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The same words were, coincidentially, reverberating through Ambrose's mind, although the name in question was slightly different. He swallowed, padding quietly after her as they traveled up the steps, watching her from behind, her movements...

He tried to force the thoughts from his head. Somewhere the back of his mind protested... it was too early! Too soon! But no, what was he assuming? Emelyn was a wonderful woman... inviting him to her room didn't really mean anything like that!... did it?

For once, Ambrose was glad for the fur that coated his face.. and disguised how red and hot his face felt as a deep blush burned the skin of his cheeks.

His hands held hers loosely, feeling the slight tickling feeling of her claws on his pads... his tail wagging nervously behind him as the door loomed closer.

Ambrose tailed after her, following her quietly into her room. He could hear the pounding of her heart, and smell her anxiety... and with those clues he knew that at the very least the things passing through his mind were going through hers as well.

"This isn't bad at all..." He delayed, gesturing to the array of her room. Smiling, he continued. "I know a lot more people who keep their rooms in much worse shape, believe me."

At the invitation for comfort, he glanced around the room. There were two standard options: The chair.... and the bed. Presenting a metaphorical dilemma of what signal to send Emelyn.

She was beautiful... she was nice... she was the biggest comfort to him here with what he was going through... he could talk to her... and... she reminded him of her - No! It wasn't that... Sure, she had similariries... but that wasn't why he liked her. Really...

Realizing that his indecision was about to become very evident, Ambrose thought outside the box and remained standing, albeit close to her, his hand never parting from hers. "I'm comfortable enough standing by you." He responded, the little voice in his mind immediately raising flags of surprise and warning. had he really said that??

He could breath in her scent standing this close... and it smelled really nice... his own breathing got a bit deeper...

Ambrose felt his attention tunneled to Emelyn, the room being pulled to the far corners of his consciousness. Her pounding heart mirrored his and he drew closer to her, wanting to run his hand down the side of her face... feel the silky hairs that followed her jawline. She drew the goggles from her head, letting her hair free, the small quills moving more freely. It was cute, he found himself smiling.

But as he was reaching up to follow his impulse, she took a step back. More than ever, Ambrose was feeling his animal-side.... or was that just the natural way of things in a tense and heady situation such as this...?

He opened and closed his mouth, pulling himself from the carnal images that had begun to tease his mind, and a feeling of awkwardness and guilt washed over him as she raised the question. "I..." He winced. "I... I don't know. I... I do care for you Emelyn." 'but I've only been with one other woman before' his mind finished without letting his lips know. 'but I've never moved this quickly' another option presented itself to him.... 'but I don't know how much of these passions are my own versus an animal desire' his logical side argued... 'but I'm still in love with Angelina' his heart screamed at his indecision.

" -But... I feel so lost here..." His voice finally gave substance to a weak reply.

His ears crumpled back at her description of his look. Did he really come across like that? So..... predatory for lack of a better word? But wasn't that how he was feeling? Hungry for a part of what he was missing as much as these changes made him hungry for meat in the cafeteria.

With a wince, Ambrose wondered if there was a further meaning to the reason, as the books had jokingly pointed out, that the wolf was frequently used as a metaphor for hunger - both for food and for the carnal appetites. 'Hungry like the wolf', as the song claimed.

A small whimper escaped his voice. "I... I don't know what I'm doing either." He said softly, finally connecting his hand to her cheek as she stepped forward, the pads of his fingertips gently brushing the fur that really was as soft as it looked. But his face looked... guilty? "The condom... I promise you that nothing more was intended than what I said before... a hope that even though I would be stranded here forever... that I wouldn't become chaste forever.." He breathed in her smell again, feeling heady. "I didn't think.... so soon.." The dim lighting of the room, her body close to him, it felt so sensual. "And... I don't know how... to rectify these conflicting emotions... a... relationship" the stress of the words signified that he meant more than just a friendly one "has never been something I have treated lightly. Angelina.... was my first... serious...." He trailed off, hopeing that his emotions were clear. He DID feel for Emelyn... and at this moment it was the most painfully obvious just how much he missed a physical relationship.

Ambrose watched her face closely as she thought. And with every passing moment he felt himself sympathize with her more and more. He felt the reassurance within himself that what he felt for her wasn't just an echo of Angelina. She was thoughtful, intelligent... and a wonderful person. That if Angelina had never been, then there would be no doubt in his mind that he would have still found himself very attracted to her.

He smiled softly, wrapping his long, furry arms around her slender figure. "It is.... certainly by my definition." Ambrose responded, his mouth near her ear. His warm breath tingling the sensative fur on her neck.

With a wave of relief, and satisfaction with her pronouncement, Ambrose found himself perfeclty happy with that decision. The closeness and intimacy he craved... without having to make that big of a leap just yet. "That... sounds perfect." He smiled, his tail once again wagging as he held her tighter for a few moments in an embrace. And he leaned downwards to return the feathery kiss, feeling the urge welling within him to express his fondness for the beaitiful young woman with a warm lick. With a swallow, he repressed the instinctual thought, and finished the kiss with an affectionate smile.

Ambrose's tail was wagging fervently as they tumbled to the bed, wrapped in her arms.. or was she wrapped in his? The boundaries between them were gone as he found himself laughing and growling in one wonderful mix.

He kissed her deeply in return, discovering a use for his lengthened tounge... and thanking his improved eyesight as months of pent up anxieties and lonliness were, at least partially, released.

***

It wasn't until quite some time later that he finally pulled her close to his now shirtless torso, and nuzzled his face into her shoulder, feeling her smooth skin against his warm fur as sleep eventually claimed them.

He had not had such a wonderful nights' sleep, when he finally did, since his arrival.

"Mmm," she said, reaching up to rub the eye that wasn't in the side of her head that was pressed into his warm, furry chest. "You obviously haven't seen me in the morning," she mumbled, yawning and wrapping her free arm around him with a groan.

"Mnmn... don't tell me you're getting up. I don't think I can move..." She inhaled the deep scent of morning, and also, that uniquely appealing aroma of a man who you've spent the night in the arms of. She was, in a word- peaceful, and she didn't stop to wonder why there wasn't a voice of reason, or at least skepticism in her mind, telling her to analyze this situation in typical Em fashion. Instead, all the demons were silent... and the only sound was a small contented sigh as she tried to keep the man anchored to the bed.