Fancy meeting you here / Zero [M]

[SanctifiedSavage]

The world was always bigger than he thought. Traveling lazily on horse back made the Haevar appreciate just how much space was between the cities, the towns. Civilization. It made his island homeland seem both that much farther away, and small by comparison. His people didn't have sprawling streets, horse drawn carriages... Horses at all.

Though the rain was familiar enough.

So it didn't bother him to be out during the steady downpour, though he could tell it was bothering Tial. His horse's steps were slow and heavy in the muddy road, where wagon ruts had turned into watery soup that sucked at his hooves. Not even the sparse tree cover over head provided any manner of relief.

While Natias, his ears drooped back some given the weight of the wet, didn't mind the rain and would've likely kept on at it, he resolved to stop at the next tavern for the sake of his traveling companion.

Luckily, they didn't have far to walk. The glow of lights caught the gloom of the rain, causing Tial's steps to pick up. He knew a rest stop on the edge of a small village. They'd been traveling so much together, it was a familiar sight.

Natias slid off the back of his horse just before Tial stopped near enough, where an overhang provided a couple other horses shelter from the rain. It took him some time to pull off the sopping barding and hang that up on one of the pegs, so that Tial could dry proper, and then he wandered off to the inside of the tavern.

It was a brightly lit, noisy place. Bustling with others that were hiding from the heavy rain with some games, drink, and flitting company of those that worked the place. No table was empty, but there were some seats near the bar that didn't seem taken. Natias slid onto one, drawing a couple of eyes given his long ears and clawed, bare feet, but he was otherwise left alone until the barkeep took his order with a smile.

[Zero]

You know, he really preferred cards – a round of poker, some Ketra Hold 'Em, or even King's Cross – but this dice game wasn't going poorly for him. Raff loved coming to this small tavern. The drinks were strong and the wenches were busty. It was always a good time. He was well-known and popular among the locals here, and there were always passing travelers to fleece during their brief stays.

An exceptional red-head was sitting in his lap, blowing on his dice for luck as he tossed another winning roll. Those watching their betting applauded and cheered, while his opponents groaned. The woman whispered sweet promises in his ear of what she would do for him – no doubt in exchange for him spending some of his winnings on her. A roguish grin crept over his face as he thought about how lucky he was. To think, he almost hadn't come out today. It was like he was supposed to be here tonight!

Raff took a long drink from his tankard, barely noticing when the door opened and another weary traveler dragged themselves in out of the rain. Why should he notice? People came and left in a steady flow.

It wasn't until the man passed right by his table on the way to the bar that Raff found his mouth suddenly going dry even though he had only just set down his drink. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol and smoke from pipes and cigars, it made it impossible to smell anything that wasn't right in your face.  It smelled like sand, and some exotic plant. Was that a fruity or floral scent? His nose twitched as he sniffed again, desperate for another whiff. Coconut? That was not something you would smell around here.

Just like that, Raff was intoxicated. He had to get more of that scent. It had wormed into his brain and all he wanted was to drown in it forever.

"Is that for me?" The words sounded like he was trying to hear him through water, but he felt a hand sliding along the front of his trousers. Raff blinked as he looked at the woman still sitting in his lap and realized that he had gotten hard.

From a scent.

"Uh...no. Um. Excuse me." He hurriedly pushed her out of his lap and grabbed his stack of coins, shoving them in his pocket before heading for the bar. Raff didn't care about the very put off pout and huff she gave him. He was sure his sudden complete lack of interest was confusing to her, but he really didn't care. There was an open seat next to the strange traveler, and without a second thought he slid into it, looking at him openly and unabashedly.

"Hi, you're new. I've never seen you before." Smooth, Raff. Smooth.

[SanctifiedSavage]

Natias didn't even ask about a room. The place seemed full and he didn't need to sleep inside. Not like he hadn't spent the last however many nights outside anyway.

His clawed hand wrapped around the cool drink he was served and he took a sip. His ears were down low, trying to muffle the loud sounds of the patrons. He'd grown quite accustom to how noisy the people outside his homeland were, just in general, but that didn't make his ears any less sensitive.

For that reason, he nearly missed that someone was talking to him.

Natias glanced at the man next to him, mildly surprised and not a little amused. Having been told he was new and that this guy had never seen him before. "Ah, yeah. I'm just making my way through," Natias clarified. He didn't need to, of course. Could have asked what business of it was this stranger's, but Natias wasn't that sort of Haevar. It never bothered him to be a little social.

Besides, there were often a fair few that were interested, or curious, because he was different. The ears, his tan skin, the clawed feet. All of it tended to draw an eye. Only the most out going would actually come to talk to him, though, and it never bothered him. Then, to show he didn't mind the conversation, he added, "Name's Natias. Yours?"

[Zero]

Just making his way through? Well of course he was. Raff didn't know why he might have expected any differently. It wasn't like this exotic, good-looking, divine-smelling man was going to hop straight into his lap and tell him he was there to stay with him forever. The Moon Goddess may have blessed them all with their very own, very sacred mate but she didn't promise to make it easy. Finding one's mate was a trial all its own. It was up to him to claim his mate and insure that they were loved and protected, and to earn that love in return.

The Goddess would not make it so that mates had to return the devotion of an undeserving mate!

Raff's mind had gone off on a little tangent and he was grateful for the stubble on his face. Surely the red hair helped hide the sudden flush of his skin at least a little? His mate was speaking to him, he should pay attention!

"Oh, ah...everyone around here just calls me Raff, but my name is Seth. Seth Wayland. It's nice to meet you Natias." His heart was hammering in his chest, thudding hard against his ribcage as he scrambled for what to even say. He had been the one to approach (even though that was just necessary, not a conscious choice) so that meant he was supposed to start a conversation. What about? Blurting out that Natias smelled good enough to eat and could Raff please bend him over the bar probably wasn't going to get the desired reaction. Why was it so easy to flirt with all those women before and he couldn't think of a single damn thing to say now?

"Are you staying long? The beds here aren't what I call luxurious, but they're better than sleeping in the rain." Oh yeah, it was raining and his mate was dripping wet. Was he cold? Raff felt a pang, although it felt more like a punch in the gut than what you'd use the word pang to describe. He wanted, needed to make sure Natias was dry and warm and comfortable. "You're soaked, should at least take the time to dry out a bit..."

Not just a bit. Raff felt his head swimming if the image of Natias lounging comfortably on his bed; dry, warm, safe, and very naked. Oh boy, he shifted uncomfortably on the bar stool, trying to adjust without being obvious about the fact that his trousers were currently feeling much too constricting.

[SanctifiedSavage]

Natias was quite entertained by the man – Seth? Raff? – who had sat next to him. For whatever reason, he seemed nervous? Anxious? And not in the I'm trying to pull one over on you sort of way, but like he didn't know what to say to Natias now that they were talking. Natias didn't think he was scary, though he knew he could be quite exotic. Not like the Haevar were thick in the woods.

He took a sip of his drink and shrugged a shoulder, smile still a ghost a cross his face. "I'm really just passing through, but I don't have a destination in mind, either. I drift from job to job." Natias glanced toward the door. "Given the weather though, I might stay until it passes." The expressed concern was... touching? Albeit a bit odd, but it was still nice. Not everyone was concerned about themselves, of course.

He studied Raff a moment before he thought it only polite. "Surely you won't want to be out in the cold rain either? Do you live far?" It was polite, pleasant conversation, as far as Natias was concerned. He didn't notice that Raff was shifting in place for any other reason than he seemed... nervous.

[Zero]

Even if Raff wasn't succeeding in any level of being smooth, he was still managing to learn about his mate.  If Natias moved from job to job he must be some kind of mercenary, man-for-hire, something akin to that, a person that moved around quite a lot. That made his stomach clinch a bit, but he fought down the worry. Just because his mate traveled all over the place didn't mean that he would reject him, it just meant they would have to decide what kind of lifestyle they would once they were together instead of unattached bachelors.

"Waiting for the weather to clear seems like a wise move." It made him hope it would keep raining, at least until he had a chance to get closer to his mate, until he could make him not want to leave. Raff smiled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly when asked if he lived close. "Me? The rain never bothered me much, but yeah, I'm what you'd call a local, I guess. Don't live in town, though. My place is out in the woods."

Actually it was his mother's home. Would his mate look down on that? It really was normal in his family for the unmated children to live at home until they found their mate and got a den of their own. Raff felt a bit of a shock as he realized he wasn't going to be considered unmated any longer. He wished he had a home to provide Natias, but they could figure that out after the rest got sorted. There was no promise that his mate would accept him, and maybe Natias wouldn't want a permanent home. What if his mate wanted to keep traveling and going from job to job?

Raff didn't even have to think about it that hard. He would do whatever made Natias happy and kept him close to his side. If his mate traveled the world, then he would follow him to the ends of this earth and back if he had to.

What a revelation.

"So, uh..." He cast his eyes around, trying to figure out what to say next and found himself coming up with not much at all. "Geez, okay, can I ask you something? Have you ever met someone before that you are just immediately drawn to? I hope it doesn't sound creepy, but when you came in and sat at the bar I just...knew I had to talk to you. Maybe it makes no sense, but there it is."

The words had sort of tumbled out of his mouth, not able to stop once they started. Raff clapped a hand over his mouth, eyes going wide as he stared at his mate, torn between being embarrassed and afraid that Natias would think he was a complete weirdo and want to get away from him.

[SanctifiedSavage]

Raff certainly seemed more friendly than a local usually would be, but Natias appreciated it. He spent so much time traveling alone that he was quite happy to have someone pay him some attention now and then. Even if he thought it was just because he was a curiosity. At least, Raff hadn't asked to touch his ears yet.

He nodded some when Raff made mention he didn't mind the rain and lived in the woods. "I don't mind it so much either, but I have a horse that doesn't enjoy it. Especially when there's some chill to it." He smiled a little more so. "I imagine living in the woods must be rather peaceful." It had been growing up, for him. Granted, it'd been a tropical forest, but they were similar in some ways.

Natias briefly turned his attention to his drink when Raff stumbled through the first part of his thought. When he said he wanted to ask Natias something, he caught the Haevar's attention. Natias' ears perked up a little when Raff then went on to say he just had to talk to Natias.

While the Haevar certainly understood being naturally drawn to someone, or what that might mean for his own people, he didn't when it came to... well, anyone else and him. So he wasn't... entirely sure what to say. A half smile hung on his face before he started with, "Oh. Well..." Then, he defaulted to trying to be pleasant. "I suppose a lot of people want to talk to something they've never seen before. I can't imagine a lot of Haevar get out this way."

That was surely what the man meant, right? He'd wanted to talk to Natias because he was so... interesting. New? Foreign?

[Zero]

Right, that made way more sense. Of course Natias got curious people talking to him. Raff felt a sudden spike of jealousy, but managed to squash it before he could growl. They were in a crowded bar and he didn't want to draw even more attention to himself. It also might startle his mate, and he didn't want to do that either.

"Haevar? No, I have never seen anyone like you." He could have met a thousand Haevar, a hundred thousand, and still would never have met one like Natias, but he didn't say it. "That's really not...it's really complicated and hard to explain."

How was he supposed to bring up that he had fallen in love with a complete stranger against his will and he was desperate to be with him no matter the personal cost? It wasn't exactly "first meeting over a drink" conversation material. People with no concept of mates, at least in the sense of werewolves, weren't likely to take it that well. What if he frightened Natias away? Raff's heart clinched painfully in his chest.

"I'm really not doing this well." He grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck again as he tried to think of how to get what he wanted and to make Natias want it too.

"It's funny to see you at the bar instead of gambling, Riff-Raff. Need another drink, love?" The woman behind the bar was thankfully not the one he'd dumped unceremoniously. Man he hoped she wouldn't hold that against him. Just the thought of sleeping with her now repulsed him, but that really wasn't her fault.

"Aha...yeah. Another drink would be good. You can drown me with it." He joked, blushing and looking very much like he was floundering. It wasn't like him to be this awkward and unsure of himself, usually he was confident, but all the other times it didn't really matter if he failed.

[SanctifiedSavage]

To say Natias was confused would be heavily simplifying it. He felt like Raff was trying to get something across, but he just wasn't getting the message. Perhaps it was a local thing? Either way, his ears drooped a little more as a reflection of his own perturbance. He didn't want the other man frustrated talking to him, after all, and he felt it was due to his own short comings.

"Ah. Er. Sorry, then? I try to learn a lot in my travels, but I must admit I'm still pretty new to a lot of different customs and cultures." It was the best excuse and apology that Natias could offer the man.

When one of the serving women approached, Natias smiled good-naturedly and even chuckled at the response. In an attempt to smooth things over, even though he had no idea what was going on, Natias added, "No reason to be so anxious. I don't offend easily." He was hoping that'd make the other man relax just a little and make it easier for him to say... whatever it was he wanted to say.

[Zero]

"What?" Raff felt confusion when suddenly Natias was apologizing to him, and then guilty. This was absolutely not his mate's fault. "No, no, this isn't anything cultural or customary, not to the locals; this is way more of a just me being an idiot thing, not you failing to understand something. I'm just not being very clear."

The woman gave a knowing glance between them as she set Raff's drink in front of him. She'd been at this game long enough to know when someone was coming on to someone else. It surprised her that it was Raff and this odd newcomer, though. She always saw the cute redhead going after girls.

"Aw, sugar, don't you fret about this one." The serving woman smiled at Natias with a wink before nodding her head cheerfully. "He's a scallywag, right proper, but he's pretty harmless. I think what he's trying to say is he'd like to get to know you. Intimately. You've got a really handsome look about you, so I guess I can't fault him none."

Raff had been unfortunate enough to have gone for a drink right away, and so found himself choking on it suddenly. Had that just happened? He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him to the very pits of the earth.

"Gee, thanks for the help." He grumbled as he kept his face hidden in his drink, face on fire as he wondered just how he was going to repair this situation now. Maybe the most open and direct route really was for the best? It wasn't like he could deny what she'd said without being a liar, and he didn't' want to lie to his mate. "She's...not wrong. I saw you and knew that I had to try, even if I got shot down."

[SanctifiedSavage]

Natias quirked a brow when Raff insisted that wasn't the case, that he wasn't misunderstanding a local custom. Though the Haevar certainly knew he was misunderstanding something. He just really had no idea what that might be.

When the serving woman returned with a drink, and insisted he not fret, he flashed her a sweet smile. Right up until she insist that what this stranger wanted was something a little more intimate and physical. Which made Natias laugh a little, not cruelly, because it sounded like she was poking fun at someone she knew.

It certainly caught him by surprise when Raff confirmed that was the case. That was... well, trying to hit on Natias. That certainly made him look at the man next to him in a different light. His skin darkened in an embarrassed flush and he looked at his drink in his hand. "Oh, ah, I'm sorry. I'm quite dense..." Natias must really be out of touch...

He laughed softly and shot a small glance at Raff. "I mean, I'm rather flattered..." The Haevar had absolutely no idea what to do from there because no one had ever really tried to... well, no one had been so forward. So, he asked, a little playful, "What did you have in mind, then?"

[Zero]

No matter how embarrassed Raff felt, seeing his mate's face flush and darken like that was breath-taking. He wished that Natias were blushing for another reason. Embarrassing his beloved was never his intention. The werewolf wanted to protest the adorable man's description of himself. His mate wasn't dense! It was his own failure to convey his feelings and intentions that were the problem.

He bit his tongue.

Raff felt a warm tingling when Natias said he was flattered. This had not gone at all as he'd hoped up to this point, but at least his mate wasn't hastily excusing himself and attempting to get away from him. At this point he was going to call that a small victory. He definitely did not anticipate the playful question that followed.

Heat infused him from head to toe. Did that mean Natias was interested? Oh praise sweet Luna if that was the case! That made things easier, but being willing to entertain the idea of a tryst and being willing to spend the rest of his life being loved and adored by Raff were two very different things.

"Well I..." Raff closed his eyes and took a steadying breath, because he was hot and nervous and achingly desperate not to mess this up. "I had wanted to draw you into conversation and slowly work my way up to seeing if you might also feel an attraction. Then the closer I got to you the more nervous I got and then my tongue didn't seem to want to work properly and I forgot how to make small talk or flirt because I really, really didn't want to mess up a chance to be near you."

His blue eyes were bright and intense when he opened them again and leaned in just a little, almost swooning the closer he got to that sweet scent, and his voice dropping to a low and throaty growl. "Now all I can think about is how badly I want to peel those damp clothes off you and spend the rest of the night getting to know you from head to toe..."

It was not the full truth. Raff didn't want to just spend the rest of the night getting to know Natias; he wanted to spend the rest of his life doing that.

[SanctifiedSavage]

While Natias certainly wasn't one to sleep around – either because the opportunities had never been presented or because he wasn't inclined to do so – he also wasn't the idea of some company for the evening. It had happened before, it'd just been rare.

Natias considered himself generally attractive. Nothing special, though certainly exotic to a lot of people he ran into, and he didn't mind catering to or indulging it some people's desires in that regard. For someone who moved around so much, it was largely harmless and without consequence. He wouldn't be seeing those people again, in all likelihood, so why not?

It was actually rather cute to see someone so flustered to talk to him. So eager that they'd stumbled over themselves when apparently they were quite the opposite – or so the server had led him to believe. Whether or not that was entirely true didn't really matter either. The set up was still nice and Natias was enjoying Raff's company. For the laid back Haevar, that was generally all that was required.

Natias more than appreciated when Raff lowered his voice though, as such softer sounds were much more on the Haevar's level, and he squirmed a little at the growl laced in the words. He wasn't uncomfortable, mind, but his face remained heated in a blush and his ears lifted some in interest.

Well then. Before he could process a smooth reply, he found himself asking, "You have somewhere dry and private to go?" Since both would be needed for such and meet and greet. It'd probably be a great way to spend the evening, rather than sitting somewhere alone and listening to the rain. As peaceful as that might've been.

[Zero]

Raff's heart was beating so wildly he thought it might explode, the blood was thundering in his ears, but he still managed to hear that question. His mate was blushing and squirming and asking if he had somewhere private for them to go and it was almost too good to be true. Had it really been that easy to convince this mate to sneak away from the bustle of the bar and make love to him?

A hot flash of jealousy washed over him. Was it that easy to get Natias to take his clothes off for just anyone? Sure, Raff was his mate, but his mate didn't know that yet. To the bunny-eared cutie blushing so prettily in front of him he was just some guy he'd met at a bar. It was almost enough to make him huff, but the werewolf was far too pleased with the idea of dragging his mate off for a thorough ravishing. Worrying about past lovers could come later.

"Well I'd love to take you home with me for the night, but that would mean dragging you out in the rain again." He didn't want to risk exposing his sweet mate to catching a cold out in the poor weather. "We could probably still snag a room upstairs if we ask now."

Raff licked his lips nervously and looked at Natias with no small amount of desire. Taking a chance, he reached his hand up to cup at the back of the man's neck and leaned in to snare his lips in a kiss. It started almost chaste, certainly shy, but as he moved his lips against the Haevar's he pressed into more until the kiss was more than a little steamy. It didn't matter to him that others could see them, that people that knew his reputation with the ladies were potentially watching him lustily devour another man's lips.

He wanted far, far more than just that kiss, but he forced himself to break it off and lean back, looking at Natias with half-lidded eyes. "Which would you prefer? I'll go for whatever option lets me do that again – and hopefully a lot more."

[SanctifiedSavage]

Natias took a drink, if only to buy himself a moment. This was definitely something that didn't happen to the Haevar all that often. Most were certainly curious about him and a fair few might work up the courage to ask about him, or talk to him, but this... Well.

He turned back to Raff when he made mention of taking Natias home. As pleasing a prospect, he didn't know the other man and he wasn't about to leave Tial here. So when the offer of catching a room was extended, he nodded some and finished his drink. "Room it is, then." That and the idea of wandering off in the rain wasn't an all together pleasing one. He was just starting to dry.

Thinking that was going to be it, for the moment, he was caught by surprise when Raff caught him and pulled him into a kiss. Not that he protested at all. Public displays of affection weren't nearly taboo or frowned upon by Haevar, so while the others around might've thought it odd, Natias didn't. Well, not in so far as kissing in front of other people. Kissing strangers, maybe a bit more so.

Natias responded easily to the kiss, even leaning toward Raff. Were it not for the other man breaking it, he'd have likely forgotten just where they were.

Right. Still in the bar.

Still flushed somewhat, Natias smiled a little and answered, voice low, "How about that room, hm?"

[Zero]

It was almost knee-weakening, how responsive the Haevar was to his kiss. Raff was put at ease about if his mate was attracted to him and if he wanted this too. The only unpleasing part of all this was that his sweet Natias was only thinking about tonight and not beyond.

He just had to remember to take it one step at a time.

"Room. Right. Yes." Raff whispered almost giddily. Tempting as it was, he doubted his mate wanted to get acquainted right here at the bar in front of all the other patrons. Granted that would have given them a hell of a show, eh? Shaking that thought from his head he turned back to the server and fished the coins out of his pocket that he had won earlier.  He set them on the counter in front of her. "I'd like to pay for the drinks and a room."

"Sure thing, hon. Go right at the top of the stairs, last room on the left is still free. Try to make it to the room, yeah?" The helpful barmaid chirped, smirking and winking at them.

Raff flushed scarlet for a moment, ducking his head and grabbing the clawed hand of his new mate and for the first time really noticed the claws. He wanted to learn everything there was to know about Natias, not just physically, but all his hopes, dreams, fears, and aspirations. The werewolf wanted to know his favorite foods and favorite places. Anything and everything, but first...

"Let's go discuss this attraction more in private." He flashed what he hoped was a flirty smile, though it probably still showed a lot of nervous excitement, as he pulled the other man with him towards the stairs that led up to the rooms.

It was hard not to keep glancing over his shoulder at the beautiful creature following him. He hadn't known that Haevar existed until he met Natias, but he was lovely. The Moon Goddess always gave them the right mate, so if it was meant to be the Haevar, then that was more than fine by him. The bunny ears were adorable and he wanted very badly to nibble and pet them.

Making it upstairs was a feat of restraint. Raff had very vivid images of pushing his mate against the stairwell wall and simply devouring him right there where anyone could happen by. It was so very tempting, but he wanted his little bunny all to himself.

As soon as he had guided his mate into the room, Raff turned to face him and pulled Natias close, cupping the Haevar's face gently as he kissed him again.

[SanctifiedSavage]

Natias chuckled a little at the barmaid's remark, but it didn't fluster him as much as it did Raff. Affection, and speaking of it, didn't bother him when it was in such broad strokes.

It'd just been odd to have someone so eager to run off with him.

He was easily pulled after Raff, sliding off his stool and padding after him. Mindful not to scratch up the floor with his clawed feet. It was only once they were up the stairs, and away from the majority of the noise, that his ears perked up. The sound, while still fairly loud to the Haevar, wasn't painfully so.

He wasn't anxious or nervous, though it seemed that Raff might be. Every time he glanced at Natias, the Haevar smiled in kind. It was actually quite flattering to have someone so eager to be with him. Natias didn't think he was that special, but it was nice to feel so now and then.

In that, there was definitely a sense of excitement. When the door was shut behind him, he half expected Raff to pounce on him. Natias didn't get a chance to look at the room. He was pulled against the other man, and into a kiss that was surprisingly light.

For the moment.

Natias gripped one of his hips and leaned into him, feeling the press of the other's body, the heat of him, and he couldn't help but be eager himself, now.

[Zero]

Raff was not usually all that shy. Since his mid-teens he'd flirted his way past the skirts of plenty of women, had made out with more than a few barmaids in the bar, sometimes right at the table while they all drank and gambled. He wasn't prudish or modest. It had never bothered him to go after females that he found attractive, but it had all been nothing but some fun and sport.

He had always known that his mate was out there and that one day he would find them. Raff had been eager for this day. This newfound bashfulness was because of Natias, of how much the man meant to him and they hadn't even begun to get to know each other.

It was a desperate need, not just a want. If he couldn't convince this handsome creature to remain with him, then Raff would not have a reason to keep living. That was his crux to bear.

A soft groan escaped against the other's lips as he felt Natias pull him closer by the hip. His mate was a few inches shorter, but managed to fit against him so well. Raff tilted his head to deepen the kiss and splayed his hands against the Haevar's chest to gently push him back until Natias was pressed against the wall.

His mind flickered to the bed, but his thoughts scattered again as his roaming hands moved under the shirt in his way and felt warm skin. Raff loved that his mate felt strong beneath his hands, Natias was not a delicate or soft female. The werewolf wasn't sure now why such partners had ever had an appeal as he mindlessly worked at peeling his mate's top off.

"You're gorgeous." Raff panted softly as he broke the kiss for air, but his mouth moved quickly to Natias's neck, gently nipping and sucking on the pulse point there.

[SanctifiedSavage]

Doo dee doo mature stuff

Natias could easily count his fingers the amount of times he'd spent the night with someone. It was few and far between and always initiated by someone else. He wouldn't say he was shy, but ever since he'd left his island home without his Saengi, his soulmate, he never sought a connection with another.

It wasn't fated for him, it seemed. Physical pleasure was all well and good, but for Haevar, life generally held far more meaning than that. Natias, being the laid back creature he was, wouldn't pass up a good time when it presented itself though.

He'd long come to terms with his 'single' status in life though and wasn't bitter about it. That was just the way things had been, and would be.

Besides, he wouldn't have been able to travel all over. Experience new things, meet new people. Find himself delightfully trapped between the cool press of the hard wall and Raff's oh so warm body. Men and women alike appealed to Natias – he liked to think he just wasn't picky – but Raff was the first man to take him to another room like this.

To want him like this and make it more than obvious.

He made a pleased sound in his throat when his shirt was pushed up and Raff's hands found their way under, touching and exploring. As eager to touch as Natias, whose own clawed hands were lightly grazing across Raff's lower back. Mindful not to scratch him, of course.

When Raff said he was gorgeous, though, Natias actually blushed more so and couldn't think of an appropriate response. No one had ever said that before either. He was saved from having to say anything when Raff's mouth found his neck and he groaned softly. At that, Natias decided Raff could say whatever he wanted if it meant that lovely mouth was going to continue to be on him.

His own hands drifted down from his lower back and held Raff's lower body against his own, enjoying the pressure and the warmth. Not quite rocking against him, to reflexively tease the hardened length that now made his pants uncomfortably tight. So much fabric still between them... Natias wasn't rushed though. They did have all night.

[Zero]

The sound of that groan was enough to set Raff's blood on fire. He wanted to hear Natias make more sounds like that. Knowing that he made his mate make such sweet sounds sent electric pulses straight to his groin. Of course, having the man's hand moving over his back and then pulling their bodies even closer made his blood rush even more.

He was all too happy to push the hard bulge in his pants against Natias, pinning him against the wall even more securely. It was almost instinctual when he slid his leg between the Haevar's legs, gently forcing them open a little wider.

Raff ran his hands up his little bunny's abdomen until he became frustrated with the clothing hampering his explorations. Being pressed so close to Natias did make it a little trickier to work loose the buttons of the man's shirt, but the werewolf was unwilling to move away from him. He didn't want to lose any of that heated contact that wasn't nearly enough.

His lips didn't stop moving along that beautiful neck and throat until he slowly pushed the fabric off Natias's shoulders, exposing more sweet flesh to his searching mouth. Raff wanted to discover every secret spot that made his bunny gasp, squirm, groan, moan, or sigh.

In that quest, he slowly made his way down the other man's chest. Lips and tongue and teeth lavishing him with attention as Raff's hands roved down Natias's sides and back.