A Couple of Idiots, part 4 (male)

The tree creaked as slowly melting snow weighed its branches down towards two enamored lovers. It was getting warmer, the snowfall abating. Dawn would eventually break, but not before the wolf and the basitin had time to explore each other.
Natani laid his hand on the outside of Keith’s and brought it back through his own silky nether-fur. Though his fingers were large enough to almost wrap around the basitin's hand, they still held a slight tremble when he placed Keith's digits against the soft wet spot .
Natani took a shallow breath.
“Go… Go ahead. I always hated doing it myself.”
Keith stopped and gave him a sideways glance. “Hated it? Then why would you ever do it?”
He blushed and puffed; “Weeell… Heat can get pretty bad. I hated touching myself, but the alternative was to never get any sleep, since I’d be up twisting, turning and panting. If I’m to follow what I said earlier, estrus was like the speck that got stuck in my eye.” His hand clenched around Keith’s. “It never felt very good, not like when you licked me, but I had to quell the fire somehow. Don’t think I even put them inside, I just rubbed myself until I… came.”
The last word trickled out of him in an almost reluctant fashion. It sounded like he’d never used it in this context before.
“That was always the worst part” he continued. “I’d get these… visions. Fantasies. It was usually at the end of the cycle, when the urges were at their strongest that I got a bunch of… wants. needs, more like. I’d start fingering myself just to make the itch go away, but a few moments later I’d… wish for something more. I would sometimes lie on my back and imagine there was a guy on top of me, and that what I felt down there was more than just my own hand.”
He shuddered under Keith’s touch as his hand sifted through his groin-fluff.
“I was always too distracted to question it in the moment, but the shame would hit me like a falling anvil right afterwards, every time. It felt like I was on a slippery slope, that giving in to one fantasy would lead to more urges, that I’d start acting and talking like a chick, looking after the guys with a blush, swishing my tail like a peppy nine-year-old searching for a mate. My body always wanted to feel the warmth of someone else against me, but I knew I couldn’t. It always felt so… You know how it is.”
Keith nodded carefully. “But it’s okay when I do it?” He asked, with his finger sliding along Natani’s lower set of lips. “Does it feel wrong, like when you did it yourself?”
The wolf shook his head and gasped when the tip of his middle finger prodded in between his petals. “N-hnh-no. It’s weird and tickly, but at the same time it’s…” he locked eyes with him in a teary-eyed flush smile. “...At the same time, it’s so very right. This is how it should be. It’s what I want.”
That was all Keith needed to hear. Very slowly, he let his digit sink in between Natani‘s lips, watching him grit his teeth and exhale. His warmth consumed his middle finger up to the second joint and refused to let go; the keidran squeezed gently around him and let go a silent whimper. A whimper followed by a hushed gasp when Keith curled his digit a little and stroked the smooth wall of his most private chamber. His hand was at his ear again, holding him tight. The wolf shut his eyes and gave a steamy exhale into the night. As his body tightened and shuddered, his bits loosened and relaxed around Keith‘s finger to let it further in, opening itself for him.
Keith knew to wait a little before going further, and instead took to carefully rubbing at the sweet spot, feeling the vulnerable surface glide against his finger. After fumbling around for a few seconds he found an area which made Natani‘s paws curl and his breath snap when he put pressure on it.
The wolf’s other hand had gone up to his mouth, and did surprisingly little to muffle his gasps when he bit down on a finger. His fangs bared themselves to lock around his joints, and his eyes shut with a focused expression.
Keith pushed a little farther. He leaned in closer until his face was right next to his. “Hey, Natani.”
Their eyes met. Within the brown one, Keith could see a bottomless well of trust and love, under the layers and layers of lust and need. Knowing what was coming, Natani took his finger out of his mouth and opened it, ready for him.
Keith felt the wolf‘s lips and tongue relax and softened under him, and so did the rest of Natani’s body; it almost felt like the wolf would melt like the snow beneath him when their tongues danced, his hand gripping at the ridge in his ear. Natani spread his legs further, and so did the lips around his finger, gaping wide enough to invite a second digit.
He gave a prod with his index, a silent question of are you sure?
It took Natani a few moments to form a reply, with his mouth full of Keith‘s tongue, but there eventually came a muffled “Mhyes, do it!”
Keith made sure to kiss him deeply when he squeezed the second finger in, feeling his ring tug softly at his joints before opening again. The keidran‘s free hand was at his back, clawing into his fur, trying to find some form of grip. There was a huff, a surprised moan that rolled from Natani‘s chest and up into his mouth. His digits were forced further in when Natani bucked his hips and thrust against his palm.
He laid himself close with his groin against Natani‘s thigh and his fingers buried in his folds, placing his member gently against his side. The strong, flexing muscles were covered by a generous layer of soft fur that brushed against his exposed shaft, a fitting counter to his own hardness.
Natani‘s legs stiffened and trembled. There was another moan, another hot breath that went down Keith’s throat. The fur on his back rose against the robe, Basitin goose bumps; he was cold, but it didn’t matter. He had a blush to almost match Natani’s, his whiskers strutting at his cheeks. He felt like he should tell him how much he loved him, but had long since reached the conclusion that words were woefully insufficient, so he instead talked with his hand, working passionately between Natani’s legs as he tried to match the rhythm of his hips.
Shivering fingers trailed down until they placed themselves outside Keith‘s, carefully following his movements. The trembling got weaker, his advances more resolute after a while, and soon the wolf was helping his fingers in past the second joint, halfway to the third. Keith’s entire hand was soaked in warm juices after just a few moments.
His hand was given another push inwards; Deeper, dammit!
The fire in his chest flared up again. Oh, he could go deeper. He just had to know he was ready. He shifted his weight until he pressed the wolf down to the ground. Gently, not to make him uncomfortable.
His tongue danced with Natani‘s, then wrestled it back as he sunk his fingers in until they could go no further, buried knuckle-deep between the wet lips. The noise that came from Natani‘s chest sounded like it would have been a hoarse moan, had it not been blocked by a Basitin tongue. He curled his fingers until they pressed against his sensitive walls and gave him an internal massage unlike anything he’d had before.
“Khthhmmhh!”
There was a layer of urgency in his normally deep voice. It was underlined by a twitch in his loins and a deep shiver up his torso, shaking him like a cramp. Keith felt him tense up and shake, breaking the rhythmic pelvic thrusts; It was like he couldn’t decide whether to inhale or exhale, and ended up with sporadic gulps for air. The grip on his hand slacked before returning like a vice.
Keith slipped away from his mouth to let him breathe, and was instantly assaulted by an urgent moan and a cloud of steam.
“Aah- I’m gonna-”
And then, as Natani’s body hardened and his legs locked Keith‘s hand in place, a loud and very un-manly moan rang out as the orgasm took hold of him, something Keith could feel through his entire body; How his folds contracted and sucked warmly at his fingers as if trying to keep them inside; How his thighs flexed and relaxed in rhythm with his throes; How the shocks rolled up through his chest and out his mouth in ecstatic barks of pleasure.
The wolf came in waves, soaking Keith‘s hand and pulling his fingers in by rippling his deeply feminine muscles around his hand. The moans and yelps forced their way out past his clenched jaw like grunts in his ear, sometimes accompanied by a soft “Keith~” or a hard “Yes!”
It was at around the fifth wave that Keith bent down and locked lips with him, gently and loving. The wolf‘s hands clasped around his back, and on the top of his convulsions they pulled him hard against his chest, smushing their bodies together. He could feel three rows of erect nipples poke out of the fur on Natani‘s belly, brushing against his chest.
It took a long while for his climax to pass; He squeezed and relaxed with his entire body in an unsteady rhythm for what felt like minutes, his back arched and his muscles strained under the fur.
But eventually his nasal moans calmed to gentle panting, then soft breaths of “Mmmhh… Mmmhrr…” His legs spread and fell onto the ground, freeing the basitin’s right hand. With a final squeeze, his outermost muscles locked themselves around Keith‘s fingers behind the second joint, tight, moist and snug.

Natani’s tail lashed a few times, and he shut his eyes. Only a light trembling lingered in his body, aftershocks of the wet release. He took a few breaths and relaxed his jaw. Keith took the hint and broke the kiss. A few seconds of calm. The night was silent and muffled by snow, so all he could hear was the wolf‘s gently shuddering exhale as he pulled him close, until his head rested on the canine‘s shoulder, with his ear next to his mouth.
 “One… One more time.” The wolf whispered. He bit the tip of Keith‘s ear gently, his fangs nibbling at the warm fluff. “I... I’ve never…” He swallowed. “I’ve never felt anything like… I-I never thought I could.” Keith’s strong hearing picked up a shiver in the wolf’s voice, an uneven flicker beneath the gravely tone.
One of his hands let go of Keith‘s back and reached down for his member, which lay throbbing against his thigh. “I want more, Keith.” He said. “More of you.”
He didn’t need to ask him if he was sure, his body said it for him; The shivering breath, the relaxed legs and wagging tail spoke a language older than Keidran, Human or Basitin. The stifled gasp that came when he pulled his fingers from his loin was as hushed as his breath, yet audible in the night. He left a string of clear goo from the lips, his whole hand soaked and slippery. He let it rest on Natani‘s belly, painting a faint line from his venus to his navel.
Natani looked at the coated hand with a tilted ear. Then, with a light shiver in his movement, he picked it up and moved it up to his muzzle, inspecting it.
“You know, I always…” He puzzled hesitantly.
“You always what?”
Natani stared silently at his hand, before putting two of the digits in his mouth, sucking intently. They came back out a few seconds later, covered in spittle rather than scented juice.
“...Always wondered how it tasted. Can honestly say it’s pretty hot. Never realized how… bountiful this body is.”
 Keith chuckled as he positioned himself between his legs; “You’ve got that right. I’ve thought about letting you know, but I wasn’t sure how you’d feel…”
Natani gave a look down his torso, then to his eyes. The uncertainty was still there, but it was buried deep below a bottomless trust, enough to leave a reflective veil. Keith knew his own eyes had roughly the same glaze.
“It… It’s okay.” He mumbled. “It’s all different with you. When you see me naked, I feel excited, not terrified. My fur ripples every time you touch me. When you made me cum, it was the best thing I’ve ever… I’ve…” He broke himself off with a gasp; Keith’s shaft rested on his mound, giving a long grind against his lips.
“Like that?” he mumbled.
Canine hands squeezed at his back, and it seemed like their owner was fighting to keep the claws from digging in.
“Y-yea-aah- Somethin’ like that.”
“You can use your claws if you want.” He mused. “A couple more scars won’t hurt. Just look at Trace.”
A mix of a scoff and a moan rose into the air. “Hahh… Flora’s kitty-claws are tiny. Trust me, you don’t want mine on your back, they’re a whole other deal.”
Nevertheless, the pricking of his claws tickled him right under his shoulders when he let the head of his member poke in between the folds. The breath in his ear went uneven again. “Easy… Slow and…nnnh-”
And at last, with Natani’s hard claws and soft moan egging him on, Keith let the head sink in. There was a strained breath, and he felt the wolf‘s body tighten and squeeze around him. He’d failed to keep his claws back, and soon they were fastened in Keith‘s flesh, pointy and painful. Natani‘s legs flexed and wrapped around his back, locking them together in a tight hug.
Keith paid it no mind and pushed ahead, just a little bit.
He could hear his teeth grinding, just like before. The keidran tensed up, and a whimper forced its way out past his jaws. Keith could tell he’d tried very hard to keep it back.
He raised his face a little, high enough to touch snouts. An extra point of contact; I’m here, it’s okay.
After a few moments of light breathing, Natani unfolded himself, loosened his jaw and relaxed his loins. A warm puff blew against Keith’s mouth; O-okay. A little deeper.
And deeper he went. The bumpy tip of his cock forged its way past the point where his fingers could reach, to depths that had never been touched. He’d never thought any part of the wolf could be so soft, warm and supple.
There was a short whimper, and the feeling of claws against in his shoulders again; Ow! That’s far enough!
He stopped, holding his breath. Then, with his hands holding gently in his long brown hair, he pulled out. He made it slow, both to comfort Natani and to enjoy the feeling of his walls as they sucked at his member, offering some resistance when it slid out past the lips, inch by languid inch.
With only the head still inside, Keith stopped, throbbing faintly. He shut his eyes and rubbed his nose against Natani‘s;
Again?
He rubbed him back;
Yeah.
This time he thrust a little faster, a little deeper. Natani hugged him once again, his claws only tickling him this time.
He pushed in to the point where he’d stopped last time, and half an inch further, feeling the wolf’s limbs fasten themselves around him as if he was a lifesaver. The warm breath grew ragged against his snout, and he stopped. A shiver ran through Natani‘s lower body, shaking the private parts that he was still unfamiliar with. Then the wolf clenched for a moment, a ripple that massaged his cock.
Keith shuddered slightly, before giving his muzzle a light lick;
You alright?
It took a few moments before the reply came as a tonge against his own snout, along with a warm, unsteady breath;
Y-yes.
Then he pushed a little deeper, and went almost all the way out again, feeling Natani‘s entire body shiver with the gentle motion. He was biting his lip, he could tell by how the strained exhales were warped before they hit his face.
Then he went back in and felt Natani’s hips harden, his claws dig into his skin.
The rhythm was as slow and deliberate as he could possibly make it, holding back with a restraint born of pure compassion. It was all so tender, the wolf‘s breath keeping his face warm in the night, and his firm grip pulling him close enough to feel a steady heartbeat.
Keith moved his hips in a rolling motion, every penetration the same depth, just barely past the thickest part at the middle of his shaft. He felt Natani wince and hold back a light whine whenever he got to that point, so he let it be with shallow thrusts. After a while, the keidran’s hips took on a similar movement. His were faster and spordic, cramp-like bucks that didn’t quite match Keith’s deliberate thrusts. Sometimes they’d pull back at the same time, and Keith would slip out completely, then need to poke around a little before finding the spot. Then Natani pushed himself a little too far down his shaft, only to stiffen as the girth strained him.
It was at the apex of one of these thrusts that the panting wolf‘s breath changed to a deeper, throatier kind. He opened his mouth and let each huff carry with it a silent and hoarse moan, high in pitch. There was another shiver in his loins, and Keith felt it run all the way up his back, past his hands until it reached his face. Then there was a tongue, suddenly filling his mouth as thew wolf let his body speak where words fell short;
I love you.
Natani gasped and went a little softer in his arms, and Keith saw his chance to make his reply by shoving himself deeper in, almost to the knot. The moan that came was by his tongue as he returned the kiss;
I love you!
This time there was no whimper when Keith’s member ploughed its way past his lips and walls, only a slight ripple through thick fur. The wolf‘s goose bumps stood out and made him even fluffier than usual, letting Keith warm himself against his chest. He loosened up and moved his hands from the basitin‘s back and up into his hair.
Soon Keith‘s own heavy breath mixed in with Natani‘s rising moans, and every time he pulled out there was a fresh squirt of juice dripping from his sheath, preceded by a wet squelch; Natani been moist before, but now it fell steadily onto the base of his lashing tail.
Then his moans grew sharper and higher, until he reared back and broke the kiss with an unrestrained wolfish cry, contorting yet again as it all overwhelmed him. The second orgasm was much louder and wilder than the first; This time he didn’t bother to grit his teeth or clench his jaw, and the hard roar of pleasure made Keith‘s ears ring. It took a few more thrusts before the climax really hit him, and his body was wracked by the shock. Keith was nearly crushed as his muscular partner folded himself around him, legs and arms wrapped passionately across his back, hard enough to halt his moves and lock him still.
And he let himself get lost in him once again, pressed so hard into his fur that it felt like they were one. It was all so warm and good and soft. The rest of the world was meaningless. Natani‘s claws scratched his back, a delicious ache that made his body arch.
Keith gave one more push, all the way to where his knot was starting to peek out of its sheath, before stopping. His chest was warm with a roaring passion, but it still needed air, apparently.  Natani’s moans grew lower, until they were hardly more than heavy breaths that rose into the cold air. At the end his ring clamped down hard around his shaft, so tight it was almost painful.
Keith sighed. With Natani’s hands holding around his back, his light breath in his rigid ear and his steady and fast heartbeat on his cheek, he knew it could never get better.
And it didn’t have to. There was nothing else he needed in the world.
A soft tremor caressed his face, as if Natani was clearing his throat. Then another one.
“Eheh… Heh.” It was the most carefree and beautiful chuckle he had ever heard.
The chuckle turned to laughter, and soon he found himself giggling along with him. It had never felt this good. They laughed and laughed for what felt like a full minute, Keith‘s voice light and bubbly, Natani‘s deep yet fluttering.
Eventually he gathered enough breath to huff “Why are we laughing?”
Natani’s chortling continued for a few seconds as he calmed his breath. When the reply came, Keith could hear the warm smile through his voice; “Ooohohoho… Oh, it’s just that…” His hands stroked down along his spine, and the already goosebump-ridden fur stood up even higher. “…It’s just… eheh- I haven’t thought about it all that much, but this is the first time I’ve ever felt… happy. Dunno why I found it funny.”
Ah. So that’s what the feeling was; The unparalleled heat that had been spreading in his chest ever since Natani had kissed him. The painful fire had slowly spread outwards and become a comforting warmth, keeping him from freezing in the harsh winter.
And he laughed. Not because it was funny, but because it felt so good. And as they laughed together, Keith realized he felt the same: He had never truly been happy until now. Never in the same way. There had always been something missing, and he’d never even known.
They both took a moment to savor it the quiet love. There was a beauty in the silence, and it felt almost too good to break. Their little space under the tree had grown warmer, or at least so it felt. Natani’s cloak had become redundant, and Keith spent a few seconds peeling it off.
It was good to be naked.
After a while, Natani‘s hand reach down between his legs, to the point that connected them. His trembling fingerpads examined his lips, before following Keith‘s wet shaft up to his groin. His snout went through his hair, giving his forehead a light nudge;
Okay… More.
This time they both shuddered when he pulled out; The hot and tight embrace was getting to Keith as well, and his body shivered from the friction.
It was a rolling, unified motion; Natani followed his movements with a blushing grin, his arms slung around his shoulders. He drew breath when Keith pulled back, and exhaled with a whine when he pressed back in, as if his cock forced the air from his lungs.
Every push came with an upward angle, hitting the wolf’s weak spot on the way in; His claws tickled Keith‘s shoulders a little deeper with each thrust. Without the cloak to protect him, the tingle soon turned to pain. But the good kind.
The warm breaths that blew into his ear came stronger and stronger, and soon they were accompanied by soft moans again; He could feel the wolf's lips suck at his member, keeping it inside for a little longer each time.
It was heavy work, and Keith's constitution eventually began to crack; Natani's moans were joined by his huffs and grunts, only slightly lower in pitch than the wolf‘s own exclamations.
The embrace grew a little tighter when Keith‘s knot slapped into a well lubricated underside for the first time, and a muffled “yip!” escaped into his ear. He hadn't realized how deep he'd been going; His world was spinning, and Natani's grip was all he'd felt for the last few minutes. Natani seemed surprised too, his hand traveling down to examine the hard bulb where it lay pressed against his lips.
“Wow...” he puffed. “I didn't... think it would... be that easy.” His breath was heavy and uneven, and he snapped for air.
“Doesn't hurt, does it?” Asked Keith, gently scratching his neck.
“A... Only a little” Natani replied with an awkward grin, clenching lightly. “But it's good. Don't... Don't stop.”

And Keith followed. He spread his legs a little, granting himself a better stance in the snow. Then he pulled out and drove himself into him again, harder than before.
He didn't know what was better; The quiet, wet ‘slap’, the silent 'whuff', the warmth that constricted his member, or the way Natani‘s massive muscular body curled around him.
“Y-yeah! Like that...” he whispered.
Keith grinned in compliance. This time he couldn’t quite stop his own claws from protracting, sinking into his fur as he rammed back in. The little nubs on his cock had grown increasingly sensitive, and he knew he couldn’t hold back for much longer. Every warm slap came with a shock through his spine, a tremor of pleasure that squeezed at his lungs and forced his breath out in loud puffs and grunts.
Natani was getting close as well; His body curled around him, shaky yet strong.
Then he felt it. It started with every hair on his back rising in salute. His ears stood out like spikes, so hard it hurt. The pressure had been mounting in his body ever since Natani had grabbed his ears and forcefully kissed him, or at least so he’d thought. But as it grew in his chest and groin, he came to realize it had been building for much longer than that; There had been an unsolvable tangle of emotions in his stomach for months now, tying down his breath and constricting his heart.
Worry, fear, joy, anger, passion, solemnity and other stranger feelings that he couldn’t put into words had been swelling inside him for what felt like years. A strange combination of feelings most people called love.
And now this storm of emotions grew until it strained his chest, threatening to burst. He would explode in just a few seconds. The pressure filled his vision with white dots, and everything went numb. Even with his ears perked to the limit, he could hardly hear his own trembling voice as he moaned happily into Natani‘s chest.
He got the feeling the keidran knew exactly how he felt; His hand was at his ear again, holding onto the section right next to the old scar. Then another hand was at his lower back, scratching hard at the base of his tail, pushing him down and back into the warmth.
Keith gave one more thrust, throbbing uncontrollably. He could faintly make out the feeling of his claws digging into a strained back, and the nubs on his member jutting into soft flesh.
“Y-yes!” he heard him cry. “Inside!”
Keith flexed and pushed. His knees had good grip in the dirt, and with Natani's legs locked around his lower back, the pressure soon forced his labia wide to take his knot. The wolf‘s moans turned into a strained grunt and his entire body tightened as his bits stretched as far as they could go; The hard orb of muscle strained him, and even with all the wet juices to coat it, it still hurt.
Keith let go of his back, and traced his hand up along his arm until he found the hand that clenched around his ear. The grasp was painfully strong, and he lured his fingers up into his palm with a firm stroke.
Soon the clenched fist unfolded, and Keith let his fingers filter with the wolf’s.
This time he returned the favor when the keidran nearly crushed his hand; Though significantly smaller, his fingers were was just as strong, and he curled it around Natani’s as he drove his knot deeper inside, past the point of no return. He couldn’t hold back the growling moan when he finally crested; The orgasm filled him completely, squeezed the breath out of him and egged his hips forwards in an unrelenting pump.
There was a soggy slap of wet fur as he hit the underside and finally hilted.
The moan became an unrestrained roar when he pushed again, even harder; Natani softened under him, before clenching up, clawing at his back. The wolf didn't make a sound, save for a series of strained huffs that came streaming into Keith's right ear.
Keith was also visited by a pain somewhere between his head and his shoulders, but he couldn't quite tell where, nor did he care; His body was rocked by wave after wave of delightful pleasure, and whatever air left in his lungs was forced out as Natani squeezed him tight with arms and legs, engulfing him. All he heard were a canine howling through clenched teeth, so near, loud and intense. His knot swelled to a dangerous side, straining his lips further as the first shot of seed came surging through. It landed deep, and was immediately joined by a second, then a third.
It felt like his body became a full pound lighter for every thrust, as if there had been a burden on his shoulder that he'd never even noticed was there until it was lifted. Natani moaned softly as his aching depths were filled, his claws digging deeper into Keith’s back.
Keith was numb, but in the best way possible; All he knew was the feeling of his balls emptying, the cum taking with all the worry, pain and heartache on the way out, until he was empty and light as a feather.
He didn't know when their tails had become tangled, or when Natani‘s teeth had sunk into his left ear. He concluded it must have been right in the middle of his climax, because he'd never felt it happen. As he rode his orgasm to the end, he felt Natani clench up a little behind his knot, moaning softly when the warm flood filled him to the brim, and then a little more. Soon it trickled back out, down past his lips and onto the base of his tensed tail.
Many spurts later, Keith was finished. There was a pleasant ache somewhere in his taint, like his seed had left behind a vacuum as it pumped out. He only noticed how much his ear hurt when Natani let go of it to draw a shivering gasp. He inhaled with him, and for a while they were panting in each other’s arms, light Basitin huffs blending in with deep and canine ones. Natani‘s chest rose and sank under his face, and his breasts were a pair of breathing pillows on his cheeks as they both struggled to catch their breath.
It felt like words would only ruin the quiet magic, so they both went silent for a while to enjoy the afterglow. Natani’s legs trembled against Keith‘s back, still latched tightly around him, as if he was worried he’d slip back out. But the hard bulb at the bottom of his cock was planted deep enough to tie them together, and he soon let his legs rest at his side. Keith felt a gentle tug behind his knot, right outside the sheath as Natani gave a light clench, and it teased a gasp and a late trickle of cum from him. A thick drop tickled him as it rolled down his balls, onto the hard ground. Eventually the claws retreated from his flesh to instead stroke against the ridge on his back.
It really felt like they could lie there forever. The cave-like space beneath the tree had been warmed to a reasonable temperature by their lovemaking, a few drops of melted snow dripping onto Keith’s ears every now and then as he rested them on Natani’s chest. The world was a little brighter, quite literally; A warm orange hue crept in amongst the trees to herald the arrival of morning, and he caught the distant noises of the earliest birds waking up to sing. The time they’d allotted themselves was running out. Keith didn’t care, and he doubted Natani did either.
It was when a drop of ice hit his left ear that the tender moment was dampened a little. The cold brought with it a sting of rather intense pain, which was amplified when his ear flapped out of reflex. He gasped, and felt Natani’s worried hand at the side of his head again. This time he didn’t touch his ear, but instead cradled his temple with gentle fingers.
“O-oh…” the wolf mumbled. “Didn’t mean to bite that hard. Doesn’t that hurt?”
Keith thought about it for a moment. It felt like half his head was on fire, and he assumed his jaws must’ve crushed more than just superfluous tissue. It was very painful. But no, it didn’t hurt.
 “I’ve been worse.” he admitted with a grin. “Doesn’t hurt that much.”
“But you’re bleeding…”
Natani was right, he could feel a few drops of warmth hit his shoulder. His hand made its way down to the keidran‘s belly, sifting through the fur until he found the old scar from all those months ago. He couldn’t believe it had been less than half a year since then. It felt like well over a decade.
“Then consider us even.” He mused, pressing his finger against the scar. “I suppose we can stop hurting each other now.”
He felt his hand stroke over his back, flattening his sweat-damp fur. “Mhm. And hey, now you’ll have one scar for each ear. I think it’ll suit you.”
Keith chuckled and gave Natani‘s pelvis a light press with his finger, feeling him shudder a little. He clenched a bit harder behind his knot and filled his face with an elated breath.
“And you? I’m guessing the light nibbling was intentional, right?”
The scoff Natani gave was a thin mask to hide a sheepish laugh, he could tell. “Psheh. Of course. Just wanted to mess with your ear. Works every time.” he paused awkwardly and put his hand on top of his, before moving it down to point that tied them together, where his shaft was buried deep between freshly parted lips. “Really though, I… always thought I’d be freaking out over this.” he ruminated. “That I’d feel ashamed, regretful or sad that I’d given up my masculinity or something. But now it really just feels… right.”
They locked eyes, and Natani let his goofy smile shine. Keith could never have guessed a facial expression would be so contagious, because he felt himself smile back. That was when he realized how long he’d gone without properly grinning from ear to ear; It felt like his cheeks were covered in a layer of rust that was finally starting to come off. It was strange to move his lips in such an alien fashion.
“There we go.” smirked Natani. “I was starting to think you were incapable of smiling.”
“I just haven’t had much… reason to…” he mumbled, before getting lost in his eyes. He could see the same feelings burn behind the brown-and-gray stare, just like he felt them bloom in his own chest.
“I love you.” He said instead.
And at last it felt right. What had earlier been a silly cliché of a phrase was now a genuine declaration. Just stating it made his hairs and tail rise to confirm it. Even his ears stood high as an exclamation point.
The words hit Natani with the same effect; he swallowed hard and wagged his tail against the ground, biting his lip while tightening himself around Keith’s member. Then he took a fresh grip around the undamaged ear and replied by kissing him. Keith was already halfway into the same motion, and they moved as one when locking their lips together.
There wasn’t much else to say at that moment, and they both knew it. All that remained was a warm and silent embrace in the cold early winter morning. Neither of them felt the sting of the cold, wrapped tightly together in each other’s arms under pine branches that were soon dripping with melted snow, and when the sun peeked over the horizon and the woods resounded with careful birdsong they were still resting on the ground, Keith gently rolling his hips and Natani kissing him and stroking his ear while occasionally letting slip a carefree moan.
It didn’t feel right to pull out, not to either of them. The thought of spending even a second apart felt ridiculous, and the idea of getting up and leaving seemed downright stupid now that they were finally one. Keith’s body was enveloped by a soft and heavenly ache which rose and sank with his slow movements, and Natani’s gentle sighs and occasional whisper let him know he had it the same. He thought the wolf came a couple more times, but couldn’t quite tell anymore; everything had slowly blended into a warm comfort, with his arms around his back, his shallow pecks on his mouth, his soft bits cradling his hard knot with a rhythmic clenching and releasing.
Natani’s breath had a light shiver to it, and a bit of reluctance as he said the words that they both knew had to come.
“We’ll have to stop sooner or later.”
Keith shifted his gaze from his neck and up to his eyes, resting his face on his soft chest. “Do we?”
“The others are probably worried.”
“Do you care?”
“No.”
The answer had come without a second of hesitation. “Zen knows I’m fine, and the others can ask him if they really care. It’s just that… It kinda hurts. I don’t think knots are supposed to stay in this long.”
Keith flashed a smile. He could get used to doing that. “Five more minutes?”
Natani’s moment of rumination was so feigned, Keith couldn’t help but chuckle. “Okay. But nothing more.”
It became a lot more than five minutes, which was something they both knew would happen. Keith pulled out shortly after, but it must have been well past noon before either of them even thought of breaking the embrace. The intimate hug on the ground was a more fulfilling resting spot than anywhere in the Legacy Estate, but the thought of trudging back while trying to forge an explanation for why they both smelled like fresh sex was much more comforting when knowing they’d be doing it together.
Because that was what they would be from now on. Together.

The End.





Acknowledgements:
Massive thanks to Quinn Auer for editing and proofreading this whole thing. That's not a task I'd wish upon my worst enemy.
Thanks to TKW for putting a smile and a blush on Natani's face from page 986 so I could use it as a thumbnail. Natani should smile more often. It suits him.
Thanks to the anons and not-so-anons of /trash/ for early feedback on the first chapter, and general encouragement. That last bit also goes to folks on FA.