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Emerie pet his tail since it was the easiest to reach, showing him it was okay, and all the tension eased out of him. Slowly, like he wanted to be sly about it, he curled around her until she was shielded from the elements on three sides.

Ingram tucked the tip of his tail between her arse and her feet until it was wrapping around her. After a few moments, he grew a little braver, a little more confident.

Using the very tip of his beak, he nudged it against her legs until she was forced to put them into a crossed position. He placed his head on her lap, and once more grew stiff. She eventually lowered her arms until one was resting over his neck with her hand between his short goat horns.

“Is this okay?” she asked, lightly patting the downward crease on his forehead to reference what she meant.

He became completely lax.“Yes. It feels nice.”

“Good. Now go the hell to sleep, or do you need me to sing you a lullaby too?” she tried to tease, in case he had any remaining worries.

When he snorted out a contented huff, Emerie gave him a small smile as tenderness bloomed within her.

Ingram passed out within seconds.

How can a monster... A Duskwalker, who has a skull for a face, be this sweet?She almost pictured him as a gigantic puppy demanding cuddles from their master, wanting to be as close as possible.

After hugging him earlier, and now this, she understood that he meant physically when he said he felt alone.

She kept brushing her fingertips from side to side, hoping the action would help prevent any nightmares. She looked up at the brightening sky with a small smile.

At least this is much warmer.

Ingram quietly grumbled as he paced back and forth in the forest by himself.

Water splashing a small distance away caused his skull to face that direction. The urge to follow the noise niggled at him. Instead, his scales lifted in annoyance, and he continued to pace.

Why will she not let me see?

Emerie was bathing, since the stream had opened up again and allowed her space to dip inside. He’d wanted to stay and protect her, watch her, and just be in her general vicinity.

Although a large part of his reasoning was because he was curious about what lay beneath her clothing, he also just... liked looking at her. Her presence was soothing, and being alone in the forest bothered him.

If she wasn’t constantly on his back while they travelled, he would have stared at her pretty, dot-covered face, or her shiny orange hair, or her light-blue eyes. But she was touching him when she was on top of his back, and that often satisfied him.

Yet, whenever he let her down to walk, he’d found himself examining the mounds on her chest that were so tightly contained by her shirt they barely bounced. Her waist was narrow, and he wondered if he could wrap his hands around it completely until his fingers overlapped.

Her arse was round and pliable from what he felt against him. Her thighs even gained his attention.

Anything that had a barrier between them – from her long-sleeved uniform – was making him more curious by the day.

He was beginning to see her feet, always in shoe coverings, and her elbows as naughty as well. Naughty because she said he couldn’t look or touch when he wanted to. She said only special people could see her without her garments.

She allowed me to sleep next to her last night...His tail swiped to the side as he snorted out a huff.Gave me that hug...

And since both, he had a craving to do them again. To hold her, feel her against him.

He wanted more. He wanted her to touch him again until she brought forth liquid pleasure, and he was beginning to wonder if he could return it.

I would like to make her feel good.She made him feel good, both physically, with her hugs, pats, and sleep cuddles, as well as... deep inside.

In his loss-and-grief-filled heart. In his mind, where he hadn’t known peace was possible again, until she gave him strange affection that calmed him.

Emerie was kind to him.

She listened to him, she answered his constant questions, and she even played with him – he hadn’t known her sarcasm was a form of playful teasing until she explained it. If something was bothering him, like his memories, she would find a way to distract him until he forgot.

Not once had she made him feel terrible about his lack of knowledge, nor had she made him feel like a monster to be feared and hated. She never looked at him with spite, but rather with a warmness he was realising he’d always craved from others – he just hadn’t known.