted to take the blame but he didn’t know how else to get the explanation out, “you were rubbing against me in your sleep and I tried to get you to stop. I’m so sorry.”

The blush in your cheeks mirrored the knight's as you fought to recall the dream you’d been having prior to getting woken up. You hoped you hadn’t said anything while you dreamt. 

“S-sorry, I must have been dreaming, I didn’t mean to… uh,” you stammered out, looking back at him uneasily.

“It’s okay.” He practically whispered back as he looked away from you. His nerves were set ablaze even further by the intensity of your wide eyed stare. This was pathetic, really, the way those fleeting touches sent his head spinning. The way you’d brushed up against him earlier only served to further ignite the fire inside of him. He closed his eyes then and forced himself to focus on his breathing- anything that would take his mind off of the way you looked at him or the light trail of heat that lingered along his skin from the way you’d touched his body.

“We can pretend this didn’t happen,” you offered, voice trailing off as shame crept into your voice as well. Your ears drooped down against your head in embarrassment, the fur blending in with your hair under what dim lighting the room had to offer.

Even as you tried to push the thought from your mind you couldn’t help but glance down and away from his face at that moment. You didn’t want to make him any more uncomfortable than he already seemed to be with the situation… but you couldn’t fight the curiosity, so tempted to steal a glance at the space between his thighs hidden beneath the covers.

He opened his eyes just in time to catch the way you glanced downward, unable to help the way he was drawn back to you despite the awkwardness of the situation. For a moment he wondered if he’d only imagined it and that subtle unconscious flick of your tongue against your lips. Laios practically bit his tongue to stop himself from asking something he might regret later. He wasn’t going to let one little slip-up ruin the trust that the two of you seemed to be building up so far. 

“Yeah… yeah, that’s probably for the best.” He replied with a halfhearted chuckle.

With the space between your bodies now it was becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore the pent up frustration in his body. The cold was now long forgotten as he focussed on the heat radiating off of you in bed next to him as the storm raged on outside.

“We should probably get back to sleep.” You commented, voice barely audible over the thrum of your heartbeat in your ears. You relaxed slightly, trying to get comfortable in the new position you found yourself in.

The sleeping bags shifted slightly and you pulled them up, your hand brushing against him through the layers of fabric. This third accidental touch was almost enough for his resolve to shatter, a strangled whine releasing from his throat before he could stop it. He tried to compose himself, it was better to just ignore it. In the morning it would be like nothing happened and the two of you could just forget about it as it became nothing more than an awkward memory at the edge of awareness. Something you think about as you’re trying to drift off to sleep and your brain starts tormenting you with humiliating memories. 

You swallowed thickly, now trying to calm yourself down in tandem with Laios as goosebumps prickled along your skin for another reason now. Something in you was begging to hear that noise again.

It was better to remain professional about this though, and you both knew that. Even as he wrestled with the urge to grab hold of you and pull you in for a kiss, even though he wanted so badly to know just how you’d taste- fuck. He didn’t want to embarrass himself any more than he already had. So instead of giving in, he bit the inside of his cheek and turned away from you then, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to ignore the ache as his erection pressed into the coarse fabric of his pants with every ragged breath that he took.

Unbeknownst to him you were fighting the exact same demons mere inches away. The air had grown thick between you, almost heavy with the weight of the tension in it. There was a long moment of hesitation before you pressed lightly into his back. Huddling together for warmth now seemed to be a blessing and a curse. 

Your shallow breaths against the nape of his neck were driving him crazy, the warm air ghosting across his skin a stark contrast to the chill in the room around you. It had a cascading effect on his senses. Goosebumps rose against the skin of his broad shoulders beneath his shirt and down his arms. He shifted slightly, biting back another hiss when his clothes rubbed against him. You could feel the tension of the muscles in his back rippling beneath his shirt, his breath coming out in shallow huffs. Your sensitive hearing easily picked up on the way his breathing shook. 

Fuck it, you thought quickly. This was all too much. If it all went south, in the worst case scenario you were almost certain that you could find your way back to the surface yourself somehow or die trying. If the sting of rejection came after what you said next you would find it within yourself to push it down and accept it. Neither of you could stew in this awkward limbo state any longer. 

“I… if you need help getting back to sleep,” you started, your voice tickling against the hair at the nape of his neck when you spoke, “I could uh… help you out…” you offered, voice trailing off at the end as you started to rethink your words. But it was too late now, and the proposition was out in the open.

Laios stilled completely at your words, his body tensing up even further when the offer dangled between you. He wasn’t sure it would be wise to accept, if he even could accept it at first. Part of him wasn’t even sure he’d heard you correctly, were you really offering what his mind wanted to believe that you were?

After a moment of stunned silence, he rolled back around to face you. Even in the dark you could see the pupils of his honeyed eyes were blown wide with lust. 

“Are you sure?” He asked quietly, searching your eyes for any hint of hesitation or reservation.

Your body acted before you were aware of it, lightly pressing closer against him beneath the covers of the sleeping bags but still resisting the urge to touch him intimately before you heard his answer. 

“If you’re comfortable with it,” you replied, tone still hushed beneath the cries of the storm outside, “and if you want me to.”

He hesitated as he weighed his options in his mind. His will was stronger than most, but his resolve in that moment had worn paper thin. As your sweet voice beckoned him he took in the softness of your features, those cute little ears twitching above your head as you waited for his response… How could he resist? 

“...I would like that.” The blond murmured sheepishly, his voice almost catching in his throat as he melted into you where your skin pressed against his.

You let out a breath of relief, your shoulders relaxing then as you slid your hand down between you. He inhaled sharply when your palm pressed itself against the heat in the front of his trousers and you could feel the way he pulsed beneath you in response to the touch. Skilled fingers slid gently along the length of his cock through the fabric as he bit the inside of his cheek. 

Your eyes widened slightly, a light gasp breaking the silence from you as you felt the less than humble girth between his hips. 

His body reacted involuntarily to the touch, leaning into it slightly as he squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment once more. Everything else had already begun to fade away as he focussed on the warmth of your palm against him, the length straining desperately against the cloth. Fingers rubbed slowly against the outside of the rough fabric before your hand gently squeezed around the tallman’s cock and earned another shuddering breath from him.

Hazy lust filled eyes focussed on the fluffy ears atop your head, too shy to look down at your face as he trembled beneath your touch. His hands balled into fists as you began to massage his shaft, brows knitting together as he fought to hold in a moan. He wanted to touch you so badly, your skin beckoning to him like a siren's song as he leaned into your touch.

The way he pulsed against every little flick and drag of your fingers had your mouth watering in anticipation. Still, you wanted to see him relax, your hand sliding up and down slowly against his length. 

The simple friction of your palm against him shouldn’t have sent him into the tailspin that it did, his hips beginning to shift instinctively against your touch. The slow massage of your grip against him only served to make his body ache even more. Laios finally started to let go, a low moan reverberating out against the night air.

“There we go…” you sighed, lightly squeezing him through his pants once more in appreciation.

As he began to give in fully to the pleasure you were giving him the sounds he made were nothing short of heavenly. Whimpers and whines began to slip out more frequently as you touched him now. His hips rocked against you as the slow strokes of your hands stoked the flames of need within him.

You were acutely aware now more than ever of the close proximity, your lips mere inches apart as you started to fully stroke him through his pants. As much as you wanted to tease him more, it was plain as day on his face that he needed this, and you certainly couldn't say no. Silently, you cursed the fabric that hid his body from view.

He couldn’t help but thrust his hips up against your grasp, letting out another soft whine as a similar thought crossed his mind. He needed more contact, the saccharine sound of your coos coupled with the sensation of your hand rubbing his cock through his pants was only making him more desperate as another whine escaped him.

Slowly, your fingers trailed up the front of his pants, earning a disappointed little huff from your comrade at the loss of your touch. Your breaths trembled as your hand came to rest at the closure on the front of his pants.

Your eyes searched for him in the darkness, looking into his with sincerity as you breathed out a soft “May I?”

“God, yes. ” He whined out.

Even if he wanted to he couldn’t have kept the desperation out of his voice if he tried. It was more than enough to have your hands undoing the fastening on his pants with ease. His hips lifted up off the bed so you could help him shimmy out of the garments just enough. 

His cock sprung free from the restrictive fabric and he let out a contented sigh of relief. It twitched in your hands, earning a soft hum from you as you wrapped your fingers around the base of his shaft.

The sudden release felt like heaven, he couldn’t stop the shudder that ran through his body as you began to stroke him again. That delicious drag of your hand against him, skin finally on skin. Your touch was gentle though, it made him want to press forward even more, his hips bucking up against your grip as a low moan ripped from his throat again. The touch was akin to a jolt of electricity through his system and as he stole another glance down at your pretty face he couldn’t help but admit to himself that perhaps it was more than the friction that had gotten him worked up. 

You lifted your hand and spat gently into it before reaching back down and spreading the warm slick against his length. His breath hitched at the new sensation, his chest heaving slightly with every breath he took. 

You sighed happily as you felt another grateful pulse beneath your grip. Your thumb swiped lightly over the bead of pre-cum that drooled out of the needy pink tip of his cock while you began to pump him slowly. Hot breath fanned against his neck, your gaze flickering back up to his handsome face. If Laios noticed the way your eyes glanced down to his parted lips, he didn't show it. He was too engrossed in the almost torturous pace you’d set for him. 

Every instinct within him screamed for you to pick up the pace, to hurry up and relieve the tension building up in his body as your grip tightened around his shaft. He let out a groan, knowing that in actuality he wouldn’t dare try and rush you, wanting to hang on to the intoxicating feeling of this intimate moment for as long as he possibly could.

“Can I kiss you?” He whimpered out, looking down at you with a pitiful expression on his flushed face.

He’d hardly had to finish his sentence before your lips were on his, eagerly swallowing his moans while you jerked him off under the covers. The noise you made was somewhere between a moan and a growl, your sharp canines grazing against his lips while your free hand moved up to grip the mess of short blonde hair at the nape of his neck.

Your kiss was returned eagerly, his eyes fluttering shut as he basked in the perfect taste of your lips. The low hum of Laios’ moans vibrated up from deep within his chest while his hips bucked lazily with every pump of your fist against him. When you finally broke apart he was panting and whining as he thrusted up into your hand.

“You’re so handsome like this,” you purred, pressing kisses against his jaw before he needily pulled you back into him for another hungry kiss.

One of his strong hands tangled its fingers in the locks of your messy hair, the tips of his digits gently putting pressure on your scalp as he kissed you with newfound passion. His cheeks burned at your compliment, unable to keep from giving in. He would proudly drink up every ounce of pleasure you were offering him. You returned the kiss full force, every flick of your wrist dragging more of those beautiful sounds from his lips.

Laios had always found himself weak in the knees whenever you’d compliment him, but he’d done his best to ignore it for the sake of the mission. Your kind words had such an effect on him but right now your praise felt like so much more. Something about the way you pressed into him, your fingers grasping at his hair, soft lips on his, it made him want nothing more than to hear what sort of sounds you might make beneath him instead.

As if on cue, his fingers grazed lightly against the base of your ears, earning a whimper against his lips as you kissed. The soft fur was just as incredible beneath his fingertips as he imagined. He'd wanted to feel those cute little wolf ears from the moment he'd laid eyes on them and now was the perfect opportunity. It was his turn to make you weak in the knees, the comfortable intimacy of the touch had every thought melting out of your mind.

At your moans he couldn’t help but thrust a little harder into your fist. But you slowed down, the slick strokes of your palm all but stopping as your fist tightened around the base of his shaft.

Selfishly, you wanted to drag this out for as long as you could, to milk this moment for everything that it was worth while moans tangled together between you two. His tongue dipped past your soft lips, sinking into your mouth and running along yours as he continued to play with your ears.

You found yourself pressing your thighs together, hips shifting as arousal pooled within you, a futile attempt to get some sort of friction against where you needed it most. The taste of his lips against yours was almost enough on its own to have your eyes rolling back into your head. But the way his fingers teased and tugged at your sensitive ears had your mind swirling with lust as your thumb swept across the crown of his cock once more, smearing precum and saliva against the heated skin.

He groaned again at your teasing, breaking the kiss with a pant as he rutted up into your fist. His head was spinning from the way you touched him, all five of his senses on fire. The way your hand squeezed around his cock, your soft lips on his, those cute expressions when he played with your ears, after having gone so long without a moment to relieve himself it was almost too much and not enough all at the same time. He could feel the soft triangles of nerves and fur twitching and tensing beneath his hand, your whimpers against his mouth were already getting desperate.He needed more of you, more of those sweet sounds you were giving him.

“Please,” you begged, the word leaving your lips like a prayer before you’d realised what you were even saying. The storm didn’t matter anymore, the only pressing issue was the burning desire that threatened to consume you both in an instant. Your grip stiffened around him then as he fucked your hand lazily.

He couldn’t help the lusty moan that drawled out of him when you tightened up. Laios could only hope that the cover of darkness hid how shameless he looked then, adorned by your touch. He couldn’t think, couldn’t focus with what you were doing to him. He could hardly keep his composure as your name left his mouth in another desperate whine. The pleasure zipped its way up his spine as his head fell back against the pillows again, eyes fluttering shut.

A strong hand wrapped around your waist, practically pulling you on top of him. His mouth hung open, lips parted to let out the needy sighs and whines that spilled out as his brows knit together.

He looked like the most delectably sinful work of art you’d ever laid eyes on, every marble statue and delicate oil painting paling in comparison. It was difficult not to feel giddy at the fact that you were the only one who got to see such a beautiful sight.

You couldn’t help yourself but to lean down and press kisses along the exposed skin of his neck, canines lightly brushing against the sensitive spots on his neck while you lightly nipped and sucked at his pale flesh.

He could hardly keep his composure, more desperate whimpers leaving his mouth as he was consumed by desire. His heart pounded in his chest like the beat of a drum when you finally straddled him, soft thighs splayed open across his as you worked his cock.

His hand gripped your hips with a newfound possessiveness. The warmth of your body pressed against him had him completely drunk on lust and the throbbing between his legs that you’d been skillfully building up with every little flick of your wrist was becoming unbearable.

Laios couldn’t stop himself from rutting up against you, his cock rubbing up against your crotch as he held you down against his body. A shudder wracked through him when he felt the tip rub against your heat through the layers of fabric that separated you two. 

He let out a soft curse at the feeling, your warmth only teasing him more as you let out a little cry of pleasure. Your hips jolted forwards against him involuntarily, searching for a little more pressure when he bumped against you. 

“Ah…” You sighed, your grip on his length slipping when he shuddered beneath you.

The little mewls you were already starting to let out as you ground against him were more compelling than any siren’s call. His hips jutted forward again as he started to thrust against you in time with the tantalising roll of your hips. The way your body moved on top of him was hypnotising. If there was a heaven, this is what it must have felt like. He needed to get his hands on your skin, to make you feel even half the pleasure you were giving him. His breathing was growing haggard as he fought the urge to rip your shorts in half just so he could have you right then and there. 

“Hah, please, ” he panted, “please, can I touch you?” The way his golden eyes stared up at you, wide and pleading, would have been enough on its own to have your heart racing.

Your eyes were half lidded as you looked down at him, your tail swishing lightly across his thighs in anticipation. Pride swelled in your chest at the mess you’d reduced him to in just a few short minutes, though you were no better.

“Please.” You echoed, proving your desire with another needy roll of your hips against his length.

Your gorgeous form settled prettily in his lap, eagerly awaiting his next move. Gods above, he would do anything for you. 

The tallman’s breath hitched in his throat at your plea, his mouth drying up when he looked up into your eyes. His hands trembled lightly against your thighs as he moved to hook his fingers in the waistband of your shorts. 

“Are you sure?” He stammered out.

Once this line was crossed it could never be uncrossed, there would be no going back. Hell, he didn’t think he wanted to. If he could lay with you every night for the rest of his life he’d die satisfied. Thankfully for him, your reassurance was all he needed to let loose.

“I need you.” You breathed.

The intoxicating drag of his length against your clothed warmth had you both tensing up with the desire for more. You craved him like you’d never craved another’s touch before, the burning ache within you would be satisfied with nothing more than being filled by his girth. 

Simultaneously, at your needy whines he found himself on the verge of losing control, his hips grinding up against you with a little more force before he finally pulled the garments off of you. His knuckles white as he clenched the fabrics in his hand and discarded them beside himself on the bed. The pressure, the lust, all of it was too much.

His strong hands grasped your hips again for a moment as he stared at you in awe, the soft tufts of fur on your body perfectly framing your heat. If it had been any other time and place he’d have had you on your back beneath him in seconds, diving his face between your thighs just to get a taste of what you had to offer. The slick glint of your own arousal shone slightly in the dim lighting, he’d have to wait for another time if he got the chance. Right now he needed this.

One hand slid between your thighs to stroke you gently, his gaze laser focussed on the way you twitched and trembled beneath his touch. The sweet sound of your moans filled his ears and he couldn’t take it anymore. He lifted you up again, aligning his cock with your entrance before slipping inside. Laios didn’t want to waste a second longer without your skin against his.

The head of his cock split you open with ease and had you whimpering at the sting of the stretch while you sunk down on him. Thighs tensed as you sucked his tip inside of you, sending his eyes rolling back into his head.

You groaned, “sh-shit… ah.. S’too big..” You whined.

Despite your protest, he watched as you circled your hips above him, wanting more of that painful pleasure as you bounced slightly in his lap. Silently, you begged your body to get used to the feeling, but on the other hand you didn’t think you ever could… hell, maybe you didn’t want to. The burn of his size was delicious in its own way.

“Mmm-ngh!” He grunted, the tips of his fingers digging into the meat of your thighs. His nails threatened to bite into the skin there as he tried hard not to buck his hips up into you. As much as his body craved the feeling of bottoming out inside you he refused to cause you any further discomfort. 

“Fu-huhhck.. It’ll… it’ll get easier, I promise.” Laios cooed, reaching a hand down to stroke you again to ease the pain.

Your head lolled back against your shoulder as you tried to take him deeper, the ridge of his cockhead sinking in past the first ring of muscle when you began to relax for him. The whimpers and groans already leaving your mouth had goosebumps rising against his pale flesh again as his own whines trembled past his lips. His dick pulsed inside of you, sending more fluid leaking out against where you were connected.

“Oh my god,” You groaned, feeling his precum mixing with yours and dripping down the inside of your thighs. 

His breaths were ragged as he tried to maintain his composure for your sake, but all was lost as soon as you commented on the way he twitched inside of you. With a grunt, he let his hips surge forward the slightest bit, sinking deeper inside. The knowledge that his cock was leaking inside of you, that you could feel every twitch and every pulse of his veins in your heat, it stirred something primal within him. His fingers tensed against you while he fought the urge to rut up into you like an animal.

Suddenly, your hand joined his in stroking yourself, fingers teasing the engorged area of your arousal. His eyes were glued to you then, watching the way you struggled to take him. Your hips rolled up and down against the first few inches, trying to take just a little bit more.

“That’s right..” he panted, watching with half lidded eyes as you touched yourself above him. His voice was a low purr against your eardrums, his thumb rubbing little comforting circles into your hip as he drank in the beautiful sight before him. “You can take it… you’re already doing so well, just a little more, yeah?”

You nodded, cheeks burning at the praise as another inch sunk inside.

Laios' eyes darkened with a fierce hunger as he watched you work your fingers against your slick heat. The wet, rhythmic sounds of your shallow thrusting blended with the heavy symphony of breathless moans and urgent whimpers filling the room. The old wooden bedframe groaned beneath your intertwined bodies, each creak adding a raw, primal beat to the music of your desire.

It was all music to his ears. His pupils were blown wide, gaze locked on where you straddled him, lost in the sight of you. The scorching, tight sensation of your walls squeezing around him erased all coherent thought, leaving only a primal urge to fill you completely. 

Barely three inches deep inside you, he was on the edge of sanity, teetering on the brink of losing control with every subtle shift and grind of your hips. Each tiny movement had him mesmerised, but when you whimpered his name with a desperate cry, he gasped, watching you sink further down on his cock. Every little movement you made had his gaze transfixed on you.

Your hands clenched into tight fists against the coarse fabric at the hem of his shirt, the material now messily bunched up around his waist. The friction of the cloth against your skin only heightened the intensity, adding another layer of sensation to the overwhelming pleasure that coursed through both of you.

His abdomen tensed and flexed beneath your hands as he held himself back. He gasped and shuddered, your body taking him so well as you practically sucked him in. Jaw clenched tight, he let out a soft groan of your name. For a brief moment his eyes squeezed shut, his needy whines only serving to further your attempts to take him all the way. The cold air of the room stung his skin where it touched him, heightening the sensation of your warm body pressed against his.

You were a whining mess already, the mixture of pain and pleasure going straight to your groin when you finally took him all the way down to the hilt. The slight curve of his dick had the head pressing firmly against the spot inside you that made your knees weak. He was finally sheathed inside you, pulsing and twitching like a live wire. Ironically, he was the one who wanted to start pounding into you like a dog in heat. His eyes rolled back again as he let out a guttural moan, the sound rippling up from somewhere deep in his chest. Laios wanted to stay composed, to keep himself in check… but the excitement coursing through his body had rendered him helpless against his own desires as he began to bounce you up and down in his lap. 

The way he said your name echoed inside your head, somewhere between a plea for more and a low groan that rolled off the tip of his tongue. Your hands shook against the fabric of his shirt, your back arching overtop of him as you tried to catch your breath, a blessing he wouldn’t allow you as he bucked into you.

“Oh my god,” his voice was breathless. “Fff… ah- ‘m sorry,” He whined, the friction sending a ripple of ecstasy down his spine. 

His grip tightened on your hips, holding you tightly against his pelvis. That brief moment of weakness had earned a wanton cry of pleasure from your lips. He let another shaking breath out, trying to compose himself, he was reminded of the way your face contorted when he pushed inside. His eyes shut again as he took a deep breath.

Once the initial shock wore off for you it was heavenly. The sound of his ragged pants and whines egging you on as you started to move against him, fighting the urge to melt into his body at the pleasure. Your legs were quivering now as he thrusted up against you again, trying with all your might to keep enough of a level head to move back down against him.

One of his hands reached down to massage your thigh as he cooed soft praises up at you. When you’d started to move all bets were off, his hips thrusting up eagerly to meet your movements while his other hand held your hips possessively. The slow rhythm you’d set was perfect, but he needed more . 

“‘S’okay, right?” he huffed out, looking up at you with what could only be described as adoration. He wanted you to enjoy this just as much as he did.

All you could manage was a hurried nod and a whimper.

“That’s it… yeah,” He groaned, watching as you held onto him for dear life. 

Your features contorted in ecstasy as he began to roll up against you, his shallow thrusts helping to establish that slow rhythm between you for the time being.

That smooth voice had you clenching around him, body shivering. The wind rushed by outside and fell on deaf ears, the only thing that mattered to either of you right then was this perfect moment. Your body spread open on his dick while he fucked you gently. 

“So good,” he babbled, mostly to himself as his head fell back against the pillows. “Oh my god,” Laios groaned, his words punctuated by the slow, steady roll of his hips up against you as he ground his cock against that sensitive spot inside you. 

Another cry of pleasure left your throat, the sound hanging in the open air between you as you began to slide yourself up and down along his length. His words had you dizzy, already drunk on his touch as your legs shook on either side of him. Your eyes fluttered shut, trying to maintain a steady rhythm, but the continuous drag against your sweet spot had your eyes glazing over and he wasn’t about to stop any time soon. When another cry of his name left your lips he groaned again. The sound was smooth and hoarse all at the same time, his hands tensing on your hips.

Your body was practically milking him already while you rode him. In a perfect world he could go on like this all night, just laying back and letting you take control… but he could see the fatigue in your movements. Your eyebrows knit together, hands shaking against his abs. Any semblance of modesty or bashfulness had left him as the hands that had rested on your hips slipped below you to grip the fat of your ass with a grunt. 

In an instant your back was flush against the bed, hips pinned down by his capable hands. 

Laios aligned himself with your entrance once more, pushing himself in all the way to the hilt in one fluid motion as he kissed your cheeks to soothe the ache of the stretch. A hand pressed against his cheek, golden eyes looking lovingly into your own as he smiled down at you.

“I can take it from here, okay?” His voice was soft right before he pressed another kiss against your forehead. He had you pinned beneath him as he littered kisses across your heated skin. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back like this, not for long anyway.

“Ngh… o-off,” you whimpered, your fingers tugging at the hem of his shirt. If he was going to fuck you like this you wanted to see it all, every tense and flex of his thick muscles above you until the image was locked in your brain. “I wanna see you.” 

There was a moment of hesitation at your plea, Laios taking in the gentle tone and the way your ears laid flat against the top of your head as you begged so cutely underneath him. He’d never felt so wanted in his life, and the way you clung to him had him half convinced this might have been some sort of dream. Nonetheless he’d shed his shirt in an instant immediately afterwards, his sturdy frame on full display for you now as he sat back up between your thighs.

Your heart nearly stopped in your chest as you watched him pull his shirt off over his head. Your eyes greedily drank in the sight before you, the way his bare chest heaved with every shaking breath, his abdominal muscles tensing beneath his skin as he rocked back into you. He couldn’t help the smile on his lips when he caught you staring.

His lips were on yours then, capturing them in another hungry kiss as he began to thrust into you with long, slow strokes. Your legs squeezed against his hips, tongues tangling together in an intricate dance to the beat of a song only the two of you could hear. 

Soft fingers pressed into the firm flesh spanning his broad shoulders as you whined into the kiss.

Laios practically growled then, something snapping inside of him when he felt the way your tail flicked against the side of his leg in approval. His head buried itself in the crook of your neck as he began to pick up the pace, grinding himself down against your tight heat.

Creaks and moans filled the room now, the wet sound of skin slapping against skin coming in to join the chorus. Your arousal and pre-cum dripped between the two of you, the viscous translucent fluids stretching between your bodies and connecting the two of you in strings every time he began to pull back. The room was heavy with the scent of sex, all initial reservations forgotten as he slammed into you.

“Ah!” You gasped, claws biting into the skin of his back accidentally when he rammed into the spot that had your vision blurring again.

“Fuck!” He growled again, his teeth scraping against your shoulder in retaliation. “You’re so fucking hot… taking me so well.” 

You practically squealed beneath him, body clenching around his cock with a grip that threatened to make him cum on the spot. The headboard banged against the wall with the force of his thrusts, his grip on you tightening possessively. All you could do was gasp and whimper beneath him as you tried to keep yourself coherent.

The way he fucked you was animalistic, his hips grinding down against you just enough to rub at your arousal trapped between your bodies. Sweat began to bead on his brow as he lost control, those primal urges within him flooding to the surface as he rutted into you.

Your body tensed and shook under him as he used his grip on your hips to deepen his thrusts. His usual soft amber eyes looked more golden, more wolf like than your own as he looked down at you.

Laios grunted as he rolled forwards against you again and sent your claws dragging against his back. You clung to him desperately, this carnal need worse than any heat you’d ever gone through. He had you panting and gasping with the force of his relentless thrusts, the bed creaking and slamming against the wall as you both lost control.

“Fuck, fuck, please! D-don’t stop” you sobbed out.

He didn’t think it was possible for your body to grip him any tighter but every time he pulled out it felt like you were sucking him back in.

He growled in response, his hand reaching down to stroke you in time with his relentless thrusts as he felt the tension starting to build in his abdomen. Your cute little squeaks and whines went straight to his cock. He couldn’t form a proper sentence if he tried.

You were babbling now, begging for more as you started to come undone around him. The perfect arch of your back off the bed pressed you even tighter against his body and he took it upon himself to hold you there as he fucked you through your orgasm.

It had you seeing white, a sob of pleasure wracked your body. Thighs clenched around his hips, your moans shaking. The blond watched as you came, your head lolling back against your shoulders in post orgasmic bliss. He savoured the way your body tightened around him.

His fingernails dug into your hips as he pistoned into you. “C-close…” He grunted into your neck.

In your bliss, you begged him to finish inside. The debauched whimpers setting his nerves on edge and his pulse skyrocketing. Your pleas filling his head as he ground against your already overstimulated heat. Your cum dribbled down against his skin as he pinned you back down, growling into your neck as he reached his peak with a loud curse. The sound was muffled by your soft flesh against his lips and teeth as he shuddered above you. His hips jutted forward and slammed you against the bed as you milked him for everything he was worth, his cock twitching and sputtering inside you.

“Ngh! Fuck…” He whined. His hands rubbed lightly against your sides, lightly squeezing your ass one more time as he stayed inside.

“Hah,” you chuckled tiredly, lightly stroking along the marks you’d left on his back. “I knew you were pent up but I didn’t realise you were that pent up,” you teased, turning your head to the side so you could kiss his jaw.

“‘S not my fault,” He whined, nuzzling further into your neck. After all, how could it be his fault alone when you had him so wound up he could barely think straight? 

This earned a little giggle from you as he rolled off of you, coming to rest at your side in the bed. The wind had calmed outside, the musty scent of the old room long replaced with the stench of arousal and sweat. A part of him couldn’t believe what you’d just done, and in a dungeon no less…

The sight of you blissed out next to him was enough to make him forget his lamentations entirely. Your soft ears tickled his jaw as you nuzzled closer, arms clinging to him as fatigue took over again. He reached down and pulled the sleeping bags back up over you, not wanting to risk the cold creeping back in again.

“You’re so cute like this,” He smiled, the fingers of his free hand gently running up through your hair to stroke your ears lightly.

“Ngh… n-no, shut up,” You whined.

It was a weak line and it was obvious you didn’t mean it. Even Laios could have told you that from your tone alone, but the way your tail wagged against your side of the bed had him beaming. 

“Hey, I mean it,” He murmured, his hands tracing lightly against your skin and the soft patches of fur on it.

You kept hiding your face regardless, embarrassed by the compliment. Your lips pressed gently against his shoulders, peppering kisses there in a silent apology for the claw marks as exhaustion crept into your bones. 

“You’re gorgeous.” He whispered, leaning down and to plant a soft kiss against the dewy skin of your forehead. He took it one step further and reached over to lightly stroke your tail. His golden eyes were half lidded now and filled with all the adoration in the world as he looked down at you. 

“We should get back to sleep,” you sighed, melting into the way he stroked your hair. 

Even just mere hours ago he couldn’t imagine having you this at ease and relaxed in his arms. He gently adjusted himself so he was curled around you too, your limbs tangled together as you drifted off to sleep.

[milomilesmib]

"Oh you're cold? Take my coat" but it's life or death so the character giving the coat is essentially saying "only one of us can make it out and I want it to be you"

Bonus points if it's enemies to lovers so it's like "I used to want you to die so bad but now all I want is for you to live, so much so that I'd give my own life just to make sure you get out of this alive."

[fort-cozy-mcblanket]

Whatever you do, do not think about Sheldon and Amy cuddled up together in the stands wearing their matching hockey jerseys while they watch their son play. Do not do it.

[scarerjh]

Peri-menopause/Post Apocalypse

Joel Miller x f!You One Shot.

Summary: You’re on patrol with Joel (ooh I rhymed), get stuck in a cabin until morning, a little bit of body warmth trope, a little bit of one bed (cabin) trope, with a sprinkling of idiots in love. Also S.M.U.T.

You were on holiday when it happened, in a foreign country celebrating your twenty tenth birthday that had been in the February. Now it was about 6 weeks until your twenty thirtieth birthday and you were hauled back into your memories as you trotted behind Joel quietly as you did the late patrol.

You had survived 20 years of an apocalypse, and in a foreign country. The first of your five friends on holiday with you hadn’t even survived outbreak day, you’d had to dispatch her yourself, your other friends never looked at you the same after that, and you didn’t feel the same. You had a few memories that made you smile though too, you almost chuckle thinking about Alice as you looted the shops to get what you needed before trying to head out of Austin, the first city on your planned road trip. Alice had picked up boxes of condoms saying, “you never know,”. “I’m pretty sure an apocalypse is contraception enough right now,” you had retorted.

Like many around you in Jackson, including the stoic man in front of you, you’d done things you never thought yourself capable of to survive; you carried the guilt of being the only survivor amongst your friends, and carried the sorrow of not even knowing if your family was alive, and you weren’t sure you would come to terms with never knowing. Without evidence there was always hope…and hope fucking hurts.

You’d been in Jackson for about four years, your skills as a medic being a huge bartering tool to get them to let you stay. Somehow, you’d managed to carve out a life, and for being in an apocalypse, things were peaceful when not on patrol. In Winter, days like today, patrol was usually quiet too.

 The snow started falling and at first it was pretty despite there already being more than enough on the ground. Within the hour a snowstorm seemed to be settling in, so you sped up, needing to get to the checkpoint and return to Jackson ASAP.

At the cabin you signed the book for the two of you as Joel checked everything was secure, it was a basic little place and would often require ongoing repairs, especially in Winter, despite this, it was still a shock when you heard the crash of wood and a gruff curse. To your right Joel stood covered in a new dust of snow, the door to the cabin at his feet.

You both tried your best to make the cabin secure with what basic tools were available, but it was rotten, and the top hinge was completely unusable.

Joel stood with his hands on his hips surveying the door and caught you bouncing on your toes blowing on your cold fingers.

“Okay, we’ll make ourselves a fire and set in for the night until the mornin’ patrol come,”

“Shit, it’s going to be freezing,”

“We’ll be alright, I’ll build a fire, you grab any blankets you can find. We’ll make do,”

You were never averse to spending time with Joel, but you were averse to returning to Jackson with fewer toes than you left with. Every scrap of fabric in the place was hunted down and you started building by the fireplace before you set up the stove.

As Joel worked on building the fire you watch his broad back shift, and his big hands handle the logs and kindling. His jeans pulled taut over his backside, showing off its gentle curve.

“I thought you were brewing coffee,” Joel spoke over his shoulder, pulling you away from your leering.

“I am,”

“Well, I ain’t hearin’ it,” his tone was teasing.

“Well, someone needs to hurry up and start the fire so I can use the flint for the stove,” you retorted.

The teasing in your friendship with Joel was a recent development, starting just a few weeks ago, and you liked it, really liked it. Since his arrival in Jackson he had slowly opened up to you as he settled in, and you observed the change keenly, like a lot of other singletons in Jackson. He was slowly getting used to not needing to be on alert all the time, his resting bitch face started to soften around the edges, and he was slowly becoming more sociable. He was still very much a calculated man, but every so often, and increasingly so, his guard was lowered around you, telling you once after a few whiskeys that he felt at ease around you, even safe.

The two of you were similar in some ways, both a little stubborn, both keeping your social circles small, and both too stupid to admit your attraction to the other, assuming it was one sided.

You saw all the single people in Jackson and how they looked at him, you were one of them. He was strong, handsome, and extremely capable, surprisingly soft spoken, and very polite. Every single person in Jackson seemed to want to solve the mystery that was Joel Miller. You think you’re ahead of the curve though, but that has led to unrequited feelings, and though you technically haven’t been rejected, you haven’t been brave enough to even try to blur that line between you. There were younger and prettier people than you in town, and he could have his pick, so why would he pick you?! You were discovering lines on your face, a little weight to your belly. If you weren’t sweating like a nun in a cucumber patch, you were looking like an idiot because you couldn’t think of the right word. You weren’t exactly feeling like a catch.

 Joel was pleased with his work, the door to the cabin barricaded with what furniture was available, a fire starting to take hold, and the bubbling of coffee behind him. He found himself smiling at your sass, it was one of his favourite things about your friendship, well, about you really. He never had any qualms about undertaking any kind of detail with you, but patrol was his favourite. Just the two of you sharing stories from before outbreak day, and plenty of them about days since. Being not too dissimilar in age you remember a lot of the same things. Your silences together were comfortable, you worked well as a team whether you were hunting or fighting. Somehow you made his coffee taste better, and despite hating it, you would sometimes steal a few sips if you were cold. He never failed to be both enamoured and amused as your nose would crinkle as you gasped after swallowing the bitter liquid. Joel thought you were so sweet, but you would never go for someone like him. Since becoming settled and opening himself up to the possibility of as close to a normal life as possible this new world could afford he’d started developing a niggle in his stomach, it started when he met you and has only got worse since. He found his gaze lingering on you, felt a tightness in his chest when you laughed, and a tightness in his jeans when you would strip to your tank top and fan yourself in one of your ‘tropical moments’, a thin film of sweat glistening on your skin that he wanted to lave with his tongue. But you were too kind, too bright, too beautiful to want him. He felt you could see his tainted soul when your bright eyes held his gaze.

“You havin’ some?” Joel offered up his cup of coffee.

“If I get desperate,”

“You don’t know what you’re missin’ darlin’,”

“I know very well what I’m missing,” you wiggled your socked toes near the fire. You spend the next hour idly chatting before making sure the barricade was holding before settling down for the night, zipping your sleeping bags together so your body heat would carry you through the night when the fire died. Sharing a bed or a sleeping bag wasn’t new to either of you so there was no embarrassment as you both got comfortable, ensuring your weapons were in reach before bidding each other goodnight.

Some of your most restful nights outside the walls of Jackson have been laid up against Joel, his warmth and musk lulling you towards sleep; eyelids suddenly heavy and muscles relaxing, sinking into the makeshift bedroll. Your slumber came so quickly you didn’t notice Joel pressing his lips softly to the top of your head.

Joel noticed it was an unsettled night for you, tossing and turning, but you remained asleep, so he just assumed you were uncomfortable. If you weren’t having a nightmare there was no reason for him to wake you. If he did, you’d probably kill him with a spoon.

A thud startled Joel awake, and he felt you curl into him, a small moan rising from you.

“Sssh!” came softly from your lips.

“It wasn’t me,” his voice was dry, and low from sleep. He felt you stiffen in his arms at the thought of an intruder or infected. His arm instinctively pulled you tighter into him as he surveyed the room. There was nothing and no one in the room besides the two of you and he started to relax. “Think your boots just fell over darlin’,”

As you both relaxed your sleep addled brains took a moment to register that Joel’s bare hand laid firmly in the middle of your very bare back. The realisation was almost in unison and you both looked down under the covers. Somehow during the night, you had stripped yourself of everything but your knickers.

“Oh fuck!” you clung onto Joel to try and hide yourself while he oscillated between amused, embarrassed, and turned on.

“The fire ain’t even that warm,” you could hear his amusement in his tone, but couldn’t see the struggle in his face with yours buried in his chest, cheeks burning furiously.

“It’s you!” you thump your fist into his chest.

“Wha…?!”

“You’re like a furnace, I must have started with a hot flush,” you look down at yourself again and Joel’s eyes follow suit, his gaze being met with your cleavage, your breasts pressed tight to his chest. He couldn’t stop the small groan that escaped his chest and his hand curled into a fist at your back. All he could think of was pushing is face into your soft flesh and inhaling your scent.

The sexual sound of his groan, the tight fist at your back lit a fire in you, and your pussy started to throb. You snapped your head up so quickly, trying to get a read on him that you headbutted his chin, his head reeled back as you swore in tandem.

"Oh fuck, Joel! I’m so sorry!” you instinctively rise and cradle his face in your hands surveying the damage. His eyes were watering slightly but he was otherwise unscathed. Having slid up his body Joel was very aware of you pressed against him, thigh almost encased by his own, breasts sitting high on his chest, so close he could probably just about reach their soft swell with the tip of his tongue. You watch Joels’ gaze fall to your cleavage, bounce up to your eyes before focusing on your lips. His warm hands squeeze your hips, and when you speak his name it’s a breathy question, one which he understands immediately, nose brushing against yours.

“Yeah,” he utters before your lips make contact. A shiver of adrenaline ran through you, causing you to inhale deeply through your nose because no way in hell were you letting your lips leave his. A small grunt parts Joel’s lips and you take your opportunity to delve your tongue into his mouth. His hands leave a blazing hot trail up your back as you shift to straddle him under the covers, his hips bucking immediately as your hot core presses against his hardening cock.

“Fuck…wanted you for months,” he spoke with your earlobe perched delicately between his teeth.

“Really?!”

“Yeah, you’re so fuckin’ beautiful,” he looks up at you. “I tried to stop it, tried not to let you in…” he squeezed two handfuls of your backside.

“Let me in?!”

“I…I ain’t…fuck…I tried not to let you in,” his words may fail him, but his actions don’t as he places your palm over his heart as it heaves beneath his ribs. You crash your lips to his once more, kisses becoming feverish and sloppy, both of you fumbling with the buttons of his shirt as you grind against him, whimpering at the feeling of his hard cock caged in his jeans. Forcing you to sit up he pulled his shirt and t-shirt off over his head, both of you erupting in goosebumps as the cold air hits your warm skin.

“Oh shit darlin’, you’re so pretty,” he took the opportunity to gaze upon your bare body, palming your breasts gently, feeling your nipples tickle against his palms. He lowered his head to suck one nipple into his warm and wanting mouth, delighting in the gasp that rises from your throat. In this position his denim covered cock hits your clit just right and you begin riding him like that, slipping your fingers into his soft curls to anchor yourself against him. The undulations of your hips were as frustrating as they were relieving for the ache of his stiff cock.

“Joel…” you whimper as you get closer to your release, your soaked pussy clenching around nothing, the coil in your abdomen about to snap.

“Mmm, that feel good darlin’?”

“Yeah, oh fuck Joel, I’m gonna cum,”

“Cum all over me darlin’, I got you,”

“I want you inside me, want you to fill me up,” you wrap your arms around his neck and speak against his lips as you near your precipice.

“I will baby, I promise, but you gotta cum for me first, ‘kay? Cum for me and I’ll give you anythin’ you want,” He kissed his way along your jaw as you clung to him and your breaths stuttered, he buried his face in your neck laving your skin with his hot tongue as he listened to all of your sweet moans and whimpers in his good ear. You break against him, hips bucking, and a torrent of filth pouring from your lips, punctuated by moans of his name and calls to the almighty as lightening spread through your body.

“Oh fuck Joel,” your hands snake back into his hair and he throws his head into your touch as you gently scratch his scalp. You rest your forehead against his, a stupid, satiated smile plastered on your face.

“Good?” his eyes twinkled and his lips curled.

“Great!” you held his face in your hands and kissed him softly.

“That was so goddamn sexy, seein’ you come undone like that,”

“Let me see you,” you run your hands over the broad expanse of his chest.

“Yes ma’am,” he smiled as he rolled you both over so you were laid on your back. Everything seems to slow for a moment as you look up at him; the light from what’s left of the fire dancing across his strong features. As your fingers wander gently over his brow his eyes close at your delicate touch.

“I can’t believe you want me too,” you air your insecurities, not actually meaning to do so out loud. His eyes spring open, his gaze holding yours as an incredulous look sits on his face.

“Why wouldn’t I want you?!” he asked as though it’s obvious.

“Because I am currently feeling like an aging, sweaty mess. There are so many women in Jackson, younger, perkier, you could have your pick,”

“I think you’re overestimating my appeal,” he chuckles self-effacingly. “Besides…” he dips his head and lowers his voice to a low growl “…I have picked. Why would I want a girl when I want a woman…when I want you,” he punctuates his sentence with a strong roll of his hips. “You’re so fuckin’ beautiful, I can’t promise I’m gonna last but I wanna be inside you, feel ya squeezin’ me,”

“I want it Joel, I want you inside me. I need to feel you, need you filling me up,”

“Yeah?” he looks up, eyes dark and studious of your features as he unfastens his jeans. You both shift so he can shuck them down enough to free his aching cock.

“Oh fuck, you’re going to feel so good,” you take in the heft of him and lick your lips.

“Think you can take me darlin’?” he asks in a gentle tone, rubbing his length along your soaked folds as he hooks your sodden panties out of the way.

“Yeah, just…slowly,” you give him a little wink. He notches the head of his cock at your entrance and watches for any signs of discomfort as he pushes in achingly slowly. Every ridge and vein of his cock, every adjustment of your soft walls around him was felt keenly. Your back arched into him as he became fully seated within you, his hands ran up to cup your breasts as you moaned in unison. “Fuck, you feel so good,” your hips squirm beneath him.

“Hold on sugar, jus' need a minute,” his twinkling eyes showed a playful warning.

“That’s three terms of endearment and it’s not even dawn,” you tease.

“Would you like me to stop?”

“No! I really like them, they sound so good in your Texan drawl,”

“Well then sugar…darlin’…sweetheart…” he began to plant sweet kisses over your face and neck with each word, finishing on a drawl filled “honey piiee,” as he smiled into the crook of your neck making you giggle, and he gasped as the action made you clench around him. His response was to grind his hips into yours.

“Move for me Joel,” you slid one leg up his side to further open yourself to him.

“I’m not gonna last darlin’,” you saw the worry flash across his features.

“I don’t care, I just want to feel you, want to watch you cum for me,”

“Goddammit.” He lunged forward and pushed his tongue into your mouth as he finally started moving his hips. His grunts, your sighs, the sound of skin on skin, with the wet sound of your pussy taking him was a beautiful, pornographic symphony.

“Oh god, oh god you feel so good, fuck,” you pant into his ear as you hold each other close, sweat slick bodies sliding against each other.

“Ngh! Feel so good sweetheart,”

“Fuck yes, your thick cock is perfect. I want you to cum for me Joel, let me see you,” his hips speed up, balls slapping against your backside and his brow is furrowed in concentration.

“Keep talkin’” he stutters out.

“I’ve got you, cum for me baby, give me that big cock and then paint me. Cum all over me,”

“Yes…yes…” he quickly slipped himself out and fisted his slick cock, thick ropes of cum decorating your stomach as he swore and groaned through his release. He looked wrecked, and so fucking sexy, features slack, dark eyes hooded, a thin film of sweat highlighting all of the curves and divots across his chest and shoulders. He supported himself at arm’s length as he caught his breath, shivering as your fingertips danced across his torso.

“That makes two of us,” he chuckled. “Give me a minute and I’ll get you cleaned up,” he rested his forehead against yours.

“You look incredible,” you sit up and kiss him, wiping the disbelieving look from his face. “You do, so strong, so handsome…so fucked,” you grin.

“No need to worry yourself,” you grab a t-shirt and wipe yourself off.

“Hey! That’s mine,”

“So was the mess,” you both chuckle, then soon he’s laid you down and wrapped himself around you, sighing softly as your fingers play in his hair.

[zakalwe-the-ninth]

Chapters: 8/8 Fandom: Discworld - Terry Pratchett Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Havelock Vetinari/Samuel Vimes Characters: Havelock Vetinari, Samuel Vimes, Sybil Ramkin Additional Tags: Random scenes, vetvimes, Vetinari is a flirt, Blood and Injury, Generally light but it wouldn't be one of my fics if someone didn't die somewhere, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Some Attempts at Humour, some fun, some feelings, Sam Vimes loves his wife, But Also Vetinari, Totally unrelated to anything canonical, One chapter verges on smut but we fade to black, Huddling For Warmth, First Time Summary:

A collection of some of the many and varied ways Vetinari and Vimes have saved each other over the years.

[autisticlancemcclain]

FIC TIME FIC TIME

[welikeimagines-andfandoms]

Make yours here

(The ones under the logo are ‘first kiss’ and ‘sex pollen’)

[cruelestpigeon]

ROUND #1

[ejunkiet]

>:3 tagged by @andr0leda​ and @taelonsamada​ - hehehehe THANK YOU

tagging - you, reading this! also: @frenchiefitzhere​ @teafairywithabook @glassbearclock​ @romirola​ @mutantenfisch​ @slushrottweiler​ @pinksparkl​ @evilbunnyking​ @serenpedac​ @chroniclesinlacuna​ <33

[whumplovers-collaborate]

[thirdeyeblue]

Out on a snowy hike, the Doctor and Rose get lost and quickly find themselves in danger. With night upon them and temperatures dropping fast, staying warm becomes a matter of survival. 

Pairing: Tenth Doctor x Rose Tyler

Rating: Explicit

Length: 11k (one shot) 

Tags: Huddling For Warmth, First Time, Romance, Smut

[Ao3]

It's nearly twilight on the planet Karoa when the Doctor and Rose find themselves sprinting through a dense forest. 

They're heading back to the TARDIS after a long, snowy hike through the wilderness when the Doctor realizes he'd plotted their course wrong, leaving a deep and narrow river between them and the side of the forest where they initially landed. It wouldn't have been a big deal, but they were still quite far from the ship, and the sky was darkening quickly. 

Searching for the path they originally used to get across, they encounter a couple of adorable wolf pups snacking on some sort of bird-like carcass. Their smiles and awe are quickly wiped away when they find themselves pursued by the mother a moment later, a massive wolf with silvery-blue fur that spotted them from a distance.

 It's not long before the Doctor spots their best option: a log crossing straight over to the other side of the river. It's not very wide, but it looks to be grounded well enough. He looks over his shoulder, catching Rose's eyes with a profoundly sympathetic expression.

"It's the only way," he says quietly.

In the near distance, growls echo through the trees, deep, rumbling and sinister in the encroaching darkness and twisting trees. He takes her hand and clutches it with the purposeful squeeze of a man who isn't sure how to tell his friend just how much danger they're in because there could be more wolves en route… It could be an entire bloody _pack, _for all he knows. 

"We've got to get across," he insists, and this time, there's no mistaking the urgency or the fear in his voice. "Rose, I would carry you if I could. You know I would. You're just going to have to be careful."

Rose shivers, nodding shakily. "O-okay."

The Doctor smiles weakly. "You go first— I'll be right behind you to catch you if you slip."

"Promise?"

"Promise." 

The wolf has almost caught up to them now, her rumbling growls accompanied by the crunching sounds of paws trampling through leaves. He gives Rose a tug. "Come on."

Together, with hands linked, the pair makes a beeline for the log. Once they arrive, the Doctor gives the natural bridge a brief inspection, though they're almost immediately interrupted by a guttural growl from no more than ten meters off. 

Rose looks back at him with terrified eyes, and he wills another smile. His Rose is strong and brilliant. She can do this. He nods towards the log, and very carefully, they begin to make their way across. It's narrow, and the water rushing below is rather intimidating, but it's not too far of a distance. There's no way the wolf can cross it, at least not easily.

The mother snarls and gnashes her teeth as she advances on the pair. At this point, they're more than halfway across, and the Doctor reaches into his coat and removes his sonic screwdriver. Turning his head to point it at the beast, he apologizes under his breath before emitting a frequency that pulls an agonized screech from the animal, debilitating her for a crucial moment.

Rose glances over her shoulder at the sound as she's midway across the log. It's enough of a critical misstep that when she looks forward, she steps on a small patch of frozen moss, knocking her off-balance the same instant the Doctor is busy slipping his screwdriver into his pocket. 

With a scream, her body pitches right, and though her arms flail about in a bid to regain purchase, she loses the battle with gravity and plunges headfirst into the freezing depths below. The Doctor's hearts stop.

"Rose!" 

Thinking fast, he tosses his coat to the other side of the log, where it lands in the snow with a soft, crunching thud. He then dives straight into the water, following Rose without a second thought. 

The river's so cold it feels as though it's boiling against his skin — but he's able to tune the discomfort out completely, sustaining the bulk of his core temperature as he swims. 

Rose has already been pulled quite a ways down the river, head bobbing in and out of the water as she gasps for air and attempts to cry for help. She can't find stability in the rapids, but the Doctor isn't human, so if there's one thing to be grateful for in this moment of terror, it's how quickly he can come to his companion's rescue.

"Rose— Rose, I've got you." He gets an arm around her waist and holds her close, barely keeping them both afloat by kicking his legs. "Hold on!"

Arms cumbrous with soaking, freezing clothing wrap around his neck and cling tightly, quite literally for dear life, as he desperately searches the edge for anything he can use to pull them to safety. He uses almost all of his strength to keep her head above water, feeling his hearts break more and more with each choking cough and gasp she emits in bursts beside his ear. 

Thankfully, it only takes a moment before he spots erosion in the soil ahead, a spot where the tree roots are unearthed and exposed. He swims desperately for them, occasionally pulled beneath the water by Rose's inadvertent tugging and the violent current swirling around them. 

The first root he grasps breaks away from the ground. He doesn't waste much time or energy chastising himself for the risk, instead grabbing a sturdier root, drawing his remaining strength to hang on for all he's worth.

"Come on," he breathes, looking at his companion, who's now sopping wet, white as a sheet and overcome with heavy shivers. "Oh, Rose— you're alright— here, hold on to my neck — there you go. Hang on tight — that's it, now DO. NOT. LET. GO."

Thank the lucky stars she listens, using impressive strength in her weakened state to hold on as he works towards getting them out of the river.

Each time he reaches up and takes hold of a new root, he pulls them up a little higher, slowly drawing their bodies out of the water. He continues to climb with hands nearly numb, threatening to jeopardize his grip, but he powers through — even while he's repeatedly nicked by jagged bits of wood.

With no small effort, he eventually pulls up over the ledge, hoisting them both onto the snowy ground with a pained grunt. Hidden under the cover of dusk, he feels confident they've evaded the wolves. 

Quickly and carefully, he lowers Rose to her feet. Exposed again to the icy air, he can't help but notice how harsh the cold is. For her sake, he's desperate to get back to the log and retrieve his coat.

She's pale with a flushed face, muscles contracting in violent shivers as her body attempts to warm her with the chemical expenditure of rapid movement. It's frivolous, of course— no amount of shivering will counteract the abrupt loss of heat from being submerged in the river — but at least she's _able _to. For now, that's the best sign he could ask for other than a bloody sauna magically materializing in front of them. 

The Doctor swallows thickly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She gasps.

"D-D-D— Doc—"

"Shhhh." He gathers her close to his side, surreptitiously stealing glances in each direction to ensure they're no longer being pursued.

He breathes a quiet sigh when he sees that the coast is clear.

Thankfully, there's nothing on this side of the river—only trees, the soft sounds of water, and the distant but warm and familiar hum of his ship. They might be on the right side now, but they're not at all close. Again, he sighs, looking down at Rose's face. 

_Oh, Rose. _She's dazed to the point of appearing drugged, flushed and racked with heavy, shaking shivers as her body continues attempting to heat itself up in any way it can. Though the sight is alarming, and rightfully so, he's still relieved to see that she's maintained the motor skills necessary for her body to have such a response. That means he's still got time. 

His arm tightens around her waist.

"Come on, Rose," he murmurs, tightening his hold on her waist. "We're going to go and get you warm, alright?"

"I-I-I'm s-s-s-s-so c-c-cold," she chatters weakly, nearly keeling over with a shudder the Doctor feels coursing through her body, intense as an electric shock.

His hearts break a little more. All he wants to do is cloak her, hold her, protect her, anything, but they're both absolutely sopping wet. With the temperature's relentless descent, any attempts to reach the TARDIS could result in certain death— even if there weren't wolves awaiting them on the other side. 

His only hope for immediate relief is to get back his coat. They've floated a reasonable distance from where he tossed it, but it's still reasonably close, so he gives Rose another squeeze.

"I know, and I'm sorry— really, I'm_ so_ sorry— but we've got to keep moving."

"I c-c-c-can't, I-I—"

"Non-negotiable, Rose Tyler— you _can, _and you will. Just do as I do. Come on, that's it. One foot in front of the other. We're just a short ways out. There you go."

The Doctor's weakened legs are the only thing propelling them forward, supporting so much of Rose's weight that her movements aren't entirely unlike a marionette controlled by strings. He wants to run at a full sprint to where his coat lies in the snow, but he doesn't trust Rose to keep herself upright, and he's got to keep her moving. 

It takes several excruciating moments, but they finally reach the log, where the wolf has since thankfully abandoned her previous position. The Doctor keeps Rose balanced at his side and carefully uses his foot to lift his coat up from the frozen forest floor, using as much of his periphery as possible to make sure nothing's about to take a running leap at them. 

Once he gets the coat into his hand, he quickly wraps it around her, making sure it's snug before he pulls his sonic from the pocket.

 "I'm going to pick you up," he informs her quietly, and then he does just that, handling her as gently as possible. She's gone hypothermic. Any sudden movements could shock her already jeopardized system, potentially triggering cardiac arrest. 

He's light on his feet as he moves through the forest, keeping an eye out for danger and taking strategic steps to keep from jostling her too much. They appear safe, but he walks with reasonable caution, knowing that a timer and a warning loom over each step. 

Rose is in the throes of a medical emergency. If he can't find a suitable spot quickly, he'll have no choice but to set up a camp right on the forest floor. Even if he can regulate their combined temperatures for the duration of the evening without exhausting the limits of his physiology, they'll still be vulnerable and open to attack. His chances of survival are marginally better due to his species, but Rose is defenseless. 

With that in mind, he walks quickly as he can, keeping his eyes wide and focused as he searches for anything he can use to increase their odds of survival. The entire time he moves, he's talking to Rose, hoping to keep her conscious. She's half-delirious, speaking in a slurred, jumbled cadence. 

He tries not to dwell on the reality of her condition, on the fate that awaits them if he can't get her temperature up in time.

He shuts out the thought he might lose her, because he can't— and he _won't— _and that's that. 

Miraculously, after about ten minutes, he finds a network of caves on the side of a relatively shallow bluff. He realizes they'd passed the ridge during their initial trek and completely overlooked it, having never thought it relevant to take note of any potential shelters in the area.

Lesson learned.

Several of the little caves are high up in the rock, therefore impossible to reach safely. There's one cavern peeking out through a spindly thicket of dead ivy that looks promising.

It might be perfect, though it's not even tall enough for either of them to stand in. It looks secluded, and that's what matters. It's shelter. It's going to have to do.

"Alright, Rose— we're going to go right in here, alright?"

She trembles out a painful acknowledgment that sends a spike of anxiety through his chest.

Get it together, the Doctor thinks to himself. Rose needs you.

Ducking down, he helps Rose to her knees behind him. He does almost all of the work, carefully guiding her through the net-like curtain of dead plant life covering the cave's entrance, tugging it back over to protect them from the elements. Time Lord or not, he's bloody freezing, but he couldn't give a damn. This is the only hope he's got of saving Rose, and there's not a split second to spare. 

When finally they're both on the cave floor, he keeps his eyes riveted to his companion as he gets close to her and fishes around inside his coat pocket. It's dark, but with his stellar eyesight, he can see her paper-white skin, flushed cheeks, and the frozen puffs of air she exhales through the clicks of her chattering teeth.

"You're alright," he murmurs, heart aching at the sight of her. She looks like she's about to keel over, and though he'll most certainly be there to catch her if she does, his hands move like lightning through his pocket anyway. He's got to get her temperature up, and fast. "You're going to be just fine. Alright? We're just going to have a lie-down, and you're going to be absolutely perfect— just you watch, Rose Tyler."

Rose mumbles something he can't pretend to understand, so he nods and acknowledges it politely, yes-anding his friend to keep her aware while he removes a few essential items from his coat. 

"Oh, please, please, please," he whispers shakily to himself as he digs through his pocket, remembering something he'd picked up ages ago but wasn't sure he'd stashed away or not. He searches until, finally, his fingers grasp a small bundle of folded fabric, and he breathes out with such a relieved whoosh that his entire body slackens from it.

"Ha!" He celebrates with a grin, swiftly working to untie and unravel the little bundle before spreading it out on the cold cave floor. Inside the packet is a long, thin rectangle made of special material from Tazmelora, a soft but durable foam pad that rapidly begins to expand before his eyes. "Have a look at that, Rose — a bed! Not a proper one, of course — gonna be a bit tight, I'm afraid —but we'll make do."

It's _much _better than nothing. The pad retains heat exceptionally well, providing a soft buffer between their bodies and the unforgiving ground. He briefly admonishes himself for not searching for it as soon as they'd reached his coat, but having little time to spare standing around exposed to the elements, he cuts himself some slack. Besides, their hidden cave offers better shelter.

The last thing he pulls from his pocket is something he knew was on hand: a bundle of small pouches about the size of a box of sandwich bags. Instant hot compresses. He removes three of the pouches and puts the rest away, grasping all three at once and squeezing them until an almost bubble wrap-like pop snaps across the walls of their enclosed space. Brilliant.

He sets the compress on top of their little 'bed' as they inflate and reaches into his pocket one last time, flashing Rose an apologetic look — but her eyes are almost closed. He doesn’t have to search long before he finds a large bundle of gauze, which he removes and begins to unravel, cutting long strips away with his sonic and wrapping a good, thick layer around each compress before setting them back on the foam pad.

With everything else now out of the way, he begins to pull his clothes off with feverish celerity, starting with his suit jacket.

"Right then, Rose," he breathes, tossing each sodden article of clothing to the side as he removes it, a pile forming as each bit hits the ground with a wet shlop, "I'm terribly sorry to say this, but erm, I'm going to have to remove your clothes."

"O-o-o-o-k-kay," she chatters quietly as the Doctor sets his shoes to the side. 

He unbuttons his trousers and slips them from his freezing legs, then his pants, accomplishing his clothing removal with remarkable haste. Confident she can't see him, he kneels naked in front of Rose and carefully uses the sonic to cut her clothes from her body, not even thinking of stealing a peek outside of what's necessary. 

It's dark regardless, almost entirely black in the cave that houses them. He knows she likely isn't aware of what he's doing, because she doesn't say a word — only shivers unremittingly. 

After brushing the little pile of hot compresses to the side, he gently removes his coat from a weakly-protesting Rose and places his hands on her bare hips. Very carefully, he guides her onto their 'bed'.

"Shhh, just right here... Go on, I've got you… There you go." He smiles wide once he's got her down on the foam mat, and then he's back to business, pulling the coat up to her neck and tucking the heat packs inside.

He crawls behind her underneath the coat and distributes the heat sources around her body, strategically applying them to the best spots to raise her core temperature. He places one beneath her arm, then inserts one between her legs, gently pulling her thighs apart to press the warmth directly against her groin. 

She shudders upon contact, and he whispers an apology. Not certain she registers his words, he moves on, wrapping an arm around her waist and drawing her body to his until every inch of her back, bum, and legs are flush with his front. 

She's so freezing cold that the bite of skin-on-skin causes his jaw to clench, but he doesn't care, picking up and pressing the final compress to her chest and holding it there with the arm he wraps tightly around her. 

With everything else done, he can finally focus his energy on generating warmth to donate through the touch of their skin, holding her body snugly to his and gently whispering into her ear: 'It's alright, you're alright, everything is going to be just fine, I've got you'.

He doesn't concern himself with rubbing her arms or legs, knowing that doing so could encourage blood to flood back into her slowly-warming core and put undue stress on her heart and lungs. He's not interested in any increase to her risk of death.

They've already made it this far. He’s not about to lose her now. 

It's freezing outside, the last vestiges of daylight long bled from the sky, shrouding the cave in an all-encompassing night.

Beneath Janise Joplin's famed coat, however, warmth is beginning to take precedence over chill. Rose's shivers slowly morph from violent, tooth-clattering intensity to gentle, rolling vibrations that ripple beneath her skin. 

Thank you, the Doctor thinks over and over to no deity in particular._ Thank you, thank you, thank you._

He's blessed with the endurance of a Time Lord, but after their unforeseen swim, propelling the pair of them through the forest and situating them in the cave, warming himself and Rose takes a tremendous toll on his system. The sheer amount of energy he's had to expend to generate all that life-giving heat is almost cosmic. 

As such, it doesn't take long for him to grow exhausted behind her, but he staves off sleep long enough to ensure she's safely out of hypothermia, raising her temperature to 36.4 degrees celsius before he's even allowed himself a stable breath. 

She's fast asleep by that point, her heartbeat and breathing picking up until her levels are below average but slowly rising. Rising is good. He can work with that.

Tucking her head beneath his, the Doctor carefully removes the hot compresses from under her arm and between her legs. Confident they'll be adequately warm beneath the coat, he awkwardly shifts one of the compresses down to their feet, keeping the other two lying in front of her just for the extra warmth.

Without thinking, he presses a kiss to her hair, more relieved than he's been since the day he saved them from being sucked into a black hole. He's overwhelmed with gratitude as he holds her, overjoyed that he's managed to beat the odds once more.

He rides that joy into a deep sleep, blissfully wrapped around the woman he loves.

x

Rose hums, low and long, as she's slowly lifted from her slumber, aware of a warm presence around her.

At first, she's too tired to question it, but then she feels a soft, warm breath exhaled against her neck and wakes with a quiet gasp. Her eyes fly open to find herself greeted with a dark wall of stone, as well as a multicolored pile of… Hmm.

She squints, willing her eyes to focus on what she sees.

Jeans.

A pinstriped suit jacket.

A jumper.

Possibly her least attractive pair of knickers.

And that's just the stuff she's able to see. The stuff on top of the pile.

Everything else comes back to her in fuzzy fragments. The wolves, the river, the Doctor pulling them to safety and dragging them through the forest.

Only minutely is she able to recall the buzzing sound of the sonic as he'd cut through her clothes, the feeling of his body pressing against hers.

His… equally naked body.

And that's when she grasps the true nature of what's happening: she's naked on a cave floor being spooned by the Doctor.

Her heart palpitates as breathing suddenly becomes taxing because, oh wow, oh god. Never mind that it's been ages since she's been naked in front of another human— she's never even imagined being naked in front of him.

Err, well, except when she…

Never mind.

Despite her valiant efforts to force her breathing to remain level, she feels the arm around her waist squeezing her, then there's a face nuzzling the back of her neck, and oh, he's not hard, but he's pressing forward with his hips, and she can feel all of him— warm and thick against her backside.

"Mmm," he hums quietly, then squeezes her again. "Rose."

"D-Doctor?" she chirps, her voice a quiet falsetto.

The arm he's secured around her waist goes slack as he moves to press his hand over her belly, fingers splaying before he proceeds to rub slow circles into her skin. 

Though Rose is toasty-warm from head to toe beneath his coat, she shivers. She wonders just how conscious he is of what he's doing because, well... 

Point blank, she couldn't imagine a reality where he'd so willingly caress her this way. She can't just push him off of her, can she? She also isn't really sure what the right move is just yet. 

Would she even be able to?

Logic doesn't tend to factor in when one wakes to find themselves naked and being spooned by the man they adore.

He pushes forward with his hips again, and this time, Rose feels a pulse against her bum. Then another. Yeah, he's definitely getting hard now, and oh god, his hand is moving higher and higher up her torso, dragging a path across eager skin that's quick to respond to his touch.

If he isn't awake, he's probably about to be. With only mild panic, Rose believes he's doomed to jolt into full awareness as soon as he feels the pounding of her heart beneath his palm. With the way it's been thrumming in her ears, she's surprised it doesn't echo against the cave walls.

She can already feel herself trembling, and she wonders if he can feel it, too. Precious centimeters drift away beneath his slow-moving fingers, sparking every raring nerve and synapse until finally, he covers her breast. He hums quietly, almost _appreciatively, _cupping and squeezing the soft weight as goosebumps spread rapidly across her skin. 

Now she knows he's asleep. He's never touched her so intimately, and she's got a bit of a gut feeling that he wouldn't in the first place — particularly without asking. She knows she's going to have to put a stop to whatever's going on, but her brain is at sixes and sevens, and _ooh, _he's very hard now, grinding into her bum and moaning almost achingly into the back of her neck.

As he rocks against her, she bites back a whimper, internal muscles squeezing and clamping down on nothing, desperately seeking a presence that teases her just inches away. Her nails find the foam pad they're lying on and sink achingly into it, letting off some tension as her teeth find her bottom lip.

He does it again— _blimey— _she can feel how he's shaped; can tell exactly how big he is. Can just about taste what it'd be like to have him nestled deep inside her, secured and slipping through her sex, filling and withdrawing before filling her again. He nuzzles closer, bringing his mouth so close to her ear.

"Rose," he murmurs, voice like sweet silk, touching his lips to her neck and kissing her softly. "Needed… this." She feels him throb powerfully against her as he moves his hips. "Mmm..."

Her heart melts at the sound of him, all raw and vulnerable. At the same time, a profound rush of heat roars beneath her skin, something that simmers and settles somewhere low, deep, and increasingly riddled with urgency. Moisture collects in that spot, readying her body, flooding her where she's so very close to him — where he could slip right inside with just the tiniest adjustment.

If he wanted to. 

"Ooh," she moans, eyes squeezing shut, and she freezes again, panicked that she's allowed herself to respond in such a way when what she should be doing is stopping him. It's wrong, allowing this to go on— she knows it is— but she's scared. What if he's mortified? What if he blames_ her?_

"Rose." 

His mouth is at her ear, his voice deep and thick with sleep. He murmurs something soft, something _gorgeous, _but she's got no idea what it is— only that it's far too structured to be sleepy gibberish. There's an almost-Italian-but-also-sort-of-Arabic resonance to it, yet entirely unique; something she can't even pretend to know how to accurately describe. 

He slides his hand back down to her belly and presses her close as he nuzzles her neck, continuing to whisper to her, and that's when she realizes it must be his native tongue. It has to be.

Even in his sleep, it flows from his mouth like poetry. 

She can't understand a word of it, of course. All she knows is that it's so beautiful, so enchanting, so _alien, _and she feels herself get choked up, like she's sharing something remarkably private and intimate with this beautiful being she's grown to know and love so very much.

Grinding into her again, he continues to whisper that magical, extraterrestrial spell. He says her name. He moves his hand over her breast again. His cock pulses firmly with the movement of his hips. He exhales in a shudder right above her ear. 

She wants to have sex with him. She wants that very much. Wants to hear those same words in her ear while he fucks her; wants to feel them painted against her neck while she comes.

But she's got to stop him, because this isn't right. All of his sleepy touches and quiet words have made her very wet, almost uncomfortably so, and if he isn't even aware that he's been working her up like this, what right does she have to let him continue on in ignorance?

Right as she's working out a plan to extricate herself, the Doctor's hand slides up again. After running his fingers lightly over her breasts, he finds and begins to play with her nipples, moaning quietly as he uses his thumb on one and the tip of his middle finger on the other. Fuck. His erection slides against her again, _mmmf god damn it, _and she makes a quiet, strangled sound of need before she's got any hope of stopping herself.

As though he's been dipped in a vat of liquid nitrogen, the Doctor goes completely still and rigid behind her. 

She holds her breath, once again digging her nails into the mat beneath them as she attempts to will the cave to collapse on them before she has to face him.

"Rose…?"

She burrows a little further beneath his coat. She isn't sure what to say, but she knows that he knows she isn't really asleep— knows he can feel how each tattered breath she draws causes her entire body to quiver with anxiety.

She hears him pull a deep breath through his nose, and then he tenses again. His cock jumps against her, and so quietly, he groans.

Can he…

No.

Can he_ sense_ the state she's in?

He exhales a long and heavy shiver, a soft noise drifting from his throat as he does. Rose swallows thickly, feeling a little twitch between her legs because she realizes that he can sense it. He can, and all signs seem to indicate that he doesn't necessarily detest the conclusion he's just drawn…

His hand retreats from her breasts, lingering briefly on the nipples he's teased to stiff and pointed attention. Rose shivers and stifles a moan, and then he places that hand on her shoulder, clearing his throat softly.

"Rose," he says again. This time, his voice is quieter but deeper. There's strain laced through his words, and his hand is almost trembling against where he touches her. “D-... Do you…” She just barely hears him lick his lips. "Do you want…"

Her heart feels like it might rupture in her chest. She's not exactly an expert on the topic, but it doesn't feel that far-fetched to surmise that she's not the only one who's overcome with nerves…

Or arousal. 

There's been no decline in the intensity of his erection, which is still pressed firmly against her backside. If anything, it's gotten even harder, pulsing strongly and with more frequency— and the Doctor's voice and quivery breaths are nothing if not a full-on dead giveaway. 

Rose's nerves are a fizzy mess of effervescence, every bit of_ need_ and yes and _now, now, now taking precedence over modesty. _It suddenly feels very much like a matter of now or never (if not _life or death, _for god's sake), and if she doesn't speak up while they're caught in the web of this pivotal crossroads, she might never have this opportunity ever again. 

She takes one final breath to steel herself, sinking her nails into the pad again.

"You," she says with a sigh. "Always you." She pauses, closing her eyes. "Please."

The last word is added as though it's punctuating a prayer. It's everything she has to keep from crossing her fingers. 

For a moment, there's nothing. Not a word, not even a breath or a breeze. 

The world has gone still.

There are a few excruciating seconds where the Doctor removes his hand from her shoulder and begins to retreat backward, but Rose quickly realizes there's a purpose for his apparent departure. After adding a touch of distance between them, he props himself up on his elbow, pulling his coat back up from where it's been jostled from their shoulders.

Staying on his side, he tugs at Rose's shoulder in an attempt to guide her towards him.

At first, she thinks he's trying to roll her flat onto her back, so she follows suit, turning her upper body slowly. There's still that little bit of space between them.

When her shoulder comes into contact with his chest, she realizes he's only drawing her back until she's lying almost flat but half-supported against his torso. 

Everything happens very quickly then, with the way he positions her. He blindsides her, reaching down between their bodies and slipping his hand between her thighs from behind. Rose jumps with a little gasp, but he's quick, gently wrapping his fingers around her inner thigh and guiding her leg up and over his hip. At the same time, he tucks his lower half closer to her.

Rose's heartbeat stutters. With them positioned this way, she can feel every inch of him where he's slid into the space between the ground and her arse. Thankfully, with the way he's got her propped up, there's no risk of crushing his ever-important appendage— but that's the furthest thing from her mind.

Though she can't remember ever being so nervous, she turns her head towards the Time Lord, and their eyes lock.

Finally. She is_ finally_ looking up at him, gazing into those deep brown eyes as he fixes her with an open and vulnerable gaze. He's never looked at her this way before; this way that makes her chest grow heavy and her mouth go dry. There's darkness there and _need— _but there's also a complicated meshing of emotions running through those depths.

Quite right. Really, can she blame him?

She's just about to say something— offer some reassurance; maybe an out or an apology, she isn't sure— but then his fingers find her cheek, and his eyes find her lips, and it's not two seconds later that he's bending down and sliding his mouth over hers.

Bliss and adrenaline spread through Rose's blood like fire. His lips are cool and soft, and it's been so long, and it's him — her Doctor — and it's exceptional. He's as naked against her as she is against him, and his cock is hard against the back of her thigh, and oh good god, she needs him; needs to feel his body connect with hers in ways that go beyond the realms of silly crushes and fantasy.

As if it was ever just _that _anyway.

She's never loved anything or anyone more, and for the first time, she's never been so confident that he loves her too.

It's not because he's kissing her like she's utterly beloved. It's not because he's presumably getting ready to give in to her, take that leap; share his body with her. 

It's because, once again, he's saved her. Where he could just have easily given up on her, yet another comparably flimsy human succumbing to the fragility of her own biology, he risked everything to ensure her safety— even though it meant crossing lines he'd never dared to tread across before.

So many times, they've faced danger together and come dangerously close to losing. A number of those times, it was her fault, but he never even came close to telling her she had to go. That she couldn't stay; couldn't continue to travel with him.

In the end, all of their trials only served to bring them closer together. To make him care for her deeper, hold her closer.

The Doctor opens his mouth tentatively against hers and she follows, encouraging him; welcoming the slow, sweet slide of his tongue as it slicks past her lips. They both hum with affection at this newer, more profound form of intimacy, this lovely evolution of something so many have done before— but never them. 

Never together. 

His hand leaves her cheek and skims down her neck and chest with trailing fingers, briefly pausing to give each breast a light squeeze before venturing further. 

Rose feels another twitching pulse between her thighs, driving her to tug at his hip with her calf. Blimey, her body knows as well as she does that he's_ right there,_ hard and ready and just inches away. It would take nothing for him to bury his cock good and deep inside of her and fuck her like nobody had ever fucked her before. She wants it so badly that sweat begins to bead up on her forehead as an itty bitty little frustrated growl rolls from her throat.

The Doctor hums a chuckle into her mouth and smiles around their kiss, then his hand is even closer, drifting past her navel, then skimming through the soft thatch of hair she never imagined he'd see— let alone touch.

Her chest is nearly aching from the battering drum of her heartbeat. She holds her breath. He's right there, he's just… he's…

Oh, fuck. The Doctor dips through her folds to find her soaking wet, and mmm, his touch is electric against her soft flesh. He moans and she arches and a shrill little sound empties from her mouth into his, and then he's got her clit beneath his fingertips, slip-slip-stroking, and oh _fuck, _oh god— oh god.

Now that he's got her thoroughly enraptured, he rubs her with smooth, lazy circles while his tongue dances around in her mouth. It feels fantastic, but straightaway, it's clear that he's more interested in the act of touching her than he is in the goal [for now]. 

So often— as in, almost always— sex has been something of a fast affair for Rose. That's not to say she's never enjoyed it, but it was never treated like _this— _slow and steady, yet deeply passionate. And he's barely even done anything! 

Any bloke could get his tongue in her mouth and his hand between her legs, but this… This is so much more than that.

It's the period at the end of all of those tender smiles. It's the words he's never brought himself to say. It's the night they were almost pulled into a black hole, when she was almost positive he might join her in her bed, even just to comfort her, and didn't. 

It's everything they are. Everything they could be. It spills into her mouth like a vow, a sacred covenant, but she doesn't need him to say anything. She expects nothing of him. She only knows that she'll share every part of herself with him that he seeks, and she'll do so not only because she seeks the same but because she loves him. God, she does— and that is the _only _thing that matters.

Rose's soft sounds grow increasingly urgent as long fingers maintain a gentle pressure between her lower lips, working her clit attentively as it slips and swells beneath his touch. With heavy, labored breaths, she rocks into his hand as they move in perfect sync; as though they've practiced this before — or perhaps as though it was always meant to happen. 

When their mouths break apart, their lips are warm and wet, and it's superb, seeing the evidence of what they've been getting up to written all over the striking features of his face. It's an image that immediately fastens itself to Rose's memory as he partially bares his teeth, moving his hand lower so he can slip his fingers inside her.

"Doctor," she whines, dropping her head back as her eyes pinch shut. "Oh god, oh god..."

The Time Lord half-hums, half-moans as he pumps into her nice and slow, feeling his way through her sex with a careful sedulousness that makes Rose feel he adores the very ground she lays on. He's still fully hard against her backside, but to her surprise, he's practically shivering with nerves. 

She knows he's _danced, _but the longer they lie beneath his coat, she finds she can't imagine how long it's been for him. Though his movements demonstrate the skill of well-practiced hands, he somehow seems even more nervous than she is. 

Eyes opening slowly, her breath hitches at the way he's looking at her, gazing down as though he's looking upon the bright and cosmic resplendence of a supernova. His brown eyes are dark and shining, but they're gentle— like there's nowhere else he'd rather be than naked on that cave floor with her, taking his loving fill of her expressions while he fucks her with his fingers. 

It's been deliberate, she realizes; the way he's holding her back from getting too close to the edge. He's been so engrossed in the experience, the unhurriedness of it, the intimacy. Like her, he is so beside himself with awe that this is even happening that he doesn't care about any finish lines or nonexistent time constraints. This is about them, nothing else, and they'll take as much time as they need.

Still, his eyes. She can't look away. Neither can he. It seems impossible; like they've been put under a spell or challenged to the universe's most sexy staring contest — one in which blinking somehow doesn't go against the rules. 

Rose lifts her arm from where it's been lying across her torso, reaching up and sliding her fingers through his hair. It's gone a bit flat since the river washed it out, making it easy for her to really feel its thickness against her hand, and god, she wishes she'd done this ages ago. He makes a soft, needy little sound when, upon reaching the back of his head, she grips and tugs at the tresses.

Suddenly, he's pulling his fingers out to tease his way back up the seam of her, dropping a kiss to her forehead and gliding over her clit with full, white-hot determination.

There's no question of his intentions this time.

On the TARDIS, when she's alone in her bedroom and touching herself, she's always quiet, having grown a bit paranoid of what sounds might travel through the old timeship. 

Even when she's returned home for short visits, her mum is usually always home, so of course, she holds back. 

On top of all of that, she hadn't shagged anybody in eons; since before she met the Doctor. 

For over two years, she's been enjoying her pleasure alone and in semi-silence. 

Now, however… _so many _sounds fall from her lips, and they're sounds she's not used to making. 

She sounds older now. Breathier, needier, sexier — and the Doctor seems rather taken with it. All the little tells flitter across his face as he so freely gives her pleasure, and it's mystifying how smoldering hot it is, seeing his sexual side after all this time. Having the privilege of being the one he's choosing to indulge in this sort of thing with, to let go with.

Rose wouldn't miss it for the universe.

Now that he's no longer holding back, he brings her to the edge with exceptional finesse, massaging her swollen clit until her little pleading sounds cannot possibly further increase in pitch. She's rigid all over, and he whispers for her to breathe, that's it, then he kisses her, slowing his caresses. God. He's a master, he's extraordinary, he's perfect. 

Once his lips withdraw from hers, he goes right back to work on her, not missing a single beat.

Ribbons of tension string and tangle together all around the junction of her thighs until she's a hair's breadth away from much-needed release, slowly going quiet until her only sounds are tiny, shuddery little whimpers. Her eyes fall shut. 

It's clenching inside her, all throughout her lower body, preparing her for what's about to happen. It almost tickles maddeningly, like something big and intimidating clawing around and trying to get out, and fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck—

"Yes," the Doctor murmurs, lowering his forehead to hers. "Go on… Come for me, Rose. That's it…"

His words are the spark, and she breaks. It's indescribable how it erupts through her body, beginning with a burst of tingling warmth in her lower back that spreads and nearly overwhelms her. She's almost entirely silent, save for a few sharp little half-whimpers to ride the onset of each wave that crashes and cascades magical, billowing bliss.

As she comes, he continues to pet her, whispering in that same beautiful language she'd heard in his sleep as he kisses the tip of her nose, her cheek, and her lips. He does so until she goes from every muscle in her body tensing to dissolving into a pile of boneless, breathless relief in his arms.

After he's drained her orgasm of every ounce of its incredible power, his hand ceases to move between her legs, resting there as little more than a gentle presence. He smiles and bends his face down to her level, holding her gaze until he's practically nose-to-nose with her, and then he tilts his head to press his lips softly to hers.

His mouth doesn't demand much — merely savoring her; sharing in the beautiful surreality of what's unraveling between them. 

Rose's hand unclenches his hair and slides down to rest on his shoulder, lightly stroking his skin. He's warm and smooth beneath her hand, coated with a light sheen of sweat, causing her fingers to drag with little beats of friction.

For several moments, they share a lovely, languid snog, which Rose spirals into as though she's been put under the influence of an especially delightful drug. He dotes on her with such exquisite tenderness, as though he's imagined and dreamt of this, too. Wanted her the same way she’s wanted him. Not just as a shag but as a proper lover; someone to not only share his body with, but to love and be loved by. Her heart swells until her cup runneth over, because nothing could be better than this.

Except, perhaps, a bed — but Rose is a beggar who won't dare tempt the fate of choosing. This is good. This is perfect.

How could it be that this happened this way? Was it just time? Were they getting ready to break, waiting for that last bit of straw to drift atop the universe's most precarious pile? Because while the circumstances that led to this weren't exactly arousal-inducing, there isn't the slightest indication from the Time Lord that would suggest he doesn't want this every bit as much.

To solidify that point, his hand suddenly leaves its post between her legs, and he breaks their kiss, not bothering to pull very far back from her face before reaching up to taste the slick of her sex on his fingers.

His eyes glaze over before shutting slowly, and Rose can only watch with a baffled expression of both awe and mild embarrassment. She's tasted herself before out of sheer curiosity, and it was nothing to write home about— yet the Doctor definitely isn't putting on an act. She can tell by how his cock twitches and his breath shakes, and little tremors run throughout him, rippling in waves beneath his skin. He's enjoying it.

Dark brown eyes slowly flutter open as he catches her in the molten crossfire of his stare. He pulls his fingers from his mouth, slowly licking his lips clean as his hand moves right back down her body. 

Rose's heartbeat speeds up all over again: thump-thump-thump-thump.

Leaving a damp trail across her belly with the tips of his fingers, the Doctor pulls his hips back just enough to make room to wedge his hand between them. Every movement is fluid and smooth until Rose jumps when she feels his knuckles brush her arse, but she can feel exactly what he's doing; feel the telltale grasp of his length as he frees it from the space beneath her.

He looks away, but only for a second, glancing down her body to look between her still-spread legs. She feels another light brush, this time over the hair of her outer lips, and then he looks back into her eyes, holding her gaze intently. With a slow roll of his hips, he glides right up through her slit, splitting her sex with the firm, wet slide of his shaft. 

A sharp but hushed cry escapes her as he moans something deep and desperate, and it feels and sounds marvelous, and oh shit, this is it. It's not a joke or a drill. They're actually getting ready to do this. They're actually going to fuck.

The slightly awkward addition of his arm between their bodies is quickly remedied when his hand retreats, allowing her leg to comfortably rest back in its spot over his hip. Reaching between her thighs from the front this time, he presses his length snugly back between her soft folds and smiles almost shyly when she whimpers in response.

To keep from slipping off-target, he keeps his hand pressed lightly over them both, maintaining just the right amount of pressure as he slowly begins to rock his hips up towards her body. Up and back, up and back, he pushes his cock against her, slipping against her sex, enveloping smooth skin in slick heat as he lavishes her clit with long, magical strokes.

"Yesss," Rose moves her hips down as he pushes up, distinctly hearing how wet she is as she slides up and down over his length. "God, fuck… Ahhhh." She runs her fingers through his hair to cling to him again. 

"Doctor..."

He slightly increases the speed with which he slips against her, pulling heavy, uneven breaths, and fuck, he sounds so sexy like this that it makes her head spin. She needs him, wants him, and god, if he keeps teasing her…

"Please," she whispers. 

"Tell me," his voice rumbles achingly against the shell of her ear, strained with the way he holds back. "Tell me, Rose."

"Fuck me," she says. 

The Doctor practically purrs his assent, shifting just the tiniest bit. Rose swears she can feel her heart stop as he lines himself up right at her opening, and then he presses a light kiss right beneath her ear. "You're sure?"

His words are suddenly so quiet, so _diffident _that it makes her want to throw her arms around him. Is she sure. Unbelievable. She moves her hand around his head to cup his cheek, making sure he sees the certainty in her eyes.

"Yes."

The breath catches in his throat, and he swallows, giving one shaky nod. He takes a long, deep breath, then the next time he drives his hips up against her body, he finally sinks his cock into her. 

"Oo-ooh…" Rose arches involuntarily, allowing her head to drop to the side, because he's there, he's inside of her, and it's everything she could have possibly hoped for. Jesus. She can't even believe it. She can hardly process the weight of emotion and sensation and 'Oh my god, we're actually doing this'. She thinks she might start to cry. 

The Doctor moans and nuzzles her neck gently, tilting his head to drop his lips at the curve where it meets her shoulder. He brings his hand to her opposite cheek — the one nearly touching the mat — then he turns her face towards his, staring into her eyes.

"You feel amazing," he whispers, then captures her lips again. The kiss is lazy, and just a bit messy, and then they break apart slowly, reinstating eye contact. 

This gaze is something entirely new. It's honest, raw, and gorgeous, and they smile at each other— the first full-on, proper smiles they've shared since before the wolves. 

He kisses her one more time as he slides out, pauses, then thrusts deeply back inside of her.

Smiles give way to loosened jaws and hazy, unfocused eyes punctuated with soft gasps and moans. His hand glides over to her opposite shoulder to hold it for leverage, withdrawing, pausing, then plunging back into her tight heat.

"Oh…" Rose's eyes flutter closed. "God. Doctor…”

The Doctor sighs in what sounds like relief as he lays his forehead back over hers, and he begins to make love to her slowly, pushing up, then back, in, then out, only speeding up for the last couple inches of each thrust. His presence is heavy in her body, but it's lovely, and he feels so good— so _right—_all tucked inside of her like this, all slow plunges and sliding skin. They fit so well together. 

Everything about this, from sensation to position, is new to Rose — even the act of sex outdoors. It's been a while, of course, it has, but they rock together like they were made to do this, and thank god she didn't die in the cold — because she'd never get to experience this. She'd never know how nice the Doctor's cock felt inside her when she was wrapped around and clinging to him. 

Each time he pulls back, she misses his presence, but he quickly fills her again, giving her exactly what she needs, and it's so all-encompassing, so intrinsic. It feels significant, almost critical, as though the all-singing, all-dancing pleasure of the act is merely a by-product of their bodies' inherent, unspoken pleas to join together at last.

"Rose," he breathes as he drives into her with slow, firm thrusts, readjusting the arm he's been propped up on so he can slip it around her shoulders and hold her tightly against him._ "Blimey."_ His eyes close and his brows pinch together, then he moans breathlessly, beautifully, before he reaches down and begins to rub at her clit. "So good… That's it, just like that…"

This time, it's tiny, endless circles that he paints around her clit, stroking wetly over her nub in time with his rolling hips, and Rose's eyes slide back with a long, tortured moan. His coat has slipped enough to bare both of them from the chest up, but neither of them seems to care because their bodies are flushed pink and warm amidst their lovemaking. There's heat in abundance between them, and it's only growing hotter, especially as he tilts his hips just so, stroking even deeper with each push.

"Fuck," Rose gasps, feeling her lashes flutter. Every thrust fills her with everything he has, and she begins to whimper in seemingly endless repetition. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…"

Slowly, the Doctor increases his speed, continuing to work her clit with the tips of his fingers as he slips his cock into her with torturous determination. His hips now meet hers with a dull but audible beat of skin-on-skin, though it's drowned out by Rose's drawn-out, keening cries. She's getting close now, she's on the cusp, and the Doctor knows it. He grits his teeth through a rumbling groan and flicks his fingers over her clit as he whispers to her.

It's that language again,_ his_ language, soft and sweet and laced with sex, and it doesn't matter that Rose can't understand it — she feels it. She feels the meaning of his words, feels his intentions as her mouth drops open silently. She opens her eyes and meets his burning gaze once more.

He stares down at her as he pushes into her, his whispers growing faster and more urgent, words that transcend time and space as she finally comes apart beneath him, bending back with a cry as her climax washes over her in a flood of explosive heat. 

The Doctor's hands and hips reign in the intensity so he can extend her release for her, slowly talking her through it. A litany of soft, pretty words flows freely and quietly from his lips in his mother tongue, which he punctuates with a gentle kiss. 

The movement of his mouth is teeming with emotion as she drifts back from her high, catching her in a moment of such raw affection that she can't fight the tears that well in her eyes and spill over. He swipes them away when he finally pulls back, then he smiles.

"Hello," he chimes sweetly.

"Hi." She bites her lip and returns his smile almost bashfully, though she knows her face is probably an open book for how deliciously overwhelmed he's just made her. Him — the Doctor. Who's just bloody well gone and made love to her.

He hums a tiny chuckle, letting a few more seconds pass before he begins to shift their bodies again.

Rose is made from soft rubber at this point, so she allows herself to remain comfortably limp as he slips from her warmth and carefully lifts her leg from where it's been slung over his hip. His eyes stay fixed on her as he keeps her leg bent up close to her body, then maneuvers himself up over her, climbing in between her legs and propping himself up on one arm as he rearranges his coat back over them. 

He reaches between them and slides against her just once, and then he's lining himself again.

"Okay?" He raises his eyebrows. 

Rose finally releases her lip from between her teeth, winding her arms around his neck and beaming up at him. 

"Yeah."

He draws a deep breath, smiles, and nods.

"Okay."

Clearly remiss to waste another moment that doesn't involve shagging, he thrusts firmly back into her, driving straight to the hilt with a low, ragged moan that she matches. 

"Fuck," she whispers. 

"Yeah," he agrees, then he withdraws and enters her with a harder thrust, hissing through gritted teeth. His eyes flutter shut. "Oh, Rose."

She wraps her legs high around his hips, hoping he understands as she tugs him closer. "Please, Doctor…" 

His eyes open, and his pupils are blown wide as he slides his tongue across his lips. He lowers his face to hers for a kiss, then rests his forehead against hers, sliding a hand down to hold the back of her thigh. He's still for a moment as his thumb swipes back and forth across her skin, breathing heavily, taking a second to keep them suspended in time — one last pocket of serenity.

He kisses her again, just one more time, before he draws back and begins pounding ruthlessly into her. 

This time, his thrusts are all powerful, unrelenting intensity. It's breathtaking. He fucks her hard and fast while she holds onto him with everything she has, wailing so loudly that they might wake every blasted wolf in that forest, and she couldn't care less. She can die happy now, after being shagged like this.

The Doctor lifts himself up to look at her again. Somehow, even with the way he slams into her with reckless abandon, there's still a tenderness bleeding through his gaze that makes her stomach drop and her heartbeat falter. He squeezes her thigh and shifts so he's hooked his hand beneath her knee, holding her up and open to get a better angle, and fuck. Rose's mouth hangs open, a gateway for every primal, piercing sound he draws from her, because the way he fills her is unparalleled. It's intoxicating.

She can tell he's getting close, can see it in the haziness of his eyes, hear it in the grating of his moans. She can feel him growing increasingly taut above her, and she takes a second to memorize how utterly beautiful it is to see him like this, to watch him separate himself from all pretense and control in favor of surrendering to his desire for her. The visual is so spellbinding it feels forbidden to look upon, and along with the full, thick slide of his cock inside her, it's enough to push her right back to the precipice.

"Please," he breathes as his thrusts become increasingly unpolished, releasing her leg so he can reach down and play with her clit._ "Fuck,_ Rose — please..."

Within seconds, her orgasm crashes through her. The Doctor gasps, only having an instant to watch her before he finally starts to come, pulled over that perfect edge when he feels her clamping rhythmically around him. 

They cry out together, shaking and jerking from the force of it, and somewhere in the thicket of their shared release, she hears more of those words as he spills inside of her; those lovely, secretwords. They amplify the sensations tenfold, another marker for why this is so much more than just sex and more than any sex she's had before. It's otherworldly. 

When they come down, panting and spent, the Doctor's face is right over hers as she unclasps her legs from around his body. Still catching his breath, he smiles almost sheepishly.

"On my life, I didn't plan that," he says. "I fell asleep thinking I'd wake up to you screaming in horror."

Bubbling with waves of euphoric bliss, Rose bursts into laughter. "You're having me on. Like you thought I'd have any trouble waking up starkers with you."

"Oi," he protests with the least convincing glare ever, "I only meant to protect you! I never intended for it to lead to… to this."

Rose feels herself growing shy again. "But…" She swallows hard, feeling her pulse quickening. "You don't… Y'know. You don't regret it… Do you?"

His eyes widen, and he lifts himself up to really, properly look at her. "Oh, _blimey, _no. Not at all. I just feel it's imperative I inform you: I went into this with nothing but the utmost of honest, noble intentions." His expression softens, and Rose can feel the weight of his words when he says: "I can't even begin to tell you how scared I was of losing you, Rose Tyler."

Once again, her stomach drops, and her eyes begin to burn. She licks her lips. "I'm sorry I slipped."

He smiles tenderly at her. "I'm the one who got us lost. I'm sorry." His eyes flick to the side, arching a brow at the pile of clothes lying less than a meter away from them. "And I went and ruined your favorite trousers."

Rose turns her head, now adjusted to the light enough to see the pile properly. She smirks, looking back up at him. 

He narrows his eyes. "What?"

She giggles, playing with the now-dampened hair on his nape. "Nothing. S’just…”

"... Just what?"

"Nothing!"

_"Roooose," _he whines, looking exceptionally put out, and she relents.

"Oh, fine." She sighs. "I was just, you know, thinking…" She absentmindedly traces the hairline where it meets his neck. "If it means getting shagged like that," she smirks wickedly, "you could ruin everything I own if you wanted."

His eyes widen again, this time with pure, fiery intrigue. There's a pulse where he's still nestled deep, and she can _feel _him getting hard again inside her.

"Yeah?" he purrs, pressing himself a little deeper.

She nods. "Y-yeah."

A vast, smug grin practically splits his face, and Rose rolls her eyes.

"Shut up." She smacks his back, unable to wipe her own grin off her face. "Like you didn't know."

"Mmm." Now fully hard, he pulls his hips back and thrusts firmly into her, effectively wiping both of their smiles away so they can shiver and moan in laborious tandem. "I'll… erm. I'll certainly keep that in mind."

With a renewed surge of arousal, Rose starts to wrap her legs around him, but he shakes his head, reaching back to extricate himself from her grippy limbs. 

"Sorry," he says guiltily, slipping out of her again, knocking her arms from around his neck as he pushes himself up and back to sit on his haunches. "Not just yet."

With an incredulous gape, Rose pushes herself up on her elbows. _"What? _Why not?" 

"Later… minx. We've got to get back to the TARDIS while it's still safe." He smirks again, taking his coat from where it's fallen behind him and briskly sliding it over her until it's concealed her entire body. He pats her knee through the coat in the most annoyingly platonic move he's made all morning, then reaches over and begins gathering up the pieces of his suit. Slipping the sonic from his coat pocket and changing the setting, he begins the tedious process of drying everything.

Rose is so sexually frustrated that she hardly even allows herself to appreciate the view of the Doctor naked and kneeling in front of her; the way the planet's distant sun shining through the vines creates a corona around his body that makes him look like a bloody god. 

As if he needed any help with that.

"But it's hours before nightfall," she whines, feeling only slightly like a toddler.

"Yes," he concedes, "but I think you'll find, Rose Tyler, that sex is far more enjoyable when had somewhere that isn't a cave floor." His eyes flash to hers with a tinge of mischief, and then he returns to his task. "Somewhere nice and warm and soft… Somewhere like, oh, I don't know — my _bed, _perhaps?"

Images begin flooding Rose's mind in rapid succession. Shagging the Doctor in a bed. In the shower. On a counter. On the couch at her mum's. On the floor of her room. Her cheeks flush a vibrant, almost glowing red. 

They shag now.

"O-okay," she peeps.

The Doctor flashes another smirk, looking entirely too smug. "Okay?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

The next few minutes pass in silence but for the whirring of the sonic. While the Doctor dries up his clothes, Rose lies back and daydreams about the unbelievable possibilities of their future, worrying more than once that she's doomed to wake up and find this was all just a figment of her imagination.

Once he's dressed with everything packed back into his pockets, the Doctor fetches some twine and begins to wrap the coat around Rose, tying the string around her at several points until she's strung up like a Christmas roast. 

As they push the dried vines away from the mouth of the little cave and step out into the open air, he elects to leave her cut clothes behind, declaring that they'll need to come back a little better prepared in the future to commemorate their serendipitous first time.

"Off we go then?" He extends his arm, beaming down at her.

Rose loops her arm through his, returning his smile. 

"Please."

[more-than-a-ghosti]

cold :(

[neurodivenport]

Inspired by ur last post.

The night was cold, way colder than either of you had expected. Chase was currently trying to fix the heater you had brought with you for the mission. You never went on missions with the bionic superheros, but your area of expertise was needed to complete the mission. You and Chase were best friends, even though you longed to be more. But you never said anything about it in fear of ruining your relationship.

"Damnit," cursed Chase, clearly frustrated

You went over to Chase "What's wrong?"

"I can't get the stupid heater to work!"

Your expression softened as you sat down beside him, rubbing your hand up and down his back soothingly. "Don't worry, Chase, it'll be fine. We have plenty of blankets and warm clothes to wear."

Chase looked at you and you could have sworn his expression was that of longing. "I know.... but I-I'm supposed to be protecting you on this mission, and so far... I feel like I'm failing."

You give him a sympathetic look. "You're not failing, Chase. I believe in you and this mission."

Chase smiled at you. He opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. "We should probably get ready for bed." Chase said. But you wished you could have known what has really going to say.

~later~

The night was cold, so cold, you were shivering, teeth chattering, arms covered in goosebumps, but you carried on, desperately trying to get some rest.

"You're cold."

"I'm not cold, Chase, don't be silly."

"I can hear your teeth chattering."

Damn his bionic super hearing.

After what felt like forever, Chase spoke again. "Y-ya know w-we could a-always... uh yknow... c-cuddle for warmth? Of course we d-don't have to" He sounded so unsure of himself which broke your heart, like the very idea of being that close to him would disgust you.

"I'm down for cuddling in the name of being warm"

"REALLY!?" Chase practically shouted. "I-I mean okay."

You were about to come out from under your fortress of blankets when you felt your air mattress dip behind you. Chase was hesitant but perceived. When you felt him at your back you had to bite your lip to hold back your sigh. You couldn't let him know the effect this situation was having on you. He was warm, so warm but you wanted to push your luck just a little more

"You can put your arms around me... yknow, for warmth."

You felt Chase stop breathing and thought maybe you pushed a line. Before you could apologize, you felt strong, warm arms wrap around your waist.

"Is this okay?" Chase asked.

"It's more than okay, it's perfect."

You couldn't see his face to know how much that comment made Chase blush.

"Are you warmer now?" He asked.

"Hmm." Was the only sound your tired body could produce.

Chase smiled. "Goodnight, baby, maybe one day I'll have the courage to tell you how much I love you." Was Chases final words before he nodded off to sleep, completely unaware you heard his every word.

UGHH ASTER. ILYSM THIS IS SO SO CUTE!!

[abigailspinach]

F: I think a lot of them are the same. Or a lot of the very popular ones are the same. And, certainly, if you look at, if you go into a Romance press site, or if you look at Romances on Amazon, a lot of them are arranged by these tropes, in the same way that you could tag something by a trope on AO3. So, all the ones that we have talked about with fake dating, fake marriage versus marriage of convenience versus woke up married... (All different things. Fight me.)

M: [Laughs]

F: Obviously, friends to lovers, or enemies to lovers, or rivals to lovers, everybody loves pining.

M: Freya, I have a question. I have a question. Amanda, it’s for you, as well. Are there professional Romance novels with Canada Cabins?

F: Oh yes.

AJ: Oh yeah.

M: Really?

F: Yeah, yeah, Canadian Shack, yeah.

AJ: Yeah, yeah.

M: [Gasps]

AJ: Uh- ta- peeling off your clothes, and like, huddling for warmth, and hypothermia, and amnesia…

A: Huddling for warmth is a fucking classic.

M: Uh, okay, secondary question, secondary question: what percentage of these involve bears as part of the pairing?

AJ: As part of the pairing? Well, wait, you have to define bears, you mean like a big burly man? Or do you mean a literal bear? Or do you mean a bear shapeshifter?

[Laughter]

A: You got to be specific about these things, Macey.

M: I’m most concerned to avoid the ones that have the always-a-bear as part of... like, a literal bear, as part of the pairing.

[Laughter]

A: Who’s the f-Does this happen a lot to you, Macey?

AJ: There’s literally a famous Romance fantasy novel-

F: I remember, that was on Tumblr, it’s like a famous Canadian novel, or something? And possibly the bear is a metaphor, but maybe not?

M: Yes, it’s won awards and there’s-

AJ: No, uh, she fucked the bear.

M: She fucked the bear, it’s true. But I heard that there were at least two, there were at least two award winning Canadian novels about getting fucked by a bear.

A: You learn something new every day.

M: Anyway, sorry, there are other tropes that we prefer to the “fucked by a bear” trope, which is not a trope!

[amielot]

warmth.

bonus:)