A Beastkin-Style Date and the First Night’s “Battle”
Not long after his tender, heartwarming day with Ayane, it was Kina’s turn to share a “date day” with Akio. The wolf beastkin girl had been counting down to this moment, her tail swishing side to side all morning in restless excitement.
“Hubby! Today’s our date, right? Where we goin’? What we doin’? Heh, long as I’m with ya, anywhere’s fun!”
Clinging eagerly to his arm, she shone with that sunlike grin of hers. Akio, though a bit flustered at her sheer energy and closeness, couldn’t help feeling warmed by her open affection.
“Well… since you like the forest, how about we head deeper in today? Look for new hunting grounds, maybe gather some herbs. Ayane packed us a lunch, and Sylvia warned me not to ‘let this wild filly run you ragged,’ but…”
“Hah! Milady sure worries too much. Don’t ya fret, Hubby, I’ll be the one protectin’ you!” she declared, puffing out her chest.
The day was very much Kina’s stage. With beastkin senses sharp as ever, she uncovered faint tracks, rare mushrooms, and medicinal plants Akio himself would have missed. She bounded up trees for fruit, darted after small critters (though she didn’t hunt them), and in all her vitality and natural charm, she seemed dazzling in his eyes.
“Look, Hubby! This mushroom smells great—let’s show Madam Sylvia later!”
“And here’s a pretty feather. Might make a nice gift for Miko or Yume, eh?”
Each discovery she held out like treasure, her ears twitching as she searched for his reaction. Akio’s smile came easily, caught by her unfiltered joy.
At a sunlit spring deep in the woods, they spread out Ayane’s homemade lunch.
“Man, Ayane’s cooking’s the best! You’re one lucky guy, Hubby, eatin’ like this every day!”
Akio chuckled. “I really am. I’ll never thank her enough… And Kina, thank you too. You’ve always worked hard with the hunts and heavy labor. I can’t tell you how much that means to the village—and to me.”
The words caught her off guard. She blinked, then her face flared crimson as she looked away.
“D-Don’t go sayin’ stuff like that outta nowhere…! I mean—it ain’t just for you! … Well, kinda for you, too, but mostly ‘cause I love this village and everyone in it!”
That bashful expression, so different from her usual boldness, revealed the sweetness of a girl her age—something Akio found endearing.
When the day waned, they returned to her room in the central mansion. By Kina’s choice, it had a rustic feel, decorated with fragrant forest blooms and pelts, a single fur-covered bed in the middle. Suddenly her bravado gave way to nerves.
“H-Hubby… I, uh… this is my first time with somethin’ like this, so… go easy on me, ‘kay…?”
Her voice quavered, wide eyes shimmering. Akio’s heart pounded—this was to be their first night.
He clasped her trembling hand gently and led her toward the bed.
“Don’t worry, Kina. I’ll treasure your feelings. No rush. Let’s take it slow, and learn each other at our own pace.”
She nodded faintly, reassured. But once they lay down together, her nerves spiked again. When Akio tried to draw her close—
“Eek!? W-Wait, not so sudden! I-I ain’t ready yet!” she yelped, almost shoving him off in panic.
Startled, he pulled back. “Sorry, Kina! I didn’t mean—”
“N-No, I’m sorry! Just… it’s all so new, I don’t know what to—”
She buried her face in the furs, cheeks burning.
And so began a strange push-and-pull. Each time Akio inched closer, Kina cried, “Hold up!” Only for her, when he backed away, to peek up, fretting, “You… don’t hate me now, do ya, Hubby…?”
It was clumsy, even comical—but to Akio, her innocence and vulnerability stirred nothing but tenderness. He refused to force her, simply speaking softly, waiting with patience.
Time slipped by. Little by little, his steadiness melted her fear. At last, guided by his warmth, Kina yielded, leaning into him. Their first union was awkward yet fervent, fueled by raw sincerity. By the time her body relaxed and her breaths deepened into sleep, the three moons hung high overhead.
Her slumbering face still bore traces of nervousness, but now softened with childlike peace. Stroking her hair, Akio thought to himself,
(… Maybe this, too, is its own kind of beginning. Hard-won, but precious all the same.)
Thus was etched in his heart the love of this pure, unpolished beastkin bride—an affection both deep and gentle.
What do you think about this chapter?
