FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 3

~Waking Dreams~

~ Shawn ran through the shadowed mist that surrounded him, not sure where he was going but knowing that he needed to get away; that he needed out of this place, because something was chasing him. He could hear whispers, cackling cries and taunts in the distance behind him, muffled though they were by the dense and acrid fog.

"You can't escape me here! I know who you are now, Tegra'll!" the creature called out, seemingly far from the fox's position. "You shouldn't have shown your hand so easily, Others are sure to come looking now!" the fox heard the creature speak, though from where the voice originated that time he was unsure.

He gasped and yelped as he tripped over something, his paw caught by whatever it was. He struggled and squirmed to try and free himself, though found that he was pinned; both arms and legs held down firmly as he began to cry for help, though his voice caught tightly in his chest when he saw a toothy grin pierce through the dark mist. The figure it belonged to was obscured and wispy, though those teeth shone eerily bright and dripping with blood. Shawn whimpered loudly and struggled in vain as he felt his body grow colder, digging his claws into the ground beneath him in vain. ~

"Shawn! Wake up! It's ok, you're safe!" Kaine held him tightly to himself as the fox struggled fiercely, wincing when he heard him yelp. Shawn woke with a sharp gasping cry and whimpered as he struggled more within the husky's embrace. "It's ok, it's ok... You're safe, it was just a dream Shawn, You're still with me." he spoke soothingly, only loosening his hold when the fox seemed to calm down, if only slightly. Shawn whimpered more and began to cry as he realized where he was, immediately rolling over and hugging around Kaine, clinging to him while his whole body shook. "Oh Shawn... Its ok foxy, you're safe. I promise you're safe with me..."

It took him a few minutes before his heart calmed and allowed him to think, but Shawn eventually relaxed, panting softly though no longer shaking as he nuzzled under the husky's maw. "I... I'm sorry, I th-thought..." he started, though a quiet sob shook through him before he could finish. "Oh g-gods I thought I was gunna..." he panted and started to shake again as he cried, slowly calming down again as Kaine rubbed his back comfortingly and continued to reassure him. "Th-thank you, for... for being here..." he mumbled faintly, letting his head rest on the husky's shoulder while he stared blankly into the soft fur along his neck; not daring to close his eyes lest the nightmarish dream return again.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Kaine nuzzled at the fox's ears warmly and kept him close, his own ears perked and ready to listen to whatever the fox might tell him.

Shawn sighed and hugged tighter around Kaine's torso, opening his muzzle to speak, though he flinched and ducked his head when the memory of those fangs flashed before him. He relaxed at feeling Kaine's paws rub over his back and let out a quiet whine as he spoke. "I-I was being chased... I think it was the... thing... that attacked me back at my apartment, but... I got caught by something else, I think. I c-couldn't make out what it was, just..." His voice trailed off and he curled up against Kaine's side, the husky's ears having splayed when he heard what Shawn was saying.

"The 'thing' that attacked you? What do you mean?" Kaine had a concerned, though confused expression as he looked down over the fox, not sure if he simply misspoke or meant what he said.

"I... I-It was -" the fox stumbled over his words and he could feel his pulse quicken, unsure if he really wanted to get into that just yet. He decided to feign confusion for now. 'Better he just think we're upset than have to start explaining all of that right now...' he thought to himself before replying. "It all just happened so fast I... I never really got a good look at... whoever it was."

Kaine sighed and gave a gentle nod, not pressing the issue. "Just... Know I'm here for you, alright? It might help to get it off your chest. Could be the cause of those dreams, if you're internalizing the trauma."

Shawn just relaxed and let his body stretch out along the husky's own, loosening his grip around Kaine's torso. 'He doesn't know... - He can't know, how could he? - He might, though. We're only assuming he doesn't. We've met plenty of people who were willing to believe in the past though, maybe he w - That's still a big assumption, what if he just thinks we're crazy? - What if he can help? - What if he's one of them? - ...If he's one of them then we're already caught... wouldn't make much difference except we'd know for sure, if we talked about it. - But if he is and he caught on that we know, he might stop being so nice about it. - Well maybe we're screwed either way then...' the fox let out a deeper sigh and nuzzled along Kaine's bare chest, his internal conflict not helping settle his thoughts in the slightest. "Maybe... Maybe you're right. I just, I'm not ready to get into it yet..." He admitted, grateful when Kaine simply nodded and licked gently between his ears.

"Alright... I'm ok with that. Just let me know when you are, ok?" Kaine smiled softly as the fox gave a nod in agreement. "Good. For now though... It's still a bit early in the morning, but you wanna get outa bed? I get the feeling you would rather stay awake anyway..." the husky chuckled quietly.

"Oh, definitely rather stay awake. Getting up would mean I'd have to move though..." Shawn whined softly as he spoke that last part, gently trailing his paw up and down Kaine's belly, feeling the firm muscle beneath his soft fur. "We could just... cuddle for a while?"

Kaine nuzzled between Shawn's ears and squeezed him in a gentle hug. "If that's what you want, then of course! How are you feeling though? Your neck feel alright?" He raised his paw up to brush gently alongside the fox's neck as he spoke, ears lain back slightly in a show of concern.

Shawn squirmed lightly and nuzzled into the husky's paw. "I'm... sore, really. Whole body hurts... Part of why I don't wanna get up just yet, honestly. Well... That and you're really very comfortable. I'm ok though, I think; Just sore." the fox licked Kaine's cheek and gave his tail a reassuring wag while looking up into his eyes. He smiled when the husky returned the lick with a gentle kiss.

"Alright... I think I can refrain from doing anything to... aggravate, your condition." Kaine smirked lightly as Shawn blushed. He knew the fox probably wasn't in the mood to do anything anyway, but they 'were' naked in bed; regardless of the circumstances, it was difficult for him not to consider.

Shawn nestled in comfortably against his side and curled a leg up over Kaine's, his paw still gently trailing through the fur along his belly and side while the husky rubbed along his back, keeping him safe and trying to help sooth his aching body.

They spent the next few hours like that, simply relaxing in their mutual warmth; Kaine nearly drifting off again, though he did his best to remain awake and keep his fox company. The sun shone briefly through the bedroom window as it rose, though it wasn't long before the rain began to fall again. The heavy, deep thrum of droplets crashing onto the roof and ground would have been neigh deafening in a less insulated home; the water streaming over the window beginning to resemble a waterfall fairly quickly. Shawn buried his muzzle beneath Kaine's and curled up, his ears lain back, being reminded of the previous day and feeling a certain unease brought on by the deluge outside.

After a while, Kaine encouraged Shawn to get up with him and they moved into the living-room, the fox laying out on the couch while Kaine slipped into the kitchen to make them something to eat. It might have been closer to noon, Shawn wasn't really sure what time it was, but breakfast was breakfast and he showed his appreciation of the husky's cooking in licks and hugs once they finished eating.

The cacophony outside was quieter there, being in the center of the house, so the two were resigned to the couch and gladly cuddled for a while longer. Shawn had only bothered to put on a pair of boxers, though Kaine was nearly fully clothed. The fox insisted that his shirt be removed again at the very least, and happily went about helping Kaine out of it before settling into his lap, letting their furred bodies mesh once more.

"Hey uh, I gotta go for a bit, soon. There's some things I have to take care of still... I won't be gone too long, but you'll be alright here by yourself for a bit, right?" Kaine nuzzled along Shawn's ears as he spoke, his voice soft with a twinge of something that was difficult for the fox to discern.

Shawn splayed his ears and hugged Kaine tighter for a moment. "I... Yeah, I guess so..."

"Well I'm not leaving right 'now'! Just... soon-ish." Kaine chuckled and nibbled along one of the fox's ears. "You don't have to sound so glum about it." he added after a moment, then sighed and hugged Shawn tightly. "I know you're worried about being alone, I'm sorry... It won't be for too long though, ok?"

Shawn gave a slight nod and curled his tail around one of the husky's legs, nuzzling up under his muzzle. "Ok, I'll be alright... I don't wanna keep you from doing things you need to." he mumbled quietly.

~~~

The two remained embraced as they were up until 1:00 pm, when Kaine finally had to pry himself off the couch and away from Shawn. He said he'd be back soon as he pulled his shirt back on, grabbing a jacket off the coat-rack before slipping out into the cold garage and disappearing from sight. Shawn whined quietly and curled up on the couch where Kaine had been sitting, hugging around his tail loosely as he thought about what he might do.

He gently nuzzled into the warm scent left by Kaine before rolling onto his back, looking straight up at the ceiling for a few moments and letting his eyes wander along the borders of the room. The wooden beams that were used in the construction of the house were prominent design elements throughout the structure, though the dark stain made it more difficult to tell exactly what type of wood it was. 'Well, its sturdy enough at any rate... Man I'm bored already... is counting support beams really what I've resigned myself to? - Well there is always the TV, though that's not much better than the other option in my opinion.'

Shawn sighed and glanced at the TV, though the idea of watching something really did just make his head hurt, so he resigned himself to simply closing his eyes for a while. 'Yeah, you're right... never have really cared for watching stuff on TV, it's all so pointless and fake. - I wonder if Kaine has any books around here? - I dunno, don't really remember seeing any. - Oh like you were even looking, with a sexy husky leading you around and carrying you places, you weren't looking at anything but him! - ...Well can you blame me? You weren't either, to be fair. - ...yeah well, sexy husky.' the fox shook his head with a light chuckle, then sat up and angled his ears toward the garage. "I... don't remember hearing him leave, actually. Did he?"

The fox bit his lip gently and slipped off the couch, slowly padding his way in the direction that the husky had gone. Upon reaching the door he assumed led to the garage, he hesitated. Holding a paw up to it first, he leaned in and pressed one perked ear against it to see if he could hear anything, though his tail and ears fell as the din of rain outside seemed to be all he could make out. With a sigh, he grasped the doorknob and turned it slowly, opening the door only just enough to peek out at first, then halfway when he saw how dark it was inside. He nearly jumped out of his fur with a yelp as a loud knock sounded on the front door, causing him to quickly close the garage door, forgotten for the time being. The knock sounded again, a few more this time in quick succession.

Cautiously, though somewhat hurriedly, the fox made his way to the front door and peeked out the side window - as well as he could at least, given the convex and clouded nature of the blocks that made it up - and was only able to make out a white and black blurred mass. His initial instinct was to open the door as he figured the husky must be back already, though he only went so far as unlocking the door and placing his paw on the handle before he stopped. 'Just because it's white and black doesn't mean it's him! - But what if it is? What if -' his thoughts were cut off though as the being on the porch pushed through the unlocked door - having apparently heard the deadbolt slide open - and in the process, pushed the fox back with the door causing him to stumble into the foyer a few steps.

A tall and white furred wolf stood before him then, soaked through as even his long black cloak was clearly drenched from the downpour outside. He didn't even bother shaking himself off before coming in, just panted for a few short moments while looking the startled fox up and down. "We've gotta go, now!" The wolf spoke as he grasped Shawn's shoulders firmly, staring right into his eyes with obvious determination, though to what end, Shawn was oblivious at the moment.

There was a certain familiarity about the wolf, and despite his semi-shocked state, the fox found himself not as frightened as he figured he really should be in that moment, staring back into those icy blue eyes questioningly. He was soon shook out of his thoughts though, as the wolf let a low growl resound from deep in his chest while turning his back to the fox, though keeping one paw grasped firmly behind him around Shawn's wrist. The fox could hear him mumble something while holding his free paw out toward the door leading to the garage, a light greenish flash coursing over the door as runes seemed to burn in the air around it. "It's good you didn't go any further in there, I was almost too late..." he grumbled the last part to himself with a sigh.

"Too late? Who are you!?" Shawn yipped as the wolf turned back to face him, standing much closer this time as he stared down at him with a rather intimidating presence, though doing nothing to force it on the fox. His breathing steady in his chest, the wolf let out another soft sigh.

"We have to go, I'll answer your questions once we're safely away from here, alright? Now let's go!" the wolf insisted, turning toward the still-open door while initially dragging Shawn along with him by the wrist. The fox stumbled a few feet then whined audibly, stopping in place right outside the door as the wolf stepped out into the rain unsheltered.

"W-what about Kaine? Where is he? Do you know?!" Shawn whined as he stared up at the much larger wolf, his ears pinned back against his head as much to keep the rain out as it was because of his mood.

The wolf sighed again and tugged on the fox's wrist gently. "I'll carry you if I have to, but we really have to get out of here, alright? I swear, I'll answer what I can when we get where we're going, but for now, please, trust me?"

"B-but... what if he c-comes back, if there's s-something in the garage, he'd... h-he'd -" the fox started to drop to his knees, though was scooped up by the wolf's strong arms and held, a sharp gasp escaping his chest as the cold rain drenched his bare upper body and soaked the silken boxers he wore. Shawn closed his eyes tight and hid in the wolf's embrace, finding himself wrapped up in the cloak and held to the wolf's form closely, grateful for the added warmth, though he struggled briefly with himself about his current situation.

As seemed common this last few days however, he didn't get much time to think before this mysterious wolf turned and began to run down the road a ways, carrying him along held securely in his arms. Shawn clung to him at the change of pace, and kept his eyes closed tight until he came to notice that the rain had seemingly stopped. The thunderous noise of water falling heavily upon pavement became utter silence, save for the steady beating of the wolf's strong heart beneath his ear and his quieter-than-seemed-right breathing, given that he'd just been running while carrying someone, even if that someone didn't weigh much by comparison. In lifting his head and opening his eyes, the fox gasped softly and clung slightly tighter to the wolf at realizing they weren't outside anymore. He didn't remember any doors being opened, nor did they seem to have traveled very far - to the fox's perception - and yet there they were, inside some old-looking beat up apartment that had definitely seen better days. He gave a sigh of relief realizing it wasn't 'his' old beat up apartment, though it only made him question even more how they came to be at such a place so quickly.

"Wh-where are we...?" Shawn mumbled faintly, still looking around in confusion until a sharp blush came over his features at realizing he was being held in the arms of a complete stranger and was practically naked, let alone sopping wet and pressed close to said stranger's body. 'At least 'he' is wearing clothes... - Oh like you'd complain if he wasn't! - Hey, But we're with Kaine, aren't we? - Well that depends on what answers we get, now doesn't it?' the fox bit his lip and glanced up at the silent wolf, ears splayed and a whine escaping him as he realized the wolf was staring right at him again.

The wolf chuckled softly and gingerly set Shawn down, letting him stand on his own. "This? This is just a safehouse, temporary. It 'is' safe though, so relax, as much as you can. It's guarded by wards, so you don't have to worry about those Shale'mere getting in here like they did at your apartment and at... your friend's place? What was his name?"

"K-Kaine... His name is Kaine. Where is he though? Do you know? Wh-what's going on?" Shawn slunk back and leaned against a wall, his paws pulling his tail up around his front and loosely hugging around it as he pleaded for answers.

"I... can't say for certain where he might be, though given everything else that's been happening around you, I would venture to say that he might be involved somehow... whether he was just getting you out of the way, or helping the others, I really don't know. I might be able to help you find him, but I can't guarantee you'll like what we find out in the process..." the wolf kept his gaze steadily upon the fox's own, unwavering as he spoke, and cautiously stepped closer. Shawn lowered his head and whimpered, ears lain back as he processed what he just heard. He began to shiver from the chill setting into his soaked fur and lack of clothing besides, which the wolf took note of almost immediately. "C'mon, let's get you warmed up and dry, shall we? I'm sorry for how this happened... It's not the way I wanted us to meet, believe me. My name's Astre, by the way."

Shawn gave a distracted nod and didn't resist as the wolf gently rested a paw on his shoulder, guiding him down a short hallway and into a bathroom similar to his apartments, if slightly more dilapidated. The shower, at least, seemed in decent condition. "Heh... Just yesterday, about this time... almost the same circumstances, even. What 'is' going on right now...?" the fox mumbled quietly as he glanced up at the wolf, before gasping softly and falling silent as he couldn't help but watch Astre disrobe right there in front of him.

His head suddenly felt dizzy, causing him to lean back against the speckled glass of the shower for support, unable to tear his gaze from the sleek white fur steadily being revealed to him. First he watched as the wolf removed his cloak - showing off his strong, equally white furred arms beneath the black of his t-shirt - and hung it from a hook on the nearby wall, then grasped the bottom of said shirt and drew it up over his head - the wet fabric clinging to every muscle and line beneath it before wetly dropping to the floor at his paws - then... Shawn managed to turn away and half stumbled into the shower stall, leaning up against the far wall he was facing, beside the controls and beneath the shower head. The image of the wolf's progressively nude figure wouldn't stop playing through the fox's head, all pure white fur shimmering as it flowed over taut, firm muscles from his chest down to the belt that he only glimpsed being undone as he forced himself to look away, though his heart beat quickly as he knew the wolf would be stepping in behind him at any moment.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'm not leaving you alone so soon after all this... besides, you seem a little unsteady. Are you... alright? Aside from the obvious, of course... I know it's a lot to take in, but, you 'can' trust me... do you? Trust me I mean?" Astre rested one warm paw gently on the fox's shoulder, as his other reached beside him to turn on the water to a reasonably warm temperature. He remained where he was as the cascade of much-warmer-than-the-rain-outside water sprayed forth and began to soak through the chill of his already soaked fur, the wolf watching Shawn in slight concern until the fox took a deep, slightly shaky breath and turned to face him, though seemed unable to lift his gaze beyond the wolf's broad chest.

"I... I don't know, I mean, I don't even know you, do I? But, You feel... something about you seems familiar, I can't shake that feeling, and I..." Shawn sighed and stepped in closer, his paws lifting to rest upon Astre's chest before he let his forehead come to rest between them, his eyes closing tightly with a quiet whimper. A more contented sigh escaped him in contrast to that whimper, the heat of the water and the form he leaned against steadying his shivering self.

Astre smiled softly and gently brought his arms around the smaller fox, rubbing his paws up and down his back steadily to help work in the soothing heat of the water. "I won't do anything to hurt you, Shawn... I'm here to protect you, to help you, that's all."

Shawn nodded vaguely and leaned in closer, visibly relaxing in against the white wolf's form. "Wh-what about this... then? Showering with me... Comforting me? I doubt I need protection from the shower, after all. And you said this place was warded, so..."

"If I wanted anything more... Do you think you'd still have those on?" Astre said in almost a teasing tone as he gently tugged at the waistband of the silky boxers the fox still wore.

Shawn blushed at that and looked up at the wolf, into those icy blue eyes of his, and watched him for a moment. Neither moved until the fox spoke, almost as if testing their will to see who would falter first, though both met the others gaze equally. "I don't have to... they... Really do need to dry, anyway..." the fox mumbled faintly, captivated by those blue eyes as much as determined not to look away, though the blush forcing its way upon his features eventually won out. In the process of turning away though, he yipped as he found himself pulled back against the wolf's nude form, those strong paws running smoothly down over his chest and belly.

"I won't take advantage of you, Shawn... Though do be aware of the... effect... you have on those around you." the wolf mumbled in return, giving a light nip to the tip of shawn's ears.

Shawn gasped and whined softly, though as he lifted his muzzle to look up at the wolf, he instead saw his visage replaced by that of a particular husky. He yipped and turned around to face him, backing up against the shower wall before shaking his head and panting, looking back up again to find a confused and concerned wolf once more. The fox's breathing was shaky again, and he dropped his head, pressing his muzzle to his chest.

"What happened? Are you ok?" Astre stepped closer and rested a paw on Shawn's shoulder again, gently lifting his muzzle with his other paw to get the fox to look at him.

"I-I s-saw... I saw Kaine i-instead of you...just then. I'm sorry, I... I don't know what happened." The fox panted out, turning his head to look away, though finding it securely held in the wolf's grasp, as gentle as it might seem.

"Shawn, He isn't here, there's no way he 'could' be here, you might've seen an echo of him, residual image in your mind's eye... You did say this same thing happened yesterday, I'll assume it happened with him being in my place then...?" Astre sighed as the fox gave a nod in reply. "That might happen from time to time... You... You didn't let him mount you... did you?"

"M-mount me...? N-no, no I... w-we... I mean, wh-why would that matter...?" Shawn stumbled over his words with a whimper, staring up at Astre now, the wolf's own seemingly serious demeanor worrying him some.

"Did you let him or not? It only matters if you wanted him to, honestly... I mean, if you didn't... then that's a different problem entirely... But, If you wanted him to, and let him... You know what you are, right?" The wolf spoke plainly, the paw that was on Shawn's shoulder moving down to rest lightly upon his chest now as he watched him intently for a reply.

"N-no! I didn't, ok?! I mean... W-we... he did... pin me in the shower and... w-we both... he pawed us both, ok?! But that's all... just... kissing, and pawing once... and grinding, if you must know!" Shawn huffed and looked away now, blushing profusely as he confessed his and the husky's intimacy to the very naked wolf practically interrogating him on his sex life.

"Good... One less thing to worry about. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, at least. He treated you well I take it..." Astre gently patted Shawn's chest before turning away and stepping back under the flow of water.

Shawn whimpered and reached a paw out toward the wolf as he moved away, his ears pinning back against his head in both confusion and the sense of hurt he was feeling, not sure if it was because the wolf moved away, or if it was from the wolf himself. "I-I..." the fox started, though bit his lip and stepped around to the front of the wolf, hugging around him while burying his muzzle in the fur of his chest apologetically. "I'm sorry... I... I didn't mean to snap at you like tha-" he paused halfway through what he was going to say as Astre wrapped his arms around the fox again and held him, somehow causing a sense of peace to wash over every fibre of his being. In a hazy tone, the other thing he wanted to say managed to escape his muzzle, if a little muffled. "What do you mean though... 'what I am'?"

Astre chuckled softly, the sound reverberating through his chest in the fox's ear, making him squirm and shiver lightly. "We can get to that later. I can tell you some things, but others... have to be remembered."

"You probably shouldn't have used that ward right in front of me then... huh?" the fox chided teasingly and shook his head as he glanced up at the wolf, giggling softly and gently nuzzling into his chest as he got a nervous chuckle in response. "I remember some things... I simply know other things... It's... kind of hard to explain, really. But, I think I know what you're talking about, yes... I think I understand your concern about... a-about Kaine having mounted me or not, considering that now..."

Astre sighed heavily and nipped at the fox's ear. "Trick me like that little fox...I'll use 'something' right in front of you that I definitely shouldn't, if you keep that up."

"Oh? Oh please do, I'm dying to know now. Is it as big as the rest of you?" Shawn looked up at Astre with such an innocent look that the wolf practically choked as he laughed and looked away, unable to keep up the act. Shawn simply grinned and stuck his tongue out at him. "Poor wolf, too easy." The fox said simply, tail swaying contentedly behind him.

The rest of their shower didn't take more than a few minutes beyond that point, their teases and questions falling silent for the time being. Stepping out, Shawn looked around for the drying-stall, though was only able to find the door beyond the shower itself before Astre stepped up behind him and grasped his shoulders gently.

"Should probably get those boxers off you now. I'm sure you'd be more comfortable." The wolf commented casually, smiling as Shawn gave a nod even as he blushed. As he started pushing them down off his hips, he leaned into Astre's grasp to steady himself, carefully stepping one leg at a time out of the soaked undergarment before almost shyly holding them up in front of himself, looking for somewhere to hang them up and let them dry.

"S-so um... Now that you've got me secluded and naked here... Where's the dryer at?" Shawn asked quietly as he glanced up at the taller-than-him wolf.

"It's in another room, actually..." Astre replied just as quietly, staring back into the fox's crystal blue eyes until he shook himself out slightly and glanced to the door. "What do you know about interspatial travel and time-locks?"

"Oh, um... Nothing practical? I've... theorized about stuff like that, but..." Shawn perked his ears and couldn't keep a few wags out of his tail, keeping his eyes on the so-far-rather-impressive wolf as he guided him to the door they entered from. "This place... Is it...? I guess that explains how we got here so quickly... but, definitely doesn't explain 'where' we are exactly in the slightest..." the fox mumbled the last part to himself, gasping softly - the boxers being dropped, forgotten - as the wolf opened the door to what appeared to be a completely different building from the one he thought they were in. He looked up at the wolf again, who grinned and ushered him through the doorway into what appeared to be a sauna for all he could tell, though upon closer inspection, was just the biggest dry-room he'd ever seen, apparently.

"There's plenty of places to be here, and no one will bother us, no one could even if they wanted to." Astre explained, albeit vaguely, as he followed Shawn in and closed the door behind them. "One nice thing is we can make as big a mess as we like, essentially wreck the place, and not have to worry about it... all back in order next time we enter. Also never have to worry about running out of hot-water, for that matter." The wolf grinned and let his tail wag a few times as he watched Shawn look around in wonderment, before ultimately sitting upon one of the dozens of oaken benches as he stared up at the wolf again.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you Astre?" the fox smiled and shook his head, then lowered his gaze to the floor beneath his hindpaws, letting his claws stretch out and dig into the grains beneath them just slightly. "But... If this is possible... Which it all could just be a dream for all I know... Am I dreaming? I might be asleep on the couch in Kaine's living room still for all I know..."

"No, you're not dreaming Shawn... I'd have you pinned over that bench with your tail hiked if you were, probably." Astre teased with a smirk, watching the fox blush and gulp before shaking himself out, happily noticing him pull his tail into his lap. "Thought so... But no, you're not dreaming."

Shawn coughed slightly and cleared his throat, then nodded faintly. "I uh... A-anyway... sex-dreams aside... I-If I'm not dreaming, then... Kaine could've, theoretically, went anywhere when he stepped into what I 'thought' was the garage, huh...? It's why I never heard him actually 'leave', isn't it..." he sighed and let his ears droop.

Astre sighed and came over to sit beside the fox, slipping an arm around his shoulders to pull him in close, resting his muzzle atop Shawn's head comfortingly. "Yeah, its possible..."

"Great... my boyfriend only likes me because I'm... b-because... arf... I guess it makes sense. He never noticed me before... Everything he said... Everything he did, it was just... To make me want him that much more..." Shawn sighed and whimpered, cuddling up against the wolf's side. "What about you though, I... Who are you...?" he asked while lifting his gaze to Astre's once more, those familiar icy blue eyes staring right back into his crystal blue pools, unblinking and confident.

"I'm... Someone who knows you, who's only ever wanted to help you, to care for you... and yes, we have... but I don't want to control you, you know that, right? There's different levels of wanting something... and there's Need, as well. I know what you need, and how to give it to you, and I know how to keep you safe, but only if you trust me." Astre explained, in a little more depth this time at least, as he nuzzled and gently licked between the fox's ears. He reached over to a control panel and switched on the fans then, letting the both of them actually start to get dry.

Speaking over the fans, though still quietly due to their proximity, shawn hugged tighter around the wolf. "So you'll never leave me... is that what you're saying?" Astre gave a slow nod and held Shawn close, his eyes closing as they both relaxed.

"I'll never leave you, Shawn..." the wolf spoke in neigh a whisper, gently running his claws through the fox's fur, smiling as he felt the curled up form relax beneath his touch.

"I... I believe you... I trust you, Astre..." Shawn whined quietly and closed his eyes as well, a few tears falling from those crystal blue pools into the snowy white fur beneath before evaporating in the warm, dry air coursing around the two. 'You know we've dreamed about a white wolf coming to our rescue before... Are you certain this is real? - It has to be! I... I can't bare to wake from this if it isn't... It's like no dream we've ever had, it feels too real not to be... Doesn't it? - Just don't forget who's after us... He might seem to know a lot about our world, but be cautious? Remember how perfect Kaine seemed to be, before all this.' Shawn whimpered and curled tighter against Astre's side, a soft yip escaping his maw as he found himself being picked up and placed in the wolf's lap instead. He buried his muzzle beneath Astre's then, breathing in the wolf's scent while nuzzling into his scruff with a contented whine. He let his tail curl loosely around the wolf's back as he relaxed, held so comfortably in place.

"Don't fall asleep on me now... It'd be a shame to have to wake you just to carry you to bed." Astre spoke with a smile, nuzzling down between Shawn's ears warmly.

"I-I won't... I... Does that mean... we're sharing a bed?" Shawn blushed once more.

"Oh, well... yes. I promised I wouldn't leave you, I'll never leave your side, and that includes in bed, of course." Astre spoke in a serious tone, though Shawn had to look up at him before he cracked a smile and couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright... only if you want. I'm sure I could fi..."

"No! No... I... Stay with me, please? I don't want to wake up alone..." Shawn whined and half clung to the wolf, staring up into his eyes. He was only teasing at first, but the longer he thought about it, the more serious his plea became.

"O-of course... I'll stay by your side always, even in bed." Astre spoke wholeheartedly, entirely serious this time as he held Shawn close. "I'll never leave you again..."

'Well... So much for cautious. Alright, I'll admit it, I won't mind waking up next to this gorgeous wolf every day for the rest of our life, but seriously! What happened to playing it safe?' Shawn quieted his mind with another deep breath, taking in Astre's strong lupine scent and letting himself get lost in it. He might not be convinced that Kaine was simply using him, but he did truly trust in Astre, that sense of familiarity only growing stronger the longer he spent with the wolf. Everything else was just a distant echo in his mind.