The Red Means I Love You

Redrum's breath catches in his throat as he feels Elara's weight leaning against him in return, her closeness sending a cascade of sensations through his twitching muscles. Every word the smaller girl speaks is a solace to his uncertainty, warming him from the inside out, easing the ever-present spasms that wrack his body. His heart pounds with a mix of relief and elation. What was she doing to him?

When she says his name, his golden eyes flicker with emotion. He can see the longing and vulnerability etched on her face, and it strikes something deep within him. His own gaze softens and fills with yearning.

“Elara…” He murmurs, his voice trembling slightly as he fights to control his spasms. “Red — wants – that too. More than — anything.” He’s careful about his words, scared. Afraid of what they mean, of what they might change.

Her next words strike him like a thunderbolt, filling him with a profound sense of joy and belonging. ‘You feel like home to me.’ It’s not corny at all. It’s perfect. He’s never heard anything more beautiful. He’s stricken by the expression she’s making, like she’s drawing him in.

His muscles twitch involuntarily, but he doesn’t pull away. Instead, he wraps his large frame around her more tightly, desperate to keep her close. As she plants a paw on his cheek and guides his lips to hers, he feels an overwhelming surge of protectiveness and adoration. He meets her gaze, his golden eyes reflecting the depth of his soul. What was this? What… was she doing? Why did he want to speed it along?

With a tenderness that contradicts his rough exterior, Redrum closes the distance between them. His lips meet hers in a gentle, hesitant kiss, every fiber of his being focused on this moment. It’s clumsy and awkward, his spasms making it difficult to hold still, but it’s filled with all the emotion he’s held back for so long. It's instinctual. Things he hadn’t fully understood until now, until her lips met his, and the lightning struck down his frame and pooled in his core. He gasps, long ears twitching as he processes the sensation of their first kiss.

When he pulls back, his heart is pounding so hard he’s sure she can feel it. He looks into her eyes, his own filled with a mixture of hope, fear, and unbridled affection. “El- Elara… Red — doesn’t know what — what this means.” His words come out in a broken rhythm, but they’re sincere and filled with questioning and vulnerability.