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Snufkin sat on a boulder in the middle of the forest to relieve his aching feet. He hissed in discomfort as he loosened the laces on his boots and sharp pains shot through his ankle. Silently, he cursed the police officer who arrested him and the prison guards who kept him in jail. He hadn't realised a single melon out of hundreds would cause such a fuss. How was he supposed to know the officer had such an emotional connection to that particular melon?
The officer had confiscated Snufkin's possessions which, apparently, was perfectly fine when it was him doing it. Hypocrite. Snufkin was left without his tent for shelter, his fishing rod for food, his first aid supplies for safety and, most painfully of all, he was left without his harmonica. He would have to start again from scratch. If he had any idea where the officer had hidden his backpack, he would have taken it with him as he escaped. Unfortunately the officer was tight-lipped, although had cruelly hinted that his possessions had been made use of as campfire kindling.
Nearby, the bushes rustled and Snufkin hastily tied his laces up. He was certain there had been nobody in pursuit, but that didn't mean there was no other dangerous creatures in the forest. He left his knife hidden in his boot - he wouldn't take it out unless it was a proper emergency. Snufkin stared tensely at the rustling bush, prepared to go for his knife if he needed to.
Snufkin jumped in surprise as a female snork burst through the leaves, calling; "Snork! Where did you go? It isn't funny any more- oh!" She cried out suddenly in surprise as she noticed Snufkin perched on his boulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you sitting there. It must have been you I heard. I've lost my brother and I'm trying to find him, you see."
This snork was very pretty, Snufkin thought, with emerald green eyes and golden hair and a gold anklet around her leg. She was burgundy with worry, which, to a gentleman thief like Snufkin, was completely unacceptable. Perhaps he was technically a wanted criminal on the run; a fugitive of the law, but he would never leave a lady in distress.
"Would you like some help looking for him?"
The snork clasped her hands together. "Oh, would you? Really? Thank you so much! I'm Snorkmaiden."
"Snufkin." He nodded in greeting then jumped down from his boulder, ignoring the pangs of pain in his feet and the burning of his lungs. He had been running for far too long.
Snorkmaiden wrapped two paws around Snufkin's elbow with a giggle, like a lady taking a gentleman's arm. Snufkin remained silent, as he was busy panicking. He could feel Snorkmaiden's warm, hefty paws through the sleeve of his coat. The heat of her paws soaked through to his arm, leaving him shakingly overwhelmed. Snufkin tried to recall the last time anyone had touched him. He couldn't remember.
Why couldn't he remember? Had it truly been so long ago? Of course it couldn't have been too long ago. For the last few months, Snufkin spent every day alone in his cold, tiny cell, with no company at all except for the other prisoners who he could only talk to by shouting through the stone walls. Obviously he hadn't been touched at all in prison, so it must have been when he was arrested. He nodded decisively to himself.
Yes, the last time anybody had touched him was when the officer arrested him. Only the more he thought about it, the more wrong the memory seemed. The officer used ropes to catch and tie up Snufkin, then left him to struggle out of the ropes by himself in his cell. He hadn't laid a paw on him, technically. Snufkin remembered pressing his back against the cold stone wall of the jail cell, curling up in the corner to avoid the mocking grins of the prison guards, taking comfort only in the gloomy lighting which provided excellent cover for the hole he was digging to escape. Snufkin put his free paw in his pocket and felt the cold metal against his fingertips. He breathed a sweet sigh of relief that it still remained in his coat pocket. He didn't think he would put his tin-opener down for quite a while.
"Look, Snufkin!" Snorkmaiden shook his arm excitedly. "There's lanterns up ahead! That means people - we can ask them if they've seen my brother!"
Snufkin nodded his assent and began walking with her towards the light before he froze mid-step, as he caught sight of the hemulen holding the torch. He'd thought he'd lost them, but here they were, still searching for him. He winced as a beam of light crossed just in front of him.
He grabbed Snorkmaiden's paw and dragged her to hide behind a tree, covering her mouth with his paw as she opened it, likely to demand an explanation for his sudden strange behaviour. The police officer swung his light to where they had been standing only seconds before. Snufkin put one finger in front of his mouth to tell Snorkmaiden to be quiet. Her eyes widened and she pressed her back against the tree, trembling. Snufkin hesitantly lowered his paw and, thankfully, she didn't scream as he thought she might.
"What is going on?" Snorkmaiden hissed.
"I'll explain later. We have to go, come on." Snufkin whispered as he grabbed her paw again. His heart pounded hard against his ribcage. He was terrified of going back to that cold, damp, lonely jail cell; terrified of the officers chasing them; terrified the first person to touch him in possibly years would never lay her paws on him again after finding out he was a fugitive. He felt his face heat up as he realised he'd grabbed her paw. He'd never held paws with anyone before.
Or perhaps he had, when he was a much smaller child, so tiny he didn't have the capability of remembering. He might have had a friend or a sibling who held paws with him to make sure neither of them were lost. It hadn't worked, obviously, but the idea was lovely to think about. Maybe when he was born, a little baby, whoever took care of him might have offered him a finger to wrap his tiny fist around. He didn't remember it. He didn't remember anything before his short stay in the orphanage. He definitely hadn't held paws with anyone there. The other children avoided him, as though his quiet calm was contagious. The caretakers were not the caring type and didn't bother with physical affection. He was left to fend for himself with the ocassional swipe of a broom or thwack of a wooden spoon to prompt him into action or move him further away.
Snufkin and Snorkmaiden finally emerged on the other side of the forest, panting and exhausted, no longer in danger of being caught by the police officers. They stopped to catch their breaths. Snufkin reluctantly let go of Snorkmaiden's paw and bent to rest his paws on his knees. It was a surprise to him when, all of a sudden, he found himself on his back, staring up at the starry sky in confusion.
Snorkmaiden's face appeared in his line of sight, scarlet and scowling.
"Start talking."
"What about?" Snufkin wasn't particularly locquacious. What did she want him to say?
Snorkmaiden straddled his stomach to pin him in place. He gasped and blushed. She looked terribly angry. Was she going to hit him? He'd never been hit by someone's fists before, only brooms, belts, and, once, a glass. Would it hurt more? Less? He couldn't imagine it hurting too much, considering how soft and plush the fur on her paws was. He could feel her legs squeezing his sides. Snorkmaiden didn't hit him. Instead she took his wrists in her hands and pinned them above his head with her paws.
Nobody had touched Snufkin this much before. He didn't move. He wanted it to last, even if Snorkmaiden was mad at him. He didn't know when he'd next have any physical contact or if he ever would. Snufkin wriggled slightly and Snorkmaiden growled and pinned his wrists down harder, squeezing her legs tighter. Snufkin gasped for breath and she glanced at his face guiltily as she loosened her grip slightly.
"Goodness, you're strong." Snufkin wheezed.
"You think I'm strong?" She looked pleased, distracted only for a moment.
"Yes... You are pinning me to the ground."
Snorkmaiden's fur turned a pretty, blush pink.
"W-well, I have a good reason!"
Snufkin vaguely wondered what the reason was and why she was so embarrassed about it.
He wiggled his fingers to make sure he could still feel them, the movement of which made Snorkmaiden snap back into seriousness. She leaned in close to him in an attempt at intimidation. Snufkin did his best to be scared, as she obviously wanted, but was far too distracted by the fur of her snout brushing lightly on his face.
"Tell me why you're running from the police."
"It's quite a long story."
"Then shorten it!"
"I don't want to go back to jail."
Snorkmaiden's eyes widened and she leapt off him and backed away. Snufkin sat up and rubbed his wrists, his paws not quite measuring up to the feeling Snorkmaiden's paws gave him.
"You don't have to look so nervous. I only stole a melon."
"A-a melon?" She stuttered. "You went to jail over fruit?"
"There was an entire field of them." Snufkin sighed dreamily. "There must have been hundreds. I didn't think anyone would mind if I had just the one, but as soon as I bit into one a nasty, ugly old man ran out of the house and started spitting and cursing at me. I listened to him going on for a while but hearing too many swear words isn't good for you, so I had a few choice words of my own for him."
By a few choice words, Snufkin meant he had stuck his middle finger up at the man and told him how to use it, but he wasn't about to say that in front of a lady.
"Then he called the police on you?" Snorkmaiden asked, looking a lot more sympathetic.
"That's the thing; he was the police! He went back inside and came out with his uniform on, then he started chasing me and I started running and rolling the melon along. I kept running and running and the melon kept rolling and rolling until I wasn't sure where I ended and the melon began!"
Snorkmaiden gasped. "How on earth did you escape?"
"I didn't! He caught me and dragged me off to jail. It took months to dig out with a tin opener and it didn't help any that I came up twice still within prison walls, once right behind a guard."
"And that's all he arrested you for?"
"Yes?" What else would there be?
"That's awful! You poor thing!" Snorkmaiden cooed and cupped his face with her paws. He stared up at her in shock as she knelt next to him and brushed her thumbs comfortingly along his cheekbones, leaving a slight blush behind. He sat still and allowed her to fuss over him and hoped it would last a while. Snorkmaiden continued patting him down through his coat, making concerned noises the entire time. Snufkin gasped and squirmed at the strange sensations. He didn't know what one was supposed to do in this situation. Was he supposed to be patting her back? It seemed inappropriate, somehow. Impolite. Should he continue to lay still, unreciprocal, and allow her to do as she pleased?
Snufkin lay unmoving until she reached his ankle and he let out a startled whimper. Pain shot through his foot. It must have been sprained as they ran, as it certainly hadn't been injured before. Snorkmaiden gasped.
"Oh! You are hurt! I knew it!"
"Is that what you were doing?" Snufkin hummed curiously. "Checking for injuries?"
"Of course it was! What else would I be doing? I knew those nasty old policeman hurt you! I just knew it!" She wailed, then began to untie his boot laces.
"W-what are you doing?" Snufkin wasn't used to physical contact but he was certain undressing someone so suddenly without asking wasn't appropriate. He dug his claws nervously into the dirt next to him and watched her closely.
"Oh, Snufkin!" Snorkmaiden cried. "It's so bruised and swollen. How awful! What should I do?"
He shrugged. "Usually I'd just leave it. It will get better eventually on its own."
"That's terrible! We can't just leave it!" Snorkmaiden grabbed his ankle in a wild panic. He yelped in pain again and jerked away from her. She held up her paws in front of her. "Sorry! I'm so sorry! Sorry, sorry."
Snufkin curled protectively over his ankle with a whimper, as Snorkmaiden hopped around anxiously and apologised over and over.
Snufkin held his paws out towards her and waited for her to notice and take hold of them with her own. Snorkmaiden yelped as he tugged her down to the ground next to him.
"It's okay, Snorkmaiden, you haven't done a single thing wrong."
She looked down at their still-clasped paws and Snufkin quickly let go with a faint blush. He hadn't meant to make her uncomfortable. Snorkmaiden picked up his paws again and smiled coyly at him.
"I'll make it better, I promise."
"Oh? How?" Nothing had ever helped his injuries before, except cold snow-packs. He'd tried a lot of things; river water and dock leaves and trying to visit with town healers and none of them cured injuries or illnesses. The only thing that helped was the icy cold of a snow-pack against his bruises.
"I'll kiss it better!"
"Kiss?"
"Yes, that's what makes me feel better when I'm sick or hurt."
Snufkin almost wished they weren't holding paws so he could cover his face with his hat as he wanted to. "You want to kiss me?"
"W-well- that's not- that's not quite what- what I meant!" She stuttered, her fur turning pinker. Snufkin didn't know why she was embarrassed, but felt embarrassed anyway for making her embarrassed. If either of them had messed up the conversation, it would've been him. Snorkmaiden was a lovely young snork who knew how to behave in polite society, while Snufkin was a filthy loner of a vagabond who had spent the last several months locked up in jail. Obviously he must have upset her somehow.
He opened his mouth to apologise but was swiftly cut off by Snorkmaiden swooping down to nuzzle her snout against his. He let out a surprised noise from the back of his throat. Then the noise continued. It was a deep, vibrating sound. He was... Purring? He hadn't known he was able do that.
Snorkmaiden sat back on her heels, still fully pink. "How does it feel now?"
"Wonderful." Snufkin rubbed his nose.
She giggled. "I meant how's your ankle?"
"I think kissing it better worked. I can't even feel it any more."
"You can't feel it at all?" Snorkmaiden frowned, worried. "That's not good at all. Is it completely numb?"
"Yes, that happens to injuries sometimes."
"That's not funny, Snufkin! This could be really serious." Snorkmaiden admonished.
"I think we should try kissing again. I think that will fix it." Snufkin suggested. He had rather enjoyed kissing, and Snorkmaiden was such an excellent kisser and lovely and beautiful as well.
"I-I think that's a great idea." She agreed, blushing. Was it? Snufkin hadn't expected her to agree at all, let alone so enthusiastically.
Snorkmaiden leaned in and kissed him again, softly, gently, almost reverent. Snufkin gazed at her from beneath half-closed eyes as she pulled away. His body aches where she was no longer touching him, as though his own limbs had torn themselves away to be with her. Snufkin closed his eyes. He didn't want to be too greedy. Just because she was touching him now didn't guarantee she would in the future. He would have to get used to being touched then left alone, instead of not being touched at all.
"I want to kiss you again." She whispered.
"Really? You want to?" Snufkin opened his eyes.
"Of course I do. I found a cute boy in the forest who acts like a gentleman but is actually a thief. What else am I supposed to do?"
"A thief?" Snufkin had no idea why that particular trait made Snorkmaiden want to kiss him. She leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"I secretly like bad boys. Don't tell anyone."
"Who would I even tell?" He mumbled.
"Why wouldn't I want to kiss you?" She laughed.
"I thought you kissed me because of my ankle?"
"Please, Snufkin, you can't actually believe that, can you?"
"Well, I did wonder why you didn't kiss my ankle if that's what you were supposed to be making better."
"Oh, you." She giggled and shoved playfully at his shoulder.
Snorkmaiden placed her paw on the back of Snufkin's head and threaded her paw through his hair.
"May I kiss you, Snufkin?"
"Kiss me, Snorkmaiden."
She tilted his head and pressed their snouts together. Snufkin felt electricity pulse through him and watched Snorkmaiden's fur turn a deep, rich gold. He placed his paws on her waist and tugged her closer. He didn't want this to end. He didn't want this to ever end.