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He had only been standing by the tree for a few minutes before he heard her coming. He hadn't prepared for this. Did he have enough time to transform into his feline form? The claws on his toes dug into the dirt as if preparing to sprint but something kept him still. Perhaps it was his clawed hand which he had somehow embedded into the tree during his brief moment of panic. "Damn girl," he muttered to himself as he tried to pull his hand out of the tree. As luck would have it, it wouldn't budge. He would have to damage part of the tree to remove it but he couldn't do that in her presence. Instead, he flattened the hand out to the best of his ability so that it looked like he was leaning against it.

He began to whistle a tune. He couldn't remember where it came from but it had a sad, sweet melody to it. Something he must have picked up elsewhere. It reminded him of her. Why was he so damn nervous? She was just a school girl, nothing more.

"Who do you want me to be?," came his slow, drawn out reply. It felt so strange, yet comforting to be able to speak with her but he knew it was risky. It took all his willpower to keep his tail as still behind his back as he could and his ears as flat as possible. Would she notice his clawed toes in the moonlight? Or his fanged teeth when he spoke? At worst, what would she think him, one of the monsters the radio has been sprouting about for ages now?

"I am called Caine," he finally stated. With his free hand, he performed a half bow. It was the best he could muster in his.. predicament. When he raised his head, his eyes met hers and he caught a gulp in his throat. Any control he had seemed to shatter.

"To be perfectly honest, I am here analyzing the strength of the local tree sap. We believe that some illegal fertilizer might have been in use in this area, causing the properties of the sap to change significantly. Stronger than glue, they said. You see, I underestimated the strength. I find myself.. quite stuck but you came to rescue me, yes? Perfect timing if you ask me but haha, you didn't, did you? I apologize for my forward nature." The nervousness had come back and he was rambling like a school boy with his first crush. This would not do at all. He shook his head visibly while he scolded himself mentally and within seconds had become calm once more.

"If you could.. come a little closer, wrap your arms around my waist and pull while I kick myself free, I'd appreciate it. And no, I'm not making a pass at you. I prefer my women to have graduated from kindergarten first," he stated dryly. He felt a little bad at doing so, it wasn't her fault he was stuck in the tree. Then again, it was a little her fault. She was the one using some kind of witchy magic on him. Why else would he feel compelled to watch her all the time? There was something to her, something different than normal girls. He could sense it.

"If I were a peeping tom, I would have died from disappointment, not become stuck to a damn tree," he mumbled under his breath. "I'm ready," he stated, "On three, all right?" He braced his foot on the tree, using the claws of his right toe to get a good grip. "One.. Two.. Three." The added strength of her body wasn't much but it was enough to help him pull his hand free with minimal damage to the tree. In that instant, their bodies propelled backwards from the force of their action but with the grace of a cat, he twisted, pulled her body close to his and hit the ground flat on his back with her on top, taking the brunt of the damage. To be honest, it barely hurt but he couldn't resist making a customary groan in a bid for more attention. This girl would be the death of him.

"It seems I owe you my life, or at the very least my hand. Tell me, do I get to learn the name of my savior?" He grinned. It was cocky, he knew but he couldn't help himself. He had heard her name many times while following her in his feline form but he wanted to hear it officially. How quickly his emotions changed around her. Was he actually enjoying himself? He didn't even notice that he had yet to let her go.

"Ume," he whispered, letting it roll off his tongue. Though he had heard it many times, it was the first he had ever spoken it. "Ume, Ume, Ume, lady of the evil sap filled tree. Tell me, what boon would you have from me? No good deed should go unrewarded. As for my head, I'm sure I have a concussion. They say that you shouldn't.. *fake yawn* go to sleep *another fake yawn* for several hours after you've *another fake yawn* sustained a head injury."

His body fell limp and motionless, though his hand did not release its grip as he held her against his body. It was so damn hard fighting the urge to smile.

That was all it took. Such a light touch, the barest hint of contact and it was like lightning struck his body. His hand gripped into the back of her robe and he leaned forward into the kiss, pressing his lips against hers, biting her bottom lip teasingly. It was over almost as quickly as it had started for he pushed her gently back. He felt ashamed, almost repulsed at his actions. She was too young for him but he had never felt more comfortable in his life. "I'm sorry," he spurted. "I don't know what came over me."

They were strangers for the most part. He was definitely one to her. She was young, she didn't know what she was feeling. He should have known better. There was no excuse or justification for his actions and yet it felt so right. He wanted nothing more than to pull her close, make a woman out of her. Thoughts that he knew were wrong. When had this gone so badly south? What happened to merely meeting her and exchanging a few words? Witch magic. Intoxicating, frustrating, mad, beautiful, oh god, she was so beautiful.

He left her kneeling on the ground as he backed away, clawing at the dirt in his attempt to get as quickly away from her as he could. His eyes were wide with the thoughts that were going through his head. He hated himself. Without thinking, right in front of her very eyes, he transformed into a black cat and ran away as quickly as his little legs would carry him. He had to get away from her. He had to get away from what he was feeling. If he stayed, he might not be able to control himself. It had been so long since he had felt anything from a female's touch and she barely touched him. It was absolutely frightening.

Don't leave me... again!

Her pleading voice haunted him as he ran. Again? It was then that reality hit him. The image of his beautiful dream girl appeared in his thoughts only this time, she became younger. Her wise eyes became youthful and curious, her curves became less obvious but still enticing.

Ume.

His dream girl was Ume. An older version of her but Ume all the same. How could this be? Was it even possible or was this merely a coincidence? He slowed to a halt and turned back to look for her. It was futile. He had run too far away in his attempt to escape. A part of him yearned to run back. If he spent more time with her, perhaps more of his past.. more of his memories and his dreams would unravel.

It made sense, didn't it? How comfortable he was around her. How his body ached to claim hers with just a touch from her. How long had he spent dreaming about her, wanting her and now she was real. She was something he could touch and dammit to hell, he wanted to touch her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life touching her, drowning in her. This was madness. She was too young and he was more than a little terrified from tonight's ordeal.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into the wind before he turned and ran away.